UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

MUA // Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in Dolly

MUA have recently launched more items into their pro range, again!? Despite wanting every single item it was the Cream Blushers that got me counting down for the launch day. I could have easily ordered all 4 shades, I opted for Dolly. 
I didn't expect the blushers to be as pigmented as they are. In the pan Dolly is one of the warmer shades, a step down from the darkest shade Yummy. However swatched Dolly actually heads towards more of a coral, but still perfect for A/W, I think it'd be flattering on most of us, I've had compliments every day. P.S Dolly actually matches my GAP sweat pants I have on. I'm a glamorous blogger aren't I. 
I haven't really dabbled in cream blushers in the past, I'm pale and no makeup pro, but for the past 3 days I've worn Dolly. They're light on the skin & apply so smooth. I apply with my fingers because believe it or not out of the 40 something brushes I own, I don't have a single brush for cream blusher!? Dolly blends out so easily with my fingers, a complete dream to apply. Depending on how you apply & how much will determine the shade. All four can be matched up with blushers in the £1 range if you want a matte finish. Having dry skin I haven't bothered. I get a good 6-8 hours wear with Dolly.
The packaging isn't anything too special, just MUA's usual black, silver and clear plastic, but what more do you need? It's very secure and despite the text rubbing off after a day, the blusher is clearly labelled on the back, they're only £2 after all.

Did you rush out to grab yours? I really want to get the shade Yummy, it reminds me of my Mac blush in Pinch Me. If you don't happen to live in the UK, MUA do happen to ship worldwide. They make great lip colours too. Don't worry they package everything in bubblewrap!
Disclaimer: purchased by myself.

Go LUSH Yourself // Turkish Delight

For the past week & a half I've been Lush showers only because someone had a minor fall/faint the other week, baths just sting too damn much STILL, cue the violins. To make sure I get my daily Lush I've been treating my body to Turkish Delight. Turkish Delight is one of the few shower smoothies & retails at £15.95.

Unsure what shower smoothies are? No need to worry, Shower Smoothie's are a very thick soap based (of course) blend of oils and cocoa butter. They're incredibly nourishing to the skin and are a winter essential to anyone's shower this winter.

Take a a scoop of Turkish Delight and work all over the body, stepping away from the shower. Once massaged all over your body, take a shower puff and polish off. You're left with silky, smooth skin as if you've just walked out a Turkish bath.

Don't be put off by the rose scent, over the last 6 months or so I've really grown to the rose scents from Lush, they really seem to help my migraines. Turkish Delight is nowhere near your average granny rose, it's a very light & sexy scent that lingers on my skin for the rest of the day.

When I want a luxurious shower I pair both Turkish Delight & Ro's Argan Body Conditioner. I don't have to moisturise for a couple days after, unless like the past week where I've been really treating my body to both. Smoothies also make brilliant shaving creams.

I'll continue to purchase Turkish Delight every time the pot runs out, lets hope Lush keep this product for a long time! If you didn't get on with the R.I.P Creamed Coconut & Almond Smoothie this one is completely different. If you've grumbled over the price, bite the bullet & pop one in your basket & remember to save your black pots. 
Disclaimer: purchased by myself

How to // Lucy's Kit Kat Cake

I thought I'd go for something different today, over the weekend I ended up creating this monster & so many of you thought it was good I'm going to share how me & Tom made it. It was Dan's birthday & I'm the one in the family who always makes the birthday cakes, shop bought cakes just aren't as exciting. I decided on upping the game with an attempt at making the famous 'Kit Kat Cake', of course Tom being Tom was eager to help out, we're such foodie friends.

Once you've made your mixture, divide into four cake tins, we used silicone cases because they're the best thing since sliced bread & cooked in two batches. Each sponge took 12-15 minutes in a fan oven set to 160 degrees. Then let them cool, you can make your butter cream while you wait. We didn't measure, just made it to taste.
Cool enough to start building your monster of a cake? Stick the bottom sponge to the cake board with a little jam, then apply jam to the sponge itself, followed by a generous amount of butter cream. Add your next sponge, you then have your first tier to ice with the chocolate frosting.
Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake, you'll be sticking Kit Kat's to the sides, so don't worry if it isn't neat. If you have an assistant get them to cut your other two sponges into squares, you need them small enough so you can have topping all around on the bottom tier. Tom took this too far & wanted to measure precisely, so I gave him the biggest ruler created. Once cut, build your second tier on top of the first tier. Apply jam, butter cream and ice as before.

The fun bit, you're almost done, yay. Break Kit Kat's into two fingers and place all the way around both tiers. To fill in any gaps use single fingers. Leave a gap at the front of the top tier, you'll then fill the bottom tier with your topping and fill the gap in. Tie a ribbon around to keep all the Kit Kat's in place. Ours wasn't perfect but for a first attempt it turned out great.
Have you made a Kit Kat Cake before? Or will you be giving this a try? If you do you can print out my little shopping list.
Disclaimer: absolutely non sponsored. Trying something new. 

TOWIE // Love Addict Review

How does a deprived TOWIE fan survive until the next season arrives? She reviews their latest fragrance. I sadly had to miss the launch because Mr train man wanted to rip me off. However the lovely lot over at TOWIE beauty sent me a bottle of Love Addict! I know what most of you are thinking but you'll be surprised.
Even as a rather big TOWIE fan I'll admit I didn't have extremely high hopes for the scent, let alone staying power. I haven't smelt a single fragrance like Love Addict and I own a ridiculous amount. To me the scent can be worn day or night, it's not overly heavy. As for the actual description of this fragrance I'll share the description, it's one you'll have to smell for yourself. 'This fragrance has a woody oriental accord, opening with notes of lemon anise and raisin on a floral heart to keep the passion alive.' I've had three others smell this and we've all agreed it smells slightly of chocolate, along with the description, not the sickly chocolate, it still remains in the 'sexy and seductive' fragrances, though I've not gone as far as to test this. Lasting power is brilliant, for a cheap scent you'll be smelling great all day long.

The packaging is exactly what I was expecting, there had to be some glitz and leopard print, it's TOWIE! This shiny purple diamond shaped bottle is topped off with a clear plastic diamond and leopard print bow. Wanting more leopard print? It comes packaged in a big purple leopard print box!
A 100ml bottle of this perfume will only set you back £18.49, it's currently £17.99 from The Fragrance Shop. Boots also stock the TOWIE perfume along with it's partner, Platinum VIP, the for him fragrance that was also launched. From reading about Platinum VIP I'm sure it smells as good as Love Addict. If you like to keep your perfumes in smaller sizes, there's also a 30ml bottle that retails for around £12. The 100ml is much better value for money.

I'm impressed with this latest TOWIE beauty addition, have you smelt Love Addict yet? Love Addict makes a great A/W scent.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.
Disclaimer: sample

Vichy // Normaderm 3 In 1

As I mentioned a few days ago, for the past month my skin has been getting me down, it decided to go absolutely crazy...on my personal scale. The breakouts are only on my chin, while my skin still remains dry-very dry. I'm guessing they're just hormonal, this product couldn't have come at a better time!
Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 arrived on shelves earlier this summer, like most 3 in 1's it can be used as a cleanser, scrub or mask, depending on skin type. You'll find the formula is very thick, it's actually 25% clay, very creamy & contains very fine, blue exfoliating pearls, gentle enough for daily use. Despite being thick the product massages out easily with no mess.
How to use a 3 in 1 is standard, but here's how to use this one;
For all skin types, dry skin especially;
To use as a cleanser/scrub take no more than your regular cleanser and massage onto damp skin. Concentrating on your troublesome areas before rinsing off with warm water and a muslin cloth. Used as a cleanser & scrub sebum & impurities are reduced while pores are unclogged.
For oily to combination skin & zapping breakouts;
To use as a mask apply a thin layer to your face, leave on for 5 minutes, why not catch up on your favourite blog? Before rinsing off with warm water and a muslin cloth. If your breakouts happen to be worse, focus on the area & leave for 5-10 minutes. Used as a fast drying mask skin is mattified and clarified.

Disclaimer: Sample - remember we all differ, even in our skin types. But I think this is GREAT.
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Naked Thirst Aid // Skincare

After posting about my current skin care routine my skin decided to go absolutely crazy, causing me to change my entire routine. Over the past few weeks I've been testing out Thirst Aid part of Naked's skin care range.
Thirst Aid is a 12 hour moisturiser designed for those with sensitive skin. Naked have managed to make this gem and their other products a huge 97% natural, 'fragrance free' it smells alot like Lush's Dream Cream and alcohol free. There are absolutely no parabens, sulphates or silicone's in this jar. Just a thick blend of Shea Butter, Neroli oil, Starflower oil & Argan oil.

Does Thirst Aid leave my skin moisturised for 12 hours? Yes. I have dry skin/very skin and it's a pain to battle. I usually ignore when a product claims to have long hour lasting results because when do they ever last anywhere near the claim!? But Naked have nailed this. At the end of the day my skin is still soft and smooth.
Being a thick cream and shea butter based you'd expect to be sat waiting around in the mornings for this to sink in, but I'm not. It takes no longer than any other moisturiser and certainly hydrates my skin, even my problem area around my nose. Thirst Aid is honestly one of the best moisturisers I've used before applying foundation & doubles as a great night time moisturiser, providing results worth shouting about.

Lastly on the packaging front, I'm not one who's overly fussed when it comes to skin care packaging. I'd rather have beautiful skin than pearly pink products lined up. Naked keep it simple with their silvery grey packaging and matching box. Every bit of packaging can be recycled, the box, the pot and the lid. Naked also don't test on animals. Hooray.

Disclaimer: sample
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MUA // Gel Liner in On The Move

Along with Every Lash, the mascara I reviewed yesterday, MUA also released four gel liners this summer. Each shade retails at just £3 as part of the Pro range. We have Underground - your regular black, Fairground - a sparkly grey, On The Move - pictured here & Tribe - a vibrant, sparkly blue.

On The Move is a brown gel liner, with a subtle fuchsia shimmer. The formula is incredibly pigmented and very creamy. They're a dream to apply, being the not so pro I am, any little mistakes can easily be blended or smudged before the liner sets. Once set the liner isn't going anywhere. Waterproof liner for just £3!? Most gel liners dry out ridiculously fast, which is why I rarely bother with them. My MUA gel liner is still as soft & creamy, as it was when it arrived. 

Pretty much all gel liners come in a small round pot. MUA have added a 'unique brush applicator' to the packaging, hidden in the actual lid, which at first was hidden so well under the label ditzy me was wondering where an earth it was. The brush is synthetic, dense & soft. Though I'd rather have a thinner brush, to be more precise at times, that's when my Sigma liner brushes come in handy. Great if your starting off with makeup, you don't need to fuss about buying brushes.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Disclaimer: sample - first photo to be replaced :]

MUA // Every Lash Mascara Review

When MUA announced they were releasing an apple scented mascara I was intrigued to say the least, though who goes around smelling eyelashes? Certainly not me. Mascara's are personal preferences, I find it hard to find a reasonably good one, let alone one to wow me..kind of like men..ooo burn. Every Lash has been around for a short while, I've been using this almost every single day.
If you're yet to stumble across MUA, where have you been!? MUA provide high quality products for extremely purse friendly prices. Every Lash is part of their Pro range and retails at just £3.00 from MUA online store or selected Superdrug stores. You also have three options, Black, Black/Brown & Waterproof. I have Black/Brown.

I'm sure your wondering if Every Lash actually smells of apples? It smells just like any other mascara at first, now I'm towards the end I can smell a very slight scent of apple. But I'm still baffled by the reviews that claim it smells amazing!? I'm not entirely fussed of what it smells like, like I said above, who an earth smells eyelashes!?
Packaging wise I'm impressed, I like the colour scheme and the fact the tube is normal. Why an earth do brands make them so damn chunky these days!? The text does rub off the tube fairly fast, hence the not so pretty photos. As for the wand, I'm a fan. It has plenty of rubber teeth to provide plenty of separation and definition.

The formula is neither too wet or too dry, I have no smudging at all, even at the end of the day under my bottom lashes, something I always struggle with! For separation and definition it's one of the better mascara's out there, especially for £3, I've been happy wearing this every single day for a more 'natural' look. If I'm wanting volume, which sadly this doesn't give, despite the tube saying so & many more coats, I pair with my Rimmel ScandalEyes.

I'd repurchase again, mines on it's last legs now, hopefully I can find a Pro stand tomorrow. Have you tried this mascara yet? For £3 you can't go wrong, I've always put off cheap mascara's until MUA, out of the MUA Pro mascara's this is my favourite.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Disclaimer: sample

O.P.I // New York City Ballet

O.P.I are always bringing out new collections, at £11 a bottle for us British folk it's not purse friendly. When it came to the New York City Ballet collection I wasn't convinced I'd like it but knew my Mum would. The set of Minis usually retails at £12.95 & contains four of what will be best sellers, though in some collections it's an awful selection.

New York City Ballet is the collection for those who want to wear polish but don't want it to look like you are, if you're at school, work or growing your nails. Years ago, I'd apply sheer polishes, with strengthener of course to help them grow, now I have long natural nails.

What shades are in the mini collection?
My Pointe Exactly - A sheer, creamy grey polish.
Don't Touch My Tutu - A sheer, milky white polish.
Care to Danse? - A semi sheer, creamy lilac polish.
Pirouette My Whistle - Micro silver glitter, with hexagonal glitters also.

The polishes apply beautifully, even the glitter applies evenly. Sometimes O.P.I can be hit or miss. However you'll use twice as much polish to get any kind of colour pay off. The swatches show the results of 4 thin coats. Even if you buy a full size bottle, it won't last long for sure. It's a shame because in the bottle the shades look a lot less sheer and very pigmented. My favourite polish of the four? Has to be the glitter of course, I've been using this one for myself. I look after all the polishes in this house, along with doing them.  The most pigmented of the four is My Pointe Exactly, the only coloured polish worth purchasing in full size. 

Did you buy into this collection? Do you think the same?

Weekly Haul // Primark Haul

I've been shopping as usual, it's not as exciting as other hauls, I needed a few winter essentials, clothing & beauty. I'm trying not to shop as much, especially as I'll have a lot more shops on offer Monday, if I get time. I hope I do! One particular Primark item got a lot of love last night on Instagram.
Stila - SPF 30 - Sheer colour tinted moisturiser - £1 - I picked up four tubes, I'm late on the whole Stila in Poundland craze. They're all in Mediums, I'm keeping back two to use in giveaways. The other Stila items were empty palettes & little sponges, I sadly missed the powder.

Nair - Sensitive Hair Removal Cream - £1 - I picked up another two after using up two tubes. I'm not a hairy person so waxing can be a waste of time. I get 2-3 uses per tube and left incredibly smooth & soft.

Collection 2000 - Lasting Perfection Concealer - Fair - £4.19 - I shoved this in the trolley while food shopping. It's an item I always forget to purchase, so far my thoughts are that it smells horrific. Cheap nail glue comes to mind, but it works well so far despite smelling awful. 

Primark - Slipper socks - £4 - Who remembers these last year, they came in grey. This year they're back in this lovely print, which I think is much nicer! I grabbed four pairs, not just for me. They also do matching PJ's so I'll be going back for them, along with looking to see if they have the fleece snowflake PJ bottoms, that went in at the ankle. Every blogger seemed to own a pair last year.

Primark - More Socks - £2-£2.50 - This seems to be a rather boring haul, but it's winter and somebody chucked out her winter socks to make room for everything she was buying this summer. I picked up a mixture of lengths in various patterns, bows, leopard print, burgundy, crazy print & boring black.

Primark - Leopard Umbrella - £4 - Getting my winter essentials clearly, my newlook umbrella broke..again. Primark have the same style for half the price. If it breaks I won't care as much.

Primark - Velvet Hangers - £2.90 - They're marked as £4, but each pack of purple has been reduced. You get two shades of purple, I'm putting all my winter clothes on these and my black sets. While summer clothes are going on the bright neons. I'm a neat freak.

Newlook - Burgundy Jumper - £19.99 - The same style as my tweet jumper featured in a few hauls back and last OOTD. It has elbow pads, colour specks and the side slits. A UK 6 fits me perfectly, not too fitted, not too baggy. I'm not a fan of the 'swamp yourself in 4 sizes too big' trend. It's not flattering at all on me.

Disclaimer: P.S I know it was slightly boring, but winters coming!

Go LUSH Yourself //Sultana of Soap

As much as I love Lush, I don't tend to buy or use their soaps as much as I buy the rest of the store. However it's all changed with this bar. I've looked at this soap in store for as long as I can remember, but it was yet to enter my basket, let alone near my nose. It's not the prettiest of soaps, is it? Now I'm constantly smelling this soap, wanting to buy the whole wheel of it, I'm still determined to buy one, one day, imagine that!?

Who remembers Yummy Yummy Yummy, the pink shower cream Lush discontinued a few years back. It's taken me this long to realise they had a soap version all along. Yummy Yummy Yummy was strawberry scented Lucy? Yes it was, but this soap smells just like it. So much my Yummy Yummy Yummy fan, aka my Mum walked in wondering how my room smelt of it, she thought I still had a Magic Mushroom lying about in my room...truth is I do, she'd be trying to nab it if she knew where it was. Even if you aren't a fan of bars of soap, buy it to scent your room, it makes the whole of upstairs and me of course smell delicious.

Some bars of soap can be very drying, not Sultana of Soap. Sultana of Soap creates a thick, buttery lather, leaving your skin smooth, soft and scrumptious.

It might leave the occasional sultana behind, but it's common sense to have one of those plug strainers, especially if you use Lush a lot, along with removing the topping before stepping into the shower or bath. 100g of this soap retails at £3.35, I'm off to buy more again, I need a back up supply.

Accessorise // Wardrobe Collection - Charm

Along with the many other releases from Accessorize this summer were, two complimentary scents in the all new Wardrobe Collection, one for day, the second for evening wear. If you feel like being the Willy Wonka of the beauty world you can combine the two to make a third scent.

I have Charm which is classed as the evening scent, however over the last week I've been wearing this in the day. A lot of evening scents should be banned personally, many are too heavy and manage to clear whole area's, but Charm's different. With this scent you certainly don't need to drown yourself in it, the fragrance lasts on me all evening or if like this week, morning to mid evening. It's described as a happy potion, with watery freshness and bursts of energy from the heart of the sunshine flowers and hot amber oils. Despite being the mature, fresh floral fragrance in this wardrobe collection it still has a fizz, a slight hint of refreshers maybe. If you're looking for a more exotic Eau de Toilette it's partner Passion will be for you.

Accessorize have done another great job with the packaging. They keep the bottle simple by frosting it and a few gold butterflies. It comes cased in it's wardrobe of course, a dark navy box, aqua insides, complete with more butterflies. Wondering about the price? Each 30ml bottle retails at just £9.99, the perfect excuse to buy the duo from Accessorize stores and key fragrance retailers.

disclaimer: sample - Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Japonesque // Safari Collection

Japonesque have launched their wildest collection of brushes yet, they've caused quite the roar in the beauty world already, especially in my own. The Safari Collection consists of a three piece set & a single kabuki brush, everyone knows leopard print makes anything cuter, especially when they arrived packaged like this.
The Bronzer Brush is the best brush in this collection, not only does it look amazing but it feels amazing, I haven't come across a brush as soft before. The bristles are really dense and the dome shape makes applying bronzer a dream, along with mineral blush! This Japonesque kabuki puts all my other kabuki's to shame! Most prettiest Kabuki brush you'll come across, I'm sure you'll agree.
Japonesque Safari Chic Brush Set contains a powder brush, shadow brush, crease brush and comes packaged in a micro fibre case complete with a dash of leopard print, the case will hold 2-3 more eye brushes, if you happen to be travelling.
The powder brush lives up the high standards set by my Sigma F30, it's actually a lot bigger comparing the two, which I prefer in a powder brush. The bristles are incredibly soft, the whole collection is. I've only used this brush with pressed and mineral powders, every time I get a flawless finish. I prefer slightly denser brushes for my blusher. Like most Japonesque brushes the handles are short, perfect for on the go or if you have small hands like me. 
The eye brushes won't be for everyone, especially the crease. The shadow brush is fine for packing on colour. However the crease brush really is too chunky and if you prefer more precision you won't use this brush. It's only so plush to show the cute leopard design personally. However both brushes have silky soft bristles & I use them both as shader brushes. 
They all wash and dry without any problems, just like the other brushes I own. Shedding isn't a problem, I've had zero hairs on my face & none in the sink while washing, that's a post for the future. All brushes are animal friendly, made with synthetic hairs.

You can find this purr-fect collection over at HQHair.com, amongst other Japonesque brushes & products. Have you got your paws on any of the collection yet?
Disclaimer: sample - Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.










FashionistA // Custom Palette

Meet the newest palette in my life, FashionistA's custom palette containing 4 of their latest Mono Blushers, Bronzers and Eyeshadows. 
Custom Palettes are available in two colours, red or black. I prefer black since the product pans are black, I'm a slight perfectionist at times. The red palettes are shiny like most of their other products, it all looks so professional for 'drugstore'. Each palette holds 4 blushers, bronzers or eyeshadows and has a large mirror. Pans of each product retail at £4 each, while empty palettes retail at just £5. The high streets alternative to Mac & Urban Decay's version. There's only one niggle being the fact you have empty casings lying around.
Mono Blushers & Bronzers are new additions to the already many others FashionistA have to offer. All shades are named after fashion capitals of the world. For example; Paris, Dubai, London & Tokyo. We have the Matte Bronzers & also Merged Bronzers (baked bronzers to you & I) as well as Merged Blushers. It's fair to say the merged items are ridiculously gorgeous! I often find myself opening up the palette purely to look & play around with them. 
To finish off the merged range we also have their Merged Mono Eyeshadows available in six shades, that's formula allow you to apply wet or dry with a multi-tonal glitter finish!

In my palette I have Tokyo, Tokyo is one of three matte bronzers. I've been using this as an every day 'contour', I'm no professional. I've been looking for natural, matte bronzers, this has done the job. I'll be looking at the other two shades. Being pale bronzers can look dirty and orange, but this blends out nicely and gives me a nice warm glow.

The second bronzer in my custom palette is Dubai, this has got to be the most beautiful bronzer I own. My No7 bronzer lost all the shimmer after a couple uses. I go careful with this one, it's the most pigmented product in this quad and pretty shimmery! However it stops me looking washed out, giving me the summer glow I've been missing this summer. It's a great highlighting bronzer.

 The blush in my quad is New York, you can't go wrong when applying this blush, it looks so natural, it's not as pigmented as the bronzers, but perfect if you too are pale like myself! I haven't touched a single other blush since this arrived!

The last of the four, Stylish. Stylish at first looked like a bronzer to me, especially when you sweep across the product, as it's made up of white, brown and golden tones. The white alone makes a great highlight, while altogether reminds me of my favourite Urban Decay shadow Half Baked, just slightly browner. Applying wet the shadow feels so creamy and makes a huge difference on the wow factor scale. I'm glad I now own Stylish as the other shades aren't to my taste, too many blues & greens.
I'll be creating more custom palettes, FashionistA have a permanent offer of 4 pans & a palette for £10!?!! They also have a 6 pan palette coming out soon. Do you own one of these palettes? 
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.
Disclaimer: sample
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