HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF REVISION

I, alike many others, have always struggled with revision. I didn't know how to use my time well and optimise revising to its full potential to gain as much information as possible. I have since found the perfect solution to my problem which is - organisation is key.

I really love notebooks. No, I really really do love them - I have a very big collection of them in a huge storage box under my bed. I don't know what it is, but I love buying stationary and using it up, I find it so satisfying! Are you like this at all?

My favourite way of revising is writing up notes in different colours. For example, if you need to learn about a theory then write it down in either black or blue, and then use red for the disadvantages and green for the advantages. I do this for the majority of my modules at uni, especially History of British Social Policy as it involves a lot of Prime Ministers and their accomplishments and failures.

Flashcards are always a good idea. Once you've finished writing up your notes, you should condense them into bullet points and write them on flash cards, so when you read that sentence you automatically remember everything you've learnt about it, and if you need a reminder then use the other side of the card to write the answers!

It's always useful to ask somebody to test you. Just give them a list of key words and ask them to read them out loud which you will then reply with the correct definition.

I also like to use dividers in textbooks where I find certain quotes or theorists that I want to include in my exams. Colour coding also works if you want to separate radical theorists from democrats etc. Make sure you take breaks every 30-45 mins of intense revision, or every hour if you're doing light revision. I like to switch my wifi off and only check my phone once I feel happy with my notes.

What are your pro tips for optimising revision? Do you use any methods I mentioned above?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || 30 DAYS EXTENSION - DAILY TREATMENT MASCARA

I'm going to be honest with you and admit that I did NOT need a new mascara, but what can you do when Kiko has a sale on all their mascaras for only £3.90?! Well, this is what happened... I wanted to get the night treatment mascara but it had sold out so I thought 'might as well try this one' - honestly, I'm so bad! I always use my blog as an excuse to buy more makeup I swear!

My lashes are naturally quite thick and long, but they are very light so I do like to layer up mascara to make them more visible haha - trust me, I've tried many mascaras and they never do exactly what I want them to :(

I really love the idea of this mascara being a black colour as well as with treatment and growth properties (yes!). It can be worn daily as an everyday mascara as it looks very natural, so it's great for school/work etc. as well as for those who don't wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis.

I love the packaging, it reminds me of Sleek's gold packaging of their highlighter palettes. It's great for those who like to collect 'pretty' makeup. The wand, on the other hand, surprised me due to its size. I expected it to be slightly bigger, but then again I guess it's small for more precise application to spread the product out evenly.

The product applies very well, I do find it quite hard to spread it evenly on my lashes because of the wand, but once it's on it looks lovely. It gives a very natural finish and would work great paired up with false lashes as it doesn't leave clumps!

Overall, I do like this mascara to wear to work or when I only have minimal makeup on as it doesn't give me a 'wow' effect but is still nice and natural looking. I probably wouldn't buy it again as I usually like my lashes to look really big, but I will continue enjoying it until it runs out :)

Have you tried any Kiko mascaras before? Would you recommend any?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || BEAUTY FORMULAS DEEP CLEANSING NOSE PORE STRIPS - A 5 MINUTE PORE CLEANSE EVERYONE NEEDS IN THEIR LIFE

As someone who has medium sized pores and wears a lot of makeup, it is hard to keep up with skincare regime that won't clog up my pores and won't remove the good oils from my skin.
I recently came across these Beauty Formulas Deep Cleansing Nose Pore Strips after watching my friend Rebekah's video (you can check her channel out here - she mentions the tea tree ones). She said they're very good at taking out all the nasty makeup residue and oils from the skin so I obviously had to go and buy some.
The good news are that these are only £3.95 for 6 strips which should last you 6 weeks if you use one weekly. I would advise doing these only when you feel like you need an extra cleanse as they are quite strong and do get rid of all the oils and clogged pores. I also have to advice against using this too often, like a few times a week, as it does get rid of the good oils from your face as well as the bad.

I was going to insert a picture of the results after doing one of these but I don't think you would want to see my nasty makeup residue from my pores haha - correct me if I'm wrong though?!

Make sure you follow all the instructions as these are a bit tricky to apply. First, you have to wet your face completely, well, the nose area anyway. Once you've done this step, peel off the strip from the plastic and apply it to the desired area. I've previously put one on my nose and chin so whatever works for you! You can also cut the strips in different shapes to use on other areas such as the forehead.

After waiting until the strip dries completely, slowly peel it off from side to side (if that makes sense?). You should now be able to see the strip pulling out all the nasties from your skin - it's so satisfying! Once you've peeled the strip off, wash your face with warm water and continue with your skincare as normal.

Overall, I think these are fantastic for the price, they're very affordable and do a great job. I would recommend these to all boys and girls who struggle with oily skin as this works wonders! Even Kieran uses them and he's the kind of lad who only uses moisturiser when he feels like it, haha!

Have you tried these before? Would you recommend any nose pore strips?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

OOTD & FOTD || BELL SLEEVES AND RED HALO EYES

Ever since I laid my eyes on this Primark Bell Sleeved Top, I knew it was love at first sight - I just HAD to buy it. This top was only £10... Erm, excuse me but can we just appreciate that it so affordable and looks like it could be from River Island or Topshop??

Is it weird that I dressed up just to go shopping on my own? Sorry, but if I'm going to spend money on clothes I have to wear them out even if I look extra :') I own a few bell-sleeved tops now which I started collecting last year as I think they're so flattering and make every outfit look extra special. I mean, I matched this shirt with a pair of white ripped Jamie jeans, a big buckle belt and heeled mules, and this is something you can wear to an event, shopping, drinks etc. - ANYWHERE.

I also live in my Black Mules from Primark, which only cost me £10! I'm sorry, but Primark is killing it this year with their amazing fashion steals!🔥🔥🔥
I've been lusting over big Western-style buckle belts but couldn't find one within my budget so I settled for this gorgeous but simple buckle belt for £2, also from Primark (of course). I bought this belt in this dusky pink shade, as well as a deep mahogany brown which looks beautiful with my Mom Jeans.

On the other hand, my halo eye makeup was created using the Jeffree Star Beauty Killer Palette. I absolutely love this eyeshadow palette as the number of different looks you can create is infinite! I used the shade 'Courtney' as a base shadow and added some more in my crease for extra definition. I then went ahead and blended out the shade 'Confession' in my crease and inner corner, followed by 'Violence' for extra depth. Then, finally, I used my favourite shade from the palette called 'Princess' and put it in the centre of my lid for the halo effect. - If you're wondering what brushes I used to create this eye look then click here.
And that's it! The whole eye look is complete and it only took about 8 minutes to create! I've been loving dark pink and purple shades recently so that's practically all I've been wearing the past few weeks!

Have you got a favourite outfit that you can't get enough of? What about an eyeshadow look if you were makeup?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAMS

Ever since I've heard about the brand NYX I have been wanting to get my hands on some of their products to try out. Finally, after a long time, I bought a few Soft Matte Lip Creams after hearing so many people rave about them.

I think the size is very handy as you can just shove it in your bag, and the little bottle looks a lot like the MAC Lipglasses. They're not heavy, and I believe that they are all made out of plastic. As always, all NYX products are vegan which means that the products are NOT tested on animals - just another reason to buy their makeup products!

The consistency of the product, for me, was very odd. It felt like mousse instead of liquid lipstick which I found fascinating as I can't feel it on my lips at all. It's very smooth and velvet like - yes! That's exactly what it feels like. Now I know why the lipsticks are called 'soft cream' haha.

Now, these are quite long lasting but I feel that I need to re-apply after eating or drinking which is annoying, but like I said before - they're easy to carry around anyway. On a good day it will last around 6 hours without touching up and I think that's pretty good bearing in mind a normal bullet lipstick would not last anywhere near as much as six hours.

The shades I currently own are London, Rome and Copenhagen. I thought they're the best of nudes, pinks and darks haha! The next shade that's on my wishlist is definitely Toulouse but I'm not sure if you can buy it individually or only in a set.

Have you tried any of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams? Do you have a favourite shade?

Lots of love,

Maya xo