Thursday 28th August - University In My Opinion!

I am currently waiting to go into my final year of Uni, I can't wait for it to all be over! 

An all too familiar sight. An edited screenshot from the University of Sunderland website! 

So, let's backtrack to my results day for my A levels. I was nervous, I knew I hadn't done well. For the two years I was there, I'd struggled with fitting in and making new friends, I was cripplingly shy! 

And then my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in my second year of Sixth Form. The day I found out it felt like my world stopped. It couldn't have happened at a worse time and it really did affect my work negatively. I wasn't interested in anything any more and it was basically a low point for me. But I sat my exams, most of them without telling my teachers of this situation. I got bad results in the end. I didn't get into the courses I'd applied for on UCAS. I actually spoke to my law teacher at the time and she calmed me down a little. 

Now, I hadn't applied for Law courses. I was always interested in it, but I didn't think I had the commitment. My teacher told me to phone up through clearing to try and do part time studying. I did and they wouldn't take me because of my low grades.

I happened to find a 'foundation degree' in Law and phoned up. I thought "why not?", I didn't have anything else lined up. I ended up getting a place on the course. I couldn't have been happier! 

And now I'm here, waiting to go into my last year. It cannot come soon enough! I enjoyed my foundation degree but joining the course in it's second year was tough. Everyone had their own friendship groups and I haven't found it enjoyable. I haven't experienced this booming social life and spending countless days drinking and ending up not remembering where you live. However, I've worked hard for this degree so I'm not going to let it go to waste 

Anyone considering going to Uni? Done a foundation degree?

Becca xx

Wednesday 20th August - Blacklisted Products entry #1

For as long as I can remember, (which isn't long, my memory is appalling) I've struggled with acne. I never even used to apply much when I was younger because it was so painful. One of my friends introduced me to Maybelline Matte Mousse foundation and ever since then I've been trying out a lot more makeup and Skincare products, especially for the past two years. 

Here are a list of products I felt haven't agreed with my skin/lips etc or I haven't felt comfortable wearing. 

First of all, Nivea Pearly Shine. 

I love lip balm. I apply it a lot as I have naturally dry lips. This lip balm was on offer in Boots when I got it and I thought why not! ...And then I tried it and realised that the only thing I like about it is the smell. It smells gorgeous! But when applied, I felt it dried my lips out as opposed to moisturising them and the 'Pearly Shine' that was left on my lips just wasn't for me, it was too light, making me look washed out. 

L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique CC Cream in Anti-Redness

I got this at the recommendation of a friend. It comes out of the tube green and blends to become a very dark orange colour. It didn't suit me at all and didn't cover my blemishes as I'd hoped, especially with it being anti-redness. Not only that, but it did cause me to break out so I'll give this a miss from now on!   

Now is a product from one of my favourite brands ever, Clinque! It's the Moisture Surge CC Cream in light medium.

 I'm very partial to Clinique's bonus time promotions, the gifts are awesome and the makeup bags and tins are ridiculously cute! I got this product as part of that exact promotion so I can't complain about wasted money...but I heard so many great things about this product so I was disappointed when it didn't work with me. It made my skin look very oily and just didn't sit right with me.  


Nip+Fab CC Cream in Light

 I was disappointed by this product, partly because I've heard so much about this brand, and partly because I thought I'd got a bargain! Unfortunately that wasn't the case, I found it incredibly hard to blend and it gathered in my pores when I used my mattifying powder on top. It's a shame, but I won't be buying this product again. (Though lots of Nip+Fab products are on my wishlist!) 


Maybelline's Dream Pure BB Cream for Oily Skin in Light

I've been on the search for a BB or a CC cream to wear on those days that I can't be bothered to cake on the makeup, however, with the amount of coverage I get from this product (minimal even after a few layers of the product) and how long it lasted (not long, I was oily after half an hour one day!!) it's not worth the effort! It would be harder work than just applying foundation! Considering the amount of BB and CC creams that are on my list, I'm going to give in, I think!! 

L'Oreal Paris' Lumi Magique foundation!

I got this in rose porcelain and it was definitely a good match but this foundation is more matched to normal or dry skin... Which I would have found out if I had bothered to research it! The coverage didn't last long even with a primer and didn't hide the excess oil, I found myself reaching for my powder every hour or so.

Are there any products on this list that you've had more luck with? 

Do you agree with my judgments?  

Becca xx

Tuesday 19th August - Pinterest

I got Pinterest some time last year and I love it! I can spend hours just looking at a variety of different categories. 

I name my boards so that they're self explanatory: bathroom, bedroom, tops, skirts etc. I initially got it because I was moving away to Uni and I enjoyed looking at all the things I could have in my bedroom. Unfortunately that didn't happen, and anyway, it was only a 10 month contract. But they'll do for when I do move out of my parents'! 

It moved on from there, I would often look through the Popular images! It's definitely one for when you just fancy to look at a bit of everything. There's always the millions of wedding ideas which are not my personal area of interest, but there's everything else too. 

Jewellery, art, recipe posts, clothes... What more could you want? It's great how easy it is to add pins yourself too. I am a fan of the London-based Miss Patina label and I have boards full of their clothes (next best thing to having them? ) 

I have a few secret boards which are there for my own enjoyment (they're more private anyway, valentines day cards and the like)  but I generally do keep everything public. 

This is my profile: http://www.pinterest.com/Becca3092/

Give Pinterest a try, just for hoarding images or recipes or crafts. It's fantastic for a bit of everything! Does anyone have a Pinterest? 

Becca xx

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Sunday 17th August - Makeup Diary entry #2

I went to a wedding last night but I was rushing about so I never got chance to make an entry! 

However, I did buy myself some Rimmel Kate Matte Effect Lipstick, shade 107 and I love it! It's a deep red shade that I normally wouldn't go anywhere near, but actually looks fab! It's definitely long lasting, I woke up this morning with most of the formula still on my lips. It feels dry when it is on, but that is to be expected with a matte lipstick! 

I've rediscovered some Body Shop facewashes that have been in the bathroom cabinet for ages but haven't been used. Admittedly, they've probably been in there a good year or so, but I'm going to give them another whirl! 

I used the Seaweed Mattifying Face Wash. It does a good job of washing my face and removing excess oil. I'm going to use it for a week and see if my skin gets any less oily.

I also bought the Maybelline Baby Skin Anti-Fatigue Cream on a whim. It was 3 for 2 on maybelline products in Boots and I do like a good offer. I wasn't really expecting a great deal of difference.. I was pleasantly surprised. A small blob of the formula does seem to make a difference, it does make my pores look somewhat less pronounced! (If that is what it is supposed to do, it's unclear from the packaging what it actually does) It also smells beautiful!! 

I tried the Nip+Fab CC Cream that I bought at the beginning of the week and I'm a bit disappointed, it was really hard to blend to the skin! It's definitely a step up from Maybelline's Dream BB Cream and I will definitely give it some time! 

I bought some Essence products from Wilkinsons about 2 weeks ago, a Silky Touch Blush in shade 50 Sweetheart and All About Matt Fixing Compact Powder. These are definitely a staple in my Makeup bag from now on. 

The blush adds a lovely pop of colour to the cheeks without being overly bright. It feels gorgeous on the skin, definitely feeling 'silky'. The pretty design of the blush doesn't last too long, but that's not the end of the world! 

The fixing powder is awesome! It blends your blush and foundation so the overall look is smoother. It definitely reduces the look of my pores which are always prominent. 

Tuesday 14th April - Makeup Diary entry #1

I never used to be one for wearing makeup. I was a self conscious teen with a lot of acne! So now as my self esteem grows, so does my love for makeup!

Onto the makeup diary!! So, I started my daily face care routine with Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pore & Shine Daily Scrub, as usual. I feel like it does it's job pretty well, and doesn't dry my skin out so it's a keeper in my book. Not overly sure about it's claim to visibly reduce pores, but it does stop my skin from being ridiculously shiny! 

To start my routine after showering, I used the Clinique Anti Blemish Clarifying Lotion with a cotton pad. 6 months ago I would have sworn by the stuff but I feel like I've hit a brick wall with it. However, up until this point the 3 Step anti-blemish solutions worked fantastically on my skin. (The anti blemish foundation is fantastic too, nice full coverage and definitely suppresses facial oils for a good few hours!) 
despite the fact that my skin is very oily, I do feel like I'm mistreating it if I don't give it a bit of moisture! 

I chose to use Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Fluid for Normal/Oily skin. It's not a heavy formula and doesn't feel greasy when applied to the skin, so it works well enough for me!  I got a bargain from Debenhams on Monday, Nip+Fab's Dark Circle Fix, it would normally retail at approximately £15, but I got it for less than £5! I had to have that! I've only been using it for a matter of days so I haven't noticed a great deal of difference, however, I'm definitely continuing to use it.  

 The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin clearing lotion is something that I've had in my drawer for quite some time, and therefore probably isn't as effective as it should be! However, I find it makes a great base for makeup, though I do normally put a primer on top as well.  

Today that primer was the No7 Colour Calming Primer that I bought earlier this week. I've been wanting to try a green concealer or primer for a while now so I jumped at the opportunity! When it goes on the face it does leave a slight green tinge, however, that's definitely covered by the foundation/BB cream/CC cream you choose on top!  

 
I chose to use Maybelline's Dream Pure BB Cream for Oily skin. I really really want to like this, but I don't feel like it does enough for my skin. I wanted something quite light to apply to my skin for work or shopping but I suppose with my acne that's never going to work. To be fair, it's not completely awful on the clearer parts of my skin, but my pores are still very prominent. I'm going to continue using it for now, but I think I'm going to have to stick with foundations with a bit more coverage.  

 
Here is my cheek to show the coverage on my acne! Not great! 

Finally, I applied Carmex Mint Moisturising Lip balm. I love all of tubes of this lip balm that I've tried! This is probably my favourite! 
All in all, I'm not too happy with my makeup or my skin today!