So-Eco Brushes*

I am 'that' someone who always reaches for the same brushes every time they do their makeup. Adding new brushes into my routine is silly right? Especially when I know which brush does what and which brush goes in which colour? Well today was the day I tried out some new eyeshadow brushes to see if they could take over my everyday (probably overused) ones.

The two brushes I tried out were both from So-Eco who promote that their brushes are from eco friendly sources as well as being cruelty free - hence the name 'So-Eco'.

The first brush was the Eye Shading Brush* which is perfect for applying a base colour all over the lid and for cutting the crease! The bristles are so very soft that they glide across your eye without scratching or taking away any product. The brush I find, works better with powders than a cream eyeshadow but works very well with concealer. I don't know what it is but whenever I cut my crease with this brush it works perfectly every-time!

The second brush I have been using is the Angled Eyeliner Brush*. I struggle as it is to use a liquid eyeliner with a pen-like tip so I was curious to see how I would do with a liner brush. I sucked. I was terrible at applying liquid eyeliner with the brush because I don't have a steady enough hand. However, as soon as I swapped to a black eyeshadow it looked amazing. The bristles are packed together to create a small line which is angled and positioned in a way that means you can see what you are doing. 

Both brushes also have a precision comfort grip, which I think definitely helped with me being more accurate in where I wanted the brush to go each time. The Eye Shading Brush I have moved into my 'everyday makeup brushes pot' as it is so good at applying the perfect base! As much as I have loved getting to experiment with the Angled Eyeliner brush I am going to save that for going out instead of everyday use for now as I'm still not good at getting it perfect... after all practice does make perfect.

You can purchase So-Eco brushes from many places but the easiest is probably Amazon as they are available on prime!

-Abigail x

In need of Sunglasses? Don't worry, I've got you covered!*

Now that the weather is brightening up I have loved being able to wear sunglasses again! Obviously living in the UK we rarely get a chance to wear sunglasses so as soon as I went away to Florida I knew that I would finally get wear out of them. Below are a couple of shots of my favourite pair that I  have been loving recently teamed up with a cute outfit to give you inspiration!

On the right I am wearing them on my head as a fashion accessory.

On the right I am wearing them to keep out the sun while playing with snapchat filters!

My sunglasses are from a website called GlassesShop.com and they are a website that allows you to buy not only sunglasses but also prescription glasses in many different styles. The glasses are super affordable and are definitely long wearing because I've had mine for over six months now and they are still going strong. The glasses also came in a plastic box to keep them protected which is much better than the material ones you get in shops!

You can find my sunglasses here: https://www.glassesshop.com/eyeglasses/sup0205


I have unfortunately left my glasses with my best friend over in America because I am so forgetful however here is a picture from their website of what they look like up close:

So gorgeous!!

-Abigail x

More Than Just A Bracelet.*

When looking at a piece of jewellery how do you decide whether you are going to buy it or not? Do you decide based on the price? Appearance? Packaging? Slogan? I do all but not all.

What first attracted me towards Sailbrace.co.uk was their slogan 'Anchor yourself to something special' I fell in love with the words and to me it had such a beautiful meaning. The slogan itself had made me want...need one of these bracelets but with such a large range of colours how was I supposed to choose?

I based my decision on the anchor itself as I owned a lot of Gold and Silver Jewellery but not yet Rose Gold. Being a typical blogger I obviously was  drawn into this. I then had the hard decision of the strap/rope however I went with something slightly neutral compared to that of the Rose Gold, so that the anchor was the main feature.

I have been wearing my Sail Brace bracelet for about a week now and I have to say it is the comfiest thing I've ever worn, half the time I forget I'm wearing it! Obviously the bracelet isn't waterproof because the 'strap' would get ruined but because it can easily be tied and re-tyed it is easy to remove for a shower!

The bracelet would be a perfect present for a best-friend or loved one at christmas as it is suggesting to them, that you don't want to lose them and fell like you need to hold them close. Guess my friends already know what they're getting for christmas,

Sail Brace have only recently launched in the UK, so if like me you have completely fallen in love with the whole website then feel free to head over and purchase one yourself. I have a 10% discount code available to you which is 'abigailjessicax' so make sure you go over to sailbrace.co.uk to make sure you get a fabulous saving! If you are interested in the Rose Gold and Grey Bracelet then you better hurry as they are limited addition!

-Abigail x

A brand I've never used before... But Now I love !!

 

The lovely Molly over at W7, sent me a few makeup items to try out. W7 is a brand that I always see when I'm scrolling through Amazon or on social media yet I've never ordered any because I don't like the idea of having to do it all online as I can't go into the shops to swatch and try everything out!  

I was rather intrigued by the idea of a waterproof foundation and had always wanted a product that would last. I wore the foundation on my GCSE results day and lets leave it as a cried multiple times. There wasn't a single streak in my face and not a single bit of the makeup had moved. I was so impressed that it had lasted through my salty tears. The coverage is very high for the foundation and I think this helps in making it waterproof and long-lasting. The colour I wore is Sand-Beige and although it is slightly too pinky for me I just blended it down my neck and managed to get away with it! The packaging is similar to many of my high end foundations being that it has a pump and is a glass bottle. I feel although the bottle being glass helps keep the product looking clean because its easier to wipe away fingerprints of foundation! If you are going to be crying like me, or if you just want a high coverage foundation without the cost then I am definitely recommending the W7 Waterproof foundation as it was incredible.

Obviously to go with a foundation you need a good primer and that is exactly what the W7 Prime magic, camera ready prier does. The consistency of the primer is similar to the photo ready Smashbox primer. It is obviously clear and doesn’t have a slight tint or colour like other primers I have tried previously. I use quite a bit of primer as I’d rather have slightly too much and my pores are protected than not enough. I’m not sure if the primer helps with the foundation but it does definitely hide majority of my pores and makes my skin look photoshopped without the photoshop.

The eyebrow pencil (shade brown) was in a 'style' I'm going to call it that I have never used before. I'm normally a gel kind of girl with powder over the top as I love the finish it gives on your brows. However… When using the W7 product it was so creamy yet dried like a powder I was amazed and couldn’t believe that all this times I had been using a gel with powder over the top when there was a product available that could do both. The nib is in the shape of the bristles on an eyebrow brush if you know what I mean! It is triangular and slanted so that you can get those on fleek brows!

I also tried out the lipstick in the shade Damson. The red colour is my go to shade for going out in the evenings, as it is more glam and bold which is the look I always like to go for. The colour pay of is a lot higher than I first anticipated because it is such an affordable price. The lipstick isn’t as long lasting as a more high end product and it will last for around 3 hours and thats with drinks and food too. The lipstick has a matte finish which means it isn’t shiny or glossy. A lot of matte lipsticks have a rather drying formula but I found this one didn’t and it still moisturised my lips while wearing it. 

The final W7 product that I tried was the ‘Eye want it’ eyeshadow collection. The colours in the palette are all my normal go to options and I really liked the pigmentation. It did take slightly longer to blend the colours out but I didn’t mind because it does give me the option of more of a prominent look if that is what I wanted. My favourite colour had to be the pinky shimmer as it was such a gorgeous colour. It looks lovely either as a lid colour or even as a light dusting on the top of the cheekbones as a highlight. The tin works as really good storage for the colours however I do think it is rather bulky and it sticks out in my draw. You could easily de-pot them and pop them into a z-palette but I am unsure if they are magnetic or not!

I hope you have enjoyed this review of a few W7 products. My favourite has to be the foundation I have fallen in love with it and now wear it everyday!!

-Abigail x

I Designed A Necklace? | DIWAH*

    

        

    

A few months ago I collaborated with a gorgeous brand that allow you to either purchase a piece of jewellery from their website or you can design your own. I did the latter and decided to create an item that I have since fallen in love with.

Over on the DIWAH website I set about playing with all the features and ended up creating 3 different types of necklaces, before I decided on the final, named Smokey Droplets by the lovely designer.

The designing process itself was a lot easier than I anticipated, where you start by choosing your necklace chain (they've just released bracelets too!). I decided on the Collar as longer necklaces look funny on me so I wanted something I knew that I would wear again. Then you get to decide your desired beads, that you like most and there is lots of 'sections' if you like to choose from. I went with  classic as that suits my personality more but if you wanted something more edgy they do black, greens, blues you name it they will have it! The clasp, okay the clasp I choose is absolutely gorgeous. I originally choose it because it was so unique and I'd never seen anything like it before. Yet once it arrived I was so much more in love with the colour. It is called a Bright Rose Gold Spring Hoop, which by appearance reminded me a bit of something to do with a sailor... I'm not quite sure why but it did!

Once having created the design you add it to your cart and pay for it. Then one of the lovely designers (I had Laura, not that you get to decide who does it but just incase you were curious!) Would put together your necklace by hand and craft it just the way you had designed it. Below are some snaps they sent over to me of my necklace being made and oh my goodness why does everything look so photogenic it makes me so happy... back to the real world now.

The necklace arrived in a black sleek box with a pink bow around it as though it was a gift which I thought was such a special touch. The necklace itself was wrapped in many many layers of pink tissue paper to protect it while in the post!

If you want to order your own necklace design or see what else is available then head over to diwah.com and have a look around, play with the jewellery maker!

-Abigail x

WHEN facemasks review!*

I love to do facemasks especially at the end of a long week full of stressing out from everything anything or if I’ve been into London. I have fallen in love with the facemasks by WHEN recently because of how incredibly moisturising they are for your skin. My face goes through stages of being very dry to combination so when I was having a dry moment I used the WHEN ‘The last choice’ mask.

When the mask first came out of the packet it felt like a bit of plastic covered in face cream, it wasn’t until I unwrapped it that I realised it wasn’t! The facemask itself was sandwiched between two different bits of plastic to keep the moisture locked in. After applying the mask I looked like something out of a horror film that had its face peeling off! The mask had to stay on for 30 minutes so I went about re-painting my nails, having a full pamper session. After removing the mask there was still a bit of the moisturising product on my skin and according to the instructions you can just massage this into the face and neck… so I did just that. The product didn’t leave my skin looking oily at all and I was really worried that would happen. It also smelt really good!

I also tried the WHEN ‘Travelmate’ which I used after going into the city for the day. I felt like it did practically the same to my skin as ‘The Last Choice’ but was a lot more moisturising meaning it left me feeling quite a bit oily. It definitely left me feeling a lot more refreshed after being stuck in the city for the day.

Between the two I preferred ‘The Last Choice’ because it wasn’t as moisturising in the fact that I felt really oily afterwards! WHEN facemasks have quickly become one of my top 5 to use when I need a pick me up.

WHEN facemasks can be bought for £7 each from the places below depending on your country:

United Kingdom
Birchbox Uk
Selfridges & Co. (London)
Topshop

France
Birchbox France
Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche (Paris)

Italy
Ovs

Spain
Birchbox Spain

Switzerland
Manor

-Abigail x

Tiger Days And The Secret Cat, Book Review*

 

When I was sent this book to review I got extremely excited by the fact it was a book that features cats.. my all time favourite thing if you follow me on twitter or snapchat.

The book itself is all about a young girl named Tiger Days that travels down to her grans house during the May half-term and stays there. The book follows the adventures she embarks on as she learns how to care for animals and help them when they may have become in danger. During her time at her grans Tiger Days becomes friends with Tom, a young boy that lives near by and also has a love for animals. Between the two of them they use their passion for animals to help those that need it.

At the beginning of the book Tiger Days dedicates her time to tigers and nothing other than tigers, meaning when her grandmother showed her a warthog she hated it. However through out the book Tigers Days bravery allows herself to overcome the hatred and she learns that she loves the animal.

It's not just in this part of the book that we see this attitude from Tiger Days because in other chapters we see how kind and caring she is towards all of the animals which I believe is a valuable life lesson to any younger child.

The book is aimed at young children (5-7) however if you are more in the double digits range don't hang back in reading the book because it was really enjoyable, especially because of the happy ending! Also the pages are all really pretty with little doodles and I thought that really added to the book.

I would give this book a 4/5!

- Abigail x

The Secret To Naturally Whiter Teeth In 14 Days!*

 

I was sat ticking off everything on my checklist to get ready for prom when I got to the last point. ‘Teeth?’ I wasn’t sure what to do because after watching over 100 prom GRWM on You Tube everyone had done something whether it be whitening them or somewhat. I obviously wanted to jump on the band wagon and do something but what exactly I had no idea.

That was until I got to work with OSHUNwhite, which are a company that have a natural method to whitening your smile. The method used to whiten your teeth is called oil pulling which at first sounds so strange yet it is so simple. You literally swish coconut oil around your mouth for 5-15 minutes every day for 14 days, plus you can choose from 4 different flavours (spearmint, peppermint, wild cherry or crushed lime) which made the experience taste a lot nicer.

I choose spearmint because I love anything minty and so I obviously had to go with that as my choice also because I believe everything minty just keeps your breath fresher.

I’m not going to lie when I used my first sachet I gagged slightly and thought it was such a weird texture however it’s grown on me. The texture is a bit like a smoothie because it is quite thick so I can see why it says start with 5 minutes then increase it. I do my sachet each evening then clean my teeth then use mouthwash before moving onto the OSHUNwhite Copper Tongue Cleaner. Now if there is anything slightly stranger than swishing oil around your mouth then it has to be using this contraption. You basically drag the copper along your tongue because the properties in the Copper help to make your tongue free of bacteria.

The way the oil works is by reducing the harmful bacteria from your mouth. Now you’re thinking right that’s good but how does it whiten my teeth. Well with low levels of harmful bacteria it helps to naturally reduce plaque, whitening your teeth and a fresher breath.

I was sceptical that something like this wouldn’t work but it truly did. I would recommend these two products to anyone especially with how cheap they are with £20 for 14 sachets! They are so incredible my teeth look not only one but two maybe three shades whiter than before which was all done naturally!

Let me know in the comments below or on twitter (@_abigailjessica) if you have ever whitened your teeth and if so how!

-Abigail x