Primark Beauty Favourites.

Primark's beauty section can be quite hit and miss but it's amazing when you find a hidden gem amongst some of the more bargain basement style products. Also, not every Primark carries the same products and some products tend to disappear after a while so even if you do fancy trying something or repurchase something, there isn't always a guarantee you'll be able to get your hands on it. But I thought I'd do a post on my favourite products anyway as I think most of these are still available in most Primarks still!

Starting with base products, all of these are from the PS Pro range which I'm a big fan of. I suffer from redness quite badly so buying the colour correcting primer was a no brainer. Don't hold me to this, but I think it costs £5. It definitely does what it says and is a great primer to use during the summer as it also has SPF 30. On the days when I want to use a different primer, I use the Longwear CC concealer instead. I can't remember how much this cost but it's worth the money as a little goes a long way. The Longwear Mineralized Foundation SPF 15 is my go to everyday foundation. It only costs £5 and has really good coverage. I use the shade Porcelain which is the lightest and a spot on match for me. If you have pale skin and struggle to find a drugstore foundation fair enough, this might be one to check out. I have dry skin and it doesn't cling to any dry patches or break apart on my nose, which can be a problem with other foundations. I'm not sure how well it lasts on oily skin but for a fiver, it's definitely worth giving a try. I've also seen reviews saying it's a good dupe for Estee Lauder's Double Wear but I've never tried it so can't really give an opinion on that.

Let's talk about the Mermaid Glow Highlighting Powder. If you like a subtle highlight, this is not for you! I want to say this was £3... And so worth the money! I reach for this quite a lot, it's perfect on my pale skin but wouldn't work on darker skin tones. I'm not sure if this is still in stores either.

Onto liquid lipsticks, I've tried the normal PS ones and I was not a fan of the formula. I got rid of them straight away. The PS Pro Kiss Proof Liquid Matte Lipsticks however, are a welcome addition to my makeup collection. I have the shades Nude In private (pinky nude), Rouge in Danger (dark berry) and Dark in Tension (berry toned brown.) These dry down quite quickly and the staying power is impression for Primark and the cheap price.

I don't think it'll be a surprise to see the Velvet Matte Lipstick Crayons included here as everyone seems to already know how great these are. For £2, these are a steal. The Precious Metals Lip Crayons are a newer edition and ones I actually left the stickers on so I know the shade names! The more coppery one, 24K dip, is my favourite of the two and these apply beautifully. Like the Velvet Matte, these also only cost £2 each.

I wouldn't be without the PS Pro Make Up Melt now. This is a dream for removing makeup and it smells gorgeous! Even if I use something else, like micellar water,  to remove a full face of makeup, I will take a tiny bit of this on my lashes to remove waterproof mascara as it makes it come off so easily. A definite repurchase as long as Primark don't get rid of it!

What are your Primark hidden gems? Have you tried any of these?

Don't forget, you can follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with new posts.
Danni

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Glossybox, December 2017.

Since cancelling my Look Incredible subscription, I'd been in two minds whether I wanted to try another beauty box. I did subscribe to Dollibox but my first box was their last ever box, so that relationship ended before it even really began! I looked at both Glossybox and Birchbox as they are of a similar price and Glossybox won out for me.

December's box was my first box and I also got a Secret Santa box for free as I signed up using the code SANTA. The secret santa boxes will be a past glossybox and I got the October 2016 box. I actually received the free box before my normal box and I really liked the mix of products I got in it. The products inside included a primer, a lipstick, a facial scrub, a cheek stain, a body oil and a shampoo. Four out of the six products were full size, with a value totalling around the £60 mark and I got them all for free!

But onto the December box! I had to wait a to receive this as it actually got lost and never made it to my house but Glossybox's customer service team quickly sorted this and sent me a replacement.

From what I've seen, the contents can vary but I'm not sure how they decide what products each subscriber gets.

Kryolan Eyeshadow Primer (Full size RRP £18.30)
I've never heard of this brand before but that is the beauty of subscription boxes. I haven't tried it out yet but I have high hopes for it considering the RRP.

LAQA & Co Cloud Lips in Daydream (Full size RRP £12.70)
This is my favourite product from the box. It's such a beautiful pinky nude shade, it's matte without being too drying. What is there not to like?! Plus, the packaging is gorgeous. It doesn't have the best staying power but I know I'm going to be reaching for this a lot!

Lypsyl Mirror Compact (Full size RRP £4.99)
I have a ton of lip balms I'm working my way through but I love that this comes with a mirror. It's very handbag friendly as you can just chuck it in and go!

Steve Laurant Precision Tip Eyeliner (Full size RRP £18)
I used to be such an eyeliner junkie back in the days of Myspace. These days I have a fair few eyeliners sitting in my drawer that are mostly left untouched. But it is a staple product to have and I really like the tip of this one.

Naobay Equilibria Gel to Milk Cleanser (Full size RRP £15.99)
I do love a good cleanser but I find getting them in beauty boxes to be a bit hit and miss as what works for one person, can have the opposite effect on another. This one however sounds like it's going to be a hit for me. I suffer from dry combination skin so the fact that this has almond oil in sounds great.

Glossybox is a monthly subscription which costs £10 per month plus £3.25 P&P. You can save 20% on your first box by clicking here.

Do you have any beauty boxes?
What did you think to this month's Glossybox?

What I've Been Reading: November 2017.

I feel like I've been on a reading downer this month. It took me longer to finish the books I chose and out of the five that I finished, I only properly loved one!

"Tess and Gus are meant to be. They just haven't met properly yet. And perhaps they never will... Today is the first day of the rest of your life is the motto on a plate in the kitchen at home, and Tess can't get it out of her head, even though she's in Florence for a final, idyllic holiday before university. Her life is about to change forever- but not in the way she expects. Gus and his parents are also on holiday in Florence. Their lives have already changed suddenly and dramatically. Gus tries to be a dutiful son, but longs to escape and discover what sort of person he is going to be. For one day, the paths of an eighteen-year-old girl and boy criss-cross before they return to England. Over the course of the next sixteen years, life and love will offer them very different challenges. Separated by distance and fate, there's no way the two of them are ever going to meet each other properly... or is there?"
This is a cute book but it took me a while to finish it as the story does drag on. I though all the near misses between the two main characters were done very well, especially one where they are both on a flight to New York. It just felt like I was waiting to long before the obvious conclusion. A good book, but one I won't be rereading in the future.

"A single choice can change everything. Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She's  ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college application, and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic- one of opportunities and chances. Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything.  Now Lena isn't looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian might never forgive her what happened. For what she let happen. With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when she and her friends' entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn't even guaranteed?"

Jennifer Armentrout can do no wrong in my eyes. She is one of my favourite authors and this lived up to my expectations. In case you hadn't guessed by know, this was the one book that I really loved in November. Honestly, if you haven't read any of Jennifer Armentrout's books, I highly recommend you check them out. The Lux Series is one of my favourites.

"Alex Taylor wakes up tied to an operating table. The man who stands over her isn't a doctor. The offer he makes her is utterly unspeakable. But when Alex re-awakens, she's unharmed- and no one believes her horrifying story. Ostracised by her colleagues, her family and her partner, she begins to wonder if she really is losing her mind. And then she meets the next victim."

I'm a little on the fence with this one. I almost stopped reading halfway through as my interest started to wane, but I stuck with it and I didn't end up regretting it so that's something! The story itself is a little far fetched but I was surprised by the ending. I didn't hate it but I wouldn't recommend it either.

"Harper has tried to forget the past and fit in at expensive boarding school Duncraggan Academy. Her new group of friends are tight; the kind of girls who Harper knows have her back. But Harper can't escape the guilt of her twin sister's Jenna's death, and her own part in it- and she knows noone else will ever really understand. But new girl Kirsty seems to get Harper in ways she never expected. She has lost a sister too. Harper finally feels secure. She finally feels... loved. As if she can grow beyond the person she was when Jenna died. Then Kirsty's behaviour becomes more erratic. Why is her life a perfect mirror of Harper's? And why is she so obsessed with Harper's lost sister? Soon, Harper's closeness with Kirsty begins to threaten her other relationships, and her own sense of identity. How can Harper get back to the person she wants to be, and to the girls who mean the most to her?"

This is probably my second favourite book of November. A thrilling look at the relationships between teenage girls at a boarding school, but for me, the ending didn't quite live up to the build up. I much prefer Torn, one of Cat Clarke's other books, to this one.

"Sarah Roberts used to be good. Then she did something bad. Very bad. Now, years later, she's living a good life. She works as a local newspaper reporter and lives with her saintly boyfriend Jonathan. She has no reason to think her guilty past will ever catch up with her. Until Nick walks back into her life. And suddenly, what's good and bad aren't so clear ro Sarah any more."

When I don't enjoy a book, I'll usually give up and start another one. But a rare thing happened and I actually finished I Did a Bad Thing. I loved Linda Green's newest novel, After I've Gone, when I read that earlier this year so I did have some expectations for this going in.... But I hated it. There are no redeemable qualities about any of the characters and Sarah constantly pissed me off. This book is a just a merry go round of the two main characters cheating on their partners and feeling guilty. Don't bother to read this but do check out After I've Gone as that is an absolute banger of a book!


If you want to check out previous posts of what I've been reading, just click here.
You can also follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with new posts.

What I've Been Reading: October 2017.

October was a good month for me, book wise. I started off the month by continuing with a series I started in September, then found some absolute gems after that.

"Alexandra Parker came home from the past only to find herself in the middle of an underground war- one that could affect the fate of Variants everywhere. Fighting an all-powerful government agency is tough enough. but when a secret from John Grayson's past comes back to haunt them all, the group's united front begins to crumble. And when Alex's own painful memories threaten to push her past her breaking point, the uprising stands to lose it's most powerful weapon. With their lives and their freedom on the line, can Declan, Nate, and the rest of the Grayson family hold it together long enough to bring down Director Carter and derail Brian's apocalyptic visions? As Alex struggles to master her most volatile ability yet, only one thing is certain: the uprising's cold war with the Agency is about to turn red hot."

This is the fourth book in the variant series, I read the first three at the end of September. I'm so sad I'm up to date with this, now I have to wait for the next installment! Would I recommend this series? Definitely! You can read what I thought about the first three books in last month's post by clicking here.

"What would it take to make you intervene? When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it- until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she's decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls- beautiful green-eyed Anna Ballard- has disappeared. A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she's not the only one who can't forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters- letters that make her fear for her life. Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna's friends and family might have something to hide. Anna's best friend, Sarah, hasn't been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night- and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own. Someone knows where Anna is- and they're not telling. But they are watching Ella."

This was such a good read. The book switches between different charcter's points of view as well as having flashbacks. I had no idea where this was going to lead but I was satisfied with then ending, even if there wasn't any clues in the lead up to the reveal. This was the first book I've read by Theresa Driscoll and it was a great introduction.

"Charlie Bloom never wanted to be 'with the band.' She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she'd asked to take backstage photos for hot new boyband Fire&Lights, she can't pass up the chance. Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mind-blowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs..."

This is more aimed at the younger end of the YA spectrum and I probably wouldn't have bought the first book if I'd realised this. But I did buy it, and I got sucked in with the story, so I have no option but to carry on with this series! I prefer the second book to the first and I'll be reading the next book when that comes out too. I'm glad I gave this a chance.

"One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide. Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students ay Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them."

This has been on my to read list for a while and I wish I'd read it sooner! This was amazing, I could hardly put it down. It's no surprise to me that the rights have been bought and there's talking to turning it into a TV series. If Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl had a book baby, this is it. The ending was really satisfying and for the most part, I was shocked at the twists. I guessed Cooper's secret well before that was finally revealed, but that only made Cooper become my favourite character.

"What happens when the trust has gone? Cat Kinsella was always a daddy's girl. Until the summer of 1998 when she sees her father flirting with seventeen-year-old Maryanne Doyle. When Maryanne later disappears and Cat's father denies ever knowing her, Cat's relationship with him is changed forever. Eighteen years later, Cat is now a Detective Constable with the Met. Called to the scene of murder is Islington, she discovers a woman's body: Alice Lapaine has been found strangled, not far from the pub that Cat's father runs. When evidence links Alice to the missing Maryanne, all Cat's fears about her father resurface. Could he really be a killer? Determined to confront the past and find out what really happened to Maryanne all those years ago, Cat begins to dig into the case. But the problem with looking into the past is that sometimes you might not like what you find."

I'm going to be honest here, I didn't enjoy this book. It dragged on for far too long and I had to force myself to finish it. The story seemed overly complicated and Cat wasn't a likable main character. Not for me.

"'You know that feeling? When you want something so badly, you almost feel you'd kill for it?' Be careful what you wish for... Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents, and are on the verge of giving up. Then a chance encounter with Kat's childhood friend Lisa gives Kat and Nick one last chance to achieve their dream. But Kat and Lisa's history hides dark secrets. And there is more to Lisa than meets the eye. As dangerous cracks start to appear in Kat's perfect picture of happily-ever-after, she realises that she must face her fear of the past to save her family..."

This is the second novel I've read by Louise Jensen and it didn't let me down. I think I preferred The Sister but I enjoyed this too. I wasn't sure what I was expecting but it wasn't this. This book definitely threw me through a loop. The book flips between the past and the present, and the reveal at the end? Oh my god, it was so well done! I love Louise's style of writing, I've already added The Gift to my to read list as I have high expectations of her other work.

"Audrey is over romance. Since her parents' relationship imploded her mother's been catatonic, so she takes a cinema job to get out of the house. But there she meets wannabe film-maker Harry. Nobody expects Audrey and Harry to fall in love as hard and fast as they do. But that doesn't mean things are easy. Because real love isn't like the movies... The greatest love story ever told doesn't feature kissing in the snow or racing to airports. It features pain and confusion and hope and wonder and a ban on cheesy cliches. Oh, and zombies..."

Hands down, my favourite book of the month. Probably one of my favourites of 2017 so far. I could gush on about how amazing this book is for ages. I laughed, I cried, I felt proud of Audrey. There is a scene near the end between Audrey and her mum, I wasn't ready for it at all but it lead up to one of the most satisfying moments in the book for me. Audrey finally standing up to her dad (who is an absolute arsehole) was long awaited, I felt like cheering. I was so emotionally drained after I'd finished this, but I want to read this again, and soon! It's not just about Audrey and Harry's relationship, the book is about so much more than that. You need to read this!

What have you been reading recently? Have you read any of these, what did you think?

Don't forget you can follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with new posts.
To check out my other monthly Book posts, just click here.

Netflix Favourites.

The weather is officially getting colder. When the skies turn grey and the rain looks like it's here to stay, is there anything better than snuggling under a blanket and indulging in a good old binge watch? Of course there isn't, so I thought I'd make a list of my top Netflix picks as that is my streaming service of choice!

I think most people have watched 13 Reasons Why by now, but if you haven't, you need to! The show is set after Hannah Baker's suicide but has a ton of flashbacks to show her life before she took it. It's just an important show to watch, though it can be hard to watch in places as it obviously tackles sensitive subjects. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with season 2. I can't recommend it enough.

Drew Barrymore is such a frickin' queen in this! If you want a show that is going to make you laugh, go for this. It's a fun take on the zombie genre, it had me and Glenn in stitches. The bonus is season 2 has already been announced and will be out in 2018, so there's plenty of time to catch up.

I used to watch The Vampire diaries religiously every week but I fell behind during the later seasons, so I'm glad the full series is on Netflix. There's 8 seasons in total, plus a spin off- The Originals, which is also on Netflix. Some seasons are better than others but I really enjoy this show, the last episode made me cry like a baby! Finally, a show that proves the books aren't always better.

I'm not into the whole Marvel & DC thing in a big way. Glenn can occasionally convince me to go see the newest one at the cinema but I'm in no way a fangirl. In fact, I fell sleep during The Dark Knight and Guardians of the Galaxy. However, I freaking LOVE Gotham. It focuses on the origins of the villains and I love that, I don't need to know the history of the characters going in. I think everyone who watches Gotham has their favourites, mine are Barbara and Jerome. The first 3 seasons are on Netflix but this isn't one where the episode update weekly so it'll be a while before season 4 appears.

I wrote about Izombie last year on my underrated TV shows post, back before season 1 had appeared on Netflix. I'm so pleased Netflix picked this up! The first three seasons are on Netflix, with season 4 starting sometime next year. This is another where the episodes update weekly so you can stay up to date with America. The first 2 seasons have different storylines every episode but season 3 really picks up with the drama. One of my top picks!

This is what me and Glenn are currently working our way through. I started it without Glenn and got 13 episodes in before having to start from the beginning because Glenn started to like it! We've just started season 3 and we've been making it through 3 episodes a night. This is a drama comedy, where the main character Jane gets accidentally artificially inseminated in the first episode. It has plenty of shocks in store while still being able to make us laugh. I love it!

I mean, do I even need to explain this? I don't think so! Four days and counting til season 2.

Again, who hasn't seen this by now? If you haven't, just know, the hype is real. You have to watch it.

I'm so sad that this has ended, the mystery of A is finally over. A mystery drama that isn't just for teens! 7 seasons of twists and turns, it is worth giving a go even if it isn't the usual sort of thing you'd go for. Just don't google anything, spoilers are hard to avoid!

My absolute favourite, hands down. Season 6 just finished, though only 5 seasons are on Netflix currently. This is the noughtie's version of Buffy, that's how I like to look at it anyway. Just swap the slayer for a werewolf and the scoobies for a pack. I love this show so much, it is the show I recommend most. It's not just my favourite on Netflix, it's my favourite show ever! It's loosely based on the 80's film of the same name, but obviously with better makeup. With 100 episodes to get through, it's perfect for a binge.

I started this the day it was released on Netflix and binge watched the whole season in one sitting. I've never done that with any other show, so I guess that's like a seal of approval right there. The costumes, the music, the big hair. Yes, yes, yes. I loved the whole thing, bring on season 2.

Riverdale is based on the Archie comics but the show is really dark in tone. If teen dramas are your bag (The OC, Gossip Girl etc.) then you will love Riverdale. Episodes update weekly and season 2 has just started so it will be easy to get up to date.

Do you have any Netflix recommendations?

Don't forget you can follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with new posts.
Danni

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Look Incredible Deluxe Box, October 2017.

Another month, another Look Incredible delivery. I'm subscribed to the deluxe edition which costs £35 per month and contains 4 or 5 full sized items. Look Incredible also do two other boxes. The standard edition, which costs £25 per month, contains a mix of 5 full size high end and high street products. The newly launched My Secret box is a bimonthly box, which costs £65.

Being honest, I'm disappointed in this month's deluxe box and I'm hoping it's just a one off for me and that next month will be another great month. It's another month of four products instead of five, which I think is the fourth or fifth month in a row now. I just hope the standard isn't going to drop now that they've launched a more luxe box. On the plus side, from what I've seen of the standard box this month, it looks amazing. I'll be keeping an eye on that over the next few months, and possibly might switch back to the standard box if the Deluxe doesn't pick up again.

Skin Doctors T-Zone Control No More Pores Night Refiner (RRP £23)
I'm not going to be keeping this products as although it does sound like a great product, there is a downside. I always like to read the boxes as well as Look Incredible's information card and I came across the sunburn alert. As someone who is extremely pale and already uses factor 50 during the summer, the idea of increasing my sensitivity to the sun even more just doesn't sound like a great idea. Even though we're heading into the colder months, I'm still going to pass on this.

Laura Geller Spackle Bronze Tinted Under Makeup Primer (RRP £25)
Let's get the other disappointment out of the way, shall we? Look Incredible already gave us a Spackle primer this year, back in February. I'm still making my way through that so I don't need a bronze version as well. It's a nice enough primer, not amazing, not bad but I don't understand why it's been included in a box again. From looking at other posts, even though the card and my primer was the bronze one, it looks as if some subscribers for the fortified primer, which is the exact same as the primer included in February. If that was me, I'd be annoyed as well as disappointed.

Helena Rubinstein Collagenist Re-Plump Lip Zoom (RRP £35)
I've given this a try and I really like the feel of it on my lips. I wouldn't say it made my lips look any fuller though but maybe after continued use? I expected it to have the tingling sensation associated with lip plumping products but there was none of that so it was quite nice to use. I'll be popping this in my handbag for when I need it.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer (RRP £17)
This is the product I'm most excited about. I think everyone knows about the hype surrounding this product, so do I even need to go on about it? This is the cheapest product in the box and the only one that caught my eye upon opening the box.

C'mon Look Incredible. I've been loving your boxes for two years, don't let me down now! please step up next month. This month was a dud for me but I have my fingers crossed for November.

What do you think to October's edition?