Budget Beauty Blender!

Hello, my beauties!

I hope that you’re all having a lovely week! I can’t believe that summer’s almost over already, I’m so upset that I’ll be back at uni’ so soon! The past few months have just flown by, where does the time go?!

Over the past few weeks or so, I’ve seen a lot of you ladies asking about the Beauty Blender sponge on twitter. A lot of you guys are keen to know how to use the Beauty Blender properly, and whether or not it works as well as it claims to, but the most common question that I’ve seen being asked is ‘is it worth the money?’ I completely understand why so many of you guys are looking for an answer to this question - £16 is a lot of money for a make-up sponge, especially if you’re on a budget!

Not to worry – I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret! As a ‘budget beauty blogger’, I’m always looking for a bargain, and I certainly found one when I stumbled across this Beauty Blender Dupe! After reading a tonne of rave reviews, I’d had my eye on the Beauty Blender for a while, but as someone who had never really been into make-up sponges, I just couldn’t justify parting with £16 for one! So, desperate to get my hands on one, I decided to go on a little hunt for a dupe! (Apologies in advance for my sponge being a little dirty in the following pictures – I wash it after every use but it’s gotten a little stained because I use it so often!).

Seeing as I’m a total eBay addict (seriously, I’m so obsessed with all of the super cheap auctions on there – please tell me that it’s not just me?!), I decided to start by checking for Beauty Blenders on there, and, within seconds, I found exactly what I was looking for! This little sponge is almost identical to the actual Beauty Blender. It’s the exact same hot pink colour, and the same teardrop shape – the only difference is the price! This little beauty only cost me £1.25, compared to £16 for the real thing – bargain!

It’s not just the price that’s fab either! The sponge itself is absolutely brilliant! Because of the super low price, I expected the sponge to be made of quite cheap, low quality material, but when I received it, I was surprised to find that it was actually really soft and smooth!

In terms of applying make-up, the sponge does a fantastic job. In all honesty, it’s become my favourite way to apply my foundation! Before you use the sponge, make sure to give it a little rinse under the tap and squeeze out any excess water. This makes the sponge expand to almost twice its normal size, which means that it has a greater surface area for you to apply your foundation with, and it also stops it from absorbing too much of your foundation, meaning that you won’t be wasting product! I like to pump a little of my foundation on to the back on my hand, dip the sponge in (make sure that you don’t get too much product!), and simply dab/bounce the sponge over my face and neck! Not only does the shape of the sponge make it super easy to use, but it also applies your foundation without leaving any unsightly lines or streaks and leaves your skin looking flawless!

As if all of that isn’t enough, the tip of the sponge is also fab for applying concealer! It really gets into all of those hard-to-reach places, such as under your eyes and around your nose and mouth. It really blends your concealer into your foundation, giving you a flawless complexion – it makes my skin look almost airbrushed! (Really!)

As for cleaning the sponge, it’s super simple. All you need to do is wash it in some warm, soapy water, and then run it under the cold tap, making sure you’ve squeezed out any excess soap. Then, squeeze out any left over water and leave it to dry! Voila!

I really hope that you guys enjoyed this review and found it helpful! If you’re interested in getting your hands on one of these ‘Budget Beauty Blenders’, you can check it out here! Let me know if you decide to try it out, I’d love to hear what you thought! Also, let me know if any of you guys have tried out the real Beauty Blender!

See you all next time!

Much love,

 

Be Happy Post Series | Confidence is Key !

Hello, my lovelies!

I hope you’ve all had a lovely week! I’m finally back from my little break from blogging! The past few weeks have been hectic – between one thing and another, I just haven’t had the time to sit down and dedicate any real effort to writing new posts! On the odd occasion where I did have a spare half hour to just sit down and write, I was stopped in my tracks by the most awful writers’ block – what a nightmare!

Anyway, I’m glad to tell you guys that after taking a few weeks off to clear my head and get inspired, I’ve decided to start a new post series on being happy! We all know that from time to time, little problems and stresses can add up and start to get to us. Whether that be the stresses of work and day-to-day life, or even our insecurities and self-doubts – all of these things can leave us feeling a little downhearted and gloomy. From my own experience I know that sometimes, when we’re feeling a little low, we stop noticing the little things in life that once made us happy, and start letting them pass us by. Whether it be a smile from a stranger, or a long phone call from someone that you miss, we sometimes stop noticing and appreciating all those little things that we love and that make us happy.

So, I’d like to share with you guys some of the little steps that I’ve taken over the years to help myself to feel happier, whether that be during difficult times in my life, or just after a stressful day at work! (Also, just a little disclaimer before we get started – I’m in no way insinuating that these are definitive tips that will work for everyone, I’m just sharing some of the methods that have helped me out over the past few years in the hope that they will help some of you guys!).

Let’s start off this post series with a little chat about confidence! Everyone has struggled with confidence issues at some point in their life. One of the main things that have really held me back over the years has been my confidence – or my lack of it. Having super low self-confidence really impacted on my happiness.

Until I was around fifteen, I was constantly bullied by certain people at my school. I’m guessing that a lot of you guys have been in the same situation, and know exactly how horrible it feels. After years of being constantly picked on and made to feel bad about myself, my self-confidence was at rock bottom. Not only did I not have the confidence to go out by myself or try to meet new people for fear of running into these bullies out with school, but I’d also started to despise the way that I looked. I’d constantly compare myself to the ‘popular’ girls in my year and convince myself that I’d never be as ‘pretty’ or as ‘perfect’ as they were.

It got to the point where I’d dread having to go to school every day and face these people. I spent my first few years at high school trying to avoid these people in the hope that they wouldn’t notice me or say anything to me – it was almost as if I was trying to make myself invisible. That’s when I decided that things had to change. 

It took me a long time, but I finally realised that I shouldn’t allow these cruel, spiteful people to dictate the way that I lived my life. I’d spent so many years hiding away and letting these people take advantage of my shyness and insecurities, and for what? By letting these people make me feel worthless, I was allowing them to feel better about themselves. I realised that these people were only making these hateful comments about me because they could, and because I let them, not because they were true. It was time to stand up for myself!

Obviously, my confidence didn’t grow overnight. The first time that I stood up for myself in front of these bullies, I was super nervous, but I knew that by acting confident and speaking back to them, they’d learn that I was no longer the easy target that I once had been – fake it ‘till you feel it! Naturally, these bullies didn’t just disappear, but over time they became bored of picking on me when they realised that they’d stopped getting the reaction that they craved out of me.

Building up your confidence, particularly if you’re super shy like I was, is never going to be an easy journey, but if you truly believe in yourself and keep pushing yourself towards your goals, you’ll reap the rewards in the end. In the past few years my confidence has really grown, which has not only allowed me to feel much more outgoing and comfortable in my own skin, but being more confident has also made me a much happier, cheerful person! Let’s face it – no-one feels truly happy when they are being restricted by their shyness and insecurities. The key is not to let these things hold you back! Being confident about who you are - and loving who you are! - is the first step on the path to happiness. Make a list of things that you love about yourself. Whether it’s your shiny hair, your sense of style, or even just your great timekeeping skills – learn to appreciate these as the things that make you unique! Make sure you tell yourself that you are beautiful and you are special every single day, even if you don’t believe it – never let anyone tell you otherwise! 

Don’t let your insecurities get in the way of your happiness. There will always be people out there who make horrible comments about others just to make themselves feel better, but that doesn’t mean that the things they say are true! Everyone is insecure about something – it’s only natural! – but by being insecure about absolutely everything about yourself, you’re just filling yourself with pointless worries and anxieties! List the things that you are insecure about, and realise which ones are just silly – by ditching these unnecessary anxieties, you’ll learn to love yourself for who you really are.

Last but not least – push yourself! Building confidence isn’t just about loving who you are – set yourself goals, and really try to push yourself out of your comfort zone! Maybe you’re nervous about meeting new people or giving speeches in front of crowds – do whatever scares you! Not only will pushing yourself to do something that scares you give you a huge confidence boost, but it’ll also make it so much easier to do that particular thing again – practice makes perfect!

So, there you have it! I really do believe that confidence is the first step towards happiness – I mean, how can you be truly happy if you can’t even be confident in your own skin?! I hope that you guys enjoyed this post, and I really hope that even a few of you might have found it useful! Do you guys have any tips for building your confidence? I’d love to hear them!

See you all next time!

Much love,

Healthy Hair - On a Budget !

Hi there, beautiful !

We all know that feeling of panic when we notice that we’ve suddenly gotten a lot more split ends, or that our hair has become super dry and frizzy, right ? Realising that your hair isn’t as healthy as it once was is always going to come as a nasty surprise – it’s happened to all of us !

I know that I used to take the health of my hair for granted, especially when I was younger. I would blow-dry and straighten my hair daily (without any form of heat defence – eek !), yet I would always be unpleasantly surprised when split ends started to creep up on me. A few years ago, I decided to grow my hair out – I’ve always wanted super long hair ! – but before I could even think about growing it, I had to get a pretty decent chunk cut off of it to get rid of all my split ends and dead hair. Naturally, I was devastated – that was definitely my wake-up call to start taking better care of my hair ! 

Trust me, I know that when you first notice that your hair no longer looks its best, it’s natural to want to run out to the store and grab a tonne of pricey products that promise to solve all of your hair woes – but in reality, there’s no need to spend a fortune on fancy hair products. By simply making a few changes to how you care for your hair, you can maintain your lovely locks – on a budget !

Step 1: Off with the ends !

Okay, I know how much you ladies hate hearing those words – especially if you’re trying to grow your hair out ! – but honestly, the only real way to achieve healthy hair is to begin by getting rid of the dead, split ends. No number of fancy creams or serums can bring dead hair back to life ! Trust me, I found it super hard to come to terms with that too ! You should aim to get your hair trimmed around every 6-8 weeks, that way you’ll nip any split ends in the bud, before they start to get any worse ! 

Step 2: Washing.

It’s important that you try to be super gentle with your hair, especially when you’re washing it. When you’re washing your hair, it’s okay to use warm/hot water to start with – warm water helps to lather up your shampoo, and it rinses away dirt and oil ! However, when you’re rinsing your shampoo and conditioner from your hair, try to use cool or even cold water – cold water helps to seal in your hair’s moisture and leave it looking sleek and shiny ! After I’ve rinsed my hair, I like to dip the ends into a jug of cold water for a few minutes – this leaves my hair feeling strong and healthy !

As well as being more careful whilst washing your hair, you should try not to wash your hair everyday – I know exactly how difficult this can be, especially if your hair gets oily quickly, but washing your hair everyday can lead to washing out all its natural oils (which are essential for healthy hair !), leaving your hair feeling dry and brittle. However, not to fear – dry shampoo to the rescue ! Dry shampoo really is a life-saver for me – since I discovered how great dry shampoo is, I only need to wash my hair every other day, which saves me a whole lot of time and effort ! My favourite dry shampoo is ‘Batiste’, which you can buy from any drug store.

Step 3: Drying.

Okay, let’s face it – we’re all guilty of being a little too rough with our hair at times, especially whilst trying to brush out the tangles after washing ! However, when your hair is wet, it’s in its most vulnerable state – it’s much easier to damage your hair when it’s wet than when it’s dry !

To begin drying your hair, gently pat the lengths of it with a towel – don’t rub ! Rubbing is much too rough for weak, wet hair and can cause damage easily. Also, try to be super careful whilst brushing your wet hair. Don’t pull or tug at any tangles – this’ll only break and tear your hair ! You can use a brush specially designed for wet hair, such as the Tangle Teezer, or you can use a wide-toothed comb, which you can buy pretty cheaply at any drug store.

If you can leave your hair to dry naturally, great ! Avoiding heat styling is a great way to get healthier hair. If you want to blow dry your hair, be sure to use your hairdryer on a cool setting – not only is this less damaging for hair, but the cool air also leaves your hair looking shiny and moisturised ! 

Step 4: Treat your hair !

There are a whole lot of different ways that you can indulge your hair, so I’m just going to share my three favourite ways with you guys !

My favourite way to treat my hair and give it some much needed moisture is by deep conditioning -  I like to do this around once a week, and I usually leave the product on for around 30 minutes to 1 hour. I know that it’s laborious and time-consuming, but the results are definitely worth the effort ! Deep conditioning won’t repair damaged or dead hair, but it strengthens your hair and helps to protect it from future damage.

I also like to use a leave in conditioner on my hair a few times a week. I apply this to the ends of my hair after washing, and then simply blow dry. This leaves my hair feeling soft, silky and hydrated – and much more manageable !

Another way that I like to treat my hair is by using heat styling products as little as possible. I guess this has been more of a long-term change for me than a one-off hair treat, but I have definitely seen the difference in the condition of my hair. When I was younger, I used to blow dry and straighten my curly hair on a daily basis, which was very damaging. Nowadays, I only straighten my hair if I’m heading out somewhere special. The rest of the time, I use the cool setting on my hairdryer to blow dry my hair so that it’ll be relatively straight (and not super curly !), which I do every other day, after I have washed my hair. 

Step 5: Go easy on the products !

As I mentioned before, there’s no need to rush out and buy an array of fancy treatments to ‘fix’ your damaged hair – all you need are a few carefully selected products and you’ll be good to go ! Using too many styling products can actually ‘clog’ your hair up with product, making it feel dryer.

Right now, I’m only using three different styling products on my hair – I’m using the Tresemme Platinum Strength leave in conditioner, which I purchased from Superdrug. It usually costs around £5.99, but right now you can buy it for only £2.95 in the Superdrug sale! You can check out this offer offer here.  I’m also using the Tresemme Restructuring Deep Conditioning Treatment Masque (quite a title !). This usually costs around £4.99, but it’s currently only £2.45 in the sale ! You can check out this offer here.  The final product that I’m using is the Dove Heat Defence Mist. I bought this from Boots for only £1.34 and I have totally fallen in love with it ! Not only is it fantastically cheap, but it does a great job of protecting my hair from heat damage, and it lasts for months!

Don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune or fancy shampoos, either. We’d all love to own high-end, salon quality shampoos, but personally, I just can’t justify that much money on something that I’m going to use up in no time at all – and I know that a lot of you guys will be in the same boat ! In reality, as long as you pick a shampoo that’s suited to your hair type, it’ll clean and nourish your hair perfectly well ! Right now I’m using the Herbal Essences Uplifting Volume shampoo. I have fairly fine hair, and it does a great job of giving my hair a volume boost, whilst leaving it feeling weightless – it smells fab too !

So, there you have it ! I hope that you didn’t find this post too long or boring, but I wanted to include as much detailed information as I could to help you guys out ! Be sure to let me know what you thought of this post, I’d love to hear your opinions !

What are you favourite hair care tips ? Let me know !

See you all next time !

Much love, 

Sunshine in Scotland ?!

Hello, my beauties !

I hope that you’ve all been enjoying the lovely weather that we’ve been having here in the U.K – I certainly have ! All of this lovely sunshine has inspired me to try out something a little bit different ! As much as I love make-up and everything beauty related, I don’t want my blog to be solely dedicated to either of those two things – I’d love to be able to throw in some posts about what’s been going on in my day-to-day life ! So, without further ado, here’s the first of my ‘a day in Sarah’s life’ posts !

So, seeing as we’ve been having so much lovely sunshine here in Scotland, my boyfriend and I decided to take Milly out for the day to a glen/country park close to where we live. The area is wooded (so there was plenty of much needed shade from the sun !), and there are countless trails and paths to explore.

The area that Calum and I visited was right beside a lovely river, just downstream from a little waterfall. We sat on the huge banking, just beside the river – the banking was pebbled, so we laid down some towels and sunbathed while Milly played in the river !

The area where we sat was super hot and sunny (we stupidly sat directly in the sun !), so Calum decided that only solution was for him to play with Milly in the river – still a kid a heart !

We all had a fab day, particularly Milly, who managed to get well and truly soaked - just in time for the car journey home ! Personally, I just enjoyed being able to relax in the sun – it’s not often that I get the opportunity to in Scotland ! 

So, I hope that you guys enjoyed this post ! Let me know what you thought, I’d appreciate your opinions ! I hope that you’re all having a great summer, let me know what you’ve all been up to !

See you all next time !

Much love,

Fifty facts about Sarah !

Hi everyone !
So, I’ve done a few posts now since I started my blog, but I feel like you guys still don’t know very much about me ! All of my posts so far have been centered around me showing you guys a product and letting you know what I thought about it – which I’ve loved and had great fun doing, don’t get me wrong ! -  so I thought it was about time that I told you all a little more about myself so that you can all get to know me better, and what better way to do it than to give you guys fifty fun facts about myself !

Let’s get started !

1. My boyfriend, Calum, and I have been together for almost three years. He’s my best friend and I don’t know what I’d do without him (awww).

2. I have two younger brothers. We were all born in June, and our birthdays are only a few days apart.

3. My favourite food is noodles. I could literally survive solely on noodles. I’m obsessed.

4. I am 5’4” tall. I’ve always wished that I could be just a little taller !

5. I’m left-handed, but I can only use scissors with my right hand.

6. I can’t swim or ride a bike.

7. I’ve been able to drive for three years and passed my driving test on my first attempt.

8. I am not a morning person. If I need to be anywhere before 10 a.m, I’m likely to be pretty grumpy about it !

9. My first name is actually Sarah-Louise, but I hate being called that – everyone has always just called me Sarah, even my parents !

10. I am terrified of moths. Like, the really big ones. They’re so horrible.

11. I hate having to repeat myself over and over, especially when the person I’m speaking to just blatantly wasn’t listening the first three times.

12. I only actually wear make-up a few days a week, like when I’m going to work. If I’m just running errands or going to the shops I won’t bother.

13. I’m a pretty fussy eater. There are so many foods that I won’t eat because I think that I don’t like them, even if I’ve never tried them before.

14. I would absolutely love to visit China.

15. I’m about to go into my third year of a Human Biology degree.

16. I always promise myself that I’ll start my coursework or revision for exams super early so that I won’t be stressed at the last minute, but I never do. Procrastination always wins !

17. I’m a massive science geek. I’m hugely fascinated by anything science-related.

18. I’m super easily pleased. I’m perfectly happy to spend my weekends watching films or playing the Xbox with my boyfriend instead of going out (party animal – not !).

19. I don’t like any type of hot drink, like tea of coffee. Everyone that I know thinks that I’m super weird !

20. My hair is naturally curly, but I usually wear it straight. It’s so unmanageable when it’s curly !

21. I never used to like the Lord of the Rings, despite never having properly watched it. Calum made me sit and watch it from beginning to end, and it’s now one of my favourite films !

22. I absolutely hate being lied to, especially when I know the truth. There’s nothing worse than someone who can be deceitful straight to your face.

23. I love horror films. I’ve watched too many to remember !

24. I have a six year old bearded collie named Milly. She’s my baby !

 25. I can’t do the dishes. I have a totally irrational phobia of the dirty dishwater (it’s ridiculously weird, I know).

26. I much prefer having my hair tied up to wearing it down. I think I suit having it tied up – plus, it never lies right when I wear it down !

27. I’m terrified of going to the hairdressers – they literally always cut off more than I want !

28. I live in my jammies. I hate sitting around the house wearing normal clothes, it’s so uncomfortable !

29. I absolutely love having my hair played with.

30. People think that I constantly diet or just don’t eat because I’m pretty skinny, but in reality I have a super fast metabolism and find it difficult to put on weight.

31. I’ve lived in the same house my whole life.

32. I love art. I used to be really into drawing, but since I became a student and got a job, I don’t really have enough free time to just sit down and draw.

33. My dream is to move to America after my boyfriend and I have graduated from uni’.

34. I have green eyes.

35. Green also happens to be my favourite colour !

36. I was a ballet dancer for thirteen years. I had to stop because I developed knee problems.

37. I constantly promise myself that I’m going to start going to the gym and get fit. It’s yet to happen.

38. I hoard totally pointless things such as old cinema tickets and little notes that people have written for me. I'm hugely sentimental.

39. I check my phone first thing every morning as if it’s the morning paper.

40. I’ve always been very self-conscious about the way I look.

41. I couldn’t live without concealer. I have horrible dark circles from lack of sleep !

42. I don’t tan - I just burn. I suppose it isn’t a bad thing, though – I’m one of the few people who actually don’t mind being pale !

43. One of the first things that I notice about people (apart from the obvious things like eyes) is their eyebrows – I have such an obsession with perfect eyebrows ! (is that weird?!).

44. I’m in love with strawberry milk !

45. My dream is to become a doctor.

46. Until I was around 13, I was –such- a tomboy. All I wanted to do was play football with the boys and I wouldn’t wear anything except joggers and trainers (cringe).

47. The first make-up product I owned was an Avon mascara.

48. I still climb the stairs on all fours.

49. My boyfriend lives a few hours away from home for around seven months of the year to go to uni, so when he first left, we got matching infinity bracelets as a cute reminder that we’re always with each other.

50. It took me well over a year to work up the courage to finally start my blog because I was worried that it wouldn’t be good enough. I’ve no idea why I waited so long, it’s been such a great experience and I’ve met so many lovely people !

So, there you have it ! Hope you guys enjoyed reading my facts, and that they didn’t bore you too much !  Don’t hesitate to leave me a comment if there’s anything else you’d like to know !

Have any of you guys done a ‘facts about me post’ ? Feel free to send me your links, I love reading these posts, they’re such a great way to get to know the person behind the blog ! See you all next time !

Much love,

My Birthday !

Hello my lovelies !

So, seeing as I celebrated my twentieth birthday on Monday, I thought I’d tell you guys about how I spent my day and show you the gifts that I received ! Just a little reminder that I’m in no way bragging by doing this post – personally, I love seeing all the lovely gifts that other people receive for their birthdays, so I figured that you guys might like to see what I got !  

Most of the gifts that I received are from my amazing boyfriend, Calum – my parents gave me money towards going on holiday (as well as a few little bits and pieces that I had been eyeing up) because there wasn’t anything in particular that I had asked them for, so they weren’t really sure what to get for me ! I won’t go into massive details about everything that I got – there isn’t really a great deal to say about some of the little things ! (How much can you say about a DVD ?!). So, with that out of the way, let’s get started ! 

The first gift that I received, which I’ve wanted for the longest time, is the Tangle Teezer ! I have fairly fine hair, which means that it gets damaged easily if I’m not super careful when I’m brushing and styling it. The Tangle Teezer is a god-send – it glides through wet hair and untangles it without pulling, tugging or breaking it. I have pretty long hair, so protecting it from damage, particularly when it’s wet, is my main priority, and the Tangle Teezer does this effortlessly – amazing ! 

Next, I received the Real Techniques ‘Core Collection’ brushes. I’d had my eye on these brushes for so long but I’d never gotten around to buying them, so I was super excited when I opened these ! The kit contains four brushes:

          · The detailer brush, which is ideal for applying concealer.

          ·  The pointed foundation brush (speaks for itself !).

          ·  The buffing brush, which can be used to apply liquid or powder foundation for a flawless look.

          ·  The contour brush, which can be used to apply highlighter, as well as contouring.

The brushes also come in a case, which doubles up as a stand ! The brushes are super lightweight and the bristles are lovely and soft – I can’t wait to try them out and let you guys know what I think !  

I also received the Rocket Volum’ Express Mascara from Maybelline ! I’d read a lot about this mascara so I was happy to finally get my hands on it! The new ‘Supersonic Brush’, which is fairly chunky and coated in tiny, soft bristles, promises sleek, voluminous lashes with zero clumps – I have to say, it definitely delivered on that promise ! The mascara made my lashes look super long and defined, with no clumps in sight ! Despite the name, I wouldn’t say that the mascara provides much volume, but the length that it adds to your lashes definitely makes up for it !

I’ve been looking for the perfect highlighter for so long, so I was super grateful to receive High Beam by Benefit ! I like to apply the formula to my brow and cheek bones, which gives me a radiant, glowing complexion ! High Beam is definitely a pricier product, but a little goes a long way – perfect if you’re looking to treat yourself !

I also received these super cute t-shirts ! The ‘I love NY’ t-shirt is a crop top from River Island, the Batman t-shirt is also from River Island, and the Wonder Woman top (my personal favourite !) is from an online brand called Junk Food.

I’d been looking for new jeans for the longest time – I had a specific colour in my head that I wanted but I couldn’t find a pair anywhere ! Anyhow, my boyfriend eventually found this pair in River Island – finally, the perfect colour ! I’d describe them as being a dark, faded denim colour, and they have some tiny stud detailing on the back pockets. I can’t wait to wear them !

So, to finish off, I’ll show you guys a few little bits and pieces that I received. I got Wreck-it Ralph on blu-ray, which I was super excited about (how good is that film ?!). I also got Spirited Away, which I had wanted for a while – I’d seen it on T.V a few times and loved it ! And last but not least, I received The Hobbit on blu-ray – I loved seeing this at the cinema, can’t wait to watch it again !

So, you’re probably wondering who these little guys are from my first picture. I’m about to go into my third year of a Human Biology degree, so I’m a bit of a self-confessed science geek… So, if like me you love all things science-y, you’ll love these ! These are the ‘Giant Plush Microbes’ from an online company called Think Geek. These little fellas are small, cuddly toys in the shape of MRSA… With capes ! I warned you that I was a geek…

So, there you have it ! I had a great day, and I received so many lovely gifts, which I’m super grateful for ! And, to top it all off, my boyfriend and I went out for dinner at night –I finally had my first ever Nando’s (jumping on the bandwagon late, I know !). If you guys would like to know more about anything that I received, just let me know ! I’d be more than happy to chat with you guys.

See you all next time !

Much love,

 

Bloglovin'

Hello my lovlies !

Just a quick post to tell you guys that I signed up to Bloglovin' today, seeing as Google Friend Connect is shutting down. So, feel free to follow me ! Just click on the Bloglovin' button in my sidebar. :)

Much love,

Revlon | 'Just Bitten' lipstain.

Hey everyone ! I wasn't sure what my first proper blog post should be about, so I decided to tell you guys about a product that I picked up on a whim and ended up falling in love with – the ‘Just Bitten’ lipstains by Revlon !

I love wearing bright lip colours when I’m out and about, whether I’m going out to dinner or to the cinema, or just meeting up with some friends – I feel like a bright lip colour instantly brightens up my face and livens up even the simplest of make-up looks. However, I hate having to constantly touch-up my lip colour and worry about it smudging or transferring on to my teeth while I’m out – nightmare ! So, I began my search for a longer lasting lip colour, and that’s when I came across these lipstains !

I had never tried a lipstain before, but after trying the Just Bitten lipstains, I've no idea why I waited so long ! For starters, there were so many pretty colours to choose from – I literally had no idea where to begin ! In the end, I decided on the shades ‘Victorian’ and ‘Crave’.  

Going by the packaging, ‘Crave’ appears to be a bright purplish-pink colour, whereas ‘Victorian’ looks to be a dark pink. However, when I swatched the colours, both were a little darker than expected. This wasn't a problem though – both colours were still gorgeous !

'Crave' - left. 'Victorian' - right.
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The product itself looks a lot like a felt tip/marker pen, which I thought was rather cool ! It also has a lip balm on the end to keep your lips feeling moisturised whilst wearing the stain. It’s super easy to apply – I like to exfoliate my lips and apply a little of the balm before I apply the lipstain, otherwise the stain creeps in to all the tiny cracks on your lips and leaves them looking very chapped – never a nice look ! Then I like to line my lips with the stain, just to make sure that I don’t go outside my lip line when I’m filling my lips in – it’s very difficult to get off of your skin ! Finally, I simply fill in the rest of my lips, and, voila – beautiful, bright lips! You can also apply a little of the balm after the stain has dried to keep your lips from feeling dried out.

The lipstains are extremely long lasting – just what I wanted ! I wore the shade ‘Crave’ out to dinner a few weeks ago and didn't have to reapply it at all, even after eating ! The balm is also a great part of the product – with certain bright lip colours, particularly lipsticks, I find that my lips get very dried out and cracked, but the balm really helps to keep your lips hydrated (and it doesn't take away from the matte effect of the lipstain!).  The only downside to the product is that it’s fairly hard to remove.  I mean, it is a lip stain after all! I find that leaving Vaseline or baby oil on my lips for around ten minutes then removing with a make-up wipe helps to remove most of the product, but it’s definitely still visible on my lips the next day. Nevertheless, I still absolutely love this product ; it’s bright, vibrant, and long lasting – precisely what I was looking for ! 

I can’t wait to try out some different lipstains – let me know what your favourite lipstain is, I’d love to check it out ! You can buy the Revlon ‘Just Bitten’ lipstain for around £7.99 from any high street drug store, such as Superdrug or Boots, however, I got mine online from Fragrance Direct (http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/) for only £1.75 ! I purchased mine a few months ago now so I’m not sure how many colours will be left in stock, but if you’re interested in this product, you should definitely check it out – great deal !

See you all next time !

Much love,