19 things before I'm 19.

I need a challenge - and this is it. Everything in my life has changed lately, I've left sixth form, I've got a new job and we're currently looking at moving house. It's all a bit manic. I really want this year to be a good year, I want to accomplish things and keep motivated. I've written myself a list of 19 different things I want to achieve before I'm 19 to help me so, in no particular order...

- I want to get more confidence when it comes to driving. I passed my test in October and have hardly driven since, not sure why, but now I've lost all my confidence and want to get it back.

- I want to be a more dedicated blogger. I've dabbled in it with various blogs for the past 2 years but this year, I really want to stick at it. I love doing it, I love the community and now I have a lot more time so... Stay tuned!

- I really hope to get my makeup career in motion, I've missed the application dates for this year but I want to build a portfolio with the time I have so hopefully I'll get accepted.

- I WILL run the Race For Life.

- READ READ READ. I love reading and this year I plan to do lots of it. 

(Via Pinterest)

- I want to start making Youtube videos that can run alongside my blog posts. 

- I'm going to join the bone marrow donor scheme in honor of Alice Pyne.

- I want to learn basic Italian. I'm going to Lake Garda in July and want to know some of the lingo!

- I really want to go to Harrods - I've never been! 

- I'm going to study Classics in my spare time, I left my classics course at sixth form (the only course I truly loved).

- I want to really enjoy summer (if we have one). I usually hate summer, it's weird, I know. I just can't bare being overly warm or just doing anything in the heat. I get really moody. 

- I want to be a better 'doggy mummy'. I love my dog to pieces but I feel like since I've been too busy to live for the past year, we've lost our bond. I want to get it back. Yes, I am a crazy dog lady.

- I want to figure out my style. I love clothing and fashion but I've never really been sure of my own style, I don't know what suits me - I want to find out.

- I would really like to have body happiness - I don't mean 'skinny' or anything like size related. I just want to feel healthy. My body has had a super tough 5 years and I want it to be reliable now, not faulty. 

- I want get fit, I want to be able to workout regularly without my body crapping out. 

- I want to make the most of being 18 and go out more. I'm such a home girl. I love nothing more then cooking dinner for my family and watching movies, snuggled on the sofa. I want to be a bit more proactive on the socialising front.

Some snaps of my recent outings...

- In late October, my boyfriend and I will be celebrating our 4 year anniversary and I would LOVE to go to Paris for a few days to celebrate. Spending ban starts now! (See below).

- Money is coming in more frequently now as I have a steady job and I could so easily just spend every penny I get. But that's a bit self indulgent so, I need to be a bit better with money management and saving this year.

- One of my favourite things to do with James (the boyf) is to watch movies and go to the cinema so I plan to do more of what I love this year. 

Whew! That's an awfully long list, but I'm so motivated to tackle it. I'll keep you posted.

Winter Favourites 2012-13

01. Laura Mercier Silk Crème Foundation   02. Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Eau De Parfum   03. Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask   04. iPad Mini 32GB Wifi & Cellular    05. Steam Cream   06. Essie Beyond Cozy   07. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

So Winter is drawing to a close again (apparently, though I doubt it) and this year I decided to keep a running list of all the things I was loving throughout the colder months. These are the items is longed for when my skin was dry, when I wanted to shake up my daily makeup or when I just wanted a pick me up.

01. I love this foundation! If I'm going out or just want a totally flawless base this is what I'll grab, It has a lovely texture and is very smooth and easy to apply (I use my Real Techniques Buffing brush to apply it). It has a medium-full coverage but doesn't leave the skin feeling caked - it can be applied sparingly which looks really lovely too.

02. This perfume is my favourite evening fragrance, its so deep and sweet but not sickly. It has notes of marshmallow, raspberry and vanilla - delicious! I'm terrible at describing scents but all I can say is that so many people asked me what I was wearing when I had this on.

03. If you look in my bathroom, you will see countless Origins products all used and loved. Out of all of my skincare products the Drink Up Intensive mask is my absolute holy grail item for when my skin is dry and dehydrated.

04. One of my favourite birthday presents of all time, I got this for my 18th birthday in November and have been attached to it ever since. It's so handy for watching Youtube videos, surfing social media and watching catch up television. Love love love!

05. I've gone through loads of Steam Cream since I got it for Christmas, I love it so much. It smells so natural and makes my skin feel so soft and hydrated. It's very reasonably priced too!

06. Beyond Cozy is one of the prettiest nail polishes I've ever come across, it's a beautiful silver colour with just a hint of gold. I loved wearing it throughout winter and I'm also looking forward to wearing it in the summer with Essie's Mint Candy Apple or Peach Daiquiri.

07. After owning both the Naked palettes I've come to the conclusion that 2 is the best for me. The colours are slightly more cool toned which suits my skin tone better (although there are a few warm toned colours in there too). I use this palette pretty much everyday, the shades are so wearable and blend together very well. Good all round product in my opinion!

What were your Winter favourites?

The 5 product face with Dr Jart+ Waterfuse BB Cream.

So I'm back from my short break and I'm feeling really good - totally motivated in life all of a sudden! I've completely recovered from my little disaster and I'm able to wear makeup normally again (thank goodness). What better way to celebrate than with a makeup post eh?!

Recently I saw a blog post from the lovely Vivanna Does Makeup in which she divulged the 5 go-to products that she uses to create her minimal lazy day face. I was totally inspired by the simplicity of it and thought I'd give it a go myself - well its safe to say that it's been my standard makeup most days since. This look is for those occasions where you need to be out the door quickly or just can't be bothered, it only takes me around 5 minutes but still makes me feel put together and dressed for the day.

 

My five product face currently consists of the Dr Jart+ Waterfuse BB Cream, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Benefit Posietint (as a blush and lip colour), Maybelline Falsies Flared mascara and MAC Espresso eyeshadow (as eyebrow colour and smudged into the lashline). I'm continually tweaking this lineup but this is what I happened to be wearing today. There are so many possibilities with this look, you could leave out the concealer and add in another eyeshadow to create a more defined eye or leave Posietint out and put in a bold lip - it's all up to you!

I'm going to Italy in July and I think this will be such a lovely summer makeup, especially with the Dr Jart BB cream. It's so light and just evens out any discolouration or small blemishes I have, I would definitely, wholeheartedly recommend it!

Do you have a simple 5 product face?