CASIO GOLD MINI DIGITAL WATCH

For years, I was never a watch person. I think as a child I had a couple of watches with characters on, like Hello Kitty and such, and then as a teen I had one watch and once the batteries ran out, I never went back to it. However, for the past 6 months or so, I've been wearing this Casio Mini Digital every single day.

The reason I like this is because it doesn't look like the classic watch. I have very very small wrists and a lot of watches therefore tend to look bulky and just don't suit me, which also lends to why I chose to buy the 'mini' version rather than the standard size Casio. But this is different. It has a sort of 'old school' vibe to it, and it is also ridiculously simple. The best part is that I got it for about £20, and it still looks almost brand new except the general wear and tear.

It also works really well for me due to the fact it is 'water resistant'. Of course, I'm not going to go swimming with my watch on, but as I work in a café I'm used to a lot of splashing and things and this just means I can still wear it to check the time and not be fretting constantly that it's going to get damaged.

For someone with a personal style similar to mine, I think this watch is such a good purchase, and it isn't exactly breaking the bank either. It's easy to wear, style and is the perfect size too. Perhaps, I'll even get the silver...

2016 INTO 2017

It is safe to say, I've neglected this for quite some time. I posted copious amounts of update posts always promising to get back on track and I never did. There were two reasons for that; I've been extremely busy, and I just wasn't feeling it. 2016 was the busiest year to date, but guaranteed 2017 will be busier - although balance is something I need to work on and so hopefully posts will be far less sparse. In terms of not feeling it, I started to just feel like blogging was all too much the same, and felt forced, and in terms of myself I've changed a lot compared to the beginning of 2016 let alone to when I began this blog in about 2013.

This year is a big one, I've applied to uni and will be off somewhere in England to study History this September/October, and I've got so much planned to enjoy, with the best people I could ever ask for. Hopefully, this motivation keeps as high as it is now, because in all honesty, I really need it.

As I plan to be at least, I'll be back soon.

CHOPPED

Apologies, for two things. Firstly, the awful phone quality pic up there, and secondly the lack of posts. The start of last month was pretty awful for me, I got dumped, and a few days later ended up with someone in the back of my newly bought little Kia Piccanto (first car, my heart breaks). But towards the end of the month, things were looking up - I passed my driving test, got the grades I wanted in my AS Levels and then, got my hair chopped and I honestly feel the best I have for months. Sometimes you need changes like these to realise how much better off you can be.

So, because I haven't shown off my new hair enough, there's a nice collage up there for you. This is a major change since for ages I was adamant I was growing my hair super long, but I think this blunt chop suits me and my personal style so much better.

AT HOME LASH AND BROW TINTING

When I recently went on holiday, I decided I wanted to have my lashes and brows tinted so that when I was in the pool, they actually looked a little more defined and I wouldn't feel so bare faced. Although I was ultimately still not wearing makeup, I wanted a bit of definition. I had decided that going to get them done professionally was too much money and sort of gave up on the idea, until I spotted the Colorsport 30 Mascara Eyelash and Brow Dye Kit in Boots.

The set seemed pretty simple, 2 solutions (a liquid and a gel) which didn't involve any mixing, and could be used multiple times. I also chose this set because it takes a matter of minutes to do everything.

If I'm honest I noticed more difference in my brows, and will definitely keep tinting my brows with this set because I don't have to do as much work on them with makeup. A lot of my eyebrow hairs were quite fine and blonde and so they looked slightly misshapen even after I had groomed them, so this really helped me out. As for lashes, they did look a bit darker but not anything majorly different that I experienced with my brows. Perhaps it was because I was a little worried of having it near my eyes for too long.

Generally speaking though, this set is definitely worth the try. I got the Dark Brown version and it works perfectly for me, but there's also a Black version which might be better for those of you that want to see more difference in your lashes. They also have versions for Brows/Lashes alone, but to save money I went for the joint set. It's really up to your preference, but let me know in the comments if you've tried this out before, or similar at home sets.

THE BEST OF: MAYBELLINE

Whilst having a look around my makeup drawers the other day, I seemed to notice I had a wide collection of Maybelline products; some that I use daily and some that I tend to push to the back. So, I thought it'd be a wise idea to do my take on a 'brand focus' esque post, and share what I think are the best bits of the brand.

LIPS: I have quite my fair share of lip products, but for when I'm on the go, I always seem to throw a Colorsensational lippy in my bag. I think it's because I can slap them on without a mirror and they just seem to work well. To show just how much I like them, I even had Coffee Craze as my prom lipstick shade.

EYES: I think everyone knows of the Colour Tattoos, and I have 6 of them myself. On and On Bronze is the classic shade, and mine has near enough completely run out (and I will definitely be buying another ASAP), and is the best option for when you want a look that seems as though you have put the effort in, but really it was a one sweep wonder. Maybelline also do pretty well with mascaras. the Lash Sensational is my personal favourite and I've repurchased this countless times, but the Collossal Go Extreme and the Rocket and pretty good options too. I love how waterproof Maybelline mascaras can be and I'm always safe from smudging.

BROWS: The Brow Drama is one of the best budget brow gels I have found, and also one of the only ones to actually sit on the aisles of the drugstore. I go for the transparent, but I have tried the tinted ones too and they do a pretty good job aswell - something a little extra for the brows. I also actually use the Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe for my brows, something I've now been doing for months and don't think I will actually move away from. Like a Dipbrow alternative, this pot of wonder costs just under a fiver and gives me the perfect shade of ashy brown for brows that could last for days.

NAILS: Maybelline nail polishes also aren't a bad option. The Super Stay options really wowed me when I first used them - they genuinely were ''super stay''. For something a little quicker, the Colour Show 60 Seconds polishes are quick drying, but also rather pigmented and some of them can actually work with a single coat.

So, pretty impressive overall. Although I don't tend to go for Maybelline for base products (I prefer Bourjois, Rimmel and L'Oreal), their product range is pretty solid with quite a few gems in there. Definitely one I wander towards each time I go into Boots...