Thursday 31 May 2018

Where have I been?

Hey guys!

I hope you're all well, I just thought I'd update you on where I have been these last couple of months - March-May has been absolutely hectic!

From the 10th March through to the 14th of April I was in Ohio, USA (blog post coming soon!), where I spent 5 amazing weeks visiting my family.
As soon as I returned to the UK, I was back at university powering through my last semester ever, from coursework, to dissertations and to exams - I didn't stop!

But.. I'm back! I'm hoping to post a lot more content from now on, so be sure to look out for new blog posts on a much more regular basis!

Rach,
xoxo

Saturday 3 March 2018

Completely Honest Makeup Review: e.l.f. products!


Hello,

Today I thought I'd add to my new blog post series 'completely honest makeup reviews' by talking about e.l.f. products I have purchased, and yes I know, it's a very long and overdue post! This review was recommended by Dusted with Glitter, so thank you!

During Black Friday there was an amazing deal going on at Superdrug (a drugstore chain in the UK incase any of you are not from here!), to which I purchased an e.l.f'. 'Glam & Glow' holiday gift set! The original price was around £30, and it was selling for £12 for Superdrug members, however my friend works in Superdrug and got an extra 30% off as staff discount, so I ended up paying £8.40 for it - bargain! The set included a highlight quad, a highlighting brush, a lip tint and a molten liquid eyeshadow.. a good amount of things for £8.40!

Now moving on to the real tea... what I honestly thought about the products.
First off, the 'face sculpting brush'. I actually really enjoy using this, it is a fairly dense brush which allows for product to be picked up and applied easily. I also like the shape of the brush as it has a slight curve in it, allowing for the 'cheek hugging' effect. It is perfect for highlighting and contouring, and it sells for only $6 on their website - amazing!

Second is the 'Illuminating Palette' highlighting quad, retailing at $6 on their website which I think is very reasonable. If I'm completely honest, I wouldn't say it is the best palette I've ever used just because it isn't very pigmented. This is only a personal preference, because I love to 'glow to the gods' if you will. The shades give off more of a shimmer rather than a metallic, icy look. The palette is great if you like to achieve a natural look, and great for giving an all-round glow to your skin, but I would say that when building up the highlighter on your skin to give a more intense look, it goes quite dry and chalky, which isn't a plus for me!



Next is the 'Aqua beauty molten liquid eyeshadow' in the shade 'brushed copper'. This eyeshadow comes in 6 different shades and retails at $4. I have to say when I first opened this product I wasn't very impressed. It seemed to me like I didn't receive a full tube of the eyeshadow, as when I pulled out the doefoot I could see that the tube wasn't full! But anyway, the product is extremely pigmented, and can be easily applied to the lid! I also used a brush to blend out the harsh lines and it worked a treat! The only thing I would say is close your eyes for a few minutes to let it dry so that the product doesn't transfer all over your lids. I'd recommend this product, especially if you like to create cut creases!



Lastly, the 'Gotta Glow Lip Tint' in the shade 'perfect pink'. This lip tint comes in 3 different shades and retails at $7.50. I never wear lip tints, so I was excited to try it. When I first saw the product, it looked like a pretty, baby pink shade which I thought would be cute and natural. However, when I swatched it, the shade was like a barbie pink colour, so I was slightly terrified because that's not my thing! I tried it on anyway, and actually it's a pretty natural pink colour.. so don't be deceived! It felt very light and moisturising on my lips and again, very pigmented (be careful, it easily stains things!). I definitely would recommend this!




Swatches of the liquid eyeshadow and the lip tint with flash and no flash ft snowy background!


So that's the review of the e.l.f. cosmetics 'Glam & Glow' holiday gift set!
Thank you for reading this review, and leave a comment below telling me what you think of the products and what you think I should review next!

Rach,
xoxo


Sunday 11 February 2018

Completely Honest Makeup Review: 24 Karat Pro Palette - Jeffree Star Cosmetics

Hello!

Sorry it's been a while, I have been extremely busy with exams and dissertation things (final year life!). I have recently purchased the 24 Karat Skin Frost Pro Palette by Jeffree Star Cosmetics and so I thought I'd do a completely honest review on it!

When I opened the package, I was greeted with such a gorgeous palette! The packaging of the palette was so pretty - a beautiful gold colour with faint patterns over it. It definitely had 24 karat gold vibes. The weight of the palette is heavy enough to make it feel luxurious rather than cheap which is huge plus for me!
The palette retails for $40.00 on Jeffree Star Cosmetics which includes 6 large highlighters. This works out to be around $6 per highlight which I think is rather reasonable considering the large pan size! For those of you who are interested, it is vegan, cruelty-free and talc, paraben & gluten-free.

Now to get on to the real tea... the highlighters themselves!

The palette is definitely more suited for those with medium to dark skin tones (although that's not to say those with other skin tones cannot use it!) and the colours are beautiful. The only thing that slightly got to me was that the shade 'Giza' didn't seem to have been pressed properly or got slightly damaged in transit. Not a big deal though, at least it isn't broken!
'Sarcophagus' is the lightest shade in the palette and is a champagne ice colour, 'King Tut' and 'Dark Horse' (previous shades that are already in Jeffree's collection) are more gold/bronzey colours, 'Legendary' is a peach colour, 'Giza' is a bronze colour too but has more of a light purple/pink undertone, and 'Liberace' is a stunning bright gold colour!
They are very versatile highlighters, and can be used on the face, eyes and body. They are extremely pigmented and buttery (but who expects anything less from Jeffree?) and I live for them! You definitely glow to the gods when you wear them - I 100% recommend!

Here are some pictures and swatches of the palette:




(... and just for reference, after swatching the highlighters and taking a shower, I can confirm that they are pretty waterproof - I really had to scrub at them to get them off!)



Let me know what you'd like me to review next!

Rach,
xoxo

p.s - An e.l.f. cosmetics review is coming soon - I just want to test the products properly for you guys to give my honest thoughts!

Saturday 20 January 2018

Revision.

Hello!

Yes, it's that time of year again where January exams are creeping up on all of us, ugh *eye roll* - that's if you haven't done them already!
I feel like this post may be a little late, because I've been so immersed in my own studies (1 exam down, 1 to go yay!), but I thought I'd write a post about hints and tips for effective revision - and coming from a third year university student - I've had a lot of practice!

The first thing I would suggest is checking (and double checking) the dates, times and locations of your exams - there would be nothing worse than studying hard for an exam to which you miss! Then, create a revision timetable to plan out each day leading up to exams (whether that be months, weeks or days prior to your exams). Write down what you're going to study and when, and how long for - this will help to optimise your revision time and keep you on track.
Creating a revision timetable is extremely helpful for me, it makes me feel productive and there is nothing more satisfying than ticking off a to-do list!

Next is revision environment. Try and work out what sort of environment is best for you, whether that be studying in your bedroom, at the dining table, at school/university or in the library. For me, the university library is probably the best revision environment for me, as I feel I can get a lot more done with far less distractions than I would sitting in my bedroom! The general environment of a university library helps me too, it is fairly quiet and everyone around you is also doing work (from what you can see!). I can get work done sat in my bedroom, but there are far more distractions and a lot more procrastination! If you are sat in your bedroom though, I suggest you sit at a desk with a window slightly open to allow for fresh air, turn off or put away your phone/any device that will distract you, drink plenty of water and eat lots of snacks! Studying in silence has also been shown to be the most effective. If you prefer to listen to music, listen to classical music or music with no words, as being a psychology student I am aware of lots of evidence where music with words results in ineffective revision and is a distraction! Taking short, frequent breaks is also effective for revision. Psychological research shows that the attention span of a human is approximately 40 minutes, so it probably isn't wise to sit there for 3 hours studying, because the chances are you aren't taking it in!

Next is how to revise/revision techniques. Now this is very trivial and personalised, because different revision techniques work best for different people, so I'm going to suggest general revision techniques so that I can hopefully cater for everyone. However I will say that testing yourself is probably one of the most effective ways to revise.
Revision techniques may include:
  • Creating mind maps
  • Creating flash cards so that you can test yourself later
  • Answering past exam questions and creating essay plans
  • Using mnemonics
  • Drawing pictures that relate to a specific topic 
  • Talking things through with a friend and testing each other 
  • The 'look, cover, write' technique
  • Write things in words you actually understand (which will also help because you will have to research the topic to help you put it into your own words!)

Weirdly enough, I tend to work backwards when I revise. The most effective way for me includes answering past exam questions and creating essay plans. When creating essay plans, I read through my lecture notes and jot down anything relevant for the question including finding extra reading (which you uni students must do if you want a higher grade!). Once I've finalised my essay plan, I will then go through it with a friend and we test each other, create mini mind maps and use the 'look, cover, write' technique.

I hope this post helps for you fellow students out there, trust me - I feel you! 
Comment down below your effective revision strategy!

Good luck in your exams!

Rach,
xoxo

ps - an Elf makeup review post will be up soon!



Saturday 6 January 2018

Makeup Review: Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Palette & Nubian Palette by Juvia's Place

Hello!

I'm a bit late to the bandwagon, but for Christmas I received the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe eyeshadow palette and the Nubian eyeshadow palette by Juvia's Place, and thought I'd review them! I want to name these kind of reviews as 'Completely Honest Makeup Reviews'. I want my reviews to be completely unbiased/uninfluenced from somebody who isn't "well-known". I want my readers to know the complete truth about makeup products rather than being drawn in by influencers who mislead their viewers for money.

Starting with the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe palette, I opened the wrapping paper to see the white packaging. The foiled silver writing on both of the box and the palette itself is very pretty, however I feel the colour of the packaging (white) is a little basic. When opening the palette, there was a lovely dedication message from Jaclyn on the inner lid explaining how she dedicated this palette to her YouTube subscribers. I do feel that because of the size of the palette, perhaps a mirror could've been included, although I'm aware that Morphe isn't one for putting a mirror in a palette anyway!
This palette includes 35 incredible shades, and for $38 that is $1.08 a shade which is amazing! It includes a mixture of mattes, shimmers, foils and glitters in a range of colours - from nudes to reds to blues! The thing I like the most about this palette is how versatile it is. It has every shade you can possibly want and you can create natural, nude eye looks to smokey eye/night time looks! The shades are arranged and grouped in a particular way in terms of their colour and tone, making application quick and easy. I have been using this palette most days since I got it for Christmas, and I have to say it is very pigmented, and the shadows blend like a dream.
I definitely would recommend this palette! It is very affordable, especially for the amount and the range of pigmented shades that are included, which allows for multiple looks to be created.




Next is the Nubian palette by Juvia's Place - what a beauty! I'm a complete sucker for nude/bronze looks so this palette is absolutely perfect for me. The palette costs $25.00 ($2.08 per shade), which I feel is a good price for 12 shades in relatively big pans (4 mattes and 8 shimmery pearl textured shades). The packaging is so pretty, a lovely vibrant green colour with an image of an Egyptian on the front and inside. Again, I would say that a mirror would probably be more beneficial in the lid of the palette, but that is a personal preference.
The shadows are extremely pigmented and creamy, both when swatched and when applied on the lid. To make the shimmery colours pop even more, dampening the brush with setting spray helps greatly! All of the shades are compatible with each other and blend like a dream. Again, you can create natural/nude looks or deep, smokey night time looks! The only thing I would say is that there is a bit of fall-out, however I feel that this isn't too much to be a problem (for me personally) and it is a good indication that the shadows are not pressed too hard (which will result in lack of product/pigment applied!).
Another palette I would definitely recommend, and I love using it in conjunction with the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Palette when creating a nude look! The shades are very buttery and pigmented and are perfect for people who love nude or bronzy looks whilst being an affordable palette!




Please let me know what you thought about my first makeup review! If there are any other types of makeup or makeup brands you'd like me to review, then please let me know!

Rach,
xoxo

Tuesday 2 January 2018

Christmas festivities!

... And with a blink of an eye, Christmas is over *sad face*, and we're in to the new year already! I've been so busy these past couple of weeks so I thought I'd write a blog post all about my Christmas festivities and what I got up to!

To start off my 3-week Christmas break from uni, I came home and decorated the house and the tree to make my house feel all festive! I then met up with a group of my friends and we went out for a meal in one of our local independent restaurants in town called Casa. The food and atmosphere always seems to be good in there, however this time it was quiet because it was a Sunday evening, but rest assured our group made up for it (ha!). We all shared where we were at with our lives, and it was so nice to just catch up with friends who I haven't seen in a couple of months as a result of uni!

I had spicy chicken pasta in a creamy sauce with spring onions and cherry tomatoes.. mmm!


A few days later I went to London to visit my boyfriend for the day. Firstly, we went ice skating at the Natural History Museum and it was magical! Listening to christmas music whilst skating around a giant christmas tree was so lovely! Fifty minutes and sore feet/ankles later, we walked to Oxford Street where we had lunch in Pizza Hut and shopped around for a few hours as my boyfriend wanted to buy my christmas present (and he bought me some Nike trainers!). The christmas lights were so pretty, and I got some incredible shots of the lights and the sunset! After we mooched around Oxford Street, we walked to Winter Wonderland, a place I always love to visit at Christmas. Walking around and seeing all of the fairground rides and stalls whilst smelling wafts of hot doughnuts and churros is always so magical and festive! I had such an incredible day.

Just a few snaps of my day in London!


A few days later, my family travelled home from America (my parents and sister are living out there for two years because of my dad's job) and it was so nice to be reunited altogether after 4 months of being apart! I then spent the next few days just chilling and catching up with my family and extended family (so no pictures here I'm afraid!).

On Christmas Eve, me and my family went to our family friends for the evening, which is something we've always done since I was born. We exchange presents, party and consume excessive amounts of alcohol - it's not Christmas if we don't do this!
On Christmas Day, me and my sister always follow the same tradition which is to wake up and open our stocking presents in our parents' bed and then all go downstairs and open even more presents! We then go to my auntie and uncle's on my mum's side of the family for Christmas dinner, alcohol and to veg in front of the TV! In the late afternoon, we go and see my grandparents on my dad's side of the family and pretty much do the same thing (without a second Christmas dinner!). In the early evening, we then go back to my auntie and uncle's on my mum's side and eat turkey sandwiches and fall asleep in front of the TV.
On Boxing Day, my mum's side of the family all come to our house where we have a buffet of food and yet again... veg in front of the TV all day with copious amounts of food and alcohol! We watched Jurassic World, which is such an incredible film! I'm so excited for the next Jurassic World to come out!

The week between Christmas and New Years is always a funny one. It seems to me like everybody feels lost! Nobody knows what day it is, everyone is still eating the food left over from Christmas, and everybody still seems to be partying (in my case anyway!). I didn't really do much during this week except go to my auntie and uncle's for a gathering/party with the rest of my extended family on my dad's side. We drank copious amounts of alcohol (anybody seeing a pattern here?) and just caught up which was lovely.
The next night, myself, my sister and my dad went to my dad's friend's post-wedding party where we yet again, drank excessive amounts of alcohol and ate rather a lot of food! Nothing more needs to be said!



And lastly... New Years Eve! I didn't really do much this year if I'm honest. Usually I'd be out partying with my friends down the local pubs, but this year I decided to have a chilled night in with my boyfriend and it was perfect. He drove down early evening after he finished work and we ordered a Domino's, had a few chilled drinks, watched some films and watched the fireworks! We then spent New Year's Day together having a lazy day with my family, playing Mario Kart on the Wii and watching various shows on Netflix.

I hope you all have had a lovely Christmas and a cracking start to 2018! What are your New Years' resolutions?

Rach,
xoxo