Amazing Lengths | Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review

 I'm sure everyone, their mother, their brother, their fish has heard about Benefits new mascara that was designed on the classic velcro hair roller which has only recently been released to buy in stores but previously was exclusive to Elle magazine which included a sample of the Roller Lash mascara. The majority raved about their other mascara 'They're Real' but I actually didn't try that one as I heard people with longer lashes disliking it, I fall into the longer lash category. I was drawn to the Roller Lash as it claimed to give a long-lasting curl which was one of the only downfalls with drugstore mascaras that I've tried. Now I've been using the mascara for about 3 weeks so I thought I'd quickly get my review of pros and cons up on it seeing as it has recently been released to buy in store.

Pros-

• Roller Lash is definitely lengthening which can be noticed with just one coat, so would be great for those of you with short or straight eye lashes.
• As I said the mascara works very well with just one coat, I'm not sure myself how it fairs when applying additional coats but I simply think you don't need more than one. Therefore it's very quick and easy!
• The mascara claims that eyes will appear more wide open which I can vouch for as it fans out my lashes making them look natural and fluttery.
• As I've previously mentioned the mascara claims to hold the curl of your lashes which I 100% agree with as my lashes pretty much look the same as they did once Roller Lash was applied after a long day at college or battling London crowds.

Can we just ignore the bags under my eyes and the fact my bottom lashes clump together even without mascara.
Also ignore the stray hairs, i'm growing my eyebrows so that I can go get them threaded/waxed.

Cons-

• Like They're Real, Roller Lash is not waterproof which is my only downfall of this mascara. I find it does tend to transfer under my bottom lashes although that could be as I have watery eyes, but I haven't heard this in many other reviews so it simply could just be me.
  However it's not a huge problem as you could just skip this on the bottom lashes and go for another waterproof mascara.

Again can we ignore the bags under my eyes and how bad my skin looks(most was able to be cropped out)

Ability to lengthen- 9/10

Ease of use- 8/10

Lasting power- 8/10

Price- 7/10

Overall rating- 32/40

Not bad at all!

Personally I've really enjoyed using Benefits Roller Lash mascara so I'm tempted to splurge on this mascara and some other high-end treats with my birthday money. Roller Lash comes in at £19.50 which isn't ridiculous for a mascara that actually works in comparison to the drugstore options.

What did you think of Benefit Roller Lash mascara?

If you haven't tried it yet, will you be?

♥   ♥   ♥

Lauren Conrad Beauty | Book Review

If i'm honest i'm not really a reader of novels, though I do enjoy a quick flick through non-fiction and magazines. As you can probably tell one of my main interests is beauty so Christmas 2013 I asked for the Lauren Conrad Beauty book as i'd seen it was quite popular among beauty lovers.

I've had this for a year now and I wanted to write something different to the usual on my blog so I thought i'd do a review on what I think of it.

Immediately when unwrapping the book I thought how pretty it would look displayed on a shelf or coffee table as it's complete with a lovely dust cover. I love how simplistic the book is with a monochrome look throughout complete with beautiful images. 

I have to be honest my initial thoughts were exactly how the book spent the first few months of 2014, though I did have a quick nose through it, it's main purpose was to look pretty displayed on a shelf in my room. 

Once I had nothing planned for an evening I decided to sit down with a cup of tea and have a look through the book. The book features 12 Chapters based on skin and hair care, health, fitness and food, hair and makeup looks, nails and beauty through the decades. I wont go in depth on every chapter here but I will include my opinions on chapters that I thought really stood out.

Instantly I was drawn to the skincare section of the book as I believe having good skin is the basis to all good makeup. Though I don't have the best skin, I do try my hardest in order to put it in it's best condition. 

I was most intrigued by the section on ingredients to avoid which is very handy and usually avoids mishaps of purchasing products that could potentially make my skin worse, I always reference back to this when shopping online for products- so handy!

#

Makeup Tips, Tricks and Techniques is a chapter I found really useful as it was only at the beginning of 2014 where I really started to get into makeup and beauty. This is great if you're just starting out in makeup or you feel you need more knowledge and hints to perfecting your makeup. The chapter also held pages on different brushes and what they can be used for which is again perfect if you're a beginner.

I still agree with my initial thought of this book being perfect for the coffee table as you can simply just pick it up, brush up where you think you need more knowledge and put it down without feeling like you're missing out. As I mentioned earlier the images in this book really catch the eye which I love when reading.

Featured are short, easy to follow tutorials on hair and makeup looks as well as nails- perfect for when you're planning to go out with the girls!

Beauty Through the Decades is the chapter I think most people will love demonstrating how beauty has changed through the years and how we're at this stage today. This section features look's from the 20's to the 70's to recreate yourself and look somewhat similar to beauty icon's mentioned throughout the years. 

Overall I think this book is perfect for teenagers or beginners who are just getting into beauty. Though this book doesn't recommend the best products you can buy according to Lauren Conrad, I think this is great as it will not make you feel like you need what another person is able to afford in order to look your 'best'.

The book is so handy to reference to when purchasing skincare, brushes and items to suit the individual best.

So add it to your basket if you feel like treating yourself or another!

I hope this wasn't too boring as it's the first time I've done a book review. Let me know what you think below in the comments and what else you'd like to see on my blog!

Much Love,

♥   ♥   ♥

It's nearly Christmas! | The Christmas Countdown

Hello!

Yes finally I've broke up from college and the countdown to Christmas is in full swing for me! I thought I'd give a small update on what to expect from me in terms of blogging. As you may or may not have seen, I am in fact doing Christmas posts- I've posted Gift Ideas and a Christmas TAG collab so far, both of which you can see here and here.

Lined up I have a Christmas Eve routine and my Christmas FOTD, so keep an eye out for those!

As I've said I've finished college, we actually finished a week early as we did one full week in placement which I loved(if you didn't know, I do work experience twice a week in a day nursery as I'm studying childcare)

The last week of college was completed with the exchanging of gifts as we did Secret Santa, here is what I got for my recipient along with some Cadbury's Snowballs chocolates which went down a treat! 

And this is what I received some Thorntons, yum- I was more than pleased! (FYI I watched The Polar Express while eating the bare minimum of the chocolates I really like)

Speaking of exchanging gifts, now that I am on my Christmas holiday I'm finally allowing myself to wrap presents that I have bought for my family members. I love chucking on a Christmas film while wrapping, it puts me right in the mood! How are your wrapping skills? Mine are pretty average!

Seeing as I work in retail, my shifts are going to be hectic and that's the only thing that puts me off Christmas! Though I will be working a lot, of course I will be posting as regularly as I can up until early January before I go back to college! Is there anything in particular you would like to see?

I'd also like to address that this year my parents have decided to give me money as they think it will be more well spent and I will get a lot more in the sales, so I'm thinking of doing a 'What I bought in the sales' kind of post.

That's all I have to update you on for today, keep a look out for my Christmas posts by following me on bloglovin or instagram, both linked here.

Merry Christmas and of course Happy Holidays to those of you who don't celebrate Christmas. Enjoy your day however you spend it!

Until next time,

♥   ♥   ♥

Superdrug Dead Sea Mud Mask | Thoughts and Review

Hello!
Today I thought i'd do a review on a product that I purchased 3-4 weeks ago, the Superdrug Detoxifying Dead Sea Mud Mask.

Superdrug Detoxifying Dead Sea Mud Mask.

I had quite a few break outs so was in need of something to really clean out my pores of impurities and hopefully help to get rid of the spots that I had and ones that were developing at the time. I'm sure you will know that Dead Sea Mud is very common in face masks and of course good for the skin, so I thought I'd give this one a go as it was only £2.59.

Yes, that is my abnormally blotchy hand- please excuse it.

After reading about this mask, it's suggests you use it 2-3 times a week, so that I did. The first time I used this I applied it quite thinly as I wasn't sure how my skin would react to it and left it on for the suggested 10-15 minutes. The mask dried quickly and I was shocked when I looked in the mirror, it sank straight into the blackheads on my nose and rather large pores- for me that felt like it was definitely working to clean out my pores. Once removing the mask with a warm face cloth my skin felt rid of any grubbiness and definitely felt cleansed.

Featuring the Muslin Cloth I used once with this mask and will not turn white again, lesson learnt- do not use a brand new Muslin Cloth with a clay mask...

I continued to use this for the following weeks or week I should say, for some reason the 3rd or 4th time I used it my skin had a reaction. I noticed that it was getting a little warm while using it, I thought this was normal as it tends to happen with a lot of face masks for me. I left it until it was dry and I was so shocked when I took it off. Where the face mask has been, my skin was bright red- a perfect line around my face. 

Has anyone else experienced something similar when using the Superdrug face mask? I came to the conclusion that I must of had an allergic reaction to it, and in fact a lot of other face masks.

I wouldn't say this face mask is overall bad, it just didn't work for me. I'm sure if your skin isn't sensitive this will be great for you to clear you skin and rid it of impurities so it's definitely worth a try at less than £3 for quite a large tube.

Could anyone recommend a mask for sensitive skin? Something I never thought I had, so I'm not really in the know of gentle masks. 

That's all for now, until next time..

Amy X

Thoughts and Opinions | Back to School

Hello!

As much as I love Autumn, I think the very beginning is the worst time of the year, back to school.

It's that time of year again, that i'm sure the majority of students dread. Just like I am! With September just around the corner I thought i'd get up a couple of 'Back to School' related posts, here's the first on my thoughts on going back to college.

Here in the UK, well mostly England and Wales tend to go back during the first week of September- I go back on a Friday, what!? This will be for induction day. I'm slightly confused as to why being in my second year of college on the same course I have to have an induction, but i'm sure they've got their reasons. 

If you're starting college this year and are unsure what to expect from your induction day, i'm sure most colleges or sixth forms tend to do similar things including, meeting your tutor or lecturers for the subject or course you have chosen, meeting your course members which usually contains a 'get to know you' session. If this sounds very daunting(like it did to me) then believe me it will be absolutely fine, the majority of your class members will be in the same situation, not really knowing anybody and thinking what the blinkers can I say about myself!? Just be yourself, state your interests or something that you've done that has stood out in your life, believe you me, you can't do any worse than I did. I admitted to my class meeting Olly Murs twice and sounded like the ultimate stalker.. damn it! Although it didn't seem to affect people interacting with me, so don't worry! 

Anyway, onto the rest of what induction days tend to consist of, receiving your time table, going through the basics of the course including what to expect and what will be expected from you(e.g. the stationary and time you'll have to provide for yourself) and finally if you're new to the place of learning, a tour- the excitement of finding out where the fire exits and toilets are! I was thrilled by this, not..

There's one thing I should definitely point out to you, don't feel disheartened if you're first day doesn't go great or it's not what you expected- stick it out and things will get better through out the following weeks when you're more familiar with the course, the area and your class mates. This comes from experience as after the first day I was adamant I was not going back and in fact nearly left on the break, though I stuck it out as I knew it could only get better and I didn't want to disappoint myself or my parents. And that I was right, it did get better!

As I've mentioned, i'll be entering my second and may even be last year of college or education!? This is definitely more daunting than starting college for me as it means i'll have to really think seriously about what I want to do next. I am constantly questioning myself, do I really want to work with children? Should I try something different? Should I go to Uni and do I actually want to go to Uni? What about a gap year? Yet none of these have answers, just possibilities..
I'm constantly battling with 'going to Uni to improve my opportunities in the area of work I think I want to go into', 'Am I cut out for Uni, Intellectually, Emotionally and Physically(probably not)', 'Being stuck in a 9-5 or worse job for whats considered poor pay?' I really do not know. 

I am not going to turn this post into a rant, i'm just trying to get across that you should always give something a try, never give up, enjoy what you're doing and most importantly make sensible decisions, whether they're right or wrong just remember that they felt right at the time!

I'm sorry if this post got cut a little short, I was just unsure what to say without turning this into a rant or with no real direction of where I was going with this.

Anyway, enjoy(well as much as you can) your first day back at school, college, uni whatever! And Good Luck to those who are starting somewhere new in their education!

That's all for now,

Amy X

Source: here

Where I've Been | South Devon

Hello! 
You may have worked out from my previous posts that I've been away and my last 2 posts were scheduled. Here i'm going to tell you a little of what I got up to, i'll try to be short and sweet but we know I like to babble. Last Saturday I set off to where I thought we were staying in Plymouth, but actually we stayed near in Dawlish which was absolutely lovely and I'm so glad we did.

The first day was spent in Dawlish itself where we had breakfast, then visited the small independent shops and walked the beach, it was lovely and so was the weather- I was in my element! Sun, shopping and being near the beach.

Comfy travel outfit, with the pebbles beneath my feet.

Selfie with my mother who indeed doesn't look too impressed and sporting my double or rather triple chin.

Cute little boats.

The sea, glistening.

On the Sunday we decided to visit the town called Torquay, it was gorgeous but looked like such an expensive place to stay or live! We spent the day shopping, of course I spotted the Primark! I picked up a couple of items that I'll show in a future haul i'm sure. Next we set off to play pitch and putt, and i'll hold my hand up and admit it, I am definitely not a budding golfer.

Clearly displaying I know not a thing about golf.

Monday was more of a animal packed day, it would be an understatement to say I was excited as we were to be visiting Plymouth, the place where i'm thinking about going to Uni. We went to the National Aquarium, apparently the best within the UK, so that's a reason to get pretty excited right? Then followed by walking around the harbor side town and treating ourselves to the ice cream van, a typical British thing right?

A pretty fancy backdrop for a photo right?

Of course, I had to take a photo of the Nemo's!

A rather 'hipster' looking ice lolly.

We next traveled to Dartmoor Zoo which we in fact have visited before, the Zoo was fantastic the first time we went as we hadn't seen the animals before but this time was rather short as we had seen it all before, I did however manage to see the bear this time which was hiding last time!

Next was another day of my family being typical tourist's in Exeter. I fell in love with Exeter town, it had such amazing independent sellers as well as larger more national stores. Again I found the Primark, and other stores that I already have in my town but I couldn't resist not having a browse! We were getting a little peckish and found the coolest, oh gosh I do not sound cool saying that. But we found a Cafe that appealed to me a lot, vintage! I believe it was called 'The Real McCoy' but I can't be for sure, it was a cafe combined vintage store. I found the sofa and the fashion book to accompany my milkshake!

Ideal short break, music, chocolate milkshake(probably the best I've had) and a fashion book that I may have to purchase myself!

Wednesday was purely for my mothers love, donkeys! We traveled a little further than we usually would to see a load of Donkeys, I have to admit I didn't mind at all! They were so lovely, I even came away with my own(not a real one, I wish!) but a teddy and an adopted one! My father gifted my mum with a donkey, how sweet! It was a Poitou Donkey, with large ears a shaggy coat who likes to be cuddled called Aramis, adorable. 

Again we visited the beach, this was in Sidmouth and I found my favourite coloured beach huts!

I didn't take any photos on Thursday which i'm kind of gutted about as I loved this town so much too! Teignmouth! Teignmouth has amazing independent shops with such gorgeous furniture, every time I've been I've had to come away not purchasing any as it wouldn't fit in the car, weeping! Although I did get my palm read on an arcade machine which shoots cards out at random but I as always, I couldn't resist. 

The last day was Friday as we traveled back on the Saturday, I have holiday blues even though I wasn't abroad but just love Dawlish so much! Spontaneously we went for a little drive, we found a nature reserve which I was not too impressed by, although we walked for about 10 minutes with me complaining as we were surrounded by fields and cows, I regret it. We came out to such a lovely canal and little pub, we had a drink and noticed there was a boat we could catch to another town, on we hopped and spent about an hour or 2 in Topsham, although there was very little there it was a beautiful area to spend the last day!

Orangina in the sun! 

How very nautical for a boat ride.

The Exe Estuary boat trip to Topsham.

So there's the quickest round up possible for me to let you know where I've been and what I got up to, I loved Dawlish as always and definitely wouldn't hesitate to visit again although I do hope my next get away will be abroad! 
Look out for my next posts that'll be back to school related, or rather back to college related as i'm going into my final year at college!

See you next time,

Amy X

Life Updates!

Hello!

So I've got some times on my hands this week so i'm going to spend it chilling out while getting things done. That may sound a little strange but basically i'm going to be relaxing in my comfy clothes while working on the laptop. I say the laptop as this isn't strictly mine, I've been sharing with my sister as unfortunately mine died 3 years ago. Yesterday I decided to get it out and try to fix it, it wasn't having any of it so we're calling the 'Computer Doctor' out to come and fix it as PC World did nothing. I'm in need of my own now as my sister is moving out and I need it more often as next year is when the hard work starts at college and i'm thinking about uni!

Anyway, this is just a blog post on recent life updates as I feel you don't know much about me.
I'm genuinely starting to feel happy with what I am doing, study wise. I got to a point where I just didn't know what I wanted to do and I wasn't feeling happy, I just wanted to leave college as I hated it! So I tried applying for many positions to get me out of college but still be learning, and basically it just didn't turn out well. I've been working so hard to try and get the best out of my education and it's definitely paying off, it shows throughout my grades, I'm getting A's on assignments. 
Now this is definitely not something i'm going to brag about as I'm not the most academic, this is genuinely me expressing how i'm feeling. Finally feel able enough to go to uni, which I never thought i'd say!

The main reason for this is I've been so organised! I haven't been leaving things to the last minute like I usually do, I've been keeping a diary with things planned for the week or two ahead and it's really helped me to get my head straight! This has also helped me to kick anxious feelings, now i'm not self-diagnosing and saying I have anxiety as I think it's quite a serious matter. But everyone gets nervous, that's what i'm addressing myself. I've been feeling so negative towards things as I've explained above but organisation and basically just saying 'What's the worst that could happen?' and usually the answer is 'Nothing that can't be changed' and just going for it.

Now I don't want to rant on too long as this is just an update and chance to get a little more about me. But hopefully due to being finished college, well nearly I just have to go in on Friday to hand in my last assignment, I will be blogging a lot more. I've planned a few posts to get up in the very near future including, 'Small Hauls', recent beauty purchases and reviews and opinions of products that I've wanted to try for a while!

So stay tuned and they will be up very soon, reward yourself with brownie points if you've got this far!

Thank you,

Amy X

Garnier PureActive Deep Clean Foam wash

Hello you lovely people! Today I have some free time on my hands so I'm writing this post as my blog has been neglected recently(It always is, oops)! This post is going to be fairly quick as i'm not too sure how much I can say about just one daily facial wash. Anyway lets get straight into it!

So I have been using the Garnier PureActive Deep Clean Foam wash for about 3-4 months now, so I thought now was the time to give an honest review on a product that I love a lot!
I originally purchased this with an order I made from Superdrug, it was on offer and the reviews were pretty good, so I thought- why not? I was so excited to try it as my skin was just all over the place at the point, I couldn't wait to use it as soon as it arrived!
My initial thoughts of it was- the packaging is pretty simple and easy for every day use, with a handy pump. I was quick to whip off the lid and give it a whiff and it smelt really clean and fresh which I love!

This product is for oily skin- prone to imperfections, now I must admit this doesn't describe my skin type exactly but I definitely have an oily t-zone and quite a few imperfections during that time of the month. This product claims to unclog pores and protect against the appearance of imperfections, and to purify by removing impurities and tightening the pores- and these are statements I definitely cannot argue with!

To apply this product I usually splash my face with warm water to start and next pump one full pump onto my hand. Using my finger tips I just massage the gel-like formula all over my face, definitely avoiding the eyes. Do not get this wash in your eyes, although it is not meant for your eyes, it really does sting! I apply more water to my face massaging the wash into my skin to foam it up a little more before using a wet flannel to take the product off.

I have definitely noticed a difference in my skin using the Garnier wash, my skin feels a little tight after using it which I love as it feels like the product is working- is that just me or? My skin appears to look and feel cleaner and definitely less oily! Also I have noticed the reduction of imperfections during that time of the month making me feel a lot better about myself. I honestly don't think I can fault this product, I absolutely love it! The price is extremely affordable and is everything I look for in a daily facial wash. 

I will definitely repurchase this!

So if you feel like you have a similar skin type to mine, or just have oily skin in general. I'd definitely check this product out and give it a try. Here's where you can get it- Superdrug and feelunique.com 

I hope this has helped if you are looking for a new daily wash that works amazingly at such an affordable price. Comment below if you have tried it and your thoughts!

Talk soon, Amy! X