The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London

I was extremely excited when all nine shades of Rimmel's latest lipstick launch 'The Only One Matte Lipsticks' turned up at my house, and since then I've been planning this review. Being marketed as a library of lipsticks, Rimmel claim to have every shade you'll ever need within this collection, and I've been eagerly swatching and applying them. They also claim to have a non-drying formula that's comfortable to wear, which is a bold claim to make for a matte lipstick, so I knew I had to put them to the test to see what they're really like.


PACKAGING AND APPEARANCE

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London

The packaging of these lipsticks is the epitome of eye-catching; the vibrant, pillarbox red screams Rimmel London and definitely makes these products stand out in my makeup bag. The coloured stripe around the bottom is helpful for previewing the shade without opening the lipstick and is a simplistic yet effective design choice. 

The shape of the actual lipstick bullet is blunt and rounded, much like the Seventeen Mega Matte Lipsticks that I've previously reviewed. This shape is creative and less-generic take on a lipstick yet may hinder the ease of application depending on what you prefer. I like to use a lip brush when using lipsticks like this to ensure that I can be really precise, but this is personal preference. 

SHADE BREAKDOWN


There are 9 different shades available of the Rimmel The Only One Lipsticks, ranging from subtle nudes to eye-catching berry tones. Marketed as the 'library of lipsticks', Rimmel boast that this collection contains every shade you'll ever need and more, and I can guarantee that they're right in saying there's a shade for everyone. Regardless of your personal tastes, colouring and the time of year, they have something that'll be perfect.


THE NUDES

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 200 Salute

This pinkish nude is probably my favourite shade from the collection and I find myself gravitating towards it whenever I want a natural yet pretty daytime lipstick. It adds a lovely wash of colour to the lips without being too much, and so I can see this becoming an essential in my makeup bag this Spring.

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 700 Trendsetter

If you have a pale complexion and struggle to find nude lipsticks to suit you then don't worry, as Rimmel have just launched the perfect one. This beige nude is very light, making it suitable for anyone with fair skin, but it's slight pink undertones also add a dash of colour and interest.

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 750 Look Who's Talking

Rimmel The Only One Matte Lipstick | 750 Look Who's Talking
Brown lipsticks have surprisingly made a comeback over the past year, and Rimmel has launched their version to keep with the trends. This chocolate brown shade is gorgeous for the colder months and will look lovely especially on darker skin tones, and it's different to your average drugstore nude lipstick.


THE PINKS

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 610 High Flyer

This is the dusty pink shade that everyone needs in their collection, acting as a perfect 'your lips but better' shade. Its slight mauve tone adds some interest to the lips, and this flattering shade is perfect for transitioning from a daytime to evening look, possibly being one of the most versatile in the collection.

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 110 Leader of the Pink

Rimmel The Only One Matte Lipstick | 110 Leader of the Pink
This bright, bubblegum pink is very pretty and girly, adding the perfect pop of colour to your lips. Although some people might view it as quite a bold, stand-out shade, I'm sure it'll be the perfect product for injecting a burst of colour to your lips this Summer.

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 120 Call The Shots

This is an extremely vibrant coral pink that is definitely bolder than you expect, yet is still wearable and will look lovely in the Summer. Its intense colour and pigmentation make it not too dissimilar from a red lipstick, with the beautiful pink undertones adding a daring yet feminine feel to it.


THE BOLDS

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 500 Take The Stage

Rimmel The Only One Matte Lipstick | 500 Take The Stage 
This classic, pillarbox red is an essential shade for any lipstick collection, and Rimmel's take on this staple product is impressive, to say the least. This bold yet still wearable red is great for making a statement and, like the name suggests, I'll be adorning this lipstick for all of my shows and competitions.

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 810 The Matte Factor

Rimmel The Only One Matte Lipstick | 810 The Matte Factor
This is a more crimson-toned red, verging on a berry shade, that is perfect for the Autumn and Winter months. It's a very flattering shade that'll suit many different skin tones, and I can guarantee that this will be a classy and stylish option for a night out.

The Only One Matte Lipsticks Rimmel London 800 Run The Show

Rimmel The Only One Matte Lipstick | 800 Run The Show 
This bright violet shade is definitely out of my comfort zone, but if you're a fan of bold lipsticks then this will definitely be the product for you. You can't deny that this shade is eye-catching and a more daring option, but by the swatch you can tell that it'll look lovely once applied.


MY THOUGHTS

These lipsticks provide intense pigmentation, especially from the bolder shades, which I was really impressed with. Even the lighter shades have a good amount of colour payoff, which isn't always the case with drugstore lipsticks, so I was happily surprised. Despite being marketed as a matte product, they don't feel dry or stiff at all. Instead, the velvet texture ensures that they glide on easily, feeling smooth and creamy on the lips. I still prefer to wear a lipgloss over the top, just to add a plumper and glossier to look to my lips, but this isn't necessary.

The staying power of these lipsticks really impressed me, as I find that they're firmly in place hours after application, hardly needing to be touched up. And this is with drinking and eating, so you can tell why I'm surprised. The bold shades tend to wear slightly longer than the lighter shades, but this tends to be the case with most lipsticks. I also found them to be incredibly comfortable to wear, not feeling dry or clingy at any point, so these are great low maintenance lipsticks to wear throughout the day without having to worry that they'll come off.

Garnier Oil Infused Micellar Water

To remove both the lipstick and the swatches, I used the Garnier Oil-Infused Micellar Water, which honestly works like a dream. It removed the product like I've never seen before, only requiring a couple of swipes to remove all traces of lipstick. Also, it didn't leave my lips feeling sore or stinging from excessively scrubbing away the product, so I'd highly recommend using a micellar water like this one to take off your lipstick at the end of the day.


OVERALL OPINION

Overall, I'm incredibly impressed with these lipsticks and I'm sure you'll see a lot of them from me in the future. Although some of the shades weren't initially my cup of tea, they're all very wearable, look pretty and most importantly, feel comfortable on the lips. Retailing at £6.99, you really can't go wrong by trying a few of them out, and you have a variety of gorgeous shades to choose from.

I hope you liked this review, and if you've tried the Rimmel London The Only One Matte Lipsticks, I'd love to know what you think of them down in the comments. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next Sunday with another blog post!

Love from Daisy x
A Quiet Kind of Thunder Sara Barnard

A Quiet Kind of Thunder is Sara Barnard's newest novel, and I was highly anticipating its release after hearing nothing but praise for her previous book 'Beautiful Broken Things'. I was incredibly thankful to be sent a proof copy of this book by Pan Macmillan and I jumped straight in, instantly becoming enthralled by the emotional and gripping storyline. It's ultimately a story of self-discovery, breaking boundaries and defining who you are, and I honestly loved every minute of it. Keep reading to hear my in-depth review of this book!

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Book Title: A Quiet Kind of Thunder
Author: Sara Barnard
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Mental Health

Summary
Steffi doesn't talk, but she has so much to say. Rhys can't hear, but he can listen. Their love isn't a lightning strike, it's the rumbling roll of thunder. Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it.


MY THOUGHTS

Steffi has selective mutism - something I didn't even know about before reading this novel. I was thoroughly educated whilst reading and witnessed how it affected Steffi's ability to communicate and her view of the world, so seeing her slowly start to overcome her selective mutism was beautiful and fascinating. We also see her struggle with multiple anxiety diagnoses and panic attacks, and getting an insight into these really opened my eyes. She's ultimately a fighter and strong character who is determined to follow her dreams and prove everyone wrong about the presumptions of her, and I admire this so much.

Rhys is a new pupil in a school of teenagers who've known each other for 5 years, and alongside being deaf, he feels like an outsider and not belonging in the hearing world. His deafness was represented in a very accurate and moving way, highlighting the daily struggles and issues he has due to it. I was enlightened about the use of BSL and the representation of the D/deaf community was something I'd never seen included in other YA books.

The other characters we witnessed were equally as developed and enhanced the story in a positive way. Some of my favourite scenes were those with Steffi and Tem, as Sara Barnard managed to perfectly capture the dynamic of teenage friendships, and it was refreshing to see such a strong bond and dependence on one another in a genre that rarely focuses on this aspect. I also loved seeing how Steffi coped with family issues like the death of her half-brother and divorce of her parents, and how all of these different characters influenced her view of the world.

It's a common worry with novels, particularly in the young adult category, that characters will be one-sided and ultimately be consumed by a personality trait. Although Steffi and Rhys's story focuses heavily on mental illness and the D/deaf community, both characters didn't become these features. Instead, they were multifaceted and well-developed, feeling much more like real people than characters.

This novel is primarily a contemporary romance and so the budding relationship between Steffi and Rhys plays a large role. Everything is well-developed, realistic and builds up nicely, showing both the joys and obstacles that they're faced with. Just reading about the romance put me in a good mood - it was honestly adorable! I was initially worried that this novel would follow the common YA trope of romance fixing everything, especially since this novel deals with mental illness and other sensitive subjects, but I can confirm that this didn't happen and Sara handled it in an informed and serious way.

A Quiet Kind of Thunder is definitely a diverse novel, despite being primarily a contemporary. Racism is explored as an underlying theme, with Tem being Somalian and Rhys being biracial, which was a step in the right direction for YA fiction which often only includes white characters. We get to see mental illnesses and the D/deaf community in depth, which really educated me, and there's even elements of feminism and challenging gender roles embedded throughout. Sara Barnard has done an excellent job at ensuring all aspects of society are represented in an accurate way, and I applaud her for this brave move.

Sara provides a raw and truthful insight into teenage lives, so much so you'd think that she was a teenager herself writing from personal experience. She really manages to capture what it's like to be a teenager in this breathtaking yet emotional book. Her writing is littered with humour and lighthearted moments that made this an enjoyable read, yet a more serious tone is adopted to make a statement during the more important moments. Sara had me both laughing and crying along with the characters and I was overwhelmed by how immersed I became in the world of Steffi and Rhys.


OVERALL OPINION

Overall, this novel was very eye-opening and uplifting, educating me about the world we live in yet hardly see represented in young adult novels. The ultimate message, which is to overcome the struggles in your life and to discover your strengths, is definitely a mantra to live by and really proved to be inspirational. With its diverse characters, enjoyable storyline and crafted writing, this is a novel that I'd urge everyone to read.

I hope this review was helpful, and I'd love to know your opinions of A Quiet Kind of Thunder if you've already read it. Thank you for reading this blog post and I'll be back next Sunday with a new one, so I'll see you then!

Love from Daisy x

I've spent the entirety of this week being ill in bed, and it's reminded me of how much I hate being sick. I often spend the time that I'm sick feeling low and sorry for myself, but this week I really made more of an effort to look after myself and to get into a good mood. For all of you who are currently ill or suffering from the winter blues, I thought it'd be helpful to share my tips and favourite things to do when I'm ill, leaving me in a better mood and on the road to recovery. All of the points below are what I found to be most important, so I hope that they're helpful for you.

Watch TV and Films - if you're going to be lying in bed all day, you might as well get some enjoyment out of it and spend this time watching TV. I mostly watched old Dance Moms reruns and also became obsessed with Fixer Upper, which is without a doubt now my favourite house-related programme. You may choose to watch some films or catch up on Youtube videos instead, but whatever you decide on make sure you're relaxed and distracting yourself from feeling ill.

Drink Lots of Fluids - it's really important to keep your body hydrated when you're ill, and so drinking lots of water is necessary. You lose water much quicker when you're sick and so it has to be restored, plus drinking a lot helps to flush out your system. I'd also recommend mixing it up occasionally and drinking tea, as there are plenty of health benefits attached to drinking these depending on what flavour you choose.

Take A Warm Bath and Relax - there's something about being ill that makes me feel dirty and uncomfortable, possibly from the prolonged amounts of time in bed or in the house. The best thing to do in this situation is to have a bath, as not only does it leave you feeling fresh but it's also a great way to relax and possibly read a book to take your mind off feeling ill. Even little things like brushing your teeth contribute to you feeling fresher and thus happier whilst you're sick.

Get Some Fresh Air - the house can immediately feel like a prison when you're sick, and getting out can instantly improve your happiness. Even it's just to walk the dog for half an hour or to visit the shops, I can guarantee that the fresh air and bit of activity will greatly affect your mood.

Take It Easy - remember that you're recovering and need to allow your body time to fully get better. It can be tempting to dive straight back into work or push yourself too far when you think you're better, but this will only make it worse. You need to be sensible and ease yourself back into your regular routine to ensure that you don't get sick again.

I hope that all of these tips are useful if you're currently ill, and if there are any remedies or solutions that you have then make sure to leave them down in the comments. Thank you for reading this blog post and I'll see you next week with a new one!

Love from Daisy x

I can't believe 2017 is here! 2016 was quite a difficult and challenging year for the world, but for me personally, I felt like it was a successful and amazing year. I love documenting some of my favourite memories and achievements on Daisies and Delights for me to look back on in the future, so I thought now was a perfect opportunity to do so. If you stick around 'til the end of this post, you'll also get to hear about my New Year's Resolutions for 2017, so make sure you keep reading!


BLOGGING

I feel as though this year has definitely been a significant one for my blog, and I'm so proud of everything I accomplished in relation to it. Although I reduced my uploading frequency to once a week, I've been very proud of all the content I've created and photographs I've taken, particularly towards the latter half of the year. A lot of effort has gone into Daisies and Delights over the past 12 months and this is definitely starting to become evident, which I couldn't be more thrilled about.

2016 has been a big one for collaborating with brands on my blog, something which I'd done occasionally in the past but never thought I'd be so lucky as to be recognised by such reputable brands. I was sent some makeup and skincare products by Makeup Revolution, Freedom, Be Cosmetics, and most recently Rimmel London, all of which have been incredibly generous to me and I greatly appreciate it. I've also been sent numerous books by Pan Macmillan, including Summer Days and Summer Nights by Stephanie Perkins, What Light by Jay Asher, Heartless by Marissa Meyer and A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard.

Blogging events were also a new occurrence in 2016 and I definitely went out of my comfort zone to attend two. The first was the Seventeen Bloggers Network Event and was in London, which was an unforgettable experience where I got to meet some like-minded bloggers, listen to talks from industry professionals like Katie Snooks and Rollo Goldstaub, and try out and take home some of their newest products. More recently, I attended the Body Shop Christmas Bloggers Event which was closer to home, and I really enjoyed a festive evening of sampling their Christmas ranges, watching demonstrations and meeting some inspiring bloggers.

I ran my first proper blog giveaway in 2016, which was successful and I enjoyed every minute of, so I'll definitely be doing some more in the future. I also got the opportunity to host the #bookbloggers chat on Twitter, which is something I'd wanted to do for a long time and finally was able to. Possibly my most notable achievement was Daisies and Delights being nominated for the Johnson and Johnson Journalism Awards in the Best Emerging Blogger category, which was a surreal moment that I still can't believe. This was such an honour and I can't wait to attend the awards in January.


ACADEMIC

2016 was an important year in terms of my education, as I sat all of my GCSEs. This was definitely a very stressful period and required a lot of hard work, not just for the exams but also in coursework and revision which practically spanned the entirety of year 11. I'll be honest, there were some moments when I was stressed beyond belief and didn't think I could handle it, but I powered through and the hard work definitely paid off. I received 6A*s and 4As in my GCSEs, which I was absolutely made up with and proved that my dedication to studying was worth it.

To distract from all of the stress of exams was leaving high school, which I found quite emotional, to say the least. It was strange knowing that five years were over so quick, and before I knew it people were moving onto new experiences and different colleges. I also had prom, which was definitely a highlight of the year and I loved every minute of it. From the dress to the makeup and everything in between, it really felt special and I had an amazing time celebrating the end of exams with my friends.

In September of this year I started college, which was a new venture that I was initially quite nervous for and thought that I'd miss high school a lot. However, so far I'm absolutely loving college and feel really at home there, more than I ever thought I would. I'm currently studying for A-Levels in English Literature, English Language and Psychology, as well as carrying out an Extended Project Qualification. I love all of my subjects and I've really broadened my knowledge over the past few months. College has also enabled me to meet lots of new people and I've made some great friends, both in classes and out, that I couldn't imagine not having.


PERFORMING

With 2016 came another year of attending Lipa, and I have to say that it was possibly one of my favourites so far. We had our annual summer show to present all of our dance routines, songs and acting scenes, all of which I really enjoyed. From singing as Sandy from Grease to our beautiful lyrical dance to Incomplete by James Bay, this was definitely one of my favourite shows I've ever been in.

Also last year, we participated in two dance competitions, which was completely new for me. Competing is a completely different experience to just performing, but I enjoyed it a lot and made some amazing memories. At our first competition, we received 1st place for our contemporary group dance and 3rd place for our commercial jazz group. In the second competition, our commercial group was 1st in its category, our contemporary group was 1st in its category and received 3rd overall for the whole competition. Both of these were great opportunities and I loved every minute of competing our dances.



There are various other memories and achievements from 2016 that I could touch on, but I figured I'd move on to the part of the post that you're all highly anticipating - my New Year's Resolutions! I do one of these posts every year and find that it's great to document them so that I can check back and see what I've achieved.

I usually set various different goals for each aspect of my life, but I thought that this year I'd condense it down and instead set five main goals that I want to work on. This will make it much easier to focus on them individually and I'm therefore more likely to achieve them. Below I've listed my New Year's Resolutions, but I'm still finalising these so they might change slightly over the course of January.

1. Start exercising regularly and eating healthier - I've never been the best at being healthy or active, but I've particularly let this slack over the past few months. Whether it's the delicious brownies that they sell in college that I can't resist, or the dark nights meaning I'm more reluctant to walk home from college, I've been making excuses regularly and really need to get back on track.

2. Work harder on my blog - Blogging is definitely a huge passion of mine and so I want to continue to pour effort and hard work into it. Whether it's coming up with more creative content and photos, being prepared with posts scheduled or making better use out of my blog social media, I really want to continue improving my blog.

3. Manage my time more efficiently - Something I say quite often is that I hardly have the time for things, particularly if it's something fun or a break. I want to maintain the level of work and dedication I put into my college work, but also learn how to effectively manage my time and allow for other things aside from work. Whether that's by operating on a schedule of how I spend my time, especially on weekdays, or ensuring that I allocate set times for free time, blogging, college work etc., I'm determined to be more organised with my time in the new year.

4. Take more opportunities and get involved - I'm the type of person who likes to stay in my comfort zone and doesn't like change, but I really want to push myself to try new things and take opportunities in 2017. Whether it's getting involved in terms of blogging or even just taking the opportunity to ask my friends to hang out, I really want to work on this throughout the year.

5. Make 2017 a good year - Although it's easier said than done, I'm determined to make this year one to remember. Rather than waiting to see if 2017 will turn out good or not, I want to go out of my way to make this year an amazing one. I know we don't have control over many things and life may throw obstacles in our way, but I want to focus on the positives and take every chance to make 2017 a happy and memorable year.

I'd love to know what you're New Year's Resolutions are if you've made any and I wish you all the best for 2017. Thanks for reading this post and for the continuous support on my blog, as it means a lot to me. I'll see you again next Sunday, so goodbye for now!

Love from Daisy x