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.' 



September Favourites

So it's that time again. September is over and we are getting ready for the Winter months. Although I haven't been particularly loving the colder and wetter weather this month, I've had a whole load of beauty, fashion, food and random favourites that I am about to share.


Food/Drink:

Coffee-mate by Nestle & Nescafe Gold Blend Coffee

During the colder months I tend to start drinking more hot drinks and I'm a huge coffee lover. I featured an iced frappe in my August favourites, but this month I've been loving the classic cup of coffee. In particular I've loved the Nescafe gold blend as it is so rich and full of flavour. It also smells and tastes delicious, and can be brought from most supermarkets.
  Alongside my coffee I have been loving this little gem from Nestle. It is called Coffee-mate and you put two heaped teaspoons of this into your coffee instead of milk and it gives you a lovely creamy coffee. Absolutely beautiful. Again, you can buy this from most supermarkets although I think it's pretty pricey.



Nature Valley Granola Bar
This isn't so much a new favourite, but I have rediscovered these granola bars over the past month. They come in loads of different flavours, with my favourite being the Canadian maple syrup. They are brilliant for just chucking into your handbag and enjoying as a snack if your out and about and I admit that I've naughtily had one of these for breakfast on some occasions. You get 6 of these packets in a box, and each packet includes two bars and you buy these individually as well.

Mexican Food

Throughout the past month I have been addicted and craving Mexican styled food. This has included everything from burritos to fajitas to nachos and I've loved cooking this type of food as much as I have eating it. My particular favourite has been to cook up a beef chilli with kidney beans and then add it to some peppers, rice, sour cream and guacamole in a tortilla wrap. I've found if I go out for a meal I have been looking straight for any type of Mexican food as well, so it has been a bit of an obsession this month.



Makeup/Beauty Products:

Benefit make-up bag
In my September wishlist I wrote about how I was in need of a new makeup bag. Whilst I was tidying my bedroom a few weeks ago, I found this makeup bag from Benefit which I've had for a few years but never used. It is much bigger than my old makeup bag and I can now do it up which makes it much easier for when I take it in my bag with me. I wasn't sure whether I would like the fact that it is clear but I've found as you can see all the products through the bag you can find your products much quicker and easier and I now really love it. I'm sure you can still buy similar products from Benefit and eBay could be a happy hunting ground if you are looking for something similar.

Sleek Blush in Flamingo

 This has probably been my best purchase throughout the month of September. After eyeing the collection of blushes on the Sleek website for the past couple of months I finally brought one and I have loved using it. I've got the shade called 'Flamingo' and it is really natural looking pink once applied to the cheeks. However it is important to remember that these blushes are super pigmented so you don't need a lot of product and a little goes a long way. A huge bonus to this blush it that it only cost me £4.49 so I can imagine myself expanding my collection. Depending on where you live, you can pick these up in Superdrug or alternatively from their website.



Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in 08

I have really been loving the Kate Moss lipsticks by Rimmel and although I am rather late with jumping on the bandwagon, I am glad that I've brought these. In particular I have regularly wearing the shade 08, which is a lovely pinky/nude colour. I've found these lipsticks to be really hydrating and although I'm still not sure whether or not I like the scent of them, they are so affordable at around the £5.49 mark. 

Games:

Candy Crush

I was a huge fan of Candy Crush when it was first released. At one stage I was literally obsessed with it and both myself and my friends would play it continuously. Then after a few months the novelty wore off and after being stuck on one level for a ridiculous amount of time I stopped playing the game.
  However, one day at the beginning of the month I was going through the apps on my iPad and rediscovered the game. I thought to myself I would have one quick game to waste some time and this has turned out to be a huge mistake. I am now once again addicted to the game and I am determined to catch up to the levels my friends are on. I'm only on something like level 126 and there are about 400 levels now so I don't think I will ever be able to finish it. The best thing about this game is that it is totally free, apart from you have to wait for extra lives when you run out of the initial 5. You can also purchase special power-ups to use during gameplay but I've never used this feature.

                                            

Dots

Another game that I've been addicted to this month is called dots. This game is very simple in that you are given a grid of different colour dots and you have to join them together by colour without moving diagonally. The more dots you connect, the more points you score. You earn 'trophies' after achieving certain things such as 100 points or by making a square out of the dots, amongst other things. There are two main game modes that you can play. The first is a timed mode where you have 60 seconds to get as many points as possible. You can also play a moves mode where you have 30 moves to get as many points as possible. The game itself is very simple, yet strangely addicting and when I first started playing it I didn't think I would become obsessed, but there is just something about the game which makes it appealing. This is a free game as well which is an added bonus. You earn points which allows you to purchase power-ups just from playing the game, but you can also purchase these as well.

  The three power-ups consist of stopping the clock for 5 seconds (in timed mode), removing one dot of your choice and removing dots of a specific colour. These can only be used once a game though.



Fashion:

Over-sized/Baggy tops
At some time in August I went on a shopping trip and got two tops from H&M. One was a plain white rolled short sleeved t-shirt and one was a burgundy and grey marl baseball type top. Both of these are oversized and I have been absolutely loving these two tops this month. I've been wearing them alot with leggings and so now I'm trying to go back to wearing different things. They were £7.99 and £6.99 and are so comfortable that I will be getting some more in different colours as they are so easy to wear and incorporate into an autumn or winter wardrobe. 

Purple Converse
A few weeks ago I was going through my shoe collection and realised that I had been rather neglecting my purple converse. I do sometimes find these shoes hard to wear because of the colour and whilst I have been wearing more plain white tops I've embraced my converse. I probalby won't wear them as much when the weather gets colder though as they don't keep my feet very warm, but I'm still wearing them as much as I can. 

Hollister Hoodie
During the summer, all my jackets and hoodies go into my wardrobe and are rather forgotten about. You know when it is autumn/winter when these come out of the wardrobe and this month they have reappeared in my life. I had totally forgotten that I brought a hoodie from Hollister last winter and so I've been wearing it a lot this month. It is so warm and because it is a zip-up I can still wear it when it is slightly warmer yet still a bit chilly. They are expensive at about £50 each, but they are a good investment and keep you really warm!

Music:

The Vamps
Having been subscribed to this band on Youtube for quite some time, I am always listening to any new covers of songs that they upload. The Vamps are a band consisting of four boys, and I have been particularly loving their cover of Miley Cyrus' 'We Can't Stop.' I actually prefer this version to the original and would highly recommend people checking it out. They've also released their first ever single called 'Can We Dance' which I have also been listening to on repeat this month. It is a really fun and energetic song, and just makes me feel happy whenever I listen to it. 
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtGdOn3XSNWVK54P13jDoCg

OneRepublic: Native
Who would've thought that OneRepublic brought out a new album in March?! I cannot believe that it has taken me until September to realise that they've released a new album and I regret not discovering it sooner. It all started when I was watching a friend's uni tour video on Youtube and she used their single 'If I Lose Myself.' I then found the entire album on Youtube and I was hooked. I then ordered my own copy from play.com and since then it's followed me everywhere. I've listened to it in the car, in my room, on my iPod; everywhere! 
   This album is completely different to some of their old music such as 'Apologize' and 'Stop and Stare' but in a good way. The album has a mixture of slow and upbeat songs and I can honestly say I love almost every single song. I highly recommend if nothing else you give this album a listen and you will not regret it!
Films/TV:
Rush:
By far this has been the best thing I've watched this month. I patiently waited until the film was being shown in my local cinema (which is much later than the release dates of films) and absolutely loved the film. The film was sold to me once it was announced it would be based on the rivalry between two of F1's greatest drivers and World Champions, Niki Lauda and James Hunt. However, you I don't believe you have to be the biggest fan of F1 in order to enjoy the film. Everything about it was simply amazing, from the way the movie has been directed, to the storyline and the brilliant acting from Chris Hemsworth (James Hunt) and Daniel Bruhl (Niki Lauda.) I seriously recommend this film!

One Direction: This Is Us
I have to admit that I do listen to One Direction's music and they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. Along with 2 of my other friends we went along and saw the movie and we all loved it. I'm not a hardcore One Direction fan, but I did think the film was good. The quality was amazing and it just shows you their story and how they've got to where they are now. We also see bits that fans wouldn't usually see and it is a good insight into their lives. Without giving too much away in case anybody hasn't seen it yet, they show you parts of concerts and the quality is so good that it feels as though you are actually there at the concert. Overall I was really impressed.

Through the Keyhole
Saturday night TV has a new addition. Keith Lemon is back on our screens not only with a new series of Celebrity Juice but also a new show called 'Through the Keyhole.' Basically he hosts a programme where a panel of celebrity guests try to guess whose house Lemon has visited. As viewers we are shown round celebrity houses and its really interesting to see what they look like. Some celebrity houses have included Olympic medallists Greg Rutherford and Louis Smith as well as other celebs such as Kerry Katona and members of boyband Blue.   


NOTD: Ruby Fruit

To get in the spirit of autumn and to have a change from my usual go to nail polish brand of Barry M today I've used a polish by Max Factor. This is the only nail polish from max factor in my collection and it is a dark red, almost black shade called 'Ruby Fruit.' I think I've only actually worn this a couple of times previously and when I was looking through my collection it caught my eye. I think it is a perfect colour for autumn and it certainly contrasts to the brights and pastel shades that I was wearing during the summer.

I found that the consistency of this nail polish was really lovely, not too thick or thin and the brush can hold a fair amount of polish. Also the brush is really long, so you can easily reach all of your nails without getting it on your skin. I also applied two coats of this polish, but I think you could easily get away with one, but two coats makes the colour look very intense. 

Another thing I really love about this nail polish is that in some lights it looks really dark and almost black whilst in others it looks red. It makes it seem as though you are wearing two polishes at once! One thing I'm not looking forward to though is taking it off because I'm pretty sure it will stain my nails, so I'm planning on keeping it on as long as possible.

Mini Beauty Haul

I'm not really sure how this haul happened. Friday evening I received an email from The Body Shop, telling me that they were offering free delivery on all orders over £5 AND they had 40% of everything! I was instantly drawn, as I could pick up one of their new lipsticks for only £6!

  Everything was set, the lippy was in my basket and I had my debit card out ready to pay when suddenly and I don't remember how or why I decided to go onto Superdrug's website. Big mistake. I found out that they were doing a buy one get one half price deal on all Rimmel makeup and this was enough to put off the Body Shop purchase and head into town myself the next day.

  I took Superdrug up on their offer and purchased a few new lipsticks and some new shower gel, not the most exciting or extensive haul, but I've been trying to save money.

Superdrug Own Brand Showers Gels
L-R: Orange & Satsuma
Strawberry & Raspberry

The first things that I picked up were these two shower gels, which are part of Superdrug's own brand. These shower gels are amazing because they lather really well and smell gorgeous. If you've ever used the Original Source shower gels, they are extremely similar to these and like Original Source they have a variety of different scents to try out. They are the perfect shower gel because they are super refreshing, especially the Orange and Satsuma one I picked up. These are also very affordable, costing only £1 each and currently Superdrug are doing a buy one half price on all of their own branded products.

I spent a fair while eyeing up the Rimmel section of Superdrug, trying to decide what to purchase. As I had nearly brought some lipstick the night before and didn't really need any other beauty products at the time, I decided to get two lipsticks as part of their buy one get one half price offer.
  For a long time I've heard rave reviews about the collection of lipstick Kate Moss released with Rimmel and so decided it was finally time to jump onto the bandwagon. These are usually £5.29 and so managed to get two for around £8. 

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in shade 01

Unfortunately when I went into the shop everybody has seemingly had the same idea as me so there wasn't many shades to choose from but I've wanted a new red lipstick for a long time so picked up shade 01. I also really liked the look of shade 08 but there wasn't any in Superdrug so I brought 03 instead.

  I then took a trip to Savers and purchased 08, just because I loved the shade and decided it needed to be in my life. Admittedly I did have to pay full price, but in my mind it was worth it. 





Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in shade 03

Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in shade 08

Swatches L-R:
01, 03, 08

Although I haven't had a chance to test out these lipsticks properly yet, from the swatches I did above, I can already see that I picked up some gorgeous shades. They look super pigmented and I think that I've brought some shades that can be worn as part of an everyday makeup look. I will probably write a full review on these in the future, so keep your eyes peeled.

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. 

What's In My Bedroom?

I have previously written a couple of posts such as what's inside my bag and purse and I enjoyed writing them so much that I thought I would write a similar post, but include the things that are in my room. This is pretty much going to be a room tour, and I'm going to show off the room that I redecorated myself with the help of my friends. Although I decorated about 3 years ago now, I still love my room and the way it looks but I also love to add new accessories and features every once in a while.





Right next to my bed I have this little bedside table with three drawers. In the top drawer is all my important things and stuff like notepads and stationary. In the second drawer I keep all my haircare and body products and the final drawer is just a random drawer full of junk!

  On the top of the table is a whole host of products and necessities as well as my little lamp which is touch sensitive so I never have to spend time looking for the switch.

On the bedside table itself I have two remotes, one for my tv and one for my stereo although it doesn't actually work at the moment because the batteries are dead. I also have a mirror and I keep my makeup bag here. I'm actually really bad and I put my makeup on here which means I can lay in bed and do it! I also have a few beauty products such as moisturiser and cleanser as well as all my makeup brushes. I actually used some leftover wall paper and placed in underneath the glass so that my bedside table matches my feature wall. 

Next to my bedside table I have my single wardrobe. Inside this is a hanging rail and also a shelf and so I use this wardrobe to hang all my bottom half clothes such as leggings, jeans and maxi skirts. I also use the shelf to store my jumpers and hoodies when it's summer and I also have my shoes at the bottom of this wardrobe. You can also see the back of my door in the shot above and on the back I have all the jackets and coats that could possibly fit there.







Then, above my bedside table and bed I have a lot of storage cupboards that go all the way across my wall. In the first single cupboard I have loads of denim jeans or shorts that I don't wear very often and is awaiting a proper sort out. Next in the middle double cupboard I have all my pyjamas and comfortable things that I wear around the house like tracksuit bottoms and finally in the last cupboard are all my dvds and books. 

Underneath all the overhead cupboards I have two large photo frames which I have made collages out of. Again I've used leftover wall paper for the background of the photo frames and this is a simple way of making the whole room look as though it matches. Next I have a certificate from Red Bull Racing that I received when I was part of their 'faces of charity' campaign and finally I have two canvases which were painted by my friend and given to me as a birthday present.

These two canvases were made for me the same year that I decorated my bedroom. My friend had taken a bit of the wallpaper home and at the time I had no idea why. It all became clear when I received these for my birthday a few weeks later, and they've been a part of my bedroom ever since!

The wall that you see straight ahead when you enter my room and the wall next to my overhead cupboards is the main feature wall. Before I started to decorate I knew that I wanted one feature wall and then keep the rest of the room quite neutral. Therefore I opted for a creamy-white paint for the walls and this beautiful monochrome floral wallpaper for the feature wall. Originally I was going to keep this wall completely free of anything else but then I had no-where to put my massive F1 poster. I think it is A1 in size and it is huge! This is the official 2012 poster for McLaren and because they haven't released one for 2013 I haven't been able to update it so as far as my room is aware, Lewis Hamilton still races for them ;) 

Near the poster is a shelf which contains my tv. This shelf also backs onto my other wardrobe. As well as my tv I also have a DVD player and a few me to you bears which have been gifts over the years.

Behind my TV is my sneaky collection of Formula One & car related books. These include an encyclopaedia of F1 and one of the many books written by Jeremy Clarkson. My Jake Humphrey book is also meant to live here, but I think that was accidentally put into my book cupboard. This collection is ever-growing so I think they might need a new home soon somewhere else in my bedroom.

Underneath my TV and at the end of my bed I have my collection of CD's. It is usually full but since I've had my car some of my favourites are now living in there. I've also got a box for a pair of curlers and some makeup which I don't use very often here too.

Then in-front of the CD rack is two more storage cases full of makeup and other beauty related items such as brushes. I really need to go through these and get rid of the makeup that I don't use so that is on my to-do list. Then I have this old whiskey bottle which I use to collect 1p's and 2p's. I am aiming to fill it completely to the top and then convert the money and I think at the moment I've got £15 in there just in pennies!

This is my second wardrobe. It is much bigger than the one I use to store trousers and shoes and it also contains drawers. In the drawers live my underwear and socks and skirts and in the main wardrobe are all my tops, dresses and any other jackets. This wardrobe also has a shelf and on this I keep boxes and blankets and other random items.

Continuing to move around my room, to the right of the double wardrobe is the window. Underneath this I have three canvases, my radiator and a wicker basket for my laundry. These canvases were from Argos a few years ago and were a bargain at only £10.

Next I have my desk, which again also has three drawers for storage. In these are all my school related bits and bobs and although I don't go to Sixth Form anymore, I can't throw them away. I don't actually have a chair for my desk and so where the chair would tuck under I've used it as a space for more folders, books and a place to store bags. Above the desk I also have a full length mirror.



On the desk itself I have my stereo, a digital photo frame, my perfume collection, some of my jewellery such as rings, earrings and small bracelets and I also have my sunglasses collection.

The final wall in my room is where my desk used to be. I also have another canvas and my accessories holder as well as two more photo frames. I love this canvas as it matches the theme of my room and I also love zebras! Again it was from Argos a few years ago and I think it cost around £20-£30. 





 My accessories holder has been one of my lifesavers. It cost £6 in the next sale two years ago and it has kept all my long jewellery such as necklaces and bangles so organised. They hardly ever get knotted together this way and I can easily find what I'm looking for. Next to this are two photo frames, which finishes off the wall.

 Finally, what kind of bedroom doesn't have a bed? This is mine, with probably the most comfortable mattress in the world on it. As I have a patterned wall finding bedsheets is quite difficult because I don't want them to clash with the print yet I don't want just a plain black or white sheet. So I have compromised. My current bedsheets are floral but they are quite subtle and I think they compliment the wall paper well. I also have an insane amount of pillows, 8 in total just because I like having loads. Then on top of this I have cushions, 5 of them, just to add to the insane amount of cushions and pillows that I have.
  I was going to get my cat off the bed to take this photo but then decided against it because 1. She matches the theme of the room and 2. She pretty much lives in my bedroom with me. She loves sleeping on my bed and snuggling up in the cushions and duvet and because it is a double she is able to stretch out.

These two photos just show the room in it's entirety. I've loved decorating and perfecting my room over the years and I am really proud of what I have selected and created.

Beauty Things I Suck At

When it comes to applying makeup and following beauty regimes, we all have things we are good at and others that quite frankly we suck at. I was thinking about all the things I hate doing in terms of beauty because I am rubbish at them and thought that I would share these.
   

False eyelashes
When it comes to applying false eyelashes, it all goes wrong. It doesn't matter what type they are or if they are a full lash or individuals, I can never get them exactly right. One reason for this may be because I hardly ever wear them or it may because as I struggle to apply them I hardly wear them. I always struggle because I either don't apply enough glue or too much and then it goes everywhere and turns into a disaster. I also probably don't have the patience to take my time and apply them and I never know when the glue is tacky enough so I've found the best way to get over this is to avoid wearing them!

Applying primer before foundation
I am AWFUL at applying primer simply because I don't do it. I forget to prime my face so often and it's only when I'm halfway through applying my foundation that I remember. Bad I know, but when I realise I don't take off my foundation and start again, I just simply carry on with what I was doing. 

Applying eyeshadow underneath the eye
Eyeshadow is something I don't really get on with. I like applying it and I've started to wear more of it recently, it's just that I find it's not the best thing to do in a hurry. I cannot apply eyeshadow underneath my eye as part of a smoky eye look or for that matter any kind of look because it looks as though I've just been in the shower with all my makeup on and it has run. Major panda eyes! I remember when I first started to wear makeup I used to regularly wear very dark eyeshadow here and it looked awful so it just brings back bad memories. Now I stick to eyeliner, because it's much easier. 

Blending eyeshadow
Notice a theme here with eyeshadow? I admit, I can apply eyeshadow perfectly well to my lids if I'm only using one colour, but as soon as blending is involved I'm out. I cannot to save my life blend through my crease and end up totally ruining my eye makeup. Instead of a blended look, where you can clearly see the colours, I do a good job of blending all the colours into one, which really frustrates me. If anything, this year I really want to get better at this blending thing, so I can wear different makeup looks, so I guess it's time to start practising. 

These are just a few of the beauty things which I suck at, and if I sat here for longer I could probably think of lots more. Why don't you let me know what beauty things you suck at? 

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