Balmi Lip Balm: Strawberry

Hands up if you've ever heard of EOS (or Evolution of Smooth as I've recently found out it's called)? Well did you know that the UK now has something similar? Enter Balmi lip balms with their distinctive spherical shape (the somewhat ingenious idea of making a lipbalm in a speherical container is utter genius in my eyes, I simply need to *kiss* the top of the balm and my lips are instantly doused in product 'cause it's something you can get your lips around, y'know?). EOS lipbalms are not readily available in the UK, which is a shame because had I discovered a rounded lip balm sooner I'd have bought the lot, every flavour. Alas, on my last trip to Boots I remembered that the UK now has Balmi, I don't know how much of an exact dupe they are to EOS however, as I don't have an EOS lipbalm yet (roll on landing stateside in a week's time!).

I absolutely love the packaging of a Balmi lip balm, both the outside sleeve box and the actual lip balm itself. The outer sleeve is entirely indicative of the flavour of the product as it runs along the same colour theme, my box here for example is all pink/white/red which goes along with the strawberry flavour and actual pink colour of the sphere. If I remember correctly, the mint packaging had a mint green coloured sphere and green lettering on the outer box.

The sphere itself is rather sturdy, I can tell it will be able to withstand being knocked about in my handbag, and the lid is a 'screw on click shut' kind of contraption which means it won't fall off and damage either the product of any of your handbag's contents, win! What really sells this for me though is the fact that you don't have to mess around with putting your fingers in a pot of lip balm, there's nothing worse knowing you're contaminating your own products. Don't get me started on using a lip brush, it took me 45 minutes to clean all my face brushes this morning!

I have read on the Balmi website that their available flavours are coconut, blackcurrent, mint, strawberry and raspberry, however my local Boots only had Strawberry and Mint on the shelves. Being the girl who loves all things sweet and pink strawberry was a clear winner for me here. I really like the scent, it's sweet but not too overpowering and smells to me like the strawberry Chupa Chop lollies I used to love as a child.


The product itself is very moisturising, it feels really creamy on your lips yet it doesn't feel really heavy, and you can faintly smell the strawberries! There is no colour payoff, the balm goes on colourless but leaves a little hint of shine. Balmi lip balms also have added protective benefits to help your lips stay protected from the sun with SPF 15 and a barrier against harmful UVA rays, which makes it perfect for summer use, or any time of the year when the sun decides to shine!

Overall I'm really impressed with this lip balm and would definitely like to try some of the other flavours available should I be able to hunt them down. I'm particularly keen for raspberry, it sounds good enough to eat! I'd also like to get hold of an EOS lip balm and see how the two compare, sort of like a Revlon Kissable Balm Stain vs a Clinique Chubby Stick moment.

You can find Balmi at Boots online or instore, priced at £4.99 for 10.5g.
Have you tried a Balmi or EOS lip balm?
What are your thoughts on egg/spherical shaped lipbalms?

Insta-Week

Had to get my finger glued :'(/Veggie Percy Pigs ftw/Comfy bed at home/New stationary for uni
Kim K is my iPad screen/Duvet day/Matching nails to outfit/Funny mounds in the garden

Travelling again/1st pint after many antibiotics/Daddy's anniversary/Mmmm, American goodness
I make a mean cupcake/Bought the whole of Boots & Superdrug/Ted Baked phone case/Swatchy swatchy

I have the best new tissues!/Balmi strawberry (review soon)/Blogging/OOTD for the train
Good morning world/Coolest make-up bag!/Nicki Minaj for Vivaglam MAC/Hi me!

Craving Krispy Kremes/Snog!/Blue eyes on blue eyes/Just you and me tonight buddy!

If you would like to follow me on Instagram please search for @louisekwilliams and I will follow you back!

What have you been up to this past week?

1 Year Blog Birthday Giveaway! *CLOSED*

Image taken from Weheartit

This is an exciting announcement because Confetti Letters turns 1 on the 13th of September! One whole year since I decided to put fingers to keys and set up my own little blog after reading many of my favourites switch over from Tumblr to Blogspot.

I thank everyone who has decided to push the follow button and either GFC, Bloggers.com, Bloglovin' or Hello Cotton - thank-you!! I also thank every one of you who has left me a lovely comment, I enjoy reading and replying to everyone :-)

So, that being said I wanted to host a little giveaway to mark the celebration, and as it's my first one I have been thinking extra hard about the prize (*insert image of jazz hands here*). I have decided that everyone loves a MAC product so by entering Confetti Letters' 1 Year Blog Birthday Giveaway you could win a MAC lipstick of your choice!

To be entered all you have to do is answer this question: What has been your most memorable birthday ever, and if you could pick one present in the entire world to receive what would it be? You must also complete the rules below:

1. Follow me via GFC/Bloglovin.
2. Follow me on Twitter - @louisekwilliams
3. Write me a comment on this post with your GFC/Bloglovin/Twitter handle so I can check who's done what, and also an e-mail or your twitter handle (whichever way you'd like to be contacted if you win).
4. I will use a random number generator to select the winner.
5. The giveaway will be open for 1 month, ending at 23:59 GMT on the 26th of September.
6. The decision of the winner is final. I will keep proof of postage and will not be held responsible for lost post. The giveaway is international. 

Lots of luck and happy entering! 

A Saturday Selection

YSL Le Teint Touche foundation £28, Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel £30, Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation £27,
Lancome Hypnose Star mascara £21 (all available at Debenhams). Nars Foreplay palette £39.50 (available exclusively at Space NK).

Ahh the excitement of perusing House of Fraser and Debenhams beauty counters, nothing can beat it on a rainy day, there's something about the pull of the unique packagings and the promise of incredible products waiting to be discovered that keeps me going back time and time again. Unfortunately I muse on the thought of having done this today, because I spent my entire day at work and encased in the toil of other people's mess and chips. Lots of chips.

However to silence a girl's dream is a crime against humanity in my opinion, so I thought I'd share my current cosmetic cravings. Strictly high end at the moment, because I'm feeling fabulous (although I don't really have a fabulous bank account to allow me to indulge in such beautiful luxurious products - I'm still dreaming, true Pisces girl here y'know!).

I'm really into foundations at the moment. I've bought 3 from Boots and Superdrug in the last fortnight, and I ended up being cheeky and securing a YSL sample in House of Fraser. I also wanted a Urban Decay Naked Skin sample but I don't know if UD do them? Let me know if they do, I really want to try this foundation. Anyway, I absolutely LOVE the Teint Touche, it's probably the best foundation I have ever tried and to be honest I think it's definitely worth the hefty price tag. I wore a full face of make-up to work today with this foundation as a base and honestly I had no patchiness (except on my nose where I have super dry skin, so I almost expected that to happen) and my make-up literally looked like I had just applied it, even at the end of my 8 hour shift! I cannot compliment YSL enough! When I've forked out for a full size bottle I will do a proper review.

When I was actually in House of Fraser in Plymouth last week I asked the Chanel lady to let me try this bronzer and I truly fell in love. I'm aware that paying £30 for a bronzer is a little excessive, to be honest when I heard the price I thought, oh no! But she tried it on the back of my hand and it felt lovely on my skin. Another potential winner for the Christmas list (4 months today people!).

On to my current mascara craving, Lancome's Hypnose Star with it's Christmas tree shaped wand (are we spotting a theme here?). There's currently a sample of this mascara available with this month's Tatler and I snapped it up as soon as I saw it. I already have Lancome's Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara, see my review here, and love that a lot so I have high hopes for this version of the popular mascara.

Finally, I went for a browse on the Space NK website and came across this beautiful Nars palette. I don't have anything by Nars and really want to try the ever popular 'Orgasm' so this palette seems right up my street. It contains a peach matte blush, a gold highlighting blush, pink matt blush and 'Orgasm'. Doesn't it look beautiful?!

Have you tried any of these products properly?
Or even think I'm missing something on my high end wishlist?

About Me: Tag

This is my face, as I applied it this morning - hello!

More often than not I find myself following a blog, loving its content and wanting to know more about the creative owner of the blog. I like knowing things you see, I like interacting with people, I'm a 'send me an e-mail and I promise I'll reply with an essay' kinda gal. So I thought I'd answer a tag for you (I found it on a random blog on the web, apologies but I can't remember exactly where) to find out more about me. So here we go...

Do you have a middle name?

My middle name is Katherine. 

What was your favourite subject at school?

English for sure.

What's your favourite drink?

Chocolate milk.

Favourite song at the moment?

Anything by Nicki Minaj <3

What would you name your children?

Oh my, I have no idea. I like Kayleigh/Amber/Saffron/Alice for a girl and Xavier/Alexander/Joshua for a boy.

Do you participate in any sports?

Hahahaha, I swim at my own leisurely pace...

Favourite book?

Wow, this is a hard one for me. I love the Hunger Games, Jane Eyre, Sylvia Plath...I could go on and on...

Favourite colour?

Pink!

Favourite animal?

Bunnies or butterflies.

Favourite perfume?

I can't chose one, at the moment I have Armani Diamonds, Kim Kardashian, Prada Candy, Daisy, Juicy Couture, Ralph Lauren.

Favourite holiday?

Are we talking Christmas? 'Cause if so then it's Christmas. If not then it was when I last went to Disneyworld when I was 15 :-)

Have you graduated high school?

Aye, and I'm a year off graduating from University! 

Do you speak any other languages?

Une petite peu de Francais/

Do you have any siblings?

A have a younger brother. 

What's your favourite store?

Topshop, River Island

Favourite restaurant?

Nandos or Chiquitos.

Favourite movie?

Suckerpunch, Hunger Games, Batman

Favourite TV Show?

KUWTK, The Hills, Supersize v Superskinny.

PC or Mac?

Mac for the win.

How tall are you?

5'8

What do you order at Starbucks?

Either a medium caramel cream frappucchino double blended with cream, or a grande signature caramel hot chocolate with cream. 

One thing in your closet you can not live without?

Black leggings. 

What's one thing people probably don't know about you?

My appendix burst when I was 14 and I have a kick ass scar because of it. And, entirely unrelated, but I do not own a single pair of trousers!

Name one thing you want to do before you die?

Ummm, go to Paris. 

What's one food you cannot live without?

Pizza!

What quote/phrase do you live by?

'If you can dream it, you can do it' - Walt Disney

'A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous' - Coco Chanel

What was the last book you read?

50 Shades of Grey - EL James (What, don't look at me like that, I had to join the hype!)

What's your most listened to song on iTunes?

Who You Are - Jessie J (37 times!)

What kind of style would you define yourself as having?

Umm, anything that goes well with leggings and that's on trend on the highstreet. I'm currently having a wave back to my early teens when dressing like a rock chick was a good idea, it's all about the studs, sugarskulls and  crosses for me at the moment. 

Two hobbies?

Shopping & writing lists.

Two pet pet peeves?

When people make me late (I absolutely hate being late/people being late) and when people don't keep their promises to you.

Guilty pleasures?

Eating too much and being Obsessed with Kim Kardashian (I just love her). Oh, and overusing exclamation marks!!

So that's a little insight into my world!  I am going to tag anyone reading this, if you complete these questions link me on your post and then write me a comment saying where I can find your answers and feel free to tag other people too. 

Change of Address

This is a quick little note to say that I am finally getting around to changing my URL on HelloCotton, Bloglovin' & Bloggers from my old name (sweetvanillakisses) to my current and only name (Confetti Letters).

Anyone still searching for me under than name will no longer be able to do so.

Hope you're all having a wonderful day :D

That Time I Worked At The Olympics: London 2012 (Via Instagram)

Hey team!

For some the Olympics may be over, but with the beginning of the Paralympics just around the corner I am taking a few moments to reflect on my week working in London, serving all those hungry people who were lucky enough to score tickets to 'the greatest show on Earth'. 

Let it be said that I had an amazing time down in London. There's nothing more rewarding than being recognised for having done your very best and I was absolutely loving being able to meet fellow employees from all over the UK, and a handful from all over the world. I'm not going to lie and say that it was easy, I salute all of the lucky people that live and work in London full time, because it's truly tiring being on the go all the time, and that's just the Journey into work! 

I was fortunate enough to stay in the Lancaster London hotel at Lancaster Gate, with Hyde Park for a neighbour, Paddington just past Sussex Gardens and Marble Arch just up the road it's safe to say we were in a pretty fabulous location (and it was a direct 12 stops to Stratford on the Central line!).

Ta-ra Durham/Let's go to the games!/Part of an amazing team/So proud of this name badge!
Free phone/Quiz on the first night/Staff room relaxation area in the hotel/Staff room chill out area in the hotel.

The Olympic Park itself was incredible, I really was not expecting it to be that big. To get from my restaurant to the other side of the park where the Velodrome was situated would have taken 30 minutes to walk! I was due to meet up with some family one day after I had finished an early shift, but the hour commute from my restaurant to where they were, and then on to the station, was just too much after the overwhelming experience of being on the tills on front counter over a busy breakfast and lunch period! (Little did I know that I was also about to experience an impacted wisdom tooth, so now I can appreciate why I felt so rough.) I was amazed at how many people could fit inside the park too, there were queues for absolutely everything so I was very grateful for my work pass so I could skip the long lines at security. I also managed to skip the lines getting into the Olympic Stadium. Macs gave us all tickets to an event and I was so excited to receive tickets to Athletics, which meant I got to sit, cheer and sing inside the stadium I walked past everyday to get to work!

What even is this?!/My restaurant/The gates at 05:30, no-one around!/Stadium at night
I liked this floor/See how small that person is, yeah we're a big restaurant/I had athletics tickets!/I like this pic.

I am fortunate enough to know London quite well, usually I would take the tube everywhere to make sure I'd know that I'd got to a certain place, but for my week away I decided to walk everywhere and get familiar with London on foot, because it's sometimes quicker than getting the tube, especially if you realise you're only going one stop. Naturally my love affair with shopping got the better of me and I wound my way round Carnaby Street, Liberty's, Selfridges and Harrods. If only I had more pennies...

Topshop Oxford Street/Glittery Krispy Kreme at Paddington/John Lewis/Mini cupcake from Harrods
M&Ms/M&M World/Excited to have a Snog ;-)/I love Selfridges!

I also managed to take a few snaps of some famous landmarks, because you know, when in London, make do like everyone else and be a tourist - in your own country! I discovered, much to my delight, that you can walk from Embankment by the London Eye and the Aquarium to Trafalgar Square (via 10 Downing Street & Horseguards Parade), through Covent Garden and up to Picadilly Circus. I was most impressed with myself for that day's discovering!

Beautiful Horseguards Parade/Aquarium/London Eye/Saw Wicked for the 2nd time
You all know it as Big Ben/I had to buy pink M&Ms/Hyde Park/Me looking horrendous in the new Macs uniform :/

So that was a little insight into my time working at London 2012. I know of a few people who will be glad to see the back of the Olympic hype, but I will be sad as I think I'm suffering from a case of Olympic fever. See I was never the sporty one (I'm still not), I was always picked last for teams during Rounders on a Thursday afternoon, and I never once qualified for school sports day, yet there was something about the amount of sport and excitement surrounding London 2012 that made me so excited to be part of it, and now it's back to the day to day grind...

Did you get stricken with Olympic Fever?
Were you even lucky enough to get tickets to anything?
As always, let me know!

Train Travel (OOTD)

Hey team!

Once again I find myself nervously anticipating what kind of person will occupy the seat next to me as I wind through the English countryside on yet another train. I like to think of myself as something of a seasoned, confident traveller what with having lived in a number of exotic countries (I first flew in a plane on my own when I was 13!) and pretty much all over the UK.

I do enjoy train travel, I sit here with a few magazines on my iPad, as well as the weekly gossip mags that can't yet be downloaded, (and the obligatory purchase of Elle with the free Jemma Kidd eyeliner) as well as a mini picnic and like to watch the world go by. I like trains that allow you to chill out and evaluate life, create grand ideas for future plans and perhaps write a list or two. (I don't particularly enjoy today's seat however as there's a little boy with the same name as my boyfriend who has a bit of an addiction to angry birds and this numpty has forgotten her earphones *sob*.)

Aside, I think the most important aspect of any form of travel is comfort, whether you're flying, driving, or taking a train. I believe that if you're going to be sitting down for a long period of time you're not going to want to wear clothes that don't allow you to breathe, for me leggings and a long floaty top/dress are essential so that I can move around easily. You'll also never know how hot or cold the cabin/carriage/car is going to be so I always think it's better to overdress than underdress so you can peel layers off rather than having to root around in your luggage trying to throw an outfit together. I also often admire the women that can rock killer heels pulling a suitcase and teetering down the aisles of trains, unfortunately I haven't yet acquired that style of grace and class, so flat, comfortable shoes are essential - I normally put on some cute ballet flats or flat boots.

This brings me onto my OOTD. I don't normally do OOTDs on account of the fact that I can never take a good picture of myself (and I have the usual qualms of disliking my body shape blah blah blah) but today I though, Louise - go for it! So here I am, wearing a Primark dress, Primark necklace and a Topshop scarf. My sunglasses are from Tiffany & Co, earrings from Republic and bracelets are Thomas Sabo, my boyfriend from Christmas and a Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity wristband. What you can't see is that I'm also wearing Primark leggings, and have a New Look cardigan in my bag next to me (just in case it gets cold and sunny simultaneously!). I think I've mixed it up a bit today, channelling a monochrome rocker chick combination and I love it :-)

What do you like to wear when you're travelling? Do you go for comfort over style or vice versa?

(Normal postings can resume properly when I get off this train, for I will be reunited with my laptop, yayy!)

New Beauty Magazine From Cosmopolitan

Hey team!

When I recently bought myself a iPad I was excited to become familiar with the world of interactive digital media, namely the 'Newsstand' app where you can download a multitude of magazines and newspapers to read as you will on your iPad screen. As an avid magazine fan, and especially partial to monthly glossies full of fashion and beauty I straightaway downloaded my usual picks of Elle, Glamour and Cosmopolitan.

For me the ultimate women's glossy magazine is Cosmopolitan. I love absolutely everything about it, and should really be taking out a subscription seeing as I buy it nearly every month! I believe that a magazine's true worth is shown when it still manages to make you buy it even when there's no freebie included for that particular month, because let's face it, we'd all be lying if we said we'd never bought a mag just for the freebie! For me Cosmo manages to make me want to keep repurchasing (freebie or no freebie!) and when I bought September's issue for my Newsstand I was so excited they'd brought out an issue completely dedicated to beauty.

Now I don't know if the beauty issue is available in shops because I haven't physically seen it, but it's available on the Cosmo app if you happen to be an iPad/iPhone user, and is currently priced at £5.99 - much like their other magazine series, Cosmopolitan Body.

As for the magazine content you get 178 pages of virtually advert free beauty advice, with articles covering every inch of your body from you hair, lips, nails, eyes, to your skin. Particular standout articles includes 'How Do I Apply Fake Tan?', '40 Ways To Get Beautiful On A Budget', and 'Hot Lips' which is an article that helps you match your skin tone to your ideal red/orange lipstick. All in all the articles are really informative and perfectly written in that true Cosmo style.

I can see this little magazine becoming my go to guide for a variety of information! It's already made me want a Clarisonic and to go out and find my perfect red lippie, fingers crossed there will new issues somewhere along the horizon.

Have you got your copy of Cosmo Beauty? If so, what's your favourite article?

(Sorry about the odd arrangement of this post, I'm using the Blogger app on my iPad!)

Working Away

Hey team!

Just to let you fabulous people know I am currently away working in the Olympic park having an amazing experience courtsey of my work company, McDonald's.

That being said, I haven't been able to blog anything exciting, and will not be able to for about another week or so.

Big wave hello to my new followers :D Thank-you for taking the time to come and peek at my blog, I really do appreciate it!

See you with lots of photos and updates soon!

A Few Snaps...

Good night in/Hello me in work uniform!/Mousse - yummy/My teeny tiny baby pink suitcase waiting to be pack for London
Matey for £1!/Wearing the coolest top/I love cider/American Party cups

Best choc I've had in a while/Magazines in the sun/OPI sparkles/I actually managed to cook!

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