15 Days of Nails Challenge (via MakeupSavvy)

Hello Lovelies,

I have decided to take part (or at least try to) in Fee's over at Makeup Savvy, '15 Days of Nails Challenge'. It is essentially where you post a different nail look every day for 15 days. Each day has a theme (list below.) Feel free to take part in this challenge, (although credit Fee for the idea) and if you do, let me know as I would love to see your looks. 

List of Themes

1.Brights

2.Pattern

3.Chic

4.*Galaxy**

5.Nude

6.#Glitter#

7.Neon

8.Leopard Print

9.Red

10.Gradient

11.Metallic

12.Stripes |||

13.*Film Inspired*

14.Dots...

15.Anything!

Today's theme is 'Brights' and this is my spin on it... 

I was trying to work out how to incorporate a bright nail polish, without being boring, but also without going a bit OTT. 

I eventually decided to go for this gorgeous bright pink from Ciate called Jelly Bean then paint the cute bows on my ring finger, inspired by the gorgeous bottles. 

To draw on the bows I used my Loreal liquid liner, then added a small dot of Sweet as Sugar nail polish (post on that here) to add definition. I finished off with a layer of Seche Vite.

I love this look as it is nice and bright with a cute little twist (or bow!) 

Link me to your posts and go and check out Fee's take on brights here.

Hope you are having a lovely day :)

Much Love

Lou

xx


P.S I you haven't entered my giveaway you can do do here. Only 2 days left! :)

Empties #1

Hello Lovelies!

So exams are FINALLY over. Five science exams in 2 weeks is never going to be fun really is it? I am however. incredibly excited that it is over (and after rather a lot of laptop hiccups along the way) I am back to blogging again :)

I have used up a lot of products in the last couple of months and instead of throwing them away, I have carted all the empty bottles, boxes and jars back home from uni so I can show you lovely people what I have used and what I thought of them.

Just a warning, this is a very long post...

 LUSH Creamed Almond and Coconut Smoothie

This product is described on the tub as 'a beautiful shower soap for dry skin smelling of vanilla and ylang ylang' They have in fact, got the scent description pretty accurate, it definitely has almond in there too, but although its has coconut in the name, it isn't overly obvious or overwhelming. I bought this at least a year ago now and it has taken a very long time for me to get through it, I used in conjunction with the LUSH Glorious Mud Shower Scrub to create a paste like mask for all over the body (yum...) I found that it left my skin feeling super smooth and smelling lovely. I would rather use it in conjunction with something else though, as alone it leaves that strange squeaky soap feel all over the skin - that I don't particularly like. I would repurchase this but only if I bought the mud scrub at the same time. (They have however, discontinued it, so that throws my dilemma out of the window!)

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer,

When I first applied this cult hair treatment it was to wet hair and I hated it. I had no idea what all  the blimmin'  fuss was about! It just so happens, that I then did a little research and it turns out I was doing it wrong *doh!* I reapplied it to dry, newly coloured hair (pink and purple dip-dye dontcha know ;) and it was amazing, my hair was super soft and shiny even after it had been bleached. I received this sample size in the FeelUnique beauty box before it was discontinued otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. It is way too pricey for me to consider purchasing although if you are not a penniless student then I would highly recommend it!

Garnier Intensive 7 days Ultra Softening Lotion (Dry to Extra-Dry Skin)

There is not much I can say about this product as it is fantastic. It is light weight, sinks into the skin really quickly, is very nourishing and smells divine. It is also a bargain at around £2.99 here and is a definite repurchase for my hols!

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Body Cream

Another fabulous moisturiser. Much thicker than the Garnier one so I would recommend leaving it on overnight to sink in. I also really loved the spongy, souffle like texture to this one as it was something a bit different. As with all Soap & Glory products it smells heavenly. Its in a mid price range at £10.50 for 300ml  from Boots (often on 3 for 2). Would repurchase if I didn't like to experiment and try new things so much!

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover

This is a pretty standard polish remover. It does the job, doesn't make a mess, smells reasonable (but I wouldn't recommend sniffing it...) and it is reasonably priced. I'm not too sold on the whole 'whitening' aspect but this is my go to remover and I have already bought a new one.

Soap & Glory The Scrub of Your Life

Yet another lovely Soap & Glory product. This one smells like the much loved Hand Food and Righteous Butter (I think its their 'pink' scent.) It is a very good scrub. It doesn't leave an oily residue which is a nightmare when shaving and is abrasive enough to get rid of dry skin. I would have repurchased this if it wasn't for my new love (also Soap & Glory) which a post is coming up for very soon!

Elnett Satin Diamond Hold Hair Spray,

I have been using this since I was around 13 and still love it. I have already repurchased this. Enough said :)

Phyto Express Conditioner for Colour Treated Hair

This was a sample in another of the FeelUnique Beauty Boxes. I literally cannot tell you my opinion on this. It's all a bit meh really. My hair wasn't particularly damaged at the time of use and there wasn't really enough in the sample to make a proper judgement on the product. I suppose it's always good to use things up though! Has anyone used this and liked/disliked it? I'd be rather intrigued to know.

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream,

I love this stuff. Its thick yet absorbs quickly, highly moisturising, great for my dry, sensitive skin and if the Pixiwoo girls love it then that's good enough for me! Wonderfully inexpensive and definitely a repurchase (when it is actually in stock!) Available for £7.65 here.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser Dry/Sensitive Formulation

I wasn't impressed with this product at all. I was actually rather disappointed with it considering how much I love the Cleanse and Polish. I will be posting a separate review with my reasoning soon. There are definitely better products out there that are much cheaper (see above!)

And finally, some products that are on their last legs so I thought I'd give them an honorary mention...

Lily Flame Parma Violets Candle

This smells just like Parma Violets, therefore I love it, therefore I am rather sad that it has about 10 minutes of burn time left. Definite repurchase if I can justify the price *sad face*. Available here, my mum has the Fairy Dust one which is also a lovely clean, fresh scent.

MAC Brush Cleanser,

This is a pretty standard, well known product. I have had it for ages and it does the job well along with disinfecting my brushes. It is pretty pricey though but it does take me a while to get through. Available here if you think its worth the £8.50 price tag. I'm on the fence really...

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner

I don't really have spot prone skin but it's nice to have something gentle, yet effective on hand for those times when your face decides to erupt over night (luverleee ;) When I feel like I'm starting to break out more than usual or I just feel like my skin needs a deeper cleanse, I use this as my toner for a couple of days and it clears my skin right up. It is also one of those clear skin products that tingles and feels as though it is actually working, which for me is always a bonus! A lovely product. It is available here for the rather reasonable £4.50.

Elemis Exotic Lime and Ginger Hand and Body Wash

This is yet another beauty box sample. It is a lovely luxurious shower gel that smells very earthy and gingery which I loved. A good night time bath/shower scent that I thoroughly enjoyed using. The price yet again put me off (at £18.50 for 300ml I would personally class it as extortion :P) but if you fancy a bit of luxury it is available here.

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion.

I have a love hate relationship with this product so I will just list the good and bad points that I have found when using this and you can make your own mind up...

Good

• Fabulously moisturising
• Good for sensitive skin
• Long lasting moisture
• Sinks into skin quickly

Bad

• Can do the evil 'bits of roley product that go all bobbly on the skin' thing :| (I sincerely hope that made sense) but that is never a good look:P 
• The smell isn't too fantastic (kind of organic *good for you* food shop oatmeally smell) I personally find it foul but it doesn't stay on the skin at all so I can put up with it!

Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Remover

This is another staple in my skincare routine. It is just a standard, inexpensive and very gentle eye make-up remover that I find works very well :)

Phew!

Considering I haven't posted for ages I really can ramble on!

Anyhooo, well done if you made it this far :)

If you would like any in depth reviews please let me know and I will try and do them for you!

Much Love

Lou

xx

Fragrance Friday #2

Hello Lovelies :)

Welcome to the second edition of Fragrance Friday. I've had a lovely week, really happy and relaxed. I even got around to starting my youtube channel, finally :)

This week I'm reviewing:

 Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci.

I actually mentioned this in my Fall Loves tag video as one of my favourite autumnal perfumes :) I really do love this one, it was another duty free purchase and its just so pretty!

Review:

Packaging

I think this is one of my favourite perfume bottles. It's a lovely rich pink, the bow is gorgeous and it fits really ergonomically in the hand. It's also very sturdy and well made.

Price

This one is fairly pricey at £39.50. This aside, it is an Eau de Parfum(so it lasts longer on the skin) and it is 50ml. This has lasted me just over a year and I have around 1/5th left.

Scent

The scent is very floral and sweet smelling. It has hints of Bergamot, Sandalwood and Cinnamon. It's a very deep rich scent that almost feels cosy when you spray it. Definitely A/W appropriate.

Final Thoughts

I adore this perfume. The simple fact that I have nearly used it up shows that. I find that it is a fantastic evening scent that makes you feel girly and glamourous for anight out:)

Much Love

Lou

xxx

Benefit Bargain

Hello Lovelies,

I popped into Leeds City Centre today for a few essentials and maybe a few treats as well :P. All in all it was a pretty disastrous trip. However, before everything started to go a little down hill (more info on that another time) I did manage to pick up this little bargain...

Benefit Powder Pop! Travel Set.

 I was in Boots, mooching around the Benefit counter, it was lovely and quiet so the lady at the counter started chatting to me. I was in a relatively good mood so I had a little chat back (she was rather friendly) when she mentioned this. 

 I must admit, it did catch my eye :P. 3 blushes in one little box, what's not to like. I was just about to dismiss it, thinking 'you cannot spend more money on make up Lucy' when she mentioned the price. £15!!!! 

 I was shocked, I was expecting it to be around £30. Benefit is an expensive company as it is, plus the individual box powders retail at around £23 so I though it would be at least that much. To my cosmetic obsessed mind, this is a serious bargain :D

Apparently it was released at Christmas in a gift set and has been rereleased for the Summer as a travel set, at a lower price. Not sure how accurate that is but thats what I remember her saying :)

Anyway, enough of the ramble :)

The three powders it comes with are:

Coralista, a lovely coral (obviously) blush with a hint of shimmer, a gorgeous colour and my first coral blush. Very excited to try this one out.

Dandelion, a pale shimmery pink blush/highlighter. You can never go wrong with a subtle pink blush in my opinion :P

Dallas, A lovely light bronzer. My very first bronzer :O so i will let you know how I get on with this. I may be converted, or i may just stick to the old 'English Rose' look.

It also comes with a surprisingly soft and rather adorable little brush:)

So cute :D

Apparently they sell out quickly so snap it up while you can ;). Plus if you got to boots its extra points on your card. Everyone's a winner.

Much Love

Lou

xx

Beautiful Bottle, Beautiful Scent...

Evening Lovelies :)

During my annual Summer Holiday with the family, earlier this year I spent a long, long time in the wonderful duty free at Gatwick airport. This glorious haven of reduced beauty products is where I discovered this...

Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci

I sprayed this onto my wrist at Gatwick and left it to settle. I wanted it. However, I could not justify spending that much of my Holiday money before we'd even stepped onto the plane. So, off i trundled to Croatia!!

On the way back I just so happened to take a quick look in the minuscule duty free overseas. Having spent very little during the 2 weeks, I spotted this and decided to go for it. It cost me around 500 kuna  (around £32) I then skipped on home very very pleased with myself for this tantalizing find :D

Anyway, onto the review.

Looks

I think the bottle is just beautiful and the packaging certainly drew me in, almost as much as the scent itself. The bottle is of lovely quality and I adore the way the lid is part of the ribbon, so delicately wrapped around the bottle itself. Of course another bonus is its luxurious deep pink hue so it looks gorgeous sat on my dressing table next to all my other perfumes.

Scent

On the website this is described as 'The new mischievous fragrance by Nina Ricci' it also says...

''Glamorous and audacious, Ricci Ricci embodies a new urban heroine in the Parisian and sophisticated universe of Nina Ricci. Her power lies in her ribbon she plays with to colour and beautify the world with fantasy and poetry.

Fragrance

Ricci Ricci is a fresh and sensual floral built around the Beauty of the Night flower.

Full of contrasts, the fragrance is easy-to-wear, branded and extremely feminine. It is designed for an optimistic and self-confident woman.

Daring, the sparkling top notes of Rhubarb and Bergamot bring a modern freshness. The middle note is floral, glamorous and feminine. It is built around the Rose Centifolia and the Indian Tuberose, and is enhanced by the Beauty of the Night, a unique and mysterious flower that reveals Ricci Ricci’s personality. Sensual and elegant, the base note comes with warm, deep notes of Patchouli Fraction and Sandalwood.''

I must say, I totally agree with this description. To me, when spritzed, the scent is quite strong and musky with a hint of spice that makes me feel all cosy and wintry. Then, as it settles it sits well on the skin and takes on more of a floral note, not too overpowering and non offensive to anyone sat near you. Its staying power is brilliant as being an Eau De Parfum the scent lingers all day.

Overall this is one of my favourite perfumes coming only second best to my beloved M&S 'Peruna' which is a purse loving £15 for 50ml.

I would definitely recommend giving this a go when you are next in boots. Why not let me know what you think? Do you own this already? Would you purchase it?

Until Next Time

Much Love

Lou

xxx