Harry Potter Studio Tour

Okay, so I know that there have been a million and one posts about this, but I couldn't not write one! I had been looking forward to this day for so long, and whilst on the tour I was beside myself with excitement. I thought that I would share a few of my favourite photos from the day (I snapped around 400 pictures!), but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't been so I'll keep the photos down to a minimum.

The Warner Brothers Studio Tour is located in Watford, and was relatively easy to get to. We drove, but there is a shuttle bus that takes you from the train station which did seem very popular. The outside of the building had me really excited, with wizard chess pieces and sound effects. The foyer was pretty impressive too. Pictures of the cast, props, a gift shop and Starbucks made waiting for our tour a piece of cake. 

The tour itself is absolutely incredible! I don't really want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't been so won't go into too much detail, but it really did blow my mind. The attention to detail is incredible, and even those who were not familiar with the films would be amazed. Each set has been perfectly presented, and the workmanship that must have gone into the making of it all is really something special!

I'm so pleased that I have been, being a huge fan of both the books and the films. I would happily go again and again. Definitely a must see!

A day trip to Brugge

Two weeks ago, Olly and I went to visit his family in Kent and we had around two weeks worth of activities to cram into six days. Challenge accepted. One of our plans was to travel to France for the day via the ferry from Dover to Calais, something which we do often. It also gives me a chance to go to Sephora and French pharmacies which definitely happened, so watch out for a post on that.

Whilst in France, we decided that we would go into Belgium and see the sights of Brugge. Despite only being a 2 hour drive away from Calais, the scenery and atmosphere is completely different. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I really did like it. Brugge itself seemed very small to me, much different to other European cities that I've visited. The centre is very traditional and historical, there were hardly any cars, in fact the most popular form of transport seemed to be horse and carriage which looked absolutely lovely. We were not short of restaurants either, although they do all tend to serve the same food which did slightly disappoint us. One thing to bear in mind is that it is extremely expensive, you could have knocked me down with a feather when I saw the menu's outside the restaurants and they all had sky high prices. Think 12 euros for a glass of coke! 

If you are after something loud, wild and filled with crazy antics, then Brugge probably isn't the place for you. It's quiet, peaceful, and pretty. It was just so nice to have a wander round, take in the sights and see what Brugge has to offer. Their are plenty of little boutique shops, along with big brand that we all know. Of course, I couldn't leave Belgium without picking up some Belgian Chocolate and stuffing my face with a sweet Belgian Waffle. Obviously covered in Nutella. Obviously. 

Such a lovely place, and one destination that I'm pleased I have ticked off my European City list.

Simple Face of the Day and Crazy Lioness Hair

Ahh it feels nice to be back blogging. 

A few weeks ago, I went for cocktails with my bestie, who is also my bridesmaid, for a good catch up and a few mojitos. I just so happened to get a little selfie crazy and thought that I would share with you my Face of the Day as I really liked the way my makeup turned out, and my hair was actually playing ball. 

So here are all the details...

Base:

Witch Anti Blemish Primer

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW20

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20

ELF Tone Correcting Powder

Eyes:

Urban Decay Eye shadow Primer Potion

Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

MAC Quite Natural Paintpot for brows

Lips:

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

Face:

Look Beauty Blusher in Sculpt

Bourjois Java Rice Powder

Hair styled with GHDs and Redken Wind Blown Dry Finishing Spray

I really love this look, and have been wearing it pretty much non stop all of august. I'm all over the big bouncy, lioness hair at the minute as it's so easy to do and lasts for at least two days. Great hair style for lazy girls like me!

Long Time, No Blog.

Well hello there. Remember me? You might or might not have noticed that I haven't posted in just over a month on my blog, and I haven't been hugely active on my Twitter. However, I have been having a lovely little break and having a bit of me time and I thought that today I would just catch you up on what I've been up to, and some plans for this blog.

For those of you who don't know, I started a new job 4 months ago and I finally feel like I've settled in and got used to the workplace. The added bonus is that I'm working with a lot of products that I have a real passion for absolutely love. Although, the beauty counters are making my wishlist ever growing! This new role meant that my blogging schedule went completely out of the window and I didn't know how to manage my time. Now that I've finally got used to my rota, it means that I have got a better idea of when I'm going to be able to post. Yay!

It's also recently been my birthday which was so lovely and relaxed. I might definitely spent my birthday money on a few beauty bits, so there will most likely be plenty of reviews coming up soon. As far as birthday celebrations go, it was quiet time spent with my family and Olly, having delicious meals out and cocktails. My favourite thing to do. I also visited France last week and had a humongous shopping list for Sephora and for some french skincare. It certainly was a successful shopping trip!

So, I'm coming up with a new schedule on my blog. I'm going to be posting three times a week on a Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (hopefully!) and anything else on top of that will be a bonus. It will still be the same content, a mixture of beauty and lifestyle, and I've just finished all of the makeup looks for my Retro Makeup looks which I'm really looking forward to sharing with you all! I'm also hoping to start up my YouTube channel again, but I shall keep you posted on that.

It feels nice to finally sit down and write a new blog post, I can't wait to be back into my proper routine. :)

Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Goddess of Love Highlighter

Wow, what a mouthful that title was... I have quite a few Makeup Revolution posts to go up and I wasn't sure what should go first. Makeup Revolution have taken the beauty world by storm and I am absolutely smitten with their amazing products and prices, so much so that I'm just about to place another order with them today!

I ♥ Makeup seems to be an extension of the original Makeup Revolution brand, complete with stunning shades and pretty packaging. One of their releases has been six baked hearts which include two bronzers, a highlighter, and three multicoloured blushes. All of these hearts are are triple baked and packaged in the sweetest boxes. They are very much inspired by the Too Faced Sweethearts blushes but at a fraction of the cost. 

I am a little bit of a highlighter fiend, and I always seem to find myself buying them. I tend to like a few different tones and types depending on the look I'm going for. I have found that a little of this is all you need for a pretty and natural glow. It is quite easy to go a little overboard and end up like a glitter ball but I guess that it's pretty much the same for all highlighters. The powder is soft to the touch, which great because it means that it doesn't get too powdery and kick up a lot of dust when I swirl my brush around in it.

Overall, it's love. I have really enjoyed using this highlighter for everyday use and think I will continue to do so for a very long time!

You can buy this and other I ♥ Makeup products from their online store.

Summer Wedding Guest Makeup

I'm sure that many of us will have been to a wedding at some point. I have fond memories of being a bridesmaid at numerous family and friends, and the excitement building up to it is pretty intense. As a bride to be myself, I love nothing more than wedding talk. Seriously, anything wedding related and I will be first to bring it up in conversation. Anyway, I thought it might be nice to share with you the items that would make it into my makeup bag as a wedding guest. With a couple of my friends getting married, I've put a little bit of thought into the makeup that I will be wearing as a summer wedding guest. 

As it is summer time and we have been having beautifully warm weather, I wanted something that would lighter on my skin without sacrificing any coverage. I had to make a decision between L'Oreal Lumi Magique or Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. I chose the latter as it offers a good coverage without being overly heavy, and it brightens my face which eliminates the need for any concealer. 

For cheeks I have picked some of my most favourite items. MACs Fleur Power blush and Soft and Gentle mineralize skinfinish is all that's needed for a fresh and healthy glow. A tiny touch of highlighter is all that's needed as the foundation does most of the most of the work.

I like to let my eyes do all the talking whilst still using natural, earthy tones. For my base, I have gone for Rimmel Scandaleyes shadow pencil in Bulletproof Beige. This is a super pretty pale gold which blends like a dream and creates the perfect canvas for shadows. The shadows that I have chosen is my beloved Stila In The Light Palette. Featuring a stunning selection of neutral shades, it is the perfect palette to take you from day to night and everything in between. I was also going to feature some falsies but if its hot weather, lashes are the last thing that I want to be fiddling with, so Benefits They're Real Mascara will be my mascara of choice.

Finally, I think that there is nothing better than a neutral lip to match all of these products and pull the look together. MACs Fanfare is the perfect choice for me as it is still nude but with a slight hint of colour to warm up the lips. It will be a great shade to take you right throughout the day.

What would be your Summer Wedding Guest Makeup choices? 

Retro Makeup: 1930's

A long time ago I had an idea that I would live up to my blogs name and reignite my love for everything with a retro vibe. I had the idea that I would attempt to recreate iconic makeup looks of the decades, ranging from the 20's to present day. It has been a while since my last attempt which was a 1920s Flapper Girl, but I've finally got round to doing another which is look based on the 1930s.

For this look I was a little bit suck for ideas, because I didn't want it to look too much like a 1940s recreation which I already have a look in mind for. As I wasn't getting any closer to any ideas I asked my grandma who was born in the 30s if she could give me some sort of idea. She told me how she would watch her older sister apply makeup, and the type of products that she used. She told me how everything was very simplistic but a red lip was always the thing to wear. So here is my attempt at a look...

I wanted it to look as though I had nothing on my skin so I just mixed some of MACs ProLongwear Concealer with my regular moisturiser. This gave me a very light coverage but with just enough to cover the bits that need hiding. This was it for the base, no bronzer, blush, highlight or concealer. For my eyes, I applied a very light layer of Bootycall from Urban Decay Naked 2 palette and buffed in until it was almost invisible. This just brightened my eye a little but still looked like there was nothing there. A tiny bit of mascara and a light application of matte brown shadow on the lower lashline. A slick of matte red lipstick, the one I chose was Sleek Matte Me in Rioja Red, and you're done!

I love how simple this is and how little products I had to use. It's definitely a look that I see myself wearing again!

If you want to see my 1920s Flapper Girl look, you can find that here.