3 years and 2 Brit awards later and finally he's back! After 3 painstakingly long years of impatiently waiting for a follow up to his debut album Every Kingdom, Ben Howard is back with his amazing second album I Forget Where We Were.
I've worn out my Every Kingdom CD and have spent the last few years, soon after hearing Every Kingdom, waiting for the second album to drop even when there was no evidence that there would actually be a second one. But here we are! There now is a second album and I'm over the moon that it's here. 
Like all artist's second album, Ben Howard's is no different as he explores other ways of playing songs and by doing this Ben has delivered to us an album a lot deeper than we're used to from him. The mood of the album, I feel, was set by the single released under the same name as the album I Forget Where We Were. The song gives a more darker sound with electric guitars accompanied by some beautiful poetic lyrics that sometimes are hard to figure out what the real meaning is but that's something I like about songs; a bit of mystery behind the lyrics ever hurt anyone and, being open to interpretation means people can relate to them for many different reasons.
The same theme carries on to the other tracks such as End of the Affair- a lengthy seven minute with changing dynamics throughout its duration and where Ben shows off all he is capable of in one song. 
Just like Every Kingdom, the album carries some thought provoking songs where the lyrics are open to interpretation as well as carrying the familiar emotive tone that Ben's song's carry and that I love.
Each track I love for a different reason but one of my personal favourites is Time Is Dancing. It's the song off the album that I always get list in and end up closing my eyes ad, if I'm doing something, I will stop and just listen.
I stop at just the one favourite because I know if I carry on, I'll end up just listing the whole track list.
But I would check out Conrad and All Now Is Harmed.

Right I'll stop now.

And River In Your Mouth.

Just check out the whole album!

Ben Howard's voice is an enchanting and rare find and I will be wearing this CD out just as much as the first but fingers crossed I won't have to wait another three years for the next.

Also last thing and a tip for other musical artists- if you're going to bring out a CD follow in Ben's brilliant foot steps and include a poster; it's greatly appreciated!

I really hope you enjoyed this CD review and I really recommend checking it out if you haven't already. If you have, what did you think of it?
Let me know if there's any new releases you'd like me to review in the future!
Hope you're doing great,


I decided that being half term for me as well as I know that today's earlier post isn't the most interesting I thought I would treat you to two today! I promised I would post my autumn day out look to go along with my night out look that is already published so here it is! I don't want a heavy base but I've been breaking out a lot recently so I wanted a light coverage foundation that is build able with reasonable coverage so I went for my Rimmel Match Perfection. Another perk to this foundation is that it doesn't cling to any dry patches so it's perfect when my skin is going through a dry spell which is very often in Autumn/Winter. For the rest my base I used 17 Stay Time Concealer under my eyes and Collection Lasting Perfection on any blemishes. I then moved on to eyes where I used just my Naked Basics Palette. I started by taking the skin colour W.O.S all over the lid and then taking the ash brown colour called Naked 2 in the outer half of my eye and then using the darker brown - faint- in the outer V to add a little bit more definition. I wanted something quite simple as the lips are definitely the focus of this look. I've been using Naked 2 from the Naked Basics palette  for my eyebrows as well as it's not as orange as some brow colours look and I've been loving using it. I then also use my Rimmel Brow This Way Brow Set in Blonde to set them in place. I finish the eyes off with a coat of Maybelline the Falsies on my top and bottom lashes.
Back to the face, I decided to do an all over bronze with my L'oreal Glam Bronze and the taking my new Make Up Revolution Palette in Hot Spice, I took the shimmery marble blush and sweep it along the top of my cheek bones lightly.
For lips, I planned on going for a bright red lip with 17 In fared but, after making a small purchase and falling slightly in love with it, I decided to wear my Collection Work The Colour Lip Butter in Perfect Plum. It's so moisturising as well as have great colour pay off. It's a colour I would normally shy away from but I've been loving it recently and  think it's a great autumnal lip colour!

And that's everything! I hope you liked this look. What do you switch up with your make up in Autumn?
Hope you're doing great,

 Being at college, on weekdays I still get up at half 6 but when it comes to weekends...that's another story! I'll sleep in till late and then just have time to do some homework and write a blog post and before I know it, it's dark outside and I'm watching films in bed. I was set the challenge by http://www.freeofficefinder.com/ to face the day with an early start. The aim of the challenge is to get up earlier than usual and make the most of your day and that I did so when I was set the challenge I accepted it in hope that I would get more out of my weekends!
I set an alarm for 8 o'clock(I need a little bit of a lie in come on!). I grabbed breakfast and, after getting dressed, I got all my work out of the way. I finished my work at 10 o'clock and didn't know what to do with myself! I sat and planned some upcoming posts and I had time to read; something I've not had time to do at home for a few weeks now and have usually just crammed a few chapters in in my frees.
Getting up just a little earlier really made all the difference and I had time to do things I would usually only get to do in half terms like go for a walk that wasn't for photography purposes but just because I wanted to go out for some fresh air.
I also had time to make the most amazing Victoria Sponge cake (it's always best with real strawberries and cream) which was absolutely gorgeous. This has really motivated me to get up earlier every day including weekends and conquer the day.

When I'd finished all of this, it was now around 3 and so I thought I would carry on with a bit of blogging before getting an early night so I could ,hopefully, manage another early morning the next day and I did!

Do you get up early? If not I think you should and see the difference it makes!
Hope you're doing great,
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*This post is sponsored but all opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by the brand(s) mentioned.
I'm finally writing up about the final stretched of my travels. It seems like so long ago now and I can't believe I'm only just getting round to writing this last installment. After enjoying breakfast at the hotel in Switzerland, we got a taxi to the train station where we caught another train to Innsbruck where we picked up our hire car and headed on a 2 hour car journey to Zell am See where we would be staying for the week. When I was tiny, we stayed in something I can only describe as an overseas Butlins. It was great for when I was younger with all sorts of activities on your static caravan's door step. While we wouldn't be using it for that this time around, with a car as well, it was a great base for us and we could finally enjoy home cooked meals. When we arrived later that day, we'd already decided we weren't going to do much but after unpacking we quickly got bored and headed down into the town where we had an explore and a walk around the picturesque lake.
After a sleeping in a very cold bed, we headed up on a day in the car up a lot of windy roads to go and view the Austrian Alps. The journey up consisted of a lot of wincing for my mother who was convinced my dad would drive us over the edge plummeting to our death. Of course that didn't happen but I let my mum off because my dad's driving really isn't the safest. The views on the way up were beautiful and it was the same on the way down. When we reach the top, the view we saw was spectacular.

Day 2 of Austria and we decided to head to something suggested by the team at the camp site but when we got there it wasn't at all what we were expected so we turned to plan B and headed to Krimml where Dad knew there was a beautiful waterfall. It was a short walk down before we got the waterfall and the spray was insane! We weren't in the most sensible shoe wear so we decided it was best to not try and climb the slippery rocks and instead just watch others climb the rocks in their ponchos and dolly shoes as they got blown everywhere. We spotted a viewing platform about the waterfall so me and my dad headed up there to get a photography and my way the view spectacular; even with the misty clouds produced by the waterfall causing the view to be foggy, it was still beautiful.
Day 5 and it was a rainy day. I had a lie in because all it was doing outside was raining. When we finally left our accommodation, the only thing we could think to do in the bad over cast weather was to go for a drive. We decided to head out Austria and into Germany and have a little explore. We spent the day in the car but we saw some amazing views.

After quite a disappointing 5th day, I was so excited for what we had in stall for the next day. It was one of the things I want to do myself in particular and that was a walk up a gorge. It was called the Kitz Loch Klamm.It was basically a gorge that had been turned into a place safe for the public with stair ways and bridges so you could appreciate all that was to offer; it was my favourite day of them all and probably the best walks I've ever been on!

After such an amazing day, it was another disappointing day to finish on as it was a miserable day and we were all tired as the travelling had really caught up with all of us. We decided to take one last drive around Austrian Valleys and spend a little more time in Zell Am See looking around the town and taking a trip back down to the gorgeous lake.
Austria was amazing along with the other places we visited over Summer. Writing this now seems like it was so long ago that we were even on the holiday let alone planning the trip. I've loved reminiscing on the trip and I've learnt so much from the two weeks of travel. I hope you've enjoyed this re cal along with the others.
Do you have any recommendations for countries to go to?
Hope you're doing great,




Everyone needs a good pamper now and then and I decided to share with you what I do do make myself feel lovely and pampered when I just want to kick back and relax.

The Bubble Bath. This is the key element to a good pamper and so I run myself and nice, warm bath and fill it with bubbles; a favourite of mine is the Soap & Glory Calm One Calm All because the scent isn't to over powering or sweet; it's just perfect. Sometimes, if I want treat myself I'll throw in a bath bomb but it's actually been years since I've done that so maybe you could give me some bath bomb recommendations? A lot of my pampering is done in the bath; I tie my hair back and apply a face mask and my favourite is the Superdrug Aloe Vera Deep Cleansing Mud Mask. This is such an affordable face mask and has lasted my ages. It always gives great results and always makes my feel pampered! While it can be a chore, I like to shave my legs on a pamper evening because there's nothing better than getting in to bed with silky smooth legs. For this I either use a Venus razor with the soap bars or a simple razor with the great Tesco Shaving Foam; it smells amazing! I then exfoliate my legs and my feet and then apply my Nivea In Shower Moisturiser over my body so everywhere is now super silky. After relaxing in the bath for about half an hour, it's then I normally think it's best to get out.

Let the Pampering Continue. It doesn't stop when I get out of the bath oh no! I usually now wipe off my face mask with a flannel and apply a very hydrating moisturiser- usually Garnier Moisture Match- before slipping on my pyjamas and wooly socks. Especially round this time of year, I feel a hot chocolate is in order and once my mug is in hand (usually accompanied by marshmallows and biscuits) I get snug in to bed where I either watch a film or read a book.

Ambiance. I go all out when it comes to pampering and everything has to feel relaxing so I always light some candles while I'm in the bath as well as in my bedroom. I also but on my fairy lights because everything feels better when the fairy lights are on. In the bath, I will always listen to some of my slower playlists off 8tracks or, if I just wanted an album, I'd lay Ben Howard or Bon Iver.

So that's what I do to achieve a perfect pamper evening!
What do you do to pamper yourself?
Hope you're doing great,


It's been too long since I've wrote about what I've been reading and it's not like I have no books to tell you about but it happened again; where I start reading a book and just can't finish it. I finally powder through and finished it and I now have some books to discuss with you.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner.
This is the second in The Maze Runner trilogy and was my favourite of the three. It's seems like ages since I read it but there's a part in particular that I still remember and stand out to me especially the parts that casused me to stay up all night because I couldn't wait till the next day to read on! This book really had me on the edge of my metaphorical seat throughout the whole book and I loved how they carried on the trials from the first book into this one along with seeing how things unfolded. I did get confused at some points with the amount of double crossing and I kept having to second guess myself and re read parts.I still, however, had a lot of questions that still needed answering when I finished and I hoped those would be answered in the final book.

The Death Cure by James Dashner.
I moved straight on to the last book and I'm going to point out here that I actually thought that this was the second to last book in the series as I'd seen four different books in the shop. It was only when I finished reading this book that I discovered it was actually the prequel I kept seeing; I felt a bit dumb when discovering this! This book carried on from the last- following the same pattern of trying to get away from WICKED and stay alive etc. I really enjoyed certain elements of this book and I did like how each book in this series just followed the same way of telling the story and there was no dramatic change of tone that I've found with other trilogys. I thought I would get to the end of this book and all my questions would be answered but, this didn't happen which was disappointing. I still didn't know why Thomas and Theresa were part of WICKED and who all the characters were before the trials which I hoped would have been explained. I also felt the ending was an easy way out and no risks were taken with it; I felt there could have been a better way to finish it and I felt that maybe they could of squeezed in another book into this series to help answer all questions and finish things off nicely and not rushed; I think the fact there were many unanswered questions was may be a reason James Dashner decided a prequel was needed. Overall, I loved the trilogy and if you would like an even more in depth review of the trilogy just like I did with Divergent I can do that for you but for now I will ask you to please read this trilogy to hopefully enjoy it as much as I did. The prequel is something I need to read soon.

The Four Collection by Veronica Roth.
Speaking of Divergent, I finally got my hands on an extra addition to the Divergent series after thinking I pre ordered this on Amazon only to realise I ordered the paperback that would only come out next year (that's two dumb things in one post;what's wrong with me!). Once the right book arrived, I was so excited to see what this additional book had to offer. In all honesty, I can't remember a lot of it but from what I can remember I did enjoy getting to see more of Tobias(four)'s view on situations in the Dauntless compound and how he was feeling at each point including when he first met Tris. I also loved seeing how he acted when he found out he was Divergent himself. It wasn't the most thrilling book I've read but it isn't really a proper book. I did enjoy reading it though and if you're fan of Divergent, you should definitely check this out!

The 100 by Kass Morgan.
This was the book that stopped my reading roll. After watching the great TV series it was, I knew I'd have to read the book. As soon as I started the book I knew it was going to be completely different from the TV series. There were different characters- some extras and some not there completely. This is a hard one to explain unless you've seen the TV show for yourself but being such a fan of the TV show, I was saddened to see some of the characters not in the book. Because it was so different, it kind of put me off reading the book even though I know the book comes before the series. I'm sure if I had the book before the series, my opinion may have differed but I will say that, either way, the action element was what this book was lacking. I didn't feel as though I could properly imagine the action scenes. Having said that, it's not the worst book I've ever read and, like I said, if I'd read it before watching the show, I think I would be being a lot fairer with the book but the whole idea and concept of the book is great is a great one with them all been sent to space where they've lived for hundred of years after a war the caused earth to become radioactive.When the government realise they're running out of oxygen, there only plan is to send 100 teens prosecuted for different crimes to be sent to Earth and see if they all could return to live on Earth. There is a second book that has recently been released. I'm not sure I will be picking it up but if my sister decides to buy it for herself (as she also loved the book) I might have to give it a read.

Endgame: The Calling by James Frey & Nils Johson Shelton
This was the book that got me out of my reading rut. When I got the email saying it was on its way I knew I was going to have to start up reading again as, while I was supposed to receive the first of the trilogy prior to release,sadly, it didn't arrive early enough but I wanted to read it as quick as I could while still getting the full book experience and get a post up for you so you can check out the book for yourself. That review is up by now and I really think you should check it out here. I will say now in this post that I thoroughly enjoyed the book even though it's not like something I would usually read. This is supposed to be being released as a film some time in the future and I think it's a book that will translate really well on to the big screen and I think you should get in on the hype early!

After a dystopian filled Recently Read, I think I'll be changing up the books I read next month so I'm not reading the same genre all the time as it does get boring; I have a few books in mind so keep a look out for the next post!

What have you read recently? Have you read any of the books mentioned?
Hope you're doing great,




This was was one of the first beauty related posts I wrote on this blog and I thought it was about time I shared some bargains that are under £5 with you.
The first one I'll briefly talk about is the Good Things Stay Clear Cleanser (£4.99). I've spoken about this way too much on my blog but if you want a cleaner that keeps blemishes at bay that won't break your piggy bank then this is would be a perfect steal. Not only does it work well, it smells amazing.
 NYC is a brand I hadn't drifted towards until fairly recently and I soon found some products that I loved that were very inexpensive and great quality. One of those products was the NYC Smooth Skin Powder (£1.99). I've used this in previous make up looks as well as it being my noble stead back in summer when I was abroad. Sadly, you might be able to tell from the picture, it cracked one day but because of how cheap it was, I know I'll be picking up another one when I need a new powder. An added bonus is that it's translucent which is something I look for in a Powder. It smooths over my make up and sets everything in place; it's amazing for the price.
  Another product I've been loving from NYC also is the Blush Stick in Soho Pink(£2.99). This is something many pay over £10 from clinique, NARS etc but the NYC alternative is good enough for me; giving me a flush of colour in my cheeks and the colour I picked up is a perfect colour from Autumn.
  My favourite find for a while is the Collection Work The Colour Lip Butter in Perfect Plum(£2.99). This is so creamy and buttery and the colour is gorgeous and unlike anything I've ever owned or dared to wear. For £2.99, it really is worth it and I'm very tempted to pick up all of the other colours out of the collection.
 Lastly is another skin care favourite and an old favourite of mine which is the Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Cleanser(£3.50). When I first started getting blackheads years ago, this was the product that worked for me as it minimized the look of them as well as making, my nose in particular, extremely soft. It contains Sacylic Acid which is great for acne prone skin and something I can struggle to find in drugstore products so this is just perfect!I've finished my bottle of this now so I'll be running out to the shops to pick up another bottle soon.

So that's another 5 for under £5 and I hope you liked it!
What are some bargains you've found recently?
Hope you're doing great,

It's been a while since I've added a post to my favourite series on my blog and, if I'm honest, I'm running out of ideas before but I want to keep it going because I love giving some tips and tricks for living a budget beauty life along with some of my favourite budget product. Today, I'm bringing the series back with some tips I've picked up over the years to make the most of your money when you're on a budget.

Go with an Idea. The worst thing you could do is just go beauty shopping for the sake of it; your bank really won't thank you after. I often start a mental list of products I've seen online or on blogs that have caught my eye and that I would like to try myself; if you go with no idea at all, you could end up buying things you really don't need and you've just bought for no reason. I also have a quick look through my collection before I go so I know what I have and haven't got so I don't go and buy a powder when I already have a back up at home.

Research. Before I release myself into Boots or Superdrug, I don't want to go and waste my money on something that might not be for me so reading numerous reviews online may help you decide if that product is right for you and you won't be wasting your money;you can even ask friends if they've got it what they think and would they recommend buying it. Also, you should check Boots and Superdrug websites beforehand to see who has the best deal. Most of the time, I hold off buying products before a 3 for 2 offer is on so I can save some more money so by checking the websites before hand, I can see which shop is the cheapest as well as to see if they have a 3 for 2 offer on which, more often than not, they do.

Do I really need this? Confessions of A Shopaholic is a film most of us will be able to relate to and one part has stuck with me. When looking in to buying something, you want to invest your money is something you know you will use and will get full wear out of. When heading towards the bold red lipsticks you should ask yourself "Do I really need this?" If you have 3 already at home almost identical in shade then no, no you don't so step away and focus your attention on something you actually need and don't have in your collection already.

Loyalty Cards.One upside to being a shopaholic is the advantage points you can get. I really do recommend signing up for them! I have the Boots and Super drug one but if you're a high end junky then I suggest a Debenhams Beauty Card. While it is a bit ridiculous how much you have spend in order to buy something new with your points, you can really use them to your advantage when you have enough. I don't think I have many but I'm not going to waste them on something small; I'm going to wait till I have quite a lot and then treat myself!

So these are just some quick tips to hopefully help you save a little more when you next go beauty shopping!

What are some of your own beauty shopping tips?
Hope you're doing great,

If you've read my previous reviews on the book, The Maze Runner by James Dashner,you will know I'm a huge fan of this trilogy and so that didn't help lower my expectations for the film and I went in with high hopes.I'm best mentioning here that this isn't the best post to read if you are yet to see the film or read the book as I will be talking about the film in detail and so I don't want any angry comments saying I've ruined it for you!
  The Maze Runner was a film I've been looking forward to the release of for a while now and after finishing the trilogy recently, I was raring to see the first film. It was released on Friday and my sister and I headed to the cinema on the Saturday after I forced her to read the books because I wouldn't shut up about how much I loved them. As a quick overview, I thought this film was outstanding! The cast was amazing with Dylan O'brien and Will Poulter.I loved the character of FRypan especially throughout the film. The look of the gladers was so authentic and they all resembled something very similar to what I imagined when reading the book. The scenery was also on point; from the glade itself to inside the dreaded Maze.It all felt so real and you really got a sense as to what it would be like to live there. The Grievers were not what I was expecting at all as I thought they'd look like giant slugs but they still did resemble something similar to the description in the book.
  Compared to other book to movie adaptations, this was one that I'd noticed the most changes with and I should have expected it. In the book, it became apparent that when one of the characters, Alby, arrived there was already some Gladers there where as in the movie they made it clear that he was the first one there and was there for a whole month on his own.
Another thing I noticed was the fact that Gally, played by Will Poulter, wasn't as angry as I'd imagined. I thought this might just have been because of how much I love Will Poulter  but, as the film progressed, I realised he wasn't as mean as I thought he would be and I think the fact that they changed his part of the story impacted how evil he was. In the book Gally was supposed to have been stung be a Griever and so and had seen Thomas in The Changing and so hated him but throughout the film he just seemed to hate Thomas because he was suspicious of him.
 I felt they changed the story line considerably. Most of the differences came when the Grievers entered the Glade- in the book this is spread over numerous nights where the Grievers would take a Glader each night but in the movie many were taken in one night before those left decided to enter the maze and find the way out.
  The thing that saddened me the most was the amount Chuck, Thomas' side kick was in the film. He really wasn't in it enough and, as my favourite character, it did annoy me.
  Some of the changes I did like though such as the fact they toned down the Glade slang quite a lot was great because, throughout the books, that was one element that did start to annoy me and I thought I knew that if it was the same in the films, it would annoy me again and so that was a great move to make. Also they took out completely the fact that Theresa and Thomas could speak to each other telepathically which I thought was OK to take out and stopped it from coming cheesy However, from what I remember of the second, it plays apart in that one too and so it will be interesting to see how that happens in the second book. Even with all these changes I still loved the film and my sister said on the drive home that the changes were good because even if you had read the book it kept you guessing about what would happen next. The film had me hiding behind my shirt at points as well as laughing and just enjoying the whole film and is definitely one to go and watch in the cinema as it really helped create the atmosphere of the film.
  I really do recommend going to watch it when you can.
Have you read The Maze Runner or plan to go and see the film?
Hope you're doing great,


On Monday, I was lucky enough to have been sent the first book of three entitled End Game:The Calling by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton.* I was supposed to receive prior to release so I could publish the review before it was released also. After finishing it just moments ago I thought I would write my review and share my thoughts on this book with you.
In my opinion, this is a cross between the Hunger Games (but on a global scale) and Percy Jackson. The whole story line is based around the fact that life on Earth is going to come to an end but only one line can survive. Their are twelve lines so twelve players descended from ancient ancestors. Each of the players are aged between 13 and 19 and ,once they are no longer a teen, it is passed down to the next eligible player. The idea is that when earth comes to an end the line that wins the endgame will be the line to survive. 
 This book isn't like anything I have read before but I will say, straight off, that I really enjoyed it. It was a action packed book that just had me wanting to always read on. Throughout the book, you see the viewpoints of the different players and see how they take on the challenge and how their adventures cross. One thing I found to be a problem with this book was the amount of player there were; it did get me slightly confused in parts between the different characters but I soon got my head around them all. I hope this is isn't too much of a spoiler but one of the players had a tic and the way that came across in the text, kind of annoyed me- I think it might of supposed to have done that but I didn't like it. I also did find some of the characters very creepy.Something I love is short chapters and this has short chapters which is more of a personal preference but something I prefer in the books I read. I'd also like to point out the amazing cover this book has as well. With taking it to college to read, it got a slightly battered and I'm annoyed at myself for that but I still love the cover anyway.
 It's one of those books that is hard to explain unless the person your talking about it to has also read it but I hope you take my word for it that this is a fantastic book and one I highly recommend.
  Throughout this book, they want you to play your own endgame too. There are clues throughout the book for the reader to solve and the first to do so wins $500,000. The puzzle in my copy is not the real one but just a mock up.The real puzzle that has been made for the actual, published book has been designed by 3 MIT PhDs and by solving the puzzle yourself, it will lead you to a location of a real hidden key and if you find the key, you will be able to open a bullet proof box. The opening of the box will be streamed on YouTube. I think this is a great way in to getting more people of my age and younger in to reading and really getting involved in the story.
  In addition to the puzzle, the book comes along with the release of an app which will allow readers to play as the characters in the book and play along.
The rights to this book have already been purchased by 20th Century Fox to make in to a film to produce to film.This is a book made for the big screen and I expect big things from this book and is definitely one to check out as I loved it! I don't know how long it will be before the second book in the trilogy is released but I will definitely be buying it as it's not a book that you could read the first one and leave it, you have to read them all!

Does this book sound like something you'd buy?
Hope you're doing great,

*While I was kindly sent this book, this hasn't influenced my opinion on it; all that is written is my own words and my own thoughts on the book.


It was back at the start of summer when I decided I really needed to something about my dry skin as it was becoming a real hindrance. Origins is a brand that floats around the blogging world followed by bold statements of how many swear by the products they get from Origins. After weeks of deliberation and reading review after review, I decided to bite the bullet and pay the £23 for the Origins Drink-Up Intensive Hydration Overnight Mask. I brought it home and tried it out immediatley. The smell was amazing and I remembered feeling so fancy having, what I think, is a very luxurious product all over my face. The women at the counter suggested on first try to apply it all over and then when using it again to focus on areas that really need it.
  On first try, after leaving it on overnight, it broke me out. Seeing as I do have acne prone skin, I did actually expect it to do so because it is  product tailored towards dry skin not dehydrated skin (there is a difference!). I didn't want to let this product go to waste so I hoped to find a way to make this work so on 2nd attempt I applied it to just the dryer areas of my face and tried to avoid the areas I'd broken out in or where I usually would but, wherever I placed it it broke me out.
  While it did break me out, it did hydrate my skin but it didn't work for as long as I expected; I thought it would some how keep my skin feeling softer and more hydrated for at least a few day in between washes etc but as soon as I came in contact with water, my face went back to it's usual, dehydrated self. 
  It's been a few months now since I bought it and I feel like it was a real waste of money. Last week I even tried it again and this time the break out was even more severe and came out as an allergic reaction of sorts just mintes after I applied it to my skin. This really has been a waste of my money and really hasn't worked in helping my skin. I've found that my cheap Garnier Moisture Match Moisturiser gives me better results than this mask and I don't think that should be the case. 
  Sadly, this really didn't work for me which may be an unpopular opinion when there are so many glowing reports about this mask. I would just say if you have acne prone skin which causes dehydration, this isn't the right product to try to sole your problems.
Have you tried this mask  or anything other products from Origins?
Hope you're doing great,

I'm a big fan of giving advice but sometimes it's nice to see other people's outlook on situations. Because of this, I thought I would attempt to start a series on my blog where I don't just give advice but I have help from some of my friends, fellow bloggers and sometimes some strangers. To start this series off, I have to ask you for some questions on any topics you would like some advice on (with in reason) so feel free to leave some questions in comment section! Of course, quite a few topics that people may need advice on may be topics that people want to ask anonymously so feel free to drop your questions in my ask box on Tumblr and just click "ask anonymously" If you don't have a tumblr account, that's fine! You can still ask them anonymously as by just writing in the ask box without an account is anonymous. If you do decide to leave your question on Tumblr, please let me know it's for this series as I do get advice questions on my blog that I will just answer so just make sure you let me know! 
Also, if you'd like to be included in the post maybe giving your point of view on answer and giving some advice on your own, feel free to email me, tweet me, message me etc. and I'm sure I can include you in a post.
This idea could be a slight fail if I don't get any questions but fingers crossed! 
Now, I don't want to leave today's post as just that announcement, so I've already sent out a question to a few of my friends which was...

What is a saying/quote or piece of advice you've received that you think has helped shaped you and your choices and may help someone else?


Alannah (kissingwinter): That's a hard one! There are so many good quotes that have shaped how I think but the one that sticks out to me is from a poem by Sarah Kay called "B". It's a gorgeous poem but the quote I take from it is "There will be days when your boots will fill with rain, and you'll be on your knees in disappointment. And those are the very days you have all the more reason to say thank you. Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away" It is a long quote, I know, but when I'm having a down day when I'm upset, I recite it to myself (yes, I do know it off by heart!) and it reminds me how beautiful the world is and how much I have in my life to be thankful for and it makes try to appreciate every single day a little more than I had before.

Emily (tumblr here): "The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity" - Amelia Earhart. I think through this quote she's trying to say that once you make a decision to change something, it can change if you want it to; all you have to do is take that first step towards the change as well as be persistent and sooner or later, things will get better.

Myriam (tumblr here): "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" is a famous quote from Audrey Hepburn. I love this quote because I truly believe that nothing is impossible; if someone wants do something and wants to achieve something so badly they can do it as much as they believe they can! Nothing can stop you from achieving your goals other than yourself and people should stop making excuses because, in reality, everything is possible as long as you want it to be!

Lauryn (Laurynsnotebook): The piece of advice that has stuck with me is a quote that relates to my blogging and is one I keep in mind whenever I' writing.  Gala Darling-regarded as one of the most influential bloggers - once said "good blogging should feel like writing a letter to a friend'. And it should. Blogging should be as simple as writing a letter: it should have no forced compassion, no lack of yourself, no complacency. Blogging is about the truest form of expression: we have the right to freedom of expression, but how often do we make the most of this right? How often is it that we use this freedom of expression to exemplify our thoughts, our emotions and attitudes? You should write with the same genuine love and compassion as you would do to a close friend.
 Good blogging is not about views, nor statistics, nor readership. Blogging is about passion. Blogging is about documentation. Blogging is about creating a form of self-memorabilia and exemplifying this one segment of your imagination through this new creative medium.  So many people have lost sight of the true motives behind blogging - hidden behind the glittering curtain of PR, an established 'online' popularity and what most people regard blogging as - a means to blag yourself some free stuff.  But strip away the readership, the whimsical blog design, the contacts, the glimmering facade of confidence and you can discover what should truly be considered as 'good blogging'.
 But I'm not one to place restrictions. You shouldn't restrict yourself simply to one piece of advice. Immerse yourself in legions of it: take inspiration, but do not go strictly on this tight-rope of advice. Sometimes the only way to get better is to fail. So if you're feeling down, disappointed, empty, glum, regretful or in any other mindset and looking for some advice, just look what you have achieved so far. And if it gets bad? I'm always here. Send me a message. An email. A comment. I will always do my best to help you out. My advice? I don't have true advice. My advice is to do what you want and blog for the hell of it: for the engraved passion and emotion. For the sheer love and ambition derived from putting words and images into a visual depiction of yourself. Blog for yourself. Now that is my piece of advice for all fellow bloggers.

Sarah (That's me): I'll keep mine short. The quote I think that has shaped me is a quote that I'm not too sure where it comes from but it goes "Stop waiting around for someone to save you. Just save yourself." At first glance this can seem quite harsh but when I look back at past experiences, I far too often waited for someone else to come along and help me sort myself out where as it should be me who sorts myself out. Since hearing this quote, I've realised I've waited around too long to be saved and still there's no knight in shining armour so I have to be my own saviour and save myself. No, that's what I do, I save myself. Whenever I'm down, I do everything in my own power to make myself happy by doing things that cheer me up like reading book, writing blog posts, listening to music; I will do whatever I can do to save myself! 

And that is some advice from some friends done and dusted! Thank you so much to the bloggers and friends who helped with this first post! Make sure to check them out!I'd love to make this a regular feature on my blog and have different friends of mine and different bloggers giving some advice on a range of different topics. Like I said feel free to leave questions in the comments or pop over to my Tumblr where you can ask anonymously (just make sure you tell me it's for my blog otherwise I'll just answer it on Tumblr). 

What would you like some advice on?
I hope you're doing great,