Tanya Burr Haul and Discount Code!

Hellooo my lovelies,

 As you may have seen from a post I did last week, I bought some of Tanya Burr's lip and nail products that she's just released (I'll link that post below). I actually liked the one's I bought so much that I thought I would get myself some more and Feel Unique had/have a 25% discount on Tanya Burr products using the code TANYA25. (Who can say no to 25%?!) I've taken the pictures and uploaded the post on the day I received this parcel to ensure you read this while the discount is still on!!  I also tweeted about the discount on my twitter (@whatabbyloves) so if you want a heads up about discount codes etc then give me a follow over there!

Midnight Sparkles

Mischief Managed

 Anywaaay I got slightly carried away which is totally not like me at all *cough cough* and I ended up buying 4 new lipglosses and another two nail varnishes. So I now own half of the whole range with six of the twelve lipglosses and six of the twelve nail varnishes. The nail varnishes I chose this time are a gorgeous red shade called 'Mischief Managed' and a lovely purple shimmery one called 'Midnight Sparkles'. I obviously haven't tried either of these because I only got them today but I have tried my 'Little Duck' and my 'Be Bright, Be Happy, Be You' nail varnish from my last purchase. Those two are really gorgeous on the nails but they do look much nicer if you give them a good three coats so I'm assuming my two new one's will be the same!

Exotic Island

 The lipglosses I chose this time were 'Afternoon Tea', 'Just Peachy', 'Smile, Dream, Sparkle' and 'Exotic Island'. Exotic Island was the first shade which I was really keen to try and it's a gorgeous purpley/pink shade in the tube but it comes out a lot more sheer than it looks in the tube. Like all Tanya's lipglosses it has a gorgeous strawberry scent which I personally really like!

Smile, Dream , Sparkle

  The second shade I chose was 'Smile, Dream, Sparkle' which is similar to 'Aurora' but a darker shade of pink and more sheer. The pink doesn't show up as much on the lips, it just adds a very slight tinge of pink but allows you to see the shimmer. It almost gives the effect of a clear shimmer gloss but with that slight tinge of pink.

Smile, Dream, Sparkle at the top and Aurora at the bottom.

'Just Peachy'

Just Peachy

 The last two shades I picked are very similar and I would definitely say that you don't need both of them as they are that similar (downsides of buying online!). I chose 'Afternoon Tea' and 'Just Peachy' and I have to say I'm not exactly thrilled with the shades of these ones. I thought it would be a lot more peachier and corally based than it is. When swatched it literally does look like I'm swatching glossy concealer. On my lips 'Just Peachy' really did make me look like I had concealer lips, I'm not sure if it would look better with darker skin tones but for me it's just not a great shade. However, I've had it on whilst writing this and if i rub my lips together a lot and once I've had it on a while it seems to look a lot more normal, more of a natural shade. However, it does remind me a lot of MAC's myth lipstick so if you like that then this would probably be a great one for popping over the top of that or on it's own. Afternoon tea is very similar but slightly darker. I will use them occasionally but I definitely wouldn't have bothered buying either of these two if I'd been buying them in a shop and had the chance to see them in person first.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea

Just Peachy top and Afternoon Tea bottom

Left to right:- Just Peachy, Afternoon Tea

 Have you tried any of Tanya Burr's make-up range? What are your favourites from the collection?

Previous Tanya Burr Haul:- http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/tanya-burrs-lips-and-nails.html
My Twitter:- https://twitter.com/whatabbyloves

Lots of Love,

A x x x 

Is Revlon's Highlighting Palette a Cheaper Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick?

Hellooo beauties!

At first glance, you could quite easily mistake this for one of Bobbi Brown's shimmer bricks but it is infact Revlon's new highlighting palette . That is infact what made me stop and take a second look at this product. I have been lusting after a Bobbi Brown shimmer brick for a while now and I thought this would make an excellent dupe since Bobbi Brown's costs £38.00.

 I had no intention of using this as a highlighter but instead I wanted to use it as a bronzer because I have heard about the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick being an amazing bronzer and this palette also has deep bronzey colours in it. However it definitely isn't a dupe, although I haven't tried Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick I would imagine it has a lot more pigmentation than this. With this product you really need to press hard up and down with your brush to get decent enough colour payoff for it to show on your face. Don't be fooled by swatches of this because it seems to show up more pigmented on your fingers than it does when transferred to your face. It would be really nice if you wanted a super subtle all over bronze look but for contouring it's a definite no go and even for me it doesn't give the colour pay off I want for an all over sun-kissed look.

 It is an okay product and I will continue to use it but I won't be repurchasing this and nor will it be replacing my beloved Sleek Face Contour Kit. It has however quenched my need for Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick quite a bit though which is a positive for my piggybank! You can also get this in a blush shade with rosey pink shades in it that would look amazing paired with the Naked 3 palette so I'd quite like to give that a bash. Although the lack of pigment has put me off as I think there are better, more reasonably priced products out there. So overall it's not a bad egg but there's definitely better one's out there!

SHOP THE POST:-
Boots (£8.99) - http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-Highlighting-Palette_1416321/?affwin&awc=2041_1392931142_bf58fa705cbcc09d6cd8aa9b7147f3cb&cm_mmc_o=-uubkbzfwlCjCKww5kbELCjCvi%20i9%20niioCjCC

Previous Post featuring shimmer brick:-
http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/exam-celebration-beauty-haul.html

Have you tried any of the Revlon Highlighting Palettes? What did you think of them?

Lots of Love,

A x x x 

List Lover

 

Hellooo my lovelies,

 I am a compulsive list maker, despite being the least organised person in the WORLD, I do try. I make lists for everything from blog posts I need to make, to uni work that I have to do and I always carry around a little note pad in my bag to jot things down that I remember whilst on the go. So when I discovered these cute little books in Urban Outfitters it was a must buy! Urban outfitters are actually really good in general for picking up cute little gifts and books so definitely one to keep an eye on!

 The first one I bought was 'Listography' and the idea of this book is that it states a topic at the top of the page and you write lists based on this. For example there is a page for 'Previous Lovers' and 'People You Love'  and I think it is such a cute concept because if you keep it over a long period of time, it will eventually build up to tell the story of your life. It's also quite a fun way to pass time and forces you to look back on happy/funny memories that you can have a laugh about. I actually really like going through it with my boyfriend, family and friends too because they can often remind me of things that I've forgotten about and I can write it down and then it's there forever! I also think it would be quite sweet if in twenty years time or whatever and your kids are looking through it, they can flick through and see what their mum was like in the 'olden days'. 

 Then for Christmas this year my lovely friend Nicky (who actually reads this blog so Hi Nicky!) bought me a second list book, this one being 'My Future Listography' which is more aimed towards planning your future. She kindly bought me this because she knows how much I love making lists and that I loved the other book a lot because I had shown her after I bought it. This one is probably my favourite of the two as it's like creating a check list for things to do in your future and you can check them off after you've hopefully achieved them. The Future Listography book contains things like 'Beaches to visit', 'Countries to visit', 'Present's I'd like to receive' and 'Hobbies and Activities to try'. It'll be lovely to look back on later in life and see what you've actually managed to achieve and what you need to make an effort to make happen. 

  Each page has a cute picture to give you a guide as to how to answer/what to put down on your lists. As you can see I haven't completed all pages in mine yet but I've taken a picture of a few pages that I have and haven't done for you, to show how it can let you know quite a lot about someone and to show you what it looked like without my scribbles all over it. I also think this would make a great sweet little gift especially for someone who likes making lists or being organised. I know my mum bought quite a few people these for Christmas after I showed her mine!

 Have you come across these books before? What do you think of them?

Lots of love,

A x x

Tanya Burr's Lips and Nails

Hellooo my lovelies,

Last week I made a cheeky Feel Unique order for some of Tanya Burr's new makeup range which I'm sure you have all heard about. If by some chance you live under a rock and haven't then Tanya Burr is a make-up artist who also makes very good videos on Youtube who has now released her own beauty product line. Firstly I wasn't too bothered about whether these would be 'amazing' or not because I really wanted to support Tanya as a big fan of her videos to show appreciation for them. However, I actually do really like them!

 I got myself two lipglosses which are both pink shades (such a shock). The first one is Aurora which is a deeper pink and has shimmer in it and this is Tanya Burr's favourite from the collection. I then chose Picnic In The Park mainly because it's a bright pink and I also thought it had cute names. Tanya has named all the products herself and they're all clearly names which have significance to her which is a nice touch. Aurora was one of her favourite Disney Princesses (Sleeping Beauty). Her nail polish 'New York Night' also has a cute meaning behind it as I have strong suspicions it's because she got engaged to her fiance Jim there last year. Anywaaay.. I'm not normally the biggest fan of lipgloss because long hair in the UK (where it's regularly high winds) and sticky lips is not the best mix! I do really like these ones though as they aren't too sticky but they're still glossy which is great. The applicator is a doe foot applicator and it's an extra long one (so technical) which makes it really easy for precision application! Also they have really good pigment so look nice both alone or with a lipstick. I actually love MAC's creme cup under both of these but especially Picnic In The Park. The lipglosses cost £6.99 each from Feel Unique and they're coming to Superdrug soon!

Left:- Picnic In The Park. Right:- Aurora 

Picnic In The Park

Aurora

Left to Right:- Bright and Early, Little Duck, Mini Marshmallows and Be Bright, Be Happy, Be You

 No surprises to anyone that I bought every shade of pink that was available! I've actually only tried Little Duck so far which is a gorgeous mint green shade that's really got me excited for Spring. I think it'll look really nice with a tan! It applied well and the brush is nice but my nails have chipped already. There's very few nail varnishes that don't chip on my nails though because they're so long and acrylic nails ruined them but that's a different story! The nail varnishes cost £5.99 with free delivery from Feel Unique.

Gold star to anyone who knows why some have love hearts on and some don't??

I definitely will be purchasing more from her range! Especially the lipglosses! Have you tried Tanya Burr's make up range? What's your favourite?

SHOP THE POST:-

Nail Polishes- http://www.feelunique.com/p/Tanya-Burr-Nail-Polish-60g

Lipglosses- http://www.feelunique.com/p/Tanya-Burr-Lip-Gloss-38g

Lots of Love,

A x x x 

Rosie for Autograph

Hellooo my lovelies,

 I know it's a bit of a taboo subject when it comes to showing underwear on the internet etc and a lot of people don't feel comfortable doing it which is fair enough and if you don't you don't have to read this post. The way I see it is aslong as I'm not actually wearing it in the pictures, I don't see it as that much of a big deal! So the other day I went to Marks and Spencers to get a bra fitted and it ended up that I was wearing the complete wrong size and I had to get new underwear. I thought I would share with you both the importance of getting your boobs measured and the lovely underwear that Marks and Spencers do as I would never have looked in there collection before!

 Firstly I would totally recommend all you ladies to go and get your boobs measured as it can lead to both back and breast problems if you are wearing a bra too small for you. Believe me, it's very easily done as both my back and my cup size were wrong and I was completely oblivious to this so I was not only crushing my boobs but I wasn't supporting them either. So even if you think you are wearing the right size it really is worth getting them checked because it's free! and it's not embarassing at all so don't worry. I was worried that I would have to take my bra off etc but they just measure you in a little cubicle with your bra on and when you're trying on the bra's the lady leaves the cubicle. So definitely worth going for a check!

 




Now onto the prettier bit! Marks and Spencers actually have a collection with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley called 'Rosie for Autograph' and it has some really lovely bits! Plus with it being Marks and Spencers you know that you're getting quality for your money. The first thing I got is called a 'teddy' but I like to call it a playsuit that you sleep in hehe! But it's this gorgeous pinky/purple floral print with lace trims. It is expensive at £59.99 (eeeek) but it was too pretty to leave behind! They actually have a lot of lovely pjama's that I'd love but I can't justify spending any more money on things I really don't need!

 The first bra I got was this one in Mushroom and I got the matching pants aswell and I also got the bra in a pink colour aswell. Unfortunately they did not have the matching pants in store or any store near me and they've also sold out of all size 6 in pink online (possible Valentines Day rush??) but I'm hoping they come back in stock soon! The bra's cost £25 each and the pants are £12.50. These are both from Rosie' collection aswell!

They're both super pretty and super comfy that could be because I'm now actually wearing a bra that fits me for a change haha but they are amazingly comfy and they sit nicely under clothes without the lace showing through. I love the colours and the lace trim, it took a lot for me to not buy even more of them but I was very good!

SHOP THE POST:-
Teddy - http://www.marksandspencer.com/Rosie-Autograph-Printed-Chiffon-Designed/dp/B005UJW2C0?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_26&nodeId=2802047031&sr=1-26&qid=1392597692
Bra - http://www.marksandspencer.com/Rosie-Autograph-Padded-Plunge-Designed/dp/B001OOJTLW?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_8&nodeId=2802047031&sr=1-8&qid=1392597663&pf_rd_r=0BM8NXBRTVPPVFJ1BABS&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=2802047031&pf_rd_p=321381387&pf_rd_s=related-items-3
Pants- http://www.marksandspencer.com/Rosie-Autograph-Brazilian-Knickers-Designed/dp/B0034ROYD0?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_1&nodeId=42966030&sr=1-1&qid=1392597787&pf_rd_r=1X585EDNHEWJ6CYW7VPT&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=0&pf_rd_p=321381427&pf_rd_s=center-3

Have you tried anything from Rosie for Autograph?

Lots of Love,

A x x x 

My Valentines Day 2014

Hellooo my lovelies,

I hope you all had a really amazing Valentines Day! I actually had a blog post scheduled to go up of Valentines Day outfits but annoyingly it didn't post so I'm assuming nobody will really want to see it now?? Anywaaay this Valentines Day I was a very lucky girl and Gary (my boyfriend) took me away to a five star hotel in Glasgow which is about an hours train from where we live and we also went for food and cocktails! When I came back there was gorgeous red roses waiting for me at my house with an adorable note so I have been well and truly spoilt this year! I took some pictures of the hotel and the roses so I thought it would be nice to share it with you. (photo-heavy post oncoming)

Fried Egg hearts for breakfast (chef Abby)

Nutella Cake that I made Gary

Long train journey essentials are obviously Company, Cosmopolitan and Millies cookies (yum, yum, yum!)

 How amazing does this bed look?! I tell you I've never had a comfier nights sleep and I fell asleep as soon as I got in (could have been down to the numerous cocktails...). It's so beautiful aswell I honestly just wanted to move in and never ever leave!

Cute little desk

 Our room had a gorgeous bay window which looked out to an unfortunately very rainy/snowy Glasgow!! However on the Saturday it was an absolutely beautiful day and sunny which was a complete change from the snow storms the night before!

Even the toilet roll had little Hilton stickers on it! (cute)

   The hotel had a really nice pool with a spa, sauna, jacuzzi and steam room with sunbeds around the edge of it that I really wanted to photograph. However, I felt I'd look a bit of a creep if I went down with an SLR and started snapping away whilst people were swimming haha!! The steam room and sauna both had dark ceilings with lights embedded into it so it was like a starry night sky which was so cool and really relaxing. We're both hoping to go back there soon!

Quick selfie sesh before we went out for drinks and food was obvvviously an essential!

  This is the outfit that I wore on the Friday night which I really really like. It's a black playsuit with a pink floral print on the top and it has lace detailing around the edges and the middle. I thought it was very elegant and quite classy too. We decided to stay in our hotel for drinks and food because the hotel was perfect as it was and it was a very snowy, wet and cold night in Glasgow. So luckily I was able to wear bare legs without being cold and I also wore creamy nude heels from Misguided that were suede so it was definitely a good plan staying within our hotel! The playsuit is also from Misguided and was £27.99. I went for a really simple makeup look using my Naked 3 palette Buzz, Liar, Dust and Blackheart and on the lips I wore Mac's cremecup and on top Tanya Burr's lipgloss in Picnic In The Park. On my cheeks I used my Sleek contour kit and also filled in my brows with this since I 'forgot' my eyebrow eyeshadow (it was in my bag all along...sigh) and Benefit's Coralista blusher. With my hair I just curled it then brushed it through with my tangle teezer!

Accidentally cut off Gary's head oops!

Teeth-cleaning selfies hehehe.

Cocktails (How pretty are they?!)

Hotel Bar

 I had a really nice dinner, pizza obviously because why would you ever eat anything else when pizza is on the menu?! The cocktails were amazing -very very pricy at near enough £9 a cocktail and £6 a vodka but they were so so worth it! The staff were so lovely and the drinks came presented beautiful with different fruits floating in them. My favourite one's were the Summer Solstice one which was citrus vodka and mango and different fruity flavours and it just tasted like tropical juice...very yummy! Another nice one was the Drumstick Mule which tasted exactly like Drumstick lollies!!! The resemblance was uncanny and that one had three different vodka's, vanilla, raspberries and ginger beer in it! The atmosphere in the bar was pretty nice aswell with lots of boothes that had cute little candle's which were the only light in the bar.

A sunny Glasgow the next day!

My beautiful flowers in my very messy room

 I was truly spoilt on Valentines Day, I am very grateful and I think Gary deserves a gold star for his effort here! What did you get up to on Valentines Day? Have you ever stayed at a Hilton hotel before?

Lots of Love, 

A x x x