A is for... | 5 things I've learnt raising a child with Autism

It's almost a year since George was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It's been a roller coaster of emotions, with George starting full time school in September being the most emotional of all, but I can certainly say I've learnt a lot from it.

My Top 5 Christmas Films

I looked back at a post of mine from 2 years ago, and my list still remained the same. I even recycled this photo to save me making it again - ha. I think my top 5 will always be my top 5 as it would take a hell of a movie to replace one of these. They're in date order it's too hard to choose a favourite. If I was forced to choose, I'd probably put Home Alone 2 as my number 1 (I love NYC), but then after that I'm lost. I'll always have a soft spot for A Christmas Carol as that's our family Christmas Eve film.

Home Alone 2 (1992)

Jingle All The Way (1996)

A Christmas Carol (1999)

Elf (2003)

Love Actually (2003)

What's your favourite Christmas film?

The Christmas Jumper Edit

It's BLOGMAS day 4. Today I've put together my top Christmas Jumper picks. I think my favourites have to be the Filthy Muggle or the Sugar & Spice Gingerbread Men. So cute!

25 Things To Do This Christmas

1 ♥ Visit a Christmas market 
2 ♥ Decorate a gingerbread house 
3 ♥ Watch 'A Christmas Carol' (the Patrick Stewart version) 
4 ♥ Make a festive playlist 
5 ♥ Make 'slow cooker' hot chocolate 
6 ♥ Go to a carol service 
7 ♥ Make or buy a wreath
8 ♥ Donate to a food bank
9 ♥ Go to see Santa
10 ♥ Go ice skating
11 ♥ Play board games
12 ♥ Decorate the tree
13 ♥ Take family photos
14 ♥ Get a festive mani
15 ♥ Drink mulled wine
16 ♥ Read a Christmas book
17 ♥ Have a Christmas film night
18 ♥ Visit friends & family
19 ♥ Play Christmas bingo
20 ♥ Go on a winter walk
21 ♥ Post Christmas cards
22 ♥ Hunt the best locally decorated houses
23 ♥ Buy some Christmas pyjamas
24 ♥ Go to a pantomime
25 ♥ Eat ALL THE CHEESE

Happy Christmas 🎄

eBay Basket: The Christmas Edit

I bloody love eBay, it's no secret. You should actually see my basket. It's shameful, but I just love browsing and looking for bargains. Here's my pick of the Christmas bargains. All items are linked.

November Favourites

HAPPY DECEMBER bitchezzzz. Soz but I just can't hide my excitement. Despite the fact I didn't even get an advent calendar *eye roll*. So I'm gonna attempt BLOGMAS this year. Meaning a post every single day. I've planned them on my little excell spreadsheet, but whether or not I get time to actually write and publish one every day is another matter. It's the thought that counts though right?

Fragrance of the year? MISSGUIDED Babe Power

When MISSGUIDED launched their first fragrance earlier this year, I don't think they had any idea just how well it would do. It sold out in less than 3 hours and became the top selling fragrance in THE FRAGRANCE SHOP, beating cult favourites like Paco Rabanne's Lady Million & Miss Dior.

Black Friday Sale Picks - MISSGUIDED & ASOS

Black Friday Sale Codes

It's almost Black Friday, which means some serious coin is gonna be dropped. To be honest, a lot of retailers have been doing their Black Friday deals all week. I've put together some of the best codes I've found online. Happy shopping...

Christmas 2017 Beauty Releases

I dunno about you guys, but one of my favourite things to do around this time of year is browse the web for the latest releases from some of my favourite brands. Often, they bring out Limited Edition Christmas gift sets that are often excellent value for money. I've put together a list of some of my favourites. You're welcome....

Recent Foundation Buys

So in one of my recent posts I talked about candles being my guilty pleasure. Well it seems I have more than one. Please don't judge, send help! I just have this thing with trying new foundations. It really is all about the base for me. I do buy foundation more than any other makeup item, but thankfully none of these were ridiculously over priced so I don't feel too bad about it.

Christmas Phone Cases Under £5

Call me cheesy, but I love a good animated phone case. I'm desperate for a Christmassy one, so I thought I'd put together my faves from eBay. The only problem is, now I can't decide which one to get...

A Body Shop Haul

I feel like The Body Shop doesn't get half as much credit as it deserves. They do the most amazing skincare, and their shower goodies are to die for. They're even bringing it when it comes to makeup! Over the last few months I've picked up a few things so I thought I'd bunch them together into a haul. I was very kindly invited to The Body Shop Middlesbrough back in August to check out some of their latest ranges, and then I also attended a Body Shop At Home Party with my girl Ella! So here's what I picked up...

Autumn/Winter Yankee Candle Haul

It's no secret that I LOVE a Yankee Candle, well in fact, candles in general. My love of candles first started with Yankee Candle Wax Tarts, as I found it was the best way to sample scents without splurging £18+ on a large jar that I didn't even end up liking. This past year I'd got myself into a rut of buying large jars on sale and then not even enjyoing them and literally having to burn then in another room. #burnandavoid. So I decided to head over to eBay for a tart haul to sample the latest A/W scents.

A Fresh Start

The last time I posted was JULY, but to be honest, this year I just haven't felt it. I completely lost my love of blogging. My mojo was gone and I didn't know how to get that badboy back. I dunno if it's because my life has become super busy since I started my own business as a nail tech from home, or because George and Freddie take up ALL my spare time. Probably both.

I've been wanting to get back into it, but every time I sat down to write a post, I didn't know where to start. I felt as though I'd outgrown my old blog and it's name, and what I needed was a fresh start.  

Alas, It's KT was born. My business name is Beauty by KT (my initials), so I wanted my blog to run alongside that.

I'm still gonna be posting my usual beauty & lifestyle related codswallop, but I also wanted to include more important parts of my life, including our journey in Autism with our 5 year old son, George.

I'm hoping the blogging community is still as gorgeous and supportive as ever as I restart my journey.



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MAC Velvet Teddy

Could this be MAC's most popular lipstick? I reckon it's up there! I finally got my hands on Velvet Teddy - don't ask me why it took me so long! I've always had this irrational fear of matte lipsticks, don't really know why, as one of my alltime faves is a matte (hello Rimmel Kate Moss 107). Anyway, I finally decided to treat myself and ohhhh was I pleased. Guys, it's bloody GORGEOUS. Literally the perfect brown nude.

The Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Dupe

Who doesn't love a good dupe? Well, I've found a bloody good one for you all today. Although I can't take full credit for this one, as I first saw it posted in the Facebook group 'Mrs Gloss & The Goss'. The big bunch of enablers, ha! 

Starting My Career As A Nail Technician

Before becoming a Mum, I worked in a supermarket whilst I was studying English & History at Teesside University. I graduated from uni in 2011, got married and had baby George a year later, meaning any career options were put on hold. Don't get me wrong, I've loved the past 5 years as a stay at-home Mum. The freedom, the clean house, the blogging, the fun days in the sun with the boys, the shopping trips with my Mam and friends, the endless cups of tea and cake, etc, but I still felt as though there was something missing. I don't want to sound selfish as I know a lot of people would kill to be in my position and be able to stay at home with the little ones. It's been amazing, but I also wanted to put into our marriage and family financially and not feel as though I was completely relying on my husband. He's been great and has never made me feel this way, but it's only natural to want to do something for yourself. Trust me when I say it hasn't all been fun and games as it truly is hard work being at home with little ones all day long. Some days I felt like a glorified maid and felt like I was slowly losing part of myself. With my youngest son, Freddie, turning 2 earlier this year, I decided it was about time to start thinking about work and what I could do that would fit in around busy family life.

May Favourites

Eeeee well it's June tomorrow. How did that happen? Summer is well and truly upon us now isn't it?! I know I haven't blogged properly in a while, but I've been loving the same products on a daily basis for a good couple of months now.

Tropic Skincare | An Introduction

Well hellooo! I know, it's been a while. I solemnly swear to get back into blogging and social media.  Although I do feel like I've said this before. Anyway, I was lucky enough to be able to trial some gorgeous new skincare from a brand relatively new to me, thanks to a friend who is a brand ambassador, so I thought I'd write a post on them. I mean, how cute is the 'borrow box?'.

Latest in Beauty | Beauty & The Beast

Well hellloooo. I'm back after a long, unplanned blogging break. I didn't blog throughout the whole of February, even though I had posts planned. Life just took over and I let everything get on top of me. I've been training with Nail Harmony UK to become a Nail Technician so I've been trying to focus on that, aswell as decorating a little salon room at home, looking after the little angels and trying to cope with a bloomin' vile stomach bug that lasted almost a week! Argh! Anyway, I'm back with this gorgeous beauty box from Latest in Beauty.

To celebrate the release of Disney's live action Beauty & The Beast on 17th March, Latest in Beauty have curated 2 limited edition beauty boxes; one for him, and one for her. I obviously went for the one for her, as it was a gift from me to me.

The box itself contains 7 products inspired by the film, so think French brands, red roses and delicate skincare.

GATINEAU RADIANCE ENHANCING GOMMAGE

CAUDALIE VINOSOURCE MOISTURIZING SORBET

BURT'S BEES LIPSTICK IN BLUSH BASIN

L'OCCITANE ROSES ET REINES HAND & NAIL CREAM

SOIGNÉ BETTERAVES ROUGES NAIL POLISH

LATEST IN BEAUTY GOLD COMPACT MIRROR

ORIBE GOLD LUST DRY SHAMPOO

The boxes retail at just £20, which I think is an absolute steal. I know the box will take pride of place on my shelves as it looks like a giant book with the design running round onto the spine. LOVE.

Beauty & The Beast was always my absolute favourite Disney film and I cannot WAIT to see the live action remake in a week's time!

Get yours HERE before they sell out.

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MAC Rebel Lipstick

MAC Rebel Lipstick | £15.50

This lipstick has been on my wishlist for (no lie) about 2 years and I really don't know why it's taken until now to get my hands on it! MAC Rebel. Look at it. JUST LOOK. It's the most perfect deep, purple, berry shade. But it's like no other berry lipstick I own. It's just so unique and I can see now why it's such a cult favourite. It looks quite scary and not very wearable in the bullet, but once it's on the lips it's just stunning. It brightens up the complexion and even makes my teeth look whiter. It's not too dark or gothic. It's just beautiful. I've been wearing it loads lately, both day and night.

Rebel is a Satin formula, which has actually become my favourite formula. They're semi-matte, but feel super comfortable and creamy on the lips and tend to last so much longer than Cremesheens. The lasting power of this lipstick is the best of all my MACs. It wears really evenly and leaves behind a gorgeous berry stain that lasts through the night. It's a bit of a bugger to remove but that's certainly not a bad thing. We all want our lipsticks to last don't we?

Now I know you're all gonna run out and buy this. And if you're not, why not?

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NEW IN: Maybelline. Spring 2017

If you're not aware, I'm part of the Maybelline's #MaybellineSquad, basically meaning I'm lucky enough to get sent a selection of their new releases every couple of months. Now, I'm in no way expected to post about them, but to be honest I'm just a massive fan of Maybelline, always have been, so I often find their new releases are exciting enough to post about. Plus, the lovely ladies are kind enough to send me all of these wonderful goodies, the least I could do is showcase them on my blog. Feast your eyes on this lovely lot...

Firstly, there's 2 new palettes to get stuck into, one of which I own nothing of it's kind. A Lip Contour Palette! What is this sorcery?  Look how pretty...

Maybelline Lip Contour Palette in Blushed Bombshell* | £9.99 | link

How stunning? The Lip Contour Palette in Blushed Bombshell* has the ability to create 3 different lip looks, using the prime, line, colour and highlight system. I watched Rachel Leary's recent video where she uses this palette and it's so dreamy! I haven't had a proper play with it yet but I'm out partying Friday and Saturday this weekend (I knoww, wild child - not!), so I'm definitely gonna give it a whirl. 

The other palette is the new Master Camo Colour Correcting Palette in Light*. I love these kind of palettes as I get quite a lot of redness especially around my nose.

Maybelline Master Camo Colour Correcting Palette in Light* |£9.99 | link

Again, I haven't had change to try this yet, but I've had a little feel and they feel ultra creamy and blendable. 

Maybelline Dream Brightening Creamy Concealer in Fair* | £4.99 | link

Maybelline have also released a creamy concealer crayon! MY FAVOURITE KIND! The Dream Brightening Creamy Concealer in 10 Fair* reminds me very much of my all time favourite concealer (Soap & Glory Kick Ass Blur & Brighten Concealer Crayon). I've got such high hopes for this badboy and think it will be perfect for brightening up the under eye area & sharpening the brows etc.

They've also released some new lip products to their already massive range. The ones that have excited me most have to be the new Baby Lips Color Balm Crayons*. Now I think there's 6 to choose from and I have the shade Sugary 10, which is a beautiful watermelon pink, which I suspect will be a handbag favourite of mine come springtime.

Also in their new lineup is another shade to add to my Color Sensational Matte Nudes*. The shade Brown Sugar is very on trend at the minute, but admittedly it's one that might take some getting used to. Along with that, I got one of the new Color Stay Shaping Lip Liners* in the shade Brick Red. A true, brick red lip liner is always good to have in so I'm looking forward to giving this a go.

And lastly, there's a couple of the Super Stay 24 Dual Lipsticks*. You know the kind, the balmy primer at one end and the liquid lipstick at the other. I got the shades Steady Red-Y and Pink Goes On. The red looks perfect for Valentine's Day, even though Martin and I don't usually acknowledge that - ha!

All in all I think Maybelline have smashed it for their Spring 2017 releases. I look forward to seeing what's next.

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My Most Reached For Foundations

I've got to admit that my guilty pleasure is definitely foundation (well, along with Yankee candles, and cheese... ooohhhh Boursin, where have you been all my life?). I was a Rimmel girl for a long time, with Match Perfection being my favourite for a good few years. Lately I've found myself reaching for different ones every day just to switch things up a bit. I've put together my 4 favourites of the moment, the ones I find myself reaching for most often.

First up is probably my all time favourite; the YSL Le Teint Touché Eclat Foundation (review here). It's the ultimate in dewy, glowy goodness and has pretty good lasting power too. It's a medium coverage but just looks so fresh and healthy. A more budget alternative and one of the newest in my stash is the L'Oreal Infallible 24HR Foundation. It's slightly thicker in texture to the YSL, with perhaps a little bit more coverage too. I find it perfect for my dry skin as it doesn't cling to dry patches and gives a healthy glow which I love. It lasts well with just the odd t-zone touch up through the day. If I want something long lasting and still fresh looking, I will always opt for the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation. I never used to like this foundation back in the day, but I fell in love with it when they changed the formula during their rebranding and added the comfort serum. Out of all of the foundations I own, this is the one I notice the most by the end of the day. My skin still looks fresh and the coverage is still there. That's something I very rarely get with foundations, as I always go for dewy, fresh ones and they don't tend to last as well as full coverage/matte foundations. Decent work by Rimmel. Last but not least is a foundation that receives a lot of hype; NARS Sheer Glow. I really struggled with this when I first got it and really didn't like it. But the more I've tried and worked with it, the more I find myself reaching for it. Admittedly it is too pale for me, so I often mix a tiny bit of a darker foundation in just to even out the colour a bit. I do now get why it's so hyped up. It's so light on the skin, but still has good coverage and lasts well.

What are your most reached for foundations?

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MAC Twig Lipstick

Oh MAC, you stole my heart from day one. I have 11 MAC lipsticks in my collection now (although it's bothering me that I'm at an odd number, so I think I'm gona have to treat myself to another, paha). The newest in my collection is this beauty, and I'll be honest, it's possibly jumped to the top of my favourites list!! Twig is described as a soft muted brownish-pink, which is basically how I would have described it. It's one of those shades I think everyone needs to own. It's so flattering and the perfect nude for this time of year as it's a bit darker than other every day nudes that I'd choose all year round (e.g. Brave). This one is perfect to achieve that 90's lip trend. It's a Satin formula, and I have to say I've always gone for Cremesheens, but this is now my 3rd Satin and I think I'm converted. Satins are pretty much a semi-matte and feel so creamy and comfortable on the lips. 

MAC Twig

Look how pretty? I've been wearing it pretty much every day since I got it at Christmas, and even on a few nights out, too. FYI, it goes amazingly with a smokey eye. 

Hmmmm, which one to get next?

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Maybelline The Nudes Palette

Eyeshadow palettes are a lot more accessible in the likes of Boots and Superdrug nowadays aren't they? I remember when good nude palettes of 12 were strictly high end, and peasants like me would just have to buy single eyeshadow pots. Maybelline launched The Nudes Palette* around 18 months ago in the UK and I remember everyone going a little bit wild for it. I know since then pretty much every high street brand has launched their own palettes, but this one can still hold it's own. Maybelline have also launched 2 more palettes to their 'Nudes' range since; The Blushed Nudes & The Rock Nudes, both of which are also stunning.

Maybelline The Nudes Palette* consists of 12 neutral shades in a mixture of mattes, semi-mattes and shimmers. All shades in this palette are super wearable and I love how Maybelline have given mini tutorials on the back. They say there's 13 different eye looks to create from the one palette, combining 6 doubles, 4 trios and 3 quads. They say;

This 12-shade eye shadow palette features dazzling colors. From bold beiges and sultry sands to brazen bronzes and tempting taupes, this makeup palette is perfect for creating versatile eye makeup looks.

I was pleasantly surprised with how pigmented and creamy these shadows are. I'd say the shimmers are more pigmented and blend slightly easier than the matte shades, but all in all it's a fantastic little palette. 13 looks for £9.99? Bargain! My favourite combination is the middle quad, to create a bronzed smokey eye. 

Keep your eyes peeled for a review of Maybelline's The Rock Nudes Palette very soon...

 

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The January Skin Detox

You know how it is, January rocks around and we're all feeling a bit low and the weather is quite frankly poo poo. My skin has been showing signs of farrrr too much chocolate, alcohol, late nights and cold weather. For me, a skin detox is essential in Jan, so I've put together my top picks to get my skin back to how it should be.

MASKS. Masks are the first way I turn when my skin needs a pick me up. I recently discovered The Body Shop Masks and was blown away by the Chinese Ginseng & Rice Polishing Mask. It instantly makes my skin feel ridiculously soft and look a lot healthier. After going in with a exfoliating kind of mask, I like to use some kind of cleanser just to make sure I've removed any remaining masky-residue, and these Nip + Fab Dragons Blood Fix Cleansing Pads are great to swipe across my skin before going in with something a bit more hydrating. For hydration, it's sheet masks to the rescue. I'm obsessed. I just bloody love chilling out in front of the tv with one of those bad boys on. Scaring the kids is an added bonus. Anyway, I've been loving Korean skincare of late, and these Innisfree It's Real Masks are great. There's all different kinds for different skin needs, so they're perfect for a detox as you can do a different one each day to address all kinds of skin probs. As a more readily available option, these Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Masks are really affordable, give fantastic hydration and are really quite addictive. Obviously in the winter, a lip scrub goes without saying, but I wanted to include it in the post anyway as I've been loving the Lush Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub for a few weeks.

So there you go. A skin detox will have you looking and feeling better in no time! Screw you January blues!!

What are your favourite products for a skin detox?

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What I Got For Christmas 2016

Well I for one love What I Got For Christmas posts, so I thought it was time I put one up too. When I laid all my presents out on the table I realised how ridiculously spoilt I'd been by my friends and family. I got some absolutely amazing presents and I'm beyond grateful for every single one of them.

The Beauty Bits

Santa was pretty kind in the beauty department this year. I got 2 new Real Techniques brush sets; The Bold Metals Spotlight Essentials, which contains the Tapered Blush, Triangle Concealer, Tapered Shadow & Exclusive Brush Roll, and The Your Picks Set, which contains 5 of their best selling brushes (Buffing, Contour, Stippling, Deluxe Crease & Base Shadow). This is an absolutely fantastic little set, and, FYI - It's now on sale for only £16.66 in Boots online only! #you'rewelcome

In terms of makeup, I got the Benefit Dolly Darlin' Gift Set (which I sneakily blogged about before Christmas, lol). It contains 3 full size and 1 sample size of Benefit's best sellers (the Porefessional, Hoola Bronzer, Roller Lash Mascara & Gimme Brow). I also got MAC Twig Lipstick, which I think might already be my favourite MAC Lipstick. It's so pretty and perfect for this time of year. I also got a little sample size of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.

A girl can never have enough Soap & Glory. So to add to my collection I've got the Simply The Zest set (now only £5 in Boots) & the Whole Glam Lot, which was this year's big half price gift set. I also got the Nip + Fab Dragons Blood Fix Set, which contains Dragons Blood Fix Plumping Mask 50ml & Dragons Blood Fix Cleansing pads 80ml. I've been wanting to try this range for a while so Im looking forward to giving them a good go. As my Mam knows I'm a huge fan of the Britney Spears Fantasy Perfumes, she picked me this Circus Fantasy Perfume gift set. I also got a massive bag of Christmas Lush products, as well as the Zoella Gingerbread Bath Fizz gift set.

The Fashion Bits

One of the main things I asked Santa for were these gorgeous Rose Gold & Ash Grey Hi Top  Leather Converse. I absolutely adore them. By far my favourite trainers now. I also asked for this ASOS Suede Shopper Bag in chocolate brown. It's the perfect size for me for every day. And lastly, I always like big t-shirts for bed, so this Hogwarts t-shirt in a size 20 is perfect. I love Primark for their Harry Potter clothing, can't get enough!!

The Jewellery Bits

After getting bitten by the Pandora bug on my birthday, I asked Santa for a few bits from there, and he didn't disappoint. The big bearded ball of love!! I got 2 rings; the Heart Stacking Ring and the Princess Tiara Ring. They both go together so well on my middle finger. To add to my charm collection, I got the Vintage K Charm, and the Virgo Charm. Both classics, both gorgeous. As well as Pandora, I also got some gorgeous dainty jewellery from H&M off my bestie, including some gorgeous rings, a necklace and a bracelet.

The Home Bits

It's no secret that I'm a massive candle lover, especially Yankee Candle. So naturally, I got a few for Christmas. I got a large jar of my all time favoutite Black Cherry, and I got 2 mediums in a Christmas gift set, which has Snow in Love & Cosy By The Fire. Both gorgeous scents, so I'm looking forward to lighting those. I also got a few cute little slogan candles which I probably won't light as they're more for decorative purposes.  I also got this gorgeous little wooden hanging sign off my bestie which says Do All Things With Love. Love it.

The Other Bits

My friend Louise surprised me with the hard back illustrated version of Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone, and then low and behold my brother got me The Chamber of Secrets. So now I've got a collection to finish. They are so gorgeous, definitely need to keep the kids away. 

As well as all of those fabulous gifts, I also got a shit load of chocolate and some craft beers.

I did riduculously well this Christmas didn't I!! If you wrote a post on your Christmas pressies be sure to leave the link in the comments below, I'd love a nosey.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and all the best for 2017.

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