Where have I been?

So it has certainly been a very long time since I have done a post! Over the past few months I have been really busy.  August is a popular month for birthdays in my family so I was busy celebrating, one of which was my own! I turned 22 this year! *Sigh* I am officially getting old!

I spent my birthday with my best friends and we went to Matthew Street Festival in Liverpool.  If you have never heard of it it is basically a massive street party with loads of live bands and tribute acts that come from all over the world.  We then went out in Liverpool until a ridiculous time in the morning but it was honestly one of the best birthday's I've ever had and it was purely down to the people I spent it with - so thanks guys! :)

Pretty soon after my birthday I went to Malaysia with people from university.  We stayed in Kuala Lumpur for 3 weeks doing volunteering, attending lectures and seminars, sight seeing and loads of things. I had such an amazing time.

National Mosque, KL

Batu Caves

When I returned from Malaysia I had about a week to get all sorted for going back to uni, which was stressful to say the least. I am back now and all settled so hopefully will be getting some more blogs out to you all!

Meanwhile you should totally read this blog.  My best friend has been writing this since she graduated and it is a really entertaining read!

http://graduate4life.blogspot.com/

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty
     xXx

Leighton Meester

Another Gossip Girl beauty is the gorgeous Leighton Meester.  Leighton plays the sassy character Blair in the TV series and although the on screen character in my opinion isn't quite like the Blair in the books I think she does a brilliant job at making Blair be endearing, vulnerable and a bitch at the same time. 

I'm very jealous of her on screen boyfriend Chuck, played by the absolutely divine Ed Westwick. 

I think she looks gorgeous in this picture.

Don't you just wish you could be more like her?! 

Remember Gossip Girl Series 4 comes out on DVD very soon! I cannot wait :) 

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty 

xXx

Earring Collection

Chanel Earrings

Following up my ring collection, I thought I would also share with you some of my earrings.   I'm showing you a selection of the ones I tend to wear most often, although in all fairness I don't have that many.  I don't really see the point as you can only wear one pair at a time!  On a daily basis I tend to wear a small pair of diamond studs that I was given for my 21st birthday, they're classic and simple and go with pretty much everything.

If I am getting dressed up for an occasion or going on a night out I I love big and dangly earrings.   I think they make great statement pieces and can really enhance your look for the occasion.  Here are my favourites. 

Primark, Accessorize, Dorothy Perkins, New Look

Miss Selfridge, New York, Accessorize, New Look, 18th Birthday Present, Topshop

Primark, Topshop, Topshop, New Look, Claire's Accessories

Tesco, 21st Birthday Gift, Matalan, Miss Selfridge

River Island, Primark, Accessorise, First ever earrings!

As you can see I get my earrings from just about everywhere and I still have the earrings I got my ears pierced with when I was 13.

Ashley Olsen

Olivia Palermo

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty

xXx

The Olsen Twins

Growing up I had an obsession with the Olsen Twins.  An actual obsession.  I used to love them.  I can't remember how I first came across them, I think it was Two of a Kind episodes on Nickelodeon.  I used to spend all my pocket money on anything Mary-Kate and Ashley.  I had the books, the DVDs, the dolls, the shampoo, the make up, the calender, you name it I had it.  

I always said that if I was to ever go on Mastermind my topic would be the Olsen twins.  I knew everything there was to know about them and I always took pride in being able to tell the difference between them.  (Geek!)

 I was really upset when I heard that Mary-Kate was diagnosed with anorexia in 2004 and it made me realise just how tough being a child celebrity must be.  Now that they have grown up, they have gone in different directions in their lives.  Mary Kate is still pursuing her acting career but Ashley is much more focussed on fashion and their fashion brand The Row. 

Here are some great photos of them! 

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty 

xXx

A ring a ding ding...

http://weheartit.com/entry/11965693

When I was younger I used to love wearing rings, partly because I thought it was the only jewellery that I had that made me feel grown up.  All the women in my family were married so of course my mum and my nanna and my aunts would all wear wedding rings.  Being a kid you always want to be more grown up so I would often wear rings on my ring finger so I could be just like them.  

As I've grown older I have thankfully got out of this habit but do look forward to being the recipient of an engagement ring sometime in the future. (far off future) However when it comes to rings I couldn't be any more boring and I think park of it comes from the fact that I don't actually like wearing rings.  I find them annoying after a while and throughout the day I will 9 times out of 10 take it off usually lose it. 

  So after losing many rings and not wearing them that much I have a rather small collection of which I only really tend to wear one.  That is the ring that my parents bought for me as a 16th birthday gift.  

I still find that annoying as I often get it caught in my hair which results in a pain, and less hair on my head. 

L-R: 16th Birthday Gift, 3 by Miss Selfridge, 2 by Matalan, Primark, 2 I bought on holiday, Claire's Accessories, Miss
Selfridge

I will wear my other rings but not that often and mostly only on a night out.  However, all that being said I actually really like rings.  If ever I'm in a jewellery shop I will always look at rings and earrings, I just think they're really pretty.  I just love the picture at the top of this post and the rings that Faye is wearing in the pictures below.   

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty

xXx

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

What Origins Say 

Late night? Long flight? Look tired all the time? Prepare to become one of the perky people! 

Nature's clinically-proven morning-after eye cream helps to reduce the look of dark circles. Unsightly bags and puffiness seem less visible. And Origins proprietary complex of Caffeine from Coffee bean, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optic brighteners rapidly wakes up, refreshes and restores radiance to tired eyes.

What I Say 

This is a really nice formula, it's creamy and rubs into the skin well.  It has a bit of a pinky tint to it which is good for combating dark circles.  I like to use an eye cream and after watching a video by A Model Recommends on YouTube I decided to do a bit of research and buy a high end eye cream and this is what I opted for. 

This eye cream is rather expensive, it costs £20 but its the sort of thing that you don't need a lot of and will last for ages, so in the long run it's worth it.  I paid £12.50 for mine in a discounted set from Boots but would happily pay the full price and repurchase it again. 

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty 

xXx

Update

Looks like I have gone blogging crazy! Well to be honest I think I have! I've missed blogging so much. 

My last blog post was in May (Skincare) and since then I have just been swamped with so much uni work and generally running about like a headless chicken! However since coming home and getting my life into some form of organised chaos I have realised just how much I've missed blogging. 

Whilst I was on holiday I came up with some new ideas for my blog and as I've already done a couple of posts before this explanation one I thought now would be the time to tell you! 

There are a lot of women - celebrities, friends and family that are inspiration in my life and for many different reasons, so I have decided to share with you blog posts about some of these inspirational and beautiful women.  I've already done a post on Julia Roberts and Blake Lively and there are many more to come. 

Now I am at home I am doing a lot more cooking and I'm also trying to be healthy so I thought I would document some of my meals here.  My mum bought me a cupcake maker which I already tested out and made some scrumptious cakes. Read about it here.

So keep your eyes peeled for lots more blogs! 

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty 

xXx

Blake Lively

I think Blake Lively is one of the most beautiful women in the world.  She is stunning and looks great in anything that she wears.  It's no wonder that she is the fashion world's lady of the moment and Karl Lagerfield's top choice for the face of Chanel's most coveted handbags. 

I love watching Blake in Gossip Girl, I think she is the perfect Serena. I grew up reading the Gossip Girl books and I was in my element when they decided to make a TV series about it. Wouldn't you just love to have access to the Gossip Girl wardrobe?!  I know I would. 

Not long ago, Blake was the victim of a 'nude' photo scandal and if you have seen the pictures you can see that they don't look real.  I for one don't believe that she took the pictures and I think whoever did it needs to get a life. 

You can catch Blake in her latest movie The Green Lantern with hottie Ryan Reynolds and Gossip Girl Series 4  is available to buy on DVD in the UK from the 15th of August.  It's already on my birthday wishlist.

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty 

xXx 

Time for Tea?

http://weheartit.com/entry/12098752

I don't know if it really is a British thing or not, but you can't beat a cup of tea.  Nothing solves a problem like a 'brew' and sometimes nothing can be more refreshing or delicious! This is beginning to sound like an advert....

I never used to like it, only when I went to uni did I start liking tea, I think partly because of the social side that comes with drinking it. We just became used to putting the kettle on and the five of us girls sitting down drinking tea and just chatting away like we didn't have exams, coursework or a degree to do... 

Last year I discovered a little tea shop not far from where I live and I love going there.  Inside it has a really vintage feel and there are paintings from Alice in Wonderland on the walls.  I love going there in the winter and getting all settled with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.  It's just perfection. 

Today I made cakes with my new cupcake maker (see blog post about it here) and after it was the perfect opportunity for a cup of tea! 

http://weheartit.com/entry/1709485

http://weheartit.com/entry/4582390

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty 

xXx

Om nom nom....

I absolutely love being in the kitchen, more so at home than at uni as it's usually a million times cleaner and much better equipped! 

http://weheartit.com/entry/12005962

I started off baking, being inspired my mother who, in my opinion, makes the best cakes ever.  I then did a cookery course which fuelled my love for cooking as well as baking.  I am not a fancy eater, I can be extremely fussy at times but it doesn't stop me from experimenting in the kitchen.   I may not be as adventurous as others but I know what I like and I cook what I like.  

I get the most enjoyment out of cooking for others, it may be a bit of an ego boost, but I love hearing people say they enjoy my cooking.  I am quite a perfectionist though and if I think it's gone wrong or I don't like it, I hate, absolutely hate, letting other people eat it.  

I know that I am rambling now, so I think I will just get on with it.  My very lovely mother came across a bargain when she went to Sainsbury's, and knowing that I've had my eye on it for a while, when she saw it was £16 (usual RRP around £40) she very sweetly bought me a cupcake maker!

I was beyond excited when she revealed it to me and I thought I would share my first experience here with you! So here it goes.

It only takes 8 minutes for the cakes to cook! I couldn't believe it, I thought that they wouldn't be cooked in the middle but they were, and they were very delicious!

love and kisses

Vintage Beauty 

xXx