Origins Super Spot Remover

I gave up on tough spot treatments a few years ago. The more things I put on them, the more irritated and inflamed they'd become. I found that keeping my regime simple and leaving out treatments worked well for me, but it wasn't quite enough. However, I've heard nothing but good things about this little gem from Origins. On my recent trip to Nottingham I poped into John Lewis and they had a special 10% offer so couldn't resist giving it a whirl.

Usually priced at £14, it isn't the cheapest of treatments at all, especially as you only get a tiny 10ml bottle. However you only need to use a tiny amount which helps. They advise you to apply a tiny amount to a cotton bud and then apply to blemishes and any lumps and bumps on the face as a treatment for occasional spots. I obviously have permanent acne but I thought I'd give it a go as anything is better than nothing right? It contains salicylic acid as do many other spot treatments so I wasn't expecting any miracles from this little bottle despite the price tag.

I'm seriously impressed with this stuff. I did everything I was told to do twice a day or once if I was wearing make-up, you can wear it under make-up but it does create a little film over the area and I didn't want to be picking at my face even more. Right from day one it got straight to work at drying out and reducing the size of my spots in a matter of hours. In fact, one pesky spot disappeared in a matter of days, incredible. I used the treatment on all kinds of spots from white heads to cystic acne which wouldn't budge, I'd say it was pretty effective of all of them. It can sting a little if the spot has broken skin at first but it quickly wears off and the cooling agent of a gel really refreshes and tightens up the skin getting to work quickly. It also works at fading the spots and the discolouration and scaring caused by them so keep applying it to them even when they look like they're on their way out! It's definitely a must have when you're having a skin crisis and your skincare routine alone isn't cutting it. It won't get rid of them in a zap but it will give you that peace of mind that they won't be sitting on your face as long as they would have done without it.

Crown and Glory Whole Lotta Rosie Headband

If you haven't seen one of these little beauties floating around on fashion blogs one time or another then you've definitely been living under a rock. I'm not very brave when it comes to my fashion choices, I either play it safe or get it completely wrong. One thing I almost never experiment with is hair accessories. However I urged myself to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. Seeing the array of Crown and Glory headbands styled on She Wears Fashion really sold the  Whole Lotta Rosie headband to me. On the larger side, it is a bold statement piece, however it's versatile in adding that extra something to a simple dress or making a dark, edgy outfit more feminine.

I added the Whole Lotta Rosie headband in burgundy to my August wishlist a few posts back and my boyfriend was kind enough to buy one for me. Very Lana Del Rey esque, the foam roses headband was right up my street. I wasn't quite sure what colour to go for as they have a good variety, but I thought the burgundy looked the prettiest and would compliment my hair colour well. As I said before, it is a statement piece, so if you aren't feeling too brave and you want something more on the modest side, they also offer the Rosie headband in two smaller sizes! The cost of the headbands are £20 and delivery is £3, quite pricey but bare in mind they are handmade.

The headband took a few days to come, pretty average delivery. The packaging was absolutely beautiful, wrapped in purple tissue paper and a silver bow, it was a luxury to open. They also gives you this cute cloth drawstring bag for you to keep your headband in so it stays clean and undamaged which I think is a nice touch. I fell in love instantly, and although quite large on my tiny pea head, I feel like an absolute lady for once. The flowers look well crafted and good quality and the headband itself sits snug without digging in and being uncomfortable. I think they are definitely worth the price tag and are a great alternative for other head pieces for formal events or even just to jazz up an everyday outfit. And in the peak of festival season, you need one of these in your life, seriously.

Life Update: Results, University and New Beginnings

So it's time to get personal right? I haven't done any 'life' posts since I revamped the blog but some big things are happening lately which will affect my vlog and blog and therefore it's only fair I talk openly about them with you.

As many of you will know if you follow me on Twitter, it was A Level results day last Thursday, a day I'd be dreading for a long time. I'd done an extra year at college as I really struggled to get my head around education and my future following a really horrible time in my life during my last year of school. I found A Levels difficult and even when I had genuine interest in my subjects, I still failed to motivated myself to revise and do well in exams. However, I worked my butt off the past year desperate not to have wasted my time and to get into a good university, or any that would have me for that matter.

I didn't sleep at all the night before and I felt sick with worry that I'd get into my insurance choice, which I had decided months ago I really didn't want to go to, I was prepared to decline the place and go to clearing instead. Despite feeling tired, anxious and sick I was greeting an hour early by a text from my firm choice confirming my place with them. I've never leaped out of bed quicker to tell everyone the news, I was over the moon and at that point, I couldn't care less what my results were, I was just so pleased to know I got into a university higher than I'd ever expected to get into.

So after telling everyone the news via person, phone and social media. I then lazed around for a few hours, grabbed some breakfast and headed to college to pick up my results. I didn't do as well as I had hoped and found out I was actually one grade below what I needed but hey. I achieved an A* in Personal and Business Finance and a C in Business Studies. I then met up with some friends and drove into town for some lunch and a few drinks. By this point I was exhausted and after a few hours had to call it a day, head home, and collapse onto my bed for a good few hours. I had some lovely gifts off the family and was very spoilt in terms of meals from everyone too!

So university then... I'm off to Nottingham to study Accounting and Finance which is something I'm very passionate about outside my blog and channel and something I wish to have a career in. I'm very anxious but excited at the same time to move out on my own to a new city, meet new people, learn new things and enjoy new experiences. Everyone I have met so far through social media who I'll be living with are great and I feel confident that we'll all get on well and support each other throughout our time there. I'm going to be staying in halls of residence so I'm sure it won't get too lonely up there having 8 other flat mates to pester when I'm bored.

However more exciting things will become in my life, it also means having difficulties that I wish didn't have to happen. I'm not a family person by any means but I get on super well with my Mom and spend as much time with her as I can despite our busy lives. I'll miss her ridiculous amounts but know she's only a train journey away and at the end of the phone if I need her. Also, my long term boyfie is back home from university himself which means us doing another 4 years long distance on top of the almost 3 we've already done. It's never been easy for us, but we cope a lot better than most couples I know and I'm sure sail through without many problems, I have a lot of faith in us. I will miss him though, just a little.

How will this affect my blogging etc? Well I'll be super busy without a doubt for the first few weeks, getting used to things and meeting new people. I do plan to continue blogging and vlogging as much as I can. I'll probably throw in a few updates and advice things to let you know how it's all going. Don't think I've ran off if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm just going to have a lot less spare time on my hands to do things but I don't want to give it all up, it's my little place on the interwebs to escape to shares my interests. Thankyou for all being super supportive and if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Marc Jacobs Honey

I'm sure a few of you will have seen the latest Marc Jacobs addition advertised here there and everywhere. Many bloggers have had their say via sponsored posts but hey I'm always up for an honest fair review so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and try it myself. I'm a massive fan of their fragrances and I'm yet to be disappointed by any of their releases.

So boyfie was recently on his holidays and offered to pick me up a bottle on the way home, obviously this was an offer I couldn't decline. Without any description of the fragrance, the bottles are enough to sell me. Their quirky contemporary designs are beautiful and will sit beautifully on your dressing table. The pearl bumble bees and polka dot bottle is adorable. Now for the important part, so what does it smell like? From name and the bottle design you'd expect it to be a sickly sweet scent, however I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't as I expected at all, instead I was greeted by a fresh, floral and citrus scent. The notes are a balanced mix of pear and mandarin with tones of honeysuckle, orange blossom and fruit nectars. There are also some base notes of vanilla, woods and honey.

The scent is perfect and I was instantly in love with it despite it not being something I'd usually go for. It is defiantly a strong spring/summer scent although it's very versatile and can be worn day and night. The only problem I have with it is that it doesn't linger as much as other perfumes so it needs to be topped up regularly which is a pain considering a 100ml bottle sets you back £68. However it's beautiful and no doubt this will be getting used daily for the next few months.

Max Factor Wild Mega Volume Mascara

If I was only allowed to choose one item of make-up for the rest of my life it would be mascara, I'm an addict. My lashes are very long but fair like my natural hair colour. Therefore mascara really does wonders for framing my already large eyeballs. I'm a huge Max Factor fan and their False Lash Effect mascaras are up there at the top of the list of my all time favourite. So when they released their Wild Collection recently and I saw it hosted a new mascara, I had to give it a whirl.

It retails for a lot less than their other offerings, at £6.99 it appears to be a steal. The packaging is a lot different more classic packaging, it's very basic and screams 'teen just starting out make-up'. The tube holds 11g of product which I always favour as most mascaras run out super quick so you definitely get your moneys worth. 

The wand is interesting to say the least. It is made from bristles and is shaped in this hourglass formation. The bristles are pretty dense and the wand looks like it'd do a good job on the lashes as it's pretty big in size.

Do be warned, this isn't going to be a positive review.

So my impressions of Wild Mega Volume? One word, terrible. I has high expectations as Max Factor have never disappointed me. However, the impractical shaped brush made application a real faff and the clean up I had to do afterwards was not worth using mascara at all. The curve in the middle is completely useless and you have to use the ends to apply. The formula is very thin and the picture shows coats and coats of mascara yet it looks like I have 2 coats at the most, it left my lashes looking super stubby. Throughout the day it also left loads of flakes under my eyes, super attractive. If this mascara has any good points, I did find it worked okay as a first coat but then I had to go in with my Maybelline The Falsies to build up some volume and length. I wouldn't recommend this mascara at all, it's maybe average at best.

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons

I seem to have gone from hating lip products to not being able to get enough of them lately. Whilst on my daily blog read yesterday I saw a few posts popping up of reviewing the new Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons. However, they were all sponsored and I feel like you don't get the full 360 of the products from these reviews. So I went out to Boots and picked up 3 of the 4 colours as they were on 3 for 2 to give you my input on  them.

(Left to Right: #04 Peach on the Beach, #02 Fuschia Libre, #01 Red Sunshine)

 It may sound silly but I didn't know what to expect from these at all. I've seen them being compared a lot to the Clinque Chubby Sticks and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balms. I haven't tried either of these products before so I was pretty open minded here. The packaging is really current and great for travelling, although they haven't swayed much from Clinque's and Revlon's previous designs which is disappointing. However, they claim the formula is enriched with Silk extract is light and non-sticky. Also that is gives colour and moisture to the lips for up to 10 hours and that it is also waterproof. Not to mention the impressive colour range, which I don't think one colour could be faulted and SPF 15.

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in #01 Red Sunshine

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in #02 Fuchsia Libre

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in #04 Peach on the Beach

I am super impressed with the formula of these bad boys. I honestly didn't think they'd apply half as effortlessly as they do, they just glide right on like a dream. They feel super soft and silky on the lips and are really moisturising. The colour pay off is incredible and you can build them up or smudge them to sheer them down as they are super pigmented. However, I did have to reapply several times and don't think they last anywhere near 10 hours, the gloss tends to wear quickly but the colour will linger longer. They are retractable so there's no need for sharpening and the shape of them make them easy to apply.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Range

I'm always on the hunt for new haircare, whenever the current products I'm using are empty, I'm trying to find something new to try. I have quite dry damaged hair, I don't cut it very often at all and the ends are in really bad condition, however my roots get very oily and the contrast between roots and tips is at different ends of the spectrum. 

The Bee Strong range is targeted at damaged hair. The formula contains honey and apricot extracts which work to repair the protective outer layer of each strand of hair to leave it silky and strong. The range hosts a shampoo and conditioner, deep treatment masque and a leave in conditioning spray. I have long hair, very damaged and dry at the ends and the roots get oily. I have to wash my hair everyday as it's very flat and I put through a gruelling blow dry and rollers. They roped in the ever so beautiful Nicole Scherzinger to promote the new range, I'm sure you've seen the advert. Strangely I don't think anything will ever make my hair as perfect as hers, sigh.

After shampooing and conditioning my barnet, I then towel dried it added some heat defence spray and then spritzed some of the leave in spray onto my hands and then ran the product through my hair. The texture surprised me as it's more a of creamy consistency as opposed to an oil or serum. Once I week I used the deep treatment instead of the regular conditioner for 15 minutes whilst in the bath. Then I blow dried and set my rollers.

I'm in love with Bee Strong. First of all it smells incredible, it's one of those products that smell so good your whole bathroom smells incredible even after you've gotten out of the shower. I expected the conditioners and treatment to be really heavy as it's targeted at damaged hair, however it was surprisingly light yet nourishing at the same time and left my hair soft yet thoroughly cleansed. I found the bottles lasted me a good few weeks which is also a bonus. I found the leave in spray a real gem at softening my frizzy dry ends and worked much better than any other I'd used before. The shampoo and conditioner were perfect, the right balance between too heavy or too clarifying. The deep treatment masque was great too, the formula was super thick and creamy and applied well onto the hair, it's good to go in a few minutes or you can leave it on for longer to achieve super soft locks.

Overall I'm really impressed and I've actually repurchased since. I love the way it leaves my hair, although it's not perfect, it's a firm favourite of mine now. The range retails between £3.89 and £4.79 so cheap as chips!

Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser

Moisturising is such a chore but an essential part to having healthy, hydrated skin all year round. If you're anything like me, it's one of those steps that only gets remembered on a weekend as weekdays are such a rush in the morning to even have time to shower as it is. I'm always one to try new products on the market that promise to make my life easier but deliver the same effects that the original product does.

I'm pretty sure most of you have probably heard about Nivea's new take on moisturising. The In-Shower Body Moisturiser promises to deliver the same effects as a moisturiser that you'd use after showering but used in the shower as a 'body conditioner'. You 'shampoo' your skin using your regular body wash and rinse off and then use this 'conditioner' all over and also rinse off. There are two kinds, one for normal skin and one for dry skin. I haven't seen many reviews contrast the different in them so I thought I'd give you my take on them.

This is the version for normal skin. I have applied a small amount to my hand and rubbed it in. It has a light consistency yet is very moisturising and hydrating on the skin. However I do consider myself to have normal skin and I didn't find it was moisturising enough. This version contains sea minerals and is suitable for those of you who don't require much hydration.

This is the version for dry skin. I have applied the same amount to my hand and rubbed it in. It has a thicker consistency and as you can see it is a lot heavier than it's normal equivalent. I did find this suited my skin much better and left it feeling soft and hydrated. This version contains almond oil and is suitable for those of you who require good moisturising on a daily basis.

However, with both versions I still felt my skin also required a normal moisturiser as this alone didn't quite do the job. However I think it's a quick fix for those days where I don't have time to moisturise after a shower as I can do it quickly in 2 minutes and not have to wait for it to dry. It's fairly cheap retailing at £3.56 so it's not too harsh on your purse compared to other moisturisers. However I think the formula could be improved drastically, I don't find this to be a miracle product.

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

When you have oily/combination skin, a finishing powder is essential to the majority of foundation applications. However, I like to use something light and not too heavy that is going to make my skin look cakey and completely matte all day. I've never used a setting powder without skin-tone colour to it before but I thought I'd take a gamble on something different.

MAC's Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder is a lightweight, colourless setting powder which is perfect for dusting over liquid foundations to set them in place and increase their longevity. It also helps to reduce shine as well as minimise the look of lines and imperfections. The powder is pressed in it's tin and appears a chalky white colour. When swatched it does look quite scary however when used on a powder brush it applies transparent and mattifies the face. It's great for people who don't want to add more colour to their face and because it's colourless it's suitable for all skin tones.

The powder is slightly on the pricey side retailing at £20. I did find it didn't last as long as other powders and I hit pan pretty quick. However I did think the powder did everything that it claimed, however it's claims of being 'transparent' were questionable. I did find it left my skin with quite a chalky finish and therefore I wouldn't recommend it for darker skin tones as it would lighten the complexion. I did have to top it up quite frequently as it did let my natural oils come through. I haven't repurchased but went back to MAC and brought a different product instead.

August Wishlist #01

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

(1) This little beauty of a playsuit has been on my want list for the past week. I'm not usually a massive fan of playsuits but the print on this is gorgeous and features a lace panel on the back also. (2) This won't be in my life anytime soon but the more and more I swoon over the Mulberry Lily, the more I need it in my life. The simplicity and compact size as well as it's gorgeous tan leather, love! (3) Crown and Glory make the most beautiful crowns, this burgundy colour is beautiful and will really finish off a cute chiffon or skater style dress for a girly evening outfit. (4) The newest addition to the Marc Jacobs perfume collection, Honey, in a similar bottle to the previous Dot, Honey has a more fruity summer twist with notes of green pear and mandarin. I can't wait to get my hands on this. (5) Hands up if you couldn't get your hands on Rhi Rhi Woo at the launch. A twist on the classic Ruby Woo, a slightly darker toned red with a matte finish, which girl doesn't need this in their life?