A Peek Into RosyChicc's Handbag

For most, our handbags are more than just an accessory, although theres no denying they make serious arm candy. Handbags are an extension of who we are, there an object in which we place our prized possessions, or in most cases everything bar the kitchen sink. Rummage through the sea of receipts and loose change (just me?) and you'll find every girls day to day essentials. Continuing with the 'Whats In The Makeup Bag' series (see posts here), iv'e decided to delve into the contents of my favorite bloggers bags and asked them to spill the beans on their handbag must haves.

Today is the turn of a beautiful blogger from across the pond, Andrea, the face behind the wonderful blog RosyChicc. If you love gorgeous clear photos and thorough reviews then you will LOVE Andrea's blog!!

Hello everyone! My name is Andrea and I write the beauty blog RosyChicc. When Sophie asked me to do a guest post for her lovely blog and talk about my handbag essentials I immediately took the chance and felt very inspired to share with you the content of my bag. I absolutely love seeing what other people carry around with them (because I'm a nosey like that haha) and this is one of my favorite types of posts to read. I always feel inspired to reorganise my bag or add something new, so I hope that my post will give you some ideas as well. :) 

The bag I am currently wearing is from Armani Jeans and I got it two years ago. I haven't worn it in ages but last week I spotted it as I was looking through my closet and decided to dig it out and wear it again. It is a lovely taupe-y greyish color, which is perfect for the season. I love rocking nude accessories during fall and winter as they somehow set my mood. :) The bag is also pretty spacious, which is great for someone like me who doesn't like to keep the content of my bag minimal. My favorite thing about it though, is the beautiful rose gold detailing, which is a lovely touch! 

For starters, I'm going to show you some random bits and bobs that I need to have with me at all times. The first thing I never leave the house without is my iPhone. Pretty self-explanatory really, but I just have to be able to check my e-mail, message friends and family, tweet or Instagram pictures. I know a lot of you would feel me on this one but without my smart phone I feel kind of incomplete hehe. Next, I have some sort of notebook. I like to carry around either my Filofax or this little purple one, which I found at a local store. I am a massive list-maker and I always like to write things down the old fashioned way. This helps me stay organised and put my thoughts in order. Obviously, I also need a pen, so I have multiple running around my bag but this one is my favorite because I love the print. :) As for more personal items, I have to have my home keys and my wallet with me. Both the key chain and the wallet are from Guess and I love the simple design. The wallet is perfect because it has many different compartments and I can find all my credit cards, ID, cash, business cards etc. Very easily, which saves me time. 

Apart from these random items, I also love to carry around some beauty bits. Starting off, we have my favorite hairbrush - Tangle Teezer. I'm pretty sure that all of you know by now how great this gem is. It detangles the hair like nothing else and I need to have it on hand all the time as my hair gets pretty tangle-y, especially during fall and winter. Keeping with the hair theme, dry shampoo is a must-have. You never know when you'll need that extra volume boost, so I like to be prepared. The one I have here is just a mini Batiste bottle and it works rather well. For my hands, I like to carry two things - sanitizer and hand cream. My picks are both from Soap & Glory and I am obsessed with both of them. Hand Maid is one of my favorite sanitizers as it not only makes my hands feel clean but it also smells heavenly and I highly recommend it. My all time favorite hand cream without a doubt is Hand Food and I rave about it all the time. It moisturizes my skin brilliantly and doesn't leave greasy residue, which makes it perfect to use on the go. 

Being a beauty blogger, naturally I have to have a makeup bag with me wherever I go. The one I'm currently loving is from Primark and I absolutely love the design. It's white, it's feminine and has a bow on it - what else can I ask for! :) I love that it has two compartments so I can divide my products however I want. In the first compartment I like to keep my actual makeup. The first thing I love to have with me is concealer, just in case I have to touch up throughout the day. Boi-ing from Benefit has been keeping me company lately and I love it. Next, we have powder and blush. The powder I always carry around is this Chanel Poudre Universalle. It is great for setting concealer and keeping the oils at bay. Now, obviously my blush changes everyday depending on what makeup I'm going for, but recently I've been wearing NARS Deep Throat loads, so I included it in here. To apply my powder products, I keep this little brush from Too Faced, which is not ideal but gets the job done. For my lips, I always have some kind of lip balm with me because I have crazy dry lips and I can't live without a balm. My fave at the moment is this EOS one in Honeysuckle Honeydew. It smells divine, hydrates well and creates the perfect base for my lipstick. Speaking of lipstick, the shade thats been pretty much glued to my lips recently has been MAC Rebel. It's the perfect autumn shade for me and I love it to pieces, so I decided to share it with you. It is a gorgeous deep fuchsia berry color, which compliments my skin tone beautifully. Last but not least makeup wise, for some reason I like to keep the mascara I'm wearing that day in my bag. I almost never reapply but it's nice to have the option. Plus, my girlfriends ask to borrow mine all the time because they always seem to forget to apply some at home haha. 

In the second compartment of my bag I keep some miscellaneous bits like chewing gum, for example. Apart from that, I like carrying some mini Tweezerman tweezers, which I know may sound random, but you never know what might be sticking out from your brows!! Next, hair tie is essential because often when I'm at uni for instance, I want to take the hair away from my face and not being able to drives me absolutely insane. The very last item I never leave the house without is perfume. This Juicy Couture duo is brilliant because it's tiny and fits perfectly into my bag and at the same time gives me that pick-me-up always when I need it, plus it makes me smell lovely and fresh. :) 

So beauties, there you have it, my handbag essentials. I really hope you enjoyed my guest post: I has a blast putting it together for you! :) Have a wonderful day everyone and I would highly appreciate it if you checked out my blog and come by to say hello! <3 

Andrea xxx

The #bigblogmasproject

When it comes to writing blog posts im a little scatty to say the least. Dont get me wrong im forever jotting down ideas and taking an endless amount of snaps, just I never seem to actually hit that 'publish' button. However things maybe a little less quiet around these parts for the next month as A Hint Of Sparkle will be a part of the #bigblogmasproject put together by the lovely Cole. 

From December 1st to December 24th I will attempt to blog every day. Unlike last years poor efforts (I found the above photo from last years failed Ciate Mani Month posts, oh the shame), no late night shenanigans, festive shopping trips and serious procrastination (although believe me all three things will occur) will get in the way. So expect to see more rambles from me including Christmas gift guides, festive recipes, yet more 'whats in your bag?' posts, along with a review or two. Below is a list of lovely bloggers also participating in the challenge. 

#bigblogmasproject bloggers:

Coleoftheball / Kammitted / Pp_puff / Missbeccabeauty / Hanclarky / Ambipage / Jessbarnes / Cometomybdr / Bw_sheep / Ohkalukalay / Missmills_ / Lovelyjubbly8 / Nikmakeupjunkie / Tansandtiarasx / Vintageteapot / Amelia_florence / Likeslippy / Twiceuponablonde / SGBlogxx / Thebeauty_baker / Berrycrumblexxx / April_todd / BethanywellsMUA / Sassydoveblog / _Sammyjane_x / Bexclaree_ / Kellovesclothes / Hannahlouisa__ / CourtneeeyJ / 2sisters1blog / Unexpected_roar / Char_beyy / Naomi_joy_ /Neyavbeautytalk / Victoiraearls / Anothergirlyblg / Beautyblogger20 / Cerysannex / Missksmudger / Sarah_lumsden / Byalextweets / Sarahivell8 / Jessicakbrown / Shadowlinergirl / Allmadeup21 / Hintofsparkle / Jessiekinsxo / Srslylou / Tayscollectionn / Lianne84 / Cutelil_b_blog / Chloe_bellamy / Kendalsblog / CMWB / Lucy_a_bigail / Sophieeroseex / Jesslynjuly / Misslaurameow / Adaynasaur / Hitnmiff / Knitteddaisy / Sweetsparklyser / 4evafashion92 / Mallowbeauty /Beautysupergirl / Aqeela_mua / Jordanmarie89 / Polkadotteapot2 / Fashforeverblog / Kelseyshepherd_ / Hmkeyes / Dixxgina / Uggynog / imogenrose20 / Joni_blog / Laural0uisee / Frostedplanet / Rowbowk / Maclovergirl96 / Danniannie / Juststephblog / _bethhenderson 

Are you taking part in the #bigblogmasproject?! You can keep up to date with our posts using the #bigblogmasproject hashtag!! 

A Peek Into Sophia Meola's Handbag

For most, our handbags are more than just an accessory, although theres no denying they make serious arm candy. Handbags are an extension of who we are, there an object in which we place our prized possessions, or in most cases everything bar the kitchen sink. Rummage through the sea of receipts and loose change (just me?) and you'll find every girls day to day essentials. Continuing with the 'Whats In The Makeup Bag' series (see posts here), iv'e decided to delve into the contents of my favorite bloggers bags and asked them to spill the beans on their handbag must haves. 

First up we have the Beautiful Sophia Meola. Not only does she have a fabulous blog, brimming with beautiful photos and informative reviews, but she also has the most enviable collection of handbags, so I was thrilled when she agreed to reveal the contents of her bag.

Hello My Lovelies,

Hope you are all doing well? This is my first post since turning 21, whoop! I was contacted by the ever so lovely Sophie from 'A Hint of Sparkle' asking me if I would like to take part in a new series on her blog where you can take a peek through some bloggers handbags. I jumped at the chance as I love reading through these type of posts myself and I have actually never done one on my blog before...shock horror it needs to become more of a regular thing haha! Not only that, I thought it was incredibly lovely of Sophie to even consider asking me to be featured on her amazing blog so huge hugs being sent her way! 

I did do a youtube video a few months back about 'Whats's In My Bag?' and I absolutely loved it. I am the type of person that will carry their life in their handbag...you can see that in the video haha...although I think I didn't do too bad on this occasion :P The bag featured in this post is my brand new Chanel Jumbo which my parents got me for my 21st Birthday, I had literally been hunting this bag down for months and it was sold out everywhere (even when I was in LA) and when my Mum told me the story about how she managed to get me one it was absolutely magical...stay tuned for that when I post about my Birthday really soon! The Jumbo is such a gorgeous, spacious bag and I find I can fit a lot more in this bag compared to the Medium/Large Classic Flap that I also own. 

1. iPhone 5 - 

I literally cannot leave the house without my phone...It's my life and I am constantly making calls, texts, emails and staying active on all my social media sites. I have had an iPhone since they were released and I have never looked back. I currently have a Victorias Secret cover on it that I got whilst I was in LA this summer. 

2. Chanel No.5 Sample - 

I will always have a perfume or sample in my bag and on this occasion I had both. Chanel perfumes in general are my absolute favourite and I have a draw in my beauty room with all of my samples so I enjoy diving through and adding one to my bag every now and again. 

3. Chanel Rouge Coco in Gabrielle - 

This is a brand new lipstick I picked up this week after my training at Chanel. Gabrielle is one of Chanel's most iconic red shades and I did not have a Chanel red in my collection so I had to make it mine. I picked up a few other goodies from the Christmas Collection which you can take a sneak peek of on my Instagram (@SophiaMeola) but I am planning on hauling them soon also. 

4. Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitiser in Vanilla Cupcake - 

I finally have Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitisers in my life after going to LA this summer. I am obsessed with hand sanitisers in general so I make sure to keep one or two in my bag, car and so on and you never know when you might need one. 

5. Victorias Secret Love Spell Perfume - 

Love Spell by Victorias Secret is one of my all time favourite scents by them and I am so glad I picked up the perfume edition this year. Like I said above I always like to bring a perfume of some sort around with me. Most perfumes in general have mega longevity in the formulations but you never know if you might need to top up. 

6. Louis Vuitton Zippy Wallet - 

This is pretty explanatory haha...just like my phone I cannot leave the house without my wallet / purse as you never know when you might need to purchase something (haul something for le blog). 

7. Jewelled Mirror - 

Just in case I need to touch up my makeup throughout the day I make sure to bring a mirror and make sure I still look presentable haha. I love this mirror as it was given to me by my cousins after their vacation to Egypt last year. It has such a luxurious look to it an is such great quality. 

8. EOS Lip Balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew - 

Since coming back from LA I added a few more additions to me EOS Lip Balm collection and I am absolutely loving the Honeysuckle Honeydew version. The packaging is so bright and fun and it's the perfect size to throw in your bag on the go. 

9. Chanel Les Beiges - 

This was my setting powder for the day so I wanted to ensure I had it with me just in case for touch ups and so on. This is also quite versatile product as it comes with a mirror in the compact. This is a fabulous powder and it leaves your skin looking healthy and glowy...I am really considering purchasing it in a few other shades so I can use it as a contour shade also. 

10. Extra Fruit Sensations Chewing Gum - 

I picked up a whole load of these chewing gums whilst I was in LA and I am absolutely obsessed with them now so I need to keep them with me at all time haha. It's quite odd as I don't particularly like Watermelon fresh but i'll eat anything Watermelon flavoured...I am an odd ball haha. 

11. VIP Victorias Secret Wallet - 

I got this VIP Victorias Secret Wallet when I met the manager of the Victorias Secret store on New Bond Street. I am obsessed with Victorias Secret in general but it is also handy to keep important business cards in and so on...it makes them look so much prettier haha.

12. Benefit Fake Up Concealer - 

This was my go-to concealer of the day and I am really loving it right now. It is not too chunky in size and fits perfectly in my bag and I do not have to worry about the lid coming off and ruining my bag as I cannot quite fit a makeup bag in this particular handbag. 

13. Peppersmith Peppermints - 

I got these in the Cosmo Blog Awards goodie bag and they are quite yummy. They are a little strong so they are lasting a little longer than usual but they do work haha. 

14. Victorias Secret Love Spell Hand Sanitizer - 

Another hand sanitiser and I Love Spell! I spoke about this in my video on youtube and I think it's absolutely amazing. I have a few left but I am not quite sure if you can get them anymore as I couldn't find them whilst I was in LA this year...I hope they are still available though :( 

15. Light Up Princess Pen - 

I always like to carry a pen around as you never know when you might need one. this absolutely adorable light up princess pen was a little gift from my parents in my birthday goodie bag from them. I love sentimental things that have a meaning behind them. 

So, that is the current contents of my bag! I hope you enjoyed this post and again a huge thank you to the lovely Sophie for asking me to write this post. I would love to know what your handbag necessities are? Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I loveee hearing from you all I make sure to read every single comment...they really make my day! 

Lots of Love

E.L.F Store Cardiff

Budget brand E.L.F has found its way into the hearts and makeup drawers of many a beauty blogger, thanks to its high quality, purse friendly products. Since its UK launch in 2007, we have been reliant upon its online store to get our 'eyeslipsface' fix. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that the much loved brand were opening there first european store in none other than Cardiff. 

Situated within the quirky Royal Arcade (the one with Rossiters if you were wondering), its safe to say that E.L.F have managed to create a beauty addicts playground with a floor dedicated to all things makeup and nails (picture row upon row of blushers, bronzers, brushes, lipsticks etc, and a table brimming with sweet jars filled with nail polish) and an upstairs studio and makeover space. 

Yesterday I finally got to pay the fabulous store a visit. Reliant upon online swatches when it comes to making an E.L.F order, it was a luxury to be able to pick up the products, and to swatch, see and feel them in the flesh. Although I could have easily cleared the shelves, I was restrained and walked away with two products, the softest Powder Brush and a Daily Brush Cleanser (expect a review soon). Im seriously impressed with what E.L.F have done. They've managed to create the ultimate relaxed space, perfect for beauty bloggers, and general makeup enthusiasts alike. A space to talk about all things beauty and swatch to your hearts content. 

Will you be paying E.L.F Cardiff a visit?! 

Bitesize Beauty

As a makeup hoarder enthusiast (oh the shame) I often find it hard to condense the contents of my makeup bag when it comes to the gruelling task of packing. As I cant pack up my Malm drawers each time I go on my jolly's (oh if only its was a practical idea) procrastination often ensues. Then comes the important questions such as, how do I decide what lipstick to bring (theres just to many shades), theres that foundation for good skin days and that foundation for bad, then do I bring the neutral palette, or the one perfect for a smokey eye. It will come as no shock that instead of getting anywhere, I end up sitting in a sea of cosmetics, whilst filling my makeup bag to the point of breaking point. . 

However, things may be a changing. During my recent trip to London I somehow managed to condense my makeup bag to 8 items (excluding beauty tools). 8 items!!! Thats a new record compared to the 20+ items I shoved into my suitcase for Paris. So what made the cut?! 

A while back I invested in the Jouer Blushing Beauty Collection, a must have travel essential. Aside from providing endless hours of fun (grown up lego anyone?!) this little beauty is the ultimate companion. Perfect neutral peach shadow, check. gorgeous chocolate shadow for creating a smokey eye, check. the most beautiful tint and highlighter, check, and finally a bronzer and matte powder perfect for setting everything in place, check. With the Blushing Beauty Collection doing all the hard work (if you hadn't already guessed im not the best at decision making), all I needed to do was pack the essentials, easy right?! 

I bagged the Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Trench from a blog sale for the grand total of £5 and have been smitten ever since. I like to apply this velvety soft neutral on the brow bone, or as a base shadow to help the peach and chocolate shades pop. With a weekend of serious shopping on the horizon I needed a foundation that would stay put all day, que Estee Lauder's Double Wear. Finally last but by no means least the Wet n Wild Mega Length Mascara, and Loreal Super Liner, the perfect companions for creating the impression of luscious long lashes were added to the mix.

So you maybe wondering about lip products?! Lets just say that I resurrected a few forgotten gems from the depths of my handbag (Please tell me im not alone here?!) So there we have it, my bitesize beauty picks!!

What are your bitesize beauty essentials?! 

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette??

source

Its safe to say that the above photos from french blogger Naomi have sent fellow Urban Decay addicts into a Twitter frenzy!! Could the rumours of a third Naked Palette be true?! or is it just a hoax?! Urban Decay never fail to cause a stir in the blogging community, especially when it comes to there sought after eyeshadow palettes. After hitting the beauty industry by storm, at least one of the three Naked Palettes (Naked 1, Naked 2, Naked Basics), lovingly sit pride of place on most girls (and guys) dressing tables. Lets face it this news is kind of a big deal for us Urban Decay fanatics. 

Allegedly being sold in Sephora stores across France, I will admit to feeling a little dubious. Why have the first palettes been released in France rather than the US (after all its an American based brand) and why are the shades so similar to those included in previous palettes?! However that being said another blogger Natacha has also published a post about her new palette, but this time along with a photo of the receipt as a proof of authenticity. Are these palettes real or fake?! I suppose only time will tell. 

With a release date yet to be announced I cant help but wonder whether these (if real) have been stocked in Sephora stores by accident, or on purpose as a way of creating extra hype before its release?! If the palettes are genuine (heres hoping they are), I for one cannot wait to get my mitts on this beautiful palette containing pinky toned nudes. 

If you would like to know more here are links to posts from three ladies who have got hold of the Naked 3 already (here , here and here).

Update: Jane from British Beauty Blogger has confirmed that this indeed is the Naked 3 Palette and will be released in House of Fraser and Debenhams in December!!

So ladies and gents, what are your thoughts?!

Will you be adding the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette to your wishlist?!