I'M A #REHOMINGANGEL ARE YOU?

I'M A #REHOMINGANGEL ARE YOU?

Friday, 26 June 2015

Todays post is about something a little different to my usual stuff, but it's something that's very close to my heart. I've always adopted animals or taken them in because they've got no where else to go. I love giving animals the life they deserve when somebody else no longer can. I always look into adopting an animal rather than buying a new one, why buy one and encourage breeders to breed more, when there's already so many 'unwanted' animals. "New figures from the RSPCA show the charity received 3,851 calls about abandoned animals in England from January to April this year, that equates to a total of 33 animals a day". 

I've had many pets that have come from a previous home, from rabbits to hamsters, from cats to dogs. I love having animals around me. They're so loving and loyal, and just because they're adopted they're normally overlooked and classed as 'bad' pets. I couldn't disagree with this more, the pets I've adopted have been the most amazing animals I could've ever wished for, yes I may have had a problem with a rabbit biting me every once in a while, but I can live with that. 

I'm going to talk about two of my most dearly loved pets in this post, not that I didn't love the others just as much, I was just a lot younger when we got them so I'm not sure about their background. First up is my little baby Maisie, picture on the left in the photo. She is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is one of the most abandoned breeds in most rescue centres, which I can't understand at all because they're the most loving breed of dog I've ever owned. Staffie's have such a bad press behind them which leads to so many being left and abandoned when it's usually the owner who makes them into a bad pet, which can happen with any breed. It's all about the way they're treated. Maisie was given to a 72 year old lady as a puppy, which was not a good choice, the lady couldn't keep up with her activeness, so she was left in a room to roll around in her own faeces for a while. When we went to visit her, we had to take her, she was brown in colour all over and had rope burn on her neck, it was heartbreaking to see anyone could let an animal get into this state. We took her to the vets immediately, and generally she was all ok, she just needed a good scrub in the bath and lots of love. 4 years on and Maisie is still the happy, playful and amazing dog she deserved to be. I don't think I will ever love an animal like I love her, she is such a sweetheart, not a bad bone in her body. 

Next up is Sam, on the right in the photo. He's a Golden Field Spaniel, he was trained to be a gun dog when he was younger, but unfortunately didn't make the cut as he was more interested in running away with the birds rather than bringing them back. So he was put up for adoption. We're not 100% sure on Sam's past, but when we first got him he didn't like certain men, and would cower away if you lifted your hand near him, so we assume he was beaten badly by a man. Sam lived a great life, he ran through fields like there was no tomorrow, and cuddled up with you on the sofa at the end of the day. He was a real family dog. He was the best. Sadly, Sam was put down a few months ago, due to being very ill. There is still a hole in my heart from him not being here anymore, and I'm not sure it'll ever be filled. He was my childhood dog. 

Adopting an animal can really change your life. It will certainly change an animal's life for the better. Before you buy a pet from a breeder, take a trip to your local rescue centre and see what they have to offer. Just because an animal isn't all shiny and pretty, doesn't mean they don't have a lovely heart. It's amazing to see what some love and nurture can do to an animal, and how much happier you feel in yourself after making an animal's life better. 

If you're looking to rehome a pet, you can search for one here, but be warned they're all gorgeous and you may want to bring them all home with you. The RSPCA have a great advice page with everything you need to know about rehoming animals too.

Have you ever thought about adopting?

*This post is sponsored by the RSPCA, but all views are my own.

DOES MAKEUP HAVE AN EXPIRY DATE

DOES MAKEUP HAVE AN EXPIRY DATE

Thursday, 25 June 2015

The answer is yes. Makeup does have an expiry date, which is something I wasn't aware about until quite recently, and I'm awful at sticking to the dates so I thought I'd write a post to try and remind myself. In my experience, if it smells or looks a bit funky, it's not going anywhere near my face and that's the general rule I stick to, but there are expiration dates you should try and stick to wherever you can. It's a guide, and it isn't 100% true for every product. Products with expiration dates have a little pot thing with a number in it on them, so if you're stuck look for those on products too!

Primer: 12 months
Foundation: Depending on the base of the foundation they can last from 12-18 months. An oil based foundation will last longer than a water based foundation. This is a product which is generally down to your judgment though, if it looks bad or the product has separated, I wouldn't risk it.

Concealer: Up to 12 months
Powder Products: Up to 2 years
Eyeshadow: 2-3 years
Mascara: 3-6 months, this one definitely depends on how exposed to air it is. Do not pump your mascaras as this will let a hell of a lot more air in, causing it to dry out quicker.

Gel/Liquid Eyeliner: Up to 12 months, but these can also dry out quite quickly, so whenever it starts to go a bit crusty or it's hard to use I'd recommend throwing it out.

Pencil Products: It's advised to keep them for around 12 months, but if sharpened regularly they can last a lot longer.
Lipstick: This is a hard one, and one I don't normally stick to because they normally stay ok a lot longer than suggested. Most people say 1-2 years, but I just keep them until they look/smell bad, it's your own judgment really.
Nail Polish: 12 months usually, or when they start to dry up. You can get away with having them longer than this if they're kept in a cool dry place and away from sunlight, and refrain from taking them on planes.

Makeup Brushes: These can last you a lifetime if looked after properly, just wash them regularly, and replace as required.

Sponges: Sponges can not last you a lifetime, they pick up so much bacteria. Wash weekly, spot clean them whenever used if you can, and bin monthly at least.

I'm going to try and stick to these as much as I can because I hate the idea of putting bacteria ridden makeup on my face, or something that just isn't ok at all!

What's your best tip for clearing out your makeup?

EMPTIES #1

EMPTIES #1

Monday, 22 June 2015

As I was sorting through my makeup bag the other day, I picked out all the products that I'd finished over the past week or so. Obviously I would finish both my foundations and concealers in the space of a week, so I've been foundation and concealer free for over a week now. Yikes. My skin is thanking me so much for it though, I cannot wait til payday to stock up again! I thought I'd share my empties with you as I've not done a post like this before.

Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer is something I've raved about in blogposts before, you can read a full review here, but for me this is one of the best concealers I've ever used. I'll be picking this up again 100%, but I may pick up a lighter shade if there's one available as the shade Ivory is a little dark on me.

MUA's Cover and Conceal Concealer is something I picked up as a cheap concealer as I just needed a quick fix, it's not the best concealer for hiding dark circles, but I find this is a great highlighting concealer. I got the shade light, and it's good for lightening your under eyes and other areas you want to highlight. I usually use this along side a higher coverage concealer for a flawless look.

Rimmel's Match Perfection Foundation has been my everyday foundation for so so long, I cannot stop repurchasing this. It's so light on the skin and gives a good even coverage. It's not a high coverage foundation, but it covers everything you'd want to without looking cakey on the skin. I will probably repurchase this again as I especially love it in the summer.

My favourite nude lipstick over the past year has been Cheryl's Nude by L'Oreal and it's lasted me so long, I can't believe I've come to the end of it. This is a gorgeous 'your lips but better' shade, and I'll be repurchasing this one. It just adds a small hint of colour to your lips, I find it hard to find a nude to suit me as they usually wash me out, but this one works so well with my skintone.

Covergirl is a brand that I wish I could get in the UK, I'm so sad to have come to the end of this foundation because I can't get my hands on it again now. Covergirl's 3 in 1 Foundation is my perfect base, it literally covers every imperfection ever and doesn't feel like you're caked in product. It's lightweight and high coverage, I couldn't ask for a better foundation. I just wish I could get my hands on it again, and the shade range is amazing too, it was so easy to get a pale shade.

I rave about Benefit's They're Real Mascara all the time, so I'm not going to say anything except that it is amazing. You can read my posts on it here and here.

What have you been loving lately? 

TOP 5 MASCARAS

TOP 5 MASCARAS

Friday, 19 June 2015

Mascara is the one thing that I cannot live without. I haven't worn foundation for nearly 2 weeks, because that would require getting up earlier and I'm actually quite happy with my skin at the moment so I'd rather let me skin breath. I feel naked without mascara though, my eyelashes are so so light it's so annoying. I'm also very fussy when it comes to mascara which doesn't help at all, so I thought I'd show you my top 5 picks.

First up is a mascara I've got very recently actually, I only started using it this week but it's made its way into my top 5 so so quickly! It's the Max Factor False Lash Effect, it has a plastic wand which is huge, meaning that it gives your lashes so much volume. I find it hard to get a mascara that stays on all day and doesn't fade, as my eyes water so much, but this one does the trick. I can see this being a favourite of mine for a long time, this will definitely be repurchased.

Next is my all time favourite, you will have seen me rave about this everywhere all the time, and I always will. It's Benefit's They're Real, although it has a price tag of £19.50 which is a lot more than all the other mascaras in this post, it's definitely worth the money. Ever since I picked up the mini version of this mascara in an Elle Magazine I have repurchased every single time. It has the most perfect wand that picks up all your lashes, even ones you didn't think you had. It makes them so long and it's not clumpy at all. What more could you want?

Maybelline's Rocket Volume Mascara was my holy grail for most of last year, in between the purchases of They're Real, it does exactly the same job as the Benefit alternative and at a better price. It may not be the Benefit version, but it isn't far off at all. 

The next two offerings are by W7, a company I never thought I'd ever try, but they've proved me so wrong. Their mascara game is strong, I have to say. First up is their Souffle Mascara, this is the only mascara I like that doesn't have a plastic wand. Yes they may be a bitch when you poke yourself in the eye with them, but they work with my lashes better than anything, except for this W7 offering! It's a bristle brush, which I can confirm still hurts like a bitch when you poke yourself in the eye, but this wand really opens up my lashes and lengthens them so much. It's converting me into not so much of a bristle wand hater, I think. The packaging is also my favorite colour. It's a win win. Second up is the Lashtasic False Liquid Lashes Mascara, this is very similar to the Max Factor offering I talked about earlier, it's pretty much the same, but obviously a cheaper alternative at under half the price. It can be easy to make this mascara clumpy on the lashes, so you have to be a little careful not to apply too much.

Do you prefer drugstore or high end mascaras? What's your favourite?

TIPS ON ROTATING YOUR MAKEUP STASH

TIPS ON ROTATING YOUR MAKEUP STASH

Sunday, 14 June 2015

The other day I was sorting through my makeup collection, trying to justify that I need everything so I don't have to throw anything away or get rid of it. Come on we all do it don't we? That one eyeshadow palette you keep incase you're feeling daring enough to wear bright green eyeshadow one day, we all have one. As I was sorting through, I found so many products that I love so much but had just completely forgotten about them. I'm definitely going to make more of an effort to rotate the makeup I use daily so products don't go neglected as much.

#1 - don't buy things you know you'll never use
This is the worst thing you can do, as your stash seems to collect full of products you'll never use. This is also pretty hard not to do, as you will always buy something and justify it with some stupid reason.

#2 - always know the expiry dates of makeup
Expiry dates is something I didn't know about when I first started using makeup, there's a few things that live longer than their expiry dates, and things that will age well before. The best advice is usually if it looks different/smells different, I'd be hesitant about using it, and bin it straight away. I will be doing a post about expiry dates in the future, so I will link it back here when it's done!

#3 - get your storage sorted
Buying storage for your makeup will encourage you to sort out your makeup more, as you'll never be happy with the way it looks if your like me. In all seriousness, storage is the best way to keep rotating your makeup, and clear acrylic storage means you can see everything you have to stop you forgetting about products.

#4 - don't be afraid to be ruthless
If there's products in your stash that you never use or you don't think they suit you, get rid of them or give them to a friend. There is no point keeping something for that one chance that you might like it one day, by that time it could've expired and gone horrible. So bin, give away or sell it; depending on the usage and the type of product, but blog sales are usually the best way to get rid of unwanted makeup.

#5 - make the effort to switch things up
If you're like me and you wear the same makeup pretty much everyday because it's easy and simple it can be quite hard to switch things up a bit. Since I've started rotating my collection around a bit, using a different palette or shade of lipstick, I've rediscovered some absolute beauties in my stash. You may discover something you've not used for months and completely forgotten about, so make that little bit of effort to dig something different out, it could surprise you!

How do you store your makeup so you don't forget products?