Super quick falsies!

Apologies for the lack of blog posts over the past week, I've been a busy bee! Lots of exciting things happening, which I can't talk about yet but you'll find out soon... I promise! 

Today I thought I'd show you my really quick and easy way to apply false lashes. I rarely wear falsies for a number of reasons, mostly due to (lack of) time and money and the fact that I wear glasses and can't stand when the false lashes brush against the lenses when I blink - it's super annoying! Also I have naturally long eyelashes anyway, so I don't feel the need to apply falsies, but every now and again I will wear them for a more dramatic make-up look on a night out/special occasion..

What you will need: A pair of scissors, eyelash glue and one false eyelash (and eyelash curlers if you prefer to use them in your routine). Here comes the genius part...

 

Cut the eyelash in half, as demonstrated by my glamourous assistant Robbie. Now, I do this for two reasons. Firstly because, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have issues with false lashes as they bash against my glasses when I blink and it's irritating as hell and this reduces that. Secondly, it is so much easier to apply these 'half-lashes' than trying to get a full lash stuck on your eyelid, and this is all about being quick and simple...

 

Get your face sorted with your base make-up and eyeshadow look and apply an eyeliner on your top lid. I use the 2true Effortless Eyeliner in black which you can pick up for next to nothing from Superdrug.

 

Apply your eyelash glue to the strip on the lash and leave for 30-60 seconds until it becomes sticky. I use the Eylure Lashfix Strip Lash Adhesive, this is also super cheap on the highstreet. Using your fingers or tweezers, apply the false lash to the outer half of your eyelid, making sure the longer lashes are the right way and that they are as close to your own lashline as possible. Hold in place for a few seconds and let the glue dry for 2-5 minutes before applying your favourite mascara to your top and bottom lashes to complete the look.

 

Tadaa! And you're done. Like I said this is just a quick and easy method I personally use to achieve a simple winged eyelash look. For a more effective 'flick' on the lashes I would definitely recommend using an eyelash curler - but I seem to have misplaced mine, oh nooo.

Let me know if you found this post helpful in the comments down below, and share some of your falsie tips, tricks and issues!

xx

Glasses at home [part 2]

[part 1]

So I got my second set of home trial glasses this week; much excite! I was far more impressed with this bunch of frames than the last lot I ordered, so much so that I'm actually struggling to pick which pair I prefer. Luckily, after contacting Glasses Direct about the mistake with my previous home trial order, they have kindly offered to extend the January 50% discount for me - all the more reason to feed my glasses addiction!?

The first pair pictured are from their Cosmopolitan range. When I initially got them out of the packaging I thought "Oh god, these are huuuge" and was expecting them to be way too large for my face shape. But these are actually my overall favourite frames from both home trials and I will definitely be purchasing them; I love the bright colours and frame shape, they really are a statement accessory which is right up my street. The second pair (Cosmopolitan range again!) I'm still unsure about. I adore the deep red colour, I'm all about red glasses as you know, but I can't make my mind up about the frame style. Even though they are a similar size to the previous pair, these do look slightly too large on my face, so I think I'll be giving these a miss. The third pair is from the Lucky Brand range, and although the frame shape isn't something I'd usually go for; I can't resist the gorgeous and unique colours of these glasses! The tortoiseshell is really distinctive and is complimented perfectly by the bright pink on the arms. The final pair had me from the word go, as they have leopard print detailing on the inside of the frames... I'm such a sucker for leopard print. I don't even care that it can't be seen when the frames are being worn, I know it's there, that's enough for me. Aside from that, the frames are a beautiful dark purple and in a retro shape without looking too Dame Edna. So far I have decided to order pairs 1, 3 and 4 from this post and the pair I favoured in my part 1 post. Unless my finances conscience kicks in and I decide to just get two pairs... but which ones?!

To see my initial reaction at trying these glasses on check out the video on my YouTube channel:

Cat children

The past couple of days have been pretty crappy, so I've not felt very inspired to sit down and write anything or do any editing. Things have been getting me down at work, which means I've been coming home tired and grumpy. Yesterday was particularly bad so David took me out for dinner; we ended up sharing a bottle of red with our meal, so I've failed on my tee-total January challenge. Although I'm still chuffed that I've managed two weeks without so much as a sniff of alcohol, even though we've still got so much left in the house after Christmas. Today has been much better; I've spent most of the day just hanging out with my cats Gary and Robbie. I love my boys, they always cheer me up when I feel down. There's nothing better than the unconditional love and trust of a pet and the comfort it brings. THEY ARE MY FURRY CHILDREN.

Anime eyes!

Okay so we all knew I was going to buy this. 

I mean it's got the word manga in it. It was always going to happen.

I didn't even do my usual thing of scouring beauty blogs and youtube reviews before purchasing. I was at work and I received one of those annoying text messages from o2 that promote local offers and the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara happened to be on there (as Boots and Superdrug had it at the introductory offer of £5.99). So I checked out the link, took one look at the marketing campaign - cartoon pandas, Barbara Palvin looking stunning - yep L'Oreal, you got me good and proper. I mean, who doesn't want anime eyes, c'mon!? 

So I went straight to Superdrug after work to bag me one. They were promoting the hell out of it; there must have been a point of sale for the mascara at the end of every aisle and till. They had run out of the Turqouise and Violet shades, but that was probably for the best because if they had been there I would have no doubt bought them on a whim, even though I only ever use black mascaras.

And the results...

(photograph 1: before mascara application, photographs 2 & 3: after mascara application)

I freaking love this stuff! I'm really, really impressed with this product. The amount of times I've stepped out of my safety zone with mascaras and been bitterly disappointed, it's brilliant to find one that actually does what it says on the tin and at a bargain price! It's not the best mascara I've tried in regards to volumising despite the packaging boasting 'mega volume,' but the wand itself is fantastic at seperating and lengthening the lashes and I just applied a second coat to get the volume I desired. And just look at my bottom lashes! I've managed to get great coverage on them without getting any black smudges under my eyes; double thumbs up as this is a major problem I have with the Maybelline or MAC mascaras I'm so fond of due to the wands being quite chunky. The wand on the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara is also flexible which I think is one of the reasons why the lashes get such good coverage if you use a zig-zag motion when applying. Once dry, the mascara isn't flaky or clumpy and my lashes still feel flexible and 'bounce back' when I touch them, not at all like they are going to break or stick together.

I won't waffle on any longer about how much I like this product, the photos speak for themselves. I can see this definitely being in my January favourites video..

Vlog Virginity

It's official! My first video is up on my YouTube channel!

*celebration trumpets*

It's basically a very rough edit of the footage I recorded whilst away in London for my birthday and New Years last week. It feels like it's taken forever to put together because I'm out at work all day and as I'm someone who is usually in bed for 9pm, I've had to retrain my body clock these past few days to allow me to function on less than 5 hours sleep. Needless to say I've overslept a lot and it's been bugging me  constantly in the back of my mind to get it done.

It's a long one! 

(that's what she said)

If you manage to make it the whole way through and you are still awake (I'm impressed!) leave a comment, hit subscribe and all that lovely jubbly stuff...

January Wishlist

 

1. Sailor Moon Sweater - Romwe

 Just, because!

2. iPhone 5C in yellow

My phone contract is finally due to renew this month and my poor 4S has just made it through the two years.

3. Heart Waist Belt - River Island

I think this belt would make a stunning statement piece in an outfit; I'd probably team it with a simple white or black sheer blouse with leggings/skinny jeans and boots. This belt is currently in the sale so I'm hoping there's still one left in stock by the time I get paid at the end of the month.

4. Lolita Lempicka 'Lolita Lempicka' Perfume

I sampled this fragrance ages ago (I think it was at the duty free in Heathrow when I went to Australia in 2012) and I absolutely adored it and still haven't got my hands on some yet! I'm a sucker for buying different fragrances all the time, but this is definitely the next higher end perfume on my list.

5. Yankee Candle 'Black Cherry'

Now I know people have been raving on about Yankee Candles forever, but I've never had one! I love scented candles and incense in the house but could never justify spending over £15 on a candle.. Well I discovered the sample sized candles in one of my local card shops last week, so I bought a couple to try. I'm officially hooked, sign me up to the Yankee Candle Anonymous group or whatever because I want to go out and buy them all! I'm loving the Black Cherry scent at the moment.

6. Laptop Desk - Ikea

If there's one thing that I always wish I had more mony for each month, it's home improvements. I spend hours online trawling interior design blogs, Pinterest and furniture stores, mentally redecorating every room in the house. This laptop desk from Ikea is just what I've been looking for, I love quirky individual pieces and want want want this so bad. 

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Glasses at home [part 1]

I received my recent free home trial of glasses frames from Glasses Direct this week. I've had prescription glasses from them before and I love their range of frames and low prices for prescription lenses. They offer a seven day home trial service, where you can select up to four frames that you like and they are dispatched pretty much the same day (I got mine the day after I placed my order). They provide you with a free returns postage label, and as long as you return the frames in the original packaging within the seven days there are no hidden costs. I love this service as you can try the glasses on from the comfort of your own home; I think it can be quite awkward trying on different pairs in the opticians and there's some assistant breathing down your neck and other people watching you in the mirror! With this service you can take your time to have a good look at the frames and ensure they fit comfortably.

These are three of the four frames I ordered to try on. The fourth pair I picked must have got mixed up, as I received an incorrect set of frames - they were in the bag labelled with the frame code of the pair I wanted, but the frames were wrooong! This is the first time I've ever had an issue with the home trial service so I'm not complaining, I've emailed them about it so I'll let you know how it gets resolved.

The first set of frames pictured are my favourites from this trial. I love how the purple/pink colour fades to a clear plastic at the bottom of the frame so it looks like they are rimless glasses from a distance. I'm not a fan of the arms of the glasses though, as they just have the brand name 'Cosmopolitan' printed in tacky pink letters on the side (you can see how it looks on the lens in the trial frames on the photo). But I'm all about customising, so when I order these I'll probably end up glueing some rhinestones on the arms to snazz them up a bit. The second pair pictured, I love love love, but they just don't suit me at all. Round frames really don't work on my face, which is really annoying because I adore retro style glasses and wish I could pull that look off. I really like the tortoiseshell plastic these frames are made from, as it has gorgeous flashes of blues and reds. I wish I could get a different frame style in this material! I picked the final pair as I've never tried on glasses with a white/cream frame before, and was curious to see how they would look on me. I'm still undecided...

There's still a bunch of other frames I want to try before I make my mind up, so I will be ordering another home trial after I've returned this one. There's a January sale on at the moment and also when you order a pair of glasses you get a second pair free, so I can see me having a splurge with my wages at the end of this month. I'm addicted to glasses. <3

[Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by the products/companies featured but are my own purchases and opinions.]

Patience

Don't you just hate that feeling of your day being a complete waste? Especially on weekends!

Well I've been having one of those days. To start off I completely slept in, which really annoyed me because David was out at work and I had planned on getting up to run some errands and make the most out of the morning. FAIL. So of course before I knew it, half the day had passed and I hadn't even so much as got dressed or brushed my hair. I then attempted to continue editing the vlog footage from my birthday, but the wi-fi and laptop decided to pack up on me which left me feeling more deflated than before I had started. I'm really enjoying getting back into blogging and editing again, but I forgot how much malfunctioning equipment can raise one's blood pressure!

So after giving up on the computer I decided to finally set up my new Wii U - which was my Christmas present from David and I still hadn't had the time to get it up and running. Another rookie mistake. Don't ever play platform games such as Super Mario Bros that require patience and control when you're already feeling wound up and defeated! Little fucker with his red hat, moustache and rubbish jump range...

I've had a soak in the bath and David has fixed the wi-fi, but all in all I'm still feeling rather rubbish. It's just one of those days.

What do you do to cheer yourself up when you're feeling blue?

Guess who's back!

Gary came back home today; I'm so relieved!

So begins another year...

I've finally sat down and got my feet up after a busy couple of days in London!

Yesterday was my birthday and David spoilt me to tickets to see the Phantom of the Opera. The show was stunning and I was totally absorbed in the music and the performances throughout the entire thing, and the costumes and sets were gorgeous! I can't get the songs out of my head again and will most likely be playing the soundtrack in my car for the next few weeks. We also went for the most amazing meal before the show at a little Japanese fusion restaurant and takeaway place in North Greenwich. It's called Zaibatsu and I found it via Tripadvisor - the customer reviews and photos speak for themselves. It was deeee-lish and David successfully used chopsticks for the first time! We spent the last hour or so of the 31st in an Indian club that had a Bollywood themed dj set on - definitely the strangest place I've been for the countdown, but the atmosphere and music were brilliant!

We were going to revisit Highgate Cemetry on the way back but the weather was bloody awful, so we gave it a miss and came home for a carvery instead and went to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug at our local cinema afterwards.

I did a ton of vlogging whilst we were away and I will get round to editing and uploading it to my new YouTube channel eventually... Unfortunately I'm back at work tomorrow (boo hiss!) so it won't be happening tonight.

All in all, I've had an amazing time away with the fella, but it also feels sooo good to be home. Apart from Gary has gone missing again (David's son has been catsitting whilst we were away and he said Gary hasn't been home since Monday) so I'm going to be a worrying wreck until he shows his furry face.

Watching the end of Harry Potter on itv then it's bedtime for me.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!