Beauty Advent Calendars 2015

Even though we all love our chocolate advent calendars at Christmas, the rise of the beauty advent calendars has become huge over the past couple of years. From drugstore to high end, most brands these days are doing one and selling them out pretty much straight away. I've never actually owned one (*cries*) but I have created many a lists of which ones I would love to have. Yes, they can be a bit pricey but for what they are actually worth, the prices are pretty insane. As December is quickly approaching I thought I'd make a list of some 2015's best looking advent calendars and quickly before they all sell out.

Make Up Revolution - £25

Tanya Burr - £24.99

Feel Unique - £30 (Worth £85)

No7 - £38

Ciate - £49 (or £16.99 in TK Maxx!!)

The Body Shop - £60

Selfridges - £60

Benefit - £79

Charlotte Tilbury - £150

Jo Malone - £260

Charlotte xxx

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My Hair Routine and Go To Hairstyle Featuring GHD's Eclipse Straightener

My hair is probably bottom of my list when I'm getting ready. I used to not do anything. My routine included step 1: washing my hair with whatever shampoo and conditioner I had in, step 2: towel drying and brushing my hair, step 3: blow the hairdryer on my hair then give up because I have too much hair and I'm too lazy and step 4: put it in a bun then take it out and hope that it is slightly curly. There you go, my hair routine, bye.

Just kidding obvs. Recently I've been caring for my hair more and styling it rather than just leaving it to do whatever the hell it wants. And if I'm honest, I'm pretty happy with my hair at the moment and my mam keeps commenting on how healthy it looks. Well done hair. A little bit of background on my hair would probably be a good way to start this off. I have brunette hair with a thousand different colours. I quite like the colour of my hair, I have a mix of red and golden tones to it which  show up in different lights. I've only dyed my hair once which was about 3 years ago. I had it dyed at my hairdressers to a lighter brown colour but then I went on holiday and it went practically blonde. Bit of a mistake but I quite liked it. I decided I didn't want to get it dyed again so just let it grow out and regularly had hair cuts to get rid of the remaining colour. For a while I looked like I had dip dyed hair. What a mare. My hair is EXTREMELY thick and I have lots of it. Like seriously, lots. It falls out everywhere and my boyfriend always seems to be the person they land on. Soz mate. 

I used to have a side parting and that's the way my hair naturally falls to however, lately I've been starting to style it in a middle parting which I really like the look of. So, let's start with the shower. I don't tend to buy specific shampoos and conditioners if I'm honest. I have always just gone with whatever we have had in and to be honest I sometimes just get the cheapest ones. But they seem to do the job. I quite enjoy using Alberto Balsam shampoo and conditioners and for the price of £1 they are amazing value for money. One of my favourite ranges, however, is the Herbel Essences Bee Strong range. I love this stuff and it has done wonders for my hair. The smell is amazing. It smells of honey and apricot which together are the bomb dot com. I always seem to go back to this range after using something else and it never disappoints. Not going to lie, I do like to treat myself sometimes. For my birthday I was given the Liz Earle Botanical Shampoo and Conditoner. I love the skin products from Liz Earle and never though to try their haircare but I was actually impressed. I wasn't too keen on the smell however it wasn't overpowering on my hair after my shower. It made my hair silky smooth and if I'm honest, I feel like this is one of the main reasons why my hair looks so healthy at the moment.

After I have my shower I tend to brush my hair when it's still wet. Yes, I know that's not what your meant to do and makes your hair worse but it works best for me. I can't for the life of me brush my hair when it's dry otherwise it turns frizzy so this is the only way. I use my beloved Tangle Teezer which had been an essential in my life for a good few years now. I know they're a bit pricey at £10 a brush but it's honestly worth it. Mine last for a long time as well and you can get loads of different types. I then use my Garnier Ultimate Blends Marvellous Glow Oil and this little beauty has been a god send. I never used to use any product on my hair but I'm so glad I do now. I apply onto wet hair after I've towel dried and brushed my hair and then I dry my hair with a blow dryer. I don't blow dry it in any fancy way I just put my head upside done and dry it. Fancy.

Like I said before, I've been styling my hair into a middle parting rather than a side parting. I don't use heat too much on my hair because tbh, I sometimes can't be bothered. But recently, I have been using my GHD Eclipse Straightener to create a few curls here and there in my hair. My hair is naturally voluminous. Like, I always get asked what I use to get my hair the way it is and the answer is always nothing. I prefer to have more volume though so I'm quite lucky that my hair is like that. I rarely straighten my hair and it is naturally wavy anyway. However I like to curl my hair with these straighteners as it leaves a natural, beachy wave look. I usually separate my hair into two sections and start with the bottom. I take small (but not too small otherwise it will take forever) sections of my hair and take the straighteners down then curl it up. It doesn't leave the most perfect looking curls but I don't want perfect looking hair. To be honest, most of the time I look like I've been dragged through a bush backwards. I then start on the top section of my hair and take each side of a time so that my hair doesn't get in the way when I'm curling it. After I've finished curling I flip my hair upside down and back up again then drag my fingers through to make the curls a bit looser. And to finish it off I use my Tresemme Runway Collection Make Waves Hairspray to hold it all in place. I do admit, my hair does drop after I curl it because I have so much hair but it leaves a gorgeous look!

Charlotte xxx

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Review: MAC's Blankety

Looking for the perfect nude? Well, this may be the blog post to read. I love my lipsticks, like, seriously love them. It's bad how many I own but you know what, I don't really care. I am all up for a bold lip however, when it comes to nudes, I have got time for that. MAC lipsticks are an all time favourite of mine and I could not fault any of the ones that I own. Blankety has been quite famous across the internet for a while now and I never really knew whether I wanted to try it out. If I'm honest, when I saw people wearing it on blogs and YouTube videos I thought it was more of a darker nude, and I prefer a lighter colour, so I was never really interested. But then the moment came when I somehow managed to fall into the MAC counter (how does that happen ey) and I stood next to the lipstick stand. Yes, I swatched a billion before I found blankety and oh my giddy aunt I fell in love. I know I say that about many lipsticks that I own but seriously, this changed me. I swatched this colour and was like ahhhhh then I looked at the name and was like AHHHHH. In my head though not out loud cause that might've made me look a bit odd...

The colour is definitely more on the pinky side of nudes which are my fav. I do own brown toned nudes but I just think that those with pink undertones suit my skin tone more and I've always gone towards them. I would say this is quite a girly pink and would suit all skin tones. It also seems to make my teeth look whiter which I love and it looks great with a tan. But what doesn't look great with a tan? This is because it is quite blue undertoned and I would recommend to anyone who wants a pearly white smile to get blue toned lipsticks as it really brings your nashers out.

The longevity of this product is pretty good. As it is an amplified finish, it is very pigmented. However, I do own many other amplified finishes from MAC and I wouldn't say that this is the most pigmented out of the ones that I own. This may be because it is a nude though and the others are bold colours so I'll give it that one. It does last pretty much all day, but that is if you don't eat and drink, which is never going to happen in my world because I love food too much and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I sometimes do need to reapply it but overall it stays well. I do sometimes find that it leaves a line on my lips when it wears off, which isn't very attractive. This could be because my lips are quite dry at the moment though so don't quote me on that. It isn't matte and gives a nice subtle shine and of course, the smell never fails to disappoint. Think vanilla.

MAC lipsticks retail at £15.50 (what a liberty, I remember when they were £13) and you can get them from their website or shop or House of Fraser concessions!

Charlotte xxx

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Confessions of a Stationary Hoarder

It's no secret that I love stationary. I'd happily spend my money on buying a new notebook or pretty gel pens than food to keep me living. My desk drawers have always been full of stationary that I probably don't even need and never use yet I love to keep hold of every single item. My mam will literally roll her eyes everytime I go shopping and come home with a new notebook but who cares. I am a stationary hoarder and here are my confessions:

1. Yes, I do buy notebooks because they're pretty. The amount of notebooks I have and don't actually have a use for is ridiculous. The thing is, I literally don't have an excuse to give when someone asks me why I've bought it, all I say is 'because it looks pretty.

2. The majority of notebooks I own are still blank. Yep, even the ones I bought over a year ago are still waiting to be scribbled in.

3. Seeing a pretty gel pen set really excites me. Is that weird? I love coloured pens like making my work pretty and colourful seriously makes me wake up in the morning.

4. Lists are a daily thing. I've said in many posts that I love making lists. Like, I LOVE making lists. I'm actually planning on writing one after I write this blog post so there you go. I have books and notepads specifically designed for lists and they excite me when I see them on the shelves. I just recently bought shopping list book and a desk pad (that's one of my favs). Plus, they look pretty, as always.

5. The amount of pencil cases I own is uncanny. I remember at the beginning of every year at school I used to buy a new pencil case and sometimes even bought a second one throughout the year. I used to enjoy going out to buy my pencil case and would take forever to decide on just one. Yes, I do still love doing that now and yes I may have a collection of pencil cases at home that I don't use anymore...

6. I probably have pens that don't work but I still like to hang on to them. No, not the normal biro style pens that once you use you just throw away and get a new one out of the pack. Those pens that have your name on or a cute pattern (mainly from Paperchase). I seem to hang onto pens that I may have bought in the past or received as birthday and Christmas presents even if they don't work.

7. One of my favourite presents ever was a pack of sticky notes. Yeah you heard me. In my stocking last year I was given a set of post it notes from Happy Jackson and I think it was one of the best presents I've ever received. I showed it off to everyone that's how sad I am.

8. I have no regrets. To be honest, I don't really care that I have more stationary than WHSmith itself and I'll continue to buy pretty notebooks and pens and won't regret. I will willingly spend £10 on a notebook that doesn't need to be that much but if it looks nice and feels good to hold I'll have it. I will drag my nearest and dearest into Paperchase forever more. Sorry guys.

Charlotte xxx

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Motivation

I go through stages where I can be really productive and want to get everything done or I go weeks without being anywhere near productive and slack on everything that I do. I thought I'd write a bit of personal and chatty blog post about what motivates me and how you can get motivated. I have to admit, there has been times where I've genuinely gone weeks without writing a blog post and I always feel rubbish about it because this is what I want to do. I want to write about the things that I love and share it with people. I have always been interested in writing and that's why I take an English degree. I have always been an English person, I was never the girl who was obsessed with science or was amazing at playing a musical instrument. Throughout my whole school life I loved English. That may make me sound a bit geeky but hey ho, I love it.

I remember starting this blog when I had finished my GCSE's in year 11 (oh my that was 3 years ago wow I feel old), basically because I had a long summer and knew I was going to be bored. I really started getting into reading beauty and fashion blogs and thought, I'm going to give that a go. I admit, my posts back then were awful and if you fancy reading some of them then feel free they're still right here on my blog! I posted them because I loved writing about make up and what clothes I had recently bought. I started to post quite often but then after a while began to lose motivation and completely lost interest in what I was writing. It was only that last year and a half that I really got back into blogging. Yes, in that year and a half I have wrote blog posts then suddenly stopped for a good month but I always feel really guilty about it. I really enjoy blogging, and recently, I've been a lot more motivated and productive with my days and blogging has been given more attention. I'm not the most motivated of people and probably not the best person to listen to but I thought I'd share with you some of the little things I do to keep my motivation levels up.

1. Write a list.

This is probably the most important thing to do. I love making lists and that's no secret. I love making a to do list every morning so that I have a general idea about how much I have to do that day. There may be two things on my list and there may be five, but writing a list makes me feel a lot more organised and there's something really satisfying about ticking things off. Is anyone else like that? I love getting stationary that makes list writing easier, do you get me? On a Sunday I tend to plan each day with what work I have to do that day, when I'm going to write blog posts and when I'm going to take blog photos. However, autumn days are quite unpredictable so I take photos whenever I can, #bloggerprobz. When it comes to my blog I never really kept a schedule, but now I make a list of what I'm going to write for what day and that has seemed to help quite a lot. I've even planned my Christmas blog posts that's how productive I am at the minute. I do love a bit of organisation.

2. Set and alarm.

Some days I have uni at 9 so I am usually up at half 7 and out by half 8. Luckily, my days at uni aren't very long and I have the majority of the afternoons off and two full days off in a week so I have quite a lot of spare time. I don't currently have a part time job either which gives me a lot more time to do work and blogging. When I'm off however, I like to set alarms on some days so that I can get up early and have a productive day. I do like to have a lie in once in a while, which I think is good as you need to get your sleep. But, as I'm so used to getting up early, my body clock automatically wakes me up at half 7 every morning. Isn't that nice?

3. Take a break.

Don't push yourself too hard. There's a thing called overworking and you really don't want to be doing that. If you do too much, you can tire yourself out and lose concentration. Take a break every couple of hours, have some food, pour yourself a cuppa or catch up on that programme you missed last night. There's nothing worse than sitting at your desk all day staring at your laptop which ends up giving you a crooked back and a banging headache. 

4. Tidy up.

Is this just me who does this? I love a tidy workspace and usually before I start anything I love to make my bed, put my clothes away or file away some loose papers. There's something about a clear desk that makes everything easier to do. I always find that I am set for the day when I clean and it starts my day off productively so that's the way to carry on.

5. Don't overdo it.

Don't think you can complete everything in that one day. I will set myself a goal of finishing some uni reading in one day and with my distraction levels, that never happens. I can easily be distracted by online shopping, the television or just listening to music. I could happily just sot and dance in my seat for a good hour and then when that passes I think to myself, imagine what you could have done in that hour without your daily sing-a-long to One Direction. But who doesn't love a bit of the 1D boys eh? eh? I remember one day I made a to do list and it was too full and I completely lost interest. Give  yourself a realistic goal and if you manage to complete all of that, make a head start on your next to do list.

I hope this helped in some way or another. I apologise that I'm not the most motivational person but you know, I do try.

Charlotte xxx

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Why Do I Wear Make Up?

I was never into make up from a young age. To be honest, I was quite nervous to wear make up and only properly got into it when I was in year 9/10, even if that did mean bad eyeliner and concealer lips. My mam doesn't wear loads of make up but still does and I used to rummage through her stash when I was little but never knew what product did what. I have pretty normal skin and rarely get blemishes (I applaud my parents for giving me the good skin gene). So why do I love covering my skin up in make up when I don't necessarily need it?

In my opinion, I believe that I do need to wear make up. I don't need to cake myself in it and I've gone out of the house without make up before. But as a confidence boost, I prefer to put a bit of concealer under my eyes and mascara on my lashes even if I am just popping out to get milk and bread. Every girl is different and so if you feel you need to put it on then do it but don't bother if there's no need. I don't want to write this blog post and say you shouldn't wear make up and you should embrace your natural skin because if you're not confident enough to not wear make up then do whatever makes you happy. It's nice to give your skin a bit of a breather and if you're not doing much then you don't need to put it on but I've had days where I've literally done nothing and just been sat in the house all day but I still spend half an hour in the morning covering my face in whatever I've got just because I enjoy it.

I wouldn't have made this blog if I didn't have a passion for make up and fashion and everything else that I write about. Collecting make up is my hobby, just like other people love to collect stamps or comic books or even pebbles you find on a beach. I admit, I probably could've spent my money on other necessary things but instead of spending loads of money on a night out or something like that, I tend to save it and buy the latest eyeshadow palette or lipstick just because it makes me happy. Yes, I do have 6 lipsticks in pretty much the same shade and people have been shocked when they look at my make up collection but to me, every one of those lipsticks are unique (lol deep conversation about lipsticks.) I love trying new products and if that means spending £30 on a foundation then I'll do it.

There are so many influences nowadays and YouTube has recently become one of the major ways in which girls, as young as 10 (and maybe younger) are wearing make up. My younger cousin has only just turned 12 and does her makeup better than I did at that age (if I even wore any) and it's all because of YouTube videos and beauty gurus. I love that. It's amazing how people can just sit in front of a camera in their bedrooms and be so inspirational to people all around the world! Make up is a personal topic. If you want to cake yourself in it then do it. I love experimenting with different make up looks. Give me a smokey eye and a bold lip any day and I'll be a happy bunny. Some people go for the more natural look and that is absolutely fine! What's wrong with showing off your natural skin? Don't be afraid of what people think when it comes to make up. I mean, if you go out with bright pink cheeks and dark black eyes it may look a bit out of place but if that's your thing then do it.

Why do I wear make up? Because I want to.

Charlotte xxx

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Review: Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this palette is...thank you. I think I nearly fainted when I opened this for the first time and that's no word of a lie. I had been seeing a lot of posts on Instagram and Twitter from Sleek about their new highlighting palette and I knew that baby had to be a part of my collection. I'm not being funny though, I genuinely said 'oh my god oh my god oh my god' about ten times when I was opening the box, that's how excited I got.

First of all, the package is bloomin beautiful. It's not your typical black packaging Sleek, but a shiny metallic gold with white writing. Inside, the palette contains 4 highlighting shades: 1 cream highlighter, 1 powder highlighter and 2 baked powder highlighters. It comes with a small brush, which I haven't used yet as I tend to go for my other brushes, and a large mirror (perfect for travelling!). All of the shades have their own name, which come on a little slip. I love this feature because it is so easy to use when you want to talk about a specific shade. The colours are B-E-A-UTIFUL (any Bruce Almighty fans out there?) The pigmentation is amazing and seriously, a little does go a long way. You literally just have to slightly dab your brush into the product and you'll get the perfect glow. Strobing is everywhere at the minute and if you are wanting to look like the next Kim K then this is definitely for you.

Ecliptic

This is the only cream highlighter in the palette and I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of cream highlighters however, I love wearing them underneath powder highlighters as I feel like they make them last a lot longer. It is rose pink shade, verging on the rose gold side of things but with much less gold. I'm so bad at explaining colours oh my. It is incredibly creamy and pigmented, perfect if you want to wear it alone.

Hemisphere

This is the first baked powder highlighter in the palette and is VERY pigmented. The colour is more on the purple side but this does not come up on the cheeks. As it has white shimmer running through it makes it a lot less subtle in colour than it looks in the palette. Like I said this is incredibly pigmented and you need the tiniest bit of product to create such an effect. I think the baked highlighters are my favourite in the palette, I love a bit of glow.

Equinox

Again, like Hemisphere, this a baked powder highlighter and you don't need a lot of product. The colour is more on the peachy side and could actually be a part of a sunkissed look, particularly in the summer. It has white shimmer going through it meaning the colour isn't too strong but gives an amazing glow to the cheeks. I've used this the most out of all the shades in the palette and was actually the first one I tried as it is most definitely the colour for me. Do you ever open your new palette and sit there for ages thinking about what colour to use first? That was me.

Subsolar

The last shade in the palette is very much your standard golden highlighter. This isn't a baked powder but your typical shimmer powder highlighter. I love this shade again, like every other shade in the palette. I don't like to leave colours out. It is very pigmented and reminds me of Makeup Revolution's baked highlighter in the shade 'Golden Lights', mainly because of the colour and pigmentation.

All of these shades could actually double up as eyeshadows, which gives it extra brownie points. I haven't used them as eyeshadows but I will have to try and get back to you! The palette costs £9.99 which is great value for money as you get four shades and the quality is similar to that of high end highlighters!

Charlotte xxx

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My Top 5 Online Fashion Websites

I'm a sucker for online shopping. I'm one of those people that will be given something really important to do and within 5 minutes of starting that task, my laptop turns into a catalogue of fashionness and I completely forget what I was meant to be doing. I do love a good online browse though (and occasionally buy when I'm not chicken enough to spend my money). I think there's nothing better than lying in bed, in your pjs with a cup of tea and scrolling through numerous websites looking at dresses, jumpers and everything else for hours. And think about it, it's much better looking at the sales in the comfort of your home than having to put up with people pushing past you in the shops right? I have been really loving 5 websites in particular recently, many of them which are pretty well known and I have used for a long time with one that I have only just discovered. I have loved clothes from every one of these websites, that I have bought, and so I thought I'd share with you my most loved fashion websites.

Missguided

I think most of you will have heard of Missguided. I remember discovering this shop ages ago. It was one of those things that you feel like you discovered before everyone else, you know what I mean? but anyway, I frikin love this shop. I've never been disappointed with anything that I have ordered from here. It is pretty affordable but also great value for money. Their cheapest delivery is £4.00, which in my opinion is a little bit on the pricey side. However, if you visit the site regularly or sign up to their email subscription you can easily find out about all the deals they have going on. Every week their is usually an offer, whether it be 20% of coats and jackets or £1.99 delivery on everything. That is what I love the most about them. Their student discount is usually 10% but at the moment they are offering 15% which takes that little bit extra money off your bill. The quality of their clothes is always on point and washes great too. I have a range of clothes from Missguided from casual t-shirts to party dresses and I have never had to complain about anything!

Miss Pap

This is quite a recent favourite of mine and a website that I don't think gets enough recognition. I noticed a few smaller Youtubers talking about this brand in their videos and so I thought I'd give them a browse and it's safe to say, I was very impressed. They have some amazing clothes on their which you could find in places like Topshop but for a much cheaper price. I haven't actually bought anything from here before so I can't comment on the quality of the clothes but they do look promising. I have made a little bit of a wishlist though so I'm sure I'll be buying from them soon. Their cheapest delivery is £3.99, which is similar to Missguided and many other shops and they unfortunately do not do student discount. However, the prices you have to pay for the clothes themselves makes up for this and I am looking forward to trying some of them in the future.

Pretty Little Thing

Pretty Little Thing is, again, a recent favourite of mine however, I've known about it for a long time. The clothes are very similar to that of Missguided, as well as the prices but I do find that Pretty Little Thing are slightly cheaper. Like Missguided, they do so many offers. I find that everytime I go onto the website there's something different and I'm always obsessed with what they have on their. They do student discount too and at the moment 20% which is perfect! Their cheapest delivery is £1.99 which is an absolute bargain! I do really love this website and it has so many dupes for highstreet styles.

Boohoo

Boohoo is such an inexpensive brand and that's what I love about them. Like Pretty Little Thing and Missguided they do amazing offers and do 10% student discount which is always a bonus. Their cheapest delivery is £3.99 which is pretty standard for most online shops. however, they do seem to always have deals on their delivery which is great because I sometimes get put off buying clothes when delivery is too much! So basically I'd rather pay £30 for a dress than £3.99 for delivery, that's my logic guys. The clothes are really good quality as well, I recently bought a playsuit for £18.00 and it was the exact dupe for one that I had been wanting from Topshop which is £50 and it was so comfy. I saved a good few pennies there!

ASOS

ASOS is shop that we all know and love. I've loved it for a long time. Unlike the others I've mentioned, it has a range of items that aren't necessarily their own. They stock many different brands; both designer and highstreet and therefore have a huge price range. They do student discount at 10% and their cheapest delivery is £3.00 but free for orders over £20. I've ordered a lot from ASOS in the past and currently have an order on the way and I have never had any trouble with them whatsoever. It's good that they stock items like Jack Wills, New Look etc, as certain items might not be available in their own stores and looking on ASOS is always a good idea. It's also a great way to add on student discount to brands that don't actually offer discount in their own stores or websites.

Which online fashion websites do you love?

Charlotte xxx

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Review: Makeup Revolution ULTRA Professional Eyeshadow Flawless Matte Palette

Makeup Revolution has to be one of my favourite drugstore makeup brands and maybe even one of my all time favourite brands. I can't ever seem to fault any of the products. They have the quality of high end products but the price of a drugstore product making them the beauty of all make up products. About a month or so ago, I made an rather large enormous order from Makeup Revolution and I can't tell you how excited I was when it came. I think I actually squealed when I came home and found the package on my bed. One of my favourite products and, quite frankly, the one that I was the most excited about, was the ULTRA Professional Eyeshadow Flawless Matte Palette and I was not disappointed. I have been getting into matte eyeshadows and to be honest, I don't really wear shimmers much anymore.

First things first, Makeup Revolution packaging never fails. I love their sleek black packaging with rose gold lettering, it is so simple yet so effective. The palette contains 32 eyeshadow with a huge mirror, which is perfect for travelling. I have been reaching for this everytime I have done an eyeshadow look and not touched any other palette for a long time now. The palette is made up of a range of neutral colours, with lighter shades, a mix of brown and pink shades as well as darker black colours. That is me in an eyeshadow palette. What I also love, is the fact that the palette contains a plastic slip showing all the names of the colours. I think this is such a good touch in eyeshadow palettes as it is easier to identify what is what. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of nameless eyeshadows. Give me a god damn name!

Onto the shadows themselves. The pigmentation is amazing. That is all. I find that a little really does go a long way with these shadows making the palette last even longer! Talking about longevity, the lasting power of these shades is pretty fantastic. I have worn them all day and sometimes all night (even through the pouring rain and the sweaty room of a nightclub) and they've done pretty well. Obviously they work better with a primer but also work not too bad without. In the look I created below I used a mix of 'Flaw' and 'Nutmeg' over the lid, then 'Oak' throughout the crease and a mix of 'Wood' and 'Earth' in the outer corner and crease to create some definition. This look is perfect for day-to-day wear and this is the same for all of the colours in the palette. I'm going to admit, I haven't used all of the shades but have used the majority and I can't wait to use the pinky shades more like 'Matte', 'Shell', 'Muse', 'Warm', 'Rosewood' and 'Rust'.

This palette is honestly amazing and my favourite at the minute. At a price of £8 for 32 shades it is bloomin' fantastic. There is another 32 shade palette just like this from Makeup Revolution which includes shimmer shades for all you glitter lovers (which I will also have to buy!)

Charlotte xxx

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Current ASOS Wishlist

I have really been loving ASOS recently and have created quite a wishlist. I love my lists and when it comes to clothes, making a list of things I'd love to have in my life makes list-writing even better. Don't you just wish you could click on an item of clothing and it would magically appear in your wardrobe though? Why does this not happen?

I thought I'd share with you all my recent favourites from ASOS. I have to admit, I was meant to be doing uni work but somehow happened to stumble across the ASOS website (I don't know how this happened...) and fell in love with A LOT of things they have on there. I feel like I need to bring more autumnal clothes into my wardrobe, even though I have loads already. However, it's always nice to treat yourself to a few new things once in a while right?

Top Row (Left to Right):

Khaki T Shirt Dress - £22.00

Black and White Oversized Check Playsuit - £45.00

Boohoo Longline Wool Bomber Jacket - £40.00

Middle Row (Left to Right):

ASOS Cocoon Coat - £85.00

Pull & Bear Striped Jeans - £29.99

New Look Burgundy Dungaree Cord Pinny - £22.99

Bottom Row (Left to Right):

ASOS White Denim Buttoned Down A Line Skirt - £26.00

ASOS Red Wrap Front Jumpsuit - £28.00

ASOS Oxblood Denim A Line Skirt - £26.00

Charlotte xxx

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Review: MAC's Rebel Lipstick

The berry lips are coming back, even though I tend to wear them all year round but whatever. Autumn is the perfect time to whip out the dark berry and red shades and this lipstick is perfect. Rebel from MAC is a recent purchase of mine as I've heard many good things about this lipstick. One of my friends from university raves about this colour so I thought I should give it a go. MAC Rebel is very much a deep pink/purple shade and unlike many berry lipsticks, this has an obvious purple undertone rather than red. However, I quite like this as I think it makes it a lot different to the other berry lipsticks out there at the minute. Although, I do love my berry reds. There is a subtle blue undertone that goes with it as well, making your teeth look extra white. 

The lipstick is a Satin finish, which I don't normally go to and think this may be the only Satin finish that I own from MAC. I don't like sheer lipsticks and am very much a fan of bold colours. I was worried that it wasn't going to be bold enough for me, but actually I was quite impressed with the finish. It has the pigmentation of an Amplified finish, but turns slightly matte depending on how long you wear it. I've worn this all day, and even eaten with it without re-applying, and it is super long-lasting. It does stain your lips however, so when you remove it you're left with pink stained lips, but I guess that's a given with dark lipsticks. I would recommend a lip liner with this lipstick as it can go a bit feathery at the edges, however I wear it without a lip liner and it looks just as good. 

I'd say this is one of my favourite Autumn/Winter shades at the minute however it is not my all time favourite. I still prefer a red toned berry colour rather than a purple so I opt for those shades more than this one. I would recommend Rebel however, I would be careful when you buy it. It isn't as dark as it looks in the bullet, which may scare those who aren't used to bold colours. You can even see by the photos how dark it looks compared to the colour on the lips. 

MAC lipsticks cost £15.50 (which I'm still not happy about as they've gone up in price over the past few years!!)

Charlotte xxx

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What To Take To University

I might be a bit late with this post as I know many of you will have already started university however, I know some universities haven't started yet or are about to start. As a second year student, I have gone through the madness that is freshers, and to help you through that I wrote a post about how to survive your first year at uni. Before you go to uni, you need to figure out what you want to take and how much you're going to need. I'm the worst person for buying homeware stuff, if I see a cute mug I like I'll put it straight in my basket. I thought I'd make a list of things that you might need for your kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. However, I must say that this is mainly aimed at self-catered accommodations (particularly the kitchen list) however, it can apply to everyone, even those who are returning to university!

Kitchen:
Plates
Bowls
Pasta Bowls
Mugs (If you're a tea/coffee lover)
Glasses
Frying Pan
Wok
Saucepans
Cutlery: Forks, Spoons, Knives, Scissors, Chopping Knives, Ladle, Fish Slice, Pizza Cutter, Tin/Bottle Opener, Ladle, Whisk, Tong, Wooden Spoons
Chopping Boards
Baking Trays
Pizza Tray
Measuring Jug
Cheese Grater (particularly the ones with the box on the bottom so you can store your grated cheese. I LOVE THEM)
Casserole Dish
Tuppaware Boxes
Toastie Maker (AN ESSENTIAL)

Bedroom:
Duvet
Pillows
Mattress Protector
Sheets
Duvet and Pillow Covers
Throw
Television (Not a necessity)
Extension Cables
Storage (For make up, beauty bits etc)
Hangers
Fairy Lights (If you wanna be cute)
Laundry Basket
Clothes Dryer (Saves so much tumble drying money)
Lamp
Photo Frames (Filled with photos from home of family and friends)
Mirror (If you don't have one already)
Cleaning Kit
Over the Door Hooks
Bin

Bathroom:
Toothbrush Holder
Soap Dish
Shower Holder (To hold your shampoo etc)
Towels
Bath Mats
Bin
Set of Drawers (To hold all your bits and bobs)
Over the Door Hooks

I hope you have an amazing time at university for whoever is starting and like in the picture above, don't take as much stuff as me because you really don't need it. Well, I can't really say that because even though this was my second car load, I still need everything in it...

Charlotte xxx

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Review: Ardell Fashion Lash Demi Wispies False Eyelashes

I've never been a false eyelashes kinda girl, purely because I was so useless at applying them. But recently, I've been starting to wear them more, particularly on nights out and I've really been loving them. I have a few sets of falsies already but my recent purchase were these little beauties: Ardell's Demi Wispies lashes, the most well know lashes on the internet, if I'm honest. I'm not the type of person to go all out, I prefer people to not be staring at my eyes trying to figure out if my eyelashes are real or not so I opt for the more natural look. I have worn these a few times and people thought they were my natural lashes so that's a bonus!

I hate it when my lashes irritate the inner corner of my eyes so when I first tried them on, I ended up trimming the left eyelash (which now makes them look a bit odd but never mind) as I could feel it and I knew it would bug me all night. I love how natural these lashes look, don't look too over the top but add extra length and volume to your own lashes. I really like eyelashes that have more volume towards the outer corner as I think that is very flattering on the eye and makes the eyes look bigger than they are. I'm always a bit weary about wearing eyelashes, particularly on a night out, as I worry incase they fall off in the middle of the club. The half eyelash look doesn't really suit me, I must admit. But, they do last all night which is perfect! There is eyelash glue in the box but I tend to use the glue that comes with the Eylure lashes because I find that works best and I can easily take it out with me if I need to fix things up. 

They're so easy to apply, and that's good for a useless eyelash applier like me. I swear down I just make names up on my blog. They're so affordable as well at only £5.49 and you can buy them at either Superdrug or Boots. 

Have you tried the Demi Wispies?

Charlotte xxx

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