Colour Pop Eyeshadows | Ft. MY MALL BOX

30 May 2017



After an eternity, I decided to purchase some goodies off a website I've been longing to for a very long time...COLOURPOP! Over my years of blogging, Colourpop Cosmetics have become increasingly popular - every time someone mentions their products I will always go to their website and have a browse at their latest makeup products and offers. Fortunately, my wonderful friend Sophie who you may have seen on my Youtube channel a couple of times (HERE), messaged me and told me about this incredible deal where you could get 3 liquid lipsticks for just $12! I was so so shocked and we took the plunge, buying some makeup bits for ourselves in a single basket in hope to reduce the custom costs together. However, after choosing my liquid lipsticks I couldn't stop there...I just had to pick up some of their highly raved about eyeshadows and for $5 each, I just had to. Let me know if you enjoy this post so I can share with you my other Colour Pop goodies. For now, let's indulge in these 3 gorgeous pressed pigments I picked up...


DELIVERY - US to UK

The one thing that has always stopped me from purchasing American beauty brands is the cost of getting the products over the UK. I literally hear so many horror stories on Youtube and through the blogging industry of people paying ridiculous money, sometimes even more that the purchase itself, to get the products into the country. However, I was so fortunate enough to discover 'MY MALL BOX' - a service that helps to minimise the cost of shipping products overseas for the lowest price possible! The process is so simple - all you have to do is create an account and the company will assign you a free American address, alongside your own unique suite number. The next step is finding the products you want to buy on any American shop you've been wishing to purchase from and entering your given American address in the shipping details. It's super easy to navigate around the site but even if you are struggling, you can simply email them the products you wish to purchase and they will order them for you. Everything ran super smoothly for mine and Sophie's order, the products arrived swiftly to the My Mall Box warehouse. From this point, we received an email announcing our order had arrived and we chose our shipping requirements. Not only can you send one thing to your specified address, you are able to send a number of things which can be stored at the warehouse for up to 90 days - you are then able to consolidate your packages to reduce overall shipping costs so everything works hand-in-hand. Overall, a wonderful service that were safe, reliable, quick and all-in-all OUTSTANDING. I would 100% recommend this to any UK residents, like myself, wanting to purchase products from the US.




THE SHADOWS 

My choice of eyeshadows was one of my easiest decisions when browsing the Colourpop site. I wanted to invest in a few shadows that could be added to my summer palette, something I do not own anything quite like. Thus, I opted for three bright, summer-ready shades - an orange, pink and purple. The actual look I had in mind was to create a soft sunset on the eye, these shades looking perfect to bring my vision to real life. After I've practiced it, I will indeed be sharing it either on here or on my Youtube channel, if it goes to plan. I cannot wait to experiment with these gorgeous pressed pigments - as the shadows suggest, their pigmentation is strong. One swipe and the colour is fully transferred from product to skin. The texture of each shadow is super creamy and I'm obsessed with the matte finish - these shades are going to create a dreamy blend that I'm so excited for. 

Poodle - a bright fuchsia pink, perfect for the summer months

Centrefold - a vibrant orange, a heavenly transition shade

143 - a true blue-toned purple, ideal for date night and evening events




SWATCHES & STORAGE

Finally, I wanted to share with you the swatches of the gorgeous shades once transferred to my arm. The pigment is incredible and honestly next level. I was delighted to see that the pigmentation was as good as everyone always talks about. Each colour staying true to what you see in the pan. Also, for $5 the quality is super impressive. I'm definitely going to be investing in some more of these shadows next time I spot a Colourpop deal or the next time my bank account is looking healthy again... After playing around with the colours, swatching them onto my arms and eyes, I popped them into my Z palette. I've created a little row for my new gorgeous, bright shades to start of my summer shadow collection. What shades should I get next?




Do you own any makeup from American-based beauty brands? Have you tried anything from Colourpop? 

Lots of love


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This post is in collaboration with The Mall Box; however, all opinions are honest and my own.


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Father's Day Gift Guide 2017

24 May 2017



I thought I'd get this post up nice and early considering Father's Day is coming up mid-June (18th for those of you unaware) simply because I find boys, especially men, ridiculously difficult to buy for. This usually leaves me stressed out at the last minute, trying to find the perfect gift that isn't too boring but something that my dad will utilize and need! Thus, I've decided to bring you a miniature gift guide of products both the classics and the unique, to hopefully inspire you in preparation for father's day. I can't wait to give my dad the presents below as I think they are going to go down perfectly...



THE UNIQUE

Qwerkity are an online shop that specialises in all things unusal, unique and quite explicitly, QUIRKY! One of my favourite things about gift buying is exploring the internet, trying to find a variety of innovative, creative and different ideas so that the gift is somewhat special to the receiver. This year I've managed to get in touch with Qwerkity and I cannot believe the variety of products they have that I have NEVER seen before in my life - from chocolate teapots to cooking sets, puzzle kits and personalised items. There is literally something that would suit anyone in the family (even if you aren't looking for father's day!). However, I decided to chose two things that suited my dad perfectly...his love for cooking combined with a ridiculous 'dad' joke tee...

First of all I opted for the completely stupid t-shirt as that's right up my dad's street...he is one of those ones who never hesitates to crack a ridiculous joke so thought this would go down very well. I also think the bold beer image is iconic and actually really love the colour combination of yellow and grey. The style of t-shirt is pretty simple - a light grey with large logo on the front, soft and great quality material, not to mention that the t-shirt was only £20! In my opinion, it is definitely worth the money - especially if you know the quote is something your dad will laugh at...Alongside the t-shirt, I chose this gorgeous 'Hot Sauces' miniature gift set. When it came, I couldn't quite believe the size of the sauces as they were much heavier, and larger, than expected. In the set you receive five different hot sauces - Indonesian Chilli & Garlic, Cajun, Mexican Hot & Sweet Jalapeno, Thai Sweet Chilli and Hot Caribbean. My dad, as you probably would have guessed, adores hot food and loves to add spice into any meal he possibly can. This gift is literally perfect for him as it combines all of the best hot flavours, enabling him to add some to any meal he pleases. I also love hot sauce too so will definitely be pinching some when he conjures up one of his amazing meals...MMM!



THE CLASSICS...

...THAT NEVER FAIL! If you are really stuck with what to get your dad this father's day, then don't forget the classics. A bottle of wine never goes a miss, alike a bar of dairy milk or box of quality street. I've always found men aren't as fussed about gifts like girls so if your dad isn't that bothered, then just opt for a classic gift that still does just the job! Alongside the much-loved wine and chocolates, why not take a look at the best aftershaves out there if you are looking for a more luxurious gift? There are so many scents, cheap to luxurious, that would make the perfect gift for your dad. My personal favourites have to be Hugo Boss Bottled Night and Tom Ford Velvet Orchid; however, Next create some amazing fragrances so check them out if you are looking for a more affordable-priced gift.


What are you getting your DAD OR GRANDDAD this year for father's day? 

Lots of love

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I was gifted the products above by Qwerkity; however, all opinions are honest and my own.
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Travel Accessories | Fashion & The Essentials

15 May 2017




YAY. The travel posts have finally begun! As it is 47 days until I'm flying to Mexico with my boyfriend definitely not counting, I am starting to buy and round up everything I need for my journey. To begin with, travel accessories are a huge essential for me as I have had endless trips where I've forgotten something ridiculously important resulting in spending stupid amount of money in the airport. Thus, this year I'm preparing super early to ensure I've got everything packed, not missing a single thing off of my list. Today I'm going to be talking about my favourite travel accessories, both the essentials you CANNOT forget and a couple of fashion accessories that I'm LOVING at the minute. 



FASHION 

SUNGLASSES - For those of you who know me well, you will know my complete OBSESSION with sunglasses. I literally cannot wait to stock up on sunglasses before I head off at the end of next month. Aviators, mirrors, reflectors and every single shape possible - I absolutely LOVE them! I am still yet to buy some new sunnies this year which is a complete shock but I will always go back to these gorgeous shades from Firmoo! These pink framed, copper reflectors look stunning in the sun light and I cannot wait to wear them in the hot Mexican weather! Let me know any sunglasses brands you are living for...looking to find my new fave sunnies brand of 2017.

HIP FLASK - Okay so this is a Christmas present I have been finding the right opportunity to use. This beautiful holographic hip flask was gifted to me by my boyfriend, as he knows my love for all things holographic and pretty much anything in the miscellaneous section in Urban Outfitters. Fortunately, we have managed to get hold of an all inclusive hotel where we are supplied with free alcohol in our rooms! YAAAS. I can tell you, after the stress of my exams I'm going to need to chill and cannot wait for a relaxing glass of wine or cocktail on the beach. This hip flask is going to be super handy as we are lucky enough to get a free mini bar and alcoholic beverages in our room. This gorgeous hip flask will therefore not be only used for its aesthetics in Mexico photographs, but also to store some of our room drinks and take them down in the evenings. 

PHONE CASE - Something I'm very excited to be taking on my travels is this phone case from Case Company. This fashion accessory is going to be a staple in my travel bag for Mexico - I love the summer-y palm tree leaf pattern on this particular phone case. Case Company have an incredible array of phone prints to choose from, as well as the opportunity to design and personalise your very own phone case. There are so many option in terms of finish, pattern and type of phone case you want - there is literally something for everyone, that caters from everyone's tastes. I specifically chose this one to help me get through exam period -  it is such a struggle getting excited for my holiday during such a stressful time so I opted for a summer-y phone case to brighten my mood and spirit. It is also a lovely reminder that I will be relaxing and having the time of my life at the end of June...YAY!




THE ESSENTIALS

TRAVEL PILLOW - Moving on to the boring accessories, but most definitely the essential things you will need whilst travelling. The first is a travel pillow - something I've never bought before and never understood why. I always like to sleep on the plane for long flights to fight jet lag early but always end up waking with the worst neck, back and shoulder pains. My boyfriend was so cute and bought us matching travel pillows so we can have an easy, pain-free flight - I mean, we are flying for 12 hours so it would just be ridiculously inconvenient to be in pain for the majority of our journey. These teal fluffy travel pillows are ideal for a cosy travel - they are from a brand called Pureny that sell their products on Amazon. As labelled, they have a soft cover, provide neck support and are easy to inflate/deflate whilst flying. They are also convenient as they can be folded into a small size and popped in the corresponding carrier pouch.

ADAPTER PLUGS - A very boring essential are adapter plugs. I cannot even tell you the amount of times my family have forgotten to pack these whilst travelling aboard - too many to count! From charging your electronics to drying your hair, you NEED a travel adapter for everything! It is such a shock how much you disregard the amount of electricity you need whilst away on holiday. I'm not really going to talk about this for too long as it is simply just an adapter plug haha...but make sure to pop it on your travel list to avoid forgetting it!

TSA SUITCASE LOCK - The final essential is this TSA suitcase lock from B&Q - you can literally buy these at any local hardware stores or online. Everyone's worst nightmare is getting their personal possessions and valuables stolen once popping their suitcase through customs, followed by the nervous waiting process to see whether your case has arrived at the correct destination. To avoid your suitcase from being rummaged through, I strongly recommend purchasing a lock to ensure security of your items. It would literally be the worst if I turned up at the airport in Mexico and my things had been taken so securing my case with a lock is a complete essential!



What are you favourite travel accessories? What are the essentials you always forget to pack?

Lots of love

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I was sent the phone case (from Case Company) to review; however, all opinions are honest and my own.
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New Barry M Lip Kits & Lip Paints | Review

12 May 2017



This is not so much a recent release anymore but at the end of January 2017, Barry M released a small range of Lip Kits that everyone went crazy for. Due to spending so much money on my upcoming holiday, I was severely poor the first few months of the new year. However, after slightly recovering, I decided to pick up one of their gorgeous lip kits as well as one of 5 of their lip paints. Barry M have generally been a great brand, for me, that I've always highly spoken off, as I'm a super fan of their inexpensive nail polishes. I thought it was time to give it a go after the hype died down, I had a bit of money to spend and see if their makeup is anything to rave about too...





Matte Me Up Lip Kit - POSE

Let's talk about my favourite purchase first. Out of the 3 lip kits, I opted for the middle shade - POSE - a nude shade with soft pink undertones. For those of you that watched my '3rd Weekly Vlog' on my Youtube channel, you would have seen my first impressions on this. When I first applied the product, I literally FREAKED out. The shade was super nude pink, very pigmented, but looked so light against my pale skin. Luckily, my patience enabled me to wait for the product to dry to its desired matte finish and the colour cooled to a deeper tone, that I had been seeing everyone swatch. I was so scared that I'd made a poor shade decision but little did I know how much I would love it. The first day I tried this beauty was whilst I was doing a Saturday shift at work - baring in mind my shifts are roughly 12 hours long, I was swiftly putting this to test to say the least! Throughout the entire twelve hours, the lipstick didn't budge ONE bit and I seriously mean this. It honestly compares to the longevity of my Huda Beauty matte liquid lipstick, if not better! The pigmentation held all day long, there was no crusty bit lingering on my lips, the product was in no way comfortable/drying throughout and it barely budged after eating 3 meals and drinking. If that doesn't impress you, I don't know what does?! This Barry M Lip Kit is a product I've been longing for my entire existence, I swear - I've never used a liquid lipstick that holds on my lips for longer than 3 hours, let alone an entire day! Equipped with the liquid lipstick is a corresponding lip liner that applies smoothly the outskirts of your lips. I also find this creates a gorgeous, deeper colour if you apply this completely underneath the liquid lipstick. Both products are super creamy, despite their mattifying finish - this is just a complete godsend for my dry complexion. If you haven't tried one these yet, go to Boots or Superdrug NOW. I'm going to be purchasing the rest of the collection for sure. The only downfall is that there are 3 shades to pick so I'm praying that a greater colour range is underway in the Barry M studios!

Buy here:

Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Kit - POSE (RRP - £6.99)




Matte Me Up Lip Paint - EMBELLISH

Alongside the liquid lipstick and liner kits, they brought out 5 lip paints. As I opted for a nude/pink with the lip kits, I bought one of the darker matte lip paint shades. Embellish is a deep purple with blue undertones. The pigmentation is intense and applies smoothly onto the lips, alike the lip kit products. As for longevity, the colour stays as bold as when first applied throughout the day. When I wore this for an evening event, it didn't budge at all - just a small amount of product was wiped off from using a napkin etc but that's understandable. I cannot wait to use this in many evening tutorials over on my Youtube channel as well as sharing some makeup looks on here throughout the next few months. I'm super impressed Barry M - just bring me out some more shades so I can go crazy on them!

Buy Here:

 Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Paint - EMBELLISH (RRP - £4.99)

Have you tried the new Barry M Lip Kits/Paints? What are you favourite Barry M products?

Lots of love

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Any of the brands mentioned in this post are NOT sponsored; all opinions are honest and my own.

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How To Be Parisian | Travelling & Money Tips!

8 May 2017


Travel posts are something you're going to be seeing a lot more in the coming months - I hope you're okay with that! I cannot wait to share all the things coming up over the Summer during the next few weeks. For those of you who don't know (this is for the newbies as I'm forever going on about it) I am going to Mexico at the beginning of July with my boyfriend for a relaxing 2 week holiday so you will be seeing plenty of travel-related content both on here and my Youtube channel shortly. However, I thought I would kick off my love for travelling with a little guide to the city of Paris. Aidan and I travelled here in October last year for my 18th birthday and stayed for a long weekend (see posts at bottom!). It was such a wonderful trip and I learnt a lot after cramming in a week's worth of activities into one weekend. Thus, I thought I would share with you my top 10 tips from travelling to money-saving if you're looking for a city break to gorgeous Paris.

Commençons!



1. My number one travel trip to save money would be to book through Expedia (this is not sponsored btw!). Honestly, we spent hours trying to find the perfect place to book through and found that Expedia had the best deals for hotel, accomodation and travel. Overall, we managed to save over £600 by booking through Expedia - our hotel cost us £500 for 3 nights and 4 days. It was called the 'Atlantic Hotel' - a gorgeous 3* that I think deserves at least another extra star! They were so kind - they ensured our room was pristine every day and accommodated for all of our needs. I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for a more luxurious hotel. It was also super convenient as it was opposite a quiet metro station, allowing for easy travel to the centre of Paris!

2. Another way to save some pennies before you actually go away is by booking the Eurostar. If you live in the UK and are able to get to St Pancras station in London then 100% opt for the Eurostar to travel to France. It is so much cheaper than booking flights and the journey isn't that much longer. The seats are relatively spacious and getting through security is much quicker than waiting around in an airport. Our journey ran smoothly and we arrived at Gare Du Nord a couple hours after boarding the Eurostar.




3. For those of you living in the UK, you will know that we, as a collective, have decided to leave the EU. I'm not a very political person but from what I gathered, I'm not in agreement with what we've decided to do as a whole...Anyway, this has resulted in the exchange rate being extremely bad as the Great British Sterling pound has lost a lot of its value. This made it very difficult to change our money beforehand - we looked for days to find the best deal so I recommend looking around to find the best rate of exchange. Make sure you allow time to do this - I wouldn't risk waiting until you reach the airport because the rates are usually shite and sometimes cannot always fulfill your needs.

4. This next one is definitely a regret of mine as I suffered a lot, especially during the second day. On our second full day in Paris, my boyfriend and I designated this day as our 'tourist' day. Therefore, this involved a lot of walking and travelling to ensure we got to visit all the main attractions we wanted to experience. For some stupid reason, we never utilised the Metro - I guess we just thought it would be ridiculously expensive like London transport. However, on day 3 when we were on the way to Disney, we found that tickets were super cheap and I fell into a massive state of regret. I had blisters the size of golf balls on the back of my feet - it was NOT pretty! If you are in Paris - USE THE METRO. It will save you a lot of time, your feet and you won't need to break the bank. 



5. As we didn't want to splash too much money on a hotel, we decided to go for one without an all-inclusive breakfast or meals. This was our own decision as we wanted to venture into some Parisian food and have a bit of a change. If we wanted breakfast in our hotel, it was the equivalent of £16 per person! Crazy money! However, we luckily had a cute bakery on the corner of the road, literally two doors away from the hotel, so we made great use out of this every morning. The bakery was called Midore and the people who worked there were lovely; they also spoke English too which was helpful when we made fools out of ourselves trying to pronounce the menu! The main point of this is that places like Midore and also this place called Paul are great breakfast options and are no way near as expensive as other places dotted around Paris!

6. In terms of snacks, I definitely recommend stocking up for the day so you don't have to keep splurging as you venture around the Parisian streets. The food is generally overpriced, as in any major city, so you find yourself getting mugged off most of the time. I am a very snack-y eater aswell so I struggle through the day without mini sugary snacks to keep me going. As long as you aren't on a serious health kick, the places I recommend going to are Mcdonald's or even Paul for small sweet snacks. There are also mini supermarkets but they aren't too frequent so if you see one...buy something there and then if you feel you will get hungry throughout the day!




7. Similarly, if you are considering going to Disneyland Paris during your stay, please be prepared for the shocking prices of food. We couldn't comprehend how much we spent on food when we got there and had no other choice but to buy it as we were not fully prepared. Definitely stock up on some food before heading to Disney, whether it be from a Fran Prix supermarket or some snacks from home. FOOD IS SUPER EXPENSIVE!

8. When we went to Disney, we were only going for one day. At Disneyland Paris, they have two parks you can visit. We wanted to get the most out of our day so we arrived early. However, we didn't plan our day beforehand and that is something I really regret. Although we got to go on most of the rides we planned, I wish we printed a map off prior to our mini vacation and decided our 'plan of attack' for the day, if you know what I mean. There were various queues throughout the day and I wish we knew of the new rides and which we should line up for first etc. If you want to make the most out of your day, print a map off of the Disneyland website and decided what/where you want to go in advance.



9. Being the cringey couple we are, we of course wanted to do the classic 'lock on a bridge'. It has been on my bucket list ever since I got a boyfriend and am thrilled that I got the opportunity to do it with someone I adore and have spent almost four of my years with. My top money saving tip for this one is DO NOT buy the lock before hand. Lock and keys are very expensive in shops and back in England; however, there are many little 'knick-knack' 'shops' on the side street where locals sell various trinkets for usually cheaper prices. We ended up buying our lock for £2 which came with 3 keys! Unless you're getting your padlock engraved, I recommend waiting until you are in Paris to buy a lock together. Also, bring a pen! We spent more money on a pen from a local stationery shop that the lock itself...


10. Bringing back to the point of the metro, if you are going to wear new shoes...DON'T! I made the biggest mistake of my life wearing new shoes on our second day in Paris and my feet were raw for the rest of our break. I had two huge blisters on the backs of my ankles, making me want to scream every time they touched anything. If you've brought new shoes, please try and break them in before walking around all day in them. Footwear being comfortable is a necessity in Paris as you will probably spend a lot of time walking. Noone deserves the blisters I had...honestly!



 Paris Posts :

Travel Diary 1  
Travel Diary 2  
Travel Diary 3  
Travel Diary 4
Paris Outfits
Paris Vlog 
Paris Haul

 What has been your favourite place to visit? Do you have any money saving tips for city breaks?

Au Revoir!

Lots of love

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