Spend or Splurge? - Coffee Shop Ramblings

Every now and again i find myself lusting after an incredibly expense item that i feel i must have in my collection, from the £700 Alexander Wang bags and the £50 Nars eyeshadow pallets to my £5.03 and hour job, its not always realistic. It comes to a point where i consider giving up meals out and my bus pass to try and afford these things but i always see sense in the end. Well, kind of. 

Typical..

After a long day out scouring the stores for deals and offers to share with you guys, i decided to settle down in costa with my usual Belgian Chocolate Cooler and Chocolate Twist and began sorting out my work for the day. Costa is one of my favourite places to be because its so relaxed and i really feel valued as a customer there, but also because of some of the things i hear other people talking about. I usually hear the conversations between adults and work, and teens and their boyfriends but now and again i hear something i can completely relate too. In this instance, a young woman was debating about whether she could afford the newest iPhone and whether she needed it or not. I then heard a couple of remarks about how could i afford a Macbook Pro when i 'couldn't have even left school' but lets not talk about that. 

A little while ago my phone screen got smashed and since then I've been toying with the idea of getting it repaired or just getting a new phone ready for when my contract runs out next April. Being nearly 17 I'm also having to put up with the idea of learning to drive and saving up for that, as well as the phone i want. But wheres the justification in spending £500 on a phone? Sure on contract it looks a lot better, nicer but wow. Anyway, heres my thoughts on saving up for a big purchase.

1. Do you really want it? I know sometimes you see something and you're like 'I must have that", but s it something you actually really want? I constantly find myself wanting things at work and buying them only to have them stuffed in my wardrobe never to be seen again. Recently I've started leaving things at work on hold, and then if i still really want them the next day or a couple of days later i go in and buy them and if not, which is normally the case i just let work know i dont want them. A lot of purchase are made on impulse so doing this saved myself a lot of money and also stopped me ending up with a wardrobe full of clothes i dont even wear.

2. Will you use it? I know that £700 bag looks nice, but its shocking pink what will you be able to wear it with? If I've gotten past the last step and still want the item, i then ask myself what it'll be used for. Ive been lusting after a bright pink bag for a long time now and recently saw an amazing dupe for just £30 so of course i bought it. Its not that i didn't like the bag, in fact i loved it, but i didn't have any outfits it really went with, and i found it quite difficult to pair up. I know this isn't an issue for a lot of people but for me it is. Im incredibly glad i didn't end up spending all that money on something i wouldn't have used! 

3. Can you afford it? This is probably the most important point for me, because i do earn only a little and enjoy buying myself and my boyfriend little treats. If i save up, is theres something else that would be more useful and more practical than a bag? Such as that DSLR you've always wanted which will also help improve your blog. Or that iPhone, do you need the most expensive model or could you settle with the less expensive one? Will you still want it by time you've saved up? These are all important questions and ones i ask myself whenever i dont know if i want something or not. 

This is a bit of a different post to what i normally and i know its very wordy so I'm sorry, but being a beauty blogger i find myself constantly buying things and sometimes i do need to sit down and reevaluate what I'm buying. I hope this post has been of some use to you guys and maybe even a little insightful. Hope you're all having lovely days!

Barry M Silk Nail Effects

Barry M nail polish is a staple in any teen girls bedroom, from their range of nail polishes to their cosmetics theres certainly something for everyone. Barry M is a brand i love and their nail polish formulas are just about spot on, so when i saw they were releasing a new range i got absolutely giddy. My boyfriend was less than enthusiastic to say the least, apparently 50 Barry M nail polishes is enough…

Excuse the horrible quality, i couldn't find anything decent anywhere! 

"Take the glamour all the way to your fingertips with Barry M Silk Nail paint. Part of a collection of pretty pastel shades inspired by nature" … "a beautiful, luxurious matte sheen to add the perfect finishing touch to your look.

It is recommended that you apply a base coat before applying the wide range of stunning shades available in the Barry M Nail paint range." 

So matte, pastel nail polishes? At first glance i thought they were metallic but i can't wait to get my hands on these, I'm certainly a sucker for pastels. The shade range is perfect for spring with all the pastel trends that are going on, and won't look out of place with the monochrome trend either. I haven't been able to find much detail on them but they'll be launching in Superdrug stores on February 12th for £3.99 and i have also been able to find traces of them on the Boots and Tescos website but they are currently unavailable. I think these are such a lovely range of nail paints and the colours and design on the bottle is absolutely adorable, the little gold bow on the lid really tops it off. 

I can't wait for the 12th so i can get myself down to Superdrug and get my hands on these beauties! Will you be buying these, or are they just not for you? Hope you're all having lovely days!

Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara REVIEW

Hello there everyone, so you've probably realised by now that I'm a huge Soap & Glory fan since buying the 'Yule Monty' set, and here i am with another review today! Im very fussy when it comes to mascara as i have very long, dense eyelashes and any bad points are instantly emphasized. I was a bit wary of this mascara because I've heard incredibly mixed reviews on it but here i am to share my opinion! 

You can pick this up in Boots for £10.

The packaging for this mascara is rather plain and boring for a S&G product. Its essentially a slim black plastic tube with the signature S&G pink writing on it, nothing special. It has a screw off top and its rather small so is ideal for putting in you everyday makeup bag as it won't take up as much room as some other mascaras do.

The mascara wand itself is rather large and 'in your face'. It features a spiral brush and holds a lot of product on it. I found that due to the size of the brush it was quite difficult to use and i ended up getting product on my lids and under my eye quite frequently. It also took quite a lot of practise to get the mascara to spread evenly. 

I think the formula is fairly good and pretty much sport on. Its not too runny or dry, and applies quite well once you get the hang of the brush. Its definitely one of the better drugstore mascara formulas i've seen.

Overall i find the mascara to be great, I'm just annoyed with such a large wand as it makes the mascara quite difficult to actually apply. Ive found this makes my eyelashes look a lot longer, thicker and more volumised, however if you overdo it you get very thick clump eyelashes. Using this is quite hit and miss as to whether it'll look nice or not, its incredibly easy to put too much product on but when you get it right it looks amazing. Its one of the products ill keep in my makeup bag along with another mascara just in case of an emergency. I certainly haven't given up on it yet! 

Do i like this product? Yes, when it works. Would i buy this again? For £10, probably not. Id rather find something that works a little more consistently.  What do you think of this product?

Keep It Simple - FOTD #1

Its a lazy Sunday and quite honestly my favourite day of the week! I normally spend it at home or working, but thankfully I'm not working so a relaxing day it is! We always have people over on a Sunday so its not like i can just chill in my PJ's all day with my hair on top of my head in a bun and last nights makeup all over my face. Instead i have a simple, everyday look that is so quick and simple to apply.

After washing my hair and face, i tend usually not to use any form of primer or moisturiser on my face. Instead i apply the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder all over my face. I have it in the colour 'Sandstorm' as i feel it adds a little extra glow. My eyebrows i tend to leave au natural as i dont really want to be fussing them around if I'm not actually going to be seeing anyone. Next we move onto my eyes. My typical 'go-to' mascara is the Maybelline One By One Express Mascara and i normally use this as a base because it makes my lashed longer and more volumised but with it running out it doesn't make them too much more defined so i do a second layer with Seventeens Superlash Mascara to give them a bit of extra colour and definition. Then for my eyeliner i used the Bourjois Liner Feutre to do a faily think line along my upper eyelid, i think it looks really simple yet adds an extra bit of well, it just adds a bit extra, dont you think? For my lips i just use Baby Lips in Pink Punch so its a little bit moisturising yet theres some colour there as i dont want to be faffing around with lipstick all day! For my hair i just put in into a centre parting and tie it into a low messy bun and secure with about a thousand bobby pins, its pretty loose so just feels like a lovely comfy hairstyle for the day!

So this is my lazy day makeup, whats yours like? Leave me a comment letting me know, are you like me and apply a little, or do you brave the family with the pineapple hair and PJ's look? Hope you all have lovely Sundays! 

Sexy Mother Pucker REVIEW

Hello there everybody, so today I'm doing a review on the marmite of beauty products, the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Extreme Plump XL lipgloss. What a mouthful. Due to my spending ban I'm not buying any more products so I'm pretty much going through the 'Yule Monty' gift set, sorry! 

Excuse my nails, anxiety ruins them!(

Getting the right lighting is hard in winter:(

 This product comes in a squeezey tube with 24M of product. I got this in the shade 'Pink Out Loud' but they also do a 'Very Berry' and 'Clear' which i prefer, and they all retail for £10 in Boots. The lid and the packaging feel fairly flimsy which isn't common for S&G products so is a bit of a let down. 

Pink Out Loud has a peculiar chocolatey smell about it, at least i think its chocolate, and is a lovely pink colour. The formula is a little sticky but not unbearable, even for someone who doesn't like lip glosses, and it lasts on the lips for a fair amount of time leaving a noticeable plumping effect and a little tint of pink. 

This is where the product divides people though, after a couple of minutes there is a noticeable tingling sensation on your lips which can be uncomfortable if your lips are a little broken, or they're just sensitive. I personally quite like the sensation however i know it does divide a lot of people. 

Overall i like this project, I'm not incredibly excited about using it but it looks nice, feels nice and has a lovely scent, i just don't think it'll be my first choice for lip products. 

So, do i like this product? Yes. Would i buy this again? No, its a little bit expensive just for a lip gloss in my opinion. Have you guys tried this product? What did you think of the tingling sensation? 

Monochrome Madness - NOTD #2

Everyone is going bonkers for monochrome lately, including me. Having investing in a get dotting tools a little while back I've been absolutely in love with having polka dots on my nails, and seeing as my outfit was black and white, it seemed fitting that my nails would be too.

Excuse the shortness of my nails, and the raggedness of my cuticles. When i get uncomfortable i end up ruining my nails.

To make this mani i applied Sally Hansen's 'Hard As Nails' as a base coat followed by Barry M's 'Matt White' which isn't actually matte. I did two coats for this and allowed it to dry overnight as it tends to smudge quite easily. I then used one of Barry M's Matte nail paints in 'Espresso' to do the black polka dots, i used the matte rather than the glossy finish as i find it dries flatter on the nail. I did small dots on three fingers, ad then large dots on my accent nail and thumb.

I really love the way this looks and i know its not perfect but looks pretty good from a distance and thats good enough for me, and anyway painting short nails is really difficult. I can't wait for them to grow again.. 

I love doing posts like this, what do you think of them? Hope you're all having a lovely day! 

Weekly Roundup - Week 4

So this year seems to be flying by already, we're already onto our fourth week of 2014, how crazy is that?! My week has had ups and down, but it could've been worse. Its so weird to think that its nearly the end of January and only just over 120 days till my birthday! No I'm not counting at all.. Anyway, heres my week for you.

Top Row (L-R) - Walking to the bus in the pitch black, My photos from the train stations arrived, Scrubbing down my bedroom walls ready to be painted, A random hilarious file i found on my laptop.
Bottom Row (L-R) Selfie of my monochrome outfit, cartilage piercing sorted, mini haul photo, cosy evening in with Pandy!

To start this week i had my theory lesson at college on thursday for two hours. It was a little dull and didn't result in getting too much work done but it could've been worse. I then got the bus to work at 12, popped in to drop some stuff off then headed home where i settled in bed for the day to do my college and whine about the miserable weather outside and how my photos hadn't yet been delivered. Lets not mention that i only ordered them on wednesday night. 

Friday was pretty good if I'm honest, i woke up feeling really good as id been getting a decent amount of sleep for the past few nights and headed off to college a happy girl. We had a photoshop workshop scheduled for the day so that was really fun and made the day go so quickly. I got home at about 5ish and spent my evening doing my coursework. Im so boring aha. I also order a few pretty things from New Look as i had a 20% off code and can't wait for them to arrive! I'll hopefully be doing a mini haul post soon! I went to bed pretty early again which was nice.

Saturday was the start of my big bedroom clear out. Im redecorating to finally get the 'beauty blogger' room I've always dreamed of. aha no, I'm just sick of all my teddies and bright pink walls. 6 bin bags later and a very confused mum, and its finally clear. Now all we have to do is order the furniture and get the paint and we'll be well on our way to finishing my room!

On Sunday i began prepping my bedroom walls for painting by washing them down with sugar soap. Horrible, horrible stuff. I then went to work which was pretty standard and spent most of my evening finishing off my bedroom walls. I had a horrible nights sleep with grown pains in my leg, which made for a very grumpy Anya in the morning.

I started Monday very grumpy and lazy, but headed off into town to pick up my New Look order, more on that later, and grab a few bits and bobs. Ran into my college tutor as well which was interesting trying to explain why i wasn't at home doing private study. I also got my cartilage piercing changed after about 5 months of having a CBR without the ball! Oops! I then went home to my mums and my dad picked me up and took me to the stables, which was very cold and wet, but fun nonetheless. We then went back to my dads and watched telly for the evening and had a nice catchup!

Tuesday was okay. I had college and for the first time in ages it was actually light when i was walking to the bus stop, well, not light, but lighter. College was pretty average. We had a printing workshop which i left early and went home from because id finished everything i needed to do. The evening was pretty dull, i was really tired from getting up early and cosied myself up in bed watching films. Thank god for netflix. 

Today, wednesday, I'm posting this early as i want to spend the rest of my day writing new blog posts and doing my art seeing as i have a day off. I found out this morning that i had been nominated for a Liebster award and did my post on that. Im still chilling in bet as well and its just turned 12. I should probably get up soon but oh well.

So this is how my week has gone, how has yours been? Id love to know! 

LIEBSTER AWARD

I woke up this morning and checked my emails like i normally do, only to find a message from the lovely Chelsea over at Sea Of Ivy letting me know she had nominated me for a Liebster Award. What a fabulous way to wake up, eh? Only having a handful of followers and thinking nobody even knew about my blog this is such a huge honour and I'm so grateful. The award is given to new up and coming bloggers with 200 (i believe) follower or less. 

So creative, haha.. 

There are some rules to be followed with this awards and these are-: 

1. Post about the Liebster award and thank the blogger who nominated you.

2. Write 11 facts about yourself.

3. Answer 11 questions created by the blogger who nominated you.

4. Nominate 11 other bloggers with around 200 followers or less as the aim is to help people connect 
with more blogs (and get even more followers).

5. Write 11 new questions for your nominees.

11 Facts About Me

1. I love the beach, i live on the South Coast in the UK and you can find me down there pretty much every day when it gets a bit warmer.
2. Im studying Art & Design at the Arts University in Bournemouth.
3. I have an obsession with buying lib balms.
4. I hate wasting money on food.
5. I run an art blog, where i post all my free time work, GCSE work and college work. I also give advice.
6. Im new to the beauty scene and have very little makeup, but far too many mascaras.
7. I love fashion but have no style, one day i rock a dress, ballet shoes and cardigan, the next day i rock up in biker boots and a leather jacket. It varies.
8. I have a hamster called Hammy and she is giant.
9. I procrastinate. A lot.
10. My favourite colour is actually pink. Its just so girly and pretty!
11. Im terrible at thinking of facts about myself.

Chelsea's Questions For Me-:

What's the story behind your URL? I made a youtube for my art blog with the name "AnyaMayDesign" so thought it would be fitting to have a running theme through the names of my blogs. Anya is my first name, May is the month i was born and beauty is what this blog is about! Kinda..

Where in the world do you live? I live near Bournemouth, in Dorset on the South Coast of England.

Who are your top 5 favourite bloggers?
Gerry Leanne; of Floral and Freckled.
Kirstie of A Yellow Brick Blog.
Becky of Lipgloss and Lashes.
Maddy of Unstitched.
Kim of Kim Radley.

Beauty thing you absolutely suck at? Choosing the right shade of foundations if that counts? If not, probably winged eyeliner.

Any advice for new bloggers? (based on your experience) Just do what you love and if you enjoy it then the readers will find you!

Do you prefer savoury or sweet? I used to always love sweet things but I'm definitely more of a savoury girl now. Minus chocolate. Chocolate is always a winner.

Favorite thing about blogging? The freedom. You can post what you want, when you want. It doesn't have to be strict and monitored unless you make it that way.

Blog post you're most proud of? Probably my weekly updates, because i never thought i'd keep up with them. 

What are you listening to right now? Nothing, I'm sitting in my bedroom in silence, how boring! 

Who is your favourite fashion designer? I dont really follow fashion too much but my favourite designer is probably Marc Jacobs.

Most worn shoes? My flowery chelsea boots from New Look.

I nominate-:

WhatAbbyLoves
ThePerksOfMeg
ItsReneeAllen
TheFudgeCake
Natalie-Yasmin
BirchieBeauty
DaintyScribbles
KatieeMay
MissBeccaBeauty
FloralAndFreckled
BeautySpotxx

My questions for the nominees-:

1. How long have you been running your blog?
2. Whats your most treasured items?
3. Have you made any friends through blogging? 
4. Whats your most popular blog post? 
5. Do you have any pets?
6. What do you want to achieve from blogging/Why did you start this blog?
7. Whats your favourite beauty related item?
8. How do you like to spend your days off? 
9. Do you have any hobbies?
10. Whats your favourite item of clothing?
11. If you could dye your hair any colour right now what would it be? 

Have fun lovelies, hope you enjoy being nominated as much as i did!

The Body Shop Born Lippy REVIEW

Hello there my lovelies, son  i did my post the other day on called 'Blogging Blues' about the weather and what better way to follow it up than with a review?! I know what you're thinking.. yes there are plenty of other ways, but I've noticed more so this winter than ever before that my lips have been dry, chapped and sore due to the cold. Ive been struggling to find something that actually works on my lips until i came across the body shops 'Born Lippy' selection.

Flash, eugh.

I don't often venture into Body Shop, i was in fact looking for something for my mum on this occasion but i came across these little beauties instead. They're the Born Lippy lip balm pots. When i bought them they were on offer; 2 for £3, so i obviously snapped up two of the raspberry ones. Raspberry is my favourite scent for things like this! Each pot contains 8.5g of product and although this doesn't sound like a lot you won't be running out of it too quickly as a little goes a long way! 

Only noticed this was slightly out of focus when i got it on my laptop, sorry!

Blurry, bleugh..

These photos are horrible, right?!

Let me start by saying the size of this is a godsend and you can pretty much fit it just about anywhere from your pocket to your purse. It has plastic packaging and a screw on lid but it doesn't look like it'll be breaking anytime soon. Also, with the sealed lid, the scent doesn't go anywhere any time fast. 

The scent and colour are amazing! This has such a sweet, sugary raspberry scent about it. Its definitely something i will never get tired of and it even makes me want to try the other scents, which although sound unappealing probably smell amazing! 

I am still unsure about the consistency of this lip balm, I'm not sure if its because its always been kept warm but its rather gloopy and can sometimes feel a little gooey when you put your finger into the pot. It applies to the lips well and you can instantly feel the effects of softer more hydrated lips. You can taste the raspberry a little but not enough to be noticeable. 

This is definitely one of those products i'll be keeping on me in case of a lip emergency as i love it so much and its just such a convenient size. It doesn't dry out my lips either so is perfect for this kind of weather.

In short, do i like this product? Yes. Would i buy it again? For £2? Definitely. Its a no brainer! Have you tried any of the body shop lip balms? What was your opinion?

The 'My First Time' Tag

Hey there everyone, so I've seen this tag going round youtube for a while now but because i dont do youtube videos i thought i'd do a written version. Ive come across a few now and i can't remember who tagged me, but as they did, i tag anyone who reads this! I dont normally do tag posts but i thought this was fun and seeing as Sunday is my day off of blogging normally, i thought i'd just do something fun! 

Do you still talk to your first love ?

Im still with my first love luckily! I had a couple boyfriends before but it was nothing really seriously, and certainly not enough for them to be called my first love but yeah. Im still with him and its great!

What was your first job?

My first job is again, something i am still currently in. I work as a sales assistant at Matalan, glamorous, i know. I got the job 2 months after my 16th birthday! 

What was your first car?

Im still 16 so can't actually drive yet, but I'm saving up to start learning in june and then I'm going to be sharing my mums Ford Fiesta Zetec! 

Who was the first person to text you today?

No one yet! *sobs* Nah, its only 10:30 and all my friends have sense and stay sleep until 12.. 

Who is the first person you thought of today?

I was trying to recall who was in my dream to no avail. Failing that, my mum because she brought me a cup of tea into my bedroom. 

Who was your first grade teacher?

Im pretty sure Mrs Evans was my Year 1 teacher, but i can't actually remember. Hmm.

Where did you go on your first ride on aeroplane? 

I went to Spain when i was teeny tiny and i went with my parents! 

Who was your first best friend and do you still talk?

Probably my cousin Jazz, were the same age so we got alone really well. We dont talk that much anymore though.

Where was your first sleepover?

Probably at Jazz's house, i can't remember. 

Who was the first person you spoke to today ?

My mother as she came and woke me up with a cup of tea. 

Whose wedding were you in for the first time ?

My uncles, i was a bridesmaid and i never want to go to a wedding again, it was so boring! 

What was the first thing you did this morning?

Try go back to sleep. 

What was your first ever concert? 

Green Day in London at the O2 arena in like 2009.. 

First broken bone?

My right ankle, it was more of a feature than a break though. 

First piercing ?

Just my ears, a pretty standard piercing! 

First foreign country you went to ?

Spain.

First movie you remember seeing?

The Winnie The Pooh movie, i think? Or the Tigger one? Essenially, the one where Tigger looks for all his family members and gets stuck in a tree in a storm. 

When was your first dentition? 

Never had one! I was good at school.

Who was your first room mate ?

Never had a room mate, fortunately.

What were the first lesson you ever took?

I did ballet. I regret doing ballet.

Who was the first person "beauty-related" you watched on you tube ever ?

Im pretty sure it was either MeganHeartsMakeup or HayleyIsTCB.

So this is my 'First Time' tag, if you decide to do it leave me a link and id love to check it out!