Book Review | All the Bright Places

I had heard a lot of things about this book, not in detail, just how good it was from the people who had read it. Amazon were doing an offer of 3 paperback books for £10, this one included, so I thought I would take up the offer and give it a read. So, I didn't have much of an idea of what to expect until I read the blurb which gave me a very slight insight.

The sentence, from WHSmith, which just about sums up this books is.. "This is a compelling and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die". There are two main characters, Violet and Finch, who couldn't be more different from one another. It's a very well written and easy to read book, which tells the story from both characters point of view. Especially from the view point of Theodore Finch, who has a mental illness. This review, also from WHSmith, gives you a bit more of an insight into the story..

"Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the ‘natural wonders’ of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself – a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them.

But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. How far will Violet go to save the boy she has come to love?"

Overall this is such a great story, easy to follow, and really gets you thinking from both perspectives. It's written in such a way that helps you to understand the mental illness which the character has, therefore this helps you really get into the book much faster and more in depth. If you haven't read this book then I would definitely recommend you do. 

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant

I have a fond love for all things La Roche-Posay, so recently when they sent me this new product, I couldn't help but jump for joy. The Effaclar Duo+ is one of my all time favourite skin care products and a product that I constantly repurchase. So when I read about this product, which is ultimately the Effaclar Duo+, however this Unifiant product comes with a sheer coverage.

I got super excited when reading about this product - my favourite skin care product WITH coverage? It couldn't get much better hey. I've been using this product now for a few weeks and have really been enjoying it. It's super easy to apply, I have just been using my fingers but a brush or sponge would work really well too. As I mentioned the coverage is sheer and unfortunately my skin has been playing up recently so when using this product, I have used concealer over the top. The concealer blends smoothly over the top of this product too, which is great considering I need more coverage at the moment.

As I said, I've been mainly using my fingers to apply this and it applies and blends easily too. The colour is pretty much perfect for my skin tone and to be honest I'm actually not sure how many shades this product comes in. It lasts on my skin for a relatively long period of time but does need touching up throughout the day, due to having an oily t-zone. I've really been enjoying this product though, especially on the weekends when I may not be doing a lot and just chilling at home. However, when going for a night out - when I like to have more coverage - then this product isn't my go to.

I'd definitely recommend this product, especially if you're also a fan of the original Effaclar Duo+, as this Unifiant product is great!

Revlon Colorstay Concealer

I purchased this product quite a few months ago now and when I first tried it, I didn't like it. So it was one of those products that went to the back of my draw, until recently. My last concealer ran out so I ventured to my draw and thought I would pull this one out and give it another go. When I first purchased this concealer, I had heard that it was similar to the Urban Decay Naked Concealer which was actually the one I was using before this one.

I must say I'm glad that I pulled this back out of my draw for round two because I'm really enjoying it. I really don't know why I didn't like it to begin with but my skin has changed recently, which is the only reason I can think of. Anyway, I have this in the shade light which seems to be the perfect shade for my skin tone. I use this on my face to conceal spots etc, rather than under my eyes and find that it really does conceal them well. Just as well in fact as the Urban Decay concealer, I can see where people are coming from when they say this is a dupe for it.

This concealer conceals all kinds of spots, blemishes, marks on my face and keeps them concealed for a really decent amount of time. I'm really enjoying using it at the moment as part of my every day make up routine. My face is having a bit of a mad spotty moment recently, so having a decent concealer, that you can rely on, really just makes me feel a bit better going about my day. If you haven't tried this concealer then I would definitely recommend it, especially if you haven't tried the Urban Decay one as this is very similar.

Tips and Tricks #10

A chore all beauty lovers hate is cleaning their brushes however, having clean brushes is just one of the best things. Considering the amount of brushes we all use, it gets to that point when you literally have no clean ones left and simply have to go through the cleaning process.

Ages ago, when I went to Paris, I picked up their Daily make up brush cleaner which has really helped cut down the time it takes to clean my make up brushes. It comes in a small handy travel size, although I believe they also do a larger bottle. It's a simple spray which you spray directly onto your make up brushes. I then use either a muslin cloth or a flannel and swish my make up brush around in circles. It's quite satisfying seeing all of the make up come off your brush onto the flannel. I keep reapplying the spray and swishing my brush round until no more make up comes off on the muslin cloth. It really is that simple and easy and honestly cuts down the time spent actually 'washing' your brushes in the sink.

I can't fully remember the price of this product, but I'm pretty sure it was really affordable. Of course the only trouble is ordering from Sephora but if you're close to making an order, then quickly pop this product in your basket, you won't regret it!

Current Hair Care Favourites

Since recently braving the chop, I've also recently been trying out some new hair care products which have been in my stash for a little while. I love trying out new hair products as I do have my staples however, it is nice to delve into something new. These three products photographed have been staples in my hair care routine recently, some new and some old.

Firstly the Mark Hill Bedazzled Anti-Humidity Shine Spray (what a mouthful). I've had this in my stash for a little while now but had never really tried and tested it out properly. So recently I pulled it out and gave it a good old bashing for a period of time and guess what? Yes, you guessed it, I love it! It's such a simple product to use, I simply spray it all over my hair with literally no care in the world. Once I've covered all my hair, I just run my fingers through it and voila, finished. It smells divine, which is such a bonus, and just keeps all those fly aways in place with added shine. It's great for those "can't be bothered hair days" when it's freshly washed and I can't be bothered to style it - this spray just makes my hair look like I've actually made a little effort. It's also great for those "sleek hairstyles" as it puts all hairs back in their right place.

Next the L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect Conditioning Protect Spray, another great mouthful. This product is a firm staple for me and for any of you who also suffer with knotty hair. This is a God send and just makes my hair so much more manageable. I simply spray this all over my hair, after washing, and my tangle teezer just glides through effortlessly. It also leaves my hair feeling extra soft due to the conditioning elements in this spray. I struggled to find the perfect detangling spray but this one definitely ticks all the boxes.

Finally the Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil which I have used before but that was a long time ago. My mum actually got this free with an order she placed recently however, she passed it along to me and I took it with open arms. I remember loving this product in the past and my love for it remains. I simply use 1-2 pumps of this product, again after washing my hair, and apply it just to my roots. It really does help keep the ends of my hair in tact and not split. Again, this product also helps keep my hair super soft in between washes.

Overall these three products are firmly stapled into my current hair care routine and really seem to be working well for me and my newly, short hair. If you also love any of these products then let me know but I'd also love to hear your hair care favourites which I may not have previously tried :-)