In the last month, I have managed to get my hands on two Kat Von D Eye Make-Up Palettes - Chrysalis and Shade and Light. I was so happy when the Kat Von D Make-Up collection made its way over to the UK as I've been wanting her make-up for ages but the shipping costs were too much! Chrysalis was a present from my parents for Christmas and Shade and Light I managed to get by using a voucher I redeemed from the survey engine Toluna! This is not endorsed post so all opinions are my own.

This is probably the prettiest make-up palette I have EVER owned; its a mixture of blues, pinks and pale shades- not usual ones for me but they are shades that blend very well with black (what shade doesn't). It has nine colours (Tornay, Entombed, Graphic Nature, Black Milk, Melacholia, Glasswing, Transion, Mezzanine, Hybrid Moments) and three base colours (Lifelike, Lunar Lights, Lucid) and they are SO SO pigmented it's unreal! They are a mixture of matte and glitter shades so perfect for 'party' make-up looks.

As you can see I've already used it!

My favourite colours are most definitely the blues! I used these shades for a New Year's Eve and they blended so well; they also stayed on all night even though I forgot to put my setting spray on! Using my new Spectrum 'Siren' brushes, I used 'Entombed' as my lid colour, 'Tournay' as my transition shade and then 'Graphic Nature' as a base/highlight. You barely need to put any product on the brush because of the HUGE amount of pigment in them (which is good because that means that it'll last longer). Definitely hit this palette up as it suits everyone (well I think so anyway :)).

Shade and Light Eye Palette

Again, I've already used it!

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

Top: Killstar - £29.99
Fisnet: Primark- £2.00
Choker: Claires- £5.50
Skirt: Primark- £6.00
Tights: Ebay: £8.00

Make-up was done using the Lime Crime Venus II Palette.

SONG OF THE DAY

You're Not Alone - Of Mice And Men

SEE YA NEXT TIME GUYS!

I used to sleep in silence but the insomnia started to happen more regularly and I was getting a lot of nasty flashbacks to being attacked so I started to think about how I could distract my brain from these thoughts. My solution? I started putting background noise on. This can literally be anything from putting something on Iplayer on quiet volume or going onto Youtube to find a 10 hour long rain noises video (yes they do exist). Having this background noise seemed to really help me start to fall asleep. Don't have it on too loud though. Sounds stupid but if it's at the wrong volume by even one setting it can become more irritating than helpful.

2) Convince Yourself You Want to Stay Up

OKAY I KNOW THIS SOUNDS REALLY STUPID AS YOU WANT TO GO TO SLEEP!!!!!! 

If your brain is anything like mine (a little, annoying rebel), as soon as you start to tell it you want to stay up, it will start to crash, rebel and try to send you to sleep. Put something on TV/ your laptop at a quiet volume (not something too gripping as then you really won't sleep) and slowly drift off. Not the most reliable one of the lot but it sometimes works for me!

Quite a new one for me but it is actually so good! I was given some pillow mist by my mother for Christmas (thank you ma) and I was intrigued to find out how good it is. All you do is spray it a few times around your pillow (I sometimes add some to the top of my quilt as well) and it gives you light scents that help to switch your brain off. I usually use this when I can feel that I'm really close to sleep and just need that extra push. The one I have is from Avon; it's the Planet Spa Sleep Serenity Pillow Mist which has light chamomile and lavender scents in it and it's only £4.50. This is the only one I've used and it is gorgeous so I really would recommend it. I might start trying some others out and I'll let you guys know what I think of them!

Another new one! As well as the pillow mist, my mother also got me the Avon Planet Spa Sleep Serenity Balm which is also in chamomile and lavender. Unlike pillow mist, this is something I have come across before and I know you can get them from companies such as Anatomicals, Badger etc. This particular one isn't too overpowering which is brilliant and I just apply a small amount to my temples and wrists. Along with the pillow mist, this goes down a treat and I recommend you give it a try! The Avon one is only £4.99!

A couple of years ago I didn't drink a lot of tea but as I've got older and after I moved to London, I started to drink more of it ( I have no idea why). I was speaking to my singing teacher about my lack of sleep and he told me about a couple of things that can help and one of those was valerian root. When talking to my Ma about it (she has been drinking night time tea for a long time) she mentioned that there is Valerian Root in some night time teas so I thought I would give these teas a shot. I was sent a selection of them from my Ma and my favourite one is the Pukka Night Time Tea (costs £3.29 per box of 20 teabags) which is a blend of organic oat flower, lavender, lime-flower and valerian. It tastes okay which is good (some of them taste so strange and weird which puts me off) and I also enjoy (this is going to sound weird) breathing in the steam from the cup as it helps to clear my sinuses and soothe my throat if it has been under a lot of strain in either singing or acting class. If you are a tea- drinking insomniac, try this out! 

This one is my favourite and by FAR the thing that helps me the most. I came across ASMR a couple of years ago when a friend from college said, 'Hey, look at these videos my friend makes. She's really popular on Youtube.' I had a look and I thought her videos were so relaxing and soothing. I let it go for a while but when I started to struggle to sleep, I remembered how relaxing ASMR was and thought I'd start watching ASMR videos again. 

What is ASMR I hear you ask? Well, ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and it refers to the tingling sensations you get in either your scalp, back, muscles, neck etc. which are triggered after certain sounds, visuals or action stimuli are presented. It can help to put the brain in a state of relaxed euphoria and is said to help with insomnia, anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (all things I have/ are experiencing) as well as many other disorders. It is completely different for everyone and everyone will be triggered by different things. The most common triggers are soft spoken words/ whispering (I personally love this and prefer videos all done in whispering), tapping, scratching, crinkling materials, hair brushing and role-plays. I know that this must seem so crazy to some of you but trust me, it is a world worth exploring and I've become so much calmer since watching the videos. I've also spoken to my counsellor about ASMR and the effects of it are visibly positive. 

There are some really brilliant ASMRtists on Youtube and here I will tell you my personal favourites! My very favourite artist (Small Wonders) unfortunately removed her official channel after inappropriate comments were left on her videos which I think is a real shame. Her videos are still on Youtube under the channel 'Small Wonders Reuploads' and I watch these regularly, in particular the Make-Up Role-play, Nose Examination Role-play and Get Ready for Sleep videos. My other favourite artists are 'asmrbebexo', 'EarthlyASMR', 'Comic Tingles ASMR', 'Ava Elizabeth ASMR', 'TingleBelleASMR' and 'Ellie Alien ASMR.' Ellie Alien is a particularly interesting one for me as she doesn't do her videos in English. This sometimes helps me because I don't want to concentrate on what people are saying sometimes so by having light whispers in a different language that I don't understand helps me to relax.

Sometimes having a warm bath before sleeping helps. I can't do this anymore because my flat in London doesn't have a bath but every time I return to my hometown to see my parents and boyfriend, I ALWAYS have a bath because it is so relaxing.

Clean linen/ bedsheets/ PJs can also help. Obviously, this can't happen every night because washing is expensive (especially where I live) and you shouldn't have to wash your bed sheets every day! 

Don't listen to any music that is too upbeat. If I get distracted and start listening to my normal music I won't be able to sleep at night because I become too awake!

I hope these tips work! Let me know how you get on on either:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Mooseinthehuuse

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Mooseinthehuuse

or in the comments section below!

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

I didn't really plan an outfit for this one so it's only one picture and you can't even see the whole thing but because we are on a sleepy post, I thought I'd wear my sleepy batman onesie!

I hope you have a thoroughly spooky day and that you get all the sweets you can eat!

Beauties Factory UK have such a wide range of cosmetic products including contour kits, make-up brushes, make-up palettes, hair products, nail art products and so much more and all for really reasonable prices. I was so thrilled when I was sent a product from them and couldn't wait to try it out!

The product they sent me is their own 120 Colour Palette (#2) and 12 Pieces Make-Up Brush Set (Woodland). 

First impressions are so vital to me and my first impression of this was product was that it looked great! The packaging is simple but it looks stylish and classy and this is something I really love in a product.  Also, black and white are, of course, my favourite colours (and purple. You should all love purple) so I was bound to love it!

The case is like a regular 120 colour palette; it opens like a book and the top slate of eye-shadows can be put into the empty side of the case. The colour selection is amazing; so many different shades and colours to chose from! There is enough shades of each colour to suit every person and every occasion and the palette includes shimmer and matte shades of every colour too! The pigmentation in the eye-shadow is of an excellent quality as well (and it's blendable... is that a word?) and I have been able to create so many bold and beautiful looks with it. For any information regarding the ingredients of the eye-shadows, click the following link to see them: https://www.beautiesfactory.co.uk/120-color-eyeshadow-palette-2-and-12pcs-makeup-brush-set-woodland-en.html



The 12 Pieces Brush Set is also incredible. The set includes: Powder Brush, Angled Powder Brush, Foundation Brush, Duo Fibre Brush, Shadow Brushes 1,2 and 3, Tapered Blending Shadow Brush, Angle Shadow Brush, Small Tapered Blending Shadow Brush, Eyeliner/ Lip Brush and an Angle Definer. All the brushes are made out of goats hair and artificial fiber and are so soft and easy to use. They come in a roll-up holder back which looks professional and makes the brushes really easy to slot into a bag. This is so perfect for me as I've always struggled getting my brushes and all of my make-up into my uni bag and with these brushes, I can simply fit them in with no problems. I'm definitely going to be using these today to do my Halloween make-up!!!!!!





When you order these palette and brush combinations, you also receive a free gift from Beauties Factory and I was thrilled when I was sent these gorgeous jeweled eyelashes, shadow brush and eye-shadow as well as the product!


Altogether, the price of all this is only £25.99 which is absolutely fantastic! As a student, I am always looking for affordable products that are high quality and this hits both of those spots! I really recommend this and hope you like the products as much as I do! Just follow this link to look at their products! www.beautiesfactory.co.uk

OUTFIT OF THE DAY!

Top: Attitude Clothing - About £25.99 - No Longer Stocked
Skirt: Ebay - £15.00
Tights: Primark - £5.00
Chocker: Claires - £5.50
Shoes: Demonia - £128.00
Bandana: Best Days Vintage - £4.00

SONG OF THE DAY!

Lets start at the very beginning! A very good place to start (cheesy musical theatre reference).Your face! I will do another post about my moisturising techniques but here are the products I use to put my foundation base on!

The brush that I use to apply my foundation is the EcoTools Blush Brush. Yes. I know what you are thinking! You are probably thinking that I'm crazy as this brush is meant for blush! Hence the name! However, I really struggled to use normal foundation brushes (because I am strange) and decided to try this brush on a whim and it actually worked! I get perfect, even coverage by using this brush and would definitely recommend this to anyone who struggles with this (I'm not very technical with foundation. I'm still watching a load of tutorials on YouTube to help me widen my knowledge!). Another thing is that EcoTools are a very affordable brand and I have never had any trouble with their products! Really great for if you are like me (a little bit skint!) and need good quality brushes!

The next thing I use (again, mentioned in the summer goth post) is the Real Techniques Buffer Brush and what I do with this is literally brush it across my face with nothing on it just to get rid of brush marks from the blush brush. This is a strange and personal technique that I use as I've never seen anyone else do it. I feel that it just makes my foundation look more natural!!!!

That's it! Those are the products I use on my face! Stick around to see what other items I have in my make-up bag!

OUTFIT OF THE DAY!

Dress: Pop Boutique - £23.99
Socks: Attitude Clothing - £2.99
Shoes: Iron Fist - £59.99
Hair piece was off my prom dress from Punk Rave

SONG OF THE DAY!

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE - I'M NOT OKAY (I PROMISE)

SEE YA NEXT TIME GUYS!

But, I am back and ready to start blogging again :D . I hope you like the new look of the blog and if you want to check out my other social media's, there are now shortcuts in the side bar that you can click on! Be sure to like my facebook page and follow me on twitter, instagram and Youtube!

Today, I decided I would show you how to get my summer goth look! Stupidly, I forgot to take a picture in my full outfit... (DUUUHHH) so when we get to outfit of the day, I will just have to tell you what the items are that I was wearing.

So I start by just using Simple Face Wipes just to clean any excess 'dirt' off my face. I find it really important to cleanse my face before putting on make-up (especially with the amount of black eyeshadow that comes with being a goth). It gives your face a chance to relax before your cake it with stuff.

Then, it's on to the foundation base. I'm no foundation expert AT ALL so my foundation routine is pretty quick. I've tried a load of really good brands for foundation (MAC and No.7 being my particular favourites) but unfortunately I am skint and had to start looking into some cheaper products. Luckily, my mother found some foundations in the Avon catalogue and was surprised when I found that the foundation was actually really good! It is the Avon Ideal Flawless in Ivory that I now use! The coverage is good, it feels like your face can still breathe and it smells nice! I LOVE A GOOD SMELL IN A MAKE-UP PRODUCT!

Now the big question: SPONGE OR BRUSH??

FOUNDATION BASE DONE!