Monday 15 December 2014

Christmas necessities ||



Apologies if the title is spelt wrong, I spent ages decided how to spell necessities and in the end just guessed! But my iPhone didn't put that little blue squiggly line underneath so I'm assuming correct. ;)

At Christmas time some things are a must! 
When I was younger all I used to think about was what I wanted for Christmas and the presents I may or may not get, but now I'm older the excitement is more in the build-up to Christmas rather than the actual day and the presents, (don't get me wrong though - that bit is also loveeeellly!) and there are some things which you just have to have around and in the festive season!


Number one - Christmas jumpers! This was only £8.50 (in a 30% off sale) and I bought it to wear to work as we are supposed to dress up around Christmas time. The buttons are real and so cute! The furry bit at the top is soooooo super soft๐Ÿ˜Š


Number twooooo - twig fairy lights. They are so simple but soo pretty. I bought the twigs and lights ready made and added the wicker stars from a cute little Christmas farm my sister took me too (we saw real reindeer!!). The whole lot are stood in a glass filled with blue glass stones. I love the effect the whole thing makes and I also looove how it's all made from different objects all bought from different places, I don't know I just like those sorts of things :). It's battery operated which means no annoying long ugly cables and it looks so pretty at night!


Number three - Christmas decorations! They are obviously a must at this time of year and we finally have ours up. I have a few bits and pieces in my bedroom including a tiny real Christmas tree...


It came ready decorated and in that cute little bucket. The best thing is it was only £10, so if you're near a Tesco go and get yourself one!:)



Mum has these cute little retro baubles, and I've never really appreciated them properly until this year, and I actually love them ๐Ÿ˜Š


Number four - Glade candles. I'm being pretty specific on just Glade candles but I think they are the beeeest! I love that all of the holders match but are just different colours depending on the flavour of the candle, and that they don't even need to be burnt to be smelt! I have my too next to my bed and they smell amazing. The one in the left is Cosy Apple and Cinnamon which is a limited edition scent during the Christmas season. It smells SO festive and warm - it's amazing! The second one is Roasted Chestnut and Macaroons - sounds like a weird combination I know but it's actually so nice. I showed it to my sister and she instantly went out the next day just to buy one! I've never actually eaten a macaroon but this candle makes me want to just because it smells so good! (Good enough to eat..but I'm trying to resist ;)) I can't really explain the smell, you'll just have to buy it and see, you'll be pleasantly surprised - promise! 


Number four - snoods! Especially in mustard yellow because that's just a lovely wintery colour.


Number five - Stags. I would love to say I took this photo but unfortunately I didn't :( it is my lock screen on my iPhone though, and I'm just absolutely loving all the stag-related objects you can buy this year - stags are the new black!


Number six - cosy Christmas leggings - enough said!


Number seven - A Christmassy book that you can just read during in spare time, before bed or just sat by the fire of an evening. This is my current choice and my first book by this author. Only on chapter seven but so far so good!


Number eight - Festive photos. I LOVE taking photos especially during this time of the year. Take your phone or camera out with you for a walk and see what you can find. I found these when walking the dog and thought they were very festive and cute. (Note - it has been edited slightly by me)

There are PLENTY more Christmas necessities that I could mention but I don't want to ramble on and bore you.

What are your favourites things during Christmas time? I'd love to know in the comments. 

Thanks for reading, 

Molly 

xox


Where else to find me - 

Instagram - @photosbymolly_

Personal Instagram - @mmollaayy

Twitter - @molly_0301

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Thursday 11 December 2014

Graze boxes ||

I've always been a bit sceptical about these 'healthy eating boxes' in which you get the first box free and then they charge you your life savings for the rest of the subscription, but I've recently discovered Graze boxes and they were such a pleasant surprise and not at all expensive!

Going against my best judgement the first box was free, but I thought what the heck and just went for it anyway, and lets just say, I'm so glad I did! 

Each box contains four smaller boxes each with something different inside such as pretzels, nuts, dried fruit, flapjacks, biscuits, olives (I love olives so much!) and even popcorn.


You never know what you're going to get in each box which has its pros and cons, for me I like it as its a nice surprise but then there is the risk you'll get something you don't like, (e.g. I'm not too fond of the dried fruit but my mum likes them so it's okay!).


The quality of the snacks inside are lovely and they tell you all allergy information for each piece of food and give use by dates etc.

The boxes as well are at a good quality (and they fit through the letter box!) and are 100% recycle! (Always a bonus for the environment!)

Each box is £3.99 after your first free one and they also send you lots of promotion codes so your friends and family can get discounts etc. (They also give you your fifth and tenth box free). I have my boxes arrive every two weeks but this can be changed to twice a week or once a week depending on how much you want to spend. 

Please note your subscription can be stopped at any time so it's not a contracted thing where once you're in that's it. They even send you some little reminders to say that you can stop at any time, which is nice! (Not that I have any intention of stopping mine!)

And did I mention the best bit?! It's all all natural ingredients and completely healthy, and tasty at the same time. 

I love them!

Comment below if you get sent any of these boxes (or something similar) and what your favourite snacks are from them, I'd love to know :)

Thanks for reading 

Molly

xox

P.S look how cute their festive Christmas box is! 







Wednesday 10 December 2014

Some secrets are best kept

When I was little I always wanted to become a writer. I was forever making up stories with my own fictional caracters, spending hours creating a little world for each one and adapting it into a story. Some stories were just forked from TV shows and other books I've already read, for example 'Horrid Henry' was always my favourite as a child, so I'd write my own little stories using the characters from these stories. 
As I got older English soon became my favourite lesson and in primary school I was the one who always 'won the story competition' (without sounding big-headed!!) or got chosen to read out loud in class simply because my teachers knew of my love for reading and writing. 
In secondary school I was lucky enough to have one of the BEST English teachers ever which made me love the subject even more. I used to go completely overboard on essays and my teacher used to actually tell me to 'stop writing so much!' In my work because my essays used to take forever to mark! 

The idea of having a blog is never something I really thought about. I knew they existed but I assumed they were like an online diary which wasn't something I wanted to do. A couple of months ago I decided to take a look at a few different types of blogging and soon discovered it was something I actually really enjoyed reading, and wanted to be apart of! It feels like one big community of online people, all enjoying reading about each other's interests, likes, dislikes, opinions etc I love the fact nobody knows each other as it allows us all to create our own image and story of that person. 

My main intention when I first posted my first blog post wasn't to gain a lot of readers but more of just knowing I have a place to write and express my thoughts to new, interesting people who don't know me and I don't know them, and even if nobody reads my posts (which I'm not too sure many do!) at least I know myself I have my own little place to come to when I want to. 

It's my little secret.

I haven't told anybody that I blog, not even my friends, best friend, boyfriend, parents or my sister who I'm really close with! 

I believe we all deserve to have a place to come to and have it our own without everybody knowing. Some people have a place offline like a beach or forest which they like to go to alone, but for me and for now I just enjoy blogging.

Does anyone else think the same as me? I'd love to find out in the comments.

Thanks for reading, 

Molly

xox

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Sunday 7 December 2014

Reviews ||

Hello! 

I've been using new products for quite a while now so I thought it's time to review them, and find out other peoples opinions on the same things, and maybe even find better or cheaper alternatives! 
I hope you find this blog useful or beneficial in some way :)

The first new thing I have started using almost EVERY day is Barry M's very own concealer correction pen.
I have it in the shade 'Ivory' as this best suits my skin type and colour (I am pale and do not tan).
Like any other concealer it's used for covering up blemishes/redness on the skin and also works very well for masking those horrible spots we all wake up with in the morning! I find it a bit of god-send if I'm honest with you. It's the perfect colour and the texture is lovely once it has been blended into the skin. I don't know if all concealer pens are the same but this one I find very clever! You simply twist the pen to make the liquid come out of the top. When I first bought it it took forevveerr for the liquid to start coming out and I got very frustrated with it and gave up, but the next morning it worked straight away, so note...be patient with your new concealer!! 



I use this Barry M brush once I have dapped a few spots of the concealer on the blemishes on my face and forehead which I'm not happy with, (note - not much of the concealer is needed to cover up a small area e.g. a spot, because you really don't want to end up with random discoloured circles all over your face, which are thicker than the rest of your skin.)
The brush I use was called a 'concealer brush' when I ordered it online at Superdrug.com but then later when being in the Superdrug shop they had it called 'eyeshadow brush,' which confused me, but to be honest, for me it works lovely as a concealer blending brush - even if it is meant for eyeshadow! (Also the bristles are sooooo soffttt)

Next up is Rimmel London Wake Me Up foundation. Firstly, the bottle is so lovely! It's very attractive and I personally love the colour of the lid and the curvy shape of the bottle (which is made of glass, not plastic!) and it just feels very nice and more expensive than it is.


I also have this in the shade ivory and use it when I'm going to work or out for the day and want my skin to look nice! It's very easy to apply and you really don't need much, the phrase - less is more - works with this! I find it so cringey when you can see foundation lines and blotches on skin where girls havent blended properly or have applied way to much. With this foundation I find pumping a small pea-size amount on your finger and then dabbing it in the places on your skin that you're not happy with (and then blending with a brush) is the best way as it stops you putting too much on at one time. Everybody has their own ways of applying make-up but this is my method and it helps me spread foundation evenly over my face, and you can also keep adding more if needed instead of applying too much, and having to start all over again... or look like a dorito all day;)
I am prone to blackheads on my nose as my skin is much more greasy here. This foundation works wonders and along with the Barry M concealer it helps to cover them up. Overall I LOVE this product and recommend it to anyone looking for a new foundation product! (oooh and it's cheaper online - much cheaper - but I'll add prices of all products at the end of the post.


Real Technique brushes are the BEST in my opinion. I use the one above to evenly apply foundation to my face and it also helps to blend it all in to the skin you're not applying any makeup to e.g. your neck. The bristles are so super soft and strong, (none have fallen off to far!) It's also very lovely to hold and is a good size for even coverage. They are really excellent quality and just generally such good brushes! This is the only one I own but many different shapes and sizes are also available in shops and online.

Even though I love the winter the most, I hate how it can dry out skin - especially lips! I have used a lot of lip balms mainly those small blue or green tubs of vaseline (that I don't think anybody in man-kind have ever finished...) but I don't like how greasy they make your fingers after you've used them and the tins also become squashed, and the balm always melts so easily if it's left in your pocket or handbag.
So I found this instead!


Maybelline baby lips hydration lip balm! I found it instore at Superdrug, (this is my favourite cosmetic store, just incase you're wondering, why I always mention it ;)) when looking for a new alternative to Vaseline! They had lots of different coloured ones but I chose this one due to the fact it doesn't have a colour to it (but it does give your lips a healthy shine) and also it helps to hydrate your lips during the colder months. It works so perfectly and does exactly what it says on the tin!
I love it.
I have a reddy coloured Chubbystick which I sometiems apply over the top of this lip balm so my lips are hydrated, shiny and coloured :)


 Rimmel London Wonderfull mascara is quite new out in the shops but I first pruchased mine back in August, (yes August!!)  when holiday shopping and needed a new masacara. The main reason for me buying this one was simply the fact it was on offer and was cheaper than my normal mascara. It works  a treat and I don't think I would change to anything else. It makes your lashes look so full and natural. I use eyelash curlers before and after applying this mascara (once it's dried) and once they are curled my lashes really do look nice! I wear it on a daily basis and just for general makeup for any occasion. The applicator it's in is also a lovely modern shape and is nice to hold and use :)


Frizzy-haired people of the world! I have a confession.
I recently re-dyed my hair (to a wintery chocolate brown colour) meaning my blonde dip-dye it all gone. After washing and drying my hair I've realised it was the blonde in my hair that was making it so frizzy and 'untameable.' It is still kind of frizzy and uncontrollable on some mornings and after blow-drying but is much easier to tame. It's such a relief though I must say! And I will also never be dip-dying my hair blonde again...
I've been recently looking and become very tempted to buy Frizzease but all of their products are SO expensive I couldn't bring myself to pay that much, so I bought this cheaper alternative. It's Smoothly Does It by VO5. I apply a SMALL amount to wet hair after washing it to help tame it. To be fair I hate the texture of this stuff, it's literally like jelly. I'm also not too sure if it is actually working but I've decided I'm going to use it for a bit longer to allow my hair to get used to it before making a full decisio on that one so...watch this space!

I hope you found some inspiration for new makeup products in this post, and I'd love to hear in the comments below which products you use and like, as I am open to trying new makeup items!

Thanks for reading!

Molly

xox

Products, prices and places - 
o Barry M Concealer Correction pen - £5.99 (Superdrug)
o Barry M Concealer brush - £2.99 (Superdrug)
o Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation - £5.48 (Amazon.co.uk)
o Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - £8.03 (Amazon.co.uk)
o Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm - £2.99 (Superdrug)
o Rimmel London Wonderful Mascara - £7.99 (Superdrug)
o VO5 Smoothly Does It - £4.19 (Superdrug)


Where else to find me - 

Instagram - @photosbymolly_

Personal Instagram - @mmollaayy

Twitter - @molly_0301

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Monday 17 November 2014

Short but sweet ||

Just a short post today just showing a few things over the past few days that I've looooved!

Firstly as you may know I am a huge Costa lover and yesterday I purchased a Christmas ceramic cup ๐Ÿ˜Š

They are so cute and festive, I love it! There are a few designs to choose from but I especially liked Santa (he must be the most popular as he was the last one in the shop!) they hold a medium sized drink and you can take them back into Costa to get them filled up when buying - which I think it such a good idea!

Secondly I went to the cutest little cafe for breakfast this morning that I pass all the time in the town I live in but have never actually been into and believe me, I've been missing out! It's so so cute inside and the decor is very shabby chic. The food is lovely (I had a ham and cheese toastie and my boyfriend had A breakfast) and the general feel of the place is great! It was also fairly busy inside which was kind of nice too:)



Let me know if you liked this type of post or not:)

I am thinking/preparing for a 'makeup routine' blog post incase any bodies interested, I'm just waiting for some new bits to arrive offline!

Thanks for reading :)

Molly

xox

Where to find me - 

Instagram - @photosbymolly_

Personal Instagram - @mmollaayy

Twitter - @molly_0301



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Wednesday 12 November 2014

This seasons favourites ||

Long time no blog!

I can't even remember the last time I blogged, I've just been so busy with work and christmas shopping! So I thought I'd share with everyone my most favourite things I am absolutely loving this season, just as I am feeling super festive, cosy and christmassy.

First of all, I am literally OBSESSED with fairy lights. I cannot even start to explain my love for them. They just make any room look pretty, cosy and warm.
My bedroom is filled with them! Without sounding 'big-headed' I kind of love what I have done to my bedroom this year, I've changed a few bits around as my overall style has altered in the past year so I wanted my room to match that, fairy lights being one of the main things - especially throughout winter time!

Here are all the lights I have up in my bedroom...







To be honest these pictures don't really do the last two pictures much justuce but they do look a lot better in real life! I love them so much!!
The heart-shaped red lights were actually from Iceland for £2.99! Bargain! And in such a random shop...

Next up is jars.
I LOVE jars, like vintage looking jars. Everyone thinks I'm mad as I literally go shopping and come back with nothing but jars, but to me that is a successful shopping trip!
Let me show you...


Don't you just think they are so CUTE?! I bought the two on the right from this tiny shop in Lyme Regis (the shop was perfect, it smelt like Christmas and sold everything anybody could ever want with a style like mine in this season..) and thought they would just look nice holding my makeup brushes and hair bands, and then the two larger ones on the left I found whilst shopping in Totnes (in another amazingly wonderful shop) and thought they would be perfect for my larger cosmetic items and they were also the same colour and make as the smaller ones. I soon found out that many interior design shops sold these jars..all by the same maker so I ended up buying these two cuties from another completely different shop! 

(They are too small to keep anything in so they are just for decoration..I just couldn't resist!)

Another thing I am loving is pillows, a bed isent a bed if it's not completely covered in snug, cushty cushions. I have loads on my bed and just keep buying more! I'm running out of room...but I just love them so much. I won't picture all of them as we would be here for the rest of the year so this is my favourite one...


Which brings us quite neatly to tartan. It sounds horrible and I know a lot of people hate the pattern with  a passion, but in small doses I personally love it! Around Christmas time anyway.. I've been noticing a lot of tartan clothing coming into the shops this year and also spotted it on homeware items like my pillow above.
I already have a red, black and white tartan blanket I have on the end of my bed bought back on my holiday in the summer (preparing for the winter early...) and ordered this lovely item from Boohoo.com a few days ago (their delivery is super quick by the way, AND they sent me a 20% off voucher!!!)

I loovveeee it so much! (£20)

And lastly, THE most important part of course.......CHRISTMAS DECS.
Ahhh, we havent got ours up yet, (I've mentioned it to Mum but no was the answer before I had even finished asking...:()
Sooooo many shops have them up and I love seeing all the different styles and designs people do around christmas time. We went to Otter Nurseries tonight (a huge garden centre/gift shop/restaurant place) to see the decorations mainly because my sister works there and it is here job to put them all up (BEST JOB EVER SO JEALOUS.) and it was so unbelieveably pretty and lovely I couldn't contain my excitement, so heres a few pictures from there as It was so festive...




Bauble selfie!


I want this huge heart so much..



I hope you liked my favourite things this season..there are many more but I don't want to bore anybody with my posts! 

Is anybody else excited about Christmas? And what are you favourite things?

Thanks for reading,

Molly

xox

Where to find me - 

Instagram - @photosbymolly_

Personal Instagram - @mmollaayy

Twitter - @molly_0301


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Tuesday 21 October 2014

Passing and being crafty ||

Today is a good day becaaauuseeee, I passed my car theory test! Which is such a relief as I can start preparing for my practical test and hopefully pass quite soon and be able to drive my little car without having to have a 'over 21' with me, yaaaayy!

After getting home and cleaning out my fish tanks (exciting..) I got into a crafty mood and really wanted to change around my bedroom and do some new things..so I did, and thought I'd share them with anybody who would like to see:)

I bought a mirror (for a bargain £5!!) It is second hand but I don't really have a problem with 'pre-owned items' as some others may do, (apart from certain clothing items obviously..). It matches the rest of the furniture in my bedroom and I just love it, because it's a bit different but so simple at the same time!



But before I start I thought I'd just show what I'm wearing this evening as it's extremely wintery and snug! 



The jumper is one my sister gave me (from Store 21 I think.. but I have no idea of the price). It's a lovely christmassy reddy/brown colour and hangs slightly off the shoulders depending on how you're stood. I wear a vest top underneath as It would be a bit chilly without one! The leggins were bought from boohoo.com last year (not sure of the price either:() I love them so much and literally love wearing them at christmas as they festive but not over-festive and I can get away with wearing them any time of the year:)


My hair today was kind of straightened (it was quickly done this morning at an early start of 8am as my test was at 10am but not fully as I don't really think dead-straight hair really suits me as I have quite a large face:( which I hate), and tied half up just to keep it off my face. I actually tied it half up once I got home to keep it out of my face when putting the things up in my bedroom:)
Also the weather was all rainy today which makes my hair go crazy frizzy, especially the top part so this hair style kind of restricts that from happening.


This is half of my bedroom. I made some changes by taking down a heart shaped photo holder thing I've had up for years as I was just getting bored of it and I thought it looked a bit scruffy as I had soo many photos on it! To make a bit of a change I walked up to the local shop (in the rain!) to get some string - but ended up with white shoelaces as they didn't sell balls of string - and just simply pinned it from one end of my wall to the other, draping it off picture hooks that were already in the wall. I didn't want the string to be draped in a pattern, I preferred it to be more randomish if you get iiittt?




The pegs I used were old ones my Mum stopped using (probably after plastic ones were invented hahahaahaaaa...) some were wet from being outside so I just dried them with my hair dryer on the highest heat for a couple of minutes. The whole thing I am really pleased with and it just adds a bit of character to my bedroom and it was so simple and cheap to do! The best thing is that it can be taken down easily (as I get very bored with the decor in my bedroom very quickly..) and the pictures can be changed just by unpegging them and updating the photo! 
I would recommend this sort of decoration for anybody looking for something different and with a creative mind! It may look good draped around a mirror or a wardrobe? 
The possibilities are endless!;)

P.S I appologise for the major embarressing baby photo of me above!

Thanks for reading!

Molly
xox

Where to find me - 

Instagram - @photosbymolly_

Personal Instagram - @mmollaayy

Twitter - @molly_0301


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Thursday 16 October 2014

Christmas Haul! ||

I'm feeling SO christmassy today it's ridiculous! I went shopping with my friend and ended up pretty much just buying christmas items, so I thought I'd share them with all you christmas lovers out there! :)

All the prices of items I will put at the end.



CHRISTMAS JUMPERRR! I cannot believe I bought one but I didn't want them to all sell out like last year:( It has a penguin with a christmas hat on and the white bits are sooooo soft, it's lush and I just love it! If you're planning on buying one from Primark like this one then get a smaller size! As I didn't actually try mine on, I just guessed but bought a smaller size than usual and it fits perfectly! They are quite big, but snug :)



This woolly scarf is so thick and snug. The baubles on the bottom are nice and festive as well:) It was a massive bargain and came in lots of different styles and colours.



These socks and pajama bottoms were both bought today:) The socks are the same as the ones in my previous 'Primark Haul' blog post apart from they just have a different pattern on them (the fluffy white bit is tucked in the trousers). The patterned pajamas are so comfy and warm! I will probably end up wearing them more around the house than in bed!



This photo does not do these boots any justice what so ever but they are actually really nice! They are lined with fluff inside and were similiar to ones I saw in another shop..just half the price!


This is one of my favourite things bought today! It's from Boots and is so festive and cute I just couldn't resist! I'll probably start to wear it to work around christmas time as we have to dress up christmassy (not that I'm complaining!) and I'll probably end up wearing it everyday up until Christmas. I just never want to take it off - it's too cute!


This little festive cup is for holding hot drinks, so I bought it as I'm literally living off hot chocolate at the moment! It was very cheap compared to some you see in shops and it's so cute!

Thanks for reading:)

Items - 
o Christmas jumper - Primark £12
o Scarf - Primark £4
o Socks - Primark £3
o Pajama bottoms - New Look £6.99
o Boots - Primark £12
o Necklace - Boots £5
o Cup - Primark £2.50

Where to find me - 

Instagram - @photosbymolly_

Personal Instagram - @mmollaayy

Twitter - @molly_0301


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