My Favourite Mascaras

I've been getting into wearing makeup on the daily again and recently I have been trialing each of the mascaras I own to try and find my favourite. I have quite a huge collection of mascara but I whittled it down to 4 of my favourites that I'm going to share with you today. I have chosen two drug store mascaras and two slightly pricier mascaras to hopefully fit everyone's needs.

I will begin with the two more expensive mascaras.

Benefit Roller Lash
I have been a fan of Benefit makeup for a while and have used They're Real for the past year and a bit. I had wanted to try this mascara out for so long as I've always been more fond of lengthening mascaras rather than thickening. The eye-opening Hook 'n' Roll brush grabs, separates, lifts and curls while the instant curve-setting formula holds for 12 hours. I tend to prefer using mascaras with thinner wands as I feel that they give a more natural looking effect. The mascara also doesn't clump up my lashes which is my biggest problem with other mascaras. The mascara is available at Boots and Debenhams for £20.50 which is quite pricey. I tend to wear this mascara more on days where I'm actually going out rather than for everyday use. This mascara is also available in Brown if you're interested in an even more natural look. Out of all of the mascaras this one is definitely my personal favourite!

Too Faced Better Than Sex
I picked this mascara up in Debenhams randomly one day and since then it has become my go-to going out mascara. One application of our collagen-fueled formula and touch of our specially shaped brush will leave you begging for more. One coat and lashes are full, defined and stretched to unbelievable lengths. Two coats and they’re reaching unbelievable heights of drama. Three coats and you’ll believe in magic. This mascara gives my eyelashes a nice full look without leaving them looking clumpy. The brush is quite large which can be a little bit messy. I can only find the waterproof version available on Debenhams but the original can be found on Selfridges. Both the original and the waterproof version retail for £19 which is a tiny bit cheaper than the Roller Lash.

Now on to the cheaper drugstore mascaras that I love equally as much!

I was going to mention a mascara that was my absolute favourite throughout the whole of school but I've just discovered that it has been discontinued, and I'm really quite upset about it! If you can still get your hands on it though I definitely would! It's the Seventeen Doll'd Up mascara.

Maybelline Lash Sensational
I believe this mascara is a favourite for most people and it's understandable. Layer-Reveal Brush captures even the tiniest lashes and volumises the look of longer lashes for a layered, multiplied lash look. Like all of the mascaras I have mentioned this one lengthens my lashes well without clumping them together. I originally purchased this mascara a few years back and just completely forgot about it.  Available at Boots for £7.99. Available in Brown, Waterproof and two shades of Black, can't imagine there's much difference between those though.

Soap and Glory Thick and Fast HD
The final mascara is one that came as part of a gift set at Christmas time. It is available at Boots for £10.50. This was the first piece of makeup that I tried from Soap and Glory, I am quite a fan their body and skin products so I was excited to try some of their makeup range. The BRUSH is the stuff - Soap & Glory's 7-SIDED FAN FLARE-180™ brush with a V-groove to lay down volume & intensity, and a network of combing & curling surfaces to give length, definition and DRAMA. This mascara gives good length to my lashes. My only complaint about this mascara is that it doesn't have the nicest smell, but this isn't that big of an issue.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

-Chloe

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7 Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas

Valentine's Day is literally just around the corner and like every year my boyfriend and I have found ourselves without any plans at all. We're not really the kind of people who enjoy going for meals in fancy restaurants as we both would prefer to stay in and save some money.

I have chosen 7 last minute date ideas for you and your significant other to enjoy. Similarly if you are spending Valentine's Day alone or with some friends (there is no shame in this, we've all been there!) these can be some fun ideas for you also!

1. Take-away and Film Night.
This is our usual go-to date idea. I think for all of the valentine's days we have spent together we have stayed in and watched films. Normally we would order a Domino's and pig out for the night. However this year we are planning to trial the "fake-away" meals that we have seen in tesco. These are basically takeaway meals that you cook at home, we've been meaning to try these for ages and figured that Valentine's Day would be the perfect time to do so.

2. Video Games Date.
This is very similar to date idea one except it requires a little more participation. Instead of just sitting back and relaxing you could play some video games either together or against each other, it really depends on how competitive you are as a couple. Our favourite game to play together at the moment is the game 'Rocket League'. My boyfriend and I are quite competitive so I think we will avoid this idea to save any 'disagreements' on Valentine's Day.

3. Baking.
My boyfriend actually came up with this idea. This date idea has two perks. The first being that you get to spend some good quality time together and the second being that you end up with a yummy treat at the end of it, that is assuming that you're good at baking anyway. If  you're confident I'm sure there are lots of really cute cake recipes on pinterest to follow, and if you're not so confident I'd pick up a mix from the supermarket and go wild with decorating instead!

4.  Pamper evening.
I'm quite fond of having pamper evenings on my own but I enjoy them a lot more with other people. I'm a huge skincare fan so whenever I have the opportunity to go all out with my evening routine and use a face mask I am all over it, e wont own up to it but my boyfriend really enjoys using face masks also. Whether you're with someone or on your own for Valentine's Day I think this is a perfect idea.

5. Cinema date.
This could potentially be the most expensive date on the list because one you add snacks on top of cinema tickets the trip will become a little bit pricey. If you're like us you may prefer to go and buy your snacks from another shop and smuggle them in with you instead. There are lots of films on at the moment so I'm sure you will be able to find something that you'll both enjoy, I'm pretty sure the new 50 Shades of Grey film comes out this Valentine's Day too so if you're into that it's an option. I would suggest booking in for some films though in case it fills up.

6. Go for a walk.
This idea is very dependent on the weather being nice but something my boyfriend and I enjoy doing is going for walks. My boyfriend enjoys photography so we have frequent days out just taking photos. The best part about this kind of date is that it is absolutely free!

7. Museum date.
Museum dates are my favourite kind of dates and most of the time they are free entry, all they ask for is a small donation to keep the museum running. So if you're out and about this Valentine's Day and have a museum nearby definitely pop in. You can also take some pretty fun photos in museums and learning is always fun!

As ever I hope you enjoyed this post!

-Chloe

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My Favourite Liquid Lipsticks

I have never really been the biggest fan of liquid lipsticks as I am normally too impatient to wait for them to dry. I do however enjoy wearing them when I'm going out and want to put in a little more effort.

I tend to stick with matte effect liquid lipsticks as I feel they give a bolder look. I prefer wearing standard lipsticks when going for a more subtle look. I've picked out two of my favourite liquid lipsticks to share with you in this post.

The first is the NYX Liquid Suede cream lipstick. I have the shade Vintage which is a deep berry shade which is perfect for this time of year. The lipstick goes on really easily and dries to a matte effect quite quickly, as long as you don't use too much product. The product does however appear darker in the bottle than it does on the lip and when on the lip it is very easy to smudge and does not keep its vibrancy for very long, which is a shame. Although I was anticipating a darker shade when I purchased it I still very much love the colour of the lipstick. The lipsticks also have a sweet butter scent which I enjoy very much, they are available at most Boots for £6,50.

The second is the Sleek Matte Me ultra smooth matte lip cream in the shade Bittersweet, which happens to be the title of one of my favourite Panic! At The Disco songs. Of the two lipsticks I'm sharing with you this one is by far my favourite, The colour that this lipstick gives off is a very beautiful nudey pink colour and the matte finish gives a classy look. I also found that the lipstick was much less prone to smudging, however this is often the case with lighter shades. These lipsticks are £4.99 in Superdrug.

I hope you enjoyed this post, if you would like to see more of my posts please give me a follow!

-Chloe

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My Autumn/Winter Essentials

The cold seasons are by far my favourite time of year. I love not feeling guilty for staying in cosy clothes all day, or choosing to spend the day with Netflix and a hot drink. The crisp mornings and the cold that I have been trying to get rid of are what inspired me to write this post, this will be part one and part two will come when winter settles in.

The best part of my day is coming home, taking off my shoes and putting on a pair of the Cosy Socks from Primark (mostly). Every time I go shopping I add a few more to my collection. They are £1.70 for a pack of two so I just cant resist picking more up when I see new styles. Although Primark's are probably not the warmest they are still pretty darn comfy and you just feel ten times cosier when you have a pair on. 

My mum picked up these Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolates from b&m for 99p. In the packet you get 7 little cups which have the chocolate mix at the bottom already, all you have to do is add the hot water and voila. Personally I prefer to tip the mix into a normal mug rather than using the plastic cups but that's up to you. I found these quite convenient to have and will definitely be getting some more next time I go shopping. 

About a week ago I took a trip into Primark and spent way too much money. I went early in the morning and I pretty much had the shop to myself, so I went a little crazy. I picked up some of their turtle/polo neck jumpers, (by some I mean I got one in every colour I could find) the jumpers are not too heavy which means that when the sun decides to show itself it doesn't get too hot but the style of the jumper keeps you warm when the cold wind hits. I picked up 6 of the jumpers, some are a ribbed texture and others are just plain knitted jumpers. They range between £6 to £8 each which is a bargain considering how soft they are. I did however realise when taking the photo that it some lights you can see through the jumpers but its nothing too drastic.

This one is a little bit random but a winter morning essential for me would have to be Tesco Easy Oats (or any cheap instant oats). I'm actually sat eating a bowl of this porridge right now as I'm writing this post. For 99p you get 10 sachets of oats, I choose to mix a little bit of honey into my porridge to add some extra flavour, some times I even add some banana if I'm feeling fancy but usually I'm a little too lazy to do this in the morning. There are also some other flavours of this porridge that I am eager to try.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always a follow would be greatly appreciated. Lots of love.

-Chloe

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MUA £1 Lipsticks

I have recently become obsessed with spending my change on the £1 MUA lipsticks from Superdrug and thought that I would share with you my current collection.

I currently have eight of the lipsticks in total which in total is about the price of one lipstick from other brands. I have four of the standard lipsticks which come in the black packaging and four of the matte lipsticks which come in white. Some of the lipsticks have names but others are just given shade numbers, I'm not entirely sure why.

Standard lipsticks:

The first lipstick I bought from MUA was Shade 13 which is a bright red lipstick with a slight pink tone that does not suit me in the slightest as my hair is red at the moment, I hope to get more use out of it when I dye my hair back to brown. The formula of all of the lipsticks are creamy but this one in particular is intensely pigmented which allows a good build up of colour.

The second is in the shade Juicy which is pretty coral pink colour which also does not suit my red hair at the moment. The colour payoff and the creaminess of the lipstick is also very nice which is surprising for a cheap pink lipstick.

The next is in Shade 2 which is a darker, almost purple, pink colour with a little more sparkle than the other lipsticks. Like the others the lipstick has great colour payoff.

The final standard lipstick is a little bit out there but it is in the shade Raven which is a black lipstick. Currently I have no where near the amount of confidence required to wear this out but I very much enjoy wearing it around the house pretending I'm a lot cooler than I am. When I first picked it up I wasn't expecting much of it and bought it as a little bit of a laugh but I highly recommend this if you're looking for a good black lipstick but don't want to spend very much, although the formula doesn't keep its colour for very long.

Matte lipsticks:

The first matte lipstick is in the shade Peachy Keen which is another coral pink colour but is a little darker and more pink than Juicy. Also does not go very well with my hair but I can't wait to wear it when my hair is a natural colour. As with the standard lipsticks the matte lipsticks are also very pigmented and have great colour payoff.

The second is in the shade Fawn Fancy which is my absolute favourite out of all of the lipsticks. It is a dark nude colour which I wear almost every day. Although this lipstick is not as pigmented as the others it still provides a nice subtle tint to the lip.

The next is in the shade Lilac Belle which is, as you would expect, a lilac colour. This is another 'out there' shade for me as I tend to keep my makeup simple. The colour is a lilac pink which appears mostly pink on my lips, I have also not yet been brave enough to wear this shade out.

The final lipstick is in the shade Wild Berry. The colour of this lipstick appears to be a dark purple but on the lips it is more of a pink colour which disappointed me at first, however it is still very pretty. This lipstick is still my current go to shade for going out, I am however waiting for a lipstick that is this colour.

I'm very happy with my current collection however I am patiently waiting for more dark shades to make their way into my Superdrug. I find it very difficult to wear light colour lipsticks because my natural lip colour is quite purple. Because of this I don't think I will be purchasing anymore pink colours.
I hope you enjoyed this post, a follow would be greatly appreciated.

-Chloe

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Real Techniques Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges

A couple of days ago I popped into Superdrug and I saw that they had the new Real Techniques mini
sponges and I just had to pick up some to try.

The sponges come in a pack of two (I will be giving one to my mum to try) and cost only £4.49 which I thought was an absolute bargain!

The sponges are purple to match the rest of the Real Techniques eye tools, I also finally understood why the miracle complexion sponge is orange. When I first took the sponges out of the packaging I was surprised by how soft they were but also how tiny they were, I would have a hard time finding them if I were to lose them.

The sponge is very similar to the miracle complexion sponge in its shape. It features a flat edges which can be used to 'erase flaking mascara and eye shadow fallout', rounded sides which can be used to blend in concealer where the bigger sponge could not always fit (under the eyes and around the nose) and also a tip for more precise sweeping..

When damp the sponge becomes much softer and squishier and grows to almost double its size, however it is still appears to be small enough to fit under the eye as it is not quite as big as the standard makeup sponge.

When using the sponge to blend concealer under the eye I wasn't as impressed as I had hoped to be, although it did provide a smooth and slightly more even coverage it wasn't that much better than the foundation brush that I would normally use. I also found that even the pointed surface of the sponge was still too big to fit into the inner corner of my eye.

In conclusion the sponge works fine but I don't believe it is the best way to blend concealer for a good coverage, I do however feel that it is good for blending out the edge of concealer for a more natural finish if you do not wish to wear a full face of makeup. For me personally I would not say that the sponge is a necessity and will probably not repurchase in the future, but that is not to say it wouldn't work well for someone else and for the price it is well worth a try.

I hope you enjoyed this a post, as always a follow would be greatly appreciated.

-Chloe

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Testing Primark Nail Polishes

There are lots of blog posts and videos out there of people testing out Primark's beauty range however most only seem to test the makeup, nail polish reviews are a little harder to come by so I thought I would have a go at that.

For Christmas I received some of the mini Primark P.S, Love nail polishes. The mini gift sets are £2 and in each set you get four different colours, these are what I will be testing out today. The full size versions usually range between 80p-£1. Unfortunately none of the mini nail polishes have names so it may be difficult to purchase the same colour in full size if you wish to do so. 

Unfortunately in my purple nail polish the brush and the lid itself had come apart which made the product difficult to open without making a mess, but this could be easily fixed with some glue.

As soon as you open the bottle the scent is quite strong, I found the smell of the product to be quite unpleasant and unfortunately the scent does stick around on the nail but a topcoat will easily mask this.

(Apologies that the colours are reversed)
Each nail has two coats of nail polish, no base or top coats were used.

The black nail polish applied evenly and a second coat was not necessary at all for an even coverage.
The sparkly grey colour however could use a couple more coats to build up a better coverage.
The sparkly blue colour reminds me of denim, a second coat was needed for an even coat.
A second coat was also needed for the purple colour but even so it still looked patchy. (This may however be down to my terrible nail painting skills.)

In conclusion I found that the darker shades applied very well and a second coat was not always necessary for it to look presentable, however with the lighter shades more layers were required to build up the colour as just one coat can appear streaky.  

The nail polish surprisingly dried fairly quickly which made it a little more bearable to add multiple coats to build up the colour. I found the brushes to be the perfect size for me and the product itself was not too runny as can sometimes be the case with cheaper nail polishes. 

As you would expect the polish is not the most durable and didn't take very long to begin to chip so a top coat is a necessity.  

However, for the price of the nail polishes I was pleasantly impressed and wouldn't hesitate to purchase the full size if I saw a colour I really liked. 

I hope you enjoyed my second blog post, if you did a follow would be greatly appreciated.

-Chloe

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