The Sunday Edit #38

Another hectic week swiftly draws to a close.  I can't believe how fast the weeks are going, I only have 60 school days left before I leave which is really quite scary!

This week has been the usual, hard work all the time! Yesterday I spent all day getting all my homework done, the odd bit of Science and History Revision and I did a piece of Art that needed to be finished otherwise I will be shot on Monday! Today is going to be rather quiet actually, I don't really have anything to do! It seems to be a beautifully sunny day so I may take some photos and get a few posts written up and just ponder about a bit really! Me and my friend have been obsessively watching Misfits on Netflix and she is about 2 seasons ahead of me so I might do some binge-watching today to try my utmost to catch up with her! She keeps giving me spoilers so I want to catch up so that she can't ruin it for me any more!

On Friday I received a package from Kebelo, which I will admit is not a brand that I've heard of so after a bit of googling I discovered that this is a somewhat premium hair brand.  The lovely people at Everything Cosmetic invited me to join their team trial so I will be reviewing these products on their website.  They sent me the enriching range which is specifically aimed at women with dry, coarse, colour treated hair.  This set includes a shampoo, conditioner and a deep treatment mask which will all be reviewed on my blog as well as the Everything Cosmetic website.

I have one week left of school before we have a week off for half term which I am quite looking forward to! I have to go in on the Monday to do a History Controlled assessment because I missed an A by 0.8 marks so I am going to chuck a few extras in and try and boost that up a bit. The rest of the week shall be used to catch up with myself because the huge amount of work has overwhelmed me and no matter how much I do, I always seem to be behind! This term has been mental so I am really looking forward to a week off to just chill and recover from the trauma!

I hope you have all had a lovely week!

Emily xx

p.s, I just realised I used an obscene amount of exclamation marks in that, apologies!

What I've Won #3

Well my lucky streak seems to have continued and I have won yet another giveaway! This time I have won some E45 products from the lovely Heather who blogs over at Of Beauty and Nothingness (I apologise for the poor-quality photos, blame english weather).  I have to admit, E45 is not really  brand I've ever been that interested in. I haven't ever felt the urge to try any of their products, nor have any of them ever really grabbed my attention.
The first product I got was the E45 Moisturising Lotion.  This can be used anywhere on the body, I have been mainly using it on my face before makeup.  It is quite light in consistency and sinks in quickly so nothing slides off it.  Makeup goes on smoothly over the top and it minimises the amount of dry patches that my foundation clings to.  My skin has had a bit of a blip recently, I'm not sure if its down to this or its just the weather so I will keep going with it and see what happens. I will be a little bit miffed if it is this that is breaking me out because I do really like the product otherwise.
The second product I received was the Repair and Protect Overnight Hand Cream. I love a good hand cream in the winter and this is a brilliant one. It is very rich and locks in as much moisture as possible, without leaving your hands greasy and sinking in quickly.  I have to admit, I haven't tried it overnight, I tend to keep it in my handbag for when I'm out and about and my hands feel a little dry.

I definitely recommend E45 products, they have such a vast range for all skin types at really affordable prices so it is definitely worth a look!

Emily xx

January Favourites | 2015

I hope you have all had a lovely start to the new year; I honestly cannot believe that we are a month and 6 days into the new year.  How time flies! I seem to have tried out a fair few things this month, the boxing day sales were most certainly my weakness and Christmas also meant that there were even more new things to play with!

Starting off with makeup, the first product is the much raved about Mary-Lou Manizer from TheBalm.  This is honestly so worth the hype, it gives the perfect glow without looking too shimmery or glittery and catches the light beautifully.  I also use this as an eyeshadow on an every day basis and blend a little bit of bronzer through the crease and it looks beautiful. It is such an amazing and versatile product and is worth every penny! If you do purchase this, I would recommend using a light hand because this stuff is hella pigmented!
The second product is something that I hadn't heard off until I won it in a giveaway a few weeks ago! TheBalm Whats your type? Tall, Dark & Handsome Mascara is possibly one of my new holy grail mascaras next to benefit's new Roller Lash.  It has a plastic wand which is my personal favourite and it really lengthens and separates lashes whilst giving them the extra oomph to keep them curled and volumised. This is such an amazing mascara and I am quite surprised that not more people talk about this.
The next product comes from Makeup Revolution which is probably one of my new favourite budget brands.  Their Blush Stick in the shade Matte Malibu has been my go to bronzing/contouring product this month for many reasons! It is effectively just a cream bronzer in a stick, it glides onto the cheeks effortlessly and blends seamlessly to leave a long lasting bronzey look to the skin whilst also subtly defining your facial features.  This is another product that requires a light hand because the pigmentation is phenomenal.  I would definitely recommend this if you would like a cheaper dupe for the Nars matte multiple which is almost identical to this, both in formula and colour.
The last makeup product is the Avon Setting Spray.  I picked this up randomly for £2.50, not really expecting anything amazing and I had actually intended to use it for wetting loose pigments.  I was so pleasantly surprised at this product, it has made a huge difference to the longevity of my makeup! I spray it on after I've finished my base, before I powder and then after I have completely finished my makeup and I have noticed a dramatic difference in both the finish and lasting power of my makeup.  It feels light on the skin and not sticky, but you can almost feel it really setting your makeup down and it gives it a lovely radiant finish.  I would definitely recommend trying this one before splurging on any of the urban decay versions.
Onto skincare, I have been literally obsessed with the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.  This is another product that is certainly loved by many and was something I had been coveting for a long time.  I finally got the chance to try it when I received it for christmas and I was so pleased!  This cleanser is perfect for all skin types and has really helped to keep my skin in the best condition possible throughout the harsh weather we have been having in the UK this month.  It feels so luxurious and buttery on the skin and you can really feel it melting into your skin and pulling out all the dirt. It is so gentle on the skin and I have only noticed good things coming from this! I also love the gentle exfoliation you get with the muslin cloths and I can usually kill 2 birds with 1 stone with this product.  I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a cleanser that it gentle, yet effective and doesn't have a horrendous price tag!
The last beauty related item is the No7 Beautiful Night Cream.  Although my skin is predominantly oily, it does get rather dry from time to time and lacks the hydration that it needs.  This product has been perfect for keeping my skin hydrated and moisturised without making it more oily.  This is surprisingly light for a light cream, and although it is light it is still rich enough to give your skin a noticeable boost. This is definitely a winner for me and for the price, you can't really go wrong!
The last thing is my One Line A Day Memory Book which I also got for christmas.  I did a whole post on this on Monday here so I won't ramble too much, but it is such a lovely thing to have and I definitely recommend purchasing this if you are someone who likes to document everything like me!

I hope you have all had a lovely month, I am sorry for the slight delay on this post as it was due to go up on Wednesday, but I was poorly and didn't have time to write it!

Emily xx

Memories

I am one of those people who like to document everything.  Wherever I go or whatever I do, I take as many photos as possible and I love to write everything down, whether it be reminders, lists or memories.  When I received this book for christmas, I was thrilled! The One Line A Day Memory Book is such a good idea! As the name would suggest, you have a small space for each day where you write down memories and moments that you want to treasure.  This lasts for 5 years and you can see what you were doing on each day, each year.  I love how you can look back over the years and look at all the things that made you happy and look back on the special times you spent with friends and family, where you went, what you did, who you were with and anything that you want to remember.  I can't wait until the end of the year when I can go through every page and look back on everything that happened this year, and when I get to the end of the book and can look back on a whole 5-years worth of memories. I have written in it every day so far and it isn't something that I will ever get bored of.

I think this is such a lovely thing to have and I definitely recommend getting one! You can get these for around £3.90 on amazon (link above) which is an absolute bargain for something so special.

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #37

Pinch punch, first of the month, slip slap can't do it back!

I can only apologise for the lack of post on Friday, I have had a hectic week and have been experiencing some technical issues! Does anyone else absolutely despise the new Mac update?! I think it looks so cheap and is so strangely laid out, I'm certainly not a fan! I'm sure I'll get used to it though, the same as iOS 7 which I hated as well!  Anyways, enough technical talk! This week I have been so busy with school work, trying to improve on the things that I went wrong in on my Mock exams and trying to get as much artwork done as possible, ready for my exam at the end of march.  I'm finding Art the most stressful out of all of my subjects, my teacher is horrible and is constantly putting unnecessary pressure on us to do work that isn't completely necessary in getting a GCSE. She has started setting ridiculously unrealistic deadlines for pieces of work, which not only are impossible to meet but forcing us to be creative.  I have always loved art, but I have to say, she is really ruining it for me now! The whole idea of art is to enjoy it and express yourself, and when you are having those days where you just don't feel motivated or creative, you can't do it and forcing it is only going to impact on the quality of work and will affect your grade in the long term!

It's not all doom and gloom, I finally saved up enough to buy myself a Michael Kors Watch! I have been wanting one of these for the longest time and I have finally got my grubby mits on one! Seeing as I already have 2 gold/rose gold watches, I thought I'd opt for the silver instead to go with the rest of my jewellery which is primarily silver.  This particular model is the MK5353 and I managed to track it down on Amazon for £132.42 which is a huge saving from the RRP £225.  I am so happy with it, and today will be spent tracking down a good jewellers to take out some links for me because it is absolutely huge and I have midget wrists! I also have some art pieces to finish off and I am desperate to finish season 2 of misfits, which I have been massively into over the past week! Nothing exciting, quite a lazy day!

I hope you have all had a lovely week and month!

Emily xx