Fragrance Direct | Lipstick Haul

I recently found a website called Fragrance Direct- it's basically a discount website full of male and female beauty products. I'm not sure whether it's well known or not, but I stumbled across it one day and I've been adding things to my basket since. As far as I can see, the company sells off old or discontinued stock at a fraction of the price. They have quite a few brands I've never heard of, like Technic (which I decided to try), but they also have a great selection of high end products like MAC! I just want to add straight away that in no way am I being sponsored for this post, I just really wanted to share my new find with you guys! Anyway.. take a look at what I bought!.. 

The first thing I added to my basket was a Bourjois Ombre eye shadow in Raffine. This little compact shadow packs a punch and has a crazy amount of pigment! It's a golden orange colour and very shimmery, I've been using this colour a lot since I bought it as it is so easy to apply and lasts all day. The shadow came with a tiny sponge applicator, which is pretty cute if you're out and about. But seriously, does anyone even use those things? The RRP for this is £9.99. How much did I pay? £1.99!

Looking for some cheaper lipsticks, I found Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede in shade It Girl. It's a really pretty coral colour and I thought it would be really cute for the summer, since I don't already have one. I'm not used to such a wide and round application, so I felt a bit weird applying it at first. I will say, the lipstick is more like a tinted lipbarm rather than an actual lipstick. It's very glossy and wet, and you have to apply around 2-3 layers of the colour to really get a nice coral colour. With an RRP of £8.99, I'm glad I only paid £2.99, as it's not worth the hefty price tag. 

I've never heard of the Technic brand, so thought I would give it a try. The lipstick promises to give a matte finish, and although it dries slower than others, it doesn't disappoint. The stick itself is a very vibrant red with a nice orange tone to it, however again, it's very poorly pigmented and you have to apply quite a few coats to get anything of a red colour. The RRP for this is £2.75, however I only paid £0.99. 

Bellapierre lipstick retails at £20 each, so when I found the Burlesque lipstick on Fragrance Direct for £2.99, I snapped it up. You know I love a bright colour! This was my best purchase of the bunch! It is extremely pigmented and is a really nice pink colour that also has a hint of plum. It is really moisturizing and I would probably even pay full price for it! The only downfall is the packaging is extremely tacky as it is a thin plastic. Eww. But if you can get past that, you'll be fine!

My last purchase was the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable lip stain. This retails at £7.99, but I got my mittens on it for just £0.99. I think this was maybe a less popular or discontinued colour, and I can't seem to find it on the website anymore. But whatever the reason, it's a really beautiful light pink/purple colour. I have loads of lip stains and this sits firmly with the rest. It's highly pigmented and leaves a long lasting stain on your lips. It's a lot lighter than I usually go for, but would really suit people who don't quite dare to go fully bold!

I hope this has inspired you in some way to check out Fragrance Direct. I really think they have some good quality products at such good prices. If you're somebody stuck in your usual routine, it's probably not best for you, since a lot of these products are discontinued or less popular products. But if you fancy a smooch at some of their stock, click here! Again, I wasn't sponsored to do this, I just wanted to share this amazing find with you all! 

Have you ever shopped here?

How I stay organised

Let me be the first to say I am a major list maker. I will literally make a list for all my lists to make sure I don't forget any. It goes that far! Today I wanted to share something a little different with the world: How I stay organised! 

Apps

In this day and age, we have so many devices with built in schedules and calendars that most of the time, there is no need to carry around a hefty diary. Though I still do! I use all of these to my advantage though, and I like to keep things separate from one another, it just makes my schedule look more clean. It also means that I have so many different diaries, I can make a note of things wherever I am in the world! 

The built in calendar on any smartphone is a brilliant little device to use. I use my Iphone to keep track of peoples birthdays and make note of any friends I've planned to meet with throughout the week. That way, I can always keep check of my more personal plans when I'm out and about or on the go. I also like using the 'Reminders' app on my phone to keep track of everything I need to do that day. It's so convenient because you can just simply tick something off once you've completed it. I told you, I like lists! 

Diary

I also have a diary that I keep on my desk, which is used purely for my blogging tasks. I plan all my blog posts ahead of time, and I set specific days throughout the week in order to take time to write my posts, as well as take the pictures for them. I've somehow got to the stage where I'm now writing two-three weeks in advanced, which makes me feel so much better about blogging. I really suggest you take the time to sit and schedule a few posts, or even have a few saved for if you're ever ill or on holiday. It's nice knowing you don't have to stress about hitting a deadline for a blog post. Just to make me even more list-crazy, I've recently ordered yet another diary to stay organised when my business opens next month!

Sticky Notes

Yes! If all of that organisation wasn't enough, the last thing I use, which is usually to keep track of blogging and emailing is the cute little sticky note app on my computer. I don't have a Mac, I couldn't afford to follow the trend, so I'm not sure if this is on there too (sorry!). It literally is an app that lets you stick Post-it notes all over your computer desktop. It helps me stay focused so I don't venture off and find myself reading a random blog about cereal whilst I should be writing my own post. Yano what I mean?

How do you stay organised?

Girl About Town | MAC Lipstick

Technically I still haven't purchased my first MAC lipstick, since this was a Christmas present of one of my best friends. In fact, she has bought me nearly every piece of MAC make-up I own! She hit the nail on the head with this again, as the colour is to die for. I absolutely love bold and bright lipstick colours. On a day-to-day basis, I would definitely reach for a nice pink instead of a nude colour, no matter what I'm wearing. I love to bringing some kind of colour to my face. 

I originally only used this for special occasions; for meals or nights out. But then I realised I'm useless at looking after things when I've had a few too many, and I couldn't stand the thought of losing it because it's such a pretty colour. Now it stays firmly in my make-up draw, so I can apply it first thing in the morning, and I'll always know where it is when I feel like it needs a bit of a colour top-up. 

The colour is Girl About Town (Amplified- to make it even better!) and it is super pigmented and moisturising. You only need to apply one coat to get the full effect of the lovely Fuchsia colour. The creamy texture makes your lips feel fuller and just altogether lovely. The bright Fuchsia will stay put for around 4-5 hours (even through a full meal) and afterwards will still leave an even stain on your lips. You can't really fault the staying power! 

Being fairly new to MAC lipstick, I'm super impressed with the quality and I'm pretty sure this won't be their only lipstick in my collection down the line. I can now fully appreciate why beauty bloggers rave about MAC lipstick and why they have such an extensive collection in their storage. I've just jumped on the bandwagon! It's a real 'out there' colour, and although it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I love it! It gives the right pop of colour for when you need a sassy day! 

Would you wear such a bright colour? 

Top 10 Shows To Watch on Netflix

Okay, so I had originally planned to share with you the top five shows I love to watch. It quite quickly became apparent that it was nearly impossible for me to list just five shows, when there are so many for me to chose from! I am such a Netflix addict, I don't know what I would do with my spare time if it didn't exist. I would probably have to be sociable and stuff! Seriously, if there are still people out there without an account, they need to question their priorities! 

It was just as hard to narrow my list down to ten shows, but here we go!

1) Gossip Girl 

My teenage years were spend swooning over Chuck Bass, and then when I joined Netflix and saw the whole six seasons on there, I knew I was in trouble! The show is about a group of popular, rich teenagers living on the Upper East Side of New York. They're constantly followed by a ruthless and mysterious blogger who shares all their secrets (good, bad and downright dirty). I dare you to watch this show and not become hooked!

2) Pretty Little Liars 

I followed Pretty Little Liars from the beginning (until it got canceled in the UK), and was so glad to see it being bought on to Netflix. What makes it even better is their upload date correspond to the USA release dates! It's a mystery kind of show, involving four girls and their missing friend. The girls constantly receive messages from 'A', and decide to get involved with the case themselves. The more they find out, the more danger they are put in. This show always has me on the edge of my seat! With so many twists and turns, you never know what is going to happen. 

3) 90210

90210 is one of the first shows I watched when I created my account. I didn't watch it when it was originally aired as It was a spin-off of Beverly Hills 90210. But I urge you to take the leap! The show follows the lives of a group of wealthy teenagers coping with growing up and maturing in our modern times. 90210 literally covers all aspects of life from teen pregnancy, drugs, peer pressure, suicide to rape and mental illness. You will be able to relate to at least one thing that happens in this show. 

4) Orange Is The New Black

For me, this show opened my eyes to a whole other side of prison inmates. It is set in a women's only prison, where you learn to love the characters and at points, even start to understand some of the poor choices they have made. It's refreshing to see how people from different backgrounds can learn to live in such a tight-knit community. You will laugh, cry and smile throughout. This is definitely one of the most popular shows on Netflix. 

5) Brooklyn Nine-Nine

A more light-hearted watch for me is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It is an American sitcom about a team of police detectives who have to put their completely different personalities aside to fight crime. As such, there is no major story-line, so every episode is a new adventure, which is one of the things I love about this show. This quick-witted, fast paced, hilarious show will have you howling with laughter. If this isn't enough to draw you in, Terry Cruise is also a main character! Oh my!

6) Dead Like Me

I often overlooked Dead Like Me when I joined Netflix, I would read the description and ponder to myself. It worked it's way on to 'My List', where it sat for many months before I decided I should give it a try. Dead Like Me is an American comedy about an uninterested, attitude filled teenage girl who gets tragically killed on the first day of her new job. She is immediately recruited to become a grim reaper, whose job it is to not only figure out who is going to die, but to help people pass into the after life. I don't feel I can do this show much justice, as reading my description back to myself makes it sound completely ridiculous. It's a shame this show was canceled, I don't think it was given enough time to reach the appropriate audience. 

7) Big School 

Big school is written by and stars David Walliams. It's set in an unsuccessful, undisciplined high school and follows the working life of a small group of teachers. Upon arrival of a new female teacher, the others feel it necessary to fight for her approval and affection, which always seems to land them in some sort of trouble. If that wasn't enough, the comedic relationship of Catherine Tate and David Walliams completes the show. 

8) Life Unexpected 

Another show that seems to have disappeared of our telly! Life Unexpected is about a young, homeless girl that decides it's time to find her real parents. Instead of becoming emancipated like she wished, she instead gets placed into their care and hurled into their dysfunctional life. Having moved on themselves, the young parents have to somehow put their differences aside, and work together to help the young girl. This show is a real tearjerker and eye opener. 

9) Suits

Suits is based in a Law firm and involves a college dropout, who somehow manages to get a job working as a Lawyers Associate despite never even attending a Law school. The two men have to work together to not only close court cases, but also hide his secret. I've recently started watching this and I'm hooked. The only downfall to this show is the hour long episodes and the amount of detail you have to remember. You have to give it your full attention in order to follow the storyline. 

10) American Horror Story

Is this show messed up or what? What I like about this is each season is a different story, a different place and a different timezone. There is no way you can become bored of the show because it changes so often. The first season consists of a killer house (I know!), that manages to kill everyone that enters, followed by a second season set around an insane asylum (it's literally insane!). The third season focuses on a witches coven, the fourth season involves an American 'Freak Show', and the fifth, and newest, season is based around a mysterious hotel. With all of these changing story's, they manage to keep the original cast and rework them each time. It's definitely a show to watch in the day time, snuggled up, with a pillow to hide!

What is your favourite show to watch on Netflix? 

Have you seen any of the shows listed above?

Favourite Bloggers Right Now

I love being introduced to new bloggers, as I think it shows you exactly how big the blogging community is. I often search through different blogs to find their latest loves and inspirations, and I thought I would share a few of mine with you today. I'm hoping you have already heard of most of these, as they deserve a lot of credit, but if not, they're definitely worth having a peak at!

These are in no particular order, as I just couldn't pick an overall favourite. 

Tattoologist 

A lady called Natalie Hanks owns this professional little blog, which mainly consists of cute pictures of tattoos. I look forward to seeing the different designs put up on my activity feed throughout the day. They're posted regularly and, as a tattoo lover, I have gained so much inspiration from following her. 

Dizzybrunette3

I have followed Corrie since I can remember. I'm pretty sure she was one of the first beauty blogs I actually followed and I've remained loyal since! Her photos are so professional and eye catching, you can easily get lost in her posts and feel as if you're living it with her too. If you don't already, you should seriously check her out. Corrie always seems extremely organised and make-up collection is to die for!

Beauty & The Bird

I'm a fairly new follower of Rachel's blog, but how can you not follow when she posts daily (yes, daily!) about all things beauty. I seriously got so engrossed in her posts when I first discovered the blog, I spent the best part of my day reading through everything she had to say. BATB has been the reason for quite a few of my purchases recently, and has made me rediscover a lot of my old loves. 

Pint Sized Beauty

PSB is another new blog I recently found, and my gosh I fell in love with Lily's pretty pictures almost instantly. Her photography and editing skills are incredible and her props are always so well thought out. Her blog posts are so relatable, and I often find myself nodding along with them. Lily's latest post about her Crosley made me almost want to buy one, even though I no longer buy physical copies of music!

I would seriously love for you to share some of your own favourite bloggers, as I love discovering new people!