October Favourites | 12

It's November! We are slowly creeping towards Christmas (seriously, where has the time gone?!) and probably have many cold and rainy days ahead of us. Despite the rain, darker nights and cold days I have to admit I quite like this time of year. Anyway I have a little handful of favourite's from the month of October to share with you all today!

Essie - Not Just A Pretty Face
A gorgeous pink/nude shade which has been perfect for days at work. I very recently did a little post on this one here!

Barry M's - Rose Quartz Glitter

This should probably come as no surprise. I absolutely love this glitter polish!! I've also done a post on this here!

Johnson's Hand Cream with Shea & Cocoa Butters

I'm often using hand creams and try to look after my hands. As I work in care I wash my hands very regularly so my hands can become dry so I couldn't live without a decent hand cream! I've been loving this one in particular as it smells delicious (like cocoa butter), feels moisturising and soaks in to the hands nice and quickly. This is great for when I'm out and about and don't want slippery, greasy hands after applying some hand cream.

Clarins - Daily Energizers Great Skin Kit
Over the last two weeks I've been dipping my toes in the Clarins skin care pool. This little kit is £15 and contains four decent sized products, so I thought it would be a nice way to try something a little different. I've been using these products daily and I've really enjoyed using them. They make my skin feel refreshed, clean and soft. I'll be doing a post on this kit very soon so keep an eye out if you're interested.

The Body Shop - Big and Curvy Mascara

This mascara was a freebie in a magazine recently, I picked this out of my make up bag last week and thought I'd give it a go. The brush is quite thin and if this isn't applied right it can quickly clump and look like a bit of a heavy mess. But if it is applied right this can add some definition and curve to the lashes. I've been so impressed with how long it's lasted, towards the end of the day my lashes often sort of drop with some mascaras but this holds the curve so well. 

Yann Martel - Life of Pi

I've been reading this book on and off over the last month, to begin with I struggled to get in to the story. However I'm just under 100 pages away from the end of this book and it's really  roped me in. It's very well written, interesting and original. Although it's very different to what I normally go for this is a book that I've heard many people mention over the years and now I can see why. It's a very unique story. Life of Pi has actually been made in to a film as I was surprised to see a trailer for it at the cinema the other night. If you'd like to know more about this book then click here or here (official trailer)

Tesco - Grey Fingerless Gloves

I spotted this in Tesco's for the bargain price of £3.50 and thought they looked so cute! I've been wearing these often as they have been perfect for the not warm but not freezing weather. I love the little flower corsages!

The Killers - Battle Born

I actually grabbed this album for my boyfriend as he's a Killer's fan and ended up falling in love with it myself, the boyfriend loves it to. This album has quickly become one of my favourite albums, I love pretty much every single track and have been listening to this constantly! Some of my favourite tracks are; 'Be Still', 'Here With Me', 'The Way It Was', 'Heart of a Girl', 'Runaways' and 'Deadlines and Commitments'. This album is quite chilled in my opinion, ahhh I love it. Click here to listen to 'Be Still', it's a really beautiful song - great lyrics.

Random

-The new bond movie! I really enjoyed this film, I want to watch it again! It definitely lived up to all the hype. Daniel Craig... swooon :)

-Hot chocolates 

I hope you all had a lovely October, what have been your monthly favourite's?

September Favourites | 12

It's hard to believe that we are already in to our first week of October. Summer seems to have gone by so quickly. I haven't done a favourite's post since July, as there hasn't been much to include. September's favourite's is really August/September favourite's as I've decided to combine them.

  

Essie - Peach Daiquiri

I purchased this a few months ago and wore this shade on my nails throughout my holiday  in August. It's a very bright coral red/pink shade. I found this shade perfect for the Summer. Unfortunately the name rubbed off the label on the lid on holiday - due to the heat, so I actually had to look online to find the name of this polish.

Revlon - Bewitching

I recently reviewed this nail polish -here, a few days ago . It sneaked in to my favourite's at the very end of the month, but I love the shade so much!  It's been on my nails for three days now and I only have a tiny bit of tip wear. It's a gorgeous Autumn red alternative and something I know I probably will be wearing throughout the next few months. 

Stila - Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

I have also done a review on this product - here. This liquid eyeliner is great, it stays put, it's a lovely jet black shade and the felt tip style applicator makes it easy to apply. Read my review here, if you would like to know more.

Books- 

Whilst on holiday at the end of August I made sure that I had lots of time to relax and enjoy myself. I managed to get through a bunch of books whilst away. My two favourite's from my little handful included Veronica Roth's - Insurgent and Nicholas Spark's - The Guardian. Insurgent is on my kindle, its the second book following on from Divergent, it was a great read full of lots of surprises. Nicholas Spark's is quite a popular author, and although I've watched some of the films based upon some of his books, I've never actually read one of his books. I picked a couple up as I thought they would be quite nice, light books to read on the beach. I really enjoyed The Guardian, it was a combination of a love story and a thriller. 

Face Flannels 

Okay a flannel probably sounds like a really odd favourite, but it's true. I've decided to use flannels more often. I never normally do use flannels but I've heard many positive things about them recently. So I picked up a handful, have chucked out my irritating eye make up remover and now just use a flannel. I find it a lot more gentle and soothing when taking off make up and washing my face. I normally fill up the sink with hot soapy water and hold the flannel to my face for a minute, I find it a lot more relaxing and feel it's much better for my skin. It's a cheaper alternative to all these make up remover products and wipes which sometimes can strip the skin and cause more harm than good. It's definitely worth a try! (This article has a bit more information on the benefits of using a flannel). I love my floral Cath Kidston flannel :)

Superdrug's Vitamin E - Nourishing Night Cream 

I use this product every night on my face. It's lovely and hydrating. This leaves my skin feeling moisturised and the cream smells like cocoa butter, but isn't sickly scent nor is it particularly strong once on the skin. I find this scent to be a very fresh, clean, coconut scent which I love! This is a great inexpensive product which can be purchased in Superdrug for around £2.99 although they're currently selling this product for £1.99 if you're interested.

Yankee Tart - Bahama Breeze

I'm always burning my Yankee Tart Wax burner, my current wax tart favourite is Bahama Breeze. It's a gorgeous tropical scent - I love it. Its such a lovely scent, even if the sun has disappeared and it's cold, wet and windy.

George - Slippers

Although it's starting to get a lot colder, I do love the little slip on slippers that you can purchase in George (Asda). They are inexpensive and really comfortable. Slippers often end up falling apart eventually so I love how affordable these slippers are. I always wear them when I'm at home.

Barry M Lip Gloss - 11

I've constantly been reaching for this lip gloss recently. I purchased this a few weeks back in Superdrug. It looks like quite an opaque pink/coral colour in the tube but it's very subtle and natural looking when on the lips. The texture isn't too sticky or gloppy and it smells sooo good, it has a very fruity sweet scent to it. Barry M's products are also affordable which is always an added bonus.

{Revlon-Bewitching & Essie-Peach Daiquiri}

{Barry M -No11 & Stila Eye Liner}

June Favourites | 12

So here we are - July. June has been pretty eventful for me and I do have a lovely little handful of favourite's for you all today. Apologies for the delayed favourites this month!

Clinique - Repairwear Laser Focus Foundation

I'm a bit of a Clinique fan when it comes to skin care and foundation. The previous foundation I was using was Cliniques - almost makeup (which I loved). The foundation was lovely and lightweight but after using it all up I decided to go for something which offered a bit more coverage - the repairwear laser focus foundation. This foundation is also nice and lightweight, it blends easily, offers a nice medium coverage and fits my skin tone perfectly. This foundation also offers SPF coverage. I love the finish of this, it isn't at all cakey. It gives a nice smooth, slightly dewy finish. I also quite like the bottle although due to there being no pump I think I'm going to struggle to get all of the product out towards the end.

GOSH - Velvet Touch Eye Liner in Truly Brown 

I haven't actually tried many products from GOSH but after swatching a few of their eye liners I fell in love. They feel so so soft on the skin when applying. I've been using this brown eye liner smudged lightly around the eyes for a softer smoky look and I love it. The shade is warm but adds definition to my eyes. I can't fault this eye liner - it stays put, it feels lovely and soft when applying (so no tugging and scratching which is the worst!). GOSH products can be purchased in Superdrug stores. 

Aapri Exfoliating Scrub Cream 

I love this stuff. I've had this for months now and use it around once a week for a good ol' exfoliation. It's lasted me fairly well. This exfoliating scrub cream is formulated with natural apricot exfoliants so it smells like, well, apricots (adore the smell). It is what it says really - a cream with lots of little bits which help to exfoliate and cleanse the skin. This isn't the most gentle product that I have ever used for exfoliating but it doesn't irritate the skin and leaves my face feeling really clean, revived and soft after use. It may be a bit harsh for those with sensitive skin, but for me it gets the job done a lot better than many other products that I've tried. I thought I'd include it this month as I've just started including this again into my skin care routine... after briefly losing it :)

Deborah Lippmann - Stairway To Heaven 

I did a blog post on this here. This has to be one of the prettiest nail polishes that I've ever owned. It's a really gorgeous shade which I love the look of on my nails. I've been wearing this on it's own, two coats - I love it. 

N-Spa Body Scrub - Raspberry Milkshake 

I picked up a few of these from Asda as they are so affordable. I haven't tried these before but thought I'd give them a try. They all smell fantastic! Raspberry milkshake smells fruity, sweet and fresh, but not at all sickly.  I'm really enjoying using this product it's lovely and refreshing on the skin. I normally slather this on when in the shower then rinse off, it gives my body a lovely light exfoliation.

Stephenie Meyer - The Host 

The Host is a science fiction/romance novel which to begin with I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first picked this up. I decided to give it a try at the end of May and within a few weeks I'd finished it, it didn't long at all for me to get sucked into it.  It's quite different to anything I've read before and definitely something that I could really picture being in a film... so I was pretty pleased when I spotted that it is in fact in production to be released next year! If you didn't know, although I'm sure that many people do, Stephenie Meyer is the author of the twilight saga books.

Music - always a favourite, but more specifically in the month of June I've been loving the following; Trey Songz - Heart Attack, Lawson - When She Was Mine, Paloma Faith - Picking Up The Pieces, B.o.B ft. Taylor Swift - Both Of Us and Chris Brown - Don't Wake Me Up.

What were your June favourites?

May Favourites | 12

I can't believe how quickly May has gone by... well almost anyway! May has been quite a nice chilled out month for me. I've loved the sunshine that we've had here in the UK in the last week or two, it has been lovely. I've got a handful of favourite's this month so thought I'd do a little post on it :)

Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick - Rose

I've done a post on this here. I love the shades and the finish it gives on my cheeks, I think it's stunning!

Hugo Boss - Orange

I picked this up last month and I've been wearing this more and more recently. The scent I think is great for Summer, it's light and sweet yet fresh at the same time. I love this scent so so much, the only problem is that it doesn't stick around long enough which is a shame I think. Despite this, I've found myself constantly spritzing this on during the day.

Barry M 273 - Raspberry 

I've recently been wearing this raspberry red nail polish on my toe nails seeing as the sun has made an appearance... as have my sandals. I love this shade as I think it looks good in both Summer and Winter months. Barry M is affordable and the quality is pretty decent for the price (a week on my toes and barely any chips!). One of my favourite red nail polishes by far.

Benefit's Boi-ing Concealer 

I've owned and have been using this concealer daily for months now and I probably haven't given credit where its due. This concealer works well for me, it's lasted me a long time, it's lovely to apply, gives a lovely coverage and doesn't look cakey or crease under the eyes. The combination of my Bobbi Brown corrector with this concealer has been the perfect routine for me. I'm quite fussy with concealers, it's a big necessity for me. I've hit pan on my Boi-ing concealer so have picked up a few cheaper, drugstore concealers over the last couple of weeks and have realised that I had a good thing going, so I'll be repurchasing Benefit's Boi-ing concealer - for me its a must!

L'Oreal Caresse Lip Butter - Tempting Lilac 

I have done a post on the L'Oreal lip butters here. The shade Tempting Lilac has been one of the shades that I have been reaching for the most. It's lovely and light on the lips and feels nice and moisturising once applied.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I purchased this at the start of a year as a birthday present for a friend. She read it, she loved it and then lent it to me. I knew this book was something that I wanted to read, even after watching the film I still wanted to read this. So over the last 2/3 weeks I've been working my way through this. I'm about halfway in and I'm really enjoying it. It's well written and more detailed and explanatory than the film (the film was pretty good though). It's a real page turner and quite a unique story. It's quite a popular book and I can see why. I will probably write a little post/review on this once I've finished reading it.

Accessorize - Hand Bag

I spotted this beautiful bag in Accessorize a few days ago and really could not resist! I love everything about this little beauty - the colours, the size, the fact it has longer straps which can be attached so it can be slug over your shoulders. I've really been loving Accessorize recently, there is always something in there that catches my eye.

What are your May favourites? I hope everyone has had a nice month of May :)

March Favourites | 12

I've decided to take a little break from my ongoing, stressful, coursework to put together my March favourites. I can't believe it's April already! March has been a pretty hectic month for me, but thankfully, over the last week or two things have began to slowly settle down (PHEW!). Already a week into April, wheres the time gone eh, here are my March favs;

•  Bobbi Brown Corrector - I purchased this a few months ago and this has quickly become a beauty favourite of mine. I use this corrector every day before applying my concealer and couldn't be without it. It helps even out the under eye area and gives a lovely base before applying the concealer, I've hit pan on this and will definitely be repurchasing once I've finished it!

• Divergent - Veronica Roth. I spotted a review on this book and decided to purchase it via my kindle. With my job I sometimes find that I have quite lengthy breaks and so having my kindle at hand definitely helps to pass the time. This is one of those books that I haven't been able to put down! I only started this a few days ago and I'm already halfway through. I'm really enjoying this book and looking forward to reading the remaining books as I think Divergent is part of a trilogy. 

•  Revlon - Sparkling. A gorgeous clear nail polish containing pink glitter. I love it. I've also been loving Nail's Inc's - Basil Street. It's a lovely subtle, nude shade. 

•  Yankee candles & wax tarts. Okay I realise that this one is ALWAYS a favourite, but I really am a candle girl. Pretty much every night I've got some candles lit and my wax tart burner going. I find it relaxing and I love the variety of scents that are available. The nice thing is the wax tarts can be quite long lasting and are less than £2, so it's a nice way to try out different scents without committing to an expensive jar.

•  Draw Something App - This game/app is very addictive. If you can, and haven't already - check it out.

• YSL - Rouge Pure Shine Lipstick (No. 28 - Pink Sorbet). Since the sun has been making an appearance I've loved popping a bit of colour on the lips. I love the quality of YSL's lip products. The packaging is beautiful, the product smells delicious and is lovely and hydrating on the lips. This shade is a gorgeous pink, adding a nice bit of colour to the lips, but without being too in your face.

• Une -Skin Glow Eye Pencil. This is a flesh coloured eye liner pencil, I have been using this more or less everyday in my water line. I prefer this over white eye pencil as it gives a softer, more natural look. This is the first product that I've tried from Une (can be purchased in Boots), I do like this pencil, it's quite smooth and creamy so it doesn't scratch or tug when applied. Une was one of the few, more cheaper brands, that I managed to find even selling these 'flesh' coloured eye liner pencils.

• Pinterest - I've just recently got an account with Pinterest, which is an a virtual pinboard. You can visit Pinterest here!. Basically people share and can group images of all different types and styles. I personally love it as I think at times the images can be quite inspiring or beautiful. It can also be a nice way to pick up tips and tricks for things such as storage, decorating, scrap booking and crafts. They have loads of categories of images so there is definitely something there for everyone. When I've got a bit of free time, or feel that I want some ideas/inspiration, I give sites such as these a little visit. 

•  Strawberry Iphone case -  I had to include this! I spotted this in Asda (George) of all places.    Where to start, first of all the quality isn't all that bad, it fits nicely, it's not flimsy, and I quite like the design. But what I was really pleased about was the price - £8! I think that has to be one of the most cheapest prices that I have ever spotted an Iphone case for. Particularly as the case had a design, most cases that I spot are over £15-20. This case has been on the back of my phone for the last 3 weeks and it's holding up well, so I think for £8 that's not bad at all.

And that's everything - I really ought to make a list as the month goes by as I always feel that I'm missing things! Anyway, what are your March favourites? I've attached some pictures below of most of the items mentioned in this post. 

L-R: Une Eye Pencil, Strawberry Iphone case, YSL lipstick & Bobbi Brown Corrector.

Une Skin Glow Eye Pencil in G03 and YSL Pink Sorbet Swatch.

Revlon's Sparkling & Nails Inc - Basil Street.

Yankee Candle Wax Tarts & Samplers.

February Favourites | 12

So here we are another month has been and gone, but at least it's one month nearer to Summer :) The last few days have been lovely and sunny which is always nice. It hasn't been particularly warm out in the sun but it's lovely when it's bright outside and the skies are blue! Anyway here are my February Favourites;

1. A firm favourite last month was my Yankee tart burner, it's still a favourite for me. I burn this on a regular basis in the evening and it fills my room with whatever it is that's burning. Currently I've been burning the Yankee tart 'Vanilla Satin'. I love it, they last ages and the burner itself is really pretty to look at.

2. Mac - All That Glitters. This eye shadow has been a bit of a staple for me this month. It has great staying power and is a beautiful natural shade that I have been wearing on it's own with a bit of mascara just to brighten the eyes up a little.

3. Good Things - Face The Day. I recently purchased this moisturiser and I've grown to love it. It leaves my skin feeling nice and soft in the morning. The thing I love the most about this moisturiser is the smell, it's gorgeous. It's a fruity, berry scent and I get a nice whiff of it every now and then throughout the day.

4. Benefit - Dandelion blusher - This blusher is a beautiful pink shade. Benefit describes it as a 'sheer ballerina pink finishing powder'. I love this shade it looks really natural when applied, but gives a healthy pink glow to the cheeks. As with most of Benefits products I absolutely adore their packaging. This blusher is one of the boxed blushers and has lasted me months. They're not the cheapest at around £23.50. Benefit - Dandelion Blusher Link

5. The cinema: I've had a few trips to the cinema this month, a welcomed break after days of hard work. I watched Underworld - Awakening and The Woman In Black, I quite enjoyed both of these. The Woman In Black was really jumpy... so be warned if you're planning on watching it. I do love a nice trip to the cinema, popcorn and drinks in tow. A nice break I'd say, only downfall is that going to the cinema can be quite pricey.

6. Music - This will always be a favourite. I do a lot of driving, my University is a good hours drive and so I listen to music quite a bit in my car. 

A few of my favourite songs at the moment; 

Gotye ft. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used To Know  - This song has seriously grown on me. Currently number 1 in the UK charts. It's become a song that I've just wanted on repeat. Check it out if you haven't heard it already Listen/Watch Here

David Guetta ft. Sia - Titanium Listen/Watch Here

Florence + The Machine - Only If For A Night, Spectrum and All This and Heaven Too. All three taken from her latest album entitled 'Ceremonials'. I love Florence she's got a stunning voice. Listen/Watch Here (If Only For A Night)

That is pretty much it, what are your February Favourites?

January Favourites | 12

A bit late but I thought I'd share some of my January favourites! 

1.  True Blood series 3. I received this as a Christmas present and have been watching an episode when I can here and there throughout January. I'm a huge fan of the series and have really loved watching this series. Only thing is I'm craving to see what happens next.

2. Lush products and just hot baths in general, probably a favourite almost every month. After the Christmas sale I stocked up on a few bits so I have a pile of products that I'm slowly working through! It's been extremely cold over these last few weeks so I literally jump into a hot bath when I get in.

3. Drakes latest album 'Take Care' and Florence + The Machine 'Ceremonials'. Both great albums in my opinion, they're a bit different genre wise so it depends what mood I'm in whilst listening. But Florence's album really chills me out I think she has such a beautiful, soulful voice.

4. My Yankee tart burner! I purchased this at the end of December along with a load of half price Christmas tarts to burn such as Christmas Cookie. I thought I'd give the wax tarts a try mainly because they're a lot cheaper then the jars of candles and it's a nice way to try a different scent. I'm so pleased I decided to try the wax tarts, if you're yet to try it I do recommend it! I think in some ways I find them to be stronger smelling then the regular candles and they seem to last ages. The burner itself is gorgeous so it's a nice addition to my bedroom. 

5. Coffee... My dissertation deadline is looming. Coffee is a LIFE SAVER. 

6. D&G 'The One' perfume. Another Christmas present which I absolutely love. I tried this on once before in Boots and fell in love with it so it was on my list and I'm chuffed with it. The scent is sweet and has hints of vanilla and floral notes to it. This perfume lasts well throughout the day but isn't overpowering or sickly which is great.

7. When I've had the time I've been reading 'One Day' by David Nicholls. My friend suggested this book to me quite a while back now and I just haven't got around to it. Since then they've made a movie adaption of this. I'm almost halfway through, I wish I had more time to read this as when I do read it I really enjoy it. I'm not going to comment too much on this till I've finished reading it. If anyone is wondering its major themes are of friendship, love and the two characters lives in general. It isn't your regular conventional love story.