Some Random Friday Favourites

Hey lovely people!

So it's Friday again and that means time off work (for most), spending time with friends & family, perhaps having a tipple or two and generally just relaxing.

This weekend is the Froch vs Groves II fight and for those of you who don't know, I do enjoy a bit of the boxing and sometimes UFC. This of course has been a gradual process, after years of being encouraged to enjoy it from my husband. But anyway, that fight is on Saturday and so myself and my hubby will be one of the many millions watching, along with the company of my big cousin and his wife. So it should be a great night. Other than that, my weekend will generally be very quiet.

So enough of the rambling and onto my current faves of the moment. Let me first say that they are random and in no particular order or genre, but are just a bunch of things I am really enjoying at the moment. :)

1.

 

I have been singing this song in my head for weeks and weeks and I just can't seem to get enough of it. It's just another beautiful song from the incredibly talented Sam Smith. I could quite literally listen to him sing all day long. 

2. 

Ok so have you ever had weeks where you just crave a particular food or meal??? This has been my craving this week... beans on toast. I can't stop thinking about it. Lol! And no I'm not pregnant I swear. Lol.

3. 

After falling away from it for a good wee while, I have finally found my way back to the comedy genius that is Cougar Town. I love this wee show... it' so funny and it makes me feel better about enjoying a glass of wine or 5. :)

4.

So obviously I don't look this good in leggings, but I do love them. I feel as though I have been living in my leggings recently. They are just so comfy and pretty to look at. Is it such a bad thing that I won't take them off???

5. 

Ok, so I am a big fan of the Kardashian clan and an avid viewer of their show so you can imagine my excitement at seeing Kim K's wedding dress and all things wedding related. :) She was beautiful and Kanye was dapper and it looked like a fairytale of a day. I'm already a bit of a wedding nut as it is, so as far as I'm concerned she can get married as many times as she likes. I will always be excited about it! Lol!

So that's my faves for another week lovely people. I hope you all have a lovely weekend and hope you continue to enjoy reading my ramblings. :) Love & hugs to you all. 

Take care lovelies. x

TGIF!

Hey there lovely people,

It's that beautiful time of the week where my hubby comes home to me for 2 whole days and we get to relax and unwind, go shopping, play with our dogs and all that general loveliness. 

This week has been a quiet one with not a lot on, so I've had some time to relax and catch up on some of my fave things, some of which are included in this weeks list, so without further hesitation here we go:

1. An old TV fave!

So I started watching this show when it first aired on tv and I got hooked... and for one reason or another I ended up watching it half way through season 1 and then forgot all about it. Until this week! I watched it from start to finish due to the wonder and delight of Sky On Demand and I remembered why I loved it. Even my hubby loved it. He has always had a thing for country music (passed on to him from his grandparents) and he and I both agreed that if we were American, we would be country music enthusiasts. Lol! So if you haven't watched this already, get your behinds in gear and get it done. It is quite literally fabulous!!!

2. Good Food!

So I actually have a post coming up that explains why this healthy food is part of my diet now, but in short, this week I have been enjoying eating super healthily. I've cut out wheat & gluten and all sorts of other things from my diet and I've been eating loads of fruit and vegetables and it's been delicious. Don't get me wrong, I am a big bread girl, and that has seriously been difficult to cut out, but needs must... and it's better for me in the long run (still trying to convince myself of this fact).

3. Flowers (surprise, surprise)

These were 2 very quick snaps I took of my freshly bloomed tulips and carnations yesterday. How beautiful are they??? I know I post images of my flowers a lot, but I seriously think they are some of the most beautiful sights in the world. I always feel better about my home when I have fresh flowers dotted all over the place. They give me a sense of calm and well being and they truly make me a happier person. 

4. Photography

Cindy Crawford - Vogue Jan 1990

Claudia Schiffer - Vogue May 1991

Emma Stone - Vogue Aug 2012

Kate Moss - Vogue June 2013

Kate Moss - Vogue Sept 2010

Scarlett Johansson - Vogue Oct 2006

This week, and more than I usually do, I've been admiring the work of some of my favourite photographers. I've been thinking about how I would like to decorate my home studio as right now it is very plain and boring, and I've been thinking about having some of my favourite photographers images blown up and put on my walls as inspiration. These are some of my favourite images by the ever so talented Patrick Demarchelier, the renowned French fashion photographer. These have been taken directly from his Vogue archive, and you should all know by now how much I adore Vogue magazine!!!

5. Blog Of The Week

http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/blog/

I am absolutely loving this blog this week my lovelies. I've recently started a health kick and I discovered these fab ladies on Instagram. This blog is filled to the brim with brilliant recipe ideas and the most beautiful images of deliciously healthy food. I seriously recommend you go take a look. You will be hooked instantly! Get following them on Instagram too, because let me tell you, there is nothing more pleasant than gorgeous photographs of delicious and healthy food popping up on your news-feed when you're hungry... it will encourage you to stay on track and not reach for the chocolate cake!

So that's my faves this week. It's a good mix of things for a change, as the previous weeks have been a little beauty heavy, and that is certainly not the type of blog I aimed to create when I started, so I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it! 

Take care lovelies. x

April Favourites

Hey lovely people!

So it's the end of the month, and what a month it has been. I have come very close to bankrupting my poor husband this month with all my purchases, and on that basis I thought I would share my favourite picks of the month with you all, giving a little more detail and a review on each of my favourite items. 

So here we go, with my top 10 favourite items this month:

1. My fave Lipstick!

So I couldn't give just one fave lippy for this month. I had to go with 2, both from Makeup Revolution and both amazeballs!!! :) The first choice is the shade Beloved, which is a pinky peachy sheer tone, which gives the lips a luscious, healthy glow, without being too pigmented. It really just enhances the natural look of your lips and I love it. My 2nd choice is Rebel With Cause, which is the most delicious berry coloured lippy. It's so gorgeous and looks fab with a minimal eye makeup look, as well as gorgeously vamp with a smokey eye. Get yourself a few of these lippy's here. 

2. My fave Nail Polish!

I don't have one particular favourite nail polish this month, but I do have lots of good things to say about the W7 range. Not only are they super cheap, starting at just 69p each, but the formula is amazing and the choice of colours are endless. You quite literally can't go wrong with these little beauties. They are fab!

3. My fave Eye-shadow!

So I have a lot of eyeshadows... and I generally stick with the same neutral tones every time. However, with all of the gorgeous palettes available at the minute, it's hard not to get caught up in amongst all the mattes and shimmers available. This palettte (Iconic 1) from Makeup Revolution is my current fave. It is a dupe of the original Naked palette from Urban Decay, and every one of the 12 shades are gorgeous - particularly the middle 3 shimmers. I have been wearing these a lot over the last couple of weeks. The pigment is just as rich and perfect as it shows above and the staying power is brilliant - with mines generally lasting a good 6 hours without any signs of fading. The palettes can be bought direct from Makeup Revolution or Superdrug and are only £4!!!

4. My fave blusher!

Another Makeup Revolution gem... this beautiful Baked Blush in the shade "Make Love Instead". It's a pot of coral, shimmery goodness, that leaves your cheeks looking naturally flushed and glowing. It's 1 of 6 available shades that cost just £3. 

5. My fave Skincare product!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is the ultimate necessity in any ladies skincare collection. I didn't think that there was such an effective way to remove makeup until I tried this bad boy. It not only removes every ounce of makeup on my skin (waterproof mascara included), but it leaves it feeling squeaky clean and as fresh as a daisy. It is sheer brilliance in a bottle!

6. My fave scent!

This shouldn't be of any surprise to all of you, but I really can't say enough about this scent. I have it in all of the available sizes and it is my one true favourite scent of all time. Its fruity, and fresh and floral, and lasts a good 3-4 hours before a re-spritz is required. It costs just £12 for the 75ml bottle and can be bought in any Next store or online here. 

7. My fave brush!

This brush has always been a favourite of mine. Its from Sheer Cover and it's a great  brush, that I use primarily for my blusher. The bristles are so soft and velvety on my skin, and it is super easy to clean. As well as that it is just a super pretty brush with its transparent acrylic handle. I just love it so I do!

8. My fave food!

This month I have been obsessed with pizza, to the point where I have been lying in my bed at night and craving it! No I am not pregnant. Lol! But not only has it been pizza I've been craving, but it's been spicy pizza... chorizo, chillies the works!!! I just can't get enough of it... and yes, I had it for dinner again last night!

9. My fave drink!

Now ordinarily, I am a Rosé wine girl. I could drink it until I'm blue in the face... especially on a beautiful warm and sunny day. However, this month, for a change I've been drinking lager shandys (half lager or beer and half lemonade)... And I have found my new love in this drink. It is a dinky little bottle, available in packs of 10 at Asda for the ridiculously low price of £3.50 (ish). Now I would like to point out that I am in fact a sensible drinker and that this is absolutely not intended to encourage irresponsible drinking of any kind. I just love that this is not only a delicious little drink, but is also really affordable.

10. My fave random pick!

Finally, this is my random pick of the month. It is in fact the box set of "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip". Now, I have mentioned this in a previous post somewhere I'm sure, but I'll say a few more words about it now. This show was made by the same people behind the award winning show, The West Wing. It is just as fantastic (if not slightly better in my opinion) than The West Wing. It stars Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet among others, and is basically takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show (similar to that of SNL). Matthew Perry plays Matt Albie, the head writer of the show, while Bradley Whitford plays Danny Tripp, the producer of the show. It is sheer brilliance that I cannot properly convey to you in words. Do yourself a favour and buy the box set here. You won't be sorry that you did!!!

So that's that lovely people. One whole month has passed and I have had the best time ever trying out all of these fab products. I'm looking forward to any potential new finds for next month, and will be happy to share these with you all too. Stay tuned to my blog for my collage of images from this months Instagram photo challenge!

Take care lovelies. x

Friday Faves!

Hey lovely people! 

How's everybody's Friday been so far. The hubby and I have been busy doing a bit of DIY in the house... and getting rid of some furniture so not exactly a relaxing evening so far. However, we're calling it quits for the night and settling down to watch some "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip", with a couple of bottles of beer and a bar of chocolate. Before I do that though, I will share this weeks favourite things with you all. 

1. You guessed it... My hubby!

I got to spend an extra day this week with my favourite guy, with it being a bank holiday Monday, and it made my week that little bit better. I love this picture of him... It was taken as part of my photography coursework and reluctant as he was to let me take it, it's ended up being one of my favourite images of him. 

2. Concert Tickets!

Excited is an understatement! My boys are playing Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on the 19th of August... And being a member of The Victims (The Killers Fan Club) I managed to get myself some pre-sale tickets!!! So me, the hubby, my big cousin and his wife will all be dancing our asses off in Bellahouston Park on the 19th of August... and yes I already have a countdown on my iPhone! 

3. New Purchases!

Who doesn't love new nail polish? I've already spoke at length about these glorious little pots in my previous post so I won't go into any further detail about them. I just love some new beauty goodies to play with.

4. Cuteness Personified!

I had a shoot with these 2 cutie pie twins last week and spent the best part of this week editing their photos. Seriously, is there any better job than this??? It is quite literally... like I've already said a million times, the best job in the world.

5. Blog Of The Week!

http://www.supergorgeous.co.uk/

I've really been loving this gorgeous ladies beauty filled blog. The writer behind the blog Super Gorgeous is the delightful Alice. She is a makeup artist and freelance photographer, sharing her views on the latest beauty and fashion trends, not only through her interesting and descriptive words, but her technically astute use of a camera. Her images are engaging and her reviews are an absolute pleasure to read. As well as this, her Instagram is equally enthralling, and you should definitely give her a follow. 

So that's my favourites for this week. I hope you have a great Friday night and I will be back tomorrow to annoy you with another Saturday post. 

Take care lovelies. x

Friday Faves - My Favourite Youtubers (Part 2)

Good morning lovely people!

The sun is shining here in Glasgow and I am in a very good mood. I'm waiting on a new TV being delivered - a 50" beast - and I am chilling out and catching up on all my YouTube subscriptions which appear to have doubled since the last time I shared my faves with you all.

Anyway, I mentioned on my twitter feed, but I thought I'd also mention it here... I'm going to start featuring my favourite blog every week in my Friday Faves. I do have a list of all my favourite blogs at the minute in a list down the right hand side column of this blog - but I've decided to remove that and just focus primarily on one blog per week. I figured it's a nice way to personally get to know a lovely new blogger and get down to the nitty gritty of what they are all about and what they want to achieve through their blog. I thought it would be a super fun addition to my own post and would help you - my amazing readers - to find new and exciting reads too.

So anyway, onto today's business and the addition of 5 new Youtubers into my faves.

1. WheezyWaiter.

 

This guy is an absolute genius and comedian all rolled into one. He somehow manages to take actual real life pieces of news and current affairs, and interpret his thoughts and feelings on the matter in a funny and coherent way. I have literally never stopped watching his videos since discovering him and I think you should definitely give him a watch yourself.

2.Amelia Liana

This gorgeous lady is another of my Youtube faves who is a bit of a makeup guru. She shares makeup tips, shopping hauls, tags and all sorts of other fun and entertaining videos. She is so charismatic and normal, that you genuinely feel like your listening to a friend speaking. Definitely pay her a little visit.

3. Aaman Birk - Girl On Beauty 

So this lovely lady is Aaman and again she is super similar to Amelia Liana above in that she's a bit of a makeup, hauls & tag person. The reason I chose to share her with you too though, is because she's a really great speaker and is super confident in front of the camera. I know that's a weird thing to say really... but I have watched several videos over the past few weeks of young girls, obviously just trying to get into YouTube and they are so shy and nervous that you often can hear or understand what they're saying in the videos. That's why I love Aaman, she is super straight talking and to the point and doesn't waver on her opinions about skincare and beauty products. She's a straight shooter and you should give her vids a watch. 

4. Digital Rev TV

Ok so in my last Fave Youtubers post I shared Matt Granger with you all. He's a photographer sharing his skills and knowledge through reviews and tutorials etc. This team of experts are similar in that sense. However, Kai and Lok, break everything down into layman's terms, making everything more understandable for the less knowledgeable. As well as that, Kai is super quick witted and sarcastic and most of these videos are just downright funny, so if you're wanting to learn a bit more about photographer equipment then these guys are your best bet for learning successfully.

5. Carrie Fletcher - It Was Way Past My Bed Time

Ok, so Carrie, as many of you will probably know is the sister of Tom from McFly... and if you don't know who that is, he is the amazingly romantic guy who sang his wedding speech and shared it on YouTube and it went viral a few years ago. Ok??? Got it now??? Ok, so Carrie is Tom's sister, and she is a star in her own right. She plays a part in Les Mis on the West End in London and has the biggest and best personality a person could have. She is a tremendous singer and often collaborates with her brother and others on her page, singing songs with just the accompaniment of her acoustic guitar. To say I LOVE HER is an understatement. Every time I watch her videos she just fills me with absolute joy. She is one of those people who was sent here to be kind and make the world a better place. You would be bonkers not to subscribe to her NOW!!! 

So there you go my lovelies. Another 5 Youtubers for you to get to know and hopefully subscribe to. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Youtube is a truly remarkable place, full of super talented people, all sharing a little part of their lives, and I feel truly blessed that I am able to enjoy and be part of that... I hope you do too. 

Take care lovelies. x

Friday Faves - Budget Beauty

Hey there lovely people!

Instead of doing my usual Friday Faves, I thought I would share my current budget beauty faves with you. I've recently bought a few new products and wanted to share them with you, as well as showcasing some of the products I've been using lately.

So here goes... I must warn you, it's a bit of a photo heavy post. :)

I couldn't resist the new MUA Matte lipsticks. I got the shades Totally Nude, Peachy Keen, Scarlet Siren & Pouty Pink.

This is the colours in all their glory. How gorgeous are they??? The colours are lovely and provide a lovely pigment on your lips, but because they're matte, they are quite drying on the lips. To combat this, I suggest moisturising your lips and perhaps adding some lip balm or Vaseline on top of your lipstick. Seriously though, at £1 each, you just can't go wrong with these little beauties.

These are just the standard MUA Lipsticks, in shade 1 (which is the darker of the 2) and shade 13. I already have these lipsticks but use them sooooo much that I needed to stock up on them.  Again they are just £1!!!

I just love them!!! Again, like the Matte ones above, these just feel lovely and luxurious on your lips. Pretty amazing for such a cheaply priced product.

Now because I wear a lot of lipsticks, I need to keep my lips moisturised and nourished, and these little products do that job for me. The Vaseline is a giant tub that I keep beside my bed and use every night. The EOS is a little treat I carry in my bag and the Carmex is a new purchase. I had never tried it before, but my sister-in-law whipped hers out of her bag the other day and the smell was intoxicating, so I had to get myself one. I love it because not only does it smell amazing, but it makes my lips tingle ever so slightly that I feel as though it's improving my pout. Only downside is the taste.

This is a new purchase as I really struggle to take off my eye makeup without my eyes stinging (they are super sensitive). I love Rimmel products and read a few good reviews about this one so I will be sure to report back as soon as I've given it a try.

This is a new product for me too. I currently use the BodyShop Moisturising foundation and I love it, but I wanted to give this a go because of all the fantastic reviews it's gotten from all the blogs and Youtubers I follow. I got it in the shade Light Porcelain because I am super pale, and I must admit, I didn't like it as much as my BodyShop one. It does feel nice on the skin and there is good coverage, but it's not as moisturising as I would have liked it to be.

So I saw somebody recently review this palette and they likened to to the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. This was the only palette of the 3 Naked collections that I really liked as it's all of my favourite eyeshadow colours, so for £4 I thought why not! I've taken a few swatches, and despite the price they are really nice and quite pigmented. I really look forward to giving them a try & will let you know how I get on.

This is nothing new to my faves, in fact as I've mentioned in previous posts, this is my absolute all time favourite perfume. I know it's probably nothing special to a lot of people, but I just love it! The bigger bottle is actually my miniature version which I use on a daily basis, and despite never really having to top up, I carry my little tester size in my handbag for an extra little hit throughout the day. This is just £12 for the full size and totally worth the money in my opinion!

Finally, this is a current fave of mine from the Soap & Glory collection. It's a moisturising body spray that not only leaves your skin feeling so soft and supple, but smells AMAZING! I just love spraying this over my arms and décolletage after coming out of the shower. It is simply divine! 

So that's my current beauty faves, in all of their glory! I didn't include my Clinique skin care as I spoke a bit about that in a recent post and didn't want to bore you all. Also, they aren't really budget products are they??? 

I'll be giving all of my newly bought products a good and thorough test over the weekend and will definitely be getting back to you with my thoughts and experience with them.

I hope you have a brilliant weekend, and will be back to you tomorrow with my Saturday Tag post!

Take care lovelies. x