My Perfume Collection

Hello!

Today I'm going share with you my perfume collection. I currently have 6 that I alternate, not in any particular order, just whatever I feel like wearing on a particular day. I'll also talk about perfumes I've used before and liked and some that I'm interested to try.

I'm a big fan of Marc Jacobs perfumes and currently have 3.

Oh Lola - available here. This is described as flirtatious and charming with a sparkling personality. It's a very girly, sweet scent. And I'm nearly out! So sad!

Daisy - available here. This is fresh and very feminine - perfect for Spring!

And Dot - available here. This has a blend of red berries, dragon fruit and honeysuckle.

I'm really keen to try Honey too. My nickname is Bee, as you've probably guessed from the title of this blog, and it only seems fitting for me to wear a perfume called Honey, haha.

This is from Laura Ashley and is called Pink Petals, can be found here. It has a woody base scent with floral tones.

This is Believe by Britney Spears and can be purchased here. Like all Britney Spears perfume, this is VERY sweet, but not as candy-like as the others. I've also used the Curious perfumes and Midnight Fantasy which smell like candyfloss. Believe is a bit fresher, sexier and possibly more grown up.

This is by Caudalie and is called Thé Des Vignes, which can be found here. This is a sweet, floral yet musky scent.

So as you can see, I go for lots of feminine and sweet perfumes, sweeties and flowers are what I always seem to go for.

I've also used Stella McCartney In 2, however I can't seem to find this anywhere so I'll assume it's dicontinued nowadays - big shame as it's beautiful! I've also used Alien by Thierry Mugler which I absolutely LOVE! It's a lovely dark wintery perfume.

If you're like me, and like to be sweet smelling, give any of these a try and I'm sure you'll quite like them.

Thanks for reading!

IOTD - Stella McCartney for creating my all time favourite perfume, In 2

SOTD - Have a Little Faith by Michael Franti & Spearhead

Blue Eyes

Hello!

Following my embracing of coloured eye shadows from last week, I thought I'd do a similar look, only using blue this time. Hope you like it! I've enhanced the photos slightly so the colours show up a bit better - I left this post until far too late for natural lighting (it's nearly 9pm) so my flash just ruined the whole thing. Sorry!

I used all drugstore eyeshadows from 2 different MUA palettes - Immaculate collection and Glamour Nights. I will insert photos of the palettes so you can see the exact colours I used. Some of them stupidly don't have names so this is going to tricky - bear with me!

I started with a white (1) shadow all over the lid up to the brow bone. Then on nearly the whole lid I applied a  navy (2).

I then applied a more purply navy (3) along the crease and outer third of the lid. On top of this, I applied a very light shimmery blue (4), along with a darker light shimmery blue (5) (if that makes sense - it was still light blue, but lighter than before). Finally, I went over the crease with the same purply navy (3) as before.

I lined my lash line with Borjois Clubbing liquid liner and used my usual Borjois Kohl and Contour for the water/tight lines. Then I used Benefit They're Real on top and bottom lashes.

Really simple, but quite pretty and smokey.

Glamour Nights:

Immaculate Collection:

Sorry this post isn't great - I was just so disorganised and, well, quite lazy today. BUT, what matters is that the post is up and vaguely shows something that I hope you'll find interesting...

IOTD: Molly Wringwald. I feel like blue eyeshadow is sterotypically very 80s so I've chosen one of my favourite teen movie actresses - she is in The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink which are two of my favourite films!

SOTD - About Today by The National

Wearable Green Eye

Hello everyone!

Today I thought I'd show you a wearable eye look that injects a bit of colour into your make-up. I'm normally a bit scared of using colour, I'll admit it. I'll go reasonably bright for my lips, but that's as far as my experimenting goes. However, I'd like to become a bit more colourful and since watching the YouTube videos of make-up artists such as Pixiwoo and Tanya Burr , I've realised that you can use coloured shadows without looking like a pre-teen experimenting with make-up for the first time (90's bright blue eyeshadow, anyone?).

So, here's what I came up with:

(I am aware that my eyebrows need a little attention - it's on my list, don't worry!)

(Also, my camera isn't wonky, it's just my face)

It's very subtly green, I did that on purpose in order to ease myself into using brighter shades, and I think it would work for daytime or nighttime.

I used fairly old make-up, so I don't know if it would still be available, but eyeshadow is eyeshadow, you'll always be able to find suitable dupes for any shade. It’s all drugstore make-up (apart from my mascara), so if you find you can still buy it, you’ll be pleased to know it’s not expensive.

I used the Borjois Smokey Eye Kit in 02/Baroque. I used the darkest colour in the crease of my eye and on the outer third. I then used the medium colour over the inner two thirds on the lid and then used the lightest colour above the crease to illuminate.

I then used the green, which is by 17 and in the shade Ivy Leaf, over the medium colour of the smokey eye skit and blended it with that browny-gold shade. Finally I went back over the crease with the original dark shade to deepen the crease and make my eyes look more shapely.

I finished with Borjois Kohl and Contour eye pencil in the tight and waterlines and used Benefit They’re Real mascara on my top and bottom lashes.

That was it! Easy peasy!

IOTD – Tanya Burr. As I said before, Tanya is my inspiration for eyes like this as she made me reconsider my fear of colour.

SOTD – Suit & Tie by Justin Timberlake. I read a Buzzfeed article of 33 reasons why JT is amazing to celebrate his 33^rd birthday and have singing this song ever since. “As long as I’ve got my suit and tie…” *Dances off*

Favourite Films and Recommendations

Hello!

I've always enjoyed watching films, not really at the cinema (bad eyesight for the win!), but a good DVD or a Sky+ recording sets me up for a couple of hours so I thought I'd make a post about some that I've enjoyed over the years, and then some that I've watched in the last couple of weeks, with their trailers. So if you're stuck for something to watch, maybe this list can help you narrow it a bit. I'm no expert and I'm sure you won't like everything I've chosen, but everyone is different and that's what makes life fun!

Comedy:

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Directed by John Hughes, Cert 15

The Breakfast Club – Directed by John Hughes, Cert 15

Pretty in Pink – Directed by Howard Deutch, Cert 15

Shaun of the Dead - Directed by Edgar Right, Cert 15

Bridesmaids - Directed by Paul Feig, Cert 15

Romance:

Garden State - Directed by Zach Braff, Cert 15 (I couldn't find an actual trailer for this one, but here's a short clip of it that I did find)

Sleepless in Seattle - Directed by Nora Ephron, Cert PG

Pretty Woman - Directed by Garry Marshall, Cert 15

Dirty Dancing - Directed by Emile Ardolino, Cert 15

Romeo and Juliet (1996 version) - Directed by Baz Luhrmann, Cert 12

Drama:

Marie Antoinette - Directed by Sofia Coppola, Cert 12

Anna Karenina - Directed by Joe Wright, Cert 12

Philadelphia - Directed by Jonathan Demme, Cert 12

This is England - Directed by Shane Meadows, Cert 18

Big Fish - Directed by Tim Burton, Cert PG

Action:

The Bourne Trilogy (NOT LEGACY! If Matt Damon isn’t in it, I’m not interested!) - Directed by Doug Liman (Identity), Paul Greengrass (Supremacy and Ultimatum), Cert 12/15

Flightplan - Directed by Robert Schwentke, Cert 12

Hanna - Directed by Joe Wright, Cert 12

Phone Booth - Directed by Joel Schumacher, Cert 15

The Day After Tomorrow - Directed by Roland Emmerich, Cert 12

Recently Watched:

Ruby Sparks - Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Cert 15

The Sapphires - Directed by Wayne Blair, Cert PG

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - Directed by Lasse Hallström, Cert 12

Mermaids - Directed by Richard Benjamin, Cert 15

Cruel Intentions - Directed by Roger Kumble, Cert 15

Hope there's something here that you might like, if not, give me a recommendation in the comments! I'm always looking for films to add to my rental list on Lovefilm, so go right ahead!

IOTD - Jessica Mauboy who plays Julie in The Sapphires

SOTD - Fall by Ed Sheeran

Haircare Routine

Hello!

I'm about to say something that will probably make you all think I'm incredibly conceited, but bear with me, please:

I get a lot of compliments for my hair.

There. I said it. But it's not what you think - I am genuinely surprised that I get so many! It's just hair, after all. And that doesn't mean I appreciate them any less, but yes, I'm always a little taken a-back by it.

On the whole, I have pretty healthy hair, though it hasn't always been like this, I've worked on it to get it this healthy, but I thought I'd write this post to tell you about what I use/do to keep it looking good.

In the summer of 2011, my hair was an absolute state. It was in horrible condition because I didn't look after it - I didn't get it cut, I had bleach highlights put in, I over straightened it.... you know the deal. So I had my nearly boob length hair chopped off to just above my shoulders.

I went from this:

(Taken on my 18th birthday in Icmeler, Turkey in July)

To this:

(Taken in a Camden cafe in August of that year)

My amazing hairdresser decided I was in desperate need of a chop in order to grow healthy hair again. I will admit that I cried when I got home - my hair is my security blanket and I felt so sad that it was gone. PATHETIC CHILD.

Anyway, I have since got my hair cut every 6-12 weeks and I've stopped bleaching it. For a while I switched from highlights to demi-permanent all over colour, but I'm back to highlights now and I get 10G in the Paul Mitchell range.

It's taken nearly 3 years, but now it's like this:

(Taken in November of last year in Oxford)

In terms of my own haircare, here are the details.

I wash my hair every other day using shampoo and conditioner for either dry and damaged hair or volume and body - I had crazy thick hair, but I like a lot of body so it doesn't lie flat. At the moment I'm using Pantene for volume and body.

Then, I occasionally use Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm when it's still wet. I don't use this very often simply because it's expensive to buy so I'm using it very sparingly. I do get frizzy hair but I tend to just spray hairspray on a hairbrush and brush through, which also does the trick.

I then leave my hair to dry mostly naturally and brush through it when it's just damp (takes about 30/40 minutes). My hair gets VERY tangled in the bath/shower because there's so much of it so I use this detangling spray from Tantrum. It smells deeeeeeeeelicious and is a miracle worker!

I sometimes blow dry it, but I tend to use this blow drying brush from Tresemme which is fab! It leaves my hair silky smooth and frizz free. I don't do this very often though - it takes quite a long time and I don't like to use too much heat on my hair (I've learnt my lesson the hard way!).

Finally I use a GHD to either straighten or curl my hair. I've used GHD's since I was about 14 and I've the same iron since then - which is nearly 7 years! It's lasted me so well and is showing no signs (touch wood) of breaking.

And that's my barnet!

IOTD - Lana Del Rey. *Sighs happily* My Lana. I love this woman so much and her hair is amazing. Nuff. Said.

SOTD - Lucky Ones by Lana Del Rey

Black/Grey Smokey Eye

Ola!

I was meant to post this on Friday, however I'm forgetful and now it's Sunday. Sorry about that, but it's ok, it's up now!

Thought I'd show you a black smokey eye. It DOES look very grey. The flash on my camera lightened it rather a lot, but it's a bit dark not to use the flash, silly old winter nights!

This is great for parties as it's a little bit sparkly and a little heavier than you might wear in the daytime. I used the MUA Immaculate Collection which is BRILLIANT! 24 shades for about £8 in Superdrug, I love these! This brand of make-up is super affordable and really not bad quality. The eyeshadows are the only thing I've purchased, but they have a very reasonable pigment and lots of shades to choose to from.

I used shade 20, which is white, as a base and took it all over the lid, up to the brow bone and into the inner corner of the eye as an highlight.

I then used shade 16, which is grey, all over the lid.

Then I used shade 4, which is black, in the crease and outer third.

I then used shade 11, which is a sparkly silver, in the inner 2/3 of the lid.

I extended the black slightly above the crease and then added a little of the silver above that.

Then blend, blend, blend - which is crucial with dark colours. I've probably not blended enough, but then again, I'm not sure you CAN blend enough!

Finally, I lined the upper lashline with Maybelline 24 hour lasting drama gel liner, lined the water and tightlines with Borjois Kohl and Contour and used Benefit They're Real on the top and bottom lashes.

C'est fini!

IOTD -  Erin O'Connor

SOTD - Irreplaceable by Beyonce 

My Skincare Routine and Photography Page

Hello!

Today's post is a pretty standard beauty blogger's post - most of the blogs I read have done this at least once, so here I am, jumping on the bandwagon. I will make a confession here - I am terrrrrrrrrrrrible at doing this everyday, let alone twice a day! I make sure to moisturise my face at least once a day, but the rest sometimes gets "forgotten". I really am trying though... I think...

So let's start with exfoliating. I use St Ives Apricot Scrub, which I've been using since my early teens and it's just always impressed me so I've never really tried anything else. I like quite a scrubby scrub, if you know what I mean. Harsh enough to make it feel like it's really getting into my pores and eliminating any dryness and flakiness which is something I unfortunately suffer from. I either use it in the shower, just applying it with my fingers, or I use the Olay Professional Pro-X Cleansing System (without the Olay scrub) which is similar to the Clarisonic, but MUCH less expensive. I tend to use it with the Pro-X if I'm not in the shower, simply because it's battery powered and I don't want to put it under running water.... obviously, haha.

Then I use Diadermine Cleanser which is a relatively new product in my routine. I first bought it when I visited France last August (post here) and really love it. It's perfect for softening my skin and I feel very clean afterwards. It's very creamy without feeling greasy.

I also use any variety of cleansing face wipes that are suitable for sensitive skin - these from Tesco are what I'm currently using, though I'm not really too fussy. These are generally for removing for my make-up or in the summer for a freshen up.

Following that I use Diadermine moisturiser which was also purchased in France, although I've recently discovered I can buy it on Amazon which I'm really pleased about - saves a trip, haha. This is a great cream I've been using on and off for about 7 years. It's really thick but not oily in the slightest and sinks very nicely into my poor dry face, especially when it's cold like this!

Because I'm very fair, redness tends to show up quite visibly on my face, particularly my cheeks, so I dab a little of this No7 calming balm. It's ok, but to be honest, I think it's my make-up that's the real saviour here. I'll use it until it's all gone though.

Then I use a Garnier caffeine roll on to try and calm dark circles, which also isn't something I'll re-purchase.

Final step before make-up is Benefit POREfessional which erases visible pores. I absolutely LOVE this product! It works wonders. I tend to use it on my cheeks and chin as that's where my pores are most visible after previously having acne (post here).

So that's my full routine, although like I said, I need to get better at doing it more often. Also, you've probably noticed that I don't use a toner. That's simply because I don't like them, I think they're very harsh to the skin as they often contain alcohol which in turn makes them very drying - not ideal for someone with already very dry skin. If I was ever to purchase something similar, it would be a tonic like the one that's part of the Liz Earle range.

On a completely unrelated note, I'd like to share with you my photography page on Facebook. I'll hopefully be starting a BTEC in photography this coming Autumn and the page is in preparation for that, to see if people would be interested in my work should I pursue it professionally so I'd appreciate any likes from you lovely people.

IOTD - Kate Hudson. She has THE most beautiful complexion!

SOTD - Happy by Pharrell Williams. Try and listen to this song without feeling like you want to dance. I dare you...