Get a Pinterest inspired wall grid without breaking the bank!

Before moving into my house I was glued to Pinterest, searching for cute (and cheap) ways to decorate my bedroom. It seemed that with every other click a wall grid would crop up and of course, that meant I needed one. I found that many websites were selling their own versions of these but I couldn't find one that wasn't crazy overpriced, so I took matters into my own hands and did a touch of DIY!

Images from Pinterest
This was ridiculously simple to make and cost just a fraction of the price compared to online retailers. To make one all you will need is some mesh panel (you can grab one of these from your local hardware store or garden centre) and some spray paint - of course, I went for copper. I bought both of these from Homebase for under £10.


Bedroom Tour // 2017

I've done it. I'm an adult. I have a job and a new home. It's taken me a little while to get my new bedroom exactly how I want it and now I'm finally ready to share it with you. I am renting a flat that came furnished so I was restricted to how much I could make this room my own. After purchasing few new bed sets and half of IKEA... here's my new bedroom. 
Bedding: Primark // Lamp: Ikea // Leaf cushion: Primark // Black and white cushion: Ikea // Love you to the moon and back cushion: Etsy // Cactus cushion: Primark
Prints: Etsy // Candle: Yankee
Prints: Ikea // Plants: Homebase // Wire grid: DIY // Lights: Primark // Lamp: Homebase // Makeup storage: Primark 
Cabenits: Ikea // Diffuser: Primark

Skincare Saviours // The Body Shop

Our Tea Tree Mattifying Lotion is a lightweight daytime moisturiser suitable for blemished skin. Infused with our organic pure tea tree oil, this easily absorbed lotion provides hydration, without clogging the pores or leaving skin feeling greasy. Use daily for matte, shine-free results.
Our Tea Tree Night Lotion has a gel-lotion texture that provides light hydration for blemished skin throughout the night, whilst controlling excess oil and sebum. Infused with our organic pure tea tree oil, this lotion will help to keep blemished skin under control and help fade the appearance of blemishes.
(above) as described by thebodyshop.co.uk 

My skin has not been playing fair recently. A mix of laziness and stress has proved to be a lethal cocktail for my temperamental skin. On a mission to fix my face I made the most out of one of The Body Shops offers and picked myself up one of everything that claimed to fight blemishes. The two products that came out on top and have *touch wood* solved my skin issues are the Mattifying Lotion and the Night Lotion. I use the Mattifying Lotion under makeup each morning and cover my face and neck with the Night Lotion after cleansing, before my moisturiser before bed. Both products have a high percentage of tea tree oil which means that each product comes with strong smell and that nice 'I can feel it burning - therefore it must be working feeling' (don't pretend you don't know what I mean, ha).

These may not be miracle, quick fix products but I'm not convinced one of those exists! These certainly do a whole lot of good and are certainly worth a try!

New OBSESSION: Modern Renaissance

Anastasia Beverly Hills are killing it this year. With nearly 15 million Instagram followers they are close behind MAC in the race to be crowned most followed beauty brand. These 15 million followers have been hit with killer release after killer release this year, with many of these products becoming cult products quite literally seconds after their release. 

I spent a fair few months eyeing up this beauty from afar, watching friends cave in and purchase and I was remaining strong... after all I didn't 'need' another autumnal eyeshadow palette. Here we are a couple of months later and look what I've bought *slaps hands*. One thing I've learnt over the years is if fall for a product, no matter how long I can hold out or how much my sad little bank balance doesn't want me to, I'll cave and buy it. 

Anyway, no regrets, I love the Modern Renaissance palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills. First off the pigmentation is INSANE. You have to be very light handed with application and you need next to nothing on the brush. FYI the brush that comes with this palette is super usable and makes blending a dream. Fall out is minimal - slightly more of a problem with the shimmer shades but still the bare minimum. 

The only downfall, in my opinion, is the packaging design. I love the muted pink shade and the super simplistic design but how impractical is a velvet cover?! I have been very careful with this palette since purchasing, leaving it out of my makeup bag and keeping it far away from foundation, yet still stains keep appearing. Yes, it may look adorable but for the price point of this product I would expect it to be more durable!


TEMPERA: velvety beige with an ultra-matte finish
GOLDEN OCHRE: earthy yellow with an ultra-matte finish
VERMEER: iridescent shell with a metallic finish
BUON FRESCO: antique lavender with an ultra-matte finish
ANTIQUE BRONZE: metallic sable with a satin finish
LOVE LETTER: raspberry with an ultra-matte finish
CYPRUS UMBER: dark coffee with an ultra-matte finish
RAW SIENNA: neutral amber with an ultra-matte finish
BURNT ORANGE: deep orange with an ultra-matte finish
PRIMAVERA: shimmery gold dust with a metallic finish
RED OCHRE: sienna with an ultra-matte finish
VENETIAN RED: crimson with an ultra-matte finish
WARM TAUPE: earthy gray with an ultra-matte finish
REALGAR: brick with an ultra-matte finish
(from the ABH website)

Hit or Miss: New in... Tanya Burr Cosmetics

Tanya Burr has recently stepped up her game (once more) by introducing a long awaited mascara, eyeliner and brow pencil to her already amazing beauty brand. It's fair to say she did not disappoint. The most noticeable change with the new additions is the packaging. I've always been a fan of the original, cardboard packaging but the gold with black detailing is a welcomed upgrade.

Eyeliner is without a doubt the most testing part of my daily makeup application. Getting those flicks symmetrical takes more time and patience than I possess. This eyeliner might not be a miracle worker or the easiest eyeliner to use but the flexible brush applicator and great pigmentation does make the pain-staking task a little more bearable. This eyeliner is now a firm favourite and holds a place in my makeup bag.
When it comes to eyebrow products I am extremely loyal to my trusty Fleur De Force X Eyelure powders, so the fact that the Tanya Burr brow pencil in Medium now lives alongside it in my makeup bag speaks volumes. I may not be able to replace my trusty powder just yet but I love the finish this brow pencil gives. The angular shape of the tip makes for easy, fast application and the colour is the perfect shade of ashy brown for my hair colour. 
Drugstore mascaras are always hit or miss. I am yet to find an affordable alternative that lives up to the amazingness that is Benefit They're Real. That being said this mascara is pretty damn good. The wand is allows each and every lash to be coated which creates lengthened lashes. As I'm a fan of super voluminous lashes I do two or three coats of this mascara to create my desired look which is something I would also do with They're Real. Tanya Burr has done an amazing job at creating a mascara that holds lashes in place all day without any transferring onto the upper or lower lid (and without taking a whole pot of cleanser to remove). Love this. 

Overall: HIT

Hit or Miss? Cheryl X L'Oreal



I managed to resist picking up the Cheryl x L'Oreal lipkits for a whole 3 days before 'falling' into boots and 'acidently' picking up all 3 shades. These colours are all very me shades. Out of the whole Matte Lip Paint range these are my top 3 picks, a peach toned nude, muted purple and deep, burgundy red. Paint it Peach, Paint it Griege and Paint it Burgundy.

Packaging - The cardboard packaging makes this product feel more high end than the average drugstore lipstick. I like how the image allows customers to see the shade of the lipstick on the lips before purchasing. After all, we've all been in that situation when the lip colour we loved the look of in the bullet looks hideous on the lips. As for the liquid lipstick and the lip liner, the packaging is no different to those in the usual L'Oreal range. 

Formula - Overall the staying power is pretty poor. These liquid lipsticks are unlike any other matte formula I have tried. After application they feel very moussey and wet, I was expecting these to dry down to a more matte finish. I would compare the feel of the product on first application to the Boujoir Rouge Velvet lipsticks, however unlike the Boujoir ones these don't change texture once they settle on your lips. Eating whilst wearing the L'Oreal lip paint is best avoided. The deep red shade is very patchy, even after a couple of layers an opaque colour is impossible to achieve. The lip liners, however, are a lovely formula and are much more long lasting. The lip liner looks great alone, drawn all over the lip - a look I've been wearing a lot lately. 

Cheryl and L'Oreal have teamed up with The Prince's Trust with this launch. £1 from each lip kit purchased will go to the charity. 

Overall: Miss

iPhone Change up: Halloween

I'm constantly switching up my iPhone background. Whether it be a selfie with a friend or a very 'Tumblr' photo I stumbled upon, I like to make my phone aesthetic suit me. Autumn is my time of year, so of course that means I need to autumn-ify (yep, that's a word now) my phone. I know I'm not the only one out there who loves nothing more than pumpkins, coats and autumn leaves so I've searched Pinterest to share with you my top picks. Enjoy.

Click here to see my iPhone backgrounds Pinterest board download any of these backgrounds and to see more!

YSL // EYEBROW WARDROBE*

My eyebrows and I have been on a journey. From the days of over-plucking, over-drawing and even the odd 'I tried to neaten them up but ended up shaving off half' incident. We've come a long way. Now once a month, the lovely ladies at Benefit work their magic and I can finally say my eyebrows suit my face and are relatively easy to upkeep. Unfortunately, the Benefit eyebrow tint only lasts a few days before I'm back to relying on my makeup collection to tame my brows. This is where the YSL brow wardrobe comes in! YSL have 4 products that can tame even the most unruly brows. Whether you need a quick layer of brow gel to set some flyaways or are in need of some serious colour to make those brows visible, YSL have got you covered.

Couture Brow Marker - £21.00 - This felt tip brow marker is great for applying an all over brow colour. The shape of the nib is much bigger than any brow marker I already own which put me off at first. However on application, the shape of the nib allows for precise application where needed and is also ideal for creating a block of colour quickly.

Couture Brow Palette - £35.00 - This little kit is the perfect travel essential to keep your brows looking tidy on-the-go. It comes with 3 powders that I love to use to create an ombre brow, along with an angled brush and tiny tweezers. The powders are not too pigmented, yet pigmented enough for a brow powder, it creates really natural brows.

Couture Brow - £22.00 - This is my most loved product from the whole wardrobe. The Couture Brow allows you to fix, structure and intensify your eyebrows and keeps flyaways in place for up to 24 hours. The pigment is buildable so you really can make your brows as dramatic as you like. I love to layer this on top of a powder product to ensure all day hold.

Dessin Des Sourcils - £21.00 - A brow pencil is a staple in anyone's makeup collection and YSL have created the perfect duel ended precision pencil to create a natural brow. The formula is super creamy which makes for super quick and easy application. Plus having the spoolie on the reverse is really handy to neaten those unruly hairs when out and about.

Here I have used the Couture Brow PaletteDessin Des Sourcils and Couture Brow to create my ideal brow look:
*these products were gifted but all opinions are my own*

Currently Loving: The Light Base


Day to day life doesn't always call for the heavy duty concealer and the hide-it-all foundation. Recently I've been opting for a much more natural base - dewy and not at all cakey.

Kiko Dark Circle Concealer: This little beauty has lived in my collection for a while now and I've never taken time to sing its praises. This is the perfect orange toned concealer that cancels out any dark bags that have crept up overnight. It's not too thick but has the perfect amount of coverage. The only thing this product doesn't do is brighten my under-eye, hence where my Maybelline Eraser Eye comes in handy. I've been enjoying layering a small amount of the Eraser eye over where I have applied the Kiko Concealer just to add a small amount more coverage and brighten the area. These two together are a miracle worker. To apply both I have been using the £1.99 bargain set of brushes from Ebay - see my review on them here.

L'Oreal Lumi Cushion: This cushion foundation is the quickest foundation to apply - one of the many reasons why I've been reaching for it so much recently. This foundation is light to medium coverage but is build-able on the areas where you need a bit more help. This, alongside my trusty Beauty Blender are the perfect combo for a light day to day base.

Full Face of Favourites: January

As I'm writing this I am currently at home on Christmas break and that means I only have a makeup bag's worth of makeup. Being the addict that I am it takes me a while to pick and chose what few products are coming home with me. Despite squeezing in enough makeup to last a few years into my poor bag, I have ended up wearing pretty much the same makeup look everyday made up of all of my current favourites. See what I'm loving in this Full Face of Favourites!
Base:
E45 // Moisturising Lotion
NYX // Mineral Stick Foundation
Soap and Glory // Solar Powder
NYX // Taupe Blush (contour)
Mac // Soft and Gentle Highlight
Nars // Deep Throat Blush

Eyes:
Urban Decay // Sin Primer Potion
Maybelline // On and On Bronze Colour Tattoo
Morphe // 350 Palette
Maybelline // Lash Sensational Mascara

Eyebrows:
Soap and Glory // Brow Archery
Benefit // 5 Gimme Brow

Lips:
Mac // Modesty Lipstick

Jeans Appreciation Post

I have a feeling these jeans are going to split opinions but I'm a little bit in love. I have been searching for a pair of jeans just like these for the longest time but until now I've failed to find some that don't completely break the bank. For just £16 from George at Asda I couldn't leave the store without these (despite my mum informing me how hideous they are!). These jeans are boyfriend style, so loose fitting, and come with various bits of embroidery. So, do you love or hate them?
Pick some up for yourself here.

Ebay Bargains // £1.99 Brush Set

Who doesn't love a good bargain? Late one night I found myself scrolling through the world of makeup on EBay and amongst the thousands of knock-off Naked Palettes I found this brush set. At just £1.99 with free UK delivery I felt like I couldn't not at least try these out. I am ridiculously lazy when it comes to washing my makeup brushes so when it comes to finding a clean blending brush I almost always have no hope so this set of four multipurpose brushes are a god-send. 
For just under 50p each I wasn't expecting the hairs to feel so soft and for them to do such a good job. Yes I'm sure after a few washes they may start to look a little worse for wear but right now I am pretty happy I picked these up. As I mentioned before the kabuki style means this brushes are multipurpose - I'm currently using the slightly angled brush to apply concealer under the eye and love the finish.

If you're interested in picking a set up for yourself you can find them here!