MY PAMPER EVENING ESSENTIALS

Pampering myself seems to be something that doesn't happen all that often lately (thank you retail work) so when I do get the chance to have an evening of pampering, I like to take full advantage and go all out. I thought I'd share some things that I like to do to unwind, relax and feel good..

I usually start by taking my make up off using the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for oily/combination skin. I recently decided to ditch the make up wipes (ahhh!) and picked this up in place. I'm really liking using this micellar water as it removes every last bit of makeup and dirt from my face, leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft and also leaves it feeling grease free. Then I'll run a bath, light some candles and add any bubble bath or bath bombs that I have laying around and have a long soak while watching YouTube videos on my iPad.

My first essential has to be a face mask, what even is pampering without a face mask?! I'm really loving using the Quick Fix Facials Purifying charcoal mask for congested and lifeless skin. I came across this in boots one day for around five pound and it's one of the best face masks I've ever come across. The mask smells lovely and fresh and leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft and clean. It has also helped keep my oiliness balanced and my skin has improved massively since using it. Sometimes, when using such a stripping face mask my skin can look dry in areas so if this happens when I use the mask, I'll follow up by using the Mega Moisture Mask for dry and thirsty skin or I'll use a serum/hydrating moisturizer.

Next up, while my face mask is drying and doing its thang, I like to use a body butter. I'm currently using the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream. I can't even explain how amazing this body butter smells. Its so fresh and zingy and I kinda just want to eat it as it really reminds me of the calippo shots, anyone remember those?!. I've always enjoyed using the Soap and Glory body butters as they're the only ones I've found that absorb quickly and don't leave a greasy feeling on the skin. It leaves my skin feeling super duper soft and moisturized and seems to make any dry patches instantly disappear.

Once I've moisturized and smell utterly edible, I then wash my face mask off. I then often find myself stroking my face for a while in amazement of how soft it is (don't judge). I then like to paint my nails. I recently picked up Rimmel London's 60 seconds #621 in Mary Mary Quite Contrary as im trying to ditch the winter burgundys and blacks. It's a lovely pasteley violet shade which is perfect for the upcoming spring months. This is also a great shade if you have pale skin like myself!

Last but not least I like to pick a book or magazine to relax with. I'm currently about to start reading One Day by David Nicholls as it was a reccommendation from my boyfriends mother!  If I don't have a book to read then I like to pick up a magazine such as Glamour or Cosmopolitan as theyre just an easy read and usually include some beauty looks and fun stories. 

Oh, and lets not forget the cup of tea and chocolate biscuits! its a must.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know some of your pamper essentials!

Shannon,

xox

THE LIEBSTER AWARD

So, a few days ago I was ever so kindly nominated for the Liebster award by the lovely Amy from Get Glam! thanks Amy! If you're not familiar with this award, it's basically an Award given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers, by other bloggers. Blogging is about building a community and this is a great way to connect with other bloggers and find new blogs that you may not have found otherwise. So, here goes!

1| Why did you start blogging and how have you found it so far?

I started blogging as I was really inspired by reading posts by other bloggers, I also love photography wanted to somehow get it out there and start being creative rather than leaving my camera laying around collecting dust!  

2| What are your favourite beauty blogs?

My favourites are blogs that provide reviews and tips! 

3| What’s been the funniest moment of your life so far?

I'm honestly struggling with this question.. I don't have one ..sorry!

4| If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My nose, I've always disliked it as it's pretty big and has a bump in the middle.

5| Describe the most interesting day of your life.

Honestly, my life isn't that interesting! but I'm going to say the day I met my favourite band, Mcfly. It was interesting to see them as actual people and talk and get to know them personally rather than just be  a band that I listen to!

6| What’s the best beauty tip you’ve ever been given?

I haven't really been given much beauty advice in my time but I remember watching Kandee Johnson on YouTube and she gave a tip about eyeliner, she said to set it with a black eyeshadow to ensure it lasts all day, years on I still use this tip every day!

7| And the biggest beauty mistake you’ve ever made?

Probably using foundation that was way too dark/orange/cakey on my extremely pale skin.

8| Describe yourself in one word.

Friendly. 

9| You’re stranded on a desert island. What 5 things do you want with you most?

My phone, mascara, popcorn, mcfly (music or actual beings I'm not fussy) and chocolate.

10| If you could change your name to anything, what would it be?

I've always liked the name Olivia, I'm not sure why, It's just pretty!

11| Do you believe that high end products are always better than budget buys?

Definitely not, I've found some holy grail products in boots for under £5, that says it all!

My nominations are:
Hannah Butterworth
Jade Bloggs
Sarah Adores
Polkadots
Laura knows lifestyle

Your questions to answer are:

1. Why did you start blogging, is it what you expected?  2. favourite food?

3. What's your holy grail beauty product? 4. Who's your biggest inspiration?

5. Cats or dogs?                                        6. most prized possesion?

7. what's your worst beauty habit?            8. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

9. did you love or hate school?                10. what is your dream career/job?

11. what is the most memorable                                                                                                     moment so far in your life?

So there you have it! Sorry if I've nominated anyone that's already been nominated!

Shannon,

xox

EMPTIES | PRODUCTS I'VE USED UP

Hello lovelies! I thought I'd share with you a few products that I've used up over the past few months and what my thoughts were about them!

Mac Studio Fix Powder with foundation

I receive this as a gift for my birthday last year and as you can see from the photo I only have a tiny bit left, barely enough to cover my brush! I've really loved using this powder, it's got a lovely medium coverage and keeps my skin looking shine-free and photo ready all day long. I use the shade c2 but I find this to be a slight be too orange for me, although not so much that you'd really notice it. I'm so sad as I can't afford to repurchase this right now, so I'll be investing in something slightly cheaper.. Now, excuse me while I sob into my empty purse.

Clean and Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion

If you so my January favourites (here) you'll have seen that this little beauty has become a holy grail product for me. I'm now on to my second bottle and it is working just as well as it did the first time around. It's helped control my oiliness unbelievably well and I recommend it to anybody searching for products to control their oily/combination skin. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

This foundation is a liquid mousse foundation, at first this completely baffled me and I failed to understand how a foundation could be both mousse AND liquid?! Crazy stuff right there people. It turns out that it's basically just a thick, almost creamy formula, it isn't at all runny but is so so easy to work with and blend. It keeps the skin matte but I found myself applying powder to cover some shine halfway through the day but that could be due to my extremely oily skin. All round this is a good foundation with a full coverage for an amazing price.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara 

This is a well known and loved mascara by many. I initially discovered this after running out of my own mascara and having to use my mums! I instantly loved it and went out to get myself a tube. This mascara gave my lashes great length and is extremely black which is always a great thing for me. The one thing I didn't love about this mascara was the lack of volume it gave to my lashes. That being said, adding a volumizing mascara on top my lashes looked full, long and just great.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Perfume 30ml

I've previously owned the original Daisy fragrance by Marc Jacobs and I absolutely loved it. When the new Daisy Dream fragrance came out I was so excited and had to get myself a small bottle! I love this scent.  It's sweet, delicate and fresh which I personally love in a fragrance. I found the lasting power of this perfume to be lacking compared to the original Daisy Fragrance but it still lasted a few hours at a time and the smell is just beautiful.

See you soon!

Shannon,

xox

BAKING | TANYA BURR MILK & WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Anybody who knows me will know that have a major sweet tooth (borderline problematic but let's pretend it's all under control). This also means that I adore baking and have done since I can remember, although I don't get much chance to lately. 

I recently picked up Tanya Burrs new book 'Love, Tanya' and couldn't wait to try out some of the lovely recipes she had included within the book. I decided to bake her ever so famous milk and white chocolate cookies. These cookies are so simple to make, require only a handful of ingredients and taste so delicious.

To make 10 (quite large) cookies, you will need:

200g butter

300g Caster Sugar
1 Large egg
325g self-raising flour
A dash of milk (optional)
200g white chocolate
200g milk chocolate (I chose Cadbury's dairy milk)

Method:

First of all, preheat your oven to 200°c and then start by whisking the butter (room temperature) and sugar together until it becomes pale and creamy. Crack the egg in and mix it through. Gradually add the flour bit by bit until it's all mixed together.

The mixture should look something like the above. If it looks too dry, add a splash of milk until you get the right consistency. If the mixture is too sticky then just add a little bit more flour. Then, with clean hands break up the chocolate into chunks and add to the mixture, grabbing the dough from underneath to ensure chocolately goodness throughout. Tanya uses 200g of each chocolate but I opted for about 100g as 200 seemed slightly too much. Of course this is personal preference so do as you please!

Shape the dough into ten balls using your hands and out them onto a baking tray lined with gressproof paper. I would recommend flattening the balls slightly as it will make them bake evenly and make them thinner. I found that the balls shown in the photo below made cookies a bit too thick for my liking.

Bake for 10-12 minutes and not a second longer! They will look as if they need more time and feel really gooey but have faith! The result when they have cooled will be perfectly soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside style cookies. 

So there it is, a very simple and delicious recipe from the lovely Tanya burr. I've made these multiple ones for my family and they go down so well each time!

Let me know if you have a major sweet tooth like myself and what your favourite recipes to make I'm the comments!

Shannon x

P.S. LOVE... MATTE LONG LAST LIPSTICK REVIEW

While on a recent trip to primark, I stumbled across their health and beauty department and discovered their new make up range called 'ps love...' So I decided to pick up a few bits and bobs. The two main products that caught my eye were the long last matte lipsticks. The packaging itself looks a lot more expensive and luxury than what you'd expect from a £1.50 lipstick (yes you read that correctly. £1.50!!!) with a lovely, sleek and elegant gold lid and clear bottom showing a little sneak peak of the colour, a touch that I personally really love. 

I decided to pick up two shades, one nude called 'Whisper' and a lovely red shade called 'Femme Fatale'. I had been looking for the perfect nude lipstick for a while and as I'm not much of a lipstick wearer, I've never been prepared to pay a lot for one. The shade whisper is exactly what I've been looking for, it's matte with a lovely creamy formula that isn't at all drying and for me it's definitely a 'your lips but better' kind of nude. As far as the 'long last' part goes, I'd say it does last a while but you need to touch it up every now and again, such as after eating or drinking.

The only negative thing I can say about the shade whisper is that it seems to have some little bits of shimmer running through which in my opinion contradicts the whole 'matte' formula. That being said, the shimmer isn't too noticeable and if there are any bits that show, they can easily be dabbed off with your finger without removing any colour. 

Now onto the shade 'Femme Fetale', this shade to the eye is a gorgeous, vibrant matte red. To be completely honest, I was very surprised by how pigmented this lipstick is considering the price tag! It doesn't completely portray the colour that you see in the bullet, although it is still lovely. It applies a  thickish sheer (if that's even a thing) colour with the first application but after two or three coats it looks vibrant and pigmented. This shade isn't as matte as the nude, and has quite a pink undertone but I still like it nonetheless. I would say you probably need a lip liner to go underneath as this one is pretty creamy and could see it slipping around after a few hours, and it may even help it to look more pigmented than it already is!

Overall I think these lipsticks are an absolute steal and recommend them to anyone looking for an affordable, great formulated lipstick.

Let me know some of your favourite budget lipsticks in the comments below!

Love, Shannon x

MY GUILTY PLEASURES

Guilty pleasures. We all have them but very rarely do we actually think about them and share them with the world. I noticed a few Bloggers and YouTubers do this little tag and I thought I would join in and share some of my own!

Listening to McFly for hours on end // Eating Nutella straight from the jar with a spoon // watching endless romantic comedy films with a cup of tea and a blanket // Searching the 'Pug' hash-tag on Intagram and scrolling for hours (Too. Darn. Cute) // Spending my days off from work watching endless F.R.I.E.N.D.S re-runs on Comedy Central // Spooning // Binge watching old YouTube videos from my subscriptions // Late night cinema showings // Dunking chocolate digestives in tea // Eating cookie dough from the bowl/ eating warm cookies (heart eye emoji)

I hope you liked discovering some of my guilty pleasures and I'd love to hear some of yours yours in the comments below!

Shannon x

EVERYDAY MAKE UP LOOK

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm most definitely a creature of habit when it comes to my make-up and it's very rare that I'll explore the aisles of Boots or Superdrug for new products when picking up my beauty bits (I'm going t try and change this). With that aside, I thought I would share this everyday make-up look that I've been wearing and loving over the last few months. 

My must have product for my every day make up look is foundation. I'm currently loving the Revlon Colorstay 24hr Foundation for Combination/oily skin. I have naturally very oily skin which also looks quite uneven in tone. This foundation is buildable and balances my skin tone out, giving me a flawless finish without looking caked on and keeps my oiliness at bay. I then set my foundation with Rimmel's Stay Matte Pressed Powder in translucent to ensure it stays in place for as long as possible.

My next staple product for this look has to be mascara. It opens and defines my eyes while still looking natural. If you saw my January favourites post you'll know that I'm currently using the Benefit They're Real Mascara Which I absolutely LOVE. It fans out my lashes while giving volume and length, leaving no clumps at all. The perfect mascara in my opinion and something I've always found difficult to find in a mascara. I like to further define my eyes with a little pencil eye liner, I place this in the waterline and also along the lash line creating a subtle winged line. 

Another step I like to take for this look is filling in my eyebrows. To do this I simply take an E.L.F small angled brush along with my Natural Collection solo eye shadow in Crushed Walnut. It's the perfect shade for me and is surprisingly very pigmented and I'd say it would match just about any girl with brunette locks out there. Eyebrows make all the difference for me in this look. 
I generally like to add a tiny bit of bronzer to contour in the hollows of my cheeks and add a touch of L'oreal Paris' True Match Blush in the shade true rose which is perfect for fair skin tones, It looks very subtle and gives a healthy glow. 

I then complete the look with a lipstick of choice, usually a nude or even just a simple lip balm and ta-da! all done. I hope this gave you a little inspiration for new products to try or just a little insight into what I wear on an every day basis. 
I'd love to hear your thoughts so feel free to leave a comment below!

Shannon x

GHD CURVE | CLASSIC WAVE WAND REVIEW

I've always been a straighteners kinda gal, for a very long time I've been using my straighteners to achieve natural, loose looking curls but recently I started to notice that my hair was being pulled out a lot and they were generally leaving my hair looking dry and unloved. I've never been a huge fan of curling wands as quite frankly they scare the life out of me (so many finger burns.. shudders). I then stumbled across the GHD website and discovered that they had a brand new range of curling wands coming out which immediately got me excited, and then they somehow made their way onto my Christmas list. I had a look at them all individually but the one that really stood out to me was the Classic Wave Wand. It is the only one from the range that is specifically designed to create waves rather than a curl which I love as I'm all about that everyday, natural look.

The classic wave wand has a very comfortable 38mm – 26mm oval shaped barrel with a protective cool tip on the end to protect your fingers from any nasty burns.

I dread to think of the damage I've caused my hair over the years, so thankfully the GHD Curve features tri-zone technology to ensure healthier looking hair due to the barrel keeping at the optimum curling temperature of 185°C without causing heat damage.
An extremely handy feature of the range includes an automatic sleep mode after 30 minutes without use, so if you're in a rush to work, school or college and it completely slips your mind or you're just generally worried that you didn't turn them off, no worries, GHD have you covered. Genius really, right?

I was very lucky to receive the classic wave wand for Christmas, and oh my gosh I love it. The packaging It came in is beautiful, being presented in a rose gold limited edition roll up bag (who doesn't love rose gold?!). The actual wand itself is just lovely. It's very sleek with a matte black finish and silver details along either side of the barrel which I personally love. Admittedly I found it slightly hard to get used to at first after years of using a straightener, but after a few days it was like I had been using it forever. The wand is designed to create deep, Hollywood waves but I find that starting the curl off from the roots of my hair creates a lovely, natural wave that actually lasts all day which is very rare for me as my hair is so thick and heavy. Overall i'm extremely pleased with this wand and I think it will be in my life for a very long time.

I'd love to know your thoughts on the GHD curve range in the comments below!

You can purchase the full range from the GHD website (here)

Shannon x