Longest Day Of My Life........

As the title of this post suggests, I have had a fairly tough day and wanted to vent my frustration out on the blogging world. This is the part where I apologise, so I'm sorry in advance for whatever you might read next! :)

My day did not start off great by the fact that I had little to no sleep at all last night. The reason why? Because I always seem to drop myself in it within complicated situations and then I spend the whole night and the early hours of the morning worrying and panicking about it! If you don't know me personally, then you may not know what I am a keen worrier (if there is such a word?) and no matter how big/small the problem is, I always worry about it. This was the case last night and added to the fact that I blame myself for the situation, it made it damn near impossible for me to go to sleep! So I didn't really....

Ok, so I get up this morning feeling tired and already irritable due to said lack of sleep and have myself a shower, as you do. Now this probably wasn't the best idea! I don't know about you guys, but when I get in the shower in the morning, I tend to be in there longer in an attempt to wake myself up. What's wrong with that I hear you ask? Well nothing, that is of course unless you're like me and you spend nearly the whole time thinking. And by thinking that could mean anything, so for me I was thinking (and worrying) about the previous night's problem. This made me even MORE angry, irritable and if anything, more tired!
I did perk up a bit around breakfast time as I can just lounge around in front of the TV and flick through the music channels; one of my favourite past times!

My mood became even worse when I had to leave the comfort of my nice, warm house and in to horrible drizzly, cold weather outside! Definitely not impressed by this point..... So I spend the majority of my day wandering around outside in the freezing cold (I'm literally always cold!) getting my hair wet because it wasn't raining enough to put an umbrella up but it was enough to feel it. At this point, I couldn't care less what I looked like because I truly felt miserable and just wanted to go home and curl up with a nice book, which I did do in the end.

And now I'm sat here, boring you all senseless with my very pointless Blog post! I did apologise in advance :)

I do feel slightly better for doing this and I just can't wait for tomorrow because it can't be as bad as today! Thank you so much for reading this guys, feel free to Follow me if you don't already :) I'm thinking of having an early night to try to put an end to a very long day.....wish me luck!

xxxx

NOTD- Girly and Sparkley!

Hey guys, so you have probably guessed by now that I haven't written anything for a while (well, not properly anyway) and I'm about to change that by giving you a quick peek at my nail varnish combo! I hope you like it as much as I do; although it may be too girly for some people :)

I have used two different nail varnishes to create this glittery, sparkley effect. The base coat is by Primark and it's called Back to the Fuschia! (I actually bought this about a year ago so it may not be sold anymore!) and the top coat is by Rimmel London: Lasting Finish in number 500 called Disco Ball. I applied two coats of the hot pink and two coats of the glitter but you can layer on as many coats as you like for a more intense look. What do you all think?

P.S- The Rimmel Nail varnish is actually priced at £2.99 in Boots in the UK, which I think is a bargain! Along with their full range of the Lasting Finish collection. Grab it whilst you can. xx

Laura Buckley is fundraising for Arthritis Research UK

Laura Buckley is fundraising for Arthritis Research UK


This is the page I have set up to raise money for Arthritis Research UK! Please donate as much as you can as it's for such a great cause. Keep an eye out for updates too as I intend to do a sponsored run in the near future!! Thank you :)

Perfume Dilemma!

As the name of this post suggests, I am having a small dilemma about perfume! I have three of my favourite bottles of perfume on the go at the moment, and all of them are starting to run out! Usually I would buy one of them again but I wanted to try something different. There are so many nice perfumes out there that I want to try; I just don't know where to start! I am on a budget at the moment, so splashing out on a £50 for a 30ml bottle is not a good idea.

This is where you guys come in :) Can you please suggest a nice, long-lasting perfume that I can wear on a daily basis and that doesn't cost the earth? I have a few things that I look for in a perfume, which I shall list below!

1. Nothing too strong! I don't want to scare people off with my strong-smelling perfume.

2. I don't like overly sweet fragrances; the sweet shop smell is not good!

3. Has to have a good balance between smelling fruity, with a hint of musk!

4. Nothing too pricey! Between £20 and £30 is what I'm looking for at the moment. 

5. I want a scent that I won't get sick of after the first few spritzes. A classic scent would be ideal!

If you think you can help me with this, then please comment below with your suggestions :) I should point out the three fragrances I have at the moment so they don't get suggested again! 1. Hugo Boss Orange, 2. Jimmy Choo, 3. Laugh Often by Reese Witherspoon for Avon.

Hope to hear from you soon! xx

True Facts About Moi!

I've wanted to do a quick blog, telling the world some unknown facts about myself and just general things you may or may not know about me. So when I came across a blog page called "It's Life" And saw that she had done a simillar thing, then I jumped at the chance and sort of...erm....copied her? I really hope she doesn't mind! Her blog page is doddlove.blogspot.com so feel free to check her out :)

Anyway here are my random facts!!

1. Are you named after anyone?

 No, Mum told me she and my Dad just liked the name!

2. When was the last time you cried?

Ooh not sure actually. I am a bit of a crier usually but I don't think I've cried for a while!

3. Do you have kids?

No, I have a nephew if that counts? :)

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

Yes I think so. I know I can come across as shy but if someone persists to get information out of me then you can't shut me up!

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Ahh I do! Usually with my friends or family; not with complete strangers! That is always a bit risky...

6. Will you ever bungee-jump?

Ohh god I dont know! I would love to say yes but when it came down to it, I don't know if I could!

7. What's your favorite cereal?

I don't really have one as I get bored after a box or so....Oh wait! I take that back! I could never bet bored of Lucky Charms. It's just a shame they're so expensive in the UK

8. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Their smile. If they have a warm, genuine smile then I know we can get along :)

9. What is your eye color?

Blue

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

Happy endings probably

11. Favorite smells?

Petrol, rubber tyres and freshly mown grass. Weird combo I know!

12. Summer or Winter?

Probably Summer because I complain alot when I'm too cold.

13. Computer or TV?

Computer! I'm far too addicted to Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and my Blog!

14. What's the furthest you've ever been from home?

Errrrm....Malta? I'm rubbish at Geography so haven't a clue! :/

15. Do you have special talents?

Pah! I wish.

16. Where were you born?

Leamington Spa, UK

17. What are your hobbies?

Youtube and blogging? Nah, I love reading :)

18. Do you have any pets?

A cat called Meeko and an adopted rabbit called Mrs Rabbinson

19. Favorite movie?

I have far too many but if I had to pick right now....I'd say either Beauty and the Beast or......Fight Club. Wow, how different are they?!

20. Do you have any siblings?

Yes, I have an older sister called Sam :)

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I'm pretty much grown up now and I haven't the slightest idea!! A professional writer would be my dream but I don't know how realistic that sounds right now.

22. When was your first slow dance and the song?

Gosh, I really can't remember! I don't think I've ever had a memorable or meaningful slow dance if I'm honest.

23. Movies you dislike?

I generally dislike Westerns and really, really old war movies. But I REALLY hate the film Kung-Fu Hustle! That was one of the longest 2 hours of my life!

23. What three YouTubers would you like to meet in person?

Ooh I can only pick 3? Hmmm....well probably Fleur De Force, Ingrid/ missglamorazzi and....Tanya/ pixi2woo

Well I hope that settles a few things! If anyone wants to know anymore or ask any questions then feel free to comment on this post! 

Hope you're all having a great Monday (haha, I'm sure!) and hope to hear from you soon!

Laura 

xx

(Very) Belated Birthday Gift Review!

My birthday is actually in February and one of my best friend's finally got round to giving me my present about 3 weeks ago....better late than never I always say! I was thrilled to get my present from her as I look forward to gifts from her every year; whether that being at Christmas or my Birthday! The reason? Because she gives such amazing presents! She seems to know me so well, even though I've only known her about 3 years, and she is so generous too. So you can imagine my excitement when she walked into the pub (yes we met for a pub lunch!) and handed over a bag full of presents saying it was all for me!

She (Grace) bought me 3 books and she made me open those first! The first one is called Dream Makers by Nora Roberts and if you didn't know already, I absolutely love Nora Roberts books! I have a small collection of her books and just love adding to it! I havent actually read it yet but I'm sure it will be as well written and enjoyable as all her other books I have had the pleasure to read. The second one is called Crazy As Chocolate by Elisabeth Hyde. I haven't read any of her books but Grace assured me she is a phenomenal author and the tittle itself struck a chord with me as I LOVE chocolate! The third and final book is the one I've actually started to read reccently and it is called The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomson. Yes, more chocolate I hear you say! I've only read the first few chapters so I can't really give a review on it but I will do at a later date once I have finished it. The few chapters I have read have been funny and brilliantly written so I am hopeful! It is written by the author that wrote My Best Friend's Girl (which isn't as bad as it sounds!!) and I absolutely loved that book. It's beautifully written, funny and true to real life, but it's also very sad and would probably make you cry! I know I did!

The final part to my present I was most excited about as my friend had given me an inkling as to what it was. It was a brand new Ecotools brush set! The set consists of one face brush, one concealer brush, one eyeshadow brush, an angled liner brush, one comb brush and a small round mirror in a brush roll to keep it tidy. I'd been after a new set of brushes for ages as I always seem to buy one at a time and never stick to one brand. I also seem to buy more low end brushes (e.g- from boots!) and I was desperate to get my mitts on a decent set!

After the initial screams of thanks and "ohmygod!" I managed to contain myself long enough to take a good look at my new brushes. The first thing I noticed was how soft they all were. I know that sounds silly but that matters to me as I have quite sensitive, irritable skin, especially around my eyes, so need my brushes to be soft and gentle. Obviously I was unable to start using them straight away as we were out in public about to have lunch! But when I got home, I couldn't wait to try them out. The brush I use the most now is the face brush and I use it for mainly bronzer but sometimes blush. What can I say about them? They don't shed any hairs at all which is amazing, they are soft and gentle to your skin and they are.... brilliant?! I do sometimes use the concealer brush as an eyeshadow brush and it seems to work really well! All in all I love these brushes and will deffinitely invest in some more in the future :)

Keep an eye on my Blog as I'm planning on writing more posts within the next few weeks!



Laura xx

Au naturale- I bare all!

I have suffered with self-confidence for quite a number of years as I severely lack it! When I was younger, I was a lot worse and always wanted to look like someone else and never look like myself. I tried, over the years, to alter my appearance to "blend" in and it suited me for a while but it didn't help my confidence in myself at all. Going to the school that I did, you either had to know the "right people" to stay out of trouble or you had to look the "right way" to fit in. I guess that's like many schools across the world and I'd like to clarify now that I wasn't ever bullied as such but I was made to feel worthless at times because I wasn't a "popular girl" and I wasn't friends with "popular people". Bullying at school is a disgrace in my opinion, as there is far too much of it going on!

However, I am getting more self-confident and I wanted to share with you, and to prove to myself that I am strong enough to do it,  pictures of myself with no make-up on. This may not seem like a big deal to you but I rarely (maybes once or twice a year I'll do it) go out of the house without some form of make-up on; foundation being the major one. It struck me today how sad that actually seems; I cannot go out of the house without any make-up on, and that's how a lot of people do things. If I don't have foundation or mascara or anything like that on, I feel completely exposed and vulnerable as if at any moment, someone is going to point and laugh at how ugly I am. In my opinion, everyone is beautiful in their own way but when I look at myself, I think this rule doesn't apply to me!

Anyway I don't want to ramble on too much but the point of this is to show that if I am able to post pictures of myself without make-up and exposing all my blemishes and imperfections then maybe other people will think "Wow, I would never think of doing that. Maybe I'll give it a go..." and gain more self-confidence if that's why they wear make-up. I don't only wear make-up to cover myself up and "hide" but I do it to make me feels good about myself and because I love to try new products out. I'm in the process of changing the way I feel about myself and the way I look to be a positive thing and eventually, I hope that I don't hide behind a mask but feel so confident, that I don't need to wear make-up all day, every day to just nip to the shops!

P.S- I wear glasses permenantly but took them off to show you better! xxxx

Catch up :)

Just wanted to let you guys know that all my friends from Uni have come back (finally) and I'm now looking forward to MASSIIVE catch ups with them all :)

Finally had a long awaited catch up with a couple of my best friends Claira (not on here!) and Grace (Fashion Cabaret Girl!) this afternoon and it was amazing! I have missed these guys so much since they've been away and was so excited to have them back again!

Please check out Fashion Cabaret Girl's blog if you haven't alreadyl She writes amazing blogs and she's just started out like me too :)

Love you all! xxxx

Why is hair colour so hard to change?!

For as long as I can remember, I have pretty much always hated my hair. Everyone always says how horrible their hair is and I thought it was just a thing everyone complained about, but you haven't met anyone who complains more about theirs than I do! Looking back to when I was young, I used to have very lovely thick blonde hair but like most others, I got bored of my natural hair colour and decided to dye it. Red.

Now I know what you're thinking; she obviously went for a semi-permenant colour or a wash in wash out one. Well....I did at first! I decided to get a Wella wash in wash out and it went orange! I had to go to school with orange hair (like the phone company logo shade of orange!) and nipped down to the Chemist, after the humiliation I had to endure by my peers, to buy another type. I went the whole way and got a permenant dye in a bright red colour. And I mean RED! It was wonderful at first (this was a good 3-4 years ago!) but then it became too much hassle as I had to keep re-dying it every month at least to maintain the red and not go, well, ginger! I got pretty bored of having to dye red on top of red so decided it would be much easier to go back to being blonde. Oh yes, you've guessed it; being the fool that I am, I decided to try and dye blonde straight back on top of the red and it turned a very vibrant shade of orange; once again!

To cut an extremely long story short, I eventually ruined my hair by trying to go back to my original blonde (which I should have mentioned before was a fairly light shade naturally) and after a few months of various shades of orange, I decided to do the sensible thing and put a cool brown shade on to tone down the gingery bits! I enjoyed being a brunette for a while and kept it up for a good 4/5 months but I was still wistfully hoping I could go back to my natural colour. Unfortunately for me, I still had orange understones even under various lots of brown dye and I thought it would be safe to try to go blonde again. I got my friend to help me and I'd even bought a very dark ash blonde to tone down any orange that might occur. Unfortunately again, it went very very orange and I completely gave up and gave in to the professionals! 6 months later and still no sign of being blonde :(

The good news is, I was given very good advice and I'm now going to attempt to build the blonde up gradually by getting highlights put in every few months. I had my first lot back in late February so I'm long overdue some more! Hopefully in the next few months I can keep you updated and I should be fully blonde by the end of the year. Fingers crossed anyway :)

R.I.P Glitterati Manson 2007-2010

My gorgeous Nephew!

I thought I would post a quick picture of my gorgeous nephew as he is....well....gorgeous!!!! :)

All things make-up......the REVIEWS!

I will start by saying a huge sorry for my (yet again) lack of blogging reccently! I realise that no-one, or very few actually read my post but I like to blog regardless, as I enjoy doing it for myself and not for other people (even though, it would be appreciated if people did read it!)

Right, lets get onto the good stuff....

Up until reccently, I have been quite hopeless when it comes to cosmetics and fashion. I like the odd item but never seem to rave about them or make a statement whilst wearing/using them. I thought I'd change things a little but and now I research into products and find out how reccomended they are, whether that being word-of-mouth or simply in the media. I have come across a couple of things I'd like to share that I have instantly fallen in love with!

The first products is the Collection 2000 Skyscraper Length and Definition Mascara in Black. I was reccomended this product by one of my best friend's as she had reccently purchased it and loved it, and after learning I needed a new mascara, she pointed me in the right direction. I was a little wary at first as I can be very picky when it comes to mascaras and eyeliners (probably due to my phobia of eyes and everything about them!) but after trying it for the first time, I fell in love with it! Not only does the top bit of the brush have enough bristles to coat all the lashes on the top eyelid, but there are little bristles specially designed for your lower lashes on the bottom of the brush. This comes in very handy for me as I have struggled for years to get my lower lashes to look good enough, and with a little help from this product, I have managed to achieve this. I did notice however that it seems a little gloopy on the brush and you do have to scrape of the excess a little bit before you apply it onto your lashes. Apart from that, I absolutley love it and would highly reccomend it!

I also reccently purchased a face powder. It is the Collection 2000 Pressed Powder in Ivory and this has been a big hit as well. Now it may seem that I have a thing for Collection 2000, but I have only ever owned 3 or 4 of their products in my life! Back to the powder... I was again reccomended it by my friend (yes, the same friend!) as I had been after a face powder to help set my liquid foundation. As we have simillar skin tones and type she thought this would suit me well; and she was right! I haven't tried many face powders to compare this one to but I still love it! It smells good, works well with a Kabuki brush and it makes your skin feel so soft. Best of all, it dries up all your oily patches without causing dry patches if you have combination skin already. I'm not a big fan of really smelly products on my face, so this is perfect as it has a light, almost musky smell to it. The only down side is that it only seemed to come in a couple of shades. This wouldnt usually bother me, myself as I rarely stray from Ivory shades due to my pale complexion, however I did notice this powder seems almost too pale; even for me! And the next shade up would be far too dark and look ridiculous on me. All in all though, a very good quality product that is reasonably priced!

I am a huge lover of Avon Cosmetics so when I came across this product, I jumped at the chance to try it out! It is the Jillian Dempsey for Avon: Professional Corrector Palette. It is basically a concealer and highlighter in one product! There are 4 different colours within the palette, specifically designed for various problem areas on your face. Lilac adds a healthy glow to the skin, pink hides imperfections and helps to disguise dark circles under the eye area, apricot brightens dull and yellow tone complexions and the yellow helps to reduce redness. When I saw this product I was so excited as I've heard great things about palettes like this (mainly high-end ones) and I thought if I could get my hands on a cheaper version, then I'd be laughing. I must admit I was slightly disappointed as I must have believed it to be a miracle product, which unfortunately, it is not. However, it still works well, it just doesnt make inperfections invisible! I would reccomend trying it, simply because I do like it alot,  it works well and also because if you have an Avon Representitive, then you can always send it back if you aren't 100% happy with it. Considering it is only about £5 or so, I like it and it works well enough for me!

That in unfortunately it for now, I do have a couple of other products in the pipe-line so watch out for it within the next week or so :)

Lack of blogging....

Firstly I would like to apologize for my lack of blogging reccently; I have been very busy and haven't really found the time! A lot has happened in this last month (and a bit)....I now look after my Nephew, Mason during the week as well as keeping my "part-time" job at the weekend. As you can imagine, I'm knackered a lot of the time!! I have also celebrated my 19th Birthday (27th February) and it's not all it's cracked up to be. I feel weird about being 19 as it feels so....boring! I went out the night before my Birthday with my good friends and my lovely Sister, Sam. So glad they all came :)

As I type this, my temperature keeps rising and falling drastically (ish) due to me being ill. I woke up with a Migraine and sore throat this morning and now feel like absolute poo. (I feel a bit like a child writing that word!)
I'm adamant I'm dying but my Mum disagrees and says I'm just ill :(

More blogging will resume once I feel on the mend and I actually have a post that doesn't sound as whingey as this! I plan on starting to write reviews on various levels, such as make-up, food, film etc. so look out for that!

I can not type a single word anymore, again I apologize for this ridiculously short blog post.


Laura xx

Bella Bamba Fever

That's right, everyone I know has it! It is called Bella Bamba Fever! Benefit's new release is a new blush called (you guessed it) Bella Bamba. The name itself creates this illusion that it is to be, an amazing product, like that of all their product names. Everyone is talking about it and from what I have gathered, everyone wants to try it; and who wouldn't? I myself am desperate to get my hands on the gorgeous little box!

After watching Fleur De Force's Youtube video, I imediately fell in love with it and couldn't wait to work out when I could purchase it. I do have my doubts however. Due to my very pale complexion, I'm a little worried I will end up looking like a Barbie or (heaven forbid) my Mum's Cousin's wife (now that's a mouthful!) when my sister and I gave her a make-over when I was about 5! Also I have doubts about the price, although it is the same as all their other blushes such as "Dallas" and "Coralista". My main concern is that I will try it, fall in love with it, use it a few times and then forget all about it! I don't wish to spend £23.50 on a blush if this is going to happen, likewise if it looks hideous on me because of my skin colour! Having said that and pushing my doubts aside, I am very excited for Payday so I can contemplate buying it regardless. I fell in love with the packaging first, I must admit. The holographic, foil effect really gets it to stand out and makes you say "Wow, I want it" before you even look inside. But boy when that lid is lifted... you definately have something to say then! It's the most beautiful, feminine, pretty shade of pink I have seen in a long time, especially for a blush.

If any of you have tried it and loved it, then let me know; especially if you also had concerns regarding the price etc. Look forward to hearing from you!

xxxx

"If I'd have known you were comin' I'd have baked a cake..."

Hello blogging world! You may be wondering what's with the title of this new blog post...so, take a wild guess. Have you got it yet? Yes indeed, I did try and bake a cake; this afternoon actually. I love baking but I don't do it very often as I find I usually have to be in the right mood or we simply don't have the ingredients at home!  I was inspired by my friend's Mum, who made the most delicious cake I have ever tasted before (and that's saying alot, as I have a bit of a cheesecake addiction and don't tend to love sponge cakes, tortes etc.) a few weeks ago, so I decided to have a crack at making one myself....

I didn't know the proper recipe so I again, thought I'd just try and do it by myself....big mistake! Oh I forgot to mention what sort of cake it was supposed to be. Drum roll please...... it was supposed to be a Chocolate Nutella Cake!!! Yummy! Now for those of you that are/may be reading this and don't know what Nutella is, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING? Believe me, You haven't lived until you've tried it! It's a hazelnut and chocolate based spread that people usually put on toast, in sandwiches or quite cleverly, on pancakes! Obviously if you are allergic to any nuts DO NOT EAT IT even if you are ok with hazelnuts as it is made in a factory that handles other types.... Anyway back on topic....I had a go at making this delicious cake. I knew basically I was going to make a normal chocolate sponge, add chopped hazelnuts to the mix before putting it in the oven and then topping with the key ingredient; Nutella once baked and cooled. It sounds easy enough in theory.....which it probably is to most people. But not to me apparantly.....

4 words- Flat. As. A. Pancake! It is simply the thinnest sponge I have seen in my entire life! I used self-raising flour, cooked it for a bit longer than instructed, greased the tin etc and it comes out looking like Flat Stanley's face! I must admit, I was quite disheartened when I saw the pitiful cake once I got it out of the tin. But as they say, THE SHOW MUST GO ON! So I smothered it in Nutella, added whole hazelnuts on top for decoration and sat it on the worktop for my Mum to find when she comes home from work....It looks good... if you like the look of flat cake. Well not to worry, I will try again at a later date and I'll let you all know what I do to it next time. In other news! I have a few things I wish to rant- sorry I mean write about in the next few days. I'm not sure why I still insist on writiting these as I am fully aware no one actually reads them, but it's good practice for me.

Thanks for reading if you actually have taken the time to, much appreciated! Don't forget to "Follow" me on here, you can also find me on Twitter; @LauraABuckley and If you fancy, take a look at my Youtube channel: PwoperLaura

Laura xxxx :)