NEW YORK haul

So I know I went to New York in October last year (!!!) but I have only just got round to taking photo's of all the things that I bought whilst I was there. I was going to do this in two parts with two posts - 1 being on the food (mainly sweets and chocolate) that I bought there and 1 on the actual, material items I got but I don't think I'm going to post the food one. I mean, I have the pictures for it but it's just I've practically eaten everything and it probably wouldn't be that interesting to others. However, if you do want to see it, do let me know! :) But anyway, on to the pictures (there is a lot but i did save up a lot for this trip so i could treat myself)!

The first thing I wanted to show you was my new iPhone case. Obviously it's not that new now but I put it on as soon as I bought it and I'm still using it now. I thought it was the best design out of all the ones I saw and thought it was pretty plain and simple. I really like the grungy look (although a lot of people have questioned whether i've made it that dirty - for clarification, i haven't!) and it contrasts nicely with my white phone. It's starting to show a few 'cuts' where the design is chipping off but it's not noticeable and I still love it. The stall that I got it from was actually in a park (the park begins with B and is near 5th Avenue but i've completely forgotten it's name, sorry!) and the gentlemen were so lovely and even showed me how to put it on/take it off with ease and without struggling. I also really love the quote on the back of the packaging!

Now I didn't really fancy getting one of the 'I [heart] NY' t-shirts as they just seem a little 'done' and a bit tacky for me so I opted for these instead as they're just cute. My mum actually bought these so we had something to do whilst we waited at the airport for our flight. Safe to say it's a good job we did as we did actually have a bit of a wait... 

Now I know I said I wasn't going to show any food items but I wanted to show the tin mainly as I'll definitely be keeping it (and to be honest, the raisins got devoured on the flight home...). It's such a cool tin and really shows off the best of New York. I think I'll use it to keep pens or maybe make up brushes in. Who knows? :)

Also during our wait at the airport I decided to take a browse at the beauty section of Duty Free (it was pretty bad if i'm honest but ah well) and managed to spot an OPI stand. I don't actually own any full size OPI bottles as I struggle to find them in any stores in the UK and never take the plunge to order them offline. Therefore I seized the opportunity to treat myself (well my mum treated me...) to 3 colours from the New York City Ballet collection (i felt it fitted with the trip...). The three colours I chose were (from left to right): 'My Pointe Exactly', 'Care To Danse?' and 'You Callin' Me A Lyre?'. I was so happy when I got them and I can't wait to try them out! Obviously there will be reviews!

Another little treat was this Lancome foundation. Whilst I was away I realised my usual liquid foundation (No7 Stay Perfect) was running low and thought that Duty Free was a good opportunity to check out a new one. I decided to opt for something more 'high end' than a high street brand. Unfortunately the choices in the store weren't too brilliant but I settled for this one and I am loving it! I've been using it for about a month now so I've had plenty of time to use it and there will be a review heading your way shortly!

The final beauty item I got from the New York duty free was this perfume - Prada Candy. This is a perfume I'd been lusting after a while. I really love the advert and the bottle is so simple and classy (i'm always a sucker for the bottle!). I remember liking the scent when I tested it in the store but I can't quite remember it now. I definitely think I'll be keeping you updated on my thoughts though!

Now this is where you will see my love for perfume bottles become extremely obvious. Nina Ricci perfume bottles are just beautiful and this one is no exception. It's safe to say I fell in love at first sight (probably not the best thing and i think my other sense of scent should have come into play but nevermind ;) ). I have all the 'apple' shaped perfumes (i.e. all the scents in the apple shaped bottles) so I couldn't wait to add this one to my collection! I had 4 before this and this is my 5th so I think I'll have to do a little 'Nina Ricci Perfume' haul!

More OPI nail products! My mum is obsessed with keeping her nails looking perfect (with and without nail varnish) so when we popped into the supermarket whilst we were there, it was no surprise she went to check out the nail products. However, I'm glad she did as I spotted these whilst we were there. I think the names obviously give away what they do but I think I might do a post on them and whether I recommend them or not?

If you didn't know, New York is host to one of the M&M World's situated globally (i believe there is one in London if you'd like to pay a visit to one closer to home) and whilst I obviously bought a lot of chocolate (too much! i'm still going through my M&M's and unfortunately, i've realised i'm not that big of a fan...), I also spotted these. I know they may not be to everyone's taste but they are honestly so so so comfy and warm and great to snuggle up in. I didn't actually spot these until our second trip there (okay, we went in twice because nothing else was open due to the storm - we're not chocolate obsessives!) but I'm glad I did as I just love to wear them around the house when I'm having a lazy day!

Again, I said no chocolate but I just wanted to quickly urge everyone to run to your nearest source of Godiva chocolate and buy a tin of these beauties. They are so yummy and you will honestly inhale every one of them in one sitting.

When my mum and I finally got to go to the top of the Rockefeller centre I just knew I couldn't leave without a souvenir and this was my choice. Whilst I don't usually drink out of mugs I thought it was really classic and the picture is so famous. I think I'll just place it on my desk to glance at every now and then to reminisce of my trip to New York (and instantly wish i was back there...).

Now I know we can get Swatch watches in England but I rarely every go watch shopping and my mum did actually want to go into the Swatch store to buy herself a new watch. Anyway, whilst she was speaking to the sales assistant I had a little wander around and found myself at the kid's section, typically. Anyway, some temptation happened and by the end of the Swatch watch store trip I had 3 new watches, 2 of which had Disney princess' on them. I do not actually regret my decision and I absolutely love them (even if they are meant for children and so a little small on my wrists...).

 

Another souvenir cup?! Oh wow. This one is, instead, from the Empire State Building and it's something I'm more like to use. Okay it looks like the cups you get from a fast food restaurant but I like it and think it's a little 'snazzy'. I also got a lollipop shaped like the Empire State Building which I am too reluctant to eat as I don't want the pattern to go. 

Here are some more pyjama bottoms. These were in fact from one of those souvenir stores that line the streets of New York but I was tempted in numerous times and bought far too much from them. Anyway, these bottoms are much thinner than the M&M ones but still comfy none the less!

I'm pretty sure everyone's heard of these lipbalms or seen a variation of them before? I think they're so cool and I can't wait to open them! I know there's an English brand that do something like these (Emma has reviewed them on her blog before so maybe check on there for details if you're interested) but I wanted to try out the originals! I think they're going to be weird at first but I can't wait to whip them out in front of my friends and see what they say!

I'm not sure these tops need much explaining? I think the NYPD one is a top that most people get when they go to New York (other than the 'I [heart] NY' one) as it's quite iconic. But whilst I was in the same store, I spotted the FDNY one (for the New York Fire Department) and the CSI one (for Crime Scene Investigation - it actually says this on the back which is so cool!). I thought they were interesting and decided to get them all. I think my inner CSI geek tempted me to get that one (although i did embarrissingly ask out loud what 'CSI' stood for as i'd forgotten for an American teenager to over hear and explain to me - little bit awkward...) and the FDNY was just one that I'd never seen before so I thought, why not?

This is my favourite thing from the trip as it's so simple and I've been looking for a jumper like this for ages. I honestly don't know what more to say about it apart from I love it, it's comfy and I've worn it so much since I got back.

I think I mentioned in my actual New York post that I went to the Hard Rock Cafe there and it's sort of a tradition in our family to get t-shirts from all the Hard Rock Cafe's we go to so I sort of had to buy this ;)

Another favourite item of mine for the trip. I don't actually wear it as much as I'd expected but doing this post has reminded me that it exists so maybe I'll wear it next time I'm going for a casual outfit...

On the first day of the trip, aside from just wandering around aimlessly, my mum and I headed into the Levi's store. I've always wanted a pair of jeans from Levi's as they're just so iconic and they're a pair that would last you forever as the denim is just such great quality. But, unfortunately, as it was the only shop that was really open on that day, it was crammed and trying on a pair of jeans was just not an option. Instead I decided to look at the other clothes (that i didn't even know they had) and left with a t-shirt, a jumper and a denim jacket (which isn't pictured as it was just too big to take a photo of when i'm not wearing it but i absolutely adore it and i rarely take it off! - i'm so glad i got it as a denim jacket is such a classic and simple piece of clothing!). The t-shirt, again, is a souvenir-y type thing and I thought it was such a cool idea. The jumper, on the other hand, couldn't be more simple. It's just a plain, cosy male jumper in a really lovely teal colour.

Now this final item is something that I had completely forgotten about until I took the pictures this afternoon - how bad is that?! - it's been sitting in the bottom of the bag in my room for months and I didn't even know it was there! I'm so glad I found it again as it's so cute and obviously there's more chocolate! ;)

Wow... I have to admit I'd forgotten I'd bought most of this stuff which is really bad but I'm glad I did this post as it's reminded me of everything and it was sort of like buying it all over again. I haven't put prices as I don't know them and they'd have all been in dollars anyway. But I hope you enjoyed this post and if you ever get the chance to go to New York/America, I hope this has given you an idea of the sorts of things you can treat yourself too!

Thanks for reading and hopefully I'll post again soon! :)

CHANEL MAT LUMIERE: luminous matte powder makeup

I'm sorry, what? Is this a beauty post? Why yes, yes it is! Finally, after numerous 'i'm back'/Instagram/round up posts, I'm finally doing a blog post on a beauty product! This is the Chanel powder that I picked up at the airport last summer when I went to Egypt with my family. Before this I used a Benefit powder and whilst I really liked using it, I was in the mood for something more 'high end'. So I popped into the duty free area at the airport and headed towards the Chanel counter. I originally wanted to check out the Chanel lipsticks and nail varnishes but when a "luminous matte powder" calls...

I'm someone who doesn't wear make up every day. I don't need to as I'm at school all day every day and as it's an 'all girl' school, I don't feel I need to 'impress' anyone - I am comfortable walking around school with a bare face. But for the times that I do feel like piling my face with make up and making myself look at least a little better than my 'natural face', I really wanted to treat myself and get a luxury product that would at least work towards making me look a little flawless. And my lord, I think I found it!

This is Chanel's Mat Lumiere Powder, with SPF 10, and I have the shade 40: Sable. It's quite dark and it's definitely not the right shade for my skin but when placed over the top of my liquid foundation (it's a Lancome Teint Miracle one and i'll hopefully be doing a post on it soon!) it sort of works. I'm a little gutted that it only really matches my skin tone when I have a tan (very very rarely...) but maybe next time I'll go for a lighter shade? Anyway, the product is a compact powder that looks a little creamy when first applied (i.e. before blended in). It's absolutely gorgeous and so so so luxurious. As well as the product itself, the packaging is equally as lovely and extremely classy. I love the little velvet packet it comes in (although impractical as it gathers wonderful amounts of dust...) and the pan itself is so sleek! At first I was so afraid to touch it as I didn't want to get fingerprint marks on it but I guess temptation gave in ;) The product is also refillable as the actual powder can be removed from the pan so you don't have to buy a whole new product every time, just another powder (which i'm thinking/hoping will be cheaper).

The little booklet that comes with the powder claims that it contains "the perfect balance between softness, radiance and a matte finish" and I agree. It's definitely (i emphasise this greatly) matte which is perfect for me as I have a quite oily skin so when applying a liquid foundation, it can make me a little shiny, thus makin a matte powder over the top very useful. "The powdery MAT LUMIERE formula blends delicately into the skin to ensure shiny areas are mattified, the complexion is evened out, imperfections are instantly concealed and the radiance of the face is revealed" - now how wonderful does that sound? And it does exactly what it claims. Matte = check! Imperfections concealed = check! I feel that when I apply this powder it covers all blemishes that I may be suffering with at the time which to me is the best thing of all! Then finally, radiance = check!

The above pictures of myself, whilst not of the best quality or of great beauty (i try!), show how great the product is (both in light and shadow - this was unintentional and just happened with the position i was sat in when i took the photos). You can tell where I have blemishes but at least they aren't as obvious as they would be without make up. I wear this powder, as mentioned before, with a liquid foundation underneath and apply it with the sponge that comes with the product. Obviously, this isn't my chosen way to do this (as it isn't too hygienic as the sponges do get very dirty and do carry bacteria) but when my mum asked the lady at the counter what the best way to clean/wash them was, she simply said to use a new one and gave us a whole load of extra sponges to take home so I try to start with a new one every month to be a little more hygienic. Regardless of this issue, I like to apply it this way and it really does apply nice and smoothly. After I've applied a layer with the sponge, I blend it in further with a Face Brush from Bobbi Brown (unfortunately, not something i recommend, it's far too scratchy).

Unfortunately, at first, I thought it had broken me out as after the first use I got a lovely helping of spots and it did put me off for a while. I decided to let my blemishes calm down before giving it another go and I think it was just a coincidence as since then, it hasn't broken me out. I do still get spots but I get them regardless of my use of the powder. The powder itself is a little heavy (although it does claim to be light on the skin in the booklet) so I am wary of it clogging my pores but do make sure to give my face a deep clean afterwards. But the benefits and beauty of the product completely over ride this and I still love it!

In terms of coverage and staying powder, it has a full coverage and although it doesn't last all day, it still looks amazing by the time I come home (it is still practically full coverage at the end of the day to be fair and i can vouch/guarantee this as i work in a coffee shop once a week and by the end of my shift, i think the coverage is still great).

Another positive (i don't think i could compliment this product any more to be honest...) is that it makes my skin feel pretty flawless. I feel so wonderful and confident with my skin when I wear it and I think that's the best thing you could say about a facial make up product.

And a final point, unfortunately a negative one, is that it's very easy to rub off. This means fingers and hands can get grubby if you touch your face and it can transfer onto clothes quite easily but if you blend/buff it into your skin well, you can avid too much transfer.

Overall, I am so so so glad I got this and splurged on a higher end product. It's the most expensive make up I own (with the average UK high street price being £37.00 it's certainly not cheap, although i did get it at a discounted price of £30 at duty free but i would will be willing to pay the full price when i've run out) and it's so worth the price! I absolutely love using it and the fact it's got a huge mirror in it means I can whip it out in public and re-apply whenever necessary (ha ha ha, i'm joking! i'm not that shallow...).

I have recently hit the bottom of the pan with this so it means that I've really managed to get to grips with the product and have been able to really give it a go before I did a full review. So I hope you take my thoughts seriously and I'm hoping I've managed to convince you to maybe treat yourself to this beauty! If you do, here is the link for the product on Selfridges (here!) but I do recommend you going in store to check out the colour range in person and maybe get some advice on what the right colour is for you (and maybe some free extra sponges if you're lucky like me!).

Updates:

1. I apologise for not posting sooner but there isn't really any excuse apart from lack of motivation and lack of hours during the day. I go back to school on Monday so obviously posts won't be too frequent (not like they are anyway) but hey ho, we deal with what we've got!
2. I haven't actually been up to much this week so there isn't all that much to update you on. I've been the pub with friends, then bowling with the same friends and for a walk at a HUGE national trust park with another friend. It's been nice. Apart from today, I had work which was tough but it was actually a really good shift and I had a wonderful Chinese takeaway to look forward to when I got home.
3. Tomorrow I'm going with my mum to her gym to hopefully join! I'm so excited to get back into fitness (lol jks, who am i kidding?! i've never been 'into fitness'...) and I'm hoping to really lose a good amount of weight before summer. Speaking of which, my parents have been speaking about a summer holiday to Morocco, erm yes please!
4. I've been suffering from a cold recently so hopefully it'll clear up soon (i already feel a bit better) - I'm just so tired of a constant 'supply' of colds that someone keeps giving me!
5. As I finished work today, early than I usually do, I decided to pop into Boots to treat myself! I've been needing some new shampoo and conditioner, some shower gel and some bath soak so when was a better opportunity apart from today? I couldn't afford everything on my card but luckily I received my very first tips and used them for the rest. With my card, I purchased the Herbal Essences 'Herbally Ever After' 40 Years Anniversary Shampoo & Conditioner, the Radox Spa Condition Bath Soak with Honey, Milk and Almond Oil, the Original Source Vanilla Milk and Raspberry Shower Gel and finally the Tresemme Keratin Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner (quite a haul!). Then, with my tips I bought each of the shades of the new Barry M Textured Effect Collection - Atlantic Road, Station Road, Kingsland Road and Ridley Road. I can't wait to try them out and of course there will be some reviews!
6. I don't think there is anything else I have to tell you guys apart from I hope we're all okay and I hope you've had/you're having a good weekend! :)

liar, liar, pants on fire!

So I hold my hands up. I admit it. I am useless. I cannot blog when I say I will and as a result, I haven't blogged in a while. I always think that I'm going to have plenty of time to blog and always say, on here, that I will but then something crops up that just completely takes up all of my time. There honestly aren't enough hours in the day (as said my Daloni on her blog!) but I do try! Sometimes, though, I'm just too tired to even try and produce a blogpost! But today I did in fact break up from sixth form for half term so fingers crossed things will become smoother (probably need to stop saying this...)!

For today's post, I thought I'd do another catch up - sort of like my last post - on what I've been up to, where I've been etc. I really prefer to do these posts when I 'come back to blogging' after a long period of time. I apologise if you follow me on Instagram and have seen these pictures before but ah well! Here we go though...

Who doesn't love receiving Zara packages? I've needed a new handbag for a very very long time and I've wanted to invest in a more expensive one for a while now so I went ahead and treated myself to this beautiful bad boy! I believe a few other bloggers have the same bag and it's honestly the most handy bag to have. There are 5 different sections so you can fit loads in!

I think Toby liked the box as well... He spent the majority of his time just rustling around in the paper, bless him.

At the start of the month, my parents and I took a trip to London. It's sort of an annual thing and I absolutely love going. We did a variety of things including some sight seeing and show going. On the first day we popped over to the British Museum before going to get something to eat and then heading to see The Lion King. The show was honestly amazing and I would really love to see it again! On the Sunday we just sort of mooched around Harrods. I was sort of underwhelmed. I was expecting this sort of 'magical' department store but I think I didn't really like it because of the overcrowding and the 'pushiness' of the staff. Also, everything is so expensive there! I fell in love with the Moomin Troll toy as well but unfortunately, he did not come home with me :( Then, before we headed home, we went to see the new Cirque Du Soleil show. I have been going to see Cirque Du Soleil shows since I was 7 and as my parents are such big fans, I couldn't help but fall in love with the shows either. They are honestly insane and I really think EVERYBODY (yes, that's each and every one of you!) should go and see one of the shows! The just get more and more magical everytime you see them.

Now I'm sure most of you know that HMV is closing down/changing owners so a lot of prices have been reduced which is a bonus if you are a film/TV lover like me! However, I didn't go as crazy as I thought I would and just bought these two things (actually, it was more like my mum bought them for me...). Little Rascals is a film I always used to watch when I was little and then I completely forgot it even existed until my friend brought it up a couple of months ago. And Everybody Loves Raymond is a classic. It's just got such good dry humour and Raymond reminds me of my dad so much!

How could I not do an impression of a walrus when I had a packet of chocolate fingers to myself?

When I was little, on Red Nose Day, my mum would always give me her old badges instead of buying new ones (she does the same with her Children In Need badges too) and I always felt special wearing a different one to everybody else. But this year I decided to buy my own and maybe I can start a collection of my own? 

Going to help my mum with the Sainsbury's shop is always a bad idea... I always end up putting really unhealthy and unnecessary things in the trolley! To be honest though, the cocktail sausages are my favourite thing in the world! And the cupcake was on a 3 for 2 offer... I couldn't pass up on the delicious-ness!

Kigu are my favourite ever company to buy onesies from. They have the most amazing selection and they are so so so comfortable. Last weekend I went on a Brownie camp (i'm a volunteer by the way) and the theme was 'jungle'. We had a jungle party on the Saturday evening and so I just had to buy my costume from Kigu. It also meant I could add to my collection (of a dinosaur and rudolph!)!

Just a selection of photos from the weekend. I did actually have a lot of fun but it was exhausting! The place we stayed at was beautiful though and it was nice to head to the countryside for a little bit.

As soon as I got home I shnuggled into my new onesie and did nothing...

I also spent plenty of time eating chocolate... I was given the box of Celebrations from the main Brownie leader as a thank you which was so lovely of her. And the second picture shows the selection of goodies my parents got me as a 'welcome home' gift which was very sweet of them!

For all those that didn't know (although you'd be crazy to have missed such a wonderful occasion) it was Pancake Day on Tuesday!  I'm a HUGE pancake fan but I only ever have sugar and lemon. Well, I tell a lie. The picture shows that I have maple syrup on my American style pancakes. On Pancake Day, in our family, the tradition is that my dad makes the pancakes so that's when I have the traditional/crepe style ones with sugar and lemon. YUMMY IN MY TUMMY

And yesterday was Valentine's Day. Unfortunately I did not have a man boy to spend it with so I went out with my girlies instead. In the morning, however, I did get a card of my parents. Bless. I think it was more out of sympathy, however. After I'd finished school for the day, I went to the cinema with my friends to see 'I Give It A Year' (hilarious and definitely recommend but a little crude in some places...) before popping to Frankie And Benny's for something to eat. The rest of the night was spent watching The Hills and reading... 

So that's all I've really been up to recently. Nothing that exciting and nothing that interesting. I am actually up to quite a bit in the next week so fingers crossed I have something to inform you on/blog about! I'm hoping, also, to get some beauty posts up!

Tomorrow I think I might be heading into Manchester for a spot of lunch, maybe a new piercing? and a little bit of shopping. I'm also supposed to be going to a 1975 gig in the evening but I'm not sure on those details so I'll see! For now though, I am shattered so I'll love and leave you! :) :) :)