REVIEW: KIKO | Make Up Fixer

If your skin is on the oilier side, you will have no doubt experienced the phenomenon of make up either sliding off your face or simply disappearing so that by the end of the day, you look very little like the fresh-faced beauty you did in the morning. Primers help a tremendous amount, but sometimes you just need that little extra help to keep everything all in place: enter KIKO Milano Make Up Fixer, the fragrance-free fixing spray that's about to become your make up best friend. 

Before this, I had never tried a make up fixing spray. I'd seen countless Youtubers finishing off their make up looks with either the Urban Decay De-Slick or the Mac Prep + Prime Fix + but given the price tags of these products, I was hardly going to go out and get them without being sure it was a product I'd even get much use out of. So when I spotted the KIKO Make Up Fixer at just €7.90, I knew I had to give it a try - and it has not disappointed.

The first couple of times I used this were more practice runs to perfect my aim (spraying something on your face with your eyes closed whilst holding it roughly 20cm away isn't something that comes naturally to me), but even from the first patchy applications, I noticed a massive difference in the staying power of my make up. Everything just stays relatively put - and matte. One of my pet peeves is mattifying products only remaining mattifying for a couple of hours before my skin wins out - the KIKO Make Up fixer helps the make up last that much longer in the battle against the shine. 

I just love this little beauty: thanks to the Chamomile in this product it's gentle on the skin and feels quite cooling, it's hypoallergenic so it hasn't broken me out and I am really happy that it's fragrance-free. After the initial cosmetic alcohol smell which is quite sharp, it fades away and you forget you even sprayed this bad boy until you look at yourself in the mirror in the evening and are amazed that you still have make up on your face. (Well, I'm amazed anyway).

I highly recommend this if you've been meaning to try fixing sprays but don't want it to leave a gaping hole in your bank balance or if you have oily skin - you need this in your make up bag. 

Have you tried make up fixing sprays? Do you have a favourite?

REVIEW: 'Damned' by Chuck Palahniuk

"According to my wristwatch I've been dead for three months, two weeks, five days and seventeen hours. Subtract that from infinity and you get some idea why loads of doomed souls abandon all hope."

Meet Madison Spencer, the thirteen year old narrator of 'Damned' by Chuck Palahniuk, who takes you with her on a journey of self-discovery as she finds herself wandering around the depths of Hell after a marijuana overdose. At first glance, 'Damned' seems like a coming-of-age story that borrows satirically from our coming of age favourites: Judy Blume's 'Are You There God, It's Me Margaret' and 'The Breakfast Club'.

It's not an easy book to get into: it took me a few months, reading a couple of pages every now and then, wondering if I'd ever progress or come to warm to this teenage girl, who's the product of rich parents who love her in your stereotypical 'we have no time to love you, and aren't quite sure if we know how, having kids seemed like the right things to do for our image' kind of way, and thinks she's a lot more clever than she actually is. At some point, I wondered if I disliked her because she's clearly what a white male author thinks a thirteen year old girl is like. Maybe it's meant to be satire. Who knows.

Luckily, the book picks up about two-thirds in, and becomes rather difficult to put down as the plot begins to thicken and point of the book starts hitting you in the face with each turn of the page (I found myself having a few 'oh, so that's what that was all about moments'), and you're getting all excited that the book is finally as interesting as the amazing covered promise and then - BAM. You fall off the edge of a cliffhanger, screaming 'DAMNIT PALAHNIUK - HOW DARE YOU MAKE IT INTO A SEQUEL' Basically, it ends much better than it starts, and the plot (and its twists), rather than the characters, leaves you wishing for more. 

On Goodreads, I gave this 4/5 stars, which was probably (definitely) too generous. Chuck Palahniuk is one of my favourite authors, so the writing itself is enjoyable, the cultural references are a nice way to give yourself brownie points when you understand them, and I think I might have let out the odd chuckle here and there, but it took me bloody ages to get into, Madison is about as annoying to read as you imagine annoying thirteen year olds to be, and once I finally got into it, it ended in a bloody cliffhanger. The chances of me rushing out to buy the sequel 'Doomed', are currently very low.

Overall, I give this 3/5 stars, and would recommend it to people who like their fiction peppered with culture references, and sitting somewhere between satire, humour, horror and 'I'm not sure if that scene was entirely appropriate'. Definitely not Palahniuk's best work, but he could do worse. 

Have you read Damned? Are you a Chuck Palahniuk fan?

REVIEW: The Body Shop | Instablur™

If you haven't heard of The Body Shop Instablur ™ then I am afraid I have no idea where you've been. Worst of all, you don't know what a great primer you're missing out on. To say that the hype surrounding this product is well-deserved would be an understatement. I picked it up after seeing it featured in so many 2014 beauty favourites - I haven't looked back since.

Whole Lotta Chubby | Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Lip Balm Gift Set

When my sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas, as you can expect, I responded with a long list of beauty products, and on this list was the Clinique Whole Lotta Chubby Gift Set, comprising of four shades from the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturising Lip Colour Balm range . The Clinique Chubby sticks are a range that I've heard so much about in the beauty world so I was really happy to finally be able to try them out.

Inside a pink and silver little make up bag, the gift set came with the shades: 06 woppin' watermelon, 15 pudgy peony, 05 plushest punch and 08 grandest grape. 'Woppin' watermelon' and 'pudgy peony' are two similar pretty pinks, but woppin' watermelon is quite a pale pink that is quite cool, looking almost grey on my skintone. I was also quite surprised to find the similarity between 'grandest grape' and 'plushest punch' when I swatched them, but obviously one has pink undertones and the other has purple undertones. 

I've been trying to find ways to wear these lipbalms for a couple of weeks now, and honestly? I think they're just not for me. The Clinique website allows you to compare the original Chubby Stick lipbalms with the Chubby Stick Intense, which are the ones that I have, and I think I would have been more suited to the originals. The Chubby Stick Intense promises: 'vibrant shades' and 'moderate-to-full colour coverage', which are things that I tend not to like on my lips. I often feel like bright colours look odd on me, so bright, lipbalms are not really up my street.

I also tend to have chapped lips during the winter months, and this product unfortunately does that wonderful thing of highlighting any dry parts on your lips without really doing anything for them...? It's even worse if like me you have pigmented lips, so that the colour really pops on any uneven parts of the skintone. Another thing is that the Chubby Sticks are 100% fragrance free: this is great for allergies, but bad for the smell of the actual product, which I am most definitely not a fan of. If there was ever a 'raw lipbalm' scent, this would it. 

I'm quite disappointed that these Chubby Stick Intense lipbalms didn't mark the start of a great love affair with Clinique Chubby Sticks but  I'm still holding out hope for the originals!

Have you tried out the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense range? The original range? What did you think?

Make Up Revolution Ultra Cover & Conceal in Medium-Dark

My original purpose of buying the Make Up Revolution Ultra Cover & Conceal palette in Medium-Dark was for Halloween: I wanted to go pale but didn't like the chalky look of white face paint, so figured I would use the lightest shade as a foundation for my zombie look, the darkest to hollow out my cheeks, and figure out how to use the rest of the shades in the palette later. Besides at £6.00/€7.58, how could I not? 

It worked a treat for Halloween, but since then have failed to fully explore the potential of the palette. I use the darkest shade to contour my face - I smooth it onto the hollows of my cheeks and then blend it out with a contour brush, but I've yet to really use it as the concealer palette that it was intended to be. Which is a shame, as I find it difficult to find concealers that match my skin tone, and this palette gives me the possibility to create the perfect shade all year round without breaking the bank. 

The few times I have reached out of my make up comfort zone and used it to conceal my under eye, I have been pleasantly surprised by the way that it smooths on, and doesn't drag the skin or stick to dry patches. I think that it's intended to be the kind of concealer you apply layer by layer and blend until you get the desired effect, so I might also need to invest in a decent fixing powder and buffing brush to get a flawless finish. I will definite have to include playing around with this in my New Year's Resolution as this is one of those products that has great potential - if you know how to use it. The full size mirror it comes is only an added bonus.

Have you tried the Ultra Cover & Conceal palette? Do you think a concealer palette is for you?

A first venture into B. Skin Products

When I went to London recently, I didn't only pick up more Pukka teas, but I had time to pop into Superdrug and get my hands on some products from the B. Skincare range. B. is a make up and skincare brand exclusive to Superdrug that is suitable to vegetarians and vegans as well as being cruelty-free, so I was intrigued. I picked up the B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser (normally £6.99, currently on offer for £3.47) , the B. Quick 4-in-1 Cleaning Wipes (normally £3.50, currently £1.73) and the B. Energised Eye Cream (normally £8.99, now £3.47). As you can imagine, I was pretty ecstatic to find that there was a better than 1/2 price on selected B. products - these products are already very reasonably priced, but when you're trying out new products, it can be a bit disappointing to spend money on them only to find you don't like them. 

The B. Energised Eye Cream is from their Phase 1 range, which was specifically created for use in your 20s and 30s. The eye cream I'd been using wasn't doing much for me, and though I know when you're in your 20s the products are more about prevention by keeping your skin moisturised, I wanted a little something more. The B. Energised Eye Cream promises to keep your cool and de-puff tired eyes whilst helping brighten them up by reducing the appearance of dark circles. After two weeks I'm not sure if I've seen a noticeable difference to my dark circles, but they haven't gotten worse, and I really enjoy this. It has more of a gel consistency, so when you apply this it cools and soothes instantly, and I imagine this feeling would be amplified if I kept it in the fridge. I'm pretty happy with this, and have had no adverse reactions to it, which is always a plus. 

I've been using the B. Quick Cleaning Wipes before using the B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser. I know make up wipes have gotten a bad rep in the past couple of years as we realised that on their own they don't clean enough, but I think they can be good for removing make up, especially when you're not feeling reaching for lots of different products. And like the eye cream, I like the experience of using the B. Quick Cleaning wipes: they're really gentle on the skin, don't sting my eyes and has just the right amount of product on them.

I'm not sure what I think about the B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser. It's a thick clear gel, that melts into an oil as you rub it into your skin, and then when you add water it takes on a milky consistency that is meant to act as a toner to leave skin soft and supple. It's also meant to be gentle enough to remove eye make up, but I find that this does sting my eyes so I don't. So far it hasn't broken out my skin, and after using this my skin is cleansed without that stripped, dried feel that can follow some cleansers. However, this is aimed at normal to dry skin, so I wonder if it isn't a little too rich for me, even if my skin is drier in the winter months. Perhaps I would have gotten on better with the B. Refined Exfoliating Cleanser. 

Overall, this is most definitely a brand I look forward to trying more of their products; beautiful minimalist packaging that doesn't betray how affordable the range actually is, I feel more confident using their products as they have to take more care with their ingredients in order to be both suited to vegans and cruelty-free, and though I'm not yet sold on the results, I enjoy the experience of using the products, and skincare routines are something we should look forward to, not dread.

Have you used any products from the B. make up or skincare range? 

Make Up Revolution | Essential Mattes Palette

Make Up Revolution has a knack for aptly naming their products. Like the 'Awesome Double Flick and Thin' eyeliner which is indeed awesome (I tell you just how much here), their Essential Mattes palette gives you exactly what it says on the tin and for the super affordable price of (£4 | €5.05) . This palette has 12 shades of neutral matte shades that are perfect for an every day make up routine, from your white shade, perfect for creating a bright base or adding to the inside of the eye all the way to a light purple to wear on days where you want to add a subtle dash of colour to the eyes. This palette suits all skintones, and with 12 shades to play around with, you can create a different look for every day of the week with the same palette without ever feeling like you're just doing the same look day in, day out.

Though I have been trying to experiment more with the Colour Chaos palette in my every day look, the Essential Mattes palette is generally the palette I'll grab when I'm getting ready. I like to have a base for my eyeliner and the darker shades are great for adding some depth to the eyelid, or they look great on their own. I really like wearing the purple shades on days when I'm in a rush and know there isn't a chance in hell I'm getting my eyeliner even: I apply the lighter shade on my lids, blend the darker purple into the corner of my eye and along my crease, and then sometimes finish with a dab of white to highlight my eye. 

I would highly recommend this palette if you're on the look out for affordable neutral shades all in one palette. I find that most drugstores neutrals tend to have shimmers in them, and I personally don't like to wear shimmers on a day-to-day basis. And if you aren't particularly taken with the shades from this Essential Mattes Palette, be sure to check out the newly released Essential Mattes 2 palette!  Words cannot describe the amount of self control that is needed when it comes to Make Up Revolution. (Have you seen the Euphoria Palette in Bare? Or their Ultra Blush and Contour Palette in Golden Sugar? If so how are you resisting?) 

I think we've established that I am more than a little taken with Make Up Revolution, ha.

Have you tried the Essential Mattes palette or any of their 12 shade palettes?

Winter Essential | The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream

I love my The Body Shop Strawberry Hand Cream, and it still resides in my handbag for on-the go moisturising (and I feel like the sweet scent acts like a perk-me-up during these cold times), but I found that I needed something a little more moisturising. So when I wandered into my local Body Shop and saw that the Almond Hand & Nail Cream (100ml) was half-price, I knew it had to be fate. It contains sweet almond oil, which is known for its deep moisturising and skin softening prowess, as well as panthenol (a derivative of vitamin B5), to help seal in the moisture, therefore a treat for hands and nails dried by the harsh weather.

When I bought this I'd been getting an increasing number of hangnails, and one of the main causes of those pesky bits of peeling skin around the nail is dryness. I've been using this regularly for a few weeks now and have noticed a massive difference - no hangnails! I also suspect that because my nails are in better condition my nail polish is staying on just that bit longer. And though this isn't a foot cream, I've also been applying this on my feet every night before I go to sleep. I may not be not noticing a difference I imagine I would get if I used something like the Hemp Foot Protector, but the skin on my feet is smoother and my toenails are in much better condition. The fact that this smells amazing is only a plus. The sweet almond scent is actually quite understated; it doesn't hit you like the Strawberry one, so this would be great for those who don't like overwhelming scents, 

So far I'm really happy with the results, and think I'm going to invest in some other pieces from the range, using the Almond Hand & Nail Body Butter before bed for more intensive moisturising. If Almond isn't your thing, you can check out the other products at The Body Shop to create your own handcare regime. I really like how The Body Shop have you covered with a range of cleansers, oils, creams and butters. 

Have you used anything from the Body Shop handcare range? I'm particularly curious about the new Absinthe range - I thought it was a drink! 

Make Up Revolution | Salvation Palette: Colour Chaos

The Make Up Revolution product I'll be talking about today is the Salvation Palette - Colour Chaos, an 18 eyeshadow palette packed with an assortment of bright, punchy shimmers and mattes (£6.00 | €7.58) . I actually bought this for Halloween as I needed a versatile palette with highly pigmented colours and this fit the bill. The full-size mirror that comes with the palette also really helped out when we were all getting ready and there was a shortage of mirrors. 'Tom Tom', a bright red shimmery shade was what I used to complete my Little Red Riding Hood look whereas I used the rest of the shades to re-create this Zombie Flapper look by Youtuber Desi Perkins. The applicator that comes with the palette isn't my favourite but it sure does help pack on the colour. 

I currently don't wear eyeshadow that often: I'm a glasses wearer and have quite small lids so most days I feel like no one will be able to see the beautiful shades anyway. However, I need to stop telling myself this lie as the few times I've worn this during the day, I've really liked the looks you can create with this palette. The fact that most of the colours are bright doesn't mean they're not wearable. Sure, I don't wear 'Toxic apple-tini' (the shimmery acid-green shade) during the day, but the purples, pinks and greens are definitely wearable, and the white 'TipX' and the silver 'Gleam' can just add a touch of glam to the inner eye or the centre of the lid. This is a palette that will definitely get me through the holidays. 'Deliver Me' is a gorgeous dark green and 'Gleam' combined with the dark blue 'Over-bored' would work well for New Year's Eve, matching with one of the Maybelline Colour Show Glitters. 

I currently want to get my hands on their newly released Girl Panic! palette, which I feel I'd be more inclined to wear daily but I've not yet to find a good enough excuse to get it (though I'm sure it's only a matter of time!) Have you tried the Colour Chaos palette or any of the Make Up Revolution Salvation Palettes? What did you think of them?

L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Powder in Dark

I have had my eye on this product for awhile now. It would catch my eye as I browsed the beauty aisle but I ignored its call, making up excuses along the lines of 'it'll probably break me out' or 'it'll probably be too light for my skintone'. However, my curiosity eventually broke down and I had to buy it to see if the L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Powder in Dark would live up to its promises. Claiming to offer light coverage, a velvet feel, an 8h non drying mattifying finish whilst leaving shine free, fresh looking skin, it certainly had a lot to live up to. 

As an oily skin girl I was definitely enticed by the possibility of having the BB effect in a powder form as any BB creams I'd tried would either sit on my skin or make me feel oilier than usual. And this product did not disappoint. Instead I've been kicking myself for how long it took me to actually pick it up. I have been wearing this with no foundation or primer - I tried wearing the Laura Mercier primer with this product and actually found that my T-zone became oilier a lot quicker than without it (though perhaps I need to try the oil-free primer in her line).

The BB Powder applies light but it quickly warms up to match my skin tone. I do feel like I have to add a bit of colour back to my face though, and usually slick on The One Stick Blush in Malibu from Make Up Revolution just to bring back some colour to my face. I've been really enjoying the light coverage of this, and as I like the effect of the powder on its own, it feels like I've been allowing my skin to breath. It is buildable, and over the holidays I'll probably use this as a setting powder because this is the first powder I've had that keeps my skin matte and relatively shine-free without breaking me out. If I put this on in the morning, but lunchtime my shiny T-zone is making an appearance but not in the usual 'ick, my face is oily' sort of way. When I'm wearing this, I seem to glow rather than looking like I desperately need to locate some blotting paper asap. 

I don't tend to apply touch up my make up when I'm on the move, but even I can appreciate just how travel-friendly this powder is. The powder section lifts to reveal a mirror and a sponge, perfect for on-the-go application. I've heard you can apply this with a powder or kabuki brush, but so far I've found that the sponge applicator it comes with works well enough. Overall, I think this is a great product, and I would highly recommend if you have oil-prone skin and want the BB effects without the negative side-effects of some creams. 

Have you tried the L'Oreal BB Powder? Do you like BB products or do you prefer foundations? 

Make Up Revolution | The One Stick Blush - Malibu

Another day, another ode to Make Up Revolution!  As I mentioned in my haul post, I'll be giving each individual product their own post as I've come to love them so much. With the virtues of the Awesome Double Flick Liquid Eyeliner and the Ultra Brow Arch & Shape already exalted here, it is now the turn of The One Blush Stick in Malibu. 

When I saw this shade I had to have it. I like pink blushers as much as the next girl, but I wanted something that I could wear that would mimic the natural flush of my face, and as a black girl, pink isn't it. So into my shopping cart Malibu went, and after the first couple uses, into my all-time favourites cosmetics list. Granted, it's the first blush stick I've used, but so far I have little if anything to complain about. It goes onto the skin vibrant, and then blends effortlessly to give a creamy glow that adds much-needed colour to my face. On a minimal make up day I use a BB powder, shape my eyebrows using the Arch & Shape, add mascara then two swipes of this and I'm good to go! Great for when you're running late.

The One Stick Blush is also multi-use, so I've been using this as a base for nude lips. On the lips this has a soft matte finish, that works well as a base to be paired with a lipgloss or a similarly coloured moisturising lipbalm. And what with nude lips all the range, in no small part thanks to Kylie Jenner and the Noughties revival, this blush will have you recovered. Besides, at £5.00/€6,31 how can you resist? 

I might give the Matte Malibu a try as well; it appears to have stronger red tones than just the Malibu. The Matte Rush has also caught my eye...Who doesn't need a dark coral-y pink in their lives? 

Have you tried any of The One Blush Sticks from Make Up Revolution, or any of their other blushes? What do you think of them?

First Ever Lush Purchases: Bubblegum Lip Scrub and 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion

I have a confession to make: up until the beginning of November I had never purchased anything from Lush. Now I look back it seems crazy that I would walk past the heaven of bath bombs and be intimidated by the luxurious mix of scents that would assault my senses whenever I walked past Lush on my way to Waterstones or Starbucks. It is only now that I am fully emmersing myself in the vast ocean that is the beauty world that I appreciate the years that I've missed that I could have been draining away the stresses of GCSE's in pretty coloured baths or maybe fought my acne years with something a little more gentle than Clearasil. Sigh.

Now I live in Belgium, Lush stores aren't quite as easy to stumble across. I was sad to find that the Lush in Antwerp was no longer there, and I have yet to venture to try and locate the Brussels or the Louvain-La-Neuve stores, so when I was on my home back to Belgium after a Halloween in England with my girl friends and spotted the Lush store at London Victoria, I had to pop in.

I already knew from preliminary research that I wanted the lip scrub to remedy my dry, flakey lip problem. I was almost tempted by the Christmas version, but I didn't find the scent of Santa's Lip Scrub as appealing as the Bubblegum one. It's become a fast favourite and can see a massive difference in the texture and colour of my lips: they're softer, smoother and more pink. 

Still a little overwhelmed by the bath bombs (they really are a foreign concept to me!), I wandered instead to the skincare. I've heard a lot about the Tea Tree Toner, but in the end I settled on the 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion, which contains almond oil and dove orchid. I was a little dubious at its cleansing power, only to be pleasantly surprised when I double-cleansed with a micellar water that it had removed all the grime and make up for my face! Though the scent was a little...natural for me at first, I've grown used to it and come to find it comforting, in a cleansing sort of way. 

It really is great for days when you can't be bothered faffing about with washing your face but you still want a soft, clean smooth face. Smother this one, wipe away with a cotton pad, and you're good to go! 

I might have to face my (slight) anxiety of Lush stores in the future and hunt down my local one in the new year because it's time that I stopped missing out on their wonderful products! Are you a Lush newcomer like me or a Lush veteran? What are your favourite Lush products? I'd love to hear any recommendations! 

Winter beauty essentials: The Body Shop Vitamin E "Parténaires de rêves"

When the days grow shorter and colder and the winds grow harsher, my skin begins to grumble. As I've previously mentioned, my current skincare routine is currently based around the Yves Rocher Sébo Végétal Range which has done wonders for my skin, clearing up my complexion whilst making a massive difference to the levels of shine on my oil-prone face. Whilst the range is far from stripping, it's not what I'd reach for when my face is in need of moisture, and that's what it needs during the colder months. 

So when I wandered into my local The Body Shop and saw that the sell the Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream and the Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil together as "Parténaires de rêves" saving you about €10 compared when bought separately, they had to be mine. And so far they really have been proving to be dream partners in keeping my skin soft, hydrated and, most importantly, moistured.

I've been a fan of the Serum-In-Oil for awhile now as it did an excellent job of calming down my skin over the summer after I'd spent months stripping it of moisture with harsh creams without realising it (I've learnt my lesson about scrimping when it comes to face products!) so I was interested to see what results the Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream would yield. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn't wake up with oily skin as sometimes happens with more moisture rich creams - and this one is said to be for very dry skin. Instead my face feels smooth, moisturised and doesn't have that tight sensation I can sometimes get after a couple of really cold days. For now I use the Intense Moisture Cream every other night and the Serum once a week after a mask and I've found that it keeps the moisture balance in my skin. As winter progresses, I might use them more frequently, but for now my skin seems appeased. 

Do you have a problem with keeping oily skin moisturised? What products do you use? Have you tried these products?

Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Liner Review

When I was in London recently, I was lucky enough to be around when the December Issue of Elle magazine came out. As if being able to pick up the 'Feminism issue' wasn't exciting enough, the free gift was Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Liner in travel size. Since it's apparently the UK's no.1 eyeliner, you can imagine how much it's been raged about on the blogosphere, so there was no way that I was going to leave the UK without both Elle and this little gem in my bag. 

Thankfully Elle provided instructions on how to use this gel liner (and #tutorielle's on their site) even if they claimed that the rubberised AccuFlex™ tip guarantees foolproof use. Reading about it and having the product in hand are two different things and it had me more confused than I should probably admit. It is definitely one of those products that has a learning curve. It took me a few tries before I (sort of!) got the hang of it . 

Overall, I quite like this product. Never has an eyeliner felt so comfortable along my lash line as I was applying it and the staying power of this is perfect for my oil-prone lids. What I like about gel liners is that they give a softer look than liquid liners do, and this one has the slighty smokey look of kohl but with the precision of a liquid liner - the perfect matt black, basically. I'm not entire sure if I'm won over by the tip though - I prefer to have eyeliners that I know that I can apply in the morning rush, and this one still requires quite a bit of concentration from me to get a decent look. I wonder if the full-size would feel better in my hand as I feel I'm quite awkward with the travel size...

Either way I am so happy that Elle free-gifted us with this beauty, and that I was there to get my hands on it so I could finally see for myself what the hype was about. I wish I loved it more! (Or knew how to use it better so I could love it more). It's a great product, I just don't think it's my product.

Have you tried the eyeliner? What do you think of it? 

Currently Loving: Meghan Trainor's 'Title'

There are very few people out there who like Mondays. Mondays mark the beginning of the work week, the school week, or basically a new week where you have to get a bunch things done. Amongst the things that can give you a much-needed jump-start to the week is a good, upbeat jam to dance around the bathroom in your underwear to so that Monday doesn't seem too gloomy. Meghan Trainor's debut  EP 'Title' gives you just that. 

All About That Bass

"If you got beauty, beauty, just raise 'em up

'Cause every inch of you is perfect

From the bottom to the top"

When Meghan's hit-debut 'All About That Bass' was climbing the charts I kept a wary distance, until one day last month I was introduced to it through a random playlist, and I haven't looked back since. I have a definite 'Easy A' Pocket Full of Sunshine relationship except that with this song I'm telling the shower head that 'I'm bringing booty back. Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that'. Whilst the lyrics aren't perhaps as all-inclusive in their empowerment, the song is certainly catchy, fun and I dare you not to shake your thang all over your bedroom whilst singing this at the top of your lungs (room mates and neighbours be damned). I dare you. 

Title

"I know you think I'm cool
But I ain't one of the boys
No, don't be scared that I'm gon' tie you down
 I need a little more"

This is a perfect song for today's dating scene where casual is the norm, and putting the label of 'boyfriend/girlfriend' is explained away as something archaic and that adds pressure to the relationship from boys who just want to have a good time (but they're not going to come out and just tell you that in case that puts you off them). Meghan puts an end to that in this song announcing 'Better give me that title' especially 'if you want these sweet like sugar Gucci lips/ he gotta give it up'. I think sometimes we just need a reminder that it's perfectly okay to want a relationship from guys, and once we know what we want, to hold true to that and demand it. 

Dear Future Husband

"Dear future husband, here's a few things

You'll need to know if you wanna be

My one and only all my life"

Continuing the trend of knowing exactly what you want and demanding for it, 'Dear Future Husband' is a list of things that a future husband needs to take note of in order to have 'a perfect wife'. It's a bit of fun, and the doo-wop elements will have you tapping your foot as you nod your head to points you agree with Meghan on: 'You gotta know how to treat me like a lady/Even when I'm acting crazy/Tell me everything's alright' Are you listening future husband? 

Close Your Eyes

"I guess I could waste all my time and my money just trying to look right

But it doesn't change who I am in my heart if I look like a dime"

A pop album wouldn't be complete without a ballad, and 'Close Your Eyes' is a lovely song about keeping true to yourself and showing the world that you're beautiful as you are. It's soulful whilst maintaining the Trainor edge consistent throughout the whole album.

Highly recommend for: Monday morning pep, shower singing and for those post-break up or boy-trouble blues. Also good for pretending you're in a modern '50s dinner sharing a shake with your girls whilst tapping your foot along and swinging your ponytail to 2014 doo-wop feels.

Do you like Meghan Trainor? What's your current singing-in-the-shower-at-the-top-of-my-lungs song?

Review: The Body Shop Strawberry Hand Cream

I picked up this Strawberry Hand Cream from The Body Shop a while ago and it has yet to leave my hand bag. I really like the packaging; I think squeezy tubes like these are more practical than their slightly bulkier plastic counterparts, and they don't betray how affordable this is (€5/£3.50). The scent is incredibly intense without ever being overpowering and whilst being quite sweet it isn't sickeningly so. If you like your strawberry scents, then I would highly recommend this little beauty because it will not disappoint. 

This hand cream has quite a light, almost gel-like consistency, smooths on easily and absorbs quickly which is just what you need when you're out and about and need to quickly add some moisture to your hands. It also doesn't leave a greasy residue, which is also handy when you're using technology such as a tablet or you're about to return to an e-reader. One thing Kindles do not like is greasy hand cream. Trust me. 

I would say though that because it does have such a light consistency, sometimes I get the impression that my hands are a little on the dry side, even if my skin is soft and moisturised to the touch. It's not one I would recommend to someone who has dry skin or wants more intense moisturising.Whilst I'm beginning to doubt this will make the transition into the colder months, this was the ideal summer hand cream, and whenever I apply it I'm reminded of the sun, ice cream and pretty dresses, which is great for momentarily forgetting the grey skies and heavy rain falling outside. 

Have you tried this hand cream or some of the other scents which came out at the same time? I remember trying to decide between the Pink Grapefruit, Satsuma, Shea, Mango, Honeymania and Moringa. It's so hard to pick when you want them all.