Wordy Wednesday

So I kind of want to start this new thing on my blog where I post something I've written, whether that be a poem or a short story, on a Wednesday. I've always loved writing, although I'm not great at it I thought I'd try out posting some on here just to see how it goes. A lot of it is utter rubbish to be honest but its a really good outlet and hobby for me. I may or may not continue these types of posts. Today's will be a badly written poem so enjoy.

How much am I worth?

I count my worth

In the number of guys who want to fuck me

In the number of people who like me

In the number of times I’ve had sex

I count my worth

In the number of people I’ve wronged

In the number of drinks I’ve had tonight

In the number of people who envy me

I count my worth

In the number of poems I write

In the number of things I’ve failed at

In the number of people I’ve hurt

I count my worth

In the number of scars on my thighs

In the number of times I’ve been rejected

In the number of people who actually care

- Claire

Birchbox March 2018

I recently decided to treat myself to a Birchbox since there was £5 off your first box. Its been a while since I made a post, I've had some personal things going on that has stopped me from posting recently. But I'm back and I hope you enjoy this post.

First up is a full size Rituals product, the Ritual of Sakura Foaming Shower Gel (RRP from £4.50). This shower gel is infused with cherry blossom and organic rice milk to sooth your skin. Its hydrating as well which is great for my dry skin. 

Next is a Spectrum Collections B04 Angled Blender Brush (RRP £5.99). The soft angle is perfect for blending eyeshadow into the outer corners of your eyes and along the crease. These brushes are so soft and also animal friendly. 

This is the Pro Blo Group MaskMe Hydrating Hair Mask, a Birchbox exclusive (RRP £8 for a pack of 4). It makes your hair shiny as if you've been to the salon and has protective antioxidants to protect your hair from heat damage.

I love the Blaq Peel Off Mask (RRP £14 for full size). I have used this product before, it helps unblock pores and purifies your skin. Its always really fun to peel off afterwards and lasts a long time even a small tube.

Finally, the Benefit BADgal Bang! Volumising Mascara (RRP £21.50 for full size). I am so excited for this product! Its is a thickening mascara that gives volume with a brush moulded to catch every lash. I'm a big lover of Benefit so I'm really excited to try this out.

Book Haul

This book haul is lots of books I've collected over the past couple of months but I hadn't posted about them yet so I thought I'd do that now. Its been snowing loads where I live so I've had some time to make this post.

First up is a book I picked up from a charity shop and that it The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly. This book originally had a library binding cover on it but it was damaged so I removed it. I had heard of this book before which is the main reason I picked it up. As far as I can tell its about a young boy who reads a lot and finds the real world and the fantasy worlds beginning to meld together. My copy is quite damaged so I may have to replace it if I enjoy it a lot. 

The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs was another charity shop find. I think the words "Dinner with a vampire" was what first drew me in. I am a sucker for fantasy book and I love a good vampire novel. It sounds like its about a girl who ends up being drawn into a world of vampires and it sounds like there will be some romance too so I'm excited to read it. 

Next, and the last of the charity shop finds, is White Teeth by Zadie Smith. I also saw her other popular book in the shop but this one appealed to me more. I actually know next to nothing about this book as there's no real blurb on the book but the reviews call it a "funny, generous, big-hearted novel" and I quite like not knowing much about it.

I got King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard which is the 3rd book in the Red Queen series from a shop called the works and it was so cheap for a new book. I recently read Red Queen and I loved it so much so I'm really glad I got this one. I wrote a bit about Red Queen in one of my recent posts so if you want to know more about that then check out that post.

I think I got Heartless by Marissa Meyer from amazon. As I recently finished the Lunar Chronicles I had to get this since I enjoyed her writing so much. It's a retelling about the Queen of Hearts which is all I really needed to know to pick it up as I love retellings. It's about before Alice and before all the Queen's evil ways so I'm really interested in finding out how she is portrayed in this book.

Next is One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus. I got this because my friend Lish raved about it and made me really want to read it. On the back it says "Five students walk into detention. Only four leave alive." and the mystery has drawn me in. I am so excited to read this book, I love high school, murder and mystery so this is right up my street.

Obviously I got The Cruel Prince by Holly Black which I have read and I love it. It's a YA fantasy about a girl called Jude who ends up living amongst faeries along with her sisters. She's bullied by a prince called Cardan and she just wants to belong. This book is full of dark magic and plot twists and I highly recommend it. 

Next is Everless by Sara Holland. Its set in a world where your life is currency and a girl tries to save her father and herself from running out of time. It sounds so good and reminds me a lot of a film I watched. I really love the concept of this book and I cant wait to read it.

I also got The Language Of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. I am actually currently reading a book by Leigh Bardugo called Shadow And Bone and I'm really loving it so I'm glad I got this book. Its a collection of six illustrated stories filled with "betrayals, romance and revenge" set in the Grishaverse which is to do with the series I am reading the first book of. I'd like to point out how pretty this book is and how excited I am to read it.

Next is Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth which is another YA fantasy. Its about two young people, Cyra and Akos, who grew up in enemy countries and Akos is kidnapped and forced to serve Cyra. Cyra has the ability to cause pain just with a touch and she's used as a weapon by her brother. Cyra and Akos hate each other but as Akos fights for his survival he discovers Cyra is also fighting for hers. I'm a huge sucker for YA fantasy so of course I got this.

I didn't know much about Scythe by Neal Shusterman when I bought it but the cover appealed to me a lot and so did the description once I read it. Its set in a world where the only way to die is to be gleaned by a professional scythe and Citra and Rowan become apprentices. They have to learn the art of killing and having the responsibility of choosing their victims. Then they are told that one of them will have to glean the other. It sounds right up my street and I'm really excited to read it.

I got Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings! Yes, the main reason I got this is because of Sasha, but it also sounds so amazing. Its another YA fantasy about a girl called Androma who is a powerful mercenary, but she's known to her friends aboard her starship as Andi. When a routine mission goes wrong the crew is tested when they are faced with a bounty hunter from Andi's past. Its got spaceships and a strong, badass female lead so I am super excited about it.

I had to get Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout, which is the second book in the Dark Elements trilogy. I loved the first book in this series which I received as a gift from my friend Lish (look whos been mentioned twice in one post). I love the characters and any book with demons is a book for me. Its about a girl called Layla whos half demon half gargoyle who can kill someone with a kiss. After the way the first book ended I needed to get the next one and I know I'll be reading it soon.

Finally, A Love Like Blood by Marcus Sedgwick which I picked up new for just £2.99 in hardback! This was such a great find, its a dark, compelling thriller about a man whos life changes when he sees a man apparently drinking the blood of a murdered woman and he sets on his journey to discover the truth. I don't mind if its actually about vampires or just some creep who likes drinking blood, I love a good mystery and I found myself drawn to this book.

That is all for now, it was a fair amount of books. I am trying to cut back on how many I buy which is why these were from the past couple of months, not all bought in one go.

- Claire

Books I've Read Recently

I recently got out of my reading slump and I've read a few books over the past few weeks and I decided to do a post about all the books I've read recently rather than several separate posts. Although I'm still planning a separate post about the Lunar Chronicles but that is going to take some time to write.

First is Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard which I own in collectors edition and its so pretty. In this book the world is divided between Red and Silver. The Reds are normal humans who bleed red and the Silvers have abilities and bleed silver. The Reds are the commoners who do labour and hard work while the Silver elites live in luxury. Mare Barrow is a 17 year old Red girl who tries to find a way to get both herself and her best friend Kilron out of having to join the war which is fought by Reds. Whilst trying to find a way to help them escape their fate she ends up working in the Silver palace thanks to a mysterious stranger. Whilst at the palace she discovers she possesses a deadly power of her own. This book draws you in so easily and the storyline is like nothing I've ever read before, including a plot twist that I never saw coming. I loved this book and rate it 5/5.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is about a 17 year old girl called Jude who saw her parents get murdered when she was just 7 years old. Her and her two sisters were taken away to live in the High Court of Faerie and Jude is desperate to belong there. But because she is human she finds it hard to belong, especially when she has Prince Cardan constantly making her feel weak and powerless. She tries to defy him to win a place at the Court but in the process she ends up discovering things and risking her own life to save Faerie and her sisters. I really enjoyed this book, I loved reading a book with a strong female lead and lots of magic and darkness. I give this book 4/5.

Finally, White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout which was a gift from my friend Lish and I wish I had of read it sooner. Its about a 17 year old girl called Layla who is half demon and half gargoyle but she wishes to be normal because all it takes is a kiss for her to kill someone. The Wardens are a race of gargoyles who hunt demons and keep humanity safe. Layla was raised by Wardens and is secretly harbouring feelings for a Warden called Zayne who is off limits. Layla meets a demon called Roth who she knows she should stay away from but for some reason she cant. Through Roth she finds out why there's a violent demon uprising, but helping Roth could lead to her being a traitor to the Wardens. I am in love with this book so much I have already ordered the next one. The characters are so amazing, especially Roth, and because it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger you end up needing the next one. I rate this 5/5 for sure.

That's all for now, as I was writing this I realised all the main characters were 17 year old girls which made me laugh. A lot of the books I own are young adult, I'm trying to read them while I still can. 

- Claire

January Favourites

It is February now so I figured I'd do a January Favourites post since I haven't done one in a couple of months. There aren't as many beauty products in this post, I've done so many makeup posts lately so I included a couple of other things in this post.

First up is Cress by Marissa Meyer, its the 3rd book in The Lunar Chronicles. The whole series has been amazing so far and I'm currently reading the 4th and final book in the series. I finished the 3rd one last month and immediately picked up the last one and started reading it. It's a great YA fantasy series with cyborgs and royalty and a revolution. I will be writing a post about this whole series once I've finished it so keep an eye out for that.

You may have seen this in one of my recent posts. This is the I Heart Makeup Unicorns Heart highlighter. It is the prettiest highlighter ever, all the colours are lovely, and it's only £4.99 in Superdrug!

I struggled choosing which of my new palettes to put in this post but I went with the Makeup Revolution Flawless 4 palette because it has all the amazing warm shades, all the pinks and reds, which I love so much. I've used this quite a few times since I got it and the colours blend so well and there are so many different looks you can create because there are so many colours! 

Finally, a TV series. Grimm is an American TV show about a man called Nick who starts seeing people change and discovers he is a Grimm. That means he can see what some people really are, people who are not entirely human, and that means he can stop them from killing people. It helps that he is a detective because he can investigate cases that seem to be related to the beings he can see. The characters are so easy to fall in love with. Its a really good supernatural show, it only has 6 seasons even though I wish there was more. 

- Claire

Tam Beauty Haul

Here it is; my Tam Beauty haul. There are a lot of products in this haul mostly because I got the Revoholic box (£30) and if you spent £30 you got £25 worth of stuff for free. So I'm going to keep this intro short and get straight into it.

Starting with the first item from the Revoholic box is the Makeup Revolution Flawless Unlimited palette. All the shades in this palette are so pretty and there are a lot of them, there are so many looks you could create with this. I cant find this one on the site now, but it may be available somewhere else or come back at some point.

Next is the Makeup Revolution Flawless 4 palette which has more warmer tones than the Flawless Unlimited palette. I love warm tones because they go great with my blue eyes. Again, so many pretty colours and both the Flawless palettes also have a huge mirror. This one is available on the Tam Beauty website for £8.

This palette I think is exclusive with the Revoholic box because it is the Revoholic Limited Palette. It has eyeshadows on the left and highlighters on the right. The eyeshadow shades are all very dark but still nice and the highlighters are really pretty and give an amazing glow. 

Next up is the Makeup Revolution Blush Palette which has 8 lovely shades of blush and is the Celestial Blush palette. The shades are all pink and vary from light to dark which is nice because I can choose the best shades for me. They are all quite shimmery and some of them have a kind of marble effect which is nice. I can't find this one on the site either, but there is a similar one on there for £6.

This is the Makeup Revolution Ultra Pro Glow highlighting palette. It has eight beautiful shimmery shades perfect to get a great glow. I will probably use the lighter shades mostly as I'm quite pale, but they are all pretty colours. This is on the Tam Beauty website for £8.

Next up is the Luxury Banana Powder this was actually shortlisted for the Pure Beauty Awards 2017. It does look like it will be too dark for my pale skin, but we'll give it a try and see. This is on the site for £5.

The last thing that was in the Revoholic box is these beautiful Limited Edition brushes. They are all full size, soft makeup brushes. I love the pink tips and the rose gold on them. These are not available to buy anymore but Tam Beauty have a range of amazing brushes for really good prices.

The first item I got for free was this Freedom Pro Glow Purr highlighter which looks so cool. I love the pattern and the colours are really nice and blend together to make a really pretty highlighter shade. This is available for just £3.50 on the Tam Beauty website.

This is the Makeup Revolution Skin Kiss Rose Gold Kiss Highlighter and its such a pretty shade. Its also really big so its going to last me a long time and its nice and shimmery. Its available on the Tam Beauty website for £5.

Next is the Makeup Revolution My Sign Capricorn Complete Eye Wheel. This little thing has 3 shimmery eyeshadows, an eye primer, 2 eyebrow shades and a highlighter. I think this is ideal for travelling because its small and has several products in it. This product is £5 on Tam Beauty but right now its actually on offer for just £3.25! 

I also got this little Freedom eyeshadow in the shade Smoulder which is such a pretty dark green/grey colour. I cant find this one on the site but they have similar ones for just £1.

This is the Makeup Revolution Sunlight Mood Lights Gradient Highlighter and its amazing. You can choose how light or dark you want the colour and its really shimmery and so pretty. This is available on the site for £4 but right now its on offer for just £1.20!

Next is the Freedom Pro Blush Bronze & Baked Palette. This gorgeous palette has both blushers and highlighters in lovely shades. It also has a nice big mirror and is available for £6 or right now its on offer for just £3.90.

I also got the Makeup Revolution Salvation Velvet Lacquer in the shade Black Heart. Its much darker than the lip products I normally use but I'm excited to give it a go. It costs £3 but its currently on offer for just 90p!

This is the I Heart Makeup Lip Geek Lipstick in the shade Baby Doll. Its a really pretty light pink shade and the packaging is super cute too. I cant find this one on the site unfortunately.

Finally, the Freedom Pro Red Lipstick in the shade Expression. I don't wear reds very often but I really love this colour and I'm going to try to be brave enough to wear it if I can. Again, another one I cant find on the site but there are lots of lipsticks to choose from on there.

I kept all my captions short because there was so much stuff and gave prices for the things I could find on the site. Tam Beauty has so much amazing makeup for really affordable prices, if you're interested in having a look then click here for their website.

- Claire

Makeup, Makeup, Makeup

This post is a little late because I've been busy lately. But I have a few makeup bits that I got recently and I thought id share what I got with you. There are quite a few things so ill be as brief as I can about each thing. 

First up is this set I got from Barry M. I actually ordered this before Christmas but it arrived in January so its in this post. I got the whole lot for £10! It was such a bargain, I actually had no idea what was in it when I ordered it but I'm really happy. There is 2 palettes; one lip palette and one with bronzer, blush and highlight. Two tinted lip balms, two Gelly Hi Shine lip products, 4 nail polishes, 2 nail art pens and the makeup bag. All the shades are so pretty and I got so much for just £10! I love Barry M nail polishes, but I haven't used much of their makeup so I'm excited to try some of it out.

I use this app called Influencer and through that I got sent these two full size Marc Jacobs Highliners which are matte gel eye crayons. I got one in the shade Earthquake which is a brown shade and one in Deja Blue which is a pretty blue shade. I have tried out the brown one and I really love it! It is a great colour and glides on so easily, it also blends well so it gives a soft line rather than a harsh one. These retail at about £20 each but they are really amazing.

I had been wanting one of these highlighters for so long but it was always sold out in Superdrug whenever I went looking for it. But I finally got it this month. Its the I Heart Makeup Unicorns Heart highlighter and it is so pretty. It's a rainbow highlighter and it comes in this cute heart shaped box. It gives the most amazing glow and you can see the colours but not in a hash bright way, in a soft and subtle way. It is gorgeous and I've been using it loads since I got it. Plus its only £4.99 at Superdrug.

These last two products were actually a Christmas present from my friend Amy but I didn't get to see her till January. She got me this amazing Sleek set which included the Matte Me Metallic lip cream as you can see above. Its such a pretty shade and I've been loving metallic lip products lately (thanks to my friend Lish who got me a set of NYX lip products for Christmas).

The set also included this highlighting palette which is actually one of my ultimate favourite highlighting palettes ever! Its the Solstice palette and the shades are so damn pretty and I cannot wait to use them, even though right now its my spare as I already have this palette but it's nearing the end of its use so ill be onto this one soon.

That's all for this makeup haul, but I recently got a load of makeup from Tam Beauty so I'll be doing a post about that as soon as I can. There are too many things I got from there to put in this post so it will have its own post. Keep an eye out for that. I will also be posting a sort of boo review soon, I say review but its more of a rant about my opinions on the book, so look out for that too.

- Claire