Category Archives: Reviews

New Mascara Comparison and Review

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I have decided to purchase two new mascaras this month. I would always buy Max Factor False Lash Effect, and have done for about seven years or so. It really works for me, but there comes a time when something new catches your eye and you think, I just have to give that a go…

Deciding upon which two new mascara’s I was going to try out was tricky because I have seen some fantastic adverts lately. I wanted to give Max Factor a go because of the loyalty I have to them for the number of years I have purchased their products. So my first choice became their new Voluptuous False Lash Effect Mascara. This latest product sees a new style of brush which is meant to lift your lashes and add a dual application, all in a single stroke. The bristles are supposed to separate lashes while the fins grip them to add more volume.

My second choice comes down to the fact that I use their foundation and other products on an almost daily basis. Rimmel London has recently released the Supercurler Mascara which not only claims to be 24 hour wear, but also builds dramatic curl with a unique brush. The eye-shaped brush of this mascara is a perfect shape for the eye which allows for mistake free application. It has a formula that pushes the lashes up into a curve that is meant to last the whole day.

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So here are my two mascara’s and also a picture of my lashes with no products on them (before I show you my ‘after applying’ them photographs) and both of them are the generic black colour.

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Max Factor Voluptuous False Lash Effect had a brush that certainly had enough product on to coat my lashes; I didn’t need to refill the applicator while I was combing it through my lashes. It was able to get across my lashes well, and then I used the end of the wand to get into the lashes in the corner. The overall look was good although I didn’t feel like it pulled my lashes up as much as the original False Lash Effect had done. As for wear, it has stayed on all day and is only just starting to flake (12 hours).

Rimmel London’s Supercurler Mascara had the unique eye brush which was great to use, it really did fit into my lashes and pull them up gently. The brush coated well and lifted as I did this, getting right into the corners of my eye with ease. It didn’t coat my lashes as well as the Max Factor mascara had done, but the application itself was smooth and clump free due to the brushes design. It was much easier to apply and I found it to keep my lashes curled up all day (approximately 12 hours).

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I have labelled this next photograph so you can see which eye I have used which mascara on. As you look at my eyes the right has Max Factor on my lashes and the left eye has Rimmel London on my lashes. By comparing the two you can see that the Max Factor has coated my lashes better, they are darker and defined in a bolder manner, a tiny amount of clumps. The Rimmel London mascara has curled my lashes up high and achieved a curl throughout and they are also defined with no clumps.

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Overall I like both of these products for different reasons. If I wanted to go for a glamorous look I would use the Supercurler mascara because I believe it gives me a wider and brighter eyed look. However the Max Factor mascara gives me a darker lash and a bolder look, which can look great with a smoky eye shadow, when paired with a dark outfit. Here are my ratings for the main aspects of the products.

Rimmel London Supercurler Mascara
Value for Money 5/5
Effectiveness 5/5
Quality 5/5

Max Factor Voluptuous False Lash Effect Mascara
Value for Money 4/5
Effectiveness 4/5
Quality 5/5

Which mascara should you try? Well that is up to you, I’m just giving my opinion on two of the many great mascara’s available to us here in the UK. We are all different, and we all want different things from our make-up. I will definitely use both of these great products over the next few months, and then I will decide which I prefer to be an everyday item. I hope you have enjoyed seeing this comparison.

National Fragrance Day

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In honour of National Fragrance Day I thought I would show you what my 3 favourite perfumes are and why I love them.

The first is the wonderful and delicate Emporio Armani Diamonds which I normally wear on date night. I did a little research today to find out why it could be that I loved this scent so much. Well it turns out the top notes of this particular perfume are Lychee and Raspberry (I love to eat raspberries). The flower scents include Lily of the Valley, Roses and Freesia. Even though this perfume was launched in 2007 I didn’t add it to my collection until 2012, and it’s still very popular it seems.

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My second go-to scent for days out is the gorgeous Giorgio Armani ‘Acqua di Gioia’. This is a perfume that as soon as I had smelt it I wanted it. Sometimes a scent just suits you, well this is mine. Launched in 2010 I bought this scent that same year after sampling it in a local store. The top notes of this scent include Mint leaves (crushed) as well as Jasmine, and it has an aquatic heart note too.

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And my final perfume that I normally where on a night out is Dolce & Gabbana ‘The One’. I have always adored the original, which came out in 2006. My (now husband) partner had bought it for me, I think for a birthday, and as soon as I opened it I was smitten with the scent. This perfume has top notes that include Bergamot, Lychee and Peach. As well as these it’s heart notes of Madonna lily, exotic fruits, Jasmine and Plum, and base notes of Vanilla and Musk. Over all a very complex perfume compared to my other favourites it seems.

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So it we can see from my favourites that a pattern emerges. I like perfumes that smell of Roses and Lily’s and whose top notes often include Jasmine and Raspberries. It is very interesting when you dissect the items from your routines, and perhaps something to think about when it’s time to try a new perfume.

Happy National Fragrance Day every one.

Review – New In at Dorothy Perkins – Button Detail Striped Dress

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So I decided to pop into one of my local Dorothy Perkins stores over the weekend to have a look at the ‘New In’ stock and to try on some items I had been browsing online. While in the shop one dress in particular really caught my eye. This beautiful striped number has buttons on the neck and chest, and is a lovely thick material. The dress has a collar which gives it a touch of sophistication and the buttons are proper working buttons too.

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This dress was both stylish and comfortable, and could be worn with leggings and boots, or with a nice pair of shoes and bare legs with a jacket. In the pictures below including myself (yes I realise I bought another dress with stripes on because I absolutely love stripes). You’ll see that the dress is a great length. If you’re taller than 5 ft 4″ though the dress will end further up your legs than it does on mine. (For me it was knee length). This is a perfect piece for a Spring transition when you’re not sure how warm or cold it’s going to be. Pair with a black jacket and boots for a perfect ensemble.

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As you can see the dress is not only flattering but the nice detail with the collar and buttons make it a staple item for most women’s wardrobes. I’m fairly certain you could make this piece your own by adding a belt on the waist and perhaps pairing it with some large earrings. You wouldn’t be able to wear many types of necklace with this dress, so you need to think of other ways you can enhance the dress with jewellery. Large bangles on your arms will distract from all of the stripes.

NewInDP I tried to find this piece online so I could put a link up for you all, but it’s not on the website yet! So you’ll have to search for it in a week or so once the site is updated. They had so many nice pieces it was hard for me not to buy the whole store!

My final over all review of this piece is;
5/5 for comfort
5/5 for durability and quality
4/5 for style and appearance
4/5 for value

The Order 1886 Review

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I’ve always been interested in playing games that have great depth and story behind them. The Order 1886 not only has these qualities, but it also combines historical and geographical facts with fictional mythology. This means players get a unique game that has a blended alternative history, to make a thoroughly enjoyable piece of gaming.

For those who are unaware of the games origins I will give a brief synopsis for you. Set in the year 1886 in Victorian London. England, The Order directly refers to the Knights of the order, which is the main character you play. Back in the Victorian era when technology was making leaps, the knights protect London from the half-breed creatures causing havoc in the London Underground. The main character gets to use new age gadgets and weaponry, some of which is fact and some of which has been introduced just to make the game more exciting. So much so, that you cannot help but wonder if these weapons could have been possible, but sadly they didn’t exist outside of this game. The unique style of The Order 1886 represents the look and texture of old reels of film, which adds to the overall effect of the piece, almost like memories…

So what is so good about The Order? In my opinion the voice actors are superb, at times you really are immersed in their era and are experiencing everything they are, the emotion really made the cinematic sections of the game more realistic for me. Also it’s both graphically and atmospherically beautiful throughout.

Over all the game-play itself is quite short, compared to other games which have side missions and extra things to unlock adjacent to the original story-line to complete. I finished the entire game in approximately twelve hours. That included taking my time and replaying sections in order to find all of the collectibles to achieve every PS4 trophy available.

The game is an eighteen rating due to the story-line containing dangerous creatures, as well as the use of weapons and violence throughout. As an adult who enjoys the fiction that games such as this bring, it’s like being emerged into a book where you aren’t sure what you are imagining is reality or not. There are twists in this game that you don’t always see coming, which makes it more fun to play. There is nothing worse than too much predictability.

So my overall review is that its a fantastic game if you’re a liker of science fiction meets historical fact. Although its a fairly short game, the content within it will make you want to play all the levels. And because its quite a challenging game, I’m sure that you have some enjoyable hours completing it.

Rayman Legends Review

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When I purchased this game last summer it was for two reasons. The first was because I wanted to play a relatively easy and laid back game, the second was that it would be a change from my usual games. I usually am found playing my favourites which include Destiny and the Assassins Creed franchise.
After the first 10 levels or so of Rayman Legends I found that I was in for a shock. For a minimum of 7 years age to play the game I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. But it’s actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be and at times can be very challenging. Here are a few examples of what happens during these Rayman escapades. You can be running across the screen being chased by a wall of fire. You need to save the Teensies who are dangling in cages sometimes over lava filled holes or piranha infested waters. I’ve even had to out run dragons who are spitting fireballs at you! And that isn’t the half of it. With daily challenges, time limited levels and creatures to collect, this game has literally kept me going for hours and hours. And I am about 97% through it now!

For those who like a challenge in order to complete to 100% then this is the game for you. Don’t be put off because Rayman is a cartoon, the game play is suitably challenging enough for even a regular gaming adult such as myself.

Any cons of this game I hear you ask? Well in order to complete the game in its entirety you need to put in a lot of hours and effort. For example there are 700 Teensies to collect in the game, and that doesn’t mean you will complete just by getting those. There are Lums, Creatures and Worlds to unlock and conquer. Rayman needs thorough completion of the levels, in order to unlock everything. There is a lot to achieve, whether you play alone or as a family. It’s multiplayer aspect lets you link up to four PlayStation4 controllers to the game, and you each do the same level at the same time. The multiplayer side can be really laughable at times, when characters get taken out for whatever reason they end up in bubbles. So if you fall off a cliff you have to be popped back into the level by any remaining alive characters to continue the participation.

The great thing about all the levels is that even if you don’t finish one of the levels to the 100% required, you can go back and revisit it another time, and even redo the paintings (the levels) as many times as you wish just for fun!

So overall I give the game and it’s game play 5 stars! You don’t have to be a child to enjoy it. It has many hours of play-ability. Rayman is pretty cool the way he glides around using his hair… Here are some screenshots of me playing so you can see what I’m rambling on about! But seriously, I think this game came out on Playstation4 in 2014, and I’ve been playing a little of it most days for 9 months, and I’m only just finishing the final sections now. It would be something to keep the children occupied over the holidays for sure if nothing else. And you never know you might enjoy it too!

Here are some screenshots from me playing the game. Some of you might recall the earlier Rayman games for PC and the like, it is very similar in controls. You can even get little Rayman on the app store now! Regardless of how you play the game, it’s always good fun where Rayman is concerned.

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Review of Horizontal Stripe Blanket Cape from Dorothy Perkins

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When I first saw this style of clothing come into fashion it reminded me of the poncho I had when I was a child… A warm and stylish (at the time) piece of clothing that I would often pull over the top of any manner of outfit. But times have changed. Blanket Capes are now all the rage! And I just had to get one.

So why this one? Well I love Stripes! (See my SS16 post for more stripy buys!)
The style and colour of this particular one from Dorothy Perkins really caught my eye. And once I had my whole DP outfit on I was more than impressed.
Below is a selfie of me wearing my cape with my lace tee and my soft eden jeans from DP’s too.

The quality of this cape is great, due to the nature of the material it will snag though if you aren’t careful with it. And it needs to be washed on a woolen cycle. But other than that I have no other cons about it.

I’m relatively petite and I was worried about the cape drowning me, but because of the half length sleeves this piece flatters the figure rather than hides it.
Over all I think the blanket cape makes a statement and keeps you warm on these relatively still cold Spring days. It’s a staple piece for everybody’s wardrobe, and I think it would be great for the cooler Summer evenings as well. And if stripes stay in fashion you’re looking at a piece that will become a regular wear for 2016.

My Overall Review for this item of clothing is;
5/5 for comfort
4/5 for durability and quality
5/5 for style and appearance
4/5 for value

Dorothy Perkins have lots of these types of clothing now in stock, and if you go to your favourite high street website, type in either ‘cape’ or ‘blanket’ to see what is available.
For anyone who wants to see this item on the Dorothy Perkins page then the link is below.
http://www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/horizontal-stripe-blanket-cape-5183147
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Imperial Candles Reveal and Review

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imperialcandlereviewI have always been amazed at how they manage to wrap jewellery up inside foil and then submerge them in candles such as this one. At the end of last year I decided I just had to try this for myself.
So I burned the beautifully scented candle, and I waited, and waited. It did take a fair few hours before I could see the foil in mine beginning to appear. And even then a few more hours before I was able to pull it lose and see what I had gotten inside.
I was so surprised by how nice the ring was. A lovely green stone and a pretty pattern surrounding it. When I ordered my candle I chose a ring rather than a necklace or earrings, which is great that you get that option. By having so much choice it makes the purchase all the more special.
A present within a present is not a new thing, but the excitement of not knowing what you’re going to get is the best part. Yes I chose to have a ring and the size I wanted for my delicate small fingers, but I didn’t know what style or cut or even what colour it could be. Luckily I absolutely love it!
I would recommend Imperial Candles for one of those unique presents. If you’re looking for something a bit different, and so long as you know what the person likes and dislikes. You choose your candle scent, what piece of jewellery you would like to be inside, and then you patiently wait while they receive and burn said candle, only to find a wonderful extra present part way down.
I purchased one for my mother at the same time I ordered mine, she had a beautiful necklace inside hers, and was over the moon with it.
So if anyone out there sees this and thinks, is all that choosing really worth it? The answer is yes. Because even after you’ve done your reveal, you still have around half of the candle to enjoy. And with loads of scents to choose from as well, Imperial Candles really do give you great ideas.
You can find Imperial Candles at their website and they also have a Facebook page. http://www.imperialcandles.co.uk/

Review of my Purchase from Awesome Wooden Gifts

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Reviewing An Awesome Wooden Gifts Purchase

I love art and craft and participate in it on a regular basis. I also have a total appreciation for those who are very talented in areas that I am not. So when I decided how I wanted my blog posts to look, I wanted to purchase some tiny mushrooms. And thanks to other craft pages on Facebook helping me out, I managed to find this page Awesome Wooden Gifts where Tabitha created exactly what I wanted for my blog.

She was very accommodating to me, and within a few days I had my very own wooden mushroom set. So if anybody else is looking for unique painted gifts made from wood, you can check out her page.

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Here are my little mushrooms, they are really cute, and are going to add pops of colour to my blog posts when I review my items. Look out for them appearing in my photographs when my new posts go up!

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Thanks so much for reading this post today, check out the page on Facebook if you are looking for some awesome wooden gifts.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Fashion Trends We Will See This Season SS16

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Spring is upon us! Bring on the warmer weather and the longer days! There is nothing that I love more than to roll up the jumpers that have gotten me through the winter (I really feel the cold) and pull out my summer dresses. The great thing about SS16 so far, is that for those of us who hold on to fashion items (yes hoard! Okay I hoard clothes!) It’s where we bring out the ‘vintage’ pieces and are suddenly on trend again. Yay for us!

So what is popular right now that you can go down the high street or jump on the internet and find? – especially if you aren’t a hoarder like me! Well I believe there is something for everyone this season. Sometimes you cannot say that about fashion, but this Spring and Summer, regardless of how skinny or how curvy you may be, I think the majority of people can pull off the majority of the looks I’m about to go into more detail about.

Where to begin… For the fashion conscious among us it’s the time where we really start to take notice of what is being paraded up and down the fashion weeks. I was very happy to discover that both Lace and Stripes are in! I do have a soft spot for both of these styles. Another selection of pieces I kept coming across was big on bold colour and prints. Block prints and brighter colours were favoured. Something else that is making a comeback this year is the Tartan and Gingham style print, often used in dresses and skirts, this look is so versatile. I’m sure anyone who has lived through the 1990’s will remember what the fashion was like, dresses and jackets with puffy sleeves and of course the metallic and sequins phase! Well these things are also making a comeback it seems! So not only that, but the late 90’s early 2000’s saw lots of slip dresses become fashionable, along with statement jewellery pieces.

But the most popular look with the models this season seems to be the trend of the ‘cold shoulder’. Whether regarding a top or a dress, there are many ways to adopt this style. It was seen throughout the early fashion weeks and is a look that women of all ages can pull off. Women with sophistication have been using its stylish yet sexy appeal to bare skin for decades.

So what have I been buying I hear you ask? Well here are some snapshots of my most recent purchases, some of which are from the end of last year when these trends were just coming into season. If you can still get these items or something similar, I will be supplying links for you at the end of the post (look out for the numbers as a reference to which item).

Starting with Lace, which is a firm favourite of mine. It can make dresses look sophisticated and make tops classier. I bought this beautiful dress from BooHoo (1). The attention to detail is absolutely stunning, as you can see in my images of both the full dress and the close up of the lace detail. And it looks far better on your body with the shade of your skin underneath than it would ever look on a hanger. Not only that but it was so comfortable to wear you could forget you even had it on. If you want something that shows some elegance without having to bare too much skin then this is the kind of dress for you. BooHoo has some wonderful Lace focused pieces. I chose this one simply because of my size and my height. I was very happy with the quality of the material and it also washed well after I wore it.

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On to Stripes now, and I suppose some of these can also be classed under the block colour trend as well. I have so many striped items in my wardrobes, tops and dresses mostly, but I just love how stripes can make you look. Not only that but you can wear stripes in many ways, with heels and a necklace for a night out, or just throw on a stripy jumper to go down to the supermarket in. For whatever reason you buy something with stripes, just make sure it will flatter your figure. Some people look better with larger stripes and others benefit from thinner and more subtle striped pieces. The photograph I am sharing with you contains some of my pieces from Dorothy Perkins purchased over the past 3 months. Although they are all jumper dresses, the versatility of these and the comfort you get from wearing them, makes it all worthwhile. We all want to look nice and sometimes you need an item that is both easy to wear but can also look good. Dress it up with a nice jacket and heels, or they go perfectly well with leggings or jeans on a dress down day. All of these dresses of mine in the photograph (2) wear and wash well.
I have many stripy dresses in my wardrobe too, and they vary in material. I do prefer a thicker dress, one that I can wear all year around, but that’s mainly because I despise tights!

If you’re thinking about giving stripes a go then there are several places doing some beautiful striped items right now. Those I’ve researched include Pretty Little Thing, Dorothy Perkins, BooHoo, Next and New Look. Check them out and find something you love.

The final look that I am going to talk about I am not actually that familiar with, and that is the Tartan and Gingham style of clothing. I have a check dress (3) which is pretty cool because it has two pockets on the front which is detail that really adds to the piece. Unless prints like this make your eyes go funny, it really makes a statement to wear. In my opinion you need to pair an item such as this with plain accessories so it doesn’t take away from the detail of the article. You want people to see the dress or skirt as a statement piece, that’s why your eyes are drawn to its pattern. You can wear this thin strap style with a t-shirt underneath, or on a warm day just as it is. So at least if this trend stays in through to the Autumn, I can wear this dress knowing I’m still in fashion.

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Thank you for reading my article today. If you are interested in purchasing or looking further at any of the clothes featured in my blog post, then please see the references below for the links.
1. http://www.boohoo.com/restofworld/going-out-dresses/zoe-flock-long-sleeve-bodycon-dress/invt/azz61708
2. http://www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/stripe-cold-shoulder-tunic-5319725
3. http://www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/gingham-check-pinny-dress-5264298

Review of Wake Me Up Foundation products from Rimmel London

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At the end of 2015 I took the plunge and changed my foundation for the first time in two years! I was pleasantly surprised with how light this foundation was on my skin. Rimmel London is a great brand and I have used their Nail Varnishes and Matte Powders for over ten years. The appeal to change to this type of foundation was because of the natural ingredients used within it. The Vitamin C along with the soft texture of the foundation won me over. And I was right to try it.
I have never known a foundation to be so smooth and to stay so flawless on my skin. With all over coverage it blended into my skin tone giving me a natural looking finish. I wore it all day (around 12 hours) and I still looked great after all that time, which included eating, drinking and socialising. The foundation itself during that time felt light and left my skin feeling moisturised. It easily covered the dark circles under my eyes and blended any areas of redness away. I do often have sensitive and dry skin, and I found that the moisturising aspect of this foundation meant that I didn’t need to use much primer before applying it. Over all I would give these foundation products a 5/5.

5/5 for its durability.
5/5 for application ease.
5/5 for the quality of the products.
5/5 for value for money.
5/5 for its appearance and final look.