April 2014 Favourites!

With Spring officially here and the sun shining more, we are already quarter of the way through 2014. This month I've been so busy working but with a few bank holidays and Easter happening it has also been nice to have a few days for rest and relaxation. Here are the products and things which have made April awesome.

Beauty/Makeup

Revlon Colorburst Balm:

Whilst I was out shopping with two of my friends at the start of the month, we realised that Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on all of their makeup. After deciding to buy three lip products, one of my friends recommended to me the Revlon colorburst balms which I had never used before. I actually ended up buying two of them and ever since I have loved using them. I bought two matte shades, one pink and one deep red, and they look amazing. They also smell like mint which I was surprised at when I first got them but since then I have loved the scent. They are great if you are looking for a crayon- styled lip product which hasn't got the common sweet vanilla scent to them. The mint in these makes your lips feel so fresh and hydrated and is certainly a nice change. 

Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick:
As well as the Revlon balms I also picked up a lipstick from the Maybelline Colorsensational range. I had previously picked up two others and loved them so much I wanted to expand my collection. These lipsticks are so pigmented, hydrating and they have a lovely range of colours. I personally find it quite hard to find a red lipstick that I think suits me and in this range I think I've fallen in love with all of the reds. I've even got my eye on a coral shade for the summer which is something totally different to what I would usually buy. These are also so affordable and the packaging is amazing. The tube is a different colour plastic depending on the shade of lipstick you buy and are similar to the Revlon ones in terms of packaging although I am yet to try them.


Sleek Au Naturel Eyeshadow Palette:
My final makeup favourite is a product that has been kept away in my drawer since January. Before using this product I was going to invest in some new decent eye brushes as I thought it would make the end product better. Oh how I regret waiting this long to use this product. It is the Au Naturel eyeshadow palette from Sleek. I've still not got any new brushes but I decided to try using the palette with my old ones and I have been loving the results. The palette I got is a mixture of both matte and shimmery shades, all of which are wearable everyday and in the evening time. I plan on writing a full review on this palette because it has changed the way I do my makeup, especially when I am getting ready for a night out.

Fashion

New Look Heels:

As a treat to myself towards the end of the month I decided to buy myself yet another pair of shoes. However this time I was rather sensible and decided that I actually needed a new pair of shoes to wear on a night out because I actually don't have many of these in my wardrobe. When I saw these black suede platform sandals on the shelf I knew they would be coming home with me. They cost £30 and are actually surprisingly comfortable. I wore them recently on a night out and managed the whole night in them (which included dancing, stairs and walking to a nightclub down a hill from the pub) which is very good for me. They came off just when we were leaving the club because it would have taken around 4 hours to get home but I still call it a success. When they are fully broken in they will be even better!
Gap Checked Shirt:

This shirt from GAP  would have been in my December, January, February and March favourites purely because I have been wearing it so much since I got it for Christmas. I don't usually shop in GAP but picked this shirt up in one of their sales for just £14.99 (reduced from £30) and it is probably the most comfortable and best looking shirts I've bought. I love that it is long sleeved and I love the checked pattern. I probably won't get as much wear from it in the summer but when Autumn and Winter comes around again I'm sure it will make another appearance.



New Look Blazer:

My final fashion favourite this month has been my New Look blazers. At the end of last month I purchased a bright red one from New Look and have been regularly wearing it for both casual and evening occasions. It is of a great quality, with a cream lining and is a great shape and flatters my figure. I have loved this so much that I went back and bought the same one again in a mint green colour and these two have been the main thing that I've been wearing this month. I've found them to be so versatile, pairing them with plain tops and also printed logo tops as well. They also brighten up an otherwise dull outfit and with the sun shining a bit more they just make you feel happy and confident whilst you are wearing them. If the bright colours aren't for you, New Look are also stocking a navy version which is also very appealing.
Food/Drink

Sweet Potato Fries:
This month I have been absolutely loving sweet potato. Whenever I have been out for dinner, I have always scanned the menu for sweet potato fries and have ordered when they have been there. I've preferred them over ordinary fries this month and I'm hoping to make some home-made ones myself or use sweet potato more when cooking in my own home.
Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Ice Cream:
This month I have also gone through a stage of craving ice cream. In particular at the start of the month Morrisons had a deal on all Ben & Jerry's costing only £2.15 for 500ml. This was great because it usually costs nearly £5 and so it was a great bargain. I have been especially loving the half baked flavour, which is half cookie dough and half chocolate fudge brownie which has been very addicting.
Disarronno:
My final food and drink favourite this month has been Disaronno. This is an alcoholic beverage and so should only be consumed if you are of the legal drinking age but this has been amazing. When mixed with Coca Cola it tastes exactly like Dr Pepper and because of this it is so easy to drink too much of it. It has been my drink of choice whilst out too and also it is slightly more expensive than some of the other spirits it is worth it. Some places do make it extremely strong though so make sure you like the taste of Amaretto before you order one. Served best with ice and lime!

Music

The Vamps:
Ever since I discovered The Vamps on YouTube last summer, I have been regularly listening to both their original songs and also their covers. I especially loved their performance in the Radio 1 Live Longue and their cover of Jason Derulo's 'Trumpets.' They have also recently released their debut album and I'm looking forward to listening to it. I've heard a few songs from it so far and some of my favourites are 'Somebody to You' and 'Last Night.'
Radio 1:
I've been a big fan of Radio 1 for years now, but I went through a phase where I found I wasn't listening the station as much. However this month I've rediscovered my love for the station and have been regularly listening to the shows throughout the day. I've noticed that they play a lot of different music too so I've been getting into some music that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. My favourite shows include Fearne Cotton, Greg James, The breakfast show with Grimmy and Dan & Phil on Sunday evenings from 7pm.

Films/TV

Formula One:
The Formula One season is officially back and we are already 5 races into the season. I have loved watching qualifying sessions and the races once again although there have been some early mornings and falling asleep during races involved after being out the night before. With a huge change in the regulations and the introduction of V6 'power units' the field seems to be much closer together apart from if you are Hamilton or Rosberg in the Mercedes, which has won every single race so far. Hamilton has just wrapped up his 4th win in a row and has made British Formula One history by becoming the most successful British driver in history for the most pole positions. We are now moving into the European part of the season, which sees the drivers and teams visit some of my favourite tracks and I'll be excited to see if Mercedes can continue their dominance and whether or not McLaren can become more competitive.

Random

New Car:
When I started my new job last year, the first thing that I decided to save up for would be a new car. Although there is nothing wrong with my 2003 Ford Fiesta I just fancied a change and had my eye on one of the new Ford Fiestas for a while. Originally I wasn't going to buy a brand new car but as it turned out it was cheaper for me and more practical to take the plunge. I ordered the car at the end of March and have been so excited for it to arrive. I went for the colour 'Frozen White' and had privacy glass added to the rear windows and had parking sensors fitted to the back of the car because it wasn't going to affect the price of the car too much.

Ear Piercings:
Throughout the month of April I have been nursing and taking care of two new piercings. One Saturday me and my friends visited a local piercer and I decided to perhaps stupidly get three at the same time. I already had my lobes pierced once, but wanted them pierced again so had one in each ear followed by having my tragus pierced on my left ear. At the time it was painful and I almost fainted but now that they are healing I've found myself wanting more. I love my new piercings and definitely don't regret them.

 

February 2014 Favourites!

Throughout February I had been loving a variety of different things. Although slightly belated (with it being almost time for a March favourites) here are the things that I had loved throughout February.

Beauty/Makeup

Remington Pearl Ci95 Curling Wand:
Ever since my sister blew up my trusted Babyliss curlers at the end of last summer, I had been dying to find a new pair. With Babyliss not making the curlers I had before anymore I was forced into trying something different. After reading loads of reviews on many different products and deciding that £179 would be a lot to spend on curlers (sorry Babyliss Perfect Curl!) I opted for the Ci95 Curling wand from Remington. From amazon at the time they only cost me £16.95 and I've love using them. You can change the temperature on these and create both loose and tighter curls. What makes these even better is because it is a wand you can get the curls to start right near the root, unlike typical curlers with the clamp function. I've loved using them this month!

TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold (4) Hairspray:
This next favourite is something of an old, rediscovered favourite. As I've been using my new curlers recently I've found that I've been more hairspray as usual and I've gone back to the TRESemme Salon Finish hairspray, purely because it is so good. It makes my curls stay put all day and I've even found that my hair is still curly the morning after too. The spray also doesn't make my hair heavy or greasy looking and I'm glad I've started to use it again.

Dove Style+Care Heat Protect Spray:
A few months ago I purchased the Dove Style + Care heat protect spray and to be honest I've been in love with it since I first starting using it. If I had written a favourites post for December or January, this would have featured. The product itself is so lightweight on the hair and doesn't weigh it down or make it greasy. It also smells amazing and I always apply it before blow-drying my hair and I've noticed that the condition of my hair has improved!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub:
I recently reviewed this product because I have loved using it since the moment I brought it. It is the lip scrub in bubblegum from Lush and it has been a saviour for my lips. Costing around £5.95 it has been fully worth the price and I've noticed a difference in the condition of my lips, they have been less chapped and generally healthier looking.

Food/Drink

Chiquitos:
Very recently the Mexican restaurant Chiquito's opened in a town near where I live. Since trying it out on New Year's Day it has become one of my favourite places to eat. I love Mexican food so immediately I knew I was onto a winner and the food there is so delicious. The prices are also reasonable and the atmosphere is brilliant in there!

Music

Bastille- All This Bad Blood:
I have been a HUGE fan of Bastille ever since their debut album 'Bad Blood' was released. I made sure that I ordered it as soon as I could and absolutely fell in love with it. It is a big contender for the best album that I have ever listened to. After admittedly playing the album to death I was overjoyed when I learnt that they would be releasing a second part of the album called 'All This Bad Blood.' I pre-ordered this album and immediately put it on as soon as it arrived and it I safe to say I fell in love this this too. My favourite songs from the album change from time to time but I love 'Haunt', 'Laughter Lines', 'Poet' and their cover of 'What Would You Do.'
  Like the original album I have played All This Bad Blood to death, to the point that I had to stop listening to it throughout January. However this month it has been back in my car and just listening to it on my way to work makes me feel really happy. The next step is to try and see them live, and with them performing at V Festival in the summer, I really hope I can get tickets!

Films/TV

Criminal Minds Season 9 (Mon 9pm Sky Living):
Ever since my sister introduced me to crime series Criminal Minds a few years ago, I have been hooked. This program basically follows a team of behavioural analysts who work together to solve murders and is a bit similar to CSI. However, the show is now in it's 9th series which have started just recently on Sky Living (Channel 107) on Monday nights at 9pm and I have loved seeing my favourite characters on screen again. It seems as though each series has got better and better and it has really kept me guessing throughout. Love it! 

New Series of The Middle (Tues 9pm Comedy Central):
Another program which I have loved watching over the past few years is The Middle. Totally different from Criminal Minds, The Middle is a comedy program about a family of 5 and their day to day problems and situations. Very easy viewing and hilarious, you can catch the new series on Comedy Central at 9pm on a Tuesday.

New Series of Two And A Half Men (Mon 9pm Comedy Central):
The start of 2014 has brought a load of new series for a number of programs and another one is Two and A Half Men. Which I have also loved watching throughout January. Hilarious. Also on Comedy Central on a Monday at 9pm, which you may notice clashes with Criminal Minds, but thank goodness for Sky+ haha.

New Series of The Magaluf Weekender (Sun 9pm ITV2)
The final program that I have enjoyed watching throughout January is the surprise, surprise, new series of The Magaluf Weekender. I think I may have featured this program in my October favourites, but it is back again and better than ever with a new rep and even more drama between the reps! Unfortunately the program has now finished, but I think it is returning in the summer for a new series! 

Random

Bingo:
This month I went to my first ever proper bingo night, where I gambled actual money in attempt to win even more money for matching numbers in a line or by getting full house. This is strangely addicting and I can see why many people spend hours in there. So far I've won £20 so that's not too bad
Quiz Nights:
Since early October I have been attending a quiz night at a local pub on a Thursday evening with friends from work and it has been a lot of fun. Basically you are in teams and each person pays £1 to play. That money then becomes the jackpot (usually around £50) and then you play a family fortunes type quiz where you are asked 10 questions and expected to think of the 'top answer' (worth 2 points) and then four other answers (worth 1.) At the end, the team with the highest score wins and then has to pick one of about four envelopes containing different prizes. If the jackpot isn't picked it then rolls over to the next week until it gets won which means that the jackpot can get really high.
Formula One Winter Testing:
With the 2014 F1 season starting in a matter of weeks, throughout Feb I have enjoyed hearing about and reading about the testing that the teams have been going through. I also loved watching all the teams unveil their title contenders and it has made me even more excited for the start of the season and the end of the 4 month break from the sport!

That's just about everything that I've been loving this month!

September Favourites

So it's that time again. September is over and we are getting ready for the Winter months. Although I haven't been particularly loving the colder and wetter weather this month, I've had a whole load of beauty, fashion, food and random favourites that I am about to share.


Food/Drink:

Coffee-mate by Nestle & Nescafe Gold Blend Coffee

During the colder months I tend to start drinking more hot drinks and I'm a huge coffee lover. I featured an iced frappe in my August favourites, but this month I've been loving the classic cup of coffee. In particular I've loved the Nescafe gold blend as it is so rich and full of flavour. It also smells and tastes delicious, and can be brought from most supermarkets.
  Alongside my coffee I have been loving this little gem from Nestle. It is called Coffee-mate and you put two heaped teaspoons of this into your coffee instead of milk and it gives you a lovely creamy coffee. Absolutely beautiful. Again, you can buy this from most supermarkets although I think it's pretty pricey.



Nature Valley Granola Bar
This isn't so much a new favourite, but I have rediscovered these granola bars over the past month. They come in loads of different flavours, with my favourite being the Canadian maple syrup. They are brilliant for just chucking into your handbag and enjoying as a snack if your out and about and I admit that I've naughtily had one of these for breakfast on some occasions. You get 6 of these packets in a box, and each packet includes two bars and you buy these individually as well.

Mexican Food

Throughout the past month I have been addicted and craving Mexican styled food. This has included everything from burritos to fajitas to nachos and I've loved cooking this type of food as much as I have eating it. My particular favourite has been to cook up a beef chilli with kidney beans and then add it to some peppers, rice, sour cream and guacamole in a tortilla wrap. I've found if I go out for a meal I have been looking straight for any type of Mexican food as well, so it has been a bit of an obsession this month.



Makeup/Beauty Products:

Benefit make-up bag
In my September wishlist I wrote about how I was in need of a new makeup bag. Whilst I was tidying my bedroom a few weeks ago, I found this makeup bag from Benefit which I've had for a few years but never used. It is much bigger than my old makeup bag and I can now do it up which makes it much easier for when I take it in my bag with me. I wasn't sure whether I would like the fact that it is clear but I've found as you can see all the products through the bag you can find your products much quicker and easier and I now really love it. I'm sure you can still buy similar products from Benefit and eBay could be a happy hunting ground if you are looking for something similar.

Sleek Blush in Flamingo

 This has probably been my best purchase throughout the month of September. After eyeing the collection of blushes on the Sleek website for the past couple of months I finally brought one and I have loved using it. I've got the shade called 'Flamingo' and it is really natural looking pink once applied to the cheeks. However it is important to remember that these blushes are super pigmented so you don't need a lot of product and a little goes a long way. A huge bonus to this blush it that it only cost me £4.49 so I can imagine myself expanding my collection. Depending on where you live, you can pick these up in Superdrug or alternatively from their website.



Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in 08

I have really been loving the Kate Moss lipsticks by Rimmel and although I am rather late with jumping on the bandwagon, I am glad that I've brought these. In particular I have regularly wearing the shade 08, which is a lovely pinky/nude colour. I've found these lipsticks to be really hydrating and although I'm still not sure whether or not I like the scent of them, they are so affordable at around the £5.49 mark. 

Games:

Candy Crush

I was a huge fan of Candy Crush when it was first released. At one stage I was literally obsessed with it and both myself and my friends would play it continuously. Then after a few months the novelty wore off and after being stuck on one level for a ridiculous amount of time I stopped playing the game.
  However, one day at the beginning of the month I was going through the apps on my iPad and rediscovered the game. I thought to myself I would have one quick game to waste some time and this has turned out to be a huge mistake. I am now once again addicted to the game and I am determined to catch up to the levels my friends are on. I'm only on something like level 126 and there are about 400 levels now so I don't think I will ever be able to finish it. The best thing about this game is that it is totally free, apart from you have to wait for extra lives when you run out of the initial 5. You can also purchase special power-ups to use during gameplay but I've never used this feature.

                                            

Dots

Another game that I've been addicted to this month is called dots. This game is very simple in that you are given a grid of different colour dots and you have to join them together by colour without moving diagonally. The more dots you connect, the more points you score. You earn 'trophies' after achieving certain things such as 100 points or by making a square out of the dots, amongst other things. There are two main game modes that you can play. The first is a timed mode where you have 60 seconds to get as many points as possible. You can also play a moves mode where you have 30 moves to get as many points as possible. The game itself is very simple, yet strangely addicting and when I first started playing it I didn't think I would become obsessed, but there is just something about the game which makes it appealing. This is a free game as well which is an added bonus. You earn points which allows you to purchase power-ups just from playing the game, but you can also purchase these as well.

  The three power-ups consist of stopping the clock for 5 seconds (in timed mode), removing one dot of your choice and removing dots of a specific colour. These can only be used once a game though.



Fashion:

Over-sized/Baggy tops
At some time in August I went on a shopping trip and got two tops from H&M. One was a plain white rolled short sleeved t-shirt and one was a burgundy and grey marl baseball type top. Both of these are oversized and I have been absolutely loving these two tops this month. I've been wearing them alot with leggings and so now I'm trying to go back to wearing different things. They were £7.99 and £6.99 and are so comfortable that I will be getting some more in different colours as they are so easy to wear and incorporate into an autumn or winter wardrobe. 

Purple Converse
A few weeks ago I was going through my shoe collection and realised that I had been rather neglecting my purple converse. I do sometimes find these shoes hard to wear because of the colour and whilst I have been wearing more plain white tops I've embraced my converse. I probalby won't wear them as much when the weather gets colder though as they don't keep my feet very warm, but I'm still wearing them as much as I can. 

Hollister Hoodie
During the summer, all my jackets and hoodies go into my wardrobe and are rather forgotten about. You know when it is autumn/winter when these come out of the wardrobe and this month they have reappeared in my life. I had totally forgotten that I brought a hoodie from Hollister last winter and so I've been wearing it a lot this month. It is so warm and because it is a zip-up I can still wear it when it is slightly warmer yet still a bit chilly. They are expensive at about £50 each, but they are a good investment and keep you really warm!

Music:

The Vamps
Having been subscribed to this band on Youtube for quite some time, I am always listening to any new covers of songs that they upload. The Vamps are a band consisting of four boys, and I have been particularly loving their cover of Miley Cyrus' 'We Can't Stop.' I actually prefer this version to the original and would highly recommend people checking it out. They've also released their first ever single called 'Can We Dance' which I have also been listening to on repeat this month. It is a really fun and energetic song, and just makes me feel happy whenever I listen to it. 
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtGdOn3XSNWVK54P13jDoCg

OneRepublic: Native
Who would've thought that OneRepublic brought out a new album in March?! I cannot believe that it has taken me until September to realise that they've released a new album and I regret not discovering it sooner. It all started when I was watching a friend's uni tour video on Youtube and she used their single 'If I Lose Myself.' I then found the entire album on Youtube and I was hooked. I then ordered my own copy from play.com and since then it's followed me everywhere. I've listened to it in the car, in my room, on my iPod; everywhere! 
   This album is completely different to some of their old music such as 'Apologize' and 'Stop and Stare' but in a good way. The album has a mixture of slow and upbeat songs and I can honestly say I love almost every single song. I highly recommend if nothing else you give this album a listen and you will not regret it!
Films/TV:
Rush:
By far this has been the best thing I've watched this month. I patiently waited until the film was being shown in my local cinema (which is much later than the release dates of films) and absolutely loved the film. The film was sold to me once it was announced it would be based on the rivalry between two of F1's greatest drivers and World Champions, Niki Lauda and James Hunt. However, you I don't believe you have to be the biggest fan of F1 in order to enjoy the film. Everything about it was simply amazing, from the way the movie has been directed, to the storyline and the brilliant acting from Chris Hemsworth (James Hunt) and Daniel Bruhl (Niki Lauda.) I seriously recommend this film!

One Direction: This Is Us
I have to admit that I do listen to One Direction's music and they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. Along with 2 of my other friends we went along and saw the movie and we all loved it. I'm not a hardcore One Direction fan, but I did think the film was good. The quality was amazing and it just shows you their story and how they've got to where they are now. We also see bits that fans wouldn't usually see and it is a good insight into their lives. Without giving too much away in case anybody hasn't seen it yet, they show you parts of concerts and the quality is so good that it feels as though you are actually there at the concert. Overall I was really impressed.

Through the Keyhole
Saturday night TV has a new addition. Keith Lemon is back on our screens not only with a new series of Celebrity Juice but also a new show called 'Through the Keyhole.' Basically he hosts a programme where a panel of celebrity guests try to guess whose house Lemon has visited. As viewers we are shown round celebrity houses and its really interesting to see what they look like. Some celebrity houses have included Olympic medallists Greg Rutherford and Louis Smith as well as other celebs such as Kerry Katona and members of boyband Blue.