Review: Scarlett & Crimson Scene 9 and Scene 17 palettes

We all know that I am a massive emo kid at heart. So when I was sent some Scarlett & Crimson make up to review, I was over the moon!

Scarlett & Crimson is a new make up range designed by the people behind Ruby & Millie, aimed at teen girls. As a young girl, I would have loved this! I was very into fashion and make up, but I wasn't at all girly. I didn't want to play fairy princesses, I wanted to play witches and rock stars. There wasn't really anything that catered for that niche, so I'm chuffed to bits to discover this range. I also think they have a really positive message: The website explains that the girls "hold confidence, individuality, love, respect and friendship at the top of their priority lists". That's what I like to hear!

Ok, so onto the make up itself. I was sent the Scene 9 and Scene 17 palettes. Scene 9 consists of a bronzer, highlighter, lowlighter and little brush whilst Scene 17 contains 6 eyeshadows, an eye primer, concealer and eyeshadow applicator.

The packaging is adorable. It has the two characters on the front and a background of skulls and hearts. The palettes close with a hidden magnet so they stay shut firmly and both have a handy mirror on the inside.

Within the packaging, the make up looks well pigmented and even. It also looks as though there is a decent amount of each product within the palette.



The concealer is a very light shade. I'm very pale (NW15) and it is the perfect match for my skin. Ideal for me, but I can imagine it would be too light for a lot of people. It has a bit of a funky, artificial smell, but that's no problem seeing as I keep it away from my nose. The applicator is handy and, since it's aimed at young girls, I imagine it would be very easy to apply. The consistency is very thick but it does provide good coverage.

A similar applicator is provided with the eye primer. At first, the primer seemed a bit watery but, on application, it becomes satiny smooth. It really does feel lovely and primes the eyelids perfectly for eyeshadow.

I'm wearing the nude shade of eyeshadow here. It's very subtle, which I like as I prefer a simple shadow, but it's like foundation for the eyes. It's a slightly brighter shade than my eyelids so it smooths the complexion and opens up those peepers.

The lowlighter and highlighter have a really creamy consistency. They blend well and dry to a dewy sheen. I'm not much of a bronzer girl so I'm not wearing it here but I swatched it and it was very light. Perfect to prevent that caked-on look.



If you fancy your own set, you can pick up loads of Scarlett & Crimson gift sets at Littlewoods. 

Vintage Christmas

I love looking at photos of Christmases past. They always look so magical and elegant. I also like going to my grandma's on Christmas Eve as she has used the same tree and decorations since the 60s! 

www.shorpy.com

www.handmadebymother.blogspot.com

www.vintage-snapshots.com

www.stlucyschoollb.org

Recognise those chubby cheeks? Yep, that's me as a 3 year old! Looks like Santa bought me a nurse's costume for Christmas 1991! 

My Worst Christmas

Everyone talks about their best Christmas. So I thought I'd be a little different and tell you about my worst. 

Be warned: This tale has some quite toe-curling injury so if you're squeamish, maybe skip it this time. 

It was Christmas Eve 2010. As I've mentioned recently, every Christmas Eve, my family go to church for the Christingle service. It's a big deal for me. It's my absolute favourite event of the year and we've done it every year of my life, as far as I'm aware.

My mum picks me up with my little brother, who had just turned 11 at the time, and we take this photo in the car. As you'll note, he's shotgunned the front seat. As always.



We get to my Grandparents' house and I hop out of the back seat, slamming the car door behind me. Then there's a scream. The most awful, horror-filled, banshee of a scream. I whip around and there is my little brother, my baby brother who I absolutely dote on, with all four fingers in the car door. Not the opening side, with the squishy cushioning to prevent this sort of incident, but the hinge side. As I slammed the door, he was pulling himself up with his hand wrapped around the pillar. Now, my brother is well known for being a melodramatic drama queen but this was serious. His whole hand was encased in the door. 

I can still remember the sheer panic I felt. I rushed towards him, wrenching open the door and gasping "I'msorryI'msorryohmygodI'msososorry". My poor mum had no idea what was going on and was trying to ask what had happened but neither of us were in any fit state to answer her.

Myles was now bent double, still howling, his good hand wrapped around the injured. I had no idea if his fingers were still attached and I didn't want to ask. All I could think of was his poor mutilated hand.

By now, my mum had somehow ushered us into the house and shephered Myles straight into the bathroom whilst my grandma ran for some frozen peas. I perched on the edge of the sofa and listened to his harrowing screams from the bathroom. My uncle tried to make small talk but all I could think of was how his goalkeeping career was over and it was all my fault. I loved my brother more than anything else in the world, I would do anything for him, yet I had caused this pain on him. I sat there and sobbed.

After what felt like forever, my mum came out and assured me that his fingers were all present and counted for. I have never felt relief like it. Eventually Myles came out too, his eyes red and raw. I apologised over and over again. He smiled at me weakly. "That's ok". The childlike forgiveness made me cry even harder as I hugged him.

My aunt, a doctor, made a makeshift splint out of a coaster and bandages, and recommended that he go to A&E. Myles squealed every time my mum gingerly touched his fingers and he just could not wiggle them when asked. It looked like every single finger was broken.

My grandad drove me home whilst they went to hospital. That night, I didn't sleep. I felt sick the entire night, thinking about what I had done to my baby brother. First thing in the morning, I gave my mum a call to speak to him.

"We didn't go to the hospital in the end", she said, "as soon as I mentioned how busy it would be, Myles decided he couldn't be bothered to wait".

"So how is his hand now?", I asked.

"Oh, it's fine", my mum replied. "No swelling, no bruising, no redness. Nothing".

I could have killed him. 

Review: Dior Addict High Impact Weightless Lip Colour in Technicolour

 Woah, this may possibly be the world's longest product name!

Ok, so let's start with the packaging. The box is cute to begin with. It's an iridescent mirrored card so it reflects all sorts of colours. In fact, it's too cute for me to throw away! The tube itself is lovely. It certainly looks high end. It's a dark navy blue colour, with DIOR engraved lengthwise across one side, and a silver bullet that pulls out with a silver-coloured CD-embossed knob.

Inside the tube, the lipstick looks a bright, glossy red with iridescent swirls of different shades and blue tints within it. This colour is pretty much faithful to how it looks on the lips. It's very glossy and slides on immaculately. It feels so smooth and moisturising. It's also quite sheer but it's very easy to build up to a bolder colour. Once blotted, the shimmering iridescence really shines through to create quite an unusual effect. The lasting power is fantastic. It lasts hours, exactly as applied, even with eating and drinking.



This lipstick might well be my new favourite. The multitonal appearance perhaps makes it more of an evening lipstick than a daytime one but I like to break the rules! At around £24, it's not cheap but it is certainly worth every penny.

Top 5 Christmas Songs

Ok, I lied a little. It's actually my top 15 Christmas songs but in three categories: Classic, cheesy and cult. I just love Christmas songs too much to narrow it down to 5 alone.

Classic

5. Shine Jesus Shine

Every Christmas Eve, my whole family goes to Christingle. Although my immediate family isn't religious, my grandparents are Christian and it's a really important event for them. We've been going for my whole life and it's the best part of Christmas for me. This is always the first carol in the service, so it immediately makes me feel festive.

4. Away in a Manger

This just brings back memories of childhood and Christmas assemblies.

3. Carol of the Bells

If this doesn't remind you of Home Alone, your childhood was not worth having.

2. The First Noel

This carol is just so beautiful.

1. Silent Night

At Christingle, this is the final carol we sing. The lights go off and the candles light up the church. Well, they did, before the church got a new carpet and decided dripping wax was too much of a hazard for the carpet so replaced candles with glowsticks. Sacrilege, I tell you! Still, this carol just makes me feel that Christmas is really, really on the way! 

Cheesy

I have to admit that cheesy, shopping-centre Christmas songs are my favourite of all. I think it's because the Christmas period is so saturated in them: Adverts, shops, the radio... Everywhere you move, they track you. 

5. Do they Know it's Christmas?- Band Aid

Surely this has the most selfish lyric of all time. "Tonight thank God it's them instead of you"? Nice, Bono, nice. Nevertheless, it is a classic. 

4. Fairytale of New York- The Pogues

The cynical honesty of this song is pure genius. Also, seeing as my parents actually put their divorce into effect on Christmas day, it's pretty apt to my family history. 

3. I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day- Wizzard

This was my favourite as a kid. Mostly because I really did wish it could be Christmas every day.

2. Stop the Cavalry - Jona Lewie

I have fond memories of circling the living room to this song, with my brother following, both of us bobbing up and down as if on horses and singing "dom me dom me dom dom dom me dom me dom"

1. Merry Christmas Everybody- Slade

Altogether now: IT'S CHRIIIIIISSSSSTMAAAAASSSS!!!!

Cult & Quirky

So this section is for songs that are perhaps not so well known or have some sort of quirk attached to them and didn't fit into any other category.

5. Jingle Bell Rock (The Mean Girls version)

Surely everyone who was a teenager in 2004 still knows the dance routine to this?

4. It Feels Like Christmas- A Muppet Christmas Carol

A classic film and a classic song. I love the sentiment of it.

3. March of the Elves

Santa Claus: The Movie is a massively underrated Christmas film. It's amazing. Seriously.

2. Toys R Us advert song

Yeah, I'm not ashamed to admit I have this on my ipod. I seriously considered writing to complain when they changed the advert to that stupid spaceship thing. It felt like my childhood had been crushed.

1. The Christmas Song- Bedlight for Blue Eyes

At 17, I was a full-on emo kid, as we all know. Getting ready for the Christmas Eve party at the local rock club, my best friend and I listened to this on repeat. We loved it. We actually laughed until we cried. Listening to this song takes me back to that night in an instant.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have a video anywhere on the internet. Just too cult, I guess. 

Review: Barratts Shoes Snowflake Ankle Bootie Slippers

My feet are in snuggly heaven. They are the happiest they have ever been right now, and it is all thanks to these incredible slippers sent to me by the very lovely people at Barratts Shoes. 

I chose these mostly because of the design. As you should know by now, I adore anything festive and these were the most Christmassy slippers I'd ever seen. They came in blue too, but I'm a big fan of red so plumped for these. 

I'll start by telling you about their appearance. They look exactly like they do in the stock photo, with a knitted snowflake design reminiscent of old school Christmas jumpers. White fluffy sheepskin (presumably faux) trims the sole and seams. To my delight, this textile continues the entire way within the boot. Which brings me to more sensory aspects.

Sticking my foot into this slipper is like slipping into paradise. It is so soft and so warm. I was actually "oh-oh"ing out loud with the sheer cosiness. I can't really describe just how amazing they feel. The soles are a little bouncy too so as I walk, my feet sink into this big fluffy cushion of comfiness.

Another plus point is the rubber sole which, I can assure you, is totally anti-slip. As somebody who likes to skip across the tiled floor of the kitchen, my feet have stayed firmly in place. So these slippers are basically saving my life.

Oh, and did I mention that they're only £10? Billy bargain!

Seriously, I love them. I know I'm gushing but that is the effect. It's my feet talking, I tell you! 

Tree Erection Day

Woohoo! It's the 1st of December at last! That means Christmas is well and truly on the way! In my household, the 1st is the day to put up the tree, crack out the Christmas songs and begin the countdown to the Big Day.

So how else could I celebrate but to wear an amazingly obnoxious novelty Christmas jumper?

Glasses: Firmoo
Jumper: Primark
Dress: Topshop

I love it. It has 3D berries on it. Could festive dressing get any better? Erm, nope!

Tree decorating with Love Actually on. This is the life! This is a great photo because Rich somehow managed to capture it with Alan Rickman on the TV. Though how I'm paying the tree more attention is beyond me! Mmm, Alan...

Adding the finishing touches! I think I'm going to pick up a few more little decorations to bulk it up a bit. Oh, and I'm buying a little potted tree with outdoor lights to go next to the front door. Exciting!