Blog Update and New Youtube!

Hello all.

You've probably already noticed that there has been a long absence from the blog for some time. If truth be told I haven't really had the enthusiasm nor the motivation to write on my blog over the last few months. However, I do have some exciting news for you! 

I will be sticking (hopefully) to a schedule for my blog as well as uploading to my new Youtube channel, Georgia Next Door on a weekly basis. I'll be posting new videos every Tuesday and Friday (Although I have been slacking on the Youtube sector as well, so apologies to any new subscribers) and I will be uploading blog posts every Wednesday and Sunday for you as well!

Although I do love making Youtube videos I will always have a passion for writing so I will continue to update this blog alongside the videos for my wonderful readers.

So, if you'd like to keep updated with new video uploads and blog posts don't forget to subscribe to my channel and of course, follow my blog either on Blog Lovin' or She Said Beauty.

I'll be posting this Wednesday so keep an eye out!

Love to all,

G 

x

Shimmery Brown Smokey Eye Tutorial

I decided that I'd be a bit different with this blog post and show you a tutorial for a shimmery smokey eye which I created using the MUA Undress Me Too Palette. It's a really wearable look for everyday and pretty easy to create. I hope you enjoy wearing this look! Feel free to send me pictures of this look if you do create it.

 First of all, I make sure I prep my under eye area. The skin under your eyes is quite delicate, hence the occurrence of those dreading dark circles and shopping bag eyes! I use Boot's Vitamin E Gentle Eye Cream which was a recommendation by a blogger friend of mine ItsAmiieeism. I seem to always go back to this eye cream as I find others make my eyes water and nobody wants puffy eyes before applying makeup! I highly recommend this eye cream. I place a few dots under my eyes and pat it in with my ring finger. It hydrates the eye area and makes for a great base for concealer (it can prevent concealer creasing and stops you from getting dry under eyes). 

After the eye cream, I apply a light primer on my eyelids and under eyes to keep the eye shadow and concealer in place. As you can see this is a face primer, not an eye primer but I think eyelid primers are a bit of a rip off to be fair. Most primers will do the same job in keeping your makeup in place all day. This Revlon PhotoReady Face Perfecting Primer is super light and smooth. It feels like velvet when applied and does not transfer like some silicone based primers. It hides pores and fine lines and just makes an amazing base for makeup.  

Then apply the Color Tattoo by Maybelline in 'On and on Bronze' with a flat blending brush. The Colour Tattoos are an amazing base for eyeshadow and are long wearing. Once applied they are hard to budge. On and on Bronze looks amazing on it's own also and would make a great simple smokey eye if you want a quick yet dramatic look. I look how easy these are to apply. I take some of the product on a blending brush and pat the product on before blending it in so that I can build the pigmentation. 

I then take the MUA Undress Me Too Palette. I use the shades Lavish (a matte chocolate brown shade) 

I contour the crease of my eye with Lavish using the Real Technique's Base Shadow Brush. I then apply Fiery/Tranquil over the Colour Tattoo. If you'd like a more defined eye then you can add the colour Obsessed in the outer corner of the eye using a smaller eye brush. I then use the Base Shadow Brush to blend those colours together. This brush is so soft so it's really easy to blend with. 

I then take the Loreal Super Liner Blackbuster to line my eyelids. Keep the liner as close to the lash line as possible so you don't draw attention from the shadow. It will also help to emphasise your lashes. I absolutely love this eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner is very much like marmite. You can end up looking like a panda with most liquid liners, which is why pen liners are so brilliant. This Super Liner Blackbuster is so easy to use and creates similar drama and pigmentation to a gel liner. It also does not dry out easily which is what I dislike most about pen style liners.  

You can then tight line your upper lid using Maybelline Gel Liner. 

I then take the Scandal Eyes Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Bronze  and apply it to the lower lash line. You can smudge the liner with an angled brush for a more smokey look. 

Take the The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara by Maybelline and apply this to the top and bottom lashes. This mascara adds volume and length. I've always adored the Max Factor False Lash Effect mascaras and never seemed to like any others. This mascara is just fantastic though and makes your lashes stand out without looking too clumpy or false. Apply two coats of mascara from the root of the lash and shimmy the wand up the lash (shimmy means to shake the wand if you didn't know). 

I then take Mac's Studio Finish Concealer in NC15 and apply that in a triangular shade under the eye. I applied the concealer using Real Technique's deluxe crease brush. Because of it's domed shape it is great for applying concealer under the eyes and blending the product. I love this Mac concealer as it has a great coverage but does not look to cakey. You can set the concealer with powder to stop it from creasing. It really brightens the under eyes and covers dark circles amazingly. 

So here is the makeup look! As you can see it's super easy to create. I also applied Bourjois's Healthy Mix and Rimmel's Natural Bronzer as well as applying Lavish shadow to my eyebrows. 

I hope you like the makeup and if you have any requests for other makeup looks, comment below with suggestions. 

Lots of Love 

G x

Crazy like me? (Dealing with Depression and Anxiety)

(WARNING: May be a LONG read, so grab a cup of tea)

Now I know I'm not the most known Beauty Blogger. In reality I'm still a bit of a newbie. I started this blog last year as a way to practice my journalism skills and share my love of fashion and beauty. I never thought that I would fall in love with blogging as much I have over the last few months. I don't have a mountain of followers, but I appreciate every single person who takes time out of their days to read my blog and I'm so grateful for the followers who have joined me on this journey into the unknown.

So I decided, with much deliberation, to talk about something not so much beauty or fashion related, but a bit more personal. Since seeing videos by the likes of my favourite Youtubers, Zoella and Graveyardgirl, about this subject, as well as watching a recent documentary by Demi Lovato about her struggles, I decided that maybe it was time I spoke out about my own experiences. Now let's just get this straight, recently there have been a great deal of bloggers who have spoken about this subject. As I said before, I'm not a high profile blogger but I feel this is still something I want to share with you all, in the hopes of not only providing some readers with a sense that they are not alone, but also to help myself gain confidence in talking about this matter. So if you haven't already guessed, I'm on about those two wonderful life restricters, Anxiety and Depression. Now, Anxiety and Depression are two subject matters that have been raised a lot more in the blogging world recently then in previous years. I like to think that this is because people have a greater understanding and more confidence is speaking out about these issues, but some people may jump to the conclusion that it's all a bit of an attention seek.

 Let me just say,that anyone who has ever experienced Anxiety and Depression, either personally or through friends and families experiences, will know that they are not something you would EVER choose to bring on yourself. If someone walked up to me tomorrow and asked to buy mine from me, even take them for free, I'd happily oblige. My anxiety and depression are nothing new to me. In all fairness, I've probably been struggling with these issues from the age of 13 upwards. I can't really pinpoint their exact occurrence, neither do I want to blame any single life event for them rearing their ugly heads. I was bullied very badly in school and was also very ill when I was younger, so maybe they have some underlining link to the problems I have today. But honestly, I feel that a great deal of mental illness is pre-dispositioned. 

I've never really been great with talking about my experiences with mental health. I've always been a 'theres always someone worse' kind of person. However- this in turn has probably lead to the issues getting worse over the years. My first bad experience with my mental health came after my poor health in middle school. I suffered from what would have possibly been diagnosed as OCD for a year. During this time I created particular routines and partook in irrational actions. To name just a few, I couldn't allow my clothes to touch others (covering my clothes in the laundry with towels to 'protect them'), I would do certain actions a number of times to make sure they had been completed and would also do some SERIOUSLY strange things like hold my breath when someone with an illness appeared on television in fear I would catch it through the TV. After a year these feelings began to sufficiently subside, however, the worst of it was not over. The following year and throughout my time at high school I suffered bouts of depression. I go through particular phrases within a single year, previously going up to 5 months without depressive thoughts, but would often find myself suffering from low mood the majority of the year. After my school experiences I felt extremely low. I came to the irrational conclusion that I had no purpose in life. I began to see the world in a completely different light. The world is a big place filled with beautiful and new experiences but for some reason, I had decided that all of that meant nothing. I had suddenly become life's number one enemy. I hated everything about myself and believed that nothing had purpose. It was a horrible stage and the first of my dark periods. 

In my last years in high school, my depression was a lot less common. I started new friendships, found interest in new subjects and really started to come out of my shell. However, this was probably around the time my anxiety began to form. Throughout my last year of high school and my first year of sixth form I began to struggle with school. Maintaining friendships, keeping up with revision/work and getting into school all together became a task. I'd always been a bit of a worrier and throughout my time at school had experienced a few anxiety attacks, but they became more severe during my later years. Panic attacks were a lot more consistent and severe. The worst thing about Anxiety is it comes hand in hand with Depression. The exhaustion of chronic worry and panic can leave you feelings tried and run down. My anxiety/depression is at it's worst during stressful periods of my life (probably the reason why they got worse during exam years). I also find my self esteem can make my anxiety worse. I have very low self esteem and feel that if I do not look my best I can't leave my house. I'm very insecure about a number of my features which I think just makes it hard for me to feel confident going into stressful or intimidating situations, such as modelling at college. 

Anxiety makes it extremely hard to relax (making it hard to switch off during TV shows, reading books etc). I don't have social anxiety as such but often find my anxiety getting in the way of me doing a great deal of things. Last year, due to my anxiety attacks and depression, I had to give up drinking! Alcohol is in fact a heightener for anxiety so if you believe you have anxiety and feel that your drinking habits link to this, try and cut your intake down. Alcohol should NOT, I repeat, NOT be used for self-medicating. It might num your mind and prevent you from challenging your issues for an hour or so, but it can have a massive 'come down', leaving you lower then before hand. My anxiety manifests it's self in many ways. Larger worries, such as failure in life and death, are often the most frequent, especially recently after loosing my Great-Aunty Bet and moving to University in September. I can also have irrational worries , especially in the evenings. This build's up in an single evening and causes anxiety/panic attacks. 

These are just a few symptoms of my personal anxiety attacks which I hope can help you to recognise some of your own behaviours: 

-Irregular or racing heart beat (My first, massive anxiety/panic attack was during sixth form. I had chest pains for two days before a nurse told me to go straight to hospital, believing it to be a potential heart attack. Although the doctor did not directly diagnose it as an anxiety attack, the chest pains completely cofuzzled nurses/doctors so me and mum came to the assumption it was an anxiety attack)

-Trouble breathing (I will almost always have trouble breathing during a attack.)

-Agitation (During an attack, my brother will try to speak to me about something and I'll be VERY snappy with him. This is because I am trying to concentrate on bringing my anxiety down and ending my panic attack)

-Nausea (During an attack I'll feel extremely nauseous, which in turn will cause me to gag. I sometimes get this during morning attacks and evening attacks when they are at their worst)

-Sense of heightened fear or impending doom (During a panic attack after a family friend's party, I was extremely frightened about the idea of death after hearing a friend speak about a recent death)

-Cold/Hot Chills (I'll often get cold/hot chills during an attack. Goosebumps will appear on my skin and chills will run throughout my body)

-Panic/Distress 

-Trembling/Shaking (I will almost always have bouts of trembling and shaking during and after an attack. My legs and arms will shake uncontrollable like I've been standing out in the cold for hours)

-Sweating (Sometimes) 

-Vomiting 

-Pins and Needles 

-Blocked ears (Weird I know but recently I have been suffering from blocked ears. I will hear buzzing or muffled sounds during an attack)

If you have any of these symptoms or the ones listed on the Anxiety Centre website, you most likely suffer from anxiety:

 http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-attack-symptoms.shtml 

My anxiety attacks are heightened during the evenings and mid morning but can also strike during college hours (which is a pain in the balls as they are harder to hide in a more open, less comfortable space). I recently had an anxiety attack during a presentation day at college. It meant my performance was not at it's greatest potential and I felt emotionally exhausted for the rest of the day. My anxiety has never affected my everyday life until recently. The impending university move and coursework woes have probably heightened it. I have missed quite a few days of college due to the way I feel on certain days (A massive shame as I had 100 per cent attendance last year). 

I can wake up feeling really positive but 10 minutes before college can suddenly feel like stepping out of my house is the worst thing I could do. I feel like my house is safe. I like to be around my family and make sure we are all safe and sound. This has also prevented me from having the social life I would like. I often turn down outings with friends last minute and avoid nights out at all costs as I once had an anxiety attack during a night out! Sleep is also a thing of the past. Most nights I find it hard to get to sleep and often wake up feeling and looking exhausted.

I do feel like my anxiety has really started to have a big impact on my life. I have, however, began to get help for this issue in particular. I take a herbal medication called St. John's Wort for my anxiety which doctors have said is safer and better in the long term then stronger anti-depressants/tranquillisers for this specific issue. I have also started to take multi-vitamins. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is also something I hope to look into before September. 

If you have any suggestions for dealing with anxiety then please let me know! I'd also love to help any of you who want to know more about my own experiences and how I deal with it!

Breathing exercises are also a good way to prevent panic attacks short term. Inhale for four seconds, from the diaphragm, before exhaling for four. Remember to do this very slowly or you may panic yourself further. It is important to keep calm and realise this attack will not harm you. 

When it comes to depression, it can be a great deal harder to deal with. Because I felt I couldn't speak to people about the experiences I had I sometimes turned to the worst possible ways of dealing with my depression. I'm not proud of it but I have been through self-harm. I'm not going to go to much into this unless I feel you guys want to know more. Depression can be beaten by surrounding yourself with positive people, exciting ventures and a healthy lifestyle. 

Just remember, mental illness should not define you, it should shape you into getting better in the future and finding happiness.  

I honestly hope you have got something from this post and it hasn't bored you to death! If any of you are going through similar situations I hope you can find a way of coping or just relief in the fact you are not alone. If you fancy talking about this post, don't hesitate to share your own experiences through the comments or tweet me @thatgeorgiacoan. 

I hesitated so much on posting this, terrified people would read into this in the wrong way, but I feel this has helped me a great deal. Sharing my own experience and story means I don't have to feel like I'm hiding a monster under my bed. I don't want my mental health to be like a skeleton in the closet. Thank you once again for taking the time out of your day to read my blog. It's really helped me these past few months when things were quite dark and negative. 

Love to you all, 

Georgia 

MUA Undress Me Too Eye Palette (UD Naked Dupe?)

Like the majority of the Beauty Blogger world, I have been lusting after the Urban Naked Naked Palette since the moment my eyes meet it's beauty whilst blog browsing last year. The only thing that has prevented me adding it to my collection is it's hefty price tag. At 30 pound it's not the cheapest of eye shadow palettes and not everyone has the money to fork out on such a product. 

But hold your horses! Before you run off into a corner to cry about the lack of Naked Palette in your life, why not try a budget alternative? 

Meet MUA's Undress Me Too Palette. Now MUA has never been one of my favourite makeup brands. I can hear you all screaming 'WHAT KIND OF BEAUTY BLOGGER IS THIS WOMAN!?'. MUA has been a much raved about budget makeup brand since the beauty bloggin' world was created, but I've never personally seen the hype. Do not get me wrong, I've never been a snob when it comes to makeup and I love a bargain just as much as the next folk but my love for MUA has never been ignited (possibly because of my CRAZY dislike of their lip products). 

That is until I acquired this gorgeous palette. The only products I've really liked from MUA were their shadows and this set is no exception. When I was given this palette in a recent beauty swap I couldn't wait to give it a try. I'd heard some rave reviews about it and had sadly not been able to get hold of it in my local Superdrug (*sobs*) so was more then ecstatic about it's arrival through the post. The first thing I really noticed about this palette was just how versatile it was. As I'm either at college or work most days of the week, I like to keep my day look's simple and demure. The neutral shades in the Undress Me Too are just so wearable for everyday and allow you to create the most simple of looks. 

The shades within the palette include Naked (a light nude/yellow toned colour which is great for highlighting), Devotion (cooper golden brown), Shy (pearlescent nude/creme), Fiery (shimmery dark bronze), Lavish (light toned brown), Dreamy (dark, shimmery brown), Tranquil (shimmery, light brown), Exposed (grey hued shimmer), Reveal (pearlescent taupe), Wink (shimmery Mocha), Obsessed (dark expresso shade) and Corrupt (black matte). As I have quite dark brown eyes, brown shades are a massive love for me. I love the way that these shades can be used to create a more smoky, shaded look or even a matte shadow with a defined crease (was it just me that laughed at that last part?). 

The fall out for this product isn't the worst I've ever experience was it not great. I use my FCUK shadow brush and a blender brush, pressing the shadow into the lid rather then swiping. I still, however, feel that I am left with slight fall out from the darker colours within the palette, which is one of the most annoying things about a shadow due to the fact it often leaves you having to re-do your concealer/foundation. The staying power of this shadows are acceptable. I find that the lighter shades literally have the staying power of a buttered fly especially Shy which creases within the first few minutes of application. The darker shades however, particularly Obsessed, Dreamy and Wink have long wear. I find they do not crease throughout the day and would probably have even more staying power when applied after eye shadow primer. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the pigmentation of the matte shades within this palette. Lavish and Naked have little pigmentation and are not as true to their shade as I would have liked. However, the more shimmery shades such as Devotion, Fiery and Tranquil apply really nicely and are great for creating a more defined brown eye.  

I did swatch the shades for you below but it isn't the best lighting in the world. As you can see, these shades are really simple and understated which really help to create that 'barely there' makeup look. Overall, I really enjoy this palette. It helps me to create an everyday look perfect for spring. I have yet to try the Naked Palette so I can not say exactly if this is a great dupe for Naked, however, for 4 pound, this set of shadows are a great price for such a good product. Their shades are VERY similar to those found in the UD Naked Palette, Shy being a great dupe for Virgin and Tranquil a dupe for Dark Horse. The palette itself is also a lot more versatile and functional. It's small and secure enough to pop into your handbag on the go and fit's into my dressing table snug as a bug alongside larger palette neighbours. I still would LOVE to get my hands on Urban Decay's Naked but feel that MUA's Undress Me Too is a great substitute for those who want a bargain and can't defend spending 30 pound. It's a great price for a great product that I feel a great deal of you will LOVE. You won't be disappointed with this perfectly neutral palette. 

Let me know if you have tried this MUA product yet and how you compared it to the UD Naked if you have tried both! I'd love to hear your views. 

Georgia 

oxo

All That Jazz Beauty: Blogger Beauty Swap

One of the first beauty blog posts I had ever read was about a beauty swap. Ever since that memorable day I've been obsessed with the idea of swapping beauty products with another bblogger! However, there was always a nagging doubt in my mind. Sometimes beauty swaps sound too good to be true and I can't even remember the countless amount of times I've stumbled upon a horror story in which some poor soul has spend 30 odd pound on makeup and in turn received a used lipstick alongside a pair of nail clippers. It's always a risk you take. 

But recently, I stumbled upon a beauty blogger who goes by the name of All That Jazz Beauty! (If you haven't read her brilliant blog or watched her YT videos, I'll put a link below). I was already familiar with Jazz after watching the two documentaries she made for the BBC back last year so was interested in finding out what she had to say about all things beauty. She's not only got a great blog where she posts some super interesting reviews but her Youtube channel (which goes by the same username may I add) just had the best content, including some amazing tutorials and addictive hauls. As Jazz was pretty new to this whole beauty blogger just like myself, I decided to contact her in the hopes of potentially doing some blog calibrations in the future or a beauty swap if she was interesting (which must have been pretty daunting as I wasn't a known blogger). But Jazz got in contact and said she'd love to give it a go!

So we decided that the following week we would send each other a box of goodies. We had a maximum 15 pound spend but did not specific beauty products as we wanted to try a range of new products. So below are the items that Jazz sent me a two weeks back (yes, I am VERY late on this post aha) and I LOVE THEM. A few of the products Jazz sent me were items that I had wanted to buy myself but had either been sold out or had not been available to me so I was SO excited to try out the products.

Boot's 17 Blusher in 'Nude'

I absolutely love this blush Jazz sent me. It's a rich, rose pink toned blush in the shade 'Nude'. I've always been a massive fan of 17 products from Boots and have heard great things about their blushes. When I tried this blush out I was amazed at the pigmentation. I have been using a basic blush by Rimmel for years and was never really in to trying new blushes. However, this blush has completely changed my mind about trying new products! A change is always good and I've been loving using this blush for that everyday glow.

MUA Fur-Effect Nails in 'Fluff & Cuddles'

This is literally the coolest stuff ever! Although not completely practical for everyday use, Fur Effect nails looks so cute and is super fun to apply. You literally just have to put a base coat on and dip your nails in this baby and you'll have fluffy nails!? Yes, I did say fluffy!! Like a teddy bear!? Who thought nails could be so cute. I will say that this stuff is REALLY messy if you don't apply it correctly but it's so worth it to see the novelty of furry nails. The one Jazz sent me is in the shade 'Fluff and Cuddles', a oh so cute bubblegum pink. 

MUA Lipstick in 'Juicy'

I have tried MUA lipsticks before but I must say this has to be my favourite shade. The one Jazz sent me is in 'Juicy', a light coral pink shade which is in for the spring. I really like this lipstick alongside a brown smokey eye. It's subtle yet adds a pop of colour to any simple makeup look. Previously I have found MUA lipsticks aren't always true to their shade but when applied the shade is truly justified. This will more then likely be my staple lipstick for the warmer months.

Rimmel Soft Kohl in 'Jet Black'

I wonder if Jazz can read minds. I had written out my beauty shopping list for the week previous stating I needed a black eyeliner and Rimmel is one of my favourite drugstore brands. Their eyeliners are super soft and pigmented. A black eyeliner is a staple piece and is great for most makeup looks including the smokey eye. I love the fact this eyeliner is so easy to blend and isn't harsh. I've been turning to pencil eyeliners more recently as I often don't have the time nor the patience for liquid/gel liner so this Soft Kohl will be great for those lazy mornings were my eyes need a bit of definition.   

Boots 17 Eyeshadow in 'Funfair'

I have honestly fallen head over hills in love with this eyeshadow. This 17 shadow in the shade 'Funfair' is just the most gorgeous shade I have ever seen. It's almost a rose gold with this gorgeous shimmer which changes shade in different lighting. I've been wearing this with my Maybelline 24 Hour Tattoo creme shadow in On & On Bronze. It look's like such a statement with it's metallic hues but is so simple and quick. I really love this shadows pigmentation and would love to try some more from 17.

I have had so much fun doing this beauty swap. Not only have I received some amazing products and had great fun picking out products for Jazz, I have also made a new Beauty Blogger friend who I hope to do swaps with again in the future. If you have not yet done a beauty swap, I'd defiantly recommend it. The excitement when you receive your parcel, wondering what new products you'll get to try is so much fun. I'd love to try this again in the future and once again a MASSIVE thanks to Jazz from All That Jazz Beauty for sending such wonderful products. 

Check her blog out here: http://www.allthatjazzbeautyblog.blogspot.co.uk/

If any of you beautiful followers are interested in doing a beauty swap, you can contact me on Twitter: @thatgeorgiacoan. Leave me your blog and I'll be sure to check it out!!

Georgia

oxo

Max Factor's Clump Defy by False Lash Effect Mascara Review

I just wanted to say a massive sorry to you guys for leaving it SO bloody long to write a post! I've been super busy with college recently and have been having a really shit time in the last few weeks. I'll tell you guys more about that at a later time, for now though, let's talk makeup!!! 

Now mascaras are always one of those beauty products that are hard to get right.  I'm pretty sure many of you will agree with me when I say that the epic perfect mascara search has been the bane of my life. Years have been spent trying to find that mascara with the ideal formula. But it isn't very often you find a mascara that has everything going for it. It seems there is always something that has to let it down. However, I believe I may have found that PERFECT mascara that all of us have been dreaming off. So without further a due, please welcome, MAX FACTOR'S CLUMP DEFY!

Now you are all probably thinking, 'wow Georgia, bit late on that band wagon' but it isn't the first time I've tried a Max Factor mascara. Three years ago I was introduced to the beautiful predecessor that is the 'False Lash Effect' mascara by Max Factor when I 'borrowed' it from my Mum. I honestly feel in love from the moment I swiped that baby across my naked lashes. The formula was just fabulous. Not too thick yet thick enough to create amazing volume and length whilst keeping the dreaded 'spider leg' lashes at bay. However, the False Lash Effect, which has been a staple of my makeup bag for many year, was recently replaced by it's younger and fresher sister. Now what I love about the Clump Defy first and for most is it's ability to really create luscious lashes with only one coat. That's right my lovers, A SINGLE COAT! 

It's one of the things I hate most about the previous mascaras I've tried. 

Now don't get me wrong, a second coat of mascara never did anyone any harm and I often put on a few coats before a night out to create that extra va va voom. But with many mascaras I have tried in previous years, the second coat can often leave you with clumpy lashes *sob*. That's also the great thing about this mascara! During the day, one coat creates enough volume and length to really open the eyes and create a natural yet wide awake look. As evening sets upon you, a second coat can be added and you have enough volume for a night on the town without the hassle of using a pair of falsies. This mascara is so versatile. I love the fact it works well with so many different makeup looks. I also really love the wand that comes with the Clump Defy. While the False Lash Effect's brush was rather dense and hard, the Clump Defy uses a more sparse spoon shaped applicator, which catches all your lashes with the first sweep. The formula is also a lot less thick, which means that less of the mascara's wand picks up less product. I find this means that not only less product is wasted, but it also prevents the formula was gunking up (if that is a word) the wand. This also prevents clumpy lashes which I found was a problem with the previous False Lash Effect as the wand would often clog up with extra product. 

Overall I just love this product. I've always been a massive fan of Max Factor and trusted their high quality products. This product is defiantly a staple mascara for any makeup bag. It's one of these products that would be hard to fall out of love with and I just feel like Max Factor have really pulled it out of the bag with this one! It's defiantly my favourite mascara of all time!

£10.99

http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-Clump-Defy-Volumising-Mascara_1294933/

SO have you tried this product yet? Let me know what you thought in the comments below! 

Georgia 

oxo

My BAD Bio-Oil Experience.

Bio-Oil is one of those beauty products that seems to be continuously present as time goes by. It's been called 'the magic oil' by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Rochelle Humes for it's ability to banish wrinkles and stretch marks. I was looking for an inexpensive skin oil I should use to replenish my skin and keep it hydrated during the night, as I felt my skin was started to really hydrate during my sleeping hours, meaning I woke up with dull and drab skin. Bio-Oil promises to hydrate skin and ACTUALLY says it can be used on the face. So, for 6 pound, I thought Bio-Oil would do the trick. I started using it about 3/4 days ago. I would use it after moisturising in the evenings and would massage it into my skin for full impact before settling my head down for the night. 

The first few mornings, my skin actually looked great! My blemishes were a lot less noticeable and my skin seemed a lot brighter. Then, on the Friday night, I started to feel a burning sensation about my lips and on my chin. It felt like my skin was on fire and really tight, which really worried me as I'd never had this problem before. The next day, which thankfully I had off college otherwise I would have cried, I found my skin was a dark brown/red colour up both sides of my face, primarily around my t-zone and my skin resembled that of a reptile. I have never in my life experienced such dry and damaged skin on my face. My face burnt for the rest of the day and no matter how much moisturiser I applied to the area, it still felt dry and sore. The only product I could really connect to my skin change was Bio-Oil. I had been using some new Simple products BUT I have used this products in previous years with no trouble, so I can definitely write these out!

I decided I would research a little bit more into Bio-Oil and any side effects that could be present with it's use. I found out that Bio-Oil actually contains a great deal of chemicals.

Botanicals

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (Calendula Oil)
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil (Lavender Oil)
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary Oil)
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil (Chamomile Oil)

Vitamins

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)

Oil base

Paraffinum Liquidum
Triisononanoin
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Isopropyl Myristate
Glycine Soja Oil
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
BHT
Bisabolol

Fragrance (Rose)

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Amyl Cinnamal
Benzyl Salicylate
Citronellol
Coumarin
Eugenol
Farnesol
Geraniol
Hydroxycitronellal
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Limonene
Linalool

Colour

Orange: CI 26100 (Red 17)
Pink: CI 26100 (Red 17) and CI 60725 (Violet 2)

An ingredient that really stuck out for me was Benzyl Salicylate, which is a fragrance additive and UV light absorber, primarily used in perfumes and hair dye. This ingredient is scientifically proven to cause dermal irritation. I found this bit of information when researching into the product:

The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) has restricted its use in fragrances because of the potential sensitization and allergic reactions. In Europe, it is listed as an “allergenic” substance and the European Cosmetics Directive requires OTC leave-on products to indicate its presence, even at concentrations of .001%.

I also started to think, how can an oil get rid of scars and stretch marks. When you think about it logically, a scar and stretch marks appears when the dermis (which is the deep, thick layer of skin) is damaged. This is why scars are usually so hard to get rid off as they are when the body forms new collagen fibres to mend the damage. These new fibres create the scar tissue which appears on the skin. Now, if this damage and the scar tissue's source is within the dermis, a product has to be very penetrating to get to to this layer of skin. It also must have some kind of drying and abrasive effect which allows the scar tissue to be broken down (which can usually only be accomplished when the first few layers of skin peel off which allows new skin cells to renew). Our faces are made up of natural fatty acids and oils which when lost can expose our face's to skin damage and dryness. My theory here is that Bio-Oil is not as natural or demagogically safe as it would like to make out it is. I CERTAINLY don't believe it should be put on your face is it's primary use is to rid you of scar tissue. 

I'm actually really upset with the damage this product has done. Thankfully for me, I found an amazing face cream by Superdrug called Vitamin E moisture cream which I have been using morning and night over the weekend in order to help my skin heal and I've got to say it's really working. However, my skin is still very dry and damaged. It's still sore and feels almost burnt. I also found out from a friend and a few other bloggers that the same damage has happened to them after using Bio-Oil on their face. I don't know if this is an allergic reaction to something in the product OR one of the ingredients of this product has reacted badly to my sensitive face but I know this oil is to blame. 

Please let me know if you have EVER experienced a similar problem with Bio-Oil as I really want to know if I'm one of the only ones to have a bad experience with this oil?

I will be keeping you updated on the healing of my skin!

Thanks 

G

x

P.S. Sorry for the grim pictures! I wanted you to see the real extent of the damage!