Super Facialist Mask by Una Brennan

For months, probably years even, I've been searching for the perfect face mask for my skin. My skin sounds quite complicated I think, I have an oily t-zone, some sensitivity and it can often be dry in places. It's often quite sore because of my acne cream as well. All of these factors mean it's always tricky to find skincare products that work for me. 

While shopping with my friend Ellen, she pointed this face mask out and suggested I buy it. I can't remember if she said she'd used it before but anyway that's irrelevant. It's called Super facialist by Una Brennan. It's a tea flower deep clean, pore purifying clay mask.

It smells very similar to Lush's 'Cosmetic Catastrophe' mask, which I love but it has to be stored in the fridge and can only be used for about a week before it goes off; very fresh and naturally smelling.

It's a very creamy consistency which creates a lovely smooth coating when applied to the face. It's cools my skin and relaxes me, so it's great to use when you're a bit stressed or are having a bath. I find though that it does sting a little bit when I put it on at first, but I think this is because it's just opening my pores and cleansing my skin. I've found a lot of face masks (even ones used when getting a facial) sting initially, but it disappears after about a minute. It also contains salicylic acid which helps to treat any spots (this doesn't help treat actual acne though, that needs proper acne treatment).

It washes off really easily when I use warm water and a flannel and afterwards leaves my skin feeling amazingly soft and fresh.. almost kind of bouncy if that makes sense, like it puts the life back into it and refreshes it. I recommend anyone tries this, as my skin seems to cover all bases in terms of dryness, oiliness and sensitivity and it really works for me!  

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day whatever you're up to :)

Charlie x

Coral Crazy Charlie

WELL. I had planned to post my summer favourites today, but apparently my draft post decided to delete half of what I'd written. I hate technology.. even though I bet it was actually my fault and I forgot to save my draft. Anyway. That'll be up tomorrow hopefully once I've written it again tonight. *sighs in despair* 

Little rant over anyway, let's not be negative that isn't fun!

When I got paid at the end of September I had a browse on the River Island website as they had 10% off for students for a limited time. I found a couple of things that took my fancy and clicked add to basket. They arrived a couple of days ago and I'm not keeping the skirt I bought.. I don't need another skater skirt and don't want to spend money just for the sake of it when I could find something I love instead (or save it like a good girl). However! I did buy an amazing coral jumper.

(Side note. I'm starting to experiment with wearing my fringe off my face now.. getting a bit bored with the same hairstyles all the time. A bit indecisive about whether to keep it or grow it out...)

On the website it looked completely different. It was bright orange. I mean BRIGHT orange. But it was described as coral. Either way I thought I'll give it a shot and see if the colour suits me, as I need to get out of my rut of wearing navy, grey and black constantly now it's getting colder. I have to say I love this colour! It's a lot more pink/ salmon/ coral than it was on the website and I definitely prefer it to the colour in the website's picture, but still river island please sort out your photos that could be awfully misleading. 

There's a link to it right here, click away if you fancy. Is it just my eyes deceiving me or is that not orange.

I'm going to love wearing this throughout the autumn and winter to add a pop of colour. It'll be perfect to wear with jeans, skirts, with a leather jacket on top, a coat, with collars poking out at the top like I have in the photo. So many options!

 Thanks for reading and have a lovely day whatever you're up to :)

Charlie x

P.S. there was a lovely girl called Annie who I got talking to in the comments of my last post. If you're reading Annie, thank you so much. Your comments really made my day and spurred me on. Thanks to anyone who's read, followed or clicked +1 recently! x

Wake Me Up.. When September Ends

Today my lovely people, I thought I'd just have a little chat with you. That's why I originally started blogging after all; to just have a ramble to anyone who gives up their valuable time to read!

So as you're all probably aware (I hope you are anyway) September is drawing to a close, hence the title. I love September.. it's that lovely phase between summer and autumn where it's still sunny but cooler and I can start to wear cardigans. I love me a good cardigan. Although I love warmth and sun, I'm definitely a autumn and winter lover. Cosiness, hot chocolate, blankets and walks in the park appeals to me so much more than sunbathing. I sound so old oh my goodness.

I thought since summer is now officially over, in my opinion anyway I don't know if it actually is, I'd just share with you some photos of my favourite summer moments. In a few days time I'll be doing a summer favourites of the beauty products, clothes and some random bits I've loved over the summer. But, without getting too mushy and 'ew-grab-a-bucket-that's-just-cheesy' it's the memories that are the most important (too late. Grab your bucket).

Parties in the garden with friends

Ben and Laura- two of my favourite people <3

My big brother's prom. Look how smart he looks bless him.

Ellie's birthday meal. Tara's turtle neck never fails to make me laugh!

 

Prom. 'OH WHAT A NIGHT!' *sings to herself*

Grease singalong at an outdoor cinema night. 'GREASE IS THE WORD IS THE WORD THAT YOU HEARD' *sings to herself again*

 Sunset in Cape Cod with friends

Being reunited with Hannah. I hadn't seen her for three years as she lives in America, but we've been friends since birth! I have to say pushing her in a trolley in Target (a wonderland by the way) was an experience.

On the boat into New York City, Freedom Tower in the background

 The best birthday I've ever had

 Meeting one on my biggest idols, Lindsay Mendez, at the stage door of Wicked on Broadway on my birthday as well as Derek Klena, a beautiful and oh so amazingly talented man. Will never forget that night!

Photos with my pesky little brother and going on my first ever roller coaster on a day out with both of my darling siblings.

Night in with some of my friends. I met my friend Caitlin's puppy for the first time, the cutest dog ever- Ambrose- eating Chinese and laughing till we cried. Alex took a photo with the takeaway delivery guy... it was a special moment.

That's just a selection of some amazing moments I've had this summer. Since I finished school very early this year after finishing my GCSEs, my summer was 3 months long, there's been so many fun experiences that I couldn't possibly talk about all of them! Even this was long enough really ;)

Hope you all had a brilliant summer and have a lovely autumn and winter too!

General summer favourites to come in a couple of days. Lots of love and thanks for following if you're one of those wonderful people who has!

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day whatever you're up to :)

Charlie x

OOTE- Monochrome Florals and Ankle Boots

On Friday night I went to an 18th birthday party at a friend's house and had such a fun night. I didn't really know what to wear! Some people were dressing up, some definitely weren't.. meaning I was stuck trying to work out what would be best to wear. 

After I'd emptied almost my entire wardrobe onto the floor, I went for the classic smart/casual look- jeans, pretty top and small heels. So here's a few pictures..

(Sorry for the bad quality :( I took these when I got back and it was dark and horrible.. moral. TAKE OUTFIT PICTURES BEFORE YOU LEAVE!)

Shirt- Primark

Jeans- Topshop

Boots- Primark

Coat- New Look

Bag- Primark

Earrings- Primark

(You can tell I practically live in Primark)

An occasional selfie does no harm :D

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day whatever you're up to :)

Charlie x

What's in my Make-Up Bag- School

 I'm on a blogging spree this evening and feeling crazily motivated, full of ideas and hopeful that I stay in this frame of mind, having blogger's block is a horrible thing!

Today's post is, as you've probably guessed by the title (durrr Charlie), a 'What's in my Make-Up Bag'. This is the make-up bag I carry all my bits and pieces in at school. I don't think I actually take what you'd call a lot of make-up to school, just the important stuff. The actual bag is from Topshop and was featured in a haul I posted on Sunday if you want to hear about it in more detail.

Let's crack on then, shall we!

Face Products

• Elf Powder Brush- This is the powder brush I carry around with me. I use the Real Techniques one at home but that's a bit big to carry around! This does the job brilliantly and is a make-up bag friendly sized brush.
• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder- This is in the shade 'transparent' and I've used it daily for nearly a year now. It gets rid of any nasty shine but doesn't make me look cakey at all so I love it dearly (as you can see.. I've hit pan majorly now!)
• Mac Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer- I bought this in New York in February 2012 in the shade NW20 and am still using it now! It's quite a creamy consistency in the pot but quite matte on the skin I find. This is especially good for spots, not as good for under the eyes really.

Lips

•  Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balms- I have an excessive amount of lip products in this bag wow. These two lips balms are fabulous. The blue one is called 'hydrate' and the orange one is called 'cherry me.' They're both so nourishing and makes my lips feel so soft. The scent of the cherry one is lovely as well.
• Topshop Lipstick 'Beehive'- This lipstick was also featured in the haul I put up on Sunday. It's a gorgeous soft pink colour that's so wearable day to day, not too bold and in your face. It's very creamy and stays on so well.
• Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss- This lip gloss is an odd one. It claims to be lip plumping, which I don't really think it does, but I love the sensation of it tingling! I also love the smell, it almost smells chocolaty and I love me some chocolate. I've been wearing this over the lipstick and it produces such a nice glossy gentle pink colour.

 Lotions and Potions

•  Soap and Glory Hand Maid Antibacterial Gel- I find this so useful at school when you've been running your hands down banisters and grabbing door handles. Sometimes it's nice to just use this a feel a bit cleaner! Plus the smell is so fruity and makes me go mmmmmmmm.
• Soap and Glory Hand Food Hand Cream- This has been an absolute holy grail item for me for years now (there's a blogging idea!). It's one of my favourite smells ever so I'm slapping a bit on. The texture is so smooth and makes my hands so soft. I need this so much over the winter especially!
• Batiste Dry Shampoo, Blush- You never know when your hair's going to look a bit yucky and greasy. Especially for me, now I do practical dance lessons 4 times a week at school, my hair sometimes needs a bit of assistance. So I love carrying a mini one of these with me.
• Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Mini- This came with my 30ml bottle I got last year, I don't think you can buy mini ones like this by themselves. Wonderstruck is my favourite EVER perfume so I find it a must to carry a bit with me.

 Miscellaneous Bits

These things are pretty much self-explanatory I think! Hairbrush, mirror, hair bobbles and grips, shine eraser sheets (fabulous inventions) and a nail file.

How do I always manage to ramble so much! I just read this back and realised how much I'd written :S I need to learn to get to the point.

Anyway!

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day whatever you're up to :)

Charlie x

September Haul- Topshop, New Look, H&M

Hello beautiful people!

So last week I posted a few bits I'd bought recently from Primark. Today I thought I'd share some bits I've bought over the past few weeks from Topshop, New Look and H&M. It's not a huge haul, but I thought I'd still show them to you; I'm pretty sure everyone loves a bit of a haul ;)

New Look- Grey Boyfriend Jacket, £34.99

I found this in the autumn preview on the New Look Website and waited around a month to be able to buy it and included it in my autumn/winter fashion wishlist (link here). Was it worth it?.. YES. It fits me so well and still has room for a jumper underneath. I rolled up the sleeves myself so you don't have to have it like that obviously, I just like that look. This is perfect for the cooler 'transition' days to throw on with a casual or smarter outfit.

Topshop- Ikat Make Up Bag, £8

I saw this on fashionrocksmysocks' blog and youtube channel (link to her here) and she persuaded me within minutes that I needed it. The pattern and colours are gorgeous and it's the perfect size for me to use for school. I'll be doing a what's in my make up bag post in a few days showing what I take in this to school. I love those posts personally.

 Topshop- Leather Chelsea Boots, £45

In my wishlist, I showed some Chelsea boots, also from topshop, that I loved. They were almost exactly the same but £20 more expensive. They didn't have my size in those ones in my local Topshop, so a lovely lady who worked there showed me these. They're a- comfier, b- cheaper and c- a nicer material. I've worn these already with skirts and jeans and they work with both so I'm over the moon!

H&M- Black T-Shirt Tunic Dress, £7.99

I needed a long, plain black top to wear to work and couldn't find anything when I went shopping. In the second H&M I went into, I found this little steal. I wear this for a long shift where I move around a lot and it's soooo comfy and soft. I wear it with leggings and a cardigan and feel so snug at work now!

Topshop- Nail Polish 'One Hot Minute', £5

Everyone hypes up Topshop's nail polishes and I bought my first one a couple of weeks ago! I chose this deep raspberry pink colour called 'One Hot Minute'. It's such a pretty colour and I'm very impressed with the nail polish itself- it lasted really well and only needed one coat. Nice on Topshop!

Topshop- Lipstick 'Beehive', £8

Like the nail polishes, Topshop's lipsticks are raved about so when I got paid I decided to spend a bit more on a good quality lipstick. I chose the colour 'Beehive', a very soft pink colour, one of those 'your lips but better' colours I reckon. It's a very wearable colour that I've worn at school recently. It's creamy and nourishing and generally lovely.

Not an particularly large haul this time, like I said, but hope you enjoyed that! Hauls are my favourite posts to write I think!

I'm getting into the swing of sixth form now and loving A-Levels. It's so much more enjoyable to be at school when you're only studying subjects you really love. I'm keeping on top of my work and all my other stuff that's going on at the moment but blogging is a nice way to relax and unload still.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day whatever you're up to :)

Charlie x

A Wee Word of Warning

Bon soir!

 Just a quickie post today to have a chat about a couple of things really.

Today (it's currently Friday night while I'm writing this) was my first day in sixth form and my first day of- I can't quite believe it- A-Levels. If anyone reading isn't from England (that would excite me) and you don't know what I'm rambling about, A-Levels are what you study for your final two years of secondary school. I've chosen to take: Music, Drama, Dance and English Literature (such an artiste darling).

A-Levels involve a hell of a lot of work, as my family, teachers and older friends keep trying to drill into me. As well as inevitably getting tonnes of homework, I have my part-time job every Saturday, piano lessons (and practise to do), ballet lessons (and practise to do) and in a few weeks will hopefully be starting the school musical *faints with excitement*. I get stressed so easily and know there will be several points over the foreseeable future where I'm going to be finding everything too overwhelming. 

The point I want to make is that I am still going to be blogging as much as I can, but my school work has to come first. I'm enjoying blogging so much, it's letting me unload my thoughts somewhere and to be able to see on the little bloglovin button that there are people actually following and reading my chatter makes it even more worthwhile.

I hope I'm going to be able to blog at least twice a week, most likely I will post on a Sunday evening (when I will sit down and blog after doing homework) and pre-write another to go up during the week. If I manage to do more some weeks then fabulous! 

Basically, just a word of warning that if I seem a bit more infrequent with my posting patterns, it's for a good reason. However I shall still be here, full of opinions and ideas to talk to you about. If you have been one of those spectacular people who has clicked 'Follow via bloglovin' up on the right there, then honestly I am sending you a bit fat hug wherever you are with lots of love and sprinkles on top <3

First day of Sixth Form- don't I look concerned

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day whatever you're up to :)

Charlie x

Primark Haul- September 2013

For the past say.. 2 months, I've done a fair bit of shopping; the perks of having a part-time job now! I've been online buying a few things over recent weeks and then actually got up, went out and shopped in the real world and not on the internet. It is possible my dear people! This haul shall be just of the things I found in Primark, everyone's favourite bargain-filled shop of beauty, and there'll be another haul in the very near future showing you the things I bought from other shops. I actually couldn't find as much in Primark as I normally can- my primark seems to be in that nasty' transition between seasons' stage.. anyone else have this in their local primark at the mo?

 Blue Tribal Earrings- £2

Suppose these are slightly summery, but blue looks lovely all year round in my opinion. These are going to be used repeatedly to brighten up outfits over the winter I feel. 

 Gold and Silver Rings- £3
This set of three rings caught my eye when browsing the jewellery. Each of them looks rather vintage and interesting: the top one, a brassy gold with a band of flowers, the middle one, a silver woven pattern and the bottom one, a shinier gold with a band of gold daisies. Love them!

Floral Bow Hair Bobble- £1

This absolute steal is so pretty and girly. I apologise that it doesn't have the label on in the picture, I couldn't wait to wear it! The bow is made of a smooth, patent plastic material and it looks so cute perching on the top of a bun or a ponytail to add a bit of something different and colourful to what may look like a simple everyday hairstyle.

Tan Saddle Bag- £9

I've been looking for a brown 'day to day' bag for months now and thought this one was perfect. The cutout detailing gives it a little something different and it's perfect size. It even has the prettiest lining I think I've ever seen in a primark bag! Plus, it a separate zip up compartment in it, brilliant for keeping your phone safe when out and about.

Silver Stretchy Watch- £5

I haven't had a watch since I was about 12 and decided getting one might help get me into an organised mindset, at school especially. This one is so comfy to wear and the fact that it's stretchy means there's no buckling hassle. The hearts around the clock face give it a very girly touch as well.

 Monochrome Floral Oversized Shirt- £12

This shirt is stunning and has a gorgeous floral pattern, very topshop-esque I feel. The material is so smooth and floaty, quite sheer though. I love the dip hem- it dips right down to almost the back of my knees and I think it just feels so flattering. It's also VERY oversized; I got a size 6 and it still looks very oversized, but that's how it's supposed to look so I ain't complanining! I cannot wait to wear this with jeans, skirts or even just leggings and boots in the winter.

Dark Blue Pinafore Dress- £12

I recently found a dark blue denim pinafore skater dress in Topshop, the price of which is £38! I held back from spending this in the hope of finding a cheaper alternative. THANKS PRIMARK! This cheeky find obviously isn't as good quality as the topshop one, but it fits me so well and is exactly what I wanted. I'll be wearing this for months, most probably with tights over the colder seasons.

Cornflower Blue Cropped Jumper- £10

This has been my favourite colour for around 6 months now and so I couldn't resist this little number. I'm a very jumper person as I love being cosy and warm. This will also add a pop of colour to my winter wardrobe, a colour which I thought was very 'Bikini-so-teeny' don't you think?! Bring on A/W I say.

 

Forest Green Skater Skirt- £8

Primark skater skirts are an absolute dream. True, the belts aren't much cop but the skirts themselves are fandabbydozy (spell check loved that one!). It has quite a ribbed feel to the material, but it's not stiff in the slightest, still very flowy and soft. This is one of the most perfect Autumnal colours and can't wait to wear it with tights and ankle boots. 

I did get a fair few other little bits as I always seem to do in the land of Primark, but to be honest they're pretty simple things like tights and socks and travel liquids bottles, so thought I'd spare you the trouble of scrolling through the boring bits.

Another haul to come in a few days with some bits I've picked up from Topshop, New Look and H&M!

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day whatever you're up to :)

Charlie x 

DISCLAIMER

Everything in this post has been bought with my own money. All opinions are my own. I don't do hauls to brag; I do them because I, along with many other people out there, enjoy them and like seeing what's in the shops (especially primark).