Collective Haul: August 2015

Hi everyone!

Today I have a collective haul for you. Most of these products were brought in the first couple of weeks in August but hopefully they will still be available and if not, I hope this post will inspire you to go out and see if you can find anything similar, Or just make you want to go shopping!



Lush Cosmetics

Sakura Bath Bomb-
A bit boring as no fancy effects/colour changes
 but an amazing floral/fresh scent!
£3.35

Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb-
this was given to me for free on my birthday when
I purchased the Sakura bat bomb! It's cute, turns
bath a light blue colour and smells of lavender
£1.95

*I do not own the rights to this photograph,
all rights belong to Lush*
(I forgot to photograph it!)
Smells very sweet and turns your bath
a hot pink with confetti hearts!
£2.65

 

Superdrug

 

 



Makeup Revolution Ultra Eyeshadows Flawless Palette
£8

 

This comes with 32 beautiful shades perfect for autumn

 
 


I love the names of the eyeshadows and how
 it comeswith a large mirror

So Pretty!

Lovely range of colours

MUA Lipsticks
£1 each

Primark

 

Sneak peek of what I got!
(forgot to photograph the heels individually (£14) and didn't photograph
the jeans as I gave them away due to bad sizing (£7))



 



Mixed flower Flower crown
£2.50




Long Blush Top
(back view)
 



Gold zipper detail to the back

Close up of the fabric
Blush crepe material

 A bad quality photo of the
top from the front
£9



Turquoise Underwear set
£5

Close up of the lacy fabric

 

Blush coloured underwear set with black polka dot and lace detailing

Close up of the detailing

Ravenclaw tote bag
£3



Cream and pink flower crown
£2.50 (sale)



denim blue coloured stretchy bardot (of shoulder) top
£3
(I also brought it in black but I just realized the photo of it is blurry)

 

 

Twin pack of deep cleansing facial wipes
£1

Small light brown drawstring bucket bag
£4

Pack of 3 pig socks
design 1
£.50 (I think)

design 2

design 3

New Look

Pink Bag with gold chain fasten and chain handle
£7 (sale item)

Black Jumpsuit
£10 (sale)

Peacocks

 

 

 

Mixed stone statement necklace
£5 (sale)

 

Dusky Blue Rose Floral Crown
£1.50 (sale)

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my collective haul, I may make one for September or I may just do a few mini ones, I had a big AVON order arrive today so look out for a post on what I've brought! What is your favourite thing that I brought in August? What did you buy in August that you now love? Let me know in the comments!

 

Speak soon,

Love Katie Xxx

 

Bloglovin: SmileLoveCapture
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmileLoveCaptur

 

My 18th Birthday: What I did and what I got

Hey guys,

On the 2nd August I turned 18. Yep, I am now legally an adult here in the UK! I'm not sure about other places/cultures but here it is considered one of the 'big' birthdays so I was very excited bout it and got vey spoilt by my friends and family. Please understand that I am not bragging or anything, simply sharing to give others ideas or simply because they want to be nosey, personally I love these sorts of posts so I'm happy I finally get to make one!

What I got up to:

I woke up and opened my presents with my mum and step dad, with my dog Bonnie helping me, she loves wrapping paper! I then went to the nearest city to me with mum and auntie and done some shopping in primark and lush (next week I will be posting a collective haul so keep a look out!). The sales assistant was so lovely, I purchases my bath bomb and when she saw it was my birthday she ran out from behind the counter and gave me a bath bomb for free, thank you lush! We then went for a light lunch at Frankie and Bennys where I had my first legal drink- an orange flavoured cocktail weirdly called 'fuzzy navel' ew, but it tasted great. I had a caprese salad which was a fancy name for a tomato and mozzarella salad which was nice, although I couldn't finish it. Our lovely waitress saw it was my birthday from the huge bag my mum forced me to wear and so the restaurant was blasted with 'the happy birthday song' as they brought out a slice of chocolate cake for me with cream spelling out '18'- free of charge! It was so kind of the restaurant and I'm very grateful, I was so embarrassed though that I forgot to take a photo! I then went home and had family time and everyone loved the huge pink and sparkly birthday cake I made. I then went to another restaurant that is local to me with some friends and had dinner (medium-rare steak, mash and beans mmm) and drinks (shots and cocktails!). I felt fine, but the next day I did have a bit of a hangover. Oops! I don't think I stopped smiling the whole time, I truly had the mot wonderful day!

What I got:

I mainly got money off my family but I am not going to share the amount as like I said, I'm not bragging or anything so I think it's unnecessary to share. I had already had my present from my nanny a few months ago, my holiday to Barbados, it was such an incredible place. My main presents were from my mum and step dad which I did not photograph but were a new (secondhand) laptop and a new Samsung galaxy S5 phone in white.
I have photographed everything else I got so here we go!




Who doesn't love chocolate and scented candles, also
can we talk about how cute the candle holder is?!

The Body Shop shower Gel and
bath lily set in 'pink grapefruit'

I love reading and my actual
name is Katheine, so this
is a fitting book to me

Cute novelty socks and a new
rimmel mascara I'm excited
to use 

Wine as I'm an adult now,
cute sentimental tatty teddy
and recipe book as I love baking

My love of mugs is clearly no secret to my family
 

Neither is my love of sentimental things and Harry Potter



Hope you enjoyed finding out about my birthday!
Here is a couple of photos of the cake I made, photos don't do it justice!

I am so grateful for all the cards, money, presents and birthday wishes I received, I had the most amazing birthday!

 

Keep a look out for the collective haul!

Speak soon

Love Katie Xxx

 

Bloglovin: SmileLoveCapture
Instagram: @katiewoodrow97
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmileLoveCaptur

 

 






First Impressions: AVON Care Light Moisture Refreshing Face Gel Cream

Hey Everyone!
 
Today I will be telling you hat I have recently my first impressions of a product that I have recently started using, the AVON Care Light Moisture Refreshing Face Gel Cream. It is designed for oily/combination skin and contains green tea, witch hazel and cucumber. It is supposed to mattify and refresh the skin. It's RRP price is £3.90 for 100ml but the time I am posting this it is on sale for £1.90- a bargain!

Lets get into my first impressions then
First I was happy to find it was a light blue colour with a fresh scent, the type of scent I love. As I applied it I found the formula to be a thin gel and that a little goes a long way. It sunk into my skin quickly, making it feel cool and hydrating and it sunk in almost instantly! I was impressed how it achieved making my skin matte therefore not leaving it greasy feeling. My skin is very sensitive so I'm interested to se how my skin will react to it once I have used it a few times but so far I'm really enjoying it.

 

Product link: http://avonshop.co.uk/product/skincare/day-creams/avon-care-light-moisture-refreshing-face-gel-cream.html

 

Have you tried this product before? Do you have any recommendations for products for me to try? Leave them in the comments below!

 

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day,

Love Katie Xxx

 

Bloglovin: SmileLoveCapture
Instagram: @katiewoodrow97
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmileLoveCaptur

*this post is not sponsored all opinions are my own*

Where have I been?!

Hey Guys!

Wow it's been a looong time since I last posted on here!
The good news is that i'm back and plan to be regularly uploading very soon. I finally have a direction for this blog: me.

This may sound very self centered and I guess it is, but this is my little creative space on the internet so I want to fill it with things that I am interested in, hopefully then I will stay passionate, won't get bored and always be tapping away on new blog posts and building my audience. 

This means that I will be writing about beauty, fashion, books, films, cooking and baking, animals, LGBT+, nature, social issues, feminism, travel, YouTube and anything else my mind thinks of. 

I'm hoping that you too share some of those interests and therefore stay will me and support this blog by clicking the follow button. 

"That's all great and all, but how do I knew you are going to stick around? Where have you been these past months?" is something you may be mentally asking me and so I shall give you my explanation.

If I feel inspired, I will write it down and post it on here, I won't pressure myself into posting several times a week/month as I don't want to get writers block or me this blog to become a chore. Although I am hoping to upload about once a week. 

Apart from 10 nights spent in the beautiful island of Barbados, I have still been in the small town I live in. Oh and guess what? I've finished college and have started my gap year! (posts to follow on these soon!)

So, that's us caught up for now, tell me what you have been up to or would like me to write about in the comments below, I'd love to make 'online friends' and hear your suggestions! 

Speak soon,
Love Katie 
Xxx

Bloglovin: SmileLoveCapture
Instagram: @katiewoodrow97
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmileLoveCaptur

50 Random Facts about me

Hey guys,

As this blog is still only a baby I thought I'd give you a little more insight about me so not only will you get to know who is behind these posts but also give you an idea of what themes might pop up in future blog posts.Lets get crackalackin'!

1) I live in on the south coast of England
2) I go to Barbados April 1st for 10 nights
3) I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter and Hunger Games franchise
4) Controversially, I am also a huge fan of 50 Shades of Grey and yes I am happy with how the film turned out
5) When it comes to food I consider myself a lumpaphobe as I end up gagging even at the sight let alone the taste of a lump in my food. This means that I have to stay clear of foods such as rice pudding and custard and can even put me off yogurt and gravy
6) I'm gay but only my friends, a couple of teachers, mum, an auntie and step brother know (and now the internet I guess!)
7) I am really girly and love anything sparkly or heart shaped, make up, hair and fashion
8) I would love to be able to rock the 90s grunge style as it is one of my all time favourite looks but annoyingly I just can't pull it off. I look like a mum doing the school run in a flannel shirt and just too scared to wear my dark lipstick
9) I am pretty much YouTube obsessed- I have about 100 subscriptions
10) I used to have a blog before this one but I was unhappy with it and so I deleted it. It was called Katie's Little Things
11) I'm a complete chocoholic
12) I'm having to go on a health kick to try and tone up and lose body fat 
13) I am 5ft 5 inches and around a size 8
14) I have only been abroad once before to Spain and I got stung by jellyfish twice in the matter of a few minutes- where my bum meets my thigh and on my leg. Jellyfish stings burn like a bitch!
15) I did try the urine treatment for the stings but apparently I had left it too late for it to have an effect so it was unnecessary. Brilliant
16) On a school trip to Wales when I was 10 I went caving and lent over a huge waterfall. I hated caving but loved the waterfall but looking back it was a completely awesome experience and I am so glad I done it
17) I also went on a sailing trip in October 2011 which was an amazing experience. We even sailed right next to the needles by the isle of wight which was awesome
18) I finish college this June/July
19) I am taking a gap year to gain experience so I can then go to uni to become an adult nurse. I then want to become a midwife
20) I consider myself a feminist
21) I love sociology, I do it at A level and have found myself really interested in society and how it affects gender, sexuality and mental health
22) I love cooking and baking
23) I love to dance but I have not danced in a while (unless dancing around your bedroom counts) I miss learning new routines and doing performances
24) I over analyse everything which is a nightmare although helpful for my A level English literature work
25) My favourite programs/series are orange is the new black, call the midwife, one born every minute, eastenders, four weddings and keeping up with the kardashians
26) I hate horror films it doesn't matter if its psychological or gory either way I hate it
27) a few years ago me and two friends of mine decided to have an anti valentines day so we saw woman in black at the cinema and I got so scared at one point I jumped a tiny bit of pee trickled out
28) I am an awful speller, without spell check my posts would make no sense and be full of typos
29) I spent my childhood being bullied at school
30) My favourite perfume is DKNY be delicious
31) I completly adore animals
32) But I have a huge phobia of spiders
33) Not long ago my best friend had to drag me out of our local pet shop as I started to cry about how I couldn't take all the rats, gerbils, hampsters, guinea pigs and rabbits home (I am blaming that partly on hormones)
34) I have a 8 year old black labby named Bonnie
35) I have my kids names sorted
36) All the girls names I have picked out for possible future daughters all end in 'a'
37) I have to wear glasses when reading or on my laptop
38) My biggest celebrity crushes are Natasha Lyonne, Laura Prepon, Demi Lovato, Hannah Hart, Grace Helbig, Ruby Rose, Natalie Dormer, Zac Efron, Joe Sugg and Harry styles
39) But I'm a cheerleader is one of my all time favourite films as it helped me to accept my sexuality and it is generally so hilarious. My favourite scene is the end graduation scene when Megan does her cheer. 
40) I have been tweeted by Dani Manogue (I know I have spelt that wrong!), Rochelle Humes and Bobby from towie. Joe Sugg has DMed me, liked my instagram of DM and favourited my reply to his dm. Louise (sprinkle of glitter) has faved a tweet of mine and has commented on my comment on a video of hers, Michelle Phan has faved a tweet of mine, Marcus Butler has liked an instagram I posted, Matt Watson (Louise's husband) had faved a tweet of mine and so has olivia sebastianelli. Hoping that I get noticed by them again/noticed by more celebs/youtubers this year!
41) I always carry an anti bacterial hand gel with me
42) I have seen Olly Murs, One Direction, Neon Jungle (as part of ncs live 2014 event I went to which featured loads of upcoming artists), McBusted (second row! Danny spoke to us and everything) and Lily Allen live
43) I always want to do my best but I lack motivation to do things sooo much
44) because of this, I am rubbish at keeping to deadlines and leave everything last minute
45) I have a weird issue that I have to have/ be in control of a situation otherwise it triggers my anxiety. Example: i was at a house party when a few friends of mine got too drunk and got emotional and things got a bit dramatic. Although I tried I could not control the situation and almost had a panic attack- Thank you Polly for calming me down!
46) I have been planning to redecorate my bedroom for 3 years and it has still not happened
47) One day I hope to make YouTube videos- hopefully this summer so watch this space!
48) My natural hair is curly which I used to hate but now I really like it and hardly ever straighten my hair
49) I hate talking on the phone or messaging/texting someone unless I am comfortable and close with that person
50) I love writing, whether it's a list or a feminist rant or a complete ramble about nonsense. I probably should type some up and post them...

Well there we have it, 50 facts about me that you might not have known before. Please leave comments if you have an opinion on one of my facts, have the same fact or want to share a fact about yourself below. Don't forget to follow if you enjoy my content! 

Until next time,
Katie Xxx

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13394723 
Instagram: @katiewoodrow97
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmileLoveCaptur

Dear Me

A couple of weeks ago I saw some YouTubers doing videos about a letter to their younger self so today I thought I'd join in the #DearMe campaign and write a letter to my 14 year old self. Here goes!

Dear 14 year old me,

I want you to know how proud I am of you, your strength is often underestimated and let me assure you this- you're doing okay, kid. Your confidence is constantly improving! 

I don't want to give you any major spoilers about the next few years of your life, I know you hate surprises as you have control issues but I know you love adventure and I don't want to ruin this one for you. Don't worry though, I'll give you a few subtle hints to prepare you whats to come.

You've come out of one of the hardest and darkest times of your life but I can happily report that despite temptation, you are 3 years clean of self harm so be proud of yourself, you've got this under control. Unfortunately life isn't an easy ride and you will have more difficult times to come but like always you will come out in a better place. Remember to learn the lesson instead of regretting!

Remember to treasure your friendships and continue to make memories that will forever bring a smile to your face when you recall them. Never take friendships for granted as people change, fall outs and make ups happen, you will lose friends and gain new ones. You will soon realise that some friendships are worth fighting for, some are worth letting go and others you have to let go. Oh and that girl who really doesn't like you and you don't like? You two are super close now. Remember friendships and friendship groups inevitably change but half way through your first year at college you will realise there are people who you want and hopefully will be life long friends with. No matter what you do or go through, Chloe is always going to be there for you, she knows you better than anyone, including yourself so never forget to appreciate her and never take her for granted. Don't strive for popularity as it doesn't make you any happier. 

On the subject of college (yes, you do go so stop having worries about not being smart enough to get in as you are!), you will soon discover your identity. Don't worry about any doubts you are experiencing right now, in a few years it'll all become clear so please don't stress. You may find yourself feeling uninspired and doubting yourself but you do get through that and continue to work towards nursing and midwifery. If you find yourself doubting just remember your life aspiration; being well traveled, a wife, mother and head midwife in the LA birthing center. 

Remember to take slow, deep breaths and take as much time as you need to calm down when you have that horrible worrying feeling in your chest. That is called anxiety and soon it will become a big part of your life but you learn how to stop it taking over you life. 

If you love someone, tell them. Whether that is familial, platonic, romantic or whatever, just tell them. If you don't it will eat away at you and drive you crazy. Even if the worst case scenario happens it's not the end of the world and you will deal with it amazingly. Never hind how you feel about anything or anyone. Heartache is a thing but you can get over it. Feeling butterflies is great so embrace your feelings. Wear your heart on your sleeve. 

Stop panicking about those pesky butterflies when you talk to or see certain girls, it's perfectly fine to have crushes on girls. You're gay! and guess what? It's great!

Treasure your time with dad as in a couple of years things just won't be the same and when times get tough you'll look back at these times and smile. Be nicer to mum, she's actually quite understanding and is pretty great. Don't take your step dad for granted, you mean the world to him and secretly you love having him as a permanent father figure in your life. 

Embrace your natural hair, take a tonne of photos, count your blessings instead of your hardships,don't worry about never 'going further' as in a couple of years you do, remember that karma does come back around-both good and bad so be careful, don't be afraid to ask for help, don't dumb yourself down and put on an act, but most importantly, just keep smiling. 

Lots of love, 
yourself, aged 17 1/2
Xxx

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13394723 
Instagram: @katiewoodrow97
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmileLoveCaptur

January Favourites!

Hey guys!

It may be a little late as were already come to the end of week one in February but I really wanted to share with you what I have been loving in the month of January- better late than never!

Beauty:

Barry M nail paint 'aquarium collection' in shade '440 Mediterranean'
As most girls, I love the Barry M nail paints so I was very excited when I received this one in my christmas stocking. It is a beautiful shimmery warm pink colour with rose gold tones. Depending on the light and angle your nails are at it can either look a shimmery dusty pink or rose gold. It went on my nails New Years Eve and I have carried on repainting them with this colour. I think I love it so much is that it really reminds me of a sunset and I love sunsets.

Natural Collection Colour Foundation in the shade 'honey'
I am proud to say that for the first 17 and a half years of my life I have been very lucky and had reasonably clear skin so that all I ever needed to use was concealer to hide dark circles and pimples. However, I recently found that I was getting uneven skin tone so I decided it was time I tried wearing foundation. I have sensitive combination skin so the thought of caking it in product worried me a little so I thought I'd buy cheap. I am clad I did! Having an 'awkaward' skin tone made me worry about finding a match for a foundation costing less than £5. Then I found this one! At £1.99 it offers a light coverage and closely matches my light olive warm toned skin (I am white British but have Spanish and Indian Ancestry) and is easy to apply.

Skincare:

The Body Shop body polish in 'Glazed Apple'
I have no idea what a 'body polish' is but from how I've been using and enjoying this product I am assuming its a gentle scrub to exfoliate skin whilst in the shower and it does a jolly good job! It also smells delicious! 

St Ives sensitive skin gentle apricot facial scrub
I love face scrubs and this is by far the best one I have tried so far. Texture wise it is very thick and gritty but you only need a penny size amount to exfoliate your whole face. It is also inexpensive and has a really pleasant smell to it. I have noticed since using this that I have had fewer break outs, smoother skin and my face hardly gets oily.

Music:

Taylor Swift 1989
Top 3 songs from the album are *thinks for ages as love them all* probably wonderland, new romantics and blank space

Demi Lovato DEMI
Top 3 songs from the album are never been hurt, warrior and made in the USA

Book:
Love, Rosie (previously published as Where Rainbows End) by cecelia Ahern 
This book is about two childhood best friends who are meant to be together but life, bad luck and pretty much anything and everything prevents them being together. I loved the plot of this book it had so many twists and turns that always kept you on your toes. It is a thick book and I read it in two days as I just couldn't put it down! I also loved the style of this book: letters, texts and emails between characters instead of the standard first person narrative form of most books. I highly recommend it. 
YouTuber(s):
The holy trinity of YouTube! Yes This month I have watched hours of Mamrie Hart, Hannah Hart and Grace Heilbig videos and I have no regrets. Love them! 

Film:
Camp Takota as it was written by Mamrie and stars her, Grace and Hannah and is a truly hilarious film but it does have its emotional moments too, full of laughs, great acting and the good ol' outdoors


Other:
Cadbury's hot chocolate and squirty cream
It is amazing and amazingly unhealthy yet I don't even care.

Keeping a daily diary 
I have been really enjoying writing a few sentences about my day from what I done to how I had been feeling that day. It's nice to be able to read back and reflect.

What have you been loving? Have an opininon or suggestions for me? Leave it in the comments below! 

Until next time,
Thank you for reading!
Love Katie Xxx

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13394723 
Instagram: @katiewoodrow97
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmileLoveCaptur

*I only took the diary,book and product photo, I took the others of google images with no copyright intended, I do not own any rights to the photos*