November GLOSSYBOX – Stocking Fillers

Hello Everyone,

With buying a house, this month, spending money on beauty products has been reduced. Needless to say, I was extremely excited at the delivery of my November GLOSSYBOX!

I am a little puzzled that the box is entitled, ‘Stocking Fillers’ as I would have expected that in the December issue, but maybe I am missing some information about the December delivery?
Anyway, I am so pleased with the contents of this months box and just couldn’t wait to show you it.
There are some brands in here that I already know and love, and also some new faces which I am excited to try.

1. Nails Inc. – Kensington Caviar in Porchester Square, rrp £11/10ml
This is a very chic colour and is described as a ‘muted mushroom ‘ shade. I have already tried it on. I love the Nail Inc.formula , especially the the darker or matte tones, as they can sometimes only need one coat and they last a long time on my nails.

2. Dermalogica – Daily Microfoliant, rrp £38.50/75g
Everytime I pass a Dermalogica stand I have to stop myself from buying something. I tell myself that I have the only skin are I need at home ( as if that normally stops me). Now I am so pleased to be able to try something from their brand, yay! It is described as a gentle exfoliation that leaves your skin smoother and brighter. I am intrigued to how it works as it is a fine powder with tiny beads of rice in, very different from my usual cream based exfoliators. I shall have to investigate and get back to you on that one.

3. Alison Claire Natural Beauty – Mango Body Butter, rrp £15/200ml
Wow, the noises I have just made testing this on my hand! It smells incredible! The texture is also extremely creamy and soaks in quickly leaving the delicious smell behind. I keep going back for another sniff. Yummy!

4. WEI Beauty – White Lotus Hydrating Face Treatment Pads, rrp £55/x6 pads
Well I can say straight away that however wonderful this product is, it will definitely not be on my shopping list for a long while. I am not sure I could justify that amount of money for 6 face pads, but hey I will enjoy this one and I have heard lots of fab things about this brand.

5. Dr Jart+ – Water Fuse Beauty Balm, rrp £18/50ml
I recently received another Dr Jart BB cream in a beauty box and found it too light to use, although the formula itself was very pleasant. This one aims to create a dewy look, which I really like so I am hoping I can use this one. If it is too light I may use it under my foundation or mix it in.

I think there are going to be a few products here that I may fall in love with so watch out for them in future posts.

Let me know if you have enjoyed your latest Beauty Box too!

Happy Blogging,

🙂

Birthday Treats!

Hello Everyone!
I have had such a busy few weeks. I was lucky enough to spend my birthday in Paris! On my return I received some wonderful gifts from my lovely friends and family! I want to start by sending out a huge thank you to all of those who sent me good wishes and little gifts. I felt very spoilt… and you will soon see why!

I have separated my gifts into two parts. Beauty and non-beauty. For those gifts not included in this post I am of course extremely thankful!

Beauty Gifts

A while back I wrote a wish list post. I am so pleased to be able to tick so many of the products off after my Birthday. Amazing!

First the YSL Volupté Sheer Candy Lipstick no6 is beautiful. I have coveted this product for a long time but had not been able to justify buying it. I am so excited to now own one and have a feeling I will have remain very strong-willed in order to cease buying another! The lipstick is divine; It gives the lips that just bitten look, glides on like a lip balm, smells deliciously fruity, whilst adding a fantastic burst of colour.

Next up is a fragrance I have had on my wish list since I received a tester in a GlossyBox(see past review). I can’t wait to get on my glad rags just to spritz myself with this indulgent, sexy scent.

I think it is fair to say that I made a good few yelps and squeals when opening the next gift. The beautiful box excited me on its own, let alone the content. The friend that spent time putting this together knows me very well. As an avid GlossyBox fan my friend decided to create a ShaliBox; A box full of little goodies complete with information card, just like the beauty box that gets delivered to my door each month. This box however was packed with the most yummy products. This is the leaflet information that came with it:

SHALI BOX

Burt’s bees cranberry & pomegranate sugar scrub

This luxurious body scrub gently exfoliates to leave skin silky and soft. A deliciously sweet blend of cranberry seeds and pomegranate oil combine with natural sugar crystals and shea butter to gently polish and condition skin leaving it feeling healthy, smooth and glowing, naturally.

Essie – nail lacquer – head mistress

A bold, in charge and direct red

Toni & Guy Classic – Shine Gloss Serum

Suitable for all hair types. Helps controls frizz and static with an ultra-smooth shine and alignment.

Bourjois – faux and fabulous

Double ended tweezers and false eyelash applicator – applying and removing lashes has never been so easy!

L’Occitaine En Provence – Shea Butter Date Bouquet Hand Cream

Shea Butter Date Bouquet Hand Cream is enriched with a high concentration of Shea Butter to help protect, nourish and soften the skin. Enhanced with the sweet and radiant fragrance of dates, this richly textured cream leaves hands soft and smooth with no oily traces, and can be applied as often as needed.

Yankee Candle – Beach Flowers

Like delicate keepsakes from the sea. . . the lovely scent of tuberose, lily and hyacinth blossoms balanced with soft watery notes

Lindt – Mini Teddy

The Lindt Bear is made with Lindt’s smoothest, creamiest milk chocolate.

Accessorize – Necklace

Non- Beauty Gifts

I am in the process of buying a house, yay! This little Home Sweet Home gift is very cute and I shall hang it in a lovely spot in my new humble abode.

Only this year have candles been something I have enjoyed so much. To say I am petrified of fire is an understatemt, but this year the want to fill my house with the scent of a luxurious candle over took and I found a new love for all things candle.

The first candle I was given is by MELT , and is scented with Neroli and Rose Geranium , lovely! This is a huge candle that burns for over 80 hours. It smells absolutely divine! The second candle Fairy Dust is sold by LilyFlame . I have seen these candles quite often in the shops and they smell yummy! The people who bought me these two gorgeous candles appreciate my new-found love, and I cannot wait to light them in my new home.

What a lucky lady I was this year! I am so excited to use all of these products and I will be sure to let you know how I get on with them.

Happy Blogging! 🙂

TAG – This or That?

Hello All!

I am so excited to blog today! I have so many posts that I want to write at the moment. I just need to find the minutes to sit down and do them. Today I was tagged in the ‘This and That’post by , and I am thrilled as this will be my first tag, yay!

My brain is full of bits and bobs that I want to write about, so after this post please do stay tuned
for the following posts coming up in the near future:
-Holiday Paris & Barcelona
-Birthday Treats
-OOTD
-Monthly Favourites

Anyway, back to the tag!

I have seen this tag presented in different ways, some short, some long, but I thought I would do it in the way that I would most enjoy and I hope you will enjoy it too.

1. Blush or Bronzer?
I have to say I love both very much, but if I were in a rush and had to choose one it would definately be blush. I’m sure I read somewhere, or maybe my Grandma said, that you should never go out without a little flush on the cheeks.
My favourite blush of all time, that I can use with any eye makeup has to be the Avon Blusher in Soft Plum.

2. Lipgloss or Lipstick?
This one is easy for me as I have about 25 lipsticks and 3 lipglosses. I love the vibrances you can get with a lipsitck and although I do like a little gloss and shine now and then, I do prefer a matte lipstick or one with a little sprinkle of shimmer in.
It is very hard to choose my favourite lipstick as I have so many and seem to change my most worn all of the time. I would say the lipstick I wear the most is probably my Mac Viva Glam V lipstick. This lippie is a lovely subtle colour and feels lovely on the lips.

3. Chapstick or Lip Butter?
It is no secret that my ultimate lip healer is my Elizabeth Arden 8 hour stick. I couldn’t be without it, especially in these cold Winter months.

4. Matt or Sparkle eyeshadow?
Hmmm, now my favourite type of eyeshadow is a shimmer, so actually I guess that falls right between my two options. I do enjoy using some of my matte eyeshadows like Urban Decay Tease and Mac’s Cork but I cannot resist a little shimmer in my life and on most days I turn to my Urban Decay Naked 2 Pallette to indulge in the huge variety of natural and smokey shimmer tones.

5. Gel, Liquid, Cream or Pencil Eyeliner?
I do love a dramatic eye, and for that, gel eyeliner is my go to. As much as I do love my gel eye liners I use a pencil eyeliner every day to colour my waterline and my favourite and most used is my Bourjois Khol and Contour eyeliner pencil in Brown.

6. Foundation or Concealer?
I adore foundation! Yes I need my under eye concealer but I love how flawless a good foundation can make you look, and it is a fantastic base for everything else that goes on top. I do use different foundations for day/night etc but the foundation that I am using the most at the moment is the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. It is the perfect colour and tone for my skin (soft beige) and gives me a great medium coverage.

7. Liquid or Powder Foundation?
I guess I have already answered this in the choice made above. I do have a great powder foundation by Bare Minerals, although I most definately prefer liquid and use it far more often.

8. Neutral or Statement Eye
I love to experiment with make and a dramatic eye is so much fun to create, especially if I get the time to put on some lovely eyelashes. This is however quite a rare opportunity for me as my life is quite busy during the day so I make the most of creating a variety of neutral looks everyday. I pick… neutral…but not boring!

9. Pressed or Loose Shadows?
I only own one loose eyeshadow which pretty much answers this one for me. I am far too messy a person to own many loose ones…oops!

My favourite pressed, neutral combo is Mac’s Naked Lunch with Satin Taupe.

10. Waterproof or Non Waterproof?
Waterproof products are fantastic for Summer Holidays when you want to dip in the pool, or for rainy days and crazy nights. I much prefer to use non waterproof though as I can’t cope with the length of time it takes to remove it before I go to bed. My favourite mascara is my Dior New Look Mascara.It is not a mascara that I use every day as I use it on special occasions due to it’s price, but I absolutely love the length it gives my lashes and it is so easy to apply, leaving no clumps.

11. Brushes, Sponges or Fingers?
A year ago I would have chosen fingers for this one. Since then I have discovered my Samantha Chapman Real Techniques Brushes.They are amazing! My favourite is the buffing brush which I use to apply liquid foundation to give a flawless look.

12. Powder, Cream or Liquid Highlighter?
This is a difficult one for me as I own one of each and do not use any of them everyday. I think if I could only take one with me though it would be Sunbeam by Benefit.

I had so much fun writing this post! I could have gone on and on forever but sadly it is finished now.
Do not fear, I will be back very soon with a new post.

I would like to TAG Hold This,Wear That to do a This ir That post and anyone else that fancies it!

So many post ideas, so little time!

Until next time, Bye Bye 🙂

A Big Thank You!

Hey everyone!

I arrived home from my trip to Barcelona and Paris today! I am very excited to write a post about the trip but that will take me a few days as you can imagine!

To entertain you whilst you wait I thought I would share a link to my give away winner’s blog, as she has written a very sweet post about the gift that I sent her.

Visit Nicole’s blog!

Looking forward to posting very soon,

Happy blogging everyone! 🙂

🙂

xxx

And the giveaway winner is…

Yay! Congrats Nicole.
Can’t wait to send you your little gifts!
(I will email you shortly)

Thank you everyone for entering! Hopefully in the near future I will have another reason to celebrate again. In the meantime, keep blogging, keep reading and keep smiling! 🙂

50 follower give away celebration!

Hey everyone!
Just wanted to make sure everyone following me gets the chance to enter my giveaway before it ends on Friday!

I recently gained 50 followers, yay, so wanted to celebrate by doing a small giveaway!( see original post for prize details)

I hope you have all entered but if you haven’t it isnt too late!
All you need to do is:
– make sure you are a follower
– like this post or the original post
– comment on either post letting me know your fave high street/ drugstore makeup brand!

And for those wondering the prize is open to anyone, anywhere! 🙂

Hope to hear from you soon!
New post coming shortly!
Xxx

BBC 1 – The Paradise Review

I know this is not in fitting with my usual posts but there is a slight link to fashion here, and well I just had to write about it. That is the purpose of blogging I guess!

I am always a fan of period dramas like Downton Abbey etc but this particular programme completely swept me away!
The Paradise is a drama based in the 1870’s following a complex love story and the opening of the first department store in England. Featuring a selection of old and new faces the series ventures into the twists and turns of 19th century love and retail.

Young Denise moves into town to live with her Grandfather. She soon finds a job in the new department store and finds herself inspired by the store, the clothing and the people inside. The owner of the store,Mr Moray, is quite taken by Denise, not only for her beauty but also her intelligence and ambition. He soon battles with his affections for her, his lenders daughter and his late wife.

Take a moment to consider all of the things that make the perfect period drama series. I think this has them all:

– Beautiful, powerful woman check
– Serious, rich, handsome man check
– A selection of goodies/baddies and lesson learners check
– Stunning sets and scenery check
– Fabulous costumes check
– Love, death, new life, affairs, class mixing, humour, friendship and much more check

I was transfixed from the moment I watched episode one on iplayer. I then proceeded to watch the next three episodes in one go. Now I eagerly await next week’s update from the beautiful 19th century fashion world.

So, if you haven’t seen it, do!

Happy watching bloggers! 🙂 xxx

My First Giveaway! Yay!

When I started blogging not that long ago I was so excited to gain my first follower! Now I feel it is time to celebrate as I have 50 followers! This may seem a small step for all you fabulous pro bloggers out there, but for me it is an exciting day and I wanted to celebrate by doing my first ever giveaway!

One of my favourite high street discoveries this year has been the SLEEK products! I really love them as they are so highly pigmented and blend so well! I love the eye shadow pallettes and the blushes the most. Here is a pic of my collection so far!

My first giveaway is going to be small but sweet! I will be posting a little SLEEK treat to the winner with a big smile and a thank you!

Entering is easy as pie!
1. Like this post!
2. You need to be a fashion2beauty follower.
3. Comment below telling me your favourite high street brand ( cheaper drugstore eg maybelline, revlon, loreal) and why.

The winner will be picked at random on Friday 26th October!

A little disclaimer: SLEEK have not sponsored this giveaway. All views are my own and products bought from my pocket 🙂

A Cheeky Childish HAUL

Everyone has their own way of being childish and making themselves feel young when life is in ‘adult mode’.
My boyfriend plays with lego and rides his bike, my dad plays on computer games and my mum does colouring in!

I buy childish things! Sometimes it’s a toy, a book, or a pair of novelty socks. Yesterday it was a silly hat!
It is getting colder, and you can never ever have too many scalves and hats! So while doing boring adult shopping in Tesco, I snuck this animal beanie and snood into my basket!

There was me thinking no one would notice I was wearing a hat with whiskers and bobble ears when I ventured into London early this morning. The man at the coffee stand laughed and asked me what animal it was, many people had a cheeky look on the train, and then the poet delivering my course removed it from my head and wore it himself!
All round a cheerful good buy! Yay!

What do you do to make when you want to feel like a kid again?

October Wish List!

Oh I do love to window shop, or in this case, screen shop! I have been doing the usual surfing for things I can’t afford.
This month’s wish list has a good mixture of quite possible buys and ‘not on your nelly’ products! There are also a few non beauty or fashion items which need a little explaining!

1.Revlon Nail Polish- Autumn Berry £6.49
First up is a nail polish I discovered through a simple ‘autumn nail polish’ google search!

This polish is so pretty! It is a deep red, burgandy colour with gold glitter dust in. I haven’t worn a shinmery polish for a while but this one looks perfect for Autumn nails!

2. Noble Isles shower gel £20
A few months ago I had the pleasure of receiving a sample bottle of this in a Glossybox. It is beautiful! So luxurious and expensive smelling!

I would love to know what the rest of the range smells like. I can only imagine the pear one smells like heaven.
Sadly this product is £20 for a 250ml bottle which at the moment is a bit too much. Maybe one day! It is my brithday soon!

3. YSL Volupté Sheer Candy lipstick- luscious cherry £23.50
This Summer I fell in love with the Revlon lip butters as I love bright colours but find them hard to apply without making a mess! After watching a video by EssieButton I fell in love with this YSL version of a lipstick balm.

The colour is so cute, a juicy pink red that seems to have the ability to build colour or to use as a tinted balm. Apparently it smells yummy too!

4. Millie Makintosh lashes- Portabello £8.99
I have been coverting these lashes since I first spotted then on Millie’s twitter feed.

I have since read so many reviews celebrating the natural look and feel of them. The Portabello style are the ones I fancy. They look full yet light. I would love to hear from anyone that has tried them.

5.Lady Gaga Fame perfume £24.50 30ml

If you read my latest Glossybox review you will see my enthusiam for this fragrance. I have already used up my sample and am hoping to hint at my boyfriend to buy me this for my up coming birthday!

It smells so good, even though it feels so bad. The deep floral scent is not something I would normally go for but this smells so luxurious and sexy.

6. Liz Earle cleanse and polish – Lavender £19.75
Oh golly this excites me! As you may already know I am religious member od the Liz Earle fan club and use the cleanse and polish everyday!

Of course I am extremely eaher to get this limited edition that contains lavender as well as all the other beautiful ingredients that the orignal does. I am eager for my current bottle to run out so that I can say I need to go and buy it.

7 & 8
Aside from beauty and fashion I have had a very busy few weeks hunting for a house for my boyfriend and I. This has been as many of you will know, both exciting and a little stressful! Adding a set of house keys to my wish list is therefore a must. I am always unsire of how far to venture from beauty and fashion here but let me know i you fancy any further updates on this situation.
In addition to the house hunt, I have decided that if and when we do get a house I would like a little doggy friend to keep me company in it! Now I have never been a hige fan of dogs but recently visited a friend with a very cute one and I instantly felt the need to obtain one as soon as possible! This wosh may not last very long once I begin to consider the practocality, but for now I like the idea of a cute fluffy companion!

There you have it, my October wish list!
Do you have any of these items?

Come back soon,

Love Shali 🙂 xx