Me, organised? Miracles do happen!

In 18 days, I leave my little house in Glasgow and travel down to London to spend a couple of days with my Mum, and in 20 days I make my way to Heathrow on my own to start an adventure 11,000+ miles away in New Zealand (with a little stop over in Hong Kong).

As someone who has never been particularly organised (to put it lightly), I thought I should probably start packing now, and then unpack and repack 10 more times, as trying to fit a year's worth of belongings in one tiny bag will take a bit of practise!

As if squeezing enough clothes in to last me at least a year isn't hard enough - I have to pack for Summer and a ski season, as I'm planning on spending the winter down in Queenstown working on the slopes. So I'll be packing my bikini and flip flops next to my wooly hats and thermals.. If anyone has any tips for packing, I would much appreciate them!

I haven't even began to think about make up yet... I hostly have no idea how to pack it all, or how to choose what to take with me. I know I'll be taking 5 of my favourite mascara, foundation and concealers though as I've heard it's difficult to get a lot of brands over there, and when you can find them, it's double the price. So I'll have to be keeping enough room for those absolute essentials!

 

The bag I decided to go for is a mixture of a backpack and a wheelie holdall. I'll be wheeling it most of the time, but in cases of bad terrain or flights of stairs, I can unzip the back and pop out the straps that allow me to carry it on my back. This is the Osprey Sojourn and it received impeccable reviews on many websites and blogs, so I'm hoping "You get what you pay for" is accurate and it does me just as well!

As for hand luggage, I decided to go for a big, ugly Vans backpack with oodles of little pockets and compartments for all my gadgets and documents (and of course I needed room for my pillow and fluffy socks for the two 12 hour plane journeys! Comfort is key).
I'll be carrying my teeny tiny handbag as well though for easy access to my phone, purse, passport and lipstick.

I don't think I have ever been so organised. I'm now just counting down the days and wishing time away, as I just want to get out there now! Although, I still have plenty to do, so maybe I shouldn't want time to go too fast...



Have you ever gone backpacking? I'd LOVE to hear about any of your experiences and if you have any handy tips for packing, travelling or living in hostels!



xo Shona
<3

Home Is Where The Heart Is, Really

I have the travel bug. I always have and I always will. And because of this, it's sometimes it's easy to forget just how great Home is.

I spend far too much time dreaming about being else where and planning my trips away, and not enough time appreciating my own city.

So in aid of this, I thought I would write up a wee blog post on reasons why I love my home - Glasgow. The snaps below are just a few I've taken on my phone over the past year :)

1. Number 1 has to be the people, of course! Glasgow is so bright with an atmosphere that I've found very difficult to come across elsewhere in the world. The Glaswegian sense of humour and their joy for life makes this city what it is. For example, above is the Duke of Wellington statue which has rarely been seen without a traffic cone on it's head since 1980. Every night the police take it down, only for a new one to be placed on top by a drunken Glaswegian by the morning. Occasionally there's one on the horse's head too! The day I took this photo was Glasgow's hottest day of the year - so naturally someone thought to dress him in a Hawaiian shirt.
It's because of little things like this that Glasgow will always be home to me.

2. The architecture and history. When I lived in Toronto, I found myself missing something that I had barely taken notice of before - the incredible old buildings. Skyscrapers just don't cut it when you compare them to the stonework of 19th century Victorian Architecture. The buildings are magnificent, and add even more character to an already charismatic city. Glasgow is rich with history, and I love walking around imagining what happened in each building, tower and monument.

3. You're never far away from a view. Whenever you feel as if the city is getting a little too much, there are always beautiful parks, lochs and forests to disappear to. The photos above are from Loch Lomond (45 minute drive from my house) and Queen's Park overlooking the city, which is about a 5 minute walk from my house. I'll never tire of a good green view! (Which is maybe why I chose to travel New Zealand...?)

Where do you live, and what's your favourite things about your home? :)

xo Shona

Disney Dreams

I was lucky enough to be able to go to Disneyland Paris in June with two of my lovely girl friends, and I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since.

I'm a self confessed Disneyland addict and have been more times than I care to admit (thank you Mum for being an even bigger Disney fan than me!), and the magic of Disneyland just does not fade. If anything, it grows just as big as we do.

When I was younger, it was just a magical place where I got to meet my favourite characters, go on amazing themed rides and watch a fantastic parade and then fireworks show at night. Now that I'm older, I appreciate the thought and planning behind every little detail; from the carefully positioned speakers playing cheerful music wherever you go, to the exceptional cleaning staff who never let you see anything but immaculate pathways and grounds.

I'm very emotionally attached to Disneyland - especially the Orlando Disneyworld. I spent many family holidays there and hold so many memories close to me with my Dad that I will cherish forever (he was always the only one to go on the scary rides with me!). I assume many people hold Disneyland in there hearts for the same reason - so many fond memories are created there, and so that feeling of happiness comes to mind when thinking about it.

To me, Disneyland truly is "The Happiest Place on Earth", and I hope that when I am finally settled down in the future I can create memories there with a family of my own.

Where is your happy place?


Shona xoxo

Goodbye Summer Makeup

September means it's time to dig out my Autumn/Winter makeup and put away my pinks and shimmers. So out came my NARS lipstick and Rockateur blush, and I said goodbye to NARS orgasm and Naked 3.

I went to a party on Saturday night and this was my makeup beforehand (I still had to brush out my curls - I didn't go out looking like Shirley Temple haha!)

First of all, sorry for the terrible photo quality! I'm currently camera-less as I've sold them on eBay in order to raise funds for one of a better quality! (hurry up Nikon!!!!)

Secondly, I did take before pictures and close ups of my face, but I may have out-partied even myself and my phone was severely injured as a consequence.... This photo was the only one I had already uploaded to the internet! RIP Sammy Samsung. You'll be missed.


Products

Foundation - Rimmel Wake Me Up
Concealer - MAC Pro-longwear
Blusher - Benefit Rockateur
Bronzer - NARS Laguna
Eyeshadow - MAC All That Glitters + Urban Decay Naked 1
Eyeliner - Stilla
Mascara - Maybelline Falsies
Eyebrows - Benefit Gimme Brow + Anastasia Brow Wiz
Lipstick - NARS Pure Matte in Valparaiso


Hopefully my new camera will come soon so I can take some better quality photos, but this is all I can do for now I'm afraid!



Shona xoxo

Overhyped, Disappointing Products?

Ah, a nice contrast to my previous post.

Although I may be new to the world of blogging, I've been a silent lurker of beauty blogs and youtube beauty gurus for years. After reading hundreds of blogs and watching hundreds of videos, it has became apparent that there are some products that are cult favourites and are a staple in many girls makeup bags. I, like many of you, have rushed out to get these products to see what all the fuss is about, but some have only left me disappointed and out of pocket!

All of these opinions are my own of course, and just because I don't like them doesn't mean it's not a great product; I can just be very picky!

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Even when you ignore the terrifying price tag attached to this mascara, it still wouldn't be the one I'd rush out to buy. I find it dries out faster than any other mascara I have ever owned, meaning that you constantly have to repurchase and leave a hefty hole in your bank balance. I've bought one myself and received a couple more as Christmas or birthday gifts, and I reacted the same way each time.

1. Oh, my eyelashes look good! 
2. OW it hurts
3. WHY DO I KEEP POKING MYSELF IN THE EYE
4. Oh great, it's dry already. Back to Maybelline it is then.

It isn't by any means a terrible mascara, I just find it very overrated for what it is, it is far too expensive, and I have never poked myself in the eye with a mascara as much as this one (and because the wand is essentially a weapon, it bloody hurts).

MAC Face and Body Foundation

I can hold my hands up and say maybe I shouldn't have bought it if I know that I don't like light foundations, but I didn't expect it to be near transparent. It was described to me as "build up coverage" which I take to mean as it has a light coverage but can be made heavier the more you apply it. This foundation does absolutely nothing for me though - apart from turn me a nice shade of orange. It doesn't cover any blemishes, redness or unwanted freckles no matter how much of it I lather on my face. Oh, and it smells terrible. 1/10 would not recommend I'm afraid!

YSL Touche Éclat

This little pen has won awards, but the only award I would give it is Biggest Waste of Money. For £25, and after reading many reviews, I expected a product that would last all day, have high coverage and make me look like I'd actually had more than 3 hours sleep that night. I don't get any of that with the Touche Eclat, at all. If anything, I think it makes me look more tired, and gives me an oily complexion on top if that. There are many products out on the market that are much cheaper and much better, such as Maybelline's Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer, or L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer - both of which are under £10.
But, as I stated, the Touche Eclat has won awards, so maybe it's just me who doesn't like it? Let me know what you think about this product.



What are some well loved products that you were disappointed by? 


Shona xoxo

My All Time Favourite Products

Lipstick

MAC - Brave (Satin)

Brave is just the perfect 'my lip colour, but better' lipstick. It's my go-to daytime lipstick and I rarely go a day without wearing it and carrying it around with me. The texture is very matte, but it doesn't dry out your lips and it lasts for hours. I've noticed that it instantly makes my lips look larger, turning my non-existent top lip at least semi-proportional. I am constantly buying new lipsticks (my collection is getting out of control), but I doubt I will ever find a lipstick that I love as much as this one. I just bought my 7th one yesterday - I don't even want to add up how much I've spent on these lipsticks over the years!

Eye Shadow

Urban Decay - Naked Palette

These god damn Naked palettes are a gimmick that I just cannot resist and I shamefully own all 3, but I wish I had stopped at the first one! Naked 1 is the perfect combination of day time and night time shades and for someone who can't resist a gold smokey eye - it seems like this palette was made for me. I can't travel anywhere without it and it will be claiming its place amongst the very limited space in my backpack when I go travelling around New Zealand!

Mascara

Maybelline - 'Falsies' 

Do I really need to talk about this mascara? This is everyone's favourite, and I'm no different. This mascara is without a doubt my holy grail mascara and is the one I have repurchased the most. I was blessed with good eye lashes (I have very thick curly hair so maybe that's why) so most mascaras do work reasonably well with me but when I wear this mascara people are constantly asking what false lashes I'm wearing. Even my own mum gave them a wee tug the other day!

Eyeliner

Stilla - Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

Just as the name says, it doesn't budge all day and it's a bitch to get off. But it's extremely easy to apply, is jet black, and it doesn't go that cakey way that some eyeliners do when you put it over eyeshadow. The pen also lasts a suuuper long time compared to other pens I've tried that dry out in a few weeks. There's not really much to say apart from that it's an all around amazing product. Yay.

Foundation

Revlon - Colourstay 24h - normal/dry skin

This is a foundation that I discovered when I was 17/18, but it's one I've continued to repurchased. I've always had dry skin so I'm extremely picky when it comes to foundation, but no matter what other brands I try, I always end up back with this one. Colourstay is the perfect coverage for me, allowing my freckles to show through in Summer but still covering all my blemishes. I would say the only other contender for taking the top spot would be Rimmel Wake Me Up, but it's so heavy that I can't wear it in Summer as it just sweats off my face! (However, I will still chose to wear it for nights out as it gives that flawless finish that I love).

Concealer

MAC - Pro Longwear Concealer

Okay so this concealer is essentially skin coloured clay - but it covers every blemish and hint of under eye circles, and that's what concealer's for. It might be a bit thick for some people, but because of it's coverage you can easily get away with wearing no foundation. The only negative I have is the pump gives out waaay too much so you need to be careful when dispersing it or you'll end up with enough to cover your entire body!

Eyebrows

Benefit - Gimme Brow

I only discovered this recently since my eyebrows have grown in and I've simultaneously grown out of the pencil look. Gimme Brow is a brush on fibre gel, which fills in your brows with a natural looking finish, giving you fuller brows but without that 3D effect. I wear this most days without any other filler, as I've become more of a fan of the natural look and this does such a good job, but on nights out I will neaten them up and accentuate the shape with Anastasia Brow Wiz. I found this pencil in Sephora in Canada, and since returning to Scotland over a year ago I've had to order 3 more online. On one end is a brush, and on the other end a very fine pencil. The fineness allows you to get very natural looking strokes, which is something I haven't came across in any other brow pencil. I still love this product, and I probably will fall in love with very bold eyebrows again in the future, so it's definitely an all time favourite of mine even if I'm not using it too much at the moment.


Moisturiser

Oilatum - Natural Repair Face Cream

WHERE DO I START WITH THIS MOISTURISER? Very long story short, I've always had eczema and once I hit puberty my face became extremely dry and broke out in red raw patches mostly over my eyelids and cheeks. It was so painful that I was often off school and seeing specialist dermatologists. I tried every moisturiser under the sun and was constantly getting prescribed new ones by the doctors, but none of them worked. Then I found Oilatum - specifically the natural repair cream (the normal cream doesn't work for me) and literally my life changed. I've been using this for around 7 years now and although my skin did clear up for good when I hit 19, I still use it every morning and evening as my skin will always be dry. It feels incredibly cooling on your face and leaves your skin dewy all day. I can't actually praise the product enough. I find it quite hard to get these days as the smaller Boots don't stock it so I end up buying it online in bulk for a hefty price but it is worth every penny.


What are some of your favourite products?


Shona xoxo