The F Word – Lilly Pebbles Review

I’m starting off the new year by writing my first blog post on the last book I read in 2018. Upon finishing this novel, I felt like I really enjoyed it but thinking back I think I just enjoyed the simplicity of this easygoing book.

The F Word by Lilly Pebbles is a very wholesome book describing the many types of friendships she’s had throughout her life highlighting the good and bad parts of friendships.

I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t followed Lilly or aware she was a blogger before reading this book. My favourite blogger, Hannah Gale posted a photo of it on Instagram and I bought it because I liked the look of it.

I was hugely pleasantly relieved when I read the back to see it was about friendship, because I hadn’t read anything like this before. It is such an interesting topic that could have had a book with such amazing depth covering it.

When I first started the book and Pebbles was discussing her long standing friendships with the girls she was friends with when she was 4, I didn’t think I could read on. I had to take a break from the book and think, “is this for me?” purely because it just made me sad thinking of all the friendships I had when I was younger that have fizzled out.

Friendships fizzle out all the time, and thinking back to when I originally read those pages, I was most likely just having a super emotional time. I can now say after completing the book it made me think back to all of my friendships, new and old, with fond, warm memories which is always a nice feeling.

The book offers a lot of advice about how to handle situations within friendships. The photo above which gives advice on how to handle friendships whilst either being single or in a relationship. This could potentially be useful to younger readers who maybe need advice on situations like this, but not adults as we have all likely navigated our way through situations like this before.

Overall, I’m not gonna say this book is a must-read because your life could probably continue to function if you didn’t, however, it was fun and nice to read. This is a book I would read on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea purely because it’s nice and not serious. It’s not hugely serious and doesn’t take a lot of effort to get on board with which I think is something the author was perhaps going for.

There has been a lot of mixed reviews on this book, some loving it whilst other disappointed fans of Lilly Pebbles were not impressed. I had no expectations coming into this which is perhaps why I’m left with a more positive impression of this. Despite my enjoyment, I would like to add this book is definitely for a primarily younger audience of teenagers and young adults who would probably appreciate the content more. It’s slightly insulting to assume women in their late 20s and thirties don’t know how to act around their single and non-single friends.

I can understand why fans would be genuinely disappointed by this book, as it has such an exciting premise (to me, anyway) because I really didn’t feel any wiser or better after reading it.

I don’t really like leaving negative reviews on things, but honesty is always the most important thing.

Have you read this book? What was your thoughts?

Siobhan x

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Collaboration with Case App

This is a super exciting post to write because this is the first time I have EVER collaborated with a brand for content.

As you can tell by the title I have been working with Case App for this collab where I received a personalised iPhone case and a personalised laptop skin.

I was so pleased when Caseapp reached out to me to create and review a custom phone case and laptop skin. I recently got a Mac so this was perfect timing.

The process for this is really simple and customisation is easy. Once you are on the Caseapp website, you just select whether you want to design a laptop skin or phone case then select the model of the item then use the drag and drop tool.

Phone cases start at £19 for a glossy case or £22 for a matte case, laptop skins are also £22. For me I thought this was a little bit pricey but when the products arrived I was SO impressed by the quality. I opted for the matte phone case and it is a really tough hard plastic. You can tell the Case is sturdy and well made but also has a really nice feel to it too. I am also really impressed with the quality of the laptop sticker too. It was a thicker type of sticker which is goods it made it easier to put on.

Here are the patterns I picked for my case and skin. I have to say the phone case is my favourite of the two, I love it so much and am so impressed by it.

I absolutely love this sticker as well. The colours from the photo came out so well and have resulted in such a nice summery pattern.

If you are interested in ordering your own phone case or laptop skin, go to caseapp.co.uk and use the code FOREVERSIOBHAN20 for a nice 20% discount.

Siobhan x

*disclaimer: these products were sent to me for the purpose of reviewing but all opinions are honest and my own.

Rimmel London Influenster Vox Box

Hi everyone, first beauty related post in a long time.

So this was something really exciting for me when I got sent my first Influenster vox box last month.

This was a total surprise for me when it arrived as I never saw the email I got telling me the box was being sent out. I picked it up from the post office and was so confused as I couldn’t remember buying anything. However when I got home and opened it, it was the best surprise.

In this box I got 5 full sized products which I thought was just amazing! Three lipsticks, a foundation and concealer.

The concealer ended up being the most used product out of them all as I just ran out of mine before this box came. The concealer didn’t really work with my skin if I’m honest. I didn’t find it very full coverage and it had a yellow/orange tint to it which didn’t match my skin well. It was fine under foundation but I wouldn’t rush out to buy it because of the yellow tones and formula to it.

The foundation matched my skin perfectly. It was a nice medium coverage foundation that blends well and sits on the skin nicely. It doesn’t feel heavy at all and looks nice and fresh all day which is a huge bonus.

Matte lipsticks are my all time favourite make up product so I was immediately drawn to these. I experimented with these products straight away and immediately realised what colours worked and what didn’t.

In the first photo I am using the pink shade ‘be my baby’, I found this shade the most wearable and best suited to my completion. It is fairly similar to my pink every day lipstick I wear from Too Faced which is a nice bonus. It’s good to know there is a drug store dupe for if I am ever running out and don’t have time / can’t afford the Too Faced one.

In the second photo I am wearing the shade ‘plunge’, this is a darker brown that I really like as well. I wouldn’t wear this every day as it is edgier than my normal lip stick choice. I feel like I need to wear eye make up so it doesn’t look out of place on my face if that makes sense? This is perfect for a night out or if I’m feeling bold with my make up.

The third shade ‘stripped’ did not agree with me at all. When swatching it on my skin the lipstick looked very peachy and nice to wear everyday but when applied to my lips it just looked like a weird shade of concealer. It didn’t have the same nice formula as the other two lipsticks either which is weird. It was disappointing that this didn’t turn out like I thought it would but the other four products worked well.

I am also wearing the Rimmel Match Perfect foundation in the photos below so you can see what the product looks like on my skin too.

These products were sent to my complimentary for the purpose of testing from Influenster. It feels amazing to be one of the people selected for this as I feel like hard work is paying off.

I am spending so much time on the Influenster app because it’s fun to me to read about the upcoming new beauty products and read other peoples reviews.

There has been a lot of pictures of my face for this post which I don’t normally do. However, I thought since this box was sent out to me for testing it was best if I actually take photos so you can all see for yourselves what the products are like.

I hope you enjoyed this post, if anyone else got this box let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the products!

Siobhan x

My Favourite £6 Sunglasses

Sunglasses are an essential for summer fashion whether you need them because of the weather or to complete an outfit by sitting on top of your head.

The recent sunshine we have been having has inspired me to write this post about my new sunglasses.

I always buy cheap sunglasses for my holidays and summers because I really detest spending a lot of money on a pair.

The summer saviours I got for this summer are from Nasty Gal. They were originally supposed to be waiting until my holidays to be worn but unexpected sunshine has brought them out earlier than expected.

I am obsessed with all things pink in my wardrobe – every outfit has some shade of pink involved so these sunglasses were the perfect addition for the summer.

I adore the pink frame and the blue tinted lense on these. Perfect for going with an already bright summer outfit or brightening up a darker toned outfit too.

I’m keeping this post fairly short as there is only so much you can say about sun glasses.

I hope you guys enjoyed this short but sweet post on these sunglasses! This is my first fashion related post which I have really enjoyed writing.

I want to focus my blog on more fashion related things in the future.

If you are interested in purchasing these bad boys, you can do that here. Nasty Gal also have 50% off sale on right now if that isn’t tempting enough either.

Siobhan x

The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Facemask Review

Hi everyone, this has been one of the posts I’ve been meaning to write for so long. It’s super exciting getting back into writing about beauty. I have so many planned posts for the next couple months that I’m excited about writing.

It’s a big shock that I’m writing about stuff from The Body Shop, I know it is a really rare occasion that I end up shopping here. I have had this mask pretty much since it first came out so I’ve been using it a long time so I can give a totally honest review on it’s effects on my skin.

This Matcha Tea mask is described as a pollution clearing mask because of the matcha green tea and dandelion extract which apparently help remove pollutants and impurities. The mask is enriched with matcha green tea from Kakegawa, Japan, as well as  dandelion extract and soothing Community Trade aloe vera from Mexico.

Whenever I open this tub it just smells of pure freshness, kind of grassy which is probably from the dandelion extract but I personally like this smell. It has a thick, easy to apply, creamy consistency with small loofa particles in for exfoliation. These parts don’t feel harsh or sore when exfoliating with the mask on in any way.

 

The main thing I noticed after using this mask was how clean and refreshed my skin felt. ‘Pollution clearing’ is in the name but I was still pleasantly surprised and my skin felt nice for days after as well.

I have combination skin so sometimes (most of the time)  my skin is super oily but in parts my skin is dry on my face and this mask doesn’t irritate it at all. I occasionally suffer from the odd break out and this mask is perfect for putting using as well. I’ve noticed blemishes are really reduced after using this mask.

I live in Glasgow now where there is really high levels of pollution so I really try to use this at least once a fortnight.

I feel like with this mask impurities within the skin aren’t drawn out like the Himalayan Charcoal mask does but this is more of a deep cleaning mask. This is a very nourishing mask designed to leave skin feeling soft, clean and radiant.

This mask can be a bit tingly when you’re applying it or when it is on but that’s just it getting the dirt out. The tingling feeling is quite a cooling sensation rather than an irritation feeling. The mask really sinks into your skin as you use it and it is noticeable when you go to take it off the longer you leave it on. I have a very bad habit of getting lazy with face masks and leave them on far longer than I’m supposed too.

I would recommend this mask to anyone as it is totally worth it. I get that £17 is a lot to splash on a face mask and I wouldn’t spend that kinda money either if I didn’t know it would be good. I’d love to hear if anyone else has tried this mask or any others from The Body Shop!

Hope you enjoyed reading,

Siobhan x

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette Review

The Zoeva Cocoa Blend eyeshadow palette has been a staple product in my eyeshadow collection for about 18 months now and I still adore it. This palette features 10 warm toned shades ranging from beige to plum to copper. There is 5 matte finishes and 5 shimmer finishes in this palette which makes it create for creating different looks with different finishes. Zoeva is also a cruelty free brand and the shades in this eyeshadow palette are enriched with vitamin E and is 100% free of parabens, mineral oils, perfume and phthalates.

The Cocoa Blend palette is obviously chocolate inspired which makes it all the more alluring for chocolate lovers and make up lovers alike. The packaging of the palette is styled to look like a luxurious chocolate box with the brown and golden themed pattern. On the inside of the palette it reads, “with superb ingredients selected with love for the taste of temptation”. The Zoeva website states the palette is “Inspired by warm truffle colors, delicate nougat shades and shimmery marzipan tones for a seductive glamour makeup look.”

The palette is thin but sturdy and made out of cardboard. It probably isn’t the most durable packaging for an eyeshadow palette, so you would need to be careful if you would be taking it out and about. The palette did come with a protective card cover that slides on and off with the same pattern as the palette itself, however since I have had this product well over a year I got rid of that a long time ago.

Bitter Start – a light beige with warm undertones and a matte finish. Soft and creamy texture, good for a base eyeshadow.

Sweeter End – a soft, shimmering lilac with gold undertones and a metallic finish. This is my favourite shade in the whole palette. The texture is so creamy and so pigmented.

Warm Notes – a rich, bright cranberry red with gold and copper undertones and a metallic finish. Another one of my favourite shades in this palette. The texture is so so creamy and pigmented with amazing colour pay off.

Subtle Blend – a medium dark brown with a golden bronze shimmer and yellow undertones. Intensely pigmented shade with a buttery consistency making it easy to blend out on the lid.

Beans Are White – a blackened brown with a matte finish. This shade is quite chalky with not good colour pay off.

Pure Ganache –  a light-medium, golden copper with orange undertones and a metallic sheen. Great colour pay off with a buttery texture making it easy to apply and blend on the eye lid.

Substitute For Love –  a medium, orange brown with warm undertones and a matte finish. Soft and silky texture, this is one of my most used shades in the palette

Freshly Toasted – a rich, deep, reddish brown with warm orange undertones and a matte finish. This shade was a little bit powdery but still had a soft, silky texture and good colour pay off.

Infusion – a blackened brown with red undertones and a gold satin  finish. A little on the chalky side but still blends well when applied on the lid

Delicate Acidity – a medium mauve with warm undertones and a pearly sheen to it. Good colour pay off.

Overall, the shimmer shades were so much more pigmented than the matte shades. The colour pay off for Warm Notes, Subtle Blend and Pure Ganache are amazing whereas with Bitter Start, Beans Are White and Infusion the formula just isn’t as good. One of my favourite things about this palette, and Zoeva palettes alike are the circle pans for the eyeshadow. It’s great you get a little bit more space to swirl your brush around compared to the thinner and more narrow rectangle shaped pans other brands go for.

This is definitely one of my favourite warm toned palettes as I don’t think any other brand has managed to capture the shades like Zoeva have. Don’t get me wrong, I still have tonnes of warm toned palettes but for shade range, quality and price Zoeva are the winners here. This is my most used palette out of the three Zoeva palettes I own (Rodeo Belle and Blanc Fusion are the other two).

I got this palette for £18 from Beauty Bay and as you can tell from this review I love this palette. I completely recommend this to anyone. The price is one of the main things that attract me to Zoeva eyeshadow palettes as it is more than half the price of the eye shadow palettes from the likes of Urban Decay and Too Faced for a product that is similar in quality.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this review.  Let me know in the comments what you think of this palette or if there are any other products from Zoeva you think I should try.

Siobhan x

My Favourite Cruelty Free Brands

Hi everyone, hope you are all great.

Many people who have been keeping up with this blog will know I recently re-vamped my beauty collection to make it all cruelty free. I have been following a plant based diet for nearly 3 years now and along the way became lazy in checking what brands test on animals and which do not.  There is no excuse for buying products tested on animals when there are so many amazing cruelty free brands. This post isn’t to shame anyone on the brands they use and buy, but to share that there is so many amazing cruelty ree alternatives out there.

1. The Body Shop

This will come to no surprise to anyone who even glances at this blog that I love The Body Shop. Every second post is practically about something from there. This is one of the highest profile cruelty free brands about. The Body Shop have an amazing range of products, many of which are vegan but all of them are vegetarian. The Body Shop has also been sold by L’Oreal to another cruelty free company, so those people who avoided the brand so they weren’t giving money to L’Oreal can now rejoice.

2) Lush

Nobody can argue that the absolutely divine smell that comes from the Lush shop as you walk past doesn’t lure you in. I am particularly a fan of any Lush bath bomb and anything from the Snow Fairy range. Lush products are 100% vegetarian, some of them are vegan too. As well as The Body Shop, Lush also run a campaign towards ending the testing on animals for cosmetics.

3) Faith In Nature

This wasn’t a brand I had heard much about until the first Christmas I was vegan, my mum, gran, dad and stepmum had all bombarded me with presents from there. I am a huge fan of their Hemp shampoo and conditioner, as well as their coconut handcream which I wrote about in my July Favourites post. Faith In Nature’s products range from hair care, shower and bath products, hand wash and soap, skin care, baby care and home care.

4) NYX Cosmetics

NYX is a hugely popular cruelty free beauty brand. Many of their products are vegan but none of them are tested on animals which is a huge boost. This brand is sold in many drugstores around the UK with a very reasonable price tag. NYX also offers vegan false lashes, a couple of synthetic makeup brushes, and a couple vegan-friendly tools.

These are all four of my favourite cruelty free brands. I wanted to include more in this list but I picked the brands I have been using the longest and tried the most products from to give the best feedback.

This post is part of a collab with Courtney from The Curly Anomaly, we both follow a plant based diet and wanted to spread some information. I picked these brands as I think they have the best selection of vegan products as well for those who are interested in cruelty free beauty. If any of you are interested in adopting the vegan diet then Courtney has written a great, informative article here – https://thecurlyanomaly.com/what-i-wish-i-knew-before-adopting-a-plant-based-diet

Hope you all enjoyed this post. If I missed out any great cruelty free brands please let me know in the comments.

Siobhan x

The Body Shop Amazonian Acai Energising Radiance Mask Review

Hi there everyone, hope you are all doing great.

Today’s post is about a product I have raved about in my monthly favourites before. I wanted to try it out for a couple months before I wrote a proper review about it so it would be totally honest. I am super excited to write this post as this mask has become a staple part of my skincare routine.

The facial mask is an exfoliating gel mask designed to revive and revitalise tired and stressed skin. The mask reduces the appearance of fatigue on skin and give a fresher and more wide awake look. The key ingredient in this mask is the super-food acai berry which is rich with anti-oxidants and vitamins which help to boost the immune system. Another key ingredient is Babassu oil which helps to hydrate skin preventing moisture loss as well as soften the skin.

The first thing you will think when you open this is holy shit, this smells AMAZING. I’m not kidding you when I say I’ve never used a nicer smelling face mask. It smells so fresh and juicy which is nice since the mask is made out of acai berries. The mask has a thin, jam like consistency. Since the mask is more like a gel it is so easy to spread along your face without it drying up.

I use this face mask between 1-3 times a week, I constantly feel tired and exhausted so this really helps make my skin look fresh even when I’m not. I leave the mask on for about 15-20 minutes, even though it says to remove after 10 half the time I’m too lazy to get up to take it off again or have forgotten it’s on. It’s a really light and bouncy mask which is good on the skin has it is so hydrating, after using this there is a noticeable glow in my skin the next day. I am obsessed with keeping my skin smooth and hydrated so again another reason this mask is great for me. Acai berries contain vitamin A,C and E making it perfect for boosting and revitalising your skin.

My final thoughts on this are that this mask does everything it claims to do. The anti-oxidant, vitamin enriched acai berry mask turns dull, tired skin into glowing fresh skin. This is the perfect pick me up after a long day at work, or perfect to use before going out as it only needs to be applied for 10 minutes. The amazing smell instantly boosts your mood as well, it is especially good as the scent lingers on the skin after the mask has been removed. I have combination skin a bit on the oily side and this mask doesn’t aggravate my skin at all. Since it is quite a hydrating and moisturising mask as well I was worried it would increase oiliness in my skin but it doesn’t do that at all.

Some people might be put off by the price, £16 for a face mask might seem a bit steep to some people but I promise it is worth it. It comes in a decent sized tub and as I mentioned earlier in this post it spreads across your face so easily so a little goes a long way. In terms of quality as well, I don’t mind paying more money for a good product as long as I like it and will use it and this is something I would repeatedly spend £16 on over and over again. Also, this mask is completely vegan and cruelty free which is amazing knowing no animals were harmed to make this.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and I would love to hear your thoughts about this mask in the comments. This is part of a superfood face mask range in The Body Shop, I love a facemask so if you have any other recommendations for me let me know in the comments.

Siobhan x

 

 

 

The Body Shop Spring/Summer Feel Good Box First Impressions

Hi there everyone, hope you’re all well. 

I have recently purchased The Body Shop Spring/Summer 2017 Feel Good box. This is a box of carefully selected mini products from The Body Shop designed to enhance your summer glow. 

Inside this box there is the British Rose scented instant glow body butter, himilayan charcoal face mask, oils of life sleeping cream, drops of youth facial concentrate and the sweetenia perfume. Most of the products in this box are sample sized except the lipstick. 

I was so excited about this box and all the products I couldn’t wait to write about it. Since there is so many mini products this is perfect as a gift or for someone who is knew to buying from The Body Shop. Let’s get into a bit more detail about these products. 

British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter 

I have had so many body butters from The Body Shop over the years and loved every one. I was excited to try this one and love the idea of smelling like a rose all the time. This moisturiser is super effective practically sinking into the skin straight away with no residual stickiness on the skin. 

Himilayan Charcoal Facemask

I already own the full sized version of this product and have already discussed this on here but in case anyone missed it. This is one of the best face masks I’ve used. My skin is so noticeably soft after use and my pores are reduced. This has a very cooling and detoxing effect on my skin. 

Drops of Youth Facial Concentrate 

This is the second product I own from the Drops of Youth range and I couldn’t wait to try this. This is designed to soothe skin and leave it looking fresher and healthier. I don’t particularly need to be investing in anti aging products just yet but the appearance of my skin does look softer after using this. 

Oils of Life Night Cream 

I have never had a night cream before so I was excited to try the sample of this. This is designed to sink in and nourish skin whilst you sleep and leave yourself looking more revitalised. This feels a little bit tingly when applying to my skin at first but I think that just means you really feel it working. The cream is super light and non greasy so is the perfect moisturiser for before bed. 

Matte Lipstick 

I haven’t tried this shade of the lipstick yet but I have another one from this range. If I’m honest I’m not sure if this colour will suit me so I’ve just tried to put off using it. However the matte lipsticks are the most perfect consistency ever – matte but hydrating instead of drying. 

Sweetenia Perfume 

I have never used a fragrance product from The Body Shop before so I wasn’t sure what to expect to be honest. This is the floral scent of crisp Mahogany flower combined with a breeze of orange flower and bigarade leaf for ultimate freshness. I find this perfume very strong scented and to be long lasting. 

So that’s all the products in this box. I find this to be of extremely good value considering it is only £12. This is a great way to be testing some of the more premium products from The Body Shop.

Hope you all enjoyed this post, 

Siobhan

Anastasia Beverly Hills Aurora Glowkit Review

Hi there everyone, hope you are all well today.

This is a very exciting post for me to write because I have been dying for an ABH glowkit since I first saw them. The one I had major heart eyes for and was pining after was not the Aurora glowkit, but the Moonchild glowkit. The Aurora Glowkit is kind of like the sister to the Moonchild Glowkit.  However, when this was released on Cult Beauty I couldn’t help myself and just knew I had to buy it. Since I am so pale I tend to stick to icy highlighters as that is what compliments my skin and make up best.

Let’s talk about the packaging – the glowkit is made out of thick and hard cardboard but has a slim and sturdy feel to it making it seem quite durable. The palette has a protective outer sleeve that slides off, the outer sleeve and palette have the same pattern. The colour scheme is gorgeous with the light purple/blue fading into a nice peach.

The palette has a magnetic close to it like many others which allows it to stay closed. One downside is that there is no mirror on the inside of the palette. This doesn’t bother me that much as I always do my make up in front of a larger mirror anyway. Even if I was travelling without a mirror I would be using other products like eyeshadow palettes which will have a mirror, so that is not a deal breaker only something a little disappointing.  There is also a holographic element to the packaging which gives it an even more luxurious feel to it.

The glowkit consists of 6 icy, metallic highlighters designed to give a metallic finish and “intense luminosity”. I’m not gonna lie, some of these shades look very intimidating. When I purchased this I didn’t really think through whether or not I was going to use most of the shades or not, I was just like OMG GLOWKIT MUST BUY. That might not have been the most sensible idea but upon trying and testing the colours I have fallen in love.

Eclipse – pink champagne with peach reflect

Luna – pearl shade with icy orchid reflect

Spectra – sparkling lilic with an iridescent blue-green reflect

Helia – yellow gold with turquoise reflect

Orion – pale blue with golden reflect

Lyra – rose gold champagne with orchid reflect

 

The shades look far more intimidating in the palette than they do when they are swatched. Spectra and Orion might still be a little bit out there for me personally but I’m sure it would be easy enough to incorporate them into an eyeshadow look if nothing else.

The texture is SO creamy and soft, it is so easy to apply and blend. This palette is so highly pigmented, I feel like I hardly use any product and I look like a glowing princess. There is a glitter throughout highlighters and that is something that I absolutely love, but I know not everyone is a huge fan of that. The glitter through it is so subtle so don’t let this put you off, it’s not chunky and when blended well the glitter catches the light and looks beautiful.

My favourite shades in this palette are Luna and Eclipse, I love icy highlighters as they suit me best and these two are no exception. There is something about Helia that I adore as well, it looks quite green in the palette but as you can see in the swatches it applies without a hint of green.

Here’s my make up from a yesterday where I was playing about with this palette, I used a mix of Luna and Eclipse to highlight all around my face. You can see in the photo just how glowy the highlighter is and how nice the glitter catches the light.

This has become my new favourite highlighting product right now and I am utterly obsessed. The quality and colours are amazing and ABH have outdone themselves with another hit glowkit. Although, as much as I love this I think if I had a glowkit before this I would not have felt the urge to purchase this one as much. I still recommend this product to anyone who loves highlighters, but if you have another 2,3 glowkits this one isn’t necessarily a must have for you.

Have any of you tried this glowkit, or any other ABH glowkits? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Hope you all enjoyed reading this post,

Siobhan x