Christmas Jumpers

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I know...I Know..I know it is only nearly the end of September buttt whilst I was in Manchester last weekend I went into the massive Primark there and picked up some fun Christmas Jumpers. They were hard to resist. My mum and myself are sharing ours so we got a Reindeer and a Snowman. I also picked one up for my brother to put it away for an early Christmas gift.

A woman who worked in Primark said they jumpers have been flying off the shelves and advised me to pick them up whilst I can now. I am obviously not going to be wearing them now but saving it for December. They have some different designs I decided to pick mine up from the mens department as I find the womans a bit too tight and I wanted a massive jumper to keep me warm in the Winter. I love the detailing on these and how the noses are 3D.

The Christmas Jumper I picked up for my brother.

My Christmas jumper

The cute detailing inside of the jumper which just shows how nice they actually are to give as a gift.

My Mum's Christmas Jumper. 

Last year I was really gutted when Primark and other shops had sold out of the jumpers I am just so happy I have been able to get them now. I am not 100% sure when I would actually wear it definitely not before December though! Even New Look website have some really nice Christmas Jumpers too. 

Have you bought any Christmas Jumpers yet? If you have which ones have you got? Leave me a comment with a photograph to show me.

Introducing My Twitter, Instagram And bloglovin

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Twitter bloglovin Instagram

50 Facts About Me

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I have seen and watched lots of beauty blogs and Youtubers doing this tag I haven't been tagged in it but thought I would write a blog post about my version of the tag 50 facts about me.

1) I still watch Home and Away and love it lots. I watch it online so I am ahead of the UK.
2) I have always been short for my age
3) I'm not allergic to anything (that I know of)
4) If I am not leaving the house or going out I usually stay in my Pj's they just so comfy
5) I basically taught myself how to apply make up from watching lots of make up tutorials
6) I absolutley love tea and if I let myself I could probably have 10 cups a day of it. I get headaches if I miss my morning cup of tea.
7) I am in a Long Distance Relationship and have been for nearly 2 years. (lots of hard work and commitment make it work).
8) I use to do Ballet, Tap dancing and Jazz dancing when I was younger.
9) I have really bad knees which made me stop dancing :(
10) I love photography.
11) I drive a Mini Cooper in electric blue
12) My favourite colour at the moment is mint.
13) Due to my favourite colour being mint I own a lot of mint clothing.
14) I wear contact lenses everyday and hardly wear my glasses. I hate wearing my glasses.
15) I don't like fruit and don't eat it.
16) I passed my driving test when I was 17 years old the first time.
17) I worry lots about all sorts.
18) I hate maths and think I always will.
19) I hate wearing jeans, I mostly wear dresses.
20) I have lived at the same address as I do now all my life except for the three years I lived at Leeds whilst at University.
21) I wish I had done more activities and joined more groups whilst at University.
22) When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher (not any more).
23) I am addicted to list making.
24) My hair is naturally straight.
25) I wish my hair had a wave in it.
26) My hair use to be long and could touch my bum.
27) I Graduated University with a 2;1 Degree :)
28) My parents are divorced.
29) I have two dogs Toby and Oscar and they are both King Charles Cavaliers.
30) My first car after I passed my driving test was a Corsa.
31) I have spend quite a few Christmas' in Malta as they use to live there until they moved back to the UK last year.
32) I wish I had done a beauty therapist course at College.
33) My boyfriend is called James.
34) I am obsessed with Harry Potter books, films etc...
35) I dyed my hair extremely blonde whilst I was at University.
36) I met my boyfriend in Malia whilst on holiday with one of my old friends from University.
37) I have been doing out with my boyfriend for over 1 year and 7 months but have unofficially been together for 2 years. Be officially 2 years in February.
38) I love Fancy dress parties.
39) My favourite alcholic drink is Malibu and Coke.
40) My next birthday I will be 23! OMG I am old!
41) When I was younger I use to think by the time I was 23 I would have  a house, husband and child. Realistically now wonder what on earth made me think that. I am not ready for all of that!
42) I use to hate motorway driving. However, because of work I have to go on it lots so I have faced my fear.
43) I have hopeless at direction and listening to a Sat Nav I end up shouting at it.
44) When I was younger I got a new phone for my birthday day after I dropped it in a cup of tea :/
45) I use to have a full fringe. What was I thinking!
46) I love going on holiday abroad lots.
47) I really want to go travelling.
48) Nearly at 50! hmmmmm...I usually have a floordrobe. My Clothes are usually all over my floor and my mum goes mad at me!
49) I did French, Spanish and Italian at GCSE'S. I wish I could remember them but sadly I didn't purse anything to do with languages and only remember basic phrases.
50) FINALLY. The last one, I love trying new foods. My favourite are Indians, Thai, and Chinese. But I am open to trying new ones, not saying I will like them but I don't mind giving them a go.

I would love to read your 50 facts about me tag if you have done one give me the link to it and I will go and have a nosy. At the beginning of the post I found it hard to think of Facts but once I got going I couldn't stop!

What was in my make up bag in September

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So every month I am going to try and do a What was In My make up bag post. This months post features a make up bag which my brother bought me when he went to California in February and he bought it from Victoria Secret's store.

I really like it with the bright pink stripes against the white. The annoying thing though is because it is very light colour make up stains the white even when trying to wash it off.

When I like a product I do tend to stay with it but do like to try new things too because I do get bored eventually using the same products all the time. You might realise that I don't have any eye shadows in my make up bag that is because I usually just use my Urban Decay Naked Pallette because I love it so much.

Face

Benefit Hello Flawless in the colour Toffee. I use to use the Mac Mineralize Powder before this one and swapped because I fancied a change and I really like the Benefit powder really works well and has some how cleared up my spots which could mean my skin was irritated by the Mac Powder, who knows?! I think the Benefit powder will be in my make up bag for a few months yet. 

Rimmel Match Perfection foundation in Ivory (100). I have used this for quite a look time before this one I used the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. I like the Match Perfection as it really does match my skin tone and leaves me with a flawless look. However, you might see next month a different foundation because I really fancy trying something else but would definitely recommend this foundation as an very day one.  If you have any foundation recommendations for me to try let me know.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in the colour Transparent. Leaves my face shine free I usually use it after my foundation and put the Benfit Hello Flawless on top of it just helps keep my foundation in place for majority of the day

 Soap and Glory Glow All Out Luminizing Radiance Face Powder. I have tried quite a lot of highlighters and this seems to be my favourite so far. You don't have to use a lot just dab your brush on it and I usually put it above my blusher to just give me a slight glow. It does say use it on neck and shoulders too but I don't think I fancy glowing like a disco ball!

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow. I don't use this a lot only when I have a blemish or spot I want to cover up I would say it works well with the Powder too.

Collection 2000 Concealer in the colour light. I think this was my first ever concealer I purchased so have been using it for quite a few years now I carry one of these about all the time just in case I need any touch ups. Fingers crossed though my skin seems spot free at the moment.

Rimmel Bronzing Compact Powder in Matte. So I am very picky when it comes to bronzers. I am not a fan of shimmer bronzers they just annoy me for some reason. I purchased this one a while back and seem to have just stuck to it maybe I will give shimmery bronzers another try but maybe not just yet.

Sleek Blush by three in the colour Candy Floss, Daily Mix and Cupcake. I really like sleek blushes the only thing is with them they are highly pigmented so when using a brush you don't usually need much of the product on it. I remember when I first bought this and used it I ended up looking like a clown too much pink on the cheeks is never a good look.

Lips

Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry me. I have been using this lots just for a subtle lip colour.

Mua Power Pout Balm in the colours Irreplaceable and Justify. I have been trying these out I really like them but the colours are not very lasting. I think I am going to try some of the more higher end ones that are available and compare them.

TopShop Lips in the colour All About Me. I really like this colour it is one of my favourites in my collection. The colour stay is amazing and this lip colour always seems to be floating about my make up bag when I want a nice bright colour.

Rimmel Lipstick Lasting Finish by Kate in the colour 05. I love these Lipsticks they are easy to use and mine just seems to last me a long time.

Rimmel London Apocalips in the colour 101 Celestial. When I first bought these I really liked them but I do find that they seem to dry up my lips slightly. Has anyone else had this trouble?  

 

Eyes 

As I said at the beginning of this post I don't tend to carry any eye colours around actually in my make up bag I usually just use my Urban Decay Naked Pallette.

Bourjois Khol and Contour in the colour black (noir expert). It isn't my favourite eyeliner it doesn't usually stay on my waterline very much I have very watery eyes which could be the result of this I most likely will repurchase my Rimmel eyeliner which is the Soft Kohl which I really like.


I also always carry bobbles and bobby pins in my make up bag!


I would love to know what you have in your make up bag and your thoughts on the products that are in mine? Have any recommendations for me to try let me know.

Bem Brazil Restaurant Review

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On Saturday when I went to Manchester for the weekend with my boyfriend we went to a Brazilian restaurant called Bem Brazil in the Northern Quarter. The restaurant has a very different concept to normal restaurants. What makes it so special is that you pay around £25.95 for endless supply of Brazilian food including chicken, beef, lamb, pork, steak and pigs hearts (never tried them though). The way the food is served though is that you can have unlimited supply and it is served on your plate on a skewers that someone brings round to each table. There is also a banquet-style buffet where you can place on your own plates to accompany the meats they bring round which include salads, pasta, potato, rice and Brazilian dishes. I went to a very similar style restaurant early this year in Leeds called Fazenda which had a very similar concept.

When you want a rest or don't want any more meat on your plate you turn the paper on the red side and when you are ready for meat to be put on your plate you put the paper on the green side.

Bem Brazil Vs Fazenda 

Bem Brazil 

The Choice of Meats

The choice of meats did vary however I would say there wasn't that big of selection compared to what we had tried when we went to Fazenda. Some of the cuts were a lot pinker than others which I enjoyed however my boyfriend did not. I did mention I never tried the chicken hearts, I just don't fancy eating someone elses heart! I think if you like meat and want to pay a bit more to get some variety of quality meats than this style of restaurants is really worth it. It could be considered expensive if you are not a meat lover or don't eat much but both my boyfriend and myself made the most of trying the meats and left very full.

Due to the banquet-style hot and cold buffet I have now developed a love for sweet potato. The dishes available are limited. On the night we went I did not see any pasta dishes but they did have rice, potatos, garlic mushrooms, and some Brazilian dishes I had never heard of. What is good is that they actually bring you a bowl of fries to your table and they were really hot too which shows that they are freshly done and not just warmed up. 

Atmosphere

One disappointing aspect to our experience at Bem Brazil is that it was very busy which meant it was extremely noisy so if you are looking for a quiet candle lit dinner definitely don't come here. I think more planning needs to come to the floor seating area as there was a group of 10 men sitting next to us on the left side which didn't really help. I know they want all the business they can but maybe next time sitting a young couple away from the noisy crowd would be more ideal.

Fazenda Rodizio Bar and Grill

In February when my boyfriend and myself spent Valentines weekend and our one year Anniversary together we stayed in Leeds City Centre at the Marriott Hotel. Whilst we visited Leeds we researched some steak restaurants and found Fazenda a Brazilian restaurant.

The Choice of Meats

What I really liked about Fazenda is the choice of meats they seemed to have more choice of the popular ones. I don't think I eat too much from the Salad bar at Fazenda though I mainly stuck to the free fries.

Atmosphere

I remember my boyfriend and myself being one of the last people in the restaurant towards the end of the night. One thing which they did was that the man with the skewer he came and asked us which was our favourite piece of cut from the night and he said he would get the chef to make it for us especially. I think this was a nice touch and showed that they actually wanted to please all their customers. 

I prefer the atmosphere and setting of Fazenda because it is set on the Granary Wharf and looks really classy from the outside right through to the inside. I don't think either the noise of the restaurant was like Bem Brazil I can't remember thinking it was too noisy and that I couldn't hear my boyfriend speak. 

Out of both restaurants I would definitely go back to Fazenda it is a really unique dining experience!


I didn't really get chance to take that many photographs of Bem Brazil as I was out with my boyfriend but I did take some at the Fazenda restaurant in Leeds I went earlier this year so I will insert some below.

The Perfect Patent Wedges

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Last weekend I went shopping at a retail park near where I live. I have been looking for quite a while now for some slip on heels or wedges which I could wear during the day and at night. I am very petite and want to be able to wear heels during the day and know that they won't hurt me. I am usually a size 3 and find it really hard to find slip on heels that actually stay put on my feet I usually have to opt for strap on heels which sometimes it gets really annoying because it limits the style of heels I can buy.  

I went into a shop called Next and went into the shoe section. I was trying numerous heels on and came across some black Patent Wedges. I tried a size 3 and a half on and they fitted but were slightly loose but thought using my footsie toe things (I don't know the exact name for them so I'll insert some photographs below so you know what I am on about) would work but unfortunately the Next shoes did feel slightly loose still but decided to still buy them and make a decision on them once I got home.

 These are from Primark and you get two pairs in a pack for £1.50.

After buying the Next wedges I ended up going to Asda (Wallmart) and stumbled across a pair of black patent wedges in a size 3. I tried them on and they seemed to fit really well better than the Next ones.The shoes are very narrow fit which is why I think they suit my feet really well. 

I just wanted to show that sometimes some dearer shoes might not actually be the perfect fit. When I compared both the Next and Asda shoes there isn't much difference between them so why pay £28 for some shoes that don't fit well and pay £14 for some cheaper ones that fit really well. It's crazy!

 The Asda Patent Wedges

Next Patent Wedges

 

Asda Patent Wedges

 

 Next Patent Wedges

As you can see them are very similar in style and I am in love with my Asda pair so the Next pair will definitely be returned to the store!

They are both still available online:

 Next shoes: http://www.next.co.uk/X522312s2#888776X52

 Asda shoes: http://direct.asda.com/george/womens-shoes/patent-wedges/G004280843,default,pd.html

Bowling

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On Sunday the girls from work and myself decided to go to pizza hut and Bowling. I must have been 12 years old when I last went bowling I know it was a very long time ago. We went to LA Bowling and once buying the game rounds we found out on Sundays they do a deal which is 3 games for £6 each, I didn't think that was expensive. I was surprised how many people actually came bowling as it isn't something I would usually do but would probably do it again.

I had such a good time and laugh so thought I would just share a few photographs of myself attempting to bowl. I would probably say I was quite rubbish but did get a strike a few times which I was happy about.

 

 

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm: Review On The Colour Cherry Me

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After seeing the collection Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm I decided to pick one up finally. I chose the colour Cherry Me. I am not the type of person that will buy all the colours at once I like to give one colour a test run first to see my thoughts on that before investing in more colours of the collection.  I have only been using the product less than a week and thought I would share my thoughts on it. 

 About the product and the collection

The collection:

• Hydrate
• Instense Care 
• Mint Fresh
• Cherry Me
• Pink Punch
• Peach Kiss
  

The Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm's are designed to moisturise up to 8 hours and have a slight tint of colour in them however some of them are clear in colour apparently. The packaging outlined proven results after self assessment on 105 women:

1. 82% Healthier looking lips
2. 82% Lips felt baby Soft
3. 81% felt less dry
4. 76% Lips looked visibility renewed 

Review

I have really dry and flaky lips and have used numerous products such as Burts Bees, Vaseline and Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner but whatever products I used after few hours my lips still feel flaky and dry. From the first use of the balm my lips felt smoother, softer and more hydrated. Even hour or so after use my lips felt so much better and when running my finger across my lips I could not feel any flakiness that use to be there. I also noticed the morning after using the product my lips did feel softer.

I usually find that when I have applied lipsticks my lips seem to dry out because of the formula that is in lipsticks. However, when tested I found that using the lip balm before applying a lipstick seemed to work better. I think I would benefit more to have one of the clear Baby Lips for doing this in the future.

The smell of the Cherry Me lip balm has a really familiar smell to me when I pinpointed what it was I realised it reminded me of a cheap lip balm I used when I was a child I am not sure of the name of it. The Cherry Me smells of cherry flavour hence the name. The smell is strong but tastes nice on the lips which is a bonus. As some lip products do have a horrible taste that comes with them. 

The colour though was very different once applied on my lips, my lips did look more pinkier red than the deep red the stick actually shows. My lips looked glossier with only tiny bit more colour than my natural lip colour. I was disappointed of the colour because the range of colours that is available is only limited.  I would say also that colour doesn't last long but my lips did feel hydrated for longer it just the colour doesn't seem to stick very well and stay.

The down side to the product is the poor packaging yes it might be a bright and playful packaging but it also looks cheap looking and most likely would smash if dropped.

The product is super cheap too which is yet another bonus and I picked mine up at Tesco for £3.00 some people might think they are slightly dearer comparing to other lip balm products but for the
brand I would say they are reasonably priced.

 Conclusion

In my opinion I think if you are looking for a tinted lip balm with a touch of colour and not expecting the colour to last too long but make your lips feel hydrated and soft I would recommend the Cherry Me colour. If you have used Vaseline and other products and felt disappointed with the results I think that the Maybelline Baby Lips balm when applied throughout the day could be a good purchase.

Would I purchase another colour from the collection? The answer to that question is probably yes. I think either the clear colour would be a handy one to have yet I am also quite tempted to go for the Pink Punch. 

Have any of you tried the Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm? Which are your favourite colours?

About Time-Film review

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About Time

Comedy, Drama, Sci Fi

After hearing mixed reviews I decided last night to watch the film About Time with my friend. I thought I would write a film review for you to share with you my thoughts on it.

Plot

About time is a romantic comedy. The film is written and directed by Richard Curtis who is known for his successful screenwriting of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jone' Diary, Notting Hill and Love Actually. About time is revolved around time travel and Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) who discovers in his early 20's from his dad (Bill Nighy) tells his son that the men in the family have a special gift which they can travel through time and repeat a day or change things what have happened in his life. When discovering this he explains he wants to find love as he has been unlucky in love before. However, Tim thinks using this special new power will be easy to achieve love. However after understanding the time travel it is a lot harder than he originally thought to get his girlfriend Mary (Rachel McAdams) to love him it shows some light hearted comedy moments of Domhanall Gleeson trying to win the heart of Mary. 

Review

The pace of the film at the beginning was very slow and showed rarely any comedy. I was beginning to think it was going to be very boring. However, once the film actually got going the comedy of the film was actually brilliant. Everyone in the movie theatre laughed away with the witty comedy that was on screen between Domhnall Gellson and Rachel McAdams. The storyline also showed some emotional father and son scenes between Domnhnall Gleeson and Bill Nighty. I could feel myself filling up and very close to tears.

Verdict

The film is a very sweet, funny and very moving. At the end of the film it really does get you thinking about your own life and the choices you make in life of love and loyalty. If you are wanting an easy watch I would definitely recommend it.

I can understand why the film has mixed reviews because it doesn't compare to Richard Curtis's other brilliant films. I would say though if you enjoyed more action films than comedies I would stay away from watching it. 

Autumn is nearly here

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 So after a half decent Summer in the UK the weather temperature has now changed getting a lot colder and more chance of rain. Dark frosty mornings will soon be here and all the summer clothes and sandles will be put away until next year. Winter coats and boots will be needing to be lifted out as well as scarves, gloves and hats.

So I thought before the Sunflower in my garden dies which my mum grew from seed I would share some stunning photographs of it. These photographs were taken about a week or so ago and it already looks like it is dying which is a shame.

Reflecting on this Summer I have traveled quite a bit I went to Tunisia in May with my boyfriend, I went to both Rome and Paris with my friend. Other than going on holidays I have worked like crazy which I think when your in School, College or University Summers are so much better because you have all the time to plan and do things. This Summer has flown by.

I just can't get around how quickly this year has gone as a whole too, it will soon be Christmas and a new year. Even Primark have started stocking up on their Christmas jumpers and card shops have started selling Christmas cards already, some people would say it's too early but in the sort of work I do each week flies by and it will soon be Christmas Eve!

This Winter I really want to go to Manchester Christmas Market as well go back to the Winter Wonderland in London Hyde Park as I went last year and was really good and would really recommend it.

Thorpe Park

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So after writing the blog post A List Of Things I Want to Do In My Life one of the things listed on it was to go to Thorpe Park. Well, at the weekend I finally went which means I have completed one of the things from my list! If you want to have a look at the blog post I will link it here-
http://gabriellagabble.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/a-list-of-things-i-want-to-do-in-my-life.html

I stayed near the Olympic Park in London Stratford at the weekend to visit my boyfriend who lives in Essex and we had decided to do something different from the usual shopping trips we have made whilst I visit London. We got the tube to Waterloo which was about £5.00 return ticket using a Rail Card on the tube for the whole day. To get to Thorpe Park we then got a train from Waterloo Station which was another £5.00 return ticket using the rail card again.

It was a lot easier than I had imagined to getting to Thorpe Park as once reaching Staines train station there was a shuttle bus which took you to Thorpe Park and included a return journey back to the train station later on in the day which was about £3.00 each per person which I thought that it was very cheap.
 

After seeing the Inbetweeners at Thorpe Park in one of the TV episodes it made me really want to go and I am glad I did. However, comparing it to Alton Towers which is another theme park in Staffordshire, Thorpe Park is a lot smaller in comparison. Despite it being smaller it does have some good rides which are very different from the ones in Alton Towers.

Thorpe Park is also located near some lovely scenery.

 I would really recommend if you do go to Thorpe Park or Alton Towers or other Merlin attractions such as; Legoland Windsor Resort, Warwick Castle and many more. I would definitly get a 2 for 1 voucher because the whole day without them could become really expensive. 

 My favourite ride at Thorpe Park was: The Swarm.

The Swam is a Wing Coaster which features rows facing backwards and forwards. I went on the ride twice because I loved it so much but I faced forwards both times.

Reserve N Ride.

When I visited Thorpe Park it was on one of the days when they were trailing a new concept which is
 a new system which allows you to book a time slot to ride The Swarm from your smartphones for free so you don't have to stand waiting in the queue. Thorpe Park website explained the system as 'No Queue Guarantee in the future'. I think the weekend I went was the last weekend of the Trail for this new system. If you want to understand this system more or interested in it visit the website as it explains it further: http://www.thorpepark.com/prices/reserve-and-ride.aspx

The pictures below are what you have to do to reserve your ride. When the counter reaches 00.00 that is when you are allowed to ride and is valid for an hour which gives you plenty of time to get back to the ride if you have been queuing for a different one. 

 

The photograph below shows a barcode where the person at the ride who works there checks it in so you are then free to start queuing which didn't take long at all which was really good. 

In my opinion I think the Reserve and Ride is a fantastic idea because despite it being a new ride I was able to go on it twice which with the other rides at Thorpe Park I could only go on them once because of the long queues. I think more rides should offer this brilliant new system.

 I have also linked a Youtube video of The Swarm ride this Youtube Video isn't mine I just thought I would share it for you to have a look at.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeYjtROGSz8

The next ride which I really liked was The Stealth. This one was the first ride my boyfriend and myself went on and was fairly quiet when we started to queue early morning. I wish we had been able to ride this a second time but time just seemed to fly by for the whole day.

The other rides which I really enjoyed included, Nemesis Inferno, Detonator, Colossus, Saw-The Ride and Loggers Leap. The other rides which took over an hour to queue for was Colossus and Saw-The Ride.  I think these would really benefit from the Reserve and Ride system maybe in the future.

If you have been to Thorpe Park let me know which your favourite ride was!

I would definitely like to return back to Thorpe Park as there was some other water rides which I didn't get chance to go on.