Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms

 Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balms* £2.99 each via Boots Link

Having purchased 2 baby lips lip balms  when visiting family back in the uk , I recently mentioned to my boyfriend as to how much I would like the others & to my surprise when he last visited me in March he had bought me all 6 Maybelline’s infamous Baby Lips lip balms found in UK, which I was not expecting!

Much like everyone else the first thing that drew my attention was the cute & colorful packaging which tends to stand out from other lip balms. Having said that there has been a few people stating as to how the lip balms were almost childish and looked a little cheap and I guess such view is warranted as they are plastic and brightly adorned; in my opinion the lipstick style bullet ensures ease of application & for £2.99 each where are they going wrong? They were hardly ever going to compete with high-end brands!

What is surprising for such a cheap product costing less than £3 are the pretty substantial ingredients including honey, Shea butter, aloe, vitamin E & for some SPF 20. Of course Maybelline claiming them to keep your lips hydrated for eight hours was false and last in fact for about 2 hours; I was astounded as to how these hard balms seemed almost liquid like and soft on the lips. They have such a light texture and glide on with such ease; it was the opposite to what I expected them to be. I expected the texture to tug and pull at the lips when applying but I found myself to be completely wrong!

However all these good factors these Baby Lips contain petroleum in a pretty large quantity and the main problem with this is that it tends to create a barrier of hydration therefor masking the problem of dry lips. It is said that overtime this ingredient sucks out extra moisture from the skin making your dry lips not better but worse, which explain why there are no real lasting benefits to this particular balm or any other petroleum based balms.

To finish off here are the names & scents of all 6 found in the UK. Obviously if you are looking for different shades and scents you will have to look around in the US.

Hydrate (lemon scent), Mint Fresh (mint scent) & Intense Care (cherry almond) containing SPF appear clear with a slightly glossy finish.

The following applied leave a little tint of color but do not contain SPF: Pink Punk (light pink with a passion fruit sent, Cherry Me (cherry scented with a tinge of red) & last but not least Peach Kiss (a peach scent with a nude tint).

As much as the smell, fun packaging and texture of these balms please me, I neither love nor hate these; I find they are easy to just carry around and stash in your makeup bag for a quick fix but think there are definitely better lip products out there!  

MissMya xx

Keeping a Diary/Journal

Writing is a powerful form of self-expression. It is a known fact that many people start writing a diary at one time or another, and many people start keeping a diary during a difficult period of time only to shortly abandon it and never really keep it up. There are many advantages with keeping a diary or journal and it is a great way to express your emotions and treasure experiences good &/or bad that happened in the past. Years from now you’ll wonder what you were going through and maybe how you have progressed and as humans we are prone to lose track of these things, which is why it is good to regularly document what’s happening in our lives.

Everyone has different ideas, thoughts, dreams, feelings, experiences, more importantly everyone has their story, their journey. Having them written down always makes it more real, more concrete than merely thinking them. A lot of people worry as to how good their writing skills are, but here is the beauty of it all, it’s your diary. There is no need for particular writing skills; it’s not as if anyone is going to judge you. In fact by structuring yourself to write regularly you will automatically develop better writing and stronger organization skills such as list making (which is a great trait to be able to get things done/achieve goals), not only that but you will also gain better time management.

Whether you write daily, weekly, or monthly writing creates more awareness, more focus on what you want and what is important to you. It shouldn't be considered as a task as you are setting aside time for yourself, it is ‘your time’ you should be able to write at your will and benefit from doing so.

One of the main benefits of keeping a diary is that it can be used to vent out anger & frustration as well as excitement therefor reducing stress. Writing about an issue or event allows you to express your feelings, pour out your heart amd tell your innermost thoughts. Through this expression you will gain clarity, release and relief, you will feel calmer and be able to find better solutions to your problems. 

While writing in your journal you will find yourself identifying the values for which you stand for, you will get to know your processes: how you think, learn & create. Writing a journal will build self-confidence and become a great tool for the self-discovery to who you really are.

So that being said, if you have decided on keeping a diary here are some useful tips to start you off:

-Find a place and a time to write where you won’t be disturbed. Ideally I would choose to write at the end of work/school or just before bed when everything is quiet.
-Promise yourself you will write for 10-15 minutes minimum whether it’s daily or not.
-Once you start writing don’t worry about spelling or grammar.
-You are writing for yourself, so no need to hide anything, express yourself freely & never leave out details (bad or good).
-Personalize your diary, make it so it’s enjoyable to write in, make it yours!
-And finally if you ever face the ‘blank page syndrome’ take a break and come back to it and if not try writing about something like:
     - Your day or highlight of the day
     - Something that’s been worrying you
     - A problem you've been avoiding
     - A dream

  

You won't know until you try...    

MissMya xx                        

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette | Link |

Urban Decay has definitely become somewhat of a craze in the beauty world and very famous for its ‘Naked’ palette’s. Slowly expanding to fit a wider variety of preferences and skin tones Urban Decay has already created 2 palettes; the first being ‘Naked’ a range of warm tones, and the second ‘Naked 2’ which showcases cooler tones. Now unless you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t noticed, they have recently released a brand new palette called ‘Naked 3’ which has more of a rose tinted theme. 

Each palette contains 12 shades which all beautiful in their own way, but I must say I think it’s a brave choice to create a palette dedicated to rose toned colors! I, myself hesitated before buying this palette and questioned how wearable these shades would be. I have never been one to particularly love pinkish toned eye shadows for my pale skin and most often go for taupe neutral colors as found in Naked 2, but this palette has really surprised me! I keep finding myself picking this one over my other palettes and over time I've found the shades to be very flattering. Not only are these shadows gorgeous, but they also have great pigmentation allowing you to experiment with blending and coupling colors together.

As for the packaging, a very sturdy metallic case (with mirror) that snaps shut much like Naked 2 and a synthetic dual-ended eye shadow brush. Also coupled with this palette is a sampler of 4 Primer potions: Original, Eden (a nude matte), Sin (shimmer) and last but not least Anti-Aging.

For this palette either you will like it or you won’t, and if you are like me and want to switch up your makeup a little without going to extreme extents then you will love it!  

Its £37 (Debenhams) which is a little pricey but worth it!

MissMya xx

Origins GinZing Energy boosting moisturizer

 Origins Gin Zing Moisturiser| £23.00 | Link

When it comes to skincare I’m very particular on the products I use and I have been looking for a good day moisturizer for absolutely ages now, I've tried loads of products but never been fully satisfied. Origins would have to be one of my favorite brands for skincare as I have tried several of their face masks and moisturizers and have never been disappointed in the results, so when I heard Origins had released a new gel moisturizer named ‘Gin Zing’ that promised to energize tired looking skin it went straight to my wish list!

Before purchasing this item I did a lot of research and read a lot of bloggers reviews to see whether it was something that would be suitable for my skin.

Having combination skin I do tend to favor gel formulations for the day as they allow a light dose of moisture without overwhelming my skin therefore preventing excess oil across my T zone throughout the day. I have to say Origins ‘Gin Zing' moisturizer is perfect for this because of it's lightweight texture and oil-free formula. I find it instantly brightens up my face allowing a friendly boost of radiance, a slight glow, without making it look greasy in the slightest! I think this is because it contains a blend of panax ginseng as well as caffeine aiding the optimization of cellular energy and helps to condition and repair the skin. Origins describe this product as a ‘Skin Energy Drink’ and I totally agree, and since this moisturizer allows just a slight radiance I find it makes a great base for makeup thanks to it's lightweight texture.

This product is more suitable in my opinion for normal, oily or combination skin types, and I’m not saying this won’t be your cup of tea if you have dryer skin, but it may not give the complete moist feeling you need. In that case I suggest to maybe couple this product with something more hydrating like Hydraluron for a more intense moisture boost.

Everything about this moisturizer attracts me, not only the texture or the wonders it does for your skin, but the citrus smell is absolutely devine and the bright orange packaging makes this product a whole new reason to drag yourself out of bed in the morning! Think of it as your new morning wake up call in a jar! 

MissMya xx