13 April 2020

Reviewing SGX NYC hair products


Disclaimer: These items were gifted to me but I'm under no obligation to post about them, I'm just genuinely impressed with the products and wanted to share my review with you.

A few weeks ago I was kindly sent two hair products from SGX NYC to try. I recieved their "So Whipped" mousse and the "Happy Place" dry shampoo. As someone who has a very love-hate relationshiop with their hair, I was excited to use something new and I definitely wasn't disappointed..



I have naturally curly hair so anything that can tame the frizz and define my curls is very much appreciated! Firstly lets just appreciate the packaging. It's so pretty and striking. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I did judge this product by its bottle and let me tell you it also smells as good as it looks. The actual mousse itself gets a huge thumbs up from me. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the foam activates - a little goes a long way - and it doesn't leave your hair feeling or looking crispy like some mousse products do.


This is my favourite product of the two and probably my most-used. Coconut is my favourite scent so I knew I was on to a winner with this dry shampoo. It's so lightweight and doesn't leave any visible residue. My hair still feels clean and soft after I've used it which is a huge bonus because the worst thing about hair products is when you can tell that they're in your hair. The scent is also very long lasting, throughout the day whenever I swish my hair I get a waft of tropical goodness.


Overall I'd happily recommend both of these products and I'm so grateful that SGX NYC gifted them to me. If the two that I mentioned don't float your boat, they do the dry shampoo in other scents as well as different products such as texture sprays, finishing sprays, curl creams and styling oil. 

When the products have packaging and names that are this cute, 100% vegan AND affordable, you can't go wrong!

5 April 2020

The ultimate feel-good film guide


I think it's fair to say that during this lockdown, we're all watching a lot more TV/films. I've always viewed film as an escapism and I've made a list of all the ones that I think are upbeat and make me happy. I'm not one for a weepy film and there's enough negativity in the real world without having to see it in a fictional world too. I've tried to choose uplifting films that don't really have any sad moments (i.e the tragic death of a beloved character, I'm looking at you Walt Disney..) Films are a good distraction from what's going on at the moment and I hope these can bring you a couple of hours of entertainment and laughter in the same way that they do for me :)

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1. Mamma Mia!

2. Walking On Sunshine

3. Hairspray

4. Grease

5. High School Musical trilogy

6. Dirty Dancing

7. Mary Poppins (1964)

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1. Shrek 2

2. Flushed Away

3. Moana

4. Sing

5. Chicken Run

6. Toy Story

7. The Incredibles

8. Shark Tale

9. Aladdin

10. Madagascar

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1. Bridesmaids

2. Mrs Doubtfire

3. Cheaper by the Dozen

4. Meet the Fockers

5. Night at the Museum

6. Bad Neighbours

7. Girls Trip

8. Booksmart

9. White Chicks

10. Bruce Almighty

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1. The Princess Diaries

2. A Cinderella Story

3. 10 Things I Hate About You

4. The Lizzie McGuire Movie

5. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

6. Wild Child

7. Legally Blonde

8. 13 Going on 30

9. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

10. Clueless

11. Maid in Manhattan

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Feel free to comment your favourite feel-good films in the comments below :)


Hope everyone is staying safe and staying at home x

3 April 2020

5 key pieces you need in your Spring wardrobe


Spring has sprung and our Instagram feeds are being filled with pastels, nudes, florals and more recently, loungewear (let's be honest, who is actually wearing "proper clothes" during this lockdown??) However, if you're still getting dressed up or if you just fancy a distraction, I've put together five key items of clothing that everyone should have in their spring wardrobes. And the best part is, they're probably things you already have from previous years/seasons..


THE BLAZER


One of the classics. Blazers are such a staple item and I'm a firm believer that everyone should own one. Whether you wear it to a job interview, with joggers and trainers, over a dress or even as a dress. A blazer is so versatile and easy to style up or down.


THE BRODERIE ANGLAISE SHIRT


The prettiest fabric known to mankind. If I could own an item of every type of clothing in this material, I would. It's already nice to look at so you don't need to make much effort when you wear it as it speaks for itself. Also perfect for the summer months too.


THE MIDI DRESS 


Also known as the most versatile item of clothing you can own. In the cold seasons? Wear it with tights, boots and a leather jacket. Summer seasons? Wear it with sandals/trainers and a denim jacket. The only negative is trying to get the right length. This one was almost a maxi on me but I love it anyway!


THE LIGHT DENIM JEANS


Spring means ditch the black jeans and inject some colour into your life! Blue denim is always popular once the season changes and there are so many shades and styles to choose from. It's taken me a while to find the perfect pair but I love that these aren't too light or dark in colour.



THE KHAKI JACKET


Khaki jackets are the perfect transitional piece for when the weather is getting warmer but it's still not warm enough to leave your coat at home. They come back into fashion every year so it's an investment that will definitely pay off. This one was originally from Primark but I got it for a bargain 99p on eBay!

17 January 2020

Testing Primark Beauty products


I've been using Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation for a few weeks - I have a sample size so I only use it for special occasions or when I know I'll be needing a full face of makeup for the whole day. On a daily basis I use a lighter coverage as I prefer a more natural look and my skin is quite dry at the moment so anything matte scares me. However, I love the airbrushed effect that Double Wear gives, and the incredible variety of shades (I was colour matched and it was the perfect shade!) so I thought about adding something with a fuller coverage to my collection. 

At £34 a bottle, the Double Wear foundation is way out of my price range. I also found it too heavy for every day use and therefore couldn't justify spending that much money on it. So I decided to take to the internet and ask for suggestions for dupes of Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation on my Instagram stories. The results varied from L'Oreal Paris Infallalible to Arbonne but the product that came up multiple times was Primark Beauty's Double Coverage Matte Foundation. Obviously, I headed straight to my local Primark to hunt down a bottle of my own..

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I think there were only six shades available and it took me a long time to decide which one would be the best match for me. Not only because some of the testers were missing (The worst part about makeup shopping, it's soo inconvenient) but also because there were quite a few people crowded around the stand who were also trying to grab a bargain and find their shade too. I ended up choosing Ivory which to be honest is a pretty good match. It's slightly more pink/cool toned than I would like but it's not overly noticeable and for £5, I can work with it. 

It has the same scent and consistency as Double Wear but I found the coverage to be slightly lighter. Which isn't an issue for me as I didn't want something too heavy anyway but if you're expecting it to be as full as the Double Wear, you will notice the difference. 

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The second product I tried was their Shimmer Lip Glaze lipgloss which was only £2. A few years ago I bought two of their metallic liquid lipsticks and I was not impressed. The consistency was thin and it smelt strange. Looking back I shouldn't have even attempted to test them because metallic lips are not a look for me but at the time, I definitely got caught up in the trend. 

However, this lipgloss has completely restored my faith in Primark Beauty lip products. I've used it every day since I bought it and it's the perfect colour. Unfortunately the name of the shade was only on the outer packaging so I can't actually tell you what it's called but there were only two options - this one (I think it was called daze or flame?? Don't quote me on that) and a lighter, more peachy colour. It doesn't dry out your lips, it has a sweet scent but it's not too overpowering and it adds just the right amount of shine. I also think it makes my lips look fuller and plumper as well which is a nice bonus! 

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Overall, I've been very impressed with these two new Primark Beauty products that I recently picked up. I've used their lipliners for years but now I've branched out into their face makeup too, I can't wait to try some of their other products!



12 January 2020

The Gentlemen: Film Review


My first cinema trip of 2020 was to see The Gentlemen and, having not even watched the trailer, I had no expectations. The only thing I knew before seeing it was that it was directed by Guy Ritchie and the cast included some incredible actors; Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding and Matthew McConaughey, to name a few. So I hoped it would be pretty good and I was not disappointed. This film is one of the best films I've seen in a long time.

The Gentlemen follows the story of drug lord Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) as he plans to sell his marijuana empire in order to take a step back from his criminal activities and retire. Drama quickly ensues as criminals of the underworld attempt to overthrow Pearson, the "King" of the industry. It's a classic British, gritty crime-gang film so expect guns, henchmen, murder, fighting, drugs and a lot of swearing. The c-bomb is probably dropped at least once in every sentence. Unsurprisingly, its rated 18 although there isn't really any violence or gore, which you would usually expect from this genre of film.

It's fast-paced, there's a lot going on, and you never really know who to be suspicious of until the very end. The characters are really well-written and Hugh Grant's portrayal of Fletcher, a sneaky disloyal underdog that wears sunglasses indoors, is genius. It's probably my new favourite role that he's taken on and he has some of the best lines, along with Coach (Colin Farrell). I thought the script was perfect, aside from the unnecessary overuse of the aforementioned c-word. It was just the right mixture of witty and funny - I lost count of the amount of times I caught myself still laughing about something that had happened in a previous scene. 

The only small criticisms I have are that the storyline is quite disjointed. It jumps around a lot between Hugh Grant's character in the present day recalling what has previously happened, through the use of flashbacks. So if you're the kind of person who can't put their phone away and concentrate on the screen for a couple of hours, you'll probably struggle with this one. It needs your full attention and even though I was completely invested, there were times when I thought "hang on, who's that? Have we seen this guy before?". I also found Hugh Grant's accent quite distracting. It is one of the best comedic elements of the film (I hope that was intentional..) but at the same time it did just sound like he was doing an impersonation of Tom Hardy, which I found difficult to overlook.

Apart from those minor critiques, overall I loved it and would 100% recommend this film. Even if crime isn't your go-to genre, I think most people will enjoy it purely for the humour and eccentricity of the characters and storylines. Plus, Henry Golding as a baddie.

9 January 2020

Golden Globes 2020: Best Dressed

London, UK
It's officially awards season and that means more Best Dressed posts are coming your way..

I choose my fave dresses from various award shows every year (I think this is my fourth time doing a breakdown of the GG's) but in all honesty, I really wasn't overly keen on any of the dresses from this year's ceremony. Quite disappointing overall but there are still opportunities to be wowed by the red carpet in the next few weeks.

I have managed to put together a shortlist of my favourite looks from Monday's ceremony which ranged from simple pieces, bold colours, metallics and surprisingly, a lot of red.


Ana de Armas
Ralph & Russo


Renee Zellweger
Armani Prive


Saoirse Ronan
Celine


Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Cristina Ottaviano

Scarlett Johansson
Vera Wang


Let me know which looks were your favourite :)

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