Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder Review

Evening readers!

Lately I've been on the hunt for a powder that would do a better job at keeping my oily skin matte through the day and that would be a light enough shade to properly blend into my skin (my neck, mostly). So I picked up one of the Fit Me Powders in Classic Ivory but I have to admit that I'm not overly keen on it.

The only redeeming quality of the bulky packaging is the large mirror on the second layer which makes it easier for on the go application. That being said that packaging feels quite cheap and not especially sturdy so throwing it in my bag on the way out of the door always seems like a risky move (especially since I've had more than one maybelline foundation break in my bag). 

The colour is a lot better suited to my pale skin than most other powders I've tried in the past but that's about the only thing I like about this product. I'm not a fan of the packaging, I wouldn't use the applicator it comes with and it doesn't keep my makeup matte throughout the day, it wears away quite quickly. I'm still a lover of the Maybelline Balance Me powder and the powders from Collection.

Have you tried this product? What did you think?

Discovery Wednesday: Love Letters of the Great War

It's Wednesday! Half way through the week... Nearly there guys, nearly there. 

This week I'm bringing out the History geek in me to share a new book discovery - Love Letters of the Great War. If you're anything like me and hate anything soppy and romantic then you're probably thinking "Jess, come on now, you could have picked book that isn't going to require sitting over a sick bucket." But I promise you that this is one of the most honest, heart-achingly beautiful books you will ever read. It is full of letters, drawings and a bit of poetry from soldiers to their wives, girlfriends, children and vice versa. It made me laugh, brought me to the brink of tears and then took me all the way back again. You may feel like you love someone but oh my goodness do these men and women love harder and more powerfully than we ever could and I am often left in awe at the strength of these people. If you like an emotionally powerful book then this one is for you.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war, so there's no better time to pop to waterstones to pick  up this book. It's one that I will treasure forever and if your read it then I am sure you will too. 

Discovery Wednesday: The Cupid Bow

My discovery this week is a bit of a cheat considering it isn't really a new discovery - I've been following and loving this blog for quite some time! You know when you find a new blog, read a post and then an hour and a half later you find you're still there reading through their posts? Yeah, it was like that. So I introduce to you the lovely Carly from The Cupid Bow!

Not only is the content of Carly's blog really interesting, including tutorials, reviews and personal posts, (her FOTD posts are my favourite - see here for the incredible look she put together using green eyeshadow, yep you heard it. And it looks fab!) she writes in the most entertaining and endearing way. She genuinely makes me laugh out loud with every post and I strongly encourage you to go read her blog and give her a follow! She'll brighten your day!

You can also give her a follow on twitter too - here. 

If you're on the hunt for fresh new blogs to follow, give The Cupid Bow a read, you'll be clicking 'follow' before you know it!

Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick Review

Firstly let me apologise for being MIA for the past few weeks, I've had a horrible time of it but I won't bore you with my sob story and just jump straight into my review!

A couple of weeks ago I grabbed two of the Bourjois Shine Edition Lipsticks - shade 24 and 20. Okay, I'll admit it... It was the packaging that got me. I love it. It is quite bulky and I know a lot bloggers have a bugbear with this but I love that the colour is so easy to spot amongst my other lipsticks and they just look so modern compared to your usual black lipstick bullet.

The colour is quite sheen, I'd compare them to the Revlon lip butters if I was to give you a point of reference. It's almost deceiving that they're advertised as a lipstick. You can swipe them across the lips for just a touch of colour of build them up for a bolder look. Shade 20 is much more pigmented that 24, as you can see from the swatch above, and it'll make a lovely colour for the spring/summer time! They apply really nicely too, not sticky at all. They don't last particularly long, like most lip butters/lip balms, but they do what they say on the tin - add lots of shine! 

I wear these on their own, I haven't dabbled into lipstick combos yet but if you have then please leave a comment as I'd love to hear you recommendations! 

You can buy the Shine Edition lipsticks for £7.99 from Boots. It's the same price as the Revlon Lip Butters  (but with a much more vibrant range of shades) so if you're a fan of those, give these a try too!

Have you tried the Shine Edition lipsticks? What did you think?