This has been a long long time coming. But I'm glad I waited to do this as I think I finally have a better idea of the person I really am. I like to live in the moment and be spontaneous. I like to laugh out loud realllyyyy loudly, sing every second of the day and wear really bright colours. I don't really know what the future holds for me, and that's ok, because whatever it is I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it. Let's be honest, who really knows where they will be in 5 years time? If someone asks me when I'm all old and frail to look back on my life and describe it in one word I would like to say "happy". And I'd like to look back and recall my memories of all these events...
Some of these have been/ will be ticked off, just so you know I'm serious about doing all of these.
1. Go out in a torrential rain storm just to dance, laugh and get absolutely drenched.
2. Dye my hair purple. All over. Like "boom! that girl's hair is purple" purple
3. Paraglide (TICK)
4. Own an apartment with fresh flowers on my dresser, a dressing table with an ikea draw make up collection, and a walk-in closet, over looking a busy city or the sea
5. Perform on a London stage more times than I can count on my fingers
6. Start performing randomly in big cities all over the world. Spontaneous street performing.
7. See a broadway show (TICK)
8. Own a pair of Christian louboutins
9. Bungee jump
10. Cliff dive
11. Sky dive (hopefully going indoor sky diving for my 20th and taking the big real deal leap for my 21st :))
12. See the world. (My friend Sophie gave me the idea of getting a scratch off map to keep track of my travels)
13. Go to disney land Florida and wear a princess dress and Minnie Mouse ears ALL DAY.
14. See the northern lights
15. Walk the Great Wall of China
16. Write my name on the Berlin Wall
17. Take a road trip across America
18. See the stars and I mean really see them. Star gaze in a place where there are no artificial lights
19. Write a book. Maybe several.
20. Own A LOT of pets
21. Meet a tiger. In a zoo obviously.
22. Go to the airport with a packed bag and some money. Number all the flights leaving that day and ask someone to choose a number. Get on that flight and explore wherever I end up
23. See the big Christmas tree. You know the one I'm talking about. The one in home alone two ;)
24. Host a massive gatsby style party
25. Create my own theatre company
This is not everything I want to do, but I felt like it was a good start to my list. I'll update on each one I tick off. It will take me a long time but I'll enjoy every second of it. What's on your bucket list?
Lisa-Nicole xo
Saturday 12 July 2014
Friday 11 July 2014
Breaking the Silence
Wow it has been so long since I blogged. Insanely long. I absolutely love blogging but with the stressful year I had at university it happened to take a back seat. But now with it being summer I cannot wait to start it up again properly. You see - with my blog before I always had really random posts with quite long intervals. But this time I would like to have regular blogs. So fingers crossed I keep to it. I want this blog to be more about what makes me happy. Whether that be my achievements, what I have been up to, or knowing me - what I spend hopeless amounts of money on. Yes, my spending problem continues to strive. Yay for my bank account -.-. So for my re opening blog post of this summer I decided to make a list off the top of my head of all the things that make me happy :).
- The colour yellow
- The warm fuzzy feeling you get from cuddles with someone very special
- Fluffy, cozy slippers
- The feeling you get coming out of the cinema after watching an awesome film
- Ticking things off my bucket lists http://instagram.com/p/qT2ACmHhbq/?modal=true
- Catching up with my friends
- Singing really badly and loudlyin the shower pretty much everywhere I go
- Laughing till my stomach hurts
- Spending time with my family
- The Theatre - anywhere, anytime, watching anything. The stage just makes me so happy.
- Acting <3 words just cannot express. Performing will always be my first love.
- Comfortable silences
- Going to sleep in a busy area. I like background noise.
- Doing stupid things with my sister unintentionally. This happens more than you would think http://instagram.com/p/c6XhdLHhaf/?modal=true
- Reading a book you just can't put down
- Bubble baths
- Those second day hair, no make up days
- A song with really good lyrics
- Having a productive day
- The feeling after you finish a work out
- Puppies. Husky puppies
- Reminiscing. I love talking over old memories with my nearest and dearest http://instagram.com/p/nmDKmdHhXH/?modal=true
- Walking or running in refreshing rain
- Eating what I want - I get so much joy from this. Fuck the diets.
- Little heart felt surprises http://instagram.com/p/p67NXTnhX0/?modal=true
- Being able to waste my time with someone special. If it makes you happy it's time well spent http://instagram.com/p/qSbzkbnhUp/?modal=true
- Learning something new
- Travelling - seeing the culture and beautiful scenery of somewhere new http://instagram.com/p/qT2Ur8nhcG/?modal=true
- Doing something for a good cause. It may sound stupid but the £3 I give to tigers every month makes me feel very happy as they are my favourite animal. And the fact I will be venturing out to Morrocco to help under privileged children just.... I can't even explain how excited and grateful I am to have such an amazing opportunity. To help and to experience. I may have reached my target but I will continue to fundraise :) https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/lisanicolestevens
- Having interesting skills like stilt walking
- Acrobatics makes me so happy. It's so much fun.
- Bed. A lie in, an early night, I just love it
- A piece of work I've enjoyed doing to the best of my ability
- That just showered and moisturised feeling
- The colour yellow
- The warm fuzzy feeling you get from cuddles with someone very special
- Fluffy, cozy slippers
- The feeling you get coming out of the cinema after watching an awesome film
- Ticking things off my bucket lists http://instagram.com/p/qT2ACmHhbq/?modal=true
- Catching up with my friends
- Singing really badly and loudly
- Laughing till my stomach hurts
- Spending time with my family
- The Theatre - anywhere, anytime, watching anything. The stage just makes me so happy.
- Acting <3 words just cannot express. Performing will always be my first love.
- Comfortable silences
- Going to sleep in a busy area. I like background noise.
- Doing stupid things with my sister unintentionally. This happens more than you would think http://instagram.com/p/c6XhdLHhaf/?modal=true
- Reading a book you just can't put down
- Bubble baths
- Those second day hair, no make up days
- A song with really good lyrics
- Having a productive day
- The feeling after you finish a work out
- Puppies. Husky puppies
- Reminiscing. I love talking over old memories with my nearest and dearest http://instagram.com/p/nmDKmdHhXH/?modal=true
- Walking or running in refreshing rain
- Eating what I want - I get so much joy from this. Fuck the diets.
- Little heart felt surprises http://instagram.com/p/p67NXTnhX0/?modal=true
- Being able to waste my time with someone special. If it makes you happy it's time well spent http://instagram.com/p/qSbzkbnhUp/?modal=true
- Learning something new
- Travelling - seeing the culture and beautiful scenery of somewhere new http://instagram.com/p/qT2Ur8nhcG/?modal=true
- Doing something for a good cause. It may sound stupid but the £3 I give to tigers every month makes me feel very happy as they are my favourite animal. And the fact I will be venturing out to Morrocco to help under privileged children just.... I can't even explain how excited and grateful I am to have such an amazing opportunity. To help and to experience. I may have reached my target but I will continue to fundraise :) https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/lisanicolestevens
- Having interesting skills like stilt walking
- Acrobatics makes me so happy. It's so much fun.
- Bed. A lie in, an early night, I just love it
- A piece of work I've enjoyed doing to the best of my ability
- That just showered and moisturised feeling
- Cuddling with my teddies. Not ashamed at all
- Those days when you have nothing to do and have a duvet day
- Sometimes I like watching "bad" TV. Made in Chelsea is a love. Must start watching gossip girl.
- Doing my nails and make up. Sometimes getting ready is better than the night out
- Those nights in with a bottle of wine and deep meaningful conversations
- Getting tipsy with your course mates and talking to anyone and everyone
- Having a girly clubbing night where dancing is the main priority
That's quite a list! Think I had better stop there but I would encourage everyone to do this! It made me feel really happy and I enjoyed writing it!
Think I might take on the 100 happy days challenge on Instagram. Hmm we'll see :).
Lisa-Nicole xo
Tuesday 4 March 2014
Lent&AshWednesday
Hey Everyone! February ended with a bang as I went to Paris (blog to come soon) but alas March has started pretty damn sucky. I seem to have come down with a flu type thing that has made me take refuge in bed and only move to crawl to the toilet which is about five steps away. Booooo :(. Rest, fluids and paracetamol are my best friends at the moment. With being bed ridden I thought there was no better time to write a blog. Anyway with the month starting so crappy that means it can only get better right?
So it has come to that time of year again where the Pancake Mix is a best seller and everyone decides what they will give up for lent. Lent begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days before Easter. However, this year I have decided rather than giving something up, I am going to take a few things up that will better me in some way or other. For some reason I just thought giving something up sounded rather negative. And nine times out of ten I never really stick to it. I usually give up chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and it just doesn't work, so I thought I'd change tactics. Down below are my ideas for this year's lent...
1. Take up Yoga. I have always wanted to try it and is meant to be awesome for fitness and flexibility.
2. Get more sleep. I struggle a lot with getting to bed early and getting enough sleep. To help with this i am going to set a bed alarm - like a morning alarm but rather than telling you to get up, it tells you to go to bed.
3. Eat Breakfast. This goes hand in hand with going to bed earlier. Get up so I have enough time to eat a healthy breakfast, after all breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
4. Start a savings account. To everyone who read my spending addiction blog at the end of summer, you will know how much of a challenge this will be for me. But I am determined to become better with money. So during lent I am going to put £5 every Saturday into my savings account. It doesn't sound like a lot but its a start.
5. Cook my own meals more. I have always wanted to get better at cooking, so I would like to cut down on how much I eat out. This will be healthier for me and will also help with saving money.
6. Blog more. I love blogging but I just don't do it enough. So during lent i am going to have a Wednesday and Sunday schedule, where I will blog every week. Heres hoping I stick to it!
7. Drink more water and take vitamins.With becoming so ill lately I think it's time to take a stand with my immune system. Keep hydrated and build my vitamin C back up.
8. Time for a crazy one... Pole dancing. I have always wanted to take this up and a university near me has a society which I would like to join. Obviously this is not to become a gyrating woman on a pole, its more for the fitness benefits. Pole dancing is incredibly beneficial for flexibility and fitness and besides it looks well fun!
So it has come to that time of year again where the Pancake Mix is a best seller and everyone decides what they will give up for lent. Lent begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days before Easter. However, this year I have decided rather than giving something up, I am going to take a few things up that will better me in some way or other. For some reason I just thought giving something up sounded rather negative. And nine times out of ten I never really stick to it. I usually give up chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and it just doesn't work, so I thought I'd change tactics. Down below are my ideas for this year's lent...
1. Take up Yoga. I have always wanted to try it and is meant to be awesome for fitness and flexibility.
2. Get more sleep. I struggle a lot with getting to bed early and getting enough sleep. To help with this i am going to set a bed alarm - like a morning alarm but rather than telling you to get up, it tells you to go to bed.
3. Eat Breakfast. This goes hand in hand with going to bed earlier. Get up so I have enough time to eat a healthy breakfast, after all breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
4. Start a savings account. To everyone who read my spending addiction blog at the end of summer, you will know how much of a challenge this will be for me. But I am determined to become better with money. So during lent I am going to put £5 every Saturday into my savings account. It doesn't sound like a lot but its a start.
5. Cook my own meals more. I have always wanted to get better at cooking, so I would like to cut down on how much I eat out. This will be healthier for me and will also help with saving money.
6. Blog more. I love blogging but I just don't do it enough. So during lent i am going to have a Wednesday and Sunday schedule, where I will blog every week. Heres hoping I stick to it!
7. Drink more water and take vitamins.With becoming so ill lately I think it's time to take a stand with my immune system. Keep hydrated and build my vitamin C back up.
8. Time for a crazy one... Pole dancing. I have always wanted to take this up and a university near me has a society which I would like to join. Obviously this is not to become a gyrating woman on a pole, its more for the fitness benefits. Pole dancing is incredibly beneficial for flexibility and fitness and besides it looks well fun!
So there you have it :). Hope you all have had a better start to March then me and Good Luck with this years lent! <3
Sunday 16 February 2014
"Those People"
Trusting someone is always an on going debate with me.
The horrid truth is that no matter where you are in this world there are always going to be people who want to being you down. Make themselves feel better by making you feel inferior. These people are pathetic, but that doesn't make them have any less of an effect on you.
Now I would love to be one of those people who can brush things off without a care in the world, but I am not. I am learning to though. I think there are two ways you get to being those kind of people - you are either born like it, or go through so much shit people's opinions completely loose value. Unfortunately I am the latter, but you know what, I like it that way.
People can continue to talk about me behind my back, do stupid petty things to get to me and keep growing those increasingly large dicks on their foreheads because it is true what they say - "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and believe me I of all people would know this. Your bitchiness and patheticness will motivate me to do things you couldn't even dream of doing, whilst sat on your sofa at home plotting what to do to me next.
When I get to where I'm going in life, which will be somewhere amazing, you will still be sat on that sofa wishing you spent less time caring about what I'm doing and more on what you should have been doing.
Oh and when I give a big middle finger to the camera, just know that right there, that is especially for you.
**I'm not even going to justify this blog with a reason, because I feel a hell lot better getting all this off my chest. In theory, yes, I should be saying this to the person or peoples faces but sometimes you have to keep the peace.. So I'll write it on here instead for you guys to read. And if you have something you need to get off your chest I cannot encourage you enough to write it down.. You'll feel worlds better. X **
Wednesday 12 February 2014
For Those "Under The Weather" Days
| Poor Patsy has been feeling poorly too... |
It's gotten to that time of year that the weather is absolutely terrible (think there might be a hail storm right outside my window this very second), and for us students, we are in the middle of our longest term out of the 3. We have a month and a half to go until Easter and we are all starting to feel a bit run down... well I personally am feeling incredibly run down. I love being busy but even I know when I need to stop - and that was a couple of days ago when I suffered with a 4 day long migraine that made me very ill *sobs*. Its never nice being ill, especially when you're away from home, so I thought I'd do a blog on what helps me get through those rough days. It is a little bit of a jumbled list with no structure... but since I've been feeling so rough lately you can forgive me :).
1. Get out of bed. Probably a little bit unexpected as my number 1, but unless I am bed ridden, I always find getting up and having a shower makes me feel slightly better. If I have lectures I will always try and make it in, they take my mind off feeling crappy... and after all I am paying for them, so no money wasted.
2. Make an effort. Now this is one that has been drummed into me since I was a little girl. When you think you look good, you feel good. When I'm ill I always get up and put my make up on, and wear something pretty. You may feel like shit, but at least you don't look it ;).
3. Have an apple. My mum always told me that if I was feeling really sick to have an apple as it will make me feel better. Never really fails to be honest. Mother knows best..
4. Still feeling crappy? Junk food time. Over the past couple of days I have gone through pizza, cream eggs and a whole packet of bourbon biscuits. Judge as much as you like, I enjoyed them and for a couple of minutes it made me feel better...I highly recommend chicken strips too. Those things are good.
5. Sleep. I pretty much stayed in bed the whole weekend... Granted I couldn't actually get out of it but that is not the point.
6. CUDDLES. This is my ultimate favourite one. I love cuddles. Whether it be with someone else or blankets and cuddly toys, they always make me feel better. Number 1 cure. Oh, and hot water bottles and tea are good additions too.
7. Lucozade. Another family remedy. Whenever my mum, sister or I were ill my Dad would never fail to buy us a bottle of lucozade. It aids recovery like a boss.
8. Pampering. Kinda goes hand in hand with making an effort however this is the relaxing fun one. Lush baths, painting your nails all pretty and face masks. "Me time" is a must when you're feeling run down.
9. Get lost in either a good book, YouTube videos, TV series or phone app. These have definitely aided me though the last couple of days, and feeling crappy is actually an excuse to not do work for once and catch up on a few things. Whether it be Zoella, Breaking Bad or Divergent, go crazy with it.
10. Take two paracetamol. Another mum quote, and I know for a fact a lot of my friend's mums say the same. If its the evening, "take two paracetamol and go to bed". This helps to bring any temperature you may have down and send you off on a pretty good nights sleep.
11. Laughter, I swear, is the best medicine ever. Put on a funny programme or spend time with friends and I assure you you will start to feel better. The new season of Top Gear is a good recommendation, laughed my head of at it the other night, not to mention Richard Hammond is just a little bit adorable.
and finally...
12. Drink a lot of fluids and rest!
And when you're starting to feel a little better: Tidy your room and go to the gym :). Not being able to move and eating all that crap will have its disadvantages... however both of these will aid in your recovery as you will sweat the rest of it out on the treadmill and there is nothing quite like a tidy room.
Hope this helped and if you are under the weather, I wish you the speediest of recoveries. <3
Sunday 9 February 2014
Suffering with Sleep Paralysis
For me, the best cure is that I now know what it is. Which is why I wanted to post this blogpost, to make people aware. This effects a lot of people (6% of the population) and is very rarely talked about. I don't want anyone to suffer for years like I did. Nowadays, I suffer with sleep paralysis every couple of weeks but my fear of it is much less. For me it can last anything from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Yes, when its happening it's pretty damn scary, but as soon as you remind yourself what is happening, it's easier to get over. If this happens to you don't to be scared to message for help of just to talk. Sometimes talking about things makes you feel a whole lot better.
If you would like to read the facts on Sleep Paralysis please go to this website: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Sleep-paralysis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
or just look online as there is a lot of information on the condition.
I hope this helped
xxx
or just look online as there is a lot of information on the condition.
I hope this helped
xxx
Sunday 19 January 2014
My Beauty Winners of 2013
**Little disclaimer, I am not 100% sure that all of these actually hit the market within the year of 2013 BUT I jumped on their bandwagon. So all of these were purchased or repurchased last year (some of them are "old faithful" products that I have used for a long time). I have tried to stick to drugstore products for most things however there are a few higher brands thrown in there too. Sit down with and cuppa and - Enjoy :)**
Primer: Rimmel Fix and Protect Pro
This primer has been my old faithful for quite a while. It is not expensive and has a 5 in 1 results claim - smooths, resurfaces, brightens, mattifies and protects. I have to say I have worn this underneath my make up to many a dance class and my make up has not budged. It also goes onto the skin really creamy and soft.
However I do need to shout out to Benefit's Porefessional. This is an incredibly good primer which actually, true to it's claim, reduces pores and gives a lovely base for make-up. A little pricey, but the tube does last for a long time.
Eye-shadow Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Oh my god, this stuff is amazing. I jumped on the band wagon really late when I saw a small bottle of this going for £8, but I am so glad I picked it up. My eye-shadow just does not budge. I find it really hard to find a primer as I have incredibly sensitive eyes, so some eye primers can have me looking like I've received some very bad news.. but this primer is not irritating at all. I know it can be a little pricey when not on offer, but the tube actually lasts for a really long time, and how long lasting it makes your eye make-up, it is definitely worth it. You want people to see all those hard efforts you've put into blending those shadows...
Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection 16h Wear
This has been raved about by many a beauty guru on YouTube and I have to agree with them that this is a great concealer. It has a very good consistency, is not cakey to the skin, and lasts all day. Whether you put it on top of your foundation or underneath it blends really well, and unlike Rimmel's Wake Me Up shimmery concealer, you can use this both on your under eyes and blemishes. It is a complete bargain as well. If you don't have this, go out and purchase it. Now. It will be a credit to your make-up bag.
Foundation: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation.
This foundation was also a rave of 2013. Given you matched to your skin tone it gives off a very natural, shimmery glow to your skin. I loved this foundation in summer. It really brightens, and makes your skin look really healthy. It goes on very easy to blend, and has a good consistency. It is not duey or shiny so would work on oily skin. If you haven't tried it yet, I would definitely say give this foundation a go in 2014.
Also a little shout out to Loreal True Match my current foundation. Love, love, love.
Powder: Rimmel's Stay Matte Translucent Powder
After being under stage lights, going to the gym, the half walk/half runs to uni when I'm late, it has definitely proven this powder to matte the skin. And it makes even the most duey of foundations matte. I feel after foundation I don't want to add any more coverage to my skin which is why I opt for translucent but there are tinted versions to choose from. It really does stop any shininess and it keeps your foundation where it is for most of the day. I don't think I'll change from this powder for a very long time.
Eye-shadow: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
This palette is fricking amazing! I just cannot express how much I love this palette. I used it for pretty much every special occasion this year from the day I purchased it. Both times I went out for Halloween, meals out, nights out, and with the mix of colours it was perfect for most days out too. With a few mattes, the palette is mostly shimmer dominated, but who doesn't love shimmer? Like most shadows, it does have quite a bit of fall out, but a tap of the brush before applying normally sorts that right out. This palette is just simply gorgeous and definitely worth the money.
Liquid Eye-liner: Collection Waterproof Fast Stroke Eye-liner
I have used this eye liner for an incredibly long time. To be honest I think it was my first ever eye liner, which I was given in year 8, and I've repurchased it ever since. Having had so much practice with the applicator I can now get a straight line wing in a very short amount of time. It is true when they say - if you stick with the same eye-liner you can become very skilled, and I wouldn't be able to do half the make up looks I can now without this eye-liner. It stays on all day, and is very pigmented.
The only bad point is it is not waterproof. My eyes water like a bitch in cold windy weather, and I always look like I've forgotten to put half my eye-liner on.. yeah, not a good look.
Pencil Eye-liner: Rimmel's Scandal Eyes
My award just had to go to Rimmel for these eye pencils. They have a great range of colours and are all so pigmented. They go on really nice and easy, and stay on all day. They are not expensive and due to being a pencil they last a long time. My favourites have to be 014 bright blue (a recent purchase) and the first one I ever bought 012 bronze which I wore all through the summer. It is a great substitute when you don't want the heavy black eye-liner.
Mascara: L'oreal False Lash Telescopic
This has also been an old faithful to me. I love this mascara, it just works wonders for my lashes. Without even using eye lash curlers it curls my lashes to a maximum. It is both thickening and lengthening with "infinite length effect fibres". I repurchased this all through the year 2013 and it is still my everyday mascara. I get compliments on my lashes all the time, and its easy to use on both top and bottom lashes. I would go as far as saying this product is my winner of all winners (followed closely by Naked 2).
Honourable mention to Benefit's They're Real Mascara. I purchased this on the only day it was on offer in January sales and wow, it really does lengthen your lashes. It is amazing. I will say though that it doesn't thicken at all, so it can leave lashes looking a little spidery, so I would personally use it in conjunction with another mascara.
Eyebrows: Benefits Brow Pallette in Medium
My one and only brow filler, from the day I started using it I just have not felt any need to change. The colour is pigmented but not enough to look like you've inked your eyebrows - that would not be a good look. It has 0 fallout, and the brush means you can get a perfect fill with no hash lines.
Bronzer: Rimmel's Bronzing Powder in Sun Light
I just found this bronzer to give the best natural glow. It is not too orange or too dark, it just gives you a healthy sun kissed look. It lasts all day and applies really nice and evenly. I've repurchased it all year round and won't be changing any time soon.
Blush: Boujois Paris, Cendre De Rose Brune
Another old faithful. I just love the colour and even coverage of this blush. It makes your cheeks really rosy, but not in a stand out, too much way like some blushes. I've used it all year round and the pot literally last for ages. I also found that the brush it comes with works really well for me too.
And now for a lot of Lip Products...I'll try to keep them brief...
Lip Care Products: Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub and Blistex Intensive Moisturiser
I found these were the best combination for my lips in winter. The scrub just tastes so good I could literally eat the whole tub, and if you don't believe me go into you nearest Lush store and try it. And if I have the slightest bit of dryness to my lips, one bout of Blistex and it has vanished. I would recommend both of these to anyone.
Lip Liner: Rimmel's Lasting Finish, 1000 Kisses
This had to go to 1000 kisses, as you can literally put these on all over your lips, put a clear lip gloss over the top and you are good to go. They double as a base for lipstick and a lip colour in themselves. They last all night long, as I've discovered on many a night out, are really pigmented and are really easy to apply.
Lip Tint: Benefit's Posy Tint
This tints and plumps, and is just a really gorgeous rosy pink colour. It goes well under most of my lip glosses especially soap and glory;s extreme plump and benefits ultra shine back to the fuchsia. You could also wear it by itself for a natural pink lip colour.
Lip Gloss: Rimmel's Apocalips
Again another raved about product, so these won't need much of an introduction due to it. These are so pigmented, and so glossy they are a must to any make up bag. "Big Bang" is perfect for any night out, being the brightest red you could find in a lip gloss.
Lipstick: All of my lipsticks purchased from Mac
I only have a few so far, but absolutely no brand can beat Mac for lipsticks. The colour range is spectacular, they are long wearing and highly pigmented. Yes they are incredibly high end and pricey, but when it comes to lipsticks high end is the way to go. I plan to build up my collection a lot more in 2014. My favourite at the moment is Rebel - a gorgeous dark purply pink colour.
Brushes: Real Techniques
I have not found any brushes that are quite as good as these. I have about 10 of these now, and I can't understand why it took so long to introduce them to my make up bag.Yes they are pricey, but I can't express enough how much they are worth it. They make any product easy to apply and give a flawless finish. These are the kind of brushes you wash and take care of - you will never want to throw these away once having used them.
Nail Varnish Brand: Barry M
Essie was very close in the running for this but I had to give Barry M the egde. They just bought out so many amazing colours and effects last year, it was insane. The jelly's, the magnetics, the metallics, the glitters, the mattes.. I pretty much loved them all. My nail varnish collection probably holds over 25 of their nail varnishes. They are not as hard wearing as I'd like but at how cheap they are and how pretty the colours are, I'd say I can over look that.
Perfume: Jimmy Choo
This has been my signature scent all year round, and I am still getting compliments on it into the year of 2014. Its long-wearing, and is a strong enough scent to notice but is not over powering. I will say though - when you first spray it, it is a completely different smell to when it dries on your skin so if you do go to purchase it, spray it and walk around the shop first. Then decide. I absolutely love it, and I think even if I do change to other perfumes, I will always have a bottle of this on my side.
Overall Brand:
As you can tell by my previous awards, my ultimate winner brand has to be Rimmel London. They had one hell of a 2013 when it came to beauty products.
And the upcoming brands for me this year that I shall be purchasing ALOT from is Soap and Glory, Lush and Urban Decay. I may even be going to purchase the Naked 3 palette and the Urban Decay setting spray as you read this... You can probably hear my bank account screaming...
xxx
Primer: Rimmel Fix and Protect Pro
This primer has been my old faithful for quite a while. It is not expensive and has a 5 in 1 results claim - smooths, resurfaces, brightens, mattifies and protects. I have to say I have worn this underneath my make up to many a dance class and my make up has not budged. It also goes onto the skin really creamy and soft.
However I do need to shout out to Benefit's Porefessional. This is an incredibly good primer which actually, true to it's claim, reduces pores and gives a lovely base for make-up. A little pricey, but the tube does last for a long time.
Eye-shadow Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Oh my god, this stuff is amazing. I jumped on the band wagon really late when I saw a small bottle of this going for £8, but I am so glad I picked it up. My eye-shadow just does not budge. I find it really hard to find a primer as I have incredibly sensitive eyes, so some eye primers can have me looking like I've received some very bad news.. but this primer is not irritating at all. I know it can be a little pricey when not on offer, but the tube actually lasts for a really long time, and how long lasting it makes your eye make-up, it is definitely worth it. You want people to see all those hard efforts you've put into blending those shadows...
Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection 16h Wear
This has been raved about by many a beauty guru on YouTube and I have to agree with them that this is a great concealer. It has a very good consistency, is not cakey to the skin, and lasts all day. Whether you put it on top of your foundation or underneath it blends really well, and unlike Rimmel's Wake Me Up shimmery concealer, you can use this both on your under eyes and blemishes. It is a complete bargain as well. If you don't have this, go out and purchase it. Now. It will be a credit to your make-up bag.
Foundation: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation.
This foundation was also a rave of 2013. Given you matched to your skin tone it gives off a very natural, shimmery glow to your skin. I loved this foundation in summer. It really brightens, and makes your skin look really healthy. It goes on very easy to blend, and has a good consistency. It is not duey or shiny so would work on oily skin. If you haven't tried it yet, I would definitely say give this foundation a go in 2014.
Also a little shout out to Loreal True Match my current foundation. Love, love, love.
Powder: Rimmel's Stay Matte Translucent Powder
After being under stage lights, going to the gym, the half walk/half runs to uni when I'm late, it has definitely proven this powder to matte the skin. And it makes even the most duey of foundations matte. I feel after foundation I don't want to add any more coverage to my skin which is why I opt for translucent but there are tinted versions to choose from. It really does stop any shininess and it keeps your foundation where it is for most of the day. I don't think I'll change from this powder for a very long time.
Eye-shadow: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
This palette is fricking amazing! I just cannot express how much I love this palette. I used it for pretty much every special occasion this year from the day I purchased it. Both times I went out for Halloween, meals out, nights out, and with the mix of colours it was perfect for most days out too. With a few mattes, the palette is mostly shimmer dominated, but who doesn't love shimmer? Like most shadows, it does have quite a bit of fall out, but a tap of the brush before applying normally sorts that right out. This palette is just simply gorgeous and definitely worth the money.
Liquid Eye-liner: Collection Waterproof Fast Stroke Eye-liner
I have used this eye liner for an incredibly long time. To be honest I think it was my first ever eye liner, which I was given in year 8, and I've repurchased it ever since. Having had so much practice with the applicator I can now get a straight line wing in a very short amount of time. It is true when they say - if you stick with the same eye-liner you can become very skilled, and I wouldn't be able to do half the make up looks I can now without this eye-liner. It stays on all day, and is very pigmented.
The only bad point is it is not waterproof. My eyes water like a bitch in cold windy weather, and I always look like I've forgotten to put half my eye-liner on.. yeah, not a good look.
Pencil Eye-liner: Rimmel's Scandal Eyes
My award just had to go to Rimmel for these eye pencils. They have a great range of colours and are all so pigmented. They go on really nice and easy, and stay on all day. They are not expensive and due to being a pencil they last a long time. My favourites have to be 014 bright blue (a recent purchase) and the first one I ever bought 012 bronze which I wore all through the summer. It is a great substitute when you don't want the heavy black eye-liner.
Mascara: L'oreal False Lash Telescopic
This has also been an old faithful to me. I love this mascara, it just works wonders for my lashes. Without even using eye lash curlers it curls my lashes to a maximum. It is both thickening and lengthening with "infinite length effect fibres". I repurchased this all through the year 2013 and it is still my everyday mascara. I get compliments on my lashes all the time, and its easy to use on both top and bottom lashes. I would go as far as saying this product is my winner of all winners (followed closely by Naked 2).
Honourable mention to Benefit's They're Real Mascara. I purchased this on the only day it was on offer in January sales and wow, it really does lengthen your lashes. It is amazing. I will say though that it doesn't thicken at all, so it can leave lashes looking a little spidery, so I would personally use it in conjunction with another mascara.
Eyebrows: Benefits Brow Pallette in Medium
My one and only brow filler, from the day I started using it I just have not felt any need to change. The colour is pigmented but not enough to look like you've inked your eyebrows - that would not be a good look. It has 0 fallout, and the brush means you can get a perfect fill with no hash lines.
Bronzer: Rimmel's Bronzing Powder in Sun Light
I just found this bronzer to give the best natural glow. It is not too orange or too dark, it just gives you a healthy sun kissed look. It lasts all day and applies really nice and evenly. I've repurchased it all year round and won't be changing any time soon.
Blush: Boujois Paris, Cendre De Rose Brune
Another old faithful. I just love the colour and even coverage of this blush. It makes your cheeks really rosy, but not in a stand out, too much way like some blushes. I've used it all year round and the pot literally last for ages. I also found that the brush it comes with works really well for me too.
And now for a lot of Lip Products...I'll try to keep them brief...
Lip Care Products: Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub and Blistex Intensive Moisturiser
I found these were the best combination for my lips in winter. The scrub just tastes so good I could literally eat the whole tub, and if you don't believe me go into you nearest Lush store and try it. And if I have the slightest bit of dryness to my lips, one bout of Blistex and it has vanished. I would recommend both of these to anyone.
Lip Liner: Rimmel's Lasting Finish, 1000 Kisses
This had to go to 1000 kisses, as you can literally put these on all over your lips, put a clear lip gloss over the top and you are good to go. They double as a base for lipstick and a lip colour in themselves. They last all night long, as I've discovered on many a night out, are really pigmented and are really easy to apply.
Lip Tint: Benefit's Posy Tint
This tints and plumps, and is just a really gorgeous rosy pink colour. It goes well under most of my lip glosses especially soap and glory;s extreme plump and benefits ultra shine back to the fuchsia. You could also wear it by itself for a natural pink lip colour.
Lip Gloss: Rimmel's Apocalips
Again another raved about product, so these won't need much of an introduction due to it. These are so pigmented, and so glossy they are a must to any make up bag. "Big Bang" is perfect for any night out, being the brightest red you could find in a lip gloss.
Lipstick: All of my lipsticks purchased from Mac
I only have a few so far, but absolutely no brand can beat Mac for lipsticks. The colour range is spectacular, they are long wearing and highly pigmented. Yes they are incredibly high end and pricey, but when it comes to lipsticks high end is the way to go. I plan to build up my collection a lot more in 2014. My favourite at the moment is Rebel - a gorgeous dark purply pink colour.
Brushes: Real Techniques
I have not found any brushes that are quite as good as these. I have about 10 of these now, and I can't understand why it took so long to introduce them to my make up bag.Yes they are pricey, but I can't express enough how much they are worth it. They make any product easy to apply and give a flawless finish. These are the kind of brushes you wash and take care of - you will never want to throw these away once having used them.
Nail Varnish Brand: Barry M
Essie was very close in the running for this but I had to give Barry M the egde. They just bought out so many amazing colours and effects last year, it was insane. The jelly's, the magnetics, the metallics, the glitters, the mattes.. I pretty much loved them all. My nail varnish collection probably holds over 25 of their nail varnishes. They are not as hard wearing as I'd like but at how cheap they are and how pretty the colours are, I'd say I can over look that.
Perfume: Jimmy Choo
This has been my signature scent all year round, and I am still getting compliments on it into the year of 2014. Its long-wearing, and is a strong enough scent to notice but is not over powering. I will say though - when you first spray it, it is a completely different smell to when it dries on your skin so if you do go to purchase it, spray it and walk around the shop first. Then decide. I absolutely love it, and I think even if I do change to other perfumes, I will always have a bottle of this on my side.
Overall Brand:
As you can tell by my previous awards, my ultimate winner brand has to be Rimmel London. They had one hell of a 2013 when it came to beauty products.
And the upcoming brands for me this year that I shall be purchasing ALOT from is Soap and Glory, Lush and Urban Decay. I may even be going to purchase the Naked 3 palette and the Urban Decay setting spray as you read this... You can probably hear my bank account screaming...
xxx
Tuesday 7 January 2014
What is Beauty? Honestly?
2014 is here and with the new year, comes resolutions. Now, I will not put anyone down for making new years resolutions - I even have a few of my own. Drink more water, make the most out of my gym membership and for once stay on top of my work. Yes it may be a rare occasion when someone actually sees it all the way through to the next year, but if someone has an aspiration to better themselves, who am I or anyone to judge them? And so far, in all honesty, I am doing pretty well.
However, with the popular aspiration of becoming thinner, it made me ask myself the question, what really is beauty? Surely its something you see on the inside, right? I mean that is what everyone says nowadays. But then where does this insane want and need to be thin come from?
I signed a petition just yesterday against one of the most well known fashion stores - Urban Outfitters, urging them to stop their production of their "eat less" and "depression" t-shirts. Mental illness is not a joke, and having suffered with it myself, I can honestly tell you it slowly starts to control your life. Gaining control of it was my second hardest struggle up to date - my first being loosing my father at age 11. It's something I feel very strongly about changing as the message sent out to younger children and teenagers is not right. Eating less and depression is not something people should be fashioning down the street. Urban Outfitters needs to remember real people are effected by this, and its not just about how much profits they bring in at the end of the day. If you would like to sign this petition too, or get more information, please go to this website: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/urban-outfitters-we-are-urging-you-to-halt-all-production-of-their-eat-less-and-depression-t-shirts-both-of-which-are-glamorizing-mental-illnesses-and-could-have-potentially-devastating-effects-on-your-young-target-audience?share_id=XuglNhjOfW&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
I also saw a story about a girl on Facebook, who had posted a picture of herself in her underwear with a message to everyone in the past who had told her to diet, eat less, go to the gym.. it was basically an up yours to anyone who didn't think she was perfect just the way she was. It was very powerful and received over a million likes. I have so much respect for this girl, and I would love it if more people would have the confidence to do this. To stand up to people who tell them they are not beautiful the way there are.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying anything bad about being thin. I've heard thin people say they want to be curvier, this works both ways believe me. I would sign the exact same petition if urban outfitters have come out with a top saying "eat more". We should all love the way we are built. Who says that someone with a tiny waist, is prettier than a curvy waist? Size E is better than size B? A big bum is better than a smaller one? Or visa versa. I think there is too much pressure on people nowadays to change the way they look, when in my opinion they look fine just the way they are. This goes for all the guys reading this too - wanting to be more built, more muscular, skinnier. I have friends who say they want to be prettier, skinnier, curvier, more toned.. and I look a them and think: but you're perfect the way you are.
Jessica Lawrence is one of the best role models to have become a celebrity, as she promotes loving the way you are.
No matter what you look like if you are a kind and true person with a beautiful personality, you will be stunning to me readers.
And if you want to change the way you look, do it for yourself. If it will make you happier. I will not judge someone who is doing something that makes them happy. But do not do it because society tells you that, the way you are at the moment, is not "perfect" in their eyes.
Thankyou for reading this and if you signed the petition, I owe you my gratitude.
Lisa-Nicole
xxx
"You're much happier when you stop caring what people think". Love the way you are, and stop comparing yourself to others. You may think they are prettier than you, but they may be thinking exactly the same about you. Me last Halloween, sporting my curvy figure with finally, not a care in the world.
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