I don't usually do this, but for some reason, this month I bought all my magazines on one day - bar one. I am still yet to buy Glamour; I'm waiting to find a copy with the free lip balm, and I'm thinking I might also get InStyle which I haven't ever bought before - would you recommend InStyle magazine?
Anyway, this month there are quite a few freebies on offer, Marie Claire has a choice of three Avon mascaras, I opted for the lengthening one (which having used it now twice, I actually love it already!). Harper's Bazaar come with a choice of two Neom hand creams, I chose Moroccan Blush Rose which smells lovely may I just say. Elle UK (see here) is giving a sample size of St Tropez gradual tan which I'm partially excited to use; I just hope I don't end up liking it too much! Then the others are just offering up really really great cover stars instead, my personal favourite is Vogue UK with their Emma Stone cover.
Lately, as my love for magazines increases I have found myself buying issues based on the cover rather than the title. I used to buy British Vogue religiously (and still do) but that is now only to keep my collection in order and sometimes I find myself in that awkward predicament where I dislike the cover; as I have with all of this years covers so far. However, I still buy as a matter of principle, but this isn't the case with other magazines.
Earlier this week I bought my first ever issue of Wonderland magazine completely on a whim because of the amazingly beautiful cover, then to discover the accompanying editorial was equally as lovely (£5 well spent in my eyes). I also dabbled with Harper's Bazaar this month after seeing Victoria Beckham's cover as forcing myself to look past the loathing I feel for her. I have to admit, it is a great cover and one that is a welcomed surprise from Harper's Bazaar's usual blah covers.
So for now, I am a cover admirer who finds her magazine pile to be everything she wished it to be...
This is a bit of a late post but can you believe it's March already? February didn't really hold many new products as I'm pretty content with the ones I'm already using but I thought I'd just include more things like television shows etc which I have found myself loving this month. So on with the favourites we go...
TRESemme Serum with Argan Oil - I only used this in the last week or so of February but I just had to include it! I've wanted to try Argan/Moroccan oil on my hair for a while now after hearing how great it s but I refuse to pay the extreme prices from the likes of Lee Stafford etc and when I found out TRESemme did it in a hair serum I was sold. Serum is really great and it makes my hair so much less 'frizzy' but combined it with Argan oil and it makes my hair less frizzy and soft...win win I say.
Soap & Glory Hand Food - I have been using this for a couple of months now and everything people say about it is true. The smell is amazing and it makes your hands feel so soft and moisturised without leaving that sticky 'wet' feel for ages afterwards. This creme lives in my handbag now and I use it all the time; definite favourite.
Nivea 'Pearly Shine' Lipbalm - I honestly got this because I liked the pink packaging (not a good reason to buy something!) but after using it for about a month now I can honestly say it was a well worthwhile purchase. For starters I love things that have a good smell and this smells like those love heart candies you can get which is sooooo good and the product itself really does work to sooth and moisturise your lips at the same time as adding a slight 'pearly' pink tint to them. I'd totally recommend this!
Rimmel 'Hide the Blemish' Concealer - I always end up going back to this concealer; even after using the allusive Collection 2000 one! This is the perfect shade for me (golden beige) and it does exactly what I want it too so what more can I ask for really.
Marie Claire US - This is a random favourites but during February I found myself picking up Marie Claire US twice after previously reading it never! I got both of these issues last month (we have to wait ages in the UK to get US versions) and I mainly picked them up because of the covers - Angeline Jolie's cover is like one of my all time favourites. I have found that these magazines have good content though and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them so yeh, that's why they made it into my favourites haha.
Ringer - This show has been on air now since September but I only found myself watching it last month and I quickly became a fan. Quick expansion: it's basically about a set of twins (Sarah Michelle Geller) who meet after years of being estranged and then a huge twist happens and their lives are forever entwined. That was a terrible explanation but any more information and I'd give away the whole story; honestly though it's a really awesome show that you should all just go and watch!
Country Strong - I have wanted to see this movie since it came out at the cinema but sadly I didn't ever end up watching it; but when I saw it on Sky Anytime a few weeks ago I made sure to watch it. I love this movie! I don't think Gwyneth Paltrow is the best singer in the world but her final song is so so good that my mind was changed. Also it has Tim McGraw in it who is a great actor and singer (although he doesn't actually sing in this) and Leighton Meester who personally I don't feel meshed with the theme of the movie because she has that whole pop princess thing going on but I still enjoyed it and I'm definitely going to buy it on dvd asap.
Sara Ramirez - The Story Sara Ramirez is such an amazing singer and I first heard about this song when I watch the above video but then later it was included in the Grey's Anatomy musical episode (go and watch that!) which showed her singing it as her character 'Callie'. Both versions are great and last month I found myself listening to it again more and more. It's a great song and Sara is a great singer!
Cornish Pasties - This is the most random favourite ever but last month I honestly found myself venturing into Greggs more than usual to pick up a cornish pasty. Ooo as I'm writing this I'm craving one actually haha....
Well that's it for my February Favourites...sorry it was a bit random but I thought rather than missing a month I just talk about other things too! xoxo
I'm not entirely sure what made me want to blog about this but here I am anyway typing out my thoughts. So when I came to University in September I was torn between Magazine Journalism and Fashion Journalism because although I love reading magazines and writing in their style, I found myself really interested in fashion. I did, after thinking it through long and hard, choose to study Magazine Journalism but now after completing my first semester and part way through my second, I'm finding myself leaning much more towards Fashion Journalism - after choosing that as my optional module.
I think I just got to thinking that with specialising in magazines, although it's far broader than fashion, it does mean that I don't really have a chance to specialise on what type of magazine I would like to work on so I could end up writing for literally any magazine even if I have no interest in the subject. The good thing about my University is that they give you the opportunity at the end of your first year to swap to another course if you are unhappy doing what you have chosen, or if you think another curse is more for you. That in mind I am seriously considering swapping over to Fashion Journalism because I've found that I am enjoying my fashion module so so so much and I'm really starting to take in designers and find what I like and don't like which is always useful!
My interest definitely is in fashion magazines more than writing for online or newspapers but I understand that in every form of Journalism nowadays you have to write for online (check out some of my fashion related posts) so that's just something I'm going to have to get used to...it's not so much that I don't like writing for online, it's more that I don't really read fashion online...apart from through blogs! So anyway, my interest is definitely more in magazines as my magazine stack for this month shows, I just love having hard copies of things rather than having to read them on the computer...
Well I'm probably boring you now so I'm going to go, just thought I'd share with you a small part of my life :)
Have any of you got to university and then found that the course you chose wasn't the right one for you?
Last week I was on my usual magazine hunt when I spotted that Elle were giving a FREESoap and Glory Thick & Fast Mascara away with their March issue. Now honestly, I'm not the biggest fan on Elle and only usual buy an issue if the cover is good. But I couldn't pass up a free S&G product now could I?
This mascara is said to create: 'longer, fuller, fabulous lashes' with the false-lash effect which I was quite excited about because my eyelashes are pretty pathetic and so anything that claims to make them thicker and longer is worth a try.
To start with the packaging, I think it's okay, there's nothing really special about it and compared to the brands usual products which have quirky names and fun messages on them, it's quite plain really; I suppose its the product inside that really counts though. The tube is a reasonable size and in all fairness its sleek and easy to just pop in your bag so I can't really complain. As for the brush, it's really big in size compared to other mascaras I've tried which isn't a good thing in my opinion. It was quite hard to apply; especially to the inner corner lashes and it left little dots on parts of my eyes which isn't the best look.
The packaging and brush aside, it's really all about how the product performs. I have been using this mascara now for a week and I'm sad to say that I really don't like it. As you can see from the photo above it does really lengthen your eyelashes, but I just don't see the thickening aspect. My lashes still look thin and 'stringy' and I found it really hard to work the brush through my lashes to achieve any sort of thickness. I also found that my lashes were left stuck together and looking clumpy which for such a well recognised and expensive product shouldn't have been the case.
I was expecting a lot more thickness from this mascara which is the thing I find my lashes need the most and I'm afraid I just didn't get it. I certainly don't think I achieved the 'false-lash effect' that S&G claims (I'm sort of glad in a way though as I don't want to look like I'm wearing false lashes!) One more thing is that when this mascara dried it left a very crispy texture to my lashes although surprisingly it didn't flake!
This is just my opinion however, I'm not in any way saying that this mascara is awful, for some it may be their dream mascara, but for me, it just wasn't good.
Have you ever tried Soap and Glory's Thick & Fast Mascara, what are your thoughts? If not, will you be trying it?
Soap and Glory's Thick & Fast Mascara retails for £10 at most boots stores, but this month get it for free with a £3.90 purchase of Elle magazine.
