Sunday 31 March 2013

bringing darkness from above


black summer dress primark / blue marl top (worn underneath) dorothy perkins / boucle jacket new look / grey tights primark / boots new look / watch casio via asos / bracelet molly brown london / nails: barry m gelly hi-shine in 'prickly pear'
revlon colourstay quad in decadent - witch concealer in natural - no7 extreme length mascara - benefit porefessional primer - barry m gelly hi-shine nail paint in prickly pear - bourjois healthy mix serum in vanilla - elemis freshskin lip balm - mua professional eye primer - maybelline dream bouncy blush in orchid hush

Today is most definitely not a face day. I still went to the effort of putting makeup on, however I'll save you all the grief of witnessing such a thing and instead discuss the makeup I wore today.
I am still loving Benefit's Porefessional primer underneath my foundation, I find it smooths my skin brilliantly and holds onto the foundation for many hours. It's almost running out and due to the full-sized product costing £23.50 I'm going to buy a primer from Nivea as a replacement before Glamour magazine distribute their issue with lovely Benefit freebies, which is usually in the summertime.
I've yapped on about Bourjois' healthy mix serum foundation time and time again, and I still love it. It gives a really nice dewy, lightweight finish that feels more like a tinted moisturiser than a foundation; something I really like. The colour is slightly dark for me though, so I think I need to postpone my adoration for it until summer and purchase Rimmel's Match Perfection foundation to suit my skin tone for the majority of the year.
I won't go into too much detail about Barry M's Prickly Pear nailpolish as I have a Spring favourites lined up soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that! Similarly to the Bourjois foundation, I've discussed the MUA Professional Eye Primer before and I'm still loving it. The texture is nice, it blends into my eyelids to become colourless, thus suiting a whole range of skintones. A bargain at £2.50 too!
The Revlon Colourstay quad in 'Decadent' is such a lovely collection of colours, usually I strictly limit myself to neutral browns, but this quad has a lovely amber/orangey/shimmery colour that really suits my light blue eyes. I think it's one that would suit a range of eye colours though, especially hazel eyes.
In all honesty I'm not a huge lover of this Witch hazel concealer, I'm yet to find 'the one' that I think suits me perfectly. Saying this, I quite like the texture and colour of it, just not the application process as much.
I got this Elemis freshskin lip balm at the Graduate Fashion Week exhibition in Earls Court last year. I think it's okay, it gives a pleasant tingle when first applied but I find it dries out my lips quite quickly so I, when using it for a day or so find that I use quite a lot of it up. I think this seems a little bit wasteful to me, but on the positive side I think the packaging of it is really clean and classy.
The No7 Extreme Length mascara is a new trial from me, I got it in a gift set for my birthday last week and so far I love it. I don't think I would buy it full-sized as I have so many mascaras accumulated in my makeup drawers, but I'm looking forward to using this more. Lastly, the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush is a product I kind of wished they sold here in the UK. My Mum picked it up for me when she went to America last year, and since then I've been obsessed with the texture. It really does bounce. The pigmentation is limited but I'm not someone who likes a dark/vivid blush at all so this suits me fine.

What makeup products have you been trialling (and loving) recently?

Thalia
xxx
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Friday 29 March 2013

the secrets you give and the secrets you keep

lilac tee dorothy perkins / petite indigo joni jeans topshop / black biker jacket Australia / biker boots new look / watch casio via asos

It's crazy to think that only a few weeks ago these photos were taken and now it is absolutely freezing. Fureezing. Since opening the fatefully awaited Topshop package these Joni jeans have pretty much been plastered to my legs. They're really flattering, pulling you in at the stomach but hugging every curve you want shown. I'm really glad I settled for the petite sizing as the length is perfect - any longer would have been pushing it, and the waist size fits me well. I am now so tempted to buy another pair, but at £36 they're not cheap so some recovery time will be needed for my bank card. Also, Topshop hasn't yet released a petite version of the 'vintage' coloured ones (hint, hint) and they are just stunning. 

I'm now on my Easter holidays which i'm incredibly excited about, finally I have just over two weeks off which I will be spending procrastinating and eating revising. Having the extra time off gives more time to blog though, which I'm so happy about as I like the idea of being able to spread it out rather than doing it all on the weekends. It is mental to even contemplate how my final GCSE exams start in six weeks. Six weeks?!? Where oh where has year 11 gone? I really need to get my act together if I want to beat my mock grades, I'm really hoping for only one B grade (damn you Biology) and all the rest better, especially in English Lit, English Lang, Textiles and Geography. 

Thalia
xxx
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Thursday 28 March 2013

Spring beauty wishlist


It's been over a month since I last made a Boots purchase, so naturally I'm feeling the need to change this. I owned a tangle teezer last year but misplaced it after a month, and ever since I've been craving some of that beautifully untangled piece of glittery hair tool. Model's Own 'Utopia' is a nail polish I've been craving for a while now, but considering the size of my nail polish collection I'm losing the will to purchase more. For me, £3 is the ideal price to pay so paying £2 more is a rarity for me. Saying that, the colour is gorgeous, muted and would suit so many outfits so it would be a wise purchase. Similarly applies for the confetti top coat: it's been spun around crazily in the bloggersphere and all of the pictures on google images alone have got me dying (yes, dying) to get me hands on it. Or, it on my hands.
Since last summer I've been using Benefit's porefessional primer before applying my makeup, which considering I write about beauty on a regular basis is only a small 1/2 days a week. It's only a sample size from a Summer issue of Glamour last year, so is running out pretty quickly. A primer to suit combination skin sounds brilliant and the packaging looks so sweet and classy!

What beauty products have you been eyeing up lately?

Thalia
xxx
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Wednesday 27 March 2013

mount royal and fantasy fire

max factor 'fantasy fire' / american apparel 'mount royal'

Just a quick post for today, on my latest nail polish combination that I'm utterly obsessed with. The formula of American Apparel's Mount Royal is faultless in my opinion, with it going opaque in a mere coat and the brush being perfect for my thin, medium-length nails. I wish the polishes were less expensive though, over in America they're equivalent to £4 and over here they charge £9. Mental. Anyway, I adore the finish Fantasy Fire gives off, so shiny with a duo-chrome of red which sparkles and shimmers ever so slightly. This is the first time in years I've painted my nails the same colour in two consecutive weekends (and that's saying something...)

What's your favourite nail polish combination?

Thalia
xxx
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Sunday 24 March 2013

nail polish collection

It's no secret that I have a nail polish addiction. There's nothing I love more than painting my nails on a Friday evening after a long week at school, and naturally over the last year or so (along with blogging influences) I have built up quite a large collection. I adore reading these kind of posts, so I had a fun afternoon organising and photographing my nail polishes, listing down the names of each one. I hope you find a polish you like that you can add to your 'to buy' list, I always find so many when reading collection posts of other bloggers. Enjoy!

All names are from left-right, top-bottom row.
GLITTERS: models own silver fox, revlon radiant, bourjois rainbow apparition, rimmel disco ball, la colours jewel tone, la colours glittering purple, technic carnival
REDS: beauty uk red, missguided misschievous, mua shade 14, la colours power outage, the colour wear unnamed, m&s unnamed
BLUES: beauty uk navy, kiko shade 1, rimmel blue eyed girl, avon splendid blue, barry m cobalt, rimmel aqua cool, maybelline colour show blue, rimmel sweet as sugar, American apparel mount royal, la colours wired, kiko shade 4
GREENS: rimmel sky high, models own jade stone, models own peacock green, beauty uk green, mua shade 5, tesco glow in the dark
PEACHES: 17 glisten, rimmel goldspun coral, barry m peach melba, rimmel golden totem, la colours pink pearl
NUDES: Ciate my fair lady, h&m taupe, max factor boji, rimmel chic and chearful, rimmel caramel cupcake, bobbypin unnamed, estee lauder violetta, estee lauder raffia
GREYS: nyc sidewalkers, 17 moonstruck, m&s city grey, la girl fairytale, collection angel wings
PINKS: ciate jelly bean, nails inc piccadilly circus, the colour wear unnamed, beauty uk pink, rimmel pulsating, nyc Lincoln square lavender, nails inc Elizabeth square, bobbypin unnamed, max factor sunny pink, m&s unnamed, the colour wear unnamed
PURPLES: 17 sweet kisses, avon romance, mua shade 24, la colours vibrant violet, barry m prickly pear, m&s unnamed, ciate wait until dark, nails inc saville row, m&s unnamed, no7 vivid violet, sinful colours stuck on you, avon decadence, barry m bright purple, la colours nuclear energy, la colours fiji purple, yes love no6, beauty uk purple, max factor fantasy fire
OTHERS: rimmel 5 in 1 base & top coat, beauty uk yellow, rimmel tangerine queen, avon golden vision, kiss unnamed, la colours energy source, george white shatter, avon black mosaic effects, max factor onyx

* the beauty uk ones came from a small collection, in a box named 'wild child' there were no names so I referred to them as their colours as shown:
yellow, green, purple, pink, red, navy

So there you go! All 86 of them, which I'm sure will surpass the 100 mark in a few months time. I hope you liked the post, and spotted any ones to add to your shopping list.

Thalia
xxx
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Thursday 21 March 2013

the skincare post


I pretty much live by these three products. They fulfill the classic cleanse-tone-moisturise three-step rule that is recommended by so many, and do so at a relatively affordable price.

Hot Beautiful Skin Cloth Cleanser
As you can see from the photograph I'm nearly through this bottle, which happens to be the second I've owned. I have a backup bought recently using the £5 off vouchers, bringing the price of the 200ml bottle down to only £4.95. In terms of affordability I really think it's fab: from previous uses I can say this lasts around ten weeks and I use it twice everyday. Not half bad, eh? I apply a squeeze of this to my face, massaging it around paying attention to my forehead which is my most acne-prone area. I then wait a minute or so, then wipe it off gently using a facecloth drenched (yes, drenched) in hot water. It feels so lovely, especially on a Winter morning! My face feels ridiculously soft afterwards, and although I wouldn't say this prevents acne or blemishes, it keeps any breakouts calm and doesn't aggravate them. I've used other cleansers (Johnson's refreshing day gel cleanser being a previous favourite) which I've liked but I find the creamy texture of this suits my skin far better.

Lush Tea Tree Toner Water
This stuff is insanely refreshing. It smells like tea tree, an ingredient known for its anti-bacterial properties and ability to cleanse acne-prone skin. I use this twice a day after cleansing, which helps cool down my face as well as begin to calmly attack any blemishes. I wouldn't say this helps target specific spots - it does a more general job, and helps keep dry areas such as my cheeks nice and hydrated.

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser
I'm almost through my second bottle of this, and I think it's great. I would really recommend it for combination, sensitive or acne-prone skin as it hydrates dry areas yet does not pile on product to oilier areas. It has no scent and being a product by the brand Simple, suitability towards sensitive skin is pretty much guaranteed. I apply this straight after the toner, which sort of mix to make a clean base for my skin on a daily basis. I never ever wear makeup to school, so this primes my skin for day-to-day routine on weekdays. On weekends, this still works underneath a primer and foundation, and is not too slippery that it makes the foundation slide. It's absorbed into the skin really quickly so the feeling of an unpleasant sticky surface is always avoided.
biore warming anti-blackhead cleanser / clearasil rapid action spot gel 

I use the Biore cleanser less frequently, around once a week or so. I love how it's self-warming, a feature that before using this product I had never ventured into. It's perfect for a deep-clean, and smells so fruity due to it being strongly watermelon scented. I personally love the gooey, warm texture; however I can imagine that it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. If you want something for clearing spots, I wouldn't say this eradicates them all but it definitely contributes towards good-skin phases. The Clearasil spot gel is an absolute god-send. I used to use Sudocrem as my nightly spot treatment but I became fed up with getting it all over my hands and cushion covers, and I felt that the effectiveness of using it nightly wore off after a few months. *Cue spot gel*, this covers any blemishes, holding in it a sort of 'case' overnight as it dries it up and reduces it in size. I've never used this throughout the day so I can't make an accurate comment on the whole 'works in four hours' quote Clearasil always go for, but I really like this. It's probably my favourite spot treatment ever, and over the past few I've probably tried around ten of them.

What is your skincare routine and do you have any recommendations? Do you enjoy reading/writing about it as much as I do? 

Thalia
xxx

* this post is not sponsored, I have purchased every item here with my own money and my opinions, as always, are completely honest. This turned out to be quite an overly-happy post so I just felt the need to clarify this!

P.S I turn 16 tomorrow! Yayyyy
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Sunday 17 March 2013

and the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love



slouchy knit top new look / grey jeans h&m (kids) / boots new look / satchel Camden market / nails: american apparel mount royal & max factor fantasy fire

Firstly - I am so in love with this nail combination! After purchasing Max Factor's famous shade Fantasy Fire last year, I've been slowly trying out which polishes to put under it but I have reached the conclusion that American Apparel's Mount Royal kicks arse. (Note: Barry M's Bright Purple came a close second..)

I've gone for a very casual look today, which suits my weekend of doing pretty much nothing productive whatsoever. School has reached the stage that weekends are used for recovery rather than fun. Saying that, I did celebrate my friend Aoife's birthday on Friday night which was lovely, meeting new people doesn't always go down great with a socially awkward gal like myself (and this situation was no different), yet I still loved hanging out with school friends and attacking the food in my classic ways. Nothing, yes..nothing, beats chicken nuggets. Ever.

I bought this slouchy jumper a couple of weeks ago and I really love it. It's ridiculously comfy and warmer than the average top which suits the temperamental British weather well. I'm even considering picking it up in a few other colours: mint green and burgundy both sound nice to me. The jeans I'm wearing are ones I have owned for ages, probably a good two years or so now. They're from the kids section of H&M which being a petite gal is awesome and I've loved the skinny jeans from there for a good six years now. They're comfy and a relatively unusual colour which is different yet sometimes quite difficult to pair with things. The boots are my latest online sale purchase (I really should stop with that obsession) and cost a mere £15 off the New Look website. They were from the teens section which I have absolutely been loving recently, and were reduced by £10 with only a size 4 left...score. Nice and tight, yet still comfortable with a nice bit of black fur and a buckle means absolutely no complaints on my behalf.

I know every blogger and their pet chihuahua is mentioning this in their posts, but after the recent revelation that Google Reader is closing on the first of July, everyone is going into panic mode and converting their favourite reads over to Bloglovin'. I have done the same, and when getting used to it I am starting to prefer it. I lovelovelove how it isn't restricted to blogs run by Blogger, so other formats are also available. I would really appreciate it if you could follow my blog on Bloglovin', y'know..just in case the fate of GFC isn't lasting through this Summer.

Alrighty well here's enough of the essay from me, I'm off to watch 'A Walk to Remember' to replace the love of my life Glee which is not airing on Sky this Sunday. Devastating I know, but I've found romantic movies ease my struggles and always remind me of how single I am, hahaha. What are your favourite chick flicks? I'd love to know.

Have a lovely week,

Thalia
xxx

p.s - On Friday it is finally my birthday! I'll be turning sixteen, old enough to buy a lottery ticket, drive a tractor in Wales and to be charged adult fares on trains. Hoorah.
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Tuesday 12 March 2013

why aren't you my clarity


 long black sleeve top (worn underneath) primark / black skater dress topshop / super cosy tights primark / khaki jacket ebay / black & white brogue espadrilles new look / necklace vintage / nails: 17 sweetheart & rimmel disco ball

Is it just me that things days are getting so much longer? Not just in terms of daylight, but in terms of work. This half term is known for being a short but stressful one and this year has definitely lived up to its description. I think over the past few days I've spent forty or so hours at school and then a couple hours each day afterwards doing some pieces of revision. It's gotten to the point when teachers and my parents have told me to work less, something I can't quite seem to get my head around.

I'm a bit iffy about this outfit: I would have preferred to not wear tights with it but the weather is so cold, (cue super cosy tights) and now the blacks don't really match as much as I would like. I think that might be a pet peeve of mine, it just seems so un-coordinated to me. Saying this, it has been forever since I last wore my brogue espadrilles and I have missed them quite a lot. Although I will forever stay true to my winter boots, my ankles do need a break from being covered for months. It has been a while. 

The khaki jacket is a £20 ebay purchase that I've never regretted. You can still buy it online here in black, stone or khaki in a huge range of sizes which is really nice. For reference, I bought an XS which fits me on the arms well in length yet still covers my bum which is nice; usually jackets have the tendency to completely drown my frame due to my 5'2 frame.

I have loads and loads of work to get back to (contradicting to my first point, oh well), including Chemistry and History research as well as prepping for my French writing exam tomorrow. It'll all be over soon!

Thalia xxx
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Sunday 10 March 2013

just noise, white noise

 black cowl neck jumper tesco / camel snood scarf tesco / denim jacket vintage / khaki skirt forever 21 / boots ebay

Other than taking these photos, I have done next to nothing today. That's just how I love my Sundays to be. Relaxing, a remedy from stress earlier in the week and mental preparation for the next five days that will be crazy. I've been feeling pretty down lately, so I've decided to make a positive list:

Things I'm looking forward to:
1. 16th birthday on March 22nd and celebrating that weekend (Las Iguanas for dinner a.k.a enchilada heaven)
2. Handing in all of my Textiles coursework on March 28th
3. 2 weeks of Easter Holidays beginning on March 29th
4. Visiting Cardiff in April
5. Finishing my exams and then a ten week summer, beginning June 15th
6. Seeing my Grandma from Australia in late June

Is there anything you're looking forward to? I'd love to know.

Thalia
xxx
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Saturday 9 March 2013

'missy' deodorant by keep it kind review

'missy' deodorant by keep it kind* 150ml boots - £3.29

The past few weeks I have spent trialling out this deodorant, kindly sent to me from a lovely lady at PurePR. Designed for young skin, it stresses the need to make sure your skin, especially the delicate under arm area, is always soft and not damaged by endless body sprays, wear and tear. 

When I first put this on, like all deodorants it is nice and cool and for a few seconds you can smell a fresh scent. It quickly dissolves into the skin / surrounding air so afterwards you can put on perfume without wanting the scents to clash. I don't really know if that's relevant or not, but I've always been someone who is conscious of smelling too strong or smelling of a clash of deodorant, hairspray, various beauty products and a perfume. That would be a bit of an aromatic mess. 

What really stands out to me is the packaging, being designed for young girls my age (15) and younger it is quite girly and suits the adolescent target market. I've included three photos of the bottle top as instead of having an orthodox cap, it has a lock which I find to be really practical and far more helpful than worrying about losing an oversized lid. like any locks it just ensures no product is wasted / accidentally applied. Once again, nobody likes overpowering smells, especially when not wanted.

Most importantly, I'd say the deodorant is efficient at keeping sweat at bay. I'm quite lucky in how I naturally don't sweat much, but when using this, especially when doing PE at school I know afterwards I won't feel uncomfortable afterwards. 

One thing I would say about this is the price being on the slightly expensive side for a 150ml bottle. When comparing it to other deodorants available at Boots online I found other brands selling bottles containing 100ml more for the same price, or the same sized bottle for over a pound cheaper. It would suit travelling long-haul, as it is small enough to easily fit in a bag however not small enough to fit strict 100ml airline on-board guidelines. 

Personally, I don't think I'd pay £3.29 when only getting 150ml as I'm a bargain hunter who honestly focuses more on saving money than looking at the ingredients in deodorants. Saying this, if you were a younger teen or parent who was really conscious about this sort of thing for your daughter I would recommend it. 

Verdict:
Packaging: 4/5
Price: 2/5
Favourite thing: practical lock, no lid
Downfall: the price, slightly too expensive
Have you tried this product? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

Thalia
xxx
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Monday 4 March 2013

lost, and now my love is cursed


black cap sleeve midi dress new look / velvet blazer primark / studded loafers primark / nails: nyc lincoln square lavender and rimmel disco ball
Hiya,

So this is the outfit I wore today. Instead of attending school like my usual Monday morning yank-self-out-of-bed routine, I went on a school trip to Central London where a group of us debated and learned about the parliament in depth. Needless to say, I wish I found it fascinating but I really didn't. Six hours of listening to debates full of long words with the purpose to make people sound smart, rather than convey a relevant point is never entertaining. Saying that, a day excursion that involves walking over Westminster Bridge with the rare sighting of sunlight was actually pretty fab. Beats double French any day!

I'm really starting to stress about school deadlines. I have under three weeks to get my act together big time and staying back seven hours last week really pushed me to my limit. Luckily, I have my birthday to look forward to, as well as 2 weeks off for the Easter Holidays. And I don't even really celebrate Easter - result. Saying this, of course I indulge in the odd chocolate or two... (realistically: 462)

I hope you all have a fun week,

Thalia
xxx

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Friday 1 March 2013

give me shelter or show me heart


magenta velvet oversized blouse charity shop / black disco leggings h&m kids / boots new look / silver cross earrings river island

This week has been absolutely mental. I've stayed back for a total of seven hours at school as my coursework deadline approaches for Textiles. So other than that being pretty life-consuming at the moment, I've also been loving the newly-found evening sunlight. I cannot wait for the clocks to change as I simply adore having brighter days.

So this is my new velvet shirt - and such a bargain it was at £3. It was bigger than I expected, with the sleeves quite wide, but it has a nice effect when worn. The colour is definitely striking for me, considering I usually opt for black, grey, navy or plum. The collar is pretty unusual also - it doesn't sit well when tucked down, so I wore it up like a nehru collar. My school shirt from when I lived in India had the nehru style of collar too, which makes sense as it's traditionally worn in China and India. I like bringing that small slice of culture back home with me in London.

I've decided that this weekend I'm going to give in to my urges and buy this pair of Topshop Joni jeans. Everyone is raving about their perfection and after trying them on last week I am totally convinced. For the first time ever they actually fit, usually Topshop jeans gape at the back which is never ideal. I love high waisted clothing also so we're onto a winner. Expect coverage / fantasies soon.

How was your week?

Thalia
xxx
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