bareMinerals Blemish Remedy ♡

When skincare products make big sweeping statements I'm always dubious. One such product is the bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Anti-Imperfection Serum. The website description is as follows:

"Reveal your most beautiful self with skin calming ingredients to help reduce the appearance of blemishes. Our oil-free formula works in three ways to help improve skin's overall appearance."

Dermatologist tested. Non-comedogenic.

 Combats blemishes

Calms skin

Smoothes textures

I purchased after hearing a half decent review through the grapevine, persuaded as at the time my skin was pretty awful due to the stress of exams and all of the rubbish I had been eating whilst revising. After overcoming the hurdle of the rather hefty price tag (£36 to be exact) and googling what on earth 'non-comedogenic' meant (FYI it's that it doesn't cause acne) I ordered and began using the product. The directions instruct that three drops is enough to cover your whole face - I was at first hesitant to believe this, but alas it is correct and a very small amount of the product goes a very long way. This is always the first stage in my decision over whether something (usually an expensive something) is a good investment. There wouldn't be a chance of me repurchasing if it ran out too quickly for it to be worth the money.

As for whether the product does what it says on the tin; my verdict is that it does. The serum soaks into your skin straight away and doesn't leave it feeling at all oily, which is a serious plus point for me. And after around a week of use, my skin was by and large clear of spots and blemishes. Of course, you can't expect that any product is going to be a magical serum that will forever banish your bad skin - I don't think any brand is that powerful - but this seemingly did go a long way into calming down my current breakouts and reducing the blemishes caused by previous ones. On the whole I was quite impressed.

Have you ever tried this? Did you rate it highly?

Maddie x

My thoughts on Pretty Little Liars 'End Game' ♡

CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE SEASON FINALE

7 years, 7 seasons, 160 episodes. Pretty Little Liars has had me hooked since the summer I finished my GCSE's. With 12 weeks of summer, with no school work, exams or deadlines, I began watching the show. By the end of the summer I was up to date, and since then I've watched every episode upon it coming out. And as yesterday's episode (or Tuesday's if you're in the US) was the very last, the big reveal, I thought I'd share my thoughts. Please don't read any further into this post if you haven't seen the episode yet - it will contain major spoilers.

I'll start off by saying that this was the first episode in months that I've truly thought was a good one. Recently the plots have kind of gone awol in my opinion, and we've been seeing a lot of crazy with a lack of explanations. I was hoping that the finale would live up to my high expectations and luckily it did. The whole two hours were a rollercoaster of emotion and I honestly enjoyed it all. A lot of people have been expressing their distaste, but personally I was happy with it.

I think the main point of criticism has been the Spencer/Toby 'Spoby' storyline and I can see why many fans didn't like it - learning that it was Alex not Spencer who kissed Toby goodbye and had sex with him in the cabin is kind of bitter. However in the end the two of them shared that moment where Spencer recited her favourite poem from the book she had gifted him all the way back when they were together, and for me that moment was better than a kiss, as it had so much more meaning! I assumed afterwards that the intentions of the writers/directors were for us to consider them back together, and I. Marlene King has since confirmed this in an interview, saying that she thinks "They're living in the city and he's building houses for homeless vets, and she's commuting to Rosewood because she's an attorney now working at Hastings & Hastings with her mom. And they're engaged."

I loved that all of the best couples ended up together, and that they all got their happy endings. Aria and Ezra (let's forget that they're ex student and teacher) are married, Hanna and Caleb (aka my all time favourite TV couple) are also married and having a baby, Emily and Alison have their twins and are engaged, and Spencer and Toby are finally together again. It feels like the show finally came full circle, and everything was resolved after God knows how many 'reveals'. We even got reference to the mums escaping the basement, hahaha.

The only thing that I didn't like about the ending was the very 'Gossip Girl' style implication that everything was going to start all over again with Addison, clearly Alison's foil. I think that was a pretty bad attempt at rounding things off - because really how on earth could the exact same situation happen twice, ever, never mind in the same tiny town?

Do you watch PLL? What were your thoughts on the finale?

Maddie x

What's in my hand luggage? ♡

It's probably the part about travelling that stresses me out the most; packing. What outfits should I take? Do I really need four different pairs of shoes? Or all three of those bikinis? If I pack that will it come out of my suitcase looking like a dishrag so I can't wear it without an iron? All very serious questions. When it comes to my hand luggage I try to keep it simple - partly because I don't want to pack a load of unnecessary stuff, but also because it's the only place to which I can distribute all the crap I buy whilst on holiday when my suitcase goes over the weight limit (as it inevitably will). And when going on holiday next week I have 5kg of hand luggage and 15kg of checked baggage. So I need to be space efficient! Here's the run down of what I usually include in my hand luggage.

Passport & Travel Documents

Obvs... I always keep my travel documents, tickets, boarding passes etc in this handy little wallet that I picked up in Home Bargains for £2.99! It fits your passport, EHIC card/bank card/whatever other card you may need inside one cover whilst also having plenty of room for the 16253920 pieces of paper you end up printing off and taking with you... you know, just in case.

Purse with ££ and €€

Kinda self explanatory. I usually take enough pound sterling to get me through the airport and then some more, just in case you need some emergency money (or have to buy emergency makeup in Duty Free).

Phone and Headphones

Of course my phone is a must, and I honestly don't think I could get through a plane journey without headphones. Whether it's to drown out the screaming children three rows behind you, or to listen to a chilled playlist when your nerves are in overdrive during turbulence, they always help.

A good book!

Getting lost in a book is such a great way to help the plane journey pass by quickly. I usually take a good few books on holiday and pick one of them to pop in my rucksack; this time I've chosen Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard - something I've had on my book case for a long time and haven't read yet.

A good film.

[Obviously I don't take the DVD with me] but having a few films available to watch on my laptop through iTunes is one of my favourite ways to keep myself entertained on the plane. The flight for our holiday next week is only two and a half hours so I might not even watch anything, but just in case I've prepared one of my all time favourites 'The Breakfast Club'.

Portable Phone Charger

An absolute must-have item for me wherever I go!

My Camera

Not pictured, as I was using it to take the photos, but my camera is probably the most important thing in my rucksack - although having your great big DSLR camera bag makes it mega awkward to fit everything back into your bag in some sort of logical order after security. I am that person who's rapidly shoving everything back into my bag as more and more people come through the security gates.

Tangle Teezer and Hair Bobbles

Because sometimes I just need to brush my hair and shove it in a quick messy bun!

Powder and Powder Brush

For a quick freshen up when we get off the plane at the other side - I never wear makeup to fly in but travelling always makes my skin really oily so I like to have a little bit of something to hand to rectify the situation!

Lip Balm

Because I always have to have some on me! One of my favourites is the classic cherry Carmex.

Compact Mirror

Kind of an obvious one, but it's something I always need to have to hand! This vintage Hello Kitty one is my favourite, it's so cute, and so 'me'.

What 'must haves' do you always include in your hand luggage?

Maddie x

Nivea vs No7 Eye Makeup Remover ♡

I am never not on the look out for great eye makeup removers - it seems that I always decide to love and cherish the eye makeup with ridiculous staying power, which is great during the day when you actually want your makeup to stay on your face, but when it comes to taking it off it becomes a bit of a problem. My holy grail Garnier Micellar Water seemingly found it's weakness in getting rid of my mascara, specifically Benefit's They're Real so I have been searching for the best removers on a drugstore budget. I have found that the best bet is usually oil-based removers - something I despise using on my face as a whole but that is so useful for getting rid of stubborn eye makeup. The top two that I have purchased so far are the Nivea 'Double Effect' and the No7 'Beautiful Skin'.

Both are advertised as catering for sensitive skin, with Nivea's product suggesting that it is able to remove "even waterproof mascara  & eye makeup without irritating the sensitive eye area". Let's assess this claim. The easy removal of waterproof makeup is definitely true, although having watched the television advert I can tell you that, surprise surprise, the 'one swipe' they promise is a complete lie. Moreover, the product most certainly does irritate the eyes, that much in fact that upon first use my eyes stung like crazy and I ended up a red, bloodshot, watering mess - although this has only happened once out of the twice I've used it now.

The No7 product is much kinder on the eyes, and seems to be the 'hypo-allergenic' that the bottle promises. It requires a similar amount of product with a similar amount of wipes to remove every trace, but does leave your skin feeling a little more oily than the Nivea product - this of course is not an issue upon the removal of the rest of your makeup.

The price is where the products are really divided. Nivea's product is a perfectly budget friendly £3.89, whereas the No7 product is a more pricey £8.50. If I was judging the products solely on this factor, of course Nivea's Double Effect would win every time. But for quality and the likeness to the product description, I have to choose the No7 product as my overall favourite; it does exactly what it says on the tin, doesn't irritate the eyes and, despite the price, is definitely the better investment.

Have you tried either of these products? Do you have any more eye makeup remover suggestions?

Maddie x

The bargain jeans that rival Topshop! ♡

I've lived in Topshop jeans from about the age of fourteen. Jamie, Joni, Baxter, Leigh - you name it I've had a pair. My most favourite style though, have to be their Joni jeans. I own five pairs in numerous colours that I find myself continuously replacing due to their inability to last more than six months. And the black are the worst. They fade quicker than the speed of light, they wear through at the knees and in the back and at £38 a pair I'd started to think they were becoming a bit of a one way investment.

A month or two ago we were discussing said jeans at school when one of my friends told me to try the Matalan 'Jessie' Jeans. "They'll change your life and save your bank account" was her proposition.  So I went and ordered a pair. And she was so right. Firstly, they're £16 - which is less than half the price of Topshop's Joni. They're also made of much better quality material, so you don't get that thing where they go baggy at the knees after wearing them once, and apparently Matalan use way better dye, as I've had these a good month now and despite being washed loads they haven't faded a bit. Yeah, you don't get a choice of leg length and they are a little long when I don't roll them up but hey, I'm saving £12 and a heck of a lot of shopping trips. In my opinion it's worth it. If you're on the lookout for Topshop Joni dupes, I'd really suggest giving these a go.

Have you tried any other replacements for Topshop's well loved product? Let me know, I'd love to try more!

Maddie x

Leavers 2017 | The End of an Era ♡

Friday 26th May 2017 was a momentous occasion and one that held very mixed emotions - my last ever day of school. While I am excited for what this summer and the first year of University is going to bring, I can't help feeling sad for leaving high school behind after seven years, for going separate ways with all of the people I love so much and losing the routine of school that has been a constant in my life for 14 years.

Our leavers day was a complete mix of emotion - from our final lesson (which was History, and where we literally just ate cake), to our leavers assembly and leavers mass, which ended with feelings of nostalgia and sadness at what we were leaving behind. Then onto celebrations, which started at around 1pm with our whole year joining together for drinks, barbecues, ice cream and football in the nearby park (thank you English weather for giving us such a glorious Friday!), followed by a quick head home and change then a re-gathering of everyone for what can only be described as the best night out all year. Although I'm only just recovering from the hangover, it was amazing to spend the last day and night while our whole year and all of my favourite people.

Now, with exams looming, everyone is looking forward to many more nights out together this summer, and our prom, before heading our separate ways in September. Let A Levels commence! My thoughts and prayers are with everyone also struggling through the stress this difficult exam season.

Maddie x

Favourite Matte Lipsticks ♡

Out of all my lipsticks, my favourites to wear are definitely mattes. I love the finish they give, and find them much easier to wear than most other products, as they're usually harder to smudge everywhere! I've collected quite the variety of matte lipsticks over the last couple of years, but there are two that really stand out to me as my favourites and the ones I always fall on for regular wear.

The first is Mac's 'Velvet Teddy'. Obviously this has become the holy grail lipstick for everyone and their cousin over the last year or so and this post definitely won't be the first you've heard of the infamous shade. The product glides onto the lips so smoothly, and it lasts hours and hours without showing signs of going anywhere - although it perhaps isn't the best to wear if your lips are dry, as it really can accentuate the condition of your lips and tends to cling to dry patches. It is a nude shade with a gorgeous warm undertone and it compliments many eye makeup looks - I love wearing it with a classic smoky eye.

The second of my favourites is the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade 'Cannes', which is actually only a few shades away from Velvet Teddy - what can I say, warm and pink toned nudes are my thing. The applicator makes it so easy to apply and it has a super creamy formula that means it goes on really well. Once it dries it is extremely long lasting and can withstand pretty much anything that would usually leave you needing to re-apply (how many times have I said apply now... hahaha). NYX makeup is also really affordable, which is such a bonus!

Do you love these products too? What other matte lipsticks are your faves?

Maddie x

Blogger Recognition Award ♡

I'm here with something a little different today, as the lovely Shayla from The Plus Diaries kindly nominated me for the Blogger Recognition Award. Go and send some love over to her and her blog!

This is such a lovely idea, and it really shows how the blogging community is out there and supporting bloggers large and small. So why did I start blogging? I love writing, and I needed an escape from scheduled school work to just have some creativity with content I created myself and not tasks set by an exam board. I love photography, and this blog gives me the opportunity to both share my photos and also take photos for my blog posts. Being nominated for something like this just shows how active and supportive the blogging community is, so thank you Shayla!

Here are the fifteen bloggers I have chosen to nominate, in no particular order (I'll leave what you have to do below):

1. Saz Sinclair

2. What Chloe Wrote
3. Ella Was Here
4. Probability Reading
5. Bubbly Beauty
6. The Pink Bookshelf
7. Following Lisa
8. Molly Francesca
9. It's Kate Rose
10. The Polway
11. Simply Sitara
12. Sophia Whitham
13. My Cluster Of Thoughts
14. The Little Lady Diaries
15. Gabby Fabrizio

What you have to do:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog
• Write a post about your award and give a brief story on why you started your blog
• Select 15 bloggers to give this award to
• Let each person know that you have nominated them for this award

Enjoy!

Maddie x

Favourite Drugstore Concealers ♡

In my opinion concealer is one of the products that matters most in every face of makeup. And with a huge variety available, both drugstore and high end, its often hard to choose the one that really will be that 'miracle product' you can't live without. After around five or six years of wearing makeup, you'd think I would have found it. The truth is, I haven't, but I do have several firm favourites. Here is my pick of the drugstore:

1. Maybelline 'Fit Me'

A relatively recent pick, after being introduced in 2015, I only found Maybelline's newest concealer product several months ago and it quickly became one that I would fall on for daily wear. It isn't the best coverage for under the eyes (although that does depend whether or not you spend half your life in the constant state of 'tired' that I do) but it is enough for spots and blemishes, and blends really nicely on top of both foundation and BB cream or tinted moisturiser.

2. MUA 'Hide and Conceal'

I don't use this for concealing in the usual respect, instead it's the product that I usually choose to put under my brows. For £1 it doesn't matter that I have to replace it about every month - and it comes in a great variety of shades, which means I can pick up a very fair one to highlight the brow bone.

3. Rimmel 'Wake Me Up'

I remember this being all the rage in the blogging and YouTube world quite a while ago, and I'm still using it. Unlike the foundation of the same name, which I personally find makes my complexion a little too 'shimmery', this works wonders for general blemishes and also under the eyes on those days when I don't look too much like a zombie in the morning.

4. Collection 'Lasting Perfection'

The staple drugstore concealer - forget that, the staple concealer in my makeup collection, is Collection's lasting perfection. The thick, creamy formula means that the coverage is amazing, it blends in really well and it really is 'lasting perfection' because it lasts the entire day. Definitely worth the minuscule £4 you pay for it - with this on top of my foundation nobody can tell how bad my dark under eyes are... hahaha.

What are your favourite drugstore concealers?

Maddie x

Ash Wednesday | Beginning of Lent ♡

Today is Ash Wednesday and therefore marks the start of the Lent period in the Christian church; 40 days of fasting from something of your choice which in theory allows Christians to become closer to God by turning away from sins. This is where the 'giving up something for Lent' idea comes from, which millions of people do every year. It isn't like me to write about anything religious like this, but, as Lent is actually a period of giving up something that is perhaps bad for you, I thought I'd write about what I've decided to give up this year and why!

I made the decision a few days ago, along with one of my friends, to give up some processed sugar and fizzy drinks, which means no sweets (or percy pigs!) for a whole 40 days - I'm definitely going to struggle with that one - and also no carbonated drinks. In cutting out these two things I'm aiming to become healthier over these 40 days and consume less processed sugar - although I think cutting out processed sugar altogether was slightly too much for me to handle, especially when I'm trying to do A Level coursework and revision; nothing gets me through a session of hard work like a good chocolate fix...

In the Catholic church (and I think a few other denominations, with the exception of the Church of England) today is marked by receiving ashes on the forehead in the form of a cross to represent that we all commit sins and that throughout Lent we try to reduce this because one day we will all be returned to ashes (nothing like brightening your day with the reminder you're going to die). We had our service at school today, so as of now I am officially sweet and fizzy drink free for the next 40 days... Wish me luck!

Are you giving anything up for Lent?

Maddie x

Revision Tips & Tricks | English Literature ♡

It's getting to that time again; exam season is looming and along with it months of unavoidable revision. Whether you're at GCSE, A Level or in University the coming months will no doubt be filled with post-its, highlighters and endless pages of notes - half of which you probably can't remember the meaning of and are most likely covered in doodles of animals, flowers and various caricatures depicting your classmates. English Literature in particular is a subject in which I often get lost. I love it, don't get me wrong, but reading Shakespeare for a double lesson on a Monday afternoon usually sees me lost in my thoughts, staring out of the window. Case in point; last week when we reached the ghost's lines in 'Hamlet' and, as I didn't currently have a role (meaning I'd completely zoned out and everything was washing over my head), our teacher said "Maddie can read the ghost." I heard my name but had no idea what I was doing until my friend whispered instructions into my ear, haha. Here are some of my revision tips and tricks for English Literature, which may help you to revive your knowledge of your texts! While I've tailored it to A Level, it can be adapted to GCSE too.

1. Index tabs, index tabs, index tabs. 

If you haven't used these and you're taking English Literature, you're seriously missing out. I don't know if it's just me who loves to colour code all my revision but these go a long way to help. I usually draw a key at the front of my text and assign each colour to a motif or symbol - for example in Atonement I have assigned the pink coloured tab to the symbol of the vase, and placed one in every page that it's mentioned. I usually combine these with post-it notes highlighting key events (such as Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy), which allows you to easily flick through your text while revising and pick out key information without having to search. I always find marking out my texts in this way a great starting point.

2. 'York Notes' really are amazing.

Forget CGP revision guides, for English Literature York Notes are where it's at. You can usually pick them up for around £5 on Amazon and they're worth every penny. They are full to bursting with notes on the text, including commentary on authorial methods (which is what I always struggle with most in exams), motifs, key ideas and important characters. When I'm making mind maps, these really help.

3. Don't underestimate the power of Quizlet.

It may only be a little app but Quizlet is amazing for solidifying your revision. As well as creating your own material, you can download hundreds of others that people doing the same courses as you have created, which you can then open and use on public transport, while waiting for a friend, or just in a spare moment at home (on the loo if you wish). And it's completely free!

4. Writing in the margins is soul destroying, but really useful.

I am the biggest neat freak when it comes to books; spines can't be broken, pages can't be written in and dust covers must be kept on. But with my A Level texts I break the rules. They are so heavily annotated that I get pencil lead on my hands when I flick through them. The reason I, and of course many others, write so heavily on them is simply because I want to make sure I get everything down without having to scribble it all in my notebook along with page references and full explanations. Jotting down rough notes and converting them into proper notes later is so much easier - if you can remember what your shorthand means!

Obviously these are just my top tips and I do all the usual methods (revision cards, mind maps...) which you don't need telling about I'm sure.

Do you use any of these methods? How else do you revise?

Maddie x

Makeup Bag Staples ♡

When it comes to packing my makeup bag to take somewhere there's always a handful of products that never fail to make it in. From base to lips, I've listed my main staples here:

• Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation: This is my favourite foundation for most days. It gives just the right amount of coverage for everyday wear and the range of shades is great too - although I find that mixing the lightest two shades actually gives me the best colour match in winter.
• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder: I think this is the most talked about drugstore powder in blogging history and I'm one of the masses - it's my favourite. I use the translucent shade to set my base makeup and it never fails. Due to it being translucent I can use it year round too.
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer: Again I'm one of the masses with this product, but it really is my go to. The formula is the perfect consistency to blend and has amazing coverage for under eyes and blemishes alike.
• NYX Tinted Brow Mascara: After using Benefit's Gimme Brow for as long as I can remember I discovered NYX's tinted brow mascara on recommendation of a friend and I can safely say that as long as I'm on a student budget I won't be buying the Benefit product again. This is a quarter of the price and works just as well - if not better for my brows, which are thicker and therefore the thicker brush works better.
• Mac Velvet Teddy: Another product that is the staple of many a makeup bag, Mac's Velvet Teddy lipsticks are like gold dust and it took me months to get hold of one in stock - I finally found it in duty free at Manchester airport last year. Now I've got it it's never off my lips and I wear it all the time, from going out to lunch to going out, it fits the bill for many an occasion. 
• Soap & Glory Supercat and Crazy Sexy Kohl: Soap and Glory eyeliners are my absolute favourites and both their Supercat eyeliner pen and their kohl pencil always make it into my bag. The kohl pencil stays put for the whole day without smudging even in the rain (or while crying at a film hahaha) - it's not going anywhere. I love the Supercat eyeliner because it's a pen and therefore way easier to apply than with a brush.
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer: My favourite bronzer due to the ease of application and the way it blends perfectly into any base of makeup. It is also so buildable, which is perfect for a variety of skin tones.
• Benefit They're Real Mascara: I have quite a few mascaras worthy of credit, but my go to every day is Benefit's They're Real. I love the fact that it adds so much volume and though it is pretty difficult to remove it stays put all day.
• Carmex and Eos Lip Balms: Of course lip balms are always going to feature in my makeup bag and my favourites are definitely the basic Carmex tube and also an Eos lip balm, which I find perfect for inside my bag because it never comes open and makes a mess! I liberally apply lip balm every day, and there's always one hanging around in whatever bag I'm carrying!

What are the staples in your makeup bag? Anything I should try?

Maddie x