I had to Google what ' eyebrows on fleek' meant, am I that out of touch at the ripe age of 21? Eyebrows are a vital part of make-up. I started using pencil, thought it was fine it did the job and all that. Then I moved on to powder and using a brush. The effect is so much nicer! Everyone is entitled to their own preference of brows, my personal choice being defined and thick, without being Scouse or black. My powder journey was started by this wonderful palette Collection 2000 - Work The Colour Eyebrow Kit RRP £2.99.

What a steal! £2.99! It comes with three shades: a dark blonde, brown and near enough black, a double ended brush, a clear brow mascara and a little mirror in the lid of the palette. I use the angled end of the brush in the medium brown colour. If I'm going for a more natural look the dark blonde at the start of my brows and the brown on the rest. To finish I fix with the brow mascara. It did feel strange at first, being shaped like a mascara brush and I've never had that feeling on my brows before... Such a handy little palette at a bargain price! If you're making the transition from pencil to powder or just starting your eyebrow journey, give it a try!



Millie
This post is overdue, but I finally got round to writing it up!
Amsterdam, its a wonderful place that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. For my 21st my wonderful friends and fellow travel buddies planned a trip to see The Anne Frank House. I mean quick roundtrip, starting in Essex at 5am and getting back the following day at about 2am, driving and ferrying. Crazy, crazy, crazy!


LIVING - After a crazy hunt for passports and mad rush, we made the first ferry leaving Dover. Thanks to feeling a bit icky on the way over, I didn't need to splash out on a full English for £10! A tenner for a breakfast?! Will remember to travel with food in the future for sure! The drive through Europe was so strange, we went through boarders without even realising. Hell, we're in Brussels man! Getting stuck in traffic when you're busting for a wee with services few and far between, was bladder testing I must admit. I think the services in the UK are taken for granted. We treasure you now Welcome Break and Moto!!

Accommodation in Amsterdam is really expensive good job we're hostel enthusiasts! Looking forward to the opening of the Amsterdam Generator though. We stayed at the Season Star Hotel which is actually a hostel but it was better than I'd expected. Having already been told that this place was the cheapest they could find. Normally hostels have bunk-beds when its a room for 4 right? Nope! This had 4 single beds in a row ha! It was only for a night though and the location was spot on! Across the road from Amsterdam Central Station, ideal!

Being my brothers first visit, we squeezed in lots of touristy bits; coffee shops, Red Light District, Dam Square and the tulip market. If you're planning to visit coffee shops, be careful, even experienced pot users have said its a lot stronger in Amsterdam. Maybe stick to a space cake... Getting to the reason for the trip, The Anne Frank House. Absolute must-see, its hard to express how emotional it is if you haven't been. They've keep the posters up that she glued to the walls in glass cabinets and even though its 70 years on, its still raw and heartbreaking. Its nice how everyone is quiet walking around completely submerged in her story.



WEARING - Not the most fashion forward trip I must say. Wearing flip flops on a ferry, in heavy weather conditions was not the wisest decision ha! What can I say, I like to have cool feet when I travel... The weather was terrible in comparison to our previous trip no legs out or summer dresses but instead another hat, coat and scarf trip. I did end up buying some tourist socks for the journey home and some cool coloured mirror sunglasses which I'm sure I'll make good use of in festival season :)


This would have been a cute tee if spelt right, good one Zara.

EATING - The food in Amsterdam is heavenly, I honestly mean that. Down every street near enough you will find fresh food shops selling; bread, cheese or waffles! The biggest jars of Nutella you will ever see just sitting in windows. Amsterdam was made for Leslie Knope! The supermarkets have such a better range of fresh foods too. We tried some cheese samples and ended up having to buy some (I'm getting saliva just remembering). Try the freshly squeezed orange juice. I'm sure a lot of other places in Europe have freshly squeezed orange juice too, but Britain is severely lacking. The restaurants are real yummy too, burgers the size of your face!
*NEED TO TAKE PHOTOS OF FOOD BEFORE EATING*

Travel Tip: book tickets online in advance to avoid massive queues or disappointment for The Anne Frank House. We witnessed a huge queue even in the wind and rain, it did feel good walking right on in.

What a great trip! We laughed and laughed and laughed! Finding out European radio stations love a bit of classic pop, made the journey extra hilarious, diamond songs were found between Lille and Rotterdam especially. I love Amsterdam and looking forward to going back when we start travelling :)

Millie
This may completely shock some beauty bloggers, when it comes to mascara I stick to what I know and leave it at that. After a horrible Bourjois one *gasp* a few years ago that led to my eyelashes falling out, I keep to one and one only. That mascara is Clinique High Impact Mascara, which is without a doubt a brilliant mascara by the way! Until I met Benefit Roller Lash Mascara it was stand alone in its brilliance. By this point you may be fed up of reading Roller Lash reviews but my god, its so good! Its a wonder I even tried it, but like anyone in their right mind when a magazine offers an exclusive mini then I'll snap it up! (This was a sample in the Keira Knightley cover issue of Elle).

Roller Lash claims to be a 'super-curling and lifting mascara'. Time for another confession - I don't curl my eyelashes either. Yet this does seem to do the job, thats the point of mascara right? The brush is a lot different to the High Impact. Its more like a comb than a thick brush, one side curved for curling. You definitely need a mirror to apply this though - coming from the girl who used to put make-up on, on a school bus without a mirror... It keeps lashes individually long which I love. In the past I've gone for the full-volume-sometimes-clumped look but this is definitely better. Coming to the price... I normally steer well clear of Benefit products because of the price. This sample has converted me - uh-oh. Its priced at £2 more than High Impact, RRP £19.50 from £17.50. Some people may faint at spending that much on a mascara. Personally and as a contact lense wearer a decent mascara is important for me. Seriously planning to invest in the full-size once this has finished. AND a swap on my Christmas list.
(Yes, I did just mention Christmas in the middle of May...)



What other Benefit products would you recommend?
Millie

Its time for a music refresh! I cannot believe its the middle of May already, where has time gone?! Ok, now I sound like my mother... Here I've complied a playlist with a lot of summery vibes - of course. Including chart, new releases and personal favourites. Enjoy!


What have you been listening to this month?
Millie
As you may know by now, I start travelling in the summer hence the new 'Travel Essential' themed post. My first item not everyone will be aware of, unless like me you are a complete Lushie. *sigh* Yes its another Lush product. I was first introduced to these when I was looking for a birthday present for my friend, Nicola who is travelling with me. They're Toothy Tabs RRP £2 - £3.50, a solid version of toothpaste. Yep, thats correct, solid toothpaste! You get 30 tabs in each pack and they fit into handbags, travel bags, wash bags so easily! The deal-breaker is because they're solid, they don't count towards the liquid allowance for hand luggage. Brillant :)

These do take a bit of getting used to, I can see why you'd pull a face reading this. The first time I tried them was on our trip to Edinburgh. I'm sure I described them as crushed paracetmol in your mouth at the time... Thats the worst bit, crushing them between the front teeth, once the toothbrush is wet and the crushed tabs are frothing its dandy, hang in there for a few tries. As per usual Lush have a range of flavours, some really out-there-wouldn't-fancy-brushing-my-teeth-with but you never know. I stick to the minty ones, Dirty and Ultra Blast.


What do you think?
Millie

This was my first MAC Lipstick. I love it and fully understand why people rave on about them. I was lucky enough to get a MAC voucher for my birthday and wanted to spend it wisely. I think the shop is really nicely set out, but I was really disappointed with the customer service. Considering its a high end make-up, that let me down. I was in there for about 15 minutes before someone helped me. I'm a MAC beginner and probably should have gone in with someone that knew what to do, it was awkward. Cardiff MAC store please get a friendlier staff. The girls in Cardiff Debenhams were much nicer, but turns out I couldn't spend my voucher in there. Rant over.

I chose MAC Satin Lipstick in Twig RRP £15.50. I've been loving the nude, but slightly-darker-than-nude lip as everyday wear at the moment. Its so easy to wear and goes with anything, daytime or for a night out. Twig is a 'soft muted brownish-pink'. Its so lovely to put on, I feel all grown up! A good start to my MAC collection :)


What colour would you recommend next?
Millie


Amongst other things, I'm a queen binge-watcher. I finished The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in 2 days. Yes I'm a little proud of that... So why the good ol' British weather has gone all cold and wet, again, its time to put the time spent indoors to good use. If you're looking for something new to watch these are all available on Netflix either UK and/or US (there's a Chrome add-on called Hola Better Internet), so you better nab a login quick!

1) The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Kimmy Schmidt played by Ellie Kemper, has been living underground for 15 years. Now she's free and has chosen to move to New York and live her life to the full. This Netflix original comedy comes from the fabulous Tina Fey (I need to finish 30 Rock - hence why that hasn't made the list). The theme tune is hilarious, think Bed Intruder I mean, it will be in your head for days. The bright colours in her wardrobe will no doubt wiggle in to your own wardrobe too!
Fav Character: Kimmy Schmidt


2) Orange is the New Black
This is the heaviest by a long shot and is more of a comedy crime-drama. Another Netflix original, this is based on the book Orange is the New Black: My Time in a Women's Prison. Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) is sentenced to a year in prison after a past crime with ex-girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon). Theres a range of interesting characters and heavy storylines. I probably wouldn't watch this with my parents though, after a couple of episodes you'll see why...
Fav Character: Taystee


3) The Office US
The Us version is personally my favourite out of the two. I think Ricky Gervais is a genius but the UK one is more awkward, whereas this is laugh-out-loud funny. Mockumentries are my favourite style! Steve Carrell in the role of Michael Scott is great, great, great! Theres so many faces from American comedy throughout the whole series, so look out for those! The pranks are wicked, I wish I was more of a prankster to pull them off.
Fav Character: Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesley and Dwight Schrute (too tough to choose)


4) Parks and Recreation
I've banged on about this a couple of times now, its pure brilliance! Another smacker of a mockumentry, this time with top gal Amy Poehler. I now have a bigger love for waffles and Galentines Day is, in my eyes an international holiday. Set in Pawnee, following the Parks and Rec government department, I need a fierce suit... Camera looks and reactions are laugh-out-loud. Huge talent, and again top cast and characters. Amy Poehler, I love you!
Fav Character: Leslie Knope and Andy Dwyer


5) Community
This is something completely different its random and each episode differs from the other. Its like each episode has a theme. This is in an original sitcom style but with no laughter track. The most recent series has moved to Yahoo online and is the most outlandish yet, its hilarious. SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE.
Fav Character: Abed Nadir and Dean Pelton


6) Arrested Development
I'll admit it took me a couple of attempts at the first episode because it was so wildly different. I think thats often the case with comedy pilots though, just a change in sense of humour. Its also kind of mockumentry without looking down a camera lens and a narrator instead. It follows the Bluth family after the father of the family ends up in prison for company embezzlement. This is where Michael Cera grew indie awkwardness.
Fav Character: Tobias Funkë


What shows would you recommend for me next?
Millie

Its been a long, long time since my last film review and have decided I should do more of them. I watch so many films! So here we go.

Love, Rosie is a film that I wanted to catch in the cinema but missed. I finally watched it last weekend and loved it. With Lily Collins and Sam Claflin playing best friends Alex and Rosie, comes a romantic comedy that I've been waiting for. Lily Collins, albeit half English, manages a real good English accent throughout the film. Supporting cast include; Tasmin Egerton, Christian Cooke and Suki Waterhouse. Its one of those films where you know whats going to happen (its a rom-com, like c'mon). The two leads have great on-screen chemistry and since seeing the film I went on a spree of watching promotional interviews on YouTube, they do genuinely seem to get on really well.

About Time was the last rom-com I fell in love with. But Love, Rosie is up there, I will definitely bother watch again. Starting at the beginning of Alex and Rosie's story, with a throwback to the early 00's. Its a bit like One Day in the aspect of following the friendship from the beginning. Using MSN and making bad clothing choices, memories will flood back. Even the song choices, Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall, cracking song! Based on the book from Cecelia Ahern Where Rainbows End, which I haven't read though. Its a super cute film with a feel-good factor which everyone needs from time to time, even if the ending was predictable. Out on DVD now if it sounds like your cup of tea :)


Rating: 4/5 stars

Millie
Note: this post is a little different to my others, may be seen as controversial and contains one spoiler about Avengers: Age of Ultron.

I don't know if you've already seen, Joss Whedon has deleted his Twitter account. Thanks to being bombarded with tweets calling him 'sexist' in reference to his latest film, Avengers: Age of Ultron. Now, I'm not a massive comic book or superhero fan, but I love the Marvel films and the new Avengers is a must-watch. By far one of the funniest and I really did enjoy it when we went to see it last week.
Today, however, my friend who is a massive comic fan and really knows his stuff, (which he won't mind me saying) sent me a message starting with, 'I know you'll hate me for saying this...' it was another 'feminist' thing.

A feminist is someone that believes men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. I am a proud feminist and that is something I firmly believe in. I hate it when people call themselves 'feminist' in order to sham men, at the same time hate it when men call women that have an opinion they disagree with, a 'feminist'. Its become a derogatory term and needs to stop. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, right, forcing someone from Twitter, wrong. These people criticising Joss Whedon's work on this film, in my eyes, aren't feminists.

It all came down to Scarlett Johansson's character, Black Widow.


A lot of people have called him sexist, along with some other adjectives... One comment I saw ended with 'The Black Widow isn't a fucking damsel'. I think she's a positive character for women, she isn't one to overly show emotion and can hold her own in any situation. If you've seen this film or any of the Marvel films with Black Widow, you'll see she is far from a damsel. In this film she kicks arse, she's a strong female that kicks arse. Really kicks arse, I mean she's a fighter assassin who can fire a gun. In one part she even says 'I'm always picking up after you boys'. Does that sound like a damsel? No. Not at one point in the film did I see her portrayed as a damsel... Were we watching the same film?

Then there's her body image. People are saying they've glamorised her. Yes, she wears a black leather cat suit and has a cleavage. Girls have boobs, who knew. The majority of people don't look like Scarlett Johansson, correct but because you're a strong independent woman you can't be attractive or wear clothes to accentuate the figure you've been blessed with? Marvel have picked good looking cast, have you seen the boys? Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), are both ripped and how many guys look like that IRL? They're superheroes for goodness sake, a perfect specimen that doesn't actually exist.

SPOILER - In one scene, Black Widow reveals to Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) that she can't have children because in her training as an assassin she was sterilised. Then goes on to say she feels like a monster. Some comments have taken this in the fact that she's a monster because she can't provide a family for a man. I took it as she went that far for training, having either her womb or ovaries removed! Why anyone go to that extreme, thats what its about, not not being able to have children.

The ironic and sad part is, Joss Whedon classes himself as a feminist. So people of the internet that have chased him off Twitter, stop giving real feminists and equal rights activists bad reputations! Are you looking for the word idiot instead? Remember his show with a strong female cast, Buffy The Vampire Slayer?

Can I add, Elizabeth Olsen and Cobie Smulders are both awesome female characters too. Also, Hawkeye is a great Avenger in this film, go and see it. The one-liners are laugh out loud funny, they are comic book films after all. Ha ha ha....


I sent this to my friend before this all happened. Thank you SNL, as on topic as ever!

Millie
Ok so technically it should be 'What's In My Shower' as like a lot of people, I'm sure, don't wash their hair in the bath because it doesn't give the desired effect... Anyway, this is Honey I Washed My Hair from Lush RRP £5.75. Its the first shampoo bar I've tried and at first I'll admit, I didn't know what to expect.
In a bar? Shampoo? Its supposed to come in a bottle and as a liquid? Wrong. This is hands down the best shampoo I've found in ages or possibly ever. Yes, I said it. Its toffee scented but not in a sickly way, with hints of fair trade honey and wild orange. I was a bit put off by the price. As I normally just settle for whatever's on offer at the time. After a couple of months of having horribly oily greasy hair I gave it a go. You know what it cleans hair really, really well - squeaky clean! On first use, in the shower it felt strange and a bit straw like. Thats because I was used to my shampoo leaving soap behind (something I'd never seen as a problem until using Honey I Washed My Hair). You simply lather the bar up in your hands, then wash your hair. I don't even use conditioner with it, it makes my hair so soft. To be honest I've used it a fair few times now and it lasts for ages, what an investment.
If you haven't tried a shampoo bar before, I highly recommend you do :) Lush have such a large range now, find the one thats perfect for you and your hair, and give it a go!

(They don't come in the tin, but having one is super handy)

What's your favourite shampoo bar? :)
Millie
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