*Back to School/College Stationary Haul!!

 

So it is that dreaded time of the year where everyone is returning to school, college or even starting their first day at a new school/college but like most people I know I quite look forward to a new start, new people and… NEW STATIONARY! Ever since I was younger I have had a stationary addiction, I remember constantly taking trips to Wilkinsons for their cute rubbers and funky pens until I owned practically every piece of stationary they stocked and when my parents got fed up of me constantly purchasing stationary I would join my friends on a bench at break time all with our pencil cases at hand ready for a ‘Swaps session’ where we would swap a piece of our stationary for someone elses, it was so much fun. No matter how old you get I do not believe it is possible to grow out of stationary, their are so many styles and qualities you can never have enough. Personally I love getting together new books and a whole new pencil case to start a new academic year.

Going into my second year of college I had a much better idea of how much stationary I would need such as a 400 page notebook rather than a 100 page notebook as I went through around 3 notebooks last year just for Law! I require a folder for each subject besides photography and then some pens and coloured pens are necessary for note making. I also wanted a cute diary and as I love quotes I found the perfect academic diary for me for just £1 in poundland! I never really stick to diaries, I have always seen them as a chore but I know for sure to start keeping organised with deadlines, exam dates and work schedules it is a necessity! I also was looking around for some cute notebooks with inspirational quotes on the cover so that I will always feel motivated before opening the book to make notes but everywhere I looked they were extremely over priced until I came across the wonderful brand, Chroma Stationary!

Chroma stationary are all about creating good quality notebooks that don’t break the bank! They have very minimalist designs in various colours as they believe colours trigger emotions from memories of people, places and life. They provide a variety of 20 different colours in 4 styles of notebooks. The best part is they offer a free embossing service allowing you to have any quote or words you like embossed onto the front cover of your notebook. They also stock customisable pens and stationary pun pencil cases! They even have gift cards which could make the perfect gift for a friend especially with Christmas coming up! I was very lucky to receive a notebook from the spectacular company and I chose to have “Dreams don’t work unless you do” embossed onto the cover in gold writing as I love this quote because it is so simple but very meaningful and motivating. I absolutely love my notebook it is so cute and exactly what I have been looking for. If you would like to purchase your own Chroma Stationary Notebook then click here, In my honest opinion their online store is amazing, very affordable and I will be making some purchases very soon because of how much I love the notebook!

As well being lucky enough to have this beauty in my college stationary collection I also went to Asda as they always have an aisle dedicated to stationary at this time of the year. I picked up a 400 page refil pukka pad as  I like how easy the pages are to remove so I can then place them in my folder. I also picked up a super cute pink and white stripey notebook that also has 400 pages which I will be using for my Law notes. The NU folders are just what I need to keep my subject folders separate and organised so I picked up one white one and a black one. For writing I picked up these adorable Papermate Mini Biro Pens that consist of a variety of colours, perfect for making note stand out! A pack of 10 Bic Round Stic Blue Pens are perfect for me as I prefer to write in blue because I heard somewhere that psychologically it is much easier to memorize notes made in blue ink than black and I used these pens last year to find they work really well! Last but not least I picked up a ruler because I always seem to find myself needing one and never being able to find one!

These are all my necessities to get me through the second year of college! Hope you enjoyed this little insight into my stationary!

Desire4Beauty

Lush Cosmetics Butterfly Gift Box!!

Hey guys!

Like many others I love to try various cleansing products as apposed to sticking to a regular supermarket soap. Lush Cosmetics is a brand that has rocketed in success and popularity over the past few years and if you haven’t tried any of their luxurious bath bombs or refreshing face masks yet then you’re really missing out! Recently a young child at my place of work was leaving and unexpectedly I recieved this wonderful gift from him, I was so gutted to see him leave he was a very well behaved and talented child and I was in awe after receiving the gift, it was the perfect gift for me! I was very eager to get home and unbox it but being a blogger, many of you will know, No unboxing until pictures have been taken, that’s the rules! So I took some pictures, did an unboxing on my snapchat (Desire4Beauty) and began to start using the products, ready for a review on my blog!

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Visually, this gift is very appealing. It was wrapped in a beautiful, vibrant, butterfly patterned wrapping paper which I couldn’t have unwrapped any quicker if I tried! Inside the box were to products I have not tried before. Ro’s Argan body conditioner and Serendipity soap. When going to Lush myself, I usually pick up a handful of bath bombs and bubble bars leaving me no option but to skip the other skincare products for the sake of my damaged bank account so to be able to try different products is very exciting!

Firstly I was very exciting to use the Argan body conditioner as I love products that contain Argan! I use Argan Oil as I have dry skin and this really helps keep it hydrated so I hoped the body conditioner would do the same for me and it has! I apply it all over my body after a shower and it leaves my skin feeling refreshed and brand new! The consistency is just right and super smooth, it nourishes my skin! It has a very lovely fresh smell and is all round a perfect product. In all honesty Lush never fail to disappoint me, I will definitely be picking this product up again if it is sold individually as I have completely fallen in love with it!

Next is the Serendipity soap. This has a much stronger scent but nothing revolting it just isn’t the typical sweet scent I prefer but it does still smell lovely. Due to having eczema I have always been advised to avoid using soap and use certain hand washes prescribed to me by the doctor as soaps dry out my skin but this one has done the complete opposite! My hands feel super soft after I use it and they smell so nice. I don’t think I would repurchase the soap but I will be using it all up, perhaps by then I may change my mind but I am not keen on the purple residue it leaves when I leave the soap at the side of the sink, it’s easy to clean up but is something I would rather not add to my list of chores if it can be avoided so for that reason I wouldn’t repurchase, I may however look at try a different Lush Cosmetics Soap that is not coloured but besides that I do like the soap and how wonderful it works for my skin.

This gift box is an all round perfect gift for someone as it was for me!

Desire4Beauty

Makeup Haul!

Guys… I splurged… and I feel no shame!!

My plan to budget this months wage so it would last me all month has completely flopped, I definitely went over my budget for the week! That’s okay though because it was makeup and makeup is a necessity! I bought a few products I have had my eye on for a while and I am very excited to share these with you guys! It has been such a long time since I splurged out on makeup, I mean I haven’t massively splurged but I bought as much as I could afford! Now I won’t keep you all waiting any longer, lets get right on into this heavenly haul!

First of all I popped into Boots. I definitely knew I needed a new concealer and powder to set my makeup with as my 4th bottle of collection lasting perfection concealer is coming to an end and my powder hit pan a long time ago! I decided to look into trying a different concealer as I am a makeup junkie and a beauty blogger so sticking to one product isn’t my thing despite how good it is! A while ago there was a huge hype around the Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Concealer but every time I had money to purchase it I could never find the shade I wanted that had not been open and used as a tester however, I had finally found just what I was looking for. I purchased this in the shade nude as I have quite dark skin and light would have definitely been too light for me. I am looking forward to trying this as I have heard so many good things!

Now, for the powder. I did plan to get to Nyx HD translucent powder however there is only one boots local to me that sells Nyx products and unfortunately it was not the boots in the area I went shopping in but I did come across this bargain priced Sheer Loose Powder by Collection and as I had previously been using their translucent pressed powder I did not hesitate to pick this up! Unfortunately the only translucent one left was a used tester but I later found one in Superdrug! Collection is such a low priced but high quality brand, I know I won’t be let down by this product!

Back to my boots adventure! Setting sprays are a product I have never used but had my eye on for a while. Unfortunately for me I had my heart set on high end setting sprays. The Urban Decay setting spray, MAC Fix+ and Smashbox setting spray, all of which would have drained my bank account and I was already doing a pretty good job of that in a drugstore so I decided to start off by trying out the L’Oreal Infallible Fixing Mist. I am not sure what to expect from this product but I have heard good things and I will report back shortly with a review!

For eyeliner, I have tried many different products and a few months ago tried out the Maybelline Gel Liner which I absolutely loved however I have ran out and what is left in the pot has dried so I decided to try out the trusty brand Collection’s, Lasting Colour Gel Liner as I prefer the consistency of gel liners in comparison to liquid liners when it comes to application. I was unsure at first as I had no idea what the quality would be like but I am all up for trying something new and at least then I can review it and let you guys know whether it was worth the buy or if you should say goodbye! Keep an eye out for that review too!

Again from Collection, I purchased their Lip Definer Lasting Colour Lip Liner in the shade Nude Pink. My best friend uses this to line her lips when using a nude lipstick and it lasts so long and looks amazing. After being on the hunt for a good quality lip liner for so long I decided to give this a try and see if it works for me!

I remember when I was obsessed with the Real Technique Miracle Complexion Sponge and I also remember the heartbreak of when it came to an end. I used it every single day with occasional cleaning of the sponge but eventually it became torn and due to me going a while with procrastinating cleaning it,it also became very dirty and unusable but at last! I have purchased a new one! I cannot wait to begin using my trusty little friend again, it is by far the best foundation applicator I have ever tried!

Back to superdrug where I only intended to hunt down the Collection loose powder I remembered how much I wanted to try out the Nivea Mens Post Shave Balm as a primer. I am sure if you are familiar with the world of beauty gurus you will most certainly know about the hype surrounding this product. I am super excited to finally try it, last on the bandwagon as always! Better late than never right? This will most definitely be reviewed after a few weeks of using it so again watch out for that!

 

Last but most certainly not least is the product that delayed the upload of this blog post! just over a week ago I celebrated payday by ordering the latest addition to Zoevas’ luxurious eye shadow palettes, the Rose Golden Palette! The arrival of this palette was delayed, nonetheless I had this post all finalised and ready to go live for when I arrived back from college however I received a text towards the end of the college day to tell me my eye shadow palette arrived! Obviously I wanted to include this in the haul and I needed Saturday morning lighting to capture its’ beauty so yes, that is why this post has gone up a lot later than I planned! This gorgeous palette has a range of beautiful golden metallic shades that are quite rose toned of course! The majority of the shades are shimmery champagne colours, my favourite so far being Copper is King! The shades I have used so far are have pigmentation that I could only dream of and I am definitely adding the rest of the Zoeva palettes to my palette hit list!

That is everything I purchased during my shopping trip and online! I also hoped to buy the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lipstick in the shade Ex-Girlfriend however the Debenhams in the area did not have an Urban Decay  counter! Horrendous right?! But I have decided to not spend any money until the shopping spree I have planned with my friends at the end of this month so keep an eye out for my good Friday haul! Wow, this blog post is full of ‘keep your eyes out’ but you can never miss a post if you follow me on Twitter where I am always keeping my lovely readers updated on when I upload new content!

Hope you enjoyed this quick haul! Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these products and what you think of them!

I’ll post again soon lovelies!

Desire4Beauty

Blogmas Day 9 – Manchester Christmas Markets!!

Hey guys! So there are 16 days until Christmas and the countdown continues! Festivity flows down streets and floods towns such as… Manchester!!

Many of you may know or of heard about the Manchester Christmas Markets, they are markets in central Manchester that are set up each year around Christmas time. Many stalls stand side by side selling many goodies! From warm chocolate crepes to gorgeous Christmas gifts! I visited these beautiful markets yesterday with my best friend and took some pictures to share with you guys! I took over 80 pictures… oopps! So I have selected just a few to share but if you wish to see more they may pop up on my Instagram feed so head over there and follow me!

This was a super cute Christmas tree where you could donate a pound to Charity and then write a wish a stick it on the tree!

We stopped off at a lovely cafe that make the most delicious chocolate cinnamon rolls ever tasted!

Hope you guys enjoyed looking through these pictures! Let me know where your favourite place to go at this time of the year is in the comments!

Desire4Beauty

Collective Haul!!

Hey guys!! So this was supposed to originally be a shopping haul of a few pieces I picked up from a trip to the Trafford Centre but I’ve done some more shopping since so I guess it’s more of a collective haul now!!

First of all are a few pieces from going to the Trafford Centre!

First of all I went into H&M!! As i start college in September I have been looking for a bag for quite a while now! I came across a really pretty rose gold one previously in New Look but I was slightly hesitant because rose gold won’t go with every outfit! However in H&M I found THE perfect bag!! As you can see above it pretty much has a checklist on it that suits me perfectly! Now I won’t forget a thing! It’s also black and white so I can wear it with every outfit and it’s the right size for my college essentials! I picked up this must have for just £15!!

Next I headed to an American Candy store, I won’t talk too much about this as you’ll hear more about it in an upcoming blog post but you can see above the delicious things I purchased from there!

I then popped into Waterstones and came across a selection of 3 little books, 2 of which were about friendship and confidence. It took me a while to decided which one to get but I eventually decided to buy the little book of confidence! It’s full of advice on how to become more confident as a person and some really good quotes!!

Moving onto my recent purchases! These are all from home bargains, I love this store as they do such amazing products at such affordable prices!! I wouldn’t have thought I would come across these purchases at that store!

First of all I picked up this canvas/frame kinda thing. I have a little obsession with quotes and this one is similar to my  on my blog that says “nothing holds more beauty than a smile” I believe that a smile is the most beautiful thing and everyone should be aware of it! I am moving house soon so I picked up this canvas as I definitely want it in my new room!!

Next I came across some more supplies perfect for college! I picked up these 2 notebooks that were just 99p each! I can’t be the only one that wants super cute and pretty stationary for college! I picked up these 2 pretty notebooks to start off my selection of notebooks for college! I did come across similar ones recently in WHSmith but these were far cheaper!!

And from my most recent shopping trip I picked up the gorgeous Real Techniques Core Collection which is usually £21.99 but it was down to £10.99!! I couldn’t say know especially having previously purchased one of their brushes for that price here I’m getting 4!! They were selling like hot cakes I grabbed them as soon as I saw them!!!

And last but not least I re-purchased the Soap And Glory Supercat Eyeliner, I always have love/hate relationships with eyeliners I can never find the right one for me I’m always switching, swapping and trying out new ones but this is the longest I’ve stuck to one eyeliner! I’m really loving this and will hopefully do a review on it soon as to why!!

That wasn’t much compared to what I’d usually by from 3 different shopping trips but that is the haul complete!! I start work again soon so hopefully my bank account will begin to fill up and I can have a good splurge!!

I’ll post again sooon!!!

Desire4Beauty

Day Out At The Trafford Center!!

Hey guys!! So on Saturday I took a trip out to the trafford center!! It is my all time favourite place to shop!! I took my camera along with me to get a few pictures of the day to share with you guys! I got to check out some of the new Lush products, fall in love with a VS college planner and pick up THE perfect college bag!!

I’m sorry I haven’t done a lot of beauty related posts recently, they’ve been quite wordy or full of pictures, I’m happy with them but if it isn’t what you guys want to see then let me know in the comments or let me know what kind of posts you would like to see more of! I have a haul from this shopping trip coming up soon!!

Desire4Beauty

Summer Wishlist!I

Hey guys! I haven’t done a wishlist in a while! So here are the things I currently want for summer but can’t afford yet so I decided to share them with my lovely blog readers!

First of all is the Jersey Dress With A Collar this is £14.99 from H&M! I adore this dress it is so cute! I recently tried it on at the store but didn’t purchase it as it had foundation stains on the collar and they are all out of stock when I looked online 😦 so I have to keep checking out their website to see when they get it in stock because I will definitely be getting it!

I really really really want the Urban Decay Naked Basics Eye Shadow Palette! It has gorgeous everyday nude shades in it and unlike the other naked palettes I know I will use all these shades! It is currently £19.16 at Debenhams which is so much less than it used to be! So hopefully I will purchase this soon!

How gorgeous is Real Techniques bold metals collection?!?! I would get every brush if I could! but unfortunately they aren’t cheap! and it is rose gold! who doesn’t love rose gold?!?! although I don’t wear blusher often I really want the Tapered Blush Brush as I think I will use it for other things such as precisely getting bronzing powder where I want it when contouring! It is £24.00 though! That is more than the naked basics! If I had a regular job I would own these! but I don’t so for now they can stay on my wishlist haha!

I have wanted these for so long now! The Frends Layla Headphones In Rose Gold these are £140 from Urban Outfitters which I think is worth it! Just like the brush they are are rose gold!!!! However I can’t currently afford them but hopefully I will be able to soon or I will get them for my birthday in a few months!

The Urban Outfitter’s Geo Sipper Cup is super cute! It’s basically a mason jar without the handle! I love the effect on the glass and the colour! I really want one of these for when I start college! It £12 as well which is worth it! Hopefully I will pick one up during my college shopping spree!

Let me know in the comments one thing you guys really want at the moment! I’ll post again lovelies!

Desire4Beauty