Tuesday 13 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 13: CHRISTMASSY NAILS...ISH

Hello everyone! Todays post is going to be about some Christmassy...ish nails that I've done today! I'm not very adventurous with nail art as I am terrible at it so this is as good as it gets for me! 


I used a nude colour from Model's Own, and a sparkly polish from Barry M for just an accent nail.





The Barry M shade was 'Jingle Bells' very fitting! If you're using this polish I would recommend using it very sparingly as it comes out very fast.


The Model's Own shade I think was Trillion Taupe. I love this colour, as it can be worn all year round.


And here is the finished result!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I shall see you tomorrow!

Chelsea 

xxx

Monday 12 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 10, 11 & 12: ASSIGNMENT STRESS

Hello! I have already ruined Blogmas and it had only been 9 days... I am terrible. But the reason why will become clear after you have read this post! I've combined a few days into one as quite frankly I have done nothing interesting as I have had 3 deadlines very close together for my uni work so all that I have been doing is writing essays! So, I thought today's post could be dedicated to how I deal with assignments and the stress that comes with them! This could be applied to your GCSE'S, A-Levels or degree level work like I'm currently doing. So, enjoy!

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!  I think this is my most important step. I always plan all my essays as I think this makes writing them a lot easier and faster. It helps group all your ideas together and it ensures your essay is structured properly.

SLEEP! I always make sure I go to bed at a reasonable ish.. time and try and set an alarm for a reasonable time to make sure I get enough sleep.

TAKE BREAKS  This is also very important! If you don't take breaks you won't be producing your best work. So, take a break after every hour but just make sure you start working again afterwards.

RELAX  This won't be forever and it will soon all be over!

Friday 9 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 9: CHRISTMAS MARKETS

So, yesterday I decided to visit the local Christmas market with my boyfriend. I love Christmas markets as they always make me feel really festive and the food is amazing. I took a few photos but struggled as they were quite busy and it was very very cold. But it wouldn't be a Christmas market if it wasn't cold!







Do you go to Christmas markets? Feel free to leave any comments.

Chelsea
xxx

Thursday 8 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 8 : MY CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

Hello again! So, I've wrote gift guides so thought I would share with you all what was on my list this year. Plus, if anyone is thinking of buying me a gift {boyfriend take note here, if you're reading} here are a few pointers! What have you asked for this Christmas? As always links are provided if you click on the product name.



1. Pandora Love Ring: I love Pandora rings and really want to expand my collection of them. 

2. Urban Decay Smoky Palette: I've already got the Naked 2 Palette and use it daily so I think now is the time I need a new palette to replace it otherwise I'm going to use it all up! The colours are super pigmented and look nice all day. 

3. Rose Gold Apple Watch: I really love Apple products and have nearly everything apart from the watch. I love the rose gold colour and think it would be a handy gadget. 

4. Vivienne Westwood Necklace: I haven't got anything Vivienne Westwood but really like the style of this necklace so would love it to add to my jewellery collection.

5. Love Spell Victoria Secret Spray: I think Victoria Secret sprays are great and sometimes even better than perfume! My current one has lasted me ages but is now sadly running out so I need a new one.

6. The Balm Highlighter:  I've wanted this highlighter for so long as I've heard really good reviews about it.

7. Pandora Vintage Ring:  More Pandora! I love this ring as I think it's different and would look lovely.

8. Pandora Heart Earrings: And finally... more pandora. I love how these earrings are dainty.

Feel free to leave any comments!

Chelsea
xxx

Wednesday 7 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 7: STOCKING FILLERS FOR UNDER £10!

Hello! Today's post is going to be dedicated to stocking fillers. I've searched the whole of the internet and found some great picks for fillers that are all under £10, so purse friendly, and would make great gifts for any girl! So, I hope you enjoy and all the products are linked to where you can find them if you click on the product name.




1. Sanctuary Jar of Delights £7.50: I think this jar of delights would be a great stocking filler! It has some great little products in it, and I love how you could use the jar afterwards to store things or even fill again with sweets as a present for someone. 

2. Soap and Glory Pink Twice £5: This set is a cute little gift, and would be a perfect gift for anyone who loves to take care of their feet and hands.

3Lush Bath Bomb Luxury Lush Pud £4.25: Everyone loves a lush bath bomb and I love how this one is festive and a part of Lush Christmas range. 

4. Pug Print Slipper Socks £7.99: I love pugs and love how cute these are! They would be very cosy in Winter.

5. LED hanging star plaque £5.99: I think this would make a lovely present and would make a lovely feature in any bedroom. 

6. Alphabet Letter Candle £4: These candles are such a good price and would make a lovely personal gift as you can get the recipient's initial!

I hope you enjoyed this post and it helped you in your Christmas shopping!

Chelsea
xxx

Tuesday 6 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 6: CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Hello again! I can't believe its the 6th December already! Christmas is going to be here before we know it and then its the countdown to New Year. I really enjoy the run up to Christmas so will be sad when it's all over again but it comes round again pretty fast each year.

This post is going to be dedicated to Christmas traditions that me and my family do each year.

Christmas Eve: Normally on Christmas Eve we have quite a relaxed day, and sometimes go to the cinema or the local pantomime. On the evening we will normally watch a film altogether and have a takeaway. After this we always get Christmas Eve pyjamas and usually some form of chocolate. It's a lovely way to prepare for Christmas!

Christmas Day: On Christmas day we usually wake up quite early despite all being nearly adults. We will usually open presents and then have a cooked breakfast. After this we go to my Nanna and Grandad's where we open more presents and have a lovely Christmas dinner! {They are amazing cooks} After dinner we will usually play games, watch films and just have general chit chat. On the evening we always watch the soaps and then travel home after a lovely day. 



This is our tree at home from last year with our presents.


This is at my Nanna and Grandad's, the table set for dinner.


Excuse the snapchat writing! We usually get a table present after our dinner.

Boxing Day: On Boxing Day we usually have another relaxed day, eating food and I also see my boyfriend on this day!

I hope you enjoyed this post! What traditions do you have for Christmas?

Chelsea
xxx

Monday 5 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 5: GIFT GUIDE FOR HER (AFFORDABLE UNDER £20)

Hello again, today I'm going to be helping you with your Christmas shopping as we are officially only 3 weekends away! I know how hard it is to shop on a budget so I've found some amazing items that I think would make great presents for any female and they're all under £20!

All products are linked to where I found them if you click the product name!

1. Soap & Glory Take your Pink Set £10: I think this is a great little set for the price which has little mini's of some of my favourite Soap and Glory products. 

2. Personalised Initial Bracelet £14: This bracelet is actually on my personal Christmas list , I think it looks lovely for the price and would make a great gift especially since it can be personalised with the recipient's initial.  

3. May the wings of your eyeliner print £5: This would make a great gift for a makeup lover, all they need to add is a frame!

4. Real Techniques Starter Kit £12.82: An amazing price for Real Technique brushes and a great set for a girl just starting out in makeup or a treat for someone who already loves it!

5. Real Techniques Core Collection Kit £12.48: Again another amazing price and a great present for any beauty junkie.

6.  Victoria Secret Love Spell Body Mist £10: I love Victoria Secret sprays, they smell lovely and this is one of my favourite scents.

7. Gone Girl book £3.85: The film for this bestseller came out this year so is a great gift for anyone who enjoys reading or enjoyed the film!

8. Yankee Candle Snowflake Cookie £16.99: Yankee Candles are long lasting and I love the name of this one it's very festive! You won't find a large jar at this price any where else. 

I hope this has helped!

Chelsea
xxx

Sunday 4 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 4: BATISTE PRODUCT REVIEW

Hello again! It's Blogmas day 4 today but I thought I'd do a product review instead of a Christmas related post/diary style entry as I went shopping today at Meadowhall and took 0 pictures and only bought one Christmas card and a pair of jeans. That would not make for an interesting post...

So, last week I did an online order at Superdrug as I needed some more shampoo and conditioner, the usual top up bits. But, having tried bits from the Batiste range before I thought I'd try some of their products I hadn't seen before. 

I've started curling my hair with my straighteners so really needed some heat protection spray so I decided to try Batiste Stylist Shield My Locks Heat & Shine Spray.



I paid £2.23 for the product as it was reduced from £4.49. I really like the spray and find it does work and it does actually make my hair look shinier which you sometime lose when you curl your hair. The only negative is the smell... it smells a lot like hairspray which I hate but some may not mind that.

The next product I bought was the Tropical Dry Shampoo.


Dry shampoo is one of my beauty essentials. I do normally buy the Batiste dry shampoo as I find it just works with my hair. But, I haven't tried this scent yet and I love it! I would definitely re-purchase.

The whole Batiste range is half price at Superdrug at the moment so now is the time to try their products or stock up on your favourites! Do you use dry shampoo?

Feel free to leave any comments.

Chelsea
xxx

Saturday 3 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 3: MY FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS FILMS

Hello again for Blogmas day 3! Today I haven't really done very much other than some of my uni work. I'm writing an essay on the book Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters. 




So, todays post is going to be my three favourite Christmas films as I've been watching loads recently!

Elf- Okay, so this has to be my all time favourite Christmas film! I'm yet to watch it this year and cannot wait. I love Will Ferrell and this is one of the best films that he's been in. It always makes me feel in a Christmassy mood and its hilarious.

Home Alone- I love Home Alone, it's an older film but is a classic for Christmas. I have to watch this every year and still find it funny.

The Night Before- This is a very recent film and I watched it for the first time the other night. It has Seth Rogan in it and I really him in films. It also has James Franco in it for a short time and he is wow. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a more adult Christmas film and want to laugh.

Thanks for reading! What's your favourite Christmas film? 

Chelsea
xxx

Friday 2 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 2: CHRISTMAS CARDS & DECORATING MY ROOM

It's already the second day of Blogmas! I can just tell this month is going to fly by! I love the run up to Christmas so much so I'm trying to do something Christmassy every day. Today I had my HD brows done and my hair dyed and cut. 


It was lovely to have a fresh cut and dye! I'll upload a picture of my eyebrows over the next few days as they're still quite red and sore as I mark very easily! If anyone wants a review and overview of the HD Brows process just let me know in the comments..!

I also wrote out some Christmas cards for my friends.





I got these pug Christmas cards from ASDA for £1 with some of the proceeds going to Children in Need. I love pugs and love giving to a good cause so these were a great pack of cards.

I then decorated my bedroom like I do every year!


I've had this tree for years and it was from ARGOS, I love the pink ornaments and bows as it matches my room with is duck egg blue and pink.


I got this as a gift last night as each year me and my family look out for the Coca Cola advert.

So, I hope you enjoyed this short post about my day today. I shall see you tomorrow! Feel free to leave any comments.

Chelsea
xxx

Thursday 1 December 2016

BLOGMAS DAY 1: MY FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS SONG

Hello everyone! I thought that since this is the first Christmas that I've been actually blogging that I'd do blogmas! For those of you that don't know what blogmas is, I'll be posting a blog post each day until the 24th December. Some entries will be Christmas themed and some will just be a diary of what I've been up to for that day. I'll be posting these each day by 10pm. 

So, today is the 1st December and we all got to open the first door on our advent calendars. 


I have a Cadbury's advent calendar this year, so gutted I don't have a beauty one. Definitely a must for next year!


My dog even got to join in this year! I picked this advent calendar up from my local £1 shop for 50p (I don't get understand why it was 50p either)! Unfortunately they didn't have any cat ones!




I'm going to do a post dedicated solely to the Christmas decorations in my house but this is just a few pictures of our tree! Feeling all festive!

I also got a Superdrug order through the post today, I stocked up on my regular shampoo and also bought a few new items to try such as these...




I always use the Batiste dry shampoo but thought I would try a new scent for a change! I've never tried the heat protector spray though so will be putting my thoughts on here after trying!

So that's all that I really got up to today, moving on now to the purpose of this post. I love Christmas songs so much! I listen to them at the beginning of November... But if I had to pick a favourite it would have to be Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. It's a family favourite and reminds me of Christmas with my family.

What's your favourite Christmas song? Have you followed me on Instagram yet? My username is chelseapurplefig. 

See you tomorrow! 
Chelsea xx

Monday 7 November 2016

London's Calling...

Hello again! I've been gone for a while again I know...I am the worse blogger. This post is going to be slightly short...

I was looking at pictures from my trip to London over the Summer and are having major London blues! I so want to go back at Christmas time and visit the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Have you been to London over Christmas?








Those are just a few pictures I took during the Summer! Feel free to leave any comments and follow me on Instagram! @chelseapurplefig xxxx

Tuesday 26 July 2016

Eylure Lashes 141 Review

Hello again! Today I thought I'd write a piece about a product that is very close to my heart... Eylure lashes. Due to going on a night out I thought I'd head into my local Savers in search of some new lashes as all of the ones I had look scary now due to over-wearing them. I picked up the Eylure 141's for £2.99! I was searching for lashes that had a much more natural feel to them but still had the length and volume that I desired. I love the feathery look of the lashes and would definitely recommend these lashes if you are wanting a natural yet glam look. Eylure as a brand is also amazing and I haven't found a brand just yet that match the quality of their products. 


This is the packaging of the lashes in case you were wondering what they looked like. I unfortunately threw the packaging away before I got chance to snap a picture of them!


This is myself wearing the lashes.


A close up of the lashes... ignore my brows as I have an appointment booked to get them threaded again!

Do you wear fake eyelashes? What's your favourite brand?

Feel free to leave any comments

xxxxxx

Thursday 23 June 2016

Advice For Starting Uni

So you've chosen what you want to do. First step done. Then you had to troll through the torture that is UCAS and fill in the application form that looked like it was made when UCAS was created (1992)? Yes I had to Google that. And now you've chosen where you think you're going to go and where you may have to go if those A-Levels don't turn out how they should. So now the panic sets in. OMG have I just made the biggest mistake of my life? Will I make friends? What will I do when I'm ill? All of these thoughts crossed my mind when deciding to go to uni. They're all completely natural and most people (normal people) will experience them. I first started my blog when I had just began my first year at uni with my first post being tips on survival at uni. I've now finished my second year so feel like it's time for another updated version following my two years.


  1. Don't forget your home friends. It may seem fine at the time but they've been there for you for years and watched you transform from the spotty teenager into hopefully something a bit better than that.
  2. Budget! Yes I sound so old and so boring but seriously overdrafts are not fun and you have to pay that back with real money y'know.
  3. Try and find some part time work when you're home for the Summer. You're off for such a long time, make use of this time and earn back some money to save for when you're back slumming it.
  4. Buy a railcard. Trains are not cheap and will take 75% of your student loan. Guaranteed.
  5. Visit your friends at uni. This is definitely one of the benefits of going to uni, you get to experience nightlife in every city!
  6. Eat healthy. I sound like a Mum here but putting on a stone is not fun either.
  7. Try and keep up with the work. First year is ok as it doesn't count but when you get to second year this changes and stuff actually counts. Scary, I know.
  8. Use the library! I've got the best grades I've ever got by just going to that strange busy building that was just kind of there before.
So, those are just a few things that I think would have helped me before I began uni, not that I would have probably listened to any of them. 

Thanks for reading!

xxxxxx



Tuesday 21 June 2016

Rebecca|Daphne du Maurier Review

Hello again! This post is going to be slightly different to other things that I have written about before, and I would love to hear your feedback as to whether you enjoy this sort of post! So, this post will take the form of a book review about the classic text Rebecca, written by Daphne du Maurier. 


Can we all just take a second to appreciate how beautiful the cover is? 

As I study English Literature as a degree I am given a reading list of texts which I need to read over the summer in preparation for returning to uni in September. Whilst browsing the different texts on Amazon I decided I would start by ordering this and begin reading it- this decision was perhaps solely based more on the cover than the blurb but who could blame me?

As I began the novel I was intrigued and definitely wanted to read more. It began with the protagonist hopping from hotel to hotel, dreaming of a time past at Manderley, an English estate. I hoped that it would take place as an epic love story but this was not fulfilled within the novel. 

The novel was definitely interesting at the beginning, with aspects of a Gothic nature creeping in with the hints at a ghostly presence of the ex wife Rebecca. However, this ghostly nature again was not fulfilled.

I began to become uninterested in the novel and frustrated at the protagonist midway through. I dislike Jane Eyre and Rebecca definitely has qualities very similar to this.

However, as I began to finish the novel I sympathised more with the protagonist and even Maxim! I won't reveal why, as this would spoil the novel to prospective readers. 

Overall, I did enjoy the novel as I felt that there were many different twists and turns that I didn't expect. However, I didn't like how reminiscent of Jane Eyre the novel felt and the characterisation of the protagonist or Maxim at times.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave any comments

xxx

Thursday 9 June 2016

Zoella Sweet Inspirations

Hello again! This post today is going to be dedicated to the very exciting, new beauty range that Zoella has brought out. I was very lucky to have received two items from the range for my birthday from my amazing friends. The first product that I chose to try was the bath latte. 




The first thing that I found striking about the range was the amount of effort that was put into the packaging of all of the products. The products all have an art deco feel to them and are beautiful. I love the rose gold top of the milk bottle shaped bath latte. It can be used as either a bubble bath or body wash and I tried using it both ways. The fragrance of the latte is wonderful and stays on your skin after washing which is always a bonus! It created lovely bubbles and is overall a lovely product. I will be reviewing the Bath Fizzer Bar next on my blog.

Feel free to leave any comments.

xxxxxx