If you can't have a collage of your face on your birthday when can you and as it's my birthday I thought I would do the 50 Facts about me tag as the lovely Lauren from www.bylaurenjane.co.uk tagged me do it in November. 50 facts seems pretty difficult to come up with but I'll give it a good go. I hope you enjoy the post and Happy New Year!
Wednesday 31 December 2014
Monday 29 December 2014
What I got For Christmas 2014
I originally wasn't going to do this post but I've enjoyed looking at everyone else's over the weekend so I thought I'd get one done. I've preferred just looking at the pictures so I won't go into each item just know that I am incredibly grateful for all the wonderful and thoughtful presents I received from my fabulous family and friends. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!
Thursday 18 December 2014
Christmas Penguin Lush Cosmetics
Anyone that knows me will know of my slight obsession with Penguins, I love the little guys so it was inevitable that The Christmas Penguin would be coming home with me at some point. This cute bubble bar has been sat in my basket of lushness for quite some time because I couldn't bring myself to break its head off. Soon the need of a hot bubble bath over ruled that of keeping the penguin intact so off his head came.
Wednesday 17 December 2014
My Little Box by Fleur de Force
When the first few reviews filtered through on My Little Box I couldn't help but fall in love. I held back for a few months though as it seemed too good to be true. Surely the second and third boxes wouldn't be as fabulous? They were and when I saw the first reviews on My Little Cosy Box, I subscribed that night. I received My Little Box by Fleur de Force last weekend and was surprised at how big it was. I was expecting Birchbox sizes so I'm glad I get them delivered to my work place as it wouldn't fit through my letterbox.
Monday 15 December 2014
Friday 12 December 2014
Stop Asking Me to Work for Free
I'm not one for negativity and rant posts on Annie Writes Beauty. I like to keep it a place where I ramble about beauty and generally keep it happy. There's the odd bad review but that's about it. I mentioned in a tweet that I felt like I needed a rant after a couple of emails I had received in the last week. One of which prompted this post.
Tuesday 9 December 2014
Christmas in Salisbury
As much as I love the festive period it does get a bit hectic so being able to go away for the weekend or even a day just before Christmas is something Arran and I like to do each year. This year we went to Salisbury in Wiltshire, staying in the Mercure White Hart Hotel. I'd heard good things about their Christmas Market so the plan was to visit that and have a good wonder around the town and Salisbury Cathedral.
Sunday 7 December 2014
Lola by Marc Jacobs
Lola by Marc Jacobs is my Winter fragrance and has been for the last five years. Around the end of October, out comes my precious bottle of Lola from the confines of its box where it stays during the Summer months. Lola is a heady, floral scent. I find it quite rich which is why I tend to wear it more in the colder months. I instantly associate this with dressing up in warm scarfs and winter boots.
Saturday 6 December 2014
Wednesday 3 December 2014
Cloud 9 Magical Duet
Anything that has magical in the product name is going to get my attention so when the Magical Duet from Cloud 9 landed in my hands I was quick to get to work and make my mane more magical. Having bleached hair means I have to take a little bit extra care of it, something which I hate doing because I am incredibly lazy when it comes to my hair.
Sunday 30 November 2014
Saturday 29 November 2014
Espa Facial at John Lewis
Back in October at a blog meet Tanya and I went to, we both had consultations with the fabulous girls from Espa and were given the chance to go in to store to have a facial. If it hadn't of been for Tanya just booking us both in I probably would of just discarded the appointment card but I'm so glad we went. Two weeks ago I met Tanya and off we went to John Lewis in West Quay for our appointment with the lovely Jo. We had met Jo previously at the blog meet so it was really nice to see her again.
Thursday 27 November 2014
Lush Cosmetics Haul
Lush may as well of just had my entire pay check this month because I have bought so much! This is one of my smaller hauls from last weekend when I just popped in because..well why not? Lord of Misrule had to go into the basket as it's one of my favourites and they won't be available again until next year! I also have another four in a basket as back up.
Wednesday 26 November 2014
Southampton Bloggers Meet
On 15th November, the day had finally arrived for the #SotonMeetUp, the second Southampton blog event organised by Amy and myself. It was held in Orange Rooms again, this time in the Lounge bar where we had extra space for our lovely companies and our very own bar woman, who was fabulous. From 1pm our 28 bloggers started to arrive, Weleda, Bee Good and Lush Southampton set up their stands for the afternoon and the cocktails began to flow.
Tuesday 25 November 2014
Cinders by Lush Cosmetics
Lush is by far my favourite place to go at the moment, I have been doing haul after haul of festive bath bombs and have even dragged the boyfriend in on the action by getting him to choose some more manly bombs to try. I like quite spicy scents so Cinders was always going to end up coming home with me. Inspired by fireside gatherings, Cinders contains Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Almond Essential Oil, Sweet Orange Oil and Popping Candy!
Sunday 23 November 2014
My Lip Saviours
I'm a big believer in super soothing lip treatments, I carry lip products in my bag all year round but when the evenings get darker and the weather draws in my lips need some extra moisture. These five products are what I'm currently using. The EOS Lip Balm in Lemon drop is really handy to have in my bag to just whip out and it smells lovely. It does leave a slight film on my lips but it also leaves them really soft. The Blackcurrant Balmi Cube is a diamond shaped balm that smells like blackcurrant chewitts. I have both of the shaped balms because of the novelty factor more than anything else.
Friday 21 November 2014
ELF Baked Highlighters
Ever since Stereo Rose came home with me back in the Spring I've been having a love affair with highlighters. I couldn't imagine not using one now and have built up quite the collection. When I heard there were new highlighters gracing the ELF website a couple of weeks ago I was full of excitement. Three new baked highlighters all for a bargain £3.95.
Thursday 20 November 2014
Gift Ideas with Beauty Crowd
I was recently introduced to Beauty Crowd, a community marketplace jam packed full of fabulous brands you wouldn't necessarily come across. With Christmas right around the corner it is also the place to be doing your Christmas shopping with a cup of cocoa in your gingerbread pyjamas. I was sent a box full of exciting products to try out and I had the biggest smile on my face when I opened it.
Wednesday 19 November 2014
Barry M Starry Eyed Palette
In my Boots & Superdrug Haul from last week you would of seen that I bought one of Barry M's Limited Edition palettes. When I think of Barry M the first thing I think of is their nail varnish, I've never even thought to try out any of their make up. Starry Eyed caught my eye because of the beautiful shades in it, some of which I wouldn't usually use. With three mattes, three shimmers and one blush it's a handy compact palette. The palette itself comes in cardboard casing, much like the original Naked palette minus the velvet. There are two applicators and a good sized mirror inside.
Monday 17 November 2014
The Goody Bag #sotonmeetup
Saturday 15th November was the day of the second Southampton Blog Meet, 30 bloggers from across the South Coast gathered in Orange Rooms, to mingle, eat and chat with some fab companies that had also come along for the day. Each blogger went away with a goody bag jam packed full of amazing products. Read on to find out exactly what was included...
Saturday 15 November 2014
Sienna X Q10 Bronzing Mousse
During the Autumn months I like to have a bit of a glow about me. I have quite pale skin and sometimes look quite ill so I tend to use the fake tan a little more than usual this time of year. I've recently been using a tanning mousse by Sienna X to achieve that. Sienna X Q10 Bronzing Mousse is paraben, alcohol and cruelty free. The Q10 is something I don't usually come across in tanning products but with it containing an anti-ageing ingredient, it definitely makes it more appealing to me.
Friday 14 November 2014
Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Cream
Weleda are our sponsors for the Southampon Blog Event which is happening tomorrow and they have kindly provided the pretty goody bags and a number of products to put inside them. I was sent the Almond Soothing Facial Cream to try in the lead up to the event so I was looking in tip top condition and not a wrinkled, stressed out mess. Specially formulated for dry and very dry skin this tube of creamy goodness is exactly what you need this winter if your skin is taking a battering.
Wednesday 12 November 2014
Merumaya Integrative Effective Skincare
I first came across Merumaya after they followed me on Twitter and I had a good snoop on their website, so when they were one of the fabulous companies who came to the Southampton Blog Meet I couldn't wait to get over there and have a good chat. We had the wonderfully passionate Lekha come and show case their best selling products. Lekha could not of been more perfect for the job, she spoke so confidentially about the products as she used them herself and could personally vouch for their claims.
Tuesday 11 November 2014
Smashbox #FoundationFriday
Whilst at the Smashbox event for the Contour Palette I noticed a poster for Foundation Friday. I didn't know what it was but quickly learnt that Foundation Friday was where the first twenty people in store would get colour matched to the Studio Skin Foundation, receive a make over and get to walk away with a free full size foundation. I set my alarm for 6am the following morning to get up and out in time to grab my free Studio Skin and get to work for 9am. Dedication to foundation.
Sunday 9 November 2014
Spa Day at Grand Harbour Hotel
A couple of weekends ago myself and my favourite blogging girls, Mandy, Karis and Amy booked ourselves in for The Purity Spa day at The Grand Harbour Hotel. Arriving at 11am we found our way up to the Serenity Spa to check in, fill in our details and collect our robes, slippers and towels. The robes were the softest thing I have ever felt and I really wish I could of taken it home with me.
Friday 7 November 2014
Lush Cosmetics Massage Bars
We all know what Lush are better known for but I've recently been trying out their other products, namely their face masks, body butters and massage bars. I have four of the massage bars, Strawberry Feels Forever, Hottie, Therapy and Each Peach and Two's a Pair all of which I have collected from blog meet ups and events in goody bags. After talking more to the wonderful Rosie from Lush Southampton about how to use them and their benefits, I finally delved in my big basket of Lush goodness to have a play around.
Wednesday 5 November 2014
Southampton Blogger Meet Number Two!
On the 25th October, a number of South Coast bloggers arrived at Orange Rooms for an afternoon of blog talk, cocktails and yummy food. I wasn't the original host but after a slight hiccup the night before and with 12 hours to prepare, sort out the final details and let all the attending bloggers know it was still happening, the day went without a glitch.
Saturday 1 November 2014
October in Instagram
1. Re:So Southampton relaunched in The Marlands a few weeks back. The launch was fab with yummy macaroons & prosecco. Read about it - Re:So Re-launch Party.
Friday 31 October 2014
An Introduction to JorgObé
Not so long ago my sister introduced me to a Danish skincare company called JorgObé. I had never heard of them before so I was really intrigued to see what they did differently. Launched in 2010 with a clear idea of creating skincare for men and woman while using natural and active ingredients, JorgObé has become a best selling skincare brand, winning numerous awards and has been praised in international beauty magazines such as Elle.
Tuesday 28 October 2014
Sparkly Pumpkin by Lush Cosmetics
Lush Cosmetics and Halloween are probably two of my favourite things, so when you throw a sparkly pumpkin into the mix, I am one happy girl! Bubble bars are the products I love the most from Lush and I bought the Sparkly Pumpkin when I attended the Christmas Launch at Lush Portsmouth the beginning of the month. Covered in golden lustre with a stick of cinnamon as the stalk it has Autumn written all over it.
Tuesday 21 October 2014
Make Up Revolution Single Shadows
I'm going to assume you're familiar with Make Up Revolution, the budget make up brand taking the beauty world by storm. If not, where have you been? They are going into Superdrug stores at a rapid rate which was how I found myself swatching to my hearts content a few weeks ago. I bought some of the single mono eyeshadows as I have palettes coming out of my ears.
Saturday 18 October 2014
Re:So Re-Launch Party
I recently attended the re-launch of Re:So situated in the Marlands Shopping Centre in Southampton. Launched in 2012, the award-winning Re:So Project was the first fully student-operated retail initiative in a UK shopping centre. Re:So has been relocated to a much larger, clean cut and contemporary space above Starbucks. Perfect for die hard fashion fans with an edge.
Friday 17 October 2014
Bare Minerals Bare Guide to Color Warm
I've always been pretty dubious when it comes to mineral make up, sure it sounds great but I like a full coverage and I couldn't see how extra dustings of powder could give me that. I thought the best way to ease myself into mineral make up was with the Bare Minerals Bare Guide to Color in Warm kit. I love how you can pick up the try it kits from Bare Minerals before committing to full size products.
Thursday 16 October 2014
Brick Lip Pencil by MAC Cosmetics
MAC makes me happy, my lipstick collection is forever growing and Studio Fix is one of my favourite foundations so it was only natural I eventually ventured into their lip pencils. I love that Southampton now has a MAC Cosmetics counter but my bank account doesn't! There was a 10% discount day recently so I took full advantage and bought my first lip pencil in a gorgeous red shade.
Monday 13 October 2014
Wednesday 8 October 2014
Tuesday 7 October 2014
Lush Christmas Launch
Oh Lush. You have well and truly pulled out the big guns this Christmas and I want EVERYTHING. I recently attended the Christmas launch at Lush Portsmouth with a handful of beautiful bloggers from the South. We were treated to a special showcase of all the bath and body products plus all their Christmas gift sets. Having only started using Lush products in January of this year, everything was new to me. Including their cult shower gel, Snow Fairy. I hadn't even smelt it before. I was like an excited child waiting to see Father Christmas.
Monday 6 October 2014
Monu Skincare Recovery Balm
Skincare is something I've really taken notice of the last year, what with getting older and realising it was about time I started looking after my skin. Monu Skincare is a company I've known of for a while and I've tried a number of their products over that time, the Hydrating Mask and Brightening Boost being two of my favourite products. I've been using The Recovery Balm for the last 8 weeks and I've been converted to yet another Monu Skincare product.
Saturday 4 October 2014
October Birchbox
When I saw the sneak peak of this box on the Birchbox Instagram page I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. A pretty pink pouch and a lipstick pen. Eek. The theme of this months box is Work It! with products enclosed to help you get motivated. There is also a handy little 14 day planner, with tips and tricks to tackle the day ahead plus motivational quotes. There's been a lot of thought and effort put in October's Birchbox and it really shows.
Monday 29 September 2014
Magnitone Lucid Cleansing Brush
Cleansing Brushes are everywhere at the moment. Everyone's trusty muslin cloths have been slung in a corner, having been replaced by these little handheld beauties. The Magnitone Lucid is the travel version of the Magnitone Pulsar. I have the Aqua Green one from the Fashion Series which also includes Dazzling Blue, Plush Pink and Sunshine Yellow. I had never used a cleansing brush up until now, because I'm a little lazy with my skincare and they looked like they would scrap my skin off.
Friday 26 September 2014
Chanel Rose Petale
Chanel makes me very happy, especially when it's as pretty as this and comes in a little velvet pouch. I recently added Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Petale to my ever growing blush collection.
Thursday 25 September 2014
Saint Germain by MAC Cosmetics
I bought this for a mere £7 a few months back after finding a Cosmetic Company Outlet in Portsmouth. I can't bring myself to spend over £10 for a nail polish because more often than not Barry M have a cheaper and better alternative. I'll happily spend £25 on a lipstick though.. go figure?!
Friday 19 September 2014
MAC Cosmetics Rebel
Thursday 18 September 2014
Benefit Cosmetics Lemonaid
Lemonaid is one of those products that has been around for years but isn't really shown a lot of love. When I went to repurchase this recently even the girls on the Benefit counter were surprised at how many times I'd bought Lemonaid in the past because it's one of their least sold products.
Wednesday 17 September 2014
Burt's Bees 30th Anniversary
Today is the 30th anniversary of Burt's Bees, a brand we all know and love. They've been keeping our lips super soft for years and now have 170 products ranging from lip tints, face care and even baby care. I've used the Burt's Bee Beeswax Lip Balm on and off for years, it's a product I always go back too because it's so soothing, plus with the added Peppermint Oil it plumps your pout.
Saturday 13 September 2014
September Birchbox
There is no other time of the month I love more than Birchbox time and this months is a good'un! The September Birchbox arrived a few days ago and I tore open the package to find the Happy Days themed box in teal and hot pink! Adorable! The Happy Days theme is all about reminiscing about our happiest days, sunny memories and some of the best times of our lives.
Saturday 6 September 2014
My Night Time Skincare Routine
Skin care is something I've only really taken notice of since the beginning of this year. I was the girl who used face wipes and almost always slept in her make up. I felt you wince as you read that. That was until I turned twenty something and was told by my lovely mother, I really needed to start moisturising. She was right, enter me tearing Boots apart looking for something to revert my skin back a few years. I've really taken notice though and have tried some fab products this year.
Friday 5 September 2014
Veil Cover Cream
When Veil Cover Cream first got in touch about reviewing some products I was a little skeptical, I knew it was used as camouflage make up and had an outstanding reputation among its clients but I didn't have anything to camouflage. I said yes because I was really intrigued about the products and when the Veil Cover Cream Demonstration Kit arrived with 20 different shades and a dusting powder I was ready to get to work.
Wednesday 3 September 2014
My MAC Lipstick Collection
I recently posted about my favourite MAC lipstick, So Chaud which had me delving into my lipstick collection again. I've had tweets and emails in the past about posting a MAC lipstick collection but for some reason I just never got round to it. I'm on a MAC Lipstick ban at the moment because I'm still miffed they raised their prices again so my collection is staying at an uneven 17. There's nudes, pinks and reds, satins, mattes and amplified finishes and a couple of limited editions chucked in too. I hope you're ready for a pretty long post.
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