What I've Been Reading: March 2017.

Since I started doing monthly posts of what I've been reading, I've definitely upped my game. I was getting lazy on the reading front before that but I make it through six or seven books a month... not including the books I don't finish, which I don't include in these posts.

I kicked off March with a corker of a series. The Burn for Burn series by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian definitely threw me through a loop. Three girls bond together to help each other get revenge on those who've wronged them. The first book is good but the other two book are amazing with a twist you won't see coming! I definitely recommend this series. I want to check out more books from Siobhan Vivian as I read The List in February and really enjoyed that too.

I then moved on to two books by Courtney Summers. They aren't a series, they're each standalone novels. Some Girls Are left more of an impression on me that Cracked Up To Be but they were both really good. I definitely need to read more by Courtney Summers as I love her writing style. Some Girls are is probably my favourite out of all the books I read in March and the one I'd recommend most, so definitely check it out. There's a slight romance in the book but it centres more on female friendships... It's basically like mean girls magnified.

I found the first book in An Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle a little slow but that could be because I'm not too into my horror fiction. The book was good, it's not one of the books that I gave up on in March but it wasn't enough for me to want to finish the rest of the series.

I bloody loved Ascenders by C L Gaber, it has a very unique storyline and I finished it pretty quickly and headed onto the second book in the series. The first book is amazing but I couldn't even finish the second. There were too many new characters introduced in one go that I just lost interest. While I didn't love Skypunch, the follow up, Ascenders is definitely worth checking out.

Click below to check out my previous monthly reading posts.
February 2017.

January 2017.

December 2016.

November 2016.

October 2016.

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Geek Gear's World Of Wizardry Box, March 2017.

 

Let's talk about Geek Gear...
Geek Gear is a UK based company that currently offer three different monthly subscription boxes. The Geek Gear box features your popular 'geek' staples such as Star Wars, Marvel and Doctor Who etc while the other two boxes focus on Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. The normal box includes an array of items and 1 shirt while the wearables box consists of shirts, socks, beanies and a whole host of goodies you can wear to show your magical side. Both boxes allow you to choose a hogwarts house so your box will personalised to your preference.

You can buy any of these boxes as a one off purchase at £24.99 but if you subscribe, the boxes only cost £19.99 per month plus £2.99 shipping. I originally subscribed as I wanted to get a box for one of my friends as a birthday present and kept the subscription going so I could gather some bits and pieces to put towards a present hamper for my nephew at christmas.

As soon as you open the box, you'll be greeted with tissue paper to suit your hogwarts house choice. Mine was Slytherin as you can probably tell!

The box is always packed full of goodies and Geek Gear do a wonderful job of presenting their boxes.

There is almost always a print included in the box. This month it was this lovely snowy Hogwarts scene. I know my nephew likes to put up posters in his bedroom so I'll be passing this onto him.

The shirt this month is black and features the animals of the hogwarts houses in their respective colours. I'll be keeping this myself as I really like it.

Next we have a set of house coasters, something else I'll be keeping. They came in a little Geek Gear tin which was very handy. They have cork on the bottom but the top in cased in metal so they'll be easy to wipe clean.

This sticker pack includes four stickers featuring Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hedwig. The cartoon design is very cute but these are going to my nephew.

I love this elder wand necklace! I'm definitely keeping this to add to my Harry Potter necklaces.

The only Fantastic Beasts item to pop up in this box is this rubber keyring. This will be going straight onto my car keys.

Next we have two pin badges, a Dobby one and a house one, the only thing this month featuring your house choice. A little disappointing to only see one but oh well. I'll be putting these onto a denim jacket I think.

I'll be passing this figure onto my nephew as it isn't my sort of thing but I like what they're trying to do with having exclusive figures.

If you want to check out Geek Gear's boxes, you can visit their website at www.geekgearbox.co.uk

What do you think to this subscription box?

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Product Empties #6

It's been a good two or three months since my last empties post and I've made it through a fair amount of products. I've got a good mixture of products going so I'll be separating them into categories.

First up is bath products. I've used more than this but some were from an online Lush order so no empty bags there but I made sure to keep the ones I bought in store.

Lush Floating Island Bath Melt
Honestly, I feel like I've gone on about this bath melt so much before on my blog. This is my favourite bath melt from Lush and that isn't going to change anytime soon. It smells gorgeous with a strong vanilla scent and leaves me skin so soft after a bath. Always a repurchase!

Lush Lava Lamp Bath Bomb
This was my first time using this particular bath bomb... Being totally honest, I didn't like it. It stained the bath afterwards more so than with other bath bombs, it definitely required a bit of elbow grease. Not a repurchase.

Lush Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb
Another first was this bath bomb from Lush. I didn't dislike it but I  also wouldn't class it as one of my faves. Probably won't repurchase.

Miss Patisserie Limelight Bath Ball
Since placing an order and using this bath ball, it seems to have been discontinued. I'm gutted as I really liked this. It looked stunning in the bath and smelt like a lemon Refreshers bar! What's going on Miss Patisserie?!

Miss Patisserie Rainbow River Bath Ball
This bath bomb looks very similar to Lush's Intergalactic. I prefer the scent of Lush's as that is peppermint and this one is Lavender but Miss Patisserie's looks more impressive in the tub. I think Miss Patisserie's bath bombs are slight more expensive than Lush's but I love both!

Batiste Dry Shampoo
I would not survive without some Batiste to see me through! The tropical scent is my go to but I'm not opposed to using any others.

Flint+Flint Moisturiser 3x
I got this in a Little Known Box last year and as a moisturiser, it works very well. It has a nice scent to it but I wouldn't say it's anything special... Especially considering the £42 price tag.

Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Day Cream SPF15
I suffer from dry, sensitive skin so Simple is a brand I always go back to. I love this day cream as it also has SPF and keeps my skin from feeling dehydrated. Always a repurchase.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
I got these in a  Look Incredible Box last year. I don't tend to use wipes when it comes to removing makeup so I kept this handy pack in my handbag. They came in useful from wiping swatches off my hands after visiting makeup stands on shopping trips.

Biore Deep Cleasing Pore Strips
Glenn has been obsessed with watching blackhead removing videos recently so this purchase was his request. I couldn't see much on the strips after removing which was slightly disappointing but my nose did feel nice and smooth.

Superdrug De-stressing Mud Mask
These superdrug face mask sachets are super cheap and do a pretty good job. I always like to pick up a variety of these when the collection in my drawer gets low.

Makeup Revolution Pro Fix Amazing Makeup Fixing Spray
I love how affordable Makeup Revolution is and I know there's been a big hooha recently over their dupes but I'm on Team Rev here. I've never had any problem with the quality of their products and most people can't afford to splash out on high end products. The majority of my high end make up products come from beauty boxes, TKMaxx or I've used a gift voucher. This spray only costs a fiver and it works! You can't really go wrong.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer
Rimmel is the only brand I trust when it comes to concealer, other brands tend to break out my undereyes in an allergic reaction. Not great as I don't really rate Rimmel concealers! I use the palest shade in this but it is still slight dark for my skin.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
This was my go to everyday mascara for work. It didn't leave my lashes clumpy, it just gave them a fuller, natural look.

Sleek Makeup Eyebrow Stylist

This was my go to brow product for so long but I probably wouldn't repurchase this. Since finishing this, I've switched to brow powder and I find it so much easier to work with.

This part might be a challenge for me, someone who sucks at describing perfume scents... So I'll be pasting in the official description!

One Direction You And I EDP
"The fragrance is made up of splashes of fresh fruit and seasonal flowers, infused with an undertone of musk. Bright splashes of mango and refreshing grapefruit are combined with a heart of creamy osmanthus, exotic orchid and soft peony to offer a romantic signature that captures the peak of nature in bloom. Background notes of musk, indulgent praline and sandalwood blend to wrap the fragrance in smooth, seamless harmony."
Any perfume with musk is one I'm going to like and while this isn't up there in my favourite perfumes, I did reach for it quite often. I love One Direction perfumes, they smell great and they're quite cheap now they've been around a while. In fact, there hasn't been a One Direction perfume I've disliked.

Versace Bright Crystal EDT
"A fresh, vibrant and floral fragrance Versace introduces the Bright Crystal. Delicate tastes of colourful and juicy pomegranate grains, lotus flowers and the enticing presence of plant amber, acajou and musk."
I've bought this a couple of times now and I really like it but not enough to immediately buy another now that I've ran out.

The Body Shop White Musk Libertine EDTI got this in a Cohorted box a while back and I loved it. The product itself seems to have been discontinued which is probably why it was in the beauty box. I love the scent of musk so this was an absolute winner.

Prada Candy EDP"Magnified by White Musks, noble Benzoin comes together with a modern Caramel accord to give the fragrance a truly unique signature."
Another mention of musk... 

This perfume is one of my three favourites, I have to buy a back up when I start getting low. It's a very sweet scent, which I love. It just smells freaking delicious!

One Direction Between Us EDP
"Between Us opens like a colourful and sparkling fruit cocktail with juicy mandarin and apricot nectar to energize and invigorate. The floral heart of the fragrance opens full of solar jasmine flowers and freesia while gardenia petals bring delicate intrigue. Patchouli brings mystery and sensuality while vanilla and golden amber indulge you in a seductive blend of candied sugar, revealing an outstanding fragrance."
This is another of my three favourites but the cheapest of the three. Considering the other two are Guerlain and Prada, One Direction are in good company. You can get a 50ml bottle of this for around a tenner so it's an absolute bargain. I don't know how much input the band themselves had in the making of this but good job lads, good job! I get so many compliments when I'm wearing this, I always like to point out what perfume it is as the look of shock on hearing who it's by is priceless.


Are you a fan of any of these products?
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Danni

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Look Incredible Deluxe Box, March 2017.

I always get excited at the start of a new month because that means another Look Incredible box will be on it's way. If you haven't heard of Look Incredible, they do two monthly beauty boxes. The standard box, which costs £18.99 with £2.50 postage, and the deluxe box which is slightly more expensive at £35 with postage included. I'm currently subscribed to the deluxe box though I've had both in the past. The deluxe box is just more of a treat with more luxurious brands than the standard box.

To check out Look Incredible and their boxes, you can click here to visit their website.

Let's get onto what was inside the March box!

Cargo Cosmetics Around The World Eyeshadow Palette (RRP £30)
I already had this palette previous to receiving the box but it is such a stunning palette. I'm not the most daring when it comes to eyeshadow shades which is probably why I love this palette so much. It is the perfect neutral palette. I'd love to see another palette from Cargo in a box again.

Nails Inc polish in South Molton Street (RRP £15)
I'm really pleased with this addition. We received a Nails Inc product in last month's box and I loved the shade. That was the first time I'd tired a Nails Inc polish and I was very impressed. I really like this shade too as it looks very natural and I can't wait to wear it with spring around the corner!

Marc Jacobs Enamoured Lip Lacquer (RRP £22)
I'm not the biggest lip gloss fan but I have been getting into using it more since receiving a few in past boxes. Plus this one is Marc Jacobs! This looks like the perfect shade to layer on top of lipstick so I'm very happy with this.

Laura Geller Split Highlighter Duo in French Vanilla/Golden Rose (RRP £25)
This is my favourite item from the March box and I've worn it everyday since getting it! The highlight isn't that intense, it's more of a natural highlight so it's perfect for every day. I'd never tried Laura Geller before Look Incredible but I love this, just like I loved the primer in last month's box.

Urban Decay Ink For Eyes Waterproof Precision Eye Pen (RRP £15.50)
I was disappointed when I picked up my eyeliner box... There was no eye pen inside! After sending an e-mail to Look Incredible, I'd had a reply within the hour to let me know that they'd be sending one out to me. It only took a couple of days to reach me and the experience has left me suitably impressed with their customer service. Onto the product itself, I really like it. The blacker-than-black claim on the box is not a lie, the pigmentation of this is great. I love the fact it's waterproof too, the swatch I tried on my hand was still going strong after a long shower and the nib is great at getting the perfect line, as thin or thick as you prefer.

I'm always so happy with Look Incredible's boxes, I don't see myself cancelling this anytime soon. It's the longest stretch of time I've stayed with one company when it comes to beauty boxes, I don't think there's any other than do it better!

What do you think to this month's edition?

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What I've Been Reading: February 2017.

Damned is the fourth book in the Kassidy Bell Series, which a series I love but this book didn't live up to the first three. I definitely recommend the series as a whole but this book was just anti-climatic. If you want to read more about this series and find out what it's about, you can read a previous blog post here.

This was a good, quick book and the first novel by Jessica Sorensen I've read. This is the first book in the series but I'm not in any rush to start reading the others. I really enjoyed the style of writing so I'm sure I'll be adding more books by this author to my Goodreads 'to read' list!

I really enjoyed this book. The list the book is titled after comes out every year at the high school the book takes place at. Two girls from each grade are named on the list, one as the prettiest and one as the ugliest. The point of view switches during the book as it follows the journey of the eight girls named on the list. It was such an interesting read and Sarah was my favourite out of all of them. The ending was the only thing that disappointed me. There wasn't much closure for most of the girls and it was left very open ended.

I love love LOVED this book. Honestly, how can anyone read this and not fall for Lucas?! Jacqueline has just been dumped by her long-term boyfriend and leaves a party by herself. She gets assaulted by one of her ex's fraternity brothers and gets rescued by Lucas. This book is very highly rated on Goodreads and after reading it, it's easy (no pun intended!) to see why.

I liked this book, though it was a difficult read at times. It won't be for everyone as it contains massive triggers for anyone who has been a victim of an assault or rape. I found one particular scene near the ending rather upsetting. The book focuses on Brooke and begins at the funeral of her best friend, Beth. Brooke knows the reason Beth killed herself and plans to get revenge for Beth. This book is going to stay with me for a long time, which proves how much of a good read it is.

Another book I really enjoyed last month! This was such a gripping book, I had no idea what to expect when I started reading it but as soon as I did, I lapped this up! Definite recommend and probably my favourite out of everything I read in February. The book starts after Charlie's death and Grace is struggling to come to terms with losing her best friend. Grace tries to find Charlies father and finds Anna instead, a girl claiming to be Charlie's sister. Soon after Anna is living with Grace and her boyfriend, Grace is being followed and her boyfriend starts acting strangely. This was such a great book and I had no idea how it was going to end. I'll be checking out more books by Louise Jensen for sure!

I'll be honest here, I'm going to be a complete downer on this book. I found it boring and I don't understand the high rating it has on Goodreads at all! Slow and predictable, it was almost a chore to finish it. Thumbs down.

I really wanted to love this book, but I can only say I liked it at most. I love Jessica Grace Coleman's Little Forest series so much, (You can read a blog post about that here.) that my expectations were set pretty high. The downfall just didn't meet them, my own fault, but it was still an entertaining read. I loved the mention of Beth and co from Little Forest in the first chapter though!

Click below to find out what I read in the past months.
January 2017.
December 2016.
November 2016.
October 2016.

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Look Incredible Deluxe Box, February 2017.

Another month, another beauty box and wow, Look Incredible have pulled it out the bag this month! If you haven't heard of Look Incredible, they offer two subscription beauty boxes. The standard box costs £18.99 per month plus £2.50 postage and the deluxe box costs £35 per month with postage included. You can expect up to five full size goodies in both boxes, though the deluxe box tends to have more luxe brands than the standard and a higher overall worth. I've had both boxes in the past but only have the deluxe box at the moment as the products are more impressive.

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Yu (RRP £20)
Nars describe this as a vivid pink and I love it. This is my first Nars lip product and hopefully not my last. These lip pencils tend to pop up in beauty boxes alot, I know Look Incredible have also included these in the standard boxes before so I'm surprised it's taken me so long to get one. It's worth the wait as I'll getting a lot of wear out of this, especially during the summer months.

Studio 10 I-Lift Longwear Liner in Mocha (RRP £22)
This is the one item in the box I'm not particularly bothered by. If I'm wearing eyeliner, it will almost always be of the liquid variety so I don't think I'll be reaching for this much. The liner is double ended with a dark brown one end and a highlight shade the other. The highlight side is very orange on my skin but I am very pale so I can see other subscribers liking this product.

Laura Geller Supercharged Fortified Under Make-Up Primer (RRP £25)
I've had a couple of weeks to try this out since receiving the box and I've really enjoyed using this. It's definitely made my foundation sit on my skin better and my skin seems to be less dry since using it. I'm not sure I'd want to pay the £25 price tag but I'm so pleased this was in the box!

Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow in Porcelain White (RRP £23)
Burberry in a beauty box?! What is this madness! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this gem, kudos to Look Incredible, they've really raised their game. This is a shimmery white which will be perfect under the brow bone or as an inner corner highlight. I've seen alot of other subscriber's got different shades of this with Dark Sable being the most common in the boxes and I'm so glad I got this shade. The packaging is so luxurious and it even comes with its own little dust pouch, cute!

Nails Inc Match Box by Lottie Tomlinson in Babes & Mint (RRP £15)
I'd heard such good things about these and I was really surprised to see this in the box as it is a very recent launch. Lottie Tomlinson is a make up artist and the sister of One Direction's Louis. I love the colour of these, it was a good choice having the nude shade in the box rather than any of the other colours. I used the nail polish the day I got the box and it lasted a really long time. I love the lip paint too, the colour is very close to Sleek's Matte Me liquid lipstick in Shabby Chic but the formula of these is so much better. They are quite drying but they last a really long time. Super impressed with this addition!

L-R: Nars Yu, Studio 10 Mocha & highlight, Burberry Porcelain White & Lips Inc Babes.

Nails Inc Mint.

Did you get any Look Incredible boxes this month? What did you think to this month's line up?

What I've Been Reading: January 2017.

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent is the first book in the Soul Screamers series. I added this to my 'to read' list on goodreads as I hadn't seen any other series that focused on the mythology of banshees. Maybe there's a good reason for that as it just didn't translate well to page. And after learning about Banshees from watching Teen Wolf and seeing the gloriousness of Lydia Martin (Has anyone else LOVED season 6? What a ride!), no other banshee is going to compare! I won't be continuing this series but that's just me, everyone's different.

How To Build a Girl has been on my radar for a while and I finally got round to reading it. It's about Johanna Morrigan, a girl from the midlands as she transforms herself into Dolly Wilde in a big to become a music critic. There were parts I liked as well as parts I disliked and some parts that made me chuckle out loud, especially when she gets cystitis after sleeping with a character whose name I can't actually remember, but who has a very big dick!

This was a quick read but a good one. Zander has been sent to a camp for at risk teens and become friends with three other campers. The cover and title are slightly misleading as it makes it seem like Zander and Grover's relationship is the core focus of the book but this actually takes a backseat to Zander's relationship with Cassie. I loved Cassie, she was so flawed but that's what made me want to know more about her and I found the ending of the book so satisfying as I cared about Cassie the most out of all the characters.

Cut To The Bone is Alex Caan's debut novel and oh my god, it is brilliant! Ruby Day is a youtuber and the book starts after she has been reported as missing and videos are uploaded online by her captor. This was such a ride from start to finish and I couldn't predict why Ruby was taken or who had taken her. In an age where youtube is taking off the way it is, the idea behind this book is genius. I'll definitely be rereading this at some point, I just loved it and I feel like I can't rave about it enough to do it justice. Just go read it!

Where do I start with Harley & Rose? This book totally blindsided me. I went into it thinking it was going to be an easy read, the first half of the book was enjoyable... The second half is a total 180 which hit me right in the feels! I wish I'd been prepared and had some tissues ready for the tears which escaped while reading this.

It's been a while since I loved a book so much, I knew I'd want to read it again and I thought after reading Cut To The Bone, I'd have to wait a while to find another. I wasn't expecting to come across another in the same month! The Bad Ones is dark, twisted and oh so hot. Dulcie is the girl from the wrong side of town, Constantine is the mayor's son and they bring out the dark side in each other. It had a slight Heathers vibe going on, Constantine definitely reminds me of JD and that can only be a good thing as there is a reason that is my favourite film. This won't be to everyone's taste but I can't rate it highly enough.