Poppy Loves Book Club

Hi everyone!

So just a quick one from me today. I wanted to share with you something that I have been absolutely loving over the past couple of months. I really love my reading, but with work and college practically taking over my life I started slipping out of my reading habits. I came across poppy loves book club on instagram and decided to check it out. It's an online based book club however there are locations where you can go and meet up with other people in that area. There's one book a month that's allocated to read and on the last wednesday of the month there's a big online discussion on the facebook page, sometimes the author of the book even joins in too. I've found it's the perfect way for me to read new things and to read stuff that I wouldn't normally pick up myself. It's also really nice to be able to talk to other people about the book and see everyones different thoughts and opinions! If you love reading but there are no book clubs round your area, I'd highly recommend this one! For all the information on how to join visit the poppy loves book club website here. This month we're reading Shame by Melanie Finn and the discussion date is on the 26th October at 7:30pm.

I have quite a few posts lined up over the next couple of weeks so make sure you stay updated!

Lots of love,

Glossybox | February 2016

Hi lovelies!

So just like my Birchbox post, I thought I'd share with you what I got in my Glossybox this month. For those of you who don't know what Glossybox is, it's a beauty subscription box where they send you deluxe beauty samples/full size products in a pretty little box each month. You can find out more here. This months box was valentines day themed which I thought was super cute, plus everything was full size! Here's what I got inside..

The Vintage Cosmetic Company Floral Slanted Tweezers: I absolutely love these! The packaging is so pretty and I love the floral print. I've had the same old boring silver tweezers for ages so it will be nice to replace them with something prettier. The original price is £8 and you can buy them here.

Naobay Protective Hair Mask Volume Conditioner: I literally rely on hair masks so I was really excited to get this. It's supposed to give your hair volume and leave it feeling silky and smooth. I haven't actually tried this yet but it smells like lemons which I really like. I'll post a review once I've tried it! The original price is £10.64 and I can't actually find where to buy this but I presume you can buy it from the Glossybox website.

Wilkinson Sword Hydro Silk Razor: I have to admit I was a little dissapointed with this.. I didn't really expect razors in my beauty box! These are the one's I always use anyway and they're originally £9.99 so I guess it saves me buying some more blades. You can get them here but I know they're on offer at boots for about £5!

MUA Power Pout Glaze Low Voltage Gloss: This lip gloss is lovely, mine is in the shade allure and it's kind of a purpley pink. It gives you a hint of colour to your lips which I love. I think MUA products are really underrated and they're so cheap! This lip gloss is £3.50 and you can buy it here.

Nicka K New York 24 Hour Waterproof Eyeliner: This eyeliner seems really nice, it's a twistable pencil and it has a blending tip at the other end. I don't tend to use pencil liners and unfortunately this one is in dark brown (I would have much preferred black!). I'm still going to try it out and see if I like it because it does seem like a really nice liner and it's only £3.99. I think this is only available to purchase in America but I'm pretty sure you can get it off the Glossybox site.

So that's the end of my box! What did you guys think of Glossybox this month? Let me know in the comments! Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin and twitter ♡

Lots of love,

Birchbox | February 2016

Hi lovelies!

So my February Birchbox came yesterday and I was super excited, I thought it would be nice to share what I got in mine! I'm also going to do this with the Glossybox when it comes. This months theme is "shine bright like a diamond" and the box is so pretty. I was a bit gutted that there wasn't a bit of a valentine's theme but it doesn't matter too much. Here's what I got inside..

Spectrum Collections Tapered Powder Brush: This was the first thing I pulled out because it caught my eye the most! I've actually tried this brush and it's perfect for applying highlighter. It's super soft and I love the colours. The original price is £7.99 which is more I paid for the box itself (I got 50% off with unidays student discount)

LOC One and Done Shadow Stick in Champagne Problems: I actually knew I would get this in the box because we had to choose which shade we wanted. I chose champagne problems because the other shade was a bit too gold and brassy for me, I prefer more subtle colours. The shade is gorgeous! This is actually Birchbox's own brand and I have to say I am really impressed. It says we can expect "up to 11 hours of creaseless, waterproof colour in one handy stick" and they're not wrong. I wore this out last night and it didn't move! I also swatched a little on my arm and it was still there when I woke up and only came off when I went in the shower this morning. The original price is £8.

Doux Me Comforting Face Mask & Exfoliator: This little sample has the cutest polka dot packaging! It can be used as a face mask or scrub which I think is really nice. The smell is absolutely gorgeous, it's a mix of apricot and marshmallow which is what the scrub is made from as well as camomile and rice powder. I was a bit worried at first because I have dry, sensitive skin so face scrubs can sometimes be too harsh but this one is so gentle. It didn't leave my skin feeling sore afterwards like most scrubs do, but still got rid of dry, dead skin on my face. The original price for the full size product is £18 and I think I may have to invest in some once my little sample has ran out (yes I love it that much)

Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect: This is a leave in conditioner and is supposed to strengthen and repair tired strands and also de-tangle the hair. It smells amazing and does what it says on the box, but the original price for the full size product is £20 and I think you can get much cheaper ones that do exactly the same! I will keep using it to see if I think any different, but at the moment I don't think I'd pay £20 for this.

Cochine Water Hyacinth & Lime Blossom Hand & Body Lotion: I haven't actually tried this yet, the only reason being is that I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to trying new body creams as I suffer from eczema and don't want it to flare up! The smell is okay but it's not my personal favourite. I can't really give you a review but the original price is £19 and I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay that for any body lotion (unless it magically gave me perfect, flawless skin!)

L. Erickson Grab & Go Ponytail Holder: This bobble was a beauty bonus. To me, it's just the same as an ordinary bobble except it's probably a bit stronger. It does it's job and I will have to keep this one safe because it's £11.50 for a set of 15.

So that's what I got in my Birchbox this month. Did any of you get this months box? What did you think of it? My Glossybox is due to come next week so I will do a post like this on that too! Just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone reading my blog, I've just reached 1300 views!

Lot's of love,

Weekly Life Update | Blogging, Broke and All The Bright Places

Hi everyone!

I'm currently sat here eating a bar of smarties chocolate to make up for the fact that I haven't been very well for a few days (any excuse). Here I am again with my weekly life update and there's a few things I want to share with you lovely lot today.

The first thing I'm gonna start off with is about sharing my blog with my friends and family. I'm a bit weird when it comes to my blog.. I'm so proud of what I've created so far and it's something I want to share with the world! But when it comes to my friends, family or people I know seeing it I start to get really anxious and paranoid. I am not in any way embarrassed by my blog, but I always think that they're going to judge me or make fun of me when in reality that's probably the opposite of what they'd do. I can't wait for they day that they know about my blog, but in the meantime I'm going to keep working on it and make it the best it could possibly be!

The second thing I'd like to share with all of you is how broke I am at the minute! And this really isn't going down too well with my make up addiction. I only got paid last week, but with my boyfriends birthday coming up and saving up for our holiday, I haven't got much left over to spend on myself. (I'm crying real tears) I have literally been torturing myself over the weekend looking on every possible make up website, adding EVERYTHING to my basket and breaking my own heart when I have to close it down. I need to find a new way to make money because my part time job on the side of college just doesn't seem to be enough these days! I've been looking to sell some of my old stuff, but I haven't really got anything worth selling. So here I am, still broke. And if I post any hauls in the next couple of weeks please shout at me for spending money that I don't have.

Speaking of selling stuff, I've been selling my old dance costumes. I didn't realise how hard this would be but I feel like I'm letting go of a massive part of my life. I went through every costume and thought about the amazing memories I had wearing each one and it was actually really upsetting. Of course, I kept a few because I physically can't let go of all of them! It makes me sad just thinking about it.

My boyfriend finally finished his 3 week job in London and luckily I didn't have work so we got to spend the weekend together. At first, we were going to go out somewhere and do something nice. Instead, because we are both extremely lazy, we took a trip to ASDA, bought lots of chocolate and popcorn and had a movie marathon. Let's face it, what's better than cosying up on the sofa watching chick flicks and comedies and eating a load of crap? That's what I thought.

To finish off I just need to tell you all how much I am LOVING All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.. I can't put it down! I have almost finished it now after spending most my week reading it (when I've had chance) and I can't wait to share a review with you.

I feel like my blog has made amazing progress this week and I want to thank every one who has read my posts, commented or followed me on bloglovin! I have just set up a twitter account so that I could have one directly related to my blog and beauty! Follow me here @shelbyblogx

Lots of love,

Monthly Faves | January 2016

Hi everyone!

So as there's 4 days left of January (where has the time gone!?) I thought I'd share with you some of my all time favourite things of this month..

Olympea by Paco Rabanne

My boyfriend bought me this for Christmas and I have absolutely fell in love with it! It's my favourite perfume in the world now, I don't think I could live without it. He got me the gift set that came with a body lotion which is really nice because it's moisturizing and smells amazing at the same time!

Keeping Organised

I've been trying really hard to stay organised this month.. I bought a 2016 diary (which you can see in my book haul here) and it's come in really handy to keep up with my college work, blog and everyday life. I also love my notebook which was about £7 from WHSmith. I was sick and tired of using the same notebook for every class because all my notes were messed up! This one's got tabs so I can seperate it into my different subjects at college and I love the pretty pattern and colour scheme.

Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Gloss

As you can see on the picture, I've been using this lipgloss so much it's almost ran out! The shade I have is bare enough which is quite a clear shade with a hint of pink. I have quite naturally big lips but this lipgloss definitely has a plumping effect which makes your lips look great! It's my holy grail lipgloss and I need to purchase another one soon.

L'oreal Lumi Magique Foundation

I actually only purchased this foundation about a week ago but I absolutely love it! Bourjois healthy mix has always been my go to foundation but I fancied a change and decided to switch it up a bit once I'd ran out of my last bottle.. I'm so glad I did! I have normal skin but I go through stages where I get really dry skin. This foundation is a god sent and has medium coverage but can easily be built up. Mine is in the shade Gold Linen.

New Look Lazer Cut Purse

I bought this purse in the January sales and I've had a lot of compliments on it too! I love the pink colour (I'm addicted to anything pink at the minute) and the lazer cut design is so pretty. It's always nice having a pretty purse and that's why I've included it in my January faves!

L'oreal Colour Riche Lipsticks

I have been loving these lipsticks this month! The colours look quite similar on the picture but they're not.. The first shade is 630 and is more of a pink/brown tone and this one is a cream lipstick. The second shade is 640 and this one is matte and more of a deep pink. They have a really sleek, gold design and last really well throughout the day. I will definitely be buying more of these!

Black High Knee Boots

I have been relying on black high knee boots this month. With the cold weather all I've wanted to do is wrap up warm. (Is it just me or is January 10000x colder than December!?) These boots have been perfect for that. I can throw them on with a pair of leggings and a parka if I'm feeling lazy or dress them up abit with jeans and a fur coat. Basically they are a winter must have for me. (I would love to tell you all where they're from but I have no idea as they were a Christmas present from my mom and they don't say on the inside)

Art of Mindfulness Colouring Book

I've been loving this book recently, colouring is so fun! It's great when you're feeling bored (I could colour for hours), it's a great way to pass time and it's also great for coping with anxiety. Whenever I'm feeling anxious, I colour. I find that focusing on the colouring helps to take your mind off the things that you're worrying about. This one was only about £4 which is great if you don't want spend a lot of money.

I was going to include my favourite film (as I work at a cinema) but I honestly haven't watched many recently and nothing really comes to mind! What are some of your January favourites?

Lots of love,