September favourites.

I knowwww I know, we're already 5 days into October but I've been so busy with my new job I just haven't had time to sit and blog. However, I'm not doing anything today so lets get on with the show! I thought I'd do my first "favourites" post. I'm forever reading them on other blogs and always watching videos on youtube so hey, lets give it a go. 

To start off this favourites post, I'm going to show you my favourite food for this month. It's no secret that I do my weekly food shopping at Lidl, I just cannot get enough of it. The thing I've been consistently purchasing has been hazelnut spread filled croissants. They're so yummy, I know they're a bit indulgent for breakfast but they're really nice if warmed up slightly as the middle goes gooey. They're £1.29 (I think? Or there abouts...) for 5, so if you're ever in Lidl and see these about, grab some as they're so nice! 

My second favourite for this month is the Neutrogena Visibly Clear pink grapefruit facial wash. Recently I've been suffering with really oily skin and this seems to do the trick for me. As instructed on the packaging, I've been using this once in the morning (before I apply my makeup) and at night (once I've removed my makeup). It leaves my face feeling super clean without making my skin feel tight, if you know what I mean? It smells so nice too which is a bonus! I think I bought this from Tesco (I had a mini haul from there the start of the month) for around £3.00 and even though I use it twice daily, I've barely used any of this product. 

Now I had to jump on the bandwagon of using micellar water to remove my makeup and I'm 

really glad I have. I've been using Garnier Micellar Water to remove my makeup daily and it's really improved the look and feel of my skin. It's a lot more gentle on the skin and doesn't cause me to have any sort of dry patches or irritated patches. It's really cheap too, I bought this when it was on offer in Tesco for £2.00 and it's lasted me absolutely ages, I've been using it daily for around a month now and I'm not even half way through the bottle! Now before people go "it's just normal water" it's really not, it feels really weird when it's on your skin. I can't describe it, it makes my skin feel really silky...definitely buy some if you're thinking about it! 

I'm a sucker for dry shampoo as I've stated before, I only wash my hair twice a week. I've been accustomed to Superdrug own brand dry shampoo for years, then moving on to "Girls Only" even Wilkinsons own. I then finally tried several different ranges in Batiste. My favourite so far has to be the one with cherry packaging, however when I went to my local Superdrug they didn't seem to have any in so I picked up one with really pretty floral packaging. It smells absolutely amazing and definitely makes my hair feel cleaner when I've used it. I think this was around £1.49 on offer when I purchased it, it's a pretty basic dry shampoo and I definitely love it! 

And my final favourite of the month has to be The Sims 4. This was a total surprise present from my boyfriend, I'd been hassling him for ages saying how much I wanted to buy it but couldn't afford it (£50 was a lot at the time as I recently changed jobs and had no money coming in until recently..!) so one Friday when I came home from work, he asked me to make him a cup of coffee and  there it was, in the cutlery drawer! I was so happy I literally did a little dance in the kitchen and screamed! I instantly installed it on my laptop and have been hooked ever since. Okay, at the moment I don't think it's as good as TS3, but hey, it's only just been released, let's give it time! I'll more than likely do a separate post on TS4 but for now I'll keep it brief, it's actually okay despite so many negative reviews. 

Sorry this post has been so brief but I just felt like sharing a couple of my favourites from September 2014 as I hadn't updated my blog in a while. I've got a couple of posts in mind that I'd like to do, so when I've planned those out properly I'll have them up in no time!

Hopefully I'll be back up and will be updating regularly again when I have more spare time and when I have structured rotas from work, so I look forward to updating you guys then! 

♥

What's in my makeup bag - August 2014

I get asked quite frequently what makeup I use, so I thought I might as well do a "What's in my makeup bag" post. 

My makeup bag is a Cath Kidston cosmetic bag (now discontinued) but I'm pretty sure I picked it up for £8. They normally retail at £12 and are available from independent Cath Kidston retailers as well as on the Cath Kidston website. I love this cosmetic bag as it's not too big (basically it fits all my rubbish in there..) and it's also made from a fabric you can wipe clean if you get any makeup on it, which inevitably I have. If you know me in person, you'll know my love for Cath Kidston is a bit unhealthy and this just seemed like the right thing to add to my ever growing collection. 

So, what's actually in my makeup bag?  

1. Collection Cover Up stick in Light. I've used this for quite some time and I absolutely love it. It takes me a while to get through it as I don't really have many blemishes that need heavy coverage. It's a great consistency and lasts all day on me, I prefer using stick concealers compared to liquid for this reason. I bought this from Boots for £1.99 although it's sold in every Collection retailer.

2. Seventeen Stay Time foundation in Soft Ivory. I cannot rate this foundation enough, it's literally my favourite purchase I've made in a while. It's amazing coverage, not cakey nor does it budge once I've set it with a powder. I've used it nearly every day since I bought it and the bottle still feels pretty full of product. It's medium to high coverage which I love, it doesn't feel heavy on my face if I've built it up. I will definitely be repurchasing this, it retails for £6.49 in Boots and there's normally an offer on the Seventeen range so keep a look out. 

3. Nivea Pearl Beauty roll on deodorant. Am I weird for keeping deodorant in my makeup bag? I like the hand size of this deodorant and it lasts me AGES despite using it every single day. It's one of my all time favourite deodorants as I can smell it all day and I feel like it gives me great protection against sweat (yum!). This is probably one of the best roll on deodorants I've tried and for £1.00, you can't really complain. It's widely available at this price, I think I even got mine from Lidl! 

4. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge. I was seriously against the hype of the Beauty Blender but caved in, as usual. I had been using a foundation brush for YEARS and have never thought of applying my makeup any other way, until I watched reviews on this. This egg sized orange sponge makes my foundation flawless, regardless of how quickly I put my makeup on. It's best used damp (I find, anyway), it almost doubles in size and it really does a good job of blending your makeup into your skin allowing you to avoid hideous tide marks! It's also really easy to clean and doesn't mis-shape when drying again. I've been using this for a couple of months now and will never ever look back to applying my foundation any other way. It retails for £5.99 and is available from Boots and Superdrug (or anywhere that sells Real Techniques items!). 

5. Maybelline "The Volum' Express" Falsies Flared mascara. I've tried getting myself away from this mascara but seriously, I can't. I've tried Max Factor, Rimmel, Barry M but this ALWAYS seems to be my go-to mascara. I've used the original version of this mascara for years and it always gives me the most dramatic blackest black lashes I've ever had from a mascara. I didn't actually realise I'd picked this one up but the shape of the brush really accentuates the lashes and makes them look fuller. It doesn't flake off onto my face either which is SO nice not to have! It's easy to take off and doesn't seem to dry out quickly in the tube either. It's not cheap, retailing at £7.99 roughly, but you really do get what you pay for with this (I think anyway!). If you're looking for a decent mascara, please try this as I can't rate it enough, I even converted my Mum! Again, this mascara is widely available from Maybelline retailers. 

6. Micronor contraceptive pill. Yes, this is kept firmly by my side! I tend to take this the same time as I put my makeup on so I never forget to take it. I've loved changing to this pill, it's made me feel a hell of a lot better about myself. Blah blah, yeh...it's a pill haha! 

7. Hair bobble probably from Primark. I always keep one in my makeup bag as I'm forever searching for one to scrape my hair back whether I'm at work or at home. 

8. Sleek Kohl Eyeliner in Black. I can't seem to find a link to this on Boots or Superdrug which shows just how old this eyeliner is..I really should get a new one. It's a basic black eyeliner, it lasts on the waterline quite well however I'm not sure how well it lasts on the eyelid as I use liquid liner. I bought this from Superdrug probably about a year and a half ago, I think it was around £1.99. Yeh I'm gunna buy a new eyeliner when I'm next in town...

9. Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown. This is a staple in my makeup bag as I simply love it. I've used this a lot over the past two years or so since I began filling my eyebrows in. It's not waxy, it's basically a kohl eyeliner with a brush on the end of it. It makes my eyebrows look more defined and shaped, but still looking quite natural. The shade range isn't that great in these, but I chose Dark Brown as I wanted more..darker eyebrows than my light brown/ginger brows! It retails widely for £2.99 and lasts for AGES. 

10. Eyeliner sharpener, I'm not even sure where this was from. I'm pretty sure I nicked it off my Mum though...

11. Collection Fast Stroke liquid eyeliner in Black. I've used this eyeliner so many years, probably since I was about 13! It's a basic liquid liner and lasts all day. It doesn't crack, flake or budge if you touch it. I've heard a lot of reviews saying people feel this burns their eyelids (!) but I've never ever had this and I've used it for years. The nib on the "brush" is like a felt tip pen which I love as I can control where the eyeliner goes. Retailing for £2.99, it's cheap and cheerful but definitely does the job and I will repurchase this for years to come. 

12. Pocket mirror from Primark. You can't actually tell from this photo but it's a pastel pink with white polka dots on it. It was £1.00 and it feel really sturdy. It has two mirrors in it which don't feel like they'll fall out any time soon. It matches the theme of my makeup bag quite well and basically comes with me wherever I go! 

13. Micropore surgical tape. Okay so this is a new but logical addition to my makeup bag. I'm forever being asked to take my piercings out at hospitals etc but have been told it's acceptable to tape them up. So instead of me spending hours removing my jewellery, this is staying in my makeup bag so I can whip it out and cover all my piercings! 

14. Lypsyl lip balm in Strawberry. I don't know if the formula of this lip balm has changed but oh good lord it's dry! I've used this before and don't remember it being like this. I chucked this in my makeup bag as a last resort lip balm. I can't say it's really moisturising but yeh..it smells nice. That's about it. I'll probably be replacing this soon. I think it was around £1.00 so not a huge loss. 

15. Chapstick in Cake Batter. I loooove this lip balm. It was a gift from Florida off my Sister, I was so excited to get it. It's super moisturising and lasts well on the lips. It smells absolutely divine. I've written about this on a separate post but yeh, I'm gutted this isn't easily available in the UK. I'm not even sure how much it cost her but I'm gunna go on a mad hunt to find a UK retailer once this runs out!

16. Powder applicator puff (thing..). I think I got this from Superdrug in a pack of 3 but I can't seem to find a link to these anywhere. I could do with replacing this too to be fair. I'm pretty sure they cost me around £2.99. 

17. Collection Pressed Powder in Ivory. This is my go-to powder as it sets my foundation really really well. It lasts me quite a while despite me using it every single day too. I buy this in the shade Ivory but it looks white in the pan, but it settles on the skin almost translucent. It doesn't feel cakey once applied and can be built up if needed. It retails for £1.99 in Boots and Superdrug but also wherever sells Collection. 

18. Boots Precision Grip Straight Tweezers. These are always in my makeup bag as I hate losing tweezers. I can't even think of how many I've lost over the years! These are pretty basic and are easy to hold. They're tweezers, nothing special but do the job. I bought these from Boots for £3.80. 

So there you have it, every single item that's in my makeup bag. I actually enjoyed writing this post and it's made me see just how little I actually use on a day to day basis!  The contents in my makeup bag rarely change, but I love reading these posts on other blogs so thought I'd give it a go!

♥