BEAUTY: Boots Haul #1

My intention of going into Boots were completely innocent today, I simply wanted a Meal Deal. However, I was weak when I saw that they had their 3for2 offer on. Some damage was made. Here's what I bought.

So, it wasn't that a big of a splurge, but I was on my dinner hour. I've needed a new powder brush for a while now, so decided on The Real Techniques Powder Brush. I've heard a lot about the brand from reading other beauty blogs, and I've also got some of the other brushes which I love and use daily, so I thought I'd give this one a go. I've yet to try it out, but as you can see I did take it out of the packaging immediately and, oh my god, it is so soft. 

(Swatches: Maybeline Colour Tattoo - On-and-On Bronze, Revlon Color Burst Matte Stain - Sultry, Seventeen Miracle Matte Concealer Stick - Extra Fair) 

Next up, was a repurchase of the Seventeen Miracle Matte Concealer Stick it does say new, but I think its simply been reformulated. I bought this is extra fair, because I'm incredibly pale and have been using this concealer for years. I basically use it as a base for my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I first started using this (or one very similar) when I was about 14 to cover the dark circles under my eyes and any spots. However, as I've gotten older the dark circles have gotten worse but my skin has cleared up a little. This concealer will stay in my collection for as long as they don't discontinue it, I went a while without using it but I love it too much to not keep repurchasing it. I like to use it as a corrector as it's a pinky/salmony colored concealer and finds it cancels out the dark circles under my eyes very well. I tend to use the Collection Concealer over the top if I need extra coverage. 

I was walking past the Revlon stand and saw that they had the new Color Burst Matte Stain lip crayons in. Revlon is one of my favourite brands when it comes to their lip products, I loved the lip butters and have previously used their lip crayons (both being products that I used daily). I went for the colour Sultry because it was one of the colours that I haven't owned before, it's a sort of burgundy/red colour (it looks more brown online), something that I usually stay away from. But the fact that it's matte appealed to me, as when at work I like something that I don't have to keep topping up all day. I did put this straight on after I bought it and really like the colour but obviously, I can't give a proper review on it so far. 

Finally, for the make up (I know I said it was 3for2 but that didn't stop me), I bought the Maybelline EyeStudio Colour Tatoo in On-and-on Bronze. This was actually bought for my mum, she had seen me wearing it and had  kept commenting on how much she liked it on me and kept asking what it was so I thought I'd treat her to it. I basically wear this eyeshadow everyday. Mostly, because I get up late or I spend too much time on Instagram whilst eating my breakfast and then have about 10 minutes left to get ready. It's cream shadow, which I personally like, it means that it lasts all day without needing any touch ups. It also takes about 2 seconds to put on, it blends well and easily but once it dries there's no budging it until you come to remove the makeup. I did purchase this after hearing EssieButton keep mentioning it on her blog and YouTube Channel. 

Lastly, on my shopping trip I got a small bottle of Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Concentrated Hand Cream to put in my bag. My hand's had been dry all day and were annoying me so this was a necessity and I think it was on offer. I tried it at work and found it very moisturising and looks like a gel

I obviously also picked up my Meal Deal and a lip balm which I left at work so couldn't photograph. Have you tried any of the products? What did you think? 

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MUSIC: Artist Vs. Poet - Love Back

What's that I hear? Artist Vs. Poet is releasing a new album? (*Runs around screaming for half an hour before getting told to shut up*).

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I have listened to this band since about 2009 when I first started listening to music that wasn't in the charts. My brother introduced them to me after he saw me liking bands like All Time Low, Forever the Sickest Kids and Mayday Parade. But unlike these three bands (in particular the first) I have never grew out of their music. Who doesn't like a music that's going to cheer you up? Joe Kirkland (the singer of the band) appeared on The Voice US (Season 3), which as a long term fan, made me very proud to see one of my favourite singers get through and getting support from the coaches. Their band deserves a lot more attention, in my opinion.

Today (Sunday), the guys previewed 'Love Back' from their upcoming album 'Sake Of Love' on YouTube, and I for one absolutely love it! The lyrics are quite sad and about wanting to win a girl back that the protagonist of the song has lost (hence the title). But what I love the most about the band is their optimistic approach to their music. 'Love Back' is incredibly catchy, not only the lyrics but the melody and beat of the song. Its more than likely that I will be caught humming the song at work. 

However, they have released much slower songs for example 'Where I'm Gonna Be' (check out the music video below) and 'Hang Around' which is one of my all time favourites of theirs. The meaning of the song is more evident and sounds sincere, which I love, especially if I'm upset. 

I, for one, cannot wait until their album to be released (March 4th).Their sound has changed a little, going from a punk/pop sound to more pop but it's Joe Kirkland's voice that captured my attention. Going by what I've already heard of the album, I can see me absolutely loving it. Check out their latest release below and their last music video.

What do you think? Have you listened to these guys before? 

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BEAUTY: Perfume Collection & Storage

My perfume collection isn't exactly small, but it's not huge either, and as a disclaimer this isn't me showing off I just wanted to show you how I store my perfume and what is also in my collection.

So, this is how I store my perfume. I know most people keep them on their dressing table however because I've got a few now it took up too much room in my already small room, and I'd sooner have my makeup easier at hand than my perfume. Plus I keep this by my door so it's easy to just pick one up as I'm heading out the door. I saw this hanging wall unit when Becca Rose (one of my favourite YouTubers who deserves much more recognition) mentioned it in one of her birthday presents video. However, when I popped into my B&M they didn't have it in stock. I did find the same one on Ebay, however it was double the price unfortunately (so definitely check out your local B&M first as it's only £14.99 there). 

On the top row I keep my Valentino Valentina perfume and my newest edition to my collection the Adam Levine Women's perfume. I bought the Valentina perfume for a treat at Christmas for myself (yes, I am one of those people who buys themselves a present, don't judge me :P). I haven't worn this a lot because I know I'll be guttered when it's gone. I find it quite a grown up scent and so tend to wear it on occasions or if I just want to cheer myself up. It's a floral scent which isn't something that I usually go for, but I really enjoy using this. The Adam Levine perfume is my most embarrassing one, (I did cringe and say it was a gift when I bought it). I'm not going to lie Adam Levine is my celebrity crush, but he's beautiful. I was actually surprised by how much I like this perfume, it's an easy every day perfume and when you think it's worn away, I found that I'd get another whiff of it, which I love. It is described as being a floral woody scent, I'm terrible with scents but it is a mix of floral and fruity if that makes sense, that may  be because of its citrus notes. Plus I love the fact that the perfume looks like a microphone.

On the shelf below I keep my Vera Wang Be Jeweled and Marc Jacobs Honey. Both of these were bought for me at Christmas. My brother and his wife kindly bought me the Vera Wang Be Jeweled, this is a very girly scent and is very fruity with notes of pomegranate, red current and passion fruit. My family know my love for Vera Wang especially her perfumes, from being about 14 I fell in love with her Princess perfume but sadly my parents decided I was too young for such expensive perfume. For me, this will definitely be a spring and summer perfume as it's light and fresh. Next up, Marc Jacobs Honey which my parents bought me for Christmas which was a complete surprise. This is my first Marc Jacobs perfume and it's safe to say that I fell in love with it. I had read a lot of reviews about this perfume when it was released and had wanted to try it, mostly because I loved the packaging which is just incredibly cute. I wore this constantly the first few weeks that I received this. It's a very fruity scent with notes of pear and apricots, but with floral notes also. This is probably the most different fragrance in my collection which is probably why it's my most loved of the moment. 

On the bottom shelf is my all time favourite perfume, Vera Wang Lovestruck and it's nearly all gone (*cries a little inside*). Now my other brother (I have four it's hard to keep up) bought this for me for my 17th birthday I think and this is all I have left. I've worn it lots and I had been eager to try it ever since I saw the adds at the time, Leighton Meester looked gorgeous. It's quite a grown up perfume again, but a very romantic fragrance, its another floral perfume - I think I have a favourite scent. As well as being romantic, I find it quite a sexy fragrance also, maybe it's just me. My favourite thing about this perfume (as well as the packaging) is that it lasts all day. There's nothing worse than a perfume that vanishes almost immediately. This perfume will most likely stay in my collection.

(Oh, hello, Primark bedding) 

I work in a Department Store and I'm not a massive fan of Rihanna but when I tested the Rihanna Nude perfume at work I wanted it almost immediately, but waited until after my birthday to purchase it. It's not featured on my wall because it's too tall to fit in the holes. I've worn this so much  since I purchased it last summer, it's an everyday perfume and a floral/fruity scent.I'm trying to use this up so I can pick up a smaller size so that it fits on my shelf. It's one of my favourites for everyday and I would seriously recommend this. I'm yet to test any of her other fragrances yet.

Finally, I have two body mists from The Body Shop. I have the Cranberry Joy and Pink Grapefruit. I love the smell of Cranberries and it's one of my favourite scents, unfortunately as you can probably tell from the packaging this is only available at Christmas. What I like about these body mists is that they're perfect to just throw on in the morning if you want a little something on but don't want to use one of your more expensive perfumes. I love wearing these in my hair (strange, I know) but they tend to last longer throughout the day and you keep getting whiffs of them throughout then. When I wear them on my skin they tend to wear off pretty quickly. I wear the Cranberry throughout the winter and the Pink Grapefruit is perfect for the summer as it's quite citrus-y. 

So there you have it, my very long post on my perfume collection. Have you tried any of these fragrances? What's your favourite perfume? 

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MUSIC: Cassadee Pope - I Wish I Could Break Your Heart

Its fair to say that I've been a HUGE fan of Cassadee Pope for forever now. I even based my Year 10/11 ICT coursework on her band Hey Monday which was four years ago now (wow time goes so fast).

(Sorce) 

When I found out that Cassadee was going to appear on The Voice US (Season 3) I'm not going to lie she was the main reason I started watching, her and Joe Kirkland (Artist Vs. Poet) but that's another story, I was really excited. I loved Hey Monday and I wanted to hear more of her and thought the show would do exactly that. 

She went on to win the entire competition which growing up listening to her music, made me very proud of her. She was incredible and sounded completely different to what I was used to. A year later she released her album 'Frame by Frame', and along with 'This Car', 'I Wish I Could Break Your Heart' was one of  my favourites, but I did pretty much love the entire album. The fact that she has now released this has her latest single makes me very happy. 

Her sound has completely changed from when my brother told me to check her band out, and although I do love her old stuff, her new material is amazing. Coming from Pop/Rock she's switched to Country, but her actual songwriting doesn't seem to have changed that much, she's still a wonderful story teller. I absolutely love the song for 'I Wish I Could Break Your Heart', telling a story how he can always manage to hurt her because she cares so much about him, however she can't have the same affect on him, because he doesn't love her the same.

The music video (premiered on Vevo yesterday) reflects the message of the song, showing Cassadee stood inside a giant heart, therefore implying that if she was in his heart that she could break it. I like the music video, but I was expecting something more. I wanted more of a story to be told with the music video and felt that it was a little too pretty and more beauty shots, but maybe that's just me. Check out the music video below.

What do you think of the song and video? Have you listened to Cassadee Pope before and what's your favourite song?
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MUSIC: Nina Nesbitt Peroxide

Two music reviews in one week, you lucky people. I've been looking forward to the release of Nina Nesbitt's album, Peroxide, for awhile now, just ask my friends I've been driving them crazy and my Twitter has simply been about Nina's release.

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On Nina's Vevo page you can now preview the entire album and all I can say is 'Peroxide' is perfect. I first discovered the Scottish Singer when I kept seeing 'Stay Out' popping up on Twitter and YouTube. Usually I don't bother looking at what it's about but this time I did. Honestly, I'm ecstatic that I did because she's turned out to be one of my favourite singer/songwriters.

It's difficult to place Nina's sound into a genre and maybe that's because she expresses so much of her own personality and character which is definitely evident in 'Mr. C' with tongue in cheek lyrics such as 'I've come to the conclusion you're quite fit, but I'm under no illusion that you're a dick'.There is something for everyone as Nina bears her heart with anecdotes of what she has faced within her life and a mix of pop, rock and folk.

For me, a love song is only brilliant when it gives you goosebumps, and all of her ballads did exactly that. In songs such as 'Align', 'The Hardest Part' and the brand new version of 'Hold You' featuring Kodaline. On each of these tracks it is clear that Nina is bearing her heart and soul, and whilst the songs are personal to herself they are easily to relate to (in particular, 'Two Worlds Away', I have definitely gotten drunk and cried over a boy, something I don't recommend girlies) as each of us  have fallen in love and been hurt in one way or another.

As well as the slow songs there are plenty of uptempo songs on the album with a more positive outlook on life and love with 'He's the One I'm Bringing Back' and 'We'll be Back For More' which demonstrate her more folky roots which I, personally, love. Furthermore, she shows her edgier side with rockier songs which show her pissed off with guys within, '18 Candles', 'Mr. C' and 'Tough Luck'. You will definitely find yourself dancing around your bedroom with your hairbrush to 'Peroxide' (and maybe getting yelled at by your parents, but it's completely worth it, right?).

Her leading singles from the album 'Stay Out' and 'Selfies' show harmless fun. 'Stay Out' perfect for reminiscing on those amazing nights you've spent with your friends and also puts you in the mood to go and act crazy for another evening with your closest friends. 'Selfies' descibes exactly why we all post selfies on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, to make it look like we're happier and that our lives are perfect than what they may really be. We all posts more selfies when we're annoyed with someone to show them what they're missing out on and that's exactly what Nina captures within the lyrics and her music video.

Preview the album here and watch her music video for 'Selfies' below.

'Peroxide' is available Monday 17th February. Are you excited for the release? What's your favourite song?
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MUSIC: Melanie Martinez - Dollhouse

As a huge music fan, I'm constantly looking for new artists that intrigue me and that are a little bit different from the everyday charts. Call me an Indie Kid all you want, I simply cannot help it. I discovered Melanie Martinez when she was on the US Voice (Season 3) and couldn't help but fall in love with her style, not only musically but her fashion too.

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Skip to just over a year later and she's finally released her first single, 'Dollhouse'. It's quirky and cool, everything that I'd expect from Melanie. However, the song was a complete surprise to me, I wasn't anticipating her to sound like this and I mean that in the most positive way.

The song portrays a family keeping up appearances to the outside world but behind closed doors their lives are far from perfect. A family which prefers to bottle up their problems rather than talk about them to each other. Its a completely honest account of how a family breaking down. The dollhouse being a metaphor.

I also enjoy the unnerving sound to the song with the chiming of clocks and her haunting voice, it intrigued me. The beat also gives me the image of a puppeteer playing with dolls (does that make sense? In my head it does).  Despite the song being completely different to anything I've heard before, the song is incredibly catchy and addictive. I've listened to it non-stop for the last two days. I cannot wait to hear more from this girl, such an amazing talent.

The music video is also stunning which I wouldn't expect anything else from this girl. Check out the music video below.

Have you listened to the song? What do you think?
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