A small but passionate love affair with Topshop makeup

I think it's safe to say that I've raved about Topshop's makeup range on my blog a fair bit. While I don't own loads of the products, I've got a few items from each product type (nail varnish, lipstick etc) and I pretty much love them all.

I don't often do these kinds of posts, because, as you know, I'm embarrassingly crap when it comes to taking product photos and it ends up taking me forever just to get a few useable snaps. However, the products are all so pretty and I really wanted to share my collection so I bit the bullet and, armed with my camera, plenty of natural light and a floral duvet cover (these seem to be the requirements for successful product photos), I got snap happy...

From left to right: Stolen Sapphires, Milkshake, Mannequin, Grunge

Every time I go into Topshop and drool over the makeup stand, I get a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of nail colours. They're so beautious! As you can see, I've only got a handful (I've actually got five, but Waterlily isn't pictured here as I'd left it at Joe's) but I fully intend to change that. The consistency of these polishes is fab, they're lovely and creamy and I love the colour pay off you get from them. Milkshake and Mannequin are two of my faves, as I'm really enjoying pastels and pale colours at the moment. I bought Stolen Sapphires ages ago and I do like the colour - it reminds me of blue biro - but I just don't wear it very often (along with about 90% of the other colours in my nail varnish box...). Grunge is probably the only one I'm not a big fan of; it looks gorgeous in the bottle, a sort of shimmery khaki-gold, but one coat of it is too thin and two coats of it make it too dark and the shimmer doesn't show up very well, so I don't really bother with it. It was a part of the Heavy Duty collection, which I've just realised came out in 2010 (that was ages ago!) so you wouldn't be able to get your hands on it now anyway, but to be honest, you're not missing much.

Blush in Pop (powder) and Neon Rose (cream)

The blushes have been one of the standout products since the collection launched in 2010, and with good reason. The cream blushes in particular have been a big hit, with bloggers raving about Neon Rose and Flush, which I also had, but used it all up and decided to give Neon Rose a go instead. I think I actually prefer Flush as it's a little paler and a little pinker, but Neon Rose is also lovely. Pop is  a very similar shade, but in powder form, so occasionally I layer the two to make my blush last even longer. Both are incredibly pigmented and blend really well, so you only need to use a little bit, which means they'll last for ages.

Left to right: Lips in Whimsical, Brighton Rock, Vamp and Confession, Lipstick in Flame

I've only recently really gotten into the lip products as I wasn't much of a lipstick wearer until this year. Whimsical is the newest addition to my collection; it photographed a bit more nude than it actually is; it's more of a pale pinky coral in real life, with a matte finish. All of the lipsticks are really pigmented and apply beautifully. Unlike other lipsticks I've tried, these are a lot less drying on the lips and while others tend to go a bit patchy as the day wears on, these just fade really nicely, making touching up your lipstick a lot easier. Confession, the lovely bright coral is one that I reach for a lot (you know I love my coral shades!) but Brighton Rock is also a great one for Summer.

Eyes in Mercury

The eyeshadow is probably the only makeup product I've been seriously unimpressed with. I bought this as I thought it'd be a good one to use for evening makeup but the colour pay off isn't great and it doesn't blend as easily as other shadows I've used so I've probably only used it once or twice. Disappointing! Maybe it's just this colour though? Has anybody else tried the eyeshadows and had a better experience than me?

Crayon in Sun Shower

While the eyeshadow isn't very good, the eye Crayon is absolutely brilliant! This was actually the first product I bought when Topshop Makeup first launched and I've still got a bit left even though this is something I've used time and time again. The pigmentation is amazing, it's super sparkly and you can either draw it straight onto the eye to get a really intense gold colour, or blend it out for a more subtle look. This was part of the 2010 Trend collection, so it's no longer available, but last time I was in the store I saw that they're doing Crayons in the normal black and white packaging and I'm sure there's one similar to this. Wahey!

So that's my collection - not small but not quite as massive as I'd like - believe me, I'd buy a lot more if I could justify it to myself. (which I most definitely can't!)

Do you use Topshop Makeup? What are your favourite products?

Just a quickie

While I have been pretty absent on the old blogging front lately, I've still been reading loads of blogs and watching a ton of Youtube videos. I thought I'd share some of the sites and channels I've really been enjoying lately (some are new, some have been going for ages, but I've only recently discovered their brilliantness)

Blogs

Romeo and the Lonely Girl

One of the small number of bloggers I actually know in real life, Zoe is a lovely lady with fab style and something of an obsession with Ryan Gosling. If you're a music buff, you'll love her blog as she seriously knows her stuff when it comes to cool bands (basically, if I've never heard of them, they're probably cool...)

Operation: Head Fuck

This is my sister Olivia's blog - you probably shouldn't read it if you're easily offended as she does have a tendency to get a bit sweary (note the name of the blog). It's not really fashion or beauty related, more just random thoughts, musings and rants, but it is a hilarious read (and I'm not just saying that because we're sisters!)

Keep Glam and Rock On

This is my other sister, Isabel's blog (yes, we seem to be something of a blogging family!) She's a bit more like me; into pretty dresses and beauty products galore, but being 16, she is infinitely cooler than I am.

Youtube

Sprinkle of Glitter

I've been a long-time subscriber to the amazing Zoella, in fact, she may be one of the first bloggers I really started following. Her pal Louise frequently appears in her videos and is very, very funny, so I recently decided to start following her channel as well; cue even more laughter!

Essie Button

Estee is a lovely Canadian girlie who lives in London and is very entertaining. I also think that she and her boyfriend, who is called ASLAN are serious contenders for the couple with the most awesome names in the world! (Kind of makes me want to force Joe to change his name to Gandalf and start calling myself Coco or something...) 

Megan Isobel

The roommate of Estee (loving all these interconnected bloggers!) and another lovely lady. One of her recent videos led me to to the discovery that is actually possible to thread your own eyebrows, who knew?!

So those are some of the blogs and vlogs I've been loving lately. I'm always on the lookout for more, so if you've got any recommendations, please let me know in the comments!

Products of the Month - April

Check it out! Two blog posts in two days! I am quite literally a blogging machine!

Products featured;

Collection 2000 Metallic Cream Eyeshadow (in Gold Rush)
Percy & Reed London Totally TLC Hydrating Mask
Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (in True Ivory)
Real Techniques Core Collection

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? And what else have you been loving lately? Tell me things!

Fade in on a girl with a hunger for fame...

Yes, I know it's been a while and you've probably forgotten that I even exist but guess what, I do! And I'm taking advantage of the (much needed) Bank Holiday to attempt to do some serious blogging. 

Firstly, what the fudge has happened to Blogger?! I disappear for a couple of months and when I come back, everything's weird and new - why does everything have to change, why oh why?!

Secondly, (and I've mentioned this in my latest Youtube video, which will be on here soon) I really want to completely redesign my blog as I think it looks quite boring, however I have absolutely no idea where to begin, nor do I have the design skillz required for such a task, so if you know of anyone who's good at that sort of thing, please do let me know and I'll love you forever.

I thought I'd do a monthly update post to get back into the swing of things, here goes...

I'm currently loving;

Smash. I feel like this show was written for me; it's American, has a bloody good cast, including Jack Davenport (yum) and Debra Messing (love her) and it's about a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe. Think Glee for grown-ups. I've only watched two episodes and I'm already addicted.

The Hunger Games. I actually finished reading the trilogy a couple of weeks ago now, so I'm not sure if it can be counted as a 'currently loving', but I just wanted to mention it because it was so good. I really didn't know what to expect from the books, but the trailer for the film looked so exciting that I had to give them a go. Once I got started, I literally couldn't put them down; I think I finished the first book in a day. Yes, they're young adult and yes, they're a bit silly in parts and to be honest I really didn't like how the whole thing ended, but I would really recommend them to anyone with the ability to read. I want to be Katniss Everdeen.

Primark. Is it just me, or is Primark really flippin' good at the moment? I swear, I'll go in there just to stock up on tights and end up buying a whole new outfit. I feel like it used to be cheap and cheerful but not actually particularly fashion forward, but lately, I've found some real gems in there! Definitely going to be stocking up on lots of their cute dresses for the summer.

Home Sweet Home...

New house funsies. So as you may or may not know, Joe and I are in the process of moving into our new house. Well, actually the place is a bit of a building site at the moment as Joe's doing a lot of work on it and doesn't think we'll actually be able to live there until July. Even though it's frustrating having to wait, it'll be worth it and I absolutely can't wait to start decorating it and making it pretty. Exciting times!

I'm currently hating;

John Lewis. It was my Dad's 50th birthday yesterday so my sisters and I decided to club together to get him some extra nice cufflinks. I ended up ordering some Mulberry ones from the John Lewis website and then picked them up from the Liverpool One store on Saturday. When I got home and had a look at them however, I realised that one was perfect but the other one was really badly tarnished. It's so annoying as I didn't have time to take them back to John Lewis, so had to give them to my Dad as planned, but then explain that he couldn't actually have them right now as they need to be exchanged for a non-tarnished pair. I know that shit happens and I'm sure I'll just be able to replace them, but you really don't expect a pair of expensive designer cufflinks to be damaged like that. Not happy John Lewis, not happy!

So that's what's been going on with me of late. Hope you're all fine and dandy and hello to the new readers! I promise things are going to start getting a bit more interesting around here!

Peace out kids, be safe, be seen. x

POTM - January & February

It's video time! (My hair looks really weird in this, I think I'd blow dried it but not straightened it yet, which is why it's so fluffy...)

I just love buying stuff.

Oh... hello!

Yes, I know it's been a while, over a month to be exact, which is never an acceptable amount of time to be away from blogging for, but I'm back now so you can stop panicking.

I've been in my new job for about six weeks now; it's crazy how quickly the time goes - I feel like one minute I'm waking up, sleepy and bleary eyed on a Monday morning thinking "and another week begins..." and the next minute it's 5pm on a Friday afternoon and everyone's going "bye, have a nice weekend!" Madness. It's knackering though, which is one of the reasons why I've not posted anything in a while; by the time I get all the way back home from Chester, I can just about manage to string sentences together, never mind start writing a blog post. Fortunately, I'm starting to get used to it now, so hopefully blogging will start to be a bit more frequent again. I've already get a Youtube video filmed, I just need to upload it, which I'll try and do this weekend too.

Anyway, last Saturday was the first time in about three weeks where I had absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to be, so I took a little trip into town to buy my Mum her Mother's Day present and while I was there I got a bit overexcited and bought myself a few treats...

Topshop Blush in Neon Rose, Topshop Lips in Brighton Rock, Benefit Tan About Town, Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream*, Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Core Collection

Proof that I'm still a bit amateur when it comes to this beauty blogging/photographing products malarkey; by the time I'd realised that I should take some photos for a haul post, I'd already taken everythig out of the boxes and tried them all out. Proper beauty bloggers wouldn't dream of doing something so gauche - your products have to be pristine and untouched when you photograph them! Sadly, I don't have that kind of self-restraint - I didn't even wait until I got home from town, I'd already started playing with them on the bus!

I think by now it's safe to say that I have something of an obsession for Topshop makeup. I may even like it more than the clothes, which are obviously lovely but just so frikkin' overpriced I could cry. The makeup, on the other hand, is beautious and very reasonably priced. I was so pleased to see that the Liverpool Topshop was stocking the cream blushes again; for a while I thought they'd been discontinued, and I'd never be able to get my hands on my beloved Flush ever again. They're back now though and since I've still got a tiny bit of Flush left (saved for special occasions only), I thought I'd give Neon Rose a try. I've been wearing it all week and I do like it, but still think I prefer Flush, which has a little less red in it. I also bought a lipstick in Brighton Rock, which is a lovely bright, slightly blue-toned pink. I'm slowly developing a bit of an obsession for the Topshop lipsticks - the colour range is always really on-trend, they're super pigmented, and not at all drying on the lips. I. Love. Them.

This was something of an impulse buy as it was cheekily placed right next to the queue for the tills in Boots. I never, ever buy Benefit makeup because, although I think the products are really gorgeous, I can never justify the price tag. This set, however, was just £9. NINE POUNDS! Obviously they're all minis, but still, three really good products for £9 is pretty bargainous I'd say. I knew I'd use the Hoola bronzer and the Bad Gal Lash mascara (which is one of the best mascaras I've used in ages, it has to be said) but I wasn't too bothered about Some Kind-a Gorgeous, which is a foundation, because I only use foundation quite rarely anyway and I didn't think the colour would match my skin tone. I've actually been really impressed by it though and have worn it every day this week. It gives my skin a nice dewy look and blends really well, especially when applied with...

My new Real Techniques brushes!!! (Again, you can see by the slightly stained bristles that I'd already had a play with them before taking the photo) As soon as I found out that these were being stocked in Boots I was ridiculously excited. I've been wanting the Core Collection ever since it was first released, but with the brushes only being available online, I just never got around to buying them. Now though, I've got no excuse as the entire range is available in Boots and I've got a feeling it won't be long before I've added the eye brushes to my collection. I only really wanted the Buffing Brush (the biggest one), but it's not available to buy on its own, so I obviously had to get the whole set instead. The other brushes are lovely too and really do make such a difference to the way I apply my makeup. I'm sure these will be making an appearance in my next Products of the Month video so I'll talk about them more in depth then.

So that's my little haul done and dusted. I doubt I'll be doing another one for a while because, along with a few other bits and pieces I picked up that day, I ended up spending a stupid amount of money. Joe and I will be moving into a new house in the next few months and, obviously, have quite a lot to buy, so no more frivolous spending on makeup for me, no no no!

Have you used any of the products above? What did you think? Go on, tell me!

*I didn't bother mentioning the Oilatum as I've talked about it tonnes of times before and it's not as interested as pretty makeup and brushes!

Seasons of love

If you've read this blog for a while, you'll probably know that I'm not a particularly sentimental person. Sure, I have my moments (watching people win life-changing amounts of money on TV game shows always gets me a bit teary for some reason), but generally I'm not one for huge displays of emotion. Which is why the following post may be a bit unexpected; don't panic, I've not turned into one of those 'feelings' people - the weird, cynical me will be right back, I promise. I just thought that, well, if you can't say things like this on Valentine's Day, when can you say them?

A lot of people condemn Valentine's Day for being a pointless, fake, commercial holiday. Yes, it clearly is a bit of a money spinner for florists, greetings card manufacturers, Thornton's and lingerie shops, and yes you shouldn't need to have one day of the year set aside to tell someone you love them, because you should probably tell them every day (or at least once a week). Not only that, but having a day which solely celebrates love and relationships is a bit rubbish for all the people out there who are single. Believe me, trying to fight your way through 700 heart shaped bastard balloons in Clinton's when you're single and just want to get to the birthday section is really bloody irritating.

However, in these fast-paced times of iPads, BBM and skinny-mocha-choca-chai-green-tea lattes, I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with having a day to celebrate good old-fashioned romance. I'm not saying you have to go completely mental, fill your boyfriend/girlfriend's room with rose petals and giant teddies and then carve "I LUV U 4EVA" into your own forehead or anything, but taking the time to do something heartfelt is actually, you know, quite nice. Also, I find that being single on Valentine's Day is only actually depressing if you make it depressing; spending it with friends, eating a load of crap and laughing at how terrible the film "Valentine's Day" was, is an excellent way to pass the time.

Maybe I'm pro-February 14th because this year, for the very first time in my whole 24 years of living, I've actually got a boyfriend on Valentine's Day and I'm very, very happy. It was around this time last year that Joe asked me out for the first time and a year down the line, things are lovely :)

Love's young dream

Anyway, this post isn't meant to be all gloaty and gushy and gross (go alliteration!); I just wanted to defend Valentine's Day a bit, because when you forget all the teddy bears and heart shaped boxes of chocolates, at the heart of it (ha!) there's a perfectly acceptable message - let's celebrate love. And why bloody not?

Whatever you do today to celebrate (or not), I hope you have a lovely day!

Also, Happy Silver Wedding Anniversary Mum and Dad (aaaw!)

Dzien dobry

Yo homiez. Just returned from Krakow don'tcha know? It was cold there, so very cold. I don't think I've ever worn so many clothes in my life. Anyway, blogging may be a bit scarce for the next week or so as I'm starting a new job tomorrow and a good portion of my days will be taken up with travelling to and from Chester (note: Liverpool to Chester, when you don't drive, is a HELL OF A TREK). Anyway, while I'm off being busy and important, why don't you check out these blogging marvels; I've been really enjoying them lately.

The Londoner

Fox Tales

The Little Magpie

Also, just so this post isn't all just a load of text, here's a picture of Ryan Gosling. You're welcome.