May Skincare Finds and Favourites

Before I start this post I just want to put it out there that I'm quite disappointed in myself for not writing on here in nearly a month :o but in my defense I've been super busy with school and exams and May has just flown by without me even realising! Its been way easier for me to post on myweirdandwonderfulworld instagram account than it has for me to right a blog post on here. But anywayyy, during the past month or so I have discovered some products that I'm really enjoying so lets just get on with that!

 

I'm going to talk about these from left to right so to start with we have a product from Superdrug's Deep Action range and it is the Blackhead Clearing Daily Scrub. The first reason why I love this is that it smells amazing, its so fresh! Secondly, it genuinely leaves my face feeling clean, fresh and not all clogged up. I'm too sure on the removing blackhead side of things but for an everyday face scrub I love it as it doesn't leave my skin super dry or super oily which is something I usually find with face washes/scrubs.

Next up there is the Nivea 2 in 1 Cleanser & Toner. I don't really have much to say about this one but it seems to be working really nicely with all the other products I'm using at the moment. I apply it to my face using a cotton pad and it just leaves the skin feeling really refreshed and its also quite moisturising.

The middle product in the picture is something I was quite reluctant to buy because I've tried something similar before and they did absolutely nothing. However, I decided to try these Face Pore Strips by T-ZONE because I'd heard good things about them and they were on offer. I am so glad I did get them now because they really do work. You wet them, apply and then leave them for about 10 minutes. You have to be careful pulling them off because it can hurt a little but once you get them off you can see that they actually pull all of the dirt and muck out of your skin, they're amazing!

The next product is something my cousin recommended me trying. I asked her what moisturiser she uses because I've been struggling to find one that works for annoyingly awkward skin. She told me that she uses a hand lotion on her face and so I went out and got the one she had. It is the Nivea Express Hydration Hand Lotion. They had a few different ones for different skin types but I got the one for normal to dry hands. Out of all the products I would recommend this one the most. Its amazing on my face, hands, arms... everything! It leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated without being oily, I love it so much and will definitely be repurchasing!

The last product I'm going to talk about is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. I just had to try this because I saw a crazy amount of people raving about this stuff... I guess they were right! This cleansing water will remove makeup even after scrubbing your face in the shower (you shouldn't really do that but its true). One of the great things about this product is that its so natural. Therefore you aren't putting any harsh or unnecessary chemicals/ingredients into your skin. I love it a lot and would definitely recommend if you haven't tried it already.

If anyone reading this has any products you think I might like after reading this, please feel free to leave a comment down below and let me know what they are :)

Thanks for reading! :D xx 

4 Products To Stay Away From!

I think I'm going to make this kind of post a regular thing now because nothing annoys me more than when you spend money on a product which turns out to be completely rubbish and useless.

So I'm going tell you about four products that I spent a total of £26.52 on and that I really regret buying.

These products are:

• Simple's Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash
• Simple's Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser 
• Rimmel London's Wonder'Full Mascara Waterproof
• GOSH Velvet Touch Primer & Setting Powder

I decided to buy the Simple's Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash and the Simple's Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser because at that point my skins oil was getting out of control and it was really stressing me out. As it says on the bottle, these products are supposed to balance everything out and control shine. These two products did not do this at all. Within a few days of using them my skin had gone from seriously oily to completely dry. The longer I used them the more my skin was flaking whenever I wore makeup and it was horrible! If you have really oily skin then these products may work for you. But if you have combination skin like I do, I would stay clear of these two products.

Another product I tried to control oil was the GOSH Velvet Touch Primer & Setting Powder. I'd heard amazing things about this powder so I decided to try it out. I had the exact same problem with this as I did with the Simple products. I only had to use this twice and my skin went dry. I was seriously disappointed, especially as it cost me near enough £10.

The last product I would recommend anyone to stay away from is the Rimmel London Wonder'Full Mascara Waterproof. I should be clear in saying that I absolutely adored the original version of this mascara which is in the bronze/goldy tube. When it ran out I went out to buy another one and came across the waterproof version. I decided to pick it up, mainly because I just loved the colour of the tube but I figured its always handy to have a waterproof mascara. But I discovered when I tried it that the formula must be completely different to the original because its nowhere near as good. Not only does it do basically nothing to my lashes but its also a nightmare to take off because of the waterproof formula. If you don't normally like waterproof mascaras, definitely stay away from this one too!

So they are all the products I have been disappointed with recently. I'm certain I'll come across more in the future so I'll be sharing those with you too. I will say that products work differently on different people so don't be completely put off of trying them because they could be great for you!

Thanks for reading!:) xx

April Favourite's!

I know its not actually the end of the month yet but for some reason I've really been looking forward to doing this so I'm just going to go straight in and do it.

Going to start with the most random favourite! A notepad from Sainsbury's and a pack of highlighters from Poundland! I know its weird but I'm one of those people who love stationary... The notebook I love because the paper is really good quality and I love it when they have different sections. It was only £3.50 so way cheaper that most good quality notebooks. And the highlighters are just highlighters to be honest but I love them because there is gorgeous peachy pink/orange coloured one. And of course these were only £1. I included these because for anyone doing a lot of studying at the moment, these are a really good thing to have.

Three films I've loved this month: The Wolf of Wall Street, Brave, and Stepbrothers. It took me ages to watch The Wolf of Wall Street but now that I have I can agree with most people that it is hilarious!
Not a lot to say about Brave other than I've watched it like a million times and it's my favourite Disney Pixar film!
And lastly Step Brothers.. I had seen this a few times ages ago but I don't think I fully appreciated the humour. I watched it again a few weeks ago and I laughed so hard!

I'm so nearly done reading this book. I find it hard to read when I'm so busy with school but I'm nearly there. I absolutely love all of John Green's books, in particular Paper Towns. He writes so beautifully and manages to put humour, romance and heartbreak all in to one.

I got this makeup bag from Primark a few weeks ago for £3 and its absolutely perfect for what I wanted it for. It fits in my handbag and school bag without taking up too much space.

I've done a review on this mascara so I'm not going to say much other than I'm absolutely loving it! It makes lashes look full and amazing and all beautiful.

I mentioned this Makeup Revolution highlighter in one of my very first posts. I said how I wore it with a Sleek blusher. However, over the past few weeks I've started to wear this on its own and it still looks so nice! It has a pink glow to it so you have a little colour on your face without having to use another product. This is in the colour peach lights.

Another thing I've already mentioned. I'm not actually sure what this is called but the bottle says 'Luscious Vanilla Body Spray' and its from Boots. This stuff just smells delicious! Its so summery and light and its just amazing. The only small thing is that I don't think the scent lasts that long on but I don't really care because it was so cheap!

This is just a big claw clip for your hair. I love using these when I'm doing my makeup because they just get all of your hair out of your face. This particular one is from New Look but you can get these pretty much anywhere.

My new Tangle Teezer! There is no doubt in my mind that I will live and die with one of these! I can't use a normal hair brush anymore because it just hurts. But anyway, I got this new one because my old one was getting a little bit too old. I saw this one and I loved the pastel pink and purple and I had to buy it. It's so cute!


My iPod, speaker and headphones. Music is my way of relaxing and being able to block everything annoying out! I've gotten back it to using my beats a lot recently. I'm not going to say they're the best headphones ever but they're just the ones I have. They are the Beats by Dre Solo HD's in pink. My speaker is the Sony SRS-X3 in white and I have the iPod Touch 4th Generation in white.

Songs I've been enjoying this month:

• Keep Your Head Up, by Andy Grammer
• Psycho, by Muse
• Animals, by Maroon 5
• Sugar, by Maroon 5
• FourFiveSeconds, by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney
• Immortals, by Fall Out Boy
• Something I need, by Ben Haenow
• Oblivion, by Bastille

Youtuber's I've been enjoying:

• MissBudgetBeauty
• Tanya Burr (always)

Netflix I've been enjoying:

• Pretty Little Liars is pretty much the only thing I've been watching on Netflix and I've just finished it. It was sooooooo goooooood! Just have to wait for series 6 now :(
• Because I was lost without PLL I had to start something else so now I'm watching the third season of American Horror Story. I watched the first season and loved it but I really couldn't get into the second season. However, so many people raved about season three I decided to start it and it is very very good!

So I think that's everything done!

You probably noticed I haven't been posting everyday and that's because I'm back at school. However, I'm going to try my best to upload every Saturday or Sunday!

Thanks for reading! xx

Instagram

I'm addictied to instagram... It's my favourite form of social media by far! So why not have two accounts? I thought I'd create an account to go along side this blog. For anyone who is interested in checking it out the user is @myweirdandwonderfulworld :)

I will follow back ;)

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara Review

Mascara has never been something that I get excited about because I've never found one that I've completely fallen in love with. I don't think I've ever bought the same mascara twice but I think Maybelline's Lash Sensational may be the first.
I mentioned I got this mascara in my IKEA&Boots&PrimarkStuff post and I thought I'd do a follow up and tell you what I thought of it. (I apologise for the really bad quality photographs.)
                                                                   

           

I am no expert on mascara but I can definitely be sure in saying that this stuff is amazing! The mascara itself is liquidy so when I apply it I do tend to get it a little over my eyelid but it's easily wiped away and that is literally its only fault. This mascara separates, lengthens and volumizes my eyelashes quickly and easily. I also really like the brush. It's made of silicone and I love the slight curve that it has. It makes it really easy to catch all of your lashes while applying it.

Before

After

This after shot is just from applying one coat of mascara and I think it looks great already. But if you kept going and applied two or three coats then your lashes would look absolutely stunning. I really think this mascara would be something you could keep working with and build up to give you a 'false lash effect'.

I am definitely definitely going to be buying this again! It's only £7.99! I honestly don't think you're going to get much better. I really really really would recommend this stuff, especially if you've got nothing to work with lashes like I do.. Just go and buy one... Even if you don't like it, which you will, it's not like you've wasted a load of money on a high end product.

So that's the end of today's blog. If anyone has tried this and knows something else similar that I would like, please let me know! I'm always on the hunt for a new mascara :)

A day out in Brighton

Brighton is a place me and my friends love to go for a day out. The place has a really nice, chilled out atmosphere and we love the (pebble)beach, the pier and the shopping is really good there too. The great thing about it is that its quite a cheap day out (as long as you aren't going shopping). Today the only thing we had to pay for was the train fair and this isn't too much coming from Southampton. It's only about an hour and a halfish journey. (Me and two of my friends also bought four tokens to go on the log floom but obviously you don't have to do that). And we had a load of fun :)

I'm loving the seagull to be honest

Attractive af

They're trying to be 'nonchalant' 

I'm not going to sit here and list everything we did because honestly we didn't do a lot. But I will tell you that Brighton train station is literally only a ten minute walk away from the beach. You come out of the station and you walk down one straight road. If you want to go to the shops its even closer. You walk down the same straight road but about three quarters of the way down you turn right and there you are. There's a shopping center and a high street with all the shops you could want, and restaurants. I would also recommend going to choccywoccydoodah because that place is just awesome. They literally use cake and chocolate to create art... What more could you want?

Anyway, if you haven't been to Brighton, you definitely should! It's such a fun place to go with your friends and it can be really cheap too!

Today has been a super long day and I'm extremely tired so I'm going to abruptly end this here. Thanks for reading :)

Revision Tips and Resources

So I don't know about anybody else sitting exams this year but revision is literally taking over my life. If I'm not doing it, I'm worrying about the fact that I need to. So I thought I'd write a list of things that could help people who are in the same position as I am or who will be in the next couple of years.

• Start early! I can not stress to you how important it is not to leave revision to the last minute. I mean I started a while ago and I'm already regretting not starting earlier than I did.
• Have a structure and be organised. Make a revision timetable and stick to it.
• Put away all distractions. Phones, tv, tablets... They're all temptations. Take yourself away from them and you're going to get way more work done.
• Don't cram. Take regular breaks so that your brain doesn't fry.
• If you're going to listen to music, make sure it doesn't distract you. Create a playlist of songs that will help you concentrate.
• Have snacks! Get sweets or crisps or whatever you love and can easily eat while working. It will really keep you motivated.
• Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated is always really important, especially when you're working hard.
• Getting lots of sleep in the lead up and during the exam period is really important.
• Don't go overboard. Make sure you take time out at the weekends and during the holidays to actually just chill. Relax, do something you really enjoy and hang out with your friends.

Another thing I would say is to make sure you have everything you need to do your revision properly.

This includes revision guides, notebooks, pens, highlighters, a calculator... There also so many online resources that can be really helpful with revision.

For anyone doing a maths GCSE or A-Level I would really recommend checking out a website called HegartyMaths. It's a site full of videos going through anything you could possibly need step by step. It is really really helpful and it even helped me understand some things that my maths teacher couldn't. 

Also, BBC Bitesize it really good for helping go over all the key points of a topic. 

Sooooo that's all the advice I have to offer today. I hope someone somewhere finds something I've said helpful...

I won't be posting tomorrow because funnily enough, I'll be revising. But I will hopefully get one up on Friday as I'm going on a day out with my friends. We wanted to enjoy ourselves before we go back to school and things get really busy sooooo yeah... I'll talk to you then :)

20 Facts about Moi

I failed to post something yesterday because I was revising my bum off for most of the day but today I wanted to do a 20 facts about me. I figured that because I haven't been doing this very long, no one reading this knows anything about me... So here's 20 things you should know!

1. My full name is Hannah Louise Bailey and I was born on the 2nd of March 1999.
2. I am currently in my last year of secondary school and I am studying English, maths and science, obviously, but also history, geography, French and graphics.
3. I have no idea what I want to do as a job when I'm older but some things I've thought about are a paramedic, a history teacher, a forensic scientist or a marine biologist.
4. Chocolate digestives are my all time favourite thing ever.
5. Pizza Hut will always beat Domino's for me.
6. I am so looking forward to leaving school and starting all over again at college.
7. I am so keen to see as much of the world as I can. I am fortunate enough to of seen lots of amazing places already but I still haven't left Europe. The top three places on my list are Africa, in particular Kenya, Canada, and New Zealand.
8. I absolutely adore monkeys! If I could I would so have one as a pet.
9. I really like just being on my own sometimes.
10. I've always regretted not learning to play an instrument when I was younger.
11. My Nan is a GI baby, which I've always found really cool seems though history is the bestest thing ever.
12. I wish I had a specific talent. Like being able to draw, or sing, or be really good at a sport.
13. I think pineapple is the best thing God ever created.
14. I don't believe in a God but yah.
15. I love stars.
16. I will forever and always support Southampton Football Club.
17. Music is my life.
18. The first concert I went to was a One Direction concert *cringes hard*
19. I still think Zayn Malik is hot though, I won't lie.
20. Matt Healy and Alex Turner are just bae. (I really don't like the term bae but I used it as it was extremely appropriate here.)

Photo Prints

Although it's great having digital camera's and smart phones where you can take a picture and see it right away, I really love having the pictures printed so I can actually hold them in my hands. It's really nice to be able to look through them all, make photo albums, and even decorate your bedroom with them. It's been a year since I last got some developed so I decided to get some more. I ended up ordering around 150 photographs of memories I've made in the last 12 months. This included my school trip to Berlin and Krakow and my amazing summer holiday!

I get my photographs printed from mypix.com. This company produces great quality pictures at a really good price. I ended up paying for 200 prepaid prints because it ended up way cheaper then paying for each individual print. I then just had to pay for delivery which was £3.95. Getting the 200 prepaid prints means that I can order 50 more photos whenever I want to. 

These prints were delivered yesterday and I've already added to the photos that I have all over my bedroom walls. I just love having memories right there to look at and it really brightens up the walls.

I would really recommend mypix.com if you are looking to get some photos developed. They do other things too like canvases, posters and photo albums. I did look around the first time I wanted to get some pictures developed and lots of people had said they are one of the best for the money and the quality of printing. So I gave it a go and they were right! I will always go back to them whenever I want photographs printed.

New Theme

So today I discovered that I could make this blog page a little bit less boring. So I've spent a while going through all the different colour's, themes, fonts and backgrounds and I finally settled on what it looks like now. I picked the background because I really love stars. I'm no expert on them or anything but I just find them so beautiful and fascinating. Also I thought it linked to the title of my blog, My Weird and Wonderful World. But I still don't know if it's too much or not. I'll probably keep it for a while but then decide that I hate it and change it again. But yeah, that's why this page looks like it does. :)

COYR

Went to the football today and we won 2 nil against Hull City! :D The first half was a bit boring but the second half was amazing! Ward-Prowse scored a penalty in the 56th minute and Pelle scored in the 81st minute (about bloody time Pelle!) Today put us ahead of Tottenham and Liverpool, into 5th place, hopefully we can stay there.

There's only six games left of the season so I doubt I'll be going to anymore but hopefully I'll get to go more next season. That would be good because I think I'm a lucky charm, every game I've been to Southampton have won, haha!

Not only did Southampton win today but the sun was shining too! Today was the best I've had in a while! :)

Vans

I'm not a massive shoe fan because my feet are literally the bane of my life. I have this thing where my skin is really thin and easy to wear away and so no matter what shoes I wear, I get blisters and its horrible. My feet cause me so much pain. But anyway I recently my favourite pair of shoes broke. Their life came to an end so I decided it was time to get a new pair. And so I ordered a pair of Vans from Schuh. I decided to order them because the Schuh store in Southampton its always swamped with people and its impossible to get served. So I went on the website and ordered them last Saturday and they came on Wednesday. I thought that was a really good delivery time considering it was free and it was a bank holiday weekend. So anyway they came and this is what they look like.

Yes, these shoes do not look very exciting at all but I needed to get plain black ones because the ones that broke were plain black. And I always think its important to have a pair like this because they go with everything. But Vans do so many different colours and designs which are really cool, they even have a pair with cats faces all over them. 

These shoes cost me £45 and I know that sounds like a lot but they are definitely worth the money! The first pair of Vans I had lasted me two, nearly three years before anything happened to them. Even then they only had a tiny hole in them. They are also super comfy and easy to clean as you can just stick them in the washing machine. Normally when you buy a pair of shoes like these from New Look or Primark you can only wear them for a couple of months and wash them once or twice and then they're wrecked and you have to throw them away. These shoes are not like that and so are definitely worth the money. I would highly recommend these if you are looking for a pair of shoes that are going to last! 

IKEA&Boots&PrimarkStuff

So today I went to town (Southampton) and I spent money. I always try not to do this because once I start picking stuff up, I can't stop. I'm trying to save money for my extra long summer this year but so far that isn't really working out. But anyway I went and brought some stuff and I love it all so I thought I'd share what I got.

Firstly I went in to IKEA because I wanted to buy a light bulb for a lamp that my mum got me. She could have gotten me the bulb at the same time as the lamp but noooooo. But anyway I got the bulb and it was £5. I managed to put it in the lamp without electrocuting myself and I think it looks really cool.

So while I was in IKEA I thought I would pick up some other things for my bedroom. I moved house last October and I'm trying to make my room more me so I picked up some things that I saw and liked. I love that my bedroom walls are white because it means I can have all different colour accessories and I can change them all the time without having to redecorate my whole room.

Firstly, I saw this tea light lantern and I had to get one because it's just sooo cute and it was only £2. Plus I love burning candles as I find it really relaxing.
I originally picked up a really pale green one which I also really liked but then later I saw this baby blue one so I changed my mind.
Because I was getting the lantern, I obviously had to get some candles to go in it. It took me a while to decide which scent to get but I eventually decided to go with vanilla because they just smell so delicious! I got a pack of 30 of 95p.

Next I picked up this really quirky hook. If you can't see from the photograph its basically just the back end of a dog. They had them in a number of different colours but I went with orange because a lot of stuff in my room, including my bedding, is orange. You attach these to the walls with a picture frame hook so its nice and easy and they're only a £1 each.

                                                        

The last thing I got what this super cute cushion. I don't know why but at the moment I love having loads of pillows and cushions and teddies on my bed so I thought I'd add to the collection because why not. I love the bright colours on this and it has some orange in it so I thought it'd go really nicely. It was just £3.

After IKEA, I went to John Lewis, Waitrose and New Look but I didn't really get anything in there. The next place I got something was Boots and I got two things.

I wanted to go to Boots because I went in there a few weeks ago and I smelt the strawberry body spray and I loved it! But I couldn't actually buy it because I was going to football and they always confiscate things like that before you go into the grounds. So I went back today to buy it but then I realised they had a vanilla one. I smelt it and oh my god its amazing! Its just so fresh and summery so I decided to get this one. It cost £3.50 for a 150ml bottle. I then picked up the Maybelline Lash Sensational lash multiplying mascara for £7.99. I really wanted to get this because MissBudgetBeauty (Youtuber) said she has been using this a lot recently and loves it apparently. Her recommendations are always good so I thought I'd give it a go, especially as I'm not really enjoying my current mascara.

Lastly I went to Primark because I hadn't been there in ages and I wanted to look and their spring/summer stock.

None of the stuff I got is really summery but oh well. The first thing I picked up was a very light cardigan. I wear cardigans ALL the time but as its getting warmer now my usual burgundy cardigan is getting a bit too much so I really wanted a new one. I picked up one that's super thin and light and just perfect for this time of year. Its super baggy and sloppy which I love in a cardigan and it was £12. The next thing I got was a little make up bag which I thought would be really good for school and my handbag as its thin and won't take up too much space. This was £3. Then I went to the men's section to get some plain t-shirts. When I buy plain t-shirts I like to get men's ones because I just find them comfier and softer. I decided to get one white one and one black one and they are only £2.50 each. So I went to queue up to pay and I was weak and picked up a bag of maoams because they're only £1.

So that was everything I brought today! I probably shouldn't of got so much but money is for spending at the end of the day! Thanks for reading! :)

Procrastination

I'm in year 11.. my last year of school... This unfortunately means that my exams start very very soon. This thought actually terrifies me. My first exam in on the 5th of May and yet, instead of preparing for it, I am sat here writing this rubbish.

I am the queen of procrastination. I am amazingly good at putting off everything important, mainly revision. And instead of doing the important things I sit and worry about it. For example, I sit and worry about all the things that I won't be able to do in life if I don't pass all of my exams...

I told myself that starting this blog would be a good idea because it will help me with my English language GCSE... In my mock exam we had to write in the style of blog and I didn't really know what I was doing so I thought "Hey! Why don't I start my own one and I can get some practice!" So I have... And now its more than likely that I won't have to write in the style of a blog in my real exam because it came up in my mock exam... So in reality this blog is just another form of procrastination for me, its just another way of me getting out of doing any revision which makes me really stupid! I know I'll regret it later if I don't revise yet I'm still not doing anything about it. I don't understand my brain! 

I keep telling myself I don't need to revise because I passed all my mock exams with barely any revision. But that was probably just luck. I'm leading myself into a false sense of security and that really is not a good idea! Whhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....

I'm actually going in to school today for maths revision... It's for four hours so hopefully something good will come of it... Who knows eh? It's better than doing nothing right?

Dry Shampoo Alternative

If you're anything like me then you will know how annoying it is to suffer from greasy hair. It actually stresses me out on a daily basis. I've had greasy hair since I was about 11 and I've tried so many different things to get rid of it and none of them seem to work so I've had to look for ways to cover it up.
When I found Batiste dry shampoo I felt like I'd been sent a gift from God. It meant that I didn't have to wash my hair everyday which is obviously a good thing. It was quick and easy and made my hair look and smell fresh. However the standard size can is about £3.99 depending on where you buy it from. And I know this doesn't sound like much but I had to use a fair amount on my hair to get good results and this meant the can ran out within about two weeks. So I was replacing it every two weeks for quite a while and it added up to quite a lot of money.
Because of this I tried using cheaper alternatives for example the superdrug own brand. This stuff was appalling and a complete waste of money! It just my hair look wet and therefore even more greasy... No matter what I tried it just wasn't working.

But then a friend told me that I should try using Johnson's baby powder. At first I thought that was kinda weird and gross but when you think about it it does have a similar consistency. And so I tried it and I found that it works wonders! It works just as well, if not better than Batiste's dry shampoo. I brought 200g pot for only a little over a pound and its lasting absolutely ages! I've been using this tub for over a year now and its still got loads left inside. All I do is sprinkle it on my hands, tip my head over and rub it into my scalp and its done! So easy!

                                       
I would say the only negative sides are that it makes your hair a little static just after you put it in but this goes after it settles.You do have to work to make sure that you aren't left with white patches all over your head but that's the same with any dry shampoo. But other than that its quick, easy, cheap and it also makes my hair feel thicker than it actually is which I love!
Definitely try this out if you're a sufferer of greasy hair!

I hope this is helpful! :)

Book Review: Eleanor&Park, by Rainbow Rowell.

I am one of those people who will go through stages of reading constantly and then go through stages of not reading at all. And the past couple have months have been like that but the book that got me back into reading was Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. (What an awesome name!)

I will start off with saying that this a love story and honestly this is not normally my first choice of genre because they can often be way too soppy for me. BUT (this is a big but) I really did love this book for so many reasons.

I'll be honest and say that when I started reading this book I found it a bit odd because I'd never read a book that's written from two characters perspectives but also in the third person. It is not something that I was used to but the more I read the more used to it I got. I thought that Rowell was really clever with the way she wrote it as nothing was actually repeated. She just managed to tell the story from two completely different angles which allowed the reader to connect to both of the characters equally.

The book is about the new girl at school, Eleanor, who comes from a broken home and struggles to fit in wherever she goes. And Park, he has been at the school for years but likes to blend into the background and stay unnoticed. When the characters first meet they don't really have much tolerance for each other. They sit together on the bus but they don't talk and they tend to just ignore each other. The beginning of their relationship is very blunt and uninteresting but somehow and some when they become very close. And I love the reason why they become close... Music and comic books. Things like music and comic books can play such a huge part in all teenagers lives and I think that's why this story is so easy to relate to. 

Eleanor and Park inevitably fall in love and they become each other's world. I know this sounds like any other teen romance but it is different. They both, particularly Eleanor, have so many problems they have to deal with. She has to deal with a horrible step-father who hates her and beats her mother. Despite all of this they both start to believe that they will be together forever and that they will have a happy ending. But of course they don't. I won't ruin the ending but the story is left on an almost annoying cliff hanger which keeps you wondering what actually happened to the both of them after the book finishes.

I loved all of the twists in this book, both of the characters, the style of writing, and even though the ending annoyed me a little, it was probably the best ending possible. This book is definitely worth the read if you ever get the chance :) (One review on the inside of the book cover that I would totally agree with was written by @annasingsong (I don't know who this is :/) this book is "Complete and utter perfection")

My everyday makeup

Being a girl, I love my makeup. However, I'm only 16 and still at school so I do not have the money to splash out on high end makeup but I still adore many drugstore alternatives so I thought I'd share with you some of my everyday essentials. I buy most of my makeup from superdrug and most products I buy are under £10.

Firstly I suppose I should show you what I keep everything which is a really cute Zoella Beauty makeup bag which I got from superdrug for just £8.00. I love this bag because its easy to clean and the perfect size.

 (Sorry about the lay out of these photos I'm still not 100% sure how to work this thing)

So this is all the stuff inside my makeup bag! I will start with the face products.

I use two different concealers on my face. One for covering up general blemishes and redness and one for under my eyes. My general concealer is from the Seventeen brand (Boots) and is called Stay Time Concealer. I have it in the colour extra fair (yes, I'm that pale) and you can pick it up from Boots for £4.49. I love this stuff! For the price, I haven't found anything else as good. My under eye concealer is the L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique highlighter pen in the colour light. I get this from superdrug for £8.49. I'm still on my first one but I will definitely be getting another! It's amazing and really brightens up the eye area.

The foundation I am using at the moment is the Max Factor skin luminizer foundation in the colour light ivory (40). I got it from superdrug for £11.99. My foundations are normally cheaper than that but I love this stuff so much that I'm willing to spend a little extra. It has great coverage, lasts all day and gives a really nice glow to your skin.

For powder I use, along with most other people I know, the Rimmel London stay matte pressed powder in the colour transparent. Its only £3.99 from superdrug. I will always stick with this as its cheap and cheerful and does the job.

 I use two other products on my skin and they are a blusher and a highlighter.The blush I use is from Sleek and its in the colour rose gold. I got this from superdrug for £4.49 and I love love love it! It has the most beautiful shimmer in it! (Yes this is the dupe for Nars orgasm blush.) The highlighter I use is from Makeup Revolution and its called vivid baked highlighter in the colour peach lights. You can also get this from superdrug for £3.00. I adore this highlighter as it gives a really beautiful glow to your skin.

Now moving onto eyes. On a day to day basis I will only wear a mascara and maybe a little bit of liner on the waterline as we are not allowed anything too heavy at school.

At the moment I am using two different mascaras, one for top and bottom lashes. I am using Rimmel London's Wonder'Full mascara with argan oil and this one is actually waterproof. I used the original and I loved it and when I saw the waterproof one I thought I'd try it but for some reason I am not enjoying it as much. Maybe the formula is different, I don't know but I picked this up from Tesco for £7.99 (I think). On my bottom lashes I am using the Avon super extend winged out mascara. I don't really know why I ordered this because I never really like Avon mascaras but I did anyway because it was on offer (can't remember how much I paid now). The brush is tiny which is why I really like using it for my bottom lashes but I don't overly enjoy using it on my top lash line.
For everyday eyeliner on the water line I am using an MUA intense colour liner in the colour jet black. I always find that pencil liner never lasts long on my waterline anyway so I never want to spend a lot of money. This pencil is only £1.00 and it comes with a sharpener in the lid so I can't really complain.

Now on to lips. My everyday lipsick is a Rimmel London Kate Moss lipstick in the colour 113 which I think is called beige. And I would say that this is an orange-nude colour. I really like these lipsticks but they can be quite drying if you aren't taking other precautions. You can pick up the Kate Moss lipsticks from superdrug for £5.49.

To make sure my lips stay my lips stay in good condition I use the Maybelline Baby Lips Balm Hydrate which I got from superdrug for £2.99. This stuff is super moisturizing and an essential for the winter time. Lastly, vaseline. I always have a tub of this on the go because its good for everything, especially when your lips are just sore. You can get it from anywhere for really cheap!

And last but definitely not least, brushes!

I apply my foundation wish my hands so my kit only involves three brushes. Firstly the Real Techniques powder brush. I don't really have much to say about this other than that its worth the £10.99 I paid for it! My other Real Techniques brush I have is the setting brush. Its £7.99 from superdrug and its supergood for blending out concealer under the eyes. My last brush is the kabuki brush from Avon. I absolutely love this! I use it to blend out my blush and highlighter and it does the job perfectly! The only downside is that it molts like crazy but I can get passed that. I can't remember how much I paid but it really wasn't much and is definitely worth it.

So that is my whole makeup kit! I'm not sure if this will be helpful :/ but I would recommend all of these products if you are just starting out with makeup as they aren't too expensive and they are easy to work with!

I hope this helps and thanks for reading! :)

Music

So I guess this is my first proper post and so I wanted to make this relevant to everyone... And everyone loves music right? I know I do anyway. It's what wakes me up in the morning and what puts me to sleep at night. It also allows me to block out everything around me when I'm having a bad day... Its a savior!

I know there is a stereotype attached to teenage girls and what music they listen to but I'd like to say I am an anomaly here. Looking through my iTunes library I would say that I have a very varied taste. I'm mainly into alternative/indie/indie rock music but every once in a while a song will come on the radio that I can't help but sing along to (Taylor Swift is one of my guilty pleasures... There are more but that's more than I am willing to admit right now).

So ignoring the fact that I just admitted that to the internet, I can now tell you that my favourite bands are as followed:
Arctic Monkeys (All time favourite band!!!)
Kodaline
Bastille
The Beatles (A result of my Dad)
The 1975
Muse
Catfish and the Bottlemen
OneRepublic
Imagine Dragons
Fall Out Boy
Train
McFly/Busted/McBusted (More of a childhood thing but I'd still happily go and see them live again!)

Favourite Artists:
Ed Sheeran (Will forever love him and seriously need to see him live again)
Sam Smith (The voice of an angel)
Miley Cyrus (Another guilty pleasure...)
Beyonce (If you don't like her there is something wrong)
Rihanna

There are many more but that's all I can think of right now...
So I've told you that Arctic Monkeys are my all time favourite band but I can not stress to you how much I am loving Royal Blood right now! Their music is just perfect! If you have never heard of them then you should know that they are a British rock duo consisting of a bass guitarist and a drummer. They released their first album last summer and they just won the Brit Award for best British group because they are that amazing! (Thank God they beat One Direction!) So if I was going to tell you to listen to one of the groups I have mentioned it would be them because their music just sends chills down my spine (cliche I know but its true, I swear.)

I'm going to end this here because I feel like I'm going on a bit but I hope if you do listen to any of these bands/artists that you love them as much as I do! Thanks for reading! :)

Hey!

Hey! I'm Hannah, just a typical 16 year old girl. I wanted to start a blog about my life really! Makeup, friends, school, music and all things that I enjoy doing. I'm very new to this and I doubt anyone will really read this but if you do I really hope its not too rubbish and that my posts can help you in some kind of way. (As its the Easter holidays and I have two weeks off I will probably be posting every few days if not everyday.) Thanks for stopping by!:D