This Month's Favourite Reads : April 2013

Hullo Lovely Ladies, 

This month I found many amazing novels.

These are six that have really stood out for me. 

On The Island - Tracey Garvis-Graves

I've heard a lot about this novel for a long time now but the synopsis has always put me off. A thirty year old  woman on a deserted island with a sixteen year old boy and a big suggestion of romance? Sounds a bit creepy doesn't it. Well after reading 5 star reviews after 5 star reviews I finally gave in and I'm so glad I did. I want to just tell you now that I found nothing creepy or perverted about this love story. It's one of the most beautiful romance's I've read and I was thinking about it a long time after I'd finished it. 

Amazon Kindle for £3.99

Sempre - J.M Darhower

I found this novel through a blog and I enjoyed it so much. It's very different from my usual reads. It's a story of a second generation slave surrounded by mobsters and their families. At the beginning of the book we see her "saved" by a mafia doctor and shes taken to his family home and there begins the romance between her and one of the doctors sons. A lot of twists and turns to keep you excited all the way through 500+ pages. 

Amazon Kindle £3.81

Painted Faces - L.H Cosway 

This was another story I didn't think I'd like but again an author proved me wrong. Dublin girl Freda Wilson has a lovely surprise when her new next door neighbour starts to flirt with her. Usually it's her best friend that gets the bloke's attention but Freda is in for an even bigger surprise when she see's her new next door neighbour up on stage at a local club....and is that makeup he's wearing?! I absolutely adored this book and I fell for Nicholas just as much as Freda did...which surprised the hell out of me. You know you've found an amazing author when she can make you fall for a man who walks in heels better than you can. Don't worry though ladies we're told that this Hero looks just as good in a pair of jeans as he does in a corset and stockings ;-) 

Amazon Kindle £2.62 

The Edge Of Never - J.A Redmerski 

I had this book on my kindle for awhile now but I was distracted by other novels. I finally sat down to read it after hearing some of my favourite bloggers talk about it. It's a great road trip story with a stunning romance. It's a weepy one so keep some tissues close. It takes a few chapters before the story really starts but stay with it and you'll be in for a lovely surprise. 

Amazon Kindle 99p

Twisted Perfection  - Abbi Glines 

This was released just a few days ago and after reading Abbi Glines' other series I knew I needed to read this one. I have to say this is my favourite from her so far. I'm a sucker for stories with emotionally scarred characters. This is in a series so I'll be waiting awhile to read more about Della and Wood's. A great love story so far with a lot of angst. Which seems to be something I love in novels :-) 

Amazon Kindle £2.62

Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher 

I've waited years to read this novel. I knew going in that It would make me cry like a baby. It was so worth it though and I continued to think of the characters a long time after I'd finished the last page. This is the story about Hannah and the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. It's beautifully written and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through and you'll feel like the author has ripped your heart from your chest....but in a good way.  Keep those tissues close :-) 

Amazon Kindle £5.49 

A quick side note : Most if not all of these novels contain sexual scenes and some even violence so I suggest them for a more mature audience

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Those are some of the novels I've loved and adored in the last month. What were yours? 

Linzi xxx

I Won A Giveaway!

Hullo Again Ladies!

About four - six weeks ago I won The Shades Of You's Spring Giveaway. She has an amazing Blog and Youtube channel so I highly suggest you check them out :-) 

I was so excited because the giveaway included two products that I've always wanted. 

What I won :

OCC Lip Tar in Pageant.

Hot Mama Blusher From The Balm

Color Club Magnetic Force Nail Polish in "Im The Steel Of The Night" 

&

Lumiere Silk Blush in Mimosa 

 From Left To Right - Mimosa, Hot Mama and Pageant. 

Here are some of the swatches but I'll probably be doing separate reviews on them once I have used them for some time. 

I still can't believe I own a lip tar. I've heard so many great things about them and they always looks so beautiful. I'm also ecstatic about the Hot Mama blush. I've wanted it forever now after hearing it's a cheaper dupe for Nars Orgasm. It's cheaper but not that inexpensive so I've always held back from purchasing it. It was well worth the wait. 

So that's all the lovely goodies I won recently. 

Just want to thank The Shades Of You again for this lovely giveaway!

Hope you have all had a great Sunday :-) Have you tried any of these products?

Linzi xxx

Weekend Shopping Haul : Superdrug, Debenhams & H+M

Hullo Ladies!

I went shopping with a friend yesterday to Cardiff, I haven't been there in about a year so it was very much needed. 

I knew going that I wanted certain things. 

I'm glad to say I stuck to what I already knew I needed instead of buying loads of impulse buys...although I did have a moment ;-)

First of all we stopped in H+M, I was instantly attracted to the cosmetics and fragrance stand and found these blending sponges. I've wanted one of these for a long time now after hearing so many good things about them and I didn't want to pay for an expensive one. I was lucky to find these at just £1.99 each. So I picked up two! 

We also went to Superdrug and I bought one of the Accessorize Baked Blushes in Sensation. I remember swatching these a long time ago and they looked stunning. Packed full of so much fine shimmer they could pass for highlighters easily! Which is how I used it today ;-) I'm in love!

I've also been dying for some more matte lipsticks and have heard lots of lovely things about the Sleek Matte Lipsticks. I bought Papaya Punch and Heartbreaker. These seem to be lovely lipsticks for just £4.99

Another product I've been wanting for a long time now is the Sleek Blush By 3 Palettes. I picked up Lace and I'm so glad. I'll be reviewing it soon   :-) 

Last but definitely not least was my only impulse buy and It's a Illamasqua Mystery Box from Debenhams. Down to just £17.50 I knew I had to own it. I'll be writing a post soon on what I actually received in my box. 

Hope you have all been having a great weekend. I'm going to be spending the rest of mine curled up with a good book! 

Linzi xxx

The "I'm Going Shopping Soon" Wishlist :-)

Hullo Ladies!

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for the last few days but I've just had so much to do :-)

One of my best friends is coming down for the weekend and we're going to go shopping Saturday to Cardiff. Somewhere I rarely go! I'm really excited to see her as I haven't for nearly a year although we constantly keep in touch. Thank you facebook! 

So I've been thinking all week on what I want to spend my money on as I don't want to be picking up things for the sake of it and then never using them. This is the list I've come up with :-)

Sleek Matte Lipstick - Heart-breaker

I've been lusting after matte lipsticks lately and I've heard great things about the Sleek ones. So I'm dying to give them a try. I love the look of Heartbreaker and Papaya Punch. Have you tried them? 

Sleek Blush Palette

I've wanted one of these since before christmas so now that I'm going to a bigger Superdrug  I'm hoping to find one! 

Sinful Colours Nail Polish

Sinful Colors are a new brand to Boot's and again I'm hoping to find a stand in the larger Boot's store. 

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

I keep hearing about this foundation by a whole bunch of my favourite beauty bloggers so I'm willing to give it ago. I seem to be on a foundation binge lately. 

Cosmopolitan Blending Sponge

A cheaper alternative to the original Beauty Blender. I've heard using a damp sponge is great for people with dry skin so I'm going to have a good look for one of these in Cardiff. 

So that's what I'll be looking for Saturday! 

Have you tried any of these products? 

Anything you think I should look out for? 

Linzi xxx

My Top 5 Red Lipsticks

Hullo Ladies!

As the sun is shining today and the bright lippy's are out I thought I'd show you my top 5 red lipsticks :-) 

All these lipsticks are ones I love and would repurchase :-) 

They range from all different price ranges from high street to high end, 

From L- R  =  MUA It's A Situation, GOSH Hot & Sweet,  Dainty Doll Saucy Sailor,  M.A.C Red and Maybelline Neon Red.    

MUA It's A Situation Lip Boom 

. I reviewed it not long after I bought it and I loved these lasts months as It's a great vampy berry red lip for the Autumn/Winter. It's a matte formulation and is actually a lot more darker than my camera picked up today. Here is the link to the review. This lip stick is priced at £3 in Superdrug and on the MUA website. 

GOSH Hot & Sweet

I picked this up in the Superdrug clearance for around £3. It's not on the Superdrug website but you might be able to find it in your local store. It''s another gorgeous berry red and it goes on very slick which can sometimes cause bleeding so I like to blot it with some paper when I wear it. 

Dainty Doll Saucy Sailor

The Dainty Doll range has been really popular over the last few months as they're being sold extremely cheaply right now. They are great quality products and are worth checking out if you haven't yet. I bought this in TK Maxx and I adore it. It's a stunning long wearing red lipstick that's great for a night out. I'm loving this lipstick at the moment. 

MAC - M.A.C Red

I bought this nearly two years ago now, to wear to my friends eighteenth birthday party. It was my first red lippy and I loved it at first sight. I was going to pick up Ruby Woo or Russian Red but I didn't like how drying Ruby Woo looked at the time and I couldn't find Russian Red. I did find this beauty though and it's been a staple ever since. I love it. You can buy this at MAC counters and on the MAC website for £14.

Maybelline - Neon Red 

This is a recent purchase but I'm already in love with it. I was slightly worried how a yellow/orange toned lipstick would look on me but I'm just in love with it. It's a great daytime red for the summer. I can see myself loving this in the months to come.  You can buy this for £7.19 in Boot's and Superdrug.

So those are my top 5 red lipsticks! 

What are yours? 

Linzi xxx

The "Yeah...I Have A slight Problem" Haul - MUA, Max Factor, Maybelline!

Hullo Lovely Ladies! 

I did some shopping this week and picked up a few things...yes I have a problem....although I do feel better as most of these were on offer! 

In the post today I received a sample booklet from Garnier with a few sachets of their Moisture Match range. You can order your free samples on their website! 

I caved and bought the other Maybelline Vivid Lipsticks that I wanted in Electric Orange and Shocking Coral  £7.19 each. The only one, out of the 5 released in the uk, that I don't own now is Hot Plum. Apparently it's a lot like Show Orchid from MAC, which I own, so I'm not that upset :-) 

I decided to try these MUA Cream Blushes in Dolly and Bittersweet and for £1 each you can't say no. I've looked on some blogs since I bought them though and all of them say they purchased theirs for £2. Somehow my store was selling them for just £1. I have had a lot of problems with my local store though, they always forget to change the offers and hardly ever re-stock products. Maybe It was just another error on their behalf. 

I picked up a few new face products, I seem to have a new obsession :/ 

I choose the MUA Undress Your Skin Illuminating Foundation whilst it was still on offer for £3 and I also picked up the Max Factor CC Cream as it was on offer for £7.99. 

I'll be reviewing all these products at some point :-) 

Hope You All Have A Great Weekend!

Linzi xxx

My Top 5 Spring Scents

Hullo Ladies!

I'm a big fan of fragrances so I thought I'd show you my favourites scents for Spring. 

Even though I wear these fragrances all year round these are the ones I find myself reaching for most often lately.

Milan From NEXT

Top - Melon and Green Apple

Middle - Magnolia and Violet

Base - Sandalwood and Amber 

It's such a gorgeous scent, it reminds me of DKNY Be Delicious but extremely affordable. NEXT do some amazing scents and all of them are worth checking out :-) 

Mango From The Body Shop

Top, Middle and Base - MANGO! Yay! 

This is for those springs day when the sun is shining and I'm getting all excited for Summer! It's a gorgeous juicy scent and I'm going through it far too quickly :-) I love it!

idole d'ARMANI from Giorgio Armnai

TOP – Celmentine, Honey, Ginger, Pear, Almond, bitter orange and Artemisia.

MIDDLE – Rose, Jasmine and Saffron

BASE – Patchouli, Vetiver and styrax

An unusual scent that I find very addictive, mostly I smell honey, pear and patchouli. It's a gorgeous scent but I think it's been discontinued as I keep seeing it in the clearance stand. :-(

Oh, Lola from Marc Jacobs

TOP - Wild strawberry, raspberry and pear

MIDDLE - Cyclamen, Peony,  magnolia

BASE - Vanilla tonka bean and sandlewood

A stunning everyday scent. Very girly and youthful. It's a great fruity floral scent but is unique in its own way. Worth checking out! 

Very Hollywood from Michael Kors

TOP – Mandarin Orange, Bergamot  and Raspberry

MIDDLE – Orris Root , Ylan Ylang, Jasmine, Gardenia

BASE – Amber, Vetiver and Oakmoss

The only strong floral scent I own. It does have some fruity notes but those strong florals take over this fragrance and yet I still love it. I got it for my 20th birthday off my best friend and I find it very sophisticated. It's my go to wedding fragrance but I've been using it a lot lately.

What's Your Favourite Spring Scent? 

Linzi xxx

REVIEW and SWATCHES - Maybelline Vivid Lipstick - Neon Red

Hullo Ladies, 

I heard about the Maybelline Vivid collection a few weeks ago and instantly knew I needed to see them up close. 

A collection of bright, in your face, lipsticks? Of course I needed to have a look see. 

I have to say I was very jealous to hear that the UK only had five of the ten lipsticks...but anything's better than nothing I guess. I can only hope that Maybelline will be releasing the other five over here soon. 

So last week I stopped in Boot's and after picking up the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation I also picked up two of the Vivid's -  Neon Red and Fuschia Flash. 

I love the packaging, it's bright and easy to find in a big makeup collection. Especially if your collection is far from organised...like mine :-) 

Both Neon Red and Fuschia Flash have been mentioned to be dupes for MAC lipsticks. Neon Red is apparently a good dupe for MAC's Lady Danger. As I don't own Lady Danger I can't tell you if I believe it to be a possible dupe or not. 

I do know that they are both orange toned reds. 

At first I was worried that an orange toned red wouldn't suit me, as I've always worn blue toned reds, but I'm really loving it and have to say I've been wearing it nearly everyday since I bought it. It looks stunning with just a good foundation, a subtle blush, some eyeliner and a mascara. 

This shows you how orange toned the lipstick really is, I'm in love with how bright it is. 

It gives you some shine and has amazing pigmentation. 

The lasting power is quite good too, last's just as long on my lips as my higher end lippy's maybe two hours before I feel the need to reapply. All according on how much I've eaten or drunk. 

In the pictures you can see the I have dry lips and although in the pictures it looks like the lipstick made them noticable, I have to say I haven't noticed that with this one. Not by just looking in the mirror anyway. If you are worried though a quick slick of lip balm will sort that out. 

I'm in love with this collection and I think they will be a big hit come Summer.

I'm already drooling over Electric Orange and Hot Plum.

Have you tried the Vivid's Collection yet?

Which one is your favourite?

Linzi xxx

REVIEW - Garnier - Moisture Match in Goodbye Dry - For Dry To Very Dry Skin

Hullo Ladies, 

I've suffered with dry skin for a long time. On my face, my arms and even my feet!

At first you may think, just pop some type of moisturiser on and you'll be fine. Well most of the time it wont be. Especially if you suffer with extremely dry skin like me. It can take a lot of time and money to find that perfect moisturiser.

Recently the dry patches on my face seem to be getting worse due to the weather, so I really needed to find some sort of moisturiser that worked, one morning I decided I'd had enough and was really thinking about paying for a Clinique one I'd heard so much about. Before I could though my mam needed to pop to Superdrug, whilst there I noticed the new Garnier Moisture Match range that's been advertised lately. 

It's a range of moisturisers for all different skin types, dry, oily, normal, combination and even one for dull skin.  

I decided to try one more product before I made the leap for something more expensive. 

Goodbye Dry is a ultra-hydrating rich cream and is said to protect your skin from feeling "tight, uncomfortable and dehydrated day after day"

I really love the smell of this moisturiser, some find it too strong but I find the scent really comforting. It has Shea Butter included in it and I think thats why I like the scent so much. 

I've been using this moisturiser for a good two weeks now and have to say my skin has never felt so good.

 My dry patches have cleared up and what's even more exciting is that my foundation's looks so much better now. 

I can now use those foundation that I couldn't in the past due to the fact that they looked terrible on my dry skin.

I've had Garnier products break me out at times but haven't noticed that with this product, it's also been tested for people with Sensitive Skin and has no Parabens. 

If you suffer with dry to extremely dry skin, I highly suggest picking this up. I can't say anything about the range as a whole as I haven't tried any of the others but I've had a great experience with this particular one and I believe it's worth every penny.

It's £5.99 for 50ml and you can buy it here. 

Have you tired the Garnier Moisture Match line?

 Which one do you use and do you like it? 

Linzi xxx

Another Splurge and Ciate Freebie :-)

Hullo Ladies,

I went to Boot;s today, knowing exactly what I was going to pick up. 

I've been hearing about the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundations for ages now and I wanted to pick one up last weekend but the colour selection wasn't great. I finally found the lightest colour, "Light Vanilla", in my local Boot's and picked it up before anyone else could! 

As Boot's have a 3 for 2 offer on right now I decided to pick up two other products I've been wanting for the last few weeks. I picked up two of the Maybelline Colorsensational Vivid Lipstick's in Neon Red and Fuschia Flash. Both colours have been said to be MAC dupes! I'll be reviewing them really soon :-)

So although I've bought more make up I am happy I only purchased what I set out too and didn't get distracted by anything else....which happens a lot. 

On the way home we stopped for some bread and I noticed that the newest Marie Claire magazine had a free Ciate polish! Yay! There was only one there and I got the colour Sand Dune which is a gold shimmer!

Also in the magazine they give you a free 25ml sample of the Jergens Ultra Healing Body Moisturizer. 

So that's what I bought today and I can't wait to try everything out! 

Have you tried the Maybelline Vivid's yet? Which one do you love most?!

Linzi xxx

REVIEW - Revlon Lip Butter - Sweet Tart

Hullo Ladies,

Recently I picked up some of my first Revlon Lip Butters!

After putting it off for so long, I got fed up of reading all the amazing reviews! I needed to see what all the fuss was about! 

I now have four in my collection so I'll probably be reviewing all of the soon. I'm going to start off with one of my favourites -  Sweet Tart. 

Revlon Lip Butters give high shine and sheer colour. 

Sweet Tart is a gorgeous pop of pink. 

Although they're very glossy I find they do stick to the dry skin on your lips so I find it's best to exfoliate my lips and wear a lip balm underneath if I want them to look their best. 

I find that they last about an hour on my lips before I feel the need to reapply  Although this doesn't annoy me so much as I love applying lip products anyway it does mean I'll probably go through the product quickly. 

As I have naturally pigmented lips I find all of the Lip Butters need a good few swipes before they come close looking like they do in the tube.  

I'm glad I bought Sweet Tart and I'm thinking about investing in some more revlon lip butters, maybe buy a nice red one next time! 

Have you tired the Revlon Lip Butters? Which ones are your favourite??

Linzi xxx

REVIEW - Rimmel - Match Perfection Foundation

Hulo Ladies!

Today I'll be reviewing the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation that I purchased 6-8 weeks ago. It's been in two of my monthly favourite's post's and it's almost empty already!

I bought this because I was so happy with the swatch in store, it was the first foundation I'd swatched for months that actually looks close to my natural skin colour. 

The shade I bought was Light Porcelain.

Application : After trying various ways on how to apply it in the last few weeks I find that I prefer to either use a dense foundation brush or my fingers. I find it very blendable and easy to apply. I also love that it doesn't cling to much to my dry patches

Coverage : Sheer to medium - I find that the coverage all depends on how I apply it, if I'm using my dense foundation brush then I get a nice medium coverage but If I apply with my fingers I get a nice sheer coverage. It covers redness very well although I like to use a concealer for covering those pesky blemishes! 

Finish: Match perfection is enhanced with 'Sapphire Radiance' for a illuminating glow. This means that it gives a lovely dewy finish. I find this great for my skin type but may not be to everyones taste.

Lasting Power: I find it lasts around 5 - 6 hours on my skin, great for days when you're just popping out to the shops and doing daily tasks. I find if I'm going somewhere special and i'm out all day or night then I'd want something with slightly more lasting power. 

Packaging: I really like the packaging and find that the pump helps to make applying the foundation a lot easier and travel friendly. The packaging can get dirty over time but as it's a glass bottle then it's very easy to clean. I love the blue cap and writing, making it very eye catching in store but not too crass. 

Overall Rating : I give the foundation a 4 out of 5 ! It's a great foundation for Spring/Summer due to it's dewy finish and sheer - medium coverage. The price is also great which means I have no worries about re-purchasing it. 

I really enjoyed using this product and although I'm going to be trying out some other foundations in the next few months, I now have a foundation I can lean back on again and again. 

You can buy this foundation in Boot's and Superdrug Instore and Online.

Have you tried this foundation? 

Love it or Hate it?

Linzi xxx

Weekend Haul - Revlon Colorstay, LIp Butters, John Frieda.

Hullo Ladies,

I went shopping yesterday and I have to admit it was really needed. I spend most of my time at home with my Mam so It's nice to get out every so often and do something different. 

I bought quite a few things that I've been wanting to try for a long time now. 

Even before I went out I knew I was going to be buying a new foundation, I've recently finished my Rimmel Match Perfection foundation, which I'll be reviewing soon, so I was in need of some more. 

I love trying out new ones and at first I was going to pick up the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum which is very popular but I wasn't sure on the lightest shade, it seemed slightly too yellow for me. 

I decided to test the colour range for the Revlon Colorstay foundations, this foundation is very famous and I know a lot of beauty vloggers/bloggers who have it as their holy grail foundation. I don't know why I never tried it until now. Maybe I was put off because of the price tag, £12.49 is quite expensive for a drugstore foundation, but as all the makeup is on 3 for 2 in Boot's and the lightest shade "Ivory" was actually extremely close to my natural skin tone, I decided to bite the bullet. 

I also picked up two of the new Revlon Lip Butters in Pink Lemonade and Juicy Papaya.

Another thing I've been meaning to pick up for a few weeks up now is a mint shade nail polish. There was so many to choose from but in the end I choose the Maybelline Mint For Life nail polish.  

We stopped in Asda and I noticed that this Sublime Mousse hair dye had been put on the clearance shelf and was down to just £1.......I know it was probably a mistake but I'm not gonna tempt fate.....It's a nice colour too! 

Next up was Superdrug and I noticed that they had offers on the John Frieda line, I've been meaning to try the range for a long time now so I picked up the Full Repair Shampoo and Conditioner for £6.

My nan loves Matalan so we had a look around and I found a "#NERD" t -shirt, I actually love it and for only £6 It was a great purchase. I have always wanted to be that girl who wears ironic and funny t-shirts. I dunno...I just love those people!

So that's all I bought this weekend! 

Hope you all have an amazing Sunday I think I'm going to spend the rest of mine watching SKY Disney :-)

Linzi xxx

Eau My Giddy God - Lolita Lempicka - L De Lolita Lempicka - EDP

Hullo Ladies,

I've been a lover of perfume for a long time now and I always find that most of the time the bottle of a perfume is what drags you towards it in a store. 

Most of the time you can tell what a perfume is like by it's bottle design. This perfume however is definitely a curve ball. When looking at it I immediately thought it was going to be fresh and aquatic but low and behold this is a giant spicebomb! 

I've heard a few things about the Lolita Lempicka perfumes, they seem to be very love/hate.

After looking at the notes on Fragrantica, I decided to give " L" a try. 

This perfume was launched  in 2006  and is part of the Oriental Vanilla Group. The notes of this perfume are:

TOP – Bergamot, Bitter Orange

MIDDLE – Musk, Cinnamon, Immortelle

BASE – Sandalwood, Vanilla, Tonka Bean

The whole base of this perfume is something I've grown to realise that I love in perfumes. Sadly though, I don't notice them a lot throughout this fragrance. What I do notice is the strong smell of cinnamon which I love but can't wear constantly. I have to be in the mood to wear this fragrance which makes me regret buying the big bottle.

 I'm glad I tried it but It's not one I'd re-purchase.

I did use it throughout the winter though, I sprayed it on my scarfs and I loved how that toasty warmth would cuddle me up while I was out braving the horrible winter weather. 

If you're a big lover on strong, spicy scents, ones that especially include cinnamon then I say give this a try! 

Hope your all having a great weekend!

Linzi xxx