If you follow me on instagram you will know I am a huge fan of winged liner (and selfies). It took me forever to master the wing and I still have days where it takes a billion attempts to get them right. I'm usually rocking mismatched wings as well because I mean seriously who looks that closely at my eyes.

I thought I'd let you know my 2 favourite eyeliners that I use every time I wear makeup. Seriously, I cannot do makeup without winged liner these days. I try and then my hands just automatically wing it out. Its a curse. A fabulous curse



Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner 100% black 


This is my go to eyeliner and I cannot rave about it enough. I mean it survives naps. What more could you ask for from an eyeliner? The nib is sturdy enough & has a slight point to get a sharp line. It applies smoothly and lasts all day including, as mentioned naps. I like to nap test most of my makeup as they are essential to my happiness.

Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner 


I tend to use this eyeliner to make my wings sharp enough to kill someone. I find that the nib of this liner gives me a line that is just that little bit sharper than the rimmel one. This is my go to for finishing touches and making my wings more even. This is great if you are in a rush or a beginner as it is quick & easy to use, has great control for a nice line and its cheap at less than £3. Bargain. It also doesnt dry out like the eyeko one I tried. The only downside I have found with this liner is that it does transfer to the upper lid a tad during the day.

Now some swatches

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I recently attended a Whizz Kidz Ambassador club and this week I have more exciting news. I am currently undergoing a work placement with Whizz Kidz which I am so excited about and loving.

After finishing uni in May I didn't really know what I wanted to do, I just knew I didn't really want to work in Science straight away. I needed a change. When I took my brother to a wheelchair rugby ambassador event I got talking to one of the Whizz Kidz co-ordinators and she suggested that I look into volunteering with them. I went home and filled in the volunteering application that evening. I am so passionate about disabilities and making life easier and more positive so this was the perfect opportunity.


I then went to the ambassador club I mentioned in my previous post and got talking again and work placements came up. After spending the day at the ambassador club with the young people I had so much fun and really enjoyed working with them. The thought of doing a work placement in something so fun made me so happy and I was actually excited about work. As a young person (22) who has used a wheelchair since 14-15ish (my memory sucks), I feel like I can offer support and an insight into using a chair from personal experience. I want to help young people build confidence and have fun in something that can be seen by many as a restriction. I mean even my Dr acted as if it was the end of my life when I said it was time for me to use a wheelchair.

The work placement offers the chance to
- Learn new skills & improve current ones
- Meet new people
- Get a better understanding of the world of work and help you decide on your career path
- Enhance your CV
- Increase your confidence and independence

I can already tell that this is the kind of career I am interested in pursuing and it is already improving my confidence as I can be quite shy

I have my first wheelchair skills training this weekend in Swansea (I'll let you know all about it) and I can't wait to see the smile on their faces when their confidence increases and they learn a new skill. They also get to make friends and have fun, what's not to love. I spent today helping to plan all the activities and it's such a fun packed weekend you kind of forget you're learning skills as well.

I also have another wheelchair skills event in Cardiff in July so if you know anyone aged 14-25 who would be interested let me know and I can get you some info. You can email me at  or tweet me at @Bendy_mermaid

I wish I had found something like this when I first had to use a chair because it can be scary. You're given a chair with wheels and just expected to get on with it. I didn't really know how to self propel, I had to learn how wide my chair was and how to get through doors and don't even get me started on kerbs. It's been a learning curve and I'm still learning now but I get to share my knowledge and experience & maybe make someone's life a bit easier. Plus I get to do it in a really fun way.

Now that I am kinda getting organised Im going to try and get back to some sort of blogging schedule. So I am aiming for posting Monday, Wednesday, Friday and hopefully Sunday but we'll see how my health copes with that.

Barry M is by far my favourite nail polish brand. My aim is to own at least all of the Gelly range if not all of them. I got this Barry M Sunset nail polish in Fuchsia Generation to add to my collection as a birthday present and I've only just got around to trying it.

For those of you who don't know the daylight curing range claims to offer the look of salon gel nails without the need for a UV lamp. The topcoat does all the work for you in sunlight. It also claims to last for up to 10 days


"Barry M’s new Sunset Daylight Curing Nail Paint and Topcoat deliver the look and resilience of pro salon gel nails without a UV lamp or the expense! All you need is a Sunset colour and the Sunset Topcoat – no need for a basecoat as the special formulation bonds to the nail like a gel in daylight but can still be removed with a regular remover" - Barry M

I cannot deny that this is a gorgeous colour. Even my mum liked it and she normally hates my nail colour choices (clearly has no taste - I still love you mum if you're reading). It applied really smoothly and the top coat applied nicely. Application was a quick and easy process especially with the new flat wider brushes (as seen with the quick dry range). My only issue with it is that it didn't seem to last any longer than any other polish. If anything it lasted less time, only about 2 days before massive tip wear and chips. No where near the 10 days. I will give it another go though and see if it was just me being overly hard on my nails that week. I also have the turquoise colour to try out so I'll get back to you.

There is a gorgeous choice of colours and I have my eye on the navy one. I do think they should bring out an in your face bright range as well because I do love a good bright nail and I'm pretty sure I keep Barry M in business anyway.

You can also see my thoughts on the new Quick Dry range here

I finally got around to dyeing my hair again. I think I was up to 6 or 7 weeks with some swimming involved and safe to say my hair was a strange colour. It was a pale pink with random streaks that had stayed bright, some blonde streaks and some ginger patches. It was a fabulously weird mix. I still rocked it though. I quite liked the pale but I was born to have bright hair.

I usually use the Schwarzkopf ultra brights in Shocking pink but decided to mix it up and try something new this time. I spent a while on the Directions site admiring all the gorgeous colours and after google imaging the different colour results I ordered Flamingo Pink.


At £3.95 Directions is a tad cheaper than the £5.49 for Schwarzkopf and as I usually need 3 of boxes for my beyond thick hair it soon adds up. I ordered 3 pots as I wasn't sure how much I would need but I actually only needed 2 because I think they are bigger and they go quite far. Postage was super quick as well.

My mum tends to dye my hair for me (and most of my forehead, ears, neck etc) and she said that the directions dye applied much easier because it is a thinner consistency. She also said that the pot is so much easier to work with than the tube the Schwarzkopf comes in.

When I saw the pots I was a tad worried that they looked really dark but once I opened them & started to apply my worries were put to rest. It's bright. I think this one may be brighter than Shocking pink. It is such a gorgeous colour. I'm in love.

It did seem a tad messier to wash off. My chest was bright pink when I got out the shower as well as my neck and face but I attacked it with makeup remover which soon sorted the problem. I looked pretty fabulous though. Also if you don't hear from me again soon it's because my dad killed me for staining the bath...again. He only got rid of the last stains last week. Pretty much everything in the bathroom is pink including the sink which I accidentally touched. My mum is also sporting a fabulous pink hand from where her glove split.

It's been about maybe 2ish weeks since I've dyed it and it does seem to fade so much quicker than the Schwarzkopf dye which is a shame because I prefer the colour but I just don't have the energy to top it up that often

After getting my degree results this week and finding out I got an A in my dissertation & I will be graduating with a 2:1 in Biomedical science in July I thought I'd do a fun post on all the things I learnt at uni. This is meant to be a laugh and I definitely did not drink as much as this post makes it seem, well not in the last year anyway.



- Never ever mix vodka and wine in the same glass. EVER. Even if first years are calling you old and saying you cant drink. It will not end well. You do not have to prove anything.

- Dancing on the table seems like a good idea until you have to live 2 years with a bent table

- Flat parties are the best because you can party in your slippers and all the essentials such as toilet, fridge and bed are close by.

- You will never have enough glasses for pre drinks, mugs, jugs, jam jars and even just a straw in the sourz bottle will be used.

- Always sleep in the day after drinking long enough that someone else cleans up the sticky mess in the kitchen.

- Never leave cake or biscuits out in the open because they will be stolen and you will never find the culprit. Even your boring rich teas will be stolen. Nothing is safe

- Tea & toast before bed is the best hangover preventative and is essential

- There is always going to be one flatmate that is an asshole

- There is also the one that doesn't really talk

- Drunk selfies are the best selfies. Take all the selfies

- Hash brown sandwiches at 2am are the best food in the world

- Drunkenly attempting yoga in the kitchen is probably not the best idea.

- Spontaneous days out to no where in particular are the best especially if you are supposed to be revising at the time. I saw more of Anglesey when I was supposed to be revising than any other time

- It's really difficult to say no to McDonalds chicken nuggets. Someone will come up with a reason why your excuse is not valid.

- Making tea is the best way to procrastinate work, I mean you get a cuppa out of it. The amount of tea I drank during dissertation writing is unreal.

- Trying to put together a fancy dress outfit is more stressful than it sounds

- Nothing really beats belting out old songs with your friends, no matter how awful your singing is.

- Yoga balls are not toys and may result in injuries but they do make good foot stools

- There is no point sacrificing a few minutes of sleep to wash/brush your hair when hats were invented

- Invest in a travel mug. Coffee in lectures is more important than a pen some days. Well probably not but it feels like it

- Buy a cape. It is a wearable blanket perfect for lectures in winter when the heating does not seem to heat. However you may fall asleep

Oh and I obviously learnt some stuff about science and things

I spend many an evening browsing the Gemporia site looking at all the gorgeous jewellery. I am obsessed with their rings but I have never taken the plunge and make an order. I'm quite picky when it comes to jewellery. Plus I have super chunky knuckles which makes ordering online difficult. So when they offered the chance to work with them I jumped at it.

I suffer quite badly with random dry patches on my face so when I was offered the chance to try a nourishing night cream I grabbed it. According to the box the Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream* uses manuka honey to draw moisture to your skin, healing calendula, vinanza grape as an antioxidant and Marlborough sauvignon blanc grape-seed extract to neutralise free radical damage. I have to admit I had no idea what some of these were until I looked them up.



"Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream is made with 100% pure avocado oil, manuka honey, marigold flower and sandalwood."




This night cream is a thick cream that applies well and definitely nourished my skin and eliminated all dry patches by the morning ready for my makeup. It comes in a sturdy glass pot with a twist lid that is small enough for my crappy hands to open most of the time. My only issue with it is it made my skin so oily when I applied it. It wasn't too bad by morning but it still felt a tad greasy

The box says that it is suited to most skin types including ultra-dry. I would however say that if you suffer from particularly oily skin this may not be the one for you. But it would probably be pretty good for ultra dry skin because it really does put the moisture back into the skin. It sorted out my dry patches almost instantly

Antipodes night cream also has quite a strong smell. I'm not really sure how to describe it other than it smells a bit medicinal. It's not unpleasant but if you have sensitivities to scent this might not be the cream for you.

At £33.99 I'm not sure I'd repurchase for 2 reasons
1. It made my skin too oily
2. I'm poor and there are so many excellent highstreet skin care brands I'm not sure I could justify spending a weeks food shop on night cream.

However, If you can get past going to bed with a super shiny face that smells a bit odd then it really does nourish and moisturise your skin leaving it super soft the next day.

As you may know both my brother and I have to use wheelchairs to get around. My brothers mobility is worse than mine as he completely looses the ability to even move his legs some days whereas mine move they just hurt like hell. 

When my brother first started using a wheelchair a couple of years ago he got really down and saw it as the end of his social life. He then got a bit better and had to use it a bit less. Then his health took a turn for the worse and he's now back in it permanently, even around the house. 

He joined wheelchair basketball at a low point and it literally changed his life. He became more positive and had goals to work towards again including a try out for the welsh wheelchair basketball team. 

He was also contacted by Whizz Kidz which is a charity that work with disabled children to enable them to have fun and learn valuable skills.



Unfortunately I was still in uni when he had his first meet up with them. But I got to make it to their ambassador club. This is where young people in wheelchairs for all different kinds of reasons get to meet up for the day and have a good time whilst learning confidence in themselves and their wheelchair abilities as well as making new friends.

My brother is beyond confident in his wheelchair and borders on scary. He goes everywhere in a wheelie and at full speed. If he makes a wrong turn and falls out he just flips himself back up and carries on (I tend to just sit and laugh and say I told you so - Job of a caring sister). I however have a brain and am more cautious. However, it was so nice though to see him encouraging others to have more fun in their chairs and that they don't have to restrict you. 

On the Ambassador club day we got to know everyone and had fun in our introductions, had a music quiz (my team lost by 1/2 a point, devastated does not even cover it). We then went outside and played games which was such a laugh and things got very competitive against the 2 teams. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and am hoping to volunteer with them very soon. Its such a great environment and everyone is so lovely especially the whizz kidz trainers. 

They offer so much, including wheelchair skill training so that you can get the most out of your chair and learn how to do things such as climb curbs etc. which is so useful for young people who are just getting used to chairs. They cater for young people up to the age of 25 so if you need some help with your chair skills I would definitely recommend you check them out and they run all over the country.

So if you know any young people who are in wheelchairs and want to have more fun (and who doesnt) then you should definitely recommend Whizz Kidz to them

I am terrible for painting my nails at stupid o'clock, usually when I can't sleep. This means I always get the dreaded duvet print from lack of drying time. That was until the magic that is Barry M Quick dry polish. I painted my nails about and hour before going to bed because I was in a rush and resigned myself to duvet print and woke up to beautifully smooth nails. Magic.

I first picked up the pastel shades but they never seem to look as good as I want them to. They just don't seem to suit me. Plus my mum hates them and always goes on about it. She just doesn't understand fashion clearly.


 The pastel shades I chose were Eat My Dust a pale blue/grey and Kiss Me Quick a pastel pink. I love eat my dust (and the name) and can see me getting a lot of use out of it once I have a tan. I haven't actually tried Kiss me quick yet because I feel like it will look better in the summer.

I was overjoyed, like beyond acceptable levels of excited, when I saw they were extending the range to include some brighter colours. I'm a bright nail girl all the way, well that and dark nails. I skipped (rolled in my chair) to superdrug and purchased Get Set Go and practised some restraint which was very difficult. I am in love with this colour. It's a bright in your face pink and looks amazing on.

The polishes live up to their speedy quick dry name and are touch dry pretty much as soon as you finish. The only issue I found was because they dry so fast you had to work fast to get a smooth coat as they could go a bit tacky. However, I did manage to get a smooth finish and any imperfections were sorted out when I applied my top coat (habit) which didn't seem to affect the drying time. They also have a new wider, flat brush which makes application a lot easier and smoother.


I would definitely recommend these polishes. I will probably end up picking up some more to add to my ever growing collection much to my dads horror (I asked him to build me some nail polish shelves and when he saw how many I had I thought his eyes were gonna pop out).

If you are on twitter you may have seen Prairie Charms. They are seriously the nicest, friendliest people on twitter. They specialise in accessories as well as cute things such as paper straws and washi tape. The list goes on. Just be assured that everything is super cute and there is also a lot of glitter involved.

You may remember that I posted about the Katsya glitter bow band a while ago and got very excited about my macro glitter shot much to my dads confusion. So when I was asked if I wanted to get in on the Pizzazz I got a lil bit excited.


The Prairie Pizzazz is a subscription box with a different theme each time and it comes in a pizza box packed full with a variety of "toppings". This months theme was Festival and it was worth the excitement. There was a variety of hair accessories including bows & flowers, jewellery, straws, popcorn, nail stickers and even a cute foil print from Dotty Rocks which is going to look amazing in my newly decorated room. Weirdly I was most excited by the hair ties because I have been wanting to try some for ageeesss plus they are my favourite print ever. Galaxy and glitter (there was also a black one but that is currently in my hair).

Okay you ready for the pictures? Theres a few and I didn't even include everything.






There were also extras like a list of all the pizzazz toppings, a list of blogs to check out, a loyalty card and a money off voucher (I am totally eyeing up one of their floral garlands).

Also because they are super lovely and it was my birthday the week they were sorting the boxes they made me a gorgeous birthday crown and they picked a colour that would look amazing with my hair. Personalisation at its best and they were so right. I feel fabulous and quite often rock it around the house in a fantabulous pyjama crown combo. I'll do another post on this because it deserves to be centre of attention

At £25 I'm not sure if this is something I will keep up every time just because I'm poor and I'm worried it might get a bit repetitive. There's only so many hair accessories a girl can have. Buuuutt I am excited to see what they do with the next box and that may convince me otherwise.

If you think this is something you want in on you can get a full size deluxe box like this one for £25 or you can get a slice box which is smaller but still awesome for £15.

All you have to do is tweet @Prairie_Charms with what you want and the hashtag #MERMAIDPIZZAZZ to get the offer.

I am a huge fan of Paul Finch and his Heckenburg series. I reviewed the first 2 books in the series Stalkers and Sacrifce and I have now finally got around to reading the 3rd book in the series, The Killing Club, after both my parents stole it. This series is an action packed crime thriller and oh so good. If you love to be kept on the edge of your seats then go check them out.

This is now the only nail polish remover I use. Is nail polish remover love. I used to buy whatever was cheap and I went through tons of it because it was crap and it didn't really do my nails any good. My nails are pretty weak anyway and that definitely didn't help.


My mum got me the Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover for weak nails to put in my stocking a couple of Christmases ago. She chose it because she knows my nails are a state. They flake all the time and they are stained from painting without a base coat (I know terrible, don't worry I have learned from my mistake). Its specially for weak nails and has vitamins & moisturisers in it and a Nail whitening formula which I desperately needed.

My nails are definitely in better condition since using this instead of the 99p crap. It's still only £2.17 so won't break the bank and it lasts so much longer. I can use one cotton pad for all 10 fingers a lot of the time, unless it is a particularly stubborn polish or the dreaded glitter. Glitter uses about a billion cotton pads.

My nails feel stronger and it is definitely moisturising. I've also noticed that this paired with actually using a basecoat my nails are actually nail colour again. Well from what I've seen in between taking off nail polish and reapplying. I really hate my naked nails. Its also great for cleaning up edges with a cotton bud as it wipes away excess effortlessly.