Sunday 31 January 2016

January Favourites


If you saw my post this week about Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 you will know how much I have been loving this, as I have been having seriously dry, chapped lips and this has sorted me out totally. For £9.50, I think it is excellent value and it lasts a good amount of time.
I got this beautiful Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay Cologne for Christmas and it has been my go to fragrance within January. The scent is so refreshing, and I love that it is fruity but has some woody undertones too, which makes a perfect combination.
I did a full post with review and swatches of my first ever Makeup Geek order, with full details of the individual shades. The Makeup Geek Eyeshadows are such great for just £4.95, and they have been my go to shadows as they have great pigmentation and glide on super easy. My favourite shade have been Homecoming and Glamorous (first and fourth in the palette) as they are perfect everyday one swipe shades. In the same order I bought my first Z Palette, as the shadows come in pan form only. This was £8.99 for the small version which fits 9 shadows in, and is great for travelling.
Foundations are something which I am very picky about, and over Christmas my usual fave the L'oreal True Match ran out. I went into Boot's and I was intrigued by the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation,  as I hadn't heard too much about this foundation so I was interested in trying it out. I really like it and it has good lasting power, and it blends really well. The only downside is that the shade range is limited, and the shade I picked up is a little bit too dark, but I can just about make it work.

What have you been loving throughout January?

Lucy
xoxo
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Friday 29 January 2016

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1


At the start of the week, I woke up one morning with ridiculously dry and cracked lips. This always happens to me in the winter months, and it can become very uncomfortable and sore. I always have my go to product which is the Kiehl's Lip Balm #1.I have two versions of these the original and the mango. I have been using the original for over a year and it has always managed to the job perfectly. Over Christmas, they brought out a Christmas set and me and my sister shared it and I choose the mango version, as I was worried my other one was running low. However, the original will always be my all time favourite. A little tip with this is to apply a little more than you usually would, on the areas where the attention is most needed. For me, this is my top lip where the skin is especially cracked and needs the most love and care. It dries and soaks in quickly and doesn't feel uncomfortable or clumpy. After a few days my lips started to feel much better, but it does require continuous application in order for them to be back to normal. These cost £9.50 which I think is quite expensive for a lip balm, but it is a deep, hydrating product which gets the job done.

Lucy
xoxo
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Friday 22 January 2016

Drugstore Essentials Haul




One day at the start of last week, within one morning my shampoo, conditioner, cleanser and facial wash ran out. I mean it is rather unlucky for that to happen, but in fact I love using up products as it means I am able to to take a trip to Boots and see any new launches.

I have never tried any hair products from Garnier before, and I was intrigued by the Ultimate Blends Shampoo and Conditioner. I have been using this everyday for the past two weeks and I have been really impressed. It is advertised to work on dry, dull hair. I love how silky soft it makes my hair feel, and it adds some life and glow back into my hair. I am really impressed and these are still on offer for 2 for £4. If you are looking for a budget friendly new shampoo and conditioner combination, I would really recommend trying these out.

I am a big fan of foam cleansers, and I had previously been using the Clinique cleanser which I really enjoyed, but it was quite expensive. I picked up the Nivea Daily Essentials Soothing Cleansing Mousse, it claims to cleanse deeply and moisturise. After putting it to the test, I definitely does feel like it has thoroughly cleansed, and it leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed which is exactly what you want first thing in the morning.

Lastly, I picked up my holy grail night time cleanser which is the Garnier Micellar Water. It was on offer for the big 400ml bottle for just £3, which was really excellent value. This must be my fourth bottle of this marvellous water, and I am always recommending it to my friends. It does a really great job at getting your makeup off in one swipe. I use two flat cotton pads - one for my eyes and one for my face, and it does the job perfectly.

Lucy
xoxo





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Sunday 17 January 2016

Makeup Geek Cosmetics - Haul, Review & Swatches








(Bitten, Homecoming, Cosmopolitan) 

(Glamorous, Country Girl)

This haul has been a long time coming. I have been wanting to buy some makeup geek eyeshadows ever since they landed on BeautyBay, I am not kidding it took weeks off deliberation, and driving myself crazy to the point where I made myself just order everything in my basket to stop myself going insane. But, I can safely say that I am very happy with my purchases. I needed to purchase a Z palette (£8.99) as did not previously own one. This was a huge decision within itself as there are many different sizes of these. I decided to go with the small which can fit 9 eyeshadows in, as it would be convenient for traveling. But at this rate, I am going to need the biggest one! I decided to order 5 shades to try them out and see what I do and do not like from the range. The eyeshadows were just £4.95 each which is great value. The formula of the shades are exceptional for the price, they are super pigmented and feel very smooth and creamy when applied. They blend great, and a little definitely goes a long way!

Bitten - The colour which everyone told me to buy including Kathleen Lights (her video is fab for details on every shade!) I was a little optimistic to try this out as it is very different to my usual go to colours, but I really glad I picked it up. It looks lovely with MAC's Cranberry and also blended with Country Girl. This is the only matte shade which I picked up and I really like the

Homecoming - I can see this shade being one which I use on a daily basis as it it such an easy shade to wear. I think it is quite similar to MAC's Satin Taupe which is one my most used shades ever. Everyone recommended this to me, and I think it is a great shade to choose to be in a palette which you are just starting to create.

Cosmopolitan - The prettiest rose gold shimmer shade which I have ever seen. I have never come across a shade like this ever before, it is just so unique and gorgeous. On the lids it looks beautiful, as the golden, peachy tones really come through.

Glamorous - This can only be described as the perfect medium golden. It is great as an everyday shade as it stands out on its own, with its metallic shimmer throughout it. It contains orangery shades which makes it quite unique from any other shades in which I own.

Country Girl - This was last to be added to my basket. But I am so happy which I did it is a darken shimmer shade which contains brown tones but it contains deep red undertones which compliment each other beautifully.

Please let me know if there is any other essential shades which I need to add to my palette.

Lucy
xoxo


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Friday 15 January 2016

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush






I recently picked up a new Real Techniques Expert Face Brush thinking it was a replacement for the brush which I misplaced somewhere between home and uni. It turns out I have been saying that I have been using the expert face brush when in fact it was their buffing brush. I did not realise as I got the buffing brush as part of a collection a while back, and I just thought that they were the same brush. Anyway, I am really excited to put this to the test, but first impressions are that they are similar, except the buffing brush was a little larger and the bristles were less densely packed. I watched Sam's brush tutorial which explained that the expert face brush is perfect for foundation as it gives more coverage, whereas the buffing brush is more for a compact foundation or a creamed powder. I have never had a problem using the buffing brush for foundation, but if this does an even better job than I will be one happy girl! I love Real Techniques product, and I have never tried anything and not loved it.

What are your favourite Real Techniques brushes?

Lucy
xoxo

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Wednesday 13 January 2016

Deliciously Ella




So it's January, and this is the time where everyone decides that they are going to shape up and get fit! But, I am actually more determined than ever, to actually shake things up and adopt a healthier lifestyle. I having been wanting to pick up the cookbook Deliciously Ella by the blogger Ella Woodward for ages now, and I finally took the plunge last week and bought it. Now, I am very much a bigger lover of meat, and I know that there is no point me cutting it out because I enjoy eating it and I do not want to pressurise myself to restricting my diet to that extreme. But Ella's cookbook has really opened my eyes to the variation in which you can have following a vegan, plant-based diet. Other bloggers which I am huge fans of like Niomi Smart and Lily Melrose both follow a similar diet pattern to Ella. I decided myself to go gluten-free a few months ago, as I was sick of feeling so sluggish after eating my favourite carbs like rice and pasta. I have felt so much better in myself since I have done. I have always thought that a vegan / plant based type of diet would be so restrictive, but I have never really had my eyes opened to the types of foods which you can eat, which in fact is a huge variety. So here I am excited at the prospect of trying some of Ella's recipes and experimenting with new foods. She has so many amazing and adventurous recipes within her book including such a simple but tasty recipe for sweet potato wedges. I love how realistic she is and she says that this transition is gradual process for everyone, and to try and adapt this lifestyle slowing, as if you go in guns blazing you're setting yourself up to fail. Within the book she makes clear that she is not judging you and your choices, and if you still want to eat the occasional pizza when you go out with your friends - then do it. If you are more into having everything on your phone, she also had a really brilliant app which costs £2.99 and contains 200 recipes. This is so good for when you are on the go, and the app is really simple and well organised.

In the start of her book she has her staples which it what she suggests you stock up in your cupboard as they are the basis of all her recipes. I was worried that this was going to cost a lot of money and as a student I was unsure whether this lifestyle was going to be way out of my budget. I went online and did a bit of a scoop around the internet, and even though I had never heard of half of the ingredients they were in fact budget friendly. I have to say that there was a few items such as the coconut oil and acai berries which were expensive, but you do not need huge amounts of these ingredients and I think they would last you quite a while. I am going to start this next Monday, once I have shopping on Sunday and I am thinking that I might haul everything in which I pick up. Also, I am thinking of turning this into a bit of a series on my blog, to document how I am getting on. Would you like to see this type of a series?

Has anyone else got this book and completely fallen in love with it?

Lucy
xoxo

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Sunday 10 January 2016

Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay Cologne





I got the Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay Cologne for Christmas off my parents. My mum knows how much I adore the Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne, and she knows that Blackberry and Bay was another favourite. It has instantly become my go to fragrance, as it is sweet and lingers beautifully on the skin. I only wear fragrances which have a fruity scent as they are my favourite. You can definitely smell the scent of blackberries, but there is also a deeper fresh scent of woody tones running throughout it.

Everyone knows that Jo Malone isn't a cheap brand, but the colognes are above all other brands in my opinion. They are excellent presents and gifts for someone special, as they are not cheap. The 30ml bottle costs £42, but my previous bottle which I got in July has only gone down about 1/4 so they are great value for money.

Do you recommend any Jo Malone fragrances?

Lucy
xoxo


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Friday 8 January 2016

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer




I had been in need of a new concealer for a while now, but I could not quite make up my mind as to which one to go for. I always go for a high coverage concealer as I have some pesky blemishes on my chin which need to be covered. I decided to choose the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW15, as this is the shade which I choose for my foundation. I have been using this for a month now, and I have really been liking it. It is definitely a high coverage concealer, as it cover blemishes really well and it is also long lasting. The texture is quite creamy, and blends in really easily. I have previously been using my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, and it has a structured tip allows for precision on a smaller area. But I have recently bought this Lottie London Concealer brush, so I am excited to this new combination together. The concealer was quite expensive for a MAC product as it was £17,50, but I have been really enjoying using it and I would recommend it if you are in need of a high coverage concealer.

Lucy
xoxo
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Wednesday 6 January 2016

Lottie London Brushes




Whilst my mum was in the queue at BHS I stumbled across the Lottie London display. I have heard of this brand on a few blogs and it is also sold in SuperDrug, but I have never tried anything from the brand. I was instantly intrigued as everything on the display had been reduced by 50%. These were great value as they were just £2.50 each, which seemed like excellent value.

I hadn't heard of any particular great purchases from the brand, so I decided to just go with what I fancied. They have now all sold out on the BHS website, but you might still be able to snatch them up in store if you are quick. I picked up the All Eyes on You Shadow Brush, as you can never be short of these. I like the overall shape and size of the brush, and I am hoping it is a great addition to my collection. I didn't actually previously own any concealer brushes, and I thought this would help with precision when applying my concealer to smaller areas when covering blemishes. I really liked the look of the Conceal It Brush, the bristles look tightly packed and the oval shape will help with even application. I really like the two tone colouring to the brushes, they are really pretty and look lovely on my dressing table.

Have you tried any products from the Lottie London line?

Lucy
xoxo
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Sunday 3 January 2016

What I Picked Up in the Sales









So if you read am I mad for Boxing Day sale shop post you will know I am one of those people who gets up at 7.30 to get to the shops for when they open. Everyone has their own opinions, but it works well for me and my sister. This year everyone was queuing for Selfridges to get in before it opened and I wasn't about that, so I headed to Zara first. This was the best move I made all day. I picked up some great bargains, I was super happy with everything I bought. It was all great prices, I picked up two dresses, two tops, and a super soft tartan scarf for under £55 (everything's now sold out online!). I love Victoria's Secrets loungewear and it was all half price, however the queue to pay was horrendous it took at least half an hour, but there was no way I was leaving my tracksuit on the rails! We had to go back to the car for a pitch stop to drop off our huge bags, and go back for round 2. We went into Boots, and this was definitely an experience. I am totally for treating yourself and spending your money which you have been gifted. However, can someone please explain to me why one person needs 30 perfume sets to themselves. It bamboozles me totally, and i can not deal with people scrapping over perfume. At the end of the day it is only perfume. I had seen this amazing fluffy pink coat in M&S whilst shopping with my mum, and I totally loved it but it was a bit pricey at £85. My mum said she would buy it me as an extra present if it went into the sale, and because she's the best she treated it me as it had gone down to £55. It's so lovely, and come on in Britain you are never short of needing a new coat. With all of my other shopping now completed, I headed to the mothership - Lush. All the Christmas products were half price so I picked up a Butterbear (98p), Candy Mountain (£1.50), Shoot for the Stars £1.83) and Stardust (1.48). I think sometimes in Lush you can get totally carried away, but you have to sit back and think am I actually going to use the masses in which you feel the need to buy. In this moment I was pretty good with self restraint. If you still need to stock up in Lush I went into my local stores yesterday and there was still a lot left, so it might be worth you taking a trip to your nearest branch. By this time it was getting ridiculously busy, and my patience was wearing very thin. I have definitely spent far too much money, and my bank balance was looking tired.

All in all, I got lots of great things and I have not bought anything which I regret buying or bought impulsively!

Lucy
xoxo
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