♡ My First Colourpop Haul ♡

みなさん、こんにちは!

Note; I was going to do swatches... but they turned out terrible - slightly out of focus because of shaky arms, even though I used a tripod, and the lighting was awful too, so  I'll do some proper lip swatches (with added reviews) as soon as I have some free time~

I messed up. Well, I didn't really mess up bbbuuuttt as I'm meant to be saving for my Japan trip at the end of the year... I messed up. Colourpop has been on my radar for a while now, and after seeing more UK bloggers purchasing pieces, I decided to dive in further. As Colourpop don't do shipping to the UK at the moment, the easiest way to do so, is by getting an American shipping address - I use Shipto - and doing it that way! You literally add items to your cart, enter the American address you've signed up for, in the shipping and billing sections and away you go! You wait (very patiently) for the email, saying that your parcel is in their care, then you pay a small service fee and the shipping fee from their warehouse, to you doorstep! It really is as simple as 1, 2, 3!

Now, I actually did two different orders - my first order being when Colourpop had a sale on, and the second one when they offered a free limited edition eyeshadow single, to celebrate their second birthday. I wasn't intending on doing the second purchase, but all I had to do was spend $30 (which is easily done) and voila! It happened... But basically, because both orders were put together, the shipping fee and service fee didn't mount up in the end - I paid less than $15 for both.

Eyeshadow Singles

○ Glow ○ Birthday Boy ○ KathleenLights ○ Cornelious ○

How stunning are these? Glow, KathleenLights and Cornelious are actually three single colours from the Kathleen Lights Quad collection, but when I did my first order, it was, sadly, out of stock - so I had to make do with these three for now! Birthday Boy just oozes that little bit of swish and glitter that could probably make any look pop!

Eyeshadow Collections 

○ Kaepop ○ Jenn Ne Sais Quad ○

Two stunning quads for $20 each? I was sold in all honesty. I love how different the formula is of these eyeshadows... they don't seem powdery? It almost feels as if it's a cushioned liquid/mousse kind of formula?! It's weird, but I'm super looking forward to using the beauties properly! On first impressions, the Jenn Ne Sais Quad appeals to me more, because of the two bottom colours (brick red and a blackened brown) are more... well, me I suppose? 

Ultra Matte Lip

○ Are & Be ○ Bianca ○ Cheap Thrills ○ Lumiere II ○ Trap ○ Tulle ○

Matte lipsticks are my favourite at the moment, and after searching through different swatches on google - the above six colours were my favourite! I will probably make my way through the whole collection in the future... but these six will satisfy. At first glance, I'm more pulled towards Cheap Thrills and Are & Be, compared to the others, and normally I would have a berry/bold red matte lip colour in ANY haul but this time, I stuck with nudes and pinks - for now.

Ultra Satin Lip

○ Dopey ○ Echo Park ○ Frick 'n' Frack ○ Marshmallow ○ Prim ○ Tansy ○ Toolips ○

As soon as I saw Marshmallow, I just knew that I had to have it. And it's shocking for me, because I don't have any satin lipstick in my collection any more? I just have a few Gerard Cosmetics lipsticks and some Etude House ones, but the rest are liquid and matte... that's how predictable I am these days. But it wasn't just Marshmallow I had to have straight away, Tansy and Toolips also won me over... Tansy because it's a little weird and Toolips because... I actually don't know why, but the swatch looked amazing. I am, so looking forward to using the beauties soon!

Lippie Stix

○ Cami ○ Creature ○ Lumiere ○ Pillow Talk ○ Taurus ○ Tootsi ○

I was slightly heartbroken, that Cami and Creature came a little bit weird? Cami was backwards and all twisted, whilst Creature was slightly twisted in the tube. None the less, all the colours are simply stunning. A couple of colours are from the Matte X collection - I think Cami, Pillow Talk and Tootsi? Lumiere was part of the Kathleen Lights collection, and hence why I got this was because of Lumiere II as well! I love all of these colours in all honesty... I really don't know how I'm going to choose whenever I need a lip colour!

So there we have it! I love each and every item, even the ones that are a little twisted, but I am looking forward to incorporating these items into my everyday - and extreme - looks!

Thanks for reading!
xoxo

♡ 10 Things I Can't Live Without ♡

みなさん、こんにちは!

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The gorgeous Lizzie linked an old blog post of hers, onto her twitter a while ago and, after reading it and finding myself nodding along, I asked if I could do the same sort of thing for me, and she was happy to - so thank you darling, for the inspiration ♡

♡ Friends and Family

Cliché, I know. But it's true, so why deny it?! I love my friends - especially my closet friends - as they have seen me at my best, but also at my worst and haven't discarded me, because I was broken, like people have done in the past. I have pictures EVERYWHERE in my room of friends (for now - I'm in the middle of sorting out family photos!) and just looking at them, makes me smile - and I love how they have that affect on me.

♡ Make-up

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Sounds so superficial, but I do love my make-up. I love that little rush of adrenaline, whenever I purchase something new, that little shiver that runs down my spine whenever I first break the seal. Lipsticks are definitely my favourite ever item - seriously, I have over 100 in my collection - and yet, I do not seem to believe, that I have enough. Somewhere in my brain, something is telling me to just keep purchasing them. Cries. False lashes are the second priority in my list of make-up... even though I have cut back on wearing them these days (damn you sensitive eyes!) I still NEED them. I feel, that my look isn't complete without a pair of lashes.

♡ J-Dramas and Movies

I. Am. Addicted. To. Japanese. Dramas. Movies are, well I don't mind, as the range of movies go from Disney to creepy horrors. But dramas, boy are they something. I do prefer Japanese dramas to Korean/Taiwanese/Chinese etc. as the episodes are shorter - 45 minutes long - and they get the whole story done, and dusted, within 10-12 episodes. What's so hard about that? Others just seem too padded, too "must get many episodes, must do extra branch of story"? Anyway, dramas are one of my, truest, loves and it'll never change.

♡ Popteen

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Popteen magazine is a Japanese magazine that (used) to do Gyaru make-up and fashion, but over the past few years, they've kind of drawn away from the Gyaru image, and just stick to what is fashionable at the moment. They also do make-up tutorials, the step-by-step kind, and I love following them, getting inspiration from them, and just flicking through the pages - it's mesmerising and relaxing.

♡ Wigs
Ever since I had a bleaching incident - about five years ago now - I didn't like my hair at all, so I had it all chopped off and that was fine at first, but once I was able to start growing it again, it went to that horrible, ugly in-between short and medium length, you know the one I mean? Well, in comes wigs and I feel pretty and have pretty hair, and because of the different colours, I managed to sustain my hair dyeing urge. I do have, a rather extensive collection of wigs now, but I love how with these wigs, I can chop and change so easily, without the damage. And because of the wigs, my hair is now healthy and happy, and is down past my shoulders! It'll never be as thick as it was before the bleaching, but I'm just glad that I was able to save it - and I'm leaving the bleaching to the professionals now!

♡ Books

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Even though, in my room there doesn't seem to be many books on display - I have a couple of manga series and some leather bound books, along with photobooks and my Popteen magazines, all on one shelf - I do have, a harem of books hiding under my bed, in book boxes. I have loved books, ever since my parents started reading to me, when I was little - I think I still have some series (in mint condition) up in the loft, safely packed away, because I took such amazing care of them - and it makes me super sad, when I see the children at work destroy books, just because. I physically cry over the books.......

♡ My pets
I adore my pets. They know me way too well, and they know my emotions. I have been struggling over the past few years, to conquer my depression and anxiety but there have been days, where it has just hit - and boy did it hit hard. My dogs have, somehow, picked up my changes and have stuck beside me through the toughest spells, where as my cats.. are just my cats and stick by my side whenever I am at home, working. Recently, we lost one of our horses and that hit harder than I imagined, as she was the same age as me, and mum had owned her since she was eight weeks old, so she is more than a pet - she was a family member, and letting go of that family member, broke me. And that's how I view my pets - they are my family members, and they are no less than that.

♡ Music

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Where would I be without music? Over the past eighteen months, I have been studying my NVQ Level 3 in Childcare - to officially become a qualified nursery nurse - and because I haven't watched as many movies and dramas as I would normally do, over this time, I have turned to my music, just to keep me sane through the deadlines and mountains of coursework. I don't stick to one genre of music though, I actually have an eclectic taste in music, because my family listens to so many different genres and artists, how could I just stick to one?!

♡ Laptop / Tablet
My ppprrreeeccciiiooosss~ My laptop has been, my ultimate boo over the past eighteen months, and I do not know what I'd do without it. I have over 1GB of memory, and I swear, it's just jam packed with music, photographs, dramas, movies and coursework... that is what my laptop runs on. I don't really do games - I think I just have solitaire loaded on, to be honest? My tablet, I have had almost three years now and it has done me well. I use that for my instagram account and other social media, whenever I don't have my laptop to hand. People have their phones - I have my tablet, instead of a phone to rely on.

♡ Cooking

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And finally, cooking. Cooking soothes me, relaxes me through stressful times, and I love seeing the final outcome. I started learning how to cook, because of nan, and after watching her bake/cook many a times, I asked her when I was around five, to teach me the basics. She started me off, and since then, my mum has been teaching me - either by me watching her, or her helping me etc. I don't know, if I like baking or cooking better, to be honest, but I enjoy both, no matter what.

So, there we go! These are the things, that make me tick. I hope this post, has kind of made me seem more human, and not just a person rolling out make-up review, after make-up review on this blog? I've, actually, enjoyed writing this and I did control myself, not to ramble away, so yay! Brownie points for me!

Thanks for reading!
xoxo

♡ Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipsticks in Doll Parts, Gemini & Scorpio ♡

みなさん、こんにちは!

I don't think, that it really comes as a shock to anybody, any more, that I love the Jeffree Star's Cosmetics line. I have my eyes on the Beauty Killer palette, for when I get paid (SOON!) and, when the Skin Frost line comes back in stock, I am getting my hands on the Ice Cold version - I have the Mint Condition version on its way to me, but Ice Cold was my first choice originally.

But, before those items were released, I purchased three liquid velour lipsticks - two new colours; Scorpio (duh, it is my star sign!) and Gemini, and a restock of Doll Parts. I still want a few more colours - especially the two new colours, Rose Matter and Mannequin, but sadly I will have to wait for the next restock of those, because they get released five days before my payday, sob. But anyway, waiting over 10 days, very patiently, for these lipsticks was EXCRUCIATINGLY painful, especially after seeing lots of different swatches - videos and pictures - online, but it was worth it in the end, and lets just say, I was not disappointed~

All three colours are just, simply stunning in person, and the formula is still the best. Doll Parts is a soft, but beautiful cool toned pink and against my skin, uuuggghhh. So nice! Gemini is a terracotta warm-toned nude, and I didn't think this would suit me at first, but boy was I wrong! And finally, Scorpio (yyyaaasss!) is, like a love child of purple and grey and holy shit, it is a stunner.

As usual, I cannot fault these lipsticks for their formula. The colours are just divine, and my collection just keeps on growing every time! I love how, each colour can suit all skin tones, no matter what, even if it seems like that a specific one, wouldn't suit you because you're a... lets say olive complexion with cool undertones - any lipstick from this line would possibly suit you.
Also, I love how you can mix the colours together and create a totally, new and awesome colour! I just love experimenting, and I think you can find different mixes and matches from the shades somewhere online... I need to do the searching again!

Thanks for reading!
xoxo

♡ Japan Centre Haul ♡

みなさん、こんにちは!

Recently; I've been on a cooking whirl, and one of the cuisines I have been wanting to cook for aaagggeeesss is Japanese - but because of where I live, it's hard to get certain ingredients.

I have used Japan Centre in the past - when I used to live in London for university, whenever it was payday from student loans, I would go up to there (when it was located on Regent Street) and get the basics I liked cooking with, i.e. dashi stock, noodles, karaage seasoning and more. Fast forward a few years, and the fact I haven't shopped in Japan Centre for a long time, and we're here!

Besides the basics; soya sauce, mirin, cooking sake, sushi rice, sushi nori and dashi stock, I went with a couple of kits; the breakfast set and miso soup kit, fish cake, udon noodles and noodle extras, some snack pieces (as a treat), my favourite strawberry milk, some other basic store cupboard ingredients, a couple of bento items, and finally; a gorgeous black, matte ramen bowl w/ chopsticks. I just, literally, spent over the £75 limit and got free next day delivery because of it... score!

There are also a few items, I purchased that aren't listed here either! I managed to get hold of a few bars of the Lotte Ghana White Chocolate and some matcha powder - because I had seen a recipe for a matcha latte using those specific ingredients, I couldn't resist!

Everything was so well packed, and preserved - as the fishcake was a cold item, it came in a cool box with the gel ice blocks! Nothing came damaged, and it did stick to the "next day delivery" as I had ordered before the cut off point. I will, certainly, use the online shop again in the future, but for bigger purchases, and when I need a few items here and there, I will just wait until I go into London to pick them up myself!

I haven't cooked many dishes yet - only tanuki udon, donburi, ongiri and used the tofu for a different dish, but I cannot wait to try more! What's also handy, is that Japan Centre has a recipe section, so you don't have to scour the internet, looking for one.

Until then, do check out their site. I know you can rack up points whenever you spend, can purchase a subscription for either snacks or tea, and sometimes they hold special offers with things i.e. extra points, or discounted items because of holidays etc.

Thanks for reading!
xoxo