Goodbye!

Hello everyone

Unfortunately I am going to have to stop writing blog posts as I have no spare time to invest into make it good enough for you all!

Thank you everyone who has followed me and supported me so far and I will continue to enjoy reading all of your blogs! :)

Vicky xxxxxx

Disappointing Product -- Take 2

So firstly, let me just say that I have left my camera at home (I'm now back in university), therefore any pictures will be terrible as they will have been taken on my phone... how stupid can I get?

Anyway... on Monday I told you about my disappointment with the Soap and Glory's face cleanser, and today I present you with my disappointment with the "Thick and Fast" Mascara. It's a shame because I usually really love Soap & Glory products... I love their shower products and I love their concealer pot thingy which I have currently forgotten the name of.

But unfortunately this mascara was just not good at all. The wand is massive which I found was just too messy and hard to use. It may just be me being terrible at putting on my make up, but I found with this mascara it just went all over the place, and as well as that the product that did go on my lashes didn't really do much for me. I think it did add a bit of volume but it clumped my lashes slightly and there was absolutely no curl....

Let me know what you thought of this product, but for me the wand was just too big to use which is a shame!

photo from soap&glory website

Thank you for reading this everyone! I will be back on Monday with another little haul (oops been shopping again).

Vicky x

Dissappointing Product -- Soap and Glory

Hello everyone,

Firstly I'd like to give an apology for my lack of posts last week! My revision got a bit overwhelming so I couldn't find the time in between break downs...

But anyway, I am back this week with disappointing products and both of them are from soap and glory! I will show you one today and one on Friday - see if you can guess what Friday's post will be about.

Today's post however is about the Soap and Glory "Peaches and Clean" 3 in 1 wash off deep purifying cleanser.

This is their new version, but I also tried their old formula/packaging and I wasn't wowed by that either. In my opinion, this cleanser did not leave my skin feeling clean, the texture was too thin and after a few days it left my skins feeling slimy almost. This broke me out - I have combination skin - and it left me with lots of under skin bumps on my cheeks and around my nose.. not a good look.

The one redeeming factor of this product is it does smell good... if you like peaches. Plus it's £8 which is quite a reasonable price for a facial cleanser (cheaper than my Liz Earle product anyway).

So have you tried this product? What did you think?

See you on Friday!

Vicky x

Liebster Award!

I have been lucky enough to have been nominated by two lovely bloggers, Emily Laura and Travelhelphopelove! Check out their blogs as this award aims to help bloggers get to know each other!

The rules are:

Write 11 random facts about yourself

Answer 11 questions submitted by the blogger who nominated you

Choose 11 bloggers for the award

Write 11 new questions for them to answer

Let the nominees know you have been nominated

Facts about me:

1. I am a vegetarian
2. I have a beagle called Maxwell
3. I love being busy
4. My favourite type of food is Mexican food (although I'm sure british mexican is quite the same as the traditional food)
5. I watch way too many TV programmes/ Netflix Series
6. My friends often call me over organised
7. I hate not being in control of a situation
8. I love baking cakes and cookies and brownies etc...
9. I am always planning my future
10. I hope to be a Clinical Psychologist
11. I love Sweet potato fries

The 11 Questions from Emily Laura:

What country would you like to live in? I am happy living in the UK and I don't think I would like to live else where.

What is your favourite blog? My favourite blogger is Vivianna does Makeup - I love the way she writes!!

What item in your wardrobe could you not live without? My Topshop Jeans (Joni's or Leighs)

Do you prefer Summer or Winter? WINTER! I love being snuggly and Christmas and my birthday is also in Winter (Summer isn't bad though if it's sunny)

What is your favourite perfume? I think either Chloe or Daisy by Marc Jacobs

Why did you start your blog? I have been reading blogs for ages and decided it was my turn to try it out!!

What is your dream job? A Clinical Psychologist

What is your favourite quote? Do not dwell on dreams and forget to live

What is your favourite colour? I don't really know, probably purple or blue

Who is your style icon at the moment? I don't really have a style icon, I usually dress for comfort rather than style. I do enjoy sophisticated tailored styles but I rarely get a chance to wear them being a student!

What is your favourite beauty product at the moment? Nars Laguna Bronzer - I am very pale at the moment and it adds colour to my face whilst looking natural.

11 Questions from Travelhelphopelove:

 1. Where would your ideal travel destination be? - Peru
2. If you could change the world in one way, what would you change? This is a tricky one but stop violence if that is even possible!

3. Is there anything in your life you wish you could make different? No, I am very happy right now!
4. What is your favourite meal? SWEET POTATO FRIES!!! with homemade guacamole and refried beans or vegetarian chilli.
5. Do you prefer a cup of tea or coffee? Sugar & milk? I drink my coffee black with no sugar.
6. Are you a water sport kind of person or do you prefer land activities? I am not a very sporty/outdoorsy kind of person so neither really!
7. Would you rather have money or love? Money 
8. What is your ultimate life ambition? To win a nobel prize and write my own book.
9. Would you rather be too cold or too hot? Too cold I think
10.  If you could have one item for the rest of your life, what would it be? Does my dog count.....
11.  Do you think you could live a life without chocolate? Yeah quite easily 

    My Nominations:

Becky Isobel

Mercuteify

Beauty and Other stories

Rachel Coco

ittle Beauty Bloge

life and Lumes

Jessicalaar

Lipsiie

   My Questions:

1. Who do you admire/who inspires you?

2. Who was the first blogger whose blog you read?

3. What would your one super power be if you could choose?

4.What are you most afraid of?

5. If you were to have one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?

6. What three things would you take on a desert island with you?

7. How would you describe your style?

8. Do you prefer skin care products or makeup?

9. What would your ideal holiday be?

10. What is the first thing you notice in a person?

11. Do you have any tattoos/piercings, or would you like any?

Evening Skincare Routine!

Hi all!

A few posts ago, I shared my morning skincare routine with you and today I bring to you what I do in the evening to remove my make up, cleanse, moisturise etc etc...

Before I start I should tell you that my skin is very combination and quite sensitive. It gets oily on my nose and cheeks and can also get dry depending on how it's feeling especially around my eyes. (Something I probably should have said in my morning skin care post too)

Firstly I use the much raved about Bioderma. This is a Micellar solution that is so effective at removing make up, even stubborn eye make up, and it feels like water on the skin!

I go in for a cleanse with the Liz Earle cleanse and polish Hot Cloth Cleaner (what a mouthful), which is the same cleanser that I use in the morning. You buff the cream onto dry skin and "polish" off with a hot, damp muslin cloth and it leaves my skin feeling clean and soft.

I use the hero product La Roche Posay, Effaclar Duo which again is talked about a lot in the blogging world so I won't ramble on too much about it except to say it is amazing.

I am currently using the Soap and Glory "Wish upon a jar" as my evening moisturiser, it's quite thick and rich, I am not sure if I am completely in love with this product but it is doing the job for now.

I apply the Clinique "All about eyes" eye cream, which is a lightweight gel/cream hybrid product that I am really enjoying at the moment. I have the small sample size that I got free with some other Clinique products recently.

This last step I don't do every day but when my lips are feeling a bit scaly and gross, I use the Lush Popcorn lip scrub which I have written about in this post here.

So that's it for my routine at the moment, I'm sure extra products will be added here and there in the future but for now this routine agree with my skin.

You can see my morning skincare routine here!

Thank you for reading!
Vicky
xo

My Wish-list!

So, technically my wish list has about 100 items on, but there are so many I often forget what I would like to add next to my beauty/skin care/clothes/fragrance collection!

There are however, a short list of items that are always at the forefront of my mind and I have the intention that these beauties shall be my next purchases once the student loan fairy comes along...

 The WISHlist

Aesop's Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Masque - £27 from Cult Beauty...













Escentric Molecules - Molecule 01 Fragrance - £65.50 (for 100ml) from Cult Beauty... this one may have to wait to be added to my Christmas list.











Tanya Burr Lipglosses in "Afternoon Tea" and "Champagne Toast" - £6.99 each from Feel Unique










Essie Nail Polish in "Splash of Grenadine"  - £7.99 from Boots












Nuxe Reve di Miel Lip Balm - £9.50 from Space NK











Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - £31 from Space NK













Kiehls Creamy eye Treatment with Avocado - £20  from Space NK

Of course these products are available from other places, the links that I have provided are just where I have been looking at them and where I have bookmarked them for future reference. They are not affiliate links they're just there to be helpful if you want to have a look at the products yourself!

I think I have a bit of saving to do...
Have you tried any of these products? Would you recommend them? What's on your wishlist? Let me know in the comments below :)

Thank you for reading!

Vicky
xo

Morning Skincare Routine

Hello all,

Today I present you with my morning skincare routine... it's very quick and simple and my skin seems to like it so that's always good. I was always pretty lazy with my skincare I must admit but I have stuck with this for a few months now and my skins appears to be a lot happier!

Yes, I really do use only three products in the morning. I think any more and I'd often skip it and be lazy! 

First up, I use the Liz Earle "Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser" which is £14.75 from John Lewis. You apply it to dry skin and rub it all over. Then using a hot muslin cloth you buff the product away! It leave my skin feeling clean and soft.

Next I use La Roche Posay "Effaclar Duo". Oh my, what a product. It has been given the label hero product  by many and I feel slightly late on the band wagon. This product is a serum sort of thing (I'm so great at descriptions) which you apply to cleansed skin. It claims to do many many things but mostly it has made my skin very clear and even and reduces little bumps I have on my skin. I can definitely notice the difference when I do not use the product so it's one thing I never forget. It is £15.50 from boots, you can check it out here.

Lastly I moisturise using Soap and Glory's "For Daily Youth, 6 in 1 moisturising lotion" which is a lightweight moisturiser which claims to do a number of things. It smells like peach which I love and soaks in quickly leaving my skin soft and happy. You can buy it for £8 here.

So that's it! I always ensure there is SPF in my day time foundation as well so that I am protected from the suns rays (which have been hiding away for a while).

I will show you all my evening skin care routine in a few days so make sure you check back if you're interested in seeing that! 

Thank you for reading,

Vicky

xo

Get To Know Me TAG!

Hello everyone!

So I techinically wasn't tagged in this, but I thought it'd be a good way so you can get to know me a little bit. I love reading these sorts of tags myself... maybe I am just too nosey. Anyway, let's get started;

1. Do you have a middle name?

Yep, my middle name is Louise... the majority of my friends have the same middle name, it must have be popular in the early 90's!


2. What was your favourite subject in school?
Hmm, I was quite a nerd so I think I liked all of them except P.E., my favourite was Psychology which I did for A level and I am now also doing a degree in it!
 
3. What's your favourite drink?
Peach squash... or Organic White Tea :)
 
4. What's your favorite song at the moment?

Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood - infact I must play it now...

5. What would you name your children?
Ha, well I don't plan on having any children to name for a loooong time... But if it was a girl them Lucy or Amelia, and for a boy, Thomas or Morgan :)

6. Do you participate in any sports?
Nope I am very unsporty and hate team sports... I do go to the gym when I can be bothered though, does that count as a sport?

7. What's your favourite book? 
I have just finished reading "Paper Towns" by John Green and it was amazing... 
The Kite Runner is also an incredible book.

8. What's your favourite colour?
I don't think I have one really, it depends what the colour is being used for! 

9. What's your favourite animal?Dogs!

10. What's your favourite perfume?

Hmm, it's a tie between Chloe and Daisy by Marc Jacobs.

11. What's your favourite holiday?
I think I took these questions from an American so a holiday would be like Christmas etc... in that sense Christmas is 100% my favourite I go a little crazy around Christmas time.
My favourite holiday/vacation was when I went interrailing last summer! You can see my video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ8Bezm9VWY (It's not a very good video)

12. Have you graduated from High School?Okay this is definitely American.. but yes I have but we don't really call it graduating!

13. Have you been out of the country?Yeah many times, I love travelling :)

14. Do you speak any other languages?
Not fluently...
I have learnt Welsh since I was 4 but still can't hold a conversation in it... 
I have also learnt German and Italian but definitely not fluently :(
 
15. Do you have any siblings?
Yeah, one brother :)

16. What's your favourite store?
Ummm... Topshop/Boots 

17. What's your favorite restaurant?
Yo Sushi/Nandos/Las Iguanas (I guess three is cheating but I cannot choose between them)
 
18. Do you like school? 
I'm no longer in school, but I did love it when I was there :)

19. Who are some of your favorite YouTubers?Fleur De Force - The first youtuber I ever watched and the best in my opinion!
Vivianna Does make up... Lily Pebbles... Amelia Liana... Tanya Burr etc etc etc


20. What's your favorite movie? 
500 Days of Summer 

21. What are some of your favorite TV shows?Sadly, all of my favourite shows have finished but they were: Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, Friends, Breaking Bad :)

22. PC or Mac?Up until very recently I was a PC user and I do like them (just not windows 8) but I was lucky enough to recieve a MacBook for my birthday and I have been converted to a Mac user!
 
23. What phone do you have?
iPhone 5 

24. How tall are you?5ft 8 

25. Any pets? 
Yes, a beagle and he's very badly behaved but I love him he's my favourite thing ever

Let me know if any of you have done this tag as i'd love to read them... and if you haven't already done one... I tag YOU!
Thank you for reading :)

Max the Beagle

Vicky xo

Very Inspiring Blogger Award!

I'd like to start off this post by saying a MASSIVE thank you to Beckyisobel for the nomination! After just over a week of having my own little corner of the blogging world, it meant a lot to be nominated for this award and really gives me motivation to continue to blog. Although it may not mean much to some people, it means a lot to know that people are actually reading and enjoying my blog so thank you so much to those who have already followed V's Beauty Blog! (Big hugs and smooches for you all)

Award Rules:

1) Thank and link the awesome person who nominated you (Done! Thanks again Becky)

2) List the rules and display the award (Check!)

3) Share 7 things/facts about yourself

4) Nominate 15 amazing blogs and comment on their blogs to let them know you have nominated them and provide a link to your post.

5) Optional. Proudly display the award logo anywhere on your blog. e.g. side bare and follow the person who nominated you (I already follow Becky's blog :))

So here are the 7 facts about me:

1. I am currently in University studying for a BSc in Psychology

2. I reaaalllly want to go to Peru and visit Cusco and the Inca Trail and spend most nights googling it and planning my travels for after I graduate!

3. I am overly organised... seriously OVERLY organised.

4. I have a loveable but extremely naughty dog who is a Beagle named Maxwell - he may be the worst behaved dog in the world but I love him

5. I am Welsh (However please don't ask me to speak it as I know very little... Unless you want me to sing happy birthday to you in Welsh)

6. If I only was allowed one make up item it would be mascara

7. I love volunteering and encourage everyone to do some even if it's something really small as it's so rewarding!

Here are my nominations (I haven't done all 15 as I really only wanted to nominate people who's blogs I read and love or who have supported me...so it  keeps this award special. I also know some people have already done this award but I am going to nominate them again as I think they deserve to know that I think their blogs are great):

1. Anya May Beauty
2. Beautiful You
3. Summer Fling
4. Beauty and Other Stories
5. Dazed and Distracted
6. Emma Griffy
7. Kirsty's Corner
8. Abigail Bunny
9. Imogen Fleur
10. Holly Dolly
11. Jessicalaar
12. Circle of Chaos
13. Yet another makeup blog

Thank you again if you are already a follower, and hopefully you'll keep reading! :)

Vicky xo

LUSH Lip Care

 The harsh winter months left my lips a bit worse for wear. They were dry and chapped and not a pretty sight. For my birthday my lovely housemates treated me to some Lush goodies which were saviour products for my poor lips.

The first step of my lip restoration was to use the Lush lip scrub. These scrubs come in lots of flavours/scents and my friends got me the popcorn one and what a great choice that was. It tastes like creamy caramelly salted popcorn, it's delicious. The scrubs are edible however I choose to wash off the scrub rather than eat them as I find the thought of eating a lip product rather strange... You only need a small amount and rub on dry lips, then using a wet finger in circular motions I rub the dry skin away and after a good rinse I am left with soft and moisturised lips. At £5.50, this little pot is great value as it's going to last a good while...

The second step is the "Lip Service" lip balm, this is a strange texture, I imagined it would be a smooth creamy but it's a bit drier than I expected. However once you apply the product to your lips the balm melts into the lips are they become soft and moisturised. The balm contains tangerine and mandarin oil so it tastes and smells great as an added bonus! The balm comes in at £5.75 so it isn't the cheapest on the market but it is great.

I love Lush products as they're vegetarian and animal friendly. They always smell amazing and perform amazingly. I have linked where to get the products below, and if you have any recommendations for me don't hesitate to add them to the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Vicky
xo

Popcorn: https://www.lush.co.uk/product/6080/Popcorn---25g
Lip Service: https://www.lush.co.uk/product/6311/Lip-Service---8g

My MAC eyeshadow palette - so far...

 As you can see, my MAC eyeshadow palette is still a work in process, but at £10 per eyeshadow, I'm easing my bank card in slowly.
I thought I'd show you which colours I've carefully collected so far and what I think of them. Can you see the colour theme so far? Yep, it's a typical neutral palette. All the shadows have a build-able, smooth pigmentation and are long lasting.

Starting from the bottom row, left to right...

Mulch: Officially described as "Red- Brown w/ bronze pearl"on the MAC website this shade is a beautiful colour. Admittedly it's my least used colour in my palette but it looks great when swiped over the lid.

Sable: Described as "Gold- plum w/ bronze pearl", as suggested it's a pearl finish which leaves a beautiful sheen on the lid.

Satin Taupe: This is probably my favourite shade in the pan. It is described as "Taupe with a silver shimmer" and I love it. It blends beautiful and I love to use it as part of my smokey eye. I'd describe it as a purpley grey shade.

Green Smoke: Described as "Tarnished olive" this shade has rather a lot of silver shimmery glitter in it. The colour is very sheer. Although it's called green smoke, the green tone is very subtle and beautiful.

Print: Described as "muted grey with shimmer", the shimmer is very subtle and adds a dimension to the colour. It's a bit softer than a solid black and I like to use it to line my upper lid.

Top-Bottom, Left - Right: Wedge, Naked Lunch, Omega, Mulch, Sable, Satin Taupe, Green Smoke, Print

Now the middle three...

Wedge: "Soft muted beige taupe" - this beautiful neutral shade is a great base and I often use it alone just swept over my lid for a quick make up look. It's warm toned and a matte finish.

Naked lunch: "Minimal pink with shimmer" can we just stare at this beautiful shade for a while? My most used shade, the shimmer is subtle and I like to use it for my inner corners as it wakens them up - whether this is a good idea or not I don't know but it works for me! I would describe it as a nude rather than a pink but it does have a very soft pink undertone I suppose. After Fleur deForce recommended this shadow so much on her Youtube videos etc I'm so glad I picked this one up.

Omega - my newest addition, "soft- muted beige taupe", well this has the same official definition as Wedge... but it is a cooler toned shadow and is slightly more grey. Again it is matte and is perfect for a quick swipe or as a base.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this, if you have any recommended shadows for me to add to my palette please let me know in the comments below! Next on my list are Patina and Brule I think!

Thanks for reading!

Vicky 

xo

What's in my bag?

Hello and welcome to my first post!

I thought it'd be nice to introduce myself by starting with a "What's in my bag" post. I don't know about you, but I love reading these types of post so I can have a good ol' nose and see if there's anything I should be including in my day - to -day bag!
It's also a good way to see what type of person someone is... super organised? me? Yep! So I always like to ensure I have these essentials on me.  Let's begin...

So here is the bag in question. It's from Accessorize and is very large and roomy. I had a look on the website and I can't seem to find the link anymore, however Accessorize always have some lush bags so I'd definitely recommend having a look. My bag has three sections, a front pocket that opens with a clasp, a front zip pocket, and the large centre section. In the main section there is one zip pocket and two smaller open pockets. It's not real leather but is really good quality, I've had it quite a while now and there are no marks on it! There's a long shoulder strap and two small straps, I like to mix it up a bit and use both depending on how I feel.

Now onto the content... 

The purse: This was a lovely gift from my boyfriend for my birthday last month. It is from Cath Kidston and is a zip purse with your typical section for cards, cash, coins etc. I like to stuff as many loyalty cards (boots, nandos etc..) as I can in there along with an abundance of old receipts. 

The phone: I have a lovely iPhone 5 which I would be lost without and its cover is a Cath Kidston case which I found on Amazon which is nudey/minty cream with a pretty floral pattern (can you tell I like Cath Kidston yet). I keep my headphones in my bag as I'm often walking around and it's useful to have them with me so to cure some boredom.

The Diary: This is just a boring black diary from Tesco. I left it last minute to get a diary and I couldn't find an affordable yet pretty one. Oh well, this thing is my life line and I'm lost without it. As I said earlier, I'm super organised and I lead quite a busy life so I always remember to write down my plans! Also I keep a simple biro with it as you never know when you need a pen.

The sunglasses: The sun has finally decided to show itself in the UK so my sunglasses can finally get some use. These ones are from Topshop last year and I think they're great.

The beauty items: I have a compact mirror that I received as a stocking filler a few Christmas' ago.. it's handy for a quick check to ensure I'm presentable. 

My hairbrush is a Denman, and it's the only hairbrush (apart from a tangle teaser) that I will use as it's so soft my knotty locks don't mind it. 

I received this escentuals nail file free in my recent bioderma order so I keep it with me incase of any emergency nail breakages (urgent I know). 

I get very dry hands so the Garnier Intensive 7 days sos-repair hand cream is a life saver to me, it's quite a large tube which is its only downside. 

Rimmel Apocalips lip lacquer in "Big Bang" incase I need to add a red lip to my daily make up, this one is amazing and definitely lives up to the massive hype that was around it when they first came out. 

Lush Lip Service lip balm is great as my lips have been very dry in this cold weather.

The rest: You never know when you need some tissues... and keys are an obvious essential!

I hope you enjoyed this post, I previously thought I didn't carry very much in my bag but after writing this it seems an awful lot. Just to add, on a usual day I would probably also carry an A4 notebook to my lecture or my Macbook, but this is what I would usually carry on a weekend.

I have linked things that I have mentioned below in case you were interested in finding them!

Thanks for reading!

Vicky 

xo

Purse: http://www.cathkidston.com/field-rose-zip-wallet/purses--and--wallets/cath-kidston/fcp-product/1012008

iPhone case: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vintage-style-designer-inspired-Floral-Iphone/dp/B00BB0VZQ6/ref=sr_1_51?ie=UTF8&qid=1395573026&sr=8-51&keywords=cath+kidston+iphone+5+cover

Diary: http://www.tesco.com/direct/201415-mid-year-casebound-diary-a5-week-to-view/677-0699.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=677-0699

Sunglasses: http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/bags-accessories-1702216/sunglasses-468/aviators-flat-top-sunglasses-668/metal-aviator-sunglasses-64636?refinements=category~%5b210003%7c208555%5d&bi=41&ps=20

The hairbrush: http://www.boots.com/en/Denman-Small-Grooming-Brush-D81S-_1019112/

Handcream: http://www.boots.com/en/Garnier-Body-7-Days-Shea-Hand-Milk-100ml_1250031/

Lip Lacquer: http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-London-Apocalips-Lip-Lacquer_1296026/

Lip Balm: https://www.lush.co.uk/product/6311/Lip-Service---8g

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11989427/?claim=qyydp3mw9p7">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>