Breakfast In Bed

I had been lusting after Rita Ora's nail polish collection for Rimmel for so long, and this shade 'Breakfast In Bed' was top of my list. I would class this shade as mint green, borderline baby blue. It appears more like a pastel mint in person than it translates in these photos, but nonetheless is a beautiful spring shade. Mint green nails are my ultimate favourite, and what could be more apt for spring? This shade is particularly beautiful as it has a really subtle shimmer running through it to create a really pretty effect. I painted my nails on Saturday and took these photographs today- there are no chips as of yet which is pretty great. I love the colour range and they do dry really fast, but I would apply a second coat even though it claims to need one coat only. My only problem was that I found the formula a little thick in applying two coats to the point where it messed up the previous coat if you know what I mean? It looks pretty good once dry though so I wouldn't bypass these. I also picked up the shade 'White Hot Love' which I can't wait to try as I adore white nails so much, especially this season. 

Have you guys tried any of Rita's collection?

xox

Bronze Smoky Eye

One of my favourite looks from the Naked 3 palette is a golden bronze smoky eye. I think this look is particularly gorgeous because it is quite different to the more pinky toned shades in the palette, yet is still just as soft and pretty. To begin I used one of my favourite eye products ever, everyone's favourite Maybelline's colour tattoo in 'On and On Bronze'. I then swept the shade 'factory' all over the lid and up to the crease. I then used 'darkside' to blend into the crease and paying attention to the outer corner to create an extended effect. Then just clean everything up with a cotton bud to even out and make sure there are no harsh lines or fall out. I then went in with 'mugshot' blending this into the centre of the lid. On a small brush I mixed shades 'factory' and 'darkside' gently under the lower lashline to balance everything out. As a highlight, instead of using something cream toned as I usually opt, I went for the copper gold shade 'trick' to still draw attention to this part of the eye and make the eye look wider. As these shadows can produce some fall out, especially 'trick' which is super glittery, I would advise following up with concealer after the eye make-up as opposed to doing it before so you don't ruin your face make-up. As standard I went in with two trusty favourites, my collection liquid liner and Maybelline The Rocket mascara.

Hope you like the look, and what are your favourite looks from the Naked 3 palette?

xox

Miracle Product- Invisibobble: The Traceless Hair Ring

I first discovered the magic of Invisibobble in Glamour magazine, in which they mentioned this miraculous radical new product which was available in a beauty box. When I found out that it was stocked in Boots, I had to check it out. I have naturally quite long, thick hair which means when I have it high on my head, it weighs it down quite a lot to the point where it hurts. Even worse, when I take my hair out it is always kinked. Invisibobble however claimed not to do this, claiming that it is traceless, avoids headaches, no split ends, and yet still creates a strong grip to keep your hair intact all day. I have to say this product has proved to fulfill all of these promises. It is certainly traceless and does not leave a kink, if I straighten my hair and then tie it back, later when I let it down it is still perfectly straight which saves time and effort when doing hair. I have no idea how it works as by the look of it, it looks like it would kink your hair like mad, but I was reading the science behind it and 

"the secret to invisibobble’s traceless outcome lies in its peculiar telephone cord shape. When it is wrapped around the hair, it places uneven pressure around the circumference of the ponytail; standard hair rings put even pressure on the hair, leaving an obvious mark. The uneven pressure produced by invisibobbles allows for the hair to be held strongly in the ponytail without being too tight. This gives individual hairs more space within the ponytail than they would have when wearing a normal hair band."

Invisibobble is £3.75 at Boots and comes with 3 hair rings. 

It is also available through Feelunique for the same price, and comes in a variety of different shades. I guarantee once you try this you will say farewell to standard hair ties! Have you guys tried/heard of Invisibobble?

xox

Spring Wishlist

My wishlist is never exactly empty, but lately for spring there is just so much out there that I had to compose a list. A lot of these are products which I have heard so much about that I feel I ought to try them, such as Sleek's brow kit which is so popular that it is almost always sold out, and the Stila palette which I have been putting off getting because let's face it, I don't really need it, but it would be so pretty for spring! Above all, I am absolutely in love with this tropical dress, I think it is just so perfect for this season and it makes me so excited for summer just looking at it. As for the make-up items, there is always something I have my eye on and above all is this beautiful nail polish which just screams spring, and the Rita Ora collection for Rimmel is just gorgeous. I am also thrilled to learn that Next now stock NYX which is fantastic if your like me and have wanted to try their hyped up products for ages. As for more lip products, I have swatched the shade 'in love with ginger' so many times and each time I just think it is the perfect orange-toned red which is so apt for summer, and I can't wait to try out some of Tanya Burr's lip glosses, this shade being particularly lust worthy.

1. Sleek brow kit, £8.49
2. Stila 'In The Light' shadow palette, £25
3. Barbie tee, Forever 21, £10.50
4. Tanya Burr lip gloss in 'Picnic in the Park', £6.99
5. Topshop Island print dress, £32
6. Beyonce Surfboard sweater, $65
7. NYX lip gloss in 'beige', £6 available at Next
8. Rimmel 60 seconds Rita Ora nail polish in 'Breakfast in Bed', £3.69
9. Rimmel moisture renew lipstick in 'In Love With Ginger', £6.49

xox

My Go-To Evening Make-up Look Using Urban Decay NAKED 3 Palette

To create this evening look using the Naked 3 palette, I started by using a cream shadow base to make sure everything stayed in place all night. I used my Maybelline Color Tattoo in the shade 'Pink Gold', which I am absolutely loving at the moment as it works beautifully on its own for a natural effect, but also acts brilliantly as a base, giving the eye shadow something to cling onto. Next, using the palette, I took the shade 'Limit' using the flat shader brush from the palette, swiping this across the lid up to the crease. I then swept 'Nooner' through the crease to add definition. Then I took one of my favourite shades, 'Dust', and swept this over 'limit', paying particular attention to the center and inner part of the eye to create a brightening effect. I then used the darkest shade in the palette, 'Blackheart', using the fluffy side of the brush and swept this across the crease for added definition, paying particular attention to the outer corner of the eye to create an eye-opening, winged effect. I then blended the edges with a clean brush and repeated to build up the pigment for intensity. Next, I cleaned up the edges using a cotton bud to make sure everything was even and clean looking. I then went in with the highlighting shade, 'Strange', and applied this to the tear duct and brow bone for extra brightness, balancing out the smoky eye. 

All that was left for the eyes was for me to use my trusty liquid liner from Collection, and lashings of mascara- my choice for this look was The Rocket Volum' Express from Maybelline, which is great for creating that false lash effect. I would advise getting the waterproof version as this prevents any smudging whatsoever and is super long lasting. On my waterline I used a new product which I am trying out from Too Faced, their waterproof eyeliner in 'Perfect Peacock', a beautiful turquoise shade to add something a bit different to the look instead of classic black kohl which would create a harsher effect. Hope you like the look and I will be bringing you my everyday make-up look using this palette soon!

Lucy

xox

Current 'Holy Grail' Products

So seen as I have been M.I.A for a seriously long time, I feel like a post on my current favorites is more than overdue. Instead of doing an explicit favorites post, these are a select few items which I literally could not be without in my make-up bag; all items which I would repurchase over and over again, so-called 'holy grail' products if you like. I have been using all of these for at least 3 months, hence I have thoroughly tested them and can honestly vouch for them.

Let's start with the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I got this at Christmas as a gift and I was literally so overjoyed. I was desperate to do a post on it and share my love but without a camera or a phone with a flash, that was pretty difficult. I am sure by this point everybody is sick and tired of hearing how amazing the much anticipated Naked 3 palette is and I'm fairly confident that the majority of bloggers/YouTubers out there own this thing and already know how wonderful it is, but if you haven't got your hands on it yet, what are you waiting for?! The quality of these shadows is unparalleled which I am sure goes without saying, one swipe offers super strong pigmentation and incredible staying power, which for £37 for 12 shadows, in comparison with around £12 for just one MAC shade, is a no brainer. It truly is as good as people say and I must have used it more or less every day I've worn make-up since I got it, evening or daytime. It is simply the most stunning palette ever, and my favorite out of the three of them by a country mile. Shortly after Christmas I brought the Naked 2 to complete my set as I heard that it was many people's favorite out of the three, but for me this is my perfect palette. Literally if I had to customize my own palette, i'm pretty sure it would look something like this, pink and sparkly, yet surprisingly wearable. Out of the 12 shades, all but 3 are shimmery, but the 3 matte shades are all you need to create the perfect smoky eye. Although the pinkness of the palette might put some people off, the shades are so muted and neutral that they are extremely wearable, yet they add such a unique element to your make-up look which makes you look refined and polished, with an edge. I find this is a really sophisticated day-time look; my favorite day-to-day is to use limit across the lid, then blend nooner into the crease, finished with strange in the inner corner and brow bone. It is by no means overpowering or too heavy, yet it seriously adds something to the everyday face with such minimal effort. As for the evening, my favorite is to do pretty much the same but with blackheart blended into the crease for a more dramatic and glamorous look. I will be doing posts soon featuring my favorite looks from this palette, so stay peeled for that! 

Before I forget that this post is not just about the Naked 3 palette, I'll move on to the best bronzer ever. This is the Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder from The Body Shop, and it is seriously the best one I've ever tried, so much so that I find it impossible to go back to anything else. The thing that makes this so wonderful is how incredibly natural it makes you look, literally giving you the feeling of having just been in the natural sun. It comes in 4 shades, and I have the third one, yet even the fourth shade is not too dark. This bronzer is completely matte which is perfect for contouring, and literally a beautiful tan color which never looks orange. Unless you have super fair skin, I would recommend going for shade 3 which isn't too dark at all; no matter how much you apply, it still just looks like that perfect after-holiday tanned glow. I've almost hit pan on mine now which is exciting because I never normally love bronzers as much as this, and at £13 I think this is totally worth it. 

My favorite blush these days is the Rose Gold blush from Sleek, which as you can see in the image above, is super beautiful. To me, this just screams spring/summer. It is a pinky peach tone with golden flecks of shimmer, a shade which I only whip out normally this time of year. The pigmentation of Sleek blushers is unreal, the best I have tried from the drugstore for sure. Due to the highlighting effect which is super pretty in the daylight, highlighter is not necessary, yet unlike a lot of blushers that have shimmer, this still retains that pop of color which makes it an absolute steal at just £4.49. 

My favorite lipstick not only right now, but possibly ever (big claim I know), is the Collection Deluxe lipstick in 02 Talullah. I wear this literally every day. It is the perfect every day pink, your lips but better shade. I whack this on no matter what make-up I have on purely because I know it will go beautifully. Not only in the day, this goes stunningly with a dramatic smoky eye, I particularly love wearing this with my nighttime take on the Naked 3 palette. The formula of these lipsticks is seriously a winner, another favorite of mine during the winter holidays was prohibition from the same line, they are super nourishing and smooth, creamy and pigmented which is a rare combination which reminds me very much of MAC cremesheen lipsticks. At £3.99, this is an absolute gem. And they smell wonderful which always makes me happy!

Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer is the best concealer ever. I'm actually convinced, and I don't want to even try others which are undoubtedly much more expensive, purely because this works so well, and at just £4.19 it is seriously under priced! I have been using this for so long now, I have the lightest shade for under my eyes which is so good at brightening and concealing dark circles, and then I have the second shade for any redness/blemishes/scars and all that nasty stuff. If you haven't tried this yet go for it, I swear you won't need to use another concealer again. 

I am also pretty sure that I have found my favorite mascara. This is a big deal because I must change my mascara every time one runs out. It is Max Factor's Masterpiece Max High Volume & Definition Mascara. The length this gives my lashes is seriously unbeatable, so much so that numerous people think they are false, totally worth it for £9.99. This tube is running out and I will be repurchasing it for sure. 

Another great discovery is Maybelline's Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara. I always used to just use clear mascara to shape and keep my brows intact, but this is so much better because not only does it do this, but it adds a tiny bit of color to make them more defined and set my powder in place. Such a winner at £4.99 as well!

Finally, I went back to my old favorite liquid eyeliner. I had been using gel for a while but I found it more smudgy and messy to work with, whereas I find liquid liner more slick and sophisticated, with better staying power. My all time favorite is Collection's Fast Stroke eyeliner. Wow, Collection are seriously on it because this stuff is insane. It is blacker than black, thick and totally opaque. You don't have to keep building it for intensity, just a few swipes and you have the perfect cat eye. This is actually what helped me learn how to perfect liquid liner due to the super precise nib which is the perfect thickness and really easy to control. If you are a beginner at liner or if you just find it tricky, seriously grab your hands on this! At £2.99, I will be buying this for life.

XO

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint: 'Rose Hip'

If you haven't yet tried any of the Gelly range from Barry M, they have just brought out lots of new stunning colors perfect for this season. On one of my recent trips to Superdrug I came across this little beauty from Barry M. In terms of nail polish, for me I always revert back to Barry M, and especially this Gelly range which is seriously unbeatable stuff; super opaque after two coats, totally non gloopy, excellent shine and staying power. This shade immediately grabbed me as I found it to be incredibly similar to Essie's highly popular 'Figi'. For me, this is the perfect pink pastel neutral shade for spring and summer which I find so sophisticated and classic. It is the kind of shade to put on when you don't quite know which to choose, knowing that this beauty will most likely match anything. Due to the glossy formula, a top coat is not necessary as it provides a super shiny finish which lasts; I have been sporting this for around 4 days now with seriously no chips. I will be wearing this all throughout spring and I'm even considering this to be my holiday nail color. What's more, the name is seriously cute. At just £3.99 for what is essentially, a beautiful color and a top coat, this is seriously purse friendly and I'm already eyeing up the rest of the range which is simply stunning. This season also focuses on matching nails and lips, and this pink neutral shade is easily matched with minimal effort to be seriously on trend.

XO

New Love: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

First of all, apologies for disappearing since my last post which was erm, 17 July... 

I hadn't totally forgotten about blogging but I guess I kind of got distracted with summer, starting university and then my camera totally broke when perfume exploded in my bag on a night out, oops. Anyhow, I'm back. I have a new camera that my sister very kindly gave me and lots of new products to rant about. This post existed as a draft from way back last summer, so I thought I may as well finish it seen as I am still absolutely in love with these Revlon Just Bitten kissable balm stains. 

The staying power of these is unreal. Even though it's a heck of a long time ago, I remember wearing the shade Lovesick before my flight home from Cyprus, and no kidding, the stain was still intact after a full night of travelling- true test of staying power that is. I adore lovesick, it is a bright fuchsia which is so perfect now spring/summer is swinging back round again. A much more muted option is honey, a beautifuly demure everyday shade which would be perfect with any look. The formula of these is seriously wonderful, they apply fairly opaque and you can build it up to the point of a lipstick, yet you could as easily wear as a sheer stain. They have a glossy finish which is perfect as spring and summer is all about the glossy lips trend. If that's not enough to convince you, they smell deliciously of mint! I seriously adore these and can't wait to try the ColorBurst lacquer and matte balms, have you guys tried these?

XO