Living for the Good Life: current fixations

Showing posts with label current fixations. Show all posts

I'm really enjoying reading at the moment, so I thought I may as well share with you my current list of books that I'm either reading at the moment or waiting to start.

Currently I'm seriously into the Wolf of Wall Street book. I'm totally in love with Leonardo DiCaprio (YASSSS BABY ON YOUR OSCAR) and the Wolf of Wall Street is one of my favourite films, so when I watched it again recently I was so hooked and just wanted to know more about the real story, so I bought the book and it's amazing! Jordan Belfort is seriously honest, witty, and a charming story teller. Although he warns against thinking this early on in the book, god he is goals! As messed up and full of debauchery and illegality his life as the Wolf was, it was also amazing what he managed to achieve.

I bought this book quite a few months back now, and it's one of them books that I will read a bit of, put it down for months and then pick it right back up again. It's one of the most interesting books I have ever read, as personally I love finding out about human nature and reasoning behind our existence and how we live and do what we do. It's super easy to read, and you'll learn so much whilst enjoying it.

Again, I have had this book for quite a while now but still haven't finished it. Not because it isn't good, but just because it is a book that you do not need to keep a pace with. It's aimed at business/management people, but basically it explains to you the reasoning behind everyday actions, thinking patterns, and decisions - both individual and collective. It really makes you think and makes you consider your actions. Another book that will teach you so much and you won't even realise you're being taught.

Keeping my love of fashion satisfied, this book was bought as a little indulgent read. Ralph Lauren is one of my all time favourite designers, and possibly one of my idols, and so the chance to find out more behind his life and his designs seriously appealed to me. Super easy to read and filled with pictures to go alongside the text, it's almost a mini coffee book style piece. Plus, it's by Vogue.

The story of Dorian Gray has intrigued me for a long time now, and whilst I have seen portrayals and odes to it within film and television (most recently in Penny Dreadful), I have never actually fully understood or read the original tale. I'm very excited to start this one!

Like I said, I really enjoy learning about the human race and the human body, and reasoning behind everything we do, so books like this seriously appeal to me. I hadn't heard anything about this and was simply intrigued by its blurb and so picked it up. I haven't even opened it yet, so I can't tell you at all whether it is any good or not, but I'm sure it will be as Sunday Times bestsellers are usually pretty on point. Plus I like the colour scheme...

Let me know if you have any recommendations of books you think I'd be interested in, and which ones are your favourites both at the moment and of all time.

So I finally did it, I finally bought some of the magic made by the make-up Queen, and boy I wasn't disappointed. Spurred in part by my moment (or should I say days) of mourning after I realised I had somehow lost my new Mac Whirl the day before (I know, I'm still crying inside a bit), I was drawn towards the lip products.

I'd heard much about Pillow Talk lipliner, and so repeatedly swatched it, moving on to other products, but always coming back for one more look. I caved and asked the sales assistant if she could put it on me, but not before eyeing up the lipsticks. Mostly, but not entirely (okay fully) swayed by the name, I drooled over Bond Girl, and asked for that to be applied on top of Pillow Talk. It was instant love. Though a pairing not usually recommended by the Tilbs, I was happy with the way the two worked, knowing that they would be just as good on their own as they were together.

Pillowtalk on the lips

Bond Girl lipstick on top of Pillowtalk

As you can see, both are very wearable shades and could easily be worn day-to-day if you're looking to make yourself look a bit more put together. I suppose I should have done a picture with Bond Girl on its own, but I didn't, sorry! Anyway, I'm so in love with both of them and I think Pillowtalk is going to be my everyday go-to, with Bond Girl being my go-to when I want to add a little something-something. After getting these, all I can say of Charlotte Tilbury is...I wantttt moooorrreeeee!

I'm not sure if I've told you before or not, but my favourite everyday lipliner is Subculture by MAC, or it was at least until I bought Whirl the other day, aka 'the Kylie Jenner one'. I fancied a new lipliner as I had the excuse that there are a few nights out coming up in February, and instantly knew I wanted a new nude. Whirl came to mind, but I wasn't sure whether or not it was still going through it's catch me if you can sold out phase. I headed to MAC anyway, fought my way through the overly done up 14 year olds and swatched some shades. A few seemed nice but weren't quite 'it', and then I swatched Whirl and well, it was the one. Not going to lie, felt a bit embarrassed for not only myself but also for the sales assistant when I had to ask for it, as I'm sure they're sick of people desperately hunting for the Kylie Jenner look, but, well, Whirl's nice okay! Once I got home and took it for a whirl (sorry, not sorry) I fell in love. It's so natural but also so "I've got awesome lips, I feel like a sex bomb, can't stop pouting, take more pictures of me", can you tell?

As you've seen, I'm seriously loving skincare at the moment, and so when I was browsing Marks and Spencers sometime around Black Friday and saw this set from REN for half price, I was ecstatic.

I've been eyeing up REN skincare for a while now, after using the little samples from Space NK, but could never decide which product I actually wanted to take the leap and buy a full size of. So, when I saw this trio set of full size products for the amazing price of £49 (RRP £100!), I jumped at the chance. The selection sounded ideal for what I was looking for and I decided there and then on the spot to buy it immediately.

As you can see, the products come in a cute box (which I've already recycled as a nail varnish container), and the set includes the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask (50ml) - you know how much I love my glycolic!, the Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial (75ml), and the Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot (30ml).

I've used all three products now and can easily say I love all of them. The glycolic mask is only to be used once or week or so, and leaves your skin feeling so cleansed, so long as you wash it off properly. The flash rinse facial is to be used every 3 days and is a rougher texture mask that leaves your skin feeling ever so exfoliated. I used the keep young serum every night and apply it as the first product, so the base layer. Even when my skin has been playing up because of bad eating, I can see the blemish-free areas are clear, bright and glowing.

Even for the full £100, this set isn't a bad deal, and I'd definitely recommend getting your hands on it if your skincare routine needs a refresh.

The set's exclusive to M&S and is currently unavailable to buy online, but definitely check your nearest large store.

As I said in my last post, I've recently fallen in love with Nars during my multiple Space NK trips. One of the things I had been eyeing up was the Steven Klein One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette, swatching it and swooning over it time and time again, but never actually buying it. The perfect excuse/opportunity came up a week or so ago when I received an N.dulge N.centive via email, and on top of that I was feeling a little ill so L wanted to treat me, and I finally got my hands on it.

The box it comes in matches the actual packaging, and although I'm slightly unsure of the image, it's nowhere near as creepy as the Tearjerker eye set.

The packaging is beautiful though, and feels wonderfully luxurious - weighty, but not too heavy. When you open it up, it's even more of a beauty.

As you can see it comes with 7 products: A highlight, contour, bronzer and four blushes.

For some reason they don't name the highlighter on the back of the product, but the contour is Paloma and the bronzer Laguna. The blushes from left to right are Robotic, Blasphemy, Luster and Dolce Vita.

I've used all but two blushes so far, and can confidently say it is an amazing palette.

I'm particularly taken with the Dolce Vita blush, which gives a gorgeous deep flush to the cheeks, perfect for this time of year.

I have to say I am marginally disappointed with the highlight, having expected it to have some kind of sheen or shimmer. Instead it is more of a matte powder, which offers little highlighting properties, for me anyway. I've been using it to powder under my eyes so at least I've found another function for it I guess.

I tried to do swatches for you but they seemed to payoff lightly on my fingers and the lighting was poor to say the least, but here's my best efforts. Ever so inconveniently it's in reverse order, starting from Dolce Vita on the left and going backwards through the blushes and then through to the bronzer, contour and finally the highlight.

I'd highly recommend getting your hands on this palette if you're as much into face products as I am at the moment. It's brilliant value but it's also limited edition, so get it whilst you still can!

1. Any clothing that is camel/tan/. Especially coats.

2. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Truly brilliant so far.

3. Turtle necks jumpers. (I never thought I'd see the day...)

4. Mulberry Bayswater. Just cannot get it out of my mind. I'm thinking Christmas present to myself...

5. House of Cards - my current night-time Netflix obsession. Feel like I should dislike Frank and Claire Underwood but I unashamedly cannot, they're just so compellingly clever it's admirable.

What are your current fixations?

(All images sourced from Pinterest).

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