Recent Purchases| St. Tropez Bargains

I was recently strolling through my local Tesco, just looking for bits and pieces on my shopping list (and things that weren't) and found a basket full of reduced bits and bobs. I thought I'd have a look as you never know what you might find.

I saw the colours white and blue and was instantly excited by the fact that St. Tropez was in the sale basket. I eagerly rummaged through to see what types of tan I could get my hands on. This was the result, after putting back a couple because there was only so much my hands could carry! haha

I got... 'Perfect Leg Spray', 'Everyday Moisturiser for Face' (Gradual Tan), 'Bronzing Mousse', 'Everyday Bronzing Mousse' (Gradual Tan).

I've never really used St. Tropez before but I know it has been recommended to me before as a 'holy grail' product. One that some of my friends feel like they can't live without.
If you are popping by your nearest Tesco it may be interesting to take a peek into one of those sales baskets to see if there are some in there. I find that sometimes when you are trying out things for the first time, it can be a bit daunting spending so much on a product you're not even sure you like. If you can find it reduced there is always something so triumphant about it!

Let me know of any products you have found reduced that you feel proud about!
Love C. xx

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Infinity Dreams Award| Nomination

So recently I had a comment on one of my blogposts that I had been nominated for the Infinity Dreams Award. I personally hadn't heard much about this but was intrigued none the less and thought it would be fun to answer these questions too!

The rules of the award is to thank and follow the blog that nominated you,
I was nominated by That Deer Girl so thank you!

Then answer the questions set by the blogger that nominated you; which should allow all you wonderful people to get to know me!

After that nominate 11 bloggers and set questions for them.

So here are my 11 questions, enjoy:

1) Where do you see yourself in 6 Years time?
I would like to think that I will potentially be living and working abroad, perhaps Australia?

2) If you could do blogging as your full time job, would you?
I would definitely consider it, it is a big commitment and I think I would have to cross that bridge when/if I ever got there.

3) Does your family and friends know about your blog?
I think all my friends know I have a blog and most of my family know too! They're all pretty supportive of it too which is nice.

4) What was your favourite subject at school?
I was a science girl, I really just found it so interesting. I wasn't amazingly clever at it but I just enjoyed it. I also quite enjoyed art, but I think my style was more abstract haha!

5) What is your current job and is it your dream job?
I currently work in the NHS and at the moment I would say it is, but I would never say it is my dream job for life because goals and dreams can change and I'm always open to change! :)

6) What is your favourite hairstyle?
I love when my hair is super bouncy and voluminous, just down or maybe with a cute hair accessories pulling back my bangs loosely.

7) Do you have any animals?
No I don't, I used to have a giant french lop earred rabbit who was adorable. I would love to get another rabbit or a dog. Sometimes I do borrow my friends dog to take on walks though.

8) What is your dream car?
I would love a Baby Porche 4WD, or and Audi A3 soft top.

9) Do you have any siblings?
Yes I have an older sister and an older brother. So I'm the youngest at 21 years old.

10) Do you enjoy reading? If so what are you currently reading?
I do like reading, its more to do with not having a lot of time to read. I'm currently reading Tanya Burr's book 'Love Tanya' which I'm enjoying. I would really recommend 'The first fifteen lives of Harry August' by Claire North.

11) Favourite high street clothes shop?
How could you ask me this? haha It's difficult to only choose one....so I'll choose three haha!
Love Urban Outfitters, Topshop and Asos!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ANSWER:

1) What is your favourite food?
2)If you were stuck on a desert island, what would be your one and only beauty or skincare item you would bring?
3) What is your favourite way to spend a Sunday?
4) Favourite colour?
5) One restaurant you would recommend and what food they do?
6) What is a staple item of clothing that you would not go without?
7) If you could write a little message to your best friend, what would it be?
8) If you could write something to your 50 year old self, what would you write?
9) Sleep or Stay up?
10) Pets? If so what is their name or what would their name be if you had one?
11) What is your plans for tomorrow?

I now nominate:
Carly's Beauty World
Raspberrykiss
ThumbalinaLillie
MegsBoutique
AGirlAndABeautyBlog
Ellie'sRamblings
TheBeautySeries
MascaraAndMaltesers
ThouShaltNotCovet
BeautyGeekUK
TheSaltLifeWife

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this blogpost and feel like perhaps you know me a bit better!

Love C xx

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How To| Get Self Confidence?!

I've got a chatty one for you this week my beauties, I hope you don't mind!

I'm not going to sit here and type about how easy it is to be self confident..because it is definitely not that easy.

Self-confidence is a personal journey for everyone. You'll find that many people take different paths, some people may get there quicker than others with a smoother ride and some people may take years and years with many twists and turns in the road. But, my dear friends, the end result is the same -we are all going to the same destination.

I found this really interesting that confidence is actually derived from the Latin word for 'with faith'. In this case it would be having faith in yourself and believing in yourself. I know we all have our up and down days where sometimes you just think negatively or feel like you can't be that girl or guy who is super confident (without being cocky), but when we have these days -it is okay, it is allowed.

Sometimes however, you've got to realise that you need to bite the bullet and try and change something in your life to make you feel more confident.

For me personally I am still on my own journey to self-confidence, I am nowhere near the confident woman I would like to be. But I have developed some confidence and I would like to share how I have got this far.

Fake it.

Try to think of someone who you feel inspired by or someone you think is really confident. Think about the way they stand and the way they hold themselves or the way they speak. There has been research to back up that your body actually changes the way your mind thinks. For example if you make yourself do a big cheesy smile or force a laugh out for 10 seconds, you'll find that you are happier as your brain releases endorphins. This works for good posture too. Stand up straight with your shoulders back, chest out and head up. You start feeling better and people will perceive you to be a more confident person.

If you're someone who you feels like you can't act like that or something is holding you back ask yourself why? The internal conversation you have inside and those thoughts that go with it can affect your feelings, if you're thinking positively you feel good, if you're thinking negatively you feel bad. Trying to ignore the bad thoughts and get into the right mindset. So for example, if you are walking into a party and you feel like everyone is looking at you or you don't know many people, try and turn the situation around. Ignore the negative thoughts and think about whether everyone is having fun or whether you're in a nice destination, pick up on those thoughts and make them great memories for you to look back on.

If you don't want to practice with people who are in your day-to-day life, practice when there is nothing at stake with someone you don't know. Take the opportunity to practice on a shop assistant or a waiter. These people are paid to be nice and helpful so they shouldn't say anything to make you feel negative and you can develop your confidence on them. Once you've done this to the point you feel comfortable just turn that confident person into the everyday person you are.

One last tip is to dress to impress and no I'm not talking about impressing other people I'm talking about impressing yourself. Wear the clothes that make you feel the most comfortable and make you feel yours sexiest or something that really shows off your silhouette. This will help you get into a positive mindset.

I hope this blogpost helps at least one person. If you want me to do another post like this another time it would be great to know in the comment section below. I would also strongly recommend that you give at least one person a compliment sometime this week, it would definitely brighten up someone else's day and you never know you might cheer someone up!

Love C. Xx

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Too busy to workout| quick workouts

Although I'm trying to live my life in a healthier way, trying to exercise more can at times feel like there isn't enough time to do it.

Well, I'm going to share with you a couple little exercises I do when there is no time- whilst doing your everyday activities.

1) Waiting for a bath to run. I usually try and hold a squat for as long as possible or even put on my favourite tune and hold it for the entire song. That way I can try and distract myself by singing along and potentially even doing a little dance in the squat position- this is not only exercise but a happy hormone booster! 

2) Same principle, waiting for the kettle to boil for your tea- do some squats, one legged or two. You could even do arm exercises. While its boiling, put both arms out at a 90 degree angle and draw tiny circles with your arms. WARNING. This is a killer but so good!

3) Watching a kick-ass episode of vampire diaries or your favourite television show? During ad breaks I sometimes sit on the floor and do as many crunches or sit ups as possible. Have a break when the programme comes back on then the next break try holding a few planks for as long as possible.

4) Cooking prep can take usually between 10-20minutes. Why not multi-task and do some butt squeezes/clenches whilst doing it? Hold the squeeze/ clench for 5 seconds pulse for 10 and repeat. Have a minute break when necessary. 

5) At times, when I'm waiting for the toaster, for pasta to cook or if I just need to keep an eye on the meal then I will hold onto the counter and lift one leg at a time behind as high as possible pulsing the leg up for as long as possible and then swap legs over. Great butt,quad and lower back workout.

These are just five little exercises I try to do if I haven't been able to get to the gym or am feeling like I want to burn a few extra calories. I particularly love the squat whilst waiting for a bath- music makes the experience more enjoyable and then you have a relaxing bath afterwards. 

Do you have any quirky little exercises you do during the day when you have no time for the gym?

I know sometimes I feel a bit silly doing these things but it's just totally worth doing, especially if you're like me and you feel guilty for not going to the gym. 

Hope this helps some of you and maybe gives a little inspiration?!

P.S: Here's what the last blogpost's outfit looked like...

Love C. 

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Outfit of the Month| Valentines day

Even if you have that special someone in your life, or if you're going out with your girlfriends and living up the single life- we need an outfit. Well, at least in my opinion it's a good excuse to get one!
I have chosen an outfit that doesn't scream Valentines day, a) because I don't often wear red or pink and b) because I want to be able to wear this outfit again another time.

The shirt, skirt, bag and shoes are all from Primark. The shoes were bought a while ago but I'm certain I've seen nude shoes that could go perfectly with this outfit. I haven't decided on wearing tights or not- it depends on how cold it is and how brave I'm feeling!

The red nail varnish if from the Estee Lauder gift set and the Mac lipstick is Russian Red- both of which I have previously blogged about.

I think the red nails and lips add an extra pop of colour and makes the look more Valentines day appropriate, but still has class and can be worn on other occasions too. This look is easy to dress up with a blazer and heels or dress down with flats and a cardigan.

Let me know what you're wearing, are you going out with the girls or doing something with your loved one? I just want to add that although this is a day to show the one you love how you feel, this really should be shown throughout the year and should include how much you love your family and friends too!

I hope you found some inspiration for an outfit and I hope you have a wonderful Valentines day whatever you are doing.

Love C.

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Lip Injection?| Too Faced

Some people love the size of their lips and don't particularly even think about using lip plumping glosses or balms.
Some people, like myself are interested in these glosses and wonder if they actually work.
I was recently scrolling through my Instagram and came across a picture of a beautifully manicure hand that was holding the 'Too Faced- Lip Injection'. I was instantly intrigued.

Pretty packaging, and an easy applicator this little gem is a bit more on the pricey side but I would say it is one to try. I would suggest if you aren't one to buy something straight out when it is expensive, try and get a little sample of it if you can.
I've taken several photos of before, during and after so that you can see the progression. These photos were taken over 10 minutes.

Before:

Straight after application:

After 5 minutes: 

During this time I started to feel a tingling almost burning sensation and could definitely tell something was happening. My lips felt as though I has had something quite spicy and started to turn a more pinky rose colour. The packaging does 'note' that there may be some 'slightly intense tingling that can last up to 5-10 minutes'. 

After 10 minutes: All tingling had gone by this point and I could see and feel my lips plumper! Personally I wasn't totally keen that my lips had turned this rosy colour (as I do like my nude colours). Despite this, it still looks great and I would recommend anyone to try this who feels like they want plumper, fuller lips. It is cheaper than injections!

I definitely think my top lip had swollen to match my bottom lip. I will put the before and after next to each other just so you can see a side by side comparison.

I hope you guys enjoyed this review or at least found it help and interesting to see the difference between before and after.

Let me know your thoughts on these products and if you think they are worth the money.

Love C. <3

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Color. Love. Makeup.| Zoeva Brushes

Zoeva.

You may have heard a heck of a lot about these make-up brushes, but you may also have heard nothing at all.

For those of you who don't know much about Zoeva brushes or those of you who just want to know what they are like- keep reading!

Firstly, how beautiful is the packaging? I am a sucker for rose gold things even though I prefer wearing silver. The rose gold hardware near the bristles and on the writing just add that extra bit of class.

I purchased the Rose Golden Luxury Set which comes with 8 brushes for daily make-up use and a high quality make-up bag.
The Brushes:
106| Powder
102| Silk Finish
127| Luxe Sheer Cheek
110| Face Shape
142| Concealer Buffer
227| Soft Definer
231| Petite Crease
213| Wing Liner

The face brushes are dense but super soft and I actually found that my previous (cheap off eBay) brushes just moved the product around my face leaving stripy brush marks, whereas these just buff the product effortlessly into my skin. I actually thought it was my foundation that was wrong for my skin- it just goes to show that if you have the right tools to start with you can create a more flawless make-up look.

The 'pick up' and 'put down' of these brushes is amazing and I found that I definitely didn't need as much product as I usually did (which was actually wasting product as it was still in the bristles of my previous brushes).
This set has both natural hair and synthetic taklon bristles making them ideal for liquid, cream and powder products.

I thought I'd show you my first make-up look, personally I was super impressed with my foundation application- the brush just seemed to blend it perfectly.
For some of you who know the Mac 266 brush, I will say that the Zoeva Wing Liner is softer around the eyes and in my opinion make applying eye shadow around the lash line more comfortable. However, as the Mac 266 is more sturdy I do prefer this for my eyebrows.

I hope that this review helps those of you interested in the Zoeva brushes. I would say that they are a great set of high quality brushes, especially when you are first getting started and would highly recommend these to anyone.

What are your opinions and impressions of these brushes? What brushes would you recommend?

Love Claudia xx

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Jewellery storage| Eye candy

Hey you,
Hope you are feeling fab this fine Sunday evening?!

Recently I've been thinking about storage. I really enjoy looking at the different ways you can store your makeup, jewellery etc. There's just something so attractive in putting your favourite things into a gorgeous display for your eyes to enjoy.

Today I fancied showing you some jewellery storage that I've been loving recently (and can't decide between!)

Picture from Notonthehighstreet

Well hi there birdies! I really think this is super sweet, and I love the fact there are two together, one tall, one small..just yes! Also you have more storage, for more jewellery *wink wink*. With this storage it would hold a very good amount of necklaces and bracelets, potentially rings, but would need some other sort of storage for earrings.

Picture from Urban outfitters

Firstly, I just adore this jewellery holder itself. It does not even need anything hanging from it it's that awesome, in my opinion. But even so I would only apply minimal things to this and definitely not overload it, otherwise I think it would be too much to take in all at once.

Picture from Urban Outfitters

I adore this vintage looking jewellery box- HOW BEAUTIFUL! It is so dainty yet almost gothic, I just love it! I would however be more inclined to use this just for rings or earrings as necklaces can get their knickers in a right twist and we all know how hard it is to untangle them..

Picture from Amazon

This is lovely, a) as it comes in two different colours to choose and b) because it is not only a stand but a trinket dish too! So your stylish rings can chill at the bottom of the tree and the birdies up top can look after your necklaces and bracelets.

Picture from Amazon

This is simple yet sophisticated and multifunctional. You can pop earrings of all kinds to the left and hang necklaces and bracelets to the right. You could potentially drape jewellery on the heart and swirls too or even cute hair bows, ribbons etc.

Picture from Lisa Angel

OMG. Love this! Perfect for rings, earrings and general small jewellery. Ideal as you can still see your jewellery through the top, it is separated into little compartments, but it is all kept neatly in one gorgeous coloured box (with lace!!).

How cute are all of these?! It's so hard to choose, I want them all! May have to get at least two of these.
What storage have you got? Do you prefer boxes, trinket dishes, stands?

Love Claudia xxx

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