Drugstore Favourites: Top 5 Under £5!

Happy Monday everyone!

Anyone who knows me knows I love a bargain. When it comes to my beauty products, if I can get my hands on something that works amazingly well for a reasonable price, I'll shout about it from the rooftops! So today I decided to dedicate an entire post to doing just that - celebrating five of my favourite high street/drugstore beauty items of late, which all come in under the £5 mark! These five products are permanent fixtures in my makeup drawer, and I hope you like them as much as I do!

Images sourced on Boots.com

Batiste Dry Shampoo - Dark and Deep - £3.99

I love this stuff! As someone who really needs to wash their hair every day but tries not to, dry shampoo is a life saver on those in between days. However, if you have dark hair, I would definitely recommend investing in the colour specific one - I used to use the original white ones and found that although they did a great job on my hair, I sometimes felt I could still see traces of greyish/white powder lingering in my roots! So the dark brown version gives my hair a much needed boost, but without leaving any trace of the product.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

This post really wouldn't be complete without the holy grail drugstore concealer so many of us have loved for years now, would it?! I started using this product way back when Fleur de Force first mentioned it on her channel, and I've never looked back. It has amazing coverage, the lightest shade is actually light enough for my pasty Scottish skin and at just £4.19, it doesn't break the bank. I've tried other concealers, and will keep on testing out new things, but I don't think there will ever be a time this isn't in my makeup bag!

Bourjois Magic "1 Seconde" Nail Polish Remover Pot - £4.99

Before I bought the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish remover for the first time I was seriously lazy when it came to my nails. I painted them intermittently because honestly, taking it off to repaint them always seemed like a chore. Once this found its way onto my shelf, that totally changed! My nails are now rarely unpainted, because using this is so quick and easy. I made a video reviewing this here (way back before I got my proper camera!) if you fancy checking that out!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - £4.99

Cleansing waters are a bit hit or miss for people, but I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed using this one. It took off every bit of my makeup, including my relatively heavy eye-makeup, really quickly and easily, and didn't irritate my skin at all. I see that they have now added "Pure" and "Sensitive" versions to the collection, so if you're in the market for a new cleanser and don't have the budget for one of the higher end micellar water products, give this one a go!

Barry M Gelly High Shine Nail Paints - £3.99

I have a lot of love for Barry M in general - I find that the quality of their products for the price is amazing. The ever expanding colour range, with cute new collections released what feels like every other month, makes the brand a definite drug store favourite. However, the Gelly High Shine range is particularly impressive. These nail polishes leave you with beautiful, shiny nails, and for the darker colours in particular, the colour is opaque after just one coat. I really love the shades Sugar Apple (pictured above) and Greenberry, but the entire collection is just beautiful - Lychee is next on my "to buy" list!

So that's it for my pick of drugstore beauty bargains! What are some of your favourite budget makeup and beauty products?

Thanks for reading!

Happy 30th Birthday Neighbours!

Afternoon all!

This year marks the 30th anniversary of my beloved Neighbours - a show my mum and I have watched for longer than I can remember. So, in honour of that, I thought that today I would do a little "Top 30" post. Now, for obvious reasons, the first ten - fifteen years are not really included as much as they perhaps should be. Mainly because for the first five I wasn't born, and the next ten, I was a small child, so my memory of what was happening in Ramsay Street is somewhat hazy! But I've put together 5 favourites across 6 categories, and I hope any Neighbours fans out there enjoy it!!

I tried to do a top 5 characters, I really did, but it was just impossible - Karl and Susan, Harold, Toadie and Sonya, Sky, Donna, the entire Timmins clan, Dee, Izzy, Paul, Vanessa and Chris are definitely up there though.

And I couldn't resist including a little collage of my own trip to Erinsborough - what I wouldn't give to go back!!

Top 5 Friendships:

Lucas and Sonya, Tash and Chris, Susan and Lyn, Donna and Elle, Connor, Toadie and Stuart:

The House of Trouser was never the same without Connor, Toadie and Stuart living together! And I really loved sisterly bond that Elle and Donna developed. As for Lucas and Sonya, we all know I love when a show manages to create a totally believable platonic friendship, and there was never a hint of romance between these two (or Chris and Tash, albeit for slightly different reasons!).

Top 5 couples:

Toadie and Sonya, Karl and Susan, Paul and Izzy, Harold and Madge, Lucas and Vanessa:

I still stand by the fact that Paul and Izzy were one of the best couples ever in a soap. They were equally devious, which made them really entertaining to watch, but in the more serious, emotional moments you could tell that they actually really did love each other. And this post couldn't be complete without Karl and Susan, the ultimate Neighbours couple!!

Top 5 man crushes:

Mark Brennan, Kyle Canning, Daniel Robinson, Chris Pappas, Billy Kennedy:

Okay, so 4 of the 5 of these are current Neighbours stars, which is either because they're doing exceptionally well right now, or because when I look at ones I fancied as a teenager my tastes have somewhat changed!! What's more, I don't reeeally remember Billy all that well from Neighbours itself, but after watching Jesse Spencer in House, I've decided that had I been a bit older before he left, I'd probably have fancied Billy.

Also, let's all just take a moment to appreciate Mark Brennan...

Top 5 girl crushes:

Donna Freedman, Vanessa Villante, Beth Brennan, Naomi Canning, Dee Bliss:

While Margot Robbie takes over Hollywood, I still remember her arriving in Erinsborough stalking Ty and becoming besties with Elle Robinson. And right now, I'm loving Naomi - she's a breath of fresh air, and beautiful to boot.

And yes, okay, this is a much more recent photo of Natalie Imbruglia, so Beth didn't quite look like that, but the old pictures I found were a bit grainy. Plus, it's Natalie Imbruglia, she could wear a binbag and still look better than anyone else in the room!

Top 5 brilliantly bizarre moments:

That time Paul and Lyn got married.

That time Karl and Ned formed Oodles and Noodles.

That time Max randomly started living with another family.

That time Harold tried to kill Paul.

That time Sindi went from sweet to scary completely out of nowhere, and pushed Toadie down a flight of stairs.

Top 5 dramatic moments:

Sonya is revealed to be Callum's mum.

The plane crash.

The Lassiter's complex fire.

Who pushed Paul off the Lassiter's roof?

Libby finds out Dan is the father of Steph's baby.

Happy Birthday Neighbours!! Here's to 30 more years of entertainment from Erinborough!

You can check out my vlog from my trip to Ramsay Street here! And tell me - what/who have some of your favourite Neighbours moments, couples and characters been over the past three decades?!!

Thanks for reading!

International Women's Day 2015

Today is International Women's Day 2015, and in honour of that, I decided to share a little list of women who I am thankful for. It's a mix of people I know, and people I wish I knew!

I'm incredibly lucky to have been born where I was born. By chance, I was born into a country where my parents were not dismayed to find they had a daughter and not a son the day I was born. Where there was never any question that I would go to school, despite the fact I'm female, and where I was encouraged to go to university. We still have a long way to go, but in comparison to other women across the globe, I am one of the fortunate ones. That's why the fight for gender equality is so important.

2014 was a really important year for feminism, and I hope 2015 proves to be even better. The more people who understand that feminism is simply about equality, the more we can all work together to make the positive changes the world needs to see.

To my mum for constantly supporting me in everything that I do, giving me my love for books and always telling me I could do or be anything I want.

To my best friend for always being there, and being my companion in my feminist debates and discussions for years.

To Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling, for being sharp, funny, confident and intelligent role models, who have never let the sexist "women aren't as funny as men" notion get in the way of their incredible success.

To my undergraduate dissertation tutor for making me realise just how important feminism is, and for boldly forcing us to question the "norms" in our society when it comes to gender and sexuality.

To Maya Angelou for your words which will continue to inspire and make a difference even now that you're gone.

To every woman who fought for our right to vote. My gratitude has never been as strong as it was during the referendum debate. The very idea that there was (and for many women worldwide, still is) a time when half the population would not be included in that discussion or decision makes my stomach churn.

To Malala Yousafzai, for putting such a spotlight on the importance of girls being educated. Education is the key to changing the world, and the fact that so many girls worldwide are denied it is unacceptable.

To Emma Watson and Angelina Jolie for using the fame they have gained through acting to make a difference, and working towards making the world a better place.

To Laci Green, for having what I think is one of the most important YouTube channels out there.

To Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood and Katniss Everdeen, for being different kinds of role models for teenage girls.

To June Eric Udorie, for this article I read this morning which left me feeling totally reinspired.

To Ruby Rose, for this incredible short film (which I think everyone should watch at some point!) challenging gender roles.

To @LetGirlsLead, @RoomtoRead, @ChaynHQ, @bcimaGIRL, @girleffect, @VitalVoices, @GDIGM, @EvrydayFeminism, @GirlUp, @GirlsNotBrides, @GirlSummit, @WOWtweetUK, @womensday, @girlrising, @HeforShe and all the other accounts out there using Twitter to spread the word on gender equality.

To HelloGiggles, for being a positive site, full of encouragement for girls across the globe.

To all the women worldwide, across every continent, who are speaking out, writing blog posts, making YouTube videos, standing up to outdated societal ideas and practices and working towards a more equal society, for men and women, every day.

There are so many more people I could have included in this post, but I'll leave it there and let you get on with your Sunday!

Happy International Women's Day!! The theme this year is #MakeItHappen, so let's make 2015 an amazing year for the fight for gender equality.

Who would you like to thank today?

Thanks for reading!

I've Been Watching #10

Hey everyone!

While I've been uploading lots of film and tv related videos over on my channel, it's been a while since my last I've Been Watching post! So thought I would update you on what films and TV shows I've been glued to lately!

TV

Pretty Little Liars

For years now, I've been saying that I need to get into Pretty Little Liars. As a life-long teen TV drama addict, I needed something to replace the giant Gossip Girl/Veronica Mars shaped hole in my life. I still have The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, but PLL had been on my "to watch" list since it hit the screens way back in 2010. Finally Netflix added it to their ever expanding catalogue in January, and it's safe to say I'm addicted.

I cannot stop watching this show. It gets to crazy o'clock in the morning and while my head says "go to sleep", Netflix says "continue watching" and somehow my hand manages to click yes. I spend the majority of my time going "RIGHT, go to the police", but somehow that just makes it even better. This might be a teen television show, but honestly, it is much creepier than I had been expecting! I'm currently devouring season 3 (soon to be season 4), and there have been so many unexpected twists and turns along the way so far. If you can avoid reading spoilers, avoid like the plague - it makes it so much better when you have no idea what's coming!!

An added bonus is that I actually love all four of the main characters. If you have no idea what the show is about, season one kicks off a year after sixteen year old Alison DiLaurentis goes missing from her home in Rosewood, Pennsylvania. Twelve months on, her four best friends Spencer, Hanna, Aria and Emily, start receiving threatening texts and notes from the mysterious A, who knows far too many of their secrets, and is prepared to use them against them. Whether they're at home, at school, or even out of town, A knows exactly where they are, what they're doing, and what to do to hurt them the most. Cue constant fear, torment, and double crossing, with an excellent wardrobe, brilliant soundtrack, and, as always, a very attractive cast. What more could you ask for?!

P.S. I have so much love for Spencer Hastings - she's my kind of character. And, at this point (who knows how I'll feel an episode from now, never mind a season from now), I would quite like to marry Wren. It should be illegal to be that attractive.

Once Upon a Time - Season 4

My beloved OUAT is back!! Season 4b kicked off on Sunday night and I got cosy with a giant cup of tea and a donut to enjoy the new episode on Monday. It did not disappoint. I won't say too much to avoid spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but I'm loving the Queens of Darkness - particularly Cruella at this point. I'm intrigued to see where they're going with this, and I have a feeling (having seen some promo photos for upcoming episodes) it's going to complicate things for Emma, but we'll see. Still loving the Emma/Killian scenes, very nicely done in this episode, and Robert Carlyle will never cease to amaze me. He is just brilliant.

Films

The Theory of Everything

After all this time, I finally went to see The Theory of Everything at the weekend. Roisin and I accepted that this would be a situation where you leave the cinema having had a good cry, and while I think our makeup actually faired pretty well, it really was an emotional couple of hours.

Eddie Redmayne's performance was absolutely incredible - he thoroughly deserved that Oscar, and all the other recognition he has had for playing Steven Hawking. Felicity Jones was excellent too, and while the film obviously deals closely with what Steven is facing, a huge part of the story is what Jane, his wife, went through, and she handled it beautifully. If you haven't seen it yet, I would definitely recommend seeing it at some point if you have the chance - it's an amazing film, about an amazing couple, and it has made me even more determined than ever to get around to reading A Brief History of Time!

Tiny Furniture

And last for today, we have Tiny Furniture, a Lena Dunham film I found on Netflix a few weeks ago. For any recent graduates, this is a must see. It's a quiet film, and nothing too dramatic happens along the way, but it really does reflect what life can be like when you leave the cosy bubble of the university or college environment and have to try to figure out what to do next. Dunham's character Aura moves back in with her mum and her sister, and struggles with career decisions, friendships, relationships, and mostly just wants to hide under her duvet, which is somewhere I think we've all been (unless you're one of the rare few who managed to get a job straight out of uni!). As I said, this isn't an intense or life changing film, but it is certainly a comforting one if you have found yourself in Aura's shoes. It's one of the things I love most about Film and TV (and books) - you can always find someone to relate to, whatever your situation is, and that in itself can make things just a little bit easier.


That's it for today - I hope you enjoyed this and I would definitely recommend checking out all of the above! Next on my must see list are the live action Cinderella, which comes out at the end of the month, continuing on with my PLL binge, and getting properly started on Parks and Recreation - all the love for Amy Poehler.

What have you been watching recently?

Thanks for reading! :)

Oscars 2015 Red Carpet Favourites and #AskHerMore

As a pretty vocal feminist, I couldn't be more on board with Reese Witherspoon et al's call for actresses to be asked about more than their dresses during interviews at awards shows such as the Oscars. These extremely talented women deserve to be engaged in discussions that don't solely involve which designer they're wearing. So I wanted to take a second to discuss this idea here on the old blog.

There have been a lot of articles circling the web discussing whether or not it is sexist to ask a woman about her dress on the red carpet - to me, it isn't sexist in the slightest to ask them that, as long as it is not the only question they are asked. When it comes to these events, the men tend to look sharp in their suits, but there's rarely a surprise in terms of what they are wearing. Women, however, are afforded much more choice when it comes to fashion - will they go for a classic little black number, or something more outlandish? Of course then, women are more likely to be asked about what they are wearing than men are.

The problem arises when that is the only thing they are asked about. If the questions are "Who are you wearing?" and "How long did it take you to get ready today?", and then time's up, that's a problem. These are incredibly talented women, actresses, directors, producers, writers, and so much more than just a pretty dress. So Reese's instagram post yesterday, offering up a number of potential questions to ask the women on the red carpet got a massive thumbs up from me.

HOWEVER. I think there can be a totally different type of problem when we start to attack the idea of red carpet fashion, or criticise the interest in it in general. Being interested in fashion and wanting to discuss it does not make you a bad feminist - the entire idea of feminism is that men and women should have equal rights, and everyone should be given the opportunity to be completely themselves, and embrace all of their interests at once. That includes beauty and fashion, for men and women.

So tonight I want to embrace both! I want to support the call to #AskHerMore, because it is incredibly important - we have to stop consistently prioritising what people look like. But I also want to embrace the fact that I love perusing the red carpet fashion reports, watching the photos come in on Twitter, and dreaming of the day Elie Saab, Badgley Mischka or Chanel designs my dress for the Oscars *cough, a girl can dream, cough*.

Ask her about her process, why she chose to take the part, what the challenges were, who her favourite director/actor has been this year, and then have a chat about how completely stunning she looks in that gown. Do the same with the men, and everyone wins.

So here is Reese's brilliant instagram snap, followed by a few of my personal favourites from last night! All image sources are linked at the end of this post :)

Source: The Guardian

I thought Reese Witherspoon looked so elegant in this Tom Ford monochrome gown. Emma Stone was, as per, stunning in Elie Saab and I just love Cate Blanchett - the epitome of class in this all black Maison Martin Margiela gown.

Jamie Chung was so stunning in Yanina Couture (her hair and makeup were perfection too). I actually preferred Lupita Nyong'O's dress at the after party (Calvin Klein), and she just looked glowing!! Anna Kendrick is always beautiful, but I particularly liked this Thakoon dress, and again, the hair and makeup was lovely.

Some nude coloured gowns now - I wasn't quite sure about the waist on Chloe Grace Moretz's dress, but I liked it otherwise, and she just always looks so cool. I'm not usually one for fussy dresses, but I thought J-Lo's princess-style dress from Elie Saab was gorgeous (they rarely fail to deliver) - wasn't keen on the pink makeup though. And I loved the simplicity of Zoe Saldana's cutsom Versace gown.

I know a few people on Twitter weren't keen on the colour of Julianne's Chanel gown, but I thought she looked beautiful. Rosamund Pike's Givenchy Haute Couture gown was the talk of the town, and I have to admit, even though I wasn't one hundred percent sold on the split, it was a striking choice and she did look gorgeous. And finally, we have Jennifer Hudson at the after party - her yellow red carpet number was beautiful too, but what can I say - I'm a sucker for a LBD.


What was your favourite look from last night?

Thanks for reading :)

Image Credit: All images sourced from Vogue and ELLE.

Wednesday Wisdom #1

For the past six months or so, every Sunday night, I've posted an inspiring quote on instagram. As a Pinterest-quote addict myself, I always find that it helps me end the week/start a new week on a positive note. These quotes usually get a pretty good response - everyone needs a wee boost during Sunday night blues, right?! - so I wanted to find a way to work it into my blog.

I thought about doing a Motivational Monday series a la the lovely Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter, but I know that is quite a common one, so I decided to start posting mine on a Wednesday! Hopefully they can act as a little mid-week mood lifter, just to remind me (and you guys) of the positive vibes we started the week with, when the weekend still seems a little bit further away than we might like!

My Instagram - @lynseymac1
Original Source - Pinterest

This week I decided on this lovely quote from novelist and screenwriter John Irving. This quote can really apply to any aspect of life, from your relationships to your hobbies, but at the moment I'm going to be relating it to career!

A few nights ago I was out for a catch up with some of my friends, and one of them was talking about her day at work. At the end of describing her hectic afternoon, she said she felt lucky to love her job so much, and it really struck a chord with me. It seemed so amazing to hear her say that, because honestly? Most of the people I know tolerate their job at most - many of them actively dislike it. And there really is nothing worse than living for the weekend - sitting at a desk feeling bored or stressed and watching the clock, counting down the hours till 5pm on Friday! When so much of our lives ends up being taken up working, it's awful that for so many people the hours spent in their jobs are unhappy ones.

I think so many people settle for a job that is there in front them because the thought of going after something we really want feels too overwhelming, or like too much of a risk. But if you're lucky enough to have a passion for something you could potentially make a living from, create an opportunity to make it a reality!! There's a temptation to see the things we're passionate about as "just a hobby", or a pipe dream, but you really never know unless you try! It could be as simple as finding the right contact by sending out a couple of emails, or starting your own blog to showcase what you can do. They say if you find a job you love you never have to work a day in your life, and I genuinely wish we could all have that. Especially when we are young and free of responsibilities like babies and mortgages, we should try to figure out what we're passionate about and go after it. Saying that, there really is no age limit on going after what you want. Even if it doesn't work out, you'll know you had the guts to try!

Happy Wednesday everyone - hope you're having a great week. Follow me on instagram @lynseymac1 to watch out for next week's quote on Sunday night!

Thanks for reading!

A Cheesy Cheer Up Playlist

Music has the most amazing ability to lift your mood. Something that never fails to cheer me up is to dance wildly around my living room - keeping in mind I am not graceful in the slightest - blasting some very cheesy pop songs. I'm serious. When the occasion calls for it I will shut myself in my living room or my kitchen, put on one of a number of songs (ten of which are included in this post) and dance around until I feel better. It becomes impossible not to smile after a while - a) because the songs can't fail to cheer you up, but b) because you look utterly ridiculous, but there's no-one there to see you. It gets rid of so much nervous energy.

So here, for your enjoyment, is my current mood boosting mix. In moments like these it is of vital importance that we let go of any inhibitions, and more importantly, any high brow music tastes. Times like this call for good, old fashioned cheese - and I recommend a mixture of classics (hi Blur) and current tunes (the new Fall Out Boy album makes me happy).

I can't tell you how many times I have danced round my living room to the first track on this list. It never, ever fails to put a smile on my face, so I hope it does the same for you :)

1. The Donnas - Dancing with Myself

2. Taylor Swift - Shake it Off

3. Panic at the Disco - Time to Dance

4. Lady Gaga - Fashion of his Love

5. Little Mix - Move

6. P!nk - Raise Your Glass

7. Fifth Harmony - Sledgehammer

8. Metro Station - Shake It

9. Fall Out Boy - Immortals

10. Blur - Song 2



View the playlist here :)


What songs do you swear by to pick you up on a bad day?

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely week!