Recent Reads | January 2021

 Last year I set myself a goal of reading 60 books (which is a lot) and I miserably failed. I am an avid reader but sometimes it's much harder to keep up than you think it will. I have set myself a high goal again this year of 50 books and I am 6 books in already so it's a good start. I'm going to share my favourite books of each month and give a quick over view of each in case anyone else would like to read any. I own a lot of books that I haven't gotten around to reading so I have a lot to catch up on. I have also been very behind on updating my blog so I have a few more of these posts to write in a short amount of time. 

The first book I really enjoyed this month is Q&A by Vikas Swarup. This book may be familiar to a lot of people as the movie Slumdog Millionaire is based off this book. I was drawn to read the book as I really loved the movie. I knew exactly what the book would be about as I had seen the movie first but I was surprised by a lot of it. There were a few differences between the book and the movie and some of the plot was rearranged between the two. I found that because I had seen the movie first I was picturing the movie's story first rather than reading what was in front of me. I think I would've preferred to read the book first as it would've been more enticing that way as it didn't suck me in as much as I thought it would. I would recommend the book first but I honestly enjoyed the movie more. I'm sure most people have seen the movie by now as it is a very popular movie. Yet overall, the book is gritty and shows the harsh reality of living in India through the rough journey of an orphan and the character's he means a long the way. It is both a happy and troubling journey to read.

If you have never seen or read it the book is based around the main character Ram Muhammed Thomas, who starts the novel off in jail. He is accused of cheating and winning a Billion rupees in a T.V. game show. The novel starts from there - in showing how a poor, uneducated orphan could possibly know all the answers in this quiz through his life journey. Every question becomes an anecdote in his life which has given him the knowledge for the questions he is being asked. The book raises lots of philosophical, religious and political questions.  

The next read that I have loved in January is a more popular book that I think a lot of people will recognise. Midnight Sun, is the fifth instalment in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. I loved the Twilight books and movies when they first came out so when this book was announced, I knew I had to buy it straight away. I bought it as soon as it came out but it took me a while to read it as it is a huge book and I knew it was a huge commitment. If you've never read or seen any of the Twilight series, where have you been?

This book is strange in it's story as it is actually the first book in the series, Twilight, written in the perspective of Edward instead of Bella this time. In a way, it is exactly like reading Twilight again, but with more detail. I really liked the new perspective of the first book and getting to read Twilight again as if it were the first time. I found that the story moved a lot slower than the original, and I spent a lot of time waiting for the next thing to happen, as I already knew what was going to happen. It was good to get to know the backstory and personalities of Edward's family a little more. For such a big book, it still seemed to not go into detail about new things and storylines, and still focus on what the readers already knew and experienced from the first reading over ten years ago. I did expect a lot more interesting insights from Edward, the story teller, but the focus still lingered on Bella, and we already knew a lot about Bella. I still rate the book very highly as I love the other books and it does fit in well with the others that have already been released. Yet, it could definitely have been more and I could understand if it disappointed some fans, but I still enjoyed bringing a teenage obsession into adulthood with me. 

Has anyone read either of these books? What did you think of them if so?

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Collection | Review

Over the years I have seen nothing but hype for Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk shades. I saw that they were doing a set of lip products in that shade so I snapped it up very quickly. It's the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Secrets set. This set includes a lip liner, a lipstick, plump effect lip gloss, and shimmer lip gloss. I love this set as I feel the price is not too bad for all of the products and allows me to try all the different textures and applications of the different variations of the products. The shade looks like one I would love before I used it, and after trying these I definitely am hooked. 

When I bought the set I also got the option of picking some sample products along with it which I thought I'd include. I chose the lip bath; collagen enhanced lip plumping effect, and the multi miracle glow. I haven't tried these yet but I really appreciate the idea as Charlotte Tilbury products are not cheap so getting to try some means you'll be able to see if you enjoy the product without wasting your money on it. 

The packaging for these products are beautiful. I love the rose gold packaging, I think it goes super well with the shade of the products. So far I have really enjoyed using all of them and will put a variation of them on depending on my mood. I think the lipstick is the best out of the bunch, and it's the one I've seen the most highly rated. The lipstick is super creamy and smooth. It applies thickly and makes your lips look full. It is a really good quality and I love how the colour looks against my skin. I'm quite pale so it goes very well. The lip liner is perfect for all of these products, and although you could use it on its own if you'd like too, it's best used for finishing touches on your look. 

The two lip glosses are very similar. If they weren't packaged differently I wouldn't notice the different.  They're not as pigmented and as thick as a general liquid lipstick which I would've preferred but as they are glosses there is a noticeable difference. It's a little sticky but it helps to plump out your lips. One of the shades is shimmery which also adds more dimension to the colour but they're not as pigmented as the lipstick and liner and I prefer to use them as a top coat.

 The above swatch is of the lipstick shade which is the most pigmented so it shows the true colour of the shades in the set. It's just the most classic nude which goes with every look. 

I would highly recommend this shade and the quality of Charlotte Tilbury products. Has anyone else tried these before? Have you any shade recommendations?

Beauty Bay X Nikkie Tutorials Palette | Review

I received the Beauty Bay x Nikkie Tutorials eyeshadow palette as a gift recently, and although I have never watched her personally (I've heard a lot of good things though), I was really interested in the palettes design anyway. I love the contrasting features. If you have never seen this palette before one side is dark and mysterious and the other half is bright and vibrant. These are reflected in the shades which lie underneath the specific sides of the palette. The left side is full of bright shades, containing light blues, yellows and pinks. While the other half is dark with reds, browns and greens. So you could use either sides for different looks depending on what you are feeling on a specific day. You could mix the two sides together to create a full look also as the middle of the palette blends the palette together to keep it cohesive.

I love the duality of the palette. It has some shades which I feel are not usually included in a regular palette. I love the deep red, Mikai, the light blue, Plot Twist, and the bright orange, Redemption, as they are colours I haven't seen in a palette I own. They're all very vibrant so this palette is very good value if you love to play with colour and different designs. The darker shades are very pigmented and they may be a little bit harder to take off, which is both a good and bad thing. The shimmer shades are very pretty on also and they don't dull when put on.

The palette includes 20 pressed pigment shades altogether. They do seem like a random mix of shades but I do think they go together well. I think it's a good mix of neutrals and bright shades. It sometimes seems hard to see how they all go together but I think seeing shades that seem in a random place, help to show how you can experiment and combine different colours. I do like to use colour, but I usually tend to to stick to a neutral base. 

Above swatches are in order top row; Redemption, Bend & Snap!, Ivy, Slasher, and 5am. 

Second row; Roxy Catan, VLA, Mikai, Mila, and Underground.

Third row; Plot Twist, Aura, Basic Trut, All-in, and Ew.

Last row; Pride, Zomer, Mama Tutorials, Amsterdam, and Mr Tutorials.

Has anyone tried this palette before? What do you all think?

 

Natural Extracts | Mud Masks

Over the years I've used many face masks, and not many have done much difference to my skin so I'm always buying new ones to try to see if they will do anything different. I bought the Natural Extracts trio mud masks on a recent shopping trip as they looked quite natural and I'm always up for simple masks as I feel they work the best. Plus having them in a tub rather than a single use plastic wrap not only means its better for the environment, but that you'll also get a lot more uses out of them. I find that the single face masks usually help my skin a bit more but I prefer buying things I can get more than one use out of.

These are very light in texture and also in scent. They do smell like they are meant to, one is avocado and green tea, one is grapefruit and yuzu and the last is oatmeal and shea. These dry into you skin and after leaving for 10-15 minutes you wash them off. I have found that these dry very quickly and fade into your skin. In terms of what it does for your skin, I didn't notice much difference at all. It makes your skin feel nice and soft, and leaves a nice scent, but it doesn't do much in terms of helping your skin anywhere. It doesn't clear your skin in anyway or help reduce any redness or any qualities that you would generally expect from a face mask. I will continue to try them and see if after prolonged use whether they do a little bit more. Even at that though the packaging itself doesn't say what the product does so overall I don't think it's the best thing for your skin. At least its natural and makes your skin smell and feel smooth though.

Has anyone tried these before or have any mud masks you would recommend?

The best products for using on sensitive skin | Skincare Routine

It took me a long time to realise how sensitive my skin was. I was trying so many new products with so many chemicals in them and not understanding why none of them seemed to work on my skin. Over the years I've realised that less is more and usually the more natural products are better for you. Also to have a good skin care routine. I still believe that there is some amazing products that will be really good for my skin that I haven't found or tried yet but currently the Simple products that I've been using have been kind to my skin and don't leave me with breakouts and help my skin feel soft. 

I've used Simple products over the years so I always knew that they were good for my skin, but I recently picked up a set that goes really well together as a skin care routine. The first thing I want to mention about these products is that they come in really cool packaging. Well I think so. The packaging on these products is a pouch rather than the usual tubes that most things come in. This uses less plastic and also means that you can get the most out of the product. You can squeeze it as much as you can to get it all out, which is a lot harder in tubes when they're much harder plastic. I really love this aspect which is something that I was drawn to about them.

Firstly we have the moisturising facial wash, which is a generic kind of face wash which you can scrub into your skin and wash off to remove any dirt and clean the skin, helping to make it soft and keep it clear. This feels smooth on the skin and leaves the skin feeling clean and doesn't feel too heavy on the skin. 

Second we have the micellar cleansing water, which does again what it says on the label. This cleanses the skin, I would usually use this with a cloth after I have taken off my makeup with a cleanser to get the rest of the make up off and make sure my skin is really clean. Also great to use before a primer to make sure the pores are clean too.

The last item that is always in my skincare routine is the hydrating light moisturiser. This is one I have used for years. I apply this before makeup and when my skin feels really dry. This does a really quick job at hydrating the skin and I've never had any issues using it underneath makeup or as a base. It dries quickly and doesn't make the face oily. 

Has anyone tried any of these products? They really are simple as the name suggests and I think they're perfect additions to some other skin care items you may use every day. 

 

Current Favourites 2021 Beginning

It's been a while since I've done a favourites post. It's mainly because my favourites don't change very often and I don't try a lot of new things if I have some things left to use. Being still in lockdown and it being so cold outside I tend to use a lot more products during this time of the year. The next few things I will discuss are items I've been getting a lot of use out of and would recommend.

The first item I have been using a lot is the Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost, this is enriched with vitamin C which comes from oranges. This is to help brighten the skin and help it glow. I really love this it really smooths out the skin and makes it feel really soft. It works really well as a primer and a base for makeup and also just for keeping the skin moisturised with something a little more beneficial for the skin. It feels really natural and enhances the skins natural radiance.

There's a few things from the Body Shop on this list so I may as well go through them all at once. The next thing is similar. It's the Body Shop sheet face masks. I've used a few recently but the one pictured is the Body Shop Vitamin E Quench Sheet face mask. These are super hydrating and perfect for a pamper session. These leave your skin feeling super soft and looking so clean. These actually clear blemishes really well by helping reduce their redness and size. The masks themselves are super moist and are a little uncomfortable to put on at first but they become relaxing very quickly. They're a little expensive for a single use mask but are nice for a treat for the skin every now and then.

The last thing from the Body Shop is something I feel like pops up in my favourites this time every year. It's the Body Shop hand cream in Pink Grapefruit - it comes in many scents. This is the best scent by far its super fresh and citrus-y. I believe they have these hand creams in every body shop scent. They are really moisturising and I feel like they really combat dry skin and help heal patches of it while keeping the rest soft. 

The next is a recent purchase, the Rituals Ritual of Sakura body and hair mist spray. This has a very pleasant and fresh scent, smelling of cherry blossom and rice milk. This leaves you smelling like you just came out of a bath and smells so clean. It's a very spring scent but it leaves a nice calming and relaxing feeling. I haven't tried anything from Rituals before but it seems like a really nice brand to give a closer look to. 

The last item is something I rave about consistently. It's a classic Carmex lipbalm. These are the best thing for dry lips or just keeping your lips generally hydrated. It's something I can't leave the house without at this time of year and keep it in my pocket at all times it also makes a nice base under a lipstick to keep damage from the products and the weather off your lips. 

What's everyone else's favourites from this month or recently?

 

The Child (Baby Yoda) Star Wars ColourPop Makeup Palette | Review

If you've managed to survive the past year without seeing how much the Child (Baby Yoda) from the Mandalorian has taken over every sector of merch and popular culture well done. Even if you haven't seen the series it is really hard to avoid this cute little creature. I am a big Star Wars fan generally but this series is my favourite out of all and this character may have played a part in it. Everything I have seen with the Child on it I have wanted. I am aware he has a name but for the sake of not spoiling anything from the series I won't use it. Plus it's much cuter this way. At the end of last year ColourPop released a collab with the character and it is much cuter in person than I could've expected. And also quite wearable for being inspired by a green creature. 

The palette is small, as you would expect with most ColourPop palettes, and all of the colours are inspired by the character himself. The palette has a really soft feel to it that I'm not sure how to describe. The decoration is precious. There is a picture of the Child on the mirror which states "cutest in the galaxy" obviously talking about both the reflection and the image itself. There is also a very cute frog image in the bottom corner which is a cute touch. The names of the shades are inspired by the character and the outer Star Wars universe which is always clever. Half of the shades are green and some brown neutral shade inspired by the Child's skin and outfit. I actually think the palette is really neutral which is strange for a green palette. The consistency varies between the different shades with the shimmer colours being slightly more coarse than the non-shimmer shades. The non-shimmer shades are a little chalky but still creamy. The shimmers are very shimmery and have big glitter chunks and are a lot more pigmented than the other shades.

The shades I like the most are Precious Cargo, a white slightly gold shimmer shade, Sipping Soup, which is the cutest name and it's a strange gold green colour and The Force, which is a brown orange shimmer shade with lots of colour in it.

Swatches are in order, the above is of Precious Cargo, Right Hand Mando, Just like Tatooine, and Sipping Soup.

The above swatches are of Baby Face, The Force, Little Frog, Float Your Crib, and Droid Protocol.

I really love this palette, you can tell a lot of thought was put into its production and the creators had a lot of fun creating the shades and design. I do believe it is now back in stock here, and for only $16 I think it's a super bargain of a palette. Plus I don't think it's something that they will have for much longer either so if you're interested I say snap this up as quick as you can as This is the Way.

Has anyone tried this or seen the series? What do you think of either? Let me know in the comments. 

A Not-so Surprising Lush Haul

It's been a while since I've had a Lush haul where I've bought loads of bath bombs. I do use a good lot of bath bombs over a year but generally I don't take many baths so I don't use too many bath bombs. I thought I'd share a few bath bombs I picked up on my last haul just at the start of last month, some of the products may not be available anymore due to the fact they're seasonal but they may come back next year.

• Monsters Ball: This bath bomb was part of the Halloween range so it's no longer available. I tend to stock up on seasonal products so I can use them whenever I feel like it rather than waiting another year for them but I didn't get many this year. This bath bomb is quite fun because it is really bright which is not what you expect for a Halloween product. This is bright pink and has electric blue inside and is very fun. It smells very citrus-y and contains lime and Himalayan salt. As it is not available online they have suggested a similar product which is the Comforter bath bomb, which I do think it is similar too. 

• Avobath: this bath bomb contains a mixture of avocado, lemongrass and olive oil. Honestly I don't really like avocado but this bath bomb is fresh and simple. There's not much going on with this bath bomb and its not too interesting but it's calming and great for a relaxing bath. 

• Floating flower: this bath bomb contains lavender and almond oil. This is a very fresh bath bomb also and reminds me of the avobath bath bomb as it is a similar shade of colour and doesn't have any surprises inside. The top part is a harder substance and contains cocoa butter, as the bath bomb melts this floats along the top of the water as the name suggests. 

• Peachy: this bath bomb is very fruity as you would assume, it does smell peachy but also of grapefruit and lemon. It's very colourful inside as it fizzes and shows a variety of pinks, oranges and yellow. It's one of the classic Lush bath bombs and I feel like everyone loves this one.

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• IRL: this bath bomb is a collaboration between Lush and Zoella and I believe that it is no longer available. The website suggests to try the Twilight bath bomb as an alternative but I don't think that's the best one I'd probably go for Intergalactic. This bath bomb is rose and orange inspired. When it fizzes more colours come out and it really swirls and spreads nicely around the tub I do wish this had a longer run.

I can't wait to try some of the Christmas themed bath bombs in my next haul and see what they bring out this year. Has anyone tried any of these before?

The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter | Review

I've been on a hunt for the perfect cleanser for a while and I think I've found it. I've had multiple people recommend this particular cleanser to me so I had to go get it. It's the Camomile sumptuous cleansing butter and it comes in a big size tin. I think there may be another size of this but I'm not too sure. This product is perfect for sensitive skin and dehydrated skin. It has a very light scent but I don't really know how to describe it. It's really great for just cleansing your skin but I use it for taking off makeup. It's really good at melting the makeup off your face and I've never had any issues removing any with it.

To use the product you just take a small amount in your hands and rub it into your skin, it easily fades and blends in. It kinda has the consistency of coconut oil and it turns from a solid to an oil very quickly. If using it to take makeup off just rub it in until the makeup starts to melt into the oil. Then remove with either water or a wet cloth, which I would recommend if you want to properly remove your makeup. This has been so good to my skin and since I've used this I feel like it really gets all the make up cleared completely from my face and helps to keep my skin clear. I've had very little breakouts with this and it just feels really smooth and leaves the skin feeling really fresh. You can get a lot of use out of this too depending on how much makeup you'll be taking off which is great.

 I highly recommend this product even to try as it's one of the top products I've ever tried! I really do love the Body Shop products and I can imagine they have some pretty good other cleansers too. Has anyone tried this or any others that you'd recommend?

Top tips to reduce waste and shop sustainably this Christmas

 Everyone knows that Christmas is a very commercially busy time of year. Shops online and offline are bustling with people trying to buy gifts for their loved ones. This year is a lot stranger than most due to Corona virus and a lot of businesses in various parts of the world have lost a lot of business due to the fact they may have had to close due to lockdowns. A lot of small and independent companies will be looking at this busy period to help keep their business growing so it's up to everyone as a consumer to help support local and small businesses for Christmas. A lot of people may not know how to support local as we often shop in big conglomerate companies as they are very easily accessible. I'd like to share my top tips for having a more sustainable Christmas for the economy and for the environment.

- Shop Locally: This seems pretty simple, but I think when it comes to Christmas people tend to veer towards bigger shops and buy more extravagant things. The truth is that smaller shops sell just as good stock as the big companies that we all know and love. I'm sure everyone has a local area full of some independent shops that probably sell some of the stuff that you would otherwise buy online, yet buying the products local helps boost your own local economy and the people that you surround yourself with. Plus you never know what gems you'll find!

- Shop on more independent online businesses - As well as shopping locally, you could shop independently - shopping from some smaller businesses, ones who create their own items. There are some great online shops that help smaller creators, and allow an easy platform to search for products you may like. Ones I use frequently are Etsy, and Redbubble. These sites allow creators to sell their creations online and there are some wonderful products. Obviously this is not the only way to find smaller businesses as many have their own sites but I think it's an easy way to find something you're specifically looking for and compare items in one place.

- Support a creator you like - If you really like watching a certain streamer, or youtuber, or even an artists work, it's a great idea to buy some merch from the creator that you enjoy. This would help support the creator that you like and help fund more content from them so it's a win win.

- Shop vintage - There's a lot of really cute shops that sell a lot of vintage items. I've tried to only buy vintage and second hand recently in terms of clothing in particular so that I can cut down on my consumption and save some items from landfill. I'm planning on buying some vintage pieces for my friends as I think you can find some really unique pieces that I think are individual and really show you put a lot of thought into what you gift someone.

- Look for sustainable products - By this I mean products that come in recyclable packaging, more natural products, and items that will get a lot of usage. Rather than gifts that are made cheaply and will be easily disposed of. Think of gifts that you know the person will use like perfume, or makeup or books, rather than something that is cheap and cheerful. 

- Look for sustainable packaging - I mentioned this in the last point but wrapping paper sales are crazy at this time of year, I don't know many people that don't wrap their gifts. An alternative to wasting all this paper is to but recyclable wrapping paper as not all are - a lot a coated in was or other substances that can't be recycled! Another alternative would be to not wrap the gifts but put them in a reusable gift bag instead that won't go to waste! Or you could reuse newspapers or magazines you've had during the year! It looks pretty cool too! 

I'm considering making a gift guide to help small businesses so let me know if that's something you'd be interested in. Let me know if you have any tips for reducing our consumption and being more sustainable this Christmas period!

C.Y.O. Haul

Just before lockdown I wanted to restock on some make-up. I often use the C.Y.O. foundation as it's pretty affordable and cruelty free. Yet on this trip the whole section had been cleared and I couldn't find any. I was told by staff in Boots that they were discontinuing the whole collection which I found very sad to see. I thought it may have just been that Boots were stopping selling them but after a quick google I found out that everything is discontinued and the site has put up an announcement. I hate to see a good brand go and it will be annoying to read considering the products are now unavailable but I thought I'd share anyway incase there's still some places with stock! I bought a good few things and a few things I wouldn't normally buy as everything was more than half price to clear stock.

What I got: 

• C.Y.O. long lasting foundation - this is something I've used many times before and love the lightweight consistency. I go for the lighter shades and even at that they can come out quite dark but do look nice when properly blended. It's very watery and smooth and lets other products sit on top nicely.
• Triple Fix prime, glow and mist - honestly the look of this really intrigued me. Its a very pale pink which has a shimmer flowing throughout which you shake around and honestly it just looks pretty. I haven't tried it yet but it's meant to prep the skin and also leave a nice glow so I'm not sure how shimmery it is on the skin but is very interesting.
• Plumping Lip gloss in the shade Act Up - this is very nice lip gloss material which is kinda sticky but also very shimmery with little specks of glitter throughout, it's also pretty light on.
• Kohl gel eyeliner in the shade highflier - this is just your basic eyeliner but I really liked this as its a very electric blue which is not something I can say I've ever tried before. I won't get a lot of use out of it but it'll definitely make an eye look pop.

• Take the Threeway shadow, liner and mascara - this is interesting too as it's very skinny and small for something that has a few things incapsulated inside. On one side theres a liner and underneath that is and eyeshadow that you can blend. On the opposite end there's a mascara. I think this is such a good idea and perfect for short trips or something to throw in your bag for everyday use.
• Brow Sculpting pencil - this is your standard pencil with one end being the pencil shade, and the other being a brush. I feel like you can't go wrong with a pencil that has a brush with it it's always a bonus to help get the perfect blend.
• Two clever by half lipstick and liner in the shade Free Pass - I think you could tell if you've read this far that I love duo products or things which have more than one function and this is no different. One side is a liner and the other is the lipstick, which again is perfect for having in your bag and carrying around.

Has anyone tried any products before? What would you try if you could?

 

Body Shop Carrot Wash Energising Face Cleanser | Review

 This cleanser was not something that I went into the Body Shop to purchase. I actually had never heard of this collection before but when I saw it I knew it was something I'm interested in. This product is the Body Shop Carrot Energising Face Cleanser. This product is vegan and comes in 100% recyclable packaging, which is something I love in a product. The packaging also has a really nice feel to it. This cleanser is made from what they describe as 'ugly' or 'wonky' carrots, ones that aren't commercially sellable in the super market that people don't want to eat as they look unpleasing. I appreciate that these carrots aren't going to waste and will actually be used for something. I also really love when you look up this product on the website there is a really clear 'how to use' section. 

I can't say that I've ever used carrots in any of my skincare routines before. I feel like in general skin care products, usually fruits are used rather than vegetables. I was excited to try this as carrots are one of my favourite vegetables. This face wash does smell like carrots and it's very subtle, it doesn't have a strong smell but it is pleasant. This scrub is meant for daily use and although it is a cleanser I would not use it as a cleanser in terms of taking makeup off but more as an energising morning face wash. This makes your skin feel super soft and the carrot feels really nice for your skin. I don't know what properties carrot would have for doing good things for your skin but it does feel really cleansed. It feels similar to using a citrus scrub. This is definitely a product I would re-buy and will probably have in my skin care routine in the future.

Has anyone tried this before what do you think?

Yet another Kiko Haul

If you've been reading my blog for a while or even just read one or two posts, something you'll see a lot of is Kiko. Now there's no shops near me but whenever I'm travelling I buy so many things and I decided that this time I should just do an online order. I was running out of a lot of things and running low on staples so I re-purchased somethings that I have tried and loved before as well as ordering some new bits. Also as I am writing this I realised that I didn't include the lip products that I bought. I got the Unlimited Double Touch in the shade 101, which comes with a base colour and top coat. I love these and I have the shades 102,103 which I love so I thought this shade also wouldn't disappoint but I was wrong. The shade is too light and doesn't compliment my skin tone in the slightest. I also received a free lipstick for a purchase over £50 but I misplaced it so don't know what it was but it was a nice surprise to receive it also!

The first thing I repurchased was the Green Me mascara - now I have tried this before and have been using it consistently. I love their Green Me range as they are very environmentally friendly in this range particularly in their packaging of the products, and I think it looks great. I've never had any issues with this mascara, it's super easy to apply, dries quickly and is easy to remove also. There's a lot of product in the tube also, you'll be using this for months without it drying up.

Pink Clay Mask - This is a hydrating and soothing clay mask. The weirdest part about this mask is the fact that there is no instructions or how to use on the product itself, which I think is pretty necessary for something that you're going to put on your face. It's pretty easy to give it a quick Google but I still find it on that you would need to do that. This mask is okay for what it is, it did make my skin feel soft but I don't think it actually did anything beneficial for my skin. 

Smart Contouring Palette - I again, have tried this before. I got the shade 01 light to very light. This is meant to be a highlighter and contour set, yet I don't think the highlighter part is much of a highlighter. I actually use the highlighter as a powder for setting my makeup, but if you wanted a very subtle highlight this could be a good choice. The contour is a great contour though the shade is very light and blendable they're also very soft powders which are buildable.

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Eyebrow Sculpt Automatic pencil shade 04 - This was another re-buy (clearly loving Kiko) This eyebrow pencil is super handy. It comes with a twist up pencil which is not a pencil feel it's a lot softer and comes out on your eyebrows like it's an eyebrow gel so it is very easy to stroke out and draw. The other end is a little brush which you can use to brush out your brows or fix lines that you've drawn with the pencil. I would highly recommend this, especially if you don't spend too much time on your makeup.

Smart Hydra Shot Stick - I've never tried this before and never tried anything similar. I use facial sprays and toners usually to hydrate my face but I love the idea of hydrating a particular area that may need some extra hydration. This is great for sensitive places and priming before applying makeup and is a great little product to have for sure.

Smart Hydrating Foundation shade 01 Warm Rose - Foundation is something I change up a lot and it doesn't tend to affect my skin what I use. I use the lightest shade as I am very pale. This isn't a very pale shade and does bring a lot of colour to my skin. It's glowy and more matte than liquid finish and I like that in a foundation. You don't need a lot of product for it to go a long way so it does last a while, although foundation is probably the product that runs out the most for me. I would like to invest in some more high end foundations if anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them!

Has anyone bought anything from Kiko recently? What are you loving at the moment?

Recent Reads | June 2020

I've always been an avid reader, but my frequency for reading has dropped over the years and I began to struggle focusing on books. Over the last month or so having a little bit more free time has allowed me to rekindle my love for reading. I've set myself a goal to read 60 books this year, which sounds like a lot but it'll push me to work toward it. I've decided to review and recommend some of the books that I've enjoyed. I've done this as a series before and decided to bring it back on my reading journey and it'll hopefully keep my motivation and maybe get some recommendations from others along the way! 

• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

This book has been on my to read pile for a long time. I've seen it all over instagram and everyone had given it raving reviews, I'd even gotten it recommended to me a few times. The main character, named after the title, Eleanor, is written as a very unlikeable character. This is one of the reasons why I liked her character, to me she felt like a really real person like reading her diary, it wasn't a fake kind of happiness that you often seen in novels. She has many redeeming qualities throughout the novel. She is mainly happy with her own company and the novel focuses on her journeywhere she unwillingly makes a friend and becomes a more sociable version of herself. This book has many twists and points that have you wanting to scream into the pages. Without spoiling it, it's a. book that will be in your mind surrounding its message on mental health and looking after others. This is my favourite book I've read so far this year and I can imagine I will read it again.

• Station Eleven by Emily St John Mendel

I hadn't heard anything about this book until I bought it and then had a lot of people I know telling me how much they enjoyed it. I am a huge Science-Fiction fan and it had been a while since I had read anything as fantasy as this. The book has many different time frames that it is written in that go back and forth interweaving between each other and connecting the story between character's in different times. It begins set in a virus pandemic (how apt) and the majority of the story is the aftermath of its destruction and about the survival of a few in a travelling theatre. This book was very clever in its story line and how it all came together in the end. There are so many characterswithin the story but they all got appropriate time to develop and show their individual story. I enjoyed the flashbacks and present passages in the story and how it didn't have one set narrator, it was hard to figure out at first but it all made sense the more you read. It's thought provoking about what could happen in times of mass hysteria and also solidarity between people.

• Fishbowl by Bradley Somer 

I've had this book for a long time and never got around to reading it. This book is similar to Station Eleven in narrative. There is no individual narrator and the storyline is very strange but it is interesting to see how it progresses. The story follows a fish, Ian, as he falls 27 stories from a building to the ground. On his journey it depicts who and what he sees on his fall. It shows how many individual events are happening in a single moment in one building, and how all these events are connected all together in one moment, and how they build on each other to create a bigger picture. I would love to see another follow up to this with different characters it was very intriguing, and I love books with a style or narrative that is unconventional but overall works.

Has anyone got any book recommendations? I've a lot of books to read to reach my goal for the year!