50 facts about me!!

So I watched sprinkle of glitter's latest video and it inspired me to do this blog post :) I also thought it would give you a chance to get to know me a little better. So here goes...

1) I have two middle names, Rose and Ellen.

2) I have three brothers.

3) I have a massive love for anything apple. (no offence to any window lovers out there) Keeley from thebestofmeicanpossiblybe can totally back me up on this.

4) I'm more of a canon person than a nikon person. (again, no offence intended here...)

5) I have a VERY sarcastic sense of humour.

6) I want to be a primary school teacher.

7) I was born on april 19th 1994.

8) I like in wales.

9) I love almost anything with owls on. They're just too cute.

10) I have two dogs.

11) I have broken my nose.

12) I have a weird phobia of anything that has scales or anything that is slimy but only if it touches me.

13) I wear glasses.

14) Anything with sparkles on I am automatically drawn to. I'm like a magpie.

15) I like to buy very over the top shoes.

16) I'm addicted to diet coke.

17) There is nothing I enjoy more than winding keeley up.

18) I LOVE lindtt's lindor chocolates.

19) I can do the splits. (I feel like this is an achievement.)

20) I did dance from the age of 3 to the age of 16 and have recently started again at the age of 19.

21) I am catholic

22) I went to an all girls school.

23) Because I went to an all girls school I had to wear a kilt so I own a kilt.

24) One of my favourite things to do is go to IKEA. (very sad I know.)

25) I HATE it when people don't know how to use there, their, or they're and wear or where.

26) When I was little I used to do little shows for my family and would make "tickets" out of anything I could find in the house.

27) I have a massive shoe and handbag addiction.

28) If I write something by hand and I make a mistake, I will mostly likely start all over again.

29) I keep all my books on me shelf in size order from tallest to smallest.

30) I look dead when I'm asleep I move that little.

31) I collect charms for my pandora and thomas sabo charm bracelets and I like them to relate to different parts of my life.

32) I am right handed.

33) It's very rare that you will find me writing in biro, I usually write with my pink parker fountain pen.

34) I have double jointed wrists and fingers.

35) I am allergic to waterproof mascara.

36) I am the first girl in my family to go to university.

37) I love taking pictures. Especially of my nieces and when I can use my "big girl" camera. (canon EOS 600D for anyone that is wondering)

38) I am an auntie.

39) I have two god daughters.

40) My parents have a house in spain and as a child I spent quite a lot of time there meaning I can speak a fair bit of spanish. Enough to have a conversation anyway.

41) Myself and my friends refer to our group as "the crew." (It started off as a joke but has stuck, we're not being serious don't worry.)

42) One of my favourite places in the world that I have been to is the maldives and definitely want to go back again.

43) I have had over 100 needles in my life so far.

44) I can't whistle.

45) I have my ears pierced and have had to have them pierced 3 times!

46) I can roll my tongue.

47) I was born in wales but my parents are from england. (this always creates debates with people about my nationally so I just say british.)

48) I can touch my nose with my tongue. This is something that runs in my family. We're a talented lot. I know don't get too excited.

49) My parents are from Liverpool. This is where most of my family live and is somewhere that I always feel very at home and is one of my favourite cities. (I'm not biased I swear.)

50) I love "dangerous" sports. Especially water sports like wake boarding or water skiing.

Well that was fun! And I managed to think of all 50! Give it a go and send leave a comment with the link to your post so I can get to know you all a little better :)

Alex
xxx

Perfect pamper products!

So last night I decided to give myself a little pamper night and I thought it might be nice to show you what I like to use when I do this :)
I like to run myself a nice warm bath and whilst this is running I remove all of my make up. I then like to light a candle or two and add some bubbles to my bath.

This is a candle I've been loving! This is Yankee candle's "vanilla cupcake" candle and it smells exactly like cupcakes! (just as you'd expect I guess.)

To add bubbles to my bath I like to use the lush bubble bars. This is one from their christmas collection that smells exactly like the snow fairy/godmother soap. If you don't know about these soaps they have a very sweet, sugary, candy floss kind of scent. It comes on a wand so you just swish it around in your bath to make bubbles! (pretending to have magic powers whilst doing this is completely optional but I like to think it just isn't the same otherwise.)

Once I'm in the bath I wash my hair and then I like to apply a hair mask. 

At the minute this has been one of my favourite hair treatments. This is soap and glory's "glad hair day" treatment. Like everything else soap and glory, it smells AMAZING.

Whilst this is doing it's job I choose a face mask to apply. 

This is a sample I received in a glossy box and I will definitely be purchasing the full size once it has run out! This is the Murad "clarifying mask" in type 2. Words can't describe how amazing this is. If you have oily/combination skin like me this is a must have.

If I don't choose the murad face mask I will opt for one of these ones which are great! They're really cheap (about 3 for £1) and you can get different scents, peel off ones or wash off ones and they all do different things. 

Once I'm all masked up I make a start on my body. For some reason when I'm having a pamper night I feel its more essential to exfoliate than ever so I do that first. 

I like to use soap and glory's "breakfast scrub." This stuff is incredible it smells like toffee!!!

By the time I've done this it's usually time to wash off my hair and face mask. 

This face scrub is great for getting rid of any dry skin and leaves your face silky smooth! It can also be used as a face mask :)

I then like to give myself a good clean and get out and apply some body butter :) 

The combination of these two from soap and glory's sugar crush range have quickly become two of my favourite things of all time. Like most soap and glory products they work amazingly well and they smell incredible! They don't have the usually soap and glory smell. They have a lime scent but it is a very sweet, sugary lime scent. If you're ever in a boots that sell soap and glory I highly recommend you go and have a sniff. But be warned, you will become hooked.

Sometimes I like to treat myself to a little extra... 

If I feel like adding a little extra something I like to use the lush vanilla puff. This is essentially just talc but it smells like vanilla. It has a real vanilla pod in the bottle too which makes the scent quite strong too :) This can also be used in your hair if you're running low on dry shampoo!

Once I've done all of this I usually finish off by doing my clinique 3 step skin care regime and then I'm ready for bed after all of that hard work! :) 

Alex 

xxx

Ambre nails!!

Now we all know that ambre has been in trend for quite some time, whether it has been ambre hair, clothes or even on items of jewellery but today I learnt how to do ambre nails! Here's my step by step guide. I hope you enjoy this little gem of nail goodness!

You will need:

makeup sponges

you can buy these anywhere, you only need cheap ones, nothing fancy!

white nail polish

This is elf's nail polish in "white" (imaginative I know)

colours of your choice

These are chanel's "coco blue number 551" and topshop's nail varnish in "parma violet."

clear top coat

This is rimmel london's 5 in 1 base and top coat.

and nail varnish remover

I recommend using the nail varnish remover pads. You'll see why later on. These are just cheap ones from prim ark.

step one

Paint your nails white. This will make the colours more opaque later on. Let the white dry completely before you do anything else!

I recommend applying a couple of coats to make sure the white is completely opaque.

step two

Brush on your chosen colours to the square side of the sponge.

Don't be stingey here! keep pasting on that varnish but do it quickly! *stressing*

step three

Push the sponge onto the nail and move it around a little. This will create the ambre effect.

If you wiggle the sponge the ambre effect will be more gradual.

messy huh?

step four

Tidy up the edges around your nail with the nail varnish remover.

step five

Apply a top coat.

Repeat these steps on each nail and you're ready to go!

I also recommend experimenting with different colours.

Here I used three colours!!

From left to right: Topshop "parma violet." Ted baker, this one has no name! sorry *hangs head in shame*, YSL's nail varnish in number 34.

Don't be afraid to go bright!

Rimmel's 60 second nail varnish in "instyle coral" and Topshop's "causing a stir"

Colours that clash a little look even better!

Barry M's Gelly nail varnish in "greenberry" and Barry M's nail textured effect nail varnish in "kingsland road."

What my hand now looks like! haha

Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think in the comments :)

xxx

The procrastinating beauty blogger tag

Rules: 

1. You must copy and paste these "rules" onto your post when you write it, it doesn't take long! 

2. You must state that this tag was created by "the Beau Bow" link www.thebeaubow.blogspot.com 

3. You must thank the person who tagged you at the start of your post (link their blog as well) follow them if you're feeling nice!, and then at the end of your post stare who you tag, and then comment on their blog on their latest post to them know you tagged them, and link your post so they can see what to do. 

4. Title this post "the procrastinating beauty blogger TAG" so everyone knows what it is about. 

5. Have fun!

Thank you to my friend keeley for tagging me in this! You can find her at http://thebestofmeicanpossiblybe.blogspot.co.uk 

1. name a beauty regime that you rarely do? 

BLOW DRYING MY HAIR! I don't even know where to start with this one! It is most definitely not something I enjoy. It just takes so long! I have a LOT of hair and although a lot of you may see that as a blessing, trust me, it isn't. Whenever I attempt to blow dry my hair I can guarantee you that by the end of the mammoth task I am near enough melting into the floor with a mound of what is apparently blow dried hair on my head and that just isn't the kind of look I'm going for I'm afraid. Although a blow dry is part of most peoples daily routine I really do treat it like one of those "special occasion" things, like when you give yourself a face mask or when you have to do "the big shave" on your legs. (another thing I hate.)

2. Is washing your makeup brushes something that you do regularly?

Washing my brushes is something that I like to think I do regularly when in actual fact I probably leave most of my brushes until they are almost ready to take themselves off for a wash. I try to wash my foundation brushes regularly because I find they can get a bit clogged and gross and I do spot clean my other brushes. I do believe though that I seem to spot clean them as a way to avoid actually washing them.. It's just too much effort! "ain't nobody got time for dat"

3. How long will you last with chipped nails? 

This is where one of my worst habits comes to light. Once my nail varnish is slightly chipped I can't help but just peel the rest off! I don't know what it is about it but it's definitely something I find far more satisfying than I probably should. So the answer to this question is all of about two minutes. 

4. How long will you put off buying/replacing a beauty product, even if you need it? 

This is a situation I very rarely find myself in. As a self confessed makeup addict I buy a LOT of makeup, but so that I don't buy makeup that I don't "need" I will buy things that I may already own. For example, I will buy a bronzer knowing full well I have one at home but I convince myself it's okay, it's there as a back up. This means that I have a box full of unopened products that are apparently "back ups" and are "necessary." I suppose this really does mean I have a problem... 

5. What is your worst beauty habit? 

Foundation is where my worst habit lies. If I have bought a new foundation and I find that it is too dark I will do everything in my power to make it lighter just to avoid going out and buying another in the correct colour. This may involve mixing it with a foundation that is far too pale, applying heaps of powder or my best yet, a little bit of talc on my face. Yes you read that right, I have put talc on my face. (In all fairness I was going out and didn't have any other options but still.) I also have a second bad beauty habit. If I find I've gone a bit heavy on the blusher or bronzer and look at myself I realise I'm resembling the joker I don't wipe it off. Oh no... that's just not the done thing! You see, what you need to do is use your powder brush and some face powder to kind of buff it? Then you can apply more or a different blush/bronzer if needed and you're good to go! (I don't know if this actually works but it manages to convince me that I look acceptable but this is coming from a girl that has put talc on her face.) 

6. Name something non beauty related that you put off doing all the time? 

This ones easy. Making my bed. You know when you've taken your dirty sheets off and put them in the wash and then you have to attempt to re-make your bed? Yeah, I hate that. I will avoid putting the clean sheets on just until I'm about to get into bed. Don't ask me why because I don't know but for some reason I find it is just something I dread!

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute?

Getting ready is actually one of the few parts of my life where I am SUPER organised. If you've come here from keeley's blog http://thebestofmeicanpossiblybe.blogspot.co.uk then you will already be aware that when I get ready it is like a military operation. Right now I couldn't be a better example of this as I am currently sitting doing this tag as I have gotten ready nearly two and a half hours earlier than I probably should have. I often find myself sat waiting to leave to go somewhere. Even more so when I'm with keeley. I'd describe how she gets ready in stages, she really takes her time, has a little rest between getting dressed and doing her hair... It looks quite leisurely really. Whereas when I get ready I do everything I need to do in the time I have allocated myself and perform one task straight after another.

8. Can you commit to spending bans?

NO. THE BIGGEST, FATTEST, LONGEST, LOUDEST NO HUMAN KIND HAS EVER EXPERIENCED. There are just too many nice things out there!

9. How organised is your makeup and nail polish collections?

At this moment in time, very but that's because I've just performed "the big sort out" in my room. Usually different items of makeup are splayed everywhere and none of it makes any sense and then every morning whilst getting ready this leads me to start questioning my life. "why aren't I tidy?" "why do I lose everything?" blah blah blah. Since sorting out my room my makeup collection has been re-organised into the drawers I bought with the intention of keeping makeup in them and is therefore INCREDIBLY organised. Once drawer for face, one for eyes, and one for lips with all of the products stored neatly inside.

These are the drawers I keep my makeup in. Top is face, middle eyes and bottom lips. I keep my brushes on top in a pencil pot and I also keep things like fix+ and brush cleanser on top. I keep my palettes in a letter organiser and the box underneath is a soap and glory gift set box and I use this to keep hair tools in. All of this is kept by my mirror :) 

My nail varnish is currently stored in some jars. I did have it all in a train case and it was, believe it or not, organised by colour. Yes i really do have that much time on my hands... But since I've gained so much nail varnish over the years it no longer all fits in the case so I've had to start keeping it in jars. This is quite handy though, I just throw them in and it doesn't matter. It also makes a nice decoration. :)

These are the jars i use to keep my nail varnishes in. They're from Ikea.

This is where the jars are usually kept. I kind of use them as a bit of decoration in my room :)

After doing this tag I have to say, I have come to realise exactly how many problems I really do have... Maybe the name of this tag should be changed? hahaha

I TAG lauren from lauren's little blogs :) laurenslittleblogs.blogspot.co.uk
xxx

My university haud

 No you haven't read that wrong, and I didn't mean "haul." I've been hauding things to take to university with me. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm going to university in September. I also mentioned that I had been once before and left after two weeks. That experience has taught me a few things about what to take to university.

The main thing I learnt is that you need to do everything you can to make your room feel like yours. When you arrive your room will be VERY bare and won't feel very welcoming at all, but there are a few things you can do to make it feel like your own. That's what my university haud is, things I've bought or found throughout the last year or so that I am going to take to university with me to make my room feel more like mine. There are also a few items listed that are simply there because they are useful and I recommend taking them. Trust me, I've been there and have the t-shirt, learn from my mistakes!

The first few things I've managed to haud are decorative items. Some are a little big so until September I've put them to use in my room at home.

Bunting is a really cute thing to decorate your room with. I bought this in a local shop for about £3 :) You can get some really nice bunting on ebay too!

These are battery operated fairy lights that I bought from poundland. They can be put anywhere because they don't have to be plugged in and they are really good for making your room feel more homely.

This is a pin board that I have up in my room where I pin up different things that I like to keep as memories. Hauding stuff like this is a good idea as you can put them up in your uni room so it feels that little bit more like yours. :) 

This is a post card that I received from my bestir whilst she was in America.

This was part of my 16th birthday present that I received from the same friend. 

This is a picture that one of the children on my work experience placement drew for me.

I also like to stick up little quotes that I like, and yes that is a ladybird drawing pin.

I bought these plant pots in Ikea to take with me. I know it sounds strange but trust me, there is nowhere near as much storage space as you need in university halls so I've got two of these to keep bits like my jewellery in :)

I've also started keeping a few perfume bottles that I think are pretty, these make really cute decorations and don't cost you anything extra! 

Little pieces like this are great! They're really cheap but they're good for adding something extra to your room so that it looks that bit more homely. I bought this from matalan for about £4.

If you're going to haud anything, haud cushions!! Remember your bed is also going to act as your coach now to at least make it comfy for yourself!! 

There are also some things that you will need or that will at least come in useful that I recommend you collect over the next few months or so. 

Collect as much stationary as you can whilst you can!! I know I have an awful lot here but personally, I don't want to run out of pens or paper when I need it most. Plus, who doesn't love buying stationary?! I don't know what it is about it but it's just so much fun to buy!

Cook books are a good thing to take if you're going to be cooking for yourself. I know it may seem trivial or you might think you're perfectly capable of cooking but sometimes you can run out of ideas. No one wants to be eating the same meal every day. Also, they can help you budget and most student cook books explain how to make easy meals for one. Trust me, trying to cook for one person is actually harder than you think. Accept all the help you can get!

A diary is definitely something I recommend buying. I never thought I'd need one once I left school but you'll soon realise you still need one! I highly recommend the paperchase ones, they have things like exam timetables and lesson timetables in and pockets for stuff too! Besides, who doesn't love extra pockets? 

Collect as much fancy dress stuff as you possibly can. You'll need it. It's pretty much guaranteed that at least one of your fresher's nights will be themed and there will also be plenty of other opportunities to dress up throughout the year too and no one wants to be "that guy" that has to turn up in normal clothes because they don't have anything. Also, when it comes to freshers, the more extreme your fancy dress outfit is, the better. Just wearing a mask isn't acceptable anymore.

Taking things like drawing pins might seem weird but I can guarantee there will be a pin board in your room. (they're really meant for sticking "important" stuff on believe it or not) Drawing pins are something EVERYONE forgets. Because I like to be a little bit fancy I bought these animal ones from paperchase but obviously you could just opt for the bog standard ones.... Just remember them! otherwise how will you stick up all of the cool stuff you've been hauding?

I hope this has helped :) Obviously there is more stuff than this that you should take but these are just some things I thought up and have had the experience of not having. :( 

xxx

Products I couldn't live without (at this moment in time anyway..)

Listed are some of the products that I feel I couldn't live without. Yes, I think I would actually die if it weren't for these products due to sheer shock of seeing my face without them. I say that they are my favourites at this current moment as like most girls, I try new products, fall in and out of love with certain products and then there's just some that I never change. That's what the majority of these products are though, things I rarely or never change. So if you want to take a little peep into my makeup bag keep reading :)

Disclaimer: I am aware that there are an awful lot of products listed here but I can't help it! I'm a makeup addict! I'm sorry :( Also, I do apologise if some items look a little grubby, after all I do actually use them, they're not just for show so that is to be expected.

First of all, my all time favourite moisturiser. I've tried many different brands, types, textures etc etc and every time I come back to this good old faithful, clinique's dramatically different moisturising gel. I don't really know what to say about it if I'm honest, I love it so much I can't even think of any words to describe it. Basically it does its job without leaving you shiny or sticky, just nice soft skin :) The only downside being that it's a little pricey..

The next product I'm going to mention is a MASSIVE cult product, I'll give you a clue, it's a concealer.. Yep, it's the collection 2000 (or collection as they are now known as) lasting perfection concealer. Now I don't really need to go into too much detail about this concealer as most of you have probably already heard every blogger, youtuber and their dog rave about it. All in all it's cheap and cover literally anything! It's amazing. I use it in the shade "light 2" for anyone that might be wondering. (If that's the sort of thing people think about. I don't know)

Another thing I think I would die if I couldn't use it is eyeliner. Now, I have two types of eyeliner that keep me from having a panic attack every morning when I see my naked face. One is a liquid eyeliner that I personally believe doesn't receive enough credit and isn't nearly talked about enough as it should be. Maybelline's "liner express" liquid liner is by far THE best liquid eyeliner I have ever come across. Now, I will be honest, I found this by complete accident in boots one day and I most definitely was drawn to it because of the packaging. (I was looking for a felt tip liner and I thought this was one until I opened it and I liked the look of it so I bought it.) It stays put all day and I like the applicator. It's almost like a felt tip and it's quite thick, which I like as it makes for easy application. (which is does say on the packaging.)