Beauty Blogger Meet | Sheffield Adventures with Lauren (PorcelainQueen1) and Marissa (Mambomelonx)

From left: Lauren, Me, Marissa

A lot of you will completely understand when I say; since I've been blogging I have met some pretty amazing people. A lot of you will also have met some of these lovely people during your blogging life. So when I got the opportunity to meet some of my favourite girlies, I didn't turn the opportunity down!

Let's start off with the girl I've know the longest +Porcelain Queen (blog link here). This girl has been like my rock in blogging world. She's the devil on my shoulder; telling me to buy all sorts of products, and I'm sure it's the same when she talks about me. Her blog is pretty amazing. She has the ability to lure you in, and you end up buying everything. Not only is her blog flawless, so is her face! I'm not even joking - when I saw her I was like 'Oh my god, you're so pretty!' The first thing Lauren said to me was 'Oh my god! you're so tall!' Hahaha!

Next to turn up was the beautifully stylish Marissa +Marissa Hunt (blog link here), Well I thought Lauren was petite - JEEZ! Give a girl a break ladies! Marissa is all about style, this girl oozes it! I don't think there been a single day where I haven't 'liked' her outfits or posts on Instagram. She's all about colour and knows how to work them well together. Not only that she's got a pretty cute blog and I adore her photos! She's so good at adding props! Jealous... Basically this girl is amazing!

Needless to say, as soon as we all met, we hit it off straight away!

Working the Vegas Vault from MAC

So our first port of call was TGI Fridays where Lauren basically put a gun to our heads and told us we were going there no matter what! This girl means business when it comes to her burger...in particular The French Canadian Burger. Of which, when we sat down, we were told they no longer did it! Hahaha, gutted was an understatement. So after the burger issue we sat down and talked for ages; I learnt that Marissa hated cheese...I know! How can someone hate cheese?! I'm sure we could have sat and talked about our lives and make up for hours but we had shopping to do!

We headed off to Illamasqua as I wanted to show the girls Hydra Veil and potentially purchase it too. However when we got there, we were told that they were out of stock. Needless to say we hadn't gotten off to a good start at all! We roamed around the counter taking photos of their stunningly opaque lip glosses, nail polishes and new Glamor line. We got talking to a lovely lady who worked there, who asked us if we wanted to go to an Illasmaqua Blogger Event in May! Hello?! Stupid question!

Next door was Urban Decay. I'd heard a lot about the All Nighter Long Setting Spray and thought I'd give it a try...at the same time I think I persuaded Lauren to invest in the same thing. Terrible, I know! We looked around and swatched eye shadows, eye pencils and the new eye shadows sticks that match the naked pallets. I wasn't too impressed with these but each to their own. Also the woman on the counter looked pretty scary! She had half finished eyebrows...

YSL no.19 - Obviously when I got home and pulled my hair back!

We moved swiftly on to YSL, one of our favourite brands! I had mentioned in previous posts that purple lipsticks do not suit me, so when we got to the counter Lauren and Marissa pointed out this pinky/purple shade and told me to try it. At first I wasn't diggin' it as I'd had such a bad time in pulling purple off before. However after walking around with it on and basically getting bullied into it, I caved and purchased it. I absolutely love it! Thanks ladies :)

So where do I begin in MAC? We were all like kids in a candy store! We must have swatched pretty much every eye shadow in there between the 3 of us. It got to the point of craziness where Lauren was having to check back on previous blog posts to find out what she'd bought before! We also went a bit spoolie mad, and everywhere we went, we took a spoolie! Marissa and I couldn't get over how wet the wet wipes were..I know..call the people in white coats! We ended up purchasing some eye shadows and god knows what else.

From MAC we ventured over to Laura Mercier where I believe I got suckered into buying this kit! The guy on the counter was a true sales man and wowed me with words such as 'limited edition' , 'reduced' and 'you must get it'. So I did. At the same time I did take a sneaky photo of the new range LM have just brought out. It's so pretty!

Benefit was our next stop and to be honest, since my last review of their products I've lost faith and I'm not willing to try anything new until I've seen some amazing reviews. Their stuff does look pretty though.

The new Velvet Lip Laquers from Bourjois

Lauren in action!

You can't go make up shopping without stepping foot into Boots! They had their 3 for 2 offer on again,
however I was strong and refrained from buying any drug store products as I've still got loads to review from my previous haul. Marissa went a little bit mental though! I was umming and arghing over the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser, of which is a firm favourite of mine. However I'm currently trying to use up the massive amount of moisturisers I have at home. Therefore my only purchase at Boots was my YSL Lipstick which I decided to get from here, because I wanted the points. We did get an inside look into the brand Bare Minerals, however it just doesn't give me enough coverage as a foundation would. Shame really, as their pigments are pretty good!

Our final stop was at Victoria Secrets, where we became teenagers again! It was also where we realised Lauren has no sense of smell at all. I'm not even joking. There was an amazing offer on the Body Sprays where you could buy 3 for £24. They are normally £16 pounds each, so go figure! We decided to get 1 each and treat ourselves!

At the end of the day, I was really sad to say goodbye to these beautiful ladies! I'd gotten to love them as much in person as I did through their blogs. I strongly recommend having a look at their posts and trust me; you'll love them as much as I do! Bring on the 10th May ladies, when they come to Nottingham for some serious shopping madness!

I hope you've enjoyed this installment and if you're keen to read the next one, keep up to date with me on twitter, bloglovin and instagram so not to miss out!

As always guys, It's been a pleasure!

Char

xXx 

| A Few Liebster Awards |

Helloooo Lovelies!!!

So the title of this post might come across a bit show offish - but this is not my intention. I had an influx of these nominations in the space of about 2 weeks and couldn't keep up! So I thought I'd kill several birds with one stone.

Disclaimer : No birds were harmed in the making of this post.

So basically the rules are; Link back to the person who nominated you. State 11 random facts about yourself . Answer their questions. Then come up with 11 random questions to ask and nominate 11 people to answer them. For more info and my 11 random facts about myself click here!

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So my 2nd nomination was from the rule breaker Lauren +Porcelain Queen She defied my rules and decided to nominate me back (which is SO not allowed!) However I'll let her off as she's so damn cool and writes awesome posts! Seriously go and check her out below, you won't be disappointed!

So - on with the questions!

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www.porcelainqueen1.blogspot.co.uk

Number One - What is your one holy grail product that you would recommend to every one?

Humm, this is a new one for me and I absolutely love it. It's the Sleek Face Contour Kit. You can choose between light, medium & dark. It's such a good price and really does work. I don't leave the house now without using this. The little diagram that comes with it is very useful too.

Number Two - Which part of your makeup do you enjoying doing the most?

Easy - foundation. I love the fact I can create a flawless blank canvass to work on :)

Number Three - Which one brand in your opinion makes the best eye shadows?

I have loads of MAC eye shadows, Urban Decay Pallets and Laura Mecier shadows. It's a close one between the 3 but I would have to say Urban Decay as the pigments are amazing.

Number Four - What are you beauty 'hang-ups'? For example, mine is my ridiculously untameable hair and my combination skin.

My skin. I have combination skin and it drives in insane! I'm like make up your mind already!

Number Five - What's the worst beauty blunder that you used to do?

Never used to do my eyebrows. I know. Shocking!

Number Six - At what age did you first ever start wearing makeup on a regular basis?

I was a late starter haha I didn't wear makeup properly until I was about 15/16.

Number Seven - What is you all time favourite high end brand?

YSL and Illamasqua

Number Eight - What is your all time favourite high street brand?

Rimmel and Maybelline

Number Nine - Name your top three brushes, for example, MAC 239, Real Techniques Buffing brush...

Real Techniques Stippling Brush, Real Techniques Contour Brush &  Real Techniques Detailer Brush.

Number Ten - What celebrity are you regularly compared to?

Ha I actually have 2... Holly Willoughby and Sophie Dahl. I think it's the eyes!

Number Eleven - Name one thing about yourself that you love.

My eyes :)

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www.beautybooandteatoo.blogspot.co.uk

1. what's your favourite beauty product?

I'm going to go with my Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation on this one.

2. what does your blog mean to you?

The world. I can't believe it's taken me this long to pluck up the courage to write one.

3. what's your favourite song at the moment?

Erm - Let It Go...Frozen! Hell yes I'm a Disney fan and proud!

4. when you were little what did you want to be when you 'grew up'?

A princess. Still aim to be. Prince Harry hasn't met me yet.

5. Did you make any new years resolutions, have you stuck to them?

Yes! My blog was a New Years Resolution (check out my first post here!)

6. If you were a Disney character, which Disney character would you be?

Ahh LOVE THIS!!! I would be Elsa from Frozen as she's a Princess who doesn't need a man - GIRL POWER! Also add in a bit of Dory from Finding Nemo and Timone & Pumba from Lion King haha

7. If you had to describe yourself in three words what would they be?

Fun, Confident & Captivating

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Marrying Price Harry and becoming a Princess. What? haha

9. What is your most prized possession?

My sunglasses collection....bit of a sucker for designers and my car!

10. What's your guilty pleasure?

Ice Cream

11. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Humm good question! I would have the power to click my fingers and be ready. I take hours getting ready for a night out!

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www.beaut-iful-you.blogspot.co.uk

1. What inspired you to start blogging in the beginning?

I wanted a change, something different. I wanted to make new friends and change my life.

2. How long have you been blogging for?

Nearly 2 months - eek!

3. What's the best thing that has happened to you since starting blogging?

Met so many amazing people, and the fact people like what I write is just mental!

4. Would you encourage other people to start blogging? If so, why?

Definitely - You'll meet like minded people and it'll really open your eyes that there are so many people out there who appreciate you and what you write.

5. What are your top 5 makeup brands

Laura Mercier, Illamasqua, MAC, Urban Decay, Rimmel

6. What would you rather give up, make up or skin care?

Oh god! Tough Question. I'd probably say skin care as make up can cover blemishes up.

7. Favourite nail varnish brand

Humm Illamasqua and Rimmel

8. If you could have £200 to spend on makeup, what would you buy?

Some things from Charlotte Tilbury

9. What's your favourite colour?

Lime Green and Pink

10. Favourite all time shop

Libertys or Harrods - I seriously get goosebumps every time I enter these stores.

11. Do you like my blog? If yes, thank you! But if not what can I do to improve?

Of course! I love the header picture its great and I love how clean cut your posts are.

1. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

Canada. I loved it there but only in the summer when there's no snow. So perhaps I should choose America!! haha

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www.hollieclairexo.blogspot.co.uk

2. What are your top 5 makeup products you can't live without?

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation, Sleek Contour Kit, Illamasqua Skin Base Lift, Rimmel compact face Powder & YSL Mascara.

3. If you could spend one day in the life of someone else who would it be?

Nice question - It would have to be Oprah!

4. What type of blogs do you find most interesting to read?

Blogs with a personal touch. I'm not too keen on posts that just show a picture of a product and talk about it like a robot. I really like to get to know the author :)

5. Your favourite item of clothing that you own?

Scarves! I have a serious collection of Scarves!

6. Lipstick or lipgloss?

Lipstick.

7. Whats a weird fact about yourself that not everyone might know?

I'm related to Judi Dench & Beatrix Potter (random I know!) :)

8. Your favourite shop to shop in?

As above Liberty's & Harrods!

9. What is your favourite makeup brand?

Illamasqua and MAC

10. Your best and favourite makeup tip?

Always prep, prime and hydrate your skin before applying makeup!

11. Your favourite song?

Ever?! Humm At the moment it's Let It Go - Frozen however all time fav I would have to say - GOD THIS IS TOO HARD! I like classics so it would have to be - no I can't do it. Sorry!

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www.justmsmaxwell.com

1. your worst habit?

Cutting my cuticles..

2. your dream job?

Creating a fashion line for women who are blessed with curves of all different shapes and sizes, whether your petite or on the larger side! Nothing out there no matter what anyone says.

3. bar or pub?

Bar. Pass me a cocktail!

4. high street or high end?

Humm, high street.

5. where you see yourself in 5 years time?

Probably writing my 10000000000 Leibster Award post!

6. favourite childhood show?

Sabrina the teenage Witch! Or Buffy!

7. favourite quote and why?

Winners never quit, Quitters never win.

8. the person you are most inspired by?

I'm inspired by everyone around me. They keep me motivated and ambitious!

9.  feelings about the ugly shoe trend?

Hate it.

10. favourite youtube vlogger?

I love Fleur De Force, she's different to the rest of the big youtube vloggers.

11. greatest achievement to date?

Not going to University and working bloody hard to get a good job! Which I love.

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So there we have it, a load of questions and answers! So now for my nominations....this is tough as so many people have done this now, so instead I nominate you! Whoever is reading this to answer just 5 questions! I'm changing the rules a bit as like Lauren said - Rules are meant to be broken!

1. Whats the best post you've written on your blog (in your opinion)? Link it below :)
2. What is your greatest achievement to date?
3. Who was the first beauty guru or blogger that you watched on Youtube or read on blogger?
4. What is your holy grail Skin Care product?
5. Which part of your make up do you enjoy doing the most? 

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Thank you for taking the time to read this, let me know what your thoughts are on my answers! 

Even if you don't fancy writing up a post on this, let me know down in the comments what your answers would be to my questions :)

Also please follow me on twitter, instagram & bloglovin. It would mean the world to me!

So, as always guys, It's been a pleasure!

Char

xXx

Mwah xx

Laura Mercier Colour-To-Go Portable Palette in Smoky Violet for Eyes, Cheeks & Lips

I don't know about you, but anytime I hear the Laura Mercier name mentioned, my ears prick up and my heart starts to race. There is just something about this brand that makes me loiter around the Laura Mercier counter and demand to try out pretty much every product. It has become my new make up addiction (in case you hadn't realised!)

I had my eye on this for a while, so when it came to people asking me what I wanted for Christmas, this was one of the items at the top of my list. It's not too expensive either for a LM product, I believe it's about £31.00 but difficult to get your hands on at the moment! This is so useful, as I can take this out with me on a night out, I can use it in the day, throw it in my handbag so I can attempt to look glamorous whilst at work or on the go. This palette really has a lot going for it.

There are two levels to the palette; The top layer is pretty much all about the eyes (minus the lip gloss - obviously!) You have a trio of eye shadows, which include a highlighter, midtone and definer shades in Plum Smoke (Matte), Violet Steel (Luster) and finally a Tightline Cake Eye Liner (Violet Asphalt). The pigments of the 3 shadows are fantastic - a little goes a long way! The colours really blend well together and you don't just have to use this for a smoky eye. I didn't the first time I used it and got no end of compliments, as it also provides you with a natural look too, so long as you don't go too heavy with the violets.  Just a little tip would be to wet your brush (I use the mac 266 small angle brush) to bring out the pigment on the liner a bit or alternatively a new blogger friend recommended the Illamasqua Sealing Gel which, I'm assured will bring out the pigment even more. 

The bottom layer of this palette is all about the cheeks and lips.You have a bronzing powder in Golden Bronze which does have a shimmer to it (sorry matte lovers!) and a rose gold coloured blush in Barely Pink. This is also where the lip gloss is tucked away; it's a mini version of the LM Lip Glace in the colour After Hours. Its a peachy nude lipgloss with a slight shimmer to it, LM glosses always smell delicious, this particular one smells of vanilla. It provides enough coverage on the lips as is or over a matte lipstick. If you're after a lip gloss that you can wear anytime of day, this is it.

The palette is small in size, no bigger than 10cm in length and has a full sized mirror built into the top lid. So as far as i'm concerned this product does no wrong. The only thing I would say, is that it's missing a section for it's Secret Concealer which seriously is amazing guys...I'll be doing another blog post on that in the near future. 

Anyway, for now I hope I've given you some insight into one of the wonders of my make-up bag. It was a pleasure, as always. 

Char xx