Kreativ Blogger Award

 Over the weekend I was very flattered to receive the Kreative Blogger award from the beautiful Hannah from Diary of an English Exile, who is a fellow Leeds University English Language student! Check out her fantastic blog covering her year abroad in Spain; lots of wonderfully written posts infused with Spanish anecdotes, culture, travel and a good measure of fashion and beauty.

 Here's the procedure...

Link back to the person that awarded you - Answer the questions - Share 7 random facts about yourself - Award 10 other bloggers and let them know

1 - Your favourite song

Oooh very tough! Either:

 Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation

The Killers - Mr Brightside

The Streets - Never Went To Church

2 - Your favourite dessert

I have the worst sweet tooth and I love all deserts! Apple Crumble or Iced Fruit Cake.

3 - What ticks you off

I have no time for unnecessarily nasty or spiteful people. Ugliest.trait.ever

4 - When I'm upset I...

Either go to the gym or comfort eat. Sweets and cakes are always a winner. Quite contradictory but true!

5 - Favourite pet

Definitely Dogs. I have a new Labrador puppy called Wesley <3

6 - Black or white

Definitely Black. Slimming, flattering and goes with everything - no competition!

7 - Biggest fear

Failing.

8 - Everyday attitude

Do whatever makes you happy

9 - What is perfection

Happiness and being content...and David Gandy

10 - Guilty pleasure

Trashy TV; the trashier the better. TOWIE, Made In Chelsea, Big Brother, Jersey Shore - I love it all.

7 Random Facts

I am a former cheerleader and have competed in and won National and international competitions for my home squad The Blue Sapphires and my University competition team the Leeds Celtics. I've also competed I'm America which was an amazing experience.

I once wrote a letter to Adam Levine of Maroon 5 declaring my undying love for him..cringe!

I am an accounts assistant during university holiday breaks at Cargill. Menial work but I LOVE the place and the people.

I'm pretty sure I was Anne Boleyn in a former life.

No one believes me when I tell them I was anne Boleyn in a former life.

I know how to sail a boat

I write for an online magazine Her Campus

Awarded Bloggers

5 (time constraints - sorry ) Beauty Blogs I LOVE:

   1. Fairy Tale Kiss

         2. Audreys Armistice

          3. Glimmer and Glow

                        4. Farewell To The Fairground

         5. Pearls and Poodles

Feel Unique January Beauty Box

                             

Just to make my day all the better the postman just dropped the Feel Unique January Beauty Box at my door. I've been so excited about this since I signed up and literally tore the packaging open to discover what was inside. I had no idea it had been dispatched so it felt like Christmas all over agin!

The Beauty Box concept costs £9.95 with free postage and although you don't know what goodies will be contained inside, you're promised 5-6 samples of high-end beauty products. 

There are a few different boxes out there but after doing a little research, I decided the Feel Unique Box was the best suited to me.

So this months contents:

1) Lierac creme mesolift anti-aging radiance cream 15ml

This product is sample size (15ml) and the full size version (50ml) retails for around £28. It contains apricot butter and lime wax and gives the skin 'an immediate radiance boost' post application. Although at 20 I may not need an anti-ageing cream just yet, I'm very excited about this product; the reviews are very good and I love face creams whether anti-ageing or not!

2) Dead Sea Spa Majik Salt Brushing - 2 Sachets

Next were two sachets of Dead Sea Spa Majik Salt Brushing - a highly nourishing, exfoliating body treatment that naturally exfoliates without irritating and eliminates dead skin cells. Again this product has fantastic reviews and I think it'll be good for a pre Fake Bake exfoliation.

3) Caudalie Vinotherapie Nourishing Body Lotion 30ml

Another sample size French product. This body lotion is a rich, hydrating treatment that promotes microcirculation and again helps prevent premature skin ageing. I'll be looking about 12 years old after trying all these products out!

4) Phyto PhytoBaume Color Protect Express Conditioner 20ml

My hair's in pretty poor condition after all the dyeing and exposure to heat I put it through; I'm looking forward to seeing what this product can do and whether it's any better than my favourite Clairol conditioner. It claims to be a creamy daily conditioner that instantly detangles and protects colour treated and highlighted hair...we shall see!

5) this works Clean Skin for the Face 30ml

This 'award winning cleanser' is another product with good reviews. It has a fresh, botanical aroma and contains palmarosa essential oil that hydrates and fights wrinkles. Again quite small in size but it smell divine.



The card inside notes: ‘New Year New You. Now the festive frivolities are over its time to get back to basics with our specially selected products, designed to put you back on the straight and narrow’. I really like this concept as it’s so true that we all need a little refresh and revival this time of year. The idea of ‘starting over’ is very apt for January.

So all in all I’m happy. The products are all something I would use and potentially buy and it will be nice to try smaller samples out before latently buying. Truth be told, however, I would probably have been more than happy to find a bag of frozen peas inside as I adore the concept so much!

The only downside for me is that I would have loved to receive a make-up product; this was one of the predominant reasons I signed up. I suppose the idea of a ‘revitalized new look’ kind of contradicts this and so it’s understandable that they’ve left make-up out this month.

There is also no full-size product contained but that is perfectly acceptable when the box only costs £9.95 and understandably it would be hard to include something full-size every month (I believe that there was some full Bed Head product in December’s box).

Beauty Boxes are available here: here

I look forward to trying the products out and blogging about their results!

Amy x

Review: AVON Nailware Pro - G111 'Dynamo'

I've always been a big fan of AVON nail varnishes; I find them to be reasonably priced, rich in colour and (perhaps most importantly) sufficiently long-lasting.

This shade, ‘Dynamo’, is a deep maroon colour with an intense glittery shine. The glitter is contained in the polish, which makes it silky smooth to touch - unlike a certain OPI glitter polish I have that leaves the nail very rough and uneven.

Admittedly very festive, but I do think this high-impact colour could last through January, potentially up until spring, and still be perfectly acceptable! Light-reflecting and eye-catching, this colour would look gorgeous teamed with a black dress and dark lips and makes a welcome, fashion-forward alternative to the more common pillar box red.

After 2 days it’s begun to very slightly chip towards the end of the nail but I do blame myself entirely as I didn’t apply a transparent top coat (naughty!).

The shade is £6 and from Avon, available here

2012 Resolutions

So it may be a little late but I've been contemplating doing a New Year’s Resolution-type post for a while now. Every year around this time I write and save a list of my wants and wishes for the forthcoming year on my laptop; this year, as I'm writing and committing to a blog, I may as well shed some (not all) light on my annual pledges for the future year:

-     Keep Up with Blog. One post a week MINIMUM and the writing has to be of good standard. NOT akin to some of the everyday rammel I've been publishing in recent weeks.

-     Don’t Crash Car. Touch wood. Also on last year's list.

-     2.1 and Nothing Less. Speaks for itself really. I'm graduating this year and anything below a 2.1 will not be worth the £21,000 debt I’ll be fashioning come July.

-     Look after Wesley. New puppy is here in two weeks and when I'm home I want to make up for the all the times I'm not and treat him like the true canine prince he is.

-     Embrace the Olympics. I LOVE all things sporting and all things British so during this year's Olympics I'll be glued to the TV at any and every moment possible. I'm lucky enough to have tickets for some track events and I am reeling with excitement already.

-     Some Form of Writing/Publishing Work Experience. Clearly been unlucky with my work experience so far, but I'm hopeful that my 13821947219 time will prove to be beneficial.

-     Amazing/Sufficiently Good 21^stbirthday. I HATE Birthdays. Well I hate my own birthdays -too much pressure and too much comparison to other people’s birthdays. I’m hoping for a weekend away with my homebirds and a messy night in Leeds.

-     Find a Husband...Or at Least a Date? I made substantial (for me) progress in 2011 but still find myself as single as Susan Boyle (who has now probably had more relationships than I have). Need to find a nice, suitable male that's not too old for me, or too stupid.

-     Enjoy Graduation and Leaving Uni. Not too many tears and an amazing night out will most definitely be in order (and needed after the hell that is my dissertation).

-     Write More, Care Less. I'd like to write more for HerCampus, Tweet, write AIESEC-related media and update my Blog. Most importantly I'd like to do this unashamedly and be proud of my work. I care far too much about what other people think, and although I'm getting better, I'd like to care a lot less about anyone that undermines me.

-     Holiday. Something at least half as good as last years trips to Spain, Cyprus and Cornwall would be lovely!

Outfit post: Country Grammar

Today's outfit for my lovely wintery walk in the countryside...

Fur headband - Craft Fair (but very similar ones available at Dorothy Perkins)

Quilted Jacket - Joules

Chunky Black Scarf - FCUK

Leggins - Next

Welly Socks - Hunter

Wellies - Hunter

I was also wearing two lots of thermal tops underneath but thought I'd be best leaving the details of those out! Warm yes, but hardly fashion forward :)

I had to take my revision cards with me although they were absolutely no use. I have my first January exam in a week and to say I'm unprepared is a HUGE understatement. 

Happy New Year!

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”  - Neil Gaiman

Shoe Heaven - Hello Kurt Geiger Sale!

I'm not usually one for an impulse buy or a rash purchase, but on the evening of Christmas day I was fully captured and wholly consumed by a few of the fabulous online sales; there was one particular sale that I was drawn to more than any other - the Kurt Geiger shoe sale.

As soon as I set eyes on these beautiful nude Carvela heels, I KNEW they had to be mine. Half price and in my size too! The postman kindly delivered them yesterday and I've fallen head over heels in love...