Recent make up haul

Okay so I'm trying to save money here since I practically have none (thanks to a broken car and no shifts in work I swear I'll stop mentioning that!) but I couldn't resist these products. Since Christmas my skin has gone crazy, like super bad when I was fifteen or sixteen and I've gone to the Doctors but I still have scars and want to cover up my skin better, whilst it gets better. This post is mainly for other people who have bad skin and want to find some nice products which help! I saw Char at Peachfizzz post about the first item in the picture, here and the review sounded good so I went to check them out. 

There was a deal on for buy 3 for the price of 2 so I thought why not? I bought the photo flawless skin primer and the blemish balm even though they're practically the same. But! I don't really use foundation, just powder. So the skin primer is more for evening out my skin and making it softer, which it does do, and I haven't had it long but I think it works. The Blemish Balm is a 'All in one' make up product so this is for the days I want more cover up. I remember why I don't really use foundation as I barely have time to get ready in the morning and it leaves my skin shiny but when I actually take the time to do my make up properly and let it sink it it helps cover my skin waaay better when I use the powder on top. And then since it was buy 3 for 2, I bought the pure finish blusher which is awesome. My old blusher is running out, and when I put the powder on I'm super pale. So I need a bit of colour so I don't look dead. When I tried it on in the shop the brush fans out, and this little girl saw and wanted to have a go, so sweet. I love the colour and it's really easy to use.

So I really like all these products, they make me feel a lot better when I have insecure days which happens a lot lately, damn you hormones, I really don't understand, my skin was getting better! Grrr. But these help cover me up and I think they are good quality. I'm glad I saw that post now, since I only ever bought nail varnishes or eyeliner from 17 before and I only branch out to other brands if I see people using them or recommending them, and all in all, along with the deal these cost me about £11 which is good money for value. 

I spotted this Re-Gen cream on Zoella's blog, she also has skin problems so I decided to take her on her word that this works and that she's on her second pot already meant more to me than the rest of it! I ordered it from ebay and have been using it for a few days now. I am seeing improvment, but I don't know whether the doctors treatment is finally working, but this is to reduce the scars I already have so fingers crossed! Since it's sunny I will be out more, and a tan does help hide the scars since I'm deathly pale as I mentioned above! I'm using it twice a day and you can put make up on afterwards without your face feeling weird, so long as you wait.

So lesson learnt is put more time into getting ready and try new products if the old ones aren't working anymore. It's my birthday in less than a month and I want to be happy with the way I look so I want clear skin, lose some weight (going to the gym tomorrow! Last time I forgot my trainers >.<) and do something with my hair. Eventually I want to donate my hair but I don't know when to cut it or have a trim, but I don't like how it is right now.

Anyway hope this post helps anyone out with looking for ways to clear up and cover their skin, since I'm really glad I found those two blog posts and so far they're helping me. This was not exactly a difficult post to write, but that's why I don't really post outfit pictures since I hate my face haha, hate is a strong word but yeah I'm not happy with who I am right now but I'm working on it!

Bake Sale Goodies

Chocolate cupcakes with nutella and chocolate sprinkles.

Chocolate chip cupcakes with green butter icing and chocolate sprinkles.

Vanilla stars.

I should really start posting the recipes, but I do get them all out of the same super easy to read book. One day, one day, but for now I'm loving learning how to bake and I've learnt a few things on the way so it's a bit of a trail and error. These were for the last two bake sales I helped my boyfriend with, but I didn't take any photos of the cupcakes I made for the most recent one since I used normal flour instead of self-raising flour! I tend to do things like that every now and then and oh boy will I not make that mistake again!

Summer Reading

I spent the day in my garden having a mini picnic reading A Clash of Kings, in preparation for the second Game of Thrones series (it's the second book!). It was lovely and sunny and I had no plans so grabbed a blanket, a book, a drink, and headed to a corner of my garden. This is also a mini outfit post, I wore a checked skirt from Matalan that reminds me of my childhood, when you used to wear those blue gingham dresses during summer in school? I also wore it with a vest from H&M I think, because its a tree and now I've just realised it's a bare tree which reminds me of Winter, oh well.

The book is good, but I'm normally a fast reader and with these books I am not. Each chapter is in a different characters pov so it's really hard for me to get into it. By the time you do, it's onto the next chapter and the next character when you just want to stick with the first one. So it took me awhile to read the first one and I doubt I'll finish the second by the time the series start but I should have at least covered a few of the first episodes :P The reason I'm reading it first is because I do like to read before I watch something, a TV series or a film, and also I asked too many questions last time annoying my boyfriend who has read all of them, oops.

A little bit of my week, a very interesting title yes

So I haven't been on much since I posted a lot over a short time, I should really space those posts out rather than post two on one day. This week I've been up to Summer stuff but not really taking pictures, and I didn't really want to post anything unless I had my own pictures, since I don't want to use other peoples pictures, and I don't really like posting just text posts. I'm thinking too much about this aren't I?

Oh well I've had my first BBQ of the year, as most of Britain probably has. Here in Swansea, I am still in shock that it's been sunny for days! Like, more than one day! Shocking! So of course everyone's going down to the beach, I haven't gone in the day yet but did wander down there for a night time stroll with my friend who's back from Uni (In Aberdeen!!) for Easter, and there were loads of bonfires. We also saw This Means War, mainly since I wanted to see Tom Hardy, yum! But yeah I had a BBQ with work friends the other night, and pub quizzes like usual and I LOVE driving in this weather. It is so nice to have the windows down and my summer playlists playing. Aaaah tis the life, but I do need to clean my very dusty car now lol, but I can't wait for road trips! 

In other news I am super ill, well I can't stop coughing and I sound like I smoke 40 a day when I've never smoked, so I haven't done as much fun things as I'd like and now my shifts are picking up in work. This is both yay and nay, as I need the money but also want to enjoy this weather with friends who are back for a short time. I've also been addicted to 'Draw Something' which is sooooo good! I jumped on the bandwagon and suggest you do the same.

Anyway! Hope everyone's enjoying this lovely weather while it lasts!

Glossybox + Harrods = Love

I was very excited for March's Glossybox and almost didn't get it! I cancelled my card and got a new one last month and forgot to change my details, but luckily they sent me an email and so it was all sorted! As you can see Glossybox teamed up with Harrods and I have so much love for it. The box is obviously white as you can see above, as its another special editions. I've only got two normal light pink glossyboxes since I started, the rest are special editions, so they are red, hot pink and now white. I went to Harrods last summer and it was amazing to just walk around the place, I loved the toy floor and the pet floor, where they had some puppies. In the end I just bought some lovely biscuits in tins as I was a poor student at the time. 

They even sent out a little magazine which is full of skincare advice, pretty pictures and product reviews.

I liked the green ribbon but couldn't really get a nice picture of it. Not sure what to do with it but I collect ribbons which I never use for anything because they are too pretty! 

Now onto the review! As you can see, this month Glossybox gave out six items instead of five.

Molton Brown Vitalising Vitamin AB+C Bath & Shower - It smells lovely and was nice to use in a shower but I really want to use it in a bath and relax in it to see how it properly works.

Skii Skin Signature - I'm a bit too scared to use this just yet as I can't remember when or where, but someone told me not to use anti aging products when you're young and don't need them. My mum would like to try it so I might just give it to her, but I've seen on other glossybox reviews that they're using it. So who knows? Do you know if you use use anti aging products when you're in your early twenties?

Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara - Oh wow oh wow oh wow. The brush is big and oddly shaped. I don't know the proper terms but its big then skinny then big again etc, and it makes me lashes super long! Or look longer anyway. It's not clumpy and I just wish the sample was bigger. I want the full sized mascara!

Shu Uemura Cleasnisin Beauty Oil - It's a bit too oily, but there is a hint in the name that it will be! I didn't really notice any difference, but my skins not at all that great, got a whole load of problems with it right now, so maybe trying out loads of different creams and cleansing things isn't a good idea right now.

Valentino Valentina Eau De Parfum - This Perfume is stunning! It's a light floral fragrance and it smells so  heavenly and feminine. I feel like it's a proper grown up perfume if that makes sense. I definitely want a full sized version of this, but I am not made of money so maybe as a christmas present if I drop enough hints to certain people!

Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream - I love Clarins products, and I am using this but I've forgotten to use t every day so I haven't seen any results yet. It's a thick cream, with a nice faint smell and makes your skin feel soft where you've used it.

So there was the Harrods box and my opinions on it. I know I'm not very good at reviewing them but I'm not a beauty reviewer but I do like glossyboxes :D I really love the perfume and the mascara and just wish I had more money to buy them!

My baby's been fixed!

And by 'Baby' I mean 'Car'! The above picture is from last week so don't worry I'm not driving it around like that with all the missing pieces. I broke down about a month ago driving home from work and was literally down the road so that was okay, but it was dark, I was on a main road and my hazards stopped working. I was so scared someone would drive into me! They didn't btw, and my brother and mum came to save me. Turns out my timing belt had snapped so everything had to come out or something. I am not good with cars and knowing things about them. I know how to drive and car colours, not makes. Yes I know, I am such a girl, but hey look my car is fixed!

I am so happy I literally just want to drive around everywhere  since I haven't driven it in over a month, but I can't since I don't have much money to spend on petrol since my car cost a LOT to fix. I was lucky that my brothers flatmate who I've known for years is a mechanic and did it for me. He works full time and could only do it on the weekends, and things just kept going wrong so that's why it took awhile but it was way more cheaper than if I'd gone to a garage. If I had it probably would have been cheaper to get a new car, as it would cost more than I'd paid for it and I've only had this since late October so no thanks. 

I was lucky that I didn't break down on a motorway (Ha! I've not gone on one yet!) or was in a car crash. My mum and two of my brothers have been in car/motorbike crashes, only little ones though, as well as a lot of my friends when I was in college and sadly one of my school friends died in a car crash three years ago whilst texting and driving, so it drives me insane if I see someone on their phone texting or calling someone since people do die from it, it makes me especially if they have children in the back too, the amount of people I see doing that you wouldn't believe!

Anyway, sorry for going off on a mini rant, but its very important to me, and I'm very thankful that it was just an engine problem and nothing more serious. Fingers crossed that nothing else goes wrong though yes?

Walking home

Walking home on a lovely sunny day. I know its technically spring but is anyone else surprised by the sunshine and occasional warmth? I know I am! I used the pudding app I've mentioned before and took these on my phone. I love the top middle picture the most, the pattern of the bricks and the fence is just so pretty. Since my car is still (STILL!) not fixed I've had to catch the bus again which is painful after driving. One bus goes to the top of my hill but takes like an hour, and the other bus takes half an hour but I have to walk twenty minutes from the bus station. I took these pictures from the bus station to my house to pass the twenty minutes, it was fun, despite people gave me odd looks!

Magazine Freebies

Okay so I'm not a huge magazine reader but I do like to get them to read in work. Sometimes I take a book but then I don't want to put it down, so magazines are the perfect length and you can pick and choose what to read. I have to say most of the magazines I get, I do pick because of the freebies. However I tend to get these two and company and occasionally others, but not always during the same month. This weeks cosmo had a choice of Clinique products, mascara, face scrub, lipgloss and a moisturiser. I picked the mascara as there wasn't much choice in my local Tescos. Looking online it turns out you're meant to get two products and not one so I'm a bit gutted, but maybe its because I got the travel sized magazine? Anyway I like getting mini mascaras so I can keep them over my boyfriends or in a bag etc. The brush is big and soft, but it doesn't do that much for my lashes compared to my other mascaras, but its good to have spares.

Glamours magazine has Jennifer Lawrence on the cover, and I love her. I am way beyond excited for The Hunger Games so her interview was the first thing I read. I've been wanting to read the books for about a year now, and finally bought the books when the trailer was showing in work a few months ago because the trailer looks awesome and I needed to know what would happen. It's set in a post apocalyptic dystopian future where each district has to send a boy and a girl to go fight to the death in the Televised Hunger Games. It's just pure awesomeness, go read these books now kthnxbi!

Anyways! It came with a mini magazine which is your beauty guide for the award season (not that us mere mortals will be going anywhere!) and the freebie was a Percy & Reed hair product. I've never heard of them before but I loved the packaging, simple but a cute illustration. I chose a conditioner since my hair is a bit frazzled with all the dying I used to do (debating whether to have the chop or not, its half way down my back right now) and I also have the urge to dye my hair again after trying to grow it out. If I do dye it again I need to make sure I keep my hair in tip top condition! Hence the conditioner. It smells lovely and made my hair feel soft, but I haven't noticed anything spectacular yet but then I've only used it once.

Mothers Day

Hope everyone had a lovely Mothers Day. I baked chocolate cupcakes for my mum and everyone else (they taste nicer than they look), and made them pink for the occasion! I made a very bad hand made card and got her a very pretty scarf. I don't have much money so I feel bad but her birthdays next month so I can always get something nicer if I have more shifts! (I'm averaging around 5-9 hours each week :( but picked up an extra shift for tomorrow) and I'm almost done with paying for fixing my car so just need to carry on with the not spending any money thing which is hard.

February's Glossy Box

Wow I'm on a blogging roll! Three blog posts so soon after the other? What madness is this?! Anyway here's a quick review of the February Glossy Box above since I never got round to that, oops!

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm - Um... this confuses me, I've used it a bit but I've not really seen any improvements but maybe I'm not using it enough or correctly?

Dr Bronner Magic Liquid Soap - Oh I do like this one but then again I do like lots of wash things. However much I like all the bath and wash stuff they send, I would like to see a little bit more of other stuff, yaknow?

Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion - This smells lovely, and I really like using it, it makes me skin feel very soft.

Duwop Venom Gloss - I love this, its like Soap and Glorys Sexy Motherpucker lip gloss. I love the tingly feeling , the smells and the colour. It's also small enough to pop in my tiny bags on a night out.

BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow - I like the colour but I'm not that good at applying powder eyeshadow since I tend to get it all over my face. I fail at make up!

So it was an okay Glossy Box, not my favourite but Marchs Harrods Glossy Box was pure awesomeness! I would review it here too but I'm running out of time, I'm always late for something! So until next time, adios!

New Girl Style

New Girl by lisamello featuring thin belts

I was inspired by Zooey Deschanel's character Jess, from her TV show New Girl. I love that show and this is the first time I've used Polyvore so it's not exactly the greatest. Do you use Polyvore? What do you think of it? I think I could easily get addicted if I don't check myself!

Week in Photos

While I may not have Instagram (*sob!*) I do love the pudding camera app, particularly the Fantasy Noir setting which is what I took the above photos in. I'm just crazy about the sepia blurry foggyness of it all. Most of the time I forget I have my phone on me with a better camera than my first digi one so its not a proper week in photos, mainly the nicest of the few I've taken, but you get the gist and 'Week in Photos' sounds better than 'Photo Dump of Randomness'. Also, I've been a bad blogger not uploading again so sorry for that.

Top row - February's Glossy Box which I still need to review and the lovely new Harrods one, which is awesome btw. I was going to do one today but it was too dark and I wanted natural light, and there was none! My friends engagement party invite, its really pretty and the colours were grey and yellow. The card I made for them. Not great but still kinda sweet yes/no? The party was fun and I got to see my friends fiance drunk for the first time which was very funny. I'm super happy for them :D

Bottom row - A Bagpuss card I sent to my friend for her birthday. When she was younger she loved Bagpuss and still kinda does so when I saw it I had to buy it. She lives in Scotland so I had to send it by post! Only one day late lol. My ticket and drink before I went to see the History Boys. My boyfriends in the uni drama society and I know loads of people who were in it/directed it. I've never seen it before and it was awesome, if a bit shocking (pervy teachers anyone?) The History Boys after show, were I got very drunk and took loads of blurry drunk photos on my phone. I liked these lights which were in the kitchen, it felt like I was back in a school disco (sorta, but not really!)

So... judging by my week in photos I just went to an Engagement party and to see a play and the after party but I have done more than that, honest! Just no photographic evidence.

Day Zero Project

Considering this is my second time doing the Day Zero Project, and the whole reason I started this particular blog as I said in my first post, I'm surprised I haven't really written about it more (apart from the occasional mention and tag). If you haven't clicked on any of the links I'll quickly explain what it is. It's a bit like a bucket list, but instead of adding loads of things you want to do in your lifetime (which you can also do) the aim is to make a list of a 101 things to do within 1001 days. You write this list online and share with whoever and mine is currently over on the side bar, but also here.

I keep changing it now and then because even when you try to think of goals or things to do for the (almost) three years, you obviously change your mind and might not want to do those things any more. The first time I did this was when I just turned 18 and I had SO many ideas, and kinda listed more than I should have within just one goal, I took on too much, way too much and also hated half of my goals. I only crossed a third of the goals off by the end which I am sad about, but to be honest I forgot about it after the first year. When I remembered towards the end I didn't have enough time to finish and they'd changed the system.

That was really important to me since it was easier to reorganize/add/delete/cross things off and say if you were half way through doing something, which makes you feel better that you're half way through a goal or a task rather than doing nothing. Plus you can add friends and "watch" other peoples lists. So far I'm just friends with my boyfriend lol, but every now and then he's really sweet and helps me cross things off. If you feel interested to do this add me! My username is lisamello.

Anyway! My birthday is next month, I'll be turning 22 and that means I've been doing this list for a year and I'd like to have more crossed off my list than I do now, where I'm only 21% of the way through the list with less than two years to go, if I proceed at this rate i'll never finish it!

My day zero list, or 101 Mission (I call it by lots of different things, sorry!) is a mix of fun, crafty, educational, financial, serious goals. A lot I took from other peoples lists which you can browse on the website and others are more personal. They may seem silly or stupid but I still want to do them, well for now at least. If you're like me and love making lists, then you'll love doing this project. It's like an epic new years resolution list (which I've forgotten all about until now, ooops!). If you do read this, I hope it inspires you to do one as well, and if not, I hope I haven't bored you with this post!

Owl love you to the moon and back

I know its not much, but I really do enjoy making my own cards for people, when I have the inspiration. I made an owl card for my boyfriend for Valentines day (and an owl teddy) and carried on the theme for our year anniversary a few days later. I wanted to practice using paints on cards instead and it got a bit messy but I quite like the overall effect for the sky, which turned out completely wrong! I need to get some more ink pens instead of using a thick sharpie, take more time and be neater, and I need to practice my writing! It was never great, and my handwriting has gone downhill since school, college and uni! Not that I wrote much then either, welcome to the internet age! Oh yeah, I know this is a bit of a random post, but I really do have a few blogging ideas up in my head, I just need to get them all down on paper! Or rather, on the internet!

I love my new phone

I bought a Samsung Galaxy S2 the other day, I'm in love! My old phones contract was up on St. Davids day (March the 1st) and I thought it was about time to get one of those fancy internet phones, since it really is about time, I mean, who doesn't have internet on their phone nowadays? I was tempted for the iPhone but didn't want to pay loads of money upfront for it, and loads of people said the Galaxy is better including the phone shop people (one of whom is a friend), and I'm only paying an extra £10 a month for it. My boyfriend has an iPhone and tried to persuade me to get one too but I really didn't want to spend loads considering I have to pay for my car! I've downloaded so many apps already, and I'm on facebook and twitter more, and the camera is way better than my first camera! (and better than my actual camera as in, its not broken). I downloaded the blogger app but it says I need a google email to sign in and I don't log into this with a google email so I am very confused and frustrated with that lol.

Anywho! I made some chocolate fairy cupcakes tonight since I was really craving chocolate, and they were yummy. I should have left them in for longer though, and maybe made a few more smaller ones, as these were huge and overflowing, I had to cut the ends off! But it is fun learning what to do better next time. I took the above photo with the pudding app (how appropriate!) which I am in love with too! Oh and some other good news, I mentioned before that my purse was returned to me!!! And my car might be fixed sometime next week *fingers crossed*, its getting really expensive now, but, it would cost at least double what I will be paying if I went to a garage, so I'm trying to stay positive here!