Products I've Used Up #01

I am trying to use up things before I buy new ones so have decided to sort of keep track of how much I have used up on my blog. I have a serious amount of body care products hair care products as well as make up (lets face it, i'm never going to finish make up before buying new bits) so really need to use them up as I don't want things to go off before I have even started to use them. I will let you know what I think of each product as I go through them except for the products that I have mentioned a lot before and deodorant (cause that's a bit of a we Although this is most of my empties I have accidentally thrown some away as I have been storing these since the beginning of January.

Batiste graffiti, fresh, cherry and lace (£2.99)* - I have a post coming up which is all about Batiste so I won't talk too much about these. I love Batiste and will always repurchase it as it's cheap and does the job for me. My favourite of these 4 is fresh, its such a clean scent and isn't too overpowering like some. 

Treacle Moon Those Lemonade Days Shower Gel (£2.99)* - I love Treacle Moon, they are an amazing brand and even though the range is so affordable, the scents of the products aren't compromised which is amazing. The shower gels lather up really well and the scent, which is a great wake-me-up scent, lasts on the skin faintly for a few hours which is lovely. I have already repurchased in a different scent. 

Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Conditioner (£2.69) - With these repairing hair products I can never tell if they work or not so while I don't think this did anything, I did enjoy using it. Its very moisturising and smells like the products they use at hairdressers (that sounds a bit weird, I hope you know what I mean). I won't repurchase this but I do think it's a nice product.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Intensive Mask (£4.79) - Love love love this! I have a full review of this coming up next week but let me just say it's amazing. I have really long hair that is so difficult to get a comb or brush through, especially when its wet, and this has been a miracle product for me. I will probably repurchase this however the bee strong conditioner is equally as good if not better.

Soap and Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel (£6) - I've spoken about this shower gel before and how much I love it isn't a secret. Even though to me £6 is a lot for shower gel, this literally lasts forever as it is such a bit bottle and the pump means you don't end up squeezing it all over the shower floor and wasting half a bottle. I will definitely repurchase this when I have used up the rest of my shower gels.

I know these are a bit of a gross thing to talk about so I will keep it quick. Yes I am aware that these are a bit controversial and they aren't the best for the skin but they work for me so I will carry on using them. 

T-Zone clear out pore strips (£1.49) - These are so cheap and the best nose strips I have tried. They are a little bit messy to take off as they break apart and leave a residue on the skin but they work so well. I will definitely repurchase these.

Boots Tea Tree pore strips (£4.99) -  I didn't have very high expectations for these and I was right not too. I didn't notice any difference when I used these and although there better for the skin than others, I would never buy these again.

Biore deep cleansing pore strips (£7.99)* - These were a massive disappointment! I mean they were okay but didn't do anything amazing. They are quite expensive for what they are as well so I definitely wouldn't recommend these. 

I am pleased to see that this year I have finished 20 products so far. If you've recently done an empties post please leave the link below, I would love to check it out!

Megan x

Clique Magazine

Clique is an amazing new magazine. No it's not JUST another magazine, its a free, fully interactive magazine. I know that so many people don't buy magazines anymore as they can find the information, real time on the internet so Clique is perfect for those people as it is free and is delivered straight to your door. You can't beat flicking through a magazine and that's something that the internet won't be able to replace. 

Clique is fully interactive so basically if you download the free Clique app, which is available from the iTunes Store and Google Play Store, you can 'scan' a specific picture and then you will automatically be taken to a website. For example if you scan an item of clothing or jewellery like the items below, the app will take you to the website where you can buy the item. There are sometimes articles that can be scanned too if there is more of the article online. I really like this idea however the only slight niggle I have about it is that it needs to be really light for the camera to pick up the picture so its almost impossible once it's dark as I haven't yet been able to make it work with artificial light. 

I really love Clique magazine plus it has a massive beauty section unlike most magazines which are mainly fashion based. Clique teamed up with designer Katie Eary to create a gorgeous leopard print t-shirt which I have been wearing so much. The t-shirt is £35 which may seem like a lot however Katie Eary also have very similar leopard print t-shirts for £215 so it's definitely a bargain. If you want to have a look at the t-shirt it can be found here.

As I mentioned before Clique magazine is completely free and you can sign up to the magazine here where you can find out a bit more about the magazine.

I'd love to know if you are going to subscribe to Clique or if you are already subscribed.

Megan x

Sigma Eyeshadows

I love Sigma make up brushes so was excited to see that they were bringing out eyeshadows early last year. However as shipping from America is so expensive I thought I would pass on the eyeshadow front. I was so lucky to receive a mini palette, which contains one shade from all three of Sigma's eyeshadow palettes, at the Nottingham blogger meet up last year. I believe that all I've been using them for a while now so thought I'd share my thoughts on them.

Surrender comes from the Dare palette and is a gorgeous, slightly shimmery purple/brown shade. It is the most pigmented of the three which was expected as it is the darkest. The texture of the eyeshadow is quite grainy and not smooth at all, however I feel that this may be why it lasts well during the day. Surrender is only available as part of the palette and not as an individual eyeshadow.

Command comes from a palette that I believe has been discontinued however it's available as a single eyeshadow. Its a lovely shimmery sand colour which is a great shade to use all over the lid if your keeping eyeshadow neutral. This is probably the least pigmented of all three however it is buildable. 

Publicize is a beautiful cream colour, a perfect highlight colour! Its such a buttery soft eyeshadow and really nice to use. Its got a sheen to it but isn't shimmery so makes a lovely highlight. Its part of the Flare eyeshadow palette and is also available as an individual eyeshadow.

Overall I wasn't that impressed with the Sigma eyeshadows. I definitely wouldn't buy them myself as I think there are so many better drugstore eyeshadows available in the UK such as MUA. The individual eyeshadows cost around £7.50 and the palettes currently cost around £18 so there definitely not the cheapest eyeshadows and then you also have to factor in delivery into the cost. Although I wouldn't recommend the eyeshadows, I still highly rate Sigma brushes. 

Have you tried any make up from Sigma?

Megan xx

P.S. I apologise for the enormous number of times I used the word 'eyeshadow' in this post!

Beauty & Fashion Wishlist #01

I love making wishlist posts and as it's my birthday tomorrow so I thought that now was as good a time as any to write a little wishlist. I mainly get money for my birthday so might buy a couple of things from my wishlist with it. 

The Caleena bow leather matinee purse from Ted Baker is absolutely beautiful and it's something that I think any girl would love!  Hopefully it's something that I will own in the future, aka when I can part with £75 for a purse ouch!

I don't own anything from Pandora (I know, shock horror!) but I love the look of the Pink Enamel Twist Ring which is meant to be a stacking ring and also the February Birth Stone Ring (not in the picture, sorry). Although I struggle to spell February, I love my birth stone, amethyst, so think this would be perfect for me.

The Urban Decay Naked Lipglosses are something that I ave been intrigued by since the release and after seeing swatches on blogs I decided that the shades I would love are Lovechild (left) and Streak (right). I still haven't tried any Urban Decay make up so might have to give in any buy myself these although at £14 they aren't cheap.

Real Technique brushes are another thing that I am yet to buy, it hasn't been easy giving in to the hype surrounding them however I felt like I have enough brushes and don't need anymore. After seeing the Real Technique Blush Brush the other day I have decided that I need it, after all I don't have many blush brushes. It's under £6 in Asda too which is another good reason to get it (right?).

I don't often get sucked in by bags but I love the Double Zip Holdall in grey from Topshop, I think it is the perfect size for everyday use (when I'm not at school obviously) and I love the shape and colour of it. I have some Topshop vouchers I still need to spend so might put them towards this bag. 

Another thing on my wishlist is the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette and whilst I would never pay that much for an eyeshadow palette, I can still oogle it right?

I NEED some new shoes and have my eye on MAX Heavy Sole Loafers from Topshop and after reading reviews on them I think they were made for me. I have extremely narrow feet so can't normally get shoes without straps and a lot of people have said these shoes are too narrow which means they should fit me perfectly, yay! It's almost inevitable that I'm going to get these so I will let you know how I get on with them!

What's on your wishlist?

Megan x

Benefit Porefessional Primer Review

Porefessional from Benefit is a product loved by most bloggers and is a product that has been really hyped up over the years. Although I have had a few tubes of it for a while I only started using it in December so thought I'd add the the millions of reviews already on the internet!

First of all how lovely is the packaging? Benefit are one of the best brands at packaging, it makes you want their products even more! Porefessional claims to minimise pores and give an overall more flawless look to the skin as well as doing the normal job of a primer, to stop foundation sliding around. So did I think it lived up to the hype? 

The answer is yes. I do love this, I notice that my pores (which aren't massive) are much less visible when I pat on this. I did find however that if you rub it in, even a little bit, that it has no effect on the pores whatsoever so if you get this ensure that you pat it on.

I love how smooth Porefessional makes my skin feel once I've applied it. I focus it on the centre of my face (chin and nose) and work it outwards. I find that once I've applied it a lot of redness from my skin has gone and therefore my skin looks better. I don't always apply foundation on top of this as I feel it evens my skin tone out alone. 

When I do put this under foundation it makes my base make up last at least 3 hours longer than it normally would and I don't end up with little shiny patches all over my face during the day where my foundation has slid off. 

Even though this costs £24.50 I think it is completely worth it, especially if make up is prone to slipping off your face. You do only need a tiny bit of product each time too so cost per use doesn't work out to be too much. There are also often discounts at Asos so then is an ideal time to pick it up. You can buy Porefessional from here.

Have you tried Porefessional? If so I'd love to know your thoughts on it!

Megan xx

Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara

Rimmel is a brand that I often turn to for mascara although I do sometimes find their mascaras are a bit hit and miss however it's the thinner brushes which seem to be the best from them so when I saw that the Glam Eyes mascara had a thin brush I was excited to try it. 

Firstly the packaging is really nice and quite sleek with a black tube and gold wand handle. The wand is very thin with quite short, plastic bristles, I'd describe it more as a comb than a brush. It really separates the lashes however I don't notice any massive lengthening or volume, both of which this is supposed to give. 

(Sorry about the creepy eye picture)

The formula is quite dry but after a few days you don't realise that it is a slightly drier formula than most mascaras. Even though it's on the drier side, it doesn't flake on the eyelashes. I find that it lasts for at least 8 hours before starting to flake off and smudge but it might be longer if you don't have oily eyes and skin. 

Overall I really like this mascara for daily use as although it doesn't do anything special it separates my lashes so is perfect for a natural make up look. However if you like volumised lashes I would steer clear of this as I don't think this mascara does anything volumising wise. Even though I like this mascara, I wouldn't buy it again purely because I prefer mascaras which really lengthen my eyelashes.

Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara costs around £7.20 from here although Boots and Superdrug have offers on Rimmel most of this time.

What's your favourite mascara?

Megan x

Home Wishlist #01

I love home interior *ahem homey items* and as in the future I hope to look for property sales I think about how I want my house to look and the sort of things I want in it. As at the moment, the only piece of property that's my own is my bedroom I thought I'd show you some items that I am currently after for my room. 

John Lewis Bird Ceramic Table Lamp (£60) - This is something that I would never actually buy, £60 for a lamp is mad in my opinion, but it is so beautiful, I don't think I've ever seen a lamp that I like so much. The bird design on the base makes what would be a plain lamp look extremely elegant. 

Peony Lights and Flower Lights (Both £25) - I seem to be the only person in the world without fairy lights and me being indecisive and all I couldn't decide which ones I like the best so thought I'd show you both. 

London Clock Heart Twin Bell Clock (£20) - This alarm clock is literally perfect! A bit rustic looking but still extremely cute. I have a sort of rustic and pale coloured theme in my bedroom. As well as loving hearts, I actually need an alarm clock so may be going into John Lewis to have a little look at this.

Felicity Rosebud Heart Cushion (£3.99?) - This cushion is so cute and really cheap so what is not to love? It comes in 3 colours all pale, dusky shades and I'm tempted to pick up all three. They seem to be really good quality as well.

Ikea Plant Pots (£2) - I already have the white plant pot with all of my make up brushes in however I definitely *justification right here* need a pink and a green one as well as my make up brush collection has er rapidly grown? I'm sure I'll find a use for them, I can't resist them!

I'd love to know what the 'theme' of your room or house is.

If your interested in housing sales, check out Strutt and Parker property sales.

Megan xx

*This post contains a sponsored link

Smiggle

One of my favourite things is stationery. That might be sad but who cares. Stationery is one of those things that I could never have enough of. You can imagine my excitement when Smiggle, an Australian a stationery brand asked if I would like to be sent some products before they actually launch in the UK.  Fun fact, Smiggle is a mixture of smile and giggle!

When I opened my package I was so shocked by how much stationary I had been sent. My stationary addiction has once again been fed! I was kindly sent a pencil case, pens, pencils, a ruler, an awesome calculator, amazing purple headphones and a few other bits and bobs. 

One thing I can tell you for definite is that Smiggle is a fun and exciting brand without being exceptionally childish. I would say that Smiggle sell products for everyone which are not always age or gender specific. I think the gel pens and highlighter stick which I was sent are a desk essential. I am constantly making lists or writing down things to remember and after trying the gel pens out I can confirm they are fantastic. I have also already used the highlighters to annotate some English work and they are amazing, they don't go right through to the other side of the paper like some highlighters do. I think the gel pens would make an excellent gift or part gift as they are in such lovely packaging and stay attached to the box when they are opened which is a pretty rare thing, normally pens fall all over the place the second you open them.

Can I just point out how cool the calculator/ruler and the lollipop rubber are. I actually thought the rubber was a lollipop, its that realistic! The pencil case has 8 zips which I think looks really effective and I really like the ombred effect of it. Most of the items I was sent come in so many colour varieties so there is definitely something for everyone.

Please excuse the embarrassingly awful writing

In Australia Smiggle are an affordable, quirky stationery brand and although I'm not sure what the prices will be like here I am almost certain that they will be cheaper than the likes of Paperchase, which I love but sometimes the prices can be a bit steep especially for their non patterned items.  

The first Smiggle store in the UK is opening on the 20th February in Westfield Stratford with stores in Reading, Brighton and Kingston shortly following. If you want any more information about Smiggle check out their website here. There UK online shop will be launching on the 20th this month. After looking online I have seen that Smiggle do some amazing storage items which I am definitely going to snap up when the online shop launches.

In the next few weeks I will be doing a couple more posts about individual products from Smiggle including how I plan my blog posts using my Smiggle stationery. 

If you are planning on going to the opening of Smiggle in Stratford let me know!

Megan xx