Thursday 30 July 2015

The Everyday Makeup







I get a lot of people asking me what makeup I wear on a daily basis, which is a difficult question for me to answer because I like to switch it up. I suppose when you have as much makeup as I do, it's a waste not to use something different every day, However, although the products change, the 'style' of my makeup tends to stay the same: a brown smoky-ish eye and a pinky lip. The only things that pretty much always stay the same are my base routine and mascara. Oh L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic, what would I do without you.

I've downloaded another trial of Final Cut Pro X and I spent way longer than I would like to admit playing around with the editing on this video, so I really hope you enjoy a bit more adventurous editing. I love it when I put that little bit of extra effort into a new video, I always feel so proud of myself when it's finally uploaded. Have you got any video ideas for me? I'm open to suggestions for anything! 

Georgia
xxx

Friday 24 July 2015

The Best Videos on Youtube

I'm the sort of person who can watch the same thing over and over and over again. In fact, I've watched my favourite movie at least 150 times. In the same way I go back to my favourite movies, I have my playlist of what I consider to be the best videos on Youtube that I go back and watch on a regular basis (if I tell you exactly how often it may get a tad embarrassing). Today, I am going to share those videos with you to ensure that nobody is missing out. Enjoy.

My Drunk Pumpkin


It's no secret that the Holy Trinity, Hannah, Grace and Mamrie are my favourite Youtubers and out of all of their videos, this has to be my absolute favourite. I may even go as far as to say that this is actual my favourite video on Youtube. I don't think I can put this video into words without it sounding ridiculous, but they get drunk and do things to pumpkins. Just watch, you won't regret it. (For any of my friends who are confused by my constant 'Mamrie ate paint' references, be confused no more)

Edward Fortyhands


Next up is the first of my double bill of Tyler Oakley's 'Special Auguest' videos and of course, another video featuring Mamrie. Me and my best friend Luke have watched this video together so many times that we can literally quote it word for word and it still makes me cry laugh every. single. damn. time.

Times We've Pooped Our Pants


And the second of the Special Auguest videos, this time featuring Louise. Another video that never fails to make me cry laugh, even though I know exactly what's coming. Nothing like a good poo story to keep you entertained. 

Favourite Lipsticks (Va Va Voom)

Moving away from the funny videos, I cannot do a list of the best videos on Youtube without mentioning Claire. Her editing skills are without a doubt the best out of anyone I've ever watched and every time I watch one of her videos I get serious editing jealousy. Actually, not even just editing. Her creativity is incredible and I look forward to Claire's videos every week.

Coming Out


I'm pretty sure I've watching every single coming out video on the internet, but Ingrid's is definitely my favourite. I love how candid and raw it is, and I think it's a video that everyone, even non-LGBT people should have to watch. It's not a video that everyone will 'get', but it sums up the struggles perfectly and I feel like the raw emotion will really help people to understand these issues which so many people are still ignorant to.

And that concludes my favourite Youtube videos, I have millions more I could mention but I feel like I rounded it up to a top 5 nicely. If you want to see more of my favourites then just let me know in the comments, but I hope you watch and enjoy these videos as much as I do.

Georgia 
xxx

Thursday 23 July 2015

Getting My Life In Order




I've had a bit of a life overhaul recently and I've realised that I really, really enjoy blogging. There's something cathartic about getting my thoughts out into words, even if it's thoughts on something materialistic, such as the latest nail varnish release. You will probably find a few deep/ranting/thoughtful posts appear on this blog as I get more into the swing of things.
I'm not entirely sure why I've put the pressure on myself, but you may have noticed that I've started posting almost daily on top of working 50 hours a week. I'm the sort of person who thrives under pressure, and if I'm not constantly challenging myself and setting deadlines I tend to stagnate, an unwashed mess curled up in a duvet rewatching Vampire Diaries episodes I've already seen 20 times. I need to put pressure on myself so I have a reason to get out of bed and this blog is the pressure in the best way possible.

However, in order to do this, I've had to get tidy. I'm a very very organised person, some (everyone) may say control freak, but that is not to be confused with tidy; my life is an organised chaos. So, a couple of weeks ago I headed to Ikea and picked myself up some much needed storage. Gone are the overflowing Muji drawers, hello Alex drawers. Ah organisation, I love you. 

Next up came the notebooks. I popped into Waterstones and picked myself up a diary. You know when you buy something and then wonder how on earth you ever lived beforehand? Everything I plan, everything I do, goes into this diary, from blog posts to videos to plans with friends. I like to plan what blog posts I'm putting up a couple of weeks ahead so I can write them up on my lazy Sunday then schedule them to go up at 1pm Monday-Friday. I also picked up a notebook with page separators so I can write list after list of blog post ideas, what I need for my next video, presents I need to buy, etc etc etc. My life is controlled by lists.

I make sure I sit at my desk whenever I'm 'working' so my brain can distinguish between when I need to get on with work and when I can spend 2 hours straight reblogging photos of Cara Delevingne. This way I actually feel like I'm doing something with my life rather than waste it away, this is my way of 'seizing' the day without actually leaving my room ...you know, baby steps.

Georgia
xxx



Wednesday 22 July 2015

Flowerbomb



I've been an avid user of Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb for about four years now, so this post is by no means a first impression review-type thing. It's more of a 'rave about my holy grail' type. I first begged for this way-too-expensive scent for my birthday about four years ago after I read that Cheryl Cole (now, of course, Fernandez-Versini) used it and anything that Cheryl uses, Georgia needs. Ever since then it's been on a constant repurchase loop, as soon as a bottle runs out, I have another on back up, and my mum knows that it's always fail safe to buy me for my birthday or Christmas. 

Now for the fancy bit, I'm going to list the notes as they appear on the website because I think that's a lot more reliable than me attempting to describe the scent:

Top notes: bergamot, tea, osmanthus
Middle notes: jasmine, african orange flower, freesia, rose, orchid
Base notes: musk, patchouli

Researching the actual notes in this perfume shocked me because, although it's called Flowerbomb, I really did not expect it to include so many floral scents. To me it smells super sweet and sugary, like creme brûlée, but I suppose perfumes work differently on everyone's skin chemistry. When I first spritz this perfume on my wrists in the morning, it's quite a strong, intense scent, but it quickly settles down into this beautiful musky, soft scent which lingers around forever. I can apply it at 8am and still be getting wafts of it around midnight. Sometimes I put a spray in my hair and then whenever I flick my hair throughout the day, I get a waft. If you don't like sweet scents, then this one's definitely not for you but it's been my scent for years and I intend it to stay that way forever and ever and ever. I don't like change.

The Flowerbomb expert that I am, I'm going to recommend the eau du parfum over the eau du toilette. I find the scent to be much more layered in the parfum, and this is when it fades into the gorgeous soft scent that I love so much. The toilette scent, although cheaper, tends to stay fairly overpowering and doesn't linger around as long in my opinion, but like I said, perfumes work differently on everyone's skin chemistry so try it out for yourself before taking the plunge. I'm always bad for going to the perfume department in Debenhams and spritzing the same scents on myself day after day until I cave and buy it. Perfumes are expensive purchases so you need to make sure they work for you.

Georgia
xxx

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Bourjois La Laque



When it comes to nail varnish, I'm a Barry M Gelly girl through and through, but I couldn't resist picking up one of the new Bourjois La Laque polishes on my lunch break last week! I'm always a sucker for a new drugstore purchase, and I'm not gonna lie, the only reason I picked this up was because I was intrigued by the bottle. Triangular?! What is this madness? After a fair bit of indecisiveness I settled on the shade 'Flambant Rose' (a girl can never have too many hot pinks right?) and away we went to the checkout. 

Now I've said on my blog before that I really cannot be a judge of how well a nail varnish lasts. My nails reject any form of polish on them and it always chips after a few hours, but what I can comment on is how. freaking. pretty. this colour is. I've had so many people ask me what shade I'm wearing, and a few people even ask me if I've got gel nails! The formula is super thick and glossy so you only need one coat to get an opaque finish, and it dries faster than any varnishes I've ever used. I actually timed it because I was so amazed at how fast it dried. Want to know? Two minutes. Two minutes and it was past the tacky stage, to the point where I could put my hair up and no smudging at all! Application is also super easy due to the slightly curved brush, three swipes and I'm done.

Quick drying, easy application, opaque finish and gel look; am I dreaming?

Georgia
xxx

Monday 20 July 2015

The Current Base Loves





I have a never ending struggle with acne, so when I find a base routine that works for me I really stick to it. My base requirements are as follows: natural finish, no caking, no separating on my oily patches, no sticking to my dry patches, no breaking me out, no creasing under my eyes and long wear (I'm a persistent face-toucher). Not much to ask, right? My one saving grace is that I'm not too fussy about high coverage these days, I find that high coverage often actually accentuates the texture and bumps on my skin, so I have perfected the light coverage/pin point concealing technique, which is so much more effective.

I always start my base routine with a primer, with my favourite at the moment being the Hourglass Veil primer. I have very dull, lack-lustre skin so I need a primer that's going to add a bit of life back into my skin, which Veil seems to be a pro at. It also helps to conceal the redness I tend to get around my nose and stops foundation sinking into my pores, something which I struggle with as I do have fairly large pores. I'm also a fan of the silky, light texture, as I find a lot of the heavier, more silicone-y primers break me out.

I recently picked up the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation, and the concealer followed shortly after. It's a light-medium coverage which leaves your skin with a natural, slightly dewy finish. I can only imagine how beautiful this foundation looks on acne-less skin. The concealer is very similar, but is a slightly creamier texture, perfect for under-eye concealing. I find it makes me look so much more awake and definitely adds that sought-after 'highlight effect'. I apply both of these with the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, as I do most foundations, as I love the flawless finish it provides. 

To conceal the aforementioned acne, I've recently discovered the Laura Mercier Secret Concealer. It's a very very thick consistency which I'm pretty sure could cover a tattoo if you used it correctly. It's that high coverage. I take a teeny-tiny amount on a small brush and apply it directly to the spot and 'dab' with my finger until it's blended. Bye bye redness, hello perfect skin (sort of).

Finally, I can't do a post on base makeup without mentioning my babe, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in 'Dim Light'. I've used this every day for well over a year now (yep, the exact same one and still going) and I'm still totally in love with it. It sets my makeup, adds a beautiful glow, and somehow manages to 'blur' my face. It makes all my makeup look perfectly blended, and the difference before and after I apply it always amazes me. It has complete 'holy grail' status in my makeup collection.

What's your base secret?

Georgia
xxx





Saturday 18 July 2015

Kiko-ing




Ever since the Kiko store opened in Reading, it's been like my crack. Bad morning at work? Kiko on my lunch break. Good day at work? Let's treat myself to something from Kiko. Feeling sad? Kiko. Any excuse? Kiko. Kiko. Kiko. Kiko. Crack. (You know when you say something so much it doesn't sound like a word anymore?). The other day I 'quickly popped' into Kiko to 'browse' and 'accidentally' left with a few bits which I could only justify by saying I was going to write a blog post on them. So, blog post, here we go. 

I've been mulling over buying a couple of the Kiko Cream Crush Lasting Colour Eyeshadows for a couple of weeks so I finally took the plunge and picked a couple up in the shades 03 and 04 for £6.90 each. Both matte shades, 03 is a beautiful plummy brown, 04 is a dusky taupe and they compliment each other perfectly. The texture is a quite unusual mousse-cream which means they blend like a dream, but you have to work quick because they set fast and believe me, once they've set, these babies aren't going anywhere. I even wore them on a night out last week, and they really live up to their long-lasting name; not a single crease in sight by 1.30am, however that was with my fail safe MAC Paint Pot and Urban Decay Primer Potion priming technique in place.

Me and brown eyeliners are currently having a bit of a moment so I couldn't resist picking up two brown-y eyeliners. First I picked up the Crystal Eyeliner in the shade 03 in the sale for just £3, which is a standard brown with a slight shimmer running through it. It applies with the lightest touch, is crazy pigmented, and similar to the eyeshadows, it sets super fast so you have limited working time. I should also mention that it doesn't budge, even my trusty coconut oil struggled to get it off my lids! I also grabbed one of the Glamorous eye pencils in the shade 401. Yes, I know I already have a gold eyeliner. No, I didn't need another one. Yes, I bought it anyway because so pretty. This one doesn't set as fast as the Crystal liner and doesn't stay put as long, but if you're looking for an affordable gold liner, here is the one. It's a beaut. 

Any Kiko recommendations?

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Soleil Tan De Chanel





The Soleil Tan De Chanel is by no means a new product, but it is one that I've had for years and only just gotten to grips with so naturally, it's blog post time. I first got my hands on the Soleil Tan De Chanel about 3 years ago when I begged and begged for it for my birthday, only to open it and realise I had no clue how to use it. Cream products scared me and it looked way too orange for me to brave wearing outside, so it took pride of place on my dressing table as the prettiest makeup I owned and gathered dust.

About a month ago, I decided to pick it up again and have a play and guess what? I love it. This product is not one for the pale people (a category I usually fall into), but thankfully my olive skin soaked up the heat wave and for the first time in two years I have an actual, real tan meaning alllll the bronzers have been cracked out.

I should probably tell you what the product is all about: a cream-gel texture bronzer which adds the perfect sun kissed look to your face. The Soleil Tan De Chanel has a slight hint of shimmer, which adds to the beautiful sun kissed look it creates and perfectly compliments a tan. You can wear it under or over your foundation, but as I prefer a heavier coverage foundation I tend to wear it over. I apply with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush where the sun would naturally hit my face and blend. Blend, blend, blend is the key to making this work, otherwise you run the risk of looking patchy and orange. You can see in the photo above how natural it looks, so if you're wanting to get your hands on it but you're scared: go for it, and figure out how to make it work for you. It really is beautiful (the packaging and the product!).

Georgia
xxx

Sunday 12 July 2015

The Week #1

Today I'm introducing a new type of post on the blog which is probably more for my own benefit and enjoyment than anyone else's, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless. 

I've recently been stuck in a bit of a rut, very very unhappy, anxiety through the roof and generally hating my life, but this week I've been able to take a step back, take a look and realise that although I may not be exactly where I want to be, it doesn't mean I can't appreciate the little things that make me happy. The overall picture may not be great but I'm still lucky enough to have two well-paid jobs, plenty of disposable income, amazing friends, a loving family, and an ability to find things that make me smile. Therefore, I'm now going to make a conscious effort to snap a photo of everything that makes me happy during the week and I'm going to do a round-up post every Sunday. Sound good? Good. I hope you enjoy these posts as much as I know I'm going to.


I really hate clubbing, I hate being surrounded by loads of people, I hate being sweaty and as a general rule, I hate most songs they play in clubs (where's the Idina Menzel at?!). But this Friday it was one of my best friend's 19th birthday so I braved going clubbing and a bottle of rosé and a few vodka and lemonades later, I was on the dance floor having an incredible night! 


A new coffee shop opened up in town and I've been popping there on my lunch breaks. I may have been drawn in by the fact it's called the Manhattan Coffee Club, but they do the nicest salads and it has a lovely atmosphere.


The Kiko store is like crack to me, they constantly have new releases coming out so I popped in to swatch their new Cream Crush Lasting Colour Eyeshadows and fell in love with some of the shades. The middle dusty pink shade gives me all sorts of heart-eye emojis and can you see the glitter payoff in that top swatch?!? I'm trying to watch my money so I didn't buy them at the time but I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since so Kiko, I'm coming back to you.


I had a flat pack furniture adventure last week that has resulted in me having a shiny new set of the cult Alex drawers. I have yet to find some dividers (can anyone help?!), but just having a new way to neatly store my out-of-control makeup collection is giving me all the feels.



I've suffered from severe anxiety my entire life and reading has always been my escape from whatever's circling around my head, so when work gets a bit stressful I always go and escape to Waterstones on my lunch break. There's something so calming about having a browse through the books.


Once a month, me and my best friend go on a steak date to Miller & Carter to have a massive catch-up and offload whatever's been on our minds. This week's date was so needed and as a huge steak connesuir, I can say you won't find anywhere better for steak in the UK. The USA however, a totally different kettle of steak...

Georgia
xxx

Thursday 9 July 2015

The Mulberry Cara







For the first time in my life, I didn't ask for anything for my birthday this year. So when my parents surprised me by saying they were going to get me the Mulberry Cara, it's safe to say I was very surprised and very happy. Also, very very very lucky.

We popped into Harrods and after much deliberation I settled on the Mini Cara Delevingne Bag in Oxblood Natural Leather. As my style is very minimalist and monochrome, I thought I would be adventurous and go for the oxblood so I could add a pop of colour to my outfits without it being too much. I have to say, I was a bit dubious about my choice at first but I'm so happy I didn't go for the plain black. I've had so many people compliment me on the colour and I'm yet to find an outfit it doesn't go with.

Aside from the fact that the bag was designed by my one and only true love Cara Delevingne, the main reason I lusted after this bag for so long was because it can be worn three ways: on your shoulder, hand-held and as a rucksack, once you've attached the adjustable canvas straps. I have a lot of back/shoulder issues and I've recently found that carrying handbags was getting very painful, so I was in desperate need of a bag which catered to my new hands-free approach. The bag fastens with the signature Mulberry postman's lock, and the two straps have a buckle that closes to stop people getting into your bag whilst it's on your back - Cara, you're a genius and I love you (please love me back).

Whilst designing the bag, Cara added a load of personal touches to really add her personal touch to the bag. There's a 'Made In England' engraving on the bottom, much like the tattoo on her foot, then open the flap and there's a heart shaped patch and a small gold lion rivet, again based off her famous tattoos.

The only con of this bag? I'm just so damn precious over it that I'm afraid to let anyone else touch it, let alone let it touch the floor. The leather is incredibly soft and I've already got a couple of scratches on it, so I now treat it as if it's my baby. I'm hoping this bag is going to last me years, long enough so I can justify my next Mulberry purchase in a decade or so. Or actually now I've said that, I wouldn't mind a Bayswater...

Georgia 
xxx

P.S. Cara, call me.

Monday 6 July 2015

The App That Will Change Your Life/Bank Balance





There are two types of people in this world: the savers and the spenders. I am without a doubt the latter but very much trying to save as much money as I can. If you want a post full of my money-saving tips then let me know, but this particular post is going to be all about the app which has changed my life - Pennies.

Ironically, Pennies is the most expensive app I've ever bought, costing me £2.99. Although it's painful to part with that much money initially, the amount it's helped me save in the long run makes it worth it. I'm very much a debit card spender; I hand over the plastic card again and again, forgetting that with each hand-over my bank balance is, quite literally, paying for it. Having an app that helps me keep track of how much I'm spending really helps because my child-like mind sees it as a game.

So, how the app works: you can choose to set a one-off, bi-weekly, weekly or monthly budget, choose how much you have in that budget, and then the app splits the money up, allowing you to see how much you have available to spend each day. A quick swipe up the screen allows you to see how much you've got left of both your monthly and daily budget, making it totally user-friendly. My favourite part of the app is the colour system: green when you've been good, blue when you've spent just-a-little-bit-more-than-you-should on that Marks & Spencers lunch, and red when you've spend way more than you should. Like when I took that trip to Westfield and ended up £200 over budget. Oops.

It's very easy to not think about how much your spending, but when you've got something to help you keep track it's amazing how easy it is to think 'no, I don't need this new skirt'. Apparently I do have willpower, all it takes is a nifty piece of software to keep me on track. Who knew.

Have you discovered any apps that have totally changed your life?

Thursday 2 July 2015

Welcome To New York

 













You know that one place where you feel like you just belong? Whether it's your bed, your grandparent's house or the other side of the world, it's the one place you feel content. For me, that place is New York City. 

People always ask me why I love the city so much and I don't have just one answer for them, it's everything. I love how you're surrounded by millions of people all living their lives, I love looking up at the sky and seeing buildings for miles, I love the hustle and bustle, I love how it's impossible to be bored. I have a perpetual restlessness that only the most restless city on earth can cure. New York City is home, it just sucks that I actually live 3421 miles away.

I'll be filming a video on my experience there this year, but for those who are wondering, I stayed at Row NYC, which just a stone's throw away from Times Square. The hotel was incredible and I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting a hotel right in the midst of the action. The best meal we had was at The Tavern On The Green in Central Park, Ellen's Stardust Diner is an absolute must for breakfast and any musical theatre fan, Hedwig and The Angry Inch is amazing/magnificent/wonderful/every synonym ever, and if there's one thing you have to do in NYC, it's stand in Times Square at midnight and just absorb the atmosphere. I did it almost every night and it never got any less breathtaking.

Writing this blog post is making me so sad, looking at the photos is making me even sadder, and watching back the videos is almost unbearable. The overemotional person I seemed to have turned into recently can't watch the video clips without shedding a few nostalgic tears, so editing my footage into a little video is hard work. Nevertheless, I hope you've enjoyed this photo blog post - do you like more photo heavy posts or should I stick to the words? Also, I apologise for the number of skyline photos but to me there's nothing on earth that's more beautiful than the Manhattan skyline.

Love, 
Georgia 
xxx