Monday, February 27, 2017

DAMNED + BOW N ARROW | NEW KAT VON D LIQUID LIPSTICKS





YAAAAAY MORE LIQUID LIPSTICKS TO ADD TO MY OBSESSIVE COLLECTION! I’ve got a problem; I’m gonna hold my hands up and say now that I can’t even enter a store or scroll through a beauty website without wanting to add about twelve liquid lippies to my basket. Kat Von D’s Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks have been on my radar for about six months. Six looong months. And now I own two!

I decided that I wanted to go for the really popular cult-faves that have been teasing me on Instgram: Bow ‘n’ Arrow and Damned. I’m almost certain you’ll have heard of these shades before, just because they’re so beautiful and are being adored by some of my favourite bloggers and YouTubers.

Damned is a bloody, gory, black-red shade that I absolutely adored when I looked up swatch posts. It’s a perfect vampy red, and one I can see myself wearing for special occasions and nights out. HOWEVER, there’s an issue. I’m not so sure if the pictures show it, but this formula is quite runny and quite thin. It took me a long time to get it to look even, but luckily, I managed, and I do love the colour.

Bow ‘n’ Arrow is a peachy, beige nude. It’s beautiful beyond words, and I like it so much more than I expected to. It’s paler than the nudes I usually reach for. I normally choose a deeper brownish nude, so I wasn’t really expecting to be slapping it on on a daily basis. This one is super opaque and long-wearing, and I really REALLY LOVE IT CAN YOU TELL?!?!

There’s a couple of little things that do irk me slightly about KVD’s Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. The wands are HELLA long. Like, I feel like I’m trying to apply the lipstick from about a foot away from my face. It’s hard to get used to, as I’m so used to applying liquid lippies with the standard, shorter wands. I’m working on it, though, and it’s getting slightly more manageable.

The other thing is that I do find these liquid lipsticks to be quite drying. I know that there are many liquid lipsticks that DO dry the lips (it’s more usual than not, I think!) but these felt particularly chalky and seemed to make my lips feel super duper chapped. I try not to wear these shades when I know my lips are already quite dry (aka always), and I do make a real effort to moisturise the absolute crap out of my lips overnight so I can wear them the next day.

Having said this, there’s definitely a few more shades of the Kat Von D Liquid Lipsticks on my wishlist. I love the look of Lolita, Exorcism and Witches and hopefully they’ll be sliding through my letterbox in the near future.

Lots of love,

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Friday, February 24, 2017

AMAZING THINGS IN PRIMARK RIGHT NOW


Being the intellectual property thief I am, I've completely robbed this (amazing) idea from my soul sista Claire over on www.vanityclaire.co.uk. She trawled through the Primark website to find the best things they've got in stock at the moment. Now, I didn't even know Primark had a website that they put their stock on, so obviously my mind was blown and, after scooping up the bits of my brain from the floor, I jumped onto their website to have a little peek for myself. Primark is one of my all-time favourite stores for affordable clothing. We can't all be wandering about with armfuls of Urban Outfitters bags all of the time, can we? So, with that being said, here are my favourite pieces from the Primark online store!

Holey Moley, what a jumper; Claire chose this jumper to put on her list, and I'm also absolutely loving the Yeezus vibes. As far as I can tell, it comes in khaki and this dark-grey/black colour. Being the emo I am, I feel like I'd wear the black version LOADS, and probably as more of a dress than anything else to be honest.

Applique underwear sets; If you've not set foot in a Primark for a while, you'll be pleased to know that their underwear game has improved dramatically. They've got tonnes of these pretty bralette sets with embroidery and floral designs. I noticed them in the lead up to Valentine's Day, but they seem to be a permanent fixture in their lingerie section now, and I really must pop in and fill a basket with their undies.

Black Skater Dress; "How many black skater dresses does one need?!" I hear you cry! At least one more, I think. Aside from the fact it's only a fiver, the skater dresses I've had from Primark in the past have been a really good length. They're always nice and short, even though I'm on the shorter side, so this is definitely something I'm going to have to pick up. 

Oversized Boyfriend Denim Jacket; Someone help. I spent £40 on a practically identical denim jacket from Topshop last summer and now I'm annoyed. But, if I can get a convincing back-up from Primark for a fraction of the price, I'm not going to say no. I'd definitely go for a bigger size, and it'll look amazing as a warm spring/summer evening cover up. Yes, Primark, yes!

Oversized black t-shirt thing; If there's one thing we all love, it's an oversized t-shirt that you can wear as a dress, or tuck into high waisted bottoms. I like the curved hem, and I think we could definitely get away with chucking this on as a dress with some big ol' boots. 

This pretty fluffy pink dressing gown; My dressing gown is absolutely knackered. It may be to do with the fact that I LIVE in it, but I could really do with a new one. What's more 'blogger' than a pastel pink robe that looks really cosy? It may fall victim to a splash of pasta sauce here and there, but I really love Primark's dressing gowns and they're so cheap (this one's £8!!) that you can afford to keep a couple stashed in the wardrobe.

Extreme ripped boyfriend jeans; Sorry but when did Primark start resembling the likes of H&M, All Saints and Pull and Bear? Why was I not informed sooner? These jeans are bloody dreamy; grungey, edgy, and super duper destroyed. The only annoying thing is the fact that they're not high-waisted, but they're such a cool pair of jeans I think I could just about allow it.

Cropped dusty peach hoodie; We can never have too many hoodies, can we? I found this one in the fitness section of their website, but being the couch potato I am, I could probably just wear it while eating a cheesecake or something. I love how casual this looks, and it would be perfect for slinging on for uni or a quick nip into town. I've also been loving a bit of nude recently, and since it's under a tenner, I don't think you can go wrong.

So those are my Primark picks at the moment! I've never been so impressed with a store's current collection as I have been with Primark lately, and the fact that it's just sooo affordable makes it so much better. I really wish they'd start their online store, though, because so much of the time I have to do battle with girls who all need a size 8. I'll definitely be heading off to a store soon to pick up some new bits for SS17!

Lots of love,
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Thursday, February 23, 2017

MY LOVE FOR KOREAN SHEET MASKS


If there’s one thing I love more than a face mask, it’s a face mask that is cheap as chips and allows me to sneak up on my boyfriend and scare him. I have discovered brands called Innisfree and Etude, and they produce a massive range of beauty and skincare products. I’ve been particularly loving the range of sheet masks that they both do; in all types of fragrances, with a massive list of benefits for each skin type.

As an oily-but-sensitive-skinned gal, I’m partial to trialling a variety of different methods of controlling spots, oil, but ensuring my skin is hydrated and soothed. I’ve got such a solid, amazing skincare routine going on at the moment, but I STILL love to have a few little back-ups for special occasions or when I feel like I want a bit of TLC.

My favourite sheet masks by Innisfree is definitely the rose. Etude’s blueberry and pomegranate masks are also absolutely amazing, and I have a few in the bathroom cupboard for when I fancy a hydration boost.

Their pomegranate mask delivers a radiance boost and tightens pores, so this is great before getting ready for a big night out.
The rose mask is smoothing and super hydrating, and smells absolutely divine. I usually use the rose mask after a pamper session, before applying my usual skincare.
The blueberry mask contains powerful antioxidants, hydration and is irritant-free; perfect for my sensitive skin.

Innisfree’s masks are super cheap; they retail for about £3 per mask. Etude’s masks are even more affordable at $1.99USD and shipping is next to nothing! I’d definitely recommend trying out a few different styles of sheet masks and deciding which ones work the best for your skin. I’ve tried others, but these ones are by FAR my favourites, and I feel like they really complement the rest of my skincare. They’ve got soooo many varieties, it’d be a shame not to trial out a few!

Let me know if you do! And what are some of your favourite sheet masks?

Lots of love,


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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

DIY BURRITO BOWLS



Ingredients:
Long grain rice (1 cup)
3 peppers – one red, one yellow, one green
One medium sized onion
One lime
One cup of sweetcorn (frozen or tinned!)
One tin of taco beans
Small tin of chopped tomatoes
Grated cheddar
Guacamole
Chipotle salsa
Olive oil

I added grilled chicken to my burrito bowl, but it works amazingly with just the veggies! I’ve been cutting back and back on my meat intake lately, but I had some leftover chicken that I didn’t want to waste. I simply grilled the chicken breast with lime juice and a bit of the chipotle salsa, salt and a teeny weeny bit of garlic.

I have accidentally transformed my beauty blog into a food blog. Ooops. However, I’m such a foodie and I could spend ages in the kitchen trying out new recipes. It’s suuuuch a love of mine, and I thought you might enjoy these DIY burrito bowls as much as I did.







I’ve been having a passionate love affair with Tortilla; a Mexican takeaway that do burritos, nachos and quesadillas. I’m a sucker for all things Mexican, and I recently wondered how much money I’d gone and spent whilst trying to quench my desire for burritos. The answer was a lot, and after watching them make my burritos time and time again, I was confident I could make my own version. I’d also been opting not to have the tortilla, and having ‘naked burritos’ instead, which is exactly the same, just served in a bowl. They’re super healthy and filling beyond words, so I definitely wanted to master the art of the naked burrito so I could have them at home.

They turned out amaaaazingly, and I’ve managed to get four meals out of this recipe. So that’s two for Chris and I now, and two for later! Here’s how I managed it:

Tomato rice:
-       boil one cup of rice with two cups of water
-       turn heat down and let the rice cook until all the water is absorbed
-       drain the rice and return it to the saucepan
-       add 3 or 4 tablespoons of chopped tomatoes and stir through on a very low heat until the rice has a light orangey colour to it and hot

Sweetcorn:
-       drain the sweetcorn from the tin and place in a bowl
-       add 3 or 4 tablespoons of chopped tomatoes and stir through
-       add a shake of mixed herbs and black pepper and stir
-       place in a saucepan and cook on medium heat while stirring for about 5 minutes

Mixed peppers:
-       slice the peppers and the onion (I like to leave my onion in quite big chunks so they don’t go too soggy!)
-       drizzle olive oil in a frying pan and turn the heat to medium
-       when the pan is hot, throw in all the sliced pepper and onion
-       stir-fry until slightly soft (or more if you prefer! I love crunchy vegetables so I take mine off the heat quite quickly, but you can fry them for longer if desired.)

Taco beans:
-       literally the easiest thing in the world: empty the tin and heat in a saucepan for about 10 minutes on a medium to low heat

Layer the rice in the bowl first, then top with the taco beans. Then I added the pepper and onion and popped the sweetcorn on next. I then layered on my chopped up chicken breast and added a dollop of guacamole and a sprinkle of grated low-fat cheddar. The result was Instagram worthy, if you ask me!

I’m not 100% sure on the calorie content of these burrito bowls, but I know that they’re full of goodness and are so so so so filling. A quick google tells me that there’s around 550 calories in a naked burrito from my beloved Tortilla, but these homemade ones are surely better because I know exactly what I’ve put in them and some of the ingredients have been tweaked slightly.

I’m determined to get my bikini body ready for the summer, so you can probably look out for more healthy recipes in the future. Do let me know if you tried out this recipe!

Lots of love,



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