Origins Skin Samples

Origins is one of my favourite skin care brands. I was first introduced to their products by my mum as she's a   big fan of their moisturisers.

The brand say that their mission is to 'create high-performance natural skincare that is powered by nature and proven by science'. All of their products contain organic ingredients and they are all animal friendly, so they already win my vote.

To be honest Origins products are fairly pricey... And if you are a student like myself you might not be able to afford to buy them regularly.

However, a few weeks ago after wandering around Boots in Meadowhall for a cheap lip pencil I decided to have a nosey at the Origins stand when I was approached by the consultant.. She began telling me about the products in general and asked me my skin type; then offered to give me 3 free samples of any product I wanted to try.

I decided to test out 2 products I had tried before and one new one for dry/combination skin.

First I chose an old favourite called Drink Up. Drink Up is an intensive 10 minute mask which is said to 'quench skin's thirst'. This mask is perfect for anyone suffering with dry skin; especially on the cheeks. It makes your skin lovely and soft as soon as you apply it. The smell of the mask is my favourite thing about it as its a gorgeous apricot scent.

The second product I decided to test again was the GinZing eye cream. I'd used this once or twice before but not properly, so it was nice to have a little pot to try. The GinZing eye cream is designed to brighten the eye area and get rid of bags. This eye cream is perfect for me as I always get dark circles under my eyes. After massaging it gently under the eyes, you can instantly see the difference. I'd definitely recommend this to those looking to get rid of dark circles and puffy eyes.

The last product I decided to test was the Make a Difference Plus+ rejuvenating moisturiser in dry/combination skin. I sometimes suffer with quite dry skin on my cheeks and forehead so this was perfect to try. The moisturiser soaked in to my skin like a dream and kept it lovely and soft. Also, if you have extremely dry skin or oily/combination skin there are also two other versions of Make a Difference Plus+. 

If you want to test some samples from Origins, get down to your nearest counter and ask. It really is that simple. I found the staff there welcoming and wanting the best for my skin. The consultant will give you a sort of brochure about the various sample products you can try. You can take the brochure in repeatedly and get 3 samples each time. 

I'd definitely recommend everyone to give Origins a try. Yes, some of the products are fairly expensive, but they are great value. 

Have you tried Origins before? If so what is your favourite product?

Alice

  x

Back With a Vengeance

Hello everyone. So after promising last time I'd post a lot more often it kind of went to plot and I disappeared again... I'm sorry I've been really neglectful to my blogspot lately. There are no excuses whatsoever. Life has just stopped me from blogging & has kept me busy. University, friends, family, coursework etc all make me forget I have this little blog.

BUUUUUUUUT... Now it's the holidays and I do ACTUALLY have time to blog and time to REMEMBER to blog.

Hopefully in the next few days more posts will be popping up & neglectful blogger Alice will soon be unheard of!

Let me know if there are any suggestions for posts I can do.



Alice
  x

Mac Ruby Woo Lipstick Review

In the past few months I've started to gain an obsession with lipsticks and can't stop purchasing various shades...

A few months ago I purchased my first Mac lipstick (better late than never) after being introduced to them by a friend. I had wanted to buy one for a while but always thought the price was too high. 

HOWEVER my friend Krishna came down to Lincoln to visit me a few months ago and brought an array of make-up with her. After asking her if I could try some of it on (as she has the nicest products) I ended up wearing some of her Ruby Woo lipstick and falling in love with it. So much so that the day after I ordered it off Mac's website!

I'd only ever really worn nude-pink lipstick shades as I was a bit scared of bright ones... I had tried red lipsticks before purchasing Ruby Woo and I bought a good Models Own matte one, but it didn't really suit me as it was too orangey-red and washed me out a bit. 

Ruby Woo is a lovely blue toned red which is perfect for pale skin, but would also probably suit anyone. It's very very matte, and does seem a little hard to apply at first, but when applied it looks amazing; like velvet. 

Before you apply it you do need to prep your lips and make sure they are properly moisturised to prevent the lipstick emphasising dry patches. 

The lipstick has great lasting power, but it's a good idea to take it out with you to re-apply if you're going out for a meal or night out as it can fade slightly.

Here's a swatch of what it looks like on my hand (it's still there now, - 4 hours after I took this photo as well, - excellent lasting power). 

I apologise as there's no picture of what it looks like on my lips as there are no photos. Also I have a hideous cold at the moment so no one wants to see my red flakey face if I took one now (yuck).

Over all Ruby Woo is a brilliant red shade to try out if you're unsure of what suits your skin tone and is a worthy purchase. You can buy it from your local Mac store, Debenhams or online.

Do you have any Mac lipsticks? What are your favourite shades? I have a current wishlist of 5 others already...

Alice
  x

Life in Film

Film cameras are the best things ever. Fact.

Well, that's just my own opinion, but they're pretty cool anyway. The satisfaction of waiting a while then getting film developed is one of the nicest feelings. You have no idea what your pictures look like or sometimes you forget what photos are even on there.

If you're a bit of a photography geek then you'll know exactly what I mean. Even if you aren't a huge photography nerd I'm sure you'll agree that film is better quality than digital. The crispness of the camera and the effect is just amazing.

I don't really use technical and complicated film cameras often. I prefer simple ones which I can carry but can still be used to get good shots. My faithful Konica Z-up 80 e is my personal favourite. It's simple to use, it's quick and easy to change the film, it winds the film back for you and it has lots of settings.

The only set back to film cameras is the cost of getting the film developed... Two rolls of film set me back £15 yesterday at Mac Spielmann; yeeeeeeeesh, a definite strain on the bank account. Although it was definitely worth it!

Looking back on photos I took over the past 3 months was so much fun. Found many gems. Here's some of them.

Christmas in the Peace Gardens - no idea why it was Doctor Who themed...

Birthday burgers at The Harley - This was called 'The Moist Maker 2' and was a burger of chicken breast with 2 hash browns, a Yorkshire pudding, stuffing and gravy on it! Amazing

Tackling 'The Moist Maker' - it was very messy!

Sarah tackling it - she ended up taking it to pieces 

Finally finished!

Old lady me on my birthday night out

Old lady Krishna

Later on in the night - completely gave up on the old lady theme

My housemate made me a belated birthday cake - it's Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time!

Beautiful houses in Lincoln

Filming on Skegness beach at 8am - it was freeeeezing

A busker in Lincoln centre

Apologies for the little weird white & blue circle on each photo. No idea why they all came out like that... 

Have you used film cameras before? Do you prefer them to digital?

Alice
  x

22 Things Before 22

Browsing through other beauty and lifestyle blogs I've come across many a post of goals to achieve before a birthday. Some of them are set out over 2, 3 or even 5 years. I decided that it would be pretty interesting to make my own list and see how many I can achieve. I turn 21 next January, and thought that less than a year might be hard for some of the goals, so 22 it is!

Here are the goals I've set myself. I need to achieve all of them by my 22nd birthday. IT WILL HAPPEN (I think).

1. Spend a weekend in Paris. (This has been something I've wanted to do for years after watching Amelie)
2. Save up £1000.
3. Work toward's getting a First in my degree. (I'll have completed this just after my 21st but still)
4. Buy a DSLR.
5. Figure out the plan of action after university. (Scary scary thoughts)
6. Visit 5 4 3 new places (cities/countys/anywhere) in the UK.
7. Be happy with my body. 
8. Run a marathon.
9. Learn another language or pick up German again.
10. Book and pay for a weekend away for my parents. (They definitely deserve it)
11. Read many many many books. One every two weeks maybe?
12. Get 2 or 3 work placements at various radio stations.
13. Experiment with writing. (Poetry, stories, scripts etc)
14. Get pierced. (even if it's just another ear piercing)
15. Learn how to play the guitar.
16. Have 2/3 alcohol free months.
17. Make a 3 course meal for all my friends.
18. Visit London and not be ill!!!! (the past few times I've been I was fairly unwell haha)
19. Start with photography again.
20. Go abroad with a group of friends (NOT A MAGALUF STYLE HOLIDAY)
21. Get a decent job.
22. Be happy with every decision I make.

So there we go. Hopefully I'll achieve most of these. I'll do my best anyway!

Have you ever made one of these lists before? What would you add to it?

Alice
  x

I WON STUFF

In my long absence I did actually plan one post, and this is it.

Blogging competitions are always fun to get involved with, especially when there are nice items up for grabs.

I've entered a few competitions before, but never won anything... That is until I entered one on the lovely Rebecca's blog.

I loved the idea of her giveaway as you gave you the opportunity to choose two different gifts. One was a Spring/Summer inspired Cath Kidston bag & sunglasses, whilst the other was an Autumn/Winter gift of two pairs of socks, a teapot necklace and leaf bracelet.

The Autumn/Winter gift was definitely the one for me, the gold jewellery from Elsie Belle was gorgeous. I entered with hope but no expectance of winning; so imagine my surprise when I was tweeted by Rebecca!

She sent me the beautiful gift set along with a lovely pen printed card and note inside. I've never won such pretty items before!

So fellow bloggers, if you see a competition ALWAYS enter it; you never know, you might just win something!

Check out Rebecca's blog for her lovely outfits and quirky anecdotes.

Have you ever won a blog competition? If so, what did you win?

Alice

  x

The Long Awaited First Post Back

Okay okay, so the amount of time from the last post to this one is loooooooooooong. A couple of months I think?

First of all I'm really sorry! I've definitely been slacking on the blogspot front. I promise to try and post more often, even if the posts turn out to be just pictures or a short paragraph. I WILL GET BACK ON THE BLOGGING, I WILL.

Anyway... I haven't been blogging for the last couple of months or so mainly due to university. It hasn't been exactly eating up my entire life but it hasn't been a walk in the park either.

Since my last post just after Christmas so much has changed. Well if I write it all down it probably won't seem like a lot has, but I guess it has to me. I've met new people, I've worked a lot, I've completed new projects and done new things. And no matter how much I emphasise it in words I can never say how much I love being in 2nd year. Everything just seems to move so fast when I'm in Lincoln, but I love it. This year already I've been filming on beaches, watching my friend compete in a Take Me Out competition for St Barnabus Hospice and been to a Teletubby house party...

But yeah, aside from my random tangents, here are some good ol' Instagram photos of what's been happening over the last month or so.  BEWARE - MANY PICTURES AHEAD (sadly I couldn't add them all).

            Snowy drive up to uni                    Valentines day Bucks Fizz          Presenting Turbulence with Tom

          Went home for the day                        Fat cat                                         Gave up on Lent...

       Rock, Paper, Scissors in Lincoln        Green tea with Cherry & Cake         My beautiful print from RPS

      Sunshine in my room! Finally.         Spoke too soon. Cold in bed.          Treating myself (PE was for uni)

          Wagamamas with Luke                    Pretty Lincoln sunset                     Chocolate pecan pie & coffee