Zara Gussetted Shopper Bag

£29.99

I've been looking for a good decent white bag for what seems to be forever. One rule when it comes to online shopping is that I never purchase a bag without seeing it instore beforehand (unless it's from a Korean/Japanese online store then I don't really have that luxury), as I find that bags can be deceiving and I am let down by the quality. However I made an exception for this beauty. I came across this bag on the ZARA website and fell in love with its simplicity. I loved the fact that  it looks like the zips at the top are a bow; it adds a delicate feminine touch. It comes with adjustable and detachable straps which is always a plus point as you can wear it in two different ways. Its size is quite generous for those who, like me, carry a lot with them. It has 1 zip compartment and two smaller compartments in the inside zip part of the bag and it has two empty sections on either side of it. The bag itself is quite lightweight which makes it easy to carry around. I was not let down by the quality of this bag and know that this has become my staple summer bag!

Composition: 100% Polyester

Dimensions: 20 x 25 x 10 cm / 8 x 10 x 4" 

What's your favourite ZARA bag?

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KAWAII OVERLOAD - ♥ Artbox Haul ♥

(=^-ω-^=)

Since most of my closest friends have moved abroad/returned home! I find that the nicest way to stay in touch with them is by writing letters. It is more personal and for one thing, I LOVE receiving letters/postcards/parcels from my friends as they are filled with love, so I can only hope that they feel the same! As my letter set was running out I decided to purchase a new one .... 

.... but I kinda got sidetracked with the amazing overload of cute stickers, and when I say overload I kinda do mean over load!!!!  However, I did stick to my original purpose and purchase 1....2....3... ok... 4 letter and envelope sets aswell as ALOT of stickers. I mean there were so many to choose from and they were all so fun and cute that I couldn't decide, so decided to buy them all! 

♥ 

Artbox Letter Set: Folding Pink - £1.60

Crux Letter Set: Funny Funny Panda - £4.50

Artbox Letter Set: Bonjour Panda - £1.50

Q-Lia Lette Set: Slowly and Slowly - £1.60

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Q-Lia Stickers: Penguin - £2.60

Q-Lia Stickers: Salary Panda £2.60

Kamio Stickers: Mochi Panda £2.80

Q-Lia Stickers: Japanese Cat - £2.60

Crux Stickers: Penpit Animals - £2.40

Crux Stickers: Cute Ghosts - £2.40

San-X Stickers: Korilakkuma - £3.20

SuAtelier Stickers: Gamja - £1.50

SuAtelier Stickers: Mayor of London £1.50

SuAtelier Stickers: Kokeshi - £1.50

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Do you like to keep in touch with friends through letters?

Michael Kors Glam Jasmine

As the days are getting warmer and summer is slowly making its appearance in London :) I wanted something very young, fresh and alluring for the holidays, as the perfumes I generally tend to use are more mature, sensual and sexy. Now I don't know if it's because it is the meaning of my name but I have always loved the smell of Jasmine. When I was younger we used to have Jasmine flowers wrapped around the wooden garden arch, and when the flowers bloomed I loved passing through it and sitting under it! 

So as I was testing the different perfumes available, I was having a hard time choosing a new fragrance that matched what I wanted. The scents were either too sweet with cherry undertones or far too floral (in a sticky sweet kind of way). 

I then remembered that Michael Kors had brought out fragrances and somewhere in the back of my mind I had a vague memory of one being called Glam Jasmine. At this point my arms and wrists were covered in various scents and to be quite honest all the smells had fused together so I was having a hard time differentiating the perfumes in general. I sprayed it on my shoulder and it was love at first sniff. 

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The packaging is simple and elegant in white with gold details: 

 Glam Jasmine is in a tall, glass flacon with a golden stopper that has MICHAEL KORS EST. 1981 engraved into it and a stud in each corner:

They are available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml. Unfortunately boots didn't stock the 100ml so I got the 50ml.

Top Notes

 White florals with a hint of sparkling citrus and cassis   

Heart Notes

 Egyptian jasmine, jasmine sambac and jasmine petals

Base Notes

 A deep seductive dry-down of creamy sandalwood and cedarwood

The perfume itself has strong staying power and silage. The smell only slightly lightens after 3-4 hours.

♥

I have only had my bottle for 4 days and I have worn it everyday since! It's alluring, indulgent and statement-making. Anyone whom I have had contact with, and on a couple of occasions, just walked past, have complimented and asked what I was wearing. This is definitely now my staple everyday, feel good summer scent.

 ♥

Selfridges The #BeautyProject Shopping

http://www.selfridges.com/en/StaticPage/the-beauty-project#events

My favourite department store was holding an event! How could I miss it? I have an undying love for Selfridges, it's always my go to from everything from beauty - fashion - technology - home. I mean the famous windows are enough to go for!  So when I saw that it was holding an event titled "The Beauty Project" I booked a ticket, got my self ready and went eagerly to see what was happening. After collecting my ticket, I was offered complimentary selection of drinks/Pinkberry/rainbow meringues from a bunch of good looking models who were also giving out complimentary Tatty Devine bracelets. There was a DJ set and some dancers that were celebrating all definitions of beauty. These small little gestures made my shopping experience so much more fun (I mean what's not to like about shopping while eating a delicious pinkberry and having a glass of watermelon and vodka).

Needless to say I was sucked in (doesn't take a lot) and ended up buying a bunch of stuff! :) oops...

I just want to also point out that all the sales assistants in Selfridges I spoke to that day (regardless if I bought the item or not) were so helpful, kind and well knowledgeable on their products that it made my shopping experience that more relaxing and fun! 

Beauty face on:
Eyeshadow: MAC Carbon Matte
                 MAC Flashtrack
                            Coastal Scents Palette
Eyeliner: Maybelline Liner Express
Foundation: DiorSkin Nude 020
Bronzer: Chanel Les Beiges N. 50
Blusher: MaxFactor 225 Mulberry
Lips: Burberry Lip Mist Nude Peach.

Mini Shopping Haul


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DIORBLUSH CORAL CRUISE 676 £30

I had heard that Dior's blusher range had been reformulated recently and I had always wanted to go and test them out, so (naturally) I thought that this was the perfect opportunity. As I was browsing through the different shades, the sales assistant came over and asked if I needed help. Now usually I am pretty okay when it comes to choosing what I want but I was so thrown by the colour choices as they were so bright and vibrant (no suprise - the collection is called Vibrant Colour Powder Brush) that I took on her offer. I usually use a dark plum tone as a blusher so was a little lost as to try on something quite bright! The SA suggested I go for the shade 'Happy Cherry 876' as it would brighten up my face. I found that this shade was far too pink and even though I tried it on  and was told it suited me, I just wanted to wipe it off my face and stick to my dark tones! I told her that I would be more comfortable trying something that is more peachy/coral as those are the tones that suit me best. She then presented me with the shade 'Coral Cruise 676' . This colour looks very intense in the pan but when applied it is actually quite light and has a really good build up. I fell in love with this shade pretty much straight away. It has a soft silky feel to it and there isn't any of that nasty shimmer that some (most) blushers have. Instead it provides that soft healthy glow that we all yearn for! I found it surprisingly easy to blend on the face giving me that transparent natural flush! 

So here is what it looks like on me! As you can see the colour is natural and it isn't as bright as it looks like in the pan. I have been using this blush pretty much everyday and am totally in love with it because it is so easy to build up and blend! Easily one of my most favourite purchases to date!

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RMK HERBAL MIST £19

I love RMK products because they all smell so good and work well! I came across this little gem and was instantly drawn to the simplicity of the product and packaging (definitely located a place for it on my makeup table in my head) and that for me, is a great selling point! I got this face mist spray in Rose.This smells so good, the scent isn't overpowering and doesn't leave me with a headache! It has a refreshing and calming scent that is an instant pick me up. It is great to hydrate your skin with when you feel like your skin is feeling dry and it is actually amazing to spray onto make up! The Sales Assistant was a total gem and it didn't take too long for her to sell it to me (I was already 70% there). She informed me that it is formulated with extract of cucumber to tighten pores and extracts of green tea and rose to rejuvenate the skin! After her spritzing me I can honestly agree with what she said! My skin instantly started to feel a lot more refreshed. A definite must-have (especially since it's almost summer)! I am already contemplating on going to buy another one in a different scent!

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NARS RED LIZARD £18.50

I have been on the hunt for a good shade of red lipstick since forever (a girl can never really have enough lipstick)! I have a sort of love hate relationship with the colour red! It is so hard for me to find a shade that isn't too bright or too dark or too shiny or too drying. For some odd reason I never once thought to try the lipsticks offered by NARS. 

I love NARS products so am actually quite baffled with myself as to why I hadn't tried it before. I approached the Sales Assistant, told her the kind of look and shade of red I wanted and asked her to try on a few that they had! She turned around and said that she knows which one I will fall in love with straight away. And so she applied. And so I looked in the mirror. And I smiled.

 THE HUNT IS OFFICIALLY OVER! 

I cannot express my satisfaction with this lipstick enough! It is semi-matte and called Red Lizard.  The texture produces velvety, full-bodied lips. It's not drying as some matte lipsticks prove to be which is great although I do think it makes for a better application when you have exfoliated and moisturized your lips beforehand but it isn't a necessity. The colour is true to the name, it is a bold and fiesty red. The shade itself, I believe, has a blue undertone! I was told that the blue undertone actually helps brighten the skin and I can honestly tell you that it does do that! It compliments my complexion and gives me that fresh but powerful statement. I would definitely, 100% be repurchasing this lipstick in the years to come and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good shade of red!

RED LIZARD

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and as if one wasn't enough.......

NARS BELLE DE JOUR £18.50

Like I said before, a girl can never have too much lipstick! As soon as I decided on buying Red Lizard I suddenly wanted to buy a nude lipstick (for the days I don't wear red). I told the SA that I wanted something that would just stain my lips and that would be light enough to wear once I go bronze (hopefully) in the summer, that it compliments my tan. Basically something that doesn't leave me looking as if I have concealer on my lips. She showed me Barbarella  and Belle De Jour. These two shades are sheer lipsticks and are enriched with Vitamin E to help moisturize the lips. I knew instantly out of the two which one I wanted. I tried them both on. Belle De Jour on my top lip and Barbarella on the bottom lip. Because these two are sheer lipsticks - the colour pigmentation isn't bold, it's more a translucent stain. Now there really wasn't much difference in the two shades but I knew that Barbarella would be slightly brighter as the colour has a warm orangey undertone making it more peachy than nude, whereas Belle De Jour is a sheer beige.

The application is smooth and it feels silky and moisturizing on the lips. The lipstick being sheer provides a natural stained look and the colour pigmentation is strong in regards to it being translucent. The colour itself lasts a long time on the lips and you don't need a mirror when applying this on as it is so easy to wear! 

This has definitely become my staple nude lipstick in my collection! A must - have for anyone! 

Belle de Jour

And this is how I wear Belle de Jour. As you can see it gives the lips a light stain and it looks very natural! I am seriously in love with this lipstick! It is so so easy to wear and doesn't leave your lips feeling naked!

♥

And here are some non-beauty related (mainly from ARTBOX in Selfridges) purchases:

Q-LIA LETTER SET: MOYA MOYA ANIMALS £4.20

&

CUTE POO PEN: £2.20

I love writing letters! Since most of my best friends have moved country/returned home, I find that this is the nicest way to keep in touch! Seeing as I absolutely adore anything remotely cute (and japanese) it's easy enough to say that when I saw this Q-Lia Letter Set: Moya Moya Animals and a Cute Poop Pen I couldn't resist! I bought them and since have written to my friends and I absolutely LOVE how adorable they look ^_^ 

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Q-LIA STICKERS: JAPANESE CAT £2.60

Ultra Kawaii <3

....and you can't really send out letters and packages without some cute foamy stickers can you? I mean it's just not done. So I got em :) 

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SUGAR HOTEL CARD CASE: MILK £1.90

Cutest oyster card holder or what?

And I really don't have any other excuse other than this was extremely cute and makes me happy :) I mean I now have a happy milk carton oyster card holder...... :) 

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HAPPY JACKSON: MINI CHEERFUL NOTEBOOKS £6.00

Since I am always lugging around a notebook in my bag - which can be inconvenient at times due to it making my handbag heavy. Sometimes, I can't even take it as it doesn't fit in my bag. So these are absolutely amazing just to be able to pop into your bag. They are mini and light! Perfect!

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and a little something free from the event :)

TATTY DEVINE CHARM BRACELET 

A Taste of Turkey

  I ♡ ISTANBUL

It had been near three years since my last visit to Istanbul, so I was super excited to be going for two weeks at the beginning of this new year! Istanbul is one of my favourite cities in the world! It is the perfect combination of old and new - East meets West. The history of this enchanting city spans over thousands and thousands of years, in fact there are findings which date back to the 3rd millennium BC by the Golden Horn.

My first week was spent with my family, catching up with my aunt and uncle, looking after my little cousins and helping my grandmother with the cooking. I love spending time with my family and especially playing with my little cousins. They are just so cute!!! On my second week in Istanbul, I went around sight seeing and mainly just looking for places with good wholesome food :P

For those of you who haven't been to Istanbul or are going soon, I have compiled a list of places for you of my favourite places to eat  and visit in the first part of this blog! Be sure to check out these places when you go!

Mini Drugstore Beauty Haul!

It's been a while since I went on a little drugstore haul! I LOVE going to drugstores and checking out what new things they have in or just picking up something I've never really used before!

Lancome Tonique Douceur (£35) I swear by this product. I have tried many toners from different price ranges and this has been the one that I have seen a visible change with. It hydrates my skin, doesn't leave a harsh tingling feel as it is alcohol-free. It contains extracts of rose and elderberry. Elderberries are great for the skin, it is considered an antioxidant and is great for giving your complexion a boost. Roses have made it's way in beauty and medicine for over hundreds of years because it helps freshen the skin, give it a radiant glow and also has a therapeutic effect. It has a nice soft scent and this product lasts me a long time. This specific toner is for normal to combination skin and its three main advantages are that it cleanses any remaining impurities, hydrates, and softens my skin. I use it in the morning and and evening after I cleanse my face and apply a small amount to a cotton pad and apply it all over the face.

Dior Diorshow Black Out - Intense Black Khol (£23) This mascara has got to be my all time favourite. I am lucky that I have long, dark lashes already so this mascara just enhances what is already there. I find that the product itself lasts a long time without becoming dry and clumpy.It is a creamy mascara and application is smooth and the results instant. I love the intensity of the black, this is due to the Arabic gum extract found in the mascara which gives it that charcoal black intensity. The brush is big so covers most of the lashes in a single coat. Good volume and blacker lashes in one coat!

No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder (£11.50) This is a good powder. I have it in Translucent as I like to just set my make up with it after. It is fine and makes it breathable so my pores don't feel clogged up. I find that pressed powders are a lot less messy than loose powder so I like to carry this in my handbag. 

                                

Benefit Gettin' Cheeky - Posie Tint, Sun Beam, Cha Cha Tint (£14) I bought this product on a whim and was delighted with it. I like quite a few of Benefits products but hadn't tried any of these three, so when I saw it in a package together I thought I'd give them a go. It contains two lip & cheek stains (in poppy-pink and mango) and one highlighter (golden bronze). The coral tone of Cha Cha tint is so hard to come by so I was very happy with it. It gives you an instant sun kissed glow and this shade of coral is bound to compliment any skin tone! I am not very fond of pink cheek stains but I think I made an exception for Posie Tint as the finish is so natural and gives that innocent cute glow. Apply these two products by brushing onto the apples of your cheeks and blending away and dabbing onto the lips and blend with fingertips. The highlighter is nice, and works well giving you that instant sun kissed radiance. Apply Sun Beam by dotting onto the cheekbones and blend towards your hairline. With these products, a little goes a long way! 

MaxFactor - Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint 04 (£6.99) I am quite fond of this product and like the fact that it has a pen tip. You can build up the intensity of the stain and the colour is soft. I use this product as a lip liner as I find it actually stays on longer and and I can use it to contour my lips before I apply lipstick. Its application is easy and is a long-lasting product. This is the second one I bought, the first one lasted me almost 2 years.

             

Maybelline Baby Lips - Peach Kiss (£2.99) I know that this was a big hit in America, so was quite excited to see it finally selling in London! I wanted to buy all of the coloured ones but they only had Peach Kiss left so I bought it to give it a go. The colour is soft and adds a natural peach tone with slight shimmery colour to your lips. Plus it smells and tastes good and gives you baby soft lips! 

Maybelline Cover Stick - 01 Ivory (£4.09) I heard a lot of mixed reviews about this as a concealer but when I tested the different shades, I really liked Ivory as a highlighter for contouring rather than a concealer. Now that I purchased it I tried using it as a concealer but didn't find that it did anything special on blemishes but was really good on dark circles. It did however work wonderfully, as I predicted it would, as a highlighter. The texture is creamy so makes it easy to apply.

Dior Diorskin Nude - 020 Light Beige (£32) I love this foundation. It is very light with a good coverage and you can easily build up on it. It blends well with my complexion and gives it a flawless finish! Again less is more with this product. I only need two pumps of this foundation and it is enough to cover my whole face and neck. This product feels very hydrating on my skin and doesn't leave me with a dry, caked-on face. Unlike most liquid foundations, this one doesn't give you a shiny face but it gives you a nice glow so your skin looks healthy and radiant. The main thing I love about this product is that it lasts ALL DAY. I mean it! I do my make-up at around 6:30am before work and when I come home it is still in perfect condition!

Let me know which products you love and why!

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