Things I've been enjoying lately...

Hello Everyone :)

I'm quite enjoying mixing my make up posts with bits and pieces from my life (I hope you are too!) Today I just fancied a bit of a ramble so here are a few things I have been rather enjoying lately...

Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack

I loved this film and when I heard the soundtrack I loved it even more - I find Karen O so inspirational and the songs for Where the Wild Things Are are simply beautiful. I suggest listening to All is Love whilst reading the rest of this post....




Old School Cartoons

When I say old school I mean old school....Does anyone remember Mr Ben?

And The Clangers?



I remember having these on video and would watch them curled up with my mum and an ice cream float!

Pinned-Up Curls


I don't really like wearing my hair up (I have ear issues) but I'm learning to love it as long as it covers ear. This photo is further evidence as to why I love my babyliss conical wand so much.

Glimpses of Summer


The prospect of summer is one of the only things keeping me sane amidst frantic studying for finals. This photo was taken on my favorite day last summer when Nick and I took a picnic to Loch Lomond, listened to pretty music and fell asleep in the sun...bliss!


Study Munchies


Pretty much this has been my diet of late - terrible I know. Got a whole lotta love for Muller Light!

Rootin' Tootin' (fake) Pony Skin Boots



I suppose this is more of a cheerio to my most beloved boots as summer is creeping in. Though for the last couple days it's been so chilly that I've been able to wear them again...I love you boots, see you next year!

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

FOTN

Hello Everyone :)

I done it - I went on a proper night out without fake tan on - it's bad but I can't remember the last time I did that! I could not get my make up to photograph very well so just imagine these photos - but a little bit better haha...




Ha ha you can see my Marie mug that I just bought in the background...i'm really disappointed with how my hair looks as it looked really pretty in realsies but photographed like a big frizzy mess, boo!

Face

Revlon Colorstay
MAC MSF Natural
Prestige Glam Tan
Benefit One Hot Minute

Eyes


UDPP
Barry M Dazzle Dust 29 Yellow Gold
Mac Carbon
MAC Blanc Type
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
MAC Zoom Lash


Lips

NARS Cruising Lipstick
EL 8 Hour Cream

Hope you're all well!

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

Cringe-Tastic

Hello Everyone :)

Has anyone ever seen the sketch where Russel Brand says 'My life is a series of embarrassing incidents strung together by telling people about those embarrassing incidents'? Yep, that is me! I seem to be incapable of wandering through my day to day life without doing something hideously embarrassing. So...I thought it would be funny to share a couple of silly stories that my lovely friends like to bring up time and time again...

I want to help the bears please....

I cry...A lot. So when you add PMT into the mix I am a proper emotional wreck. One night I'm casually watching telly and on the advert break one of those charity infomercials come on for a bear charity. It immediately sets me off and before I even realise what I'm doing I'm sobbing down the phone to some poor chap from the charity. Now what would a normal person do? Say something like 'Hi, I just saw one of your adverts and I'd like some information about making a donation?' Yep, that sounds quite good...but no, not me. Barely being able to talk I sob 'Hi, my name's Nicola Carr, I'd like to help the bears please'

I'D LIKE TO HELP THE BEARS??? I mean whaaaat? Everytime I think about it I just want to pull the covers over my head and slowly die of shame. That poor, poor man that had to speak to me...Fucking Bears! (In all seriousness, I'm all for charity giving and shizz, I promise I'm not cold hearted, I would just of liked to have retained my dignity when being charitable!)

Bad Skirt Times

As some of you may know, I don't think I've ever bought a denim skirt in my life - I've always made them out of old jeans. So when Nick ripped a brand new pair of Diesel jeans I wasn't about to let them go to waste and quickly made them into a skirt. Sadly it was a little bit too big for me but I decided to wear it to my Scot Lit tutorial the next day. On the way to my tutorial I was carrying loads of books and was all flustered as I was running late. So I'm doing that odd half walk/half jog thing when out of the corner of my eye something flies in front of me...

...Yes, my skirt had fallen down and I'd kicked it off without realising it in the middle of the busiest part of the uni. Now let me tell you, there is absolutely NO WAY of bending down in love heart polka dot tights that show your bridget jones pants to pick up your skirt and put it back on in public with any shred of dignity. Don't even try. Whole groups of people stopped talking and just stared at me struggling - they didn't even laugh, not even a chuckle - they just stared. Cringe Factor 10...

Mistaken Case of the Creep

I probably have the most immature but hilarious group of friends and one of our favorite ways to waste time in lectures is to draw silly pictures. One time after uni I was on the train home and came over all studious, so whipped out the handout from that days lecture. A man came and sat on the seat opposite and I suddenly noticed that he was properly staring at me - it was rather creepy, I think I even text people ranting about this horrible creepy starer. Eventually it was my stop and I went to fold the handout I'd been reading when I noticed...one of my friends had drawn a MASSIVE schoolboy style penis on the back of the sheet...the man hadn't been staring at me at all.

Everytime I think about this I can't help but laugh - that poor man had to sit and look at that for half an hour....aw I could of killed the Sarah's for that hahaha


Cringey thumbs up for embarrassment...


Hope you found this funny - I have plenty more ridiculously embarrassing stories if anyone wants to hear them and feel free to share any you have in a comment :D

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

April Favorites

Hello Everyone :)

I had a half day at work today and decided rather than spending it studying I would schedule a few blog posts and catch up on Keeping Up With the Kardashians...it has been rather pleasant so far! Here are my monthly favorites for April...

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Perfect Topping



Gaaaah I'm so irritated at myself, I dropped this when I picked it up to take the photo and it shattered...first laguna now this! Why am I so clumsy? I rescued as much of the powder as I could and will be embarking on a repressing mission later! Anyway...I've been using this MSF lots this month, it is such a pretty highlight. It's a lot more finely milled than a lot of MSF's so there is no risk of a glittery face. In my Perfect Topping, there is a lot more pink-champagne veining than lavender which I really like. If you ever have the chance to buy it, I definitely recommend that you do!


Seche Vite and Boots Rose Cuticle Oil



I am in no way a nail expert and need some serious nail care lessons but I have fallen in love with seche vite after only having it a week. I am quite hard on my polish and so far I have had OPIS's Deer Valley Spice on for four days without chipping - that is a miracle! I also can't believe how shiny it makes your polish. I bought the Rose cuticle oil when I bought the other Boots Original Formula products. I really like it - I like the pipette dropper, it smells pretty and most importantly it works! It makes a nice change from lemony flutter.


Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation


Yep, still loving it. I love the amount of coverage, the way it makes my skin look and how long it lasts. Ahhhh you've heard me say it all before!


Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel


This is perfect for sleepy mornings when I don't want to drag my bum out the shower. It smells so refreshing and citrus-y that you can't help but feel awake and chipper!


Benetint


My love affair with Benetint has been rekindled! I have a love/hate relationship with benetint but because I'm spending so much time in the library studying for exams, benetint has been good as it's so long lasting I don't need to worry about re-application...vain I know.


Hell Kitty Make-Up Bag


I don't know if this really counts - but it's so cute I had to include it! Have you all seen the new Hello Kitty range from Boots? I love it all and this bag is perfect for chucking all my make up in if I'm staying overnight!

Barry M Gold Iridescent Gold Glitter Dust

Another re-discovery, I love this glitter dust to add a bit of sparkle on a night out. You can tell that the glitter is quite big so doing your eye makeup first is a must!

Hope you all had an Amazing April and all have a Magnificent May (yep, not getting any less lame haha)

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

Tag: The Infinite Playlist

Hello Everyone :)

I saw this tag on Rachel's blog and thought I would do it. As much as I love make up, I adore music!! All you have to do is talk about your five favorite songs...now I have many many more favorite songs that I would love to include so I ended up just pressing random on my favorites playlist on i-tunes....

The Pogues - Love You Till The End



I love The Pogues - I was brought up listening to them by my dad and this has always been my favorite Pogues song. I think it is so so so beautiful and always makes me feel all fuzzy and warm inside. It was recently used on the P.S I love You soundtrack (which I hate myself for loving, i'm not usually one for soppiness).

No Doubt Magic's in the Make Up



I couldn't not include this song - No Doubt are by far my favorite band in the whole wide world, whenever I'm feeling a bit blue I pop on Tragic Kingdom and I instantly feel cheerier. This song was the inspiration for my blog name and is one of my favorite later No Doubt songs - so so so excited about their comeback!!

Patrick Wolf - Overture



I pretty much could have picked any Patrick Wolf song to include here - I love them all! Overture reminds me of warm sunny days in Kelvingrove Park with BBQs and boxes of cheap white wine and laughing so much it hurts.

Justice vs Simian - We Are Your Friends



This song always reminds me of walking home from Optimo singing this at the top of our voice every Sunday for a year and then lying about Sarah's living room chatting total rubbish for hours drinking vodka out of mugs and muching ice poles. Ahhhh good times!

The Smiths - Ask



Like Patrick Wolf, I could of picked any Smiths song and I would be happy. In particular Ask reminds me of being rather happy and content and butterflies in my tummy!

Roger Sanchez - Another Chance



Ah haha I can't believe this song came up! For me this was the summer before I moved out when I was 17 - it's my friends and I holiday song, it's chatting up boys wearing too much hair gel and it's a little sad as we've all moved on and don't really talk now - I suppose that's the way it goes!

Angels and Airwaves - Everything's Magic



Ahha I wouldn't say this is one of my favorite songs but it's in my favorites folder as it reminds me of Nick who loves them! When Nick and I first started seeing each other he would drive down to Dalry (where I lived on the Coast) and we'd go and sit in his car beside the seaside at Largs and talk for ages about total rubbish (eg how wierd stars are, do you think aliens exist, how if I ever have a daughter I want to call her Lola haha) for hours and he would always have Angels and Airwaves on. It just reminds me of the butterflies you get when things are new and lovely. Also I included the short film version as it makes me laugh - I love a fake moustache!

Yeah so I cheated and made it seven songs and as I said there are millions more! I would love others to do this - I want to hear some of your stories!

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

Review: Boots Original Formula

Hello Everyone :)

I feel like I haven't done a proper review in a very long time and I'm quite excited about these products. I have been quite the devotee to Liz Earle skin products for quite a while however lately I have read a couple of things that have made me want to see what else is out there in the world of skincare. Whilst wandering aimlessly around boots a couple of weeks ago I started looking at their original formula range and so decided to give it a bash...


In all honesty I was reeled in by the beautiful vintage style packaging and thoughts of how pretty they would look on my dressing table. However, I also love the idea of using some 'beauty classics' - skincare that is fairly simple and uncomplicated. I've been using the Cold Cream, Skin Tonic and Day Cream for the last two weeks and here are my thoughts so far...

Cold Cream

I have never used a Cold Cream before so was a tad unsure about how to use it. All I do is massage it into my skin in circular motions day and night and then remove with a damp cotton pad.

As you can see, it's quite a thick consistency which is really good for helping to remove make up at night and also feels quite moisturising for a cleanser. The formula isn't greasy and overall does exactly what it says it claims to do: 'sweeps away impurities and make up without drying your skin, leaving it soft, supple and delightfully clean'. Yep, I agree with you Boots! The only thing I would say is that i've been hesitant to use this around my eye area and have been using a separate eye make up remover.

The three products I have chosen are scented with rose oil and I think the smell is beautiful - it reminds me of being wee and sniffing all the pots in the gift shop at Culzean Castle, it's so odd how a smell can instantly take you back to a specific time! However, I do think that it may not be everyones cup of tea.

Skin Tonic

The skin tonic is good to use after the cold cream as it quickly removes any residue left over. I always remember my Granny talking about Glycerin and Rose Water which are the two main ingredients in the skin tonic. It's light and fresh and leaves the skin feeling clean and refreshed. The one downside for me is that there is a slight note in the fragrance that differs from the two creams - I wouldn't say it's unpleasant, just a little odd! It makes a nice change to the 'paint stripper' type toners that i've used before (Yes, clinique clarifying lotion, i'm looking at you - if something physically makes my eyes water i'm not putting it anywhere near my face!)

Vanishing Day Cream

Ahhh this is such a lovely, light moisturiser. Again, it is scented with rose oil and one of the main active ingredients is olive oil! It's quite a fluid cream that literally does vanish into your skin in seconds. It leaves your skin feeling moisturised and refreshed. Because the cream is so light it probably isn't suitable for someone with really dry skin but if you have normal/combination skin like I do, it works really well!

Overall, I am rather impressed with the range. All of the products are extremely affordable (in fact just now I think many of them are half price!), the packaging is beautiful and most of all I love the idea of going back to skincare basics - the cold cream is based on one of the first ever Boots recipes!

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

The Post I Never Thought I'd Have to Write

Hello Everyone :)

You may or may not know of the drama that occurred last night both on my blog and twitter and I wont say too much about it as there's nothing worse than dragging up old dirt but pretty much over the last week someone has been leaving quite hurtful comments on my blog concerning my weight and it came to a head last night.

I didn't respond to the person last night as anyone who knows me will tell you I avoid drama at all costs and I wanted to take some time to actually think of a response I was happy with rather than something written in the heat of the moment.

Firstly, I would like to say thank you to everyone who did respond last night - you are all lovely and I'm sending a big sloppy kiss your way! In answer to the comments I have a couple of things to say:

1. I have never once called myself thin/skinny - I am quite happy to admit that I am a happy size 14 who loves food and wine just as much as I love Taylor Lautner and Dust It.
2. I am not naive enough to believe that I am immune to criticism. If you are happy to put yourself out there on the Internet you have to be able to take criticism - I'm fine with that. This is a blog about make up - if you have something to say about how my make up looks go ahead and say it. However, I will not tolerate unnecessary nastiness. I have been unable to take anything constructive from your comments - What do you wish me to do, shade in my jaw like Boy George so you don't have to see my double chin? I just don't think that is a look I would be able to pull of...
   
3. As to your comments regarding my hiding behind a clique - I think these may be a tad hypocritical considering you're hiding behind a computer screen.
   
4. I think the most baffling thing of all are your constant references to my 'pretending to be something that I'm not'. In terms of photographs - that is just me! I'm sorry if you find them deceiving but as it was quite rightly pointed out people's faces look different from different angles. I can quite safely say that in terms of my blog I am just me! In fact my friend Clare recently said I talk on my blog the exact same way I talk in real life. Sorry, but I just don't understand what it is you're trying to say.
5. The way you conducted yourself last night was ridiculously reductive. By being so aggressive resulted in your insults becoming more ridiculous and funny than hurtful.
   

I'm quite sad that I've been forced into writing this post but after a week of comments I'm putting an end to this whole fiasco. Your negativity isn't welcome on my blog, please go away in the knowledge that I'm quite happy just the way I am - I'm not worried about my weight or how I look so I don't think you should be either. Kindly now leave me alone so I can enjoy my Lucky Charms in peace please!



Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo