My Favourite Liquid Eyeliners

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

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

Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner 100% black 

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

Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner 

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

Now some swatches

What's your favourite eyeliner?

Beth...x

Whizz Kidz Work Placement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beth...x

Barry M Fuchsia Generation Daylight Curing Nail Polish

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

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

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

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

(Ring - Gemporia)

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

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

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

Have you tried the range yet? What did you think?

Beth...x

Directions Flamingo Pink Hair Dye

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'm thinking of mixing it up with some purple and turquoise next. What do you think?

Beth...x

Lifestyle// Things I Learnt At Uni

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh and I obviously learnt some stuff about science and things

What did you learn at uni?

Beth...x

Gemporia Madagascan Blue Apatite Ring

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

I was given the chance to try this gorgeous 1.43ct Madagascan Blue Apatite Sterling Silver ring* and oh my it is love. I must have spent about 2 hours looking at all the different pretty things in all different colours. However I am a massive fan of blue and this is just stunning. Words cannot describe how much I love this ring. 

This ring is such a beautiful shade of light blue which catchers the sun in such a gorgeous way. It looks great worn every day and complements other rings (Im a total ring whore, unfortunately I broke a few fingers which are now too fat for the rings I own so need to invest in some more). It also looks fabulous on its own as a statement accessory to go with a LBD on a night out. The choices are endless and its a gorgeous way to add some sparkle into your life. Side note - It also looks great paired with pyjamas and scraped back hair on sick days and makes you feel just a little bit more glamorous. Well as glam as you can feel stuck in bed with a hot water bottle. 

At £36 I feel like this is such a bargain for such a stunning ring. They have items with such a range of prices ranging from cheap to slightly out of my budget. Expect a wishlist post soon as I have my eye on so many more items and may be making a purchase soon to reward myself for my degree result - 2:1 if you were wondering ;)

Another great feature of Gemporia is their ring size gauge. I ordered one ages ago but never got around to using it. You can order yours for free here. Its kind of like a cable tie that you can wrap around your finger until it feels like a comfortable size & then read off the letter. This way you can be confident that you are ordering the right size. Perfect for big knuckled babes such as myself. 

Have you ever bought anything from Gemporia?

Beth...x

* I was sent this product free of charge for the purpose of reviewing however it does not affect my views and the opinions expressed in this review are independent and my own

Antipodes Nourishing Night Cream

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beth...x

* I was sent this product free of charge for the purpose of reviewing however it does not affect my views and the opinions expressed in this review are independent and my own