Cupcakes

When all else fails, and you feel like giving up, make cupcakes.

If baking them doesn't cheer you up, eating them certainly will!

I just got tumblr, go see :) (rachlovesleopardprint)

My Everyday Make Up...

As I was putting on my make up today I realised I'd never done a 'what's in my make up bag' type post. I've done lots of reviews but never an insight to what I wear every day, and since I haven't blogged in a while, I thought this might be a good start...

To start with i'm currently using Clarins 'Daily Energizer Moisturiser' I won't go into detail as I have a full Clarins review planned, but here's a picture:

The foundation i'm loving right now is L'Oreal Paris 'infallible brush', i've done a review on this before here so I won't repeat myself. I'll just add that, as much as I do love this product, i've been having a problem with it when I come to the end, i'm the sort of person who likes to get their moneys worth, and the last two bottles of this i've had have broken when I get near the end, i'll think i've got enough left for another couple of days use but when I twist the end the 'spinny thing' that is supposed to move down stops going down and the foundation squeezes out above it. Really hard to describe but basically it stops working and you lose the last bit in the bottom. I've even tried smashing the bottle to get it out i've been that desperate not to waste any! So I just thought i'd mention that since the review of this i've linked above mentions that none of the foundation gets wasted because of the way it comes out, and that was true of the first couple of bottles i've had so it may just be a case of being lucky or unlucky with it. Apart from that problem I absolutely love this foundation and keep re-purchasing it.

Once i'm happy with my foundation I will use one of three things, either my No7 'Sun Kissed Bronzing Pearls' which I tend to use mainly in the summer to enhance my tan, or in the winter I use No7 'High Lights Illuminating Powder' in 'Dandy Pink' to give me a nice rosy glow. The last of the three is by a brand called 'Ultimate', I had never actually heard of them before but I got this from a swap on Big Wardobe and I really like it (as you can see from the pictures as there's not a lot left), I've only really been using this for the last few months but I like the way it does the shading for you, you just have to sweep your brush from side to side to keep all the colours in the right place, rather than in a circular motion, and when you put it on your cheek it looks really well blended and you haven't had to do any of it yourself.

Next up I'll put a primer on my eyelids, I use a Mac 'Paint pot' and I have this in a shade called 'Painterly',  it's basically just the nearest colour to my skin and I use it for two reasons, firstly, it's actual use is to give my eyeshadow a base and to give it something to hold on to so it lasts longer, but I also like to use it to lighten up the skin around my eyes, I put it on right up to my brow bone and it's perfect for those days you wake up and your eyes are looking really dark.

The brushes I use were given to me as a present and are made by 'Arbonne' which I think is an American company and not many people here know about it. They're really good, not the absolute best quality as the bristles sometimes come off on your face, but brushes are so expensive that i'm happy to put up with that. Here's a picture: (these are the main two I use out of the set I was given)

I have to admit that when it comes to eyeshadow I am an absolute sucker for 'Urban Decay', I do own eyeshadows from other brands but the 3 Urban Decay palettes I have just seem to be the ones I reach for everyday. My favourite is the much sought after 'Naked' palette, that was incredibly hard to get hold of for a while as everywhere seemed to be sold out. I will generally just mix up the colours from this, I'll usually put a lighter colour, such as 'Virgin' all over my lid and up to my brow bone, then a slightly lighter colour up to the crease of my eye and a darker colour, my favourite being 'Underground' from the 'Deluxe Shadow Box' palette, which I actually completely used up and ended up buying the colour on it's own (third picture down) as I hadn't used nearly as much of the other colours so didn't want to purchase the whole palette again. I think the reason I use the naked palette so much is because it's so much more neutral, as the name suggests, Urban Decay are very well known for their vibrant colours, which are great for nights out or special occasions, but when you work 5 days a week as I do, you can't be rocking up to work with bright purple eyes! Therefore, the subtle yet pretty colours are really great for everyday wear, and Urban Decay eyeshadows are some of the best quality i've tried, they really stay on all day and are so well pigmented your eyes really do look amazing.

I will generally, unless i'm feeling really lazy, always put on this next product, it's a 'Barry M Super Soft Eye Crayon', they do loads of colours in this, as you would expect from them as they're a very colourful company much like Urban Decay, but for an everyday staple look, I will just put on a line of this just above my lash line, to compliment the eyeshadow and finish off the look, as long as you don't put any eyeliner along your waterline this shouldn't make your eyes too dark for work or anything like that. It's still quite subtle when it's part of the whole look. 

To complete my look, I will curl my eyelashes with just a standard eyelash curler (mine is from the collection by Jemma Kidd) and then apply one or two coats of whichever mascara I happen to be using. My staple favourite is the 'Maybelline Volum Express Cat's Eyes' which I recently did a review on here, but at the moment I am using the 'Maybelline Falsies Volum Express' just to try it out as it is fairly new, I still prefer my Cat's Eyes one, but this really does create a falsh lash effect and is a perfect 'going out' mascara.

Thanks for reading!! I know it was a really long post but I hope it was still interesting! xxx

Holiday Must Haves

Okay, don't laugh, but I've only just figured out how to create a new blog post on this new blogger layout... me and technology aren't the best of friends. Anyway, I did have another post lined up but I've just got back from Portugal and had a bit of inspiration from this post in a few of the things I was really glad I took with me.

First up, the day before I went on holiday I went on a bit of a last minute shopping spree and splurged out on this GORGEOUS pair of shorts from Miss Selfridge. I actually had a load of other stuff in my hand to try on, spent about an hour trying to decide and then put it all back and headed out the shop, when this little number caught my eye and I couldn't resist. These shorts are very floaty and light, perfect for a really hot day and are so comfortable, especially with the added bonus that they won't blow up and show everyone your knickers with the slightest breeze as they're shorts not a skirt.
P.S Miss Selfridge offer 10% off (sometimes more) for student discount if you're lucky enough to be one!

£29 Miss Selfridge

 The sunglasses were a definite bargain buy from Dorothy Perkins, they have a tortoiseshell pattern and are a 'Cats eyes' shape, they're really flattering for my face shape (oval). They also do them in a plain black.
Dorothy Perkins also offer student discount, I think 15% but not sure.

£6 Dorothy Perkins

 This Tinted Moisturiser from The Body Shop is a definite must have for holiday, there's nothing worse than having to slap on all your foundation and the rest of your make up when you're spending the day in the sun. This is literally what it says on the bottle, a moisturiser that tints to the colour of your skin. It provides a thin layer of coverage which literally just feels like a moisturiser, yet evens out your complexion. Perfect if you don't like going make up free. It can also double up as a base for your normal make up.
I'll just mention if anyone is thinking of getting this for their holiday, it doesn't have any SPF, so you'll need to put some sun cream on aswell!
The Body Shop offer 10% off to all Love Your Body card holders, this card costs £5.

£10 The Body Shop

 This bag is definitely my favourite of everything I took with me, I bought it the same day I got the shorts I mentioned earlier. It's a small satchel from Accessorize, it's got a zip on the top, easy access to your camera or whatever when you're on the go, I kept my money in the inside pocket as it's not really big enough for any of my huge purses, and it saves space since I don't use any cards abroad.
Accessorize also offer student discount, which I think if 10%, but not entirely sure.

£18 Accessorize

A camera is an obvious must have for a holiday, if you're shopping around for one at the moment I definitely recommend the Nikon S3100. My last holiday to Tenerife I took my Nikon SLR with me, and got so sick of lugging round this huge camera I hardly took any photos, so I decided to invest in a small camera that could just go into my handbag. I knew I wanted to stick with Nikon, you just can't beat their photo quality, so this camera has been incredibly handy over the last week, especially since my bag was so small! And I've now come home with loads of lovely memories captured in photos.
I have this in purple but it comes in a massive range of colours, mine cost £99 from John Lewis but I don't think they sell it there anymore.

Approx. £100

Any of you booking a holiday soon or just lucky enough to live somewhere hot, I hope this post has been helpful. Thanks for reading! xxx

I haven't forgotten you all...

I know, once again, I have been absent from the blogging world for a bit longer than I would have liked. However, I would just like to let you all know I have been planning some great posts for the next week or so, I'm currently up in Shropshire and it's difficult to get any photos onto the computer I'm using so I'm going to wait until I get home this weekend.
Anyway, these are a few of the posts I have planned...

• What's In My Make-up Bag
• A review on a collection of Clarins products
•  A selection of OPI nail polishes I have accumulated over the past few months and haven't reviewed.
• Body Shop Lipsticks
• My favourite self-tanning products
• More reviews of beauty products I'm loving right now.

So please watch this space, I WILL be back. 

xxx

Joseph Kony

Please watch this video, It's long but it's worth it.

Review: Maybelline Volum Express Cats Eyes

Hey guys, hope you all had a great new years! I'm back again with a review on my current fave mascara. I literally can't get enough of this, it goes on like a dream. My eyelashes don't stick together, I only need one coat and it keeps them in place all day!
I'm talking about the new(ish) mascara from Maybelline, it's called Volum express Cats eyes (yes I did spell that right), and I can definitely see where they got the name from, it seems to make my outer lashes flick out a bit creating a cats eyes effect. Don't be scared off by that though as it's very subtle! I am currently coming to the end of my second bottle of this baby and am planning on getting a third soon, it retails at around £7.99 which I think is really quite cheap for a mascara, even for maybelline.
As you can see from my pictures it has a curved brush, which I like as it saves time when putting it on and helps stop the eyelashes sticking together. The pictures of my eye were taken in the evening when I'd had it on all day so don't really do it justice but you get the idea.

- I know i've said it all before but I am so sorry for the lack of blogging, I've been going through a tough time, not enjoying the job i'm in and missing my boyfriend. I really am trying but it's hard to get inspiration when you're miserable, blogging will stop being fun for me if I force myself to do it. I am so grateful that you have all stuck with me, I lost a few followers in my absence and really don't want to lose any more because I WILL be back! That's a promise. Hope you all understand :) -

xxx

Guest Post: Fashion is Powerful

Fashion is Powerful

By: Jackie Clark

Looking good is an instant mood changer. Women are complex creatures that experience sometimes bizarre mood swings and emotional outbursts but there is one thing that can make any woman feel better in an instant, no matter how dire the situation; fashion. A woman having the worst day of her life is going to experience an instant mood change – for the better – if she has her hair and makeup done and puts on a glamorous outfit and an amazing pair of shoes. The same is true of women suffering from rare forms of cancer such as mesothelioma. Even if her prognosis is yet to be determined, a woman’s mood is instantly lifted when she is exposed to beautiful fashion.

Confidence is one of the key aspects to happiness and power in a woman’s life. Unfortunately, confidence is one of the first things cancer robs a woman of. Women suffering from cancer often have a difficult time feeling beautiful in their own skin; perhaps she has started losing her hair or made the decision to shave her head so as not to experience the emotions that come with every piece of hair that falls out during treatment. Whatever the reason, cancer patients often feel unattractive and powerless.

To beat cancer, power and confidence are a must, which is where fashion comes into play. Women in need of a pick me up can find that pick me up in the form of fashion. No matter what she is facing that day, feeling gorgeous and confident will make it seem so much better. The first step to achieving that confidence through fashion is with makeup. Every woman feels better when she has makeup on her face; even if she doesn’t need it in the least.

Most women are well versed in the art of applying makeup; however, one way to boost the mood of a cancer patient is to take her to have to makeup professionally applied. Nothing will make her feel more beautiful, powerful and confident than seeing her gorgeous face after a professional spends a few minutes highlighting her best features.

The next step is to make sure she has an amazing outfit and shoes. It doesn’t matter what she wears, as long as she feels and looks amazing. Feeling amazing in your own skin, even if it is thanks to an outfit, is going to make you exude a confidence you didn’t even know you had, which is automatically going to make you appear more gorgeous than ever.

Fashion is many things, but mostly it is a woman’s temporary escape to a better place. Give a cancer patient back her confidence by reminding her that she is as beautiful as ever. 

Dorothy Perkins sale

Today I had one of those moments where you think 'oh I'll just have a look in there to kill time' and end up buying something, oops!
Before christmas, I was in Dorothy Perkins and saw a couple of things a really liked and thought about buying, I had already spent a bit too much last month as I started my new job at Next, meaning staff discount, and bought a load of stuff from there, as well as all my christmas shopping, so couldn't really justify spending anymore. Anyway, fortunately for me and unfortunately for my bank account they just so happened to have the two things I had my eye on in their sale. The first one, a black japanese-style kimono type thing with some lovely pink flowers on it, was £24.00, reduced to £5.00! I think my jaw literally dropped when I saw it. I then spotted a purple dress I really like that was £30.00 down to £10.00 and after a very short trip to the changing rooms (didn't need much time to decide) I bought them both! :D So i'm now a very happy bunny and the proud owner of two lovely new items of clothing, here they are...

The Kimono:

Ignore the snake print top!

Bit of a close up

The dress:

Sorry about the pile of clothes!

Not my mess I promise!

So yeah, you all need to pop down to your nearest dorothy perkins and grab some bargains yourselves!
Thanks for reading xxx