23 December 2013

Essie Winter Warmers Collection

An exciting little email pinged into my inbox this afternoon giving me a first glimpse of the Essie Winter Warmers collection which is launching January 2014. The set is made up from 6 pretty, yet very contrasting shades of deep reds and soft pastel blues. A real refreshing change from your classic winter ranges.
Aren't they so pretty? I'll give a more detailed look when I managed to pick up some of the collection but what I do know already is that they will be on sale in both Boots and Superdrug from January and retail at £7.99 :)

Annie xx

22 December 2013

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer

Primers are a big part of my daily makeup routine; to create the perfect flawless base a primer or two are key and this one definitely has to be my number one, especially when combined with the Nivea Express Hydration Primer (review coming in a few days).

The thick, buttery formula is designed to give an airbrushed look by blurring imperfections, smoothing over pores, creating a soft and even cover to dry patches and helping to reduce the production of excess sebum which is the cause of oily looking skin. I use this mainly on my t-zone and around the edges of my nose which has a tendency to get a little dry, especially around my piercing and the smallest amount of product goes a long way.

Having tried a fair few primers that claim to give an airbrushed effect and been disappointed, I'm happy to say that I haven't once felt let down by the Clarins offering. I find that I get compliments on my complexion and I have really seen an improvement in how long my makeup stays looking fresh. On good skin days I have even been known to step out with just this and a little moisturiser on my face. I really cannot sing it's praises enough!
You an pick it up for £26 *here*

Annie xx

13 December 2013

Lately I've Been...

Its been a strange old week and next week is already looking totally manic so blogging is having to take a back seat just for a little bit. I'll try and schedule a couple of posts tomorrow evening but Three Little Buhos might be a little quiet this week!
Anyway, I've been up to lots lately and thought I'd share a few of the nicer bits :)
1. Got the house ready for Christmas! I love eclectic decorations. This year I've added 2 pretty owl ornaments to my collection :)
2. Burnt lovely cosy smelling candles to fill the house with warming sweet smells.
3. Visited the Bath Christmas market with two of my favourite people :) Cold and busy but sooo worth it!
4. Received some exciting post ready to enjoy over the festive period. I cannot get over the beauty of th Naked 3 palette!
5. Become hooked on Aspall mulled cider. It is so warming and tastes just like Christmas in a mug. Seriously good stuff!

I love the lead up to Christmas. It may be overly busy and weirdly stressful but you just can't beat it. The atmosphere, the lights, the food...so good!
What have you been up to lately?
Annie xx

9 December 2013

Guest Post: Top Tips for an Unforgettable Christmas Party

Organising a Christmas party is no easy feat. To be fair, organising any party isn’t easy unless you’re the queen of planning and revel in the responsibility. Christmas is full of parties and plans for all the family and if you’ve been put in charge of planning an unforgettable Christmas do, for friends, family or workmates, there are plenty of tips floating around that will help to keep your ideas on track. While it may be tempting to ask for help from party planning professionals, it’s not impossible to do it yourself – much cheaper that way and, for many people, much more fun! Here are some great tips to help you get started:
Image source: http://www.news.com.au/finance/superannuation/give-yourself-a-pay-rise/story-e6frfmdi-1226752531908


Book Early
Christmas is a hectic time, with many calendars full to the brim by the time Christmas Eve arrives. Book early and not only will you be able to secure your venue of choice, but you will also be able to give plenty of notice to guests so that they can organise their home life to coincide. Many people will need to find a babysitter, or will need to ensure their other half isn’t also busy. Give them ample time to ensure they can make it.

Provide a Theme or Dress Code
If you have a clear idea of what you want in your mind, provide information to the guests so that they can go along with it. If there’s a dress code at the venue you’ve booked, let people know. For example, some clubs don’t allow trainers, while a casino may be a little stringent about what counts as ‘smart’ dress. Luckily for you, if your guests don’t have something to wear, they can often pick up a great value suit or amazing dress with ease, if you give them the time to do it!

Plan the Guest List
You need to have a concise list of who is invited; it’d be awful if you missed someone off the list, wouldn’t it? This can get a little messy when it comes to work parties – is it just the staff that is invited? Or are you planning to ask any clients or suppliers? Inviting clients can be fabulous for positive PR, but you also need to make sure that your staff stay on their best behaviour, too, else things could get messy.

Is there a Budget?
Set a maximum spend per head before you book anything so that you know exactly what you, or the company, can afford. If it’s a work do, the company often foot the bill although sometimes, it’s feasible to ask for a little donation towards a ticket - mainly so that you don’t waste money on people not turning up. If you’re organising a party for friends, give them a heads up and ask them to transfer you their contribution in advance so that you don’t have to book things out of your own pocket.


With so many choices on offer, from theme nights to a swanky restaurant meal, you need to decide what is best for the party you’re planning. Consider entertainment, food, drink and how long the party is going to go on for. Most of all, enjoy it and be proud when it all comes together! 


*Sponsored Post

8 December 2013

Giveaway Winner Announced!


So my giveaway to win a fabulous TIGI Bed Head Blonde Bombshell set has now closed and I've used rafflecopter to pick a winner at random and that winner is Sarah Birkett!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Sarah, check your inbox because I've sent you an email and thank you to everyone else who's taken the time to enter, I have some more plans up my sleeve and should have another giveaway for you fairly soon! But for now, back to the beauty!

Annie xx

6 December 2013

Plus Size Launch at Boohoo

Boohoo is perhaps one of my favourite sites to pick up reasonably priced yet fashion forward bargains so when an email pinged into my inbox announcing the launch of their plus size range I popped over to check it out.
As a size 14-16 with fairly substantial bust sometimes I find that a size 14 doesn't fit my top so get frustrated that it stops me being able to shop for certain styles on Boohoo and several other sites so it will be interesting to see what they add.
At the moment there's only 3 pages worth of plus size clothing on there, I'm not sure if that will expand over the next few weeks but the range is available in sizes 16-24 and there are some lovely pieces on there that you can check out *here*.
What do you think, are you going to be shopping from the new range?
Annie xx

5 December 2013

November Favourites

November has been a strange month for me. The beginning was all about base makeup and creating the ultimate flawless look then after my operation makeup was taken completely off the menu and skincare became king.
A big part of creating a flawless base is a good combination of primers-I actually use more primer and concealer when building up a look than anything else- foundation is usually just a tiny amount blended in to finish airbrushing the look. My first product is always the gorgeous Nivea Express Hydration Primer (£4.99) from the Daily Essentials range which acts both as a light as air moisturiser and is a wonder for smoothing out any dry or oily patches all in one go. On top of this I've been really loving dabbing a little of the MAC Prep and Prime Fortified Skin Enhancer Illuminator (£23) which works beautifully to diffuse light, minimise the appearance of blemishes and create a lovely glowing complexion :)
My Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (£9.99) has been getting a lot of love lately. Its perfect for blending concealer, buffing foundation and contouring cheekbones so without fail I've been reaching for this every day and cannot recommend it enough.
For a long time, because I am so fair skinned I shied away from bronzing products, assuming they'd sit ridiculously dark on my skin and look a little muddy but now winter is here and the tan has worn off I've been loving the Soap and Glory Solar Powder (£11) very lightly applied to contour the face and give a very slight warmth without being too heavy. I literally swirl a blush brush through the product before tapping away any excess so I can be nice and light handed and just create a gentle glow.
My love for Nuxe has just been growing and growing lately and the product that started the love affair and gets the most use has to be the Miceller Cleansing Water with Rose Petals (£14.50) which I use daily, morning and night with a cotton pad to melt away any makeup effortlessly and refresh and soften the skin. I am a sucker for lazy but effective skin care so this is my number one product for keeping skin looking great without hours of foaming, scrubbing and general faffing.

So those are my most loved products from this past month. What have you been loving? If you'v written a similar post then link me up :)

Annie xx

1 December 2013

Lush Scents Ponche Perfume

Every year around November Lush host their annual fragrance party and release a selection of five limited edition perfumes sharing the scent of some of their most loved products and all Lush fans get over excited to see which will make the cut.
Ponche was a limited edition shower gel launched last year as part of the Christmas range and brought back this year due to popular demand. It also happens to be one of my favourite Lush scents of all time!
Inspired by a buying trip to Mexico last year, ponche is inspred by a zesty Mexican Christmas punch. I'm talking blended orange, cinnamon, buchu, petigrain and a splash of tequila so as you can imagine, the scent is warm, fruity and full bodied. It terms of wear I have been really impressed. A light spray in the morning and I've found that I can still smell it late afternoon thanks to the high concentration of essential oils (10%).
For a 30ml bottle the cost is £23 which for a high quality perfume is very reasonable. Also in the collection is Calacas at £25, Rose Jam at £30 (this came out last year and smells divine!), Snow Fairy at £25 and Snowcake at £23 all of which are gorgeous smells and equally as high in quality.
The perfumes are available *here* for another couple of weeks or until stock runs out and are online exclusives.

Which scent would you be most likely to go for? I might have to add Rose Jam to my collection if money allows :P

Annie xx