I'm a huge reader, in fact, I love books that much, my entire degree was based on that passion. But sometimes I really struggle to decide what to read next, which led me to google '100 books to read before you die.'
I love setting myself personal challenges and this is one of them. After skimming through a few lists, I chose one which had the most books which I thought I would find interesting. I actually printed the list off and stuck it to my wardrobe door so I can highlight which ones I've read. When I started, I had only read 15, but now I'm on 36. 21 books in a year doesn't seem that many but add that to the average 2 books a week for my English modules, and you'll see why it's that low.
Now I've completed my degree and can read for pleasure all I like, I'm hoping to get through at least one book a week. I may write mini reviews as well. The challenge for this week is Emma by Jane Austen. I'm actually not a fan of Austen but I recently saw Clueless for the first time so wanted to read the book it was based on.
Let me know if you've ever done anything similar or how many books you've read on the list. Here's the ones I've read up to now if you were wandering.
The List
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Bible (This one is probably cheating, but I've read so many different parts of the bible throughout my entire education that I can't put myself through reading it again. Besides, I have read bits of the bible, just not all of it.)
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Charlotte’s Web - EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
Friday, 30 May 2014
Thursday, 29 May 2014
Makeup Revolution Haul
As soon as Boots 3 for 2 offer ended, Superdrug's began. I told myself I didn't need anymore makeup and I wasn't to cave in.
Then I received an email informing me that the Makeup Revolution Redemption Iconic 3 palette was back in stock, and that was it. Half an hour later, I had 12 things in my basket and was clicking the checkout button.
If you're into beauty blogs (and you're reading this so I assume you are) you've no doubt heard of the new makeup brand Makeup Revolution which launched in March. With prices to rival that of MUA's yet the quality to rival that of drugstore giants such as Maybelline and Rimmel, it's no wonder this new brand has taken the beauty world by storm.
You can currently get MR products from their website or the Superdrug site. As far as I'm aware, they're not available in store yet. I chose to buy from Superdrug as you don't have to spend as much to get free delivery (£10 as opposed to MR £30.) Plus, at the moment there's a 3 for 2 offer on, so saving even more money. The only criticism with Superdrug is that they never seen to have all the products in stock at once.
Like I mentioned earlier, the whole reason for this haul was the Redemption Iconic 3 palette. Supposedly a dupe for Urban Decay's Naked 3, the price tag of £4 for 12 shades is incredible. I immediately fell in love with all the shades when I opened my package and can't wait to try it out to see if the quality is any good. I've only swatched them for now, and some colours are more pigmented than others, but I've heard you have to gently scratch the top layer off to get the full effect. The packaging is sturdy enough and I don't think you could expect much more than what you paid for it.
The next product was The ONE Concealer. This cost £3 and reminds me of Benefit's Fake Up which I received a sample for a few weeks ago. On first impressions, it seems a little greasy, but I think I need to properly use it with powder to get the full effect. I got this in the shade 'light.'
I next picked up a blush in the shade 'hot.' I'm awful at picking blushes so I think this is probably the first one I saw, just because I wanted to see what they were like. I've not used this yet, but swatched it with my finger and it's very bright and pigmented so I imagine I'll only need a little bit. This was a bargain at just £1.
The majority of products I bought were lipsticks. I got 9 altogether. I originally only wanted to get a couple just to see what they were like, but I just couldn't help myself.
The one I most wanted to try was a bright purple called 'Deprave.' Unfortunately, this had snapped before I even got a chance to use it. Luckily, I can still use it with a lip brush as I emailed Superdrug and they could only offer me a refund.
I won't go through each shade as I will probably do that in a later blog post, but you can see from the photos what the colours are like. I don't know if I have strange lips, but I find that lipstick tends to stick in the cracks of my lips and cling to dry patches. I found these lipsticks did this a lot, especially the lighter shades, but then my Revlon Matte balm does it and that costs 8X's as much.
The formula seems a little wet, if that makes sense, almost like it's a balm. But then for £1, you can't complain at all. There's such a broad range of shades, I think these are perfect if you are wondering if a shade suits you before you commit to buying a more expensive brand like Mac.
Overall, I think all of this cost me £12 including postage which is incredible. It took six days, including a weekend, to get here.
Have you bought from Makeup Revolution before?
Then I received an email informing me that the Makeup Revolution Redemption Iconic 3 palette was back in stock, and that was it. Half an hour later, I had 12 things in my basket and was clicking the checkout button.
If you're into beauty blogs (and you're reading this so I assume you are) you've no doubt heard of the new makeup brand Makeup Revolution which launched in March. With prices to rival that of MUA's yet the quality to rival that of drugstore giants such as Maybelline and Rimmel, it's no wonder this new brand has taken the beauty world by storm.
You can currently get MR products from their website or the Superdrug site. As far as I'm aware, they're not available in store yet. I chose to buy from Superdrug as you don't have to spend as much to get free delivery (£10 as opposed to MR £30.) Plus, at the moment there's a 3 for 2 offer on, so saving even more money. The only criticism with Superdrug is that they never seen to have all the products in stock at once.
Like I mentioned earlier, the whole reason for this haul was the Redemption Iconic 3 palette. Supposedly a dupe for Urban Decay's Naked 3, the price tag of £4 for 12 shades is incredible. I immediately fell in love with all the shades when I opened my package and can't wait to try it out to see if the quality is any good. I've only swatched them for now, and some colours are more pigmented than others, but I've heard you have to gently scratch the top layer off to get the full effect. The packaging is sturdy enough and I don't think you could expect much more than what you paid for it.
The next product was The ONE Concealer. This cost £3 and reminds me of Benefit's Fake Up which I received a sample for a few weeks ago. On first impressions, it seems a little greasy, but I think I need to properly use it with powder to get the full effect. I got this in the shade 'light.'
I next picked up a blush in the shade 'hot.' I'm awful at picking blushes so I think this is probably the first one I saw, just because I wanted to see what they were like. I've not used this yet, but swatched it with my finger and it's very bright and pigmented so I imagine I'll only need a little bit. This was a bargain at just £1.
The majority of products I bought were lipsticks. I got 9 altogether. I originally only wanted to get a couple just to see what they were like, but I just couldn't help myself.
The one I most wanted to try was a bright purple called 'Deprave.' Unfortunately, this had snapped before I even got a chance to use it. Luckily, I can still use it with a lip brush as I emailed Superdrug and they could only offer me a refund.
I won't go through each shade as I will probably do that in a later blog post, but you can see from the photos what the colours are like. I don't know if I have strange lips, but I find that lipstick tends to stick in the cracks of my lips and cling to dry patches. I found these lipsticks did this a lot, especially the lighter shades, but then my Revlon Matte balm does it and that costs 8X's as much.
 |
| Depraved, Crime, Immoral |
 |
| Dusky, Luscious, Mystify |
 |
| Enchant, Reckless, Rebel With Cause |
The formula seems a little wet, if that makes sense, almost like it's a balm. But then for £1, you can't complain at all. There's such a broad range of shades, I think these are perfect if you are wondering if a shade suits you before you commit to buying a more expensive brand like Mac.
Overall, I think all of this cost me £12 including postage which is incredible. It took six days, including a weekend, to get here.
Have you bought from Makeup Revolution before?
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Bourjois- Evening in Paris
Yesterday I handed in my final ever essay which means I can finally get back to my old blogging routine. I'm hoping to post a lot more now; I already have about ten posts written out, I just need photos to go with them.
As I've officially completed my degree, I decided to go out and treat myself. I bought a couple of lipsticks from Topshop and was planning to raid Superdrug when I found this little beauty in TK Maxx.
This cost £14.99 reduced from the RRP of £32. You get 5 different products, so each one came to £3 each. I love these little sets but only ever seen them on the Inflight brochures on planes. I got myself a 60's one last year which again had 5 different products, except it was around £25.
First, can we just talk about the packaging for this set? I absolutely love it and was drawn to it straight away. I'm planning on keeping it out on show and maybe sticking something like receipts in it.
The main reason I bought this kit was for the little pot of blush. I think these are so cute and dinky but I'm so indecisive when it comes to choosing blush shades. This way the decision was taken away from me and I'm so lucky that the blush suits my skin tone. I got the shade 'Ashes of Roses' which is a really pigmented, matte pink shade, quite different from the usual shimmery blushes I wear. You get a little brush with the blusher but it's completely useless but I liked the touch. I think these blushes are about £8 in the shops usually.
Next was this Rouge Edition Lipstick in the shade 15. I've never tried a Bourjois Lipstick before and I think this shade of red is gorgeous- perfect for both night and day. I only tried it on and then wiped it straight off but I liked the formula, it didn't cling to dry bits on my lips like some lipsticks do. I'm not sure on the price or longevity as I haven't really been interested in their lipsticks before, but you can never have enough lipsticks.
I got the Volume Glamour Max Mascara, which I've not opened or use yet as I have about 8 mascaras on the go at the minute. I got a mascara with my other set and I think it's okay but I probably wouldn't repurchase. I wonder how I will get on with this Bourjois mascara.
I also got the Smokey Eyes Trio in Gris Dandy. My sister commented on how much they look like the MUA baked eyeshadows and I agree with her. I normally wouldn't ever go for colours like this as I think they're a bit boring but that shows how much I know because I experimented with them and now I think they're a firm favourite in my makeup bag. The colours look so nice together and are suitable again for both day and night.
Lastly was this little nail polish. I'm not sure on the shade but it went on nice, with only 2 coats needed. It has yet to trip and considering I've had it on nearly a day, is brilliant for me. This had a pretty little illustration on the plastic packaging. But I was too impatient and peeled it off to use it before I took photos.
So there you have it. I wish Bourjois did more sets like this that are readily available in shops like Boots and Superdrug because I think they're great. Although I probably wouldn't pay the RRP for it.
As I've officially completed my degree, I decided to go out and treat myself. I bought a couple of lipsticks from Topshop and was planning to raid Superdrug when I found this little beauty in TK Maxx.
This cost £14.99 reduced from the RRP of £32. You get 5 different products, so each one came to £3 each. I love these little sets but only ever seen them on the Inflight brochures on planes. I got myself a 60's one last year which again had 5 different products, except it was around £25.
First, can we just talk about the packaging for this set? I absolutely love it and was drawn to it straight away. I'm planning on keeping it out on show and maybe sticking something like receipts in it.
The main reason I bought this kit was for the little pot of blush. I think these are so cute and dinky but I'm so indecisive when it comes to choosing blush shades. This way the decision was taken away from me and I'm so lucky that the blush suits my skin tone. I got the shade 'Ashes of Roses' which is a really pigmented, matte pink shade, quite different from the usual shimmery blushes I wear. You get a little brush with the blusher but it's completely useless but I liked the touch. I think these blushes are about £8 in the shops usually.
Next was this Rouge Edition Lipstick in the shade 15. I've never tried a Bourjois Lipstick before and I think this shade of red is gorgeous- perfect for both night and day. I only tried it on and then wiped it straight off but I liked the formula, it didn't cling to dry bits on my lips like some lipsticks do. I'm not sure on the price or longevity as I haven't really been interested in their lipsticks before, but you can never have enough lipsticks.
I got the Volume Glamour Max Mascara, which I've not opened or use yet as I have about 8 mascaras on the go at the minute. I got a mascara with my other set and I think it's okay but I probably wouldn't repurchase. I wonder how I will get on with this Bourjois mascara.
I also got the Smokey Eyes Trio in Gris Dandy. My sister commented on how much they look like the MUA baked eyeshadows and I agree with her. I normally wouldn't ever go for colours like this as I think they're a bit boring but that shows how much I know because I experimented with them and now I think they're a firm favourite in my makeup bag. The colours look so nice together and are suitable again for both day and night.
Lastly was this little nail polish. I'm not sure on the shade but it went on nice, with only 2 coats needed. It has yet to trip and considering I've had it on nearly a day, is brilliant for me. This had a pretty little illustration on the plastic packaging. But I was too impatient and peeled it off to use it before I took photos.
So there you have it. I wish Bourjois did more sets like this that are readily available in shops like Boots and Superdrug because I think they're great. Although I probably wouldn't pay the RRP for it.
Saturday, 10 May 2014
7 Deadly Sins Tag
So it may seem like I've been neglecting my blog a bit over the last couple of weeks, going from posting 3-4 times a week, to posting about once. As you probably guessed, April- June time is a stressful time for students as it's when the majority of our essays and exams are due. Because of this, I've put blogging to the back of my mind, just for the next few weeks whilst I get myself sorted. The annoying this is I have about 15 posts written out, I just need to take photos, but that takes effort and moving out of bed. So until then I've decided to quickly do this tag as done previously by Alex (champagneandlemonadeox.blogspot.co.uk) and Kate (piecesofkate.co.uk)
1. Greed - What is your most expensive and inexpensive beauty product?
The most expensive is the Lacome Miracle Teint Foundation I bought at the Debenhams beauty lock in event about 10 days ago. Although I was looking for a high end foundation, I wasn't planning on buying this one. But I got chatting to the lady at the counter and she put some on me and I fell in love with it. It cost £28.50 (still hurts typing that.) The most inexpensive beauty product I own is probably something I bought at Poundland or from MUA. I'm gonna say my NYC Liquid Eyeliner as it's the cheapest product which I love the most. It's £2.50 from Superdrug but they often have it in Poundland.
2. WRATH- What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with?
Nail polish without a doubt. I've yet to find a brand which I love (I've not yet tried Barrym yet though.) The polish is either thin and chips after a few hours, or is really thick and smudges.
3. GLUTTONY. - What are your most delicious beauty products?
Anything from Lush (apart from the Herbalism cleanser I'm using at the minute as that smells like a bag of salt and vinegar crisps.) The Bubblegum lip scrub looks, smells and tastes amazing.
4. SLOTH- What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness?
Again, my nail polish. I paint my nails regularly but I just can't be bothered to keep painting them after they chip so I leave them looking horrible. I also pick the polish off, I rarely use remover which leaves my nails in a right state. Another product I neglect is body lotion. I don't know why because I really notice a difference, but it's just so time consuming.
5. PRIDE- What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?
I'd say lipstick. I love wearing it and I think it's the thing I most enjoy buying. I think it just finishes an outfit off.
6. LUST - What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?
I don't understand what this has to do with beauty but oh well. I love freckles, mostly because I hardly get them myself. I also love men who shave regularly which is bad luck for me as my boyfriend shaves once a week for work and that's it (and I hope he reads this :P)
7. ENVY - What items would you most like to receive as a gift?
I have the Naked Basic palette from Urban Decay but I'd love the other three. Also, I really want a Jo Malone perfume but considering the price, I doubt I'll have one of them for a while (but incase my boyfriend does read this, I like the pomegranate once hehe.)
Well, that was fun and a nice break from essay writing. I tag everyone who reads this to do the tag and if you do, let me know in the comments :)
1. Greed - What is your most expensive and inexpensive beauty product?
The most expensive is the Lacome Miracle Teint Foundation I bought at the Debenhams beauty lock in event about 10 days ago. Although I was looking for a high end foundation, I wasn't planning on buying this one. But I got chatting to the lady at the counter and she put some on me and I fell in love with it. It cost £28.50 (still hurts typing that.) The most inexpensive beauty product I own is probably something I bought at Poundland or from MUA. I'm gonna say my NYC Liquid Eyeliner as it's the cheapest product which I love the most. It's £2.50 from Superdrug but they often have it in Poundland.
2. WRATH- What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with?
Nail polish without a doubt. I've yet to find a brand which I love (I've not yet tried Barrym yet though.) The polish is either thin and chips after a few hours, or is really thick and smudges.
3. GLUTTONY. - What are your most delicious beauty products?
Anything from Lush (apart from the Herbalism cleanser I'm using at the minute as that smells like a bag of salt and vinegar crisps.) The Bubblegum lip scrub looks, smells and tastes amazing.
4. SLOTH- What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness?
Again, my nail polish. I paint my nails regularly but I just can't be bothered to keep painting them after they chip so I leave them looking horrible. I also pick the polish off, I rarely use remover which leaves my nails in a right state. Another product I neglect is body lotion. I don't know why because I really notice a difference, but it's just so time consuming.
5. PRIDE- What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?
I'd say lipstick. I love wearing it and I think it's the thing I most enjoy buying. I think it just finishes an outfit off.
6. LUST - What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?
I don't understand what this has to do with beauty but oh well. I love freckles, mostly because I hardly get them myself. I also love men who shave regularly which is bad luck for me as my boyfriend shaves once a week for work and that's it (and I hope he reads this :P)
7. ENVY - What items would you most like to receive as a gift?
I have the Naked Basic palette from Urban Decay but I'd love the other three. Also, I really want a Jo Malone perfume but considering the price, I doubt I'll have one of them for a while (but incase my boyfriend does read this, I like the pomegranate once hehe.)
Well, that was fun and a nice break from essay writing. I tag everyone who reads this to do the tag and if you do, let me know in the comments :)
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Hull Fashion Week Finale 3/05/2014
I've just this moment got back from the Hull Fashion Week Finale which I was asked to blog for a few weeks ago. I've never done anything like this before and I'm so excited that I'm being offered such great opportunities after only 3 months of blogging.
I arrived at Hull City Hall at 10:30am and got given a lanyard which told everyone I was an official blogger for Hull Fashion Week. All of the other bloggers agreed at how special they made us feel haha. At 11am the public began to pile in and the finale was about to officially start.
Lizzie Rose looked incredible dressed by Dressing Room Hull. They offer people the chance to buy pre-loved designer clothes much cheaper than the retail price. I must admit, I've already been browsing through the site seeing if there is something I can wear to the end of year ball.
There was a catwalk every hour from 12pm and each one was a mixture of dancing, smiling and serious strutting. I don't know how some of the girls managed to walk in the shoes they were wearing as I know for a fact I would have fallen flat on my face, but they did so with ease and looked fierce (as Tyra Banks would say.)
I'm not going to spend too long talking about the outfits as there are plenty of photos already circling around the internet, and most of the images I took came out blurry (you wouldn't believe I have a photography A Level, seriously.) But there was a definite vintage theme going on, starting with styles from the 1920's all the way to bright prints from the 80's/90's. There was a mixture of high street giants such as Debenham's and House of Fraser dressing the models. Also Hull's leading independant shops such as Magpie's Den, Beasley's and Chinese Laundry (my favourite) to name a few. We also were treated to the raw talent of Hull's art and design students from Bishop Burton and Hull College. Their outfit's were amazing.
In between the catwalks, there were many dancing, singing and rapping performances which got people cheering and bouncing in their seats. We also got chance to have a wonder round the hall as there was so much to see. There were a lot of stalls, including Beasley's and Chinese Laundry, a stall which sold bags made from recyled clothes and rags (which were amazing and I full intend to buy one.) I'm just saying that 'm so glad that I had no actual money on me or my poor bank balance would be left feeling very bruised.
Some other nice touches were a cake stall from Thieving Harry's (I bought myself the most delicious chocolate brownie) plus a photobooth which me, Kate and Courtney completely abused the privilege of.
Overall, it was a really good day and I'm so excited to have been a part of it. Keep checking the official Hull Fashion Week website to have a look at the blogpost I'm going to write for that, and all of the other bloggers who were involved with today. There will be another post soon about the Debenham's beauty lock in I attending on Wednesday so keep an eye out for that as well.
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