KIKO Make Up Milano Haul

I recently got back from holiday in beautiful Tuscany in Italy and unsurprisingly went on many shopping trips across the towns and cities of Lucca, Florence and Viareggio. I've been to this part of the world for the past three years now and fell in love with the make up store KIKO. They have lovely products for such affordable prices - and this year I splurged out a little.

Here's a link to the KIKO Cosmetics website: http://www.kikocosmetics.co.uk
Unfortunately, there aren't any stores in the UK but I believe they do ship worldwide. Definitely worth checking out the website!

KIKO Ultra Glossy Stylo Lipsticks 
RRP. €4.90 each

Shades 803 (left) and 804 (right). 
I am just in love with these lipsticks. They are so creamy and moisturising and although they aren't ridiculously pigmented, I like this as you can build the colour up to just how you want it. I've previously used up a whole 803 and am so happy to have a new one! It's the perfect everyday pink. I also picked up 804 as I loved the rosy/red tone of it and can't wait to try it out on a going-out look.
  

KIKO Creamy Lipgloss
RRP. €6.90

Shade 102.
I'm really loving stick lip balms lately after going through a phase with Clinique's chubby sticks (my fav being a lovely nude - No.9 Heaping Hazelnut), so was dying to give KIKO's creamy lip glosses a try. I picked this nudey-pink shade in 102 although for some reason the photo makes it look like it has more orangey tones. After one go I can reveal that it's a gorgeous colour that I feel will go with many looks. It's also very moisturising although similar to the lipsticks, they're not that pigmented.

KIKO Soft Touch Blush
RRP. €7.50

Shade 108.
As you can probably tell from the photo, I haven't used this blusher just yet but I am dying to! I don't own a peachy shade so grabbed this one to give it a go. As I have a nice tan at the minute, I feel that this shade will look lovely with bronzed skin and blend really nicely with contour.

KIKO Gel Look Ultra Glossy Effect Top Coat

RRP. €3.50

I've been going to professional nail bars to have acrylics on my nails for around two years now. I've never had naturally long nails so don't really mind too much that my nails are basically ruined thanks to having them done so often. I always have clear tips put on so that I can pick colours and reapply different ones if I get bored over the weeks between getting infills. The only thing, however, is that I can never manage to get a really nice finish to them with the top coats I usually use. It's as if the nail bars use some sort of magical top coat to make them look so immaculate AND long lasting! I discovered this product as I was rummaging around the stalls and had to give it a go. The idea of a 'gel look' will hopefully make my nails look (as it says on the tin) 'ultra glossy'… so fingers crossed and I'll get back to you on that one!

Hannah

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX

Thierry Mugler Alien Eau de Parfum: Review

Now when it comes to perfumes, and the majority of things in life, I can be quite picky. My mum would always want to buy me a nice new scent for my birthday or Christmas but when she took me around Boots to test out the latest ones, I'd always come out empty handed about 5 hours later. Yep, I'm that annoying. But one day a few years ago, I was flicking through a magazine and couldn't resist giving the tester of Thierry Mugler's Alien a smell. It's an odd name but the photo of the bottle looked intriguing and I love the colour purple (you can probably tell that from my Blog's colour scheme). The smell instantly took me to nights out with friends and elaborate events or dinners. There's just something so evening-y and glamorous about it. I'm awful at describing smells but I found a description that reads it as "a rich floral woody amber containing jasmine sambac, cashmeran wood and white amber". "Inspired by an amethyst it symbolises calm and serenity. Distinctive and mysterious, yet comforting and soft, Alien by Thierry Mugler conveys passion, sensuality and the essence of absolute femininity." And I believe that this is totally accurate. I definitely recommend this scent to anyone who enjoys going out a lot or who is looking for an elegant fragrance to add a spritz of glamorous confidence. I've used up a few bottles over the past few years and I just can't stop myself from going back to it! The high end price is also well worth it. 

30ml bottle RRP. £47.50

60ml bottle RRP. £66.50

Hannah

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX

MTV VMAs 2014 Red Carpet: Best Dressed!

If you were scrolling through Twitter last night I'm sure you were engulfed in loads of spoiler images from this year's MTV Video Music Awards - probably the most crazy iconic music awards out there. Over the years the VMAs have seen Beyonce reveal her pregnancy with Blue Ivy, a surprise come back of NSYNC, mouth dropping performances from the likes of Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga and even Madonna and Britney having a smooch! All the top celebs end up attending this award show, so unsurprisingly the red carpet is usually filled with outfits to die for and this year was no different. I've managed to whittle down my favourites of the bunch to just 5 but I must say it was a struggle.

MY TOP 5 BEST DRESSED

#1. Miley Cyrus 

Now I was surprised when I saw these photos of Miley emerging on Twitter as she looks so sophisticated - such a transformation from last year's VMAs! This leather look is stunning. Head to toe, Miley has got it so right. I want those high wasted trousers!!

#2. Victoria Justice  

This look may not be to everyone's taste but as soon as I saw Victoria I instantly loved it! The simple white bandeau teamed with the ruffled mini/train skirt is so sexy and fierce and of course I'd imagine the Hashtag clutch will be a marmite piece but I LOVE it. The pop of colour is fab and I'm loving these statement worded clutches lately.

#3. Nicki Minaj

Nicki's new toned down look of 2014 at red carpet events has been totally on point and her VMAs appearance proved to be no different. This long sleeved tailored snake print dress teamed with nude heels and glamorous waves was the perfect look for this event as she looks incredible.

#4. Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian West and Kylie Jenner 

Okay, so I cheated here and put 3 into 1 but just how great do they look together?! I'm in lust with all 3 outfits. Kendall looks so effortlessly glam in her black jumpsuit look with her simple clutch, Kylie's looking super grown up and gothic in her silky black gown what with a hint of a revealing Angelina Jolie inspired leg and Kim looks hot as hell in this Balmain plunge tapestry dress - such gorgeous detailing!

#5. Rita Ora 

This silky gown just oozes sexiness! Rita looks stunning as this piece reveals just the right amount of flesh with an open back and cheeky slit at the front. The matching red lips and silver jewellery brings the look together perfectly. She's representing us Brits down to the ground (literally) with this super glam royal red look.

So what did you think of the red carpet outfits? Did your favs of the night not come up in my top 5? Or do you completely disagree with my choices? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Hannah

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX

Real Techniques Base Brushes

Yes, okay, I know what you're thinking, I'm a little late on the Real Techniques bandwagon but you know what? I finally took the plunge to buy them after seeing constant raving from beauty bloggers and vloggers and am extremely annoyed with myself that I didn't get my hands on them sooner. I thought I would do a review on 4 of their base brushes especially for people who were like me and eager to try but could just never properly pick up that packaging and pop it in the basket - I'm going to crack into your conscience and become the devil on your shoulder influencing you to splurge out on these beauties muahahar.

Now, seriously, I must admit I was late to the art of having a good set of make up brushes and convinced myself for years that it was just the make up that did the magic, not the brushes… But oh how I was wrong! Ever since I've been using these base brushes I feel that my make up has been blended in immaculately better than any sponge or fingers could ever do. I've realised that yes okay good make up brushes are on the pricey side but they are the best investments to improve the quality of your make up and that you can build up your collection slowly over the months and watch it happen. (I'm currently holding on to buy the blush brush and starter kit set).

But here's to the reviewing:

1. Pointed foundation brush 

As it gives away in its name, this brush is advised to be used as a foundation brush, but I usually use this one to blend in my concealer. I think it works so much better on the little areas of my face such as my under eye and around my nose. The point makes detailing of concealer a lot easier and is nicely soft on my skin. It's definitely a brush that has stopped me from using sponges!

2. Buffing brush (foundation)

I was a bit of a plonker once I bought the buffing brush as I thought it could only really be used to add powder onto your face. As good as it does work well with powder, I soon realised it is incentively used for blending in foundation - and how it blends incredibly! This is probably my favourite brush of them all as it works magic with your foundation. It's big enough to not take too much time to blend in all of your foundation yet just the right size to precisely brush it into all areas of your face. 

3. Contour brush

This contour brush is a good'n. I've been using it for a while now and am always delighted with the results! It's a lovely size and the tip is nice and firm which helps to properly define your cheek bones with great precision. I also use this brush when using highlighter on my cheeks too and I don't see why you couldn't use it to pop a bit of blusher on either.

4. Powder brush

The powder brush is so so so so fab. It is the only brush out of the four that is sold separately and would definitely recommend it if you're looking to buy your first Real Techniques brush. Its brush tip is huge. You only need to dab it in a relatively small amount of powder and after two seconds of using it you're done! AND it's done a great job. The bristles are beautifully soft. The best powder brush I've ever used and I don't think I'll ever feel the need to invest in different one.


I hope this helped anyone who's looking into purchasing some of the Real Techniques brushes or I hope you agree with me if you already have them. Are there any more of the Real Techniques brushes I'm missing out on?

Hannah 

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX

June/July Favourites 2014

So I've been meaning to do a lot more product reviews on my blog for a while now and thought what better time than the present! I've managed to whittle down my favourite things of June and July (since we're already halfway through) to share with you guys. Here's what I've been lovin':

1. BARRY M GELLY HI-SHINE NAIL PAINTS / £3.99

Now I believe that you just can't beat a bit of Barry M. Their nail polishes are probably the best out there in the drugstores and their range of colours is unreal. I've particularly been loving their Gelly Hi-Shine products due to their gorgeous spring/summer colours and the fact that they are super shiny! You only need to do two coats for a full opaque look and I hardly ever need to go over the top of them due to chips or fading after long-wear. The colours I've particularly loving throughout June and July are GREENBERRY, BLUEBERRY and PAPAYA. 

2. GARNIER ULTIMATE BLENDS THE SLEEK PERFECTOR OIL / £.9.99 (£6.66 in Boots atm!)

This stuff is life changing. No joke! I've been suffering with dry hair during spring with the weather getting a lot more hot and humid and me being a dingbat and overly using my straighteners to try and contain the frizz. I was searching for ages for a product to make my hair look less dead and finally got recommended this by a friend. I don't think I could ever repay her as after a few days of using two squirts on the ends of my hair once I had towel dried it, my hair has finally bounced back to life. It's made my hair so soft and shiny and smells incredible since it's made up of coconut oil - so summery! It's also a heat defence which is even more perfect. I'd definitely recommend it if you need a shine boost to your hair.

3. DOVE STYLE & CARE HEAT PROTECT SPRAY / £4.49 (£3.06 in Boots atm!)

My go-to heat protector spray for years has been TRESemmé's Heat Defence Styling Spray (rrp. £4.99) but due to my hair breakage I wanted something that I could spray on my hair when dry as well as wet. I discovered this little beauty and it is really nice. It has the most gorgeous scent and I can use it on dry hair just before I'm about to use straighteners on it for that extra protection. It's not too heavy on the hair either which makes my hair feel really smooth rather than just wet.

4. THE BODY SHOP

I was a major Body Shop lover when I was younger but I seemed to have abandoned it over the past few years. I took a trip into the Southampton store while I was fishing around for Mother's Day presents a few months ago and my love for the store has been rekindled! I bought my mum a lovely scented Mandarin & Tangelo Reed Diffuser (rrp. £15.00) but the following week I made a trip to buy myself some little bits and came back with their PEPPERMINT COOLING FOOT LOTION (rrp. £8.00), MANGO BODY BUTTER (rrp. £13.00) and WATERMELON BORN LIPPY POT LIP BALM (rrp. £2.00). The Cooling Foot Lotion is so good for summer and keeping up with moisturising my tootsies and avoiding any dry skin. The scent is also gorge and refreshing. The Mango Body Butter has been a favourite of mine for years! It smells like heaven and is the most lovely feeling moisturiser. I always use it before I go out for a special event just to make myself feel extra groomed. And finally the my amazing smelling Watermelon Lip Balm. I used to use this when I was younger and used to go through pots and pots of it, and now I'm back on the hype! I've been loving it over the past few months, just because it's made me all nostalgic and it's the perfect summer scent and hint of colour. 

5. MAX FACTOR FACE FINITY ALL DAY FLAWLESS 3in1 FOUNDATION / £11.99

I'm quite fussy when it comes to foundations as it takes me ages to finally decide to try out a new brand/product. I have previously been using Rimmel London's Wake Me Up Foundation (rrp. 8.99) and it's never let me down but I finally decided to branch out and picked up this Max Factor one. I was drawn to it as it claimed that it was a primer, concealer and foundation all in one so I knew it was going t have a great coverage - and so it did. It's such a lovely consistency which glides onto your skin and manages to stay on for hours on end. It isn't too dewy either, which is perfect for summer as it's a lot more common to get an oily face being out in the sun. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking to switch foundations as it does exactly what it says on the tin and is a great price compared to almost identical higher end products out there.

6. RIMMEL LONDON APOCALIPS LIP LACQUER in CELESTIAL / £6.49

I know I'm a little late to be hyping about these but I am loving this shade at the moment. I bought it at the end of last year but would always forget about it - how stupid was I! These Lip Lacquers are so so good. They are such a lovely consistency, incredibly moisturising and surprisingly long lasting! They come in such a wide range of shades but Celestial is definitely my favourite for a spring/summer look. Your lips look so rich in colour with the added gorgeous satin smooth shine. They're also easy to apply on the go.

7. SKORTS

So the weather's getting warmer and there's only so long that you can survive in the heat without getting your pins out. I'm very self conscious about this in the summer but when it hits 27/28 degrees over here in the UK you just can't hide behind your black Topshop jeans for the whole day. Skorts are just perfect for complimenting legs and I've really been loving wearing these in the past few months and I will be taking many with me on holiday! I feel that they're the perfect item to go from day to night as I've also been teaming them together with tops and heels for nights out on the town. One skort I've recently bought is this beautifully floral printed one from New Look (CLICK HERE TO VIEW) (rrp. £17.99) I think New Look are great for skorts as they're so reasonably priced and well made. Also check out Primark too as I managed to pick up a couple from there for £10.00 each and they were a lovely quality.

8. TOPSHOP SALE

It's that time of the year - SUMMER SALES! And one sale I never fail to get involved with is the Topshop sale. This season's sale has not let me down and the discounts were really impressive. I managed to pick up these sandal like shoes which were originally £58.00 down to £30.00 and with my added student discount they were even less. I managed to snap them up asap and am so glad I did. I can't take them off. Although they did give me blisters the first time of wearing them (but hey, what new shoes don't?) I got past that and love teaming them up with summery outfits and black accessories. They're so well made being Topshop and I would definitely recommend checking out the shoes in the Topshop sale just because they're such a good investment for their quality and yes they can be quite pricey at full price but with the sale discounts they're definitely worth it.

9. KIM KARDASHIAN HOLLYWOOD APP GAME

Now like just about everyone else on the planet, I am obsessed with the Kardashians. I think I've just about watched every episode and I may have shed a tear that time that my brother deleted a new episode off of our Sky+ Record Planner when I hadn't watched it yet, so when I saw that Kim was releasing an app game I was all over it. I'd probably say I'm borderline addicted also as I haven't managed to put my phone down for the past few weeks since it's been released and have gone from an E lister to a B lister celeb in no time at all! I'd definitely recommend it to any Kardashian lovers and also to anyone who loves the glam world of celebs. The only annoying thing is waiting for your energy to load back up again to get your tasks done! 


So that's what I've been loving throughout the months of June and July. Are there any products you've been obsessing over? Have I persuaded you to give any of mine a go? Apologies to your bank card if so!

Hannah 

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX

Sunny Days

Top: Topshop

Sunglasses: ASOS

I love Britain in the summer… when it's not raining for the majority of the time of course.  But there's just something about seeing your usually dull garden, plain old city walls and also your face light up in the sunshine. If I see the slightest bit of sun, my mood for some reason automatically notches up by a mile and it makes me want to get out in it and be adventurous! I love a picnic in a field, going on long walks or even just having some friends over and sunbathing in the garden blasting out some music. Oh and barbecues!! You absolutely cannot beat a British barbecue. 

Now I made a list last year of 10 things I wanted to do over the summer and I think I pretty much accomplished all of them, so I thought I'd set myself a challenge for this year and up my count to 20 (!) things that I could try and tick off of my bucket list for summer 2014. I'll share them with you now:

1. Hold a get-together in the garden where we make lots of summery cocktails.

2. Go down to Cornwall to visit my two Uni friends who live there.

3. Make the most of the sun when I go on holiday to Italy with my family and take lots of photos.

4. Organise a trip down to London and explore the city even more than I have.

5. Try and organise some work experience at a magazine to boost my CV.

6. Invest in some outdoor games that I can play with friends and family in the garden.

7. Eat out a lot more (I know it can be expensive but I love how social it is and how you can explore new foods).

8. Try to keep up my fitness. 

9. Make a lot more healthy smoothies and ice lollies.

10. Take a visit to Twycross Zoo.

11. Have a lot more nights out with my friends back home.

12. Go on a city break with my two closest friends and have a night out there.

13. Get tickets for another gig (Ed Sheeran might be on the cards).

14. Organise a spa trip with my mum (Websites like Groupon are great).

15. Go to a random field and have a picnic.

16. Go on a bike ride.

17. Take a trip down to Southampton for a few days to collect the keys for our new Uni house in September... EEEK.

18. Buy a Fujifilm Instax as they seem like great fun.

19. Buy lots of pretty things for my new room in my first properly owned house… EEEK.

20. DO MORE BLOG POSTS!

Phew, 20 does seem like a lot but I'm going to try my best to tick off every one. I think it'll be a lot of fun. Think this is a great idea? Why don't you do it yourself? Let me know some things you plan to do this summer to make the most of the sunshine. Remember to wear suncream!

Hannah 

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX

1D In Leicester & My Crazy Obsession...

So I've been a fan of One Direction since day one… And I mean day one. As soon as they performed as a group on the X Factor way back in July 2010, me and my friend Nyree were hooked. We spent that whole night googling images of them, downloading their audition songs from YouTube and making Twitter accounts in support of them - @weheart1D was mine. How cool was I? 

We supported them every week on the X Factor and watched their every move via their video diaries, the X Factor magazine and begging them for follows on Twitter. We watched their fan base grow and grow to an incredible amount of support to where they finished X Factor and decided to do a few little gigs around the country by popular demand. I begged my Dad to get us tickets and as he rolled his eyes, we went along to the Oxford Regal Centre and watched these very new to the business teenage lads perform for about 10 minutes doing covers of the songs they sang during the live shows - but it was worth every penny for us 16 year olds to see their little faces!

And it started from there. We then went to the 2011 X Factor Tour in Nottingham and Cardiff, the 2012 Up All Night Tour in Nottingham and Birmingham, the 2013 Take Me Home tour in Birmingham, Manchester and the London O2 (twice), random trips to radio stations in Birmingham, up to Doncaster for Louis' charity football match and down to London to Alan Carr's Chatty Man studios where I first met them and got a hideous selfie of myself with Zayn and a signature from Niall!! Touched Harry's hand and hair - yeah… - and embarrassingly shouted thanks to Liam for following me on Twitter. Oh c'mon, I was 17… Yeah okay, all of this is still incredibly embarrassing.

After spending hundreds of pounds on travelling and tickets all around the UK to see the lads, and after nearly 4 whole years of being truly dedicated to them, they finally decided to come over to my little hometown of Leicester as Niall announced a celebrity charity football match in order to raise money for Irish Autism. I jumped on the chance of getting tickets at Leicester City's ground - who are championship champions and newly promoted to the premiership may I add - and managed to get into the executive suite seats. It was very fancy.

It brought swarms of fangirls to Leicester as they squashed up next to the barriers near the players' entrance and screamed every time a blacked out vehicle arrived. Was strange to be watching it all from the executive lounge's window rather than down there and amongst them like I most likely would have been doing if I was my 16/17 year old self (mental, I was mental). 

As we went to find our seats, I thought I was going to be so much more calm than I have always been in the past. If I had even seen a glimpse of one of them before at an event I had been to, I almost screamed myself to the point of nearly passing out. But I felt a lot more composed now being 19, nearly 20, and having seen them so many times before, I was sure that I'd only make the odd 'woo' and clap.

Yeah, that wasn't the case. As soon as Niall, Louis and Liam appeared on the pitch to warm up, I was gone. I had suddenly time travelled back to being 16 and lost all dignity that I thought I had gained from going to University and finally taking down my thousands of 1D posters. And when Harry Styles appeared… Well that chucked me way over the edge. I ended up taking over 100 photos and 'woooooo'ing way more than I imagined - especially when Harry scored a penalty and ran into the arms of Player-Manager Niall. 

It was such a great day out and Niall managed to get loads of celebs involved from ex-football players like Robbie Savage and David James to the likes of Jack Whitehall, James Corden, Ronan Keating, Olly Murs, John Bishop and rival Player-Manager Piers Morgan. Who unfortunately managed to beat Team Niall in a penalty shoot-out. 

The lads looked like they had a great laugh throughout the day, especially when Harry pulled down Piers Morgan's shorts - a sight I'll never un-see - Liam trying to put Piers off on the pitch and Niall and Piers having a battle with words during mini interviews. Niall also managed to raise a whopping £300,000 for Irish Autism which is lovely for the band to be able to show with the controversial stories that seem to be arising lately.

I had the best time and have managed to add the ticket to my One Direction collection (rhymes nicely that). It was crazy having them in Leicester but it definitely made me realise that I'm so not over them. I don't think I ever will be in all honesty… Even when they do their reunion tour in years to come, you can count on me being front row dragging my kids along.

I'm off to see 1D play at Wembley Stadium on June 8th for their 2014 Where We Are Tour and think I'll fill you in with how it all goes. I'm standing in the red zone so pray for me.

Do you follow a band or artist? Been to crazy lengths for your favourite celebs? Let me know any funny stories!

Hannah 

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX

Follow My Blog With Bloglovin

Quick post!

Just letting you know that I've finally got my Bloglovin' account up and running to start networking with more people. So get following me on there to get updates of when I've published a new post.

I will follow anyone back who does so :-)

(Just click on the title of this post to take you to my follow page)

Thanks a lot

Hannah 

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX

Success Is The Best Revenge

A broken heart sucks, it's a big pile of poo and makes you feel like the end of the world is upon you. I'm sure we've all experienced this feeling at one point in our lives. Even if it wasn't over your tool of an ex, but over a family member, friend or pet passing, your favourite band splitting up (I'm still not over the Busted and S Club 7 splits) or even missing out on an opportunity like a job or holiday. 

However, my most recent heartbreak was due to an absolute imbecile of a male human being. Like every instinct reaction, I took to demolishing boxes of tissues, chocolates and many re-runs of box set series. But I discovered that moping around feeling sorry for myself and constantly checking up on his Twitter and Facebook feeds to find the littlest thing to result in me getting even more upset wasn't doing anything but turning me into an unsociable mess. 

I was scrolling through my Instagram one night and saw a quote that stated "Success is the best revenge". Ever since this appeared, it really did stick in my mind and those few words gave me the motivation to get my arse into gear and start turning my life around. I applied for a dozen summer jobs since I'm back home now from completing my first year at University (and even better, away from that idiot). I've applied for a few placements of work experience at magazines which will help to build up my CV and will give me more confidence in succeeding in my degree of Magazine Journalism. I've spent time with my friends from home who don't even know of the douche (which is a great distraction to wanting to mope around!) making the most of the sunshine with day trips and nights out in the city. I've even been having a lot more bonding time with my parents as we've had movie nights in and my mother's taken me on many girly shopping trips (always the best).

I've also finally taken it up on myself to change my lazy Uni eating habits and am putting our family's exercise bike and treadmill to good use! I am being a lot more cautious with calories and am eating meals and snacks that will benefit me in losing that extra bit of weight that I've been wanting to budge for years. And you know what? I'm getting results and I feel great.

The best way to get over heartbreak really is to DO YOU. Success when it comes to careers, studies, healthy lifestyles and most importantly inner happiness will radiate out and smack any low lives who ever entered your world right across the face.

Always remember: 

Have you ever gotten your heart broken? How did you get out of the dumps? Let me know! And if you're currently going through a break up, I hope I've inspired you to finally think about putting a smile back on your face by making a change in your life.

Much love

Hannah 

♥

    Twitter? @hannahgriffX      Instagram? @hannahgriffX