A lil re-jig...

My blog is officially back up & running!

Hello to all of you reading this (if I even have any viewers left..) It has been far too long 

since my last post on here, and I have finally come back down to earth and realised

it's time to kick my lil ass into gear and start my blog back up again!

However, I have decided that my blog will no longer be focused around make-up anymore,

and will mainly be more lifestyle posts including a little bit of make-up and fashion

in there to make it nice and pretty. I've decided this as I am kind of too busy to be 

focusing on make-up 24/7 and I have finally learnt what going bare faced means, 

and also how nice it is! 

In terms of me, life is pretty good at the moment and I am hoping to have lots of

exciting things to post about over the next few months so keep your eyes peeled! :)

I hope that you're all well, and if you want to keep updated with me through the week

don't forget to follow my instagram (@lipsticksandcandlesticks) for more recent updates

and for a little insight into my rather boring life! 

That's all for now my lovelies, hopefully there will be a post up tonight!

Lots of love & sparkles,

Yasmin xx

Back with a Bang!

Hello there my lovelies!!

So it's been a while since I last posted, so here comes my apology to you all.

Since starting college in September, I have been pretty busy with all of my

coursework and studying, so blogging had to take a bit of a back seat unfortunately.

But nevertheless - I am back, and hopefully I'll be posting regularly again.

Quite a lot has happened over the past 1 and a bit months I have not posted, so here's

just a little update on what's been going on in my life!

Starting college was both nerve-wracking but also very exciting, and I have made some

new friends in the process. Doing what I love everyday is so special to me, and my life

has never been better than it is right now.

Health wise, again I've never done better than now - I am pushing myself more and more

everyday, as being at college is proving a great determination and motivation for staying

well! Life is really looking up for me at the moment, although I do still have my down days

which is natural for everybody.

Anyway - posts should be back up as normal from tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled!!
In the meantime to keep updated you can follow me on;
Instagram - @lipsticksandcandlesticks,
Snapchat - yasminineson

Have a lovely night, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Yasmin x

My Skincare Routine

Hello my lovelies! 

Today I have my current skincare routine all lined up for all of you who are interested.

My skin isn't great at the moment, as when I went into hospital I abandoned my skincare routine, and my face just turned into an absolute spotty mess. So now I am trying to combat the spots and get my skin back to how it was, with the help of some of these products!

Morning-

As soon as I'm awake in the morning, and have munched away my breakfast - I begin to get ready for the day. I have only recently began this routine, but so far so good (i hope!) and my skin appears to be clearing up a little. 

1. I wash my face, and massage Neutrogena's Visibly Clear face wash all over my face, especially into spot prone areas. Then I use a flannel to gently wash it off my face.

2. Using my favourite cleanser EVER, Biore's Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser, I then repeat the first step by massaging it into my skin, until it lathers up into a foam. Again, I wash this off.

3. This is when I pat my face dry with a towel, and also brush my teethies! 

4. Using a cotton pad and Clean and Clear Toner, I wipe this over spot prone areas, to close up the pores and help fight against spots.

5. I then apply a small pump of Freederm's Daily Complex Moisoturiser, rubbing it in upward motions.

6. Once the lotion is settled in, I then go onto my make-up!

Night-

Once the day is over, and I'm getting ready to settle down for the night, before I get in the bath/shower, I like to follow this routine...

1. Now, I only got the highly hyped about Micellar Water the other day, so I have currently only used it once (and I'm already impressed!) so before that, I used to use a gentle baby wipe to remove my make-up.

2. This is usually when I get into a warm bath/shower to really open up my pores, ready to be cleaned.

3. Once I'm out of the bath, I wash my face again with warm water and apply both of the cleansers the same as earlier, however do use a little more at night to really deep clean your skin and pores.

4. Close your pores again by wiping your face with a cotton pad and the same toner. Then I am ready to sleep!

Extras-

I have loved the St Ives Scrub for the longest time, so once a week I like to do a gentle scrub on my face, to give it a nice scrub and deep clean. For a scrub, it is very gentle on the skin and doesn't harshly rub your face. The Apricot scrub is the best for people with oily or spot prone skin, like myself. 

I have been taking these vitamins for a couple of weeks now (twice a day) from Holland and Barrett, and I think I can notice a difference. It says that they can help your Skin, Hair and Nails - and my hair seems to be repairing quite well after my crazy amount of bleaching, and my skin seems to have a nice glow to it.  As well as drinking lots of water and staying well hydrated, I think that my skin is really benefitting from all of my routine

It is early days with my skin, and I am not betting on getting perfect spot-free skin (who even has that?) but I like to think that this routine will help keep the spots at bay, and make my skin appear much more radiant and glowy. It is very important that you keep your skin healthy too guys, it's not just all about make-up.

So, that's all for today, i hope you have had a lovely day - I've been shopping with my friends which has been lovely, and now I'm going to settle down and watch some TV with my Mamma. If you have any questions, or can reccommend any products that would help me get nicer skin - please let me know!

Lots of Love and Sparkles,

Yasmin xx

Top 5 Lipsticks | MAC Edition

Hello lovelies! 

Today's post is one that has bene long due, so I finally decided to bite the bullet and decide on my favourite five MAC lipstics.

If you couldn't already tell, I am a MAC girl. But nothing compares to their lipsticks in my opinion (hence the fact I cannot stop buying them!) SO it was pretty tricky narrowing down my evergrowing collection of 19 to 5...  They are in no particular order, as deciding that would push me slightly over the edge!

PInk Pigeon

If I had to pick my favourite pink lipstick, this would be the one. Owning both 'Candy Yum Yum' and 'Pink Noveau', it remained a hard choice to select my most loved pink. Going by usage, this little beauty definately wins. It is part of the matte finish collection (which is my favourite formula) making it the slightly more wearable sister of 'Candy Yum Yum.' It's perfect for those days where you want a bold lip, but one that's not too bright. It's a must have for all you pink lovers out there!

Whirl

Despite only buying this one at the start of the month - it has well and truly made it's mark on me. There has rarely been a day where I haven't been wearing this, the lipstick twin of MAC's 'Whirl' lipliner. It is a take on the new trend that everyone is crazy for, the 90's style nude lips, or the 'Kylie Jenner' lips. Whirl for me is the perfect darker nude for my pale complexion, and I believe this matte shade could suit most people, and most skin tones. 

Russian Red

It's no secret to anyone just how much I love this lipstick. Every girl needs their staple red lipstick, that is always guaranteed to look amazing, and suit your skin tone. For me, when I swatched Russian Red around 2 years ago now, it was the perfect colour for my skin. It has a blue undertone which also makes your teeth look dazzling white. What's not to love about this little stunner? If you still haven't found your fail-safe red lipstick yet, I would recommend you take a trip to the MAC counter and have a little browse... you won't regret it.

Patisserie

When I am looking for a nice 'my lips but better' shade, this one always comes in handy. After hearing Vivianna from Vivianna Does Makeup rave about this lipstick, I decided to buy it, and I certainly have no regrets. Despite it being a lustre finish, which is most people's least favourite, this lipstick just adds a nice amount of colour and glossiness to your lips without looking like you're wearing anything (if that makes sense?) Anyway, this is my go-to lipstick for those 'barely there' makeup days.

Hang Up

Last but certainly not least, is my favourite vampy lipstick, ever. I look forward to autumn every year, the time where it is acceptable to rock a dark lipstick without getting any funny glances. Hang Up was where my love for dark lips began, and since I got it, I've collected an array of darker toned lipsticks, such as 'Cyber' and 'Media'. Hang Up leans towards a dark reddy colour, almost leaving a wine stained look on your lips. This is the easiest of my vampire lipsticks to wear, making it more beginner friendly, for those of you wanting to dip your toes into the sea of darker lipsticks. Despite owning two other darker shades, this little treasure is still a firm favourite in my collection, that I cannot wait to be wearing very soon!

So there you have my top 5 MAC lipsticks, it was a hard thing for me to decide - but I managed it! I have been thinking of doing a full blog post on all of my collection, if it's something you'd be interested in, please let me know! 

I hope you've all had a lovely day, and are enjoying the week so far! I start college on Monday, so the nerves are certainly kicking in. Good luck to everyone, whatever you are doing this year.

See you tomorrow my lovelies!

Lots of Love and Sparkles,

Yasmin xx

What's a Girl Without her Chummy?

Hello my lovelies! 

Today's post is pretty exciting for me to be doing, as it is a little review post on this beautiful phone case from Funcases.co.uk. 

I recently made an order from ths website after long awaiting and endless browsing over their pretty amazing variety of cases. As an avid watcher of both Zoe (Zoella) and Louise (Sprinkle of Glitter) this case was always top of my wish list. 

I was very impressed with the pace of delivery, it took 2 days from ordering to land through my post box, with great service and communication from the staff. The case itself was well packaged and well protected against any potential breakages that could happen through transit.

In terms of quality, this case is outstanding. It literally feels so sturdy, that it's probably unbreakable. So if you dropped your phone in this case, chances are they would both come out unmarked. It has an expensive and sleek feel about it, making it seem like a very luxourious and the kind of case you would pay lots for. However, I find it hard to believe that this little beauty only set me back a meagre £5.99. What a bargain. 

The case has been on my phone for around a week now, and despite me chucking my phone around, and dropping it many a time (I am majorly clumsy) the case is still looking glossy and brand new. Not a scracth in sight. I can certainly say that I will be ordering again from this lovely company, as they offer exceptional quality cases for most phones and tablets, with great communication and service from them too. If you're on the hunt for a new phone case, I would 100% reccomend ordering from funcases! 

You can get the cases here-

www.funcases.co.uk

Facebook- www.facebook.com/funcasesuk

Twitter- @FunCasesUK

Instagram- @FunCasesUK

If you go check out their social media sites, they also offer an amazing competition every two weeks where you can get the chance to win a FREE case, perfect for all of you out there who're in need of a new case, but haven't the money to spare. Get entering for your chance to win!

Anyway, I hope you have all had a lovely start to your week, whether you've been starting college/school or work, or even if you're just relaxing at home. I'm hoping I have the time to upload every day this week, but for more regular updates, go follow my instagram (@lipsticksandcandlesticks)

Keep Smiling!

Lots of Love and Sparkles,

Yasmin xx

Monthly Favourites - August.

Hello my lovely readers, 

I am so so sorry about the lack of posts this week - I have been majorly busy at the moment, with preparing to start college and everything. 

Anyhow, I am back as I finally have some time to sit down and do some blogging!

So today I have my first monthly favourites post which is super exciting, as I have been planning this one for a while now, so enjoy! 

Beauty-

MAC Lipstick in 'Whirl'

If you follow me over on my instagram- this month you will have probably heard me mention this many a time since I bought it earlier this month. This swatch really does NOT do this beautiful shade any justice, as it is so wearable and just overall a new favourite of mine. This came out at the start of the month as part of a new permanant collection full of mattes. If you're looking to buy one of those, this little beauty would be my recommendation.

Zoella 'Blissful Mistful' Body Spray

This was mentioned a few weeks ago on one of my weekly favourite posts, and I thought this pretty little scent deserved a place in my monthly favourites. I'm not going to go into much detail as I have raved about this previously, but all I can say is that I LOVE this spray. A LOT. 

Sugarpill 'Sparkle Baby' Palette-

Again, if you follow my instagram, you will have seen this palette pop up ALOT in this past month I just cannot keep my paws off these irresistable shades. My favourite of the minute has to be 'Candy Crush' as it is pretty similar to my hair colour. Also it makes your eyes pop when dabbed in your inner corners. This palette is a must-have for any bright make-up lover.

Lush 'FUN'-

You've probably been wondering what that little colourful mess is in the group picture, and that my friends is one of my new discoveries. Now I know this stuff has been around for a while now, but I haven't yet had the chance to sample it out. I was kindly given some recently, and I have been converted! The amount of things you can do with these rolls of colour is pretty impressive. For me, my favourite is the pink fun, which smells of sweeties. If you haven't tried these yet, get yourself to Lush like, right now. 

Soap and Glory 'Solar Powder'-

I have had this in my collection for a good year now, but have never reached for it. However, when my beloved NYX blush in 'taupe' ran out, I was left to use this. At first I wasn't too impressed, but over time it has became my favourite for contouring. The matte brown shade is the perfect shade to fake some cheekbones, without my face lookng muddy. This is a contour powder worth having for all pale girls/boys out there!

Fashion-

Sparkly Black Converse-

Yet again another thing featured in another one of my posts, but I guess this shows just how much I love these shoes. Since receiving them as a gift from my bestie earlier this month, there has rarely been a day when I haven't had them on my trotters. So simple, yet elegant. (PLUS they're mega comfy.)

Jewellery (in general)-

So I know this really isn't specific at all, but this past month I have really rekindled my love for jewellery and accessorising. Necklaces have been my current favourites, and I have whipped out my old favourite 'Alice in Wonderland' one, as well as my sun choker. I a;lso recently purchased this beautiful safari animal necklace from Topshop. I can't seem to stop myself from buying them, so it looks like I am now turning into a jewellery addict.

Music-

Green Day - American Idiot (album)

I used to be in LOVE with this album back in day, but I have recently rediscovered it and have had it on repeat lots and lots. My current favourite from this album is 'Give Me Novacaine/She's a Rebel' as it's like two kickass songs mixed into one. Great band, and this is their best album too. 

MO - Preach

Yet again another track that's been mentioned a few times this month, as it's been played non stop. It's what I like to call my 'diva' song, and whenever I'm getting ready in a morning - I like to have a jam out to this song. The lyrics really are fabulous, and certainly give you something to 'preach' about!

The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face

This song is my soundtrack of the summer. The Weeknd have come out of nowhere and have just smashed it. I've been listening to most of their songs, but this is the one I seem to play the most. So catchy, and despite the extremely random lyrics - I love it. 

Kelly Clarkson - Invincible

I know this song is pretty cheesy, but to me the lyrics are pretty relevant to me, and I can really relate to them. This is one of those songs I like to belt out in the shower, even if it does annoy my family. Singing it out at the top of your lungs seems to get any emotions out. In short, this is just a beautiful song.

Random-

Colouring in-

As most of you already now, colouring is my favourite distraction and one of my favourite past-times.  I have a subscription to the Art Therapy magazine, and I can honestly say it was worth every single penny as I am always colouring away. It's so relaxing and can just help keep your mind away from any bad thoughts, or anything that's worrying you. 

SO that is my monthly favourites over and done with until next month! 

I hope you have all had a lovely month, and all of those who are going back to school/college/university next month - keep focused and determined! 

Until next time,

Lots of love and sparkles,

Yasmin xx

Apologies!

Hello my lovely readers,

This is just a very brief post to say sorry for the lack of posts this past week. I have been super busy, and have also been changing my bedroom around. I have lots of posts ready for you all, so watch this space!

I've been up to my eyeballs with everything this week, which has meant no time to sit and blog! There are many exciting things coming, so keep your eyes peeled...

Here is a little sneak peek of my new bedroom-

 

I hope you're all having a fab week, and I shall be back soon!! 

Lots of love and sparkles, 

Yasmin xx