The Doll Maker by Richard Montanari
Book// The Doll Maker
29 May 2016
I'm trying to read more this year as I massively failed my reading challenge last year. I'm going to beast it this year. The title and the cover of this book intrigued me.
Stila One Step Correct
27 May 2016
When I got my sky internet I was given a £100 M&S voucher. I had a look and there was nothing else I wanted which meant I got to spend the voucher on Stila. Win. I hadn't tried any of their products until Sarah convinced me to get the Eternal Love Liquid Lipstick Set and it was love at first sight. Stila is seriously one of my favourite brands for liquid lipsticks. Their staying power is incredible and the colours are gorgeous. So I thought I would try some of the other products they had to offer and I needed a new primer so it had to be done really.
(Mirror from Welsh Girl Problems)
Lottie Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser
24 May 2016
The amount of time that I leave between washing my brushes is disgusting. I am sooo lazy when it comes to washing brushes. I've only ever tried one Lottie nail varnish but I read loads of good reviews on the Lottie Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser. I thought I'd pick it up in a 3 for 2 offer at superdrug to see if it helped with my laziness and I'm so glad I did
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Logik Coffee Maker
16 May 2016
Everyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with coffee. Seriously. Coffee is life and I am one moody bitch if I don't get my morning cuppa. So when I moved to my new house I knew I absoulutely had to have a coffee machine because faffing about with a cafetiere is just effort. I was about to purchase one when my lovely Uncle & Aunty said they would get it for me as a house warming pressie. Life made.
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23 Years Of Wisdom
11 May 2016
It was my birthday yesterday and I am now the grand old age of 23. Although I feel more like 93 today my body is not impressed with life. I thought I would share with you some of the wisdom I have picked up along the way.
Have an old picture of me wearing a tiara because I have no idea what picture to put with this
2. There is no such thing as too much tea
3. Leggings as pants are the only pants I want to wear
4. Gym gear is the best gear for eating in - stretchability
5. Body pillows are the best thing every invented - especially for curling up on the sofa in a lil pillow nest.
6. It is safe to say I will never ever be a morning person. Not even when I'm going on holiday
7. Being an adult sucks except for when you get to say that cake for breakfast is a-okay
8. University isn't all its cracked up to be
9. High school can be a bitch
10. Doctors don't always know best - get a second or third opinion - I'm looking at you Dr who wanted to cut off my legs because they hurt and Dr you're an attention seeker.
11. You can make some of your closest friends online. Seriously my bestest friends were made on twitter
12. Having to use a wheelchair is not the end of the world and does in fact give you more freedom
13. Never get gerbils because your friends two are really cute and cuddly because you will be blessed with the Devils offspring
14. Mums do "sometimes" know best but shhh dont tell them I told you
15. There is no better milkshake than a Mcdonalds vanilla milkshake
16. Selfies are awesome. Take all the selfies. You look amazing
17. Life is more fun when you don't care what other people think
18. Some days just call for a beige meal - Turkey dinosaurs and potato waffles anyone?
19. There is nothing scarier than losing sight of a spider before going to bed
20. Never stick your little finger in a pencil sharpener - I dont know why 5 year old me ever thought that was a good idea tbh
21. Wearing real bras is overrated. Sports bras for life
22. Never throw sand in the air on a windy day
23. Always double check which setting you put the oven on because grilling pizza and fairy cakes does not work
Do you have any wise words to pass on?
Beth...x
Nivea Post Shave Balm as a Primer
4 May 2016
I'm sure you have seen so many people in the blog world raving about the Nivea Post Shave Balm as a primer. Now I very rarely jump onto hypes (mainly because Im poor). But I had run out of my primer and was putting off buying more, because money, when I happened to find an unopened one of these in the cupboard. I'm assuming one of my brothers or dad got it for Christmas and never used it. So I decided to give it a whirl and see what all the hype was about.
(Card by Dorkface - etsy)
First off I would like to ask why male products get fancy glass packaging for a very small price tag and we get flimsy, boring plastic for a much higher price. Definitely not fair.
To start with I loved this as a primer. The smell is quite strong when you apply it but it fades pretty quick. I found it applied nicely and made the application of my foundation easier. The lasting power of my makeup was also pretty damn good. Downside is I always end up pouring too much out because I am clearly not a genius at this kind of thing but I was massively converted to this as a primer.
Recently though, all my foundations have been sitting badly on my face including the ones I have worn for years. I'm not sure what's causing it. I know my skin is incredibly dry but I'm not sure if it is linked to this as a primer. I've stopped using it and am now using a Stila one and it does seem to be getting better. I don't know if they're linked but my love affair was nice while it lasted.
To start with I loved this as a primer. The smell is quite strong when you apply it but it fades pretty quick. I found it applied nicely and made the application of my foundation easier. The lasting power of my makeup was also pretty damn good. Downside is I always end up pouring too much out because I am clearly not a genius at this kind of thing but I was massively converted to this as a primer.
Recently though, all my foundations have been sitting badly on my face including the ones I have worn for years. I'm not sure what's causing it. I know my skin is incredibly dry but I'm not sure if it is linked to this as a primer. I've stopped using it and am now using a Stila one and it does seem to be getting better. I don't know if they're linked but my love affair was nice while it lasted.
Have you tried the post shave balm as a primer?
What did you think?
Beth...x
Nars Sheer Glow
Everyone and their mum seems to rave about Nars Sheer Glow foundation. Well that's what it feels like anyway. My aunty gave me a gift voucher for John Lewis for Christmas so that I could treat myself to a more high end foundation (instead of my usual bourjois and rimmel ones). As I have dry skin the sheer glow was the one recommended to me.
Unfortunately I seem to be one of the very few who just can't get on with this foundation. The only positive I have to say about this is that the shade matched my skin tone pretty damn well (I got Deauville).
Considering it was recommended for dry skin it made my skin look even worse. It cracked and separated on my cheeks and clung to any remotely dry patches on my forehead. Even when I ex-foliated and moisturised the shit out of my face it still found mystery dry patches and just didn't sit right. My skin also seems to suck this stuff up so I have to apply twice as much which isn't great when it's pretty pricey compared to my usual £10ish. The lasting power was also really poor.
I was so gutted that I didn't get to experience the love that everyone else has for this foundation *cries*. Probably just going to stick to the cheaper options so that I don't cry so much if I don't get on with it.
Also is there any need to charge extra for the pump? I mean really? When you're already charging £31 for a foundation it seems a tad greedy to charge extra for the pump.
Did you love Sheer Glow as much as everyone else?
Also any foundation recommendations for dry skin?
Beth...x
LightStim for Pain
2 May 2016
A few weeks ago I received a super lovely PR email from someone who had most definitely read my blog and wondered if I wanted to try the LightStim for Pain* to see if it would help. If you don't know I have a condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) as well as Fibromyalgia which means I struggle with a lot of dislocations and a hell of a lot of pain. I'm in pain every day so I'll try most things to see if they can help in any way. I was pretty excited to give the LightStim a go especially after all the overdoing it I did moving house.
"The revolutionary LightStim for Pain provides a non-invasive and natural way to ease discomfort from pains and aches. It helps to reduce inflammation while accelerating the body's innate healing process by delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues in need of repair. This device emits a warm and soothing LED light that is clinically proven to help relieve arthritic pain, muscle and joint pain, whilst increasing blood circulation, accelerating the healing process and diminishing bruising."
I have mixed feelings about this product. The price is obviously a massive downside because £249.00 is a lot of money to spend on anything, unfortunately, I don't have that kind of money spare. And let's be honest if I did I would probably spend it on something more exciting.
The LightStim is super easy to use. You just plug it in, turn it on and hold it on your chosen area. Foolproof. I would recommend an extension lead though because the cable isn't that long and my plug sockets are all in stupid places. I would love to know who designed my house because they suck. Also, I move way too much and ended up pulling the cable out the end without an extension lead.
One of the other downsides is you have to hold it in place unless you get a bit creative. If I'm using it on my shoulder I tend to tuck it under my bra strap and on my back I tuck it into my leggings. Knees are the most annoying. I also found that because the surface is so hard it actually hurt to have it against body parts that are bony like knees and shoulders. That's probably due to my fibro sensitivities though.
However, once the LightStim gets warm it does feel really good. I can feel my muscles warming up and it does ease the pain. The problem I have is, even though the LED light probably adds to the pain relief it doesn't feel that much different to a heat pad or a hot water bottle which are that much cheaper and can actually be moulded around difficult joints. Also, my polar bear hot water bottle is cute af.
On the plus side, the LightStim is definitely safer to use than a hot water bottle, which if you're like me you can't fill on your own without a serious burn risk. It's also small and compact enough to pack in the little bag it comes with so you can take it with you when you go away.
You can use it post-workout for soreness, accidents and sports injuries, backaches, arthritis, and to speed healing of cuts, abrasions and bruises. You can also get LightStim for wrinkles and LightStim for acne.
Overall I would say the LightStim does feel nice and did ease my aches and pains but it is out of a lot of peoples budgets. There were also a few reasons why it didn't really work for me. I would probably just stick to a hot water bottle (filled by an adult) but I am really glad I got to give it a go.
Have you tried any of the LightStim range?
Beth...x
* I was sent this product free of charge for the purpose of reviewing however it does not affect my views and the opinions expressed in this review are independent and my own
* I was sent this product free of charge for the purpose of reviewing however it does not affect my views and the opinions expressed in this review are independent and my own