My tinder experience

As most of you know, I split up with Ollie. What better way to make myself feel better than dowloading tinder! I've come across some right weirdos and people who I have known for years. I have also come across some really nice people who make me laugh.

I've posted this on both Instagram and Twitter- saralouisehxo, but I felt the need to go more indepth into what was said. I was swiping through people and came across someone, he will remain nameless on here, but his name is all over my social media if you really want to know! I swiped right because I thought he was attractive and wanted to get to know him. As I don't get notifications when someone messages me, I went off the app for a while and then came back to have a message from him. I shall add the photo of what he said here:

The only reason I said excuse me was because I didn't know how to respond and was like what the hell, not because I didn't understand what he was asking me. If I hadn't understood what he was saying, I'd have probably said what? My response to his stupid comment was 'what if I was mentally incapable of understanding things?' I also told him I regretted swiping right and this was the excuse he used:

I just kept thinking to myself, there is no way your friends would have taken your phone and started a conversation saying that. And there is no way that they would then insult someone like that! I just think he was using it as an excuse to call someone names. 

If any of you guys have any experiences like this or want to see more of how guys talk to me, let me know! 

Xx

Sara

Tunbridge Wells haul

Yesterday after work I went to Tunbridge Wells. I went with the intention of buying another MAC foundation as I'm running low on mine. I also wanted to pick up a new MAC lipstick, powder and a lip liner to wear with my L'oreal lipstick.

First stop was MAC. I love going in there and looking at all of the products. I always swatch lipsticks and lip liners and eyeshadows and basically everything! My hand always looks like a rainbow after coming out of MAC. When I got to MAC I swatched loads of lip liners and lipsticks and managed to narrow it down to 2 lipsticks I liked. While I was deciding, I asked for my foundation and she said they didn't have any of that shade in stock at the moment. As I know studio fix fluid works for me, I wasn't going to bother with another foundation as I didn't want to waste the money if I didn't enjoy it as much. After looking at both of the lipsticks, I still couldn't decide which colour to get, so I got both. I know, it's bad, but I loved them both the same and couldn't pick. I picked up the shades fanfare and twig.

After going into MAC I went into Boots. In here I picked up a lip liner which matched my lipstick, yes it was a L'oreal lip liner as I know it would go with the lipstick. I picked up the colour scarlet rouge. I also picked up the nude magique BB powder from L'oreal too, but I paid with my Boots point so technically I didn't go crazy on spending! I also picked up some hand sanitiser as I've run out of mine.

I popped into Superdrug as they have the brand Makeup Revolution- my fave as you know. I was looking as what product I wanted to try and then I saw the most gorgeous pink blusher. Its such a light, dusty pick which is perfect as the blushers I own are very pink and in your face. I tried it for the first time today and I LOVE it! It's such a subtle pink, but still gives a gorgeous glow to the skin.

As I had gone to Tunbridge Wells with the intention of buying a foundation, I thought I should go and buy a foundation. I had 15 minutes till all the shops shut so I went to the Body Shop. I love how it smells in there and also that their makeup is good quality. I was looking at the foundations and had already decided that the lightest shade- Chelsea Porcelain 010 would be my colour, but I asked to be tested just to make sure. When she put the shade on me, it was an exact match and blended with my neck really well. I've worn it for the first time today and I am really loving how it feels on my skin. It doesn't look too cakey, I can powder over the top so I don't look oily and it has a nice smell- a downside to my MAC foundation. I wish it gave a tiny bit more coverage but I'm not complaining at all about how it feels on my skin and I can deal with the coverage being less than what I'm used too.

I will do a more in depth review of these products once I have tested them both for a few weeks, but my first impressions are that I love all these products I picked up.

Also if you didn't know, I have created a snapchat account. Make sure to add me as a friend to see what I'm up too and behind the scenes blog posts- saralouisehxo

Xx

Sara

OOTD

I thought I'd do another outfit of the day as I'm meeting a friend later, so I thought it would be the perfect time to do another OOTD.

On Saturday my mum went down to Ashford. They have a massive outlet there so my mum bought a few things. One thing she got which I fell in love with (and have now stolen) is a navy blue dress from French Connection. As it's an outlet, it means it's cheaper than buying in an actual French Connection store. I have no idea how much it cost, but it would have been so much cheaper than buying from a store. I just love the way the dress fits and I love the top half of the dress, making it look like a top and skirt.

I have mentioned this cardigan in my last OOTD. It is just a comfy cardigan which is slightly over sized, meaning I can get away with wearing anything with it! I love the colour, and find it goes with anything I wear it with.

My shoes are from New Look. I love them to bits, but they really hurt my feet. I think this is because they're hard leather instead of soft leather, meaning they rub. I found a solution and now they're so much more comfortable- coushioned plasters. Trust me, they work! They're just black shoes with a gold detail on and I love them. I did get these ages ago so I can't exactly remember how much they cost.

I will also post a picture of my makeup today, and on Instagram I will tag all the products I used and in what shade.

Xx

Sara

Boosting your self-esteem

Next month is National Boost Your Self Esteem month. I thought despite everything that's happened over the last week (check my Twitter- saralouisehxo), I need my self-esteem boosted! I have been doing a lot of research on ways to boost your self-esteem and came across these 10 ways in an article by Huffingtonpost.

10 ways to boost your self-esteem:

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.
2. Compliment yourself regularly.
3. Exercise consistently,
4. Simply smile.
5. Focus on your own accomplishments.
6. Get the support you need to succeed.
7. Make a list of your positive qualities.
8. Find something special in each day.
9. Eat better.
10. Explore a passion.

Some of these I need to start doing and others I do sometimes. I try to compliment myself but like every human, I can only see the flaws and negative things about myself. There are days where I'm feeling really good about myself and says where I feel crap and terrible.

One I do think everyone SHOULD do is find something special in each day. This can range from something really little to something massive! Yesterday I went to Caffe Nero and got a hot chocolate as well as a muffin. Now unless they have some sort of deal on, I was only charged for the hot chocolate and thought nothing of it till I sat down and had already started to eat the muffin. This is something I would say is special because they could have a deal on, plus I got a free muffin if not!

I always smile, it just seems to be a reaction which happens without me knowing. I'm doing an apprenticeship, and the woman who is my mentor and assessor told me that whenever she comes into my work and sees me, I'm always smiling and have a warm, welcoming vibe about me- granted she didn't say vibe, but that's what she meant. I just tend to smile at everyone I see, and heard somewhere and I can't remember exactly where which annoys me, but you never know what someone is going through so to always smile. Someone could be thinking that there is nothing left for them in this world and that no one cares, but if you smile, you could potentional save someones life. It really bugs me that I can't remember where I heard this!

I want to set you all a challenge, if you make a list of the 10 ways to boost your self-esteem and everytime you feel yourself doing any of these, mark ir down and in a months time tell me which one you did most of, and which one you want to improve as you didn't do that well. Yes, I am also taking part in this challenge too!

Xx

Sara

What's in my makeup bag?

This is going to be a bit of a boring post as I took most of my makeup out of my makeup bag so I could do my makeup at work. How many times am I going to say makeup in one sentence? The reason I took out all the makeup I don't tend to wear on a daily basis is because I've decided rather than wake up at 5:40, I'm going to stay in bed till 6:20 ish and do my makeup at work as I always have half an hour to kill before I actually start working.

My makeup bag is from Boots, and is a Ted Baker makeup bag. I brought this when I worked at Boots, and when they were on offer. They had gone on the clearance shelf and I brought the last 3. The reason they had gone on clearance is because the new design was coming in and no one was buying the makeup bags. I got the last 3 because I could give one to my mum and one to my sister- my mum has one and I can't find the other, sorry Sadie! I like this makeup bag, but it's very stiff and not very flexible. I'm in the process of looking for a new makeup bag as I need to get one which is more fabric and can fold up, rather than stay in the same shape- it takes up a lot of room in my bag!

Inside my bag, I have all the makeup I wear on a daily basis. I have primer, foundation, powder, blusher, bronzer, mascara, eyeshadow primer, clear brow gel and an eyebrow pencil. See what products I use for my spring makeup routine here. Obviously I will go into more detail as to whether or not I like each product, I just will leave a link to my spring makeup routine.

Primer- Benefit Porefessional. I like this primer, but I feel it leaves my face feeling sticky and then I'm not as matte as I'd like to be throughout the day. I want to buy a new primer, but I'm unsure which one to buy. Tell me your highend and drugstore favourites and I'll be sure to try them out!

Foundation- MAC studio fix fluid- NW13. I love this foundation! It gives the perfect amount of coverage- I love full coverage, but it doesn't look cakey or like I've got a lot of product on my face. The only downside to this foundation is that it smells like paint! The smell is so offputting, but I haven't found another foundation like this one which gives the same coverage without looking cakey. I'm desperate for a new foundation so leave your suggestions below so I can try a new one!

Powder- No7 loose powder- Translucent. I like this powder a lot. It doesn't add any colour to my face- which is perfect as all the foundations I've got make me look orange, so it doesn't add anymore colour on top. It helps my makeup to last all day and doesn't dry my skin out, like some other powders I've tried.

Bronzer- Benefit Hoola bronzer. I have a love hate relationship with this bronzer. I love it as it gives me a really defined contour, but I hate it as it looks muddy on me. I've tried alternatives and they are no where near as good as this bonzer, which is why I always come back to it. I apply the tiniest amount and it still looks muddy on my skin!

Blusher- No7 powder blusher. This blusher looks really scary, but isn't as bright on the skin as you may think. It gives a natural rosy flush to the cheeks and a little goes a long way. Unfortunatly, No7 stopped making this colour blusher as they brought out new colours.

Eyebrow pencil- Soap and Glory archery. This is probably my holy grail eyebrow pencil. I've tried the NYX microbrow, Rimmel eyebrow pencil and Maybelline eyebrow pencil, but I always come back to this one! I would love to try the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow wiz to see how it compares, but so far, I love this one!

Eyebrow gel- The Body Shop clear mascara and brow gel. I went into The Body Shop a few weeks back and decided to get some clear brow gel. I was going to look in Boots, but The Body Shop had an offer on so I chose to get the eyebrow gel from there along with a lip liner. I like this brow gel, it's not my favourite but I haven't found a brow gel that I love. It does the job and I'd recommed it as it can be used for your lashes as well as your brows, but I'm not wowed by it.

Eyeshadow primer- Urban Decay primer potion. I LOVE this stuff! I have super oily eyelids and this helps to prevent my shadows from creasing throughout the day. I use it under my MAC paint pots and even wear it alone. I would 100% recommend this to someone who suffers with really oily eyelids. They also do a variety of colours as well, so you can use it as a base.

Mascara- Too Faced better than sex mascara. This is my all time favourite mascara! I haven't found any other that even comes close to how well this performs. The hourglass shaped wand really grabs all my lashes and gives the perfect amount of volume. When I wear this mascara, I get people asking if I'm wearing false eyelashes as they add that much volume. It is worth paying £19 in my opinion.

These are what are in my makeup bag at the moment, I do swap products every now and then so when I do change it up, I will probably post another 'what's in my makeup bag' to show you what I've updated.

Xx

Sara

Clinique take the day off balm review

I know I mentioned it in my September favourites last year- and by mention, I mean one sentence, but I thought I'd go into more detail about the product and how much I love it!

I compltely forgot I had the Clinique take the day off balm, but I found it last night and have fallen in love with it again. To remove my makeup I normally use the Liz Earle cleanse and polish, but I still feel like I have makeup on my face. I decided to try this balm first before the cleanse and polish, and was amazed at how clean and soft my skin looked and felt! I brought this product last year when I worked at Boots as they had an offer on, but I would recommend getting this product to anyone.

It is a solid balm which turns into a silky fluid on the skin. Once you've picked up some of the product, run it between your fingers to melt it slightly and start applying in circular motions all over your face. It turns into this gorgeous skily oil which really helps to remove makeup- it removes Too Faced better than sex which isn't the waterproof formula but I find it takes a while to remove with just Micellar water or the cleanse and polish. Once you have made a beautiful mess on your face with your foundation, mascara and lipstick, it's time to remove it with warm water. I use a muslin cloth to remove it and help exfolate slightly. I find removing it this way encourages blood flow to my face, meaning it helps produce new cells. Once I have washed it all off, I run the muslin cloth under the water just to make sure I've removed everything.

Boots currently have an inline deal, a free gift when you spend £40 or more online, but it's online only!

I will post an updated skincare routine soon, I'm just testing out new products to see how they work with my skin!


Xx

Sara

Spring makeup routine

I know I posted my winter makeup routine in January, but it's April now and I want to show you what I've been loving lately. For the spring I have been loving very fresh, minimal makeup so I wanted to share it with you- yes it may seem like a lot of products, but it's very fresh and minimal looking. My take on a no makeup makeup look. I don't always wear eyeshadow, but I will mention it.

Primer- Benefit porefessional primer.
Foundation- MAC cosmetics studio fix fluid. I love this foundation as it's a full coverage, but doesn't look heavy on the skin. It also is the only foundation I've found which doesn't make me look that oily throughout the day.
Powder- No7 perfect light translucent loose powder.
Bronzer- Benefit hoola bronzer.
Blusher- No7 powder blusher.
Eyebrows- Soap and Glory archery brow pencil.
Eyeshadow primer- Urban Decay primer potion.
Eyeshadow- Urban Decay naked 2 palette- foxy all over the lid and tease in the crease to add dimension or Makeup Revolution death by chocolate palette.
Mascara- Too Faced better than sex.
Lipliner- Primark lipliner- I'd recommend getting one of these as they are only £1 and last a long time!
Lipstick- MAC cosmetics brave lipstick.
Setting spray- Makeup Revolution oil control fixing spray.

I am looking for a new foundation which is full coverage but doesn't have the scent my MAC foundation does. Do you have any recommendations? If so, let me know!

Xx

Sara
 

Bucket list

I know we're already 4 months into the new year, but I've been thinking about some things I would like to have completed by the end of this year. I thought a bucket list would be a good idea so I can keep track of what I've done and to keep you in the loop. Anything I haven't completed by the end of the year will be carried over to next year as well as some new ideas. These will be things to develop myself as a person, do as a couple and to develop my blog.

Each month I shall do a monthly bucket list update to show you what I've crossed off and how much I have left to do. I will post a little explanation of the completed task as well as a whole blog post dedicated to that task- they will be linked together. This should give you some ideas if you ever wish to create a bucket list.

Xx

Sara

Giveaway winner

Congratulations @hannahmoggridge! You are the winner of my first blog giveaway! Please send me your address to saraharpum95@gmail.com so I can send you your prize.

You have won a makeup revolution velvet lip lacquer and eyeshadow palette- great dupe for the urban decay palettes, my all time favourite lush bathbomb in frozen- it adds such a nice hint of glitter to the skin, a kiko lip gloss- very comfortable on the lips and a Barry M mani mask- this is perfect if you want to wear something on your nails but don't want a full on colour. 

Congratulations again and I hope you take part in future giveaways. Thank you to everyone who took part and I hope you join in on future giveaways. 

Xx

Sara

Giveaway extention

I was thinking about it the other day and I've decided to extend the giveaway. This is only because I haven't been able to get some of the items I want to giveaway and the only time I can get them is Friday when I go shopping. Therefore I am extending the giveaway till Sunday 10th April. You will still have till 7pm to enter, so make sure you do!

Tweet or repost the picture to enter and use the #saralouisehxogiveaway so I can find you all! The picture is on the orignial post, my Twiter page and Instagram page- both saralouisehxo

Xx

Sara

April wish list

I haven't done one of these posts before so this is new to me. I wanted to try a wish list so I can show you what I'm hoping to get this month and at the end of the month, I may do a post of what I actually got from my wish list. I'll call it something like 'April buys' or 'What I brought from my April wish list', I'll think of a name later!

Nars velvet matte skin tint
I've seen a lot of Youtubers try this new foundation from Nars and I wanted to try it. I've heard a lot of good things about this foundation and how well it's lasted on people with oily skin so I wanted to give it a go and put it to the test. It is a little pricey at £30, but I'd rather pay that than £30 odd for the YSL Touche Eclate or Estee Lauder Double Wear I've had samples of and not enjoyed using. This foundation does only have 12 shades, and from looking at them online I would say I'll either be light 0- Terre Neuve or light 1- Finland. Terre Neuve is described on the website as more pink undertones whereas Finland is describes as more yellow undertones. The reason I'm going towards those two shades is because 1) I'm pale AF. I mean I get matched to the lightest shade of foundation and it'll still be too orange and dark on me. 2) with the Double Wear sample I got, she matched me to a more pink undertone foundation where as the rest of my foundations have been either yellow or neutral undertones, which is why I'm leaning towards both of those colours. I'm heading to Bluewater on Friday so I'll be able to get tested then.

NYX blotting powder
I haven't heard much about this powder but I want to give it a try as it's a 'blotting' powder. I assume that means it'll be kinda like blotting paper but only as a powder form. I hope this is like that and I do like it as it means it'll be perfect for Ollie's sisters wedding next month. It's a compact powder meaning I can put a sponge inside and carry it around with me all day touching us as the day goes on. If I do get this powder, I will obviously let you know my thoughts on it and how I think it works with oily skin!

Sophia flip lock clutch bag
This is a clutch bag I've seen in Accessorize and have really come to like. It matches my dress for the wedding as it's navy and has storage for my phone, powder and lipstick which is all I will be taking with me for the wedding.

Dani Beauty eyelashes
I've followed Dani Mansutti on YouTube for ages and I love her. When I saw she was creating her own lashes I got really excited as I love the look of false lashes, I just can't seem to apply them. After watching her try on video, I knew I needed to get some. I used the currency converter on her website and the lashes cost $6.95 AUD which converted to GBP is £3.70! These are really cheap lashes which are all handmade and I love the idea she has come up with. The only problem is I can't decide which pair to get!

Nike Air Max 90
When Ollie and I went shopping the other day, we went into JD sport and I saw these trainers. I fell in love and decided I needed to get them. I don't own a lot of trainers or the ones I do own I don't tend to wear as I don't feel like they go with any of my clothes, but as these are just black trainers, I knew I was able to wear them with anything. Another thing I love about them is I can fit into childrens shoes (size3-4feet) so they won't cost me as much as if I brought them from the womans section.

As I said at the top of this post, if I do get any of these items I will do another post for you.

Xx

Sara






























 

March favourites

I'm trying something a little different here- granted I did post a favourites back when I was first blogging, but it wasn't anything special and I feel it's time for a new one! I am going to see how it goes and hopefully post one each month!

Accessorize geo stacking ring set
I'm a fan of rose gold and white gold, and the Z collection tend to be normal gold, but these are dainty rose gold rings which can be worn alone or stacked together which I love! I love the little sparkle some of them have too.

Sia- cheap thrills
I have been loving this song at the moment. I find myself singing it at work or even in my head and I can't get it out! I won't lie to you, when I first heard it I didn't really like it, but after listening to it more and more, I realised I really like it!

Lush mint julips
I've had this products for some time now and on the odd occassion I used it, but towards the end of March- after the Lush blogger event, I really started to love it. I love how it creates a smooth canvas for any lip product and how it tastes! I have been using this in the morning after I've applied my makeup.

Makeup Revolution death by chocolate
I got this palette a few months back and on the odd occasion would grab it, but lately it's all I seem to reach for. It has such a great colour range and I can create so many looks from it. I use the natural shades for a day time look, then smoke it out for a night time look.

Superdrug deep action pore cleansing pads
I picked these up hoping they would be like the clearasil clensing pads. I did a mini review here if you want to see my thoughts and the difference between the pads. I like how these really get into my pores and cleanse properly to help remove dirt and balckheads.

Superdrug mattifying shine control papers
I got these after my mum said these are the only blotting papers which work for her friend. This blotting paper is different to others I've seen, it has a powder on the side you blot with meaning you don't have to carry powder with you. The reason I love these is because I become very oily throughout the day, and with these blotting papers I can control the shine.

Let me know what your favourites are this month!

Xx

Sara
























 

Giveaway!!

Over the last couple of days I asked you to vote on Twitter and Instagram what items you'd like to win in a giveaway. I will be giving away some of my favourite makeup, skincare and lush products. These are products I've tried and loved, so I want to share them with you.

To enter the giveaway all you need to do is retweet and repost this picture and use the #saralouisehxogiveaway:

Two rules- 1) you can repost, retweet and comment as many times as you like.
2) anyone who reposts, retweets, comments after the end time will not be counted, so make sure you get in ther before!
The giveaway will end Thursday 7th April at 7pm, where the winner will be announced and contacted on the Friday.

Good luck everyone!

Xx

Sara