Life Update!

Bonjour lovelies, how are you all?

Today's post is just an update on life at the moment as I have no motivation to write about anything else. Must be the depressingly dull weather here in Scotland as it has rained from about midday!

Life has been going well so far. I've completed first year at university, found out that i've passed all the exams that ive had the results back for so far and after 6 months of unemployment and endless job applications and trying to make myself sound like a good candidate, I finally have a job!

I am so happy that I finally have a job again after so long! The last time I was employed, I worked in River Island as a temp over the festive period and since that post finished, I have been desperate for a job since. After so many job applications and endless amounts of CVs being handed out, I received what I thought was a rejection e-mail that actually turned out to be interview details for one of my favourite stores - Primark!

I know Primark doesn't sound very exciting to work for but I have been so desperate and wanting a job in the retail industry as ive worked there before plus my brother works in Primark so what better person to take me to work and bring me back! And, im really enjoying it so far.

I completed my first 2 shifts at the weekend and working on the tills is a completely different environment than working on the shop floor, and to be honest, working on tills passes more time meaning that your shift doesn't drag!

Back to my life! I recently posted my evening skincare routine and while I thought it was the perfect routine for me, I suffered from a breakout which rarely happens to me. I knew it was something new I was using and instantly suspected the Body Shop Vitamin E mist and I was right! I stopped using it and my skin cleared up straight away so i've been using the Mac Fix + if i want something refreshing to spray my face with instead.

Also, in my May Favourites post, I reported that I had no disappointments that month. I have a disappointment. The new Garnier Ultimate Blends Shampoo and Conditioner with Argan Oil made my hair so greasy its unreal! I knew that was the culprit as I am Tresseme loyal and used that shampoo as a change. It was so bad (my hair after 1 day) that I tried to dry shampoo my hair clean at 8.30am on Tuesday morning, the day of my Primark induction at 9am and I got dry shampoo on my hair, black uniform, my desk and the contents of my desk! Disaster!

I have big plans for my 1st year university series and this weather is getting in the way of me taking some nice pictures for a post I had planned. I was going to take some nice pictures in my garden but I dont know when that will go ahead because its supposed to rain all week! Hopefully the sun will come out or it will stop raining at least and I will have more nice pictures on my blog to go with my posts!

I will leave this post here as I go off to hang out with my brother, fight off this annoying sore throat/ears combination and watch my Star Plus dramas at 10 and 10.30pm :)

Au Revoir ♥

First Year of University - My Experience

Bonjour everyone, how are you all today?

Today's post will be the first of my new series I'm starting on my blog - First Year of University. I have just completed my first year at uni and I wish there was someone to give me proper advice on what to expect so that's what I want to do for people starting this September.

This post is going to be a general overview of my own experience I had throughout first year. I have further planned more posts on different aspects such as clothing, making new friends and learning a new subject as a beginner.

P.S for privacy reasons I do not want to disclose what university I study at but it is in Scotland!

First year for me sounded like a daunting experience but it was honestly one of the best times of my life! I was independent, no longer needed to wear school uniform and I got to study something that I loved my entire time at school - languages. But, like most other students, I had one fear - not making friends in a hurry. I think it's just one of those fears everyone has but honestly, everyone is in the same situation on their first day/week/month of university in first year and eventually, you meet people in the same classes as you and you suddenly have more friends before! I will do a seperate post on making friends.

For those of you that don't know, I study French and Italian at university. French was a no-brainier for me as it was one of my best subjects and one I easily got high marks in. My French teachers were the best I could ever ask for and they had faith in me and pushed me to continue my French studies and I do not regret it one bit! Luckily for me, I knew my French lecturers from when I was at high school as my French teacher used to lecture at the uni I go to and his wife teaches me too! Italian was a bit of a different story. I always wanted to study business (must be an Asian thing!) and when I studied it in my last year at high school I loved it even more. But I know when it came to course selections I needed a back up in case I didn't get into business so I chose another language. My teacher suggested Italian as it is something different and not many people study Italian and although Spanish was another option, I liked the idea of Italian and was accepted to study French and Italian. I have never been so grateful to have been selected because I can tell you know, I hate business subjects at uni level (I also did marketing as my 3rd subject - big mistake!)

If there is one thing I want to warn you about, it is the work load! There is a considerable jump from high school to university in terms of the amount of self study you are required to do as part of your course. I remember being at school and they spoon-feed you everything but at uni, you have to read up on the work before a lecture otherwise, you are fucked!

Another warning is that, if you aren't used to travelling, be prepared to be really tired having to wake up earlier to get the bus/train and getting public transport back home if you plan on taking it. It used to take me almost an hour to get to uni as I used to get the bus to the subway station then the subway until I realised that a bus straight to the city centre was much cheaper and quicker! once you get used to the travelling, the tiredness will reduce.

Overall, I just want to say that 1st year at uni was honestly an experience that I will keep with me forever! I am so excited to start back in September for second year and I hope it will be just as fun as 1st year. Just stay calm and relaxed (not too relaxed) and it will be such a memorable experience which you can share with other people you know who will be starting university the following year.

Hope you all enjoyed this post! I have lots of posts ready to accompany this series on how to survive 1st year of university.

Au Revoir ♥

Evening Skincare Routine

Bonjour lovelies! 

I thought I'd do an evening skincare routine post because I think I've finally got a routine that I'm happy with and I wanted to share it! I'm not going to lie - I'm not hugely into skincare. I don't have loads of stuff but I'm happy with what I have!

Note - I have combination/dry skin and this tends to be my everyday evening skincare routine unless I'm feeling lazy! Ill post my lazy one at a later date.

To take off my makeup, I use the Body Shop Chamomile Cleansing Oil and take 1-2 pumps of that and massage it onto my skin to loosen all of the makeup. I then take a muslin cloth and soak it in hot water, wring out the excess and clean my face with it.

I then take the Garnier Micellar Cleansing water and put some on a cotton pad and sweep it over my face to get rid of any excess makeup that might be there and particularly my under eyes as some eyeliner might be hanging around if I had it on my waterline.

I then take the Body Shop Vitamin E face mist and spray that on my face. It's nice and refreshing and perfect for the summer months when you need cooled down. I make sure that I spray it at least 1cm away from my face because it has rose water in it and strong scents irritate my nose!

If needed I apply the Body Sop Tea Tree blemish gel to the areas where I need it. My face tends to stay spot-free but in the spring time, midgies bite my face like crazy so I need the blemish stick to help me out!

Then I apply moisturiser. At night I use the Oilatum Natural Repair moisturiser as I have dry skin so I need a thicker moisturiser that can slowly sink in over night so that my face is hydrated the next morning. A little goes a long way and it does the job perfectly.

Last but not least I apply the Boots Cucumber Eye Gel under my eyes as I suffer from hay fever in the summer so I need something cooling under my eyes to take the puffiness away. Then I apply the Nuxe Rêve De Miel lip balm onto my lips and that's the end of my skincare routine!

Usually on a Sunday night, I put on a face mask that is brightening and wakes up my skin for Monday! The one I love is the Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask. Tea Tree is an antiseptic which is great if you have blemishes but I find the mask just makes you look great once you wash it off!

I know it seems like I might use a lot, but it really doesn't take long because I'm not one to spend ages   because I don't actually enjoy all that faffing around! You might be able to tell that I quite like the Body Shop!!

Hope yous have enjoyed this post! I'll do a morning routine one once I've perfected my routine because let's be honest - no one wants fuss first thing do they?

Au Revoir

Review - Artist of Makeup Flawless Coverage Foundation

Bonjour Lovelies, hope you are all well.

Today's post is one I have wanted to do for a long and it is on the Artist of Makeup Flawless Coverage Foundation. The reason I have waited a long time to do this post is because I really wanted to try the foundation out for a long time since I have never used a cream foundation before and what better time to review it when i have hit pan (please excuse the state of my palette)!

P.S - I use the shade 35 but I think I can go 1 shade lighter

I love this foundation so much! I have never been complimented so much on how glowing my skin looks and how young I look. Bear in mind I am only 19 (just turned) but when I wear this, people think i am younger because it gives such a beautiful glow.

When I first bought this foundation, I really wasnt sure how to use it because, as I mentioned, this is the first cream foundation that I have used. I use the Real Techniques 'Buffing Brush' for a softer day-to-day application, or, if I have a special occasion and I am going to be photographed, i use the Real Techniques 'Expert Face Brush' which just makes application so easy and look like you have flawless, perfect skin. 

Another thing I love about this foundation is that I dont feel like i need to powder my skin when I have finished my makeup like I normally would with a liquid foundation. This makes me so happy as, even though i have dry skin, I can get a little shiny on my t-zone on occasion. Even if I do get shiny, a light dusting of powder makes everything look flawless again.

From a price point of view, I paid £15 for the foundation which might seem expensive, but, I bought this foundation back in November and the picture above is how much i have left. That is enough to give me another couple of months use noting that I do not use this foundation every day. Comparing the price to other foundations on the market, £15 is reasonable for how long it lasts and the quality and wear of the product.
 

All in all, I am very impressed with the foundation. I am so glad that I decided to buy it because I definitely feel like I have got my money's worth from this product.  I will most likely be repurchasing this foundation when I have completely run out of it which is rare because I never finish a foundation in a hurry (apart from Bourjois Healthy Mix).

Please check out Zukreat's Youtube Channel and visit her website for more products that she has! Thank you for reading this post!

Au Revoir ♥♥

May Favourites!

Bonjour lovelies, hope you are all well!

Today's post is my May favourites! May has been a weird, crazy month filled with exams so I've been reaching for products that I know work well to save time in the mornings! As far as I can remember, I didn't have any disappointments this month so this post will be a favourites only.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Sticks  (£4.49) - OMG these eyeshadow sticks do NOT move. I apply a primer first as my eyeshadow creases without a primer and then I apply the eyeshadow stick straight only my lids and blend the edges with either my finger or a brush. I have 4/6 shades - Blackmail, Bootleg Brown, Bad Girl Bronze and Tempting Turquoise and they are only £4.49 so not too expensive as well. Bad Girl Bronze is the colour I have been wearing the most and it is just WOW!

Watery eyed people - Blackmail stays on the waterline for most of the day (we will need to touch up the under and outer corners of the waterline) but it doesn't leak outside your eyes and disrupt the rest of your makeup!!!!!

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette  (£22) - I've been reaching for this on a daily basis because it has the colours you need for a nice neutral eye in a compact palette. I wear Naked 2 all over the lid and Faint in the crease almost every day! Perfect for every day wear.

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquer (£6.49) - Rimmel are really impressing me again! I still remember my first ever mascara which was a Rimmel one... I have had Apocaliptic for ages and ages and it scared me because I was always under the impression that it was a stain and I HATE lip stains but then I watched a YouTube video and saw that it was a liquid lipstick and that I NEEDED Celestial in my life. However, when I went to Superdrug to get it, someone out Nova in its place and I realised when i got home (girl who put Nova in the wrong place - you are so lucky that I like Nova too otherwise I would not have been very happy!) I then used my Boots points to buy Celestial and I'm so happy I've got it! They just glide on the lips and are a nice cross between a gloss and a lipstick if you are not sure what to wear. I have Celestial, Nova, Apocaliptic, Out of this World and I got Big Bang (*ahem* the Big Bang theory *ahem*) for my birthday!

Nuxe Rêve De Miel (£9.50) - After discovering Amelia Liana's YouTube channel, I saw her talk about this lip balm and anything French means I need to buy it (I speak/study French if you didn't know). I went to Space NK (Princes Square, Glasgow) with Becca and we both tried it on and since then I needed it. So, for my birthday (19th of May) I bought myself Rêve de Miel as a birthday present to myself and I'm so glad I did. I suffer from a dry bottom lip and I've tried lip balms in the past but none seem to have done the job as well as the Nuxe one. It dries semi-matte which makes it a nice base for lipstick to go on smoothly and not emphasise the dry patches!

Essie 'Snap Happy'  Nail Polish (limited edition I think) - I saw this in TK Max and didn't think much of this nail polish as I thought it was just another boring red but NO, it is one of my favourite reds that has taken over Rimmel's 'Double Decker Red'. It is an orange-red and I got 1 full week's wear out of it with no chipping! I even ran out of top-coat and im surprised at how long it lasted with no top coat. If you can get your hands on it, you will not regret it! The formula is very smooth and the brush makes application very easy.

Non-beauty Favourites: 

Music - Kyo's new album 'L'équilibre' was released in March and I'm still in love. I cannot stop listening to Les Vents Contraires!

TV Show - How I Met Your Mother - OMG Barney and Robins wedding is approaching (in the uk) and we have finally met the mother!!!

Food - I tasted my first Tango Ice Blast this month (I know im a little late!) and it sparked my love for Slush Puppies from when i was a child! Raspberry and Strawberry mixed is just amazing 

Thats all I can really think of this month! Hopefully in June, I'll rediscover some new/old products and have more favourites next month!

Au Revoir ♥

Lip Products Addict tag!

Bonjour everyone

! I saw this video on Amelia Liana's channel of the Lip Product addict tag she did with Essiebutton and I really enjoyed watching it. I always considered myself an eyeliner addict until I looked through my collection and saw that I have quite a lot of lip products in my collection!

P.S - In the first picture I have Essie 'Snap Happy' Nail Polish on and in the rest of the pictures, I have Nails Inc 'Elizabeth Street' Nail Polish on 

Time for the tag!

Favourite balm/treatment?

Nuxe Rêve de Miel! Oh my god this stuff is amazing! It dries semi-matte so you can wear your lipstick straight over it and its great to wear before you go to bed so that you can wake up with soft, hydrated lips. Although the name suggests it has honey in it which I don't like at all, it doesn't smell like honey.

Best eye-catching red?

Probably Illamasqua Sangers or a cheaper one would be Marks and Spencer's lipstick in Red (in the picture). I don't like matte lipsticks and these aren't matte or sheer but a nice satin finish which I prefer. 

Best luxury and best drugstore?

I can't really say for luxury because I have never tried a YSL, Chanel, Tom Ford etc lipstick! I'm a broke student and can't afford that stuff! For drugstore, I haven't tried a lot of lipsticks because I quite like an opaque gloss but I really like Maybelline or Seventeen.

Best MAC lipstick?

I have quite a lot of MAC lipsticks! I think it was just a novelty factor when I was in high school having Mac lipsticks when no one else knew about Mac and I thought I was so great haha. My top 2 are Fanfare (right) and Hot Gossip (left)!

The most disappointing?

Mac Russian Red! Everyone loves it, I hate it! I don't really like matte finishes as I already have dry lips but there's something about Russian Red, it dries the life out of your lips and its really uncomfortable to wear. I wore this to my from in 5th year of high school and I couldn't wait to take it off!

Lip liner yes or no?

Yes and no! On a day to day basis I don't wear lip liner really but if I'm going out, I'll wear a lip liner all over the lips so that if my lipstick comes off, I have lip liner under so I don't need to touch up as often. My favourite lip liners are the ones by NYX which are very inexpensive!

Best gloss?

Here we go! I love the;

 Rimmel Apocalips 

Mac Lipglass 

Mac cremesheen glass 

Bobbi brown lipgloss  (Petal is so flattering on the lips)

Natural Collections lipglosses were the first ones I bought and still love them!

Something extra?

It's official - I am a lip product addict!

Hope you all enjoyed this post! I tag everyone to do it! Thank you to Amelia Liana and Essiebutton for creating this tag.

Au Revoir ♥

My Makeup Wishlist!

Bonjour lovelies!

I was this kind of post on NikkiTutorials website and from there I seriously thought about all of the makeup I really want but can't afford (broke student problems!). Here comes the list...

•  Nars Matte Multiples (swatched these and I decided straight away that I NEED them)

• Nars Narcissist palette 

• More Nars blushes - I already have a few; Orgasm, Coeur Battant, Cactus Flower and Taj Mahal but I have my eye on Sin and a few others.

• Clinique Colour Pop Blushes - I want all 4. Need I say more!

•  Mac Posey Cream Blush - I seen this in Mac a few weeks ago and I knew that I wanted this but Becca wouldn't let me...

•  Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blushes - I've heard lots about these blushes and I was unsure whether I would like them or not but when I was them in makeup tutorials being used I wanted them!

•  Tarte Blushes - Tarte isn't available in the UK and I always see these blushes and get jealous!

•  Bobbi Brown blush in Apricot - yous can probably tell that I like blusher...

• More Mac pigments - I already have Vanilla, Melon, Cornflower (discontinued) and Rose but I want more! You can never have enough pigments...

•  Artist Of Makeup Contour & Highlight Sticks - i WILL have these one day!!! I have a few bits from AOM but I want more. *Foundation reviews will be coming very soon*

•  Artist of Makeup Eyeshadows - I have a few eyeshadows (Blake Smoke, Figtorious and Bella) and they are very pigmented so of course I'd want more!

• Artist of Makeup Blushes - I love blush!! Blush is my life!! Therefore I need this palette...

And now for some more affordable products that I'm desperate for! 

• Kiko Makeup - Kiko isn't available in stores in the Scotland and I know I can buy it online but I'd like to see the products in person before purchasing.

•  NYX round lipsticks - NYX is available in the UK in Next stores but the full range isn't there. I checked a few days ago and only the matte lipsticks were available so online will have to do :( 

• NYX blushes - a limited range of blushes are available in the UK and I have a few already (Mauve, Taupe and Peach) but I've had my eye on Cinnamon for a while but it isn't available in stores.

• L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Amber - this is just gorgeous! It's a more shimmery version of Mac Antiqued eyeshadow which is one of my favourites!

That's the end of my wish list so far! If I have more products I want I'll add them. I don't know when I'll buy all of these products... My birthday is next month so I might ask for a few of these products as gifts! What is on you wish list? And why would you like it so much?

Au Revoir <3