Pure Clay from L'Oreal | First Impressions

I love to sit down, relax and just have a little pamper every once and a while. Face masks, freshly painted nails and a movie to relax too are part of the perfect pamper session. I have used a lot of different masks in the past, most packet masks or from tubs, which are quite thick in texture, but none  like the L'Oreal Pure Clay mask which seems to be a creamy consistency, which dried quickly on the skin.

There are three different targeting treatments to choose from...

1. Pure Clay Purity Mask  which helps to Purify and Mattify, suitable for oily skin

2. Pure Clay Detox Mask which helps to Detoxify and clarify skin

3. Pure Clay Glow Mask, a Brightening and Exfoliating Mask suitable to dry skin

( All of which, in my opinion, smell amazing and fresh! )

I had originally planned to get the Detox Mask, however once I visited Boots I saw a small information leaflet about each of the Masks. On it, it describes the use of each mask and how to figure out which one is right for you and your skin. There are three small test patches for you to try out, to use, press one of the small test patches against either your T-Zone, Chin or Cheek, to find out what that section of skin is trying to tell you. You can compare your skin test results against the information leaflet to identify which mask would be right for you in that area! After doing the tests, it showed me that I could use the Detox mask and the Purity mask. 

I have so far tried out the Detox Mask as I feel this is the best place for me to start. I plan to use it a few more time before moving onto the purity mask or even Multimasking as they have so cleverly put it on the packet! 

To apply these masks I chose to use a foundation brush which I don't like to use for foundation, it actually worked quite nicely as I didn't put too much of the product on and it was actually less messy! 

I placed in on my T-Zone, my nose and onto my cheeks and a small section on my chin. These are the areas that I have a lot of clogged pores and tends to get the most oily. I left it on for around 8 minutes, until it was dry and then washed it off with water and a wet flannel. After cleaning of the mask my face looked a lot better, less shiny, smaller pores and a lot cleaner than it did pre mask. It defiantly soaked up the excess oil in my skin and as a result my cheeks, chin and forehead felt very dry, but after a quick cleans and a little bit of moisturiser my skin is feeling soft and subtle. 

Overall, after my first application I am fairly impressed by the Detox mask and I would look into apply this once a week for my skin. Anymore than once a week would perhaps be to much for my skin and could cause it to produce more oil, which is something I defiantly don't want, but for once a week, perhaps at the beginning of the week I think my skin could defiantly benefit from the mask. After the first application it did remove a lot of impurities but it also dried out my chin and cased a few big break outs for the next two days, however y skin looked a lot better afterwards.
Every since moving to Scotland my skin seems to react differently to the water in the shower and feels tight and dry after washing so I think I will try the purity mask and the glow mask at the same time in a couple of weeks, after I've given my skin a new lease of life by detoxing all the dirt out!

I think these little pots of masks are a good buy at £7.99 normally, but I just couldn't resist buying them whilst they were just £5 each at Boots! And who knows maybe they will be a weekly thing? Maybe I'll finally find a weekly routine for my skin care? Does anybody else use masks as part of a daily or weekly beauty routine? If so, what do you use?

Love Charlotte xo 

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25 Facts About Me

It's been a while since I last did a personal sharing kind of post, and I have seen few of these '25 Facts About Me' posts recently and I thought it would be nice to do an updated one! I personally love reading these kinds of posts, it feels like you are getting to know the author behind the blog a bit more, so without further ado here are 25 Facts About Me ...

1. I am 5ft6".

2. I will be turning 24 at the end of the year! I've NO idea where the years have gone?

3. I share my birthday with my eldest cousin.

4.  I am an animal lover, even if they terrify me, I can't hurt them even spiders *shivers!*

5. I LOVE films! All the aspects that teams go through! The creating, producing and editing, I'd love to experience it all first hand! Marvel films have pretty much captured my heart.

6. Action movies are my favourite, James Bond,  Bourne or any Marvel Movie.

7. Autumn if my favourite season, because of the beautiful colours of nature and the warmish weather.

8. I am a 'What if' thinker, which isn't always a good thing it often leads to negative thoughts and feelings. However it also make me ask questions about anything and everything sometimes you have to let your imagination run wild.

9. I hate working in silence, I just can't concentrate on what I am supposed to be doing, I'll usually put a film on or F.R.I.E.N.D.S just so its playing in the back ground.

10. I enjoy drawing if I have the time.

11. White or Deep Red roses are my favourite flowers. (As well as those little flowers, I think they are called 'Baby's Breath'?)

12. I could eat Strawberries all day everyday (I've also decided to try an grow my own! This strawberry in the picture was my first home grown strawb! Tasted pretty good too!)

13. For some reason, I can't go to a beach and not pick up a shell or pebble.

14.  I've always enjoyed makeup and beauty, and I am glad to say I've come a long way since my green eyeshadow phase back in secondary school.

15. Pink lipstick has never been my thing, I don't think pink suits me at all.

16. A black cat eye liner is quite possibly my favourite thing to do for my day to day makeup.

17. I love to learn new things, I'd call myself a 'sponge'.

18. I am trying to learn French.

19. I am a visual learner and I am inspired by images more than words.

20. I also hate reading instruction... but I'll surrender to them If I can't work it out by myself.

21. Pinterest is addictive and I am 100% addicted to it.

22. Witty comments and quotes from films are commonly used in my house and possibly the best way to communicate.

23. I am terrified of open water, not knowing whats below you or what to do! I can feel my pulse rising just thinking about it!

24. I am a quite a private person and struggle to make and keep friends. But even if we don't talk everyday, they are still in my thoughts.

25. Seeing other people happy makes me happy.

That's it for this weeks post, hopefully it gives you a bit of a better idea as to who it is behind Lotties Thoughts! I love reading these kinds of posts and always find it so interesting to find out a bit more about the person behind the blog.

Love Charlotte xo 

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Lotties Thoughts 3rd Birthday

If you'd asked me three years ago what blogging is and how people use it, I couldn't have told you much apart from 'well, we use it at uni to create a working diary for our projects...'

Image.

Three years on and I've found an amazing community of people who enjoy talking and sharing information about all things beauty, a plethora of stunning, informative blogs and some really inspiring weekly reads.

I started my blog with the intention of creating a hobby for myself which gives me a bit more of a purpose and self identity as well as constantly learning how to improve my writing skills.I've never really been one to enjoy writing, I always hated going to English class at school because I was just really bad at it, and so I'd get frustrated and just give up on the work. However, after starting my own blog for university work, I googled 'blogger' and found out what else other people were doing with their blogs, I came across a whole world of information about different things, from makeup to cooking, interia design and sketch booking, there were so many different directions that people has gone in with their blogs that I just loved the idea of having the freedom to express your thoughts about anything and everything you wanted too.

Three years later and I feel like I've created a space online where I can write and share my ideas about (mostly) makeup and beauty products, and sometime some lifestyle bits and bobs, which I enjoy to do. I feel like I am still at the beginning of this blogging journey, and I'm still trying to figure out what it is I want to focus on, but for now I am enjoying it and all the learning curves that come with it.

I hope for the next year I learn a lot more and that I can begin to get a bit more feedback and interaction from fellow bloggers and blog readers. I'm also thinking that I need to be more adventurous with my blog and venture into areas that I feel to shy to do. I hope that I can grow my blog and learn things all the way through. And Finally I would like to say Thank you to the 152 people who have subscribed to my blog over the years, I hope I can create more posts that interest you and provoke communication and thoughts!

Thank you to the people that have followed and commented on my little piece of the interest over here, it means a lot to know people are interacting with things I have written, and I am thankful to each and everyone of you!

Love Charlie xo 

BLOGLOVIN' | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER 

*Image is not my own. https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/341499584225157930/

Current Makeup Bag Favourites | June

It's been two years since I last posted a video to Youtube, and I guess that a lack of confidence in myself didn't help, but after two years and finally investing in my own camera that can take videos I tried a stop motion animation (I've never tried to make a stop motion before, and I feel like it taught me a lot - in particular: Lighting is a very IMPORTANT feature and it is easier to use a controlled light source than natural lighting).

So after serval hours of taking photos and a day in editing, here is a stop motion video of my favourites makeup pieces for June! If you enjoy it please leave me a comment and if you have any constructive feedback please let me know!

PRODUCTS:

Makeup Bag from Marks and Spencer's

M.A.C Quad Eyeshadow palette

- Make Up Geek Vanilla Bean

- Quarry

- Satin Toupe

- Handwritten

- Ruby and Millie Eyebrow tool

- Blanck Canvas  Cosmetics E26 Brush

- Zoeva Wing Liner 317 Brush 

- Zoeva Luxe Petit Crease 231 Brush

- L'Oreal Super Liner Blackbuster

- Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot

- Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 01

- Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner in 018 Addiction

- M.A.C Cremesheen Lipstick in Hot Gossip

- Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in 001 Pink Truffle





The weather hasn't been the greatest, in fact you'd be forgiven for thinking it was February or something, hopefully the summer is just around the corner and we will finally get some good weather! When we do I can crack out some brighter colours and more summer like makeup, but for now Im enjoying some of my all time favourite beauty products.

Charlotte xo

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Work on Me #3

Its been a while since my last update, I've been away from my blog for far to long but unfortunately I haven't been feeling connected or motivated to focus on it, each time I've tried I've left feeling dishearten and guilty about not posting or commenting or being present on any level of social media, but that's been the same for my social life too, I just havent' been online in ages.

Over the last couple of months I found a routine to focus on my health and fitness, managing to wear my Fitbit pretty much everyday and achieving those 10,000 steps that is recommended. Finding time to fit in a session of exercise is difficult for me, as I'll get up for work at 6am, leave at 7am and get home at 7pm, by which time I'll have dinner, shower and then relax. There isn't a gym near me and there isn't a good safe place to go for a walk (the road we live on are national speed limited road (60mph) which isn't the best place to just go for a stroll).

However I've tried to exercise for an hour on saturday, sunday and if I am off on wednesday I will do another hour to make it up to three days of hour long exercise. I've tried to work out three days a week and I have to say, so far I can feel the difference. I have more energy, feel a lot better after working out and my clothes do tend to fit more comfortably!

The hardest time to achieve those 10,000 steps are on days off, at work I'm consistently on my feet and so walking around and walking from one store to the other builds up those needed steps. To build them up on those days off I will work in some cardio and 30 minutes jog on the treadmill and another session on the elliptical trainer.

I defiantly lack the motivation on most days to push myself to workout but if there is one thing I would recommend it would be to create a journal to write down what you do and how long you exercise. Writing it down and seeing all the days and exercises build up on paper helps to motivate you and inspire you to keep going. It's easy to want to give up when you are constantly seeing how far you have left to go to achieve your goal but having it all written down on paper allows you to have a visual representation of just how far you've come, so if there is anything I'd recommend it would be to make a planner and write down every bit of exercise you do, if it works for me, maybe it will work for you too!

Charlie xo

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Why I Love my Fitbit

I got my Fitbit almost a whole year ago now and I have to say that it has changed the way I look at my lifestyle.

I looked into the Fitbit originally as I had high blood pressure and It was something that my doctors had recommended that I keep an eye on. I heard about Fitbits through a Youtuber and it sounded pretty interesting so I did a bit of research.

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Why I chose The ONE

I chose to purchase the Fitbit One as it could be worn in different ways, either in your pocket, attached to your waist band or clipped onto your bra. I choose to wear mine on my waist band or in my work trouser pockets, as I feel more comfortable and happy knowing that it is secure whilst I am working.
The clip is pretty good and tight, so it isn't likely that it will fall off, but saying that, if I've been doing some intense workouts it can work its way off the waist band and fall off, and trust me, theres nothing more annoying than your Fitbit falling off and you not noticing until you've finished your work out only to realise that half of it hasn't been tracked because it had fallen off!

Talking about my Fitbit falling off, it has in the past fallen from quite a distance. The rubber casing did its job well and protected the devise from damage, it fell facing upwards so the glass/plastic screen didn't take any damage, perhaps this is part of the design as the clip is heavier and landed on the ground face up.

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The Features 

Steps: Target pre set - 10,000 steps.
Obviously the main point of the devise, the sensitivity isn't to bad, it generally catches all the steps I take. The only issue I have is when travelling in the car, the jolts of the car on the road does add some additional steps or stairs but nothing to substantial (depending on the distance you are driving and the type of roads). But to see how many steps you have done in your day, at any point of the day is really motivational and helps you to keep going till you reach your goal!

Floors Climbed:  Target pre set - 10
I'm not sure how this is calculated or whether I should really trust it, it does seem to track the times I do take the stairs or even when I am walking up a hill, but I can't figure out how it works. It seems to add up to a lot of flights of stairs some days, where I know I've done quiet a few but never actually counted them myself but, on days where I don't have a incline it is 100% accurate so I'm still trying to work this one out!
I was driving down to Nottingham, an 8 hour drive, and my Fitbit counted every lump and bump on the road, equating in my most flights of stairs ever taken, unfortunately I haven't found out how to get rid of badges or milestones, so I have a huge target to try and beat my 100 flights of stairs in one day badge and actually earn it properly, so you might want to take this feature with a pinch on salt, but it's still a nice feature.

Distance: Target pre set - 8.05km
This is the one target I struggle to meet on a continuous basis, so when I do earn that little star, I'm pretty chuffed with myself! It's good to know how far you travel, whether you just check in at the end of the day or if you look to see the distance you've just walked, it helps you to get a good idea and it really does motivate me to carry on!

Calories burned: Target pre set - 2,545 calories
I don't effectively use the calories part of the Fitbit. I am not very good at calories counting and to be honest I don't want to focus to much on how many calories I need or take in as I feel that it could become a bit obsessive and I don't want to have to think - 'can I afford these calories'. I have the general consensus that you can eat what ever you want, just be honest with yourself and know when to stop. Theres so many other things in life I'd like to put my time into rather that worrying about calorie counting. However if you enjoy recording your eating, drink and exercise then you can really use this to its full potential! You can even link your Fitbit up with a few apps to help keep things going and really monitor everything and anything you want!

Flower: (shows you how active you've been)
The flower image shows you how active you have just been, the larger the stem the better the level of activity. I don't tend to take much notice of the flower but I think it is another form of motivation to help you to be inspired to keep going!

Time:
I never used to wear a watch so I chose to purchase the one for the added feature of the time. Although I now wear a watch on a day to day basis when working out I don't tend to wear one or even have my phone on me so to have the time on my Fitbit is just an added bonus and helpful to keep an eye on the time!

Message: This is an optional part where you can have a message, personalize to you to remind you and motivate you throughout your day!


(Not communicated on the devise screen)
Active Minutes: Target pre set - 30 minutes
It is recommend that we do 20 - 30 minutes a day of moderate to intense activity to stay healthy.
Trackers with heart-rate sensing will do a better job of calculating your active minutes for activities that are non step based. Before I brought my Fitbit one I didn't really know how active I was being or whether I was being active enough on a daily basis. I had to walk five minutes to uni on a daily basis so it wasn't to far to walk, however we lived on a incline and it often took my breathe way trying to walk up the hill to get home so I felt like maybe I was doing a good thing but it defiantly wasn't a long enough walk to justify for active minutes. Over the last few weeks I have been more interested about how many active minutes I've been doing on a daily basis, so I can't say too much about this feature, except it is possibly my favourite part of the devise as it motivates me to get those extract few minutes in to a workout. (plus it helps you keep an eye on how you are doing against your last work out, its a nice feeling to beat your last workout activity count)

Sleep:
Slip the Fitbit into the fabric wristband and you can monitor your sleep, how long you've slept for, how many times you woke up and how restless you were whilst sleeping. You can also set a goal for the length of time you want to sleep, for example my goal is 8 hours. Although you can not tell how you've slept through the devise, you can look at the Fitbit dashboard to see a graph of the results, which is really easy to understand visually.

Vibrating Alarm:
You can also set a silent alarm which will wake you up with a gentle vibration so not to disturb your partner.

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How I use it / charging

You will get the most out of your Fitbit if you wear it everyday. I like to wear mine on my waist or pocket as I feel that it is safe and comfortable. Mine usually last a little under 14 days before needing to be charged. I usually leave it to charge over night and start using it again the next morning.
One issue I have is that battery life warning comes a bit too late in the day and so you have to pretty much find your charger as soon as. It can usually last till the end of the day so I put it on charge when I get home but I will always try to get the 10,000 steps before the battery dies completely! Another thing I wish would change would be to have a plug for charging the devise, I only have the USB cable to charge the Fitbit so it is a bit inconvient but it does charge fairly quickly. If you get the Fitbit app on your phone you can keep an eye on the battery life a lot easier so you don't have to be surprised when the battery warning comes on.

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Apps bluetooth

You can sync up your Fitbit with your phone or computer to keep track of your movements. I personally find the phone app incredibly useful and it means that I can see everything on one screen and get a live feed of my steps and distance without having to stop and look at the Fitbit itself. You can also add your intake of calories by searching for the food and drink products or you can scan the bar code to instantly get all the information you need. You can also add the amount of water you have drunk and can see an visual representation of how you are doing. The Fitbit app is probably the most used app on my phone right now.
Another app I have used is MyFitnessPal, I don't tend to keep up to date with this app as often as I should to get the best from it, but when I do, all the information from my Fitbit connects over to the MyFitnessPal app and I have all the information I need to see how my day has gone and where I have done well or what I need to work on.  There are a lot of other apps that connect with the Fitbit and if you are somebody who enjoys documenting everything you do, you can get a real representation of all your efforts!


Pros:
- Opens up your mind to how you are living and your lifestyle
- It does all the hard work for you
- Beautiful sleek designs
- Plenty of design choices, designed for everyone  (and colours depending on the product)
- User friendly devise and website! (I love the dashboard)
- Fun way to exercise and get healthier
- Little badges and achievements
- Puts things into persecutive - i.e. actual distance from one end of the shopping mall to the other
- Easy to link up to your phone and laptop and you only have to do this once, after linking it will update automatically (as long as your bluetooth is on it will sync automatically)
- You can customise almost everything!
- it will push you that little bit further to get those final few steps!


Cons:
- Battery could give you a bit more of a warning (although it pushes you to want to get those goals before the battery dies)
- Depending on which Fitbit you choose, you will either have the time on your devise or you won't (this was another reason I chose to purchase the One as it told the time)

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Verdict: Would I buy another Fitbit?
Yes! I love my Fitbit and I'm so glad that I chose to purchase one, especially The One.
It is subtle, light weight and has almost everything I want in one place. If I were to loose mine tomorrow and wasn't able to locate it I would buy another. Early in this post I said I wanted to monitor my heart rate, I still am interested in tracking this and I would consider purchasing one of the high tech pieces to help me track my heart rate, both during activity as well as my all day resting heart rate. Fitness is important and our health needs to be something we are thinking about on a daily basis. For me my Fitbit has changed the way I look at my lifestyle and how I've been treating my body, from the foods I eat to the amount of active minutes I do, I now can say that it is something I am more considerate about and I'm thankful that these little devices are available and so user friendly. I love my Fitbit and it's defiantly been a great investment.

Recent Beauty Haul

At the beginning of the year I made a promise to myself to limit the amount of money I actually spend on makeup products (or at least have more self control over the spending!) So far I feel as though I have done pretty well. The products in the picture above are actually the only things I have brought over the last two months! Almost everything was researched before I opened my purse, with the exception of the Too Faced lipsticks. I had however been looking into the formulations of their lipsticks but didn't look into the colours available all that much, so I guess these two were defiantly part of an impulse purchase, at least when it comes down to the colours. 

I'm hopeful that they will all be winners but only time will tell. I haven't tried M.A.C lip liners before but I am a big believer in it helping to make your lipstick last longer! Too Faced and Soap and Glory are two brands that I haven't tried any makeup products from before so I'm excited to give these a try!  If you have any products you love and recommend let me know, I defiantly want to try more things from these brands! 

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The Products.

Too Faced Lipstick in Coral Pop

Too Faced Lipstick in Red Stiletto

Collection Face Palette 

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot face powder 

M.A.C Lipstick Captive

M.A.C Lipstick Hot Gossip

M.A.C Lip Liner in Whirl

Love Charlotte xo 

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Work On Me #2

Catch up N°2...

Well I have to admit I haven't spent as much time as I wanted too on health and fitness over the last few months, work and illness has gotten in the way.  I know it is an excuse, and I know so many hard working people that fit in the time to go to the gym, I just do not have the energy at all. I wake up at 6:30 to get ready to leave the house at 7:10, I work form 9 till 6 and by the time I get home its 19:10. We have dinner I shower and by that time its 20:30. My day is taken up by work and travelling to and from it.

I'm looking for way to improve this and I think I have an idea. To exercise after eating a meal isn't a good idea, but If I do as many steps as I can at work with my FitBit and push it to get to that 10,000 steps it should start to make a difference. I have also thought about waking up earlier to do a light yoga routine that should wake me up ready to get ready for work. Just ten minutes earlier and it too might make a small difference.

I've been flicking through The Big Book of Yoga to pick something to start with, and I think I've found something ideal for me to do in the mornings. After having a week in bed because of my back  I've been looking for exercises to help train up my back, make it stronger so I hopefully don't have to suffer from it as much as I have over the last few years. If I find it helps and I find myself struggling less and less from issues to do with my back I might post on here to let anybody else who suffers from back pain to hopefully help somebody out, I know how painful it is when something goes wrong and it don't ever want to have to suffer through that again!

So a small update of my thoughts and plans - I'll repot back perhaps next month if I make any additional changes, but for now I plan to make sure I am never without my FitBit and that I wake up earlier to do some yoga poses and stretches.

Charlie xo

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Vintage Rose Nails

I love nail polish, ok it takes time, and it is so annoying when you think they should be dry but you touch something and find out that it defiantly was NOT dry. Smudging of nail polish is the worst, especially when it's taken you ages to try and do it neatly only to have to remove it and try again, but the look of freshly painted nails is just so nice and I feel as though it is the finishing touch of any outfit (plus to me it says 'that person their life together!')  

I have been looking at the Accessorize Nail Polishes for agains - since they were released last year. and one colour in particular caught my eye. The polish 'Bronze Leaf' immediately caught my eyes and I finally got round to buying it and painting my nails in this colour! 

The formulae is smooth and very easy to apply, two coats are you're done! The brush also needs to be mentioned. I hate the small, hardly-pick-up-any-product types of brushes because they take extra layers and time to paint your nails. The brush on the Accessorize nail polish is big enough to do my nails in just two sweeps and holds more than enough product to get it done in one! 

Although it is named 'Bronze Leaf' I would say it has a pink undertone to it and looks more like a dusty vintage rose to me, but I absolutely love it. I worn it for a week and haven't had any problems with chipping so that is a totally plus to me! I really do love this colour and I think it is perfect for this time of year just as we are beginning to see the start of spring. I haven't tried any other Accessorize Nail Polishes but I will defiantly be having a look next time I pass by, the colours I have seen are lovely and I think that there was a good variety of choice, hopefully they bring some more out for the summer! Overall I love the formula, the colours, the finished texture and not to mention the bottles which totally remind me of the TV show Crystal Maze which I absolutely love! 

Have you tried any of the Accessorize Nail Polishes, and which ones have you tried?

Charlie xo

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37/52

1. Bank holiday monday and the sun was shinning!

2. I found one blogging mojo again and started trying to get back onto of the scheduling of posts. I managed to get two post finished and finally get back on track with these 52 weeks of positivity!

3. First day back from a weeks holiday, I caught the train into work on Tuesday and to see the sun rise over the sea makes it 100% better.

4. Getting back to work, and although my back is still bad it was good to get back and do something.

5. Early mornings are no longer dark sad times!

6. The weather on Thursday afternoon was beautiful! It was so sunny and warm?! We may have been stuck in rush hour traffic but to sit in sun made me hopeful that spring and summer is really on the way! Oh and the daffodils were starting to open up! Soon Aberdeen will be covered in them!

7. With the sunshine on Thursday afternoon it reminded me to buy some prescription sunglasses (I had a voucher with turned out it expired in the next eight days) So on Friday we went out to order them! Hopefully I will actually get to use them some time soon, at the moment all the sunshine has gone and its grey cloud as far as the eye can see!

8.  I love driving but I haven't really driven in the last three years because I've been at uni and didn't need a car, so to drive to work on saturday morning was a nice little reminder that I need to get back into it and gain back all that confidence I once had.

9. Towards the end of this week my back has felt better and better so I finally got round to tidying my room,  giving it a real spring clean and now, with everything dust free, clutter free I can not wait to get into a clean bed in a clean room! They do say you shouldn't sleep in a messy room.

10. On friday my blog got a crazy amounts of hits, 200 more than I ever have received before in one day?! I couldn't figure it out but my gosh I was shocked and so happy! I hope I'm doing something right and you are enjoying reading or looking at my little piece of  the internet, I am really enjoying blogging and I am completely besotted with my blog right now!

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend and best wishes for the week ahead!

Charlie xo

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Bedroom Makeover

It's been almost three years since we moved into our new house, and it's been nine months since I moved back in after finishing uni. (I hadn't planned moving back home, but with how things have been with my health and family it has just been the best thing for now) Whilst I don't plan to stick around I thought I needed to make my bedroom mine before I disappear again.

My room is a lot smaller than my previous room so I've had to compromise and get rid of a few things that I was just holding onto - a complete hoarded over here!
Storage is a big issue in the new house and I've come to the conclusion that I've grown up and I now don't like little bits and bobs lying around, I don't like all the dark colours and in a room this size you need to make it feel as light and airy as possible.

I've been through a lot of different colours in my bedroom, from a light blue to sexy pink (I'm sure we've all been there with that bright pink! Ergh it looks so garish looking back on it now!) to silver and purple just to name a few. I feel as though I'm all about those white walls now, the clean light feeling and idea of space, which this room is in need off.  Below is a collage made up of pinterest pictures and my own of the mirror, I wanted to create a sort of mood board of the general idea just to get what's in my head out. I love the soft touches of colour, in this case the pink or you could add any other soft pale colour. The dressing table is from Ikea and I am actually sitting at mine whilst writing this! I love the simplicity of it - the clean lines the glass top and the fact that it doesn't take much space in the room. Grey is a colour I am absolutely in love with right now, so it will just add enough shade to not make the room feel flat but it will add a bit more dimension (depending on the shade of the grey but a light grey is what I have in mind).
GOLD!, I'm normally a silver girl but the look of those gold polka dots has won me over! I mean can you tell I'm loving them right now (the new blog header might have given it away, but I guess if not this post might!) Having gold accents around the room will add a bit of needed warmth and glam about it, which I will never be apposed too!

So this is my idea for my bedroom, I like the brightness that the pictures have and I hope that it brings a bit more brightness to my room too, It's just an idea for now but this is the direction I plan to go in. If you have any tips on how to make a small room feel and look bigger let me know! Pinterest can only get you so far! 

Hope you are having a lovely week! 

Charlie xo

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36/52

1. I put my back out some how on sunday night, probably the worst start to a holiday ever, but the silver lining means I can have a relaxing day in bed, all cosy and watching films

2.  One benefit of being in bed and having spare time on my hands has meant that I've caught up on all those blogs and youtube video's that I haven't had chance to see after finishing work in the week.

3. I had so many plans for my week off from work but after hurting my back I haven't been able to bend down or move my back from any sort of up right position so I haven't done any of it. However I did manage to get a small section of my room tidy on thursday, no where near what I wanted to do but it's something that has made me feel a bit better, it's not been a total loss.

4.  I've had more cups of tea this week than I have all year, but each one I've had I've sat down with my mum and we've talked a lot this week

5. I managed to move around a bit better towards the end of the week and so I moved from my bed to the living room - charging my camera and getting some blog photos done!

6. Over the last few weeks I feel out of love with my blog, I really wasn't feeling it anymore, but after looking around the Blogosphere and finding some amazing blogs and instgram accounts I'm slowly getting back into it! I posted a blog about those accounts that inspired me in my last post which you can read here!

7.  So talking about falling out of love with my blog I decided to give it a spring clean and a face lift as it were! Spending a good part of my thursday I decided to change the header and the colour scheme - bright and spring like, sometimes all you need is a change in scenery!

8.  I've been in bed all week because of my back but on saturday we ventured out, it was nice to get out of the house, even if it was tipping it down with rain.

9. Sunday Roast after three week - long awaited but so worth it!

10. Happy Easter Sunday!

Happy bank holiday, hope you aren't in too much of a chocolate hangover!

Charlie xo

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Under the Weather

Im sorry I've not been around lately, the month of March has not been my month/ First off, during a lovely visit to Glasgow and a well over due catch with one of my best friends I got a weird tummy thing that lasted all most two whole weeks - I couldn't eat anything, snack or meal with out feel really sick!? So I was pretty grumpy with the fact that I couldn't eat anything without having to keep a bucket by my side (sorry if it's TMI, but I struggle with the idea of throwing up and those two weeks were horrible!) I then had one good week and now, on the very first day of my holiday I put my back out and I've been stuck in bed for four days, so much for a relaxing holiday from work - I guess some say it doesn't sound too bad, but I had so many plans for my time off work like sorting out my blogging blues, getting some photographs for the blog done, having a few days out with mum (who been copped up in the house for two weeks with the flu) and just generally doing what I wanted when I wanted, but it's all fallen to the way side.

Anyway day four of having to keep pressure off my spine and I've come over all work like - I haven't had the motivation for about three weeks now but enough is enough Charlie get on with it!

Whilst I've had a lot of free time on my hands I've been reading blogs until my heart is content, and I even been inspired to just get back to work and see what I can come up with. So without further ado here are a few blogs and other things around the internet that I've found and loved, because if they put a smile back on my face over this last week hopefully if you need a little inspiration or a pick me up these might work for you too!

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Blogs

Lady Writes - A new discovery and I absolutely love her blog, the easy read and not to mention that her pictures are stunning and inspiring!

Layna Marie - Again some really beautiful pictures, the first post I read of Layna's blog Chocolate Hazelnut Quinoa Granola post which you too can read here! I love anything chocolatey (except raisins or nuts) but I really Really like the idea of this recipe!

Velvet Winter - I love Eilidh's outfit posts - always inspiring and she finds some cute things which I totally don't have patience for to do myself so I love her clothing posts! Not to mention she always finds such great priced gems of the makeup world!

PinkChicClaire - I love her blog, its super easy to read  and informative and she features some beautiful products that I've never heard about but after reading her post I want to go out and find out more about them!

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Instagram

Li-Chi Pan - I just embody the heart eye emoji when looking through her instagram pictures! The flat lays are perfect, the colour combinations are perfect the quality is beautiful I and just like that your inspired!

Pintsizephoto - I am constantly trying to figure out how to make my pictures 'light and airy' and I never can seem to get the best white image no matter how hard I try, so Lily's photos are just beautiful and pure. One day I will find out the secret but for now I'll just admire the whiteness and cleanness of her photos!

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Youtube

The Power of Makeup is a video that seems to be flowing through Youtube beauty fans like tomorrow will never end. I love the idea that makeup makes us happy and comfortable. We all are different, in the way we look, how we feel and how we think. I am yet to find somebody who doesn't love the way the feel when they had decided to take time out of their day to paint there face how they want, with as much or as little as they want. For some make up gives us the confidence to face other people, be it because of skin problems or just confidence issues or anything else make is like freedom of speech and just like fashion everybody has their own style. Here are just a few of my favourite video's of people showing their own love of the power of makeup...

NikkieTutorials 

Becca Rose

Christen Dominque 

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Pinterest

I have always loved Pinterest! It's the best of me, particularly because I love hoarding things but hate messes, so this is the best thing for me! I can spend countless hours in Pinterest and find new things all the time. Whilst I've spent a lot of my time in bed this week I've found things that have been able to put a smile back on my face. (It's a great place for idea making as well so now I have a few blog post ideas built up)

How cute is this little guy?!

image.

Charlie xo

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MakeUp Geek Eyeshadows

Ok so these may have literally just arrived to my house but after a few minutes of playing around with swatting these beauties I think I can safely say I love them. Yep, I am really impressed with the quality of the swatches! The colours are beautiful and pigmented, however I am yet to try them on my eyes and see how they last, I am excited to get up tomorrow and do my makeup for work!

After months of looking into peoples top 10 MakeUp Geek eyeshadows on different blogs and youtube video's I decided to get my hands on these six shadows: (working row to row from left to right) Vanilla Bean, Grandstand, Peach Smoothie, Bitten, Cosmopolitan and Burlesque. I chose these six as I wanted some different to what I already had from M.A.C but I also wanted Bitten to compare it to M.A.C's Deep Damson to see the comparison in colour and texture. I'm working on comparing the quality and textures between both brands before I write any more about my experience or choices but I can tell you right now I feel although I know which shadow will be my favourite and that would be Grandstand. The colour, the texture and the finish are beautiful and something I can not wait to try out tomorrow!

I've already started looking at other MakeUp Geek shadows and I can easily see this little collection growing over time! If you have any eye shadows from MakeUp Geek let me know I can add them to my ever expanding virtual shopping basket!

Charlie xo
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Arming myself with New Tools

All the tools in the image above are all from different brands, ones I've never tried before.

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Morphe M504 Brush

I wanted a small fluffy brush to use when I applied highlighter (even thought I only apply it once in a blue moon). I wanted something bigger than a eyeshadow blending brush but not as big as a contour or blush brush. I wanted something a bit more precise so I could apply my highlighter only on the high points of my cheeks. 

The fluffiness of the brush means that the highlight isn't to harsh and I am able to blend it better on my cheeks. The Morphe M504 is exactly what I wanted and leading up to spring and summer this little one will be what I will be reaching for!

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Sigma F86 Tapered Kabuki Brush

I hadn't looked into Sigma brushes up until late last year because I thought they were an American brand and unavailable in the UK. However they are available to order from Feel Unique, so I place a small order to try one of their brushes.

I'd seen this one from a youtube video by Jaclyn Hill and she used it to apply under eye concealer, which she made to look effortless! I've been using my finger tips but after seeing Jaclyn Hill using the Sigma F86 brush I though it looked super soft but dense enough that they don't soak up any product.
It might be a bit big for me but it blends product away and covers my dark circles in no time so at 6:30 in the morning I love how quickly this works, it is perfect!

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BeautyBay Beauty Blender

With all the hype around the original Beauty Blender and then the Real Techniques Beauty sponge I wanted to give it ago myself, however I didn't want to spend that much on a egg shaped sponge, especially when I tried flat face sponges to apply foundation before and hated it. So I opted for BeautyBay's Beauty Blender, the price was great and I brought a few more things to get free delivery because why not? 

After using it with a few different products like my foundation and under eye concealer I have decided that it does create a smooth natural finish. I like using it under my eyes rather than using it to apply my foundation, I feel that it takes too long to apply any foundation with the sponge and at 6 o'clock in the morning I don't really have time for it. However if I have the time I do like to use it for my under eye concealer. I find it works best damp but there is a limit as to how damp it can be as I find it tends to remove more makeup than it applies if it is too wet. 

I also works dry however it feels as though it drags the skin more, not something you want for the delicate skin under your eye. 

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NARS ITA Brush (Dupe)

The Nars ita brush was actually a find online, I never was one for contour before, and to be honest its still something I'm getting into, slowly but surely. This brush makes it so easy! The bristles are soft yet firm in the way that when pressed against your face, it keeps its shape. The design of the handle is unusual but beneficial, as I find it a lot easier to hold than a cyclindical shape of a brush handle for contouring, but I must admit that at first it was difficult to figure out how to hold the brush comfortably, but after one go you get the idea of how best to hold it.

Whilst I'm still learning how to apply my bronzer and contour I am enjoying playing around with brush and it couldn't be easier with the NARS Ita Brush!

2016 Beauty Wish List

I've promised myself to have a better grip on my finances this year, it's easy to lose track of how much you've actually spend on things, especially when it comes to small beautiful things that you feel you need in your life...
There are so many lovely, beautiful and stunning things in beauty at the moment and I'm sure that there is a lot more to come during the course of the year, but there are a few items in particular that I've had my eyes on over the last couple of months.
At the beginning of the year I promised myself that I wouldn't spend as much money as I did last year on make up. Unfortunately there are a few things in my collection that I wish I never brought because they didn't live up to expectation and subsequently they now sit in my makeup draw, not used, never touched and they now serve as a remind of 'I never need to try that again'. Because of this I have come up with a deal for myself, I can have one big beauty purchase once a month. Hence the items in the picture about being a bit more on the pricy side. Working in town makes it very easy to just pop into M.A.C or Debenhams or John Lewis and just impulse buy. Limiting myself to one purchase a month means I think more carefully about what it is I want, thus not spending as much on things I don't need or really really want.

So with all that in mind, here are five things that I've got in my head...

_______________________________________________________________________________Morphe Brushes Eyeshadows

Since finding Jaclyn Hill on Youtube and seeing her create and design a Morphe Eyeshadow Palette and then demonstrate the beauty of the shadows I was hooked! I'm yet to dip my toes into the Morphe world of eyeshadows but if the quality of the brushes are anything to go by, and judging by every bodies comments about their shadows I am sure to become addicted.

The 350 palette looks quite big, not something I'd be able to keep in the same place as my other make up but the colours are just beautiful and I think this one might be one of the first things I'll purchase - that is if I can catch it before it becomes sold out again!

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Makeup Geek Eyeshadows

As if I need any more eyeshadows! Makeup Geek has been a big hit with a lot of people saying that they can rival M.A.C in their texture and staying power. I've had a look at some of the colours that are available to order from the UK and they just look stunning, not to mention the price, which if the products are as good as everybody is raving about, Makeup Geek knocks M.A.C out of the water!

The one thing I am a bit conscious about with M.A.C eyeshadows it that they rather pricey, so I tend to air on the side of caution with the colours I purchase. However with Make Up Geek being so affordable I am more likely to experiment with some brighter colours (although I will still be drawn towards those neutrals too), but for the price you can be a bit more adventurous without feeling that little bit of guilt for buying that crazy colour and not using it as much as you think you should be.

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Hourglass Amibent Lighting

Blushes and conturing is a slightly alien process to me, but the highlight alone court my interest immediately and the Edit palette looks simply stunning. The size of each section of product is smaller that what you would get if you brought each individually. But this looks like the perfect all in one for travel, everything you need for the face in one palette. I've never tried anything from Hourglass so I feel that although this would be a pricey purchase at £65 It could be a really good investment piece, especially as it would taken me a life time to finish it.
(I'm not sure whether this is actually a limited addition piece or whether they have it in their permeant collection.)

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Jaclyn Hill's Champagne Pop

Yes, I know I had this in my last Wish List, but I'm still yet to see this in person!
Truth be told I'm not a huge highlighter fan, but that might just be how I'm feeling right now because it's winter and it's cold and I could rival Casper the friendly ghost with how pale I am right now.
I've never used any Becca products before but Champagne Pop has been a massive hit with people all over the globe that buying this as a first product from the brand can't go too wrong!

As of a few weeks ago Champagne Pop has been added to Becca's permeant collection which means no matter how many time this sells out, I know I should be able to get one at some point in time. 

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Charlotte Tilbury lipstick

The colours, the names even the packaging is just wow.
The packaging alone is enough to get a lipstick from Charlotte Tilburys' collection. It looks stunning, something that can undoubtably put a smile on your face to see it in your own collection.
Again I haven't seen any of the lipsticks in person, but the website is so well done that it makes me want every single colour! I've been looking at Charlotte Tilbury's lipstick for a while now, even before I purchased any M.A.C lipsticks, but the reason I waited so long was because I have been trying to figure out what I can and can't were regarding textures and finishes as my lips are so awful as they dry out so much.
I haven't decided on a colour but they are all so beautiful that no matter which one I'm sure I will love it, now just to see them in person and figure out the colours for myself.

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One other thing I am interested in investing in this year is a designer foundation, however as the prices can vary and are a lot more than anything you can find in the drug store, I will take more time deliberating over which brand to try. If I don't like it, then thats a wasted bottle and wasted money. This one will defiantly need more research into but if you have any recommendations leave a comment below!

Charlie xo

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31/52

1. No filters needed - the picture above was one of the sun rises from this week! The sky looked beautiful in a violet colour, a little bit later it turned a bright orange colour!

2. The mornings are getting brighter, we are beginning to see a full sunrise before getting to work now, spring is on its way!

3. There was still snow lying around at the beginning of the week, not a lot but it was there - there was a lot more ice around out house than there was in the city so walking to work wasn't as bad as I imagined

4. Another morning the sky wasn't as colourful as the picture above but there was a big rainbow, also a very nice way to start your day.

5. There was a bit of craziness at work during the week and I not happy to say but my anxiety peeked just a bit, so I am incredibly thankful for Alex at work, she a star coming in to help me out when she could of had a day off!

6. I tried going for a run at the beginning of the week, although I should really say it was actually a jog, pretty please it didn't pass out, throw up or died - pretty successful if I do say so myself.

7. Its been a long week, too many down and no up unfortunately, things just seem to go from bad to worse, so to finish at 1pm on thursday and get out of work to enjoy the limited sunshine was great. I feel like I go to work in the dark and leave in the dark, so to see everything in daylight was really nice to see!

8. Sunday roast on a saturday... I'd have it any day!

9. The last few weekends I've been working, so I was over the moon on friday afternoon, a weekend to chill is just what I need and time to spend on my blog is what I plan too do!

10. I woke up at 07:30 on sunday so it's given me extra time to work on my blog and get a post ready for later on in the week, it also meant that I got onto the internet before the rest of the area did and I managed to watch one episode of Pretty Little Liars, have to restrain myself from watching another though, binged watching is not something I want to do again! (ps. Hercules is now on TV perfect for a chilled sunday afternoon!)

Hope you have a had a good week!

Charlie xo

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