Products I've Used Up // Empties #4

Hey guys, hope you're well!

I'm mainly writing this post today because I'd like to throw all these products in the bin, but also I felt like writing and so here we are, my fourth empties post. You can see the other three, here, here and here, if you like these! Please remember that those old posts are basically ancient now, and most are from 2013/2014 but I found it pretty interesting to look back on things I've fully used up throughout the years.

Anyyyyway, It's currently snowing so much in Brighton it's so pretty! I have squished myself into a patch of sunlight on my bed (I'm basically a cat) But here are some empty products I have used up throughout the year so far. I'll talk about the product, and whether I would repurchase!

The Body Shop Body Butters in Raspberry and Shea. 

I could only link to the Shea scented one, as the Raspberry was limited edition, but I really have enjoyed these. I have insanely dry skin, and also often get eczema so I have to moisturise after I shower or I'd probably shrivel up. (Like a raisin, and in my opinion, raisins are kinda gross) I got given the Shea body butter for Christmas, and whilst the smell wasn't my favourite I've ever tried, it definitely was the most moisturising body butter I've used.

I got the Raspberry one in the Christmas sales for half price- usually these body butters are £15, or £6 for a travel size version. But this one smelt like sweets! Adam loved the smell of this one too, to the point he said he wanted to eat it... fml. But I've used both up and I would definitely re buy more. I've used these for years now, and they have so many different scents to choose from.

Would I repurchase? - yaaas.

The Garnier Micellar Oil Infused Cleansing Water

I don't really see the hype with Micellar waters, because I always feel like they haven't taken my makeup off properly, but this one was very different! It had two layers, so the micellar water, and then a layer of oil, which when you shook the bottle all mixed together.

This really worked for me, and I was very impressed. I was expecting it to leave oily residue all over my face, but it didn't at all, and felt nice to use. It didn't sting my eyes, and it smelled pleasant.

Would I repurchase? -Yes, and around £3.29 It seems too good to be true! When I did go to repurchase it though, they didn't have this version left, so I've actually just got the normal Garnier Micellar Water, but I don't think it's as good as the oil infused version- cry :(

The Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser

I used up this Bioré face wash and I actually really liked it. It was fully black, because of the Charcoal, but it smelt nice, and always left my face feeling really clean, and not too dry or tight, if that makes any sense.

Would I repurchase? Probably, if it was on sale. Currently I have replaced this with the baking soda version of their facewash, which is also nice! I've linked to this on Feel Unique where its on sale for £3.49 at the moment!

The Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash

Again, another Christmas gift, but I really do love the normal Soap & Glory body wash, and have done for years. It's my Mum's favourite as well so always used to steal it in the shower, and blame my sister. Mum and Jemma, if you're reading, lol sorryyyyy

Anyway, this is a much fresher scent, and smells like limes mixed with sugar. It smelt good! Not sure if I prefer it to the original though.

Would I repurchase? I guess so. You can get a big bottle that has a pump for in the shower for £6.50, so it is more expensive than your average showergel, but they do feel very nice to use, and the smells they do are incredible. You can get Soap & Glory from Boots.

Sure Shower Fresh Deodorant & Dove Go Fresh Deodorant in Pear and Aloe Vera.

I haven't linked these, because its just deodorant, but I have used these up so thought I would throw them into this post! Out of the two I think I prefer the scent of the Dove one, as it was very fruity, but the Sure one was also nice, and smelt very fresh and clean. Why am I talking about deodorant on my blog now? What is my life...

Would I repurchase?- I'm not too picky when it comes to deodorants, and usually just go for whatever happens to be on sale so if these were on sale I probably would!

So, thats all the products I've used so far throughout 2018. I'm so excited to finally be able to throw these all away now! Let me know if you've used any of these and what your thoughts are!

Speak soon,

Lauren xx

Blogging Made Me Buy It // Glossier

Hey guys, hope you're all good!

I was sat in a dissertation meeting yesterday, listening to what other peoples ideas were, and someone is going to look at how/why people buy products because of YouTubers or Bloggers recommendations.  I am definitely one of those people, and always look for a review on a product first before I buy.

Words to live by...

If I need some new makeup, I'll often look for blog reviews or YouTube videos first, so I can see whatever the product is in more depth, and see it in action, but also to get other peoples opinions as there is literally nothing worse than spending money on makeup only to discover you hate the product. (I mean, there are definitely worse things in life, but hey- you know what I mean.) 

So, with that in mind, I can think of a fair few products that the blogging community "made" me buy, so I thought it would be cool to start a new series on my blog! This is by no means a concept I created and loads of bloggers also do this, but I wanted to try it out for myself too!

First up in this series, Glossier. 

This brand has suddenly sprung out of nowhere, but now I feel it is e v e r y w h e r e. Some of their stuff just isn't for me, like their really low coverage foundations for example,  but some of it intrigued me. After reading reviews, and hearing people I know in real life talk about it as well, I thought I'd see what all the hype was about.

I saw so many people raving on and on about how the Glossier Balm Dotcom was the best lipbalm they have ever used, and honestly I was skeptical. It's a lipbalm.... But me being me, and having no self control whatsoever, thought I'd try it out anyway.  You can get 1 for £10 or 3 for £25 which is actually ridiculously expensive for lipbalm (but you can also use it on any dry patches of skin) on reflection, and now I am regretting all of my life choices... but, lets carry on.

Originally I picked up the scent "Birthday Balm Dotcom" (Mainly because of the sparkly packaging, and promises of it tasting like birthday cake) And it was nice, but it definitely wasn't my fave thing ever. I did enjoy the scent though- tastes smells a m a z i n g. But this particular one has tiny glitter particles in, which don't feel any different on the lips, but I just wasn't a huge fan of how they looked.

I then wanted to try the Cherry version because I'd read it had a tint to it, and then I also thought I could justify getting the Mint version as well, to keep in my car. (How I justified this, I have no idea, but it was payday and I was pretending I had no responsibilities other than keeping my lips moisturized... lol) Fast forward to now, I actually am really enjoying all three.

I keep the Birthday one on my bedside table, the Mint one by my Makeup Mirror (it was being neglected in my car) and I keep the Cherry version in my bag for on the go. They are really moisturising, smell amazing, and I also really enjoy the clinical looking packaging. Even though I use these every day I still have loads left and am really enjoying them. I'd say if you need to bump up your Glossier order to get free shipping, definitely give these a try! Or even if you are just obsessed with lipbalm, I don't think you would be disappointed!

Out of the three, I like the way the Mint one feels, as it feels really tingly and refreshing in the morning, but I do really like how the Cherry one makes my lips look! They do also sell a non scented version, and a rose scented one with a pink tint, but I'm happy with the ones I have.

I wasn't massively into the Glossier makeup, as I personally prefer a more high coverage look myself, whereas Glossier is aimed at people who want barely there coverage. But, my friend Katy tried out the cloud paint and told me they were really good, so naturally again, my issues of self control came out to play and I placed another order.

I got the shade "Beam" and honestly I really, really like this, and I'm not even a huge fan of blush. I was scared of it making me look overdone, as I never use cream products, but the tiniest bit of this goes a long way, and it blends really easily and quickly into the skin, even over powder. I was scared this colour would look too bright on my ridiculously pale skin, but it actually looks incredibly natural, and I am very impressed! 

I also decided to get their most popular product "Boy Brow" which is described as a "grooming pomade." This has loads of rave reviews. I got mine in the shade Brown, and I do like it, but I wouldn't say it was my favourite makeup product I've ever tried. I use this on days where I'm not using much makeup, or can't be bothered to do my eyebrows properly, and it gives them a decent amount of colour, and keeps them in place all day. It's nice, but I probably wouldn't buy it again. 

So for me Glossier was a semi successful blogger induced purchase. I do really want to try out their Priming Moisturiser, face masks, and their highlighter, and also their perfume smells sooo amazing, but I am banning myself from buying unnecessary things for the moment. Living that student life...

Let me know if you have tried anything from Glossier, or if you would? 

Thanks as always for reading my rambles,

Lauren xx

Saturday Brunch // Redroaster Brighton

Hey guys,

Hope everyone had a nice Saturday! Mine was actually so nice, mainly because of my cute brunch date this morning! 

(Also though, because I read a funny news article at work about a woman who followed her handbag into a security XRay Machine, which had my manager and I in hysterics for about 5 minutes (see here if you want a laugh) AND I saw a guy carrying a dog in a backpack, but anyway... back to brunch.) 

One of my best and closest friends at Uni is currently doing a year abroad in America, but with the help of Adam, she came back to surprise me last week! She actually surprised me during some re-auditions we were doing for the show, so the rest of the production team were in on it as well. The pic below is a screenshot from the video my friend took, so sorry for the grainyness but I wanted to document it!

Anyway today was her last day in Brighton so we decided to go out for brunch before I went to work. I had seen loads about Redroaster Cafe so made a reservation for 11am to try it out. 

As you can see from all the pictures, this place is like an aesthetic overload. It was so lovely inside! Very instagrammable.... For drinks I got myself a Mocha, and Abby got an Iced Coffee and an Elderflower Mimosa, which looked very fancy! Also a random point, but the chairs were very comfortable! 

Redroaster are well known for having great tasting coffee, and mine did taste really nice! I added a spoonful of sugar to my Mocha though, but, I do have a very sweet tooth. They also had loads of drinks to choose from, and even some brunch cocktails. (If I didn't have to go to work after, I definitely would have given these a try!)

The food menu was quite fancy, but reasonably priced we thought. I went for the breaded chicken burger with fries (which were absolutely massive) and Abby got Eggs Benedict.

We both agreed we couldn't finish our portions, but it was really nice food! The chips also were so so soooo good, but couldn't even finish half of them! The food was presented lovely as well, everyone around us was taking pics of their meals! If you like breakfasts or food that is a bit different then I think this would be a good place to try! 

The worlds most awkward pose

The toilet was quite fancy, so obviously took some pictures in it... Now i'm thinking about it, its a bit weird, but anyway, looook at it. I read somewhere that this was apparently Brightons most instagrammed bathroom, which is a bit weird, but can totally see why. It even had fancy handsoap and lotion. 

Overall we both had a good time here, and the service was nice and friendly too. I'd definitely go back here to try out some more of their drinks. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and it was so different to anywhere I've been before!

It was also nice to spend some time with Abby, and after we finished brunch, we went and chilled on the beach for a bit before I had to go to work. Abby was one of the first people I met at Uni, and everyday since I've been glad I met her. She'll be my bestie forever (she has to, she knows too much) and even though shes currently miles away, I know as soon as she comes back it'll be like she never left. Abby, if you're reading, which I know you are, you're the best, and thanks for coming back to see me- I needed it more than I knew. *vom*

I've decided I really like going out for brunch, as it's just nice to sit and chat over nice food and coffee, so if anyone has any good suggestions in Brighton please do let me know in the comments!

Follow me on instagram @curiousginger to see what I get up to when I'm not blogging!

Thanks for reading as always, and see you soon.

Lauren xx

Dermacol Foundation // Review, Swatches, First Impressions

Hey guys, hope everyone is well!

Today I thought I would share my thoughts on the "Dermacol Makeup Cover" Foundation, as I have seen so much hype around this, and after trying it out for a few days I have some thoughts!

I first found out about this on Sophdoesnails' YouTube, where she did a video on her first impressions and measured how it wore throughout the day. You can go and watch that here, if you want to see it in action. I thought it looked quite interesting and considering its less than £10 I thought I would try it for myself.

Product Details:

So, this foundation is renowned for having i n t e n s e coverage. It has 50% pigment in it, compared to other foundations which only have around 20-30%. According to the Dermacol website, it is a popular foundation in Hollywood, and a lot of makeup artists are known to have it in their kits. I can see why, but I'll get onto my thoughts in a second.

Its supposed to provide "outstanding coverage, with a natural looking semi matte finish." which is a claim I will revisit later.

This comes in 16 shades (I believe) and to be honest the shade range is a bit poor. There doesn't seem to be many (in fact, none) shades for darker skin tones, which in 2018, I think is unacceptable, and is something I hate about the cosmetic industry. Makeup should be fun, and you shouldn't feel excluded and not be able to try certain products just because of your skin tone! Alas, I digress...

Screenshot from the Dermacol Website

I actually got mine from a website called Just My Look and you can click here if you are interested. It was £9.95 but at the time they had a deal where if you got any two products from Dermacol, you could get a free sample of their primer. (I think this is still on at the moment) 

I picked up the Acnecover Mattifying Powder, just to have in my bag when I'm out and about. I haven't actually used this yet, but on first impression it smells very very strongly of tea tree oil.

Their satin makeup base primer sample, I was actually really impressed with, and I never usually use primers. (A- because I'm lazy. B- I always forget) but I did notice it really smoothed my skin, and made it feel really soft. But, onto the foundation...

First Impressions

So when I got this, I was excited to see just how full coverage it really was. I decided to test it out on the tattoo I have on my wrist. Also sorry in advance if veins freak you out, this was just the easiest tattoo for me to try it on! 

The coverage is insane. Truly. And you need the smallest amount as well, so I feel this 30g (yes, grams not ml... goes to show how thick in consistency it is!) tube is going to last me a very long time. I did need around two coats to fully cover my tattoo, but even so, I was impressed.
Obviously the colour does not match the skin on my arms very well, and I can see now looking at it on a bigger screen you can see a tiny bit of the tattoo underneath. However I just did this really quickly, so maybe if I spent more time, and used powder too I'd get a better result.

I got the shade 208, because I am so pale, and this seemed like the best one after looking at swatches online. I did notice as well it was so difficult to find swatches! I'm hoping this blog post will be able to help at least someone!

Here it is swatched next to some other foundations I own (sorry for the awful pictures and dodgy swatches, I'm trying lol): 

I learnt a few things in this photo, one being all the foundation shades I have are completely different to each other, the other being I am awful at swatching. How do people do it so nicely....

The shade 208 is actually a really good match, and matches me a lot better than my other foundations. If it helps, I also use the shade "Mont Blanc" in NARS foundations, and I think NW10 in MAC (but i haven't used MAC foundation in years)

This foundation is so thick. It's more like a paste I would say, and a little goes such a long way! I can't express that enough.  On my face the coverage was just as good as on my wrist, and I didn't even feel the need to put concealer on, which is literally so rare for me.

I wouldn't say the finish is matte though, in my experience anyway. It is quite dewy and I do need to use lots of powder to set it down, but thats what I'd usually do anyway.
Having tried it for a few days now, I've found it does last very well, but I have only tried it with powder setting it as this is how I would usually do my makeup, so I can't comment on how it would hold up with no powder!

With the primer sample, it goes on effortlessly, and I use a beauty blender to put it on. Even without the primer though, it's still really easy to blend but it just takes a teeny bit more time.

I'd say if you are looking for a really high coverage foundation that lasts well then you may as well give this a go. It does have SPF 30 so I'm not sure how it would look in flash photography, but it does look very natural and not cakey in real life. It also claims to be waterproof which I haven't tested!

One thing I have noticed though, is that it does easily transfer, which is weird because at the same time it lasts all day! Maybe I am just putting too much of it on, or I just need to touch up with more powder, but I thought I would mention that.

I'd also avoid wearing this foundation everyday, just because I feel it might clog up my skin as it is so full coverage and quite thick. Saying that it doesn't feel really heavy on my face, but it's good to let skin breathe every now and then.

Overall Thoughts:

I definitely would recommend trying this foundation if you can. Especially if you have tattoos you need to cover, or just want to cover for fun. Sounds weird, but it was oddly entertaining. Also because it is so thick and high coverage, I always make sure I thoroughly remove it, and wash my face well before going to bed.

Coverage: 10/10 extremely high!

Longevity: 9/10 Lasts well on me, with powder!

Shade:  9/10 (but shade range is very poor)

Transfer proof?: 6/10- might just be down to how i'm applying it.

Finish: Natural/Dewy.

I hope this has been helpful to at least somebody! Apologies for low quality pictures, I am hopefully investing in a nice camera this year to go with my nice new blog, but in the meantime my iPhone 7+ will have to do.

Thanks for reading as always, and please follow me on Instagram (@curiousginger) and Twitter (@curious_ginger) if you want to be nosey and see what I'm getting up to when I'm not blogging!

Have you tried this foundation, or anything else from Dermacol? Let me know in the comments!


Love, Lauren xxx

5 Things // January Edition

I was scrolling through Bloglovin' this morning- which by the way if you're not following me on, please do so here it's a really nice way of following your favourite  bloggers and catching up on their latest posts! (cheeky plug) but I came across this post by Dena from her blog The Dena Edit describing a new mini series for bloggers. Named "5 Things" the general idea is that you round up the month with the 5 top memories, or things you've done in the month.

It's kind of like a monthly favourites post, but not with products, with real life stuff! If that makes sense...

Anyway, I really loved the concept, so I thought I would start it myself as well.

I think it will be nice to look back on in the future, so without further ado, here are my 5 things from January:

1.  I've made lots of positive changes. This month I was determined to stick to my New Years resolutions and I've actually managed so far. I have been drinking at least 2 litres of water a day (most days) and I actually have started going to the Gym twice a week. It might not seem a lot to some people, but to me I was actually terrified of the gym, as I thought everyone would just stare at me and think I'm stupid. But it's really not the case. (Except maybe that time I fell flat on my face on a treadmill...) I'm hoping this is something I can continue as I really would like to feel a bit better about my health/appearance this year. If not now, when? is a quote which really made me think about things, and I feel i've put that into practice a bit this month.

2. Acquired a house cat! If you know me at all, you will know I actually love cats. Just before Christmas we had a cute cat come running into the house, who we have named Pableet (I thought the cat was a boy, so called it Pablo, my friend discovered she was a girl, so Pablo turned into Pableet) but throughout January she started coming over at least once a day! And currently as I'm writing she is asleep next to me, so basically she's ours now! Yaaaaas. She has the loudest bell ever on her collar so we always listen out for her and invite her in when she's outside. I feel I'm sounding like a crazy cat lady now, but to be honest with you, I am a crazy cat lady, and I have no shame.... This is my current view:

So precious *heart eye emoji*

3. I Started up blogging again! Feel I couldn't skip this one! In January I decided I wanted to start blogging again, but start taking things a bit more seriously- whilst still having fun, of course. I still have a long way to go in terms of photography skills, and followers, but I have really enjoyed it this month. I definitely think giving my blog a makeover helped massively with my motivation, but I have been blogging on and off since 2013 now, so I think it's finally time to actually do it properly for once. So far, so good! I've had loads of nice feedback from people I know, and I was usually terrified to plug my posts on my social media, because I thought no-one would care what little old me had to say, but this year, I've decided to stop worrying about what others may think, and just do what I want to do! So far, it has gone well, and I'm excited to carry on blogging throughout the year!

4. Making a programme for a Musical Theatre production, is very difficult. I'm pretty sure I have mentioned on my blog before that I'm currently the Producer for my Universities Musical Theatre Society production this year.  By the way, if you're around Brighton in March, please come see! Its Jekyll & Hyde the musical, and we have some incredibly talented cast involved! Tickets can be purchased here! I didn't actually realise just how much work and effort goes into producing a show, and this month I've been spending most of my evenings trying to design the show programme, with a lot of help from Adam, to stop me from having an emotional breakdown! I'm finally getting somewhere with them though, and I am so excited for this term! I'm loving my role, and I think I will be quite sad when the shows over!

5. I found a lovely flat for next year! The picture of drinks is unrelated, I just wanted future me to remember them, and also, the restaurant we had them in is kind of near the new place. Alas, I digress. Myself, Adam and our friend Eddie finally found somewhere to live for next year! It felt like it took f o r e v e r but I'm glad we waited as now we going to be moving into a really nice flat, that even has a balcony! Anytime someone asks me about the flat, I mention it has a balcony. Admittedly the worlds smallest balcony, but a balcony nonetheless. We had a bit of a scare at the Estate Agents as when we went in to sign some papers, the guy told us someone had just beaten us to it! We were all so gutted, but about ten minutes later he phoned again letting us know he had made a mistake and that the flat was available if we wanted it! It's in a really lovely area of Brighton and I'm really happy and excited for next year!

So that's my "5 Things" post done for January. Overall, I'd say the month has been pretty good for me. There has definitely been some low points *cough* that all nighter I did *cough* but I'd say on the whole it was a pretty positive month! Let's hope it continues!

Let me know in the comments what stood out for you in January, and I hope you enjoyed reading!

See you all soon,

Lauren xxx