GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN (HOPEFULLY)?

Hi lovelies. I hope you are all doing fabulous as always. This post is just to say sorry for being absent these last few weeks. I have been dealing with some things in my personal life that are high priorities.

I hope you will stick with me and look forward to my return which won't be too long I promise. I have wanted to wait until I knew I could find the time to put out a decent standard of blog posts rather than just some rubbish ones that would probably bore you.

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things so fingers crossed I will be able to be back with you very soon! Please be patient with me as it's been a bit of a tough ride lately.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

BLOGLOVIN' | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TBP

BIRTHDAY GIFTS 2015

Hi beauties and Happy Friday! It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago so for those interested here are the lovely gifts I received. One was a bit late which is why my post is up now.

My very first gift arrived with the postman on my birthday from LOVE LOLA DESIGNS who I met at the BLOGGERS LOVE LFW GIFTING LOUNGE. 

I instantly fell in love with Louise's designs, especially the LOVELOLA LEATHER SHOULDER BAG WITH GOLD CHAIN that Louise was sporting herself at the event. Louise very kindly sent me this bag with my very own #SELFIE :) I absolutely love it. It's my new favourite bag.

There are so many personalised gift options at LOVE LOLA DESIGNS that its worth stopping by, especially with Valentine's Day coming up or just to treat yourself!

Two of my friends bought me these gift sets. The make-up is from Rose Couture which is an unknown brand to me, but I will still enjoy playing with these pieces. The Nivea gift set comes with a cool tablet case. It makes me really want to buy one now.

Everything here is from my Mum except the Hello Kitty items. I think I might try to find some cute pictures to put in this photo frame for my desk at work. I also got a penguin made of natural fibres. I found a link to the same one here.

I had some yummy chocolates that I made my boyfriend share with me. Feeling sluggish after the festive period I needed help, ha ha. I am yet to try, but very excited for these Tassimo Costa Latte's. My boyfriend is going to pay my car tax for the car he surprised me with at Xmas.

I also received some money from various people so if you want to see a haul of that when I eventually get to go shopping let me know.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

BLOGLOVIN' | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TBP

XMAS GIFTS 2014

Hi everyone. I hope you are doing well in 2015 so far. I know I am really late putting this up, but for those interested here I have a post showing you the presents I received for Xmas that I am of course very grateful for.

This beauty stash was from my Mum, friends and my boyfriend's Mum. I am so pleased that my Mum got me the Soap & Glory hamper :)

Some essentials for the home, plus a voucher which I am yet to spend. There are some naughty treats too including my amazing Tassimo machine. If you love coffee then trust me when I say you need this in your life. I have only tried two flavours so far. The Cadbury's chocolate which my boyfriend loves and the Costa Cappuccino which I crave constantly now.

My boyfriend and I said we were going to buy things for the house this year instead of personal gifts as we need a tumble dryer etc. Exciting I know!

While out Xmas shopping I spotted this jumper in the Dorothy Perkins sale and I saw some lovely soft lounge bottoms in Next for him. We decided to get them for something small to open Xmas day and I thought it would be sweet even though we knew what we were getting.

However ...............

When going to pick up my Mum for Xmas my boyfriend asked me if I wanted to drive. I said that I didn't want to drive his car. 

Basically I haven't driven in over 10 years and only drove for a couple of months a short distance. This is because I realised I wanted and needed a house more at the time than a car so I saved.

Since moving out I have craved getting another car for convenience and I am sick of waiting for buses in the rubbish weather. Lets be honest also not everyone you ride with are shall we say nice people.

Anyway I do ramble on. I think its obvious what my boyfriend did ........

Yes there were tears instantly and yes I did drive to my Mum's house. 

I now have to get over the fear I currently have of driving alone as I have only driven so far with my boyfriend in the car. 

Even though I passed my test many years ago I don't have much experience and feel like a newbie driver again.

One of my goals this year is to be confident in driving and to actually enjoy it. Any words of encouragement or tips if you felt the same as a newbie driver would be greatly appreciated below.

If you hadn't already noticed I have named my little car Squirt :)

Love to you all

Vicky xx

BLOGLOVIN' | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TBP

BLOG BIRTHDAY

Hi everyone. Today's post is really just to say thank you for reading my blog, taking the time to comment on my posts, giving me inspiration to keep going when I have bloggers mind block.

Today is my blog's 3rd birthday. Beautiful Addictions started off as just a hobby for me. I found it very hard in the beginning deciding what to write about as I didn't know much about blogging and what others liked reading most. 

My photos were not terrible, but not fantastic either. I am not a pro photographer now, but I do think more about lighting, composition and trying to get the most true to life colours in my shots so that you know what you are seeing is real life. 

I think my posts are more structured and the look of my blog layout has changed from pink and spotty with bows to a more fresh style. I am however looking to change my blog's appearance a little more. Can anybody please advise that if I remove customisations on Blogger will I lose all changes I have made or just to the template layout? I am thinking of changing to a 2 column layout, but don't want to mess everything up.

Also I am in talks with a company currently which I will reveal more about very soon. I will be creating a vlog series around one product initially while introducing you to their brand. Vlogging is something I have wanted to venture into and although I keep saying I will I just never get round to it, but now there are no excuses so watch this space :) Any tips on vlogging please leave as I haven't got a clue.

Also let me know your thoughts on my style of blogging and blog layout? What posts do you like to read the most? What attracts you keep on viewing a blog? What types of videos would you like to see from me? 

Love to you all

Vicky xx

Birthday Presents & Thank You

Hi all and Happy Friday! It has been just over a couple of weeks since my birthday. On the day I spent some time with my Mum catching up on gossip and having lunch. Then I had a few hours chilling on my own painting my nails, drinking tea and watching YouTube videos. In the evening my boyfriend and I enjoyed a takeaway and we watched a film. He had bought me a cake, but we were so stuffed that we had some the next day. Sometimes the simple things are what please me :) He had already bought me my camera as my Xmas/Birthday present so putting my feet up and no cooking was all I needed from him. 

I did however receive gifts from family and friends so for those of you interested here are the lovely things I got.

A variety of cute, funny, rude and heartwarming cards.

Obviously you can never go wrong with me and beauty.

I love taking notes. It's a bit of an obsession for me as I like to be organised. This snuggly circle scarf with cute pom poms will keep me warm.

This cute mug and coaster will brighten any dreary day. Plus this bed warmer will keep me toasty at night.

I also received 3 bunches of beautiful flowers, 2 boxes of chocolates which I shared with my fella, vouchers and money. I am going to buy a camera case asap as I have a few events in February to attend which I will let you know more about soon.

As with any gift I am so grateful to my fella, friends and family.

Please let me know if you see any bargains that you think I might like in the comments below. Fashion, beauty or lifestyle wise.

Love to you all

Liebster Award

Hi lovelies. Thank goodness that my working week is over. Apologies if you are at work tomorrow, but I just had to say it. Recently I have been given a Liebster Award. I have posted this tag when awarded this previously from another blogger, but I thought this would be fun to do again as the Q&A's are different.

The Liebster Award has German origins, with the word meaning “dearest” or “most favourite”. The award is aimed at new up-and-coming bloggers with less followers than other bloggers.

Thanks to Sophie for my nomination :)

My Q&A's from Sophie:

Q. Who, what or where, do you get your style inspiration from?

A. From so many things really. Obviously other bloggers and vloggers. Especially when they create lookbooks. Magazines, films, music videos and people watching. I dress for how I want to feel and pay more attention to trends if they are about colours and textures rather than that one must have item.

Q. What do you currently have on repeat on your iPod?

A. I never have any song on repeat as I like to mix it up. I pretty much always play my music on shuffle skipping tracks until I find one to suit me at the time.

Q. What, or who, inspired you to start your blog?

A. After attending IMATS a few years ago and meeting one of the bloggers that I follow I felt like maybe I should give blogging a go. I didn't do it straight away, but I am passionate about beauty, make-up and fashion so I thought what do I really have to lose.

Q. What make-up item can you not live without, and why?

A. Mascara. If I am just popping out for 10mins I simply put on some mascara and lip balm and I'm good to go. Mascara will open up your eyes and make you like more awake.

Q. Describe your style using 2-3 images.

A. Fun, quirky and experimental. I am not this imaginative every day, but when the moods strikes!

Q. Do you have a fashion motto, and if so, what is it?

A. Day or night. Weekday or weekend. Everyday or occasion. Dress for how you feel!

Q. Which one other blogger inspires you daily, and why?

A. Sam from Beauty Crush. She has a sense of style that is all her own with a fab personality too. I always look forward to watching her videos, especially her lookbooks and make-up tutorials. Her vlogs are a great insight into her lifestyle too. They really make you want to spend a day out with her.  

Q. What one thing do most people not know about you?

A. That I was quite a grunge girl in my teens. Ripped jeans, checked shirts tied around the waist, black nails, peroxide hair, chokers, dark red lips, Dr Marten boots, bodycon skirts, Nirvana t-shirt. You get the idea.

Q. What is your dream career?

A. It's kind of an obvious one, but to blog and also vlog full time. I would dedicate so much more time to my blog if I didn't have to do my current full time paid job.

Q. What is your favourite season for fashion/make-up, and why?

A. I love to be warm and snuggly so I would probably say A/W for fashion. Jumper dresses, boots and scarves are what I live in. Make-up I probably enjoy more in the S/S because I love metallics and bold colour.

Q. What, besides blogging, do you like to do in your spare time?

A. Listen to music, read magazines, watch movies, apply make-up, pamper myself, spend time with my fella and my Mum. Ooh and shopping. I rarely do now I have a house, but I get a real buzz from it. 

I would like to nominate these 5 bloggers:

Jennifer Noir

Holly

Emma

Joy

Linda

If you are nominated these are the rules to follow:

Answer the questions set by the blogger who nominated you, as well as link to their blog in your post.

You should then nominate as many bloggers as you want for the award (up to about 11) and let them know you’ve picked them.

Then ask these nominated bloggers a new set of questions.

You can also include a set of random facts about yourself that you want your readers to know if you wish.

Here are my Q&A's for you:

1. What are your favourite types of blogs? (fashion, beauty, lifestyle).

2. What do you love and/or hate to see on a blog and why?

3. How often do you blog? Do you expect the blogs you read to post at least a certain amount of times a day or week?

4. How and when did you begin your blog?

5. Is your blog a hobby or a career path?

6. Is your blog a different side of you or does it show completely how you live your life?

7. Has blogging helped you to learn? (style tips, beauty hints, experimental cooking, html coding).

8. What are your favourite type of blog posts to read?

9. Has your blog changed since it began? If yes, how?

10. What are your favourite make-up looks right now?

11. Describe your current fashion style?

12. What social media can you be found on? (link all below).

I hope you enjoyed this little Q&A style post. If you have questions that you would like to ask me at blogging, make-up, beauty or just life in general please leave your questions in the comments below. If enough questions are asked I might do a Q&A post.


Love to you all

My Intimate Jewellery Collection

Hi there lovelies. Today I want to share with you the very last post of my jewellery collection.

This jewellery box was gifted to me a few Xmas' ago by my boyfriend's family. I do love the design. This is where I keep all of the jewellery items that are most precious to me.

Here I have some bracelets. The leather one with my name on was given to me by my cousins when they visited Florida as kids. The charm bracelet and some charms are from my man. Some charms were later added as gifts from his family. The beaded bracelet was to represent my Gran at her funeral because she loved to wear this type of thing in her later years so all of the girls wore one. My Mum's silver bracelet that she used to wear is also there. My baby bracelet is there too :)

To think I was once that small :)

These are my rings. The flower one my cousin bought for me when we were kids. One of them is my Mum's old ring. The other rings were gifts from my fella. In the box is my Mum's wedding ring that fits my wedding finger perfectly. Spooky huh. My parents divorced when I was 3, but they remained such good friends until my Dad passed in 2006. They were like best buddies which I loved :)

A lot of these earrings were presents from my Dad, but one pair is from a friend who passed away and another from my Gran who has also passed on.

There is a mixture in the lower drawer of this jewellery box. The Vicky badge my cousin made me when she was a little girl. The medal was my Grandad's. Again some of these items were gifts from my Dad and Gran.

I hope this series of posts about my jewellery collection and storage has given you ideas of how to store your own jewellery as well as getting to know me and my style a little better :)

What is your jewellery style? Do you have a favourite place to purchase yours? What are your most precious jewellery items? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

I Got A Liebster Award :)

Hello, hello, hello Beautifully Addicted Lovelies. I have a smile on my face as I have been nominated for a Liebster Award by the lovely Shelley from The Shelley Diaries. Shelley has a very new blog which you should really check out!

There are rules to abide by to receive and give this award:

 

1. List 11 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions given to you.

3. Ask 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award.

4. Choose 9 bloggers with 200 or less followers to nominate.

5. Go to each blogger's page and let them know about the award.

6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

11 Facts About Me

1. I am 35 Years Old.

2. I have been with my fella for 10 years.

3. I have no pets.

4. I used to have my belly button pierced, but not anymore.

5. I am an only child.

6. I dislike most computer games except Sonic The Hedgehog.

7. I am not a fan of roast dinners so Sunday's are not traditional for me.

8. I hate foods such as prawns (except prawn toast) and mushrooms because of their textures.

9. I was named after my Dad (he was Victor and I am Victoria).

10. I love horror films.

11. I was obsessed with joke books as a child and now I can't remember any.

My Questions From Shelley:

1. If you were stranded on a desert Island what 3 products would you take?

A massive parasol because I burn so easily. A snuggly blanket because I hate being cold. Photos of my loved ones.

2. What is you favourite trend for Spring/Summer?

I do like a bit of floral print and I quite like the the pastel shades that are currently trending.

3. If you had an unlimited amount of money to spend in one shop, what shop would it be?

I would have to say Boots because I could buy soooooooooooooooooo many beauty products and my advantage points would go through the roof, ha ha.

4. Heels or flat?

On a day to day flats for sure, but nights out are usually always heels.

5. Creepers - Do you love them or hate them and why?

I just bought a pair in this haul post. They are so comfy.

6. What is you dream job?

Being paid to blog or write for a magazine. I would love to do some type of PR work.

7. What was your dream Job as a Child and why?

My first thought was that I wanted to be a secretary as I love to be organised and be responsible. I have worked in offices as I do now, but never as a secretary.

8. Movie night with friends or a big night out on the town and why?

On a regular basis we have movie nights in where we usually cook, but sometimes get a take away. I do enjoy a night on the town though as it's great getting dressed up and dancing the night away.

9. What is your favourite move?

I think this was meant to say movie? If so, I would have to say the first Ice Age for a giggle or Meet Joe Black for romance and some sobbing. I pretty much like anything with Brad Pitt in as yes he is adorable, but I really do like him as an actor.

10. What is your must have beauty product?

E.L.F. Studio High Definition Powder Translucent because it makes skin look beautiful and sets your base.

11. What is your favourite outfit or item of clothing and why?

I do love to just chuck on a pair of leggings with a long top, biker jacket and flats.

So here are the 11 questions that I put to these 9 bloggers:

Em ~ Fashion Default

Rachel ~ Sweetpea London

Angela ~ The Quirky Fox

Joy ~ Joybunny24

Sandra D ~ Mom's Makeup Stash

Enigmatic Rambles

Ami ~ This Please

Hannah ~ Little_Wood

Angie ~ Sexy At Midnight

My Questions To My 9 Nominated Bloggers:

1. What made you want to start your blog?

2. Who's blogs inspire you and why?

3. What blog posts are your favourite to read?

4. What is your favourite skincare product and why?

5. What is your favourite make-up product and why?

6. What item from your closet do you wear most often?

7. Who is your style icon and why?

8. Who is your favourite blogger and why?

9. How would you describe your style?

10. What about your appearance do you get complimented on the most?

11. What are your ambitions?

Please make sure to link back to me with your answers so that I can have a good read.

Love to you all

My Birthday: Jan 2013

Hey Beautiful Beauty Addicts. This post is about my birthday which was yesterday. I love to see what other people are up to and what they like/dislike, but if this post is not for you I understand. 

I saw my Mum through the day which was lovely. We had lunch which included some chocolate cake she had bought me. Thanks Mum it was great :) We watched Magic Mike and had a giggle. If you haven't seen it damnnnnnnnn!

Later on in the evening I saw my fella's family. We had Chinese and birthday cake. It was a really good day. I felt relaxed and happy. I didn't need to go anywhere as I had great company which is better than any present. That being said I'm sure there are some of you that may want to see what I got so here it is.

My fabbo cards

The body puff has ears and a bow :)

These sets are different, but from the same collection

Ages ago I wanted the stud earrings that look like the bracelet, but I never picked them up. Wish I had now.

You probably can't tell from this photo, but Kitty has angel wings to match my halo. Stop laughing!

I have one more Hello Kitty item to show you, but I am saving that till last :)

Some really nice shades in this gift set

I do love a candle or two. These heart tea light holders are so cute.

I plan on putting the jewellery I am wearing most of the time on this stand. I use a side table at the moment as my dressing table because I don't have one so it will go there :)

For snuggling

Desk accessories to brighten up my working day. My poor friend also bought me a HMV voucher, but replaced it before my birthday with this one from Next. I also got money from a few people too.

Now onto the birthday cake my gorgeous fella had made for me by his brother's girlfriend.

To any Hello Kitty fan this is Kitty heaven. I was amazed and shocked when I saw this brought in to me. Excuse the holes and wax on Kitty's paw as this is where my 35 number candles were. I think @zeechik did an amazing job at creating this for my birthday. She creates wonderful cakes for all occasions and will give quotes if you contact her in the link shown.

So that was my birthday. It was a great day and one that I am very thankful for. I seriously want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, lovely gifts, yummy food and great company. You all truly made my day special.



Love to you all