Holiday Haul

Hey everyone,

I've been trying to be good with my spending recently, which has left me with a sad lack of haul material but when I saw the Soap & Glory make up in Boots I couldn't resist. Plus it was 3 for 2 and one of the things I got is a birthday gift for my friend so really it was a sensible purchase!

Sexy Mother Pucker in Yummy Plum

I know that this has been out for a while before the make up launch but I finally gave in to it today!

Lid Stuff in Smokey Dokey

Love at First Blush

Sadly this is the one I'm giving away as a gift, but love how gorgeous it is and I think it's got some of the strongest packaging of the whole collection.

Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

I've had really dry lips since the horrid cold window set in in the UK but after a swift bit of googling I found that this lip scrub comes highly recommended and I can see why. I've only used it once but I already feel like my lips are softer AND you can lick off the rest of the scrub when you're done!

What have you all been buying this festive season?

xoxo

Nail Of The Day: OPI Paris Couture for Sure

This nail colour is sooo pretty I don't feel the need to say anything else except I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! xoxo

Beauty Quiz, or as I like to call it 'I'll do anything to avoid uni work'

I saw this questionnaire on the lovely I Shine Like Jewellery and Beauty and a Blogger's blogs and really enjoyed reading it it, so I have been inspired to do it too! Plus I know I've been terrible and haven't blogged in weeks so this should ease me back in :)

SKINCARE


-How many times do you wash your face daily?
I am absolutely terrible at doing this, as soon as I'm tired it goes out the window. But I had a horrendous break out a little while ago and since then I've been trying to cleanse and moisturise every night to make sure that my skin stays nice. I've missed it once since then but it was 4am and I was sharing a house with 20 others people so that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
I think I have combinaton skin, which when its bad leans more towards the oily side than the dry.

-What is your current facial wash?
Neutrogena Spot Stress Control, I adore it.
 

-Do you exfoliate?
Yes, with the St Ive's Apricot exfoliator. It's a good thing that I didn't do this quiz a couple of weeks ago when I kept forgetting to wash my face at night and wasn't exfoliating.

-What brand do you use?
Oops, got over excited and said above ^

-What moisturiser do you use?
Neutrogena Visibly Clear Oil Free Moisturiser. I've tried others but I really like that this is oil free. I am tempted to try out some of the more premium brands though because skin care is not something I  mind spending extra on. This product is great value though, around £4.

-Do you have freckles?
Yes, particularly in the summer.

-Do you use eye cream?
  No but I am definitely open to suggestions, I'm keen to start using one soon!

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
I've never had full on acne thankfully, but in my second year at uni I did have a year long brake out on my forehead. I had to get a fringe just to cover them up!

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
No, I saw Katy Perry on an ad for it once though, what is it?

MAKE-UP


-What foundation do you use?
Max Factor Colour Adapt in no. 43 Warm Almond.

-How about concealer?
Benefit Boi-ing on 01, I am very pale!

-Do you know your undertone color?
Pink.

-What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I think they look amazing, but I am pretty clumsy so I struggle with putting them on. I really like the Girls Aloud ones...hmm kinda fancy buying a pair for a party next week now!

 
-Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes but I definitely don't!

-What brand of mascara do you use?
I alternate between Barry M 3 in 1 Intense Black Mascara and Bourjois Volume Fast & Perfect Rotating Mascara

-Sephora or MAC?
I've never used MAC (yet!!) and I've been shopping in Sephora in Paris so I'll have to go with them. I'm sure that will change once I can afford to try MAC though!

-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No.

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
EcoTools brushes from Boots.

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes, I have the Estee Lauder Double Wear eye primer and I think it works really well.

-For the face?
No, I tried Loreal Studio Secrets Primer but my skin reacted terribly to it, which is a shame because it did keep my make up on for longer. Now I've been put off putting too much on my face.

-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
All of the Storm palette from Sleek.

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?  

Both and gel! 

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Haha, not very often but sadly I can't say it's never happened!

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I love the Barry M dazzle dusts for eyeshadow highlights, so pretty but they go everywhere. Collection 2000 do a really good cheap alternative too.

-Do you use mineral makeup?
Nope.

-What is your favorite lipstick?
Dare to Wear by Rimmel but I can't wait to invest in a nicer lipstick. I have £28 on my Boots card and I'm thinking Chanel...

-How about lipgloss?
YSL Touche Brilliance from high end and Rimmel Vinyl Lip in 330 Snog, even though I hate the name. I thought it said Song for ages!

-What is your favorite blush to use?
Benefit Coralista. My friend bought it for me for my 21st and I'm still using the same on two years later so really good value for money. I've bought two more Benefit blushes since but Coralista is still my favourite.

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
I bought one of the above mentioned Benefit blushes on ebay and it's pretty good quality so hopefully it's real, but I don't like not being sure so I haven't used it since. I got a ton of nail stuff from ebay though!

-Do you like drugstore makeup?
Love love love, Rimmel and Max Factor are probably my favourites with Barry M for nail polish.

-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
No

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
Yeah I do think it would be interesting to learn how to put my make up on in a professional way but I don't see myself every paying for it unless there's a good deal on Groupon!

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
Sadly yes, I adore make up but putting it on doesn't come that naturally to me. But hey practise makes perfect right? (*fingers crossed*)

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Foundation line around the edge of the face. BLEND!!!!

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I like quite bold colours for nights out but in general I stick to neutral or metallics for everyday use. 

 
-Which celebrity always has great make up?
Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johannsen, Leighton Meester

-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Foundation

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes but with a large distracting hat on!

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
Lets just say I much prefer to have it on.

-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
From my limited high end experience I would say YSL and high street is...... argggh this is hard.....Rimmel. Because I couldn't live without their kohl liner.

NOTD: Katy Perry Candyfornia Inspired Nails

Hey bloggers!


I'm going to see the wonderful Katy Perry in concert this weekend and as Katy has always been so imaginative with her nail art I thought that I should do something a bit special in honour of her show. I bought some water decals with Katy Perry on them from ebay, but I ordered them a bit last minute so they still aren't here. I had a message from the seller saying that she's posted them so hopefully they will come tomorrow and I can put them on before the show, but if not I still love my nails at the moment so I thought that I had to share them with you guys. 

I mainly used Barry M nail paints for this look but I needed one more pastel, ice-creamy sort of colour and luckily I recently found my old pot of Mint choc chip by 17 Lasting Fix.

From left to right the shades are:

17 Lasting Fix in Mint Choc Chip
Barry M Nail Paint | 279 Bright Pink
Barry M Nail Paint | 306 Blueberry Ice Cream

Barry M Nail Paint | 307 Lemon Ice Cream

Barry M Nail Paint | 308 Berry Ice Cream

These are the nail decals that I have ordered. If they come I will probably just put them on my ring finger of both hands (is it still your ring finger on your right hand?) If they don't come I will probably just finished with a shiny top coat. Definitely check out the Ebay seller, she has so many cool designs and water decals are such a reasonably priced way to achieve salon looking results. They are a bit tricky to do at first but a bit of practice definitely pays off and I always get comments on my nails when I'm wearing them.

What are your weekend plans? Have a great one whatever you're up to! As Rihanna would say, here's to the frickin' weekend! xoxo

Book Lover Questionnaire

Hello, I'm feeling a bit bookish this evening so I stole this book quiz from Helen's Book Blog. 

I would love to hear your answers too so post below or send me a link to this quiz on your blog. 

Happy weekend everyone 

xoxo Kat. 

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
All my Enid Blyton's that I grew up with. I love them all but particularly the Malory Towers books. I initially had my mums old copies but had to get new ones to avoid completely destroying them. I hate the new modernised covers they have put on them now though.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you'll read next?
I am reading A Clash of Kings, just read A Game of Thrones and next I will read the third book in that series, the name of it is evading me right not but I am just loving that series. There will probably have to be some uni books squeezed in amongst these.

3. What book did everyone like and you hated?
On The Road by Jack Keruoac. I really wanted to like it but I just found it impossible.

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you'll read, but you probably won't? 
Dracula. I do want to read it but I never seem to actually do it and I'm a bit scared of it if I'm honest. 

5. Which book are you saving for "retirement?" 
Haha I don't have any particular plans for my retirement. Maybe I'll focus on reading all of the books I haven't read by then from the BBC Top 100.

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?
Oo always wait till the end. I hate spoilers.

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?
I love them, they're such an insight into the author's life.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?
Jojo Harvey from The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes. She is such a strong female character and has an amazing job as a literary agent.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?
Anne McCaffrey's Dragon books remind me of my friends in junior high. They all read them and I didn't. I felt so out of it.

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.
I can't think of anything other than the Malory Towers books that my mum gave me:

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?
Yes, but I don't think it would still be special if I blogged about it :)

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?
I'm going to be cheeky and say The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo because I had it travelling.

13. Any "required reading" you hated in high school that wasn't so bad ten years later? 
Maybe I should try Tess of the D'Urbervilles again. I loathed in in school, maybe I will prefer it now.

14. What is the strangest item you've ever found in a book?
I found pressed flowers in the back of a second hand book once. I can't remember what book but I remember the flowers.

15. Used or brand new?
I like both, I like to think where used books might have been before but then there's something exciting about buying a crisp new copy of a book new from a bookshop.

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?
I've never read anything by Stephen King, I'm not really a horror girl in books or films.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?
Not yet, I wonder if next years On The Road might be the first.

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?
PS I Love You. Beautiful book. Dodgy film. Even dodgier accents. 

19. Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?
Yes, Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan. It's centred around a woman opening a Cupcake shop (I probably didn't need to explain that, did I?) and there are recipes at the start of every chapter. I was craving scones the whole time I read it.

20. Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?
My mum's, she introduced me to reading and we always share books that we like. She's a bit more into thrillers and the like than me but she knows whether I'll like a book or not.

Mini Haul

Hello!

I've had a little bit of a haul this week and picked up one nail product I've wanted for ages and one that my friend told me about as we walked into Superdrug and I just had to have it. So here is a picture of my mini haul:

1. Barry M Instant Nail Effects- Gold Foil £3.99

I'm sure that I am just really behind but I hadn't heard about this nail varnish before my best mate mentioned it to me on the way into Superdrug. But I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I've been wanting a gold foil effect nail varnish for ages but previous searches always ended up with me being empty handed. This is the latest in Barry M's range of nail effects, which started with their black 'shatter' nail varnish. I have to say I think I prefer this to the shatter, I love all Barry M Nail Paints but this gives such a classy and unusual finish that I'm sort of tempted to go back and get the silver, even though I didn't get it this week because I already have a good silver from Rimmel.

Messy messy, forgot to take a picture once I'd cleaned up round the edge of my nails.

2. Rimmel Pro Matte Finish- Mattifying topcoat £4.59 (Click here for product link)

This is such an exciting product for me as I have always wanted a Matte nail varnish and now this matte topcoat means that I can use one nail varnish to turn all the others in my collection into matte shades too. I feel like I've doubled my nail polish collection for under a fiver. The only one I could find before was by Essie but it was over a tenner and I just couldn't justify it. I believe that 17 also do a matte top coat although I didn't see it when I went, but that is even more of a bargain and I have some of their other varnishes and have generally found them to be good quality, especially for the price. I don't have any pics of the effects of this one yet because I didn't see the point in trying it on over the gold but I will update this post tomorrow when I have had a play around with it.

3. Sleek Pout Polish Tinted Lip Conditioner in 958 The Show 

I've started uni this week and snapped up this little gem for free at Freshers Fair! I was so excited when I saw it. I think I've left quite an impression on the new coursemate I was at the fair with, I shrieked 'free makeup!' and ran over to the Sleek girls. I am already a massive Sleek fan. Their eyeshadow palettes are such good value and last so well. Plus the range of colours I think make the palettes look more expensive than they are. So add free make up into the bargain and I am one happy bunny. My camera has made it appear like a bright pink but it is really more of a subtle rose colour and really compliments a dewey, natural look.

The best think about this product (other than the fact it was free) is the smell. It's really sweet and just generally gorgeous. This also contains SPF so its perfect for the unnaturally warm October we are enjoying in the UK right now. Oddly, I can't find this exact shade on Sleek's website so perhaps its just a sample but the product comes in loads of shades for £4.30 here.

That's about it for now. Hope you enjoyed this mini haul. What have you all been buying this week? Does anyone else have any Sleek favourites? Hope you're enjoying the sunshine!

xoxo

B&B

Kindle Craft

OK, so it's not actually craft, more like accessorizing for my Kindle but hey, alliteration beats reality for me every time. I can't help but feel like the beauty section of this blog can and will flourish, while the blurbs side might be left to languish if I don't pay it some TLC. This is probably because I work/ study in the field of books (sorry I have distracted myself now, imagine an actual field of books, that would be fantastic!) whereas beauty is more of a hobby. So, to keep up the bookish side of me I thought I would show you guys how I have decorated my Kindle. 

Firstly I thought I'd say just a little bit about how I came to have a Kindle. For absolutely ages I was completely against the idea. 'How can they do this, nothing can replace books!' I cried to anyone who would listen (read: my cat and occasionally my boyfriend). I was outraged, affronted, perplexed... Then slowly over the course of I don't know how long, I became lass outraged, affronted, perplexed. I became open, intruiged, perhaps a little appeased. Then some more time passed. Before I knew it I was actually researching, questioning and reasoning with myself as to whether purchasing one might be a good idea. I think the reasons for this are two fold.

Firstly, at the time I was working in a terrible dead end job which involved mind numbingly boring work. The only upside to this job was that the repetitive and untaxing nature of the work meant that I had a lot of time to talk to my colleagues, one of them being an avid reader and proud Kindle owner. She spoke convincingly of their convenience. 'If I feel like reading a book, I can have it that second, without going to the shops or waiting for an Amazon delivery.' So far, so convincing. But I remained dubious as to the effect a Kindle (and E-readers in general of course) might have on my beloved books and the publishing industry as a whole. I think the second and more important factor in my getting a Kindle was my sudden realisation that all the e-readers in the world are not going to take away from the importance of books. The words in the novel are the same whether you are reading them on the printed page or electronic screen. I am still never going to want to take a piece of equipment that cost me £152 anywhere near a swimming pool, so browsing my local bookshop for the perfect holiday read is not going to stop. A great story will win through in any format.

I am always going to buy books. They lure me in like an intoxicating scent. Boots and Waterstones are shops where I can find myself at the counter paying for something without realising how I've got there. The great thing about the Kindle however is that I can read a heavy tome like 'A Game of Thrones' on the train to work without having to lug it about. I can read documents for uni on my way in without having to print them off and hurt the enviornment, or lug my (increasingly frustrating but ever loyal) laptop about with me. Those are my justifications anyway. I think the most insightful thing I have heard on the digital debate was passed on by children's author/illustrator Oliver Jeffers when I heard him give a talk recently. He said his colleague had pointed out that although films from previous decades now seem dated when compared with new technology, digitalisation of books doesn't make older novels seem out of date or irrelevant at all, proof that the book is a universal product that will withstand the test of time. Therefore I think we should be excited that these advances in technology might give us, not scared of how they might change things.

Wow, I really didn't expect to write that much. I will conclude with a pretty picture of my Kindle, as a reward for making it through what turned into a bit of a speech!

That's all for now folks. Thanks for reading. I would love to know your thoughts! Do you use Kindle or do you prefer a different e-reader? Or will you never convert? Leave a comment below! Xoxo

Ebay spree

Here is a quick post via my phone of my first experiment with my new nail dotting tool that I got from ebay. I'm a little bit addicted to ebay for all things beauty and as I'm interning ie working for free, I thought a cheap beauty treat was my only real shopping allowance this week. So I got this and some nail transfer which I will post later in the week. Here is my first attempt at dotting, which will hopefully be expanded to all sorts of wonderful patterns eventually. Xoxo

Nail Of The Day: Autumn Neutrals

I thought I'd post a quick nail look today as it's the beginning of September and if the rain in London today is anything to go by we've got a long winter coming. So instead of getting gloomy about the lack of sunshine, sandal opportunities and beer garden ciders I decided to do an loosely autumn inspired nail to get me in the mood for crisp autumn walks, new season knitwear and a new academic year! My best mate does this look on her nails all the time in rich purples and golds and it always looks fantastic but I thought I would give it an autumnal twist.

excuse the messy room!

This is the clearest picture I could get of the look, but here's a picture of my whole hand just to give you an idea of how it looks.

Not the clearest but my camera was in no mood to be messed with.

Get the look:

• Apply one base coat of Rimmel 60 Seconds in 740 Clear.
• Paint the entire nail in Max Factor Nailfinity in 214 Earth.
• Use Barry M Nail Paint No. 129 to draw a diagonal line across your nail, then fill in the nail using vertical strokes from the edge of the line, up to the edge of your nail.
• Finish with any top coat. I used Sally Hansen Mega Shine as I'd just got it today but any clear nail varnish will do the job.

I really like this style and the great thing is you can do it in any different colours depending on your mood, style and season. 

Hope you like it!
xoxo

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome

Hi, welcome to my blog!

I've been reading blogs for a while now and have only just plucked up the confidence to actually have a go and do it myself. I'm planning to mainly write about two of the things which take up a fair amount of my time- books and beauty. Although I'm certainly not an expert on either of the two I love talking about them with friends and hopefully now with some fellow bloggers too. I'm still finding my feet at the moment so I thought that I would just post a quick review of my favourite holiday read of the year... Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon.

I've been in a really relaxed mood over the summer and I think the books I've been reading have reflected that. Nothing heavy going, no classics just a few well-written (for the most part) chick lit books that have let me really relax whilst still enjoying a great read. But of all the books I've read this summer, Baby Be Mine is definitely my favourite.

**WARNING** Now, if you haven't already read Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon and you're planning on it then be warned it will give away a lot of that book's ending, although no more than is revealed on the blurb of the book.

Baby Be Mine is the fifth novel by ex heat writer Paige Toon. Although all her books reference other characters that you might have met in previous novels, this is the first book of hers that could actually be described as a 'sequal.' It follows the story of Meg, former PA to rock god and ultimate bad boy Johnny Jefferson. She's living with his best friend, dependable music journalist Christian in the south of France with her child Barney. The main problem is that although Christian thinks Barney is his, he is really a product of last gasp attempt by Johnny to persuade Meg to give him (yet another) chance and as you can imagine, drama ensues.

The thing with main character Meg is that she is flawed. Totally flawed. She fell pregnant with her boyfriends best friend, would you be able to not judge that girl at all if you met her in real life? And yet I was still routing for her and the book is ridiculously addictive. I think it is partially to blame for my lobster looking face as I was so involved in it that perhaps I didn't reply the Ambre Solaire as much as someone as pale and English as myself should! Paige Toon manages to get you really caring about these realistically flawed characters that are leading ridiculously unrealistically glamorous lives and perhaps therein lies the charm- the escapism of the rock star lifestyle, paired with characters prone to very human errors. Also, judging from the rave Amazon reviews , I am not the only one who couldn't put it down!

All in all if you haven't read anything by Paige Toon yet I thoroughly recommend that you do. If you like the sound of this book (and I doubt this highly incoherent review has sold it to you even half as well as I would have liked) then I definitely recommend reading Johnny Be Good first because it sets the whole thing up so nicely and you'll have so much more knowledge of the characters. Or if the rock god affair isn't quite your bag then definitely go for Chasing Daisy, in my opinion Toon's best book and one of the best chick lit books I've ever read (and there's been oh so many!).

If you think I ramble about books, you should hear my cat!

If anyone is actually still reading this review you have my eternal gratitude and I hope you aren't too bored and will come back again soon! xoxo