My Fave | Clinique High Impact Mascara

Today I just wanted to give a little review on this lovely mascara by Clinique that's been sitting in my makeup bag for a while. I actually bought this several weeks ago but hadn't got round to using it until recently, as I was using up another mascara before cracking this one open.
It cost me £16 at the time if I remember rightly - quite pricey but nevertheless a very good mascara. It defiantly lives up to the name of being 'high impact'. It gives such strong and bold lashes and lengthens them quite dramatically. When applied sparsely it can look a little 'spider legs-like' if you get me haha, but when you bulk it up that disappears and the lashes are much thicker.

The only downside I would say to this particular mascara is that it can be a little clumpy. It would be great if the brush was re-designed or the nozzle of the bottle took excess away when removing the brush, that way there'd be no clumps. Despite this though I must say it's by far one of the best mascara's I have ever owned if I am honest. It just seems to really define my lashes and make them dramatic looking.

Overall a really good product, despite the clumping at times, it gives dramatic, volumized looking lashes, that last a long time and are flake free.

What do you think? & If you have tried this product please leave your thoughts in a comment below. 

Even Better Skin: Clinique

After suffering from problematic skin in my early teens I found that after it had cleared up I was left with uneven skin tone and slight Hyper-Pigmentation. Although not permanent,  I wanted a product to improve my skin and speed up the healing process. 

Having seen advertisement for Cliniques products and multiple good reviews I just stopped by my local Clinique counter in Boots and asked for advice.

After going through a short assessment of my skin I was suggested Even Better Dark Spot Corrector, Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Lotion and Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer. 

These products all come for different skin types. I was suggested dry to dry combination.

As you can see I bought the Moisturizer. I chose this product because I thought I could replace my current moisturizer with this rather than using extra products on my face, although everyone is different it may suit others to go with the lotion or corrector instead. The moisturizer also happened to be little cheaper than the other items, priced at £35. 

I was told I would see minor results after 2 weeks and around 4-6 weeks skin tone would be improved. Though continuation of the product would result in further reduction of redness and unevenness. 

The moisturizer is 100% fragrance free and allergy tested; so good for sensitive skin. With SPF 20 it also protects against future dark spots. It has a really  nice creamy texture and when applied it soaks up straight away without any greasy feel left behind because it's oil free.  

After the initial 2 weeks of use I noticed my skin was defiantly much softer and less dull which was good. I was due to go back to Clinique so they could assess my skin so far and see how I was getting on with the product but I didn't bother as I was happy at the time.
After 4 weeks of using the product I noticed the slightest difference to redness, but nothing major. When I had finished the product a few weeks later there didn't seem to be any huge improvement. Maybe I was expecting too much, but after reading so many good reviews I was a little disappointed, however saying that, I do believe that maybe I was suggested the wrong skin type and thus effecting the effectiveness of the product. 

The big positive outcome of this product was the improvement of brightness of skin and the softness. 

For Clinique skin care click here

Have you tried this product? What's your opinion? 

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Ipad Mini Review

I have a tendency to fritter my money away and have nothing to show for it, so after seeing the launch of the Ipad Mini I thought, right I'm going to get one.

I've always wanted a tablet because of the ease of use. They're just so handy to have instead of firing a laptop up all the time to browse the internet or write something up. I mean yes you can use mobiles for that kind of thing these days, but then they're a little on the small side to do these things and catch up on Eastenders or Made In Chelsea! 

So when the Ipad Mini arrived I was adamant on having one. Smaller than the Ipad, bigger than a mobile - ideal for all the things I wanted to do.

For the price of £269 for the 16GB version in my eyes it was a bargain.
It can be taken almost everywhere and is so handy. Since first purchasing I must admit the novelty has worn off slightly since when I first had it but never the less I'd be lost without it.

As you can see from the pictures it's very easy to hold in one hand. It's so light and weighs just a mere 308 g. It's actually 23% thinner than the Ipad too. The screen measures 7.9 inches with a resolution of 1024 x 768. Not widescreen nor HD but because of the size of the screen everything is very crisp and clear, and when watching videos in landscape videos are adjusted to 16:9. Retina display isn't present but is rumoured for the Mini 2.
One thing I love about the look of the Ipad Mini is the fact that the edges aren't thick and chunky and it's mostly screen. Some tablets I previously thought about getting were a let down because of the thick edges. Maybe I'm panickity but that's just a preference of mine.

The ability to do more than one thing at once is great. Easy gestures such as a swipe here of there can allow you to easily switch between apps or functions running behind. Sometimes it's a pain to keep closing windows and apps to look at something else, but with the Ipad Mini it's just a swipe away, then swipe again to go back. Good eih? The speed is also incredible. It runs on an A5 chip which provides smooth and powerful performance. No lagging when watching films ans switching between multiple apps.

As for other features, there's loads of great points such as the high speed WiFi connection, the 1080p recording (which is extremely good) and a 5mp Isight rear camera which takes fantastic snaps. Also it lasts for such a long time, with up to 10 hours of surfing the web over WIFI. I won't go into all the specs but if you're looking to buy an Ipad Mini and want to know more in depth details you can read about all of the specs and more here.

Conclusion:

Great little gadget for anyone wanting to watch videos, surf the net, and easily use social media and apps, also very good for those wanting to do a little more such as college students, and businesses because of the huge variety of apps such as cue cards, presentations, document writing, schedule tracking, and more!

It's very easy and convenient to carry around compared to an Ipad, and the size doesn't compromise the power and the quality of the item. At such a cheap price it's great for everything I mentioned above and more. For anyone not into apple products this one will defiantly change your mind.

Something New

Occasionally I get tired of browsing the usual online fashion stores where sometimes it feels like they all sell the same. When I can't find something unique and different I browse the web for smaller unique brands that often have really lush items that you won't find anywhere else, or most importantly, won't see anyone else wearing!

Here's a list of some newly discovered brands that I just love and I hope you will too:

sergedenimes.com  - Oliver Proudlock's brand; very unique with some fantastic designs
daisyknights.com - Brilliant British jewelry Brand created by Daisy Knights. The Watches are fab!
thecassettecompany.com - Sunglasses with a twist; bamboo!
romwe.com - Lovely online fashion store with a huge range
loveclothing.com - Local established brand to me. Some great retro and indie designs
phixclothing.com - Sister company to loveclothing. Some gorgeous vintage rock fashion you won't find anywhere else

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Hot or Cold? Ice Watch Review

As you may be aware Ice Watches are quite popular now. I first got mine when they were fairly new to the market and I love it. I never used to be a big fan of jewelry and watches in particular but I really am a bit obsessed now. (I have several)

Ice Watch which is a Belgian brand was created in 2006 and it's aimed at the entry level market of watches. Whats different about the brand of watch is that the designs are mostly made from plastic and silicone, and they come in a range of colours.

You might think, meh plastic? But really these watches are quite funky, and they do look good on the wrist. 

As you can see from the picture above I own one of the Sili collection. It's very much like the classic collection but the difference being the bracelet is made from silicone and they are available in 3 different sizes.
I own the small white version and it's really nice. It fits nicely on the wrist, without being too large and heavy, and with it being white it really stands out and goes with almost every outfit. 

For the price (£75) the watch is quite well made. The shape and the glossy finish is very good, and the piggy bank box it comes in is a cool feature. With no scratches or dents to the polished front or the bracelet after several months I think it's pretty good going.

It's nice that the watch has a date function that's easy to change using the pull out crown too, as some of the brands other collections don't have this feature. 

Other specs:
Stainless steel backing
Luminous hour marks and hands
10 ATM water resistant (others available)

Conclusion:

A really fresh looking watch, that's light and not bulky. Available in a range of colours and sizes. It's easy to operate and very reliable. Overall very good value for money!

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