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

Three Summer Base Staples

Summer is officially here! Not that this current British weather is representing it, but technically it has arrived. Today's post is all about my three must have summer staples

The Laura Mercier Foundation Primer is the perfect way to prep the skin, and create a base for the rest of your makeup. In the summer when it is hot, this will help keep your makeup fixed and in place. This is the first ever primer which I have continuously used and really liked. The cream consistency is smooth and fresh to the skin, and a little goes a long way. I have had this bottle since Christmas and I use it most days and I am probably about half way through the tube. It is expensive at £29 but it is a good quality product, and I am yet to find a drugstore alternative.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation is currently my firm favourite out all of the foundations which I own. I just do not know what it is but it just makes my skin look so much more fresh and glowing. It is for normal to dry skin which is perfect for me as my skin is dry, it helps to hydrate and brighten your complexion. Once again this is probably the most expensive individual product which I have ever bought at £31, but I am so in love with this I will be wearing this throughout the summer.

Collection Long Lasting Concealer is a staple in most of my makeup essentials post. I am yet to find a concealer low or high end which I prefer to this. Although I have got my eye on trying the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer as I have read many rave reviews about it. The collection concealer is perfect for covering blemishes and imperfections, I also use it under my eyes. If for some crazy reason you do not own this, you must pick it up for the summer at just £4.19 it is amazing value.

Lucy
xoxo

Current Lipsticks in my Handbag

All girls will know that within your handbag you have those beauty products which are always rattling around in the bottom of your bag, and they are your go to, reliable products. Me personally I only carry around lip products as that is all I will ever reapply throughout the day. It is also what I forget to apply when I am doing my makeup, when I am rushing around trying to hurry before I have to leave the house. I thought that best thing to do for this post was to simply look at what is currently in my handbag.

First up, Charlotte Tilsbury Sexy Sienna , I go through phases of wearing this continuously and then placing it back in my collection and wearing it on the odd occasion. But recently it has made its way back into the depths of my bag.It is a beautiful coral shade which is completely different to any other lipsticks which are currently in my bag. This is a matte lipstick which does not dry the lips and stays put all day, which is exactly what you are wanting. These have become very popular within the beauty world, as they are highly pigmented and the range has a great colour variety, This is the most expensive lipstick in this post as they are £23, but they are definitely more of a treat purchase.

Maybelline Minimalist is part of the colour drama lip range, which is in a lip pencil form. I love how easy these apply and you require a lot less precision than with a regular lipstick. These are such good value at just £4.99, and I have been meaning to pick more of these up as there are a lot of other lovely colours within the range. What made my interested in this colour particularly was the nude undertone, which made me think that it would very wearable. This is exactly why it lies in the bottom of my handbag, as you can just grab it, easily apply it and your ready to go in an instance.

My newest addition to my handbag is MAC Please Me, I featured this in my recent Beauty Buys post. This is a beautiful everyday pink, it it not too bright and not too dark it is a perfect in between shade. I have wearing it on a regular basis and it is fast becoming a favourite of mine. The colour is very pigmented and adds a pop of colour to a everyday basic makeup. When I buy a new lipstick I always put it in my handbag as that way you get to trail it on a regular basis. Unless I am on a night out I really do not wear a bright lipstick and this is a perfect alternative.

Lucy
xoxo

Beauty Buys - MAC & Makeup Forever

Debenhams every so often do a 10% off all beauty and fragrance event, and I get to know first hand as that is where my weekend job is. As an employee we get discount on top of the offers so when this event comes around I take my wishlist and place an order of the things which I have been lusting after. This time around I think I did a brilliant job at holding back and just ordered two products.

The first being a MAC lipstick in Please Me, my sister has this lipstick and it is one which she often wears and I always comment on how lovely it looks on her. I sneakily 'borrowed' it to test out the colour on me. It is a really beautiful pink shade, to describe this it would be a classic matte pink. That might sound like a very vague description but that is exactly what it is. It is medium toned pink and is perfect for the summer. This week we have seen the sun finally make its debut in the UK, and this is just great to add some colour to your makeup which has been very basic for me at the moment.

Makeup Forever has just landed on Debenhams online, and if I am correct I think it is the first department store to sell the brand which is very excited. It is a huge well-known brand especially in America, and when bloggers and you tubers visit they always pick up must have products. I was really wanting to try a foundation from the brand as it seems to be as a staple. I had my eyes on the HD foundation but I am always skeptical about buying face products which need to colour matched online as it always seem impossible. I would much rather go into a store and have someone match me or just do it myself. But the brand has not been introduced into all stores, and I unfortunately do not think it is available within my nearby stores. The one thing which caught my eye this most is the Aqua Matic eye shadow pencil. There seems to have been a huge demand for this type of eye pencil at the moment on the beauty market, Charlotte Tilsbury, Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier have all brought out this type of product and they have become favourites for many. This intrigued me as at £16 it was a little cheaper than most of the other high end brands and there is a great shade range available. After spending a lot of time choosing which one I wanted to try I finally settled on Metallic Pink. The colour tabs on the website are nothing like the real colour, I googled the exact colours and that helped me decide that this was the perfect colour. I can say that I have tested it out and I am in love, it is super easy to apply and blend. The colours are well pigmented and I love that this is a retractable pencil which means it is fuss free. I am already really wanting to try out the shade Metallic Golden Taupe which looks like a perfect golden everyday shade.

Within my package I got a free sample of the Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm, which was a great bonus. I have not heard much at the brand, but I am intrigued to try it as I love getting new skincare products. For the full size version of this it is £20 and doing a little research it looks like it is a deep cleansing type product and a great addition to my daily skincare routine.

Lucy
xoxo

May Favourites

This post is even later than usual as we are now ten days into June, but it just means I have had even more time to test out my current favourite products.

First up, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette this was expensive, but was definitely worth it. The three shades are all really wearable, the texture of the blushes are really light and the powder is fine so you don't get too much product on your brush. This is great for travelling as it gives options to your daily makeup, the palette is not too big and fits perfectly in my travel makeup bag.

The Zoeva 222 All Over Shader featured in my recent Perfect Combination post. It is a great all round brush, as with one swish you are able to cover all the eyelid with a wash of colour. It is a great staple to your brush collection, and I am looking into buying a few more Zoeva brushes as I am have been extremely happy with their quality. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! They fall into the same price range as Real Techniques, as this was £6.99.

This has been my overall 'find' of the month. The Rimmel  Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob has been a perfect addition to my lipsticks. I own two lip liners this, and one from MAC in Subculture which is a pencil. With a pencil I seem to struggle getting colour pay off and I found it quite scratchy on my lips when applying. The Rimmel one is a Amelia Liana must have, she compares it to the Charlotte Tilbury in Pillow Talk. It is a twist up product and the texture of the liner is really smooth and so much easier to apply than a pencil. Many bloggers compare this to MAC Soar which became a must have to get the 'Kylie Jenner lips', and consequently is continuously sold out. This costs just £3.99 which is a third of the price of the MAC liners.

Maybelline Super Stay 7 Days Nail polish in Divine Wine, has been on my nails throughout the month of May. It is a great berry purple, and adds a pop of colour to the nails. I love this formula as it really does last beyond anything else I have ever tried. The price of them is just £4.49, and there is a huge array of colours available. The brush is thick and flat which helps to make application a lot easier, and you can apply it quickly when you are on the go.

I keep putting this in posts and then forgetting it is no longer available, but I just cannot stop wearing it. It is the Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Descanso, it came in a set which I got for Christmas and it is unfortunately not available on its own which is very disheartening. It featured in my What's in my Makeup Bag post, as I bring it everywhere with me as it is such a versatile colour. It is a peachy coral, and come the summer I love corals! Last years obsession was MAC Vegas Volt and I think this will take its place. The texture of the Nars lip pencils are very soft, creamy and easy to apply and I love the bullet shaped applicator.

Lucy
xoxo

Rocking The Dungarees

I have been wanting a pair of dungarees for ages, and I have to say finding my perfect pair has not been an easy process! As I am only 5ft tall I often struggle to find a pair of jeans/trousers to fit, and usually rely on the petite department. But it seems that this season dungarees has not been featured within many petite departments, as I have literally spent hours searching online and in store with no luck. It seems to be the short dungarees which is featured in all the shops which makes sense seeing as it is June and the summer. The British weather however has not been representing the season and I think it would be too cold to wear them within this country, as well as me not been a massive fan of getting my pale legs out, so therefore opted for the full length ones.

Topshop was the only store who had a petite pair called the Moto Black Denim Dungarees and they were really lovely and I had my heart set on on buying them. The only downfall was that they had a hefty price tag of £48 attached to them, which for a soon to be unemployed student is pretty expensive. I never go in Matalan as it is just not a shop which I ever seem to find anything which suits me or what I like to wear. My mum wanted to have a look at their swimwear so I stumbled over to the denim department, where there was one pair of denim dungarees standing lonely on a rail. I had seen them online but I thought they would be far too long but I tried them on they were literally the perfect length. They had two roll ups in them already and I have left them that way as the touch just about my ankle. The fit is great and a nice light denim colour which is great for the brighter weather (if it ever arrives!). They cost £25, but there was a 25% promotion of the Falmer brand within the store over the weekend so they cost me £18.75 which I was truly thrilled about. I wore them the day after I bought them and they are so comfortable. I think they will become a staple within my wardrobe as they are just so easy to wear and they have great versatility. I can not find them on the website unfortunately for some unknown reason, but they are definitely still available in stores.

This is my first ever fashion post containing me wearing my clothes, I was very nervous to post this for everyone for read. Hopefully if it goes down well I will be featuring more fashion type posts. as I love fashion and I love reading other bloggers fashion posts.

Lucy
xoxo

Bomb Cosmetics

Bomb Cosmetics is a brand which I have seen popping up in various little independent stores across different cities. It is has the same brand concept as Lush Cosmetics, but the variety of bath products is bigger coming in different shapes and formed.

The Bath Mallows are smaller than your average bath bombs, they work the same way though by placing in warm water and it slowly fizzes releasing the fragrance. I picked up the version called Berried Alive, this has scents of all different types of berries as the name suggests. The main scent is blackberry, with hints of cocoa and shea butter. These are advertised as being smoothing on the skin and as a great addition when relaxing and unwinding in the bath. Online this is £2.24 which is slightly cheaper than Lush, but the product is smaller at 50g.

First of all this soap just looks super pretty in its packaging. It is a beautiful tiered pink with silver glitter pieces running through it. The top of the soap is pure white silver glitter with little pieces of the soap. It is very appropriately part of the Soap Cake  collection which contains an array of different soaps with different scents. The Sweet Star Surprise is unfortunately not featured online, but there are many different ones on their website which all look just as good! The soap which I picked up has a sweet scent of fresh lychee, ylang ylang and magnolia oils. which will be great to help leave your skin silky smooth when it is lathered in the shower or bath. This costs just £2.49 which I think it is an excellent price as you get a lot of product, and I think it will last a while.

I am excited to try out both of these products, and I will report back on how I get on. I have got high expectations and its great that all these products are made with natural produce and are vegan friendly.

Lucy
xoxo

The Perfect Combination

I have been using this perfect eyeshadow combination at the moment, and I thought it was time to share it. This Marc Jacobs Lolita Palette is just perfection, and it is just so frustrating that it is so hard to get hold off. But if you are heading to any Sephora stores this summer, or are planning a Sephora order online then you must add this to your list. There is not one colour in the palette which I do not use, it has great versatility in the different looks which you are able to create. It has a price tag of $59, which is on par with most high end beauty palettes. I was previously using the MAC 217 Blending Brush to apply this, but it has been recently replaced by the Zoeva 222 All Over Shadow Brush . This brush is brilliant as it is flat and allows you to apply the colour with one wash across the eyelid. The bristles are synthetic but are really soft which makes application so easy. It is such good value and so much cheaper compared to MAC brushes as it was just £6.95. I do still use the MAC 217 to blend out some harsh edges if I am creating a really smokey look. 

I have been looking and I not only want another Marc Jacobs palette I have my eye on The Lover Palette, but I also want a whole load of Zoeva brushes and I am currently lusting over the Bamboo Vol. 2 Brush Set. I need to get saving and add them on to the already very lengthy wishlist. 

Lucy

xoxo

Holiday Primark Haul

I finally took the plunge and started my holiday shopping - how exciting! My mum's rule in Primark is you buy it when you see it, which is so true as the next time you go everything's been moved round and replenished and you will never find it again.

I am lucky enough to be heading on two holidays abroad this summer - one to Lanzarote with my friends and one to Italy with my family. Therefore, I was in need of some summer additions to add to my wardrobe, and I was glad to see that Primark had all of their summer range now in store. The total of everything which I bought came to £38 which I thought was excellent value and you would pay that in Topshop for one item.

From left to right - playsuit - £5, pink vest top - £5, sandals - £8, earrings - £1, yellow shorts - £3, butterfly shorts - £4, headbands £3 each and the white tee - £6.

If you are looking for any summer pieces to add to your wardrobe or if your needing some holiday basics, Primark has definitely done well this year. Sometimes I find the huge stores such as Manchester a little overwhelming as there is so much stock, across a tiny amount of space, on many different floors. I think when you go to Primark, you have to go with a clear mind and vision of what you actually need. Otherwise you can just end up picking up things for the sake of it, just because 'its cheap'. I am very happy with everything that I bought and it will all be coming with me on both holidays. Hopefully if the UK gets a little bit of sun it might get some other wear, usually once a year but we never know!

Have you picked any summer essentials up yet?

Lucy
xoxo

Lush Ultrabland and Eau Roma Water

Having this time of uni is not have a great effect on my bank balance, as all I seem to be doing is spending money which I really don't have. I took a little trip to Lush with the plan of picking up a facial mask and a hair mask.

It was great going into a store midweek which was not overly busy, and being able to have a real browse of all of the products. I have previously only bought bath bombs from the brand, as I had been unsure as to what the best products are. The lovely lady helped me massively when I described that I wanted a deep cleansing facial product. She pointed me in the direction of the Ultrabland cleaner, she also showed me the 9-5 cleanser but explained that was more of a lighter everyday product which is not as deep cleansing as the Ultrabland. Before I went into the shop I had some kind of roundabout budget in my head as to what I wanted to spend. I was unsure as to the type of prices which they priced their products at, as I had never previously taken an interest. I was shocked at the range of the prices across the different products. The Ultrabland was £7.25 for 45g which I think is a rather small amount of product so I'm hoping it works wonders! This was the price for many products however there was some particular facial products that were around the £30 mark which I was really surprised at. I didn't think the brand aimed itself as a high end luxury on comparison with the likes of the prices in Space:NK. The lady also recommended the Eau Roma Water toner as it is for more drier skin types, which is what mine is. She explained to use this after the cleanser on a cotton pad to refresh the skin and add moisture back into the skin. She also said that this can be used on its own just for when your skin needs a little refresher throughout the day. I picked up the smaller 100g option which was a reasonable £4.25.

I didn't quite make it to the hair care section as I got carried away and lost track of time, but I will take another little trip into the store again next time I am there. I also spotted some new bath products which looked very intriguing! I am excited at the prospect of trying these two skincare pieces from the brand as it is something brand new to me. If they are a hit they will be featured in a favourites post at some point in the near future so keep your eyes peeled!

Is there any Lush products which you would recommend for me to try?

Lucy
xoxo

What's in my Travel Makeup Bag?

Heading home for two weeks means that it was time to pick out my must have makeup pieces and bundle them together in my Harrods makeup bag, which surprisingly fits a lot in it. Lay out like this it looks like I have picked a lot of makeup, but I like to have options and I am happy with everything which I choose.

My Marc Jacob palette in Lolita is my absolute favourite palette in my entire collection. It contains the most beautiful range of colours for any occasion, which means it is my perfect choice for travelling as everything is in one place. My Nars Laguna Bronzer is the only bronzer which I use as you can tell I have hit pan, therefore it comes everywhere with me and would never choose anything else as I think nothing compares to it. My MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powder, is also the only powder which I have been using recently, it adds just the right amount of product to the face. My Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette is brilliant for travelling as it just gives you options depending on what look you are wanting to create.

I brought two foundations for the simple reason that I like to have an everyday foundation and a more high end version. The L'Oreal True Match Foundation is a great drugstore foundation, and the best which I have found it offers create coverage and they have such a great range of shades. Without a doubt my best and priciest purchase of the year is Nars Sheer Glow Foundation. It had been as the top of my wish list for a while and at the start of the year I splashed out and it is perfection, I don't use this as my everyday foundation as unfortunately at £31 a bottle I cannot afford to repurchase it as often as I would need to. But, I have a few occasions where I will be wearing this whilst at home for birthdays and nights out.

The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is a very well-known beauty must have amongst the blogging community, and it deserves the praise which it gets. It has a creamy consistency and is excellent at covering blemishes. My must have mascara is the Maxfactor False Lash Effect Mascara as it adds volume and length which is exactly what I want, I am yet to find something drugstore or high end which is as good at this. My new favourite eyeliner is the Maybelline Master Precise Eyeliner,  it has featured in quite a few recent blog posts as I have been loving it. It has a pen nib which is exactly what I like and it is perfect for precision if you just like a little line of eyeliner. 

My latest addition to my brush collection is the Zoeva All Over Shadow Brush, and is such great value at just £6.95. It is my most recent and first Zoeva purchase and I am very happy with it, it is super soft and allows you to get a full wash of colour across the lid with one swipe. A perfect combination is to use the MAC 217 Eyeshadow Brush  to blend any other colours together and is perfect for fitting in the crease of the eyelid. The Real Techniques Multi-task Brush is an essential and it goes with me everywhere as it is perfect for applying powder and bronzer, and I use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply my foundation.

Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz in Taupe is something which I have deliberating buying for months now and I finally took the splurge. It is similar to the MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Lingering  in terms of texture and application, but what sets the Brow Wiz apart is the colour range and Taupe is perfect for me and anyone with fair/medium blonde hair.

I only brought one lip colour with me and that is the Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Descanso (not available was part of an exclusive set). I got this in the Digital World Lip Pencil Set over Christmas and it is the perfect nude with a hint of coral, making it orange toned. It is great as it goes with all kind of makeup looks either day or night. 

Lucy

xoxo

The Fab Pore

I have never been a face mask kinda girl, but I have recently been looking for something to help decongest my skin. Whilst browsing the aisles of Boot's, I came across a range of skincare masks from Soap & Glory. I had been wanting to try one from the company for a while but had just never found one which has taken my fancy. However, this time The Fab Pore caught my attention straight away, it is for oily/combination skin, my skin falls into the combination category. The fact that this is a 2 in 1 purifying mask and peel, really interested me. I hate masks which are complicated and you have to take a lot of time in order to apply it correctly. With this mask it [particularly targets clogged skin, you massage the product into your face and focusing on your T-Zone. You can leave it on for 5 minutes for a refresher and a quick boost, or 15 minutes for a deep cleanse. The scent of this is minty with a hint of citrus, which is really welcoming when applying to the skin. The consistency is quite thick but blends in easy, making the whole process very quick. I bought this the weekend before last, and it was on promotion for just £6 for 50ml, which is great value. Unfortunately, the offer does not appear to still be on as online it seems to be full price which is still a great price of £10.

Lucy
xoxo

Spring Edit: SKINCARE

The second part of my Spring Edit series which I am featuring on my blog, which I have been really enjoying writing, It you missed the first post of this series it was my beauty post which you can read here.

I recently went on a little trip to Boots and picked up this Original Source Skin Quench Shower Gel it was on offer for half price so it was just £1.50, the scent is Watermelon and Jojoba Oil. These shower gels come in lots of different scents but this one was refreshing and not too overpowering, it contains the little gritty bits which are great for exfoliating the skin. I have been trying to get myself into a proper skincare routine recently as my skin has become quite dry but oily within my T-zone. I have been cleansing my face morning and night using the Garnier Micellar Water, which is proving to be a great comparison to my much loved Bioderma. I have the sensitive skin version which is brilliant, it glides over the skin taking your makeup off your entire face instantly - so simple. This also comes in a version for combination skin which would probably suit my skin type more so I may try that out once this one has finished, heads up this is on offer in Boots for £3.33 at the moment. To take off my makeup using the micellar water I use the the Boots Cotton Double Oval Pads, these are just the best addition to cleansing your skin. I recently tried the Superdrug equivalent to these and the texture was so rough and itchy on the skin, I instantly went back to the Boots version. There is two sides to the pads a lighter texture which I use for my cleansing, and a more compact surface which is perfect for nail varnish remover. The surface of both sides is soft and does not lint as it is packed tightly within the pad, and are an absolute must have as they are just £1.89.

I have started using the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm recently as a double cleanser at night. The balm is solid in its original form and transforms into a silky fluid when applied to the face. It really offers a thorough cleanse and once it has been rinsed off, my skin is really soft and very clean. It is great for all skin types as it is non-greasy as well as non-drying. It is expensive at £22, but Clinique is known for their great skincare products and this does not disappoint. I have recently got back into using the Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturiser  as it is brilliant at adding hydration back into the skin, which is exactly what I needed. It is soft and light and absorbs easily which is great for in the morning when you haven't got time to sit about and wait for it to work its wonders. It is £11 which I think is a mid-range price for a moisturiser, but it is much cheaper than some of the high end ones which can be £30 and upwards.

Lucy

xoxo

Spring Edit: BEAUTY

Here is the first of my spring edit series which I have decided to do, welcoming my favourite beauty must haves to use throughout spring.

My Laura Mercier Foundation Primer has been a little gem since I started using and featured in my recent favourite post. It gives you a nice dewy base to help your foundation to cling on to, and keep it as well placed as it possibly can. The sunnier months mean I always turn to my bronzer a little bit more to contour my cheekbones in the sunnier seasons. Nars Laguna Bronzer is my staple bronzer as you can see I have hit pan, and I don't use any other product expect this one as nothing compares to it.

Amelia Liana is always talking about the Maybelline Super Stay 7 Nail Varnishes, I picked two up a few months back and recently reached for Hot Salsa which is a great orangey/pink. I had this on for four days with one coat and I did not have one chip, I was literally so surprised and it is such a good price. Nars Sheer Glow is my new go to foundation it is perfect for spring as it is light, dewy and glowy, everything which I want for my dry/combination skin. It is medium coverage and instantly adds an overall glow and perk to my skin which is great, it is also incredibly easy to blend.

Last up is the lipsticks, I got a free sample of the new Burberry Kisses range which has now launched. I picked up a bright red colour called Military Red as it just looked like a perfect red which would not be to overpowering with my pale skin. I have not yet tried it so I will get back to you on this. MAC Fabby is a great everyday colour, whether you wanted to tone down a heavy eye look or add a finishing touch to a golden shimmery simple eye. The colour is a pale pink with shimmer running through it, it is just a go to grab colour for when you are in a rush. Straight up the best thing about the Maybelline Colour Drama Lipstick in Minimalist, is how easy it is to apply you could literally do it with your eyes closed, I just feel like I am applying a lip balm. The colour is a pretty pink, which adds a pop to the lips. I am definitely going to pick some more shades up on my next trips to Boots.

Coming on Sunday is the Skincare Spring Edit so please keep your eyes peeled for that, you can follow me on Twitter to keep up with everything going on on my blog.

Lucy
xoxo

Viktor & Rolf BONBON

 


I recieved Viktor & Rolf BONBON  as a Christmas present off my mum this year as I had been wanting it for ages! When it comes to scents I will always choose more fruity scents over anything else. To me you can definitely pick out the orange and peachy fragrance notes which are at the heart of the perfume. This is great going to into the summer months as a refreshing fragrance with tones of caramel running through it.

I understand that this is a higher end perfume but I think it is expensive, for the eau de parfum 30ml it is £50, and the 50ml is £69. But compared with something like Jo Malone it is much more affordable. 

This has a great longevity as it stays on your skin all day, when I get home from work or whatever I have been doing with  my day I can still smell it strongly. This makes me think that you are definitely getting your money's worth. 

Lucy

xoxo