Monthly Favourites: January

Oh hi there, anyone remember me? I need to start this post by apologising for my absence. I had a insane week last week where I completely lost track of the days and then spent the end of the week and the weekend suffering from some sort of stomach bug. All is well now though and today I'm back (a bit later than planned) with my Monthly Favourites. I was going to try and change the format of these posts this year and only share five favourites each month but this month I have an absolute ton I want to talk about and I couldn't bring myself to cutting it down to just five.

I haven't been wearing a lot of make up this month and have been more focused on adapting and curating my skincare routine. Some things I've stopped using completely whilst others I've replaced with other products and some like my first favourite have been a welcome addition. The REN Ready Steady Glow AHA Tonic has become my new daily AM toner and has compeletely changed how my skin looks and feels. With a AHA based formula consisting highly of Lactic Acid, this works to resurface, retexturise and brighten skin. Ever since I started using this my skin has felt softer, looked smoother and looked a lot brighter and more revitalised as ever. I don't understand why it's taken me so long to try this but I know for a fact that this is going to be a highly repurchased product in the future.

I am so fussy when it comes to eye creams and I'm always on the look out for one that'll work better than the last. I'd like to say that I've found 'the one' but I'm also trying another eye serum at the moment. However for the majority of the month I've been using and loving the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream. Usually a product calling itself 'Wonder' makes me wary as they usually turn out to be disastarous but this eye cream happily lives up to it's name. My under eye area has never looked as good before and I believe it's all to do with this cream. It's lightweight, hydrating and helps to reduce the appearence of my dark circles. Again this is another product that's been added to my repurchases list.

The last beauty favourite I've got this month is something I was extremely wary of using but now can't get enough of. The Revolution 30% AHA-BHA Peeling Solution is a high AHA based mask. It looks and is advertised exactly the same as The Ordinary's 30% AHA-BHA Mask but I haven't tried that so I can't compare. What I can say is that this may seem hella intimidating but in fact is what my skin has been crying out for. Not for those with extremely sensitive/reactive skin, this intense exfoliator works to resurface, retexturise and brighten the complexion. And oh boy does it do that. After I use this my face feels as soft as a baby's butt. Like I can't stop stroking my face after I use this and it's effectiveness really shows when I apply make up afterwards. My foundation/concealer doesn't stick to any rough or dry patches. It just glides on and blends nicely into my skin. I highly recommend trying it out, I even managed to persuade Jasmin to buy a bottle.

January has been a month full of sleeping issues. There has been many a night where I've found it hard to drift off, to shut my brain off whilst other nights I wake a good two or three times and find it hard to get back to sleep. Which is where my next favourite comes in. The This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray has been a godsend to me. Lavender based, this gentle mist works to help relax and soothe senses, lulling you easily into the land of nod. I've used this so many times when I've found it hard to sleep or hard to get back to sleep that I've actually had to purchase a full size bottle so I don't run out.

And to go alongside the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is the This Works Stress Check Breathe In. I need to buy a full size one of these I've used it so much. A lot of my trouble sleeping is because I have a tendency to overthink everything which leads to me getting worked up and anxious about something that hasn't happened or won't even happen at all. A little bit of this on my pulse points or anywhere on my skin that'll get warm and I'm instantly at ease. Sure the things I've been overthinking still niggle at the back of my head but they pushed far back enough that I can relax and eventually drift off to sleep.

Paperchase this month released singlehandly the best mug I'll ever own. Yes those are boobs of all shapes and sizes adorning my morning tea cup. I absolutely adore this mug and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to get it. I've not stopped drinking from it and it's even managed to raise a few eyebrows in the family. It's cheeky yet unoffensive and possibly the best nine quid I've ever spent.

Back in December I brought what has become my all time favourite sweatshirt of all time. This Nightmare Before Christmas sweatshirt cost me a bit more than I admittedly like to spend on sweatshirts but has been worth every penny. I brought this in a 2XL so I it's extremely oversized and cosy and I can't stop wearing it. No matter where I go, I have to wear this. It even manged to get me a compliment off a cute guy from HMV.

Another sweatshirt/jumper I've lived in this month is this super soft, super cosy pj sweatshirt from Primark. It's extremely hard to put into words just how soft this is. It's perfect for cosying up when it's cold with a cuppa in my boob mug and watching a film or reading a book (another obsession of mine). I again got this in a 2XL as I wanted it to be super oversized and it doesn't disappoint. I've even gone and brought it in blue I love it that much.

January was a good TV month for me. I started the month watching the amazing series called Killing Eve. I'd seen it advertised when it first aired but didn't really care for watching it. However I got a clip of it online and just had to watch it. I marathoned all eight episodes in three days and am eager for the next season to be released. Sandra Oh was amazing as Eve but it was Jodie Comer as Villanelle that really blew me away. The multiple layers she had as a character partnered with the physcotic manner in which she worked made me love her more than a villian should. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it. All eight episodes are currently available on iPlayer, trust me you won't be disappointed.

If you live in the UK and are an avid watcher of the BBC, you'll know that every January is Silent Witness month. It's singlehandly one of my favourite crime shows on TV and this series has to have some of it's best episodes to date. With a star packed cast, present and realistic storylines and a good deal of humour to lighten the tone, this show is a firm favourite in my house and anyone who watches it will understand why. Some of the stand out moments this year for me has been seeing Clarissa out in the field more, Nikki and Matt's relationship and just Jack in general. He's a total babe and these last two episodes that have aired have been very Jack heavy and I can't complain about that.

And my last favourite is one whose return I've been waiting for, for what seems like forever. STRIKE BACK IS BACK! Can you tell I'm happy about that. Only the season opener has aired so far but I'm already hooked again and dying for the next nine episodes. Alin Sumarwata, Dan Macpherson and Warren Brown are all back in their much loved roles but this time they are joined by newcomers Jamie Bamber, Yasemin Kay Allen and Varada Sethu. I can't wait to see how they interact with the three musketeers and where this season takes them. Only one episode in and we're seeing a darker, grittier side to the team that could lead to some interesting sub plots later in the season.

Christmas Decoration Haul

 

Happy Monday! This weekend my Twitter and Instagram feeds have been filled with people who have decorated their houses and their Christmas trees.

I'm a massive fan of a Primark fleece and they absolutely smashed it with their Christmas range. They had a great range of their Christmas patterened fleeces but they also had two amazing character fleeces I just couldn't say no to. The first is one I'd been hoping they'd release for years and this year they answered my prayers. They released a Grinch printed fleece blanket. It's a stunning blue background with Grinch faces and the iconic picture of him holding the bauble. And the second is this gorgeous white Mickey and Minnie fleece blanket. It's stunning and has a repeated pattern of of Mickey and Minnie kissing under the mistletoe.

 

 When I nipped to The Range recently, I instantly fell in love with this little Christmas ornament. It's not the usual kind of ornament/decoration I go for but I just couldn't resist it. I think it's the cute little Santa's that made me love it so much. It feels really sturdy and well built and cost less than £3 if I remember correctly. I'm not sure if I'm going to place this on my desk or on my bookcase, it all depends on what space I have left after tinsel and lights. 

 

 Can we please talk about how cute these hanging decorations are. I've cut the string to hang them with off as they'll be too heavy to hang off anywhere safely. However these are still going to look cute sitting on a shelf somewhere. My only issue with them is the glitter and how you end up covered as soon as you touch it. These are the only three available as I couldn't just chose one, I ended up buying all three.

 

 I adore the Primark Christmas snowglobes. I already have all of the ones they'd previously released, which they still sell as part of their Christmas range but this year they've added another. How can anyone resist this Santa Clause who's stuck in a chimney. It's miniature so it doesn't take up too much and cost about £2 in total. If you haven't checked out the Primark decoration range, I highly recommend you do. It's budget friendly, has something for everyone and is constantly getting new styles and additions.

 

Who doesn't like a Christmas light or five? I love Christmas lights, they're possibly my favourite decoration. Nothing beats snuggling up in bed with a hot chocolate and a Christmas movie with nothing but the Christmas lights for illumination. I already have a lot of lights from previous Christmas' but can never help but buy more when they start to appear in the shops. The first set I brought are the most adorable little Christmas lights around. They consist of a thin wire string that holds miniature LED gingerbread men. They were only £5 from Marks and Spencers and are going to look adorable wrapped around the stem of a lamp or hanging off the edge of my bookcase. And the second set I got is again from The Range and couldn't be left on the shelf. They're miniature Snowmen with a white LED light inside. There is only ten in the box but because they're well size, ten is the perfect amount. I'm going to hang them over a couple of canvases I have hanging over my bed and pray that I don't get woken by taking a Snowman to the eye. 

 Another new lighting addition I have is again Snowman related. I couldn't help but order this when I saw it. It's absolutely gorgeous. It's a LED Laser Pyramid, each side has the same gorgeous pattern of The Snowman and incased inside is a set of rotating star lights that illuminate the beautiful scene on the outside. I love this so much and it was in fact the first Christmas decoration I brought this year and I've been dying to put it up for months. 

Now this little fella doesn't have a permanent home just yet but I wanted to share him all with you. Coming in at just £6 from Primark, this standing Gingerbread Man is absolutely adorable. He's soft to the touch with velvet buttons and a knitted scarf. He doesn't need support to stand would look adorable tucked in front of the Christmas tree with the lights shining down on him.

This is the first of two hanging plaques I brought. Primark smashed it with their Christmas Disney range and this wooden hanging sign was just one of many stunning pieces. With an old fashioned design of Mickey and Minnie decorating their tree, it's simplistic yet adorable and doesn't take away from any other decorations that may be near it. At the moment it's hanging off my mirror but I may have to use one of those command hanging strips to hang it from the wall. 

 And the last thing I have to share with you is something I intially was't going to buy but when I went back and brought, I knew it was something I'd have kicked myself for not buying if I hadn't. If you didn't know by now, I'm a massive fan of the Grinch. I don't know what it is but I absolutely adore him so of course when Primark released their Grinch Christmas range, I had to buy pretty much one of everything, including this Welcome To Whoville hanging sign. What's not to love about it, it's Christmassy, it's from one of my favourite films ever and it perfectly describes how my room will look when I've finished decorating it. And he wasn't massively expensive either which makes it even better.

GRWM: A Night Out At Whitney

 

This Saturday just gone me and my mumma went to see an amazing show paying tribute to the icon that is Whitney Houston. I sang and sang and sang some more. It was absolutely amazing, by far one of the best shows I've seen in a while. And of course as it was mumma/daughter night out, I wanted to dress up a little more than usual and today I'm sharing with you everything I wore both on my face and my body for the night.

Primer 
I'll start off by saying I was having a good skin day so I didn't need as much coverage or product as I believed I would. I cut down my primer routine to only two of the four products I normally use to prime my skin. I mixed together the Maybelline SuperStay Primer and the Maybelline Master Prime Anti-Redness Primer. These helped to keep any pink/red tones out of my skin whilst creating a tacky base for my foundation to cling onto when applied.

Base 
For my base I went in with a light layer of the Rosie For Autograph Amazing Skin Secret Foundation. It's got a nice medium coverage, satin finish that lasts all day or night long and doesn't break down or move when your natural oils come through. I blended it all out with a damp beauty blender, taking care to blend down my neck so everything looked seamless and blended together.

Concealer 
As I said my skin was in quite good condition as I got ready so I was able to skip my using my usual Maybelline The Eraser Eye concealer. Instead I just used the Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer. I put several dots under my eyes, dragging the inner and outer corner dots down slightly to highlight the under eye area as well as covering my dark circles. Again I used a damp beauty blender to blend it all out, using any extra to blend over my eye lids to cover the visible veins I have.

Brows 
My brow routine hasn't changed much in any of the GRWM's I've done this month. I went in with my E.L.F Brow Pencil, focusing more on the front of my brow where it's slightly sparse before gently filling in and giving some shape to the tail of my brow. I set it all in place with the Benefit Ready, Set, Brow clear brow gel, taking care to brush through with a spoolie to make sure there was no excess product sitting in my brows.

Lashes
Again my lash routine hasn't changed and I went in with the Benefit They're Real Tinted Lash Primer. I love how this gives your lashes a very natural look which can easily be oomphed up by adding mascara. I of course followed it up with the Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara. I don't if it's the formula or the brush with this mascara but I always find myself reaching for it, even if I've newer ones to try in the drawer.

Lips 
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do lip wise so I went with one of the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Inks in the shade Founder. It's a stunning berry shade that is just the right amount of both pink and purple. The Matte Inks are amazing as they don't budge once set on the lips but don't dry down to a powder finish which means they don't become uncomfortable or drying on the lips. Plus they don't transfer when you eat and drink so it makes them the perfect lip product to wear to dinner.

 Outfit 
For my outfit I went with the grey round neck jumper that you saw in my Birthday GRWM paired with black jeans and my trusty block heel going out boots. I layered the same three necklaces you saw in my Harry Potter GRWM and finished it all off with this small embellished constellation bag from Primark. It managed to fit my purse, lipstick, mirror and the tickets inside of it no problem.

GRWM: Harry Potter Studio Tour

Happy Monday! Today I'm sharing with you my final birthday related post and it's one I'm extremely excited to share with you all. On Wednesday I was very kindly taken to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour by my soul sister Jasmin. I spent ages deliberating on what to wear, what make up to and how extra I could go without looking insane. So today I thought I'd share with you what I wore to visit the Hogwarts In The Snow event that's now taking place at the studio tour.

Primer
My primer concoction is the same as I showed you in my 26th Birthday GRWM. It starts with the Barry M Hydro Fix Primer Water followed by the Maybelline SuperStay Primer and the Maybelline Master Prime Anti-Redness Primer. The extra step that I could go without but love how it makes my skin look is the MUA Pro-Base Primer Oil. It has little gold flecks running through it that gives the skin a gorgeous dewy glow that I just love, even though too much of it can make you look sweaty (not cute).

Base 
My skin was having a good day so I decided to go with something a little lighter coverage than normal. So instead of going in with my normal Conceal and Define foundation from Revolution, I went in with my Rosie For Autograph Amazing Skin Secret foundation. It's more of a light/medium coverage that gives skin a luminous dewy glow but still allows skin to breathe and look like skin. I applied a light layer with a damp beauty blender, making sure to blend more around my nose and under eye area as foundation has started gathering there in a rather unattractive manner.

Concealer 
Concealer was my usual combination of the Maybelline The Eraser Eye and the Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer. Both paired under the eye not only cover any dark circles but also help brighten the area and make you look more awake than you actually are. Blending it out with a damp beauty blender means that you're less likely to get any creasing and that it looks more natural and skin like, especially in the inner corner of your eye.

Brows 
For brows I went in with my E.L.F Brow Pencil. This just makes filling in the sparse areas of my brows so easy to do without looking too obvious that I've filled them in. Then I set them in place with my Benefit Ready, Set, Brow clear brow gel. I like how this doesn't leave brows feeling crispy but still keeps everything in it's place.

Lashes 
For lashes I went in with my trusty duo of the Benefit They're Real Tinted Lash Primer followed by the Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara. The pair of these together gives lashes a volumised, fluttery look that doesn't droop or lose it's volume as time goes on. In fact my lashes looked that good that day, I was sad to have to take my mascara off.

Lips 
I wasn't originally going to wear any lipstick but when I looked at myself in the mirror, I looked a little washed out so I popped a light layer of the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink in Seductress on. That didn't do much to brighten my complexion so I gently pressed a little of the Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Brown Sugar over top. It gave it all a bit more warmth and added a little more colour to my complexion.

Setting 
I wanted my make up to last all day but I didn't want to use a setting spray with a matte finish that more than likely dry out my skin and leave my skin looking less than good at the end of the day. So I went in with the Make Up Revolution Hyaluronic Acid Setting Spray. Not only does it help make up gel together well, it also has all day long hold and a moisturising formula that helps keep skin looking hydrated and gorgeous throughout the day.

Outfit 
As soon as Jasmin told me she'd booked the tickets for the tour, I knew I wanted to wear something Harry Potter related when we went. And Primark are just killing it with their choice of Harry Potter clothing and pyjamas. There was quite a few things I could have chosen from but I went with this Slytherin sweatshirt in the end. It's fleecy inside so kept me really warm and snuggly as we walked the tour, oversized to give me room to move and obviously celebrated my House colours.

 I paired my sweatshirt with black jeans and my fake VANs from Primark. These are so goddamn comfortable it's unbelievable. I did wonder if my feet were going to hurt from all the walking I did that day but they were fine and I could have easily walked the tour a good two or three times more in these shoes. My Chloe inspired backpack finished my outfit off and surprisngly held a lot for a smallish backpack.

 Accessories 
And the last thing I wanted to show you all in this GRWM was my necklaces I wore that day. Lately I've really enjoyed stacking two or three necklaces together and playing with designs, lengths and metals. For my trip to the studios I went with three necklaces, all of which gave me Harry Potter vibes. The shortest of the three looks like a pressed penny with cut out details surronding a bird design. The bird reminds me of Fawkes so I thought it only fitting to wear that. The second is one of my all time favourites and is horn shaped necklace that you see all over sites like ASOS and Monki. It reminded me of the Basilisk fang, something that relates with me being a Slytherin whereas the last necklace I wore gives me major Hermione Granger vibes and will have to act as a stand in for a Time Turner until I save up and buy my own. This flip coin necklace comes on a much finer chain and flips a full three hundred and sixty but the pressed design is only featured on one side. All three together finished off my outfit properly and I was quite happy for a change with how I looked

What I Got For My Birthday

 

On Tuesday I shared with you a GRWM that I created for my birthday and today I'm back with what I'd say is my final birthday post but I do have another birthday centered one coming on Saturday. Today I'm doing my What I Got For My Birthday. And before I go any further, this is by no means a way for me to show off. I just want to share with you thoughtful gifts that I have recieved and maybe it'll give you some gift ideas for any upcoming birthdays you might have.

From my mum this year I didn't recieve a lot as she kindly gave me £200 towards buying a new iPad back in the Summer. However she wanted me to have something to open other than just a card. So she brought me this beautiful Nightmare Before Christmas travel mug. It's not just the multitude of Jack Skellington faces I love so much about this mug, it's the intricate barely there pattern underneath them that's remniscent of a design from the film itself. I already had a perfectly good travel mug but the lip on it was really deep and hard to drink from so this new mug will certainly become my new go to tea mug when I take a cuppa into work.

My stepdad never knows what to buy me so he usually goes halves with my mum on a present. This year however they've decided to do that with one of my Christmas presents instead so for my birthday he ever so kindly got me a Primark voucher. Now some may turn their noses up at that but I bloody love a stroll round Primark and can easily spend a good thirty quid or more when I'm in there. So of course while I was out on my birthday I just had to spend it. I did get one more item that isn't pictured here but that's because it's got to go back as I didn't like it when I got it home. I also got some underwear with it but didn't think you would want to see my knickers so I didn't add them to the picture. When I saw the Mary Poppins range had arrived I just had to get something and what better item to get than the snuggly fleece. I'm mad for a Primark fleece, I have tons from their Harry Potter and Disney collections and can't resist buying another when I see them. I can't wait to snuggle under this with a hot chocolate and a Christmas film. Lately I've been really enjoying wearing necklaces either on their own or layered up over a basic knit or t-shirt. And Primark is the best place to pick up on point, inexpensive necklaces that aren't a waste of money if you don't get a lot of wear out of them. I got three in total, two in the same design but just one in gold and the other in silver. They're very similar to another necklace I own with it's flipping coin design. These kinda give me Harry Potter vibes so I have a feeling that I'll be wearing one when I visit the Harry Potter Studios (TODAY!). And the third resembles a pressed penny with a gold bird design pressed into it. I think this will look great layered with other necklaces and a chunky knit. And the final thing I brought was yet more Christmas earrings. I already have a ton but just couldn't resist picking up another set. These have the most adorable stockings and beanie hats and I just couldn't help myself.

And the most exciting of all my gifts, some of which I haven't shared is from my best friend Jasmin. She has ever so kindly paid for the pair of us to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour. That happened yesterday and I still can't get over how amazing, magical and breathtaking it was. I took so many photos and could have probably taken more but it was quite busy so I think I may have missed a few details. I was in awe over the Great Hall, Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts Express and Diagon Alley. I can't even put into words how much I loved it and I'd happily go again and again and again. There was also a Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them section as you leave and it was brilliant to see all the costumes from the two films. I also met a lovely worker there called Luisa who bumped into me and Jasmin in the Gift Shop and then stopped us again as we were leaving to ask us what we thought of the tour and gave us some amazing extra tidbits about the costumes and the films. I treated myself to Hermione Granger's wand (even though I'm a Slytherin), a Time Turner keyring and a poseable Bowtruckle who I'm absolutely in love with.

And Jasmin also brought me a couple of other little Harry Potter bits to coincide with our visit to the Studio Tour. She ever so kindly brought me a Slytherin Bath Bomb. It has hints of Juniper and Bergamot and I can't wait to use this. She also brought me a Princess Jasmine sheet mask. It's printed to look like her face and I actually can't wait to wear this and take about a dozen selfies with it on. And both of them came in this stunning Slytherin make up bag. It's green, it's Slytherin, it's shiny, what's not to love. This is literally going to go everywhere with me, it's so soft; something I found intriguing for a metallic finish, it's a decent size and it's just the perfect gift for my Harry Potter heart.

Overall I'm feeling extremely lucky and grateful for all my gifts and the time spent with the ones I love. And to top it all off, me and my work bestie Lauren who is now on maternity leave for the next year are going for dinner tomorrow. She only left last Friday but I already miss her like crazy and can't wait to see her and bump tomorrow.

GRWM: 26th Birthday

 

Happy Tuesday! This Saturday just gone I turned a grand old 26. I spent the day doing a spot of Christmas shopping, a little bit of self indulgence followed by watching The Grinch with my mumma. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and thought I'd share with you the look, outfit and accessories I chose to celebrate my 26th birthday.

Primer 
I've gone a little insane with the amount of primers I use at the moment. I've kept my usual trio of the Barry M Hydro Fix Primer Water, Maybelline SuperStay Primer and Maybelline Master Prime Anti-Redness Primer. But I've also added a fourth primer to the mix and I can't say I'm angry about it. The MUA Pro Base Primer Oil gives me quite a few YSL vibes and helps to give skin a healthy glow whilst nourishing and keeping it hydrated under make up. I only use two small drops of this otherwise it quickly escalates from glowing goddess to sweaty mess but it's exactly what my skins been needing now that the colder weather has arrived and zapped the brightness out of my skin.

Base 
For base I went in with my holy grail foundation. The Revolution Conceal and Define Foundation is the only foundation I've reached for since it's release. It never lets me down and today was no different. When I'd finished dotting my face with it's giant doe foot applicator, I took my damp beauty blender and bopped it in. I love how full coverage this foundation is without being too heavy or cakey on the skin. And it's lasting power is ridiculous, just another of the long list of reasons I love it so much.

Concealer 
For concealer I went in with my trusty Maybelline The Eraser Eye. It never fails to cover my forever present dark circles. You don't necessarily need a lot but after a later night than planned on Friday, I needed a little more than normal. I mixed it in with a little of the Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer to neutralise some of the yellow tones of the Eraser Eye as well as giving a brighter, more awake look to my under eye area. I blended this out with my damp beauty blender, making sure to really blend it out so there was less chance of it creasing or fading over the day. Then I popped a little of the Conceal and Define Concealer on my forehead and down the centre of my face to just cover the areas my foundation always manages to give less coverage to. Again I blended it all in with a damp beauty blender, making sure to blend down my neck slightly so that everything meshed together nicely.

Brows 
I never used to fill in my brows but since I started using the E.L.F Brow Pencil, I've filled my brows in everyday. I start by brushing my brows out with a damp spoolie. It just helps to get rid of any stray brow hairs as well as removing any foundation that may be sitting in my brows. Then I gently filled in my brows with the E.L.F Brow Pencil, focusing mainly on the front of my brow where the hair is more sparse. Then with the spoolie on the end of the pencil, I brushed through them again to get rid of any excess product or loose hairs. I do usually go in with a brow gel to set them in place but I was slightly pushed for time so I opted to go without and they didn't go anywhere all day.

Lashes 
For my lashes I went in with my holy grail duo. After curling my lashes I liberally coated them in the Benefit They're Tinted Primer. This not only helps keep a curl after mascaras applied but also works to look after lashes both when you're wearing mascara and when you're not. I've tried a few lash primers but always find myself coming back to this one. Then I followed it up with a generous coating of the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. This has a nicely sized bristle brush that catches every single lash, even the tiny ones and lifts them to give a defined, volumised look that lasts all day.

Lips 
I love a bold lip and was originally planning on going for a bold lip when I was thinking out what I wanted to wear on my birthday but a couple days beforehand I wore a nude lip combo that I instantly wanted to wear as many times as possible before I got bored of it. I started off with the PS Love Lip Liner in Rosewood Mauve and gently outlined my lips, over drawing my upper lip slightly to give a more even appearence. Once I was happy with the shape, I went in with the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina. It always look more pink toned in the tube but when applied it has a almost greyish undertone that gives it a more wearable colour for my skin tone. I took care to only apply a thin layer so that it didn't become uncomfortable or irritating as the day wore on.

Setting
Once everything was done and I was happy with it all, I went in with my trusty Make Up Revolution Sports Fix Make Up Setting Spray. This has an ultra hold finish to it and gives skin a mattified appearence, something I enjoy when paired with the MUA primer. A quick sprtiz of this and my make up was complete.

Outfit 
For my outfit I wanted something that was cosy, cute yet comfortable and this round neck jumper from Primark has all of that and more. I paired it with some high waisted black skinny jeans and my Primark Chelsea style boots, which unfortunately killed my feet before the day was out. Then for my bag I went with my trusty Primark Chloe-esque backpack which may look small but can surprisngly hold quite a lot.

 Accessories 
I've never been a big jewellery girl. Sure I wear earrings on a daily basis but other that I never used to wear any other jewellery. But lately I've started wearing necklaces again and can't get enough of two or three similar styles layered together with a chunky knit or over a basic t-shirt. All of mine come from Primark, my favourite being the horn necklace which also comes in silver and looks great paired with a darker colours. Sure they get slightly tangled throughout the day but it's not hard to untangle them or to get the clasps back into their original place. I very nearly forgot to put them before I left the house and only remembered as I felt slightly naked without them.