Topshop Wishlist #1

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I've been perusing the 'New In' section on the Topshop website A LOT lately, and I've been lusting after so many pretty items. I have wanted gingham print trousers and a skirt for SO LONG and these two from Topshop are super cute. Seeing as we're heading in to Spring, these hot pink cigarette trousers are the perfect addition to brighten up your wardrobe. Oh and let's not forget those adorable heart-print slipper-style shoes. 

What have you been loving lately?
Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.

Ps: I've made a few Avon purchases recently, would you be interested in seeing a haul?
PPS:if you have less than 200 followers and haven't been nominated for the Liebster Award let me know! x

Non-beauty February favourites

In my previous post I threw in some self-praise for doing a mid-week post and then I didn't blog for ageeees, fail. Nevertheless, I am back with a favourites post inspired by all the things I've been loving throughout the month of February that aren't beauty related. 

The App

This month I've been trying to get a lot more organised (which clearly hasn't been reflected in my blog) and so I downloaded Wunderlist. Wunderlist allows you to organise your tasks, in addition to creating to-do lists. You can separate your lists under various categories such as work and personal, as well as allowing you to create your own categories. It's been super handy to note down any ideas I have for blog post etc. 

The TV Show

Silk is back people *does a cringey dance move* - I don't think anybody understands my love for this show. For those of you who don't watch silk, it basically revolves around a set of barristers in London; in particular Martha Costello who is played by Maxine Peake. Each week Martha takes on a different case. As well as providing a story of the case Martha undertakes, Silk also follows the life of Martha herself, showing her to be a very independent and sassy woman. Let's get this clear - I want (need) to be Martha Costello.

The Film

This month I watched Captain Phillips with Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. The film is based on the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the hijacking of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama - the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. The film does drag a little, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Needless to say that Tom Hanks' performance was utterly moving, and well worthy of an oscar (I'm still bitter he isn't nominated.) Having said that, Barkhad Abdi who plays Muse, the leader of the hijacking crew is nominated for an Oscar in supporting-role and he is completely deserving of it. His performance was outstanding. The fact that the film is up for best picture says it all...I highly recommend giving it a watch.

The Album

This month I discovered Alex Winston after hearing Velvet Elvis on an advert. After some searching, I found her on spotify and gave her King Con album a listen. It is now my new favourite album. Her voice is so unique and her songs are really up-beat..perfect to have a little dance to. Some of my favourite songs from the album include Fire Ant, Velvet Elvis, Locomotive and Host. Her single 101 Vultures is also my new favourite song - it's always on repeat. 

What have you been loving throughout February? Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.

PS: would you be interested in fashion posts? I'm thinking of doing a haul post and maybe a few fashion-inspired posts soon? I also want to start a baking series on my blog...thoughts?

Handbag beauty essentials

Look at me doing a mid-week post..impressed? I thought I'd show you my top things beauty-related to take in my makeup bag to touch-up throughout the day.

Lipstick/ Lip balm

Now, if you're a huge lipstick lover like me, you'll know that having a lipstick (or three) in your makeup bag is essential. I try and limit the amount of beauty products I take out with me but I always end up having about five lipsticks rolling around the bottom of my bag (anyone else share this problem?). Lately I've just been sticking my carmex in my bag and my lipstick that I'm wearing that day. 

Hand Cream

I always make sure I have my Soap and Glory Hand Food hand cream on me. Especially in these winter months my hands get so dry and the non-greasy formula doesn't leave your hands feeling sticky..winner. The gorgeous fruity scent combined with the pocket size tube makes this perfect for your handbag.

Powder/ Powder brush

I always take my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder and a little Eco Tools brush with me so I can touch-up throughout the day. My skin type on the whole is dry, however I've noticed that lately I've been getting a little oily around my nose. This translucent powder just takes away any shine without being cakey and heavy on the skin.

Perfume/ body spray

I always keep a body spray or sample size of perfume with me just to freshen up throughout the day..because why wouldn't you want to smell nice? If you only have full sized perfumes you can buy a Travalo which allows you to pour your perfume from a full sized bottle into a friendly, travel-sized bottle that you can easily keep in your bag.

Mirror

I keep a mirror with me so that I can see what I'm doing when I re-apply my lipstick or powder (don't worry I'm not that vain that I stare at myself all day). It's also really handy to have in case one of your friends has a makeup emergency.

What are your handbag beauty essentials?

January Favourites

First of all, where the heck did January go? Time really does fly by. Anyway, enough of sounding like an old woman, here are a few things I've been loving throughout January..

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm, Umberto Giannini eyeliner
 and Rimmel Stay Matte powder.

Forever 21 necklace, Urban Outfitters watch.

1) Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in the shade Elusive

I only bought this last week but I'm already in love with it. The smooth consistency and matte formulation, along with the super pretty pink shade, makes this my go-to every-day lipstick.

2) Umberto Giannini Eyeliner

I got a pack of these eyeliners at Christmas back in 2012, and I've been using them every day since. The fine nib allows me to create either a super fine line to make my upper lashes appear fuller, or pursue with a full-on winged out look. The colour is a deep, intense black, and they last pretty much all day. Big thumbs up from moi.

3) Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent 

I love this powder. It's super good for touch-ups throughout the day. It comes in a range of shades but I opted for translucent. This just means that it sets all my makeup in place without adding extra coverage, meaning this will let you stay well clear of cakey makeup (no one wants that look, am I right?).

4) Cheetah Necklace from Forever 21

This was one of my Christmas presents off my best friend, Kim. Before Christmas we were roaming around Forever 21, and I happened to spot this. However, for some reason or another I didn't end up getting it. Kim had obviously made a mental note of my love for this necklace, as there it was a couple of weeks later wrapped up in Christmas paper. (Thanks Kim, bonus friendship points for remembering).

5) Black watch from Urban Outfitters

This was another Christmas present that I received off my brother (the amount of times I've mentioned Christmas clearly has no reflection on the fact I miss December..). I had wanted a black thin-strapped watch for ageeees and so I was super happy to receive this on Christmas morning.

What have been your favourites this month?

Haulin'

So it looks like apologising for the lack of posts is going to be a recurring theme on this blog. I aim to post every weekend but last week I was swamped with school work and revision, and I found barely enough time to sleep let alone blog (sorrrrrry). After a busy and stressful week, I was in need of a little pick-me-up, and a spot of retail therapy did just that. After wandering the aisles in Boots and scanning the shelves in The Body Shop, I picked up a few bits that I wanted, and thought I'd share them with y'all.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation, The Body Shop Honey Bronzer,
The Body Shop Vitamin C Serum, Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm 

The Body Shop Body Butters; Grapefruit (left) and Brazil nut (right)

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in the shade Elusive

L'Oreal True Match Foundation £9.99

I have heard so many good reviews about this foundation, which is supposedly a dupe for the MAC's Studio Fix. I haven't tried this foundation out yet, but I've got high hopes for this one.

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer £13.00

I have wanted to try this for so long, but every time I went into The Body Shop they didn't have the shade I wanted. When I wandered into my local store yesterday, I saw that they had the the shade 01; this combined with the fact that it was the last one in stock, made me take it as a sign of fate and I headed straight to the counter.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Serum £14.00

Now this little guy has been repurchased countless times and is certainly no stranger to my skincare stash. The consistency is so smooth and silky and this combined with the magical vitamin C extract makes for a glowy and hydrated complexion. It's beautiful as a primer for under foundation, and just as beautiful for those no-makeup days where you still want your skin to be radiant. 

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm £7.99

Another matte lipstick? shocker. I had been waiting for these to come out for weeks after seeing them appear on other beauty blogs in December and now I'm finally the owner of one in the shade elusive. Elusive is a really pretty pink shade, lovely for natural makeup days. I had my doubts that the matte range might be a little drying on the lips, but the consistency is smooth and creamy, making the lipstick hydrating and long-lasting. The crayon-like design makes for a precise and easy application. I love this already, and I will definitely be picking up some more shades!

The Body Shop Body Butters £13.00

Although the body butters are normally £13.00, they currently have a sale in-store and online so they were just £5.00 each (bargain). I love these body butters so much, they're not greasy or sticky, they're thick and (as the name would suggest) buttery, almost having a balm-like consistency that when rubbed into the skin, melts into moisturising goodness.

Have you tried any of these  products, what are your thoughts?

PS: I've been lacking inspiration with regards to posts for this blog, so if you have any suggestions then please let me know. Although my blog mainly revolves around beauty, I'd like it to be more of a lifestyle blog, so I was thinking about maybe doing some recipe posts on baking? What would you like to see?

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.

My top 5 drugstore lipsticks

For my first beauty inspired post I thought I'd stay faithful to my beloved lipstick obsession and share with you my favourite lipsticks from the drugstore. 

Revlon Lip butter in the shade Raspberry Pie

Maybelline Superstay 14hr Lipstick in the shade Ultimate Blush

Rimmel lasting finish matte lipstick in the shade 107 Wine

MUA lipstick in the shade 2

Revlon Super lustrous lipstick in the shade Cherries in the Snow

Revlon Lip butter in the shade Raspberry Pie

Although Raspberry Pie is a gorgeous berry shade, it's quite a bright fuchsia pink and this combined with the buttery, smooth consistency means it's one you can sport all year round. I do find that applying a lip balm before hand, makes the application even smoother, and the colour even more intense. After hearing so many beauty bloggers rave about these things, I had to try it for myself, and I can officially say I am on the Revlon Lip butter bandwagon.

Maybelline Superstay 14hr Lipstick in the shade Ultimate Blush

This was my go-to liptsick last summer. Not only is the colour a lovely pink-toned coral, but when Maybelline says it lasts 14 hours, they're not joking, the lasting power of these lipsticks is ah-mazing (bonus) and because they're from the drugstore they're super affordable (double bonus). With over 10 different shades to choose from, the colour range is great too.

Rimmel lasting finish matte lipstick in the shade 107 Wine

When it comes to lipstick, I definitely prefer bolder colours and a matte finish, so this one from Rimmel fits the bill perfectly. The shade 107 Wine is my go-to autumn/winter shade as it's (as the name would suggest) a gorgeous deep winey, berry colour. I also own 111 Kiss of Life, which is a bright red, which I normally pair with a super plain outfit to make it really stand out. I cannot rave about these lipsticks enough, they are definitely my number one favourite drugstore lipsticks.

MUA lipstick in the shade 2

What I love about this lipstick is you can wear it really sheer or build the colour up to a bright pink shade; but what I love even more is the £1 price tag. Yes, you heard me right, they cost a whopping 100 pennies. They apply really smoothly and the have a semi-matte finish. However, I have noticed that when the lipstick fully dries, it settles to a complete matte finish, which as you know, is right up my street. The only thing I would say about these lipsticks is that after a while they can become a bit drying, but for £1 you can hardly complain.

Revlon Super lustrous lipstick in the shade Cherries in the Snow

I love this shade so much, it is a super pretty raspberry red. Although I prefer a matte bold lip, I really love the shiny, glossy finish this lipstick gives. Surprisingly these lipsticks last quite a long time, even if I'm not wearing a lip liner with it.

What are your favourite drugstore lipsticks?

And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day

Instead of blurting out a massive apology for not posting on this blog in a loooong time,(whoops!) I thought I'd make an effort to do one last post before the year is over (can we just take a moment to ask ourselves where this year has gone) and what better post to do than to show you what Christmas is like in the Bargiacchi household. Instead of rambling on about how much glorious food I devoured yesterday and boring you all to tears, I've inserted a few snippets of yesterday's festivities. 

 Christmas outfit and nails with a side order of awkward posing.

 

Yum!

Because no household is complete without Christmas decorations..

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas yesterday, I was certainly spoiled. Enjoy the rest of your holiday relaxing and eating the leftovers...I'll be living off turkey BLT's for the next month.

PS:I will try my best to post more next year!

Beauty Wishlist #1

So the whole 'blogging on a regular basis' didn't really work out seeing as I created my blog in December and we're now in April..oops! And even now, my first post isn't all that exciting, but it's a start. For the past few weeks I've been trying to save my money and now I think a good shopping trip to boots is in order. After all, the 3 for 2 offer is just too good to miss right? Plus when I was rummaging through old birthday cards I found £30, and after doing a celebratory dance, I was straight on the boots website to see what they had to offer. Here are a few things I'd like to purchase this month..

Items: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum £10.99
Barry M Gelly High Shine Nail Paint in Green Berry £3.99
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick £7.99
Real Techniques Stippling Brush £11.99
Urban Decay Naked Palette £36.00

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

After watching and reading people's reviews on this foundation I can't wait to purchase  it. At the moment my skin is very dry and dehydrated so I want a foundation that's going to glide over the dry areas which this foundation is known for doing. The gel-based formula is said to restore moisture into the skin, making it look refreshed and radiant. I've got high hopes for this one!

Barry M Gelly High Shine Paint in Green Berry

I already own a few of these gel nail polishes by Barry M and I am in love with them. The gel formula makes the nail polish glide on the nail with little effort and sets with high shine. I was roaming the boots website and stumbled across this gorgeous colour, which will no doubt be a new addition to my nail polish collection sometime very soon. I think this will look super pretty in the summer too.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Bail Stain in Lovesick

Yes, I am very late on the band wagon for these lip products. It surprises me as much as you that I don't own any of these balm stains. I've heard people rave about these for quite some time and frankly I can see why from just the colour range. Lovesick is a lovely fuchsia pink that would look pretty all year round, especially now in spring.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush 

I already own the core collection from real techniques and love them, especially the buffing brush for foundation. In spring and summer I tend to wear a lot more cream blushes but I just haven't found the perfect brush for applying them. After seeing many people use the stippling brush and giving it good reviews it sounds like one that will be a necessity come summer time. Plus, with that 3 for 2 offer on in boots, what better time?

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Lets all take a moment to acknowledge the fact that I am the only living person on this planet who doesn't own the naked palette. I've wanted this palette for quite a while now because just look at it. The colours are all so pretty! And now, thanks to that £30 that just happened to be lingering in an old card, I think it's time to take the plunge and invest. 

Have any of you tried these products? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!

Some more interesting posts will be coming up soon hopefully. I was thinking OOTD's, favorites and possibly a haul after next week! What do you think?

Welcomed to the blogging world

So I have just set up my very first blog, very much thanks to Jemma. I am officially a participant in the blogging world. I can tell its going to take me a while to figure out what to do and how to do it, but I've had so much help from Jemma. She's been so generous, helping with my layout and telling me everything I need to know. 

My first few posts are just going to be general ones as I'm trying to get to know how to use the blog. But once I have got the hang of it, my posts will develop in interest I hope.

I'm mainly going to use my blog to show purchases, things I love, mainly just blog about products and what I find does the trick and what doesn't.

Probably wont blog every day, maybe two or three times a week as I am currently very busy with revision for exams, so it probably wasn't the best time to start a blog but never mind.