March favourites

Have to say it's pretty scary that March has already been and gone. Therefore the dreaded exam time is already looming. However, likewise summer is on it's way yay. 

Thought I would share some of my favourites from the past month! 

 Absolutely loving this Barry M nail polish. I love the gel nail paints as I think they give your nails that extra shine. I thought this light green was very spring like and I just really liked it. 

I've also really been liking this Revlon colour burst lip pen. It seems everyone's been talking about these and I have to say they really are amazing. I really like this orangey/coral colour as again, it is very with the approaching time of year. 

Okay, I love these socks pretty much all year round. However, the sunny weather has allowed me to replenish my sock stock and also pick out some nice pastel colours! 

I've used this eyeliner for about a year now however, it still manages to amaze me. It's the seventeen, lacquer liner with a wet look finish. What I love about it is the size of the brush. It's absolutely tiny which is great because it allows you to get really fine and neat lines for your eyes. 

 

Finally, as summer is slowly approaching it's time to start the regular moisturising process to make my skin super soft and smooth in time for summer. This Soap and Glory body butter cream comes in such a large tub which is great and it smells so fresh and spring like. It smells like lime but with a sweet fruity hint and it actually makes me kind of hungry

Anyway, that's been my favourites this month. I would love to check out yours!  

Alice May 

Xxx 

Birch box

So recently I received my second ever beauty box! It was only in the past few weeks in which I stumbled across the concept of beauty boxes and of course I had to jump on the bandwagon. 

My first beauty box, you beauty discovery is mentioned in a previous post, this post will feature Birch Box.

So this box is a monthly beauty box in which you pay £10 for the box itself and £2.95 for packaging, obviously paying £12.95 in total. 

This months Birch Box had a special Lulu Guinness theme, a designer who had picked a few items for the box. The sleeve of the box therefore was decorated in a Lulu Guinness style which I thought looked very smart. 

 

The box itself comes with some leaflets and vouchers explaining the products and giving certain money off vouchers. 

The products come in this cute little pull string back and are nicely packed away. 

And here is what I saw when I opened the little bag. 

This month I received 6 items in my box which I thought was a really decent amount of products for me to test and try. 

Firstly, I got this Lulu Guinness designed stick of rock, I'm not really a big fan of rock but it has a heart with Lulu Guinness running through the middle which looks pretty cool however I'm not really sure if I will eat this. 

Next I recieved a sample of the perfume English Laundry. Most people hate perfume samples but I find they are quite handy to put into your handbag on a night out or something, however you can get them in most shops for free. 

Next I got this Korres, citrus body milk, this is quite a big sample and body butter is always something that is needed so in looking forward to trying this one out. 

I was really impressed with my next sample product which was the Benefit, stay don't stray eye primer. I absolutely love benefit and have not actually tried this product properly so I'm really pleased that this was in the beauty box. 

Another great sample was this Dr. Brandt, pores no more pore refiner. This is normally a really expensive product in full size and therefore I think the sample is great to test out and again to slip into your make up bag. 

Finally, I recieved this Molton Brown, Rhubarb and Rose, hand cream sample and I have to say it smells absolutely amazing. I love rhubarb and this is like the dream smell. I may even consider purchasing it after this. My item however was damaged when it arrived as I had a faulty plastic tube. I contacted Birch box and straight away they sent me out a replacement of the sample by first class post. I was really impressed with this quick service. 

Overall, I am really impressed with my Birch Box, although it is slightly pricey I am certainly going to keep it going for the next few months to see what else arrives at my door. I just love having little packages to open. 

If you're interested, take a look at my older post on the other beauty box I ordered and compare the two, both at different price scales. 

Alice May 

Xxxx

e.l.f Haul

So a few months ago a brand new e.l.f store opened in Cardiff and last weekend I thought I would buy a few things.

I've previously bought some elf products online as they are always really good value and a pretty decent brand. However, the store is really nicely designed and laid out in one of the arcades in the city centre. 

They have plenty of space and plenty of items, if I had more money I would of definitely bought more than I did but luckily I will be able to pop in anytime now! 

Firstly, I bought the elf mineral infused primer. I've previously seen this mentioned on a few blogs and I was really keen to give it a try. It was priced at £6.95 which is a bargain and it is quite a good sized bottle. 

The primer is a really nice consistency and makes your skin feel so smooth and lovely once you put it on. The pump mechanism is really handy as in one pump you get the perfect amount needed for your face. So far I am really impressed with it and would certainly buy it again. 

 

Next I picked up several make up brushes, I was really in need of a new foundation brush I also got a eyeshadow brush. Both of these were £3.95. 

The foundation brush I chose was the angled foundation brush. I'm still not to sure on my opinion of this, I find the brush quite firm and hard to blend make up with on my face. However, I'm continuing to try it and will see if it softens up. 

I also got the eyeshadow 'c' brush, this a really good petite size perfect for eyeshadow palettes. However it is also quite a hard and firm brush to use where as I prefer something a bit softer. 

One of my top items which I bought was this moisturising lipstick in the colour coral cutie. At only £3.95 this lipstick is a really nice creamy sort of texture. I am also a massive fan of the orangey summer colour which is not to full on and adds a nice nautural summer look to your lips! 

I also got the elf contouring blush and bronzer which was also £3.95 in the colour Turks and Caicos. I really love the size and shape of the set and it also comes with a mirror which is always handy. 

I really like the blush as it is a nice light and nautural colour for the cheeks however I found the bronzer quite heavy and dark, although in the summer months I think I will get more use out of the bronzer shade. 

Finally, I had to pick up one of these eyeshadow sets for £10. This is the baked eyeshadow palette which I got in the colour California. 

The palette consists of ten different eyeshadow shades which works out at only a pound per colour which I think is amazing. Although in comparison to the naked pallete the eyeshadow is not as soft, the colours are still really pigmented and they are blend nicely together to create a lovely effect. I love all of the brown and shimmery shades and I think it is a great palette to have on a budget perhaps whilst you are saving for the naked one. 

Overall, I am really impressed with elf cosmetics and I think at the price they are it is a great brand to test and try out perhaps before buying more expensive versions of things. 

Alice May 

Xx 

You Beauty Discovery Box

So today was a very exciting day for me! After reading several blogs about beauty boxes I took the plunge and decided to subscribe to a few boxes this month to give them a try, and my first one arrived today!

So basically, there are several beauty boxes which are monthly subscriptions of a box containing several beauty samples for you to try out. This specific beauty box is one of the cheaper few and is only £6.95 per month. 

For this particular beauty box you recieve about four or five small beauty smaples, you can actually select two of these samples online before the box is delivered to you so that you have a brief idea of what you are getting. However, because I was new this month and only subscribed half way through the month a few of the top products were taken but it was still very exciting when my beauty box arrived this morning. 

So here is the picture of the box itself, I think it's a pretty simple but sweet design, this box is a bit smaller than the other beauty boxes that I have seen but that was expected as this was the cheapest beauty box at £6.95 unlinked the bigger brands at £12.95.

When you open the box you have a little leaflet which tells you details about the products which are inside your beauty box, it also contains vouchers and money off codes for the products inside the box if you want to purchase them. 

I think the box is nicely presented and packed with lots of shredded tissue paper so that nothing is damaged on the way. 

So in my first months beauty box I got; 

Some Vintage Cosmetic Comanpy toe separators, although these are really cheap, they do come in handy and I could do with getting rid of my old ones so quite happy with these.  

I then got some tea bags from Dragonfly tea, I've never tired this brand of tea before and I really enjoy trying new flavours of tea so I am looking forward to trying these. The flavours are Moroccan Mint which is a green tea and Cape Malay Chai, so they both sound very interesting. 

Next is one of my selected products which was the Paul Mitchell, dry wash spray. It's quite a good size sample at 50ml. I thought it would be a nice alternative to my usual dry shampoo so I am looking forward to testing this. 

Lastly, another one of my selected items was the Dr. Lipp, original nipple balm for lips. This again is a good size product, possible full size for a lip balm. I have tryed it out and at first I found it to be quite thick and sticky which I don't usually look for in a lipgloss however I  willing to give it another try with lipstick etc. 

Overall, I have been really impressed with my first beauty box. Especially as this box is so so cheap I will definitely be staying subscribed for the next few months or so to test out more goodies before making up my mind.

I also have recently subscribed to Birch box which should be coming soon so I will post about that one shortly. There are also a few other beauty boxes I am keen to try however I am trying to budget and therefore I am testing them slowly to rule out which ones will be becoming a fixed subscription. 

If you haven't ever tired a beauty box I really recommend at least a tester month! 

Alice May 

Xxx

Food-a-holic

So lately I've been trying out a lot of good food/drinks. Typical student life, trying out all the local cafés, bars and places to eat in cardiff. Yes I'm supposed to be poor.

So if you are ever in the local area of Cardiff/Cathays here are some fabby places to try out! 

Firstly Face 11. Face 11 is a cute little bar/restaurant literally a road away from where I am living now, always so tempting. It is a really nice quirky and individual place where they serve lots of yummy cocktails, pizza and burgers. 

The cocktails are usually on a 2-4-1 offer which is even better and the pizza similarly is often but one and get one half price. 

I have a florentina which has a fried egg on the top and was really fresh and delicious they are all home made in the kitchen. So so good. 

Next cafe 37 is the local almost greasy spoon where you will find most hungover students on a Sunday morning. It's pretty cool as it has an American style theme and everything is so cheap. I had just some toast and a amazing malteaser milkshake! So so so good! They also do all of the traddional fry ups which looked very yummy. 

As soon as I heard my local pub served toffee apple cider of course I literally ran there. This Brothers cider flavoured with a hint of toffee apple was super delicious and it was nice to drink it in the chilled out atmosphere of the Woodville, I'm just a big sucker for fairy lights really. However, I did feel pretty sick after the whole bottle as it is very very sweet. 

Barker tea rooms in Cardiff town was spot on. It opened a few months ago and ever since I had been forever waiting to go. I am a typical British girl who loves nothing more than drinking tea in a cute little tea shop accompanied by some yummy cake or scones and some lovely people. What more could you want really? As the vintage tea room seems to be an ever growing thing I am eager to try as many as possible and this one was perfectly fitted with cosy chairs and mismatching crockey! 

I also discovered the wonder of Emma Jaynes cupcakes which is literally a five minute walk from my house in catahys. I've been twice so far and it's an absolute bargain. Tea and cake for £3!!! Why wouldn't you? As you can see I tasted the Oreo cupcake and the chocolate orange cupcake, both were amazing. I am always spoiled for choice, next time I think I might try the cherry bake well or the peanut butter!! 

Finally, I also recently stumbled across tucker on Sailsbury road. It is a recently open cafe/restaurant where they sell a variety of burgers, pizzas and snacks. Its a lovely place to go for a quick catch up with your friend but also in the evenings they have selective nights for a slection of live music and drinks etc. I enjoyed a gingerbread milkshake the last time I visited which was delicious.

So if you are ever visiting Cardiff, or in fact are living the student life in catahys these are for sure the best places (I've found so far) to grab a bite or two to eat. 

Alice May

Xxxx

Spring wardrobe starting to emerge.

As usual I've been getting a little carried away with my busy university life and have some what neglected my blog. 

Anyway, as it's finally heading into the spring months I thought I would share a few of my current favourite outfits I've been wearing and look forward to wearing a bit more as the warmer months approach. 

As soon as I saw this bargain dress in Primark I instantly fell in love. I am a massive fan of daisy and this spring they seem even bigger than last year. I also am always wearing blue colours and it has a collar so overall it was just fab. I wore this with some black tights and boots however as it gets warmer it will look just as sweet with a jean jacket and some sandals. 

This is not the best photo of my outfit, but I also have another absolutely lovely dress from Primark. Lately I seem to be finding some lovely items in their, especially when it comes to the new spring clothing. This is a sweet and floaty sort of dress with some pinky flowers on and it actually looks quite smart and great with a pinky lipstick to match. 

I also fell in love with this cute little flared gingham skirt from Urban outffiters last week. Again here I have added some tights to keep it a bit warmer for now but I think this would look just as nice without tights. 

To add a bit more colour into my wardrobe I bought this yellowy/green jumper from topshop. At first I thought it was a bit too bright however it ended up look quite smart with a shirt and collar underneath and a necklace on top. 

Finally another primark find was this sweet little spring style jumper with lips on. I got it around valentines day which was very suited. However, it reminded me of a fearne cotton sort of style. 

It just looks nice and simple tucked into some jeans and is a comfy and causal outfit for the day.  

Anyway that's a few bits that I've recently purchased. I have got a few newer items in my wardrobe which I'm still waiting for a bit more sun till they come out. 

Alice May xxx