Superstay 24 Color - Not so super! Maybelline Review

Good Afternoon!

In my eyes, Maybelline has never really faulted when it comes to their products. Albeit, I don't own many but the ones I do have, I've been pleased with. However, I recently bought one of their Superstay 24 Color shades as it was promised long lasting wear with a balm to add for moisture, perfect for this time of year. I chose the shade 'Rose Dust' - I think rosey colours really suit blondes
(must have been influenced by Sleeping Beauty!).

The Gloss and Balm.

The "proper" method for this lipstick/gloss is to apply the liquid colour to the lips, allow to dry for two minutes and then apply the conditioning balm. This was the result...

                                                               
Quite pleased with the outcome; nice even colour, not sticky, not too glossy... *Although side point, I found the application wand to be a bit too big, could just be my lips are thin but with the bigger wand, more liquid came out with it that was unnecessary.

Only 10-15 minutes later, my lips felt dry. I went to check them out in the mirror and found the lipstick had almost gathered around the lip line and not much colour left. I only reapplied the balm as I didn't want loads of gloss - which is recommended to do on the website.

More of a lip liner effect.

A further ten minutes went by, nearly time for me to leave for work, my lips feel really dry this time. Again, I go check it out in the mirror to find the lipstick/gloss really wasn't working well.

Crumbly, colour faded, lip liner effect

The colour had faded leaving only the "lip liner effect" and what was left of the colour had crumbled. Not exactly happy! Followed the instructions and was left with the above.

Maybelline brands this product as longwearing, no crumbling, no fading,... Pfft.
Safe to say, I don't think I'll be using this product again. At £8.99, I expected a little more.

Anybody else have this trouble? How do you rate Maybelline products?

Hope you have a nice day!

xxx

Pop of Pink - Collection Lipstick Review

Afternoon All,

On this gloomy rainy July day (thought this was supposed to be Summer!?), I thought I'd inject a little colour into my day with a nice pink lipstick. Looking through my hoard, I thought I'd wear one that hasn't seen the light of day in a while when I came across two shades by Collection.

'Sugar Plum' (left) & 'Bubblegum' (right). RRP £2.99

Firstly, the design. I do like the sleek black look, gives a sense of conformity to the brand but how do you know what the colours are if you can't see them? You have to check the bottom label or open it up. When browsing in the stores, personally I prefer to be able to see the colour first off, makes it easier for comparison. I thought would have been a good idea is for the design on the top of the lid to represent the colours of the lipstick.

Secondly, the colour. I do love 'Sugar Plum'. It's a nice blend of rose and pink with a slight hint of shimmer. 'Bubblegum' is a very girly colour, I think a nice floral outfit would suit this lipstick.

'Sugar Plum'

'Bubblegum'

I admit, this wasn't my best application of lipstick - in a bit of a hurry when I took the pictures!
Either way, the shape of the lipstick with a nice pointed oval allows easy application.

The lipstick states "Lasting Colour"; durability of lipsticks must be high on the check list for most girls. I applied the lipstick on at 7:30am and headed off into work, it is now 13:21pm and I need to touch the colour up. Lasted for a good few hours so I'm quite pleased with that.

There are over 30 colours to choose from this line of lipstick, ranging from deep, dark purples to a light nude colour; and at £2.99, you can't really complain. An extra bonus is the SPF15 providing that little bit of protection. I would recommend this lipstick.

Anyone bought all 30 colours?
Have a nice day!

xxx

Food Intolerances - Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Wheat....

Good Afternoon, 

Warning: this post does include some "messy" talk. But we're all adults (mostly), we know things like this occur, just we don't often talk about it. Something we need to change.
And I apologise if this is more of a rant my side. I just want to let others know that they're not alone!

January 2015, I began to experience severe stomach rumbles. Sounds odd, I know, but these stomach rumbles would be so loud and the movement would keep me awake all night. Sleep deprivation and working full-time is not easy.
Weeks passed and it's Valentine's Day. Cooked an awesome meal and pudding with a friend for our boyfriends as they had to work the weekend, sadly didn't enjoy it for long. About an hour after dinner, I had to drive home after not feeling good (I live an hour from my boyfriend). On the journey back, I threw up all over myself (so glamorous!). Passed it off as food poisoning.
Week later, I had extreme constipation/flatulence and then horrific diarrhoea. This pattern continued for a good 2 months. In and out of doctor's and hospitals, they couldn't pin point the reason I was in so much pain (not exaggerating, I would be crying on a daily basis). Recommended all sorts of drugs but nothing was really getting to the problem.
Took it upon myself to go Veggie, thought meat might be the problem. It did help a little bit but not much. God I missed meat. But there are some really delicious vegetarian dishes - one in particular was Asda's mediterranean and feta bake.
Around April time, I was pretty much house bound, I couldn't go out because I would need the toilet there and then or my stomach would hurt so much I couldn't move. Missed out on family get togethers, socialising with friends.... it wasn't fun. Definitely did not help my anxiety!

It was then a friend mentioned his mum suffered from food intolerances and it might be what I have. Decided to go ahead and do a private blood test (pricey!) but all that was required was a small amount of blood, they would test it against all sorts of food and drinks, then with results, you'd receive a consultation and a booklet to help you.Turned out I was intolerant to a lot of things! - unfortunately.
Came as quite a shock, I was expecting one or two things, not 19!
The results came as a "traffic light" system - red (stay away), yellow (maybe here and there), green (fine).

Red - Yeast, eggs, cow's milk, wheat, gluten, different grapes (in wine - basically all of them ) cocunut, dill, cumin, peanuts.
Yellow - beef, lamb, garlic, corriander.

Some people may think it's not a big deal. In the grand scheme of things our bodies can conjure up, true. But the 'Red' items I need to stay away from are practically in all foods!

Nowadays, there are many websites/companies that can provide "free-from" food, which is fantastic and I know has helped so many people. Unfortunately, not all these free-from foods are gluten, dairy, wheat, yeast,.... free. They may be just gluten free or gluten and egg free.

I'm managing fairy well on my new diet. It's a very limited diet, but I would rather that then be in extreme pain.
I think the thing that gets me is missing the ease of going out into town and just grabbing something to eat. I can't do that anymore. Sounds a bit silly but it does get to you. With having so many intolerances, there aren't any 'pre-made' meals/sandwiches. You pretty much have to make everything from scratch - quite annoying when you have friends round.
Another point is that free-from foods are 3x more expensive than "normal" foods. £50 on a food shop just about lasts me a week.

I do want to say how thankful I am though for these websites/companies that provide "free from" food. They have done so well in producing foods that are safe and do taste quite nice (apart from the Mozerella, looks and tastes a bit like clay).
Good website is www.goodnessdirect.co.uk or just for cheese, www.vegancheese.co.uk
For those people suffering from any intolerance, I know your pain and struggle but then I also know that there is help out there and you can live a relatively "normal" life, its just being prepared.

October time, they recommend I start re-introducing foods to my diet to find out what are the big no-nos and what I might be able to have on occasion. Fingers crossed it goes well. I'm really missing Pizza and a good Indian Cuisine!

Do you suffer from any food intolerances? How are you getting on with your diet?Feel free to have a good ol' rant!
Hope you have a nice day.

xxx

Highstreet Lips - Review

Hello there,

When it comes to buying makeup, I would usually go to the typical beauty/pharmaceutical store as I know the brands represented there are reliable and good for value. However, over the past few years I have noticed that retail shops such as Primark, H&M and Topshop have all released their own brand of makeup. Little skeptical of the quality of these products, it was only last year that I finally purchased various items, in particular, from Topshop.

One item was a bullet.
Not the gun type nor the adult themed type. The Lip Bullet.
The name itself was the initial attraction for me. Might sound ridiculous but it made me associate it with words like strong, forceful and loud.

'Back In The Game' - £8

A sleek and modern design, it catches your eye without being over the top. A definite plus is the transparent lid allowing you to see the colour of the lipstick itself.
At £8, this is more than I would want to spend on a lipstick, I know Topshop prices can really vary; I'd be much happier around the £4.99 mark.

That being said, it was a well spent £8. I am so pleased with this product. The colour is gorgeous, it's bright and vibrant but not so you look like a clown, there is a hint of subtleness to it. The texture is smooth and doesn't flake when you apply it to your lips. After, you can see an understated shine.
                                                               

Beautiful colour!

Added bonus, the shape of the lipstick makes it really easy to cover your lips, it's broad with a defined point to reach the corners and curves.

This lipstick you could wear day or night. The longevity of it is quite good. Applying it at 7:30am, I only topped it up at work around 1pm. Even then it hadn't all disappeared, you could still tell I had lipstick on.

With this new found love, I went back and bought another bullet in 'There She Goes'. More of a nude/light pink shade.

Highly recommend this product!

Have you bought any Topshop makeup? What did you think?
Have a nice day!

xxx

Cheap not always cheerful! - Natural Collection Lipstick Review

Afternoon all,

I recently celebrated my "adopted Grandad's" 90th birthday with a surprise 1940's theme garden party. All of his family and our side turned up on a glorious afternoon in May dressed as various "characters" from that time. My side went a bit OTT. We bought new costumes - Landgirl, Home Guard, RAF Officers,... whereas his side pretty much wore tea dresses and braces. We didn't care, we looked awesome! 

                                      

As part of the 1940's look, red lipstick was required. The day before the party, I was getting myself organised when I noticed I had no red lipstick! Yes I could have just used a shade of my pink collection and it would have worked just fine but I wanted to try and achieve the real look - pin curls and all. I dashed to the nearest beauty store during my lunch hour to buy the cheapest red lipstick I could (time of insufficient funds!). Eventually found Natural Collection.

Natural Collection isn't my usual choice. I usually only buy really basic items from this brand such as neutral eye shadows to help blend, but if you don't try, you don't know!
At £1.99, eagerly paid at the till and was on my way.

The colour I picked up was 'Cherry Red - Moisture Shine'.

                                                                   

Firstly, I wasn't so sure about the shape of the actual lipstick. Most brands have that diagonal/slightly curved shape that generally fits the contours of your lips. This lipstick had a more pointed shape. I found it a little more difficult to get the lipstick to cover my lips - I had to use the tip to line the outer areas. However, the texture of the lipstick is quite good, you don't need to press firmly to get the colour transferred.
 

Before and After

The colour is vibrant and there is the aspect of "moisture shine" as my lips didn't feel dried out or anything. Annoyingly, the colour doesn't last long. Up to around 2 hours or so later, the colour had faded quite a bit and it looked more like lip liner. Throughout the party, I had to re-apply lipstick two or three times.

Summary - Cheap and good colour, but wouldn't buy again.

Hope you have a lovely day!

xxx

Freestyle Libre Review - Diabetes

Afternoon all,

Being a Type 1 Diabetic isn't a lot of fun, in fact, it sucks. Majorly sucks.
Type 1 Diabetics are incapable of producing insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, which helps control your blood sugar levels. When you eat or drink, your blood sugar rises but insulin combats this to regulate the levels between 5-7mmol (average persons blood sugar level). Diabetics blood sugar levels can rise and fall to dangerous levels causing both short-term and long-term damage to the body, and in some cases, premature death.  This is why it is important for blood sugar levels to be controlled.
Problem is, almost everything affects blood sugars; food and drink, emotions, being ill, activities, the weather.... For some diabetics its a nightmare trying to control their levels. I'm one of them.
Since I was diagnosed over 10 years ago, my blood sugars have been all over the place. I'm trying so hard but as soon as I think I've got it stable, something happens and it goes tits up. I've now got 'Background Retinopathy' - the capillaries in the retina become blocked, they may bulge and leak blood or fluids. If not carefully monitored, the damage will increase and the problem will evolve leading to blindness.

To check blood sugar levels, Diabetics use their own personal blood testing kit and test their bloods how ever many times a day (for some twice, for some more than ten times) using their fingertips or upper arms. It may not seem like much hassle but it really is. Personally, I don't like drawing attention to myself so testing in public/work, I always get looks.

For years, various health companies have been trying to develop an easier way to test blood sugars. I hear there are plans for bracelets to read the levels from outside the skin - sadly something like that will be way into the future. However, a healthcare company called Abbott have manufactured a flash glucose monitoring system - FreeStyle Libre.

                                                    
Serious game changer in the Diabetic Community.

Desperate to try it, my family and I joined the waiting list as soon as we found out about it. Unfortunately, due to incredibly high demand, the waiting list was several months :(

Time passed and my health wasn't the best; in and out of hospital with a mysterious stomach condition. My need for the monitor increased by the day! Almost 7 months later, I finally received my monitor and sensors.

First thing first. Pricing.

Monitor - £57.95.
Reasonable. Comes with very clear instructions.

Sensor - £57.95.
Pricey. The sensor lasts for 14 days. Over £100 for a month's worth. That's a lot of money if you want a sensor throughout the year!

I have seen and signed many petitions to get these products on the NHS. In all honesty, I doubt it will happen but fingers crossed!

The sensor box contains: one sensor, one applicator and instructions.
Fair play, the instructions are so easy to understand. There are pictures and step by steps; you can't go wrong.
Loading the sensor into the applicator is very simple. Line the two up with the "markers" on the products and click into place. Find the area where you are going to apply the sensor to and press down on the applicator in one smooth push. Done!
The needle on the sensor is so small and thin, I didn't feel a thing when applying! The adhesive on the sensor is good. No way was that thing moving unless I picked it off.
The size of the sensor itself is relatively small. Its thin, no thicker than £2 coin and its roughly the same size.

First day with the sensor. 

Day one. 8am, first scan. Reading of 6.8mmol. Perfect!
The greatest thing about these products is the monitor shows an arrow next to the blood sugar reading. Vertically up, angled up, horizontal, angled down, vertically down. This indicates the "path" your blood sugar is going, allowing you to act accordingly. This occasion showed a horizontal line. Brilliant.
Arrived at work. Nobody commented on my new item, I know they noticed it but perhaps they were a little nervous to ask me about it. Throughout the day I scanned myself every hour to help me get a clear idea of how my body reacts to day-to-day activities. Scanning is so discreet. You just need to hold/swipe the monitor a small distance from the sensor, a little bleep alarms you the reading is complete (you can adjust how loud this is and the vibration settings) and thats it!

Next day at work, people started to ask questions - good! I like people asking questions, allows me to help others understand Diabetes. My friend commented it looked like the plug you attached an air pump to blow up a paddling pool with! For the next two weeks I was known as "Ellie - the blow up doll", haha!

Showering/bathing with the sensor was no problem. It can withstand 30 minutes fully submerged. Plus there was no chance soaps could get under the sensor with the strong adhesive.

My boyfriend had great fun scanning me and showing all his friends his "hi-tech girlfriend". Late June, for the first time in 2015, I was well enough to go for a mini-night out. The sensor made this so much easier. Instead of carrying my whole blood kit in purse, it was just the monitor! No need for big purses. Alcohol and dancing can affect Diabetics. Alcopops are probably the worst drinks to have as they are full of sugar and carbs, raising the sugar levels quickly but the alcohol itself can lower levels later on so you have to be careful. I usually stick to Vodka + Diet Coke or G&T, these have little or no effect on my blood sugar levels.
                                           

Bedtime!

I was a little worried about sleeping. I tend to move about a lot so was a little weary of the sensor placing my arm on the bed, however, I was proved wrong. No problem, couldn't feel a thing! Definitely put my worries to rest,

Over the two weeks, I was able to look at the patterns, averages, graphs of my readings with ease. Navigating around the settings on the monitor is simple but one minor thing, the touch screen isn't always as sensitive, I had to press firmly for the monitor to register what I wanted it to do.

The 14 days passed very quickly and the time came to take the sensor off. The monitor warns you a when the sensor will "run out" up to a week in advance and the consecutive days. Taking the sensor off was actually pretty easy. Peeling it off like I would a plaster, still couldn't feel the little needle! The only bad thing would be the adhesive itself is a little tricky to rub off. It required a good scrub in the shower.

The sensor after 14 days. 

Overall, I am pleased with the FreeStyle Libre. Made my Diabetic side of life much easier. My blood sugar was easier to control knowing what direction it was heading, completing readings literally took seconds instead of minutes. It really is the little things in life that make a difference!

If you're Diabetic or have a condition that requires blood testing, I definitely recommend giving this a go. I felt more relaxed in those two weeks than I have in a long time.
I'm saving the other sensors for when I really need them - like going on holiday or the Christmas period. Unfortunately they do have an expiration date so they won't last forever.
For now, back to normal blood testing *sigh*.


Hope you have a lovely day.
Love love xxx