Tuesday 22 December 2015

SIX THINGS TO DO TO MAKE YOU FEEL MORE FESTIVE

So I am unbelievably excited for Christmas this year and cannot wait for the big day! However, it seems that not everyone feels the same way and with just 3 sleeps to go until Christmas Day itself I thought I'd compile a list of things that will make you feel all Christmassy (it's that a real word).

So here's some ideas of things that you could organise, places you visit and things you could make in order to inject some festivity into your life.

1) When to comes to feeling festive nothing gets you in the mood better than visiting a Christmas market. Whether this be a small, local market or a bigger one in Manchester for example. The whole atmosphere gets you excited for Christmas and even gives you the chance to buy a few last minute presents if needs be. So grab some friends, book a train and go visit a Christmas market not forgetting to stop for mulled wine/cocktails along the way!


2) Another idea would be to invest in a Christmas jumper/Christmas outfit that you can wear on the day, to work or even on Christmas Eve. There's such a wide selection of Christmas jumpers arm that you're sure to find one you like whether it be cute, funny or maybe you want to go all out and buy one that sings (just to annoy everyone else)!
Not only can you buy one for yourself but what about dressing your pet! I love to do this with my iccle doggy and she loves it too, it doesn't bother her in the slightest. We bought one last year when she was only two months old and we have bought one again this year, it's gonna be a tradition for me to buy her one each year hehe. It's surprising how easy they are to find as well if you're looking to get one I think Pets at Home or TKMaxx are your best bet.


3) If you're not wanting to venture out into the cold then you can stay at home and begin wrapping the presents. Some people look at this as a chore but if you put on some Christmas music and grab a glass of wine it can turn into something rather fun. And once you've finished your tree will be looking fab with all the presents placed underneath.

4) Hard day at work? Too much Christmas shopping? Or perhaps you're just fancying a lazy day/night. Your best bet is to pop on some festive pyjamas, grab your favourite festive drink, for me this would have to be a snowball you just can't beat. Then finally grab your top Christmas film, my top few suggestions are; The Holiday, Elf, Deck the Halls, Love Actually and Santa Clause the movie. Although there are many more if you want to make it into a film day and watch quite a few, I can't think of a better way to spend the day. However as I work in retail I won't be getting many days off and so the next idea is perfect for me.


5) If you've finished work for the day and perhaps your partners out for the night, then why not organise a girls night in ? It's cheaper than going out and much easier as you don't have to make much effort and after a day's work who wants to be making too much effort? Not me! So grab a few bottles of mulled wine and heat it up with some chopped fruit ready for when they arrive creating a fab Christmas aroma. Light some candles and turn the Christmas lights with some nibbles and you've got the perfect girls night with a touch of festivity.

6) Finally why not try some festive baking. This is especially great if you have young children or are babysitting for the day as kids love to make a mess and cook some treats. If you're looking for some ideas you cannot go wrong on Pinterest there's a range of ideas from quick and easy snacks to more complex cakes. So you can choose whatever suits your ability, I'm a terrible cook and I've seen many recipes that even I could do.

I hope that this post has given you some ideas to get yourself feeling all festive and I hope you enjoy your Christmas however you may spend the day.


Abbyyelise xx


Sunday 22 November 2015

21st BIRTHDAY HAUL

So I turned 21 on the 3rd November and I literally had the best week ever, I like to make my birthday celebrations last more than a day and since it was my 21st they lasted almost a week heheh. I had to make the most of my last 'big birthday' as my next will be when I turn 30 which I can't even bare to think about just yet.

Anyway as you can tell by the title this post is going to be a 'what I got for my 21st birthday,' when scrolling through blogs and flicking through YouTube videos I'm always to drawn to these type of posts. I think it's mainly because I am useless at creating birthday/Christmas lists and so these often give me ideas. So as Christmas is coming up I thought I'd post this and it may give you some ideas as to what you may want.

I'll try and include links to the products if they're available.

  • Me and my boyfriend (Jack) have made it a habit to take each other away each time it's on of our birthdays. However, in April we moved into a rented house whilst we save for a mortgage and so I didn't expect that he'd take me away due to this. So when we went out for breakfast the day before my birthday and he told me I was surprised but really looking forward to it. We went to The Mill Hotel in Chester, it's located either side of the canal with an indoor bridge joining each half of the hotel. They also had a canal boat where you could dine whilst going round the canal, this was closed when we went as it was a weekday but the restaurant was so beautiful and the food was fab! So he did well, maybe even better than somewhere I would have chose and to make it even better we went to Chester Zoo the next day :).
  • My big present from my mum and stepdad was my iPad, I initially asked for a Micheal Kors bangle but i knew that having an iPad would allow me to start blogging and so I asked for that instead. They also got me the top that is in the picture below.
  • My sister bought me the 21 glass in the picture and also the little hanging sign which is so true, I nearly bought this for her as a present for Christmas because it sounded like us. She also treated me to the Pandora princess ring that I have wanted for soooooo long and I love it!!
  • I also got two charms from Pandora both which represent me turning 21, one from my boyfriends parents along with some bubbly and the other one from my auntie. You can see them on my bracelet below, and they can be found on the Pandora website along with the ring and so much more lovely jewellery (especially the rings, I could buy nearly all of them if only I had more fingers.)
  • My Nanan and Grandad bought me this river island watch >> http://www.riverisland.com/women/watches/gold-tone-chunky-tortoise-shell-strap-watch-675962. As you can see it's rose gold with a strip of leopard print down the middle of the strap. I really like their watches because they are super affordable but look like they are worth much more, I've even been asked once or twice if mine is a Micheal Kors one (which I can't afford whilst saving to buy a house, maybe after.)
  • I got a new dressing gown, which makes me sound like an old lady but hey everyone loves a dressing gown. I currently work at next and I'm forever saying how soft their dressing gowns are and so my stepsister bought me this one >> http://www.next.co.uk/g41176s1#798560.
  • Last but not least I got this mustard misguided jacket from my auntie >> https://www.missguided.co.uk/zazula-faux-suede-biker-jacket-mustard. I've seen thus on various people's blogs/instagrams and have contemplated buying it for a while so when she asked me what I wanted I told her to get this and she did.

  • As well as all these lovely presents I also got birthday money and went on a little shopping trip (when I say little I actually didn't buy loads but I have spent all my birthday money now). Just a few pictures below to show some of the things I bought, I don't have pictures of all the clothes I bought but here's some.
Make-up: Superdrug
Pink Leather Skirt: River Island
Black Top: River Island

Hope you enjoyed this post, whilst getting the links I've seen a few items on misguided so I may write a 'misguided must haves' or some sort of wishlist type blog post rather soon :) If anyone has any suggestions on what posts to do then please let me know.

Abbyyelise xx

 

 

Wednesday 18 November 2015

MY LATEST DRUGSTORE PURCHASES | RECENT BUYS AND REVIEWS

So last week I popped into boots before my birthday night out to grab some hairspray.. However I got slightly sidetracked and ending up making the most of the 3 for 2 offers in both boots and superdrug. For a while now I have had a little list in my head of products that I need to try.. This is due to my slight obsession with watching beauty videos on YouTube and so I decided to try them for myself.
So I ending up buying six new products all of which were new to me and I was trying for the first time.. So I thought I would also include a bit about how I've found the products and whether I would buy them again.
1) Rimmel's Lasting Finish by Kate in Shade '03'.
I first came across this lipstick whilst I was reading a blogpost titled 'MAC 'Velvet Teddy' dupe' on www.itslittlelaurenslooks.blogspot.co.uk. Personally I have never tried 'Velvet Teddy' but I have seen it on others and love the subtle nude shade, I just never went and actually bought it. When I realised that this dupe was available I immediately wanted to try it, and at a fraction of the price in comparison to the MAC lipstick I was sold.
I would definitely recommend this it's the perfect nude colour which makes it wearable for almost any occasion. It doesn't have a completely matte finish but it's not a glossy finish either it's somewhere in between and would be perfect for those who want to wear a lipstick but like to steer away from bold colours. I will certainly be repurchasing this one and most likely trying others in the range.
2) Collection's Highlight and Sculpt Contour Kit.
I didn't buy this product based on a recommendation, I just came across it whilst I was browsing.. However I did go with the intention of buying a contour kit. I'm by no means a pro at the whole highlighting and contour art and after a few weeks of trying to create the look with products I already own, I decided to invest in one.
For me this was the product that looked the easiest to use and so I thought it would be perfect for me. It is really easy to use if you have the right shaped brushes, the contour colour is perfect for my skin tone as its nit too dark/orange and the highlight leaves a glisten on your face without being too shimmery. A great product in my eyes but I'm sure that there are many similar products by other brands also available.
3) Collection's Sheer Loose Powder.
I was wanting to try a loose powder rather than a pressed powder as they seem to better at keeping your make up in place and I also think they are better for my skin.. I often get patches on dry skin and the loose powder has worked much better as it doesn't cling to my skin like the pressed powder did.
This product was fairly cheap with it again being from 'Collection' but I really like how it sits on my skin and I will definitely be sticking with loose powders in future but I may invest in a more high end one if anyone has any recommendations ?
4) Collection's Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer.
I saw this mentioned in one of 'LucyandLydia's' favourites videos and I may have seen it in one of Gabby's videos from 'Velvetgh0st'. I was slightly sceptical at first because to me a good concealer is something that you need to spend money on in order to get one with the best coverage. I have quite bad dark circles under my eyes and so I need a concealer with pretty heavy coverage.
However I was extremely pleased with how it works in terms of coverage, it feels quite heavy when you first out it on but once it's all blended out it feels really nice. For the price I cannot recommend this enough, I will definitely be buying it again!
5) Maybelline's 24hr Colour Tattoo in Shade '65-Pink Gold'.
For me my go to eyeshadow product is 'Urban Decay's Naked Palette' I absolutely love it and the shades are perfect for me, so it's very rare that I buy eye products of this type. However, I have seen this mentioned by various you tubers and as I was needing a pinky toned eyeshadow to match my birthday outfit I decided to give it a go.
The product goes on really well, it works as a great base for your eyeshadow and the colour is really buildable. At first I didn't think the colour was very pigmented but after building it up I saw a difference and it was perfect for my night out. I will definitely be looking at buying some more golden/brown tones in this as they provide a great base for any eye look.
6) Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Shade 'No 53 Light Beige'.
Foundation shopping is something I have always struggled with, my skin reacts with certain foundations and throughout the day they can turn orange which is awfully embarrassing as you can imagine. I even had my make up done at MAC for my prom and the same thing happened, so I don't tend to try new foundations all that often but my friend swears by this foundation as does the blogger 'Sarah Ashcroft' and so I gave it a go.
The first thing to say is how nice smelling this product is, it's really fruity. It provides medium-full coverage depending on how much you apply and has been a really great match for my skin tone, and up until now I've had no 'orange burst outs' thank god aha! I think my favourite product from those purchased would have to be this foundation and also the lipstick so if you are looking at buying any of these that would be my recommendation.
So if you've made it this far thank you for reading, I also apologise if this post is quite long. I'm still learning and would rather there but a little more content rather than not enough. If anyone has any drugstore recommendations please let me know and I'll be sure to try them out.
Abbyyelise xx


Friday 13 November 2015

THE TMI TAG


I thought it would be good to post this tag as one of my first few posts as it allows people to get to know me a little bit. I always like to know a little bit about the person behind the blog, don't know if that makes me nosey or whether I just like to be informed, either way I enjoy reading posts like this and Q and A's.

So if you would like to know a little bit more about me then here goes..




1. What are you wearing? My new super soft dressing gown that I got for my birthday.
2. Ever been in love? Currently am and I've never been happier (sorry if that sounds cheesy).
3. Ever had a terrible breakup? No.
4. How tall are you? 5ft 1.5in like to include the half an inch to make me feel taller 🙈
5. How much do you weigh? Honestly not weighed myself in so long and we don't have any scales but between 8 and 9 stone.
6. Any tattoos? No.
7. Any piercings? Yes, I have my helix pierced, my ears and my belly button.
8. Your favourite fictional couple? Mick and Linda from Eastenders or Leon and June from Gogglebox both very different but never mind.
9. Favourite show? Don't actually watch too much TVs but my three favourites are; Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Made in Chelsea.
10. Favourite bands? Really cannot think of many other than Arctic Monkeys.
11. Something you miss? Seeing family as often as I did before working full time.
12. Favourite song? I'm really liking Sorry by Justin Bieber at the moment and I'm not normally a fan of his.
13. How old are you? 21 years old.
14. Zodiac sign? Scorpio.
15. Quality you look for in a partner? Loyalty.
16: Favourite Quote? Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. So relevant to my life atm as well with an opportunity I have been given.
17: Favourite actor? Tom Hardy without a doubt 😍
18: Favourite colour? I'm really liking the orangey/rust colour that's about, so perfect for Autumn.
19: Loud music or soft? Loud mostly but sometimes soft is good too.
20: Where do you go when you’re sad? Ermm.. Bedroom, bath or shower I would say.
21: How long does it take you to shower? 15 minutes if I wash my hair, and I'm extremely quick if not.
22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Around half an hour to 45 mins.
23: Ever been in a physical fight? No.
24: Turn on? Good sense of humour.
25: Turn off? Arrogance, nothing worse aha.
26: The reason you joined YouTube? Stole this tag from YouTube and turned it into a blogpost so this ones not really applicable, oopsie.
27: Fears? I have an abnormal fear of plasters they really creep me out and I'm yet to find someone else who has this fear.
28: Last thing that made you cry? Drink! I cry when drunk quite often it drives my boyfriend insane as its for absolutely no reason at all.
29: Last time you said you loved someone? About five minutes ago when I text my boyfriend Jack 😘
30: Meaning behind your Blogging Name? I don't have the imagination to think of a creative blog name so I've just used my name, cop out I know.
31: Last book you read? Can't remember the author but it was a book called Trafficked that I read on holiday and it was fab, definitely recommend.
32: The book you’re currently reading? I'm not currently reading a book as I just don't have the time right now, but I do love to read.
33: Last show you watched? I'm currently watching Children in Need whilst I write this.
34: Last person you talked to? My sister Ellie.
35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted? He’s my boyfriend.
36: Favourite foods? My all time favourite meal is a roast dinner with turkey and cranberry sauce, mmmm.
37: Place you want to visit? I've always wanted to go to Santorini in Greece, and seeing Sarah Ashcroft's snapchats earlier in the year whilst she was there made me want to go even more.
38: Last place you were? My mums house.
39: Do you have a crush? A crush ? I suppose he is my crush but he also means a lot more to me.
40: Last time you kissed someone? About an hour ago.
41: Last time you were insulted? Honestly couldn't say got no idea, don't feel like I've been insulted for a long time.
42: Favourite flavour of sweet? Strawberry.
43: What instruments do you play? None. I used to play the recorder but I think most people did.
44: Favourite piece of jewellery? My pandora rings, in love with them all they so pretty 💍
45: Last sport you played? Again really don't know, I'm not a sporty gal at all.
46: Last song you sang? Think it was Adele-Hello on the way home from work.
47: Favourite chat up line? Is your dad a baker because your buns are fine, but if anyone actually used this to chat me up, or any chat up line for that matter, I would cringe so bad!
48: Have you ever used it? Not really, me and my friend wrote as many chat up lines as we could in each other's leavers book after school if that counts.
49: Last time you hung out with anyone? Went out with all my loved ones last weekend for my 21st birthday 🍾
50: Who should answer these questions next? Whoever wants to I guess.

I hope this post gave you a bit of an insight into my life, if anyone has any suggestions on other posts that are a good for people starting out in the blogging world then please let me know.

Abbyyelise xx

Thursday 12 November 2015

MY FIRST BLOG POST | A BIT ABOUT ME AND WHY IM STARTING A BLOG

So... Where do I start. My name is Abby, I am 21 years old, live in Sheffield and if you're reading this you've probably guessed that I have decided to start a blog.

As I sit here writing my first ever post my mind is running away with ideas for future blog posts but I'll try not to get ahead of myself, it is only day one. If you were to ask my family and friends they would say that I talk to much for my own good and this is the main reason I wanted to create a blog, I guess if I can talk for England then writing a few posts will be a doddle. However, it's not quite that easy as I am beginning to realise but I'm here to learn and although the writers block will undoubtedly hit me a fair few times during this experience I'm sure I will push past it.




I'm going to keep this short and sweet as it's just an introduction really. My future posts will have a bit more purpose and hopefully someone somewhere will enjoy reading them.

Abbyyelise xx