Positivity Post #3

Hey everyone,

So I just wanted to say sorry I missed my upload on Sunday, but I had actually just gotten back from a DofE walk and I was not in a state to write.

Anyway, this post will be my third positivty post. Today’s thoughts are based around this quote by Mother Theresa.

I think this quote is rather breathtaking really but so true. I think we all have those days when you can feel pointless or that you might never make your mark on the world, but this quote seems to eradicate all that.

 What I love about this is the idea that even you matter in the overall scene of life, whether you believe it or not, I think it includes an important message.

You do matter. That is it. Be the best person you can, and be yourself as much as you can, because that’s what is needed to complete the ‘ocean’. There is no point growing to be a false person, someone who only laughs when others laughs or only wears what others wear.

You are an individual. You are wanted for the individual you are.

It can be hard to be your complete self, and it takes courage, but that is defiantly what I aim to be. I aim to become that drop; it may make a small splash- just affecting those you meet, or a bigger one- one that may make a memorable difference. That doesn’t matter to me; I just want to be there to experience it while it lasts.

What do you think about this quote? Share others down below, and let me know any posts you would like to see in the future,

Looking for Alaska

So in the month of May, I decided to read ‘Looking For Alaska’ by ‘John Green’. I chose this book because, one, it is written by ‘John Green’, author or the Fault in our Stars and incredible writer, and, two, it looks like a beautiful book. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, by my copy of Looking For Alaska is so pretty that I guessed the book must be pretty incredible too.

Looking For Alaska is a story written in the eyes of Miles, a boy from Florida. When he decides he is moving to a boarding school, he does not know what to expect. In Looking For Alaska we see Miles build a new life and deal with its highs and lows. This book makes you think about deep subjects, whilst still being funny and lighthearted.

Looking For Alaska has confused me. I normally say I like –this book- because… or I liked the subject of –this book- because it made me think of… but with Looking For Alaska, I really don’t know.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Although I've read John Green before, this being his debut book, it still seemed different. The book isn’t written in chapter, nor is it not separated. This book just seemed fresh and interesting, whilst the topic was something I haven’t really read before.

Looking For Alaska, much like ‘The Perks of being a Wallflower’, seems to me as a good book for teens, as it approaches the subject of growing up and finding your way in life. I often have thoughts about what we do and why we do it, what really is the point, and I think this book shows you how Miles finds his.

This book is not an easy read. It can be quite tricky to really think about the deep ideas that the characters suggest. It is not an easy romance, boy get girl and everyone is happy, yet it touches on the point of love. It is not a story filled with hopelessness, yet at points, it seems, each character contemplates it. So really, Looking For Alaska is a novel about many things- and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Looking For Alaska reminded me of real life, to be honest. It was written so well that I felt the feelings and understood how important emotions, such as lose, can impact a persons personality so much. How it can change their long-term views, short term views and the relationships with friends and family.

Overall I really like this book and I would recommend it. It is defiantly a teen book and is not suited for anyone younger than this age, but it could suit older readers. The book is written differently in my opinion, to many other books, so may also suit people who don’t read much. I give this book 4/5 stars and it has defiantly earnt its place on my bookshelf.

Have you read Looking For Alaska? Do you have any book recommendations or reviews? Please share in the comments below! Thank you, as always,

Empties #1

Hey everyone,

Well June is here already and I can’t believe it, summer is just around the corner now. This month I will be posting a lot of holiday themed blog posts, but if there is anything other you would like, just comment down below.

So this post is my very first ‘empties’. If you are unfamiliar with these posts/ videos, this is where I show you some products I have used up and my final thoughts on them!

To start I have a candle. I really loved this candle when I first purchased it, as it smelt gorgeous- in a vanilla scent. After using it several times, I have found that the scent isn’t strong enough for my as it doesn’t linger 

after I have stopped burning it. I purchased this candle for £4.99 at a Homesense store.

The next product is a shampoo and conditioner I have used all of this month. It is from ‘Herbal Essences’ and is the ‘beautiful ends’ formula. This shampoo/conditioner is meant to target split ends and is for ‘mid to long hair’. I had mixed thoughts with this product. I thought it did have an effect on my hair, especially in the first few uses, but after a while I found my hair to often be a little too straw-like. I have dry and often frizzy hair, and this shampoo didn’t really help. Another point is that the products are meant to smell of raspberry, but the scent was barely there. Buy theme here: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=266326743 , each for £3.79.

Next is a hairspray. I don’t use hairspray very often, so I normally buy cheaper/ drugstore hairsprays that last my months. This hairspray was the basic ‘Tesco, Everyday Value- Hair spray’. This is an average hairspray. It holds well, but isn’t good for long-lasting use. I also found my hair went dry and sticky and hard with this. I can’t knock it for the price really though, costing me only 37p. Buy it here: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=255934247

Next is the ‘Soap & Glory, Righteous Butter’. This is a really lovely body butter made with shea butter and aloe vera. I really loved this, because unlike the Body Shop Body Butters, this is a less solid butter and I find it easier to use. It’s got a clean fresh scent and is great to message into your skin. This butter has lasted me ages as well, so for the price is lasts months. You can buy it here: http://www.soapandglory.com/the-righteous-body-butter for £10.50, although it is cheaper in other stores or online.

This next set of products is a non-beauty related one. I am a very organised persona and love to colour code things, therefore I often write a lot in colour. These are my favourite ink fine point pens, and they are from ‘v-point’. The full name of them is ‘Pilot V5 Hi-Tecpoint Rollerball Pen Extra-Fine’. You can buy these in the normal colours- black, blue and red, but what I really like I the fact that the can come in pink, purple and light blue. I use these for school work or just generally keeping notes about anything. They write like any other ink pen, and the fine poing means you can also use them for outlining or art. They aren’t cheap, but they have lasted many months for me. Buy them here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilot-Roller-Ball-Pen-Turquoise/dp/B008LUQSR0/ref=pd_sim_office_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XQ0TECVCNZ34FJQ93NQ for £7.49

 

This next product is one of my favourite ever nail products. It is the ‘BarryM, Basecoat, hardener and topcoat’. This product adds a extra level of shine on your nail polish, makes it last longer and strengthens your nails in the long run. I use this all the time, either on top of a colour or on my plain nails (for school). This product lasts a long time, but as soon as I’m out- I have to repurchase! It is available here: http://www.barrym.com/products/nails/care/all-in-one-nail-paint.html for the normal ‘BarryM’ price of £2.99/.

 

The penultimate emptied product is one I use all the time, but I don’t think I’ve really talked about before. This is the ‘VO5, curl defining moose’ which is part of the ‘smoothly does it’ range. I use this product every time I wash my hair, and it works to hold my curls and keep them from dropping too much. I have used this for months and really depend on it. Lately though I have been becoming un-impressed by it’s effect. As I have been growing my hair longer, my curls are dropping because of their weight. If you have any tips or products for curly hair, please let me know down below! Buy the ‘curl defining moose’ here: http://www.boots.com/en/VO5-Smoothly-Does-It-Curl-Defining-Mousse-200ml_924238/ for just £3.79 now!

                               

The final product is the ‘Boots, cleansing and toning wipes’ from the ‘tea tree and witch-hazel’ range. I use these as an initial make-up wipe or to clean my skin. They are great for if you are quickly cleaning your skin but I also find they work well at getting make-up of. I use just one every night, to remove any make up. They also managed to get of the ‘They’re real’ mascara from Benefit, which I was very impressed buy. I love this range so much for easy, drugstore skincare. Buy them here: http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Tea-Tree-and-Witch-Hazel-Cleansing-Wipes-25s_1213600/ for £3.39.

 

So that’s all, did you enjoy this type of post? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, have a lovely June day,

My Travel Make Up Bag

Hey,

So this post is going to be my travel make up bag products. I am going away for a casual family long-weekend holiday, so I have decided to review my products I am currently finding essential. I’d like to say that this was a small collection and the holiday won’t include any dressy nights, so I didn’t pack for this

So to start, my little travel make up bag is this cute brown faux leather and navy floral print. I adore the pattern and the leather means it is easy to wipe of stains. The wording on the label reads ‘make me beautiful’, which I think is so cute and sweet.

The first product in my make up bag is my ‘Collection, Lasting Perfection’ foundation in the shade ‘Porcelain’. I ran out of an old foundation about a month ago, and wanted to try something new so I tried this. I have been liking this as an everyday foundation but sometimes I do find it a little heavy and hard to blend in on my skin. I think the shade is warm to your skin but very occasionally I do feel conscious of being tinted orange? Overall I like this foundation though, although the pump packaging gets very messy.  It is available for £5.99 here: http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Foundation_984439/

My powder is the ‘Rimmel, Stay Matt’ powder which I use every day to set my foundation and matt my skin. I love this product so much and rely on it everyday. I have repurchased this 3 or 4 times so far and I think it is great if you don’t want to spend too much on expensive powders, like me. The powder is available, in the new packaging, for £3.99 here: http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Stay-Matte-Pressed-Powder_1015573/

Next I won’t talk much about, it is a much loved product on my blog- the ‘Body Shop, Lip butter’ in coconut. I use this to moisturise my lips every day. Available here, for £4.00: http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/coconut/coconut-lip-butter.aspx

I think this product was in my ‘April favourites post’ (read: http://mydaisychaincloset.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/my-monthly-favourites-april.html) and it is my ‘Kate Moss’ lipstick in ‘08’. This shade is a lovely everyday wearable rosy pink tone. I would describe this lipstick as your lips but better, and the consistently lasts well. I use this lipstick all the time, just to add a little to my lips and I must say it is beautiful. It is available here, for £3.99: http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Kate-Lasting-Finish-Lipstick_1230439/

This product’s packaging has come away, but it is basically a felt tip eyeliner from Primark, yes Primark, and cost only £1.50. I love this product, for the price it is a brilliant make up item. I use this a lot to line my eyes and create different looks. It is well pigmented and build-able, and the nib of the pen is small which I find very useful. Mine is in a black shade, and has lasted me a few months so far!

Next are mascaras. I did a review on some mascaras very early on this year, (read: http://mydaisychaincloset.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/mascara-vrs-review.html) and basically I use two. This one is my ‘Max Factor, false lash effect’ in the shade ‘black/brown’. I like this mascara as an everyday mascara, because it extends my lashes and the ‘black/brown’ shade is really wear-able and cute. I find the colour less shocking, so good for natural/ school looks. You can buy it here for £10.99, http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-False-Lash-Effect-Mascara_641711/

The other mascara I take around is from ‘BarryM’. It is their ‘3in1, intense black mascara’. I use this mascara on weekend or when I’m going out. It makes my lashes look fake and bold, enough to extend their look and make a statement. I don’t use this everyday because I do find it can clump and the look is a bit too much for school. It is available here, for £6.19: http://www.boots.com/en/Barry-M-3-in-1-Mascara_947301/

The next product was a freebie from ‘No.7’ a while ago and I’ve been really liking it for spring/summer. The product is a lip crayon in a glittery pink shade, and I love to wear this with or without my Kate Moss Lipstick. It’s not as good as many other lip crayons though, and I am looking for a new one, do you have any recommendations? It is available here, for £9.00, although I don’t think it’s worth that http://www.boots.com/en/No7-High-Shine-Lip-Crayon_1310100/

Next is eye shadow. I don’t have any space for pallets so I am just taking one circular 3 pallet. This is my ‘No.7, good earth’ pallet that comes with a high, low and medium shade. These are great to build up looks or for everyday wear. I find these eye shadows last well and the shades are a lovely neutral set. It is available here, for £9.50, http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Stay-Perfect-Eyeshadow-Trio_1273275/

The last things in my make up bag are my brushes. I am taking my eyelash curlers (came from a no.17 set), an eye brow brush and 3 brushes for eye shadow. For eye shadow I have packed an angled brush, a lid brush and a small brush (to add contour shades).

So that’s all, I hope you have enjoyed this post and leave me a comment about your make up essentials in your travel make up bag, 

Book review: Insurgent + Allegiant by Veronica Roth

It’s time for the next book review of the month, and this is what I read in April, along with Divergent review that I already posted. Read that here: http://mydaisychaincloset.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/book-review-divergent-by-veronica-roth.html .

So after I read Divergent, I had to read Insurgent. Unlike the Hunger Games, when I read the first book I had to read on. I was sad after the first book and didn’t want the second book to be a let down and it wasn’t.

When reading Insurgent, by Veronica Roth, the original book began to feel so simple and basic, as the second book is a little more complicated.

Insurgent was such a good read, and again I had to force myself to obey limited reading rules and force myself to put the book down. There are so many emotions in this book; grief, anger, nerves, confusion and happiness, just some of them. This means you stay hooked, and even with a more complicated storyline, you will be absorbed.

One thing this book is filled of it plot twists. Throughout the book the plot will suddenly change and leave you guessing what will be it’s future. Veronica Roth is such an amazing writer, and uses plot twists to leave you constantly surprised anf shocked! This is a brilliant ability that she implicates in every page, and I would bet that no-one at any point in this book could guess its end!

If you haven’t yet read Divergent, PLEASE DO, as I’m sure you will love it. Don’t be scared by the fact it is a trilogy, and don’t be put off of you have already watched the film- this book is incredible and is the next big thing, so don’t miss out!

Please tell me down bellow what you think of my review, and any thoughts you have of Insurgent!

I also have read Allegiant, by Veronica Roth, the final book. This does not have the same gripping plotline as the others but holds the same, if not more, deeply moving ideas and words that feel so important to the way we live. The ending if unpredictable and although I have never cried at a book, I have never been so emotionally touched- to the point that I was nearly shaking. I loved this book, and the whole series, as I think it has taught me important lessons and has provoked thoughts that let me see this world in different eyes. Life is valuable, and through all obstacles we must find a way to be brave- to show the dauntless in ourselves.

I have great respect for Veronica Roth, she has bravery and knowledge, honesty, peacefulness and selflessness as well as every other possible aptitude. She has put a powerful story into the world, a touching romance but also deeply moving ideas and important life messages. She not relise that, in the hype her books are getting (which they do diserve), that they matter to the people that read them. I hope one day she can feel my gratefulness, as she is an incredible woman.

Please read the Divergent series, it is the best book and series of books I have ever read. It gives you fantasy and love, romance and guidance, and so many more things. It is a wonderful book.

Thank you,