December Glossybox, Festive Edition │ lipsticksandlevis

It's that time of the month again! No, not that time, it's Glossybox time! I haven't done a post on a Glossybox for quite a while because I didn't think that they were particularly interesting, but these little boxes of beauty goodies are a brilliant way to find out about products and brands that you had never heard of before! 

So, this month as it's December was a Festive Edition Glossybox.

The design on the box was so pretty and got me in such a festive mood! 

I found this box to be a strange one, purely because of the razor.. It isn't what I would expect to get in a Glossybox although I suppose with it being the festive and party season, you need a good razor!  This particular one is for 'sensitive care' and my skin is sensitive especially in autumn and winter, so that was very handy! This wilkinson sword razor retails for £6.49 and can be bought on buy.wilkinson-sword.co.uk .

I have had a product from Kimberly Wyatt's brand Beautiful Movements Cosmetics in a Glossybox before and I was very impressed with it so I was really pleased to see another product from her in this Glossybox. This nude lipgloss is very pigmented and not too sticky which is the main reason why I dont wear lipgloss very much. I have also been looking for a nude lipgloss recently so this couldn't of come at a better time! This is half the size of the normal lipgloss sold by the brand and retails at £12 for 8ml. It can be bought at www.beautifulmovementscosmetics.com .

The next product I already own and so will probably be including is a possible future giveaway when I reach a milestone of readers, so keep your eyes peeled for that! Anyway, what I'm talking about is the Maybelline New York 24hr Colour Tattoo Eye Shadow. I am a big fan of these cream eye shadows and I have obtained a few of the colours. They're all very pigmented and super creamy, so they're really easy to blend! They are really easy to create a super pretty and simple eyelook with, which is why I love them so much because I'm always in a rush! The colour of the one I received in the Glossybox was Eternal Gold. These retail for £4.99 and can be bought at www.boots.com .

This product excited me because I have always wanted to try a nail polish from Seche, and I've especially always wanted to try their Seche Vite top coat. It the Seche Nail Lacquer in the colour Blanc II, just a plain white polish. White polishes are one of my favourites because you can do loads of different nail art with this as a base colour. I haven't tried this polish yet, but I do have very high expectations for it and am excited to use it for the first time! These retail for £9.95 and you can buy them at www.liberty.co.uk .

Finally, was a product which I wasn't too fussed about, another perfume sample. I seem to receive these everytime my Glossybox arrives on my doorstep and I have endless amounts of them that I haven't used or simply don't like the smell of because I am really fussy with the perfumes that I wear. It is the new perfume from Lipsy called 'Glam' and I am actually a fan of the smell. It's quite a fruity scent which is a new one for me because I don't usually like them, but I think that it would be a lovely scent for Spring and Summer and I am quite tempted to purchase it next year. It retails for £25 for 50ml and can be bought at www.lipsy.co.uk .

Overall, I am on the fence about this box and hoping that the new year might bring a slightly more impressive box!

♥

Winter Nail Essentials │ lipsticksandlevis

One of my favourite things to do as a little, mini pamper session is painting my nails. I am constantly updating the colour on my talons and I actually quite enjoy it! I am also always adding new polishes to my ever growing collection, but I don't think you can ever have enough nail polishes! 

When it comes to Autumn / Winter I completely switch my collection round and bring out all of my more muted shades and then a few of my more jazzy polishes for the party season!

As you can see, theres a lot of darker, more muted shades and then some metallics and glitters. 

From left to right - Models Own Velvet Polish in Amethyst

Essie Polish in Penny Talk

Mac Polish in Dark Angel

Avon Speed dry+ in Street Beige

Avon Speed dry+ in Reddy To Go

Models Own Glitter Top Coat in Jack Frost

Models Own Velvet Polish in Sardonyx

Models Own Polish in Purple Ash

Barry M Nail Paint in Matt White

Essie Polish in Power Clutch

Rimmel Salon Pro Polish in Celebrity Bash

Avon Nailwear Pro in Starry Sky

Models Own Velvet Polish in Valerian

I love every single one of these polishes and I know that I am going to be wearing them to death over the next few months, especially the Models Own glittery top coat! 

What are you're favourite polishes for autumn / winter ?

Love Lauren x

♥

Review: Soap & Glory Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser │ lipsticksandlevis

Hey there guys!

So, I know that I have been absent from this blog for a very long time but I have had lots of problems, both technical and personal. I'm now back and have planned and scheduled blog posts for the next couple of months! I am going to be blogging three times a week (fingers crossed!) from now on.. because I love to do it but I really have not had the time or been in the right frame of mind lately, so hopefully now being back will help sort everything out!

Anyway, on with the review!

As you can see from the picture, I have almost used every last squeeze of this product so you know that my opinions are entirely true because I have been using it continuously for a month or so. Of course, I am not going to review something that I have only used once or twice because I cannot really base an opinion on that and reading the reviews would be a waste of you're time and we don't want that do we?! Also, please excuse the state of the make-up stained cloth, it has been through the washing machine several times but I just can't seem to get it completely clean!

To start off this review, I just want to say how I love the packaging. I love the packaging of all Soap & Glory products, and I always have done even with the newer packaging coming through on some items. I love how simple the design is and that it tells you everything you need to know in a simple way, because who wants to be reading through billions of lines of minute writing!

When I first started using this I was a little apprehensive as I had never tried a Hot Cloth Cleanser before and I didn't really know what to expect from it, but now I can say that I would like to try many different types too see what I think of those too and I am pleased that I started my Hot Cloth Cleanser experiences with this one. At first, I had no idea how much of the cleanser I would need to apply to my face and on the first few tries I seemed to be using such a large amount that I couldn't see the tube lasting me a week let alone the month and a half that it has. After a week or so of using the cleanser every morning, I had managed to gage how much I needed to use to ensure that the whole surface of my face was thoroughly cleansed. This amount was nowhere near the amount that I thought at first, which is why it last me as long as it did, because a little amount of this stuff can go a long way!

If you haven't used this type of cleanser before, you basically get a little bit of the cleanser on the tips of your fingers and massage it onto your dry face for 2-3 minutes. You can use it straight ontop of your make-up to remove and cleanse at the same time or remove your make-up first and then cleanse in a separate step.  Either way, the outcome is not affected and it still does just as good a job when removing your make-up too. Once you have massaged it into your face, you put your muslin cloth into some warm water, rinse it out and use the cloth to massage back over your face and remove the cleanser. Then you can carry on and do the rest of your skincare routine.

Since using this, I can honestly say that the overall appearance and condition of my skin has improved immensely! Having combination skin (oily down my t-zone and dry patches) and very sensitive skin, I find it difficult to find skincare products that I can stick with and that will no make me go all red and blotchy, which is not a pretty sight at all. However, this cleanser seems to have balanced all of those aspects out, my t-zone doesn't seem as oily and my cheeks and forehead are nowhere near as dry, in fact I hardly get dry patches now at all! I would definitely repurchase this cleanser and once I have used some of my other cleansers that I want to test out, that is what I am going to do. I have never been able to stick with a cleanser for too long until I tried this one and I am very pleased that I decided to go for it and try something new because I now love it!

I hope some of you out there have found this helpful!

♥

First Impressions : Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette │ lipsticksandlevis

Hi guys!

So, it was my birthday last week and I've been treating myself for a change and I have bought rather a lot of stuff.. so lots of reviews and first impressions coming up here on my blog! I also said that I was going to blog more recently, like three times a week.. but I've been both working a lot and ill a lot lately so I really haven't felt like doing anything, but now I promise regular blog posts and I am also thinking of starting a youtube channel so I can post lookbook videos here onto my blog. I just need to pluck up the courage! Anyway, on with the blog post!

As you can probably see from the title of this post, I treated myself to the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, which I was super excited about because I have wanted it for a while. I love neutral coloured eyeshadows and I very rarely wear anything colour on my eyes because I don't go anywhere to jazz up my make-up a bit! So this palette is perfect for me and it has a gorgeous range of colours and finished to suit everyone.

From left to right :

Foxy - matte nude colour

Half Baked - very shimmery orange gold colour

Bootycall - slightly shimmery pink toned nude

Chopper - very shimmery copper colour

Tease - matte pale brown colour

Snakebite - very shimmery brown colour

Suspect - very shimmery light brown colour

Pistol - very shimmery grey colour

Verve - slightly shimmery very pale brown colour

YDK - very shimmery coppery brown colour

Busted - very shimmery deep purple colour

Blackout - slightly shimmery black colour

All of the colours are very pigmented and glide onto the eyelid easily. They blended really easily and because of the colours all going together so well, they blend together so nicely and just instantly looked amazing! The colours I used this morning were Foxy, Bootycall, Tease and Suspect. My favourite of these colours was Foxy which is a lovely brow bone highlight colour! I also really like the fact that it comes with a double ended brush with a normal eyeshadow brush at one end and a fluffy blending brush at the other which is really handy!!  I really can't wait to us this palette more and use the rest of the colours. I will be putting up a full review of the palette once I have used all of the colours and have used it on a number of occasions. 

Anyway, thats all for now..
Bye guys! xx

July 2013 GlossyBox │ lipsticksandlevis

Hi guys!! I said in my last post that I was going to start to write more regularly so here I am again. This time its to let you know what I got in my July GlossyBox! As you can see from the picture below, it was another special box with the Seaside Splash theme, which is very appropriate as the sun has just decided to come out in the UK in the last week or so! So on with the unboxing!

The first thing that caught my attention when I opened the box was this NEW product from Essie, called Sleek Sticks. These are a new range of products, which look really quick and easy to apply. They claim to last for up to 10 days, so I am very excited to try these out. I received them in the pattern '04 love to love you' which is a gorgeous black script pattern on a white background. These are definitely my favourite out of the patterns shown in the GlossyMag. These retail from £9.99 for one set, which I feel is quite pricey but that all depends on how well they apply and last. I shall let you know!

Next was this Anatomicals Spray Misty for me facial spritz. It has calming lavender and refreshing peppermint extracts which are supposed to rehydrate and calm skin. It is especially handy now that the summer has arrived and it is suitable for all skin types which is always a bonus! The spray can be used on the face after cleansing, to refresh throughout the day and also to set make up. It retails at £6.00 for a 100ml bottle.

This is a little sunscreen sample from the Coola Organic Suncare Collection. This range is hypoallergenic, free of parabens and has tonnes of antioxidents. This wonderful little multi-tasker providescomplete UVA/UVB protection, while also soothing, toning and minimizing pores. It retails for £29.99 for a full size of 50ml. 

I am extremely excited to try this next product because I just love to have messy, beachy, boho waves in my hair! It's how I wear my hair the majority of the time. This Alterna Haircare Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist is right up my street, as I love my Toni & Guy sea salt spray. You simply spray on either dry or damp hair and scrunch with your hands to get the messy, beachy effect. It's so simple and easy to use, I just know that I'm going to love it! It retails for £23.00 for 125ml. 

Lastly is this little Pout Paint by Sleek, which is a really highly pigmented lip stain. They are made to be mixed, so come in some pretty unusual colours such as an electric blue (Peek-a-Bloo) and bright silver (Cloud 9). I received mine in '162 Milkshake', which is a gorgeous pinky coral colour. They can be blended out to create a pale wash of colour, but is also buildable to give a more bright colour with more coverage. You only need a very small amount to give you full coverage of your lips so it is going to last a very long time. This retails for £4.99 for the full size 8ml. 

Overall, I am quite pleased with this months GlossyBox because I know that I will get a lot of use out of all of the products, which is very rare for me, and I will definitely enjoy using all of these products!

Lots of Love,

Lauren xxx

Barry M Summer Nail Varnish Haul │ lipsticksandlevis

Hey guys! I haven't blogged in a very long time because of various reasons that I don't really want to talk about at the moment, but now I'm back and I've decided that I'm going to write here on my blog more regularly.. maybe set certain days in the week and dedicate them to a certain type of blog post.. fashion, beauty, hauls, reviews etc. I really do enjoy blogging and especially about things that I am so passionate about.. so now I am back for good! (I want you back, want you back for good.. I just had to!) So, anyway lets get on with this post!

One of my most obsessive beauty collections is my nail varnish, I'm quite the hoarder and my collection just keeps on growing.. I wanted to buy some nice bright colours as the sun has finally decided to show its face here in the UK and bright colours are my favourites for summer, so that is exactly what I did! These have all been bought in the last month or so, on a few different occasions and there's nearly always a 3 for 2 on Barry M nail varnishes so I just couldn't resist! 

From left to right: 

Regular nail paint in 'Yellow', Regular nail paint in 'Tangerine', Regular nail paint in 'Berry Ice cream', Regular nail paint in 'Blueberry Ice cream', Textured Nail Effect nail paint in 'Ridley Road', Gelly Hi-Shine nail paint in 'Blueberry', Gelly Hi-Shine nail paint in 'Grapefruit', Gelly Hi-Shine nail paint in 'Papaya', Limited Edition Summer 2013 nail paint in 'Green'.

I have the Gelly Hi-Shine in Papaya on my nails right now and I think that it is definitely my favourite! It's such a gorgeous orangey coral colour and it's so summery! This is my favourite, but the colours Grapefruit and Berry Ice cream are close runners up! 

That's it for today's post but keep an eye out for another one in a couple of days! 

Lots of Love, 

Lauren xxx

Review: Maybelline The Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara │ lipsticksandlevis

Hello! So today I have a little review for you to feast your eyes on.. The Mega Plush Volum' Mascara from Maybelline. I took a little trip into Superdrug at the weekend looking for a new mascara, because I really did need one and stumbled across this little tube of lashy goodness as soon as I walked in. It is the newest mascara from Maybelline and I had seen it advertised on TV a lot lately and it had me intrigued, boasting its NEW Flexor-brush and the new Gel-mousse formula. So when I walked into the shop and it was sat there looking at me all puppy dog eyed, I just had to buy one and try it out!

I instantly fell in love with the packaging because of the gorgeous bright teal and pink, it really catches your eye, and nice packaging is always a bonus, don't you think? So, this new gel-mousse formula.. I don't really find that it is very different to any other regular mascara formula that I have used in the past or present, however I do really like it. It is quite a 'wet' formula which I like because it doesn't leave your lashes thick and clumpy and it is very easy to apply more than one coat without it feeling tacky on the second coat. You really don't need much of the mascara at all to give a full look to your lashes. 

Now for this new flexor-brush which apparently caresses lashes with every stroke.. I really like it! Leaving the brush itself aside for a moment, I like that a little way up the wand there is a small rubber part which gives the brush the 'flex'. I like the fact of the flexible, bending wand as it moves with you as you apply the mascara, bending with your lashes as it glides over them. I feel like this helps to give your lashes a good coat of the mascara because the brush doesn't miss anything. Now for the brush itself, which I also love! My favourite type of brushes on mascara are the ones with the usual bristles, not the rubber ones. I just feel like the normal mascara brushes seem to be able to tame my lashes better. The bristles tend to grab onto my lashes a lot better too. This brush has a lot of bristles for this purpose, which is probably why I love it so much because it really does grab onto and coat every lash. There is no real arrangement of the bristles, but I think this random arrangement aids the brush in separating the lashes as well as it does because the bristles are allover the brush and are fairly close together so they don't miss a lash. 

The combination of the gel-mousse formula and the flexible wand give your lashes a very full and voluminous look, like it promises. Even though I do have naturally long and curled lashes, I find that this mascara just gives them even more length and curl, which is always good! 

As for the wear of the mascara, I wore this mascara from 6:00 am, when I was up and ready to go to work until I took it off for bed at around 9:00pm. So, I wore this mascara for around 15 hours and I must say it lasted amazingly! I didn't touch-up once throughout the whole day. When I took it off at night, my lashes still had as much length has they had when I first applied it, however I do think that my lashed 'dropped' ever so slightly, but overall I think that is amazing because it lasted so well for so long! Throughout the whole day I didn't find the mascara to smudge and I didn't find any fall down, which usually always happens with me and mascara. The mascara is really easy to take off, which may be because of its really 'liquidy' formula. 

Overall, I am so glad that I purchased this mascara to try it out because I think that I may have found a new favourite!! So you should definitely go a try this out! It is definitely worth the £7.99 that you would pay for it! You can find it HERE on the Superdrug website. Superdrug also has 3 for 2 on all cosmetics at the minute so go get it now so you can take advantage of that offer! I have, 4 or 5 times! 

Bye for now, Lauren xx

My Summer Beauty Essentials │ lipsticksandlevis

Hi !! So, as it has been starting to warm up a bit here in England over the last couple of weeks, I have decided to do some more summery blog posts, because summer makes me happy! So here I am going to write about a few products that I cannot live without during the hotter summer months! In summer I tend to get even drier skin, lips, hair, EVERYTHING! So my summer essentials are basically to help combat this 'dryness'.

First one is the Vitamin E Moisture Cream from The Body Shop. I love how much it hydrates my skin especially in Summer, and you really do not need much to give your skin the moisture it needs, which is a bonus because you don't need to repurchase as much! I like how it absorbs quickly and doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy. It doesn't really have a scent which is handy because you don't want to go around all day with your face smelling a bit funky! Another bonus is the fact that it is not tested on animals, which is what The Body Shop is famous for! In summer, this goes almost everywhere with me, I love it that much! You can find it - HERE - for £4.00 (15ml) or £10.00 (50ml). There are three variations of this cream available too : a nourishing night cream, intense moisture cream and illuminating moisture cream.

Next is a lip scrub from Lush. Walking into a Lush shop is just heavenly, it smells so good! If you have never been to a Lush store, you NEED to go, although it may hurt your bank account a little bit! It always does mine. This lip scrub is so good, its basically sugar. You just rub it on your lips and then you can lick off the excess and it tastes amazingly good! It leaves your lips feeling so soft. You can buy it - HERE - it costs £5.25 for a 25g pot, but it will honestly last you ages and ages! These are also other flavours : Mint Julips and Popcorn.

Next is the Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with pomegranate oil. This is honestly my favourite lip balm that I have owned, I love it and it never leaves my side! It does exactly what it says on the tube, which is why I love it so much. Soothes, Nourishes and Hydrates. There honestly is nothing more I can say about this apart from 'It's amazing!'. You can buy it - HERE - it costs £3.69. It is available in 6 other 'flavours' : pink grapefruit, kokum butter, original, honey, mango butter and acai berry.

Next is the Climate Control Serum by Lee Stafford. I have had this for a while but have only recently started to use it and I can honestly say that after using it just once I noticed the difference it made to my hair! I have quite damaged hair and I am always trying so hard to 'repair' it. I used to bleach my hair blonde regularly for 3 - 4 years and if I'm honest I did used to be very lazy with taking hair of my hair. Because of dyeing my hair blonde for so long and not taking proper care of it, I am still trying to nurse it back to health now. When I used to dye my hair blonde, it used to be very dry and brittle and the ends used to snap off regularly and I am now still left with short, 'whispy' bits of hair that tend to stick out! This is what this serum helps with, the frizzy, 'whispy' bits of hair and it realy does help! Also, the smell is just amazing, one of my favourite scents. All Lee Stafford products smell amazing! I don't think this product is available anymore, I'm not sure but I can't find it anywhere.. But if it isn't available anymore, I will be very upset because I won't be able to repurchase. :( 

Finally is this Sea Salt Texturising Spray by Toni & Guy. I love this A LOT. I use it to give a bit of extra volume and texture at my roots and on the ends of my hair to give a beachy effect, which I love, especially in summer! I also love the smell of this spray, I really don't know what it smells of and most people will probably hate it, but I LOVE IT. You can get it - HERE - it costs £2.19 (75ml) or £7.19 (200ml). 

So, that is it for my Summer essentials! Keep tuned for more summer themed blog posts coming very soon! 

Lauren xx

May GlossyBox Opening 2013 │lipsticksandlevis

Hi, It's another GlossyBox Opening for you today! I have literally just got this by courier like half an hour ago and I just couldn't wait to write a post about it, because I thought it was a really good box! So this months is GlossyBox's 2nd birthday, but if you subscribe to GlossyBox and didn't already know that, then you will definitely find out by the packaging!! It's as pretty as always, but I love the print of the tissue paper in this box, with lipsticks, mirrors, mascara and of course birthday cake printed on it, in gorgeous pastel pinks and purples.

So, here are the products, because I know that's what you really want to see! 

The first product in the box that caught my eye and had me wanting to find out more was the Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes mascara.. because I saw on the box that this is the first ever mascara from Jelly Pong Pong! The little magazine that comes with GlossyBox rates this mascara very highly, saying that it is waterproof, long-lasting and feather light, non-clumping, but lengthening AND volumising! This definitely has me intrigued and I can't wait to try it out and see if it lives up to these high expectation I now have of it! This is the full sized product which costs £15. The mascara come in two shades, Maiden (a warm violet) and Flutter (an intense black) which is the shade I have. You can buy them HERE.

The next thing that I picked up was a nail varnish from Headline Colors in the shade 'Firewater' . This is a gorgeous plum colour and is perfect for winter months. This colour is from the Autumn / Winter 12/13 collection and you can get it HERE, they cost £9 each. I have already tried this little beauty out, adding it as a feature nail to my already polished nails. I love the consistency, not too thick and gunky, but not so thin that you need more than one coat,only one coat is needed for a strong, bold colour and coverage. They have a nice sized brush, to easily get down the sides of your nails.. and they are a nice size, not too big, so that you can use a good amount of it up before it starts to go 'manky'. I am definitely considering buying some more of these nail varnishes!

Another thing that I am really excited to use is the awapuhi wild ginger shine spray, which stems from Hawaiian natives. They apparently used Awapuhi leaves to nourish and moisture both skin and hair, leaving them soft, silky and hydrated. This spray claims to restore weak and damaged hair, which is definitely what I need after years of dyeing my hair and now that I have let my hair grow out and fade to its natural colour I am not going to stop caring for it and this is perfect! This is a full sized product costing £18.95 for 125ml and you can buy it HERE.

This is a Fast Stroke liquid eyeliner by 'Collection' in the colour 'Black 1'. I don't really know if I will use this product, as I am not very good at all with applying liquid eyeliner, but I think that I may start to practice now that I actually own a liquid eyeliner! I like how solid the brush is, so I can get a precise line and I like how black this is because it will make my lash line look really thick and defined. I am hoping my practising goes well so that I can make some use of this product! This is a full sized product and costs £2.99 and you can buy it HERE.

This sample is from former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt's range of beauty must-haves. This sample is really small, which is quite dissapointing, at 2.5g compared to the 20g full sized product. This product is a new product, and claims to be a multi-tasking wonder. You can use it alone as a primer, mix with foundation for an airbrush effect, mix with powder blushers and bronzers for a cream tint or with eyeshadow pigments to create liquid eyeliner. I find this quite intriguing, that a simple clear aloe vera based gel can be used in so many ways so I am excited to use it, although I don't think that this sample will last me very long. Full sized product is £20 for 20g, sample size is 2.5g. You can buy this product HERE.

A little added extra to this months box is this GlossyBox own brand product.. It is a little booklet that folds open for you to fine little disposable nail files inside. In total there are 20 mini nail files that you can simply snap of at the base to use. I like this as it will be handy to keep in my bag when I'm out and about and if I break a nail and I'm left with sharp edges on my nails I can easily use one of my little nail files to touch up my nails! (Plus they are extremely pretty and CUTE) 

Overall I am very pleased with this box, and I can't wait to try the products! I also can't wait to see what GlossyBox comes up with next month because the boxes seem to be getting better and better, by each month. I'll let you all know how the products bear up against my now high expectations! 

Bye for now, Lauren xx

My Top 5 Spring Nail Polishes │ lipsticksandlevis

Hello! Spring is finally here! Well I hope it is, you never know with English weather! So because the weather finally seems to be brightening up, I have been pulling out my spring nail polishes and have been very excited to do so! I love painting my nails, and even more so in spring and summer because I just love all of the colours so much more! So here are my top 5 spring nail polishes, that I will most definitely be using in the months to come! You may be wondering why four of them are the same brand.. This is because my mum sells them and therefore, I have the chance to get lots of them for much cheaper and they are so good!!

No. 5 - Avon Speed Dry+ Nail Enamel in Turquoise Pop.
I love these nail varnishes so much! as you'll find out throughout the rest of this post.. With this one, as the colour is quite bold and bright, you only need one coat for your nails to look perfect which I really like as it means that my nails don't take as long to paint! This is such a gorgeous colour, it is a very bright, more greeny toned turquoise colour. It also lives up to its speed dry name, as it does dry very quickly, however, if more than one layer is put on the nails, it does take a little longer to dry! Can be bought from an Avon Representative or from the Avon Online Shop - HERE - this costs £6.00 but is often in some sort of offer.

No. 4 - Avon Speed Dry+ Nail Enamel in Mambo Melon
The name suits this nail varnish so well, because it really reminds me of watermelon.. It's a red with a slight tint of pink and has a silver shimmer effect which is so pretty! Because of this slight shimmer, I tend to do two coats because the shimmer makes it a bit more sheer. In spring, most people tend to think of pastel colours, but this is such a nice spring colour even though it isn't pastel. It is such a gorgeous colour and is a good swap from dark vampy reds in the winter months. Can be bought from an Avon Representative or from the Avon Online Shop - HERE - this costs £6.00 but is often in some sort of offer.

No. 3 - Avon Nailwear Pro+ in Pastel Pink

Here we come to the pastel colours, which admittedly are my favourite shades to wear in spring! This one in particular, I have had for a long time and I wear all throughout the year because I just love it so much! This nail varnish is quite thick and therefore, you only need one coat to give a good full coverage of nail varnish on your nail, which I love! This isn's a Speed Dry+ Nail Varnish, so does take a little while longer to dry but I think it is worth it because it is such a gorgeous colour! It is exactly what it says on the tin, a pastel pink! This nail varnish is not available from Avon anymore however, there is a new nail varnish by Avon that has been brought out recently that is a very similar colour - Speed Dry+ in On the Go Pink - HERE.

No. 2 - NYX Nails in NP 01 Carnation

Surprise, Surprise, it's another pastel colour! This time, a pastel yellow which is gorgeous for spring / summer. This nail varnish does need two coats to give a solid colour on your nail. This is the only nail varnish in this post that isn't from Avon, which just shows how good the Avon nail varnishes are as the majority of my collection are from Avon! This NYX Nail Varnish, is just as good as the Avon ones however, and I always get excited for summer to crack this one out of my collection to use! I 'borrowed' this nail varnish from my mum almost two years ago, oops! So, it isn't available from NYX anymore.. however, I have been a good girlie and done a little research to find a colour similar! From the NYX Nail Polish Salon Formula Collection I have found the colour NPS226 Pastel Yellow which is almost identical to this one and costs just £4.50, you can find it HERE.

Now it's time for my No. 1 ! - Avon Speed Dry+ Nail Enamel in Swift Sherbert.

This is quite possibly my favourite Nail Polish that I have ever bought! I only got it recently, just a few weeks ago, and I have worn it for the majority of those few weeks. I love it! It is a pastel coral / orange colour, it's gorgeous! Again with this one I do two coats to get a stronger colour, but it drys very fast so that makes up for the two coats! I just can't get over how much I love this colour, I wish it was never ending! You can buy this from an Avon Representative or from the Avon Online Shop - HERE - it costs £6.00 but is often on some sort of offer. 

So, that's it for my Top 5 Spring Nail Polishes, Bye for now! 

Lauren xx

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Outfit of the Day

Hi ! So, I thought that as I haven't done an outfit of the day post before, I would do one for you today! Plus, I quite liked what i was wearing as it made me feel really summery and summer makes me happy! This won't be very long because I don't have much time but here we go anyway! :)

This outfit is one of my everyday outfits as I was just going to stay at my boyfriend's house for the night after I'd been to work.. so, it's nothing special, just comfy.

Jeans - H&M , Jumper - H&M , Vest top - Internacionale , Necklace - H&M

Necklace and jumper will appear in a new buys blog post! :)

I also just wanted to mention this because I am so proud of myself for overcoming my fears..!

So, last week I started my driving lessons and actually managed to get through the whole 2 hours without panicking or crying! haha, seriously I've been so scared to start driving, but I now finally have and will hopefully have passed my driving test by summer! 

Anyway, Bye for now, I will be back very soon with another blog post! :)

Lauren xx

April GlossyBox unboxing..

Hey, I haven't blogged in ages.. I've just been too busy with work and doing little bits and pieces for other people, that I've had no time to myself! But I do now, so I thought that since I recieved the April GlossyBox yesterday, I'd do a blog post about it! The theme for this months box is Spring Fever and it is a Limited Edition box, with the box print designed by Pearl Lowe! It is gorgeous!

Look how pretty it is! Then you got the usual little fold out thing, telling you what you have inside your box and the usual pretty little bow and pretty packaging! Then you get to the goodies!

I got very excited when I opened this box, mainly because of the essie nail varnish! So i'll talk about that first! This is a full size nail varnish and is in the colour Penny Talk, which is a pinky toned copper colour. Its gorgeous, and you only really need one coat for a solid colour on your nail but I would definitely recommend using a top coat as it can chip easily!  Full sized sample - £7.99

Illamasqua Medium Pencil -

 Another full size product, this is a multi-tasking pencil which can be used on eyes, lips and brows. However, I definitely wont be using this on my brows or lips as it is a rather bright yellow! I would of rather had a less vibrant colour because I'm not sure that I will get much use out of this. It has a very soft creamy texture, so the pencil literally glides over your skin and it is very easily blendable, so I would definitely consider buying this product in different colours. Full sized sample - £13.00

Crabtree & Evelyn Somerset Meadow Hand Therapy - 

This is an exclusive GlossyBox Launch as this product is part of a new line and isn't available to buy until 29th April! Contains macadamia nut oil, shea butter and vitmins C and E, which helps to restore dry, winter-worn skin as well as leaving a subtle, floral scent. It absorbs into your skin really quickly which I think is always a bonus! Sample size 25g - Full size product 100g - £14.00

Yves Rocher France So Elixir Purple Eau de Parfum - 

This is a gorgeous little sample which has a floral scent and smells AMAZING! 'Reveal your seductive power with an incredibly feminine, floral-woody elixir.' This sample is 5ml, Full sized product 50ml - £44.00.

Nip + Fab Dry Skin Fix Body Butter in Coconut Latte - 

This is a whipped body butter, used to reapair dry and dehydrated skin with the 24- hour moisture-boosting ingredient Aquaxyl, which has been shown to improve the skins water reserves, instantly improving the appearance of your skin. This smells amazing. If you've used cocoa butter and loved it, you'll love this!! It smells just like it! Sample size is 50ml, Full sized product 200ml - £9.95

As soon as I recieve one GlossyBox, I'm excited to recieve my next one! I'm so glad I subscribed to them, and i will carry on my subscription for a long time! 

If you would like to subscribe use the link - HERE. 

Speak soon! (I promise) xx

My first GlossyBox arrived !

Hey! I'm not quite sure where I first heard about the GlossyBox's but as soon as I did hear about them, I decided to look into them a bit more.. Basically, it's a monthly subscription of £10 + P&P, which you can pay monthly or in blocks of three, six or ten. The concept of a GlossyBox is that you pay the subscription of £10 a month and you receive a box of goodies once towards the end of each month! Each monthly box has a theme, the March 2013 box theme was City Chic, and each of the products in the box is fitted to this theme. You receive five items in your box, most of a sample size, but all items, for what you get, are worth more than the £10 that you pay for the box! So, here is the box!

The packaging of these boxes is so pretty, even the postage box that the actual GlossyBox comes in! The postage box has the GlossyBox logo all over it and is just as pretty as the actual GlossyBox! The second picture is the GlossyBox, which is such a pretty dusky pink colour with a small GlossyBox logo on the lid. These boxes are so sturdy and simple and I think that they are going to be really good for storage so I will be saving all of my boxes for storage / decoration! 

So, you then open the GlossyBox and the first thing that you see is a GlossyBox magazine and a little booklet called 'My little travelling book'. The GlossyBox magazine is a standard that I think, comes with every monthly GlossyBox. It has a little letter telling you about the box's theme and then it folds out into a large sheet which tells you about the products in your box and where you can buy the full sized products from and how much they cost. The little travelling book gives you the best shops, bars and hotels and such in various capitals across the world, and you get some cute little stickers in there too! 

When I took out the little magazines this is what the box looks like. The way this whole box is put together is just so cute and really well done. I love it! So you just untie the ribbon and take off the sticker and your in! 

So, this is what I got in mine! 

1- Renu Flash Relax Mask.

A one-stop product for instant radiance effect, the Renu Flash Relax Mask provides and immediate boost for your skin. Ginseng and magnesium relax fine lines, while vitamins C and B5 enhance natural radiance, while promoting the skin's moisture balance. The best part: its paraben-free formula means it is suited for even the most sensitive skin. 

Sample size is 30ml, Full size is 100ml and costs £32.00

2 - Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush.

Want to make a bold statement? A juicy lip stain and moisturiser in one, Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetic's Lip Blush is an effective multitasker, and a must have for any girl on the go. Beeswax and ceresin wax create a sheer, smooth application.

Full size product, costs £12

3 - Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Skin Protectant.

A tried and tested classic, this is every girl on the go's must-have staple. Created in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden to soothe and protect your skin, Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant was an instant success and has been one of the UK beauty editors' favourite product for the past 7 years! A little goes a long way with this intensive moisturiser, so enjoy it sparingly. 

Sample size is 7ml, Full size is 50ml and costs £25.00

4 - L'Occitane en Provence Brightening Hand Care SPF15.

No matter how much you protect your face and neck with luxury skincare and SPF, it's your hands that will give you away with age spots and wrinkles if you don't look after them. Which is why we have on of L'Occitane's Brightening Hand Creams in every handbag and by every sink. A non-oily lotion that firms and smoothes the skin, reduces the appearance of age spots and protects against UV damage with filters to protect your hands from sun damage, this is a must-have for every woman, irrespective of her age.

Sample size is 15ml, Full size is 75ml and costs £19.00

5 - Pearlys Weekly Teeth-Brighten Powder.

We all covet that perfect Hollywood smile that helps us to stand out from the crowds. While we may not admit it to ourselves, a great smile is the ultimate asset in helping you get what you want in love, life and business. To keep smiling and laughing confidently, use Pearlys Weekly Teeth-Brighten Powder to gently and effectively remove external staining from teeth. It instantly brightens by up to four shades, so go on, show us a smile, love and flash those pearly whites!

Sample size - unsure, Full size is 30g and costs £15.00

I think that these GlossyBoxes are a good way to try out and test new products that are expensive to buy otherwise. It gives you a chance to find new products that you had never heard of or didnt know how much you would love and need them in your life! I am going to carry on getting my monthly GlossyBoxes and make sure that I keep you all updated with what little gems I receive! 

If you are interested in signing up for GlossyBox then click this link HERE.

My March Favourites..

Hey! So, I have seen lots of bloggers and vloggers do posts and videos about their monthly favourites. Therefore, I thought that I would begin to write posts about my monthly favourites. This post is going to be a fairly short one as only a few products have really made me think 'WOW'. So here are four products that I have really loved using over the last month..

The perfume, Daisy by Marc Jacobs. My boyfriend bought me this as a present for Valentines day, BLESS HIM!! I had wanted it for ages and I finally got it in February! I love it so much! As you can see from the photo I have not used that much.. as I have two perfumes that I chop and change between from day to day. However, this is my favourite, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! If you can afford to I would definitely recommend buying this perfume. I don't usually like the scent of all of the 'designer' perfumes, but this one, I absolutely love! My mum even steals it sometimes! I have the 50ml bottle, which costs between £40.00 and £45.00, depending on where you get it from. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo, is an absolute life saver! As i'm trying to grow my hair, and have been for two and a half years, I have heard that washing your hair everyday isn't good if you want to grow it, as it gets rid of the essential oils that your hair needs.. so I started to wash my hair every other day and I occasionally leave it an extra day to wash it.. This is why batiste is such a life saver! I always feel like, if I don't wash my hair for just one day, it looks greasy, so I just use some dry shampoo! It's so easy to use too, literally just shake the can, spray it on your hair and either rub it in, or brush it in. It's as simple as that. It only costs £2.99, but as it is in so many different shops, the prices may vary.. You can also get different scents, as you can see, I bought the floral and fruity blush. 

A room and linen spray from Avon, in Strawberry and White Chocolate. I know that this is kind of a weird thing to have as it's not beauty or fashion related.. but I just love it so much! I spray it on my bedding when I make my bed in the morning and it just leaves my room smelling amazing throughout the day. I just love it! I think this cost me £1.50, but it was on offer in the Avon Brochures at the time. I'm not sure what the original price is, but I'm sure it's worth it!

From the Good Things range.. Good Things Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser with superfruit extracts - Mango & Blueberry. This smells amazing! I love it, and it has done wonders for my skin! It has made my skin so much clearer and smoother, i just love it! I bought this from Superdrug, for £4.99. So yes! Just go buy this because it is amazing! haha! TRUST ME