Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencils POTW | BEAUTY

Hello!

"I had my eyes on this beauty for the longest of time. I'm talking months."

Purchase of the Week (or POTW) had become quite a series on BBXO (Read: POTW Chanel No 5). Until, one day, I kind of forgot about it. Okay, there were hauls featured (Read: Summer Holiday Haul) but the tag POTW was forgotten. Well, now we're bringing it back. Full force and in action! What better product to kickstart this series again than the oh-so-famous NARS velvet lip pencil drugstore dupe (wow, that's a mouthful): the Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Pencil.

"I did also like the colour range, there's a nude, an orange, a coral, a few reds and a few pinks"

I had my eyes on this beauty for the longest of time. I'm talking months. But with exam season upon us when my obsession first began, I wasn't able to satisfy that need for this pencil... until now. Well, the wait was worth it, because I am LOVING this lip pencil.

If you're a fan of the velvet/matte finish (Read: Bourjois Velvet Rouge), this product is right up your street. The Bourjois Velvet Rouge had become my go-to lip product that I'd dab on for a soft, everyday look and apply a thicker layer for a bold, going out look. After reading the reviews of more Bourjois Velvet Rouge colours, I had found out the best formulation was with the shade 'Nude-ist', which was the shade I had. Therefore, I was looking for something with the same finish without lacking in the quality front. This seemed like the product for me.

Before I make this entire post about Bourjois Velvet Rouge (goodness, can I say that any more times?!), let's refer back to Color Drama. Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet is also quite versatile as it can be dabbed on for a softer, everyday look, or applied as a thicker layer for a bolder look.

"What better product to kickstart this series again than the oh-so-famous NARS velvet lip pencil drugstore dupe"

Be sure to have your lips moisturised before applying the product, though (something I should've done). In the bottom photo you can see the little transfer it has, and that was only a very short while after applying. So you don't need to worry about that mug lip stain!

All in all, a great product that won't break the bank (£4.99 each at Boots.com) and good for various occasions. I did also like the colour range: there's a nude, an orange, a coral, a few reds and a few pinks. You're bound to find something you like!

Tell me, what's your favourite finish of a lip product? Do you prefer a sheen, matte or something in between?

It's Got to be Perfect | BOOK REVIEW

Hello!

"If that doesn't justify it being a good book, I don't know what does!"

Many people are huge fans of holiday reading. They'd chill be the pool or on the beach with their heads buried in the book. Me? Yeah, I like it, but if it's boring I'd easily stop and jump in the water.
You may, or may not, know that I was in Egypt last week. It was the week I began, and finished, reading 'It's Got to be Perfect' and let me tell you - it was good.

Watermelons, Cookbook, End of Exams & Mason Jars | BERRYWEEKLY

Hello!

"First of all, watermelon season is upon us"

The week has been a start of something new. I say that meaning there's less pens and papers and exam seats in my life, and more sun, movies and what feels like freedom! I do believe it's all about the little things in life that make us happy, and here's a peak at the week!

"To celebrate the end of exams, I bought myself a gift"

First of all, watermelon season is upon us. We love watermelon and bought 2 that were over 10kg! That's a lot of watermelon, but it is just so delicious! Watermelon juice (pictured above) tastes incredible when its cold, on a hot summers day!

On that note, I also got myself the Deliciously Ella cookbook! I love her YouTube channel and thought the book would be great to get some new recipes. It was a decision and a half to choose between this one and the Get the Glow by Madeleine Shaw book, but went with this one as I thought it'd more suit my vegetarian lifestyle. So far, I have been loving it, it's lovely to read her story and the tips behind ingredients she keeps as staples!

"totally feel 'tumblr worthy'"

On Saturday I had a huge clear out in terms of revision material. Let's just say my walls look a lot cleaner without a million papers stuck there. Oh, and a couple of pens were, unfortunately, murdered in the process!

To celebrate the end of exams, I bought myself a gift. The Magnitone Lucid had been on my skin care list for a while, and I thought it was finally time to take the plunge (blog post about it here).

"it's all about the little things in life that make us happy,"

I love candles year around, and when it comes to summer, more floral scents are opted for. The candle pictured above is Pomegranate and Acai, and let me tell you, it smells incredible!

Finally, if you saw a picture posted the other day on Twitter or Instagram, you'd have seen the mason jar. I bought it the other day, and although it's not 'legit', it's still super cool and I totally feel 'tumblr worthy'. Is that a thing? I don't know but it's just so cool! It has a double wall so your drinks remain colder for longer too - it's just cool! I got it from Sainsbury's by the way :)

Having spent most of the week just chilling and having the pleasure to do pretty much nothing, I've loved it! Tell me, what has been your highlight for the week? 

Magnitone Lucid Haul + First Impressions | BEAUTY

Hello!

Out came the Lucid, and then I was beginning to get drawn in"

If you've been watching YouTubers for a while now, you might remember when there was a huge craze on the Clarisonic. It had just come out at the time, and was pretty much an America-only product. It seemed to have great reviews and I think I'd watched every single one of the YouTube reviews out there! I really wanted one. 
It was, however, a nightmare to get in the UK, and quite frankly, I'm glad I didn't get it then. At £180, it wasn't something I could justify buying, and the hassle of plug exchange and overseas warranty just didn't appeal to me.

Fast forward a couple of years and here I am, holding the Magnitone in my hands with the facial expressions of a proud mother!

When I first saw the Magnitone range come out a few months back, it didn't really appeal to me. At the time they had the pulsar, which is the slightly bigger (and not so attractive) version of the one I got, the Lucid. Although the price of the pulsar is a lot cheaper than the Clarisonic, I didn't want to buy it at the time. Out came the Lucid, and then I was beginning to get drawn in.

"Lucid resembles the Clarisonic Mia, and the range of colours Magnitone has is just beautiful!"

So, having had my eyes on the beauty for a couple of weeks, I knew I had to get my hands on it. There were many bloggers and vloggers showcasing the product, as it had been sent to them. One thing I realised, most of the reviews I watched/read were not reliable. You see people using it for a few days and claiming it to be their holy-grail, others doing a skin care routine video and then mention it's their second time using the product (it's hardly a routine if you've only been doing it for 2 days). I just couldn't trust it.

On the day of my second last exam, I ordered the product from Superdrug, as it's currently on sale for £49.99, down from it's original £69.99. It was delivered on the day of my last exam (last Friday), so it was almost a "yay for completing exams" treat!

I'd say the Lucid resembles the Clarisonic Mia, and the range of colours Magnitone has is just beautiful! There's like a colour to suit everyone! Though I was contemplating between the pink or the aqua, the minty green of the aqua was the one calling my name. Plus, it matches my toothbrush, that's always a plus side, right? :)

"I will keep you updated and let you know it how it's going after a few weeks - so stay tuned!"

As for the brush itself, I've been using it for the past two days and am pleasantly surprised. When you first open the box and feel the bristles on the brush, you wont believe how soft they are. When using the brush on your face, it's a lovely feeling and not abrasive at all. There are two settings, deep clean and sensitive. You're meant to use the sensitive setting for the first 5 days of use, then whatever suits your fancy. You can use the brush twice a day (one minute each time) but for the first couple of days, they recommend once a day to ease your skin into it.

There's a timer on the brush that beeps every 20 seconds, so you have a guideline as to when to move to the next part of your face. They recommend 20 seconds for the forehead, 20 for both cheeks, and 20 for the chin and nose. I do find that I'm often wanting more than 20 seconds, yet I stick to it as I don't want to overdo it. The device automatically turns off after the minute.

"here I am, holding the Magnitone in my hands with the facial expressions of a proud mother!"

So far my skin feels good after using it, but I can't vouch for much as it has only been 2 days. I will keep you updated and let you know it how it's going after a few weeks - so stay tuned!

In terms of what the device comes with, there's an EU charger for when you go on holiday (which will be great when I go to Egypt), a UK charger for charging at home, both of which is a wire that attaches to a magnet-like thing which attaches to the device, meaning it's safer (and pretty cool!). Alongside that, there's a 1 year warranty that you can sign up to online.

All in all, I'm glad I waited and purchased the Magnitone Lucid rather than the Clarisonic, and I'm also glad I caught a great deal with Superdrug.

Tell me, is there anything that you swear by when it comes to skincare? 

Summer Holiday Haul | FASHION

Hello!

"Definitely something I'll be making the most of this summer!"

As mentioned in the last post, I'll be taking a trip to Egypt this summer. With a holiday just around the corner, it is more than the excuse needed to buy a few extra things! 

I took it upon myself to order from DressLink. I wrote a post about their dresses, which were all under $10, so while taking a look around their site, I came across these things that I wanted to try. Oh, and one of those things was $0.01. That's right, less than a dollar! 

"Believe you me, it did arrive and it was only $0.01!"

The striped top shown on the left is a chiffon material. It is light weight and super versatile for the hot, summer days. It's simple and can be worn in many different ways. This was the item that was $0.01. I kind of didn't believe the price and just put in it the basket, almost thinking it wouldn't arrive as it's too good to be true. Believe you me, it did arrive and it was only $0.01! That's, like, 1 penny for us UK lot! 

LINK here.

I also ordered a bag and some sunnies. The bag is a cream/off-white shade which I think is perfect for the summer. I have a thing for gold hardware, and the hardware detail on this was exactly what caught my eye. However, I did notice there were a few scratches on the hardware, even though the product came in a dust-bag. I have no idea how that came about, but for the price, I'm not complaining! 

LINK here.

"there is also little slots for your phone and possibly some keys or something on the inside."

The good thing about the bag is the optional shoulder straps. I, for one, am pretty sure I'd forget the bag somewhere if it didn't have the shoulder straps, only to realise, 2 hours later, that I left it in the middle of nowhere and will have no way of getting it back. So, to avoid that kind of situation, a shoulder strap is vital for me! 

It's great that it's got a zip too, so you feel safer about putting some valuables in there, and there is also little slots for your phone and possibly some keys or something on the inside. 

It's a pretty simple, but stylish bag that would go with almost anything. Definitely something I'll be making the most of this summer! It was $4.83 (about £3.20). I still can't get over how affordable the prices are! 

"With a holiday just around the corner, it is more than the excuse needed to buy a few extra things!"

Finally, a holiday would not be complete without a pair of sunglasses. Aviators are hands down my go-to style of sunnies, and when I saw they had these gold-rimmed (see a trend?) orange/red tinted ones, I just couldn't say no. 

LINK here.

What are your essentials to get/pack for a holiday? Oh, and tell me, are you planning on going trips this year? 

Clinique Chubby Stick: Woppin' Watermelon | BEAUTY

Hello!

" Just as I expected - I was not sold."

There was definitely a phase of tinted lip balms. You know the time, when Maybelline BabyLips was sold out pretty much everywhere? Well, Clinique had jumped on that bandwagon and released these beauties - the Chubby Stick. Although the packaging is a real beauty, the product itself? Not so sure...

I'm not going to lie, I never had much of an interest in the Maybelline BabyLips phase, and still to this day would rather just use my trusty Burt's Bee's Pomegranate Oil Lip Balm - good for the real moisture and adds a little bit of a tint. Perfect.

Being a subscriber of Glamour Magazine, this popped through my letterbox one morning, and I was reluctant to try it. Having had a history of allergies to many lip balms (yep, Carmex is not my friend), I didn't know if this could be trusted. Anyhow, I went for plunge and tried it out. Just as I expected - I was not sold.
(For the record: No Allergic Reaction in sight!)

"Although the packaging is a real beauty, the product itself? Not so sure..."

Maybe it was the shade they send, or maybe it was the actual sheerness of the balm that put me off. It was super sheer, and although I was pleased with the lack of sticky-gloss feeling, it still wasn't a winner in my eyes.

If you're a fan of the glossy look (I'm more of a matte girl myself), and need something you would like to apply regularly throughout the day, giving a slight tint but not much - this is the one.

For me, it just left a greyish colour on my lips, and although it was slightly moisturising, something about it didn't feel right. Plus, as I'm not a biggie on that shiny lip-gloss look, this product was probably never going to work in my favour.

"although I was pleased with the lack of sticky-gloss feeling, it still wasn't a winner in my eyes."

If this product was more pigmented, I think I would have liked it. As shown above, this is a swatch of many layers of the balm - and if that came out in one swipe, I might have been sold.

In terms of packaging, it's a seller - no need for any sharpening and it's a cute little pencil.
I think it's one of those 'love it or hate it' kind of things, and at £17 a stick - I'm not quite loving it. Oh well, you can't win every time!

Tell me, are you a Matte or Glossy kind of person? 

Cameras, Pets, Bars & Baking |BERRYWEEKLY

Hello!

"it was practically waiting for us to open the door to freedom"

Another Friday has come, and it's time to reflect. These BerryWeekly posts are so lovely, as it's almost like a mini scrapbook - with pictures and small descriptions of some of the weeks highlights! Actually, seeing as scrapbooking is kind of become a thing, I wanted to get on board and made an actual scrapbook (see here)! Who say's scrapbooking is only for kids?! Not. Me. :)

The idea of scrapbooking actually came to me when I ordered this baby. It's the oh-so-beautiful Canon 700D. I was debating whether or not I should jump into the DSLR bandwagon, wandering whether it's really worth it or not. Being a blogger, it is (silently) believed that having a DSLR makes you an "official". How much I agree to that is another post entirely. For the record, even though I now am lucky enough to own one now, I still don't regard myself as an 'official'.

So far, I have been loving it! The crisp photo outcomes are lovely. What made me feel it was the right decision to pick the camera up, was your responses in this post, which was the first I properly used it.

"I used to be a rabbit owner and miss her to this day."

On another note, I paid a visit to Pets at Home the previous week and saw the cutest little animals. I've forgotten the name of the animal species on the right, but they were super cute snuggling on their little wheel! Though it did sadden me to see the rabbits in their tiny cages. The rabbit next to the one pictured was jumping about, and when we came close to the cage, it was practically waiting for us to open the door to freedom.

 I wish I could say I adopted one, but we have foxes that come to our garden, and it wouldn't be right to put the animal in danger.

If you didn't know, I used to be a rabbit owner (see here) and miss her to this day.

With birthdays come birthday parties. Was it me or did everyone seem to have their birthday in February? My good friend had her birthday and took us all out to Piccadilly Circus. We went to a bar called Jewel Bar based in Glasshouse Street. It's beautiful, and I fell in love with the decor. The seats reminded me on my headboard on my bed - so it felt a little like home! I loved that they had separated sections so you don't feel intruded on by strangers, and you even have your own little area to use as a dance floor.

Although I'm not a huge fan of clubbing, bars I can deal with. Nonetheless, they probably wouldn't be my outing of choice, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't try to get out of it. Though I was told I must attend, and I didn't have a choice, it did end up being a lovely night. Give me anything with coconut and I'm happy (hello, Piña Colada!).

"We went a little artsy and even tried some marble biscuits - completely unplanned but they looked gorgeous."

Finally, to wind off the week on a calmer note, I resorted to baking. My mother and I had some bonding time making these lovely biscuits. We went a little artsy and even tried some marble biscuits - completely unplanned but they looked gorgeous. We had a little cocoa biscuits going on, some plain and the pretty marble mix! It was a lovely time and definitely therapeutic!

What do you think of the whole blogger/DSLR debate? 

Chanel No 5 : POTW

Hello!

Perfumes are the total go-to gift, and no wonder this is one we receive the most. I knew it was coming but what I didn't expect was Chanel. The beautiful packaging, the significance of the iconic brand and the scent that is everlasting, as it works with all age groups, is what got me so excited about it! 

The thing with Chanel fragrances is that many people think it's for the older generation. I disagree, and I do acknowledge that people say I'm 'mature' for my age, but Chanel fragrance is just eternal.

Let's just take a moment to see the beauty of it. It's just so gorgeous (and photogenic, may I add ;) ). The fragrance is quite musky. Seeing as florals are seen to be for the younger generation, and this is not that, it may be the reason for why it's classed as for the elder generation. Either way, I love a bit of vanilla muskiness.

Though I don't see it as an everyday fragrance, unlike this one, it is one for special occasions, and one full of memories.

Tell me, what is your favourite 'high end' fragrance, saved for the special occasions? 

iPhone 6, My First Onesie & Bathroom Makeover : BerryWeekly

Hello! 

This Friday has been long anticipated. Why? It's my first weekend off in a very long time! I can't say I wasn't looking forward to it. Actually, do you not think that when you're looking forward to a particular day, the time leading up to it just drags on?

Well, anyway, since the last BerryWeekly, it did actually snow in London! Whoopie! However, not a lot. By afternoon the snow had melted and I didn't get a chance to build a snowman :(
I hope it does snow properly this year!

Though what did make me happy was my new phone cover! The gold and white combination so pretty. On another note, I got my first onesie! How is that even possible? Well, I was obviously late to jump on that bandwagon, yet it has bambi all over and bambi is my fav, so it was totally worth the wait until I got one I loved! Believe me, it was the comfiest thing ever!! I call it "big peoples baby grow" - yeah, cringe but I think that's it's kind of cute!

Here's the old case next to the new. A bit of photography at it's finest! Who would've thought such a small thing would make you feel happier? Change is good :)

Finally, a super random thing to add to this post: I redid my bathroom. I love a bit of pot pourri and scented stuff in the room, so putting some fragrance drops in there, cleaning the bowl and turning the sticks in the fragrance diffuser made the room smell amazing! The main reason the bathroom was redone was all because of towels. That's right, towels. So, all the towels are matching - the face cloths, the hand towels, the bath towels, the lot! A switch over of all the towels to a warmer shade makes everything seem 100x cosier.
By the way, by 'redone' it was mainly just rearranging and decorating! Well, that was a lengthy description of the bathroom, but believe me, it made me so happy that entire day!

That's it! In case you missed this post, follow me on Instagram to see what goes on during the week. It's fun writing about them on a BerryWeekly afterwards, as Instagram only explains half the story!

Tell me, did it snow a lot where you are this Winter? Did you get to build a snowman ;)?

No 7 Auburn Whispers: POTW

Hello!

Being a creature of habit, I'm not much of a person to switch up lip colours really often.  At the moment I've been wearing Bourjois Nude-ist (post about it here) pretty much all the time. Eye makeup? Yes! Give me a new mascara and I'm good to go.. for 3 days until I swtich up the routine again! Yet, give me a lipstick, if I love the colour, I'll be wearing it for a pretty long time.

This lipstick was totally an impulse buy. Actually I was in the store and stumbled across the 'buy one get one half price' section, so just picked it up because it was, well, half price! Having never owned No 7 Lipsticks before, I was skeptic about their quality. Non-the-less, a swatch or two later, the texture of them seem just right! Moisturising with great colour payoff! 

Nothing too bold, and by dabbing the colour onto the lips rather than applying the colour properly, you can get a light wash of colour that looks almost-natural.

So, if you see me around after I've given this colour a whirl, you may see the same colour for a long time! 

Tell me, are you a creature of habit when it comes to lip-colours, or do you like to switch up really often?

No 7 Base + Top Coat, First Impressions : POTW

Hello!

"Popping into Boots and realising they had the buy one get one half price thing going on...I'd go for the No 7"

One thing I learnt from writing this post: taking pictures of clear things is very difficult. Okay, now that that's out there, let's move on. 

"I'm a sucker for the labelling and I am hoping it works wonders"

No 7 is not such a bad brand. Well, it's actually quite a good brand and when realising my go-to Barry M top coat was literally on it's last legs, with it taking much longer than it should to coat one nail with the clear shade, it was time to invest in a new one. Popping into Boots and realising they had the buy one get one half price thing going on, with a £3 off voucher, I thought I'd go for the No 7. 

"the wide brush is what sold it for me."

The fact that there's two different formulas for the base and top coat confuses me a little. What is the actual difference? I have no idea. However, I'm a sucker for the labelling and I am hoping it works wonders. In particular, the wide brush is what sold it for me. If you saw this post, you'd know how much easier it is to apply nail polish with this type of brush.
Who would've thought the size of the brush would drastically change your manicure routine?

LINKS:
No 7 Top Coat : Amazon, Boots
No 7 Base Coat : Amazon, Boots


What's your all time favourite top/base coats?