GEORGE SUPER BOOST FOUNDATION - REVIEW

I bought this back in January/February when I ran out of my preferred foundation, Rimmel's Wake Me Up. I'd actually been looking for another bottle, but my local Asda doesn't stock Rimmel as so I thought I'd give this one a whirl. I didn't actually know Asda had a makeup range, so naturally, I was pretty intrigued.

I'm sure the packaging probably had something to do with why I picked it up, as it's lovely. The bottle is frosted glass, which is a pretty nice touch for a drugstore/supermarket foundation. Plus, I loved the colour of the lid and pump.

The pump itself actually caused me a lot of trouble and I ended up having to replace it with a pump from an old Wake Me Up bottle. It was very difficult to use as the pump was so hard to push down. Also, when I was finally able to get product to come out, it came out so forcefully that it sprayed everywhere, leading to little dots of foundation on my bedding and clothes. I've read several other reviews since, and this is pretty common with the packaging. This was particularly disappointing for me, as it was not only inconvenient (and messy) to replace the pump but it also ruined the look of the bottle.

On a positive note, the product gives a lovely finish and smells amazing too. It's said to contain extracts of pomegranate apple and papaya and so it smells very fruity, which I personally enjoyed a lot. The scent, and the lightness made the product feel more like a BB cream than an actual foundation. In fact, the coverage too reflected a BB cream as it was effective, but not so much as to warrant no concealer in my case, which is what I tend to look for. 

I'm not sure I'd agree that it's necessarily 'Radiance boosting' as the packaging suggests, but it does leave the skin looking very natural, again more indicative of a BB cream than a foundation.

Another thing worth mentioning is the range of shades. I'd say I have fairly pale olive complexion, and so I always tend to go for the lightest or second to lightest shade when buying foundation. I find this works best generally, and if the shade is too light I can always mix it with a darker shade or use it to highlight. Anyways, the lightest shade of the Super Boost Foundation is Ivory Silk, which I thought would be ideal seeing as I'm often best matched to the Ivory shades, especially this time of year. However, upon use I realised that the product is not only too dark for my skin but also quite a pink/orange based foundation. I obviously haven't tried the darker shades, but I can only assume this rings true for them too. Basically when I use it I look like I've caught the sun a little.. Which although not entirely off-putting, isn't really the look I'm going for.. 

So if you are interested it trying the Super Boost Foundation, I'd advise you to:

1. Choose the shade carefully, I'd advise going a shade lighter.
2. Remember it's warm-toned (so not ideal for those with olive complexions).
3. Keep in mind you'll need another pump.
4. Look at alternatives. This is pretty pricey at £6 and you may be able to find a similarly priced alternative.

I won't personally be buying this product again, but I will enjoy using what I have left of this bottle!

Over & Out, T xx

SAINT ANYTHING BY SARAH DESSEN

BOOK TITLE: Saint Anything
AUTHOR: Sarah Dessen
PUBLISHER: Penguin
RELEASE DATE: May 5th 2015
NUMBER OF PAGES: 448
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

This review includes minor spoilers, proceed at your own risk .

I think that my thoughts about Saint Anything could easily be described in one sentence: I stayed up until 4AM finishing this book.

Yep, that's right. I, being the teenage bookworm that I am, sacrificed a solid 4 hours of sleep last night in order to finish this young adult romance. And I had to get up at six this morning, on the weekend before my exams begin..


*Yawn* I'm so tired.. But at least I have my priorities in check..

With that in mind, I think it's safe to assume I loved this book. I did. I don't know how Dessen does it, but all her books grab my attention from the first page, if not the first sentence. She's one of those authors who's so great at normalcy that every scene is just so realistic and she's written some of my favourite books of all time, such as The Truth About Forever and Just Listen.

Sydney Stanford has always been second best to her brother Peyton. This is clear right away, I mean there is literally a portrait of her brother hung "directly across" from the front door. It's the "first thing you see" when you walk into the Stanford's house. Now if that isn't favouritism, I don't know what is.

In fact, for the majority of the novel, Sydney's parents basically ignore her in favour of her brother. The brother who doesn't even live with them. Because he's in prison for drink driving and putting a boy named David Ibarra in a wheelchair.


Drive safe, kids. 

But her brother wasn't always a delinquent. Once upon a time he was just her big brother who would walk across sinkholes on a tree trunks, watched cartoons with her on the weekends and was a pro at Hide and Seek.


Now you see me.. Now you-- POOF!

However, soon the siblings' roles were reversed. Peyton who was once able to "find the invisible place" became the centre of attention, whilst Sydney became all but invisible.

I find that Dessen always touches on important subject matters, and for Saint Anything it was the feeling of invisibility. This is something that I'm sure a lot of readers are going to be able to relate to. I think it's safe to say that we've all felt invisible at some point in our lives, although perhaps not to the same extent as Sydney.


Why can't you see me? I'm right here.

As always, I loved the romance aspect of the novel. The relationships, like the novel itself, come across as effortless, which I totally love. Not to mention the love interest Mac was a Micheal Moscovitz, by which I mean he was my exact type. In a band, best friend's brother and a nice guy. Plus, he delivers pizza. My favourite food. It was basically love at first read.

I think what I especially liked about the relationship between the two of them was that it was a helthy one. So often in YA the protagonist falls head over heels for a guy and ends up depending on him for everything. I hate that; it sends such a bad message to the reader. What Dessen portrayed instead was relationship in which each person supports the other when needed, without suffocating them.

"He left me enough space to stand alone, but stood at the ready for the moment that I didn't want to."

Plus, being the sucker for cheesiness that I am, his admission of "You weren't invisible, not to me." abso-bloody-lutely slayed me.


Killed with kindness cuteness.

You guys know by now that I'm a helpless romantic, and so I obviously took a liking to Layla, a fellow romantic. Not only that, but damn was that girl a great character. I really loved the relationship between both her and Eric too.

The only thing I didn't like about the novel was Ames. Every singly appearance he made put me on edge. I understand of course that that was most likely the intended reaction; however, I was so entirely creeped out by him.

I think that where I'm so used to reading New Adult romances I was kind of thinking that something seriously bad was going to happen between him and Sydney.


Me, every time Ames appeared.

So to conclude, Saint Anything is a novel about letting others see you, and having the patience to do so.

It's a novel about family, and how that doesn't necessarily mean biology.

It a novel about sight, forgiveness and most importantly, love.

And I loved it.

Over & Out, T xx
PS: HAVE YOU READ ANY OF SARAH DESSEN'S BOOKS? IF SO, WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE? 

GIRL ONLINE BY ZOE SUGG

BOOK TITLE: Girl Online
AUTHOR: Zoe Sugg
PUBLISHER: Penguin
RELEASE DATE: November 25th 2014
NUMBER OF PAGES: 352
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

This review includes minor spoilers, proceed at your own risk .

I know what people are going to say. They're going to say that Zoe Sugg only got a book deal because she's deemed famous now, and that she doesn't deserve to be published as much as some other people do. They'll say it's unfair. I disagree.

Now before anyone starts furiously typing that I'm wrong, I'd like you to consider this: Everyone deserves to succeed. Yes, I agree that it is unfair that many people are unpublished. And yes, Zoe was fortunate enough to be approached concerning a publication deal. However, these two things are not mutually exclusive. Penguin didn't decide to only publish books by Zoe Sugg. It they had I'm sure they'd of changed their name by now to Penguinella or something equally as amusing. She didn't steal someone's spot on the shelves of book stores.
She earned it, as did all the other writers who's books sit beside hers.

Right, now that we've established this, let's move on to what's really important: the actual content of the book.



I won't say that Girl Online is the best book I've ever read because that would be a lie. I read around 100 books a year, and while that may not seem like a lot to some of my fellow book reviewers out there, I feel that based on that number I can safely say that I know a good book when I see one. Well.. when I read one.

For me, Girl Online was a great book. It had everything I look for in a Young Adult novel. An interesting plot, a protagonist I could relate to and character development. Admittedly it wasn't flawless. I personally found it to be predictable at times and a little cheesy, but then that's really not uncommon for Young Adult reads. I found it heart warming and enjoyed the book as a whole, and honestly? I'd read it again in a heartbeat.

This read was a little different for me. Like most people, I like to immerse myself into a different world when I read, and so the majority of the books that I choose to read aren't based in the UK because I find it hard to fully immerse myself in a book when things seem too familiar.. (Is this just me? Let me know in the comments!)

I think it probably goes without saying that Girl Online hit a little close to home for me. I mean the protagonist is a teenage Brit who suffers from anxiety, has next to no self esteem, is incapable of talking to members of the opposite sex and blogs. I mean honestly, if my name was in the dictionary that would be  it's definition.


Note to self: Stop being so honest.

And whilst Girl Online does maintain a Young Adult vibe through the romance aspect of the novel and the writing as a whole, Zoe addresses some topics that are very important to me, such as anxiety and cyberbullying and the effects that they can have on an individual.

I know that anxiety is currently considered a 'hot topic' or sorts, which I believe is due to the fact that Zoe has talked about it on her blog and YouTube channel. And as with everything, people have seemed to become bored of the topic and sometimes forget that it's something that really does affect many members of society. So I'm happy that it's being addressed more and more in literature too because I think it's important for people to understand that yes there are different forms of anxiety, and they should all be understood.

I'm glad that Zoe managed to show multiple ways that anxiety can affect someone life and didn't just focus on the panic attack aspect of anxiety (although that too was well covered). For instance, when Penny experienced her Glass Slipper Moment (read the book to understand), all she wants to do is crawl into a hole and live there for the rest of her days.


There's no place like hole. *Snorts*

I think that by writing a protagonist who suffers first hand from anxiety, Zoe was able to comfort those with anxiety whilst allowing those who are fortunate to not suffer from it to understand how it feels to experience anxiety on that kind of scale.

Furthermore, a round applause for some of the secondary characters.


Brava! Brava!

My personal favourite was Noah for obvious reasons. You guys know I'm a sucker for musicians, I mean really is there anything more attractive that being able to play an instrument? No. No there isn't. Truthfully though, I liked that Noah was an actual developed character. With Young Adult novels I frequently find that the love interest is a little one dimensional and I was glad that Noah was given a backstory and some character development.

But really, the award for best secondary character has to go to Elliot. If nothing else that for his fashion sense because the boy knows how to work his vintage, which is always a plus in my books.


I'll wear your Grandad's clothes, I'll look incredible.

I think I'm going to round off the review here because I think I'm starting to ramble a little bit. If you have any questions concerning the book feel free to comment below or send me a message (you can find my contact details above in the 'Contact Me' tab)

So to conclude, I'd recommend Girl Online to anyone who's looking for an easy romantic read. If you like Sarah Dessen or Cathy Cassidy then I'd say this is definitely one for you!

Have a lovely day wherever you are!

Over & Out, T xx

PS: HAVE YOU READ GIRL ONLINE? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT? LET ME KNOW BELOW!

SILVER SHADOWS BY RICHELLE MEAD

BOOK TITLE: Silver Shadows
AUTHOR: Richelle Mead
PUBLISHER: Razorbill
RELEASE DATE: July 29th 2014
NUMBER OF PAGES: 380
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

This review includes spoilers, proceed at your own risk .

Beginning: CHAPTERS 1 - 11

This section basically covers all of the 'before communication' chapters.

At the end of Fiery Heart, Sydney was taken by the Alchemists after her sister, Zoe, betrayed her by telling them that Sydney was involved with Adrian. Silver Shadows begins a few months later.
At the beginning of the novel, Sydney is in a part of the Alchemists' re-education called Reflection, where she is basically locked in a dark room by herself, filled with only the barest of necessities. Oh, and the persistent voice of the Alchemists, pumped through speakers into her cell.
Her only options being to either stay there or admit her 'sins' and move on to the next part of re-education, it isn't long until Sydney is admitting that she 'fell in love with a vampire'.


I love you! ♥

This admission gets her upgraded Level 2, where we get a whole bunch of new characters; such as Grace Sheridan, the 'current director' of the re-education facility, as well as Sydney's  'fellow prisoners', the most notable of which being Emma and Ducan.
Whilst it's hard to imagine anything worse than Reflection at this point, Sydney soon learns that the Alchemists can do much, much worse when she ends up in Purging (and later even Purging.2) after being especially vocal about her beliefs.
It's okay though, because Sydney just knows that Adrian is out there being a hero and doing everything he can to find her.


Oh Adrian, save me!

But of course, no. You see, Adrian starts off Silver Shadows concerned for Sydney and and wants to find her. However, once get gets to court and discovers how popular he is there now that he's doing secret work for her royal highness Lissa Dragomir, Adrian becomes quite busy partying with fellow sprit-user Nina.


Sydney who?

Adrian actually irritated me quite a bit in section. I realise that most of his annoying behaviour stemmed from spirit, and that it was probably Mrs. Mead's intention to make the reader  somewhat aggravated by his actions (such as by using Nina as a replacement..).
But DAMN, he annoyed me.

Middle: CHAPTERS 12 - 17

This sections refers to the rest of Sydney's time in re-education.

For me, this section was by far the most interesting. I loved seeing how Sydney began to get closer to the others in re-education, and I found all her snooping really gripping.
Plus, Adrian finally got his shit together. Which, trust me, was the biggest relief. If I'd had to read another scene where Adrian was being old-Adrian or a scene with Nina being all.. Nina I probably would have had to put the book down and go take an anger management class. Or two.


Touch him. I dare you.

Adrian finally goes back to Palm Springs (have I mentioned how much I missed the gang in this book?) and then himself and Marcus go out in search of Sydney.. Finally!
In order to find Sydney however, they need certain information. This leads the duo to her older sister, Carly, with whom Marcus becomes totally infatuated.
Side note: I totally love the idea of those two together! Do you? Let me know in the comments!

In the meantime, Sydney manages to get herself in deep, deep trouble. She's caught doing something she shouldn't and is introduced to yet another form of torture, this one called Persuasion.


Did someone say puuuuurrrrrsuasion? 

End: CHAPTERS 18 - 22

I mean, I think this section is pretty straightforward.. But just incase, it refers to everything that happens once Sydney is finally out of re-education.

The escape from re-education itself was one of my favourite parts of Silver Shadows, for many reasons. Not only was it really interesting in terms of how they planned it out, and as always with Richelle Mead, it was superbly written, but it was actually really emotional to see Sydrian reunite. 

Never leave me ♥

And quite a few other things happen once Sydney is no longer in re-education..



Over & Out, T xx

MY QUESTION FOR YOU:
I totally ship Marcus and Carly! Who's your Bloodlines/Vampire Academy ship?

SPARK BY BRIGID KEMMERER

BOOK TITLE: Spark
AUTHOR: Brigid Kemmerer
PUBLISHER: Kengsington Books
RELEASE DATE: August 22th 2012
NUMBER OF PAGES: 345
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance



Hey guys, so I've done something a little bit different for my review of Spark because I was feeling somewhat creative. Please let me know in the comments if you enjoy this kind of 'review' or not.

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL GABRIEL MERRICK TEST
(Because he loves tests so much!)

In order to reveal the answers, simple hover your mouse over the question :)

Over & Out, T xx

MY QUESTION TO YOU:
Would you like to see more alternative reviews like this?

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US BY KASIE WEST

BOOK TITLE: The Distance Between Us
AUTHOR: Kasie West
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: July 2nd 2013
NUMBER OF PAGES: 312
MAIN GENRES:  Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Meet Caymen Meyers: Seventeen, sarcastic and <i>so</i> over all the rich people that deign to spend their money on the porcelain dolls from her mother's shop. Having been brought up believing that all those who have money are nothing but trouble, it's safe to say Caymen is less than likely to give Alexander Spence the time of day, let alone give him a chance. But Xander isn't just charming and thoughtful.. He's perseverant too. 

Funny, Flirty and downright Fantastic!

(Okay, all done with the alliteration now, haha)

Hey! Hey you! Yes, you!

Drop everything you're doing right now and go pick up a copy of The Distance Between Us! Right now!

It was probably worth all five of those stars but only got four from me because we all know my five-star-ratings are for the best books, the most sensational of them all! My crème de la crème, if you will.

But this book is definitely worth the time you'll spend reading in, and then fantasizing about your new book boyfriend (Or girlfriend, don't you guys out there shy away from it just because the cover is so devastatingly beautiful, I think everyone can find something to love in this novel!)

Not only were the characters and their interactions interesting and addictive to read about, but the plot kept me guessing too! An adorable read that proves just how irrelevant first impressions are (although that doesn't mean I recommend beckoning people the first time you meet them) !

A definite must-read for all you YA-romance fanatics out there !

Now let us take a moment to appreciate the flawlessness that is Wellington Alexander Spence and how adorable he and Caymen are together. I actually really enjoyed their flirting/banter! ♥

“Fifteen bucks? For all this? I bought a pair of socks last week for thirty bucks.”
“That’s because you’re an idiot.”
“Thanks.”
“Love your new shoes, by the way.”
“If humiliation is a career, I’m going to tell you right now that I don’t think I’m interested.”
“But you’d be so good at it.”

I think it's that Xander is one of the only people to challenge Caymen's sarcasm that has me loving him so much!



.. Or maybe it's simply because he's flawless!


Over & Out, T xx

MY QUESTION FOR YOU:
I really love the way 'Xander' looks written down, what are some of your favourite names to look at?

THE ELITE BY KIERA CASS

BOOK TITLE: The Elite
AUTHOR: Kiera Cass
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: April 23th 2013
NUMBER OF PAGES: 336
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Romance, Post Apocalyptic

Our story began in The Selection when 35 girls moved to the palace hoping to someday marry Prince Maxon; however, by the beginning of The Elite, only 6 girls remain.

(You can find my review of The Selection, here.)

For our dear America, this means only five girls left to compete with.


Natalie, Elise, Celeste, Kriss and Marlee.


Only 5 other girls, and Maxon has already expressed his feelings for America. Should be a piece of cake. Right?

Well, America is in for surprise because everyone's upping their game, and this time she's not the only one with a secret.


I'm not going to lie, whilst reading The Elite you'll probably develop a deep, deep hatred for some of the characters, America included. I wish I could say you wouldn't, but I think you will. I did.
Then again, maybe I'm just a complete bitch.

Seriously though, there were times when I was practically in tears because of hate I felt growing inside of me.


Some revelations will bring you to tears, other's will make you want to kill.

You'll probably find the storyline predictable and you'll probably hate yourself at some point for predicting some of the most important aspects of the novel. I know I did.
Then again, maybe I'm just way too self-loathing.

You'll probably not put the book down until you finish it, and then realize you had a million other things to do. Which is what happened to me.
Then again, maybe I'm just a complete procrastinator.

But, one thing I can say for sure is that holymotheroffluffykitteneverywhere! The Elite will sweep you off your feet and leave you wanting more.
Then again, maybe I'm just way too in love with Maxon to see clearly.

I screamed, cried and probably lost all hope at ever being normal whilst reading The Elite. And you know what?
I LOVED IT.


Oh and umm.. Maxon?

ILOVEYOUU♥


Over & Out, T xx

THE SELECTION BY KIERA CASS

BOOK TITLE: The Selection
AUTHOR: Kiera Cass
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins
RELEASE DATE: April 24th 2012
NUMBER OF PAGES: 336
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Romance, Post Apocalyptic




I loved The Selection. A lot
No, Seriously, I practically went crazy when it ended and I absolutely could not wait for The Elite !

So..Imagine my surprise, not to mention confusion when, whilst browsing through various reviews on Goodreads, I noticed that there are so many bad reviews about The Selection..


I was like: Wait.. What?

I finished this on Christmas Eve 2012, but have only just decided to write a review (and only a quick, kitty filled one) because I loved The Selectionand I think it deserves a lot more positive reviews written about it. (Although admittedly I don't do much writing in my reviews and tend to let the kitties do all the talking..


Why all the kittehs?

I own the audiobook of The Selection and because I was too lazy and tired to actually read at the time, I listened to it instead. Listening to audiobooks isn't something I normally do, because I tend find them annoying and I'd normally much rather read a book myself. But, surprisingly, I adored it, and pretty much didn't turn it off..


And when I wasn't listening to it, all I could think was:


Which, needless to say didn't really help during lessons..



Over & Out, T xx

JUST FOR NOW BY ABBI GLINES

BOOK TITLE: Just for Now
AUTHOR: Abbi Glines
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster
RELEASE DATE: October 30th 2012
NUMBER OF PAGES: 304
MAIN GENRES: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction

Amanda Hardy has been in love with Preston Drake ever since he called her beautiful on her sixteenth birthday. There is however the slight issue that he doesn't seem to notice her. Oh, and he's a manwhore. 

Preston Drake didn't get a good start to life, but he's done the best he can, and that means doing everything to make sure his brothers and sister get everything he never had. Even if that means sacrificing the one thing, the one girl, that means everything to him.

Well hello there, it's been a while, hasn't it?




I've recently realised I start a lot of my reviews with the word Wow. So instead, let me begin with this:

Holy. Mother. Of. Wows. Everywhere.

Abbi Glines sure knows how to write a good book. Having read all the other books in the Sea Breeze series, I thought I knew what to expect. However, I just wasn't prepared for Just for Now. It blew me away.


Don't get me wrong, the other books were all amazing, but this one just got to me.. It most likely had something to do with the flawless Preston Drake.

Did I mention yummy?











Frankly though, the entire book took my breath away. No, literally. The Prologue was so outrageously original that I had to go hyperventilate into a paper bag.


Ok, no I didn't. But I'd recommend keeping a paper bag handy when reading Just for Now. You've been warned.


On a more serious note though, I thought the character development was amazing, and I feel as if Preston is almost a different person by the end of the book.

I mean, the guy has his flaws, but damn; he's got some good things going for him:

He's athletic, and good enough to have a baseball scholarship.

He's caring and looks after his three younger siblings, and ultimately makes the best choices for them.

He's caring, and looks after his three younger siblings and ultimately makes the best choices for them.

He's patient when it comes to Amanda and doesn't make fun of her inexperience.

He has a way of making things right in the end. Even if it means he has to work hard to do so.

And he's just so goddamn huggable. I mean really, he's simply irresistibly huggable!









I'd highly recommend Just for Now to anyone, and everyone who likes/loves/cannot-live-without new adult romances with such realistic, flawed and yet utterly lovable characters.

Ironically, Just for Now will be one of those books that Just Stays with You.







*SPOILER*

I do feel a little sorry for all the women that Preston had to stop seeing though, I bet they cried their little hearts out.. 










PS: Madame Glines, if you're reading this, I know I want never gets, and that it's rude to make demands of people you've never actually met.. But Amanda got Preston and she really wanted him.

(I'm getting sidetracked)







So.. I really want a book about Krit; really bad! I'm a sucker for a band member, especially a lead singer!

Just keep it in mind please?





Over & Out, T xx