Black Opium.

My go to fragrance at the moment is YSL black opium. For me it is the perfect fragrance for the transition from winter to spring. It has vanilla and coffee notes which combine to make a woody, slight sweet scent. The coffee or woody scents are by no means overpowering, nor is the vanilla sickly at all. 

Originally I didn't see what all the fuss was about, but I have grown to adore this perfume and can understand why it is a cult product. On me it lasts a long time which is something I find important. There's nothing more frustrating than spraying perfume to find that 2 hours later there's no trace of it anywhere.

I've really been enjoying using it and will definitely repurchase when I run out! Have you tried it? I hope you enjoyed reading,

Holly x

My New Favourite Tool.

I was very kindly gifted the beauty blender for my birthday from Chloe and I am obsessed with it. It has soon overtaken my beloved Full Coverage Face Brush by Bobbi Brown and it has been the only thing I've used to apply foundation for the last month at least. 

I either spritz it with MAC Fix+ or with a little water to make it damp and I find that when it is fairly damp (but not soaking) it works best. It doesn't soak up too much product which some sponges can do, it soaks up enough to make my foundation look flawless and not cakey or heavy at all. I found the dab motion a little hard to get the hang of first however I soon found my 'rhythm' and have noticed that it's much kinder to my skin than being heavy handed with a brush. Because it's much softer than most brush bristles are it creates a smoother effect and contributes to the overall airbrushed effect that it gives. 

Initially I was surprised by the size of it as when it's dry it's very small, however once it's slightly wet it expands quite fast, to about 2-3 times the original size.  I think it's a really versatile little tool and not just limited to foundation application. The thinner, more pointier side is perfect for getting into the nooks and crannies of the face and is also great for blending in concealer. 

Overall I love it very much and cannot imagine my routine without it now! So than you Chloe! I'm not interested to see how the real techniques sponge compares! 

Have you tried anything like the beauty blender? I hope you enjoyed reading,

Holly x

My favourite highlighter.

When Jaclyn Hill collaborated with Becca cosmetics there was a massive hype around 'champagne pop' and once I saw it being used in videos and saw swatches, I knew I needed it. When it finally came to the UK last month, I jumped on the waiting list for it and was kindly gifted if for christmas.

It is a gorgeous mix of champagne and gold tones and only requires a tiny amount to make an amazing effect on the skin. It is a very finely milled powder that feels very buttery and luxurious on the skin. It is extremely pigmented and easily to blend.

It isn't the most natural of highlighters unless you use a very light hand, however it is perfect for adding a bit of glam to every day makeup and amping up the intensity for the evening. It creates a lovely glow and is perfect for making the skin look radiant.

Have you seen Jaclyn Hill use this in a video? I'd recommend checking it out as it looks so so good on her and is a perfect representation of the colour in real life.

I hope you enjoyed reading,

Holly x

New Year!

With 2016 having just begun it's the time of year where everyone sets out their goals for the year and more often than not never fulfill them. Of course there are the generic ones that everyone (including me!) want to do - be healthier etc, however I have a few things I want to achieve that don't fit anywhere close to that category.

1) Learn to drive and get a beep beep.
I am so desperate to get my own little motor and despite this year looking very busy already I am determined to pass my test. Plus I already know what car I want so I see no problem.

2) Go to Rome.
It looks incredible. Italy is an amazing country and I would love to visit the Colosseum and explore all the history and culture. And of course, eat all of the pizza and pasta around.

3)Pass the healthcare qualification at work.
It doesn't sound like the most exciting of things however it is something I'm really passionate about and hopefully this year will lend itself to lots of skill development and hopefully something that will help me in the future!

So what would you like to achieve this year?

I hope you enjoyed reading,

Holly x

Christmas!

Jem the Fireman, Baby Leo and the cat in the background.

Add caption

Christmas this year has had such a huge build up, yet it's gone by so fast! I love the festive season and the day itself was brilliant. We went to see family in Sheffield and ended up seeing my new baby cousin for the first time, aw! I felt so festive and absolutely loved seeing everyone's reactions to the presents they received. And of course, Christmas dinner was delicious! I hope you had a good Christmas.

Love Holly x

Christmas Baking.

I was inspired by Chloe's post last week to do some sort of festive baking, so I set some time aside after I completed mocks and decided to make Christmas biscuits. Now they are quite a simple idea, however I think with all the different food at Christmas, it's nice to have something simple mixed in.

For the biscuit you will need:
275g plain flour
100g unsalted softened butter
100g caster sugar
1 lightly beaten egg
1tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1) Cream together the sugar and butter.
2) Add in the egg and the vanilla extract.
3) Fold in the flour slowly until it all comes together as a dough.
4) Roll out the dough into your desired thickness (e.g 2cm)
5) Cut the biscuits into your desired shape and bake for 8-10 minutes.
6) Leave to cool and decorate as you wish!

I think they're perfect for a Christmas buffet and incredibly moreish.

I hope you enjoyed reading, 

Holly x

Its a Secret!

I don't think I've ever done Secret Santa before, so it's a first for me this year. I was really excited at the prospect and thought it would be fun to see what quirky gifts we could all find. However so far I've found it really hard to think of a good gift and something the recipient would like/use for such a small amount of money. So I thought I'd report on my top few findings. (They are mainly novelty considering anyone can buy a bath set)



1) Animals That Saw You Naked Book - £6.99
 When I saw this on ASOS I thought the idea was hilarious. I like the fact that they've turned the idea on the head that humans don't like it, but instead the fear of it lies with the animals. Genius.

2) Sculpt Your Own Boyfriend Set - £9.95
The principal behind this little set is so fun and the creativity element allows for you to theoretically design your ideal man. There are cute little props included in the set and I think it would be a fun little thing to do with friends to see what different tastes everyone has!

3) Ring For Tea Bell - £2.99
For someone who loves tea, or even hot drinks, a gift like this is so suitable and perfect. I thought something like this would be fab during the early mornings when you don't want to get out of bed, but still need a drink. As long as people know what the bell means, then you're all sorted!

4) The Little Bag Of Christmas - £5
When I saw this online I thought it was so adorable. I think its a nice sentimental little gift and is perfect to highlight the values behind Christmas. The aesthetics of this is also really nice.

5) Creative Therapy Colouring Book - £12.99
This is the least novelty themed one out of them all, but I still think it is a lovely gift to give to someone. I think something like this is a really calming idea and will help the recipient to relax.

What would you give as a secret Santa gift? I hope you enjoyed reading,

Holly x