Beauty Haul from NYC

As promised, here is what I bought in New York! I've decided only to show you the beauty stuff and accessories (only one thing but oh well) because photographing clothes isn't exactly my forte. The clothes I did buy were some collard shirts, black leather shorts and a maroon beanie from Forever 21; a Hard Rock Cafe tee and a New York Giants jersey. Nothing that special. The rest of what I bought is, however.

Sephora was the shop that I was most excited about visiting - they have so many brands that aren't available in the UK or, if they are, they are much cheaper! Most of my mula was spent there ashamedly, yet I am very happy with everything I purchased. Reviews will be linked up below when I have written them.

Anastasia Brow Pencil, Sephora Fragrance Sampler, Marc Jacobs Daisy Rollerball, L'oreal Colour Balm, EOS Lip Balm, NARS Powder Foundation, Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, Hoola Benefit, Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush, Covergirl Eyeshadow Trio, Sephora Kabuki (in black pouch), Smashbox Photofinish Primer, OCC Lip Tar, Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers, Esteé Lauder Double Wear Foundation

....

Heathrow, terminal 5 to be specific, is the best for duty free shopping. I never normally buy anything from duty free as I like to save my money for the holiday. But it was my birthday and my mum decided to treat me and buy me some new sunglasses. I fell in love with these Versace ones - the number reference on the side is "MOD 4229" if you are wondering (if you search it on google you will find several links to different stores). They are a similar style to Raybans yet I didn't want to add another pair of them to my collection so I decided to go for a new brand. The frames are much bigger than my classic Rayban wayfarers which I like.

What do you think?

So that was everything I bought minus the clothes, tourist stuff and the presents I bought for people's birthdays! All of the make-up was bought in Sephora with the exception of the Esteé Lauder Double Wear which I bought in Macy's and the L'Oreal lipstick, Covergirl eyeshadow trio and EOS lip balm which was all bought in Wallgreens. The shades purchased in Heathrow.

I'm exceptionally jealous of those who have regular access to Sephora's. I do think, however, that I would be broke if I lived near one, so it's not all bad!

Suzanna x

New York City Adventures

Sorry for the lack of posts recently! I just got back from a weeks trip to New York City and haven't had access to any wifi whatsoever which, to be honest, is a good thing as I paid 100% attention on my location and wasn't distracted by the likes of Twitter and, of course, my blog.

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I've never been to NYC before so was excited to experience "the city that never sleeps" - and they're right, it's absolutely manic. The roads are packed, the atmosphere buzzes, everyone is super friendly and there are so many people - even when the weather is shit! Thankfully it didn't rain once, yet my sunglasses (a cheeky duty free purchase) didn't make an appearance unfortunately. Despite the weather, our time was amazing and I can't wait to re-visit next year. Going on my birthday also made it that more memorable, too!

With the likes of 5th Avenue, Macy's, Bloomingdales and the hundreds of stores lining the streets of Manhattan, I was in heaven and, reviewing over everything I bought, I released I have spent a lot. Not mentioning any figures yet I took $800 spending money and have come back with zilch. That gives you a rough idea of the wallet damage I have done over 7 days. No regrets, though! I thought I'd do two separate New York-esque posts; the first being this one, a chat about my trip accompanied by some pictures and the second being a major haul of the makeup, clothes and random bits I bought which will be up tomorrow.

Let's start with some pictures...

 Central Park, Museum of Natural History

 9/11 Memorial

John Lennon Strawberry Fields, Central Park

 View from Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty

Subway, NYPD Police

 Hard Rock Cafe, American Flag

 Times Square, Infamous Yellow Cab

Being a tourist you want to see everything and, in my opinion, a week is the perfect amount of time you  need to see all the attractions. I saw pretty much everything: Central Park, the 9/11 memorial, Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island, Times Square, 5th Avenue and the Empire State Building. The highlight of the trip was definitely going up the ESB and shopping in 5th Avenue. Our hotel was conveniently a two minute walk from Times Square which encouraged late night shopping trips around the area - there were two Sephora's a hundred meters away from each other (heaven!) which was where near enough half of my money went too! The selection of restaurants to dine at was crazy. We ended up eating at the Hard Rock Cafe twice. That good.

I could ramble on and on about the trip, but I could be here for hours. If you ever have the chance to go to New York, I one hundred and ten percent recommend it. It's definitely a full on vacation - lots of walking and late nights, yet if it's something you really want to do, then do it! The shopping is unreal and everything is much cheaper than it is in England so it's win win!

My post on everything I bought from make-up to clothes to accessorise to food (when I say food, I mean chocolate. Just chocolate) will be up tomorrow! Can't wait to show you.

Suzanna x

I can't wait to do my music favourites of the month, asdfghjkl, it's a good'un ;)

Sunny Seoul by MAC

MAC Sunny Seoul, £14

When I bought my first MAC lipstick (which was Hue btw), I never thought I would get as addicted to buying them as I am now. I don't know what it is that is so enticing about them - the packaging, the scent (vanilla ah!), the various formulas to experiment with, or perhaps just the overall concept of owning several MAC lipsticks. But I just love them.

The newest addition to my collection is Sunny Seoul. A cremesheen that is a frosted light warm pink shade.

It's perfect for those who want to wear colour yet don't want to sport bright reds/corals/fuchsias on an everyday basis. It's subtle, yet noticeable. And I love it. 

Originally released as part of a holiday collection, it has now become a permanent shade which is great. So I'd definitely check if out (when available - every time I look it's sold out!) if I was you!

Suzanna x

Ramblings/updates/etc!

- This might be my last post before I go on holiday Sunday as I have nothing to review for you. However, I might do a post talking about what I'm taking on board the plane or showing you what's in my travel makeup bag, before I leave.

- I have a new music obsession: Little Comets! I've literally just purchased their album without even listening to every song fully through - that's how good they are. Here's a link to their YouTube channel with every song from their album listed! Warning: you'll get addicted.

Real Techniques

Real Techniques is a brush line created by Samantha Chapman, one half of Pixiwoo.

It features 10 individual brushes and two sets; the "Core Collection" and the "Starter Set". They are extremely affordable with the sets being £21.99 each and the individuals ranging from £6.99 to £12.99 and, I feel, are on par with the quality of most of the MAC, and more higher end, brushes.

Each brush is colour-coded to respond to the key steps of makeup application:

Creating a flawless base, enhanced eyes and the perfect finish.

Out of the 19 available, I own 7 of them - the "Starter Set" which is created for the eyes, and two individuals, the stippling brush and the powder brush. I love them.

Real Techniques Starter Set, £21.99 

Real Techniques Stippling Brush, £11.99

Real Techniques Powder Brush, £12.99

The powder brush is big and fluffy which makes it perfect for applying powder all over the face. It's extremely soft and dispenses the perfect amount of product. It's the most expensive individual brush in the collection, yet is entirely worth it.

Next is the stippling brush, which I use for foundation. It works the foundation into the skin perfectly, doesn't leave any harsh marks and blends it effortlessly. For foundation also, Real Techniques offer the "Buffing Brush" which is said to leave a more flawless finish. Definitely on my wish list.

My most recent purchase was the eye starter set. It includes a base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, accent brush, pixel point eyeliner brush and brow brush. All of which are held in a 'professional' case and stand. Personally, the stand is awful and barely stands up without falling over, yet the case is perfect for travelling. This kit is perfect as it includes every tool you would need to create an eye look, and the quality of the brushes are great.

I definitely recommend you check these brushes out at larger Boots stores and online. I will most certainly be expanding my collection!

Suzanna xoxo

New York countdown: 9 days to go! *squeal*

Everyday Makeup Routine

NARS bronzer in Laguna, BareMinerals Touch Up Veil, MAC blush in Harmony, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, Esteé Lauder Double Wear Foundation, Benefit thePorefessional, Maybelline One by One, Maybelline Illegal Lengths, Clinique High Impact mascara, MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, Avon Supershock Gel Liner in Black, Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner, MAC Brow Gel in Clear, Avon Brow Definer in Dark Brown and MAC lipstick in Hue

I call this my "everyday makeup routine" but, to be fair, it's really the routine I use when I actually wear makeup as I don't wear it everyday. I hardly have any time during school!

*Note: the links lead to separate reviews*

Taken by my iPhone, apologises for awful quality

For my face the first product I use is the Benefit Porefessional primer followed by my new found love, Esteé Lauder Double Wear foundation. I picked up a sample as I heard so many great things about this product, and after three uses, I can already tell it is going to be my new favourite foundation. The full size is on my wist list already! Using the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair I go over any redness or imperfections and then I set everything with the bareMinerals Ready Touch Up Veil in Translucent. To contour I use Harmony by MAC and then put some NARS Laguna bronzer all over the face. Done.

I use a lot of products on my eyes, I know. If I have time I'll pop a few eyeshadows on, but for everyday makeup I just put Bare Study Paint Pot by MAC all over the lid. I line my upper lash line by using the Maybelline Master Pecise Liquid Eyeliner in Black and my tight-line using Avon Supershock Gel Liner in Black. For mascara I use three: Maybelline One by One, Maybelline Illegal Lengths and Clinique High Impact. For my brows I use the Avon Brow Definer in Dark Brown followed by MAC Brow Gel in Clear.

Lastly I use my favourite MAC lipstick, Hue.

As for tools and brushes, I mainly use Real Techniques - their face brushes are perfection. For bronzer I use my MAC 129 as it collects the perfect amount of product.

What's your everyday routine like?

Suzanna xoxo

Ps. I've already started my New York countdown: 15 DAYS TO GO!

Music Favourites: September

*Happy October everyone!*

Instead of doing the normal monthly favourites with the best beauty, fashion, hair and skincare products, I would write about something slightly different. Music!

I've written a music-esque post way back in April which went over my favourite artists and I really enjoyed writing it. Therefore, I've decided to write "monthly music favourites" - perhaps not every month, but I'll do my best to keep them regular - where I write my top picks of the month. I'll also include links to the song (via YouTube) so you can listen to the music in all it's glory. Let's start!

This is what my top 10, most-played music list looks like on iTunes:

Ah, perfection.

The first song is Bette Davis Eyes by Brandon Flowers, a song not officially released by iTunes, but a perfect song none-the-less. It was original sung by Kim Carnes yet I definitely prefer this version. For those who didn't know, Brandon Flowers it the lead singer in The Killers, which leads onto my next favourite. Runaways by The Killers is probably my favourite purchase of the month. I first heard it several months ago, but I had to wait until September to actually buy it on iTunes. Worth the long and tedious wait, in my opinion. The rest of the album, however, is not so good.

Next is Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts. Ashamed, I first heard this song on The X Factor and instantly fell in love with it - perfect melody, perfect lyrics, perfect voices, just perfect. 

Frank Ocean is one of my favourite singer. All his songs are amazing. This month the one I've listened to the most (89 times, to be precise) was Forrest Gump. It's a controversial song as he talks about his sexuality in an intimate way, but I think it's commendable how he tackled it.

I have three songs by The Script in my top ten: Hall of Fame, If You Could See Me Now and Six Degrees of Separation, all of which are from their new album, #3. If you haven't heard the album, I would definitely recommend it. It's certainly different from their previous work which I personally like.

Another favourite purchase has been Teenage Icon by The Vaccines. The Vaccines are my favourite band and I absolutely loved their first album. Teenage Icon is the single from their new album which, thankfully, I also adore. I always hate the second studio album artists produce - perhaps because they have strict deadlines when it has to be completed which means it can be rushed. Nevertheless, the second album by The Vaccines is just as perfect as the first.

Your Song by Ewan Mcgregor is a cover of the Elton John classic and I love it. It was first showcased in the film Moulin Rouge and introduced Ewan Mcgregor at not just an incredible actor, but a really talented singer as well.

Lastly, we have Lightening by Alex Goot. You might not have heard of him. That's because he is an un-signed artist who makes videos on YouTube! On his channel he covers famous songs that are in the charts and makes them his own. His voice is incredible, and his own song Lightening is amazing. I also love his song called Pretty Eyes (if I had a number 11, it would be this)!

I hope you liked this and I highly recommend you listen to all of these tracks.

Suzanna xoxo