May Catch-up

Hello everyone, today’s catchup is bought to you from a poorly Iqra sitting in bed, looking through her camera roll for photos from May. It was an over-all great month but I just didn’t take a lot of photos unfortunately.


Exams
Blurgh, talk about a horrible word. I had four exams and they left me exhausted, second year Psychology is so tough! We had so many modules and so so soooo much to remember, especially compared so some other courses! However it’s a relief that second year is done and I am now onto the third and final year of my course - where on earth did time go??


Dissertation
We found out who our mentors were last month and I was over the moon because I got my first pick (we had to choose 5). My mentor is, as you can probably tell, one of my favourite lecturers, she is full of energy and enthusiasm which bounces off on us and she is always willing to help. We’ve had one lunch-time meeting where we discussed our initial ideas on dissertation and one meeting about our literature review. I’m really set on doing my dissertation on...drum roll please...P R O C R A S T I N A T I O N!


Birthday Surprise
One of my best friends Ayesha surprised me with tickets to see J.Cole which was amazing! We went to the Barclaycard arena in Birmingham and although it was super hot, the experience was a once in a lifetime for me! It’s not something I normally do which made it even more exciting.


Turning 20 and starting a makeup course??
I’ve written a post about ‘20 things I want to do in my 20s’ and I had a really nice day with my family. Normally on birthday’s one doesn’t feel particularly different, but this one was different. I do feel older and like I’m starting the next chapter of my life. Oh and I’ve already started one of the 20 things!


Starting a makeup course tehe
It’s online but includes assignments and takes a good few weeks to complete. I began module one yesterday and I’ve already learnt a decent amount. It goes into detail about so many things, different eye shapes, essential brushes etc. and it’s very interesting. It’s not the same as doing a physical, going into a classroom type of course which I also hope to do, but this is like the foundation of my makeup knowledge slowly growing ^_^ If you’re interested in the course I signed up for, which was apparently £399 and now reduced to £24 click here and you earn a level 2 certificate upon completion. If anyone would like me to blog about this course a little later and if I think it’s worth it, let me know! There’s only one day left to take advantage but from the reviews I’ve read they make this available every now and again so it’s not a once in a life time opportunity.


Making a holiday schedule and prepping for Ramadan
As soon as my final exam was over I knew I had to change a few things for the better and from tomorrow I’ll be trying to stick to my new schedule. This includes exercise, blogging time and cooking too so here’s to getting organised! Ramadan is also right around the corner, it’s a very special month and I’ve been trying to mentally prepare myself. The physical aspect of not eating or drinking is something I haven’t done though, as the chubby cheeks still remain. Hopefully with a combination of eating the right stuff and exercise they’ll be less chubbeh - that’s what a healthy life-style means right D:


Once upon a time...
I didn't think I would enjoy this series, but I am hooked! If you liked your fairytales as a kid, this version is a pretty awesome mix! They've included so many stories and woven them around the main characters, and there's just something magical about it. I preferred season 2 to season 1 so if the first few aren't that interesting, sit through them - it gets better!

How was your May?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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May Catch-up

Hello everyone, today’s catchup is bought to you from a poorly Iqra sitting in bed, looking through her camera roll for photos from May. It was an over-all great month but I just didn’t take a lot of photos unfortunately.

Haul | How I Got Colour Pop To The UK!

Hello everyone! As I’ve mentioned before, exams had me taking advantages of offers online left, right and centre and lets just say that my makeup buying appetite has well and truly been fulfilled! (Although if the Kat Von D contour kit comes into stock before the end of May I may HAVE to place a Sephora haul, with it being my birthday month and all!). Anyway I’m sure you have all heard of the brand Colour Pop from your favourite YouTubers, a fun affordable brand that offers great quality eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks. One of my favourites on YouTube is Kathleen Lights, she is so funny and I can happily sit through 20 minute videos without minding the length at all. She has collaborated with Colour Pop twice now and I was so impressed with the quality of the brand, well from what I could see, that I had to find a way to get my hands on it. As a firm boycotter of L’Oreal, Estee Lauder and Procter & Gamble many of the large brands in the makeup world, I no longer purchase. So when I hear about new brands which produce just as high quality cosmetics I am happy to go an extra step or pay a little more to get access to them.

UPDATED: HOW I GOT COLOURPOP TO THE UK 2016 - CHEAPER METHOD!

Colour Pop do not currently ship to the UK, but I watch a lot of Shaaanxo’s videos and as she lives in New Zealand, she has the problem of companies not shipping there often. I learnt from her videos that she uses a courier service which gives her an address in the US, the makeup company send it there and then from that address the courier company send it to her home address - clever right! I should have probably done a bit more research and tried the company she uses, but instead I googled courier services from the US to UK as soon as I realised it was possible to send Colour Pop to the UK and the first sight that came up 'Borderlinx' was the one that I went with. When you sign up for the Colour Pop newsletter you are sent a money off code and if you spend over $30 you get free shipping. I had guessed I would be paying for customs anyway through the borderlinx site so I thought I may as well take advantage. The eyeshadows, lippie stix and lip liners cost $5 each which is £3.25 so very affordable. I also purchased one blusher which cost $8 = £5.20.

Cost of Shipping

I kind of had no idea what to expect in terms of the cost, there is an option where you can calculate an estimate of the shipping cost but you would have to know the weight of the package so it was pretty useless to me. I don’t know how much other companies or services that do this vary, however if you are thinking of using borderlinx you should know that they have a flat rate cost of $24 dollars if your package weighs 0.50kg and they increase it by $4 for every half KG (or less) after that. Lets break it down:

• - I spent $38 on the Colour Pop site buying 8 items (with one for free)
• - The shipping came up to $28 because my package weighed 0.83kg.
• - They also calculate and charge taxes onsite - $13.20 dollars
• - Leaving us with a grand total of so $41.20 for shipping alone! In pounds: £26.78

I was pretty shocked because it cost me more than the price of the order to get it here, BUT I wasn’t charged any custom taxes when it got here at the door, or asked to pay it at the post-office. At least when its all done and dusted you know there won’t be any horrible surprise payments. My order arrived in about 10 days, because from Colour Pop to the U.S address it took at least 5. Overall I’m happy with the service and being able to get orders from Colour Pop, plus the quality of the items I have tried have been awesome and well worth the money.

UPDATED: HOW I GOT COLOURPOP TO THE UK 2016 - CHEAPER METHOD!

I ordered 8 items in total, so if you add up the cost of the order and the shipping it works out to be £6.43 per item which is pretty good! If you purchase from UK sellers a lot of the time you'll be paying double that amount...so if you want to pick up more than one thing, I definitely recommend purchasing from a courier service.

For the lippiestix I think that price is reasonable as it’s cheaper than most drugstore lipsticks and the quality is better than most, the matte formula is GORGEOUS! The eyeshadows upon first swatch also seem to be worth it and that price justifies it for me. Like I said I’d rather pay a little more for brands not affiliated with Israel than purchase from cheaper, easily available brands.

One thing to note also is that they estimated the goods to be worth over $100! This was very alarming, but easily fixed once I got in contact with the customer service team and send them the invoice from Colour Pop.


Would I use Borderlinx again? Probably not the next time and the reason is that there are so many of these companies available to choose from, when I next have a Colour Pop craving I’ll try to do a little more research and hopefully find one with cheaper shipping. I don’t think the cost is unreasonable and in total every item technically still cost me less than £7, but the fact of the matter is that the more you order the steeper the price gets thanks to the weight, so every saving helps!

The best thing about Borderlinx was by far paying taxes onsite! Exactly like ordering from Sephora, this meant that I wasn't charged anything extra and paid for everything upfront - no nasty customs yay.

UPDATED: HOW I GOT COLOURPOP TO THE UK 2016 - CHEAPER METHOD!

How sweet is this handwritten note!

On to the actual haul!

Finally on to the items I now have in my collection, very exciting stuff indeed. I decided to order three lippiestix  in neutral shades that I hoped I could use everyday.

I picked up Lumière (review here) the shade that Kathleen Lights made which is described as ‘dusty mauve pink’, Frida described as ‘a warm mid tone nude pink with a satin finish’ which actually looks more peachy pink on my skintone than in the swatched on site and the final shade I bought was Brink (review here) which is described as ‘warm dusty taupe in a matte finish’ and inspired by the famous Kylie Jenner lip. I think it’s less mauve than her go-to, but simply perfect for me! I need to buy backups next time ^_^ The American YouTubers who worked with them to create these shades are so lucky!

I bought one blusher only because lets be honest, I do own enough for my two cheeks already ha, but I couldn’t resist no picking one up from the whole range! I bought the shade Between the sheets which is described as ‘a mid-tone beige pink in a matte finish’. They have swatched three different blushes on three arms to show how the colour would look against different skintones and I love how sophisticated this shade is on a medium/olive skin!

I then bought 4 eyeshadows (actually called super shock shadows) as I’ve heard nothing by good things! I will be doing in depth swatches for everything I have shown here in due course by the way, as soon as I am ready to review them all. The first shade I purchased is by far my favourite - Get lucky described as ‘ an intense ultra-metallic, liquid-like true gold’ and I totally agree, with one swatch left me amazed! I picked up Mooning - a rich bronze shade with hints of pearlized glitter. The next two I bought are matte shades: Shop - ‘a rusty coral’ which I have seen used in a tutorial and noted down straight away because it’s so unique and stunning! Finally To-A-T which is medium brown and basically the perfect crease shade!

They recommend applying Colour Pop shadows with the fingers and now I’ve take the photos I’m so excited to have a proper play with it all. With my order I got three cards with application tips on the back and with each lippie stix ingredients were written on a sheet of paper inside the box. From first impressions everything is well worth the price I paid to have them bought over here, with the unique formula of the shadows rivalling that of high-end. Longevity is yet to be known, but keep an eye out on The Blushing Giraffe for detailed reviews soon.

That is the end of my haul, I really really hope that some of you have found it helpful and if you were wanting to purchase some Colour Pop goodies, you can do so with an idea of what to expect in terms of shipping (yep it costs a TONNE, but it’s worth it to me).

UPDATED: HOW I GOT COLOURPOP TO THE UK 2016 - CHEAPER METHOD! 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Haul | How I Got Colour Pop To The UK!

Hello everyone! As I’ve mentioned before, exams had me taking advantages of offers online left, right and centre and lets just say that my makeup buying appetite has well and truly been fulfilled! (Although if the Kat Von D contour kit comes into stock before the end of May I may HAVE to place a Sephora haul, with it being my birthday month and all!). Anyway I’m sure you have all heard of the brand Colour Pop from your favourite YouTubers, a fun affordable brand that offers great quality eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks. One of my favourites on YouTube is Kathleen Lights, she is so funny and I can happily sit through 20 minute videos without minding the length at all. She has collaborated with Colour Pop twice now and I was so impressed with the quality of the brand, well from what I could see, that I had to find a way to get my hands on it. As a firm boycotter of L’Oreal, Estee Lauder and Procter & Gamble many of the large brands in the makeup world, I no longer purchase. So when I hear about new brands which produce just as high quality cosmetics I am happy to go an extra step or pay a little more to get access to them.

UPDATED: HOW I GOT COLOURPOP TO THE UK 2016 - CHEAPER METHOD!

20 Things I want to do in my 20s

Hello everyone! It’s my 20th birthday today so I thought it was fitting to do a little post with 20 things I hope to do in my 20s! In’sha’Allah (which means God Willing ^_^). It’s a great blessing to reach this age, technically the third decade in one’s life and although I feel I’ve learnt a lot in my teens as it is (post here) I know there is much to come.  I think this is one of the most personal posts I’ve done, I talk a little bit about religion as it’s quite a large part of my life and I hope you find it interesting at the very least, regardless of your own beliefs. This is kinda like a bucketlist mixed with life goals, so in no particular order:

1. Own a Kitten

Get/own? I’m not quite sure what the correct word is, but I want a kitten! My dad loves birds and so would never take owning a cat seriously and my mum isn’t particularly fond of them either so it won’t be happening at any point soon, but it’s on the list now!

 

2. Visit Istanbul Again

This city stole my heart, I love everything about it when I visited as an 18th birthday present and I would love to go back! From the history to the bazaars and the ever so friendly locals, it’s east meets west (literally half is in Europe and half in Asia!) and although I was excited to go, nothing could prepare me for the beauty we found there.

 

3. Teach abroad for a few years

There is nothing more I would like to do than move away to a new country, experience their culture and do a job that I love - teaching! As a teacher from the UK, they are very valued in certain countries and the perks include accommodation and a car (not to mention a decent salary and amazing climate). I’m thinking Qatar or Kuwait at the moment but time shall tell..

 

4. Learn how to use my Pentax Asahi and USE IT!

I can’t remember if I actually blogged about this, but last year my grandfather kindly gave me his Pentax Asahi which he hadn’t used in years. I was thrilled because I’m continuously taking photographs with my canon and to have a new camera to add to it was awesome! It’s a little daunting actually using a film camera though, so I hope that I can take out the time to learn how to use it!

 

5. Complete a makeup course

Although I have never wanted to go into a career that is makeup based, I would love to do a makeup course and maybe have a small freelance kit. Recently I’ve done makeup on a few family members and found myself really enjoying it! So it would be nice to own and delve into occasionally, plus doing a course would only increase my confidence.

 

6. Get Married

Not much to say here - I’d love to get married in my 20s and travel, this is the ideal time with less responsibilities financially and life is so short, with no guarantees so it’d be a shame to waste it dreaming away!

 

7. Commit to a fitness routine

I have tried this several times in the past two years and been unsuccessful, however I know how much good exercise does for a person and I want to make sure I’m as fit and healthy as possible now so I can say yes to more things. E.g spontaneously climbing a mountain for charity or something along those lines. Plus when you feel good about yourself, life feels better so this is a must.

 

8. Learn to read the Quran with perfect tajweed

Tajweed means the proper pronunciation of the Quran, which is a very important book of guidance for Muslims. I feel like my lack of Tajweed always holds me back with reading, so the more time I put into this the better I will get. Plus the amount of free resources we have access to these days is amazing, proving there is no excuse!

 

9. Move into an apartment

We stayed in an apartment when we went to Edinburgh a few years back and I loved it! A whole house on one floor, with lots of space and a beautiful view. I’m not quite sure what exactly about the apartment made its way to this list...maybe that it’s like a mini home?? Idk I just know that I would really love to live in one, even it it was for a short while.

 

10. Improve my photography skills

In my family I am known for my love of taking photos and for most occasions I will lug about my canon. My skills have improved a lot since my first every little Nikon camera a good 5 years ago, however I do rely on editing a lot which is something I would like to decrease as time goes on.

 

11. Visit Portugal with one of my best friends

Ana has been my best friend for almost 10 years now and we have always spoken about her beautiful home country Portugal and the different cities, culture and sights. I would LOVE to be able to take a trip there and enjoy all the places she does every summer time as well as visiting the places she grew up in!

 

12. Continue raising awareness on Palestine

This has been a huge deal to my since I was 15 and I first found out what was going in there and how people were being forced to flee their homes, denied access to electricity, food and water and how children are shot on the streets or arrested and imprisoned for no reason. It broke my heart and the amount of ignorance regarding Palestine and Israel as well as the biased media is sickening. I feel privileged to be able to raise awareness of the BDS Movement and to encourage people to stop funding Israel through companies that support it, until they stop their atrocious and illegal, inhumane activities, ruining hundreds of thousands of lives. Did you know last summer they killed over 2000 people? Educate yourselves and stand for what’s right.

 

13. Ride an Elephant

I’ve rode a camel before which was a pretty awesome experience and I would love to be able to ride an elephant too..although the substantial height difference between the two does make me feel a little giddy.

 

14. Visit Venice

Cliché? Perhaps, but can you blame me?? I imagine I would spent more time taking photos than actually enjoying the beautiful city!

 

15. Learn how to cook Pakistani and non-Asian food really well

I’ve never really loved cooking in my teens, baking yes but not so much cooking. However I want to engage in it over the summer and y’know what they say, practise makes perfect, so hopefully I do end up becoming a good cook!

 

16. Have children i’a

Working with children means sometimes I come home and declare I don’t want to deal with them on a permanent basis, only to be told by my mum not to say such things - she is right of course. To have children is an amazing thing and truly a great blessing.

 

17. Visit Morocco

The whole Moroccan vibe, style, colours, culture all of it. They’re all reasons I’ve had Morocco on my bucket list for a while now!

 

18. Continue Blogging

Starting a blog has been on of the most rewarding experiences in my life and I would love to continue with it in the next decade, it’s more than just a hobby for me both in terms of the amount of time it takes, but also the amount of pleasure I get from it ^_^

 

19. Get into the habit of saving money

I can’t stand people who are stingy with money, so often I will be the exact opposite buying myself and others little treats etc. However throughout my teens I haven’t been brilliant at saving, so lets hope I get better in my 20s!

 

20. Pause, take a deep breath and trust in Allah (God)

As I have gotten older I have discovered the beauty of my religion for myself. Sometimes being born into a religion means you only get what your immediate family teach you or show you through their actions, but I have seen that Islam is so much more. It has made me into a much better person and I try to implement as much as I learn as I can. I have read verses which have filled my heart with hope and positivity. Although it’s impossible to always live in a state of happiness, there are steps you can take to minimise the negative or bad vibes and for me it is doing the above. This is by no means a religious blog, but it is my personal space and I want to share one of my favourite verses with you all:

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…”
(Qur’an, 2:286).

which is something that gives me my confidence and strength back ^_^

 

Which decade of life are you in? Anything you have added to your bucketlist lately?

 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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20 Things I want to do in my 20s

Hello everyone! It’s my 20th birthday today so I thought it was fitting to do a little post with 20 things I hope to do in my 20s! In’sha’Allah (which means God Willing ^_^). It’s a great blessing to reach this age, technically the third decade in one’s life and although I feel I’ve learnt a lot in my teens as it is (post here) I know there is much to come.  I think this is one of the most personal posts I’ve done, I talk a little bit about religion as it’s quite a large part of my life and I hope you find it interesting at the very least, regardless of your own beliefs. This is kinda like a bucketlist mixed with life goals, so in no particular order:

Review | Zoeva 110 Face Shape Brush

Zoeva is the talk of the town, everywhere you look, on instagram and blogs the gorgeous rose gold handles and professional looking brushes are loved by everyone and their aunties. I haven’t saved up for the rose gold brush set yet because my current brushes are still going strong, but I have been very curious by the brand! I bought this brush from beautybay.com, they have an excellent selection available and free delivery for orders over £10 wooop! A few weeks ago I picked up a single brush the 110 Face Shape Brush (£8.95) and I’m ready to share my thoughts.



The brush came in it’s own zipped bag which was a really nice touch to help protect it and of course it can be used to help you travel with other brushes too. The wooden handle is very sturdy as is the metal ferrule and the brush feels comfortable to hold. The length of the handle is perfect, not too short nor too long and the number and name of the brush is written clearly on the side. On to the bristles themselves, they’re very dense and quite short in length, made of synthetic Taklon so they don’t absorb excess product as much as natural bristles, as well as being easy to wash. The width of the brush head is fairly small, certainly not large enough to use as a buffing brush for foundation. Instead it is small and nifty enough to fit into the corners on the face with ease.


The two main uses of the Face Shape brush for me are for buffing in concealer around the face and under the eyes (though I typically prefer the warmth of my fingers for that area) and of course for contouring. It’s size fits perfectly into the hollows of my cheeks and it creates contoured, structured definition with ease. The downside to it’s density is that it makes blending out the contour quite challenging, so I would never use this with a darker powder like The Bahama Mama Bronzer reviewed here. The RT contour brush is just fluffy enough to blend out harsh lines, whereas this brush is better for the lighter bronzers in your stash to avoid harsh lines. I find it great to use with cream contouring products/concealers as it blends without making the whole thing disappear y’know? Anyways for the price I think it is wonderful - concealer and contouring - it does a pretty good job!

Overall Rating

Rating: 9

Pros: Fantastic quality, it washes well, has super soft bristles, very dense, blends product in flawlessly, can be used for cream and powder products is very much multi-use!

Cons: Can create slightly harsh lines due to how dense the bristle are, a light hand is necessary with darker products.

Repurchase? Yes I would and I really do want to try more from the Zoeva line!

Have you tried the 110 Face Shape Brush? Do you have any Zoeva favourites?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Review | Zoeva 110 Face Shape Brush

Zoeva is the talk of the town, everywhere you look, on instagram and blogs the gorgeous rose gold handles and professional looking brushes are loved by everyone and their aunties. I haven’t saved up for the rose gold brush set yet because my current brushes are still going strong, but I have been very curious by the brand! I bought this brush from beautybay.com, they have an excellent selection available and free delivery for orders over £10 wooop! A few weeks ago I picked up a single brush the 110 Face Shape Brush (£8.95) and I’m ready to share my thoughts.

Review | Ecotools Eye Enhancing Duo Set

Ecotools is fast becoming one of my favourite brush brands. When I first got into makeup and actually had a small income at the age of 17 I knew the brushes I wanted were from Real Techniques. Those have served me very well over the years, I still use most of the ones I purchased three years ago! However I do feel like they lack with the eyeshadow brushes in particular. I bought the starter eye’s kit and it left me feeling quite ‘eh’ I mean sure, they do the job but they just weren’t great. Since then I’ve bought eyeshadow brushes from E.L.F and eBay which I’ve been okay/happy with, however when I saw this duo set from Ecotools on iherb, I couldn’t resist trying it out. And let me tell you, I’ve not been disappointed!



As you probably know from my numerous posts about the site, iherb is my go-to American online store for brushes as they’re so much cheaper than here in the UK! Take the ecotools deluxe fan brush for example, £12 here but I only paid around £4 from that site, so majorly worth checking out. (here is a post with more detail and a discount code too). This duo costs $5.99 which is £3.80! What makes ecotools so special is the fact that they’re cruelty-free and conscious about the environment. They use recycled aluminium for the ferrules and the handles are made from bamboo. The best part is that they are incredibly soft and great quality too.



This duo is double-ended making it especially perfect for travelling! However it’s great for normal use too. The handle’s are a great length,  comfortable enough to use one end without touching the other, but they’re also not so long that you lose precision.



The first brush I’m going to talk about is the ‘Blend and Smudge.' The smudge side is perfect for packing a small amount of shadow in the corners of the eyelid, or anywhere you want to add concentrated colour. It’s bristles are short so it also works well for the lower lashline and it picks up shadow with ease. The other end is perfect for blending, the bristles aren’t too long and it’s slightly tapered at the end which gives more precision. The RT blending brush is good and this is just as much, if not better ^_^



The second brush is called ‘Define and Shade’ and it’s equally as useful and essential. The define side works well for filling in brows with powder and lightly with a pomade. It’s also great for adding shadow to the lower and upper lashline and COULD just about work for defining the crease shade. I prefer using a liner brush for gel eyeliner rather than an angled one like this, but as it works decently for brows and eyes I’m happy. The Shade side is perfect for putting shadow all over the lid including under the brows quickly. At the same time it’s not so large that those of you with smaller lid space would struggle, which is what I love so much about these brushes, they’re all a decent size. Some of the ebay ones you can buy come with huge heads that end up making a mess of things, but these four are just perfect.



I’m so happy I picked this duo up and if you’re lacking eye brushes, I think you’d like it too. I was a bit worried about storage at first because it can’t be kept in my normal pot, but honestly its fine and probably a whole lot more hygienic to either store it back in the wrapper or in my muji drawers.

 Have you tried any Ecotools Brushes?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Review | Ecotools Eye Enhancing Duo Set

Ecotools is fast becoming one of my favourite brush brands. When I first got into makeup and actually had a small income at the age of 17 I knew the brushes I wanted were from Real Techniques. Those have served me very well over the years, I still use most of the ones I purchased three years ago! However I do feel like they lack with the eyeshadow brushes in particular. I bought the starter eye’s kit and it left me feeling quite ‘eh’ I mean sure, they do the job but they just weren’t great. Since then I’ve bought eyeshadow brushes from E.L.F and eBay which I’ve been okay/happy with, however when I saw this duo set from Ecotools on iherb, I couldn’t resist trying it out. And let me tell you, I’ve not been disappointed!

Review | Essence Maximum Definition Volume Mascara

Hello everyone! As you might have read in this post, mascara isn’t my favourite thing in the makeup world, but I do happen to own a lot of them and occasionally I actually use them. This Essence maximum definition volume mascara is one that I quite enjoy, especially for the lower lashes!


It is packaged in this bright, fun, fluorescent orange tube and the brush is what really makes this mascara tick my boxes. The size is small and precise, which I much prefer to the recent mascara’s on the market which seem to be getting larger and larger?? The mascaras with huge wands make smudging more probable, especially for one who doesn’t wear it often, so this is super! It has tiny little bristles which really catch every single eyelash, truly giving them the definition it promises. It separates each lash and is quite buildable when still wet.



For the top lashes this works decently, it’s certainly doesn’t pack volume and so it’s good for day-to-day but I would pair this with the I heart extreme volume mascara (in the pink tube) for a special occasion where I really want thick lashes. However this is the only mascara I like to use on bottom lashes, the wand is small enough to get every lash and the formula doesn’t flake either. The fact that it’s not waterproof is another big tick in my box, removing this stuff is super easy - you don’t even need a separate eye-makeup remover ^_^



It’s a great true black colour and essentially for the price (£2.80) I couldn't be more impressed! I bought it from Wilko link here.  Do pick this up if you were thinking of purchasing that Clinique bottom-lash mascara, this is way cheaper and ethical but still gives your bottom lashes the definition you want!

Rating: 8.5

Pros: Very affordable, super black, doesn't flake, doesn't smudge, brush is perfect for bottom lashes, separates and defines every lash, works decently for everyday. Comes off easily with a standard makeup remover. 

Cons: Doesn't work great for top lashes.

Repurchase? Yes, I have almost nothing bad to say about this mascara!

Have you found any mascaras which work well on the bottom lashes? Favourite mascaras in general? I would love to read your recommendations.

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Review | Essence Maximum Definition Volume Mascara

Hello everyone! As you might have read in this post, mascara isn’t my favourite thing in the makeup world, but I do happen to own a lot of them and occasionally I actually use them. This Essence maximum definition volume mascara is one that I quite enjoy, especially for the lower lashes!

Topshop 5 Years Of Beauty Haul

Hello everyone I hope you’re all well! I have been having quite a moment with the Topshop beauty department, right in the middle of my revision they had a huge 20% off sale in which I treated myself because stress = spending za monies. (Anyone else???) Then two weeks later they released their ‘5 years of beauty’ limited edition collection and I was so impressed the first time around, I just had to place a second order. So yes, you’re seeing haul number 2 from Topshop, the first one is much larger and I’ll be sharing that once my last exam is done. Anyways, I’m going to get started with my haul ^_^

I heard about this collection from one of my favourite blogs The Sunday Girl, and from what I gathered from her post, they have essentially picked their best selling items over the last five years and repackaged them in gorgeous rose gold rather than the normal (and very cute) black spots and stripes. Even the cardboard packaging is black, rose gold and classy! (more empty boxes to store and admire). Before my recent splurges I owned one blush and a glow pot in gleam which I reviewed here and I think the quality is awesome for the price but of course with student discount - even better!

I bought my first cream blush from the brand in the well known shade ‘Head Over Heels’ (£7.00). Aside from the gorgeous rose gold polka dots, the shade is a beautiful cross between medium pink and peach. I can’t wait to wear it and upon first swatch it’s creamy and blends like a dream. I did have a look through the lipsticks and though they’re beautiful I didn’t want to splurge on one because none of the shades from this collection really grabbed me if you know what I mean. I seem to have accumulated quite a few lippies as of late and I don’t need to add any more right now. Instead another glow pot caught my eye, this time in the shade Polished (£9.00) which I had coincidentally seen the lovely YouTuber Kaush talk about a few days before. She was saying it was one of her favourite highlighters but she saves it as it’s limited edition, much to my delight it’s now available for a short while in their beautiful rose gold packaging! I also bought another one for one of YOU lovely readers! It’ll be in my 2 year giveaway in July so keep an eye out because what’s better than winning a L/E makeup item?? hehe.

I also picked up the Magic Liner in Engraved (£6.50), I’m still on the hunt for the perfect liner and I figured I would give this a shot. The applicator is beautiful, just look how precise it is! It looks very easy to use as well as being super pigmented so I have high hopes and I shall report back soon. Again the fact that ‘magic pen’ is written in Rose Gold probably influenced my decision, but can you really blame me?! The final thing I bought was one of their nail polishes in a shade I am lacking but always need for Asian weddings - Heart of Gold (£6.00) which is a stunning antique like shade, and I’m loving the rose gold dots on this too *insert heart eyes emoji*  There is just something about Rose Gold that makes everything so luxe, and these items are not only pretty on the outside, but have great things on the inside too - students take advantage!

 

So there are my picks from the Topshop 5 years of beauty collection and you can shop the rest of it here, anything catch your eye?

 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Topshop 5 Years Of Beauty Haul

Hello everyone I hope you’re all well! I have been having quite a moment with the Topshop beauty department, right in the middle of my revision they had a huge 20% off sale in which I treated myself because stress = spending za monies. (Anyone else???) Then two weeks later they released their ‘5 years of beauty’ limited edition collection and I was so impressed the first time around, I just had to place a second order. So yes, you’re seeing haul number 2 from Topshop, the first one is much larger and I’ll be sharing that once my last exam is done. Anyways, I’m going to get started with my haul ^_^

10 Things I Learnt In My Teens

As you may know if you read my April Catchup, this month I will be turning 20 and in preparation for that I thought it was time to reflect on the past 7 years or so of being a ‘teen’.

Oh the teenage years, they came with anticipation ‘I’m gonna be a teenager, it’s gonna be soooo cool’ and then the years passed with the usual gawky phase, growing up and your average highs and lows, achievement, friendships, getting my first job, learning to drive, starting University.

If you think about it, during your teenage years there is A LOT of change! Now it’s time to share some of the things I’ve learnt.

1. Photograph everything. Yes saving up for that camera will be totally worth it and try not to delete the photos that make you cringe at the time, later they’re going to be the ones that you laugh about the most.

2. Not having a bed-time anymore doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to sleep after midnight on a regular basis.

3. Mood-swings are best dealt with on your own. If you want to know the best way to deal with them? Grab a diary and a pen and pour everything that’s in your head onto the page. (You can rip the pages out later and stick them in the recycling).

4. Some people are just plain horrible and there’s nothing you can do about it. Those people don’t deserve an ounce of your time. Let it go and just pray that they find peace within themselves to become better people. There was a certain individual who spread nasty vibes and gossip to everyone around her, in the end most people saw her for what she was. Although it was hurtful at the time to be one of those that she talked badly about, but then acted nicely to when with me, I realised that she must have some serious self-esteem issues to be continuously berating people. I made it my goal to be nothing like her and I’ve been in a much happier place since I got rid of her from my life. Don’t bother with people like that, they’re gonna go nowhere in life unless they change and you don’t need to be on that path too.

5. You’re only going to have a handful of ‘real’ friends and that’s ok, because those people will help you through the worst times and be there to celebrate the best with you.

6. Even Beyoncé didn’t wake up like that.. we all have flaws and the sooner we embrace them, the sooner we can focus on more important things in life y’know. So what if your teeth aren’t as straight or your figure as ‘perfect’, why don’t you appreciate the good things about yourself. That doesn’t make you big-headed or vain, it just makes you confident and reduces self-esteem issues, which far too many women have these days.

7. First impressions are almost never right. Don’t be so quick to judge people and don’t blindly trust what others say about them either. Make excuses for people like you would want them to make excuses for you. Think good of people and you’ll feel better about yourself too.

8. Sometimes a long cry is the best medicine. Note: removing black eyemakeup first is advisable.

9. Everyone is fighting their own battle of some sort, so be as kind as you can. Don’t take it personally if they don’t smile back or react as you hope you would yourself. At the same time, don’t take people’s rubbish either, be kind always but be firm. Don’t be a mug and don’t get used, recognise when someone is being genuine and when they are not.

10. When you approach anything with a positive attitude it will be much easier and probably enjoyable, than if you were to do the same thing in a negative state of mine. #GVO

Anything you learnt from your teenage years that you’d like to share? Please do in the comments ^_^

Thank-you for reading ♥

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10 Things I Learnt In My Teens

As you may know if you read my April Catchup, this month I will be turning 20 and in preparation for that I thought it was time to reflect on the past 7 years or so of being a ‘teen’.

Oh the teenage years, they came with anticipation ‘I’m gonna be a teenager, it’s gonna be soooo cool’ and then the years passed with the usual gawky phase, growing up and your average highs and lows, achievement, friendships, getting my first job, learning to drive, starting University.

If you think about it, during your teenage years there is A LOT of change! Now it’s time to share some of the things I’ve learnt.

My Favourite Online Makeup Sites

It is no secret that I love online shopping and I also love finding me some good deals! I always pride myself in saying that yes although I do own a lot of makeup, I paid full price for about 10% of it, so no I don’t think it’s a waste s’long as I’m using it.... (That justifies it right?? heh) I’ve already written a detailed post on how I save money on makeup (here). Today’s post is going to take you through my favourite sites to shop on, in alphabetical order of course and my favourite brands from each one, or the brands I’m most interested in for the future!

1. ASOS

A student’s best friend because they have 10% discount all year around! Occasionally they have flash sales for certain brands and when they have sitewise sales there is 20% off all makeup. So I’ve bought most of my NARS products during these sales because I can justify the price for one. Also they are pretty quick with new beauty products and the delivery is speedy, it’s worth checking out the beauty page now and again for a browse at what’s new in the makeup world!

Favourite Brands: NARS, Glamglow, The Balm, Ren and Dr Bronner.

 

2. Beautybay

I love Beautybay for the range of brands that they stock, which are harder to find in UK stores. They have fantastic delivery and I love that when you spend above a certain amount you get a free deluxe sample! The first time I shopped with them was during black Friday last year and I got the Anastasia Beverly Hills clear brow gel! This time around I choose a cleansing oil...for the hair..intriguing I know haha, I’ll report back if I get on with it. There is also a tab called ‘beauty offers’ which they chop and change on the regular so keep an eye out on there too! It is WELL worth signing up to their newsletter as they occasionally have random sales of up to 20% off and I love waiting for these so I can buy the more finer things in the makeup world such as Kevyn Aucoin. But they normally have a bunch of brands that aren’t included in these offers so read the T&Cs carefully to avoid disappointment.

Favourite Brands: Anastasia Beverly Hills, Antipodes, Beauty blender, EOS, Gerad Cosmetics, Kevyn Aucoin Too Faced and Zoeva.

 

3. Beauty Joint

My favourite US online store which stocks Milani, Wet’n’Wild, L.A Girl etc and you don’t get charged any tax ontop which is awesome! The shipping costs are very reasonable, they’re weight based so I recommend spending a bit of time and being savvy with what you put in each order. Also keep your basket down below £15 (apparently it’s gone down but I’m not sure what the limit is now, if you know please comment it below!) to avoid customs and you’re good to go! Now purchsing US drugstore items is very possible ^_^

Favourite Brands: L.A Girl, Milani, Wet’n’Wild, E.L.F as now we can’t buy it here in the UK :c, Jordana, BH Cosmetics and mehron.

 

4. Boots

Numerous and frequent 3for2 deals and of course the wonderful boots advantage card system, I LOVE that card so much! I recently bought the Diorskin STAR foundation USING MY POINTS, yup a £32 foundation for free basically. They also have triple points deals on now and again, so it’s worth waiting for those before stocking up (that’s my secret to how I save so points so quick). The only thing I dislike is that you only get free delivery if you spend over £50 I think, which is rather a lot and I hate paying for delivery man ._.

Favourite Brands: Soap & Glory, CHANEL, Good Things, Bourjois, Rimmel, Stila, No7, Burberry, Una Brennan, Nip + Fab, Oilatum and St Ives

 

5. Cult Beauty

It’s in the name, cult beauty delivers the brands that are being talked about and also aren’t the most easy to find. It is a bit more of a pricy site but worth browsing because they have some pretty awesome offers! They also stock the widest range of Anastasia Beverly Hills products in the UK and you get a free deluxe sample on orders over £40 (atm).

Favourite Brands: Aesop, Anastasia Beverly Hills, BECCA, Beautyblender, Caudalie, Embryolisse, Emma Hardie, EOS and Nuxe.

 

6. Escentual

A premier beauty site which sells makeup, skincare and perfume from brands not so easy to find in the highstreet. I love that they have a great range of French skincare available too - my go-to for stocking up on the finer things in the skincare world.

Favourite Brands: Bioderma,Clarins, Caudalie, Embryolisse, Eucerin, Nuxe,REN and Too Faced.

 

7. FeelUnique

I adore this site, one of my favourites! They have regular offers (although again read the T&Cs for brands not included) and they’re very updated when it comes to new releases from the brands that they stock, I always browse the what’s new tab. One of the main reasons why I love this site is becase of their outstanding customer service. Once I saw this deal for a makeup bag which was on offer but out of stock, I typed my email address in for an update when it is back in stock and by the time it was the offer had expired, except the email still said the sale price. So I thought it was worth a shot and emailed them asking if it was still valid and they sent me a gift voucher of the amount I would have saved! :’) How kind is that?? Anyways, firm favourites and fast free delivery for all orders over £10! Winning! (Plus they delivery worldwide wooo).

Favourite Brands: Antipodes, bareMinerals, benefit, Bioderma, Bourjois, Dior, Dr Bronner’s, Emma Hardie, First Aid Beauty, Glamglow, Nuxe, Palmers, REN, theBalm, travalo and yes to.

 

8. Fragrance Direct

My favourite discount site which is well worth checking out if you’re looking for a favourite perfume or a gift for someone as they have a huge range of brands! I tend to browse the beauty section more than the perfumes now and there are some serious bargains to be had! Especially from Rimmel, I have bought half my Rimmel collection from here and the amount of money I have saved makes me soo happy.

Favourite Brands: Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Juicy Couture, Marc Jacobs, Manhattan, OPI, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Tanya Burr, Tangel Teezer, Travalo, Vera Wang and Wet Brush.

 

9. iHerb

Another American site which I have spoken about many times on my blog! Just search for iherb and all the posts will come up ^_^ I have bought all my ecotools and the majority of my Real Techniques brushes from here, as well as various oils too! The prices are amazing and they have a wonderful reward system too which allows you to earn credit on the site whilst giving your family and friends saving on their first orders! My code is - LCD104 to get at least $5 off.

Favourite Brands: Mainly RT and Ecotools but I used to purchase my Dr Bronner magic soaps from here as well as the sweet almond oil (I purchase now foods brand). There are hundreds of organic and cruelty free brands to choose from!

 

10. Illamasqua

Such an under-rated brand in the beauty world and one well worth signing up for in terms of newsletters! About a year and a half ago at the x-mas sales Illamasqua had the BEST deals on in the whole WWW, I kid you not, amazing quality blushes were down to less than £10! I own six of them thanks to the deal and I haven’t looked back because they are some of the best in the whole beauty world. I really want to try more from the range, especially their skin base foundation which lookamillion loves (and she always looks flawless m’a!).

Favourite Blushes: Hussy, Allure, Lover and Tremble. On the wishlist (as if I need more ha.) Ambition and S.O.P.H.I.E

 

10. LookFantastic

Another site which sells luxury and mid-range makeup, skincare, gifts, hair and fragrances. They also have regular sales and offers too ^_^ One of the best things about this site - free worldwide delivery!

Favourite Brands: Antipodes, bareMinerals, Balance Me, GLAMGLOW, NUXE, Oskia, REN, This Works, Triology and Too Faced.

 

11. Makeup Revolution

This hardly needs much introduction ladies, but I had to include this site on my post because I’ve ordered from makeup revolution at least three times and I’ve been very impressed. They have a huge range and they’re continuously adding to it, whether you’re on a budget or not these products really are value for money and they have some pretty spectacular dupes of high-end and harder to find items too!

Favourite Items: I heart chocolate eyeshadow palette, lipstick in treat, highlighters and baked blushes.

 

12. Selfridges

Selfridges again needs little introduction to anyone! ‘Voted the best department store in the world’ I haven’t yet ordered anything from them but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time ;D I do have my eyes on a few bits and pieces, especially because I’m yet to try anything Charlotte Tilbury...would anyone like to see a wishlist? I’ve not really done one before but I have quite a large from from here!

Favourite Brands: Charlotte Tilbury, Chanel, NARS and Dior.

 

13. Space NK

I love Space NK, it is a luxury beauty boutique and has over 80 of ‘the world’s finest brands’. It’s definitely more of a #feelingspendy kinda site than some of the more highstreet ones, but I do like a browse and last summer I splurged a large amount from their NARS department so I could meet the required amount to go a huge goodbag ooops! There’s a good mix of skincare and makeup.

Favourite Brands: Aesop, Beauty Blender, GLAMGLOW, Hourglass, Kevyn Aucoin, Laura Mercier and REN.

 

14. Superdrug

Not my favourite site to navigate as they list each colour/shade as a separate item, BUT they do have free delivery on orders over £10 which is more than can be said for Boots. Also they usually have some sort of offer on in the makeup department too, so well worth signing up for the email notifications, plus they do have a ‘health and beauty’ card too.

Favourite Brands: 2True, Barry M, Collection and Sleek.

 

PHEW! That was rather a lot wasn’t it! D: haha I hope this list is useful and I’d love to know YOUR favourite online stores to shop at for beauty, go on enable me tehehehe.

 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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