Disappointing product: Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer

Writing about products that didn't work for me is not something I tend to do but in this case I was so disappointed I felt the need to.

When it comes to drugstore concealers, I swear by Collection's Lasting Perfection. It is the perfect match for my skin and they get along very well. I recently ran out of it and since I couldn't find my shade (01 Fair) anywhere I had to try something new. I have heard countless people rave about the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer but I must admit, I find it absolutely disappointing.

Since I am quite pale I have gone for the lightest shade (Ivory) but I find the undertone a bit too orange for me. Even though I am not into cakey, heavy coverage, this concealer is lighter than what I normally like. Under the eyes I would usually blend the product with my fingertips but for me the Wake Me Up creases if I don't use a brush. My skin is quite dry apart from in the T-zone and this concealer has gone patchy even if I used a primer underneath it.

It might be just me and it might work perfectly with another skin type and tone but all in all, I am very unhappy with the results and I wouldn't purchase this product again.

Let me know how you got on with it if you tried it before and what your holy grail concealers are!

Pilla

xo

Versatile Blogger Award nomination

Picture credit to Kapege

I've been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Vanessa (from literallyvany, go check her out if you have a spare second), thank you for that lovely, I appreciate it!

The rules of the "award" are very simple:

• Thank the person who nominated you for this award and leave a link to their blog. 
• Tell your readers 7 things about yourself. 
• Link to 15 bloggers that you have recently discovered or read regularly. 
• Let them know you nominated them for the Versatile Blogger Award.

I really want to try and make this interesting but I can't promise anything so just bear with me.

1. I absolutely hate ketchup, even the smell of it makes me gag. 
2. Although my eyes are golden brown sometimes they decide to turn quite green, but don't ask me how or why.
3. I used to be a dancer (latin american and ballroom) for about 8 years but eventually I had too many problems with my knees to continue.
4. I wrote and published a book when I was 13, but reading it now I find it super cringe.
5. I get far too attached to characters in books and films and get way too into the story if I really like it. 
6. When I was about 9 I was the face of a TV advert supporting a charity.
7. My middle name is Christina and I absolutely hate it.

My nominees are the following girls and their awesome blogs (I cheated and didn't pick 15, oops..):

• Kelly and Kim
• Leah and Rachel 
• Effy
• Emily
• Zara
• Laura
• Jessica
• Paige

Pilla

xo

Primark haul

Hi lovelies!
I've recently picked up a few things from Primark and I'm kind of in love with all of them so I thought I'd share them with you.

(Pre-warning: if you know me this won't come as a surprise, but most of these things are black, cream or grey...)

• First of all, knit jumpers might not be the kind of thing I should buy for spring but I loved the colour and I love cable knit things PLUS it was on sale for only £5 which meant that I had to have it. It's still quite cold outside so I can get away with wearing it and I think it looks really nice with leather trousers and some flats.

• These leather treggings might be my favourite out of the bunch. I've been toying with the idea of purchasing leather trousers but I wasn't sure I could pull them off and if I would actually wear them so I felt like spending a lot on a pair would be a waste of money. When I saw these in the Primark sale for £7 I couldn't leave them and let me tell you I've been wearing them loads! 

• This peachy-pink jumper is the only pop of colour in this haul and I love it. I'm really pale with quite light hair and light eyes so I never wear bold colours (apart from lipstick) so this fits in my wardrobe perfectly. It's about two sizes bigger than me but when I tried it on I thought it still looked quite nice and with a ridiculous price like £3 I had to buy it.

• This charcoal cardigan is just simply amazing ( I think). It's short sleeved, quite long (reaches past my knees) and has a massive slit up the sides. It's great for layering and looks great with skinny jeans and just a simple top underneath so it's super easy to style. It was only £7 which just makes it even better!

• Kimonos have been a real big thing in the past year and I can certainly see why. They're easy to throw on and make a simple outfit less boring. This black and white piece (only £3!)  is quite sheer,the colours make it possible to wear with quite a lot of things and I especially love the bottom fringing. 

• I've wanted one of these super fluffy eyelash cardigans for months and I honestly don't know why I've only just got around to buying one. They're super cosy and warm and this particular one (£7) is quite long as well which makes it great for days when you feel like covering yourself a bit more. The only downside is that it leaves everything quite fluffy so I would try to avoid white tops. 

• Last, but definitely not least: SHOES! These black heeled boots (£15) are comfy enough to wear them even on a long day and the zip on the side makes them really easy to put on. I've been looking for a pair like this for a few weeks and I kind of think I'm in love with them. They go with skinny jeans, the leather trousers, skirts or shorts so they really are an all rounder. 

That's everything significant for this haul, I didn't really feel the need to show you the basic tops or invisible socks I also got because let's be real, they aren't too interesting. I hope you liked this post, let me know which item is your favourite!

Pilla

xo

February favourites

The first week of March is almost over so it is time for February favourites! (Late as always, sorry about that...)

• Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation - The amount of people I've heard raving about this foundation is unbelievable! I was very excited to try it and I have to admit, it didn't let me down. I'd say it's medium coverage, easy to apply and buildable so if you're like me who doesn't like full on foundation you're going to love this. It also smells delicious which is just an added plus, but I'd definitely recommend this product!

• Boyfriend style coat - I've wanted to get a coat like this for ages and with this purchase from Primark I think I made an absolute bargain! It was only £10 (TEN!!!), down from £26 and I've been wearing it all day all night in the past few weeks. Such a classic piece, so easy to wear and although I kinda wanted a different colour for spring I'm happy really happy with this coat.

• Fruit infuser water bottle - I love lemon water and it's super healthy as well, so an absolute win-win situation. While some people might think this bottle is useless I don't think it is, it was my obsession this month. It can be super expensive in store, but go have a look on Ebay, you won't regret it!

• Going to the gym - Yes ladies (& gentlemen), I started properly going to the gym in January and became even more active in February. At first it was a real struggle to get myself out of bed and drag my body to the gym (even though it takes about 10 minutes to get there) but nowadays I'm enjoying it more and more. I don't even have to force myself to go and it always makes me feel good. Here's the playlist I made on 8tracks, I find that it really pumps me up and helps me work out! [ x ]

More things I loved this month:

• Red Velvet Cookies from Tesco's - honestly, they're heaven on Earth!
• Having more no/minimal makeup days
• More karaoke and movie nights with my flatmates

 I hope you could relate to some of these things, let me know what you enjoyed in February!

Pilla

xo

P.s.: I didn't want to include more clothing items because I have a haul coming up, I just need someone to help me take the photos, so bear with me! xx

Mini homeware haul: cream, pink and mint

I've been picking up a few bits and bobs for my room lately because I felt like my uni room needed a few more pieces to make it a bit lovelier.

You know I love my pastel pinks and mints and creams so my choices probably don't come as a surprise. I might be doing a room tour soon but I thought I'd show you what I got anyway.

Cream draws (Primark £5) - it looks lovely on my desk just to store some of my makeup.
Mint box (Primark £3) - same function as the draws
Mint bowls (Primark £2) - I keep two next to my sink for tweezers, nail files, etc. and the other two on my desk for rings and bobby pins.
Mint spotty pot (Home Bargains £1.99) - let's be real I didn't really need this pot, but it's lovely and it matches my room's colour theme.
Pink candle (Primark £2) - this red berry & jasmine candle smells delicious and looks super cute next to my makeup mirror.
Heart shaped bowl (Wilko's £2.50) - this little bowl sits on my bedside table to hold my keys, room card and headphones, making sure I never lose or forget them even if I'm in a rush.

Well well, I'm off to watch the Brits now, I hope you guys like my mini haul, which bit is your favourite? :)

Pilla

xo

OOTD: stripes and dark lips

I'm so late with this post, simply because I'm rubbish and I still feel very poorly. 

I was having one of those days when I just felt like my makeup was on point and my outfit was quite well put together (even they were both quite simple and didn't really have to put too much effort into them..) so I thought I'd share them. 

Makeup:

- Bourjois Healthy Glow foundation 

- Collection Lasting Perfection concealer 

- Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

- Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Creamy Beige 

- Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner

- 2true Matte Lipstick in shade 6

Outfit:

- Shirt, necklace from Ebay

- Primark Super High Waist Skinny Jeans

- Boots (I have no clue)

Pilla

xo

Drugstore/high street nail polish haul

(From left to right: Pitch Black, Midnight, Steel Blue, Pistachio Ice Cream, Plum Noir, Amaretto Crush and Lush Lilac.)

I'm one of those people who really hates her bare nails. I find them ugly and even though it's probably quite dumb I feel self-conscious about them.

Since I work at a place where my nails gets chipped super easily (plus I get bored of the sight of the same varnish quite fast, because I'm a weirdo like that) I don't like spending a lot of money on more expensive polishes because to me it's just not worth it.

The past week I've done a mini haul and picked up quite a few colours from the MUA range and from P.S. Love by Primark. I think I made an absolute bargain, they're only a pound each, you just need to apply two coats of them to get a nice finish and they stay on for about 4 days!

(The picture doesn't do justice to the slightly gold shimmery burgundy on the left.)

I've always found matte nails cool and a bit different so getting this matte top coat made me feel quite chuffed if I'm honest. Now I can turn any of these lovely colours into matte without buying a separate product from each one of them.

I'll surely get some more of them in the near future (unfortunately my local Superdrug didn't have the nice creamy-white MUA one in stock the other day) as I like variety.

Tell me which colour is your favourite and if you have any other budget nail polish recommendations! :)

- Pilla

xo

More fish in my Maybelline Colour Tattoo pond

Let's just put it out there: I do love my Maybelline Colour Tattoos. They're so easy to work with and although I'm not that happy with the colour range I have quite a few shades that I really like. 

I have to expand my collection so I recently picked up 'Pink Gold' which is a super wearable shimmery pink and a matte taupe, 'Permanent Taupe'. 

I usually work with neutral colours so I can reach for them almost every day. Sometimes I use them as a base but more often than not I just blend them out because I find them quick but lovely for my everyday uni makeup. 

I hope they'll bring out some more colours soon because some of them are far too bold for me (like the blue and purple ones), but I still have my eye on the nice 'Eternal Gold' and 'Metallic Pomegranate'! :)

- Pilla

xo

My top 10 TV series

A girl who loves TV shows?! What an absolute shocker, right?

I felt tired, ill and basically like poop today so I spent most of my time in bed. Given that I think I couldn't find a more appropriate time to write this post if I tried. 

(This list is in no particular order, purely because my mind changes every week about them. I didn't feel like adding official summaries and trailers so I just wrote some personal notes instead.)

• Teen Wolf - I could write page after page about how much I love Teen Wolf. So many loveable characters (the cast itself is great too!), funny moments as well as really exciting and nerve wracking ones and they always know how to put a twist in the plot. I just wish they wouldn't get rid of my favourite character in every season...

• Gossip Girl - The fact that Gossip Girl's over will forever leave a hole in my heart. I watched this series for 6 years, basically throughout my teenage years and I loved it SO much! It ended two years ago but I still re-watch my favourite episodes and Chuck & Blair are one of my ultimate OTPs. (Side note: I probably wouldn't recommend it to boys..)

• Skins - First of all, let's just put this out there: Skins is only Skins if it's the UK version and only up until season 4. I refuse to acknowledge all the other seasons and characters. These teenagers are all kinda fucked up but that's probably the reason why we love them a lot (and of course Freddie & Effy as a couple warm my heart).

• Once Upon A Time - I love Disney, I love fairy tales and I love how OUAT twists and turns them into something else while making a mashup of them. The plot is probably a bit predictable with the 'hero wins, evil gets the punishment they deserve' but I still find this series super entertaining and Captain Hook is to die for..

• Arrow - I haven't been watching Arrow for too long, only a few months and I haven't had the time to catch up properly, but I'm nearly there. Such great, exciting episodes, especially in season 2 and I can guarantee that you won't get bored of them!

• Flash - I do love dorky superhero stuff which is probably why I love Flash so much. It's still relatively new so it shouldn't be too hard to catch up on anyway. ;)

• Criminal Minds - SO exciting,SO creepy, SO great! If you get scared easily, Criminal Minds might not be for you but other than that I can only recommend it!

• The Walking Dead - I gave in and started watching TWD after my flatmate kept recommending it. It's not my usual thing but strangely enough I really enjoy it. It's quite gory and zombie-y so if that's not your kind of TV show then try something else haha! 

• Awkward - Really funny characters and really short episodes so it's always easy to keep up with them.

• Pretty Little Liars - Even though I've stopped watching it after a couple of seasons because I find it too monotonous, I still wanted to involve PLL. Who knows, I might have to suffer through those boring episodes to get to the good bits and I might do that one day when I feel like I have plenty of time.

• The Secret Circle & The Carrie Diaries - (I know these are the 10th AND 11th.. Unfortunately, they discontinued these series (sad face).. Although Austin Butler is probably my main reason for watching the Carrie Diaries) 

Series I plan on starting in the future:

• Orange Is The New Black
• New Girl
• The Originals

I hope you liked some of my suggestions, let me know what you watch in the comments below :) 

- Pilla

xo

Liebster Award Nomination

I've been nominated for the Liebster Award by the lovely Ana from Figuring Out My Ever After and while some of you might sit there with a question mark over your heads I'm excited to do this!

Basically, we receive 11 questions and then make up another 11 for our nominees, which is a fun way of getting to know a little bit more about the person behind the blog. 

1. What is your favorite season and how does that relate to your personality?

Easy peasy, the answer is spring! I was born in the middle of April, so I'm a real spring baby plus for someone who doesn't like the summer heat and doesn't quite get on with freezing winters this season is the perfect in-between.

2. If you could switch lives with one person dead or alive for one day who would it be?

Emma Watson. I find her absolutely great, she's smart and successful and she's someone I think is very inspiring.

3. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?

I would get rid of racism because it ruins the world.

4. Describe your style in five words or less.

Pale, monochrome and bold lips.

5. What’s your dream job?

Having a TV or radio show or working for a fashion magazine.

6. What qualities to search for in a friend?

I like my friends to be honest with me even if I might not want to hear the truth and be supportive but call me out on my bullshit. I need to be able to talk to them and trust them obviously but also to have fun and let go. 

7. Where would you live if you had the chance?

I love big cities and their buzz, I really love London, so probably there or New York.

8. Do you believe in magic?

Not in proper Harry Potter kind of magic but I do believe in it to a certain extent.

9. You have three wishes, what would you use them on? And you can’t wish for more wishes sorry!

My family's health plus happiness, to travel around the world and financial stability.

10. What’s a book you’ve reread more than twice?

I've read all of the Harry Potter books about 7 times.

11. Why did you start blogging and what do you want to come from you blog?

I always liked writing and I'm studying Journalism as well so I thought having a blog would be great even for future reference.

My nominees:

Leonie from Leonie's little blog

Zara from I'm Zara Flynn

Yasmin from Best for beauty by Yasmin Banner

Angela from The Sunday Chapter

Leah and Rachel from Beyond the Velvet

Katie Maree from Beauty by Katie Maree

My questions:

1. If you could relive one day in your life what would it be?

2. Top 5 makeup products you could't live without?

3. Weirdest dream you remember?

4. What do you do to cheer yourself up when you're down?

5. What meal could you have for the rest of your life?

6. Would you rather be deaf, blind or mute?

7. Favourite Disney princess and why?

8. Which Hogwarts house would you be in?

9. Favourite high street and high end makeup brand?

10. Top 3 celebrity crushes?

11. Favourite quote? 

Picture Credit

Pilla

xo

Tea tree oil to the rescue

Working at a nightclub means crazy hours in itself but adding that to uni and having a social life equals getting very little sleep. This week has been really hectic and my skin decided to show how much it disapproves of my lifestyle.

When I looked into the mirror on Wednesday morning and saw the state of my skin I wanted to cry. I've never had so many pimples and red patches on my face before and I immediately knew I needed something with tea tree oil.

Instead of going for something super expensive and high end, I decided to try the Superdrug Tea Tree Blended Oil and Facial Moisturiser and oh boy, I'm so glad I did!

The next morning I woke up and my spots were a lot less visible and the redness was barely there. They both smell nice and fresh and I find that the moisturiser gives a really good base for your makeup.

I'm not saying my skin is perfectly clear already but these two products (and drinking loads of water) have really helped.

Let me know what your SOS skin saviours are! :)

Pilla

xo

January Favourites

The first post of the new month can only mean one thing: MONTHLY FAVOURITES TIME! Let's see a list (in no particular order) of bits and bobs I've been loving in January.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow - in Creamy Beige
Loving these cream eyeshadow is definitely nothing new or surprising, everyone loves a bit of On and On Bronze. However, this month I've been all about Creamy Beige. Most of the time I've been wearing it on its own, blended out with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush and winged eyeliner. I really like how it isn't a shimmery shade, it gives a leathery look just as it states on the lid.

Rimmel Brow This Way Gel 
I don't need to say too much, just a nice product to set those nicely filled brows when you need it.

Makeup Academy Matte Lipstick - in Fawn Fancy
Such a nice,wearable matte nude from the high street that doesn't make me look washed out or dead. It's ridiculously cheap and although it doesn't last for ages, you have to touch it up quite often I like this lipstick A LOT.

8tracks playlists
If you've never heard of 8tracks before, you seriously need to download it! Whenever I can't fall asleep I just put a nice playlist on and it helps me. This has been one of my favourites in the past few weeks. You can find great songs you've never heard before or just listen to something new when you're fed up of your usual music.

The Bloglovin' app
Ever since I downloaded this app and started following all these super cool blogs I've been hooked on it. I love how it sends you notifications if anyone on your following list posts something, it's great to keep yourself updated.

Primark bedding
I think the picture speaks for itself, it's such a pretty bedding and an absolute bargain for £9, well done Primark!

Making lists
I'm quite an organised person and this month I've returned to my old habit: list making. With my new blog being up and running I finally started using this amazing notebook my lovely friend Leonie made me to keep post ideas, etc. in it.

That's it for my January favourites, hope you enjoyed this post! :)

- Pilla xo

Another dream collection: Zuhair Murad SS15 Couture

The lebanese designer has been one of my absolute favourites for quite a while now. All of his dresses are so unique and beautiful they make every model/celebrity look like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. 

His Spring Summer 2015 Couture collection at today's Le Palais de Tokyo show blew my mind. It probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me but I LOVE pastels. The breathtaking sky blue and pink dresses are probably my favourites out of the collection.

Everything about these pieces is super feminine, starting from their fit and fabric, to the beads, flowers and sequins. 

If I ever get married and get to do it in a Zuhair Murad wedding dress I'll surely be the happiest bride!

- Pilla xo

Aussie, the drugstore hair saviour

As the Aussie philosophy says: "There is more to life than hair, but it's a good place to start."

Whoever came up with this slogan understands me. I love having thick, long hair but looking after it isn't so great...

These products have been part of my haircare routine for quite a while (thanks to the recommendation of my lovely friend, Vivi) and made my job a lot easier. I can't promise they work well for everyone, but they did wonders to my mane hair.

 Miracle Moist Shampoo
"for hair that's dry/ damaged/ a bit unhappy"
 Luscious Long Conditioner
"for hair long enough to swish"
I find both the shampoo and the conditioner quite thick, they lather well and I don't need ages to try and rinse them out. They leave my hair feeling really clean, but still smooth and soft.

 Miracle Hair Insurance Lightweight Conditioning Spray (wow, that's a mouthful!)
"a saviour for weak/distressed hair"
I use this leave-in spray on towel dry hair as it helps to protect, detangle and makes styling a lot easier as well.

No matter what type of hair you have and which range you use, they all smell absolutely lush and the scent lingers long after every wash.

Although they might be a bit more pricy than your average drugstore/high street hair products they are still really affordable and they're always on offer somewhere. At the moment you can get  '3 for £10' at Boots or £3.50 each at Superdrug.

I can't say they're going to work for every single one of you, but for me they're a real godsend and I can only recommend all three of them.

- Pilla xo

My Macbook Potter

A few weeks ago I decided it was time to make my Macbook Pro a bit more unique. Since I'm a huge Potterhead (always have been, always will be) I knew I wanted something Harry Potter related and it wasn't a surprise to any of my friends either.

Soon enough I was on the hunt for a simple, yet fun decal and it didn't take long until I found exactly what I was looking for. I ordered the sticker from Etsy, a great place for all kinds of handmade bits and bobs.

It arrived within a week and the application process was quick and easy, the attached guide explained every step clearly. It's safe to say that I'm in love with this little thing and I can only encourage people to visit the website and have a look around.

- Pilla xo

awkward first post & joining bloglovin'

"From now on I'll stop procrastinating and start actually posting on my blog!"

I don't think my ten fingers would be enough to count how many times I've said this to myself. But after a lot of I'll do it tomorrow's and countless layout and design changes I'm finally writing the first post on my new blog.

Generally speaking I'm enthusiastic about a lot of things in life, so I wouldn't say this will be a strictly fashion or beauty blog. A good book/ films / song makes me just as happy (if not even happier!) as a nice new lipstick, so I'm sure you'll find that sort of thing on here as well.

Today was the day of another first: I finally joined bloglovin'! I'm possibly really late but it's one of those websites/apps you don't know how much you needed in your life until you've tried it. It's the great solution to a person who's a regular reader of quite many blogs. It's the easiest way to keep track of all of them in one place and stay up to date.

With this being an awkward 'welcome to my blog' first post, I don't have much else to tell you. I'll be back soon with something more interesting, I promise!

In the meantime you can find me on:

• twitter
• tumblr
• instagram

-  Pilla xo