Updates...

Hi guys, just a quick update as it's been a while..

Apologies for my absence, I am currently drowning in revision for my retake exams which are coming up soon. I'm getting way more panicky about them than I normally would because this is basically the last time I can ever take them so I need to do well!
I hope you all had a good halloween! Even though it was practically monsoon weather my friends and I still managed to dress up and go out. I was very unoriginal this year and went as a standard black cat...

My friend went as the female Zorro... if it's not obvious...

Another thing I wanted to briefly touch on was the fact that now i've started my gap year I think the content of my blog might change. I first created Hat Box after my friends got tired of me going on and on about makeup and beauty products and I wanted a place where I could chat about it as much or as little as I wanted without boring anyone who doesn't want to listen. Now, however, I find it quite theraputic to use my blog as a kind of diary where I can talk about other things too. Of course I still really love chatting about makeup so i'll still be doing reviews and things like that, but i'll also be writing posts on my general thoughts and views...
I know that Hat Box is a very small and ill-frequented corner of the internet, but i'm always very grateful to the few who take five minutes out of their day to read what I have to say, so I hope you dont get bored with my ramblings!

Thanks for reading!
Lily xoxo

Motivation

Hi guys!
Today will be a little departure from the normal beauty related posts because I want to address a topic which has been important to me recently; staying motivated when everything goes wrong.
During the last few months things have not exactly gone to plan for me. I did not manage to get in to university this year, like a wanted to, because I missed the grades I needed. I had been looking forward to going to university ever since I started college, so as you can probably imagine, finding out that I couldn't go this year was a big set back and a bit of a shock for me. 
But with a little help from my friends I have realised that this could be a good thing. I now have a whole year to fit in as many experiences in as I can (I might do a post later on my gap year bucket list)! I can go travelling again, get a new job, start a new hobby or pick up an old one again and spend time working on me for a bit. So I guess you can take from this that there is always a silver lining, even when the cloud seems very very grey.
However, I also have to take some exams again so I can apply for uni this year and I'm finding it hard to focus on work. It's quite disheartening to have to revise subjects you've already done when the last time you revised them you thought it was actually going to be the LAST time. So, it sounds cheesy, but i've gathered together some motivational quotes which I have stuck up in my bedroom that help me stay motivated to keep working and not give up on getting in to uni. I decided to put them on my blog in case any of you have faced a set back or are lacking in motivation for any reason or other and might find them helpful...

Feeling motivated now? Haha, thanks for reading!
Lily xoxo

Autumn 2012 Wishlist

Hi guys!

It's that time of year again! The leaves are turning, the days are getting shorter and it's becoming a lot chillier! Autumn has to be my favourite season (not just because it means it's almost my birthday...) because you can crack out your scarves, hats a boots and the colder days are a perfect excuse to treat yourself to an expensive (but worth it!) new coat.. well, you wouldn't want to be cold, would you?!

Today I'd like to show you some of the things I've been saving my pennies for this autumn...

Cable Dip Dye Mittens -Topshop

Beige Tube Scarf -H&M

Jersey Lined Mac - Oasis (on ASOS)

Tisha Skull Jumper - Missguided

Glaze Lipstick in 'Hue' - MAC

Well there you have it! Just a few of the things I may be treating myself to this autumn to try and ward off the oncoming winter blues.. I hope you guys are all enjoying October and looking forward to Christmas!
Thanks for reading,
Lily xoxo

How Much Is My Face Worth?

Hi everyone! How's it going?

Today I thought I would have a go at one of the tags that is going around a lot lately. As you have probably guessed, it's called 'How Much Is My Face Worth?' I've seen a few of these posts already and know that the final tally can range from a modest figure, to an absolutely outrageous amount and I was interested to see which extreme I was closest to... So, here goes!

 I decided just to do this tag using the face of make up I would wear every day, rather than for a special occasion, just so it's more realistic.

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation £24
MeMeMe Pressed Powder £5.99
MeMeMe Concealer £6.99
Sleek Contour Kit £6.49
Rimmel Santa Rose Blush £3.99
GOSH Brow Kit £8.49
Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion £14.50
L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara £10.99
Stila Eye Palette £25
MAC Creme d'Nude £14

Total: £120.44 (!!!)

Well, umm.. that's quite a lot! Not going to lie, i'm a tiny bit embarassed... I didn't think it would crack the 100 pound barrier to be honest as I don't wear an awful lot of high end brands (I dread to imagine how much this would be if I were dressing up!) Ah well, just  goes to show that it all adds up! And it's not like i'm using a whole tube of mascara e.t.c every day, haha!

Thanks for reading guys :)

Lily xoxo