Pretty, Powerful Poetry

So far this summer has consisted of doing all the things that I really truly love, and I ain't sad about it. One of those things is reading poetry, and I've been lucky enough to stumble upon two books that, if you're a poetry reader/writer (and like books such as Milk and Honey), you would adore.

'The Princess Saves Herself in This One' by Amanda Lovelace is a gem of a poetry collection, it really is. I love the personal, storytelling version of poetry, where you witness a progression of the author's life through her words. And well, the title of this book is absolutely fabulous, because we can all be our own heroes. If you loved M&H and need somewhere else to take your poetry cravings, this is a brilliant choice, and it touches upon eating disorders, a topic close to my heart and therefore containing words that resonated with me. Parental relationships, loss, and toxic relationships are all covered within this collection. Real life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and this book is a delicate and truthful expression of that. Crossing my fingers that some of you reach for this!



Another stunning read is 'The Chaos of Longing' by K.Y. Robinson, a book with an extremely gorgeous cover. Just sayin'. This one is along the same style, but more focussed on love and lust and the general theme of relationships. I didn't relate to this one in the same way as I did the first, but that didn't stop the recognition of well written poetry and formulated ideas. I think poetry is a journey of sorts; finding what style and topic focus works for you. I'm not a huge fan of poems that rhyme, but others thrive on that. You do you boo, you know?

I've posted a few of my favourites down below, and if you follow me on any of my social medias, you might recognise a couple of them. They're the kind of poems that give you goosebumps and stick in your mind whilst you're trying to fall asleep. Pretty, powerful poetry. And sometimes, the only words you need to hear.

A Summer Makeup Menu

 

In theory, summer is palm trees and mojitos in the sunshine. In reality, its a full time job and juggling a million projects, am I right? That shouldn't stop us though, from living vicariously through our makeup routine, and switching out the winter products for a bit of sunshine-proof glam.

 

The main product I'm excited to crack out in the next couple of months is the Urban Decay Full Spectrum palette, because if there was ever a time to try out some bold colours, its now. Trying out the shade Calavera is definitely next on the agenda, mainly because it reminds me of a shade in the 'Yes Please' palette by Colourpop, that I am desperate to get my hands on. Even though this isn't the most compact product, I think I might have to sneak it into my Madrid suitcase later in the summer. Another bold shadow I'm gravitating towards lately is 'Flipper' by Colourpop, a beautiful orange shimmer.

 

Over the past few months, a strong highlight has really disappeared from my routine, but during the July/August months a golden shade is ideal. 'Gleam' by Topshop is my go-to for when I have a slight tan (emphasis on the slight, since I pretty much only burn). To complete the bronzed look, I obviously have to pull out my beloved Laguna from Nars. From the formula of the powder to the perfect bronze shade for my skintone, this powder has everything. On the sad day that I do eventually run out of this, I know I'll splurge and repurchase. It's that kind of product. A holy grail.

 

The Better Than Sex mascara is legendary, enough said. TooFaced have killed it with this product, and I think the majority of the beauty community knows it. For volume and length sans clumps, this is your gal. And who can resist metallic ballet slipper pink packaging? I know I can't. For me, mascara is one of the most important components of a holiday makeup look, because a lot of the time it's all that you're wearing on your face. I'm also planning on reaching for my Urban Decay setting spray a lot this summer; I know it can handle the heat and stop my foundation from melting.

 

Lastly, in terms of lips, as y'all probably know by now, I'm not much of a matte lip product girl. It's all about the glosses and the balms, especially in summer. But for days when a lipstick is called for, a sheer formula is just what the doctor (beauty blogger) ordered. My favourites are 'Patisserie' by MAC, a beautiful rose in the lustre formula, and my YSL lippie in the shade 44 is of the same ilk. I completely forgot the word ilk existed? What a lovely word.

 

 



The Makeup Eraser || Qwerkity

 

Ever since my skin said "NO" to face wipes, I've been trying to find better ways of removing my make up; methods that will fully cleanse without harsh chemicals. When Qwerkity, a great website for sourcing unique gifts,  asked if I'd like to try out their Makeup Eraser* I obviously jumped at the chance. This product retails at £17.50, which seems pretty pricey for a make up remover, but when you consider that this can be reused, that isn't a bad price at all.

 

Essentially, you add water to the face cloth and it works to break down the oils that bind make up to the skin. This removes foundation perfectly. It took a little longer to remove eye makeup, but that's to be expected, and the opposite side of the cloth exfoliates your skin (an added bonus). I think that the premise of a make up remover that only needs water is unique and efficient, considering that travelling can often be a hassle when you have a million and one beauty products to fit inside your suitcase.

 

My only qualm with the eraser is that it takes a considerably longer period of time to pop this in the washing machine than it does to grab another makeup wipe from the drawer. If your skin responds well to wipes I can't see many benefits of changing to the eraser - I can however see major benefits if like me, you have dry and easily affected skin. Having to wash a product is a small price to pay for clear and glowing skin. I'm so excited by the prospect of ditching chemicals and adopting a travel friendly way to clean my face at the end of the day.

 

If you're looking for a gift for a makeup obsessed girl, but you don't know what makeup products they already have, then this is a wonderful alternative and still incredibly relevant to their interests. For people on the search for innovative skincare approaches, then this is a fab product to send their way. I was so sceptical that this would actually take off a full face of makeup, but voila! The proof is in the pudding (I mean, the face cloths). I can't imagine a more naturally effective product for make up removal, and if you're prepared to stick with the routine of washing it, then I think you'll get on with the Makeup Eraser.

 

 

 

*This product was sent to me to review, but all opinions are my own.