Miss Selfridge Monday #2

Last week I started the first series of posts called Miss Selfridge Mondays as Monday is my least favourite day of the week and I like to make it better by doing some online window shopping at my favourite shop.. Miss Selfridge, so these are just a few of the things I've been loving and lusting over today.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

1. Perspex Triangle Studs £8.00 - I've recently stopped buying earrings as I haven' found anything which I like and I've gone off wearing the ones I've got. However, when I saw these I knew I just have to have them!

2. Barbie Slogan Cold Shoulder Top £22.00 - This I've just fallen in love with, Barbie was my idol when I was younger and I loved anything Barbie, she seems to be making lots of appearances in Miss Selfridge recently, and it's that perfect bit of tackiness for the summer!

3. Duck Egg Mesh Prom Dress £49.00 - Again, this is something else which I thought was absolutely gorgeous and a must have for summer. It comes in Coral too which I'd also love to have!

4. Sindy Green Bow Back Heels £42.00 - These shoes just speak for themselves, they're beautifull, and well.. essential! They also come in Coral to match most items on my wishlist. I can see this being a very expensive summer.

5. Woven Bow Trim Floppy Hat £20.00 - This is a why the hell not hat?! Not to be big headed but I really suit these types of hats and it's about time I purchased one for summer!

6. Rose Texture Pinny Top £29.00 - This little top is just gorgeous and it has such cute detailing on it along with cross back straps which just makes it perfect for those hot sunny days.

I can't wait for summer! Whats your favourite fashion style for summer?!

Posh By Elf.

A while back I reviewed a Lipstick by Elf in Gypsy and I love it, you can read the review here. At the same time of purchasing Gypsy I also brought Posh, which when placed next to each other they look very similar but surprisingly Gypsy comes out a nice bold pink whilst Posh is a more of a red.

The colour of the Lipstick appears to have a real pinky tone to it, but when applied it is a more red colour than pink. Perhaps they got the colourings of Gypsy and Posh mixed up as Gypsy looked a real dark red but when applied it was a nice bright pink.

Compared to Gypsy I didn't find the application of this Lipstick as good as it took me quite a few layers to really build a strong bold colour, which left parts patchy and I don't always have time in the mornings to spend hours perfecting my makeup. If you prefer more subtle looks with a hint of colour then this is definitely the right lipstick, but personally, I prefer more bold colours. It seemed to be more of a watery base than creamy which I prefer my lipsticks to be too. But aside from that I do really like this colour and will be continuing to use it again. However, I'm not sure I would repurchase it as I think there are other lipsticks which are better suited to my lips and preferences. The Elf Lipsticks retail at £1.50 which is an amazing price and similar to MUA Lipsticks for £1.00 although I think that there are some MUA shades which are better quality than Posh, but then again some of the Elf lipsticks like Gypsy are better quality than some of the MUA Lipsticks. So I think when it comes to picking which brand is better for Lipsticks it's a really tough choice, sadly Posh just isn't really for me.

New: MUA Power Pouts

I am an absolute MUA fan and I love all their products. I follow them on Twitter and Facebook religiously checking for any discounts or news on new products along with other bloggers reviews of their products. Last night MUA released a status on Facebook saying that tomorrow (today) they will be announcing a new product which was revealed an hour ago.

Due to MUA becoming more and more popular due to the quality of products and their prices it has allowed them to keep on expanding and release new products which are keeping up with the beauty world. So are you ready to see what MUA are going to be releasing next?!

Picture was taken from the MUA Facebook page.

MUA are releasing their own version of the Clinique Chubby Sticks and Revlon Lip Stains with their very own Power Pout. They have the exact same concept of the Chubby Sticks and Lip Stains but at a much more affordable price. For an amazing £3.00 you could own your own Power Pout which comes in 6 different colours. They will be available to buy in stores from the 10th of April. They're not saying when they will be available to buy online for all you international MUA lovers but they're saying it might be very soon.

I really can't wait for these to become available and I've already got my eye on a few which I want, if they're anything like their other products I know they'll be great!

 

What do you think of the new MUA Power Pouts?!

 

Nspa Beauty Products

Back in November I did a post on products which you can buy at a Spa near where I live, these products are made and branded specifically by this Spa. However, they are now stocking them in most Asda's. Back in November my post of goodies included a Hand Cream, Detox Scrub, Body Butter and a deep cleansing Face Wash. I adore these products and use them weekly. A while back I took a trip back to the Spa and couldn't resist buying more!

Whilst taking a trip to the Spa I went with my Mum, who very kindly, when it came to paying brought the products for me as a birthday treat! She also brought herself a few bits and pieces, but there were some duplicates so I thought I'd show you just what I brought.

You can buy the Jojoba and White Vanilla Luxury Scented Candle online or from Asda, if you do manage to get your hands on it at Asda's it's very inexpensive at £3.00 for such a gorgeous smelling candle, with hints of Mandarin, Pink Pepper, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Musk and Warm Amber. It's delicious and I didn't know a candle could have so many scents!

The Night Repair Cream is available to buy at Asda for £5.00 and they currently have an offer of 2 for £8.00 on their face creams and other products.

The Jojoba and White Vanilla Warming Salt Scrub costs £3.00, and this really is amazing, both me and my Mum have loved using it.

Finally, I love this gorgeous Jojoba and White Vanilla Foaming Bath Milk, it's perfect for relaxing evenings in the bath tub when you're unwinding from a stressful day. This retails at £3.00.

When I went to the Spa I was amazed at how cheap the products were, but looking at the price they are in Asda they are even cheaper by around £1.00 - £2.00 per product. So it you do happen to be in Asda's make sure you check out their products!

Have you tried any Nspa products yet?

Miss Selfridge Mondays #1

There isn't a better way to cheer yourself up on a dull Monday than a bit of Internet shopping, but due to money funds I am just 'screen shopping' and putting a list together of things I'd like. This is my first wishlish post, so bare with until I get to grips!

Now Miss Selfridge is my most favourite shop on the highstreet, if I had all the money in the world, I'd buy one of everything from here, but right now, these bits have caught my eye!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

1. Daley Coral Bow Back Pump £22.00 - I am absolutely loving coral at the moment, or anything with a pinky, peachy, red tone to it. These pumps are so cute for spring and summer and will look perfect with leggings, jeans, skirts and dresses.

2. Lace Hem Skirt £29.00 - My wardrobe seriously needs updating because at the minute I don't really own any cute skirts which are perfect to wear during the day, only my bodycon skirt which I wear going out on the town. Can you tell I'm liking the colour Coral at the moment?

3. Lurex Lace Crop Top £25.00 - This top is beautiful and I'm loving the colour, I can't wait till summer truly gets here and we can break away from all the darks and neutrals and embrace the pastels!

4. Nude Plain Peter Pan Blouse £30.00 - This is such a gorgeous blouse, I already own a very sheer white one, but I love the collar and bow on this blouse.

5. William Rose Pink Bow Wedge £45.00 - I'm currently going through a shoe obsession phase and I can't help myself but buy more and more, especially wedges, I have a new found love for them.

6. Wham Nude Chiffon Bow Wedge £45.00 - Again, I'm a sucker for new shoes, and especially ones with bows on, even though I own quite a few similar to this from Miss Selfridge, I want more!

What are you currently wishing for?

Elf Soothing Lip Balms

What on earth is up with this weather?! I seriously don't know if I'm coming or going. One minute it's sunny and warm, the next it's trying to snow and right now it looks so lovely and sunny outside with blue sky but there's such a strong bitter wind. I'm just grateful that it hasn't actually snowed!

Because of this weather my skin is just going crazy due to the coldness, the wind and having to turn the central heating on and off. One of the things which gets most affected is my lips, and I hate, hate, hate cracked, peely lips!

A while ago a purchased some soothing Lip Balms from Elf and they have been a God send with this weather, they're my most go to product and all other Lip Balms like my trusty Carmex has gone out the window!

 You can find these Soothing Lip Balms on the Elf website for only £1.50 and they come in three different flavours. I chose Vanilla Creme (top) and Strawberry Creme (bottom) the last one which they do is called Blackberry Creme, the only reason I didn't buy it was because I'm not sure I would have liked the smell. These smell absolutely gorgeous, they're quite strong but the Strawberry Creme smells exactly like Calpol, which for those of you who aren't in the UK it's a liquid medicine for children which is pink and tastes so yummy!

The Lip Balms contain Shea Butter and Vitamins A and E, this is what makes them so moisturising and long lasting. They're not sticky but when you apply them, they do give off a glossy appearance, so they're also perfect for popping in your handbag.

I will be sad when these come to an end especially the Strawberry Creme as I use them everyday and haven't found a Lip Balm that produces as amazing results as these, even my boyfriend who is totally against me wearing any lip products (because he doesn't like it when I kiss him with them on ;)) can't get over how soft these make my lips and are his only exception. So if a make up hating guy like him gives these the seal of approval, then they have to be great , right?!

 

Have you tried the Soothing Lip Balms from Elf?

Miss Holly's Giveaway Prizes!

A few weeks ago I entered a giveaway on Instagram which wan run by the lovely Holly from Miss Holly and I have to give her credit for her lovely blog which I have been following ever since I started blogging. I was thrilled when Holly announced that I had won her giveaway as it was the first time I had ever won one!

Amongst all my lovely prizes were three products from Elf, which is a brand that I love, their products are great quality (well all the ones which I've tried) and are great for value. However, I'm not entirely convinced they're better than MUA, but still great! I'm excited to try the Tone Correcting Powder along with the Bronzed Look Beauty Book, because if their shadows are anything like their blushers then they'll be so pigmented. And nail varnish? You can never go wrong with nail varnish for a girl like me!

As well as the Elf products Holly also very generously added four more products, including Champneys body cream and body glow. I love my lotions and potions and these smell great. She also included a Konad double side stamp yet, which I'm not familiar with but can't wait to use. I love nail art but I'm not the greatest at it so hopefully this will get me more creative! Finally, there was a bottle of So...? Kiss Me Perfume which takes me right back to my days of being at school and it's a scent which I've never grown out of and still love. 

I feel so lucky to win such a lot of lovely things, so thank you so much Holly!!

You can also follow Holly on her Instagram @misshollyxo

I hope you all have a great week! If you've tried any of the goodies which I've won then let me know what you thought about them!

Apple Crumble Cupcakes

Finally Monday is over! The other weekend I made some Applepie Cupcakes, but personally I think mine look more like Apple Crumble! The recipe sparked a lot of interest on my instagram and I know you guys love a good foodie post. These cupcakes are great and easy to make, they're so delicious (even my veggie and fruit hating boyfriend ate them!) and they're perfect for a quick (healhyish) snack or winter warmers.

 To make these cupcakes you will need...
Ingredients

For the cake base

- 50g/ 1 3/4oz butter

- 70g /2 1/2oz brown or caster sugar

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 150g/ 5 1/2 oz plain flour

- 1/2tsp mixed spice

- 1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

- 1tbsp orange or lemon juice

For the topping

- 40g/ 1 1/2 oz plain flour

- 1/2tsp mixed spice

- 25g/ 1oz butter

- 40g/ 1 1/2 oz caster sugar.

Step One.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Step Two.

Firstly, make the topping, place the flour, mixed spice, butter and sugar into a bowl and rub together with your finger tips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, set this aside for later.

Step Three.

Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg. Sift in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice ad fold into the mixture, then fold in the chopped apple and orange juice or lemon juice. 

Step Four.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Add the topping to cover the top of each cupcake and press down gently.

Step Five.

Bake the cupcakes in the over for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Finally, leave the cupcakes to cool (but I always have to test try a nice warm one fresh from the oven! ;-) )

And here we have them! I completely forgot to add the topping before cooking so once they were finished I added the topping and cooked them for a further five minutes but on a low heat, they still tasted delicious and crunchy! The cakes stayed very moist all the way up until they were eaten. Excuse the burnt topping on mine, but my family love the burnt crispy bits! Let me know what you think of these and if you make them let me know and leave a link of any pics!
Enjoy the rest of your week!

Hi, I'm Hannah And I'm an MUA Addict.

This addiction for  MUA is almost out of control! For some reason I just cannot resist their products. I think I almost have one of each product. Next I'll have one of each colour!

 A while back MUA had a promotion which was something like 45% off and five free Nail Quakes with your order - it wasn't their most recent promotion, but like always I couldn't resist. So this is just a quick haul of what I brought.

- 3 in 1 Contour Eyeliner Pen in black - £1.50

- False Eyelashes in Glam - £2.00

- Undressed Palette - £4.00

- Trio Eyeshadow in Innocence - £2.50

- Lipstick in shade 15 Juicy - £1.00

- Blusher in shade 1 - £1.00

- Intense Kisses Lipgloss in Quick Smooch - £2.00

- Lip Liner in Softly Lined - £1.00

- Out There Plumping Lipgloss in Pink Sugar - £2.00

Finally, the Nail Quakes which they sent my free were Jailbreak - the black, Shockwaves - the pink, Broken Arrow - the purple, Shattered Ice - the silver and Quiver which is the blue.

Soon will be reviews of the products, I have lots of posts for you but at the moment I also have lots of coursework deadline dates coming up!

I've also recently purchased a few products from their new range so theirs also a smaller haul and reviews to come on those too!

What have you recently purchased from MUA and are loving?

MUA U R FAB

Now I know it was nearly over a year ago since MUA released their LoveHearts collection, but recently I've been falling in love with nail vanish all over again and realised I forgot to show swatches of a few of the colours I picked up. You can read the original post here.

Now I'm no longer working at my old job it means I can wear nail varnish again and over the past few weeks I've been painting my nails with MUA's U R FAB, and have been receiving some lovely compliments about it. So I thought I'd share it with you.

 Firstly, I love the packaging. It has LoveHearts original logo, and is incredibly cute and girly. The nail varnishes for this collection come in 6 colours, all which are pastel colours and are great for spring and summer. U R FAB is the only colour which I think you can get away with wearing in the winter and Autumn too.

The only down fall to this product which wasn't too much of an issue was that my brush seemed to have not been made well and had almost like another head which luckily I was able to cut off, otherwise it made painting your nails very tricky, I think this must have been a manufacture problem and I hope that it was only with this bottle of nail varnish. The other colour which I brought was perfectly fine.

I really have fallen in love with this colour. It's a cross between a red and a dark pink. Depending on what light you're in, it will show different tones. One which seems like a very dark colour and the other a very light colour. Both which are lovely. I didn't put a topcoat on my nails once I had finished them as I was too impatient to wait any longer and had things to get on with. I now regret not putting one on as after 4 days they have begun to chip quite a bit. But when I do put a topcoat on they last much longer and better.

For £2 these nail varnishes are brilliant for anyone on a budget, and I can't wait to buy the other colours next time I go shopping.

 

Have you tried any of the MUA LoveHearts collection? What do you think?

 

Rituals Cherry Blossom & Rice Milk Body Cream.

Good evening lovelies. Today has been rather an off key day and after having built up so much negativity and upset emotions I decided the only way to get rid of it was to hit the gym. I've been loving going to the gym recently, but my favourite part is always coming home, having a nice bath or shower and just relaxing which is where the point of this post comes in.

There is nothing I love better than smothering myself in Rituals Magic Touch Cherry Blossom & Rice Milk body cream. I received the body cream in December's glossybox and instantly fell in love with it. I've never tried any Rituals products before and I have to say my first experience using the body cream has left me craving for more.

 

I really cannot stand anything remotely Cherry flavoured or scented so I was relieved when this didn't actually have the scent of Cherry. It really reminds me of a Johnson's Baby product. A light fragrance with a hint of sweetness. The moisturiser is also really rich which is perfect for my extra dry skin in these winter months, which is why I find it really luxurious after my nice hot soak in the bath or shower.

 

For a 70ml sized product which is the one which I have, the moisturiser retails at £5.00. For a 200ml sized product, it retails at £15.00.

 

Have you tried any Rituals products before? I can't wait to try others!

 

Recent Purchases.

It's Monday morning and the sun is shining! A Sign to the start of a good week, and also starting the week with my Dads birthday. So Happy Birthday Daddy!

I never really do posts on recent purchases in the regards to clothing but I thought I'd try something different. I also love reading posts on other peoples purchases and hauls. So here are a few things which I've picked up in the last few weeks.

Miss Selfridge Flower 3D Sparkle Tee - £37.00

First, is this beautiful peachy embellished top. I was given a top for my birthday from Miss Selfridge and it wasn't quite right so my Mum took it back for me and exchanged it for this top. I love it! It looks great with a pair or skinny jeans to jazz them up. I also love that it's not tight fighting as I don't always want to wear tight clothes when I'm having those bloated days.

Miss Selfridge Cream Lace Thong - £4.50

I am also a sucker for lovely underwear and whilst Mum was out exchanging my top she also picked these up for me. I don't know how any girl can resist beautiful underwear?!

Dorothy Perkins Blue Zip Peplum Top - £22.00

I recently went into Dorothy Perkins and this top immediately caught my eye. It also comes in aqua and white and I struggled which one to choose but I think I might go back and get both! This top is now in the sale for £12.00 but when I brought it Dorothy Perkins were having a student discount promotion of 25% off. I'm not sure if the event is still running but it's worth a look as their SS13 collection is looking gorgeous.

New Look Wedge Shoes - £29.99

These shoes were on my Christmas list and when I went into Newlook and saw the last size 7's I knew I had to have them and brought them with my vouchers. They look great to wear in the day and also at night when I'm off out for evening that is quite casual such as the pub. These have become my new babies!

New Look Pale Pink Box Across Body Bag - £9.99

For a while I have been wanting a smaller bag which will still be able to fit in the essentials which I need but is a lot smaller from my other bags and one which I actually like. It's hard for me to find small bags which I like as I am such a large handbag girl so that I can even take the kitchen sink with me. So when my boyfriend's Mum gave me this bag for my birthday I fell in love with it, it was everything I had been looking for.

 

So that is all for now, but I'm sure that soon enough I'll be back out shopping and will have more shoes, clothes and accessories to show you all.

Happy Monday!

Shopping When You're Ill Leads To This...

GOOD MORNING LOVELIES!

The sun is shining down here and it's just a lovely Friday! I know I've been absent for a while and that's because of a number of things. 4 weeks ago I lost my job, the company are facing financial difficulties and around the last 100 people they employed had to be let go. I was working a fairly high earning job for retail and when I heard the news I completely panicked and turned into a stressed out, panicked mess. For me, being in work is so important no matter what job it is, a job is a job, bringing in an income. I relied on that money for so many things such as car insurance, my phone bill, my gym membership, my monthly train ticket and then savings in case anything were to happen and I needed back up money for example, in case something happened to my car. So for the past few weeks job hunting has been my main goal. I've had a few interviews and I'm still applying for more jobs, so fingers crossed for me!

So with not knowing when my next paycheck is going to be I've had to go carefully and not buy things I don't need such as makeup. But when I headed into Boots and Superdrug yesterday for some medicine I came back with more makeup than I should have as I thought they would be little pick-me-ups for being ill. I didn't realise I had picked up so much.. I blame my hazy flu and coldy head!

Can you see what I mean now? But this was all necessities, I just had to have them!

However, in my defence a few things were buy 2 get 1 free! First up is Rimmel. I am in desperate need of this Foundation as mine is running very low so this was a must have. The Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation retails at £6.99 which I think is amazing for such a brilliant foundation. As Rimmel had the 3 for 2 offer I thought I would pick up a Kate Moss Lipstick. I have one of her original lipsticks from when she first brought them out in 2011 and love it! I haven't yet tried her new matte collection and as so many bbloggers are raving about the 110 colour I decided I had to try it. The lipstick was my free product from Rimmel as the Apocalips is 50p more expensive. I also chose the new Apocalips in Big Bang as I'm a sucker for a red. Lastly, a few days before hand I had brought the Apocalips lipgloss in Apocaliptic and I can't wait to try both of these!

Next up is Revlon. I have to admit that I have never brought anything from Revlon before, I couldn't tell you why, I just haven't. One of my friends who is also a beauty and makeup enthusiast suggested the Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer to me after she brought from her trip to Chicago. Now I full trust her judgement so if she says it's good then it best be good! I'm also late jumping on the bandwagon with both these products now. The Revlon Lipbutters and Lipstain are such a talked about product in the bblogging world and as Revlon also had a 3 for 2 offer I had to try them both. I brought the Lipbutter in Strawberry Shortcake and the Lipstain in Cherish Devotion, both are lovely pinks for the summer and as they are both £7.99 each it didn't matter which one was free.

I am a sucker for a new mascara, I'm always trying to find something that is bigger and better than my one before. So when I saw Number Seventeens new mascara, Doll'd Up, I wanted to try it, especially as so many people rave about their mascaras and at the moment Number Seventeen have got a promotional offer where if you buy their new mascara you get their Doll'd Up Liquid Eyeliner free. I couldn't resist! They aren't currently selling the Eyeliner separately by its self, so I cannot tell you the price of it.

Finally, I made a quick stop off at Superdrug and as usual, I couldn't resist MUA. They released the Mega Volume Mascara just before Christmas, and again, I have to try it! They also released their new Undress Your Skin Range the other day, and in one of local Superdrugs they only currently stock the Cover & Conceal Concealer Wand, which I hope will be fantastic, and I can't wait to try their new range out, especially the palette!

 

Pricing

- Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation - £6.99

- Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 110 - £5.49

- Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Big Bang and Apocaliptic - £5.99

- Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer - £11.99

- Revlon Lipbutter in Strawberry Shortcake - £7.99

- Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Cherish Devotion - £7.99

- Seventeen Doll'd Up Mascara - £6.29 (Current promotional offer £5.29)

- MUA Mega Volume Mascara - £3.00

- MUM Cover & Conceal Concealer - £1.50

 

 

Ayuuri Turmeric & Bergamot Facewash

In December's Glossybox I received the Ayuuri Turmeric and Bergamot facewash which I was chuffed about and couldn't wait to try out due to being such a big skincare enthusiast.

Ayuuri isn't a brand which I'm familiar with but with their reasonable price tag and the great results of the product I'll be looking more into trying out some of their other products. This full sized 200ml face wash retails at £4.95.

The facewash has a really strong zesty, zingy scent to it. So whenever I'm feeling like I can't wake up in the mornings this is my go to product as it really gets my senses going and wakes me up, it's very refreshing.

It's the Turmeric that removes the dirt and unclogs the pores which I have to say it does do. I always find my skin to have a really clear, clean and unblemished look about it after I've used this product. Although I don't have really bad skin, it's not perfect either and one thing I hate is my rosy and blemished patches of skin. Although you will always catch me applying plenty of blusher, for some reason, there is nothing I hate worse than my own red cheeks, and this product is prefect for soothing and toning that down.

I've been using this product almost each day now alongside my Liz Earle and I have to say I am really impressed. It gives me more confidence in my own skin and I will now have days around the house where I won't wear any make up, which is so rare for me due to how unconfident I am. I will also have days where I wear a lot less make up when I'm out and about. So if you have similar skin care issues to me then I would definitely recommend you try this product. It's not exactly going to break the bank and if it gives you the results which you want, it's definitely worth it.

You can find this face wash at www.ayuuri.co.uk

 

Have you tried any Ayuuri products?