Mini Post-Christmas Haul

Hi everyone!! 

Firstly, I hope everyone had an AMAZING Christmas, ate lots, drank lots and just had a super time!! 

I had a lovely quiet Christmas. I had 2 days off which meant quality time with my own pets, my OH and my mum! We had a scrummy dinner at her house and took our two puggies wit hus which made a total of 5 dogs at her house! 

I'm planning a 'What I Got for Christmas' post in the next week. This is by no means to brag, far from it! It's more that I know how much we all like to be nosy and I absolutely love watching YouTube videos and reading other blog posts on what people received! 

This post is just a mini haul I did yesterday when I popped into town to Boots and Superdrug. I originally went in to go and purchase the Sensationail Deluxe Starter Kit (mentioned in several of FleurDeForce's YouTube videos) as it has been marked down from £110.00 to £55.00!! 

Disappointing fact is they've completely sold out - the obvious thing to do was spend the money I had for that on other items I didn't need! 

First items : Haircare! 

Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo - 250ml

(£6.99 or 3 for £15 on Lee Stafford haircare in Boots)

I bought this to use in place of a toning shampoo I have by Matrix as I find that particular product very drying on my hair. I know toners aren't supposed to be conditioning but this one leaves my hair like straw!! I saw Miss Budget Beauty mention this product in a recent blog post (can be read here) which mentioned how she had achieved a lavender shade to her hair just through toning. I liked the idea of this shade rather than the bluish shade you can end up with with some very blue/purple toners. I also thought I could achieve a better blonde with something if it does visibly change to such a pinky tone after left on the hair a long time! First impressions are fab. I used the items this morning in the shower - only left on  a couple of minutes and applied twice, but my ends are definitely whiter blonde. It also felt very silky - none of the straw-like feeling I get with my other toner. I'm looking forward to testing this in the bath when I can leave it sat for 10-20 minutes! 

TRESemme Heat Defence styling Spray - 300ml

(£4.00 in Boots)

I have a lot of heat defence products in my collection, but the majority are ones that you use prior to blowdrying such as creams, gels, sprays. However, I wanted an item that I have the option of using when my hair is dry as extra protection before using my straighteners or curling irons and that wasn't going to be too heavy or greasy. We shall see what this is like! 

COLAB Dry Shampoo in PARIS - 200ml

(£3.49 in Superdrug) 

As most of you will know, this is the dry shampoo by Ruth Crilly - or 'A Model Recommends' on YouTube. I love dry shampoo and use it the day after washing my hair to save washing daily. I haven't tried this product yet but it has been on list since the launch. The fragrances are lovely - no powdery after smell like some dry shampoos have, particularly Batiste. As much as I love Batiste, I hate the scents as I find them so powdery and heavy! These however, are light, fresh and a good mixture for everyone. (Floral, fruity, classic and fresh). I picked up Paris which is described as 'An enchanting floral bouquet of jasmine & rose with a touch of patchouli'. I usually prefer sweet and fruity but this scent is lovely and I'm looking forward to using it. 

 Next up: Beauty 

Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Afternoon Tea and Aurora

(£6.99 in Superdrug)

I'm sure everyone knows by now about Tanya Burr's new cosmetics line. I wasn't overly excited but wanted to test them as there are a nice range of colours for the glosses so I thought I'd try a couple. The colours I decided on are the sort of everyday colours you can slap on when you don't want to make much effort with lipstick, but they're also equally nice for over a similar lipstick shade for a bit of shine and moisture. 

I've been wearing a lot of matte, bold lips over the last month and my lips are so dry - especially with me being out in the cold everyday. Lipglosses just give your lips a bit of a break! 

Aurora is the darker shade and I have worn it today. It's a lovely shade and the lipgloss itself is very nice. Very sticky but I like that in a lipgloss as it gives it a bit more staying power! They also have a lovely sweet scent, but without the nasty artificial taste you find with some.

Eyelure Pro-Lash Individuals 

(£5.35 in Superdrug) 

I've never actually used individuals before as I always assumed they'd be harder to apply than strip lashes. Apparently that isn't the case so I thought I'd give them a go. You get short, medium and long length individuals in this set so you can create the look you want. You also get the adhesive and a remover - they claim to be long-lasting so I guess the remover is needed - possibly! 

I'm quite excited to give them a go! 

That's all for my little haul!

Thanks for reading! 

Bye for now! 

Love, Tiffany xx

Mini Haul for Christmas!

Hi everyone! 

I hope you're all okay! I know I've completely failed on the 'Blogmas' front! I have a new laptop charger so my laptop is back in business, but... my own business is SO busy at the moment and it's far too hard to find a minute to sit and write anything when you have a house full of doggies and walks to do! 

So it will just be posts from now on, as I can't promise daily Christmas posts. 

I went to Meadowhall the other day to do my Christmas shopping. It was the first day in weeks I've had free so needed to get practically all of my shopping done! I tell you, I was in there that long I thought I'd actually die in there!! 

It was a successful shopping trip though, and I have a few items to show you. 

Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream Gift Set (£32.00)

I originally purchased this in Debenhams, but couldn't find it online so have linked to John Lewis where it can be purchased at the same price. 

I bought this for my mum as she is constantly trying out moisturisers. She's in her 50s and has pernicious anaemia causing her skin to become extremely dull and dry - more so when she is due her vitamin b12 injection. 

She loves Olay products, but only ever buys herself the cheaper items in the range. She won't justify purchasing the more expensive creams so I thought this would be a great way of testing out a new brand and seeing if it helps her skin. 

The price was originally £42.00 but can now be purchased at £32.00. It comes in a nice little bag and has 5 products in: The Original Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant 50ml, Intensive Moisturising Body Treatment 30ml, Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment 30ml, Intensive Daily Moisturiser for Face 15ml, Lip Protectant Stick 3.7g.

The Body Shop Vanilla Brulee Body Butter (£13.00) and Bob the Polar Bear Bath Sponge (£4.00)

I went in to The Body Shop looking for a gift for my friend who's a nail technician and recently did my nails all Christmassy and amazing for nothing for a Christmas present! 

I've heard a lot of people mention the vanilla brulee scent and with it being a Christmas limited edition item I thought it would be a nice gift. Lucky me as these full sized body butters were on offer for 2 for £16.00!! So I picked another up for myself and it is really yummy! 

The polar bear was just a cute little extra! She loves animals and her and her husband really want a dog but are waiting to move so she loves coming and seeing mine and my boarding dogs. I thought Bob would be a little pet for her until her own comes along! 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation in 10 Beige (£36.00)

This is a bit of a naughty splurge for myself! I'd finished my Christmas shopping and planned on a quick Boots trip for a new drugstore foundation. That didn't happen.. oops! 

I originally went in looking at the Vitalumiere Aqua which has been raved about by beauty bloggers and Youtubers for ages! I have oily skin so wasn't sure whether it would be for me, but when such as Tanya Burr has mentioned it has even been okay in her oily T-Zone I thought I'd give it a go. 

When I asked the sales assistant, she recommended something more long wearing so I took her advice and was colour matched to 10 Beige, which is the lightest shade. 

I've worn this a couple of times since purchasing and first impressions are great! So far I love it! It's held up amazingly on my skin while I have been out in the cold all day dog walking! Usually I come back home a hot mess!! 

The packaging is also amazing! So classy, great quality and has that classic channel black with embossed logo on the top of the lid. (Ahhhhhh).
.
I will do a full review on this in a couple of weeks when I've tested it properly, but so far I'm very happy with this purchase! 

November Favourites

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all okay and staying warm in this crazy weather we are having!

As promised yesterday, here are my November favourites.

Starting with skincare and base products.

Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - 

This is part of their 3-step skincare range. I've not tried the other products but I Love this moisturiser. It is aimed at those with combination to oily skin and according to the write up on the Boots website, it is "Skin's Moisture "Drink"".
I have always had problems with oily skin and when I was in my late teens I avoided adding moisture to my skin as I thought that would make it worse! Oops! Of course now, I'm all for adding moisture and I've definitely seen a huge improvement since taking more care of my skin.

Left: Max Factor Primer
Right: Clinique Gel

At this time of year, my skin becomes much thirstier and this moisturiser has been great at using morning and night. It's lightweight, non greasy feeling and soaks in lovely!
It is £30.00 for 125ml but 1 pump of this goes a long way and has lasted me ages!

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Primer with SPF 20 -

I bought this after hearing Tanya Burr mention it in one of her YouTube videos (October Favourites). She mentions how it comparable to the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer with SPF 15 which is £52.00 for 30ml! I've not tried this product so I can't tell you personally whether the Face Finity Primer is a comparable, but what I can tell you is I will be sticking to this primer at £10.99! It works rally well and is definitely the best primer I have used. It smoothes out my large pores on my cheeks and helps my foundation go on smoothly too! I'm not sure whether it has much effect on longevity but it definitely feels lovely to apply and looks lovely on. 

Loreal True Match Foundation with SPF 17 -

I am in the shade N2 Vanilla. This foundation comes in warm, cool and neutral tones which I love. My skin tone is neutral and I sometimes find it difficult matching foundations. I am very pale, and a lot of the paler shades can be very pink toned. I have a pinky toned face but my neck and body are more yellow toned/neutral so I need something that won't make me look like a strawberry starburst face!
I am always trying out new foundations to try and find something that suits my oily skin and has a good colour match, along with a decent amount of longevity. I tend to like a foundation for a while and then it stops working for me.
I picked this up in Boots for £9.99 and I absolutely loved it when I used it! The shade is perfect, it has a decent staying power for my skin and paired with primer above it just looks really natural but has enough coverage to cover any blemishes or marks. 

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge -

Left :RT Sponge

Right: Loreal True Match

This sponge apparently is comparable to the famous Beauty Blender. Again, something I have not used. This is £5.99 and lasts for ages! I had my last one about 6 months. It was washed every couple of days and kept its shape and texture wonderfully. This is my second one and I love it! I run the cold tap over it before I apply my foundation, and squeeze out the excess. It gives a really flawless finish and blends amazingly! I use this daily in my makeup routine! I love the shape as the flat side it perfect for pushing the foundation into your skin and the pointed side is great for concealing as it get get right around the eye area and is small enough to do precision work on any little marks you want to cover!

Seventeen Define & Conquer Contour Kit -

I had no idea about this product when I first came across it. I was browsing my local Boots store and saw it. Immediately had to have it and try it. Well, I loved it and I use it nearly every day for a light contour. 
It comes in two shades, Fair and Medium. I picked up the Fair shade for my skin tone and it's a lovely product! The highlighting powder is very powdery, as I've heard other people mention since purchasing and doesn't really serve a purpose as a highlighter. Having said that, I absolutely love this product as a setting powder for under my eyes over my concealer. It's a nice light colour and really helps to keep everything in place and brighten under the eyes. 

The contour colour is a lovely colour, not too orangey/red toned for my paler skin and really easy to blend! I use it along with my Real Techniques Contour Brush from the Core Collection. 
This product is £5.99 in Boots and is part of an offer on a free gift when you purchase two Seventeen products! I'm not sure how long this offer will last and wasn't aware of it until doing this post. 

That's base products done, now I'll show you my favourites for eyes and lips.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - 

We all know and love this palette I'm sure! This is definitely my favourite palette out of them all. The colours are right up my alley! I love the pigmentation, the variety of shimmery colours, mattes, satins and sparkly ones! I have a few that are my every day go to colours, and at this time of year I absolutely adore colours like Half Baked, Sidecar and Smog! They are super easy to work with and you can create so many looks with this one palette. It is £37.00 direct from Urban Decay. 

No7 Sultry Eyes Palette - 

This palette is no longer available. It was brought out as part of No7's Christmas Collection a couple of years ago in a free gift set. One of those, spend over £££s and get a free gift. This is a beautiful set!! I love this palette and I actually really do wish it was still available as I have hit pan on two of the four colours as you can see in the picture. I bring it out during the festive period as the colours are SO shimmery, but blend really well and look absolutely gorgeous on the eyes! I particularly love the frosty colour on the inner corner of the eye, it gives such a brightening sparkly finish! 

Maybelline Eyestudio Colour Tattoo 24hr (including Leather Effect) - 

Left to right: Creamy Beige, On and On Bronze, Metallic Pomegranate

I use the original Colour Tattoos quite regularly in my routine and have been loving them in the month of November! I have a few shades, but the shades I have been using and loving are 70 - Metallic Pomegranate and 35 - On and On Bronze. These shades are lovely and work really well to add a pop of colour for a quick make up look, or work great as a base for similar eyeshadow shades to really intensify and increase longevity! The On and On Bronze colour works really well with the taupe shade of the No7 palette, or with colours such as Half Baked and Sidecar from the Naked palette. 

The leather effect colour is one I have heard many people on YouTube mention. I have the shade Creamy Beige 98. It is comparable to Mac's Paint Pot in Groundwork, but at a fraction of the price at £4.99! It does last all day on me and works well alone as a quick wash of colour, or as a base colour. 

Collection Work the Colour Eyebrow Kit - 

This kit is £3.99 and I love it! I use it every day that I do a full face and I definitely find it a great quality product! I have heard some mention that the middle shade comes off slightly red toned, but I don't find this the case on myself. I have very dark hair anyway but I find the darkest brown looks too full on for my taste so I use the mid shade to simply fill in where needed and shape. I also use the lighter shade towards the thinner end of my brows, mixed with a little of the mid shade it looks more natural.
The gel is really good too and I like that it's clear so you can stick to a more natural look using the powder. 

Maybelline Colour Drama Lipstick - 

These are amazing! What more can I say?! I love a bold lip at this time of year and the shades I have are perfect! They are so creamy but have a lovely matte finish which I prefer over a glossy finish for a bold lip! They are SO long wearing and easy to apply being a pencil. 
I've been wearing these near enough every day throughout November and now into December I am still wearing them. The only downside with them being matte is they are quite drying on the lips, so extra care is needed in preparation and my night time routine now consists of lathering on a load of vaseline! Other than that, they are absolutely gorgeous! Plus, at £4.99 they are so much more affordable than similar items such as the NARS lip pencils at £18.00! I have three shades, but will definitely purchase more when we're out of the festive/winter period. 

Without Flash
L-R : Keep it Classy, Red Essential, Light it Up

With Flash
L-R: Keep it Classy, Red Essential, Light it Up

That's my lot for what I was loving in November!

Thanks for reading!!

Love, Tiffany x

Typical!

Hiya!

So, as the title suggests.. it's just typical!

As I think I mentioned in my first post on my blog, I board dogs and have my own business. If you're interested in what I do, want to have a look at my website or live in South Yorkshire and could be a service you need you can see my website here or visit my Facebook page. Just search for Tiff's Tails.

Anyway, recently I had two dogs staying and one of them decision it would be a great idea to chew up my laptop charger! Oops!! I didn't rush to get one as I have an Ipad and decided to stick with that for the time being. Unfortunately, the ipad isn't all that compatible with writing blog posts! Especially longer ones with images!! I got a quarter way through a recent post on my November favourites and it started being funny with scrolling issues!

I've ordered a charger yesterday on next day delivery so will be here today and I plan on finishing my drafted posts and getting them up to you asap!

I had all this good will on doing 'Blogmas' daily! I'll just have to squeeze the last few days into a post and give you a bit of an update! It'll be up and running again hopefully this evening!

Bye for now!

Love, Tiffany x

Christmas Trees and Golden Eyes

Hiya!

Today has been oh so cold! I've had a busy day walking varies doggies and quite frankly, I'm freezing!!

I've just made a yummy hot chocolate, using real Cadbury's Dairy Milk melted into Milk! This was inspired by a recent video by Fleur de Force making spiced orange hot choc! I've just missed out the spiced orange part but it sure is yummy!! You can see Fleur's video here -

I'm having a cosy afternoon after being out in the cold all day! The lights on the tree is lit, I have my festive Christmas minion jumper on and the dogs are snoozing! Lovely!

There is a group on Facebook for owners of pusgs. There are actually quite a few, but this one in particular is a small group and we have all become very friendly! This year we have done a Secret Santa pug style!! The maximum spend was £5 and we were give our pug/person to send our gift to! I received my little parcel for my two furbabies yesterday and we are all opening them at the same time this evening!! I'm far too excited, it's slightly unhealthy! I shall post later what our little gift is!

I have a post planned for tomorrow for my November favourites! Plus my Blogmas post, so stay tuned if you're enjoying my ramblings!



Love, Tiffany x

Blogmas!

It's here! It's finally here! Christmas time! 

Christmas time is my FAVOURITE time of year. I love the clothes, the makeup, the atmosphere, the decorations, food! When it comes to the festive period I am as happy as Larry!! (Who's Larry?!)

I thought it'd be a great way to start off my blog and let you get to know me a little - so throughout December up to Christmas I shall be attempting to blog daily on my goings on (similar to the vlogmas idea on YouTube). 

I'm really excited about Christmas this year.. I'm really excited about Christmas every year though, let's be honest!

What you don't know about me is I have two pugs. Jovi and Monty! They're both getting super festive and loving all the extra attention with their snuggly jumpers!! 

This is a picture of Jovi last Christmas is his SUPER cute festive harness! Practical and seasonal, what could be better?! He was 7 months in this picture, now 19 months and it fits him perfectly! 

As I mentioned, I love the makeup and clothes at this time of year! Gold eyes and a berry lip or bright red lip is my go to look, along with a really crazy Christmas mumper! Today I wore a Christmas jumper form the men's section in TKMaxx last year! It was super warm and cosy for my busy day of dog walking! (I am taking a year out from my Midwifery Studies and have my own business working with dogs - Jovi loves the extra playmates). 

I am now cosies up in bed with a hot water bottle, hot chocolate and some YouTube videos to catch up on! 

Nighty night! 

Love, Tiffany x