blogmas
Arras Christmas Market |Photo Diary
Beauty
Thanks for reading xx
Ditching fake nails and embracing my natural nails | Featuring Laguna Moon Gel Polish
Beauty
I have been wearing fake nails for well over a year, I got into the habit of having my nails look good, always wanting to look put together, but whilst I was on holiday a few weeks ago I decided I wanted to go back to natural nails. I am (was) a nail biter, I can still be, but it’s been about 3 months without any biting so I’m going strong! I am also a picker, if there is nail polish to pick off I will pick it, that generally the reason why I wore false nails.
I was contacted my a new brand called Laguna Moon who asked if I wanted to try out one of their gel nail kits. I chose ‘The Bridesmaids” set as it had pinks and greys and I thought they looked the prettiest colours for me. They arrived really quickly and in such cute packaging!
The packaging makes it really easy for storing and I think it is a really unique way of sending them.
The set comes with three shades of grey, one pastel pink, one pink glitter and one pink shimmer. I can’t wait to have a proper play around with these colours, you’ll have to keep an eye on my instagram @toriiitoriii for when I switch them up!
Over all doing gel nails is a really fun satisfying little job, a treat for yourself, time to relax and pamper and take the well deserved time you need!
Thanks for reading xx
Here is a list of everything I bought from Ebay & Amazon:
My new skin saviour | Magnitone Cleansing Brush
Beauty
I was recently sent the new Magnitone cleansing & toning brush to try out and OMG it has been the best addition to my skincare routine in ages! I havn’t used a cleansing brush in quite a while and I had forgotten how beneficial it is from problematic skin.
After I have removed my make up I use the soft brush to cleanse my skin, there are two different settings for cleansing, a lighter one and a more heavier duty one which is more powerful. I like to use the second one, there is . timer for one minute and this beeps ever 20 seconds so you know when you change areas. I tend to clean my face for about 2 minutes just to give it a deep clean.
The brush heads are really easy to switch up, just pull it off and push on the next one. I use the toning brush which is silicone to apply my spot treatment, although you could also use this to apply moisturiser. To use the toning setting you have to press the main button 3 times, and the brush will start pulsing, it feels so amazing on your skin like a daily massage. I find this a great way of working the treatment into my skin.
Since using this brush everyday for the past 2 weeks I can definitely say that my skin tone and texture has improved greatly!
Thanks for reading xx
Porto Travel Diary
TravelLast month I jetted off to Porto, Portugal for a couple of days of sunshine before the winter hits.
Day 1
We arrived late in the afternoon so we headed down to the waterfront and to the bridge to take some quick photos before heading to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.
Day 2
We purchased a tourist bus 2 day ticket to find our way around the city, we did both loops this morning and spotted my favourite ice cream shop “Amorino” to get the flower ice cream from.
We then headed up to the top of the bridge to take some photos over looking the water and the city.
Day 3
On the final day we headed over to the furthest point on the bus which was to the beaches, we took a long walk back walking along the coastline which was beautiful.
We then found the most “beautiful fast food restaurant in the world”, the McDonald’s Imperial for a pretty classic shot outside it.
And finally before heading back to the hotel to pick up our luggage to go home we found “Porto Chips” which does chips/crisps on a stick which tasted pretty good!
Lastly, I really wanted to recreate this photo I saw on Instagram, surprisingly it wasn’t as hard to do as it looks!
Thanks for reading xx
Walking in a winter wonderland | 2 snowy days | What I got up to & photos
BeautyWhen I went bed the night of the 9th I was wishing that there was snow when I woke up the next morning, and to my utter delight there was! And there was a lot! I was like a little kid on Christmas Day when I looked outside and saw the whole of the garden coated with magical white dust and thus began two days of playing in the snow…
Ofcourse as soon as I woke up I had to go out and take a photo because how could I miss an opportunity! The garden looked so much better covered in white, I braved the icy cold in just a dress and my Ugg boots!
On this day we were supposed to be going into to London to Harrods, but because of the snow we stayed home and this meant we could go out walking in the real winter wonderland!
We walked over to a little cosy pub through the countryside and had a bacon baguette and hot chocolate looking out onto the snow covered fields!
These photos turned out amazing and I am so obsessed with them, it looked and it felt so magical walking amongst the snow covered trees, it was literally like being in Narnia!
That night when I arrived home I received the best email any one could ever receive on a Sunday night, work was cancelled for the next day! That meant my snow adventures could continue for one day more!
The second snow day consisted of a lot more walking and a lot more hot drinks with my friend. We headed out for a walk in the opposite direction to the previous day and got a lot of different photos. The snow had started to melt a lot more and it was a lot harder to walk in. That being said, it didn’t stop me from doing a couple of hand stands and cartwheels which didn’t end up going very smoothly!
And the best thing happened again that evening, another email to say we were closed for another day! The benefits of working in a school!
How do you like to spend your snow days?
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @toriiitoriii
Victoria
What’s in the box? Look Fantastic Beauty In Wonderland Box
BeautyWelcome back to day 19 of Blogmas, this means that Christmas is approaching very fast now and more importantly this means that I finish work tomorrow! Today’s post is all about the Look Fantastic Sundcription Box for December. 
I have to say, I wasn’t ever so impressed with the contents this month, and when compared to the Cohorted Box it really does not seem up to the same standard. In this months box there was only two full sized products.
This is my third box, and I believe I signed up for 6 months so I’ll be intrigued to see if it gets any better! 
Initially the box gave me a really good impression, the pretty festive print on the inside looks really cute and unique. I also really like the outside of the box, dark navy blue with silver embossed writing makes it look really festive.
The first full sized product that jumps out the box is a mermaid blue bath from Bubble T, this bomb is exclusive to the box. I have always wanted to try their products, so I’m looking forward to being able to test this out.
The next and second full size product is a golden packaged lipstick from the brand MDM Flow. When I looked at the lipstick initially I was kind of shocked about the shade, it didn’t look all too amazing. But actually once it’s swatched it gave me real Velvet Teddy vibes. This shade supposedly suits all skin tones! This lipstick details for £18!
Next up is an anti aging serum from Gatineau, this is an ultimate smoothing serum with collagen. As you can see this is a very tiny bottle, but tiny bottles do come in handy for travelling so that I can be grateful for.
Then there is a hand cream from Polaar, this is the genuine Lapland cream and was made to rescue hands from really cold weather. It keeps your hands soft and hydrated and acts as a protective glove which I think will be really handy as I’m going to be out in the weather a lot of December.
The penultimate product is a day cream from Figs and Rouge, this cream diminish the imperfections and evens out skin tone and will keep your skin looking flowing throughout winter.
And finally, the tiniest pot of foaming cleansing exfoliator by the brand Suki. It smells really fresh and lemony. This little pot will be perfect to take with me for my one night in London.Did you get this months box? What did you think?
Victoria xx
What’s in the box? Cohorted December Box
BeautyHello and welcome back to day 16 of blogmas and December! Less than 10 days now until the big day! Today’s blogpost is a review of the Cohorted December box which was kindly gifted to me!
The Cohorted Box always looks so sleek and stylish and it’s such a treat to see what’s inside! I feel like this box could never disappoint, especially considering the box is worth 3 times as much as what you pay for it!
Cargo Emerald City Palette £35
This is the first palette I’ve seen from Cargo, my first impressions are how festive it is! The green is such a beautiful colour, although these really aren’t my shades which makes me really sad! But the names of each shadow is perfect, it made me super happy and nostalgic when I realised they are names after places in Seattle which is one of my favourite cities!
Tarte Tartiest Glossy Lip Paint £21
When I saw this in the box I screamed a little bit with happiness, I have wanted to try anything from Tate for the longest time! This is in the shade Obvi and it’s a really nice warmed toned peachy nude! I love wearing a nude lip for work so this will be perfect!
Eyeko Liquid Liner
This is a really cute compact black liquid eye liner from Eyeko which is a fairly expensive brand so it’s nice to be able to try out a smaller size before buying a full-size. I love the idea and the look of winged liner but I cannot do it for the life of me! I want to be able to, but I just cannot do it! So I probably won’t get much use out of this, although I will have a practice!
Becca Cosmetics Shadow & Light Brow Contour Mousse £18
Initially when I saw this little pot I thought it was an eye shadow, but no, it’s eye brow mousse! I have been using this non stop since receiving the box and am obsessed with it! This definitely has to be the star of the box! It creates really precise strokes and it’s really easy to build up or have really natural brows! Definitely my favourite product of the box and I will get so much use out of it!
What do you think of this box?
Fancy getting one yourself, click here
Victoria xx
Christmas Essentials
BeautyWhen Christmas rolls around and you have no will power to actually leave the house any more and battle the shops you will need these items in order to survive your hibernation and survive Christmas. Here are my essentials for Christmas…
Books
Including books is a fairly new thing for me, I am not a reader and have no motivation to read but I have two books which I am hoping to read while I am on Christmas break. First up is my all time favourite book, Tanya’s Christmas. This is an essential for anyone who loves Christmas, it has amazing photos, ideas, recipes and everything you need to cosy up in your bed with a hot chocolate. This book will totally get you in the Christmas spirit!
The second book is Hygge Holiday, I bought this on the recommendation of @icovetthee and thought it looked super cute and would be a lovely read while I am off work.
Music
You can’t not include music in your Christmas essentials, make a playlist of your favourite songs on either Spotify, ITunes or YouTube so you can have them blasted whenever you want to!
Films
Christmas movies are obviously a must, you don’t even need to go out and by the DVDS because I guarantee throughout December there will be about 47 festive movies a day! I try and get in the spirit by recording them all and try and watch at least one a day leading up to the big day.
Hot Chocolate
This should really go without saying, I bought my hot chocolate and stored it away in November so I was ready. All that’s left to do is buy whipped cream and mini marshmallows for the perfect evening drink!
Camembert
This is a must, I am obsessed with Camembert cheese throughout December so I tend to stock up on it before hand just so I am covered. I love dipping in fresh French Stick and peppers!
A cute festive cup
Having your favourite hot drink in a really festive over the top mug can make the world of difference! How cute does that look, instantly puts you in the Christmas mood and looks so festive!
Sweet Treats
I always used to get loads of chocolate and sweets when I was younger for Christmas but that has kind of died out now, so I like to stock up myself and have my own secret stash of them. I particularly like the Festive Fondant Fancies from Mr Kipling!
Festive Candles
Nothing screams Christmas like the smell of a festive candle radiating throughout your house!
what are your Christmas essentials? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to see all my festive photos and keep up to date with me!
Instagram @toriiitoriii
Victoria xx
What to do between Christmas and New Year
BeautyThis is the question I’m sure everyone asks and is thinking about, I work in a school so I have the whole of the festive period off, but this means I need to make the most of it and do something every day. But of course, the 4 and a bit days between Christmas ending and NYE we all need some motivation to get up and go somewhere instead of lounging around eating chocolate and left over food whilst watching more Christmas movies. I have come up with some ideas (mainly for myself to look back on and do) of what do on those days where your going stir crazy sat in front of he tv for yet another day.
Go for a walk
Nothing beats going for a wintery walk!
Movie day
Invite your friends around, watch some movies, eat some chocolate and mince pies!
Sale Shopping
If you feel like your ready to battle the sales, then heading into the shops is good idea to get some real bargains!
Visit your closest city
Heading into your nearest city for the final Christmassy vibes before the January blues!
Have a pamper day
Pamper days are my answer for everything, enjoy an afternoon pampering yourself, do a face mask, run a bath and just relax.
Plan your 2018
Plan what you want to do/achieve and where you want to go!
Go ice skating
There are some really gorgeous ice skating rinks around these days, especially in London at the Natural History Museum and Tower of London!
Clean & Sort
Having some free time before the end of the year is a great time to declutter and tidy all your belongings!
Go on a trip
Go for a night away anywhere and explore!
Bake
Find some really yummy things to bake in a cooking book or on Pinterest!
Hope these have given you some ideas of what to do, I will definitely be doing most of these while I’m off work!
Victoria xx
The Lazy Girls Guide To Skincare
BeautyToday’s post is a lazy girls guide to skincare, this is a quick and simple routine and you don’t even need to be lazy to do it, maybe if your constantly on the go or you’ve had a late night and all you want to do is get into bed.
Cleanse
Cleansing is the most important part! If you don’t take your make up off before you sleep, your skin cant breathe or repair itself so this is a very important step. To make sure all my make up is removed on a normal day when I have plenty of time and motivation to do my skincare routine, I would do a 2 step cleanse. But on a day where I want to be quick I would use a make up remover, such as The Body Shop Cleansing butter which you work into dry skin and massage all over your face and neck and it actually removes the majority of your makeup. A new cleanser in my collection is he Milky Jelly Cleanser from Glossier, this works great at removing make up when applied to a dry face so you don’t need to double cleanse if you don’t want too!
Tone
Now if your feeling lazy then you could skip toning, but I love toner as I think its a great way of just making sure your skin is clean and balancing it, to make it look and feel healthy. My go to toner at the moment for good looking skin is the Glycolic Acid Toner from The Ordinary. This also exfoliates your skin, so its taking of any dead skin cells so your skin can regenerate and keep looking plump.
Moisturise
And finally, the next most important step after cleansing, moisturising. No matter what skin type you have, your skin needs moisture, even if your skin is oily! For a treat for my skin I would use a leave on moisture mask, this way you know your skin is still reaping the benefits of your routine even though you only spent a couple of minutes on it. My favourite leave on mask is the Vitamin E mask by Superdrug along with The Creme Shop Hyaluronic Acid Gel mask.
What does your skincare routine consist of? Do you spend hours doing it, or a couple of minutes? Let me know in the comments.
Victoria xx
Stocking Filler Ideas
BeautyThis is the one and only gift guide type post I am doing this year, I really have no idea what to buy anyone but I managed to come up with a few items which would easily make really cute stocking fillers.
Personally, I have picked out everything which I would love to receive in a stocking and as I still insist that my mum makes me a stocking I have guided her along the same lines as this guide. Christmas can’t be Christmas without being cosy and warm so I picked out two pair of cute slippers from Primark, these are between £3 and £3.50 so they make the perfect little gift. Going along with a cosy night in, hot chocolate makes for the perfect festive drink and when shopping for all your festive food this may be something you over look yourself! Ofcourse whilst your drinking chocolate you should be eating it aswell, so chocolate makes for perfect little pieces especially to snack on Christmas morning.
Candles are another essential, Yankee Candles especially male for the perfect gift as their small, smell great and look cute! They are also great for when you want a festive smell but don’t want a huge jar candle that takes months to burn.
A cute or festive phone case is great for anyone who likes to switch up their style and maybe try something a little more snazzier for Christmas. I love the rose gold diamond case from Shop Love Cases, this is so sparkly and festive and will add a pop of glam to an outfit. I then have also picked out a really cute Santa case which is from EBay, this is the perfect fun Christmas case!
Gift cards are another really good gift if you don’t really know what to buy, you can buy gift cards for many shops so the possibilities are endless.
Next up I have picked out a few skincare products which make great gifts, what better gift than a pamper product!
I absolutely love the What’s in it for me Body Scrub and I’m sure everyone else will love it too! It’s the smell which makes this product as real staple in my routine and such a lovely product to use as a treat. Another great smelling product is the Bilou Shower Foam, this is a really cute product which smells great and is a little bit more unique than a normal shower gel.
Ofcourse I can’t do a gift guide without my favourite skin care product, face masks. I have picked out two face masks from the brand Janna, these are really great because you can get them to suit the person your buying them for.
A pretty glitter nail polish is always a great gift to receive, my favourite glitters are by Barry M and Tanya Burr Cosmetics. Glittery nail polish is a great way to add a pop is shimmer to your wintery look.
And finally some of my favourite products from Glossier. These are for the true beauty lover, buying anyone a flavour of the Balmdotcom will get you in the good books, all the flavours are lovely and the product is really good! I have also been obsessed with the Milky Jelly Cleanser, this is more on the expensive side of the cleaners but definitely good for a treat.
What’s on your list?
Victoria xx
