Zoella | Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Blog

Topshop Make up | Lipsticks

2012-02-23T20:50:00.005Z

As most of you may be aware, Topshop released their own makeup range in 2010. Although it didn't really interest me at the time, over the past year I have grown quite the collection. There may not be a vast array to choose from, but what they do have, is of excellent value for money, and spot on in my book. I grew very bored of high street makeup, and Topshop came along just at the right time, and injected a bit of excitement back into my makeup bag, without me having to break open the piggy bank.

I'm going to do a series of blog posts on the different items that I own from the Topshop Makeup range, but first up, is my absolute favourite, the lipsticks.

Nevada, Desert, Pillow Talk, Brighton Rock, Ohh La La, Infared, Rio Rio, Beguiled

When Mac bumped up the price of their lipsticks to £13.50, I knew it was probably time to find a good substitute, as I am a huge sucker for lipsticks but couldn't possibly carry on buying them at £13.50 a pop (except on special occasions, or very rare, expensive, rainy days). There is not one thing I can fault with Topshop lipsticks, they tick every box in my opinion. Cute yet sturdy packaging made of metal, rounded with flat top and bottom, making it easy to store standing upright. They have names. Yes, slightly strange that this is even taken into consideration when reviewing a lipstick, but don't you hate lipsticks with numbers instead of names, they almost lack in personality...poor numbered lipsticks. Not to mention how difficult it would be to remember when out looting them. They have great pigmentation (nothing worse than no colour pay off) They aren't drying, and don't leave your lips chapped beyond repair, but also have great staying power. They're only £8-£9 & although this may seem pricey for a high street lipstick, there are plenty in Boots or Superdrug in the £7-£8 mark (Revlon for example) so it's all relative. I also think the quality is comparable to Mac's, so at £8, it's a great replacement.

Infared, Desert, Nevada

Brighton Rock, Rio Rio, Beguiled

Ohh La La, Pillow Talk (Part of a collection)

It's obvious to many of you which is my favourite of all the shades I own, as it is mostly all I wore through the summer, and that's Infared. I'm tempted to do a whole blog post about that in a little more detail.

If you're a lipstick sucker like me, and feel a little bored with what's available on the high street and in the pharmacies, but can't quite stretch to a Mac or Chanel lipstick but want something with a little bit of class, then check out the Topshop lipsticks. They are my new obsession & they are slowly breeding in my lipstick tin.

♥

Back on the blogging scene

2012-02-22T21:43:00.003Z

Yes, that's right. I am officially BACK. For those of you who may not have noticed, I haven't really managed to do any proper blogging in a while, or videos for that matter. This was because my ever so broken and ropey (but trusty and long lived - to some extent) Dell laptop, finally decided enough was enough. Once I started introducing it to DSLR images and HD video, it refused to co-operate, but tried it's damned hardest to soldier on through, until the day it turned off, and never turned back on again. Poor Dell (note to self - never buy another Dell, fell to absolute pieces towards the end).

I knew for a while, that once my laptop was dead and buried, I would convert to a Mac. I always hear so many good things about them, and know an awful lot of people who use them and absolutely love them. As a fair few people have said to me "Once you go Mac, you never go back". So today, after trying to rally up the last of the "new laptop" funds, I popped my MacBook cherry. I'm still getting to grips with it all, but I'm absolutely loving it so far. Expect to be reading and seeing a lot more of me here on my blog and on my YouTube from now on :)

♥

Mini Blog Sale

2012-02-18T17:01:00.006Z

Hello Everyone, quick one this evening.

I've not done a blog sale in a long while, but since my laptop died on me, and I don't have all the funds to go out and buy one yet, I figured I'd have to do a clear out of makeup and see if I can rally up some moolah to pop in the "new laptop" pot.

T&C

Items sold as seen
No refunds
International Shipping
First come first serve
If you don't pay the invoice after it's been sent within 12 hours, I'll give it to the next person who asked.
Paypal is the only payment method

If you want to purchase a particular item/items then please leave the details in a comment below with the following information:

YOUR PAYPAL EMAIL ADDRESS
YOUR COUNTRY

UK POSTAGE: £2.50 + 50P each additional item
INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE: £3.50 + 50p each additional item

Sidenote: None of these products were given to me for free, I purchased them all myself.

Many Thanks Everyone!
Get buying :)

Essie Nail Polish - £6 - never used
St Lucia Lilac

Gosh Holographic Nail Polish SOLD
17 Polish in Malibu - £1

W2 Polishes - £2
L = Pink 12
R = Purple 17

NYC Polishes - £2
L= Uptown
R= Downtown

Revlon Nail Polish - Lilac Pastelle - £3
Pure Nail Polish - Powder Pink - £2

Models Own Nail Polish - Bronze Rage - £2 Never used

Sonia Kashuk Foundation Brush - £9
Sonia Kashuk Shader Brush - £7

Barry M Dazzle Dusts - £2 each
L-R: Fine Glitter 22, 25, 84

LUSH The Olive Branch Solid Perfume (not too sure of use by date but works absolutely fine and still smells amazing) - £2

Pure Nude Lipstick - £4

Sealed Body Shop Mascara "Big and Curvy Waterproof" - £8

GOSH stick concealer, shade 1 - £2
Bourjois ultra black clubbing liner SOLD
GOSH metallic gold liner - £2

TIGI S Factor Body Booster Plumping Spray - £8

Soap & Glory Face Scrub - £3

Advertising On Zoella

2012-02-18T08:56:00.004Z

What's a blogpost without a picture...

As some of you may have noticed, I have a few Blog & Small Business ads over on the right hand side of the page. I've been doing this for a few months, but not really asked around a lot or shoved it down anyone's throats, as i'm not really too sure how many of you would be interested in having your blog advertised on Zoella? So I thought I'd do a quick write up letting you all know the deets.

I have seen many blogs that have adverts, and I've always been a bit hesitant to do the same thing. I actually used to receive emails back in the day, where people would ask how much for some adspace, and I never really understood it all, nor did I think it would be greatly appreciated. I don't want you all thinking of me as a money grabbing...wotsit. I just think it's actually a nice way to share blogs and small business' alike, alongside the big name brands we all know and love anyway.

I'm going to steal Louise's term here and say "It helps keep things ticking over". I don't earn big bucks and blogging is not what i'd consider a job, but every little helps, and if it can be done, why not do it eh? If everyone else is dabbling in the world of adspace, then I'm going to dip my tootsies in the water and see how it goes. It obviously won't affect ANY of my blog content or reviews etc, and I don't think it will be too distracting as they are tucked neatly at the right hand side, plus they are all so pretty & well designed. You're all a clever bunch.

If this does interest you, and you think "Oh, yes, I'd quite like to advertise my blog or small business on Zoella", the adverts must be 200x200 pixels, so if you already have one made and are extremely organised, or even if you have popped your blog ad on previous blogs before then this will all be pretty simple for you. If not, just have a little go at making one :)

I appreciate this won't be for everybody, but I also know that a lot of people have shown interest so I'm just letting you all know that YES, I will be doing blog ads, so if this floats your boat, and you'd like to gain a bit more exposure on your little internet space, then email me for all info, including the price (don't worry, it's not going to empty your pockets, i'm not that business minded)

My email, as always is: zo-zo-@hotmail.co.uk

♥

Happy 3rd Birthday Zoella

2012-02-17T09:09:00.004Z

source (http://thisisdtsnme.tumblr.com/)

So three years ago today, I sat down at my laptop (which has now given up on me & I've stolen my boyfriends laptop in order to do some blogging today - R.I.P Laptop) and "Zoella" was born. It's honestly flown by, I can't believe I was 18 when I started, and I'm now nearly 22. I have been given some seriously amazing opportunities through this little internet space, and met some truly special people. When I began, I didn't think it would end up where it has. I know it's not the top dog blog of the blogging world, but i'm incredibly amazed at how many of you follow and comment and support me. I appreciate every single one of you, and my blog certainly wouldn't be where it was today if it weren't for you all logging in and interacting with me! Now let's all have a boogy & a singsong to celebrate!

I'd love to know who has been reading from the start & which is your favourite blog post that i've written?

♥

Just a "Sprinkle of Glitter" helps the medicine go down

2012-02-01T16:10:00.006Z

"I know what will help you, CALPOL!"

"Louise, isn't Calpol for babies and small children?"

"Calpol helps EVERYTHING! Would you like the plastic baby spoon or a normal metal spoon?"

My friend Louise everybody. Most of you will know her by now, as I'm sure she's made quite the appearance in my videos and blog posts throughout the years. I must admit, I get A LOT of questions asking how we met, how we know each other & a huge amount of people that express their love for us both when we unite. :) It's a pretty simple beginning & started back in 2009 when Louise emailed me telling me she read my blog & enjoyed it. In turn, I started watching the YouTube videos she made & became addicted to her positive attitude to absolutely EVERYTHING. She is one of those people, that make you smile, even on the worst of days. We emailed back and forth for a while, then I had a little break away from the internet for a few months. On my return, I noticed that she uploaded a video saying she was expecting a baby, and so I emailed her to say congratulations and I don't think a day has gone by since then, that we haven't spoken to one another (I'm not saying this for cheese-effect, that's literally a fact!).

I don't think I know ANYBODY that is as positive and uplifting as Louise is. She has every quality that you could ever want in a friend, and I'm so pleased she has a firm place in my life. We can sit and laugh for hours, so much so, that I tend to leave her house with pulled stomach muscles (not even joking). She's also always there in times of need & is one of the only people who truly understands my anxiety & how it affects my life, and it's so reassuring to have her on my side. I'm so pleased she emailed me in 2009, as I cannot imagine my life now without her in it. It would a lot less glittery that's for sure! I'll never be able to express how amazing Louise is in one blog post, but you can watch her on YouTube HERE & read her blog HERE and you will see for yourself. It's so important to appreciate the people in your life that make such a huge difference, and Louise is one of these people, probably more than she will ever take credit for.

Recently, Louise won "Highly Commended Beauty Blog" at the Marie Claire awards, and I am SO proud of her. She works so hard on her blog, and there have been plenty of times she's felt it wasn't satisfactory enough or she's been fed up with certain aspects of it (like we all do at times), and I'm so pleased I can finally say "SEE, I TOLD YOU SO!".

Now let's all celebrate amazing friends in our lives & Louise's blogging milestone! Hip Hip Hooray!

Thank you Chummy, for everything you are and everything you do.

♥

GlossyBox | January "Valentines Edition"

2012-01-29T09:05:00.005Z

This months GlossyBox has been eagerly anticipated as it's hot pink box was flashed about the twittersphere. I for one, was really looking forward to peeling back the paper to reveal what was inside. The Box itself is super pretty, I love that GlossyBox are changing the colour schemes with different themes, it keeps everything a lot more interesting and exciting. Who doesn't love a hot pink box?

The theme for this month is Valentines Day. Whether you are single and fancy a night of preening or meeting your fella for a night of romance, this box offers you the ultimate pampering experience. The first thing that caught my eye was the Murad primer, as a primer is something I always leave out of my face routine, so I was looking forward to trying that. I also loved the look of the moisturising balm. I wasn't mad-keen on the body washes though.

Contents & Thoughts:

Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer - Dewy Finish - As I just said, primers are something I always forget & so I was chuffed to have one to try out. I also love that it gives a dewy finish. A lot of primers are for mattifying the face, which is something that has always put me off as I have quite dry skin sometimes.

Davines Moisturising Balm - This balm is all purpose and can be used on the face, on the body and in your hair. When I first got it, I was under the pretense that it was like a moisturiser, but after reading up about it, it says it needs to be rinsed off. When using on the face, it's more like a cleanser, which when rubbed in with cotton wool, removes makeup. It's then used the same way on your body, and like a conditioner for your hair. I'm not overly keen on the scent of this, it smells faintly of hair dye.

Davines Cleansing Nectar - Again, although it appears that this product is more of a shower gel, it's mainly for cleansing your hair (shampoo). It contains lots of natural oils, so I'm looking forward to trying this and seeing the results. Unfortunately is does bare the same natural-with-a-hint-of-hair-dye smell that the balm does although it's definitely the sort of scent that could grow on you.

FAB Gentle Body Wash - A moisturising, irritant free everday cleanser ideal for sensitive skin. This body wash is aimed towards those with dry, irritated or sensitive skin. It feels really lovely on the skin and does leave you feeling squeaky clean. I'm a big fan of shower gels that moisturise aswell as clean your skin. Again, not really too sure of the scent of this one, it's a lot more fresh and not a very strong scent but still a little strange. I can't quite put my finger on it. I'm not sure if my nose is just being fussy...

Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner - This is the first time I have come across these eyeliners from Eyeko since they re-branded. The formulation is lovely. Creamy, easy to use and pigmented. The colour I received is a light pink, which dissapointed me at first, as I was unsure of where or when I could wear a colour like this. Then I realised that it was the perfect shade for lining the waterline to make you appear more awake, and to brighten your eyes. I even think it would be great to add a little shape and definition to the arch of your brow or lighten the inner corners of the eye. I'm unsure I like the long silver handle on the liner, as I feel it's a bit of a waste of product & therefore means the actual liner is a lot small than your average. However it does feel lovely to hold, and is good for precision.

Last months Christmas edition GlossyBox was my favourite so far, so I knew it would be a tough one to follow. I do still think last months box just pipped the top spot. Although I will use all the things in this GlossyBox, I'm not the biggest fan of body washes & shampoo's as I own SO many. I'm definitely more of a makeup and skincare enthusiast. I have noticed that the contents of some other boxes have included some Clarins skincare, which I think would have been best suited to me, but that's the joy of not knowing what you will receive. Overall, a very pretty, well thought out box!

♥

Makeup & Jewellery Storage Ideas/Alternatives

2012-01-28T20:27:00.005Z

I like to think of myself as quite a creative person, always looking for new ways to store things and pretty things to add to my bedroom. I'm a firm believer of the fact that a girls bedroom is very much a personal space, to dress up as she chooses, with whichever soft furnishings and bits and bobs take her fancy. Everyone has different tastes, but I think it's refreshing to see a variety of ideas and solutions. As most of you will know, I'm a huge fan of searching out unique and vintage items for my bedroom from charity shops, bootsales and home clearance shops, so it may not come as much of a surprise to you that I don't store my jewellery or makeup in a modern glass jar. The selection of things I have pictured here were all under £5. Unlike buying a plastic box for my makeup from a shop on the high street, I get such satisfaction out of finding pretty little trinkets that I know will make my room slightly more interesting. They really aren't that difficult to find either, you just need to open your eyes a bit more. Charity shops are always stocked with cute little plates and saucers & bootsales are absolutely FILLED with vintage, one off items.

Each of the plates you see above, cost me 20p. The tins are a more recent find. I got them from a house clearance shop, which if you ask me, is an amazing idea. It's like a permanent bootsale stand & everything is so reasonably priced. Each tin cost me £2.95. I used the Alice in Wonderland tin to store all my tiny studs and small stacking rings and the Typhoo Tea tin has all my cotton wool pads and cotton buds in it. The Jacobs Cream Cracker tin, as you can see, is used to store all my lipsticks, so simple & so effective. The Mrs Tiggywinkle tin, I have used to store more earrings & the tin beneath that, has my necklaces in it. The mirror on the wall cost me £3 from a bootsale & the cup & saucer candle was also from a bootsale for £2. The retro "Annual for Girls" book was bought on a day out with Louise in Market Harbourough Oxfam for £1.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to store your jewellery or makeup or to add a touch of personality to your bedroom, you just need a creative eye & the ability to make nothing into something.

How do you store things in your bedroom? Have you found any vintage gems?

Carmine Beauty Box Review | December Box

2012-01-18T09:48:00.003Z

If you are familiar with the Beauty Box concept, then you will know there are more than a few different ones to sign up to. Although I am a GlossyBox Ambassador and receive beauty boxes for free, this won't affect any judgement I have over any boxes available, or GlossyBox boxes for that matter. I know that a lot of you are interested in beauty boxes, and which may be the most suitable for you to sign up to, so for those of you who want an insight into another box, then I hope this post helps. I do apologise to those of you who may have seen enough in the blogsphere on beauty boxes, but I'd like to add my two cents for those of you who may be interested. :)

Carmine is another box available to beauty enthusiasts, or alternatively, beauty newbies in need of a little inspiration. This box costs £10 + Postage & Packaging each month (P&P is £2.75) So essentially £12.75 which compared with other beauty boxes, is around the same price bracket.

On first impressions, I wasn't massively enthralled, as it arrives in a box that is clearly too small for the beauty box inside, and is buckling and being held down by a strong piece of tape. This doesn't affect me, or the contents of the box, but as presentation is so important with things like this, I feel it's probably something that should be rectified. The box itself is really quite large compared with other beauty boxes, and the products inside are left sort of "floating about" in a sea of shredded paper. I definitely don't think the box needs to be this size. I much prefer the small, more compact boxes, which when opened, everything is packed in a lot more neatly. One other possibly more "shallow" aspect, is the colour scheme. Again, no reflection on the products inside but as a believer of presentation being a main factor, I was not so keen on the colour scheme of this box. I much prefer the softer, more girly schemes. Obviously, that is just my personal taste, some people may like the black, red and bright green theme.

The products inside the box, were definitely a lot more exciting. There are typically 5 hand picked deluxe samples each month, a mixture of skincare, fragrance and makeup. I think the December box had a great mixture of all of the above. It also including a little extra voucher, entitling you to a eyebrow threading treatment, which is a nice added bonus.

Samples included in the box were:

Welda Pomegranate creamy body wash - Smells amazing, and left my skin feeling very moisturised.
Freeshape Quick Blowdry Spray - I absolutely loved the idea of this since I have so much hair, something that cuts drying time by half. However when I used it, it took me the same amount of time to dry my hair. Although I felt a little disappointed, it did leave my hair super soft.
Time Technology Cream - I've not used this yet, but it does sound promising. A cream to give you a flawless, radiant complexion that will transform tired looking skin.
Japonesque Smudger Brush - A cute little travel sized brush that would be ideal for your handbag on the go
MyFace.Cosmetics Blingtone Eyeshadow - I got this in a gorgeous golden shade, and although the packaging isn't totally up my street (I always think clear casing seems a little cheap) the eyeshadow is very highly pigmented and very smooth to apply.

Like other Beauty Boxes, Carmine include a little card stating which items are included in your box & a brief description. One thing I would have liked for them to include on this card, is an RRP price. If a product sample had an RRP of £90 a pot, it would give you an idea of the type of expectation you should have of the product (It better be bloody good at that price) but also I'd like to know if these products are within my price range before I start using them and fall in love with them or subsequently be disappointed by them. It also gives you a little guideline of how much the beauty box you've received at £12.75 is really worth, and saves you having to google them.

Overall, I was impressed by the contents of the carmine box, and there are definitely a few items in the December box that I was really excited to try, but I think the presentation lets it down slightly. Would I subscribe the to Carmine box personally? I'm not too sure. There are some great brands appearing in the Carmine boxes, and I enjoy the whole "receiving and not knowing what's going to be inside", but ultimately I don't think it's my favourite of the Beauty Boxes I've received.

What do you think of Carmine? Are you easily put off by little things like presentation and colour schemes or is that just me?

Ice Skating & Tower Bridge

2012-01-10T16:49:00.002Z

1. Getting off the tube at Tower Hill 2. Tower Bridge 3. Louise 4. The ice rink 5. Superdrug Products 6. Superdrug Products 7. Zoe finding out which parts of her face and hands are hot or cold 8. Me 9. Me and Zoe 10. Walking onto Tower Bridge

I have been meaning to post about this for a good few weeks, but it appeared to have got lost amongst hundreds of Christmas time photographs and I had completely forgotten about it (along with some other back dated posts). I hope you don't mind me posting about it now, but I thought you might want to see some of the photographs I had taken and it's better late than never eh?

Louise and I hot footed it along to an event held by Superdrug, where they had rented the whole ice rink out for us to use. I can't say i'm much of an ice skater, in fact, think bambi on ice, Louise on the other hand, was quite speedy. She put me to shame. Although I use the term "event", it was more just a showcasing of some of Superdrugs products. We also met Zoe there of TheLondonLipgloss who then accompanied us for a stroll along to Tower Bridge before Lousie & I headed back to her house in Northampton for fun and frolicks. How beautiful are the buildings? You wouldn't expect something like this to be in London would you? When you think of a City, you think of tall glass buildings surrounded in other offices and plenty of shops. It looked particularly gorgeous all lit up at night.

♥

Introduction to Sisley

2012-01-04T15:21:00.002Z

Sisley isn't really a brand I'd ever looked into before. I've seen it stocked in Space NK but never considered it to buy, or even look into with more depth. The main reason being the price tag. This is a high end brand, and this is reflected not only in the pricing, but the quality of the products. I was approached by a lovely member of their PR and asked if I'd try out some of the products for consideration for review, and of course I said yes. Being an absolute beauty enthusiast, finding and trying new products, high end or high street, is all part of the fun. Seeking to find that permanent staple in our regime.

After trying these skincare and makeup items for a good few weeks, I wanted to give you my feedback. She'd picked out some of Sisley's most popular items and things she thought I'd like (PR's take note - know the blogger's taste & skin type) She got everything spot on, as there was not one product I didn't like. I was secretly hoping to be disappointed with one if not a few of the products, as I knew that falling in love with them, could leave me with quite an empty purse in the long run.

The first two products are the makeup items. I had no idea Sisley had a makeup range as they focus mainly on skincare. When I unboxed the first item, I was like an excited little girl as I pulled the gorgeous animal print compact from the sleek black velvet slip. How gorgeous is it? This is the "Phyto-Poudre Compacte", a finishing powder to set foundation. The main thing I like about this is that it is very natural and has a transparent finish. It also has very finely milled shimmer, which when applied, leaves your skin looking glowing and very healthy, as well keeping makeup looking perfect all day. I keep this in my handbag for touch ups, and although it comes with a puff, I prefer to use a powder brush for a less concentrated application. The price of this is around the £60-£70 mark, depending on where you purchase it from, and this is pretty steep in my opinion. I know not all of you will agree, as everyone's budgets are different.
The second makeup item is the "Phyto-Khol Star Liner". Available in 7 shades, which are all extremely wearable, and most of which I now NEED to own. Again, this has it's own velvet pouch, but as well as this, it's own little diamante on the end. Cute. These liners all contain glitter/shimmer. The glitter in the pencil I received is silver, although I'm not sure that silver is contained in all other colours. This is what I would describe as the "Ultimate pencil for smokey eye". It blends SO easily, it's so creamy yet stays put for absolutely hours. One of my favourite khol liners for a smokey eye, is Mac's Carbon, but I don't use it because it smudges and falls beneath my eyes and takes "panda eyes" to a whole other level. Now I have been introduced to this, I can now see how USELESS the black khol liners are that I have previously used. The pigmentation is also amazing and priced at £37-£40 you wouldn't expect it to be anything less than perfect. Can I personally afford to be buying all 7 of these at £37 a pop? No, but if I could, I would.

Now onto the skincare. If you look on the Sisley or Space NK websites, you will notice that some of the skincare rockets in price (I'm talking between the £100-£200 mark) but thankfully I wasn't sent anything in this price range, as quite frankly, I'd be terrified to use it up, or enjoy it. The first is the "Radiant Glow Express Mask". This mask claims to gently cleanse the skins surface for a quick beauty boost. It contains both red and white clays combined with plenty of botanical extracts. In just 5 minutes, this mask absorbs excess sebum to provide radiance and clarity on the skin. This mask retails at £66.50 on the Space NK website, definitely being the most expensive face mask I've ever used. I used this when my skin was looking particularly lack-lustre and dull, and it did everything it claimed to do. My skin looked a million times better after leaving this on for a mere 5 minutes. It was like magic. I'm going to save this for special occasions or for nights out, and I can see this being used on the morning of wedding days or photoshoots.
I saved my favourite for last. The "Gentle Facial Buffing Cream". This cream is supposed to be used as a mask, and then "rolled" off to reveal a brighter complexion. It gets rid of dead skin cells and literally pulls away a dull complexion. I have also used this as just a simple exfoliator, and I can honestly say my skin has never felt so clean and soft in all my life. I have A LOT of dead skin cells on my face, I find I have to exfoliate quite regularly as a great deal of the skin on my face can become very dry and flaky, and spots leave terrible redness and blemishes which can take months to dissapear. This creams promises that with frequent use, it can refine the skin and be rid of any impurities, and I agree with this statement whole heartedly. My skin has recently been going a little haywire, and it calmed down SO much since I started using this. The texture of this is very creamy but also gritty (not BIG gritty, but very finely milled). This product is £50, and although expensive to most, I think this is slightly more reasonable and I would certainly treat myself to this after trying it out.

Overall, I was thouroughly impressed with Sisley as a brand and their products certainly didn't dissapoint me, I just wish that it was slightly more in my budget so I could splash out on other things from the website.

Have you ever bought anything from Sisley? Would you ever consider it?
♥

All Things Christmas

2011-12-29T14:56:00.004Z

Christmas is always my favourite time of the year. People are always much more cheery, everything looks so pretty and wintery and fairy lights are scattered everywhere. The run up to Christmas always seems to last a while, and then you blink, and it's all over. Where does the time go? There are those few days for some of us between Christmas and the New Year for you to relax, watch tonnes of films and eat plenty of Christmas treats, as well as all the sale shopping. I almost don't want this lovely mid-week to end. Above are some snaps I took of all things Christmas. My Mum always decorates beautifully, and this year, she decorated twigs and branches, such an easy thing to do, yet looks so pretty and festive. I have also snapped a few of the presents I recieved, I got some lovely things! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas, and that 2012 will be a good one. I have yet to decide whether I will be making any resolutions (I never do). Let me know what the highlights of your Christmas were & what did you get?

♥

December GlossyBox : Christmas Edition

2011-12-13T09:50:00.004Z

This month's GlossyBox is a special limited edition Christmas box. The first thing you will notice, is the shiny red box, with black bow and white tissue paper. As much as I love the baby pink & brown colour theme of the original GlossyBox's, I absolutely loved the colour scheme of this one!
The theme of the box this month was "Christmas Gift Guide - Part 2", all items carefully selected to ensure you are the "Belle of the ball at any Christmas party". This has got to be my favourite box of all the months so far. I absolutely love everything in it, and there's not one thing I wouldn't use. I especially like that there a few make up items.

Cargo Cosmetics Classic Lipgloss "Tokyo" - This is a really pretty shade, and I can definitely see myself getting a lot of use out of this.
Deborah Lippmann Nail Varnish "Razzle Dazzle" - This is AMAZING. The first thing I noticed when I opened my box as it was so sparkly and pretty.
Deborah Lippmann "Stripped To Go" Sachet - This is a finger mitt for removing nail varnish, great on the go!
FAB Daily Face Cream - This cream is really lightweight & sinks into the skin very quickly but leaves it so soft and is a great base for makeup. It is for sensitive skin & contains an antioxidant booster. So far, so good.
Nouveau Lashes "Noir" Mascara - I was really excited when I saw this in the box. I am a sucker for mascara. I have applied this a few times. I found the brush to be quite hard, and it did hurt my lashes a little bit (that could be my application technique), but it does make my lashes look volumised & very lengthened.
Rituals Foaming Shower Gel - This smells AMAZING, and it's really moisturising. It's one of those products you use in the bath or shower, and get little whiffs of it throughout the day.

Did you sign up for the Limited Edition GlossyBox? What did you think of it? and what was your favourite item?

♥

GlossyBox Catch-up : October & November.

2011-12-09T20:04:00.005Z

In true slacking-blogger style, I didn't get round to showing you the previous month's GlossyBox's. So today, before I can reveal the Limited Edition Christmas Box in a few days time, I thought I'd go over October & November's boxes and give you a little glimpse of the variation between them for those of you who may still be on the fence about subscribing.

October.

Dermalogica Makeup Bag - The perfect size for your handbag.
Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque - I've used this, and my skin felt & looked refreshed afterwards. It did feel a little like I was smearing Lemon Curd on my face though.
Dermalogica MultiVitamin Thermafoliant - I haven't used this yet but it's a skin polisher that combines chemical and physical exfoliants. Looks fancy.
Dermalogica Renewal Lip Complex - I absolutely love this. In fact, I'm trying to use it sparingly as I don't want it to run out. It's such a lovely lipbalm, and although for aging lips, it works wonders on dry, chapped lips.
Leighton Denny Nail Polish in "BabyDoll" - This is the perfect baby pink, and looks so pretty and natural on the nails. I also like the super glossy finish & it dries very quickly.
Stila Smudge Stick Eyeliner in "Moray" - This eyeliner is a gorgeous olive green. I tend to stay well away from coloured eyeliners, and stick to my blacks and browns, but this is ever so subtle, and it really does stay put, yet it's creamy enough for easy application. It has teeny tiny gold flecks in it, which make it even more pretty and very metallic-like. This was my favourite item in the GlossyBox for that month & I'm definitely going to look into getting some more colours.
Robert Piguet Fragrance Samples "Fraca", "Visa" and "Calypso" - I'm not the biggest fan of perfume samples, but these I absolutely LOVED. My favourite is the Fraca one (the pink). They all smell amazing, and it wasn't a brand I'd ever heard of previously, and this is why I love the concept of beauty boxes, they introduce to things you'd never normally try or find. I also like to throw these in my handbags to save you having to carry a whole perfume bottle for re-squirts. :)

November.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Bath Salts - I'm really looking forward to trying these, as I get majorly dry legs in the winter (yes, mostly just my legs get dry...weird huh?) and I also get ingrown hairs on my thighs, which are already starting to irritate me and my skin, so I'm hoping these salts will work wonders on my legs.
Nail Rock Nail Wraps - I've used these before, and I loved them. A little tricky to begin with, but if you get someone to help you, you soon get used to it, and let's face it, they look fierce.
Serge Lutens Unisex Fragrances - These intrigued me. I love the idea of unisex perfumes. One smells lovely (the white box - L'Eau Serge Lutens), and the other I'm not so keen on (the black box - Vitriol d'Oeillet), the second is a lot more of a masculine smell, and much more woody. I would seriously condiser buying the first fragrance but the hefty 100ml £86 price tag has put me off a little bit. I'll have to save that one for a sneaky splurge one rainy day I think.
Arbonne FC5 Ultra Hydrating Hand Creme - A lot of people said that the strong scent of this put them off. I personally like the scent of this hand cream but then I'm the sort of person who doesn't do unscented. If i'm making my hands soft, i want them to smell nice too :)
Monu Recovery Balm - This is a gentle balm to provide relief to all skin types, especially sensitive or stressed. I've not used this yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing if it can calm down my spotty T zone.

So that was my quick run down of the past few boxes. I wanted to keep it short and sweet with bitesized information and mini reviews as I'm sure you've seen everyone else talking about them and I don't want to bore you. Is there anything in there that caught your eye? Or if you recieved these boxes too, what has been your favourite item?

♥

Panic Attacks.

2011-12-02T19:16:00.009Z

Before I begin this blog post, I'd like to let you know that this is quite a personal thing for me to write, but I wanted to share this with you as I'm hoping that if you're reading this as a panic attack sufferer, I may help you in some way. Alternatively, if you are reading this and you know someone who suffers with panic attacks, I hope I can help you get a better understanding and display ways in which you can show support.

Anxiety is an awful emotion to feel, a feeling that cannot be controlled & you are unaware of it creeping up on you. Different levels of anxiety lie in all of us all the time. From a simple thing like "Oh no, I've got school/work tomorrow" to something a lot more nerve wracking like a scary job interview or waiting for your appointment at the dentist (I know I'm not the only one). Although anxiety lies in all of us, It affects people in different ways. When we're stressed, our anxiety levels are much higher and some of us become a lot more sensitive to it. For those of you who are calm, collected and pretty fearless, you will have a much lower anxiety threshold. (I am jealous

of those of you who are like this)

Extremely high levels of anxiety, can, in a lot of people, cause panic attacks, whether you are aware of your anxiety or not.

I've suffered with panic attacks for 6 and a half years, and so i'm writing this blog post for those of you who struggle to understand, feel alone, need advice or need someone else to understand.

It's understandable that not everybody "gets" what a panic attack is. In fact i'm pretty sure more people don't understand than do, which is really sad. Even some of the people closest to me, struggle to understand exactly how it affects me, or my life, or some decisions that I choose to make. Even after hours of explaining, unless someone has been through a panic attack themselves, they will never truly or fully understand.

What exactly is a panic attack?

A sudden feeling of dread, the sudden urge to push your way through to the nearest exit, the whole room shrinking down around you and everybody staring at you and smothering you. In a split second, without you anticipating it, or knowing it's going to happen, your body releases adrenaline. This adrenaline is released as your body is preparing for "flight or fight". Something our brain is programmed to do in a life or death situation. You need adrenaline for a fight in order to be strong, and you need adrenaline for flight, in order to run fast and get away. This would have prepared our cave-dwelling ancestors to fight or run away from danger, but it’s much less appropriate to the stresses we encounter today. Clearly, we are not cavemen any more, and we don't need to hunt for our food, but this adrenaline is released in situations like tripping over a step, being extremely excited, being on a roller-coaster, being in a fight, In an accident, adrenaline is released into our bodies all the time, but us panic attack sufferers

have a "SENSITIVE ALARM".

My doctor said: "You are like the car in the street, who's alarm goes off with the smallest gust of wind, whereas all the other cars, take a good beating before their alarms go off", and really, that's the best way it can be described in the very simplest of terms.

What happens during a panic attack?

Adrenaline is released, thus causing your heart to beast faster, and your muscles to tense. We breathe in more oxygen, which our muscles use to turn sugar into energy (even though we don't need extra energy for anything), Blood is diverted to the muscles, making you pale and light headed. This also causes you to shake. Our digestive system shuts down, making your throat dry and making you feel sick. Your senses are heightened, you become more aware of sounds and smells around you (It's like someone turned up the volume, and in a busy place, it was loud enough anyway).

When adrenalin floods your body, it can cause a number of different physical and emotional sensations that may affect you during a panic attack:

These may include:

very rapid breathing or feeling unable to breathe

very rapid heartbeat

pains in your chest

feeling faint or dizzy

sweating/Shivering

ringing in your ears

tingling or numbness in your hands and feet

hot or cold flushes

feeling nauseous

wanting to go to the toilet

feelings of absolute terror

feeling smothered

feeling claustrophobic

being extremely emotional/uncrontrollable crying

feelings of unreality, called depersonalisation and derealisation.

Panic attacks come on very quickly, symptoms usually peaking within 10 minutes. Most panic attacks last for between 5 and 20 minutes. Some people report attacks lasting for up to an hour, but they are likely to be experiencing one attack after another, or a high level of anxiety after the initial attack. This is what I suffer from, If I ever have a panic attack, it will NEVER last 20 minutes, it will always spiral, until I can be alone, somewhere I feel comfortable, which can sometimes be hours away.

I'm not 100% sure what first triggered my panic attacks, although I will explain it below. The only major downfall for me, was that my brain stored this panic attack away so that when I re-entered a similar situation, my body had learnt to react in the same way.

This is the way I like to describe it:

"Imagine that your brain is filled with hundreds of filing cabinets full of different information. You have memories, things you've learnt..etc. Well, there is this one filing cabinet that stores every panic attack you have. Where you had it, what happened, who you were with, what you were doing, what you were eating, what you were drinking, everything. When you re-enter the same place, with the same people, or do the same thing, that cabinet unlocks, and releases the same adrenaline, and the same emotion. My brain thinks it's protecting me, by making me "Fight or flight" in the same situation"

Almost as though your brain has trained itself to react in this way. Which is annoying, and can be undone (more on that later)

For me, this happened in nightclubs, pubs, around drunk people and around alcohol. The reason being that my first major panic attack, was at a house party, in the middle of nowhere, which got completely out of hand. I was with friends but everybody was so drunk that I may aswell have been on my own. I wasn't drunk, but my then-boyfriend was, and he passed out and fell asleep, leaving me awake, and sober. All my friends were drunk also. Please bare in mind, I was 15, as were most of the people around me, and this was a serious case of irresponsible drinking and drug taking (not on my part i'd like to add). I didn't know a lot of the people there and I remember this one boy who had diabetes (the more serious type) and everyone was making a massive who-ha about him being VERY drunk. I was trying to sleep in a bedroom with my boyfriend passed out next to me, and another friend had fallen asleep as well, so it was silent, and away from the chaos. The next thing I remember was that I could hear someone violently being sick and lots of people freaking out. The diabetic boy was paraletic, vomming everywhere and needed sugar. Everyone kept running into the room asking me for help, and I didnt have a clue. I remember I kept saying "Give him lemonade, no point giving him food he isn't keeping anything down". It was then that I had a massive panic attack. Was it because someone was being sick (I have a phobia of sick - even more so now than back then), was it the chaos and the fact that ambulances arrived or being surrounded by people who were so out of it in a serious situation and being the only one that could see straight. Whatever it was, I lay there from 11.30pm until 5am, having panic attack, after panic attack. Shaking violently. I felt trapped, as the toilet was opposite the bedroom door, and I knew I couldn't go home because that meant walking past all the comotion and the sick. So I just lay there. trapped and panicking for 5 and a half hours. When it started getting light, and I felt phsyically exhausted (having a panic attack makes you feel like you've run a marathon) and I called my dad who kindly came and rescued me.

Now you know why I don't really drink, and why I'd much rather stay in watching crappy TV than have a night out. Is this how I want to be? No. I'd love to get dressed up, get some heels on, go out and have a few drinks, maybe even get completely sozzled once in a while. This is what girls my age do right?

Even now, when I think back, all those nights I tried my hardest to walk into a club/pub feeling positive that nothing would go wrong, and end up having to run out. I really did try, I tried to put on a brave face and act like nothing would happen & I tried to tell myself it was all in my head

and nothing was dangerous and as long as you don't think about it, you'll be fine. But it's not your choice. I don't think my friends understood, and in all fairness, I guess I didn't really explain as I wasn't sure myself why this kept happening to me. They started off inviting me out lots, and gradually, I'd just end up saying no for the fear of having an attack, until they gave up inviting me all together. This upset me, as I felt as though they probably thought I didn't want to be there, or maybe they didn't want me there, who wants a panic attack sufferer as a massive burden on a fun night out? I was missing out, and I hated it because it wasn't anything I could control.

For a while, I couldn't even go to a quiet pub for a few drinks. What a boring sod I was. I'd also like to point out, this was around the time we all turned 18 and started "properly going out". So many things contributed towards my attacks becoming worse. I didn't want to end up being severly agoraphobic (in serious cases can mean you are affraid to leave the house) so I really did try to force myself, which in some very rare cases, didn't ever result in me panicking, but then there were always the few incidents where I would feel so much worse, and felt as though I'd taken a back step. My ex boyfriend (different to the first I previously mentioned), used to invite me out with his friends to the pub etc, which I liked, and of course I wanted to socialise with new people and make the effort (being the good girlfriend I am) so I'd go. One of his best friends, who happened to be there a lot of the time, managed to pop himself in my filing cabinet of "things to panic from". I hope he doesn't ever read this and feel bad, haha. I once felt panicky, and my ex explained to him that I was panicking (instead of deciding I was more important than a pint and taking me home), and I just sat there, whilst he asked me pointless, patronising questions to try and distract me. (trust me, things like this do not work). I felt like an idiot, like it was some funny game, when really all I wanted to do was leave. That same friend was there on a quiet night out, which resulted in me getting up from the table and walking out without an explanation. The thing that topped it all off though, was the time he got so drunk, he vomited all over himself, then strolled back into the pub for another pint. Again, you will notice a pattern here? Sick. Drunk. Pub. After this, I couldn't bare to go anywhere with him. He is such a lovely guy too, but I couldn't control it, whenever he was there, my brain would let me know I was in danger and release the adrenaline.

Something people don't seem to realise, is that self esteem is seriously dented from suffering these attacks. I still, to this day, think that people judge me, and that they possibly all talk about how weird I am, or how annoying I am for having panic attacks, or even that they may think you make it up, or are using as an excuse. You start to think that you are ruining everyone else's life around you & have become a nuisance.

I'd turn things down ALL THE TIME, but it's not because I didn't want to go, I wanted to go more than anything, I just COULDN'T put myself in any situation where I felt I may have panicked. I'm going to list places I've had panic attacks before, as I want to express that they won't just happen when you anticipate them, but they can literally just spring on you, anywhere...

In bed at night

In a supermarket

In a pub

In a club

In a taxi

On a bus

On a tube

On a train

At the train station

In a restaurant

At a friends house

At a family members house

Boyfriends house

In a car

On a boat

At school

At work

That's all I can really think of for now, but there have been endless places where I've suffered a panic attack. Only when I was at my worst would I walk into a supermarket, or go to someone's house and panic. More recently, I've been a lot better, and I've found that I only really panic if I am placed in a situation where I cannot get out easily if I was to ever panic. (Train, Tube, Boat, Work, Club, Bus) More recently, as you will know, I was invited to go on the London eye with GlossyBox, and I cannot tell you how much I stressed over that. It's my worst nightmare, being inside a glass pod, that's locked, with lots of people, knowing that once that door closed, I was stuck in there, and if i were to panic, there would be no way of me getting off, and everyone would look at me, and think, what an idiot. Only Louise, and my boyfriend knew how anxious I was about it, but I wanted so desperately to get on it, and to see people, and I did, and I was fine. I was really proud of myself, for not throwing in the towel and missing out on an opportunity, and for doing it anyway. So many people live in fear of ever having an attack, and I think this is what makes life more difficult. For a while, I kept having panic attacks on the tube, and on the train home from London. Being that my boyfriend lives there, this devastated me. WHY WAS MY BRAIN FILING THIS AS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I would cry, and think "I can't go. I can't go and see my boyfriend. I'm scared to get on a train. Why can't I just be normal".

One thing a lot of people don't understand, is that people who suffer panic attacks, DO NOT WANT TO FEEL THIS WAY. We don't want to get on a train and think "I really hope I get to the other end without panicking", we don't want to restrict the way we live because of something we can't control that leaves us feeling mentally and physically drained for days/weeks/months on end. We want to be normal, and carry on with our everyday lives without any added anxiety. I'd love to be able to say "I don't worry about anything, besides the normal things". After a panic attack, I feel so upset, but it's mostly anger. Angry at myself for not having any control and angry that I don't know how to make it stop. Then I feel angry because I feel like nobody understands.

What helps me?

When I'm actually having a panic attack, I find the only things that really take the edge off, are going outside, walking away from the place I was and fanning myself (I know this sounds weird, and probably looks it, but when you have so much adrenaline and your muscles are pumped, you should do some form of exercise to use the adrenaline, which is why i frantically fan myself or walk or knock my knees together or flap my arms around - discreet? I think not) Fanning also helps with the horrible hot flushes you'll experience, and cool you down.

Slow, deep breathing.

If i'm with someone, I need them to stay quiet unless I ask them something. I can't handle anyone talking to me, or trying to distract me, or working me up. At the time of a panic attack, I don't need someone highlighting the fact I'm panicking by making me say the alphabet backwards. It's nice to know someone is with you, but If I'm having a panic attack, I'm already hearing everything 10x louder and need to try and calm down. You also don't have a lot of energy to speak, as any energy you do have, is being used everywhere else.

In terms of long term treatment, stupidly, for 6 and half years, I put off going to a doctor, because I thought that I'd be able to control them myself. When I started having panic attacks visiting my boyfriend, I knew I had to do something about it, as it was hindering my way of life, and everyday things i really wanted to do, and I got fed up, and decided to make an appointment at my doctors surgery. Unfortunately, this completely destroyed any faith I had as it was the most pointless hour of my life. She sat and explained to me what a panic attack was. Funnily enough, after 6 and a half years of experiencing them, I already had a pretty clear idea. I have also been reading a few books. I'd really recommend the one I have photographed, and even for your partner, family member or friends to read. Have a look on line for self help books, some are a load of tosh, but some are quite eye opening. I don't take any medication for my panic attacks, mainly because my doctor said "I don't think we should put you on anything, how about you try some from a chemist or something"..er..great. I take Kalms, but whether they work or not, I don't know. In all honesty, I'm not all too pleased with my Dr's approach, or the NHS. They've not been helpful at all. This may not be the case for you, but I think in order to get further treatment I am going to have to go private for CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Re-training the brain) or try hypnotherapy techniques. If any of you have had any experiences you want to share, please do. Not just for me to read, but others reading the comments.

Avoiding Panic...

For many people, the only way they can avoid having a panic attack, is literally sitting at home and never leaving the house. I never want to get this bad, but I can see how it would happen very easily with a lot of people. My panic attacks are a lot worse when I am stressed, or run-down, so I find it's really important to give myself a break. For many people that means taking time off work or going on holiday. I just make sure I get enough sleep, try to be as organised as possible and don't rush anywhere. You may think the last one is a given, but for a while, being in "fast-pace" London made everything a lot worse. In the mornings before I'd leave to go home, Me and my boyfriend decided we would get ready slowly, walk slowly and even wait for the next tube if we weren't there in time (I literally didn't rush anywhere for about 4 weeks) & this made SUCH a difference.

I also tend to listen to relaxing music before I know I need to go somewhere where I may panic. A favourite of mine recently has been Dianna Vickers' album (Her voice, I appreciate, could have an adverse affect on some people - but i find it keeps me calm because there are no fast beats or shouty bits) So find something you find relaxing.

I also think it's important to write down how you are feeling if you feel like you are about to panic. Once when I was on the tube, I started having a panic attack, so I whacked out my phone and started frantically writing how I felt and every time something changed mentally or physically, I'd write it. This weirdly, calmed me down a lot quicker. I don't know if this is because it distracted me, or because it made everything slightly more logical.

I still can't really go out and drink with friends but I've not been as bad recently. I do find however, that driving (so i know I can leave when I want), or having someone who is prepared to pick me up, makes things a lot less tense. Knowing I can get home if I do panic, puts me at ease. If you were to tell me we were all getting a taxi at 3am an hour from home, I'd freak out.

I don't like to have set times for things, as I feel a bit trapped. Sounds weird, but i'm sure plenty of you know exactly what I mean. I won't even book an advanced train ticket any more (even though they are slightly cheaper), I get a ticket which gives me a bit of lee-way so I don't have to rush anywhere or be stuck to one time.

I think everyone will have their own individual ways of avoiding and banishing panic attacks, it's really whatever works best for you, but I think "Taking it easy" really is the best advice I can give. You don't want to overwork your heart, as this may bring on panic.

How can I help someone who suffers Panic Attacks?

I'm going to do a little section here, on how to help someone who is having a panic attack, or someone who suffers them quite a lot. I looked online for something similar to this to show my boyfriend, and I didn't have much luck. So I'm going to write this myself, in the hope some of you will show this to your partners/friends/family and then they can feel a little more at ease about how to help you. Although it sucks having a panic attack, I can't imagine standing next to someone feeling helpless feels very nice either.

1. Remain calm. There is nothing worse than being with someone who is freaking out whilst they are, they will never calm down if you are flapping about like a headless chicken.

2. Do not be forceful. Be patient, and accepting. Do not settle for them panicking and being affected alone.

3. Let them do things at their own pace.

4. Don't make assumptions about what the panicker needs, ask them.

5. Find something positive in every experience. If the affected person is only able to go partway to a particular goal, such as the cinema or out for a coffee, consider that an achievement rather than a failure.

6. Remember that they don't choose to be this way. Do not show any dissapointment or annoyance when panic strikes or if they don't feel they can't do something.

7. In a panic attack, DON'T say:
"Relax. Calm down. Don't be anxious. Let's see if you can do this (i.e., setting up a test for the affected person). You can fight this. What should we do next? Don't be ridiculous. You have to stay. Don't be a coward. Pull yourself together, Stop being silly, what's wrong with you".
Instead, DO SAY:
"You can do it no matter how you feel. I am proud of you. Tell me what you need now. Breathe slow and low. Stay in the present. It's not the place that's bothering you, it's the thought. I know that what you are feeling is painful, but it's not dangerous. You are courageous. Remember that panic attacks only last a maximum of 20 minutes"

8. Do not try to distract them with stupid questions. As I said before, we don't want to say the alphabet backwards or talk about our day, it just highlights the fact that we are having a panic attack, thus creating more panic.

9. Be supportive & reassuring. After a panic attack, the person can feel down, depressed, angry, insecure and with very low self esteem. It's your job to help them to feel better about themselves and to let them know you are there.

I really hope I have managed to cover everything, and I hope this has helped some of you. If you're reading this, and you really feel down and depressed about your panic attacks and the way it has affected your life, please remember...

You are not alone, panic attacks are VERY common, and although terrifying, will not kill you. Don't let your attacks ruin your confidence or dent your self esteem, you are an amazing person, and you CAN stop them, with the right treatment and techniques. Do not force yourself to go somewhere you don't feel comfortable, you and your health are far more important than keeping someone else happy. If someone close to you fails to understand, it can leave you feeling terribly alone and insecure, FORCE them to read this blog post and tell them I'll kick their bottom if they don't LISTEN and show as much support as possible.

That's all from me. Please share experience's and leave comments below, it won't just help me, but will also help others just like you reading this blogpost.

♥

Donning My Pinny.

2011-11-29T17:59:00.007Z

I'm not the biggest cook. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that. I like to keep everything pretty basic, that is unless I am following a recipe step by step. I do however, enjoy the occasional cooking programme. More recently I got hooked on "The Great British Bake Off". People baking cakes and various other treats. There is nothing more satisying and girly, than baking deserts or puddings. Being a creative person and not having much of an outlet for my creativity (besides putting makeup on my face), I will get really into anything that involves a tiny bit of artistry. I am also a perfectionist, so decorating the cake, as well as making it, results in an enormous amount of satisfaction, as well as eating it of course.

Recently, my friend had new boobies installed (this sounds nicer than "boob job"..or does it?) and so myself and another friend took it upon ourselves to make her a "get better soon/congrats on your new boobies" cake. (For those of you who are nosey/may be interested, she didn't have a boob job for materialistically larger boobs, she has waited 4 years on the NHS and had them done as a correction from an injury earlier in life - So I am chuffed to bits for her) We didn't want to opt for a standard victoria sponge with jam and icing, so instead, we decided to create a pair of eadible cake boobs, as you do.
I'm not going to list in detail all the stages of creating this bad boy, but I will outline the basic's. We followed a simple victoria sponge recipe, and cooked the mixture in two identical glass bowl's (make sure they are oven safe). I'd also like to point out that they take about twice the normal amount of time to cook, as there is a larger volume to cook inside. We ended up cooking our boobs (!) for about 40 minutes overall. I'd also like to stress how important it is to grease the bowls, luckily, our boobies slipped right out (!) but if you didn't, you could end up with lumpy, out of shape ones..and nobody enjoys those. The best part was icing them. We used butter icing, as you can get a nice smooth finish with that, it's also less messy than standard icing, and a bit more precise than if we were to use roll out icing as that would have been incredibly fiddly. We added a smidgen of pink colouring to make the skin colour and smoothed it over the cake. We then made some more icing, and added more colouring this time to create the bra. This was piped on, using a piping bag from poundland. Yes, that's right. ONE POUND. To finish, we added chocolate buttons to create the nipples..just to make it clear that they were in fact boobs, incase it wasn't already obvious....
It's fair to say the cake went down very well, and our friend was chuffed, as were we, that it had turned out so brilliantly. What a nice pair!

I also decided to make profiteroles. Being one of my favourite desert treats ever, and having made them before, and realising that in fact, they weren't at all difficult to make, they seemed the perfect pudding for our family/friend roast dinner gathering.
I followed this recipe by Nigella Lawson, and they turned out really well. The only differences I made were that I piped the pastry onto the baking tray rather than spooned and instead of making a chocolate "sauce" I just melted Cadburys chocolate over them before serving. They were delicious if I may say so. Don't be affraid to try making these, they really are SO easy. I'd also strongly urge you bakers out there to get a piping bag. I have two, and more expensive one, and a cheapy one from poundland (although don't expect to get too many uses out of this one). You can find plenty on eBay, along with the different shaped nozzles.

So there we go, a few of my baking creations of late. I think now that the weather has turned so grim, and darkness is creeping upon us earlier, there is more time for baking, so get your pinnys on, and let me know what you're making!

♥

Black XS Frangrances & "Be A Rock Star"

2011-11-29T10:35:00.005Z

Pacco Rabanne frangrances have always been one of my favourites. I have even been prone to spritzing the mens "Million" before a night out (it smells nice okay). I'd seen the "Black XS" frangrance range in the shops, but hadn't ever given it a whiff. I don't tend to splash out on perfume's for myself. I think it's a mans job to provide a woman with a perfume... ;) (hint hint, men out there). I was recently sent the male and female version to go alongside their "Be A Rockstar" promotion.

Be A Rockstar is offering internet users exclusive musical content and the oppertunity to enjoy a unique experience and step into the shoes of a Rock Star. They will also be opening the doors to a catalogue of artists across the globe. Universal Music France will even be giving access to special backstage moments with its artists, including Cold War Kids, Two Door Cinema Club and Kaiser Chiefs. These bands will be taking part in special Black XS OFF Shows, where we can see behind the scenes in nine special mini episodes. The series will be shown by the end of the year on
the site and on the Black XS YouTube channel. Click HERE to take you the website so you can see for yourself & get lot's more information if this is something you are interested in. I for one, am a massive fan of Two Door Cinema Club, so I will be tuning in to watch them.

I can't say I'm much of a Rockstar but the perfume is DELICIOUS. Pacco Rabanne describes the female version as "an elixir of seduction wreathed in mystery. A scent of contrasts, with an exciting ambiguity" - Written and described so much better than I ever could. I also really like the bottle. It's a bit more on the Gothic/Rock side and may not be as delicate or quaint as others on my dressing table but I really like the scent. I would wear this more at night, as I feel it's not light enough for the daytime.

In true "boyfriend of a blogger" style, the mens version was swpied up (very quickly) by my boyfriend. He has used it ALOT, and that's really all I have to go by. I really like the mens version, and he does smell EXTREMELY nice when he's wearing this. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say I prefer the mens frangrance to the womens one...and that's the same with the "Million" range. If you're stuck for what to get your fella for Christmas, I'd strongly advise this scent if you like your man to smell delicious. Although, I do appreciate something like aftershave is down to personal taste, but I don't think you can go wrong here.

♥

London Eye with GlossyBox

2011-11-28T13:40:00.004Z

Me, Kate, Gemma, Louise, Kate, Lily

Most of you will be aware of Glossybox by now, one of the (now many) brands who offer a monthly beauty box subscription. I was very kindly asked if I wanted to become a GlossyBox Ambassador alongside many other amazing bloggers and vloggers, and of course I took up the offer having met and spoken to the gorgeous girls behind the brand at the previous GlossyBox event. I'm really looking forward to getting a bit more of an insiders view on the thoughts and process' of the items that go into the boxes each month and of course that means keeping you lovely lot updated.

So on Wednesday of last week, Louise & I took the tube over to Waterloo to join the GlossyBox team and the rest of the Ambassadors for a spin on the London Eye. I've never been on the London Eye, so I was excited, but also a little apprehensive (panic attack sufferer locked in a pod is not the best combination) I was fine though, and really enjoyed mingling with the rest of the girls up in the sky overlooking the City at night. It all looked so pretty. We also took a stroll along to the Christmas Market (literally a 2 minute walk from the eye). It made me feel so christmassy with the smells of mulled wine and various sweet treats floating about.

One of the highlights of the evening was finally getting to meet Sammi & Gracie, they were a hoot. It was also lovely to catch up with everyone and a few gorgeous girlies I hadn't seen in a while. And it goes without saying that spending time with Louise was amazing, as always.

♥

Agent Provocateur L'Agent Bath & Body Collection

2011-11-26T18:46:00.007Z

Now, when someone mentions Agent Provocatuer, I instantly think of the sexy window displays featuring mannequins wearing heart shaped nipple tassles & extremely gorgeous underwear that I know I could personally never afford to indulge in, draped over luxurious materials and glamourous furniture. They certainly get their window displays spot on.
If like me, you don't very often set foot inside an Agent Provocatuer, as you may not be able to afford it, or you have your boyfriend in tow, who may leave rather red faced, then the new bath & body range may give you reason to step inside.

This year, Agent Provocateur released their L'Agent range just after the success of the new Frangrance. They have selected the finest ingredients for this self indulgent collection. If you like the scent, you will love these products. I didn't really know what to expect, as the scent itself is very powerful, and albeit a little too overpowering, so for me, the things in this collection were much less harsh in comparison, and left my skin smelling absolutely amazing without too much of a "perfume" kick.

Soap on a Rope - £20

First thing in the range, is the "soap on a rope". Now, when someone mentions soap on a rope, you automatically think of old school soap, or unwanted cheapy christmas/birthday presents. Typically the sort of thing you shove to the back of your lotions and potions draw. This however, is on a whole other "soap on a rope" level. It comes in a swish box which has a little ribbon pully. Once pulled, the draw containing your soap pulls out. It really is gorgeous, and smells amazing. It's enriched with vitamin e and shea butter which leaves your skin feeling fabulously fragranced and seductively smooth. It also has a cute little black tassle. Very Suave.

Titillation Decollete & Derriere Balm 2x80ml - £45

Next are two creams, "Titillation Derriere Balm" and "Decollete Balm". The teasingly sensual Derriere Balm is especially formulated to help tone, shape and define buttocks & the decollete balm is for the chest and neck. Both have the same gorgeous scent and the balms themselves are extremely velvety and hydrating. They contain moisturising avocado oils, skin conditioning Coleus Forskohlii (an ancient plant) and caffeine which all help to lift and revitalize. Being a mere 21 years old, I don't feel as though I need much help in the way of "lifting" as of yet, but this could be the perfect gift for an older relative or a friend who moans about a wobbly bottom (we all have one...a friend that moans about her wobbly bottom I mean..) ;) The packaging on these is so cute. Little sphere's which you twist to open, with the delicate agent provocateur font running around it.

Above: Bathing Cream Wash 425ml - £28
Below: Silk Body Elixir 225ml - £28

The "Bathing Cream Wash", is probably one of my favourites from the collection. Containing Babassu, Macadamia and Avacado oils, it delicately softens, moisturises and cleanses the skin. This is one of those products you could wash with before a night out, and you'd smell amazing all through the night, without the need for any perfume, or moisturiser for that matter. It also claims to include Epimedium (an aphrodisiac, apparently better known as horny goat weed (!)) All I know is that after using this, I smell super nice, and my skin feels really soft. I also love the bottle, it oozes sophistication.
Last up, is the "Silk Body Elixir", better known as a body moisturiser. As far as moisturisers go, I want something that smells nice, sinks in quickly, but leaves my skin feeling like silk. This ticks every box. It's especially amazing on freshly shaven/waxed legs. This too contains the aphrodisiac Epimedium, along with nutmug and Babassu oil. It works like an absolute dream.

This range is certainly not for those of you who like to shower in the mornings with something fresh and revitalising to wake you up. It's more for the evenings, before a date, a night out or a cheeky night in with your fella. It leaves your skin feeling amazing and smelling even more amazing. It's a very deep, sensual frangrance, not light or floral, and it's main purpose is to make the user feel sexy, which is exactly what you'd expect from Agent Provocateur. They certainly know how to put the "sex" in "sexy" (did I just say that...yes I did). Overall, I would certainly reccommend these products to those of you who like a little self indulgence, something a bit more
luxurious. They may be slightly more pricey than your average Boots or Superdrug bath or body product, but perfect gifts or for when you feel like splashing out and treating yourself.

♥

GIVEAWAY CLOSED: La Sardina Lomography Camera

2011-11-10T17:07:00.003Z

Most of you that read my blog, will probably be aware, that I am quite the camera and photography enthusiast. I have plenty of cameras dotted about my bedroom, old and new. Recently, I was contacted by Lomography and they offered me a "La Sardina" camera to review & also one to giveaway. AMAZING.
Now, as much as I love modern cameras, and the ability to get that "vintagey/retro" effect by editing through different computer programs, there is nothing like capturing that very effect in raw form. Do you remember the days of winding film on and developing it down your local pharmacy? Well that's exactly what you do with this. Wind, shoot, capture, develop. OLD SCHOOL STYLE.

There is NOTHING I don't love about this camera. For a start, look at it. It's amazing, even if you never took one photo with it (which would quite frankly be stupid) then it would look fabulous just sat on a shelf in your room. It's also exceptionally easy to use, and you get that excitement waiting to see what your photo's have turned out like. Besides looking very cute, the effect that lomography cameras create is what many strive to make their digital prints look like. I know I do anyway.

Lomography are giving one away to one very lucky Zoella reader. It will obviously come box fresh & ready for you to get your creative little mitts around it. There is also a Lomography booklet included which I found to be very helpful but also really lovely to look at. Some of the images that have been captured on these cameras are amazing. You can view them online HERE.
Unfortunately, I haven't finished a film up yet, so I've not had any developed, therefore I can't show you any of my own snaps, but once I've filled a film, I'll be sure to scan some images in and show you.

Rules:
1. Must be a follower of Zoella
2. Leave ONE comment simply saying "Enter Me".
(One entry per person)
3. Include your email address in your comment*
4. The Giveaway is open for 2 weeks only, and will close on 24.11.11 at 12pm GMT
5. This Giveaway is International
6. Winner will be picked at random

*By including your email address you agree that Lomography can send you promotional emails. However, they are super cool and never boring, and you can unsunscribe at any time :)

They are also giving you lovely lot, a chance to sign up and earn 10 piggy points to spend online.
"Piggy points" is a points system (a bit like Boots points if you will) which can be earned through community activities, competitions and giveaways. Each piggy point is equivalent to 1 GBP/USD/EUR. So that's essentially £10 (for the brits like myself).

Click HERE to sign up and earn yourself 10 piggy points

THE WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY IS...

BeccasBeautySpot

CONGRATULATIONS Becca!
I will email you shortly asking for your details so Lomography can send out your camera. Thanks to everyone who entered.

♥

General Update & Chit Chat

2011-11-08T14:05:00.000Z

Howdy Doody you lovely lot. It's been a while, and for that, I do apologise. You know when life get's manic, and you feel like you only have time to eat and sleep & your creative juices have run dry and you have a serious lack of motivation? Yeh, that's exactly what happened. You know it's time to sit down and write a blog post when your mum says "Zoe, you've not blogged in ages..."

I know that some people can still bosh out blogposts even when they are lacking in blogging enthusiasm, but I just can't do that. I like to sit down, and enjoy what I write about, and feel a sense of satisfaction once I hit that "publish" button, and although that sometimes means I don't post in a while, I hope that sort of makes up for it. *batters eye lashes*

So where have I been & what have I been up to?

Well, first and foremost, the summer has well and truly scarpered. We had a lovely late summery burst a few weeks ago (see photos), but now the cold and drizzle has arrived. *depressed sigh*. I do love autumn though, I love the crispy golden leaves and the build up to Christmas (yes, I love Christmas, A LOT), but I hate grey, drizzly days. Even if it's chilly, everything is so much better when the sun is out.

Now, I would like to say ANOTHER massive thank you to those of you who voted for Zoella in the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards, and I'm absolutely over the moon that I won "Best Established Beauty Blog". Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the awards ceremony but it looked like everyone had a fantastic evening & I'd also like to congratulate everyone else that was nominated and who won awards themselves. All very well deserved :) Makes me proud to be part of such a supportive community.

I have also been working on mine and Louise's (Sprinkle of Glitter) new venture. Which I'm hoping will be out in the open in the next few weeks and certainly in time for Christmas. All I'm saying is keep some money aside whilst buying everyone else's Christmas presents because I'm fairly sure you will want in on it. ;)

I have thoroughly been enjoying searching eBay for cake decorations and nail art decorations, not for any particular reason other than both are super cheap and pretty. I have also been scouring eBay & the local charity shops for winter knits. I did this last year, and I'm fairly positive I didn't spend anything over £6 for any of my winter cardigans or jumpers. You can honestly save so much money doing it this way, and nobody else will be wearing the same thing as you. I'm thinking of doing a post about charity shopping, a bit like my "Shopping in Primark" post, so let me know if this is something you'd be interested in reading. I know that charity shops aren't everyone's idea of fun, but once you find something you love for really cheap, it almost becomes addictive.

I have a lot of things I want to blog about in the up and coming weeks, so expect to see a lot more of me in your dashboard.

♥

A Massive Thankyou

2011-09-22T21:22:00.000+01:00

Just a quick blog post to express my excited-ness and sheer bemusement over the fact that so many of you lovely bunch nominated me for the Cosmo Blog Awards and amazingly, I have been shortlisted in two categories!

♥ Established Beauty Blog

♥ Beauty Vlogger

I'm thrilled, and no words or still images could express my excitement, which is where the .gif comes in. This is me and my boyfriend being silly and excited and I hope this makes you smile as much as I did when I found out.

You can visit the Cosmo Awards page HERE, log in with an email address and have a little nosy through all the categories to place your votes. There are some truly amazing, well deserved winners in there. If you did want to vote for Zoella, I will be very chuffed, if not, I won't hold it against you ;) As I said previously, I'm under "Established Beauty Blog" and "Beauty Vlogger".

Thank you again for nominating me, I'm certainly not expecting to win anything against all the fabulous people in the categories but it would make me happy to know if at least some of you "Zoella" readers voted :)

♥

Chanel Injection.

2011-09-22T18:48:00.000+01:00

I think it's only right, that in every female's life, there comes a time when we need that tiny little top up of high end nice-ness. Something I like to call a "Chanel Injection". We don't need it daily, or even weekly in order to keep us going...just every now and then, to keep the smiles on our faces & to boost our retail therapy excitedness.

This is what I will continue to tell myself when I start to think "I possibly shouldn't have spent so much at the Chanel counter this month". But fear not, I don't do it often and injections are always beneficial right?

So, My first trip was purely to get a sample of the Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, of which I ended up walking away with the Soleil De Tan Bronzer and another little sample of some Mascara. The lady was so nice though, and I had wanted it for ages. I'm enjoying using it, although, I do find it leaves me a little patchy at the end of the day as it's not your typical powder bronzer. Does anyone know how I can combat this? The colour is nice also and it looks pretty sat on my dressing table (please remember ladies, this is NOT a reason you should buy any product, but it is slightly more satisfactory than a boring revlon bronzer). I've not yet used the mascara sample, but it is a plastic brush, which aren't my favourite kind. In fact, I normally avoid all plastic applicators as I find bristles give a better effect in general, but this could change my mind.

Onto the foundation, and the reason for my second Chanel purchase. I used the sample (which was quite generous, you could get at least 3 applications from it) and I instantly fell in love with it and ran out and purchased it. I have however, since using it on a number of different occasions, come to the conclusion, that although it's a fantastic foundation and has everything I love about a foundation in it (natural coverage, great colour, sinks in fast, looks flawless yet natural, not too dewy, not too matte), I think it may be a bit on the drying side. At first it didn't seem at all drying, but as the days go on, it seems to cling to any dry patches on my face (just like pro lumiere did), I'm starting to think there is something in Chanel foundations that do this to my face. Is it just me? I find that I need to exfoliate more, and moisturise more, even though at the moment my skin isn't really all that dry. I still really love this foundation, albeit it a bit more on the pricey side, and slightly drying and i'll keep using it. Not too sure i'll repurchase though.

Do you ever have these naughty little splurges? Please reassure me. haha.

♥

September GlossyBox

2011-09-20T11:04:00.000+01:00

After attending the GlossyBox Event, I was super excited to receive the September GlossyBox in the post. There is definitely that element of excitement not knowing what you are going to get & everything is presented so beautifully. I understand that the contents of each box may vary slightly but these are the products I received in mine:

♥ L'oreal Professionelle Mythic Hair Oil
♥ HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette
♥ StriVectin SD Eye Concetrate
♥ Mary Greenwell Plum Eau de Parfum Sample
♥ Nuxe HuileProdigieuse (dry oil)

My favourite item is definitely the brow kit. The shadows are so pigmented and easy to blend & I've really enjoyed using it, the colours will also be really good for smokey brown eyes although I have yet to try this out. Besides this palette, I've not really had the chance to try anything else in the box out yet (I'm still trialling the things from the event). I have however given the perfume a little sniff, and that one is not for me at all. It smelt a little like an older lady's choice of perfume in my opinion. Possibly a bit too floral for my liking. Although it could be someone else's cuppa.
I'm still undecided on whether to subscribe to GlossyBox or not. I think the concept is amazing, and a great oppertunity for beauty fanatics to try new, exciting products and I think that it's also a great idea as a gift for someone, I know for a fact my mum would love this sort of thing.

What do you think of GlossyBox? Have you subscribed or are you thinking about it? Let me know your thoughts :)

♥

GlossyBox Event

2011-09-10T17:59:00.001+01:00

Victoria (VIPXO) & Lily (LLYMLRS)

Me, Victoria, Louise & Lily (Kindly taken by Lily at Glossybox)

Last Thursday, after attending the Illamasqua Event with Louise, we made our way over to Mortons in Mayfair for the GlossyBox event. It was extremely swanky round there let me tell you. I felt a little out of place in my chino's & flats.

I had heard a lot about GlossyBox, both good, and bad, but having not looked into it more myself, or subscribed to the box, I went there with a completely open mind and not really knowing an awful lot. I already knew that it was a fabulous idea however, but after speaking with the girls behind the brand it all became very clear how much thought and effort went into these boxes, and it confirmed in my mind that in fact, it's a marvellous and exciting idea and concept. I know that most of you may have already had your fair share of GlossyBox info, or be subscribers to the box, but for those of you who may be reading this wondering what it is, I shall quickly sum it up for you (I will probabaly give it absolutely no justice whatsoever, but I will try) GlossyBox is a monthly subscription, which arrives to your door, in a little box, filled with high end Beauty & Cosmetic samples. The idea is that you pay a smaller amount that you would to buy full sized products and get to sample a variety of different things you may not have thought to try previously. The previous boxes have contained brands such as Nars, Illamasqua, Ciate, Xen Tan...to name a few. There are also lesser known brands, some of which deserve to be shouted about I'm sure. It's a great concept for those of you who may wish to experiment a bit more with different beauty products and spend less doing so.

At the event, we were given an empty box, of which we could fill with 5 products that had been used in GlossyBox's during the previous months. This was seriously fun, we even got the little sticker and ribbon to tie the bow (I don't know how they manage to tie these so neatly, mine was a shambles) It was a lovely evening, and the girls were all so friendly, I didn't get to chat to everyone but I spoke with Sky & Lily who were both gorgeous & lovely. I also finally got to meet Victoria & Lily who's blogs I both adore & overall it was a splendid event. Thanks for having me GlossyBox.

At the event we were given a little voucher for a free GlossyBox, I received mine yesterday, but I am staying tight lipped until the subscribers recieve theirs, so look out for my review on that.

♥