Liz Earle Vs. No7: Hot Cloth Cleansers...

Hi everyone!

Some of my favourite posts on my blog are brand vs brand comparison reviews, I think this gives better insight into the pros and cons of a product as it directly compares it to its competitors. So today's post is Liz Earle vs No7 with their Hot Cloth Cleansers.

 Packaging

The Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish comes in a light green pump bottle which is very thin and has a matte effect on it. I think the bottle looks very sleek and the packaging follows the organic theme of the brand. You cannot see into the bottle which I think is a huge downfall and is definitely where No7 comes out on top. You can't see how much product you have left so you have to try and guess when you need to buy some more. You can kind of tell when you are reaching the end as the pump finds it hard to get product out but even so it doesn't make it easy for the customer.

The No7 cleanser on the other hand, comes in a clear bottle making it extremely obvious how much product you have left. Every time you use the cleanser, the pump moves up the bottle showing you exactly how much product you have left, this also collects all the product so that you use every last drop. This means you are actually getting your moneys worth! 

I think Liz Earle have prettier packaging in comparison, as the No7 one does look a bit boring but in terms of practicality, No7 definitely wins this round!

Price

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish is £14 for a 100ml bottle, this is quite expensive in comparison to other cleansers but I do think the product is worth the price. It works wonders so I personally don't mind paying a bit more for a really great product. Liz Earle also do a few gift sets, especially around Christmas, which usually include the Cleanse and Polish so you can actually get this product for a great deal. 

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser retails at £9.95 for a 200ml so already you are getting more product for a cheaper price! I was actually surprised at the price of this product as I assumed it would be just as expensive as Liz Earle as the product itself is just as good. No7 is a Boots brand so you can only get it at Boots, which in return means you get a lot of other benefits! No7 regularly give out vouchers for £5 off skincare which would reduce the price down to £4.95 which is a huge saving - one I personally benefited from! You can also collect Boots points meaning you could actually get the product for free if you chose to pay with your points! For such a decent price, I really am astonished that this product isn't as popular as the Cleanse and Polish!

The Product

Now down to the important bit, the product itself! To use the product, you need to have a muslin cloth. When you buy the No7 cleanser, the cloth is included in the pack which saves you money as for Liz Earle you have to buy the cloths separately. However, I would just buy the Liz Earle muslin cloths any way as the No7 cloth is not up to par! It is very thin making it fray easily and it is not quite as soft on the skin. For the price you pay for the product, you would expect to get something a bit better. It is not dreadful but if you want to actually get a decent use out of your cleanser, then 100% I would recommend paying £4.50 for a pack of two Liz Earle muslin cloths. The cloths are reusable as you can wash them so it is up to you whether you want to pay an extra £4.50 on top of the price of the cleanser (my answer would always be yes!) The cloth is quite a bit thicker meaning it removes a lot more of your makeup in comparison to the No7 cloth.

The actual cleansers themselves lack in differences, they both do a great job with removing makeup and making your skin feel super clean and fresh. The Cleanse and Polish is thicker in consistency making it slightly harder to spread evenly across the face, making you use more product than you probably need. However, I do find that it removes any excess makeup slightly better than No7.

The No7 cleanser feels more like a face cream when applying and is very gentle on the skin, it also makes your skin feel clean without making it feel dry afterwards. I also prefer the smell of this product as it smells clean and has a slight scent of baby talcum powder. The Cleanse and Polish has a bit of an odd scent which is quite hard to describe, it smells a bit like herbs which is odd I know, but if you use the product you will probably know what I mean. It isn't an unpleasant smell but I think it could be improved. Another great thing about No7, is that it is hypoallergenic, so if you have sensitive skin then the product will be perfect for you!

Overall, I think the products are pretty equal to eachother as they both work so well in clearing up your skin and removing makeup. It is very hard to choose between the products as I love both brands a lot, but I think in the future, I will be repurchasing the No7 Beautiful Skin cleanser as the price is a lot more reasonable and you get more product. However, I still use my other Liz Earle skincare products as part of my skincare routine as I think the brand is great and the Cleanse and Polish is definitely worth all the hype!

The No7 cleanser is actually included in my August favourites video over on my YouTube channel, if you want to see what other products I have been loving this month, then click here to head over to my channel. The video will be out on Sunday 4th September! 

Ellie xxx

Instagram: cottoncxndyheart
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HeartbeatEllie

Meeting Colleen Evans/Miranda Sings (twice)!

Hi everyone!

So today's post is going to be slightly different as I want to tell you all about the 19th and 20th of August, aka two of the happiest days I have ever had! I went to see and meet Colleen Evans also known as the 5 threat (singer, actor, dancer, model, magician) 'Miranda Sings. If any of you don't know who Colleen is, she is a youtuber and posts videos as both herself, psychosoprano, and her kooky alter-ego Miranda Sings.

I really want to remember everything that happened so I am going to break down the post into some key parts; buying the tickets, the journey, meeting Colleen and the show. I went to see Colleen with my best friend, Leonie, so if you want to hear about our experience from her point of view then make sure you check out her blog - trust me it's funny!

Ticket Buying

Back in April, I had a slight hunch that Colleen would be touring the Uk soon as she kept on dropping sly hints in videos so me being the keen bean I am, did a little bit of research and found some dates on ticketmaster that she had not actually released yet. She then did announce a whole European tour which included a date in London - I was so excited! I was slightly nervous as I needed to get time off work but my manager is so sweet and she let me take it out of my holiday. The tickets were £60 so I assumed they were meet and greet tickets. The ticket company and the venue were adamant that there were no VIP tickets available for this show so a few of us tweeted Colleen asking her if this was true and she replied to myself and another girl! She told us that she would sort it out and there were definitely meet and greets available. This was the first fangirl attack and problem of our trip, little did we know there would be many more to come! I was so excited that I was going to be meeting Colleen, I couldn't contain it!

A couple of weeks later, Colleen announced that she was going to be performing a second show at Indigo at the O2 in London as her first show completely sold out within half an hour. I couldn't resist buying another set of VIP tickets as this show was on the Friday before so there was no issue over work. I know it is probably a bit weird going to the same show two days in a row, but when some one means as much too you as Colleen means to me, then I think you would do the same too. Again the tickets were only £60 too so they weren't mega expensive. I was also really happy that I had a 50/50 chance of getting a decent meet and greet photo.

The Journey

Leonie and I got the train to London Waterloo and then got the tube direct to North Greenwich. Our journey took about an hour and a half altogether and it was super easy as we have both travelled to London many times before so we knew where we were going. We did spend about £80 on train tickets but it included a travel-card which allowed us to go anywhere on the tube and use the London buses if we wished too.

When we arrived at the O2, we waited around a lot and even waited outside in the rain to greet Colleen as she arrived. We met some lovely girls who were also seeing Colleen so they made waiting around more bearable as we were all being silly and having a lot of fun!

Colleen waved at us driving in both Friday and Saturday which made us super excited. She looked so genuinely happy to see us which made all of us really happy too!

The journey back was just as simple apart from Leonie and I almost passing out because we had to run for our train on Saturday. If you ever use the underground in London, just a little advice, don't run up and down the really long escalators as you won't be able to breathe for the next 15 minutes!

The Meet and Greet

August 19th: The meet and greet started at 5pm where Colleen does a 15 minute question and answer session and then you get to go on stage and have your photo taken. She doesn't have enough time to answer everyone's question so you just have to stick your hand up and hope for the best. Leonie and I were first in the queue so we ended up getting front row seats for the Q+A! Colleen also answered my question which I was super shocked about, I asked her what she was most excited about for her puppy. She also said that she loved my "lol ur not colleen evans" tshirt.

When we got on to the stage, Leonie and I started chatting to Gwen (Colleen's mum) who was so sweet and we told her that we were coming back again the following day, she seemed really happy! I also hugged Kory, Colleens best friend and tour assistant. Colleen is the sweetest person but I got really flustered and didn't say much too her! I look like a toe in my meet and greet pictures from the 19th but they are slowly growing on me. We got a red VIP wristband for this show.

August 20th: The meet and greet again started at 5pm, but this time Leonie and I decided to go to the back of the queue as we wanted to be some of the last people meeting Colleen. We also had to go through security scanners, like the ones they have at airports. I'm not too sure what these were doing as they beeped every time someone walked through but in regards to everyone's safety I was fine going through them.

We decided to sit right at the back in the middle, this turned out to be a really good spot as we could see Colleen really clearly and the girls we met the previous day also joined us. This meet and greet was really special as it was soon to be Gwen's birthday so Colleen surprised her by flying out her dad, Tim, and sister, Rachel, all the way from California to spend her birthday with them. We all got to watch the surprise and I remember turning to Leonie and us both saying "we get to meet Rachel" in very excited voices!

Colleen answered my question again which I didn't expect, this time I asked "what is the best thing about meeting fans all over the world?". Her reply was the cutest thing ever, it made a lot of us cry, including myself. Colleen saw me crying and sent me an air hug and told me that she loved me, this in turn made me cry more!

We then got selfies with Gwen, Kory and Rachel and we had professional pictures taken with Colleen. These ones turned out to be a lot nicer as I asked her to be Colleen and not Miranda for the photo. I remember being taken off guard because Colleen greeted me as herself but as she was hugging me she whispered 'hello' in my ear as Miranda and it startled me! Again, I didn't really speak to Colleen which I am sad about but I did chat with Rachel who was super sweet! We got a gold VIP wristband for this show.

The Show

August 19th: For the show on Friday, we got front row seats which was amazing! We were so close to Colleen and she even made eye contact with us when singing!

The four girls that we had made friends with also turned out to be sitting right next to us which made it so much more fun! We tried to get everyone hyped up for the show but if you have watched Colleen's vlog from that day, you can see that it didn't really work! The show was amazing, I have never laughed so much before, I had a great time. There is a part of the show where Miranda brings a boy onto the stage and they go on a date. For this show, a little boy called James was picked and he had everyone in stitches. I have never seen Colleen break character so much before, to the point where she wasn't even trying to stay as Miranda anymore.

August 20th: For the second show, we were six rows back but we possibly had a better view of the stage as we could see all the way across. I think Colleen recognised Leonie and I as she kept on staring at us while performing and she even pointed at me during 'Do the Miranda' as she sang "hey you over there with the porn hair" which I don't know whether to take as a compliment or not! The show was equally just as good and it was still different to the previous as she brings up different members of the audience on stage.

I also bought a bit too much merchandise - oops! I got a Miranda Camp tshirt as it has all the dates from tour on the back, I also got a friendship bracelet which has a purple love heart charm for Colleen and a lipstick for Miranda and I also got a signed poster.

I am still completely taken back by Colleen's talent, sometimes I think she is overlooked due to Miranda but when you listen to her sing 'Defying Gravity' or do her opera magician act, it really gives you chills! My favourite part of the show was when Colleen sang 'Reading Mean Comments' and her opera magician act. I wish Colleen sang a bit more as herself as personally I am more of a fan of her than Miranda, weird I know as they are the same person. All in all, I had an amazing time! I honestly have never felt happier! I think I forgot how much I needed to just be happy and have some fun!

If you ever get the chance to see Colleen perform, I 100% would recommend going! The one thing that really stood out for me is that Colleen is not the slightest bit fake, the person you see in videos is the person you meet. She is so kindhearted and generous and some of the things she has done for her fans this tour just proves that!

If you want to see my vlog from these two days, it will be up on my YouTube channel this Sunday (28th August).

Ellie xxx

Starting College Advice and Tips...

Hi everyone!

On one of my recent YouTube videos, a lovely viewer called Amber Wood left me a comment asking if I could do a starting college advice video. I thought this was a great idea as I have now finished college so I am able to give some advice. I know I have a slightly seperate audience for my blog and YouTube, so I decided to write a post on here too. The video will be up in a few days so if you would like to check my channel out, then please click here.

I have decided to split this post up into 5 key topics; getting lost/being late, making friends, staying on top of work, exam tips and confidence. Hopefully this post will help a lot of you as I know these tips helped me!

Getting Lost/Being Late

• Read your timetable. I know this is super obvious, but you need to make sure you know what building you are in, your room number, what time you lesson starts and ends. You need to know if you have any lessons that start immediately after other lessons as you will have less time to get to your classroom. A tip I used which really helped me was to take a picture of my timetable and set it as my lockscreen on my phone for the first couple of weeks. This made it a lot easier to check where I was going as I didn't need to fumble around in my bag for a sheet of paper.
• If you do get really lost, don't be afraid to ask someone, either a teacher or another student. You won't be the only one who doesn't know where they are going so don't feel embarrassed. Even in my second year, when I had room changes, I didn't have a clue where I was going so don't worry about it!
• Try not to be late, make sure you arrive at your class at least 5 minutes before. It is not like school so they won't tell you off unless you are consistently late, but it is frowned upon.

Making Friends

• This isn't something to worry about!
• Just start talking to people in your class about the work and they will talk back!
• Everyone is nervous on their first day so sometimes you have to be the brave one and initiate the conversation.
• Some people do make friends quicker and easier than others due to having the same lessons and similar timetables. So it is important to not compare yourself else you will just get upset. For me, I made friends within my classes so I had people to talk to and we got on really well, but I didn't spend time with them at break as they were with their school friends and I was with mine.

Staying on top of Work

• I think my biggest tip is doing the work the day you get it. I know you won't want to, but trust me, you will thank yourself later! This isn't school, you cannot do homework the night before it is due!
• You need to make sure you have good time management as most of you will be starting jobs soon too. Make sure you have enough time to do your college work as well.
• Get lots of stationery! Getting cute stationery motivates you to do your work. College also don't supply you with notebooks or pens so make sure you come prepared!

Exam Tips

• Make sure you do lots of revision in the way you find easiest. For me, I loved making mind maps with lots of colour and flashcards so I could test myself later. Find what works for you and do that!
• Go through your notes every evening, this isn't just during exam period. Every day when you come home, just re-read the notes you wrote during class as it will help solidify what you just learnt. I know this sounds like a chore, but it literally takes 10 minutes and then you're done!
• Take lots of notes during class. They rarely tell you when you need to write stuff down so just use you common sense and write down the things you need to know.
• Don't stress out or worry about it, there is more to life than an exam result!

Confidence

• This does differ between people, I know I had a huge issue with my confidence throughout college, but you have to try and step out of your comfort zone for good things to happen!
• Think confident and then you will feel confident!

Overall, just try and enjoy college, work hard and those two years will fly by!

I think I covered everything, but if you do have any questions, then please leave a comment or message me on instagram (@cottoncxndyheart). I'm here to help!

Ellie xxx

Kylie Jenner Lip Kit Review...

Hi everyone!

Back in July, I was very lucky to get my hands on one of Kylie Jenner's renowned 'Lip Kits'! I have been looking at them for ages but have always been unsuccessful when trying to buy as they sell out within minutes. This time however, Kylie announced on her snapchat that she was doing her biggest restock yet which would allow you to browse through her shop and not worry about them all selling out. I still wasn't taking any chances and this time I was able to buy one within 2 minutes of being on the site!

Before purchasing the lip kit, I watched a lot of reviews and swatches on YouTube to help me decide on the colour to get. I was really tempted to get one of her metals but decided on a lip kit as you were getting two products rather than one. I chose 'Posie K' as I wanted a more natural colour so I could get the most use out of it as possible. The swatch videos I saw did make it look like a deep pink colour but when you actually apply it, it is definitely more towards purple and maroon. I am a huge lover of berry toned lips so although it wasn't what I expected, I wasn't disappointed.

Price

The price of the lip kit was $29 but in the packet you get a lip liner and a matte liquid lipstick, so essentially you are paying $15 for each. This is around the same price as other high end makeup brands such as Mac so I wouldn't say it is extravagantly expensive. However, the delivery costs and custom fee is! The price to deliver to the Uk was $14.95 and then when it actually arrived I had to pay a customs fee of £11.95. Making my overall cost come to about £45 which I think altogether is far too much money for what you are getting. I know the customs fee is not Kylie's fault and I should have researched this first but it is still slightly annoying.

Packaging

The box the product came in was just plain black on the outside but when you open it up it has Kylie's name, website, and her signature white lipstick drips. I know this used to be on the outside of the box too but she had some trouble with people breaking in to the box and tampering/stealing the products while they were in transit. I like the contrast between the black box and white writing giving it a basic but classic look. Inside the box is your product and a postcard from Kylie with a secret note.

The lip kit comes in a white box with a block colour down the side and top, this matched the shade you chose. The product name stands out underneath a painting if some lips wearing the lip kit. On the back of the box, it gives you some of Kylie's tips on how to apply the product. This does show that she put a lot of time and thought into the packaging.

The lip liner is just a plain black liner with the shade of colour at the end. The liner packaging does feel and look matte which I think is nice as it links the packet too the product. The liquid lipstick packaging follows the drip theme and contrasts well with the black and the shade of product.

Overall, I think the packaging looks really nice. It is quite simple which I think works and you can tell that Kylie has added some personal touches and it is to her taste.

The Product

The product is advertised as a creamy, lightweight, matte liquid lipstick which I do agree with. Both the lip liner and liquid lipstick are super easy to apply to your lips and are very soft/creamy when applying. The product dries matte within about 30 seconds which is very quick in comparison to other matte liquid lipsticks. It is lightweight on your lips so it feels like you are not wearing any product.

Although it feels creamy when applying, it does feel very dry on your lips which I personally don't like that much. Although it feels dry on your lips, it doesn't flake off and doesn't leave your lips dry or chapped. That sounds a bit contradictory I know, but if you have a lip kit or have tried other matte liquid lipsticks, you'll probably know what I mean. It also has a tendency to crease which can give your lips a more dried out look. This only happens occasionally so I wouldn't say this is a huge negative. The formula is very different to other liquid lipsticks I have tried such as NYX and Maybelline, which I think could be the reason behind how long it lasts on your lips. It will easily last all day without the need to re-apply and it is actually really difficult to get off with makeup remover!

One downside to this product is that if you make a mistake while applying, you will have to remove all of it and start again. You are unable to fill a little bit in due to its speedy drying time. I know this a common issue with liquid lipsticks, but with the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, you have enough time to cover your mistakes before it completely dries which makes your life ten times easier!

Overall, I think the product is great but is definitely not worth the price! There are a lot of cheaper alternatives such as the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams which are just as good, if not slightly better! The colour is super pigmented and the product is long lasting but can make your lips look a bit dry. I think I won't be buying a lip kit from Kylie again unless I see a colour I really love. However, I think the brand itself is great and I do fancy trying one of her metals or glosses.

Ellie xxx

Live Lokai...

Hi everyone!

Back in June I purchased a Lokai bracelet for myself and my best friend Leonie. I have wanted one for ages and finally caved in and got one. I really love the simple design and the silicone material that makes it super comfortable to wear. 

The Lokai bracelet symbolises balance in your life. The white bead contains water from Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth and the black bead contains mud from the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth. It is supposed to reflect how when you reach a high point in your life you need to remain humble and when you reach a low point, remind yourself that there are better things to come! The meaning behind the bracelet is more important than the bracelet itself.

Lokai also donates 10% of its net profit to charity partners so it is a really good company to purchase from.

I think the product is really cool so I just wanted to write a little post on a current favourite. If you are a bit of a photography geek like me, then you will love these bracelets as they make perfect pictures. I wanted to share with you some of mine to show you where in my life my Lokai bracelet has come with me!

 Ellie xxx 

Unique Blogger Award!

Hello everyone!

Today I have an awards post as I was nominated by Leonie from prettyrainclouds so thank you so much Leonie! Make sure you check out her amazing blog!

These are the rules for this award:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you
• Nominate 8-13 bloggers to do this award and give them three questions of your own to answer
• Answer their 3 questions
• Include one meme and one quote that you like
• Add a link to the creator - https://tekehdddddddddddddddddddddddddddd.wordpress.com/

Here are Leonie's questions for me:

1. If you could ask anyone, whether they are alive or not, 10 questions (that they have to answer truthfully) who would you choose and what would be some of the questions you'd ask?

This is a really tough question! I would probably want to ask the Queen 10 questions because it's not everyday that you would be able to get the gossip from the Palace! My questions would probably vary from genuine interesting questions too silly questions. I would definitely ask her what the bathrooms are like at Buckingham Palace and whether she would ever get a dog that isn't a Corgi. So you know, the important questions!

2. If you could create your own law, what would it be?

I would probably make a law that would banish handheld weapons such as guns or machete's in homes. I know we have a gun law in the Uk but in other places in the world they don't and I feel that the world needs more love and less hate. If banning guns helped stop violence and senseless acts of terror, which I know it would, then that would make me very happy!

3. What is one of your greatest fears?

I am a bit of an all round scaredy cat, so it is hard to narrow my fears down to just one. In fact I do have a blog post coming out soon where I explain some of my fears. Both my top fears are equal too eachother so I am going to have to write both. My first fear is a fear of getting trapped or locked in small spaces. I do get claustrophobic in small places so the thought of getting stuck in an elevator or a toilet cubicle really scares me - weird I know! My second fear is of the sea. I am okay with paddling in the sea and occasionally swimming but put me on a boat or kayak and I freak out. I hate not being able to see what is around me and I get scared that I going to drown. 

I don't really use memes that much so I don't know whether you would class this as one but it is Kim Kardashian 'tragic'. Just purely because it can be used in any situation. Kardashian memes are probably ones I use the most.

I have so many favourite quotes so it is quite hard to pick just one. I would say 'Don't ever let anyone dull your sparkle' as I say this at the end of all my youtube videos. I think it promotes an important message of doing what makes you happy and not caring what other people think. However, recently my favourite quotes have been 'Choose Happiness' and 'Kill them with kindness'.

I nominate:

Geraldine
Katie
Kirsty
Sarah
Amber
And anyone who is reading! :)

My questions for you are:
1. If you could be any famous person dead or alive for the day who would you be, why and what would you do?
2. If one song was the soundtrack to your life what would it be?
3. What is your ultimate life goal?

Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to check out Leonie's blog!

Ellie xxx

Travel/Holiday Essentials...

Hi everyone!

While you are reading this, I would have just got home from my holiday in Spain. We flew with hand luggage only as we were only going for a week, so I thought I would show you some of my travel essentials. 

Cosmetics

As I was only taking hand luggage, my liquid cosmetic allowance was minimal. I picked up some miniatures from Boots before I went so I had a mini deodrant and a mini shower gel. I also picked up some small empty bottles so that I could decant my other liquids. I would really recommend doing this as it made it a lot easier to take some of my favourite products with me. I put my face cream in a small pot and my Victoria Secret spray in a small bottle.

My top 3 cosmetics items for travelling would be a lip balm, a face cream and micellar cleansing water. It is always important to keep your skin healthy and moisturised so that is why lip balms and face creams are important. I added micellar cleansing water into this list too as not only is it used to remove your makeup, it is also perfect to deeply clean your face. I always find travelling or staying in a different place makes my skin feel a bit gross, this just helps remove excess oil and cleans your pores.

Now I'm going to move onto to other non cosmetic travel essentials.

First thing to not forget when travelling is earphones! I usually bring earphones and headphones in case one of them breaks, I at least have a spare. This is also useful if you are going on a long haul flight or a really long car journey as sometimes earphones or headphones can get uncomfortable so you are able to swap them over. Along with earphones comes music, make sure you have a good playlist sorted before you travel somewhere. Listening to music helps pass the time so well!

Second is a book. Books are great too pass the time when travelling and are also perfect for when you get on holiday. There is nothing I love more than reading a good book while sunbathing beside a swimming pool!

My third essential is a camera. I am a huge photography geek and I love taking a million pictures and videos so I can remember memories forever. However, I think taking a camera is important to help document fun things you get up too. Just remember too live in the moment and not through a camera lens!

My fourth item is not really essential unless you are going on a really long journey and it is a colouring book. I took a colouring book with me when I travelled to New York back in April. I really enjoyed doing some colouring while watching a movie on the plane. However, I didn't take it with me too Spain as it is a much shorter flight and I did not have much room in my bag.

What are you holiday essentials?

Ellie xxx