Bristol Bloggers Meet Up- February 23rd 2013- The Goodie Bag

 Yesterday I posted about how much I enjoyed the bristol blogger meet up organised by the wonderful Sasha and Alessia. Today i'm going to just run through the contents of the goodie bag which was absolutely full to the brim!

• Dr Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Hand and Nail Cream 
• Dr Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Night Cream 
• Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Day Cream 
• Skinetica Anti Blemish Lotion
• The Little Bubble Co Coconut Creme Bath and Shower Gel 

•  Glam Glow Youth Mud Satchet
• Xen-Tan Luminous Gold Gel
• Blinc Mascara
• Blinc Eyeliner 
• Vincy Moisturiser
• La Roche Posay Moisturiser 
• Metique tea tree oil sample pack
• Dermae Microdermabrasion Scrub 
• Dermae Vitamin A Glycalic Cleanser
•  Rodger & Gallet  Perfume Sample

• Nspa Hot Cloth Polish 
• Dr Hauschka Hand Cream 
• Insitu Cosmetics sample pack 
• Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask

•  The Vintage Cosmetics Company Lash Curlers
• Aromatherapy Gold Aroma Squeeze Me Energizing Stress Ball 
• Benefit Fine One One
• DGJ Berutti Oil 

• Gardenia of London Lavender and Sweet Pea Body Mist
• Make Believe Enhance Luminize Highlighter
• Head Full of Feathers Glittery pink hair bow 

As you can we we got aboslutely spoilt rotten by some incredible brands, my personal highlight was finding the Benefit Fine One One stashed in the bag as I was planning on buying it. I'm also really enjoying using the three moisturisers from Dr Organic and can't wait for my current cleanser to run out so I can use some of the nspa hot cloth cleanser.

A massive thank you to all the brands who contributed to the goodie bag and helped to make the event even more incredible than it was and a massive thank you to Sasha and Alessia for organising the whole thing and putting together such a brilliant bag. 

I will review the full sized products as I use them up and will let you know which of the samples and satchets I really like. 

Bristol Bloggers Meet- 23rd February 2013

Me | Clair | Carly - Frankie and Bennys, Cabot Circus. Bristol Blogger Meet Up

Last Saturday was a pretty magnificent day. Sasha and Alessia had worked their little bums of to create a really brilliant meet up in Bristol.

My day started at Cheltenham train station, I am not a train user at all but I decided to brave it as it was such a cheap journey. After a fairly non exciting trip, I arrived in Bristol with a couple of the other girls and we made our way to Frankie and Bennys. I had never been to a meet up before, so I didn't really know what to expect, but basically it was a whole load of really lovely beauty and fashion bloggers. We chatted about our blogs, blogger problems, new products and a whole host of other things.

Then Sasha and Alessia handed out the goodie bags, oh my goodness. It was better than christmas!

Everything in the photo was included in the goodie bag, the girls must have worked so hard to contact all the brands who were incredibily generous! some of the brands were: Benefit, DJG Oil, Nspa, Glamglow, Xen-Tan, The Vintage Cosmetic Company, Insitu Cosmetics, Skinetica, Dr Organic and plenty more. I am going to do a post just on the contents of this bag so watch this space!

They also did a couple of give aways with Nspa beauty boxes, congratulations to the girls who won!

We then all split off and went shopping, I was really after some new beauty products and picked up some nail varnish and lip liner in topshop, sleek blusher and barry m nail varnish in superdrug, elizabeth arden eyeshadow and collection concealer in boots and I had the best service in Lush and picked up a body moisturiser bar 'king of skin'- quite restrained i think! Reviews of all of these to come too.

We then all headed off back to starbucks for a coffee, a chat and a chance to look at each others purchases which was really nice. We stayed there for a couple of hours and I really didn't want to go home by the end of it, I was having too much fun!

All in all it was a really great day, Sasha and Alessia were brilliant organisers and all the girls that I talked to were really lovely and I am massively looking forward to doing it again sometime soon.

Thank you to Gina from Bristol Fashionista for letting me use her photo in the post (top photo, Clair, Carly and I). Being the worst blogger in the world I decided that I didn't want to carry my camera around all day!

Recently in Instagram- February 2013.

Firefly drinks are delicious | new makeup storage | veggie pizza from pizza hut is too good.

Doodling on my nails with eyeliner | worst dieter ever | cosy cardigan from Topshop

Carrying around dollars | jumping on the imadeface bandwagon | my gorgeous cambridge satchel

Celebrating the superbowl

My gorgeous Cat posing | and not so gorgeous me posing in new clothes | Payday boots haul

Such a beautiful campus | contents of the goodie bag from the bb_meet | a glass of vino before bed

Best Valentines Day card ever | new profile photo | Archies Girls haul

Now that it is nearly March, I am turning my back on Winter and all winterish things- so snow flurries bog off. The spring wardrobe is coming out and hopefully the sun will too. This year i'm feeling a strong love towards pastel shades for clothing and nails. Makeup wise I think i'll be ditching the eyeliner and going for it with the bronzer really quickly. I'm also going to have to revamp the diet because the extra weight still hasn't shifted and if I want to get the body out on the beach this year then I need to get cracking.

February was incredible, I had some really great roadtrips and met up with friends and made some new ones too! It can't get much better than that can it? I'm going to be all coy and leave it at that as I have a really special post to do in the next couple of days, which will give more insight into my weekend.

  

If you don't already have me on instagram and want to add me, me username is poppy839. What is yours?

A little shopping haul- Illamasqua, Topshop and Zara.

On saturday I went up to Birmingham to see my lovely friend Nat and to do a little bit of shopping, it was a bit spontanious and I didn't really have the money to spend but I really felt like I needed a treat and some time away.

First Stop... Illamasqua

I did plan what I wanted from Illamasqua, The blush up brush and the speckled polish. I'll review them both properly in the next few weeks but I am really getting on with them at the moment and think that both are worth the money. 

Next stop... Topshop

Ah, this is where I was a little naughty as I really didn't plan on buying clothes at all. Firstly I saw the disco pants, I'd seen some reviews for them where the thickness and the quality have been raved about. They're actually quite intimidating as they are so narrow on the peg. I did what I'm sure most girls did, I picked up a size bigger than normal as they looked so impossible to put on. I actually ended up buying a size smaller that I would normally go for as they are really stretchy and end up nice and skin tight whilst still being very comfortable.

I couldn't resist the little grey vest top, it's so cute and sits perfectly with the disco pants- showing about an inch of flesh. Beware, if you have boobs then you should go up a couple of sizes does run small and I was worried about a boob popping out from underneath. I prefer my crop tops to be a little bit baggy, especially with disco pants.

Lastly... Zara

 

I picked up a couple of comfy looking jersey tops from Zara, the cotton on both is so soft I just want to rub it on my face- they will be perfect for cosy days in.
The grey top has a quarter length sleeve with a dropped back and comes in tightly around the hips whilst remaining baggy around the middle- it reminds me of varisty and I think it would look great with skinny jeans and a pair of converse.
The orange top has shorter sleeves which are opened to the rib cage and a pleather rim around the colour. It has a dipped hem and is oversized. This would be perfect with a pair of heels and little leather boots.

That was all I bought- more than enough for one day I think!

Rihanna MAC collection

Today everyone seems to be talking about the MAC collection with Rihanna 'RiRi loves MAC' which is anticipated for a May release, with further releases over the summer to form a full collection. I wanted to add to the posts about the collaboration as I'm a huge fan of both MAC and Rihanna... but i'm not blown away by the press release photo, the only item i'm interested in is the stippling brush.

 I think that it looks a little... tacky? a friend of mine described it as something you would see in poundland. I wouldn't go that far but it does remind me of something that you could pick up for about a third of the price in boots, from the ranges aimed at the pre teens. MAC do seem to have a habit of making things look incredible in real life that look a bit rubbish on screen so hopefull it will look better. If I had envisioned what a Rihanna/MAC collection would look like- I would have thought there would be studs and lace and leather and sex appeal- not cute pink packaging.

As for colour, I imagine that there will be alot of deep shades, one of the lipsticks will be called 'riri woo' (which is a play on ruby woo obviously). The eyeshadows in the stock image look quite matteand neutral but hopefully there will be something with a bit of Rihannas personality in. 

With her River Island clothing line and now the MAC range, she is certainly doing well for herself at the moment- I just don't think that she is a decent role model and maybe not the best person to be the face of these projects. Clean up your act girl. 

So overall, I'm not exactly excited by this, but I wait with baited breath to see what new images released!

makeup storage

This photo is how I stored my makeup a year ago. I didn't store it basically. I hated putting things away so I just let it spill everywhere and it was all there (messily) in front of me for the next day. This photo is basically what made me decide to have a revamp as I just had too many nice products to chuck them everywhere. 

And this is how it is looking now...

Now it looks alot better, everything  has a place and it all lives in sections to make it easier to grab as I am getting ready in the morning. I have sectioned it using old glossyboxes, my favourite section is definitely the one with all my lipsticks and blushers in!

 My brushes are far cleaner now as they are kept in cups rather than scattered about to pick up bacteria. I have one for eye brushes and one for face brushes & they get a weekly deep clean. 

Lastly, all my bits and bobs are organised in more spare glossy boxes, its really nice keeping them like this as I can still see what I have and it is easy to grab but they don't fall of the side and get lost or end up spilling everywhere.

And that is how I organise everything, it isn't perfect but I really like the system as it is at the moment. 

How do you store your beauty products?

another beauty wishlist- february.

Happy Valentines Day all you lovely lovelies.

Now I'm a bit single at the moment so I can't get spoilt with champagne and chocolates (er, not that I ever have been anyway. whats a girl got to do to get fat and drunk midweek?) however, I can spoil myself with cute pictures of hearts and kisses amongst some beauty products I want  need.

Moroccanoil- this is quite simple, I've nearly run out. It is literally the reason people don't run away screaming when they see me and it could possibly be my best friend (I don't mean that).
Illamasqua Speckled Polish in Fragile- As featured on every beauty blog this month, soon to be featured here. I'm off to Birmingham on Saturday, no doubt it will end up in my life.
Nuxe Multi Oil- I'm quite lazy, I hate waiting for body cream to dry so this dry oil really suits my life and i've just finished a bottle so a new one needs to get back in my life.
Urban Decay Naked Flushed- I may be the only person to not want the naked basics palette, or the only person fed up of everything being branded as 'Naked'. But I do really want this, perfect handbag size I think.
Archies Girl Collection- Daddies Little Girl- I've bought far too much from this collection and I think that i'm going to have to buy this too- a beautiful pinky purple, I need this. Somebody stop me (don't bother trying, it won't happen).
Marc Jacobs- Dot- I love the bottle, I love the scent. What I don't love is the price, but I have a goal in mind and when I reach it I will treat myself to this.
Benefit Fine One One- this is another multi cheek product but it looks incredible so I'm going to buy it, oops. 

I firmly believe in love. I think that love makes the world go round and that is why on this valentines day, I am giving my heart to the word of cosmetics, my one true love. 

February Beauty Wishlist- Will you be my Valentine? 

I'll go now before I start crying about how nobody loves me and how i will die alone. Happy Vally Day!

MAC- Archie's Girls Collection- Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder

 Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder- Archies Girls Collection- MAC- £21.50

Now i'll let you in on a little secret, I saved the best until last.

Pretty much since the very first photos of this collection were released, way back in 2012, I knew that the one thing that I definitely had to get my little sticky paws on was one of the pearlmatte powders. The powders aren't grouped into the Betty/Veronica divide like many of the other products are but I think that Flatter Me is clearly Betty and Veronicas Blush belongs to Veronica. 

The product has a warm peachy base with deeper coral/pink hearts. They can be used as seperate colours, or (as I have been doing) swirled together to create a subtle shimmer of warmth. There isn't a great deal of colour pay off and I have read some reviews that that said that there is no pay off from the hearts, I disagree, as I can see the pink undertones coming through on my skin tone.

 Flatter Me is intended to be used as a multipurpose product- suitable as a highlighter, blush or eyeshadow, I am finding that on my skin tone it is best worn as a blusher, it is just slightly too deep to be worn as a highlighter. I think that the finish is very pretty and definitely helps create a flawless finish, perfect for a day when you just want to look all dewy and healthy. 

I am wearing Flatter Me with YSL Touche Eclat in Beige Rose, Benefit That Gal, YSL mascara, Benefit Browzings and Nars Laguna Bronzer.

So, I think that I have proven two things. One, that I really like coral tones (has anyone noticed that all my purchases from this collection have been coral) and two, that I am definitely a Betty (again all of them were from her side of the collection). I'm tempted by Veronicas Blush as I think that it would make a better highlighter for my skin tone but I'm going to hold off buying until I have read a few more reviews. 

Archies Girls Collection is exclusive until the 19th Feb to Selfridges. If you scroll down, I have also reviewed Cream Soda Blush and Betty Bright Lipstick.

MAC- Archie's Girls Collection- Cream Soda Blush

Cream Soda Blush- Archie's Girls Collection by MAC- £19.00.

The second of my purchases from the much anticipated Archie's Girls collection is the Cream Soda blush from the Betty collection. I'm a huge fan of blusher but I haven't ever bought a MAC blusher, surprising as I have only ever heard good things about them, but my MAC blush virginity has gone and is replaced with this beautifully sweet shade.

The packaging is just incredible, it's so cute and kitsch that my mum has already tried to steal it. With an image of betty on the front, it is clear that this shade is for the more girl next door look and the clear window means that the product is visable- perfect if like me, you end up opening loads of packaging before finding what you're looking for.

The colour itself is a lovely soft coral which blends out to a satin peach finish. It gives good colour pay off so be careful when applying, but it is easy to blend and and gives a photo finish warmth. In the pan it has a very slight shimmer to it but applies as matte, perfect to blend into a bronzer for that contoured look.

I can see myself wearing this shade alot especially as we start to get more into spring/summer where I prefer a glow to a flush on my face.

I am wearing this with Laura Mercier Radiance Primer, YSL Touche Eclat foundation in beige rose, Estee Lauder Double Wear in porcelain, Nars Laguna Bronzer, YSL Mascara, Benefit Browzings, Urban Decays Naked 2 and Maybelline Lipstick in Coral Pearl.

Have you bought this, are you considering it?
Archie's Girls is exclusive until the 19th on the selfridges website.