Showing posts with label Keira Cass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Keira Cass. Show all posts

Monday, May 8, 2017

Head to Toe Beauty Picks


My bathroom is slowly resembling a showroom for TIGI products and it's fast becoming one of my favourite haircare brands as I'm yet to find a product I do not like. Having put aside the Totally Bleachin range whilst I wait for the sun to reappear instead I've been using TIGI S-Factor Stunning Volume Shampoo* and it's complimenting conditioner.

The TIGI S-Factor range works with a 'body-boosting formula' that adds bounce to fine and flat hair which sadly is a category my hair falls into at times. Often my fear is that these types of products are too heavy and as I am washing hair less whilst spending more time at home, again I can find it actually has an adverse effect on my hair but thanks to Pro-Vitamin B5 and natural Jojoba Oil it adds no weight and cleans hair that requires minimal styling with enhance texture and definition.

My only complaint is with the TIGI S-Factor Stunning Volume Conditioner* which is really difficult to squeeze from the bottle. I appreciate this is 'first world problems' at it's best but when I'm in the shower I don't want to struggle with packaging - especially early morning. I have worked round this by unscrewing the lid so it's a little cumbersome and not ideal but worth the extra effort.

Also from the the S-Factor range is TIGI S-Factor Smoothing Lusterizer* a product I thought I would dismiss quickly but interestingly have found it's one I reach for after washing. Again this type of product can be in danger of weighing down hair but a little goes a long way to smooth the ends of my hair and leave them looking less like theres an urgent need for a trip to the hairdresser. If that sun ever does reappear it also provides protection against heat styling tools. I find it works best for me on weight hair and I just add a little to the ends.

From head to the toes and let me tell you that nothing identifies my age more than my disinterest in wearing painful shoes. When it comes to footwear, despite acknowledging that I feel better in heels, after five minutes of wearing them I'm retreating to my comfy flats but of course some circumstances require I suck up the 'pain' and bring out the heels especially the past couple of weeks as I've been embarking on interviews in London.

One of the problems I have is the sexy affliction of wide feet, but frustratingly so not so wide that if I buy shoes with a wide feet they are actually too big for me. It's like a great game of which irritation shall I choose, too tight or too loose?

Enter Sticky Heelz* which have come in handy and allowed me to utilise a pair of heels that were slipping off my feet - no one wants to lose a shoe walking into an interview - before I'm in a position to treat myself to some new 'back to work heels'.

Sticky Heelz are a twin-pad design, one side sticks to your shoe and the other is stuck to either your foot or will work with tights. I've used in both instances and find that it works better when I'm not wearing tights and I have been wearing for short periods of time but it certainly works better than anything I've tried previously.

Each pack of Sticky Heelz contains two shoe pads and four heel pads and again, depending on how you manage you'll get a couple of wears out of them. It can be a little fiddly trying to get your foot in your shoe to line up and stick to the shoe pad but as I expect like me you're dealing with a pair of shoes that are already 'too big' you'll have some room to play around with and practice makes perfect. I'd definitely recommend giving these a try before you discard a pair of shoes that are causing you problems.

And finally the book that's kept me company whilst between meetings is Kiera Cass, The One the final instalment in The Selection series. Finally revealing 'the winner' of The Selection process and finding out finally who will become the wife of Prince Maxon I admit by this point I was bored of the series and this book. Of course being a young adult book I can argue I'm not their target audience and once again I felt it repetitive and was really not warming to America, the lead in the story.

If you're a fan of the Hunger Games or The Bachelor then you might like these series and I found it an easy read that didn't requite much concentration or brain power which was reserved for impressing future employers.

*this post contains press samples and / or affiliate links

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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

BOOK REVIEW | THE ELITE BY KEIRA CASS

The Elite Kiera Cass Book Review

The Elite is the second in the five book Selection series, the first book you read review here and it picks up where that left off.

The Selection gets fierce as rivals stake their claim on the prince. Six girls, one life-changing prize. America Singer will leave her pre-destined life for a world of glamour and luxury, if she wins.. But surviving The Selection is touch. Rivals are battling to become Prince Maxon's bride as the threat of rebel violence just beyond the palace walls escalates into war. Only six girls are left and sworn friendships are tested to breaking point. America's feelings for Maxon grow stronger, but she suspects darker mysteries in his royal past. With ex-lover Aspen waiting for her in the shadows, where do her loyalties truly like?

I enjoyed The Elite in the same way as I enjoyed the first, it's not the most ground breaking of novels but one I can read easily in a couple of days. I did find America somewhat frustrating in this book as she acts impetuously and without consequence whilst dithering between the two men in her life, without appreciating their feelings.

I was again reminded this is a Young Adult book and never delved deep enough into certain aspects of the story or the characters you're introduced to although you do find out some darker sides of one or two that left me requesting the next installment from the library so I can continue my journey through The Selection process.

What have you been reading lately?

*this post contains affiliate links


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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Book Review | The Selection by Keira Cass


After reading The Kind Worth Killing it would've been easy to select a similar book but rather than risk picking something I didn't enjoy as much I changed theme and went for The Selection by Keira Cass.

Thirty-five beautiful girls. Thirty-five beautiful rivals...

It's the chance of a lifetime and 17 year old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for The Selection, a reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon's love.

Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamourous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others.

Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don't know is that America has a secret - one which could throw the whole competition... and change her life forever.

The Selection is the first in a series of five young adult books, the latter due for release next month, set in a dystopian world. Following a number of World Wars, everyone is identified by numbers, the higher the number the poorer you are. Prince Maxon is looking for a wife he reaches out to the lower classes to audition for the role. Typically America, our protagonist is disinterested in performing in such a contest but pressured by her families limitations she auditions.

This book has been compared to The Hunger Games but I'm at a loss why other than the dystopian nature and the competition element but it's somewhat less lethal than what Katniss experiences. Having just read Only Ever Yours which was somewhat lackluster this covers a similar 'mean girls' element much better. There's also a positive message in that by 'being herself' America catches the attentions of those around her.

Yes it's somewhat adolescent and obvious how the story will go (especially if you investigate the further titles in the series), although it didn't end exactly as I thought and I have questions which I'm keen to explore in the next book. It was a slow burner but I often find that with any book after reading something I've especially enjoyed. Nonetheless it ended up being the perfect read so much so that I finished off very quickly and even spent an evening on the sofa finishing it rather than watching tv - if I read the book outside of my commute it's always a good sign.

It's not the most the most highbrow of books but if you're a fan of The Bachelor and other such reality shows I'm sure you would enjoy The Selection.


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