Phew!

The past week has confronted me with some major challenges. I won't go into detail but the graduate job I began working at didn't turn out to be what I thought it would. I made a risky decision to resign but I'm looking forward to delving into a new job adventure.

Just so you know, I've been given a very exciting writing opportunity at The Daily Touch website (http://www.thedailytouch.com) so keep looking for my fashion articles which will be published from next week onwards! Also got some other volunteer-related things to look forward to doing!

It feels so good going for what I want to do. I'm currently learning to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, writing this blog, mentally preparing myself for tomorrow and organising my study schedule. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to go two steps forward :-) 

I have therefore decided to go and find a part-time job, cut back on my spending, enjoy my free time to study, pass my exams and have time to spend with my boyfriend, family and friends. Tomorrow I'm going to an interview for a very exciting opportunity, which (fingers crossed) will work out. It would be absolutely brilliant!

I've mentioned it before on my blog but it really is my dream to become a primary school teacher. I love being around children it gives me the happiest feeling when I can assist in their learning. Due to personal circumstances I have experienced a delay in taking my GCSE examinations in Science and Maths, which is why I'm doing them now at the grand age of twenty-two! :-) Next year I will hopefully be applying for my PGCE at a university and I will then be able to apply for my dream job!

Here's a few pictures from my week:

Here's a picture of my new Cath Kidston bag. My previous one has lasted two years :-) but it now yellow at the handes! It's quite icky (excuse my terrible expression, there) and needed replacing as I couldn't fit my college folders inside any of my bags! I love this because it was actually very reasonably priced for Cath Kidston (especially with student discount!) and you can just fit so much inside! I want to call it the Tardis Bag - it is deceptively large! It's particularly useful for Science - I seem to have so many handouts!

Teaaaaaaa

I never buy nail varnishes but fancied trying out some colours on my nails for a change! I got this dark green and rosy red matte varnish by Barry M! :-) I'm hoping that they will look nice! I also picked up a 'Very Berry' face pack as I felt like having a pick-me-up after a hard week!

I'm also currently reading James Joyce's 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' which is a very engaging read. The only problem is I'm finding that I'm too tired/feel guilty into doing something else, i.e. studying or job hunting. I'm going to make sure that I read much more this weekend :-) I've only got less than fifty pages left of this novel. I'm wondering what to start on next?

Valentine's Day fashion!

More cynicism than celebration happens on Valentine's Day, which is a shame because I think it's really lovely. I know it's commercial and blah blah blah ... but it's nice, and it's nice having an excuse to spoil your other half and watch films that make you blubber! I thought I'd write a post about how I've decided to dress up today!

My plans for today are really casual, so I've opted for a cute jumper that I got from work (yay) and a pair of dark jeans. As you can see, the jumper has a really cute bow on it, and bit of green detailing on the bottom of it (which you can't!). It's really simple and feminine! I love it.

 My makeup is very natural today. I'm wearing Mua eyeshadows (£1 each, amazing!), some Bourjois translucent powder to remove shine, Shu Uemura mascara, BeneFit dandelion powder and moonbeam highlighter, and dash of raspberry lip balm! My hair is naturally styled, with some dry shampoo for volume and freshness! So yes, a very natural and easygoing look! Perfect for a night-in or a trip to the cinema with your loved one.

Here are some other cute outfit ideas:

Topshop £38.00

Team this up with black tights for an afternoon in a vintage tea shop!

Asos.com £20.00

For a more sophisticated look that is adaptable, this slashneck skater dress from Asos helps make the perfect transition from day to night.

Cath Kidston £35.00

 This gorgeous skirt from Cath Kidston would be perfect with a light blue cardigan. As it's quite cold at the moment, a skirt option might be ideal if you're planning to stay inside somewhere for the majority of the day. It's definitely a cute staple for summer!

Shu Uemura: Ultimate Expression Mascara

Image: own

For Christmas 2012, I received a gift voucher from my kind grandparents to use in House of Fraser. I've never shopped there until just a few days ago. I met up with an old friend from college, and we ventured in there together after eating some frozen yoghurt from Snog. I came out with this mascara from Shu Uemura. I'll be honest, while things were working nicely with the Eyeko lengthening mascara, I found it was actually making my eyelashes a bit 'spidery'. In addition to resembling Shellob, I saw that some of my eyelashes were falling out as a result of being extremely dry. My tolerance to contact lenses grew worse, too. So yes, the novelty of the cute packaging wore off, unfortunately. I decided to go for the best mascara I could buy with my voucher, and see where my journey to finding the perfect mascara would take me!

Mascara is one of the few cosmetics I wear everyday. I'm quite happy to go out with just a sweep of dandelion powder, rosy lips Vaseline and a flick of mascara. It's important to invest in a good quality one, for this reason.

Eyelashes!

This is what the mascara looks like on. It's very natural-looking, but the increase in length is clearly visible. The mascara makes my eyes look fresh and healthy, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I'd recommend this for those who wish to have a very smart appearance, but feel that they can't wear too much make-up. It's almost as if the mascara creates a small line, that resembles a thin dash of eyeliner - as you can see in the photograph. The mascara creates a soft effect on the eye, and I'm a big fan of the romantic spring look.The best thing about this is the weightless feel of it. It felt like I wasn't wearing any mascara at all. As the hours passed, it continued to feel this way. There's nothing worse than rubbing your eyes after a long day at work, or after a lecture.

I am also very impressed by how easy it is to remove the product from your eyes. I'm more of a 'wipe' person than a 'lotion' one, and so it is important for me not to tug at my skin too much - which can be a nightmare if I've got a stubborn formula. However, I have found this method to be fine. Of course, always use a night cream after using wipes! They dry out your skin like crazy, even if they are renowned for their moisturising properties.

I love the simple black design of the mascara. It's very 'expensive' looking, and it's actually quite heavy to hold! Obviously, when you're applying it to your eyes, with the wand, it isn't heavy - but the actual holder itself is a weighty one. I'm not really sure why that is, though!

I would say it is very good value for money. Buying a good mascara is like buying a good shampoo, if you wear it everyday you can justify it. Also, after having to (annoyingly) switch mascaras again, it's very important that your eyes stay healthy. However, you can cut back on things i.e. lipstick or concealer because the high street versions are just as good, in my opinion.

Ultimate Expression Mascara retails at £20.00 and can be bought at House of Fraser stores nationwide!

Eyeko Skinny Mascara

 

Image: Own

Finding the perfect mascara is a dilemma for most women, but it is especially difficult for an Emma! I'm not sure if it because both words rhyme, but I find most mascaras to be either flakey, prone to smudging or they simply do not make my eyelashes look any different!

I recently received an e-mail from Asos.com, stating that they were giving their newsletter subscribers a code that entitles them to a 10% discount, and free next day delivery too! I needed a new mascara, and I didn't want to just buy a Maybelline's classic Great Lash Mascara. While more cost-effective mascaras are great value, I find that (as much as I like them) I end up resembling a panda by the time I finish my seminars at Uni, or shifts at work.

The mascara I have been using for the past two months, L'oreal Double Extend Mascara, has its pros and cons. It refuses to smudge without being waterproof (I find that waterproof mascara dry my eyelashes out, I think I may actually have combination lashes!), but it is incredibly hard to remove from your eyes! I've had to wait until my morning showers, where the mascara skids off my eyes in massive clumps (it's quite terrifying, actually), just to see my natural eyes again!

But yes, I'm going to try this new Eyeko mascara. It costs £15.00 usually - so it's a bit above my budget. With free delivery and 10% discount, however, it cost me just £13.50. Bearing in mind that L'oreal mascaras range from £9.00-£12.00, I thought that it wouldn't be too much of a jump up into the luxury world of cosmetics. With its squeezy tube, it means that you can make sure that the whole mascara is used before purchasing another one. So in actual fact, this product should be more economical than the majority of other mascaras. I've experienced this many times, where I've convinced myself that there's "more inside the tube!".

Image: Own

My first impressions of the mascara are good. The packaging itself is really pretty, in my opinion. I'm slightly worried about the wand clumping, but I won't be able to tell until I've used it. The 'blue thing' is actually an eye shield, so that when you apply the mascara, it doesn't accidentally catch your eyelid too! I am tempted to use it as a plectrum for my acoustic guitar, though ... oops.

I'm going to begin wearing this tomorrow and see how it goes. I will hopefully be able to get some photographs up of how it looks on my eyes too. I'm sooooo fussy with mascara, but I've got high hopes for Eyeko!