Decorate It Yourself - Baubles

It's nearly Christmas and I've finally broken up from school after what seemed like the longest term ever, but I'm still not really in a Christmassy mood, even though my room is now completely covered in fairly lights and tinsel.
Whilst decorating my room, and my little pink Christmas tree, I came up with the idea of decorating some baubles. I remember doing this at lower school and just literally throwing glitter everywhere and hoping some would actually stick to the bauble. But this year, I decided to go with a more 'sophisticated' approach and I'm quite proud of the outcome.



To decorate your baubles, you will need:
    -  Baubles *obviously*
    -  Glitter
    -  PVA Glue
    -  Nail Varnish (optional)
    -  Glitter Glue Pens (optional)
    -  Anything else you want to put on your baubles (sequins etc..)
    -  Hairspray
    -  Newspaper
    -  Christmas music (optional, but highly recommended)

Start of by clearing at space to work in and laying a few sheets of old newspaper down to prevent getting glue stuck to everything. Then you can get decorating!

For my first bauble, I used the glitter glue pen to draw little dots around the whole ball, which didn't really take that long as all. You could do any pattern with this like swirls or snowflakes, but I just kept it simple with dots. When your finished, just leave it do dry completely which took about twenty minutes.

For my next bauble, I found some sliver glittery nail varnish that I don't use, and painted the whole bauble with it. Once it was dry, which took practically no time at all, I went over with a second coat to add to the overall sparkly-ness.

This next bauble is the one that took me the longest, but is probably my favourite. With a pen, I lightly drew out my name across the centre of the ball. I then went over the first letter in glue and placed it into a tub of silver glitter. Simply repeat these steps for the following letters. I decided to do it one letter at a time to make it neater and to prevent the glue from smudging and all the letters rolling into one big smudge. This one probably took the longest to dry too.
When you are finished, and all the baubles are dry, spray them all with some hairspray to make sure everything stays where its supposed to be. Alternatively, you could cover then all in a coat of clear glue but I went with hairspray as it was much quicker.
And there you have it! Some personalised baubles that you most definitely won't be able to find in a shop. I think these could make great presents for your friends and family, especially the one with names on.
Merry Christmas and have a great week!

Clothes Show Live 2013

 

First of all, I would like to apologise for not posting this last week but I simply just ran out of time to finish writing it. I had a rather hectic weekend last week and have mock exams for the majority of the coming week so I don't really have a lot of time to do anything right now. But lets get down to business...
On Friday 6th I was lucky enough to go on a school trip to The Clothes Show Live in Birmingham. I'd never been before so I didn't really know what to expect but I've got to admit it was pretty amazing.
We arrived at the NEC just before 11am and went straight into a seminar with some fashion people and editors (I can't remember who) after which I spent the next three hours... SHOPPING!! The NEC is huge, way bigger than what I thought it would be. The shopping part of the NEC was split into four sections, 'Fashion Fix & The Bazaar', 'Vision Village,' 'The Beauty Haul' and the 'Style Boutique'. The first two were pretty much just full of clothes from literally hundreds of different brands. Everything there was rather reasonably priced with the majority of it being cheaper than it would be on the high-street. The same goes for the 'Beauty Haul' which was packed full of different brands including Models Own, Barry M, W7 and Rimmel. Pretty much all the well known brands, including the ones listed before, had incredible deals on including £50 worth of Barry M products for just £10! I spent the day with my two friends Heather and Katie who decided it would be a good idea if we each get a goodie bag from different brands then split them up between the three of us. So rather than just having products from one brand you would have three! This is what I ended up with for just £10.

What I got:
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara - £7.99
Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish in Desire 393 - £4.49
Barry M Nail Paint in Sivler 288 - £2.99
Barry M Nail Paint in Fuchsia 302 - £2.99
Barry M Supersoft Eye Crayon in Blue - £3.99
Barry M Kohl Pencil Kingfisher Blue - £2.99
Barry M Dazzle Dust in Silver - £4.59
W7 Paint The Line Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Black - £2.99
In all fairness, I'm not really too sure when I'm going to use a sparkly blue eyeliner but I will most likely use the rest *or give it to my sister as part of her Christmas present so shhh*

The fashion section was like a massive market with literally hundreds of different brands and stalls that you could get lost in for hours, and the best thing is that everything is rather reasonable priced. Here I brought a jumper and a dress. The jumper is oversized, which in the picture above looks incredibly unfaltering, and is so thick and cozy which makes it great for winter. They had loads of different ones with different sports teams and univeristy logos but I chose a UCLA one simply because it was the first one I saw. The quality of this jumper is great, especially since it was only £15. 
The second thing I brought *actually it was the first but oh well* was a dress, which was also £15. I was rather unsure about buying it, but I was eventually persuaded to do so by my friends Heather and Katie, and I am so glad I did. I wasn't to sure about the colours used but now they are my favourite part of it, I just need somewhere to wear it. Although I have to admit, I really don't like the look of it in the picture, but I can promise you it looks a lot better on - or at least that's what I've been told anyway. 
After hours of shopping we got to watch the fashion show which was incredible. I have never seen anything like it before, and I know I won't be forgetting it anytime soon. For starters, we had really good seats as we were rather close to the stage and Stooshe performed who were amazing! All the clothes were based on the theme of the high street and they each had immaculate dance routines when they came out on stage. I would include some pictures of the stunning clothes here but unfortunately the majority of them are rather blurry and of bad quality as it was dark in there.
Overall, The Clothes Show Live 2013 was great and I really want to go again next year.
Have a great week!

Christmas Essentials!

HAPPY DECEMBER!!
I feel capital letters were vital to show how excited I am for the final month of the year, simply because of the twenty-fifth day, also known as Christmas!!
For about the past month now, I've had a list of all the things I would use/wear as soon as the first day of December came.
The first item on the list is my Christmas jumper. I only own one, at the moment, which is a purple fairisle print jumper I got from Matalan last year.
A few weeks ago my mum brought me a pair of snowman mittens from Primark which were £2. I refused to wear them when I got them though, but now that it's December, I shan't be removing them!
Christmas here in the UK tends to get incredibly cold especially on the way to school in the morning wrapping up warm in scarfs and gloves is very important if you don't want to freeze. I've still not decided what hat and scarf  I will wear for the majority of this season, but its probably between my cream and my burgundy pair.
Those who know me will know that I have a rather weird obsession with socks, so Christmas ones are a must have for me. I have a pair with Christmas tree's on them, some with reindeers, penguins and snowflakes!
Ever since I was little, I've always had chocolate coins at Christmas, and this year is no different. I brought some last week and they're sitting by my bed as they make a great little motivational snack whilst I'm revising.
I've also been listening to Christmas music at every opportunity I've had today. I really love all the old Christmas songs that I remember dancing to with my dad when I was little.
I can't wait until I decorate my room and the rest of my house in the coming weeks.
Have a great week!

Hair Pin Twist Review

Happy Sunday!
Today I shall be reviewing these 'Hair Pin Twists' that I brought a few weeks ago. Online, they can be found under many different names, but if you search that, you should be able to find some.
I've seen these around in shops for quite some time now, but have only recently given in to actually buying them. These particular one's that I brought are from Matalan and were £4 for six pins, but I unfortunately can't find them on their website.
They are little sparkly flowers made out of small crystals on a metal spiral that you twist into your hair. Mine have flowers on, but you get some with pearls, studs, anything really. Before I brought these, I thought that I would have trouble keeping them in my hair, but I was wrong. All you have to do is twist them clockwise into your hair and they stay all day. Sometimes I check if they are still there throughout the day, as they are so light I forget they are there, and just twist them back in slightly. They are just more of a decorative item though rather than a pretty replacement for bobby pins. Although, they do manage to hold small bits of hair such as stray strands of hair that may have fallen out as the day progresses.

I think that these hair pins work and look best when your hair is up. My favourite ways to wear them are dotted about when my hair is in a bun or when it is braided, especially in a fishtail braid, although I'm not too good at them. I love how they look in my hair and think they would look good in all hair colours and styles. I also really like how you are able to dress them both up and down with the placement of them and the style of your hair.
I would suggest these to anyone who asks as I absolutely adore these and I can't wait to buy more in different colours and styles!

Nifty Notebooks!

 

Happy Sunday!
The title of this post sounds rather odd, but then again most of my titles do. Lately, I've noticed how many notebooks I have and how I more than what I actually need, and for some reason, I feel need to write in detail about the wonderful creation that are notebooks.

The main notebook that I use is an A4 Pukka Pad Project Book. These books are divided into five sections which make them really handy for using the notebook for different subjects and purposes. I have two sections for homework, two for revision and then one for just random stuff. These notebooks are rather thick too, with 200 pages to use. Although they are thick, I've nearly used up a whole one since September, that's a result of the ridiculous amount of homework I get. I love this notebook so much so that whenever I see one on offer I buy.

This white design on this notebook is what drew me to it. Well that, and the fact in was in the clearance sale in Sainsbury's for only 80p. I brought this A5 notebook few weeks ago, but I've still not used it yet as I've not decided what to put in it, so any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I think I got this notebook as part of a set with a smaller one and a larger one a few years ago for my birthday. I tend to use this specifically for maths homework, as it generally takes up a lot of space and this way its all in the same place.

This last one isn't technically a notebook, but a diary that looks like one. I don't really use it as much as I should, but I really like it. It's the Dodo-Pad. Each week is on a page that is about half the size of A5, which has a blank page opposite specifically for doodling. I love the concept of this as I had never seen anything like it until I got mine for Christmas last year.  
I do apologise if this post has been rather boring, but its getting late as I had a lot of work to do today, but I'll definitely try harder next week.
Have a good week!

Sweater Weather!

Happy Sunday!
I noticed yesterday how cold it is already starting to get as I was watching a football match (which we unfortunately lost) and my toes were frozen. This, I thought, makes it appropriate that I do the Sweater Weather tag. I was tagged by Sarah to do this tag, so here it goes!

1. Favourite candle scent?

I don't really own any candles because I don't trust myself with fire, but I do consider myself an avid candle sniffer in shops *trust me, I'm not as weird as I sound* I love anything that smells of vanilla, especially in the winter, and also pretty much every Yankee candle ever made.
2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

Eww, none. Water all the way. I don't like hot drinks, they scare me. I think that I'm going to scold my throat and never be able to talk again or something equally scary.
3. What's the best fall memory you have?

*cough* Autumn *cough* I can't really thing of one specific memory that is better than all the rest, but I do remember collecting conkers when I was little. Me and my dad would go down to the park and come back with bags of them. I have no idea why because they would just sit untouched in the garden for ages, but I remember doing it every year.

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?

It's winged eyeliner for me. I just thing eyes are beautiful, and drawing attention to them can be so mesmerising and captivating.
5. Best fragrance for fall?

I've mentioned this on my blog so many times, but I'm not going to stop doing so now. This of course has to be Wonderstruck Enchanted. I've tried to sum up my love for this many times before but I regularly fail in doing so. It just smells amazing and so warm, so is perfect for the winter.
6. Favourite Thanksgiving food?

I live in England and Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here, so I have no idea what my favourite Thanksgiving food is, although knowing me, it would probably be something unhealthy that I would eat way too much of.

7. What is autumn weather like where you live?

Living in England means that I get to endure months of freezing cold temperatures accompanied by lots of rain, wind and occasionally snow.
8. Most worn sweater?

My most worn sweater, or jumper as I would call it, is my NCIS one. I never really wear it outside of my house, but I practically live in it inside. It's the thickest jumper I own so is super cosy and warm, especially since I don't have a working radiator in my bedroom.
9. Must-have nail polish this fall?

I don't really wear much nail polish, but I think dark purples, blues and reds are great for the colder months - but not all three together, that wouldn't look good.
10. Football games or jumping in leaf piles?

I've started to get into football lately, but you get really cold watching it, so I'll  have to go with jumping the leaf piles.
11. Skinny jeans or leggings?

Skinny jeans, because legging can be rather... unforgiving on certain people *A.K.A me*12. Combat boots or Uggs?

Combat boots, although the new range's that Uggs have been bringing out lately are completely different to what you would usually think of when someone mentions Uggs, and I really like some of them. However, I would like them even more if they were cheaper.
13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

Probably not, because I just had to Google it to find out what it actually is.

14. Favourite fall TV show?

Aside from my usual mountains of TV that I watch religiously I really love 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here'. It's only on in the autumn and it is possibly the best 2/3 weeks of British television ever.
15. What song really gets you into the fall spirit?

This one for me is a no brainer, it has to be Autumn Leaves by Ed Sheeran.

 

I never know how to end a tag... Oh yeah, by tagging people, but I have no idea who to tag, unless you want to do it Georgina *hint hint*

Have a great week!

October Favourites

Happy November!
^  That is all I've had written for the last two hours because I found out that Taylor Swift is at the Teen Awards and I could have gone. So I suppose I should actually start this now.
The start of October seems like ages ago now, and I can't really remember what happened but I'm sure it was good. Aside from that, I really have loved many things the past month, so let's get started.

Fashion
I only brought one new item of clothing this month *shock horror!* but I most definitely love it. I got an oversized baseball top from New Look. They have it in various colours but I got it in a deep burgundy, a colour that I have really loved lately. It's so big and comfy and would look great with both skirts and jeans.

Skin Care
This month my skin has been annoying bad so I've had to invest in some new things in an attempt to keep further outbreaks at bay. The first of which are these Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes by Simple. They have really helped to clean my skin much more than my usual make up wipes do. However, I do not really see them as a replacement for my make up wipes, rather as an extra thing to use, or if I haven't worn any make up, like today.

My second skin care favourite this month has been the Clean & Clear Advantage Fast Action Spot Treatment Gel. This really helps prevent nasty spots from gracing my skin and also to reduce the redness of already existing ones, which is always helpful on early morning before school. My only negative I have about this is that the first time I use it on a certain area of skin I find that it actually makes the spot redder so I tend to use it first at night so no one can see, but once I've used it once, its fine.

Soapy Stuff
I had no idea what to call this little category.
But as far as 'soapy stuff' goes I've really been loving my Plum Lily Swirl shower gel from Bath and Bodyworks. My friend brought this back from America with her a few months back but I have only recently started loving it. It claims to smell of many different things but as far as my nose is concerned I just smell cucumber. But it's definitely a nice cucumber. I wish I had more of it though as I've nearly run out and it will be hard to get some here in the UK.

This next product amazes me. It's the Strawberry Laces soap by Carex. This stuff smells so good it's unbelievable. I've never smelt soap so good. When I've washed my hands the smells stays on them for a while and isn't rubbed if straight away.

Make Up
I've not really brought any new make up this month but my favourite is still the same product as it has been for a while now. That is the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Fibre in Black. I really do love this mascara and I'm not planning on stopping so any time soon.

Scent
I did a whole post on this a few weeks ago, which you can check out here, but my favourite for the month of October has definitely been Wonderstruck Enchanted by the beautiful Taylor Swift. This girl must smell amazing. I find the perfume, that's full of notes of berries and fruit, great for these colder winter months as it just smells so warm and cosy. I absolutely love it.

TV
As some of you might know, I watch way to much TV for what is considered to be normal. This month I have really loved Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, The Blacklist and Castle. Castle doesn't start here until January, but you can catch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Fridays at 8pm on 4, and then The Blacklist at 9mp on Sky Living, also on a Friday.

Music
I've been loving a lot of new music this month, a lot of which is by Kodaline. I have become obsessed with their album In a Perfect World, and I especially love After the Fall, High Hopes and All Comes Down To.
October also brought the episode of Glee that addressed the passing of Cory Monteith, which included some great music. The episode was great, albeit rather emotional, but the music is even better, I think. The songs are well picked and you can really here the emotion in the voices of those singing them.

Social
This is a bit of an odd one, but one I thought worthy on an inclusion. The social site I have been loving the past month is 8tracks. 8tracks is a site where you can create and share playlists of your favourite music. I love the concept and have never really come across anything else like it before. There is over one million playlists and you can search though them by using key words so you can easily find one to fit your mood.


1. Teal 23 Baseball T-Shirt - New Look (in a different colour)
2. Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes - Boots
3. Clean & Clear Advantage Fast Action Spot Treatment Gel - Boots
4. Plum Lily Swirl Shower Gel - Amazon
5. Carex Strawberry Laces Handwash - Boots
6. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Fibre in Black - Superdrug
7. Wonderstruck Enchanted - The Perfume Shop

Sorry about the lack of pictures but my laptop decided that it hates me this evening and everything I try and use it for. I'll try and add some tomorrow.
Have a great week!