SUMMER READING

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Since entering the world of eBooks and Goodreads at the start of this summer, I have discovered so many new books and authors that I have truly fallen in love with. They all seem to be of a murder mystery come psychological thriller genre and very Gillian Flynn-esque. I thought I'd share a few that I've read - the good, the bad and the ugly - to hopefully give you some bookspiration if you're not sure what to read next.

It all started with The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins which is an absolutely fab book that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I think I may have finished the book within about 2-3 days as I just couldn't put it down. The book is narrated by the different characters which I find makes it more fast pace as you are eager to find out what's happening next with a particular character. The characters are fab and I feel as though I can relate to all 3 of the main ladies in the book in some way which I like as I find it engages the reader a bit more. Overall a fantastic book and I would recommend to anyone and everyone!

After finishing that book, I needed something to fill the mystery-and-suspense-less void in my life and so took to Google to tell me which books were like TGOTT. I came across The Good Girl by Mary Kubica which is all about the kidnapping of a young girl. Whilst reading this book I really wasn't a fan and I almost hated the characters - giving them the eye roll whenever something totally predictable happened. However on reflection,  I did actually enjoy it as there is a cheeky plot twist at the end however it's not really developed enough to score as highly as TGOTT, but a fab book nonetheless.

The next three novels are all by the same author. Of course, it's Gillian Flynn. I honestly have no idea how it has taken me so long to discover her but she is honestly amazing. Now you will have all read at least one her books. It's Gone Girl, of course. An absolutely FAB book that I can't rave about enough.  After I finished the book I couldn't wait to watch the film, but sadly I felt sad/annoyed at the casting choice of Amy and Nick (and Desi) and so switched it off. This has slightly tainted my image of Gone Girl but definitely give the book a read if you haven't all ready. After Gone Girl I read Dark Places which is also a fab, murder mystery told by different characters in both the past and present day. It's definitely worth the read if you enjoyed Gone Girl. I then read Sharp Objects which is my absolute fave. Seriously. It's amazing. It's most certainly on par with Gone Girl (I personally prefer Sharp Objects after the Gone Girl film fiasco) and is definitely not a predictable story line in the slightest. Flynn definitely knows how to keep us on our toes, doesn't she?

I came across the Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll during one of my Google searches which is one I probably won't be raving about as much. The thing is, there wasn't really a story line and it almost felt as if it wasn't going anyway. After reading such amazing books with the craziest of plot twists by Gillian Flynn, I was just underwhelmed with this book unfortunately. I felt like there were so many characters that just weren't developed enough and I can barely remember what it was about.

Similarly, Dare Me by Megan Abbott was another reasonably boring book in comparison to others. It's about cheerleaders in high school which makes the writing style and themes very unsophisticated compared to books like Gone Girl. Furthermore, after reading some of the reviews on Goodreads, it appears that there are some pretty confusing mistakes in the book like bleachers in the locker room, the coaching having a bob one week then plaits the next etc etc. Despite this, I have given the author another go and I am now reading The End of Everything. I'm about half way through but whether I actually finish it...

If you'd like to follow me on Goodreads you can here.

What books have you been reading this summer?

Lots of love,

Olivia

WHAT'S IN MY NIGHT OUT BAG?

Nights out are great, right? Until you realise you've forgetten your ID, debit card or even worse - eyelash glue!!! For this reason, I have compiled a checklist of all the things you should be stuffing in your tiny clutch for a night on the toon.

Phone - goes without saying. How else are you going to remember your night out without the hilarious/hideous photos on your camera roll. Or if you're like me, the double chinned selfie posted on your snapchat story.

Keys - even if you're on the pull and plan on going home with someone else - always bring your keys! It could go tits up (not in a good way).

Money/debit card - for when you're feeling generous and decide to get the next round.. again.

ID - depending on your age and if you have a baby face like me, this one is probably optional.

Eyelash glue - as mentioned before, this is an absolute essential. You can't be walking round with a wonky eyelash or with one half way down your cheek. Also there's no greater feeling than offering your tiny vial of glue to a girl in need in the loos.

Perfume - if you don't fancy buying a spray from the 'no Armani, no punani' toilet attendant, it's best to bring your own perfume. Realistically, you don't want to be carrying a whole bottle round all night so it's good to invest in a Traval O mini refillable one.

Lipstick - there's nothing worse than getting a drink with no straw and having all of your lippy disappear within 2 minutes of arrival, so make sure you bring your favourite lip product with you for a cheeky top up in the ladies. Preferably bring a nude so you don't end up leaving the club looking like the Joker.

Powder & Brush - so you don't look like a sweaty mess. Enough said.

I'd love to hear what your essentials are on a night out!

Olivia

A LEVEL RESULTS & UNIVERSITY

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Hey guys. Long time no see, huh? It's been a while. As much as I'd love to say I'm back for good and shall be posting more regularly, I can't. My life has been pretty busy as of late and I can't say that's going to change. However, I'm really gonna try and make this work!

As the title suggests, the topic of this post will be all about A level results and the daunting task that is heading off to University! Whether you've just got your results and are planning the 7 day bender that is freshers. Or your uni days feel like a life time ago, I'm hoping you both can still enjoy this post. I'm the former, after collecting my results on the 18th (3A*s, don't you know?) I've been very much looking forward to arriving to my flat later on this month. I'm going to be studying Dentistry and the University of Sheffield and couldn't be more chuffed with myself to be very honest. My exams felt like they went bloody awful and I was pooing myself on the morning of results. However, all is well.

I actually haven't bought much for Uni yet which is making me feel very unprepared. I'm thinking of bringing most things from home like plates, bowls, bedding etc etc. It's very nerve racking, isn't it? You can probably tell I'm nervous from my erratic, no structure prose in this post. If only to be as organised as the picture I've used suggests. Actually, I've just come across The Organised Student on Pinterest and think they're bloody fab. They've even got me googling desk organiser.

I'm hoping to do an updated post re university when I'm there (if I survive) and hopefully maybe have a series on it. If anyone is looking to go to university or is doing A levels at the moment and has any questions, I'd love to help.

Lots of love,

Olivia

NEW IN: BEAUTY HAUL

 

I have started 2016 as I mean to go on, being a little bit naughty by handing over quite a bit of $$ to the lovely people in Boots. In saying that, I did justify every purchase with a valid reason, valid being used very loosely here as I'm not sure that "treat yo' self" is the best justification by any means.

 

 Anywho, the damage has been done so I thought why not share it with you all. I'll start off with one of my most favourite purchase, the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder (£19.50), I've been lusting over this product for far too long now and as soon as I saw it was in stock in Space NK I knew I needed it. I even paid £5 for shipping. (Yes, £5!!!) Although I haven't had this product for very long, I have been really liking it and will probably do a review very soon! Another one of favourite purchase has to be the MAC Prep and Prime 24 Hour Extend Eye Base (£16), I have just recently written a post on this explaining why I love it. In short, it's great and I definitely prefer it to their paint pots! I also purchased three nail polishes, one was one of the new Barry M Sunset Nail Paint (£4.99) but I haven't got much use out of this as I didn't realise you needed the top coat with it to see the full effect. The other two nail polishes are from Urban Outfitters which I only bought to get the total in my bag up to get free delivery (we've all been there.. admit it). Even so, the nude shade is really pretty and almost a terracotta colour which I think will look very apt as we move into Spring. The other is a glitter polish which seems a bit poo, I'm sure I'll still get some use out of it though. After buying the Morphe 35P palette I really wanted a purple base to make the eyeshadows pop even more, so I got the Barry M Bold Waterproof Liner in Purple (£3.99) on a bit of a whim but I could not believe how beautiful this product is! It's lovely and creamy and lasts such a long time, I could not recommend this product enough. I'm definitely going to be making another trip to Boots to pick up a few more shades from the range. Two skincare items I purchased included the Body Shop Hemp Face Protector (£8) and the Una Brennan Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil (£10.99). I hoped these two would help the dry skin on my face as I suffer with eczema, however I felt like they made it much worse! It's such a shame as the Una Brennan Super Facialist Cleanser felt so lovely on the skin and removed make up in a flash! I may try them again after my eczema has cleared up but I am a little scared it could cause it to flare up again.

 

That wraps up my haul post! Have you had a cheeky splurge recently?

Thanks for reading,

Liv

 

UNDER EYE TRIO - NO CREASING!!

MAC Prep and Prime 24 Hour Extended Eye Base, Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

For me, concealer is both a blessing and a curse. Yes, it covers my dark circles and certainly makes me look wide awake, yet it always creases on me and settles into fine lines making me look 18 going on 80! It's really not a good look and choosing between looking young and tired or old and awake is a tough one for me. So, I've been on the hunt for products I can use in conjunction with my concealer to stop me from looking a creasy mess. First up I use the MAC Prep and Prime 24 Hour Extend Eye Base (£16) to prep my under eyes. As this product is intended to prime the lids to prevent creasing of eyeshadows, it works wonders in preventing the concealer and powder from creasing and moving during the day. I have quite dry under eyes and I have to say this product is great for me as it doesn't dry out my under eyes but rather smooths everything out. Next up is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (£17.50) which I just apply in thin layers under my eyes, then using either a damp make up sponge or my fingers to blend it in. This concealer is very lightweight yet provides a decent amount of coverage. Next up is a new addition to my stash, the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder (£19.50), I take a small amount of this on a brush and gently pat the concealer into place. I find this product really is the star of the show as it helps to prevent creasing and just blurs any fine lines! As I mentioned, I have only just got my hands on this product so I'm not sure how it performs when flash photography is involved but I will do a full review very soon!

 

Have you got any favourite crease proof products?

 

Thanks for reading,

Liv

MORPHE 35O PALETTE

Without flash

With flash

Let us just take a moment to appreciate the Morphe 35O Palette (£20.75)

 

The 35O Palette is one of Morphe's most coveted beauty products and I'm sure we can all see why, although these photos really do not do any of the shades justice. It is an absolutely stunning palette full of warm browns, golds and burnt orange eyeshadows with a variety of finishes including matte, satin and super-shimmery. The pigmentation in most of these shadows are phenomenal! I say most as a few of the shades did let me down a little as they didn't feel as high quality as the rest of the shadows. A few of my favourites include the top shade on the second to last column, it doesn't look anything special in the pan but it looks amazing on the eye as a transition shade! I also love using the third shadow down in that same column in the centre of my lid when doing a spot light eye. I'm going to be posting a make up look using this palette soon so keep your eyes peeled for that one! I would highly recommend this palette to anyone that loves eyeshadow, in particularly warm shades. This palette does go out of stock very quickly so if you want it you will have to be quick as it's every man for himself out there ;) For reference, stockists include Beauty Bay, Beauty Chamber, Cult Beauty or the Morphe website.

 

Thank you for reading! Have you tried any Morphe Eyeshadow Palettes?

 

Liv

YOUTUBE MADE ME BUY IT

Watching YouTube tutorials is definitely one of my favourite past times and has been for many years now. I have a few favourite YouTubers whose tutorials I just have to watch as not only is the make up amazing but also the personality that shines through in their videos make me love them even more. In saying that, I'm not sure my bank balance feels the same way as many of these online sensations have caused me to depart with my cash on multiple occasions! I thought I'd sum up some of the most recent purchases that have been heavily inspired by a few of my favourite bloggers.

First up is something that Nikkie from NikkieTutorials raves about in almost every video, of course its the Nivea Men Post Shave Balm (£5.29). Nikkie says that the second most used ingredient is glycerine and glycerine makes stuff stick to it therefore helping all of your base make up to last all day. I've been using this as a primer for a few months now and I absolutely love it! With this 8primer, foundations that used to slide off my face half way through the day now last right until I get home from Sixth Form, granted I still get a bit shiny in the t-zone but it still works wonders! I'd highly recommend you pick this up next time you're in Boots or Superdrug, I can guarantee you won't regret it! Another product I bought because of Nikkie is also theBalm's Mary Lou Manizer (£15.70) which is a lovely pale gold highlighter. Many bloggers, youtubers and instagrammers sing Mary Lou's praises and rightly so! It's very intense and it's quite easy to go overboard with this one but, as Nikkei would say, you can never have too much glow!

The next two are because of Jaclyn Hill and they are both for under the eyes. The first product is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (£17.50) which is a lovely lightweight concealer that has a medium coverage. This is definitely one of the best concealers I've ever used as it doesn't look too cakey under the eyes (although it does crease like a mf on me). As it is so lightweight it's also great for highlighting too! The other product is Emphasise Shaping Powder from MAC (£16.50)which I like to use after I've set my under eyes with my face powder then I use the tiniest amount of Emphasise as it does have some shimmer running through it. I only really use this when I'm going for full on glam as I do find this powder a little bit too much for everyday.

If you're a make up addict and on instagram you're probably already aware of Jamie Genevieve who is just a make up genius/wizard/all round goddess. Well, after spending an afternoon watching all of her tutorials I knew I had to get the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (£15). Jamie's eyebrows looked amazing after using this as well as making the application look absolutely effortless. She also explained how to create a softer brow with the product and also a more defined brow and gave some expert tips to make the application as easy as possible. I now use Dip Brow almost every time I do my brows and I haven't looked back since!

If you're a fan of Lauren Curtis you will know she always raves about the L'Oreal True Match Foundation (£9.99) and how lovely it looks on the skin. I had already tried this foundation before watching her videos but I decided to give it another go after watching her videos and now it is my everyday go-to foundation! It is definitely one of the best more affordable foundations out there and it's definitely worth a try if you're on the market for a new one.

A few more of my favourite YouTubers I'd like to give a mention to are Katy from LustreLux, Chrisspy, Desi Perkins, Rach Leary and Manny MUA - go check em out if you haven't already!

Who are you fave YouTubers?

 

Liv

2016

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Happy New Year!

I hope you're all having a fabulous start to 2016! I thought I would start this year as I mean to go on by finally getting back into blogging. I have some posts lined up and hopefully this year I'll be posting much more frequently than last year! I'm not really making any proper New Year's resolutions that are set in stone as I never keep them anyway. Instead I'm just going to try my best in everything I do. I'm also going to try not to get too addicted to social media and compare myself to others as that can really get you down sometimes! Anyway, I hope 2016 is amazing for all of us and it is full of fun and happiness. I'm determined to make this year my year (although I think I said the exact same thing last year lol) for blogging and everything else that I wasn't so good at last year.

Thanks for reading,

Liv