Sephora, Ulta & Duty Free Haul.

Ulta and Sephora were on my must visit list while in America. Dragging Glenn round three different sephoras and two different ultas was probably not the best idea but there was only mild complaining. I definitely spent more than I probably should have...

Elizabeth Arden Fragrance Free Eight Hour Cream

I picked this up at duty free because I had some dollars left over. Now we're heading into the winter months, I know my dry skin will be even worse. I've been applying this to my lips before bed and I can already notice a difference.

Benefit Hoola Lite

This has been on my wishlist for a while so I got this a duty free with my remaining dollars. This bronzer is aimed at those with fair or pale skin.

Bliss Makeup Melt

Another product I picked up at the airport. Bliss is a brand I've wanted to try properly for a while. The only thing I've used before and still use regularly is the Fabulips lip balm.

Kat Von D Fetish Eyeshadow Palette

I knew I wanted this palette as soon as I saw it on instagram before we even left the UK. For the first week we were there, it wasn't in stores and only on the Sephora website. Two days before we came home, we went in the Sephora in Downtown Disney and it was in store. And I got the last one!

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

I ran out of my travel size of this a few days into our holiday so I picked this up as it was a necessity. 

Josie Maran Vibrancy Argan Oil Foundation in Dynamic

I knew I wanted this foundation before we left. It's almost impossible to get hold of this in the UK unless you're willing to spend £80 on it! I've been loving using this. It's not cakey and it sits on my skin beautifully.

Bite Sephora Birthday Gift

I got this free for joining beauty insider. It includes samples of the lip scrub and lip balm plus two minis of the lip crayon and a mini lipstick. I've already worn the lipstick since I've been back and it's the perfect autumn shade.

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

Another one that was on my list to get. I've really been liking this and I love the scent of it. It reminds me of being on a hot beach.

Ecotools Total Perfecting Blender

Another one I knew I wanted, most of these were on my list due to watching Thataylaa on youtube. I haven't got round to trying this yet and the only reason for that is I also made a last minute purchase at the tills in Ulta.

Beauty Blender Original

I finally gave in. I've always held back from trying out the original beauty blender just because it seems so expensive for what it is. These were right by the till in Ulta and I couldn't help myself.

Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner

Catrice was one of the brands I was most interested in checking out and I didn't hesitate in picking up this primer.

Catrice Prime and Fine Professional Contouring Palette in Ashy Radiance

I've heard great things about this contour palette, especially from those with pale skin so I picked two up to keep me going for the next year. I also wanted to get the Dewy Setting spray from Catrice but it wasn't in store.

BH Cosmetics Naturally Flawless Liquid Foundation in Ivory

I honestly don't know what possessed me to buy this, it was spur of the moment decision and I'm not wowed by this foundation but it's always good to have a foundation to use so I don't have to use my more expensive ones all the time.

L-R: Neutrogena HydroBoost in Classic Ivory, BH foundation in Ivory.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint in Classic Ivory

I bought this as I have dry skin and thought it would be good to use on work days rather than a proper foundation. I like it but I bought the lightest shade and it's slightly too dark for me.

Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder in Fair Light

I don't need any more loose powders but I'd heard good things about this and as it isn't available in the UK, I thought I may as well get it!

Too Faced Gingerbread Spice Eyeshadow Palette

I didn't have any intention of buying this but I picked it up to look at it and set off the security tag alarm. One of the employees had to take it behind the till to sort it out and I felt so bad that when I was paying I said I'd buy it. You can never have too many eyeshadow palettes, right?

Too Faced Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick in Gingerbread Girl

Melted Matte are one of my favourite formulas of liquid lipsticks and I originally wanted to get my hands on Gingerbead Man but it wasn't in stock so I picked Gingerbread Girl up instead. This is darker than Gingerbread Man but is still such a me shade.

So that's all the makeup and beauty I bought while in America. I did a fair bit of damage but it was worth it!

Have you tried any of these?

Danni

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What I've Been Reading: October 2018.

I lost my groove when it came to reading in October. I started so many books that weren't for me and ended up being deleted from my kindle pretty quickly. I only managed to finish 4 books over the past month. 

Deceived

Lynda O'Rourke

Current Kindle price: £2.32

"For Kassidy Bell and her friends, the race is on to keep ahead of the Cleaners, reach Broken Cove and destroy the coffins. But tensions are running high within the group and the voices inside Kassidy's head are becoming stronger and filling her mind with suspicious thoughts about her friends. Who is Doshia? Which of her friends is hiding the demon?

Knowing her life is in danger in more ways than one, Kassidy puts her trust and hopes into one of the voices she can hear in her head and decides to split from the group and go it alone. But has she put her trust into the wrong hands? Is Kassidy being manipulated by her own paranoia or is there something else more sinister twisting her thoughts?"

The last book in the Kassidy Bell series, it seems like I've been waiting ages for this. I'd actually forgot what had happened during the end of the last book when I started reading this but managed to catch up again quite quickly. This book series has been one of my faves over the last couple of years and I definitely recommend it.

 

All In Pieces

Suzanne Young

Current Kindle price: £8.49

"'Anger-management issues.'

That's how they classified Savannah Sutton after she drove a pencil into her ex-boyfriend's hand because he mocked her little brother, Evan, for being disabled. That's why they sent her to Brooks Academy- an alternative high school that's used as a temporary detention center.

The days at Brooks are miserable, but at home, life is far more bleak. Savvy's struggling to take care of her brother since her mom left years ago, and her alcoholic dad can't be bothered. Life with Evan is a constant challenge, but he's also the most important person in the world to Savvy.

Then there's Cameron, a new student at Brooks with issues of his own; a guy from a perfect family that Savvy thought only existed on TV. Cameron seems determined to break through every one of the walls Savvy's built around herself, except if she lets herself trust him, it could make everything she's worked so hard for fall apart in an instant.

And with her aunt seeking custody of her brother and her ex-boyfriend seeking revenge, Savvy's fighting to hold all the pieces together. But she's not sure how much tighter she can be pulled before she breaks completely."


They may or may not have been some tears shed while reading this. Okay, there definitely was! I was so engrossed in this book, I only wanted the best for Savvy and the last half nearly ruined me. This has been on my to read list for about two years but it was worth the wait.

Secrets, Lies, and Scandals
Amanda K. Morgan

Current Kindle price: £8.49

"Nothing ruins summer vacation like a secret... especially when it involves a dead teacher.

Ivy used to be on top of the social ladder, until her ex made that all go away. She has a chance to be Queen Bee again, but only if the rest of the group can keep quiet.

Tyler has always been a bad boy, but lately he's been running low on second chance. There's no way he's going to lost everything because someone couldn't keep their mouth shut.

Kinley wouldn't describe herself as perfect, though everyone else would. But perfection comes at a price, and there is nothing she wouldn't do to keep her perfect record- one that doesn't include murder charges.

Mattie is only in town for the summer. He wasn't looking to make friends, and he definitely wasn't looking to be involved in a murder. He's also not looking to be riddled with guilt for the rest of his life... but to prevent that he'll have to turn them all in.

Cade couldn't care less about the body, or about the pact to keep the secret. The only way to be innocent is for someone else to be found guilty. Now he just has to decide who that someone will be.

With the police hot on the case, they don't have much time to figure out how to trust each other. But in order to take the lead, you have to be the first in line... and that's the quickest way to get stabbed in the back."


Hmmmm. I did finish this and I did like it, but it reminded me a lot of One Of Us is Lying and that is definitely better than this book. It wasn't bad but I did find the ending disappointing.

All of the Above
Juno Dawson

Current Kindle price: £2.49

"When sixteen-year-old Toria Grand arrives at her new school she needs to work out who her friends are, all in a crazy whirl of worry, exam pressure and anxiety over fitting in. Things start looking up when Toria meets the funny and foul-mouthed Polly, who's the coolest girl Toria has ever seen. Polly and the rest of the 'alternative' kids take Toria under their wing. And that's when she meets the irresistible Nico Mancini, lead singer of a local band- and it's instalove at first sight! Toria likes Nico, Nico likes Toria... but then there's Polly. Love and friendship have a funny way of going round in circles."

My favourite book of the month. When it comes to UKYA, Juno Dawson is one of the authors at the top of the game. I read Say Her Name last year and I loved that too. A definite must read.


What were you reading in October?

Danni

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Los Angeles: A Food Diary.

One of the things I'm missing most about our trip to LA is the food. I thought I'd do a post detailing where and what we ate throughout our holiday. A seperate Disneyland one is coming soon!

Q Smokehouse, Long Beach

This is near the harbour in Long beach and we stopped here for lunch. We both has brisket sandwiches plus a side of mac 'n' cheese. The sidewinder fries that came with them were perfect. Service was great and they were really generous with the amount of brisket on the sandwiches.

Foxys, Glendale

We stayed in Eagle rock which is sandwiched between Glendale and Pasadena so we ventured to both of these cities quite regularly. We ate at Foxys quite late and didn't really enjoy our meals much. I had chicken cordon bleu and found the mashed potato quite sloppy and Glenn was underwhelmed with his burger. Our one place we didn't like.

Zoo Grill, Los Angeles Zoo.

Can't really go wrong with chicken tenders and fries, especially with an endless supply of ranch for dipping!

The Cheesecake Factory, Pasadena & Anaheim.

I knew I wanted to visit The Cheesecake Factory when we were planning our trip but we both ended up liking it so much, we ate here four times in total. Three times in Pasadena and once in Garden Walk, Anaheim. Glenn was obsessed with the complimentary honey oat bread. We tried multiple things including burgers, steaks and chicken. All were amazing.

Krusty Burger, Cletus' Chicken Shack & Moe's Tavern, Universal Studios Hollywood.
Pretty standard theme park grub but not bad for the price. 

Tony Roma's, Universal CityWalk.

Glenn had his heart set on eating at Tony Roma's so when we found out there was one at Universal CityWalk, it was a no brainer. Glenn went for ribs, which is what they're most known for but I went for a turkey cheddar melt instead.

Eggslut, Glendale.

Eggslut was also on my list to go to so I was pretty happy to find there was one nearby in Glendale. A small menu but perfectly done, we really impressed.

La Piazza, The Grove.

Honestly, one of the best pastas I've ever had. This restaurant is in prime position, situated near the fountain at The Grove. One of the more fancier meals of the trip!

Fat Sal's, Hollywood.
This one sandwich alone contains roast beef, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, fries, mayo and gravy. The sandwiches here are insane but they taste amazing. I knew this was a must visit as soon as I saw the menu a few months before our holiday. I loved it, but Glenn thought the sandwich was a bit excessive, though they do have more normal sized sandwiches too.

Holy Cow BBQ, Culver City.

This is near to Sony Studios so we stopped here for lunch after the tour. I had the grilled cheese which you can have with either pulled pork or brisket. I went for pulled pork and Glenn had the Brisket sandwich. We had a side of onion rings with ranch. Really nice!

Umami Burger, Pasadena.

The best burger ever? We both thought so. We both had the truffle burger and it was amazing. Service was quick and the restaurant itself is in the main shopping area of Pasadena. There is also an express version of Umami in the food court at LAX so we each had another truffle burger before our flight back to the UK.

Jimmy's Famous American Tavern, Santa Monica.

We stopped here during brunch hours. Glenn went for the french dip sandwich and I went full on american brunch. I had The Bubba- Fried chicken, bacon, cheese, sausage gravy and a fried egg on a buttermilk biscuit with tater tots. I loved it here!

Lemonade, Santa Monica.

Lemonade is a big chain in LA and while the food here isn't really for us, we did stop for lemonade as it was a roasting hot day... at least for us Brits. The blood orange lemonade was great.

IHOP, Anaheim.

If you can't have country fried steak for breakfast in America, when can you?! Our first experience of IHOP and we really liked it.

Full Throttle Sports Bar, Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Nice table service restaurant in Magic Mountain. Usual theme park food but done to a higher standard.

Bob's Big Boy, Burbank.

Really near to Warner Brothers Studios, we stopped here for breakfast before the tour. Really nice with great service, this is a typical american diner.

Bea Bea's, Burbank.

I've never seen such an extensive breakfast menu like the one Bea Bea's has. But the tagline for the restaurant is 'breakfast is everything' and oh yeah, it is. A must stop for breakfast in LA. We actually tried to eat here on a Saturday morning but it was so busy! That was the day we went to Bob's for breakfast instead. We tried again a couple of days later on a Monday and it was a lot easier to get a table but still busy.

Have you ate at any of these restaurants?

Danni
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Saving Money with a Go Los Angeles Card.

When we began planning our Los Angeles trip, we made a list of the attractions we wanted to visit during our stay. Then we found out about the Go Los Angeles card by Smart Destinations. It's a good way of saving money versus paying for each attraction separately.

The Go Los Angeles card is available to buy from Attraction Tickets Direct, which we also used to buy our Disneyland tickets. The card covers 35 different attractions and you can get 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 day tickets that can be used over the space of 14 days. We bought 5 day tickets, as Universal Studios Hollywood is only included on tickets with 3 days or more.

You can visit more than one attraction in the same day as long as you get to your last one of the day by 5:30pm. 

We visited the Queen Mary on our first full day. It was really interesting and you get to pick between one of three tours to do while on board. If I was in Southern California again, I wouldn't hesitate to go back and do one of the other two tours.

In the afternoon of the same day, we did a two and half hour whale watching cruise. You'll have to excuse the fact that I have no photographic evidence of this as I spent the majority of it feeling seasick and counting down til we headed back to land! We didn't see any whales while on the tour but we did see hundreds of dolphins right next to the boat.

We were planning to drive down to San Diego Zoo as this is also included on the card (or a visit to Legoland California) but we got an hour into the drive and headed back to LA. Los Angeles Zoo is another attraction available so that became our back up plan. I'm so glad we decided to do this, not only did we save ourselves a five hour drive there and back but LA Zoo was really quiet. This meant we were able to talk to the employees one on one about the animals and it was a great experience.

Universal Studios Hollywood was one of my favourite days of the whole holiday. The tram tour is a must do, and as a Harry Potter fan, The Wizarding World was a highlight. As for shows, Waterworld is a must watch.

Sony Studios Tour was good. We got to visit soundstage where The Goldbergs is filmed, which is one of my favourite shows. It was cool to actually be on the set where it's filmed and see all the details that are hard to notice on TV.

Warner Brothers Studio Tour Hollywood is a must do, especially for Friends fans. While the Sony tour is a walking tour, Warner Brothers is primarily a tram tour followed by a self guided tour around exhibits plus a photo op at Central Perk!

Six Flags Magic Mountain is a must visit for thrill seekers, these are some of the most intense rollercoasters I've ever been on. Not only was it a really good day out but it was so quiet that we hardly queued for anything!

The card costs £217 for a 5 day ticket though at the time we bought them, they were £206. If we had paid for everything on the day, it would have cost $417 which is about £325. Even if we booked everything in advance separately, it still would have cost about £273. 

If you're planning to visit Los Angeles, a Go LA card is the way to go.

Have you visited any of these attractions before?

Glossybox VS Birchbox, October 2018.

The October editions of Birchbox and Glossybox have very different design themes. Glossybox have gone with the obvious Halloween Trick or Treat theme and Birchbox's is "autumnal nostalgia" with a springlike design for the box. Glossy win with the box design for me.

On a rolling subscription basis, the boxes actually cost the same price per month which is what makes these comparisons more interesting. Birchbox have mostly sample sizes whereas Glossybox feature mostly full sizes and a greater value for your money.

Let's start with Birchbox.

This month includes 2 full sizes, 3 sample sizes and 1 perfume sample. The total value of the full size products adds up to £11.95. Not the greatest to be honest.

BeautyPro ThermoTherapy Warming Gold Foil Mask (Full Size RRP £5.95)

"This hi-tech sheet mask in infused with hydrating hyaluronic acid and regenerating Q10. Its self-warming foil helps ingredients to deeply penetrate the skin to improve elasticity, reduce fine lines and boost glow."

Subscribers got to choose between this and the silver mask for this months. I choose this one as it sounder more suited to my skin type.

Gallinee Hydrating Face Cream

"Probiotics can do wonders for your complexion by helping promote healthy skin function. This lightweight creamy moisturiser contains a patented Triple Biotic Complex to deliver long-lasting hydration and brightness to all skin types."

I'm not keeping this. All the reviews on Birchbox from subscribers who've had it before say it smells disgusting and I don't doubt so many reviews when they all say the same thing!

Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect

"This leave-in conditioner instantly detangles, provides a barrier against UV damage, and gives each strand a boost of lightweight moisture to prep your hair for the rest of your styling routine."

Meh. I'm not a big fan of receiving haircare in beauty boxes, even less so when they're small sample sizes.

Daily Concepts Multi-Functional Charcoal Soap Sponge (Full Size RRP £6)

"This 2-in-1 soap sponge combines a detoxifying charcoal cleanser with a gentle, exfoliating sponge so you can skip a step in your skincare routine."

I'll be using this, I'm just a little unsure if this is meant for the face or body?! So a little research is needed first.

Winky Lux Disco Gloss in Far Out

"This lip gloss might appear super bright and bold in its tube but once it makes contact with your lips, the pH-adjusting formula reveals a rosy hue."

Okay, so it may turn pink on skin contact but the chunks of glitter don't do it for me. I'm thirty years old! Hard pass.


I also got a sample of Joop! Wow! I quite like it.

The November sneak peek is a choice between two shades of a full size Manna Kadar Diamond Dust Rollerball Eyeshadow.

The October Glossybox contains four full sizes and one deluxe mini, adding up to a total box value of £68. There's no comparison here when it comes to value for money. Glossybox beat Birchbox every single month.

MUA Luxe Set & Reflect Finishing Kit (Full Size RRP £5)

"This vegan friendly and cruelty-free 2 in 1 compact is the perfect way to mattify your t-zone and top up your glow on the go. The luminescent highlighter helps you to achieve an intense, iridescent look in a single swipe."

The powder in this I could give or take, especially when one of the other products in the box is a loose powder but the highlighter in this? Stunning! I'm very happy with this.

This Works In Transit Camera Close Up (Deluxe Mini RRP £17)

"You'll be ready for your closeup with this cruelty-free mask, moisturiser and primer in one. The powerful blend of plant oils, Hyaluronic Acid, Argan and Starflower oils plus a hit of caffeine, result in a revitalising formula. This is the perfect way to rapidly erase the signs of fatigue, boost hydration and prep your skin for photo ready makeup."

Well, this sounds perfect, yes please! I haven't tried anything by This Works before but I have heard amazing things so I have high expectations for this.

Luna by Luna Cosmetics Loose Translucent Powder (Full size RRP £17)

"Hailing from New Jersey, this cruelty-free setting powder sets your makeup to keep your skin smooth for hours. We're in love with the lightweight formula that soaks up excess oil while softening fine lines and hiding pores."

I'm always going to need a setting powder and I'm not going to complain about having another one ready for when I've run out of my current one.

Illamasqua Antimatter Lipstick in Nebula (Full size RRP £20)

"The perfect clutch bag accomplice for your Halloween party, this cruelty-free lipstick from the British beauty brand with an edge will suit every outfit. The cushioned finish glides effortlessly onto your lips for an on-trend semi-matte finish. We're smitten with this girly bright pink that suits all skin tones."

This was the sneak peek and I love Illamasqua lipsticks so I was excited about this. I'll be saving this shade for spring rather than using it now but I'm really happy with this addition to my lipstick drawer.

Sleek Makeup Oh So Special Eyeshadow Palette (Full size RRP £8.99)

"Swap your summer shades for moodier, autumnal hues with this full-size cruelty-free palette. The 12 super pigmented, long-lasting, mineral based shades cover all bases from smoky and sophisticated to daytime chic."

I love getting eyeshadow palettes in beauty boxes and I'm a big fan of Sleek so this is a winner. This is the second sleek palette this year in glossy this year and the palettes are complete opposites shade wise.

The sneak peek for next month is a full size Huda Beauty matte liquid lipstick. And yes, you read that correctly.

As always, Glossybox wins and I'm counting down until I can cancel my annual subscription to Birchbox!

What do you think to these two boxes?

Danni

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