October Favourites

It's October :) I'm currently sat on my bed and looking out of my window, the sky is a blue/grey and the trees are extremely bare. I feel as if it has only been Autumn for a week, the weather has turned a little chilly and the leaves have just dropped in one go. 

Every Autumn I think to myself I must take some pretty "autumn" based pictures as the area I live in is very photogenic. I never do, but any photo I take would never capture the true beauty of the moment anyway. 

This months first favourite is actually astory, it happened this morning but I feel it is super cute. 

Being helpful towards my mother this morning I hung the washing on the line for her (it was all her clothes so no benefit towards me) when my 6 year old cocker spaniel ran up to me, sat on the wet grass and started whimpering. So I picked him up, went over to mum and she informed me he was being a drama queen and wanted to play ball. He'd been very patient for hours waiting by his toys whilst I slept and mum did some gardening. 
I had recently purchased him a orange and black ball with a rope handle. After a couple of throws up and down the garden he came bouncing back without it (he has the attention span of a peanut sometimes). When I called "go find it" to get the game back going again, he went bouncing off and picked up a leaf...a big orange leaf that he thought was his ball. Much to his disgrace he spat it out of his mouth very quickly then ran to his toy. 
Reading back I guess it's one of those story where you had to be there. But it's still going in my favourites :). 

Don't revise Lissay, play with me instead!

Now for a slightly more normal favourite...although this has to be another "you had to be there" story, maybe even "I love him so everything is cute about him" story too. 

Lush recently brought out their autumn winter range. Which of course includes snow fairy. It smells so amazing ! The scent is candy floss, I have not smelled candy floss before, only eaten it. I would say it's smells a little bit stronger than the taste of candy floss...does that make sense to you? It is fruity, but sweet like icing sugar. I think that is the best way to describe it. 

Its pink, it's very pink. The scent lasts all day on my skin too, but then again I don't do anything which would make the scent disappear...like exercise. *slaps wrist*. 

It leaves my skin feeling very smooth also. 
I was watching TV earlier with my boyfriend, and I caught a whiff of the soap, but it did not come from me. So I sniffed his arm, we're close enough to pull moves like that off, and his face looked as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't. Turns out, he'd liked the smell of it so much he'd been using it too. N'awhh, he does not want a bottle for Christmas though, it's too pink for his house. 

I have got the big 500g bottle which is £11.95 and I also treated my self to the snow fairy gift set which is £22.50 and comes with 100g bottle £3.75, snow fairy sparkle shimmer bar £4.95, the god mother soap £3.10 and the magic wand reusable bubble bar £5.25. Turns out if I had brought it all separately it would have been £5.45 cheaper. I will not make that mistake again! Looking forwards to bath time later though :)

I have had very problematic skin recently...It's a hormone thing. I have acne tablets and cream but this does not always keep them at bay. My chin has been extremely red, sore, swollen and painful for what seems like a month, but is more a week, week and a half maybe. Some days it feels like i have a grazing muzzle on because it can be painful to eat...which just makes me want to eat more as I find food very comforting. 

In order to help relieve the sting and reduce redness I have been using the Body shop tea tree face mask - suitable for blemished skin £10 for 100 ml along with my witch anti blemish redness relief moisturiser. Although I still have the spots, these products have been a god send! They have really reduced redness and soreness. The tea tree elements in the face mask are instantly cooling and the moisturiser has a green tint to it which instantly covers redness and then the calming ingredients, such as witch hazel help to calm any irritation and sensitivity within the skin. I do not know how I coped before I had these products. As much as I'd loved to do a before and after shot of the moisturiser i do not fancy putting a picture of my acne in my favourites. I'm sure you'll appreciate it too.

That is it for this month, not a lot but these products have made a difference in my month :) 

Rose Golden Luxury Set Zoeva brushes

Along with all the other pennies I've spent recently, part of what I was saving for, my most exciting purchase, is my shiny new Rose Golden Luxury Set Zoeva brushes.

I've heard good reviews about the quality of these brushes. They are certainly living up to their reviews. They are super soft, this is down to the mix of sypethic and natural fibres. They are good with the mixture of powders and creams in my makeup door. Application wise the 102 silk finish is excellent with my new Nars foundation, and 231 luxe pettit crease is the perfect size for my eye crease and makes a smoky eye a dream to create. These are deffinately my two favourite brushes out of the set of 8.

They are a very ellegent looking set due to the rose gold which makes them stand out from all my other brushes.

The set also comes with a handy little cute travel case. My photography skills are not that great but they do look really good.

I also purchased the cleanser, some eye shadow pallets & eyeliner

Septmeber Favourites

Hellooo September!

This month is one of my favourite months of the year (obviously July trumps them all as it consist of my birthday!) as we start to see Autumn creep in slowly and we say goodbye to the summer. As much as I love summer you cannot beat hot chocolates around the fire, pumpkin carving and leaves crunching under my boots. I know, complete cliche, but I love it, and frankly in my mind, that is all that matters. 

In respect to September being one of my favourite months, what better time to list my first favourites blog. =]

One item that I have been truly loving, in the very small time that I have had it, is my Zoella Beauty Mist "blissfull mistfull". It has a very delicate, light smell to it, I cannot describe it using adjectives that match a particular item, although it is very sweet and fruity, a theme which runs through the Zoella Beauty range. It is not over power, a few squirts last throughout the day. One negative I do have about the product is the spray part of the packaging, the spritz broke =[. So instead of having a light mist sprinkled over me, I get what I can only describe as a water pistol squirt leaving a wet mark on my clothing. Easy fix for the clothing...spray the skin instead! This however, has not ruined the product for me, just means I have to think when applying it. The detail to the rest of the packing I do really like, Its a clear bottle with what appears to be a rose gold coloured scent inside and a cute dark metallic coral lid. Two colours which I really like. Well done Zoella, a product I am no doubt sure you are proud to have you name on as you should do.

Another item I have been really enjoying is the Bodyshop Sumptuous Cleansing Butter Comomile. This cleanser aims to melt away impurities and remove all types of makeup. I used to use the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm but this is quite expensive (£36 for 100ml) so when I found a high street product with the same standard of effectiveness my bank account was relieved. Although I do still have a pot of the Emma Hardie for special occasions. I use this balm every night to remove either BB cream or foundation as well as waterproof and non waterproof eye makeup. It really does make the task effortless to the point where I no longer see taking my makeup off as a task. It actually removes the makeup unlike a makeup wipe which just seems to smudge it all around my face. One thing I am always really careful about is my eyes as they are fairly sensitive. The bodyshop cleanser is wonderful, it does not irritate my eyes at all, even after using it for a month solid. It also leaves my skin feeling super smooth and refreshed after use, it also leaves a lovely fresh sent to my skin. 

As you can see hear my pot is nearly gone and you do not need to use much at all. A new one one been purchased. 

I recently had a little splurge over at Estee Lauder and as a result I got a free goodie bag, this consisted of many items, but one I really like was the mini lipstick .

It is a gold/pink tone, not quite an autumn colour more of a spring colour, but nevertheless it is still wearable this season due to the gold. Which makes me happy as I love pink so I can get away with it in a fashionable manner. It is very subtle but as the light catches it, it shows it's true potential. I like this factor as I am not confident enough to pull off a bold coloured lipstick, I am working my way to it though!  It also had a very fruity lipstick smell to it. 

In the light

Not in the light

Over the weekend I treated myself to a new pair of socks. Because I like socks, especially with pictures on them. When I was in new look I spotted a pair of navy blue socks with ginger bread men and candy canes on. Who could resist them, and at this time of year!?! They had to be purchased instantly. Other than that though they are just normal socks.  

Yehh, so my feet are not the smallest.

Hair. It's that time of year where its hats or dry ends. I do like my hair and I do put a fair bit of effort into it and on that basis I like to have it on show. Due to the change in weather it does take a bit of a battering and the ends get very dry. So I dug down in my half used box and re-discovered my miracle hair oil by schwarzkopf. This is a finishing treatment, I am not sure what exactly it is supposed to do, but for me it leaves my hair feeling silky smooth and healthy. This is a product I tend only to use in the colder months as come summer my hair does not dry out so much and I feel it a waist of money to use. Don't get me wrong, my hair dries out in summer to but a monthly hair mask does the trick. One of the bonuses to this product is it speeds up drying too! I don't know how, but it says it in all the descriptions and actually works! Wow, magic is the only explanation. Although it is featured in my September favourites I only started using it again a couple of days ago, but it works instantly so felt it is justified to belong in this post. 

Not a great picture but I am no photographer.

I have many other favourites too but not enough words in my brain, so here are some pictures. 

I do love a good cream eye shadow
and think this colour is right for
autumn, and i really like purple. 

06 Current Desire, Estee Lauder, my new
Autumn colour pallet. 

Zoeva - 102 silk finish & 

235 contour shader making

application a dream

Much better than I thought
it would be. Glad I brought
it, not glad I paid circa
£11 in WHSmith and
walked into tesco to
see it at £4. 

Lovely colour for this time of year.

Works wonders! Came in my
pink parcel. 

Very pretty bold pink,
i'm branching out!

All gone :(

Fan girl yes, but I also really liked this. 

Again, fan girl, but as you can see my other
candle ran out. 

Perfect for a light coverage.

Lovely moose texture. Works well
and came in my pink parcel

Lush adventures

Lush :) the main reason for heading into Coventry. I have never been into a lush store before, only ever shopped online so you can only imagine my excitement. As we walked around the shopping centre we just had to follow our noses to get there, it smelt lovely. I re-purchased some of my favouites and a few new products. Some I have already used, some I am waiting too. 

One of my favourite products that I brought was the comforter which smells divine, black current is the main sent, and went extremely well with the avobath bomb. The comforter produces a bath full of bubbles with just a small amount being used which is great as I only have to buy one and have it last, and it leaves my skin smelling all fruity. £4.50

The avobath I used with the comforted, which over powered it, so I want to re-purchase so I can see what it is really like. £3.25

I also re-purchased the mango bar, I brought 2 of these as it left me feeling silky smooth after my bath. They also smell delicious and I was not satisfied with just 1. So I was greedy. £3.25

I also re-purchased the creamy candy bath bubble bar, this has quite a potent, but delicate scent to it of candy floss. It works really well with the mango bars, and aims to moisturise, which leaves my skin silky smooth and refreshed. £2.60

I also got the sex bomb, I have not used this yet, and honestly, I am a little put off by the name. However the description says it is good for when you're tired stressed and anxious. I am quite an anxious person, so no doubt I'll be in a position soon when I can use it and see if it works as it says. £3.25

I also got twilight, I've used this one before, I love the colour it makes in the bath and it meets the description. Its a relaxing bomb which makes it perfect to use in the evening as part of an extended bedtime routine once a week or so. £3.25

The last item I got was the bubble gum lip scrub, and my lips have never felt smoother! This makes it perfect for lipstick application after use. It also taste delicious, which is always an added bonus.

What are your favourite lush items? 

Recent haul

Last weekend I went shopping with my best-friend and boyfriend in Coventry. It's not somewhere I normally go as I do not know my way around the city, but luckily my best-friend know's where all the best shops are! We also went to see the old cathedral which got bombed during the second world war.  Ashamed to admit I have lived 30 minutes away from it my whole life but never been! It was quite spectacular, not what I was expecting.

I wanted to share some of the things I purchased and what I think of them, I've been saving up for quite awhile for this shopping trip, months! It has made me very happy haha, is that sad?

The first thing I picked up was a book, in Tesco. The fault in our stars has had a lot of good hype recently, and so has the film. At the same time though I've heard the film has ruined the book. So I decided I would read the book and see for myself. I really want to get into reading again as I have been too busy recently.  I think this was just under £4 but cannot find it on the website to confirm.

I then went on to Boots and brought a selection of items. One of the items I am happiest with is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. To take my make-up off I use the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, which although is very good, I don't like taking my eye make-up off with it as my eyes are quite sensitive. 

The Micellar Water is advertised as soothing for sensitive skin so I took the leap and tried it. It works wonders on my make up and does not sting my eyes and I am very happy with it. I find my eyes are not as dry any more also. 

The next item I brought was an impulse buy. It's the Nails Inc Latex Effect in colour Bermondsey Street, which is a Matt pastel green. I did not realise it was Latex (impulse buy being, ooh pretty colour lets get it) until I applied it. I've inserted a picture with it applied, you'll have to excuse the poor quality in my polishing skills. I am not sure how much this was, but I have a feeling it was an expensive impulse. Eek. 

We then moved onto the Bodyshop where I replaced my soap and moisturiser, I have been really liking the pink grapefruit range recently, after all it is one of my favourite fruits. The shower gel sent is as it says pink grapefuit and last through out the day. The moisturiser is a body sorbet, when you apply it *thinks how best to describe it* feels dry, with the actual texture of a grapefruit. But it still moisturises. Its strange, but still good enough to make be buy a second tube as it works. The shower gel is £4 and the body sorbet is £8. 

I also re-purchased the All in one BB cream in colour 00. I really like this product for days when I don't want a full face of make-up, just a light coverage. It gives a flawless finish and is yet to aggravate my acne. It also blends to your natural skin colour so I do not have to worry about getting the perfect match for my skin. You do not need to apply much so the small tube is adequate. This is £12. 

I also picked up the Brush on Radiance Perles Iridescentes, my previous highlighter was a cream, which was okay, but I wanted to try a brush on one. This one is little beads of pink and yellow/gold. It gives a very light coverage, but enough to enhance when needed. It also comes in a pretty rose gold pot, which my have swayed my purchase. This is £14. As mine is now well used and a bit dusty, I have taken the picture from the internet, but I promise, I did receive it in this standard. 

My next purchase that I wanted to share with you is my Naked 3 pallet. I already had the Naked 1 pallet but found it was lacking pinks, and this is my favourite colour! Ever! The Naked 3 is the most pink out of all the pallets, there is a mixture of matts and shimmers, the colours are also very pigmented, my favourite colours are dust, buzz and trick. When I purchased this pallet the lady on the stall spoke very quietly, and being polite I did not like to ask her to repeat her self and just smiled and agreed. Big mistake, as a result I ended up purchasing the matching eyeliner and primer. They are both very good products but I already have enough eye liners and primers to last me the year! The Naked pallet comes with 4 primer samples with 10 uses in each, I have 2 pallets so that's 80 lots of primer already! In the picture the mirror does not look clear, that is due to the fact I have not removed the sticky cover yet. The pallet was £37, eyeliner £12 and primer £19. Thankfully I had a £20 gift card so the accidental purchases did not do too much damage. 

I also purchased the Nars Sheer Glow foundation in Santa Fe. This is a foundation I have been wanting to try for ages but did not realise there was a store on my doorstep, Space NK. The foundation gives a light feeling cover up, and stays all day, and gives a flawless look. I am really happy with this and it is deffinately worth the wait. The best part is you only need a tiny amount for a full cover up, so they pot should last making it worth the pennies. 

 I also purchased some lush but I am going to put them in a different post so that this one is not too long. 

Let me know what you think of these products in the comments. 

xx 

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Washing make up brushes

Yes, that's right, for the first time EVER! I washed my make up brushes. I know how naive this might sound, and slightly stupid, but whenever my makeup brushes would get clogged up with makeup in the past I would just throw them out and replace them with reasonable priced new ones. 

However  recently I decided I was going to fork out on some new Real Techniques (for everyday use) and Eco-Tool brushes (these are smaller for traveling). When looking at brushes these are not that expenses, but when it comes to replacing them every month it would get costly. These brushes are also really good quality, super soft on the skin, and helps to ensure precise makeup application. (I am extremely happy with my purchases!)

So I decided to do some research, how do you make make up brushes last? Answer...looking after them, cleaning them. Quite simple really. So after some you tubing, I brought myself some nice shiny new brushes. Today was the day, with the quick guidance of you tube sensation, and one of my favorite blogger/vlogger, Zoella, I took to the sink with some shampoo and water.  

Some key points that I picked up during my research

• cold water is better than hot, as it is less likely to loosen the glue that holds the bristles in place
• always tilt the bristles downwards in order to prevent water seeping into the neck, again this then goes on the protect the glue
• ensure not to pull the bristle against the grain to prevent weakening and damaging them
• before they dry, re-shape them

They're looking pretty good and clean now, but the prof will be in the pudding tomorrow when they're completely dry (hopefully) and I get to use them. Below are some pictures on my evenings adventures.

Any more tips and advice will be hugely appreciated in the comments.

Friends.

Friend come and go. My last post was of Lauren Conrad, I stated she was a strong women. 

Most young girls won’t understand what I mean by she’s a strong woman, with her “moaning” about her bestfriend as part of the post.

In the show The Hills it is portrayed that Lauren loses her best friend to a guy, who’s more bitchy than all the girls I’ve ever come across put together.

To lose a friend, and not really know why is not the hardest thing to go through, but it’s a pretty crappy thing.

My bestfriend of 6 years lost contact with me a few years back, and although we’ve had a couple of catch up since I still don’t really know why she stopped associating herself with me.

I’m still trying to bounce back from that, not having a friend to call up when you’re feeling a tad blue, or having silly girly sleepovers with even though I’m nearly a full blown adult at the age of 21 . Or just completely pointless conversations which lead to silly quotes in birthday cards never to be spoken of again.

But it’s the inspiration of strong independ women who have helped me realise, I have a wonderful group of friends around me, and wonderful boyfriend. Even though I don’t have that one friend that I’m really close to (obviously the boyfriend does not count - he’s not girly enough), those that I do have, have everything I need. Love, support, but most of all friendship. I can’t even begin to thank them for always being their for me, and for being so amazing over the years. 

Also to thank the strong women, who have inspired me to be myself, and enjoy who I am, and realise what wonders surround me every day.

X

 

Hi, I’m AllThingsAli.x Welcome to my mind. 

No bodies perfect, we are who we are. No judging.