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Anything and everything about my love for fashion, travel, food and beauty.

Sunday 31 May 2015

Give your dad the gift of L'occitane this fathers day



Give your dad the gift of L'OCCITANE this fathers day 




Are you stuck for ideas on what to get your dad for a gift this fathers day, If so I have the answer. The beautiful french company that is L'occitane is releasing a brand new mens range in stores from 4th June. The new range has everything from fragrance to skin care, Prices that range anywhere between £4.50 to £42.00. So perfect for anyones budget.

Let me tell you more

Firstly they only use organic Cedrat from Corsica, It is a citrusy scent with woody undertones therefore making it very masculine, Kinda looks like a huge lemon. Orginally from Asia this is a big bold fruit. 



MENS eau de toilette 
£42.00




So there is a fragrance for that lovely man in your life, A little similar to the now discontinued Verdon range from L'Occitane with its fresh notes and uplifting scent. This special fragrance contains bergamot (my fav)cedar, cashmere wood, blue ginger and nutmeg. 

Cedrat After Shave Balm 
£22.00


This balm does two things, It hydrates and nourishes perfect for the man in your love that suffers from irritation and tightness after shaving a perfect gift!


Cedrat Face Cleanser
£16.00


This is my favourite product out of the range mainly because us girls can use it too, I admit not as often as men but they can exfoliate every day however us girls had delicate skin therefore we cant. 

It is a lovely clear gel texture with little beads, So great for men who need that extra TLC in the morning. Perfect to get this into a routine to then apply a moisturiser. 

Global Face Gel £28


This is a little gem of a product, mainly because it reminds me of a primer that matts the skin. So this does three main things. This is a hydrating gel which contains a glycerin based sugar that just locks the moisture in. 
It stops your skin from producing excess sebum, which is great if you suffer from greasy skin I would highly recommend this. Thirdly, It energises the skin great for fatigue. 

Shower gel £14.00



Alcohol free deodorant £14.00

Shaving gel £16.00

soap £4.50 After shave cream £9.00


You seriously have to go into your local store and check al this out win it ones in! Now you all have ideas for fathers day I look forward to seeing your posts on gifts. 





Friday 29 May 2015

Why getting a iPhone 6 is great for blogging




Why getting an iPhone 6 plus is great for blogging!



I think it is so exciting when its time to get a new phone, Don't you agree?
My sister swears by the new Samsung purely because of the selfie features. However I am an apple lover, And for social media and blogging the iPhone six plus is fantastic. Lucky for me with my dog knocking my phone out my hand I just had to make a trip into my O2 store to upgrade. 

REASONS TO GET AN IPHONE 6PLUS OF BLOGGING 

1. Large screen, so great for online shopping. YES, hello ASOS!!
2. Comes in three stylish colours wait…don't the iPhone 5's do that?
3. Take selfless with a bigger screen, yes we where all thinking it.
4.Technically you can use it as a mirror, one point to me!
5. People will think you're cool and up too date with technology on your instagram
6. You can do blog posts on the go, or at work. 
7. You can FaceTime your friends about that new river island hat
8. You can take some great videos of your morning make up routine 
9. Easier to purchase items online on pretty much every website (screens bigger, see more items)
10. Watching Tanya burrs youtube channel just got one hell of a load easier. 








Wednesday 27 May 2015

H&M eyeshadow palette

H&M 
Eyeshadow palette 



Shade - Brown palette £3.99

Did you know that H&M did a make up range, I did but never thought to purchase anything from there. I have seen a lot of you blog about their new range coming out in AT15/WN15 . Now as well as releasing make up, they will be releasing hair care and body care as well.

Picture from H&M


The new range has a Charlotte tillbury feel about it, which I am just loving it is more sophisticated and more classy. This is going to be very popular without a doubt. Anyway back to the main point of this post, I was shopping in the H&M store in Bristol not long ago and came across a large make up range in store.

I decided to make a small purchase just to try it out, I picked this lovely palette which helps achieve the prefect brown smoky eyes . Only £3.99 I thought it was a great purchase. One thing H&M don't do is testers, So you're more or less buying without trying the product. They will be doing tester stands with their new range which is long over due. 

All the colours are highly pigmented, Meaning you have that shade lasting longer. In the palette you have a beige cream colour with a little shimmer (my favourite) and four gorgeous deep chocolate brown shades, one being a matt finish. 



Packaging is just lovely, feels solid, is that a thing? for the price it is fantastic. Its a case that clicks down  and really easy to open and close. We do have to think about these things, because let's face it fake nails make everything a lot harder to open. 



Wearing the darkest shade from the palette.


Have you brought anything from H&M make up range before? 






Tuesday 26 May 2015

NARS - Audacious lipsticks

NARS 
Audacious lipsticks 


 SHADE - Angela £24.00 
Move over MAC lipsticks, I have a new 
favourite!
One of my most valued product in my make up bag, My lipsticks. I love them, the bright colours the matt finished..just heaven. Sorry lipgloss but you just don't cut it for me. 
I was a sworn MAC lipstick buyer, I have only just recently brought another one to add to my huge collection but I got to say NARS have really out done them self with their lipsticks. The staying power behind these suckers is incredible they last for around eight hours. They also don't loose the pigment or smooth appearance as it fades. We all hate some brands of lipsticks which turns patchy after around two hours. 
Price wise, It is a little more expensive then MAC by around £10 actually when you think of it you could buy almost two MAC lip pies for the price of this. Don't let that put you off thou, You do have to get your hands on one of these bad boys and give it a try. 



The packaging alone is fantastic, Magnetic meaning no fuss making sure its closed. Simply clicks it into place for you. This one is a gorgeous pinky shade with a purple hue, In some lights in does look purple. It just glides onto the lips giving it a nourished silky feel.

I applied it using the NARS precise lip brush 30.



I always go round with a lip liner brush to neaten the lines, fill it with the lipstick and go over with the concealer to clean up any messy bits at the end. 

The finished look




Go out and try NARS! Lauren 

Monday 25 May 2015

NARS - RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER REVIEW

NARS 
Radiant creamy concealer review







In shade Light 2 VANILLA £22.00


As I mentioned before with my previous post when it comes to make up I do tend to stick with the products I know, Like A creature of habit I buy them over and over again. Sad really as it means I never try a new brand or products. I am slowly getting better with this, having turned away my 'boi-ing' concealer by benefit I have made a fantastic switch to NARS. 

This concealer is £22 to buy instead of the boing from benefit at £17.50 so a tiny bit more expensive but really worth it. Don't get me wrong the benefit one covers imperfections and great for under the eye but this NARS one does that and more. It gives you a added boost of radiance and also works as a highlighter to help contour your features. 

It is very easy to apply with the applicator wand, straight onto of foundation onto the face. I usually blend this in with my fingers of using a blending sponge. They both give the same results.

For best results I do reapply this under my eyes every 5 hours or so,  just to brighten them up a little. 





The benefits 


There are a few things that make this concealer special, for a start it is enriched with multi action skincare benefits and light diffusing technology. It create a smoother and a lot softer complexion while instantly diminishing fine lines and signs of fatigue. Which lets face it when we are tired we need something that does this! 

My views on this, well I love it. I love the packaging, I love the colour, the texture, the fact it works! its a all rounder!

Lauren




Sunday 24 May 2015

REVIEW - Laura Mercier silk creme moisturising photo edition foundation.

LAURA MERCIER FOUNDATION REVIEW 

Silk creme moisturising photo edition foundation £35.00









This little gem is worth every single penny, Now don't me wrong I always in the past have stuck with my trusted Maybelline matt mousse foundation and have used it for around six whole years. However I have seen so many of you bloggers swear by NARS foundations I just had to make a trip into my local Space NK in cheltenham to see what the fuss was about.

Yes, so I went in with the intention of buying a NARS foundation but after speaking to a lovely girl we decided a Laura Mericer one would be better suited to me as I suffer with terrible dry itchy skin. I had heard of her brand but I had never used it and once she put a little on my face, I was sold. 

This product gives you full coverage while moisturising the skin and giving it that lovely finish, perfect for pictures, You find a little goes along way too. I picked on of the lightest shades called rose ivory as I have a cool complexion. Packaging itself is just gorgeous however I would like it to be a little bigger for what I am paying for it, but its so gorgeous I don't think I can complain. It is a lovely consistency so very easy to apply with a sponge, brush or even the fingers which I ALWAYS use.



I will admit I have had it almost a month now, yes I'm so behind with my posts it is unreal. Anyway I have had it almost a month and I am halfway through which seems like it will work out to be a little costly but I will see how it goes. 

Here are some before and after shots of the foundation.




As you can see fantastic coverage in a lovely colour, When I originally purchased this I saw a lot of you guys start to blog about it, So I am not sure if it is new or not, Someone please tell me and let me know. However overall with this product if you are after a more nourishing hydrating which helps with overall colour correction. This one will be perfect for you. 



Lauren 




Saturday 9 May 2015

A little sunshine from L'Occitane




A little sunshine from L'Occitane



Don't you just love a free git, Come on admit it. We all do! 

Well if you're a beauty freak like me you are in luck. L'Occitane for the next two months are given away little 'sunshine boxes' which are filled with little goodies. There are two catches however. You must be a VIP at L'occitane, or know someone that is and you must have received an email stating you're lucky enough to receive a complementary gift. Then you can collect a free gift yourself and pass it on to three friends so they can receive them too, How nice right? 

If you are not a VIP it is so easy to sign up, Its free too! Just go into your local L'Occitane shop and ask for be put on the system. Its great too because you receive offers and discounts and you will know all about the store events. It is a win win, You can also do it over the phone. 

What you will receive 



You will get a small lotion and shower gel in the ever so popular verbena range. Which is so zingy and revitalising really a gorgeous summer scent. You also get the soap shown below. Great if you're travelling this summer. 




A small Pivoine flora hand cream and a small Shea butter foot cream which is one of their bestsellers, The only thing I will use on my feet. It is amazing, and smells really nice too.





         


The next thing is the cutest thing ever. They have managed to dry out some lavender seeds, instructions are in the box. It just involves soaking it in water and planting it in soil then after a while Voila, lavender. I just love this idea, what do you all think? 


Go check out the website HERE click here


Friday 8 May 2015

Long gold necklace

SIMPLE GOLD NECKLACE - PRIMARK FIND 


You know those last minute dashes around shops, I did one of them last week. It involved last minute plans to go out in the evening, so I had to nip out on my lunch break at work. Took around half hour to go in to three shops including Primark and river island where I had brought a gorgeous white floaty vest and needed a little something to go with it. Couldn't pick between earrings, hair accessories or necklaces! I ended up going with a necklace

This is a gorgeous one I brought from Primark for only £2.00, About 24 inch long so they are made to hang down Which I love! I actually had a girl in bristol comment on it and ask where I brought it from. It is that lovely. 

It really is good quality, and I just love the simple design. Another great thing is  because of the price you can buy more and layer it up. I love the different lengths really finishes of a plain outfit. I did buy a few more on my visit to Bristol which I will post soon. Just had to say that this one was my favourite.  





What do you think about Primark jewellery would you buy any?




Thursday 7 May 2015

MAC LIPSTICK SHADE - HEROINE

MAC LIPSTICK IN SHADE HEROINE 


I love bright lipsticks, and I have always been a fan of Mac. So it seemed only right that when me and the girls went to Bristol to pop in to Debenhams. I was surprised to see how big the MAC shop was, I would say same size as the covent garden shop just not as busy. 

The girls nipped over to the benefit counter, while I had to stay at MAC, It couldn't actually get a sales girl to help me so I was left to try them all! I have just brought a really funky bright pink NARS lipstick but when I saw this purple one I fell in love. After the long wait in the line at the till I finally got my purchase. 

It is a gorgeous deep plum purple, with a slight pink hue shade heroine - £15.50 



I think even for a darker shade, you can pull this off in the summer. Pair it with some skinnies, and a light pinky floaty top. It would look gorgeous. Very easy as well to do a daytime to night look with this lipstick just by adding darker eye makeup gives it a whole different effect. 









Wednesday 6 May 2015

Faux fur pom pom, H&M


 H&M faux fur pom pom keyring 








Just a simple accessory, yet one that makes a statement. I am will admit behind with the whole 'fashion' times, and when I saw this huge faux fur pom pom in Topshop at christmas which was bright red, I really did not find them at all pretty. However this was a gorgeous almost pale pink beige shade, And I just love it. I will just say it is super soft!

At a steal of only £1.99 from h&m I just think this could go anywhere. On the handbag or the keys, with a lovely rose gold key ring it gives it a more 'expensive look' 





If you wanted to check them out River Island have a huge stock click here to see

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