Urban Decay Haul, featuring Pulp Fiction & More

So  I did actually scream when MAC announced the Rocky Horror collection but in the meantime the Pulp Fiction Collection from Urban Decay really caught my eye!

Overview of what I picked up

 First of all, it is a hugely iconic film and being an avid lover of all things Tarantino, I HAD to buy the palette. PLUS, at just £17.50 it seemed really rude not to! (Almost like me saying "No Thanks UD, I like to pay £36+ for your palettes" ;) so I really could not leave Debenhams without it...).

Close up of Palette

Swatches of Palette Colours

The first thing I have to say is that this palette is just extremely good value for money.
The shadows are so soft and butterey, blending like a dream! The colour pigmentation is so strong and y'all know I keep on saying Sugarpill need to release a nude palette, because even though we like nude shades, that doesn't mean we don't want any colour payoff!? UD hit the pigment hard which I like. The White, , is slightly shimmery too and that mixes it up a bit. I think if you're still umming and arring, just go buy it!? What's £17.50? A pair of shoes or a jumper from Primark!?
Upon first look I thought that the Black/White duo of Furious & Anger would be similar to my Nars duo eyeshadow in Pandora; take a look at the comparison below...

Furious/Anger, Pandora

I think I prefer Anger as a white and Pandora's black aha!

I then remembered I don't actually own any of their recent lipsticks so decided to have a gander. After just recently purchasing a whole load of new bright lippies from the drugstore I couldn't justify anymore bright pinks...I have too many red as is, but I do love nudes and I need a good replacement for when my Viva Glam Gaga runs out! So this lipstick in Naked2 was a must, I then remembered that I needed a nude lip liner so the Naked2 of that seemed like a great idea too ;D

Lipstick left, Liner right.

The liner is just slightly deeper in colour, completely matte and very smooth. The lipstick is a bit more satin than the liner (still more matte than satin though as a finish in itself) and is so creamy. It just looks beautiful applied to the lips. I find the duo together last a good long while with me drinking from a cup etc. I will definitely be buying more liners!


After this I then had to make it up to over £50 to get Debenhams' special offer of an extra £10 worth of points! (Of course!?) so I ended up purchasing one of the new flushed palettes-I already have the original so Streak looked like the next best one for my colouring.

I was a tad upset when I got home that my palette has been kinda pushed over to the left, however, it is quite sturdy in there (just a few millimetres space to the right) and I have been using it with no problems nonetheless :) I am sure you know it's disappointing when this kinda thing happens though :(... In my swatches it kinda shows the bronzer part as being shimmery, this really does not show shimmery when applied to my skin at least not really noticeably. I use it as a contour over my scarring and it doesn't show them up more so. I love the blush colour, I think it's so gorgeous :') I really love the original but I find this one so much easier to just whack on when in a rush. A* product.


Well Done UD, I am so converted to you over Benefit!? Benefit just kinda cheat me out with their staff, I find UD Staff so much less pushy, anybody else?
Hope you like my overview and I highly recommend you go get the Pulp Fiction Palette! x x x

Elf Brushes. Yes or No?

Elf brushes have always been talked about as being good quality and I don't know about you guys, but I am convinced with brushes you get what you pay for. So, I had to try for myself to see if they were any good or not. At £3.95 a pop I decided to get 3 and the Lip Exfoliator (Can you tell Emily Noel from YouTube is being my guide here ? ;))

Overview of the brushes I got!

 
BUT have I been converted?? First up the Powder Brush!
1)

Powder Brush Close Up

 The Powder brush is soft yet firm enough, picks up hard pressed powders well and is good at tapping off excess from loose powders. It's a lovely brush and I love the cut of it, I haven't tried it with any cream or liquid products because to be honest...I kinda think it wouldn't work with a liquid foundation very well as I feel the bristles are almost too soft/not dense enough for that. Overall, great brush for a great price, would I recommend it for blush? Just, Powder all over the face? Absolutely, Contour? Urr...I feel as though it's too wide for that but you could! All over blending? Heck Yeah!


2) Small Stipple Brush;

Front View

Side View!

 The only trouble with elf packaging! The Plastic cover it comes in squishes the brush! So my brush is more of a fan shaped, still I love this brush. On first touch I was worried the bristles were too soft but on Emily's recommendation I powdered through trying x2 different creamy blushes on my cheeks with this. It's fantastic. It is very small, but I feel as though this makes for a better application! It's small & cute but gutsy, it picks up product from the pans well and distributes across your face and cheeks wonderfully, makes even the stickiest "cream blush" glide onto your cheeks. I am SOLD. I will be buying these for all my friends for Christmas!


3) Small Tapered Brush;

Small Tapered Brush sideways on

This brush. This is the pick of the bunch for me. The size is just perfect for getting right in that contour line y'all know you need! For even the smallest of faces and cheeks, this is amazing. Soft bristles, blends out powders so nicely (I tend to do a lil' back forward blend and it just blends in even the darkest contour powders beautifully :')). If you're looking for the Perfect Contour/Highlight brush this HAS to be it! Again, some friends' will find this in their stockings!

Overview of the brushes;
Good Quality Bristles
Good Quality Handles
Look Nice
Don't shed all that much (only expected with new brushes)
Packaging they come in can squeeze or alter the brushes shape for a little while
They're like never in bloody stock online!? -Seriously Elf please just get up to date with suppliers, I almost didn't bother!
Elf almost always have a code or promo on their site so you may even get the brushes cheaper or with free shipping! Woo!

 The last thing I got was the Lip Exfoliator...

Close up on the exfoliator

 I love this product so much. It is now a Holy Grail Product of mine, it's so deeply exfoliating-almost harsh on lips, so if you don't like really hard exfoliators then don't go for this. If like me you suffer with crusty lip syndrome sometimes and you lips almost feel itchy, this is great! Going to get rid of all your scuffiness plus where it's made of all sugar and oils etc it tastes amazing! It reminds me so much of the Lush lip scrub but it is in a much more accessible lipstick form. I cannot express my love for this product it is simply incredible. A***!


So that's it for my lil' tiny elf haul! Hope you like my mini reviews of the products, quite a lot of love in here!
See you in the next one, it feels great to be blogging again x x x

RELAAAUNNCHHHH! I am back! :D

So, you're probably wondering what the hell Tash? Where ya been?

First things first, let me set it straight....I had NO COMPUTER or INTERNET for ALL this time I've been off! Yeah, I had my phone and tablet but have you tried to use the Blogger app? It is so ridiculously bad you can't do a thing. No, Blogger you really need a PC or Laptop for, I have now bought myself a secondhand Lenovo thinkpad, which I am quite happy with for £70.00 it's really better than my old PC plus it has windows 7, which is great as 8 is rubbish for my old XP loving brain!

Second thing, my job! Life on Reception at the hotel is incredibly hard work, it's fast paced & extremely tiring and trying to juggle that with commuting, seeing Ed, seeing & working Apollo. Something had to give whilst I caught my breath.

Third thing, Ed. Ed and I simply did not see enough of each other before, we're now a lot better at managing our time.

Apollo! I have been so busy these past few weeks I have only had time to ride him once a week!! Which I hate, if I had it my way there would be an extra day in the week to have off so I could have another day to ride. My lessons are still going great though and we are progressing well together.
 

Apollo & Me enjoying a hack out back in early August.

BUT what's been happening Makeup wise!? If you follow me on Instagram you will see that I have been posting on there nearly daily with products, looks etc. It's definitely an easier blogging tool whilst out on the go ;), I DID go to IMATS London and I might be bashed for this but...although it was fun and a great experience, I found there wasn't much discount on products (certain brands were amazing though!) Huge Shoutout to Sugarpill for coming over as that madeeee my trip really! :') Also....it really was not big enough, me and my mum got there for opening, waited outside in line for maybe 10 mins and then were in an out in an hour 30?!

The high quality of my Samsung's front facing camera...

#nofilter ;)

So that is my bringing you up to speed!-
I am aiming at the moment to post once a week, hopefully I'll be able to write maybe two or three posts on one of my days off and post periodically, I am hoping I will do one LOTD and one Review each week...but this all depends, I am trying guys! I love you all so much and everyone asking after my makeup and blog has really touched me, I hope we can build a good future of it together! (Plus, have you seen the previews of the XMAS kits!? OMGGGG!).

I am planning on redoing my room too so stay tuned for pics on that and details on where everything is from....I think you're going to like it!


Love you all,

Natasha xxx

Relaunch Date...THIS SATURDAY 13.09.14

Just to give you a quickie update, I will be relaunching The Month of January on THIS Saturday the 13th of September!! So stay tuned guys!

Lots of Love,

Januarybeautyful x x x

RE LAUNCH COMING!

Hey Guys & Dolls!

Just a quickie post to let you know that I will be re-launching the blog in a couple of months!

I am finally more settled into my new job, finding time to balance that with the pony and Ed. Now the only trouble is finding a new laptop/PC set up as mine is completely ruined!! Luckily I have everything backed up on a hard drive!!

The Relaunch date is to be announced so I hope you're as excited as I am.

Love you all so much and cannot wait to get back to writing about beauty and all sorts to you :')

All the love,
Natasha xxx

Birthday LOTD & Beauty Haul!

My Birthday was Monday the 7th of April! Thank you for the messages & cards, I had a lovely relaxed day with some shopping ;) a cute lil' afternoon tea with Ed & his family and went out for Wagamama's in the evening with my family which was so lovely-if you've never been..why not!?
And just to let you know, I am NOT obsessed with the colour pink, despite how it may seem after you see the pictures :P

My Full Face :)

Ma Pink n White EYes

Products used for this look :)

Nyx Jumbo pencil in milk as my base (to really make the white and pink pop), Sugarpill "Tako" for the white shadow, Sugarpill "Dollipop" & Concrete Minerals " " eyeshadows for the pink, LOOK Beauty Mono shadow in "Gilet" as my transitional crease colour to make the look that lil' more wearable ;) .
Tarte "Exposed" Blush (as I didn't want to go with a too sweet look with pink cheeks as well!!) & Nars "Copacabana" multiple for my highlighter. Benefit "Gimme Brow" was ran through my brows and They're Real was gracing my lashes. MAC's Viva Glam "Gaga 1" was on my lips (and I don't think I've ever actually made that colour work quite as well as that, so that went really well!). I was going to wear falsies but I just couldn't bring myself to look THAT fake >.<, especially as Ed's grandparents' were coming :P

My LUSCIOUS Kat Von D Shoes <3

My Full Outfit

My Dress is called "Glamour Guts" by Iron Fist Clothing (hopefully they will start up their UK site again soon!?) and I kinda wish I bought it in a medium instead of large as it's a tad loose and I would've preferred it a bit more hugging ;)

My Shoes are Kat Von D (sorry I have no idea what model) but I actually got them really reduced at a random outlet shop before Christmas!
















Anyhoo! Onto the BEAUTY HAUL (which I know is why most of you are here ;))

HAUL!

So, I am sure you can probably guess what everything is but I shall list anyways:
-MAC Colour Correct Compact (Yellow)
-MAC Hoop Lipstick (Matte, from By Request Collection)
-MAC Prep & Prime Radiance Primer (sample)
-MAC Myth Lipstick (Satin, from permanent line)
-Lime Crime Uniliner in Rhyme
-Lime Crime Uniliner in Reason
-Lime Crime Coquette Lipstick
-Lime Crime Styletto Lipstick
-Lime Crime Cosmopop Lipstick
-Duo Dark lash glue (from Cocktail Cosmetics)
-Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette!
-Real Techniques kabuki brush

(L-R) Hoop, Myth, Styletto, Coquette, Cosmopop

I am so in love with the products from Lime Crime I am going to HAVE to try some more! Coquette is such a beautiful colour (I have worn it tonnes already) and I can't wait to wear Styletto somewhere too! I have already tried the silver uniliner (I believe that one is called Reason) and it's staying power is fantastic and it's buildable in pigment too!

And contrary to what I thought, I do actually really like the Naked 3 palette! I find it works nicely for day to day wear-kinda wish it had a couple more lighter/creamier shades though, find I am using my Naked Basics in conjunction with it quite a lot. But nonetheless the shadows are still high quality, butterey and smooth to blend :)

I shall do some more updates on the products as I use them!

As you can see I was well & truly spoilt! I had such a lovely day and I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post! See you in the next one! :) x x x

Cystitis. One woman's pain?

So I am sure a few of you who follow me on Instagram/Twitter etc will be aware that I suffer with Cystitis. I have done for as long as I can remember (crazy right?! an 8yr old sat on the toilet all night in pain!) and as some women have NO IDEA what it is and some know exactly what I was going through-I thought i'd do a post on a HUGE run through about it, the symptoms, causes, remedies etc. So those of you who suffer may pick up something useful and those of you who have no idea what it is might gain a lil' sympathy for your friends/family members who do suffer from it.


Friendly Warning: Please note that in this post I will be talking about female bodily parts etc and if you are not comfortable with reading things about this topic then please just X now as I don't want anybody to feel uncomfortable.


Here we go then! What the hell is it?
This is the actual definition: inflammation of the urinary bladder. It is often caused by infection and is usually accompanied by frequent painful urination.

And here's my definition: Stingy/Burning sensations during urination or just after and lingering painful feelings in vagina sometimes with lower abdomen pressure.

(please note that if you haven't suffered with it before, you're really not going to understand the sensation, it's a really strange horrible feeling. I tend to not like to be around other people when I have it as they can't tell I am ill as they can't see any physical changes in me-like a cold, y'know?)

Caused by:
Stress (is actually the main cause for the next bit-), infection/contamination from bacteria from anus (ya bum hole) to urethra (wee tube) going up to and infecting the bladder. My Doctor told me that it's made worse in younger females and those going through the menopause as Oestrogen levels are lower and therefore the bladder lining not as good at defending itself. (whether this is true or not, I am not sure as she wasn't very good at curing me-but we will not go into details and to me this is a plausible explanation). It's also easily caused cos'-Think about it, ya bum and ya frou frou are actually pretty damn close together >.< .
Sexually Transmitted Infections/Diseases will cause it also.

Preventative Methods:

• Cranberry Juice-drinking unsweetened/no added sugar cranberry juice helps strengthen the bladder lining and therefore can help prevent future infections. Note the no sugar bit, all fruit naturally contains sugar but juice drinks with a high sugar content are going to feed the infection and make it worse.
  
• Cranberry Concentrate Tablets-If like me, you're not overly keen on the taste of Cranberry juice (especially no added sugar, although healthier, is a tad sharp!) Cranberry tablets are a good alternative (I've just ordered a S'Tonne from Holland & Barrett and as soon as I finish my Antibiotics plan on taking on everyday for the rest of my life).
  
• General good hygiene around your lower regions-I doubt this needs much explaining but wiping front to back is one real quick way you can help lower the chance of contamination. Simple, but effective.
  
• Weeing before & after intercourse-if you are having regular sex (with one regular partner, I hope!!) then peeing before sex (I am not saying right before btw, you don't have to wait :P) and then afterwards (again, not straight after "get off me, I gotta pee!" but within the next half hour) will help flush out any bugs pushed further up into your vagina/urethra.
  
• Is there a chance you could have an STD? -sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia are one of the main and most frequent courses of Cystitis/UTI's. Any Doctor's surgery/sexual health clinic will be able to help you with this-in fact, in most surgeries you don't even need to see a Doctor an appointment with a nurse should be sufficient (for more guidance on this kinda thing go to: http://www.nhs.uk/sexualhealthprofessional/Pages/index.aspx)
  
• Drinking your daily recommended allowance of WATER!-WATER IS SO IMPORTANT AND I HAVE SO MANY FRIENDS THAT DON'T EVEN DRINK IT AT ALL!?!? (and the most frustrating thing?-they never get cystitis at all!) 1.6 litres is the recommend amount for daily consumption, this will help flush all bad toxins out of your system.
  For the real human being who likes the fizzy and works hard so thinks they deserve it-do what I do and just have one small glass of pepsi or lemonade with meals, I don't drink alcohol as I find it's too hard on my system and I always suffer the next day anyway, but Pepsi Max is my one thing I cannot go without!
  
• Notice any changes down there? Go see your Doctor! -Have you started noticing discharge? Smelly white or other colours in ya knickers when it wasn't there before? Go tell them, it can help prevent further infection/most of the time is a very minimal thing.
  
• Wearing loose clothing/NO TIGHTS!-tights were the worst invention ever. They make you sweat and that harbors all sorts of bacteria! Hold ups all the way gal! And men find them sexier-bonus! ;)
  
• Wearing Cotton Knickers-Don't get me wrong the lycra and the lace is great when you wanna get ya sex on, but day to day dealings and work-Cotton Panties only please! This material is just going to not promote sweating and bacteria growth. Nice...

These are just a few of things I find help, if you google cystitis/UTI's you'll find a whole other realm of preventatives that may or may not work for you, it's all about finding what your trigger/cure is. One lady once said to me about Dairy being her trigger! (but I do not find this is the case with me).

Treatments:

• Cystitis Sachets: They come in a lil' box (generally 6 sachets) of high sodium powders that you dissolve in a glass of water and (generally down as quick as you bloomin can as they're disgusting!) these neutralise the high alkaline amount in them means it helps neutralise the acidity in your bladder/urine and helps relieves the symptoms, when I was younger I found these helped and when I have accute Cystitis now I find just one or two help in "nipping it in the bud" when I get the tell-tale lil' sting at the end of one wee. Now, I take no chances!
  
• Ibuprofen: Can help with the pain relief I find paired with the sachets works best-don't just use this on it's own, it really will not work at all in getting rid of the infection.
  
• Go to the Doc's and get some Antibiotics, generally they'll ask you to do a sample-I do this so often I have a stash of test tube/sample pots and I just do one before I leave to go to my appointment/do it quick whilst at the Doctor's before my appt. After popping some coloured bits of paper in your urine to see the result (the different colours mean different things are present, be it puss cells or blood etc.)
  they'll know what to prescribe.
  
• Drinking nothing but water/cranberry juice-I find that Cranberry juice once you have the cystitis isn't great (just my opinion, a friend really swears by it) but it makes a nice break from the water!
  
• Sit/Stand/Squat/do whatever you feel comfortable doing-my friend very often tells me to go get a hot water bottle, so I am assuming this helps her, I prefer personally to feel cooler/cold. So doing what makes you feel comfortable is best. I tend to stay in the bathroom, be it on the loo or just squatting on the floor or stood in the bathroom...but I just like the bathroom. (This really is not a nice experience gals, so I hope those of you who have never had it are starting to understand it!)
  I find a lot of the problem too (and after some discussion with my mum who also suffers, agreed) is that once you feel the start sensation, that lil' niggle after that first wee, you start to dread it as you know the pain that is coming...so, after a while it almost becomes psychological. I keep myself in the bathroom until I literally cannot take anymore and then go to bed, that may not necessarily be because of the pain, but because psychologically I feel better.
  
• One of the horrible things about Cystitis is that there is no real-quick sure-fire cure, you do kinda have to ride it out a bit. Just remember lots of towel holding and deep breaths are good too!

I have suffered with it, as I said, for a long time but I have never had it as bad as this last time. I had to go to A&E it was so bad and I am pleased I did as they insisted I go back to my GP and get referred to a Urologist and also gave me a significantly better antibiotic than my GP I saw on Monday...but anyway, once I have been to the Urologist I will update this post and let you guys know if anything useful has come from it :).

I hope this post has helped you some what and for those of you suffering, I know your pain-and it is horrible, I have cried so much from the pain and will not let those tears go to waste! I am determined to now find out why the hell I have been/have been allowed by various GP's to suffer with this for nearly 10 years now.

The crux of Cystitis/UTI's: You're in so much pain and discomfort, you can't and don't want to do anything. And NOBODY should have to feel that low.

I love you guys and leave a comment if you have any suggestions of preventatives/treatments and please send me suggestions for updates to this post x x x