A Vintage Wedding Book Review

Hello everyone! 

For a while now I've been reading a lot of heavy books, so I decided to go for something a bit more light hearted. A Vintage Wedding by Katie Fforde is a lovely, summery book! I think it's perfect to read on holiday. Let's dive right in with a little review shall we? 

Vintage Weddings features three women, Rachel, Lindy and Beth, who all find themselves in a bit of a life rut. They are all struggling to make their mark and find something to make them happy. When a chance meeting in the run down village hall sparks off a friendship they decide to make the most of it. Rachel is a recently divorced, OCD accountant, Lindy is a young, single mum of two and Beth is just looking for a nice job and a way to prove her overbearing mother wrong. 

Beth's sister Helena is getting married and has asked Beth to organise it, when she asks her new friends for advice it turns out they all have useful skills. Lindy is a whizz at sewing and crafts, Beth is full of fabulous ideas and Rachel is the most organised person on the planet. And so on a boring evening in the pub, Vintage Weddings is born. With many ups and downs, both romantically and at work they learn how to run a successful business and cement themselves into the community. 

Although this book isn't very deep or challenging, it is heart warming and very funny. Sometimes you just need an easy, predictable book that you know will make you smile. It was such a lovely, enjoyable read! I would recommend it for sure as a beach or pool side book. It makes you dream of flowers and sunshine, you end up wishing the characters were your friends too! 

Have you guys read anything good recently? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Two Sides To Every Benefit

Hello everyone! 

For a little while now I’ve been working on a post with Emily over on her deeply fabulous blog! We’ve both been trying out different Benefit products that we think would work well together :-) Emily has been trialling Benefit’s well loved Porefessional collection, they have some really cool new stuff out! To take a peek at her post click here. 

I have been trying out Puff Off, which is a much older product, but I feel is the perfect companion for the Porefessional. Porefessional does so much as a primer, but does nothing for under your eyes. If you are like me and work long hours, even night shifts, having something to treat your eyes pre-makeup is absolutely essential! Puff Off is an under eye gel designed to soothe puffiness and provide some cooling moisture. 

Let’s start with the packaging…It’s huge! Why does it have an extra cardboard bit? Why write more on the extra card that is already written on the little paper insert. Other than that it’s very nice, I like the pastel orange, blue and cream theme. It still keeps that vintage vibe that Benefit has going on. The product actually smells kind of like peaches, which is a bit of a bonus. 

I honestly cannot be more enthusiastic about this product. The ironing tip could be considered a bit of a novelty as it actually looks like a tiny iron, but don’t be sceptical! It really works, the metal is always cold and the iron shape works really well for the under eye area. The point gets right into the inner corner and helps spread the cool feeling everywhere. The product is very moisturising and soaks in super fast! I’m not sure if it’s the cream, the cold metal or the combination of the two, but the puffy soreness of overtired eyes instantly feels relieved! 

Yes I know, I should just get a good night’s sleep, but sometimes you have to keep going. This does help, I actually look forward to using it and it will definitely be a repurchase when this runs out. However, that could be some time away, you only need a tiny drop of cream for each eye. You just squeeze and blob onto each eye then smooth it out! I’ve been using this for about 3 weeks and it has made a massive difference. I love how you can wear it under or over makeup, so I can reapply it as necessary during the day. 

Have you guys tried this product? Or have you only tried the Porefessional? Let me know what you think in the comments below :-) Also if you don't go over and show Emily some big love then you are missing out! Her blog is fantastically written and her photos are divine :-) 

xoxo

P.S. I promise my photo quality will improve soon, lighting in my temporary room here isn't too great *sigh*. Also I have a Facebook page you can check out here! 

Q&A With Smiley Central

Hello everyone, 

Not so long back I saw a request for bloggers to do some Q&As over on Smiley Central :-) Smiley Central is run by the lovely Catherine and is filled with inspiration, motivation and the odd beauty post. She writes some really fabulous posts so you should all hop on over and check it out! 

I'm honestly so glad that I emailed her, we have become really good friends through this collaboration and regularly email each other with news :-) To see her post with the questions she sent me click here, but if you want to know a little more about Catherine then keep reading. Go on, you know you want to know more! 

What made you want to start up your blog?

There are so many reasons that I wanted to start blogging, I was really into YouTube before I started my blog and I wanted to be a YouTuber but I didn't have the knowledge or equipment to be a YouTuber, then I found out about blogging, I started reading some popular blogs like Sprinkle of Glitter and Zoella on and off and felt like blogging was for me. Once I found out how to start a blog, I was right into it!

If you had to pick one type of post to write forever, what would it be?

Oooh, this is a hard one! I would probably say inspiration/motivational posts because it so amazing when people tell you that you have helped them, even if it's in a small way. A lot of the time when I write inspiration/motivation posts, I take my own advice. When I'm writing those kinds of posts, it's like another force takes control of me and I end up reading back my posts in the editing stage and thinking "where did that come from???" and "I should really follow my own advice!". Inspiration/motivational posts are a positive experience on both sides of the screen!

If you could go back to the beginning of your blog, what would you say to yourself?

I wouldn't want to tell my past self to change my writing style or probably tragic blog template because in that case, I might not have the amazing opportunities that I do today. I would probably just tell myself that it's going to be okay. I will eventually find a blog template that isn't that horrible (I hope it isn't haha, we all have different opinions), I will eventually get some form of a writing style, I will eventually have amazing friends like Hattie from blogging alone and that I will eventually get a few regular readers.

What gets you most excited to write?

I would probably say the thing that gets me most excited to write is when I'm passionate about what I'm writing about. The feminism series - Let's Talk About Feminism for example, I am very passionate about feminism and I want to tell everybody about feminism and that means I'm excited to write and to share what I know with the world!

Where do you see your blog going?

I would love to see my blog have a few more regular readers, it's not that I care about the numbers, it's just that I really want to grow our small community. My ultimate blogging dream is to be a full-time blogger. I can honestly see myself blogging as a full-time job and I can't wait to see if that is what the future holds!

Quick Fire Round!

Favourite colour?

I don't have a favourite colour because in my mind, picking a favourite colour is not very nice to the other colours, I'm very right-brained, I know.

Favourite food?

Anything vegetarian. Meat tastes like guilt and emotional strain.

Favourite flavour haribo?

In New Zealand, we have Haribos but they aren't very well known and I think I might have tried one packet once. I can't really remember the flavours but I think I remember the clear-ish one being amazing.

Favourite movie?

The Fault In Our Stars, everything about this movie is beautiful and meaningful.

Tea or hot chocolate?

Tea. Hot chocolate is wonderful but tea feeds my soul.

Snow or sun?

I am definitely more of a winter person. In Rotorua, where I live, it snows very, very lightly about once every 10 years so I don't really know if I would find snow annoying or not.

Pinterest or Instagram?

I'm sorry Pinterest, but Instagram wins. I love Pinterest shopping every once in a while but Instagram is something that I check a lot more, plus Pinterest needs to lay off with the emails!

I hope you enjoyed this Q&A, we're thinking of doing some more collaborations in the near future so let us know what you think in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Too Cool For School

Hello everyone! 

As I was searching for a good new contour kit I stumbled upon a Korean brand called Too Cool for School. It’s limited to only three shops in the whole of France so I feel as though it was a lucky find! This brand looks so exciting, I just had to treat myself. 

Too Cool for School is cruelty free which is a mega bonus for me. They have a huge range of makeup and skincare with some very original themes. The three I find most exciting are the Glam Rock, Art School and Dinoplatz collections. Check them out here. 

In terms of the actual products, I got the makeup artist to try the contour on me and the colours were perfect for my rather porcelain skin. Contour kits are so hard to find for paler skin, so finding a good one is like looking for the holy grail. This kit isn’t actually for me, I was researching a cruelty free brand for a friend who asked me for some beauty advice. She is thrilled with the idea and will soon be purchasing this kit, so I’ll see what I can do about getting a review for you guys! 

The Art School products were all so cute and kind of hipster, deeply fabulous! I had to seriously restrain myself from buying all sorts. Their eyeshadow pair palettes looked amazing and their liquid lipsticks looked like acrylic paint tubes! I will probably go and buy some things from there soon though, just waiting for my self control to break…

I was in need of a face mask and was originally looking for a one use face pack. I needed some deeper skin care after being dried out by air conditioner. Although Too Cool for School has a wide variety of face packs they also have a pumpkin sleeping mask in a big tube which lasts for ages. It uses enzymes to peel away any dead skin and provides moisture, nutrients and exfoliation while you’re sleeping. 

I love the cute little sleepy pumpkin <3 

I have been using this every other day for just over a week now and I love it. I use a pea sized amount for my whole face and then I just leave it alone over night. In the morning it feels like I have been using a moisturiser and my skin is wonderfully smooth and silky. As it is a mask, I do still need to remove it in the morning and I do this with a cleanser before getting ready to do my makeup for the day. 

They also gave me a teeny tiny sample of another sleeping pack which I can't wait to try! I'll be doing a samples galore review soon so stay tuned :-) 

From what I have seen and tried, I would really recommend this brand! If you guys have any particular requests for reviews on this band let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook! You know you want to :-) 

Beautylicious Bathina

Hello everyone! 

Ever since I was very young I have greatly admired Marilyn Monroe, she was such an icon and the fact that she still is says a lot about her. Although she was crippled by insecurities about her own body image, she fought to overcome them and remains a great role model for loving your body for what it is. Whether you have curves or fine bones just rock it! 

My favourite Marilyn moment has to be her iconic interview revelation of what she wore to bed… many people will agree on this one. During a live chat for Marie Claire publicising her movie “Let’s Make Love” in 1960, her bold interviewer Georges Belmont asked her what she wore to bed. Her response is the ultimate jaw dropper. Her instantly recognisable voice is heard saying 

“You know, they ask me questions. Just an example: “What do you wear to bed? A pyjama top? The bottoms of the pyjamas? A nightgown?” So I said: “Chanel No.5”, because it’s the truth, and yet, I don’t want to say “nude”. But it’s the truth!”

You may be wondering where this post is going, apologies for the rambling! I feel that Benefit captured the essence of Marilyn when they created the cult beauty product that is the Bathina silky glimmering body balm. It comes with a special velvet puff to buff the product into your skin after a luxurious bath. I have loved this product and it’s scent for years, so was super excited to receive the body care set for christmas. 

The set has a ‘silky and seductive’ body oil mist and an ‘all over me’ scented body mist, both with the superb blend of white blossom, lemon and peach that makes this scent so intoxicating. I love to use the body oil after a long bath, it just adds that final touch to a good pampering session. The body mist I usually spray on just before bed as I find it really soothing, it makes me feel super relaxed! I have to admit, it does make me feel almost as goddess like as Marilyn herself, there is something so luxe about spraying on an indulgent product as part of your nightly beauty routine. 

Who else loves a good princess product? Let me know your faves in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Hunger Games Hype

Hello everyone! 

So the hype of The Hunger Games is over now, the last movie was of course as big a hit as the first one! However, a lot of people seem to forget about the books in all the movie excitement. I have this deal with Mr.Gingersnap, when it’s a huge movie that we watch together I don’t read the books until we’ve seen the movies. That way one of us doesn’t know more than the other! Which is why I only recently read the books behind this controversial series. 

Aside from the violent themes and their inevitable controversy, the story is a really good one! It has it all, self sacrifice for those you love, struggles against poverty, hunger and an oppressive government, friendship, loss and of course a decent love triangle. I think the political undertones deserve a post all of their own so let’s leave those out of this one, right? 

Warning, there may be spoilers ahead!! 

I didn’t realise how different the movies are to the books! Yes the story is essentially the same and most of the events are also the same. What is missing from the movies are Katniss’s constant feelings for Peeta. In the movie she seems very pre-occupied with Gale from almost day 1, when in fact she doesn’t consider him as more than a friend until well into the second book. Her feelings for Peeta are mixed throughout and she experiences constant turmoil when thinking of him. On one hand he is her enemy, but on the other there is her gratitude to him which barely conceals her undoubtable affection. From the very beginning it is clear that he is right for her, that he can heal all that is broken. 

Gale is strong and passionate, but his feelings for Katniss aren’t pure. I’m not denying his love for her, it was borne out of long years of friendship and mutual dependency, but he has a vicious streak which Peeta lacks. He is far too angry, anger wouldn’t be enough to fix Katniss and she realises this very early in the books. 

In the movies she is very wooden and shows next to no emotion, but in the books you hear her thoughts and see how much it all affects her. Her on screen actions show she feels, but you don’t see much of the games’ lasting effects. A large part of the books is about how she copes and slowly comes to terms with the trauma, I just wish this was in the movies a bit more! You see her strong love and loyalty to her district, her desire to do more and frustration at her own limits, which I feel makes you emotionally invest more in her character. 

I’d recommend reading the books even if you weren’t much a fan of the movies, you get a different side of Katniss. Although I can’t pick which one I liked best! What did you guys think of the books vs. the movies? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Inexcusably Late March Favourites

Hello everyone! 

I have a really good reason for being so late with my favourites for March, I swear! I had to pick from so many things, it was really hard. For some reason March felt like a very long month, maybe it was the exams at the beginning? So I had a lot of things I’d been loving, obviously I can’t share them all with you otherwise we’d be here forever, and I’m sure you guys have better things to do than read my waffle for all eternity. In an attempt to be succinct, here are my top picks for the month of March.

Sorry for the poor lighting! Long hours = no natural light for pics :-( 

For beauty, Urban Decay must get a mention, I have been loving my Gwen Stephani lipstick in the shade Ex-Girlfriend to the point where I need to slow down before I run out! This gorgeous nectarine based nude is a staple for any makeup bag, it is effortlessly sexy and yet smart enough for every day wear at work or uni.  

You can tell I love this by how much I've used, it is rolled down to the max here...

My old mascara flame is the L’Oreal Miss Manga Punky. I adore the spiked lash effect it gives, it’s quite a vintage look and can be applied subtly or built up for a very extreme sultry look. No need for false eyelashes when you have this in your makeup bag! 

This wand looks so weird, but is amazing! 

This is a weird one, but I have been loving this herbal tea from good old M&S, I don’t drink any caffeinated drinks so I’m all about the herbal tea. I have tried many, some have been fab and some have been truly gross, but this one is a real contender for the top spot. This cranberry and pomegranate infusion is so warming and invigorating, these are my favourite fruits anyway! In fact I think it is what got me through revision this year haha, as you can probably tell by the emptiness of the box I did a lot of revision and a lot of tea drinking…

I have recently formed an addiction to American Horror Story (late to the party again, oh well). It is so terrifying, but so addictive! I don’t know how to stop watching, help? No spoilers in the comments please, just in case I manage to tough it out to season 6 without perishing of fright! 

Last, but not least I have been loving my move to Paris in mid-March. I have had such a good time exploring and feel like it was just the change of pace I needed to feel really motivated and refreshed. Sometimes a temporary change of scene clears your head and re-ignites your passion for your chosen career, especially after having been at uni for the last 4 years! 

Right, I’m going to stop waffling now! Stay tuned for upcoming beauty and reading posts, I have a lot of fun and exciting content in the pipeline, including some collaborations :-) Let me know what you have been loving in the comments below and Happy April guys! 

xoxo

Disclaimer Review

Hello everyone! 

It's time for another book review, I feel like I haven't done one in ages despite reading so many recently! I've been getting quite into thrillers and I have read some truly fantastic ones, sadly Disclaimer by Renée Knight I didn't enjoy quite as much. 

*Spoiler alert!!*

Don't get me wrong, it is a good read with a very original storyline, my Mam loved it, but I was left feeling luke warm. The story follows Catherine. After she moves into a new house with her husband she seeks stress relief by reading an intriguing book abandoned on her bedside table. Pretty soon her whole life revolves around this book, or rather the book revolves around her life. The book chills her to the bone, hidden between the innocuous pages is a secret she thought she could take to her grave. Clearly someone else knows her secret and that someone has it in for her! 

The first half of the book really piqued my interest, but once I had figured out her secret I enjoyed it less. Her secret wasn't her fault, she did nothing wrong, but she is still being punished. I found her husband highly irritating, he was so quick to believe the worst of the wife he claims to love. I don't blame her from walking away from him in the end. 

I enjoyed the writing style and it was a gripping thriller, but I found it went on too long. I just wanted to get to the end. The character of her torturer was interesting at first, but he became a little farfetched for my taste. I'm not sure to be honest, the book was good, but it wasn't what I expected. It made me a little uncomfortable, which you could argue is the idea behind a thriller! There was some redemption at the end, which made me feel happier with it. I would still recommend this though! 

I'll let you make up your own minds, if you've read it let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Too Faced Trials

Hello everyone! 

Who loves Too Faced products? Aside from the obvious major plus of their cruelty free stance, they actually have consistently high quality products. I have been using them for years and somewhere in the depths of my makeup collection is a smokey eye palette which is probably looooong out of date… I’m not saying I love and must buy every product they bring out, I try to only buy what I think will suit my style. However, between my friends and myself we have probably tried a good majority of their stuff! It is always good, trust me. 

BUT, I do have a rather large bug bear with them not always releasing products in the UK, notably their recent Peanut Butter and Jelly palette. I had been coveting that palette since they announced it and I was so upset to find out it isn’t coming to the UK. I could, of course, buy it online and ship it from America, but the shipping is more than the product itself and I can’t justify it to myself. As a red head, this palette would be perfect for me, the purple berry tones, combined with the warm brown and umber shades would just look divine *sigh* and I love the smell of peanut butter. 

Look how cute it is! 

If you combined the original Chocolate Bar and Semi-Sweet palettes you could probably achieve almost identical looks, but they are much bulkier and less cute in my opinion! In the vague hope that they might yet release it I am going to hold off considering buying the chocolate palettes. Although, I have purchased the Chocolate Bon Bons palette as it is very different and is just all around stunning (she says whilst desperately trying to justify it!). 

First off, the packaging is very cute. I love the cardboard box the most, it reminds me of in the newer Charlie and the Chocolate factory with the Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight (Roald Dahl nerd in the house!) chocolate bars. You guys agree? When you get in there the packaging is this gorgeously girly pink tin with 16 matte and shimmer shades. Seriously, the smell of chocolate is insane! I can smell it all day, no kidding. Some of the shades look really strong, particularly Totally Fetch and Black Current, but they apply quite lightly so you can build them for a stronger look or incorporate them into a more natural look. The usual Too Faced triple cheat sheet for looks is present and correct, love those, they are super helpful for inspiration. The only small down side is the lack of a brush within the tin, but hey you can’t have everything! 

 In rows from left to right the colours are Almond Truffle, Satin Sheets, Sprinkles, Molasses Chip, Malted, Cashew Chew, Cotton Candy, Cafe au Lait, Bordeaux, Mocha, Black Currant, Dark Truffle, Pecan Praline, Totally Fetch, Eary Grey and Divinity. 

Gretchen Weiners finally made Fetch happen with the gorgeous hot pink shadow! 

I may have been a little bit naughty and also treated myself to a new blush, damn Sephora temptations! I have had my eye on the Sweethearts blushes for quite a while. I think the packaging is very sweet and was pleasantly surprised by the size of the product. I have a feeling this will last a while! So far the blush is gorgeous, as it has 3 shades, you can choose to apply one or mix them all together or even a combination 2, this gives you so many options for different looks and is perfect for spring. I chose the Candy Glow blush as it suits my skin tone the best. There are also 3 other shades, well two at the minute with a third to be released soon. These range from a strong coral palette, to a bronze and then a very gold shimmer palette. I do love the shimmer of these as it almost acts as a highlighter too. It applies and blends beautifully, my only fault being that isn’t very portable, but I can’t really complain about it being too big can I?! 

If you guys would like me to, I will do a couple of eyeshadow looks using this palette for you in a separate post. Let me know in the comments below if you’re keen :-) To take a peek at my Facebook page click here.

xoxo

Maybelline Makes a Move

Hello everyone! 

I’ve never really been a massive Maybelline fan, I don’t know why, I guess beyond the Dream Matte Mousse nothing really caught my eye. I thought this should be rectified, as so many of you swear by their products! 

Maybelline have had a few new releases over the last couple of months, with mixed reviews. The original Baby Lips products were a big hit, so expanding the range seemed like the obvious thing to do next. Maybelline have released some of these teeny weeny balm and cream blush combos. There are 4 colours, but if I’m honest you really don’t need them all. The differences are really really subtle! I’m not dissing the products, the balm is wonderful on the lips, it feels like a much pricier treatment and does have some serious staying power for moisture, but the pigmentation is low. As a blush I’m not too much of a fan, it doesn’t last well. However, in the summer it will really come into it’s own, it is the perfect easy application of blush and balm on the move, ideal for a touch up post swim or beach day! I have the 01 Innocent Peach shade, the smell of peaches is really lovely and refreshing. 

Another new release is their Dream Blender aimed at easing the application of Dream Matte Mousse. Because I like to be a rebel I use mine to apply concealer instead of foundation. Yeah it does look a bit weird, it kind of reminds me of a temple in it’s shape, however, I quite like the handle. With the traditional blenders your fingers actually touch what you will be using to smooth in your foundation, and you end up with it everywhere! This way your fingers stay nice and clean. The shape of this is ideal for concealer as it has such a fine point you can be super precise, especially when smoothing over those pesky dark under-eye circles! 

My final Maybelline product is a concealer. I feel like the Super Stay 24hour concealer is a  bit of a cult product and I’m late to jump on the bandwagon yet again. I haven’t ever really been one of those people who holds much faith in concealer…I always thought it was a bit of wishful thinking. I have always preferred balancing with green tones and well-placed highlighters. However, I do like the concealer for under my eyes, it does help make me look more awake and alert, but for spots I’m not too sure. In case you were wondering I went for shade 2 light. It can dry out and leave you flaky, so I think I’ll try a different one for spots next time! 

Anyone have any good concealer suggestions? Or if you would like me to review a particular product let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo