MUA Lipsticks | Review

Hello there,
I recently indulged in a little bit of retail therapy. I'd read one or two reviews of these lipsticks and so decided to head into Superdrug and pick them up for myself.

I love the MUA brand. It's so affordable and is surprisingly good quality. These lipsticks came in at around £1 I think, which I was more than happy to spend. Usually I'd consider three lipsticks on one day a bit extravagant (I'm a bit of a scrimper) but when they're so cheap it seems rude to only pick up one!

I chose three colours. I'd been on the hunt for a nice orange lipstick for a while so I got Shade 16 Nectar in the original formula. I'm a big fan of matte lipsticks too so decided to pick up a couple of those. I bought 'Pouty Pink' (a sweet, bright pink colour) and 'Totally Nude' which was pretty much exactly what it said on the tin, a totally nude colour. I always just stick to red lipstick to I wanted to branch out and get some different colours that I usually wouldn't consider.

Oil slick orange - not my best look (MUA Lipstick Shade 16 Nectar)

I really have to say I'm not impressed with these lipsticks. I know they were only £1 but I've bought lipstick from Poundland before (yes really) and it was much, much better than this!

The orange colour is far too greasy. It looks like an orange oil slick right across my mouth. I would never wear it outside the house I'd be far too worried about spreading it all over my face and looking like a clown!

(MUA Lipstick in Pouty Pink)

The matter lipsticks are completely different. I really like them on first application. However, after time they stick to weird bits of my lips and end up giving me a really "bitty" look. I love the colour of the nude lipstick which surprised me as I usually hate that 'foundation lipstick' look so I was really disappointed. The only way I've been able to get it to work is by applying really thin coats really regularly - I mean like every fifteen minutes regularly.

My favourite of a bad bunch (MUA Lipstick in "Totally Nude"

I'll put a little disclaimer on the end of this post...I do struggle with lipsticks generally. I have kinda big lips. I never know how to explain it but quite a bit of my bottom lip is actually like "inside mouth" lips. So it's really difficult for me to ever find a lipstick that will stick to my lips and not give me a weird pink stripe across the top of my mouth. That means, if you've got smaller, less pronounced lips then maybe these would work a treat for you. Unfortunately they're not for me.

Love, Maisie

Three From Collection | Review

Hello,
Sorry I've been a bit missing in action recently. I'm just going to stick with my usual excuse of "eugh degree, eugh reading, eugh essays, eugh too drunk all the time". I think that should suffice really.

Anyway, between drowning in referencing and bibliographies I did manage a sneaky trip into town. Do you ever just run out of all your make up at once? It happens to me all the time! So I popped into dearly beloved Boots to stock up little essentials.

My plan was to buy higher end high street but after swatching every foundation ever and realising that I need to STOP BEING SO DAMN PALE. I settled for some bits and bobs from Collection. I find that Collection suits my colour so much better than a lot of the high end products so why would I waste money on something that's going to turn me fluorescent?

I picked up the 'Collection Cover & Go Foundation & Concealer Duo', the 'Collection Primed & Ready Smoothing Make Up Primer' and 'Collection Volumnising Mascara'.

I'd never really been into primer before and I actually when I went into Boots I was intending to by the new Baby Skin thing. I was really skeptical because of all the dodgy reviews I'd read and when I swatched it on my skin it felt so greasy that I opted against it and went for the Collection one instead. I'm really impressed by this product. I'm pretty sure it's a silicon based formula (although I can't actually get the labels off to have a look at the ingredients). It leaves my skin incredibly smooth even after I've put my foundation on top. I really recommend this, it makes my make up look 100x better!

When I bought this I didn't even realise it had concealer in the lid. Top notch job on that packaging Boots it's brilliant. You can put it in your handbag and voila two in one! The concealer coverage is really good, I really rate this product (as you can tell by how used it looks). I'm still humming and harring about the foundation. It's ok but the consistency is a bit odd and it looks really streaky if you apply it with a brush rather than a sponge.

Whenever I buy anything new I instantly don't like it - it takes a while to convince me it's actually good. This was no different, when I first opened it I didn't love it. The brush is quite brittle and not the big fluffy mascara brush I usually like. However, after using this for a week I am converted and I admit the error of my ways. This mascara is really great, it gives a really volumnised look, kind of fake lash effect. The only thing I don't get is why it says '10x volumnising' on it. Can you imagine if a mascara made you lashes TEN TIMES BIGGER? You'd look like a maniac!

Overall I'm well chuffed with the Collection things I picked up. I think they're all fairly new products to the line and they all work fantastically. Collection is definitely starting to give some of the other high street brands a run for their money.

Primed, concealed, volumnised and ready to hit the rain

So have you tried any of these products? Did you like 'em? Lemme know 

Not so knot? | Review - Tangle Teezer

Hello,

If you've ever caught a glimpse of my hair (perhaps in my hair dye post or in an OOTD) you may have noticed it's a tad on the curly side. By that I mean it's pretty much out of control. My mum calls it my "dog hair" because it grows in thick, knotted layers like a dog's waterproof coat does.

Well, with bad hair comes great responsibility. A responsibility I am extremely reluctant to take on and I will admit I am the worst curly haired owner in the world. I really neglect it, I don't use the right kind of products or even bother to brush it because whenever I try it turns into a massive task and I end up hating it.

This Christmas I think my mum got fed up of it looking a scraggly mess, so she gave my step-dad strict orders to buy me a Tangle Teezer for Christmas - The Original one in an alarming traffic cone orange shade. I remember when these first emerged on the highstreet years and years ago and I've been meaning to try one for a while. In case you're not familiar with the Tangle Teezer it's a kind of revolutionary hairbrush. It promises to detangle and glossy hair without any tugging, pulling or yanking.

I was so excited about using the Tangle Teezer, especially after all the great reviews I'd heard, but to be honest it left me a little bit meh. The first time I used it it tugged on my hair a lot, admittedly not as bad as a normal comb would but still enough. My hair is less knotted than it used to be however I still can't run my hands through it without getting stuck on knots. I understood that with hair as mental as mine it might take a little while to get used to but considering I've used it everyday since Christmas I expected slightly more progress.

Another slight problem I've had with the brush is when to use it. This may be very specific to us curly haired lasses but I for one cannot brush my hair when it's dry without ending up looking like Cousin Itt from the Addams Family (not the look I'm going for). This means I have to use the brush as soon as I get out of the shower when my hair is still very wet. Then as my hair dries...it gets knotted again. Has anyone else had this problem or is it just my bizarre locks?

Overall I wouldn't say the Tangle Teezer is a bad brush at all and I bet if you have straight or wavy hair it'd work a treat. The amount of gleeful reviews I've read means it must work for some people. But, like most hair products it seems, it doesn't work nearly as well for thick or curly hair.

I'm definitely going to keep using it and hopefully one day I'll have flippy hair like one of those ladies in the shampoo adverts. If I suddenly have a eureka moment with it I'll definitely write another post.

Have you used the Tangle Teezer? Did you like it or did you have a few teething (geddit?...comb...teeth...just me?) problems with it too? 

I done dyed ma hurr

Heyyya,
The other evening my flatmate and I got a little bit bored so (as all normal people do) we decided to dye my hair! I'd already bought the hair dye ready for a rainy day when boredom struck but we were going out that evening so decided to do it for that!

I've always loved dying my hair, I think the first time I did it was probably when I was about 11 and I used one of those wash in wash out ones in a subtle red shade. I remember a boy called me "fire-head" for 2 days straight...so I kicked him. Luckily, I don't hang out with such intellectually-lacking children anymore so I usually dye my hair once a year with no name-calling.

Flatmate doing the dying - big thanks to him!

I decided for autumn I wanted to go a darker colour, usually if I'm dying my hair in the winter I go for a purpley shade but this time I went for a dark red. There's so many brands of hair dye all boasting vibrant, nourishing, long lasting, natural colour with bells on. In the end I settled for SuperDrug's own because I'm a massive cheapskate.

How scary is that model's face?!

The shade I used is from the 'Superdrug Colour Vibrance' range in '6:45 Maroon Red'. It was super simple to use, put it on dry hair for half an hour then wash out with normal shampoo and the colour enhancing conditioner provided.

I'm really happy with the colour, it's a lot brighter than I thought it was going to be but I like that. It's lasted really well, I put it in a couple of days ago and hardly any washes out in the shower so I'm hoping it'll last til Christmas!

Anyway  hope you like it. Lemme know (and if you've got any tips on how to make your colour last longer I'd appreciate them too - thaaaanks)

Finally, my baby... | Review - Maybelline Baby Lips

Helllo there,

I've been hearing about Maybelline's Baby Lips for so so long, every blogger, vlogger, everyone and their grandma seems to be raving about them. So the other day when I saw an advert for them I developed this sudden need to own them (I can't help it - I'm a sucker for adverts!). To be honest, I didn't even know they were available in the UK - am I going crazy or were they only available in America for a while? 

I was really excited about trying Baby Lips because I love lip balms, my lips get dry very easily in the winter so I've always got a good stock of lip balms in my bag. Also, I struggle finding lipsticks with really good staying powder and I always just end up with the edge of my lips being covered in lipstick and looking like a scary clown!

Anyhoo, I popped down to Boots and the odds were in my favour; Buy One Get One Half Price! Yes please and thank you! I obviously bought two, which was a struggle for me as they had it in 3 different colours! I picked Pink Punch and Peach Kiss, mainly because I always go for red colours so I wanted to try something a little difference.

Overall, the product is lovely and I'd definitely recommend it! It's really soft and makes your lips feel really smooth. They also smell delicious and fruity - which I always think is very important if you're going to put something that close to your nose. However, as with all things there are a couple of things I don't like. Firstly the packaging. To me, it looks a bit cheap, like something you might get in a stocking when you're 13. Something about the colours and the font - I just don't like it.

L-R: Pink Punch, Peach Kiss

Also, (as you can see in the photos above) the colour pay-off isn't fantastic. When you first put it on you can see a bit of a tint but this goes pretty quickly. I prefer Peach Kiss to Pink Punch just because it's more of a baby pink than I was expecting. I really want to try the red Cherry Me just to see if that's a bit more pigmented.

But don't let any of that deter you. I really do like the product overall! It's a great lip balm just not brilliant if you're looking for a strong colour.

So have you tried Baby Lips? Which colours? Do you like them? 

Carry on Camping | FieldCandy

Heyaaaa,

So unfortunately the summer seems to be drawing to a close. But luckily for us the weather seems to be staying lovely for a while so no excuse not squeeze a last minute holiday in! So for all you outdoor fashionista types I've discovered a new company that will turn your camping into glamping!

FieldCandy is a UK based company which aim to "inject colour, creativity and fun" straight into your tent! They've got all sorts of gorgeous designs which will suit everyone, ranging from simple, sophisticated patterns to kooky photos!

These tents definitely have the designer price tag you'd expect ranging between £400-500. But considering how beautiful the tents are and what good quality they are, if you're willing to spend that much I don't think it's money wasted! The tents are completely waterproof, galeproof and breathable.

For now I'll have to stick to my leaky, green tent. Not exactly the height of fashion but these are definitely going on "when I win the lottery" list!

Toorde Boontje // Big Top // Don't Be A Leopard

Fully Booked  // What A Melon // Out Of A Suitcase

Soapy goodness | Fortune Cookie Soap

Heyaaa,

My best friend has just shown me the most amazing new company and I simply HAD to share it! She popped on my Facebook with a lot of exclamation marks showing how much she loved the soap at the Fortune Cookie Soaps (I love it when my friends write my blog posts without knowing...)

Anyway, I'd never heard of this company before so I don't know if it's a big thing over here in England yet but it definitely should be! Fortune Cookie Soap hails from Tulsa, what originally started as a simple homemade Christmas present idea is now a successful business selling products in over 75 shops. All the soaps are unique, safe and really reasonably priced!

Fortune Cookie Soaps' signature product are the adorable Fortune Cookie Soaps (duh!). They're super cute little fortune cookie shaped soaps which are packaged in takeaway boxes! They're so adorable and come in a huge variety of scents; candy cotton, hazelnut cappuccino, caramel apple among many!

Fortune Cookie Soaps also make a wide range of bath bombs, body washes, lip balms, shampoo bars and so much more. Plus there's some awesome accessories like the 'soap saver' so even when your soap starts to disintegrate you can still use it! All the products are reasonably priced and I'm pretty sure they're cheaper than similar things you can find on the highstreet...

Anyway, this is my new obsession and I can tell I'm going to while away many hours lusting over the website! Definitely gonna be buying some for people's Christmas pressies! So I've picked a few things which I want just to give an idea of what they're all about...

Blueberry Jackflaps Bath Gift // "I Scream, You Scream" Gelato Bath Bomb // Unicorn Farts Shampoo Bar

"Sensual" Shower Steamer // "A Nod To The Hippies" Soap // Chocolate Peanut Butter Itty Bitty Gritty Lip Scrub

So, had you heard of Fortune Cookie Soaps? Do you love the products as much as I do? 

Is this a weird thing to review? | Oral B Trizone 600 Sweeps

Hiyaaa,

So recently I've been having some trouble with my teeth, tooth ache in my wisdom teeth, marks on my front teeth. Safe to say it's not that nice. I've always had some troubles with my teeth, I don't know why I don't smoke or drink coffee or eat that much sugar and my dentist said they're fairly healthy but I do suffer from a lot of toothache.

Anyway, I finally took my dentists advice and went an bought an electric toothbrush. I thought I'd give it a little review here, it's not exactly a beauty product but it is sort of cosmetic-y...

I didn't know it was possible to have any kind of emotional bond with dental care but I really, really like this toothbrush. I've only used it for a week and I can already see a difference in how clean my teeth look and feel! The main reason for this is the built in timer on the brush. The brush has a little buzzer which lets you know not only when the two minute advised  brushing time is up but also at 30 second intervals so you can make sure all areas of your mouth are cleaned equally!

It's also rechargeable which means you won't be forking out for expensive batteries every month. It takes about 22 hours to charge completely and lasts about a week. It's also impossible to overcharge which means the battery should last a long time.

The only small problem I had with the Oral B Trizone 600 Sweeps (apart from the ridiculously long name) was the plug. When I got it out of the box it turned out the charger only had a 'shaver plug' attachment. This meant I had to go out and buy an adaptor, which wasn't expensive but just a bit annoying...

Yeah so overall the Oral B Trizone 600 Sweeps is really good and even better, it's on half price offer at Boots! Love a good bargain...

Little Mini Fragrance Direct Haul

Hellllo,

So a couple of weeks ago I discovered Fragrance Direct, yeah I know a little late to the bandwagon but hey ho! I ordered a couple little things and they arrived a couple of weeks ago but I wanted to wait until I'd used them all before I wrote a post about them;

The first thing I bought were a few nail varnishes. I've never owned Essie nail polishes before and I've heard people raving about them so I picked up a couple of them. First colour I picked was "To Buy Or Not To Buy". I absolutely love this colour, it's a very pastel lilac with a blue glittery sheen to it. The next Essie polish I bought was in the shade "Mojito Madness". I really wanted a bright green nail varnish and this wasn't exactly the colour I wanted, I like the colour but it's not quite bright enough so I don't think I'll use it that often.

I also picked up Rimmel's Crack Your Colour in the shade 'Black Graffiti'. I've only used this once but it's good, similar to other cracked nail varnishes so nothing particularly special about it. It does the job!

My nails are really damaged at the moment and keep breaking and flaking, not a great look. I was going to buy the Sally Hansen nail treatment that everybody raves about but I opted for the slightly cheaper option of "Harder & Tuffer" from W7. So far I really like it, I've definitely noticed my nails feeling stronger and breaking less. If weak nails is something you suffer from I'd recommend this.

I also picked up a new powder because I smashed my old one to pieces. I bought Miss Sporty So Clear powder in "001 Transparent". The powder is nice, definitely finishes off my make up nicely, I've been applying it with my E.L.F full face brush. For some reason, I absolutely hate the packaging. I don't know why but for some reason it looks so cheap to me. The mirror is good but other than that I can't stand it. The actual product is really good though.

The final thing I bought was a new lipstick. I picked up a W7 lipstick in the shade 'Ruby Red'. I have kinda weird lips and sometimes I find it difficult to find a lipstick that will stay on my lips. I really like this one, it lasts a long time and it's really pigmented. The picture doesn't show it that well but it's a very rich red, just what I was looking for.

Overall, I really liked the products I picked up from Fragrance Direct. I would really recommend having a look on the website if you haven't already. My order arrived in a matter of days and it's so much cheaper than the highstreet.

Late on the bandwagon | Review - Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint

Hiyaaaa, 

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in shade GNP7 Satsuma

So I'm sure by now you've all read about 1000 reviews of this product but I've only just got round to buying it so here's a late one in case you missed the hype!

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint (try saying that five times fast!) is the new range from Barry M. The basic premise of them is they are meant to give a really high gloss finish. The colour should be more vibrant and have a nice shine.

I've been on the hunt for a nice, bright orange nail polish for a while now plus I've been dying to try this out. I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and opted for GNP7 Satsuma.

The thing I really like about Barry M products is the intensity of the colour and the Gelly Hi-Shine is no different. I put two coats on just for good measure but one could have been suffice. It's a really lovely, rich orange and the "bottle to nail difference" is pretty minimal.

I was a bit worried that the product wouldn't live up to the grand promises it makes about 'extra gloss' and 'high shine' but I think it does. The finish was really nice and definitely glossier than most other nail varnished. So much so that I didn't bother with a top coat  which I know is a cardi-nail sin (SEE WHAT I DID THERE?! PUNTASTIC!)

Overall, I absolutely love this nail colour! I think I may have to buy it in a couple more colours before they inevitably stop making it (all good things come to an unfortunately early end...especially in make up terms!). The colour range is gonna be great for summer - I'm currently eyeing up shade GNP14 KeyLime and GNP12 Green Berry.

Oops, forgot to take a non-Instagrammed picture of it. Here it is on the nail...with a filter

Sooo, have you tried the Gelly Nail Paints? Did you like them as much as I did? What colours? 

I love the free stuff | Review - Garnier Moisture Match

Helllllo

Garnier Moisture Match - Tailor-made moisturisers?

 If there's two things in life I love it's free testers and moisturisers! I am self-proclaimed queen of the moisturisers, I have one for every kind of occasion, skin type or body part you could imagine. If anything it's getting a bit ridiculous!

Oooo love a bit of packaging! 

Anyway, when I saw a big ol' advert for Garnier Moisture Match I knew I wanted to try it so I sent off for a little free tester and then it arrived and now I am going to write about it and you will read it and YAY!

Anyway, the tester came with three little sachets in. There is nothing I hate more than those stupid squeezy sachets that moisturisers get put in - they are the worst invention EVER! But I persevered anyway. On the website you had to pick the moisturiser you thought would be best for you which meant I was very confused when three samples arrived but wotevs.

This is the one I tried...possibly 'Start Afresh'?

I've only tried one of the little sachets so far, the one which is designed for 'normal skin'. I'm pretty sure the one I used was the 'Start Afresh' but the packaging was not crystal clear so I can't be sure. If so, Garnier promised me 'SPF 20' combined with an 'extremely lightweight and oil-free texture' (also some gubbins about 'light reflecting particles' to make me look like I've been at the beach...)

I really can't decide how I feel about Garnier Moisture Match. It was definitely a nice product and it smelled nice which is always a bonus! My skin definitely feels less dry.

My face afterwards. Oh maaaan why is my skin always so shiny?!

Despite all this, my face feels a little oilier than it does with my usual moisturisers and I definitely don't have a 'just-got-back-from-the-beach glow' (maybe that's just because I am ghostly pale...). I do like the product but I just don't think I'll be buying it. I'm definitely going to give the other sachets that came in the pack a try - I'll keep you updated...

Have you used Moisture Match? Which one did you use? Did you like it? 

On my bookshelf - The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Helloooo,
I am notoriously crap at finishing books. Honestly, name any classic book ever written and my reply will always be "I read the first half...". I don't know what it is, maybe I just have a really short attention span. Whatever the reason, working in a book shop for two years sure was embarrassing when you haven't read any of the 'must-reads...'

Anyway, for my birthday a lovely friend bought me a copy of "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" by Mohsin Hamid. He claimed it was his favourite book and so he wanted me to read it (also I think my indignant 'I never finish books' stance was getting a bit annoying.) Well I finished this one! So here's a lil ol' review like thing

The Reluctant Fundamentalist - buy it online here (not reluctantly at all...)

The Plot
This was one of those nice wishy washy books that doesn't really have a plot - which I quite like. The story revolves around a Pakistani man named Changez. He moves to America for college and ends up working for a huge corporation. Whilst still in his youth, he falls in love with a girl called Erica who's battling her own demons. The book culminates at the 9/11 attacks, at which time Changez feels increasingly isolated from everyone especially Erica. All the big things he used to love about America seem stale and he becomes really disenchanted.

What I liked
The book is written as one half of a conversation. I'd never read a book like this before and it was a cool style to read in - made it feel like the author was guessing all the questions you might have. It also raised loads of really interesting questions for me about how we treat outsiders...

What I didn't like
Sometimes I felt like Changez was bit wallowy and it almost made it difficult to like him...but he does go through some tough stuff so it's justified!

Recommended? 
By me - Absolutely, espesh to anyone interested in politics and America...
By Waterstone's - 3.9/5
By Amazon - 4/5

Have you read this book? Or any others recently? Recommend me something below...

Rihanna For River Island

L-R Rihanna wears - Split Side Maxi and Double Top Straight Jeans with Cropped T-Shirt 

Last night Rihanna officially launched her collection for River Island and like the lady herself it is the perfect mixture of grunge and glam - I am definitely a fan. The cuts and shapes of the line are definitely rooted in the 90s (check out that denim shirt skirt below) but the collection has a very dark colour base (with the occasional pop of bright yellow) which I think brings it fully up to 2013. Overall I really like the line! I think the cuts are really interesting, especially the use of knotting as seen in the yellow dress below and the knotted vest. Also, as an extremely vertically challenged individual, this may be one of the only times I've looked at a maxi skirt and thought I could work it with my wardrobe! 

My favourite pieces from the line are the the Double Top Jeans (as modeled by Ri-Ri herself above) and the dipped hem stripped shirt! The shirt is an obvious choice for me, I'm an absolute sucker for all things dipped hemmed and button uppable but the Jeans are like nothing else I would usually pick! I think it's because they're so incredibly 90s I wouldn't feel out of place strutting onto the Saved By The Bell set in them, but at the same time the straight leg and turn up keeps them really up to date. Whatever it is...I want them! 

Overall I'm really impressed by Rihanna for River Island - it doesn't feel gimmiky or over-branded like some other celeb lines *cough Kardashians for Dorothy Perkins cough*. It feels like it has definite shelf-life and could go a long way! 

L-R Black Crop with Black Split Maxi Skirt / Grey Crop with Grey Split Maxi Skirt / Yellow Tie Dress / Denim Shirt Skirt

Some of my favourites....

Top - Black Trucker Boots £95 / Cropped White T-Shirt £20 / Black and White Shirt £45
Bottom - Black and White Tank £20 / Knot Vest £18 / Roll Sleeve Tank £20

So what do you think of the collection? Love or loathe? Favourite items? I'd love to hear what you think...