April Favourites + Highlights 2021

April has been a month of two halves, the first half was stressful with my mum getting sick and being admitted to hospital again and the second half I had 11 days off work and felt like I had to catch up and recover from the first half of the month. The week my mum was in hospital I pretty much ran on adrenaline and it wasn’t until afterwards I noticed the toll it had taken on me. I don’t know if this is as a result of that but recently I’ve fallen out of love with blogging a little bit, I haven’t felt motivated to write or post often and I want my blog to be the best I can make it be. I don’t want to stop blogging but for the next wee while posts are likely to be scarce. I’m still very active on Instagram and reading/commenting on other blogs so I won’t disappear entirely.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara – At the beginning of the month I opened a new mascara and chose to go with Roller Lash from Benefit. I have heard so many good things about this mascara and I’m glad to say it hasn’t disappointed. The first time I used it I noticed the formula was a good mix between dry and wet and the product doesn’t smudge. It definitely gave length with the first use and the more I use it the more I like it. Now that it’s been open for a couple of weeks I notice the volume it gives as well and a second coat builds on the lashes really nicely. This does give a natural, fluttery curl too which looks lovely.

2. BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight Wand in Champagne Pop – I have used this as a highlighter on top of foundation and it is quite a natural looking glow compared to the powder form of Champagne Pop. I have been loving using this under my foundation instead of a primer. I have been dotting it on my face along with foundation and blending both products in together. It gives such a beautiful, healthy finish to the skin and works well with MAC’s Studio Fix Foundation in particular. I have now finished that foundation so I’m hoping it works just as well under others.

3. Nescafé Scorched Almond Mocha – I have mentioned before I’m not a big coffee drinker but now and again I purchase some sachets from the supermarket. I love Nestlé’s scorched almond chocolates so when I saw they had that flavour in coffee form I was curious to give it a try. I like the balance of chocolate and the slight nutty element, there is sweetness and it isn’t bitter. There are 10 sachets in a box and I have had over half of these already.

April Highlights

• I feel like I have made so many online orders this month but I’m also equally excited for everything to arrive.
• I had some time off work and while I didn’t feel as productive as I would have liked it was nice just to potter around and do what I like when I felt like it.
• I’ve also been using the exercycle again so hopefully I can keep this up when I return to work.

April’s Spotify Playlist:

(P.S. it annoys me that Spotify have changed their share playlist feature – I don’t know how to align the playlist in the centre anymore. If anyone knows how to do it with HTML please let me know).

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Share one of your highlights for the month and what you’ve been up to in the comments!

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November Favourites + Highlights 2020

November has been a really happy month overall. I still have the odd day I feel anxious or stressed or down but I’ve also had a good reason to feel happy and keep picking myself back up. I have been seeing a guy for a little while now and last week we made it Facebook official. Before announcing anything he met my mum and I met his family. We’re still in the getting to know each other phase but we enjoy each other’s company and we’re always joking around and laughing. He’s super sweet and supportive and honestly after the year I’ve had I’m pinching myself that this has happened.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. NESCAFÉ Cookies and Cream Latte – You might know I’m not a big coffee drinker and I certainly don’t need it to function but I have tried a few different flavours of NESCAFÉ’s latte sachets over the years and found a couple I like. I tend to prefer sweeter, milky coffees where the coffee taste is less prominent. The cookies and cream latte tastes very similar to the vanilla latte which is the nicest flavour I’ve tried. I will happily devour the rest of these sachets over the next month or so.

2. Nike Swoosh Hoodie in Barely Grape/Iced Lilac – After my tonsillectomy I was looking online and wanted some good quality, comfy sweatpants. I stumbled upon a pair from Nike and also saw this gorgeous purple hoodie at the same time. The hoodie is designed to be oversized, I purchased a medium and it’s a nice fit; hugs in the right places but still has room to move. The material is lightweight but warm and I love how this looks on, I’ve already worn it a lot since it arrived.

3. Urban Decay Naked2 Palette – I am so happy I purchased this palette! These kinds of shades are my favourite, they go with any look and the shimmers in this palette are stunning. If you’ve got a ton of neutral palettes you don’t need this but I’ve loved reaching for this palette every time I’ve worn makeup in November. I don’t mind that there are a lot more shimmer shades than mattes as the matte shades that are included are everyday staple shades that you don’t need multiples of in a palette. I’m planning to write a round up of all the palettes I’ve rotated through this year but I already know this is one of my favourites overall.

4. Maybelline Master Primer Pore Minimising – I have tried a number of different face primers this year and this is such a good one! About two months ago I finished the Hydrating primer from Maybelline and that was pleasant to use as well. I do think when I wear this primer my pores seem less noticeable and my base makeup looks more flawless. Before reading reviews and committing to purchasing this primer I was under the impression it would be a matte texture and feel drying on my skin but it’s the opposite; the texture is incredibly smooth and soft. A little goes a long way, it has more slip than the Hydrating primer from Maybelline but I don’t mind that.

November Highlights

• Kylie Minogue and Steps released new albums!
• Halo turned 3.
• I got a haircut for the first time in 9 months.

November’s Spotify Playlist:

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How was your month? Share one of your highlights in the comments!

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Redhead Rambles #8

Hello everyone and welcome to ‘Redhead Rambles’. The series does what it says on the tin, it is a redhead (me) rambling about her week. I share what I’ve been up to each week, how I’ve been feeling and what I’ve been listening to or watching. Occasionally I will my share favourite blog posts and links I’ve found useful or interesting.

• My Valentine’s celebrations took place late last Thursday night/last Friday. I got a very sweet card with a badge that says No. 1 Valentine. My boyfriend and I bought each other a bag of sour Skittles without the other knowing – it was hilarious. Great minds think alike!
• On Friday night we went to play mini golf and I really enjoyed it. There were fairy lights and rather large bunnies. The game was a close one too.
• I tried a new flavour at Subway – three pepper chicken – and it was delicious!
• When I mowed the lawns on Sunday I hit the side of my head on a tree. It didn’t bleed but it did hurt a little.
• I have had a productive week blog wise, taking photographs and prepping posts for the coming weeks.
• I gave up on a book as part of my challenge to read 50 by the beginning of September. I skipped through to the end and that was just as dull as the rest of the story. Note to self: don’t persist with books if they don’t grip me within the first 100 pages.
• I have been wearing the grey jumper from my fluffy twosie I ordered on ASOS and I love it! It’s so comfy and soft and even though it’s summer I still get cold easily.
• THIS fitness post from Candice is worth a read! It’s inspiring and honest and real.
• I got some Rocky Road Lattes at the supermarket and there are even mini marshmallows in the box too. The coffee taste isn’t very strong and it does taste like Rocky Road. I prefer the Nescafé sachets but when I finish the Rocky Road Lattes I won’t be getting more coffee. I’m trying to be healthier and I don’t need the extra sugar.
• Cheese on toast for dinner on Tuesday night was delicious!
• I painted my nails silver using an Orly 3D Colour Blast polish.

What I’ve been listening to:

Delta Goodrem – Think About You – Delta is an Australian singer-songwriter with a wonderful storytelling ability. I have listened to Delta since her first album was released in 2003. Think About You is described as a ‘raunchy banger’.

Britney Spears – Glory – When Glory was first released I wasn’t feeling it so I decided to re-listen and reacquaint myself with the tracks. There are a few good bops but not my favourite material from Britney.

Shania Twain – Now – I’m still hyped about getting concert tickets and I’ve got to learn all the words to the album by December.

How was your week?

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January Favourites 2018

It feels like forever since I’ve written a favourites post but it’s only been a month! A fair bit has happened in that time which is probably the reason why it seems so long. These favourites are all things I have been using in January and incorporating into different parts of my day.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted Journal (Navy) – Hands up who guessed this would feature! I purchased a Bullet Journal to keep organised lists essentially. I don’t treat mine like a diary (maybe if I didn’t already have a planner). I’m loving writing in this and coming up with new page ideas. I have written a post about my Bullet Journal which you can view HERE. The post also includes a video giving you a look inside my journal.

2. Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick #45 – I chose this lipstick as part of a Rimmel gift with purchase in 2017 and rediscovered it this month. This shade is a gorgeous dusky rose nude. Shade #45 sits in the middle of the range colourwise, it’s not the lightest shade nor is it the darkest. This lipstick is creamy but still has good pigmentation. It’s not the longest lasting but it’s nice for during the day. I like to apply Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Super Natural over the top to make lips look extra plump.

3. Real Techniques Bold Metals 203 Tapered Shadow Brush – Towards the end of 2017 I purchased some Real Techniques makeup brushes off of iHerb. This brush is lovely for applying and blending shadow in the crease and the outer corner of the eye. The brush looks like it will be too big but this isn’t the case at all. I love to use this brush alongside the Morphe 25A Copper Spice palette I received for Christmas. This brush is perfect for defining the crease and for blending out matte shades from the palette.

4. Nescafé Toffee Nut Latte – Every year Starbucks bring out their Christmas drinks and one of the flavours is usually Toffee Nut. I tried a Toffee Nut Frappucino and really enjoyed it so when I saw these sachets in the supermarket in the trolley they went. This is actually my second box, I purchased the first one in December and repurchased two weeks ago. For someone who doesn’t drink coffee I find these have a nice, light flavour. Lattes contain more milk than other types of coffee so they’re not as strong.

5. Instagram – A lot of people have been complaining about Instagram and the ‘algorithm’ lately and I’m going to admit I have no clue what the algorithm is supposed to do. I use Instagram because I like it and because I enjoy sharing photos and engaging with friends and bloggers and seeing what they post. I don’t have a theme I stick to or a routine where I only post at certain times or on certain days. I remember a couple of years ago Instagram made it so you could turn on notifications when people post so you will see your favourite accounts first and more often. I did that for no one simply because I like chronological order and although photos aren’t posted in chronological order anymore I still see every photo. In the morning I scroll until I get up to where I stopped the night before and I don’t seem to miss photos. I’m enjoying Instagram because of the engagement I’ve been getting recently.

January’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in January?

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August Favourites 2017

As you may have read in my Life Lately #2 post August has brought about some changes. I left my job and started a new one a couple of days later so most of the month has been preparing for and leading up to that. August has gone very fast and been a bit emotional. I am looking forward to getting stuck in to my new job and getting into a new routine though.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Black Chenille Cardigan – I mentioned this cardigan in my Boohoo & Glassons Haul but wasn’t able to show it to you in black. I could only find an image of the blue online but the black cardigan acts as the backdrop for this month’s photo. Chenille is beautiful material and the cardigan looks lovely on. I intend to wear this a lot over the next couple of months before summer kicks in!

2. My Filoax/Stationery – Fun fact, Filofaxes and planners are what inspired me to start my blog! I have had my Hot Pink Domino in personal size for three years now and I still use it all the time. I have weekly and monthly layouts and normally plan at the beginning of each week, appointments, paydays etc. I find it useful to record my hours of work each day and on the monthly pages I record my blog views each week. I incorporated stationery into this favourite as I have been enjoying decorating my pages lately (I always used to) and personalising them with stickers and washi tape. I have a lot of washi tape!

3. Nescafé Vanilla Latte – I’m not usually a coffee girl but on a whim I decided to get a box of vanilla latte sachets from the supermarket. I tried and adored the Tahitian Vanilla Latte from Starbucks when it was out and I was reminded of that when I tasted these sachets from Nescafé. The aroma and taste isn’t as strong as other types of coffee and the coffee is nice and fluffy and smooth. I will repurchase these for sure.

4. Canon 700D DSLR – I purchased the Canon 700D in July and I have been using it for blog photographs as well as test shots and personal images. I started on Auto Mode and through watching tutorials and reading articles online I quickly switched to Manual Mode. I have a better understanding of what the numbers for aperture, shutter speed and ISO mean now. Manual Mode does make a difference, if something’s not right it might only be one setting that needs changing and experimentation helps you learn and develop your style of photography. I really want to go on a day trip or outing with my camera and get some beautiful nature/scenery shots, that’s the next step.

5. The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter – This was a Christmas present from my boyfriend last year and I began using it in February. I was convinced I had mentioned this body butter in a favourites post already but checked back and saw I hadn’t. The texture of this body butter is soft but firm and is very moisturising on the skin. It has a lovely chocolate/cocoa scent which is quite natural, not artificial or overly sweet. I imagine it would work for males and females. The Body Shop has discontinued the Cocoa Butter range but if they bring it back I would repurchase the body butter in a heartbeat. I highly recommend it!

August’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in August?

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