Review: L'Oreal Paris Miss Manga Mascara

Aloha, and apologies for the lack of posts - what can I say, for uni students this time of year is just known as, well... 'that time of year'.  But today I'm coming at you with a review which has changed my whole perception of high-street mascaras.  I present to you, L'Oreal's Miss Manga mascara.

Having spent a few too many years spending £20 or over on a mascara every 3 months, I just couldn't seem to bring myself to do it this time.  Don't get me wrong - I love the Lancome and Guerlain ones I've also mentioned/reviewed, but the high price tag is a deterrent at the best of times.  L'Oreal's Miss Manga mascara is only £8.99 in Boots (and I'm sure it's cheaper elsewhere, but what can I say, I'm a sucker for those advantage card points), less than half the price of most high-end mascaras, and just as good.  

I'm a big fan of a tapered brush, and this one is great for getting into the corners of your eyes.  I also much prefer bristles to a plastic brush, as I find the plastic brushes get coated with too much product and can make your lashes clumpy, whereas bristles give a more even distribution and more lash separation.  

I don't have particularly long lashes naturally, so what I really look for in a mascara is one that'll give me a good amount of length, volume at the base of my lashes, and strictly no clumps.

I think you can tell from these pictures why this mascara is my new found love.  It's very buildable, so with a few coats, you can achieve a more dramatic look if you so wish.  

For me, it's a hands-down winner!  Can anyone else recommend some good high-street brand mascaras?  How do they compare to high-end?

Love,

Ruby x

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Rainy Laze

I find Spring in England is so unpredictable.  One minute it will be glorious sunshine, the next, downpour.  With my 20 years of life experience, I've come to the conclusion that getting wet is simply not worth it and sometimes you just have to rock a mac.  Last Thursday was one of those rainy April days, but luckily this rain jacket, which was a hand-me-down from my Mum, had me covered (literally). 

Jumper - New Look / Mac - Peter Storm / Converses / Jeans - Urban Outfitters / Bag - Primark

I'm also totally in love with this big oversized jumper I recently got from New Look (in the sale, of course).  I'm a massive fan of slouchy oversized jumpers as they're so versatile, and this one's surprisingly warm considering it's a chunky knit - it's absolutely perfect for lazy, rainy days.  I spent last Thursday stomping between coffee shops in drizzly Brighton with one of my oldest and dearest friends Emily, laptops and books in tow.  We've both got a shit tonne of uni work to do at the moment, and so compromised by having lunch together at the Infinity Foods Cafe in the North Laines (ah-mazing) before finding various spots to study.  

Boyfriend jeans are also a Springtime staple for me.  One of the great things about them is that I find that the more wear and tear they get, the better they look (compared to skinny jeans - my Joni jeans are a sorry sight to see).  This pair are from Urban Outfitters but I've also in the past picked up some great pairs from River Island and Zara.  It's worth keeping your eyes peeled for this style of jean at carboot sales, too, as I've seen a pair of Vintage Levis crop up every now and again for a couple of quid - an opportunity not to be missed.  

I also have eternal love for this bag which I picked up while in Manchester last year for a fiver from Primark - and it's still going strong!  Some days you just need a good backpack so you can carry all your shit around without sustaining a spinal injury in the process. 

And to top it all off, a grubby pair of converse - bob's your uncle, fanny's your aunt, and there's my favourite rainy day outfit.  What do you lot usually wear on a rainy day?

Ruby x

PS - I'm going to apologise in advance for the lack of blog posts there is going to be this month.  I've got three essays looming over my sorry little head and until they're a thing of the past, I might be a little erratic on here - but watch this space!  Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' as I may also surprise you (and myself) ...

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Lips of the Month: Mauve Parure

 Hello, hello.  Today's blog post is a quickie on my favourite lip shade for this month... I'm getting big into my purple hues for lips, especially since I went a little blonder recently.  I guess blondes really do have more fun...

Nivea isn't a lipstick brand I would usually buy, and I'm pretty sure I even bought this shade for Halloween in 2014, but I must say I've completely succumbed.  The formula is lovely, it's so moisturising (as maybe would be more expected from Nivea), and has a subtle shine, similar to the Mac amplified lipstick formula.  This one is from the 'Volume Shine' range, in the shade Mauve Parure'. 

I think this shade is great for a night out, or equally good for jazzing up an outfit.   I'm a fan of the simple, understated packaging, and from what I can remember, this was pretty cheap too - it's an all-rounder, guys.  What are your thoughts on purple lipstick?  

Anyway, that's it from me, for now... excuse me while I burrow back into my 'essays to do' pile. 

Ruby x

 

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The Liebster Award

The Liebster Award was something I'd seen many a time on plenty of blogs, but until Emma from Emma Bought What really kindly nominated me the other day, I wasn't entirely sure what the Liebster Award actually is.  In a nutshell, it's a lovely way to give some recognition and a little exposure to bloggers with a smaller following or who haven't been blogging for very long.  It's a web-based award, given by bloggers to other bloggers, and was started in 2011.  

Basically when you are nominated for the award you answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you, then come up with another 11 questions to set to those who you then choose to nominate... So here are the questions Emma set me!

1. Why did you start blogging?

 I started blogging for many reasons!  Partly because I was so anxious last summer of having nothing to do for 4 months, partly because I wanted a way to justify my minor shopping addiction, and partly because I was in dire need of a creative outlet.  I used to write a lot of music before I came to university but once I started first year I stopped writing songs... so by summer I was clamouring to start writing again, just in a different form!

2. Do you prefer a city break or beach holiday?

I think if I'm being 100% honest I would have to say I prefer a city break.  I love beaches and being lazy and sunning myself to a crisp, but I just can't do it for the entire time I'm visiting somewhere.  I get really restless, and have these awful culture cravings!  For me the best holiday is a mixture of beach days and exploring cities. 

3. What's your favourite high-street clothes shop?

I have two responses to this - if money was no object, it would have to be Topshop or Zara (sorry guys, no points for originality from me here).  But otherwise H&M because I think although a lot of their stuff is poor quality, their sales are often gold mines of 70% off, as well as being h u g e - I love a good sale challenge.  I think they have some really beautiful fabrics and prints, especially some of the summery ones.  My only qualm with H&M would be their denim section... I've completely given up even trying on jeans there as I just find their sizing so mismatched.  Does anyone else find the same?

4. Which actor/actress would play you in a movie?

 I have to go with the obvious here and say Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films.  I would've loved to be cast in those films, especially as Hermione as she was without a doubt my favourite character.  I can distinctly remember learning some of her lines and practising them in the mirror in the kitchen as a child, to try and work out if I had a chance.... ha.

5. Which three singers/bands do you listen to most?

 Another thing which has changed a lot in the past few years is my taste in music... I feel like unfortunately I rarely listen to albums now and tend to go more for playlists, and I listen to quite a lot of dance music but also popular, folk, 90s and 80s stuff.  Okay.  Artists I like at the moment are Jamie xx,  Flume (if you haven't heard his Lorde remix please for the love of God click here), and I have this lasting affinity for Sia at the moment.  She's just such a bloody good singer. 

6. What's your favourite animal?

Sloths.  No hesitation from me.  I am responsible for many of the views on this video.

7. When you were growing up what job did you want to do?

Ooh, I went through many different phases.  In vaguely chronological order, a mermaid, a baker, a novelist, a journalist, a singer-songwriter, unemployed,  a gold-digger... I also went through phases of lawyer, GP, actress.  Now I think I would like to go into advertising and marketing or PR, but in all honesty my main requirement is that I have a job which enables me to be creative!  As long as I get to do that, the rest doesn't matter so much.

8. Do you prefer a nude lip or a bold lip?

For me it's a bold lip, I think.  If I'm going to bother using lip products aside from a bit of balm, I tend to go for a dark brown lip, red toned or recently I've even been loving lilac or purple-toned shades.  

9. What's your favourite makeup product at the moment?

I would have to say the Smahsbox Step-by-Step Contour Kit I bought recently (read my full review here).  It's just a dream to use, I'm falling more and more in love with it the more I use it.  The brush it comes with is great, too. 

10. Do you prefer to straighten or curl your hair?

I am very lazy with my hair.  It's quite thick and misbehaving, so I can only be bothered to wash it around twice a week, and always just let it dry naturally with a bit of Argan oil in there.  I very rarely curl or straighten my hair, but if I had to pick it would probably be straighten as my hair is naturally quite wavy so it's nice to have a change!

11. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I would love to live in Tokyo for a bit.  Also New York, London, and I love the idea of living somewhere in the Med for a year or so and working from the beach, managing my own PR consultancy or advertising agency, perhaps.  I would like to live lots of places while I'm in my 20s, but once I get to my 30s I'll probably want to settle down a little - for me, that would be in South England as I'm such a family girl, I couldn't be away from them for too long!

Wow, well done for getting to the end.  I'm such a rambler.  

These are my nominations:

Sophie from DENIM MONDAYS

Kara from Kara Chelsie

Fleur from Fleurypops Blogs

Alice from Way to Wear

Cara from British Mermaid

Beth from Toasty

Katie from La Coco Noire

Here are my questions:

1) What is your favourite base product?

2) Are you scared of anything?

3) What song brings back a funny memory for you, and why?

4) Your favourite meal?

5) What's your biggest pet peeve?

6)What makes an ideal Sunday for you?

7) What celebrity would you take with you on a desert island?

8) Favourite drink?

9) Do you have a favourite novel, poem or quote?

10) What country(ies) would you like to visit in the next 5 years?

11) If you had to pick one pair of shoes to wear for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Thanks for reading guys, can't wait to see some of your responses.  All the love,

Ruby x

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