Barry M Revisited!

Hello! 

A couple of months ago you may remember I posted about receiving a range of Barry M nail paints pre-release. Not for the purpose of blogging, but something else...

Well now that they've posted it themselves, I can show you!

I'm also hosting a Christmas GIVE AWAY, scroll to the bottom of this post for an opportunity to win all of the Barry M Gliteratti range!

I was asked to make two stop-motion videos for Barry M's Instagram. The videos feature the 'Gliteratti' waking down a red carpet being papped, and then arriving at a club on a dance floor. 

It was a really fun project to work on, and really nice to re-visit animation, which is what I studied at Birmingham uni. 

This project combined some of my loves... nail varnish, Instagram and animation! Lush.

Here is the video's...

(I feel like they look better in Instagram, please click either

My Instagram or the Barry M Instagram to see the videos there)

They have received a hell a lot of likes, which is really lovely! 

If you're wondering how Barry-M knew that I could do this sort of thing. They saw this animation which I did when I was working for Benefit! I was really curious about the social media side of the brand and asked if I could intern for a week in the department. Benefit then discovered I studied animation at uni and the rest is history!

It's a good example of how the blogging/social media/creative/make up industry works. Sometimes you just have to be brave and say 'I want to do this...' because if you don't ask, you don't get!

That's my advice!

My next step is to start nagging for an internship with my current employer and favourite brand, Bare Minerals!

This is the set you can win! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ashton xxx

No.7 Nail Effects!

Hello!

I've not blogged for fifty six days. The reason for which is a bit ridiculous really! Barry M kindly posted a link to my blog on their Facebook, and my page views shot up. However I did recieve a couple of negative comments about how I'm not a 'proper blogger' (whatever that means!) and the quality of my photos being not good enough... etc etc. On reflection, I honestly can't believe I let this bother me. I've had so many lovely comments which are really appreciated, I'm annoyed at myself for letting a tiny percentage get to me! When I started this blog a fellow blogger told me to do it for me and me only, if you're in it to get free stuff & recognition then you're not in it for the right reasons. Seeing my view count & receiving a couple of goodies is definitely a lovely bonus, and it's lovely to hear people enjoy reading. But ultimately it has to be just a little hobby for my own enjoyment.

Anyway, onwards and upwards! I'm back in the game!

Today I'm going to show you Boot No7 Nails Effects Nail Polish in 'Snow Wash'!

Snow Wash gives the effect of falling snow on a clear winters night. 

(Writing myself a nice cheesey little Christmas card poem there, vomit)

I've put two layers on top of a Lancome blue-black colour. It would also look good over red but that can wait for December, don't want to get ahead of myself with Christmassyness just yet! 

Snow Wash is £7. No7 are usually either on 3 for 2, or have the £5 off vouchers floating round. 

I can't remember the last time I bought a No7 product full price! 

There's also a more colourful version called Party Pearls too.
I would guess these are both limited edition for winter.

Glad to be back. Thanks for reading!

Ashton xxx

Nyla Rose Coin Purse*

Evening all! 

There's nothing I love more than an independently run company, Nyla Rose is a gorgeous little family run business with a vintage inspired vibe. Sounds right up my street! They say:

'As a growing business, we know that you, our customers, are at the heart of what we do, and we do everything we can to put a smile on your face!'

Here's a collection of some of their most delectable products I am lusting after (if you are reading this boyfriend it's only 92 days 'til Christmas so take note!) I really recommend checking out their website for more!

The Lindy Bop Black Amorette Dress is delicious! I usually would associate this shape of dress with colourful prints for spring/summer, I'm not sure why I've never considered it for the current months. A simple black dress is a staple for autumn/winter and I know this one would suit my shape a treat. I've also recently partook in my first 'Lindy Bop' dance lesson... so it seems very apt, hey?! 

As a 24 year old grown up lady type thing, I think it's pretty embarrassing that I don't own a proper handbag. I usually scruff around with my leopard print backpack (which I love) ...but when I want to wear a blazer and heels, it's just not ok! Nyla Rose's Tanned Tote Handbag would be perfect with a cream blouse and jeans. It's definitely a woman's bag and not a girl's, which is what I need in my life!

My flat is crying out for the Sass and Belle Vintage Floral Suitcases! I think that the clutter on my shelves has been having an affair with the clutter under my bed and they seemed to have had multiple clutter children all over my bedroom floor, I swear is wasn't me! I could really do with some sort of attractive storage space and these beauties would hide my mess and look gorgeous at the same time!

The product Nyla Rose send me was a cute little coin purse. When I go out looking fancy with a small bag, I have no where to put my big chunky purse so this is definitely going to come in handy! There's noting worse that having random coinage floating around the bottom of your clutch! 

It's got two little sections, one for my coins & cash and one for my bank card & ID 

(I still bring my ID out with me, in the hope that some door man will humour me by asking to see it)

Thank you so much to Nyla Rose for their generosity! You can check out them out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and The Nyla Rose Homepage. 

Ashton xxx

Exclusive Preview of Barry M's Glitterati Nail Paints*

Hello Blog Readers! 

As you know, I've been working on a 'secret project' for a 'secret' brand. Well... betwen me and you, I've been working with Barry M's newest nail varnish collection and they are beautiful!

Unfortunately, I'm still going to keep schtum about the project itself. Once Barry M release it on their own Instagram page, I'll be posting here and on my own Instagram. However I will now be showing you the products featured, before they even hit the shops! Exciting! 

Taadaaa! Here there are! (Click the photo to enlarge) aren't they good looking?! 

My personal nail varnish collection is slightly obscene, and it features a Barry M. You can imagine my excitement to be given the opportunity to work with their products! I've come to expect great things from these guys with regards to nail polish, and the Gliteratti six do not disappoint! 

Let me introduce ladies!

The Fashion Icon, The Socialite and The Catwalk Queen

The Rockstar, The VIP and The Starlet

The Gliteratti nailvarnished can be used as both stand alone nail varnishes (as pictured above with two coats) or as a top coat to add a little sparkle to your favourite colours. 

The glitter itself is really lovely and fine. As we all know the struggle is REAL when it comes to removing a chunky glitter. I have spent many an hour chipping away at the stuff!

I would maybe even describe The Glitterati as an 'iridescent shimmer' if I was being fancy! 

(EDIT: I realise this almost sounds like I meant this are tough to remove, what I meant was that they are easier than most glitters to remove!)

Here is the The Starlet painted over a limited edition bright pink summer colour with an accent nail of the The Fashion Icon.

The Glitterati collection launches in Tesco & Superdrug next week. If you get hold of them & take any photos, tag me on Instagram (I'm @ashtonlewsey) because I'd love to see! I can't wait to keep trying different combinations of colours myself. 

Ashton xxx

Invisibobble & L'Oreal Sunkiss Jelly

Afternoon! 

Today I'm going to reviewing two hair products which you may or may not have come across before. 

Let me introduce the brilliant, but obscure looking Invisibobble (£3.75 for a pack of 3 from Boots).

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of these in their box as I've been using them for a while. I decided to review them because a couple of friends spotted me sporting an Invisibobble and said "what on earth is this?!".

Prior to buying Invisibobbles, I bought a pack of 20 'normal' hair bands every 6 weeks or so. 

The problems with the classic hair tie being: 

1) Pulling out clumps of hair on removal

2) Leaving a big dent in the hair so you can't transition 

between having your hair up then down

3) Bad value for money

4) Creating knots

The Invisibobble slides out with absolute ease, without creating a bump (providing your hair is dry), I've bought two packs which I've not had to replace and I can't see that I ever will. 

(pink, and black for when I'm being sophisticated!)

Invisibobble also gives more of an 'oomphy' ponytail. I don't know how it does it, but it does! 

See that Oomph?! 

As a scientific experiment I did some housework with my hair up (days off are for blogging and ironing) and then removed it, to prove to you guys that I am bump free! I shall show you after I've talked about my second hair product L'Oreal Casting Sunkiss Jelly (£5.99 from Boots)

The box contains a tube, and the tube contains the gloopy stuff.  I really didn't believe that anything which you leave on your hair for as long as you like could have such good results!

I sent out a heavily-hashtagged photo on Instagram to ask for advice on how to use it. Thank you to anyone who responded! 

The method I went for was to dispense the jelly through damp hair using my fingers, and then blow-dry. However you can use it on dry hair, and you can just sit in the sun. Sunlight or heat from a hairdryer makes the product more effective. I don't know how, must just be 'because science'.

I'm one of those girls who has had my hair white-blonde, pillar box red, fuchsia pink, strawberry blonde, ginger, and plain old brown. At the moment I've got a Zoella Ombre going on, simply because it means I can grow my roots out and give my hair a rest from the dye. But I've noticed the natural colour of my roots looks really dull and slightly grey next to the faux-roots of my ombre which have a warm tone. For that reason I have only been putting Sunkiss Jelly on my roots. The box suggests either using it as an all-over treatment, or just on the ends of darker hair to create an ombre! The possibilities are endless. 

I really hadn't noticed much difference, the change is so gradual. But then, all of a sudden, the compliments and comments about my hair being blonder came flocking in! Excellent! I wash my hair maybe 4 times a week and I've been using Sunkiss Jelly twice a week for about 3 weeks. 

To give you some proof here is a photo I took about 3 weeks ago next to one I took today. 

(And look, no dents or bumps! Helloooooo Invisibobble!) 

My roots are really significantly lighter, but not so much that when my natural colour grows through it will cause a problem. Perfect! 

Boots currently have a 3 for 2 deal on anything to do with hair! Which means you could give one of the products I've reviewed a try, when you buy your usual shampoo & coniditioner! 

Thank you for reading! 

Ashton xxx

Be sure to say hello via Instagram & Twitter

Blogger of... the moment!

Hello!

I realised the promise to have a 'blogger of the week' feature did not quite happen. Maybe it can be blogger of the month, or maybe blogger of the moment! There's only so many times I can roll out the 'hey, I'm new here!' excuse. But really, I'm new!

The blogger I'm going to be featuring today is Phee from Phee's Make Up Tips. I first discovered Phee via Instagram, where she is frequently featured on the Illamasqua page. For me, Phee really stands out in the crowd. I follow about 500 people there, and 50% of those are make-up themed. Phee has something different going on! She doesn't follow trends, and if she does it's always with her own little twist! Phee does everything from subtle soft day time glowyness, to dramatic big brows and strong colour. This time last year I was starting to think about what to do for halloween, and I drew inspiration from Phee's gorgeous green contour.

I asked Phee a few questions we can find out a bit more! 

1) When did you first discover your talent for make up? 

I really don't know! I guess it would be when I was at college, I took Fine Art as one of my A Level subjects and incorporated makeup into a lot of the projects I did. I had an interest in makeup before then though, and was always 'that weird kid' experimenting with different looks. I guess I'm still that weird kid ;).

2) When did you start channeling your make up through Instagram & your blog? 

When I started uni I had a lot of spare time on my hands. I used to look at other peoples' blogs and think that I could maybe do that too, so I did. Instagram happened a bit late on for me, I was in a rut with my makeup and my for a while and Instagram helped me get out of it. You've got to be bold and creative on their to give people something eye catching that they'll want to double tap!

3) What would be your top tips for a new blogger like myself? 

Don't focus on numbers. It can be disheartening sometimes in the early stages of your blog to keep checking the analytics. I still barely check mine, I focus more on the comments on the posts and how people interact with the content I put up on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Also don't spread yourself too thin. Some bloggers post every day - great on them - but I just found trying to write three posts, upload a video, think of a series for Instagram was getting way too much. Take a break too if you need to, I've taken months off writing and come back to have a better response to the posts I put up.

4) What are your favourite products/looks for autumn/winter? 

For autumn/winter I'm all about faking that glow so Illamasqua Gleam in Aurora rarely leaves my side. I also love a really dark lip, Black Dahlia lip tar and lip pencil by OCC are the best for getting a great colour and crisp lines.

5) You create some really theatrical looks, and some people don't always know how to take this. How do you deal with online criticism? 

I try not to read the comments, I really do, but curiosity gets the better of me! I never reply, because I feel like it could be taken the wrong way, but I do take on board what people say. It's great that we can get instant feedback sharing things online and I'm asking for it putting my images up there for people to share if they want.

I also keep in mind that if a brand's shared my image, they've deemed it good enough to put on their page to (sometimes) thousands of followers. 

As you can see, Phee is really incredibly talented. Coming from a creative background in terms of education, I believe make-up is not always about looking pretty, it's about expression and art and colour and breaking the mould. Which this lady has got down! 

You can find Phee via the following links:
Facebook    Instagram   Blog    Youtube

Please do say hello to myself via Instagram or Twitter. 

Ashton xxx

Mellow Yellow

Good Evening! 

A wise blogger once said to me "Don't blog for anyone else but yourself" or something to that effect. I really am enjoying my ramblings here, the enjoyment of knowing people are reading is a lovely bonus! I have just hit one thousand page views, thank you! I belive I have a grand total of 8 followers and I'm sure you 8 don't add up to 1,000 views! So I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to who ever out there is taking the time to read!

On the weekend I went to a beautiful wedding in Wiltshire. It was absolutely gorgeous. The ceremony took place in a local church, and the rest of the day was in a marquee in a field with shetland ponies! Being female, when I hear the rattle of a wedding invite through the letter box, my first thought is "DRESS SHOPPING!".

I ended up with a very Ashton-esque dress from JOY, a store which has recently opened near Cabot Circus in Bristol. I was ridiculously organised/excited and so I bought a dress 2 months early, meaning it's sadly no longer available. However I visited again this week and their Autumn/Winter stock is all gorgeous!
I really recommend popping in.
Joy has a really nice vibe. As much as I love to nip in & out of Primark sometimes, occasionally I like a bit of time and attention from a shop assistant (a little bit of neediness never hurt anybody!). The Joy staff have it down without pestering or hovering. Thumbs up all round.

This is the dress! A really lovely 50's shape with a lemon print. Unusual, but still suitable. 

Teamed with a white H&M blazer, Next yellow satchel and nude Primark heels my mum called 'Kate Middleton style'.
Thought I'd also give a shoutout to how hot-diggidy-dayumn handsome my boyfriend looked whilst I'm here too!

Obbbbvvvviiiously I matched my nails to my dress! (Barry M - Lemon Ice Cream

Have you shopped in Joy? Have you worn yellow during summer 2014? Do you love it or hate it?

'til next time, much lovin'!

Ashton xxx

P.S. I think I've realised I need to up my game if I'm going to do outfit posts!
(I am new on the blogging scene, don't forget!).

Don't Want No Scrubs (wait, yes I do)

Hello!

It's been a small while hasn't it? I've still been super busy with the 'secret project' I mentioned previously. But it's almost finished!

I've found a brilliant blog by Ethereal Aura Spa which goes into some real detail about skin and skincare. I found this post about St Ives apricot scrub particularly interesting, and there's another about Pro Activ. The blog goes into great detail about ingredients and in a nutshell I have learnt that a lot of scrubs are full of synthetic crap which strips the skins surface leaving it open to bacteria, and it's no good! I discovered the Avon exfoliater I raved about a few weeks ago has a lot of the same ingredients! So I decided it's time for a change!

The awesome thing about blogging is that I feel like I know everyone! I've mentioned Melody before, but did I mention she works in Lush?! Melody demonstrated Ocean Salt on my hand in store and I was so impressed I went for a large tub of the stuff. Melody also told me that most exfoliators have loads of plastic in them, gross! But Ocean Salt has... salt! (Duh). Ocean Salt gives that amazing 'Oh my god my face is so CLEAN!' feeling. Theres grapefruit and lime in there too, yum! 

Melody also gave me some samples of Catastrophe Cosmetic and BB Seaweed and facemasks.  Catasrophe Cosmetic felt calming and soothing, and has blueberry bits in. But what I love in a mask is the feeling of 'sucking out' all the badness in my skin. The seaweed mask does exactly that, sometimes your skin just needs something to get rid of the old and make room for the new! Lush offer a free full size mask if you bring back 5 empty pots, I'm nearly there and BB Seaweed is definitely the one I've got my eye on for next time! 

I also bought myself a comforter bubble bar because it's my absolute favourite Lush product and I can't walk in there without buying one! It's half used in this photo because I'm fresh from the bath as we speak! I usually find I get about 3 baths from one bar. 

Tell me your Lush skincare experiences! I'm keen to know what is worth buying! 

I am '@ashtonlewsey' on both Twitter and Instagram! Say hello! 

Ashton xxx

Apoligies

D'you know what really annoys me? Blogs which give elaborate reasons for a lack of posts...
("I've got exams, work has been crazy, my goldfish died, I lost my thumbs etc etc").
What a hypocrite, I'm about to do the very same!

I'm spending all of my free time at the moment on a project which combines my one true love (cosmetics) with my actual real life university qualification (animation) for a really huge brand.
I can't tell you yet, even though I'd love to. It's exciting and will be worth the wait, promise!

Ashton xxx

Blogger Of The Week

Hello! Ooh it's been a (small) while hasn't it!
Ok, so this is something I want to be doing regularly. Call it a 'series' if you like!

This week's blogger is the beautiful Maliberrymakeup, aka Alison or Mali!

Mali has a really unique beauty blog, but it incorporates some features which I believe either make or break a blog! I think I'm gonna go with bullet points!

• Mali has a 'thing'. That thing... is green. She doesn't do nudes, so there's no risk of another naked palette review. She's reviewed nearly every green shade of shadow, liner and liquid liner on the market! Yet she always manages to find more. Although I very rarely wear green, I find it really insightful to read such precise comparisons between similar products. I love it when a blog is thorough!
• She always swatches, without fail. Nothing bugs me more than when a point is made, without evidence! Mali will say "product X looks really Y over primer, but is a bit Z without it" ...and then we will get to see a photo of exactly what she means. It's brilliant. 
• Mali does both high-end, and high-street. I love nothing more than a broad spectrum blogger! 
• The perfect life/cosmetics balance. Sure, my main interest is make-up. I live and breath the stuff! However, I like to know about peoples studies, relationships, history. Mali does a great job of this, without making me feel like I'm invading, and without losing quality of product reviews. 
• Regular features/brands. I like to know what a person is loyal to. Mali has a 'lush of the week' feature, and is a return customer to Soap & Glory. I love that! 

I sent Mali a few questions...

1) When and why did you decide to start getting into blogging?

This is going to sound completely tragic, but after my first long-term boyfriend ended things in 2011, I was at a bit of a loss.  We'd been together for nearly 7 years so I had no idea what to do with myself or how to move forward. I'd actually started a blog prior to the break up which had a few vague posts about jewellery and a single lonely recipe, but it had been neglected. I picked it back up again after doing some blog reading and playing around with makeup as a distraction, and just went from there!

2) What do you love most about blogging & the blogging community? 

I've always loved writing - I would churn out pages and pages of stories when I was little and that's not really changed, although now I scribble about makeup :P  It keeps me sane to write a blog post - I find it very easy to sit and bash out a post and it's a break from university work!  I also love being able to feel so enthusiastic about something that's relatively superficial and doesn't require much thinking about and not worry about other people judging me for it. Bloggers are so lovely and understand how exciting a limited edition collection or new perfume can be! I think it's great how bloggers are becoming more and more recognised by brands too, and I'm excited to see how those relationships continue to develop.

3) What would you advise someone (like me!) who is just getting into blogging?

Don't stress about the number of people following you - let your readership grow organically. Get as involved as you can in social media as you'll get talking to lots of other bloggers, and you might even get the chance to meet them in person! Finally, this is just a personal preference but don't fall into the trap of writing the same posts as everybody else because it gets so boring to see the same thing pop up on your dashboard again and again and again. Another Naked palette review? Fantastic... *biggest eyeroll in the world*

Give her a 'click'!
That's all for now! Don't forget to tweet me if you think I'd enjoy your blog or you're enjoying mine!

Ashton xxx

Amps, Alcohol and Acne.

Hello Dolls!

I spent the weekend at Beacons Festival, situated in the beautiful Yorkshire dales. Beacons is really cute little local festival.
It was also really arty, which is right up my street! I watched a film called Tuvalu in the middle of the night in a tent on a bean bag. I did a bracelet making workshop on a blanket outside an adorable caravan/jewellery shop called Craftevan, I highly recommend checking out their etsy. I took part in a Whiksy Tasting Workshop. I don't even like Whisky, but my boyfriend loves the stuff, it was so informative and awesome to listen to someone with such a passion!

I confess, I slept in my make-up. I drunkely made a vague facewipe attempt, but that's it. I drank more rough cider than a young lady should, and ate more bacon than anyone should. When I landed back in Bristol I was greeted by a certain 'lady friend' of the month. This is all a very good recipe for a gang of the dreaded pimple.

(a brave image)

I've suffered with spots since I was about 12. I've come to terms with the fact that it's not just teens who get them, I am now 24. I mostly get painful, sore under the skin spots which feel worse than they look,  I also get nasty ugly blackheads. I'm a nightmare for picking and squeezing, I'll attack my skin even if there's hardly anything there, and cause redness and scaring.
I actually think it may be linked to my anxiety, but that's another story for another day. 

So what do I do when I get a breakout? I definitely don't sit there and take it!
This is my Blemish Busting kit! 

The Avon 'Clearskin' range is such good value! I use the Pore Penetrating Black Mineral Mask (usually £5, currently half price!) because it's such a good dupe for the Origins Clear Improvement Mask (£23). I've had full sized tubes of both in the past, and I honestly believe they are of equal quality. They're both are clay based, and both give that feeling of 'sucking' out the bad stuff! 

Here's an image with the mask both wet and dry. I really hate the feeling of a drying face mask, but oh boy it sure does the job. 

Avon also do the best exfoliator I've ever used*! Their Pore Penetrating Invigorating Scrub (usually £4, currently £2) has a slightly minty fragrance, the texture is almost sandy. It feels really organic, I'm not a fan of synthetic spherical beads, I like a good gritty texture which you can work right into your pores!

I am more than willing to part with my money if I think something works, I'll happily buy expensive products. But if I believe something works and it's cheap, happy days as far as I'm concerned!  

(left - the scrub in squeezed out form and smushed form

right - the mask both wet and dry)

Finally, Freederm! I've tried nearly every spot treatment on the market. I think I'll be buying Origins Super Spot Remover on payday, as it's highly recommended by every Bblogger and Beauty consultant I know. But in the mean time, Freederm does it for me. It gives that "hey, I'm working!" tingle, and the pharmacist warns you it could bleach your sheets... which I see as a good thing!

I've also tried Benzoyl Peroxide on prescription, and I still think Freederm does a better job at speeding the healing. 

So there we have it! Hopefully I'll be updating you tomorrow and will have woken up with a glorious clear face. 

On a serious note, I would LOVE to know your acne remedies, as it is like fighting a losing battles sometimes! I will try everything and anything.

Please do tweet me, or even email me. All links are over on the right hand side!  

'Til next time, Bitches!
(Watched too much Ru Paul's Drag Race Today) 

Ashton xxx

* I haven't yet used the Bare Minerals exfoliator. It's probably the best ;) 

What Have I Been Up To?

Hello!

So at the moment, I'm on holiday from work. It was my boyfriend's birthday yesterday, and my best friend's today! I thought I'd write a little bit about what I've been up to.

For Rhys' birthday I wanted to go for a bit of a fancy breakfast. I was recommended a new Argentinian inspired steakhouse called CAU (pronounced 'cow') which has just opened on The Triangle (top of Park St, Bristol). Their brunch menu had so much to choose from, we went for the full shebang just because well... if you can't on a birthday then when can you? There was fancy egg options and pancake type stuff to choose from too!

The place had an awesome edgy kind of vibe. Earlier in the year we visitied Berlin and CAU had a very similar atmosphere! Lots of clean white decor, a funky style of friendly staff and crazy light fixtures. This doesn't mean the food is comprised by any means! I intend to return for the evening menu, as there was a seafood spaghetti which sounds right up my street! The blackpudding on my breakfast almost tasted creamy, if that's possible?! CAU also had a good children's menu, and a little ipod thing which was pre-loaded with games and safety features, a nifty idea I thought!

In the evening, we went for a gorgeous meal in Greens on Zetland road. It was nice to get all dressed up because I haven't done so for a while! I had pork belly to start, and haddock for my main. We noticed that the menu the date at the top, which I assume means they have different meals each day. This is a really nice touch, I love it when restaurants use seasonal vegetables. For me, it makes me feel like some real care and consideration has gone into the food I'm eating. Delicious!

After our food we all met up for a multi-birthday drinking session, at one of Bristol's best kept secrets! The Milk Thistle is whats known as a 'speak easy' bar. It's a little hidden gem, with no front exterior. It's basically an inconspicuous door in the middle of town. You ring the door bell, and the bartenders come and let you in. If you didn't know it was there, you'd have no idea! The Milk Thistle has a really varied cocktail menu, so there's something to please every taste. I haven't taken any photos, because that would ruin the surprise and I'm not sure you're allowed! We then carried on for a few more at Hyde & Co, which I would describe as the sassy sibling of The Milk Thistle. Exactly the same concept, tucked away just off the triangle. I'm not going to give you exact locations because finding them is part of the fun! I promise you it's worth it, highly recommended.  

Tomorrow we are off to Beacons Festival. I am a little nervous as I'm not very experienced when it comes to camping, and I'm a self confessed 'high maintenance princess' kind of gal! But I've done a lot of prep, I think I've got everything covered. I've got all sorts of cleansing samples and mini bottles going on. As well as lots of glitter and dry shampoo!
What are you festival essentials?! Do you have any last minute tips for me before I go?

Tweet me or Instagram me: @ashtonlewsey 

Thanks for reading!

Ashton xxx

What Does It Take To HOST A Blogger Event?

Hello! This blog has only been alive for 2 days and it's had about 170 views. I am over the moon, thank you! Please do Tweet or Instagram me if you're reading, especially if you have a blog for me to nose at!

I thought I'd write about the process of holding an event for bloggers. As I previously mentioned, I've done it a few times now. I am mega totes keen to do more in the not so distant future!

You may recognise me from recents posts by Maliberry Make up, BekyLou, A Simple Melody, The Style Rawr, and Eltoria's Secret.

(Myself and the girls, and my awesome manager Joseph!)

On joining Bare Minerals, I wanted to get the word out! Ya see, it isn't just a job for me, I'm not just spouting salesman bollocks, I really truly love the stuff. Minerals are my jam!

I wanted to host a medium sized event, with a medium sized group of girls. So why did I pick these particular five? (I should also mention I invited lovely Jetley Mess but she couldn't come due to work)

All of these girls are friendly, funny and honest. Their blogs aren't pretentious, they aren't boring , they aren't repetitive, and they've got character! I'm going to be making weekly 'Featured Blog' posts soon, and I'll be retouching on each individually as well as others.
These guys have everything I look for in a blog; a chatty tone and little personal touches. I love a good product review, but more than anything I love to know about the writer herself.

So what actually happens at these things?! 

Well... I gave a bit of a talk about Bare skincare, because it's AWESOME and like no other skincare that any other brand does! I demo'd the Get Started Kit, which is the basic mineral kit everyone needs.

Then everyone got to have their faces done. We were all having a giggle, eating cakes, drinking Pepsi. I'm thinking "Is this really work?!". It is, and it can be hard work, but I love it!

I'll tell you a secret, I was TERRIFIED! I've got a B in A-level drama, but that was about 6 years ago mate and I'm not used to public speaking even if it is only a teeny group! I was worried I'd run out of things to tell the girls about each product. I think I nailed it, but don't take my word for it, check out the girl's reviews! 

Not only that, the girls got a delicious little goody bag to take away!

Next time I host an event like this, I'd like to do it with a group of girls I've never ever met! Just to test my ability a little bit more. This gang, I either knew from previous events or had twitter chats with. 

So if you'd like to get your name down for the next event, or just fancy coming in for a one-on-one with me, send me a tweet or drop me an email! I'm keen! 

Ashton xxx

My first post!

Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm Ashton.
...and frankly, I'm a little late!

I'll tell you a bit about myself and my relationship with the beauty world, the blogging world, and the general...world!

I graduated in 2012 from Birmingham, I studied animation. Those three years were the most creative, confusing and incredible years I've lived yet! When I graduated, I felt like a lost soul.... a very skint lost soul. And so I spent 50% of my time applying and interviewing for jobs relevant to my degree, and the other 50% applying for anything and everything. Through this process I landed a job which was probably half way between the two! I began working for Benefit Cosmetics, meaning I could put my creative skills and love for make up to good use, without the loneliness which comes with spending the day animating, staring at a MacBook!
Initially, the job was just money in my pocket. However, it soon became my One True Love!
The cosmetics industry has taught me the power of people skills, it showed me that a compliment can make a person's day, and that social media can influence a customers spending habits without them even realising. I love the look on a woman's face when she's just bought something she knows makes her look lush.

Two and a bit years later... I now work for my favourite brand, Bare Minerals (more about that later). I'm living with my best friend and my boyfriend (more about those guys later!). I've had an internship in Benefit's marketing department. I've been all over the country for various types of training. I've hosted two Bblogger events, co-hosted a couple of other events, helped out with a Look Good Feel Better session (more about those guys later), and developed a serious obsession with Instagram.

I might be a bit late to the party, but I really hope you'll have me anyway!
I have a hell of a lot to talk about, and I'm all ears for you guys.
So let's raise a glass.... to BLOGGING!

(My boyfriend is away for the night, I've spent the night drinking this and painting my nails. When Stella started doing Cider I was so against it! But now they've made it pink... I like it! Its far too easy to drink! My nail varnish is Barry M - Papaya with an accent nail of Estee Lauder's Envious)

Ashton xxx