Midweek catch up!

Hello!!

I hope you're all well and loving the Christmas cheer at the moment! I for one am very excited for Christmas Day to come for one of two reasons. This year unlike any other I have managed to finish my Christmas shopping a lot earlier than expected and usual. I'm normally the person panicking on Christmas Eve but not this year, a certain little miss over hear had all the presents wrapped within the first week of December so I can sit back, relax and watch everyone else go crazy shopping! Secondly I love Christmas as I have always had such lovely connotations of it being a time for families. Every Christmas Day for as long as I can remember my grandparents have always come up and joined us and we see various other family members over the days leading up to and after Christmas. Ahhh I just can't wait! 

Anyway, I was writing this post as I feel I haven't really posted much recently. I have been having a few troubles with my Google+ account which has meant no new comments have come up nor have I been notified on them. Annoyingly I can't seem to find a help button or an email address I can use to contact someone to see if there is anything I could do to fix this.

So I want to fill you in with what I've been up to recently!  Over the last couple of weeks I seem to have grown busier and busier which I have been enjoying! On Monday I went shopping with my Mum and Sister. There were quite a lot of clothes that I really wanted to get but I couldn't justify getting them to myself, especially at this time of year and what with a lot of my friends coming home from uni and organising nights out or going to the pub, I thought I better not! In the evening I saw one of my closest friends Eloise for a meal. I hadn't seen her since the beginning of September as she's moved to Plymouth for uni. That was really nice having a catch up with her alongside a really delicious burger. Even though we hadn't seen each other for months we were sat there chatting as if we'd never been away! 

On Tuesday I met my friend Morien for a coffee. We hadn't seen each other since early August as we both were really busy and she had moved to Falmouth for uni. It was so lovely to spend some time with her and have a catch up. Afterwards we went for a walk at a national trust place not too far from where we were and it looked really beautiful when I went there with Mum in the autumn but now all the leaves have fallen off the trees it looked quite bare and solemn. 

On Wednesday I didn't really do much in the day time. I was going to get some things sorted but I accidentally had a lie in and decided that as I had already wasted a few hours there wasn't much point in starting now so my sister and I carried on with our Desperate Housewives marathon. Every series is on Sky+ boxsets at the moments so we're getting through them quite quickly and are already on one of the early episodes of series 2! In the evening I was meeting my three colleagues at a pub for a relaxed 'meeting'. We had some work stuff to discuss and wanted to get it said and out the way in a fun, friendly way! Then we later went on to a local restaurant for our staff Christmas meal. I was excited yet a little anxious. Even though I get on really well with my co-workers I have never been to a work party before and in general I am quite a socially awkward person so I tend to attract bad things.. I'm not really one to complain in a restaurant, but the drink I asked for came out wrong and they got the wrong starter for me so I told the waiter nicely that there had been a mix up. Nonetheless we all had a great time. It was really nice seeing the others girls out of  work and getting to know them all a bit better! The food was really good too. I had a duck and port pate to start. It tasted really nice and the presentation was really unique too. They put the pate in a little jar which I thought looked really cool.  For mains we all had the roast turkey and all the trimmings, it was so good but so so filling all the same. And for pudding I had a winter berry crumble and by this point I was feeling so unbelievably stuffed. 

So that's about it for my week so far, I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Love, A X

December 4th

Hi! I hope you're all well and getting well and truly into the Christmas spirit!

I realise I haven't posted anything in a while and seeing as I did a few things yesterday this post will be all about what I've been getting up to since we last spoke which was a week ago today! 

I've been at work quite a lot recently which has been nice! I get along really well with the other ladies I work with and also an extra few pennies will be great for the January sales and mine and my Mum's birthday at the end of next month! I have also been super organised this year and almost finished my Christmas shopping, bar a few small details, well in advance! 

Other than that I haven't really done a lot apart from yesterday. For Mother's Day this year my sister, Bronya, and I bought our Mum tickets to see Boyzone at the bic in Bournemouth.  We headed down to Bournemouth mid afternoon and decided to do a bit of shopping first! We went to the out of town shopping park, Castlepoint. To tell you the truth I was left a bit unimpressed with most things in shops right now. I think everyone seems to be in that awkward fashion phase of wanting to look nice yet also wanting to be warm and cosy! However I did manage to get a small something in Boots. 

We headed into Bournemouth town at about half past five. We walked through the gardens which was looking really pretty and wintry. The Christmas lights were up and the ice skating rink was in full swing too. In Bournemouth square they had a live band playing and the German Christmas market there too. To sum up I was feeling very Christmassy. 

We went to eat at La Tasca. They had an offer on for a starter and three tapas for £9.99 so we all did this. I always forget how filling the food is in places like this and can never quite finish. I had Bread and oils to start as did my sister. Whereas my Mum opted for the healthy option of the green salad. To follow I had the meatballs in a tomato sauce, chicken and chorizo paella and those chicken croquettes. My sister had the paella, meatballs and the fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce. My Mum had the paella too, the chicken croquettes and the deep fried white fish. To drink I had a woo-woo, my sister had a sangria and my mum had cava royale..fancy!

I've only ever been to La Tasca two or three times before and I have to say I haven't been overly smitten. The first time I went, me and mum went to the exeter one and I liked it then. Second time I wasn't that keen. I'm not a vegetarian but I don't tend to eat a lot of meat. I could quite happily not eat it but there isn't much on this menu that is a bit different. I'm quite a fussy eater. 

Yes, so Boyzone. We got to the Bic and got some drinks and made our way to our seats. We got there about ten to seven and the doors were already open. I wasn't really sure what to expect with the other crowd members. I went to t4 on the beach twice, I've been to a Blink 182 concert and mcfly and as you can imagine they all attract different audiences but the main age group tends to be teenagers/young adults. Last night was a bit different, considering the fact I think my sister and I were some of the younger people in the room! There were a lot of old people in the room which I wasn't necessarily expecting! I imagined it to be a lot more of people my parent's ages so in their 40's to 50's. Nevertheless we had a good time.

The support act was a woman all the way from Texas, America. Her name was Jessica Clemmons and she had a very good voice. Her style of music I'd say is a mix of pop and country.  It's not really the type of music I'd listen to but I thought it was good. 

Then Boyzone cam on stage at around quarter to nine and I think Mum fangirled a little bit a lot! when Ronan Keating came on. The age difference of the audience was something that I noticed. Most concerts or gigs I've been to everybody is up on their feet dancing and clapping and last night nearly everybody who was sat in the seated sections remained seated until the encore. They sang a mixture of their old songs and some from their new album, and during their concert they brought a table and chairs out onto the stage and sat round sharing stories on Stephen Gately who passed away several years ago, then raised a glass to him.
Overall I think we all enjoyed ourselves and a had a good evening! After concerts I always want to go home and book tickets for more!

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it. Love, A x

Sunshine award!

Hello!

So the end of November is looming and from today there are 27 days until Christmas day.. How scary I swear this year is flying by!! 

Amy from Face It Amy has very kindly nominated me for a Sunshine Award. Thank you so much Amy that means so much! And I'd definitely recommend you all to check out her blog too. She is a beauty blogger and has some great reviews and many winter posts too! I love her Winter Nail Polishes post. 

The Rules of the Sunshine Award:
Post 11 facts about yourself.
Answer the 11 questions set by the blogger who nominated you.
Nominate 11 bloggers.
Write 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer.
And don't forget to let the person who nominated you know when you have written up your post!!

11 facts about me:
My star sign is aquarius.
I have a strange fear of birds.
I love reading. But I can only read one book at a time. 
Films about ghosts scare me the most because there is so much uncertainty as to whether they're real or not. 
I tend to overuse exclamation marks.
I have a sweet tooth. If cake was a one of our five a day I would have a marvellous fruit bowl!
I haven't broken a bone. Yet. I am very clumsy I reckon it'll happen one day..
My favourite book when I was younger was Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. 
I want to dye my hair again.
Improper grammar or punctuation really really annoys me..
I am really awful at replying to emails or texts.

Amy's questions to me!

Who is your favourite band/singer?
I don't really have a favourite. I have a very eclectic taste in music from John Mayer, Muse, Maroon 5, One Direction, Bruno Mars. The list goes on and on! Right now i'm enjoying listening to Lorde. 

What 3 things would you take with you on a desert island?
Food. Preferably something unhealthy and sweet. Is there water on this desert island because I'd take some of that haha. And a load of books to read!

What would your dream job be? 
A youth worker or charity worker. 

If you had one magical power what would it be?
Invisibility would be fun.. 

What is your fondest memory?
Going on holidays when I was younger. I was only about 8 or 9 and I'm pretty sure it didn't rain at all, and I spent a lot of time with my family just doing normal things. Having water fights with my sister, going to the beach and just having fun!

You're given £1000 to go shopping, what do you buy first?
 I think I'd have a little splurge in Primark. I'd buy some Topshop boots that I've been lusting after for ages. And put some towards a new phone too!

Do you have any hidden talents?
Ha no not really. But I'm quite lazy and I don't even really have any actual talents let alone hidden ones!! I can make people laugh, is that a talent???

What was your favourite subject at school?
French. I loved learning a new language and I wished I got the grade to carry it on at A level.

What is your worst habit?
I am very fickle and tend to give up on things quite quickly.

What is your favourite thing to eat?
My favourite meal is probably Hunters Chicken. YUM. 

What is your favourite thing about blogging?
I love seeing the feedback and comments. It amazes me that people actual take the time to read what I'm gibbering on about! Also I love chatting and getting to know other bloggers. Everyone is so lovely!

My questions!

1. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
2. What is your idea of a perfect night in?
3. Favourite make up product at the moment?
4. How long have you been blogging?
5. And what inspired you to start your blog?
6. Do you prefer dark lips or a smokey eye?
7. Do you prefer summer or winter?
8. What film could you watch over and over again?
9. What job did you want to do when you were younger?
10. What's your favourite flavour pringles?
11. Find the nearest book/magazine, go to page 27 and write down the 4th sentence. 

My nominees!!

Alex

Caitlin

Ambi

Dawn

Rachael

Natasha 

Lauren

Hannah

Kelsey

Kate 

Hannah

Thanks again for nominating me Amy! 

Thank you for reading this post, I hope you liked it! Love, A x

Easy nail art.

HI! 

I remember when I first turned my hand to trying to do some artsy things on my nails. I thought they looked really rubbish and I'd never be able to create interesting looks or designs. However after a lot of trying and many hours I think I have improved dramatically. 

Whenever I post a nail art post I often get people commenting about how they feel they can't reproduce something similar. I am nowhere near an expert I have too much time on my hands and far too many polishes/nail pens! 

I have compiled some cool nail art designs which I think are quite easy to do and replicate. 

So I'm going to start off with the easiest of them all. A simple glitter tip. It takes next to no time to do and it always looks so cool. 

I started off with a plain white base. I used a Barry M nail paint in the shade Matt White. 

I then used a glittery gold polish and swept the brush across the end of the nail. 

The polishes I used.  

Tuxedo nails.

Start off with a black base. 

Draw a V shape at the top of the nail using either a nail art pen or you can use a toothpick dipped in white nail polish to create the same effect.

Then fill in the v shape to create a thick white colour inside the V. 

I used a white nail art pen, the nib tool to draw two squiggly lines either side of the V to create the look of lapels. Then used a dotting tool to create the look of buttons down the black part of the suit.

To add to the effect of the tuxedo. In the V shape, I drew a bowtie and some shirt buttons with a black nail art pen. To draw the bowtie I slowly drew opposing triangles to create the look of it.

Galaxy nails

For this look I started with a black base on the nail. I then used an old make up sponge which I have cut up into small pieces to make it easier to use. 

Holding the sponge piece with a pair of tweezers I dipped the corner in some white nail polish.

I then sponged the white polish in a slight curved line across the painted black nail. 

Then I used a light blue colour in the middle of the white stripe. And then a dark blue colour around the edges the stripe. 

At this point I didn't think it was going well. So i added a bit more white and then blended it out with the light and dark blue. Do this until you reach the colours you like. 

Once I was happy with the way it looked I used a white dotting pen. I did a mix of smaller and bigger dots to create the look of stars and moons.

Once I thought it was dry I put a silver and glitter coat over the top. The white spots weren't quite dry so it smudged.  I thought it looked better that way however as it looks more like a shooting star.

Penguin Nails

I started off with a black base and then using a dotting tool I drew a semi circle like shape at the bottom of the nail. 

Above the white oval shape I dotted two white circles to create the look of eyes. 

I then used a black dotting tool in the middle of the white dots to make eyes. 

I don't have an orange dotting tool. So i improvised using the Barry M gelly hi shine nail paint in the colour Mango and an old kirby grip. 

Using the kirby grip carefully I drew a triangle stretching from the eyes to the tip of the white oval shape to make a nose. And two small semi circles at the bottom to create little feet.

 Cartoon Nails

I started off with a red base colour. I used two coats for this to give it a rich, even colour.

After the red layers dried I went around the edges carefully with a black nail art pen drawing a medium thickness black line.

Wait for this to dry..

I then used a white nail art pen and drew a dot at the bottom and a slightly curved white line above to create the look of an artificial shine. 

 I then went over this with a matte finish polish to get rid of any natural shine.

et voila!

If any of you use these tutorials I'd love it if you got in touch and let me know how you found it!

Thanks for reading, I really hope you liked this post! Love, A x

Matte winter nail colours.

Hello! 

So I've decided to combine two of my favourite things about nails in this post, my winter nail polishes and matte nail polish!. I am a big fan of matte nails I think they look really cool, they feel really smooth and nice to the touch and they are so simple to do. You can buy matte nail polish colours from Barry M but from Rimmel and Bourjois you can buy a Matte coat so you can use any colour underneath. 

I have decorated a nail wheel with all my favourite winter nail polish shades and will post a normal photo and a photo of the colours after a matte coat. 

Before the matte coat you can see the natural shine on each nail. I used two coats of each polish to achieve the bold colour. 

The nail polishes I used.

This is the matte finish nail polish I used from Rimmel. 

MATTE EFFECT

The nail polishes used starting with the grey colour in the top right corner and going clockwise around the wheel:

• Grey: Beauty Uk glam nails in the shade Slate. 
• Rimmel London Lycra Pro professional finish in the shade 420 Aqua Cool.
• Rimmel London 60 Seconds in the shade 622 Oh Boy You're So Fine!!
• Barry M nail paint in the shade 273 Raspberry.
• Collection Hot Looks in the shade 48 Candy Floss
• NYC/New York Colour quick dry nail polish in the shade 268 Fashion Ave Fuchsia.
• Barry M nail paint in the shade 318 Peach Melba. 
• Rimmel London lasting finish in the shade 193 Black Cherries. 
• Sinful Colours in the shade 835 Dancing Nails.
• Barry M nail paint in the shade 66 Matt White. 
• Barry M nail paint in the shade 305 Pink Flamingo. 
• Barry M nail paint in the shade 201 Cobalt Blue. 
• Collection Hot Looks in the shade 38 Mint Mojo.
• Barry M nail paint in the shade 310 Mushroom. 
• 17 Lasting Fix nail polish called Heartbeat. 
• Sinful Colours in the shade 1033 Pistache.
• Barry M Gelly hi shine nail paint in the shade 320 Mango. 
• And finally, Collection nail polish in the shade Ebony.

Do you prefer shiny or matte nails? 

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this post. Love, a X 

My Christmas bucket list tag!

HI!

I am a big fan of anything Christmas themed so when Kelsey tagged me to take part in the My Christmas Bucket List tag as made by Dayna I wanted to write it up straightaway! 

Here is what Dayna has to say about the tag (taken from her blog) 
 I have decided to create the 'Christmas Bucket List Tag' so that not only I get to create a list of wonderful festive things to do but so that I can keep in touch with fellow bloggers and see what Christmassy activities they're getting up to this year! The rules of this tag are pretty simple; you must post a list of things you would like to do this festive season on your blog, once each of these activities have been done you can either  do a separate blog post on each activity or do a large, combined post containing all of the things on your bucket list after they have been done including pictures etc, how you decide to do it is completely up to you! And lastly you must tag 5 other bloggers to do the tag, if you are participating in the Christmas Bucket List Tag I would love to see, so feel free to tweet me @adaynasaur or leave a comment on my page ♥

So here goes!

My Christmas bucket list!

1. Go to a christmas market. 
2. Go late night christmas shopping either with my family or my good friend Vicki. 
3. Watch Christmas films like Love Actually, Elf, Nativity, Arthur Christmas etc. 
4. Decorate a gingerbread house. 
5. Go ice skating. This I've never done before and Vicki and I both really want to go!
6. Watch It's A Wonderful Life. I've never seen it..Apparantly it's a Christmas classic! 
7. Try and be organised with christmas shopping this year! 
8. Indulge in the winter menu's of Costa and Starbucks! 
9. And buy a nice, warm winter's hat!

I am tagging:

Lizzie

Alex

Hannah

Lindsey

Sophie

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this post! Love, a X

Miners fresh faced powder review!

 HI! 

I got home from work yesterday was greeted by a lovely parcel from Miners Cosmetics. I always get so excited when I receive anything in the post, from postcards to bank statements to online orders.. I don't know why haha! 

Anyway, Miners Cosmetics have come out with some fab new powders to add to their evergrowing range. I was looking forward to trying this out as I am quite pale and have a lot of freckles and I find it quite hard to find a foundation/powder that suits me. 

Fresh Faced Powder from Miner's Cosmetics is a matte powder that is also 100% paraben free. It comes in three different shades, translucent Ivory which is the palest of the shades perfect for those with fair skin. Secondly there is Soft Sand which is a little bit darker than the paler shade. I think this shade is perfect for those with a medium skin tone. Lastly there is the darkest out of the three shades and it's called Warm Honey. I think this shade will suit those with a medium-olive skin tone as it has a slight yellowy undertones to it which would compliment a tanned or medium/olive skin tone.

To apply the powders you can use a sponge or a brush to give an even coverage. These powders can be used as a base instead of using a liquid foundation. Equally it can be used to set your liquid foundation and may help it last longer throughout the day too. 

Above are the three powders. The case in black with a clear lid. It isn't too big so is perfect to pop in your make up bag.  

I put the powders in order from lightest to darkest.

I swiped Translucent Ivory with my finger.

Translucent Ivory is on my middle finger and Soft Sand is on my index finger.

My middle finger and index finger are the same powders as above and my thumb is Warm Sand. 

Before, no make up,

After I used some of the Soft Sand powder. Blemishes, what blemishes?!

What I love about this powder is that it's so easy to apply as it doesn't take very long at all to rub in. It doesn't have a smell to it at all, as some powders have a very strong smell to them which puts me off. Some powders look really flaky and makes my skin look quite dry but this one applied really naturally and I'm very impressed.

Pros of this product:
Affordable.
It's 100% paraben free.
Is a great match to my skin colour. 
Applies nicely and doesn't take long to blend.
Gives a natural coverage.
I like that the packaging is really sleek and simple. 
Doesn't feel 'heavy'.

Cons of this product:
Only three different shades available.
Personally, I found it didn't last as long as I'd hoped and had to reapply again throughout the day. 

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this post. Love, A x