ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium and the tools/products I use on my eyebrows

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium - £3.50.

I started filling in my eyebrows three years ago, after receiving an eyebrow powder in a giveaway prize. Now, I cannot leave the house without filling them in - it's just as important as applying mascara to me. For about two years, I used an eyebrow powder from NYX, but because it is not easy to get hold of in the UK, I thought I'd find an alternative. I put off buying the ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit for months because I didn't know what shade, if any, would suit me. I decided to go with Medium. At first, I thought the kit was too light for my eyebrows, but I now think it's perfect. For a while, I just used the powder, which is a lighter, warmer shade than the wax. Now though, I use the wax and then apply the powder where I need extra coverage. I love everything about this product: the price, the packaging, the mini brush that comes with the kit, the actual product and how long the product lasts on my eyebrows (all day!). Eyebrow products seem to last an age. I've been using this every day for about six months, and I'm no where near hitting pan.

Before and after: Natural eyebrow and eyebrow with the wax and powder on (looks much better in 'real life').

ELF Studio Small Angled Brush - £3.50, ELF Eyelash and Brow Wand - £1.50, MUA Clear Mascara - £1.

These are the other tools and products I use on my eyebrows (as well as a cheap pair of tweezers). The brush in the kit is good, but I prefer to use a brush with a longer handle, so I use the Small Angled Brush to apply the wax and powder. I then use the Eyelash and Brow Wand to comb my eyebrows through. Sometimes, I also use the MUA Clear Mascara to keep them in place.

Wordless Wednesday

The Hunger Games tag

I watched Joey Graceffa and Alex Carpenter do this tag, and whilst listening to their answers, I was thinking of my own, so thought I'd turn it in to a blog post! They just referred to the first book, which is what I'm going to do too because I've only read the first one! The other two are currently in the post.

1. What is your favourite book in The Hunger Games trilogy?

Well, I've only read the first one, so... the first one!

2. How long would you last in The Hunger Games?

I get cold easily and hungry fast, so probably not long! If I was raised in one of the districts, I'd probably last a lot longer though, because I would be trained (If raised in the lower numbered districts) or used to having little food (If raised in the higher numbered districts).

3. What was the strangest thing you thought was going to happen in the book, but didn't?

At first, I thought Gale was going to be chosen as a tribute, along with Katniss. I just thought that it would bring an obstacle to the book because they wouldn't want to kill each other. Then, Katniss' and Peeta's relationship develops and this obstacle comes around anyway.

4. How were you introduced to The Hunger Games?

I actually only found out about The Hunger Games a few weeks ago. Everyone was talking and raving about it, so I wanted in! I've heard some people say: "People are only reading The Hunger Games because everyone else is and because the film is coming out" - And? There's nothing wrong with following something good! I'm not going to deprive myself of a great series just because I don't want to be like everyone else.

5. Favourite moment that happens in The Hunger Games?

I love the moment when Katniss goes searching for Peeta and finds him in the mud, and you can just see his teeth smiling at her. I felt a lot more relaxed after she found him because they were no longer alone. I also felt like they were less vulnerable together, even though Peeta could barely walk!

6. Favourite villain?

I can't say a Career tribute, because they're not really the villains in this. I would have to say the people in charge of The Hunger Games. Evil people.

7. Who is your favourite character?

I'm going to be obvious and say Katniss. The book is told through her eyes, so we know her the most, and we are able to share her experiences.

8. What district would you live in?

I would like to live in District 1. The closer you are to the Capitol, the wealthier you are. Also, if I was chosen as a tribute, one of the Careers would volunteer to take my place (Unless I was raised as a Career myself).

9. What was the most emotional moment in the book for you?

At the end, when it was announced that there would not be two winners - The realisation that Katniss and Peeta would not be leaving the arena together.

10. What item from home would you bring into the arena with you?

I don't know! I don't have an item that means the world to me. Maybe a necklace from my nan or mum?

11. What was the most evil plan someone made in the book?

The people in charge of The Hunger Games telling the lie that two people from the same district are both able to win if they are the last ones remaining.

12. What are you looking forward to the most in the film?

Just seeing the characters in my head come to life. I've already seen some photos and Peeta looks just like I imagined him to be. I really hope the film does the book justice!

Lots of lovely things - Beauty, clothes, The Hunger Games and more

I didn't realise how much I've bought in the last few weeks until I gathered it all together - Oops! 

Bourjois So Delicate lip creams in Rose Poudre and Fuchsia Delicate £3.95 each from CheapSmells.com, Lush Magic Mushroom bubble bar £2.45, Lush Magic Wand bubble bar £2.50 from eBay, Models Own nail art pen in White £6 from ASOS.com, Yankee Candle Fluffy Towels Car Jar £1.69 from eBay, Yankee Candle Vanilla Cupcake 12 Tea Lights £6.45 from eBay, Yankee Candle Fluffy Towels and Country Lemonade Samplers £1something from Clinton Cards, Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner £2.99 from Superdrug, Collection 2000 Cream Puff Moisturising Lip Cream in Cotton Candy £2.99 from Superdrug, Collection 2000 Cream Puff Moisturising Lip Cream in Fairy Cake £1.35 from eBay and My Blue Nose Friend - Runner the Ostrich £5 from Clinton Cards

That list is huge! Sorry about that. Where shall I start...

I LOVE the Collection 2000 lip creams. I'm not a lip product person, but I've been wearing these every day. I don't like the packaging of the Bourjois lip creams - it looks cheap and tacky in my opinion.

On Tuesday, there was a £5 off eBay code going around the internet (one per PayPal account). I made the most of this and used mine, my sister's and my dad's accounts. With my account, I bought the Lush Magic Wand bubble bar, which I've wanted for a while. I only paid £2.50, including P&P, for it! With my sister's account, I bought the Collection 2000 lip cream in Fairy Cake for just £1.35, and on my dad's account, I bought a Lush Each Peach massage bar for just 75p! It hasn't arrived yet though. I tried using the code for a second time on my account and bought the Yankee Candle Car Jar and tea lights. Unfortunately though, the code didn't work, so I had to pay full price for them. I'm not allowed to burn candles, but can't help myself sometimes! I just like to smell them :)

Superdrug - TRESemme Naturals Vibrantly Smooth shampoo & conditioner £2.70 each (half price), Original Source Lime shower gel 99p, Eyelash Curlers £1.99, Pencil Sharpener £1.89 and Emery Boards 99p each

I already have enough shampoo to last me about 4 months, but I couldn't resist the half price offer. ELF's eyelash curlers and pencil sharpener are still out of stock, so I bought the boring, yet practical, products from Superdrug instead.

New Look - Navy plimsolls £6.99, socks 3 pairs for £4

I love the white stripes at the bottom of these plimsolls. 

Of course, I had to buy more socks!

Primark long shorts £10

I love these! I had a very similar Primark pair and wore them all the time. After about four years of wear though, the button popped off and was unfixable. The detail on these is beautiful. They have a floral lining, floral buttons and cute floral studs near the pockets. The labels are also pretty.

Card Factory gift tubes £1.29 each

I'm going to use these for my bath bombs and bubble bars :)

The Hunger Games book £4.48 from Amazon

I finished this book last night, after constantly reading for five hours. I shed a tear, couldn't put it down and was sad when I reached the end - All signs of a great book. The only bad thing about a good book though is that you deprive your body of food and sleep, and put it through an emotional roller coaster!

I've just ordered the next two books in the trilogy; Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I'll be happy to be reunited with the characters, but I know they're going to be put through hell again :/ I know it's all fictional, but you can't help forming an emotional connection with them!

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10 Beauty Rules I Break

One of Mysti's kittens from a few years ago. I wish we kept him!

I probably break more than ten beauty rules, but I just can't think of them! Here are the beauty rules I break, and my justifications for them!

• Use heat protectant on your hair before straightening. I do this once a week, maybe? My hair is very thick and doesn't damage easily though. I've been straightening my hair for years, and my hair is still fine!
• Get your hair cut every 6-8 weeks. I well and truly break this rule! Last year, I had my hair cut twice, with eight months in between each one. I don't feel like my hair needs cutting that often though.
• Don't wash your hair every day. My hair gets extremely greasy, so I feel the need to wash it every night. I know that your hair will get used to not being washed every day, and therefore, won't be as greasy, but I can't even bring myself to have greasy hair for a few weeks.
• Apply concealer with your ring finger. Your ring finger is supposed to be more delicate. I'm finding it hard to stop my habit of using my middle finger though!
• Don't squeeze your spots. I love squeezing spots! The 'pop' is so satisfying. I've found that if I leave a spot, it doesn't disappear - it just stays under the skin.
• Don't sleep with your make-up on. I don't do this often because I usually have a shower and wash my hair every night. Also, I don't wear foundation, so my skin doesn't get that clogged from make-up.
• Throw away your make-up products every *however many* months. The majority of my make-up products are at least over a year old and are perfectly fine. I'm not throwing away perfectly good make-up! I'll only throw something away if it has dried up or smells funny.
• Don't blow on your brushes. I don't have an excuse for this one... it's just a habit. I'm trying to stop though because I don't want to spread any more germs than I need to!
• Wash your make-up brushes regularly. Like many, I break this rule simply because I'm lazy. I use a powder brush, blush brush, eyebrow powder brush and an eyeliner brush (to apply eyeshadow on my lower lash line). Because I only use these four on a daily basis, they get quite dirty!
• Cleanse, tone and moisturise. Again, I break this rule because I'm lazy. I cleanse and exfoliate when I have a shower in the evening, and then apply moisturiser to my eye area in the morning, before I apply my concealer. I really should moisturise more.

Products I'm currently using in my shower

I rarely change my routine, so the following products are products I have been using for a while, and I will probably continue to use them for months to come.

Hair

Aussie Aussome Volume shampoo, Aussie Take the Heat 3 Minute Miracle Deep Treatment and TRESemme Salon Silk shampoo & conditioner.

My hair loves Aussie and TRESemme. Come to think about it, 90% of the hair products I use are by them. I'm probably going to stick to these brands because I don't want to risk trying another brand and it not working for me. Herbal Essences and Head & Shoulders, I'm looking at you!

 I won the Aussie Aussome Volume shampoo. I usually go for moisture ranges, but this is working well.

I want to try the TRESemme Naturals range next, but I won't have to buy any shampoo or conditioner for a while because the 900ml bottles last agesss!

Body

Lush soap (top to bottom: Angel's Delight, Ice Blue and Snow Globe), Wilkinson shower puff and Original Source shower gel in Lime and Lemon & Tea Tree.

I'm showing you some of my unused Lush soap because the chunks in my shower are small and manky, to be quite honest. 

The Wilkinson shower puff was about 40p and it has a sucker on it, which is very useful. 

I love Original Source shower gel. After these, I will be using the Golden Pineapple and Vanilla Milk & Raspberry varieties (Have already gone through a few bottles of Vanilla Milk & Raspberry - It's delicious!)

Face

The Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Cleansing Bar, Lush Ocean Salt (review to come), Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator.

I don't have much of a facial routine. I use these products in the shower and moisturise my face before applying make-up. 

I use The Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Cleansing Bar and Lush Ocean Salt together, and when I want something more gentle, I use the Liz Earle products. The Vitamin E bar and Ocean Salt together is cheaper than one of the Liz Earle products, so I'm more likely to repurchase these (I've repurchased the Vitamin E bar three times because it's highly effective and only £3). 

Before starting my third Vitamin E bar, I was using The Body Shop's Tea Tree Foaming Cleanser, but the scent was so strong, I went back to my trusty soap!

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Nails of the Week

China Glaze Secret Peri-Wink-Le in natural window light, with flash
                  
Price: £4.50-£5, including P&P, from beautyzone2007

I've started painting my nails again! I actually started to paint them last week and wore China Glaze Make Some Noise, but I wasn't ready to start taking photos of my nails because I become obsessive when looking at the them, and I don't like it. I will be repainting my nails in Make Some Noise and blogging about it soon though, because I love the colour and formula. 

Anyway, this is China Glaze Secret Peri-Wink-Le. It's, well, a periwinkle shade! It's in-between a blue and a purple... it's a 'blurple'. The formula is thinner than the other China Glaze polishes I own, taking three coats, four on the odd nail. Although I used a flash in the photo above, the natural light is still the dominant light, so the colour is fairly accurate. I was actually surprised by this because blue-purples are a nightmare to photograph!

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