Collaborative / Partnered Post - Ways To Make Your Eyes Pop And Boost Your Self Confidence*

Whenever people say that they don't like a body part it usually something like your stomach or your thighs, and whilst I definitely have a love / hate relationship with those parts of my body, for me thanks to my facial paralysis it's my face, and in my particular my mouth and eyes.

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul and whether that's true or not, your eyes are definitely a prominent feature and learning to love them  for me at least has been a real work in progress - they're not exactly something you can hide people look into them when they want to hold your attention, and avoid them when they don't. As well as performing an essential job, you're eyes play an important role in defining you, and showcasing the person who you are. 

From everyday beauty to glamorous "going out" looks, emphasising your eyes really draws people in and can really increase your self confidence. A lot of people really do feel that their eyes are their best feature, and even if like me you don't then maybe you can learn to love them, or at look at them a different way with the right techniques.

Give Your Lashes More Oomph

Nowadays when you look at someone a lot of the times the first thing you notice about their eyes are their lashes! Bigger and bolder than ever before lashes are the focus point for anyone who want to highlight their eyes. Whether your a fan of the current super long and thick tarantula look or not, everyone wants longer, darker, thicker and more curled lashes. As well as protecting your eyes from dirt and debris, when your lashes are on point then will both emphasise and frame your eyes. If you're not lucky enough to have naturally fabulous lashes, there are some great mascaras on the market, but if you really want that wow factor and that extra oomph, then try some premium lash extensions. They'll lengthen your lashes even further to get that ultimate long-lashed look that even the best mascara on it's own just can't do. Temporary lash extensions are easy to put on and just as easy to remove too, so you can use them whenever you like.

Find the Right Makeup

If you want to draw attention to your eyes then a little bit of Makeup can really make them pop. You don't need a make up collection like mine but if you really want to make a highlight your eyes then a little bit of make up can make all the difference. Now as you know I'm not really a liner fan but if you're confident in using it, team it up with some mascara, or some lashes, and a bit of eyeshadow to make your eyes really stand out. Add a bit of light reflection concealer here and then to hide those dark circles and add a bit of light around your eyes, and a bit of highlight or shimmery shadow to make them instantly look brighter and more alive. Stick to neutrals for an easy everyday look, but add a bit of sparkle or create a smokey, glam look for evenings, or be brave and play with some colour. As I always say make up is supposed to fun, there are no rules, play and experiment till your heart is content, and if you don't like it you can always wipe it off and start again!

Play with Glasses/No Glasses

Now I've been a glasses wearer for over 20 years now, and whilst at first I hated them with a passion, and they can still be pretty annoying at times, I've really embraced them, they've become a part of what I look like and I feel naked without them.If you wear glasses, don't think you have to ditch them to make the most of your eyes, and don't hide behind them, let your glasses highlight your eyes, and use them to your advantage. The key to making glasses work for you is finding a style that suits your face. Although oversized frames are popular, they're not right for everyone and could draw attention away from your eyes, I must admit I've experimented with frames a lot of the years (have a look way back to the very early days of the blog to see some examples of my glasses wearing journey!), from wire frames, to thinner letterbox styles, to the slightly over sized ones I have now, and I've loved them all for different reasons, and for the different looks and impressions that I've created with each frame. Choosing frames can be a minefield, there is just so much choice, the key thing is to not only choose the right frames for your prescription, but it's also important to choose frames that work for your face shape and colouring. Whether you're picking glasses for the first time or whether you fancy a change, try a few pairs on to find something that you love and that fits your personality and lifestyle.

I personally love my glasses, and whilst I'm personally not a fan of them, contact lenses are great for a change, and going glasses free gives your look a new dimension and can really help make your eyes the centre of attention.

Pay Attention to Your Eyebrows

Probably one of the most important part of framing your face and making your eyes stand out, if of your eyebrows, your eyes are the picture and your brows are the frame. Since I'm a glasses wearer for years I ignored my eyebrows, and let them go their own way, they weren't really on show so I just forgot about them, and then when I did start paying attention to them, I jumped on board the skinny brow trend, and over plucked them and destroyed the shape. 

Thankfully I have learnt from the error of my ways, and my brows and fuller, and occasionally a touch wayward, but by and large I keep them groomed and under control. Fill in your brows and define their shape to make them more attention-grabbing, and if you aren't sure what you're doing head to a professional for some advice, and once you've groomed them add a little bit of highlight on your brow bone, and a touch of concealer to make them really stand out. Whether you want dark magazine brows or something a bit more natural when your brows look good, they'll complement your eyes and make sure people know where to look.

Whether you love them or like me you're a bit more indifferent, making the most of your eyes can be a real confidence booster. If you look in the mirror and you see nice full lashes, a nice smokey eye, or a perfectly groomed brow, you're bound to feel better yourself, so whether you're going to job interview, on a date, or even to take something back to the shop, always try to make the best of yourself and even if you don't feel brave or confident, use the tools that you have to hold your head up high, make eye contact, and use those eyes to their full advantage!

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

My Love / Hate Relationship With Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara

There are so many mascaras on the market these days, that it's almost impossible to choose which one to buy. There are so many different things to consider - Are your eyes sensitive? What colour do you want? Do you want length, or do you want curl or even volume? It's a tough choice, especially if you're a mascara whore like me, I love trying new mascaras and I very rarely show any brand or product loyalty.  I have a mascara drawer that's full to bursting point with new and unopened mascaras at all different price points and acquiring a new mascara always makes me happy.

Most of the mascaras in the drawer are one offs that have came in goodie bags, magazines, gifts with purchase or in beauty boxes, but suprisingly given my attitude to mascaras, I do have a few mascaras from one brand in particular - Benefit! As you know I love Benefit and in my collection I have a mini Roller Lash and a mini Bad Gal Lash, and I also have several full sized and mini They're Real Beyond Mascaras that I've received in beauty boxes, as pressies, in sets and that I've even bought myself.

Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara was released in 2011, in a blaze of publicity and it's popularity has grown so much as of 2015 it's now the UK's No. 1 best selling mascara. I can see why and that's probably why it's something that I've repurchased, but I do have a bit of a love, hate relationship with it and today I'm going to tell you why x

Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara is so named because it pretty much promises to give you that perfect false lash effect look in a tube and it also promises to do everything that you could ever want a mascara to do, It claims to lengthen, curl, volumise, lift and separate your lashes. It also claims to be long wearing and not to clump, smudge or dry out. Can a mascara really do everything for everyone? Well Benefits consumer tests certainly seem to suggest that this one can at least in part, in their research 94% saw dramatic length & volume, 94% saw a visible lift in their lashes and a massive 100% of participants saw long wearing results. Were my results the same? Let's see x

Unlike a lot of Benefit products, packaging wise They're Real seems to have a little less of the quirk factor. This mascara generally comes boxed and it comes in a pretty classy looking, gunmetal, plastic and metal tube.

Most mascaras these days are all about the wand and the spoolie and this one is no different. Long gone are the traditional bristles that you would find in Bad Gal, They're Real embraces the new generation of plastic and rubber spoolies, covered in row upon row of tiny vertical prongs, what makes this one special though is the tip of wand

It;s not easy to see it in this picture but the slightly domed tip is also also covered in tiny rubber bristles or prongs or whatever else you want to call them. This tip is specially designed to separate the lashes but you can also use it to flick out the corners of your lashes for that real fake lash look.

For me the formulation is good, it's not too wet and it's not dry or flaky. I've only tried the Black but it's a true rich matte black, some black mascaras can look ashy but not this one, it's a proper black mascara. which is designed for maximum impact.

At the risk of telling you something you already know, I'm assuming that you all know how to apply mascara, we all have our own ways of doing it, but Benefit provide you with some application instructions anyway, which actually do make the application a little bit easier. Holding the brush horizontally, they advise that you apply the mascara to your bottom lashes first and that you apply your mascara by wiggling the brush from side to side, rather than just brushing it on. Then if you've ever watched the amazing Benefit head make up artist, Lisa Potter Dixon on QVC UK you'll know that you need to twist the brush, and go VERTICAL, using the domed end of the brush to separate, curl and fan out your lashes. Then in theory you can then layer, and repeat till you achieve the look you want. The key words being in theory but more on that later. Here are a couple of before and afters so you can see the difference that just one coat makes.

Before

After

There is absolutely no doubt that just one coast of They're Real has made a significant difference to my lashes, they're thicker, they're definitely longer, they've got a definite curl to them and they're much darker! It also wears well, it doesn't flake, it doesn't feel drying on the lashes, and it doesn't irritate my eyes and it also doesn't come off until you take if off with a decent cleanser or eye make up remover. You could say that it does everything that Benefit says but for me the words, close but no cigar spring to mind.

I like this mascara but I do have a few issues with it, first of all the wand attracts way too much product and as a result you can end applying way too much at once, it just doesn't seem to have as good a wiper system as Roller Lash does.

Although  as you can see above one coat gives a dramatic enough result I do find that if you apply more than one coat in order to get a real full on false lash look, it has a real tendency to get a bit thick and clumpy, I know the whole point of the domed end of the wand it to lift and separate the lashes, but in my experience it's sometimes so clogged with mascara that you need to actually wipe it before you use it, and sometimes even then it just doesn't cut the mustard. It's not ideal and more often then not I still need to comb my lashes thoroughly with a lash comb to get that picture perfect false lash look. Okay it doesn't take any effort to pull out a lash comb but with a mascara and a wand that promised so much it is a bit frustrating

Thankfully for me, most of the time one coat is enough, and all I used to perfect the lashes you can see above was the mascara wand itself. There is no doubt in my experience that this mascara does achieve most of what it promises and I will probably repurchase it in the future but if you fancy giving it a go, take some tips from me - take care and time with your application to avoid blobs and clumps, and either have on hand a wipe to clean your wand or a lash comb to achieve that flawless lash look, oh and make sure you have a decent cleanser or eye make up remover at the ready, because this stuff stays on. Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara in Black retails at around £19.50 for 8.5g of product and is available for various retailers including Debenhams, Boots, John Lewis, House Of Fraser and of course the Benefit Cosmetics UK website. Thanks for reading and don't forget to let me know if you have any questions about this review x

Huge Collective Beauty Haul Featuring QVC, Essence, Chanel And More x

Hey Everyone x Following on from yesterdays Iced Rainbow post I'm back with another haul post and this time it's a pretty huge collective beauty haul. There really is something for everyone in this haul, lots of different things and lots of different price points.

We'll start off with some budgets from one of my favourite brands at the moment, Essence. Over the last few months, I've managed to make a couple of trips to Wilko purely to buy some bits from Essence. I was recently sent a package full of Essence goodies and it only succeeded in whetting my appetite for more.

Although my nails are pretty dreadful at the moment, they had too many pretties to ignore x Reviews and nails of the days to come but I got a few nail art bits including some nail foil and some foil transfer solution. I used to use foils on my nails all the time about 10 years ago and since these bits appear to be being discontinued I stocked up. Foiling is a technique that I love and I can't wait to give it a go again when my nails are a bit longer. As well as the foils I also got a couple of colours - Essence Holo Graphics Effect Nail Polish in 22 I ♥ Magic and Essence Holo Jewels Effect Nail Polish in 12 Bejewelled.

I also picked up one of their Nail Art Designer set. This contains 3 different textured sponges for creating an airbrush effect, and a very thin striping brush.

As well as the nail bits I also got a couple of make up items including the Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder. I love both the Laura Geller Matte Maker and the MAC Prep + Prime clear / white powders but they are both pretty spending so I'm hoping that this similar looking product will be a good substitute. I also picked up one of the new Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Mascaras in 02 Browny Brows. According to some of the reviews that I've this is supposedly a good dupe for Benefit's Gimme Brow, I haven't had a chance to try it yet but I'll let you know what I think when I do x

Another product that's been talked about and hyped up is Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner in 063 East End Snob. This has taken a bit of finding but I'm pleased I got it in the end.

I've just been wearing this nude, pink, mauve shade over my entire lips and topping it with a bit of gloss but if anyone can recommend a lipstick that goes well with this shade, then I'd love to know x

Another Avon haul, and another nail polish. If there is a sale supplement in my catalogue that;s always what I read first and I was super happy to see some of their Stardust Nail Enamels. I only a couple of these but I love the demi matte finish which is packed full of sparkle. This one is Polished Plum which is packed full of multi coloured glitter. I'm really disappointed that they've discontinued these but fingers crossed the new Mineral Crush polishes will be similar.

Alongside the nail polish I also bought a perfume from Avon. I know it's hard buying a fragrance that you haven't tried before, but after trying the scratch and sniff panel in the brochure I had to buy this one.

Cherish is the perfume that Avon created in association with Abby Clancy and her mum. It's a bit headier then most perfumes that I own but it includes my favourite scent, Jasmine so it's a winner with me.

Next ebay, and although I've bought quite a bit from ebay lately I've only bought a couple of beauty things x One items arrived just a little bit too late for inclusion in this post but I did get these eyebrow razors in time.

These are a zillion times better than the last ones that I got. They are stupidy, sharp so I have nicked myself a few times but they are amazing for getting rid of all of those fine hairs, and strays that ruin the shape. Unfortunately thanks to ebays layout changes I can no longer find the seller, but these ones should be quite easy to find.

Another budget buy came courtesy of Poundland, I seem to mention this shop in pretty much every post that I write at the moment but I can't help it, they have so much good stuff in at the moment. Operation bye bye bath is still ongoing so as well as trying to use up all my bath products, I'm trying prepare myself for the inevitable, not by buying shower gels, I already have tonnes of those but by buying shower caps - I can't be doing with washing my hair every time I have a shower so I'm going to need plenty of these on standby. This is the Miss Piggy version but I'm definitely going to get the Minnie Mouse one too.

From one off, fun, pocket money friendly items, to a few purchases that I've had to think a little bit harder about. The first product in the higher end section of this haul is something that I've wanted for a long time so it certainly wasn't an on the whim purchase.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in 54 Boy is one of those lipsticks that is truly iconic. The name makes reference to Coco Chanel's love affair with Arthur Edward "Boy" Capel, and it's truly one of the nicest lipsticks that I now own.

Although it looks very pink in my product pictures it actually more of a nude shade with just a touch of sparkle. The formula is very hydrating which does effect the wear time slightly but there is no better feeling then opening that black and gold tube, and smelling that traditional rose fragrance. Lipstick heaven in a tube we'll just pretend we didn't see the £24 price tag.

Lipstick, lipstick, how I love thee, I have so many lip products it's insane but on the 3rd March QVC had a special day where all on air items were on 3 easy pay. I just intended to watch a few shows but I got engrossed in a Bare Minerals order, and as if by magic the place order button appeared on my screen. To be fair I've tried a lot of Bare Minerals products but I've never tried any of their lipsticks.

The Bare Minerals Nude Perfection kit comes with 3 Mini Marvelous Moxie Lipsticks, all in varying brown, and nude tones, that can be wore alone are mixed together. As well as in the limited edition kit that I got all of the lipsticks are available as full sized items separately so I'll definitely be adding these to my to review pile x

Something else that I ordered from QVC came from the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty brand. I've watched the presentations a few times mainly to hear the wit of Ms Collins but you can't help but marvel at the glamour and style of her products and packaging. Seeing as I really don't need any more make up I decided to try something else that she offered, the Class Act Lash Growth Treatment. I've used a certain lash growth product in the past with some success (which I also must review for you at some point) but it is a bit price prohibitive so when I saw this one for under £20, I thought I'd give it a go. Obviously I'll give it a through review when I've had a chance to try it but based on first impressions the packaging is gorgeous and really high end so I'm really hoping that the contents matches that. With every purchase from the line you also get a sample pack of her First Base Foundation to try. The little pack contains every colour that they do so you can pick the perfect shade for you x I think that is a fab idea and I think that it's something that all brands should do. Again I'll let you know what I think, in a future sample Saturday post x

My final QVC purchase (for now!) came from the Alpha H range. I love Alpha H and I'm a huge fan of their star product Liquid Gold. This special offer kit came with both a 50ml and a 100ml bottle of Liquid Gold, and a canvas tote bag. I love this stuff but shame about the bag which absolutely stinks to high even and is currently being aired off in the porch.

The last things I have to show you are all magazine freebies, I've spent a little bit of time in hospital waiting rooms over the last month so I've needed something to relieve the boredom. If you're quick you might be able to get your hands on these x  Harpers Bazaar came with a free 15ml tube of Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream, Marie Claire came with a free, full sized, limited edition Nails Inc polish - this is Fiesta, and Glamour came with a free item from Balance Me - I went for the 100ml tube of the Super Moisturising Body Wash.

So that was my pretty huge, and pretty expensive collective beauty haul. I'm going to try and review as much of it as I can but if there is any specific review you would like to see then please let me know x Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow with a review or two xx

A Review Of The Glo-Minerals Water Resistant Mascara*

Hey Guys x Today's post is one of those catch up posts that I promised. I received this product a couple of months ago, I had the best of intentions use it solidly for a few weeks and then review it for you - simples, but life never works out that way, does it? Several CFS flare ups, an eye infection and than a torrent of bad light all meant that this post was put on the back burner - I'm sorry :( Last week though I got myself into gear and for once the weather played along so here is my long awaited review of the Glo-Minerals Water Resistant Mascara.

I'm a huge fan of mineral make up but Glo-Minerals as a company were new to me. Founded in 2002 all of their products use pure pharmaceutical grade earth minerals combined with vitamins A, C and E and Green Tea. They produce a wide range of make up products and skin care products all of which are talc, paraben, dye, and perfume free.

A few months ago now I was given the chance to try a product from their extensive range. As you know I'm a bit of a mascara junkie so I was delighted to received the Glo-Minerals Water Resistant Mascara in Black to try out.

The Glo-Minerals Water Resistant Mascara contains extracts of Bamboo and D-Panthenol to prevent moisture loss and help to maintain healthy lashes.

This water-resistant mascara promises to add length and volume to the lashes, without smudging or clumping.

The mascara comes packaged in a plain black, chunky tube. The spoolie is just a basic bristle one nothing overtly different or unusual - If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Texture wise it's quite a thick mascara but at the same time it feels and looks quite wet. It applies to the lashes quite easily, and as long as you give it a few moment to dry you don't get any smudges or transfer. When it's wet though it does have a tendency to produce those familiar little dots so give it about a minute to be on the safe side.

How about some befores and afters

Before 

After

Before 

After

I think this mascara does pretty much what it promises finish wise. The pictures aren't the best but this is just one coat and already you can see the difference in the length and fullness of the lashes. I have to be honest and say that this mascara  despite it's claims does clump a little bit. I haven't combed my lashes here but I would definitely recommend combing it through once the lashes have dried for a polished look. As I say this is just one coat but you could build it up even more by layering it up allowing it to dry between each coat and combing through.

This mascara is water resistant not waterproof so you can't got swimming in it or wear it in the shower but it holds up pretty well to everyday life surviving a bit of sweating, some boiling pasta water and a little bit of horizontal rain without budging too much. For a water resistant mascara it's also pretty easy to remove, I just held a cotton pad covered in eye make remover over it for about 30 seconds to break it down, and then it probably only took one more pad to remove it all.

Like all mascaras that claim to be water resistant or waterproof it does feel a little drying and stiff on the lashes but when you remove it the mascara your lashes don't feel dry or uncomfortable in the slightest.

Overall I think that this is a pretty decent mascara that does pretty much what it promises, I did find it a tiny bit clumpy but I can deal with it. I'm not sure I would repurchase more down to the price than anything else but I'll definitely use it up and enjoy the results. 

Glo-Minerals Water Resistant Mascara comes in the one shade and retails at around  £16.00 and is available from the Glo-Minerals website and various other retailers.

*Sample

Curly Lashes With Boots No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara?

Like many other bloggers I was recently sent the latest mascara offering  from Boots No7. I have tried their mascaras before but normally in the mini sizes that you get with the GWP, and I have to say nothing has really wowed me so far OK but not amazing if you know what I mean whether that's down to the size I really don't know, I do have the full size Exceptional Definition mascara in my stash to try but this was my first go with a full sized No7 mascara.

As the name suggests this is a curling mascara, to be honest curled lashes don't really bother me that much I have eyelash curlers but I very rarely reach for them so I was interested to see what this mascara could offer me. Well they obviously claim that this mascara will enhance the natural curve of my eyelashes, I've always wondered how a mascara alone can do this but according to No7 it's all down to the brush

I have to say that I thought the brush on this mascara would be a lot bigger but it's just an average sized fibre brush, but the big difference is it's curved. The brush has an inbuilt curve which perfectly fits the contours of you eyes and of course your lashes.

Along with an inbuilt curl setting polymer to keep the curl in place all day Boots claim your lashes will be curled by at least 90°, giving you a wide eyed look, well I've always fancied looking a bit like Bambi so I gave it a go.

The formulation of the mascara seems quite thin, I have to say I like this I hate dry, clump mascaras this one applies easily with very little clumping, it also seems to dry pretty quickly which is another plus point in my book. So what does it look like on - pic time - apologies that some are a tad blurry :)

Before - yes I do have lashes here somewhere

1 Coat

2 Coats

4 Coats

Impressive eh! - The difference is even more pronounced though with a side view
Before - you see I do actually have lashes - they are OK nothing special a bit paler on the tips

After 4 coats you can really see the difference - curved, longer and blacker

I have to say that this mascara gets a big thumbs up from me, my lashes appear longer, thicker, and definitely more uplifted which in turn makes my eyes appear much wider. I also love the fact you can layer this mascara up even with 4 coats there is barely any clumping or bobbling, and above all the lashes don't feel clogged or heavy - no matter how much you apply the lashes still remain quite flexible and not at all hard or crispy. My one complaint with this is a tiny one - I personally had a tiny bit trouble applying this to my bottom lashes without spotting, I always have a problem using big wands on my lower lashes, although I have to say the curved nature of the brush did make it easier than some of the thick wands I've tried. so not really much of a negative was it ;) According to Mummy LouLou this mascara gave me lashes like spiders legs and to be honest that's good enough for me x  Boots No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara comes in 2 shades Black and Brown/Black and retails at £13.00

(Boots No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara Provided For Review Purposes)