Sunday, 29 March 2015
MY WEEK IN PICTURES.
MONDAY
Early Monday morning I woke up feeling more motivated than I have done in a very, very long time. So I decided to put this new found motivation to good use and film a YouTube video my March 2015 You Beauty Discovery box Reveal and Review.
Mondays tend to be the day of productivity and getting things done that I may have brushed aside over the weekend. It is also the day that I see my counselor, for those reasons comfort is key. On Monday I wore this super comfy Mom jeans from BHS, a kimono from Primark, boots from Primark and a handbag from guess where? Yep, Primark!!
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I am constantly changing up my makeup storage and for a while I have been looking for a small chest to fill with my favorite everyday products. Me and Mum took a trip to Ikea after counselling and I managed to spot this cardboard chest. It is called Ordna and is part of their kids age 8-12 range!! It has a beautiful floral pattern on the front of the drawers and is perfect for makeup storage, It was also the last one in stock in the Cardiff store and was on display which meant I was lucky enough to grab it ready built - fate!!!
TUESDAY
Tuesday was a total chill day for me. I love days that are completely make-up free, and Tuesday definitely was!
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I have just recently set up my own ebay store so I had a day of going through all the items that I didn't think I was going to wear anymore but are still in perfect condition and putting them onto the site!
Even though Tuesday was a complete chill day for me I did venture into the outside world, albeit to only take my dog for a walk. Walking Ted is one of my favourite ways to relax and there's nothing like seeing the joy on my young pups' face as he is let off the lead and able to run around the fields like a complete loon!!
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It's safe to say that I tink I wore him out an awful lot after that walk as later I walked into my bedroom and found this adorable sight...all the feels!!!
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WEDNESDAY
It was Happy Wednesdays day!! My Happy Wednesdays series are my favourite videos to film as they are a chance to share my thoughts and experiences with the world. I love the thought that maybe if just one person saw a Happy Wednesdays video that featured an issue that they were dealing with, that maybe in the smallest way possible it might help them to know that they are not alone! This weeks video was all about one of my biggest loves; Harry Potter!! Harry Potter has helped me in so many ways and is so special to me that I thought i'd make a video all about why and how exactly it helps. Plus it was an excuse for me to be a total fangirl!!!!
On Wednesday, specifically because I was filming a video I created a makeup look that was a very bold silvery eye with nude lips. The look was very different for me as I constantly wear gold eye makeup, but I really liked it and my mum commented how 'space' like my eyes looked!!
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Wednesday was a very anxious day for me and I was quite down for no particuliar reason, just one of those days! My favourite way to relax is a hot bath with plenty of relaxing products, so thats exactly what I did! Really hot bath, candles, face mask and acoustic music - perfect!!
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THURSDAY
Ever since I can remember, apart from the three years I spent in Southampton for University, I have visited my Granny and Grandpa. They are two of my most favourite people on the planet and I absolutely love spending time with them. My Grandpa is 87 and my Granny is 86 and they are both so incredibly lovely, like seriously the nicest people you could ever hope to meet!! My Grandpa is absolutely hilarious and takes every opportunity to crack a cringy joke and my Granny is so much like me that everybody comments just how much i'm morphing into her! So my Thursday was spent watching bargain hunt, listening to stories about the old days and being stuffed silly with all kinds of yummy treats!!
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My makeup look for Thursday was my go-to classic Holly look; red lips and gold eyes!!
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FRIDAY
Friday was a pretty chilled day. I did plenty of housework, took Ted for a walk and then cuddled up and watched Gossip Girl with the little munchkin. The real fun on Friday didn't start until the evening!
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Friday evening I met my best friend Gracie on the bus. For any other person the bus is absolutely no big deal whatsoever but due to my anxiety, panic and social anxiety it had become one of my biggest fears. The thought of being surrounded by people on a crowded bus was enough to give me a panic attack just thinking about it. However, I caught the bus with total ease on Friday woohoo!! Grace and I then made our way to a local bar which is super popular with students and spent the night sharing a bottle of wine, giggling and all round having a great night!!!
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The feeling of accomplishment I've had since Friday night has been huge. Not only did I tackle the bus but went to a busy bar with a friend, went and ordered a drink by myself and managed to fel completely relaxed in my surrounding - huge anxiety recovery progress!!!
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SATURDAY
I woke up feeling pretty headachey and fuzzy headed on Saturday morning due to Friday nights antics, so when my Lyndon suggested going for breakfast I was straight on board!! We went to the Imperial Cafe in Cardiff which is the oldest cafe in town and a full on greasy spoon!! I had a mega breakfast which was a pretty big full English which sadly in my haste for greasy food I forgot to take a picture of, but trust me it was amazing and definitely needed!!
I love baking, it is one of my favourite things to do and totally relaxes me and so that's what I decided to do yesterday afternoon! I have been loving Tanya Burrs' book Love, Tanya for a while now and have been desperate to try some recipes featured in the book. Yesterday I made the milk and white chocolate cookies and boy did they not disappoint! I was at first really concerned that they weren't quite finished as they still looked very doughy when I took them out of the oven but Tanya warns to not cook them any longer than stated and I for one am so glad I didn't! They turned out to honestly be the best cookies that I have ever made! They are so moist (hate that word), squidgy and very, very chocolatey - everything you want from a cookie! They also had an amazing reception from my family who have not stopped talking about just how good they are, I seriously recommend them!!
SUNDAY
To be completely honest with you I have been a right lazy bones today and the most exciting thing i've done is write this post!! So, I think i'll just leave you here - here's to the coming week and all it may bring, hope you have a great one!!!
Sunday, 22 March 2015
HELP...I'VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO APPLY MAKE UP!!!!!
So if you are a regular reader (seriously, are there any?) you may have read my incredibly whiny post from last week which went into detail about me having the flu, being bed bound and generally feeling a bit shitty blah blah blah...
Despite it being a week full of self pity I was generally rotten and could barely lift my head off of my pillow. During my time with the lurgy I literally did not give a damn how I looked as to be honest the only people who saw me were Minnie, Mickey, Penelope the Unicorn, Rudie the reindeer and my beloved bears Grump and Keekee...all being of the stuffed variety, if you haven't already guessed! I couldn't be bothered showering all week let alone attempting to do my hair and make up!!
Now, here's the thing I have always prided myself on my creativity and for being a bit of an artsy person. and have always said that doing my make up was just another form of me expressing my artistic nature (bit pretentious there Holl, steady on!) As your face is a blank canvas and makeup is the tools.
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The list of Holly's post-flu makeup fails!!
1. I completely forgot my skincare routine and went the whole day moisturizer free.
2. I forgot primer
3. I put my concealer on before foundation
4. I applied my powder with the nastiest, scratchiest brush in my collection, WHY?!
5. My eyebrows were wonky
6. My eyeliner was wonky
7. My lipstick was wonky
8. I put mascara on before eyeliner
9. I put way too much highlighter on and ended up looking super shiny
10. I forgot to prime my eye-shadow
11. finally...I wore pinkish eye-shadow with red lipstick..talk about clash!!!
As you can tell it was definitely not a good day for me makeup wise!
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However, isn't the first time this kind of thing as happened. It seems that every time I have the slightest makeup break, my body goes into some kind of amnesia state and it's suddenly forgotten how to put makeup on all together! Please reassure me if this kind of thing has ever happened to you too!!
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It's safe to say that after that struggle yesterday, today was a complete makeup free day - way too much effort for a lazy Sunday!! Here's hoping that I have better luck with it tomorrow! Hope you've had a good weekend!!
Holly
xxxx
Despite it being a week full of self pity I was generally rotten and could barely lift my head off of my pillow. During my time with the lurgy I literally did not give a damn how I looked as to be honest the only people who saw me were Minnie, Mickey, Penelope the Unicorn, Rudie the reindeer and my beloved bears Grump and Keekee...all being of the stuffed variety, if you haven't already guessed! I couldn't be bothered showering all week let alone attempting to do my hair and make up!!
Now, here's the thing I have always prided myself on my creativity and for being a bit of an artsy person. and have always said that doing my make up was just another form of me expressing my artistic nature (bit pretentious there Holl, steady on!) As your face is a blank canvas and makeup is the tools.
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| #selfie, much artistic! |
However, once I was ready to make the effort to look fairly normal and make some kind of effort with my appearance I had just lost all creativity and knowledge I ever held on how to apply my makeup! Seriously it was as if I had never seen makeup before and my hands went into complete spasm and couldn't correspond what I needed to do to look like the normal Holly!
1. I completely forgot my skincare routine and went the whole day moisturizer free.
2. I forgot primer
3. I put my concealer on before foundation
4. I applied my powder with the nastiest, scratchiest brush in my collection, WHY?!
5. My eyebrows were wonky
6. My eyeliner was wonky
7. My lipstick was wonky
8. I put mascara on before eyeliner
9. I put way too much highlighter on and ended up looking super shiny
10. I forgot to prime my eye-shadow
11. finally...I wore pinkish eye-shadow with red lipstick..talk about clash!!!
As you can tell it was definitely not a good day for me makeup wise!
However, isn't the first time this kind of thing as happened. It seems that every time I have the slightest makeup break, my body goes into some kind of amnesia state and it's suddenly forgotten how to put makeup on all together! Please reassure me if this kind of thing has ever happened to you too!!
It's safe to say that after that struggle yesterday, today was a complete makeup free day - way too much effort for a lazy Sunday!! Here's hoping that I have better luck with it tomorrow! Hope you've had a good weekend!!
Holly
xxxx
Friday, 20 March 2015
MARCH GLOSSYBOX FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Yesterday, whilst lying in my sickbed, surrounded by a flood of tissues and feeling hopefully sorry for myself I heard that wonderful knock on the door and my tummy was filled with the kind of excitement that only occurs once a month...a beauty box is at the door!!
Now, some might say I have become a little bit addicted to those wonderful little boxes and trialing and testing various companies boxes. But, for me, it goes without saying that the mother of all boxes is Glossybox!!
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Glossybox is a monthly subscription service that delivers a box filled with 4-6 full size/sample size products directly to your door each month all for the amazing price of £13.25 including postage. The boxes contain a range of different beauty products ranging from high end to drugstore, skincare to make up, all of which add up to create the perfect mixture of beauty products to keep any beauty addict happy, and March's box was no exception!
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Each month Glossies receive a letter from Evie Leatham, the editor/queen of the Glossy world, this months the letter included that the theme of the March box is Spring and that 'the new season is all about a fresh approach...and that step change is reflected in our edit.' So what products did the Glossy team think reflected this change and complete shift in season?
The first product I received was the NAOBAY Moisturizing Peeling, retail priced at £13.71 for 100ml. When I first saw this product one word came to mind: organic! I think it's probably the packaging and the wooden lid but this product just has a complete earthy vibe.
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I haven't previously used anything from the Spanish brand Naobay so am super excited to try this. My presumptions were correct in the fact that it is organic and a total eco-brand. This particular product claims to be a 'start over for skin' and has 'particles from the acai tree to remove dullig dead skin cells and brighten the complexion. If there's one thing that my skin needs after this horrendous bug is brightening - all praise Glossybox!!
I recieved two amazingly barbie pink make up products in the March box. This look may not be to everyones taste but is sure is to mine as I truly feel that bright pink creates the pop that my green eyes need! The first pink product was a nail lacquer by the brand ncLA in the shade Like...Totally Valley Girl (how Clueless!!!) The shade is originally £13 for 15ml and OMG i'm like...totally in love with the look of this product!!
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ncLA is a total must-have cult brand that is totally free of toxins. The product claims to be quick-dry which is so perfect for me as although I love giving myself DIY manis I hate waiting for my nails to dry and my dog normally bounces on me during the 'tacky' stage so my nails never look totally on fleek!
The other totally pink product I received in my box was the Sleek MakeUP Pout Paint in the shade PINKINI, priced at £4.99 for 8ml. Now, I love Sleek but it tends to be a brand tthat I always forget about. Okay, so I do own quite a few Sleek products but they tend to be gifts rather than what i'd bu for myself. However, when I use Sleek products I am always amazed at the quality and the pigment on this lip stain is like no other.
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I swatched the tiniest petits pois sized amount on the back of my hand and BAM! before I knew it my hand was bright pink and refused to budge! For that fact I'm really super excited to try this product and who knows? This could be the turning point in my relationship with Sleek and having me heading straight to their counter in Superdrug!
The final make up treat I received was the Lash Princess Volume Mascara by Essence, priced at £3.30 for 12ml. This brand is an amazingly affordable one, although I haven't used any of their products before I new i'd seen it somewhere, turns out the brand is sold in Wilkos!! The packaging for this mascara is beautiful, I love the corset effect of the lid!
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I also adore the name of the product 'Lash Princess' because if you know me or read my blog/watch my videos you may know that I have quite an intense obsession with fairytales/Disney, so anything with the word Princess in the title, i'm basically sold! The mascara claims to take you from 'weary to wide-eyed in one sweep' and has a cobra head-shaped wand. As with any mascara i'm skeptical about the claims as I feel that mascara rarely does what it's meant to on my eyes, nevertheless I am looking forward to trying this one out and who knows this bargain product may just do the job that none of my high end ones could!
The last two products in my March box i'll count as one as they are sample sized shampoo and conditioner. They are from the Dove Advanced Hair Series and are Youthful Vitality normally costing £5.99 for full size 250ml bottles. I always feel slightly cheated when shampoo and conditioner are included in a beauty box as I feel that it's kind of a cop out and uninspiring to add such everyday products. Plus i've heard that the You Beauty Discovery Box also feature the exact same product and mine should be arriving any day now, snore!
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The products claim to 'repair brittle tresses and works to replenish lost nutrients, so hair is left stronger, sleeker and looking twice as thick'. Right, for one my hair is already a thick birds nest (see my DGJ Organics post for proof!) two, i'm only 22 and so my hair is still pretty youthful (despite it beginning to go grey, but that's a whole other blog post for another time!) and three I don't tend to like Dove shampoo as I feel it makes my hair greasier quicker!! Okay, rant over. I will try this out but have no high hopes for it, i'll forgive you though Glossy only because the rest of the box was so great this month!
So, that's my first impression of the March Glossybox. All in all I think this month's box was incredible and really am excited to use the products featured. Glossybox is amazing value for money and with all the individual prices totaled up they came to a pricey £40.99, so to get a box worth that much, with so many fantastic products in for only £13.25, is amazing and totally worth it!
Keep your eyes peeled as I will be doing more in depth reviews on the individual products everyday for the next 5 days once i've had a good chance to use them.
Are you a Glossybox subscriber? If so what did you think of the March box?
Holly
xxxx
Now, some might say I have become a little bit addicted to those wonderful little boxes and trialing and testing various companies boxes. But, for me, it goes without saying that the mother of all boxes is Glossybox!!
Glossybox is a monthly subscription service that delivers a box filled with 4-6 full size/sample size products directly to your door each month all for the amazing price of £13.25 including postage. The boxes contain a range of different beauty products ranging from high end to drugstore, skincare to make up, all of which add up to create the perfect mixture of beauty products to keep any beauty addict happy, and March's box was no exception!
Each month Glossies receive a letter from Evie Leatham, the editor/queen of the Glossy world, this months the letter included that the theme of the March box is Spring and that 'the new season is all about a fresh approach...and that step change is reflected in our edit.' So what products did the Glossy team think reflected this change and complete shift in season?
The first product I received was the NAOBAY Moisturizing Peeling, retail priced at £13.71 for 100ml. When I first saw this product one word came to mind: organic! I think it's probably the packaging and the wooden lid but this product just has a complete earthy vibe.
I haven't previously used anything from the Spanish brand Naobay so am super excited to try this. My presumptions were correct in the fact that it is organic and a total eco-brand. This particular product claims to be a 'start over for skin' and has 'particles from the acai tree to remove dullig dead skin cells and brighten the complexion. If there's one thing that my skin needs after this horrendous bug is brightening - all praise Glossybox!!
I recieved two amazingly barbie pink make up products in the March box. This look may not be to everyones taste but is sure is to mine as I truly feel that bright pink creates the pop that my green eyes need! The first pink product was a nail lacquer by the brand ncLA in the shade Like...Totally Valley Girl (how Clueless!!!) The shade is originally £13 for 15ml and OMG i'm like...totally in love with the look of this product!!
ncLA is a total must-have cult brand that is totally free of toxins. The product claims to be quick-dry which is so perfect for me as although I love giving myself DIY manis I hate waiting for my nails to dry and my dog normally bounces on me during the 'tacky' stage so my nails never look totally on fleek!
The other totally pink product I received in my box was the Sleek MakeUP Pout Paint in the shade PINKINI, priced at £4.99 for 8ml. Now, I love Sleek but it tends to be a brand tthat I always forget about. Okay, so I do own quite a few Sleek products but they tend to be gifts rather than what i'd bu for myself. However, when I use Sleek products I am always amazed at the quality and the pigment on this lip stain is like no other.
The final make up treat I received was the Lash Princess Volume Mascara by Essence, priced at £3.30 for 12ml. This brand is an amazingly affordable one, although I haven't used any of their products before I new i'd seen it somewhere, turns out the brand is sold in Wilkos!! The packaging for this mascara is beautiful, I love the corset effect of the lid!
I also adore the name of the product 'Lash Princess' because if you know me or read my blog/watch my videos you may know that I have quite an intense obsession with fairytales/Disney, so anything with the word Princess in the title, i'm basically sold! The mascara claims to take you from 'weary to wide-eyed in one sweep' and has a cobra head-shaped wand. As with any mascara i'm skeptical about the claims as I feel that mascara rarely does what it's meant to on my eyes, nevertheless I am looking forward to trying this one out and who knows this bargain product may just do the job that none of my high end ones could!
The last two products in my March box i'll count as one as they are sample sized shampoo and conditioner. They are from the Dove Advanced Hair Series and are Youthful Vitality normally costing £5.99 for full size 250ml bottles. I always feel slightly cheated when shampoo and conditioner are included in a beauty box as I feel that it's kind of a cop out and uninspiring to add such everyday products. Plus i've heard that the You Beauty Discovery Box also feature the exact same product and mine should be arriving any day now, snore!
The products claim to 'repair brittle tresses and works to replenish lost nutrients, so hair is left stronger, sleeker and looking twice as thick'. Right, for one my hair is already a thick birds nest (see my DGJ Organics post for proof!) two, i'm only 22 and so my hair is still pretty youthful (despite it beginning to go grey, but that's a whole other blog post for another time!) and three I don't tend to like Dove shampoo as I feel it makes my hair greasier quicker!! Okay, rant over. I will try this out but have no high hopes for it, i'll forgive you though Glossy only because the rest of the box was so great this month!
So, that's my first impression of the March Glossybox. All in all I think this month's box was incredible and really am excited to use the products featured. Glossybox is amazing value for money and with all the individual prices totaled up they came to a pricey £40.99, so to get a box worth that much, with so many fantastic products in for only £13.25, is amazing and totally worth it!
Keep your eyes peeled as I will be doing more in depth reviews on the individual products everyday for the next 5 days once i've had a good chance to use them.
Are you a Glossybox subscriber? If so what did you think of the March box?
Holly
xxxx
Thursday, 19 March 2015
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
I HAVE THE FLU.
Why oh why did my mum have to bring my brother up to be so darn good at sharing??!!!
Hi Guys,
So basically it was my brothers 15th birthay on Sunday and although he had awoken with a sniffle he thought nothing of it and entered a day filled with money in envelopes, facetiming his 'bitches' and consuming as much cake physically possible. However, he went to bed feeling terrible and looking even worse. Admittedly, at first we thought it was a ploy to get out of his GCSE mock exams that would be coming up over the next week, however when he came home from school on Monday and headed to bed at 4.30 and didn't arise until the next morning, without a scrap of food we knew shit had just got serious.
I felt so sorry for Jon, he looked horrendous. he didn't want to talk to anyone, play Xbox or watch anything-not even AHS!! Although I felt sorry for my bro I kind of avoided him like the plague, after all I am the girl who was told by a doctor that my immune system is 'virtually non-existent!' But guess what guys? I got it, I got it bad!!!
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Last night I suddenly went all shivery and absolutely freezing cold and couldn't stop sneezing. Although I was kind of praying that I wasn't the next victim of this horrendous bug, on the inside I'd kind of come to accept that I was.
I woke up this morning feeling like utter death; runny nose, blocked sinuses, aching body, shivers, sneezing, sore throat, cough, pounding head...the bug had bitten.
If I said I have managed to stay out of bed for longer than 45 minutes today that would be a complete and utter lie. Instead its been a day of self medicating: old Disney films, pup/kitty cuddles, big jumpers, vapour rub, fleecy winter blankets, cold and flu tablets and plenty of fluids.
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The last picture has my dog at the end of my bed and my cat beside me - they could obviously see I was in need of a cuddle! I really hope I'm feeling a little better tomorrow as right now I feel like complete death! One things for sure I know i'll have my furry friends and the healing powers of Disney to cheer me up!
Know i'm off to continue feeling sorry for myself and lie in a bed full of germs and tissues - don't you wish your life was this glamorous, until next time guys!
Holly
xxxx
Hi Guys,
So basically it was my brothers 15th birthay on Sunday and although he had awoken with a sniffle he thought nothing of it and entered a day filled with money in envelopes, facetiming his 'bitches' and consuming as much cake physically possible. However, he went to bed feeling terrible and looking even worse. Admittedly, at first we thought it was a ploy to get out of his GCSE mock exams that would be coming up over the next week, however when he came home from school on Monday and headed to bed at 4.30 and didn't arise until the next morning, without a scrap of food we knew shit had just got serious.
I felt so sorry for Jon, he looked horrendous. he didn't want to talk to anyone, play Xbox or watch anything-not even AHS!! Although I felt sorry for my bro I kind of avoided him like the plague, after all I am the girl who was told by a doctor that my immune system is 'virtually non-existent!' But guess what guys? I got it, I got it bad!!!
I woke up this morning feeling like utter death; runny nose, blocked sinuses, aching body, shivers, sneezing, sore throat, cough, pounding head...the bug had bitten.
If I said I have managed to stay out of bed for longer than 45 minutes today that would be a complete and utter lie. Instead its been a day of self medicating: old Disney films, pup/kitty cuddles, big jumpers, vapour rub, fleecy winter blankets, cold and flu tablets and plenty of fluids.
Know i'm off to continue feeling sorry for myself and lie in a bed full of germs and tissues - don't you wish your life was this glamorous, until next time guys!
Holly
xxxx
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