Monday 30 May 2011

My week in photographs

Hello there lovelies,
I'm sure you can tell by the title what kind of post this is going to be, lol. I kinda wish I started the '365 day challenge' where you take a photo everyday... but it's a bit too far into the year really isn't it? Haha. Half way through the year! Jeeeeez, 2011 is zooming by! Anyway, here's a little insight into my week...













First off, it was my Grandma's 84th birthday! I pray that I'm still as active and as 'with it' as she is at her age! Popped into Marks and Spencer's to pick up a little bundle of goodies (along with Percy Pigs - of course). We got some cheeky 'Anti-Ageing' mints, which she loved haha. We went out for dinner with my Uncle, Auntie and my 2 cousins and one of their Fiances and had an amazing night. We always go to this little Italian restaurant who give complimentary shots with the bill - it's tradition for the Birthday person to have them all ;) I was walking very closely to her on the way back to the car, ready for a dive to catch her!!























I dyed my hair the Nice N Easy shade 'Natural Medium Ash Brown'. I was hoping to go a shade or two lighter, but it pretty much turned out exactly the same! Bit of a disappointment. I might go for 'Natural Light Ash Brown' next time, but I'll give it a bit of a rest and some pampering before then, haha! I did however dye my nieces hair again (I'm like her personal hairdresser), which turned out nicely, so there will probably be a post to follow :)























I caved! I can't be without this fragrance, I really really love it. I've only had it for a couple of days and I've already used a fair bit, lol. I don't want it to run out though :( My boyfriend is only holiday at the moment, so I'm going to have him pick up D&G 3 on his way through duty free I think!
























Did a massive clear out of my wardrobe, which was long overdue. In all honesty, I'm a bit of a hoarder and I hate throwing stuff away... but I really forced myself to throw things away instead of think 'well I might wear it one day'. So I grabbed a donation bag (I never throw things in the bin), now I feel much better. Tidy home tidy mind and all that!

























Went to see John Bishop live last night, he's one of my favourite comedians and he didn't disappoint. If you don't know who he is he's from Liverpool and beat Tom Cruise to the top spot on the Top Gear leader board. I loved him! He seemed like the most genuine person, and it really seemed personal? Really recommend going to see him if you can!

So that was my week, how was yours?!
NATALIESLOVEx

Saturday 28 May 2011

Month's Most Wanted

Hello cuppycakes,
May's edition is upon us! I've been lusting over a whole bunch of things recently, but I've picked the main ones for this post :) Times like this when I wish Next would get back to me about the job interview. I need employment! Haha.























H&M Patterned Playsuit: I think this is either love or hate really... I love the powdery, pastel colours and the aztec style print. Definitely into the aztec vibe at the moment. Playsuits are one of my favourite clothing items... they're so easy to throw on and accessorize! This one from H&M is really affordable too.
[£12.99]

MAC Studio Finish Concealer: This is my favourite concealer and mine has actually run out now and I'm  struggling without it! It has amazing coverage and it did last me a really long time so I can justify the price. Which actually... for MAC is pretty reasonable. I was wondering though, whether the Studio Sculpt Concealer is better... thoughts?
[£13.50]

Tigi S Factor Smoothing Lusterizer: I've heard Gemma from Gemsmaquillage raving about this recently and she mentioned that Jessie J actually uses it... and she literally has the shiniest hair on the planet! It is pricey, and the price I've given below is from feelunique. Although, that being said you do get 200ml and you'd only need a very small amount so it probably works out quite well.
[£13.50] 

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Lqiuid Make-up: I have £26 worth of points on my Boots card, woop! And I've been wanting to try out a 'high end' foundation for a while. If I'm going to splash out on one make up item, I think I'd want it to be a foundation. I've researched and researched and Clinique's foundations seem to have good reviews all round. I had previously decided on the 'Superfit' make up, but the lady at the counter told me it has been discontinued! Anti-Blemish Solutions is now the one I want to give a go.
[£21.00]

MAC Teddy Eye Khol: I saw this in the MAC store and decided not to pick it up, but now I want to go back and get it. It's a really beautiful deep bronze colour. I think this would be more subtle than a black eyeliner which can be quite harsh
[£13.00]

So there my lusts of May! I wonder which of these I will actually end up caving in and buying in the month of June? What have you been wanting?
NATALIESLOVEx

Thursday 26 May 2011

Alphabet tag

Hello loves,
Haven't done a Tag post in yonks and there's been one floating around blogsphere for a while and I couldn't help myself!

Age: Eighteen     Bed size: Double
Chores you hate: I adore the feeling of clean sheets but I hate putting them on!
Dogs: Golden retrievers are my fave, they're so loyal

























Essential Start to your day: Glass of OJ with ice, but I'd love pancakes everyday
Favourite colour: Think it would have to be purple
Gold or Silver: I usually gravitate towards silver if we're talking jewellery
Height: I'm 5ft 4.5 the .5 is essential ;)
Instruments I play: I don't :( would love to play the drums though
Job Title: Student I suppose? Ha! I'm waiting for a response for an interview at the mo :)
Kids: Ever since I was little I've always known I want children, I think I was born to be a Mummy!
Live: I live in the South East of England in Brighton, I don't think I could ever leave!

Mum's Name: Christine  Nickname: Nat
One wish: That I get through these exams with good results! The feeling when i failed last year was gutting :(
Pet Peeve: People that don't say please or thank you! Manners are really important to me...
Quote from a Movie: Superbad never fails to make me laugh, it's epic
Right or Left handed: Right handed
Siblings: I have 2 sisters and 1 brother, all older than me with children :) 7 nieces and nephews!
Time you wake up: My alarm goes off at 6.30am but I get up at 7am
Underwear: I love really girly and cute underwear :) When I'm matching it always makes me feel good, lol
Vegetables you dislike: I like all veggies! I detest olives though, are they a vegetable?
What makes you run late: I always run late! Only by 10/15 minutes but I don't know how it happens...
X-Rays you've had done: Only on my teeth before I had braces
Yummy food you make: The boy says I make a cracking fry up ;) And my daddy loves my biscotti with a coffee
Zoo Animals: Cats in general are my faves; tigers, lions leopards etc. But I think giraffes are extremely cute <3
Sorry for all the pictures, but look! Golden retriever and a giraffe together, I was destined to do this tag ;) Haha. All pictures I used are from weheartit, sorry I can't source them individually. But if any photo's belong to you I will take them down/credit them upon request :)
















NATALIESLOVEx

Wednesday 25 May 2011

2 for £7, Umberto Giannini

Hello my loves,
Just thought I would let you all know that Umberto Giannini products are 2 for £7 in Boots at the moment. Definitely a bargain! I took advantage of the offer because Umberto Giannini is rapidly becoming my favourite hair care brand! So if you've been wanting Backcomb In A Bottle (which I seriously recommend) head to your local Boots! Here's what I got...


























Umberto Giannini Incredible Body - Enviable Body Blow Dry Spray
I love big, big hair. I can't stand it when my hair has gone all limp and is stuck flat to my head. I usually put some mousse in my hair before I dry it and I find that works amazingly well. I felt like a bit of a change though and when I saw that this has 'heat protection care' I was sold. I often forget heat protection :( I know, you can all curse me! When I got home I read up some reviews and a few of them were quite negative :/ But we shall see how it goes.

Umberto Giannini Beauty Secrets - Instant Beauty Silky Soft Leave-In Conditioner
I really love using leave in conditioners, my hair always looks better when I use it but I haven't been using one for a while because I simply ran out. With all the heat I use on my hair I need extra moisture. The packaging of this is so much nicer than the blow dry spray! Smells gorgeous, now lets hope it makes my hair look like it should belong in an advert... I can wish?

Once I've used these for long enough I will definitely review them. Particularly the blow dry spray because of the negative reviews I've read. Fingers crossed it all goes well! So yup, just a little heads up :)
NATALIESLOVEx

Tuesday 24 May 2011

My week in photographs

Hello lovelies,
Been a while since I did a 'week in pictures' style post, mainly because my life has been so boring and controlled by College I haven't been taking any pictures. Not that I can promise you these ones will be particular spectacular ;) I'm lacking beauty blogging inspiration at the moment... I'm trying to save all the money I can so I've stopped cut back on buying items that just aren't necessary. Although, saying that I have a few high end items on my wishlist so I'm trying to summon the guts to spend a lot of money on just one item. My logic is that if I stopped buying tonnes of cheap make up, I can afford to buy the occasional pricey one. Anyway, that was a ramble and a half!

























So I didn't wait long to pick up June's issue of Marie Claire! If you weren't aware they're giving away the smaller 50ml body butters with this issue. Not a magazine I usually go for... but the 'freebie' sucked me in. I love TBS body butters but I think they're so overpriced. Shea butter is one of my favourites and I'm definitely going to leave this in my handbag because it's so much smaller! Other than that, I vow to finish the body butters I have sitting in my drawers!
























I caved and made an order with Sigma. It literally only took a week to get here via international shipping!! How crazy is that? And I've been waiting for an H&M order for 2 months now - a whole post is coming on that badboy when it gets here! Not happy bunny with H&M online. I ordered the F82 Round Top Kabuki and the E40 Tapered Blending brushes. Really happy with them and excited to give them a whirl. Recommend Sigma til the cows come home... the two MAC brushes I owned actually broke and these brushes are synthetic so go for Sigma!

























I don't think I've ever done one of these posts without throwing in some food, haha I love it! This has been my breakfast of choice for a while though - Get some of your 5-a-day in early, so it's healthy and delicious. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and natural yoghurt is a godsend. I'm still trying to loose a last little bit of weight so I'm trying to make everything healthy but not restrict myself. If I'm feeling extremely hungry I add a bit of wholemeal toast :)

























I've been on a mission for a while now, to find the perfect sponge mix! Unfortunately, these are not them. These turned out to be quite gooey and heavy - but they were delicious! I didn't bother icing them (even though I've recently purchased a fancy piping bag) seeing as though they're just 'test' cupcakes lol. If any one has a perfect light and fluffy cupcake mixture then let me know!

Sorry this was a bit of a bore! I also said goodbye to my boyfriend this morning at 3.30am. He's off to Zante with his friends - for two, yes two weeks! People have been saying I'm crazy but I have exams to revise for and I have no problem with him having some 'boy time'. I think that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' will ring true in the next few weeks. We've never really spent more than 4 days without seeing each other... so we shall see! Haha.
NATALIESLOVEx

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Velcro rollers: My first experience!

Hey cuppycakes,
Probably going to get a bunch of weirdos ending up on my blog because of the title post ;) haha. They'll be disappointed! In this haul here I showed that I finally bought some rollers - Trevor Sorbie ones from Boots. I'm trying to get my hair to a much healthier state so that it grows quicker. Heat being my main enemy. So today I tried out rollers for the first time. Obviously the results aren't perfect because my hand eye co-ordination is a bit shoddy and I still need practice in putting the rollers in properly... don't laugh at my noviceness. ;)
























This is me looking oh so glamorous with a full head of rollers, as you can see - this needs improvement! I put them in my hair when my hair was 80% dry and let it dry naturally when up in the rollers. I secured them with bobby pins because the velcro only holds them in place slightly. Has anyone got any tips on putting in rollers?!


























These are the results I got and I'm quite pleased. I used all of the biggest rollers so there isn't much curl. I was trying to get more volume and body over curl... but next time I'll see how it looks with the smallest rollers. There will probably be more room on my head for them too, lol. Here a couple more photo's because... well, why not?


























Overall, rollers are really great if you're looking for a straightish, voluminous and heat free hairstyle. I'll probably be opting for rollers a lot now. Although, for me it feels like its going to take some time to perfect. But I really recommend these Trevor Sorbie rollers. They have a variety of sizes so you can create a few different looks. Let me know what you think? :)

What is your experience with rollers? Any tips are welcome!
NATALIESLOVEx

Sunday 15 May 2011

My perfume wishlist

Hello lovelies,
Sorry I'm lacking on the blog front recently. I'm sure you're all aware that it's exam season *sad face*. Plus the whole meltdown that Blogger had recently... in which most of my comments from my last post were deleted! :( Anyways, I love perfume... I don't feel 'ready' without sprizting a bit of smelly stuff. A while ago I decided that I wanted to use up the perfumes I owned and only have one 'signature' scent. I just can't choose though and now I'm lusting over a range of perfumes! Here are my most wanted at the moment...














Any reccomendations ladies? What is you signature scent?
NATALIESLOVEx

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Face of the night: Acid Purple

Hey everyone,
Last night I went out for some dinner and some drinks and I took a few pictures of my make up before I headed out, so I thought I'd share it with you. I went with a really bright purple eye because I haven't worn a bright colour on my eyes in... I don't even know?! Ages ago!










Urban Decay Underland e/s (Alice BOS) up to the socket bone + lower lashline
Urban Decay Curious e/s (Alice BOS) inner corner of lid + lower lashline
Urban Decay AC/DC e/s (BOS II) outer corner of lid + lower lashline
Sleek Navy + Purple e/s (Original palette) mixed and placed in crease
Urban Decay Sellout e/s (BOS II) as highlight
Elf Black Cream eyeliner
Elf Brow kit
Lashes from Ebay
Maybelline Pulse Perfection mascara

After taking these pictures I realised that the crease colour wasn't blended so well, so I took a fluffy brush through it to make it a bit more subtle. I recommend taking photo's of your make up before going out (even if you don't blog it)... it really shows imperfections and it saves you from looking at photo's the next day on Facebook and cringing! ;)

This was the 'overall' look...


























Boujoirs Healthy Mix Foundation
Natural Collection Loose Powder
MAC Harmony blush as contour
MAC Well Dressed blush

17 Lipgloss, Pink Ice

I did my hair using the Babyliss Waving Wand - post to come! I actually really enjoyed wearing colour last night. I always shy away from it because I feel like I can't pull it off at all. Purple is kind of in my comfort zone... I'm thinking of going all green next time maybe. If I can brave it that is, haha!
NATALIESLOVEx

Sunday 8 May 2011

Lanacane as a primer?!

Hello ladies,
It seems like I'm always doing face of the days/nights and my blog doesn't really extend much further lol, which bothers me a little. I always mean to do reviews on products, but it seems to slip my mind! But there's been a few product that I've been trying out recently... such as the one I'm about to review!

A while ago now I was reading a blog post (I have no idea which one so I apologise!) and it mentioned using 'Lanacane' as a primer. I researched it further and apparently the ingredients in Lanacane are almost identical to other silicone based primers, such as the MAC one. I didn't know how true this was but I went out and purchased it anyway - it was £6 something.

























If you're not aware of what Lanacane is, or does... it is actually an anti-chafing gel. Yes I know, and I put this on my face?! It was all in the name of beauty! It's available from drugstores, supermarkets and pharmacies.


























It is almost a clear gel and looks a lot like a silicone based primer. This is about the amount that I applied to my face - a little goes a long way, so used as a primer this would last a long time. The first thing I noticed is that it left my skin instantly, velvety smooth and was not greasy at all. It actually reminded me exactly of the GOH Velvet Touch face primer. To be honest, had I not of squeezed it out the tube myself, I would've been fooled into thinking it was the GOSH primer (which I've previously had twice and loved). Along with leaving my skin very soft, my foundation applied so easily and smooth.

However, unfortunately that's where it stopped impressing me. I'm pretty sure that this broke me out... nothing else in my routine had changed. I was using the same skin care and make up that I had been for a month or more. It was coming up to that time for hormonal breakouts, but I noticed a lot more blemishes that I normally would have. That's not to say that it will break everyone out though, this is just my experience. And again, it could've been hormones.

This didn't prolong my make up wear. The GOSH primer definitely did, but Lanacane didn't do anything to help my foundation stay on longer, reduce oil or look flawless all day. It actually left my foundation looking a bit patchy, especially on my cheeks. It seemed to have made my foundation sort of move around my face during the day.

Overall, I didn't like this as a primer, which is fair enough because... well, it isn't a primer. It was worth ago, but for me it didn't work at all! If you're looking for an anti-chafing gel then I'm sure this would be great! Lol. Just don't go looking for a primer in this product :)
NATALIESLOVEx

Thursday 5 May 2011

Face of the day: Smokey Lashline

Evening everyone,
Just a quick little post to show you what make up I've been donning today, it's a smokey lashline a la Barbara  from ThePersianbabe. She often wears her make up similar to this (at least her eyes) so it's kind of inspired by her :)













White/cream e/s from W88 palette
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero; tightline + waterline
Matte black e/s from W88 palette; smudged underneath
Collection 2000 Big Fake mascara

I forgot to take an overall 'face shot' of the make up, but I did go out with my niece tonight and we took some photo's together so I'll just insert one here...

























Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation
Rimmel Stay Matte powder
Elf Blush + Bronzer compact; combined on cheeks
Elf Golden Bronzer; as highlight

Rimmel Spotlight Beige l/s

Haven't had a very eventful day today... although it has been very productive. You know that dressing table I bought? It has now been sanded down, had 2 layers of undercoat applied and now I'm waiting to do the last final bits of wood paint and it shall be done! I also need to find some new handles to put on the drawer fronts. So excited to get it up in my room, it looks so much better! I also got a tonne of work and revision done, feeling quite smug with myself!

Hope you're all okay!
NATALIESLOVEx

Sunday 1 May 2011

My week in photographs

Hola chicas! Y chicos?
I haven't actually taken all that many pictures this week, so it won't be as picture heavy as usual. I hate to bang on about it, but my life is ruled by revision and unless you want to see Biology/Psychology revision notes, I'm not that interesting at the moment ;)


On the Bank Holiday Monday I went for a pub lunch with my Mum, Stepdad, Boyfriend and our old nxt door neighbours. It was a lovely pub in the country located next to this river - beautiful! I had a scrummy bacon and Brie baguette (told you I love the cheese!) with a side salad. After that we went to drink cider sitting on the grass on the river bank and went for a little stroll a long it :) Perfect way to spend a bank Holiday. There seems to be a cider theme going on in these posts :/ ha!

























Popped into Boots quickly whilst shopping for Wedding outfits, not for the Royals of course, lol! Finally picked up some bits I've been wanting. The mascara and concealer were both featured here in my Month's Most Wanted. Glad I got round to it! Also picked up the Natural Collection Loose Powder for a mere £1.99. I really like it! I ended up picking 'Warm Translucent' because someone had put it back in the wrong place :( I intended to get 'Neutral Translecent' but never mind!


Of course, it was the Royal Wedding! I'm not going to bang on about it because I'm sick to death of hearing about it, let a lone you guys! Kate and her sister looked breath-taking. I wasn't all that bothered about the wedding, but I did watched it and loved it. I always thought the Monarchy was a bit pointless but the event made me feel so Patriotic! I cried, obviously... it was literally a real life fairytale! Sorry I can't directly link the photo source, I found it on weheartit, let me know if it's yours!


























Made a bit of a random purchase on Saturday! Sorry for the rubbish photo, sun was streaming in through the window behind! I've been looking for a new dressing table for a while. I found this really old fashioned one in a second hand store down the road and I see major potential in it! I'm going to sand it down and paint it white to fit in with my decor. Can you believe this was £30?! I'll do a before/after post to show you how it goes :) Excitement isn't the word!

Have you been enjoying your week? Tell me your highlight!
NATALIESLOVEx