Why I 'Give a Crap', and You Should Too...

This is not an ad! Just a product I want to tell the world about. Also, apologies for the photo quality, the lighting in my room at uni is poor.

Who Gives a Crap are a company that make eco-friendly toilet paper, tissues and kitchen towels. Often recycled, all paper wrapped so NO PLASTIC (yay) and smaller cardboard tubes with fatter rolls so less wasted card too. You can check out their full range here https://uk.whogivesacrap.org.

Each roll has a different (and pretty) packaging, and each says something amusing like this to explain more about their products.

Furthermore, they are doing charitable things like building toilets! So when you finish your next roll, maybe consider buying them from here next...

M&S Book of Beauty Advent Calendar: Review

Those of you who follow the Depreciation Society Blog will know that last year I did a blog post reviewing the No.7 Advent Calendar. If you want to read that you can find it here. Just like last year, my grandma kindly got me this calendar for my birthday, along with the Maybelline one (my review of which will be coming soon!). Again, this is not an ad, just my honest opinions on the products incase any of you are considering purchasing them! The calendar looks beautiful, which is an excellent start I always think, and it has easy to open boxes instead of the traditional holes so I'm pleased with it from the go. It's also 25 days which is a huge bonus!

Day 1: Citrus Verbena Shower Gel from L'Occitane. I was very happy with this product. It is travel size, so I can take it with me when I got to Paris in January, and it smells amazingly lemony. Plus, L'Occitane are a very high quality brand. If you want to buy the full size version of this product, it will cost you £16 which is very expensive for a shower gel. For that reason, I will give this an 8/10.

Day 2: Time-Filler Eyes Absolute Eye Correction Cream by Filorga. I am only 20 years old, so I'm really not the best person to judge how effective this product is. However, I can say this is another top quality brand and I think for the appropriate age range this would be a great advent gift. It's again only a small sample size, so I can tell you that a very small amount will cover a large area of skin. If you want to buy this product, it will set you back £40, which is again on the more expensive side. Like I said, I'm not really equipped to judge this so I won't give it a rating out of 10, I would consider reading more reviews if you would like to buy it!

Day 3: Ageless Throat and Décolletage Cream by Prai. Again this product is out of my area of expertise so I would say the same as yesterday and recommend reading more reviews about this. However, I can say that I adore the packaging! The recommended retail price for this item is £19.99 so it is more affordable than some of the other items in this calendar.

Day 4: Eyeko Lash Alert Mascara. I think this mascara tube is really cool! The mascara itself is fab too, no clumps, a jet black colour and a great brush shape for easy application. The only problem is it takes a while to dry, so it's easy to smudge. This mascara costs £19, so it is on the expensive side but I believe it is worth that. 9/10.

Day 5: Shay & Blue Black Tulip Natural Spray Fragrance. Oh my goodness, this smells amazing! I want a full size bottle! 10/10. It's £30 for a full size bottle, or £16 for this sample size and it is definitely worth that.

Day 6: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, Pomegranate & Cassis. This pre-shampoo conditioner smells so good, but I was skeptical when I first opened this. I have very thick hair so I tend to run away from 'volumising' products. It also takes 10-20 minutes to take effect which is a long time I think. However, when I tried it I was pleasantly surprised. It did make my hair more manageable, and not enormous. If you want to buy this it will cost you £18.50, which is expensive for a conditioner and the effects weren't great enough to make it worth it in my opinion. 7/10.

Day 7: Skyn Iceland Berry Lip Fix With Wintered Red Algae. This product is amazing! It makes my lips feel so much better, and it's not sticky like most lip balms. It also smells good. It costs £12 so again its expensive, but the tube is larger than most lip balms so it would probably lasts longer. 9/10.

Day 8: Leighton Denny High Performance Nail Colour in Be My Berry. I've had Leighton Denny nail polishes before and I think they are excellent quality. I like that this is a full sized product as well. This colour is beautiful and super Christmassy and I will be wearing it for the entire season. If you want to buy this it will cost you £12 so it is more expensive than some other products, but you can tell the difference in quality. 9.5/10.

Day 9: REN V-Cense Revitalising Night Cream. As you may have seen in some of my previous blog posts, I don't really use night cream unless they are specifically for moisturising because I don't feel I benefit from it so I would recommend reading more reviews if you're considering purchasing this product. However, I can tell you that it costs £36 so it would be a pricey choice!

Day 10: Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Overnight Recovery. I am very confused by this product. On the one hand, it is designed to moisturise dry hair, which is something I need in my life. However,  you have to put this in overnight and sleeping with sticky creamed hair isn't fun, and I needed half of the tube for just one use. I'm also not convinced it really made a difference to my hair. This costs £20 if you want to try it for yourself. 5/10.

Day 11: NUXE Luxurious Body Cream. Again this is an anti-aging product so I'm not equipped to review it! It's £45 if you want to try it though. 

Day 12:  Pixi Rose Toni. This smells absolutely gorgeous. It's refreshing and feels lovely on your face. It's only £10 for a 100ml bottle, or £18 for 250ml, so one of the more affordable products in the calendar too. 9/10.

Day 13: The Hero Project Hyasoft Instant Moisture Boost. This stuff is brilliant! It works so quickly, it's light and not sticky at all. The tube is small, but a little bit goes a long way with this. It's £19 if you'd like to try it. 8.5/10.

Day 14: Leighton Denny Mini Crystal Nail File. I bit my nails up until the middle of this month, so I may not be the best person to judge this. However, I have never been a fan of crystal nail files. Even when I have managed to grow my nails out before, I have found them too difficult to use. It's also £12.50, which is expensive for a nail file. If you like crystal nail files though, this is a perfectly good one! Just not my taste. 4/10.

Day 15: Studio 10 Lip Perfecting Balm Gloss. I was very excited about this product when I first saw it! I think it's a beautiful colour and it really suits me. It's a little sticky but not too bad, and it looks so cute and pretty natural. It's £20 and as I don't wear lipgloss that often I wouldn't spend that much on one, but if it's a product you use a lot this one is definitely worth that. 8.5/10.

Day 16: Diego Dalla Palma Eye Pencil in shade 01. This is a lovely black eyeliner. It gives good, sharp and precise line and doesn't smudge. It's also not too tricky to remove. It's £14.50 and I think it's better quality than other eye pencils of a similar price range. 9/10.

Day 17: Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream. Another product I'm sadly no help with! It's £16 if you would like to try it.

Day 18: M&S Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream. This smells great and feels lightweight, but sadly that is where the positives ended for me. I literally noticed no difference to my skin after using this, if anything it was drier. This costs £22, and it's not worth purchasing for that in my opinion. 3/10

Day 19: Autograph Blusher Brush. I like this Brush because it's a better size than most blusher brushes. It covers your cheek but not your entire face. I would like it to be a little softer but other than that it's great. It costs £8 which is reasonable. 9/10.

Day 20: Living Proof 5-In-1 Styling Treatment. This costs £24. To be honest, I'm not sure what the five effects this is meant to have are, but I noticed none. It was sticky and didn't smell great and I think it is very expensive for no visible changes. 1/10

Day 21: This Works In Transit Camera Close-Up Mask, Moisturiser and Primer in One. This smells like roses and it's lovely. It works well as a moisturiser or a mask but it's too heavy for a primer in my opinion. It costs £27 and I've used cheaper masks and moisturisers that work just as well. 7/10.

Day 22: Still Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Lionfish. This is really easy to apply and the colour is really pretty and subtle. It gives a precise line rather than being too thick, and seems to withstand smudging really well. This costs £16, so it is pricey for an eyeliner but I think it's worth it. 9.5/10.

Day 23: Autograph Luminosity Luxe Multi Bronzer. I like this! It's shimmery, golden and beautiful. It's pigmented enough to be visible, but subtle enough that pale people like me don't look like they've had a bodged fake tan. It's £12.50 so affordable too. 8.5/10.

Day 24: L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Cream advanced anti-aging skincare. Sadly not qualified to judge this either. It costs £78 so it is very pricey though.

Day 25: This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray. This product costs £18, and I do think it is worth that. It smells lovely and my Fitbit showed that there was an increase in deep sleep in my sleeping pattern when using it. Sadly it didn't help me get to sleep quicker, but I still felt more refreshed in the morning. 8/10.

Overall, I was super happy with this calendar and the quality of the products in it. It has been great to try some new things and get some new favourites. Hope you all had a great Christmas and have a fab new year!

A Review of All of my Lip Products

My review of my mascaras seemed pretty popular, and it was fun to do so I thought I would do the same for my lip products. I regularly sort through these, so I don't have that many but I do have quite a few more than my mascaras. I hope this is helpful to some of you!

To start with, here is a photo of my lips bare to compare products (especially nude colours) to:

The first product I would like to talk about is the Barry M Cor Balmy Tinted Lip Balm in shade CB1 Adam and Eve. This is essentially meant to be a lipstick with a lip balm running down the centre of it. A nice idea, but in reality it gave no colour at all and is just a glorified lip balm. It is very moisturising though! 7/10, available from Boots for £2.49.

Next up we have the Pusheen Cat Vanilla Goodness Lip Balm from M&S. I bought a few of these gift sets a couple of years ago to separate and use as decorations for presents. I kept the few that were left over and this is the only one that remains because the packaging is adorable. The lip balm itself is extremely difficult to open, and when it does waxy and leaves my lips drier than they were before. It also doesn't smell great, and I don't think you can buy it anymore so this review isn't that helpful sorry! Nevertheless I give it a 5/10.

Next we have the Classic Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm. Very good lip balm, but smells a bit gross. 8/10, available from Superdrug for £2.69 (plus student discount).

I also have the Strawberry Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm. The same quality as the Classic Carmex but a slightly more pleasant smell. 9/10, also available from Superdrug for £2.69 plus student discount.

The third Carmex lip balm I have is the Carmex X Skinny Dip Cherry Lip Balm. This lip balm is also excellent quality and it smells good but I prefer the tubes to the pot. It also has prettier packaging but costs more. 9/10, £3 from Skinny Dip (plus student discount).

I had to include my Vaseline in this because it is a life saver. They're all great but I favour the Aloe Vera one! I just think it smells the best. 10/10, available from Superdrug for £1.29 plus student discount.

The final lip balm I have is the Balea Cherry Dream. It smells amazing but isn't particularly moisturising, and it's extremely expensive to have shipped to the UK. I bought it cheap in Germany. 7/10, available on Amazon if you're willing to pay for the postage.

I got sent a free sample of the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar/Primer. It is 100% Vegan and cruelty free which I like, and smells like peppermint. It's good to put under matte lipsticks, but anything else will lose it's colour over this. It's also very expensive. 6/10, $18 (plus shipping) from BirchBox.

Next up is the No.7 High Shine Lip Gloss in nude. I'm not sure what this shade is exactly called (I think it may be Naturally Nude), but it's very pretty and a nice subtle addition to any makeup look. I only have a sample size (which is a decent size anyway) and the full size is much bigger. Lasts pretty well too, and gives surprisingly good colour for a lip gloss. 10/10, available from Boots for £9.

I also have this lipgloss in what I think is Just Peachy (a lovely summer shade, looks particularly good with my Too Faced Sweet Peach eye shadow).

And in full size, what I think is Roaring Red. This is probably my favourite of all of my lip products.

Possibly my cheapest lip gloss ever is the Essence XXXL Shine in shade 08 Glamour to Go. This is lovely, very shimmery so not for everyday use though. I got it in Germany, but apparently you can get it from Wilko in the UK for £1.79. 8/10.

This next lip gloss is another one of my favourites. It's a lovely nude, it has a wonderful heart shaped brush which makes application easy and it's not too sticky. It's the L'Oréal Paris Cream Gloss in shade 101 I Got The Power. I actually plan on getting more in different colours in the future. 10/10, similar shades available for £6.99 from lookfantastic (plus student discount).

No.7 High Shine Lip Crayon in nude. (I think it may be the shade called Daydreamer). This shade is too subtle for me, you can barely see it. I would go for a tinted lip gloss or a darker shade instead. 4/10, available from Boots for £9.

I also have the No. 7 High Shine Lip Crayon in a pink colour which I think is called Delicate Pink. This gives more colour and is nice and light weight too. I wear this often with just mascara and concealer looks. 8/10, also £9 at Boots.

This next product is another from Germany and I'm so sad that it's so difficult to get in the UK. Some sellers on eBay sell these for around £3 but I don't know whether they can be trusted! It is my favourite non-matte nude. Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in 06 Barely There! 9/10.

And also the slightly pinker 07 Natural Beauty, 8/10.

Next up is another very cheap lipstick. It is from e.l.f. in a shade called classy which I think is no longer available. It's a touch too bright for me and has a weirdly melty texture. A similar lipstick is on their website for £1.92 at the moment. 6.5/10.

The Smashbox Matte Lipstick in shade Be Legendary is my absolute favourite day to day lipstick. It is a beautiful colour, a nice texture and lasts well. A little pricy but absolutely worth it. 10/10, available from Smashbox for £17.50.

Maxfactor Lipsticks have always been favourites of mine texture wise and they have a great range of colours for a very reasonable price. However, Colour Elixir 610 Angel Pink is no longer a favourite of mine. I liked it when I bought it but it's now a little too pale for me. 7/10, available from Boots for £7.99.

Another product which I bought in Germany and you can only get in the UK for ridiculous delivery costs is the Essence Lip Liner in shade Wish Me a Rose. Can be used as a lip pencil as well as a lip liner (as seen in photos). Nice colour but not a great quality pencil. 5/10.

One of my favourite lipsticks for a night out is the Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolour. I believe the shade I have is called Devotion. It's a fab colour and easy to apply, it looks great on and lasts well. The only problem is it does dry your lips out significantly. 8.5/10, available from Feelunique for £8.99.

I got sent a sample (I believe in a Birchbox) of the Lord & Berry Maxi Matte Crayon Lipstick in shade Intimacy. It's a lovely rich berry colour but the pencil is very dry so it appears scratchy when you apply it, and it's a bit more expensive than most of my lipsticks. 8/10, £15 plus student discount on lookfantastic.

Kate by Rimmel Lasting Finish shade 30. I like to wear this with bold black eyeliner from time to time but it's not the most wearable shade. I can't find this colour online, but other shades can be found on the Rimmel website from £3.99. 8/10.

Also from Kate by Rimmel, shade 111 Kiss of Life. This classic red is nice for formal events, although it's quite bright so I tend to tone down the eye makeup when I where this. Again, I can't find this exact shade online but it may be worth checking in boots. 9/10.

The No.7 Matte Lip Crayon is lovely. Much like the High Shine Crayon, it is easy to apply and long lasting. However, this one is much brighter in colour. I think the shade I have is Raspberry Red but it's more pink than red. Beautiful though and goes with almost anything. 9/10, £9 from Boots.

The Maybelline Colour Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil is something I highly recommend. Fantastic colour, not too dry and very easy to get a good line without needing a matching lip liner. Again, not the most wearable shade (possibly called Berry Much?) but nice on occasion. 8/10, available on Notino for £3.

Coming to the end of my collection, we have the Sleek Matte Me Ultra Smooth Matte Lip Cream in shade 1038 Fired Up. I adore this colour and I heard such good things about Sleek mattes so it makes me so sad that I can never wear it. It makes my lips incredibly dry, peels and doesn't last well at all. 4/10, available for £3.99 on lookfantastic.

Even though I didn't get on with the original Matte Me I made the mistake of believing the good reviews of the Sleek Matte Me Metallic Metallic Matte Lip Cream and decided to try one. I bought a lovely purple called Platinised Plum. I kept it for  a while to use as a lip topper but even that didn't work. The colour is watery, it made my lips dry and it lasted all of 3 minutes. 2/10, £3.99 from lookfantastic.

Let me know if you have any recommendations for me or tips to avoid! :)