Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter

I've had the Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter for months but for some unknown reason, I'm only just getting round to talking about it! I don't know about you but as soon as the sun is out, my highlighter game gets completely cranked up and I get a bit obsessed with glowy skin.

The Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter works in three ways - you can use it as a primer or even alone if you're going foundation free, you can mix it in to your foundation for a radiant base or you can simply just dab it on to the areas of your face that you'd like to highlight. For a few months I just used it as a highlighter but for the past couple of weeks I've been mixing it into my foundation and I'm loving the result - an all round glowy complexion that doesn't resemble a disco ball! 

 As you can see, the highlighter is a pretty pearly pink, very similar to Benefit's infamous High Beam.  Be sure to use the tiniest bit when applying as a little goes an extremely long way! You can always build up the product until you've reached your desired glow.

I'm pleased to say that this product lasts all day long which is AMAZING! I never have much luck with my powder highlights staying put all day so I'm putting it down to the fact it's in liquid form.  For 30ml's product for £5.99, I think this is a product you can't afford not to buy. I've had mine around 6 months and I've not even used half of it yet!

What's your favourite highlighter?  You can pick this up from Boots here and there's actually a buy one get one half price offer on all Seventeen products at the moment so you don't have an excuse not to buy it. ;)

PERIOD STRUGGLES

I thought about not writing this post but then I thought WHY THE HELL NOT?! We all get periods (apart from you boys, soz) so I wanted to write about all the period-y thoughts that bless my brain when it's 'that time of the month' (I hate that phrase) in the hope that you'll be able to relate to.

1. You know your period is approaching when you literally feel like you're about to karate kick your boyfriend for interrupting you whilst you're writing a tweet.

2. THE NEED FOR CHOCOLATE HAS NEVER BEEN SO REAL. Literally, give me all the Cadburys in the world and I will eat it. Along with 3 packets of skips, a sandwich, a whole tub of Ben & Jerry's & the rest of that pizza from last night.

3. That moment when you strut up to the Cashier at Tesco with your monthly supplies feeling all confident but then when you realise it's a boy and you've got to make eye contact you get all embarrassed.

4. You suddenly start sobbing uncontrollably because you can't find your new lipstick. Then you realise your mascara's all smudged and it makes you cry even more.

5.  "THIS IS THE WORST PERIOD I'VE EVER HAD!" you scream when your boyfriend kindly reminds you that you also said that about your last 73 periods.

6. That 'am I /aren't I' moment when you're too scared to get up in case there's blood on your seat.

7. You suddenly find yourself giving serious evils to every man you see. YEP THAT'S RIGHT, YOU JUST GET ON WITH YOUR DAY, RANDOM MAN, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT REAL PAIN FEELS LIKE!

8.  Hot water bottles become your BFF and they never leave your side.

9. That feeling when you sneeze and you're genuinely concerned your womb is about to fly out of your vagina.

10 . Your boyfriend goes to touch your boob and you're fully prepared to scream the entire house down. DON'T YOU KNOW THEY'RE SENSITIVE?! GOD!

11. But no matter how much you complain, you're secretly chuffed you've got your period as you're totally freaked that you're contraception will fail you one day.

* Disclaimer - there's totally nothing to be embarrassed about buying tampons, I'm just the most awks person in the world. *

What's on my sister's face

HELLO! Today's post is all about my sister's face! For those of you who don't know, I have two sisters who both have completely different makeup styles and I thought it'd be really fun to feature what makeup they both love on my blog. I'll start by giving you a little makeup-y background on my 20 year old little sis Kirsten aka Kiki aka Kikz aka Rolo (funny story about this name but she'd kill me for writing it). Kirsten has the nicest, long eyelashes and I kind of want to rip them off in her sleep and steal them. Ok, that was too far but seriously, they're so amazing. She's not really one for colourful lips, it's all nudes and pale pinks with a statement eye and bold brows. It's funny because she barely used to wear makeup at all but now she's getting a bit obsessed like me! 

I asked Kiki for her honest review on all of the products she uses and I haven't edited her responses in any way.

Aloe BB Creme in 'Nude' - £36 

This BB cream is really good if you want a natural coverage throughout the day. I'd recommend it for a daily use but its not great for nights out when you want to feel dolled up.

W7 Make up and Glow Bronzing Base - £2.99 

This is a creamy bronzer that goes on easily and lasts through the day and it makes my skin feel soft.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush in '050 Live Pink' - £3.99

It's a beautiful shade of pink and it applies easily with minimal effort. I will definitely be repurchasing this.

'I Love Extreme' Essence Mascara - £2.80

This mascara is way better than any Rimmel one I've tried and it's half the price. I love the thick wand and it covers your lashes beautifully with only one or two coats.

Seventeen Super Lash Liner

I only bought this eyeliner as it was on sale for about £1.99, It's a Seventeen 'Super Lash Liner' It has a diagonal tip so you have to get it at the right angle for it to work but once you do, it goes on easily and pretty much without any mistakes.

Forever Living lipstick in 'Almond' - £16

This lipstick does cover well but the lasting power isn't great.  I haven't managed to find many lipsticks that have a great lasting power yet.  It feels lovely on my lips and I love the nude shade. 

LA Colours Auto lip Liner - £1

The Lip liner is a lesser known brand that's sold locally in my area, its a nude/brown shade that goes on well, again the lasting power isn't amazing but for £1 who can complain?!

Fab Brows in 'Dark Brown' - £20 (not pictured) but you can find a full review here.  This is my make up must have! It was £20 from the Clothes Show Live in December, but can be bought on  eBay now too. When I used a pencil it would take a solid 10 mins to do my brows but now after 30 seconds, I'm ready to go! I couldn't live without it now. MUA Undress Me Too Palette - £4  Finally I used the infamous MUA colour pallet. I'm sure you've all purchased this. I strongly stand by that, it does the job for such a great price!  I pretty much used a mix of most of the colours and experimented. I always start light on the inside near the tear duct then progress to golds and browns then a deep brown for the right corner.

I just want to say a massive thanks to Kirsten for letting me photograph her face and makeup and of course, for her reviews! Please follow her on instagram @kirstenh321! 

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of Kirsten's makeup look? 

Big Bloggers/Youtubers & their even bigger opportunites

So I've just sat at my computer with the view to blog about periods (don't get grossed out, we can talk about them) but I saw a comment on Twitter about that Zalfie announcement and I kind of just want to pour my heart out about big bloggers/youtubers who actually get offered all kinds of unbelievable opportunities.

I'd be a hypocrite if I said I wasn't jealous of the fact Zalfie's living room is probably the size of my entire teeny tiny one bedroomed house.  I'd be a hypocrite if I said that I've never sat at my desk of my 9-5 job and dreamt of being a full time blogger because obviously they have it easy, don't they and that's like my DREAM?! I'd be a hypocrite if I said I hadn't secretly disliked a Youtube video purely out of spite/jealousy...yes I'm serious but honestly, it actually made me feel like the devil!

Why wouldn't I want to be Zoe Sugg?! ERM HELLO?! I'd get to see my face in magazines, photos of me plastered all over the entire country, my own range of actual beauty products that people actually buy with their own money, a waxwork of erm, me and a massive house with a perfect boyfriend and cute little dog. But then I start to look into it a little deeper, I get to go home at the end of every working day and sit on my sofa with my hair in a bun with no makeup on doing whatever the hell I like. Zoe's job is constant, non-stop, every single hour of every single day is a working day.  Imagine feeling ill or desperately wanting to go to a party but you can't because you HAVE to upload a video to meet a deadline/please your fans. Imagine waking up teary in the morning, not feeling mentally as strong as you usually are and having to read thousands of vile comments about you? Imagine going in to your garden and seeing your fans peering over your garden wall or better still, your fans actually ringing your doorbell and constantly tweeting you for photos? I'm not sure I want to be Zoe anymore.

What I'm trying to say is we only see the glossy side of people's lives. People show what they want you to see. They're not going to show themselves having a massive argument with their boyfriend, showing you how they pick their spots until they bleed, how they've cried non stop all day because life is just so overwhelming at times. Just like we don't declare how we put a filter on our selfies to make ourselves look more glowing, how we crop that pile of dirty clothes and chocolate wrapper out of our perfectly crisp, white, insanely clean instagram shot, how we just tweeted about that green super healthy smoothie we just demolished but forget to mention about the Twix you're munching on now.

I'm super super super in awe of Youtubers/Bloggers who get offered all sorts of opportunities. It makes me feel happy that the internet is SO impressionable, more impressionable than we could even believe. It makes me feel insanely proud, as a blogger, that waxworks and books and makeup ranges are actually achievable for people who started making videos/writing posts on their crummy old computer in their bedroom.  I think people who put in serious amounts of effort, people who have even saved teenagers lives through their online presence are getting rewarded for the amount of work they put in. I've seen so many tweets about celebrities that deserve waxworks/books etc more than '#teaminternet' and honestly, it makes me feel sad. Why does anyone deserve anything more than anyone else?!

I read a quote a couple of months ago that I will remember for the rest of my life.

"I'm not interested in competing with anyone. I hope we all make it."

I can hand on my heart say that I truly do hope we all make it, whatever counts as your 'making it', I hope you get it. Feeling bitter about something only makes me feel guilty so why can't I just be happy and supportive to other bloggers/youtubers who are tons more successful than me?! I genuinely think the whole blogging community would be a much happier place if we all embraced this quote.

This post is purely just my opinion. I know not everyone thinks the same as me because the world would be a much more boring place if they did! I'm not preaching to anybody but I just wanted to write down how I feel.

What are your thoughts on bloggers/youtubers who are given crazily big opportunities?! Lets interact! <3

Seventeen Stay Pout Lipstick in 'It's a Kiss Off'

 Seventeen seem to be catching my attention a lot lately, it's the first stand I dash over to as soon as I step foot in Boots which is partly down to how affordable their products are but also because every single product they release is right up my street.

The Seventeen Stay Pout lipsticks have been out for a while - years or so! and I actually own quite a few of them but today's post is dedicated to my newest baby, 'It's a Kiss Off''. The outer packaging looks pretty basic but what's inside is very special! 

I'm on a pink lipstick ban at the moment (apart from the one I bought today, oops) as I have enough to last me until I'm around 80 so I wanted to venture out and go for something a little bit different that might not be quite me, y'know, to mix it up and that. 'It's a Kiss Off' is a pinky red shade (I can't cut pink out completely!) with a frosty finish that has tiny bits of shimmer running through it. 

Upon swatching the product on the back of my hand, I liked it but when applied to my lips, I really liked it! I seem to be suffering with dry lips at the moment which makes some lipsticks I usually love look horrendous on me but I'm happy to say, the Stay Pout lipsticks contain Shea butter which not only doesn't enhance our dry lips but moisturises them too. 

The most exciting thing of all about 'It's a Kiss Off' is the staying power, I couldn't think of a more apt name than 'Stay Pout' as they literally last around 9 hours. After I'd eaten lunch my lipstick was exactly how I'd applied it that morning.  I noticed it starting to fade around 3pm but it's now 9.3opm and my lips are still stained which is just amazing. 

I'd go as far to say the Stay Pout lipsticks are better than MAC - I know it's a big claim but seriously, you need to snap one up for yourself at £4.49 so you can see what all the fuss is about! I really hope Seventeen release more shades with different finishes as there's currently only 15 in the collection that all have a slight frosty finish.

Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer on all makeup so snap them up here whilst you can! Do you own any of the Stay Pout lipsticks?

A peek into my week #3

HELLO! Hope you've all had a lovely Easter and have over indulged in chocolate like me.  I went to my Mum's for Easter who lives in a little village near Knighton, Wales. The weather was actually pretty nice considering on our drive down from Norwich, the skies were grey and it was raining on and off so we decided to take advantage of that.

We went to visit my Grandma on Saturday and as per usual she'd made some delicious cakes with an array of fillings - fresh cream, butter cream etc.  We didn't do a lot apart from play silly outdoor and word games but that's what I love about spending time with family as those are the moments I'll treasure forever. My Grandma got me a marmite easter egg as I have to admit, I do absolutely love it! I've not tried the chocolate yet as I'm not feeling that brave. I'll leave it for a time when I'm feeling a little more wild.

I popped into a local Boots with my Sister as she needed a few bits when we noticed a basket full of Seventeen products that they were selling really cheap. Most of the products had labels on but I spotted the above bundle of 7 lip crayons that didn't have a label on so asked the cashier how much they were. I was in shock when she told me they were 1p each so obviously, I snapped them all up! Apparently that particular Boots store are replacing the Seventeen stand for Maybelline which seems a bit odd as Seventeen is Boots' own brand! I also got another couple of products but I'll leave them for another post.

As I'm getting older, I'm beginning to appreciate scenery a whole lot more. Before I moved to Norwich (almost four years ago), I never really cared for where I lived, I thought the countryside was boring and I just yearned for nightclubs and McDonalds on my doorstep! Now when I visit back home, I'm always wanting to go on long family walks to this little spot by the river. We usually go paddling in the river but it wasn't quite warm enough this time although my brother and cousins did go for a little dip! I just love this photo of my Grandad and cousin, Isabel - I want to frame it as they both look so happy.

I was feeling a tad emotional after leaving my family earlier today so on the drive home my boyfriend and I stopped for dinner at Buddies USA which is just outside Northampton. We were so hungry so we opted for garlic bread and breaded mushrooms with a garlic dip for starter and I had the hot dog and wet fries - fries with American pouring cheese sauce whilst Andy went for a bacon, mushroom and cheese burger with wet fries. I wish we'd visited there sooner as the food was incredible! Definitely worth a stop if you're passing by and be sure to get the wet fries, they were the best part about the whole meal.

How was your Easter weekend?! I think I might be allergic to Monday's as I can't stop sneezing but a bank holiday Monday is a million times better than a Monday at work. Four day week, YAY!

On a side note, I've made a Pinterest board for lifestyle and food bloggers - https://uk.pinterest.com/glitzcarousels/lifestyle-and-food-blogger-board/ for us all to pin our posts to. I'd love for everyone to join and share their posts to it as it's a great way of gaining blog traffic and discovering other blogs too. If you'd like me to invite you to the board, just email me - glitterandcarousels@yahoo.co.uk with your Pinterest username and blog URL and I'll add you. Please make sure you follow the board though as it won't let me invite you until you follow!

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm Review

 The Revlon Colorburst matte balms (it pains me so much to write color as opposed to colour) weren't something that had really interested me until I swatched them in Boots a week or so ago.  I tend to associate matte lip products as drying and hard to apply even though I secretly know there are tons of fab matte lip offerings on the high street!

After swatching the whole collection, I decided on two blue based pink shades 'Showy' - a hot fuchsia pink and 'Elusive' - a light pink with a slight hint of coral. Showy and Elusive are the perfect Spring shades that are more suited for everyday wear. The balms have a mint scent to them but there's no plumping effect to go alongside that which I personally prefer!

My favourite part about them is the packaging - they're matte, feel expensive and the fact that the tube is the exact same colour of the product inside just makes my whole life.  When I'm in a hurry, I don't want to root through my whole collection looking for a shade and having to open the lids, I just want something quick to throw on and these are the perfect fit!

I was pleasantly surprised when I applied the balms as there's none of that usual pulling that you get with some matte products (MAC, I'm looking at you). Another surprise was that they're actually pretty moisturising too even without applying a lip balm beforehand.  Showy is easier to apply than Elusive as it's a brighter shade so I do find I have to fill in a few gaps when I wear Elusive.  You can expect to get around 6 hours wear out of these beauties and that's with eating and drinking, pretty amaze if you ask me!

I purchased the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms from Boots for £7.99, they're currently on 3 for 2 so now's your chance to snap them up! :)

What's your favourite shade out of the collection?