Playing with Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Lavish Lilac

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Lavish Lilac

I don't know what it is, maybe it's that i'm putting so much creativity into everything else that my personality tends to lack but when i'm in Southampton i feel like all my creativity is sucked out. I can't be bothered with my hair, with my make up or my clothes a lot of the time. However, when i come home i so look forward to playing around with my make up again; trying new things and making an effort.

For Christmas i was lucky enough to receive a Boots voucher and with that i bought a few Clinique products, one being the Chubby Stick Shadow Tint in Lavish Lilac. I saw the lovely Essie Button talking about this what feels like forever ago, but it stuck in my mind all this time as it's really different to anything i own already. It's actually a beautiful grey/purple colour and is perfect for a wash of colour over the lids, or also as a base from something heavier. I love wearing this on it's own for just a little something day to day. I wash it all over and then concentrate a little more in the middle, to catch the light. It's perfect for me as it's just not too much, and is a lovely way to ease into applying eye products. It looks beautiful for something a bit more during the day with bare lips and lots of mascara or paired with my favourite purple lippy from YSL or something more nude.

K|xo

Laying it Bare: Working with my Skin

This will probably be the most honest blog post i ever write.

Since i can remember, i have never really been happy with my skin. I have sensitive, acne-prone, oily, combination skin. I have been plagued with breakouts and those pesky under-the-skin blemishes for a long, long time. Now, i probably have a day at a time where i think, "my skin's not looking bad today". I tend to go from one bad blemish to the next. I am on some tablets prescribed from the doctor but i don't really feel they're doing anything, and i will be going back for further consultations.

I thought today, i would share with you my skin and how i handle it, because your skin is important and it's one of those things you can't really get away from.

As i said, my skin is oily/combination and i've come to learn that it's fairly sensitive, and acne-prone. I've used many things over the years that has made my skin a lot worse. I had to find out the hard way that i'm actually allergic to Benzyl Peroxide, as i was prescribed something containing said product from the doctor and it actually burnt my skin. If you look closely around my mouth, you can see the line where my skin was burnt and were i didn't put the cream. My skin is actually a lot redder now, thanks to the burn from that cream. I also can't use a lot of products that some bloggers love, such as the La Roche Posey Effaclar Duo as again it burns my skin. I have now got some new cream from the doctor that does help to clear up bad bouts of skin, but it does dry my skin out and i have to moisturise heavily afterwards. My under-eyes, thanks to my sensitivity, can get sore from time to time and i have to use some moisturising eye cream to help combat that. My most troublesome spots are my cheeks and more recently around my mouth.

CHEEKS

You can see from these images the three types of spots that i suffer from, at the top you can see the red ones that often scar, in the middle you may notice that all over my skin i have tiny, little bumps on my skin and at the bottom is a red, under the skin spot. If you run your hands over my skin, you can feel lots of little bumps all over. I have no idea why, or what they are but that's something i really hate about my skin. It never feels completely smooth, even if i have no terrible blemishes. They don't come to a head, nothing happens - they're just always there. The under the skin ones are probably the worst, they don't really come to a head but they're really, really sore. Even if i don't touch them i can always feel them. I tend to get bad skin on one cheek worse than the other skin too, which is i suppose better than having awful skin on both. I find that by not overloading my skin with make up is better for it too. I don't actually use foundation, i just use concealer all over instead but honestly, i find it really hard to cover a lot of my bad skin and just have to deal with it.

I try to use a lot of tea tree products on my cheeks, i find that it's fairly soothing as may tea tree products also have ingredients such as aloe, and it's not super harsh on my sensitive skin. It does sometimes take longer to see results, but it brings them on without drying out my skin or making it any more sore.

CHIN & MOUTH

Getting bad skin around my mouth is more of a new thing for me, i keep getting bumps, white heads and under the skin nasties in the corners of my mouth and also on the sides of chin. I think these ones always look extra nasty, especially as recently i've gotten into wearing bright lips and that just draws attention.

I try to stick to tea tree here too, the skin is very sensitive in this area but the cream prescribed from the doctor is use very frequently on the sides of my chin as there's usually larger surface area break outs rather than one spot.

FOREHEAD

My forehead is my least troublesome area. The skin hear is not as sensitive as the rest of my face, and although i also have a lot of the little bumps here i don't have as many break outs here and i don't really get the under the skin kind here either.

I don't tend to use any other spot saving products here, other than when i do my skincare routine. I use go between using a Superdrug Tea Tree Facial Wash and the Good Things Stay Clear Cleanser, as well as the St. Ives Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub a few times a week, or when i feel i need it, and the Boots Skin Clear Treatment Wash. I try not to overload my skin with too much, as i just don't think it helps. I don't really use face masks too often either, as a lot of the time i feel they dry out my skin further and then i end up with more problems.

I hope you appreciate my honesty here! I just feel like sometimes it's nice to show others that they're not on their own, and i really struggle with my skin too. I would love your advice on how to deal with troublesome skin too!

K|xo

The Topshop Mambos

Topshop Mambo Lace-Up Chunky Boots in Black

So, i missed out on the Allegras and the Ambush, but this time i found the perfect Topshop boot for me.

My problem is that because i'm tall, i do have bigger feet - i'm about a 7 and a half - but they're ridiculously skinny too. I have such a problem with finding shoes and boots to fit. When i'm buying flats, they have to have a strap, or a T-bar, or laces, or an ankle strap and boots almost always have to lace up, occasionally i can rock a zip but i certainly can't wear a slip on, oh no. My poor, little feet just can't keep 'em on. 

I've really been wanting some chunky, heeled boots for a while now and i've been scouring the High Street for the perfect pair. I found a pair in New Look that i was very close to buying, but there was just something about them that put me off. They were very stiff material, with a really hard heel which isn't my favourite kind - i'm all about the comfort. So, when i spied the Topshop Mambos on the website i just knew they were the ones for me. They looks soft, and comfortable, AND they had laces. I love that the sole is chunky, and has great grip on the bottom, and rather than being really hard heels they're more like a rubber material. 

They are insanely comfortable and thanks to the platform on the front, the heel isn't quite as high but they're not actually all too high in the first place. They're perfect for everyday or for something a little more casual for the evening. I love pairing them with jeans, leggings and i love the way they make dresses and skirts a little more edgy. I love wearing dresses and skirts when the weather is nicer, but i'm not the most girliest of girls so having some shoes to toughen up some of my more girlier pieces is a lovely addition. Although they're black, i actually wear black shoes all year round and these could definitely be worn with cute, bright frilly socks and bare legs or with tights too. They're so versatile, and i'm looking forward to getting creative with them in the coming season.

K|xo

#StudentLife: Working from Home

As i'm coming to the end of my life as a working-at-home student, i thought i'd just share with you some snaps i've taken over the past month. I've really gotten back into taking photographs, and i've found myself snapping away here and there recently. I love going out and photographing beautiful sunsets, and nature, and people but taking pictures of the mundane, everyday is also quite interesting. So, here are some images that sum up my working at home life.

 Chicken, Bacon, Feta & Pepper Pasta

Spreading Out

 Copious cups of tea by 11:30am

 Printing on printing on printing

 Taking a break, watching Pretty Little Liars during Lunch

Watching me some Youtube all-day err-day, here is some Essiebutton

K|xo

Revlon Colourburst Lacquer Balm in Provocateur

Revlon Colourburst Lacquer Balm in Provocateur

Yes, yes another chubby stick style product, i know - i think i have a problem! I'd seen too much about these ones all over the blogs and Youtube not to pick one up to try for myself and i think i've fallen in love!

I really do love this product. Yet another chunky pencil lip product to add to my collection, and now i honestly need every colour. I'm really not a matte lip product fan so i won't ever go for the Revlon Colourburst Matte Balms but the lacquer balms are right up my street. I have to say that they're not super glossy, but they have some shine to them and really sit on the lips nicely. They seem to melt into the lips and leave a beautiful, smooth result rather than sitting.

I wanted to go for a colour that was really different to anything else that i have, so i went for the shade Provocateur which is a bright red shade that when swatched seems to have a pink tone. It's bright and really packs a punch, and i would say that the finish is sort of a velvet/satin. Like i said, it's not super glossy like a lipgloss and it's not at all sticky. It's a beautiful finish, and i think this is one of the nicest chunky pencil lip products in the drugstore.

The packaging is also beautiful, a shiny metal look in the colour of the lip product but i have heard that they are easily scratched, but most of my lip products sit in my make up storage rather than in my make up bag so i don't really see that issue. If, like me, you love the chunky lip products then i almost insist you get some of these to add to your collection - i know i need some more shades.

K|xo