Top 5: Current Beauty Favourites

Hi everyone. I have decided to post about some of my favourite beauty products that I am loving at the moment. I am a complete novice when it comes to make up and beauty but I have given my honest opinion on these products.

Superdrug Aloe Vera Deep Cleansing Mud Mask - £2.59

First up, is the Aloe Vera Mud Face Mask from Superdrug. There are several different types that you can buy but I bought the Aloe Vera deep cleansing one because Aloe Vera is meant to be really good for you skin, especially for sensitive skin and it has many health benefits.

I started using this product about a month ago and I really recommend it. I use it once a week and the difference it makes to my complexion is amazing – it really brightens my skins and leaves my face feeling really fresh and relaxed. It is such a bargain at just £2.59 and I think it is going to last a while because you don’t need a huge amount.

It has a slight fresh fragrance and it dries fairly quickly, making your face feel quite tight. It is really easy to wash off too.

I feel it really does do what it says and for that reason I fully recommend it to you all.

Simple Kind to Eyes Nourishing Eye Make-Up Remover Cream - £3.25

I’m a big fan of Simple skin care products because I have quite sensitive skin and find that their products really help and also because of their very reasonable prices.

This eye make up remover is a cream which is applied with a cotton wool pad after normal cleansing of the face. You only need a tiny amount of cream to get off your eye make up which means it is going to last a long time. It feels so soft and moisturising and doesn’t irritate my eyes, as some removers have done in the past.

Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer - £16.50

I have tried many concealers in my time as I suffer from dark circles under the eye and used to have quite bad blemishes on my chin. No concealers have been half as good as this Benefit one.

It’s quite expensive for the size of it and I wouldn’t normally want to pay that much for a concealer but I am so glad that I did. It is amazing at covering up my blemishes and my dark circles.

Even though it is quite a small pot, I have used it every day since September and I still have a fair bit left so even though it is fairly expensive, it does last a long time.

I bought the 02 shade which I think is the medium shade and it suits my skin tone perfectly. I find it lasts all day and it blends really well too on top of my primer.

Clinique High Impact Mascara - £16

I got this mascara as a free sample from the Clinique counter in boots when I took an old mascara in. I’ve used samples of this mascara before and absolutely love it.

Like concealers, I have used many different mascaras, usually buying a different one when one’s finished. But now I have found my ideal one! I have such dark eye lashes anyway that I don’t always apply mascara, and don’t always see a huge difference when I do. But with this mascara it really does thicken my lashes, makes me look like I have loads more and slightly curls them up without the use of eyelash curlers which is amazing.

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer - £6.99

I had never used a primer until about September 2011 but now I would not dream of applying my make up without it. I don’t know why it took me so long to start using one!

This is the first primer that I have used but it is so perfect that I don’t think I need to try any others. The Rimmer primer states that it offers 5 in 1 results:

·        Smoothes

·        Resurfaces

·        Brightens

·        Mattifies

·        Protects

It really does do all of the above things. I have found that since using this primer my make up has stayed for a lot longer and my foundation goes on a lot easier. I have also found that it brightens my face too and as I have quite oily skin my face can sometimes look oily after a while of wearing make up but with this product it no longer does. It really matifies my skin.

I apply it to my face about 10 minutes after moisturising and then leaving it to dry/set into the skin for a further 5 or 10 minutes before apply foundation. You only need a very small amount and so the product does last a long time. It has a lovely fresh smell and a very silky feel.

Again, I have found this product to be excellent value and would definitely recommend it to everyone!

Hope everyone has had a great week and have a fun packed weekend planned!

What are your favourite beauty products?

xo Hannah xo

Cute Blog Award

I want to say a BIG thank you to the lovely Ekaete at Red Lips and Roses for awarding me with the Cute Blog Award.

This is my first ever blog award and so I wanted to take the chance to let everyone know that I’m so grateful to you all for reading my blog – I really do appreciate it.

For this award you:

1. Link back to the person who awarded you.

2. Answer the award questions. 

3. Tell something about yourself that you haven't told anyone on your blog yet. 

4. Award as many blogs as you think worthy of this award

5. Make sure to let these you gave this award to know that you awarded them



The Award Questions:

1. What is your go to make-up brand?

Ooh, this is tricky. I don’t tend to stick to one make up brand, and my make up bag is a mixture of every brand imaginable but I really do rate Benefit products, especially their concealers. But I also really like Rimmel products as their really reasonably priced but still excellent quality products.

2. What was your favourite fashion trend of 2011?

 I became obsessed with maxi's in the summer of 2011 living in nothing but maxi skirts and dresses so this is probably one of my favourite trends. This winter, I have been obsessed with faux fur coats, gilets and scarfs/snoods.

3. What is your favourite dessert?
Again, another tricky question! I have such a sweet tooth so I’m a huge fan of almost any dessert. However, I think my favourite would be apple crumble or pavlova. Mmmmm :)

4. Favourite colour?

I'm a typical girly girl so my favourite colour has always been pink even though I hate wearing pink!

5. What is your middle name?

Gabrielle

6. What's the last song you listened to?

Ed Sheeran - Lego House. My brother bought me his album for Christmas and I haven't stopped listening to it since!

7. Cats or dogs?

Dogs. I’m a big animal lover and adore both cats and dogs, but I would have to say that dogs only just wins. My Grandma has always had dogs so I’ve grown up with them and have always wanted one of my own.

All images from WeHeartIt.com

Random fact I haven’t told anyone:

 I was ranked 2nd in Yorkshire in the triple jump before I got injured and had to stop :(

Award As Many People Who You Think Are Worthy
Of This Award

I’ve decided to award the Cute Blog Awards to the following blogs. These blogs are fairly recent findings and they are truly amazing blogs which I always love to read 

Laura’s Blog

Lebellelow

Littleglitter

Lucy Likes
Slee. wake. hope

Me + Moustaches

Happiness is...(Part 4)

Hi everyone! I've decided to do another part to my happiness is...series because over the last few days, particularly yesterday, I have been feeling really down and I'm not really sure why, as there was nothing major that triggered this spell. But I find that writing these posts help me to appreciate the things in life that do make me smile, that I often forget when I'm super busy.

This week, happiness is...

1.   Hunting for my dream house and imagining how I would decorate it

2. Adorable, cute babies



3. The feeling of fresh bed linen

4. Cinema trips

5. Reassuring cuddles and chats with my mum



xo Hannah xo

Weekly Wishlist



I really don’t know where this week has gone – its just been a bit of a whirlwind. I’ve had 3 days off which have just flown by and I feel I haven’t really done a lot which always annoys me because I hardly ever get time off and I'm back at work tomorrow :(

I’ve managed to get quite a bit of blog stuff done though and set up my new blog, Beautiful Fitness, which is entirely dedicated to health and fitness (which is one of my main passions) and so please feel free to check it out : )

These are some of the things I’m lusting after this week. Again, the majority of them are from Topshop (I really need to start shopping elsewhere!) but I’m loving their shoe collection at the moment and really excited to see more of their sandals are spring/summer comes along.


 

1 ------ 2 ----- 3 ----- 4 ----- 5 ----- 6 ----- 7



I love Aztec prints on clothing and bags and when I saw this bracelet from River Island I instantly fell in love. It will look amazing layered with lots of other bracelets to create a boho look.

I’m not always a big fan of florally clothes but for some reason I’m drawn to this dress - I’m not really sure what it is that I love. I’m going to pop into my local Topshop tomorrow to look at it – hopefully it won’t disappoint.

I love the vintage feel of the white crop vest. It makes me want summer to hurry up even more as I can’t wait to wear it with a pair of denim shorts and sandals.

And finally this owl jumper is so cute, I want it! What more can I say?!

What are you loving this week?

xo Hannah xo

DIY Project: Cute As A Button Tealight Holders

 

I saw this little crafty idea on the Hobbycraft website and instantly fell in love. I keep coming across the most adorable button crafts lately and I want to do them all. I’m addicted to cute little buttons as they can instantly update any old, plain treasures into lovely new creations with just a little work.

These cute tealight holders are really easy to make but they look great once completed.

You will need:

·        Tealight holder - £1 from Primark

·        Selection of small buttons (I bought mine from Ebay, which cost about £2.99 so over 200 buttons!)

·        Superglue,

1)     Add a small amount of glue to a button and place onto the tealight holder holding in place for a couple of seconds to secure.

2) Repeat this process until all your buttons are in place and your desired pattern is complete.

I have a number of cute, simple crafts coming up in the near future which I hope you will like.

xo Hannah xo

Don't You Remember



Long line black faux fur gilet – Topshop

Stripey jumper – Topshop

Faux leather panel leggings – Topshop

Boots – Topshop

Vintage key necklace – A Wardrobe Full Of Dreams shop



I love looking at what people wear every day and it has inspired me to start my own Outfit Of The Day posts. However, I don’t have the best camera and no body really to take photos for me so whilst I get those problems sorted, I thought I would just start with simply laying my outfits down to photo them.

This is what I wore today. I didn’t realise I was wearing all Topshop though until I wrote this (oops!). I had a day off work today and had a few errands to run in town and lots of housework to do so I chose something simple and cosy to wear.

I bought the gilet the other day from Topshop. It was down to £35 which I was really happy with because I had been eyeing it when it was full price. I’m really pleased with it because it is so soft and can be thrown over any jumper for extra warmth and cosyness.

I wasn't sure about the leggings when I first bought them because they were super tight on me, which, when reading some of the reviews on the website, others have found. But I think with wear they will give a little bit. I don't usually like wearing leggings with a top but because these are quite thick, they look ok when wearing a jumper with them.

 I know there pictures aren’t the best so please bear with me whilst I get sorted out :)

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

xo Hannah xo



Interior Inspiration - Jewellery Storage

I am currently in the process of redesigning/redecorating my room. I started thinking about this a couple of months ago but have never got round to actually starting due to being so busy. I love getting inspiration for interior design off the Internet and searching for home accessories with a vintagey feel.

A big problem I currently have in my room is jewellery storage. I have soooo much jewellery – necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings but hardly anywhere that I can store it. I have a jewellery box but I quite like the idea of my jewellery being on show so it is easy to see and choose each piece.

Here are a couple of my favourite jewellery storage ideas.

All images from WeHeartIt and Google

How do you store all your jewellery?

xo Hannah xo

Handmade Shoe and Handbag Gingerbread Biscuits



For Christmas, I was given this amazing cookie cutter set which contains handbag and shoe cutters.  I think this set was originally bought from Sainsbury’s but I have found this seller on ebay who is selling very similar individual cutters.

I really enjoy baking (despite it been terrible for my new years get fit and eat healthier regime!) and trying out new recipes for biscuits and cakes. I find it really relaxing after a stressful day. I made this batch of biscuits to take into my work, so I won’t be able to just sit at home and eat them all myself, however tempting it is!

This is a very simple but very delicious recipe for gingerbread biscuits which look great when decorated too. This recipe is one the best recipes I have found for gingerbread – they really are yummy!

Makes: Approximately 20 biscuits depending on the cutters that you use

Ingredients

• 350g plain flour plus a little extra for rolling out
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 125g softened butter
• 175g light soft brown sugar
• 1 free range egg
• 4 tbsp golden syrup

To decorate:

• Writing icing
• Selection of cake decorations

Method

1)    Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2)    Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Add the softened butter and mix together until the mixture looks a little bit like breadcrumbs. Pour in the sugar.

3)    In a separate bowl, beat the egg and golden syrup together. Add this to the rest of the mixture and pulse until the mixture clumps together.

4)    Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and knead the mixture until smooth and wrap it in cling film. Leave to chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

5)    Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it measures about 0.5cm. Using cutters cut out the shapes and place them on a baking tray. Make sure to leave a gap in between each one because they will spread when cooking. You may need to cook them in separate batches if you run out of space on the baking tray.

6)    Bake the biscuits for 12-15 until they are lightly golden brown. Once they are out of the oven, leave to cool on the tray for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

7)     When cooled decorate with the writing icing and cake decorations to however you desire!

Decoration

There are so many different and amazing ways that you can decorate your biscuits.

To decorate mine I used:

• Pink and white pearls – 84p from Asda
• Coloured chocolate beads - 84p from Asda
• White chocolate stars – 84p from Asda
• Pink Sugar glimmer – 84p from Asda
• Pink and white writing icing

I decorated mine really simply because i didn't want to take away from the gingerbread taste but I found these amazing decorated shoe and handbag cookies on the internet when I was researching how to decorate them. Don't they look amazing - almost too good to eat!

Images from Google

Do you enjoy baking? What are your favourite recipes? 

xo Hannah xo

 

DIY Project: Customised Oversized Pearl Embellished T-Shirt

I have wanted to get into sewing and crafts for a while now and now that I have a sewing machine (I got a lovely one for Christmas) I have been doing a lot of practising and getting ideas for future projects.

One of my first projects was this customised oversized pearl embellished t-shirt that I wanted to share with you as it is so easy to do, really cheap to make and looks great.

You will need:

An oversized t-shirt (I bought this one from the men’s section in Primark!)

Fabric scissors

Needle and white cotton thread

Small pearl beads (I got mine from this Ebay seller) It's entirely up to you what size beads you use. I used 4mm ones but they come in a wide range of sizes so it really depends what you prefer.

  

1. Use a pen to roughly mark on where you want the beads to be sewn. The more random the position of the beads, the better.

2. Using the needle and thread, carefully sew on each pearl bead securely. I used white thread as you cannot see this when the beads are sewn on.

3. When finished sewing the beads on, tie a knot in the thread to secure.

4. You could also add a small stitch to each sleeve to turn them up.

 I also added some extra beads around the collar which is very simple to do. Just sew two beads together in line with each other, followed by another bead directly below. Repeat this along the collar line, leaving a gap in between each collection of beads.

It's not just an old t-shirt that you could update with pearl beads. This simple method could be used on almost any piece of clothing including a cardigan or pair of shorts.

Tip – It is best to hand wash the embellished t-shirt to ensure that the delicate beads do not drop off in the washing machine!

Do you like customising your clothes? What are your favourit projects? 

xo Hannah xo