The roundup for December

Hello 2017!

I am really excited for what 2017 is going to bring to me, but first it is time for one last roundup of December. I started these monthly roundups at the start of this year, and I have really enjoyed writing them throughout 2016. I would like to know if you have enjoyed reading them and if you would also me to continue writing them in 2017. So December... it was a bit of a weird one and it is really hard to think of some significant things which have happened. I've had a few nights out which have been fantastic, as it is my favourite thing to do when I have time off work. I also really enjoyed being able to afford to buy nice Christmas presents. It was my first year in which I was able to afford to buy good quality presents which I knew my family wanted. Last year I felt really deflated when I had a real lack of money, and I promised myself that in 2016 I would buy some beautiful presents. I love giving out nice presents and it made me so happy to see how much they appreciated what I had bought them.

In terms of my actual Christmas, must of it was spent at work. It was my first year as a staff nurse and I was prepared for the amount which I would be working, but I was really disheartened when I found out my shifts as they were pretty terrible. I mentioned this in my last post saying I was going to try my best to stay positive about it all and I did. I worked around my shifts fitting in where I could to socialise. Basically making the best out of a rubbish situation. On Christmas Day I worked in the morning until 2pm, we all brought in ingredients to make sausage, bacon and mushroom barms which was great and everyone at work is lovely so it was all heartfelt. When I got home my mum had prepared Christmas dinner which was as amazing as ever. We then all played games for a few hours which was great as we had all had a little too much M&S Buck's Fizz. All in all what got to me the most was the amount of time I spent in work, we split out shifts into earlies and lates instead of our usual 12.5 hour long days so that we would have more time at home. However, I felt like I never left the place as I was coming and going constantly, from Christmas Eve I had 2 days off between then and New Year's day. I am starting annual leave for a week on the 4th of January and I am so excited to have some down time as my mum and sister are still of work, and I have a trip to York planned.

In terms of plans for 2017, I haven't got too much planned yet. I am still deciding whether to do a goals for this upcoming year post, but I am excited as I want to do as much as possible and not say no. I definitely want to travel more and I don't need it to necessarily be some exotic island in the Maldives, it could be to see my friends who are now dotted around England after university.

Here's to a get 2017 - lets smash it!

Lucy
xoxo

December Favourites

I have gravitated towards using the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder this month. This feels super lightweight and the powder leaves your face feeling smooth and soft. This is not cheap as is costs £33, but as you can see I hit pan a long while ago but it seems to be lasting well. If you are wanting to treat yourself this is definitely something which I always recommend to people when this ask me what to buy from Charlotte Tilbury. An added bonus is the adorable rose gold packaging which looks amazing on my dressing table.

My MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick had been missing for months, and I recently found it and it has not been off my lips since. It is a matte lipstick which has a nude undertone, everyone went wild for this when it was first released as it was Kylie Jenner's go to lip shade. It took me months to find it in stores and my sister ended up getting it me in New York! Considering the effort which went into getting it I really should have taken better care of it. This month I reorganised all of my makeup and all of my MAC lipsticks are now kept in one place, so it should never disappear ever again.

I recently repurchased the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation as I needed it back in my life. It is not cheap at £31, but every so often you have to spoil yourself and this was my payday treat right at the start of my month. I wrote a full more in depth review of this recently which you can read here, all in all I love it and no other foundation wakes my skin up and makes it look glowing and as lively as this.

I have been a huge fan of Colourpop eyeshadows for a while now and I recently purchased the colour Static. It is a beautiful pearlised burgundy and I cannot wait to wear it more. I have a few shadows from Colourpop in my collection now and I always find the pearlised ones to have the best finish and the pigmentation is always beautiful. I have purchased a few metallic ones and they have creased majorly on me, whereas the pearlised shadows blend out really well and do not crease barely at all. These are such great value for $5, and I always stock up when they do free international delivery.

What products have you been loving this month?

Lucy
xoxo

Lush Christmas Sale Haul

So on boxing day I was working until 2pm, and when I came out there seemed to be a fiasco which had erupted on Twitter regarding Lush and their sale. Basically the server could not cope with the amount of people trying to purchase products. I had a quick peek and I was 90,000 in the queue and I could not quite believe it. People had been waiting 12 hours so I thought I would just see how fast it moved, as Lush do my favourite bath products. It turns out the sale online finished at 10pm and everyone was outraged when I woke up the next morning. All in all, they are bath products and everyone loves a bargain. My thought was that I would go into my local store and see what they had left to offer, as you have to pay £3.95 delivery online so unless you are ordering a lot you are not saving that much anyway after paying the fee.

I waltzed into Lush Manchester Arndale on the 27th in the mid afternoon and they had every kind of Christmas bath bomb which you could ever want in the hundreds. I quickly grabbed a basket and started to fill up if you saw my recent Christmas Lush Haul you would have seen that I had already picked up quite a few, so I did not want to go over the top. In bath bombs I picked up Shoot For the Stars, Northern Lights and Never Mind the Ballistics which are all new ones to me this year. I also picked up another Butterbear as they are so soothing on the skin and only cost 99p. This was everything in my basket I then got into the queue which was rather long and then I saw all the giftbox displays and picked up the Buttercup gift set which contains Butterball and Honey I Washed The Kids, which are both new products to me. I then feasted my eyes on the Snowman shower jelly which I adore and I love to use these in the shower. Then finally the Sugarplum lip scrub which I did not know existed until my sister pointed it out, it smells of blackcurrant and will be useful as my lips are super chapped at the moment. 

I spent a grand total of £16.63 which I think is a great price for the amount of things I managed to pick up. I am super happy with what I got, and did not go too overboard as sometimes you can get sucked in and end up buying just for the sake of it. However, I can safely say I am not going to be buying any bath bombs for a good few months now as I am definitely well stocked up!

Have you grabbed anything from the Lush sale?

Lucy

xoxo

6am 6 products

Lots of us are early risers, but for many those extra few minutes in bed each morning makes everything turn into one wild rush and all plans of an early start go out the window. For me every morning I battle with getting my makeup on in some sort of uniform fashion as fast as possible, but still wanting it to look half decent at the end of the day. This post consists of my 6 go to products at 6am when I am waking up for work and I need to grab and apply without having to think.

My MAC Warm Neutrals Palette has such a variety of shades and colours it is great to grab when you can not make your mind up of what colour you want to wear. These shades are super creamy and blendable and this is always my go to palette when I have an indecisive morning (which is most days!). The Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara has been a favourite of mine throughout the year, I add a few layers of this but I always take off an excess as it is easy for it to look over clumpy. My lashes need length and volume and this does both. I recently rebought this L'Oreal True Match Foundation in a lighter shade and I am so happy to be able to use it again on a daily basis. I do not like to use my high end bottles of foundation for work, and also this most importantly lasts on the skin which is exactly what you need when it is on your face for 15 plus hours a day. I am always trying out new concealers but the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is always my go to on a morning as it covers exceptionally well. I need full coverage and this provides it, I always add two layers and it does not look cakey. My MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Powder is a powder which I have repurchased at least three times now and that is because nothing compares to it. It feels light and it sets my foundation and concealer into place. This MAC Blush is something which I grab from my stash often, the shade suits my fair skin tone and it adds the perfect flush of colour and shimmer to my cheekbones.

Lucy
xoxo

The Blogging Grotto

The Blogging Grotto you might read, and think hmm I have never heard of that. Well that's because it is brand new, it is a blogging magazine where the content is written only by bloggers with all different interests. The editor is the lovely Jessica Gutteridge who I met earlier this year at The Bloggers Blog Awards quite briefly whilst waiting for a taxi home! She was super sweet and I started to follow her across social media, when she first asked across Twitter if any bloggers were instantly in featuring in the magazine I jumped at the chance. I was not sure how this was going to turn out but Jessica has worked so hard and it looks fabulous. This first issue features everything from beauty, fashion, lifestyle, travel and craft. I have really enjoyed reading all the different features and getting to know more about some of my favourite bloggers, and also getting to know some new bloggers. The magazine features 29 different articles which is a hell of a lot of great reading to get through, and I have thoroughly enjoyed flicking through and indulging in all of its glory.

You are able to follow @blogginggrotto on Twitter to find out when the next issue is available. The first issue costs £5 and you can buy it here. I think the magazine is going to be seasonal as this is the winter issue, which is super exciting and it has given me some brilliant blogging ideas of my own going into 2017. Lets all support the smaller blogger community and buy this a-m-a-z-i-n-g magazine.

Lucy
xoxo

Having Bloggers Block

It is the end of the year and that means that throughout 2016 you have had to think of a lot of blog post ideas. This week I found myself feeling slightly deflated and lacking inspiration with my blog and I had no blog ideas at all. I was going to just miss a few posts in my schedule but then I started to think of ways to reignite my love and drive for my blog. I simply searched beauty blog ideas on google and I came across the lovely Sally's 100 beauty blog ideas post which definitely got me thinking, I took 2 or 3 ideas from her list and adapted them to work my own ideas. I also looked at posts which have been the most popular with my readers this year. I do this as it makes me realise what people most like to read, and I also find it helpful to see what have not had my best viewings and see if I can adapt them in any way. I also like to look at magazines for ideas of what is fresh on the market and new beauty releases which help to think of wishlists and upcoming possible purchases. I like to look in weekly magazines as they feature more affordable products, but also in luxurious magazines for high end products to add to my wishlist and something which I can save up for.

Within 10 minutes or so I had a long list of fresh ideas to finish of 2016 and also some exciting new ones for the start of 2017. I sometimes think that it just takes a tiny spark to get going again and feel free from the dreaded blogger's block. It can be really great to feel inspired again and get my blogging mojo back!

Lucy
xoxo

Sleek Eyeshadow Hidden Gems Palette Review

I bought this eyeshadow palette a few weeks ago when it was on a 3 for 2 offer in Superdrug (sold out online) and I was really intrigued by the new Rockstar Collection line. It has a really diverse selection of colours. I have used this a few times now and I have been impressed. The shades are pigmented and shine through onto the lid, I do have to say though the shades are quite intensely packed with shimmer which I like as I love a bit of glitter, but if you prefer something more natural then this is not the palette for you. I have used all of these shades in the palette which has surprised me as the golden and burgundy colours are what I always gravitate to. I have enjoyed exploring a bit more and the purple and green shades really compliment my eye colouring and makes them stand out which I really love. For £9.99 this is a really lovely palette and if you are wanting to add some more vibrant shimmery shades into your collection then I suggest you pick this up.

Lucy
xoxo

Christmas Makeup

The festive period is very much upon on and this means parties galore. Whether it is with family, friends or work it is the time everyone gets together for a good old merry time. I actually have quite a few nights out planned which I am rather excited about, and I always think about my makeup in advance. My friends think I am crazy but I like a bit of preparation and organisation when I am going out as I am very indecisive, so this makes my night out a lot less stress free by making the process alot easier.

Since repurchasing the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation it has not left my face! I have been using it on a daily basis as I just cannot get enough of it. It adds glow and radiance, and gives my dull skin some life. I like full coverage in order to cover my areas of acne and the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer definitely helps me to achieve this. If I am going out I usually apply two layers of this and it does not look cakey or too thick. For me eyes I have been loving the Urban Decay Shadowbox recently, I have been using this on a daily occasion. To my surprise I have been using the shade Mushroom a lot which is the dark silver as it has grey undertones in it which gives an easy smokey eye. 99% of the time I will use golden or rose toned shades so I have enjoyed venturing into more diverse colours and this palette is brilliant for that. I am looking forward to using the purple toned shades on my nights out. If I am going on a night out which is more casual I will add a few layers of my Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara which is amazing for length and definition. Sometimes however I want something more volumatic so I add Eyelure's Cheryl Lashes in Sexy Seniorita as they are not too thick or dark and give a very natural defined look to my lashes. For cheeks as always I use my ever-so-trusty Hourglass Blushes, and my MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter in Iridescent Gold to add as much glow and sparkle as possible.

Lucy
xoxo

Secret Santa Ideas

This is my first year in a job where I am participating in secret santa. I was deliberating whether to get involved or not for a while, but I decided not to be the grinch and join in the festive fun. Our budget at work is £15, which I think is the perfect amount really. You can actually buy someone a decent present and it not be tat!

I had to do a little bit of investigating into what my person likes, by asking them some ambiguous questions and I found out that they really enjoying drinking coffee hence the mug. Therefore that is what I built my present around. In this post, I have included my secret santa present as well as other ideas. I think it is great to use a bit of imagination and not just choose a bog standard gift set which you might be unsure whether they will like or not. It is all a bit of fun, and finding someone the perfect present is exactly what it is all about.

Lucy
xoxo

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation Review

I have been wanting to repurchase a bottle of Nars Sheer Glow for months and months. When my first bottle finished I was really sad as it is simply one of the best foundations which I have ever tried. My previous bottle lasted me a good few months, but when it ran out I was a poor student and spending £31 on a foundation was simply not an option. However, now I have my full time job and therefore earning this means I am now able to treat myself when payday comes around. Last weekend whilst browsing the beauty hall of Selfridges I decided that it was time to splash the cash and finally repurchase it. 

I previously had the shade Monte Blanc (Light 2), and when I looked at it again in the shop it looked a little too pale for me. I swatched Deauville (Light 4) as I thought it was a better match to my skintone at the moment. I decided to take the plunge and make the change in colour. I have worn this a few times since I bought it and it is a pretty good match, maybe a tiny bit darker than my skintone but it works really well and was a risk worth taking. This foundation does exactly what it says it gives glow. It gives a natural radiance and luminosity to the skin. I would say the coverage is medium but it is definitely buildable. This would be great for normal and dry skin types as the formula is hydrating. There is one slight negative to this which is something which I find in most foundations, the longevity of it lasting on the skin. It does last a good few hours with it still looking as fresh as when it is first applied, which is why this is always my go to foundation for any night time events. However, if like me you do 13 hours shifts you are really able to put foundations to the longevity test. I do find that it starts to fade in areas which I need more coverage, but it does not lose the radiance. Just to let you know, I do always use primer and fixing spray when applying any foundation to help it last longer. 

All in all, this is always my top pick foundation and the only high end one which I have ever repurchased. I always think it is similar to L'Oreal's True Match (my second fave) but with more glow and life. If you are wanting to spoil yourself come payday then add this to your basket and you will not be disappointed.

Lucy

xoxo

Real Techniques

Whilst doing my shopping in Asda yesterday, I somehow ended up on the the cosmetics aisle. My eyes were instantly drawn to the Real Techniques stand and the offers which are currently available. They have a 1/3 off all products offer on which is fantastic and is a really big saving. I picked it the Blush Brush which costs £6.65. I have wanted this for ages, but I have always been put off as the brush always looks a little too big. I decided to take the plunge and buy it as I have never been disappointed in any of their products. I also picked up their Deep Cleansing Brush Gel for £4.65, I usually use the the No7 brush cleaner but I thought I would try this out as the offer was on and I have seen a few online reviews of this and people have been very impressed with it.

Lucy
xoxo

The Round up for November

November has flown by, and it has been a month which I have really enjoyed!

This month I took a trip to the Manchester Christmas Markets, it is a family tradition to go each year and I love everything on offer. I wrote a whole blog post here a few years ago and if you can it is definitely worth a visit as they are great. There are a variety of food, drink, craft, art, plants, jewellery and much more. It is a brilliant day out with friends and family and somewhere you can spend the entire afternoon or night. We always go for the food and drink mainly as it is a lovely way to catch up with friends over a burger and some mulled cider.

The biggest event of the month was definitely my graduation which you can read all about here. It was a fabulous day of joy and celebrations, and for once I felt really proud of myself. It was great to see all of my friends and hear how much everyone is loving their new jobs. It was held at Carlisle Cathedral which was an amazing venue and I felt very overwhelmed and super nervous when I met the Archbishop of York to collect my certificate. Thankfully, I did not slip, trip or fall at any point along the way which was such a worry. Something I will say is honestly I found the gown so annoying it was falling down all day, and making me even more anxious as I wanted it to look right. The lady told me it was because I have small shoulders, but the gown was so heavy on me it just kept slipping backwards!

One thing which put a grey cloud over everything at the start of the month, was finding out my Christmas shifts for work. It is my first Christmas at this job, and I have definitely drawn the short straw. I am working the 22nd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 29th, and the 31st of December. I don't think there is anyone who could have worse shifts than this, I was angry for a few days but I have dealt with it now as I did not want to make a huge fuss as I knew they were not going to change it. I have learnt that sometimes you just have to work with what you've been given, and that is exactly what I have done. I have made plans around my shifts and on my days off and I am determined to still have a fabulous Christmas.

I have started my Christmas shopping, which is unknown for me to be this organised. However, I wanted to split things up into my paydays and not be running around last minute. I still have a few things to buy, but I have a list and it should not take too long. I want to buy some lovely gifts this year, as this is the first year I can afford to spoil my loved ones.

I am sooo excited for December as I have lots of exciting things in my diary, which is exactly how I like it to be. I like to be super busy and have events to look forward to. I cannot believe when I write next month's round up it will be 2017!

Lucy
xoxo

November Favourites

In my last favourites I wrote at the start of the post how I felt that October had dragged. However, November has literally flown by and cannot believe we are now into December. For me Christmas starts as soon as December hits and then I can start getting into the festive spirit.

I have had super dry lips this month with this freezing weather. I bought the Blistex Medplus, and it has worked perfectly. It has a very soft consistency of petroleum jelly and contains menthol which is cool and soothing on the lip. It also comes in such a small tub that I have misplaced it numerous times! However, it is perfect to throw into your handbag for whenever you need it.

My trusty L'Oreal True Match Foundation, got pulled out of my drawers and put back into my daily makeup routine this month. If someone asks me for a drugstore recommendation this is always my suggestion. It is perfect for everyday wear, it has a medium to high coverage, lasts well, sits nicely on the skin and blends super easy. Most of all I like the finish as it does not feel drying or too matte on the skin, and does not feel heavy which is one thing which I always look out for.

I bought the Urban Decay Shadow Box at the start of the month and it featured in my recent Debenhams haul. I am a fan of Urban Decay eyeshadows, but I have previously found that they can have some downfall when applying them. I have been really impressed with the shadows in this palette, and I think it has a really great selection of colours. Don't get me wrong I am all about those golden toned shadows, but this has allowed me to be a little more creative.

On my graduation day I wore MAC Fabby, and I totally fell back in love with it. This was not what I was originally planning on wearing but I decided that I did not want anything too over the top. It is a beautiful mid-toned pink with a pearlised frost finish. It is not too sparkly or glittery, it just gives a lovely sheen to the lips. I am definitely going to start wearing this for work, and I need to invest in more 'everyday' shades as I am definitely missing some in my collection. Since I jumped aboard the liquid lipstick hype, I have not looked back but I am struggling to find shades which I can wear on a day to day basis.

What have you been loving in November?

Lucy
xoxo

Graduation

So last Thursday I graduated! I know most people graduate in the summer but as my course didn't officially finish until September therefore we all graduate in the Autumn. I haven't been back to Carlisle in months and throughout the day I found myself getting very emotional. All in all it was a wonderful day, and I will remember it for the rest of my life. For me it was the final and end of a three year journey, and it was the last chapter in my university experience. I graduated with a 2:1 in BSc (Hons) Children's Nursing, which has led me to my job which I am currently fulfilling.

The dress which I wore was from River Island I bought it a few months ago and it was sitting in my wardrobe collecting dust. I spent hours online and in store shopping trying to find the perfect dress, but in the end I decided to go with this and I am super happy that I did. My shoes are from Faith at Debenhams and were actually comfy considering I wore them all day and they were brand new.

Lucy
xoxo

LUSH Christmas Haul

So over the last few weeks I have been popping into the Lush stores and picking up some of their Christmas line slowly but surely, and here I am with a lot of the collection and I think I have everything which I want.

My sister bought me The Christmas Penguin as a little gift which was lovely of her. It is a bubble bar containing lemon and mandarin oils, and it is just so dam cute. A new addition to the line this year is Snowie which is also a bubble bar  and smells sensational as it contains grapefruit oil and rose oil. I am excited to see this melt and the colours which it will bring out. One of my ultimate Christmas favourites is Peeping Santa. It is a bubble bar and makes your skin silky soft as it had shea butter within in it. The Magic of Christmas was one which I purchased last year and very much enjoyed. It is a giant bubble bar and I usually get at least three uses out of them so they are excellent value for money. The scent is cinnamon and almonds, and is perfect for a cold Autumn day when you need to rewind. Candy Mountain is a Christmas classic, the bubble bar smells of vanilla absolute which is quite sweet but I actually really like it. It turns into a pink glittery river when placed in the bath. Snow Angel is a bath melt, and is very messy with all of its golden glitter. It once again contains cocoa butter to make your skin soft and smooth, the scent to me resembles marzipan however, it is not too overwhelming. Butterbear is one which I always stock up on it the sales as it is only costs £1.95. It contains cocoa butter and cocoa powder, and is great as an extra gift for someone's stocking. Mistletoe was a surprise purchase, as I was not expecting to buy it but when I picked it up it smelt amazing, you can definitely smell the floral parts to the bath bomb but it is also light and I think this will look great when dissolved. 

Have you picked up anything from Lush's christmas range?

Lucy

xoxo

LA Girl Concealer

I purchased this concealer quite a few weeks ago from BeautyBay and I have been putting it to the test. I had not seen or heard many reviews about this, but I had heard quite a bit about the band LA Girl from many of my favourite American YouTubers. When I saw the brand available on the site, I was very intrigued and started to look at the products on offer. I am always putting concealers to the test, probably over any other product as it is such an important step for me in my daily makeup routine. I decided to take the plunge and order the PRO.Conceal.

One thing I always struggle with when ordering online is getting the right shade, and with this I did not do too well. The descriptions on BeautyBay site are not accurate in comparison to the real colour, but it does always depending on the lighting when the photos have been taken. Ivory is described as being a good match for porcelain skin which I would not describe my tone as, so I went with Natural which is for fair skin which is how I would describe my tone. However, it is too dark for my skin but I am just about managing to make it work. Next time I think the shades described for porcelain would be a much better match to my skin tone. So for £5 I think this is a great product, it is high coverage, blends well and lasts a good amount of time on my skin. I have been really impressed it has similar consistency to Collection's Lasting Perfection, but I think the PRO.Conceal lasts longer on my skin. I still prefer to use Nars' Creamy Concealer for areas where I want lighter coverage and I think this is a little too thick to use under my eyes. On to the downsides, I really am not a fan of the applicator as it is one of those squeezy brushes where the products goes into the brush and they you can apply to your face. However, I find the product does not evenly distribute on the brush and you can easily apply too much to one area. As I have said previously, I have only had this is a few weeks and I do not think it is going to last very long as the tube feels half empty already but for the price I cannot moan too much.

All in all, I would recommend this is I think it is a really good drugstore product which does the job and does work well with covering areas where high coverage is needed. For me these areas are over my chin where my acne mainly flares up, and I have tested many concealers and I am very much impressed with this.

Lucy

xoxo

Black Friday

Cyber Monday brings to the end of what seems like a never ending week of sales and offers. I have put together all of the best deals, and if you are wanting any deals today really is the last day!

New Look - 25% off everything with code: HAPPINESS and free delivery.

Topshop - Up to 50% off and free delivery.

Apple - a gift card with purchases.

Ted Baker - Up to 30% off instore and online.

River Island - 20% off everything with code: SOFA16 and free delivery.

Oliver Bonas - 30% off selected lines.

Missguided - 30% off everything with code : gogogo or use your student discount code for 35% off everything.

Boohoo - up to 50% off everything and free delivery until tomorrow.

Jack Wills - £25 off when you spend £100 on full price items.

KIKO - Buy 3 products and get 3 free also free delivery.

ASOS - 20% off everything this weekend with code: GOGOGO.

Charlotte Tilbury - 4 exclusive offers each day added to the sale until Monday. 2 offers currently available as 2 have already completely sold out - Nocturnal eyes to hypnotise (buy one eyeshadow and liner set and get one free) and buy a mystery box for £150 with £300 worth of products inside.

Urban Outfitters - Up to 50% off everything and £1 delivery.

Beautybay - up to 30% off many brands - This Works, Pai, Gerard Cosmetics, Alpha H, Natasha Denona and Milani.

Debenhams -  50% off ALL women's dresses, up to 50% off womens designers, 30% off mens brands, up to 50% off electrical and toys.

House of Fraser -  up to 50% off handbags, home and toys, 30% off womenswear and 40% off mens. 

Amazon - started already with different daily deals. One of the best - £30 off kindles, £10 off Amazon firestick, Amazon Fire tablets -£29.99, Amazon Echo - £119, Amazon Dot - £39.99

Office - up to 20% off everything and free delivery with code WONDER

Boots - Benefit Bestie Set now £30, No7 Beauty Haul Colour Vault - £42.50, better than half price Oral toothbrushes, 40% off Paco Rabanne 100ml, up to 1/3 off Fitbits.

American Deals

I know a lot of you beauty lovers are planning on making some american beauty orders so I have also put together a specific list. Heads up if you are on Instagram follow trendmooddeals for all the up to date offers in one place. Currently the best deals I have found:

Anastasia Beverly Hills starting 25th Nov 12am EST (5am GMT) until the 28th. 

50% off concealers, 40% off contour and cream kits, 30% off lipgloss, 25% pro brushes and illuminators, 10% off glow kits.

Urban Decay - Alice Through The Looking Glass Palette now $60 to $34, ShadowBox (which I bought recently you can see here) now $18, and lots of brushes 50% off. 

Sephora - Look like they have lots of deals starting on Friday lots of deals

such as Too Faced Better Than Sex Set $10, Tarte Pretty Little Lippie Set $10 and Clarisonic Radiance Renewing Duo $15.

Colourpop Cosmetics - 20% off the entire site.

Jeffree Star Cosmetics - On cyber monday - velour liquid lipstick - $15, Beauty Killer Palette - $24.75 (45% off), Skin Frosts - $23 (20% off) and Lip Ammunition $10.50 (45% off).

Doses of Colors - have a 4 day sale off 20% off everything on their site.

Hope this is helpful!

Lucy 

xoxo

Bath & Body Works Haul

Finally my Bath & Body Works arrived after weeks of waiting. I have had so much trouble with this order it has seriously put me off ordering again, but I will go through all the shipping details further on in the post.

I had been wanting to order from their for site for so long as I had heard so many amazing reviews of their products. On payday I took the plunge and ordered from their website and to my surprise the products were actually really well priced and affordable, definitely parallel to prices of the drugstores. There is always offers on and everything in this haul was under $4 each. I didn't have a list of what I wanted so I just took a little browse and added some products to my basket which I was excited to try. There is so much hype around the candles which they sell, I picked up Marshmallow Fireside and it smells sensational like you are burning s'mores and is the perfect autumnal scent for a cosy night in under blankets and watching a film. I have to say everything smells amazing and I cannot wait to try the Sweet Pea Shower Gel as it smells very fresh and refreshing. The Champagne Apple & Honey Body Lotion (unable to find) is very fruity as you would expect and the apple scent is what I can smell instantly and I really like it. I made this order just before Halloween so a lot of the collection was pumpkin flavoured. I honestly do not know why I ordered this I think it could've been by mistake, the Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte Hand Soap if you like coffee and the smell of praline then this is perfect for you. For me it is definitely not something which I would usually gravitate towards as I am a seriously fruit scent person and I really do not like this. Like I say I do not love this and will be passing it onto one of my friends. I am happy to say that the Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Body Cream is much more up my street as it is sweet like the name suggests and I cannot stop smelling this.

I have never had more problems with shipping from the USA as I have with this order. I used my usual shipping service Shipito which I have never had any problems with and I always use to ship my Colourpop orders. I did not expect the package to be as heavy as it was for some reason, and it originally was going to cost me $40 to ship this order and considering the order only costs $22.68 including tax in total I was so shocked. I then had the problem that I had also ordered 5 of the mini hand sanitisers ($5) which I was super excited about, and then Shipito informed they could not be shipped to the UK as they contain alcohol, so I could either send them back to Bath and Body Works which would cost more than their worth or discard them. I then researched about using the carrier service called Gosend but they were charging $18 before fees and insurance and I just cannot part with that for the worth of the products. If anyone has any suggestions of what I can do about this please give me a shout as they are currently just sitting in the Shipito warehouse. I then had to pay $5 to have the hand sanitisers removed and repacked so all together for this parcel it cost $32, which was just about bearable. I also thankfully was not hit by a shipping charge in the UK, as the order was now only worth $16. Unfortunately even though I really love the products, the price of shipping is just way too much for me. I have since seen their are lots of ebay buyers and facebook pages which sell Bath & Body Works products. However, I am always scared though that they are going to fakes of the real version.

What are you favourite Bath & Body Works products?

Lucy
xoxo

Debenhams Beauty Haul

I cannot tell how god dam excited I was when this package landed on my doorstep, I decided to properly treat myself and spend a bit of money on some makeup which I have been swooning after. I decided to buy a few travel size products as I was buying all brand new products and did not want to spend a lot on full sizes if they weren't going to be my favourites. I also bought more than usual as Debenhams had 10% off all beauty products and also some super saver purchases.

I needed a new primer desperately and I had heard sooo much about the Makeup Forever Hydrating Primer so I thought this was the perfect time to test it out. I need something which is going to hydrate my dry skin and create a blank canvas before I apply my makeup, and most importantly keep my makeup locked in throughout the day.

MAC's Extra Dimension Skinfinishes have had a huge amount of talk on the beauty market since their release and my god are they ALL beautiful. It took me a good two hours to decide on the colour which I wanted and I finally went with Beaming Blush. When it arrived I was so pleased to see that it was not too dark for my colouring as that was my main worry. It looks absolutely stunning in its packaging and as soon as the photos were taken it was applied to my face!

The Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara has had a huge amount of hype surrounding it since its launch, and a lot of people have told me that the hype is worth it as it is sensational. I am super excited to try this as I am very picky with mascaras and I don't have many favourites, I am always on the hunt for new ones to try and to actually like.

I feel as a beauty blogger I should have owned this many moons ago but I have never used eyeshadow primer as a step in my daily routine. This Urban Decay Primer Potion has been sat at the stop of my wishlist for ages now so it is definitely worthwhile me picking up a small version to put it to the test before I splash out on a full size version. I am hoping this keeps my eyeshadows locked into place as my eyelids can be quite greasy and absorb my eyeshadows easily.

Finally, this was the only product not on my list but I just could not pick this up. When I told my mum I bought it she said she had seen it and was going to buy it me for Christmas because it was such a bargain, and she was totally right. This was on offer for just £16.10 which was such great value for the amount of colours and product which you get in this Urban Decay Shadowbox. It had a 40% saving and I just couldn't not add it to my basket. It has obviously been very popular as it is now sold out on Debenhams but is still available in the link.

I am super excited to put all this new makeup to the test and I will report back soon!

Lucy
xoxo

Three New Makeup Geek Eyeshadows

Last week I posted a Makeup Geek eyeshadow collection post with every shadow which I own from the brand. However, I decided that I needed to add a few more autumnal berry shades as there was a gap within my collection. I decided not to go overboard and ordered just three new shades.

Anarchy sits right in between Roulette and Burlesque on the colour spectrum. Whilst the other two are more on the berry toned side of the scale, this is definitely a medium pink with shimmer. I can definitely see purple tones running through it which I love as I do not like pale or bright pink shades as they do not suit my colourings well. This is so gorgeous and it was exactly what was missing from my palette. 

Roulette is my favourite from my first impressions, I have worn this a few days for work and I have really been loved it. When looking at the shade it looks like a burnt pink toned copper which looks stunning when applied. The golden copper part of the shade makes it metallic and really shines through making it a simple everyday rosy shimmery shade.

Burlesque is the darkest of the three which I picked up, and is a dark blackberry shade which will look beautiful when blended with other berry toned shades. It will be perfect for a smokey eye shade as it contains some brown undertones and throughout the autumn and Christmas period I can see myself wearing this a lot. When applied to the lid the burgundy warm metallic tones really shine through, which is what I wanted as I already have a lot of darker matte shades.

I am really glad I picked up these shadows as they all swatch and apply really easy with amazing pigmentation as occasionally I have come across some slightly chalky shades from Makeup Geek. These are such great value for £6 and I can not wait to extend my collection even more!

Lucy

xoxo

Feeling Lonely and Facing Change

On the Tuesday afternoon that I write this whilst watching Loose Women, they have started a discussion about 'loneliness'. Love or hate the programme, they talk about real life matters and I love the positivity which is promotes regarding women. I have been thinking about this topic a lot recently, and the topic being brought up on the show really got me thinking for myself. On the show, they said that 90% of people have felt lonely in their lives at some point. Interestingly enough 89% of those people were in a relationship at that time, this surprised me massively as I always put my loneliness down to being single. When we think of 'lonely' people in a category many of us would think of the elderly, whereas in fact in their survey those over 60 were the least loneliness of any age category. It did surprise me that the most 'loneliest' age group was in fact the 18-25 years old, which is what I fall in.

I think there is definitely a stigma attached to loneliness, and it sometimes seen as having no friends. In fact for me it could be further from the truth, I think the big reason for my age group feeling this way is due to change. Huge changes and transitions happen within the years of being 18-25 and it can be hard to get to grips with. I am very lucky to have a few different friendship groups, I can count 10 friends easily who I could go to and trust and I think this is a very privileged position to be in. However, I don't see them that often anymore and this is due to life changing. We have all now left university, we have full time jobs, all work different shifts and all have their own lives to lead. Although, I have found that being the single friend of all of my friends can be hard. I have found that sometimes people have organised couple nights out and I have not been invited which I totally understand. There has been times when I have invited to an event with my friend and their boyfriends, but I hate the idea of third wheeling. Its change, and change can make loneliness feel 10x worse.

The difference between being alone and being lonely isn't really that big, and they can creep into the other category very easily without even realising. When I started my job 6 weeks I could not wait to have my days off to sit around, relax, have no part time job to go to, have no uni work to do, and generally just have more time to myself. As I have always led a busy life I am struggling with ways to fill my time on my days off. My shifts can be any day of the week, whereas all of my other friends are in 9-5 monday-friday jobs, so they can't do anything during the week which is when some of my days off fall. The shift of change has left me thinking that I think I am feeling more lonely than alone as I know I have people to talk to when I need to, but I don't really get time to see them so I have nothing to do to fill in my time. I hate my own company, I cannot occupy myself, I love nothing more than to be surrounded by people. I lived pretty much alone at uni in my last year and I hated it, it made me very sad. I 100% at that time in my life I felt alone, as I was away from close family and friends and I had no one to talk to. What I really want to get out of this post is the fact to accept that the feeling of loneliness will always come and go throughout our lives and that's okay as it really is part of life. Things happen that we don't expect to happen that end in us feeling ways which we have never felt before. I am trying to fill in my time by doing other things and setting myself projects for my days off when everyone else in work, and to really embrace my weekends when I am off and so is everyone else.

Lucy
xoxo

Marble ASOS Boots

I'd been after some new autumn black boots for weeks, and I had been really struggling to find some. I did have an idea of what I wanted and the style, but I didn't want anything too chunky. As always I decided to have a browse on the-ever-so-reliable ASOS, and low and behold I fell in love with these dreamy boots.

I was browsing as I do most days, and I instantly stopped when I set my eyes upon these Rand Heeled Ankle Boots. I originally wanted some with a leather coating rather than a faux suede, but I actually really like these and they are different to anything else which I own. I was also really intrigued by the marble heels as they are very unique and I wanted something which was a little bit different to the norm. I was unsure about the height of the heel on these as I usually go for a flat heel for everyday wear. However, when I have walked about in them, they are comfortable and I don't think I would struggle walking about in them all day. I thought these were a great buy for £35, as they seem like they are good quality, sturdy and should last a few seasons.

Lucy
xoxo

Updated Makeup Geek Collection | Swatches and Review

I have somehow managed to collate quite a large collection of makeup geek eyeshadows without really realising. I have been using all of these shadows for months, so I thought it was the perfect time to give you a rundown on the must haves and the misses. The normal eyeshadows and the duochrome shades all cost £6, and the foiled shadows cost £9.

Bitten is a household favourite, it is a dark purple toned shade and always reminds me of blackcurrants, this always get used in the autumn. I use this to blend when I am wanting a smokier berry toned eye as this works great blended together with some lighter berry toned shades.
Cocoa Bear is a matte dark chocolate shade, and was one which everyone told me I must have. If you like matte brown toned shades this is for you, I have to say this type of shade is always great to have in your collection.
Country Girl is one which I would use with Bitten, it is a lighter red toned berry shade and looks beautiful on its own or blended with other shades.
Cosmopolitan is definitely is my top 3 of most used shades out of them all. It is a champagne pink shade with shimmer running through it which looks lovely for everyday wear as a one wash shade. I like to pair this with a few layers of mascara on an everyday basis.
Envy is a shade which I have not got too much use out of yet. It is a dark green which I think will look lovely when blended with lighter green shades to make an emerald inspired look.
Frappe is a matte milk chocolate brown shade which I often use to blend with Cocoa Bear. It blends really well and is one which I reach for often.
Glamorous is another one in my top 3. It is the perfect mid toned golden shimmer on par with MAC's Amber Lights. It contains a great amount of shimmer which always looks lovely as a summer shade, but I like to wear this with some eyeliner and I don't often blend it with anything else.
Homecoming is another favourite of mine, and if you like golden shimmers you need this in your collection. It has slight resemblance to MAC's Satin Taupe which is one of my all time favourites. It is a darker toned golden with brown undertones adding some depth to the shade.
Peach Smoothie is another everyday essential. I was not sure how I would wear this when I originally bought it. It is a matte light peach, yellow toned shade, which is perfect to blend with a variety of shades.
Pillow Talk is a light lilac shade containing a lot of shimmer. If you add some setting spray to this it turns almost into a foiled shade as the glitter pigmentation really shines through. This is a lovely for a bright and light shade which I love to wear on a night out.
Prom Night has great pigmentation, this one always surprises me as it looks more of a grey toned shade in the pan. When I swatch it is always reminds me of red grapes as it has dark purple tones, with a golden shimmer running through it.
Rebel is a mid toned purple with golden shimmer running through it. I find this quite disappointing in pigmentation when swatching as it looks as it will be very dark and sultry, but it is very light and lacks definition. However, once again when I add a setting spray it really brings out the pigments. This looks lovely with the other lilac and purple toned shades.
Shimma Shimma is a beautiful cream shimmer shade which is perfect for highlighting the inner corners and under your eyebrow and any other areas which you wish to add some brightness to.
Tiki Hut can only be described as being a matte beige shade. I sometimes struggle to incorporate this into my looks, but it is great for the first wash of colour before adding some darker shades.

Duochrome
Blacklight is such a beautiful lilac shade, which has a white silver shimmer running through it, it gives a real iridescent look to the shade which glimmers beautifully under the light.
Mai Tai is similar to Cosmopolitan in colour, but has more paler pink shades within it. I really like this as when blended it really keeps it colour and you do not lose the pigmentation within the shade.
Secret Garden is a gorgeous blue and green toned shade, which reminds me of under the sea. I love it as when blended it looks like a navy shimmery shade which is a great alternative to using black.

Foiled
Starry Eyed has a buttery consistency and is very soft and smooth when applying, they are also super pigmentation hence the increase in price. It feels more like a cream based product, it is a white champagne golden shade and it is great to add some brightness to any eye look. I definitely need to pick some more of these foiled shades up as there are so many beautiful ones within the collection.

If you have any more recommendations to add to my collection please leave in the comments.

Lucy
xoxo