What I got for My Birthday

It was my birthday on Sunday and I must say, I am very grateful for everything I recieved and for the people I got to spend my day with so without further adue, lets get started 

 

Book Review - The Last Summer of Us by Maggie Harcourt

The Last Summer of Us is based on three friends from Wales who go on a road trip during the summer – the last summer all three of them would spend together.

I’m going to be honest and say that when I first seen this book, I wasn’t sure about it, I actually put it back down on the way to the till only to pick it back up again the next day with the decision to give it a go and that is not a decision I regret.

This book isn’t the typical type of book I would go for, I love all things supernatural and fantasy based, but this book – this book is so realistic it could be someone’s life right at this moment – the storyline is so well captured in what goes on in a young teen’s life and mind when everything around them seems to be changing. There’s love, sadness, happiness, lies, acceptance and also truth and the harsh reality of it. During some moments I even found myself wondering, how can this author capture something that is so relatable to such a large number of people so effortlessly. And I know I am being quite vague about the heart of the story line but that is because I want use all to read it, I urge use too, because this is a story that will stay with you – for all the right reasons.

Sleek Highlighting Palette - Precious Metals

I got this palette ages ago when it first came out in Superdrug - and I don't know why it's taking me so long to actually review it... weird. But I do really like this product - I think when I got it it was £9.99 which to me is a bargain for the quality of the product. 

You get three cream highlighters and one powder, you also get a wee brush to apply them but I'm not really fond of it, I just like to use my fingers to apply the cream and my realTechniques to apply the powder.
 The packaging is shiny and sleek, and it also closes magnetically which saves the hassel of trying to work it open like so many palettes. The products themselves are lovely, the cream highlighters are smooth and creamy and very well pigmented and the powder is also smooth and easy to blend.

From left to right - Platinum, Royal Gold, Renaisance Gold (Cream) and Antique Bronze (Powder)

St. Tropez Gradual Tan in Shower

I am not a fan of this product.

I bought this when it was on offer in Boots for £9.96 or something like that and I thought, this is a bargain - I'm going to get it and I'm going to love it because as everyone knows, St Tropez is one of the best selling and most well known tanning brands - because their products are amazing......... minus this, one for me anyway.

The directions are too apply in the shower when the shower is off, to wet skin, allow to sit for 3 minutes and then rinse it off with just water - no soap. As I rarely have my legs out, I usually only manually tan the top half of my body - so I tried this method out on my legs and in total I have used it four times - my legs have no changed colour - which is a little to be honest because I am so pale I honestly thought there would have been some kind of noticable difference but sadly not. I'm not sure why this is the case, maybe it takes to different areas of the body differently or maybe it's just my skin, who knows...

Vaseline Spray & Go

This is now my go to summer moisturiser - it is so handy and effecient that I don't know how I lived without it for so long. You literally spray on, rub in and it dries in a matter of seconds. It doesn't leave my skin sticky or tacky - it just leaves it silky smooth and smelling wonderful.

Definitely a must have for the summer!

Maybelline dream Flawless Nude Foundation

I purchased this foundation a while ago and I have worn it quite a number of times but I've never gotten around too reviewing it so, here it it.

This product retails for £8.99 in Superdrug and Boots and I got the shade 10 Ivory

The packaging is quite small and sleek and I love how it's in a glass bottle. It comes with a "dropper" 

type thing which to be honest, isn't my cup of tea but I can make do. 

The foundation itself is very light weight and has a water consistency to it which makes it very blendable, it doesn't feel heavy or cakey on the skin and it is definitely buildable to a medium to full coverage. It feels very natural and lets your skin breath and adds a nice glow to the skin

(Left to Right) No make-up - One layer of foundation, with two layers on the cheek area for extra coverage

Overall, I do really like this foundation - its inexpensive, it has great coverage and it feels wonderful on the skin, I will definitely be purchasing another one!

Drugstore Self Tanners

I have used a lot of self tanners from a wide range of brands, and I now think I have found my favourite ones - from Superdrug. I'm all about that natural sun kissed glow and these two tans definitely give that.

The first tan is by the brand Sunkissed which I got when I was over in Birmingham for only £3.99. It has a yummy coconut scent even when rinsed off.  It is very moisturising on the skin and feels lovely as well. Colour wise it is very golden as it has more of a yellow undertone than any of the other tans I used, but once it has developed after a few hours it deepens into more of a natural tan colour.

The second tan is one I have been wanting for ages as I've seen it so much on social media - especially Instagram, and it is  Bondi Sands The Australian tan. I got this the other day when it was on offer for £9.99 and I love it. It also has a yummy coconut scent to it even when rinsed off and depending on how dark you want the tan, you can rinse it off after one hour. The colour itself is very natural, as i you were on holiday - it's not too yellow or orange, but the perfect shade of brown. It's very moisturising on the skin and makes my skin feel and smell lovely