May Update

 

We'll just gloss over the fact that May is practically over. I haven't done a chatty post in absolutely ages, and I thought one was needed so I can explain all that is going on and why it might effect my blog.

 

May and June are always the busiest months, but this year I'm taking my A2 exams to get into university, so any procrastinating and blogging comes at a higher price. The grades for Leeds are (to me) quite high, so I've been working extra hard all year and I don't want to let it slip now. For that reason, I think for the next month I'll move down to one post a week, on a Wednesday with a bonus post if that's possible. Blogging is my escape, but I don't want to see it becoming my life ring if I fail my exams! I don't want to post mediocre content for the sake of posting; I was ridiculously proud of last weeks MAC lipstick collection, but that took me over three hours and I don't have six hours a week at the moment to dedicate to my camera. For anyone else taking A Levels, I'm chucking a ton of good luck your way. I'm hoping I might be able to resume some sort of life after these exams are done.

 

Two days ago I 'officially' left sixth form, and its nostalgic and sad, but for the most part, I'm just excited for the experiences ahead. We went to a lovely restaurant in Liverpool and then out for drinks, cocktails and a night out (although we had the sad experience of ordering pizza to our hotel room and it never showing up - just think about that situation for a second, RIP pizza). I thought I'd post a few pictures from the night, since for all intents and purposes it was our version of a 'prom', so everyone got dressed up to the nines. If anyone was wondering, my black jumpsuit is from River Island, and my heels and clutch are from good ol' New Look.

 

In 11 days its also my first Anniversary with Harry, which is crazy - I would say its been a struggle, but its been as easy as breathing. Don't worry, I won't do a soppy blog post about it (although there may have to be a soppy instagram #noregrets). It's nice to know that I have someone always supporting me, even when I'm not my own biggest cheerleader.

 

What's been going on in your life?

 

P.S. Does anyone object to two hauls in the next few weeks? I ran a poll and it seems like people wanted to see all the Summer clothes I've been buying - but I've also bought a TON of drugstore make up recently. Let me know!

MAC Lipstick Collection

 

At what point do you even start considering your MAC stash as a collection? I just don't know. What I do know is that for now, I'm happy with the selection of MAC lippies I have in my organiser; there won't be more additions any time soon, so now seems like as perfect time as any to write about them. I only own six (which is ridiculously small compared to some collections) but that means I use all of them regularly, which works out as a good investment. If you're looking for some recommendations of neons and bold shades then you won't find them here, eek! For the most part I focus on the nude shades, since they're the colours I gravitate to most.

 

 



Left to right: Yash, Mehr, Spirit, Patisserie, Whirl, Stone.

 

I thought I'd talk about the lipsticks in the order that I bought them - a couple of years ago after my sixteenth birthday I purchased my first high end products, including Mehr, which is a matte lipstick (almost all of these are matte) in a deep pink shade. It has a nude undertone to it, which is why I love it as I don't usually go for pinks. One thing I will say is that, as with all the matte products, I find them a bit drying without lip balm underneath, but if you make sure to hydrate your lips then you're good to go, and Mehr is a beautiful Spring shade to brighten up an outfit or make up look.

 

When I visited Cambridge my Dad let me pick out a lipstick as a Souvenir (that's how you know you're a beauty blogger - souvenirs start to become make up items and not snow globes and keychains), and I chose Spirit, the prettiest brown nude that I've found. It's my go-to for nights out because its long lasting and wine-proof, and I feel like its so underrated, in my opinion this is much more of a classic shade than Velvet Teddy, which to be honest doesn't really sit well on my lips when I've swatched it in the store.

 

My third shade was bought for me by Harry in London; I'd literally been coveting Whirl for months on end until I think he got bored of me searching for swatches on Pinterest. Whirl is most similar to Spirit, its just a little bit of a deeper colour, with red undertones. This is probably the closet I usually get to a red lip, since I haven't yet found my forever red. The lippie I went for after Whirl was Stone, the boldest in my collection as a dark grey lip shade that made my Mum freak out a bit (and I won't lie, me as well!) Its a gorgeous colour, and even though I might be too scared to wear it too much yet, one day I'll conquer it. After taking these photos I actually dropped Stone and smushed it...moment of silence please.

 

Yash is my go-to everyday shade, a nude-beige that gives a put together look to any outfit, and out of all of these matte shades sits the best with no drying out. If I was to recommend a first MAC lipstick to anyone, especially a matte one, it would definitely be Yash - although Spirit is my forever love, Yash is so subtle that if you're a bit wary and want to play it safe but still pretty, its the right pick.

 

My final lipstick was given to me by my little Sister for Christmas, and is my first non-matte formula. Patisserie (I squeal every time at the cuteness of that name) is a pink lustre finish, and if I do splash out again on one of these lipsticks then I know it will have to be of this finish - I love it so much! The coverage is more sheer, and this shade is the 'your lips but better' colour that almost appears like a gloss or a pigmented tinted balm. For me this is a staple, since it isn't at all drying and good for days when I'm hardly wearing any make up.  



 

 

Left to right: Patisserie, Yash, Mehr, Spirit, Whirl, Stone.

 

What would you suggest would fit in next with my other shades? And what's your all time favourite from MAC?

Feeling Healthier, Inside and Out

Hey guys!

I've been wanting to talk about this for a while, but since health can be such a fragile and influential issue I'm a bit wary of the whole situation. In the past couple of months I've started consciously thinking about all aspects of health in a way different than I have done in the past, and the whole process has got me to a happy place, and one which I feel comfortable with. I thought I'd fill you in on the steps I've taken to becoming healthier, and why they've been a huge help. Obviously healthy living means something different to everyone, but if you're needing a bit of inspiration to feel better inside and out, then have a read of this post and see what you think!

 

Exercise

About two months ago I decided to start exercising my body. It's not something I've ever been committed to before, and I didn't do it to lose weight, because I don't feel that (besides strengthening my muscles) I need to lose weight. More than anything, starting to exercise has given me a way to work off exam stress and stop worrying for an hour of my life. I started out by running, but soon realised that that wasn't for me at all, so I picked up Charlotte Crosby's DVD and I absolutely love and would swear by it. It's a very intense workout, but you pick the duration of it and fit it into your routines however it suits you. I know people are constantly bashing celebrity DVDs, but the way I see it, exercise is exercise, and I like this workout and know that it works for me. I do this every other day (the night before a hair wash if you're interested) and as well as already seeing the difference that it makes, I feel a lot better about myself now that I'm doing something productive.

 

Healthy Eating

For a lot of people, healthy eating means cutting out food or carbs, but I can't stress enough how much I am not on board with that line of thinking. Fair enough if it works for you, but I don't want anyone to leave this post thinking they can never eat bread again - this mind set is one that has made me unhealthy in the past. It's taken me a long time to realise that the answer (for me) to eating relatively healthily, is to find a good balance and perhaps substitute a couple of items to get the vitamins and nutrients that you need.

I thought I'd give you a day in the diet of myself, if I'm making my own meals (and if it isn't pizza day obviously):

• Breakfast: A smoothie containing one banana, 3 tablespoons of oats, a teaspoon of peanut butter and a small glass of milk, and one piece of wholemeal toast.
• Lunch: some Ainsley Harriott instant couscous (omg try it its the bomb dot com) and a sprinkling of feta cheese, with an apple.
• Dinner: 80g of brown rice with stir fried red pepper, onion and sugarsnap peas, with soy sauce and chilli sauce. A chocolate treat for dessert - my favourite is the Cadburys chocolate yogurts or a choc chip cookie!
• Snacks: Usually a granola bar in the morning.

I can't cut out all my sugary treats, and I don't think having a balanced diet means that you should have to. I get 'shaky legs' when I don't eat enough, so I never skip a meal or eat ridiculously tiny amounts - I'd probably pass out! This is the part of the post I was most worried about writing; don't feel in any way that you have to alter your diet if you feel happy as you are. Beauty is not based on what you eat.

 

Other bits and bobs

I think healthy living is down to so much more than food and exercise. For me, its about surrounding myself with people who support me, drinking a whole lot of water, and getting to sleep at a reasonable time. During the exam season, its so important to try and think positively, so I'm making a conscious effort to take a day at a time and remind myself of everything to be happy about. Going make up free most days is also doing me a world of good in regards to confidence and feeling comfortable.

 

This is my current recipe for my own mental and physical health, but I'm not an expert! What do you do to give yourself a boost of happiness?

 

P.S. I just thought of another thing which settles my mind! Organisation is my personal route to mental satisfaction, writing down my worries and making to-do lists settles my nerves like nothing else.

 

Luxury Bronzers || My Top Picks

 

I've always said that one product I'm prepared to splash out the cash and go high end with is Bronzer - its a product I rely on a lot in my daily routine, and I've found that the formulas and shades I prefer tend to be on the luxury end of the scale. I thought I'd share with you guys my top three favourite picks that I would rush to buy again, because these products are definitely some that you need to add to your collection.

 

Okay so anyone that's been reading for a while will know that my literal holy grail product is NARS Laguna. Its a cult classic and its obviously that for a reason; its amazing. This for me is the perfect bronze shade, a balance between warm and cool toned (a neutral if you will), with a slight shimmer to give that glow effect. I will admit that £27.50 is a lot to pay for a product, but I find this one, which was actually my first ever high end purchase, it completely worth the money. It works well when I'm tanned or when I'm pale, and has such a beautiful formula that makes it simple to blend out with a fluffy brush. As you can see, I've sadly hit pan on this bronzer (which is why I've bought others to be getting on with) so currently I'm only cracking out this bad boy when its a special occasion.  

 

 

A bronzing product I've been using non stop this month is the MAC Powder Blush in 'Harmony', despite the fact that I'm using it for contour instead of a blush (I actually think this is way too brown toned to be a blush) - its much more matte than Laguna so lacks that shimmer, but is the ideal cool toned bronze for when my skin is at its palest. I've been skipping the foundation every day for the last few months and I've found that this bronzer goes on perfectly despite the lack of base, and has a natural look and that be built up or dressed down. For a quality, long lasting product, I don't think the price of this (£18.50) is bad at all - if you have dark hair I think this looks especially lovely, although to be honest this looks good on all the tutorials I've watched that include it.



 

The final bronze I would recommend is my least used, but that's mainly because its a very new addition. I wanted a warm bronzer for Summer, and this one is ideal. First of all, Holy Moly the smell - the TooFaced Chocolate Soleil has the best chocolate scent I've ever experienced with make up. My Mum literally walked into the room when I was taking these photos and asked what chocolate I'd been eating. This one is £25, has a slight shimmer (but less than Laguna) and is a gorgeous warm bronzer that looks particularly pretty around the hairline to give a healthy glow. The gold packaging on this is what drew me in, TooFaced win every time with packaging! What I will say with warning is that a little goes a long way with this, Harmony is a product that needs building up, but I find that with this I use a tiny bit and make sure to tap the excess off my brush. All in all though, this is a great summer bronze (if you want an everyday bronze for paler skin then they do a 'milk' chocolate bronze with is more on the cool end of the spectrum) and is from a cruelty free brand, which I do value and is something I'm beginning to consider more when I purchase.

 

What's your favourite bronze, and have you tried any of these?

 

Building a Travel Scrapbook

 

Scrapbooking is something I've wanted to get into for years - when I was in primary school, one of my favourite pastimes was card-making (I know, you can laugh), so I've accumulated a lot of bits and bobs that would make a scrapbook come to life. I think the whole scrapbook scenario can be quite daunting when you don't have a specific topic and you're faced with mountains of polaroids and no theme to sort them into, so when I received this beautiful travel book from my friend Hannah for my 18th, I was determined to finally put into action something I've wanted to do for a while.

 

The scrapbook is honestly such an amazing gift to give someone who enjoys city breaks and has a sentimental streak - if you want to check out the book that I was given and others as well, check the link here.  You could even make one for your significant other and surprise them with a lasting memory of all your adventures together.



 

 

Until I go on more trips with Harry, this book will remain quite empty, but I thought I'd show you my progress with the first double spread about Amsterdam (I did a full post on Amsterdam back in February.) Although this book is specifically just for photos, I had a few tickets and tokens that I thought would look perfect to layer it all up and create that scrapbook vibe. On the first page I placed the Anne Frank House ticket, a tram and bus ticket that got us through the trip, a polaroid taken at our favourite spot and a cut out of a little paper bag that we bought souvenirs in. On the other side of the double page I stuck a train ticket from the airport, a postcard I picked up whilst drinking cocktails in the Hard Rock Café, another polaroid and a 50 cent coin that I had left over from the trip. I layered up the pages with coloured card and patterned paper, and used ribbons and buttons to make the whole thing a bit more mismatched and loved. 

 

 

 

I'm over the moon with how these pages turned out, and can't wait to add to the book in years to come (I'm hoping that in the next couple of years there will be a page dedicated to Disneyland Paris - fingers crossed!) A scrapbook is such a beautiful way to display memories, instead of shoving everything into a drawer and forgetting it was ever there. When you go to a lot of different cities you forget the little memories about each specific one, so its nice to have a constant reminder of all the small things.

 

What would you scrapbook about?

 

P.S. I'm sorry for being MIA lately, A Levels are rapidly approaching and I'm finding it so difficult to keep up with social media. If you're sitting exams like me, I wish you the very best of luck - you got this!

 

Springtime Make Up Menu

 

Hi guys!

Until this past year when I went absolutely make-up crazy, I've never been the type to banish certain items to specific seasons (banish was probably the wrong word but I had a massive mind blank, insert a more appropriate word of your choice), but looking in my make up collection last night, I realised there are some products that just scream spring.

 

For face products, the obvious essential for any season, but especially spring (think pink and pearly) is a good highlight to whack on those cheekbones. I couldn't recommend any other than High Beam from Benefit, since its just a holy grail. Posietint, also by Benefit, is another gorgeous product for spring; personally I use it as a lip stain with the matching balm over the top, but it would also work well as a cheek tint at this time of year. A beautiful addition to my spring make up routine is a Baked Blush from NYX - I have the shade 'Chiffon' and its a lovely pink-brown shimmer blush that can also double up as a highlight. BOOM. I only got this recently and its by far the prettiest blush I own and a staple in my spring style, particularly considering I'm not a blush fanatic in the slightest.

 

As for the eyes, it has to be something shimmery and simple. Spring is associated with exam time, and during these months I never have the excuse to pack on the make-up, because I'm constantly stuck inside surrounded by mugs of hot chocolate and piles of broken dreams.  Due to this I definitely turn to cream shadows that you swipe on in one movement and you're good to go - my favourite will always be Maybelline's Color Tattoo in 'Pink Gold'. It's a pink champagne shade that stays put all day and works as a base or on its own. If I want to go all out on the occasional night out or event, I'll use the Color Tattoo as a base and use the Boudoir Eyes palette from Toofaced to enhance the eye look. To be specific, the shades 'Satin Sheets' and 'Sugar Walls' work amazing with the cream base. I have a full review of this palette here if you want to check it out. 

 



 

Finally, for lips I keep it super simple in Spring and Summer, usually just sticking to a lipgloss or tinted lip balm. Three lipglosses I'm loving at the moment are the Loreal Mega Infallible Gloss in 'I Got the Power', the MUR gloss in 'Natural Pink' and a Sephora gloss in 'Fresh Peach' (hands up if that name is making you crave a juicy peach.) These glosses are so easy to throw on without a mirror when you're in a hurry and the colours aren't too intense. Honestly my favourite is probably the MUR gloss - I literally paid about £1 for it and its majorly impressive! I'm talking the least sticky lipgloss I've ever tried. Obvs the Loreal Glam Shine glosses would be on this list if they hadn't been discontinued *cries* (Yes, I'm still bitter.) If you're looking for a bolder spring lip then I think the Soft Matte NYX Lip Cream in 'Athens' is the perfect pinky nude to complete your look.

 

What are your favourite products for Spring?

Do you need money to blog? || Thoughts

 

 

*Prepare yourself for a ton of scrambled thoughts*

I've been thinking a lot lately about what made me first click the tab open to blogger and write a post, almost two years ago. It was partially because I was at the most anxious point in my life, and it felt nice to have some kind of release that didn't involve me actually standing in front of real people and voicing my opinions. Nowadays I don't tell that to any family member or friend who asks, because I've managed to move myself past all that, and right now I blog as a time capsule of sorts, or to be honest, to have something worthwhile to add to my CV if I do decide to take up journalism.

 

Aside from the obvious question of why I started, I often get asked whether blogging is an expensive hobby. I imagine blogging has evolved a heck of a lot over the years, but right now it feels as if without a little cash, blogging isn't all it can be, and I wonder if when I first started whether I knew how much I would invest in this little corner of the internet (my 'small distraction'.) In retrospect, I think I thought that typing away at a keyboard would be all there was to it; I've been writing all my life and it comes so easily to me, that I thought every aspect of blogging would arrive in just the same fashion. In reality, I would say that a good proportion of my money goes into my blog, with little return, and although I don't regret anything, it's interesting to think about whether pumping money into the hobby is integral to success and running a blog.

 

For me, especially since I've moved slightly into the beauty niche, I invest money into products to try and review. A lot of these items I think I would buy regardless of my blog, but the fact remains that if you're a beauty blogger without products to talk about in posts, the possibilities and opportunities are decidedly less. If you're a lifestyle blogger its probably less of an issue; lifestyle posts are some of my favourites because you take a topic of interest and just run with it as far as you can take it. No need to run down to Debenhams to grab the latest palette or stay up until midnight to secure a Kylie Lip Kit, just grab a thought and let it roll. This is true to an extent (although clearly I'm not saying being a lifestyle blogger is easy; lifestyle posts are ridiculously time consuming and difficult to orchestrate, especially on a writer's block kind of day), but since the whole concept of blogging has evolved so visually, I feel that nowadays blogging is very much photography-centred. This is great - I mean who doesn't love an aesthetically pleasing Bloglovin feed? But to secure a reputation of killer photography, there's got to be some sort of monetary fee. Ever since I started blogging I've moved from taking a haphazard photo of a dry shampoo and not really caring about aesthetics, to letting it determine when and what I post, investing in an Olympus Pen (no regrets) and a million assorted background props and products purely because they 'look good'. I personally see blogging as a worthwhile cause despite all that; almost every hobby has a price attached, and the creative product you get from a blog is rewarding and progressive.

 

On the other hand I've seen many popular blogs that don't prioritise pretty photos, which makes me consider that perhaps, money isn't essential. Social media is for all intents and purposes, free to use, meaning that with a stack of time and effort, success doesn't have to have a price tag. Particularly twitter, I think having a recognisable online personality and interacting with readers means that you don't need a fancy camera, you just need yourself. It's such a tricky topic to try and navigate, as each side to the argument can be justified so neatly. As long as you have an app on your phone to upload posts, you can start blogging and the rest of it you might acquire with time. For me though, what draws me in to a blog is the aesthetics - I can't deny it and probably a lot of other bloggers have the same outlook. I love white backdrops and marble, but I also love posts with a lot of heart and soul poured into them. I follow amazing people on Twitter (@alittleblogger3), and have found a lot of blogs to read through joining in chats and finding bloggers relatable to me, regardless of how much they invest in their hobby.

 

I can't honestly see an end to this debate, there's so much to think about! To start a blog, I don't see any reason why you would need any amount of investment, I personally went into it without needing to spend. As you progress however, and strive to increase blog views and popularity, I think that for most of us, whether its better products or a new website design, we do have to set aside some of our income to make the changes we want with our blogging. That isn't to say that popularity equals money, because we all know that that's not true (buying followers is just not legit, you see what I'm saying???), but to draw in readers from the get go and make your blog appealing for the initial view, I do think a bit of money can go a long way. Once you have people reading, its all down to personality and how you write, and that's the beauty of a blog! Blogs could have identical flat lays and convey totally different vibes, and that's what initially made me so fascinated with the idea of having a blog to convey what I couldn't in my day to day life. Did I anticipate how much time, energy, and I'm going to be real here, $$$ it would take? No. I don't regret this hobby though, its such a gem.

 

What do you think? Do you need money to blog? I would LOVE to hear some opinions, as I'm still so undecided myself on the topic.

 

My Highlight Collection (with swatches)

I've wanted to write this post for so long; I've gone absolutely highlight crazy! Since I've bought four highlights in the last two months I don't think any more will be joining the collection for quite some time, so it seems like a good time to show you my stash.

I think if I had to choose between cream, liquid or powder formula I'd definitely swing towards the liquid side of the scale, but I'm partial to a few powders as well. There's a good mix of drugstore to high end in this collection for you to take a look at, and I'll go through which highlights work best for tanned/pale skin (since I require both.)



 



Sun Beam and High Beam by Benefit are my absolute babies, and I picked them up last month with my birthday money. High Beam is 100% the highlight that leaves the best impression on my natural skin tone, which is very much pale ivory, and I find that if I get comments on my highlight, its generally because I'm wearing this one. It's a pearly shade that looks so beautiful and iridescent on the cheekbones, and is what I would recommend to anyone starting the trend, since it's incredibly easy to apply and blend and I think, goes with any bronzer in my collection. Sun Beam is a brilliant highlight to go with a tan (as the name implies), as it a golden tone that has just the right amount of shimmer to leave you looking sun kissed, but not like a disco ball. For me, this isn't as wearable, but I know I'll get a ton of use out of it when I go on holiday in the Summer.

 

My other liquid highlight is the 'Beat the Blues' Pearly Pink highlight from Mememe Cosmetics, which I would consider to be your lower priced dupe for high beam. The finish isn't as noticeable, but the colour match is almost exact, and for around a £12 price difference, it's worth looking into if you want to dive into pearly highlighters but aren't quite ready to commit to a Benefit extraordinaire. I got this in a GlossyBox a couple of years back, and it was actually my first ever highlight!

 

As for cream highlighters, I have a love hate relationship with them. I've talked about both of these products before (the Benefit Watt's Up and the Glow Pot from Topshop in 'Gleam'), and although the formula of the Topshop product is one I much prefer, the shade of Watt's Up is so much more wearable if you're naturally pale, and looks ah-may-zing with Marylou dusted over the top. The Topshop formula is so creamy and blendable, but until recently when I started fake tanning, the shade just didn't suit my skin at all. It's definitely one for the tanned or darker skin tones out there, whereas Watt's Up I feel could be suited to either when worn the right way and with the right products. Obviously, there is a price difference here again, I think I paid around £9 for my Topshop highlight (I literally can't find it online anywhere anymore, which is weird and means I can't verify) whereas Watt's Up is £24.50, but honestly in my eyes the Benefit version is the one to go for - I just don't think a Rose Gold highlight is as easy to wear as a Champagne shade. 

 

 

I haven't really explored the powder family in much depth yet, but I have tried a couple of cult favourites, which yet again show a huge difference in price. The Goddess of Faith Triple Baked Highlight from Make Up Revolution is a gorgeous product, a champagne pink shade that leaves a right old shimmer on those cheekbones. This one was only £4.99 which I think is pretty amazing, and is a much cheaper alternative to the famous Marylou-Manizer from TheBalm, which cost £17.50, and is a champagne gold highlight that is worth every penny. Everyone raves about this, and although it isn't my favourite product it's one I definitely don't regret buying, and looks even more impressive over a gold cream or liquid highlight. For me, liquid products work better so I would tend to go for those, but if you're looking for a powder then these two are great ones to try, and ones that I imagine would suit any skin tone. 

 

 

From Left: High Beam, Sun Beam, Beat the Blues, Watt's Up, Gleam, Mary-Lou, Goddess of Faith.

 

What's your favourite highlight? For me it will always be High Beam!

NWMeet 2.0 Haul and Experience

 

 

Hi guys!

Yesterday I went to #NWMeet 2.0, and it was honestly so amazing just like the one I attended in September. The event was held in Ameriesko on Bold Street, which does the best chocolate milkshakes, and has such a chic vibe. As with everything that involves meeting new people I was super nervous, but like last time, every person I met was lovely and made me feel so welcomed. Blogging events are still new to me, and I'm always surprised at how easy it is to get chatting to people you've never met before. I didn't take too many pictures as I was too busy chatting away, but I thought I'd show you some of the bits I received in the goody bag and raffle. I haven't mentioned everything since the goody bag was huge, just some of my favourites (although obviously I'm excited about all the items, Thank you so much to the brands that sent items!)  

 

When I opened my goody bag and saw the Make Up Geek eye shadows I felt a bit emotional - I've been in two minds about purchasing these for a long time, so to receive two beautiful shades (Charmed and Barcelona Beach) was incredibly exciting. I've just ordered a Z Palette to store them and build up a collection. Another item I couldn't quite believe was the Nanshy Precise Bent Eyeliner brush; I've been coveting this brand of brushes for ages, and can't wait to try it out. The final item in my top three I think is the LiLash eyelash serum, which is proven to lengthen your lashes, something my stubby natural lashes are definitely in need of! Once I've tried this out, I'll let you know what I think for sure.

 

Falsies and fake nails are constantly in my feelunique basket these past few weeks, so I was pleased to find a pair of Kiss lashes, and some nails from Elegant Touch and Impress (those ones are unbelievably gorgeous.) It was great to receive lots of products that I know I'll get lots of use of, and would probably have found their way into my beauty stash regardless of being gifted them!

 

 

I have to confess that I've never actually used a cleanser, but this Tropic Smoothing Cleanser looks intriguing, and I can't wait to up my skincare routine and give this a whirl - the packaging this product came in is too pretty for words. Following that skincare theme, I was over the moon to find a DermaV10 Micellar Water; I've been eyeing these waters up for months whenever I go to Boots, so to finally have one to try out is exciting. This brand gave a lot of goodies - Thank you DermaV10!

 

Some final bits that I can't wait to use include the Wet Brush Pro Detangling brush - a hot pink brush? YES. My hair constantly gets into tangles, so I'm sure this product will get a ton of use, as well as the Bloom Candles Candle Set that I received in the raffle. Hannah kindly let me choose a prize as she had already won, and I'm so thankful. I think the candle in the scent 'Fig and Cassis' is my favourite, and I'm actually burning it right now as I type this up. The Loreal Color Riche nail polishes in 'Rose Paradise' and 'Black Diamond' are absolutely lovely, and I already have a sister pestering to get her use out of them (she's practically a nail artist, why can't I have her talent???)

 







 



In the bag was also some personalised goodies for the event, like a planner and a chocolate bar with #NWmeet 2.0 printed on to the front - that chocolate is long gone! Thank you so much to Katy (thelilacscrapbook) for organising this fab event, it was beyond my expectations and we all appreciate the work you put into it.

 

Have you ever been to an event? Are there any products I hauled that you'd like to see a review of?