UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

A Better Nights Sleep // Lucyy Writes

There's nothing more I love than to sleep and I definitely don't get enough of it despite being a bit of a Grandma. Web Blinds recently got in touch to challenge me to improve my bedroom and good nights rest. Using their sleep guide to kick start my attempt of improving my new bedroom really helped. I don't struggle to get up nor do I use half as much concealer the next day.

I don't know about you but there's nothing better than seeing a freshly made bed covered with cushions* - even if you have to chuck them off to get into bed at night! Since switching over rooms I now have a daybed, the perfect excuse for piling on yet more cushions*. The cushions* eventually arrived after an agonising wait, creating a cosy corner to the bed perfect for snuggling while I blog, flick through the iPad or before bed when I may grab the occasional book. Being the cold morsel I need multiple blankets* - sleepwear must be short - who else hates long bottoms? The more textures the better too for blankets* and it's surprisingly how affordable you can find the perfect ones. 

I've also limited the amount of technology before bed, previously using social media, youtube and Gossip Girl marathons to kill time before I fall asleep. Giving myself a couple hours before bed, either a long bath or snuggles with Harry has had a positive impact in how easy I go to sleep. As does waking up to the spring/summer sun shining through my lighter curtains compared to my terrifying iPhone alarm ready to whizz Harry round the block before most are out of bed.

To replace the technology I'm making my way through the stack of books gathering dust and burning my stash of candles*. My favourite scents being light rose or a soft vanilla for evenings. If I'm feeling too tired with the fear of falling asleep with candles still burning, I grab my trusty lavender pillow mist. I may have also snuck into the other bedrooms to spray pillows. Come morning they all seem to have had a wonderful nights sleep....with our michevious, wagging tail waiting downstairs. How well do you sleep? It's surprising to see which little changes can relax and impact for a better day. Lucy xx
*in collaboration with Web Blinds
I was set a budget to spend to improve my sleep. This was spent on items featured and had none left over for myself e.g.; no payment

Love Me Beauty // April 2014 Menu Three




I hope you all had a lovely weekend, who's looking forward to the approaching long weekend? Arriving early Saturday morning was my April Love Me Beauty box (£10 plus P&P monthly). If you've read previous posts you'll know how much I enjoy receiving this subscription to the alternatives on the market due to the option of three varying menu's each month. This month I picked menu three, consisting of three full size products, one sample and a few hidden extra's.

Neal & Wolf Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo 250ml | £11.50 - Full Size
Neal & Wolf are a brand Love Me Beauty introduced me last summer under their previous beauty box name - Beauteco. As with all Neal & Wolf products, The Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo carries such a luxurious fragrance which makes a pleasant change from the pot of Lush's Blousey shampoo I've just finished. This shampoo contains liquid Shea extract as well as silk and milk proteins to soften, shine and provide an easier styling. Having only used this once I've woken up to soft, shiny hair while even my sensitive scalp feels soothed. If the results carry on, £11.50 will be a price worth paying.

Betty Hula Secret Wonder Oil Roller Ball 10ml | £6.25 - Full Size
Another full size product to grace Aprils offerings is an old favourite of mine, as I was introduced to the brand when I first started out blogging. Back then my little glass pot didn't come in such accessible packaging. Now with the addition of a roller ball I'm not wasting any product. Secret Wonder really is a miracle in a bottle, with so many uses - more than the impressive list of oils that go into such a delight.

Redken Color Extend Conditioner 30ml | £1.19 - sample | Full Size - £9.99 250ml
A second hair product to feature in this months beauty box comes in sample  form though for those going off on their holidays it'll be gratefully received. I don't have too much experience with Redken. Though primarily aimed at colour treated hair I decided to use this rather than pass it on. My hair certainly felt conditioned and detangled paired with the previously mentioned Neal & Wolf shampoo.

Models Own Nail Polish in Fuzzy Peach 14ml | £5 - Full Size
Lastly, various full size Models Own products are appearing again in the three menus. I haven't used many of their nail polishes, after their nail art pens turned into a complete waste of time and money by exploding in use. From swatching, the formula of Fuzzy Peach is very smooth and pigmented. It'll be interesting to see how hard wearing this spring, summer polish is. Right now I'm rocking a freshly applied gel manicure but FP will be going on straight after.
*PR sample
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Empties // Mascara | April 14

While sorting through my belongings to switch rooms, I discovered my empties box with an embarrassingly large amount of used up mascara's - or at least enough to write an entire post about. Mascara is a product I buy often, with a whole drawer dedicated to them in my Muji tower. I'll usually stick to drugstore brands rather than splashing out onto high-end to avoid parting with too much money if one disappoints me - something that happens often when you have sensitive eyes as I do.

Benefit Bad Gal Lash - sample
There's always Benefit samples floating around whether it be with magazines or with purchase. I've had numerous full size and sample sizes of Bad Gal Lash over the years though with such a large brush it isn't for everyone. I actually find the sample size easier to use due to a shorter wand but still the large brush. It's pigmented, adds volume, doesn't smudge and remains a 'classic' in my collection.

Vivo Volume Plus Length Fibre Mascara*
I don't know about you but I rarely hear of the brand anymore? Vivo come under the FB Beauty brands, very similar if not the same products as MUA. At an affordable £3.49 the mascara is great value though it doesn't have me rushing to the nearest Tesco - miles away, to grab another tube. Carrying the Fibre technology that rocketed launches last year, it does lengthen the lashes but since trying many other Fibre Mascara's this one just doesn't pack enough volume to those lashes and mine need a lot.

Bourjois Fan-tastic Volume 
A wand with only one side? This half brush edition to hit Bourjois stands last year well and truly takes its place as my all time favourite mascara. With a fan shaped wand full of thin, cone shaped bristles, every lash can be reached, zero clumps and no smudging. A few coats of Fan-tastic provides my lashes with plenty of volume and length as well as being the blackest of all mascaras. Bourjois mascara's always smell so lovely, with Fan-Tastic remaining paraben free and suitable for contact wearers despite the fragrance.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless 
I can always count on Rimmel to impress me with their mascara offerings. Early last year they launched a new edition of their beloved Lash Accelerator, this time being 'endless'. I received one before it launched and couldn't stop admiring my lashes, along with repurchasing ever since. Yet another formula to contain micro fibres, this one really extends the lashes and doesn't clump at all with a thin brush reaching every single lash. The only negative to Endless is how difficult the removal process is for a non-waterproof mascara.

MUA Eye Primer
Creeping into the mascara post is yet another tube of MUA's eye shadow primer in it's old packaging. It disappeared for quite awhile, while I gladly had stocked up before forgetting about it. Having loved Urban Decay's original primer potion which retails for significantly more, I'd happily repurchase MUA's instead to keep my shadow in place and avoid creasing.

Maybelline The Rocket Volume Express
Having heard many Americans rave about this mascara I had to purchase it when it eventually arrived in the UK. Like most hyped products The Rocket let me down, mainly due to the brush. I found that come application although the formula is very wet, not much ended up on the lashes due to the 'micro bristles' being incredibly discomforting leaving my eyes SO irritated. Usually one to try every maybelline mascara launched I've ignored all further releases, my eyes can't take any more torture.

Lord & Berry Scuba Waterproof Mascara*
Towards the end of last year Love Me Beauty, a UK beauty box subscription I receive featured another Lord & Berry product. Having loved previous products of theirs, a lot of receivers were found to be disappointed with dried up tubes being in boxes. Mine thankfully wasn't too bad, although a little dryer than expected I could still coat my lashes fully with the fibre enriched formula. It held up to the waterproof claim and definitely lengthened my lashes though as for volume? Not so much and not nearly enough for me to want to repurchase again. 

17 Blow Out Mascara
While I used to love the brand 17 when a lot younger, they rarely impress me  nowadays. Vouchers would always appear for an extremely discounted price, always tempting me back in. With Blow Out containing Argon Oil it's no wonder the formula smudges so much, rarely lasting on the lashes for an hour. I find all formulas of 17 to be either extremely dry or extremely watery. I'd love to know your ultimate drugstore mascara?
*only products marked with * were sent as PR samples
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

© Lucyy Writes

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