Kit Number 2 :D

Yesterday when I came home from college, there was ANOTHER package waiting there. I was so excited because I knew it was going to be my Eve Taylor Skincare Kit 

I personally, have never heard of Eve Taylor products before - but from looking at the products and testing them out in college - I'm now a huge fan. They each have different ingredients which each add something different to your skin and each have different properties and effects. 

The kit was £47.99 - which for a professional, high end brand and for 6 things, I though was pretty good.

The kit came with (from left to right)

- A soothing Cleanser with Cucumber and Lettuce 

- Soothing Toner with Lavender and Chamomile

- Soothing Masque with Aloe Vera and Camellia 

- Soothing Moisture Lotion with Comfrey and Lavender

- Facial Cleansing Brush

- An Eve Taylor bag to hold the products

Bedroom Decor

My sister had moved out a few months ago so obviously, I decided to take her room because it's a lot bigger than my old one - which I shared with my other sister.

Basically, I had to keep her furniture (sad face) but I did get to repaint and jazz it up to suit my style so to speak - I also got cute wee canvases which I adore and new curtains etc. etc. 

I do have a lot of clothes etc. so I think it was a wise decision keeping the furniture instead of buying new ones - the picture I have taken in a combo of each of the main features and because I used it on instagram and put it into a college, it might not be that easy to see but sure :)

The top image is of the back wall - I have two wardrobes (I did say I have a lot of clothes haha) and I also have my "bookcase" which is just a TV trolley type thing.

The bottom left is of the side wall where my mirror and drawers are - this holds my make-up, jewellery and trousers/t-shirts - along with three canvases above it

The bottom right is of the other side wall where my bed is - along with a bedside table where I'd usually set my book/kindle, phone etc and then there is a canvas beside it along with the window 

I know it's not that special, I was just very happy with the way it finally turned out :)

It's Finally Arrived!

So when I first signed up to my course, we were informed that we would have to purchase three things.

1. The Uniform

2. NVQ Level 2 Beauty Therapy Kit

3. Skin Care Kit

I had ordered all three away last week and the week before, and my NVQ Level 2 Beauty Therapy kit has finally came! I was so excited the package was huge and I could barely lift it - neither could the delivery man haha. We were given a list of everything that was included but because it's so long I'm not going to rewrite that all but I am going to show a picture and list some of the items that are in it :)

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Ta Dahhh

Okay so I'm going to name the things that are noticeable or in a pack together. So on the very far left, the black box, is the hot wax. Beside that (all the skin truth tubes) is for your hands and cuticles, aka - the manicure set. In front of that is some antibacterial hand gel and petroleum jelly. The clear bag beside them is the tinting kit which contains four tints, a tint developer and brush. The bag behind that with the blue bottles is all of the creams, masks etc. that's needed for a pedicure. Beside that is an apron. Next to that is all of the waxing items - such as, the pre wax, after wax etc. and fabric waxing strips. In front of that - the plastic case contains all of the tools I will need - nail clippers, buffers, files etc. Beside that I ten have an eyelash kit which contains strips, individual lashes and glue etc. Beside that is a pot for the wax and next to that is a set of make-up brushes. Down in front there are a few nail polished - french manicure ones, a base coat, top coat etc and finally beside that is a manicure bowl. 

I know that may be a lot to take in and understand but there you have it - I also got a bag and my textbook which I didn't take a photo of - but they were included in the kit :)

Favourite Mascaras of the Past Month

I like I'm sure most other girls, LOVE having big, beautiful lashes. I have naturally long black lashes which does make it easier to be a tad nicer to mascaras. I honestly don't think I've found a mascara that I haven't like, lucky me, but at the same time, I go for mascaras that tend to give more volume over length. 

This past month or so, I have been addicted to two mascaras and these are;

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Flex Mascara 

&

Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara for Green Eyes

Basically, I use the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Flex first in order to get the volume I desire. What I love about this mascara is that no matter how many time you apply, it will never go clumpy - which is a big no no for me - but I'm so happy to say this doesn't do that! 

I then apply the Max Factor Eye brightening mascara on top - this is because I don't want that much length, though it does add a bit - but the main reason is because I want this mascara to be the outer layer because of the ruby flecks that are in it. The flecks are what help to enhance your eye colour and each mascara has different coloured flecks for the different eye colours. So when I apply this last, it adds a coat of the ruby flecks onto the outer layer of mascara therefore reflecting the light. If i had of applied it first then the Rimmel mascara, i would've just covered them and it wouldn't have done anything. 

Overall I really like this combo and I intend to stick to it until I find a new love! They're also a really good price and won't break the bank - so to speak - and overall are great products! 

:)

Book Review - Defiance by C.J Redwine

Instead of learning to dance and sew within the walls of Baalboden, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. When Rachel's father fails to return from a mission and is declared dead, the cities commander sets Rachel a new protector, Logan - her fathers apprentice and the boy she declared her love too. With the fierce belief her father's survival, Rachel decided to escape and find him herself. 

Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of  assassins out for blood. They discover romance, heartbreak and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. 

I first heard of this book by Rachel over at Booktastic Reviews and I was instantly intrigued. It sounded like something I've never read before though it did kind of remind me of Angelfall by Susan Ee which I have also done a review (if you want to read you can click here) 

After reading a few chapters, I was instantly drawn in, I loved so many things about it. The first thing was the writing style - I love how C.J alternated each chapter between Rachel and Logan and we were able to see from both of their points of view. 

I loved the relationship that was shown between Rachel and Logan - you can tell from the beginning that there's some underlying tension which you recently find out a bit later which just made everything understandable. 

Rachel as a lead character is awesome. She is only 16 but yet she's so strong, confident and has a backbone - in other words, she speaks her mind and doesn't care what anyone thinks. She is so loyal to those she loves and will do whatever it takes to make sure they're safe - which is why she goes after her father. I will say though that she does have quite drastic mood changes which makes you step back and think "waow, calm the f*** down girl" It did annoy me quite a bit.

Logan is also amazingggg - he's extremely smart, strong and courageous. Throughout the book he goes through so much and you find out a bit about his past which gives you a huge insight into why he hates the Commander so bad, and you can't help but cheer him on throughout the challenges he faces during the book. He was Jared's apprentice (Rachel's father) so he is trained to be a tracker and he also is incredibly smart and can make incredible gadgets which help throughout their journey. 

The other charactes such as Oliver - Rachel's friend/adopted grandfather is also involved a lot and you get a good insight into his relationship with Rachel and also Logan which is really good.

The bad thing about this book is that, you don't get any detail of where this takes place, yes it's in Baalboden, but where in the world is that - and you don't get any idea of the time frame of in what year this takes place which annoyed me. Though considering that there is no high tech gadgets/technology apart from what Logan makes - no one has an idea of what it is - I'd guess the book is placed in the 20th Century and even the dress sense and the language used suggests that it was in a different/older time.

Overall, I really liked this book - it was different and definitely not something that I would usually read which is the main reason I wanted to read it. I will definitely be purchasing the second book :) If you want something different to read, I would definitely purchase this book.

First Impression - Nivea Express Hydration Primer

So I was in the boyfriend's house watching TV when I an advertisment came on about the new Nivea Primer - I was instantly intrigued as I love finding new primer that will make my make-up last as long as I need it to. 

I bout it from Savers when it was on sale for an amazing £3.49 for 50ml - which I thought was a total bargain! They have two types, one for normal and combination skin and one for dry and sensitive skin - I got the normal and combination one.

Initially when I read the package, I immediately had good expectations as it stated "moisturises and provides a smooth base for effective make-up application with effective hydrators" Some more information about the product;

NIVEA PHILOSOPHY 

 Nivea uses ingredients inspired by nature to create high performance products that work in perfect harmony with your skin - to help you look and feel your most beautiful 

NIVEA Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer enriched with Vitamins & natural Lotus Extract;

• Provides an even and smooth base for effective make-up application and helps your make-up stay put
• Absorbs instantly thanks to it's light texture
• Uses an effective hydrator for long lasting moisturisation and a soft skin feeling 

I also really like the packaging - it's simple and clean which I really like :)

Time for the Results! :)

My initial thought when I first applied it was that it was very light weight, which I liked because it didn't feel heavy or thick on my skin, and it also absorbed really well into my skin and didn't leave any kind of greasy residue.

After 2.5 hours - I first applied this with my make-up at 11.30am as I was getting ready to head into town, by the time 1.30pm came, I decided to have a wee check in the toilets to see how my make-up was doing. I was really impressed - not one bit had budged or worn off! I was really impressed because it was pretty warm and walking around the shops etc I was getting a tad sweaty, gross I know but it happens, and none of my make-up had smeared off!

After 4.5 hours - When I was leaving town, I decided again to run to the loo and check my make-up, I did notice a bit of my make-up had came off around my nose, granted I had been rubbing it etc. so that was pretty acceptable, but overall my make-up was still looking good!

After a total of 7 hours - Once I got home and changed into comfy clothes etc. I had another look at my make-up and overall, I am super impressed! Only the make-up around had came off during the whole day and that was mostly because I was rubbing it! 

Overall, I really love this product. Not only did it keep my skin hydrated without looking shiny or oily and it also made my make-up last! And for the price it was an absolute bargain. I would highly recommend this product, and because it has two different types, it's suitable for everyone! :)

College Update

So if you have been reading my blog etc. then you'll know that I recently got accepted into an NVQ Level 2 in Beauty Therapy and I just wanted to do a quick update on how my first week went.

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My first week, unfortunately wasn't based around my course. Instead, it was an Employability week which helps to develop your team work skills and all the other skills employers want, you even get a certificate as it is an actual qualification which is cool.

So basically, we were split into groups, I was with four other girls, whom of which are really nice, and we had to find a solution to a problem. We were then given the task to come up with a make-up look which to go with a certain fashion trend - the look could be literally anything, and it had to be in a powerpoint which we then had to present to the class. A winner was chosen, and they now have to present their powerpoint to the board of the college, scary bickies. 

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The actually beauty course is starting this coming week so I'm SUPER excited. Overall I really like my classmates and tutors so, fingers crossed it all goes well

:)