The importance of friendships

When I was 13 friendships mean something completely different to what they mean to me now. Ten years later at 23, I have come to realise that friendships are so important in my life. I have been thinking a lot about friendships recently, especially after finishing university and being back home.

I have some friends who I still speak to who I have known since nursery, these friendships are the type where I might not see them in months but I always know that would be there for me. This type of friendship I think is few and fair between. I think high school is one of the toughest times when it comes to friendships. My high school friendships pretty much stayed the same throughout and it was a really lovely that we were so close. However, this is the time where you question other friendships, one of the 'cool' girls might get put next to you in science and you want to be friends and little naive me used to try and act like one of the gang to 'fit in'. In hindsight, I don't think I was as naive as I thought, as I knew that these girls would never be my best friends, but I still wanted to feel as though I fitted in. I think it is perfectly normal for everyone both girls and boys to go through this stage, as you definitely learn a lot along the way.

In college, I didn't meet too many new friends, however I did meet two girls who are special to me. I also strangely became really good friends with a group of girls who went to my school, but we never socialised together. It was really great, and these girls are now my close friendship group. When you go to university, by god is it hard to maintain friendships. However, really when it comes down to it, it really isn't that hard in terms of effort. All it takes is a "hey girls how you are doing?" in your group text. It is so easy for friendships to dwindle away easily, I always worried a lot about going home and having no friends. All of my friends have made new friends at university which is a given. I did, I met five girls and we all have a group text, it is also one of those friendships where we don't have to speak weekly, but we still talk and check up on everyone especially with our jobs as we are all nurses. We have made a little pact to try and meet up two times a year.

That's a little bit of background to my closest friendships, now to why they are so important to me. I feel like lots of us feel as though we have a few friends who we would not tell our secrets to, or would turn to in an hour of need. For me these friendships are a different level of friendship. I always think who would I text in an emergency, and I can count on one hand the girls who would get that text in an instant, and I hope it would be the same for them. I am kind of over those 'fake' friendships where you feel you have to hang out with someone just because you've known them for years. You feel obliged to go to the half yearly night out, just so you don't come across rude. I think you have to be honest with yourself, people change, you change, sometime friendships don't last forever. On to crap friendships. I have had seen people write on Twitter that they've not been invited on a night out with their friends, to me that isn't being a good friend. They knew that would make you feel rubbish, why put yourself through it. Everyone has been through a crap friendship, and I hope you know your worth and have come out the other side.

As you get older you definitely do realise who your real friends are. I'm not about those friendships where it is always you making the effort to make plans, or to do anything. Why should it always be you. If they want to see you, it should be 50/50. I have had that and it puts me on edge thinking why haven't they made the effort, it's not all my decision. Friendship is two ways. Another super important point which I want to discuss, is friends who get jealous and annoyed when friends do well, rather than being happy and proud. I can safely say that my small group of friends when every single one of them have a got a good job after graduating I have been really excited for them. We aren't there to be competing with each other as to who is top dog. We are there to encourage to go and achieve exactly what they want. Jealously can be the devil, if someone isn't championing you on to go and achieve you have to ask yourself why.

Now at 23, it is hard to make friends and meet new people including relationships (another post coming on this when I've got the balls to publish it!). This is why I have recently realised the importance of my friendships. I often debate in the shower who I would class as my best friends, and I definitely know as these are the girls I would want as my bridesmaids. These girls are a small bunch, but to me that is all I need. I honestly hope that I am friends with them forever. We complement each other, tell them they look fabulous, their makeup and hair looks great. Say something nice. I think this is few and far between these days. Social media can be so negative, we don't care about the perfect selfie, we go on a night to enjoy ourselves. We laugh that we are crap at posing. We are all feminists pushing for girls to achieve what they can, this is why I want to always be their friend.

It is also great to have different groups of friends. Like I said we all make out little group of friends at university, that is natural unless we expect each other to sit on our own for three years. I have different friendship groups, but I actually love it. Come on there is no need for us to get jealous of your friends having other friends. I will put my hands up and happily admit to this happening to me in the past. It is natural, you think your best friend is going to be taken away from you in front of your eyes. I also think in hindsight, it was jealously but also fear. As an adult, I have actually become friends with some of my friends friends, it is lovely the more the merrier. I have two small friendship groups, apart from my university friends and they are all fabulous.

From this post, I just wanted to highlight the importance of friendships. As I have said as we get older it is harder to make new friends, we don't cross path with as many new people. I think we are all guilty from time to time of neglecting our friendships when things in life get in the way. This is sometimes when you realise who your true friends really are. All I want you to get of this post is to treasure your friendships. If you have been meaning to text Tina from down the road, or Shelia you went to school with go and do it now after reading this post!

Lucy
xoxo

500 blog posts!

I cannot believe I have made it to 500 blog posts! Who would have thought that 4 years ago in September I started this blog. I had just moved into student accommodation, without any hobbies to do as I was in a new city. I am not sure who actually really inspired me to start up my blog, I do not think it was one blogger in particular. It was when Tanya Burr, Pixiwoo and Zoella were still very much into blogging daily before YouTube really took off. I was really interested in reading what they were reviewing and had to share. I have always had an interest in makeup and beauty on the whole. I thought this was a new way for me to discover and delve a little more into my interests.

I thought when I started that in order to blog you had to do it on a daily basis. For weeks, even months when I first started my blog I did it everyday. I remember rushing home from uni to take photos on my wooden table for the next day. I loved it. It took a bit of a toll so I went down to doing every other day. I was loving it, I had found a new passion for something which I was loving. Fast forward to now, and I blog three times a week. Sometimes I struggle to get three a week written, but I always feel a massive accomplishment when I see them scheduled and all my social media in order alongside it. A few months ago, I lost my mojo big time for blogging, and I was seriously considering taking a long break or even packing it all in for good. Thankfully, I am currently loving blogging again, which I am super happy about.

I can't even begin to think about the amount of hours I have dedicated to this blog. For one, it definitely isn't for money because I have made zero pence. To me this is a hobby. My job is where I earn my living, and I like the definite difference between the two. I enjoy spending my spare time blogging. I think you should never feel forced to blog, you do you.

I am seriously excited that I have made it to 500 blog posts. I think this is a pretty big achievement. I hope I am sat here in another four years time reviewing writing 1,000 blog posts. In four years time I know my life will be very different, and that is so exciting thinking about what I will be writing about. My blog is mainly beauty focused, but definitely within the last year I have really gotten into writing lifestyle posts. I have enjoyed putting up on my blog topics which are important to me, and allowing to spark discussions with other bloggers. I think that is the best thing about blogging, you can write about whatever you want and there is no one to tell you otherwise.

Here's to many more!

Lucy
xoxo

Night Out Essentials

Here you can have a little nosy into what goes into my handbag on a night out. I don't take that much out with me as I am always worried I am going to loose something along the way. However, I do always take some makeup essentials with me.

In case you are wondering my metallic pink small cross over bag I bought recently from the Topshop sale, and I love it. I am taking it on my travels with me this upcoming weekend. My little blue card holder is from Ted Baker and I bought this also in the sale as a little birthday treat to myself. The only powder which I have used for years is MAC's mineralise skinfinish, it is great and I am yet to find anything else as good as this. I use my Sephora multitasker brush with this powder, the brush has a flat head and works great at gently buffing the powder into the skin. The two lip products which I chose to take out with me on this particular night was Sephora's lip cream in 13 marvelous mauve and Charlotte Tilbury lip gloss in Ibiza nights. I love this lip gloss it is the perfect peachy nude gloss with golden shimmer running through it, and has great pigmentation. Mixed with the Sephora lip cream it makes a fabulous combination and my lips instantly look shimmery and much fuller. I lasting took my ever-so-trusty Collection lasting perfection concealer to touch up any pesky blemishes which might start to show after all my dancing!

What are you night out essentials?

Lucy
xoxo

The Ordinary Full Coverage Foundation

Getting hold of the The Ordinary coverage foundation was not the easiest of tasks. I joined the mailing lists on both Victoria Health and Deciem. I managed to snatch myself my colour finally from Victoria Health when they emailed regarding a restock.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding The Ordinary foundation launch. There are 2 to choose from the serum foundation and the coverage foundation. All a long I had been wanting the high coverage foundation, and that is what I managed to get my hands on. I was really impressed with the shade range available, they have 21 shades suiting lots of different skin colourings and undertones. I decided to go with 1.1P, which is fair with pink undertones. There was a really useful foundation guide on the site which I ordered from, which was actually true to colour. It only took 48 hours for the foundation to arrive which I was very happy about. I have been testing this out now for approximately 6 weeks, as it has taken me a while to come to a conclusion on whether I love or hate it.

I initially thought from what I had read that this foundation was very thick and was a total coverage foundation. I was surprised to see that in fact I would class it as a buildable medium coverage foundation. I like the fluid consistency to this as it goes on very easily and quickly with both a buffing brush and beautyblender. It is buildable, which is great as in some problematic areas you can put more product on with it looking cakey. The finish is neither matte or glow, it is differently somewhere in the middle which is great for my combination skin. I think this would work well for dry skin, but this has the potential to make oily skin look shiny.

There are a few negatives which I have found with this foundation. I do find that it does not offer me the coverage which I would desire for a full days work. I have worn this many times to work where I will be out of the house for 15 hours, and by 6-7 hours it is definitely looking worn. Sometimes when I have got home where I have added a little more coverage over my chin, it is visible to see that it has worn and my blemishes are on display. I have also worn it on a weekend where I have not being doing too much, and I have worn it from afternoon into the night and I have been happy with the result. 8 hours would be the maximum length of time to wear this where I am still happy with the coverage.

My overall thoughts, are that for £5.90 it is a very decent foundation, one of the best budget foundations out there which I have tried. I have been trying to think of other similar foundations to this. I would say it is similar coverage to Nars sheer glow but without the glow element, it is a good budget alternative to MAC studio fix and also L'Oreals true match is quite similar to this. The only negative aspect would be the longevity, in particular if you want to coverage any blemishes or redness. For the price I think this is a good foundation, and I would recommend it to others.

Lucy
xoxo

Superdrug Haul

I recently did that thing that happens every time I step into either Boots or Superdrug where I go in for one item, this time it being a new Collection concealer and I come out with a bag full.

Let me explain, so the makeup was on 3 for 2, my beauty blender has disappeared from the depths of my room and has been missing for a few weeks. Instead of splashing out on a new one, I thought I would save a bit of cash and try a Real Techniques blender. I was going to pick up the original complexion sponge, but it was sold out. I needed the concealer asap, and could not be bothered driving to another store to try and find the right sponge. I saw that they had a dual ended expert sponge for foundation and contour so I thought I would try it out and for £5.99 I thought it was a risk worth taking. I was actually wanting to also pick up the Seventeen concealer for my under eye area as I have been loving it, after about 5 minutes of searching I remembered it is only sold in Boots - *sobs*.

I was then deciding on my technically 'free' item and ended up at the MUA stall. I haven't bought many items from them, as I never known what are the best items to pick up. However, I saw the undress your skin highlighters in the shade pearlescent sheen and I was instantly sold. I already have one of their highlighters in iridescent gold and I love it. It is an amazing budget highlighter as they are just £3.

As I am going on two holidays within the next month, I needed to pick up my ever so trusty Garnier micellar cleansing wipes, and they are currently on offer for £1.59. I should have picked up more of these, and I definitely will be before the offer finishes as in my opinion they are the best face wipes out there high and low end. I also needed a new deodorant to pop into my work bag, as I can get very hot on my long shifts. I am not one to favour any particular brand so picked up a Nivea pearl and beauty spray deodorant because it was half price in store.

I was happy that with the offers and with my 10% student discount, all of my items came to a grand total of £11.12! What a bargain!

Lucy
xoxo

Topshop Stud Heels

Topshop has done it again. For my birthday I wanted to treat myself to some new shoes. I was not sure what type of shoe or style that I wanted. The only thing I did know is that I have been missing a pair of shoes that fall into the heel and sandal category. I wanted something without a huge heel, which I could wear day and night. I have been longing after a pair that fitted into the day time drinking category, or a meal out where you will be wearing them for hours and therefore being comfy is a must.

The shoes which fitted into everything which I wanted was the Morocco stud two-part sandal from Topshop. I am always scared to look on the bottom of Topshop shoes as the prices are either affordable or expensive. I feel like they are either £30 or £60 and more, there is never anything in the middle. Thankfully, the price tag of £32 put a beaming smile on my face. I always size up in Topshop heels as I think they come up quite small. I was wearing these the night I bought them for my birthday night out, so I did not have the breaking in option. I have to say I had zero problems with these, they were so comfy, and I always find the thickness of the heels helps with the comfort factor.

These were not the kind of shoe which I would be naturally be drawn to. I thought the studs were just enough and added the perfect detailing. I usually wear gold details on my heels, but it was nice to mix it up and buy silver for once. It has definitely added some variety to my shoe collection. Whilst finding the link for this post, I found out that they do these in baby pink and boy are they gorgeous. In the Topshop store which I bought the black version from, they had them in grey and they were also beautiful. Topshop has done a fabulous job with these, and I have got so many occasions coming up where I have thought they will be perfect for my outfit. I was also the bad blogger with this post, as I had to take my photos after the night out, I tried my best to keep them nice and looking new, but I don't think I succeeded!

Go grab yourself a pair!

Lucy
xoxo

The Ordinary 2% Salcylic Acid

About 2 months ago I made my first order from Deciem and ordered The Ordinary 2% Salcylic Acid which to my surprised costs just £3.90 for 15ml. If you are a beauty junkie you will of been hearing about The Ordinary left, right and centre as since it arrived on the scene their has been huge hype surrounding it. If you have not heard of them, like where you been. The brand is owned by Deciem, and they have focused on having products which have targeted purposes, with simple packaging and no fancy branding.

In order to get the facts write on exactly the what salcylic acid is I did a little research from where I bought the product from. It is a beta hydroxyl acid in a solution which purposes is to exfoliate the walls of the pores within the skin. This also contains witch hazel which is commonly used in acne treatments, as it helps creates clearer skin and reduce the look of blemishes by exfoliating the inside of the cell walls of the pores.

So did the product work. I would say yes. Now I am on treatment for my acne which includes a face wash which I have been using for about 6 months, which I think has done nothing. I use the product every morning after applying my moisturiser, and I have currently used approximately half of the bottle. I think it has definitely contributed in terms of reducing my angry blemishes and reducing redness. I feel as though I have not had major clusters of spots, which would usually take a good few weeks to calm down, and this has helped reduce the timing to a few days. I was never expecting it to be some sort of miracle product, but it is the first product which I have used in a while targeted for acne where I have seen some kind of results.

I like the design of the bottle, it is small and travel friendly. I also like the peppet which comes with it, as you are able to control how much product you are using without wasting any. I have also been putting to the test the primer and foundation, so expect review posts on those products in the near future.

Lucy
xoxo

Primark Nails

A few weeks ago whilst shopping in Newcastle with my friends we went into the huge Primark in the Metrocentre, their beauty section was brilliant and had a such a great variety of products. We all decided to pick up the new nude stiletto nails for £1, and decided we would have a bit of a pamper that night. We were all so surprised at how easy they were to put on, they come with numbers as most false nails do. I found there was a lot of variety as I have small fingernails and they fitted well. We all felt fabulous, and we all just kept saying to each other I can not believe they were £1!

Since then, when I go into any Primark I have been checking out their range of nails and I have been so surprised at the variety of shapes and colours available even in the smaller stores. I picked up another pack off the new nudes to wear for my weekend in London which you can read all about here. The first thing which I have been impressed with is how long they last. I have not worn false nails in years as they usually just break off very easily, and then you are continuously trying to stick them back on. Heads up, the glue that comes in the pack is good, however Primark sell a two pack of glue for 60p and I highly recommend picking up this glue as it is great.

For my birthday last week I decided to get a little more adventurous and put on the nails you can see in picture one, I can not for the life of my remember the name of these but I am definitely picking up another pack. They are silver holographic with silver gems on, I thought that they were are a little over the top. However, I loved them once they were on. All of my friends literally asked me where I had my nails done, as they thought I'd had them done professionally. The jewel nail range are £3, which I still think is an absolute bargain considering the price of other false nails, and having these nails done in a salon would cost you easily £20. I wore these for 5 days and not one came one!

With my job unfortunately I can't wear anything on my nails and I felt as though I had kind of neglected them as I had not even painted them in months. Since discovering these nails, it has made me feel girly and a little bit glam again. As you can see when I went to the big Manchester store I picked up the nails which I wore for my birthday as well as the other colours and styles which you can see in the picture. I've got a little stock in my beauty drawers as I have got a few exciting weekend events coming up and I will definitely be wearing them. I am going to have to decide which ones to wear on my holidays now. I was originally going to have my nails done at the salon for my two week holiday to Italy in August, but I am struggling with the logistics of being able to have them put on and taken off around when I am in work. I think I might just buy two packs of nails incase any do come off with the chlorine and then I have spares.

As you can see I am a big fan of these and I have been wanting to get this post up as soon as I could, are they are great for festivals and holidays. I think Primark beauty can definitely be hit and miss, but honestly I can not recommend their false nail range enough!

Lucy
xoxo

London

Me and my friend Lauren got an early morning train from Manchester to Euston, ready for a weekend in London. We were so excited to go and we had planned this trip earlier in the year. Once off the train and having met our friend Rach, we decided to head to Camden Lock market as it was only a few stops on the tube. I have heard so much about it, and it was as bustling as I expected. You will notice a theme in the post the weekend the pretty much revolved around good food and drink. We started off by heading to the halloumi fries stall which was incredibly busy, and they have definitely found a niche in the market. They were incredible and came with all different kind of extras and sauces which you could choose from. We then went for a wander round and found an amazing churros and dips stand which was delightful.

We then went to Proud which was rooftop garden restaurant in Camden. The weather was delightful and we drank cocktails, and just had a good catch up. We then went back to Rach's house where we was staying, to drop our bags off and freshen up. That night we headed to Hawker House in Canada Water which was great, it cost £3 to get in.  They had an event called Street Feast on that weekend. It was great we had very tasty jerk chicken burgers, and rose wine slushes which tasted incredible. They had music playing, and there was an outdoor and indoor section. It had a great atmosphere, and there was a variety of food and drink stalls to choose from.

The main event of the trip was going to the Barclaycard British Summer Time concert on the Sunday. None of us had ever been to this festival before, which takes place in Hyde Park over a two week period and features different headliners and other artists. We were not really sure what expect but it was built up amazingly with lots of bars, food stalls and game activities. Before we went to the festival we went to B&H Buildings for a bottomless bellini brunch. I wrote an entire post on how great it was, which you can read all about here. It was such a great place and we went to have food and a few drinks before heading to Hyde Park.

We got to Hyde Park at about 3pm, there was acts on throughout the day across three different stages. We were actually really surprised at how much variety of food and drink was on offer. As with all festivals the drinks were expensive, but the food was actually well priced. We took part in a cocktail mojito masterclass for free at Barcadi's makeshift bar, which was lots of fun. We wanted to try a variety of food which was available. As you can see from one of the pictures, we all wanted the chips and cheese. However, the mac n cheese stall was next to us and we decided to get a portion to share and it was so nice! The main headliner of the show was Justin Bieber, I have seen him a few times now. He was good, but the set up of the stage wasn't the best it was very low so we struggled to see him. 

On the last day we decided to hit the shops. We headed to the Topshop at Oxford Circus which is the daddy of all Topshop's. It is gigantic, on the first floor it is full of just concession accessories, which is amazing. We spent an hour looking round. We then went to Urban Outfitters, Liberty and & Other Stories. Being a classic blogger, I had seen so many people posting photos of Ben's Cookies and they always looked so tasty. I went and bought a box full to take home for treats for my parents and sister, and oh my, they are honestly the tastiest cookies I have ever eaten. They are super soft and have huge pieces of melted chocolate in them. I think I am going to have to ask my best friend Rach to bring them home for me on a regular basis. Before we got to train home we went for some dinner in Cookhouse Joe's, a burger joint which was not too far from Oxford Circus. I had this chicken wrap and chips. It was okay, nothing special.

All in all, I had an amazing weekend. What can be better than shopping, drinking, Justin Bieber, best friends and London! We are already excited to book to go down again for Winter Wonderland at the end of November.

Lucy

xoxo

The roundup for June

June was great, and with it came finally the start of summer and surprisingly lots of sunshine. It was a great month I finally had some weekends off work, after working a backlog of them none stop. I had lots to look forward to. I had made lots of exciting plans at the start of the year and basically they all fall within about 8 weeks of each other from June to August.

It all kicked off with a cocktail masterclass at Revolution de Cuba in Manchester, with the girls from work. Last year I went on a hen do in Newcastle and we went on a cocktail masterclass and it was so much fun. This was such a lovely day out, the sun was shining and we actually all got to dress up instead of the nursing scrubs which we spend half of our lives in. We were allocated a bar downstairs and we were shown how to make mojitos, daiquiris and the deadly zombies. It was so much fun and it was great to actually find out what goes into the drinks, and getting to make them ourselves. It included drinking games where we were in teams.

Last month I mentioned that I went to see Take That for my mum's birthday. However, the lovely team at Live Nation donated 50 tickets to the A&E department which I work in for all of our hard work, but a special thank you to the team for working when the Manchester Arena bombings took place. It just fell that I was off that day, and what a fabulous night it was.

The best part of the month was definitely going on a road trip to Newcastle. It was a very sunny weekend, and I love Newcastle as a city so I was so excited to visit again as it had been well over a year since my last visit. My friend Ella has moved there to live with her boyfriend, and it was so exciting to visit and see her house. We had planned a big night out, and it did not disappoint. I always say that Newcastle is such a great night out. The next day I was the definition of dying. We had a big day planned of shopping, which didn't really happen. We did however make it to the Metrocentre at 5pm to have the biggest plate of Nando's which I have ever ordered.

I have so much to look forward to in July, I cannot wait! At the end of the month I am heading to Barcalona, so if anyone has any travel posts please leave links in the comments.

Lucy
xoxo

Bottomless bellini brunch

Whilst in London we visited such an amazing hidden gems in this depths of Clerkenwell called B&H Buildings. My best friend had told us she had found this place which does bottomless bellini brunch. Those three words sold it to me instantly. I did not know what to expect but she did a fabulous job, as we had such a great few hours there.

As we were heading to the British Summer Time festival at Hyde Park which started at 1pm and it was an all day event, we wanted to make sure we filled our bellies. It was not cheap but we didn't expect it be. I felt as though it was the perfect venue for Made in Chelsea to film at. It was very fancy! I had the B&H breakfast, which was delicious. The hash brown was a particular highlight and there was the perfect amount of food on my plate. The other girls said that their food was equally as yummy as mine.

Now, the bottomless bellini works by you paying £18 for 2 glasses of peach bellini. After that, you then get as many glasses for free as you desire. You have a one and a half hour time limit on the bellinis, which is fair enough as I can imagine people would otherwise just sit there for hours on end. We had 5 glasses each, and it was a really enjoyable, refreshing bellini. The waiting staff were very on the ball, and came around and provided you with another glass whenever your glass was empty. 

All in all, I had such a great few hours in this restaurant. The decor was beautiful, it was all bright, white and marble. I would highly suggest visiting B&H Buildings if you are wanting to celebrate a special occasion or you fancy treating yourself and family/friends to a lovely day out. We have already said how we are going to find somewhere which has a similar concept back in Manchester and take our other friends.

Now who's off for bottomless bellinis?

Lucy
xoxo

Happy birthday to me - turning 23.

Today I turned 23 and last night I have a little bit of a sudden realisation, along the lines of crap your going to be 23. I know, I know, its not old, but to me I feel like I was only turning 18 5 minutes ago when in reality it was 5 years ago. But then I started to think about everything which I have done in the last 5 years. I was thinking of everything which has happened, the memories I have created, and what I have achieved. I think time flies by and we forget about so many things.

I am definitely one of those who lives for the future rather than the past. I love making memories, but having exciting plans makes me feel very fulfilled. During last nights mini breakdown, I was thinking 23 is the age that you have your sh*t together, and I really don't. I tweeted exactly how I was feeling, and I had so many lovely responses from people ageing from 25-35. Every single person said that they felt that they definitely did not have their sh*t together and wasn't sure if they ever would!

Now I don't know how we measure or judge what we actually classify as having your sh*t together as. Is it being wealthy, having a house, in a stable relationship, a good job, being married, children? I think I was feeling a little like this as when I was about 15 we all had this idea of what we wanted by 25 and by 30. I think by 25 I wanted a house and a boyfriend, and by 30 I wanted to be married with a baby. If life was only this simple right? I still have time for all of those (well 2 years for some!), but there's time. Maybe because I am a person who thinks about exciting things in the future, I have become focused on what I want to achieve and I am not actually living in the moment.

My mum says its because I have friends who are engaged, getting married this year, have houses with partners, and I have none of this. Should we measure life being complete by being in a nice, stable relationship. I think its 2017, and things have changed. I don't want to get into a relationship just because. I want to do it because its right, I want it to be spontaneous and because I want to. My mum was 23 when she got married, but she always says when you know, you know. To be fair, I love doing my own thing so much currently it would have to be someone fairly special.

I definitely do not class as having your life together as any of the above, the more I think about it I haven't got a clue what I would put into the category. There definitely isn't a clear definition. Everyone has different opinions and interpretations, and we should definitely think of our own goals and not compare ourselves to others.

So here is to being 23. In the grand scheme of things, maybe I do have my sh*t together. I have my own goals of want to achieve this year. We can be too hard on ourselves, and sometimes we have to tell ourselves actually we are doing pretty alright. I think we should all encourage ourselves and others, to think of all the things which are great in life. I will start - for me: I have great family, lovely friends, a roof over my head, a job I love and I am happy. Go make yourself a list, and come back and tell me Lucy I have my sh*t together!

I am so excited to see what this next year brings. Being 23 sounds alright actually!

Lucy
xoxo

Zoeva Palettes

I was so lucky that within one month I won two blogger competitions both being Zoeva palettes.

I had been wanting to try products from Zoeva for ages, but never quite took the plunge to buy anything. This was mainly due to not being quite sure what we the best pieces from the brand. I had heard a lot of good reviews about their palettes, meaning I was super excited that I had not one, but two to put to the test. 

The first is the Cocoa Blend palette which when I opened, my eye literally lit up as the shades are all right up my alley. I love a good shimmery shade and this contains five, with 5 matte shades complementing them beautifully. I have to say I love the shade warm notes as it is a stunning dark rose shimmer (top middle) which looks gorgeous on the eye. I tend to use this on its own as I don't think it needs anything else with it. In the matte shades I have found myself reaching for substitute for love (bottom second) and freshly toasted (bottom middle) as they are both brown toned shades. Freshly toasted reminds me of  Makeup Geek's cocoa bear, as it is such a useful shade to have as you can blend it with so many other shades. I think Zoeva have done brilliantly with this palette, and there is a really great variety in shades. However, I don't think there is a need for a shimmer black and matte black. I would have liked them to have added in a deeper, dark chocolate brown.

The second palette is their matte palette. The stand out shades are cheap bar (top 4th), which is a burnt orange toned brown which I have been loving using. This looks beautiful blended into the crease, the works really well with both urban culture and eeirly empty (bottom and top 2nd) which are both lighter toned browns. The bright orange shade through the window is gorgeous, and it adds some real vibrancy to the palette. This shade in particular has great pigmentation and is a stand out shade. I think this palette would benefit from having a pink toned shade, rather than having both a white - highthawks (top 1st) and a cream - across the street (bottom 1st). I have enjoyed having an all matte palette within my collection, and it has allowed me to be a little more versatile as I a bit of a magpie when it comes glittery shades.

Overall, the pigmentation in all of the shades in both of the palettes are good. I have not come across any particular dud shades, which have been patchy or uneven. But, some of the lighter matte shades, when I have swatched them I would have liked them to have a been a more pigmented as you need two or three applications to get the colour to really shine through. However, for £18 these palettes are brilliant value, and I will definitely be purchasing from Zoeva again.

Lucy

xoxo

Gucci Marmont Purse

I am finally revealing my first ever Gucci purchase and boy am I excited. A few weeks ago, I took the plunge and literally bought the purse of my dreams. As corny as it sounds, I fell head over heels with everything about it. I first saw it around January time and for a good 4 months, every time I went into Selfridges I would long fully stare at it. This was my first big treat to myself since qualifying last September. If you have read my blog for a while, you will know it takes a lot for my to part with my cash, as big purchases are something I have to think long and hard about and I definitely did with this.

The purse in all of its glory to me speaks for itself. I love it. It is called the Gucci marmont leather french flap wallet and costs £300. Pink has been my absolute favourite colour since a child, and has been ever since. For weeks I was trying to convince myself to get the black, as it is a more functional and versatile colour. However, I came to the conclusion if I was spending such a vast amount of money, I wanted it to be my perfect purse so I simply had to go with my heart and that was with choosing the pink. I wanted a purse that was smaller than what I have at the moment, but would fit it all my coins, notes and cards in with ease and without having to seriously having to downsize the contents. Inside there is plenty of room for cards, there is a notes slot, and at the front of the purse is a section with a snap closure for coins. I love the classic GG design on the front, it is why I went for this exact style. The gold hardware complements the pink beautifully. It is nothing to big or in your face, and that is exactly what I intended to buy.

I have loved the entire Gucci Marmont collection, and some of their bags are simply stunning. You have to be realistic though, and I know I will get my moneys worth out of this purse. I seriously struggled to get my hands on this, and the sales assistant in Selfridge's told me the entire collection has been a huge hit, and they only get a few of each product in. I ordered this from Gucci online and I was super happy with the service. When it arrived I was so smiley, and as silly as it sounds I felt a little overwhelmed. I felt as though I had really worked hard for it, and this was just a little present to myself.

I love this, will treasure it, and will definitely take good care of it. As you can probably tell I am treating this purse as my baby!

Lucy
xoxo

Superdrug Solait Tan

It is that time of the year where summer is just around the corner, meaning the sunny weather is hopefully not far behind. When we had the little short-lived heatwave a few weekends ago, it coincided with a trip to Newcastle with my friends. The weather was scorching, and for the first time in months I decided it was time to get the fake tan out. I decided to put Superdrug's Solait's mousse express dark tan* to the test.

The instructions state to exfoliate the skin in the shower, and then apply the mousse to the skin. You then leave it on between 1-3 hours depending on how dark you want the tan, as the longer you leave it on the more it will develop. I left it on for about one and a half hours and then washed it off. I was left with a subtle tan, which was surprisingly even. I was a little dubious regarding the "dark" element of the tan, as I am fair skinned. That night before going out I wanted the tan to be a little darker so I then added another layer. I was super happy with how it applied over the top, and I used the mitt which I always do to try and get as equal coverage as possible. I was actually really happy with the tan and my friends also commented on how it was nice and not "too orange".

In the morning I reshowered and I could tell that a little bit of the tan had come off with the water contact. However, I think that this was actually a great move as the tan had settled and I was left with a natural looking tan which was not too over the top. It was not patchy or uneven and I was once again pleasantly surprised. I have had so many bad experiences with fake tan, with it being too dark, too orange, or it being patchy and blotchy. My friends asked me what I had used, as they thought it looked really lovely and natural.

I did not reapply the tan for about 3 days, but showered in between and I once again found that the tan did not just wash off, it stayed on and I had a glowing subtle tan. It is my birthday next weekend and I am definitely going to use this again. I am going to apply it the night before I am going out, and leave it on for the full 3 hours and see what a real difference it makes to the intensity. Fingers crossed it will be as good as my first experience. For £4.99, I think this new range of fake tan from Superdrug is a really great buy. It you prefer lotions or wash off tans they have quite a extensive collection of different types of tans in this range to suit person preferences.

Lucy
xoxo

*PR sample

June Favourites

I only realised when I came to write this month's post, that everything is very much budget friendly. I love to find high street products which turn out to be my everyday, go to favourites products. For the first time in a while I did not have to think about what has been my favourites, as everything featured in this post has had firm place in the top drawer of my beauty drawers.

I have featured Colourpop products many, many times over here on my blog. I think they are one of the best budget brands around, but I just wish it was a little bit easier to get hold of. This super shock shadow in muse has a metallic finish, which is my favourite finish as it blends really well avoiding creasing, it also never looks chunky and heavy. This colour is a beautiful red toned rose which looks gorgeous on the eyes.  For $5 if you are going to make a Colourpop order, I highly recommend you picking a few items up from their super shock shadow line.

The Seventeen stay time concealer has been a favourite of mine for a good few months now. It is a brilliant under eye concealer which does not crease, and it does have a great time limit before it starts to budge. It definitely brightens and blends well into the skin. If you are wanting a new concealer, I highly recommend this. I actually think that this is definitely as good, if not better than the must have collection concealer.

The Ordinary salicylic acid 2% solution has been a best seller since the brand landed on the scene. Salicylic acid is an ingredient known to exfoliate pores to help fight against blemishes and helps clear the skin. This product would generally be very expensive due to its ingredients, but The Ordinary have paved the way for creating products which have the best ingredients to target particular skincare issues, without the fancy packaging or brand name. This costs just £3.90, I have found that it has reduced the size of some of my blemishes taking away the redness and swelling.

I recently wrote an entire blog post dedicated to L'Oreal's new hydra genius moisturiser, which you can read all about here. I really, really, like this, and I do not say that often about many skincare products. It is light and refreshing on the skin when first applied. It adds instant hydration to the skin and it has thin, fluid consistency. Perfect for the hotter months when you want fresh and hydrated skin.

What have you been loving in June?

Lucy
xoxo

MAC's perfect duo

Since I re organised my room and bought my beauty desk, I have been loving having my makeup all in one place and accessible. During this moving process, I found my MAC blush in the shade stereo rose. In 2013, it was a must have product amongst many bloggers. It was a cult classic in many peoples eye, and they took it off sale as it was a limited edition product. A year or so later in 2014, they re-released it and that was when I finally got my hands on it. I was so happy when it came and I truly loved this blush, I used it everyday for months. It was also the first marble effect product I owned, way before Hourglass was on the scene. Anyway, somewhere, somehow, it got lost and I faced the fact it was long gone. I was so happy when we were reunited and it literally has not left my face for the last 6 weeks. It has perfect coral tones running through it with a hint of  golden shimmer adding glow to my my cheeks. It is heavenly. I can't put my finger on what makes this so unique, but I own nothing like this. It is far from your average blush. 

I have talked quite a lot about the MAC highlighter in beaming blush as it is simply beautiful. It is the perfect partner to go with the blush as this also has pinky undertones to it. The combination of my cheekbones is stunning, and my friends always complement me when I wear the highlighter as it adds so much light and glow to my entire face. I think sometimes I may look a little disco ball esque, when I get carried away. I do not blog about cheek products often as I have not come across many which are standout products which I feel people need to know about. I am sorry to say the blush is limited edition and is currently not available, but the highlighter is and I highly recommend picking it up. 

Lucy

xoxo

LA Girl Foundation

I bought the LA Girl Pro coverage foundation a few months ago, and I have definitely put it through it paces. I have worn this during the day, at work for 13 hours, and on nights out.

Firstly, I really struggled even with the help from mr. google to find the right shade for my skin tone. I ended up choosing fair and it is definitely a shade or two too dark for my skin. There is definitely a lack of variety within their shade range, there is a total of 11. It is often the case that there is a lack of selection in the darker, deeper skin tones, whereas with this line their is only the shades fair and porcelain to represent the fairer and lighter colourings. There is no shades that cater to particular undertones which was frustrating as I have a pink undertone to my skin.

In terms of coverage this is a full coverage foundation, which I what I was wanting. It is hydrating, which is what I am always looking for as my skin is very dry. I do find that fluid foundations as a whole work better with drier skin. I have found that if you are not careful it can look a little cakey on your face, it definitely needs a really good blend into the skin. In terms of wear, this wears well for a good number of hours which I was happy about. I would compare this to MAC studio fix, but half the price.

This was my first introduction to LA Girl, and from what I have experienced I am impressed. For £11 it is a good value foundation which provides coverage and longevity. I am not sure if I would repurchase this, just as there are so many other great foundations available for me to try, and it takes a lot for me to repurchase a product. For example, Nars sheer glow is my holy grail because for me there is nothing better which I have tried which ticks all the boxes like this does. The foundation search continues..

Have you tried any products from LA Girl?

Lucy
xoxo

L'Oreal Hydra Genius

I saw this new L'Oreal Hydra Genius aloe water sitting on the shelves of Boots, and instantly picked it up.  I bought this at least over a month ago and I have been using it every morning religiously. My ever-so-trusty Kiehls moisturiser has been gathering dust, and put back on the skincare shelf.

It took me a while to choose which one to pick up as there are three different versions. I picked up the normal to combination as my skin can be very dry but also I have oily areas. There is also a normal to dry and dry and sensitive versions within the range.

My thoughts on this overall are very positive, I would give it a 8/10. It is a product which for the first time in a long time I thought I love this, and it actually does the job. It instantly feels cool and refreshing on the skin, which is delightful. It makes my skin feel hydrated. The texture is the stand out feature to this, it is so lightweight, a thin fluid consistency which is not sticky or greasy. The scent is nothing too overpowering, but I can definitely smell hints of the aloe coming through.

With this range they have taken inspiration from Asian skincare, which we all know is where our must have skincare products come from, and they are always one step ahead of everyone else. They say it is refreshing as water and as hydrating cream, and I think this is a fab description. I sometimes find that my main problem with moisturisers is that they are either too thick in consistency, or that it does not add the amount of moisture which my skin requires. It contains two main ingredients which is what L'Oreal are saying are the stand out factors to making this such a unique product. The first is pure aloe vera sap which contains essentials minerals, the second is hyaluronic acid which can hold 1,000 times its weight in water.

I use this every morning, on the packaging it says to use every morning and night alone or after your serum, and apply one pump to your face and neck. I really like the pump feature, but I feel like I definitely need at least 3-4 pumps just for my face. The pump does not give you a lot of product, which is great as you don't end up wasting ever, however this is the reason that I need a few pumps to cover my entire face.

Lastly, the packaging is simply gorgeous. I love the blue bottle and the metallic lid, it is a very simple design which is eye-catching. The bottle is glass, so is quite heavy meaning it is not going to be great for travelling. This is currently still on an introductory offer in Boots for £6.66 which is such great value. It is going to be £9.99 full price, which is still a bargain. For the first time in ages, I can say if you are wanting a new refreshing, light, cooling moisturiser for the summer to get your skin hydrated - give this a go.

Lucy
xoxo

Losing love for blogging

I have never before felt so demotivated to blog in my life ever. I started my blog well over three and a half years ago, as I was intrigued into what the blogging world had to offer. I was so excited and I remember doing my first blog post confused as to what I had just done, but then at the same time I was bursting with excitement. I thought you had to blog everyday, I thought that was how it worked! I quickly got myself into a schedule and have pretty much stuck with it ever since.

In 2017, I have definitely got into writing more and more lifestyle posts which I have really been loving. However, I feel like most of them have been regarding the blogging community. Just recently I wrote a post called called is blogging dead?. This was sparked by that cosmo interview which questions the reliability and over saturation of what the blogging community now is. I feel like there has been a lot of negativity recently, and I'm really not enjoying it. I love how passionate people feel about blogging, and discussions about other relevant topics. However, sometimes I log on and see some comments and discussions and I often think do I really want to still be a part of this. I feel like I have been getting these vibes for a while off a few of my fave bloggers who are feeling similar. I've seen a few saying they are slowing down with Instagram due to a lack of engagement. I have never done well in Instagram and one of my 2017 goals was to try harder with it and I have done and have seen a very slight increase in followers. It isn't all about followers for me, it really isn't. But, it can be disheartening and you can find yourself loosing the enthusiasm you once had, when you hard work is not slightly paying off.

I started my blog in my first year of uni and in my last year when I seriously struggling to juggle everything I felt like packing it in for good. I was so gutted and felt incredibly disappointed in myself at missing posts. I was putting out content because I felt I had to, rather than because I wanted to. I was determined not go off my schedule. I have been working full time now for 9 months and I thought with my shifts I would have so much more time to blog. That simply hasn't been the case. I am really struggling to motivate myself. I have done posts previously on how to get back on your game when your struggling, but this time I'm not sure whether I am done for good. I hate to write that but I am just not feeling it at the moment. I think instead of having such a structured schedule, going forward for the moment I am going to just blog as and when I want and see how I go. I don't want to force myself to have to pump out content. I have found myself waking up thinking yes I'll blog today and on these days (which have been few and far between), I have reignited my love for blogging. But these days haven't been happening very much. I had a good old think as to why I was feeling like this but I just can't pin point the problem. Maybe it's negativity online, maybe it's the lack of engagement, maybe my love for blogging has simply gone. Who knows? But that's for me to find out.

I am really hoping I find the spark within me again which has written over 480 posts over the years.. I don't want to just pack it in and not give myself the chance. I know I have to give it a few months and then decide whether I will continue to blog or pack it in for good. If anyone has been feeling like this themselves please let me know. I think I am going to try and find a new style to my posts and pictures and I think maybe branching out from beauty a little more may help. I am going to be easy going with it and see if this is what I am needed.

Lucy
xoxo

The roundup for May

I have been wanting to include some kind of dedication to all of the victims, friends and families of the Manchester attack, but I have not been sure the best way to go about it. As I write this today is my first day back writing blog posts. The events which occurred are absolutely horrific and unimaginable. I am just so happy that the city which I live in, has come together and managed to provide help and raise an amazing amount of funds for everyone involved. I also want to send love to everyone also involved in the London attacks. I am toying with the idea of getting a bee tattoo, as you know probably know I am an a&e nurse and I was actually on shift the night the Manchester attack took place, therefore we got patients in needing treatment. I think it would be amazing to get a tattoo representing the unity and community which has been demonstrated. I have never been over amored with wanting a tattoo, so I am still deciding if I definitely want it or not.

I feel like May has become a bit of a blur due to the tragic events. However, the start of the month was great on the 2nd May I went to see Bruno Mars, and he was incredible - he definitely puts on a show. I went to Nottingham on a trip with my uni friends and it was fabulous. We started in the Hilton hotel and went for a big night out which was great. We had a lovely spa day in the morning, and it was just great to be able to catch up, and take our minds off the hustle and bustle of work.

It was also my mums birthday on the 19th and I really wanted to spoil her. Me and my sister bought her a fitbit which she loved, and I took her to Slattery's, which is a lovely local patisserie. I invited my grandparents along on the morning of her birthday and it was just a joyous morning. That night we had managed to get tickets to go and see Take That on their tour in Manchester and it was amazing, and most importantly she had a fabulous time. 

This month I have felt as though work has definitely got in the way of life. I worked every weekend and I hate that feeling of missing out. I have lots of things to look forward to in June and a few weekends off! We have also had a hard month at work, but working in such a lovely team makes an enormous.

All in all I glad to see the back of May and I happy that June has arrived. Although, that means that we are half way through the year where the hell is 2017 going?!.

Lucy
xoxo

Is blogging dead?

This week for the first time in 3 and a half years since starting my blog, I have taken a full week off blogging mainly due to really just not wanting to post. Tonight for the first time all week I have felt inspired to blog, and then I stumbled across an article online by a blogger in Cosmopolitan which really got my thinking.

The blogging community has had its fair share of negativity recently, there are no doubts. I blog for a hobby and so does thousands of other bloggers. For some of us it isn’t all about making money. So many people have blogs for a hobby and it's not about it being 'saturated with those wanting freebies and money'. For me, my day to day job couldn't be further apart from blogging, but that's what I like a different outlet for me to channel and talk about things I love in a community which I am proud to be part of.

This got me thinking is the blogging world really dead? Is everyone really a blogger these days? I don't know how many thousands of bloggers there are out there probably millions if I think about it, but is that such a negative thing? Is there really no space left for any bloggers in this industry? These are the questions which I have never really thought about. Since the end of 2013 when I was welcomed into the blogosphere, I have loved pretty much 99% of my experience blogging. I came into it open minded and not a clue what to do. I loved reading blogs and seeing what everyone was buying and being introduced into an online community. 

However, how many of your favourite bloggers who you were reading when you first started out are still blogging regularly now? So many of the 'bigger' bloggers who I was reading when I first started now only post monthly, if ever. They have moved on to bigger and better, to the places which are YouTube and Instagram. Maybe blogging is really dying then. A few months ago the whole fiasco with a fake tanning company saying that bloggers are no longer reliable. I think some blogger are unfortunately in it for the freebies, but I think this is mainly newbie’s who are seeing lots of #ads all over social media, and want a piece of the action too. This is until they start and realise, shit this really isn't that easy. Now I am all for making money and receiving freebies from brands. So many of us work our socks off and why shouldn't we receive a nice fancy press release package everyone once in a while when you have promoted their brand for free tirelessly. But, the difference is many of us don't expect it. We are really excited and proud when we get approached that a brand wants to collaborate or send us something. 

I know it must be frustrating for bloggers when others are copying your exact style and photos. Its true there is no individuality in that. Maybe they are aspiring to be like others, but are going about it the very wrong way. That's what I love about blogging and all social media outlets seeing someone's individuality within their posts. I love stumbling across new blogs and Instagram feeds who have beautiful photos. 

The Instagram bots fiasco recently has also not helped the blogging community, when people are buying fake followers. You can't help but understand why people are when you've got reality TV stars buying followers. I think bloggers are so much more authentic and still a reliable source for people to turn too. That's what people want, to read something whether it be a new beauty product which they have wanted to try, or an outfit which you think wow I would never of put that together. It's from someone who is similar to them, it's relatable. I am included in chats with some brilliant bloggers who share similar views. We are here to blog, to maybe escape something. Just tonight my Instagram chat we have all been spreading love and it's just so nice to have people to talk to who blog too.

Everyone started with their own blog and those who have made it in to careers may not want to blog anymore, that's their choice but maybe they aren't part of the community anymore. However, the blogging community is very much alive. You are always going to have those who faking, cheating and trolling, bringing a bad name to the community. Just writing this post I've come to the conclusion the blogging community is very much still alive, and I for one will continue blogging. 

Lucy 

xoxo