January Favourites ’20

Guys we are officially into 2020 now and I can’t believe it’s already February! January flew by for me due to being in Japan for 2 weeks but even so, still can’t believe how quick the month went by!

I know for a lot of people however January was very slow… 😛

January’s favourites are going to be a bit odd due to being away in Japan, but at the same time they’re going to be good, I know they are! I’m not changing how I write my favourites at all. I’ll still be sharing 5 beauty related products I have been loving as well as my favourite TV show(s), movie(s), book(s), music and game(s). 🙂

I hope the start of 2020 has been great for you guys, my readers and I hope it hasn’t been rough at all.

On with the favourites!

• Japanese Character Bath Bombs.

Whilst I was in Japan I used quite a few of the character bath bombs they had for sale in the shops. They didn’t cost much (Between £2-£4 depending on the character and store) and were really nice to have handy in the hotel room if we’d had a long day of walking and needed a soak. Dane actually used and had more baths than me, which was a massive shock! We’ve brought loads of these back to the UK with us, as we loved them so much. They often come with the characters inside that is on the cover. For example I picked up a shiba dog bath bomb and hence got a little white shiba dog inside, so cute! These weren’t bad for the price and one bath bomb was definitely enough to feel pampered. I felt soft and smooth after using one of these in the bath. I honestly recommend them if you’re in Japan! I feel like they’re better than Lush to be honest with you… 😉

• Etude House Dear Darling Water Gel Tint in shade RD302 Dracula Red.

I bought this lip tint whilst I was out in Japan and I honestly regret not buying more! It’s a gorgeous dark red shade I have had my eye on for years! It wasn’t expensive either, which was even better. Aside from my Laneige lip bar, this lip tint (review here) was my go to lip product the duration of my holiday! It’s really easy to apply and a little bit of this product goes a long way. I mostly like to use it to give a bitten look to my lips, which wasn’t easy to do with this lip tint at first, but the more I have done it, the easier it has gotten. I will be writing a review on this lip tint, as it’s too good not to share on my blog!

• L’Occitane Zesty Lime Hand Cream.

I haven’t used this hand cream for quite some time, which is mostly down to using up other hand creams first! This is a gorgeous thick hand cream that smells of limes, yummy!  I remember stocking up on loads of these during my MA in 2015 so I have a lot to use up! I decided to take one with me to Japan to use during the day and it really was a treat to use in the mornings before we ventured out for the day, as well as whilst we were out and about. I’ve stopped using it since we got home, but this really did help my hands when they were feeling dry and sore. I was recently diagnosed with having a form of dermatitis on my hand, which kept flaring up during the trip. This hand cream really did help it on bad days, alongside my dermatitis creams.

• Tepika Hand Sanitiser.

I know this is a strange one to add this month to my favourites but I just need to mention it for so many reasons! First of all look at the packaging… It has a cute little happy raccoon on it! Due to this me and Dane called this the “happy raccoon” whenever we wanted to use it. Aside from the cute raccoon on the front, this was also really good because it didn’t smell overly alcoholic, was gentle on my eczema skin and the packaging was handy for how you get the product out… I feel like that last part didn’t make sense! Either way this stuff is amazing and I honestly need to try and figure out a way to ship some over to the UK!!!

• Marc Jacobs Decadence EDP.

This is a perfume I keep reaching for at the moment and it’s the one I took with me to Japan too. The scent is perfect for any time of year and any occasion. My brother bought it for me quite a while ago now and it was so funny how this perfume came to be my gift. Just before Christmas in 2015 I went to Fuerteventura with my dad for a few weeks. This perfume was quite new so I decided to give it a try and see what I thought of it. I loved it and was close to buying it… But instead me and my dad went to a bar for some drinks. Just as we sat down with drinks my brother called my dad and said, “I’ve given mom Nat’s Christmas present.” Fast forward to Christmas Day… My brother bought me Decadence… Which I had nearly bought! How crazy is that?! So yeah, this is one of my favourite perfumes and I always wear it when I fancy something unique and different. I also love the bottle is comes in, which is in the shape of a handbag, strap included… 😛

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Favourite TV Show – Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.

I actually watched this documentary towards the end of December but thought it was worth a mention as I really enjoyed watching it. What you think is a documentary about a cat killer, actually turns out to be a human murder. I remember Dane telling me about the murder not long after we got together, so when we discovered what the documentary was about, we were even more interested whilst watching it! This documentary is very triggering in various ways and upsetting due to that. I love watching stuff like this, so I really enjoyed it. Definitely go and watch on Netflix if you can!

Favourite Movie – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

I watched this film on the flight home from Japan and it was really good! I don’t recall if me and Dane wanted to go and watch it in the cinema when it came out here, but either way we got to both watch it for free! It’s about an actor and his stuntman, as well as some other characters throughout. It’s all based around true events, as well as fictional characters. Whilst it’s a great film, I did start to wonder halfway through, “Where’s this going? What’s the point?”. This was quickly answered however, in such an amazing way! I honestly recommend you watch this film if you get the chance to! It’s not the best from Quentin Tarantino, but it’s still decent. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Book – …

I didn’t read anything as I was on holiday… This was not a holiday where I could lounge around and read… I swear I am going to start reading more now I’m back from Japan. I have so much manga to catch up on. I need to make a monthly list of which series/volumes I plan to read!!!

Favourite Album – My Chemical Romance – “Welcome to the Black Parade”.

With the announcement of My Chemical Romance coming to the UK for 3 dates in June, I have been listening to them loads both during my time in Japan as well as when I got back home. I tried to order tickets to the first 2 shows My Chemical Romance announced, but was unsuccessful, which sucked. I was definitely in a sulk about this… UNTIL my friend Claire brought it to my attention that they had announced a third show! I managed to get tickets which I was SO HAPPY ABOUT!!! That day I did nothing but listen to My Chemical Romance during my shift at work. It was bliss and I loved every moment of it. 😛 I’m so excited for June now, I’ll be going with Dane too and it’ll also be the third time seeing them live… YAY!

Image taken from Polygon.com

Favourite Game – Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX.

I know this game is only a demo at the moment but I have been LOVING it so much! I played both of the original Mysery Dungeon games this one is based off of and I was beyond excited to give the demo at go. I played a little of it on my way to Japan on the plane, but I played more of it on my way home whilst we waited to board out flight, as well as on the plane. It looks amazing and plays really well. I’ve already pre ordered the game and cannot wait for it to arrive! I’m going to finally be kept busy on my Switch again in March and I am beyond excited for that!

So my first favourites post of 2020 is complete! I cannot believe it is already the start of February. Can you guys believe how quickly 2020 is going by already?!

How was the first month of 2020 for you guys? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below, as well as what your favourites were this month!

Until next time all, take care and have an amazing weekend. 🙂

January Favourites ’19

It’s officially the first monthly favourites post of 2019! Woohoo! Of course with that comes me talking about all the things I loved throughout the previous month, which of course was January.

I usually talk about beauty and lifestyle and it’s something I really enjoy talking about overall. I wanted to think of more things to add to my monthly favourites, what with there being a New Year and all but honestly, I couldn’t think of anything else worth adding! I thought about maybe adding like a favourite fashion piece, but my fashion sense isn’t everyone’s cup of tea… So I think I’ll leave that for now. 😛

As always I’ll talk about beauty first and lifestyle after! I hope you enjoy the first favourites post of 2019!

• Lush Christingle Naked Body Conditioner.

This was something I picked up in the sales just after Christmas. Lush in Birmingham had LOADS of these in stock still and for half of the price they retailed for originally. I’m not as big a fan of Lush as I used to be, but as I had some Christmas/birthday money I decided to treat myself to some of the Valentine’s Day Lush goodies! I use this twice a week at the moment and to be honest with you it’s such a fab little product. I do find it to be incredibly greasy and I have to actually wipe off the excess body conditioner with a flannel as it’s just far too greasy feeling for me. I won’t be repurchasing any of the body conditioners again due to this, but it’s nice to give a go for the money. It makes me feel soft and smell of gorgeous peppermint, so I can’t complain. 😛

• MUA Luxe Inked Lip Stain in Sangria.

If there is a lip trend I have been loving lately it’s the bitten lip look that has come over from Korean Beauty over to us! It’s been around for ages to be honest and is something I have done on and off over the years, but more so lately than ever before. I love these MUA lip stains as they’re super cheap, come in a nice selection of shades and are long lasting! I love to apply it into the inside of my lips to give that bitten look. It’s flattering too if I don’t want to have a heavy lip colour on and as it wear away quiet naturally, I don’t feel like I need to constantly top up. If you guys would like me to show you how I get the “bitten” look, please let me know and I’ll do a post about it!

• Cath Kidston Hand Cream.

I got so many of these hand creams in my advent calendar at Christmas and I LOVE them all so damn much! The Cath Kidston hand creams are really thick, which are a blessing for my eczema prone hands. I use them at work mostly to be fair and always keep a tube on my desk now to use on my hands as soon as they feel dry and sore. I do have some at home too, but I have other hand creams I tend to use here. I don’t know if you can buy the tubes that I have, but you can buy all sorts of versions from Cath Kidston in their permanent range, so if you’re after a luxurious hand cream but don’t want to spend a fortune, I definitely recommend giving theirs a go! The one thing I dislike the most about them is some of their scents. They remind me of scents that your gran would have on her vanity. They’re lovely, don’t get me wrong but they aren’t ALWAYS for me. 🙂

• The Body Shop Drops of Youth™ Youth Liquid Peel.

This is a product I LOVE so damn much and keep meaning to reveal since I bought it before Christmas. I’ll definitely get around to it sooner rather than later. This is a liquid you apply to the face and rub constantly all over your face to remove deal skin. It comes off in balls and chunks, which is gross to admit is your dead skin! 😛 I love using this liquid peel before my tea tree skin wash on my face, as well as before face masks. I use it once maybe twice a week if I feel the need to and it really does help my skin out! 😀

• Rio Sonicleanse Glo Silicone Facial Cleansing Tool.

My final favourite beauty product of this month definitely has to be this facial cleansing brush that my mom bought me for Christmas (which you can see here alongside all the other goodies I was gifted in 2018! I use this facial cleansing brush everyday and I can tell it’s made a massive improvement to my skin. It makes me feel like I’m getting deep into my pores and giving my skin a good clean, alongside getting rid of old and dead skin cells to reveal fresh skin. I’ve been using this for well over a month now too and haven’t needed to recharge the batteries which is amazing! I probably will over this weekend. Again, if you would like me to review this facial cleansing brush please let me know!

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Favourite TV Show – Inside No. 9.

This is a show I was told about back in the day when the first series came out. I watched some of the second episode and liked what I saw, but never watched anymore of it. During my Christmas holiday time from work I watched ALL of The League of Gentlemen and fell in love. I always found it to be a “creepy” show but after watching it, it’s right up my street. When I wanted to watch more from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton I stumbled across Inside No. 9 on BBC iPlayer and decided to give it a go. It has fast turned into one of my favourite TV series and I love it! It’s a dark comedy/horror series with episodes about what’s happening to people behind a door, house, room etc with the number 9 on it. It reminds me of Black Mirror but different. It’s not all technology based like Black Mirror is and I like that. Definitely give it a watch if you like this sort of thing though, you won’t be disappointed!

Favourite Film – Mary and the Witch’s Flower.

This is probably the only new film I’ve watched this month and in all honesty it’s the only film that I can think that I’ve watched at all this month! I picked it up on my birthday to watch as it was in the sale for £9.99 for the Blu-ray so I used some of my birthday money to treat myself (you can see what else I got for my birthday here). It’s about Mary, a girl who seems to have moved to live with her aunt and is due to start a new school soon. She doesn’t really seem to have any friends yet, is clumsy and doesn’t like her bushy red hair. One day she discovers a special flower and from there her life changes rather quickly! This is by Studio Ponoc, who are pretty much a sister company to Studio Ghibli. This is their first feature film and it did really well! I love it so much and really enjoyed watching it with Dane on one of our weekends off together.

Image taken from Wikipedia

Favourite Book – I Am a Hero.

This is a manga Dane randomly discovered quite a while ago and every birthday, Christmas and anniversary I’ll buy him as many copies of the manga as I can! Not only doe she read this manga, but so do I. I read a couple of he volumes throughout last month and it’s just getting better and better! I’m up to volume 6 at the moment and the story line is getting really juicy now! It’s about a zombie apocalypse in Japan and we follow Hideo Suzuki as he tries to make his way through it, meeting people as he goes. The art style is amazing as it’s so realistic and gives the zombies something a little different. I definitely recommend you giving it a go if you like zombie related films, shows, books, etc.

Favourite Song – “Promises” Calvin Harris Feat. Sam Smith.

Oh man I love this song so much, so much so whenever I hear it on the radio at work it just cheers me up so damn much! I only recently popped it onto my YouTube to listen to whilst I get ready in the mornings, do blog work, as well as any other tasks throughout each day. Sam Smith has a lovely singing voice and Calvin Harris is an artist I’ve loved since back in the day when he made that song and sang about the 80’s and what was acceptable. 😛 Yes Mr Harris I still dig the stuff you made back in the day! 😛

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Game – Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.

I was going to talk about Style Boutique 3 this month and although I’ve played it loads, I feel like I’ve played Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp almost daily to be honest since I got my iPhone XR but over the Christmas period and the odd days off I played this game loooooads. I find I play it most before bedtime as I find it relaxes me. I mentioned it a post last month about games I find help anxiety (which you can read here). They’ve just added some new updates too, one which makes playing the game so much easier than it used to be! I also love playing this in the car at the moment as it deices, you know with how crap and cold the weather has been lately. 😛

So those are all of my favourites from January!

What do you have on your favourites list from last month? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below and even let me know what your favourite fashion pieces too. I know mine has for sure been my Lazy Oaf rainbow “boring” cardigan. 😛

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re ready for a relaxed weekend.

January Favourites ’17

Woohoo a New Year and therefore a new favourites post, BUT I have decided to change it up again this year! Instead of just writing about my beauty favourites, I’ll also mention one favourite TV show, film, book, song and game. Of course as it always has been, my favourites will focus on beauty.

So without further ado let’s get on with talking about my favourites!

• My Face Shop x Kakao Friends Clarifying Foaming Cleanser.

I picked up this foaming cleanser around my birthday when I popped in TK Maxx to have a look for some goodies. It only cost me £2.99 which I thought was a bargain and I wish they had more of these in stock as I would have bought more. This is one of my favourite cleansers at the moment to use as it leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean and fresh. It’s said to leave your skin looking brighter and I can’t say as I have noticed this severely but I do feel like my skin looks healthier since using it. You only have to use a little bit too because as soon as the cleanser gets into contact with water it foams up loads on your face. If you can pick one of these cleansers up then do as they’re worth every penny.

• Lush Bubbly Shower Gel.

This as many people will know was one of Lush’s new Christmas additions in 2016 and I am so sad that I was never able to get anymore of this. I’m glad however to have picked up a little bottle to see what it was like as aside from Snow Fairy and The Comforter this is one of my favourite shower gels to date. It smells of oranges and lemons and is really refreshing to use in the mornings or to perk you up in the middle of the day. I’ve been using it lately when I’ve been on the really early shifts at work to perk and wake me up in the morning.

• The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Concentrate.

This was something else I picked up from TK Maxx for the bargain of £14.99 when it was originally meant to be over £30! I worried I would regret picking it up but alas I love this serum so much and it’s something I use on a daily basis! It’s a lovely cooling serum and a little bit goes a long way to cover the whole face and neck. I use it after my toner and eye cream and before my moisturiser. I would recommend picking it up if you want to introduce an anti-aging serum in your daily beauty regime.

• Blistex Intensive Moisturiser Cherry.

My lips have suffered during the harsh cold days lately and I’ve found only this seems to have fixed them and even then they’re still very blistered and sore. This is a thick cream lip balm that smells and tastes of cherry drops, yummy! A little goes a long way but I do find I have to keep applying it to ensure that it’s doing its job to its fullest.

• Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Body Lotion.

This is an odd favourite this month because I haven’t been using this the way it should be… Instead of using this as a body lotion I use it as a hand cream during my shifts at work. I often get water on my hands and wash them a lot so it’s necessary to keep them hydrated when hand creams and lotions to make sure my eczema doesn’t flare up again. This body lotion works remarkably well as a hand lotion and it also smells amazing! I keep it inside my Etude House seal pot which did originally have a green tea hand cream in, but I used it all. Hey! Why through away such a cute little pot when I can re-use it?

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Image taken from weheartit.com

Favourite TV Show – Sherlock Series 4

This will always be one of my favourite TV shows as I have some very fond memories behind it. One being that my best friend Gabriella got me into it in the first place and second of all I remember my boyfriend Dane wanted to catch up on series 3 episodes online whilst he was on a snowboarding holiday and suggested we watch them at the same time during a Skype video conversation. Other than that I LOVED series 4 and although I am sad to see the show come to an end the three last episodes had me on the edge of my seat, but not as much as the last! My favourite moment was the start of episode 2 when Sherlock goes out for chips with Faith and tries to stop her from killing herself. I thought it was heartwarming myself and really pulled on my heart strings.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Favourite Film – Gone Girl

Although this isn’t a new film and is also one I watched back in December, I couldn’t actually think of a new film I’ve watched recently… I was going to mention Star Wars: Rogue One but meh I saw that nearly two months ago. That was still a great movie mind! But Gone Girl was amazing to be honest and one that kept me constantly shouting at the TV and to Dane about what’s going on throughout the film, until the truth is finally revealed. I might watch it again in the week if not in a bit as I really did love that film. I wouldn’t mind reading the book to see what the differences are between the two, as well as see how it was written. If you’re interested in watching it it’s on Netflix.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Favourite Book – Your Lie in April

Of course it’s going to be this manga. I haven’t stopped talking about it since around Christmas and I have fast become obsessed with it, as have most people! I’ve only read volume one of the manga so far but after I’ve done loads of blog work I’m going to sit down with a nice cup of tea and continue to read the series as I love the anime so much, so I know I’ll love the manga just the same.

Favourite Song – The Pretty Reckless – “Absolution”

I love this song so damn much and it’s one that I’ll listen to loads as and when I can. I recently saw them play live in Birmingham and I had such a lovely evening! Sadly they didn’t play this, but that’s not a problem. It’s from their second album Going To Hell.

Image taken from Nintendo UK website

Favourite Game – Pocket Card Jockey

This is a game on my 2DS that I have been addicted to since I downloaded the demo of it! I immediately bought the game when the demo ended as I was just enjoying playing it. It’s especially good for relaxing if you feel stressed of anxious, which I’ve found has helped me a lot throughout the month. You’re a jockey and in order to win your races you must play solitaire and win games etc etc. That’s the only way I can describe it. The demo is still available for the game and to buy it it only costs £6.29. The game itself reminds me of a horse racing game me and my dad used to play at an arcade years ago when I was little.

So those are my favourites from January! January was a weird month for me to be honest and I know February isn’t going to be that much better sadly due to some personal stuff going on at the moment. Sadly I won’t be sharing any of that on my blog, but just know that I am okay and I’m slowly on the mend.

What were your favourites from January? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time take care all and see you soon.

27th Birthday Wish List

Yes in 3 days time it will be my birthday and I will be turning 27… Oh age really is creeping up on me! I’m not going to moan though, I hate when people do shit like that. What I especially hate younger people asking how old I’ll be to turn around and say after my reply, “OH MY GOD YOU ARE SOOOOO OLD!!!” Urgh just shut the fuck up. Sorry to sound very negative but I hate younger people being so ignorant as to say things like this. 😛

With a birthday comes gifts and presents (if you’re as lucky as myself and many others. Some people sadly don’t get gifts and presents on their birthday…) from various different people and whilst I’m not the type to say, “I WANT THIS FOR MY BIRTHDAY!” I will direct people in the right direction if they aren’t sure what to get me, especially Dane although this year  he seems to know what to get me as he’s ordered majority of my presents.

So here is my wish list for my birthday this year! It’s got some geeky stuff on as well as some beauty related goodies and jewellery.

• Pokemon Center Vulpix Pikachu Crossover Plushie in Normal Form – £25.50 (link)

I know I always post about Pokemon Center plushies that I want and lust after but this is one that I REALLY want! It’s an adorable Pikachu dressed up as Vulpix, who is one of my favourite Pokemon. This also comes in the new Aloha form but I prefer the original. I don’t think I’ll be getting this for my birthday as it doesn’t come out until the start of February but as soon as I get paid next week I’ll be ordering one myself. ^_^

• Your Lie In April manga volume 2 – £8.99 (link)

This is a new manga and anime I have gotten into lately and I really do love it! I read volume 1 as soon as I was given it by Dane as an early Christmas present and I can’t wait to read more of the manga to be honest. The anime is really good and although the manga and anime are meant to be aimed towards men I find that women can watch it too. The anime is currently on Netflix but it is in Japanese with English subtitles. I’ll pop a trailer up so you can watch it!

• Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in shade Mother – £16.00 (link)

I love Kat Von D’s liquid lipsticks and I was so glad to get my first one (Bauhau5) in November from the Oxford Street store when I went to visit my friend Sophi. Since then I have craved to buy more but I’ve been good so far. Even if I don’t obviously get an actual liquid lipstick for my birthday some vouchers for Debenhams would be great so I can pick up a couple of shades. Mother is a gorgeous rose pink shade which I would love to pick up for when spring and summer are here.

• South Park : The Fractured But Whole Mysterion figurine – £39.99 (link)

Dayyyyum this is something I really want but I know I won’t be getting… Sad times. Me and Dane love South Park and as soon as I saw this on Forbidden Planet’s website I wanted it. We’ve also seen it in the Forbidden Planet store in Birmingham and it looks amazing! He’s 6 inches so he’s huge as well. We nearly ended up buying it New Years Eve when we went out shopping but left it due to being on a spending ban… 😦 I’m sure we’ll buy it as a treat in the future. We already know where we would put him in the house, on the fireplace! 😀

• Thomas Sabo Fox charm pendant – £25.95 (link)

As I mentioned on my Christmas natter post recently my parents gave me a Thomas Sabo charm bracelet for Christmas, which I love! I know my brother is buying me some more charms for it for my belated Christmas and my birthday present combined and this is one of the charms I showed him. As regular readers of my blog will know I love foxes so this is right up my street! I love how simplistic but gorgeous it is.

• Lime Crime Diamond Crushers Liquid Lipstick in shade Trip – £13.95 (link)

I’m not a huge fan of Lime Crime due to the controversy surrounding them but the past year they seem to have somewhat bettered themselves. That and my friend Claire has told me nothing but good things about the liquid lipsticks… I trust her with make up gossip that’s for sure! I have loved the look of the Diamond Crushers since they were announced a while ago. Trip is my favourite out of the bunch, which is a beautiful blue lipstick topper, which you can also wear alone. I’d team it up with various different liquid lipsticks. It’s currently sold out on Love-Makeup but I’m going to keep my eye out for it in the future!

• Pokemon Eevee Evolution water bottle  – £9.90 (link)

I thought I was going to get this for Christmas as Dane had shown it to me before ordering my presents, but alas he never. I don’t think I’ll be getting it for my birthday either. He insists that I don’t need anymore water bottles but I beg to differ! I love having water bottles for work, as well as for on the go and although I love my owl water bottle that I use for work, I’d love a Pokemon related one for work too to show off my inner geek! This one is pretty simple but I love that it’s purple. If I have some birthday money I might treat myself to it.

• Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick in shade No Tea, No Shade – $18.00/£16.00 (link)

I decided that I’m going to calm down on my Jeffree Star liquid lipstick buying as I want to try out loads of other brands instead of just sticking to the same one. HOWEVER he announced this shade just before Christmas and I fell in love, hard!!! I can’t wait for it to come out on Beauty Bay this month because as soon as it launches I’ll be buying it. It’s a beautiful purple metallic shade and it’ll be perfect for autumn and winter seasons.

• Thomas Sabo Bird charm pendant – £35.00 (link)

I know I’ll be getting this for my birthday as my brother told me he would get it for me. It’s a Christmas themed charm but I’d love it all year around. It’s call the bird charm but as you can see it’s a robin, which I love. They’re just such gorgeous birds and they always remind me of the winter season. It’s not a cheap charm however as it originally costs £70.00! OUCH! If however he doesn’t manage to get me this charm I’ll pick it up on my birthday as a treat to myself.

So that was my wish list for my 27th birthday! God I really am getting old and whilst at 27 you probably expect to see more adult present ideas on a post like this, you won’t find that with me. I am a big kid and even though I’ll soon be 30 I know I’ll stay that way for a very long time.

What kind of gifts do you like to receive for your birthday? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time take care all and I hope you had a lovely New Year.

January ’16 Favourites

New Year, new monthly posts! I love doing these so much, and always look forward to writing a new one at the end of each month. I’m not changing the way I write these at all, and will stick to the same format that I usually do. My favourite five products of the month. This year I’ll try not to repeat any products, but if I do alas, it just means it’s an amazing product!

• Lush The Comforter Shower Cream. (link)

This is a shower cream I received in one of the many Lush gift sets I got over Christmas and my birthday. I have a couple of bottles of these so I decided to start using one as a nice treat. It smells so delicious, and I already know I’ll be buying a huge bottle in future. It smells just like The Comforter bubble bar and is really strong. The scent lasts on the skin most of the day, which is great! When I first used this it didn’t foam up that well, but since then it has been great. This has been great to use before I start early shifts at work, as it really does wake me up. My boyfriend seems to really like this as well!

• The Body Shop Africa Ximenia & Salt Scrub. (link)

I picked up this beauty in the Boxing Day sales, and I really do love it! I can see picking this up over and over again as it is just an amazing body scrub. I actually used it on my boyfriends back whilst he had a bath to give him a massage, and he loved it. It leaves your skin feeling silky smooth, and you don’t need a lot as it’s super thick and goes a long way. Due to the ingredients it leaves a lovely smoothness behind that only a body lotion could do. I intend to keep the pot it came in too so I can try to create my own coffee scrub. I recommend this if you have dry skin like me, as this is perfect!

• Marc Jacobs Decadence EDP. (link)

This is a perfume my brother bought me for Christmas, and it was by far one of the nicest gifts I received! My brother always picks the best perfumes and this is probably the best he’s ever bought for me. I tried this out whilst I was on holiday and I loved it so much. I didn’t buy it though as I thought, “No I have enough perfume!” and it’s a good job I didn’t considering my brother bought me this before/during my holiday! I honestly can’t describe the scent as it’s such a unique one, very masculine smelling in my opinion. It reminds me of Illamasqua’s perfume to be honest! This is by far best fragrance by Marc Jacobs and I wish he would make more like this. I’ve been wearing this quite a lot throughout the month. I love it so much.

• Aromi Beauty Liquid Lipstick in shade Miss Mauve. (link)

I’ve gone a little liquid lipstick crazy recently (honestly I really have!) and this is one of my recent purchases, and also one of my favourites. I reviewed it recently, which you can check out here. This is a gorgeous mauve shade, which feels so comfortable and creamy on the lips. Due to the light shade it’s really wearable too, and one I have found myself reaching for for work when I fancy wearing something nice. If I fancy anything OTT and awesome, I’ll always go for my Jeffree Star shades, or MAC. I would love to try more Aromi Beauty lipsticks in the future. This one is just perfect, and I’m so glad I picked it up when I did as it’s currently sold out on Cocktail Cosmetics website!

• Laura Geller Matte Maker Invisible Oil Blotting Powder. (link)

This was one of my Christmas presents from my mom, and it was very much appreciated as I was in need of a new face powder. I think she knew that, which made this even nicer. I have been using this to set my The POREfessional by Benefit and it works really nicely with that to help keep my face matte for most of the day. I could probably do with taking this to work so I can powder during my break… But meh I’m too lazy for that! I just love this powder, and I recommend it as a finishing powder for sure.

So those were my favourites for January! Wow the first monthly favourites has come and gone already. I can see this year flying by already, I can’t believe it’s February now.

What products did you love during January? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below.

Until next time, take care all!

January/Birthday ’16 Wish List

Is it my birthday in three days… I’ll be turning 26 and this saddens me. I am getting older, and with the years not only do I gain another wrinkle, another grey hair, and a saggier body, but I also gain other things. But we will leave that for another post because I now feel inspired to write it!

Back to this post however… With a new year, and a new month, comes a new wish list! A birthday one with that. I don’t really feel like I want much after Christmas, but I will try my best to try and come up with some things that I would love to receive, or buy for myself with birthday money.

So, list time! I love making these. ^_^

• Topshop Lady and the Tramp Pyjamas – £28.00 (link)

As soon as I heard about these pyjamas being available to buy I instantly though “NEED IN MY LIFE!”. I love Lady and the Tramp, it’s by far one of my favourite Disney movies, so I’m a complete sucker for these of course. They’re pretty expensive for what they are to be fair, and whilst I have enough pyjamas to last me a life time, I may just treat myself to some more new ones, or ask for them for my birthday. We shall see.

• Amazon The Hobbit Trilogy – Extended Edition Blu-ray – £44.00 (link)

I LOVE The Hobbit… More so than Lord of The Rings, but I put this down to me going to see all The Hobbit films in the cinema, I was never allowed to do this with Lord of The Rings as a child/teenager. I own The Lord of The Rings Trilogy Extended Edition Blu-ray’s so I have been eagerly waiting for The Hobbit’s one to be released so I could buy them all. I intend to have a marathon of this as soon as I get them. If no one buys me this for my birthday, I’ll soon buy it for myself… Possibly whilst my boyfriend is on holiday so I can marathon them the weekend he’s due to leave.

• Amazon Sword Art Online: Lost Song Playstation 4 game – £24.99 (link)

As I mentioned on a post recently, I now have a PS4 and I love it so much! I really would love to get some more games for it, and this is one I have my eye on, out of many! Me and my boyfriend got to demo this game whilst we were at Hyper Japan and I really liked it! There are many more games out there I would have asked for instead, like Life is Strange, but this isn’t released for another 20 days yet! I love the Sword Art Online anime, and I really want to read the manga, so the game is right up my street!

• AnimUK Animal Crossing Isabelle Nendoroid – £32.99 (link)

I’ve spoken various times in the past about Nendoroid’s and how much both me and my boyfriend love, and collect them. I wanted the Animal Crossing Isabelle figures ages ago, but they sold out and go for a lot of money now. However, they’ve re-released one of the two, and I intend to get one before they go again! It isn’t expensive either, and AnimUK are a great place to go to for Nendoroid’s as they don’t charge you for the custom fees that the official Good Smile Company shop do.

• Loungefly Star Wars Boba Fett Brown Wallet – $38.00 (link)

I don’t NEED a new wallet, but I would really like a new one… I love the fox one I have by Loungefly but I fancy a change for some reason, and this Boba Fett wallet is one I’ve had my eye on for a while. It isn’t cheap however, and is impossible to get hold of in the UK without paying through the teeth for it from America. I’ll have to see if I REALLY want it.

• GAME Sony PlayStation DUALSHOCK®4 Wireless Controller Darth Vader Edition – £49.99 (link)

With my new Playstation 4 I’ll need another controller for it so that my boyfriend can play games with me! I really wanted the limited edition Darth Vader PS4, but 1. it was too much money, and 2. it was sold out anyway so… The controller is probably the nicest part of the console itself, so the fact you can buy the controller is pretty awesome! It isn’t cheap, no but it’ll be worth it! I’d use this one, and my boyfriend could have the normal controller… Because he isn’t special enough for the Darth Vader one, of course. 😉

So that’s my wish list for my birthday, and January! I can’t believe I’m going to be 26 in just three days. Damn I’m getting old. 😛

What’s on your wish list for January? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time, take care all and see you soon.

January Favourites 2015

2015 and we’re already into February! I wasn’t expecting my holiday in January to go by so quickly either.

The majority of my favourites in January were products I used frequently whilst on holiday, or discovered whilst I was there.

I’ve decided to do something a little different this year, instead of talking about ten favourites each month, I’ll be talking about five instead. I just feel like it means I REALLY liked the items I talked about and therefore would have needed to think about hem more carefully.

So, here are my favourites!

Image taken from thebodyshop.co.uk

• Diesel Loverdose EDP.

I had run out of this years ago and was gutted as it’s by far one of my favourite perfumes to wear. It’s a strong scent that lasts ages, and has a unique smell. So when my Dad offered to buy it me whilst on holiday as one of my birthday presents. He got me a massive 75ml bottle, so that’ll last me way longer than my 30ml bottle did. I wore this most of my holiday because of what a lovely summer scent it has, I only wore it in the evenings though but it sure did smell good and last ages. I’m so pleased to have this back in time for spring and summer.

• The Body Shop Hand Cream in Coconut.

I just want to mention how I cannot find my hand cream anywhere in the house and this is why I’ve had to insert a picture here. I LOVE The Body Shop’s hand creams and alongside the Hemp hand cream this is one of my favourites. It has a gel like texture and isn’t as heavy as the Hemp one. Whilst I was on holiday my hands were the best they’ve been in a long time. I was using this hand cream throughout the holiday and it felt lovely on my skin. It’s one you can use in the warmer weather due to it not being heavy. It also had the lovely coconut smell, which is such a typical holiday scent! I’ve also tried the Strawberry hand cream but I didn’t like it as much as I like this one! I’ll definitely be repurchasing in the future.

• Carmex Lip Balm in Strawberry.

I used this throughout my holiday and it kept my lips lovely and soft, as well as protected due to it containing SPF 15! I’d never liked this lip balm all that much before, but I really did enjoy using it whilst I was away. The precision on this is great and meant it was easy and quick to apply when on the go. I used this underneath my lip products too and it did a mighty good job of creating a moisturisng layer. I used up nearly all of the tube as well, I was really surprised! I’ll definitely be trying the Cherry flavour next!

• OPI Nail Lacquer in Coca-Cola Red.

As I mentioned in my Holiday Haul my Mom picked me up a set of the Coca-Cola OPI polishes, and inside of course there was the classic Cocoa-Cola Red. I wore this on my toes for the entire two weeks of my holiday and it lasted so well! I didn’t wear a base coat (naughty!) and I didn’t wear a top coat (double naughty!) and it still lasted the whole time. It’s said to be the exact same shade as the Coca-Cola cans, which I think is pretty cool! This is a cream finish is gorgeous! I don’t think I’ll ever wear this on my nails as I don’t suit red really, but on my toes it made me feel lovely.

• Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain in Honey Douche

This was a balm stain I was given by my Mom as she didn’t like the shade that much and I didn’t think I would either, but it’s turned out that I love it! It’s a light pink shade and is a really nice nude shade at that. I’m not a fan of nude shades but this worked lovely as I built up my tan whilst I was on holiday and it also lasted ages on my lips. I never did try the Revlon lip crayons until I received this one, and it’s probably one of the best ones I’ve ever tried. I can see me picking up more in the future as they’re so great to quickly apply when on the move.

So those were my favourites for January! What did you use last month and enjoy? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time all, take care and I hope you had a good weekend.

January Empties

Another month, another bag of empty products to show off to you and I have to add, this months empties and the first empties of 2014 are boring! So this post isn’t going to be very long at all… Sadly.

I’m sure they’ll be more interesting as the months fly by, but for January, it’s boring. Sorry in advance!

• Dettol Honey Nourishing Hand Wash with E45.

These will be featuring a lot in my empties videos in future and there should be another one of these in the photo, but I only used up another bottle after the 1st February. I love this hand wash, so much so I spend nearly £5.00 a month just to use it, but I’ve started to buy it in bulk just so I have one spare in the cupboard incase. As I’ve mentioned on previous favourites and empties posts, this is the only hand wash that leaves my hands lovely and soft, as well as smelling great and being clean! I recommend this hand wash to everyone and they come in various different ones, not just honey! Due to this keep being in my empties posts, I don’t think I will mention this again in future, although I will show it in my pictures. What’s the point in keep mentioning this! xD

• Asda Essentials Sensitive Shave Gel for men.

Yes this is for men! But I couldn’t afford the Gillette shave gel at the time and whilst I was buying some food I picked this up for less than £2.00. It was horrible and quite frankly I’m glad it’s finished! It caused me to have rashes on my legs and under my arms which wasn’t any nice and I ended up giving my boyfriend the last of this to use up to shave his ginger stubble off with. I’m glad to see the back of this and won’t be buying it again, unless my boyfriend is in need of a cheap shave gel!

• T-Zone Spot Zapping Stick.

I actually wrote a negative review on these a couple of years ago now as for a while I was getting terrible spots after using this, but I think that was down to a face wash, or product I was using at the time. However since then I have been using this again and not had any problems! The only problem I have now is that I don’t think you can buy this anymore and instead I’ve bought a gel version of this. This is a liquid which is a roller ball and you roll it onto the skin however you do so wish. This won’t break the bank to buy and I think depending where you buy it it’ll be £1.00-£2.00. You can pick these up pretty cheap in Home Bargains and Body Care. These are great for on the go as all you have to do is roll the product on where you want it to go and voila, you’re done! This is a great product and I feel rather bad writing a negative review but I guess things change.

• Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser Skin Conditioner in Dry Skin.

I have two of these here that are both samples I received back before Christmas and I thought I would start to use them up. I have owned the full size version of this product in the past and at first I loved it, but after I while I grew to think it was just easier, as well as nicer to just stop being lazy and apply a body lotion after having a bath or shower. I think this stuff smells vile and since being reminded about that, I’ve realised that I don’t like this product at all and will probably give away the rest of the samples I have to friends, family, etc. I prefer to use a dry skin lotion that I used to use to wash my hands with, it does just as good a job and doesn’t have a horrible smell to it.

• Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Face Spa Fabric Face Mask.

I love this mask and I will keep saying it every time it pops up in my empties! This is one of the quicker and easier face masks to use out of all the Montagne Jeunesse masks. You pop this on your face and sit back with a good book for 5-10 minutes, or like me until I reach a new chapter! This masks contains dead sea salt and seaweed which is great for combination skin like mine and also leaves your skin feeling clean, soft and refreshed! I love this mask and will keep buying it as long as it’s available to buy in shops.

• Montagne Jeunesse Strawberry & Cream Face Mask.

I HATED this mask! It caused me to break out and have terrible rashes all over my face and I just wish I hadn’t used this. The smell of this was beautiful though and the only positive side of this mask… Alongside the fact that it didn’t break the bank to buy this. It didn’t do anything good for my skin and quite frankly it wasn’t worth the money at all. BLAH what a load of bloody rubbish!

• Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Mask Face Mask.

However I do LOVE this mask and it’s one of the few I can use and my skin will be beautiful after use. It leaves my skin feeling and looking lovely and soft, as well as fresh and gorgeous looking. It also smells amazing, just like hot chocolate! It contains chocolate and shea butter so this does nothing but positives to my skin, as it just adores shea butter. I always say nothing but good things about this mask and I think in future I will just be picking this one up, alongside the sheet masks as these seem to be the only masks that don’t break me out or cause rashes.

So those were my empties from January! I told you it wouldn’t be anything special, didn’t I? Sorry about that!

What were your empty products this month? Do you like or hate any of the ones I mentioned above? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time, take care all!

January Favourites 2014

I can’t believe it’s the 1st February already! 😐 We’ve only just waved goodbye to 2013 and given 2014 a warm welcome and now we are the second month in, only 11 away until we’re getting ready to say goodbye to 2014! It’s crazy! I’m sure the older I get, the quicker each year goes by.

Of course with each month that passes, I post about my favourite items from the previous month, so here we have it, the first favourites post of 2014!

I’ve decided that each month I will try and feature at least 10 products to talk about, which I usually do anyway!

So let’s get on with the post.

• Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream (mentioned here and  here).

I love this foot cream! I received it in The Yule Monty gift set and since then I’ve been using it loads and it’s safe to say that this cream has saved my poor tootsies! It’s a lovely gel like cream and it’s blue and it smells really fresh and nice, exactly what you want your feet to smell of. You don’t need a lot of this so I know the tube will last me quite a while. I used to pop this on my feet before putting my socks on in the mornings before heading to work, as I use this for work and another one for whenever I have my days off. You’re meant to wear this whilst sleeping with moistursing socks, but only recently was I able to find my old pair. I’ve been using them with this foot cream at night and when I wake up the next day my feet are gorgeous and soft and even after showering the softness remains. I recommend this foot cream if your feet are rather dry and needing some major TLC but you don’t wish to spend much money. This tube only costs £5.50 and as I said, you don’t need a lot for it to go a long way. I use this pretty much everyday, every other day if I forget and my feet are so nice and soft now, I love it!

• Elemis Skin Nourishing Milk Bath (mentioned here).

This was a Christmas present from my Mom and bloody hell is it lovely to use! It smells heavenly and is quite a calming smell, so I like to use this before I go to bed in a nice relaxing bath. It doesn’t create bubbles which is a nice change, as sometimes I really don’t fancy the bubbles in my bath, so the milk texture of this is really nice. As well as that it leaves you feeling lovely and moisturised as well as smelling lovely too. I would definitely re purchase this, even though it was a present! I would say how much it was but obviously I don’t know and I don’t really wish to go and look so if you wish to know yourselves, you’ll have to go and do the research yourself I’m afraid. This is a treat for me to use, as I don’t want to use it so quickly as it was a present and a lovely one at that!

• Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Ultra Nourishing Fruity Liquid Moisture Lotion (mentioned here).

Oh my God, I can’t put into words how much I love this body lotion! I also got this in The Yule Monty gift set and I’m so glad I discovered this when I did, as if I hadn’t I don’t think I’d have realised what an amazing product I would be missing out on. With this lotion it only takes me 5 minutes max to apply and it smells beautiful. As it contains lots of yummy fruit juices it smells like a fruit cocktail which just smells delicious. It’s more of a gel consistency than a cream which means it sinks into the skin quicker than a body butter would but also moisturises just as much, this is probably why it takes me next to no time to apply this to my skin. As well as that you only need a pump of this stuff to cover each part of your body like arms, legs, chest, tummy, bum (I like a soft bum, thank you very much!), etc. I will for sure be buying this again, as well as trying to discover anymore products by Soap & Glory with the same scent as this. This costs £10.00 but a little goes a long way, so to me it is well worth the money!

• The Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator (mentioned here).

I bought this exfoliator back in November and I’ve noticed since using this that it really does help my dry skin, as well as keeping my face nice and clean. Seaweed is good for combination skin, which is what I have so this has really helped it the past couple of months of usage. Not only is it a scrub but it foams up too when it comes in contact with water, which is perfect for me! I love a soapy scrub as it actually feels like it’s cleaning, whilst getting rid of all the rough skin too, which is lovely. I use this scrub twice a week and I feel like it does the job enough for me. I think you can use this daily and you’re meant to but it feels too much for my skin to use this daily! I do really like this scrub and when it’s run out I would like to try one of The Body Shops other facial exfoliators. I did get this in a face wash set but this on its own is £9.00, which to be honest is rather expensive for what it is! But all you need is a 20 pence piece size and it goes a long way.

• The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Hand Cleanse Gel (mentioned here).

Sad news, this isn’t actually for sale anymore but if you’re lucky enough to find one in The Body Shop and you wish to try it, then grab it with both hands because chances are you won’t see it again! I picked this up on my birthday when I popped in to get a new hand cream and whilst having a pick through the hand gels I noticed this one. I love lemon and was really sad that The Body Shop discontinued their Sweet Lemon range! I had so much I wanted to try and with lack of funds I never got a change to try. So every time I’m near The Body Shop I’m going to have a look for some more of these are I love them. I keep this by my bed to use when I fancy some cleansing. This is only £2.50 and is lovely for the money! You get double the amount you would in a Bath & Body Works Pocketbac and yet it’s the same price! I’ll be trying more of the hand cleanse gels from The Body Shop in future as they have loads of scents to choose from, Coconut, Pink Grapefruit, Satsuma, Strawberry, and Mango. I’d love to try them all!

• Elemis Quiet Mind Room Mist (mentioned here).

This is definitely a must have product for me and one that my Mom chose well when she gave it to me for Christmas! I don’t sleep very well, I never have and I don’t know why (probably due to anxiety!) but when I opened this and gave it a smell, I instantly knew that it would help me. I’ve tried all sorts of remedies, balms, body creams, bubble bath, etc, and nothing has worked! However the night I first tried this, I fell to sleep straight away and every time since then the same has happened again. I spray this onto my pillow, as well as on the little fox my boyfriend bought me for Christmas, as I snuggle it whilst I sleep and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’ll fall to sleep! It smells like lavender and camomile which are perfect for helping you get to sleep and this really does work a treat. I don’t use it every night, but a couple of nights a week does the trick. Once again as this was a present I don’t know how much it cost my Mom to buy and I’m not going to have a look, however if you wish to know you can do the research.

• Avon Clearskin Pore Penetrating Black Mineral Mask.

This was a recent buy this month which my Mom picked up for me and her to try out, but it turned out she didn’t like it so kindly donated it to me. Although I’ve not owned this for ages, it’s bloody amazing! You apply this to the skin and as it dries it goes from a black mud to a grey clay. However when it dries you notice that wherever your blackheads are, the mask will show each blackhead up and when you wash the mask away, you will then notice that where your blackheads were, are now clean and less noticeable than before! I tried this on my boyfriend to see how this would be on his skin and whilst it didn’t work on his blackheads as well as it did on mine, it did help them dramatically and he said he would gladly use it again. I use this once  a week and it really has been helping my skin, which is great! This isn’t that expensive and only cost £3.00, well worth the money!

• L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Collection Privée Lipstick in Barely Peach By Julianne Moore (review here).

I love this lipstick and since buying it before Christmas I’ve been using it quite a bit for work, as well as outside of work too. My review will explain all but this lipstick is just creamy and looks gorgeous on the lips! Perfect for if I want to wear lipstick but want something more toned down. This wasn’t cheap at £8.19 but it seems to me now that this was well worth the money and I know I shall continue to use this for a long time. This is my first nude lipstick I’ve bought and with that it will probably be the only nude lipstick I buy ever again. Check these lipsticks out if you haven’t already.

• OPI Nail Lacquer in Snowflakes in the Air (mentioned here).

This was a recent purchase and one my Mom bought me alongside some other OPI polishes. This was from a top coat set and this set as well as the other she bought me were both 50% off, so we got a lot of polishes for not a lot of money! I love this polish so much and it has fast turned into one of my favourites now. It’s great alone or as a glittery top coat on top of any colour nail polish. For the first time in nearly 10 years I’ve painted my toe nails and it’s been with this stuff. It’s a gorgeous polish to wear as when I wake up in the morning and have a look at my toes they look all sparkly and gorgeous. Can’t go wrong with that really.

• L’Occitane Almond Smooth Hands Hand Cream (mentioned here).

This was one of my many Christmas presents from my Mom in 2013 and one of my favourites! I recently picked up a 10ml version of this (keep your eyes peeled for that post about that soon!) and it’s a gorgeous hand cream! It’s not really thick and more like a gel than a cream based formula, which I love! I don’t tend to use this all that much, which is a shame but due to how much it can cost to buy a new one, I like to save this for best and use it whenever I’m with my friends or my boyfriend. Not only does it  make my hands feel lovely and soft, but it smells gorgeous too! Can never go wrong with almonds. I just love this hand cream so much and when it runs out I will be repurchasing, as it makes my hands feel and look lovely and soft!

So those were my favourites for January!

Do you like any of the products I mentioned? Also what were your favourite products for January? Let me know in the comments down below.

Until next time, take care all and apologies for this post being a day late, I’ve been a tad on the busy side.