Friday 31 January 2014

January 2014 | Loves and Loathes


Since it's the last day of January (can't believe how quick this month has gone!) I thought I'd do a quick little post on the things I've been loving this month and also the things I haven't been enjoying so much.


Loves!

(original source edit by me)

If any of you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen a few of the great deals I've managed to pick up in this years January Sales! (Though there are a few others I haven't posted on either of those sites which I do want to show off... maybe I'll make a small post maybe not though). Who doesn't love a bargain?! 

(original source edit by me)

This is just a little thing, but this month I've really felt like I've been getting into a good routine with university and I'm a lot more organised with uni work, and in general, at home (which was one of my resolutions!). It's just something that makes me feel good... I don't know why. Organised space = organised mind, perhaps?


My last love for January is Blogging! I've really enjoyed getting into blogging this month, and though I'm yet to fully get into a groove and have been occupied with university assignments and other things, I've tried to put as much effort into this blog as possible and I hope this can continue!

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Loathes!

(original source edit by me)

Gotta love the student life, right? Work load has been my biggest downer this month, it's left me with virtually no free time and I've literally had sleepless nights over these assignments. One is due in this Tuesday (Feb 4th) and is accompanied by a oral presentation on the same day (which have given me mild panic attacks in the past, so not looking forward to that).
You know, I wouldn't mind the work if they were just essays or revision, but it's because we have to write up experiments we have conducted in true scientific paper style, with results, statistical analysis, references to other papers, the whole shabang. It is NOT FUN. I have, like, 5 more that need doing as well, but they are all in for March 21st so if I start now and pace myself I should be all good... hopefully.

(original source edit by me)

Okay, okay, I know a little weight gain over Christmas happens to a lot of people, but I just feel really sluggish and groggy. I mentioned wanting to be healthier and lose weight in my new years resolutions post, and I am eating healthier, but I've yet to notice any weight loss, which I know it is to be expected as it is still very early days (and I've yet to fully implement my exercise regime!) but some days I just don't feel like myself, you probably know those days too though! 

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That's about it... not that much has happened this month, and like I said, due to uni work I haven't been out that much, so there's not been that much to love and loathe, but I think I'm going to do one of these every month since it's nice to reflect as you go along!

Anyone else had any particular loves or loathes from this January?

Keep smiling!
Birds in Blossom x

GIVEAWAY | 100 blog lovin' followers!






Hi everyone! 

Well, a few days ago I hit 100 blog lovin' followers! I honestly never thought I'd get even one reader of this blog, and so, never ever thought I'd see the day that I'd hit a milestone that would justify a giveaway! Yet here we are!

Anyway down to business, as a thank you for all of you who have followed my blog on blog lovin', I'm hosting a little Giveaway!

(You must be following me on Blog lovin' to enter the giveaway. Also, unfortunately it will be a UK ONLY giveaway this time.)

I've decided to give the lucky winner a One4all voucher, now if you don't know what that is it's a gift card like any other but you can use it in a wide range of shops and restaurants. For example Boots, Debenhams, Miss Selfridge, New look, Oasis, Pizza Express, River Island, Topshop and so many more!! Check out their website here to see where else it can be used! 

Now it's going to be a £20 voucher up for grabs and you can enter via the rafflecopter widget below! You have a week to make your entries count!

Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep smiling,
Birds in Blossom x

Sunday 26 January 2014

Favourites | Mascara & Liquid Liner

Today, I thought I'd share with you my favourite mascara and liquid liner, they are both Rimmel products and both are black in colour. I use them every single day, practically without fail, and they never let me down, so yeah, I've decided to do a quick post on them!

Oh, by the way, I bought them both from Boots, but obviously that isn't the only place to find them and as there may not even be a Boots near you, so I've put links to the actual product page on the Rimmel website as they tell you all places where is available for you to buy them, hope that helps for anyone who is interested!


I have only just started using this particular mascara, the Rimmel ScandalEyes Lycra Flex Mascara (RRP £6.99), but I have instantly fallen in love. I do have naturally long lashes (though you couldn't tell from the photos!) so mascara does tend to work really well for me, but this product is on another level in comparison to mascaras I have used in the past. It truly lengthens my lashes and adds volume to them, just what you want from a mascara, and as a person who actually never wears false lashes but has considered wearing them, ScandalEyes makes me think that I really don't need them!



The applicator brush is large and thick (and a conventional shape, I don't really understand the benefit of all these strange shaped mascara brushes) just what I want, as it means good coverage of mascara on your lashes in just a few quick strokes of the brush.

However, I do find if you're not careful with application, it can start to clump a little if you apply more than one coat (like mine did today a bit). The best way to avoid this is by making sure the mascara isn't too thick at the end of the lashes and to 'wiggle' your brush as you are applying it, so make quick short side to side movements as you go up and along your lashes. Also let it dry after the first coat and use a clean eyelash comb (which I didn't have on me today) to separate the lashes, then carefully apply another coat if necessary. But just look at the difference it makes to my lashes!


Note that mascara does go 'off' and won't work like it should so it will probably clump a lot more that you'd expect and it'll be thick, so it won't spread nicely over your lashes.
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Now this product is now an good old friend of mine, I've been using Rimmel Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Liner (RRP £.5.29) for years and it's by far the best liquid liner I've come across for two reasons; Firstly, the liner itself, it's matte dark colour and lasts all day, very rarely do I have to do touch ups. Secondly, the applicator, which is actually a brush, you know with individual hairs like a paint brush, rather than a felt-tip nib type thing you often get which is good as I tend to find the nib ones to be too solid and stiff to get the smooth lines you can achieve with a brush style applicator. 

My eyeliner isn't perfect today and is a little messy (as you can see from the photo below, I had still to do the clean up on the smudged mascara below the water line and on my top lid), but like eyebrows, the eyeliner on each lid, doesn't have to be identical, just a similar style (otherwise it would just look odd). So I just go with what works from day to day, which tends to be a pretty simple cat eye look with a not too drastic flick.


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Anyway, that's that for now, I would highly recommend these products if you don't mind very obvious and dark make-up. It's probably a little to heavy for most people, but it's what I do everyday and it is pretty quick and easy to do. Though, obviously if you did a thinner eye-liner line, and just one coat of mascara it would be more subtle look. They aren't too expensive compared to other products around, they do last a while and definitely have the quality. Thanks for reading! (and sorry for all the gross, high quality, up close pictures of my eyes!)

Here's a little start to finish comparison photo set!
         
Keep smiling,
BirdsinBlossom x

Saturday 25 January 2014

Mixed Prints. Love it or Hate it?

4. Graphic Flower Tee - £18.00

I was flicking through a magazine last week and came across something that I hadn't really seen before in a commercial piece of clothing, it was three completely clashing prints all on one dress (number 9. in my list). Now, I didn't know what to make of it because the magazine article had a plain image of the dress, like seen above, and then next to it was a photo of a model actually wearing it and it definitely looked far better on her than in it's picture, but I still wasn't sure what I thought about it. 

Then a few days later, I was browsing online and saw even more clothing with this mixed print look and I think I've come to the conclusion that, at the minute, I'm not really a fan, some of them are alright, like the oversized check shirt (8.) and maybe the smock dress (6.) but overall I've not seen anything that I would wear myself. Maybe I'm missing the point? I thought I'd show you guys as I think I'm still on the fence, perhaps I'm waiting for a piece that I like before I make a proper decision. 

Though, I must say, I've only picked out a few examples as I don't think this style is very common yet, but each time I look there seem to be more and more, so maybe it's a trend that's going to catch on (or is it already a thing? I don't know).

So, what do you guys think? Do you like it, and would you wear any of these?

Keep smiling,
Birds in Blossom x

REVIEW | LUSH The Comforter



So here it is, my all time favourite bubble bar from LUSH, The Comforter (£4.50 each). If you go into a LUSH store you'll see this one right away, it's much bigger than many of their other products, so though it is more expensive than the other bath bombs and bubble bars, you can get quite a few uses out of it so I suppose it is pretty justifiable, well at least, I think so. Personally, I tend to split it into quarters (see below) and as I reckon by using that amount you can still get the full effect of the bubbles, scent and colour. 


As for the scent, a strong blackcurrant fragrance instantly hits you, it's so fruity and sweet, I just love it! Even when you use it the scent stays strong in the water and you can smell it in your hair and skin for hours after your bath. Also, it does its job really well, by that I mean, when you crush it under a running tap it makes bubbles instantly and in vast quantities (even when using a quarter of the bar). Lastly it turns your water a lovely bright pink colour (as you can see quite well in the photos below) which I adore as I love all things pink!

So yeah, I definitely recommend The Comforter, it smells lovely, it creates plenty of bubbles and easily gets at least 4 uses from just one bar. If you're ever in the store you should check it out!


Okay, so that's it with LUSH products for now as I've run out (I doubt that will be the case for long though!) but I am going to review some other bath products soon and maybe a few make-up items, so keep a look out!

If there's a particular product you would like me to review from lush or anywhere else, leave a comment below and I'll see what I can do!

Keep smiling,
BirdsinBlossom x

Thursday 23 January 2014

50 facts about me!


So I think it's about time you guys get to know me a little better, so I've decided to do the '50 facts about me' tag, even though I wasn't actually tagged, I just feel like doing it!

Oh and if you're reading this I TAG YOU to do this, if you haven't done one yet of course, and please, if you do it, post a link in the comments, I'm a right nosey-parker and love finding out random things about people!


1. My middle name is Louise.
2. I was born 12th September 1993.
3. I have two dogs that I love to bits.
4. I try to volunteer as much time as I can at animal rescue centers and have done since I was 14.
5. I study Animal Behaviour at University.
6. I currently live with my boyfriend and his family (as it's a lot easier to get to uni everyday from his place).
7. Since living there I have become bros for life with the family's African grey parrot, Mickey.
8. I have one sibling, a younger brother (who's 18 in March).
9. My favourite colours at the moment are duck egg blue, rose pink and mint green.
10. I adore the Studio Ghibli films and even have a tiny Totoro on my rear window of my car.
11. I drive a little pale blue fiat 500
12. I actually went to Lincoln university for my first year of uni, but transferred to Manchester for my second year as I was constantly heading home and travel costs were shocking! (Even with my 1/3 off railcard)
13. I love to paint, especially animals, though I need to keep practicing! 
14. I'm pretty sure my clothing collection has doubled in the last year!
15. I am ridiculously shy when first meeting someone and have been told I come off as really cold for the first few meetings!
16. But after that I really open up and often you can't shut me up!
17. I actually have rather low self-esteem/confidence and have actually had councelling for it (but I didn't find it helpful in the slightest).
18. I love ice-cream, it's one of my favourite things.
19.When I was younger I wanted to be an ice-cream van driver.
20. Now I want to run a rescue/rehabilitation/adoption center for animals, mainly dogs though.
21. I was going to become a vet until I shadowed one for almost 2 years and decided it wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
22. I have a quite big tattoo on my ribs.
23. I have 7 piercings (all on my ears).
24. My guilty pleasure is terrible day time TV.
25. I have no allergies but have pretended to be allergic to nuts a few times (because...)
26. I can not stand nuts!
27. I can not leave my room without makeup on, unless it's just me and my boyfriend.
28. I have very slight OCD, though it only applies to colour co-ordination in some things and my clothing drawers.
29. Spring is probably my favourite season as I love it when the blossom on the trees bloom.
30. I hate being in the ocean when it's deep enough that you can't feel the bottom.
31. Probably because I used to have the biggest fear of sharks.
32. I get obsessed with video games from things like Zoo Tycoon to Skyrim to GTA, I just can't control myself!
33. I used to work behind a bar.
34. I hate the dentists (even though my boyfriend is training to be one and practically his whole family are dentists!)
35. I have so many Disney songs on my phone and blast them in the car for a good ol' sing song when driving.
36. I ramble so much, whether it's writing or talking, I just don't know how to keep on track or stop talking.
37. I love Norse and Greek mythology, this last year I have been reading up so much about it, it's so interesting!
38. I can talk to anyone about anything in a professional situation but if it's social, I panic and end up saying something stupid, rude or nothing at all!
39. My favourite animals are wolves and domestic dogs.
40. My favourite flowers are tulips.
41. I have never ever broken a bone *touch wood*.
42. I've only ever had one boyfriend (the current one!)
43. I get obsessed with TV shows and if I've only just started watching it and I am behind on episodes I will not sleep until I have caught up, I nearly died in the Great How I Met Your Mother 8 Season Marathon of '13.
44. It's disgusting but I have an little obsession with popping spots, and if I see one on my face I will not stop unless the blighter has been annihilated! 
45. People who drive unnecessarily slow or fast annoy me, speed limits are a thing, people!
46. I sometimes get really bad travel sickness that can last for hours even when I'm no longer in a vehicle.
47. I often get really grumpy when hungry!
48. One of the best things I've ever done was work in the field with a vet in South Africa!
49. Another amazing thing I did was work in Uganda for a month, living out of a backpack in a tent, helping to build a school and then trekking through the largest mountain range in Africa!
50. Lastly I really appreciate that you've taken the time to read this post and visit my blog, Thank you!

Well that's all folks! It's so wordy, I hope I didn't bore you too much. This was actually a lot more difficult than I was expecting, thinking of random facts off the top of your head is not as easy as you'd think!

Keep smiling!
Birds in Blossom x

Tuesday 21 January 2014

REVIEW | LUSH Creamy Candy Bubble Bar



This lil' cutie is the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar (£2.50 each), it actually smells very much like a product I have recently reviewed, the Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment, by that I mean it smells just like a sweet shop! (though you do get more of a hint of vanilla with this one, especially once used in the bath)

Now this product, as it's name suggests, isn't a bath bomb or even a bath melt but it is actually a bubble bar. So to use this you crumble it up under the running tap water when filling the bath, and then leave it to work its magic, which just happens to be creating lots and lots of bubbles! Even though it doesn't turn your bath a funky colour like others it does smell amazing and obviously bath colour isn't that important but sometimes I do like the novelty! Oh yeah, it also contains cocoa butter and almond oil so it leaves your skin moisturised, refreshed and feeling silky smooth! 

It comes in as a close second favourite bubble bar from LUSH (I'm going to review my all time favourite next, so look out for that!), mainly because I only get one use out of this one whereas with the other one manages about 4 uses (and the fact that the other one makes my hair and skin smell so, so good for hours).

I absolutely love this product as I am a sucker for bubble baths and definitely recommend it for those with a sweet tooth, though I suggest you don't try to eat it! 



If there's a particular product you would like me to review from lush or anywhere else, leave a comment below and I'll see what I can do!
Keep smiling,
BirdsinBlossom x

Friday 17 January 2014

Spring Pastel Love at Topshop


1. Textured Swing Coat - £89.00 *****
2. Concertina Bag - £25.00 *****
3. Moto Denim Mom Shorts - £30.00 *
5. Lips in Saint - £8.00 ***
6. Nails in Bees Knees - £5.00 **
7. Nails in Pipe Dream - £6.00 ***
8. Nails in Milkshake - £5.00 **
9. Knitted Quilted Jumper - £36.00 ****
10. Wrap Lux Skirt - £42.00 **
11. Chunky Pastel Pink Chain - £12.50 ***
12. Small Spot Scrunchie - £4.00 **
13. PU Bunny Ear Scrunchie - £4.00 **
14. Vinyl Edge Paint Satchel - £28.00 ****
15. Cold Shoulder Dress by Love - £32.00 ****

What can I say, when I see these sugary tones my heart skips a beat! 

I am deeply in love with pastels and have been lusting after these particular items from Topshop, though I must admit I need to check out other stores selections as well, but as I'm in Topshop so often I knew the certain items I wanted to share with you guys, so I've dedicated an entire post just to Topshop. I don't know why I love these tones so much, I guess it's because they're so feminine and pretty. Since last summer I've slowly been growing my pastel clothing collection but I feel that it's far from complete and with the change in seasons coming up, more and more items are arriving in stores. Soon will be the day when I can wear them out in pride... well, I must admit I have been wearing a few bits and pieces throughout winter, I just find that they fit in better with the atmosphere of spring, so I can't wait for it's arrival!

Oh by the way, the stars next to the price is my own little rating of how much I desire that particular item (* is 'I can live without' and ***** is 'I simply must have it!'). 

Keep smiling!
Birds in Blossom x

REVIEW | LUSH Butterball


This is the Butterball (£2.50), if you read my last LUSH review you'll know that I got this particular bath bomb in the 'Baby Frosty' Christmas set, but I have bought this on its own before. You wouldn't notice it for it's smell or it's looks but if you've used this, you would know that it does amazing things for your skin. 

It's full of cocoa butter and moisturiser, so it's super good for dry skin. There's not much more to comment on with this bath bomb, it doesn't transform your bath like other ones do (just see the pictures below, it's hard to tell which is the before and which is the after), though when it first dissolves the cocoa butter melts and looks like actual melted butter on top of your water, which is weird the first time you use it, but you soon become accustomed to it.

So obviously I recommend this one, especially if you have dry skin, it's a great addition to a pamper session, leaves your skin feeling moisturised and refreshed.


If there's a particular product you would like me to review from lush or anywhere else, leave a comment below and I'll see what I can do!

Keep smiling,
BirdsinBlossom x

Thursday 16 January 2014

Seventeen Complete Collection


This is the Seventeen Complete Collection, which I picked up from Boots yesterday as they were having a 70% sale! So the box says £35 but I picked this beauty up for £10.50 an absolute bargain! Lets take a look what you get for your moolah...


On the first 'page' are a variety of beauty products from brushes to gel eyeliner and on the other 'page' you have a few make-up tips and advice and then there are a couple of windows that give you a glimpse of the eyeshadows and other goodies that are concealed in a sort of pull out section.


Firstly, the brushes. You get five in this set, they're all super soft and I've tried each and every one and they work really well! As you can see there is one 'Cheeks' brush, three 'Eyes' brushes and one 'Lips' brush. I think the design is really simple and sleek, they just look really cool. I've been after some brushes for a while and these are perfect for what I was after.



Next up, the beauty items. So here you get a 15ml tube of 'Photo flawless' skin primer and I must say I've never used a primer before so I was a little skeptical but I put it on today and it really did work, my foundation lasted a lot longer than usual. I have yet to use the Limited edition black mascara, but I have looked at the brush applicator and it's a thick one so it is the type I usual go for, so I will probably get around to using it at some point but I do love my usual mascara a lot so I don't know when that would be. You get two eye pencils, in black and coffee, I've only used the black one but it was easy to apply and the colour was bold and didn't run/fade like others I have used in the past. The Limited edition metallic eye cream can be used as a eye cream as the name suggests but also as a highlighter, though it has a slight gold tinge so I personally would only use it as a highlighter for nights out. Lastly the Limited edition gel liner, I don't know if I would use this as I am too in love with my Rimmel glam eyes liquid liner as it's so easy to apply and lasts all day, but I suppose when I run out I'll give it a go but I think I would need to buy a thinner brush to apply it with.


You also get an Eyelash curler and a Pencil sharpener, I've yet to use either of these so I can't really comment on them. I don't really use eyelash curlers as I had a bad experience with one once where it sliced all my eyelashes off from one of my top eyelids and so I've not trusted them since. As for the sharpener I 'm sure it works perfectly well but I have several around my room and in my bag so I don't think it will get used extensively.



I adore the range of colours you get in this collection! The eye shadows are actually taken from the Metallic toffee trio, Funfair, Peepshow eye palette, Vengeance trio, Style Queen, Spirit, Regal and Mardi Gras sets (quoted from the back of the box) so far I've used the pink, white and grey/silver shades, the colour transfers really well and you don't have to apply much to get a bold, bright colour, I can't wait to try them out more and find loads of amazing combinations! As for the lip gloss the shades you get are Peachy, Pink Ice, Fuzzy Yellow Petal, In The Nude and Very Berry, I wore Very Berry today and only had to apply it once and the colour lasted all day, I even ate and drank and the colour didn't falter in the slightest and kept it's vibrance, I was really impressed. I tried the Limited edition bronzer but for me it was a bit more shimmery and gold than what I was used to, so I went back to my usual bronzer, I'll have to try it again another time though as I don't really have an opinion yet. Finally the Blusher in Bramble Frost, again another product I have yet to use, but I will definitely be using this in the spring when I want a lighter pink glow, as at the minute I use a deeper berry shade for blusher with it still being winter.

Overall I was really pleased with this purchase, well worth the money! There were a couple in the store I went to so if you're lucky they may still be in stock, I highly recommend this collection, everything is of high quality and there isn't really anything in it that won't be used at one time or another.

Keep smiling!
Birds in Blossom x

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Liebster Award


LiebsterAward
So I've been away from my blog for a few days for one reason or another and when catching up on comments on my blog I see I've been nominated for the Liebster Award! Ok, so I admit it I didn't know what that was but I went to Elle Tres Chic 's Blog, who was the person lovely enough to nominate me, to see what this award actually was. Turns out, it's for newer bloggers who have under 200 followers and it's a way to discover new blogs and also spread the word of your own blog at the same time. A great concept if you ask me!
As for the the Rules...

- Mention the person who nominated you with a link to their blog.

- Answer the 11 questions provided by the person who nominated you.

- Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers.
- Create a new set of 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
My Nominees!
Elle Tres Chic 's Questions!
1. Where is your favourite place to find beauty products?

Honestly? Just in the local Boots, I'm not a big brands girl when it comes to make-up/beauty things and tend to try and find products that work well for me but are still reasonably priced!
2. What do you find hardest about blogging?

At the minute, it's definitely posting regularly! University work and other things keep cropping up and taking away all my blogging time, but hopefully I'll get into the swing of things a little better soon and if needed schedule a few things to keep myself on track.
3. Describe yourself in 3 words

Quirky, Creative and Sarcastic.
4. If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?

How boring would I be if I said pizza? I'm going to say pizza anyway, I just love the stuff!
5. Are you a summer/winter/autumn or spring kinda girl?

A hard one! I love changing my style to match the seasons, they are all so different but I suppose I am a sucker for my dresses and the best season to flaunt them is summer!
6. What has been your proudest achievement on your blog?

I'm not sure, each follower is a huge achievement for me! I didn't expect anyone to ever read my blog so it was a pleasant surprise to even get one follower!
7. What is your favourite item of clothing?

I love dresses, especially my skater dresses, they can be dressed up or down for any occasion!
8. Who is your favourite YouTuber?

I don't have a stand alone favourite, but some girls that I really admire are Zoella, Sprinkle of Glitter, Tanya Burr and Albinwonderland, and that's just to name a few.
9. What is your favourite fragrance?

Jimmy Choo Exotic of course!
10. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

Hmm, definitely my self-confidence, I need to just let myself be happy for who I am more often!
11. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

My blog is just an extension of myself so I like just being able to write about what I want, whenever I want. It's just a fun thing for me to do and I hope I'll be able to keep it up!
Questions for my nominees:
1. Do you have a celebrity style icon? (If so who?)

2. What's your favourite accessory?

3. How would you describe your style?

4. Why did you start blogging?
5. What do you think you'll be doing in 5 years time?
6.  Do you like your blog name? (If not, what would you rather it be?)
7. What's your favourite nail polish, colour and brand?
8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
9. Do you prefer online shopping or actually going to the stores?
10. Who's your favourite blogger?
11. What's your favourite colour to wear?

Thank you again to Elle Tres Chic for being a sweetheart and nominating me, you should all go check out her blog!
Keep smiling!

BirdsinBlossom x