Thirteen Hallows

Hello, my loves!

hal·low - \ˈha-(ˌ)lō\: to respect greatly

Alright, so the title comes from the new instalment of "The Scarifyers".

When a haunted chess set causes consternation at the British Chess Championships, and a horse magically materialises in Kettering Agricultural Museum, MI:13 are called to investigate.

Harry Crow (David Warner) and Professor Dunning (Terry Molloy) follow the trail of inexplicable happenings to an unremarkable terraced house in South Wales, home to the mysterious Mr Merriman (David Benson). He’s very old, and very mad; but is there more to Merriman than first appears?

Meanwhile, in the South West of England, famed archaeologist Ralegh Radford (Ewan Bailey) is on the verge of the greatest discovery of the age. Britain’s Tutankhamen, the press are calling it. But what he certainly isn’t expecting to unearth is boisterous 1400-year-old knight Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr (Gareth David-Lloyd).

As Crow and Dunning unravel an unlikely plot to resurrect Britain’s greatest-ever hero, the race is on to stop sinister forces at home and abroad from finding… THE THIRTEEN HALLOWS.

I bought the CD because Gareth David-Lloyd was lending his voice to a character. I definitely don't regret it. The story was funny, and partly about King Arthur. One of my favourites! Not only that, but today (the 8th), Gareth David-Lloyd was signing copies in London. If you're interested, you can read about the signing here. It was one of the greatest moments of my life.

Shopping haul under the cut.

Exploring~

Hey lovelies!

Been doing some more exploring around town. I bought a bus pass through school, so I've been trying to get my money's worth out of it! I really love how pretty everything is here, it's so different from the US!

There's a lake on campus, it's actually not far from my housing. There are also always a ton of birds and ducks hanging around.


I love the way the buildings and streets look. Also at night it gets quite foggy! It's a bit creepy, honestly. There were some places where it was so thick, you really couldn't see too far ahead, and there weren't any street lights, so it was ridiculously dark. Needless to say, my friend and I immediately turned around and walked the other way!


I also find it a bit funny, that at some intersections it tells you where to look! Very considerate though. A good reminder, seeing as it's the opposite in the US! Thank you, kind town, for looking out for your people!

I've got some palettes to review, so look for those!
See you next time!

xx

So Sleek

Hello loves!

I was so sad when I left, because I had to leave a lot of my makeup at home. A lot of my eyeshadows weren't able to fit in my suitcase! It made them too heavy. So I was seriously lacking. Sam mentioned Sleek cosmetics on her blog, so I decided to give it a try.

Popped into Superdrug and picked up these palettes. Fortunately, they were having a 3/2 deal, so I was also able to replace my Dolly Wink liner which is on its last leg as well.

I got the Storm palette and the Ultra Mattes - Dark palette. I thought about getting the Ultra Mattes - Bright palette, but as I don't often wear bright colours, and am a bit too intimidated at bright shadows, I decided not to for now! Unfortunately, what I didn't realise about this liner (until just now actually) is that it's not waterproof. I've already used it more than a few times, so I'm hesitant to return it. It's such a gorgeous dark colour and goes on so nicely. It would be perfect if it was waterproof.


Left: Storm Palette Right: Ultra Mattes - Dark Palette

The palettes do have some similar colours, but the Storm palette has a bit more of a shimmer, which I love.

Reviews of these to come soon!

xx

London Adventure

Hello lovelies!! How have you been?

Aside from having a ton of work, I think I might have finally found a good balance between work and play. I had my first tests in German and Italian last week, and received good marks on my German test! Have yet to find out about my Italian one.

I took my first trip into London on the 7th! I went to go see An Cafe. Unfortunately, I didn't get much of a chance to explore, as I went straight to the gig, but I have plans to go back into London on the 24th of November (for ice skating and a winter wonderland in Hyde Park, Expect pictures!!), the 8th of December (for a book signing!), and the 15th of December (BIG BANG!!). Wow, a lot of trips planned!

Happy Halloween!

Ok, so I know it's not Halloween anymore, but still! I hope everyone was safe and had fun (if you celebrated!) I celebrated! We went out to one of the Halloween parties at the club, which was a lot of fun.

I did Bloody Mary make up. It took me ages.

I used:
de Leon Cosmetics in: 12 Knock Out Punch, 27 Dorothy's Slippers, 44 Dashed Lip, 53 Indecent Exposure
L'Oréal High Intensity Pigments in 917 Dashing (black)
NYX Skinny Black Liner in Bel 05
E.L.F. mascara in Black and
Lashes from F21

Fake blood was from a kit I bought at Tesco!

Did you celebrate Halloween last night? What did you go as?

xx

Shopping Addiction

Hello my loves! What's this?! Another post and so soon!!

Since I've been here in Colchester, I've been trying to limit my spending. I've applied to work as bar staff on campus (fingers crossed!), and I'm going to be looking in town as well, because hello, shopping is an expensive habit, and I need to support it!! There are also some gigs coming up (An Cafe, Big Bang, Blue Gillespie!!) that I have to go to.

Anyway, I picked up some things in town today. What's a trip to town without venturing into Top Shop? My new favourite store.

We had originally walked into Top Shop to get my friend a new bag because hers ripped. I certainly didn't intend to buy anything, but I saw SALE, and I just couldn't resist. There had been things that I had admired the past couple of times I had been in the store. None of them were on the sale rack, of course, but that doesn't mean I didn't find anything! I was actually quite restrained. I tried to justify buying these shorts, and I really couldn't. I already have a pair of black high waist shorts, but these are denim and my other pair isn't! And at £18, if I passed it up, then went back for it and missed out, I'd be so sad! They're a steal at that price, in my opinion, originally costing £32.

I really couldn't pass up the suspender tights. I've been dying for a pair, and these have bows! That's a sure way to get me to throw caution to the wind and snap them right up! I really can't wait to pair them with these shorts. That's one of my favourite looks. I love OTKs and thigh highs and any similar styles.

Who could pass up these socks, too?! I almost bought three pairs with the lace trim, but saw those bones and fell in love. At Trampoline, we bounce in our socks. I always get compliments because I'm a sucker for cute socks. I have so many patterns and styles, I really just couldn't pass these up. Am I wearing them now? Maaaaaaybe.

Love living here and Simple skin care is so easy to find. I've been looking for this Eye Make-Up corrector pen ever since Sami blogged about it. Also because Boots had a 3 for 2 sale and I needed to buy moisturiser, I picked up this deep cleansing face mask. Can't wait to try it.

Until next time, my loves!

Mischa
xx

Subzero

Hello my loves. Am I officially the worst blogger to ever exist? I've been swamped with coursework (Uni has officially started!), sick for a week and a half (the worst!!), and experiencing uni life properly.


I've been having a lot of fun and have met a lot of awesome people!


I've even joined a sports team! These are some of the girls (and guy) on my team. Every Wednesday is Sports Fed and all the teams have their own theme and we go out and celebrate wins or losses (games are on Wednesdays) or we just go out to bond and socialise!

If anyone ever tells you you should live on campus your first year, do it. You won't regret it.

I also made my first purchases at Top Shop. I bought studded loafers and just a plain oversized navy tee. The loafers are my favourite of course. I wear them almost every day!


On the 3rd I'm going to go to Stonehenge and Bath so I will have to remember to take plenty of pictures there! There's also a Pendulum event on Thursday that I'm so excited for. I can't wait to go!

Until next time, my loves. I will do my best to post more.

xx

England!

Hello, lovelies! How are all of you?

I've finally made it to England! It is so pretty here, and the school's campus is gorgeous. I really don't think I could have made a better choice. The weather is perfect here, too! Sure it can be a little rainy, but I love the rain. It's proper October weather, too. It's mostly been around 10-15˚C. Perfect weather!! Around this time it is normally 32˚C in Florida. So hot!! I'm also not used to the voltage, and had my converter up too high and ruined my flat iron! Ah I feel so stupid for forgetting to turn down the setting.

I've not had internet in such a long time it feels like! I had ordered a pack that had an adapter, and I didn't get it until today; my laptop has been dead since Monday!

Anyway, I've got a few pictures from around campus and in town, so I will share them if you don't mind!

There are so many ducks on campus! They also walk right up to your feet looking for food! That day all of these ducks came right up to me and started quacking at me. I looked at them and said "I'm sorry guys, I have no food for you!" and the duck got upset and quacked angrily at me while walking away! Rude haha.

This is what part of the town looks like! Sorry for the slightly blurred picture as I was walking! Sadly, all the shops seem to close quite early. This was around 1800! We did end up finding a good bar/comedy club to stop and have a drink! I've been hanging out with two of my flatmates a lot.

This is the last picture I have, and it's the view I have from my window! I live on the top floor of my building, so I have the best view I think! (Though some of the other houses have more floors.)

I wish I had more pictures, but a lot of my time has been spent sorting out registration and unpacking. There are also parties every night because it is Fresher's Week! My flatmate has gone to every one so far, but I have only been to the one on Sunday and the one last night. Both times were very fun but whew, I don't think I've ever been to such big parties or had so much to drink!

I will come back next time with more photos. I've also opened my Nudy Grey vials, so I can review those soon! I forgot to take pictures of them in the vials though, oh well.

Cloud Lights

Hello lovelies! Have you ever seen this before?

Source.

This looks like such a cute idea, and it's such nice, soft lighting. I plan to make a couple of them and hang them in my dorm. Just a little something so make it more cosy feeling.

Here are instructions to make them if you're interested!

Cloud Lights - First, you need some cotton batting, a paper lantern, and three flameless candles, the type that Glade sells. Pull at the cotton batting until it looks fluffy, light, and cloud-like. Then, hot glue it to the outside of the paper lantern in various places. Make sure it´s fluffed to your liking, then light the lights and stick them inside. Hang the lantern wherever you´d like.

Some of the comments on this blog entry suggest using LED flameless candles. That will cut down on the heat produced and keep it from being a fire hazard! I might have to find an alternative. I'm thinking of using a flameless tea light which uses an LED light, and is small enough that it's held easily by the lantern. Will have to experiment and see what works!

What do you think? Would this be something you would ever do?

More BB Cream!

Hello lovelies! I'm so sorry for neglecting my blog so much. I have some new gets that I've picked up last minute, but a lot of my time has been spent packing! Not only that, but I'm more active at night, which makes it difficult to get good pictures of things because my room doesn't have good lighting!

Here are two of my recent gets:

I picked up some last minute BB creams! I wanted to give something new a try and as I am almost out of my Missha, I thought this would be a perfect time!

I tried Étude House's all day strong, so I thought I would try the bright fit. So I picked that up.

I've also heard good things about Liole, so I bought a pack of mini bottles to try! I was very impressed with the store I got them from. It is called Natural Radience, and it is based here in the US in Texas. I received a handwritten note thanking me for my purchase (not often that you get that!), some samples, and also a code for a percentage off my next purchase!

Targaryen Silver

Hello lovely readers!

I've recently finished both seasons of The Game of Thrones! Such a great series. I don't know why I've waited so long to watch it, but now I'm so impatient to wait for season 3. I will have to content myself with the books for now, though! Have any of you watched it? If not, I highly recommend it!

The name really has no bearing on the lacquer, which is Zoya's Trixie. Targaryen Silver is a combination of the family name of Daenerys and Viserys, and the colour of the polish. Though it also doubles its meaning because Daenerys is gifted a horse from Khal Drogo of the Dothraki that is referred to as The Silver!

Well, anyway, this gorgeous colour is called Trixie.

Zoya Nail Polish in Trixie can be best described as: Stunning light silver with a sparkling metallic foil finish. A chic and edgy shade that adds a spark to your look.
Colour Family Silvers
Finish Metallic
Intensity 5 ( 1=Sheer - 5=Opaque )
Tone Cool
Original Collection Extreme

I have nothing but good things to say about this lacquer. It's the first Zoya colour I've ever bought, and was actually the reason I fell in love with Zoya. The colour is so amazingly like a foil. The finish is an intense metallic shine, and it glitters like mad in the sun! Different angles of light really show how shiny it is! I've gotten many compliments on it, and I just really love the way it looks.

It's such a great formula, and covers smoothly in about two coats.

Wine Party

Just finishing up a few last minute things, and then I'm ready to go! Still have to figure out what to do with my phone though. Ahh, why does taking a phone overseas have to be so confusing!

Went to a party last night with my sister. It was a wine and cheese party! Everyone brought a bottle of wine, and later in the night, everyone decorated wine glasses. I didn't. I was a bit too cheap to spend the money to do it, honestly! It was a lot of fun though watching everyone else doing it, and joking around with everyone.

I just have one picture from the party! This is me and my sister and the wine glass her friend made for her :]

I feel bad having review post after review post. It doesn't seem very fun, and it's just very repetitive. Last night was the first time I really dressed up in any way. Normally I just wear shorts and a tank top. It's really too hot for anything else right now. And that's only if I even go out. Most days it's too hot for me to bother.

So maybe a quick outfit post?

(Omg I don't know why my face is a different colour. It's not like that in person! Had to have been from my brightening on the image. It was very dark before T.T)

So that was my outfit from the party! Super simple, but I thought it was cute! I wore rings, too, but I forgot to grab a picture of them. Is there any interest in seeing more in the future?

A last input of my little prince. He's taken to climbing and just laying on top of my suitcases every night. My other cat likes to use them as a rubbing post, too! They've both claimed the suitcases as their own.

What type of things are you interested in reading from my blog? I'm worried that posting review after review would be too boring!

[REVIEW] Zoya Gemma

So sorry for neglecting my blog, All!

If I'm completely honest, I bought this colour because of the name. Gemma is just such a pretty name! The colour itself is pretty, as well. Zoya describes it as having a bluish-purple shimmer, but I've only really noticed a purplish shimmer.

What Zoya has to say:

Zoya Nail Polish in Gemma can be best described as: Light muted olive green with an overlay of blue and violet duochrome shimmer. Unique, hip and cutting-edge yet subtle enough to suit any wardrobe.
Colour Family Greens
Finish Dual Tone Metalllic
Intensity 4 ( 1=Sheer - 5=Opaque )
Tone Cool
Original Collection Intimate

Gemma is such a gorgeous colour; it's a muted green, yet it becomes bright. I love how the way it catches the light. It is very sheer though, so it took three coats for it to cover completely, which can be kind of annoying. I like nail lacquers to cover a bit better in maybe two coats. On the bright side, it's not streaky which is nice!

Now, aside from the review, another little bit of life update. We've traded one part of the family for another, and now my grandparents are visiting! Oh well. At least it's not a ton of screaming children! Also, I have everything ready (and most packing done!), so now I'm just sitting and waiting until it's finally time to head to school! To fill the time, I've issued myself a bit of a challenge.

I want to join a couple of clubs at school, but mostly I think I want to join the Trampolining Club. It's been so long since I've bothered to do any sort of exercising, so I've started a bit of a workout plan! Hopefully I can keep keep up with it! Sometimes my laziness gets the better of me, especially when it comes to exercising!

Expect some pictures from around school and my new city within the coming month! I will be in my new home the 30th of September!

Also! Check out Sam's 100+ follower giveaway! There are some really cute items that she's put together!

Sorry all!

Hello lovely followers!

Just a quick apology for not being around, no updates, and no comments! It's been a hectic couple of weeks which has kept me from finding the time to sit down to read and comment on posts, as well as update my own blog.

Unfortunately, last week my laptop display went pfft, so my poor laptop has been getting repaired. I feel so vulnerable without it! It's been a constant fixture in my life for 3 years! As a result, I'm updating this now on my iPad and wow it is difficult! I can't wait to have my laptop back.

My cousins have been visiting as well. They arrived at the beginning of this month and will be here until the 29th. (Though we have a reprieve for a week as they've gone to stay with my grandmother. Just in time too, as I've just had some dental work done and need peace and quiet!) There are four children 10 and under and they are a handful!. Between running around after children and not having my laptop, getting even just a moment of peace is hard to come by.

On the plus side, I've gotten my visa! Once we're free of these children and I have my laptop back, no more hectic running around needed. I'll be completely free to sit down and update my blog and catch up on all the posts that I've missed!

Thank you for being patient with me and hopefully I'll be back sometime next week!

[REVIEW] L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream in Fair

I have mixed feelings about BB Creams being available in drug stores. Is it being snobbish to want to completely ignore them and refuse them? I read the two reviews on the brand website and side-eyed the reviewers hardcore. One of them saying they don't see how Korean BB Cream could be better than this! Side-eying so hard. It seems like they just don't have the same benefits or ingredients as the BB Creams that I import. But hey, I could be wrong!

I was somewhat excited when I saw this in the store, and decided I wanted to try it. I had seen the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream and swatched it in my hand, and it was so sheer it's like I didn't use any product! Not only that, but the lightest colour was still darker than my skin-tone. No good.

I think the product has a good idea.

Meet the Magic all-in-one Skin Beautifier for a perfect natural finish. This multi-tasking beautifying cream delivers multiple beautifying actions: hydrates, corrects, evens and perfects. It's ultra lightweight and blends in seamlessly for a perfect natural finish. Available in 4 skin-transforming shades.

This multi-tasking cream micro-infuses skin with continuous and complete care. Offers 24-hour hydration and skin-nourishing antioxidant vitamin E. Micro-encapsulated pigments self-adjust to skin to unify skin tone and blend invisibly.

[REVIEW] Etude House Precious Mineral All Day Strong BB Cream #2

Happy August everyone!

This BB Cream is #2 Sheer Glowing Skin. I've always heard such good things about Etude House, and for the price, I'm sure it is! I got this sample through a giveaway I won held by Wild Eyes Forever.

Precious BB Cream Mineral 60g
(#2 Sheer Glowing Skin) - For Dry Skin and if you want moist and glossy makeup

SPF30/PA++, Anti-Wrinkle & Whitening + Anti-Darkening

Precious Mineral BB Cream promotes silky complexion with pearl infused sheer coverage.
Contains adenosine and arbutin for anti-wrinkle & whitening efficacies. SPF for UV protection.

To me it looks like this BB Cream has a bit of an orangey undertone. Either way, it's certainly tanner than I am and blended in there's a noticeable change. At least there is in person. I'm not sure how visible it is in the picture!

The formula is very thin. It's not so watery that it's dripping, but I barely squeezed the packet, and some of it dripped out onto my floor! It's thin and light, yet the coverage is awesome. I would probably say that the coverage is a little better than the Missha BB Cream. It's still a light coverage, a bit sheer, but it does a great job at lessening redness and the look of blemishes.

Missha Perfect Cover and Etude House Precious Mineral side by side

Comparing the two, the Etude House has better coverage. It doesn't completely cover my dark circles, but it does a better job at lessening them than the Missha does, and comparing the coverage of blemishes, the Etude House does better as well. Ah and here I thought I would never give up Missha. Putting the pictures next to each other, it looks like I'm wearing nothing in the Missha picture! I wonder if it's because it doesn't cover my dark circles as well, because you can see coverage on the blemishes, and the Etude House BB Cream is a shade darker than my natural tone.

Summary:
Texture
The texture of this BB Cream is thinner than that of the Missha, but it's not watery. It's very light when going on the skin, absorbs quickly, and leaves my skin feeling soft. It doesn't leave my skin oily either, nor does it look oily.

Coverage
Consistent, moderate coverage. It's still a thin coverage, but it does cover and lessen the appearance of blemishes.

Scent
There is a light scent with this BB Cream as well. It's a pleasant scent that dissipates quickly after application.

Benefits
The BB Cream has SPF30 PA ++. It's quite moisturising, and leaves my skin looking healthy and glowing. Like other BB Creams, it also has anti-wrinkle and whitening properties.

Overall
I really do like this BB Cream. I find the coverage to be just about what I need, and I like the way my skin feels wearing it. The texture is even better, thin but not watery. I love how it gives me a fresh, dewy look without making my face look oily. I do really want to try this BB Cream in #1 Sheer Silky Skin. That one looks more like it would match my colour better. However I read that this BB Cream made someone break out, but I only noticed one blemish pop up. While I would prefer none, one is better than a full blown breakout! But it makes me wonder if long term use would make me break out or if it would "get worse before it gets better" type thing. I'd have to use it for a longer period of time to be sure.

New New New!

Hello new followers :] Nice to see you!

I love getting new things and having new things. Who doesn't?! So much for my self-imposed spending freeze (Though I completely destroyed that when I impulse bought an iPad, don't mind me while I mourn the state of my wallet)!
I searched for the perfect backpack for school in the fall and found just what I was looking for. It took me forever to find something I liked.

It might be hard to tell in these photos, but the fabric of the backpack is like a corduroy material. It's very soft and lightly ribbed and I can't stop touching it. I'm so happy I got it!

THE POCKETS. There are so many! One on each side, one in the front, and three on the inside! It's also big enough to carry my laptop, iPad and any notebooks and books I might have! I'm getting more and more excited about going to school the closer it gets and the more prepared I get for it! I just want to buy ALL THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES. Especially rose patterned or pastel pink things.

Also, like I mentioned wanting to try other BB Creams, I was in the store with mum and she pointed out this BB Cream! It's made by L'Oreal. I suppose I'm being a bit of a snob when it comes to the BB Creams I choose or even consider, but I decided to give this one a try! I hope that it turns out to be good, because a drug store option is always nice to have, even if I will most likely choose to import my BB Cream.

Have any of you been watching the Olympics? I only watch the Gymnastics events, so I've been watching those! I can't wait to see who medals in each event. :]

I've also had my hair cut and coloured (well Trimmed really). The colour is red but because I had dyed my hair previously black, it is very dark and doesn't show up well in photos. :[

Rather short post, but I wanted to break up the onslaught of reviews a bit. After this post, there will most likely be more reviews coming! It's what I have drafted right now as a lot of my time is spent running around trying to get my Visa and supporting documents taken care of!

[REVIEW] Zoya Veruschka

Veruschka was my first matte colour. I ordered it when Zoya was having a promotion for buy 2 get 1 free, I believe. I was unsure about a matte colour and wanted to make sure I liked it before I would really spend money on more. Now I wish I had bought Savita when I had the chance! It was a gorgeous, rich purple.

I love that the matte lacquers have a matte bottle, too. It certainly makes it easy to fish them out of my lacquer box!

Zoya Veruschka is a metallic deep green matte shimmer nail polish color. From the Zoya MatteVelvet Winter 2009 Collection.
Colour Family Greens
Finish Metallic
Intensity 5 ( 1=Sheer - 5=Opaque )
Tone Cool
Original Collection MatteVelvet

Unfortunately, because Veruschka is from a past collection, there is no description for it on the website, nor is it available for sale! I hope they bring it back this winter so I can get another bottle!

When did I get so messy doing my nails?! Wow!

Matte lacquers have definitely become my favourite. Though they do show wear and chip easily, it just glides on so smoothly, and I love the way it looks. It helps, too, that it dries pretty quickly! I have the unfortunate habit of doing my nails in bed (even though I always tell myself next time I won't!), so anything that dries quickly immediately jumps to the top of my list.

What I love about Veruschka is that even though it's a matte lacquer, it still has a bit of shine to it. Not a glossy shine, but it has a metallic shimmer in it that catches the light so nicely. It's a nice understated shine. For a time I was unintentionally sporting school spirit! Veruschka matched my old uni's colour exactly! The colours were green and gold. Every time I wore this colour, I was reppin' my school!

Fortunately after some searching, Amazon makes it easy to find past Zoya colours.