Monday 26 January 2015

11 Life Lessons From Blair Waldorf

Gossip Girl may be over, but after recently binge watching a season or two and in celebration of Gossip Girl day (yes that's a real thing), I thought I'd put together a list of the best words of wisdom ever spoken by the queen of the Upper East Side...


1. Not everything will always make sense.

 2. Ambition is Important.

 3. It is important to know what qualifies as clothing.

4. Boys do not define you.

 5. Things get better.

 6. Shopping always helps, even if only temporarily.

7. You are important.

  8. Macarons help you think clearly.

9. You have the ability to be independent and can make your own decisions.

10. Be honest with yourself.
11. Because Blair is always right.



xoxo

Sources: Tumblr and The Cw

Friday 2 January 2015

Christmas Blogger Meet Up Gifts


Hi everyone, hope you had a happy new year!
As I mentioned in my previous post, at few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a blogger meet up hosted by Chloe. As part of the meet up we received Christmas goodie bags filled with bits and bobs perfect for teenage skin.
The first product is a body cream from Derma Dew*. My skin hasn't been coping well with the seasonal weather change and has been really dry. However, as my face is combination oily I usually like to steer clear of any heavy duty moisturisers. This means that I tend to avoid dabbing on thicker creams, even when I probably should. That being said, the Derma Dew body cream has had me reaching onto my bathroom shelves daily as it's very effective, especially in small doses. I think that if too much is applied it can be greasy and does take time to soak in, which is why I don't use too much at any one point. Derma Dew also claims to contain, 'no miracle ingredients, it is defined by simplicity', and has a 'japanese plum' scent which lingers long after application.
I've been a big fan of the Burt's Bees lip balms for a while now, so when I saw the Bee Good Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm* in the gift box I was excited to try it and see how it compared. The lip balm isn't too thick and leaves a nice shine whilst also being hydrating. Bee Good was 'started in 2008 at the kitchen table of husband and wife, Simon and Caroline' which makes the brand very homely. I definitely want to try some of the other products in the Bee Good range!
Next in the box was Skinetica* which is an anti-blemish toner. Although it is aimed to more acne prone skin, I often get blemishes and this works well as a toner morning and night to help clear skin without using highly toxic chemicals. There is a fairly strong smell, however Skinetica is suitable for sensitive skin as well as all ethnicities and skin types. I've been using this for a few weeks along with the 'Dream dots'  (below) and have found my skin to be clearer already, even with the amount of Christmas chocolate I've eaten! 
Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by oily skin. If so, like me you may have gone through copious amounts of translucent powder in the effort to combat the shine. However, Papier poudre* offer a different solution whereby you can use a little sheet to remove any oil, rather than putting more make-up on top. I've found this to be really useful to carry around in my bag and whip out in moments of shine. It also comes in three different shades for a variety of skin tones
I'm always looking for ways to heal pestering spots quickly and without leaving any scarring as waking up to a blemish on the centre of your forehead is never ideal. I hadn't heard much about the Dream Dots* before but was excited to try them as they seemed very intriguing. Dream Dots are little stickers which you put directly on any blemishes and leave overnight to work their magic. As I mentioned earlier I've been using Skinetica as well (although I've been using just the dream dots on blemishes) so it's difficult to pinpoint which has been making the biggest difference to my skin but it's definitely a lot clearer than before I was using either product. This is something I would definitely recommend to a friend and repurchase.  

As you can see there was some lovely things in the box which I can't wait to use more of in 2015.

Hope you had a merry Christmas and a good start to the new year!


Bea
x


*This post is not sponsored, however the contents of the goodie bag were PR samples.

Wednesday 24 December 2014

Christmas Blogger Box Swap

With only a few hours to go until Christmas day I thought I'd share this lovely box I received at a Teen Bloggers Meet Up I attended on the thirteenth of this month. We did a Secret Santa type box swap, from which I was the recipient of Chloe's box.

Here's what was inside:

Clean logic exfoliating body scrubber
❄ Eylure Twilight Lashes
❄ Balance Me Body Wash
❄ Ciate paint pot in Spending Spree
❄ Elf nail polish in Bubble Gum pink
❄ Yankee Candle in Frosted Snow, which I'm currently burning.
❄ Very cute Christmas decoration
❄ Santa hat

As you can see, I was thoroughly spoilt and am very grateful to Chloe for all the lovely gifts, and pretty heart-shaped box.

What are you hoping for for Christmas?


Bea
x


p.s. Merry Christmas! To get me in the festive mood, I'm currently watching the holiday, drinking hot chocolate and doing some last minute wrapping (all essentials for Christmas eve). 



Monday 22 December 2014

Festive Bloggers Meet Up

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a 'Christmas Teen Bloggers' meet up, hosted by Chloe. Although I've been blogging for nearly two years, I'd never met any other bloggers in real life, so when the opportunity to meet some in my age group arose, I jumped at the chance. On the 13th, Chloe (different from the aforementioned and a friend of mine from college, who also blogs) and I headed off to a fairy lighten Convent Garden to spend the day with the girls.
From bottom left to bottom right: Chloe, Tori, myself, Chloe, Merraf, Asia and Becca.

We all met at Starbucks and then headed off to do some Christmas shopping. We pottered around lots of different shops, including Bobbi Brown and The Disney Store (obviously) and although I didn't pick up any bits and bobs myself, I did add a fair few things to my Christmas list. Chloe also gave us a Christmas card and some festive gifts from various brands, which will feature in a different post soon. The presents were in a little Christmas box, and It was clear that Chloe had spent a lot of time organising and putting everything together (Thank you!).
Later on we headed for a bite to eat at Zizzis, where I had a gigantic pizza, which unfortunately I could not finish. We then spent the majority of the afternoon chatting about the blogs we loved to read and our thoughts on different blogging and YouTube topics. Tori also tried to take some photos with Chloe and I on her phone, which were very funny to look back on!

We also did a box swap, and I received so many lovely things, there needs to be a separate post!

Finally, I want to thank Chloe again for organising such a lovely day. Although we all started the morning as strangers, we parted as good friends and I hope to see everyone again at some point in the future.

Have you ever been to a blogger meet up?

Bea
x


p.s. The top two photos were kindly sent to me by Chloe. I was also listening to a Home Alone Christmas playlist whilst writing this and it's great for getting into the Christmas mood.

Monday 15 December 2014

Dear Mr Claus...

Seeing as there is now less than 10 days until Christmas *heavy breathing* I thought I'd put together a little list of beauty and fashion buys as well as other bits and bobs perfect for giving to a best-friend or to add to your own last minute wishlist. As much as you may like to be organised, there is always that one person you don't know what to get. If that's your dad, you're probably looking on the wrong website but if it happens to be for a girly friend, I hope this list will serve as inspiration.

The low-budget gift
If you need to quickly buy a Secret Santa or a stocking filler then Topshop is a good place to go. Currently the majority of their nail varnishes are down to £3, Little White Lie is a great shade for all year round.

Lingerie and cosy socks
If you know someone well this is a safe bet. My friend Mooman (it's a long story) has a cute pair of penguin socks which are now sold out, but the cat version would make a great gift (especially if the recipient has a black cat themselves). If you want something both personal and comical Topshop sell boypants with varying disney movies printed on them, such as this Toy Story number (these penguin ones are cute too). Urban Outfitters also sell underwear, I think this velvet and lace bra is really pretty.

The Lush Addict
Anyone who loves having baths is most likely going to love lush. The Melting Snowman is a cult classic and Star Light, Star Bright is also a great bath melt. The Christmas Penguin is also something I've wanted to try for a while (I'm sensing a bit of a penguin theme here haha).

Urban Outfitters Galore
Now I may be biased seeing as UO is my favourite shop but I think they do gifts really well. I have the Light Before Dark crop top in grey and my friend Ellis has it in black, it's a very wearable style that suits most body shapes. Back to cats, this mug is perfect for any cat obsessives. This duvet set would also suit most bedrooms and these fairylights are really pretty.

WAHP
I've been a fan of We Are Hairy People for about two years now, and have been wanting this jumper since last Christmas. They currently have a special offer where if you buy one item, they will send you another item of a similar value as well. To find the code you need to visit their facebook page (the offer is to celebrate 10,000 likes and it doesn't seem fair to them if I just give it to you).

Have you left your Christmas shopping to the last minute? What's on your Christmas list?

Bea
x




Monday 24 November 2014

Topshop Winter Wishlist

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Hello!

In the past few months I haven't been that impressed with Topshop but their Christmas and winter collections have definitely caught my eye so I thought that I'd put together a little wishlist...

Gold Pleated Dress
This dress would be perfect for any Christmas or New Years parties - Cara looks gorgeous in it on the website!

Gingerbread Socks
Socks with little gingerbread men on them, need I say more.

Black Cropped Jumper
Although this jumper has sold out on the website, i'm hoping that it will soon come back in stock soon as it looks really cosy and warm so would be super snuggly in the winter months.

Nails in White Heat
The Topshop nail range never fails to disappoint, and this colour is perfect for the festive season.

Green Metallic Tee
This top definitely smartens up an oufit and is very very Christmassy (I know that's not a word but hey ho ho ho)!

Black Coated Joni Jeans
I think these jeans are a lot more wearable than most leather-look trousers and would look great paired with a Christmas jumper!

Glow highlighter in Gleam
This was on my last wishlist and is something that I need to pick up after reading so many positive reviews.


What is on your wishlist at the moment?


Bea
x x x