Newest addition!

Just yesterday I took a quick trip into Oldham to visit the fantastic Dom Wiley at Visual Change and sat for a gruelling 5 and a half hours. The end result was this (slightly incomplete) piece of artwork on my forearm and I am absolutely in love with it. It only took that length of time because Dom is just starting out - this was only his 20th tattoo ever. However, the quality of work is remarkable. If you're from around the Greater Manchester area and are looking at having some traditional/neo traditional work done I highly recommend this guy. He's currently £25 an hour and you can view more of his work here and grab his email address to get in touch. 

I cannot express how happy I am with this and I'm really looking forward to visiting him again in September to get this finished and another beautiful piece started!

Weekend Catchup #1

Hello loves! I've decided to do a weekend catch up post weekly, to fill all of you in on the things I got up to (warning - I'm not overly exciting), the things I've purchased and the people I shared company with.

This weekend wasn't overly interesting. On Saturday I worked until 4pm, made a brief appearance at my friends 18th birthday party and then took my butt over to my boyfriend's house. Everybody else was out so we spent the evening watching Family Guy and Sex And The City, or at least while the TV was working! It was so nice to be indoors while there seemed to be torrential downpour outside. 

On my way home on Sunday I noticed the Benefayre was still in Manchester. Despite the rain I headed right on over, and although I was on my own (world's biggest loner) I had such a lovely time and all of the Benefit staff were lovely. I got my hands on a mini "They're Real!" which was handy as mine had just ran out, Bad Gal Lash, POREfessional which I've wanted to try for ages, Stay Flawless Primer and Cha Cha Tint, something I've also been wanting to try out. 

While I was a girl about town I picked up the August issue of Vogue. I needed some easy reading for the week and nothing beats a good magazine! I also snatched up this lovely pencil case/makeup bag for £2.50 from where I work (we're selling them for £3.50 but my lovely boss sold this to me at the price she paid for it!) which was flown over from China. It has perfect little compartments for brushes and essential makeup and I got this so I had somewhere to put all of the things I like to carry around with me.

I told you it wasn't that interesting! This is a bit of a trial run, would you like to see more of these weekend posts? Or perhaps a post covering my whole week? Let me know what you think, I value your opinion more than anyone's.

MAC Lipstick GIVEAWAY!

Hello everyone! Very exciting news - I'm running a little giveaway for you all. Not to celebrate reaching a follower goal or anything like that, just to celebrate - in terms of views and twitter action my little baby of a blog is prospering and I'm so pleased. This isn't sponsored or paid for by anyone else - the lipstick will be bought with my own money and sent right to you. 

Although it is a very small giveaway, you get to choose the lipstick yourself from their vast range of lipsticks (only lipstick shades from the standard MAC lipstick range will be included in the giveaway) which you can view here. You can choose any of the lipsticks displayed on that page!

Fun and games aside, there are a couple of rules:

This is open only to UK residents (sorry!)
You must be 16 or over to enter or have your parents permission
You must enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will end on 11th August at 12am when the winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email by the 13th August (I'm a working lady!). Have fun!

Summer Nails

I know this isn't exactly a tutorial or anything but hey, nails on Sunday! First off I must apologise for how bright and unreadable shade 4 is, I didn't realise until I'd posted it. For the record, the shade is lemon ice cream!

I thought I'd stick with my theme of easily affordable high street brands for this, with these prices ranging from £3.99 for the Barry M Gelly shades and just £1 for the MUA polishes. 

For the summer brights section of the post I chose three of my favourites from Barry M's more recent Gelly Hi Shine collection. These beautifully fruity shades are perfect for the bright weather and everybody in the blogging community seems to be loving these at the minute. The shades are absolutely divine, yet I don't like the formula as much as the standard Barry M paints, it's a little sticky!

Following brights are my summer pastels, of which I've chosen three (although the last will be discussed separately). Shown in at number 4 is Barry M's Lemon Ice Cream. I was absolutely obsessed with this collection when it came out and I own every single one of the Ice Cream shades. However, for a summer pastel this yellow is perfect, and coming in at £2.99 a bottle I'm in love. I also have MUA's Bold Blue varnish here - a little different and possibly not quite pastel but beautiful non the less. The MUA polishes are cheap as chips yet are wonderfully opaque. However, I did find that they chip in a day or two - considering the price, though, that is easily overlooked!

I've saved Ameretto Crush last for a very good reason: PINK. This dusky pink shade is the perfect little thing to take you from summer over into Autumn. Pink, especially the girlier, lighter shades like this beauty is coming in for Autumn/Winter 2013, and for those who wouldn't be seen dead in a pretty pink dress, nail colour is a great way to sneak some girly charm into your outfit.

What shades have been all up on your fingertips this summer?

Wishlist - July

Coming back with a bang- the wishlists. Basically me pouring over products that I'll probably never end up buying for myself because I'm far too fickle and change my mind constantly. 

1. Bourjois Bronzing Primer
This has been raved about by many a blogger and I swear every time I take a trip into any drug store I swatch this and stroke the back of my hand in awe. I'd love to use this as just a bronzer or to contour rather than an actual primer as it is the perfect amount of buildable for my pale complexion. 

2. Bourjois Cream Blush
Also seen on countless blogs is this. Again, I have swatched this a few times and absolutely adore it. I do love my powder blushes but really want to try something a little different. I'd like to try this in either shade 01, shown, or 02 which is a lovely corally shade. 

3. Maybelline Fit Me Foundation
Never actually tried a Maybelline foundation and this feels so silky and smooth when I've swatched it. It also comes in really pale shades which is fantastic for me.

4. Calvin Klein Delicious Truth Lipstick
I've wanted to try some of Calvin Klein's beauty products for a long time so of course some of them have found their way onto my wishlist. This particular lipstick comes in some really striking colours and I'm trying to branch out a little. 

5. Calvin Klein Velvet Blush
Staying loyal to my love for all things blush combined with my want for Calvin Klein products. 

6. W7 Candy Floss Face Powder
I've heard this is a really great dupe for the Benefit blushers, and before I splash my cash on something like that (despite spending all of my time eyeing them up) I'd like to have a go at this beauty.

7. Calvin Klein Endless Cream Concealer
I'm a little rubbish when it comes to concealer and I don't actually own any so I have a couple on this list. I'm struggling to find this in a shade that really matches but I'm on the look out!

8. Dainty Doll Concealer Pen
I have heard so many good things about Dainty Doll but still haven't tried out a single thing! I'm going to start off by working this lovely little thing into my makeup routine and see how it goes!

Empties #1

I've seen so many people do empties posts so I figured I'd start doing my own - welcome to my July empties!

First off I have two facial cleansers, although one I seem to have favoured more than the other.

We have Soap & Glory's Peaches and Clean, available from Boots for £8. I absolutely adored this, it left my skin feeling so soft and it practically melted my makeup off!
I also started using Clean and Clear's Morning Energy Brightening facial wash, £3.99. I purchased this quite a while ago during a time I began suffering with spot prone, dull skin. This certainly does the job and I really felt like it gave me a morning pick me up, however I don't feel like it's the sort of thing I'd purchase again. On to bigger and better things!

I also have a really cheap, cheeky purchase here. I got this ASDA grapefruit and white nectarine shower gel for 95p (it's currently 70p though!) and it smells absolutely divine. Although this has practically ran out I also picked up a lime and lemongrass one which smells equally delicious. I'm all for fruity showergel and at those sorts of prices I could literally get every scent!

The Superdrug Raspberry and Macadamia Nut conditioner I got quite some time ago for 99p. It has taken me so long to use it, mainly because I have about 100 different conditioners and don't tend to stick to the same one. For the price I highly recommend this, it's for coloured or treated hair, smells lovely and I find it keeps my hair calm and frizz free.

Lastly, my DKNY Be Delicious Eu de Parfum is making an appearance. At £35 I like to make it last, which it does, as it's something I usually only use as a summer fragrance because it is just perfect. This 3rd year of steaming summer weather has worn it out. I'm unsure whether I'm on the lookout for a new summer fragrance or whether I'm going to stick with this! Any recommendations are more than welcome.

I would like to do a post like this every month, would you guys be interested in that? 

A Little Personal

After Sophie Bolton tagged me in a tweet alerting me of her new post, something a little more personal to her which you can read here, I instantly decided I wanted to write one of my own. This post is going to be a little about my struggle with my weight and self confidence. Excuse the old, drunken photos but they're about the only good quality ones I have of me out and about!

I've always been up and down with my weight. When I was younger I was always a chubbier child but back then it was something that was considered cute, yet all through my life I've felt singled out and always struggled with my confidence. I had plenty of friends yet somehow always felt like the ugly duckling.
In my early teens it all seemed to even out - I reached my current height of 5ft 8in and fit nicely into a size 10/12.
However, once the GCSEs began in year 10 the weight started to pile on. I crept up to a solid size 12 and even began slipping into a size 14.
It didn't even stop in college as the exams and the stress just seemed to continue. With January and May/June exams in both years the comfort eating continued. Right now I'm mainly in a size 16.
Alongside this I had, through high school, had a couple of boyfriends that didn't treat me ideally lets just say. My confidence was at rock bottom and I went through such a hard time.
In the December of 2011 I met my current boyfriend, Ryan. It took me a while to allow myself to really let go around him but being with such a caring and considerate guy has really made me feel better about myself. He also helped me gain the confidence (and funding) to start to attend weight watchers meetings. So far the weight has been dropping off and slowly my confidence is rising.
The people you do and don't allow in your life can really affect how you feel about yourself. I have really fantastic, supportive friends, a brilliant family and a wonderful boyfriend and I couldn't be happier right now. Let go of the people who put you down and concentrate on yourself.

I know this post doesn't totally fit in with the rest of my blog but I thought it was such a lovely idea. I'll be posting weightloss updates every so often and hopefully this will also help my confidence in blogging!

Have you ever considered doing a slightly personal post on your blog? It takes some nerve but I'm glad I've done it!

OOTD preview

dress; £5, miscellaneous discount store

similar; swan print, bird print, pug print 

As some of you may know, I recently started attending weightwatchers classes again, to lose the weight I don't want on myself and become more confident on my own skin. I'm making really good progress so far and when I do become more confident with my body I'm going to start putting up OOTDs and other such fashion related posts.

Being the excitable bundle of a person I am, I've already planned out my first post, so this is just a little sneak peek showing the main feature - this lovely swan silhouette print dress I got for just £5! I never usually go for print dresses, especially animal print dresses and brown isn't high on my list of favourite colours but for some reason this really caught my eye. This dress is a chiffon kind of material and so light for summer. The only place on my body it doesn't really fit great is around my top area, so when I finally get to do my OOTD post for this dress it will also be like my first weightloss mile stone! Since purchasing this I've started to look more and more at print dresses and I have to say I am totally in love.

What are your opinions on print and statement dresses?

The Liebster Award

A few days ago the lovely Laura from make-you-up tagged me in her post for the Liebster award! This is a way to discover new blogs with few followers that have great potential. The rules are as follows:

- Each nominee should answer the 11 questions by the tagger

- Choose 11 bloggers with under 200 followers to pass the award onto and link them in your post

- Create 11 new questions for the chosen bloggers

- Go to their page and tell them about their nomination

- No tag backs

My questions:

1. Why did you start blogging?

I'd been blogging for years, mostly just on Tumblr, but I decided, after spending many hours reading my favourite beauty blogs, that I'd start my own. I began as purely a beauty blog but then decided to branch out, change domain and here I am! No followers but absolutely loving it.

2. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one item of make-up with you, what would it be?

Benefit's "They're Real!" definitely! Mascara really picks my face up.

3. What is your favourite perfume?

Either NYC by Sarah Jessica Parker or CK One. Love forever.

4. What was your favourite subject at school?

Art probably!

5. What did you want to be when you were younger?

When I was really little I wanted to be a police MAN specifically. Policeman. That is so messed up.

6. If you had to choose one clothing store to shop at for the rest of your life, where would you choose?

ASOS cause they have so many brands too so I wouldn't be totally deprived!

7. Are you a cat or a dog kind of person?

Ohhh I don't know! I really love my cat but I loved my dog too, and me and my boyfriend constantly talk about getting a dog haha. I guess both but I'd like taking my dog on lovely, long, scenic walks.

8. What foundation could you not live without?

I still haven't found my life long dream foundation wise. I'm still searching for 'the one'!

9. What is your most used hair product?

Salt spray, especially in this weather! My hair is naturally curly so it really helps keep it frizz free but still looking beachy and beautiful, eliminating the need for heating products.

10. What is your most favourite item in your wardrobe at the moment?

I have this really lovely tan dress with swan silhouettes on it which I totally adore! However it is a little tight around the bust so I can't wear it just yet. 

11. What are your favourite blog posts to write and read about?

I've only really written beauty posts thus far but I really love writing about products I'm really passionate about. I sort of hate writing negative reviews but if it has to be done I buck up really well! I love reading about everything, even posts about people's day to day lives. I absolutely love reading Megan's blog over at The Briar Rose simply because she blogs about absolutely everything. 

I nominate:

Megan at emmiegee
Le Bibliotheque
Natalie at kewteepye
Katie at Subtle Coral
Another Megan at thisis-megan
Ellis at elbrx
Amy at amyjanealice
Megan the third at LilMissAverage
Natasha at adesignrookie
Charlotte at coloursandcarousels
Shannon at dimpletodimple

My questions are:

1. If you could have access to a celebrities makeup and wardrobe, whos would it be and why?
2. Which fashion designer, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with and why?
3. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
4. What are your opinions on guest blogging?
5. Is there anything you'd like to do with/on your blog that you don't have the courage to do?
6. What is the most you have spent on fashion beauty products in a short space of time?
7. What 5 beauty and fashion products could you not live without?
8. Do you prefer drugstore or high end brands?
9. What is something you're really bad at in terms or beauty regimes?
10. What's the worst thing about blogging?
11. Have you ever met anyone through blogging that you'd really love to meet?

I really loved doing this post and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to take part! I know this isn't really an 'award' but it's such a great way to find new bloggers - I found a lovely couple that I've enjoyed reading from Laura's post!

Top 3 Facial Exfoliators

As I'm sure I'm not the only person who suffers from yucky dry and loose skin on my face I figured it was about time I posted about my favourite exfoliators. What's better is that all of the above items cost less than £10!

First I'd like to apologise for my hairy looking hand - I promise I'm not King Kong. 

First swatch: The Greatest Scrub Of All, Soap & Glory, £9. This is a really great scrub. If you don't mind spending a little bit of extra money it's absolutely perfect. It contains what are apparently called smooth-boost spheres - I don't know what these are particularly but it works so well in buffing away dead skin cells and after use I find my makeup applies beautifully. 

Second swatch: Mask of Magnaminty, Lush Cosmetics, £4.95. I know these were supposed to be exfoliators but this works really well as one as well as a face masks! It contains little microbeads that get rid of the dry skin and also has a gorgeous, refreshing, minty scent. You can also apply this to any problem skin areas, be that on your back, your face, literally anywhere. I was also informed this is great on your feet after a long hard day!

Third swatch: Apricot Facial Scrub, CYCLAX, 99p (available at Bodycare). This scrub is a little different. The base of it is more like a moisturising cream which soaks right into your skin, hydrating it fully, but the beads in it are plentiful and really get rid of any problem skin areas. This, the teeny tiny price and the gorgeous scent in mind, this is a fantastic buy.

Personally I can't live with dry skin, especially as I get it particularly bad around my nose. Is there a drugstore branded product you can't live without?

GUEST BLOGGERS WANTED

I'm sorry, I'm an absolute cheeseball but I couldn't resist. However, I am paying for the little "be my guest!" mishap above - queue the song from Disney's Beauty and the Beast (my favourite Disney film) playing over and over in my head...

Back to the point! As some of you may or may not know, I've moved domain and started again with my blog - basically a revamp allowing me to broaden my horizons. On this new blog I really want to start to incorporate a monthly (or fortnightly or weekly - depending on how many of you are interested!) guest spot! There will be a mini sort of application form thing that I'll want you to email me - nothing major, just little details about you! - and then I'll pick and choose, ask one person one month, another the next, that sort of thing. Your guest post can be on basically anything (hence my desire to revamp, wanting to include more on my blog!): fashion, beauty, lifestyle. So this means product reviews, advice, personal essentials, FOTDs, OOTDs, recipes, DIY tips... anything. 

So, if you're interested, why not fill out the application below?

Name:
Age:
Location:
Links to social networking sites:
Your 'Guest Post' idea:

You can email your applications to vickiereillyblogs@outlook.com. I'm not looking for you to send me over a full blog post with images and pictures and the works, by idea I literally mean, for example, 'review on the Bourjois cream blushers'. That is it.

Please spread the word and let anyone you may think would be interested have a look at this! It may also help them to look at my old blog here to see whether they'd be really interested. I won't begin posting these until I'm fully done with my HTML and website editing so don't worry, your post won't be going on a shoddy looking blog!

Lush Cosmetics treats

Okay - so this is the first post under my new domain and what better way to start than with a little Lush post? Trick question - there is no better way.

Early next month my boyfriend's mother is going on holiday for two weeks and as a result I'm left to babysit her very grumpy cat and her even grumpier son - queue the violins, please. I figured I'd get myself some treats for when she's away as she has a lovely big bath and I'll have the house totally empty while Ryan is at work, so I popped down to my local Lush store in the Manchester Arndale Centre and picked out 3 fantastic products with the help of the lovely Emma who unfortunately is soon leaving her position there to go travelling (bad news for me but good for her!)

First on my list of must have picks is their Pheonix Rising ballistic. I absolutely adore this - the outside is a lot harder than the inside, perhaps more like a bath melt outside and a ballistic inside, so watching it fizz away is so bizzare. It also smells like Christmas. However, I have experienced some staining in my bath tub so I've only used this once, but as it's going to be a different bath I figured I'd try again, as upon speaking to staff at Lush it seems that staining isn't usually a problem (the Enchanter bath ballistic was discontinued as it had a really bad habit of staining both baths and people!). 

The second product I picked up was the Big Blue ballistic. Again, this is a favourite of mine and I frequently find myself buying it. It has actual seaweed in it, smells absolutely divine and turns the bath such a really beautiful, deep blue colour - a proper mermaid bath! It's so relaxing and just wow. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a stress release. 

Last on my list is the Sunnyside bubble bar. This isn't something I've ever bought before or ever even considered buying, but Emma, the sales advisor I always tend to go to on my Sunday visits, highly recommended it. After showing me the glorious glimmer and copious amount of bubbles this products I could not resist buying it. It does leave glitter absolutely everywhere, but the fresh fruity scent renders that fact completely mute. 

I absolutely love my local Lush store and that is probably the reason I am constantly penniless. However I really can't fault the staff, the quality of the products and the service I get when I go in! I can't wait to try out the new product I've bought as well as enjoying again some old favourites. What are your top Lush products?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin