Christmas Beauty Buys

Hi Guys,

I was bought a lot of beauty items for Christmas and I've really been enjoying them. By using products that are more upmarket or from brands, I can't normally afford or wouldn't try, it has inspired me to go for quality over quantity and to seriously think through the beauty purchases I make, instead of just throwing stuff straight in my basket.

Yves Saint Lauren Touhe Eclat 
This retails for around £29 I believe and is something I have always wanted to try, but could never justify getting. It's a combination of a creamy highlight/ concealer and is designed for under the eye, on the top of the cheek bones or brow bones. For me, I like high coverage, due to feeling self-concious at times about my acne and I would say, for this product, it's leaning towards the highlighter side, rather than to conceal. However it's easy to apply and does draw brightness to my eyes. This is also a gooden for the brow bone and the inner corners of the eye, or a little strip down the nose.

                                                 

Collection Blush And Glow Pallete 
I'm surprised I haven't heard more about this product cos' it's amazing and such a steal for £3.99 at the moment! It supplies all your contour, highlight and blush needs in one! I actually bought this myself, but with money I had left over from the Christmas season. The contour is a medium matte brown, your usual contour shade, and is semi pigmented - I have definitely seen better, but for £3.99 it does the job for me. As far as pigmentation goes, its the same for the highlight - but it's still beautiful and shimmery. The blushes, however, are very pigmented! You receive two in the quad a gorgeous matte pink and a coral shade with gold shimmer.

Kiko Long Lasting Lipstick - 04 Pearly Tangerine
I got this as a gift at Christmas time and having never tried any Kiko products I was excited but nervous. It is such a turn up for the books! It's matte and stays on the lips for hours. Due to it's formulation it's not as creamy as other generic lip products, but I don't mind this. It' s a really unique colour as it isn't quite a coral as it's also pinky as well - beautiful for the spring.

Real Techniques Powder Brush
YES MY REAL TECHNIQUES COLLECTION IS COMPLETE! No, I don't have all the available brushes, but I have all the brushes I've wanted over the past few years and have a brush for everything I put on my face, which is enough for me. Like all the brushes in the collection, the powder brush is synthetic and super soft and I imagine, easy to clean. It is quite big, so makes it quick and simple to apply powder in almost one stroke.

Mac #15 Pallete - Charcoal Brown, Honey Lust, Star Violet, Cranberry 
Me and Tamzin both twinned with getting this palette at Christmas. She, lucky gal', got all 15 eye shadows. I received four, which I am extremely happy with as it meant I could receive other fantastic beauty products for Christmas, instead of putting my eggs all in one basket. It also allows me to visit mac more and enables me to build the rest of my palette up myself. Although, I am slightly jealous of Tamzin when she sends me pictures. I've only slightly tried Honey Lust and Cranberry, but decided I need to update my eye-shadow brushes if I am to get the full potential out of them HAHA! The colours are lovely to look at and seem really pigmented - I'm one happy bunny.

Nip + Fab bee sting eye cream 
I searched around Kiehls for ages, to try and find a good creamy eye cream. I didn't want anything anti-ageing (I hope I'm not quite there yet) but wanted something creamy and luxurious that would diminish the look of fatigue and puffiness, that I sometimes get around my eyes. But I couldn't justify spending nearly £30 on a small pot of something I'd never tried. In fact, I've never tried any eye cream ever! So I nipped into super-drug and hastily picked up this little Nip + Fab number! I really like it. After one night, my eyes looked brighter and the darkness underneath had certainly lifted slightly. I've continued to use it and can really feel and see a difference. It feels tighter around my eyes and it makes me feel more awake before I put on my make up.

That's all folks! Comment what you got for Christmas.
Lots of Love,
ThatGirlWhoBlogs x

2016 Goals

Hi Guys,

This is a spontaneous post but is something I really wanted to do and believed to be a good follow up to the previous post I did- 2015 Overview. I've set myself lots of stuff to keep up for 2016 but daren't call them resolutions just in case they fall through and I don't manage to complete them.

1. Be healthier 
I say this every year, but always keep this one as a kind of "side resolution" as well as another main one. However, I'm really committed to being healthier, happier; whilst losing weight in the process. I recently invested in a pair of scales and after a few years, finally know exactly how much I weigh. I was slightly overwhelmed by my weight but am not going to sew my mouth up and refuse to eat just yet! I just want to make better choices with what I eat and stop snacking on chocolate in between meals!

2. Be more relaxed 
I'm quite a high maintenance person unfortunately and sometimes really wish I could relax more and let things go. Resting is not second nature to me and this year I'm going to make it a priority. I need to not be so controlling about things that aren't perfect and just chill out a bit more.

3. Be more adventurous 
I have travelled a few times in my life so far, but have never done many activities that have challenged me or thrown me out of my comfort zone. This year I have more opportunities to do some more outgoing things and am really looking forward to experiencing cities I've never been to, taking hikes, zip-wiring and river scrambling this year.

4. Be more forgiving  
I feel like my goals so far make me out to be a real control freak, but I feel I do the goals I've set, just not as much as I should. I'm a forgiving person, as long as the person I forgive is worthwhile. I like to give people second chances but I can sometimes be long winded in when I talk through the situation with that person/people. This year I'm just going to laugh off the insignificant things and just use a bit of banter to deflect off the things that hurt me a little bit.

5. Make 2016 the best year possible  
I really want a excellent year this year and to enjoy every moment that I can. I want to savour everything I do and remember the whole year, instead of just segments. Usually, by Christmas I forget that Easter even existed. I hope this years a good one, for me and for all of you.

ThatGirlWhoBlogs x

2015 Overview

Hi Guys,

I think that I owe you, my many friends, an apology. I promised you something that I, eventually, never achieved - some Christmas posts. I underestimated how busy I was during the festive period and became swamped with the visits from friends and family. A friend advised me to re-launch my blog, as it's been that long, but I like my set up and I don't think a fresh layout will deter from the fact that I've been away a while.

If you can forgive me, I hope you enjoy this post of a reflection of  some of my achievements and events 2016. I'm not sectioning them and I'm just gonna let the words, from my mind, flow freely to the keyboard - like writing a diary almost.

I came a long way in terms of my anxiety last year and whilst experiencing minor set backs, I feel like I rocketed in terms of my confidence around things that enduce my anxiety and last year managed to fly to and from Portugal without any tears or panic attacks. Flying has previously been difficult for me as I don't feel in control and don't like that I can't get off and go home if I feel uncomfortable. I also have a fear of my ear-drum bursting after seeing it happen on a flight when I was young. Sometimes, the holiday itself can prove challenging as I don't have access to the things I'm normally used to and feel immense pressure to go out every night and eat a hefty three course meal. In 2015 I did it! I flew calmly and enjoyed the holiday whilst feeling calm and relaxed the whole time.

This isn't an achievement but it is something I will endlessly treasure from the year of 2015 and that is gaining a beautiful friend in Tamzin. She is so inspiring to me and despite experiencing challenges often, she never fails to make me laugh and I believe, she is a person who doesn't know her own strength. I love having someone relate-able, yet uplifting around me. I also can't knock the support of my other friend Eleanor who has never left my side and has supported me through times, which I have found testing. She is someone who understands me better than many and I can learn a lot from both Tamzin and Eleanor.

I really valued the festive season last year and really tried to squeeze the most out of that Christmas time. I now feel lighter and happier than I ever have before and after loosing quite a lot of friends, realise that it's quality not quantity. But, I've learned to forgive easily and be more relaxed about situations that might irritate me. You may say, I'm just opening up to people disappointing me by trying to see the best in people, but no matter how I am, everyone disappoints. It's better to be happy and know I was kind and forgiving the whole way through. I'm no mother Teresa and will probably be as much of a Regina George as I was last year JOKES.

I can't wait for what's to come! Look out for a 'Christmas Beauty Buys' Saturday! It will be up I PROMISE!

Lots of love,
ThatGirlWhoBlogs xxxx