Elizabeth and James | Nirvana White

Hello! It's my birthday!

When my dad headed to the States 3 weeks ago, not only did I reeeallly miss him, but I was pondering on what I could ask him to get me there that we can't get here.

I recently saw a lot about the Oslen Twins's perfumes Nirvana White and Nirvana Black. It's not the easiest to get hold of in the UK and the white one particularly appealed to me because of it's notes of peony. It is a risk to ask for a perfume you've never smelt before but I trust the opinions of fellow bloggers and YouTubers so I just went for it and asked my dad to get my a roller ball of Nirvana White. If I didn't like it it wouldn't be such a loss and I could always get hold of it if I liked it enough for a larger size.

My dad very kindly bought me the large version. Luckily enough, I bloody love it. I love floral and summery scents and this has that from the peony and the muguet (lily of the valley) but is made more sophisticated by the musk. It's the kind of scent I want to wear on a special occasion and I think it's very enlightening and feminine. The bottle is slim, sleek and beautiful with a textured white body and gold detailing which I think adds to the elegance of it.

It was a big risk to ask for a perfume I'd never smelt before but I love it. Scents are what tie me most to memories I create and a perfume often brings back strong memories for me from a certain time. With my birthday on Saturday I will whip this out to make it extra special. I am dying to smell the black version as I've heard a rumour they're undeniably complimentary when layered, tying together feminine touches with a masculine base, so I will definitely do that whenever I get the chance.

Also, can we applaud my dad for stepping into Sephora in New York - the busiest shop he's ever seen. You're a very lovely dad!

January Favourites (& Welcome)

Hello! I've been well and truly out of the blogging loop recently. I previously had a blog which I didn't feel very passionate about and always felt I was posting sub-standard content so I sat back for a while while I got some inspiration and motivation and now I'm back with posts about what I love - beauty and lifestyle - and a brand new name. My make up collection grows on a weekly basis, I'm just moving house and have taking over the kitchen recently so I'm excited that I will get to write about these things as I come to them - and feel passionate about them!

So, to kick off my brand-spanking-new blog I thought I'd share some beauty things I have been loving especially since Christmas time which seems so so long ago now!

Firstly, my Naked 2 palette which was very hard to come by around Christmas but ever since I finally tracked one down I've been in love with it and I can see the hype. I wear a little of this everyday for school just to spruce up my lids and I've been playing around with different looks. If you're hesitating, don't! This beautiful NARS blusher is from Guy Bourdin in the colour Day Dream which I love. I think it is a muted, non-shimmery version of Orgasm and it's beautifully pigmented. Perfect for a flush of colour.

I've kept my nails relatively polish-free recently as I've found my nails are super brittle at the moment, but for the times when I just need a little bit of something, I've loved a couple of coats of Essie's Power Clutch, an old favourite stone grey colour which is just a little less harsh than black! A spritz of Addict perfume from Christian Dior is the best way I've found to start my day or my evening! I have been lusting over this for a while and my brother very kindly bought it for me for Christmas. It's also not too large so really good to throw in my handbag incase I need a top up! A slick of Topshop's Hazard has been brilliant for when I want a dark but not too dark red lip. I also love the formula of their lipsticks and this has a semi-matte finish.

The next thing I've been loving is my Rimmel Liquid Eyeliner in 001 Black and this has been my favourite eyeliner for so long. I think it has an amazing formula that stays put all day and I like the felt-tip style nib. I'm not a fan of felt tip eyeliners because I find them too dry but I love this and you can create lots of different eyeliner styles with it. Maybelline's The Rocket should come as no surprise to anyone who has tried it, although I understand mascara is a personal things. This beautifully separates my lashes and has a big brush which is what I look for in a mascara. This, as well as my eyeliner, is a repurchase, so you have my word!

 Finally, Maybelline's Brow Drama Mascara in Medium Brown has been amazing since I got it. It makes my brows look so much fuller and I can wear it without powder underneath if I just simply can't be bothered. I was a bit sceptical about trying this at first because of the strange shape of the brush but I think it's what makes it so easy to use!

I hope you enjoyed my recent favourites, I will keep uploading regularly on Saturdays and Wednesdays and I am so glad to be back blogging about the things I love!