50 Facts About Me

Hi everyone! It would appear I forgot to blog for 10 years! I thought to reintroduce myself it might be fun to do a more personal post. I've always avoided doing 50 facts posts because I don't think anyone really cares but then I realised I always read other people's posts like these so why the hell not. I better get started or this will be ridiculously long so here goes...

1. My full (first) name is Annie. I was christened Annie, it's not short for anything. 
2. I have no middle name but I wish I did. 
3. I turn 20 on the 30th of August. 
4. I have a cat called Milo, he's a Norwegian Forest Cat and he was a stray who we took in. 
5. I have one sister called Molly, she is 23 and my best friend (lol gag) 
6. My other best friend is called Emily and we met on the first day of high school and she is my longest serving friend! 
7. I start university in September, I'll be studying Costume Design at Huddersfield. 
8. I took 2 years out after college. In that time I worked at TK Maxx, then Superdrug then TK Maxx again. I hope I never work in retail ever ever again.
9. At college I studied Sociology, Geography and Textiles (and critical thinking but I got an E in that oh well) 
10.I have about 15 GCSE's or something like that. My school made us do that many!
11.I have an incredibly sweet tooth. 
12.I eat a tonne but I am a really picky eater. 
13.I make the world's best cheesecake. 
14.My favourite films are the Lord of the Rings films. 
15.I hate Harry Potter. 
16.I have 7 piercings, 4 in my right ear and 3 in my left ear but I would like to get more. 
17.I have no tattoos and don't intend on getting any. 
18.I am single. 
19.I want to own a miniature dachshund and call it a human name like Steve. 
20.I love period dramas such as Pride and Prejudice (not the film), Sense and Sensibility (anything Jane Austen basically), Jane Eyre, North and South etc etc. 
21.I also love musicals. My favourites are Les Miserables (not the film), Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, Sound of Music, Billy Elliot and Oliver! 
22.My blog name comes from the song 'It's a fine life' from Oliver! 
23.I've been to New York twice. 
24.I've seen Les Mis on Broadway and it was the best night of my life. 
25.I've been to Australia twice where I stroked a koala bear, held a wombat and fed kangaroos. 
26.I lost a stone and a half on Weight Watchers last year. 
27.I am 5ft 1 and a half inches tall. 
28.I've never broken a bone. 
29.I'm left handed. 
30.I'm scared of sharks. 
31.I think that Love Actually is the worst film ever made. 
32.My favourite musician is called David Ford, I've seen him 3 times and met him once. 
33.I am a hopeless romantic. 
34.If I can hear someone eating I have to leave the room. 
35.I sing all the time even though I'm not very good at it. 
36.I used to be obsessed with cricket and Stuart Broad will always be the love of my life. 
37.I love Disney films, my favourites are the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Beauty and the Beast and Tarzan. 
38.I am a feminist. 
39.I used to do gymnastics and trampolining but quit both. If you look hard enough there are photos of me in a leotard on the internet. 
40.I love quiz shows. 
41.I'm a grammar nazi. 
42.I cry at everything. Films, tv, anything. I once snort cried in the theatre and have a picture of myself sobbing at a dog wedding I saw on Say Yes to the Dress. 
43.I don't drink tea or coffee. 
44.I drink way too much Diet Coke/Pepsi 
45.I speak in quotes. My sister and I can barely have a conversation that doesn't involve a quote. Favourites include Friends, Miranda, Pride and Prejudice, Lord of the Rings, The Grinch, I could go on forever. 
46.I love watching tv. My favourite tv programmes include Gogglebox, Would I lie to you?, Friends, The Great British Bake Off, Geordie Shore, Say Yes to the Dress and probably loads I'm forgetting. 47.I've lived in the same house my entire life. 
48.I have brown eyes. 
49.I love talking in different accents. 
aaaaand 50.I hate the minions off Despicable Me. 

 Phew! That was hard. If anyone bothered to read any of those hopefully you don't think I'm too much of a boring individual. Let me know in the comments if you've done a similar post, I'm always up for being nosey! As alway, thanks for stopping by! Lots of love,

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Hair Empties

Today, when I was standing in the shower surrounded by a million empty shampoo bottles I realised it was time to do an empties post. Here are all the hair products I've finished recently along with reviews of each! 

L'Oreal Casting Creme Gloss Sunkiss Jelly

A couple of months ago I had my hair ombred/balayaged at the hairdressers and wanted the ends a bit blonder. I bought this even though it's meant to be for natural hair which mine isn't but it's also not dyed so I don't think that makes a difference. You get gloves to put it on with but I gave up on those after a few applications. I've used the whole bottle and I think my hair is a bit lighter. It is no way neeaaarr as intense as a bleach or anything like that so it's not a quick fix for anyone wanting to go lighter. But it's also not damaging like a bleach would be. One thing that confused me is that it says 'no need to rinse it out' but it doesn't sink into the hair at all. You couldn't put it on then leave the house because it dries into your hair and makes it crispy and weird. Am I using it wrong? I don't know but I have to sleep with this on then rinse it out in the shower the next morning. I think I'll get this again and see if it just needs longer to properly see results. Update: I didn't realise they come in different shades for different hair colours and I have no idea which one I bought so I've got the one for my hair colour and will report back. 

John Frieda Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo (and conditioner but the bottle got thrown away)

I reeaallly like this shampoo and conditioner. I don't know what it is about them but my hair doesn't feel greasy and also feels really clean every time I use them. I really don't like the smell of these because they smell like mint (as in the plant) and I found it quite over powering when I first used them. I think I've got used to it now but it's not the nicest smell in the world. I'll definitely be buying these again.

 John Frieda Beach Blonde Kelp Help Deep Conditioning Masque

I bought this as part of a 3 for 2 offer with the shampoo and conditioner and whilst I don't think it's a bad hair masque I'm also not completely blown away by it. I don't really notice much of a difference in the way my hair looks. I don't think you shouldn't buy it but I'm not saying you should buy it over any other hair masque for a similar price. 

 Bleach Silver Conditioner

I loved using this conditioner. It makes my hair feel really soft and lovely and I've already bought it again.  I don't really know if it keeps the brassiness at bay because my hair isn't white blonde so it's not as obvious whether purple shampoos and conditioners make that much of a difference. The only problem with this is the packaging makes it a little bit difficult to get the product out. Gives you a bit of an arm workout.         John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone Correcting Shampoo

Like I said I find it hard to tell whether purple shampoos really work on me but I'm enjoying how my hair looks at the moment so I think this has helped. When I first got my hair done at the hairdressers I didn't think it suited me at all because it was quite yellow toned but I think it's more ashy now and it's probably down to this along with another purple shampoo. 

PRO:VOKE Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo

Enter said purple shampoo. I've been alternating between this shampoo and the John Frieda one and have really been enjoying the concoction. It's meant to be for grey, white or platinum blonde hair which I obviously don't have but I think it still works the same. I think this is the purple shampoo a lot of people use and it's cheap so I'll probably get it again.

Gum Hair Moroccan Argan Oil

I've mentioned this before because it is my holy grail hair product. It's £2.99 from Home Bargains and it is the most glorious thing in the entire world. You can't use too much of this stuff on wet or dry hair and I just feel like it solves all my hair woes (well.. not all, my hair's still shit but ya know)

And they are all my hair empties! Thanks for stopping by, lots of love,

June Favourites

 Zara Kimono (Can't find it on the bastard website even though I ordered it off the bastard website)

This is my absolute favourite this month. I've been wearing it at every possible opportunity especially when the weather's been a bit nicer. I think the pattern is stunning, the colours in particular (makes a change from my usual all black ensemble). This is actually almost floor length on me, hitting just at the base of my calf but it's probably around the back of the knee/mid-calf on average size people. I'm literally obsessed with this at the moment. (It's £29.99 by the way)

Urban Outfitters Virgo Necklace

I love a necklace. It's simple, it's cute, I'm on board!

Bourjois Aqua Blush in 03 Pink Twice

I mentioned this blush in this post and have really been enjoying using it regularly. It's really hard to describe the texture of this product. It comes out of a pump so it's obviously not like a cream blusher you would get in a pot but it's thicker than a full on water colour blush. You really have to test it in a store to see for yourself. I don't think this product will be for everyone because it does take a bit of building up but if it's the kind of thing you're willing to work with it leaves a really gorgeous wash of colour that looks really fresh and pretty. You can build this product up to give more intensity but I quite like the sheerness of it. I don't know about the 12 hour claims but I do find cream blushes last longer on the cheeks. 

 My Macbook Pro

I know some people might not think its a big deal but I've never had a Mac before, only crappy laptops that break (my blog has seen 2 laptops die and I've only had it a year and a half) so this is really exciting. It's an early birthday present and I'm so happy with it. It's beautiful and will be so useful when I start uni in September.

Aaaaaand that's it! My favourites posts are never very long because I always like the same stuff as previous months and don't want to get repetitive but make sure you check out my previous monthly favourites to see everything I'm loving. Thanks for stopping by!

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A Shop Dixi Addiction

 Shop Dixi 

Lotus Ring and Crux Garnet Ring 

 La Luna Ring and Artemis Wishbone Ring

Xena Triple Ball Wishbone Ring (Sold Out)

I've featured Shop Dixi on my blog before, it's cropped up on my instagram, and I've also tweeted about them too. In case you can't tell, it is my absolute favourite website when it comes to jewellery. Particularly rings as you can probably guess. I realised that I have a nice little collection and it might be nice to show them all together. My first were the garnet ring and the triple ball ring which you can see in my January favourites. I actually broke the triple ball ring because I kept getting it caught on things at work and it turns out it was quite fragile. Whoops. Then I got the Lotus ring which I think is really gorgeous and the milky stone is perfect because it goes with every nail colour because it's not a brightly coloured stone. Unfortunately I can't seem to find it on the website but you can still get the same design with a gorgeous blue topaz stone. My most recent purchases are the La Luna ring, which I love because it looks really simple and elegant and when you look closely you can see the engraving and I really like the moon, and the Wishbone ring which is so dainty and adorable, I've worn it everyday since I got it. 

I love having a few rings from the same place because they all coordinate with each other so you can create amazing stacks but they also work as stand alone pieces. They're also all sterling silver which means you don't have to worry about tarnishing and I honestly don't think I'll ever buy a non-sterling silver ring again. Shop Dixi rings may be more expensive than a ring from Topshop but I think it's a bit of a false economy. After wearing one from Topshop for a couple of months it'll go disgusting and you'll never want to wear it again whereas spending a bit more on real silver will last you forever. If you haven't checked it out before and you're into jewellery I suggest you do it now.

Thanks for stopping by and let me know in the comments if you know of any similar websites. Lots of love, Annie xx

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Drugstore Haul/First Impressions

I was rummaging around in my makeup bag hoping for blogpost inspiration when I realised I've actually got quite a lot of new drugstore bits knocking around in there and why not show you them today. On with the post!

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush 

I am always willing to try new Real Techniques brushes so was happy to pick this one up in Boots. I've used it a few times as a contour brush with a powder product but I think other people use it as a foundation brush. It's quite dense therefore it picks up a lot of product so it is quite easy to go over the top. However I think it's also really good at blending so you can blend out any accidental harsh lines you make. I'm enjoying it so far but am still getting used to it because I haven't contoured with anything other than my Real Techniques duo fibre contour brush for about a year.  

 Bourjois Aqua Blush in 03 Pink Twice 

I'm really loving cream blushes at the moment so decided to try out this new Aqua Blush from Bourjois which comes in a little pump. I put a small blob on the back of my hand then use a stippling brush to apply a light layer to the apples of my cheeks and up my cheekbones. It leaves a really natural looking wash of colour but you can also build it up quite a lot. I've really been enjoying using this. 

 Maybelline Master Sculpt

I started by getting the light medium shade in this product which for a contouring product is quite warm and I don't know if it's because I'm used to the incredibly ashy Illamasqua Hollow Cream Pigment but I find it difficult to get away with it. I'd probably use this as more of a bronzer than a contour from now on. I decided to get the Medium Dark shade to see if it worked any better. I've only used this once so can't really give an impression on it but it looks much more cool toned so will hopefully work a bit better. (Also I don't use highlighter so I can't comment on that)

Makeup Revolution Awesome Eye Foil in Rose Gold

My sister uses this almost every day so I decided to pick it up too. I've used it once and I feel like it's quite difficult to use because you have to mix the foil with the liquid eye primer so it's not exactly a fuss free product but it is a gorgeous colour. It's called Rose Gold but I'd say it's more of a champagne shade with an amazing amount of shimmer. I think you can put too much on and that a thin layer is enough to create a beautiful look on the lid. Perfect for summer.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara

I love the normal version of this mascara and only got the waterproof version because the shop I was in had sold out of the normal one and I desperately needed a new one. It's just as good as the non-waterproof version. I had a very cry-y couple of days the recently and my mascara was miraculously fully intact. The rest of my makeup was not. 

That's all for today, thank you for stopping by! 

Lots of love, Annie xx

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Nars Audacious Lipstick in Natalie

Nars Audacious Lipstick in Natalie

Hi everyone! A little while ago, my sister and I took a little trip to Leeds to do some shopping. Among the many... many... things I bought was this lipstick from Nars. I took the photo of the lipstick almost immediately but when it came to taking pictures of my actual face wearing the lipstick it all went horribly wrong. I could not get a decent picture of my face and that put me off taking anymore blog pictures for a good month (you're beginning to understand why I'm such a terrible blogger and why my last post purposely didn't require a picture of me). But today I finally bit the bullet and managed to get one I can bear to put on the internet. Success!

  I already have one of the Nars Audacious Lipsticks in Olivia which you can read about here (In that post I'm doing the exact same pose and I realised I'm wearing the same eye makeup, yay for consistency?) but I was in Space NK and absolutely fell in love with the shade Natalie and decided to treat myself. It's a gorgeous pink that is bright enough to be considered a spring/summer shade but isn't neon so you can get away with it for all occasions. It is also dark enough to be considered a bold which are my favourite colours to wear. Why is it that I always choose to write about shades that I can't describe at all? But I do love the colour and think it goes with loads of different looks. I use a brush to apply it just like my original Audacious lipstick as it makes it more matte and more of a stain than if I applied it straight from the bullet. They are incredibly pigmented so one swipe is all you need for complete opaque colour which is amazing. It lasts really well and overall is just a gorgeous product to own. It's nice to not regret spending £24 on a lipstick :S

Thanks for stopping by! 

Lots of love, Annie xx

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Beauty Things I Suck at!

Hello everyone! I don't do many chatty blogposts like this one but I've seen videos and other posts like this and thought it would be quite fun. Because there is nothing I love more than revealing how useless I am. At everything. On with the post!

1. Washing my brushes. How is this not on anyone's list? Despite the fact I am repulsed when I see other people using foundation clogged brushes and despite the fact that I love the feeling of freshly washed brushes and despite the fact that I know my makeup goes on better when they're clean I still put off doing it. What is wrong with me?

2. Keeping my nails painted. I'll do it once and really like how they look but then they chip after less than a day and I can't resist picking it all off. Then I won't do it again for weeks because I get so pissed off at how quickly they chip. Same goes for false nails, once one comes off they're all gone and I can't be bothered to stick them on again. I'm destined to have hideous hands.

3. Doing things with my hair. I have my hair down every single day in the exact same style. I go through phases of having it a bit more curly or adopting a different way of using the straighteners to curl it but other than that it's exactly the same. Your milkmaid braid tutorials are completely lost on me. 

4. Listening to hair care advice. I complain about my damaged hair constantly but no amount of telling me to stop washing it everyday or to stop using so much heat on it will have an impact. I know it's sage advice and it would probably work but my second day hair is like most people's fifth day hair and my natural hair is inexplicable. I have to wash it everyday (if I'm going to be seen by the general public) and I have to use heat on it, there are no other options!! 

5. Concealing. Like... I do it... but I don't think I have ever successfully concealed a spot. It conceals around the spot but the redness always shows through. What's that all about. 

6. Plucking my eyebrows. They can pretty much just go die for all I care. 

7. I can't do the same makeup twice.  To be fair it probably looks the same to everyone else but if I think 'oh yeah I liked my makeup yesterday I'm gonna do the same today' it will fail miserably. Oh! and doing my makeup for a special occasion (for all those special occasions I have). If I really want my makeup to be nice I'll try too hard and have a disaster. Fact. 

The moral of this post is that I'm shit at most things. Good then. 

Thanks for stopping by! Lots of love, Annie xx

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