MUA Eyeshadows | Beauty

Hello everyone!

One of my Christmas gifts from my friend Lauren was these three MUA eye shadows. I've never tried this brand before, so was very excited to try them out! Having now done so, I can review them for my blog.

They seem to all be part of the 'pearl' range of eye shadows and from a quick look in some drugstores, they are about £1 each. Bargain! Each colour is really bright, so clearly Lauren knows what sort of shades I love! I've worn these for a few nights out, sometimes a mix of two, or just one on it's own. All of them are amazing and I can't believe I've not used these before.

The teal colour is Shade 26, the gold is Shade 30 and the pink is Shade 25. The teal and pink are very pigmented, so you don't need to apply much of these to get good coverage. The gold isn't quite a pigmented, but is very shimmery, so I've been using this over the top of the other two to make it look a little bit glittery! Considering the price of these, I am really impressed with them. In fact, these are just as good as my Ted Baker pallette.

Next time I am in town, I'll be going to the drugstores to see what else they have to offer so I can give them a try too. Have you tried these before, or anything else from MUA? I'd love to know in a comment if you have. Hope you're having a great day and keep safe :) 

Seeing Spots | Beauty

Hello everyone!

I went out ten-pin bowling Friday night with some of my friends for Nicola's 26th birthday, and I wanted to have my nails all painted up for the evening. I decided on something a little arty for the occasion and came up with this set of designs for my nails!

I decided on a pink base with grey spots, but done an accent nail on each finger. I started off with drawing dots down the centre on some nails, across on others, swirls and diagonal patterns on the rest. The swirly ones were not the best idea for when you are drinking! Very sore on the eyes once you've had a few drinks! I've not done anything this like before, so I am really happy with how these turned out. I finished all of the designs off with a top coat from Collection 2000.

I used and Essie nail varnish called 'Pink About It' which I bought off of Fragrance Direct for £2.50, and the other colour is 'Grey Matter' from Rimmel - also from Fragrance Direct for £1.99. The dotting tool is part of a 5 piece set from Ebay for 99p! The pink has a slight glittery touch to it, so it all worked out well!

Do you like this design or have done something similar? Let me know with a comment below :) Hope you're having a great day and keep safe :) 

The 2014 Spending Ban | My Life

Hello everyone!

It is that time of year where I need to start to think about saving up for things and not spending so much. I do this every year and I am usually a little successful, but sadly I am a shopaholic and this needs to stop. Or at least I need to pull the reins in a little.

In total for all the things I would like to buy, and the places I wish to go to, then I need to save up £1300-£1400 in total this year. The lowest is easier to achieve so I think that I the main aim. The two things I really need to save up for is my holiday in July and the MCM Expo in October. I'm also looking to get a new iPod Touch, as mine is pretty much broken, and for the same reason, I'd like a new laptop.

The family goes to Cornwall every year in the summer for our holiday, and thankfully Dad pays for the accommodation and the meals, but it would be nice if I could get them all dinner for once. We're going for a few weeks so I've decided about £300 should cover me. I've managed to do the holiday on £200 before, but that was back before I became a beauty addict!

The MCM London Expo in October is something I have wanted to go to for years. My cousins Daniel and Lucy, have gone for at least the past five years. I see their photos from it and all the goodies they come back with and I just really want to go. At Christmas they asked if me and the sister would like to come in October. I said yes, but sister will be at Uni so don't think she'll be able to make it. I am however, really looking for it, and we're already sorting out our Cosplay outfits for the event! Won't tell you mine as I want it to be a surprise for a blog for that month! All the train/bus fares, plus the tickets and anything I want to buy over the two days will come to about £300-£400. *sharp intake of breath*

My iTouch has been having trouble for a few months, so this is something I would like to buy before Cornwall if I can manage that. The one I am after is about £300, so I hope it will still be about when I have the money. On top of that, my laptop has been breaking down since the summer. I found one for just under £410 so that might be an option. I won't be getting this until the end of the year, or maybe even this time next year if I can help it, as the other three are more important to me. At the very least I have a semi-working netbook that I have as a backup. 

So that come to £1300 minimum and £1400 maximum. Honestly, I don't see me getting a new laptop this side of 2015! I really need to stop buying clothes and makeup for the sake of it. I MUST use up all my beauty things before I buy anything new!!

Are you on a spending ban or saving up for something nice? Let me know in a comment :) Hope you're day is going well and keep safe :)

A Game of Thrones Tag | Nerdfest

Hello everyone!

Keeping with the nerdy theme of my blog, I thought I would take part in some of the tag blogs/videos that are on the web. You don't need to be tagged by anyone to do these as they are just for fun! I found this one relating to the Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire series and thought I would share some of my insights on the series! I only discovered the tv show last year, and have now gone on to read the books!

Image Source

Questions:

1. How did you discover the series/book?
• I kept seeing it mentioned on tumblr during the start of season three, so I eventually got a hold of seasons one and two and managed to catch up quickly. I wasn't aware of the books until seasons three was over, so purchased them and started reading. 
2. Who is your favourite house, other than the Starks and Lannisters?
• The Tyrells. They might seem harmless at the start, but Margery seems very cunning and manipulative of people without them really realising it. Plus Loras is the Knight of Flowers!! 
3. Who is your favourite character from House Stark?
• Arya
4. Who is your favourite character from House Lannister?
• Tyrion
5. Who is your favourite character?
• I cannot pick between Tyrion and Daenerys. Both are incredibly well written in the books and portrayed amazingly in the programme. 
6. Who is your least favourite character?
• A toss up between Joffrey and Walder Frey. Again, written perfectly and acted so well that I love to hate them!
7. What are your thoughts on the series/book?
• Once you are in the book, it is very hard to put down. You are actually in the world almost. The programme just helps give certain aspects more visuals, such as how characters look. It will also destroy your soul if you read/watch it. Everyone you like dies!!
8. If you could be one of the characters, who you would you be and why?
• I'd like to say Arya, but she has so much crap happen to her that I would prefer to be Daenerys. 
9. Who is your favourite episode/season?
• Fave episode has to be the Red Wedding. I was not expecting it at all as I hadn't got to that point of the books when it aired! Season one was pretty good as it set up the bases of the programme. 
10. Who is your Game of Thrones crush?
• Jon Snow
11. What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming season/book?
• I'm looking forward to reading the Red Wedding chapters as I feel that it will be really descriptive! I've still got another book to go before I even get close to that one. As for season four, (which has just had the trailer released) anything with the Dragons and Arya will be something I look forward to!

This was different from my usual stuff wasn't it! If you are a GOT fan and want to do this tag, then please do and link me so I can see what your answers are. Hope you liked this little tag as I would love to do more. Hope you're having a great day and keep safe :)

Etsy Mini Haul

Hello everyone!

I am a lover of all things quirky, unique and fandom based. So for me, the perfect little shopping spot on the internet is Etsy. I go on there and just search for anything such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Game of Thrones and Supernatural - just to name a few. I never really intend to buy anything, but I found some absolute beauties in the jewelry section at the beginning of the month. I found a little shop on there called UniqueStyleDo and the things they have on offer! They are situated in Malaysia so it took a few weeks for these to arrive, but it was worth it!

The 'Hand of the King' ring from Game of Thrones. This was £1.69! It has an adjustable ring, so I can fit it onto most of my fingers easily, which is a nice little bonus! It's made from metal, yet is really light in weight, so will be perfect for when I go to the MCM Expo later in the year. I only discovered GOT last year and have become a big fan of it quickly.

Not a massive Twilight fan, but I did enjoy the films over the book! I saw this and liked that it was all sparkly before realizing it was from said film, however I liked it so I've got it! It was £1.34 and is a US size 8 ring, which is a bit big for the finger I wanted it for, so will be getting another in the right size!

Necklaces are a fave of mine, and these three caught my eye instantly. The left one is a Pentagram/Pentacle, mainly known in the Supernatural fandom, so I just had to get it. I've always loved this shape as it is, so I have quite a lot of things similar to this! It cost me £1.49.

The middle one is the Evenstar necklace that Arwen has from Lord of the Rings. Another fave book and film series of mine (plus the Hobbit movies), so these are so small are cute! I actually mentioned wanting this in a wishlist I posted a few days before buying it! Now the happy owner of the item for £1.38!

My final item in my mini haul is the necklace on the right. The One Ring, from Lord of the Rings. It is nice and small, but doesn't have much weight to it, so I'm undecided if I like it a lot yet! I'm still on the hunt for an actual metal one, as this one is more of a plastic/brass ring. Though, for £1.25 I can't complain at all!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this tiny haul of goodies that I've found! This all came to £7.15 with £4.62 shipping, so a grand total of £11.77 for the lot. I am so happy with these, that I'm going to be checking out their shop again later to see what else I would like!

Hope you're having a great day and keep safe :)

Collection 2000 Manicure

Hello everyone!

I've been after some new nail polishes so I can do the classic French Manicure look on them. My old set is about 4 years old and is no longer of any use or quality, so an investment was in need! I finished work last night and thought I would see what Rimmel and Collection 2000 had on offer, due to them being the only brands we stock, a range is limited!

I saw that Rimmel had a few on offer, but the bottles were smaller than the Collection 2000 ones that were also on offer! So Collection 2000 won, and here is what happened!

Each bottle was on offer at £2.50, so came to £7.50 in total for the three, which I am mega pleased about. I bought the French Tip, Pink Base Coat and the Top Coat.

They don't have numbers at all, but are all grouped together on the shelves!

This is also the first time I've ever done this without nail guides, so this was really a trial and error method, by just eyeballing the white tips on! The white tips needed two coats so it was a lot clearer. One coat was fine as it is quite pigmented, but I like to do two just to make it bolder. The lines are a little wobbly, but like I said above, first time without the guides!!

Once this dried I then applied two coats of the pink polish. I know it says this can be a base coat, but I've always done the tips first so the pink can dull it down a little! Don't want it to look like I have Tipex on my nails! It took a little longer to dry with two coats, but I like that it only dulled the white down a little. The pink is also nice and shiny!

I was watching a film as I was doing this, so I know it took about 15 minutes for it to be completely dry and not tacky any more. Lastly, was the top coat which sealed the design in and added a nice shine to it. My right hand looks a little more messy as it was done with the left hand, but it seems to have worked out okay! Here is the final product!

I really like how this turned out, and I hope with practice that I can get the tips to look more professional and less Tania! I really recommend these polishes if you are after a new set as they worked a treat and the end result is so nice.

Hope you're having a great day, and keep safe :)

What A Change | My Life

Hello everyone!

So if you didn't already know, I have a YouTube channel which I've been using religiously since September. Every Monday a new video is uploaded. It ranges from life, fashion, beauty, my views and personal vlogs. If you haven't already, please go and check it out and subscribe if you like it!

The reason I mention this is because I was just looking through my uploads and found myself watching old videos. I've had the channel for years, but didn't really use it to my advantage until recently. I found one video of which is just such a change from the person who writes this blog in present day!

I was only 18, almost 19 at the time when the 2011 video was filmed. In 2014, I am currently 21 and will be 22 in September. Not a huge age difference between the pictures, but wow.

2011: I've got no makeup on, or had styled my hair, or thought about what I was wearing in the video! Back then, my makeup was non-existent and hair styling was a daunting thought to me. True, nowadays I don't really style it much, but the parting is different, I use a few more products to maintain it, and it looks SO MUCH better. Or at least it does in my opinion! I now wear my day-to-day makeup when filming videos as I don't want to slap on too much. I've also seemingly got a tan since then as well. Maybe Florida in 2013 helped with that one.

But not only do I look different. I feel it too. Plus so many things in my life has changes since then.

I have a closer circle of friends, (both online and in my 'real' life). I can drive a car, which has got me out and about a teeny bit more. I stuck at my job. I'm single and loving that fact. My parents divorced, but it was for the best - I now have an extra family. I learnt how to do makeup, do nail art, use weird hair products and cared a little more about how I looked. I really got into fashion and beauty in the past year. The past year alone, at work, I've made myself talk to EVERYONE. I wanted more than just a couple of friends up there, and now I do! They are of all walks of life, and I love the fact that I get on with some of the older ones too. The biggest change has to be that I feel more confident.

I was just finishing school in 2011 and I hated it there. My friends are the only thing that came out of that place, and I've kept in touch with the ones I actually liked. The rest are either now just Facebook friends, or not friends at all. School was a confidence knocker for reasons I won't go into, but like most people you can guess why. Work was terrifying after school, but it really has given my life experience, and new friendships which I am genuinely happy about. Much better than school.

2013 was both a good and bad year for me, but 2014 is the year where I can really just be me and not give a care what people say about me as much. You still have to care a little, right? And I don't know about you, but I think I look happier in the 2014 picture.

I don't really have a point to this blog post, but what I am trying to say, or at least I think I am trying to say is: Things do change. May it be quickly or over 3 years like me, but things have changed for the better and I am loving that.

So glad I found that old video now, as it's put a smile on my face just thinking about things :)

Hope you all have a great day, and sorry this was so long winded! Keep safe :)

Wishlist | #2

Hello everyone!

Beauty and fashion wishlist today!

1 - Double Layer Lace Vest | Select | £8

2 - Evenstar Crystal | Etsy | £1.38 

3 - Collection 2000, Big Fake Mascara | Superdrug | £4.99

4 - Playboy Play It Sexy Perfume | Fragrance Direct | £5.99

5 - Real Technique Starter Brush Kit | Fragrance Direct | £18.99

6 - Mono Rose Flock Peplum Top | Select | £10

7 - Rimmel Space Dust, Luna Love | Superdrug | £3.99

If you like any of them, or have any of these, let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

January Playlist

Hello everyone!

I've been listening to a lot of music again this month, so thought I would create this little list off all the songs I am loving right now! Click any of the titles to get taken to a YouTube video, so you can check them out for yourself :)

Hard Out Here - Lily Allen
Nasty/Rhythm Nation - Glee
La Vie Boheme - Rent OST
Honey Honey - Mamma Mia! OST
Cry To Me - Solomon Burke
I Feel Alive - We The Kings
Any Other Way - We The Kings
Do What U Want - Lady Gaga
The Monster - Eminem Ft. Rihanna
I Hope - Rebecca Furgurson

Like any of the songs? Let me know below, and have a great day and keep safe :)

Fragrance Direct Haul & 100th Post!

Hello everyone!

Well this is my 100th blog post! YAY! I've done about 50-60 posts since September so this has made me awfully happy to have hit this many posts. I've had the blog for years, but have only recently really got my teeth into and used it properly. So to mark my 100th post, this is a nice beauty post on some goodies I purchased just before Christmas but have held off doing a post until I could test them all out.

All were purchased off of Fragrance Direct. I love their site so I'm constantly going back there for my beauty bits. I was greeted with the wonderful sight of a package one morning and the delights that were inside! I'd forgot I had ordered so much this time, so was quite pleased with how much I had got for so little! The entire contents of this box is less than £20, which to me is a total bargain! My first four products are these lip products! I'm not normally a huge fan of lipsticks as I find the texture of some really horrible and tacky, but I decided to give these a try and was delighted with the look.

The top one is a Maybelline Colour Sensation Lipstick in 760 Luminous Cocoa for £1.99. This is a slight brown/nude shade and is perfect for daytime wear as I don't want anything to bright on during the day. It is really light and non-tacky, plus has a slight berry taste to it, though I've seen other reviews where people haven't mentioned this, so it could just be me!

The next two are by Constance Caroll. The left one is 20 Begonia and the right is 201 True Pink. These were 50p each, so you cannot go wrong here. My sister is the owner of True Pink, but as I bought it for her I've included it in the haul! She has told me that she likes it, so that is her short review on that one. Begonia is my one, and is much like the Maybelline lipstick, but I found it a little harder to smudge on my lips. However it isn't tacky or heavy to wear and is a perfect shade for me, as I don't want my lips to drag attention away from my eyes.

Lastyly for my lips is the wonderful Technic Fruity Roll on Lipgloss in Strawberry. I usually hate lipglosses as they are always horribly sticky and runny. But this little gem is not only tasty due to the Strawberry scent and slight taste, but it's not as sticky as I thought. It is obviously runnier than a lipstick, but this has been a little lifesaver during this cold we're having in the UK right now. Plus it was only 50p so BARGAIN!

Up next are all the wonderful nail polishes I picked up. If you know me or have been following me blog for a while you will know that I love having my nails covered in a variety of colours and have recently branched out into the realms of nail art. I own so many reds, pinks and blues, that I decided to get some brighter colours ready for summer. Yes, I am thinking that far ahead.

Neon Yellow | Pink Ice | Neon Orange |  Neon Green

These four Constance Caroll polishes are so pretty with how bright they are! These were all 50p each so I bought four of them and have already tested some designs out with them. The Pink Ice was perfect for the last few day of December. I'll be using the other three a lot more come Summer as they are so nice and bright so I want to show them off, not cover them in my gloves.

Ink Splatter | Snow Blast | Hard As Nails in Boo Creme

Next are three products from Sally Hansen. I've seen many polishes from this brand all over the blog, but didn't own any of my own. I also wanted to try out these crackle polishes so bought them in both colours available. The crackle polishes were 99p each and the Nail hardener was £1.99, which is pretty good considering I've seen these in drugstores at much higher prices. The Hard as Nails has been so good for me due to me always smashing my nails up when working on the till!

I next spotted this little trio pack of Mini nail polishes from Royal Cosmetics in some pretty nude tones and thought they would be perfect to wear incognito at work. For 99p for the little set, I was tempted to buy them in the other colours as well, but decided these would be fine for now. I like them, but you need to do so many coats of them before you can really see anything on your nails, which is a little annoying, but for the price I can't complain. I won't use these often, but I'll keep them to one side just in case I want a little bit of colour for the day! They are only 6ml bottles so I'm sure I can use them up quickly or make some weird combination out of them for a manicure!

Last for my nails were these six Technic nail are pens. They come in packs of three and these seem to be the only ones available everywhere that I've looked for them! The white, purple and gold were in one set, and the silver, pink and black were in the other one. I used the gold one like crazy for Christmas to draw gift ribbons on my nails! The brush for these are really long and thin, so you can do a variety of designs and shapes with them. These were £1.50 each and if I see them in any other colours I would buy these instantly as I found them so easy to use. I recommend these to anyone starting out with nail designs!

124 Myrrh | 105 Sandstone

Last in my haul and a real bargain were these two Calvin Klein eyeshadows. They were originally £13 and I managed to get them for an amazing £1.99 EACH. I thought that for such a drop in price that they mustn't be very good, but I really liked the look of them so bought them and gave them a try. I've worn them every day since as they are wonderful. Both are very pigmented so you can load up your brush once and have enough for all of the eye to get a really nice and even coverage and it lasted about 8 hours before it began to crease up, so I am incredibly pleased with these. I've ordered them in other colours as well as I like them so much!



If you like any of these, you can find them on the Fragrance Direct website :)

If you've been following me for a while or just recently, thank you! I really appreciate everyone who looks at my blog and those who follow me on GFC or Bloglovin are amazing as it lets me know I am doing something right! I hope you all liked this little beauty haul and until next time, keep safe and have a lovely weekend :)
Tania xxx

What I Got For Christmas

Hello everyone!

I've seen a lot of bloggers doing this over the past week, so thought I would hop aboard the blog train and do one of my own! I've not shown all the things I got, as some are more personal and bits and pieces were clothes which I am saving for another day!

Standard Disclaimer: I'm not trying to brag or show off the things I got at all. I'm one of those people who like seeing what others got for their gifts, so I hope you like seeing some of the things I received.

L to R: Simple Moisture Set, from Lauren | Sex in the City Kiss Perfume & Body Set, from Jodie | Academy of Colour Nail Polish Set, from Jackie | Dove Beauty Set, from Mum

L to R: Body Papmper Set, from Nicola | Picture Snow Globe, from Mum! ~ The Snow Globe has this picture of my and my Mum on one side and then a picture of me on the other!

L to R: My DVD's! Sex and the City | Supernatural Season 4 | Despicable Me 2 | Fantasic Four & Fantastic Four: Silver Surfer | The IT Crowd Boxset | Johnny English: Reborn | The A Team | Love & Other Drugs | Thor | Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows ~ All from my Dad

L to R: Marvel Book Collection, from Dad | Memories Album, from Julie & Lisa

L to R: Primark Giftcards, from Julie & Lisa, Mum and Uncle Barry | Heart Necklace, from Julie & Lisa | Headphones, from Dad

L to R: Homemade bookmarks | The Homemade giftboxes | Handmade Gryffindor Bracelet | Captain America USB | Handeade Sibling Coupons! ~ All from my wonder Sister Ash :)

L to R: Triangle Necklace & Star Earrings ~ both from Jackie | Diamante Heart USB & Penguin Socks ~ both from Mum 

L to R: Grey Gloves | Matching Hat and Scarf Set ~ From Dad!

I think I was a little spoiled this year! I also received some money from relatives too, but I've decided not to show that. Again, I'm not trying to brag or show off my gifts, I just thought this would be a nice blog post :) I am so very grateful for everything I got and I am slowly making my way through the DVD's and beauty bits. I've used some things already so didn't show them either!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and that 2014 is going well so far. Keep safe and have a good day :)

Tania xxx

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

I am currently asleep, but that is the wonder of scheduling a blog post!! It is just after 11pm New Years Eve as I write this, but I'm boring and want sleep... Along with the fact I am up early to prepare and cook things for the family to come round! If you are out right now, I hope you are having a great time and are staying safe!

Happy New Year everyone, and may 2014 be your year :)
Tania xxx