Winter Clothes Wishlist | Blogmas | Day Nine

As Winter is here it's time to put my Summer clothes away and bring out my scarfs, wooly jumpers and fluffy coats! So, I started looking about on the internet and in shops for the perfect Winter warmers. I'm loving the dark reds and greys this year, it's definitely those colours I've been reaching out for whenever I get ready!  Here is what I've found and fallen in love with! 

Dark Red Chunky Knitted Scarf | River Island

Knit Jumper | Boohoo

Steve Madden Woodstock Boots | Asos

Fur Gilet | Asos

Faux Fur Cape | Very.co.uk

Leather Dress | Miss Selfridge at Very.co.uk

Red Cable Knit Bobble Hat | New Look

Black Suede Skirt | New Look

Turtle Neck Jumper Dress | Pretty Little Thing

What are your staple Winter pieces? Let me know in the comments below! 

My 'Go To' Beauty Books.

Tanya Burr - Love, Tanya

Fleur De Force - The Glam Guide

Lauren Conrad - Beauty

Without social media these days us beauty lovers old and new wouldn't have the first clue on the latest trends and how to make that perfect smokey eye. I remember a few years ago I'd spend hours on youtube and blogs trying out new make up and hair ideas wishing I could make it look that good, then a week later completely forgetting where I saw that video or blogpost and then beginning my search all over again.

These days though talented beauty bloggers and youtubers are releasing their own beauty books which I'm ecstatic about as I'd rather sit and cosy up with a good read than sit in front of a computer screen all day searching for something which I might never find. 

My top three beauty books are my own personal opinion. All three are completely different and give us a completely different outlook on their lives, beauty, hair and skincare routines, fitness routines and blogging tips, which for me is a plus! 

If you are interested in starting a youtube or blog or even just wanting some tips on beauty related ideas I'd definitely give these books a read!

 Links to buy these books are above!

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CHANEL | Les 4 Ombres Palette | Tissé Vénitien

I recently went on a massive shopping spree and picked up this little beauty from House of Fraser. As soon as I tried these colours I knew I'd be walking out the shop with this in my hand! 

I picked this because of the smokey and metallic shades, and I know metallic shades make my blue eyes stand out. I was however unsure of this at first as I never use blue eye shadows but I thought I'd go out my comfort zone and try something different.  

This palette is available here or at any other high end make up stores. You can get this palette in other shades and they also come in different effects, matte, satin, and metallic. They also glide on smoothly and don't crease. It is a little pricey at £40 but every girl needs to splurge and this definitely is worth the money. This palette is a compact size with a good sized mirror and comes with two eye shadow applicators and a black Chanel sleeve. 

Do you have a Chanel palette and if so which one? Would love to know other ones I can try out! 

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Warby Parker | Winter Collection

Warby Parker recently contacted me and asked if i would blog about there Winter collection of glasses, i happily agreed and here are some of there amazing collection! Make sure to go onto there website and look, it's definitely not a let down and it's very affordable to! http://www.warbyparker.com/winter-collection-2013

Warby Parker recently teamed up with Leith Clark to put together 5 absolutely divine frames called Marva, Greta, Aurora, Wednesday, and Willow. Every pair of glasses sold, a pair go to someone in need. It's not just these glasses they sell, they sell a huge range of guys and women so i'd definitely go and check them out!

These gorgeous glasses are $150 ( £90.81) and are such a beautiful buy! I definitely would love a pair for my collection! My favourite pair are Aurora, vintage and just my type! What are yours!? Let me know! 

ALSO why not send someone you love a gift card for a late Christmas present or a birthday present! You can get gift cards from $50 to $150 and can buy from online or in store! With your gift card you also receive a 'Make a snowman kit' or if you don't live in a cold, snowy area a kit for your selected climate! How awesome is that? Check them out now, you are definitely missing out! 

Karina xoxo

Boohoo Wishlist | Blogmas Day 6

Lace Prom Dress  £30 // Velvet Tartan Skater Dress £15 // Swing Dress £12 

Lace Playsuit £25 // Velvet Midi Skirt £12 // Waffle Coated Leggings £12 

Tartan Peplum Top £18 // Parka £55 // Cut Out Ankle Boot £35

I'm loving these items of clothing for the winter and party season. My bank card will be VERY empty once i buy some of these items. What is your favourite!?

Karina xoxo

5 Christmas Jumper to Wear This Season | Blogsmas Day 5

This is the time to dig out Christmas jumpers or if not buy some. I have bought a lot lately for work and thought i'd share some lovely ones you could buy that i loved.

Gingerbread Man Jumper - Topshop £42
Red and White Reindeer Jumper - Asos  £30
Mint and White Jumper - New Look  £27.99

Black Light Up Reindeer Jumper - New Look £29.99
Black, Red and White Jumper - Urban Outfitters £50

The Liebster Award.

I couldn't believe it when i received a tweet saying i had been nominated for the 'Leibster award' which means sweetest, nicest and dearest and German is rewarded to blogs with just over 200 followers or less, to help them along in blogging and to spread the word. I read blogs daily, and put time and effort into my blog so to be nominated this was rewarding! I got nominated by the lovely Bella from Miss Bella Blogs , make sure to give a look and follow!

The Leibster Award means sweetest, nicest and dearest and German



Everybody can take part in this, and here is how:

The rules:

• Post the award on your blog
• Thank the blogger who presented you the award and link to there blog
• Write 11 random facts
• Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers
• Answer 11 questions from the blogger who awarded you
• Leave 11 questions for you nominee to answer

11 random facts about myself. 

1. I spent all my money on beauty products and gig tickets.

2. I met Johnny Depp about 4 years ago, he was lovely and got something signed to!

3. My favourite beauty brands are MAC and bareMinerals

4. My dog, Spencer is my world, very sad, i know but he makes me soo happy!

5. My dream job would to be a make up artist for the famous.

6. I hate my own voice, so haven't plucked up the courage yet to start a youtube account.

7. My favourite youtubers are, Zoella, Sprinkleofglitter, Pointlessblog and Dollybowbow.

8. I am obsessed with McFly, it will be my 14th time seeing them live, and met them twice!

9. In love with How i met your mother and Neil Patrick Harris.. yum.

10. I'm an only child.

The 11 facts i was given to answer:

1. What are my favourite accessories? Rings and bracelets. I don't think i have ever gone a day without wearing my pandora rings and i wear my festival and Mcfly wristbands every day also.

2. What is your favourite time of year? Christmas. Easy as that. Everyone is jolly and all the fairy lights make everything look prettier.

3. What is your favourite animal? Penguins, they are so beautiful and if i could own one i would!

4. What is your favourite quote? "The secret to a long-term relationship is perseverance. It's so easy to want to give up when things are rough, you have to remember it's just temporary - the good stuff is around the corner" - Tom Fletcher

5. What is your favourite flower? Pink roses

6. What is your favourite nail varnish? I don't have a specific favourite, but i'm loving Essie.

7. What is your favourite beauty brand, high end and high street? High end: MAC. High Street: Maybelline.

8. What would you like to do that you can't do at the moment? Learn my ukulele, i have a pink one, but got no time to learn it at the moment.

9. Pastel or Neon? Pastel.

10. What is your favourite TV show? How i met your mother or Big bang theory.

11. What is your favourite blog to read? Zoella.

The 11 random facts for my nominees.

1. Favourite Beauty blogger?

2. Favourite Fashion blogger?

3. Youtube or Blogger?

4. Favourite musician?

5. Heels or flat?

6. Lipstick or lipgloss

7. Favourite high end brand and why?

8. Favourite shop?

9. A product or piece of clothing you couldn't live without?

10. Your ideal job?

11. Why did you start blogging?

My nominees.

1. http://www.kelseydawnblogs.com/

2. http://hannahheartss.blogspot.co.uk/

3.http://clothescircus.blogspot.co.uk/

4. http://www.bekylou.com/

5. http://bamblingsofnaffy.blogspot.co.uk/

Most blogs have way over 200, so these are my top five. Enjoy girls!

bareMinerals review.

I've had these foundations in my makeup collection for about 2 years now! They were actually the first piece of expensive make up I ever owned! I have one old set and a new set, they are all the exact same colours so i'll concentrate on the new one as it's the most recent and also the bareMinerals primer! These are my new best friend as honestly, I forgot I had these! So I've been using these for the past 2 months now and my skin has completely cleared up and I just love how you can't tell that you have any foundation on! 

So to make it a tad easier I've listed them all above with the colours, and going to go into detail so you know what to expect if you do buy these! 

Primer: I use this a lot! I put it on most times before applying foundation so it will last longer throughout the day! I SWEAR by this stuff! You just need to add the smallest amount, rub evenly on your face and ta-daa you are all set! £21 at BareMinerals.co.uk

Spf 20 Concealer: I use this to cover up my blemishes mostly, as it doesn't really work on my dark circles under my eyes as I have quite bad circles due to very early starts at work, so I have to use something more high coverage. This is the pot I use most of and sadly I'm running out, so definitely going to purchase more! £19 at bareMinerals.co.uk

Original Mineral Veil: You add this beauty after you apply your mineral foundations. You may think it doesn't make any difference what so ever to add a powder over your foundation but it definitely does! It makes you less shiny, and it gives your face that gorgeous finish! This is £20 on bareMinerals.co.uk.

Fairly Light Foundation and Light Foundation: I bought fairly light and light foundation as I wasn't sure what colour I'd be! I'm very pale so didn't want to get just one and be orange so the safer option was to get both! I actually now mix these together as it is the perfect shade for my face! They are so high coverage and just a little drop on the lid (as seen above) covers your whole face! A definite must have product! £25 each at bareMinerals.co.uk

Warmth all over face colour: You can use this as a blusher and bronzer it's that brilliant! I use it all over my face, just lightly, to add a healthy colour to my face so it feels like I have a gorgeous glow and looks like I've been on holiday for a good week! Amazing right!? £19 at bareMinerals.co.uk.

It's such a great investment and you definitely are missing out if you don't own these! You can buy them in kits on there website for £40-£50 with about 4-5 pots and 2-4 brushes so you are saving a lot of money! What do you think of bareMinerals?

Karina xoxo

Do magazine's really need to photoshop celebrities?

We walk into a shops and all around us are models and celebrity photos splashed all over magazines, papers and billboards. As much as we all deny it, we always take a sneek peek and secretly wish we could look like that person and go out our way to buy the clothes and make up they wear, or in extreme circumstances get treatment done to our bodies!

Each and every one of us go through magazines and papers and forget that the people we see in those have indeed been airbrushed and photoshopped. It's just normal to look at them and forget that they have been touched up! We sit and stare at ourselves in the mirror and think 'why can't i look like them' or 'i'm ugly, i need to change to look like that person, then i'll get noticed'. What is this world coming to? We are all perfect in our own way! Everybody has flaws, even if you can only see your own, we all do, even if this person is a model and to you, looks gorgeous and flawless.

I was so happy to pick up a copy of the magazine 'new!' and see that Sam Faiers from The Only Way Is Essex and Carol McGiffin from Loose Woman took action and done a photoshoot without being airbrushed. Just stood there and took photos which showed flaws in them which before we couldn't see! The photo's in the interview are unbelievable! They literally change every little thing about that person, so you could be looking at your icon, favourite actress or actor like you know what they look like, but really every little thing on there body somehow has been touched up! It's not until if you ever get to see them in real life or on a TV interview you realise that they look a lot different to what you first thought!

I'm going to leave a link below of the Sam Faiers photoshoot to show you all what photoshop really does to you! http://www.new-magazine.co.uk/posts/view/55468/Sam-Faiers-shows-she-s-confident-with-her-body-strips-for-unairbrushed-shoot/

So this may of been a very stripped down blog today with no photos but that is a matter I'd love more than two celebrities to take action with this matter! Don't look at yourself and think you are worthless and ugly. You are all beautiful and somebody every day should tell you so to make you feel like you are worth something! 

Karina xoxo

Exciting news!

I'm going to be at londons fashion weekend on the 20th of September (Friday). Was lucky enough to win 2 tickets and get vip treatment. So excited and can't wait to blog about it and tell you guys! So look out for that blog very very soon :)


Karina xoxo

Maybelline gel eyeliner.

Today I will be writing about maybelline's gel eyeliner that I bought on superdrug for £7.99! (Photo below)  If you are like me and wear liquid eyeliner most days you know it can be a bit of a chore and time consuming to make it neat and perfect! I must admit I usually rush around last minute, shove it on and then go out leaving the house hating the way my eyes look!

I had walked pasted the maybelline gel eyeliner for weeks debating if I should get it or not as it looked tricky to apply as is just a eyeliner brush and a pot filled with the gel! I gave in though and gave it a bash and its one of the best decisions I have made! It's actually so easy to apply and makes your eyes look amazing as you can apply it either thick or lightly and still shows amazing results! The only problem for me as it stays on better when I apply primer to my eyelids but primer is such a good buy I'd definitely buy some if I were you! If I want the gel to stay on longer though I add a little bit of liquid over it just to be safer instead of reapplying throughout the day when I don't have time!

If you want me to do a tutorial on how to apply it let me know in the comments below and I will do one for you!

Karina xoxo

Elf beauty haul, final part!

This is the beauty products i was the most excited about receiving as i am a nail polish junkie! I have so many i have lost count! When i found these on Elf i couldn't resist and had to buy it! What did i buy? 14 nail polishes! I might sound mad to you all but these 14 nail polish come in a cube for £15! You get a light cube and a dark cube! I got the lighter one to start off with as its more the colours i wear on a day to day basis! I thought £15 for 14 of them was amazing value as i tend to buy essie and barry m, and for essie it is about £8 just for 1! They apply on so easily and you guys are all missing out!

The photo of my beautiful colourful cube!

If any of you would like a closer look at them or to see what some look like on, just give me a comment below or tweet and i will do that for you! 

I hope you enjoyed my beauty haul and i will have another elf haul, very very soon! Excited to hear from you!

Karina xoxo

Elf beauty haul, part two!

I have heard a lot of people rave about highlighting sticks for your skin and i never understood exactly why they were made! I used to use a white eye shadow which done the job for me perfectly fine! When i went onto 'elf' though i found a cheap highlight and decided id buy it and see what the difference would be! It cost me £1.50 which is amazing as the one i have heard people rave about is the MAC highlight which is about £18 and i didn't want to splash out on something i wouldn't like or would't use!

I will insert the photos first then tell you about why i have fallen in love with this!

Firstly, the all over cover stick basically does what it says on the packaging, it can be used all over your face for a natural glow or can be used to highlight the main parts of your face! I use mine for cheek bones, below eye brows and sometimes on the inner of my eyes to make them pop! Second of all for me it stays on for a good amount of time, i usually throw it in my make up bag and apply every so often if i feel myself i need a touch up! Lastly, it smells of refreshers the sweets! I kid you not! When i first received it i wanted to eat it more than apply it, and that isn't right for a make up to smell so tasty!

Elf beauty haul! (Separated into 3 parts)

I recently came across a website called, elf.  Elf stands for 'eyes, lips and face', clever huh? And it sells affordable make up which ranges from £1.50 to £30. It's an absolute bargain! I'm in love with this website and bought a few things to try out first! I would of bought more but I would of bought everything off the website and my bank balance wouldn't be to happy if i had! I have separated my haul into three parts as there is a few photos and don't want to confuse a lot of you.

I'm going to do these products in categories of what they are!  So, ill start off with the lip glosses bought! These are very similar packaging to the Clinique chubby sticks which are £17/£22! I bought mine for £2.50! Which I thought was a complete bargain! I obviously done my research before hand about these beautiful glosses but decided I'd trust my own advice and bought them myself!  I bought two and they are called, ' coco loco' and ' flirty and girly'. ( photos below)

(Right, 'flirty and girly' and left ' coco loco')

The 'flirty and girly' lip gloss stick is my favourite! It is pink and has a hint of shimmer/glitter through the gloss! It applies so easily and you notice the difference straight away! It's easier to apply as its a stick and fills more of your lip faster and quicker than a normal lipstick would with a small wand! 'Coco loco' may not be my favourite but it is still a beautiful shade! I'd say its quite light and more brown/pink than the other gloss! It's more a mature colour so would be great even for wearing to work just for that little hint of shine on your lips, not to vibrant but you still feel more confident with a colour on your lips! Below are some skin testers of the products! 

'Coco loco'

'Flirty and girly' 

Why not go on my next blog post for the 'elf highlighting stick' you are going to love it! ;)

Benefit mascara.

Recently I decided to start trying out more expensive make up to see if there was a difference between that and cheaper make up like mua and rimmel.

I was going to go and buy benefit mascara as I've heard so much amazing reviews on that product and decided I'd give it ago! But, I found out that 'Elle' were selling it with this months issue (may) and I'd be saving £9 on it. So I went out and bought Elle, and this is the small tester I received with this magazine.

The magazine cost me £4 which I thought was a good deal seeing as I got such an expensive make up product with it! This is the tester I received (photo above) I'm absolutely in love with it! Compared to my rimmel mascara I use you can see the difference straight away! It makes your eye lashes look more thicker and stand out compared to other mascaras I have used! So I'm thinking of going out and buying some as opinion don't think I could ever replace this amazing product!

Barry M nail polish haul.

This is a small haul on the few nail polish's i have collected over the last few weeks. I am i love with them and i know in superdrug at the moment there is a 3 for 2 offer, so get yours quick!

First of all these are the four i bought.

from left to right: magnetic polish, chameleon polish, cracked polish and gelly polish.

First of all i am going to start with the magnetic polish. This is gorgeous! i done a blog on it a few weeks ago, so go check it out for more details! But this is one of my favourite, it still amuses me how this nail polish can go different styles just by the type of magnet you get. Barry m has really stepped up it's game lately! Here's a picture below of the outcome.

2.  Chameleon nail polish.

I love this stuff, it comes out a pretty colour and looks wonderful on your nails. You apply three coats then you can design your on style onto your nails. The only problem i have is i haven't been able to work out how to use it yet, but when i do, i will post a blog on it!

3. Cracked nails.

I had seen this on so many people it's beyond me! So i thought i'd give it a little try, and it's the best buy i have had so far! You apply a base coat of your choice, then add this on top, you then see the magic happen and the cracks begin to appear! It amazes me! The photo below is of when i tried it out!

4. Gelly nails.

This is just a random buy as it was on offer and thought id try it out! I love it. You apply two coats and it comes out very shiny and pretty! Very plain but plain works right!?

These are usually £4.99 each but for three i got them for £7.99 which i thought was a really good bargain! I hope you like!

Magnetic Nail Polish

For new year i purchased Barry M's magnetic nail polish which i had seen advertised in a lot of magazines and thought i'd give it a go. I bought this in superdrug for £4.99, i did splash out a bit for nail polish but these days £4.99 isn't a bad price.

How does it work? Well, the lid of the nail polish is a magnet you can get them in different patterns. I went for diagonal. You paint a first coat of nail polish and leave to dry, then add a second coat. When you add the second coat, whilst applying each nail hover the magnet over your nail for about 10-20 seconds, the more you leave it, the more the design will show. As you can see in this picture i took of my nails you can see the stripes on it. It's such a lovely effect and your nails don't look boring.

You can get this nail polish in about 5 different colours, i picked a metalic colour. I got so many compliments on my night out when i wore this, and a lot of people were asking were i got it from. It's a must buy product. Everyone should have one of these in your make up bag!

The best beauty product i bought

For months i heard people going on about a tangle teezer a new hair brush that doesn't tug at your hair, doesn't hurt if you are de-tangling hair  and gives it a natural shine. I never understood the fuss but i thought i'd try it out as most hair brushes i had seemed to pull at my hair and hurt. I bought this in boots for £10.99 which right away anybody would think i'm mad for buying a hair brush for £11 but now that i have used it, i am never going back! It is one of the best hair brushes i have ever used, i've noticed a huge difference in my hair and It's quite small to so i can take it everywhere i go. You can get lots of different types and colours of tangle teezers but this is the only one i have tried so far.

I can guarantee it is worth the money and i hope you are lucky enough to try one out!

Cath Kidston bag and purse.

I bought this Cath kidston bag and purse from Cathkidston.co.uk for myself at christmas time. Together they were a bit pricey and i can't remember the exact price but they are great quality and worth the money in my opinion. I haven't heard one bad word about Cath Kidston products so i thought i'd treat myself and buy some, also floral hasn't always been my cup of tea but her products are to die for! She sells a huge range from bags to purses, to clothes and houseware. I know i will be definitely buying more from this website when i get more money.

Firstly, the bag is a design i wouldn't normally go for but when i seen this i fell in love with it, it's floral design is a lot different to most of her stuff as they are mostly smaller prints but the big roses suit the blue in this really well and bring out the bag. It's spacious inside and i can fit all my essentials that i need in a daily basis.

Lastly, the purse matches the bag as you can tell and its a brown leather when you open it up which is a nice touch as i think if it was all floral i think it would look to plain and boring. It has plenty of card holders and a lot of room for loose change. By far my favourite purse i have ever owned and wont be buying a new one any time soon!

Rings, Dolly Bow Bow

I purchased these rings a few months back from www.dollybowbow.co.uk which i absolutely adore! I came across her website by finding her youtube channel which i'd definitely give a watch as she has a lot of hauls and fashion videos which i find useful!

The gold, pink chunky ring is a knuckle ring. I have never bought one before but i've seen a lot wearing them so thought i'd give them a go! My hands are quite small so it does drown them a bit but i'd definitely still purchase another one when i get the chance!

The 5 smaller rings are adorable. They just fit half way on your finger and the charms make it look even more fashionable. It took me ages to find these rings in particular on websites as they aren't that popular yet but i have seen more and more wear these. The rings have charms on them, a cross, bow, peace sign and an ancor and one is just plain.  These by far are my favourite rings i have owned as they are different in so many ways.

They also come in cute dinky wee pink bags which you can see as my rings are placed on it in this photo. I'd definitely check out her website it doesn't do just jewellery it also does, clothing, home ware and vintage peices!