Autumnal Make-up

If you read my recent Autumn Wishlist post, you'll know that I am very excited for Autumn this year.. In fact, I'm now so ready for Autumn that I've even found myself a little annoyed by the warmer weather we've been having here in the UK..  *You had your chance Summer.. now it's time for the cold!*. 

So before heading off on a recent shopping trip, I couldn't resist the opportunity to fully indulge in my latest love & go for a full Autumn make-up look (& write a post all about it too.. of course).

Add a floppy hat for extra autumnal feelings

What I'm Wearing: 

Foundation - MAC Studio Sculpt [x]

Under-eye Concealer - Rimmel Wake Me Up [x]

Blemish Concealer - Collection Lasting Perfection [x]

Setting Powder - Rimmel Stay Matte [x]

Bronzer - Rimmel Natural Bronzer [x]

Mascara - Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express  [x]

Eye-Brows - Soap & Glory Archery [x]

Lipstick - Make-up Revolution "Rebel With A Cause" [x]

(I couldn't find the exact shade, so have linked one similar)

In my opinion nothing screams Autumn/Winter make-up more than a dark lip.. whether it be a deep red, purple or brown. One of my current favourites when wearing a dark lip has to be this deep purple shade from Make-up Revolution. Plus  - at the bargain price of £1.00 - they're the perfect product for experimenting with different shades.

I can't wait for the chillier weather to make an appearance again so I can complete this look by teaming it with cosy jumpers & oversized scarves.

If you have any autumn/winter make-up staples, let me know in the comments.
I'm always looking for an excuse to try new products.
xxx

Lush's Sex Bomb - Review

For Valentines day this year I was presented with Lush's "Sex Bomb" as part of a gift from my lovely boyfriend.. However it wasn't until a few days ago I realised I was still yet to use it.. So after a long day, I decided to treat myself to a hot bath & finally get around to using this gift  as the perfect little pick me up. 
Of course - as the excellent blogger that I am - I couldn't resist the photo opportunity & decided to put together a little review of the product.. why not hey?

How is it possible for a bath-bomb so be so beautiful?

As soon as I unwrapped this product I instantly fell in love - it's beautiful. I adore the the gradient from pink to purple & the flower on top are the perfect added touch to really set this product apart... so naturally, I couldn't wait to see how pretty it made my bath look.

As you can see above, the product definitely didn't disappoint - pink water & a gorgeous flower floating around.. what more could you ask for?!
With a blend of clary sage, ylang ylang & jasmine - which are each used commonly within aromatherapy to help calm the mind & reduce stress/anxiety - Sex Bomb is the perfect bath product to use after a long stressful day. So whether your looking to treat a special someone or just fancy pampering yourself, this bath bomb is a good place to start!  
Lush's Sex Bomb bath bomb is currently retails for £3.50 & is available both online & in store. 
Have you used Sex Bomb? What's your favourite Lush products?

Home-made Strawberry Milkshake

Despite being in my early twenties & (apparently) a responsible adult, one of my favourite drinks has to be the classic strawberry milkshake.. yummm. However, the other side of trying to act like a responsible adult is knowing that most milk-shakes - filled with ice-cream & sugar - are in no way healthy. 
But - in my opinion - this shouldn't have to mean that those who are - at least trying - to live a slightly healthier lifestyle have to miss out on these delicious drinks. 
So I thought I'd share one of current favourite recipes for a home-made strawberry milkshake... 

Disney glass optional, but highly recommended.

Ingredients for 1 Milkshake: 4 or 5 frozen strawberries 250ml Semi-skimmed Milk  1/2 tsp sugar to taste (optional)
Method:  1) Pop the strawberries into your blender - I personally use the Breville Blend Active 2) Sprinkle in a little sugar for added sweetness if desired 3) Add semi-skimmed milk 4) Slowly pulse the ingredients until you've reached the milkshake desired consistency 
This is a simple recipe that quickly satisfies any sweet cravings that may pop up.. plus it's much healthier (& cheaper) than popping to the nearest Ed's Diner. 
What's your favourite healthy treat? I'm always on the look out for healthier alternatives!

Autumn Wishlist

In my opinion, you really can't beat Autumn/Winter fashion.. now don't get me wrong, I love summer & all things warm... but there's nothing better than snuggling up in oversized jumper with a hot chocolate in hand.

Due to our lack of summer here in the UK I've been mentally ready for the colder months since at least the middle of August.. This of course means I've spent a great deal of my time browsing various retail sites to decided which items simply needed to be added to my collection this year.

So, like a true blogger.. I decided the best way of justifying this time would be putting together a little wishlist of my favourite items ready for the cooler months.

1. Cut Out Ankle Boots - Missguided - £20.00 [x]

2. Rimmel Apocalips - shade Eclipse - £6.49 [x]

3. Faux Fur Trimmed Jacket - River Island - £55.00 [x]

4. OPI "Black Cherry" Nail Lacquer - £12.50 [x]

5. Gold/Brown Stone Necklace - New Look - £7.99 [x]

6. Brooke Bag by Marc B - Top Shop - £55.00 [x]

7. Faux Fur Blanket Wrap - New Look - £24.99 [x]

8. Make-up Revolution "Pro one" Eye-shadow Palette - £6,99 [x] 

9. Grey Felt Hat - New Look - £14.99 [x]

As I'm sure you can tell, I'm very excited to go back to berry/neutral shades again..  A gorgeous new burgundy handbag teamed with cut out Chelsea boots & a brown smoky eye? Or how about a dark berry lip teamed with a Faux fur blanket wrap & floppy autumn hat? Yes please!

Have you spotted any Autumn/Winter finds?
As you can tell, I'm on the look out for new items.

xxx

Disneyland Paris Essentials

If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed a few posts counting down to a certain exciting event.. That event - as the title suggests - is a a trip to Disneyland Pairs! *squeals with excitement*.

Whilst I have been to Disneyland Paris a few times before, it's somewhere I've been dreaming of re-visiting for many many years now. So - as I'm sure you can imagine - I'm extremely excited finally be going again!

After the initial excitement settled, I realised this was the perfect excuse to inject some Disney magic into  my wardrobe (enter running around Primark like a crazy woman) & I simply couldn't resist sharing.

Tinkerbell T-shirt - £6.00 - Primark
Minnie Mouse Make-up bag - £4.00 - Primark 

Comic Strip Mickey T-shirt - £6.00 - Primark 

Vintage Mickey & Minnie Sweatshirt - £10.00 - Primark 

Minnie Mouse Wash Bag - £4 - Primark
Bambi T-shirt - £6.00 - Primark
Minnie Mouse Ears - £14.00 - Disney Store [x]
(These were actually a gift from Florida so I've linked similar)
Mickey Mouse & Bambi Pyjama Shorts - £4.00 each

I love that Primark have teamed up with Disney to release so many adorable yet affordable pieces.. It's the perfect excuse to stock up my wardrobe (bathroom & make-up collection) with all things Disney!

I know some may say this is a little excessive for a 3 day trip.. but I like to call it being prepared. Plus if you can't go overboard at Disneyland when can you?!

Have you found any Disney related items recently?

Plus if anyone has any Disneyland hints/tips please let me know! 

xxx

Soap & Glory: Archery 2-in-1 Eyebrow Pencil

As many beauty lovers know Soap & Glory is a brand that has a lot to offer, including gorgeous bath & make-up products. However despite being a huge fan of the bath products,  I'd never actually sampled anything from their make-up collection 
That is until very recently, when I finally decided to jump on the bandwagon & purchase the Archery 2-in-1 Eyebrow Pencil.

As you can see above, Soap & Glory's Archery 2-in-1 is essentially a double ended eyebrow pencil. With one end containing the pencil itself & the other a spoolie-type brush. The pencil - which is a lot thinner than most eye-brow pencils - is used in light/short strokes to add definition & shape. Then the brush is used to ensure the pencil is fully blended & tame any of those pesky fly-away hairs. 
 As someone who often struggles to create a satisfactory look from regular eye-brow powders or pencils, I find this product allows the precision to create perfectly defined brows. 
Archery currently retails at £8.00 & comes in two shades; "Blondshell" & "Hot Chocolate". As my eyebrows are slightly darker than my hair I use Hot Chocolate & find it matches perfectly. 
After using this product for around a week it's safe to say that I've found a new favourite to add to my collection & I honestly don't know why I didn't invest sooner. 
Have you used Soap & Glory's Archery Pencil? What are your thoughts?

Goodbye Summer - FOTD

Now that we're saying goodbye to summer & heading towards autumn it's the perfect time to start bringing out those darker autumnal shades. 

Don't get me wrong, I think the bright pinks & corals that dominate the summer months are gorgeous.. but there's just something about the wintery dark reds & purples that I love...These shades have definitely started to make an appearance within my make-up routine so whilst I was getting ready a few days back I thought I'd put together a little Face Of The Day showing a slight transition towards an autumn/winter look. 

Products: 
Foundation: Rimmel's Lasting Finish 25 Hour Nude [x]  Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection [x] Setting Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder [x] Bronzer: Rimmel's Natural Bronzer [x] Blusher: Sleek's Face Form Palette (shade: Light) [x] Eye-Shadow: Barry M Natural Glow Palette [x]
Mascara: Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express [x] Eye-Brows: MUA Pro-Brow Kit (shade: Fair-Medium) [x] Lipstick: Rimmel & Kate Moss in shade 08 [x]
As you can tell this look is in no way dramatic as instead I've opted for a slightly dark pink lip along with a faint brown eye look... Although it's safe to say that I can't wait to start bringing out my dark lipsticks ready for the cold months ahead! 
What are your current favourite autumn/winter make-up items?

Blog Revamp...

Hang on.. a post going live on a Monday.. what is this craziness? Well.. Recently I found myself struggling with the feeling that something wasn't quite right with my blog.. This feeling irritated me for at least a few weeks, until late one evening it finally dawned on me.. I was simply no loner happy with my blog's look.

So after many hours of trailing the internet to find a new design that incorporated everything I was looking for (apparently I'm very picky when it comes to blog design?!), I would like to present the new - & hopefully improved - Small & Blonde! 

Although only short & sweet I wanted to publish a quick post to welcome any comments or feedback on the little make over.. (although please be nice-ish.. I'm only human after all). 

xxx

Syrian Refugee Crisis - Can We Help?

Now I know this differs drastically in comparison to my usual beauty/fashion related posts, however I felt that this was something that I needed to address..
For those of you who don't know, following Syria's civil war many men, women & children have been forced to flee their home country in what has now been reported as one of the largest forced migrations since World War Two. 
After reading a number of devastating articles surrounding the Refugee Crisis, it's safe to say that  I instantly wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help. So - after I little research - I decided to share my findings here for anyone who may be feeling the same way, but unsure on what can be done. 

Photo Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 
Some ways we can help
Making a Donation:  Many charities including Save The Children, Oxfam & World Vision are offering help & support to those in need. A donation is quick & easy to make by following the links to the registered charity site. For those who can't donate money, many charities are also asking for items to be donated, such as books to those living in the refugee camps. 
Volunteering:  If you'd rather be more hands on there are opportunities to work alongside charities to offer physical support. This may include something a large as applying  for an internship programme supporting local Grassroot Groups. Grassroot Groups are groups of "normal" people who come together to offer support to those in need in any way possible. This may include raising funds, offering transport to drop of items to camps, or collecting donated items. 
Signing Petitions:  Many petitions have been set up in order to show the public's support. Examples include this petition requesting for the UK to accept and increase support to refugees, this petition for Britain to accept its share of refugees & this petition supporting the creating of a Euro-wide policy to help the refugees current in Calais. Signing petitions like this may not feel like a ground-breaking movement, however they're a free & simple way to connect with more people in order to make more change.
Now these are just a few of the ways in which help & support can be offered, but I'd be here all day if I was to write them all out.. If you're interested in other ways in which you can help, a little research online should bring up more options. But I hope this provides some insight for anyone who - like me - was unsure of the ways that support can be offered to the Syrian refugees who currently need it.  xxx  *Disclaimer - most of the links above are to UK charities/websites. However international alternatives are available*. 

Countryside Mini Break

Although I've been living in & around the centre of a city since moving for university, my home will always be in the countryside. So when the opportunity to visit my family home for a few days (a small area nestled within the Cotswold's) I jumped on the next train back.  

Although only back for a few days, I tried to make sure I squeezed in as many of my favourite "home" activities as possible including a trip to my local pub for (far to many) glasses of Pimms, much over due time with my family, hot chocolates at my favourite little coffee shop & of course many, many snuggles with my chunky little fur-ball of a cat; Fizz. 

I also arrived back a few days after my family returned from their holiday in Florida. Unfortunately I had stay in rainy England to work (being a responsible adult is the worst!) but I was lucky enough to be treated to Disney themed gifts *hence the Disney items above*. If you fancy being nosey & peeking at my Disney Haul, click here.