Beauty Favourites of 2013

This video has been a long time coming but it is finally here! I wanted to be a bit more creative with my yearly favourites, yes it is very helpful when people sit in front of the camera and talk for 15 minutes about their favourite products, but it gets a bit samey. I wanted to have fun with it, make it interesting to watch and hopefully I achieved that. I had a lot of products to share as well and I thought that this was a better style to fit everything in to one video. 

In case you can't be bothered to watch the video or maybe you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time, here's a list of all the products featured in this video. I have spoken about all of these at some point so I didn't want to go through every single one, I'd end up just repeating myself! I'll put links in if I have written or filmed a review on the product so you can go and check it out in detail.

Skincare:

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm 

Origins Night-A-Mins Night Cream 

L'Oreal Micellar Water

Superdrug Tea Tree Nose Strips

Bases:

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Revlon Photoready BB Cream

Blushers & Bronzers:

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer

Rimmel Blush in Pink Rose

NYX Blush in Taupe

Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow

Eyeshadows:

Naked Palette

Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze

Eyeliner:

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner

Maxfactor Liquid Effect Kohl Liner

Maybelline Gel Liner

Mascara:

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Chanel Le Volume De Chanel Mascara

Lipstick:

MAC Hang-Up

Rimmel Dark Night Waterl-Oops!

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Nudist

Maybelline Baby Lips Cherry Me

Let me know what your favourties were in 2013! Or you can tweet me at @Lilacghosts! 

CheshireCat Chats in 2013

It's hard to believe that I've only been writing this blog since April of this year, time really has flown by and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I'd like to give a massive big gigantic thank you to everybody who has followed and supported me so far. Hopefully 2014 will be a good year for CheshireCat Chats, I hope to grow but most of all continue to enjoy writing. I was reading another blog recently where they posted all of their posts from 2013 in one big post and I thought, hey, that seems like a pretty good idea. So here you go, hopefully you'll see a post you haven't read before and give it a go! 

April

New Blog? Yes Indeedy!// L'Oreal Wild Ombre Hair Kit// Dior Skin Nude Foundation Review// Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation Review// Online Style Saviours!// BarryM Lash Vegas Mascara Review// I <3 Spring TAG// Get Fit At Home! It's Possible I Promise// L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash Review// Disappointing Products Vol.1// Toni & Guy Shampoo and Conditioner For Fine Hair Review// Moony Mood Artula Handbag and How To Style// Good Day Gone Bad// 

May

Benefit They're Real Mascara Review// Neon Brights, Love or Hate?// Spotlight On... Green Tea!// Maybelline: Mega Plush Mascara Review// Favourite Mascaras// Chanel's Le Volume De Chanel Mascara Review//

June

Get Ready With Me: Revlon 16hr Eyeshadow Quad in Siren// Tutorial Tuesdays | Angelina Jolie Inspired Look// Spontaneous Urban Decay Makeover// YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Review// Maxfactor FaceFinity 3 in 1 Foundation Review// Tutorial Tuesday | Dark Phoenix (Beauty Youtuber Facebook Superhero Collab)// New Blog Template and Changes To Google+// Herbal Essence Bee Strong Shampoo and Conditioner Review// My MAC Neutral Palette// Vote For Me In The Best In Beauty Competition// Urban Decay Naked Palette vs Naked 2!// Tutorial Tuesday | Cranberry Smoke// Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer Review// It's Time For June Favourites//

July

Tutorial Tuesday | Beach Oasis// Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Review// UK July Magazine Freebies!// Getting Lippy For Summer// Best In Beauty Competition Round 2! Want To See a Tutorial?// Getting Summery With Butter London// Let's Get Flexible | Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex Mascara Review// A Spot Of Fitsperation// Fancy a Bit Of Mint Caviar// Time For a Colour Rewind! Colour B4 Extra Review// Summer Essentials// Tutorial Tuesday | Miley Cyrus// July Lust List// Perfect Match | L'Oreal True Match Foundation Review// Disappointing Products Vol.2// MIA, But Not For Long// Let's Grow Those Locks, FAST!// Grab a Spoon, We're Having Peaches And Clean// Insta-Life #1// June/July Collective Haul// The Decorating Diaries Day 1// Urban Decay Glinda Palette// The Decorating Diaries Day 2// Time For A Deep Clean | Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm Review//

August

Decorating Diaries 3&4// A Spot Of Bloglovin// Oh Moroccanoil, How I Love Thee// Decorating Diaries It's Finished// August Lust List// Top Fall Collection 2013 Picks// Insta-Life #2// 5 Minute Makeup Challenge// The Body Shop Madagascan Vanilla Flower Fragrance Mist// Vichy Normaderm Micellar Solution// DIY Peppermint Lip Scrub// The Greatest Blush Of All | Clarins Soft Peach Blush Prodige// Celebrating 100 Videos// Don't Beat Yourself Up, Have A Cookie// Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation Review// The Liebster Award// Insta-Life #3// Makeup & Me TAG// Prepare For The Apocolips// The Body Shop Honey Bronzing Powder//  

September

August Favourites// The Baby Lips Have Invaded!// Insta-Life #4// So Much Buzzzz | Honey by Marc Jacobs// Maybelline Color Tattoo In Eternal Gold// Nars Orgasm Vs Sleek Rose Gold Blush// REN F10 Smooth & Renew Mask// For The Love Of Honey// The Accent TAG// Music To My Ears// Get Photoready | Revlon Photoready Primer// September Lust List// LFW Top Picks// Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Coral In Gold// Makeup Collection// Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser// More Than Meets The Eye// 

October

BarryM Dusky Mauve Nail Paint// Save My Locks! | Pantene Colour & Smooth Mask// September Favourites// October Lust List// Insta-Life #5// Crazy About Lipstick// Clarins Cleansing Milk: Oily/Combination// Get Ready With Me!// Motivational Monday: There's More Than One Reason To Exercise// Revlon Photoready BB Cream// University Room Makeup Storage// 50 Random Facts// Morning Skincare Routine// Tumblr Addiction// Color Tattoo Light In Purple// Other Loves: Photography//  

November 

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick 107// October Favourites// November Wish List// Permanent Taupe Color Tattoo// A/W Fashion Haul// Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed// Finding Positivity// My First Time TAG// Sweater Weather TAG// 23 Things I've Learned In 23 Years// Soap & Glory Sit Tight Body Firming Serum// Current Jewellery Favourites// Rimmel Dark Night Waterl-Oops// Worth The Splurge//

December

November Favourites// Lush Grease Lightening// Winter Skincare Essentials// Origins GinZing Eye Cream// Covering All My Bases// Please Follow Instructions | Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette// The Sunday Post: Weekly Roundup// 2013: The Year Of Amazing Music// MAC Hang-Up// Party Essentials// Stocking Fillers Under £15// 2013: Fashion Trends | Hits, Wishes and Misses// Merry Christmas// The Sunday Post: Christmas & Sickness// 

Let's hope 2014 brings us all good luck. I'll be graduating and having to actually find a proper adult job and become a proper human being! So let's hope everything goes smoothly. 

The Sunday Post: Christmas & Sickness

First Lush bath in forever! I don't have a bath at Uni// New bed covers from Asda// Trying to be healthy, failing later in the day by eating extortionate amounts of chocolate// Flu hits and completely takes over my Christmas// I found my old Gameboy!// It's officially Christmas, watching the Snowman// New read, I got my Lula magazine through the post// A lovely Dragon Hottie from my Secret Santa! His name is Smaug// Just a taster of the presents I got for Christmas//

I would first of all like to apologize for my absence, the combination of working full-time, a 2 week long flu and Uni work has kept me very busy (and exhausted) over Christmas. I did manage to have a Christmas though, I got to see my family and eat my body weight x10 in chocolate. I am now however, very wobbly in the thigh and stomach region. 

I got a lot of lovely gifts from friends and family, PJ's, makeup, Lush goodies and many other lovely things. I even got a cocktail making set from my brother! I'm sure I'll be able to put it to good use, being a student and all, I'm a trained professional. 

I'm hoping in the next few days I'll have a spare 5 minutes here and there to take some blog photos, and maybe even film a video or two, though I doubt it. I will be posting a little bloopers video over on my channel though, just so my subscribers know I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have exciting plans for New Year, I myself will be heading to a friends house (after I finish work) to bring in the New Year with non-alcoholic beverages, as I'm driving. 

Did you guys have a nice Christmas? What have you got planned to bring in 2014? 

 

2013: Fashion Trends | Hits, Wishes & Misses

My passion for fashion has been growing and growing throughout 2013, and I've been making more of an effort to incorporate the many trends into my everyday wardrobe. There have been a few that I've loved and worn with confidence and pride, however some trends are just not for everyone. No matter how nice they look on the models, when you try them on in the badly lit areas of shop dressing rooms, they just fall flat of your expectations. 

S/S13

Added To The Wardrobe

During S/S I jumped on the pastel and neon bandwagon, my wardrobe was full of mints and baby pinks with flashes of neon yellow and orange. I wore my neon's through my accessories, a neon green satchel or a lightweight neon scarf. My mint green jumpers also got a good outing; I can't remember a day when I didn't wear them!

  

I Wish, I Wish, I Wish

There were some trends during S/S that I either felt like I couldn't quite pull off or that I just missed the boat on. Trenches are always a fashion staple in those strange spring months, when the rain is pouring but the weather is a little warmer. A trench has always been a very classic piece, which I felt just wasn't my style. I absolutely love the Burberry trenches (not that I could ever afford them) but in S/S14 I hope to give the trench a whirl. Another trend that sprung onto the scene was floral trousers. I'm more of a leggings and jeans girl and find that the cut of the trousers just didn't suit me. I love the floral pattern but unfortunately the style just doesn't cater itself to my body shape, maybe I just need to hunt for the perfect pair.

I'll Give That A Miss 

Then there were the trends that I saw, I debated and then I passed on. Monochrome was the first trend I wasn't entirely sure on. Don't get me wrong, I love a good bit of black & white but for the warmer months I prefer brighter colours to adorn my wardrobe. The next trend was playsuits/jumpsuits. These pretty alternatives to shorts are around pretty much every year, but if you are a little heavier in the hip area, they have a tendency to give you baggy bottom. Nobody wants to look like they are a small child wearing a nappy, that isn't a good look no matter what the catwalk says.  Not to mention the unfortunate problem my friends and I had when trying them on, the slightly too high, cut you in half, crotch problem.

A/W13

Added To The Wardrobe

My favourite time of year for fashion, I feel a lot more comfortable in the layered and chunky trends of the colder months. My wardrobe is full of chunky knit jumpers and cardigans. You can wear them with leggings, jeans, trousers and skirts, they really are the ultimate wardrobe staple. And then there is combat boots. I have a few, mostly with buckles but I also have a lovely pair of Dr. Martens, which I'm desperately trying to break in. 

I Wish, I Wish, I Wish

I'm not much of a skirt girl unless I'm on a night out where jeans or leggings just don't feel appropriate. However I did manage to grab myself a skater skirt from H&M, but no matter how I styled it, it just didn't look right on me. It made my body look short and rounded and was just ultimately unflattering. They look so nice on other people and are a great piece to have in your wardrobe if you can pull it off. I've also being eyeing up a few tartan pieces as of late, and a part of me is urging me to go out and grab some tartan leggings or trousers, but then the less fashion confident side of me worries that I'll just look a bit silly. I think I may be brave though and try and find some leggings, they would look great with my Dr. Martens. 

I'll Give That A Miss

There are always trends in A/W that I see and think, really? This year it is double denim and oversize coats. The double denim trend really does go straight over my head, it's a bit too 90's Britney and Justin for me, there is such a thing as too much denim guys. Now the oversize coats is something I see many fashionistas sporting, but if I'm completely honest I just don't think it looks good on anyone. It looks as though you are a four year old in your father's jacket and it doesn't cater to the female form at all. Yes I'm no stranger to the slightly androgynous style, but this is just a step too far for me, I don't want to look like my clothes are eating me alive.

So let me know what your hits, wishes and misses have been in 2013. Have there been trends you just couldn't wait to get your hands on? Or ones you couldn't bare to lay your eyes on? 

Stocking Fillers Under £15

This weekend is the last weekend before the big day, so for all of you last minute shoppers, I thought I would give you a hand and do a bit of shopping for you. If you are just braving the crowds for a few last minute trinkets, then here is a list of goodies to fill those stockings and all for under £15! 

1. Travalo - Debenhams - £12.49

The number one gift for any fragrance enthusiast. The Travalo is honestly one of the handiest inventions for anyone on the go. Super easy to use and comes in a range of colours, it's not just for women, the man in your life can fill it with his favourite scent as well! 

2. Compact Tangle Teezer - Boots - £12.49

Fits perfectly in your handbag, the Tangle Teezer is a cult product in the beauty world. This also comes in a range of colours and patterns and has soft flexible bristles to allow easy, pain free brushing. I don't have particularly knotty hair, but when I go from using this to a normal brush or comb there is a huge difference. 

3. Grey Sparkle Bed Socks - Dorothy Perkins - £10.00

The comfiest bed socks in the history of sock making! These chunky knit bed socks have suckers on the sole for grip on those slippy laminate floors. They also have the softest and warmest fleece lining inside to keep those tootsies cozy and warm.

4. Best Wishes Gift Set - Lush - £13.50

Maybe on the larger side of the stocking fillers but this is my favourite gift set from Lush and would love to find it in my stocking. This set comes with the best bath bomb ever, Golden Wonder, along with the Luxury Lush Pud and Snowcake Soap. 

5. Wine Lipstick and Blush Gift Set - Topshop - £12.00

This little gift set also comes in red or a mascara/kohl combo. The wine set is bang on the vampy lips trend this A/W and is prefect for any makeup lover. 

6. Soap & Glory Good, Butter, Best Gift Set - Boots - £8.00

The cheapest on this list, Soap & Glory is always a safe bet at Christmas. The body butters are all creamy, moisturising and smell amazing, so this little gift set is a sure win. This set contains the much loved Righteous Butter, Butter Yourself and Butterlicousness. 

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Or will you be one of those rushing out to grab some of these goodies? 

2013: The Year Of Amazing Music!

This year I feel like I've been listening to a mass of unbelievable albums from all genres. Music is a big love of mine, I pretty much listen to music all day, when I can of course. I enjoy listening to albums and bands I've never come across and discovering new music to fill my days. Below I've listed my top 10 albums of 2013, and there have been a lot of impressive candidates!

 1. The 1975 - The 1975// 2. London Grammar - If You Wait// 3. Haim - Days Are Gone// 4. Arctic Monkeys - AM// 5. Lorde - Pure Heroine// 6. Bastille - Bad Blood// 7. Beyonce - Beyonce// 8. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories// 9. James Arthur - James Arthur// 10. Miley Cyrus - Bangerz//

There have also been a few tracks that have been on repeat on my iTunes. A few of them album tracks, but some of them you will have most likely heard blasting through your radio. 

Wrecking Ball - Miley Cyrus

Get Lucky - Daft Punk

Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke

My Song 5 - Haim

Stay Awake - London Grammar

The City - The 1975

Certain Things - James Arthur

Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys

Buzzcut Season - Lorde

Of The Night - Bastille

Timber ft Ke$ha - Pitbull

Grown Woman - Beyonce

What music have you been loving in 2013? Any albums you are looking forward to in 2014?

 

Worth The Splurge

We all fall prey to hype and new shiny products, but sometimes they can fall a bit flat of what we expect. I like to read every written review and watch every video about a product before I buy it, just to make sure I know the negatives as well as the positives. I've therefore been pretty lucky when it comes to buying higher end products.

I had to think long and hard about the products I wanted to feature in this post. I wanted to include products that, when I was first starting to get into beauty, really wanted to know the truth about. 

MAC Eye shadows

When you first start to get into the world of beauty and cosmetics, the first brand you hear about is MAC. MAC isn't as expensive as most higher end cosmetics companies, but they still cost more than a £7.99 eye shadow quad from Boots. The fact of the matter is that MAC eye shadows are simply the best of the best. The pigmentation is amazing, they come both in pots and as pans for empty palettes, which is extremely handy, and they are long wearing. At £12.50 for the potted shadows and £10 for the pans, they are definitely worth paying a little bit extra for.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

One of the most hyped up products in the beauty world. With the new Naked 3 palette recently released, I think it's important to point out that these palettes are 100% worth the splurge. The pigmentation is amazing and all the shades can be worked together, giving you endless amounts of options. I've featured the original Naked palette because it is the one that I prefer for my skin tone. This is the warmer toned palette, but if you find cool tones suit you better, then the Naked 2 is for you.

MAC 217 Blending Brush

If you don't like to spend an exuberant amount on your brushes, you may be forgiven for avoiding MAC brushes. I myself don't own a great deal of them, but the 217 is a brush that belongs in every brush collection. Its super soft natural hair is the perfect brush for blending out your eye shadow, it makes blending feel effortless and gives amazing results every time. 

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick

Despite it being the most gorgeous packaging ever created, the actual product is a dry lipped girls dream. These lipsticks are so creamy and the most comfortable lipstick to wear. The pigmentation is amazing and makes you feel like your living in the lap of luxury. Yes, they are extremely pricey for what they are, but if you are like me and find lipsticks usually uncomfortable to wear, then these are perfect. 

Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour

I'm not a big lover of blush; my blush collection is probably the smallest out of all my products. So when it comes to splashing out on blush I usually hold back, I've found such amazing blushes in the drugstore that I didn't feel I needed to spend more. But then I found this blush, the packaging drew me in at first but then I fell in love with the finish. This isn't powdery at all and goes on so smoothly and evenly, with uneven and freckled skin, I find that blushes can look very patchy on me. This can also be used in a multitude of different ways due to its mosaic design. 

So what products in your collection do you feel are worth splashing that bit of extra cash for?

August Favourites!

I cannot believe that it is September and nearly time for me to embark on my final year of University! I feel like I'm getting old far too quickly! But since August has passed us by, it is time for me to share all the things I've been loving this month.

Skincare
I've been a bit skincare obsessed this month so it was really hard to pick one thing I've been absolutely loving. But saying that, I have to say I'm in love with the Clarins cleansing milk for oily/combination skin. It's the first cleanser I've ever used where I can really feel a difference in how oily my face is at the end of the day. I'm not going to say too much because I have a full review planned so you'll have to stay tuned for a bit more info! 

Makeup

There's been a few re-discoveries for me over the last month. I've been loving my Maybelline gel liner, which I've had for a fair amount of time now. I love it for creating winged out cat eyes and it just has amazing staying power! 

I've also been loving my Maybelline Color Tattoo in On And On Bronze/Bad To The Bronze. It's my go to 'omg I'm late for work and I look a mess' eyeshadow. You can slap this on with your finger and no matter what, it will look amazing.

My final makeup product is the Clarins blush, oh my is it a beautiful little thing. Not only is it stunning to look at, but it is so pigmented and looks gorgeous on fair skin. I've been using this every day since I got it and it is a firm favourite in my little collection. If you would like to see more of this beautiful being, just click here.

Fragrance

I don't have a massive fragrance collection (actually is pretty much non-existent) but I'm working on it. I did a little post on The Body Shop Madagascan Vanilla Flower body mist here so I won't go into massive detail, what I will say is it smells so delicious I sometimes just sit and sniff it!

TV

Usually I'll stick to my beauty favourites in these posts/videos, but I wanted to include some of my more random favourites as well! I'm a big lover of TV shows and this month I've been getting back into my Breaking Bad. It's really difficult to get into at first but I'm nearing the end of season 4 and things are heating up. So excited to watch the final season to see how it all goes down! 

Music

I love music as much as I love beauty so it's essential that I include some of my musical favourites. I'm a massive fan of The Civil Wars and their new album did not dissapoint! I love their gothic folk sound and it is so sad that they have parted ways. What will I do without them!? Another (surprise to me) favourite is Jay Z's album Magna Carta. I'm not a big rap fan so I was surprised how much I love it!  Probably not for those who find bad language offensive :/ 

 

Websites & Apps

I've been a bit of a Pinterest fangirl lately, I'm on there constantly and can not seem to pull myself away! I've been getting loads of inspiration and motivation from their lately, when I wake up in the morning and don't want to go for a run, I look on pinterest and remind myself why I run in the first place. 

What things have you been loving this month?