Lucy likes a cheeky chop!

Hiya guys,

Bit of a random post today, and I really should be packing instead of faffing around on here (can't see myself leaving for uni bright and early tomorrow morning at this rate!) but I just wanted to ask your opinion on a very important subject, hair.

I'm suffering from serious hair boredom at the moment, growing your hair takes for-bloody-ever, so I'm thinking of ways I can make it a bit more interesting without looking like a five year old boy with a bob (such a hair nightmare). I think I might just go for a super blunt fringe (not too adventurous, I know). Have a look at my hair-spiration and maybe let me know what you think? 

Credit where credit's due: link, link, link, link

What are your thoughts, yay or nay? Has anyone had any serious hair disasters in the past, or had a hair cut that they have absolutely LOVED? I'm in such a massive hair rut, I'd love to know! 

I will carry on chatting about my favourite products from 2011 in my next couple of posts!

Hope you're having a fabulous Friday and thank you so much for all the lovely and helpful comments in my last few posts!

Lots of love,

Lucy xxx

Lucy likes a skincare product that works

Hello!

Hope you're all well and getting all sorted in 2012. Are people back at work/college/uni now? I'm moving back up to uni on Saturday so I might do a make up storage post when I get back as I've just sorted it all out and it's so satisfying! My new years resolutions are going OKAY at the moment... No chocolate as of yet, although not much exercise either! 30 day shred starts on Monday, so no excuses after that!

Thought I'd go through my favourite skincare products from 2011 today - the ones that I have used religiously and will repurchase again and again. After this post I also plan to go over my favourite hair care products and make up staples. I know these aren't the most original of posts but I think it's so interesting finding out what others swear by!

Before rambling it's probably best to go over my skin type as the products I use are based upon this. These products work for me but many not tickle everyones' pickle. I am definitely blemish-prone, particularly around my chin; I have normal to oily skin which can be fairly sensitive and tempermental. In my skincare regime I look for deep cleansing, but gentle, products and effective treatments. I've also started introducing anti-ageing cremes into my routine to target my forehead and eye area (admittedly starting a little early at 20 years old!).

Right, I'll start with products on the top row, from left to right, then do the same for the bottom row:

• Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - Hot Cloth Cleanser: I think everyone has heard of/uses this cleanser, and I am absolutely obsessed with it. Before using this I used to use make up wipes or cleansing lotions but they just did not cleanse my skin at all, now I can't see myself switching to anything else. I tried using No. 7's Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser, as it's the same sort of concept, when I was short on pennies (love the £5 off vouchers) but it was just no way near as enjoyable (it was in no way awful, and did do the job, but it just wasn't as effective as Liz Earle's). When my skin is really bad I am partial to a bit of Freederm, using the muslin cloths included in the Liz Earle starter kits to wash it off.
• Clinique Clarifying Lotion (3): I have used this toner for absolutely yonks, gone through bottles and bottles of the stuff. It's just a great product as it gets rid of absolutely any grubbiness left on the skin after cleansing and leaves my face feeling so fresh. (I'm going to do a separate posts about toners in the near future as I have a few that I love and some I am so disappointed with)
• Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser: I really do like Simple products as they do what they say on the tin and are pretty damn cheap! My skin can sometimes be quite sensitive and can easily break out if I use too heavy a moisturiser so something basic like this is perfect for me. It sinks in so quickly so in mornings I can apply make up almost immediately.
• Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask: I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with face masks (I wrote a blog post about a few of my favourites last month - link!); I just keep on buying new ones! This has to be the best for my skin though, you can really feel it working on the skin plus I absolutely love the consistency and smell. (Been using Lush's Cosmetic Warrior for the last couple of weeks and really like it but it can't be an official favourite of 2011 just yet!)
• Origins Super Spot Remover Acne Treatment Gel: This gel is bloody brilliant in my eyes. It has shed loads of Salicylic acid in it which you can definitely feel working. It calms down the fiercest of spots but doesn't dry out the skin. Much better than any other the other spot treatments I've used, and I've tried a fair few!
• Garnier Youthful Radiance Multi-Active Care Eye Cream: I apply eye cream religiously morning and night and have always preferred using the Garnier range. This is my favourite of their eye creams and I really noticed a difference in the condition of the eye area after a few weeks of use, plus Boots and Superdrug always have special offers on them which is never a bad thing!

I don't really have a staple exfoliator in my skincare regime from 2011, purely because I feel that using the muslin cloth when cleansing, and Clinique lotion, is exfoliation enough for me, especially seeing as my skin is fairly sensitive. 

Does anyone have an exfoliator that they could perhaps recommend for me have a bash at?

Are you a fan of any of the products I've raved about? Seriously any recommendations would be really appreciated, particularly for moisturisers that won't break me out!

Hope you're all having a wonderful Wednesday!

Lots of love,

Lucy xxx

Lucy likes a bargain (another bloody SALE HAUL!), as well as optimistic resolutions!

Hi all!

First of all, I just wanted to wish everyone a really happy new year! I hope 2012 is bloomin' brilliant for all of you, and I'm sure it will be. I'm a little scared about this year, to be honest. I graduate in June (hopefully!) and turn 21 in July so it's time to be a proper adult sadly! I've made a few new years resolutions, which I think are realistic so am praying that I actually stick to them:

1) WORK HARDER! I definitely need to start studying a little bit more (lots of extra reading and going to ALL lectures, only one proper term left) so I've got myself a cute diary and proper stationary to help me keep on top of things.

2) EXERCISE! I've bought Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred (Link!) DVD as it's only 20 minutes of exercise a day and there are three levels, so room for progression. I think twenty minutes is definitely doable and I'm going to make my housemates do it with me so we encourage each other and keep motivated. I'd also like to get into running again once it gets slightly warmer.

3) FEWER WISPA GOLDS! I am unhealthily addicted to Wispa Golds, they're just so damn good, and I really need to kick the habit. Going to try to replace them with Options hot chocolate as that's low in calories and then finally fruit (ideally!)

Hopefully sticking to 2) and 3) will lead to me losing the Christmas chunk, and 1) isn't too unrealistic!

I've absolutely loved reading about all of your new years resolutions, and they've made me feel a lot more motivated about keeping to mine!

Secondly, as the title suggests, I hit the sales again, couldn't resist! I got myself a couple of pairs of shoes, a jacket, a ring and some make-up-y bits.

Got these beauties from Bank: originally: £25, down to £6!!
I've been wanting a simple black loafer for ages but have struggled to find a pair that were comfortable, sturdy and patent.
These are SO comfortable as they have a lot of cushioning in them.
I could not believe that they were SIX POUNDS!
They also had them in Oxblood, a deep red, which were absolutely gorgeous but they only had them in fairly big sizes, bad times.

Select (again!): Originally: £25, down to £12
I really love shoe boots, and constantly wear them when out. I bought these as I love an almond toe and wanted a chunky heel instead of a wedge, for a change. They're so comfortable and cut at a really flattering part of the ankle. I just won a navy vintage beaded top on eBay (will show you it when it comes!) and I think these boots would look so good with the top and standard wet-look leggings.

New Look: Originally £44.99, down to £9!Recently, I haven't been too keen on New Look and have struggled to find many pieces that I really liked. Because of this, I wasn't really expecting much when I had a quick look in their sale. Saying that, I cannot believe this jacket was NINE POUNDS! I think £9 for a coat is insane, especially one with such cute detailing around the collar and pockets. It falls to just below the hip and has a slight a-line shape, which I am a fan of.

Topshop: (L to R; clockwise) Ring: Originally £12.50, down to £6.25; Lip Balm (in Dew): Originally £4, down to £1;  Eyeshadow Mousse (in Tundra): Originally £8, down to £2
I had my eye on this ring for a while, as I absolutely love quirky, animal rings. The lip balm is really moisturising and is ever so slightly pink-y so it's nice to use throughout the day as I really like a natural lip (can't really go wrong for a pound). The Eyeshadow Mousse (swatch below) is honestly brilliant! It's such a gorgeous colour and just does not crease like normal mousse formulations. It stays on for absolutely ages as well so if you see it, I'd definitely recommend getting it! I absolutely love the mousse in Glint but they were all out in the Topshop I was looking in.

Right that's all of my sale purchases and I really need to stop spending now! I think in my next post I'm going to go through my favourite products of 2011 (better late than never!).

Let me know what you think of my purchases and if you've had anymore successes!
Also please let me know about your resolutions; I'd be so grateful for any tips for effective exercising or organisation!

Hope you have a super Tuesday,

Lots of love,
Lucy xxx

Lucy does not like sales! (HAUL)

Hola!

I'm on a bit of a blogging roll tonight! There's so many bits I want to chat about and show you all!

Thought I might show you a few things I bought when in town on Christmas Eve and yesterday. I didn't brave the sales on Boxing Day because there was nothing I was desperate to get and I normally panic and grab hideous clothes just because they're 80% off or something, so instead I went in for a little look yesterday (although it was still so busy). Also, the Topshop sale started on Christmas Eve instead of Boxing Day so I went in then to have a little look. It was so quiet and tidy and there was so much there; I'd definitely recommend heading in before Christmas next year (although I'm not sure if this is the case in all stores).

Right, so from Topshop, I got these bits:

Original price: £38, down to £20
I love chunky knits this winter and really loved the neck on this especially.
I really like wearing it with dark red chinos and glittery gold pumps,
as it's so simple and comfy.
 For £18 (I got student discount) I'm really happy with it!

Original price: £36, down to £15
I really love the colour of this top and the sleeves
(apologies that the sleeves aren't shown very well here)
I think the cut out detail is interesting and it'd look great with
leather-look leggings and wedge shoe boots when I'm going out
but don't want to completely freeze!
For £13.50 I think it's so good!

After Topshop I had a quick look in Select. I really find Select to be a bit hit and miss: sometimes they have some really nice pieces that look a lot more expensive than they actually are, as well as being on trend; other times I am really not a fan!

Original price: £14, down to £7
I have been wanting this shirt for SO LONG,
but I could never find it in store and they didn't have it in my size online,
 so I was so happy to finally find it in the sale for half price!
 I absolutely love the studs/gems and the dropped hem at the back.
It's such a lovely length and I can't wait to wear it!

Those are the only things I found in the sales. Not much, although admittedly, I didn't look too hard or for very long! Did anyone have more patience than me and get any real bargains? Can you recommend some good sales I should have a look at?

Whilst shopping, I also bought a few pieces of make up, which were sadly not reduced:

I was trawling the GOSH counter in Superdrug and came across this brilliant brow pen for £5.99. I've been looking for a brow pen that suits my colouring for a while now; I always find them to either be too ashy, too red, or too dark. That's why I was drawn to this product. I've found that it stays on for so long (as the name suggests!) and the nib makes it so easy to apply in order to keep it looking natural. I chose the shade 004 (Wheat) and there's a swatch below. I really do love this product!

I also couldn't resist another Topshop Blush (£6.00)! This time I went for a creme blush is Neon Rose (link!). I love coral shades and this is such a brightening colour. I'm really into keeping my skin dewy at the moment so creamy formulas like this are brilliant for me. I haven't found a brush I love applying it with yet though, so I was hoping you'd have some suggestions?

Here are some swatches of the two products - apologies for the awful photo and my pale arm!

Please let me know if you found any bargains! I'd love to hear what you all found!

Lots of love,
Lucy xxx

Lucy likes Christmas

Hiyaaa!

I hope everybody had an absolutely brilliant Christmas, with lots of friends and family, food, alcohol and presents! I had such a nice day although I feel so chunky after all the celebratory eating!

I thought I'd show you all a few of my favourite presents (or at least, ones I thought you'd find most interesting!) and then show you a few bits that I got over the past few days in the sales. I'm driving up to see my boyfriend in the next couple of days so will let you know what he's got me when I've unwrapped them as well!

My family got me some really lovely presents this year, which was so bloomin' sweet and I know I'm going to be using them all to death!

I got a new camera (Nikon Coolpix S4150) which is so dinky and brilliant to keep on me when I'm out; we went to get this on Christmas Eve (cutting it fine!) from Jessops and it was reduced from £179.95 to £74.95 - what a bargain! It's a touch screen which sounds fancy but I'm hoping that the fanciness won't make it actually more difficult to use, if you know what I mean!

I also got Illamasqua's 'Freak' which I am really in love with; I go round sniffing my wrists all day long at the moment! My friends (and probably the sales assistants) will just be glad they no longer have to go to Selfridges with me everytime we're shopping just for a cheeky sniff.

The red case came with a 'Gorgeous By Gok' set I was given, and contained two body washes, a body scrub, two body butters, a bath essence and a puff (is that even what they're called?!). I really like the smell of this range as it's so luxurious. I really would recommend getting some if you see it reduced in the sales, as it's pretty cheap considering the quality and scent!

I think the No. 7 giftset has got to be my favourite present as it has SO many goodies in it! FIVE make up brushes (there's a picture of these bad boys below - they're so soft and I love the pattern on the handles!), a full size mascara, an eyeshadow palette with six colours, a full size Protect and Perfect Day and Night Cream, a small Protect and Perfect serum, a Heavenly Moisture Face Mask, eye make up remover, a lip balm(/gloss) in shade Marshmallow, and a pack of wipes. I think I remember seeing this before Christmas and it was on special reduced from around £60 to around £25 which is SO good! Did anyone else get any of the No 7 sets for Christmas or in the sales?
I'm playing around with the mascara and lipgloss at the moment and will do a thorough review when I've got a bit of wear out of them.

As you can see, I also got some Morrocan Oil (100ml) and Clinique Toner (400ml) which are some of my beauty staples. I honestly think that Morrocan Oil is the one product that I cannot live without; it's just made my hair 100 times better. I used to have such knotty hair meaning that brushing it after washing was an absolute nightmare. I'd either leave it a matted mess or hack away at it and subsequently destroy my hair. Now, my hair is so soft and I can brush it so much easier; it's also grown a lot recently which I think is because it's in better condition and not breaking off after a certain point. I ran out of my last bottle a couple of weeks ago and found my hair to be so damn knotty again so I was  so happy to get this.
I've been using Clinique Toner for god knows how long, and I use it now maybe a bit out of habit. It may be psychological but my skin never feels completely clean until I've used this toner so I'm so glad I got a big bottle!

Finally, I got a Yankee Candle in 'Apple Cider' which smells delicious. It smells so spicy and sweet and fizzy and has such a strong scent when burning. I have always loved Yankee candles but have never had this one before. I think my ma got it from TKMaxx for £9.99, which is a lot cheaper than normal, so I'd definitely recommend looking there before you go anywhere else. I buy all my candles from TKMaxx and can spend so long sniffing everything they have in there!

Good god, sorry I've rambled for so long! I think I'll maybe talk about my sale finds in my next post because this is already so long!

I really hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Please let me know what presents you're loving!

Also, with some Christmas money I'm going to buy a new foundation because I think Healthy Mix is making me break out (my skin is SO sensitive at the moment). Does anyone have any recommendations? I'd love to hear what everyone else swears by!

Have a super Wednesday!
Lots of love,
Lucy xxxx

Lucy likes bright lips!

Hi all!

Thought I'd do a quick F.O.T.D. as I've been trying out a new lip product at the moment - 'Stila's Lip Rouge in Pucker' - and I am such a big fan! I absolutely love bright lips but am not good with high maintenance make up; because of this, this liquid lip stain definitely has my seal of approval. It stays on for absolutely hours, in fact, sometimes it stays on too long and I look a bit too done up when I wake up the next morning!

Just off out to La Tasca for my ma's birthday (so excited for some tapas!), so I wanted my make up to look a bit more special than normal but not TOO done up.

As you can see the stain is a bright red with pink undertones, which I think looks lovely with a natural pink blush.

Face:

Base: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector (Daily all-in-one B.B. cream) in Light

Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 52

Concealer: Revlon PhotoReady Concealer and Bourjois Brush Concealer

Blush: Cargo Blush in Louisiana 

Highlighter: No7 Skin Illuminator in Peach

Eyes:

Shadow: HD Brows Foxy Palette (Ash Brown used in crease)

Liner: Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip in Black

Mascara: L'Oreal's Volume Million Lashes Mascara in Extra Black

Brows: HD Brows Foxy Palette

Lips:

Lipstain: Stila's Lip Rouge

Clothing:

Stole: Primark

Have you tried any other lipstains recently which you've liked? I'd love to buy a few more to try out!

I think I'm going to dye my hair this evening - bored of the red-ish tones so think I may go chocolate brown - so I'll put up a post if it's not a complete disaster!

Have a brilliant Thursday everyone!

Lots of love,

Lucy xxxx

Lucy likes hauls!

Hello!

Thought I'd show you some of my recent purchases - some Primark pieces and then a few cosmetic-y bits. Really shouldn't have been buying stuff this month, but I think I've got the majority of Christmas presents sorted so I think  it's alright! Are you all sorted for Christmas? I am so bloomin' excited it's ridiculous!

Right I'll start with the clothing bits from Primark:

Primark: £8 (I think).It came with a yellow ribbon around the neck
but I was only after it for the cute double collar  so that quickly got thrown away.
I think this top is so damn cute; ideal for the summer with denim shorts,
as well as at the moment underneath chunky jumpers. I do love a nautical theme! 

Primark: £12.00 (again, I think - sorry I'm not more helpful!).
I bought this because it's so similar in shape and detailing to a jumper
I bought last winter from Zara and have consequentially worn to death.
Absolutely love this colour at the moment and I'll definitely wear it a lot
underneath my parka, with jeggings and Chelsea boots when I'm feeling lazy.

Primark: £5.00 (FIVE BLOOMIN' POUNDS! What a bargain!)
If you saw my earlier post, 'What Lucy is liking at the moment',
you'll see that I'm a big fan of scalloped edges and cute collars;
so happy with this purchase as I get all that for £5.00!
Not too sure about the material though.. it does feel a little cheap
and clingy but it'll be such a nice layering piece.

Primark: £10.00. I think this is probably my favourite recent purchase
as I feel like it looks so much more expensive  than £10.
I love the pleat detailing and the covered buttons,
and it's so simple for Primark, which I think is a good thing!
I've been looking for a nude shirt for a while and have bought,
and soon returned, a few that didn't fit right or suit my colouring. 

I also bought some Chelsea boots, a snood, some earrings and a candle (bit random!):

Primark: £15.00 I have been looking for a pair of tan Chelsea boots for-bloomin'-ever
but all other pairs have seemed to look a little bit odd on me,
or have strange details which I've not been a fan of. I really like
these from Primark as they're fairly simple and feel surprisingly sturdy.

Primark: £4.00
Love the colour of this snood, and the aztec print!

Earrings from Primark (both £2.00); Candle from Muji (£3.50)
My housemate always recommends Muji candles so I popped in and got myself
 one, and one as a Christmas present. I bought the 'Caramel and Roasted Almonds'
and 'Jasmine and Black Olive' ones and they both smell gorgeous,
although I haven't burnt them yet so we shall see!

Finally, on to some make up and nail varnishes:

Left: Lipstick in Nevada (Topshop: £8.00); Right: Lipstick in Blankety (MAC: £13.50)
Really like nude lipsticks at the moment and these two are so pigmented
and have such a nice finish. I think Blankety is probably my favourite of the two,
seeing as it is slightly browner, which suits my colouring.
They look so nice paired with Topshop's lipgloss in 'Antique', as well.

Barry M Nail Paint (Both £2.99) L: Silver Cascade R: Once Upon a Time
I've been looking for some super glittery nail varnishes for ages
and am such a massive fan of Barry M nail paint so was so happy
when I found these in Oxford Circus's Topshop.

I also bought Topshop's Blush in 'Pop', Sally Hansen's 'Hard as Nails' nail strengthener, Revlon's PhotoReady Concealer and Blistex's MedPlus (my lips are absolutely wrecked from the cold!) but I think that I've rambled enough so won't include pictures of them!

Have you found any gems recently?
Hope you've all had a good Monday; only SIX days until Christmas!

Lots of love,
Lucy xxx