UK Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle

Thursday 24 December 2015

Christmas Eve: #MOTD & Happy Holidays!

It was Christmas eve, babe...

Probably one of my favourite days of the year! I usually go for brunch, take a walk, ensure I've watched the best festive films (Home Alone and Elf) and then go to a carol service in the evening. I thought I'd share a quick snippet of my day so far as I have the chance and it felt weird to just leave my blog over the next few days without wishing you guys a happy holiday! (with a bit of makeup involved, obviously.)

Christmas time calls for red lips. I recently got my hands on this Revlon Ultra HD lipstick in Dahlia. It's a gel formula that tastes delicious and gives a really strong but glossy berry colour. I love it!(excuse the awkward hand, it always creeps into selfies these days...)

Anyone else get excited about choosing their Christmas nails? This combo of Barry M Black Cherry under Amethyst Glitter is giving me serious life.


And here you go, have a few festive snaps (including my favourite place for brunch, my mum choosing coffee over pictures, a creepy nativity and an awesome card made by my sister). Remember to follow me on Instagram (@gettingtonomi & @naomiaupton) for more!

Happy holidays!

Til next time... xo
SHARE:

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Review: Sleek Limited Edition 'Glitter Me' Lip Glosses

If there's ever a time for sparkly lips, it's during the run up to Chistmas! Sleek kindly sent me all three of their aptly named 'Glitter Me' glosses from their limited edition 24K Gold collection*, and I put them to the test!
Let's talk packaging. I have never purchased anything from Sleek before, but let's just say: it's pretty darn sleek. The smooth black accents are perfection! Here we have a really sophisticated looking product that looks beautiful in a makeup stand. These babies retail for £4.99 each but I reckon they definitely look worth a lot more than the price tag.

The shades I'm trying out (top to bottom in the above image) are:
Money Talks: Nude
Uptown Girl: Pink
Private Jet: Red

Let's talk formula. The thought of glitter lip glosses from glitter lip gloss past kind of makes me feel a bit sick. That sickly sweet scent, tacky formula and chunks of glitter big enough to taste remind me of primary school discos and the pain of clip-on earrings. I have never really opted for glitter lip gloss since, but gloss seems to be back in at the minute!

Hallelujah. This formula is very comfortable to wear. It has no scent at all which is brilliant and the glitter is so subtle you barely notice it on your lips. In terms of wear time, obviously, it's gloss: it's not going to properly withstand eating, drinking or kissing under the mistletoe. Nevertheless, I would say this stuff lasts up to two hours (if not met with any of the aforementioned activites) and if you need to touch up it doesn't crumble or look patchy. It's a great formula!
Here are how each of the shades look on my lips and my thoughts on them individually! Excuse the pasty shade of white I'm flaunting right now, my camera was washing me out even further which doesn't help. From left to right...
Money Talks is a nude-ish shade with gorgeous gold sparkle. I imagine this would look stunning on someone with dark skin, but it does wash me out a little. It's a really beautiful gloss, but if you're fair, it might not be the one for you.

Uptown Girl is again another beautiful gloss, but I'm not really a bright pink lips kinda gal! It's got amazing pigmentation and creates the most solid colour out of the three. I would certainly wear this in summer on the beach with a bright bikini and a tan. If you're a fan of bright pink all year round you will love this.

Private Jet has to be my favourite! You can really build this up to achieve a strong berry red colour. Red gloss can be difficult to wear simply because it can look a bit worse for wear if not touched up, but if you're willing to keep tabs on your lips, this is the perfect party colour.

I hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know your thoughts! xo

*These tems were gifted to me by the brand or company mentioned. All views are my own.
SHARE:

Sunday 13 December 2015

1709 Brasserie & Yankee Candle Heaven: I'm Home For Christmas!

I love the magic of coming home for Christmas. My family and I went for a day out in Lichfield, a parish in Staffordshire that I love to visit. It's an extremely cute place with lots of independent shops and there's also a cathedral which is pretty magnificent. I didn't stop by on this ocassion but a spot of coffee, shopping and general Christmas cheer was very much needed.
I've eaten at the 1709 brasserie before, but never at this time of year when they bring out their Christmas menu. It's such a quaint little place but still stylish and cosy: the building is medieval, with squeaky floors and wooden beams, but complete with big antique mirrors and a plush red carpeted staircase.
Braised blade of beef followed by Christmas pud and brandy sauce...delicious! I basically want to return and work my way down that dessert menu. Anyone?

We had to make a trip to 'Smart Ideas'- it may just be the world's crappest name for a shop but seriously, this place is heaven! I've never seen such a large range of Yankee candles in one store (I can imagine it's a completely different story in the US!), but we eventually settled on Sparkling Cinnamon. So many Christmassy feels...
Absolutely spoilt for choice!

Remember to follow me on Bloglovin and never miss a post!

Til next time... xo
SHARE:

Wednesday 9 December 2015

#OOTD & Exploring the Nottingham Christmas Market

It's my last week in Nottingham before I head home for the holidays, so I obviously had to head down to the market for a proper festive evening before returning (oh wait, Birmingham has the largest authentic German market outside Germany and Austria, but hey).
After indulging in some (20) buffalo wings (I know I'm excessive but they're so good) at one of my favourite Nottingham restaurant/bars, Bunk, we headed on down to the Christmas market. I'd passed through it a few times already but hadn't taken the time to look around or take any pictures, so I made sure I had time for it in my week before heading home. We had intended to go ice-skating but were pushed for time as we were going to a jazz concert and incredibly full after eating enough chicken to feed a few small families. Story of my life.
Yes, every Christmas market in the UK is pretty similar, but the Nottingham one is my favourite out of those I've visited. By the 8th of the festive month it's already quietened down enough to properly enjoy it! (the same cannot be said for the Birmingham one.) I just love the feel of them: the creepy but cheerful carousel music, the smell of Bratwurst and the rows and rows of tiny cabins selling all sorts of goodies. If you're not feeling festive yet, a market is definitely the way to remedy that!
There are so many treats to enjoy and gifts to buy, I was essentially spoilt for choice. Look at these beautiful marshmallow cake pops! I swear I'll try something that's actually German when I'm home...
After having the compulsory selfie, we found this little guy...cue the Elf quotes! #sonofanutcracker. I would like one of these for Christmas please, just to stand next to the tree. Thanks Santa.
Seeing as it's getting pretty chilly now, I decided it was definitely hat weather. I found this cute beige bobble hat in Primark for the ridiculously cheap price of £2.50! I usually opt for a big faux fur number but decided I had to have a bobble hat this year for some reason. This cape is featured in my Winter Warmer Challenge post : if you haven't read it yet, follow the link!
Hat: Primark
Cape: Boohoo
Bag: New Look
Leggings: Next
Boots: Primark
Lipstick: No7 Stay Perfect Matte in Brick Red

Heading away from the market we bumped into this wonderful creature. It's so beautiful! Who knew a gigantic sparkling reindeer would essentially make my Christmas. 
That's all for now folks! Let me know if you want to see more lifestyle posts, because I enjoy doing them! I hope you're having a lovely December. Product reviews coming next week (if the stuff I've ordered has arrived safely to greet me when I get home!)... xo
SHARE:

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Why I've Had The Best Term Yet

It's the final autumn term of university for me. Ever. I'm trying not to dwell too much on the reality of that (god knows what I'll be doing this time next year) but upon reflection, this term has arguably been better than any term I've ever spent at uni. For all those freshers feeling like you're still not settled, this one's for you! (it only gets better, trust me.)
1. I've looked after myself. 
I used to think looking after myself was taking an afternoon to do nothing: watch Nashville, eat chocolate, ignore responsibilities. But most of those things aren't particularly helpful. This year I've learnt that looking after yourself is yes, taking time out, but taking time out to do beneficial things (it's only taken me this long, I know). I cook a good meal most nights and actually enjoy doing so- I've found the love of cooking, hurrah! I haven't seen a ready meal or even a pizza in a long long time, just because the fourty minutes I take out most days to make myself something nourishing is a time I value and enjoy. I take an hour out to put on a face mask, do my nails, pluck my eyebrows: you might say this isn't beneficial, but I know that I'll feel so much more confident and put-together if I do. It's all about finding what you need to feel good (and no one really needs takeaway to feel good)- clean your room, dye your hair, wash your clothes so that you can wear something interesting to brighten your day. Thinking ahead- looking after your current self and your future self- has worked wonders for me.

2. I've been more involved
In all aspects of uni life. Editing a magazine, helping start up a blog society, going to see student theatre productions almost weekly...I finally feel like part of a community, which is something that can be hard to find in a space full of so many people. Honestly, as many times as you've heard it before: it's never ever too late to get involved.

3. My attendance has been so much better
Just going in to uni and being there has made me feel so much more confident about my work. As an English student, whilst seminars are useful, lectures are generally an hour of context that can be learnt via a little internet research from the comfort of your bed. As tempting as it is to do so, being up and out and in that lecture theatre has been nothing but helpful.

 4. I've worked out how to work
This. This this this. I never actually knew how I worked best until this term: should I go to the library? Shall I work in the morning or at night? If you honestly don't know how you work best, track how you progress with that piece of coursework over the space of a week. Where were you when you did the most? What time of day was it? Did drink coke or water? Sounds mad, but seriously, find that perfect environment. I now know that I work best when I'm not trying to work (and I definitely work worst at the library!). I need a supply of good food, juice, perfect quiet and no expectation to do a certain amount by a certain time. I've done the best and most work when I'm midway through a movie at 9pm- and I don't even realise I've done it til it's done. Embrace the unorthodoxy and don't be afraid if the way you work isn't like everyone else.

5. Because of all this, good things have come to me
Not exactly in a karmic way, but just by putting myself out there and being more healthy and confident I've had more opportunities come my way. It's just logical. I've put more effort into all aspects of life and good things have obviously happened because of it. I've modelled for a makeup line, I've done my first blogging collaboration, I've run a magazine, made new friends and learnt new skills, all in a few months!
On the train up to Nottingham in September I doodled this quote on a post-it. I saw it on Pinterest and honestly couldn't stop thinking about it as I went to start my final year. Everything you want is on the other side of fear. I found this when cleaning my desk up the other day. I honestly do think fear stops lots of us from doing what we really want to do and living the way we really want to live. I'm not saying I'm not scared of anything (the opposite, actually), but knowing that the things you want can be found if you have a little faith in yourself is extremely important.

These words have been my absolute motto these past few months and it's so sweet to stumble upon on this memo again, knowing that when I scribbled it down I was so so nervous that this term would see me struggle and feel unfulfilled, again- yet the confidence these words gave me encouraged me to change things up a bit and make this the best one yet.

Thanks for reading, xo
SHARE:
© Getting to Nomi

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services - Click here for information.

Blogger Template Created by pipdig