What's In My Bag?

Hey!

So today I'm back with a post about the contents of my bag. I have seen this tag on YouTube, but I'm sure a blog post will have the same effect. This is my day-to-day bag; if you would like to see a post on my school bag, let me know!

My bag is the 13" Cambridge Satchel in a limited edition dark green. I got this as a present for one of my exams, and I absolutely love it.

Cambridge Satchel

Firstly, there is my purse. I got this one from Accessorize (yep, you guessed it!) for around £15. It's nothing fancy, but it's quite practical and spacious.

My purse (and a Nando's card, haha!)

I store my keys in a rolled up glove, to protect my things from the sharp edge. My keyring is from Cath Kidston (I think it's the Notting Hill Rose print).

My keys

My little beauty bag is from the body shop, and in it, I keep spare contacts, plasters, tissues, concealer, powder and some other stuff. I love the size of it, because it fits into smaller bags too. 

Beauty bag

I keep my hand gel separate, because I reach for it a lot, and I can't be bothered to keep putting it in my beauty bag.

Carex hand gel

I like keeping my iPod on me, just in case I get stuck somewhere boring. I keep that in a little handmade purse I got a few years ago.

My iPod

I also keep a pen, in case I need to sign a receipt or something.

Paperchase pen

Next, I have even more entertainment, in the form of a book. Right now, I'm reading "To Kill a Mockingbird". I'm thinking about doing a review when I'm done, but I like it!

50th anniversary copy!

Finally, my phone sits in the front pocket of my bag, I honestly could not live without my mobile. It's my sat nav, my computer and my gaming console in one! It's even called "One" hahah!

One of my best friends

Thank you for reading this post, it's the last one of January 2013!

See you soon,

Rabbit.

Dupe Scoop: Benefit Watt's Up & Rimmel Wake Me Up

Hi Everyone!

I was going to do a review of one of Benefit's highlighters today, but I picked up the new Rimmel highlighter after ballet and thought I'd do a comparison review instead. I'm going to call these posts 'Dupe Scoops' (yes, I know :L). Let me know if you like these, or if you prefer single product reviews.

Today, we have the Benefit Watt's Up highlighter, and the Rimmel London Wake Me Up Shimmer Touch in 004 (Shimmering Sand).

The highlighters

The Rimmel highlighter comes in a squeezy tube, and feels like a mouse on the skin. The Benefit one however, is a stick formula and can be rubbed on, like a lipstick for your face (ooh, how poetic of me!).

Wind-up and squeezy tube

Both require blending, but the latter is easier to work into the skin.

Top: Benefit
Bottom: Rimmel

The only issue with the Rimmel one is that you can easily squeeze out too much. For example, the amount shown in the picture above is enough for your whole face.

The Benefit one is a little thicker, and a tad harder to blend evenly in my opinion, although the stick formula is more fool-proof than its rival. It comes with a sponge on the end, but to be honest, it's too small and not very practical. 

Le Sponge

The products have different consistencies, but once blended in, look the same. Also, the wear of the products is almost identical on my face (I have normal skin with a very slightly oily T-zone).

Top left: Benefit
Bottom right: Rimmel

I had the same experience using both products, so I guess the deciding factor is the price. The Rimmel Wake Me Up costs £4.99, and the Benefit Watt's Up is £24.50. You get 14ml of Rimmel product, which doesn't sound very much, but will last longer than you think. The Benefit one is 9.4g, which will last the best part of a year, if not all of it. 

In conclusion, Rimmel wins, even if I very slightly preferred the Benefit one. It offers an extremely similar product for a fraction of the price. Sorry, Benefit!

Both products are available from Boots in the UK.

Thanks for reading!

Rabbz. x

My Favourite Accessories!

Hello again!

I'm back today with a run down of my favourite accessories. Up until last year, I wore barely any jewelry for some reason, just a watch and a pair of studs (if you can even call that jewelry!). Recently, I have been making an effort to add some accessories to my outfits, and I thought it would be nice to share some of my most used pieces.

First, my watch. I have a pale pink Swatch, which I got as a present for doing well in an exam. I think they cost around £40, which isn't too bad for a watch. I like it a lot, though I am on the look out for a more sophisticated watch, if I ever want to go for an interview or something.

Swatch Rose Rebel

Usually with my watch, I wear my Pandora bracelets. I have two leather ones (black and grey), and a silver one. The leather ones cost around £40 I think, which is nice if you want to get someone something a little more special. The silver ones are a bit more, but will probably be more practical. I have 3 charms on mine- a rabbit, a strawberry and a book. You can thread charms on leather ones too, but it wears them out quickly, and can stretch them. The charms vary in price, starting at about £15.

My Pandoras

I don't wear many other bracelets, and the only two others I can say I wear on a regular basis are my Moustache bracelet, which is from Accessorize for £4, and my 'Love' bracelet, which is from a River Island sale (I think it was like £2).

'Love' and Moustache bracelets

As for earrings, I usually just wear my white gold plain ball studs, but if I want to switch it up a bit, I will wear my Moustache earrings, which were a Christmas present from my friend (but I'm pretty sure she got them at Accessorize too).

Moustache studs

I also really like my bird earrings. I got them a long time ago, but you can find similar styles online (also from Accessorize).

Bird earrings

I have been also wearing rings, my two favourites being my carrot ring and my bow ring, which Mum got from a small oriental shop. She bought the carrot because of my nickname (which is often shortened to Rabbz, hahah). 


Carrot and Bow rings

The rabbit and pig rings are from Topshop, and I like how they are 3D.

Topshop rings

I still haven't found any nice necklaces, since I lost my beloved genie lamp necklace. *sad face*

I hope this didn't bore you too much!

Thanks for reading,

Rabbit.

Liebster Award?!

Hello!
 
So today I found out that the lovely Laura nominated me for this award given to new bloggers with under 200 followers to help promote their work. Firstly, I would just like to point out that anyone who comes across this should click on her name. She was my very first blog follower and broke the 'silence spell' for me, so a huge thanks to her!
 
Here are the rules:

1. List 11 facts about yourself
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you by your nominator
3. Ask 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate
4. Go to each bloggers page and let them know about the award
5. Thank the person that nominated you and link back to their blog

11 facts about me:

1. I do ballet.
2. I have this crazy obsession with Wagon Wheels.
3. I love Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
4. I will not buy furniture unless it is from IKEA.
5. I am a shopaholic.
6. I hate fruitcake.
7. My lucky number is 7. I live at number 7 and my name is 7 letters long.
8. I love owls.
9. I don't like fizzy drinks or coffee.
10. I have never had a boyfriend.
11. I like baking cupcakes.

These are the questions Laura asked me:

1. What is your all time favourite blog? Fleur, from FleurDeForce. I love her YouTube too!
2. Gold or Silver? Silver, but it's only a very slight preference!
3. Whats your fashion staple piece this winter? My leather jacket!
4. Do you prefer online shopping or high street shopping? High street, definitely!
5. Do you have any pets? If so what do you have? Two little fish. My mum has allergies.
6. What's your favourite makeup brand? Chanel!
7. Is your hair died or natural? I've never dyed it, but it has highlights!
8. What is your dream holiday? Going to America and shopping... hahah!
9. What do you want to achieve from blogging? I honestly don't know where this blog will end up, but I hope it gets somewhere. Having said that, I would blog with a thousand followers, and I'd still blog with no followers.
10. Do you have a Youtube channel? What is it? BirdsAndButtons, but I have no uploads yet. I'm too scared as I was born with one slightly smaller eye, and people on YouTube seem to pick up on things like that...
11. Whats do you enjoy the most about blogging? I love the fact that I can share the things I love with the world, especially if the product is less popular!

My questions for those I tag:

1. What is your favourite book?
2. What made you start blogging?
3. How did you feel when you got your first few followers?
4. What are you secretly amazing at? (martial art, dance, instrument, hobby, etc.)
5. What do you do/want to do for a living?
6. What perfume do you like?
7. What colour is your room?
8. What is your favourite snack?
9. Heels or flats?
10. Do you have an Instagram?
11. What shops do you like?

The people I would like to tag:

Lauren
Olivia
Megan
Maddy
Becky

My Hair!

Personally I don't think my hair is any different to other peoples' hair, except for the fact that *touch wood* it is relatively healthy. Quite a few of my friends have recently asked me what I do with my hair and what I use, so I thought it would be a nice idea to do a post about it. all of the details, prices and links of the products will be at the end.

So, starting with the shower. I use the Kerastase Bain Satin shampoo in level 1. For conditioner, I use the Kerastase Lait Vital in level 1. My hair is normal to very slightly dry, so level 2/3 is a bit much for me. Both products are full of nutrients and I love the way they make my hair feel soft and shiny.

Shampoo and Conditioner

If I ever want to treat the ends of my hair with something a little thicker, I use the Nice'N'Easy Colourseal Gloss for Brunettes. It is for coloured hair, but I have honestly never used a more effective mask, and the price is perfectly reasonable. It comes in Brunette, Blonde, and Red, so you can pick the one for your hair colour.

The mask

When I get out of the shower, I towel-dry my hair and use the Shu Uemura Satin Design Polishing Milk. This is a lovely leave-in cream for the hair, and helps smooth down rebellious ends. It is a little more pricey, but the bottle will last for well over 6 months.


Leave-in cream

Next, I brush my hair with a Tangle Teezer. I think this is one of the main products I need to thank for stopping breakage. If your hair is always knotting and breaking, this may well make your year! I have the full size in purple (LIKE ZOELLA- WOO!) and the travel size in pink. The travel size has a lid too, so it is great for a handbag.
 


Tangle Teezer (left), Tangle Teezer travel size (right)

On a normal day, this would be it. I would just leave my hair to dry and go about my business. I used to style my hair all the time, but it left me with a sea of split ends and hardly any hair, so one day, I braved my natural hair. I trimmed off the dead hair, and I now only style it about 2-3 times a month.
If I do decide to style my hair, I first use the Tresemme Heat Defence to protect my hair. This protects up to 230 degrees, which is higher than most straighteners go, and is very affordable.


Heat Spray

When I had short hair, I liked straightening it to make it look longer and sleeker. I don't straighten it much anymore, but I do still recommend the Babyliss Pro 230 Styler. I got mine for about £20 from Tesco and I think it's really good. I have used more expensive ones, and sure, they come in nice colours and nice pouches, but they perform exactly the same.

Right now, I have been liking the Babyliss Pro Curl 210. I like the loose curls it creates, as they are straighter than my natural hair, so it leaves me with the Kate Middleton look.



(L-R) Babyliss Pro 230 Styler, Babyliss Pro Curl 210, Babyliss Waving Wand

When my hair grows out a little more, I'm going to start using the Babyliss Waving Wand. it creates really effortless waves, but my hair is too short to pull it off just yet.

Finally, I like the L'Oreal Elnett Flexible Hold hairspray. I hardly ever use hairspray though, as my hair usually stays put. Instead, as a finishing spray, I use Tigi S Factor Shiny Happy People. It smells like strawberries and cream, leaving the hair shiny and very attractive.


L'Oreal Hairspray (left), Finishing Spray (right)

This has been a HUGE post. Thank you, if you made it this far! 

See you soon,

Rabbit.

Kerastase Bain Satin 1 (shampoo)
Kerastase Lait Vital 1 (conditioner)
Nice'N'Easy Colourseal Gloss (mask)
Shu Uemura Satin Design Polishing Milk (leave-in cream)
Tangle Teezer (full size)
Tangle Teezer (travel size) 
Tresemme Heat Defence Spray
Babyliss Pro 230 Straightener
Babyliss Pro Curl 210 (tongs)
Babyliss Waving Wand
L'Oreal Elnett Flexible Hold
Tigi S Factor Shiny Happy People (finishing spray)

Review: Lush's Mint Julips

Hello again! (I can now say this as I am positive other people have viewed my blog- woop woop!)

So the other day, I was in town for a quick buy-things-that-you-need trip but Lush, and it's twirling window display literally picked me up and put me in the shop. (that's what I told mum, hahah). I ended up handing over my beloved money and walking away with one of those cool carnival-esque paper bags. 

Among other things, I bought Mint Julips, one of the famous Lush lip scrubs. I tested all three out in the shop, and decided I wanted to get Bubblegum (no prize on what that tastes like). They didn't have any in stock though, and instead of being a calm, patient person, Shoppers' Syndrome came over me and I decided I would buy Mint Julips (my second favourite).

Mint Julips

Mint Julips has a mint chocolate flavour, and although I don't like mint chocolate, I quite like the taste of this. The scrub is really nice! It exfoliates your lips, but isn't too harsh, as the granules melt in your mouth. It is also totally okay to eat, so you don't have to walk around like someone has staple-gunned your mouth from the inside.

The scrub itself!

I guess it is a little pricey at £5.25, but the jar is 25g, which is quite a bit in lip-scrub-using units (I completely made that up...). I like the fact that it is a natural product too, so it doesn't contain the chemicals that other products would. It also tells you when it was made, who made it, and when it expires on the bottom of the jar, which is a nice touch in my opinion. (Hey Pawel, thanks for making my lip scrub on 6/12/12!- if you ever read this..which you won't...).

I've had the cheeriest day ever, sorry for the quirkiness. I hope my first follower comes soon,

Rabbit.