Review: Eyeko Hydrogel Eye Patches

These eye patches are not for pirates.

If you're young enough not to worry about eye-bags and dark circles then you're quite lucky. Unfortunately, as a twentysomething, I do and I'll go to some odd lengths to keep those wrinkles, bags and dark circles at bay...

Inside the packet, there are two white patches that you place under your eyes. They're supposed to help reduce puffiness and the appearance of dark circles.

You're supposed to keep these on for half an hour. I had to take them off after a few minutes because my skin was stinging. They're ever so slightly perfumed and my skin can get quite sensitive at times. So, I definitely wouldn't recommend these to anyone with sensitive skin or eyes!

To keep them moist, they're kept in a 'hydrogel'. You know the jelly on Pork Pies. Yeah? It feels a bit like that. It took me a while to peel them out of the packaging and it felt very... gooey. I couldn't take a picture, because I didn't want to get goo all over my camera...

These are pretty pricey and I'm honestly disappointed because I've used the Anatomicals eye patches before without any problems. I'm normally a fan of Eyeko; I adore their Skinny Mini Eyeliner and even use Eyeko eyelash curlers, but this sadly didn't live up to my expectations.

If you fancy giving them a try , you can buy Eyeko Hydrogel Eye Patches for £15 from ASOS by clicking here.

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Barry M Showgirl

I'm a picky lady when it comes to mascara. Will this new offering live up to my very high expectations?

For starters, there are two different types of this mascara. The silver, which is a lengthening one, and the pink, which is geared towards offering more volume. I'm going to be talking about the silver one!

It costs a mere £4.99 for 7ml, so it's an absolute bargain!

The wand's quite thin and made of plastic. It easily combs through your lashes without leaving any clumps. The volume version of this mascara has a fibre wand, I think... Although, don't hold me to that, because I haven't tried it!

Unfortunately, I did have a little issue with smudging under my eyes (one of my pet hates...), but it wasn't too bad; and for £4.99, you can't really complain.

It's not the most dramatic of mascaras out there, but that makes it great for daytime wear. For nights out, you might want to opt for something a little more striking though. Showgirl is currently only available in black and there isn't a waterproof option to date, if that's more your cup of tea...

My final verdict? It's the first Barry M mascara that I've ever tried but I really like it! It's great value and, for the price, beats a lot of other high street mascaras which are more expensive. 

Barry M Showgirl mascara costs £4.99 and you can buy it from Boots by clicking here.

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The Elaichi & Yardley's

Saturday night this week = Curry and cocktails. 

It's not very often that I get to see my old school friends, so when we're all back in town, we try and pop out for a meal together. It's great to have a catch-up; even though they all hate my relentless obsession with photographing everything and everyone... Sorry 'bout that.

Firstly, we went to The Elaichi restaurant in Belper. It's an Indian restaurant (if you hadn't already guessed) and it was absolutely packed.

In a nutshell, the food was lovely. Despite being absolutely rushed off their feet, the staff at The Elaichi were really accommodating, attentive and lovely; even going as far as to hold the door open for us when we left!
(They weren't trying to get rid of us...)

After our meal at The Elaichi, we wandered a few doors down to Yardley's, which is a Cocktail and Tapas bar. We've been there a couple of times before and really enjoyed it; mainly because it's just far enough out of town not to get really busy.

A pitcher of Jessica Rabbit cost us £15, which we ended up getting about six or seven drinks out of.

I love the fact that you've got comfy leather sofas, candlelit tables and gorgeous cocktails. The atmosphere is so far removed from any raucous pub that you'd normally end up venturing into on a Saturday night out.

If you're ever in the area, you know where to go to get penguin shaped ice cream and classy cocktails. 

You're welcome.

Business as usual next time, where I'll be talking about some of my favourite beauty products!

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Seventeen Cheek Stamp

This is unusual, isn't it? 

It's a blusher that you apply by stamping over your cheeks. As simple as this product sounds, I initially found it hard to get to grips with (but that just might be the fact that I'm a bit of a simpleton...) 

There are five different shades to choose from and I tried the product in the lightest shade: 'Blushin'', which is quite a pale pink. The other shades were a bit off for my liking. Either too browny or too bright.

This works if you've got big cheeks. If you've got more 'subtle' cheeks, then it's probably going to be quite difficult to use this without looking like an Elf... And even with chubby cheeks, it definitely needs a fair bit of blending in afterwards; either with your fingertips or a blusher brush.

The quality of the blusher is good. It's nicely pigmented, so stands out well and isn't too 'powdery' on your skin. The blush is also matte, rather than offering a shimmery finish. On the negative side; it is quite easy to apply too much of this, but I think that's because the stamp itself sits permanently on top of the powder very tightly when it's not in use.

The packaging isn't too showy. It's a stamp in a box, basically. Who'd have thought? But there is a mirror on the top of the stamp, which is good for applying makeup on the move, or for touch-ups during the day.

You could argue that it's innovative or you could just say it's a little gimmicky. Despite it being a good idea; I'm not sure that I'd buy this again, because it's a bit of a faff. In all honesty, it's worth trying. You might like it and if you don't, you've not wasted too much money!

The Seventeen Cheek Stamp costs £4.99 and you can buy it from Boots by clicking here.

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Boots Essentials Cucumber Toner

Here's a teeny review of this ridiculously understated toner:

This is one of those little staple products, which sits there on the shelves on Boots, barely noticed by shoppers; who are more interested in those expensive products that shout about what they have to offer. This doesn't shout out, this doesn't boast about a load of unintelligible science-y stuff and it most certainly doesn't cost the earth.

From a personal viewpoint, it reminds me so much of my childhood, because my Mum used the cleanser, toner and moisturiser from the range when I was little and she used to let me cleanse, tone and moisturise my face at the same time! Ahh, memories...

Anyway... It's quite refreshing! The cucumber scent definitely cools and tones your skin. It gets rid of excess oil and cleanser that you've left behind and ensures that any bits of makeup that you've missed with your cleanser are gone.

A bottle contains 150ml, which isn't loads, but for such a low price you really can't complain.

It's gentle and Boots states that it's suitable for all skin types. Even though I have combination skin, with sensitive patches and eczema, this fantastic toner doesn't aggravate any of that. Good, eh?

This brilliant, but understated, toner costs the reasonable price of £1.50. If you're tempted, you can buy it from Boots by clicking here.


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Ted Baker Body Soufflé

 

Just a little post to discuss this lovely treat...

First of all, this smells simply gorgeous. The scents are: Rose, sandalwood, raspberry and 'a dash of vanilla'. The scent is quite strong; definitely enough to notice a while after application. Although, it shouldn't interfere with your perfume or body spray too much.

The full name of this product is: 'Ted Baker Treasured Orchid Body Soufflé'. Which sounds a bit posh, doesn't it?

It's lovely, thick and buttery. A huge bonus is that it soaks in quickly, so you won't have to wait around for ages for it to dry before you get dressed!

A little goes quite a long way; so one of these big tubs lasts for quite a while. It's also a great accompaniment to the Ted Baker body sprays which, if you haven't tried them, smell wonderful too.

Lastly, this soufflé leaves your skin feeling lovely and soft; without any lasting residue. So this is perfect if you're looking for a lovely little skincare treat!

This would genuinely make a lovely present for Christmas. 

(If you're one of those people who's ridiculously prepared when buying such seasonal gifts...)

A huge tub (300ml) of this costs £8 from Boots. You can buy the Ted Baker Body Soufflé by clicking here.

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October (Non-Beauty) Favourites!

So, I've been meaning to make my own video for ages... And here it is! 

How exciting!

It's a pretty basic video with a few bits and bobs that I've really liked using recently, and this post is going to go into a little more detail about the products that I've featured!

Paul's Boutique Watch

This is such a bargain! It normally costs £34.99, but is in the H. Samuel sale for £7.99 right now! Get it! Go on! Now! Quickly!

Now I'm picky when it comes to watches. I prefer understated, but not something that's going to completely pale into insignificance...

It's got a white strap and coloured triangles on it. One thing that struck me is that the second hand is a lightning bolt. (Get it... 'Struck me'? Ha. I'm here all week)...

PG Tips Green Teas

I know I've mentioned the Mandarin Orange flavour tea in my May Favourites. However, I've recently stumbled across their Lemon flavour too!

I'm not going to bang on about the benefits of green tea... However, they're good value and they taste lovely, refreshing and fruity. You can pick them up in most supermarkets for around £2.30.

EcoHydra Hand Sanitiser

It's getting to that time of year where everyone is getting ill and germs seem to be everywhere. Urgh. If you're a bit of a Germaphobe (fearful of germs, not Germans...) then this is a wonderful product!

It's foamy, like the ones that you get in hospitals. This particular hand sanitiser boasts about being effective against Norovirus, which is simply brilliant... Isn't it, fellow Mysophobes?

If you've got dry or sensitive skin, this won't aggravate it, as it contains aloe vera to soothe; and it has no alcohol in it either.

The Fault In Our Stars - John Green

I know I'm incredibly late to the party here, but I've only just finished reading this book! Yes, it's emotionally challenging difficult to read, especially on Kindles, which are electrical appliances; so therefore dangerous to cry on... Don't electrocute yourself, but do enjoy this book! It's not ridiculously popular for no reason!

Yes, it's sad. Yes, it's technically aimed at teenagers. No, it's not got a happy ending... But I'm sure you'll be glad that you've read it. If you haven't already, that is!

Primark Makeup Bag

This lovely Cath-Kidston-Esque makeup bag only costs £3. £3, everybody! It's simply a bargain of the highest order. 

It's also huge! Which is perfect if you like to take everything but the kitchen sink out and about with you!

I reckon that this would also make a fantastic Christmas gift, if you're into buying presents this early. 

*Shameless Plug* 

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Blogging Tips

New to blogging? Or lost your blogging mojo? Read on for plenty of advice!

It's worth noting that I'm definitely not some kind of blogging deity... I'm relatively new to this, but here are some tips that I've picked up so far:

Appreciate Your Followers

Your followers and readers are the ones who ensure you keep blogging. Appreciate them. Without them, there'd be little point in you even bothering. It doesn't matter if you've got three or 3000 followers, be grateful for their support.

Use Twitter

Twitter is a great platform for attracting more readers. A large chunk of my readers now come here directly from Twitter.

I use Hootsuite to schedule tweets to promote my blog when I'm out or busy. That way, I know that I don't have to keep on revisiting Twitter constantly throughout the day.

Don't spam your followers though! Post a maximum of four tweets a day when you publish a new post. Also ensure that those tweets are posted with intervals and that they're scheduled for peak times.

Don't expect miracles

You're not going to become a success overnight. It takes time to hone your writing skills. Keep on grafting and rest assured that someday it'll pay off.

Publish Regularly

Write as often as you can. I've written something nearly every day for the past month, despite not having published every day. Readers will show more interest in you if you can prove that you're taking your blog seriously.

Get Organised

I like lists. There, I've said it. I also like making tables and schedules. Which is probably why I don't have any friends... It's really helpful to devise a loose schedule for every day of the month. Even if you're not planning on publishing every day; it really helps you to know when you can find the time to write drafts, take photographs and edit photos and posts.

Don't Be Hard on Yourself & Learn from Your Mistakes

So your latest post didn't exactly take off like you expected? That's okay. Learn from it and move on. Now you know that not as many people are interested in cheap blusher as you thought. Harness that and bear it in mind when creating new posts.

Don't be a careerist idiot

Nobody likes fickle followers. You know, the ones who follow you, wait for you to follow them back (out of courtesy) and then they unfollow you so it bumps their follower number up? Don't be one of those people, please. You're better than that.

If you're hemorrhaging followers, then that's perhaps something that you need to address, but when it's those 'careerist' bloggers and vloggers that are messing you around, don't be too hard on yourself. It's their agenda to try and get their 'follower' number higher than their 'following' number... That's their main concern and it's incredibly shallow.

♥ If you only want to be 'Internet Famous' you're blogging for all the wrong reasons. ♥

It's more important to network than it is to have a ridiculously high follower number. You're guaranteed to annoy people if you follow-unfollow. It's rude, arrogant and rightly makes people think that you've got a high sense of self-importance.

It's not confined to Twitter and Instagram, but also rife on Bloglovin' too. (This is seriously one of my pet hates and if you do it to me, I will unfollow you back on principle, you numpty).

Put Effort into Photography

What's the first thing that readers see? Your photos. It really pays to ensure that they look impressive. 

If you can afford it, use a DSLR. I recently upgraded my old Pentax K-X to a Canon 600D. Expensive as they are, they allow you to really take control over your photos and the quality that they produce is wonderful. If you're not into photography, at least have a crack at it!

- Try and take your photos in daylight too. I'm guilty of this and it can't be helped at times, but photos taken in artificial light never look as good as ones taken in natural light.

- Focus on the product. Take photos from several angles and decide which ones look best afterwards. If you don't have Photoshop or aren't adept at editing, use a free online editor instead. I use Pic Monkey (www.picmonkey.com). 

- Take photos with the light behind you, not facing into the light! I can't stress how much better this'll make your pics look!

- Lastly, try and alternate the background of your photos to keep them looking fresh!

Pat Yourself on the Back!

At the time of writing this, I've been writing my blog for about three months, but in that time I've picked up a vast number of new skills: Photography skills, blogging skills, photo editing skills, SEO skills, basic HTML coding skills, Social Media skills... The list is endless! Be proud of what you've achieved so far and look forward to learning even more skills in the future!

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