Carmine Beauty Box 2

So after the massive success of last month's Carmine Beauty Box, I was greatly anticipating this month's arrival, in the hope that it would live up to my expectations! In rolls the 'Celebrity Box'! The 5 products were equally up to par in terms of getting 3 full sized, and 2 samples (pretty incredible considering the box is only £10!!) but personally I wasn't as in awe as I was over the first box. That being said, I am still very, very pleased with the contents, and really enjoyed the idea that all products are somehow related to a celebrity, 'from Nicola Roberts to Lulu to Bono and Adele'!










                                                                                  (L-R: eyeliner, lipstick, brow ink)

1. First up is LULU'S Time Bomb (15ml sample): This flashback night cream claims to rewind time while you sleep; not sure I will get much use out of it only being 21, but I may give it to my Mama for a trial!

2. NEOM LUXURY ORGANICS Organic Body Lotion (50ml sample): this luxurious lotion is packed with lavendar, jasmine, basil and more, and quite honestly smells and feel divine!

3. NEW CID i-Pout Lipstick (full sized): This comes in the colour 'Belle' (1302) and is a gorgeous every-face-friendly- pinky/peach. The novelty is that there is a mirror on one side of the lid, and a light on the lipstick barrel - the idea is that you can apply your lipstick even in the dark! You've got to hand it to them, it's a pretty new and fun idea! The texture is really creamy and moisturising, but that also comes with the drawback in that it isn't particularly long-wearing. I personally wouldn't have chosen this colour myself, but I'd be intrigued to check out the rest of their range!

4. COSMETICS A LA CARTE Brow Ink (full sized): Carmine sent me a quick survey on the colour of my brows a few weeks ago so that they could personalise this product just for me. This 'felt-tip' like pen is able to add soft definition to your brows by allowing you to draw on individual hairs, adding texture and thus making brows look more natural than if you were to use a standard pencil liner or shadow. This was the product I was most pleased with :)

5. DAINTY DOLL Eyeliner Pencil (full sized): This teal eyeliner in 004 'Shake your tail feather' from Nicola Roberts was a big disappointment. The colour is gorgeous, but its very dry and hard to work with. After being spoiled, I guess, by the Urban Decay 24/7 liners for so long, this is just so unpleasant to use.

So did I still get extreme value for money with this box? COMPLETELY. And was I happy with what I received? DEFINITELY. Just because all of the products weren't exactly what I would normally go out and buy for myself doesn't mean I was displeased by this box. I would still thoroughly recommend checking Carmine out, and signing up to try out products that just may pleasantly surprise you!

Mega Love xx

Best nail polishes ever?

I have a pretty decent amount of nail polish in my collection, but surprisingly had never tried Revlon before!....until last week that is :).

I was wandering through Boots, as you do, and noticed a '3 for 2' offer in the Revlon section. I was looking for another neutral beige/grey, and my eyes were instantly drawn to Smoky Canvas, a new polish out for Autumn. I spied Minted too, which I instantly began obsessing over, and finally picked up Facets of Fuchsia, another popular polish out for the Fall. I have yet to try the latter, but the other two are AMAZING in consistency, wear, and colour, and I just wanted to share my pleasant surprise and recommendation!

Smoky Canvas is the perfect combination between a taupe and a beige. It makes my hands look and feel well-put-together, and is definitely going to be a staple for me throughout the season. This one was opaque in two coats.


Minted may not exactly be the most Autumnal colour, but I absolutely adore it, and have had a rediculous number of compliments whilst wearing it. It is so fun and fresh and really suits my skintone. This one is definitely thinner than smoky canvas, so required three coats. Doesn 't bother me though! Each coat dried super quickly. And to be honest with you, I tend to prefer thinner polishes; they dry to a smoother finish than thick, gloopy ones.


So I can definitely tell you that I will be picking up more polishes from Revlon; I have been super impressed! The quality is 100% comparable to China Glaze or OPI in my opinion, but at around £6.49, they are definitely cheaper. So with that being said, I now suggest you run along to your nearest Boots and take advantage of that 3 for 2 offer while it lasts!

Mega Love xx

Fear not life's great mysteries!

I wanted to post about something that has been buzzing about my mind, heart, and soul a great deal lately. That being the subject of change.

I grew up moving all over the world due to the nature of my parents' work, so pretty much from birth I was used to always being the 'new girl' in class, learning the route to school from my new house, and having to be bold and make friends. Fast-forward to now and I am so, SO glad to have had that experience. It completely moulded me into the person I am today, how I tend to approach things with an open mind, and most importantly a positive attitude! If I hadn't lived in those places, I never would have met the people that I call my best friends today, seen the sights that literally take your breath away, and seen people living with literally NOTHING, but still rocking a smile, whilst others (in this country for example) complain about how 'miserable' their lives are - pffft!

I'm in my final year of uni, and I no longer intend to pursue the career that I fully had my heart set on when I began. It took me a while to admit that to myself, let alone everyone else. I had always spoken badly of people that went to university and left to do something completely different afterwards. Now, I'm one of them. The thing is, you cannot anticipate or deny the sugar and spice that happens during your time at university, the person you grow into, and the people that will change your life. And it is nothing to be ashamed about: simply admitting that you are now no longer the person you were when you started your degree. You should look at it as a beautiful thing - I do!

So whilst yes, I am finding it a little harder to concentrate on my course, as the passion I once had for it has dimmed, I see it as this great obstacle that I must prove to myself I can overcome! Two years complete, it would be a waste in my eyes personally, of time and money to simply drop out, with no plans lined-up. And who knows, in a few years time I could change my mind again and be a keen bean again! Life passes by so quickly, and many people unfortunately waste their time doing something they just don't enjoy. So although it is scary to pursue a dream others may consider 'unrealistic' or 'silly', it is better to end up broke and back at the bottom of the ladder than spend all your days wondering what might have been - never able to rewind time and try again. I am one of lucky ones out there, having met the love of my life at university. Whatever happens afterwards, if all employment opportunities in the immediate future go down the plughole, at least I will have the most important thing to me there when I come home. When you find that somebody, NOTHING in the world is worth letting them go!

The first step is being honest with yourself. Listen to your gut instinct and fuel that little jumping bean in your heart that wants - like a child on Christmas morning to open his or her presents - to make those dreams come true!

I wish that all your dreams come true :)!

Mega Love xx

Best hair tool EVER

MY HAIR: If I leave my hair to dry naturally, it has a nice wavy texture - nicer still if I sleep on it wet. However, as I shower in the mornings, that's just not possible. If its the summertime and warm out, I'll wash my hair and just let it air dry down or up in a bun, but in the Winter time, when I cannot possibly subject myself to the near-death feeling of leaving the house early in the morning with wet hair, I blow dry it.

The blow drying process leaves it more on the straight side, with a few not-so-pretty kinks. I've tried the whole 'curl your hair with straighteners' thing, but just found it a bit rubbish and time-consuming if I'm honest. SO in walks the Babyliss Waving Wand! I had heard quite a bit about this clamp-free waving tool, but didn't want to spend the money if it wasn't any good. HOWEVER, I popped into my local Boots the other day and found it to have £10 off! The offer is on for a while, with the product for sale at just £20!






USE: The next morning I pulled it out the box, had a quick look over the instructions, as you do, and got rolling! Heat protectant already applied, glove on one hand and the tool in the other (obviously the glove is there for the hand that is doing the wrapping of hair around the wand, thus preventing burnt fingers!) All in all it took me about 10 minutes to get my hair curled and glorious! Pretty fantastic if you ask me!

The smaller the section of hair you use, the tighter the curls are going to look. If you're in a real rush, take big sections of hair and wrap them around for a lightly waved effect, or if you're going for a bit more of a glam look, take 1-2inch sections and then comb them out with your fingers when you're all done, finishing off with some hair spray.

STATS: The wand is oval-shaped and about 1inch wide. There is an on/off button and heat settings: 155 degrees celsius, 170, 185, and 200. I have mine on 185. Very importantly, the part where the cord attaches to the wand rotates as you turn it around during styling, so as not to cause kinks and breakage of the wire!

SUMMARY: 100% in love. You need this in your life if you like curls and waves!

Mega Love xx

Halloween Episode 3: The Finale

I hope those of you that celebrate Halloween had a fantastic time yesterday! I know I sure did, at a fantastic party, dancing the night away :).
I decided to go as a raven this year. I picked up this stunning dress in New Look (which I would TOTALLY wear on any night out, but instantly thought of a potential Halloween costume when I saw it!). The make-up is inspired by Black Swan; hair is in a massive faux hawk; contacts are green elf eyes.
My lovely bestie was a leopard :)






Mega Love xx