#TrendsIllustrated Blogger Event & Warehouse Urban Garden Party at Manchester Arndale

On Saturday I had the amazing opportunity to attend the #TrendsIllustrated event at Manchester Arndale. The amazingly talented Dom (from Dom n Ink) had designed an array of images and texts that were being printed onto t-shirts throughout the weekend. At the blogger event we had the opportunity to design our own tshirt using the designs, and the possibilities were endless. There were loads of different combinations to choose from, but of course I couldn't resist the unicorns and reindeers, as of course I'm an animal obsessive! I then went for a mint green background and the #ootd text, swirled my images around (that was a really cool feature) and my design was done! Then all you had to do was click done, and it was printed there and then! 

The tshirts are amazing quality, you can't tell that they're printed, the design is so seamlessly blended into the fabric, not sticky or cheap feeling at all. It was an absolutely amazing experience, and the best part is that no-one else has exactly the same tshirt! 

After the #TrendsIllustrated event, we headed upstairs to the Warehouse Urban Garden Party, where I got my hair braided by Toni & Guy in this amazing crown braid, and we took some selfies on the floral selfie wall! There was an amazing goody bag too, which you can see the contents of in my video below! I also had a 20% discount at Warehouse during the event, which I of course made use of, and after that I did a bit more shopping, so if you want to know what I bought, just watch the video below!

I also managed to get a quick snap of my OOTD. I was wearing Topshop joni jeans, Zara tshirt, Jack Wills rain coat, Nike trainers, Karl Lagerfeld bag, Urban Outfitters necklace, The Great Frog rings, Michael Kors watch, and my usual rings and earrings. (I wanted to wear my white converse and a lovely new jacket that I had, but sadly it was chucking it down with rain!)

It was an absolutely amazing day, a wonderful chance to meet new people, and see friends that I met at the last Manchester Arndale event. Thank you to everyone that made it such a wonderful day! x

*The t-shirt was provided for free at the event. All opinions are my own, and this is not a sponsored post. 

Haul - Manchester Arndale, UO, Zara, Charlotte Tilbury & Blogger events

I'm back! apologies for the bit of absence recently, I'm still recovering from laryngitis but have been able to film again this weekend! Today's video is a haul from yesterday, I went to a couple of blogger events at Manchester Arndale, and of course went shopping whilst I was there!

There'll be a blogpost coming on Tuesday about the events in more detail, but for now, I hope you enjoy the video, and that you've all had a great weekend! x

Hairspiration.

 

 

 

(all pictures from pinterest) 

Firstly, apologies that there isn't a video today. Some of you might know already but I've been ill with laryngitis, which basically means I haven't been able to speak for just under a week. I managed to get a video up on Sunday, but haven't been well enough to film one for today. I am on the mend now and will be filming again at the weekend, so be rest assured that this is a one-off thing.

Anyway, onto the actual post!

It's almost time for me to get my hair done again. I last had it done just before Christmas, and my roots are starting to show again, and it's getting knotty again. I've been considering going shorter for a while now, but I'm not sure if I should actually do it.

I was browsing pinterest and found these pictures, I've been thinking of going for a long bob/mid length cut that's a more natural blonde, but then think do I want to grow my hair long? My hair is currently at what I call a weird length. It's not long (to me) but isn't short either. I've had this debate for the last about 4 haircuts now and don't know whether I should be brave and go for it, or whether to just stick with my longer hair!

The other thing is my hair is really thick and is difficult to style, and it's got to the length now that it gives me headaches if I wear it up too much, but I'm wondering if a shorter 'do would be hard to style.

Are any of you considering the chop too? x

The Hourglass ambient lighting blush dupe?

There's hardly been a day since I bought my Hourglass ambient lighting blush palette that I haven't used it because I'm still obsessed with it. It looks absolutely beautiful for a start, the packaging and the products I just can't fault at all.

I find a lot of blushes are too pigmented and look a bit clown like, but these Hourglass ones are so flattering. They have a little bit of shimmer in them, but nothing too glittery. They're basically the perfect blush. The only thing is, this palette is £56 and is quite difficult to get hold of.

Max Factor have just released their Creme Puff Blushes, which are very similar. I've no idea why they names them creme puff, as they're definitely powder blushes. Obviously the packaging of these is no where near as beautiful, but they're only £8.99 and the hourglass blushes individually are £28.

I've been using the Max Factor almost every day now since I bought it. The one I have is Nude Mauve, which isn't an exact match of any of my Hourglass ones, but the formulation, application and lasting-power is exactly the same. I really can't find any fault with the Max Factor blushes.

There's a great shade selection both from Max Factor and Hourglass, and both will give you a gorgeous natural blush that just makes the skin look healthy. The difference is: one will cost you an extra £20 for beautiful packaging.

I love both of these to be honest, but I'd definitely recommend the Max Factor ones as they're just as good. Saying that, I love my Hourglass palette and would be lost without it.

Dupe? YES

Have you tried either of these blushes? x

Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Grey Palette

How beautiful is this Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Grey Palette? 

These new Collection eyeshadow palettes have been getting quite a bit of attention recently in the blogger world, so of course I wanted to see what all the fuss was about! I already own (and was impressed with) the Little Mix neutral palette that was limited edition, so was very happy to see that they'd released some more. 

At my local superdrug they only had this one in-stock, but at £3.99 (sometimes £2.99 on offer) I would have probably picked up them all! 

I used this palette in my GRWM With New Products Video if you want to see it on, but the shadows are so pigmented! They're easily as good as Urban Decay shadows, which these palettes are a great dupe for. 

The only thing I don't really like it the sponge applicator that the palette comes with and the packaging, but for the super-cheap price, you can't really complain! 

I also think that these palettes are perfect if you're just getting into makeup as they're good quality, have a great selection of wearable shades, and are super affordable! 

Have you tried any of the new Collection palettes yet? x 

Burberry Lipstick Collection

Today's video is something a bit different. I'm currently ill with laryngitis and can't speak so was really limited with what videos I could film this weekend! Burberry lipsticks are one of my all time favourite products, so I filmed a mini collection/lipstick lookbook of them. I really hope you enjoy the video, and that you've had a lovely weekend! (I've spent most of mine ill in bed!)



Also, I haven't been able to film anything for thursday's video yet, I'm hoping to film one night if my voice comes back, but if not, I'll do an extra video next week to make up for it or something x

The new Whistles bracelet.

Whistles Double Horn and Leather Bracelet 

I do love it when Grazia do their 25% off vouchers, and last time I had one for Whistles, I bought a bracelet and ring which I've worn loads, so when I got another voucher, and saw they had a similar bracelet this season, I decided to pick up another one. It was only £20 (£15 with the voucher) and it's really beautiful. I love how simple these are, and the quality is great. This particular one is quite fiddly to get on, but I do really love it! I wish Whistles other things were a little bit more affordable as they do have some lovely pieces! x

GRWM With New Products

Hey everyone! Here is my new GRWM video that went up yesterday!! I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a video up this weekend as I have laryngitis and can't talk at all!! I hope you're all well and have had a good week! x

March Birchbox

I do love getting my Birchbox each month! This month's box is in collaboration with Habitat (also contains a voucher) and has the usual selection of beauty products as well as a cute little 'here's the plan' notebook. 

I'm trying a sample of Benefit's Roller Lash at the moment, and am liking it so far, so I'm glad to have another. You could actually choose your sample of any Benefit mascara this month, but seeing as I already have and love They're real, I thought I'd go for another Roller lash. 

I'm  always happy to see Philip Kingsley products in my box, and this smooth cream sounds like it's right up my alley. I also got a sample of the Janjira facial scrub cleanser, a tan organic tan (which I'll probably try when it gets a little warmer, a Catherine Malandrino fragrance sample, and a book sample of A Perfect Heritage by Penny Vincenzi. 

I love the variety you get with Birchbox. It's great to get book samples, mini notebooks and sometimes they have food things in too! I can't wait for next month's box as there was a sneak peek card in mentioning Laura Mercier! 

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*Not sponsored. Some links are affiliate.

PINK Dog.

Look at this little gold PINK dog I found! I picked him up from a Spring fair at my mum's school for only 50p! He's brand new and caught my eye on the stall! 

The colour in real life is less yellow but he's made from a lovely gold metallic faux-leather. I think he looks lovely on my desk (which is actually the top of a set of drawers!) 

It's a bit of a random blog post, but I couldn't resist showing you as it was such a bargain! x 

Boots Haul

I filmed a boots haul of some bits I picked up on a recent trip to boots! I felt really ill when I filmed this, so sorry if I'm a bit off! I hope you enjoy the video, and if you want to see the products on I have a GRWM going up on Thursday using all of them! I've also got some blog reviews planned so make sure you're following me and subscribed to my Youtube channel so that you don't miss them! Hope you've all had a great weekend! x

teapigs

The lovely folk over at teapigs asked me if I'd like to try some of their teas. I of course said yes, as I love my tea and can't be without a brew! I've tried a few teapigs teas before including the liquorice and mint (which is amazing for bed time) and the chocolate and mint  which tastes yummy! 

I was never a fan of herbal teas, as all the ones I'd tried had a funny taste, and I just didn't like them. I first tried 'proper' herbal tea when I picked up a little pack of teapigs as I wanted a caffeine free zero calorie drink for bed time. I was really impressed as it tasted amazing, and didn't have any of the strange tastes that I found in other tea bags. 

I'd never tried the everyday brew tea* though, as I usually just stick to Tetley and hadn't been so adventurous. The everyday brew is a normal tea, but I wish you could taste it through the screen! It doesn't taste like 'normal' tea, as you can really taste the different flavours in it and I really noticed them. teapigs teas always smell so good too, I don't know how they do it, but maybe they should branch out into candles too! I drink my everyday brew with a splash of semi-skimmed milk (I'm quite particular about that) but you can make it just the way you like. I use one tea pyramid (no ordinary tea bags from teapigs) per cup which gives me the perfect strength (as you can see in the photo above) but if you like a weaker tea you could make two, or you could add more milk, sugar, lemon or whatever it is you prefer! 

These teapigs teas are more expensive, but trust me they taste a million times better, and have better ingredients in them too. I'm such a convert now! 

The other teas I was sent to try are the chocolate and mint* (which I already love), sweet ginger* and fennel & liquorice*. These are great for bed time as they're caffeine free, or perfect when you've had enough caffeine for one day! I find them really refreshing, and now it's warming up a bit here in the UK, I can't wait to try some of them as iced teas (they have instructions on the packet). 

I also love this cute mug* that they sent to me. It has a really cute chicken on it (Noopy's favourite animal) and on the handle it says no airs. no graces, just fine tea. which sums up teapigs perfectly! 

So it's safe to say I'm a bit of a tea fanatic. The other teapigs teas I'd recommend are the earl grey strong  , peppermint and I'd love to try the popcorn tea next! They have an amazing range though, so even if you don't fancy these flavours, there's loads to choose from on their website, and they also sell them in most supermarkets. If you're not sure what you'd like, you can get a sample pack with two tea pyramids for £1.30 which is a great way to try them all and find your favourite! 

So, what kind of teapigs are you having this weekend? x

*PR sample. These products were sent to me for review from teapigs, however all opinions are my own, and I would never promote any product or brand that I wouldn't be happy to buy myself (and in fact I have bought teapigs myself, and will continue to do in the future) 

50 Facts About Me!

I didn't get chance to post this yesterday, but here is my latest video! I decided to do a bit of a different mid-week video this week, so here's 50 Random Facts about me!

Hope you've all had a great week! I'm absolutely exhausted! x

The Body Shop Vitamin E Queen of Moisture Collection | Mother's Day 2015

If you're struggling for ideas for Mother's day this year, I have just the thing for you today! The Body Shop vitamin E range has been best-selling for over 3 decades, and this Mother's day they have released a brand new Limited Edition The Queen of Moisture range. I have 3 out of the 4 products to share with you today, the only one I don't have is the Vitamin E Aqua boost Sorbet which is a moisturiser that gives 24 hour hydration and refreshes the skin. 

The first product is the Vitamin E Moisture Cream* in this special Limited Edition packaging. This is 100ml (limited edition size) and is a beautiful moisturiser. If you have dry or dehydrated skin this would be perfect as it gives so much moisture and hydration from the first use. This moisturiser can be used as a day cream, but I've also used it at night which leaves my skin feeling super soft and hydrated when I wake up in the morning. Older skin also needs much more moisture so this is perfect for mums and grandmas! My mum has tried this too, and she also loves it. The moisturiser has a very slight scent which smells clean and fresh. I personally have sensitive skin, and I haven't experienced any irritations from this moisturiser. It's no wonder it's one of the Body shop's best sellers! (They sell one every 14 seconds!)

I've also tried the new Vitamin E eyes cube*, which is a moisturising stick which you use in the morning to revive and refresh the under eye area. This also helps to combat dark circles, depuff and get rid that awful tired look! The packaging is really good, as because it's in stick form, it's easier to use than a pot, and is also super-quick (perfect for morning!). I get really dry skin around my eyes and a lot of the caffeine roll-ons are too harsh for me, but this one is really gentle and soothing. I've also found that it creates a great base for concealer and keeps my under eye area hydrated all day. This is £8 which is really affordable for an eye cream too! 

Last but not least is the Vitamin E overnight serum-in-oil*. This works perfectly with the other products in the range, and is such a luxury step in an evening skincare routine! This is very similar to the Estee Lauder advanced night repair, but at £13 is just a fraction of the price. You can use this alone, or pair it with the moisturiser for extra hydration. The serum helps to indulge, replenish and recharge the skin whilst you sleep. The consistency of this serum is quite light and it sinks into the skin quickly, so you don't get that sticky feeling. I used to be afraid to use oils on my combination skin, but they do really work wonders, especially at night. When I've applied this, I rub any excess into the ends of my hair and my hands, which although isn't the intended use it works really well, and of course is better than wasting it! 

You can click on any of the links above to purchase any of these products, and of course they're available in-store too! If your mum is more of a hand-cream or bath kind of person, the Body shop do a wonderful selection of those too, as well as amazing gift ideas and gift sets! 

I hope you and your Mum have a lovely Mothers Day! x

*PR sample. These products were sent to me from the Body Shop, however all opinions are my own, and I would never promote any brand or product that I wouldn't buy myself. 

Sisterhood of the World Blogger Awards Tag

I was tagged by the lovely Lizzy to do the Sisterhood of the World Blogger Awards Tag, so here we go!
I tag Catarina  , Jess , Rhiannon, Meg and Becky

1. Are you a cat or dog person? 

Definitely dogs!

2. What beauty advice would you give your past self? 

Leave the eyeliner alone, don't pluck your eyebrows into the thin trend, and stay away from the dark brown hair dye, you really don't suit it. 

3. Where's your favourite place to shop for clothes? 

This is hard! Topshop, Urban Outfitters, New Look, Primark, H&M  and ASOS are some of my favourites

4. Bright or nude lip?
I'm a nude or a dark kind of person although occasionally I go for a brighter option

5. What's the best concert you've ever been to?
Katy Perry's Prismatic world tour! A-Mazing!

6. Shimmer or Matte eyeshadow?
As long as it's neutral, I like both!

7. What's the one thing you can't leave the house without?
my Phone

8. What products would you use for a 5 product face?
A good BB cream/ light foundation, powder, mascara, lipstick, brow product

9. What hyped up product disappointed you the most?
Not sure if it was hyped but the Benefit stay flawless primer really didn't work for me

10. What is your most worn pair of shoes?
A pair of Kurt Geiger black chelsea boots. I bought them at an outlet for £19 and have had them re-soled twice.

Lizzy's questions

1. Why did you decide to start a blog + how old is your blog?

I started it because I loved reading blogs and watching YouTube videos. My blog is almost 3 years old.

2. If you had to describe your blog in 3 words what would you say?

Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle 

3. What has been your biggest blogger achievement?

Going to the Manchester Arndale After Dark event and meeting Victoria from inthefrow 

4. Any regrets so far in your blogging experience?

Not living closer to where the events are, and not having enough time to blog

5. What is the best thing about owning a blog to you?

I love making content and interacting with my readers, viewers and other bloggers.

6. Any blog post of yours that stands out as being your favourite? (link?)

Gosh, I couldn't choose a favourite, I'm always trying to improve my blog so I'd usually say my latest one. 

7. All time best make-up bag item? GO!

That's hard! I always have whatever lipstick I'm wearing, a powder to top up, and usually a concealer.

8. Do you think it is easier these days for bloggers to become recognised due to social media such as twitter + instagram?

I'm not sure, I think blogging is changing all the time, and there are a lot more of us now, which might make it more difficult.

9. Any fears or challenges you have had to overcome as a blogger?

Yes, biting the bullet and starting a YouTube channel, which is something I've wanted to do since about 3 years before I started my blog! 

10. Where do you see your blog in 1 years time?

Hopefully still going, with more readers! 

Thankyou Lizzy for tagging me! If I haven't tagged you, you're still very welcome to do the tag! Make sure to tweet me your tags! x 

The Smart Lookbook

I put together a lookbook of smart outfits that I'd wear for work or work placement, but you could wear these outfits for anything really! It features some of the items I've shown recently in hauls, so if you've been wondering what they look like on, they're all here in this look book!

I really hope you enjoy it- it took absolutely ages to make!

As always please remember to like the video and subscribe to my YouTube channel and have a great week! x



New videos: Thursday and Sunday mornings

New blog posts: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7am GMT

The Grimm Tag.

Seeing as I've become obsessed with GRIMM, I thought I'd continue the TV blog posts by starting a Grimm tag. If you're a blogger too, I tag you to do the Grimm tag, and be sure to tweet me your links if you do! (@nellyandnoopy)

Q1.  Favourite Wesen?
I think my favourite has to be the Hexenbiest I think, even though they're evil! I also like Fuchsbau and the Musai.

Q2. Favourite non-wesen character?
It has to be Nick. He's the main character, but has been my favourite since the first episode!

Q3. Favourite wesen character?
Monroe. His friendship with Nick is so great to watch, and he's just a generally nice guy. He also has some of the best lines!

Q4. Which wesen would you be?
A Hexenbiest. They're powerful, have incredible beauty in real life and I think are probably the most interesting wesen. Plus I've always fancied myself as a bit of a witch!

Q5. Favourite quote?
Monroe in the Big Foot episode: "Everything has an end. Only the sausage has two."

Q6. Wesen you fear the most?
They're all pretty scary at times, but I certainly wouldn't want to find The Baron (Voodoo man) as he was really freaky!

Q7. Favourite couple?
Nick and Juliette, although I got annoyed with how Juliette treated Nick when she'd lost her memories!
Runner up has to be Monroe and Rosalee

Q8. Portland vs. Vienna?
Vienna is such a beautiful place, but I think Portland would be much safer as the Royals just seem like pure evil!

Q9. Would you rather be a Grimm or a Wesen?
I'd rather be a Grimm, they're more interesting, and feared by all the wesen, so you have a better chance of staying alive! Plus they're incredibly powerful, and seem to get the best of both worlds, well Nick does anyway!

Q10. Favourite season/ episode?
I made this question hard! I can't actually choose, I'm currently watching season 3, and have genuinely loved every episode so far! My least favourite was 2x22 as I really didn't like that Voodoo man!

I'd love to know your answers to the Grimm Tag! Be sure to tweet me your links if you do it! x

MAC and JustFab Haul

So I filmed another haul video! I know I've done a few of these recently, but you all seem to be enjoying them, so I hope you don't mind!

I hope you're all having a great week too - don't forget there's a new post on Saturday and a new video on Sunday! xx

The lipstick that the world's gone mad for.

 MAC Velvet Teddy 

The beauty world seems to have gone completely mad over Velvet Teddy. It's out of stock everywhere, and I've been trying to get hold of it since November. I finally had a stroke of luck and found in in-stock on the MAC website (and it's currently in stock at the time of writing this). I had a little fright when my order appeared and it wasn't there, but it turns out that MAC had so many orders, they all got messed up, so Velvet Teddy was being shipped separately. 

At first glance, it doesn't look anything special. It's a beautiful nude brown shade but in the bullet looks like a different tone of some of my other lipsticks. It's when you use it that you realise what all the fuss is about. Somehow it's the perfect amount of brown and pink, and is flattering with peach tones running through it. The matte formula means that it lasts really well on the lips without a need for lip liner, and there's just something about it that looks great. 

I don't know if it's just me, but Velvet Teddy seems to look a bit different on everyone. To me it looks more pink on me than it does on some other bloggers, but that might all be down to lighting.

The shade is actually quite similar to my beloved Tom Ford coco ravish lipstick, except the TF isn't matte and is slightly more brown toned.  

So is it worth the hype? Yes, I think it is. It's not too expensive (£15.50), the colour is gorgeous, the formula is great, and it seems to be the perfect shade to wear with everything. 

Have you tried Velvet Teddy? x

Quite Natural.

 MAC Quite Natural PaintPot 

I'm a big fan of the Painterly paint pot by MAC, and use it pretty much everyday as a base for eyeshadow.  I've been looking for a brown cream eyeshadow for a while, and when I spotted this Quite Natural paint pot in one of sunbeamsjess's videos, I knew it was what I'd been looking for. 

I ordered this paint pot with a couple more items, which you can see in a haul video that's coming your way on Thursday. 

This paint pot is a  beautiful warm brown tone, that looks, as the name would suggest, quite natural. It's very easy to apply (I just used my fingers), lasts really well, and of course can be used alone (as I have in the picture) or as a base for other shadows. The colour is quite subtle but could easily be intensified by using something like the Burberry Chestnut eyeshadow over it. 

I really love the look of this paint pot with a simple winged eyeliner, which has been my go-to look recently. 

Have you tried any of the MAC paint pots? x

February Favourites | Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle

Happy March! Which of course means it's time for February favourites! I've done a mixture of beauty, fashion and lifestyle as I haven't switched up that many beauty products this month! I hope you all enjoy the video, and as always, please make sure to like it and subscribe to my YouTube channel!

My videos, if you didn't know, are uploaded on Thursday and Sunday mornings, and blog posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7am GMT.

Hope you've all had a great weekend! x