And the Winner is...

Hello Lovelies,

Today I'm going to announce the winner of my 100 followers giveaway. I was overwhelmed with the amount of entries I received especially on my little ol' blog. Thank you to every one that entered!

Image from We Heart It

Drum roll please!!.....

And the winner is...

Jen

Congratulations! An email is on its way to you as we speak:)

She also has a great blog so make sure you go and have a gander at that.

If you didn't win this time, keep your eyes peeled as I'm sure there will be more giveaways to come. 

Much Love

Lou

x

Fragrance Friday #5

Hello Lovelies,

This week I will be reviewing...

Lovely Prism by Givency

(Sorry for the rubbish photo!)

I bought this years ago and have a little bit of a love hate relationship with it. I think the scent is nice but it might be a little old for me so I dont wear it all that often. It was also a gift from my late Grandmother when I was very young, so it holds sentimetal value.

Packaging

I actually really love the packaging for this. Im not so keen on the reflective box, but the bottle itself is lovely. I really like the subtle geometrical shape that ties in nicely with the givenchy logo. It feels very sturdy and it looks really nice on display.

Price

As I've had this for literally years and years (I think it was my first perfume) I have no idea of the price. Although it is an Eau de Toilette so I don't imagine it was hugely expensive.

Scent

There is nothing special about this scent to me. It is a lot more floral than I normally like which I think adds to the fact I think it is slightly old for me. I do like it although I would describe it as an expensive soap smell. So very fresh and clean, but not something I would normally choose in a perfume. That is personal opinion though, some of you may find this your perfect scent.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this is a nice perfume with lovely packaging, although nothing special. It is slightly too floral for my taste but if thats what you normally look for in a perfume you would probably enjoy this :)

Much Love

Lou

xxx

15 Days of Nails Challenge #3 Chic

Hello Lovelies,

Its time for day 3 of The 15 Days of Nails Challenge. I'm also going to be posting the latest Fragrance Friday instalment later on, so look out for that!

Today's theme is 'Chic' and this is my take on it...

When I think of chic nails I think of one simple, classic colour. Often quite a dark colour, but nothing too harsh. One of my go to nail polishes for this look is Ciate's Wait Until Dark. It is a beautiful deep pearlescent purple, it is nice and dark, without being too Gothic or OTT.

This is quite a simple look today, but I love it non the less.

Link me to your posts below.

Much Love

Lou

xx

15 Days of Nails Challenge #2 Pattern

Hello Lovelies,

Today is the second day in the 15 Days of Nails Challenge and the theme is 'Pattern'.

I wanted to do something pretty but abstract at the same time. This is why I came up with this blossom design...

Now I am aware that this style of look has been done a lot before, but I thought I would try my own take on it and am rather pleased with how it turned out. Its nice and girly, but not in a sickly sweet kind of way (not that there is anything wrong with that :P)

You may recognise some of these colours from recent posts. The reason for this is I am still on holiday and have a limited amount of nail polishes to work with! Lets see if I can pull this challenge off for the next 3 days shall we without my stock:) 

As per usual I started off with two coats of OPI Nail Envy Original. For the base I used Sweet as Sugar by Rimmel, I then used my Loreal Super Liner to Draw the stems in. For the Flowers I used a mixture of Ciate's Jelly Bean and Mistress and OPI Sweet Heart along with the end of a kirby grip (as a dotting tool.) I then finished off with a coat of Seche Vite. 

So that's it folks!

I hope you are having a lovely day and make sure you check out Fee's post along with the others taking part here.

Much Love

Lou

x

P.S Today is the last day of my Giveaway. You can enter here if you haven't already done so! Good Luck :)

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! :)

Sweet as Sugar

Hello Lovelies,

As you may be able to tell, I am trying to be a good blogger and keep up with my posts:P I'm sure you are all thinking by now 'yeah yeah we've heard that before!' but lets see how I manage this time shall we?

I thought I would post a short yet sweet NOTD for you all today. I am still on holiday so took advantage of the beautiful surroundings to take some photos.

This nail polish was part of a lovely, unexpected gift from an equally lovely friend on my birthday. The colour is Rimmel's 'Sweet as Sugar' and it is a lovely pale blue. Simple and chic, with a fantastic colour pay off. This was three coats although I only really needed two.

As per usual I used OPI Nail Envy Original as my base coat and Seche Vite as my top coat.

(Apologies for the slightly shoddy paint job, there are pretty flowers to make up for it :)

I have got into a nice routine with my nail upkeep recently, so if you would like to see a post on this let me know:) 

Also, let me know what your go to nail polishes are and if you have any recommendations for me.

Otherwise, have a lovely day!

Much Love 

Lou

xx

Holiday Outfit #1

Hello Lovelies!

Sorry for the lack of posts yet again. I was going to do a Fragrance Friday post as I had scheduled then realised I had forgotten to take the pictures! Ahhh:') I was considering putting an official image up instead then decided that isn't what my blog is about. I hope you'll understand:)

 If you follow me on twitter, you'll be aware that I am currently on holiday in France. The weather has been lovely up until today when the skies just let loose and went a bit mental!

I also had to watch the Olympic opening ceremony in French, it was quite the experience. Personally I thought it was fantastic, which is saying something considering I was expecting an utter catastrophe:P Well done Boyle!

I thought I'd post a quick OOTD for you all as I have a couple of holiday snaps available.

NB: My technologically challenged mum took this picture on her camera, so apologies if it isn't 'artsy' enough ;)

H&M Hat

Primark Vest

Next Hoodie

H&M Shorts

Floozie by Frost French Flip Flops

Next Bag

H&M Sunglasses

Other than an apology for my lack of makeup and hair upkeep and my pasty legs that is all:)

Hope you are having a lovely Summer wherever you all are!

Many posts planned for when I'm back.

Much Love

Lou

xxx

P.S If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, you can do so here. :)

Fragrance Friday#4

Hello Lovelies!

Fragrance Friday is back! As you may have noticed it went a little MIA recently and of course I take full responsibility (it didn't dun away on its own:P) Anyway, I have still got a few perfumes in my collection that I want to review, so I'll try to keep up with these posts until I run out!

This week I will be reviewing...

212 VIP by Carolina Herrera

(apologies for the not so good picture. Mirrored objects are a nightmare to photograph!)

Now I know I always say this, but I think this may just be my favourite (aside from Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci which has almost run out!*sad face*) I have had this for just over a year now and it is just so scrumdiddlyumptious!

Packaging

For me this gets a HUGE thumbs up. It is really glamorous yet very simple and chic. The box matches the bottle nicely too with lovely gold detailing. The bottle is heavy and of very nice quality with a magnetic clasp (which my inner nerd and scientist loves! So satisfying when it clicks shut :') It just looks really beautiful sat on my mantelpiece.

Price

This retails at £46 for 50ml but is currently on sale here. Now this is rather pricey for a perfume, but when you take into account the beautiful design of the bottle and the fact it is an Eau de Parfum it makes it seem slightly more reasonable. I personally don't mind the price as I have only used half of it in a year. It also lasts all day on my skin.

Scent

Now I would describe this as more of an evening scent as it is quite heavily scented (yet not overpowering.) It is a very musky Vanilla scent with hints of Jasmin. So its very sweet but not at all sickly. On the The Perfume Shop website it is described as 'Oriental Vanilla' which I think sums it up perfectly.

Final Thoughts

Overall this is a lovely warm perfume perfect for evenings and special occasions. It isn't cheap but you get what you pay for and it lasts a long time.

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet you can do so here.

What is your favourite perfume of the moment? Let me know in the comments:)

Have a lovely day, Much Love

Lou

xxx

100 Followers Givaway!!

Hello Lovelies,

First of all, I want to apologise for how long it has been since I promised this. I've had to tackle exams, moving my stuff back home and being skint since then, so not much fun :P

However, I still wanted to do this as reaching 100 followers just felt mind blowing to me. The simple fact that just one person wants to read my blog is lovely. Also, since then I have actually reached 200! I cannot thank you all enough, the lovely comments you leave me always brighten my day and make blogging worth while. Lots of love and snuggles for you all!! :D

I wanted to do a little giveaway just to give something back. The items I chose are half products I already own and love, and half new releases/highly commended products. I was going to make all of them products I already have, however most of my collection consists of things that have to be matched to skin tone/colour and I wanted to make sure anyone that wins could use all of the products fully :)

So what could you win?

Kleenex Make-up Removing Wipes

These are my go to remover wipes. They featured in my June Favourites video, great for sensitive skin and remove makeup really well.

Collection 200 Shimmer Shades in Way To Glow

I don't own this but I have used it before and I love it. It was also recommended by Louise over at Sprinkle of Glitter, so that proves its awesome!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush

These have literally just hit stores in the UK. I have the same shade and absolutely love it. A lovely colour and very moisturising.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in Permanent Taupe

I also own two of these, they are a lovely creamy texture and also really blendible. I thought this shade would work with most skin tones :) (I hope at least!)

Blistex Intensive Moisturiser

This stuff is amazing. It literally saves my lips in Winter when they're dry and is great before applying lipstick.

So, without further or do here is how to enter...

1.For one entry, write in the comments below a suggestion for any blog posts you would like to see.

2.For one entry write on twitter 'I have entered Lucy's @Makeup4Biochem 100 follower giveaway. Have you entered yet? :)'

You can do both of these for two entries however you can only enter once each way :)

Also remember to leave your twitter handle in the comments if you entered via Twitter.

Terms and Conditions

*EDIT* -You must follow this blog on GFC, Hello Cotton or Blog Lovin' (state which one in comments)
-If you are under 18 you must have your parents permission ( I will need your address and don't want to look like a creepy mc creeperson:')
-The winner will be chosen at random using random.org
-You must leave your email in the comments so I can get in touch with you if you win.
-The contest will be open from now until next Thursday the 2nd August (so 3 weeks)


That's all you have to do!
Thank you again, I love each and every one of you!
Good Luck :)


Much Love
Lou
xx

June Favourites

I know this is a little late this month, but I thought better late than never right? I have really enjoyed using so many different products this month. Much more than usual, so the video is a little rambley. June has literally flown by for me, I had my first year Uni exams at the beginning of the month so that took up a lot of my time. However, I am finally back in the swing of things with Youtube and my videos etc. Im even moving to a new blog and Youtube channel very soon.

This new blog needs a name and as much as I try, I cannot think of anything. My creativity has failed me! If any of you guys have any suggestions (silly,funny,girly or completely random) I would greatly appreciate it!

Other than that, I hope you all had a lovely June and have started the month of July off with a smiles on your faces!

Let me know what your June favourites were and link me to your posts if you have one:)

Have a wonderful day and enjoy the video!

Much Love

Lou

xx

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