An alternative to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes?



Ever since laying my eyes on the ambient lighting blushes from Hourglass it has been hard to keep them off my mind. Baked blushes have always intrigued me yet I was sceptical of spending nearly £30 on something that I may not even like. Don't get me wrong the raving reviews on the Hourglass blushes suggest that I wouldn't be disappointed but I am always willing to try a drugstore alternative.

I discovered that Max Factor had brought out their own versions of a baked blush through another beauty blog and I knew instantly that the next time I visited Boots I would be buying one of these blushes.

Similarly to the Hourglass blushes, these Max Factor blushes are gorgeous just to look at in the pan. The shade I chose is '05 Lovely Pink' and is a mixture of pink and golden tones which also features some shimmer. I think it is this shimmer which gives a highlighting effect when applied to the cheeks as well as a healthy flush of colour from the shade itself. What I love about this blush in particular is that it is so buildable. I love the way that it can be used to add a subtle highlight and flush but I can also see how it could be easily built up to give a stronger look. At first I wasn't sure about the shimmer but it really does give your skin that extra glow without making you look obviously glittery or sparkly. The  formulation of this product is also great as it doesn't feel heavy or chalky on the skin. I find that my Real Techniques blush brush picks up exactly the right amount of product and it applies so well to the cheeks.

Another bonus of this product for me is the no-nonsense packaging. I love the very simple round compact and the fact that the clear lid showcases those beautiful shades. I also like that Max Factor haven't fussed around trying to squeeze a mirror in and has focused entirely on the product itself. Although these blushes are relatively small, I have been religiously using them every day for around a month now and it doesn't even look like I've touched the product aside from the fact that admittedly you can see where my brush has been swirling around the pan.

If anyone I knew was looking for a new blush I would steer them immediately in this direction. There are so many shade variations in this range and the product itself is fantastic. At only £8.99 they are considerably cheaper than the Hourglass blushes and will be a firm favourite of mine as we move into the Spring months. 

Dove Style+Care Heat Protect Spray Review

Over the past few months I've been trying and testing out a new heat protectant spray from Dove. This spray is part of their Style+Care collection and claims to protect hair up to 230 degrees.
  This product has been so easy to use, you just apply a few sprays evenly through towel dried hair and then style as usual. I usually spray this on and then comb through my hair just to ensure that the product has been evenly distributed throughout.
  Whilst using this product I've found that it is so lightweight and it doesn't weight your hair down so you can easily use other styling products afterwards without causing your hair to become flat or even slightly greasy. It doesn't even feel as though you have added more product to your hair.
 I've also noticed a difference in the quality and appearance of my own hair. After using this religiously for a few weeks I noticed that my hair looks so much healthier and it helps it to become silkier and glossier. Also I've found that from using this product I have suffered with less spilt ends whilst still finding myself using a hairdryer almost everyday.
  The product itself also smells amazing, which you can still smell throughout the day on your hair and this is one of the many advantages of the product. It just feels and smells so luxurious although it is incredibly well priced at only £4.59 for 200ml which lasts an reasonable amount of time. I think I bought this product around October time and I'm still nowhere near the end of my first bottle.
  I'm also loving the packaging of the product and like the way that Dove has kept it simple with just a little bit of colour to brighten it up slightly. As with their other products, they use white bottles but have added something extra which makes it appear pearly which I really like.
  You can even use this product on dry hair to protect it from the heat damage caused by curling or straightening your hair. When you hair is dry you are directed to 'mist' the product over your hair and then style as desired. I think this makes the product stand out a little from the other heat protectors out there because I am yet to use one which recommends use even on dry hair.
 Overall I think this is a great addition to the Dove range and is a brilliant product if you are looking for something that is going to protect your hair, smells gorgeous and can even help to make your hair look healthier and glossier. I know for certain that this product has secured its place in my collection and for only £4.59 you can't really go wrong with this product!

Max Factor 'The Face' Review

 

So whilst I was shopping a few months ago Max Factor were giving away a free gift when you spent over £15 on makeup. Around the time the winner of the TV show 'The Face' had just been announced and so the gift was tied in with that. As I was running low on both foundation and powder I easily spent £15 and was quite intrigued to see what was inside and to test out the products.

Inside the box were three of Max Factor's products as well as a few leaflet tutorials to bulk out the rest of the gift. The products were one of the relatively new 'lipfinity' lip products, a false lash effect mascara and a nail polish.

 

The first product that I decided to test out would be the  lipfinity lip colour in the shade 340 Essential Natural, which to be honest hadn't appealed to me before. The product itself consists of two parts, the colour for the lips and then a clear topcoat which is very similar to a balm. The reason why this product had not appealed to me before is because I am not the biggest fan of lipgloss, I much prefer a lipstick or balms.
  However, I decided to give this a go and one of the best things about this product is the packaging. I love the way that they are very sleek and sophisticated and I think the classic colours and combinations make them look luxurious. Although the concept of having two parts to this product may be good, I find that it is a bit unnecessary to have two tubes, where other brands have managed to fit them into one, such as the Rimmel 1000 Kisses lip stains.
  Having two tubes is such a hassle if you throw away the original box because you have to make sure you remember both of them and there is no way you can make sure they stay together.
  Inside the coloured part of the product is a lip gloss with a doe foot applicator which makes application really easy although it would be quite difficult to use one of your own brushes to apply. I've also found that for all the packaging there isn't much product inside. With these retailing at £8.99 it is quite a substantial amount to pay for a product of this type. I can think of some more affordable and quite simply better products than these so I'm not sure I would actually buy these.
  Still focusing on the colour, the shade that I received within the gift is a beautiful pink/nude with the slightest bit of shimmer in it. The idea is to apply this first to your lips and then follow up with the clear balm. Although I really love the colour, I'm not so sure on the formulation. I found this to be really sticky and just doesn't feel luxurious or nice at all. In addition, I've found that it takes a long time to get dry enough to apply the next stage and just having your lips stick together is really not what I expected or wanted. Even when the colour is dry it still has the same feeling. However, the colour does dry to a beautiful matte shade and if the formulation was better I think you would be able to wear this without the balm. It also has no scent to it, which means that if you are not a fan of perfumed products, this might be an advantage to you.
  The balm itself is very simple, in that it is identical to most bog-standard clear balms. You simply apply this on top of the colour and it rehydrates your lips and gets rid of the awful sticky sensation. Admittedly the finished result looks good and the colour is lovely, but the hassle of using two different products and the terrible formulation means that unfortunately I am not a fan, especially because of the price you would pay for one of these. The product itself does last a reasonable amount of time, but yet again if you want to touch this up you have to go through the whole process again with the colour followed by the balm.
 

The next product in the set was a nail polish from Max Factor's glossfinity range. These nail polishes retail for £5.99, which is slightly more expensive than their drugstore competitors such as Barry M and Rimmel. This particular shade is called cobalt blue and as the name suggests is a dark, almost navy blue. I haven't actually tried this product out properly yet, but from my first impressions I think it is a beautiful shade, which I'm guessing would need a couple of coats and if it lasts for up to 7 days as the packaging suggests surely it has to be a winner. There are so many colours to choose from in this range and I love the simple packaging with the gold text and black lid, which ties in with the colours of the previous product and keeps the product looking luxurious and sleek.

 

The final product in the gift set was one of Max Factor's mascaras. Immediately I was really excited to try this out because mascara is one product that I find I experiment more with, and I was interested to see if I liked this more than my current favourite mascara, the Maybelline Falsies.
   Again Max Factor has put a lot of effort into making the packaging simple yet sophisticated and the tube is actually quite big, so it seems as though you are getting a lot of product. This retails at £10.99, which is a little more expensive than other drugstore mascaras but not excessively. One thing I noticed about this mascara is that it is waterproof, which may explain the price but was also an added bonus because I don't think I've ever tried one of Max Factor's waterproof mascaras. I then also realised that was the shade black/brown, which is something completely different to what I would usually buy. Usually I would try and find the blackest shade a brand sells and so I didn't really know what to expect.

  However, I did find that when I tried out this product I couldn't see a huge difference between a black shade and this one. I think it definitely made my makeup less dramatic, but it still made my lashes look defined and slightly longer, albeit not as much as my regular mascara. I'm not sure if I would voluntarily buy another brown shade purely because I prefer the effect a black mascara has, especially because my eyelashes are quite dark anyway.
I was really impressed that the product wasn't clumpy either and the huge brush made sure that I was covering each of my lashes. I did find it was a little more difficult to apply to my lower lashes though, but I did find that I only needed to apply one coat of this.

Perhaps the one thing that disappoints me with this product is the removal. I knew because it was a waterproof product taking it off at the end of the day may not be the easiest, but even after using make-up wipes that claimed to remove waterproof makeup there was still a lot of product on my eyes. I then used my cleanser and a cotton pad to try and remove as much as a could and still found I couldn't remove it all as I found out the next morning when it was all around my eyes. The hassle of taking this product off proved too much for me and so for this reason I probably won't be repurchasing this and even though the black brown shade was something different and the product itself isn't bad at all, I still think there are other drugstore mascaras which are better.
 It has been a real eye-opener to try out some new products from a brand that I love for their foundations and powders, but unfortunately I have not fallen in love with any of these products to the extent that I would go out and buy more of them. Probably the most disappointing was the lipfinity glosses because purely on first impressions and seeing the box I thought it would be a product that would become a summer staple for me. However, the search will continue and I am excited about trying some new products out soon.

The iPhone 5S

We know live and grow up in a world full of technology. Technology which is always developing and improving and in some ways, making ordinary life much easier. In the past, when all you had in your home was a landline phone, you actually had to visit or write to people to stay in contact with them.
  Even 11 years ago, the likes of Facebook and Twitter were not even a thought, let alone two huge social media sites that attract millions of users sharing and telling people all over the world what they had for breakfast or uploading a photo of themselves with motivational song lyrics.
  What I think is the most amazing thing about the way technology has evolved is the way that it has connected people from all around the world together. Before all this was invented, you would never say meet someone from Sydney in Australia if you were living in the UK unless you actually travelled there yourselves. In fact, you wouldn't meet anybody living in the same country or even county as you unless you met them face to face. Scary.
  One of the most influential contributions to the world of technology over the past years is the introduction and development of the iPhone.
  Now it took me a very long time to finally jump onto the bandwagon, purely because I had decided to have the Blackberry Bold 9900 back in 2011 when I was due an upgrade. I then had to wait another two years before upgrading again which brought me to November of 2013.
  I firstly decided to have a blackberry as opposed to the new at the time iPhone 4S because a) I had previously had a Sony Ericsson Satio which was fully touch screen operated and after having it practically break down by the time I had finished with it I wanted to go back to buttons. Secondly Blackberry's were all the rage at the time and I just wanted to try a new brand that I had never used before.
  Admittedly, it wasn't the best nor the worst phone I had ever had. Aside from it freezing near the end of it's life quite frequently, having awful camera quality and not being able to use Instagram, it was a pretty good phone. It did everything a modern phone is made to do, text, phone and update facebook and twitter.
  So in November I decided to finally buy into one of the world's biggest brands, Apple, and get my hands on the newly released iPhone 5S.
  The phone itself comes in three different colours, silver, grey and gold. I went for the white as I thought it was the best out of the three and O2 swiftly delivered it to my door.
  I already had an iPad at the time, so I kind of knew what to expect from the iPhone. Obviously the phone has many features that the iPad doesn't but it really didn't take me long to figure out all the tricks and features. That's one thing that is so good about these phones, they are so intuitive and I was so glad to have a touch screen back!
 As this is my first ever iPhone it would be unfair to say that it is better than the previous models, but from what I've read and hear from family and friends it does not disappoint.
  Obviously I was instantly playing around with the 'Siri' function on the iPhone, asking it both stupid and sensible questions. There is no doubt that the Blackberry's have no where near anything like this on their devices and this is a huge stand out feature. However, I have found that now after having the phone for almost 4 months, I have hardly used Siri at all. I think once the novelty had worn off it became an unused feature.
  The iPhone has also changed the way that I use social media. The apps for all of the social media websites I use such as Facebook and Twitter are so much better for the iPhone and unlike Blackberry there is an actual instagram app. It is also so much easier to update posts and upload photos and videos, and with updates being introduced all of the time it is nice to see that the developers are still working hard to perfect their products.
Another huge advantage the iPhone has over other phones, especially the Blackberry is the camera quality.
 
I am no longer ashamed to take photos on my phone and share them with the world, because the quality of these images are incredible. I love taking pictures on my DSLR but sometimes it's a great feeling to know that you can capture a decent image on your mobile instead of having to lug all your equipment around with you all the time.
  I am also loving the filters that come with the camera on the iPhone, with my favourite being the 'Instant' filter.
  Another awesome feature I believe not to be on any other phone is the slow motion filming you are able to capture. It really makes the phone unique and it provides you with endless hours of entertainment. The ability to take panorama shots is brilliant too.
 Probably the most impressive feature on the whole phone is the revolutionary use of fingerprint recognition. This was one of the huge selling points for me and I'm pleased to report that it works!
  You register your finger print (and you can register more than one!) and then you can use it to unlock you phone, verify app purchases (much better than typing in your password) and it adds that extra wow factor. Of course, you still have a numeric or text password too just in case your finger isn't recognised, but the technology itself works so well considering that it is the first time it has been put into a mobile phone.
  Overall I have been so impressed with the iPhone 5S, possibly being the best phone that I have ever used. However, with growing competition from the likes of Samsung, it is exciting to anticipate what Apple will come up with next... 

Lush Lip Scrub Review

 

With Winter seemingly coming to an end and with spring a step closer, I have been desperately trying to keep my lips in tip top condition, especially with the ever-changing weather conditions here in the UK. Luckily this little gem from Lush has been doing just the trick.

It is of course, the lush lip scrub and it has been a total saviour for me. I've always been a huge fan of treatments such as Vasaline, yet have never bought into the concept of using scrubs, until now.

 

On a recent trip to Lush in Cambridge I decided it was about time I got myself one of these scrubs, especially because my sister had been raving about them for quite some time and even managed to use all of hers up before I got my hands on my own!

The scrubs themselves cost a reasonable £5.95 (ish) and for your money you get a 25g sized jar, which surprisingly, lasts you an amazing amount of time.

There is also the opportunity to pick from three flavours, bubblegum, popcorn and a chocolate mint too I think. Of the three the bubblegum scent instantly drew me in and is definitely my favourite of the three scrubs. This is probably because I'm a sucker for sweet scents and this smells AMAZING.

 

So the concept here is that you use this to buff and scrub your lips, which does so incredibly well, I do notice a difference in the condition of my lips even after the first use. As an additional bonus you can even lick off the excess scrub afterwards and I can confirm that the bubblegum scrub tastes as good as it smells!

Lush obviously recommend you follow up this scrub by using one of their lip balms, which I am as of yet to try, but I've been using Vasaline afterwards which has been working perfectly well.

 

If you are looking for a new product to treat your lips to, or if you think they are in need of some TLC, then look no further than the Lush lip scrubs. They are worth every penny that you pay, and to be perfectly honest these had me hooked from the first smell of them.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss 107 Review

Shade 107: 'Wine'

After purchasing a few of the Kate Moss Rimmel lipsticks recently, I knew that I would be going back for more shades because I have loved wearing them so much. Whilst I was in town a few weeks ago I took the opportunity to buy a shade which I have had my eye on for a while now. 

As I had been impressed with the other Kate Moss lipsticks in the Rimmel collection, I had high expectations for this product and it is safe to say I wasn't disappointed.

Shade 107 or 'Wine' is a beautiful dark red, which is perfect for the time of year. Admittedly I was expecting it to be a bit darker on the lips as it appears to be quite dark in the packaging but nevertheless I have still fallen in love with this product. Although I think it is supposed to be matte, it still has a slight gloss to it which I think is a good thing because it means that the product helps to keep the lips hydrated. Another positive about this lipstick is that it has considerable staying power, I found myself only usually reapplying after eating or drinking. 

The lipstick applies so easily and you are able to build up the colour with a few coats to make your lips really stand out. With this lipstick you don't need to go overboard with the rest of your makeup either, and this could easily be worn to both events and during the evening as well as during the day.

Perhaps one of the biggest positives of this product is the price. Costing only £5.49 it is fantastic value for money and with drugstores regularly having deals on, you can pick these lipsticks up for a bargain price. Even if you don't think this colour is for you, the range has so many different colours to choose from, there is something for everybody!

If you are looking for a new lipstick to signal the arrival of the Autumn/Winter season, I would definitely recommend this little beauty. You will not be disappointed.  

Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Balm Review

When I found out that Rimmel would be releasing a new range of lip products at the start of October, I knew that I would have to check them out. Although Rimmel have released new shades for their lasting perfection lipsticks, it was the colour rush balms that I was excited to try out.

'Not An Illusion'

With a whole range to choose from, I decided to go for the shade called 'Not An Illusion' because I am a huge fan of nude/pink lip colours. I also thought that this would be perfect to wear on a daily basis, so I didn't want to try out anything to bold or bright. 

  Lip balms with colour in them are a new product to me. Before now I was regularly using lipstick or Vasaline and so the thought of something new excited me. 

  I've been really impressed with this product, right from the start of using it. The balm is so hydrating on the lips and applies so well. I like that the product looks like a massive colouring pencil as it makes putting it on so much easier. Also regarding the packaging, I love that the colour of it reflects the colour of the balm, which makes knowing what colour it is much easier. I was also worried that the balm would leave my lips feeling sticky, but I'm pleased to report that this hasn't been the case. 

As well as not feeling sticky, I was also surprised at how much colour are actually in these things. I was expecting a slight tint, but as it says on the packaging, the product really does give your lips a real colour boost.
  The fragrance that a product gives off can sometimes put me off. Happily I love the smell of these balms, they smell like vanilla essence and are super sweet. Just like the price. At only £5.49 each they are so affordable and competitive with the other products out there.

 Perhaps the only disappointing thing with this product is that it doesn't last that long on the lips. I find myself having to regularly reapply this balm, but maybe that should be expected as it is only a balm. However, this small inconvenience isn't enough to put me off this product, it is still very good.  

I've been wearing this product almost everyday throughout the month and have been seriously impressed with it, so next time you walk past the Rimmel products, I suggest you give this little gem a try!

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex Mascara Review

Ever since I have started to wear makeup, mascara has always been one product that I am a bit more experimental with. I have tried and tested a whole range of mascaras across many of the drugstore brands and one of which I find myself returning to is Rimmel London. 

  Whilst shopping in Boots a few weeks ago, I noticed that they were giving away the Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex mascara for free when you spent over £10 on other Rimmel products. This gave me the perfect opportunity to a) Get a free mascara, b) Buy even more makeup products and c) Test out a mascara that I had never previously used. 

  I am a massive fan of the Rimmel Scandal Eyes mascara, with the bright orange packaging and so immediately this product seems like an extension of the original. Instead of the neon orange packaging, Rimmel have gone for this bright neon green which certainly stands out in my makeup bag. I really like the shape of this product and I think the colours work well together, making the product a bit more fun. 

  It is also extremely well priced, at only £6.99 from Boots and this is around the same price range as similar products making it really competitive. 

  

To illustrate the effect the product has had on my eyes, I have taken a photo without any mascara on. The product applies so well and the brush is huge, creating so much volume once applied. I think the formula is also really nice, as it isn't clumpy and doesn't stick your lashes together. The product claims to only need one coat, but to make my lashes really voluminous and full I do need to apply a few coats.
  One criticism that I do have of the product however is that I find it can take longer to dry than other mascaras out there. This means that I do get the annoying bits of excess mascara on my lids which is annoying when I have eyeshadow on and need to carefully remove it without ruining the rest of my makeup.

I think I do prefer this product to the original Rimmel Scandal Eyes, purely because I think you get a better product for around the same price and you can tell the difference between the two products. However, I'm still not sure if this mascara will beat Maybelline Falsies as my favourite, purely because I think the Maybelline mascara still makes my lashes longer. 

The pictures above and below show the effect the mascara has on my lashes. It is a lovely mascara and definitely a steal at the price you pay. It can be easily worn everyday and it certainly lasts all day yet removes so easily with makeup wipes at the end of the day. I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a new mascara wanting to try something different.  

Lipstick Review: Kate Moss for Rimmel 01,03 & 08

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipsticks
L-R: 03, 08, 01

After recently deciding that I needed to invest in some new lipsticks, I decided to give a few from the Kate Moss for Rimmel collection a go. At the time I brought these Superdrug had an offer on so I got three of them, a nude shade, a pink shade and a red. Each lipstick usually retails at £5.49 each and can be found in places such as Superdrug and Savers in the UK as well as on numerous websites as well.  

Shade 03

Firstly, one thing that attracted me to these products were the packaging. I seem to be a sucker for black packaging as I was attracted to the Sleek products because of this and yet it has happened again here. I think that they just look really sophisticated and luxurious, and it must be amazing if your name is Kate as you get to have your name on the packaging too! 

  This first shade 03 is a pinky nude colour, and admittedly isn't my favourite out of the three. I think it is perfect if you have a dramatic eye look and so want to opt for a more natural low key lipstick but it is quite pale. I've also worn this on days where I want to keep my look quite natural and it is quite different from my other lipsticks.

Shade 08

The next shade, 08, is slightly brighter than 03 and has more pink tones in it. Personally I prefer this shade over 03, yet it still isn't overpowering or completely bland. I find these lipsticks really hydrating and glossy so never need to wear lipgloss alongside them. They also have considerable lasting power too, and I find I just need to reapply after eating and drinking etc. 

Shade 01

Finally, I decided to buy a red lipstick from the range in the form of shade 01 after my No. 7 one mysteriously vanished. This shade is very bright and it looks lovely on the lips although I haven't worn it very much yet because I haven't been to many events where I could recently. The lipstick itself in the packaging looks quite dark so I was surprised at first that it was so bright. However I do really like it and hope I'm able to wear it a lot over the winter and autumn. 

  All the lipsticks in this range have a distinct scent to them, which I'm still not sure if I like. Whenever I smell them they remind me of something but I can't put my finger on what, but they are very sweet and sickly smelling. The scent may not be for everybody, but the colours and lipsticks themselves are so lovely I don't think it should put off anybody who wants to try these out. 

I will definitely be going back into Superdrug very soon to expand my collection of these lipsticks because they are so reasonably priced and have a range of shades available. Rimmel and Kate Moss have also brought out a 'matt' range which I am excited to try because I have my eye on a few shades from there too! 

Sleek Contour Kit & Blush

I've been wanting to buy the Sleek Contour Kit and one of their blushes for a long time now. I've read so many other reviews by other bloggers and seen so many people rave about these products and after a few months of waiting, I finally ordered them.
  Unfortunately I'm not able to see any sleek products unless I order them online because there are not any sleek counters near where I live so buying these were a bit of a risk as I didn't know how they would look and whether or not they would be suitable for my skin type. However I must say that I've been really impressed by these two products and I thought that I would share them.

Sleek Face Contour Kit

First of all, I absolutely love the packaging of these products. They look professional and sophisticated and I love the logo as well. I like that the product clips shut so that it doesn't open whilst in your makeup bag and go everywhere, and I really like the colour as well.

Sleek Blush

Sleek Contour Kit in Light





The first product is the Sleek Contour Kit. This product consists of a pressed powder used to define the cheeks and nose and also a highlighter to be used alongside the powder. The powder itself is matt, but the highlight has a slight shimmer to it. I've been using a blush brush to apply this product so far, as I am waiting to buy a slanted contour brush to use in the future, but it does the job well.

  As I wasn't able to test the colour of the product to see what shade I needed, I decided to play it safe and go for the lightest shade Sleek make. I am glad I decided this because the product is really pigmented and you do not need a lot of product at all. However, the product does give you great definition, especially on your cheeks and along your cheekbones and it gives you a really healthy glow.

  Another big bonus of this product is that is so reasonably priced, at only £6.49. Usually you would pay this for a similar powder or bronzer alone, which makes it great value for money. As I've already said you don't need to use a lot of this product each time so it is bound to last you a considerable amount of time too.



Swatches of the Face Contour Kit in 'Light'
Left: Pressed Powder
Right: Highlighter

Sleek Blush in Flamingo

To compliment the contour kit, I also purchased a new blush. This was the first blush that I had brought from Sleek, so it was good to try something new.

  Like the contour kit, I've found that the blush is really pigmented and you don't need to use a lot of product. I usually just take my blush brush, give it a quick sweep across the blush and tap off any excess and apply to the apple of my cheeks. Sometimes I find that I don't need to reapply the blush to the brush before the second cheek, that's how pigmented the product is!

  As before I wasn't able to swatch the product before I brought it and on the website I fell in love with the shade 'Flamingo.' I have to say it is much pinker and brighter than the picture on their website and at first I was slightly scared of it. I thought it would make me look ridiculous but once I found out that I didn't need much product I was more confident about wearing it. Once it is on your face it doesn't look half as scary as expected and it gives a healthy looking and natural looking blush to your face. It really isn't harsh and it blends extremely well. I love that it is a matt blush as it contrasts to the other blushes I have which contain slight shimmers.

  Another bonus is obviously the price of the product. At £4.49 they are an absolute bargain and with a choice of 10 shades you really are spoilt for choice. In addition, each blush as well as the contour kit have a mirror half on the other side of the compact which is great if you are taking this out and about with you.

Swatch of Sleek Blush in Flamingo

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I've incorporated these two products into my makeup collection and now regularly wear them. I've noticed a massive difference in my makeup when I've worn these products and would thoroughly recommend these to people that are looking for a new blush or contour set. I plan on expanding my collection of 'Sleek' products even further, with my next purchase likely to be the blush in 'Rose Gold.' 



F1 Team Review 2013: Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel has just secured his third consecutive win of the season in Singapore. However, Fernando Alonso has also secured his third consecutive 2nd place finish, but even that may not be enough to reduce the 60 point championship lead that Vettel holds.
  In comparison to 2012, Ferrari started the season with a better understanding of their car and with noticeable improvements compared to the relatively uncompetitive car in 2012.  At the first race of the season in Australia the team walked away a 2nd place from Alonso and a 4th place from Massa, showing their developed understanding of the car and to send a big message out to their rivals, confirming that they intended to be title contenders this season.
  The next Grand Prix in Malaysia brought mixed fortunes for the two Ferrari drivers. After a retirement from Alonso and a 5th place finish from Massa it meant that they left the event with only 10 points. At this stage, with Mercedes having problems with their tyres and McLaren being extremely uncompetitive, it looked as though Ferrari would be Red Bull's main rivals. 
  Similarly to 2012, there was speculation regarding whether or not Massa's contract would be extended and the pressure started to build for the Brazilian especially around the Monaco Grand Prix after he crashed into the barriers both during practise and the actual race. He reacted with a 8th place finish in the next race at Canada though and after 13 races he is sitting with 87 points, 36 points better off than last season at the same point. However, this still wasn't enough to secure his race seat for 2014, with the former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen taking his place from next season. Massa had announced first that he would not be continuing his drive with Ferrari and his replacement was announced soon afterwards which was good on Ferrari's part as then they could focus on the rest of this season and not be amid speculation about who would be partnering Alonso.
 During the Singapore GP there was speculation that McLaren wanted to secure Alonso for a seat in 2014, yet this rumour was quickly laid to rest when Alonso committed himself to seeing out the rest of his Ferrari contract. So with driver line-ups secured and confirmed, Ferrari can now look to trying to overhaul the 60 point lead Vettel has in the driver's championship.
   Massa is definitely out of the title race this season, and whilst Fernando will continue to push, it looks to be a near impossible task. Although he is better off this season in terms of points, with 187 compared to 169 at the same time last season, the difference between himself and Vettel is much greater. Last season Alonso was leading the Driver's Championship after the same amount of races by 4 points from Vettel and even then it wasn't enough to deny Vettel his third consecutive title. Looking at this, it further suggests that maybe, just maybe the title has already been decided this season. 
  Whilst it is still mathematically possible, Ferrari will have to continue to develop and fight for the title. In terms of the Constructor's Championship, Ferrari are the closest rivals to leaders Red Bull. Ferrari are also better off than last season with 274 points compared to the 220 of last season. However, this is still 103 points behind Red Bull. We've seen over the past few races that the Red Bull cars seem to have technical problems yet still manage to finish races, especially in the case of Vettel. Mark Webber has been suffering with a less reliable Red Bull, but if Alonso has any chance of the title it kind of needs to be Vettel who suffers from reliability issues, which let's be honest, doesn't seem likely. 
   It is still clear that the Ferrari doesn't have the performance to be challenging for the front row during qualifying and this is the main area in which the team need to improve. Alonso has often proved through his blistering starts and over-takes that he is capable of outperforming the car on race day and is able to somehow drag it onto the podium. Alonso's performance, like last season, may be concealing how uncompetitive the car really is. It is certainly a huge improvement from last seasons car, yet it still has a long way to go until it can be considered on par with the Red Bull. 
 If they do not manage to win either championship this year, it will be vital that they secure second place in the Constructor's Championship as this will put them in a better position for next season.  They haven't had a bad season so far, but with only a few races left of a season that ends in 9 weeks, the championships are looking further and further out of their reach. 

App Review: Paper 53

Since having an iPad, I've found that I am regularly on the App Store looking for new and useful apps to use. One app that I've found particularly useful, especially during Sixth Form is an app called Paper 53.

The app itself is focused on allowing you to draw and sketch, using the tools available inside the app. You can then use these drawings and send them by email, share them to a range of social media sites such as twitter, facebook and tumblr, as well as sharing them to your camera roll which you can then print off as well.  

When you first open the app, you are greeted with a screen showing you all of the notebooks which you have. This is really useful because you can organise all of your drawings so that they are easy to find. For example, I kept all of my Product Design sketches in one notepad so that I knew where everything was and I could find it easily.

   You can also customise the way that the notebooks look, by selecting your own photos to use as covers by pressing the little 'i' button in the top right corner of the notebook. 

Then inside each notebook you can look through all of the pages, as if you are reading a book. If you find a drawing you want to add to or edit, you simply click on the page and the app opens up your drawing. There is hardly any delay between clicking and being taken to your drawing either, so you don't have to wait ages for it to load. You can also add new pages to any notebook using the '+' button and you can also do the same on the main menu to add new notebooks. 

Once you have opened the page, or made a new one, you are either shown your drawing or given a blank canvas to work on. Here all of the tools available are shown and you can make these disappear by swiping the tool kit down and then make it reappear by swiping upwards.
  You can also turn the pages of the notebook by swiping from the top corners as if you are turning the page of a book, which makes moving between pages extremely easy and practical.
  To return to the main menu or the notebook you simply pinch the screen in the middle of the page and it will take you back. 

The app Paper 53 itself is free. With this you get an unlimited amount of notebooks and pages, and you also get the eraser tool and the fountain pen tool free, along with a range of standard colours.
  However, there are a whole range of tools available within the app, which you can purchase for an additional price. When I downloaded this app, they had an offer on the additional tools, allowing you to purchase the pencil, highlighter, pen and colour brush for a combined price of £4.99, when individually they cost £1.49. I'm not sure if they still have this deal on, but I would recommend buying this if you can. Otherwise, you have to pay £1.49 for each tool individually, which makes the purchase more expensive.
   Then for an additional £1.49 you can buy the mixer palette, which allows you to make your own colours and save them to the palette on the right, so you will always have it. The picture above shows all of the brushes which are available and what each one looks like. 

These are just some of the drawings which I have been able to create from using the app. Although you can use your finger to create these drawings, I usually use a stylus to make my drawings more precise. 

Overview of Paper 53

Positives

• The app itself is free and includes unlimited notebooks, pages and two tools
• You have the ability to organise all of your drawings
• You can zoom in on parts of your drawings and add to them
• You can share your drawings a number of ways such as through email or twitter
• Response time is good and there is hardly any lag between drawing and the drawing appearing
• The app doesn't take long to load
• You can buy additional tools for a set price
• You can mix your own colours and save them to use at a later time (purchase of mixer required)
• Brilliant quality of tools
• No internet connection required
• Regular updates and improvements available.

Negatives

• Currently unable to alter the thickness of the tools 
• You have to purchase the additional tools
• You cannot import existing drawings or pictures and add/edit them. 

Cost

App: Free

Additional brushes and mixer: £1.49 each or £4.99 for the 'essential package' which includes all tools but not mixer

Rating (Out of 5)

4.5