Be Mine This Valentines 2015....

So with January out the way it seems like Valentines day & Easter looms upon us. Part of me loves Valentines day & part of me very much loathes it. I hate to sound like an 87year old granny here but it seems like Valentines day is all about what present your going to get when in actual fact that's so far from from what Valentines day is about it's silly. Granted I have bought the handsome Marty some presents but I haven't gone crazy, if money were no object I'd have a brand new Nissan Qashqai turning up but the reality is things take more of a priority & I honestly believe as long as you do something special no matter how small (I for instance de-iced Martyn's car the s'morning & made him a peanut butter & banana cinnamon bagel) just to let that person know you care, then that is all it's about. So forget about the Michael Kors watch or rings from Pandora & just buy a big box of chocolates, each of your favorite films & snuggle up together! I know we most certainly will be! We decided against going out for a fancy meal & instead I'm cooking the starter & Marty is cooking the main, followed by a box of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat & our duvet on the sofa....that to me is bliss. Oh & not forgetting a bubble bath & face mask session together. If it's one thing that I've learned that's togetherness is the most important thing, no matter how big or how small a deal you decide to make, as long as your together then that's all that counts. So if your doing something with your Boyfriend, Fiancee, Grandpa, Mother, Best friend, Nanna, Girlfriend or hey even your dog! Just remember I'm with you on the non soppy a dozen roses side of things! 

If you do want some ideas on what to get your other half, I'd say stick to a budget (I know I have!) & remember it's more about the sentiment than the cost. 

Save or Splurge?

Florence Anne Blackcurrant & Fig Eau De Toilette 

Florence Anne Blackcurrant & Fig Candle 

Now we all love a bit of luxury & we all love a splurge, but when I find a dupe that not only packs a punch but has a great price I can't help but to get excited. So at Christmas time whilst browsing the various scents & candles that Jo Malone has to offer I fell in love with the Blackberry & Bay Cologne, but I didn't fall in love with the £82 - per 100ml price tag. But hay it's Christmas right? We all love something special at Christmas time. Before deciding if I wanted to buy the fragrance I decided to pop to Boots & have a look around at all the gift sets when I happened to stumble upon the Florence Anne Fragrance section, now I'd never heard of this brand within Boots before but I couldn't help but to notice how the style of the range was slightly similar to Jo Malone. I went on smelling the candles & spraying away at the perfumes. That's when I found the Blackcurrant & Fig perfume & boy was I blown away! The scent is gorgeous & starts of smelling quite fresh but gets fruitier as it matures. It's priced at £10 per 45ml they also have candles in the range that start at £12. Which obviously is quite a difference in comparison to the Jo Malone range. 

Now by no means am I saying that this little brand beats Jo Malone because it quite obviously doesn't but it does slightly rival it, it has the look & most certainly has the scent. I think it would make a lovely gift especially package wise, it's really pretty. So maybe before jumping in & splashing out on Jo Malone on a perfume you might only wear once or twice, or purchasing a candle you'll be crying every time you light. I urge you to pop to Boots & give this range a try, because I can guarantee you'll certainly be as surprised as much as I was. 

Current Beauty Wants...

So Christmas has come & gone & I got some amazing beauty presents to tick off my ever growing list. Since it's my birthday in January I think it's acceptable to place a cheeky Debenhams order (or two) I made this little want list to keep me happy until payday rolls around. Although it seems to be ever growing, thank god for the "save for later" button! I sense this is going to be a year of beauty & new discoveries for me, needless to say I'm excited even if my bank balance & Fiancee isn't. 

Too faced Chocolate Bar Pallet

Too faced Chocolate soleil bronzer

Too faced absolutely invisible candlelight face powder

Mac Lipstick in Honeylove

Mac Studio Fix Fluid

Mac Fix Plus

Yankee Candle in Wild Fig

Montagne & Jeunesse Face Masks

Laura Mercier Creme De Pistachio Honey bath

Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Honey Bath

Hello 2015.....

So 2014 was a bit of a mixed bag it most certainly had it's ups & downs but one thing is for sure I've moved in to 2015 with a far more level headed & positive attitude. If 2014 has taught me anything it's to be thankful & grateful for what you have & I'm not talking about makeup & clothes. I mean the things that really matter like the people you love. The two biggest highlights of my year have to be moving house & finding out we are having a baby. Two major life changing things that couldn't have come at a better time & made us anymore happy than we are. We also found out on Christmas eve that we are having a baby boy, We have chosen his name & now that Christmas is out the way we can start buying & prepping ready for him to arrive, he's due May 12th 2015 but if he makes an appearance on that day is another thing completely. We are both so excited for him that I honestly feel like I could burst, I feel like we've moved on from being just a couple to actually being a little family which makes me so happy, to finally have something to call ours & something to turn our house in to a home. Speaking of which, it's an absolute godsend to be living in a house that isn't full of damp & isn't crumbling down! We actually have a garden, a beautifully big kitchen & three lovely bedrooms. I no longer feel cramped for space & feel like every day is a battle to see which chunk of wallpaper is going to fall off next. Our new home is so peaceful & perfect as well as being warm & cosy, it's the perfect place for our little family to grow & flourish. It doesn't need a mass amount of work but slowly we are moving through each room, upgrading furniture & putting our own stamp on things.

I have made new years resolutions this year & one of them is to defiantly blog more, I can see myself using this little basic blog to grow & escape each evening when I'm up to my eyeballs in dirty nappies. I feel like as I've changed as a person where life isn't all about  makeup, I can transition in sharing more lifestyle posts & Baby updates. The other aren't quite as interesting as "try more lipstick shades" or "make more cookie for everyone in work" but rather to never take anything for granted & to appreciate each day as it comes. 

My favourite Orange & Coral lipsticks......

Since it's boiling hot at the moment I seem to be gravitating towards the brightest oranges & coral shades in my lipstick collection. I thought I'd share with you my favourite colours that I keep wearing a lot of. 

• Firstly Morange & Vegas Volt by Mac....who doesn't have these shades or lust after them? They are two perfect colours for the right amount of pop of colour. I've had them in my collection for a while since orange is my favourite colour, everyone buys me something that's orange...even lipstick! I won't talk too much about the formula of Mac lipsticks since it's noted almost on every beauty blog but I do really love the creaminess & vanilla scent that comes with a Mac lipstick. 
• Moving on to Revlon, these in my opinion are pretty close to Mac formula wise except they have no scent at all, they apply really nicely, have excellent stay power & just allround an excellent lipstick/brand. I have the shades Siren & Peach Silk from the Moon Drops collection they realised ages ago! Both are beautiful shades & if you don't want to splash out on a Mac lipstick I'd highly recommend trying Revlon first, especially since Siren & Morange are quite close in colour. 
• Next up is Nyx, I haven't tried many of their products but I do love their lipsticks, I have the shade Haute Melon & it's beautiful, these lipsticks can be a little drying on the lips but I just pop a tiny bit of vaseline over the top, not only does it make your lips glossy but it injects a bit of moisture too. Overall the Nyx lipstick is lovely, it isn't the brightest but for the price it's a bargain. 
• Finally I have a lipstick by Barry M now I have had this lipstick FOREVER & everytime I do a massive clear out I can never bear to part with it in case they've stock selling it. The shade doesn't have a name it's just "53" & it's such a pretty coral shade with a tiny hint of gold running through it. I've had lots of compliments whilst wearing this shade & it's the cheapest out of all my lipsticks! The formula isn't too creamy but not too drying at the same time it's almost somewhere in between, it doesn't have a scent & is tiny enough to throw in your handbag pocket. 

From Left to right - Nyx Haute Melon, Mac Morange, Revlon Siren, Mac's Vegas Volt, Revlon Peach Silk & Barry M shade 53.