Life of Pi

 

Just a general tip-off that 'Life of Pi' is a complete gem! I went to see it last week and thoroughly enjoyed it, I would definitely recommend it if you're planning a trip to the cinema.
Not only is it a visual masterpiece, but it also has a deeper meaning and gives you plenty of food for thought. Such a beautiful analogy of our place in the universe :) Don't want to spoil it but... Mind. Blown.

XXX

Festival Essentials

Over the summer I was lucky enough to go to two festivals, Latitude and the Wilderness. They were both amazing experiences and I loved the music and electric atmosphere! The highlights for me were Laura Marling, alt-J and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros at Latitude and Benjamin Francis Leftwich at Wilderness.

I have to say though, even though festivals are so fun the one downside is camping. I actually hate it.

I don't mind so much sleeping it's more the fact that you can't shower or get ready properly at all, you have to brush your teeth with water from your bottle and try and get dressed and do your makeup in a tiny cramped little tent with a compact mirror! Its horrible!
Because of this I have learnt from my mistakes and picked up a few tips in terms of what to bring to festivals in the future.

1) Make sure to bring a mirror with you in your makeup bag, the bigger the better believe me - it is impossible to do your foundation with one of the tiny ones!
2) Denim shorts for me are just the best. It doesn't really matter if you get them dirty and they pretty much go with anything! My favourites are ripped Levi's but any will do :)
3) Knee-high socks are great for wearing with wellies. They keep you warm, stop the wellies from rubbing and look cute peeping over the top of your boots.
4) MAKEUP REMOVER WIPES! These are amazing for convience and for just quickly wiping all over your face before you go to sleep. Personally I have quite an extensive skincare routine but it really was not worth the effort of trekking to the sinks in order to use my favourite cleanser...
5) Tinted moisturisers - I hate wearing heavy makeup at festivals when I'm gonna be outside (maybe even in the sun) all day so tinted moisturisers feel lighter on your face.
6) Ear plugs. Obviously not for bringing to see the bands but for at night when you're trying to get to sleep! Normally at festivals there will be parties going on all night where they blare music through the speakers which you can hear from the campsite. Bring a pair of ear plugs to block out all the noise!
7) Small backpack/ satchel just for carrying your essentials around the arena.

And my NUMBER ONE tip for festivals is to bring a brick phone!!! You know what I mean - a little Nokia or Alcatel or something. Smartphones have terrible battery life but one of these will last all weekend ;)

Update on life blah

Hiiii everyone, having a seriously lazy day today, got a manicure this morning at a nail bar rounds the corner - chose Essie 'Mint Candy Apple', in loveee!
I realise I've been seriously neglecting my blog this summer, and I'm so sorry!! My excuse is that up until July I was working really hard with exams and so I really needed some time just to chill out, however I hope that now posts will become more regular :)
Over the summer I've discovered some great new (to me) skincare and beauty products - would you guys be interested in a skincare routine? Or more of just a general skincare favourites? I've particularly been loving La Roche Posay as I've had a few major breakouts recently
I feel like I should mention the Olympics... Hmmm... So yeah they were in London this year... Feel free to share your opinions in the comments! For us Londoners I have to say they were a bit of a nuisance, getting around was hell and it was so busy! Luckily I managed to escape to Italy with a couple of friends for 10 days, from the day of the opening ceremony to a few days before it finished. I had the best time and came back tanned and with blondey-gold hair - only downside is that now all my foundations are too light for me wahh!
Anyway - I hope you're all well and have been enjoying summer, please do feel free to make suggestions/ chat to me either in the comments or by sending me a message at blackeyebeauty@mail.com I would love to hear from anyone who bothers to read my stuff!
Xxxxxxxxx

The Perfect Pick-me-up?

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir is a product that is very much raved about on the blogosphere and YouTube beauty community. Put simply it is water in a bottle! I picked up the 30ml size for around €10 when visiting Brussels last week to see what all the fuss was about.
The scent is very much an 'acquired taste' I would say, the main ingredients are extracts of grape essential oil of rosemary (..wtf), orange blossom and rose extracts etc etc. When I first used this product I was overcome by the scent, it is very strong and sort of herbally-smelling but quite pleasant in my opinion. However, it may not be to everyone's liking and I have heard many people complaining about it (including essiebutton and Zoella).
I was quite sceptical about spending my money on this as it is not cheap (the full-size is nearly £30) and the first time I sprayed this on my face, in all honesty I didn't notice much of a difference. However... I've come to notice a real difference in my skin after several applications, and it leaves you with a much more glowing complexion. I like to use it if my makeup is looking a bit too cakey and I want a more fresh and dewy finish. The smaller bottle is also the perfect size for popping in your handbag to refresh yourself throughout the day.
I'm not too sure if I would invest in the larger size in the future, I've heard that some people like to use it as a toner but personally I think you can get better things for the price. I would definitely consider repurchasing the smaller bottle though for using on days when I'm feeling a bit bleurgh! ;) 
You can pick up Caudalie products in the UK at www.feelunique.com

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse

Quite a few of my friends swear by the Maybelline 'Dream Matte Mousse' foundation, an air-whipped formula for normal to oily skin. It comes in a cute little pot and with 18ml of product at £7.59, it was a bargain especially compared to other foundations I have tried.
I decided to try it and picked up the shade 010 Ivory, the third-lightest shade. I normally go for either the lightest or second-lightest, but this colour seemed to match my skin the best. It is best applied with fingers which is quite good for on-the-go I suppose, and blends very easily.
However, in terms of longevity, it really didn't last the day. I applied it the other day at about 7.30am and when I looked in the mirror at about 10am my skin really wasn't looking great. In my opinion its an OK foundation for touch-ups throughout the day, but really isn't very good if you need lasting coverage, so I would suggest using a different foundation in the morning and carrying Dream Matte Mousse in your bag.
It did live up to its name upon application, and certainly mattified my skin. The problem was it just didn't last.
Have you tried this foundation? What did you think?