May Favourites!

Here comes that little cliché again: I can't believe how quickly May has gone by. And to be honest, I can't really remember which products I've been using the most, but these three (plus one book) are the things that spring to mind when I think about what I've been loving recently.

First up, we have the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquer in Nude Eclipse. This shade. I've never been one for nude lips, but this caramel shade has converted me. It glides on beautifully and sits really nicely upon the lips. Perfect paired with lashings of mascara! Next we have Soap & Glory's Hand Food hand cream, a delicious-scented lotion that is a little greasy but sinks effortlessly and quickly into my skin. I've been getting really chapped hands lately and this has been great to keep flakiness at bay! And the honorary Lush product this month is: the Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly. I can't even rave about this stuff enough. With a scent like blackcurrant jelly babies and the perfect lather, I adore it. It's also the most refreshing thing ever to use in the shower after a hot day! Finally, my book choice this month: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. I finished City of Bones two days ago and have been reading this at every moment since. For a fuller write-up on this book, check out my post on my new blog What Lauren Did Today: here.

 

My Little Links:

 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurennpiper#

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/laurenpiperx/

Figment: http://figment.com/users/207140-Lauren-Piper

 

xx



Dry Skin Heroes

Following my post a few days ago on my new obsession with the M&S Coconut Body Butter, I got to thinking about the other products I rely on to help battle my dry and dehydrated skin. Here is a little compilation of my favourite products to use!

 

Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub Body Scrub - £8.00 - Boots.

 

One of my favourite Soap & Glory products and favourite scents to boot, I nearly had a meltdown when I couldn't find this in Boots last year, only to discover that it had been re-packaged and re-branded as part of their Smoothie Star range. This scrub packed with oats, shea butter, banana and almonds is the perfect thing to tackle dryness. It's not harsh at all and it perfect for sensitive skin(although I recommend skipping the chest area if you are sensitive as the skin is delicate). Using this once a week leaves my skin feeling refreshed and soft.

 

Lush Butterball Bath Bomb - £2.50 - Lush.

 

A firm favourite of mine and a repurchase, the Lush Butterball Bath Bomb is filled with moisturising cocoa nibs that dissolve into the bath and leave your skin coated in a gorgeous non-oily film that sinks into skin quickly and comfortably. I adore chucking this into the bath when I'm feeling a little too lazy to moisturise afterwards as it does the job for you!

 

Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser - £2.85 - Sainsburys.

 

I've had this product for a while now and always reach for it during a last-minute shower. It kind of work like a conditioner for your body - after washing, you apply this much like you would a hair conditioner and then simply rinse off for nourished, moisturised skin. For my full thoughts on this product, click here.

 

M&S Naturals Shea Body Butter - £5 - M&S

 

This is the shea variation of my much beloved Coconut body butter. The thick but light-weight cream is perfect for slathering onto dry patches and flaky bits without being heavy or tacky at all. Despite it's thickness it takes mere moments to sink in and leave you with beautifully soft skin. To read my thoughts on the coconut version, click here.

 

xx

 

April Favourites 2014

 

 It's that time again: here are my April favourites!

 

Let's kick things off with my new obsession: Avon's 'Perfectly Flesh' Nail Varnish. How gorgeous is that shade? A lovely pinky-nude that works well with gold and silver jewellery and makes my skin look so healthy and glowy. £6 - Avon. Next up, the mascara I pulled out in my recent Shopping The Stash post, Rimmel's Scandal Eyes Retro Glam mascara. I've been really enjoying this, it coats my lashes with a dark black colour and really lengthens and lifts. I do with it was a tad more thickening, but hey. The brush is quite unusual and does take a few attempts to work out how to use it best, but I think it's shape is perfect for coating lower lashes without smudging. £6.99 - Boots. Another recent find in the backs of my drawers is the Anatomicals Snog Me Senseless lip balm. A tingly, minty offering that coats my lips in a clear sheen similar to a lip gloss, but without the heaviness and stickiness. I quite like using this in the morning as a bit of a wake-me-up, as the scent and tingle I do find very refreshing. £2.55 - Asos. Lastly, beauty-wise, I've been loving the Boots Simply Sensitive Hydrating Eye Cream. I had a bit of a run-in with a make-up wipe that my skin didn't agree with (nothing unusual there!), which left my under eyes very flaky and dry. A little of this applied before my concealer for a few days and the problem was solved! £1.74 - Boots. And finally, a little non-beauty favourite thrown in for good measure: the Yankee Candle Tart Melts. This one is the Strawberry Buttercream, but I also picked up the Vanilla Frosting and Summer Scoop. I adore these, they're so much cheaper than a proper candle but give off all the same scent and power. Popped in the top of an oil burner and left to melt, it fills my room with gorgeous fragrance. £1.25 - Yankee Candle.

 

xx

February Favourites!

 

Hello everyone! I know it's a little late but I thought I'd share my February Favourites. I'd been stuck in a bit of a rut beauty-wise lately and so through-out February I made an effort to try different things in an attempt to freshen my routines.

 

 

Naturally a few Lush products had to make it's way into this post. I bought the Karma solid perfume (£5.00) as a birthday present to myself and have been wearing it every day since. It's such an uplifting, zingy, citrus scent and it puts me in such a good mood and I've received so many compliments about it! It's certainly not a subtle scent and it's a little on the spicy side, but it's vibrancy puts me in the mood for the summer months! Also featured is the Close To You massage bar. Sadly this was limited edition, but I got it for Valentines Day from my boyfriend! I have used this for it's intended purpose as a massage bar on my legs and my shoulders and it works amazingly, it gives just the right amount of slip and slide without being greasy or oily. I use this more often as a moisturiser on my legs, I simply sweep the bar along my skin and massage in to moisturise! Recently I've also started trying to make more of an effort with my eye make-up. I'm a lipstick kind of gal usually, but I got the Collection Eye Shadow Pencil in Vintage Blush (£3.19) for my birthday which is a creamy slightly shimmery pink shade. It's a cream eye shadow which is something I haven't tried before and it lasts for hours and is waterproof! A bit of a pain when trying to remove it, but it's long lasting trait makes it a favourite this month! Paired with this pencil I like to apply a little powdered eye shadow in the crease of my eye to create a little shadow. I've been using the MUA Undressed palette (£4.00) for this purpose and have been working the third colour on the bottom row into the crease with a fluffy brush to create a subtle smokey effect. Finally, beauty-wise, we have the Real Techniques Contour Brush (only available in the core collection) which I use to apply my highlighting pearls and a touch of peachy blusher. It's the perfect shape to apply specific highlight but also is great for blending blushes easily. Last of all I wanted to feature my new watch, it's face is patterned with a map and the strap is white faux leather. I picked this up for just £1.64 from eBay and am looking forward to pairing it with a white crop top and pale shorts in the summer! (Click here for the link)

 

xx



Current Go-To Nail Shades

 

 

Spring is approaching! And as distant as that may seem due to the impending weather difficulties in the UK, I am holding on to the hope that it's still on it's way. Obviously due to the previous point, the weather has put my spring clothing on hold so I have been embracing the pretty shades and textures and patterns in such a way that doesn't look too bad paired with my coat and scarf of choice: nail shades.

 

Here I have a mix of textures and colours, all my current go-to polishes (for the days that I'm allowed to wear nail varnish - college rules). Sorry about the dodgy quality of the photo - I had to take this snap within the two minutes the sun managed to break through the dark clouds and so I just went with the best shot I was able to capture! Coloured polishes pictured above are: Revlon's Cupid (the pink), Revlon's Cloud (the pale purple), Revlon's Blue Lagoon (the shimmery blue) and Barry M's Mint Green (the mint green.. obviously). And the three textures are: Sally Hansen's Sugar Coat, Avon's Opal Top Coat and Rimmel's Matte Top Coat. 

Textures:

 

Following the overwhelming but now out-dated success of the 'Crackle' nail varnish, I find it difficult to find unique nail varnish finishes that aren't a little tacky. I may or may not have previously mentioned the Rimmel Matte Finish Pro, but I'll be surprised if I haven't as I adore it. It literally changes any nail varnish into a matte one, whether it's a glitter or a regular polish. The Sally Hansen Sugar Coat is a new find of mine, which leaves my nails textured with a gritty, sand like finish. It's a little scratchy but gives full coverage in one coat and is a bright, clean white. Finally I have my last little grasp on Christmas - a glitter top coat. This one is a bit more subtle and features flecks of shimmery pale glitter, meaning it's great for the pastel spring trends.

 

Colours:

 

As you may have seen in my OOTD birthday post, I absolutely adore Revlon's Cupid: a bright bubblegum pink that gives full coverage in just one coat and lasts for ages. It's probably my most worn colour from this collection, as it always catches my eye if I'm a bit unsure of what to wear. My other two Revlon picks are Cloud and Blue Lagoon. Cloud is one of those shades that has a hint of so many colours that I don't know what to call it - a grey-ish lilac-y blue? It's super flattering despite it's split personalities, colour wise, and despite it's paleness, it only requires two coats to give intense colour. Blue Lagoon is a pretty pale blue laced with a subtle silver sparkle that works really well with my silver crown ring as it sets off the shimmer. Finally Barry M's Mint Green is my green of choice, but it's quite wishy-washy so I sometimes apply a white polish as a base to get maximum colour. 

 

Again I apologise for the poor quality of these photos - hopefully the weather will lighten up a bit soon! I hope you all had a good week.

 

xx

My Week #3

Photo Captions: warm chocolate fudge cake and vanilla ice cream // my night routine: animal crossing new leaf and the perks of being a wallflower // my recent lush storage and collection post // painted my nails with barry m gelly nail paint in blue grape // OOTD for my brother's birthday meal // fish and chips at said birthday meal!

 

Product of the week: My favourite product this week has to be the Avon Diamond Shimmer Face Pearls. I use these pearls as a highlight on my cheekbones, cupid's bow, forehead, chin and down my nose and it's beautiful. It's a very light shimmer and the colour isn't too dark or too pale for my skin tone and isn't too obvious when worn with a darker foundation, either.

 

Purchases this week: Recent purchases include the Lush Sex Bomb & Think Pink bath bombs (which I included in my lush storage and collection post) as well as a new handbag for college and a cute little leopard print make-up bag, both from Primark. I'd been in desperate need of a new bag as my current one wasn't up to lugging around folders and notebooks for college, and I found a simple black one in Primark for just £12. Also whilst in the bag section I picked up a cute make-up bag for just £3!

 

Watched this week: I actually went to the cinema three times this week! Once with my boyfriend, one with my dad and once with my little sister. With my boyfriend, I watched The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 3D. It was actually a brilliant film, much better than the first Hobbit which I felt was rather long and boring. Orlando Bloom also made an appearance in this one, which I was very happy about. (He's a very hot elf, fyi). With my Dad, I re-watched Catching Fire. I know, I know. But I just couldn't resist. It was just as perfect the second time around and my dad actually really enjoyed it. Finally, I took my little sister to watch the new Disney Princess film, Frozen. It was such an adorable film and although there is an awful lot of singing involved, the new Princess and Queen are both amazing. The main plot of the film is that 'only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart', but the incredible thing is that the act of true love in this instance was sisters love, not romantic love. I thought this was a brilliant move on Disney's part - about time they showed younger girls that life isn't all about love and finding a man!

 

Highlight of the week: This week at college was actually a very good one! I finished my final assignment and got four pre-observations done, two on clients. I also managed to get my client to re-book in for a treatment and she's requested me as her therapist! Very excited about that!

 

Blog Posts this week: My Lush Collection and Storage // Book Review: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

 

xx

5 Minute Make-Up Kit

 

I'm not ashamed to say that due to the current chill in the air in England I've accidentally-on-purpose overslept for college a couple of times pretty much every day this past two weeks (it's my duvet's fault, not mine). I'll be snoozing my alarm from 7:30am right up until 8:15am when I'm supposed to be leaving at 8:30am to make sure I give myself enough time to walk up to my friend's house for 9am.

 

So over the past few days I've managed to pull together a sort of last-minute make-up routine that takes all of five minutes and gives me enough confidence to leave the house without looking like I've overslept/a zombie.

 

The first step once I've pulled my hair up into it's mandatory bun (college salon rules) I apply a little lot of the Collection Cover Up Stick underneath my eyes and blend it out with my fingers to cover my dark circles. Next, I take my MUA Cover and Conceal Concealer and dot it across my face, concentrating on any blemishes or redness. I blend this out with my foundation brush. To add some definition to my eyes, I like to use both ends of my Rimmel Double Ended Kajal Stick, running the white end along my water line to brighten and awaken and the black end up beneath my lashes to add some depth. I finish with a few sweeps of my 17 Blow Out Mascara onto my lashes and a slick of my Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch on my lips to give a pop of colour since I'm lacking any blusher.

 

So there you have it! I hope I've given you guys some ideas on what products to use when you're in a rush, they certainly do the job for me!

 

xx

The Perfect Base: Concealers

I've never been much of a foundation wearer, mostly because I could never find a shade that actually matched my skintone properly and because any sales assistant I've discussed foundations with has always said my skin doesn't need it! The main problems with my skin is redness on my cheeks (sensitive skin trait!) and depressingly dark circles under my eyes which I treat with targeting concealer instead of a full face of foundation.

These are the concealers I've been using recently, including my must-have moisturiser and a multi-tasking eye shadow. 

Left - Right. Boots Simply Sensitive Moisturiser // Translucent Powder // MUA Eyeshadow Shade 17 // Green, Natural and Lilac Concealer Tower // Collection Cover Up Stick in Fair // MUA Cover and Conceal in Fair

I apologise that some of these products aren't 'branded' (the translucent powder and concealer tower) but they were the products I got with my college make-up kit and are the ones that I use. I'm going to explain these products in the order that I use them in, so sorry if they don't follow the order in the photo!

Boots Simply Sensitive Moisturiser

I have a fuller review of this moisturiser here. 

I believe part of having a good skin base is having good skincare. There's nothing worse than applying foundation/powder just for it to look flaky and irregular where it's been caught on dry skin. I apply this ten - fifteen minutes before I put any products on my skin to allow time to sink in properly and it sorts out any dry patches.

Concealer Tower - Green 

Green-toned concealers are known for counter-acting redness. A must have for oily/sensitive skins, as it reduces the look of irritation, breakouts and broken blood vessels. If you can't get your hands on a green concealer, No 7 does an amazing green tinted primer that's amazing either under foundation or translucent powder. However, if your redness is selective to a few small areas or is in need of a more heavy coverage, a concealer is your best bet. Just be sure to blend thoroughly for risk of green patches!

Concealer Tower - Lilac

Purple-toned concealers are known for counter-acting yellow/sallowness in your skin tone. A must have for any olive skinned girls, as this brightens up your colouring beautifully and naturally. Also great at helping tackle under-eye circles, lilac concealers seem quite scary but are a 'perfect base' staple. 

Collection 2000 Cover Up Stick in Fair

I use this concealer stick under my eyes, and it's amazing! I suffer from really dark under eye circles and this mixed with a little of the lilac concealer sorts them out beautifully! This colour is also a near perfect match for my colouring (which is ridiculously pale) and blends naturally into my skin tone without any tell-tale colour lines. Also a bargain! (£1.99, Boots.)

Make Up Academy Cover & Concealer in Fair

This isn't neccesarily an 'every day' must have for me, as I only use it when I have breakouts. I picked it up recently as Superdrug are currently running a 3 for 2 (I also bought the eyeshadow featured in this post and my MUA Lipstick in Shade 4) for £1.50. It comes in three shades (Fair, Natural and Almond) and despite buying the lightest I find it a touch too orange for me. However, it's concealing power is incredible! I use this on blemishes and it hides them away perfectly. The consistency is actually really thick and creamy but blends well. 

Translucent Powder

Another part of my college kit, I dust this powder over my skin to help set the concealers and mask any slight discolouration (sometimes the green is prone to it!). It also helps mattify my skin. Once this one is all used up I think I'm going to try the Rimmel Stay Matte - so if anyone reading has used it, what's it like?!

Make Up Academy Eye shadow in Matte 17

I use this matte eye shadow every day. Weirdly it's almost the same colour as my skin when applied, which helps as I have quite obvious veins on my lid and across my brow bone and this gives me an even base to apply more shadow to or nice natural-looking colouring. The shadow itself has a beautifully soft texture and there's literally no fall-out at all! The best part is the £1 price tag!

What are your fave concealer products?

The Summer Transition: Pink-Toned Lips.

Hi everyone!

It's been such a busy week for me! I'm down to my last unit in college and then I'm finally fully qualified! I've been accepted into Level 3 so I'm going to continue my studies but who knows what the future holds!

As I'm sure you've read, 'The Summer Transition' is a new series of posts I've put together showing the changes I've made to prepare myself for the summer. I'm planning to focus on products (here), style, exercise, make-up and diet. I was originally going to sum up my make-up changes in one post but I'm so in love with these lipsticks (and scrub) that I thought they deserve their own post!

Bottom - Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Oxford St Fuchsia // Middle Left - MUA Lipstick in Shade 4 // Middle Right- MUA Lipstick in Shade 3 // Top - 2True Colour Drench Lipstick in Shade 5

LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub

I think I've mentioned most of these products in my make-up faves post (here) and I've been using them quite a while but I literally cannot stop raving about them! The Rimmel Lipstick and the MUA Lipstick in Shade 3 are my most recent purchases, the Rimmel one I scouted in the poundshop (!) and the MUA one from Superdrug. 

Sometimes in the Spring/Summer I lean towards more natural looking make-up but this year I've been exploring my colour options and decided to go all out!

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Oxford St Fuchsia 

This lipstick is my new baby! I call it my 'Barbie Pink' lipstick as the shade on the lips is really bright and pigmented but at the same time is the perfect, wearable shade. I wore this to college recently and received several compliments about it. Despite it being my new fave, I'm actually terrified to use it as it was such a bargain price and don't want to run out of it! It's staying power is incredible, even without applying it with a brush, and will last me through three meals a day without budging. 

You can buy it here for £6.29 from Superdrug.

Make Up Academy Lipstick in Shade 4

As I'm sure you can tell by the amount I have left, this is my most used lip shade! It's a lovely light pink that isn't too pigmented and is perfect for a 'barely there' make up look. I'm not going to lie, the sustainability of this isn't amazing (I have to top up a lot throughout the day) but for the price I'm not complaining. This lipstick is really hydrating and stays on lips with a glossy finish.

You can buy here for £1 from Superdrug.

Make Up Academy Lipstick in Shade 3 

I've had my eye on this gorgeous red/pink shade for so long! It's seriously pigmented on the lips straight from the bullet but I prefer the look of it when applied with a lip brush. Like my other MUA lipstick (above) it's staying power isn't incredible but again the price is so good you can't complain! I can apply this without the use of a lip balm before because of how nourishing it is, and I also have a thing for the smell (does that make me weird?!).

You can buy here for £1 from Superdrug

2True Colour Drench Lipstick in Shade 5

This colour actually looks a lot darker/more sparkly in the bullet than it is once applied on the lips. I always apply this with a lip brush as I find it applies really thick and messy without using one. I usually wear it if I'm not making an effort with the rest of my make-up and it makes me look like I have! 

Left - Right. Rimmel Moisture Renew in Oxford St Fuchsia, MUA Lipstick in Shade 3, MUA Lipstick in Shade 4, 2True Colour Drench Lipstick in Shade 5

LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub

Finally is my dearly beloved LUSH Lip Scrub! The delicious scent, the simple packaging, the gorgeous colour... need I go on?! I use this every night after I've finished with my skincare routine (full post on my routine coming tomorrow!) and it leaves my lips soft, lightly tinted, and, well, tasting frickin' amazing! 

Buy it here for £5.25 from Lush.co.uk


So there you have it! My favourite lip shades for Spring/Summer. 

What are your fave shades?

xo

Current Make-Up Faves

Hey guys! 

So last week was a hectic one! After chilling out for the whole of the Easter holidays, it seems like life's been running on overdrive. Today's been my first 'pause' day, so I thought I'd share a post on my current make-up faves. 

These products are the ones that I cart around with me everywhere. Some are the basic staples of my beauty routine and others are more recent introductions that I've fallen in love with already. 

I've noticed recently that there are a lot more lip products than eye products, something that has honestly shocked me. I've always been one for jet black liner and long, curly lashes but I've been coming into my (lip) colours lately and I've found a few shades that I can wear with confidence.

I apologize that they're not numbered/labeled but it should be pretty straightforward as to which product is which.

Colour Trend Fresh Face Oil Free Foundation (Ivory Beige) - Not going to lie, this foundation isn't the best coverage-wise so I have to use a fair amount but it's the best colour-match I've found for my pale skin tone. It also blends really well, and doesn't cake over spots like some others I've tried. Avon, £4.75.

Collection 2000 Cover Up Stick (Fair) - As I'm sure any other blogger would agree, Collection 2000 concealers are literally the Holy Grail of the beauty world. It's easy to blend, gives amazing coverage and has a perfect price! Boots, £1.99.

Natural Collection Blusher (Pink Cloud) - This was a recent purchase of mine and I love it already. Great on top of foundation, or if I'm in a rush I just dab a little on my cheek bones with my fingers. The pigment of this small pot is incredible! (For a full review, plus more photos, check out the blog post). Boots, £1.99.

Kohl Eyeliner (Black) - I use this on my water lines (bottom and top) and it lasts remarkably well. It's not massively pigmented (it appears more of a dark grey when I use it on my lid), but it's always handy to carry around. Primark, £1.00 for two.

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara (Black) - My all time favourite mascara. It literally does everything - curls, thickens, lengthens and will last me from 7:00am til 7:00pm without flaking or loosing curl. I adore this! Boots, £8.99.

The Body Shop Born Lippy Lip Balm (Raspberry) - Moisturises and tints my lips with a lovely soft pink shade. I use this when I'm running late and don't have time for proper lipstick application. Also smells delicious! The Body Shop, £2.00.

LUSH Lip Scrub (Bubblegum) - If I could only live with one lip product...! This gorgeous sugary stuff buffs my lips leaving them super smooth, a definite saviour after this long winter! Smells incredible, tastes incredible, leaves a gentle tint on my lips that goes great with a 'barely there' make up look. Lush, £5.25.

Make Up Academy Lipstick (Shade 4) - This bubblegum pink lipstick is such a bargain! It's moist enough to apply straight onto lips without the use of a balm and the pigment is light enough that you can either choose to wear it as a soft splash of pink or build it up into a brighter shade. Superdrug, £1.99.

2True Colour Drench Lipstick (Shade 5) - This lipstick is such a gorgeous shade! It's sort of a purple/red/pink-ish colour with a subtle shimmer. The pigment is the opposite of the MUA Lipstick - the shade is very strong on my lips, but can be pared down using a tissue for a more subtle, day-time look. I love this! Superdrug, £1.99.

Max Factor Lipfinity Lip Tint (Shade 9) - 'Lipfinity' is definitely right! This red lip stain literally lasts all day long, through meals, snacks and drinks without even a smudge or need of a top-up. I often wear this when I can't be bothered to make an effort with my make-up and it gives me so much confidence! Boots - £6.99

Left - Right. 2True Colour Drench Lipstick (Shade 5)//Make Up Academy Lipstick (Shade 4)//Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub//The Body Shop Raspberyy Lip Balm//Max Factor Lipfinity Lip Tint (Shade 9)

Make Up Bag - Brantano Footwear, £4.00.

So there you have it! Do you use any of these products? What do you think of them?

Let me know! xo