#32 Pre-Christmas Celebrations

Hello Hello Hello

(I've had this in my drafts for NEALY 10 WHOLE DAYS and keep forgetting to post it! So FINALLY here it is. I hope you all have a lovely Christmas tomorrow YAY!) 

With Christmas only 10 days away it's hard not to be feeling the Christmas spirit. This week I handed in my final piece of work before Christmas (thank god) and the celebrations began. 

Everyone needs a cheesy Christmas photo leading up to the big day, so that is exactly what my housemates and I did earlier this week. We don't get many photos of all of us together so it was really nice.

It was Friday when the excitement really began. Over the past two years at university my housemates and I have never properly cooked ourselves a Christmas meal. SO as this is our last year together for Christmas *cry cry* we felt that it was about time. It literally tasted amazing. With deadlines looming I hadn't really eaten anything properly all week so it was a dream.

Later we exchanged our (not so) Secret Santa presents. I got some Body Shop shower gel which I bloody love. The strawberry one smells so sweet and delicious, I would definitely recommend it. As well as Topshop Matte nail varnish. I've been wanting to try a Matt finish for a while now but just haven't got round to it so I'm excited to try it out and let you guys know what I think! 

It was so lovely to celebrate with my housemates as we don't often end up doing things all together as a house (as there are 8 of us all together). Now I am ridiculously excited to go home tomorrow and decorate the Christmas tree - it's one of my favourite things about Christmas! 

Becmo xo 

# 31 Finally I am BACK

And the winner of Worst Blogger of The Year goes to *drum roll*... me. 

After repeatedly telling you guys and myself that I am going to keep up with this blog this year, it hasn't happened, and this makes me sad. I started writing a post months ago but never got round to posting it, silly me. However the fact that I didn't have a laptop that worked definitely had a big part to play in the lack of posts. BUT now I am a very happy lady as I have finally have a beautiful a MacBook YAY! So now I have no excuse but to get back into the swing of things. 

As Christmas is coming (which is FAVOURITE THING EVER EVER) expect lots of festive excitement over here from now on. My housemates and I will be celebrating Christmas next Friday before we all go home to our families which will be very very nice (according all goes to plan). There are 8 of us all together so cooking everything may prove interesting haha. 

I won't say a lot now as I really should get back to finishing a portfolio I am currently working on for uni - but don't think I won't be back, because I will.

Anyway, I hope you are feeling the Christmas spirit and are as excited as I am! 

Becmo xo 

#30 Home Sweet Home

Hellooooooo

I'M BACK finally! 

I know I've been completely AWFUL at keeping up to date with things on here recently, but I've finally taken some time to start filling you in on what I've been up to - we have a lot to catch up on! 

Last month I left Southampton for the weekend and returned to my family home to celebrate Fathers Day and catch up with some friends that I hadn't seen for far too long. I also brought my ever so lovely boyfriend along with me to visit Wiltshire for the first time, how exciting. 

On Friday evening we went to 'Beer and Sausage Festival' which is an event held at a local pub involving a lot of (you guessed it) beer and sausages. I've gone every year since turning 18 as a lot of old friends/people I've lost contact with are always around and it's always nice to catch up and see what everyone is up to nowadays. Although I saw many familiar faces I did throw Matt in the deep end a little as he only knew a couple of people there already (sorry Matthew). 

The rest of the weekend was a lot more relaxed. Living in the country I had to show Matt a field or two (or three... not that he hadn't seen enough already), so we decided to go for a walk on Saturday as the sun was shining and it was a lovely day. I find it so strange that it's not normal for everyone to be surrounded by countryside almost everyday... Prior to going to university I'd never really given it a second thought, but since being apart from it I've definitely learnt to appreciate how pretty it can be and how lucky I am to have been brought up where I have been (soppy I know). BUT ANYWAY I thought I'd share a few photos from that day as I really did have a lovely time. 

To start it all off, everyone meet Matt. Him and his camera make a very good team (as you will notice from the photos below). BIG thank you for taking all these photos and making the countryside look even prettier. (If you have a spare five minutes have a little look here for more from Matt). 

No one can say the countryside isn't pretty. 

Getting up close and personal with these pretty little (well big) things. 

I usually feel a bit awkward when faced with a camera and someone behind it (unless I am on a night out of course then I am under some illusion that the camera is my best friend... which it is definitely not) but I was basically forced into having this photo taken. It wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting, and turned out a lot better than I thought it would! 

On Sunday (Fathers Day) my family came round for one of my Mother's wonderful roast dinners. It was lovely to see them but sadly my other Grandma couldn't make it which was a bit of a shame! Once we'd eaten a little too much we went for a little stroll in the afternoon as the weather was nice. We don't get many photos of us all together, so it was nice to have Matt and his camera on hand to put a change to that.

 SO FINALLY that's one thing out of the way!

Since I haven't blogged for a while I've definitely (accidentally) bought many new things, so I will try and do more of a haul style post when I have a little more time! 

Anyway, now it's time for me to sleep and dread the thought of work tomorrow *yawn*

Goodnight everyone!

Becmo xo 

#29 I Haven't Disappeared

Hello, hello, hello! 

Just a little note to say, I have not forgotten about you! Sorry for the awful lack of content over the past 2 months. With the end of uni and this new job it's been hard to find the time, but I will make time asap don't you worry. I have plenty of ideas for new posts, and more than plenty of new purchases to share with you all! 

I WILL be back SOON

Sorry, sorry, sorry 

Becmo 

xo

#28 French Goodies

Afternoon alllll

As you all know I recently went to France with my family on holiday, and I said I would share what I bought whilst I was there with you all. I didn't get much at all really, I was hoping that there would be more small shops selling cute little things on the mountain but OH WELL. HERE GOES...

Firstly, I bought this jar from a small shop in the town we were staying in.

I have been looking for a jar/pot with the intention to use as a 'Memory Jar' (which I mentioned in my New Year Resolutions post a few months back). However I may end up giving it a completely different use WE'LL SEE. Originally I was just looking for a pretty boring jar, similar to what some of you may have as a biscuit jar or something at home. So I'm glad that I came across this gem as the lid has lovely detail, and the ridges in the glass also add character to it. I also like that it's something that no one I know is likely to own, so it's quite unique. 

I also had a look at some skincare products whilst we stopped off in Cite Europe. Since purchasing La Roche Posay's Solution Micellaire Physiologique back in the summer whilst in France I've fallen in love with it. When I bought it in Agde (France) it was 9euros for a 200ml bottle, here in England it is £11 for a 100ml bottle... I managed to pick these two up for 22euros (or thereabouts) which is SUCH a good deal in comparison to what you can get for that in England. When I first used this cleanser I was a little skeptical as I felt that I broke out a bit after using it. However now it is a product that is constant within my daily skincare routine. It is amazing at removing all traces of dirt/make up on the skin. It does have a scent to it (which I think is quite nice) but the product is still very gentle on the skin. I definitely recommend you give this product a go and if you do break out after using it, stick it out as it's definitely worth it! 

I also picked out the Uriage Aqua Precis and Bioderma Moisturizing Mask as I wanted to try out some new products. Due to the horrible weather and cold temperatures at the moment, my skin has definitely become a lot drier. Therefore I felt that these products were perfect to try out! 

I used the Uriage moisturizer first. I used it for a few days before I went to bed, however I did find that my skin did break out a little once using it. ALTHOUGH I am not sure if this is down to the Bioderma mask also... The texture of this moisturizer is quite thick and does feel very nourishing whilst being applied. It also has a lovely scent to it. I've stopped using the Uriage moisturizer at the moment though so I can decide which of the two is causing me to break out, but I will reintroduce it into my routine soon and see what I think. As I said about the La Roche Posay product, sometimes it takes a while for the skin to get used to something new. 

I've used the Bioderma mask twice so far. The first time I wasn't particularly wowed by the product. However the second time I used the mask my skin was left a lot smoother than the first (the label does say to use it everyday for the first week, which I must admit I haven't stuck too). The texture of the mask wasn't how I was expecting it to be. It is basically just moisturizer which you apply in a thick layer to the skin, leave for 10 minutes, and then remove any excess product with a cotton pad. When I have used it most solution has sunk into my skin and not much has needed to be removed. 

I'm not too sure how I feel about either of these products as of yet, but hopefully my skin will learn to love them soon and it'll be bye bye dry skin. 

Thanks for reading! I stocked up on some new items (mostly accessories) yesterday so may post about them soon! 

Becmo xo 

#27 Bargains Make Me HAPPY

Helloooo

So today I went to town with my Mum to stock up on supplies before I go back to university tomorrow. We were wondering past The Body Shop so thought we'd have a little look as we both often buy products from there. It turns out that they had 20% off and I could also claim a free gift worth £10 thanks to my loyalty card - so of course we couldn't resist buying a few things!

Satsuma Shower Gel: £4 (4 for £10)
Coconut Shower Cream: £4 (4 for £10)
Satsuma Body Butter: £13 (2 for £16)
Satsuma Body Polish: £10 (2 for £16)

Their shower gel/creams are so nice and the fragrances are beautiful, and at 4 for £10 the price isn't bad either! So we got two each of those, I chose satsuma shower gel and coconut shower cream. The satsuma fragrance is so lovely and refreshing, the scent is quite powerful - I find that with most products from The Body Shop (not that I'm complaining!). The coconut one is more soothing and it is so creamy and just LOVELY. 

I have used their body butter for years and can't see myself ever straying from them too much either. My favourite scents are definitely raspberry, satsuma, mango and strawberry. The texture of these body butters is quite thick, but not too thick that you need tonnes of product. The only negative thing about them really is that they take a while to sink in properly, which can be annoying if you're in a hurry to get dressed. 

Finally I picked up the body polish in satsuma. I've tried the strawberry body polish before and that is lovely, it's not too gritty and has a lot of liquid surrounding the exfoliating beads which is quite refreshing. I haven't tried the satsuma one before, but the texture looks different in comparison to the strawberry one so we'll see how I feel about this one! 

As you can tell I went a bit wild over the satsuma scent! If you've smelt it before I am sure you'd agree that it is GORGEOUS and just so refreshing and lovely and SUMMERY (not that the weather is any of these things at the moment). And if you haven't tried it before then I definitely recommend it, as well as all of these other products. 

I am still planning to post about what I bought whilst in France, I just got a little side tracked by todays excitement over saving so much money (we basically paid £10 for £26 worth of GOODIES yay). 

I'll be back soooooon. 

Becmo xo

#26 My Easter Holidays (so far)

BONJOUR 

I just thought I'd fill you all in on what I've been up to lately. 

I broke up from uni for Easter a few weeks ago, so it's been really nice to spend some time at home with my family. Usually when I'm home I'm here, there and everywhere catching up with people, but to be honest I've been quite lazy since I've been back this time. I spent the first three days sorting out all of my music on my computer. It might not sound like a big task, but it took me flippin' AGES. I feel SO much better for doing it though and am LOVING that my iTunes is now all pretty and neat, YAY! I also found some absolute GEMS that I had forgotten about whilst they were hidden within the muddle that was my iTunes. Songs that I've particularly been enjoying are: Twice - Little Dragon, Arctic Monkeys - Baby I'm Yours and Mystery Jets (just in general).

My time at home got a little more exciting when my parents, brother and I went to Champagney en Vanoise for a 'skiing' holiday. When we first arrived it was quite foggy, however we hit the slopes anyway but (as you'll see from these photos) you literally couldn't see a thing so it just wasn't enjoyable. We also had some issues with the car thanks to an overly large speed bump, so that also interfered with skiing. So in the end, it wasn't really a 'skiing' holiday at all! Haha. It was still nice to go away somewhere though, and mum and I went to the pool a couple of times which was nice. 

So this is the fog we were faced with when we first arrived, and what the visibility was like on the slopes... BOOHOO.

Then of course, as soon as we had car troubles the sun decides to shine... These first two photos are taken from a walk Doug and I went on. The others are of the final day when we were leaving.

Doug and I before dinner on our final night.

What I wore to travel home. 

We also stopped in Vimy on the way home and visited the Canadian War Memorial there. I'm a sucker for anything history/war related so I was loving life. We visited the memorial first (which was originally built in 1936 I believe, but has recently been restored in 2007 or something like that) THEN by chance we ended up having a tour of the underground tunnels, and trenches (of both the Germans and Canadians). Some people probably find this stuff so boring, but it was so interesting seeing what it was all like. It's also SO strange to think that a place which was so peaceful was once a battlefield... BASICALLY IT WAS JUST SO GOOD AND I LOVED IT AND YEAH. 

Here are some shots taken from the Canadian War Memorial... 

FINALLY I couldn't leave France without stocking up on La Roche-Posay Solution Micellaire Physiologique (as it's so cheap compared to UK prices and I love it) and having a look at other skincare products. I'll do a post on what I bought whilst I was away later in the week - so keep your eyes peeled. 

Sorry for the information overload! 

Feel free to follow me on twitter/instagram @becamorton for more EXCITING stuff.

I'll be back soooooon. 

Becmo xo

#25 Travel Essentials

Afternooooon

Today I am going to share with you my 'Travel Essentials' as I am heading off to Champagny tomorrow with the family. We often drive when we are holidaying in France and it is one bloody long drive. I must admit though, it can be quite nice as we get to see areas of the country that we wouldn't if we were to fly. 

So here are my essentials when it comes to travelling (from left to right):

1.  I definitely need to start moisturizing my hands a lot more than I already do, as usually the only time they get any is when I'm moisturizing other parts of my body. When I'm bored on long journeys I'm always looking for something to do (if I'm not sleeping) and whacking a bit of moisturizer out usually makes me feel a lot fresher and GOOD for actually showing my hands some lovin'. 

2. I am usually a bit of a sleeper when it comes to travelling, which means I am never looking my best if we ever stop at a service station for food etc. SO (although I do usually have a small make up bag in my handbag), Collection 2000's Illuminating Touch Concealer is key product for me. It's perfect at giving your skin a little bit of radiance and making you look more awake before you leave the 'comfort' of your car to face people in the real world.

3. When I'm not wearing lipstick I can't get enough of  lip balm, especially when I'm sat around not really doing anything too exciting for hours on end. This lip balm is from Primark (but don't let that put you off), it's quite thick which I really like and also has a slight pinkish tone to it. The thick texture means the product is really moisturizing, and the colour is also nice as again, it makes you feel more alive and awake. The one thing I would say about this though, is that it doesn't really smell like cherry as the package suggests, but that's the only negative thing I have to say about it. 

4. Now I know some people aren't keen on reading whilst in a car, which I can relate too. However sometimes I don't find it too bad in short periods and it's definitely a good way to distract yourself from counting down the minutes. I feel like I never have enough time to read whilst I'm living normal everyday life, so I like to make the most of my free time whilst on holiday. 

5.  Perfume is a must for me on a long drive and Cinema smells AMAZING. If you haven't tried it you NEED to get  your hands on it and I am sure that you will just fall in love. 

6. And who can last a long journey without a bit of music? I would be lost without my iPhone/iPod and oh so booooreeed. I usually spend most car journeys listening to my music, so it would feel like the end of the world for me if I forgot my headphones or something STUPID.

ALSO:  FINALLY as I have mentioned already, I like to sleep a lot during car journeys SO I usually like to bring a pillow/cushion and a blanket along with me for the ride, so that I can at least try and get comfortable! 

So that is all for now, hopefully I'll have internet whilst I am away so if I have time I can get some posts in about snow, snowboarding and what a (hopefully) wonderful time I am having! 

Becmo xo 

#24 Clinique's 3-step skin care

Helllllllllllo

AGAIN it has taken me SO long to get round to writing a new post. I have so much I want to write about too! I think I'll do a few separate posts though so I don't go into blog OVERLOAD and you don't have stupid amounts to read through! 

A few weeks ago (probably more like a couple of months ago actually) I bought some small samples of Clinique's 3 step plan after a consultation with one of the women working at the counter. I thought that I had quite oily skin, however she pointed out that I actually have quite a few dry patches, which obviously weren't a fan of my previous skin care routine.

My Mum uses Clinique and has for years, but I wasn't sure if it'd be worth the price or not. BUT I was actually really happy with the results! I've definitely found that my completion is a lot clearer, and my skin tone more even. The biggest change though has been to the smoothness of my skin. I am in LOVE with this moisturizer. It is the most expensive of all three products, however I would definitely repurchase it. The only product I wasn't too keen on was step 2, the clarifying lotion. I found that it dried my skin out quite a lot, so I haven't used it too much. I didn't buy that in the full size when I went back a few weeks after as I hadn't finished with the previous bottle. I've now started using it less regularly to see if it helps, and I have found that my skin hasn't dried out this time, but I'm still not sure whether I am sold on it or not.

I also purchased Clinique's super-balanced foundation in shade alabaster. At first I really loved this foundation and I am now onto my second bottle. More recently though I haven't been such a fan. I feel as though it sits on the surface of my skin a little too much, rather than blending in. Saying this though other times I really enjoy wearing it. It definitely gives a much better finish on days when my skin isn't too dry. It has medium coverage but can easily be built up, and the colour is really nice. I really like the finish too, I feel as though it highlights the right areas of my face, and leaves a nice glowy finish. This foundation is also meant to work with the natural colours of your skin tone and to give a more balanced overall tone once used (hence it's name) which it does do, which is always a good thing! However, I'm not to fond of the fact that it doesn't have a pump (which goes the same for the moisturizer) as it is a bit annoying when you're trying to get the right amount of product out of the pot, and particularly hard when there is little product left...

Luckily when I went to purchase these products in full size there was a free gift promotion. Being an idiot I've left most of the items at uni so I will have to write about them when I get back in a couple of weeks. I have used the lip balm/stick/shine a lot though, as well as the blusher and mascara, but more of that later.

SO YEAH if you haven't given Clinique a go I really recommend it! Every time that I have been the women have been so lovely at the counter too which is a bonus. 

Becmo xo

#23 Recent Purchases

HOLA

This weekend I ventured into town with Sophie with the aim of doing some work in Starbucks. Although we did manage to get this work done, we did also get a little sidetracked by the shops...

Although I do love my Clinique foundation, I wanted to purchase a cheaper one for those days when I'm not really doing a lot and don't want to use an expensive foundation. As I had a No.7 voucher I decided to have a little look through what they have on offer. I was so impressed with their 'Foundation Match Made Service'. They use a device to take two photographs of two ares of your face, which then suggests the perfect foundation shade for your skin tone. It was so quick and easy to do and the match was perfect. The foundation I initially considered purchasing (No.7 Instant Radiance) was sold out in my shade, so I purchased their Stay Perfect Liquid Foundation in shade Cool Ivory. I've used it a couple of times since and I'm really impressed with it! The texture is quite think and gives good coverage when built up. It leaves the skin looking radiant which I much prefer rather than a matte finish. Best of all, it lasts. I went to London yesterday and didn't touch up my foundation once despite having applied it ridonkulously early, and rushing around everywhere. So I am very impressed and think I will be using it more regularly than first planned. 

I also picked up this soft, peachy blusher from Boots. I like the No.17 blushes as they are very pigmented so you don't need a lot of product, and they are so affordable. However the colour range on offer isn't very vast. 

I envy anyone who has nice, pearly white nashers - so I decided to invest in some teeth whitener. I am yet to try this product, however will review it once I've had time to test it out. I hope that it does make a difference but I am always a bit sceptical about products like this.

This (Collection 2000) concealer is amazing. I never used to care much about concealers - at least I didn't think I did. However on a night out last weekend I lost mine (for the second time in two weeks, hopefully I've learnt my lesson now) and I was hating my make-up routine without it. I find that this concealer does need a couple of coats in order to give good coverage, but it gives a really nice illuminated finish. I use this as a highlighter as well as to cover any redness/spots. 

So that is all for now. I am FINALLY getting my haircut tomorrow (it's been six months since I last went to a hairdressers which is awful) and am dreading how much they are going to have to cut off - although it will be SO nice to have fresh ends once more! 

Becmo xo

#22 Films

Afternoon lovelies

This semester I have a new module on my timetable called 'Cultural Influences'. I've only had one seminar/lecture on this subject so far however I am already finding it very interesting. I'm a bit of a lover of history and all of that, therefore this is right up my street. 

Each week I'll be attending a screening of a film related to my work focus for that week. This week it was Charlie Chaplin's 'Modern Times'. I am a fan of black and white films and usually really enjoy them, however I hadn't watched any silent movies (which this film is) until now. At first I thought it would get a little boring, however I actually found it quite entertaining! 

'Modern Times' also introduced me to the world's first 'It Girl', Pauletter Goddard. I think you'll all agree that she is absolutely beautiful! Throughout the age of silent movies she was a huge star, however when audio was introduced sadly her fame faded due to her high pitched (and slightly annoying - I can imagine) voice. Nice little fact for you there... Haha.  

I also saw 'Les Misérables' last night. I wasn't sure what to expect as I wasn't familiar with the plot, only that it was based somewhat around the French Revolution. There is so much hype around this film so I wasn't sure that it would live up to expectations. It takes a bit of time to get used to all the singing and it definitely isn't to everyone's tastes, however I enjoyed it. I found that it did get a bit boring in places however it wouldn't be long until I was drawn back in again. I felt quite emotional in places and I must confess that a tear or two was let loose at the end... Oh dear. 

I also really want to see 'Django Unchained' so will hopefully watch that later this evening. 

What films have you guys seen recently that you've really enjoyed?

Becmo xo  

#21 New Year - Resolutions

Hello Hello Hello 

As you may have noticed my attempt to keep up to date with my blog didn't go so well which I am really annoyed with myself about. Therefore, this year I am going to try extra extra EXTRA hard to write more regularly. I'd like to think that this time next year I will be able to look back though this blog and be proud of what I have achieved. 

I've just finished reading Zoella's blog post '2012 Flashback' and it's really inspired me to look back over the last year and see how much has changed. Although this year has flown by a lot has changed since this time last year and it's really interesting to think about. 

As well as the usual New Years Resolutions (to FINALLY stop sucking my thumb and to be healthier and all that) I have a few more resolutions that I really hope I manage to stick to during 2013 and continue even once the year is over. I always think that I will regret not doing things yet I still don't do them, which to me seems pretty silly really. Therefore I really want to take up more opportunities this year and go out and do more, rather than just waiting for things to come my way. I'd hate to grow up and look back over my life only to regret not doing certain things. Furthermore I'd like to make note of specific things that do happen to me throughout the year so that when I do look back I will remember more. I have an awful memory and hate the thought of not remembering a lot as I get older. I look back to days when I was at school and even now I find it hard to remember some things which is awful. I'm not going to commit to writing a diary as I always find them a bit awkward to write and I know I wont keep up with it. However through a 'Memories Jar' and scrap books I hope to keep note of what I've been up to and the happenings of 2013. 

That's all I have for you right now. I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and are having a great start to the New Year.

Becmo xo