Saturday 28 March 2015

RECENT NON-BEAUTY FAVS

I've been loving a lot of non-beauty related things lately, so I thought I'd share some of my recent favorites with ya'll.

1. The Following and Stalker


I have always been a huge fan of the TV show The Following. When Season 3 finally started I was so excited, and I'm happy to say it's been great so far. However, with only one episode coming out each week it definitely didn't satisfy my crime/thriller/drama bug so I decided to start a new show as per the recommendation of my sister.
Stalker has one season out with 17 episodes. I started it exactly a week ago and I'm already almost done (oops). Each episode brings an creepy new case but still develops the back story in a very interesting way. I won't mention anything else as to not accidentally spoil anything, but for sure it's worth checking out.

2. Cinderella

I have never been a HUGE Cinderella fan. Yes, I watched it loads of times when I was little, but she was never my favorite disney princess. That being said, when I saw the trailer for the new live action Cinderella I may have gotten a little emotional so I knew I had to watch it. My best friend and I went earlier this week and I'm pretty sure we were more excited than all of the kids there - for the movie AND the little Frozen feature thing at the beginning. I thought Lily James did a lovely job as Cinderella. I wasn't sure about Richard Madden as the Prince first, but he definitely won me over as the movie went on, and the chemistry between them both was great. I also thought the evil step sisters did a great job and were hilarious. The one thing I didn't like though was how tight their corsets were. The moment I noticed I couldn't unsee it, they all looked so uncomfortable breathing and I'm sure the movie wouldn't have suffered if they just loosened them a bit.


3. Monument


I have a love hate issue with this app. The graphics are gorgeous and the little puzzle worlds are great, but it's over way (way way) too fast. I could've easily finished it in one sitting so it was a bit disappointing given that it's a paid app. I really hope they release some new levels (for free) soon as it really is beautiful and I'd really like to play some more.

4. Playing the piano and Singing (Separately)

Ever since I've devoted more time to music I've basically become addicted and can't not practice, play or sing something at least once a day. I always used to play around on the piano before but I never took lessons until this semester. Although it's only been a few weeks I can definitely see a huge improvement in my skills and sight reading, which of course I'm very happy about.
I also decided to step out of my comfort zone and taking private voice lessons this semester. It is very scary and different for me but I'm so glad I did. I've been in love with being part of a choir for the past year and a bit, but didn't think I had it in me to go for solo lessons. Although it's hard and definitely takes practice, I'm giving it all I have and hopefully I'll be more confident with it after a few more months.

This post was a little ramblier than I anticipated but I hope you guys found it somewhat interesting. I'd love to know things you've been loving lately, anything from shows to moments, let me know down below!


Saturday 21 March 2015

TOP 5 SPRING LIPSTICKS

Lip products, by far, are my favorite makeup items to buy and wear. There are so many options, with colors and finishes, I can never get enough. As we leave Winter and enter Spring, I tend to shift from deep berries and reds into all kinds of pinks. Here are some of my favorite picks for the upcoming months.



First, I have the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (£7.99) in the shade 10 Darling (Which may have been renamed to Cherish). Revlon do some of my favorite lip crayon formulas in all kinds of finishes, thoughI like the original ones best. This is a beautiful pinky lilac color that's a little unusual, but still very flattering to wear. If you're scared of purple lipstick but want to give it a go, I think this is a great one to start with.

Next up is another Revlon product. Their Lip Butters (£7.99) are definitely in my top five favorite lipstick formulas, as they are very comfortable and hydrating, yet pack a punch of color. I love Wild Watermelon for the Spring, and it's perfectly named as I can't find any other way to describe the color than Watermelon.

For my only more expensive option, I've chosen Mac's See Sheer (£15.50). I usually find peaches and colors a bit difficult to wear as they can wash me out, but this one lovely and compliments my skin tone well. I picked this shade up through their back to Mac program which I wrote about here.

Back to drugstore, I have this Burt's Bees lip crayon ($9.00) in Hawaiian Smolder. I got this when I was in the US because I love their lip balms, but have never seen or tried any colored ones. I'm not sure if they've made their way over to the UK yet or not, but if they have they're definitely worth a try. It feels exactly like applying one of their lip balms, but you get a nice wash of color that can be layered up to quite an opaque finish, or swept on to stay sheer. Of course, the one I picked up is a nice everyday pink, but i definitely need to get my hands on some more colors.

Finally I have a gorgeous bright pink Maybelline Color Elixir (£6.99) in the color Hibiscus Haven. I'm not the biggest lipgloss fan, but recently I've been loving this formula. It's super pigmented and hydrating, and leaves behind a wash of color once the gloss has faded. It's quite thick, which I don't mind as it increases the longevity, and has a really nice doe foot applicator. I definitely recommend picking up one of these colors even if you're not a lipgloss lover.


Let me know what some of you're favorite lip products are for Spring in the comments below!

Saturday 14 March 2015

ONE WASH WONDER


         I think eyeshadows are slightly addictive. I mean, who am I kidding, makeup in general is addictive - but there's something about eyeshadow and when you start wearing it on a regular basis, you kind of don't want to go without it. That being said, I've managed to keep my eyeshadow collection in check and I don't have TOO many lying around, and those that I do have are in palette form. I only own two single eyeshadows, and they're both from Rimmel. I'm generally not a huge fan of drugstore eyeshadows as the formulas can be very chalky and hard to work with, especially if you're a n00b like me, however I find the Rimmel ones to be quite good, especially if you're just starting out.


         Rimmel's Smokey Quartz (£4.49) was one of the first eyeshadows I ever bought, and it's still one I use regularly. It's a beautiful bronze with a taupe shimmer running through it that's perfect for everyday. The shimmer isn't too chunky, and I think the color will look great on both warmer and cooler skin tones. I also find that it's one of those eyeshadows that kind changes color a bit as you blend it, so I don't need to add anything in the crease as it defines itself. I love using this when I don't want to think too much about my eyeshadow but still want something there. I can't wear any eyeshadows (at all) without a primer since my eyelids are an oily mess, so I can't attest to it's wear time without, but with a primer it lasts all day on me. I also like to layer it over the Maybelline 24hr color tattoo in Bad to the Bronze/On and On Bronze to add a bit more oomph to the color. Just blend some brown eyeliner into the lashes, add tons of mascara, and there you go a quick and easy eye look.

Let me know what some of your favorite one wash wonders are, or what your favorite drugstore brands are for eyeshadow :)