Review: Tangle Teezer - Compact Styler in Penelope Pink

I was so pleased to finally purchase my first Tangle Teezer product. I'd heard about this brand for a while now but was never sure whether or not it was worth it. I have a really full head of hair and my hair is pretty thick. Once I've brushed it through, my hair is generally quite smooth and sleek but normal brushes tend to pull a lot of it out in the process.

There are so many designs by Tangle Teezer but I opted for the Compact Styler in Penelope Pink. This was slightly more expensive that most of the other designs in that range because it is a special edition for Breast Cancer Care.

Aside from helping a good cause, I also thought that this was so much cuter and was definitely worth paying more for. The baby pink sides along with the bows placed on the baby blue makes this too adorable for words! The design definitely swayed me to make this purchase.

After having used this once, I was blown away already. This is a genius product with it's ergonomically designed shape and patented flexible bristles, I definitely should have bought this earlier! This glides through my hair with such ease and comfort - my hair has never felt more beautiful. I use this everyday after I've washed my hair and I normally use it throughout the day too just because I love the way it glides through my hair.

The Compact Styler range was definitely a good choice because it comes with a cover - perfect for putting into your handbag without risk of damage or dust. I highly recommend this product. It is non-static and can be used on both wet or dry hair.

Get your Penelope Pink Compact Styler online for £12.25 from Tangle Teezer.
20% of the sale will go towards Breast Cancer Care.

Review: Floozie by Frost French - Designer Cream Ticket Printed Grab Bag

I'm very excited to share with you all my new purchase from Debenhams. I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with Floozie by Frost French, they create the most gorgeous products. They're mainly known for their extremely pretty lingerie but I also own one of their robes (a really soft pink one!) and a polka dot shopper bag that I've used as my university bag for the last three years. So when I saw this bag, I knew I had to have it straight away... it also said "low stock" which always encourages impulse purchases....

This gorgeous bag has a transparent exterior, which did initially put me off a little but, it comes with a cute pink inner bag that can be attached to the inside. After all, who wants the world to see what you're carrying around? There is a zip at the top which is a definite must-have because it prevents the risk of things falling out of your bag and also any would-be pickpockets. 

I normally wouldn't go for cream coloured bags but I've made an exception for this one because the pink inner bag helps to balance it out a bit, and the scalloped trims give it a feminine touch The bag comes with an array of charms attached at the front including one of the Eiffel Tower. I'm so glad I purchased this on impulse otherwise I wouldn't have got my hands on one! I can't wait to start carrying this out and about. I always find that french-inspired brands are so cute and classy.

I purchased this bag for £35 on the Debenhams website. The item is currently out of stock but I will add the link here just in case anyone wants to check to see if it comes back in stock. 

So what do you all think? 

Review: e.l.f Cosmetics - Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Sangria Starters

After reading some blog reviews about e.l.f Cosmetics, I decided to check out the website. To my surprise, not only did the products look really good but the prices were so low! 

I ended up buying a couple of lip products including this Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick. I've wanted a lip product similar to one of those Chubby Sticks for ages so, when I came across this one from e.l.f for a fraction of the price, it was a no brainer. 

I love the design of this with its crisp white body and clear plastic lid. I don't think cosmetics need to have fancy packaging all the time, simple is sometimes best. 

This product is a tinted lip colour with ingredients such as Jojoba and Soybean. Those are both very nourishing ingredients and it feels fabulous on my lips. The gloss glides on very smoothly and makes my lips feel very moisturised. There is no need for sharpening because this has a twist-up mechanism.

I opted for the shade Sangria Starters because it was the only one that was in stock at the time! I love it though and it isn't too bold. Great for the office or for a daytime look.

The swatch photo doesn't do this product justice. The colour gives the look of "my lips but better" and you can layer on as little or as much as you like to get your desired look. This isn't that glossy at all but I like it even more because of that. I don't feel like I'm wearing a lip product, yet my lips look so good when I spot myself in the mirror. 

In terms of scent, there is a small hint of mint, but this fades away within minutes and it certainly doesn't taste like mint 

Lasting power is good. This stayed on my lips for hours and it doesn't rub off easily. Even when I used a lot of water to rub it off, there was still a hint of colour left behind, though I couldn't tell whether it was the actual lip product or whether it was a stain that it had left behind.

If you're looking for an affordable long-lasting lip gloss/stick which gives a natural look then I highly recommend you buy this!

The e.l.f Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick comes in 6 colours and is available to buy from e.l.f Cosmetics for £2.50.

What's In A Name?

What's in a name?

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

- William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

When I was a young girl, I used to really dislike my name. I thought that the name 'Linda' sounded old and boring. I genuinely thought that I would change my name once I was older!

I don't think I've ever met anyone my own age called Linda. All the Linda's that I've come across are aged 40+. 

Personalised goodies were my favourite and it was always so difficult to find things with the name 'Linda' on, especially if there weren't many names available - it would most likely be names like 'Emma', 'Amy', 'Katie' etc. Luckily, I have managed to get my hands on quite a few personalised items over the years and I cherish them dearly!

Now that I've left my teenage years behind, I absolutely love my name. I think that this is down to something called "growing up". As you get older, you discover more about yourself and you learn to love yourself. Those so-called flaws and imperfections suddenly fade into nothing and you become more comfortable in your skin and your own identity. 

I used to have a friend who spoke Spanish and she told me that 'Linda' was actually the Spanish word for pretty - I thought that was so cute!

I'm glad that my parents named me Linda - I wouldn't have it any other way....

What do you think of your name?

Fake products on eBay - my experience with bareMinerals

This post is basically a warning to all you beauty lovers about purchasing cosmetics on eBay. We've all been there - an expensive product catching your eye and then immediately logging onto eBay to see if you can get it for a much cheaper price. 

After finally finishing my first ever pot of bareMinerals foundation bought from a beauty counter in Debenhams, I really didn't want to part with that much money. So I had a look on eBay. I was told that as long as they have lots of positive feedback, they can be trusted. 

I ended up purchasing an 8g pot of bareMinerals Original Foundation in Medium Beige. I paid £11.95 for it. What a bargain.... or so I thought.

The funny thing is, I never even tried to question how genuine the product was when it arrived. I just used it. I think I just assumed that if they were selling fakes then surely they would no longer be allowed to trade. 

Needless to say, it was fake. And it took me over half a year to realise! I even switched over to Lily Lolo foundation because I thought that bareMinerals wasn't doing anything for me anymore. AND I wrote a blog post about bareMinerals Original Foundation a few months ago, which I have now removed as it was a fake product which does not reflect the brand at all. I did do a blog post on the bareMinerals Matte Foundation though, which is a 100% genuine product. 

So what made me realise it was fake? Well I decided to get myself a new bareMinerals product, but thought I'd go for the Matte version instead to see if it was any better. Despite not questioning the eBay bareMinerals product at all, I still didn't feel too comfortable purchasing make up from eBay (which makes me question why I felt comfortable doing so back in September). Anyway, I purchased the foundation from Feelunique.com, a trusted discount cosmetics retailer. As soon as it arrived, I felt stunned. The colour was completely different to the one I got from eBay. I knew there would be a slight colour difference due to the fact that one was Original and one was Matte, but it's not supposed to be that much different. The texture was also different - the fake foundation was a lot more powdery, almost like talcum powder. 

I immediately started to panic. I'd always thought that my foundation had a weird red tint to it but I brushed it off and assumed that it was just that shade of foundation. Then the biggest tell tale signs were when I flipped the foundations over and looked at the bottom of the pots. The fake pot of foundation (which actually had a weird stash of paper covering it that I had to rip off) was missing several things including a bar code, a list of ingredients, and also the little jar symbol that tells you how long a beauty product can be kept for. 

I'm normally quite a vigilant person but I let my guard down at that time. I was a student in need of a new foundation and thought I'd found a bargain.

It shocks me that I've been using that on my face for over half a year. I'm just happy that it wasn't a harmful product because the results could have been much worse. 

I would personally advise against making cosmetic purchases on eBay. Yes, there are some genuine sellers on there selling genuine products. The issue is, how will you know? 

If you're looking for affordable cosmetics, my strongest recommendation is Feelunique. They're not dirt cheap, but cheaper than if you bought it directly from the brand and you'll also know it's the real thing.

From my experience, I would say that it is worth spending that extra money to guarantee that you have a genuine product. Skin is delicate and who knows what you could be putting onto it with a fake product.

Lastly, some of you may want to know who this eBay seller is that sold me the fake bareMinerals product. Well, I don't know what the policies and laws are on naming eBay seller's but I will edit this post with the sellers eBay name if I manage to find confirmation that it is okay to do so. What I will say is that they are definitely still trading on eBay and, surprisingly, have a 99% positive feedback score. The majority of this seller's negative feedback revolves around buyers claiming that the bareMinerals products are all fake. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope this has been of some use to you. 

Review: Oasis - Workwear Lock Tote Bag

There's been so much hype lately over some of these black Zara bags. I don't shop at Zara but I was nearly tempted into purchasing one from there. There was one bag in particular that everyone was going crazy over, I personally didn't rate it. 

Nevertheless, I needed a nice professional looking work bag. After a lot of online browsing, I came across this one from Oasis.

I absolutely love this bag. It looks professional but fashionable at the same time. The bag has a zip to it which I really like. I'm not a fan of bags that just button up, it makes me paranoid about things falling out. The material is high quality with strong handles. As for the buckle-looking thing at the front, you can pull the straps either side to latch onto it, or you can just leave it like it is in the image (so your bag is more roomy for storage). 

Size-wise, this is perfect. Large enough to fit a folder, a book, lunch, and essentials such as keys, purse etc. 

On the inside, there is an additional zip pocket which is again something that I look for in bags. It's great for popping your phone/keys in to save you rummaging right to the bottom of your bag,

I definitely recommend this bag. Great for work, but can easily be used for a more casual affair. The only negative thing I have to say about this bag is that it doesn't have a tough bottom so when you pop it on the floor, it kind of just folds itself over. If you're after something briefcase-like, this isn't the one. Once you've got a folder and some books in there though, it is a lot better.

The Oasis Workwear Lock Tote Bag is available for £19 from ASOS - an absolute bargain, especially as I bought it full price for £38! Grab yours quick before they sell out!