New camera!

Hello all! So as many other bloggers did I got a new camera for Christmas, hurrah!! My old camera was I think 3 years old and so I used my Blackberry phone camera for the blog as it was just as good (if not better....) I asked my mum and dad if they'd get me one for Christmas and we went to look at a few together so I could see if it was what I wanted. Now I wasn't about to jump straight in and ask for a DSLR, one because I could not afford to pay (most) of the cost towards it and two because I wouldn't even know how to use it! So we agreed on a Bridge camera, which is like an in-betweeny type which looks like a professional camera but without all the special features. If you'd like to see if properly this is the one I received.
I was happy that it was a Fuji Film as my old camera was the same so it's very easy to use and understand. It also films in HD which I'm so excited to try, but it only films up to 10 minutes so that's a bit of a downside. I guess I will either have to be really quick or perhaps it means 10 minutes at a time so I can just stop and start again ... who knows! Trial and error. It's not solely for that use anyway as I really needed a new camera for when I go on holiday etc. If I enjoy filming and get into a bit more I'd probably go for an actual camcorder. 
The photo above was just me testing out the B&W and timer mode! Sorry about the boy-ish room, hopefully when we move it'll be much more girly. Now where can I find a tripod....

What are your thoughts on cameras, filming and camcorders! Did you also find a camera under your Christmas tree? :) x

Battle of the fake tans

St Tropez £20.49

Garnier dry body mist £11.69

Garnier self-tanning mousse £13.99

Hello lovelies I hope you've all had a nice Christmas break! I've been oogling lots of 'What I got for Christmas' posts but I'm not sure if I'll do one ... I'm really hoping to find some time to film a video about it as my first one! (eee) But it's so blimmin' dark and I'm not sure how I'll like it yet so thought I'd post about this today instead!!

Since dying my hair dark I made the decision to try and keep my body a bit darker too so I won't feel so ghost like. I usually tan now and again anyway, but it wasn't something I thought about every week. When I went to tan for the first time just before having my hair done I noticed an old bottle of St Tropez Bronzing Spray lying in my basket, I thought it probably had another whole bodies worth left so figured I'd give it a go!
I haven't used St Tropez in about a year so when I started to spray and it came out green I seriously thought that the tan was gone off or something. But, I carried on anyway! I'm now pretty much 100% sure that it is green so that you can see where you have tanned and not, which is most helpful! I'm not sure if it is because it was old or not but it didn't feel very dry, instead it was pretty sticky and wet, and in some places I had to rub the tan in. I wasn't too bothered about how I was going to look the next day as I only had work and I just wanted to see how it would come out. When I woke up the next day I was really impressed! I was an even, all-over lovely shade which didn't look fake at all and was quite dark for one spray. When I do tan I tend to only use it once, rather than continuously until I reach the colour desired. I just think it looks quite natural and is enough for me.

So once this had all faded and I was pretty much back to my paleself I reached for the tan I usually use - Garnier Ambre Solaire no streaks bronzer self tanning spray. I'd seen the adverts and thought that the 360 degree angled nozzle was perfect, even though getting behind the knee area isn't all that hard! It's mostly the back that is the trouble. I used it as normal, went to bed and checked out the results the next morning. Up to the St Tropez it was a similar deepness, but felt slightly more fake. I also had a few streaks on my arms and the most annoying thing I found with this fake tan is that it never seems to take on my legs. I think there is only one time when I've used it that my legs have turned out great. It's like it all rubs off! After this use I decided I'd go to Boots and find another tan. Hello, Garnier mousse!! I've never used a mousse before but have heard quite good things and to be honest I did like the easiness and price of the Garnier products so that's why I opted for another. I think this tan is the winner at the moment as it gives me an all over, streak free (!!) tan, dries pretty instantly and is so easy to use. The spray seems easy but it's so difficult to know where you've been or haven't. The mousse leaves a bit of a tint and it doesn't leave you feeling overly sticky! Yuck. The only negative point I'd make is that it is not as dark as the other two, they didn't have an option for fair, medium or dark so I'm guessing it's just a universal tan? So I'd use this one twice to build the colour a bit.

What tanning products do you use? I'd loooove to try the Xen Tan but at the moment it's a bit out of my price range!! x

#SWBXmas event

 

On Sunday afternoon, quite hungover may I add, I went along to the South West Bloggers Christmas event in the centre of Bristol. When I heard about the event, hosted by Gina, Hayley and Lyzi, I was determined to go as it was a chance to meet fellow bloggers all in the place that I live! I missed out on tickets first time round but luckily for me a few people couldn't attend so I managed to get a last minute ticket and headed down into the streets of Bristol.

This was the first event, or such like, that I'd been to so naturally I was pretty nervous and felt like everyone knew each other a part from me. Luckily the atmosphere was extremely chilled and everyone was welcoming and chatty. I met Jess and Amy who were both lovely as well as Bonny who strangely did some work for the company I work for before I started! Small world.
We were served with yummy cake, tea and champagne in the cutest tea cups - which I avoided due to the alcohol consumption the night before - and each blogger had a little Christmas present.

The event was held in a teashop come vintage paradise called The Birdcage (follow them on Twitter if you live in the area @Birdcagebristol), I'd never heard of the place before but so glad that I got an opportunity to go there it was beautiful and I kept saying that it was my dream to own something as sweet as it one day. The lamp shade lights were quirky and it had a huge Christmas tree in the corner making it feel very festive.

It was a lovely afternoon, thank you girls, I'm pleased I got to meet some ladies who I've spoken with on Twitter and new ones I look forward to meeting again at further events. We all also received a lovely vintage scarf from The Birdcage to go home with, which I cannot wait to wear!

I hope you're all well, will any of you be at the Birmingham meet up in January? I'm pretty excited about that one, shopping and food my two favourites things!

Brunette

So as some of you may already know last week I took the plunge by dying my hair brunette. I thought it'd be nice to see a before and after picture but I apologise for the awful photography in the after photo! I just couldn't get a good picture and wanted to post this up so much, so after about 10 tries I gave up and thought this one would do.

My hair looks quite light in the photo but it is actually much darker! It must of been the lighting.

A lot of people say 'oh you want to go dark for Winter' and it's not really that, I've been umm-ing and ah-ing for about 6 months to 1 year now on what to do with my hair as I had a very light brown/blonde colour and I was either going to go brunette or lighten it up and go blonde. I thought it would be easier to put highlights through it rather than go brunette and then hate it and want to go back blonde! So that's what I did and I wasn't really sure to be honest but I kept it for this long as I got used to it but all I kept thinking was, what would I look like brunette? Don't get me wrong, I've been brunette before but I had shorter hair and I was a bit younger, lots of things make a difference to how I would look now with brunette hair. I feel a bit more mature, although someone said I look younger, and once it has got over the shock of having a whole tub of brown hair dye slapped on it I'm sure it will be in much better condition.

I'm really looking forward to getting all dressed up with my new hair and seeing how different I feel. I didn't tell anyone I was getting it done as I like to see peoples faces, ha! My boyfriend really, really liked it and my mum was a bit funny but she just doesn't understand why I can't stick with one colour. The girls in work have also said it suits me better, which is nice to hear!

What do you think? I hope you like it!

Rimmel foundation

Hi everyone! So, I did it. I am now a brunette. I feel like a completly different person at the moment, so strange. I'll get a good picture and hopefully get a post up this weekend to show you all but today I wanted to tell you about my new(ish) Rimmel foundation.

My Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation ran out (waa) a few weeks ago - literally didn't give me any warning at all! So when a product runs out I don't immediately go out and re-purchase, I'm not sure why... I think I just like to see what else is out there.
Well let me tell you that I am kicking myself for doing this with my foundation! I was in a rush as I had to buy one that day and only had Boots to contend with. So I did a bit of a Google and decided I would go up, swatch a few and decide. I wavered by the Rimmel stand and thought I'd try their Lasting Finish foundation. I like the sound of a foundation that will last a long time (apparently 25 hours, although if you Google you will find a few blogs that have tested this and found it to be a bit far fetched) but 9-10 hours is good enough for me! It was £6.99, over Wake Me Up's £8.99, so I thought why the heck not!

When I used it the next day I wasn't that impressed. It felt really thick and a bit meh! I wasn't excited about it, but it did the job. After using it more I'm not as negative about it but, compared the Wake Me Up, it makes me look quite dull. I really loved the way Wake Me Up made me look awake and fresh, it may not last as long but it's a very good foundation for the price. It's also got really cute packaging! The only problem with it is it makes my oily sections (nose, chin, forehead) look super oily by lunchtime so I use powder. I don't find my face is as oily with Lasting Finish so it has much more staying power.
Both are also the same shade, although in Lasting Finish soft beige is slightly darker - I was a bit worried about this but you can't tell once it is on.
So I guess pros and cons for both but I will definitely be buying another Wake Me Up once I have some spare cash and perhaps will use both! But I've learnt my lesson and will not try to fix something that isn't broke in the future! Have you ever done this with a product you've liked?

My lip product collection

So today I have a half day from work because I'm getting my hair done, woohoo! They couldn't fit me in on a Saturday or evening before Christmas so I've had to take my last bit of annual leave for today. Bit annoying but it meant I get to take some pictures and blog! Yay. Finding it so hard at the moment to get good pictures due to leaving work when it's still quite dark and coming home in the pitch black! *note to self buy daylight bulb*

So I thought I'd show you my lipsticks/products collection. It's not very large as I've only recently got into colours on the lips, say in the last year. I have very dry and chapped lips and have always been wary about having big bold colours on my face. Like to keep things simple!

So you can see from the above picture that they are verrrry similar in colours. Lots of nude, a splash of red and a bit of pink - as well as my faithful lip butter! One thing I will say is that they are all from different brands.

Revlon Colour Burst Creme Brulee - post here - I got this as I was really intrigued by a moisturising lipstick but was too scared to get a bright colour. I really like it as it feels like you are just putting on a lipbalm and don't have to really be looking in a mirror! Tempted to purchase Raspberry Pie after seeing it on Corrie's blog.
MAC Shygirl - I bought this on my birthday last year probably as the first lipstick I purchased. I wanted something I could break myself in with and wear in the day or in the evening. This was perfect it has a hint of shimmer but it nude so doesn't look over the top during the day. The only thing I did find was that it showed up my chapped lips a bit so not so good on bad days.

17 Hot Chilli - This was a bit of a 'on a whim' purchase as I wanted to get a red lipstick - I had convinced myself that colour was okay by this point! I didn't want to spend a lot on something that may not suit me so opted for one from 17. It is more of a coral-red however the photo makes it look really orange! I found this quite nice but not so good on my dry lips so haven't really used it. A plus point for this one though is that the packaging is very sleek, making it look a lot more expensive.

Rimmel Kate Moss 101 - post here - This is, at the moment, my fave lipstick as it's soft, a beautiful natural colour and isn't too drying for my lips. I wore it everyday on holiday in October. The only thing I don't really like is the red packaging, I know a bit silly but I just find it a bit naff.

Natural Collection Crimson - So I picked this one up at the same time as the 17 one. I wasn't sure on the exact red I wanted so this one is a true, bright red. I actually really, really like this lipstick as it's a 'moisture shine' one so it means it nourishes my lips a little when I put it on and the pigment of it is amazing for a cheaper drugstore brand. I don't wear it often as I like to keep things simple so if I'm wearing colours in my clothes I tend to go for more natural lips.

Maybelline Babylips Peach Kiss - This is not available in the UK so I purchased it on holiday to USA as lots of bloggers kindly recommended it. I went for a nude colour to keep it safe (classic me) and am gutted I didn't buy the other colours as it is the softest lip product I've tried. It smells a bit like sweets and is actually pretty large so it will last a long time. If you get the chance to buy one - DO IT!

Boots Coconut & Almond Lip Butter - This is my holy grail of lip balm/butters. I was given one as a gift a long time ago and have continuously repurchased. I love products that smell of coconut as it reminds me of holidays so this is amazing. It keeps my lips soft and lasts quite a while. The only annoying thing about it is that the packaging gets grubby fast and the product gets stuck in your nails!! But I guess it's a butter not a balm.

So I hope this was interesting and has given you a bit of an insight into my lip habits. Hoping to get some pictures of my new hair so I will post about it on the weekend. Have a good rest of the week x

My tattoo

I have been wanting a tattoo for about a year after I deciding it isn't actually that bad girls having tattoos, they can look nice! I know tattoos are quite a funny subject as some people just hate them and think it's a terrible thing to do to your body whereas others, on the other extreme, love them and see their body as a place of art. I quite liked the thought of having some ink so that when on holiday, in a bikini it would look pretty, a typical girly thing to want! I then decided this was too big, too soon and I doubt I will actually ever get it done so I started to think of smaller things that I could have that meant something to me.
As it was getting closer to the end of my final year of Uni it came to me... I should get something to symbolise the end of such a long part of my life and the freedom I would feel once it was all over. This is when I started to think of doves and birds, flying away and being free to do as they wish. How do you then decide where you want it?! Did I want it on my wrist, my shoulder, my hip, my neck? You can see why it took me a year to get into the shop. It was between the wrist and the neck but I decided against my wrist as I didn't want something that would be on show 24/7, I'm just not that type of girl I suppose. The back of the neck seemed like such a delicate area to have a pretty tattoo that when I decided this was what I wanted and immediately booked it in and started to freak out!! 

Actually having it done

So it was Saturday, the day of my tattoo, and my friend said she would come with me - she has two medium/large tattoos so I thought she'd help me through it. I honestly don't think I could have gone in on my own as I would have probably passed out or just chickened out but having her with me really helped and she took my mind off it and put me at ease. When I sat down to have it done, I literally sat on a basic IKEA fold out chair with my coat and bag on my lap haha, my legs started to shake and I began to think I was silly for thinking it would be okay because I couldn't see the needle/gun thing. When she told me she was about to start I gave a little squeal and waited for the pain to begin ..... it did come, I wouldn't lie but I feel like I was scared over hardly anything! It hurt a little to begin, and the smaller bird hurt the most but I sat there for 20 minutes and just let the needle ink up my neck with pleasure!! I couldn't believe I had sat through it without asking her to stop or, more importantly, without crying! Woohoo go me.

Aftercare

I was told NOT to use Sudacrem (I didn't even know what I would use until she started talking aftercare and doing this and that) but to use Bepanthen, as it is breathable, twice a day for about a week. She then popped on some kind of goo-ey liquid and put a little bit of cling film over it for me to drive home in and that was that! The only thing I found was that because it was on my neck I couldn't move it from side to side easily and it made my whole back stiffen up. I think yesterday was the first day I started to feel normal again since I had it done.

So yes, I have a tattoo. It still feels very weird saying that and showing people. It isn't hardly on show but I know it's there and I'm 100% glad I did it.

Do you have any tattoos, or do you want one? They say once you have one you'll keep going back for more, I can see why but I don't have any plans for more.... yet ;)

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