I found it quite difficult to narrow down my favourite’s this month to a select few bits because I’ve discovered and been using so many great products!  I’ve rounded just why I love everything in a video which you can watch below, but also typed up a few lines about each here too!

October Beauty, Book and Music favs!

MAC Lipstick in Kinda Sexy: I reviewed this a year ago but said I didn’t like it that much (you can read my review here).  However, this is the only lipstick I have worn all month.  It’s a beautiful matte pink nude which compliments my pale skin perfectly!  It still may be a little Pamela Anderson-ish, but I’ve grown to love it.

Maybelline BrowDrama Mascara: I’ve become quite stuck in a rut recently with my brows; I pluck occasionally, sweep the tiniest bit of powder through them and give them a quick comb every morning and then it’s done.  I probably don’t give them as much attention ass I should but I recently got my hands on this and it has become an everday essential.  I comb now brows through with this tinted brow gel (in the perfect shade) which leaves them looking super groomed and polished!

By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder: This is ultra-pricy and luxurious but has completely got me hooked.  I have never experienced a product like this!  It is a really finely milled translucent powder which when swept over the face, leaves me with an almost airbrushed, blurred finish.  It mattes my skin perfectly, makes it feel silky soft to touch and leaves me looking flawless, I can’t rave about this enough.

Bumble & Bumble Invisible Hair Oil: You all know I’m a massive hair oil fan and this is what I’ve used the most recently.  This oil smells divine and doesn’t leave my hair looking greasy and feeling dirty.  Instead it makes my hair much more manageable and easier to brush after washing as well as making it look healthier by adding a hint of shine!

Imperial Leather Foam Burst Shower Foam in Spicy Ginger & Orange: I’m not one to rave about shower gels as I can’t usually use them (I have super sensitive skin) but I’ve recently this new range and it has made shower time a whole lotta fun.  I demo this in the video above, but once pumped out, this gel turns into an incredible smelling foam which makes shaving super easy and leaves me smelling great.  This fragrance is perfect for autumn/winter and I can’t wait to try more of these!

Songs Mentioned:
Colour The Atlas - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZtC5I7qsfM
Ram's Pocket Radio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hND_DFhyQNA
Diplo - Revolution - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6dWxIR_HKY

Books Mentioned:
Morrissey's Autobiography
Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas
My Goodreads Account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5149010-katie-snooks

I’d love to hear some of the products you have been loving throughout the past month, as well as book and song recommendations!  Here’s to a happy November!

What have been your recent beauty, song and book favourites?

xxx

I haven’t been able to stop raving about the Bobbi Brown Chocolate Collection recently, so I decided to create a look using solely those products!
 

Tutorial
1) Use Bittersweet Chocolate Cream Eyeshadow on the eyelid and also run beneath lower lashes. 
2) Sweep the white shadow all over the eye, up to the brow bone and blend in with the cream shadow.
3) Use the Chocolate Gel Liner to line eyes and create a flick.
4) Line waterline with a black or brown liner, also smudge underneath lower lash line.
5) Smudge some more brown shadow underneath the lower lash line.
6) Apply coatings of mascara, I used the Bobbi Brown Chocolate Mascara & Magnifibres.
7) Apply some dark shadow on top of the gel liner to help stay in place longer
8 & 9) Apply a sweep of blusher and lipstick!  I used the Baby Pink Lipstick & Blusher from the range.

I hope the above steps make sense!  You can find my full review of the range here!  If you would like to see any other looks with this palette or range just let me know!

What other tutorials would you like to see? Do you like the look of this range?

xxxx

I recently attended an event where I previewed what Rimmel has coming up for us gals this Autumn/Winter!  I thought I’d do a summary post on the new products, and then delve into some bigger, more in-depth reviews with swatches to follow this up!

Glam Eyes HD Eye Shadow: I’m a sucker for a good eyeshadow palette… or 4!  There are 4 of these HD palettes available each with a selection of wearable shades for every occasion.  These can be used wet for an intense look (just dampen your eyeshadow brush slightly) or dry for a more soft subtle effect.  I love the deep berry shade in the ‘Pinkadilly Circus’ Palette; right on trend for this season.

Moisture Renew Lipstick: 10 new lipsticks are being launched, this time with an upgraded formula which means more pigment and more moisturizing.  The shade range is gorgeous and contains everything from a nude, to berry to a red.  My favourite is ‘Let’s Get Naked’ which is a natural tea rose pink which compliments my pale skin perfectly.

Lasting Finish Colour Rush Lip Balm: Pigmented lip balms have been all over the highstreet recently and Rimmel have jumped on the bandwagon, launching 7 sticks of goodness.  These are really easy to use and give a nice sweep of colour to any look.  They will retail at £5.99.

Scandaleyes Retro Glam Extreme Black Mascara: I haven’t yet tried this mascara (I have such a backlog of ones I want to review) but by the looks of it it’ll be impressive.  The brush is super thick and the colour is an intense black which aims to create a dramatic 60’s eye look!

Stay Blushed Liquid Cheek Tint: Rimmel have launched their first liquid blushers in two gorgeous shades; Sunkissed Cherry & Pop of Pink, both cream formulas which dry as a powder on the skin.  This little tubes are adorable and really easy to blend in with fingers or a brush.

All of these products should be in Boots & Superdrug stores now so go and have a gander if you fancy!  If you would like more in depth reviews of anything featured in this post then just let me know!

Will you be picking any of these products up?

xxx

Now it’s not something I jump and scream about online especially, but deep down I am a massive emo/grunge/scene kid. I think I have quite a unique music taste, ranging from Britney to Einaudi to The Smiths to Korn, for example. My whole teenage years (well, from 15-19) were spent parading around London with friends going to gigs, dancing the night away to heavy, loud music and coating my eyes in as much black eyeliner as possible.

I still listen to my old favourites (in fact I have an ‘old favs’ playlist on Spotify which you can have a look at here – KATIE'S OLD FAVOURITES PLAYLIST) and occasionally see them gig, but when my boyfriend Andrew was asked to DJ at Vans Warped Tour, my inner 15 year old made her appearance all over again!

I thought I’d write a blog post about the tour as I had the MOST incredible weekend and loved every minute of it.


Me on the half pipe


Andrew DJing during the skater demo.


Billy Talent & a skater!


Coheed and Cambria.


Petrified after climbing the half pipe.


We are the Ocean!

Andrew was Dj-ing for the professional skate & BMX demos which were on the Jaegermeister stage half pipe. This meant that we had Access All Areas wristbands which we fully took advantage of; we went backstage to watch some of our favourite bands play (Billy Talent, Coheed & Cambria and my friend Jack’s band, We Are the Ocean).

Billy Talent were just incredible. I realized whilst watching them that I have actually loved them for 10 years now and know every single lyric from the first album off by heart. Coheed and Cambria similarly were massively nostalgic and it was incredible to watch them perform so up close (it was the first time I’d seen them live since I was 15).  The skaters also blew my mind. It was amazing to see people so passionate and incredible at their job/hobby (I know want to learn how to skate)!

You can watch Andrew’s vlog of the weekend here!  It’s quite a giggle and gives you a hint of what we got up to.

Andrew’s Warped Tour Vlog!

Weekend Highlights:

* Endless amounts of free jaegerbombs!
* Eating in the band canteen with my teenage heros
* Climbing to the top of the half pipe & getting stuck
* Spending quality time with my fav blue haired babe, Zoe
* Dancing to the amazing tunes Andrew played whilst watching skaters do their thang.
* Watching bands at the side of the stages

I’d like to say a massive thanks to my pretty amazing boyfriend for asking me to join him at the weekend; it could not have been any more perfect! I actually said to him on Sunday evening that I didn’t want to go back to reality.

Did you used to love a bit of rock and embrace your inner grunger?  What’s your favourite festival?
xxx

The thought of putting fibres anywhere near my eyes used to terrify me (I’m really squeamish when it comes to eye-balls & have only recently mastered using eye drops).  That was until I heard about this rather unique beauty product…

I should start off by saying that I despise wearing false eyelashes; they itch, it takes ages to learn how to apply and perfect them and they are generally uncomfortable so when I heard about Magnifibres I was intrigued.  I adore having long eyelashes and have tried multiple lash growth products in the past (none with miraculous results). 

The idea of Magnifibres is that they build up a layer of ‘fibres’ for your mascara to latch onto, leaving you with long, lengthy lashes.  To use, you apply a coat of your usual mascara and whilst still wet, sweep some of the fibres straight on to your lashes.  Leave them to sit for a minute and the apply another coating of your mascara and voila – you have sultry lashes to flutter away!

It took a while to get used to these and I’ve found that some mascaras work better than others but now I adore them and use it most days!  I can also say that I’ve experienced no itching or flake-iness with these either, making them a pleasure to use!

Would you try Magnifibres? What’s your favourite lash lengthening product?

xxxx

Us girls in the office were talking about YouTube Lookbooks one day last week and I remarked that I’d love to do one, but honestly think I’m one of the most unfashionable people alive and so I couldn’t possibly.  However, my very lovely workmates said I should try one and so I swiftly texting my boyfriend asking if he wanted to help me film an a/w lookbook at the weekend.

I can tell you now, I am SO glad that I did.  I had so much fun creating this video; despite the freezing cold weather and not being able to feel my fingers or ears at the end of it, I’m incredibly proud and happy with this little video.  Massive, huge thanks to my gorgeous boyfriend who filmed this for me.  It was his first time filming with my hefty camera but he did an incredible job.  Also – the music in the video is really important.  It’s called Daylight and it’s by my boyfriend’s band, Whisky Jax.  The song is set to be a single released soon but they let me use it for this video and it just fits perfectly.  I urge you all to check them out (links at the bottom of this post)! 

Without further ado, here are some images from the shoot!

You can watch the full video here:

a/w Party Lookbook!

Outfit 1
Tartan Top: Primark
Black Furry Cardigan: Primark
Disco Pants: http://www.glamorous.com/as-seen-in-bella-magazine-noir-disco-pants-4224.html
Beanie: Primark
Boots: Boohoo http://www.boohoo.com/boots/carys-black-elastic-insert-ankle-chelsea-boot/invt/azz61885

Outfit 2
Red Velvet Crop Top: Primark
Disco Pants: Glamorous
Boots: Boohoo

Outfit 3
Gold & Black top: Primark
Disco Pants: Glamorous

Outfit 5
Lace Playsuit: Motel Rocks - http://www.motelrocks.com/products/Motel-Marianne-Long-Sleeve-Lace-Playsuit-in-Black.html
Black Wedge Heels: Zara

Do let me know what you think of the video!  The end result is JUST how I imagined it in my head.  I’m very tempted to do a few more of these..!  Also please check out Whisky Jax and give them some love!

xxx

Being a girl, one of my favourite things to do is get pampered, obviously! This can be at home; bubble baths, nail painting & playing with makeup, but I think lots of people forget about the real treat that are spas!  Visiting a spa and having a treatment is a rare occurrence for me, I probably have 3 a year, max and so I really cherish and look forward to them! I actually think that spa vouchers & pamper treatments make wonderful gifts; if I was booked in for a massage by a friend for my birthday or given a spa voucher I would feel like a proper princess.

I was recently contacted by Spa Finder and asked whether I wanted to use their website to book a treatment and I obviously accepted the offer. After browsing the masses of incredible spas available I settled upon visiting Casa Spa for a Hammam Experience for 2! I decided that my hard-working boyfriend deserved a pamper too and so a couples experience would be ideal and booked the treatment from the website using a voucher.

I’ll tell you straight off; Casa Spa was an absolute JOY to experience. We had the best couple of hours there, there were giggles (being scrubbed down and massaged), screams (cold water was chucked over us after being in the steam room for 15 minutes) and we both felt ridiculously soft in the end.  After the Hammam experience we were given dressing gowns to relax in, in the gorgeous Moroccan themed room (above) and were served mint tea & fruit whilst we relaxed.  This was followed by a full body massage which completely loosened me up.  Needless to say I slept like a baby that evening.

Andrew says:  I am not ashamed at all to admit that I am from the school of thought whereby a day spa congers an image somewhere between the surreal Derek Zoolander experience and the vision of misadventure that is Sean Connery as James Bond in Thunderball. So armed with my spa v-plates and severely warped anticipation I made my way with Katie to The Casa Spa in Edgware.

From start to finish the entire experience (albeit not being brain washed to kill the Malaysian Prime Minister nor being confronted by covert assassins) was amazing. Having opted for the 'Humman for Two' this started with a full and informative explanation of what treatments were to be expected and after a swift change into swimwear and a towel it was in to the steam room. Each step after this was professionally and expertly executed by the staff from the oil treatment to full body mud mask. Complimentary tea, fruit and sweets were a really pleasant touch in the post treatment relaxation area. The evening was rounded off beautifully by a full body couple's massage for me and Katie.

Full marks to the staff, spa and experience, though top tip for when you visit; when fastening the locker key to your swimwear, watch that your ass doesn't get in the way of the pin and take clothing suitable for an espionage mission should the occasion arise! Bx

Katie:Spa vouchers trips make incredible gifts for partners (perfect for Christmas in my opinion) as it gives you both the chance to relax and get a little bit closer as well. It was Andrew’s first spa & massage (ever!) and he thoroughly enjoyed it, we’re even planning our next spa adventure now! The Spafinder website is full of great treatments and vouchers that can be redeemed in many spas so have a gander! Vouchers available here - http://www.spafinder.co.uk/gift-vouchers

How often do you visit a spa?  What treatment would you have?

Please note I was offered the treatment free of charge but was not paid to write this review. I would happily and will be paying for this treatment again!

xxx

I’ve started getting into the habit of photographing the makeup I’m wearing daily for the blog.  I’m pretty good with my makeup and do tend to switch things up on a regular basis, making sure I make the most out of the products I own (for example I tend to wear a different foundation, powder, mascara daily)!  This is one of the looks I’ve worn recently, using two new CK one eyeshadows!

This look is really simple and easy to do.  It just consists of running the palest shade (Ambitious) all over the eye, right up to the brow bone and then blending the darker shade (Fearless) into the crease of the eye to add a touch of colour & smokyness and to open the eyes up.  Then I applied the usual liquid liner flick on the top lash line and smudged kohl pencil under the lower lash line (using two products from the L’Oreal Superline range) and finished the look with lashings of mascara (I used a Chanel one I’ve just got my hands on)!

This is the basic look that I wear most days to work but just switch up the products I use to create it!  The CK one shadows are available from Debenhams for £12 a pop and they have the most gorgeous colour range available.  The ones I’ve tried are super pigmented and can be used wet or dry for a subtle or more striking look!

Do you switch up your products on a daily basis? Would you like to see more daily looks?

xxx

Ever since the first launch in 2010, the Urban Decay Naked Palette has definitely become somewhat of a craze in the beauty world. It’s not surprising as they are beautiful palettes packed with 12 stunning neutral based shades which can be used to create a variety of looks  Naked 3 has just launched and I was lucky enough to get my hands on one before they make their appearance in stores on 16^th December.
Read on for my full thoughts and swatches!

My favourites on first glance are Strange, Mooner, Mugshot, Darkside & Blackheart.  Strange is a matte cream white shade which makes the perfect base for all eyeshadow looks and Mooner is another matte brown which a pinkish tinge which looks stunning in the crease of the eye.  Mugshot and Darkside are stunning shimmers which when paired with Blackheart makes the ultimate smokey eye.

This palette has a rose tinted theme (the first palette was warm tones, the second cool) so this perfectly suits tan and bronze skin tones. I have never been one to particularly love pinkish toned eyeshadows  for my pale skin but this palette really surprised me and I keep finding myself picking it up instead of my other palettes.  The shadows themselves are gorgeous, creamy powders with great pigment which means you can really experiment with blending and coupling colours together. I’m going to be creating a few different looks with this palette over the weeks to come so let me know if you’d like to see them!

The palette is available from tomorrow - 16^th December in Debenhams, House of Fraser and Urban Decay online stockists for £37, but I have a feeling they might sell out quickly so act fast to get one!

Are you dribbling over this? What’s your favourite Naked palette?

xx

So, you have one day left to do your Christmas shopping.  Talk about last minute or what?!  I'll admit I have in the past left it this late before to run out and get some last minute treats but I thought I'd pop together a tiny selection of really easy gifts.

Firstly, The Body Shop is one of my favourite places on the high-street for last minute gifts for beauty lovers.  I actually worked in The Body Shop for 5 years and Christmas was always my favourite time as their limited edition Xmas ranges are divine (Spiced Vanilla, Ginger and Cranberry to be exact).  This gingerbread house of miniature body products is super affordable (at £12) and ideal for any gal who likes a pamper.

Barry M have just started creating makeup palettes which would also make a great gift for the younger girl.  I have a neutral shaded palette which contains 6 eyeshadows and a blusher, complete with a mirror and brush for £6.49 – and available on the highstreet.  You also can't go wrong with candles for Xmas.   I have recently developed a thing for Yankee candles, especially the Christmas smells, so I picked up 'Fireside Treats' as a gift from a Hallmarks store the other day.  It was 20% off Yankee so I think I paid £12 for this - it smells delicious and I'm tempted to keep it for myself.  Rituals also have a festive smelling reed diffuser available named ‘Spices from the East’, which is ideal for the slightly older lady.  Simply pop the reed sticks in the top and turn them over every day or so for a new burst of smells!  This retails at around £25 and can be found in selected John Lewis & House of Fraser stores around the UK.

Something quite new out on the market is the Braun Skin Spa epilator, which has two heads; one to epilate and one to exfoliate with (double whammy).  This retails at £99 in Boots stores and is great for a last minute gift.  I will be doing a full review on this very soon!  I've also popped a Moroccan Oil miniatures set into this post as I personally would have adored this as a gift.  I got mine from HQ Hair for a discounted price of £18.65, (usually worth £26.65, link here!)  but they are also available in selected hairdresser stores.

Failing all of this, a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates/ bunch of flowers never fails - (or you can just treat yourselves to these little bits with any Xmas money)!

I'm sorry this post is so late - ideally I would have liked it up last weekend but things have been so hectic here that it slipped.  A new years resolution of mine this year is to become better at organising my blogging time - less time faffing; more time writing! 

Have you done all of your Christmas shopping? 

xxx

Ever since posting about my makeup storage video (here) I have been asked SO many times to do a ‘room tour’ video and blog post!  Now, I love the idea of this because I adore looking at interiors and people’s personal spaces, but I have a confession… I’m a bit of a hoarder!

I HATE throwing stuff away and will keep everything.  I’m very sentimental and also get worried a lot that I’ll chuck something out and then need it later.  Because of this, my bedroom is a tiny kind of hobbit’s den.  With its slanted ceiling and box shape, along with so much of my stuff, it can get very cramped, but I prefer to think of it as ‘homely’! 

I’ll leave you with some pictures of the good parts of my room (the tidy parts) so you can get a feel for the atmosphere!

As you can see I have A LOT of stuff on my desk!  My desk is from the 18th century and I ADORE it!  It was a present from my parents, who got it on ebay!  It has lots of drawers (and also a secret compartment). 


This is where you can see the full extent of my hoarding!  I love keep old dried up roses given to me (by past lovers, my parents etc), empty beer bottles from good times, a few little ornaments and a perfume bottle I picked up from Morrocco a few years back.


My nail polish rack, also from eBay.  I have a lot more polishes but these are the ones I like having on display.

I got these two suitcases from a  shop in Romford called Home Sense.  They are filled with products I need to review!


I have a little cubby hole in my wall where I keep some more makeup storage.  Sorry about how messy the above is!

So there are a few pictures!  I haven’t shown you my little bookcase, photo wall or where I keep all of my perfumes but I will do maybe at a later date!  I hope you’ve enjoyed a little sneak peek into my little bedroom!

What’s your bedroom like? Do you hate throwing things away too or are you tidy and organised?

xxx