Wednesday 30 April 2014

Maxfactor Clump Defy Mascara - 50 Years of Superdrug Exclusive




My favourite EVER mascara has had a revamp of its packaging to celebrate 50 years of Superdrug. I recently had a little incident involving my fave mascara and my morning weetabix...


Yes... My mascara ward fell into my breakfast, even though I cleaned it its not been quite the same, and it was on it lasts legs thank god. So I took a little trip to Superdrug as I had seen advertised this limited edition design and thought it looked rather cute and girly. The mascara is usually £10.99 and on the promotion it was £7.99 which was a very pleasant surprise. I have gone on lots and lots about this mascara, as it is by one of my top holy grail products. It just gives such good definition to your eyelashes and never has another mascara separated and as it states defies all clumps in any form. It also gives good volume and length and it is black which makes your eyelashes stand out, I find with only a few coats I have achieved the look I want. I just love, love, love it and I am yet to find a mascara better than this.

Remember you can find me and keep up to date at:
Twitter: @lucyalanamccann
Instagram: lucyalanamccann

Lucy
xoxo
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Sunday 27 April 2014

Easter Holidays

This week I headed up to the Scottish Borders with my family to little town near Berwick for a week away in a lovely little countryside cottage for some relaxation and quality family time. Luckily we had sunny weather six out of seven days which is a miracle for Britain in April! I took a few pictures along the way of some sights and foodie things and I thought I would share them with you...











Lucy
xoxo
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Friday 25 April 2014

Fashion Friday's: The Zara Mini City Bag




Buying my first Zara has been at the very top of my wish list for a long, long time. I have massively got into Zara in 2014, and it is fast becoming my must have shopping venue. I just love how simple and classic their clothing is, and it always look such good quality and you can easily create effortless outfits. I can guarantee I will go in and see so many items that I want, but I do sometimes find some of their pieces rather pricey. Although, you can find those little gems with a rather decent price tag attached to them.

Zara handbags are known for being simple but an essential to every women's handbag collection. The full size City Bag was what originally caught my eye but at £59.99, it was over my budget and seemed a little large for the summer bag I was wanting. This has been a must have accessory across the fashion industry featuring in many magazines and fashion blogs. I was casually browsing over the Zara website late one night when I set my eyes on the 'mini' version of the must have bag, the Mini City which has a slightly budget friendly price of £39.99. I loved this pale pink colour which I think is perfect for taking us into these summer seasons. On the day my shopping ban was over, I headed to Zara bright and early to pick this up. I could not see it out on display, although I do find it hard to shop for accessories in Zara as they match them up in trends so you have to look on every display on all the floors. In the end, I asked a sales assistant who said it was not on the shop floor but she think it had arrived in that day's delivery. When she came out with it it was meant to be, fresh out of the packaging and on to my card it went. I have used this bag everyday since, and I love it. I like that there is two big sections with zips at the front and back of the bag where I keep my valuables. Then the entire middle section is for all of the necessary bits and bobs and it has a press stud to keep it safe. I love the long strap on the bag which you can throw over your body or wear it across your body. The handles are sturdy and can clip together with a little clip, the only downfall of this bag is that you can not fit it on your shoulders as the handles are just that little bit too small. But it fits nicely on your arm as a bit of arm candy and it is not a particularly heavy bag. The material of the bag is faux leather which is dyed into the colours which are the pink, blue, white and red. I like the array of colours which it comes in and I think this is my most recommend item to have featured on my blog to date, as I honestly do not think anyone would be disappointed having this in their possessions.


Lucy
xoxo
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Tuesday 22 April 2014

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan


I mentioned this in Monday's Recent Launches and Buys post. But it deserves its own dedicated post of its own. I have to really be liking a product in order for me to blog about it, as I do not want to recommend something to others for them to be disappointing in it.

If you had read my other post you will have got a little background knowledge about this tan. Basically Rimmel has relaunched their range of fake tans for 2014, and have featured the gorgeous Binky from Made in Chelsea as their poster girl. I have used their Sun Shimmer Instant Tan for years and have always loved the product. There are two types of finishes to this range - matte and shimmer. Last year I went for shimmer and although it looks nice in the summer and gives you a summer glow, I found in some lights it could looks glittery especially on my legs. Therefore this year I opted for the matte version, hoping for a more natural looking tan, but still getting that summer glow. It also comes in three colours - light, medium and dark. As I am pale skin and do not want an overwhelming over the top amount of colour, I choose light thinking that I could always build it up if necessary. I love instant tan over build able, as you can just pop it on if and when you need it and instantly. It comes outs there and then so you can see where you have missed and you do not have to wait for the colour to build over a few days. This is a wash off tan which is great, I used this when I went out last week and when I was in the shower the next morning it came off with little effort. I used a tanning mitt to apply it as with instant tan applying with you hands can end up a little messy and leave you palms stained.

I used this for the first time last week on a girls night out, and it just reminded me how good it was. I borrowed my sisters as mine had ran out, and she was telling me all about the new range and how it was half price at Boot's. I was telling her how much I love it, but if someone spills a drink on you it is game over as found that the colour runs really easily. She then informed me that this new formula is water resistant, which I was seriously so thrilled about. Therefore, I think this is a perfect tan for the spring/summer. It gives a lovely, healthy glow, you can choose the colour as well as your finish, its instant and waterproof and you can just wash it off the next day. It is an all over body tan for face and body, but I have not yet tried it out on my face as I am always anxious at the results. But if it is anything like the application to my body, I will be seriously happy.

I was intrigued when I went to buy my own bottle the other day to see that Rimmel now sell a Pre-Tan Exfoliater and a BB Cream Perfector Tan. The absolute icing on the cake, is that all the new Rimmel tanning products are currently half price at Boot's and Superdrug meaning it cost me just £3.49. I am definitely going to go and stock up on my next trip as I know this will be the tan I will be using religiously throughout spring and summer this year.

Lucy
xoxo
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Sunday 20 April 2014

Recent Launches and Buys



Yeahh.. my spending have finally come to a finish. It has been a very long six weeks. This meant that I just had to pop to Boots yesterday and pick up a few bits which I have had my eye on for a while now. I literally had about five minutes to run round and collect everything that I wanted, so it was a bit of a case of just go with what you thought and fancied.

First up the Rimmel Colour Rush Balm - This was a recommendation from my sister, she picked up two recently and has been absolutely loving the outcome from the product. If you have been following my blog for a while now, you will know how much of a fan I am of the Revlon Colourburst Balms as I have been really loving the amount of pigmentation in them and how long lasting they are. I picked this Rimmel one up in the colour On Fire which is very much an everyday colour for me, it is not as red as the packaging suggests it is more of a muted pink on the lips. I am excited to try this and compare it with the Revlon alternative, these cost £5.99.

Revlon Parfumerie in African Tea Rose - This is part of Revlon's new scented nail enamel collection which has recently been launched. The bottles are really cute and I was just intrigued to find out the formula of these varnishes and if they do actually have the scent of what it states. I have had a sneaky sniff in the bottle and to me it just smells of normal nail varnish which is disappointing. However, I am going to investigate and see how this really works, at £7.99 I am really hoping for high things from this little bottle.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet  - This is a new launch from Bourjois, it is a line of lipsticks which have a matte finish but come in the form of a wand and not your normal lipstick stick. I picked this up in Frambourjoise which is a pale toned red and I am excited to test the formula and its lasting powers on the lips as it claims to have a 24 hour hold. These are £8.99 which is not the cheapest from the drugstore, but there has been a lot of good reviews about these so I wanted to test them out for myself.

Last but not least, Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan - I recently watched Vivianna Does Makeup video all about her favourite buys from the drugstore and she mentioned this fake tan. It reminded me of how much I loved it last year, and how coming into spring a new bottle was overdue. This was the one thing at the very top of my list when I took my first steps back into Boot's after so long! I was very, very happy to see that it is currently half price and was just £3.49. I really recommend this as it leaves a really lovely instant glow, nothing too dramatic but a realistic looking tan. I went for the matte version as shimmery looking legs is not my thing, and they always seem to go too shimmery on me. I am so happy that they have finally made the formula water resistant. I have had quite a few mishaps with this when a drink has been spilled on me and it would instantly run, so hopefully this will stop that ever happening again. I much prefer instant tans to build able ones as you can just wash them off the next day. I recommend this to everyone and it comes in light, medium and dark.

Lucy
xoxo






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Wednesday 16 April 2014

Stereo Rose



Stereo Rose first released in a few years a go in a MAC collection and it was a total favourite of many makeup lovers. I saw Lily Pebbles post a few months back when the new collection had been announced, and she had said that had purchased this and loved it. This blush comes from the current MAC exclusive line called Fantasy of Flowers which has been in stores since March. I actually purchased this as soon as the collection was released, but I wanted to properly put it to the test before I reviewed it for you.

With blushes once I find a favourite I stick with it and use it constantly; blushes take up a very small part in my makeup collection as I usually do not get that excited about them. I do adore the pop of colour on the cheek and always apply it when doing my makeup, but for me there is just so many other makeup pieces which intrigue me so so much more. This however has differently opened my eyes more as to the different colours and looks you can create and I have been more interested in expanding my blush collection.

So down the nitty gritty, Stereo Rose it is a beautiful coral based blush with has a golden shimmer throughout it. I loved the domed shaped of this as it is highly pigmented, you need the tiniest dab of colour for a lot of pay off on the cheeks. I can safely say I have never owned a blush with so much pigmentation, it will literally last me a last time. Even compared to my other MAC blushes where you give the pan a swirl with your brush, with this I literally just touch the end of my brush into it has enough for both cheeks.This is a Mineralise Skinfinish Natural, which is where my favourite powder which I am fully dedicated to comes from. It costs £22 which is a little more pricey than standard MAC blushes, but it is definitely worth it. The product is domed face and it has that baked look to it which provides a really natural but glowing pop to the cheeks. When I first set my eyes on Stereo Rose I thought it looked a lot bigger therefore naturally thinking it must contain more product than the standard MAC blushes. When I had a little scout across the Selfridges website I realised that this contained 10g. Interestingly the standard Powder Blush costing £18 contained 6g and the Mineralise Blush contained only 3.2g and they cost £20. I do not usually look at the grams per product but I think it is a bit crazy how they can differ so much. All in all though as this contains 10g it is differently worse spending that little bit more, as it will last you so much longer. This is a perfect shade from the transition into spring and I know that it has been making a daily appearance on my cheeks.

Lucy
xoxo
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Sunday 13 April 2014

The Perfect MAC Quad


(From left to right - All That Glitters, Satin Taupe, Omega & Woodwinked)

Now, this is a bold statement to make but I think I might honestly own the perfect MAC quad. I can use it everyday to create a perfect everyday look but when I want a more intense look for a night out or for a classic smokey this can also be created with this quad. I actually only own five MAC eyeshadows in total, which is not surprising as I am not a huge eyeshadow girl but I am looking at expanding my collection for more spring tones. But then I look at my little quad, and I always know I can just rely on it at all times to pull off and create what I want to with great ease. The shadows are £12 individually or £10 in the pan form, and the 4x quad costs £6.50.

All That Glitters, was the first edition to this quad. I built it slowly over a few months to ensure I was including the exact colours that I wanted. I remember picking this colour and the actual quad up when I was on holiday in Ireland, I am not sure why but I just had an instant thought that creating a quad is so much easier than having individual shadows all over the place. When I started to create this palette I was MAC obsessed it was my first introduction to high end beauty and I thought it was the bee all and end all, and so did all my friends. I did not have any knowledge on colours and textures, and I can actually say that I created this quad with very little knowledge which I am a little bit proud of. As my interest in makeup grew I realised my little quad I had created featured three of the best know shadows, and are essentials for many people and often appear as people's must haves. This is a beautiful light pink colour which adds a little pop to the eye, it has a lovely golden shimmer running through it and I use this on a daily basis as a base. 

Satin Taupe is the darkest shade to my quad, and I wear this in the crease and outer section of my eyelid. It is the perfect colour to create the classic smokey eye, it adds an edge of darkness to a look. The great thing is that it is not too dark, I love a smokey eye, but I like it to still be bright and have that pop of colour rather than being made up of all dark browns and black. For the daytime I sometimes put just one layer of this on all over the lid and I am ready to go, it is a really easy shade to wear.

Omega was the last colour to be added to the quad. It was recommended to me by a girl working on the MAC counter when I popped into store one day. I had seen many people including it in blogs and in YouTube videos as a perfect colour for fair girls to use on there eyebrows. I have fair hair and a pale skin tone and I always struggle to get eyebrow colours that are not to dark for me. I love a full brow though and I have been struggling for years to find colours to match my colouring. I think during my high school days I definitely rocked eyebrows that were a little too dark for me, but I really loved the look at the time. If you swatch this on your hand it does not really create much colour and looks as though it lacks pigmentation. But, apply it with a brush onto the brows and you get that pop of dark blonde colour which is perfect for blondes. You can create a lot of colour with a the tiniest bit of colour. If you are not a massive fan or using pencils I would certainly suggest you try out using a shadow, I do find that it is long lasting and if you have a darker hair colouring mystery is often a favourite amongst many.

Woodwinked is my all time favourite eyeshadow colour hands down. A bold statement to once again make, but everyone and I mean everyone should have this shade. I bought this as an individual before the creation of the quad, but I miss placed it for months and I could not find it anywhere. So I had to rebuy it and include it in my quad as my second shade as it was such a must have. I then found the individual shadow but this means I have a double dosing and there is barely anything left in the single quad now, but it is okay as there is always a backup in the quad. On nights out my friends always borrow my quad and Woodwinked is the first colour which they are drawn to. I would describe this as the perfect everyday shade. It is a beautiful mid tone bronze, with shimmer once again running through it as I am not a huge fan of matte shadows. On the lid it is vibrant but and instantly brightens your entire look with one application of this colour. It is just perfection it is so shimmery and the pigmentation in all of these shadows are beautiful, you need very little product to produce huge amounts of colour.

I would love to know what colours would you or do you feature in you MAC quad?
Lucy
xoxo
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Friday 11 April 2014

Fashion Friday's: The Flower Print Pant




Today on Fashion Friday I bring you a trouser/legging combination named the Bloom Block Flocked Tregging which I picked up from Topshop at the start of this season. A tregging is a mix between a trouser and a legging, which is great as it still has the smart trouser look but they have more stretch in them.

I originally bought them as a statement piece for a night out. I have surprisingly worn these treggings a lot more than I first thought I would, as I wasn't sure if they were a bit too dressy for the daytime. Although for daytime looks I have been teaming them with a variety of different black tops, then my leather jacket and a pair of plain shoes. I have worn this look to uni, out to meals and I jazzed it up with a statement necklace and my favourite pair of heeled chelsea boots for a night out. They fit really well and I love that they are made of a thicker material than normal leggings to keep you that little bit warmer, and they have a side zip to make sure they are fitted. I am definitely looking at picking up another similar pair to these for the spring, as I find them so comfortable and you do not have to think about the outfit in to much detail as the pants are so detailed. I love the monochrome effect that runs throughout them, and the flower details makes them more girly and fun. The material feels like felt to me and at first it did feel a little bit strange, but it is because the black material lies on top of the white so the design is more vibrant. I have just discovered whilst searching for a link to them, that they have actually gone down to £15 now in the sale. I paid £28 originally which I thought was a decent price for Topshop as it can be very pricey sometimes. However, if you have a quick browse under 'treggings' there are 98 different options currently, so I am pretty sure you will be able to find a design and style which you love!

Lucy
xoxo
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Wednesday 9 April 2014

Jewellery Collection and Storage




Recently I have been looking for a way to display my jewellery as I never really had any storage. I have tried to use jewellery boxes previously and I use them effectively for a week and then I give up and my jewellery ends up in the same state it was before. I was watching a video by Fleur De Force on her YouTube channel on her jewellery collection and storage recently, I loved the stands that she had recently bought and decided to have a nosy on the John Lewis website at the stands in more detail. 

I really love the style of these stands which come from the designer Lisbeth Dahl Poppy. This comes in a smaller size for £16.50 or the medium size which is the one I purchased for £20. So I popped into John Lewis recently and picked up the medium size, I really like that it has a vintage look to the stand. I especially like the design to the base and how it matches the ends and the top of the arms. There is one little negative to this stand, I have found it to be a little bit unsteady and the arms have wobbled a tiny bit as they are not fully secured into the main stand.

This is just a small amount of my jewellery which I have featured on the stand but I thought I would let you know what I have put on it. Starting from the left, I have a tie Thomas Sabo bracelet which has two charms attached to it which are an 18 and an anchor. I have three different Pandora bracelets which I have been collecting for about 3 years now. I have white single woven leather bracelet in pearl, I have a variety of beads and charms on this bracelet. The next Pandora bracelet is my original bracelet which I got as a present off my parents and this bracelet is completely full with charms and beads, its a really nice way to collect and build up your bracelets as family members buy me new things to put on it for birthdays and at Christmas. The final bracelet is my newest one which I got for Christmas 2013 off my parents again, it is one of the bangle styles. I think this is my favourite out of the three, I currently only have three beads and one charm on this one but I like the minimalist look so I don't think I am going to put too much more on it. To finish off this side of the stand I have two necklaces which I like to regularly wear. One is a long necklace with a black shark tooth which was from Primark, and the other is a orange and black statement necklace which I bought from Debenhams in the sales and I love it to really brighten an outfit as it is a real stand out piece. On the other side is two necklaces from New Look, I think New Look have some really good fashion jewellery pieces for really good prices and I always nip in whenever I am looking for something new. One features a collection of spikes and the other one is a real chunky chained necklace. Then I finally have my two watches on the stand, the first one is my Toy watch which I have had for ages, I think I got it for my 16th birthday and I still love to wear it. It is really good quality and it was expensive when it was bought, I really love the vibrant pink colour. The other pink watch is from Oasis, I bought this when my Toy watch broke and I had to send it abroad to be fixed so it took about two months to come back to me, so I bought this in the meanwhile. I actually do wear this on rotation with my Toy watch, as I like that its a more neutral pink colour and the fact that it is metal and not plastic. 

You can see featured at the bottom of the photos, a little dish which I absolutely adore. I picked this up from Debenhams in the sale last year, it is so lovely and has little butterflies all over the dish. I have now decluttered this dish and it is so much easier to find what I am looking for. I keep my rings and earrings in here and its so easy to find what I am looking for now. 

I hope you like all of my pieces and the way which I now store everything.

Lucy 
xoxo



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Sunday 6 April 2014

March Favourites



I always plan ahead to post this right at the start of each month but it always takes me so long to decide and pick from the stash my favourites. But better late than never as always...

As my spending ban is still in full swings this month has been about rediscovering old favourites on the beauty side of things. I have also decided to start adding in other bits and bobs which I have been loving throughout March into this monthly post.

So on the beauty side of things the Seaweed Matifying Day Cream from The Body Shop. I have nearly finished using all of this product and I have really enjoyed using it. It has a great creamy texture, to smooth and refresh the skin first thing in the morning. It creates a lovely base before applying any products and I would consider purchasing this again. It is aimed at combination/oily skin, my skin is definitely combination at the moment as it can be drying in places but oily through the T zone.

Stereo Rose from MAC, this featured in my beauty haul a few weeks back and I have been seriously loving this blusher. It is from MAC's new exclusive line called Fantasy of Flowers collection. The product is super pigmented and the tiniest amount of dusting on your brush produces a lot of pay off on the cheeks. It love it as it adds a lovely, glowing effect to your cheeks and really brightens up your makeup look. It costs £22 which is quite expensive but this will last you for years, and it is perfect for coming into these summery months. It is an exclusive as it is part of this collection so if you fancy getting your hands on it, I suggest you take a sneaky visit to Selfridge's soon!

This is definitely my rediscovery product of the month; MAC's eyebrow pencil in Lingering. This is my second pencil in this colour I used to use it on a daily basis last year, but I thought it was a little dark for me as I am quite fair. I went on to using MAC's eyeshadow in Omega as it was more blonder and more subtle. However, I have been loving a bolder brow this month and I think you can create your perfect shape with this pencil. It is actually like a pen which you twist up to dispense more product, I find pencils a little scratchy and hard to apply. Whereas, this is smooth and soft and I have really been embracing it this month. It costs £13 which I think is a reasonable price and they sell quite a few different colours in the range depending on your colouring.

The Scandaleyes Micro Precision Eyeliner from Rimmel. This featured in last months favourites post but I have still been totally in love with this little gem from the drugstore. It is such a good price, and I seriously love how easy it is to apply. I think eyeliner can be a scary thought for some people but this is great as you can easily create a line as thick or as fat as you choose. It costs £5.49 and you can pick this up in most Boots and Superdrug stores.

The Gillette Venus & Olay shavers have been a god send. I have been lovely this razor so much, as you can see I have recently picked up another one. This come with a moisture bar which means when you are shaving it leaves your skin so soft and smooth. Its so nice and I never get a shaving rash of any sort. They are quite expensive usually about £10, but Boots often have them on sale for half price which was the offer which was on when I picked this one up. It also comes with a really handy little shower holder which has a suction cup on the back so you can attach it to your shower so you don't loose it!

Okay beauty products to the side..

Frozen came out on DVD, I had not actually managed to go to the cinema to see this but my sister bought it and I love it. It is classic Disney, the two girls remind me of me and my sister when I was younger. The songs are so cute and catchy, its just an overall lovely film.

Now if you've never heard of a Juicecube before neither had I until I saw Fleur De Force mention it a while back I think it was in her Christmas Gift Idea video. This little beauty can be bought from John Lewis or online, it comes in a few different colours and costs £24.99. Basically it is a portable charger which you can carry round with you in case your phone/ipod runs out of battery when you are out and about. If you have an iPhone you know how quickly they run out of battery and as I've been taking many train journeys recently my phone was constantly running out. All you do is charge the cube, it comes with a lead and many different interchangeable heads which fit many different devices which is super handy. So once its charged pop the little cube into your handbag and your ready to go. When you need it just plug your appliance into the cube and it starts to instantly charge it. It has become so, so handy and I highly recommend these to anyone who finds themselves with zero battery on a daily basis. I am going to be doing a full blog post on this sometime soon if you want anymore details.

Hope your all having a lovely April!

Lucy
xoxo
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Friday 4 April 2014

Fashion Friday's - Topshop High Waisted Jeans



Because I am a rather small 5 foot tall, I am always thought that high waisted jeans would not be an option to suit my size and frame nicely. However, since picking these high waisted jeans up from Topshop a few months ago, they have been worn a lot. I got them from the Petite collection in Topshop as they sell 28" leg which is perfect for me. Note to everyone else though they also come in the normal range in a 30", 32" and 34" leg. I really just adore how comfortable these are, they were quite tight when I bought them but they have gone really stretchy now which makes them uber comfortable. This range has a huge selection of colours and styles; mine are the Moto Joni Super High Waisted in Mid Stone. They cost £36 which I think is really good value, for a pair of jeans that is definitely going to last you a few years. I never really understand how the jean sizes work in Topshop, but I usually have to go up a size as the sizing is usually quite small. However saying that next time I might get my normal size in this type of jean knowing how much these high waisted ones stretch over time. This is a perfect colour coming into spring as it is a pale blue which really brightens up outfits, and they look great paired with some dolly shoes.

Just before I finish this post, I would firstly like to apologise for not posting a Fashion Friday post like week. On Thursday I had a little accident which involved me and treadmill -the treadmill definitely won. I am currently sporting two nicely bruised and scabbed knees and a pulled muscle in the top of my leg. The post completely slipped my mind, so I am sorry but I am back with one of my favourite posts this week!!

Lucy
xoxo
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Wednesday 2 April 2014

Foodie Photos










They say that what you eat represents your personality. I think quite a lot of these pictures represents that I have fallen off the healthy food bandwagon completely! But you have to indulge in your favourite foods every once in a while. I also have to say I did have some healthier lunches and dinner in the mix of all this but I just didn't bother to photo them as they are never as pretty as all the sweet tooth options! This also shows what I have been up to over the last two week and each picture reminds me of something or someone which could be a special occasion or just a little treat to myself. I have lots of birthdays and celebrations which always includes nice food and cocktails whenever I am with my friends.

Lucy
xoxo
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