The Birthday Wishlist

It's just over a month until my birthday so I'm starting to plan my list, I think as I get older; the harder it gets to think of things I would like for my birthday! These are a few things I've been lusting after lately..

Monica Vinader Rings

I was in London and had a couple of hours to spare, I was in Selfridges in the accessories section and stumbled across the Monica Vinader jewellery and fell in love. The green ring instantly caught my eye and I think it's absolutely beautiful, I loved it so much I almost purchased it there and then but alas spending too much that month meant I had to leave it! This is such a lovely statement piece and although I never really wear gold, I think the gold and green go so well together. 

Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow

I have wanted to try this for absolutely ages, contouring is a big part of my makeup routine. I have heard such great things about this product as it doesn't look too red toned like a lot of contour products are!

Mint Velvet Boots

I have had my eye on these boots for a good few months and was contemplating getting them for ages! I love heeled boots as I am not blessed height wise and I love the buckle detailing. 

Triangl Winnie Bikini

I'm pretty sure a Triangl bikini has been in a wish list before! I love the Winnie Mint Green bikini, this is the most flattering bikini style for me and mint is my favourite colour. I always see Triangl bikinis on instagram and it is not helping how much I would love one!

Everyday Makeup

I recently bought the Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation as I love Nars Sheerglow and will never turn down the opportunity to try a new foundation! I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it yet, it is full coverage but it would probably be better on skin that isn't as dry, I also struggled working out how to apply it but I will keep trying to work out the best way to apply it. I then use my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer both under my eyes and on blemishes, I blend it in with my Beauty Blender which makes sure it blends seamlessly. To set my makeup I use the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Flawless Finish Powder, this lasts for absolutely ages and makes my skin look flawless! I then move on to my brows, Anastasia Brow Wiz is my favourite brow products, it's great if you want either a dramatic or more subtle brow and then to set my unruly brows I use the Benefit Gimme Brow.

On my eyes I start with the Maybelline Colour Tattoo Creamy Beige, this was a recent purchase as I was after an eyeshadow base that was matte. I then use my Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, I start with Limit in the crease and then add Buzz on the outer corner corner of the eye before blending. I think the Naked 3 palette is my favourite out of the two Naked palettes I own, it works really well with blue eyes and I love the rose gold tones. I then add a thin lines of the Soap and Glory Supercat Eyeliner which is my favourite liquid liner for both winged liner and just adding a subtle line! I then finish my eyes with the new Benefit Roller Lash Mascara, I wasn't a massive fan of the They're Real Mascara but I really love this one, it adds both volume and length to the lashes without being clumpy or making lashes look spidery!

Face Mask Overview

Over the past few months or so, I seem to have collected a number of face masks, it's my new obsession. I first developed acne when I was about 14 and especially recently, I've been taking even better care of my skin. I'm going to talk through all the masks I love and explain which ones are best for each skin type and skin issue!

Glamglow

 £25 for 15ml or £50 for 50ml 

This is probably my new favourite product! I put off buying this for absolutely ages because of the price but I found a smaller version on Space NK which was £25 so thought it would be great to test out just in case it didn't work as I have very sensitive skin. I pop this all over my face, mainly focussing on where I get blackheads and blemishes, so I make sure to concentrate it on my nose and around it. This is brilliant for blackheads, which I have so many of! You can really see it pulling out the gross blackheads as it sets which I love (I love watching those gross blackhead removal videos on youtube so this is perfect for me…TMI?) as you can really see it working. Even after using this once, my pores looked so much smaller and I had considerably less blackheads than before, my skin also just looked so luminous and I was actually in shock by how good my skin looked, having had awful acne covered skin for years! Overall I would 100% recommend this if you can't budge blackheads and if you want glowing, beautiful and radiant skin. I think this would work on all skin types, it doesn't dry out my skin at all! 

Lush Mask of Magnaminty

£9.75 for 315g

This is a very thick mask, it is perfect for those who have spot prone skin. It is VERY minty and the smell is quite strong but nothing too bad,. It contains peppermint oil which is great for calming and cooling your skin as well as trying to reduce redness in your spots. Lush is a great brand as they are vegan and they have very natural products so if you do have acne/spots and you want something that doesn't contain lots of preservatives and won't irritate your skin, this would be perfect! You get a massive tub of it and they are made fresh, so even better! 

Origins Clear Improvement Mask

£23 for 100ml

This one is quite similar to the Glamglow mask in terms of the consistency, this is a very traditional mud mask. I prefer the Glamglow one for blackheads but if you are on more of a budget then this one is perfect for dealing with blemishes, calming the skin and clearing pores. 

Ren Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask

£19 for 50ml
This is a clay mask, similar to the Origins and Glamglow mask however I would say this is better for those with oilier skins as the name "Clarimatte" suggests. This is great for blackheads in particular as it really draws out the impurities from the skin and reduces the look of pore. This is quite a lot cheaper than the Ren Radiance Renewal Mask, personally, I prefer the Radiance Renewal mask as I think it is worth the price but they are very different products so I think both are worth a purchase!

Origins Drink Up Intensive

£23 for 100ml

This one is for you if you have dry or dehydrated skin, which I do. My skin gets so dehydrated so much, I simply pop this on my skin before I go to bed and in the morning, I wake up with super soft skin that feels so hydrated. It makes putting makeup on so much easier as it means my foundation isn't clinging to any dry patches! This smells very fruity, which some may not like, personally I love this. I've been trying to work out for about a year what this smells of, I think it's Mango but it's also very citrusy and fresh. 

Ren Radiance Renewal Mask*

£32 for 50ml

This is a very unusual mask as it doesn't set on the skin like most of the other ones I use. It stays almost as a gel on the skin, I compared this to the jelly in Jaffa Cakes when I first used it! It smells very orangery, citrusy and fresh, and it is a gel/jelly consistency. It contains a lot of natural fruit extracts to get rid of dead skin cells and renew the complexion. This is brilliant for making your skin look brighter, more awake and alive! I tend to leave it on for about 10-15 minutes and then wash it off with the little muslin cloth that it comes with.

15 things to do in 2015

1) Visit America

This is my top goal, I am planning on going on a Trek America trip in the summer which includes LA, San Francisco and Las Vegas. I would travel on my own which is super scary but I want to go back to LA so badly!

2) Get a bod like a victoria secret model

Maybe this is a tad ambitious? I want to work hard on achieving a healthy body and one that I am proud of! I have been working out regularly for the past couple of months so I just want to carry on with that! 

3) Take a class in something

I keep meaning to do this but with two jobs and uni, I don't have much time left! I want to take an evening class in something, perhaps yoga/Pilates or jewellery making! 

4) Be proud of my blog

I feel like last year, I neglected my blog a little because I was so so busy. I want to make sure I spend time working on it and make it as good as I possibly can! 

5) Buy a classic piece of clothing/accessories

I feel like I've just put this in as an excuse to buy another Mulberry bag or pair of Louboutins. I am having withdrawal symptoms! But I think it's nice to have a classic piece of clothing or accessories, I would much rather have one long lasting, classic piece than lots of not so long lasting items! 

6) Feel comfortable in my own body

This links with number two and I am gradually achieving this even though I haven't been working out that long. I think confidence is so important to have and feeling good in your own body in essential. 

7) Go vegetarian for one month

I think I could be vegetarian, I wouldn't miss much...maybe Wagamamas Chicken Katsu Curry!! I think I would just generally like to improve my diet, even if I didn't go vegetarian, eating better is a goal!

8) Have fun

Sometimes, I worry what other people think too much and this stops me from properly having fun. I want to just say yes to things and *attempt* to be a tad more sociable, like go out with friends more as I feel like last year I said "no" too much. 

9) Go on a girly weekend away

I would love to go on a spa weekend where no phones are allowed and we just relax! Although, I am very attached to Instagram so I'm not entirely sure how that would go! But just take a few days out to spend time with friends. 

10) Start learning french again

I would love to start being able to speak French again, I was never fluent but I was so much better than I am now! I can barely say a sentence anymore!

11) Go to a barre class

I always wanted to take ballet classes as a child, I recently found out about Barre classes and they sound great for keeping toned and improve flexibility and grace (I have none of this) so this is definitely a must! 

12) Visit Edinburgh 

Edinburgh is a city I have always wanted to visit so would love to go this year!

13) Do the colour run
I wanted to do the colour run last year but didn't get around to it, I've been working out a lot more so hopefully I manage to run without dying.

14) Learn how to make macarons
I tried to make macarons a while ago and they weren't the best thing ever, ha! I want to learn how to make proper macarons that look like they're from Ladurée..maybe that's a bit ambitious.

15) Hit 2000 followers
This speaks for itself, I would love to reach 2000 bloglovin followers!

January Birchbox

Birchbox £12.95*

For this months Birchbox, they have teamed up with Women's Health AKA my favourite magazine to bring a box perhaps encourage you to have a healthier start to the year. You also get an offer for a subscription to Women's Health magazine, which I already subscribe to, but if I didn't, I would totally take advantage of the offer! This box was probably one of my favourites out of all the Birchbox's I have received, I love the theme as I love all things health and I think there are some really great products in the box! 

Phillip Kingsley Body Building Conditioner £19
I've always wanted to try Phillip Kingsley products, this is a wheat protein conditioner which aims to tame flyaway hairs.

Stila Lip Glaze £15
This is a lovely lipgloss, it's a super pretty nude pink with slight glitter in it! To use it you just twist and then use the brush to apply to your lips!

HealGel Intensive £37.50
This is a moisturising lotion which you apply to restore your skin and boost collagen!

Activbod Cooling Finish Lotion £12
This is great to use after a workout as it helps you to re-energise afterwards! This contains menthol so it feels very cool and refreshing!

Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask £30
Ren is a brand I only tried recently but I love their products! This mask aims to make your skin more radiant and improve the texture.

Embrace Matcha Green Tea £24.99

I love green tea, there are so many health benefits. This is Matcha green tea which means it is a powder and contains ten times the antioxidants of normal green tea. You just pop this in a mug add water and mix together! This is also perfect to make green tea cupcakes (sounds so strange, I made them the other day. Just a normal cupcake recipe with this mixed in!)

Pilates Band £7.99
This is a resistance band to work on strength and is exclusive to Birchbox, I have used a resistance bands in workouts before and they are really great for muscles!