30 before 30

It's my birthday today and I'm now 23 years old. People aren't lying when they say the older you get the faster time seems to go! Last night I was thinking about things I would like to achieve in my life and I thought that it would be fun to make a list here. Maybe in a few years time I will look back and cross some things off and set some new goals for myself.

I won't list all 30 goals in this post because otherwise it would be a huge post and I don't know if I even have 30 goals at the moment! It will probably be more like a mini series where I will post more goals over the coming years. I'm excited to see how many I will achieve! 

♥ Donate blood five times and get my Blue Donor Card. I already give blood but as I'm not a fan of needles it has to be a spontaneous decision otherwise I'm worrying about it for days beforehand. The time when the nurse put the needle straight through my vein didn't do much to help my fear, but to me, giving blood is an important thing to do so I try to put my fears to the back of my mind.

♥ Buy a house. Most of the places I have rented have been pre-furnished and decorated and I just want to have my own home which I can decorate to my own tastes. I also want to put my money towards something which will eventually be mine, rather than paying for something that will never be my own. 

♥ Adopt an animal from a rescue shelter. I've wanted a pet since I was small but my parents wouldn't allow it and it isn't really possible to have one now whilst living in rented accommodation. I want to have my own place and have enough time for an animal before owning one. 

♥ Go travelling. I want to go on the type of trip where you just drop off the radar for a while and then come back with lots of interesting stories about hiking in Nepal, or bathing in hot springs in Iceland.

♥ Finish my degree in Design and Innovation. When I was 18 and sorting out what to study at university, I chose a subject (Politics) which I hadn't researched simply because I thought it would be interesting. Whilst it was ok, it wasn't something I was majorly passionate about and I could never envisage myself in a career where the degree would be useful. However now I'm doing something I am passionate about and I really want to carry on with it.

More to come soon! Have you set yourself any goals that you would like to achieve in the coming years?

A huge happy birthday to Maiken who also celebrates her birthday today!

Monthly favourites

 NARS Illuminator in Copacabana, Ciate paint pot in Bon Bon, MAC lipstick in Angel, Sanctuary moisture lotion.

Sorry for the rather sporadic posts recently, I've had a few tests for University so I've been concentrating on those. Unfortunately because of this I've not really been doing anything interesting or making any yummy food so you'll have to excuse the lack of lifestyle posts. I'm thinking of posting a few DIY's and recipes in the future which will be interesting as I am the least crafty person ever. However I bought a book about a year ago on all things crafty and to be honest I've only mustered the motivation to give it a try recently. 

These are just a few products I've been liking. I'm lying in the post title when I mention these are my monthly favourites, the Ciate nail polish is a recent acquisition because as you may (probably) or may not be aware, Marie Claire are giving them away free with purchase of their magazine.  The other products I am really liking this month are more summer products I think, especially the illuminator and the moisture lotion with SPF. Unfortunately summer has only made a fleeting appearance this year so whenever I wear them now I'll just have to pretend it's sunny and warm out. 

What are your favourite products of the month?

17 Instant Glow Shimmer Brick Review

  17 Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in Pink Bronze - £4.99

Excuse the overly pouty expression on my face! I always feel incredibly awkward having to pose for photos and I always wonder what facial expression I should pull! Also I usually use the auto settings for self portraits and the flash always blinds me when it goes.

Anyway, I bought this 17 Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in Pink Bronze a few weeks ago when we were having glorious sunshine. I actually wasn't looking to buy any make up (?!) but I swatched this in Boots and I had to get it! It's a gorgeous bronzed pink with silvery shimmer. My first thought was that this particular shade is very comparable to Bobbi Brown's Pink Quartz, but without the hefty price tag. I was under the impression that this product was marketed as a bronzer due to the short blurb on the Boots website where keywords such as 'Sunkissed'  and 'Multi Shade Bronzing' were used. However I think this product definitely acts better as a highlighter because the silver shimmer definitely overpowers any bronze.

The pigmentation is great. I've recently purchased some highlighters which barely show up on the skin, but this one does. It gives a nice dewy glow to the cheeks without being overpowering, and whilst this product does contain shimmer it's not overly obvious once applied to the cheeks. The texture of the powder is smooth and non chalky and they last well on the cheeks too. I have to admit, I've been reaching for it almost everyday since I bought it and for £4.99 it's an absolute bargain!

Do you own any highlighters? 

MUA Pearl Eyeshadow Shade 30 Review

Top picture L-R:  MUA Pearl Eyeshadow is shade 11, 30 and 1. £1 each. 2g.

Bottom picture MUA Pearl Eyeshadow in Shade 30.

I must be so late to the party on these. These are my first ever MUA products I've bought.  I knew that their eye products were popular, but I couldn't find the MUA palettes in my local Superdrug so I just settled for a few single eyeshadows. I actually thought the shade was called 'Pearl' at first; which may be fitting for the lighter colour but I got really confused when I picked up another and it also said pearl on it. After the confusion I bought them and I have to admit, for £1  I am really impressed with the quality. 

Shade 30 is a bronze gold colour with shimmer. The casing is plastic with a simple design. It is sturdy enough but I think if you dropped it onto concrete it would probably shatter. The pigmentation is great and there is little fall out. The powder is maybe not as finely milled as some of the more high end eyeshadows I have tried, but that's such a small problem and to be honest for £1 I can't really complain. This shade lasts well on the eyelids but I find after about 6 hours some of the shimmer has transferred to my cheeks. 

Overall, I am really impressed with these eyeshadows. I may not purchase any more simply because the other colours do not appeal to me very much, but I can see myself getting lots of use out of the ones I own. 

Do you own any MUA Pearl Eyeshadows?