My Current (non beauty) Picks

I love a good beauty item, I do, but there are also many things in life that make it a whole better place, and I seem to neglect talking about such things. I am a big lover of the obvious; food, lie ins and a good ron-com. But here are the things that have been making my days that little bit brighter recently:

My Mad Fat Diary - God I love this show. Partly cause of the 90’s fashion nostalgia and party because of Nico Mirallegro (swoon). The story line is a teenage girls dream and nightmare all rolled into one. Following Rae Earl's battle through her teens is the perfect way to end a hard day of (adult) work; reliving your childhood 45 minutes at a time.

Mini Eggs - The obvious choice of Easter chocolate here. I can demolish a bag in less than half an hour, and not even feel ashamed – much to the despair of my metabolism.

Daffodils - You can’t beat fresh flowers; its basically spring in a vase! I currently have a bunch on my desk at work and at home, ever brightening a dull moment. There's just something about the colour yellow that makes you smile, I blame that infamous laughing baby in the telly tubby sun....

New Kicks - I finally took the plunge and bought some ‘cool-non-athletic-ever-clean’ trainers and I am so glad I did. My feet have been in shoe heaven! Okay so I may be reliving my teen years (I see a trend in this post) strutting around in Nike Airs but hey, anything goes these days, and if its comfortable then I don't care.

Camomile, Honey & Vanilla Tea - After a very unfortunate event involving tea, my 5 year old stomach and a stained dining room floor, I have since become an avid ‘non-tea-drinker’ only occasionally dabbling in fruit/herbal teas, but often finding they predominately smell A LOT better than they taste. However, I picked up these Sainsbury's Taste the Difference camomile, honey and vanilla pyramid teabags (cough fake tea pigs) and actually really enjoyed them, lovely to sip in bed with a good book.

So in case any of you were wondering, these are the things I enjoy in my spare time – and I do occasionally venture outdoors too… promise.

Current Mascaras

It's a common theme in the beauty world to have multiple mascaras on the go all at once, all serving a slightly different purpose. Here are four drugstore mascaras I am currently trialing.

1. Collection Volumising Mascara(£3.99)

I very recently bought this mascara on a whim as the '£1 off' drew me in (poet and I didn't...). First impressions weren't too great but I am going to preserver with this one. The wand is huge with short plastic bristles, which I love. I find these types of brushes prevent clumps and I for one can't stand uneven lashes (picky, I know) so thumbs up there, BUT this 'volumising' mascara doesn't seem to add much more to my lashes - there's no oomph! Nevertheless, I'll give it a second chance.

2. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara (£7.99)

I have had this product for a while now and my love for it yoyo's. With quite a thin plastic wand it adds length to your lashes no doubt. I prefer my lashes to be thicker rather than longer and so I normally have to use this alongside another mascara to get the look that I want. I usually use this masacara as a quick fix on weekdays for work.

3. Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara (£10.00)

S&G make up is regularly hyped up by bloggers - to the extent I feel I need more of the stuff in my life! This mascara came with the hugeeeee Christmas set that I most gratefully received from the rents. It's big fibre brush certainly does give you thicker lashes with minimal effort but I feel it's downfall is that you I can easily over apply and be sporting spider lashes in an instant. The formula is very wet and can be a bit messy, it probably needs a little drying before it's on top form.

4. Maybelline The Falsies Mascara (£7.99)

You may already know my thoughts towards this mascara so I won't go on for long... I'm a bit mehhhh about the whole thing. After all the hype around it I was sure I'd love it, but no. I do still use it every now and again to try and regain my confidence in it, but for now it's definitely the mascara that's most nearing the back of my draw.

Drugstore Lovin' - November

This post involves the products I have been reaching for throughout November, and of course they are all high street/drugstore brands that are cheap and easily available for everyone!

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint - 'heavy duty under eye concealer'

I bought this on a whim in a 3for2 splurge in boots, and I am so glad I did. This is a great release from seventeen, and a first of its kind! This drugstore 'concealer in a pot' is thick and creamy, and with the warmth of my fingers when blending, it works absolute wonders on dark circles. I apply this under my foundation under my eyes and wherever my skin is slightly red. (£5.49)

Laidbare Pack Your Bags - 'lighten and tighten eye cream'

This is a slight cheat as I bought this from T K Maxx, but it was under a fiver so I thought I would include it. I have never been one for eye creams so again it was a spontaneous purchase. I apply this before I go to sleep and also when I wake up. Wow it helps - I mean my mega bags will never cease (I can thank my dad for that!) but I feel this cream definitely tightens the area under my eyes. (£4.99)

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour in 'permanent taupe' - 'gel cream eye shadow' 

This is a rediscovery from my make up collection, I bought this shade when there was a hype around the colour tattoos. Unfortunately I did not fall in love with it and so got tossed to the back of my drawer... until now! Having spied it on another blog post I thought it would give it a second chance, and since then it's been my go to everyday shadow. The taupe really emphasizes brown eyes and the formula is so easy to work with (even at 7am on a Monday ZZzz), so I am now giving this product a thumbs up and an apology for neglect. (£4.99)

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends - 'split end protection intensive mask'

Now, I am not one to condition my hair, don't ask why - I don't have a specific reason. So therefore I make the conscious effort to treat my hair at least once a week. I picked this mask up from Morrisons for a nifty £2! It does what it says on the tin and I am happy with that. No gimmicks, just a intensive treatment to keep those horrid split ends at bay. (RRP £3.99)

Stay tuned for a drugstore Lovin' next month!