Tuesday 30 December 2014

The Winter Face

It only occurred to me a few days ago that I've pretty much been wearing the same makeup look over and over for almost the whole of winter. Normally in winter, I would be wearing some sort of jewel tone on my eyes, because I really think that these shades were made with winter in mind. This year though, black liquid has been my best pal, and there hasn't been a day gone by when I haven't sported a slick of it.


My makeup has been pretty simple, but with statement eyes. Kind of like a simple statement. For my skin, I've been all about the glow. Anything that could give me a faux glow, it's been on my face. So, with this in mind, my foundation of choice has been L'Oreal True Match in the shade Golden Beige. This is a medium coverage foundation with the most flawless and natural finish. I love that when I have this on, it looks like there is nothing on my skin at all. I've been setting this with MAC Sheer Select Pressed Powder in NW20, to keep any extra oil under control. For the added glow, Makeup Revolution Blush Palette in Golden Sugar has been the one. Perfect for warming up the face a touch, adding a little blush and highlight all at the same time, you can find my full review of it here. 

For the eyes, I haven't been using much at all really. For the brows, I've been running a little bit of Makeup Revolution Ultra Aqua Brow Tint in the shade medium, just for a little definition. I haven't been using many shadows which is quite unlike me, but I have been adding a quick wash of colour. My shadow of choice has been MAC All That Glitter eyeshadow which never fails me. For liner, Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner is my absolute fave. I've been applying this thicker than usual and adding a flick on the end. To finish, a few coats of Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara to give my lashes some body to them, followed by a slick of MAC Creme Cup mascara, and the jobs a good 'un.

I've been wearing this look so much for the past few weeks, so much so that I can't see myself changing it any time soon. What has been your winter look?

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar Blush Palette

Makeup Revolution are fast becoming my favourite brand. Not only do they have incredible products for purse friendly prices, they are constantly bringing out more and more products for us to enjoy. Last weekend, I made a long overdue order and took advantage of their amazing Black Fridays deal. One of the items that made its way into my basket was the beautiful Golden Sugar blush palette.

Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar Blush Palette

Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar Blush Palette


I already own the Hot Spice blush palette, which I use almost everyday and really can't fault it. When I saw this palette on Instagram and Twitter, I knew it had to be mine. Being a big fan of bronzers, this is right up my street. I'll start off with the packaging, which is a sleek black case, with a full size mirror. Perfect for including in makeup kits or travel, as it is quite sturdy. Sure, it does feel a little on the cheap side, but £6 there really is nothing to complain about.

Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar Blush Palette

The shades are definitely beautiful, and multi use too which is an added bonus! They are all buttery soft and pigmented which makes application a doddle. I've been using all of the shades as bronzers, blushes, highlights and eyeshadows, so you really can get plenty of use out of this palette. The matte brown shade has been a great contour shade, but make sure to use a light hand to avoid looking too muddy. The paler shades make beautiful highlighters and the rest are great for warming up the face. 

Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar Blush Palette

This palette has been a warm welcome to my collection, and has been a great addition to my freelance kit. If you love palettes, and bronzers or blushes are your weaknesss, then you need this! 
You can purchase this here from Makeup Revolutions website.

Tuesday 18 November 2014

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel

Skincare is something that I have been trying to up my game in. I'm starting to know what works best for my skin, and what should be avoided. One brand that has consistently been a stand out for me is La Roche-Posay, and this product is definitely a firm favourite in my routine.

The Purifying Foaming Gel is one of those simple products that really doesn't seem to be a must have judging by its appearance, but it's pretty amazing. This is a light weight gel, very similar to a face wash or hand soap consistency. I just splash my face with cold water, apply a small amount and massage into my face, then rinse off. It really is the most simple step in my skin care routine, and yet it is probably my most effective. I do this step morning and night, on a night using my Sephora cleansing brush for a more intense clean. 



This is designed to get rid of any build up on the skin that can cause blemishes and excess oil. It lifts any dirt and makeup without stripping the skin. For me, I have oily skin, but this helps to balance the oils in my skin without drying it out completely which is a god send, especially in this cold weather! I tend to use this as my second cleanser in my double cleanse routine, but it still works amazingly on its own. I have been using this since August have really noticed an improvement in my skins appearance. It is much smoother, I don't have to powder as much as before, and there are definitely less blemishes.

I have the 400ml version which I bought in France but you can buy this in Boots and Escentual in a 200ml tube. 


Sunday 16 November 2014

Sephora Metamorphosis Exfoliating Powder

A couple of months back, when I took a trip to France, a trip to Sephora was inevitable. Obviously I spent far too much money on items that I didn't need but the feeling of guilt went away after approximately thirty seconds. I have been wanting to update my skincare routine for a while so I was on the look out for new items in their skincare section when this caught my attention.


Sephora Metamorphosis Exfoliating Powder is housed in a plastic pot with a screw top lid. The plastic is quite thick, making it perfect for travel as it is definitely durable. There is also a "shake top" so that you can control how much powder you use. Being in a clear plastic container, it also makes it easy to see exactly how much you have left.

The powder is finely milled but still abrasive enough to make skin silky smooth. Despite being abrasive it doesn't irritate my skin or feel uncomfortable, unlike other facial exfoliators. This can be used daily if mixed with your regular cleanser, but I tend to use it once or twice a week on it's own for a more intense scrub. I shake a little bit into my hand, mi with a tiny bit of water, massage into my face and then wipe with a warm flannel. Soft skin in one easy step. 

Although I bought this in France, it is available on the Sephora website, here.

Wednesday 12 November 2014

The Wedding Series #5: The Guest List

Some of you might have noticed that on my Twitter I have been extremely excited lately, and for a good reason. We have finally set a date and booked a venue for our wedding! Eeeeekkk! It's all starting to feel very real now and I am in full wedding planning mode. 
As we have quite a way to go until the date, 24th September 2016, I'm concious that it's going to come round really fast. Plenty of people have told me how quickly it is going to be here, so I'm starting to get everything together now and hopefully I'll be organised in plenty of time. I thought that today I would share my thoughts on one of the bits that I have found the most stressful and that is writing the guest list. 



After finding a venue, putting together a guest list has been without a doubt the most stressful part of planning our wedding. I have sat down to write ours and have found my mind going blank or getting half way through and being distracted. I also had to take into consideration the numbers that our venue would allow. For example, we have booked a package deal which allows us to have 60 guests, and then any extra guests on top of that have be paid for per head. This was fine with us which is why we booked this package, however, it is so easy to get a little carried away. 

Things to take into consideration:
 - Work out the number of guests that you want to invite/that your venue will allow?
- Prioritise people. As horrible as this sounds, some guests will be more important than others. Start with your immediate family and then continue from there.
- Understand that not everyone will be able to make it so set an RSVP date.
- Decide whether you will allow plus ones and children. Everyone counts towards numbers.
- Make two lists, one for your ceremony and reception, and one for your evening reception.
- Have you spoken to them in the last year? If it's a no and without good reason then do you need them at your wedding?

I'm so pleased that ours has finally been done and all that is left to do is send the invites. I've got a couple more wedding related things going on this week, so there will be more posts in the wedding series soon :)

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Why I Fell Out Of Love With Blogging...

It has been two months since I last posted here on my little blog, and even in the run up before my last post, it was few and far between. The truth is that I fell out of love with blogging for a while, a number of reasons played part in this but ultimately a break was exactly what I needed. 

Anyone who is a blogger, be it as a full time job or as a hobby, will know that sometimes trying to switch off from blogging is difficult. Trying to find a work/life balance was something that I started to find extremely difficult, and to be honest, I still do. I seriously applaud those who find it easy, because it's something that I'm still working on. When I was offered my job, I realised that I would need to come up with some sort of blogging schedule, but instead I just blogged as and when I could. This quickly meant that I was just forgetting about my blog, and finding myself making the most of my days off. I soon found out that I didn't really miss blogging, and I was enjoying reading them more than I was writing them. Now that I've had a proper break, I'm ready to jump back into the swing of things.

During my break, I've still been buying makeup and the like so I have plenty of posts lined up for you. I can't wait to be back blogging on a regular basis :)

Massive thankyou to you all for staying with me, I'm sure that I will have something to thank you all very soon.

Sunday 14 September 2014

Harry Potter Studio Tour

Okay, so I know that there have been a million and one posts about this, but I couldn't not write one! I had been looking forward to this day for so long, and whilst on the tour I was beside myself with excitement. I thought that I would share a few of my favourite photos from the day (I snapped around 400 pictures!), but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't been so I'll keep the photos down to a minimum.

The Warner Brothers Studio Tour is located in Watford, and was relatively easy to get to. We drove, but there is a shuttle bus that takes you from the train station which did seem very popular. The outside of the building had me really excited, with wizard chess pieces and sound effects. The foyer was pretty impressive too. Pictures of the cast, props, a gift shop and Starbucks made waiting for our tour a piece of cake. 


The tour itself is absolutely incredible! I don't really want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't been so won't go into too much detail, but it really did blow my mind. The attention to detail is incredible, and even those who were not familiar with the films would be amazed. Each set has been perfectly presented, and the workmanship that must have gone into the making of it all is really something special!


I'm so pleased that I have been, being a huge fan of both the books and the films. I would happily go again and again. Definitely a must see!

Monday 8 September 2014

A day trip to Brugge

Two weeks ago, Olly and I went to visit his family in Kent and we had around two weeks worth of activities to cram into six days. Challenge accepted. One of our plans was to travel to France for the day via the ferry from Dover to Calais, something which we do often. It also gives me a chance to go to Sephora and French pharmacies which definitely happened, so watch out for a post on that.


Whilst in France, we decided that we would go into Belgium and see the sights of Brugge. Despite only being a 2 hour drive away from Calais, the scenery and atmosphere is completely different. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I really did like it. Brugge itself seemed very small to me, much different to other European cities that I've visited. The centre is very traditional and historical, there were hardly any cars, in fact the most popular form of transport seemed to be horse and carriage which looked absolutely lovely. We were not short of restaurants either, although they do all tend to serve the same food which did slightly disappoint us. One thing to bear in mind is that it is extremely expensive, you could have knocked me down with a feather when I saw the menu's outside the restaurants and they all had sky high prices. Think 12 euros for a glass of coke! 

If you are after something loud, wild and filled with crazy antics, then Brugge probably isn't the place for you. It's quiet, peaceful, and pretty. It was just so nice to have a wander round, take in the sights and see what Brugge has to offer. Their are plenty of little boutique shops, along with big brand that we all know. Of course, I couldn't leave Belgium without picking up some Belgian Chocolate and stuffing my face with a sweet Belgian Waffle. Obviously covered in Nutella. Obviously. 

Such a lovely place, and one destination that I'm pleased I have ticked off my European City list.

Sunday 31 August 2014

Simple Face of the Day and Crazy Lioness Hair

Ahh it feels nice to be back blogging. 
A few weeks ago, I went for cocktails with my bestie, who is also my bridesmaid, for a good catch up and a few mojitos. I just so happened to get a little selfie crazy and thought that I would share with you my Face of the Day as I really liked the way my makeup turned out, and my hair was actually playing ball. 
So here are all the details...


Base:
Witch Anti Blemish Primer
MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW20
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20
ELF Tone Correcting Powder

Eyes:
Urban Decay Eye shadow Primer Potion
Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara
MAC Quite Natural Paintpot for brows

Lips:
MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

Face:
Look Beauty Blusher in Sculpt
Bourjois Java Rice Powder

Hair styled with GHDs and Redken Wind Blown Dry Finishing Spray
I really love this look, and have been wearing it pretty much non stop all of august. I'm all over the big bouncy, lioness hair at the minute as it's so easy to do and lasts for at least two days. Great hair style for lazy girls like me!

Friday 29 August 2014

Long Time, No Blog.

Well hello there. Remember me? You might or might not have noticed that I haven't posted in just over a month on my blog, and I haven't been hugely active on my Twitter. However, I have been having a lovely little break and having a bit of me time and I thought that today I would just catch you up on what I've been up to, and some plans for this blog.

For those of you who don't know, I started a new job 4 months ago and I finally feel like I've settled in and got used to the workplace. The added bonus is that I'm working with a lot of products that I have a real passion for absolutely love. Although, the beauty counters are making my wishlist ever growing! This new role meant that my blogging schedule went completely out of the window and I didn't know how to manage my time. Now that I've finally got used to my rota, it means that I have got a better idea of when I'm going to be able to post. Yay!

It's also recently been my birthday which was so lovely and relaxed. I might definitely spent my birthday money on a few beauty bits, so there will most likely be plenty of reviews coming up soon. As far as birthday celebrations go, it was quiet time spent with my family and Olly, having delicious meals out and cocktails. My favourite thing to do. I also visited France last week and had a humongous shopping list for Sephora and for some french skincare. It certainly was a successful shopping trip!

So, I'm coming up with a new schedule on my blog. I'm going to be posting three times a week on a Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (hopefully!) and anything else on top of that will be a bonus. It will still be the same content, a mixture of beauty and lifestyle, and I've just finished all of the makeup looks for my Retro Makeup looks which I'm really looking forward to sharing with you all! I'm also hoping to start up my YouTube channel again, but I shall keep you posted on that.

It feels nice to finally sit down and write a new blog post, I can't wait to be back into my proper routine. :)

Friday 25 July 2014

Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Goddess of Love Highlighter

Wow, what a mouthful that title was... I have quite a few Makeup Revolution posts to go up and I wasn't sure what should go first. Makeup Revolution have taken the beauty world by storm and I am absolutely smitten with their amazing products and prices, so much so that I'm just about to place another order with them today!

I ♥ Makeup seems to be an extension of the original Makeup Revolution brand, complete with stunning shades and pretty packaging. One of their releases has been six baked hearts which include two bronzers, a highlighter, and three multicoloured blushes. All of these hearts are are triple baked and packaged in the sweetest boxes. They are very much inspired by the Too Faced Sweethearts blushes but at a fraction of the cost. 
Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Goddess of Love Highlighter

Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Goddess of Love Highlighter


I am a little bit of a highlighter fiend, and I always seem to find myself buying them. I tend to like a few different tones and types depending on the look I'm going for. I have found that a little of this is all you need for a pretty and natural glow. It is quite easy to go a little overboard and end up like a glitter ball but I guess that it's pretty much the same for all highlighters. The powder is soft to the touch, which great because it means that it doesn't get too powdery and kick up a lot of dust when I swirl my brush around in it.
Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Goddess of Love Highlighter

Overall, it's love. I have really enjoyed using this highlighter for everyday use and think I will continue to do so for a very long time!
You can buy this and other I ♥ Makeup products from their online store.

Sunday 20 July 2014

Summer Wedding Guest Makeup

I'm sure that many of us will have been to a wedding at some point. I have fond memories of being a bridesmaid at numerous family and friends, and the excitement building up to it is pretty intense. As a bride to be myself, I love nothing more than wedding talk. Seriously, anything wedding related and I will be first to bring it up in conversation. Anyway, I thought it might be nice to share with you the items that would make it into my makeup bag as a wedding guest. With a couple of my friends getting married, I've put a little bit of thought into the makeup that I will be wearing as a summer wedding guest. 

Summer Wedding Guest Makeup mac loreal rimmel stila blush foundation blog retrolove


As it is summer time and we have been having beautifully warm weather, I wanted something that would lighter on my skin without sacrificing any coverage. I had to make a decision between L'Oreal Lumi Magique or Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. I chose the latter as it offers a good coverage without being overly heavy, and it brightens my face which eliminates the need for any concealer. 
For cheeks I have picked some of my most favourite items. MACs Fleur Power blush and Soft and Gentle mineralize skinfinish is all that's needed for a fresh and healthy glow. A tiny touch of highlighter is all that's needed as the foundation does most of the most of the work.
I like to let my eyes do all the talking whilst still using natural, earthy tones. For my base, I have gone for Rimmel Scandaleyes shadow pencil in Bulletproof Beige. This is a super pretty pale gold which blends like a dream and creates the perfect canvas for shadows. The shadows that I have chosen is my beloved Stila In The Light Palette. Featuring a stunning selection of neutral shades, it is the perfect palette to take you from day to night and everything in between. I was also going to feature some falsies but if its hot weather, lashes are the last thing that I want to be fiddling with, so Benefits They're Real Mascara will be my mascara of choice.
Finally, I think that there is nothing better than a neutral lip to match all of these products and pull the look together. MACs Fanfare is the perfect choice for me as it is still nude but with a slight hint of colour to warm up the lips. It will be a great shade to take you right throughout the day.

What would be your Summer Wedding Guest Makeup choices? 

Friday 4 July 2014

Retro Makeup: 1930's

A long time ago I had an idea that I would live up to my blogs name and reignite my love for everything with a retro vibe. I had the idea that I would attempt to recreate iconic makeup looks of the decades, ranging from the 20's to present day. It has been a while since my last attempt which was a 1920s Flapper Girl, but I've finally got round to doing another which is look based on the 1930s.

For this look I was a little bit suck for ideas, because I didn't want it to look too much like a 1940s recreation which I already have a look in mind for. As I wasn't getting any closer to any ideas I asked my grandma who was born in the 30s if she could give me some sort of idea. She told me how she would watch her older sister apply makeup, and the type of products that she used. She told me how everything was very simplistic but a red lip was always the thing to wear. So here is my attempt at a look...


I wanted it to look as though I had nothing on my skin so I just mixed some of MACs ProLongwear Concealer with my regular moisturiser. This gave me a very light coverage but with just enough to cover the bits that need hiding. This was it for the base, no bronzer, blush, highlight or concealer. For my eyes, I applied a very light layer of Bootycall from Urban Decay Naked 2 palette and buffed in until it was almost invisible. This just brightened my eye a little but still looked like there was nothing there. A tiny bit of mascara and a light application of matte brown shadow on the lower lashline. A slick of matte red lipstick, the one I chose was Sleek Matte Me in Rioja Red, and you're done!

I love how simple this is and how little products I had to use. It's definitely a look that I see myself wearing again!
If you want to see my 1920s Flapper Girl look, you can find that here


Sunday 29 June 2014

Makeup Revolution Acid Brights Palette

Now that it's summer time, I like to wear a little bit more colour in my makeup. Whether it be a bright lip or a flash of colour on the eyes, I think that summer is the perfect time for experimenting with colour. Now, I'm all for wearing neons on my lips and nails, but I wasn't so sure about wearing it on my eyes. To break me out of my comfort zone, the Acid Brights palette from Makeup Revolution was the perfect item.


Their 12 pan eyeshadow palettes come cased in plastic packaging which isn't the most sturdy but it certainly isn't the worst. I've found that these are pretty durable as I've taken them on a weekend away with me and they were all intact when I got to my destination, even after knocking my case over and pulling it through a busy train station in rush hour.

The formula is pretty amazing for the £4 price tag. The majority of shades are soft and buttery, blend really well and last for hours on the lids. As with most palettes, I have found that the metallic and shimmer shades are of stronger pigmentation than the matte ones. The shadows are ever so slightly dusty but there is very little fallout from them which is always a bonus. I find that these are best applied with a stiff shading brush over a primer. Dependant on how bright you want the shadows, I would recommend a white shadow base, such as the NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk as this really does make the shadows stand out. 



Overall, I love this eyeshadow palette, although I'm not too sure I will get a lot of wear out of it. However, that being said the times that I have worn it, I have loved the overall look. 
You can purchase this from Makeup Revolution online for £4.

Have you entered my MAC Lipstick giveaway here?

Saturday 21 June 2014

Makeup Revolution Make Believe Palette

Since the launch of Makeup Revolution, I have been a big fan and constantly peruse their website to create my pay day wishlist. A few weeks ago I received a lovely tweet from Shona, who has such a beautiful blog - link, telling me that I had won her Makeup Revolution Giveaway which consisted of seven beautiful palettes, all of which I will be sharing with you over the next few weeks.


The first one that I will be sharing is the Make Believe Awesome Eyeshadow and Brow Palette. Featuring twelve shimmer eyeshadows and two brow powders, it's great for those of us who like to travel light and have everything all in one place. In terms of packaging, it will be great for travelling as it is compact and lightweight making I great for inside your makeup bag. I wouldn't say it was very sturdy but so far I haven't encountered any problems with it so I could be wrong. As it is so compact, the eyeshadows come housed in small pans which might be a slight issue for those who like to use a larger/fluffy brush, however this hasn't been a problem for me when using a simple shading brush. There is a teeny bit of fallout, but nothing too major.

The formula of these shadows is beautiful. They are buttery soft and highly pigmented, all of which blend effortlessly. Some have better colour pay off than others, but that is to be expected in a palette. The range of shades is perfect for all year round, and even better for those who like inject colour into their makeup. Normally, I'm a neutrals girl but I have been loving the olive green shade patted all over the lid, or using the grey to line my upper lashline. The two brow powders are again wonderful, with just the right amount of pigmentation for soft brows, rather than a sharpie disaster. 


Overall, this palette is a lovely addition to my collection and is one that I'm sure I will get plenty of use out of. It certainly is a palette that I will recommend, especially if you are wanting to steer away from neutrals but don't want anything too crazy.

You can buy this palette from Makeup Revolution.

Sunday 15 June 2014

Seventeen Stay Time 18 Hour Concealer

You know how it is when you're going away for the weekend, and you take more time planning what make up you're taking with you, than what outfits you're going to wear. This is normally how it goes with me, and I usually forget an important item. This time was no exception and as I walked through the train station it suddenly hit me that I had forgot to pack any concealer and foundation alone wouldn't cover the monstrous dark circles under my eyes. Obviously a trip to boots had to be made and this was what I picked up...

In terms of packaging, the Seventeen Stay Time 18 Hour concealer, is nothing special. It is very similar to the much loved Collection Lasting Perfection Concealeer with its plastic tube and soft doe-foot applicator. I've found that the doe-foot applicator is pretty good at evenly applying this under my eyes and onto tiny blemishes. Another bonus about the packaging is that the writing hasn't rubbed off in my hands yet! Yay!

seventeen cosmetics concealer makeup retrolove retro love beauty boots highstreet drugstore


The formula is pretty lovely also, with a medium coverage that doesn't feel heavy or cakey under my eyes and doesn't crease throughout the day. I'm using the shade medium which is perfect for my skin tone and is virtually undetectable which is always a plus. I like to apply this on top of my foundation and blend out with my RT Buffing Brush to ensure that it is blended fully. This is a very dewy concealer so powder is a must if dewy isn't your thing. As for the claim of 18 hours wear I have to disagree. I've found that this lasts 6-8 hours at the most and after that regular top ups are needed but I still don't think that this is bad coming from a highstreet product.

I really have been loving this and will probably repurchase this as part of my handbag essential. Have you tried Seventeen products?

Monday 9 June 2014

City Break OOTD

Packing for a trip away can be extremely stressful. Packing for a trip away with 24 hours notice is even worse! For those of you don't know, last month I went to Amsterdam and was only told on the Wednesday that I was going the following day. Eeeekkk! I have never had to pack so quickly in my life, but thankfully I managed it! I tried to think about comfort as I knew that I would travelling on the coach through the night and then I would be walking around the city so I needed to feel comfortable in what I wore. 

So here is the outfit that I wore on the day that we explored the city...


Jumper : New Look
Cami : Primark
Leggings : Next
Hi-Tops : Adidas

This was so comfortable to wear whilst wandering around the city and taking in the sights. The weather was so nice too meaning that I didn't need to take a heavy jacket around with me. Unfortunately, all of the items mentioned are no longer available which I know is really annoying, but as the pieces are all really simple it shouldn't be too hard to find something similar on the highstreet :)

I hope that you have enjoyed this teeny tiny post. I think that OOTDs will be a bit more regular on my little blog, as I really enjoyed doing this one :)

Wednesday 4 June 2014

The Wedding Series #4: Viewing A Venue

I've really been enjoying writing these wedding panning posts and they have had a great response from all of you so a huge thankyou for that! This week, we viewed our first potential venue to hold our wedding so I thought that now that we have been, I would share with you our experience of that and potentially answer any questions or queries that other couples might have.

The venue that we visited was exactly the sort of place that I had pictured my dream wedding. A large country house with beautiful grounds for pictures and plenty of accommodation for our guests. When we got there, I really was taken a back by how stunning it was and I was feeling pretty positive. Both us went to tell the reception staff that we were there for a viewing and along with my mum and dad, we were ushered into the bar and told that the wedding coordinator would be with us shortly. I was thinking of plenty of questions to ask and when she joined us and showed us the packages available, it was time for a tour. Pretty much everything I had wanted in a venue was there, to me it was perfect. Olly however, felt differently and thought that it was a little old fashioned and a lot more money than expected. I think that I had also
got my hopes up a little bit too much and thought that we were going to fall in love with it right away and that would be our chosen venue. Despite the fact that we have decided that because both of didn't like it, it would not be our wedding venue, we still asked plenty of questions so I thought that I would share my top three questions with you...



Check if they do an all-inclusive package. If they do what does it include?
This is one the thing that I think every couple viewing a wedding venue should ask. Most of the time, a venue will give you a price for the venue, the menu, the drinks package, and the evening food all as separate prices. Once you add all of this up, then the price can be extortionate. However, some venues will have an all-inclusive package available which will be one cost for everything that you need and that will be it. Just don't forget that this means that there will not be an open bar and the cost of bedrooms for the quests will still incur a charge.

Do they offer exclusivity?
This usually means that there will be no other functions going on in the venue on the same date as your wedding. This was important to me as some venues that we have seen online have stated that they do not offer exclusivity and therefore there may be another wedding on the same day. This was a no go for me as I want to be the only bride and groom there on our chosen date. For some venues it means that they will only ever have one wedding on any given day but by having an exclusive package, there will be no other people other than your wedding guests and staff. Exclusivity normally means that there will be an extra charge.

Do they have accommodation?
This might not be hugely important to some couples, but to us it is a major part of the day. Ollys side of the family will be travelling from Kent and so will need to stay the night before and the night of the wedding. Then some more of our friends and family will need to stay over too, and those who would like to have a little drink won't be able to drive home. This means that it is important to find somewhere that has enough accommodation for everyone who needs it, and that it is a decent price for everyone.

I hope that this post has helped those of you who are planning a wedding, or those who are interested in the planning process. I'm hoping that now that we have been to seen one venue, the rest will be a little easier and we will know a little bit more about what we are actually looking for.

Have you got any tips for finding the perfect venue?

Saturday 31 May 2014

Current High Street/Drugstore Favourites

In my daily work makeup bag, there is an eclectic mix of both high end and high street makeup products, all of which I love. I'm not one to favour a particular price brand of makeup as I find that there are some real gems available which are very purse friendly, and some pricier products are pretty rubbish. In my new job, I am working with high end brands on a daily basis and so my makeup bag was starting to get full of their products, but I was concerned that I was forgetting some of my well loved high street favourites. For the past few weeks I have been rediscovering more and more of my beloved high street/drugstore favourite, and I thought that I would share them with you today...


First up we have Bourjois Happy Light Foundation which has been my go to base. This has been great at work as the strong artificial lighting used to wash me out or make my skin look dull and flat, but now it looks glowy and healthy when I use this. The coverage is medium but can be built up slowly to create the desired finish. Along with this, I have been loving the Seventeen Stay Time Concealer for my under eye circles and blemishes. This is such a lovely formula with a creamy and easy to blend texture. I use the shade medium but have just bought a slightly paler shade to use as a natural highlight.
Another Seventeen product in the form of the Brows That! brow kit. This features a tinted wax, brow powder and highlight, along with a small brush and brow pencil. I have quite a lot of brow products and this is one of my favourites, it's great for travelling and creates a really natural finish. For my eyes, I've been favouring something really simple, so have just been using a wash of Bootycall from Urban Decay N2 palette as my shadow and then adding a flick of Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner. This has been my favourite liquid liner for a very long time and will continue to be! To finish this off, I have been coating my lashes with a couple of coats of Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara. This really makes my lashes look long and full, all whilst being a true black shade.
On my face I use a few different bronzers and alternate them daily so I didn't include one in this selection but I have included my favourite summer blush which is Peachy Cheeky from ELF. This is really stunning rose gold shade which really warms up my complexion and looks great with a tan. It also pairs extremely well with Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Peach Lights. This very subtle highlighter looks as pretty on the skin as it does in the pan. It doesn't make me look like a disco ball at all but instead makes the high points of my face look glowing.

So there we have my current highstreet favourites. These have all made their way into my makeup bag for my weekend away, and will be staying in it for a while yet!
What is your favourite makeup products from the highstreet/drugstore?

Saturday 24 May 2014

Top 5 Nude Lip Products

First of all, let me start this blog post with a huge apology. This month, I have really neglected my blog which I really didn't want to do! I have mentioned before that I have just started a new job and it really has taken up a lot more of my time than I first thought even though it isn't quite full time. Now that I've got my self into a proper routine, blogging will resume! Yay!

Anyway, onto today's post. My last blog post was my Top 5 Coral Lip Products, which I posted after rediscovering my love for coral hues thanks to some much needed sunshine. However, as the weather as taken a turn for the worse, I've found myself wearing nude shades again. Nudes don't feature in my collection as much as other shades as a statement lip is more my thing, but the ones that I do have I am absolutely in love with, so I thought I would share them with you today :)





First up is the Sleek Lip4 Palette in Ballet. All four shades are stunning nudes, all with different finishes. I like to keep this in my handbag as it is so handy for touch ups during the day, due to the sturdy packaging, good sized mirror and fairly decent brush. It's also great for mixing different shades and creating your own custom lip colour. 

ELFs Matte Lip Colour in Nearly Nude is slightly more coral toned than most other nudes, but this is reason that I like it. Being a matte shade, I was worried that I would get concealer lips with it, but this is not the case. I like to apply this really lightly and then blend it out with my finger.

Next is my most used gloss. Ever. It's NYX Real Nude gloss which provides a perfect hint of colour and high shine. It's the ultimate my lips but better colour, and is one that I sport on a regular basis. This has been my go to nude gloss for some while now and will definitely be a repurchase.

MUAs Intense Kisses Lip Gloss is one of those little heard about product but they deserve a lot more recognition. Sealed With A Kiss is a beautiful milky nude shade which looks equally as stunning layered over another lipstick as it does on its own. The texture is to die for and for the bargain price of £2 they wont break the bank!

My final pick is Rimmel Apocalips in Nude Eclipse. I bought this, along with the rest of the original shades on a whim when they first came out and as soon as I got home I dismissed this shade as "too nude". I was so wrong. This looks lovely against my skin tone with a little bronzer and makes my lips look very natural and healthy. Admittedly, I don't layer this on for ear of it looking too much, but applied lightly and blotted it looks beautiful.

So there we have my pick of nudes for the lips. I'm also going to be a pink, red and alternative lip shades post so keep an eye for those too! Another thing that I'm going to be making a concious effort to do more of it YouTube videos. I really enjoyed doing it before and can't wait to start again with it all, if you want to see my previous videos, you can find my channel here. 
I hope you've enjoyed :)