It’s December – and you know what that means? Its decorating time!
Since this will be the first Christmas in our flat, we had no decorations. On the one hand it’s a fresh slate to decorate how we want, on the other hand we have to buy things. So I have put my bargain hunting hat on and thought I would share how we decorated our home for under £40*.
Living room
This tree is great, especially if you have limited space. There is still plenty of tree to hang decorations on and drape lights around. As our living room is predominantly blue and cream we decided on a blue and silver theme for the tree. Primark had these great little silver and blue present decorations and we picked up a pack of 10 silver baubles from Tiger which helps fill the empty spaces. To add in a bit of variety we picked up three larger baubles from Neon Sheep as well.
In the hallway we have blue and silver Primark tinsel and fairy lights from Tiger – we would have bought them from Primark but they were out of stock.
We also picked up a Merry Christmas banner and a wreath for the table. If like me you have a plant obsession Poinsettia’s are great festive plants and are in most supermarkets at the moment. I picked up a ‘festive’ poinsettia which has had some glitter sprayed on it.
Bedroom
If like me you cannot resist and the Christmas decorating needs to spill over into every area of the house, Primark do some great festive bedding and cushions. Here are some of my personal favourites:
I haven’t bought a new handbag in what feels like forever. I am a girl who normally sticks to a backpack – they’re practical but not always the most fashionable I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to branch out and get something practical but also something a bit more adult and stylish.
I came across the brand Claudia Canova on ASOS, and I it is fast becoming my favourite brand! Their styles are so fun but also simple enough to go with everything, and they had some great deals in their end of season sale…
I had my eye on this tote bag for a while and when it went on sale I had to order it! I don’t like a big black bag it just feels a bit to school bag like for me, so this khaki colour is perfect. It has this little inner bag that you can remove which is perfect for keeping all your stuff organised. Ever since I got it, it has been my go to bag everyday. I also picked up a new purse – also in the sale. I bought both of these direct from the Claudia Canova site, rather than through ASOS but it is worth checking both sites because they’re sometimes cheaper on ASOS and sometimes on sale on Claudia Canova.
I also needed to replace my little black bag – we all need one! One of the things I loved about this is that it’s a little bit different and adds more to the outfit. I also discovered that the strap is interchangeable so when I want this bag to feel like new again I can just get a new strap for this bag. I love the pink Claudia Canova lining – really gives it that luxury feel.
It has a zipped pocket on the back which is perfect for storing your phone and multiple pockets in the main section as well which is perfect. Such a bargain as well as it was in the ASOS sale down from £55 to £25!
As we approach the start of spring there are lots of new trends to try. Here is a round up of some of my favourites and the styles I’m looking forward to for Spring 2020.
Where to start! I’ve got a fair amount to get through so I’m just gonna jump right in! I’ll group things by brand and link it all at the bottom.
Lottie London
I used to get all my makeup brushes from Lottie London so now that they’re rolling out lots of makeup I have been wanting to try a selection of their stuff. Firstly their packaging is super cute, I really like the metallic logo and product names on the liquid lipstick and eye foils, definitely the sort of thing you want to display on your makeup table (or desk in my case).
Blush Crush – £4.95
Blush crush comes in 6 shades all named after celebrities: Justin, Zayn, Zac, Drake, Nick and Harry
I couldn’t decide between the shades Zayn and Justin as they both looked quite peachy and I like a peachy blush. In the end I chose the shade Zayn.
These are SO pigmented, seriously, INSANELY pigmented!
You only need a small amount of product to add colour to your cheeks. The mirror is a really good size as well which is definitely a selling point.
Is it worth the money? Definitely, for a cheap drugstore blusher its a really nice formula and has great pigmentation. If anything its a little too pigmented which makes it hard to work with, you need to blend… A LOT so that you don’t look like crazy
Would I buy it again? Probably although I don’t think I will need to for a really long time given how little product you need to get the desired affect.
Glitter Switch liquid lipstick – £6.95
I have to say I mainly picked this up because I was intrigued by the idea of “Glitter Switch” but also this coral colour was calling my name! The idea is that once the lipstick is dry you can press your lips together to reveal glitter lips.
This one comes in 4 shades Wanted, High Roller, Dream on and Killin’ it. I’ve picked up High Roller.
It has a slim doe foot applicator, which isn’t the easiest to use. The colour is gorgeous and the glitter switch is really cool. Although not really an everyday sort of thing, maybe for more of a festival or night time look.
In terms of staying power… it is extremely long lasting! The swatch I did on my hand in Superdrug took a lot of scrubbing to remove.
Worth the money? £7 is not a huge amount to pay for a liquid lipstick and it is definitely worth it.
Would I buy it again? Yes yes yes, I want this in every colour! The staying power alone is enough to convince me.
Eye Foil metallic eyeshadow topper – £4.95
So this only comes in four shades denied, faded, fire and savage. I couldn’t choose just one so I picked up 2 of them… fire and savage.
I find it a little odd that they decided to call a blue shade fire because it makes me think of warm tones and oranges and reds not blue. Either way this shade is stunning! As is the pink shade, savage. Although on the eye its not as pink as it is in the bottle.
I haven’t had the chance to use the blue shade yet, its not the most versatile colour as I only see it working with blue or purple eye looks. I have used the pink shade though, and it makes a poppin’ inner corner highlight as well as looking good all over the lid.
Worth the money? Yes, I’ve seen other people call it a dupe for the stila magnificent metals (which is much more expensive)
Would I buy it again? Yes, although as a person who rarely wears bold eye looks I’m probably wouldn’t buy the blue one again because as much as I love it, I just don’t see myself using it enough.
Bourjois
Healthy mix Anti-Fatigue Concealer – £9
My current holy grail, I cannot live without this!
It claims to be medium coverage but I think it’s more like full coverage which makes it perfect for covering up dark circles. I picked up the shade 53 because I have the foundation equivalent of this in the same shade.
I really like the formula of this and it smells sort of fruity like the foundation. They also blend really nicely together.
Worth the money? It’s not the cheapest concealer but honestly it’s so good I don’t mind paying a bit more for it. I will probably wait for a 3 for 2 deal though…
Would I buy it again? Yes yes yes and YES!
Volume Clubbing Mascara – £7.99
I have to say this is the first mascara I’ve owned that isn’t a plastic brush, and I really like it! It gives a much more natural look while still adding volume and length. It’s my go to everyday mascara now.
I probably wouldn’t choose to wear it with a full face of makeup (bold eyes, bold lips, the works) but its perfect for natural makeup.
Worth the money? £7.99 is not a lot to pay for mascara and the brush is so nice, it could easily be more than that.
Would I buy it again? Probably although I’ve had better mascaras, but for a subtle look this is the perfect mascara.
Le Petit Strober – £6.49
I only picked up this highlighter because it was free (it was a spend £12 get a free highlighter deal) and I am really glad I didn’t pay for it…
It looks like such a stunning colour but it is so hard to get any pigmentation! Which is super annoying, however if you are after a more subtle everyday glow then this is the highlighter for you. After all we can’t all wonder round looking like glazed donuts now can we!
It comes with a little brush which to be honest isn’t very useful, and more than anything just gets in the way.
Worth the money? No, I’ve had £5 highlighters that are 1000 times better than this one.
Would I buy it again? No, I doubt I’ll even use it that much to be honest.
Nyx
Honey Dew Me Up Primer – £15
I have wanted to try this for SO LONG! I’ve put it off for ages but I couldn’t resist any longer.
It smells amazing, and it really does remind me of honey with its colour and sparkles suspended in it.
The little plastic spatula style applicator is a bit odd but I found it means I don’t apply too much. When I first put it on it felt a bit oily but it soon sunk in and became more tacky feeling.
Worth the money? Personally I don’t think I can be dropping £15 on primer all the time, but this is a really nice primer. It has a really lux feel to it.
Would I buy it again? Definitely!
Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream – £6
So I actually thought I had picked up the non-metallic version of this and was a bit annoyed at myself when I realised I in fact picked up the metallic version. This is the shade Copenhagen.
I have the soft matte lip cream in the shade London and really like the formula so thought I would try another colour. Despite it being metallic I actually love this colour! It isn’t to shiny or sparkly which is a relief and means its actually quite wearable. I also picked up the matching suede matte lip liner (also in the shade Copenhagen – £4) and the suede matte lip liner to match my other lip cream (London). The lip liners apply really nicely so I’m glad I got them. Never underestimate the importance of a good lip liner!
Worth the money? It’s quite a small tube for £6 but it is a nice formula. Nyx is a little bit more expensive than other “drug store” brands so I would expect to pay a bit more for anything from them. I suppose it is worth the money.
Would I buy it again? Yes but in the matte version not metallic, I am a much bigger fan of matte lipsticks.
Contour Powder – £3.50
I needed a replacement contour powder, and I didn’t want to splash out on a whole palette so when I saw that Nyx sold these little single powders I picked one up. I went for the shade Sienna which is described as “matte light brown with pink undertones”. I tried to pick a cool shade, but I didn’t want to go too cool because it can look grey.
Worth the money? I think so, it’s cheaper than buying a huge palette and only using one colour. There are also so many shades to choose from so you could definitely find the shade that’s right for you.
Would I buy it again? Definitely, depending on how I like the shade, I might choose a cooler or warmer toned powder.
Rimmel London
Scandaleyes Wow Wings Mascara – £6.99
Firstly the packaging is super cute, I am a sucker for anything with a holographic logo!
I bought this because I was intrigued by the wand more than anything. One side is like a normal styled wand, the other side is shaped like a wing.
When I first started using this I have to say I found it really hard to use, it made my lashes so clumpy! Now that its been used a little bit and has started drying out slightly it’s much easier to use and I like it a lot better.
Worth the money? £7 isn’t a lot to pay for a mascara so I would say definitely.
Would I buy it again? Yes, but I wouldn’t wait for my old one to run out fully because it takes a while to get to a point where it is actually usable.
Revolution
Conceal and Define Concealer – £4
Hailed as the must have dupe for Tarte Shape Tape I had to try this!
It comes in LOADS of shades, I picked up the shade C8 which is perfect for me at the moment post summer while I still have a tan, I think I’ll need a lighter shade for the winter. Also it’s worth knowing that the shade does change slightly when its applied as it oxidises quite quickly.
The doe foot applicator is a quite big, which is nice and makes it feel a bit more expensive.
Worth the money? Hell yea! £4 is so good for such a nice concealer and they now do a supersize version for £7!
Would I buy it again? I would, and I would probably pick up the bigger bottle as well!
And that concludes my (massive) drug store make up haul!
What make up should I try next? Leave me a comment if you have any good drug store make up suggestions or products you think I should try and let me know if you want more hauls (make up or otherwise)
I was guilty of neglecting my skin care routine because I’m too lazy for hundreds of different lotions and potions. So I simplified it. Here are my must have products and my lazy girls guide to skin care.
Today I am reviewing two different style of legging from the brand Queenie Ke sold on amazon. Queenie Ke approached me to send some of their leggings to me to review and as self confessed legging addict I couldn’t very well pass up the opportunity!
First up is the “Queenie Ke Women Yoga Leggings Ninth Pants Power Flex High Waist Gym Running Tights” – such a catchy name – in the colour teal. I ordered a size small and they fit perfectly. They’re good and stretchy but still tight enough on the waist. All of the Queenie Ke leggings have an elastic in the top for tightening the waist as well as a large phone pocket inside on the back of the leggings.
These hit the perfect point on my waist, not too high and not too low!
I really like this colour too, its different to anything I own. Good for spring (if we ever have one!) because its colourful but still dark enough for days when its a bit grey and you don’t want to crack out anything too light or bright.
The stitching on the back is slightly curved which is nice and flattering on the booty. Straight seams can create a sort of double butt look…no one wants that! The curved seam sits above the booty giving it a nice shape.
The material is thick enough to be squat proof but still breathable so they’re sweat proof as well.
All in all these get a 10/10 from me! And only £15.88!
The second pair is the “Queenie Ke Women Yoga Legging Power Flex High Waist Running Pants Workout Tights” in space dye purple again in size small and these ones cost £16.88. These fit well BUT omg the high waist is SO high, these are not made for my gals with short torsos! They come all the way up to my sports bra! They don’t have any compression either so theres not really any advantage to this super super high waist.
These have a straight seam but its high enough that the leggings are still flattering. The seams on the legs are slightly slanted so really make your quads pop. All in all a nice flattering fit.
The material of these is more shiny than the other leggings, and the elasticity can be mistaken for sheerness. Definitely squat proof though – I put these through two heavy leg days and they fared really well! They were nice and breathable and didn’t show sweat at all!
The colour is really cute and the space dye effect is a nice way to add pattern and texture without it being too in your face.
I think I would give these an 8/10. Comfy but the waist is too high! Its almost double the size of the other leggings! That being said the quality is great for such a cheap pair of leggings.
Both leggings come in a selection of colours and for a cheeky 5% you can use these codes:
First up is this cute set from Flexxfit. The material is so soft and comfy, the bra is super flattering (although maybe only for low intensity exercise for risk of nip slip!) and I’m a big fan of this colour. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the grey but it makes a nice change from black while still being plain enough to go with plenty of colours. But if you’re not feeling the grey it comes in plenty of other colours. I wear the bra in a medium and the leggings in a small and I’m a UK 10/12.
Keeping with flexxfit, this “Muscle tee” has been my go to workout top since I nabbed it in the sale. Its not the most breathable workout top but its nice and loose so you don’t notice as much. Loose enough to hide a food baby but not so loose its unflattering and it goes with everything! Including the grey set. Who doesn’t love matching activewear eh!? Look good feel good ima right! Sadly it’s sold out now but they have loads of other cute stuff. I wear this one in a size small and it fits perfectly, if you wanted a looser fit I would size up.
Now lets mix it up and talk about my favourite skin care product this month. Simple skin quench sleeping cream. Since using this my face is so soft and glowy! I have very sensitive skin so I have to be careful what I use but simple always works for me so when I decided to up my skincare game after a few breakouts I went straight for simple. This moisturiser is ideal for me as its a night cream rather than a morning one, I like sleep to much to get up in time to do a full skincare routine of a morning. Its nice and light too so doesn’t clog any pores. All around winner!
Next up is my new favourite app! Recently I’ve been trying to branch out with my cooking and I came across “kitchen stories”. Its full of how to guides as well as recipes. You can also leave a review of the recipe meaning before you try something you can see what other people thought of them. It has a shopping list feature and also a “cookbook” and likes section so you can save all your favourite recipes in one easy to find place. Its made working out what to eat much easier! Would highly recommend to anyone who isn’t confident in the kitchen.
Finally its back to active wear (shocking I know) and the myprotein seamless leggings. I know I already reviewed these but I had to give them a little mention because they’re so comfy and proved perfect for layering when storm Emma hit over the weekend! Loving the colour of these as well as the fit and feel.
I was guilty of neglecting my skin care routine because I’m too lazy for hundreds of different lotions and potions. So I simplified it. Here are my must have products and my lazy girls guide to skin care.
So today we are not just talking about leggings (who’s shook) because I did a haul – sorry bank account – from JUST STRONG
Firstly I need to talk about the idea behind this company because it is so great.
“I AM NOT STRONG FOR A GIRL, I AM JUST STRONG”
Because who doesn’t love being stereotyped. Going to the gym shouldn’t be about being skinny it should be about pushing yourself to get stronger. As a girl who enjoys going to the gym I do often get the comments like “but you don’t want to get bulky” no you’re right I don’t “you don’t want to look manly” who said that men were the only ones allowed to have muscles? So when I saw what this brand represented I thought it was pretty damn awesome and I am fortunate enough to be affiliated with them – that being said this will be a completely HONEST review because I gain absolutely nothing by lying to you.
Now that I’ve bored you suitably with my little feminist rant lets get into the review…
Links to everything I talk about will be at the bottom of the post
Since I do have a love (addiction?) of gym leggings we will start with those.
So these are the Charcoal Camo Just Strong Leggings and I got them in a size medium. They are 90% polyester 10% elastane. Fit wise I wish I had gone for a size small just because they are a little too big on the waist. That being said they are very flattering. The seam down the side of the leg acts as a sort of contouring which I really like. As well as the camo print there is a hexagonal honeycomb like pattern but it’s so subtle it definitely doesn’t distract from the camo print. I pull mine up so that they are just below my belly button because personally I prefer a high waisted legging. Squat proof which is always a must have and really comfortable for exercising in. I much prefer the stuff where the logo is not so obvious (as you will notice from the rest of my haul) just because I generally don’t wear things if they have big logos. All in all I rate these pretty highly and will probably order more of their leggings….just in a slightly smaller size.
Next up is the Just Strong Sports Bra…
Now this was the most disappointing. Given that it’s branded as a sports bra there is absolutely NO support so I would probably call this a crop top. Design wise I really like the band saying just strong and again the logo isn’t too big. Unfortunately I ordered a medium which is definitely too big for me (you can see it gaping at my arm pits). The material isn’t the nicest and it’s incredibly thin which is probably due to that fact its 96% polyester and makes it feel cheap. It looks fine in pictures but I can’t say I’ve worn it to the gym. A shame because I really do like the style it just isn’t practical. Staying in the sports bra/crop top area lets talk about the Just Strong Emblem Crop Top.
Possibly my favourite thing that I got. Again I feel it is misnamed because this is much more like a sports bra than a crop top. 90% nylon 10% elastane and a much nicer feel. I got a size small and I think I’ll be getting everything in this size from now on. Very comfortable and actually surprisingly supportive although I wouldn’t try any high impact sport in it. A flattering fit definitely my new favourite sports bra. Would 100% get this again.
Having said that the Emblem Crop was my favourite I have to say this next one is also up there. The Jet Black Mesh Tee.
So cute. Its 90% polyester 10% elastane so is good and stretchy as well as being breathable. The mesh inserts on the sleeves are a nice touch and the insert on the back helps with breathability as well as looking really nice. Without the mesh it would really just be a plain oversized tee so it is definitely the key feature of this top. There is also a drawstring cord which I use to make the top a more cropped style although it is less flattering than just having it loose. I got this in a size small (I think) and it fits perfectly. Great for those days when you don’t feel like showing your tummy so far it’s got a good amount of use.
Last but not least… the Jet Black Cropped Hoodie.
I got this one in a size small but I probably could’ve gotten away with a medium. Comfy and great for throwing on when going to and from the gym or as casual wear with jeans. The pockets are a bit too small to be useful – my phone fits but it doesn’t seem secure. Even though its a cropped hoodie it hits your waist at a really nice length and with high waisted jeans/leggings you aren’t showing too much midriff. I’ve already got a lot of wear out of this one and am contemplating getting it in another colour.
And that brings us to the end of our little haul. I’m quickly going to talk about shipping… not the speediest (we’re talking 7 days minimum) but comes with a little note thanking you for supporting the brand which is so lovely!
If you do get anything from them, want to see more pics of what they look like, if you liked this post, if you want to see more like this lemme know over on Instagram:
My collection of TALA activewear is ever expanding and I still have a few things on my wish list but until then here is a review of the bits I have managed to get my hands on so far…
This tree is great, especially if you have limited space. There is still plenty of tree to hang decorations on and drape lights around. As our living room is predominantly blue and cream we decided on a blue and silver theme for the tree. Primark had these great little silver and blue present decorations and we picked up a pack of 10 silver baubles from Tiger which helps fill the empty spaces. To add in a bit of variety we picked up three larger baubles from Neon Sheep as well.
Blush Crush – £4.95
Glitter Switch liquid lipstick – £6.95
Eye Foil metallic eyeshadow topper – £4.95
Healthy mix Anti-Fatigue Concealer – £9
The stitching on the back is slightly curved which is nice and flattering on the booty. Straight seams can create a sort of double butt look…no one wants that! The curved seam sits above the booty giving it a nice shape.
Finally its back to active wear (shocking I know) and the myprotein seamless leggings. I know I already reviewed these but I had to give them a little mention because they’re so comfy and proved perfect for layering when storm Emma hit over the weekend! Loving the colour of these as well as the fit and feel.
Staying in the sports bra/crop top area lets talk about the Just Strong Emblem Crop Top.
a blog by lottie 