VALENTINE'S DAY BEAUTY WISH/GIFT LIST

Hello everyone and welcome back to another Valentine's themed post! Valentine's Day is just three days away now, yet there is still time to pick up or make something your bestie, friends or significant other. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share my beauty wish list/guide guide, which will make pretty much any beauty lovers Valentine's this year (me included ha ha)...

1. charlotte tilbury matte revolution lipsticks | click to shop |

First up is probably one of the best beauty items to pick up for someone this Valentine's Day, especially when it comes to picking something a little more luxurious. I love, love, love everything about these lipsticks from the formula to the packaging and the great shade range. If you know whoever you are buying for is a nude lover, then i highly recommend my ultimate favourite K.KW or Pillow Talk. 

2. essie valentine's day collection nail colours | click to shop |

Next up can we appreciate how stunning and cute this packaging is on the limited edition Valentine's collection is, as well as making the perfect gift for a friend or yourself for a pamper night. Essie nail polishes are by far one of my favourites and this collection as do all of the others, tick all of the right boxes. The collection ranges in colours and finishes, from a light pastel pink to a sparkly red and even cute pinks with speckles through-out the polish.

3. boy smells valentine's kush candle | click to shop |

At the end of the day if in doubt buy a candle right? Because who doesn't love candles, i know i do and i always love receiving them. There is a bunch of different Valentine's themed candles available in-stores and online, it all just comes down to personal preference and of course budget. Selfridges and John Lewis are definitely the places worth checking out for some more luxury scents, but if you are on a budget i highly recommend H&M.

4. bareMinerals moxie plumping lip gloss | click to shop |

Next is another lip option you could opt for, especially if you know who you are buying for either prefers gloss over matte, or you just know they like a good lip product in general. For me another perfect option for a more high-end lip product is definitely by bareMinerals, these moxie plumping lip glosses are a makeup collection staple as they are so easy to wear, long wearing and leave your lips feeling amazing.

5. lush peachy bath bomb | click to shop |

If you know whoever you are buying for is a huge fan of pampering themselves or you simply know they love Lush products, then i would definitely recommend having a look at their new Valentine's collection for this year, i am obsessing over the Peachy bath bomb and it is definitely my favourite along side Aubergine bath bomb as i feel like they are such a great Valentine's pun/how they remind me of the Emoji's we all use daily!

6. viktor & rolf flowerbomb | click to shop |

Finally a gift idea that you can't really go wrong with, especially if you know what the person you are buying for's favourite scent it, but just in case you didn't know then there are so many "Valentine's" appropriate scents including one of my favourite perfumes flowerbomb. Debenhams currently have discounts on a bunch of their different scents, including gift sets. So if you want to still splash the cash yet save some at the same time, i definitely recommend having a browse.   

Catch up on my previous Valentine's post: here

xo.

MY FEBRUARY MUST-BUYS | CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES + BEAUTY

Hello everyone! So last month i shared a different style of post to my blog, sharing my must-buys for the month of January. This post included some of the items i had recently picked up or some of the items that i wanted to pick up during the month. With that in mind and seeing as it is now February i thought i would share this months must-buy items, from clothing to accessories, tech items and of course beauty...

1. | boohoo suedette biker jacket | £38 |

I have seen quite a few different "suedette" style biker jackets including a khaki coloured one which would definitely break the bank, that being said boohoo has a similar style jacket for a lot less and it comes in a few different colours. I love this neutral coloured one, as well as the black one!

2. | lush cosmetics tisty tosty bath bomb | £3.50 |

There is only one thing better or equally as good as Christmas products from Lush and that is Valentine's day, Prince Charming has been my favourite shower gel for years but i believe they have stopped stocking it now. Even though this has happened there is a bunch of amazing smelling products including one of my favourite bath bombs at the moment!

3. | skinnydip dalmatian card holder | was £8 now £5 |

Ever since getting my new purse, which i shared in last months must-buys i have been struggling for room for all of my cards so i decided i definitely needed to pick a card holder up. I fell in love with how cute/classic this one from Skinnydip was and it is so in-expensive. 

4. | adidas originals campus trainers | £55.99 |

I have been lusting after these trainers in this icey pink shade for so long, that it just got ridiculous that i didn't buy myself a pair already. I have recently really got back into wearing trainers more, they are just so comfy and look great with so many different outfits!

5. | h&m beauty warm desert blush | £8.99 |

I have heard so many different things about H&M makeup, that i really want to give some things a try. I love how a lot of the packaging is giving me Tom Ford makeup vibes but for a lot less money, especially this blush shade which really has my attention.

6. | le specs liar liar cat-eye sunglasses | £40 |

I recently broke my current sunglasses which i loved but i wasn't all that mad, because they weren't every expensive. So i decided to go on the hunt for a new pair and fell in love with this surprisingly cheap for net-a-porter and they are my favourite style and tortoiseshell print.

7. | the man in the black suit kindle book by sylvain reynard | £4.66 |

So i have recently started to read this book which i mentioned in my recent "books i want to read in 2018" post and oh my oh my, i am equally as hooked/obsessed as i was when i read Gabriel's Inferno by the same author. Definitely a must-read book this month!  

8. | lancome custom highlight drops | £26 |
I am completely obsessed with liquid highlighters, so naturally when i laid eyes on this new launch from Lancome of course i was going to want to get my hands on some. There is four different shades available but my favourite by far is the shade called golden glow.

9. | prettylittlething black oversized knitted jumper | £25 |
Everyone needs that basis black knit in their wardrobe and mine is in need of being replaced, more specifically with a more thick knit and this one from PLT is perfect for that. I love jumpers from the brand as they are such great quality, wash nice and aren't expensive!

10. | skinnydip pretty cute iPhone phone case | £6 |
I recently picked up a new phone case from my favourite place to get them from and that is of course Skinnydip, because of how many cools prints they have. I actually had my eye on this "pretty fucking cute" one for a while now, so seeing as it was in the sale i couldn't resist!

11. | yankee candle rainbow cookie candle | from £1.71 |
Finally i am completely obsessed with the new scents launched on Yankee Candle, especially this rainbow cookie scent. This scent is two of the types of scents i love together both sweet and fresh, as it is infused with soft vanilla, citrus and peach. The packaging colour/design also!

Catch up on my january must-buys blog post HERE...

xo.

NAIL PAMPER ROUTINE

 Hello everyone! It has been a hot minute since i last did any form of nail post, so i thought i was about time for an update/share with you my current nail pamper routine. Spending time on doing my nails is so relaxing and i usually do this about once a week or every ten days or so, all depending on how long they have held up from the time before. My favourite thing to do whilst i do my nails is either listen to music, watch youtube videos or sometimes i will stick a tv show on and i always remember to use the bathroom and grab a drink before hand, because it is no fun needing either one of those things when your nails are wet/tacky still.

step one: superdrug nail polish remover/lush coconut hand scrub

First up i always go in with some nail polish remover, to either remove the nail polish from the time before or to just makeup sure my nails have a clean base. Superdrug's own brand nail polish remover is a favourite of mine, it is super cheap and removes nail polish (including glitter) easily. Then i like to go in with some of my trust coconut hand scrub from Lush, using this just helps get rid of any dryness on your hands and also around the edges of your nails, before rinsing. Then i apply some hand cream of choice and massage into my hands. 

step two: essie apricot care cuticle oil, wah london cuticle nipper and nail file/buffer

Next up i like to go in with some cuticle oil by Essie, applying this helps to really soften/nourish the cuticles ready for tidying up/cutting away your cuticles or any excess skin around the nails with my cuticle nippers. Then i like to go in and file/buff/shine my nails into the shape/length i am wanting, i love these file and buff blocks from Primark. They are so good and i believe they were only a £1 or so for a two pack such a bargain!

step three: barry m nail polishes and essie nail polishes

Once all the nail prep is done, it is time to go in and paint them with my polish of choice. My go-to brands of choice are always Barry M or Essie, as they are the two brands that really work well for me and more often than none i will either rock a simple nude nail or glitter all over. I always apply two/three coats of polish (all depending on the polishes opacity), before going in the with Wet Set Quick Dry top coat by Barry M. A few months back i dedicated a full blog post, talking about all of my most worn nude nail polishes which you can catch up on here.

step four: ps fashion nails

If you read my beauty favourite: july edition post, then you will probably already know that i had recently been loving these stick on nails from time to time. They are just super fun maybe for a night out or a special event, or maybe you are just feeling lazy and want a quick mani look. I was so shocked at how great the quality of these nails were and whenever i wear them, i get so many compliments. On my nails these last for as long as a normal polish would, so around the seven to ten day period. These nails come in so many different shapes from square, to stiletto and even almond shaped.

♥

THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU WANT A LITTLE BREAK FROM THE INTERNET

Hello everyone! The majority of us human beings now spend more time in the day on the internet than we do sleeping at night, me included. Obviously when your job revolved around the internet/social-media you are spending a lot of time online, as well as spending time online "off-duty" so to speak. With that in mind as much as we all love the internet, it is still nice to take a step back and have a little break from it for a while (even if it is just an hour). For today's post i thought i would share with you some great things to, when you need to escape and take that break (trust me it will do you good from time to time).

1. read a book, whether that be a paperback/hard back or kindle.

2. watch your favourite feel-good movie, or a new movie you haven't seen before.

3. go to the cinema with your friend/loved one.

4. listen to music.

5. give yourself a manicure/pedicure, i like to do this and listen to music.

6. go for a walk, whether that be simply down the street or in the woods/park.

7. give your wardrobe a clear-out/re-organise.

8. re-organise your makeup collection.

9. try out different hairstyles/makeup looks for fun.

10. binge-watch your favourite tv show/a new tv show.

11. have a gathering with friends/family with great food or drink and company.

12. read your favourite magazine.

13. write a journal, whether that be for work ideas or personal goals.

14. go on an adventure with someone to somewhere you are yet to visit.

15. bake or cook something.

16. have a relaxing bath with a bath bomb and light your favourite candle.

17. do a face mask.

18. colouring in an adult colouring book.

19. go grab a coffee from your favourite coffee shop.

20. take a nap (i mean we need to catch up on the sleep we miss from being online).

21. read a cookbook and take notes on what recipes you want to try.

22. go out for a few drinks with a friend and have a good gossip.

23. look through old pictures/create a new picture album.

24. have a family/friends board game night.

25. make a playlist filled with your favourite songs (technically this requires going on the internet but try to stray from spotify, iTunes or amazon ha ha). 

MOTHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE

Hey guys, i hope you are all having an amazing day whatever you are up to! Seeing as mother's day in the UK is only a little over a week away, i thought i would share with you some different ideas on the perfect gift/gifts you could get you mum/auntie/sister/grandma whoever you seen as that special mother figure in your life. I wanted to include a wide range of items which go from being inexpensive to a little more expensive, all depending on your budget...

Prestat Vanilla Créme Red Velvet Truffles - £11.50 John Lewis

(or any favourite chocolate of your loved one)

Yankee Candle Medium Jar Set - £24.99 Yankee Candle or Clintons

Love you, Mum Gift Set - £14.50 Lush

(contains: love you mum soap, helping hands and secret garden bath bomb)

Mum Gift Set - £29.95 Lush

(contains: yummy mummy shower gel, honey i washed the kids soap, the comforter bubble bar, blackberry bath bomb, vanilla dee-lite body lotion and yummy mummy body conditioner)

Flower Bouquet - 

(from your local florist, online companies, m&s & supermarkets)

Jamie Oliver Super Mum Mug - From £9 Debenhams/Amazon

(or any cute mug, it doesn't have to be this one)

Givenchy Le Rouge Lipstick - £25 Debenhams

(or any favourite lipstick of your loved one/any makeup item)

Estée Lauder Modern Muse Eau De Parfum Gift Set - £45 Boots/Debenhams

Statement Sparkling Stud Earrings - £65 Pandora 

Last but not least most important of all, even if you can't get a gift for that special women at least get her a card telling them how much they mean to you, as that is what is most important...

♥ 

MY DAY IN PICTURES

Hey guys, i hope you are all having an amazing day whatever you are up to and happy monday! So for today's post i thought i would share with you what i got up to this weekend... which mainly consisted of yummy Mexican Food, a certain movie, mixed with a tiny bit of shopping...

I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

♥

GET "UNREADY" WITH ME: WEEKEND EDITION

Hey guys, i hope you are all having an amazing day whatever you are up to and happy monday! So yesterday was sunday...obviously and for today's post i thought i would share with you my get unready beauty/pamper routine...

First things first you've got to get rid of that makeup and just lately i have been loving this combination of products. Firstly i take the Estée Lauder Eye Makeup Remover onto two cotton pads and i remove all of my eye makeup, then taking a small amount of the Estée Lauder Take It Away Lotion on my fingers and rubbing it all over the rest of my face and rinse with water. Next up is a facial exfoliator and i am loving this one from L'Oreal it is the Skin Perfection Radiance Revealing one, i just apply some of the product onto my fingers and then massage it all over my face before rinsing it away with a damp face cloth. 

 Bathroom pamper time, i decided to use this Candy Mountain Bubble Bar from Lush what i had still in my little Lush product stash along with the limited edition valentine's Prince Charming Shower Gel... which i am obsessed with (not as much as snow fairy though i must add). I also used some of the Scrub of your Life from Soap & Glory.

Seeing as my face is all squeaky clean and makeup free, it's time for some skincare. Firstly i like to apply some of the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum to my face and also my neck, next i also apply some of the Estée Lauder Advance Night Repair Serum mainly concentrating that around my eye area. Next up is moisturizer and i follow up using the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Anti Fatigue Perk-Up Cream, i also apply this all over my face and neck just as i did the Serum. Finally i apply some of the Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone Eye Cream.

I had almost forgotten this step, you've got to take care of them lips just as much as your skin. I love this Bubblegum Lip Scrub from Lush as it just removes any dryness that has built up on your lips, whether that's from wearing lipstick all day, the cold weather or even a combination of the two.

It is almost time to put them pyjamas on (who else agrees that is the best part of the day?) but firstly i like to apply some of the Daily Smooth Body Butter from Soap & Glory to keep all of my skin feeling super silky smooth and soft.

And when all the beauty/pampering things are done it is time for the entertainment. Last tuesday i purchased this months new copy of Glamour magazine for the soul purpose that Jamie Dornan is on the cover *man crush alert* but i only just got around to reading it. Words can't describe how excited i am about going to watch the movie at the weekend. After some light reading and drooling at how gorgeous that man is it is time for some TV and the show i am hooked on right now is The Mysteries of Laura, which if you haven't heard or seen anything about the show, it is a police comedy/drama series starring Debra Messing who is fricking hilarious in general.

♥

BLOGMAS DAY TWENTYTWO: CHRISTMAS PAMPER EVENING

Hey guys, i hope you are all having an amazing day and welcome to blogmas day twenty-two! Can you believe Christmas is only a couple days away now and that means blogmas will be over. For today's post i thought i would share with you my christmassy pamper session from last night. After all Sunday is known as the day of rest right?

First things first there is nothing like setting a relaxing mood by lighting a candle or two. This is the Christmas Baking Votive from the Simply Home range by Yankee Candle.

First up on the beauty side of things is none other than my holy grail face mask. I love applying a face mask especially when i am feeling rubbish and if my skin is feeling blah.

Next up is bath or shower time, i am loving all the festive items from Lush especially the Snow Fairy Shower Gel, i can't go a day without using it! P.S how cute is this melting snowman?

Once we are all beautified, next on the schedule is putting on some festive pyjamas and it's time to make a lovely hot chocolate.

Time to light a different candle, i can't even begin to tell you how amazing this one smells. I never knew that sunlight on snow had a scent but apparently it must have ha ha. 

Lastly all is left to do is snuggle in bed all cozy and watch some of my favourite Christmas Movies, i especially love Elf it is such a good film, which never gets old!

♥

CHRISTMAS LUSH HAUL

Hey guys, i hope you all had a great weekend whatever you were up to! In my last blog post i mentioned the possibility of a Lush Haul and as you can probably tell from the title of today's post that is what it is. If you are a lover of Lush i think you will most likely agree the Lush Christmas Range is most definitely the best kind, so it is very easy to go a little overboard...

Luxury Christmas Pud (Bath Bomb) - £3.50

Santa's Lip Scrub - £5.50

Dashing Santa (Bath Bomb) - £2.95

Candy Mountain (Bubble Bar) - £2.75

The Melting Snowman (Bath Melt) - £2.25 

♥

HALLOWEEN WEEK: PAMPER EVENING

Hey guys, i hope you are all having a great day whatever you are up to! So for the second installment of "Halloween Week" i am going to be showing you more than likely the Halloween evening i will be having and my favourite things to do...

There is nothing better than a good pamper session by having a nice hot shower or bath using your favourite products. You could also treat yourself to your very own "Halloween Mask" aka a face mask, i am still obsessed with this one by No7 it's my holy grail! Why not go all out and light your favourite candle, i'm loving this Ghostly Treats one by Yankee Candle.

Once you are done in the bathroom and you've gotten yourself into your favourite pjs, make yourself your favourite hot chocolate and add marshmallows (why not it is Halloween after all). 

Last but not least it's time to relax and freak out by watching a horror movie or if you are like me and aren't into horror movies, just stick on your favourite TV show. I will most definitely be watching some Pretty Little Liars...

♥  

MINI LUSH HAUL

Hey guys, i hope you all had a great weekend whatever you were up to! This weekend i went out for a lovely meal with family on Saturday and yesterday i headed into Nottingham shopping with my sister. This time of year is always super exciting especially when they bring out the Lush Christmas items out, so naturally a little damage had to be done. I never like to go too crazy in Lush because you can always nip in and get more whenever you need to...

Melting Marshmallow Moment (Bath Melt) - £3.95

 Dashing Santa (Bath Bomb) - £2.95

Lush Luxury Pud (Bath Bomb) - £3.50

And of course saving the best Lush product ever until last...

Snow Fairy Shower Gel (500g) - £11.95

What is your favourite thing to get from Lush?

♥

SEPTEMBER FAVOURITES

Hey guys, i hope you have all had a great weekend whatever you got up to and i also want to apologize for the lack of posts last week. Yet again we are at the end of another month and it's officially autumn time, so here are my favourites for the month of September...

1. LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub.

As the colder months come along and also if i am wanting to wear darker colours on my lips, i always start to apply this as it is amazing and makes your lips super soft. These particular scrubs come in different flavours and they all smell/taste so good (i'm not going to lie i have eaten some in the past as it is edible it's basically sugar).  

2. Estée Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in the shade Pinkberry.

I had mentioned this lipstick in a recent FOTD post as i was giving some new products a try. I am in love with this lipstick as the formula is so moisturizing and long wearing, it has become my new favourite everyday lipstick. 

http://katiebeautyshake.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/fotd-friday-trying-out-new-makeuo.html

3. Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone Eye Cream.

I have been trying out this new eye cream through out all of this month as it is always good to prevent them wrinkles from appearing and keep your under eye area moisturized also. I have a problem as my under eye area can sometimes get really dry especially if my eyes have been overly watering as they often do and it has kept the area super moisturized. It is a pretty pricey eye cream but i definitely think it is worth the money!

4. L'Oreal SuperLiner So Couture in the shade Black.

This is probably my favourite item out of all of my favourites this month. If you really struggle applying winged eye liner then you need this in your life, it makes creating a winged look super easy and also it is less time consuming as you can be super precised with where you are placing it. I am a huge fan of the L'Oreal SuperLiner Ultra Precision but this has without as doubt replaced it, so good!

5. MAC Amplified Lipstick in the shade Up The Amp.

This lipstick is the latest edition to my MAC lipstick collection and is probably one of those beauty lover "cult favourites" for a purple coloured lip look. Some of my other MAC lipsticks can tend to feel dry on my lips but this keeps them feeling moisturized and the colour is such a me shade, definitely a autumn must for me.

Random Favourites:

TV Show: I haven't really been watching many tv shows this month as everything has finished or waiting for the new seasons to start so i have been watching a lot of YouTube videos (more than usual anyway haha).

Music: I have had Sam Smith's album since it was released and i have played it so many times but this month i have been playing it none stop. This guy has such a gifted voice he makes you feel all the different feels, if you haven't listened to his music before i highly recommend you do!

Person: I just wanted to mention as i had spoken about it in a previous blog post that i was going to be an auntie for the third time which is super exciting as that i am now. My sister gave birth to a beautiful/tiny/perfect/precious little boy called Lucas on the 9th of this month.

♥