January 2016 Favourites!

Hey everyone! How are you all? How's the first month of 2016 been for you? Let me know in the comments.

Today I thought i'd do a monthly favourites for you all! I'm going to include my favourite beauty bits, shows, music etc - just because I can and you might be interesting in what i've been loving.

I'll link where you can find them on the names.

Lash Sensational mascara (waterproof)

 I seen so many people go on about this mascara so when I bought it I did have high expectations. 
Yeah people were right it is the best mascara I've tried. It isn't gloopy and makes my lashes look really long - which is good because I have quite short lashes.

Since I purchased an eye lash curler - this really helps my eyes pop. I highly recommend it to anyone who already doesn't have it.

I bought the waterproof because you can't be too careful especially in winter when I get bad watery eyes. Only downside is it is a huge task to take off.

W7 Eyeshadow Palette (In The Buff)

I got this set for Christmas as well as the dark palette Up In Smoke, but I definitely use this one more. It's got lovely nude shades in as well as some shimmer ones. I wear them both when i'm off out and when I'm just having a casual day shopping or at University. 

It's a big palette with 12 shades but I mainly use Chocolate and Camel. Chocolate is what I use as either a base coat or by itself as a nice nude. It looks great alone with some mascara. Camel has a little glitter in it and is an orange/brown. 

I'd love to get some more eye shadows/palettes and keep testing out what suits me and what doesn't as I'm still quite new to doing my eyes, I only used to stick to mascara.

H&M Eye Shadow in Paradise Lost.

I bought this shade when I was shopping in H&M as I fell in love with the glitter. I tend to use this over the W7 shade Chocolate.

It's a gorgeous brown/gold with the best shimmer. I seen a lot of lovely shades in the shop and am definitely going to purchase some more since they're £4.99.

The packaging although it feels cheap, looks quite glamorous in the white and gold and lets you see what shade you're holding which is always handy. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer.

I've never used a primer so I decided to invest in a drug store one so it was affordable, just in case I didn't particularly like it. 

I must say even though it keeps my face matte when I have make up on, when I first put it on as a base layer, it makes my face go quite greasy like I have just put a greasy moisturiser on. I don't know if this is meant to happen? When the make up is on though it does make my face matte but I use Rimmel Matte powder anyway so double matte haha. 


If anyone could recommend any other primers I'd love to test them out.










Deluxe Crease Brush (Real Technique)

Like I said before I've only just started with doing eye shadow so when I received the starter eye shadow brush kit, I was slightly confused with what brush did what. But this one was definitely my favourite when it comes to putting eye shadow on. It covers the full of my lid since they're only small anyway and gives amazing coverage and keeps the pigment in tact. 
I enjoy using this brush as I don't really do any detail on my lids yet, so definitely a favourite.














Buffing Brush (Real Technique)

I use this brush to put my powder on and I love it! It's so soft and picks up the powder easy. It gives great coverage on my face and I can really tell the difference between this and a cheap own brand powder brush.

With regards to face this is definitely my favourite brush as I probably use this the most, aside from the foundation brush - which I actually need to find a new one.














Eye Lash Curlers

Okay so it's embarrassing to say I used to be terrified of Eye lash curlers! They just looked like something from a horror movie so I never used them.
But recently I bought some and I've been in love ever since! I use them every time I put mascara - which is almost every day.

I got mine from H&M for a couple of pound and they're a really cute colour and great quality. 
So glad I got some!













Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

I seen so many people using this on Youtube to cleanse their skin - so when I couldn't wait to give it a go when I got it for Christmas.

It's amazing for my skin! I love it!
 It takes my make up off so easily, even my waterproof mascara. It smells so fresh and you can definitely feel the effect on your skin afterwards - it goes so smooth and really helps to clear my spots up, especially when i'm on my time of the month...


I really want to try out a lot more Liz Earle products in the future, including the spray that's meant to refresh your face after cleansing. I'd also love to try some moisturiser and even the candle as I love the smell.

Victoria Secret Spray in Pure Seduction

Now not going to lie I smelt this on a girl at University and asked what it was because I was in love straight away. I also asked for this for Christmas and I'm already half way through the bottle. I don't really know how I can describe the smell apart from it's sweet and very recognisable. 

I get asked a lot what I'm wearing and get a few compliments for smelling nice. I just wish I had a smaller handbag version as I tend to take it most places I go and it takes up a lot of room in either my going out bag or my uni bag. 

There's a lot of different sprays which I'd love to try, I have another but it's not as nice as pure seduction.

Regis Designline - Olive Oil Lite 

I got my hair dyed at a salon a couple of weeks ago and whilst explaining to my hairdresser that I need to wash my hair a lot because it gets greasy quick and because of this I don't use conditioner. 

She suggesting using this spray that she uses on her hair. It was only £8.99 and its a spray leave in conditioner which looks thick in the bottle but comes out thin. It smells lovely and the smell really lasts in your hair. It actually is really affective, I don't need to wash my hair as much now I can leave it for around 2-3 days where as before it was 1-2 if I was lucky. 


To use this I wash my hair in the bath or shower and use shampoo as normal, then I get out and spray it into my hair before I brush it as it also acts a detangler! Then I just dry my hair is normal and my hair is left smelling gorgeous and really shine in perfect condition! 



I couldn't recommend a product more, my friend even told me she wants to purchase some because it smells divine. 



Non-physical Favourites.

Album - Purpose by Justin Bieber.

Of course it's this. I would be wrong if I said I didn't know every word to every song already. It does help that I'm going to see him October for the second time and I'm so excited. 
So yeah definitely my favourite album this year and will probably stay that way - although I don't have a physical copy of the CD yet? Crazy I know! But I pre-ordered on ITunes so you can't call me a bad belieber.

He's just amazing and his new music is a completely new light, shines a better light on his personality now. Even though I've liked every song since his little covers on YouTube, I love dancing to Justin in the clubs as a proud fan! 

10/10 Biebs.

Movie - Creed.
Being a huge fan of the Rocky movies, I was so happy that Creed was coming out. Also because I have a huge crush on Sylvester Stallone. 

It's such an emotional movie I cried a hell of a lot. It's just amazing I can't really say much without giving it away but I did a review over on one of the University platforms (http://www.northernlightsuk.co.uk/2016/01/21/film-review-creed/)














Pretty Little Liars
IT'S BACK! AND I'M SO HAPPY! 
I swear not being able to binge watch this show has killed me.
It sucks having to wait every week but it's so good so far and I have so many questions I'm waiting to be answered. 
If you don't watch PLL then something is wrong with you. Okay?

There you go guys I hope you enjoyed this.

I've got a lot of exciting things coming up on here and over on my YouTube so keep an eye on my social media (twitter mainly) for any upcoming news.

Let me know what you've been loving?

Love Amie XX

My Small Lipstick Collection!

Hey everyone!

So I thought I'd do a beauty related post this time around.

It's only been over the past year that I've really started expanding my make-up collection. My make-up bag used to only consist of my daily make-up, nothing fancy - Just my every day foundation, mascara and bronzer. Now my make up bag is too small for the amount of cosmetics I own so I have several.

Something I never used to be too bothered about was lipstick. Mainly because my lips are not the biggest and are not that far from being a straight line. But as I'm getting older, I'm slowly becoming addicted to putting colour on my lips - It really finishes my make-up looks and with going out on student nights and weekends, lipstick really helps to ensure I don't look like a ghost in the flash photography. 

My collection is only small - as I've not long been buying them. I have 6 at the minute. Some I prefer over others. 

I really hope you can recommend me some brands and colours as I'd love to give them a shot!
I'll attach links to each lipstick so you know where to find them.

1. Rimmel London: Kate Moss Lasting Finish - 45

Rimmel is one of my all time favourite lipsticks. 4/6 that I own are in fact Rimmel. I find them really moisturising and have a great shine to them. They last on my lips too.
This particular lipstick is in a pale pink packaging with a silver band with the Rimmel London brand. The packaging of these is so luxury I think - they're the perfect size for your bag when you're out and about. 

This colour is my favourite nude colour yet. It's like a pink/peach that blends into my lips lovely. It's perfect for every day make-up looks and if you don't really fancy wearing much on your face, it's great for the simplistic look.

I'd recommend wear it with some light coverage foundation or BB cream and a little bit of mascara.






2. Rimmel London: Lasting Finish - Heart Breaker (016)

Once again another Rimmel lipstick. It's the same as the above with regards to glossiness and shine. I love Rimmel it doesn't dry your lips out.  

This colour is a mix between a really dark pink and a red. It shows as more of a red on the lip but not as intense as other shades. This is one of my first lipsticks as I wanted to try a dark colour to see if it worked with my skin - well I think it does. 

A good thing about Rimmel also is that it smells so good! It's kinda sweet? I don't really know how to describe it I just like it.










3. Rimmel London: Lasting Finish - 107

Now i'm not going to lie, I did buy this lipstick because I seen Zoella raving about it on her channel and it's what she always wore in her Instagram photos in the winter - where I thought she looked flawless. 

It's in the red packaging with the black Rimmel London band. 
I do like this lipstick colour - which is a very bold red. Although it's very intense on me. Perhaps a little too intense as I don't tend to grab for this one as often. 

A good thing is it smells a lot like watermelon which is gorgeous. You can smell it when you're wearing it! 

I definitely rate this lipstick.


I'd recommend wearing it in the winter, around Christmas as it's a very warm red perfect for the festivities. I'd wear this with full coverage foundation, black winged eye liner, a warm toned gold eye shadow and some bold lashes - either mascara or fake lashes. 


4. Rimmel London: Lasting Finish - Alarm (170)

Okay this is the last Rimmel one I promise! I bought this one as a replacement as I was at I had left my Rimmel 107 at my University halls by mistake when I went home for Christmas break - so for a Christmas present my boyfriend was kind enough to get me a substitute. Rimmel 107 wasn't in stock when he went to collect it so I suggested this shade. 

It's in the original dark packaging with the silver band.
This is a bold red but nowhere near as bold as 107. I actually prefer Alarm. It suits my skin tone a lot better and lasts longer on my lips compared to 107. Even though they're the same price (or around), if you don't like the really bold 107, definitely try this one!

I'd wear this with the same as above. It also works with casual clothing too and especially nights out - it really stands out.




5. Maybelline NY: Forever Metallic - Gold N Roses (20)

I never bought this shade, I got it off a friend who didn't like the colour on herself so kindly gave it to me.

It's in a lovely rounded shiny packaging with a silver/clear ball on the top - maybe some particular design but I'm not sure.

Even the design of the lipstick itself is lovely to put on, its a flat nib compared to Rimmel.

The shade itself is a light pink with a glittery shimmer.

I love this for casual wear as it's not extremely pigmented but gives a lovely shine and is really moisturising. 







6. Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lipstick - Petal (18)

I got this off the Depop app unused as I wanted to try a higher end lipstick and see what the fuss was about. 

It is actually a lovely colour, like a rosy pink. It's very glossy and soft on the lips.
It doesn't smell as nice as the Rimmel but the quality is better.

I didn't pay that much as it was second hand but I am definitely working towards a larger collection of these. 

It's perfect for casual wear if you want a little colour but not over powering.
(The link to this is of the new packaging - I have the older one)






I hope you like this post guys, let me know what you thought?

Also let me know of any recommendations in the comments, I really want some more lippies!

Love Amie
XX

My Breast Reduction Story.

Hey everyone!

So as most of you will know - I had a breast reduction on the 30th of November 2015. I get a lot of questions on this topic so I thought it would be great to document my experience for anyone who thinks of going through with the same thing or are just interested in what happened. Also it will be good to look back on for myself. 

If you aren't interested - I wouldn't read any further as this may be a long one!

So I had wanted a breast reduction since I left school back in 2013. In school as far as I'm aware I had the biggest chest in my year - and no it wasn't a great title to hold. I always got so much unwanted attention off everyone I seen, from students - boys and girls, and even staff! They were always a topic of conversation and considering I wasn't that happy with then, I hated it. I'm not good with being centre of attention at any time so when it came to something I was so insecure of I wanted to curl into a ball and cry.

Don't get me wrong, I used to mock myself with my closest friends as I felt comfortable with them, but there is nothing worse than being stood speaking to a teacher and them glancing at my chest!

It's carried on since then as they've carried on growing. I had reached a 38HH before I had them chopped. I had put on so much weight with having them, I was a 8-10 clothes size in school and have went up quite a few sizes so that my body can cope with carrying such weight. With this came stretch marks on my stomach, thighs and hips. I'm still so insecure about this, especially only being 18 and not being comfortable with my body.

Obviously when I got bigger I wanted to lose weight, I tried dieting but it didn't seem to have much effect. I also joined the gym and tried my local personal trainers '6 week challenge' and I did enjoy it - but it was so painful! Not painful that the training was having an effect on my fitness, but painful because of my chest. I had to wear at least two sports bras and still they weren't sat securely. So I had to pack it all in, it was damaging my back and shoulders to the point I couldn't move.

That's when my insecurities kicked in. I was getting bigger and I couldn't physically do anything about it because of the pain my chest gave me. So I was stuck in a cycle. 

I went into the doctors when I was 17 and mentioned this to them. The topic of a breast reduction was brought up but I had to wait until I was 18 before I could have any real consultation about it. Ever since this I was determined to get one. I continued to suffer into 2015 but as I turned 18 I could finally get on track with a reduction.

I was passed over to my GP who went through a lot of the criteria which I had to fit for the NHS (National Health Service) to continue with the process. I had to realistically go through the NHS otherwise it would of been at least £5000 for the operation which me and my family certainly do not have. 

It didn't take much convincing that I wasn't happy and my request was sent off to the NHS funding along with my condition, measurements etc to see if they would help me out.

It didn't take that long before I got an appointment with a surgeon who does the procedure. There I got photos took (yes this was very strange), I had many questions asked and measurements and the surgeon basically drew my new breasts on paper and explained the procedure to me. It was all very overwhelming and scary but all I could see was the amazing outcome!

So a couple of months after being on the waiting list, I got a phone call in October time, telling me that my operation was going to be on the 30th of November. I was so excited but terrified! 

30th November 2015.

The big day.

It was the day of my operation and the wait had flew over. I was absolutely terrified as nothing like this had ever been done to me, luckily I've never had to go to hospital. My Dad had came up from Portsmouth to come support me through the whole thing with my Mam.

We drove to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Newcastle very early, like 7AM. I sat with numbing cream on my hands with plasters over as I knew I was going to be getting all sorts of needles in my hands and I'm not good with needles.

We arrived and in literally five minutes, the nurse came and took me away from my parents and I got very emotional as well as my Mam. It went all very real by this point and I realised I'm actually 18 so I'll be doing it on my own. Toughen up Amie! 

Luckily the nurses were lovely and helped me through it all. I was sat in a little room with my over-night bag and filled out a hell of a lot of paperwork. Got asked a variety of questions by the nurses and the anaesthetist. The anaesthetist requested that my bloods be taken - which terrified me because I normally have to hold my Mam's hand! But I was a brave girl and didn't flinch - woohoo!

Then the surgeon came in and I was basically used as a drawing board. He used purple marker all over my chest, drawing where he would be cutting. This was actually more painful than the operation!

After the operation.

Nothing else really happened the day before apart from I got changed into a gross gown and was whisked off to theatre - I don't remember much. 
The operation was around 4 hours and I as I wasn't doing well with the anaesthetic, I was in recover for around 3 hours too - I was way too hot, literally dripping with sweat and constantly throwing up - which hurt so much.

I was eventually took to my own private room and put into bed where I could sleep lots.  I had all sorts of tubes running through my hand and at one point I remember having oxygen in my nose tube thing. 
I kept being sick but I was given anti-sickness into my drip so that I wasn't throwing up as much.

I wasn't so bad, I left the hospital the day after and spent a few days at home on the sofa having my Mam run around after me (I literally couldn't have done it without her!)

I had a quick recovery though, I was up and about in no time and was on minimal painkillers, nothing extreme.

The most awkward part was going to the toilet as it hurt getting up and down. Also with regards to having a bath - I had to sit in with water up to my waist and keep my chest completely dry. I had to wash my hair by sticking my head over the bath - which also really hurt!
It's a good job me and my Mam are close, she had to bath me, dry me and dress me at the beginning. But she was amazing and I can't thank her enough.

The first time getting my dressings changed, which was around a month after my operation - was horrific. It hurt to much because it's literally taking plasters off my wounds and it felt like ripping. My breasts didn't really look too great at this point. Very bruised and swolen.

Now (13/01/16)

I'm honestly doing great! I'm in sports bras until February but it's a lot better than the bra the hospital supplied.

I'm not in any pain and had rarely any problems. The only problem is the skin is so thin and still very tender. Although I still have feeling in my nipples which is great it means I still have 60% chance of breast feeding when I'm older.

I'm so happy with how they look, the scarring is minimal (obviously I can't show you!) and with a lot of Bio-Oil I'm sure I'll be looking great around my chest for the summer bikinis.

I can't wait to slowly ease myself into exercising so that I get the summer body for my holidays in July.

I even fit into sizes a lot smaller than before and my body is a lot more in proportion. I'm a lot more confident and so many people tell me they see the difference in my personality, this makes me so happy!

If you have any questions on anything you can comment below or even email me if it's a little more personal.

If you're thinking of getting it done but a little unsure, I'd definitely push you towards it. It's cringey but it does actually change your life.

It's such a small amount of pain, a short recovery for long term happiness.

I hope this helped a couple of you out if you're thinking of getting it done.

Well done if you made it to the end of the post!

See you soon!!

Amie xx

New Year - "New Me"

Hey everyone,

Well yes, it's now 2016 - so happy new year!!!

Thought I'd do a little catch-up post for you all,

As you may see, yes I do have a new blog layout! I found a girl on here who's layout I liked and when I queried - she sent me an email of a lovely girl who completely revamped my blog to my liking. I will leave here email here in case you want to get into contact....
morningtimeoftheautumneast4@gmail.com

I don't want to be one of them stereotypical people who say 'new year, new me' but since my operation in December I literally am a new and better person. 
I feel so much healthier and my fast recovery means I'm back to my hyper and happy self. 

I look forward to doing positive posts this year and chatting to a lot of my readers. With my Youtube off to a good start too, I have a lot of great ideas ready to film.

With me wanting to stick into my uni work I might not be as regular as i'd like when it comes to posting on here and on my youtube.
But i'm going to try to do either this or youtube once a week until I get back into the swing of things.

I do actually hope we have a better year this time, 2015 included a lot of bad things world wide so hopefully we left it there.

Remember to follow me on my social medias
Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram - amieslackx

Again, I wish you all a great and successful 2016!

Amie xx