december
Arras Christmas Market |Photo Diary
Beauty
Thanks for reading xx
My Top 10 Makeup Picks for 2017
BeautyHappy New Year!
I can’t believe we’ve already had one week of 2018, I am really looking forward to this next year and seeing what it brings, but for now I thought I would share my top ten makeup products for last year…
One favourite for me which I have repurchased over and over again is The Ordinary Silicone Primer, this is one of the best primers I have used and one of the cheapest. It is less that £5 which is a bargain considering I compare it to Benefit Porefessional, it feels exactly the same on the skin and lasts just as long!
A very new favourite in my collection, just over a week is the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette, I had been lusting over this palette since it was released and used all my will power to not buy it! I received it as a present and have used it every day since! The shades are just so beautiful and perfect!
Another eye shadow palette which is on the less expensive side is the Burning Embers Palette by MUA Cosmetics. This contains a huge collection of beautiful shades which are very similar to the Naked Heat Palette. I used this non stop in the summer and pretty much all year!
My statement lip colour for the year has to be MAC Fashion Legacy, this is the most lovely red liquid lipstick. I tend to wear this whenever I need my lipstick to last a long time, either when out for food or on a day trip. This formula isn’t too drying on your lips and it is easy to keep it looking fresh.
A fairly new mascara discovery, is the Bourjois Push Up Volume Glamour Mascara. This mascara is AMAZING, I thought I had found my favourite mascara by L’Oréal but this one takes first place. It is so easy to build up loads of volume and length creating really intense dark lashes!
My top foundation is MAC Studio Fix, this foundation has been my go to for long lasting coverage which doesn’t go cakey or disintegrate on your face throughout the day. This foundation combined with The Ordinary Primer is wonderful!
A foundation that comes in second place is Radiance Reveal by Bourjois, this has become my everyday work foundation as it is pretty much identical to the Studio Sculpt, but half the price. It lasts just as long and makes your complexion look really healthy and gives you coverage.
A blusher which has blown me away the past year was Galifornia by Benefit, this blush is a gorgeous coral shade, but it also smells amazing! Sometimes I just open up the box and sniff it because it really does smell that good!
Another cheek product I have been loving is the Contour Stick by Tanya Burr Cosmetics, I chose the shade dark and it gives a really intense shade to your face but it is really easy to blend out to look natural.
And my final favourite product of the year is Glossier Boy Brow, this has been a go to brow staple since they released in the UK. It is such an easy product to use on your brows and it is really easy to build up on its own or set a powder/pomade.
What are your top make up items for last year?
Victoria xx
The cutest cake shop | Peggy Porschen
BeautyHey Everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and enjoyed the time relaxing with family and friends and eating your way into a food coma. Today I thought I would share some photos of the gorgeous cake shop that is Peggy Porschen in London.
While I was in London last week with my best friend we went along to Peggy’s as she had never been before and I love the place! It was so cute and festive with all the pink and white decorations (which go great with my instagram feed) and ofcourse all the yummy cakes they make!
As this was a little Christmas treat we both decided to get a cake and a hot drink, I opted for the Red Velvet Cupcake (which I had last time) and Nicola opted for the Caramel Layer Cake. Ofcourse both were delicious and finished off within minutes, after the mini photo shoot!
Peggy Porschen’s is truely a lovely well run little business which definitely deserves loads of love, so next time your in London head along and try it! And don’t be put of by the queue either, surprisingly it goes down fairly quickly!
And finally, if you visit on a cold winters day don’t let that put you off sitting outside, they give you a blanket to keep warm which is super sweet!
THE PEGGY PORSCHEN PARLOUR
116 Ebury Street, Belgravia,
London SW1W 9QQ
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @toriiitoriii to stay up to date with everything I’m doing, especially as I have a very fun trip planned for the end of January!
Victoria 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
Everyday Makeup Routine
BeautyAs a dedicated makeup hoarder and lover I had to include my current make up look which I have been wearing near enough everyday for work. I will be doing a more festive version soon with red lips and a lot more shimmer so stay tuned for one…
To begin with I primer my face using the Silicone Primer by The Ordinary, this is my second tube of this and has become my favourite primer without a doubt! Whilst my primer is sinking in I like to do my mascara, the mascara I have been loving is the Push Up by Bourjois which was sent to my to try out by Influenster. This mascara is so good at building up volume and creating full dark lashes which really make a statement.
Next up is foundation, of course I have been using Mac Studio Fix as I know this one lasts all day. Once that is all blended in using an oval brush from My Makeup Brush Set (which was very kindly sent to me to try out) I apply a small amount of Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer under my eyes using the concealer brush from My Make Up Brush Collection.
I then apply some of the Tanya Burr Cosmetics contour stick in the shade dark on my cheeks and on my forehead.
To set my concealer and foundation I used Rimmel Stay matte which keeps my makeup in place all day and doesn’t look greasy or shiny.
I have then been loving using the Steven Klein palette by Nars, I use a mixture of Laguna and Paloma bronzers to create a really nice shade to add definition and shade to my cheeks and forehead.
I then use the blush shade Dolce Vita from the same palette. As for my highlight I have been obsessed with Glossier Haloscope in the shade Quartz, I apply this on my cheek bones, Cupid’s box and the arch of my eye brows. This creates such a gorgeous natural glow which lasts all day and really makes my make up pop!
Finally to finish up, eye brows. I have been using the Tanya Burr Cosmetics Selfie Sculpt brow pencil to create definition followed by Glossier Boy Brow to set them in place.
Do you use any of these products daily? What are your favourites?
Victoria xx
Keeping your skin hydrated this winter
BeautyHello lovlies, todays post is all about keeping your skin hydrated this winter and making sure it stays nice and healthy looking even when you feel like you have icicles growing on you because its that cold. I am going to be talking about my favourite body scrubs, moisturisers and anything else I think works great for the colder months.
The main thing all year round is drinking enough water, just because its not hot and you dont feel thirsty, doesn’t mean your body needs water any less.
In the shower
I have been loving a few shower gels recently and these are mainly because they have really good benefits and nice ingredients to help nourish your skin and of course clean it. First up is Shower Shake by Zoella Beauty, this came to mind first mainly because it is a moisturising body wash. When you apply it to your skin it doesn’t foam up, at first I wasn’t too sure about it because i like my shower gels to foam but actually its really nice. I wouldn’t use this everyday, but i think on the occasion its really nice because it leaves your skin feeling soft as if you’ve just put lotion on.
Next is a shower gel by a newer brand called Whats in it for me, they create shower products which are full of goodness and really nice ingredients for your skin, I particularly like this one in the the winter months because of the smell. It smells really fresh and invigorating and makes your skin feel alive which I think is really important in the winter when your skin is lacking nourishment.
And finally in the shower once or twice a week I like to use a body scrub and my go to one at the moment is another Whats in it for me product. This scrub literally smells amazing if youve read my blogpost last month I raved about it! This is the best smelling body product EVER! I think its really important to scrub your body once a week to get rid of any dead skin and to boost circulation and get the blood pumping to the surface to keep your skin looking glowy.
Out of the shower
Once your out of the nice hot shower comes the worst thing ever, getting dry! When its winter and no matter how long the heating has been on your skill freeze! This also makes me super lazy, because I want to get warm again I tend to skip moisturiser and just get dressed. But on the days where I feel like i can brave the cold I like to apply the Soap and Glory Righteous Butter. This really thick and creamy, what i love most is that you can apply this onto damp skin, so there’s no need to dry of all the way!
And finally on the days when you feel like your skin needs some extra TLC an oil is a god option, these are instantly hydrating and contain rally nice ingredients to pamper your skin. My chosen body oil is the NUXE Huile Prodigiese which can be used anywhere on your body (including your hair and face).
What are your go to shower essentials for the winter? Let me know in the comments below!
Victoria xx
What’s in the Box: Cohorted November Box
BeautyHello lovelies, today is a very exciting blog post indeed, well for me it is because Cohorted asked if they could send me their November Beauty Box to review on my blog! Of course I said yes, jumping at the chance to work with an amazing company, and we all love a subscription box don’t we! So here is everything you need to know about the Cohorted Beauty Box…
Cohorted is a monthly beauty subscription box which is £35 per month (if you sign up now, you’ll receive your first one in January). The total value of my the box I received was £109 which is amazing as you can see a lot of full sized products. Compared to other subscription boxes this one looks and feels a lot more high end, the packaging is really sleek and compliments the products in the box greatly.
Plum & Ashby Honey & Jojoba Hand Cream £15
First up in the box is this beautiful hand cream, which smells as good as it looks! I don’t tend to use a lot of hand cream because I find the smells over powering and they tend to make me sneeze, but this one has a really natural subtle smell which is perfect especially if you put it on before bed.
Lancôme Visionnaire Advanced Multi Correcting Cream 5ml x 2 £20
These types of mini creams are perfect for travelling, your able to still stick to your skincare routine but also able to stick to the liquid allowance on your flight. I will definitely be packing these for my trip to Paris in January!
New CID I-intense Mascara £20
Next up is a very chic mascara from the brand New CID which I have never heard of before, but looking at the price it seems to be a high end mascara. The mascara is richly pigmented and builds volume whilst separating lashes.
Too Faced Melted Liquefied Longwear Lipstick £19
Seeing this little beauty in the box made me jump for joy, I have wanted one of these lipsticks for quite a while now! This is in the shade Melted Coral, it is a really beautiful orange coral shade which will be beyond perfect for the summer months.
And finally, a brightening light reflective primer from Figs & Rouge and is the most expensive product in the box. I have only tested this primer out once, but boy did it make face glow! This will be an amazing primer for the holiday season making your foundation glow from within creating a really healthy look. It also does so many other amazing this to your skin such as, neutralise redness, minimise large pores, anti-inflammatory and colour correcting! This will definitely be a staple in my make up bag for my Christmas parties!
I want to say a huge thank you to Cohorted for sending me this box and allowing me try so many new products!
Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow for another post!
Victoria xx
