August Favourites 2017 | Bambi

I am very disappointed in myself this month. I was hoping to try many new things but once I got back from my holidays, work took over and have barely taken a breath since. I have a few new items to speak about but i'll say it again this month, hopefully I try even more new items this month.

The first item I have to speak about is by far my favourite, The Urban Decay Naked heat palette. Oh my lord... This was... just i'm at a loss of words. This is all my favourite colours in one palette. Look at those dark reds and there is even one named Ember. Ember kinda sounds like Amber, No, Yes. I'm gonna go with it. Since it was announced I was waiting to buy it and once I got my hands on it in late July, I have not put it down. I may do a full review on this palette because it is just that amazing so stay tuned.

 

The next product I have is something I have had for a while but started wearing more recently and it's amazing. The Mac Retro matte liquid lip colour in Dance with me. I love a red lip but always found it difficult to maintain. This makes it so much easier as it's a liquid lip colour. I will say if you eat and drink, in the centre it will wear away and need to be reapplied but as for the rest of the lip it stayed intact.

I have been wearing a new perfume this month, Thierry Mugler Alien perfume. When I find a perfume I like, I wear it daily. I find this is a more mature scent then the ones that I usually wear. I am 20 now though so I feel I should try at least smelling like an adult.

The tv show I have been obsessed with recently is The Netflix documentary series The Keepers. I am a lover of documentaries and history so this was right up my street. It consists of 7 episodes each an hour long. It circles around the death of a nun named Cathy Cesnick. I was in trawled in it, I couldn't look away. This mystery was so fascinating and if you enjoy documentaries this is definitely one to watch.

The movie I loved this month was Dunkirk. Yet again it was another movie centred around history. I didn't exactly want to go see it but Dylan convinced me to go see it and I can tell you that this was a movie I enjoyed immensely. I usually get bored in the cinema once I finish eating my popcorn but this was not one of those movies. I would definitly recommend this movie.  

The song I have been loving this month is Taylor Swifts - Look what you made me do. I have it on repeat constantly. There is one part I can not shake from my mind and it is the chorus reminds me of Too sexy for my shirt. Once you hear it you can never go back.

I hope you guys enjoyed this months favourites but I really wish I had more to recommend. Next month I will try to have more.

Thank you fro reading and i'll speak to you all in my next post.

xoxo, Amber.

Longitude 2017 | Bambi

Longitude: opposite of Latitude or better known as a music festival held in Marley Park every July. This year was my third year attending longitude. The line-up this year was the best out of the past three years. The main acts I was looking forward to seeing were Stormzy and The Weeknd. Then other acts that I was looking forward to seeing were Dua Lipa, G. Eazy, Mac Miller and Skepta. I’m going to break this post down into days.

Friday, 14^th July, Day 1:

Longitude was quite easy to get to as our hotel had a shuttle bus service that took us to Marley Park. On day one we arrived at half two which wasn’t too bad a time as the gates opened at one. Longitude has multiple check points upon entering, each one checking tickets, etc. Gate one – no problem. Gate two – stuck in a line for twenty minutes. Gate three – knocked over by people pushing, resulting in everyone running. Gate four – waiting for twenty minutes to have my bag checked. Gate five – Waiting for twenty minutes, barrier then knocked over resulting in the stewards not being able to hold everyone back. Now this gate was the last gate that led in to the area to get your weekend wristbands. As the stewards couldn’t control the amount of people getting through there was just a sea of people all pushing to try get their wristbands. Praise my boyfriend Dylan as he was the only thing that kept me upright, there was no room for me to stand on my own two feet. It took us another 30 minutes to get to the front to get our wristbands and that is with people pushing from all sides. We probably looked like sardines in a can from above because there was no room. When we were getting our wristbands put on the lady giving me my wristband was crying from stress and there were men trying to reinforce the counter as it was about to collapse. After being basically carried out of the crowd to get into the concert it was no problem. I lost half my head of hair and hurt my elbow bad but I survived. We got in at about half four. So, it took two hours to get in.

Dua Lipa – The first act we went to see was Dua Lipa on the main stage. Each act is on for 45 minutes so we somehow managed to get up to the front to see her. Honestly, she is amazing live. We left just before the end of hers to get to the next stage.

G-Eazy – We were supposed to be going to see Wiley but he was delayed and I really wanted to see G-Eazy as well so we decided to leave and head back to the main stage. Dylan genuinely thought that G-Eazy was black and he wasn’t the only one as another girl came up to me laughing because she thought the same thing.

After this we wandered around the Park and stopped into see other acts on the Heineken Stage but didn’t have much time as we headed back to the MainStage at seven.

Stormzy – We caught the end of Picture This but to be honest I wasn’t too pushed about seeing them. We got to the midway railing for Stormzy. We could have gotten further up but I wanted to be able to breathe so we stayed where we were. As Stormzy was Fridays headliner he was on the stage for an hour and a half.

Friday was the busiest day in terms of acts that I wanted to see.

Saturday, 15^th July, Day 2:

It was ten times easier to get in on the Saturday as they had upped their stewards and barrier systems. It took us ten minutes’ tops to get in. Once we got in we wandered around for a while. We went to the Dirty Old Speakeasy to see some comedy acts and then found a photo booth and took photos.

Mac Miller – The first act of the day that we went to see was Mac Miller on the main stage, one half of my favourite celebrity couple. He sang (rapped) some of my favourite songs of his.

Skepta - We wandered around for another bit after him and headed back to the main stage to see Skepta. Yet again we found a good space by the middle barrier and choose to stay there. Skepta was a bit disappointing but we will get over that.

The Weeknd – We stayed where we were after Skepta as The Weeknd was coming on shortly after that. The Weeknd put on an amazing concert and as he was headlining day two he had the same hour and a half as Stormzy had the previous day.

Sunday, 16^th July, Day 3:

There was no one we wanted to see on Day three but we like to spend the Sunday wandering even more than before. We went to nearly every stage and chilled. We ate lots of food. I found over €15 in coins at random times during the day which funded most of my food. Mumford and sons was the headline act on the Sunday so the crowd was slightly older than previous days. We didn’t really pay much attention to Mumford and sons, leaving with half an hour left in there set.

All in all, this year’s Longitude was the best by far. Besides nearly dying the first day, it was an enjoyable experience. Looking forward to going back for a fourth-time next year. But if they could maybe not let all the fourteen year olds in that would be much appreciated.

Talk to you in the next post,

Xoxo, Amber. 

July Favourites 2017 | Bambi

July, probably my favourite (summer) month. The main reason for that being that I take most of my holidays then aka nearly 3 weeks so I spend most of it relaxing and doing things I enjoy instead of working. Now don't get me wrong I enjoy work but 5 days a week is taking the biscuit. I mean can we make it like 2 or 3, I can do that.

A good thing that comes with having more time is I get to try new makeup and read new books and just try new things and get out of my comfort zone. So there will be things I have never mentioned in this post.

Starting with makeup, I have been really into highlighters this month and have been trying out new ones.  My favourite that I have tried out this month is the Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighter Palette. It's €31 for 4 highlighters that come in a little palette with a mirror which is a huge plus. Now I will admit that I have a favourite and it would have to be bliss. It is the lightest colour in the palette and it was what I gravitated towards first but recently I have been trying the other colours. Currently as I have gained a tan in Spain (translation: developed 5'000 more freckles) I have been using NSFW and side piece. These flatter me now when I am more tan as they bring out the tan that slight bit more. When I was at a music festival during the month I started to use the peroxide shade and I kinda fell in love with it. It's not a highlighter to wear on a casual day but for a night look I think it would look great.

I decided to try a different makeup brand this month. Something I was way behind on and regret not trying it sooner. That brand is Too faced. I know, I know i'm so behind but don't blame me, blame my lack of money. So as my first product I decided to buy the Too Faced Sweet peach palette. I am in love. It has 18 amazing shades that range from light creams, to pinks, to browns and then my favourites the dark purples. Purple eyeshadows are supposed to complement green eyes but up until this palette I hadn't really used any purples but now I am converted and am obsessed. It cost me €47 and I would spend it again.

 

When I purchase the peach palette I was given a free sample of the Too Faced better than sex mascara and I need to go buy the full size because it is now my new favourite mascara. Usually I use two mascaras in my makeup routine, one lengthening and one volumising. However, this mascara does both. I am still stuck in my old ways of using two mascaras but this is now one of them.

In terms of skincare, I have to mention a suncream as it has been saving my face these past weeks. It doesn't stop the freckles from growing but it stops me turning bright red to match tomatoes. It is the La Roche-Posay invisible fresh mist with SPF 50. Props to my mom for bringing this with her because I forgot a face suncream. 

I don't read as much as I would like to but I am hoping to change that and within the first two days of my holidays I finished the first book I choose to read which was Harry Potter and the cursed child by J.K. Rowling. This book is about Harry Potter as an adult but follows his second child and his adventures/troubles. Now this is a screenplay but after the second chapter I was more than used to it. I purchased this book the day it was released, started it but didn't have the time to continue it so I restarted it and finished it very quickly. I didn't want it to end and, to be honest, I want to reread all the books and rewatch all the movies now.

 

The second book I read was Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven. This was also read very quickly. This follows the story of Libby and Jack, two very different people with very different issues. Each chapter jumps from Libby's point of view and then Jack's. It's interesting to see how each of there minds works. I enjoyed it but when it ended, I felt so much more could have been written. It ended with me wanting to know more.

The tv show that I watched in July was Orange is the new black, The new season. I'm sure everyone has heard about it but when the new series came out I was mid way through a different tv show so I had to wait. It yet again left on a terrible cliff hanger and from what I have seen on social media, the new season will be completely different all because of this season. I'm not too sure i'm fully prepared for the change that's to come (in a year) but at least I have the time to try to come to grips with it.

I decided I would include an experience in here as part of my July Favourites. I had two good trips during July but as I write this I am still in Marbella (blog post & youtube video to come) which is the second one so it's not just a July favourite. I'm going to focus on Longitude. The lineup this year was insane. This was my third year going and while the lineup gets bigger each year, so does the crowd. It was extremely difficult to move but after the disaster that was trying to get the wristband on the Friday, they found better ways to control the crowd. I plan on maybe writing a blog post going into more detail but I for sure am making a youtube video on it. It should be up Saturday but don't hold me to that, depending on how nice the wifi here will be to me will decide that.

That is all for my July Favourites. Hopefully I can try some new things in August and have even more things I haven't spoken about in my August Favourites.

Thanks for reading and i'll speak to you all in my next post.

xoxo, Amber.

Lipstick Collection 2017 | Bambi

I have quite a large collection of lipsticks, especially for someone who rarely can be bothered to reapply it once it comes off. I have a range of colours that go from light pink to bright red and even purples. Today i've decided i'm going to give you a look into my lipstick collection. Overall I own 26 lipsticks. The majority of my lipstick are from Mac but then I have revlon, rimmel, urban decay and Charlotte Tilbury. 

Starting with my Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter. I have a light pink (Strawberry shortcake), dark pink (Lollipop), light pink with purple undertones (Cotton Candy) and an orange (Tutti Frutti). These are extremely cream and add a slight hint of colour. They do not come out as colourful as they look in the tube when you apply them to your lips.

Next up we have my Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks. These are a coral colour (Coachella coral) and a nudey pink (Secret Salma). The one with the lipstick print is a slightly newer version as I got the coral colour a number of years back. The packaging of these lipsticks is really what sold me but the lipsticks themselves are amazing. The colour is really what is in the tube and creamy.

The next one up is my little lonely Urban Decay lipstick. It is a dark pink (Sheer Anarchy) with what I think are slight red undertones. I haven't worn this one as much as I would have liked but maybe i'll try wear it more.

Next up are my Rimmel lasting finish by Kate lipstick. I have a dark red (107), a bright red (01) and a pink (05). The pink ones was definitely my most used one. These really show the colour they are in the tube and that's what draws them to me.

Now for my Mac ones. I'm going to break these down from the darkest/brightest ones to my more muted colours. First off I will start with my darkest colours. I have a very dark and deep purple (Media - Satin), a dark red with shimmers (Viva glam Rihanna - Frost) and a bright red (Ruby woo - Retro matte).

 

Next up are some of my more out there colours. I have a dark purple (Up the amp - Amplified), a light lilac (Viva Glam Nicki 2 - Amplified), a coral pink (Viva Glam Nicki - Satin) and a bright light toned pink (Viva Glam Gaga - Lustre).

Next up are some bright pinks. I have dark pink (Lickable - cremesheen) and then a neon pink (Impassioned - Amplified).

Next up are some of my favourites, my light pinks and pinky nudes. I have a darkish pink colour (Fast Play), a light pink (Please me - matte), a pink with a slight purple undertone (Snob - Satin) and my all time favourite nudey pink (Peach blossom - Cremesheen).

 

These are the last of my lipsticks and they are my nude lipsticks. I have a dark nude (Kinda sexy - matte), a medium toned nude (Velvet teddy - matte) and then a very light nude (Myth - Satin).

Mac are definitely my all time favourites over other brands and I am looking to add more to my collection soon enough. For now though these are all the lipsticks I own. Comment below if I need to add any specific ones to my collection

I hope you guys enjoyed this blog post. I'll see you next time.

XOXO, Amber.

Last Minute Mothers Day Gifts | Bambi

Mother's day is just around the corner (at least in Ireland anyway), May 26th to be exact. If you are reading this with no idea what to get or you didn't even know how close Mother's day was well here is a gift guide that I hope will help. I tried to include gifts from a multitude of different price budgets depending on how much you are able to spend so let's just get started shall we.

Free:

Breakfast in bed - If like me you have very little money on hand at the moment something free is probably best so breakfast in bed is a great option. Everyone knows how to whip up some form of egg such as an omelette or scrambled eggs. Pairing that with toast and tea is sure to go down a treat. However you could get really fancy with pancakes, waffles, bacon, fruit salad and the list goes on and on. Getting breakfast made for them will be a treat that they will enjoy and most definitely deserve.

Under €20:

Flowers - A bouquet of flowers is a standard option that most people go for but who can say they would not like to receive a bouquet of flowers whether they were purchased at a supermarket or from a florist. I would love either and depending on your budget you can go big or a few simple flowers. The options are endless with this, get your mothers favourite flowers or just flowers in her favourite colour.

Chocolates - Chocolates can be gotten fairly cheap especially a box of Cadburys which in my opinion are some of the best but then you can splash out and get luxurious chocolates such as Carbonnel et Walker Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles which retail for €15.

http://www.debenhams.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10052_10001_311100898699_-1

Lush box - There is a very reasonably priced Lush box for sale that says 'For Mum'. It includes a bath bomb and a bubble bar so that on Mothers day your mom can have a relaxing pamper day. It retails for €14.50 which for a lush box is very reasonable.

https://uk.lush.com/products/mothers-day/mum

Under €40:

Moisturiser - Clinique dramatically different moisturising lotion has rave reviews. I have yet to try it myself but will definitely be in the near future hopefully. Why not allow your mom to try it to give you a review of it because as they say mothers are never wrong. It retails for €33.60.

http://www.debenhams.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10052_10001_123070751499_-1

Candles - Candles are another thing that are needed for a relaxing day/evening/night. The candle you get depends on your mothers scent preference. My mother loves floral scents so anything like that would suit her. A brand that has many different scents is Yankee candle. They have any scent you could want or need. Prices vary and you can get small jars or large jars depending on how much you want to spend.

Under €60:

Bracelets - Pandora has the greatest selection of jewellery but there bracelets are by far my favourite. They have there charm bracelets but they have other cool bracelets that I want and may end up getting. There is 2 bracelets that have diamond details that really caught my eye.

The hearts of pandora bracelet costs €49.

http://www.pandora.net/en-ie/products/bracelets/590513cz

The Sparkling strand bracelet costs €55.

http://www.pandora.net/en-ie/products/bracelets/590524cz

Over €60:

Lush box - Lush has a second mothers day box that is much larger and more expensive but would provide more than a couple of relaxation days for your mother. It includes 3 bath bombs, 2 bubble bars, 1 hand and body lotion, 1 moisturiser, 1 shower cream, 1 bath melt, 1 hot hand mask, 1 lip scrub, 1 soap and 1 hand scrub and retails at €80.

https://uk.lush.com/products/mothers-day/happy-mothers-day

So I hope you guys enjoyed this gift guide and that it gave you some inspiration or ideas for what to buy your mother or grandmother or godmother or any other motherly figure in your life for mothers day. They deserve so much more than can physically be bought but spoiling them helps. I'm probably going to buy my mother something from this gift guide so lets hope she doesn't see this. I'll see you next Monday for another blog post.

XO, Amber.

Golden Globes Fashion 2017 | Bambi

Last night the Golden Globes took place in the The Beverly Hilton. Celebrities from movie and tv all came together under one roof to see who was going to walk away with the awards and who was going to have to wait another year for their chance.

My favourite part of watching these award shows is seeing all the amazing showstopping outfits worn by all the celebrities. I decided to round up my top five of the night and use them to restart my blog again.

#5: Anna Kendrick wore a stunning one shoulder grecian inspired grey dress by Vionnet. Although it did happen to be see through on the carpet she still exuded confidence. The floating train with the tight bodice shows off her waist with the help of the darker grey belt. 

#4: Emma Stone wore a Valentino pink floor length dress covered in silver stars of different sizes. She described it hilariously to Ryan Seacrest when asked to explain her dress, "It's pink with stars". How can you describe it better. The deep V allowed her necklace to take centre stage on her chest which brought out the silver stars in the dress.

#3: Maisie Williams looked amazing in the yellow dress designed by Ong-Oaj Pairam. The train on the dress is stunning and overall she looked amazing. I'm not usually a fan of colour but this dress is so simple that the colour comes front and centre. She accessorised it with a black bag which contrasted with the dress and managed to go well with her hair.

#2: Lily Collins wore a princess inspired pink dress with rose appliqués designed by Zuhair Murad. Lily broke the internet when she stepped onto the red carpet on Sunday. Her hair was pulled back from her face and she wore minimal jewellery so all the attention was on the dress. She looked every bit the princess on the carpet.

#1: Hailee Steinfeld stole my heart with her sheer panelled pale lavender Vera Wang gown. This dress didn't get enough credit in my opinion. She pulled it off amazingly and I genuinely want this dress in my wardrobe even though I would never have anywhere worthy enough to wear it to but we can still dream. The train, the colour, the sheer panels, the sleeves, everything about this dress amazes me and I have no words to explain how much I love it. 

Every dress in my top five are dresses I would happily wear if I got the chance and by the looks of them they all have trains. I would end up standing on it and either tearing the dress or falling over but it would all be worth it for the pictures I would get to put on Instagram the next day.

XOXO, Amber (aka Bambi).