Little Lipsticks!

Earlier in the week I grabbed the opportunity of purchasing this months Glamour magazine for two specific reasons.  One... That the beautiful and extremely talented Tanya Burr was going to be the cover girl and had a huge four page interview all about her (so proud of how far she's come... Go team Tanya!)  The second reason was that Clinique were giving away five different makeup products (one product per magazine), including their best selling 'Colour Pop' lipsticks!  You can see why this was just too good for me to miss and why I ended up buying two magazines so I could get both lipsticks!

I am no stranger to Clinique's Colour Pop range of lipsticks... The moment they were released I was constantly testing them to find the perfect shade for me.  I ended up purchasing the amazing 'Poppy Pop' lip colour and it is still one of my all time favourites to this day!

It's all about the formula with these lipsticks.  The combination of primer and lipstick, makes this the best lipstick around for staying power as well as for moisturising your lips.  I ended up buying two magazines and therefore was able to get both the lipsticks that they were giving away!  I know, that it sounds bad, but when you're an avid makeup addict like me... You just don't think twice about it!

'Nude Pop' was the first lipstick I chose, because it was actually on my wish list and I was so surprised and happy that it was included in the giveaway.  It is a gorgeous brown/nude shade that looks perfect for daytime looks and for understated makeup!  The fact that it has a primer incorporated in the formula, means that in just two coats it glides onto the lips and stays there without any need to reapply!

The other lipstick that they were giving away was the shade 'Cherry Pop', the ultimate Autumn ruby red!  This lipstick gives me such confidence when I wear it... I always feel more dressy with a brighter lip - perhaps it's because I usually tend to wear more natural makeup.  The finish on this colour is so glossy and really nourishes the lips!

I can't tell you how happy I am with these two miniature freebies!  They are the cutest little lipsticks I have ever seen and take up zero room in my rather packed makeup bag.  They are such good quality and for them to come free in one of my favourite magazines was incredible.  Nice one Glamour!

M x

"We meet again James Bond!"

A couple of weeks ago my Dad very kindly took me, my fiancé and the rest of my family to our local cinema 'The Screen', to see the highly anticipated film 'Spectre!'

Because the Bond films are the most famous British franchise around, it was no surprise that this new addition was going to bring a lot of hype to us all.

When we arrived at the cinema, we noticed that the windows had been decorated with '007' and there were playing cards hanging from the ceiling.  It was all very effective and made is even more excited to see the film!

Once we were inside, we were all offered Vodka Martini cocktails that were of course "Shaken not stirred!"  The cinema had gone above and beyond with setting the right atmosphere for the film and it was a real treat to be there!

I will not give anything away with regards to the storyline of 'Spectre', but I will say that I hope you all manage to catch this film in your local cinema, because it really is such a great watch!

M x

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November!"

Happy Bonfire night everyone!!!  I know that the actual bonfire night (5th November) has flown past us, but I know that a lot of you are still celebrating it tonight with friends and families.

I cannot tell you how much I love bonfire night..... From toasting marshmallows to playing with sparklers to watching bursts of light dance across the sky... The whole thing is just so magical!

And I was incredibly fortunate to have a beautiful display right outside my house.  I live behind the grounds of a private school and every year they put on an impressive show for around twenty minutes and it truly is breathtaking!

Every time I go and watch a firework display, I always pick one firework to be my favourite.  This year, the one that stood out from the crowd for me was a gorgeous Copper colour that sparkled and slowly fell from the sky.  Copper is one of my favourite colours and when I saw it light up my vision I screeched with joy!  Eeeeek!!

I hope you all had a brilliant firework night and if you're going out tonight..... I hope you have a great time!

Don't forget to bring out the sparklers!

M x

Manicure Post: "Sage Scarf"

On Wednesday, I went to my favourite salon "Beauty Box" to have my nails done!  I try to get them professionally painted every two weeks if I can, so that I maintain the shape, health and growth of my nails.

From reading up on all of my favourite fashion magazines (Elle, Glamour, Vogue and Grazia), I have found out that the colour green is this months 'it' shade.   Pinterest is full of inspiration behind khaki, olive, peppermint, bottle green... Literally any nails in the shade of green!  I loved the colours and knew that I wanted to try out green for my new manicure.

I opted for Shellac's new colour 'Sage Scarf' and it is really rather special!  It has such warmth to it and therefore gives your hands such colour.  I was afraid that it was going to wash me out but if anything it does the complete opposite and makes me look like i have slight tan.... And I desperately need that!

This colour is so amazing, because it goes with all of my tan, camel, burgundy, khaki and gold coloured clothes and accessories that I live in at the moment!  I always find that the right nail varnish can give your outfit such sophistication and this shade does just that!

I am so impressed by this colour and I cannot wait to start styling it with my favourite jewellery.  I've become slightly obsessed with my nails and I'm already planning my next colour!

What nail varnish are you wearing at the moment?

M x

New Perfume: Givency's Live Irresistible!

I have been on the hunt for a new perfume for date nights and for going out.  Obviously I still use Zara's 'Pear and White flowers' fragrance for daytime (which I seriously must stock up on), but I have been lacking a more sophisticated aroma for when I want to dress up!

I tend to be drawn to fragrances that have either a vanilla, musk, floral or slightly fruity scent, because they always smell so great and I simply cannot get enough!  My last fragrance I bought was YSL 'Black Opium' and it was really good, but once I finished the bottle it was time for something new!

After a long time of putting my nose to the test, I came across one perfume that stood out from the crowd.  It was Givency's new scent, 'Live Irresistible' and I just knew that I was going to love wearing it!

Firstly, let me just talk about the packaging.... (I'm kind of obsessed with how perfume bottles look at the moment!)  The design of this bottle is utterly stunning!  The combination of the crystallised glass bottle with the mirrored lid and the luscious pink coloured perfume, make for an exquisite match!

Not only does it look aesthetically pleasing, but it also smells wonderful too!  It has such an array of notes ranging from pineapple, to rose, Amber and then lastly spices to give it that kick!  It is an incredibly sophisticated and romantic scent..... One that I just know I will get a lot of wear out of!

Once I was at the checkout, the sales assistant very kindly gave me two free goodies, as apparently the fragrance was on promotion..... Happy days!!!  I was given a cute little gold makeup bag, which is the most ideal size for travelling and for small shoulder bags.  Also, I was given one of Givenchy's 'Noir Couture' mascaras in miniature form, which is just adorable and great for when you don't want to pack too much makeup as it is tiny!  I was so thrilled to be given such amazing gifts, because nothing is free nowadays... It definitely perked up my day!

Overall, I cannot wait to start wearing this daily as my daytime scent and when I eventually run out, I wonder what my next fragrance will be...

What perfume have been loving at the moment?  Are there any fragrances that you would recommend?

M x

October Favourites!

Well for a thirty-one day month, October certainly flew by!  I think it also whizzed past me, because I was the busiest I've ever been and there was just so much going on!  Here is my October Favourites... Which I must add are not very traditional and are somehow less beauty/fashion related!  Oh well, here goes nothing!


1.  Galaxy new Duet choc bar

For all chocolate lovers out there (especially those who seriously adore Galaxy bars), a new product came out in October, which I just had to try out.... I just had to!  It is called the "Duet" bar and consists of two flavours:- Caramel and Shortcake.  Each piece has caramel on one side and shortcake on the other.  You can simply eat them together or if you're like me and want to savour as much of the chocolate as possible, break the piece into two and have the caramel first and then the shortcake after.  It is possibly my favourite Galaxy bar at the moment and it's becoming incredibly difficult to stay away from it's delicious taste!

2.  Brow kit from Collection

This little beauty has utterly saved my brows and I!  I never used to care about my eyebrow appearance, but now I don't need to worry thanks to Collection's new brow kit.  It has three different shades of shadow that you use to delicately contour your brows.  Once you are happy with the result, you use the brow gel to gloss over the top.  This simply holds the brows in place and stops them from wandering around!  (If you want to find out more about this... Head over to my post "Brow Brilliance"!)

3.  CND Shellac 'Burnt Romance' nail varnish

For those of you who know or may not know, I absolutely love having my nails done and I think that a good manicure can do wonders for your hands and just makes you feel happy and confident!  Shellac is my favourite nail polish as it is gel based and lasts up to two weeks on my nails.  For someone like me who is constantly on the go, it is the perfect product as it strengthens my nails, whilst making them look amazing to!  This colour 'Burnt Romance' was my favourite for October... I used it all month and it went with every outfit I wore.  It's a gorgeous burgundy/rust colour and was definitely the "it" colour for October!  I'm going to be getting my nails done on Wednesday, so stay tuned for a manicure post coming up very soon!

4.  Bourjois velvet lipsticks

I purchased these 'Velvet' lipsticks from Bourjois and I'm so glad that I did!  Once applied to your lips, it creates a matte finish and looks so sophisticated.  Also, the lipsticks stay on for many hours making them hard wearing, which is ideal for kissing your partner!  I bought 07- Nude-ist and 14- Plum Plum Girl and they are fabulous shades for Autumn.  (If you want to find out more about them... Head over to my post "Bourjois Velvet Lipsticks"!)

5.  Hagen Daaz ice cream

This has to be my all time favourite ice cream and last month I just couldn't get enough of it!  My two favourite flavours are: Dulce de Leche and Strawberry Cheesecake.  Last month my fiancé and I went to the Hagen Daaz shop in Leicester Square and naughtily had an ice cream pudding there.  I chose the dulce de Leche ice cream with butterscotch sauce and honeycomb wafer.  It was hugely calorific but when in London....

6.  6 year Anniversary

October has always been really important to me, because it's the month that my fiancé and I first started dating!  We have now been together for six years and are due to get married in June.... Can't believe how quickly time has gone by!  Last month was our six year anniversary and it was so wonderful, because we both booked a week off to be together.  We ate at Bob Bob Ricard in Soho and the meal was so special!  It may sound cheesy, but that was my favourite part of October!

So that is it for my favourites... I'm sorry that there weren't that many, but I promise you that in November there will be much more!

M x

Vintage Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Lately, I have been getting into my baking more and realising how much fun and rewarding it is when you finally taste the finished product.  So with that said, I thought that I would share with you a recipe that I always use to make the most scrumptious cookies around!

Ingredients:
150g unsalted butter, softened
80g light brown muscovado sugar
80g granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
225g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
200g plain chocolate chunks

Method:

* Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190C (or 170C if you have a fan oven).  Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
* Put the butter and sugars into a bowl and beat until creamy.  The best in the egg.
* Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt over the mixture and mix in with a wooden spoon.  Add the chocolate chips and stir well.
* Using a teaspoon, place small mounds of the mixture well apart on the baking trays.  Bake in the oven for 8–10 mins until light brown on the edges and still slightly soft in the centre.
* Leave on the tray for a couple of minutes to firm up and then transfer to a cooling rack.

And voila!  You now will have at least 20 scrumptious chocolate chip cookies that you and your family can enjoy!

If however you are like me and are a huge Nutella fan (and an even bigger fan of Starbuck's Nutella filled cookies - they are seriously incredible), then why not make your own!

All you have to do is the following:
.  Make the cookie mix and then when you are about to make small mounds for the baking trays, using the palm of your hand flatten the mixture and place a small amount of Nutella on top of it.
.  Then simply fold over the cookie mix so that the Nutella is no longer visible.
.  Bake in the oven for around 8-10 mins on 170C and then leave them on a cooling rack to cool.
.  Once cooled break them open and enjoy the nutty delicious melted centre!

I hope you all are having a relaxing Sunday!  What would you like me to bake next?

M x

Bourjois Velvet Edition Lipsticks!

Calling all beauty and makeup lovers!  Yes, that's right... YOU!  I have found the perfect product, which I think is both incredible and easy to apply, but also stays on even after a kiss or two... And I just couldn't wait to share it with you all!  So without further a do let's begin!

For a while now I have been on the search for lipsticks of Classic Autumnal shades for both daytime and nighttime.  Autumn is my favourite season, because with fashion and beauty... The most amazing colours seem to be around!

I glanced over at the Bourjois counter of my local Boots store, and looked upon their iconic 'Rouge Edition' range.  I have previously bought a couple of their Rouge Edition 'Aqua Laque' lipsticks, which were very moisturising in texture and ideal for summer.  It comes to you as no surprise then, that I went for the Rouge Edition 'Velvet' range, which just sounds so wintery!

The first colour I picked up was number 7 'Nude-ist', and to me it is the most amazing daytime shade.  It's a pink/nude colour which is perhaps two shades darker than your natural lip colour.  It is fantastic for when you want to recreate a natural makeup, but is also good for teaming up with a smokey eye!

The second colour I picked up was number 14 'Plum plum girl', and it was a colour that I don't normally tend to buy!  Lately, I have been incredibly in love with berry toned lipsticks such as cranberry/raspberry/cherry etc and so it was inevitable that a plum colour was going to happen!  This shade once applied is a very deep purple that almost has red tones running through it, which help to make the colour not too bold.  I like to wear this lipstick in the evening, especially when I am going out, because it gives the right amount of colour without washing you out and it goes with all Autumnal outfits... Trust me, I've tested!

The 'Velvet' range is of a much different consistency to the 'Aqua Laque' edition.  Instead of being a wet texture on the lips, it actually dries with a Matte Finish and the colour lasts for such a long time without staining your lips.  Also, this lipstick is fully kiss proof which is perfect, because it will just last and last!

I'm so happy with my new lipstick purchases and I cannot wait to start wearing them on a daily basis!  Have you tried these lipsticks before?  And are there any other lipsticks that you would recommend I should try out?

M x