Recent favourites: MAC/Loreal/Gucci/Breaking Bad/Martial Arts

Greetings dear readers, today's blog post will be on my recent things in life basically, lips/eyes/hair/perfume/tv

These are my favourite products to use over the last month or so.

1. Loreal Paris Elnett Satin heat styling spray - To be honest I'm not entirely sure if this product protects my hair from heat (despite claiming that it does) but I enjoy using it for other reasons. I use it mostly for the soft finish and it leaves my hair smelling supahhhhh nice :)


2. Gucci Guilty (au de parfum 50 ml) - I LOVEEE this perfume sooo much. It is quite strong but I use it every day and it smells quite musky and the base scent is amber. According to the Gucci website scent description it smells of 'pink pepper and red fruits' (wtf is pink pepper?!). I purchased Gucci Guilty at the airport to receive the duty free perks however it's sold wherever perfume is sold so it's not hard to find.

3. Loreal Paris True Match 'Touche Magique' Illuminating Concealer -  I've been recently loving a bright concealer for under my eyes. It makes such a big difference to my entire make up look, makes me appear healthier and adds dynamic to my face instead of having a monotone foundation bare face. 

4. MAC prep+prime Translucent Powder - To set this illuminating concealer I use a translucent powder from MAC which lasts all day and does not look cakey AND doesn't crease my concealer which is one of my biggest annoyances when it comes to make up!

5. Flormar Lip Pencils - I have been lining my lips almost everyday with any make up look because I find it helps my lipstick last all day and does make my lips look slightly bigger than they really are. These lip liners are particularly good because they are incredibly cheap but so so amazing. They don't dry or flake your lips (if you exfoliate and moisturise pre-lip lining of course) and the colour range is crazyyy they have so many different colours. 

6. Breaking Bad - Dammnnnn! I am SO late with this so please forgive me but shit this show is so good. I'm really into my romantic comedies (Woody Allen films dominate my life) so this was a dramatic change in my recent preferences. It's full of drama with small bursts of comedy and quite explicit and twisted. I'm just absolutely addicted to it and try to get my younger siblings to watch it with me because I find it sometimes a bit too scary to watch alone (idgaf if that sounds lame). 

7. Muay Thai - Martial Arts? Me? HA! Funny joke. No but really, I'm signed up to my University's (Queen Mary) Muay Thai Society and the team trains 2-3 times a week in an East London Gym. Luckily I have a friend who wants to do the same activity so we'll go through this together. This will be a great way to have fun, exercise and even meet more University students. I am treating this as a leisure activity not a competitive sport, just want to learn new things in 2014 and not let my youth slip away from me while I watch shit on Netflix.

Soooo now that my ramble is over, what are your favourite things to do? Or what other interesting sports/tv shows/make up products can you recommend me to try?

Last note: Happy belated new year from me and I hope you fulfil your aspirations and remember if you want to start anything new, there's no better day to start than today! 

Love, Lo.

Beauty Haul No. 3: Make up/Hair!

I don't really plan what I'm going to buy, I always have my eye on products because I watch a lot of Youtube videos and read lots of blogs so some of my purchases are pre-thought and some very spontaneous. I have purchased all of these products throughout the course of three weeks, I didn't just go wild in one day, so here's what I got...

Maybelline Colour Tattoo's are extremely hyped about and even that seems like an understatement for their popularity. I have one eye shadow palette which is my every day saviour (by MUA) however I wanted to try paint pots because the concept is quite appealing and personally wanted to test them out myself. They're creamy however personally not as easy to blend than eye shadows which I prefer over these. I'm not a massive fan of the colour range so I only purchased one, this one is called 'Permanent Taupe' and it's a lovely neutral brown which looks great in my crease when blended out (I wear this look almost every day). The price is very good at just £4.99 which is extremely cheap compared to other paint pots I've used which were from Benefit, they were more than double the price and are exactly the same thing.

Leave in conditioner that leaves your hair super soft and smelling nice and fruity! Ticks all the boxes really, it's great and light. I don't like washing my hair then bombarding it with tons of products so I just leave this in till the next time I wash it! It's by Herbal Essences from their 'Bee Strong' collection with Nicole Sichiesinyejkrt :)

So I've had my eye on all of the Real Techniques brushes since the start of watching youtube videos so my collection is slowly expanding. I'm currently trying out brushes and seeing what I like to use them for, this one will actually be used to apply my loose powder because the brush is so big and soft. Sorry the picture isn't so great, it's called 'Blush Brush' by Real Techniques.

My favourite blushes EVER are from Benefit. They're always so perfect and I'm always spoilt for choice when I try to purchase one. This time however, instead of re-purchasing my all time favourite blusher 'Coralista', I wanted to try something new. This time round, I bought 'Sugarbomb' which smells soooo nice (that's not the only reason I got it) and the four colours combined together create the perfect peachy tone that has light undertones making it look like I'm wearing highlighter also. I took advantage of the Christmas discounts and instead of paying the full price of £23.50, I got it for £19.95 (15% off).

As you can see, I've hit the bottom with this one. Second time I've purchased it and it lasted me almost a year which is very impressive! I usually buy them at the airport where I can get duty free shopping so it costs around £19. 

                                                I don't need a powder but I've heard great things about the Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder so I thought I'd try it out before all my money runs out on sushi (my new addiction). All of my favourite Youtubers use this so I wanted to jump on that band wagon! I'm constantly pleasantly surprised with Rimmel products and since it's coming to the end of the year I have to crown it my favourite make up brand of the year! My top three products for this year from Rimmel were: Kate Moss lipstick collection (which I have previously blogged about), Apocalipcs Lip Laquer and the 24 Hour Lasting Finish Foundation. Perhaps this powder will be an addition to my favourites... we shall see!

Re-purchase alert! Thanks to Fleur De Force's videos a couple of years ago this concealer blessed me with it's existence! Forget all the high end brands with their ridiculous price tags and invest under a fiver for this high coverage, long lasting concealer. I'm quite lucky to have clear skin most of the time, however I do have freckles which some people like but I do not so I use products like this to give me coverage and hide them (only a few of the more noticeable ones, not my entire face :O). This is in fact my 4th time buying this product and I don't think I'll ever stop. My only problem, important word being 'only', is that sometimes, if I've got too much foundation on, this concealer does crease beneath my eyes which is annoying but most of the time for me it means I haven't blended it in properly or like I said, I am wearing way too much foundation underneath it. With a smaller fluffy blush, I always set this concealer with powder just to properly seal it for a long day at Uni or work. 

More Real Techniques brushes! The more I am learning about make up, the more importance I place on the application and not just the products themselves. I decided since I purchased a new powder, I would purchase a powder brush to go with it. The stippling brush though, was for experimental purposes. I wanted to try it out for myself since the buffing brush I'm using currently is leaving brush streaks that take extra blended time in order to get rid of which is time consuming (aint nobody got time to blend!). Also, because Boots is just amazing, it had a deal so I got the stippling brush for about £6 normally it is priced at £11.99. 

I always complain how my skin doesn't look illuminating enough or youthful, I find sometimes just foundation and powder doesn't satisfy me enough so I needed something extra to add some glow all over my face and after doing some online blog reading and Youtube video watching, I came across this  gem (literally). It's MAC's Strobe lotion and I've already tried it out and I love it. It does exactly what I was looking for, giving my face shine and vibrancy. I wear it under my foundation but because my skin is slightly dry I moisturise before using this so my skin looks nice a soft when my make up is finished. I wasn't too keen on the price of this, but I know I will make full use of it on a daily basis, it was just over £20. For night's out, I would mix this with my foundation so my skin really is glowing and looks nice :) The lotion is white/pearly and makes an instant difference to my skin when I apply it. 

FINALLY! I purchased an Urban Decay 'Naked' palette, I have had my eye on them for a long time and after looking at the pictures of the Naked 3 palette I decided I preferred the Naked 1 palette. The colours are amazing, super wearable, easily blendable (is that a word?) and just perfection. Debenhams had a 15% off sale so I managed to get this from £37 to £31 which I was very pleased about. I was actually disappointed with the brush it came with, I don't think I'm going to ever need it. However, as well as the amazing colours, this palette came with a mini eye primer which was much needed and I have heard some great things about it and they're all true, it really does work. My eye shadow doesn't crease and it actually stays perfectly in place until the end of the day which is what every girl wants. 
                                 

MAC Lipsticks: New additions!

My favourite make up product ever has got to be lipsticks! My ultimate lip products are from MAC and Rimmel (Kate Moss collection only) and recently I've purchased these two new colours by MAC called 'Diva' and 'Angel'.

 In the picture below I am wearing 'Diva' which is quite a vampy colour and although it makes me look pale I absolutely love it. The matte finish really makes it look velvet and the longevity of MAC lipsticks never ceases to amaze me. Because I'm now wearing slightly darker colours and more knits, the colour goes perfectly with a lot of my outfits and for my eye make up I keep it very simple, here I have on just brown eye shadow which you can't see very well.

Me wearing 'Diva'

Matching my hair with my lipstick seemed like a bad idea until I tried it... Last weekend I had full pink hair which was incredibly fun and playful however it was just a wash out colour, merely a brief experiment! Different to 'Diva', 'Angel' has a frost finish which is more moisturising and definitely easier to apply as it's quite balmy. Usually for nude lipsticks or light pink lipsticks I would apply a lipgloss on top to add some dynamic to it, but I don't need to do it with 'Angel' since it's quite shiny itself. Although it's clearly a lipstick, I would describe it as a cross between a lip balm, lipstick and lip gloss as it's got the qualities of all three products in one. For all these reasons listed, this is now my favourite 'your lips but better' lipstick. Have I sold you the product yet? Have I? (MAC should hire me for this...-___-)

Dramatic demonstration of 'Angel'

Today's Haul: Vagabond/Topshop/H&M/Office Shoes

I pass Oxford Street on my way home from Uni so I decided to buy some bits...

Since summer ended, I've been on the look out for the perfect pair of black leather boots and finally found a pair from Vagabond. I work for a shoe company (Office) and wasn't too impressed with their AW13 line, they went along with the typical 'cut out and gold buckles' boot which was out worn for me personally. Vagabond on the other hand, offer a more vintage and timeless range of shoes, they might not be everyone's cup of tea but they're certainly mine! They look slightly grungy but to me they're perfect, not too bulky or heavy, so they're extremely practical. I would pair these with jeans, leather skirts, lace skirts, denim shorts, dresses, black boots go with everything. I first saw these on a girl called 'beautycrush' - a youtuber, who wore them on her 'October Lookbook' video and instantly fell in love!

This was a bit of a random purchase but I was in H&M and spotted they had a 'Home' section and so I got this to put my brushes in. I'm 100% sure it was made for candles but who cares, it does the job perfectly and it's so cute :]

Lastly, I got a few bits from Topshop. At the moment, my favourite make up range is from Topshop, who would have thought they'd be so successful with their make up collection? From packaging, to colours, consistencies, pigmentation, price and even smell, they're just so on point with their products. I purchased a lipstick called 'Whimsical' which is a coral/peach colour, looks great on a bold eye make up look as it neutralises the lips. They apply smoothly leaving a matte finish which as I've said before, is my favourite lipstick finish. They're not a bad price at £8, but I use student discount so it's definitely worth it. 

Secondly, I got a Kohl eyeliner pencil. As I was purchasing my items, the lady at the till had worn it on her eyes and smudged it out and it looked really pretty and gothic (love that look). So I picked it up as I was leaving... so you can pretty much tell I'm a reckless shopper, buy impulsively but I do use every single product and create really cool looks with them.

As soon as I got home I tried a 'messy' cat eye flick and it worked really well, found it really easy to blend the product on my eye lid but at the same time draw the defined wing so all in all, good product!

New nail polish alert!!! I LOVE this electric blue, unfortunately though the one I picked up had the name of it peeled off :( So I'm not able to tell you the name, but from the display it will stand out! It's a lovely pop to my dull winter outfits, I love love love it!

Around £5-6 - Topshop

I've been watching tons of youtube videos and a lot of people recommend the Topshop cream blushes, so I wanted to jump on the bandwagon and see if I agreed... and it turns out I do. I definitely agree with the positive reviews. Powder based blushes give a matte and one dimensional finish to my face, whereas the creamy blushes are much more shinier and give life to my face which looks lovely during the winter, a natural glow. I love this colour, it's called 'Head over heels', it doesn't look as bold on when applied, although it is a product which you can build to achieve a stronger tint. I apply it with my fingers on the apples of my cheeks and blend away.

Out with the old... in with the new. New oyster card/nando's 

card/credit card case! This little case caught my eye from a very far distance, I know this holographic/metallic material is really in too, I want a biker jacket with this same material (a bit too whacky I know). I will definitely never misplace my oyster card, look how rugged and dirty my old Topshop one was (ewwww)

£5 - Topshop

So that's all for today folks! Enjoy the rest of the week and let me know what you'd like to see next on my blog, or any feedback if this is at all informative? I'd love to know who's viewing this blog as it's at 1000 views in just two weeks which is really encouraging to me, thank you so much.

Sending lots and lots of Lo Love your way, mwuah xxx

Rock Chick-Flick.

Here's an outfit I wore one Saturday for work (not the most practical). A leather skirt is a must for the AW13 season, super in trend and can be worn with a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g... literally. It's a really versatile day and night item so it was definitely a good buy.

Shirt: Tommy Hilfiger 

Skirt: Forever 21

Lipstick: Kate Moss Collection, Rimmel (107)

Braid-Bragging...

I LOOOOOVE braids! I wear braids a few different ways so here are pictures of different/sometimes simple hair ideas. These pictures are not purely a list of selfies, they are ideas for braids so don't judge me :)

First Haul! Beauty/Make up

Hey guys, so today I took a trip to the shopping centre/mall (w.e you wanna call it) and grabbed a few items... 

1. I finally got colour matched by a professional! I normally just wear cheap Rimmel foundations (don't hate on drugstore) and they've been really great but I thought it was finally time to treat myself to a luxury foundation. The lady at YSL named Clio (hey Clio if you're reading this), was really helpful and we had the same skin types (normal to dry skin) so she was the perfect person to go to for advice! I sampled YSL La Teint Touche Eclat in three types of beige: beige flat, beige gold and beige rose, all in shade no. 30. I went for the beige flat because it complemented my skin tone and features the most.

 Foundation: YSL Touche Eclat (£28.00)

Velvet Goth collection #love

2. I walked past the new Models Own stand in my local mall which opened two day

s ago and had a look around browsing their range and fell in love with their 'Velvet Goth' collection! I purchased the midnight blue colour and couldn't wait to wear it as soon as I got home. I can tell this will be a Winter favourite of mine already. 

Nail polish: Models Own, Velvet Goth Collection in 'Valerian' (£5.00)

3. Third item I purchased and this is largely thanks to my lovely friend/fellow blogger Anila (check out her beauty blog here: http://anilas-armadio.blogspot.co.uk), was the 'Real Techniques' brushes by Samantha Chapman. Since I invested in a good foundation, I justified this purchase as the application of the product is equally as important as the product itself! (Trying to justify your shopping addictions is evidence of guilt). These are great quality brushes, not too fancy, but extremely practical and super cheap as well!

Brushes: Real Techniques (£21.99)

4. I've read great reviews on this product and I'm already a fan of the brand anyway. I needed an affordable moisturiser so I went for this one.

Moisturiser: Simple, Hydrating Light Moisturiser (around the £3 price)

5. My make up collection is slowly expanding while my storage for it all is decreasing. I was in desperate need of a make up bag because I keep losing products. While I was in Boots I saw this Ted Baker one and had to have it! It's spacious, pretty and quite affordable. 

Make up bag: Ted Baker (£10)

6. A few people ask me what mascara I use and there are only two I really love. This is my all time favourite mascara. It's a Rimmel product, super cheap and I've been renewing it for 2-3 years. My second favourite but I didn't buy this time round is, 'They're Real' by Benefit. 

Mascara: Rimmel, Black/Black Volume Flash Mascara (£5.99)

7. I appreciate this one is slightly out of place with Beauty/Make up but I had to put it in! It's a 2014 Calendar with each month containing Banksy's art work. I found it in Paperchase and fell it love. I love calendars because I can visually see dates and have things to look forward to every month. 

Calendar: Paperchase (£10)

Finally my OOTD:

Shirt: H&M
Necklace: Zara
Jumper: Pull and Bear

Navy Skinny Jeans: H&M