Friday 29 May 2015

• Life Rants & Raves •


I guess you could say I'm quite an extreme type of person...

In the sense that I either really love something or really hate it. It's not often that I'll go 'meh' to something as I have very strong opinions on things that I like - and things that I don't like. Which brings me onto this new 'series' that I feel like doing. This is how it'll go; I'll basically rant about things that I'm not loving then I'll rave about things that I'm obsessed with. Simples. I'm not sure how often I'll post my rants & raves, all I know is that I'm already planning a beauty rants & raves for a few weeks time - watch this space.

Rant #1 is the price of healthy food. I picked up Deliciously Ella a few months ago and I've been post-it-noting recipes that have caught my eye, then when I've gone to order the food online, I've realised how ridiculously expensive the ingredients are. Quinoa, cacao powder, medjool dates are a few of the things I have to pick up at Holland and Barrett - and if you've ever shopped at H&B, you'll know how hard it is to walk out without spending £60+. I have been buying the ingredients as I'm really determined to eat healthier and try out some plant-based recipes, it's just annoying that you can spend the same amount of money on a small jar of almond butter as a whole pizza from the frozen section of Tesco.

Rant #2 is people trying to tell you what's fun and what isn't fun. I was recently told by a friend of mine that I should go travelling at my age instead of buying a house. I was later told by a different friend that I should go out drinking and clubbing instead of snuggling on down to some Nexflix with a tub of Ben and Jerrys. Basically; wtf?! If I enjoy going home decor shopping or catching up with Pretty Little Liars, I should damn well be able to. Just because I don't drink alcohol or have a need to visit every country at this point in my life, doesn't mean I'm not as fun as everyone else - (in my opinion, anyway). I have really strong opinions about this one - can you tell? - because I've been made to feel 'different' in the past about my past-times and hobbies. If I'm happy doing what I'm doing, then I shall just carry on.

Rant #3 is (and please don't kill me for saying this) - The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. It's the slowest and most boring book I think I've ever read, and it kills me to say that because it was so hyped up and the reviews were so good; I had really high hopes for this. After talking to a few of my book-fanatic friends, they were equally as disappointed as I am. The book just goes nowhere. I'm about 75% in and nothing much has really happened, but I always have to finish a book, no matter how bad it is. I'm just trying to speed read it now so I can make a start on Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.

Rave #1 is definitely the looming summer holidays! I cannot believe how quickly this school year has gone and that we're nearly in July. I've got some really exciting trips planned in summer so I'm getting myself ready for those (including one too many trips to Primark - a girl can never have enough pairs of brown sandals)! All that's left for me is five and a half weeks left of teaching then it's lazy trips to the market and dinner in the garden for a few months!

Rave #2 obviously has to be Game of Thrones. Obsessed isn't even the word. I have to mentally prepare myself for every episode and make sure I have all of my snacks around me so I don't have to get up for the whole hour. This season, along with the others, has been incredible and I'm loving Monday evenings now! There are so many twists and turns and I'm loving the fact that no-one is safe - as soon as I start to think I know what's going to happen, someone gets killed off or captured. Amazing!

Rave #3 is my hamster, Brody. I can't even tell you how cute my hamster is. I love little furries in general as I have two gorgeous bunnies, and Brody is such an affectionate little thing. He will walk up to the entrance of his cage when we walk into the room and will just wait to be picked up. He's also in the habit of eating his dinner out of the palm of my hand; too cute!

Rave #4 is Canada. I miss Canada so much; I went in December/January and absolutely loved it. The people, the food, the scenery, the fact that there are one million things to do at any time of the day; all of it. Photographed above is my boyfriend and I at Niagara Falls and it's one of my favourite photos of all time. I can't wait to get back to Canada and we'll hopefully be making another trip there next year.

What are your lifestyle rants & raves?
Daniela xo 
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Wednesday 20 May 2015

• My Favourite Daytime Hydrating Serum •

I don't know about you, but I am ridiculously picky with my skincare. As soon as my skincare routine is perfect, I'll stick to it for ages because I'm pretty scared of my skin going back to it's acne, oily self. 

And in terms of serums, it's even harder for me to try new ones, as I've had so many bad experiences with them in the past! Luckily, I've now found a brand that I can trust as I've tried a few serums from Oz Naturals (review of the Vitamin C Serum here) and they've done wonders for my skin. Natural products with beautiful ingredients which are preparing my skin for summer and (eek!) less make up - perfect.





For the past 3 weeks I've been through stress, illness and shitty weather, as have most people in the UK, so my skin has been acting up a bit and is much dryer than usual. I've been using the Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum* every day to see if it would sort my face out, and it really has done. I didn't seen an improvement straight away like I do with some of my other skincare, but after a few weeks my skin was so much more plump, soft and healthy looking - not resembling how I felt inside at all! It sits really well under make up (as does the other Oz Naturals serum that I use) and keeps my skin moisturised all day. I really like this and I love how hygienic it is - you use the little dropper to dispense the product into your hands and then smooth it on your face after cleansing and toning - no dipping dirty hands in a pot (which I hate!!)

Have you tried any products from Oz Naturals?
What do you think?
Daniela xo
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I just wanted to quickly add that obviously I was sent this product, but wasn't told to write a positive review of it. I'm usually sceptical of rave reviews like this, where I know that the blogger has been sent the product, but it was my choice to post this and I'm not being paid to write about it.

Sunday 17 May 2015

• NEW Revlon Ultra HD Lipsticks •





Revlon kill it with lip products and I always turn straight to them when I'm on a lipstick binge in Boots.


So I was surprised to find a new range when I was browsing the aisles as I hadn't heard much about the Revlon Ultra HD Lipsticks. I picked up Rose, an everyday light pink, and Hydrangea, a brighter, more corally pink. The colours look really beautiful and I swear I don't have anything like them in my collection........*angel emoji* 
It therefore pains me to say that these lipsticks just do not cut the mustard for me. They are slippy, hard to apply, accentuate the fine lines and dryness in my lips, and wear away after an hour or so. Unfortunately they aren't as pigmented as some of my other (drugstore and high end) lip products and application really does take a long time - I found myself applying three or four coats just for these photos, and even then my lipstick looks messy, uneven and, to be blunt, bloody rubbish. Now I'm a lipstick fanatic - I wear lipstick every single day, topping up whenever I need to, carrying around a make up bag full of lipsticks should I fancy a change in the day - so I have tried a great many different types, formulas and finishes of lipsticks... and I can conclude that these ones just aren't for me.
As you can see in the photos, they don't look great (side note - sorry for the crusty nose, I'm pretty ill at the moment). And as much as I don't like to be a negative Nelly, I have to be honest and say that even as I am wearing this right now as I type, they feel sticky when I rub my lips together. The lipstick also seems to bunch up around the outside of my lips so that part of my lip is darker then the rest; maybe I just need some lipliner, but for some supposedly quick and easy everyday shades, I feel like I shouldn't have to faff with lipliner when I'm in a rush. I'm just glad I didn't buy more colours as they looked so beautiful on the stand, in their sleek packaging and their pretty promo photo!

If you try these out, I'd love to hear your experiences with them.
It could just be me and my lips... or perhaps there's a reason I haven't seen many
bloggers/vloggers rave about these?
Daniela xo

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Tuesday 5 May 2015

• Meet my May Advertisers •


Hey everyone! My name is Charline and I've been blogging since this year. I daily blog about different lifestyle things. Mostly about make up and beauty-related stuff, but also interior inspiration, non-beauty things, my own music will appear on my blog every now and then and when I make a trip, I will blog about it too. It's a mixture of different things that are happening in my little world. Every Wednesday I will also give the opportunity to one fellow blogger to write a guest post on my blog about a life quote or a wisdom that they are passionate about. That little corner on the internet is called #NoteToSelf. I love connecting to other people and making friends over this little collaboration.
Feel free to come and say hi over on Charline Has a Blog. Free hugs for everyone!

My links are:



Hi, I'm Dalal a fourteen year old beauty, fashion and occasional life blogger from London. My blog is like a second home on the internet for me, you'll be surprised by the amount of time I spend on it! Everything about blogging is super exciting; meeting new friends through comments, writing reviews about my Holy Grail products and setting up props for my photos. I really hope you do have a look at my blog and enjoy what you read! Dalal :)

My links are:
Google Plus: Dalal Tahira



As a mum of 2 it has become my 'me' time, where I like to review, chatter & swatch Make up, Skincare and beauty products. Mainly featuring the products I use, love and highly recommend! Love nothing better than taking photos for my posts & typing away, giving my tuppence worth. That and of course beauty shopping!! (Goes without saying!) Before I buy any product I research, look at reviews and swatches. So here on my blog I give my honest opinion as I know that it's better to have all the information to then be able to make your own informed decisions. To buy or not to buy!! Chocolate lover, tea-aholic and all round 32 year old mum.

My links are:



I'm a 28 year old beauty blogger from Wolverhampton, UK. My blog includes beauty, lifestyle and photography. I love all things beauty and have recently started up my own YouTube channel to post make up tutorials and GRWM videos. I have a huge love for photography and I include photoset posts on my blog to showcase my photography.

My links are:


My name is Jess, and I blog at Just That Girl Online. I'm a writer & enthusiast of all things "Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle" related. I have a massive obsession with Lush and love anything Rose Gold, I do all different types of blog posts ranging from Lifestyle posts about confidence to Primark Hauls & makeup. I decided to join in with the blogging community, on one very boring day and haven't stopped blogging since. I write about products that I truly believe in and give honest reviews. I created Just That Girl Online to share my love and passion for all things beauty, fashion and lifestyle.

My links are:
Contact: justjess369@hotmail.com

I hope you enjoy checking out my May advertiser's blogs!
Send me an email at dannidiraimo@gmail.com if you're interested in free advertising.
Daniela xo
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Sunday 3 May 2015

• Sisterhood of the World Tag •

When the beautiful Faye from I Wish I Could Wink tagged me to do the Sisterhood of the World Tag, I was instantly excited as I for one love nosing on people's blogs and finding out about them, so I was looking forward to sharing some (hopefully interesting) things about me!

1. What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

Sorry to curse but 'f*ck it' from none other than my wonderful grandmother! She always tells me that the world won't end and life will still go on even if something doesn't go the way it should, and it's taken me a while to realise this but she's right. This little pearl of wisdom is definitely something I now try to live by because, as I'm a natural control-freak, I need to remember to chill.

2. What's the most played song on your iPod?

Hello chiche! But my most played song is Ed Sheeran 'Thinking out Loud'. My second most played is Years and Years 'King' - still loving this song.

3. Which beauty product makes you feel the most confident?

Probably my base, however I wouldn't say that I wear make up for confidence; I wear it because I enjoy applying it and feel put together throughout the day.

4. Kanye West - genius or douchebag?

Neither. The word 'twat' would suffice.

5. What's the first blog you started reading?

Suzie's blog from Hello October and I remember where I was when I started reading it - at the library when I should have been revising for exams in my second year of university! I typed 'October' into Google for some reason and then it came up with Suzie's blog... safe to say I spent the rest of the afternoon reading all of her recent posts and then found her youtube channel.

6. If you woke up and you were Beyonce how would you spend your day?

Probably in front of a mirror twerking! That woman, that booty... she is the Queen of life. Oh and I'd also walk down the street in my tiny little Cambridgeshire town just to see people's reactions! Then go to hospitals to see my fans and make their day. [I think I'm getting a little too into this fantasy...]

7. Who makes you laugh the most?

I'd have to say my boyfriend. He is genuinely the funniest person I've ever met and makes me laugh daily. He's the wittiest person, on the brink of being massively sarcastic, but hilarious at the same time.

8. Which book could you read over and over again?

Oh God, so many books! The book I've read about 15 times is The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. It's about a little girl during the war and is written so eerily beautifully that I recommend it to everyone. This is also a little sad but I have a perfect copy which stays on my bookshelf and a semi-tatty copy which is reserved only for letting people borrow it. Is that weird? It's probably weird. But I actually have a list of people wanting to borrow it, it's so good!

9. What's on your phone background?

Some pretty lilac tulips, taken from my instagram!

10. Do you think blogging is becoming too commercialised?

[I've written and deleted the answer to this question 3 or 4 times now] I genuinely cannot answer this question. My opinion on this changes almost weekly and sometimes I find myself getting annoyed at the sponsored and quite obvious 'Ad' content, but then I have to remind myself that these big bloggers and vloggers need to make a living, too. I believe that all reviews should be honest no matter how much you are being paid because ultimately you're providing your opinion on something that readers are unsure of, so you shouldn't write crap and let them waste their money.

Woah, that got a little deep there didn't it! Thank you Faye for tagging me - I do love a good tag!

I tag:
Tiffany - Hello Pineapple Juice
Jasmine - Magpie Jasmine
Ellis - Ellis Tuesday
Estelle - Let Me Go xo
Aashfaria - Aash's Little Talks

My questions are:

1. One piece of advice you'd give to new bloggers
2. Where in the world would you like to visit most and why?
3. Three of your favourite blogs and why.
4. Which social media platform is your favourite and why?
5. Five people you'd invite to a dinner party, dead or alive.
6. Which three products would you take on a desert island?
7. Best instagram editing app?
8. What do you enjoy the most about blogging?
9. Full on face or natural beauty?
10. Would you ever be a full-time blogger?

Obviously anyone can do the tag - I'd love to read your answers! :)
Daniela xo
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