Tuesday 31 December 2013

What I Got for Christmas!

Hi everyone!

At the moment I think I'll only be able to post once a month because things are getting pretty hectic with school work and stuff, and as it's December, there was only one theme to write about... Christmas!

This year's almost at an end, so I thought the last post I could upload for 2013 would be a little look at what I got for Christmas. Hope you enjoy!




The two biggest presents I got this year were a new suitcase and a new camera (told you there would be a new one on the way!) I'd asked for the suitcase for when I go to New York (there will be an extra big post on that when I come back, but give me time to recover from jet lag!) as the one I currently have is no longer being used and is far too small, and likewise I had asked for a new camera for the trip so I could take better pictures and create clearer memories to look back on.





I also got a few toiletries and beauty products from friends and family (I am aware that the purple nail varnish is in two photos, but I thought I'd show one where you can see it better). My nearest and dearest seem to know me well!


Last but not least is a rather cute mini hot water bottle which I got from my boyfriend (along with some cute reindeer slipper socks, which I forgot to put in the photo... sorry!). I've already used it once and I love it!


So there you have it, a sneak peek at what I opened on Christmas Day! I'd love to see what you guys got, so feel free to leave links in the comments to your present posts!

Finally, have a very Happy New Year and I hope 2014 brings you all that you wish for!

Lots of love,

Fliss xx

Friday 1 November 2013

My First Beauty Post! Products I'm Loving Right Now

Hi guys!

Apologies for not posting for quite some time, my school work's been crazy at the moment!

Anyway, today I thought I'd do my first beauty post. I will say now I'm no beauty expert or anything, I'm merely reviewing products that I like and sharing it with you guys. Who knows, it may help you greatly!

I'd also like to point out that these photos were taken with my iPod as my camera is rubbish and wouldn't take very clear photos (I apologise if some of these are really bad as well!) . At some point I will try and get a decent camera for this blog as I suspect there will be lots of pictures to be used! 

I'm going to try to be as organised as possible, so I'll probably organise them into things like skincare, makeup, nails etc. I'll also try and stick to budget-friendly products so that if you do want to go and get them they won't cost you an arm and a leg, but for more great cheap and cheerful wonders (not just beauty, but fashion too!) go and visit Meg's Budget Boutique!

Okay, so here we go!


Skincare


My first skincare product is the Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser, £3.79 at Superdrug. As someone with mostly dry skin, I'm always on the lookout for products that will nourish my skin, without feeling too greasy or rich, and since I watched one of Tanya Burr's videos about teenage skin, featuring this product, I thought I'd buy it and I've discovered that it is perfect - my skin feels nicely moisturised, it sinks into the skin quickly and isn't overly scented. And what's more, I literally only need to use a pea-sized blob to cover my whole face (although I leave my forehead till last because that's the oiliest part of my face and needs very little product), so it lasts a long time... I bought this at the beginning of August and I'm only about halfway through the bottle! Overall, I think it's great value for money and you should definitely check it out, although I wouldn't recommend it to those with oily skin (I think you'll be better off with an oil-balancing one, which Simple also do).




Next on the list is the Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser, £3.55, also at Superdrug. My mum first bought one of these bottles for normal skin and said it was really nice, so one day when I was in the shower I used a little bit of it (sorry Mum!) and was impressed with the results. Not long afterwards my mum got me the one for dry skin and I've used it nearly every day (I can afford to go a couple of days without moisturising with this product, which is an added bonus!). I use it mostly on my legs, which get driest the quickest, and it only takes an extra minute or so in the shower as opposed to at least 5 minutes after showering (plus the waiting around for it to sink in and not feel sticky or greasy), which when I'm in a hurry to get ready is a godsend! It's the perfect lazy girl moisturiser, and having started using this near the beginning of September and have just run out, I would say that's good value for money, don't you?
 

Makeup


First up is the Limited Edition Vaseline Paint the Town Red Lip Tint (that's quite a mouthful, isn't it? Haha), £3.49 at Superdrug. I actually saw this in Tesco and was intrigued by it, so I bought it and I am surprised! It is quite a dark red when you see it in the tin but don't let that put you off... Once you've applied it it comes out more like a rosy pinky red, if that makes sense? I'll put a picture so you can see for yourself haha. I always find that I like to wear something that will give my lips a hint of colour, just to define them a little bit, but won't necessarily clash with whatever eye makeup I'm wearing, and this is perfect for those of you who are easing yourself into wearing makeup or for you girls who want to wear colour on your lips without being told off at school. It's nice and cheap, it nourishes your lips and is lightly pigmented... What more could you want? An all-round great product! 


Left to right: Vaseline Paint the Town Lip Tint, Barry M Lip Liner and Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick 

The next two products kind of go hand in hand. First is the Barry M Lip Liner in Red (Number 3). Occasionally I will wear this on its own as it's a nice bold shade, and it's a nice soft pencil which doesn't drag across my lips when applying it (especially if you put a bit of lip balm on beforehand, which I always do to stop my lips drying out). Plus, if you don't get on with it (because I know everybody is different), at just £2.99 it's not a massive waste of money. The second product is the much talked-about Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107. I actually saw this in Tesco a couple of months back for £5.50 and bought it out of pure curiosity, and I loved it! Since then, Meg and Zoe (Zoella) and even the almighty Tanya Burr, who has featured it in one of her videos, and other beauty bloggers have been raving about it. I usually apply the Barry M lip liner first and the lipstick second as I find it gives the lipstick more staying power (a tip I picked up from the lovely Pixiwoo ladies... check out all these names I'm dropping haha!) Anyway, I love the slightly vampy edge that this lipstick has, but it's also suitable to wear during the day, which I have done a lot more lately. Just make sure you have it with you to top up during the day if you're going to be eating or drinking!

Next on the list is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I first heard about this on one of Meg's videos and then Zoella herself was raving about it so I thought I'd give it a go. And wow, were they right! This is my second tube and it is amazing at covering spots and blemishes, especially if you're like me and have persistent dark circles under your eyes! The only downside is that the writing on the packaging does wear off after a while (as you can probably see in the photo), but at just £3.99 from Superdrug, it's hardly significant is it?
Next up is the Rimmel Extra Wow Lash mascara. This was actually part of a Christmas present from my friend Holly, but after a bit of digging I've found it is £5.49 from Superdrug, and I've literally only just got round to using it as I've previously been using other mascaras that were either presents or, in one case, one that I'd found when going through some bags (I guess it pays to check stuff before you throw it out!). Anyway, I was a bit sceptical about this but in all honesty I'm rather impressed. My lashes are short and fairly curly so anything that promises length is worth trying and I found that although my eyelashes weren't super long after applying several coats, it really does open up your eyes and doesn't feel heavy, even after I applied quite a few coats (one or two never really does it for me!). All in all I think it's a very good product!


Nails


Left: Blood Orange. Right: Lychee 

I couldn't really do this sort of post without mentioning the Barry M nail varnishes, could I? They are great value for money at just £3.99 each and come in so many gorgeous shades, and I'm loving the Gelly range at the moment! The colour that I'm wearing which you can see in some of the photos is called Blood Orange and is an amazing bright red, perhaps not for those who prefer more muted shades but a lovely colour nonetheless haha! Another staple is Lychee, which is a lovely beige/nude shade and is perfect for those who want to put something on their nails but don't want something too outgoing.




Also on the list is the Maybelline Super Stay nail polish in Midnight Red. I've recently been looking for a nice dark red colour to put on my nails as we approach winter and I think that this one definitely nails the berry trend for this season (see what I did there?). At £4.09 I think it's a reasonable price and it promises 7-day wear with no chips (I'm not sure I can vouch for that, then again as I'm still at college/sixth form my hands may go through more than other people's), and the finish looks very much professional, almost as if I've invested in a gel manicure, which is always nice!


Brushes




First up are the Real Techniques brushes. Created by Sam from Pixiwoo, I first heard about the Stippling Brush on one of Meg's videos and thought I'd do some more digging. My first purchase was the Expert Face Brush, which at £8.99 from Boots may seem extravagant for a foundation brush but it does an amazing job and I love it! I use it to apply my foundation and also to blend my concealer in, particularly around my eyes. I also purchased the Starter Set for £21.99, also from Boots. Again, this may seem pricey for eye makeup brushes but it is an investment worth making, and they are great for when I'm doing a show and need a good smokey eye. When I'm not doing that, though, I sometimes use the Deluxe Crease Brush from the set to blend my concealer. All of these brushes are so soft and really help you achieve professional results.

Left: Asda blush/bronzer brush. Right: Asda powder brush

My other favourite brushes are my blush/bronzer brush and my powder brush which came as part of a kit from Asda, a Christmas present from my sister a few years ago (so unfortunately I can't tell you how much it was). They are unbelievably soft and are so nice to apply product with, so I just thought I'd throw them in!


Hope you guys enjoyed this post, I hope I've been helpful to you guys even though I'm certainly no expert when it comes to this sort of thing!

What are your favourite products right now? Let me know in the comments!

Lots of love,

Fliss xx





Wednesday 18 September 2013

Welcome to A Girl's World!

Hi everyone!

I thought I should do an introductory blog post before I do any others so you guys can learn a little bit more about me! 

I'm Felicity, I'm currently studying my A-Levels in the hope of going to university, I'm from a little place in Kent called Sheppey (you may have heard about the massive crash on the bridge a couple of weeks ago? Yeah that's where I'm from).

This blog is mainly going to be about the sorts of thoughts and feelings that a girl might have at some stage in her life (perhaps not fashion as I don't think I would be very helpful, but perhaps if I get enough requests it might happen!). I'm also considering doing reviews, some on beauty and some on books (I am a self-confessed bookworm!) but obviously it just depends on what I feel like doing at the time.

Anyway, hope you like this post and stay tuned!

Lots of love,

Fliss xx

Monday 12 August 2013

My First Blog: "Shipping"

I had originally planned to make my first blog an introductory one, but my attention was brought to a subject recently which I have a strong opinion on, so that is what I shall write about first. I will make sure to do a questions blog at some point but I felt it was important to get my feelings out about this.

The topic, as you may have gathered, is "shipping".

I will admit that, although I have been involved with social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for quite some time, I was only introduced to the concept of "shipping" towards the end of last year (thanks danisnotonfire haha). In case you were wondering, shipping is the idea of putting two people together either as a friendSHIP or a relationSHIP.

Now before someone says it, it is perfectly harmless to like the idea of two people either being friends or in a relationship with each other. What is wrong is when people take the "shipping" way too far and end up not physically, but emotionally hurting either the two people in question or their close friends.

Since I discovered shipping I have always had the view that if people want to broadcast their relationship, or indeed want to make the move to be in a relationship with someone else, then they will. Others should not force them to do anything they are not comfortable with, end of.

I am writing this not only because I have read about the after-effects of "hardcore shipping" on not one, but two of my favourite YouTubers and their friends, but because in a strange way I know what it feels like because it has happened to me (although admittedly it wasn't over the internet).

I have a male friend (who shall remain anonymous) who I have grown quite close to in the last few years. We make our friends laugh when we argue "like an old married couple", because admittedly that's how we act around each other. But I always have and only ever will think of him as a very close, if not best, male friend. However, others don't seem to have grasped this concept.

Last summer was our Year 11 prom, and this friend asked me if I wanted to go with him just as friends. I knew that he had no intentions of pretending we were together, but I said no to him (and incidentally another guy friend who had asked me to prom) for mainly one reason.

There were some girls in my year who had boyfriends at the time who did not attend our school and so were not allowed to come to our prom. These girls had then asked one of their male friends to be their prom 'date' (I'm from the UK but proms have got really popular over here recently). I personally didn't have a problem with them doing that, and everybody knew that they were just going as friends so nobody questioned them about it. But because the majority of people there knew that I didn't have a boyfriend, I knew that if I went with either of the boys who asked me, we would spend most, if not all, of the night denying that we were a couple. This wasn't just for me, I did it for the boys as well, because although they may not show it, they have feelings too and I wouldn't want them to feel bad. Plus it would be the last time I saw most of the people I knew and I wanted to spend it having fun, not constantly denying rumours. I'm sure you understand that?

Anyway, the motivation for this came from a blogpost I read recently concerning one of the biggest ships on the internet, and I won't go into the details of the post (some of you may know who I'm on about anyway), but one part really stood out to me. It concerned another friend, who had to take one of his vlogs down the other day after "hardcore shippers" took their love for this OTP (or "one true pair/pairing" - again, thanks danisnotonfire!) way too far. I felt so bad that he felt he had to do that, because he shouldn't have to worry about this sort of thing happening whenever he posts something that features the two people in question.

Insult me if you must, but liking the idea of two people together and saying so on the internet shouldn't mean that the people in question, or their close friends, end up being hurt by it.

I know what it's like to have people speculating your friendship/relationship with another person, and I just hope that any comments I may have posted on videos haven't made them feel like I am among those who don't seem to care about their privacy or the value of their friendship/relationship.

Phew, rant over!

Hope you don't think I'm crazy for going all out on this, but I thought it was time I got this off my chest once and for all!

Lots of love,

Fliss xx