What I Got For Christmas

Hello,

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I had a great Christmas, but unfortunately my mum (who loves Christmas) was struck with the flu so was bed bound from boxing day. Although my mum was ill, we still made the most of Christmas and ate far too much and watched cheesy christmas films that we all secretly love!

I was a lucky girl this year as i received some really gorgeous and thoughtful presents so i thought i would share them with you as a few of them are beauty related. Just a little disclaimer before i start this post properly - In no way am i 'bragging' about what i received, i love reading these posts at Christmas to see what other people received so thought i'd share mine too.

Beauty, Skincare & Haircare
Every Christmas i put a few requests to Mrs Claus (my mumma) for some beauty bits. This year she did very well and i discovered the following under the tree. Urban Decay Naked Palette 3 - I already have editions 1 & 2 of this palette and when i saw the rose gold tinted swatches of the third edition i knew it had to be mine. I also received a Real Techniques Brush Set (Sam's Favourites), i was deliberating between sets but thought this set has a mixture of the brushes i would use the most - i'm so excited to use the buffing brush! The next skincare product i received i totally forgot i'd asked for, its the Origins Morning to Midnight Giftset. I've always been intrigued by Origins and have wanted to try some of their products for a long time so this set seems perfect. It has a collection of some of Origin's most popular products which i've been dying to try and it comes in a cute box which i will probably use for storing them in. Next i opened another of my requested presents which is Morrocon Oil, i've been yearning after this for ages and i am really excited to see how my hair reacts to it. My lovely twin sister gifted me with a Tangle Teezer (she must see me tugging at my hair) which i know will be such a helpful present as my hair is very prone to tangles. I received a few bits of make up in my Christmas Stocking too, a Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer which i'm looking forward to trying as i've never actually used a primer before! In my stocking i also found one of my favourite eye liners - Rimmel Glam Eyes - definitely give it a whirl if you haven't yet. Before Christmas i was saying to my mum how i haven't got a compact brush for work so this little and quite old school compact brush will come in very handy - plus it has a mirror. To top the beauty category off, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without an obligatory Soap & Glory product would it?! I was kindly given the S&G Clean On Me by my brother and sister in law - gotta love a bit of S&G!

My main present and one that i was most excited for this year was an electric toothbrush (can you tell i'm getting old?!). I've used a manual toothbrush and though it was time i moved into the 21st Century with my toothbrush tools. This toothbrush has a number of heads which have different functions (advanced whitening, flossing etc) and has a timer on too. I'm actually really excited to use this and see if i notice a difference.

Bags & Pyjamas
My sister got me this cute satchel bag (i think its from ASOS) which i absolutely adore, its just the right size to fit day to day items in. I haven't got a bag like this as all my bags are on the larger size so this is perfect! Next up is this little make up bag from Topshop, i'll be using this as my work make up bag as currently all my make up items are looming in the bottom of my bag, ew! Every Christmas i get at least one pair of new pyjamas and this year i got two - one of which is in the wash, so not pictured. The one pictured is from my brother and sister in law, its from the brand Iris & Edie which i've never heard of before. However, the pyjamas are super soft and feel like really nice quality. Coincidentally both my new pairs of pyjamas are in tartan which feels aptly festive at the moment.

Other Items
I also received a few stocking filler type bits. I absolutely live in fluffy socks so another 3 pairs of these will keep my feet toast through winter. I also received some normal socks with a slight festive theme running through them, who doesn't love Christmas socks?! I also received a studded skinny belt which i will get lots of use out of and i can throw my old Primark ones out too! One present that satisfied my inner organisational freak was this cute memo sticky pad which will sit nicely on my desk at work.

I have tried not to use the beauty products as i need to photograph them first (#beautybloggerproblems) so i'm planning on spending tomorrow getting snap happy, then i can finally use the beauty that is the Naked 3 pallete!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and having a nose at my presents! Leave me a link to your 'What I Got For Christmas' posts below as i love reading them. :)

Felicity xo

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow | On and On Bronze

Hello,

As winter is drawing in, the 7am wake up calls for work mean that its dark outside which in turn makes me want to snuggle up in my duvet, i've juggled my make up routine around so that i can get an extra fifteen minutes in bed - this means opting for products which take near enough zero effort to apply and can be applied using your fingers. One product which has been introduced to my make up bag is the widely talked blogged about Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. Yes, i know everyone and their dog has been waffling on about this, but rightly so as it is pretty good stuff!

When i bought this product i was very dubious of the word 'Tattoo' being used in the name, quite a big claim! As an oily eye lid gal, i was keen to discover what the longevity was like. I swipe the product on with my finger at 7.00am....okay maybe 7.15am... and take my make up off at around 8.30pm ish. I use this product without any type of eyeshadow base/primer which is a rarity for me as if i was to use a powder eyeshadow i would 100% use a primer. After 12 hours of wear the Colour Tattoo hadn't creased but i found that it had lost a bit of the intensity of the colour, which isn't a big deal as there was still a nice taupe bronzy shade but it just wasn't as vibrant as when i first applied it in the morning.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow | £4.99

For a slight experiment i tried using my trusty Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer underneath as a base and then applied the Colour Tattoo and i found that the colour kept its intensity all day. So, if you are prone to oily eyelids using a primer would be beneficial but if you're not too fussed then you can skip the primer and the colour tattoo will still last quite well but will possibly lose some of the intensity in terms of colour.

On-and-On Bronze is i assume one of the most popular shades as it is a gorgeous taupe shade which will suit all skin types. The texture at first is slightly greasy but don't let that put you off as when applied they dry to a sturdy finish. As the product sets quite strongly you can also layer eyeshadows on top, i've been using the colour tattoo all over my lid and then applying a light vanilla shade on the first quarter of my eyelid to create a slight gradient smokey eye look. There is a bit of a shimmer to On-and-On Bronze but nothing too offensive.

The colour range of the Colour Tattoos is not very extensive but there are enough shades available to keep neutral girls happy, i've got my eye on Metallic Pomegranate which is a lovely pomegranate/cranberry shade - perfect for Christmas!

Have you tried the Maybelline Colour Tattoos? Let me know which shade to try next!

Felicity xo

Review // Balance Me Beauty Cleanse & Smooth Facial Balm

Hi girls,

Hope you're enjoying the long awaited weekend. I will be spending the afternoon making a fairly hefty Feel Unique order and digging out my summer clothes, as i'm going on a late holiday to Turkey next Monday, i think it goes without saying that i'm looking forward to it! ;)

I've recently added a new addition to my skincare routine, my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish has been cast aside and in its place stands the Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm. This is one product which has been talked about a lot recently, with rave reviews coming from many blogs.

Balance Me Beauty Cleanse & Smooth Balm | £20



The concept of this product is simple, a face balm which removes daily grime, make up and leaves your skin soft, radiant and clean. I've always been curious about balm products as i have quite oily skin, i thought this might be a big no no, but the Balance Me Beauty team promised me that it would suit my skin very well, and who am i to argue?!

The packaging of the product is nice, a glossy tube, with a girly design on the front. There is no pump with this product, which doesn't bother me too much as its not a watery/gloopy product, so there is minimal risk of mess.

I feel that this product kills two birds with one stone, it exfoliates and cleanses in one.

Exfoliation

To start with i squirt a 10p size amount of product into my hands and massage all over my face, using circular motions. When doing this you can feel the oatmeal particles gently exfoliating your skin, yet the balm/oil combination still feels soft on your skin.

Cleansing

Next up i apply a little water to my hands and massage the balm into my skin again, at this point the balm turn into more of a milky consistency, which is just right for removing all the grime and make up from your skin. Then i simply rinse a muslin cloth (supplied with the product) under warm water and wipe away the balm to reveal clean skin!



Since using this product i've definitely noticed a positive change in my skin, it feels super soft after using the balm, and i even agree that leaves your skin looking radiant and glowing.

My concerns about using an oil based balm product were also quashed as i have had no problems with it affecting my skin at all.

If i had to compare it to the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, i'd say that this definitely feels more luxurious to use and leaves your skin with an added radiance, which i don't find that Cleanse and Polish does so much.


Have you tried this product yet? Let me know what you think below :)

Felicity xo

Video || August Favourites

Hello,

Firstly, i hope you've all had a nice weekend - i'm currently watching the X Factor whilst munching through a bag of Minstrels.... oops! Anyway, today i've uploaded my August Favourites video which features some hair, beauty and random favourites.

Hope you enjoy it! :)

VIDEO // 19 Facts About Me!

Hey girls,

Hope you are all having a lovely long weekend, the weather here is pretty warm which is a rarity for a bank holiday!

My blog is currently undergoing slight redesign so i'm going to hold off from the blogging front until the design is finished and implemented. In my absence i have uploaded a video to YouTube, i was planning on filming the 25 facts about me tag, however my camera cut out at fact 19 - just my luck. 

Never the less, i uploaded the video and hopefully you will learn something about me. :)

If you fancy like-ing/subscribing/commenting i will love you forever! ;) No but seriously, i'd really appreciate any feedback...apart from the obvious *make sure you have sufficient recording space before hitting the record button....*



Felicity xoxo

The Bank Holiday Face.

British Bank Holidays, infamously known for having bad weather 99.9% of the time. Today however, something quite extraordinary has happened - its only blooming SUNNY and WARM! So i've managed to peel myself away from my spot in the garden, put down Elle magazine and fill you in on my Bank Holiday beauty routine.

Seeing as today is a rather nice day, i decided the furthest i'm going to venture is into my back garden - sun's sun, right? Meaning, my make up can be kept light and barely there. I opted for a light coverage foundation, a quick flick of mascara, a bit of blush and a swipe of pink lippy (well it is Spring...)

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

On a day to day basis, i mix this with another foundation to mattify it a tad. However as i only wanted a bit of coverage i just buffed this into my skin and it seems to have stayed put - good job skin!

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

As my foundation coverage was light, i dabbed this concealer on parts where i needed more coverage. This doesn't look too heavy on the skin either and has a nice creamy texture to it, which means it blends like a dream.

Rimmel Blush in Live Pink

This blush adds a lovely spring pink tint to the cheeks, just enough to make you look a but more perky in the morning! 

Loreal Telescopic Mascara

I bought this on saturday after hearing Anna harking on about it for so long. I definitely understand why she has been singing its praises, it gives your lashes length and volume in one swift swoop. Review coming soon!

Kate Moss Lipstick in 101

This is another product i bought on saturday when perusing the make up area in Boots (dangerous territory). Not too much to say on this one, just a really nice pink lippie - perfect product to transition from Autumn to Spring. Although i do have to say, as this is a matte formula i apply a balm before applying this, otherwise it can be drying.

That is as far as my beauty routine goes today, everything else is pretty relaxed - hair has had a quick brush and a quick spritz of dry shampoo and my attire is a combo of a baggy vest top and dark blue jeggings - its all glamour over here...

Hope you are all having a lovely bank holiday, upto anything nice? Also, what do you think go my blog design - i love it!

A Fresh Start...

Hello,

Yes, you have reached 'Felicity xoxo', but as you can probably tell - the place has had a bit of a spring clean by the wonderful Abby (link to her design website is here). The long and short of it all is that i was feeling totally uninspired by my old blog design which resulted in a severe lack of blog posts. So i decided to flash the cash and rope in Abby to sort out my blog design woes! I think she has done a tremendous job, my blog is a lot more cohesive in the layout and it just feels more me. Let me know what you think of the design.

I think i'm going to try and incorporate more lifestyle posts on the blog, and possibly a few fashion posts too, seeing as its getting to Spring/Summer now and i love Spring fashion!

I hope you are all having a lovely Saturday, and are enjoying the long weekend (seriously, whoever invented bank holidays deserves a medal). I'm going to see my brother, his wife and their baby tomorrow, and Monday is going to be a day of rest, ah bliss!

Felicity xo

Loving Bloglovin...

Hello,

Hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday, mine has been filled with watching a backlog of YouTube videos and later i'll be enjoying a lovely Sunday Roast, yum!

Today's post is just a quick mention that you can follow my blog on Bloglovin'. Its definately my favourite way to follow blogs, much more reliable than blogger's dashboard and its a great way to discover new blogs too. :)

If you fancy keeping up with my blog via Bloglovin' then i've popped a button in the sidebar >

Are you on Bloglovin? I'm following some new blogs on there so let me know if you are!

Felicity xo

Review | Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Hello!

Hope you are having a lovely Saturday, i've been very productive today and have been into town, had my hair cut and coloured and washed my car too. Phew!

Today i will be sharing with you an old school classic products which i've used since i was thirteen!

My first memories of this product is using my mum's Rimmel powder when i was about 14/15, i remember yelling to my mum before i left for school in the morning if i could use her powder, and then using the well used poofy with it. Ah, memories! Since then, this powder has been a staple in my make up bag.


This powder seems to have grown in popularity within the beauty blogging world recently, with even YouTube beauty queen, Tanya Burr praising it and proclaiming it as her favourite setting powder!

I apply the powder with a big fluffy brush. firstly to set my foundation in the morning, and also throughout the day if i'm looking a bit shiny. The powder is lightweight, and ensures your make up is nicely set without giving you that powdery finish.


I use the shade 'Transparent' which as you can probably guess, is a shade that suits most skin tones and has very little colour pay off.

The packaging reflects the product's price tag, in a word, cheap! It has a clear plastic lid which goes on top of the powder and the powder itself is held in a plastic shallow dish. The one niggle i have with the packaging is that the lid can come off easily. However, i think the positives of this products outweighs the one negative by quite a margin.

For a measly £3.99 you can't go wrong with this, for me its an everyday essential which doesn't break the bank!

Have you used this powder before, let me know your thoughts below. :)

Felicity xo

TAG | 25 Facts About Me!

Hello ladies,

Happy Friday! Who else is super happy that the long awaited weekend is finally here?! I've got planned a weekend of shopping/relaxing and a quick pit stop at the hairdressers for a cut and colour. Have you got anything nice planned?

I've seen a lot of these 'facts about me' tags around, so thought i'd hop on the bandwagon too.

So without further ado, here are some facts about yours truly...

1. I have a twin sister called Nichola, and no we aren't identical.

2. I'm a little obsessed with Cheryl Cole, and she once waved at me.

3. I passed my driving test on my third attempt.

4. I've never broken a bone, yet have had 5 operations.

5. When you first meet me i can be shy, but after 15 minutes i'll be talking your socks off!

6. I'm a bit of a domestic goddess and love cleaning. Weirdo!

7. I work in a family business doing admin/office duties.

8. My favourite film is Pretty Woman.

9. I'm probably one of the only people who doesn't 'get' Disco Pants! Anyone else?

10. I'm a reality tv junkie. My current favourites are The Magaluf Weekender and Chasing The Saturdays.

11. I hate dark chocolate and the texture/taste of jelly.

12. Next year i plan to go to America for 2-3 weeks.

13. My favourite time of year is Christmas.

14. I love Coffee, and feel very tired without it.

15. I hate the smell of Bacardi, after an incident at my 18th Birthday party...

16. I'd love to have my own business.

17. I get really obsessed with Apps on my iPhone - currently it is Candy Crush Saga...

18. My favourite number is 18.

19. I have a cat called Jessie who sleeps next to me on top of the bedcovers every night. *awww*

20. I religiously buy an array of monthly glossy magazines.

21. When i was younger i was obsessed with S Club Juniors, haha!

22. I stayed in a Villa in Italy, and Hugh Grant had stayed there before us (he had signed in the guestbook).

23. I worry about the smallest things, but i'm trying not to.

24. I used to work in River Island.

25. My dream car is a Mini.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and found out something about me! :)

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Felicity xo

Currently | Blogs & YouTubers I Love!

Hello,

Before i get started, i'd like to say a big thank you to all my followers, i hit 300 yesterday. I realise that numbers aren't really important in the blogging world, but it feels nice to think that people are actually reading the stuff i'm writing, and that i'm not just yapping to myself!

In celebration of reaching 300 followers, i thought i would tell you about some of my favourite blogs and YouTube channels, most you will probably know, but there may be a couple of new blogs for you to follow.

Bloggers

Vivianna Does Make Up | http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com
Chances are, you are already an avid reader of Anna's blog. However, just incase for some super strange reason you don't know, i thought i'd mention her blog. Anna's daily post cover an array of girly topics, one day its skincare, and the next its a post featuring a gorgeous lippie! This is definitely one of my favourite blogs, its informative, witty and has great content. Long live Vivianna Does Make Up!

Dizzybrunette3 | http://www.dizzybrunette3.com
Corrie's blog never fails to cheer me up, from her chirpy blog posts to girly layout, when i leave her blog, i always leave feeling a lot more positive. Corrie's blog is a mixture of beauty and fashion, featuring a variety of lower and higher end products. Also, if you are a lover of big hair then Corrie's blog is definitely for you, what Corrie doesn't know about how to achieve big hair simply isn't worth knowing!

Belles Boutique | http://www.belles-boutique.co.uk
My favourite part of Laura's blog is her photos, they are clear, amazing quality and just look uh-mazing! Equally, her posts are just as good, mostly of the beauty variety, but with a few hair/outfit posts thrown in too.

Pearls & Poodles | http://www.pearlsandpoodles.com
Milly's blog is so full of character, i'm pretty sure if i met Milly, her blog would be such a true representation of her. I first came across Milly's blog when she started blogging, and have watched it progress into pretty much one of the most established blogs in the uk blogging world. Milly's posts are a  variety of beauty, fashion and baking. Whenever i see Milly has posted a recipe, i almost run to the shops to buy the ingredients, if she was on the Great British Bake Off, i'm pretty sure she would win! #teammilly?!

Zoella | http://www.zoella.co.uk
Probably don't need to say too much about this blog! Zoe has been blogging for yonks and will always remain one of my all time favourite blogs. Although Zoe has focused more on her YouTube videos as of late, i still count her blog as one of my favourites. Zoe's blog contains a whole host of posts from beauty to lifestyle.

Couture Girl | http://x-couturegirl-x.blogspot.co.uk/
Admittedly, Kayleigh's blog is a new-ish discovery for me as i've only been reading it for a few months. Kayleigh's blog features a mixture of fashion, beauty and general life posts. What i love most about Kayleigh's blog is that each post is amazing quality, both in writing and photos. You can tell she is really passionate about what she is writing about, which comes across in all her posts.

YouTubers

Tanya Burr | http://www.youtube.com/pixi2woo
Whenever i see Tanya has uploaded a video, i always look forward to settling down with a cuppa and watch her work her magic! Tanya started out on YouTube under the screen name 'Pixi2woo' and watching her progress as a make up artist has been great. I definitely learnt most of what i know about make up from Tanya! Tanya's videos are predominantly wearable make up tutorials, however she also uploads hauls/vlogs on her second channel.

SWalkerMakeUp | http://www.youtube.com/user/swalkermakeup
Sara is a YouTuber who i have watched since day one, uploading a variety of videos from tutorials to hauls. Her personality is infectious and you can tell she is genuinely a really nice girl. Although she doesn't post as frequently as she used to, she has a great archive of videos which i'd definitely recommend checking out.

Zoella | http://www.youtube.com/user/zoella280390
Zoe is currently my favourite YouTuber, her hauls have got to be my favourite of hers - everything she buys, i feel that i need! Zoe's videos are a mixture of hauls and hilarious tag videos. She also has a second channel which features follow me around type of videos, which are one of my favourite type of videos, maybe thats just because i'm nosy!?

Lisa Eldridge | http://www.youtube.com/user/lisaeldridgedotcom
I don't think i need to explain this one too much... Lisa Eldridge is pretty much the goddess of beauty on YouTube. Her professional approach to make up and her amazing tutorials combine to produce a fantastic array of videos, which you simply need to watch!

Those are just a few of my favourite YouTubers/Bloggers. Anyone else who you would recommend reading/watching?

Felicity xo

How To | Washing Your Make Up Brushes

Hello,

Anyone else having a snow day? Up north we have had a shed load of snow overnight, which was a very pretty sight to wake up to.

Say hello to my back garden...


During today, i thought i'd get some mundane tasks done, y'know the kind - going through that stack of magazines that have been looming in the corner of the room, tackling your wardrobe into some form of organisation and every beauty bloggers least favourite thing to do.... wash your make up brushes! So, i thought i'd tackle my very used brushes head on and take you along with me! You lucky things....

1. Gather your make up brushes which require a clean.



2. Fill an old bowl with water (i add a bit of hand wash to mine too, today i used Carex) or use the sink in your bathroom.

3. Dip one of your brushes in the water, then pump a blob of hand wash/body wash on the upper side of your hand and swirl the wet brush in the hand wash/body wash. You will notice your dirty brushes dispersing the dregs of make up onto your hand, genius huh?!



4. Then simply rinse the brush in clean water to get rid of any soap suds/lather.

5. Give the brush a quick squeeze to get the majority of the water out.

6. Finally, grab a towel and place it on a flat surface, i use my window sill. Then lay your brushes flat on the towel. Remember to reposition the bristles of the brushes, into their usual shape, otherwise they may not dry straight!



And thats all there is to it, i know people have their own ways of washing brushes, but thats mine. Fuss free, no fancy potions to use, just bog standard washing up liquid/hand wash is fine!

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Felicity

Review | Nivea Light Moisturising Day Cream

When it comes to skincare, i like to keep things pretty simple. Namely, Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, followed by Soap and Glory's Scrub Your Nose In It exfoliator, then finishing with Nivea's Light Moisturiser.

Nivea Daily Essentials Light Moisturising Day Cream | £3.99 

Nivea to me is such a trustworthy brand to use, i've used their moisturiser throughout my teenage years and its a product that has along got along very well with my skin, and you know what they say - 'if it aint broke, don't fix it!'

I've dabbled with different moisturisers from Nivea, and have found my favourite to be the Nivea Daily Essentials Light Moisturising Day Cream. Although this is marketed as a 'day' cream, i do use it at night too. I have tried the Night moisturiser from Nivea but found it to be a bit too heavy for my skin.

The formula is very light, and simply sinks nicely into your skin, leaving your skin feeling hydrated and not greasy! The scent is fairly nondescript, just a nice clean and fresh smell, which is very non offensive. This moisturiser also has SPF 15, which is probably just enough SPF for if you are having a little wander outside, but obviously not enough to offer maximum sun protection!

The only negative is the packaging. As the moisturiser is a squeezy tube, it can get a little clogged up and messy, if you aren't careful.

Although i am not afraid to dabble with other moisturisers in the future, i think this will be my fail safe option for moisturiser. It is very affordable and simply keeps my skin looking and feeling healthy, soft and hydrated. If you are on the lookout for a more affordable moisturiser i would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Felicity x

P.s - I've had a little redesign of my blog, what do you think?!