August Favourites

For once I think I am finally happy to say bye bye to the good old English summer, and welcome autumn well and truly. For me as soon as September arrives. autumn is officially here. In August, I used lots of different products as for two of the weeks I was on holiday in Italy, which can find all about here.

BonBon by Viktor & Rolf has been my go to perfume for this month. My go to perfume scent is typically fruity and sweet, and this ticks all the boxes. I got this for Christmas last year, and wore it for a while and then got out of the routine of wearing it. I rediscovered it this month, and I am glad I did, as I have fallen in love all over again.

The Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub was such a perfect product for me when I went on holiday at the start of August. My skin was very dry and needed a good scrub to help exfoliate the skin deeply. This is the first time I have ever tried this, and I was so impressed. First up the scent is delightful it smells of sugar and fruity, with a distinct orange hint. For £2.50 for 50ml it is excellent value, it is so great for travelling. Once this is used up I am definitely going to be picking up the full size product.

REN Ever Calming Gentle Cleansing Gel is a skincare brand which I had been wanting to try out for a while now. I picked this up in the summer sales in Harvey Nichols at the end of June, as they were a big skincare sale for £10.50. At full price it cost £15, which is still reasonable for a high end skincare brand. My skincare routine is something which I have been trying to piece together slowly but surely, but I am a bit clueless of where to start. I have added this into my currently rather small skincare routine, 2-3 times a week and I have really been liking it. It is a very gentle, soft gel which gently deep cleanses you skin, and it makes it feel refreshed and clean.

Mi-Ny Cosmetics is a probably a brand which you have never heard of, and neither had I until I spotted the brand across stores in Italy. It is a brand solely dedicated all things nails. I picked up this pink glitter polish, and I have been truly impressed. It has a thick formula, and I only needed one coat which was definitely a bonus. This also stayed on my nails for 3 days without needing a top up of any kind. The brand comes up the drugstore bracket, as these cost €6.90, which is great value. Unfortunately, I do not think there is currently any stores within the UK, but you can get shipping over here. But, if you are in Italy I seriously recommend popping in and taking a browse.

I got this Nars Audicious Lipstick in the shade Catherine for as part of my 21st Birthday makeover the Nars counter. At £24, it was definitely a splurge buy, but it is the best orange toned lipstick which I have ever bought. It is super easy to apply and the pigmentation is beautiful. I do feel that I do have to reapply it, more often than some of my other lipsticks which is a shame.

What have been your favourite products throughout August?

Lucy
xoxo

Italian Travels: Pasta and Pizza

Italian food it my absolute favourite, and there is nothing better than a good old Spaghetti Bolognese. Whilst on my recent holiday in Italy I did a post all about where we stayed in Lake Como, and must see places to visit which you can find here.

I thought I would do a dedicated post to the types of food which were available and just how delicious they really were. By the end of this post you will be licking your lips, and wanting to jump on a plane!

 

Pizza, pizza, pizza. The classic Italian dish and by gosh they don't do things by half. As you can tell by the photo they are pretty gigantic. The pizzas come on a thin base, with loads of toppings is exactly how I like it. They definitely do not do all the options as Domino's with all their different types of bases. They all come thin and crispy - delicious. The topping on this pizza was parma ham which tasted sensational.

Tagliatelle al funghi is a lovely pasta dish, containing Italian porcini mushrooms. The sauce is a creamy which goes really well alongside the mushrooms within the dish. I found this dish very filling and did not quite manage to finish it, but it is a great hearty pasta meal. The sauce is along the lines of a carbonara type sauce. My aim is to learn how to make this type of sauce, as I am presuming it is rather simple. I will report back if I have any success.

Just seeing the picture of this Cannelloni makes my mouth drool. After a rather long decisive process, I finally decided that this was my favourite meal of the entire trip. I cannot put my finger on the exact reason, but it was out of this world. But it definitely had something to do with the incredible meat and tomato sauce combination. Everything within the dish was cooked to perfection, and it all went together perfectly. I can say that three weeks after visiting this restaurant, I am still talking about this Cannelloni.

And finally my favourite, the bolognese. On this occasion I opted for the tagliatelle option, as I was trying to mix it up, as at this point I had probably already had at least five spaghetti bolognese's already! I just cannot get enough. It is all about the sauce, the tomato ragu is just the most tastiest sauce which exists, and it is truly a dish which I will never, ever get bored off. When I was younger and we would go on holiday to Italy I would have Spaghetti Bolognese for the entire 14 nights of the holiday, as nothing can ever top it. These days I have ventured out to different pastas, but it is always my go to dish, and always will be.

What is you favourite Italian food?

Lucy
xoxo

The Suede Trend

Suede seems to be all over the high street and designer brands this coming A/W. At first I didn't think it would be me at all, but seeing as it is everywhere I have taken a huge liking to the new trend.

I love the new lace up trend, which is has been roaming the recent A/W styles. This Burgundy Crop Top incorporates both the suede and lace up look, which I think it really on trend for this season. Burgundy is such a great colour for the Autumn, and I think it looks lovely on my paler skin tone. I never really shop on MissGuided but I was super impressed with a lot of their new season clothing, especially this Khaki Mini Skirt . I love the dark grey shade, as I feel it is super versatile and I could wear it in lots of different ways, The additional studded detail finishes off the skirt perfectly.

In Zara they have a new page just dedicated to all things suede, which was excellent and made it so easy for me to browse. Two particular items caught my eye from the website, first the Faux Suede Bomber . I was surprised that this was £39.99 as I was expecting it to cost much more, as it looks expensive. It is a perfect jacket to be able to throw over many outfits, to help complete the overall look. I have been seeing this emerald green shade of suede everywhere, which I have been so intrigued by. The Green Leather Boots  are so cute and would seriously jazz up any outfit, and is a great statement piece to have in your A/W wardrobe.

I love, love, love this Suede Pinafore  dresses from ASOS. I totally adore skater style dresses as they such my figure really well. I think it will be super easy to wear with different tops underneath, a pair of tights and some classic black ankle boots. ASOS had so many great places including this Embossed Croc Bag, this is actually currently sat in my saved for later basket, and is an item I keep going back to time and time again. I love the pale grey shade, and the fact that it is real leather and just £35. I really wanted to get it, and use it at university and I think I am going to have to get it. This Oversized Jacket by Pull & Bear instantly caught my eye as most of the jackets I have seen from other brands have been cropped bomber style jackets. I love how easy this would be to wear, and you could throw it over pretty much any outfit and I would look brilliant. At £99.00 it would definitely be an investment piece for me, but one worth while as it has such great detailing with the studs and big pockets.

I know that this Karen Millen Pink Clutch does not belong to the traditional Autumn/ Winter colour scheme, but I think it is a perfect addition to add a little brighter colour to an outfit. I would probably use this in the evening to add a little extra dimension to my outfit.

You can always rely on Topshop when it comes to statement shoes, and this season they have bot failed to impress me. These Chunky Platforms  are a perfect addition to your wardrobe as you can are able to wear with lots of outfits. I love the gold detailing around the base of the shoes, adding a little more detailing. This Suedette Skater Dress  is once again bang on trend with the additional lace up detailing. I love the traditional tan suede colour, and that it is also a skater style dress. I am sure I am going to pick this up at some point during Autumn, as it is a great and reliable piece to have.

When I first saw this Khaki Suede Dress   in Dorothy Perkins, I was not a 100% sure whether it was me or not. But I actually really like the Khaki colour, and is a great alternative to the traditional tan or black. I love the big pockets on the front and the loose style of the dress.

Do you like the suede trend? and have you picked any suede pieces up yet?

Lucy
xoxo

New Lush Launches

As we all know lush has launched a brand new line of bath products. However they were exclusive to the flagship store on Oxford Street in London. So for all us lush lovers living everywhere but London we were unable to get our paws on the line. But there is good news awaiting for us, they have realised the line in many other stores around the UK- yippee! 

I am a massive lover of the Lush brand, and have been for many years. They sell so many lovely, unique products containing natural ingredients. I had a little look on their website before heading out to my local store. Thank goodness I was with my mum, as I was surprised that my local store had as much as they did of the new line as it is a very small store. I fell instantly in love with the Pink Flamingo Bubble Bar, as this is just so girly and pretty. As part f the Christmas Collection they sell a pink star which is a really lovely product, and I always pick it up each year. At £5.95 they may seem very expensive, but I always get 3-4 uses out of the bubble bars. As you run them under the tap they rapidly create bubbles, and you get a really good bubbly bath. The Experimenter Bath Bomb was not initially on my hit list, and I had planned to pick up the Frozen Let It Go Bath Bomb which looked very exciting! But the experimenter is so colourful, and I could just imagine my bath being a rainbow which sounds pretty dam good to me.

Have you picked anything up from the new lush line?

Lucy
xoxo

OOTE: The Flower Print Jumpsuit

As usual when I am heading out to celebrate a friends birthday, I left it until the day to decide what I wanted to wear. After the classic 'floordrobe' in the morning, I decided I needed something new to wear. I had looked in the usual Zara and Topshop hoping something would catch my eye but nothing did. My sister headed into Dorothy Perkins, and whilst she was mass buying, I had a quick look over the Petite range sale rail. This jumpsuit instantly caught my eye, as I do like big, bold prints. I tried on the last size 8 and it fitted perfectly. I always struggle with the leg length of jumpsuits as I am just 5ft, but this was the exact length for my frame. I love the detail of both the big flowers and the butterflies. It cost £20, and then I got my student discount so for £18 I think it is an excellent buy.

I managed to find it on the website, they call it the Petite Butterfly Jumpsuit , they have it left in a few sizes if you fancy grabbing it for yourself. Whilst browsing on the website finding the link, I have seriously fallen for the Petite Rust Tribal Jumpsuit, which is the exact same style, and I may have added it to my basket! Heads up this weekend until midnight on Saturday, it is an extra 20% off online on all sale items.

Lucy
xoxo

Fleur De Force Lashes for Eyelure

I managed to get my hands on the new range of eyelashes by Fleur De Force last week, the day after they were realised in the big store on Market Street in Manchester.  I picked up the style Fleur & Fabulous, as I wanted to wear them for a night out last weekend. I can report back that the style of the eyelashes are a really lovely criss-cross style with tapered ends, and lightweight as they state. The glue adhesive which was enclosed was not the greatest so I switched to my MAC Duo to help attach them perfectly. Usually with many brands of eyelashes I have to chop some of the end of the lash off, as they are too big for my eyes. However, these they were the perfect size for my eyes making it much easier and saving a lot of time, fiddling around and trying to get the exact size. Once they were securing attached, I did not have to reapply or touch up any areas throughout the night which is great, as who wants to be trying to reattach lashes whilst you are out really?! They are such great value at just £5.95, and I will definitely be repurchasing. I have my eye on trying the Simply Fleur style too, as they are a little more subtle with less depth and darkness. Another bonus to these lashes were that when I took them off they were still in great condition, and I am planning on re-wearing them this coming weekend.

Have you picked up any of the lashes from Fleur's range?

Lucy
xoxo

Zara Autumn Wishlist

The Zara Autumn/Winter collection is one of the best I have seen, and there is so much that I want. This is nine of my favourite pieces which I have whittled down. They have everything from fur coats and scarfs to every piece of suede which you could ever imagine. I think after this, I am definitely ready for Autumn to arrive.

The Emerald Suede Jacket is an item which I just have to have in my wardrobe. It is such a beautiful and unique colour, and I dream about it every time I see it in store. I am definitely going to be picking it up as it is a must have piece, and I have already decided on everything in which I can wear it with.

The Black Ankle Boots are such great value at £29.99, a thick chunky boot is an essential for the winter months. The zip feature adds a little bit of uniqueness, and I like the two different materials used adding some feature to the boots.

The Camel Coat is such a gorgeous basic coat for the Autumn. I have never owned a camel coloured coat, I usually go for a simple black, but I am wanting to venture out and this is a perfect option. It is a traditional tailored button up coat, and the simplicity of it is what draws me to it.

The Red Midi Skirt  is not something which I would usually choose, as it is quite bright colour but will add a pop of colour to a simple outfit. Button detailing is big for A/W 16, and this is a new way of portraying the style.

The Fringed Suede Black Bag  is such a great staple. It is a great size, and one in which you will be able to use everyday to add some detail to your outfit. I love bags with long straps which you can throw over your shoulder, and you will be able to fit so much in it.

The Navy Pinafore dress is too cute! I love the detail of the bralet attached to the dress, with just a small amount of flesh on show. It is a piece which you could get a lot of wear out of, and being navy it is the perfect colour for the Autumn.

The Grey Funell Collar Jumper  is something which instantly caught my eye. It looks so cosy and comfy and will be so versatile to wear. I love high neck jumpers as they add just a little amount of detail to a such a simple, statement piece. Plus they will also keep your neck warm in the freezing weather.

The Black Lace Up Ballerina Flats are such a great piece of footwear, and I have seen so many pairs of shoes this season with a lace up feature. I think they are quirky and will look really pretty when they are tied up.

The Red shorts are such a statement piece with the big pockets on the front. I love the high waisted style on myself, it suits me personally as it draws attention to my waist and not to my hips and thighs. I love how they are tailored, yet loose fitting, meaning they should be really comfortable.

Have you got any of these items sitting in your checkout basket ready to order?

Lucy
xoxo

Italian Travels: Lako Como, Milan and Lagano

Over the last two weeks I headed to Lake Como in Italy for a family holiday. My parents are huge fans of Italy, which I am not complaining about as it is one of the prettiest places you can ever visit. We were staying in a small town called Tremezzo, in the Hotel Balzoni which was a half board hotel. It was situating right on the lake, and it was amazing to eat your dinner overlooking the lake. Whilst there was not very much to do in Tremezzo itself, it was very easy to get around the lake on the local buses and ferries. There are many little villages and towns around the lake, and we visited many of them over our stay. Whilst visiting the lake there are a few towns which I would especially recommend visiting. Bellagio which is one of the biggest towns on the lake, it is very picturesque and has many little shops and restaurants overlooking the lake. Lako Como itself is somewhere which we visited twice, as we liked it so much. To my surprise it was much bigger than I thought, it has lots of little streets and a great variety of shops on offer. For a ferry ticket all day around the lake it was 15 euros, which is a really great way of getting around both sides of the lake and see all the different villages and towns which are there.

The most exciting venture for me personally on this trip was when we visited Milan. As many of you will know I am a keen fashion and beauty buyer, and as the 'fashion capital of Europe' I was rather thrilled about having a bit of a rather large splurge. We did it through our travel company and the trip to Milan was 50 euros per person. It took an hour and a half to get there from Lake Como, which was a rather long journey on a hot, stuffy coach. However, when we got there we were taken on a tour of the Sforzecso Castle, Duomo di Milan (Cathedral of Milan) and taken to the famous La Scala Opera House. When we were then left to do whatever we wanted in the city for three and a half hours. First on my list was to visit the mecca also known as Sephora. I wrote a whole blog post here about my experience, and everything which I picked up or lack of. I did lots of other shopping in Zara which was huge, Kiko and H&M. It is definitely a good shopping place, and there was lots of luxury brands if that is your forte. In terms of culture it definitely signified how you envisage Italy as a country. However, I was disappointed as it was not a particularly pretty city, as I had imagined it to be this beautiful place with lots of photo opportunities and it wasn't. All in all, I would definitely recommend it as a place to visit as I had a brilliant day out, but I would not particularly feel the need to visit again. What I can say is though for a city, it was not too expensive and everything was fairly well priced.

There was a trip to Lagano which is a part of Switzerland which I found rather exciting, as I have never been to Switzerland before. It took about an hour on the coach to get through to the swiss borders. Lagano was a lovely town with lots of different types of shops. All I can say is that it is rather expensive, we saw a risotto advertised for 38 swiss francs, and a pasta dish was typically 25 swiss francs. I do enjoy dining out but this seemed a little steep, as all the restaurants charged within this price range I have concluded that it is just the norm over there. It is the same with the shops, which were expensive and nothing was particularly out of the ordinary. However, in Switzerland they do have a higher rate of pay, meaning that the cost of living is essentially higher.

I hope you enjoyed my little review of my time in Lake Como and other ventures which we made whilst we were there. It is a lovely place to visit and I would visit again in the future, simply if it is just for its beauty.

Lucy
xoxo

The Much Smaller Than Anticipated Sephora Haul

First things first, I have to say that I had been rather excited for the past few months about my visit to the Sephora store in Milan. It's advertised as "the biggest in Europe" which rather excited me. So over the last few months I have been putting together a wish list and had essentially saved up for my purchases. All I had been going on about to my parents was this visit, to the palace which is formally known as Sephora.

I dragged my mum in with me and she said I'll carry the basket! As you can see from the picture I came out with barely anything! The brands in which they had were everything which I can buy in Britain from our department stores brands like - Benefit and Dior. I do like Sephora's individual brand which I bought a variety of things from last year which you can see in this post here. I had wanted to buy products from brands which are currently unavailable over here such as Kat Von D, Bite Beauty and Kate Somerville but this Sephora stocked none of them.

The only thing which I actually picked up which was on my wish list is the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Mandarin Muse which is a Essie Button influence. It always looks so beautiful on her, and she has similar colourings to me. I love the formula of these as I picked up two last year. In hindsight I wish I had also picked up the colours Always Red and Strawberry Kiss, which have now been added to next years list! What I did notice about these were that I am sure last year these cost around €7 but this I think with all the interest they have sneaked the price up to €10.

The Super Nourishing Lip Balm was a purchase in the ever so famous aisle of doom - simply as my lips were so dry from the humidity of the Italian weather being way over 30 degrees everyday and my lips just not being used to it. But I have to say it did the job, and for €4 it was a great additional find.

There was a Sephora nail varnish stand were everything was on sale, this dark sparkly pink in the shade Sweet Revenge (not available online) really caught my eye and my mum took a shine to it too. So we decided to share it and at just €2 it was a risk worth taking.

And that concludes the smallest ever Sephora haul, which has probably ever been posted by a blogger! But there we go, and I was very disappointed but hey ho! I would love to make a Sephora order online butt the minimum of £75 and £10 is a little too excessive for me liking.

Have you found the Sephora stores in Europe to be disappointing?

Lucy
xoxo

Kate Moss Nude Collection - Shade 45

This week I headed to Boots as there has been so much buzz around the recent release of the new Rimmel Kate Moss collection. She has released a range of lipsticks and nail varnishes which all fall into the 'nude' category.

They were not all available but as soon as I swatched the shade 45 as it was right up my street. It is still definitely a nude shade, but it has more of a pink undertone which suits my skin shade. I am not a huge nude lipstick fan as they seem to wash me out, but I was surprised at how lovely this looks on me. It is pale, but it adds just the right amount of colour the lips, a kind of a my lips but better shade.

In the collection there are five shades, and I have also got my eye on 42, which had more of a peachy undertone. They feel smooth and soft on the lips, and add some additional moisture. I think there is a shade for everyone as the line contains different shades to suit a range of skin tones.

Have you tried any of the shades from this collection?

Lucy
xoxo

July Favourites

July has been my favourite month of this year so far, I turned 21 and I've been on a girls holiday to Lanzarote, and I've just been able to spend some quality time with both family and friends since finishing university for the summer. Many of these items I took on holiday, and I found them so reliable.

I have been meaning to pick up a Lush Lip Scrub for ages now, and I finally popped in to the store and picked up the Bubblegum flavour. This has worked brilliantly for when my lips have been extremely dry and it has helped keep them replenished and stop them from cracking. It basically takes off the loose bits of skin on the lips which can cause irritation.

Rimmel Rita Ora Nail Polish in Go Wild-er-ness is a lovely pale lilac, which has been great for this time of the year, adding a splash of colour across my nails. I really like the formula of these, and it lasted a good 3-4 days before chipping, and needing to be topped up, For £2.99 they are such a good drugstore find and I highly recommend them, and there is a great array of colours within the range.

Clinique Moisture Surge has been great for my currently very dehydrated skin, I took this on holiday and added so much needed moisture back into my skin to help rehydrate it. My sister has this and she gave me the sample size to test out on holiday, and I really like it. It is going straight to the top of my wishlist.

Rimmel Good to Glow in 003 Soho Glow is something a great addition to my summer makeup bag. On holiday I mixed this in with my moisturiser to add an overall glow to my face, it is not over shimmery or glittery, just the perfect amount of additional glow.

The Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Eclatante is fast becoming my favourite lipstick, I got it off my best friend for my birthday, and its such a great, vibrant pink. I have really been into bright lipsticks at the moment, and this has been a firm favourite recently.

What have you been loving throughout the July?

Lucy
xoxo

What I Took to the Pool/Beach

I am currently suffering from a major bout of holiday blues, whilst writing this post. Last week I had a lovely week's holiday in Lanzarote which you can find out all about here. Whilst on my holidays I took a visit to the beach at Peurto Del Carmen, I have to say I pretty much despise the beach I just cannot be doing with the sand getting everywhere and all over me it makes me feel so uncomfortable. But all the girls wanted to go so I faced me fears and went, it was a beautiful beach but I still didn't particular love the experience.

This post is dedicated to everything which I took with me to the beach in my bag.
I loved reading Summer at Shell Cottage by Lucy Diamond, it was a great holiday read, with a lively and loving story line, I highly recommend it if you wanted a light but joyous read.
I have had my Havaianas flipflops for quite a few summers now, I bought them whilst in Italy as they were much cheaper. I love the clash of colours and how vibrant they are, I don't think that flipflops all round are particularly comfy but these are the comfiest I've ever tried and are so convenient for the pool.
Elle magazine is something which I have been reading since I was 16, and I continue to read. I think it is the most fashion forward magazine out there, and I love drooling over all the high end fashion pages which I will never be able to afford.
The Garnier Ambre Solaire Protection Spray Factor 30 was my best friend on the holiday, I burn so easy as I am so fair. I had to wear this all week as my skin just could not cope with anything less. I like the spray bottles as it makes application much easier and the formula was not too greasy or oily.
I bought this Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze Face Sun Cream Factor 30 as usually oil based creams make me break out really bad, and hate that heavy feeling on your skin like you have an extra layer on top of your skin. I would definitely recommend this it was lighter and thin to apply to the skin, and it didn't have too much of a negative effect on my skin which was an added bonus.
My trusty iPod touch much be at least 5 years old but it's still going strong. It's so convenient for your holidays and can download games on it to keep you entertained.
My new DKNY purse featured in my Birthday Presents post which you can read here. My first outing using it was on holiday and I really like it, it is sturdy and the card compartments inside is so much easier for keeping everything together.

What are your beach/pool essentials?

Lucy
xoxo

Lanzarote

Yesterday early hours in the morning I landed home after a brilliant 8 nights away in Lanzarote, on a girls holiday. We stayed in the resort called Peurto Del Carmen which I haven't visited since I was 4 years of age, so it was pretty much a brand new adventure for us all. It was such a beautiful island which was very sunny ranging from 30-38 degrees everyday. One thing which me and friends noticed was how particularly windy the island is, whilst around the pool it was nice and breezy cooling you down. Some times though it was a little too windy and my hat would literally fly off my head and across to the other side of the pool with no notice. We was planning on a relaxing holiday, after two of my friends had just graduated and me and my other friend have just finished our second year of uni. We all felt we needed a chilled holiday, just sitting round not really doing much. But when we got there we realised how big the strip was in the Old Town, and we ended up partying till 4/5 in the morning most nights - we just could not resist!

We stayed just above the Harbour and our room was overlooking the sea which was rather delightful to wake up to. Within the town there is an Old Town and a New Town which was great as we had so many options of restaurants and bars to choose from each night. We went on a lovely boat trip where we were told we could see dolphin and turtles, unfortunately we didn't manage to see either which was rather disappointing. But we did get to jet ski and snorkel in the sea which was a truly amazing experience, and we also got unlimited amounts of the 'Lanzarote' punch. This was where I took a lot of my photos as there was just so much beautiful scenery surrounding the boat. I really enjoyed the holiday, and actually managed to pick up a bit of a tan for the first time in a while which I am rather pleased with.

Lucy
xoxo

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer and Catherine Audacious Lipstick

After my 21st Birthday Makeover you get the opportunity to get the £35 on the makeover back in products. So essentially the makeover is free! As mentioned in my previous post there was two other products which I initially chose, but they were both sold out. However, I am so happy with what I decided to pick up, which was the Radiant Creamy Concealer and the Catherine Audacious Lipstick.

The creamy concealer is something which has been on my wish list for a while and I was so happy to finally get my hands on it. As I am pale skinned I picked up the shade Vanilla (light 2), which is actually a really great match. It may be a little light once I am back from my holidays and hopefully have a tan but for most of the year it will be a perfect match. Many bloggers compare this to the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, so I am going to be comparing the two and I will post my verdict in a future post. I am having been testing it out briefly this week, and my first impression is that I really like it. I love the creamy texture and I think the coverage is medium which covers any blemishes well, and it also has a good longerity. At £22, it is expensive for a concealer and I think I will be using it quite sparingly as I don't want to waste it.

The audacious line from Nars, has been something which I have wanted to try for a while now. But with a £24 price tag attached to them it hasn't been something which I have rushed to buy, and have previously headed to MAC instead. The packaging of this is really luxurious with a shiny matte finish which is simple and sophisticated. I love that it has a magnet close inside, meaning you can ensure that the lid is secure and there is no way of it coming off. The colour of this is a mid toned orange, I don't own any lipsticks of this shade or similar so it is something fresh and new to my collection. The only orange toned lipstick which I previously owned is MAC Vegas Volt, is much brighter and bolder but looks great as a pop of colour to the lips. Catherine is going to be much simpler and easier to wear, and I can already see it becoming a firm favourite and having a secure place in the bottom of my handbag!

Lucy
xoxo

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne

I have wanted a Jo Malone fragrance for quite a few years now, and my mum must have picked up on me always going on about them! For my birthday she had been asking me for ideas and had been asking me the types of fragrance I liked. In the end she simply said that if I wanted one to just choose the one which I liked, as she didn't want to get it wrong. I finally decided on Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne  as the scent is so fresh and sweet which is what I really like. I never choose floral scents, I will always opt for something fruity. I was torn between this and Blackberry and Bay, but I felt as though the Blackberry and Bay was quite overpowering, and the Nectarine Blossom & Honey was more refreshing. When you spray it you can tell that it is more pure as the scent is just much stronger. The perfume contains nectarine, peach, cassis and a note of acacia honey. They are expensive as 30ml is £42, but I have been wearing it all this week and the scent lasts for so long. All the colognes also come in 100ml bottles which cost £85, but in the long term if it is your favourite scent it is definitely worth while splashing out.

Lucy
xoxo

MAC Warm Neutral Palette

This was one of two things which I asked for, for my birthday as I have had my eyes on it forever. It is the MAC Warm Neutral Palette.

The colours from left to right:
Hey, Warm Breeze, Gingersnap, Dark Brew, Dance in the Dark
Brule, Vanilla Extract, Honey Lust, Amber Lights, Saddle
Lemon Tart, Butterfudge, Creative Copper, Unwind and Divine Decadence

This is such a beautiful palette, it contains so many colours which I have been wanting to pick up for you long. I have had my eye on particularly Amber Lights, Unwind and Gingersnap. The palette costs £65 which is such a bargain and equates to just £4.33 an eyeshadow, if I was to buy these individually it would cost me over £150. If you like a majority of the colours in the palette this is definitely something to add to your wishlist. I am going to be taking this on holiday as I create so many different looks.

Lucy
xoxo

21st Birthday Presents

If you have been reading my other blog posts this week you will that this week I turned 21! I have been blogging about my birthday makeover and my birthday night out and outfit. Today this post I all about what presents I received off my lovely friends and family. I love reading these types of posts on other bloggers sites when it is Christmas and their birthdays, it is a great way to see new products which you are interested in. It also gives me inspiration for what I might like or what to buy others.

My parents have been asking me for weeks what I wanted for my birthday, and there was nothing particularly big that I wanted. The only thing which I said I would like was the MAC Warm Neutral Palette, as I saw it in Selfridge's whilst recently shopping and I loved it instantly. It contains such a huge range of colours, and if you are wanting to shake up your eye makeup and add some new shades this is perfect and great value at £65 for 15 colours. I choose the Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne  as the scent is so fresh and sweet which is what I really like. I never choose floral scents, I will always opt for something fruity. They are expensive as 30ml is £42, but I already really love this and it looks gorgeous on your dressing table. It is a great size for travelling and popping into your handbag in order to refresh during the day. My biggest present off my parents was my iPad mini which is so thoughtful of them, I have been debating for months on whether to splash out on one, as I have just not been able to bring myself to part with my money. I have been loving it this week, and it is so handy. It will be great for travelling and they got a personalised message on the back which was a lovely addition. On my birthday within my card, there was a ticket to see Wicked at the Lowry Theatre in Salford, which is not too far from where we live. I have to say me and my sister have been going on and on about it for months. I have to say it was AMAZING! The whole family went, and it was such a great evening. I felt a little bit emotional after as I will remember my birthday for the rest of my life and that was the perfect end to such a great day.

My sister has always been one to spoil me at birthdays and Christmas, she is five years older than me and always splashes out. I was really shocked however with her generosity this year. She bought me a beautiful Michael Kors clutch bag which is leather and has gold detailing and has the Michael Kors logo embossed on the front. Inside it has an organisation section where there is a zip, and holders for your cards which is brilliant meaning you do not need to necessarily take out a purse. Unfortunately I can not find it anywhere on the internet, or anything similar from the brand. The YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in Rose Baby Doll is a great bright pink. It is a real show stopper of a colour and I cannot wait to wear this. I think I might have to save it for a day when I am going somewhere special as it is really bold. On swatching it on my hand it so pigmented and it stained my hand which is a good sign of its longevity. This beautiful purse from DKNY is a great size for your handbag. I know she bought it from Selfridge's but I can't seem to find the exact one but there are many similar here. I love the quilted detail and the lock detail on the front. It has a big zip around the outside, and compartments inside meaning it is so much easier to organise everything.

My grandparents bought me a beautiful silver bracelet, it is by a brand called Joma Jewellery, and it has a little star on it. It is really delicate and it looks simple and sophisticated on.

My best friend Rach is so great at choosing presents, for the past few years we have been buying each other makeup items for birthdays/Christmas and we usually both opt for lipsticks. I have fallen in love with the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Eclatante, she knows me so well it is a total Lucy colour, pink and bright! I love it and the packaging is so luxurious, I feel so expensive when it is applied. Because she is amazing she also got me the Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Cassiopeia which is such a beautiful shade. It is iridescent and shimmery, this is the perfect colour for popping it in your inner eye to brighten the entire area. We totally loved Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as teenagers, I have known her for ten years and this is such a thoughtful present. It is the book by Mary-Kate and Ashley called  Influence, which is beautiful it contains lots of photos and I have been constantly flicking through it, I love it. We are a little sad but shes MK and and I am A, yes we are cute and yes we are both 21!

My closest bunch of friends who  are just brilliant they bought me the Charlotte Tilsbury Lipstick in Very Victoria  it is a little dark, but I have been really trying to make it work as it is a really lovely colour. Now my birthday is in July, but they bought me the March Pandora birthstone ring and birthstone earrings. I already have the July set, and the Aquamarine set is just beautiful and it does not mean that you have to have a birthday within that month to wear it. I love this colour it subtly stands out and all the jewellery is sterling silver. I have been wearing the set all week and I have had such lovely comments off everywhere.

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who bought me presents, I love you all.

Lucy
xoxo

21st Birthday Night Out & Outfit

If you read Tuesday's post you would have known that on Tuesday it was my 21st Birthday! I popped up a post all about my Nars Makeover. Today, I am giving the lowdown on what I wore and all the details.

After I had a fab time at the Nars makeup counter on Saturday, I headed home to get changed. I had bought my Zara Skort Playsuit back in April when they first started getting their summer stock in, and I instantly fell in love. It is such a unique style and I love the quirky print channeling my inner 70's. It cost £29.99 and I am going to definitely be taking this on my holidays later on this month. My shoes are from Primark and were a real bargain at £14, the staff were just putting them on the shelves when I went into the store. If I have to say so myself all my friends looked absolutely stunning, what a stylish bunch they are!

We then headed to a restaurant near my house called La Roma with my family, which is a gorgeous little Italian located in the little village which I love. We were all starving so much, that I did not take any pictures of my food, but I had a lovely pasta dish called penne a la vodka which was so delicious. We then headed back to my house for some pre-drinks of champagne in my back garden as the weather decided to stay nice. This is where we decided to cut my birthday cake, this had been my hardest decision of the entire event. I had been longing for a rainbow cake, but unfortunately I had not managed to get one from anywhere so my mum picked me up this pinata cake from Asda which will brilliant!

Once arriving in Manchester we headed to a cocktail bar called The Botanist. It was so lovely and they was a live band playing relaxing songs which was really great, After a cocktail or two, we headed to Revs de Cuba which is a place which I have never been to before but it has been highly recommended to me by many of my friends. It was a great place and they was lots of salsa type songs mixed in with the classics.

After picking up a McDonald's on the way at 4am, I was finally tucked up in bed. I had a fabulous time celebrating and I could not of asked for a better night or a better way to spend my birthday than with my closest friends.

Lucy
xoxo

21st Birthday Nars Makeover

Today is my 21st birthday and I had the best weekend ever celebrating it! This week I am going to be dedicating the posts to all things surrounding my birthday, as I have so much to write about.

It all kicked off on Saturday afternoon I headed to Nars counter at Selfridges in the Trafford Centre, where I had booked an appointment to have my makeup done at 5pm. I had been deliberating for weeks about which beauty counter I wanted to have my makeup done at. I finally settled on Nars as I decided it is the brand which I have really been loving recently. The way in which their makeovers work is you pay £35 for the makeover, and then you get that amount back in products.

On arrival to the counter the lovely Beki welcomed me and told me to take a seat at the counter. She was so lovely and asked me the type of makeup which I was wanting. I felt that she really listened to what I described that I wanted, which was golden, peachy eyes, with glowy, dewy skin. She picked lots of different colours and options from the Nars counter and together we made a combination which we think would work. I really liked this as I had previously had a makeover at MAC and they did not offer me this much involvement. I also felt at MAC that you were kind of on a convey a belt as they had so many makeovers booked you have a very specific time slot which they have to stick to. At Nars I was there for at least an hour, and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire session.

She started with my eyes applying the Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and then she applied Skorpios Soft Touch Shadow Pencil all over the lid, I completely fell in love with this, the pigmentation was so beautiful and a perfect copper shade. I think she actually used the Duel Intensity Blush in Frenzy which at the time I thought was an eyeshadow palette, but it appears to be a blush palette, proving its versatility.  She applied the shimmering bright tangerine orange shade to the outer third, and then  soft pinky gold highlighter colour to the inner third. She finished off by adding a thin layer of the Nars Eye Paint in Mesopotamia with a little cat flack to add a little finishing touch to the entire look. She applied my false lashes which I took with me from MAC, which was extra lovely of her. She then gently blended the Skorpios Pencil along my bottom lash, and that was my eyes complete. She then started with my face makeup she started by applying the Light Optimising Primer all over the skin. For my base she applied Sheer Glow Foundation in Punjab mixed in with the Hot Sand Illuminator. Next, she added the Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard to areas where it was needed, and the Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder to set my base in place. She then used the new Blame it on Nars Cheek Palette, she started by applying the Casino Bronzing Powder, adding definition and contour. Within the palette there is two new blushers called Day Dream and New Attitude, she actually choose to apply a blush which was not in the palette called Luster, which is a beautiful peachy orange shade. She then applied the Satellite of Love highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones using the mini Kabuki Ita Brush which has been formulated in a smaller version just for this palette, which costs £45. She finished by adding the Salzbourg Brow Perfector through my brows, and adding the Audacious Lipstick in Juliette to my lips.

When it came to choosing my two products to take home, I had already made my mind up as I had fallen in love with colour of the Skorpios Pencil and the Juliette Lipstick. However, when she went to check the stock they were both sold out, which I was so upset about. I therefore choose the Radiant Creamy Concealer but in Vanilla which is the lighter shade as I had fake tan on and Custard would usually be a little too dark. For my lipstick choice I choose Catherine this was so similar to Juliette but actually contains a little more coral which I was perfectly happy with. I had a great experience at Nars and I would recommend it to anyone who has a special event to celebrate, and wants to feel extra fabulous.

Lucy
xoxo

My Marble Background

I have been wanting to get a marble effect background for my blog posts for a while now. I have seen many bloggers doing it in many different ways. I stumbled across a post by Jasmine Talks Beauty about how she picked up a marble effect background from Wilkinson's, once I read the post I thought it was a genius idea. I had been meaning to go and back myself some up for weeks, and finally last week I popped into my local Wilkinson's and there was a huge display of lots of different types.

I decided that I wanted the most simple effect which was the light grey, but there was lots of intriguing colours which had red and green running through them, which I think would look great for photos. The backing of the paper is self adhesive which makes it super simple to attach. The self adhesive papers are just £4 which is such great value, especially if you a blogging on a budget, just like me! You get a big roll as well which I have saved, if you are wanting to photograph something which is much bigger than the square in which you have created, you can just roll your excess paper out and put something heavy at each side to hold it down and it works just as well. As I often travel between home and university, I wanted the base to be light rather than glass or something heavy. I was browsing round and found a kitchen cake board for just £3 which I was so pleased with as it is really light and the perfect size. I actually really liked the silver top of the cake board, so I stuck the marble adhesive to the base of the board. Therefore I now have two new blogging backgrounds, the most inventive I think I have ever been! It is really easy to do, as the back of the self adhesive has grids on it so you can cut it to size and simply stick it on.

Whilst I was there I also picked up some artificial flowers which I wasn't sure if I was going to love or hate, but I actually think that they look pretty good positioned in the right place. There are lots of different types of flowers I picked up the flower bush assorted  which was a great size and great value for just £2.50.

I will definitely be heading to Wilkinson's again in the future for blogging props as they are such great value, as I managed to get all of this for under £10.

Lucy
xoxo

June Favourites

The Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Strawberry Fizz has been a nice bright addition to my nails this month. This is a classic barbie pink, which I love at this time of the year. Until I put it on I was intrigued at at the scent of this as it is part of the fruity collection. I was amazed at how much it really does smell of strawberries, it is a strong scent so if your not a fan of your nails smelling this is not for you. I found the concept a bit crazy, but I actually like it, I was surprised at how long this lasted without chipping, a good 3-4 days, the scent lasted 24 hours and then you can smell it very faintly. As I bought this last summer, it was part of an exclusive collection, and I do not think it is still on sale.

Another Rimmel product which I have been talking about quite a lot on my blog recently, is the Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob. It is a perfect darker pink lip liner, which matches many of my MAC lipsticks. I have never been a big lip liner fan, but this has completely converted me. I own MAC's lip pencil in Subculture, but I have hardly ever used it as I find it hard to apply and the pencil is quite scratchy. I much prefer this Rimmel one, as it is a soft twist pencil, which makes application so much easier and quicker. At just £3.99 this is such a bargain of a product, if you are wanting to try out a lip liner this is such a great one to start with.

The Sephora Mineral Powder Brush, I bought this back in August last year and it has been hiding amongst all of my other brushes. I started using it a few weeks ago, and I have been really loving it. The bristles are short and really packed making buffing powder into your face really easy and quick. The handle is nice and wide making it easy to hold.

When I first bought this L'Oreal Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadow in Nude last year some time when Amelia Liana was raving about how good the pigmentation of the product is, I instantly bought it. However I never seemed to get on with it, and it seemed to crease all over my eyelid, and looked a little harsh. But I have recently got it back out, and I am so happy I rediscovered it. I have been testing out the best way to use it, and I have learnt a little goes a long way. I apply it with my fingers and then quickly blend it out with my MAC 217 Blending Brush.

Along with the L'Oreal eyeshadow, I have been loving my MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked. This has been a favourite of mine since I started my blog over a year and a half ago. I have an individual version, as well as one in my quad MAC palette. I blend this in the creases and on the outer third of my eyelid, to add a little smokiness. It is the most versatile colour ever, a bold statement but it is a serious must have product. This is once again a great staple product to have in your collection, and it is brilliant for when you are travelling as you can wear it on its own or blend it with so many other colours.

Lucy
xoxo

Rimmel Good to Glow Highlighter

I had never seen or heard about this before I picked it up, I saw it on the aisles of Tesco and was instantly intrigued. It was on offer for just £2.49 so I quickly picked it up as my mum was rushing me as we just 'nipped in'. Unfortunately I cannot find it on the Tesco website but it is available here from Boots, the normal price is just £4.99 which is still really good value. Within my makeup collection I only own one or two highlighters as I am never sure of the best ones to go for. I love it when girls have lovely contoured cheekbones with a hint of highlighter just on the tops. It is something which I want to try and get good at over the summer, so this seemed like a perfect product to help me with this.

It is a two in one highlighter and illuminator and I choose the shade 003 Soho Glow. It offers a nice natural glow to the face, it is not overly glittery and adds just the right amount of shimmer. The consistency is a lightweight liquid texture which means you can apply just the right amount to the cheekbones. It comes in three shades and I actually picked up the darkest shade to my amazement. Soho Glow is a golden bronzed tone highlighter, which is perfect for this time of the year, and heading into the sunnier months. Another option is to mix a small amount of this within your everyday foundation to add a bit of an extra overall glow to your complexion.

Lucy
xoxo