First Impressions #4 - Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 077 Asia

I'm back to doing my first impressions posts as I really enjoy writing these type of blog posts for you. I have had these products for quite some time now, but just haven't put up a first impression on them, so I have finally got round to doing it for you.

Also, I just wanted to let you know of my new blogging timetable that I am going to try and keep to from now on, but don't hold me to that. There will be new blog posts up every day, apart from Wednesdays and Saturdays. Each day has a particular post that will be up:

Mondays - Get The Look posts (Celebrity inspired outfit posts and how to get similar outfits on the high street)
Tuesdays - Personal posts (Either about myself or a particular topic, such as tips for university, tips for sixth form)
Wednesdays - NO POSTS
Thursdays - (Either a monthly book review, a favourites post or something else I want to blog about)
Fridays - (First impressions on a new product I have recently bought)
Saturdays - NO POSTS
Sundays - (Outfit of the Week)

Each post will be up at 6pm GMT.

Source: Google Images 

Packaging: First of all, the packaging of the product is beautiful. It is a very simple design but doesn't look like a cheap drugstore product. The packaging is very high quality for a lipstick which costs under £5. It has a gorgeous dark purple shade with a silver band halfway down which has the brand name on. At the bottom of the lipstick, it has the name and number of the lipstick with a colour swatch, so it makes it easy to see the shade of each lipstick without having to open it.

Description: There isn't really a description on the product. At the bottom of the lipstick, it says 'Lasting Finish Lipstick'. The finish of the product is very good for a drugstore lipstick. The colour comes off very well and doesn't take long to apply. The colour is very true to the shade at the bottom. 

Consistency: The consistency of the product is very good. The colour comes off very well onto your lips and isn't drying. I wouldn't say the lipstick lasts all day, so you would probably have to keep it in your bag and top it up throughout the day. The lipstick comes off quite glossy and creamy. It is very comfortable to wear on your lips and the colour is very nice. You could apply one coat for a less intense look, like the picture above, or you could apply quite a couple of coats to get a more intense colour. 

Price (reasonable or overpriced): £4.99.  This is an amazing price for this product. Great quality and packaging for a drugstore product. I have already bought another one of these lipsticks and it will be making an appearance on my blog soon.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Definitely, these lipsticks are so good and affordable. Lots of colours are available and the consistency of the lipstick is amazing for under £5. Plus, I love the smell of these lipsticks too.

Would I repurchase it?: Definitely, I want to try and collect all of the colours soon.

Verdict: 5/5

Hope you enjoyed this blog post. Do you like Rimmel Lipsticks? What lipsticks do you love wearing and why?

THE UNI DIARIES / 1: 5 Tips For Writing Your Personal Statement For University

Getting ready for university is a daunting prospect. Suddenly you have to become an adult at the grand old age of 17-18, and it is scary! I understand completely as not too long ago I was in that exact position. Although the last year of your schooling education is terrifying, not only have you got to juggle schoolwork, exams, revision, maybe a part-time job, hobbies, friends and family but now the school adds another pressure of university.

I thought I would put together a little series all about university. Some of the areas I will cover are how to pick a university/course to study, UCAS, personal statements, exams and results. I thought this mini series would be a great way to help some of you who are going through this process at the moment or in a couple of years time.

Source: Tumblr.com

My number one tip that I will probably be repeating constantly throughout this series is don't feel pressurised into going to university!!!! This is super important. If you have decided that you don't want to go, for whatever reason that might be, don't feel that you have to go, even if your friends/family/teachers all tell you that going to university will benefit you in the future or it is the best option at that particular time in your life, don't feel that you have to. I will talk about this subject later on, but for now, just keep that in mind.

So, my first blog post in this 'The Uni Diaries' series will be about personal statements. If you have decided that you are going to university, you need to start applying. Your school and teachers will help you through the process which will probably take place through UCAS. You will be given a user ID (which I think is emailed to you) and a password. From then on, you need to fill out the application.

THE APPLICATION 

The UCAS application is long. I will tell you this now. You may think you will get to do it all in one sitting and then click 'send' and you have applied to university. Answer - WRONG!!! The application will probably take you weeks to fill out. The reason for this is there are multiple things that you (personally) need to fill out.

1. The first part of the application is easy, you simply fill out your personal details. 
2. Next, is more personal details. 
3. Thirdly, is your education (your school, GCSE grades with subjects, AS Level grades with subjects, the subjects you are studying for A Level). 
4. Fourthly, your work (you might have a part-time job, so you need to fill in your employer and their details. If you don't have one, don't fill it in). 
5. Your personal statement (which is basically you writing about yourself and making you sound like the best person ever) 
6. Your references (you will need to get your teachers to write some references about you as well as your tutor).

There might be other parts of the application as well, but I can't remember what they are. 

PERSONAL STATEMENT 

So, let's focus on the personal statement as this is what takes the most amount of time and effort. Your personal statement is what your teachers will be badgering you about until it is finished. I thought I would give you 5 tips for writing your personal statement which helped me. If you follow these you should be fine.

1. Keep within the specific requirements. Don't go over the designated characters or lines as the application will not allow you to save it and you will have to delete either words or sentences, so it is easier for you in the long run to stick to the requirements. Write in Microsoft Word first as you can keep changing and deleting bits and printing out drafts, then when your personal statement is finished, you just have to copy and paste it onto your application. Write 80% about your course and why you want to study it and 20% personal. This is what I was told at my school as the whole point of your application is your course and why you want to study it, and a little bit about yourself.

2. Tell the truth. Don't lie in your personal statement as if you are called to an interview they may question you on aspects of your application, and you don't want to look like an idiot in front of a university bigwig. Don't copy from the Internet or anyone else's personal statement as there is a detector on the application and it can detect plagiarism. If it detects plagiarism, your school is contacted and your application can be discarded.

3. Get multiple people to read your personal statement. Your personal statement will become the bane of your life. You will hate it by the time you have finished with it. Get your friends/family/teachers/ even your neighbour to read over it! Be prepared to do at least three drafts of your personal statement. You need to make sure all grammar, punctuation and sentences flow and are correct.

4. You will have to do multiple drafts of your personal statement, so don't expect to finish it and think that will be it.

5. Don't leave it to the last minute. You have ages to write it but don't take that for granted. Get it done sooner, so it is out of the way and not looming over you. Also, you can get your tutor or teachers to read it before they are swamped by work and reading hundreds of other students personal statements as well. Trust me, your teachers will start to get irritated and annoyed if you leave it until the last minute to get them to read your statement.

But, don't stress about it too much. Your personal statement is not even long, probably about a page. The sooner you get it done, the better and leave yourself plenty of time and you will be fine. I hope these tips helped you in some way and let me know whether you are applying to go to university this year and what you want to study.

Get The Look: Shay Mitchell

After the massive unveil of 'A' during the Pretty Little Liars finale, I thought I would put together a 'Get The Look' for each of the actresses. Each outfit is more focused on the actresses own personal style, as opposed to their characters style. However, if you enjoy these five instalments I will be happy to put together a 'Get The Look' for each Liars personal styling.

My first 'Get The Look' is the beautiful Shay Mitchell aka Emily Fields. I love Shay's style as it is so simple and effortless. She doesn't really use lots of colours in her outfits, but she still manages to look put together.

Outfit 1

The first outfit Shay is wearing is so simple that you can replicate it at home for yourselves, plus all of these pieces should be staples in anyone's wardrobe. Shay is wearing a simple grey cotton jumper with a pair of ripped and distressed low rise jeans. To complete the look. Shay paired the outfit with some brown wedges to make the outfit look more smarter and less casual. She didn't do anything to her hair so it gave the illusion of a just-got-out-of-bed look. 

TALL MOTO Ripped Hayden Jeans - Topshop - £42.00
V Neck Jumper - H&M - £14.99 (Also in Khaki Green, Dark Grey and Beige)
Light Brown Sling Back Wedges - New Look - £22.99 (Also in Black)

Outfit 2

The second outfit has lots more pattern and creates a Boho/festival vibe. Shay is wearing a simple black off-the-shoulder crop top, which has been the craze this spring/summer. To add a vibrant mix of colours, she is wearing a patterned maxi skirt which suits her so well. For accessories, Shay paired the outfit with some of her own Quay sunglasses and a simple gold necklace. For her hair, Shay has some beach waves which makes her look put together and ready for a festival!

Cornia Ethnic Print Maxi Skirt - Boohoo.com - £12
Black Bandage Bardot Neck Crop Top - New Look - £19.99 (Also in White)
MY GIRL Sunglasses by Quay - Topshop - £30
Gold Tone Double Coin Necklace - River Island - £6

Outfit 3

The third outfit Shay is wearing is much more smarter and sophisticated than the previous two. Shay outfit is a white lace top and a suede beige pencil skirt, which makes her look like she is ready to go to the office. For accessories, Shay paired the outfit with some diamond earrings and a chunky bracelet. Shay has some soft curls in her hair and a bold red lipstick to make her look more effortless and chic. 

Tan Suedette Zip Front Skirt - New Look - £12.99 (Also in Black, Grey and Burgundy)
Natasha Organza Lace Shoulder Panel Oversized Shirt - Boohoo.com - £20
Helen Tassel Chain Earrings - Boohoo.com - £5
Facet Bracelet Pack - Topshop - £14

Outfit 4

The final outfit Shay is wearing has got to be my favourite of the four. She looks so chic and sophisticated but she is only wearing three items. Shay wears another pair of ripped distressed low rise jeans with a over sized striped shirt. To make the outfit look more smarter, she paired the outfit with some black heels. I love Shay's hair in this picture, she has simply pinned her hair back but left her fringe and extra pieces of hair out to make it look more boho inspired. 

Anita & Green Blue Stonewashed Ripped Jeans - New Look - £22.99
Double Stripe Tie Front Shirt - Miss Selfridge - WAS £32 NOW £28.80
Black Comfort Platform Court Shoes - New Look - £24.99 (Also in Deep Red)

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know whether you would be interested in seeing the Liars personal styles and also look out for my next 'Get The Look' blog post inspired by 'Pretty Little Liars'.

Monthly Book Review (July): The Duff

This blog post has been long overdue (as per usual), but I have finally got around to writing it up. August has been a very busy month for me as I went away with my friends for a couple of days and then I flew to Turkey for 10 days with my family, which was so much fun and very hot. I have got quite the tan which I am very proud of, especially as the weather in the UK is non-stop rain!

Anyway, I finished my monthly book of the The Duff a while ago now and have even finished two more books, so I am quite behind with these blog posts, but don't worry I will get up to date soon. I really needed to finish The Duff quite quickly as I borrowed it from one of my friends and I wanted to return it to her ASAP. Therefore, I probably finished this book in about two weeks or maybe a little bit less.

Source: http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/the-duff-2015/large_duff.jpg

What is the book about? (Copied from the blurb) - Seventeen-year old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of a man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca The Duff - the designated ugly fat friend - of her crew. But things aren't so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a secret enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly wrong. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realises with absolute horror that she is falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. 

Opinion? - I thought this book was really good. I was recommended this book by a friend and we were discussing the movie together and she explained that the book was nothing like the movie. I have to agree, as the book and movie are completely different. I had seen the film before reading the book and really enjoyed both. It was nice to read something that was different from the film and wasn't an exact replica of the movie. The characters are essentially the same but the plot is completely different, for example, Bianca has a friends-with-benefits scenario with Wesley as opposed to him helping her become less of a Duff. 

Positives?- The book was well-written and easy to read and I grasped the plot pretty quickly. I read this book in less than a week as I just could not put it down, despite knowing exactly what would happen. I liked the fact that the movie and book were different as it told a different side to the story and also dealt with more pressing themes such as alcoholism, divorce and friendships. 

Negatives? - It was a little bit repetitive in places and as I have said before, it was predictable. If you don't like books that are romantic or have predictable endings, then you probably should not read this book, maybe watch the film instead. 

Would I recommend it? - Yes, I think it is a good book overall. I think that if you enjoyed the movie as much as me, then maybe give the book a go to see a different side to the story. 

Would I read it again? - Probably not, as it isn't the sort of book to re-read. I would definitely watch the movie another thousand times though! 

Price? - £5.99

Rating? - 3 and a half/5

Hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know your opinions of The Duff and whether you have seen the movie as well. 

My next book is The Accident Season, so I will see you next month for my review. 

Sorry for being behind of my blog posts. I don't really have an excuse for being late but I will try and get more content out. I will keep doing these blog posts as I enjoy writing them. I have read three more books since reading The Duff so I am ahead of myself but behind in writing these blog posts, so instead of writing the review next month, I will try and get it out sooner. As soon as I am up to date, the posts will go back to a normal monthly basis. 

Monthly Book Review (June): The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

One of my new year's resolutions was to read at least one book per month. So far, I have kept to this plan (probably the only new years' resolution I have ever succeeded in), despite being one book behind. Although I haven't kept you up-to-date on my books, I thought it would be a good idea to start a new series on my blog where I voice my opinion on the book I have read each month. I would love it if you could recommend any books for me to read and also let me know your opinions of the book I have read.

As I have said previously, I am behind on my books and have only just finished reading my book for the month of June. The reason for being behind is due to schoolwork, revision and exams, but now that those horrible things are over with, I have been trying to read my books as much as possible.

I thought I would split up my book reviews into sections, so it is a bit more organised and easier to read.

So, the book I read for the month of June was the The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (a very long title!).

Source: http://sweatpantsandcoffee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/curious-incident-small.jpg 

What is the book about? (Copied from the blurb) - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger's Syndrome. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down. 

Opinion? - I thought this novel was okay. I had heard a lot of talk about this book as it had been made into a stage production recently. Therefore, this made me want to read the book to see what the hype was about and also to find out who killed Wellington (the dog). The book is quite difficult to read, not in the sense that the words or language is hard but as Christopher (the narrator) suffers from Asperger's, the novel is written in long, complex sentences, meaning there are not many pauses or breaks. I thought the book was aimed at children between the ages of 10+ due to the front cover, the diagrams which are used and also the language, but as I got further and further into the book, I was mistaken. I definitely think that this is a much older book as it does have quite a few swear words in the book, which I was quite surprised at given the cover. 

Positives?- The book is well-written and is very authentic. It has a mixture of humour, sadness and mystery. I liked the diagrams which were included throughout the book as it is quite unusual for me to read a book which does have drawings in as this broke up the novel. The pictures also tied in well with the novel. 

Negatives? - The novel is quite hard to read and can get a little bit tedious due to the way it is written, but I guess that it all part of the book. I also thought that the book did get quite slow in the middle but did get a little bit better towards the end. 

Would I recommend it? - Yes, I think it is a good book overall, but not my favourite. I think it is a little bit young for me but overall, it is really well-written and very authentic. 

Would I read it again? - Probably not, but I would like to see it on stage, just to see how they put the production together and if they keep true to the book. 

Price? - £6.99

Rating? - 3 and a half/5

Hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know your opinions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and whether you have seen it on stage. 

My next book is The Duff, so I will see you next month for my review. 

A New Blog?

I'm back...again! Now, I know this may seem confusing, but I have decided to change my blog name. Although I did have some people reading and commenting, which I am so grateful for, I wasn't happy with the name of my blog.

When I started creating content for my blog, I needed to think of an original and enticing name for my blog which I would be happy with. At first, I did like 'Beaute Mode' as it was different, but slowly I began to dislike the name. So, I came up with 'The Life Diaries'.

'The Life Diaries' is all about a mixture of topics that I am interested in and allows me to talk and discuss so many different areas, not only beauty and fashion.

I hope you enjoy this little re-vamp of my blog and continue to enjoy the content I am trying to compile for you. I feel that now I have decided on a solid name for my blog, I can really start to get into creating content I am happy with.

I will probably be making a few more changes in the foreseeable future with regards to my blog, but don't worry, the name won't be going anywhere. I have also changed the format and design of my blog so let me know whether you are liking these changes. There are still a lot more changes that need to be done as the blog isn't working and functioning as I would like it to, but you can see the direction I am trying to take my blog to.

Let me know what you think of my new blog name and whether there are any more changes you think I should make.