Brand: Alterna My Hair My Canvas
Product: Me Time Everyday Shampoo and Conditioner
Category: Haircare
Price: £££
Rating: 9/10
Haircare might not be on my 2022 vision board but it is something I'd like to improve on this year. In the lead up to Christmas, I had quite a few rounds with various questionable bottles of shampoo and conditioner. In fact, it all started to go wrong sometime in August when my beloved bottles of Percy & Reed Shampoo and Conditioner ran out. Since then, it’s been a downward hill. But it’s okay, I’ve found an even more expensive solution.
The Alterna Me Time Everyday Shampoo and Conditioner set was a Christmas gift from my mum who was also on her own downward spiral and thought we both needed to embark on a hair journey. The products can be bought separately (shampoo £26.49, conditioner £26.49) or together in a set.
They are a little on the pricey side but a little goes a long way with this product. For best results, I’d definitely recommend double cleansing. A couple of pumps to remove the grease and oil buildup and a couple more to clean the scalp properly. I use the same amount of pumps to condition my hair — to help keep the bottle levels equal (and because my hair is quite long). At first, my hair did feel a little dry even with leaving the conditioner in for a couple of minutes but that could be a winter thing as it feels a lot more softer and hydrated recently matched with the slightly warmer we're seeing.
Final Thoughts
Love, Aoife xo
Brand: Alterna My Hair My Canvas
Product: Me Time Everyday Shampoo and Conditioner
Category: Haircare
Price: £££
Rating: 9/10
Haircare might not be on my 2022 vision board but it is something I'd like to improve on this year. In the lead up to Christmas, I had quite a few rounds with various questionable bottles of shampoo and conditioner. In fact, it all started to go wrong sometime in August when my beloved bottles of Percy & Reed Shampoo and Conditioner ran out. Since then, it’s been a downward hill. But it’s okay, I’ve found an even more expensive solution.
The Alterna Me Time Everyday Shampoo and Conditioner set was a Christmas gift from my mum who was also on her own downward spiral and thought we both needed to embark on a hair journey. The products can be bought separately (shampoo £26.49, conditioner £26.49) or together in a set.
They are a little on the pricey side but a little goes a long way with this product. For best results, I’d definitely recommend double cleansing. A couple of pumps to remove the grease and oil buildup and a couple more to clean the scalp properly. I use the same amount of pumps to condition my hair — to help keep the bottle levels equal (and because my hair is quite long). At first, my hair did feel a little dry even with leaving the conditioner in for a couple of minutes but that could be a winter thing as it feels a lot more softer and hydrated recently matched with the slightly warmer we're seeing.
Final Thoughts
Love, Aoife xo
Peter Carl Fabergé is renowned for his collection of Imperial Easter Eggs. A collection of 50 stunning eggs made with incredible craftsmanship that can fetch an eye wateringly obscene amount when sold. But there’s more to the goldsmith than his collection of egg-shaped gifts made for Russian royalty.
Inside the exhibition
Items made by Fabergé combined fiercely expensive jewels and stones with less expensive materials such as enamel (a technique fusing metal and glass).
Fabergé was a brand clearly designed and catering for the wealthiest who could afford the simplest of items but had plenty of money to afford an extravagant version. A lot of his clientele were royalty in some form- you’d have to be to afford the price in that era. A crystal Coronation vase was purchased for £430 which is worth about £4.8 million today. Similarly, a collection of silver bowls indented with a design cost the owner £250 but it now worth about £3.8 million today.
Fabergé also made a lot of animal figurines for the royal family. The placard explained some of them had been made purely for its artistic value than anything else. While I’m not entirely sure I can appreciate the value of a French bulldog made from Bowenite with diamond eyes, the level of detail was impeccable. You could pick out every hair and wrinkle on the dog, something that is not easy to do when you're carving stone. My favourite figurine on display was a snail. It was smaller than my fingernail but my oh my was the level of detail outstanding.
Final Thoughts
Peter Carl Fabergé is renowned for his collection of Imperial Easter Eggs. A collection of 50 stunning eggs made with incredible craftsmanship that can fetch an eye wateringly obscene amount when sold. But there’s more to the goldsmith than his collection of egg-shaped gifts made for Russian royalty.
Inside the exhibition
Items made by Fabergé combined fiercely expensive jewels and stones with less expensive materials such as enamel (a technique fusing metal and glass).
Fabergé was a brand clearly designed and catering for the wealthiest who could afford the simplest of items but had plenty of money to afford an extravagant version. A lot of his clientele were royalty in some form- you’d have to be to afford the price in that era. A crystal Coronation vase was purchased for £430 which is worth about £4.8 million today. Similarly, a collection of silver bowls indented with a design cost the owner £250 but it now worth about £3.8 million today.
Fabergé also made a lot of animal figurines for the royal family. The placard explained some of them had been made purely for its artistic value than anything else. While I’m not entirely sure I can appreciate the value of a French bulldog made from Bowenite with diamond eyes, the level of detail was impeccable. You could pick out every hair and wrinkle on the dog, something that is not easy to do when you're carving stone. My favourite figurine on display was a snail. It was smaller than my fingernail but my oh my was the level of detail outstanding.
Final Thoughts
It’s been a while since my last foundation review and an even longer time since I actually wore any. #Masklife has made wearing makeup almost redundant. When I graduated a couple months back, I decided to treat myself to some new foundation that I could wear on the day and as I started to go out more.
The foundation reminds me of Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Water Fresh foundation -which I think has been discontinued. Chanel's Vitalumière Aqua has a watery base that allows it to spread easily and sit perfectly on my skin.
Originally, I was planning on buying the Les Beiges foundation but I preferred the feel of the Vitalumière Aqua. It provides a very light coverage but is buildable. If you’re looking for a medium coverage to cover blemishes, this might not be one for you.
The bottle is sold as 30ml for £36 and has SPF 15. I bought the shade 21 Beige. You can’t always rely on the SPF in foundation so I use Garnier’s Ambre Solaire Face Fluid and top up coverage later in the day with the Over Makeup Mist spray.
I really like the satin-like finish and how my skin glows. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like the look or feel of foundation sitting on top of my skin. This blends in and dries so well, it’s hardly noticeable.
The consistency is quite runny -it is water based after all- so I’m quite careful in applying it. I think it’s thinner than the Double Wear one. I’ve found that it’s important to have a hydrated base otherwise the foundation is at risk of caking and separating. I tend to pack in the moisture before I apply by using a little Aquafor to help create a tacky base.
The little booklet inside the box recommends applying it with your fingers for best results, which is great if you forget to wash your makeup brushes! It makes sense as well considering it’s water based and you are at risk of losing a lot of product by using brushes and sponges.
The one thing I will say is I haven’t yet mastered putting anything over the top of the foundation such as concealer or blush. As the foundation dries in a thin layer, you are at risk of rubbing it away so I think a liquid blusher would suit best. It’s the type of foundation that sells itself for creating a minimal barely-there look. I don’t think you’ll be able to use it for a full face beat.
I really like Chanel’s Vitalumière Aqua foundation. It’s definitely on the pricier side so is more of a luxury item. I’d consider buying it again if I feel like it’s something I want to spend that type of money on. I may need to increase my budget if it's something I want to make a regular appearance in my makeup collection. At the end of the day, it’s a very lightweight water-based foundation that provides light buildable coverage. It works for me because I prefer a minimal make up look and it suits my needs.
Love, Aoife xo
It’s been a while since my last foundation review and an even longer time since I actually wore any. #Masklife has made wearing makeup almost redundant. When I graduated a couple months back, I decided to treat myself to some new foundation that I could wear on the day and as I started to go out more.
The foundation reminds me of Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Water Fresh foundation -which I think has been discontinued. Chanel's Vitalumière Aqua has a watery base that allows it to spread easily and sit perfectly on my skin.
Originally, I was planning on buying the Les Beiges foundation but I preferred the feel of the Vitalumière Aqua. It provides a very light coverage but is buildable. If you’re looking for a medium coverage to cover blemishes, this might not be one for you.
The bottle is sold as 30ml for £36 and has SPF 15. I bought the shade 21 Beige. You can’t always rely on the SPF in foundation so I use Garnier’s Ambre Solaire Face Fluid and top up coverage later in the day with the Over Makeup Mist spray.
I really like the satin-like finish and how my skin glows. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like the look or feel of foundation sitting on top of my skin. This blends in and dries so well, it’s hardly noticeable.
The consistency is quite runny -it is water based after all- so I’m quite careful in applying it. I think it’s thinner than the Double Wear one. I’ve found that it’s important to have a hydrated base otherwise the foundation is at risk of caking and separating. I tend to pack in the moisture before I apply by using a little Aquafor to help create a tacky base.
The little booklet inside the box recommends applying it with your fingers for best results, which is great if you forget to wash your makeup brushes! It makes sense as well considering it’s water based and you are at risk of losing a lot of product by using brushes and sponges.
The one thing I will say is I haven’t yet mastered putting anything over the top of the foundation such as concealer or blush. As the foundation dries in a thin layer, you are at risk of rubbing it away so I think a liquid blusher would suit best. It’s the type of foundation that sells itself for creating a minimal barely-there look. I don’t think you’ll be able to use it for a full face beat.
I really like Chanel’s Vitalumière Aqua foundation. It’s definitely on the pricier side so is more of a luxury item. I’d consider buying it again if I feel like it’s something I want to spend that type of money on. I may need to increase my budget if it's something I want to make a regular appearance in my makeup collection. At the end of the day, it’s a very lightweight water-based foundation that provides light buildable coverage. It works for me because I prefer a minimal make up look and it suits my needs.
Love, Aoife xo
Mhairi McFarlane’s If I Never Met You features a tale as old as time but she does it justice. It can be hard to retell the same story we’ve all heard many times before. After all, elements of Cinderella still continue to grace our screens and feature in our books. Yet, only a few can do it justice and make it original.
So, what’s it about? (Taken from the blurb)
When Laurie is dumped by her partner of eighteen years, she’s blindsided. Not only does she feel humiliated, they still have to work together. So when she gets stuck in the lift with handsome colleague Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage the perfect romance.
My thoughts…
If I Never Met You could have easily turned into another cliche novel but it didn’t. The characters didn’t immediately “sense a connection” and I liked that it took a while for them to figure it out. I felt like I was constantly going will they, won’t they, no they definitely will, oh maybe not. I liked that Laurie spent time trying to figure out who she was after her break up with Dan (the ex) instead of jumping into being starry eyed with the next guy who showed her some attention.
And speaking of Jamie…I really liked his character. He was known as a bit of a ladies man but had complete and utter respect for the women in his life. Most of the time, the male lead in a fake romance can be made out to be a moody and self-centred arse who’s only after two things- getting money and being the boss. However, while Jamie’s intentions for the fake relationship was to get a promotion, he was also rooting for Laurie to help make Dan jealous.
Final thoughts…
Overall, I loved this book. It was sweet and wonderfully romantic. The characters felt real and had depths to them that weren’t over the top. The relationship between Jamie and Laurie was so effortless and built on respect. I loved that Jamie would stand up for Laurie and have her back.
If you like Beth O’Leary and Lindsey Kelk, I’m pretty sure you’re going to love Mhairi McFarlane too.
What’s your favourite faux romance book?
Love, Aoife x
Mhairi McFarlane’s If I Never Met You features a tale as old as time but she does it justice. It can be hard to retell the same story we’ve all heard many times before. After all, elements of Cinderella still continue to grace our screens and feature in our books. Yet, only a few can do it justice and make it original.
So, what’s it about? (Taken from the blurb)
When Laurie is dumped by her partner of eighteen years, she’s blindsided. Not only does she feel humiliated, they still have to work together. So when she gets stuck in the lift with handsome colleague Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage the perfect romance.
My thoughts…
If I Never Met You could have easily turned into another cliche novel but it didn’t. The characters didn’t immediately “sense a connection” and I liked that it took a while for them to figure it out. I felt like I was constantly going will they, won’t they, no they definitely will, oh maybe not. I liked that Laurie spent time trying to figure out who she was after her break up with Dan (the ex) instead of jumping into being starry eyed with the next guy who showed her some attention.
And speaking of Jamie…I really liked his character. He was known as a bit of a ladies man but had complete and utter respect for the women in his life. Most of the time, the male lead in a fake romance can be made out to be a moody and self-centred arse who’s only after two things- getting money and being the boss. However, while Jamie’s intentions for the fake relationship was to get a promotion, he was also rooting for Laurie to help make Dan jealous.
Final thoughts…
Overall, I loved this book. It was sweet and wonderfully romantic. The characters felt real and had depths to them that weren’t over the top. The relationship between Jamie and Laurie was so effortless and built on respect. I loved that Jamie would stand up for Laurie and have her back.
If you like Beth O’Leary and Lindsey Kelk, I’m pretty sure you’re going to love Mhairi McFarlane too.
What’s your favourite faux romance book?
Love, Aoife x
What's it about?
One thing I love about Kya Clark is her independence and strength. I think those qualities made it easy for me to connect with her and by the end of the book, I felt like Kya’s number one cheerleader. She came from a childhood overshadowed by trauma and as the reader, you can’t help but sympathise for Kya. However, her resilience and utter contentment, makes her truly remarkable. She was dealt with a shit hand and made something spectacular out of it. I wish I had her courage!
Where the Crawdads Sing is a combination of a coming-of-age narrative and a murder mystery. If I’m honest, the murder mystery provided a thread through the novel but I found myself focusing more on Kya’s story. I loved how she developed as a character and blossomed into a remarkable young woman. Kya’s story was wrapped in eloquent and poetic descriptions of nature. Despite Kya’s bleak childhood, Owens pays close attention to the vibrant and sometimes muted colours of the marsh.
This book reminded me of when I was in secondary school reading books with heavily detailed descriptions. We were always taught to pay attention to the significance of the setting in relation to the characters and story. This book is almost solely centred around the marsh and the relationship between the nature and humans.
Final review...
Where the Crawdads Sing is a surprising but delightful read that will be at the top of my recommendations list for anyone looking to see the world from a different perspective. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s not the book I usually pick up but it was refreshing to read a story about something other than fame, fortune and the urban lifestyle.
Love, Aoife xo
What's it about?
One thing I love about Kya Clark is her independence and strength. I think those qualities made it easy for me to connect with her and by the end of the book, I felt like Kya’s number one cheerleader. She came from a childhood overshadowed by trauma and as the reader, you can’t help but sympathise for Kya. However, her resilience and utter contentment, makes her truly remarkable. She was dealt with a shit hand and made something spectacular out of it. I wish I had her courage!
Where the Crawdads Sing is a combination of a coming-of-age narrative and a murder mystery. If I’m honest, the murder mystery provided a thread through the novel but I found myself focusing more on Kya’s story. I loved how she developed as a character and blossomed into a remarkable young woman. Kya’s story was wrapped in eloquent and poetic descriptions of nature. Despite Kya’s bleak childhood, Owens pays close attention to the vibrant and sometimes muted colours of the marsh.
This book reminded me of when I was in secondary school reading books with heavily detailed descriptions. We were always taught to pay attention to the significance of the setting in relation to the characters and story. This book is almost solely centred around the marsh and the relationship between the nature and humans.
Final review...
Where the Crawdads Sing is a surprising but delightful read that will be at the top of my recommendations list for anyone looking to see the world from a different perspective. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s not the book I usually pick up but it was refreshing to read a story about something other than fame, fortune and the urban lifestyle.
Love, Aoife xo
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