Monday 30 July 2012

New Room Wants!

As some of you may or may not know I am moving house in a couple of months. To me the best thing about moving house is getting to decorate my new room. I've been looking around for inspiration and have found a lot of things I want to include in my new from from Next and Ikea. My room now is pink and girly, for my new one I am thinking of making it more grown up and classy (sorry one direction poster, you are coming down..) 
Heart Mirror - Next. Rose wallpaper - Next. Table Lamp - Next. Heart Frames - Next. White Drawer - Ikea
I am loving the Autumn/Winter next home range as there are so many nice things in there that will suit the look I'm going for and most are at fairly reasonable prices. I love the vintage vibe of the lamp and heart shaped mirror, the cream goes well with the wallpaper I'm hoping to get. Originally I was going to paint a feature wall with pale pink and cream stripes but I saw this wallpaper and loved it, I'm going to take a sample of it into homebase and get them to try and match the background colour to paint so I can do the other three walls in it. I have such big plans for my room so there will be some serious shopping trips to Ikea for furniture and next for accessories. Despite the fact I'm not moving in with Josh I have considered him when picking furniture so that he has space to put his things when he's staying round. Plus we are getting our own little "living room" on the second floor which will also need to be decorated and furnished which I'm hoping he might help me with (hint, hint). I will keep you all updated on the house things, if you are interested, including a room tour once I am done! 
XC

Thursday 26 July 2012

And The Winner Is..

I am back from my holiday and ready to announce the winner of these Limited Collection goodies. The giveaway did run a little longer than planned but here is the moment you have all been waiting for, well those of you who entered.. I used random.org to find my winner. 
The winner is.. *insert drum roll here* 


AngieBeautyBelle!
Congratulations Angie, if you could email me at itscharr@gmail.com with your address I will get your prizes sent off to you as soon as possible 
More giveaway's coming soon!
XC

Saturday 21 July 2012

Featured Blogger - Florine!

Florine Marioli is 16 years old and has been blogging over at La Revue De Florine (amazing name) since January this year. She has some quirky style and incredible hair! 


THE BLOG: Florine enjoys sharing her experiences, outfits and trips with other bloggers 
THE BLOGGER: A French girl who loves life, travelling, cooking, fashion, photography and many more!
THE FACTS:
1. I always wear nail lacquers
2. My blackberry follows me everywhere
3. I have curly and really long hair  


Thank you very much Florine for taking part in this feature 


Limited collection make up giveaway running until 24th July! Enter Here! 
XC

Wednesday 18 July 2012

What's In My Travel Make up Bag?

Cath Kidston make up bag
Whilst on holiday I am going for a minimal make up look. By that I mean during the day I am going to be wearing no make up at all and then in the evenings I am only going to wear only eye make up and a lip product. I'm attempting to give my skin a little helping hand to clear up by staying away from any face products.
Lips: Collection 2000 'Cotton Candy/ Barry M 'Shade 4'/ MAC 'Boy Bait'/ MAC 'Abalone' suntint/ 17 Beauty Crush lipstain
Lipsticks: Topshop 'Rio Rio'/ Topshop 'Show Off'/ MAC 'Viva Glam Gaga'/ MAC 'Mellowarm'/ MAC 'Crème cup.
Eyes: MUA pro pallets in Z Pallet/ MAC 'Taupeless'/ NYC 'Metro Quartet'/ MAC 'Zoom Lash. 
Nails: Marks & Spencer 'Mauve' and 'Pink' nail varnish

Limited Collection make up giveaway running until 24th July. Enter Here!
XC

Tuesday 17 July 2012

What's In My Carry On?

Satchel - Forever 21
 Cosmo magazine, Company magazine, Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad for some in flight and sunbathing entertainment.
 Tory Burch sunglasses, Money, Blog book, Lip balm, Hair bands.
 IPad, Headphones, Phone, Camera
 Enough there to keep me entertained whilst on the plane and when I'm sunbathing by the pool!

Limited Collection make up giveaway running until 24th July. Enter Here!
XC

Monday 16 July 2012

Holiday Time!

picture source

By the time you this post goes up and you are reading it I will probably be lying out on a sun bed in the blistering heat of Malta accompanied by my mum, auntie Sharon and cousin Ashleigh. We were on a plane at 6:50am this morning, I haven't seen 4am for a long time so being awake by then killed me! It feels like forever since I've been away so its safe to say that I was very much looking forward to getting away on this holiday. The only downside is a week without my boyfriend who I have seen pretty much every single day for the last like four weeks! safe to say I shall miss him (even if he thinks I wont) Fear not, I have a load of scheduled posts that will be up pretty much every day this week, I'm not sure on the internet situation so I will probably go on a comment replying spree when I get home so don't think I'm rude if I don't reply for a few days! 


Hope you all have a lovely week!
Limited Collection make up giveaway running until 24th July. Enter Here!
XC

Saturday 14 July 2012

Featured Blogger - Angie!

Angie is 26 and has been blogging for a year over at Sexy At Midnight which happens to be one of my favourite blogs full of some seriously well written posts!

THE BLOG: Sexyatmidnight was born one fateful evening when I decided that I wanted to learn more about beauty.  It epitomises femininity and beauty at all hours of the day, which is why it has the name it has.  My blog reviews beauty products, how-to's, general musings, baking and much more.  And I'm glad to anounce OOTD and NOTD posts that will be added soon too.  I also discuss travelling and where I'd like to go.  So please have a look and join me on my travels.


THE BLOGGER: I'm a 20-something South African that moved to the United Kingdom and fell in love with the fashion and beauty here.  I live with my lovely husband (whom I recently married) and work as a scientist.  I'm very girly and would call myself a little magpie, liking anything glittery, pretty or feminine.  My fashion sense is always evolving with a love for classic shapes and glamorous frocks.  I love silks, leather, crystal and much more.  I'm hoping to create my own beauty line very soon and am rigorously working to develop my own brand. 


THE FACTS:
1. I love to travel, I'd literally do it every single day if I could as a hobby. 
2. I only learnt how to drive about 3 years ago, and now drive constantly.
3. I'm obsessed with nail polish and have a pretty decent collection.  My favourite colour in nail polish is turquoise.


Thanks for taking part Angie! 
Limited Collection make up giveaway running until 24th July. Enter here!
XC 

Friday 13 July 2012

CNL: Summer Daze

Marks & Spencer Limited Collection nail varnish in 'Mauve' and 'Bright Pink'
And a shot for those of you with a foot fetish ;)
Kinky.. 
XC

Thursday 12 July 2012

7 Deadly Sins of Beauty!

1. GREED - What is your most INEXPENSIVE item, What is you most EXPENSIVE?  
My most inexpensive item is probably the MUA pallets that I own, £4 for a good quality 12 shade pallet is a massive bargain. I'd say my most expensive is probably going to be my completed MAC pallet, by the time that's full up it will be over £100 worth of product.. Wow that sounds a little crazy when I think about it like that!
2. WRATH - What products do you have a love/hate relationship with, What products have been hardest to get?
I have constant love/hate relationships with foundations. One month I am like "oh my god, this is the best foundation I have ever used" then a few months later I am like "wow, I hate this, time to get a new one" then I will rediscover it and love it again! I find it quite hard to get some OPI nail varnishes as they aren't as widely available in the UK as they are in the US, I love them! 
3. GLUTTONY - What are your most delicious beauty products?
I have a deep pink lipstick from Topshop which smells and tastes like the pink jelly beans, sometimes I use it just because it is so delicious! 
4. SLOTH - What product do you neglect due to laziness?
I am forever ditching eyeshadow and lip products in my everyday make up routine, I really want to start wearing them more but if I'm in a rush I will easily just leave them and do the bare minimum. 
5. PRIDE - What beauty product gives you the most confidence? 
This one is easy, foundation. I hate my skin with a passion so being able to cover it up and almost having flawless skin, even if it is a little fake. It helps to give me some confidence, I don't often go out without make up on.
6 - LUST - What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?
I am a sucker for some beautiful eyes, an adorable smile and some sexy biceps! Yep, definitely describing my boyfriend right now! 
7 - ENVY - What items would you like to receive as a gift? 
Some MAC shadows, a clarisonic and liz earle cleanse and polish.. thanks! ;)

Limited Collection make up giveawy running until 24th July. Enter Here!
XC

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Pre Holiday Outfit Planning!

I hope I'm not alone in saying that I am a serial over packer when it comes to holiday's, I mean who doesn't need 10 pairs of shorts, 8 tops, 3 skirts, 4 dresses and 7 pairs of shoes for a week long holiday!? Apparently this year, that would be me who doesn't need all that. Shame.. I'm flying out to Malta next Monday morning and as we are flying on a budget airline we have to pay for baggage so the less we take the better, because of this I have decided to pre plan my outfits so I only take things I'm actually going to wear and know that everything will go together instead of having a suitcase full of random pieces that don't really go. Smart Char! 
I started out with a massive pile of my 'summer' clothes. Basically a pile of tops and bottoms that can be put together to create some outfits worthy of wearing during the day and in the evening whilst I am away.

Next I separated the pile into piles of tops, bottoms, bikini's and things that could be worn alone.  From there I chose a skirt or pair of shorts then matched it up to something from the top's pile that it goes well with. Once I had created an outfit, added any outerwear and chosen a pair of shoes to go with it I put it together, photographed it on my Ipad then folded it all up together. I started with the evening outfits because I find they are easier to create then from what was left I chose some day time outfits. 
A few examples of what I will wearing during the day and in the evenings. Each outfit is photographed on my Ipad, I'm taking it with me, so that way I know what I put together whilst I'm away.
I hope this kind of helps anyone who has the same packing problems as me!
Limited Collection make up giveaway running until 24th July! Enter Here!
XC

Tuesday 10 July 2012

CNL: Into The Sea!

Barry M 'Denim' Nail varnish
I picked up this little gem of a colour from a clearance basket in superdrug, it cost me £1, bargain! It's something a little different due to it being a denim shade which I don't have in my collection. The slight glitter to it is so pretty and it also comes off super easy! Such a nice colour for the summer season, despite this terrible weather! I forgot to apply a top coat on this however it still lasted a good 4 days before chipping, amazing. 
Limited Collection Make up giveaway running until 24th July. Enter Here!
XC

Sunday 8 July 2012

Limited Collection Make Up + Giveaway!

Marks & Spencer is a store most people would typically associate with older people and to an extent that assumption would be true. However, a while back they took the leap into introducing the Limited Collection range which is targeted at "the younger generation." It offers a fairly good sized range of fashion forward clothing, shoes and accessories at reasonable prices. Recently the Limited Collection branched out into producing a make up line and whilst in store the other day I picked up a few items to give them a try.
 Powder Blush 'Melba' - £4 - Link!
At £4 you couldn't ask for much more from a blush. This is highly pigmented pale pink blush with the slightest amount of glitter in the pan but when swiped on the cheeks no glitter shows up, thus avoiding any awkward "5 year old at a birthday party" glitter faces. The blush is available in 5 shades.
All-In-One Mascara - Black - £5 - Link!
I was pleasantly surprised by this mascara as initially the brush looked a little cheap and the amount of product on the brush was little however once applied to the lashes they instantly looked volumised and lengthened like the tube claims. 
Lipstick - 'Chiffon' - £5 - Link!
First impressions of this lipstick were that the packaging was quite tacky looking however the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" springs to mind here. The lipstick is highly pigmented and glides onto the lips with ease. Staying power is a good few hours before reapplying is needed. The lipsticks come in a range of 22 shades so there is something for everyone.
Nail Varnish mini set - 'Pink Mix' - £6 - Link!
Does this not just scream summer nails at you!? It did for me, hence why I got it! I love the look of these little mini sets, available in two shade sets. The packaging is so nice and goes well with the colours inside. I currently have the purple and pink on my nails right now ready for my holiday. Love these! 

GIVEAWAY TIME!
I am giving away a set of the nail varnishes, mascara and a couple of other surprises to one lucky person! 
How To Enter!
- You MUST be following me on GFC
- Write a comment down below featuring the words 'Enter Me' 
- For an extra entry tweet about the giveaway (@ItsCharrX) something like "Just entered @ItsCharrX's giveaway for a chance to win some limited collection make up" include a link ect.. 
- Giveaway will be running Internationally from Saturday 8th July 2012 until Tuesday 24th July 2012.
Good Luck!
XC

Saturday 7 July 2012

Featured Blogger - Kat!

Kat is a 16 year old blogger who used to co-blog for 8 months with her friend but now runs her own blog Style Hiccup.



THE BLOG: So I would describe my blog as a style blog that generally talks about fashion and where I would recommend to go for great fashion finds. I mainly do outfit posts and sometimes post about my nails as I am obsessed with painting them and usually just talk about what's going on in my life and what music I like.

THE BLOGGER: I am currently studying A-Level Textiles, I quite often go to events revolving around fashion, usually exhibitions and talk at the V&A. Also I really do love listening to music mainly 60's stuff like The Beatles.

THE FACTS: And three random things, umm I love cats, I have an unhealthy addiction to painting my nails and am obsessed with watching The Big Bang Theory. 

Thank you for taking part Kat!
XC

Thursday 5 July 2012

Top Coat Vs No Top Coat

When I paint my nails I sometimes forget to put on a base coat or a top coat and my nails chip pretty quick from the lack of it. However, my nails still chip with the use of a base and top coat so I decided to do a little experiment with some interesting results. I painted my nails around 4 days ago and used a top and base coat on my left hand but not on my right just to see which one chipped first and which one chipped more. I used my new Models Own 3 in 1 base coat, top coat and nail strengthener on the left hand with Barry M fuchsia over the top as featured in my latest CNL.

Left Hand: Base and Top Coat
Right Hand; Just nail varnish

Strangely the left hand with the top/base coat on it chipped first which I wasn't really expecting however I am still wearing the same chipped polish now and the right hand has definitely chipped off more than the nails with the top coat, one nail on my left hand is almost perfect still! Despite the results I'd say a top coat and base coat are a necessity for keeping the nails looking as good as possible for as long as possible. 
XC  

Monday 2 July 2012

Clinique High Impact Mascara!




I'm currently on a little mission to shop my stash because it is massive! I have bought so much make up over the last few months that its about time I started using it all up. I started using the Clinique high impact mascara recently after my last mascara ran out, I am annoyed at myself that I didn't start using it earlier because it is amazing! Clinique claim that this mascara is a "multi benefit mascara that adds maximum volume with definition and length effortlessly" I agree to an extent. At £16 for a full sized tube it's pretty good value for a high end brand and I completely agree with the maximum definition and length which you may be able to see from the above picture, my lashes look super long and defined after just one coat. I find that this mascara really opens up my eyes and would be perfect for creating a doll eyed effect if it was layered a few more times. I don't feel like the lashes are showing "maximum" volume, perhaps with more coats it would but I think two is enough for me! The brush is pretty thick which helps to separate the lashes so there are no awkward joined together lashes or massive clumps, what more do you need!?  
Clinique's high impact mascara is available online and in most boots, debenhams and house of Fraser stores at their clinique counters for around £16.
XC
Not sponsored, purchased by me. Clinique have no idea I'm doing this.