Charlotte Tilbury Lipsticks For Valentine's Day

With less than a week to go, Valentine's Day is going to be my best one yet. I'm engaged, I'm far more confident than I was a year ago and I've been stepping my makeup game up a notch. Why bother showcasing a ton of lipsticks to wear that I probably won't pick out on the day, when I can show you some of the highest quality ones? I tend to go for either of two lip colours on days like Valentine's; a simple nude in case I smudge my lippy all over my face, or a bold red whilst remembering that I need to consume all drinks with a straw. Either way, here are a few shades I'd personally recommend from Charlotte Tilbury.

The two red shades I love are both from the Matte Revolution range; Love Liberty and Red Carpet Red. Love Liberty is described as a 'berry pink matte lipstick' but definitely comes off more red-pink on my lips. It has rosy undertones which make it quite different from the classic bold red shade if that's what you prefer. Red Carpet Red is a 'true ruby red matte lipstick' and screams glamour from the old Hollywood days. The main reason I love the Matte Revolution lipsticks is that it softens and protects the lips to hydrate them, so you have a matte finish without completely drying them out like a lot of other matte lippies. They're long-lasting thanks to the oils, waxes and triglycerides and you can precise application from the angled tip so even when the lipstick wears down you'll still have that square tip. I tend to use a Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat liner underneath and the colours stay bold and bright. Other great reds from Charlotte Tilbury are So Marilyn (a bombshell red), Shanghai Nights (a deep rich sultry red), Dangerous Liaison (a warm rusty rose) and Legendary Queen (a soft neutral wine).

If you're more of a nude-coloured gal, shades like Bitch Perfect from the K.I.S.S.I.N.G range are perfect. Bitch Perfect is a peach-toned nude and really brings out my blue eyes and pale skin. I think nudes really differ depending on your skin colour but then again, you should wear whatever shade you want. The K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks have light-diffusing pigments to give your lips a multi-dimensional finish to capture the light and reflect it back for a full-bodied effect. The 'Lipstick Tree extracts' nourish the lips to protect them from UV damage and keeps them lovely and smooth. They also contain a special blend of waxes to make the lipstick glide over the lips to maintain the rich colour without bleeding outside of the lip line. For further prevention of bleeding you can use a Lip Cheat in the corresponding colour. More nudes to choose from are Pillow Talk (a dreamy nude pink), American Sweetheart (a naturally tawny pink), Best Actress (a creamy brown nude), and Kidman's Kiss (a rose petal-pink). Rachel from Beauty And The Bird has reviewed Bond Girl which is another stunning shade.

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Christmas At Home With B&M*

I've never hosted a Christmas Day dinner before, until this year when things have played out a little different. I wasn't sure which theme to go for; bright and red, subtle and silver, shimmery gold or rose gold and glitter. Or even a multi-coloured theme to go with everything else. However, I saw some pretty rose gold baubles from B&M and it sparked the whole idea of a copper Christmas. They've provided me with some items to help me decorate for Christmas and treat my guests to some wine and treats too.

The first thing I thought about was about what we'd eat with. Did I need to buy more plates? Do they need to be Christmas themed only to sit in a cupboard for 364 days a year? I decided to stick with the white plates we already had but could do with some placemats and coasters. These aren't from the Christmas section of B&M but I walked past them and couldn't not get them. They're double-sided with the side I used being glittery and champagne but the underside is like a metallic copper. I asked Andy which side to use and to my surprise, he liked the glittery one. There are matching coasters too with the same reversible sides so we picked up them to match. You will notice I completely forgot about cutlery as I was so focused on making the scene pretty, and the £4.50 napkins I bought especially for this campaign from another store but oh well. When I move house I will be buying rose gold cutlery and B&M do a pretty set for just under ten pounds.

We picked up a red, rosé and white wines so that our guests have something lovely to drink and they're all under £5 each. I will be providing something non-alcoholic of course but I haven't planned that far ahead yet. There are some very similar wine glasses you can pick up for £4.99 for a pack of four. I already owned this pretty copper sequin table runner but if you're doing a silver or gold themed table, then B&M do some sequinned table runners too. For across the runner, we used a 6 pack of rose gold baubles that we found whilst browsing our local store for £2.49 each and they really tie in the Christmas element to this glitzy table. I would have added some crackers but I've been to a ton of stores in the past few weeks and I've not found one that sold copper ones and obviously, I didn't want to break my theme.

Behind our table we have a set of drawers that is pretty handy for keeping tablewear in. The dining room is pretty dark so I knew I had to lighten it up a little. I started with a centrepiece; a rose gold glittery tray from B&M that is now under £5 which is an absolute bargain. I filled it with bits I found whilst in the store which included a glittery candle, a mini white candle, some copper bows to stick onto presents and a huge pack of rose gold baubles. In front of it I added some faux holly and ivy, and glittery leaf things I had lying around.

Me being me, I went to about six B&M stores to pick up these things because I wanted it to be a perfect set up and I walked around the whole place each time, so I found bits I wouldn't have normally done if I had just gone to the Christmas section. I found a large jar that you'd probably fill with pasta but I had an idea in mind. Use some of the little baubles and a selection of battery-operated fairy lights and you can DIY yourself this little decoration. In fact, you could do this with almost anything to make it Christmas-themed, and switch it out with something else for the rest of the year. There are plenty of items in your local B&M Home Store for Christmas including some amazing light up decorations, Elf-themed Christmas bites, present ideas and of course, Quality Street chocs. I'm really proud of how this turned out, and hopefully next year when we have our own place and it's all light and bright these items will look even better.

*This is a sponsored post and post contains press samples*

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Adexe Sistine Petite Rose Gold Watch Review & Giveaway

Watches are a great accessory to have as part of your jewellery collection as they are not only a functional item, but one that can contribute to your outfit and help to finish your look off. Having a range of watches can allow for a choice when it comes to choosing your style for the day, so I'm glad to partner up with Adexe to expand my watch collection. Obviously, I chose rose gold as I found it hard to resist as when I see rose gold items online I'm just drawn to them.

After browsing through the range of watches from Adexe, I came across this gorgeous Sistine Petite Rose Gold one that is different to any watch I currently own. It's simple and elegant design would add that little bit of class to your outfit. It has a hand-made mesh band, with a hand-polished all stainless steel case. The watch face is well proportioned and is easy to read. Adexe pride themselves as 'masters of venerable art form' that combine melding mechanical precision with a touch of luxury that is aesthetically pleasing.

Adexe are giving you the chance to win your own Sistine Petite Rose Gold Watch by entering our giveaway over on Twitter. The details are below on how to enter!

Win a Sistine Petite Rose Gold Watch 😍 To enter follow @LauraHadleyx and @ADEXE_Watch and retweet to win! Quotes & replies don't count 🙊

T&C:s https://t.co/pUZzdovizC#fbloggers #win #giveaway #competition #rttowin #rosegold pic.twitter.com/qZUhLZ0cvz

— Laura Hadley 🎄 (@LauraHadleyx) December 12, 2017

T&C's

UK entries only. Adexe Watch giveaway ends 17th December 2017 at 11:59pm. Must follow @laurahadleyx and @ADEXE_Watch and still be following by the time the giveaway ends. To enter, follow @laurahadleyx and @ADEXE_Watch on Twitter and retweet the tweet to qualify, quote retweets and replies are not permitted. Winner will be notified via Twitter. The prize will be posted within two weeks of receiving the winner's details and there is no guarantee it will arrive before Christmas as it is not a Christmas giveaway. No cash alternative.

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Rose Gold Brushes From Indy Luxe

Makeup brushes are an investment; something you need to apply your favourite beauty products and if cleaned properly they can last years. I went from buying beginner's brushes, different brush sets, eventually expanding to try out brushes for more detailed makeup and then comparing brushes to see which work best. Now I'm trying out the Rose Gold Set from Indy Luxe (£28)*. The brushes are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly with synthetic fibres and beautiful rose gold handles.

The brushes are ever so soft, with a domed brush for powder, and angled brush for contouring, a flat brush for bronzer, and four smaller brushes for the eyes and highlighter. The fan brush is densely packed for an intense highlight, the brow brush is amazing for using brow pomades and the other brushes are fabulous for eyeshadow application and blending. I can't get over how fluffy the bristles are on the skin.

They're just as easy as other brushes to wash, and there's another set available, the Pink Pearlescent Unicorn Set which looks absolutely stunning with white unicorn handles and pink-to-white ombré bristles. Both sets look so 'Instagrammable' and I'm sure they'll be more sets released in the future. If you're looking at investing in new makeup brushes that fit in with your aesthetic whilst making makeup application easier, make sure to use my code below for a discount. 

Use the code LAURAHADLEY for 20% off!

*Post contains an affiliate code

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Monsoon Rose Gold Fragrance Review

Recently I was sent the Monsoon Rose Gold Perfume (£24.00 for 30ml)* which I was instantly drawn to, given the name. The main theme of the perfume is glamour, letting you feel fabulous and the best version of you when you wear it. The top notes of the perfume are sparkling lemon and soft fruit, layered with rose, tuberose, neroli and cyclamen, underpinned with base notes of Eastern woods, vanilla, musk, mosses and balsamic amber. These notes combined were created to have a balance of fruity, floral and sweet and I think this is reflected well through the packaging of the perfume in a teardrop shape as it looks delicate and feminine. The outer packaging is just as beautiful and I wish I could keep all my pretty perfumes in their boxes when they're as pretty as this.

The Rose Gold Perfume is a scent aimed for both daytime and evening wear and would suit women in their 20's-30's as the scent is slightly more on the mature side and isn't as sweet as you'd expect. The rose gold design is reflected in this age category too which I can relate to given that I'm 22 and have a Pinterest board purely just for items that are rose gold and copper in nature. The scent itself is elegant and oozes class, making the price a real steal if you're looking for a perfume along those lines. 30ml is plenty for me as a few spritzes as it's rich and stays on all day long. As an ambitious twenty-something, I feel like this fragrance is empowering and the bottle is remaining on my beauty desk for all to see. This Eau De Parfum Spray is also available in 50ml and 100ml and you can purchase is online or in the Monsoon store.

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Blogging Essentials Wishlist*

Something to store your items in Although I love my current camera bag that has two compartments for my camera and equipment, it isn't very stylish. I pride myself in being a beauty, lifestyle and fashion blogger and having a leather camera bag to carry my equipment that will support the items and prevent them from damage is a must have. These are on the pricey side of £80 so I won't be getting one anytime soon, but it's on my list for future buys.
Something to take photos with To run a blog it's important to have beautiful photos to go with what you're writing about. Cameras like the Panasonic Super Zoom Cameras such as the DMC-LX7 have full-range brightness which would help out so well with blog photography. I take most of my photos against a white background and without the useful settings these cameras can provide, I can't ensure that the background will be crisp and white. I love having a blank canvas as a background for some photos as it keeps the focus on the item you're taking the photo of. This is especially important when working with brands as they don't want the reader focused on something else other than their product. I love using my Olympus Pen E-PL7 to ensure I have high quality images which you will also be able to achieve using a Panasonic Super Zoom camera.
Something to help inspire you To get motivated, I tend to stick on music that can get me in the mood to write. Now I'm not a one genre music gal. I like anything from rock to dance, oldies to new songs so not everyone in my house is interested in listening to what I'm listening to. I'm I'm going to have to wear something pretty, such as the Frends (not friends, trust me I wouldn't include a typo!) Layla Rose Gold Headphones as they go with pretty much everything I own and aren't too big to mess up my hair.
Something to light up your day Currently I am a huge lover of natural, diffused light and that isn't always achievable. Apart from using a good camera to change the f number to brighten everything up, you can use artificial light too. Soft boxes are ideal as they use white light from their huge bulbs to light up what you're focusing on, and their material helps diffuse the light to not make it so harsh. Having the white light there also stops photos looking like a different colour i.e. more yellow because you might turn a light on using a yellowish bulb. I currently have one but hoping to purchase another soft box for this purpose.
Something to write down your thoughts on Obviously to blog you need some form of computer that allows you to type freely. I don't have a working laptop and use my boyfriend's at the moment but I'm hoping that a miracle will occur and I'll be able to invest in an Apple Macbook in the near future. Along with typing out my blog posts, I also use Photoshop to edit my blog photos on just to brighten them up if required and resize the images etc. Having a working device such as a laptop is vital for blogging for me as I often use html to edit the text on my blog posts (such as this one) and it makes life that bit easier.
Something to keep everything steady For some blog photos I require a tripod to keep the photos level. The good thing about adding a tripod into your equipment is that you can use them for whatever you want as they're adjustable. Some good uses for them are for fashion photos as you can take practice shots behind the camera and ensure all your photos are taken in the same way, or food photography in order to create birds eye view photos that are aesthetically pleasing. For beauty blogging I don't require a tripod often unless I'm taking flat lay shots but they are handy and not all are expensive.
All of these elements create the perfect blogging package and hopefully in the future I'll invest in more cameras such as the Panasonic Super Zoom cameras, add more lenses to my Olympus Pen and buy those beautiful Layla headphones. Everyone has different blogging techniques and I'd love to know in the comments below what your perfect blogging essentials are.

* This post was proudly sponsored by Panasonic

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A Rose Gold Love - Jewellery Box

If you follow my on Pinterest or Instagram, you'll know I am a massive fan of rose gold, especially rose gold jewellery. As a blonde I don't really wear gold since it clashes, so wearing silver jewellery all the time can get a little boring. Rose gold is the perfect 'in between' and offers a pink coloured gold which can compliment any complexion. I was kindly sent some pieces by Jewellery Box which not only featured the beautiful metal but also an arrow necklace which I absolutely adore. They came in this adorable brown paper box with little clips on the inside to secure them in place - a cute touch!

For some reason I have this love of arrows - whether that be because I'm intrigued as to what is to come from the future, or a sign that I'm determined to put a not-so-happy past behind me. The necklace is very dainty and subtle, but incredibly pretty. I'm planning on adding some rose gold into my graduation outfit on the 9th July this year and I imagine this will be my first choice, subtly complimenting my white Topshop dress and pale blue heels from New Look. At £8.80 it is a lovely addition to my necklace collection.
I was so happy to see some studs in here! I have my lobes pierced three times in each ear and for some reason I always leave the bottom holes without earrings in "just in case" I see a nice pair of earrings to put in. I will no doubt be buying some more of these so I can have rose gold earrings in permanently in all three holes since I don't really change the earrings. These are 9ct 3mm studs, not too big but not too small to dip through the holes which my current ones do already. These come in silver and gold too if you're not as into rose gold as I am. At £15.50 they're affordable for rose gold metal lovers.
The final pair are quite similar to the studs but are pull through earrings - you put the straight part through the holes and they dangle from the front. I originally thought that they might have needed a butterfly on the back to keep them in place but since they're pretty light you don't need them. I'm thinking of wearing these to my graduation too potentially since they are a classy way of wearing non-stud earrings without looking too in your face. These are only £4.80 to purchase.

Thank you to Jewellery Box for my pieces, I can't wait to wear them!

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Gemporia Rose Gold Ring Review

 Hey Lovelies,

This post is a part of a two part review of this lovely Mawi Kunzite Rose Gold Ring* (£44) which Gemporia kindly sent me to review and style! This post is a review about the quality, style and fit, and the next post, up next weekend, will be what outfits I style this with.

I know a lot of people love rose gold, and it's my favourite colour of jewellery. I can find plain gold has a tendency to look a bit cheap if the product isn't made well, and silver can be a little hit and miss. However, rose gold looks more delicate and expensive, no matter how much you pay for it. 

  

The stone in this is1.03ct from Afghanistan, and is a gorgeous lilac shade. I picked this style as I think both colours compliment each other well. This ring can be worn well on it's own, but I wear it on my right hand due to it looking a tad like an engagement ring...

 Here I've paired it with an Otis Jaxon Knot ring and a plain rose gold midi ring. I don't own a lot of rose gold jewellery, but it isn't like other metals that I believe should be stacked up a lot on your hands, as I said, they seem delicate.

 I also love pairing them with a few gold band rings from H&M. It adds a simple pop of a colour to the rest of the gold bands, makes the look more expensive looking. I love mixing it with both normal rings and midi rings.

Finally, the addition of a complimentary nail polish (this is Princess by Barry M), a rose gold watch (Fossil) and a pink and rose gold bag (New Look) really makes this ring look super expensive and classy. For £44, you get fabulous quality for such a low price. I had to switch the size of my ring due to finger swelling (from an unknown illness still) and the delivery was really quick. The ring comes in a little white pouch to keep it safe.
You cannot fault Gemporia's customer service, they're lovely to talk to and can quickly answer any queries! I cannot fault the company, nor the ring. I'm genuinely impressed with the quality, cut of the gem and the fit of the ring.
Stay tuned for part 2 where I style this ring with some Autumnal outfits.

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