save or spend - mascara

hello! it's been a bit longer than usual between posts as today was my first day back at university and i was very busy last week moving into my uni house and getting all organised. my timetable has been quite kind to me for the first few weeks of term so hopefully i'll have lots of time to do more blog posts (probably time i should spend doing uni work but oh well). one downside to being here in my uni flat is that it's probably THE darkest flat in the world and the only suitable place to take photos is on the window ledge in the living room (i've already had a few weird looks from the builders across the road) but i'm going to try and make it work!

i've decided to do a new little series of blogposts where i review and compare products from different price ranges and brands from budget to high end and see if it's worth spending a bit extra or saving your money! as a student i'm always on the look out for products which give high quality but for as low a price as possible. i'm going to start by looking at mascaras, an essential part of any girls make up bag and something i pretty much won't leave the house without (i look so ill and tired without it!).

seventeen superlash mascara 

RRP £6.99 available here

i consider seventeen at boots to be a bit of a 'budget' brand and so in my opinion £6.99 is quite expensive for one of their mascaras but i actually received this as a free gift as part of an offer when it first came out. the packaging is a little bit 'cheap' looking compared to other products in the same price range and as you can see, the brush is quite basic. this mascara is just ok, it coats my lashes and gives a bit of length but it doesn't do anything special. i didn't hate the mascara but i don't think i'd pay £6.99 for it. there are other mascaras by seventeen which i have tried previously and preferred such as the falsifeye mascara and i am a fan of the range as a whole, just not superlash!

would i recommend? no, the price doesn't reflect the quality in my opinion.

maybelline big eyes mascara

RRP £8.99 available here

 i have already done a more extensive review on this mascara which you can see here but basically, i love this mascara. the fact there are two brushes is absolutely perfect for someone like me who has very long lower eyelashes but struggles to apply mascara to them without getting it all over my face. the mascara is very lengthening and coats lashes evenly without leaving them too clumpy. i actually bought this whilst it was on offer and being totally honest i do feel that £8.99 is quite expensive for a brand such as maybelline,especially as the two mascaras below are cheaper but from slightly higher end drug store brands. i would repurchase this as it's a staple part of my make up routine at the moment and i think i'll still use the lower lash mascara even if i switch brands for my top lashes but i would probably wait for it to be part of an offer or in the sale. 

would i recommend? yes, perfect for giving upper and lower lashes length but perhaps look out for it being on offer or as part of a 3 for 2 etc.

bourjois volume glamour ultra care mascara

RRP £7.99 available here

the price of this mascara surprised me slightly as i consider bourjois to be at the more expensive end of drug store bands and usually expect to pay around £10 for one of their mascaras. this is a version of the volume glamour mascara but designed for sensitive eyes, something that intrigued me as i have very sensitive water-y eyes which is sometimes aggravated when i put eye make up on. the consistency of the mascara is quite thick and dry but i like that as it clings to my lashes and gives them a bit more volume. the brush, as you can see, is very rounded and thick, perfect for building up volume and coating every lash but isn't too big and bulky and so will suit even very small eyes. i definitely feel a difference sensitivity wise when i wear this mascara and so if you suffer from sensitive eyes it's perhaps worth a try. for the price the quality is good, i would probably expect to pay more for a bourjois mascara. 

would i recommend? yes, good quality brand and product for a reasonable price and suitable for sensitive eyes.

max factor 2000 calorie mascara

RRP - £7.99 available here

i was also surprised by the price of this mascara as i consider max factor to be at the highest end of drug store brands and have previously owned mascaras such as the false lash effect (which by the way is amazing) but retails for around £11. this mascara is fantastic value for money, the packaging is simple but not tacky and the writing does tend to rub off in your make up bag but that's to be expected. the name '2000 calorie' definitely suits the product, it gives my lashes a lot of volume but also lengthens them and the brush is a good size meaning the mascara is easy to apply. i would probably expect to pay more for a brand such as max factor so if you're looking for a good quality, everyday mascara which can be kept simple or layered for a more dramatic look, this is the mascara for you.

would i recommend? yes, max factor is, in my opinion, a higher end drug store brand and so £7.99 is a really good price for a mascara which is such good quality.

benefit they're real! mascara

RRP - £19.50 available here

this mascara is by far the most expensive at almost £20 and most people will have probably tried it by now as it's a bit of a cult fave in the blogging world. i am however, not a fan. don't get me wrong, the mascara works quite well, it really lengthens my lashes and coats them thoroughly and i love the packaging (as i do with all benefit products) but i just don't think it is worth such a hefty price tag. the brush is plastic-y and almost a bit uncomfortable to use, it definitely isn't a soft bristled mascara brush like most brands. this means it pretty much 'combs' through your lashes, the effect is quite nice but not everyone will be a fan, i think the brush feels quite cheap. the mascara is also a pain to get off, it definitely lasts all day which is a positive but come night time, it's quite waxy in texture and definitely requires more effort than usual to remove (so much so that benefit actually sell a remover designed just for this mascara!)

would i recommend? sadly no, i love benefit but this mascara just isn't worth £19.50. if you want to try it, i'd recommend buying the miniature version which is available in shops such as boots or getting a benefit gift set which includes a miniature 'they're real'. the gift sets are much better value for money than the full size products in my opinion. 

i hope you enjoyed these reviews, let me know which mascaras you love (or hate), i love getting comments! also, i just want to thank all of my followers, i've recently surpassed the 50 followers mark and i am absolutely made up that so many people want to read my posts, it really does mean a lot!

primark haul, featuring topshop

primark

primark hauls are my favourite kind of blogpost/youtube video to view. as primark doesn't have a website in the same way other shops do, they're a great way to see what items are in store and to get ideas of what to look for when you're out shopping, primark can be a very overwhelming place! i went shopping two days ago to the manchester primark and i was very impressed by what i found. i did see a gorgeous oversized camel coat with detachable fur collar for £25 but this had, unsurprisingly, sold out in pretty much every size. i'll definitely be looking for it next time though! primark has really stepped up it's game recently in terms of coats/bags/general trends and i think this is reflected a bit in the prices but i don't mind paying a bit extra for better quality! here are a few items i did manage to pick up..

turtle neck jumpers in black and powder blue - £5 each

love 'em or hate 'em but i'm a massive fan of turtle necks and i've actually been looking forward to it being cold enough to wear them again for ages. pretty much every high street store has some sort of offering but as a poor student i was holding out hope that primark would deliver a cheaper alternative and they haven't let me down! for £5 each these are SO soft and good quality. there was a wide colour range too from cream to mint to mustard yellow but i limited myself to these two. the black will go with everything and the powder blue was a bit of a braver choice, it may look a bit 'granny-ish' to some but i love it! these were on one of those wooden stands which can look a bit jumble sale-y if you go towards the end of the day so you might need to have a rummage!

monochrome grid print cigarette trousers - £12

the photo doesn't really do these trousers justice, they look absolutely huge in the photo but i bought these in a size 8 and they fit me perfectly. they're quite tight at the top and get a bit looser towards the bottom, stopping just short of my ankle. i'm only 5ft 4in so for anyone who's quite tall, these will probably come up a bit too short depending on what size you get so definitely try them on before you buy. the quality of the trousers is gorgeous, i was really surprised when i spotted them in primark as they look much more expensive than they are, the material is lovely and there is added detail with the fake pockets on the front. i actually saw an almost identical pair of trousers in topshop an hour later and i could barely tell the difference between the two, except for the price of course. primark also have a skort with the same print but all the smaller sizes were sold out so i went for the trousers which i think are much more wearable for day or night. i'm definitely going to get my wear out of these this winter.

tartan/dogtooth reversible scarf - £6

as soon as i saw this i had to buy it. i absolutely love dogtooth and tartan is always massively on trend in winter so, what's not to love?! the scarf is so soft and feels much more expensive than it is, i've seen similar scarves in topshop etc going for 4 times the price! there were other prints available including a pink and baby blue check but i settled on this as it's a bit more traditional and as it's reversible it's basically two items in one. the scarf itself is massive and quite wide, it could even be worn as a sort of shawl/blanket which is set to be big for a/w, although i'm not sure if i'm brave enough to take on that look just yet! i can't wait for the weather to get colder so i can start wearing this, it'll definitely keep me cosy in the coming months.

topshop

leopard print pelmet skirt - topshop - £38 (currently sold out online)

i first saw this skirt on the gorgeous cara delevingne in the autumn/winter topshop campaign and then more recently on alexa chung paired with a yellow jumper on the frow at london fashion week but it was sold out for aaaaaages and i gave up all hope of ever owning it. well i just wanna bow down in prayer to the topshop gods because on my recent trip into manchester i of course went in topshop and couldn't believe my luck when the ONLY skirt in the whole store was a size 8 and fitted me perfectly. i practically ran to the till! of course, cara and alexa i ain't but i absolutely love this skirt, it's very short but so flattering and will look amazing with a black turtle neck, tights and loafers. i can't wait to wear this to death (although i'm also a bit scared to wear it out in case i ruin it, anyone else ever like that with clothes they've wanted for ages?)

hope you enjoyed my little haul of my recent purchases and hello to all my new followers! let me know if you've been to primark recently, i love seeing what bargains other people have found!

my everyday make up

i love reading these on other people's blogs and having a nosy at what make up they like to wear day to day so i thought i'd do a post of my own. i love dressing up and taking loads of time to get ready when i'm going on a night out but day to day i like my make up to be quick, simple and leave me feeling nice and looking awake without having to put in too much effort. i'm by no means a make up expert or anything like that and my application skills aren't exactly make up artist standard but i just thought i'd share which products i find myself reaching for on a daily basis.

face

lasting perfection concealer by collection in shade 1 fair - £4.19 available here

bourjois healthy mix serum foundation in shade 51 vanille clair - £10.99 available here

the porefessional primer by benefit (sample size that came as part of a gift set)

the lasting perfection concealer is a bit of a holy grail product that pretty much all beauty bloggers rave about. the shade fair is perfect for me as i'm really pale and this concealer covers my dark circles and blemishes/redness perfectly without being too cakey. if you've never tried it (where have you been?!) then like many others before me i highly recommend it.

the bourjois healthy mix serum foundation is by far my favourite foundation and i find myself returning to it again and again. it gives a light to medium coverage which i love as i prefer a natural look rather than foundation looking like a mask. it smells lovely and fruity? and has a gorgeous almost gel like texture which makes it so easy to apply and blend, i just use one pump to cover my whole face but it's also really easy to build up layers to give a bit more coverage.

the porefessional primer is only a sample size but i love it as it is so soft and leaves my skin feeling velvety. the full size product is quite expensive (as all benefit products are!) and i'm not sure i love it enough to buy, however i use this if i have a few spots and want to mattify/smooth out my skin or to keep my make up from sliding off my face on hot days and it does the job pretty well.

            stila illuminating powder refill in shade light - £18.00 available here     

 celia birtwell powder brush bought from boots a few years ago

    seventeen blush powder in china pink - £3.49 available here

i have to confess, i did not pay £18.00 for the stila compressed powder. i actually found it in poundland (!!) and so stocked up and bought loads for just a pound each, i literally couldn't believe it! it's such a good quality product which i apply all over my face with a brush to set my foundation and it leaves my skin shine free and feeling so soft. it also gives good coverage and on good skin days i sometimes just wear a touch of concealer and this powder! i dread the day i run out because i may be tempted to buy some for full price.

the seventeen blush is so pigmented and lovely and is a real bargain at £3.49. i love the pink 'dolly cheeks' look and have always gone for pink blushes but it also comes in other shades to suit all tastes. it lasts ages as well as only a tiny bit is needed on the apple of my cheeks to give a real pink rosy glow.

eyes

real techniques eyebrow brush bought as part of eye starter set

br-wow brow kit by along came betty at tesco 

maxfactor wild mega volume mascara - £6.99 available here

maybelline big eyes mascara - £8.99 available here

maybelline master precise liquid eyeliner - £5.99 available here

i feel absolutely naked without a cat eye flick of eyeliner and i'm still on a quest to find the perfect product to achieve this. the maybelline master precise liner is my favourite at the moment, it has a felt tip style nib and is less runny than a typical liquid liner and a bit easier to use. on my eyes lashes i use the maybelline big eyes mascara (i did a review on this which you can see here) to give my lashes length, then add the max factor wild mega volume mascara to give added volume to my top lashes. thick clumpy lashes are set to be quite big for a/w 14/15 and i love the 60's big eyed look so this is a technique i've thrown into my make up routine recently.

i fill my brows in with this kit which i got from tesco about 6 months ago and is still going strong. 'along came betty' is sort of a cheap version of soap and glory who do both make up and bath/shower stuff and i'm definitely going to try out more of their products. this brow kit comes with two shades of powder, a waxy gel to set brows and a highligher as well as a double ended brush. i prefer to use my real techniques brow brush but this brush is also perfect for on the go. i can't actually find this online so i'm not sure if it's available still but i think it was around £4/£5 and it's worth looking out for it next time you're in tesco.

and here is the finished product! it's not the best picture of me but i think it shows off the make up ok. like i said, i'm by no means a make up artist or expert! i just thought i'd share some of the products i love to wear each day.

thanks for reading and hello to the people that have started following me on bloglovin! i can't believe how many views i've had in such a short space of time, it really means a lot!

back to uni haul

so it's that time of year again and for many students like myself, it's almost time to head back to university. this time i'll be going into my third and penultimate year which is absolutely terrifying because adult life and 'the real world' seems to be looming ever closer. however, this year i am actually especially excited to go back to uni as i'm going to be living in a lovely little flat with my boyfriend. this is something that seems really scary and grown up but is also really exciting as we get to buy loads of cute little things to make our house feel a bit more homely. i am far more enthusiastic about this than my boyfriend is but i guess candles and ornaments just don't give boys the same sort of joy.

i've been slowly building up a collection of new little bits to brighten up our flat and make it feel more cosy but obviously being students we can't really afford to be going wild in the homeware section of laura ashley. i've been shopping in places such as primark, wilko's, b&m, home bargains, ikea and even poundland (!!) and have found some really nice bits, it's definitely worth shopping around when it comes to finding things to make your uni room/house or even your room at home a bit more cosy. here's a few pictures of just some of the things i've bought in the past week or so, there are lots of other bits but unfortunately they're already at my house at university so i can't get any pictures of them yet! 

jasmine candle £3 and iced vanilla candle £3.50 (actually bought in a 2 for £5 offer) - asda home living.

these candles smell absolutely gorgeous and are really good value for money. i chose them for our living room as it has a simple colour scheme and they smell amazing, there were also loads of different colours and scents available. i've got them in my bedroom at home at the minute and even with the packaging still on and unlit my whole room smells of vanilla, it's so nice! 

home sweet home jar £1.49 - b&m bargains

i'm not sure if b&m is a shop that only exists in the north of england but it's basically a shop that sells EVERYTHING from food to toiletries to homeware at ridiculously cheap prices and i LOVE it. they have loads of really cute things for houses and it's the perfect place if you're heading off to uni and are on a bit of a tight budget. i think this is a candle jar but i think it looks really sweet on its own and it'll definitely be a nice addition to our flat.

porcelain utensils jar £2.49 - b&m bargains

another b&m purchase was this jar, i'm going to put it on our kitchen worktop to keep our big utensils in e.g. spatula, bread knife, whisk etc. they had loads of other bits for your kitchen in the 'mrs winterbottom's' range including salt and pepper shakers, vases, containers for tea/coffee/sugar etc and it's all really cute and best of all cheap!

glass candle holder (comes without candle) £6 in the sale - cath kidston

i saw this in the sale section in my local cath kidston recently and thought it was so pretty and a lovely thing to brighten up any room. my boyfriend also really liked it (i was quite shocked at his sudden interest) and decided to treat me to it, lucky me eh! i absolutely love cath kidston and the shop is basically what my dream home looks like, but until i can afford to have that, little ornaments like this will have to do! unfortunately it might not be in stock anymore as it was in the sale but it's worth a check.

plastic tray £7 and melanine bowls £4 each - cath kidston

my mum and dad brought me these back from a recent trip to york they had as they know how much i love cath kidston and thought these would be lovely for my uni flat. they're so cute and perfect to brighten up any kitchen. maybe early winter mornings won't be so bad when i get to have my cereal out of these bowls. 

as well as these homeware bits, i've also recently treated myself to a new pencil case and bag. even though i'm almost 21 and have been in education for a long time, i still love buying a new bag and pencil case to start the new academic year!

macaroon pencil case £2 - primark

can you believe this lovely pencil case was only £2! it's a bit more pastel in real life but its the perfect size and a lovely material. i found it in the make up bag section in primark and they had loads of other nice bags of different sizes which are much more affordable that getting a pencil case from shops such as paperchase!

leather backpack £19.99 - new look via asos available here

i absolutely love new look bags at the minute, they've really upped their game and this bag is no exception. it's black with a subtle grid print and is also available in white and black grid print but i thought black wouldn't show dirt as much if i'm using it everyday. it is the perfect size and fits an a4 size pad in easily so is great for uni. i have a problem with my shoulder so a backpack is essential for me when carrying books to and from uni everyday, i am so thankful that shops like new look mean i can still buy a nice fashionable bag that's also practical! 

top tip this bag in new look is actually £22.99 (not including delivery) but on asos website the exact same bag is £19.99 or £17.00 with student discount and free delivery! always always check asos before you buy from places like new look because i have saved £6 just by ordering from a different website!

these are just a few bits i've bought recently and as i love seeing other peoples 'homeware hauls' i thought i'd have a bash at doing my own! i might do a little 'tour of my flat' post once we're properly moved in to show some of the other bits and bobs i've found in cheap shops! you don't need to shop in expensive shops to have a nice house, at the end of the day a candle is a candle!

thanks for reading, it really means a lot!