Lush Haul

Lush products are some of my favourite bath and shower products out there. When they had a 50% off sale after Christmas I went a bit crazy, so I thought I would share with you what I got. 

1. Christmas Hedgehog // Bubble Bar (£1.65)

'Soften skin and prickly moods this festive season. Crumble under running water for mounds of bubbles and a moisturising soak.'

2. Dashing Santa // Bath Bomb (£1.45)

'The citrus essential oils in this satsuma-scented bath bomb will put a spring in your step. Drop into the water and watch Santa fly.'

3. Melting Snowman // Bath Melt (£1.10)

'Melt away festive fatigue with this cocoa butter bath melt. Drop into your bath water to soften up.'

4. Yog Nog // Soap (£2.00)

'Give skin a drink of soap made with soya yoghurt and a fudgy blend of festive spices. Lather on, then put on your Christmas knits.'

5. Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds // Bubble Bar (£2.35)

'Patchouli and frankincense give it an exotic, hypnotic fragrance that helps you relax. This melts into your bathwater, turning the water sky-blue dotted with foam clouds.'

6. So White // Bath Bomb (£1.75)

'This brings a crisp, fresh aroma of a juicy apple to your tub. Pop it in the bath and watch it fizz, releasing softening baking soda and the uplifting oils of bergamot and neroli.'

7. Sakura // Bath Bomb (£1.75)

'Noriko, one of our product inventors, hails from Japan and this beautiful Bath Bomb represents what it’s like to be in a park while the breeze blows through the blossoms in the trees.'

www.lush.co.uk

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Charlie xx

New Years Resolutions // 2015

New Year, New Me? I don't often make new years resolutions but 2014 has been quite a stressful year, meaning it hasn't been the best or happiest year for me. That's not to say there weren't any good parts (because there was) but I thought I would set myself 5 New Years Resolutions to try and make 2015 an even better year.

Source: www.tumblr.com

1. Work Harder

I know this is a common resolution but this year I really want to work harder in order to achieve my goals and get into my top choice university. 

2. Enjoy Life

This year I want to work on feeling happier generally and realise that if one thing goes wrong in life, it is not the end of the world. I believe that if something doesn't turn out the way you planned, there is always something you can do to change it. 

3. Be Healthier
I want to do more regular exercise and eat healthier in order to feel happier with my body and feel generally healthier. 

4. Be More Confident

This one is about feeling more comfortable in situations that would normally scare me. I need to stop worrying so much about what people think of me and focus more on doing what makes me happy.

5. Let Go of People Who Make Me Unhappy

This is very important one for me this year. I have realised that life is too short to try and impress people that make me unhappy and uncomfortable. I believe that it is possible to grow out of friendships; sometimes you have to accept that and let go of people that no longer make you happy. 

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I hope you all have a great New Year. I would love to hear any resolutions you have made in the comments. 

Charlie xx

Clothing Haul

At the weekend I went up to London to go shopping with my sister. I bought quite a few things so I thought I would share them with you.

Zara 'Bowling' Jumper (sale) - £5.99

Zara Blouse (sale) - £9.99

Uni Qlo Shirt (sale) - £9.90

Uni Qlo Shirt - £14.90

Miss Selfridge Jacket - £35

Kiko Lipsticks: 808 - £4.90 and 903 - £3.90

Nike Air Max Thea - £80

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Hope you've enjoyed seeing what I bought. Have you bought anything recently that you love?

Charlie xx

Spring Daisies

Last night I went to a BBQ at my neighbours house so I thought I would share my outfit with you. 

 Top: Primark

Disco Pants: Boohoo.com

Makeup:
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation (Classic Ivory 101)
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (010 Ivory)
MAC Studio Finish Concealer (NC20)
Sleek Face Form Palette (Fair)
MUA Undress Me Too Palette (Naked, Shy, Lavish, Corrupt)
Collection Eyeshadow Pencil (Vanilla Sky)
Maybelline 'the Rocket' Mascara (Black)
MUA Eyebrow Pencil (Brunette)
MUA Clear Mascara (Shade 1)
MUA Lip Liner (Red Drama)
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick (Brave Red)

For my hair, I just did two small plaits and joined them with a clear elastic at the back of my head.

Shoes:
Dorothy Perkins Flatforms

Accessories:
Bracelets: Urban Outfitters, Market in Italy, Independent Shop in London
Rings: Dorothy Perkins (Gold Leaf), My Mum's (Silver)
Necklace: Topshop
Earrings: Dorothy Perkins

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Charlie xx

Easter Nests Recipe

Ingredients:

• 225g Plain Chocolate
• 2 tbsp Golden Syrup
• 50g Butter
• 75g Cornflakes
• Mini Eggs
  

Method:

1. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.

2. Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Stir the mixture until smooth.

3. Remove the bowl from the heat and gently stir in the cornflakes until all of the cereal is coated in the chocolate. 

4. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and press 3 chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until completely set.

These are perfect for giving to family and friends as a little extra treat around Easter time because they are so quick and easy to make.

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I hope you've enjoyed this Easter inspired post. Let me know in the comments if you make these.

Charlie xxx

Spring Look Book

Look 1:

Jumper: Forever 21 - £10.50

Skirt: Forever 21 - £4.75

Necklace: Primark - £3

Sunglasses: Primark (last year) - £2.50

Look 2:

Top: Primark - £4

Skirt: Forever 21 - £4.75

Necklace: Dorothy Perkins - £1.80 (sale)

Look 3:

Top: Primark - £3

Playsuit: Asos - £22 (sale)

Necklace: Primark - £3

Look 4:

Dress: Boohoo - £18

Makeup:

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

Sleek Face Form

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

MUA Brown Eyeliner Pencil

Maybelline 'The Rocket' Mascara

Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascar

MAC 'Brave Red' Cream Sheen Lipstick

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I hope you're all enjoying the sunshine. Which outfit is your favourite?

Charlie xx

The Spring Edit

Spring has finally sprung so I thought I'd share some of my favourite makeup products for this season.

Base:

I recently picked up the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation after Tanya Burr recommended it. I got the shade Classic Ivory and it's a really good match. It applies perfectly to the skin and I like to use my Real Technique buffing brush to give a flawless finish. I think this foundation is a bargain at £6.99 and you can find it HERE.

I also love Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum which I have talked about quite a lot in previous posts. It gives a beautiful finish which is not too matte but not to glowy; perfect for Spring months. 

Rimmel's Wake Me Up concealer has been a favourite of mine since I first purchased it in the summer. It works really well as an under-eye concealer; masking dark circles and brightening  the area without being at all cakey. This concealer can be found HERE for £5.49.

Eyes:

I like to use neutral colours on the eyes especially in Spring and Summer because I feel it keeps the makeup looking light and fresh. I love the MUA Undress Me Too palette which has a range of neutral eyeshadows ranging from cool greys to stunning gold metallics. This 12 shadow palette can be found HERE for just £4!

Lips:

I have chosen three lipsticks which are all in the same pink-coral group. My favourite of the three is MAC Crosswires cremesheen lipstick. It is super easy to apply and I love the formulation. It lasts well on the lips so you don't need to re-apply it often (probably only after eating). MAC lipsticks at priced at £15 and can be found HERE.

Next is another favourite of mine which has made a few appearances on my blog, Revlon Lipbutter in Juicy Papaya (another recommendation from Tanya Burr). This is a great product for school makeup because it's quite sheer but still gives a little pop colour. This product can be found for £7.99 HERE.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in Shade 16 is a lovely Spring colour.  This is more of a pink colour and has good pigmentation with a beautiful smooth texture. This lipstick retails for £5.49 HERE.

Nails:

Spring shouts pastels! So I picked out Barry M Gelly Nail Polish in Papaya and Prickly Pear. Papaya is a gorgeous pink-coral and prickly pear is a lovely lilac colour. I love the formula and glossy finish of these polishes. Buy them HERE for £3.99. 

I also love this baby blue polish in the shade Mind the Gap, Victoria by Rimmel. I really like the brushes on the Rimmel nail polishes because they are wide so you only need one swipe and you're done. Also, the pigmentation is awesome which means one coat is often enough. However, I find these nail polishes chip really easily which is a shame because otherwise they are perfect. Find them for £3.69 HERE.

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What's your favourite thing about Spring? Are there any products you love to use this season?

Charlie xx

Collective Haul // Manchester

Last weekend I took a trip up to Manchester to visit my older sister at university. During my visit we managed to squeeze in some shopping so I thought I would share with you what I got. 

Forever 21:

First of all I picked up this simple black skater dress which is an essential in my wardrobe. I love these dresses because they are simple and easy to style. I previously bought one in Topshop for £20 but I felt it was time to replace it and this was a bargain at just £9.75. It is also available in red and royal blue and can be found HERE.

Also in Forever 21 I bought another essential; a black skater skirt.This was also a bargain at just £4.75. I will definitely picking up some more in the near future. This skirt is also available in blue, pink and grey. It can be found HERE.

Primark:

I purchased a vest/tank top for just £4 which is shown in the picture above. I think this top is going to be perfect for moving into summer months with its classic daisy print. The only downside to this top is that it is slightly see-through so you have to wear a vest top underneath but I still love it.

I picked up this gorgeous necklace for just £3! It is a triangle/arrow shaped necklace with a pale pink base and smaller gold triangles layered on top.

I came across these 'hairdresser' style clips which will be great to use when I am styling my hair to section parts off. This set of 8 was just £1.50 and you get a variety of black and white ones.

    

                                                                                                  

As I was queuing I spotted these super cute false nails for £1.There are 24 nails in this set and it comes with adhesive. They are a mixture of baby blue nails with pink hearts and owls on them. I don't really wear false nails but these were too cute to leave behind and at just £1 how could you go wrong?

Home Sense:

As there is not a Home Sense store near to where I live, I was desperate to go there.  The first thing I spotted was this box with colourful Dachshund's (sausage dogs) all over it. Anyone who knows me knows my obsession with sausage dogs so I could not let this opportunity pass. The box fits A4 sized paper into it and was just £3.99.

                                                                                                             

Also in Home Sense I picked up these 2 funky notebooks which came in a set for £3.99. They are both lined and will be really useful for anything - writing lists, blog post ideas etc.

Boots:

As my beloved Bioderma is nearly running out I needed to buy a new makeup remover. As Bioderma in the UK is about £15-£20 I thought I would try this one by L'Oreal. I picked this up in Boots for just £3.32 although it usually retails at £4.99. I am yet to try this but I hope it lives up to its name. This bottle contains 200ml of product and you can buy it HERE.

                                                                                                   

                                                       

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So that concludes my Machester Haul. I had a really great weekend and I hope to visit again soon.  Have you ever been to Machester? Are there any places you recommend to visit?

Charlie xx

January Favourites

January has just ended so I thought I'd share my months favourites with you. I have a mixture of beauty, fashion and random favourites.

Beauty:

1. Soap and Glory Products: This month I have really been loving Soap and Glory products again. The scent is amazing; its floral and fragrant without being overpowering. I've especially been loving the famous 'Hand Food' which is perfect for hydrating your hands especially for sensitive skin. You can pick these up HERE and in most boots stores. There are often 3 for 2 offers on all the products in the range including a mini size which is perfect for carrying in your handbag.

2. Revlon Lip Butter: I bought this at the beginning of the month after Tanya Burr mentioned it in her 'Fresh and Pretty Drugstore Makeup For School!' video. I picked up  the shade 'Juicy Papaya' is the perfect 'your lips but better' shade and they are super moisturising. 

3. Lush Lip Scrub: I picked this up in the Lush winter sale back in December. As it was just after Christmas this is the limited edition 'Santa' version which is cola flavoured. It is a great lip scrub that leaves my lips feeling smooth without it being too harsh. The scrub is also available in bubblegum, mint and popcorn flavours all priced at £5.50.

Fashion:

1. Cosy Jumpers: With it being winter here in the UK layers and cosy jumpers are key. This jumper from Forever 21 is super comfortable and the detail on the shoulders add a little extra to an outfit. 

2. Cambridge Satchel: I wanted to buy a new bag with my Christmas money. So after searching the web and shops for days I finally decided to get an 11" Cambridge Satchel in Navy. I got this for £70 in the Urban Outfitters winter sale. It was such a bargain and I love it. It is the perfect size - you can fit all the essentials in it without having to carry a huge bag around all day. Cambridge satchels are available HERE.

Random:

1. TV Programmes: My favourite TV programmes of the month have to be the new series of Sherlock, Silent Witness and Call the Midwife.

2. Music: This month I been listening to two songs in particular. These are Pretty Hurts by Beyonce and Gold Dust by John Newman. 

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What have you been loving this month? Let me know in the comments below.  

Charlie xx

p.s. Feel free to leave a link to your blog in the comments so I can check it out.