Autumn Haul!

This is one of those rare occurances were I managed to buy enough crap to write a haul. This probably won't happen much, so enjoy this while it lasts.
Okay, so in this haul, I have products from Superdrug, River Island, Primark New Look, and H&M.

All of the products I mention will be linked at the bottom of the post. And, can I just say, I am beyond happy that Primark finally has a website worth going on! I mean, it's taken them long enough but they finally have a website that lists more than 5 of their products. It's amazing, I actually went on there before to see if I could find a t-shirt to go with a skirt that I bought this morning.

Okay, so my first stop was River Island. Now normally this shop is too expensive for me but, I was after a new bag and river island bags are just a thing of sheer beauty! Okay, so I went in there with two bags in mind, both look the exact same except one is faux leather and the other was faux sued. I did want the faux sued one but they didn't have it (typical & just my luck). But I guess it doesn't matter because they are identical in appearance and cost the exact same - which is £25. I can't find the faux leather bag on the website anymore so I have linked the faux sued one at the bottom of this post.

I then went into Superdrug and got myself some new (and much needed) make-up. 

The first I did when I went into the store was pick up a Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I have owned a beauty blender in the past and really not liked it but, this, it is amazing. My foundation goes on so beautifully when I use it and it gives such a flawless finish and it is definitely something I will repurchase. It cost £5.99.
One of the main things I wanted to get were lipsticks and I found myself completely drawn to the L'Oreal Colour Riche Collection Privée range, all of the colours in the range are gorgeous, but when I went into superdrug, they were on 3 for 2, so I picked up three gorgeous shades of red - Blake, Julianne and Liya. All three shades I have worn to death since I bought them. They are such beautiful colours with amazing pigmentation. There are however, downsides. One being that they are super drying, so make sure you apply lip balm before you apply the lipstick. The other downside is that the staying power is not the best. I found myself reapplying it so often that it was rather irritating. But, that was when I was wearing it all day. So, maybe it would be better for a night out or an event that is only going to last a couple of hours. Other than those two faults, they're gorgeous lipsticks that I will most likely re-purchase. Individually, each lipstick costs £6.99.
The main thing I have been in dire need for, for months is a new foundation. When I buy foundation, I always buy one I've never had before, so this time, I decided to pick up L'Oreal True Match Foundation in the shade Rose Vanilla. Which, since buying it and using a few times, I think is actually just a tad too dark for me but, it's a really nice foundation and goes on like silk. And, even better, I can barely tell I'm wearing foundation when I have it on, it leaves the skin feeling slightly sticky/tacky but, after a couple of minutes, it sets really nicely and leaves the skin feeling really smooth. It cost £9.99.
The next thing I picked up was a product I had heard so many great things about and pretty much every female youtuber I watch has raved about at some point in the last year or so. So, I picked one up and I can honestly say, it definitely deserves the hype that surrounds it. And, that product is the Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Eye Concealer. I bought it in the shade Light and it gives such a beautiful lift for under the eye and literally brightens up the face. And, considering it only costs £7.99, you get a pretty amazing product for the price.
The last two products I picked up were the Maybelline Lash Sensational and the Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liner. The mascara is amazing. I have seen it compared to the Benefit Rollar Lash and now that I own them both, I'd definitely say it deserves that comparison. It makes my eyelashes look so long and full at a fraction of the price of the benefit one. It only costs £7.99. The eyeliner, is pretty darn good, which if I'm being completely honest, I wasn't expecting it to be. I also wasn't expecting it to be an actual liquid eyeliner, I thought it was just a pen liner, but nope, it's a proper liquid liner. Which did take some getting used to - it's been a while since I've had to wait for my liner to dry, considering I've used a gel liner for the past year. I can honestly though, I will most likely re-purchase this eye liner. It is definitely worth the price considering it costs £5.99.

After being after a new parka for a few months, finding the perfect one in Primark was just a dream. The coat cost £35 - which for a parka, is pretty darn amazing. And, I know Primark has this reputation of being a clothes shop that sells shit quality clothing. Which, might well be true for some of the clothes but this coat, it is beautiful. The (faux) fur is so soft and the coat itself is the perfect thickness - keeps me nice and cozy on cold days.

So from New Look, I picked up these absolutely gorgeous boots. I had been after a pair of boots like this for a couple of weeks and wanted a pair last year as well but never found any. But anyway, I saw a pair in Primark for £20, which I thought was pretty good but I wanted a pair that were going to be comfier and last a bit longer so I had a look around and found these from New Look which are completely identical to the ones that Primark are currently selling. You can also get them in tan and maroon and I will most likely go back and get a pair of the tan ones as they will look gorgeous with a pair of blue jeans and a nice jumper and scarf. But, right now I just wanted a pair that goes with everything and I've literally lived in them since I got them. I've found myself coming up with excuses just to leave the flat just so that I can wear them. I got these for £27.99. Unfortunately, I ordered my pair in store and they told me I got the last pair, so they aren't on the website any more, but, they do have a pair similar for a little bit more money so I will link that pair below.

The last item I picked a skirt that I saw in Lucy and Lydia's video this morning. (Which I will also link below) As soon as I saw this skirt, I knew I just had to have it. It's not really something I would normally go for but I don't know, I just felt so drawn to it. Lately I have wanted to dress more "girly", and I felt this would be the perfect thing to help me achieve that. However, now that I have it, I have no idea what to wear with it (So any advice on that would be much appreciated). The original price of the skirt is £29.99 which is definitely not a price I would normally pay for a skirt, but, it is currently on sale for £20. Which is pretty good. So, I went in store to pick it up, and they only had one left and it was my size. And, it had a £10 sale sticker on it. So, I managed to get that amazing skirt for £10.

Anyway, that is the end of this one. I hope you enjoyed it. All products mentioned will be listed below. Goodbye! xoxo

Products Mentioned:
River Island Bag - http://www.riverisland.com/women/bags--purses/cross-body-bags/black-suedette-cross-body-tassel-handbag-666080
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge - http://www.superdrug.com/Real-Techniques/Real-Techniques-Miracle-Complexion-Sponge/p/742258#.Vifp5X6rTIU
L'Oreal Colour Riche Collection Privée Blake - http://www.superdrug.com/L%27Oreal-Paris/L%27oreal-Colour-Riche-Collection-Priv%C3%A9e-Red-Lipstick-Blake/p/314611#.Vifkon6rTIU
L'Oreal Colour Riche Collection Privée Julianne - http://www.superdrug.com/L%27Oreal-Paris/L%27oreal-Colour-Riche-Collection-Priv%C3%A9e-Red-Lipstick-Julianne/p/314618#.Vifkpn6rTIU
L'Oreal Colour Riche Collection Privée Liya - http://www.superdrug.com/L%27Oreal-Paris/L%27oreal-Colour-Riche-Collection-Priv%C3%A9e-Red-Lipstick-Liya/p/314619#.Vifkq36rTIU
L'Oreal True Match Foundation - http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Face/Foundation/L%27Oreal-True-Match-Foundation-Rose-Vanilla/p/546204
Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Eye Concealer - http://www.superdrug.com/Maybelline/-Maybelline-Age-Rewind-Eraser-Eye-Concealer-Light/p/654050#.VifwcH6rTIU
Maybelline Lash Sensational - http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Eyes/Mascara/-Maybelline-Lash-Sensational-Mascara-Very-Black-1/p/348705#.Vif2gn6rTIU
Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise - http://www.superdrug.com/Maybelline/Maybelline-Eye-Studio-Master-Precise-Liner-Black/p/355050
Primark Parka  - http://www.primark.com/en/product/olive-faux-fur-lined-parka-coat,R35397117114818
New Look boots - http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/view-all-boots/black-knit-cuff-lace-up-boots-_349628301
Lucy and Lydia's video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykvPm0Rv6L8
H&M Textured Skirt - http://www.hm.com/gb/product/00366?article=00366-I

My September favourites!

Okay, okay, I missed September. I didn't post at all. I did however, have a monthly favourites planned out but never had the time to actually finish it. So, I'm going to post it now.

Okay, so the weather was pretty toasty throughout September so I didn't wear much makeup - who really wants to sweat off their foundation an hour after putting it on though, really? - But, the makeup I did wear, I treasured.

The main thing I loved throughout September was the "Archery Brow Tint and Precision Shaping Pencil" by Soap and Glory in the shade "Brownie Points" (Find it here!). I know, I know, this same product was in my last monthly favourites, but, surely that just shows how much I love it? There is however, a difference in the reason why I love it this time around. Last month, I was all about the tint side to it - but, that was mainly because my pencil side was dried out when I took it out of it's box. However, since then, I have cut off the tip of the pencil and tried it again, and it works beautifully. It goes on so smoothly and gives such a lovely finish, and you really can get such a "natural" look (or as close to natural you can get when you're drawing over them) with it. I have been using both the pencil and the tint this month, sometimes accompanied with a matte brown powder for more definition and my brows come out perfectly every time. I really do highly rate this product and I don't think I'll be using anything else for a very long time. 

Another product that I've raved on about previously is the Benefit Rollar Lash (You can find it here!). This mascara is without a doubt the best mascara I have ever used. It definitely is worth the extra money - as it definitely is more than what I would normally pay for a mascara - but, the cost of it is also the reason why I probably won't be buying it again for a long time. (I am currently on the hunt for a cheaper dupe for it though so if anyone has any recommendations then let me know!!) But this mascara really does do everything that it says it does, my lashes look a lot longer when I use it as oppose to when I use a normal mascara, and I no longer need to use an eyelash curler before I apply my mascara because of how much it curls the lashes. It really is just an amazing product and if you have £20 to spend on a mascara, then I do highly recommend you check it out.

Painting my nails is something that I usually skip doing because I absolutely HATE doing it. I love having pretty nails, but waiting for the polish to dry is so tedious so when I can, I normally buy some elegant touch nails and glue them on (then pick them off a week later, but that's not the point). But, in September, I picked up a gorgeous nail polish by Essie called fifth avenue (you can find it here!). It is the most beautiful orange-red shade, and it glides onto the nail so nicely and dries pretty quickly as well (which is a bonus in anyone's book, let's be honest). It is literally the only colour I wore on my nails throughout al of September and I will probably be wearing it throughout October as well, it is just so pretty!  

Okay, lipsticks are my staple, I cannot go without a lipstick and 9 times out of 10, I have a lipstick in my bag no matter where I'm going. I usually wear red/berry toned lipsticks but, a couple of months ago, I picked up two nude shades. One of which, doesn't suit me at all, the other, I have been wearing every day throughout August and September. And, that lipstick is Rimmel Kate Moss in the Shade 3 (Find this beauty, here!). This lipstick is gorgeous brown/nude shade, it is so creamy and lasts pretty darn well considering it only costs £5.50. It is such a lovely every day lipstick, that you could wear to basically anything, any occasion, whether that is going to a wedding or just popping to the shop for a loaf. And, not gonna lie, it makes you feel pretty great too because of how gorgeous it looks on. 

Okay, onto non-beauty items. Let's start with TV. I binge watched so many netflix shows throughout September it's actually pretty embarrassing but, the shows I did love watching are gossip girl and the us office (which has sadly been removed from UK netflix now *sad face*). Gossip Girl has been such an unhealthy obsession that it genuinely did start to worry me. It genuinely got to the point were I had to stop watching it because I had gotten too obsessed (being serious, I had watched 38 episodes in 8 days), but, I literally adore this show. I still haven't finished watching it but that is mainly because I moved back to uni and have had to spend most of my time doing work and attempting to socialise (and I've been binging more shows, ngl). And, The US Office. There are not many shows out there that are just my sense of humour (But, I'm more than happy to add to the list if anyone has any comedy show suggestions), the shows that are currently on that list though are: friends, scrubs, modern family, how I met your mother, parks and recreation and now, the US office. Watching this TV show is like watching my sense of humour splurge out onto a screen. It's sheer brilliance, I'm so glad I found it and I never want to be without it.

Okay, in terms of Youtube, the Youtuber I've enjoyed watching the most is VelvetGh0st. Her personality is a ray of sunshine. It's so refreshing to watch someone who is truly herself in both her vlogs and her main channel videos. Her vlogs are really lovely to watch. It's so nice seeing a youtuber just sit around and be themself to a camera, even if all they're doing is sitting watching netflix all day. it's real and it's lovely to watch. Check out gabby on both of her channels if you haven't already
Her Main Channel

Her Vlog Channel

Okay, music wise, I didn't really listen to anything different in September from what I listened to in August. However, the one thing I did listen to is WILD by Troye Sivan. That song is just sheer perfection. I absolutely adore it. Check it out if you haven't already! Here's the music video!

The last thing that I can wholeheartedly say that I enjoyed doing in September was long walks through parks and forests and taking beautiful pictures of nature. I did it so many times and those days are my best memories of the month.

Okay, so that was the longest monthly favourites I've ever done. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Feel free to follow me on my many social media! I have a couple of posts planned out for the next few weeks so hopefully, I will have the time to actually write them and upload them for you guys!
 xoxo.

My bad bleach experience

Thursday 3rd September:

Okay, so I had a deep mahogany red with a purple undertone colour hair and I decided that I wanted a change before I started my second year of university. So I went to the shop and bought the same hair bleach that I always use and I went home. That night, I bleached my hair. I got my mum to do it so that my whole head would be covered evenly and she put the bleach on the same way it's always done and it was left on my hair for the same length of time I always leave it on for, however when it came to washing the bleach out, I found that large clumps of my hair was falling out. Now I have bleached my hair a couple of times in the past and this has never happened before so needless to say, I freaked out. My hair wasn't washing properly because all of the shampoo and conditioner was clinging to the hair that was falling out. So when I finally gave up, I went downstairs and sat in the kitchen. When my mum came in, I burst into tears and told her what had happened. My parents have been amazing through this. Which to anyone, might not seem like a big deal, but for me, someone who has fine, hair, and not much of it, it was a huge deal. I have lost large tufts of hair. And the only long parts left are all at the back.

So yeah, my mum. She was amazing, she combed through my hair to remove any loose hair that was left and told me to go and wash it again. When I came back down, my dad was gone and she told me she had gotten in touch with my auntie - who is a hairdresser - and that my dad had gone out to buy the keratin shampoo and conditioner my auntie told her that my hair needs. Yeah, I will be doing a review on the products that he bought me because be came back with a bag full of different things. 

But anyway, while i'm writing this (which won't be the day this is posted), it's the next day and I have sat in my pyjamas l day, putting keratin oil and conditioner in my hair every couple of hours to help give my hair back some moisture and strength. I have to admit that although this may seem small, and not a huge thing to anyone, it is to me. I l have not been able to look in a mirror without wanting go cry. My appearance is literally making me feel sick. I'm currently trying to pluck up the confidence to put actual clothes on and some makeup and be able to look in the mirror. And i'm also trying to build up the confidence to ask my auntie to come and cut my hair off. Because I want it all gone - which isn't just because of this, I wanted it all gone anyway, I just want more of it gone now. 

I just want to not feel repulsed anymore. I was only just getting comfortable wit my appearance and then it got knocked away. And I honestly have no idea what to do with myself. I refuse to leave the house. And would rather spend all day on my own and not see anyone. Because explaining to people why my hair looks the way it does and why I look depressed is just too much for me to handle. I have cancelled all plans that I had made because I can't bare to see anyone. 

Friday 11th September:

Okay, so it's now a week and a few days later and I figured I would write everything that happened in the last week in one post instead of doing an update everyday. 

So, the friday after half my hair fell out was the first day I washed it. I used the TRESemme Keratin Smooth shampoo and Conditioner  to wash my hair with. I did not use a hairdryer as I didn't want to further damage my hair, but, I did put the TRESemme Kertain Smooth heat protection spray in my hair to add more kertain to aid my hair in repairing, I then put the OGX Anti-Breakage Kertain Oil Instant Repair Weightless Healing  Oil  in my hair for added protection and to aid repairing. - I repeated this two days later. 

Monday 7th September: 

This was the first day that I braved the outdoors and the only way I managed it was because I hid all of my hair in a beanie - and because after two washes, most of the red patches in my hair had faded. So I hopped on a bus and visited my friends that live an hour away - This day also happened to be a day that the UK weather decided it wanted to pretend it was still the middle of summer, needless to say, I melted - especially with that beanie on. 

Tuesday 8th September: 

This was a pretty great day. I shoved all of my hair in a ponytail and took the dogs on a three hour walk - I will be making a blog post full of my pictures from this day and another day I spent exploring the same place as I got some pretty incredible pictures on both days. After the walk, I went to the hairdressers and got all of my hair cut off. Meaning that the majority of dead hair is now gone and I couldn't be happier - I also have a post coming up all about my hair transformation, so look out for that!

Wednesday 9th September: 

This was two days ago now, and on this day, I went out and bought this hair dye. It definitely didn't turn out as dark as I had hoped but, it came out okay and I will be dying it a darker brown in a few weeks but, I want to allow my hair a few weeks rest from any damage to give it a chance to repair itself as much as possible.  

So, that's it! If anyone has ANY tips on repairing damaged hair then please do let me know and I will be forever in your dept! 

xoxo  

Monthly favourites/Collective Haul!

I know that it's not quite the end of the month but we're two days away from the end of February so I thought I'd post this now because, this is a post I've been really excited about posting. It's going to contain all of the small bits and bobs I've loved and bought this month.

Music! 

Okay, so the first thing I've loved this month is FourFiveSeconds by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney. I heard this sound the day that the video was released and adored it, listened to it on repeat for about half an hour and decided to buy it and I had it on repeat for the rest of the day. Insanely good song. I think it would be a lot better without Kanye though but whatever. If you've not heard it, I strongly recommend that you do.

Random bits & bobs!

The first thing I bought this month for myself that wasn't food was this hair dye. The colour I bought was Bubblegum Blue. And although it has not came out the correct colour (due to a bad bleaching job) I would still recommend this dye. My hair came out a gorgeous blue/green colour so even though it's not the blue I bought the dye for, it's still came out a nice colour. I bought this box of 4 from Amazon for £10, which is an absolute bargain considering the individual tubes are £4 each.

These bedsheets are gorgeous! I loove hedgehogs so these were just (almost) perfect for me. (to have been perfect it would have had to have had pugs on it) But anyway, I bought these for about £9 from Primark which was an insanely good price for bed sheets, especially seen as they're really good quality as well.

Makeup!

I had been wanting to try out this foundation for a very long time. And I must admit, I am glad I got it. It's a really good foundation considering the price. The coverage is good although, it's quite thin so it does requite some layering. Although I do think that I'll try a different foundation next time I need to buy some. I bought this from Superdrug for £7.

(does nail polish count as makeup?) 

This was quite an impulsive purchase. I had been after a grey nail polish for a long time, and hadn't found one that was a shade that I liked. But, I was in tesco, and I happened to go past the Barry M counter and saw this and I just had to buy it. I'd prefer a matte one but a matte top coat is easy to come across these days so it doesn't bother me too much especially seen as I love it as it is. It dries super fast which is a bonus as well. I do two coats which is more than enough for a nice even coverage. Barry M nail polish never fails me. I bought this for £4.

Clothes & Accessories!

I had been after a new bag for a while and I went into new look and this bag instantly jumped out at me. It was the perfect size for what I needed it for and it's gorgeous. I use this bag all the time and would not be without it. I paid £23 for this bag.

As you all know, I have been planning on joining the gym and as motivation, I bought some gym clothes. I bought this vest and a sports bra but I won't be posting a picture of the bra on here. I am in love with this top and can not wait to wear it for the gym or anything I choose to wear it for. I bought this vest for £22. And I bought the bra for £22 as well. I ordered both items off of amazon. I would have bought the bra elsewhere but, as my bra size is too awkward to buy in a store, I had to order it online.

Happy New Year

So on the 22nd of this month, Liverpool had it's annual Chinese New Year parade. So obviously I went and picked up a few things before watching the parade, in the pouring rain might I add. I got absolutely soaked but it was completely worth it because it was such a good morning.

So the first thing I bought was the classic Chinese New Year parade dragon. I just had to have one of these because I used to get them from school when I was younger but they always got ruined.

The second thing I picked up was this lucky buddah charm. I think it's absolutely gorgeous. At the minute he's hung on my memory board but when I get a car he'll definitely be in there. 

The last thing I picked up was the Chinese lucky coins in a red ribbon. They did have these in gold but I'm more of a silver person so I picked it up in silver. I've worn these on a choker a couple of times since I got it and it looks so beautiful, but right now it's in my purse. You can never have enough luck!