TAG: What's in my Focco!?

So Lurra of Editor-in-chic (click here, she has good reblog stuffs!) asked me what the hell I have in those super dooper organised pouches in my Focco post, and so I thought ya know what! I shall talk about them!!

Now let me preface this by saying that I am one of those people who has to plan for every eventuality, just in case something happens. I travel to and from uni via train so if anything were to leave me stranded in Sheffield I like to know I have some things to hand. I also am just a bit of a loon and like to have my things!

So I shall just say what is in the picture/bag from left to right, top to bottom, and then say what is in each pouch when I get to it, here goes:

Marks and Spencer Green Bag (perfect handy mini size).

Paperchase Glasses Case, with lens cleaner inside.

Purse (Radley in case you are wondering).

Accessorize flip flops for in case my feet hurt/are hot (I repurchase these every couple of years because they are my faveeee ones, I hope they still do them as I need a new pair!)

Filofax (Finsbury Personal in Raspberry).

Cath Kidston makeup bag (Contents: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, Maybelline The Falsies mascara, MAC Mineralised Skin-finish Natural, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, MAC Chromographic Pencil, MAC Coffee Eye Pencil, Topshop Cream Blush, MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner, Topshop Show Off lipstick, Elf Kabuki brush)

Random stuff that I don’t need but it is nice to have bag (Contents: Mirror, gum, Burts Bees lip balm (my back-up one), rail card, mints, headphones, Soap and Glory Hand Food, hairbrush, Batiste Dry Shampoo, OPI Avoplex cuticle oil, sunglasses, Avene water in a can stuff, various hair clips and bands, iPhone screen cloth)

Easiyo yoghurt pot containing dried fruit and some nuts, for snacking.

Paperchase water bottle.

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief (May be a kids book, but it’s quite good!)

iPhone in my Hello Kitty bow case.

Camera in Cath Kidston case.

Chanel COCO Mademoiselle perfume in handy handbag atomiser that has seen far better days!

Everything I ever need, should have been a girl guide pack (Contents: Spare change, Colgate Wisps, Optrex eye spray, Nivea SOS lipbalm, mini tooth floss, Hollywood fashion tape, tampons, tweezers, hair bobble, mini scissors, hand sanitiser, tissues, vaseline, nail file/buffer, various plasters and blister plasters, hair grips, stain remover wipes, nail polish remover wipe, antacids and various medications including pain killers and allergy meds, currently missing which I want to add to this are those sheet soap thingies and a pair of knickers, as if i ever get stranded they would come in rather handy!)

So there you go, everything I cart around with me on a daily basis. I take some things out if I don’t need them obviously, but the whole idea of the pouches is so that I don’t have things just rolling around in my bags and getting lost. I find it works a treat!

:)

xo

Top Pout: Dupe for Dior

Topshop Show Off

Dior Addict Dior Kiss

I didn’t manage to get around to doing a lipstick post this week, lots of crazy going on where I am, but I managed to snap this picture the other day after grabbing Topshop Lipstick in Show Off.

Would you believe that the top lip is Topshop, and the bottom lip is Dior Addict lipstick in Dior Kiss? The one Kate Moss wears in the advert? Ohhh yes!

On my hand the two look close but different, the Dior being sheerer and glossier and the Topshop appearing more of a bright pink, but on the lips with a bit of lipbalm underneath these two look damn well identical, I was majorly impressed as it means I can carry my Toppers one around day to day and not worry about losing the Dior one! That can be saved for special occasions :)

xo

Haul: The Focco

So I grabbed a Focco bag (Fake Rocco, or rather imitation, it doesn’t have any branding on it) from eBay the other week (from this seller, great price, item is perfect and shipping took about 2 weeks, a little less) after seeing it on Laura’s blog Buy Now, Blog Later.

I had seen her toting the black and white versions of the bag and really wanted to grab them up, but it wasn’t until I saw the lilac/grey version that I took the plunge.

I couldn’t wait to snap some pics, even though there was sucky lighting as the sun has moved around and is going down, so I will possibly post a couple more colour accurate ones at some point, in these it looks more on the nude side then the almost lilac grey it actually is.

In these pictures the bag is almost full, there is still room in there but it does have a lot of stuff in it, as you can see here:

You would think that this plus the studs would make it unbearably heavy but it is actually lighter then the Radley I usually tote around. Obviously the fabric has a part to play in that, and although it is lightweight, it still feels sturdy, I don’t feel like the seams are about to rip or the handles fall off. I am also super weary about fake leather, working in a shoe shop puts you off it completely, but this doesn’t have those awful crepe feelings or squeaky feeling qualities, it just feels soft. And just so you can see exactly how much stuff that really is in there, here it all is laid out nice and neat for you:

(Why yes, I think I do have mild OCD, I love to organise things into pouches, but this time it was all Mariannan’s fault)

I had my favourite grey Topshop long-line cardigan in there earlier too and it STILL had some room in it! I would even say i could probably use this as a weekend bag if I wanted.

I’m pretty impressed for £30!

xo

NOTD: Princess Pirate

OPI Skull and Glossbones (LE Pirates of the Carribbean)
OPI Teenage Dream (LE Katy Perry)

Because princesses make great pirates too :)

Top Pouts: MAC Hue

This is a real favourite for many bloggers, and I am no exception. It is no secret that I love a lot of MAC products, I can safely say it is my favourite brand for cosmetics, and their lipsticks are one of my favourite ranges. I love the vanilla scent, which for something sitting directly under my nose is important to me, and while I prefer cremesheen formulas mainly, this glaze formulation lippy is a must try.

I found it difficult to really capture how great this is, and so had to include a before and after of my lips, but this shade is a perfect pinky nude. It slicks on easily and is sheer enough that you don’t need to worry about whether it has gone on perfectly. It still manages to provide just enough of a pretty shade to the lips to make it look like you have done something, without looking like you have really applied an actual colour.

For me this lipstick perfectly tones down the natural pinkiness to my lips, allowing me to neutralise my colouring somewhat when I am having a blotchy day and draw less attention to the pink in my cheeks. The whole concealer lip thing never seems to look quite right on me, often making me look a bit dead, so for everyday this lippy lets me get half way there without having to liven myself back up again to compensate.

As you can see however Hue does stick to all flakes, and obviously my lips are a little more flaky then normal here, so I recommend a good lip balm beforehand.

MAC Lippies aren’t cheap (though not the most expensive either) at £13.50, but they are really very good quality and often very difficult to replicate with high street brands. If you have never given one a go before, I highly recommend this one to try, and if you are a fan of other MAC products, remember you can try it for free when you take 6 empty MAC containers back to a counter or store using the Back2MAC recycling program (For more information on that click here).

xo

Roaccutane VLOG 9: Weeks 7 & 8

Accutane VLOG 9: Weeks 7 & 8

A new development or two, I am half way now, which is exciting to think about!

xo

GlossyBox: June Roundup!

My full review of all the products in last month’s GlossyBox

xo

NOTD: Kitten Heels

Ciate Kitten Heels.

Got this in my GlossyBox today and OMFG guys!! This applied like a DREAMM!!

I even had a gloopy base coat on and it is so smooth, the brush moved over the nail so easily and cleanly, didn’t spread too far, was simply beautiful.

They are £9 retail, which if all the others ones apply like this I think is perfectly acceptable, now I just need to see if I can find some!!

xo

GlossyBox: Open Box July

I really do love this month’s box, such great items to try out :)

xo

NOTD: No More Wait-ey, Katie!

Absolutely shocking cuticles here I know, I couldn’t be bothered to tend to them, and I couldn’t find my oil.

Anyways, No More Wait-ey, Katie!

I truly LOVE the name of this polish, I loved the nickname they gave to ole K.Middy in the papers before they got engaged, and loved it when they changed it to fit after.

This shade is very Middleton-esque I feel, it is described as a ‘soft griege littered with lilac glitter’ and it is the sort of colour I can imagine her wearing, but as a dress, not on her nails. The colour is supposed to represent HRH The Duchess of Cambridge’s perfect symphony of being fashion conscious and still fun, while also reflecting that obviously she is in a position which requires some decorum. (A/N: I refuse to call her Princess, as quite frankly it is an insult to do so, why do so many people not realise a Duchess is higher ranking then a Princess?!)

I have to admit I was a little disappointed by the formula, for £15 I expect something really impressive and smooth and I found it a little thick. It was difficult to get nice even thin coats, and when I attempted to just go with thicker coats it was just too gloopy and didnt smooth over the nail as nicely as I like, and this could be down to many reasons, the glitter, the formula or maybe the 3 free-ness (though OPI are also 3 free i believe and don’t have these issues).

The wear so far is ok. Polishes never last that long on me as a rule anyway, as i do a LOT of typing, and my jobs involve rearranging shoe boxes, sticking my fingers in shoes to see if they fit right, and shelving books. However despite this I do expect a polish to last longer then a few hours before tip wear and on some fingers this one has not. I think this may be again down to the goopiness (Not to be confused with Gwyneth Paltrow), as it has given it a rather rubbery texture, and that goopiness obviously isn’t helped by the need for 3 coats to reach opacity. I don’t have any chips yet though, and at the time of writing I had been wearing the polish for 3 days, believe me, that is impressive for my nails! I have a feeling this may be a peeler as opposed to a chipper, so we shall see, and no doubt I will tweet about it to whinge either way.

I would probably still give Butter polishes another go, as I am not sure if it is the glitter in this formula that hindered its application, but I wouldn’t be as likely to reach for it unless it was something special I don’t think.

I am glad I grabbed this despite its issues however as it is like a piece of history, and I have now tried another brand of polish. I want to try Deborah Lippman next, possibly Boom Boom Pow, as it has real 24ct gold dust in it!

If you want to grab yourself a piece of British history, Debenhams.com still had some in stock at the time of posting :)

Roaccutane VLOG 8: Week 6

A-Z of Moi!

Age: 23

Bed Size: Double

Chore you Hate: Ironing, so much so that I don’t do it, I hang my clothes and then fold them very neatly lol!

Dogs: I don’t have one but have always wanted a Beagle who i would name Bramble, or Bram for short (I actually always wanted to call the dog just Bram after Bram Stoker, but then I figured the dog would have to be big and black a la Dracula, Bramble is more beagle-y)

Essential start of your day: A cuppa tea and my email.

Favourite Colour: Either pink or purple, I love both equally.

Gold or Silver: Silver, or white gold, I very rarely ever wear yellow gold, I think I only own one piece.

Height: 5ft 6 3/4 inches

Instruments I play: I used to be able to play recorder and I could play a little bit of piano, but I haven’t in aaaages.

Job Title: Student/Children’s Shoe Fitting specialist.

Kids: None.

Live: In the room in the attic in my parents house in rural Lincolnshire.

Mum’s name: Sharon

Nickname: Georgie, George, rarely Gina. Used to be Aggie after my love for Agatha Christie novels.

One wish: A nice proper job which actually requires using the qualifications I have paid through the nose for.

Pet Peeve: Mouth noises, people who walk too slow, people who don’t indicate, people who don’t stop at zebra crossings (i nearly got run over once!) People who can’t take a hint and shut up…lots more probably!

Quote from a movie: “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, a dream that you wish will come true” - Cinderella

Right or left handed: Right.

Siblings: 1 Younger sister.

Time you wake up: Completely depends, but anything from 6am to 11am

Underwear: Proper knickers, no bum floss please. I am majorly restricted on bra’s though as many places don’t carry my size.

Vegetables you dislike: Cauliflower. Ew.

What makes you run late: Not waking up! I can be ready in 30mins if i need to, but it is no good if I don’t wake up!

X-rays you’ve had done: Foot, when I smacked it on a paving slab as a kid, thumb, when it had an infection and I had to have surgery, and teeth, when we discovered I have no adult back teeth, after my dentist had already pulled out a little one.

Yummy food you make: I love cooking, but my favourite dessert I make is a chocolate fudge cake which was once described by an ex-boyfriend as a heart attack in a bowl, but is bloody delicious!

Zoo animal: Tiger’s! There is one at London Zoo that ALWAYS used to act up for the visitors, plus they so cool!

(Not the) End of an Era

So today I saw the last Harry Potter film, and I cried, clapped, whooped, cheered and enjoyed every minute of it.

I think the only time I didn’t have a hugeeeee grin on my face was when my mouth was all funny shaped from the crying and the trying to breathe.

It was great, but it isn’t the end, it never will be. My life would be so much different today if I had never read those books, I wouldn’t be on the career path I am for a start. Although I was always a big reader, it was seeing the power those books had on other children and adults, encouraging them to read and increase their literacy that made me want to be a part of that for the future.

Haul: Two First's

Two first’s for me this morning, my first Illamasqua product and my first Butter London polish!

I have been wanting to try both these brands for a while now, so I took the plunge the other day and picked up Rude cream blush from Illamasqua, which I have seen on so many blogs and wanted to try, and No More Waity, Katie from Butter, which is the limited edition colour they produced for the Royal Wedding a few months ago.

I had actually thought I had missed out on this polish, and was duly gutted but then I spotted it on the Debenhams website! It is definitely on the pricier side for a nail polish at £15, but they use the 3 Free formula, no formaldehyde, toluene or DBP, and this one is limited edition so I didn’t mind paying for a little bit of history!

I have been contemplating Illamasqua’s cream blushers for a while now, mainly after seeing them on Jennie’s blog (www.sailorjennie.com) and I decided to go for Rude as my first one as I am loving orangey/peachey/coral colours on my cheeks at the moment. All the ones I have in these shades are cream to powder formulations and I was after something a bit creamier so I thought ‘hey what the heck I shall give it a go!’ and I already LOVE it! The price is around the same as for a MAC blusher, at £16.50 for 4g (MAC charge £17 for 5.6g) which I think is a good price point for a blusher, so that too helped me decide.

I have no doubt both of these will be popping up in my favourite videos at some point soon!

xo

Top Pouts: Revlon Pink Pout

So that there new lippy series I was thinking of doing is here!

Whoo!

So my first fave lippy, and I knew immediately that this would be number one, as it is the one I wear most, is Revlon Matte in Pink Pout.

I find this just so so easy to grab, slick on and go.

Even though it is a matte formulation, which I usually avoid like flaming hell fire, I find it easy to apply and wear. It is flexible and just creamy enough to still have a matte effect but not completely sap my lips of all their moisture. I do always apply a lipbalm underneath, which I would recommend, and I do prefer to wear Barry M Strawberry Milkshake over the top as in the last photo. But I can wear this without the gloss and it wouldn’t normally dry my lips out (obviously current skin situation throws that out the window, as the pictures reflect, those pics are after a perfect exfoliation, about 2 minutes after! It is a hopelessly vicious cycle).

I would actually say that it is my favourite of all the matte lipstick formulations I have dared try, most of them quickly get thrown away. I think that I find this the easiest lippy to wear because as it is matte it doesn’t move easily, and it lasts a bit longer then my more moisturising lipsticks, which for notoriously lazy with every day make up me is a blessing.

The colour payoff is pretty awesome too, I find it just that right shade of pink, which manages to still be a great pop of colour but isn’t too light for me to feel a bit weird walking down the street. I can apply a thinner layer for a soft look or whack on a bit more for more of a punch and it still doesn’t dry me out. Perfect!

I would say if you have been a bit afraid of trying matte lippies before, give these a go, they are a nice cheap alternative to higher end lines and they also have a nice nude shade (which will probably be in this series at some point too) if you aren’t a pink person :)

xo

P.S. I’m totally addicted to Ellie Goulding right now (damn iTunes and the ‘complete your album’ feature!), and have been bopping about to “Lights” while typing this, it results in sooo many typos!!