Goodbye 2015 || Hello 2016

As 2015 is drawing to a close I just wanted to share a little message with you all to wish you all the very best in 2016 and to explain a little about what has/is going on with my blog. 

2015 hasn't been the best year for me, in fact I'd go as far to say it was probably the worst so I for one will definitely be welcoming a fresh year with open arms!! I know I haven't been the most regular with my blog this year and I know I went MIA with very little explanation so I'll try to shed some light on that. I was going through a difficult, stressful breakdown of my 2 year relationship which as you can imagine was very difficult and something I didn't feel ready to talk about for a long time. It was a very unhealthy relationship and I am in a much better situation now. As I think most of you know, we both have a puppy together too so there was a lot to sort out regarding him, I do still see Luca and he is very much a big, positive part of my life. Then it's also my final year of university so that has been keeping me very busy because the work load for that is insane!! Lastly there was a lot of things that went on all around the same time which made my anxiety and panic attacks bad which resulted in me needing counselling and CBT at the mental health hospital. All of this was quite confusing and was a massive change to my lifestyle so I just needed to take a step back from everything which I hope you can understand. However, I am much better now and in a really good place with my life and have come out of it much stronger so please don't worry/feel sorry for me etc because I really am much better for it. 

I'm feeling super positive about 2016, I've said goodbye to a lot of negative people and moving forward I think this year is gonna be a good one!! I've got amazing supportive friends and family and I'm healthy and getting a degree and I'm feeling 100x better than I was this time last year. If anything I think it's made me much more grateful for what I do have. I promise I will be posting more on my blog especially after May when university finishes, it is my internet baby and definitely not something I intentionally stopped doing. Just sometimes life gets too much and I didn't want to put out half hearted content or come across as down and unhappy because I want my blog to be a happy place.

I just wanted to share that message with you as the year comes to a close because I post so much of my life on here and I feel it's only fair to explain my absence somewhat and to let you know that I'm still very much here. I also want to let you know that if you're going through a hard time at the moment then it does get better, just hold on in there and you'll come out much stronger for it, I promise.

So here's to 2016, whether you've had a bad 2015 or a fabulous one, I really hope 2016 is even better and that you all celebrate in style tonight!!

I love you all so much,

Lots of Love,

A 

♥

Girls Christmas Dinner || Frankie & Benny's

A few weeks back Frankie & Benny's got in touch with me and asked if I would like to have a girls Christmas meal where we could try out their Christmas menu. We all love Frankies & Benny's so were delighted to get to try out their Christmas menu. On their Christmas menu you can get a three course Christmas meal for just under £20 or a two course meal for just under £17. They also have cute Christmas crackers on the table which was a nice touch.

All us girls are massive macaroni cheese fans and we did get super excited over the fact that as an option for a starter was a macaroni cheese cake. It comes with salad on top of it and drizzled barbecue sauce and it was amazing, in fact two of us have already went back to have it again haha! The only criticism of this is that I'd prefer the salad on the side because it looks much nicer than having it dumped on top. 

Aimee was the only one who didn't go for the mac and cheese cake and she went for buttermilk chicken tenders which she said tasted really good!

For mains none of us actually went for the traditional turkey, me and Aimee went for the Festive pizza which has mozzarella, chicken pieces, salsa rossa and salsa verde. I went for mine without the chicken pieces and Aimee had hers with, we both thought these were really good although couldn't finish them because we were so full! Aimee wasn't so keen on the salsa verde, I actually liked it but I think there was maybe a little too much of it. 

Gillian and Erin both got the bacon and cheese burgers, they thought they were tasty but the chips they came with were slightly congealed in parts. 

For dessert we all got the chocolate yule log, this was delicious although I don't think any of us could finish it all because we were so full. The only way this could be better is if the yule log was served a little hotter but other than that it was really nice. 

I will definitely be making a few more trips back to Frankie & Benny's before their Christmas menu ends! Have you tried it yet?

Lots of Love,

A

♥

*This post is sponsored but as always all opinions are honest and entirely my friends and my own

November || Instagram

♥ Nars lipglosses

♥ Peach Adidas Superstars

♥ Smiley face firework 

♥ Coco white- full blog post coming soon

♥ Terry's chocolate orange and oreo milkshake

♥ Caddy Belle boots from Clarks, more pictures and info in my Winter boots post here.

♥ Malteser mcflurry

♥ Justin Bieber Purpose on repeat

♥  MAC goodies from Amsterdam

♥  Snuggles with Luca

♥ Personal planner, I will do a whole blog post on this soon

♥ Early morning swim

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the pictures that I posted throughout November, sorry it's a little late, university has been super busy but I'm finally finished up for Christmas! If you want to follow me on instagram then my instagram is @whatabbyloves.

Lots of Love,

♥ 

My HD Brows Experience || Zen Lifestyle

So a couple of weeks ago, I was invited by Zen Lifestyles to get HD brows done and I've never had them done before so I was really unsure but all the celebs get HD brows so I didn't want to pass up the opportunity.

HD brows is a unique process of waxing, shaping, threading, tweezing and tinting to create the perfect, unique eyebrow that suits both your colouring and face shape. Even if you have very sparse brows, HD brows can work on a re-growth programme with you, re-shaping every 6 weeks to create a thicker, fuller brow.

The salon that I got my brows done in was the Hanover Street salon and inside it is gorgeous, currently it's decked out in Christmas garlands and gorgeous red flowers. They have really nice silver baubles dangling from the ceiling with the most amazing mirror that I most definitely wanted to steal for my bedroom. Another thing I loved about the salon is the gorgeous spa smell it had and they had the nicest water on the table infused with lemon and cucumber. It's just one of those places where you instantly feel relaxed when you walk in the door and I guess their salon name is pretty apt for how it makes you feel when you're there.

Close up of my eyebrow before HD brows 

Naturally, I have quite a good eyebrow shape so manage to look after them myself without getting them waxed or threaded and because I like my natural shape I'm always very paranoid about letting someone else touch them. The lady who did my brows (who's name I can't quite remember, sorry!) was very good, she asked me what I liked and I showed her a picture of how I like my brows when they're at their best (I'd let them grow in a bit for the treatment) and she said she would stick to my natural shape, just enhance it.

I have to say it wasn't the most painless experience, the waxing part is okay although painful when the tail of the eyebrow is being waxed and threading made my eyes water but it was bearable and I'm a complete woose so if I can hack it, anyone can! The lady also asked me how dark I like my eyebrows, I chose quite dark because that's just how I like them. I had that sick feeling as she raised the mirror, paranoid that I was going to be left with no eyebrows or a shape that I detested but I actually loved them! It was like my natural brows, with a slightly more defined arch, she managed to make my good eyebrow even better and my bad eyebrow to match it (admit it we all have one good eyebrow!) and they looked like I had filled them in but I hadn't. I was completely wowed by how much thicker and higher my eyebrows were, I have no idea how my lovely therapist managed it but I was very impressed.

The first week and a half were absolutely amazing, I had no pain afterwards and my eyebrows were amazing, I had that extra 5 minutes in the morning because I didn't need to fill in my brows. Now I do have to go back to filling them in because the tint has worn off my skin but they're much quicker to fill in because the shapes already perfect, it's just filling in the sparse hairs. 

Close up of eyebrow straight after getting HD brows done

I would without a doubt get HD brows done again at Zen Lifestyle, I've always had compliments on my brows but now I get even more and it takes me much less time in the morning in perfecting them. They are slightly more expensive than your usual wax treatment (£38) but I've had my eyebrows waxed before and I never looked at my eyebrows for weeks after and still admired them like I have been with my HD brows.

My brows yesterday in work, two weeks after treatment

If you're wanting to get HD brows done I completely recommend Zen lifestyle, I always think its better to get your eyebrows done somewhere you've had a recommendation from than going in blind cause lets face it nobody wants to be fixing their eyebrows for months after a botch job.

Also top tip if you are planning on getting them done, don't wear face makeup or eyeshadow to your appointment because it does come off with the waxing which leaves awkward patches. It's not a good idea to fill the patches in with more make-up either because the pores are open from waxing so it's tempting spots if you put make-up over freshly waxed skin! 

If you're wanting to buy a voucher for HD brows at Zen lifestyle either for yourself or a fabby Christmas gift then you can do so here.

                                  Have you had HD brows done before? What did you think of them?

Lots of Love,

A

♥

* This treatment was complimentary but as always all opinions are my own

Winter Boots || 2015

One of my most popular posts on my blog is my winter boots post that I did last year and because I'm a total shoeaholic its something I really enjoy writing about. So this year I thought I would do a repeat and share with you the boots that I've choosen for the Winter weather this year.

The first pair are 'Caddy Belles' from Clarks and they are these gorgeous riding boots with a leather front and an elastic panel at the back which makes the boot super easy to slip on. I love how elegant these look and the fact that the front of the boot comes higher than the back is super flattering. These come in a gorgeous tan colour as well which I'm definitely going to be picking up soon and I'll  post pictures of them when I get them and they come in a navy suede also. The one thing I would say about these boots are they're extremely difficult to fit so its definitely worth popping in to Clarks to try them on rather than ordering your size online because a five in the black 'Caddy Belle' fits me perfectly but in the tan even a four and a half is slightly big on me. They have a tendency to rub really badly at the heels as well but top tip -  if you flex the back of the heels with your hand before you wear them it should break them in enough to stop any blisters forming (works for all shoes)! However, they are a really good one for any ladies who struggle to get boots to fit their calfs or ankles because of the elasticated back. These retail at £140 but because they're black leather you can be sure they'll last you for many Winters to come.

The second pair of boots I have for Winter are these gorgeous suede, thigh high boots by Ted & Muffy*. These beauties are going to have an entire post of their own very soon to tell you about the amazing experience I had at their store but I couldn't miss them out in this post too. They're slightly less practical than my Clarks one with being suede but wow are they gorgeous! These ones retail at £400 so are definitely a luxury purchase but every girl needs their own pair of fairytale boots!

These 'Busby Fresh' ankle boots I've shown in a haul post previously, they were more my Autumn boots because of the cut outs but on dry days I've still been wearing them in Winter and I think they'll carry me straight through to Spring too. They're fab because you can wear them with frilly socks to keep warm and when it gets warmer again they can be worn bare foot and because they're taupe they add something different to an outfit. These were £75 but are now in the sale down to £55 and also come in a black colour too.

The last new pair of boots that I got were also ankle boots and again these are in a black suede finish. I love the chunky cleated soles of these and they're surprisingly comfy too and the inside is made of the softest material which makes these really comfy to wear with or without socks. They're super versatile as well, I've worn these on a night out to a club because they're still dressy but not a full on heel and they're great for going out for meals but are still casual enough that you could dress them down and wear them to the shops. I choose the black suede because they're dressier however it does mean that they aren't as good in the rain and my dogs fur attaches to it constantly (as you can probably see).

I still have my black Clarks chelsea boots from last year that I love to death and wear on rainy days where I want an ankle boot rather than a knee high boot and theres still some left in store this year if you like those. They're called 'Mariella Busby' and retail for £80. The second pair from last year that I still have are my tan chelsea boots from Clarks, these are slightly more battered as they're not the type of leather that you can polish up but I do still wear them occasionally if I want a tan boot. These aren't in stock any more but they do have other tan chelsea boots fairly similar.

What Winter boots do you have this year?

Lots of Love,

A

♥

Lipstick Haulin' || MAC Mondays

If there's one thing I love, it's lipstick, especially MAC lipsticks. The formula, pigmentation, wear time and scent of them are all incredible and although they're on the pricier side for lipstick, they're worth it because you don't have to re-apply them as much. I actually won one of these in the lovely Kizzy Hearts giveaway as well so check out her blog! 

The first shade that I picked was Sin because it'll be absolutely perfect for this time of year. It's a gorgeous deep burgundy almost brown toned reddy purple and I've already worn it so many times, I actually wore it on Halloween as well so I'll insert a few pictures of me wearing it below. 

Close up, this was actually at the end of the night so it's worn off a bit but you get the idea!

Another A/W inspired shade that I picked up is Rebel because every single year, around this time, I always say to myself that I need to buy it so this year I've eventually done it. The colour is a berry toned purple, it does show up a lot lighter and brighter than it looks in the bullet but on me it still looks quite purple.

Slightly different from the other two I bought is the third shade that I choose which is the nude shade Patisserie. It's just another shade that has been on my wish list for ages because so many bloggers and YouTubers rave about it. It's a lustre finish which isn't my favourite finish but it's a typical nude shade that just adds a nice nude sheen to the lips. It reminds me of a browner version of Pure Zen which we all know is a massive favourite of mine.

The last one that I ordered was another nude favourite which is the classic Kylie Jenner lip 'Velvet Teddy'. I put off buying this one for ageeeeees because I didn't think it would suit me and I'm not that interested in the Kardashians (I know, I'm the only girl out there who isn't, pls don't hate me) so didn't really feel a need for me to own it. However, when I tried it on in Mac, I really liked it as an everyday nude shade so picked it up. It's a matte formula so will be really long lasting and it's a brown toned nude, definitely one to pick up if you like the nineties lip trend.

The final lipstick is the one that I won and I picked Kinda Sexy because it's another nude shade and at the moment if I don't want a dark, Wintery lip then I just want a nice nude shade. Kinda Sexy is also a matte lipstick and it's very similar to Velvet Teddy but lighter and more peachy/orange toned.

Swatches R-L- Rebel, Patisserie, Sin, Kinda Sexy, Velvet Teddy

P.S apologies the lighting in these pictures isn't fab, I had to work with the best light that Winter would give me!

Have you got any of these shades? What ones do I need to pick up next?

Lots of Love,

A

♥