Beauty | What Was I Thinking?

Today's post is a 'what was I thinking' post. But to be honest from the picture I'm about to show you I don't think I was thinking. Oh bless the young, naive 15 year old me. Feel free to laugh too!

Yes, the brunette on the right is me, almost five years ago! Look at all the disasters going on! Those foundation lips?! The ridiculous amount of orange Bronzer, and don't even get me started on the comb-over! Starting from like my ear!! What was I thinking?!?!

Oh Crikey... What are your disasters?!

In The Home | Primark Candles

Now, I am such a sucker for a pretty or amazing smelling candle. If they look nice I'll buy them and if they smell nice I'll buy them. I'm now always buying candles! Last Christmas Primark came up top trumps for me with their candles, especially in the scent Sweet Champagne which I blogged about. That has been my all-time favourite scent and candle, and only now is it just running out on me, I just can't seem to let it go!

However, on a recent trip to Primark, I fell in love with two new candles. A three wick round tin candle in Juicy Blueberry & Blossom, which has a very similar design packaging to Sweet Champagne from last year, and Lime & Sandalwood, which is in a glass jar. However, both candles come in jars, three wick tins, pillars and tea lights.

Now, lets talk about scent. The Juicy Blueberry & Blossom is a lot more sweet and fruity than it is floral. However, this isn't too overpowering when burning the candle, and I find that it creates a nice light aroma and is perfect for burning during the day. Lime & Sandalwood I prefer to burn during the evening as it has a more musky scent, yet still rather refreshing. It really reminds me of one of my boyfriends shower gels, when he's just gotten out the shower and smells all warm and fresh. That might sound crazy, but that's what it reminds me of!

The candles in the jar retail at £2.00 which is an utter bargain, especially when they have a burn time of 30 hours. Personally, it's this which I find so irresistible about Primark candles when on shopping trips, their price tag, good range of scents and the time they burn for. The tinned candles retail at £3.50 and burn for 20 hours. Now I'm not too sure why they're more expensive when they don't burn for long but they're still so incredibly cheap!

Also in the range for the Primark candles are Vanilla & Coconut Creme and Sweet Berries & Patchouli, which are both equally as nice, it's just that these two were my ultimate favourites! With Christmas just around the corner Primark are sure to be releasing a Christmas range and I cannot wait for it!

Have you tried Candles from Primark before?!

Lifestyle | Dear Younger Me..

Today's September Beauty Blog Challenge is a letter to your younger self, and I have plenty of things I wish an older me and told and taught me.

Picture taken aged 15, nearly 16!
Dear Younger Me,
There are so many things which I want to tell you or that at the time, an older me had told you because it would have saved you from going through so much.
Firstly, I want to tell you that nothing is ever the end of the world, the bullies, our dad, everything we went through together was never the end of the world. Right now, everything is perfect and we are so happy. Please remember lots of things..
1. Boys are not everything in the past five years the boys which you've been with are definitely not worth the tears, energy and effort which you put everything into to either not receive it back or to be utterly used. In the future you will meet a boy who makes you the happiest girl in the world, who shows you what it's really like to be loved and who you hope to share your life with one day.
2. Family is everything. No matter how annoying you may find them, our family is a close one and will always be there for one another and one day you'll need them and even though you think you don't they will be there despite all you put them through and they will forgive and love you unconditionally, they are the best family, make sure you always have time for them.
3. Don't you ever, ever let those bullies get to you. Don't give them the satisfaction of your tears or unhappiness. If only you could see how great your life now is and how there's is far from perfect. It's very cliche, but one is now just a Tesco Shelf Stacker. Always hold your head high and know that you are better than them, inside and out. You'll soon meet the best friend you've ever had and you won't even give them a second thought.
4. Don't worry about how 'fat' you are because you're not! Learn to accept and embrace the fact that we are curvy, we can still be slim, we just have perfect child bearing hips! And even if you're not stick thin, you can still wear the latest fashions. Just learn to wear what suits you, and what you feel confident in.
5. There are endless opportunities and we can do it! I know that we were dead set against education, hated it and couldn't wait to get out of it. We didn't believe we would ever do well or get anywhere, but you better believe we can do it because we did, and we're off to University in a few weeks! Always have hope and believe in yourself.
Love,
Your Older, A Little Bit Wiser, Me.

I could ramble on for ages about what I wish I could say to my younger self but we'd be here for ages, so that's just a little snippet and insight to what I wish I could have told myself!

What do you wish you could tell your younger self?!

Beauty | Beauty Pet Peeves

I'm back with another post from the September Beauty Blog Challenge, I realise I haven't posted everyday, but I try to and I'm also picking just my favourites from this challenge. So here are my pet peeves!

Image taken from www.weheartit.com - edited by myself.

1. Eyebrows - I don't get two things. The first.. Why girls like this 'scouse brow' look. YOUR EYEBROWS LOOK LIKE SLUGS! Why are you all so obsessed with having thick black bushy brows? And the second, why girls like their brows so thin that they draw them on with what appears to be a sharpie. Why don't people leave their brows alone?! What's wrong with the natural look?

2. Chipped Nail Polish - I can't stand it when my nails are chipped or other peoples. I think it looks horrible and messy, I get so self conscious of my nails when they're chipped. It also frustrates the life out of me when I've just spent ages painting my nails for me to go and smudge them. There's just nothing nicer than a nice clean manicure!

3. The Ompa Lumpa Look - I have to admit that I have committed this sin and worn a horrific shade of foundation and then not blended it down my neck, giving myself a lovely tide line. Girls, this is not a good look, please blend your foundation and find one which matches your skin!

4. Foundation Lips - Why oh why do girls do this?! Foundation for lipstick?! There are no more words...

5. Eyeliner Pens - I love eyeliner pens, I think they're great, practical and easy to use but what I cannot stand is how quickly they dry up, like within a matter of a few weeks from when they're open, and they're not all exactly cheap either. Why design a product which only lasts a few weeks?! I don't get it?!

So there you have my pet peeves, just little things which other people, myself or beauty products do to annoy me!

What are your beauty pet peeves?!

Lifestyle | The Autumn TAG

After seeing this TAG done by so many people and reading the original post by Makeup- Pixi3, I just had to do it as it reminded me of so many reasons as to why I love Autumn!

For Autumn, what is your...

1.  Favourite thing about it? - My favourite thing about Autumn is the change in temperature and weather. I love the cooler air as it gives us an excuse to wrap up warm in layers and jumpers and Ugg boots. It also begins to get dreary, wet and darker which are perfect excuses to get all snuggled on the sofa watching films and trashy TV, eating Roast Dinners and drinking Hot Chocolate! It's also a very pretty season to see all the changes taking place in nature.

2.  Favourite drink? - I love a good cuppa tea as much as the next person but I love Hot Chocolate in Autumn and Winter, it's just such a cosy drink and I love the packaging they come in from Costa during the winter months!

3.  Favourite scent/candle? - I love warm, wintery, spicey scents during this season. Perfume has to have a more musky scent to it and candles need to be spicey or have Vanilla extracts in them!

4.  Best lipstick? - I wouldn't say I have a best Lipstick for this season but the two darkest shades which I own and love to wear around this time of year, more than ever are two Lipsticks by Elf in Posh and Gypsy, both have been reviewed on my blog!

5.  Go to moisturiser?  - Currently my skin has been rather oily, so I'll carry on using my everyday light Simple moisturiser. However, I am also prone to dry skin which is where I'll use a combination of Liz Earle day and night creams, they're the best!

6.  Go to colours for the eyes? - My favourite no matter what season for eyes has to be brown and bronzed, except darker in Autumn. There's nothing more satisfying than a rich, dark chocolate smokey eye and a red lip to go with!

7.  Favourite music or band/singer to listen to? - I'm not entirely sure why, but I love to listen to Ed Sheeran when it's cold and dark outside. There's something warming about his voice. Does anyone else find this or am I the only strange one?

8.  Favourite outfit to wear (i.e. boots & a scarf combo)?  - I don't have a specific favourite outfit to wear. However, I do have must have items such as long boots to go over skinnies or leggings, chunky knit jumpers and a chunky knit scarf, and finally, a gorgeous coat to die for!

9.  Autumn treat?  (i.e. a new scarf or bag you have your eye on) - I always love to have a new cosy jumper, some lovely boots and a gorgeous handbag. Bit extravagant? Well what else are those hard earned pennies there for?!

10.  Favourite place to be?  - During this time of year, I am a true home girl. I love how cute, girly and cosy Mum and I have made our house, it's always nice and warm with pretty fairy lights and the smell of good food cooking, and of course my gorgeous boyfriend and lots of catch up episodes of The Vampire Diaries makes it even more perfect!

So they're my answers to the Autumn Tag! I tag each and every reader to do this tag!

Beauty | My Favourite Eyeshadow Palette

Good evening bloggers and hello September! Woah, where has that time gone?!

I recently stumbled across a post called the September Beauty Blog Challenge which has been constructed by the lovely Girl Friday Blog. The challenge has two different categories - beauty and lifestyle, and each day there is a different topic to blog about. Now I'm not going to stick to one category as I like the posts from both categories, so sometimes they'll be beauty related and sometimes they'll be lifestyle related. If you want to be a late entry to the challenge like myself you can find the challenge here! This will also be great for any of you bloggers who have lost their blogging mojo! So without further ado here is today's post!..

This is my all time favourite eyeshadow palette, Heaven and Earth by MUA and is apparently a great dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Palette. The palette consists of creams which are great for base colours and highlight, golds and bronzes and then a range of light to dark browns.

As you can see I have already hit pan on some of the eyeshadows which shows by daily smokey eye routine. For someone who is rather fair like myself I prefer a bronzed smokey eye to a black smoke. I think it goes better with my skin colourings and isn't too harsh

My final love for this palette is the great quality. The colours are really strong and bold which is great when they're a mixture of shimmer and matte eyeshadows, and to go with the great quality is the brilliant price tag of £4.00. This has to be one of my all time favourite products which MUA has ever released!

What's your favourite eyeshadow palette?