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- 04/28/15--23:00: _Hands Off My Bacon!...
- 04/29/15--23:00: _THE BLUE SLEEPING N...
- 04/30/15--23:00: _DISAPPOINTING PRODUCTS
- 05/01/15--23:00: _WEAR LIFE EATS 02.0...
- 05/02/15--23:00: _MODEL’S OWN POLISH ...
- 05/03/15--05:00: _SUMMER FASHION HAUL
- 05/03/15--23:00: _BOBBI’S EYE TRIO
- 05/04/15--23:00: _EVERY DAY MAY CATCH...
- 05/05/15--23:00: _FREE YOUR MIND & CO...
- 05/06/15--23:00: _TOO FACED BRONZER G...
- 05/07/15--23:00: _GET UP & GLOW
- 05/08/15--23:00: _WEAR LIFE EATS 09.0...
- 05/09/15--23:00: _TOPSHOP ANNIVERSARY...
- 05/10/15--05:00: _INSIDE MY SKINCARE ...
- 05/10/15--23:00: _NEW MAC LIPSTICKS
- 05/11/15--23:00: _EVERY DAY MAY CATCH...
- 05/12/15--23:00: _COOKBOOK COLLECTION
- 05/13/15--23:00: _THOUGHTS ON EPILATING
- 05/14/15--23:00: _FRIDAY FAVOURITES
- 05/17/15--05:30: _BEAUTY CHAT: TRAVEL...
As per usual I turned a pretty non-eventful couple of days into a weekly vlog. If you want to catch up with my daily life and see me making a bacon sandwich, then watch away! ha. See you tomorrow for another beauty blog post.
Let's start by talking about the elephant in the room. This face oil is £85.... £85! For the target audience and regular Sunday Riley lovers like my mum, the price point is probably right but I got sent this and I'm not 100% sure I'd feel comfortable spending £85 on repurchasing it. It's something to think about, but for now I thought I'd tell you why it's definitely worth £85... for some people.
Luna is the newest addition to the Sunday Riley family, a brand that is stocked at Space NK and loved by many professionals. Luna is a retinoid oil that aims to "reduce pore size, improve the appearance of damaged skin and help fight wrinkles". It includes a mix of essential oils as well as some interesting ingredients I was surprised to see such as cold pressed avocado, chia and grape seed oil. What's crazy about this oil is that it's blue and not just the packaging, the actual product is blue! The reason for this is the Blue Tansy oil which is a deep-blue green that helps to heal damaged skin and calm any irritations. There are actually quite a few calming properties in it including chamomile which helps to encourage healthy inflammation.
Despite the deep blue tint, it doesn't stain your skin blue and quickly disappears as quick as the oil sinks into the skin. It's not as oily as the Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial so I find 3/4 drops works best and it feels really lovely on the skin. It doesn't feel at all greasy and leaves a fresh glow on your skin (shame none sees it, apart from my pillow!).
So you're paying for the ingredients (all listed below) and that can be really important to some people. If this is a bit pricey for you I would recommend the Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial which isn't quite as much, but Luna is really nice and I'm enjoying using it. So are you intrigued by this blue overnight oil? Americans you can get it here, UK gals you might have to wait a bit here.
Key Ingredients (full ingredients listed here)
Trans-Retinol Ester - for the wrinkles and loss of elasticity Blue Tansy - To heal damaged skin, strong anti-inflammatory and helpful with eczema German Chamomile - For treating inflamed, irritated skin Avocado Seed Oil - Rich in vitamins B, C, D, E, and A Chia Seed Oil - Rich in Omega 3 Cape Chamomile - Helps skin irritation and encourages healthy inflammatory response
Quite a bit has happened this week and I feel really excited about it. I'm still loving Snapchat - who would have thought?! I like telling stories and that's exactly what Snapchat is all about, so if you want to follow my stories add me 'lilypebbles'.
At the beginning of the week I was given the opportunity to meet Bobbi Brown, like the real deal, BOBBI BROWN! I'e respected her as a makeup artist and loved her products for years so it was incredible experience and I was hugely grateful. We all sat around sipping tea whilst she told us her life story from start to present. I never really knew her story so it was fascinating and completely inspiring! When she finished her presentation I was the first one to ask a question and when she finished the Q&A I was the first to ask for a photo - standard.
I also had a hair cut and colour this week at Hershesons in Harvey Nichols. I've literally found my dream team in Jason and Katherine and now I can't/won't go anywhere else. Jason does my balayage so well, it's just a subtle hint of colour that doesn't look obvious when it grows out and Katherine cuts the perfect collarbone bob. She also knows how to thin out the sections of my hair that tends to go puffy.
In case you haven't noticed over on my YouTube channel, I've started Every Day May! So I'll be vlogging every day in May, uploading Monday to Friday at 6.30pm with a 'main' video on Sunday at 9.30am. I'm petrified but ready for the challenge and I really hope you all enjoy it!
It's bank holiday weekend in the UK so three days off for some of us. If you're in the UK enjoy it and have a great weekend!
Remember this time last year when I was completely obsessed with Model's Own Beach Bag? It came out in their collection of polishes for tans and guess what, they've done it again. Their new collection is an extended range of colours aimed at showing off your tan.
There are 5 shades in this collection, Malibu Pink (Neon Pink), Beach Hut (Neon Orange), Turquoise Sea (Neon Blue), Sarong Wrap (Neon Yellow) and Cocktail Hour (Neon Coral). Just like last year's collection my favourite is the coral shade and it really makes my hands look tanned, despite them actually being really pale. This collection is more neon and less neon pastel than last year's, but I think the coral and pink will be best sellers.
So if you're holiday-less and want something to perk up your sunless hands or if you are going away and you want to show off your tan, this is the collection for you. Each polish is £4.99 and the collection is available in stores now.
After meeting Bobbi Brown last week and hearing the BB story from the lady herself I felt inspired to visit a counter and get back in touch with some of the products I used to love.
Back in the day, before I owned two towers of makeup I used to swear by Bobbi Brown's corrector and concealer. So I thought I'd get colour matched, try them again and use them alongside her famous eye cream (which I've never tried!).
I went to the counter in Liberty's and a really lovely girl helped match me to the 'Light Peach' Corrector and 'Sand' Concealer. I've been using all three products together and used the right way, I'm definitely still a fan. The eye cream is nice to start with as it hydrates and primes the under eye area before applying the concealer and if you get dry, like me, this is a really good starting step. The lady at the counter applied the corrector and concealer with a brush but as it's really creamy I find it can crease quite easily. I like to apply it with my finger, pressing it into the skin and then blending out the edges with a fluffy brush.
The corrector is a peachy pink that balances out the blues and purples under the eye and there's a range of different shades depending on the type of dark circles you get. So I apply the corrector mainly in the inner and outer corners of the eye and the concealer is then patted on top on the areas that still need a bit of coverage.
If you have dry skin this trio is amazing as it's really creamy and hydrating but if not, you may find it too creamy. Worth checking out if you haven't ever tried them, they're cult for a reason!
ps. I really wanted to do a before and after photo, but it seems it does not come across well on camera. Well, I tried!
Remember a couple of years back when I visited the Birchbox HQ in New York? Well back then I fell in love with the brand and their very inspirational founders. Since then Birchbox UK has been growing, changing and evolving. Every month they send out their iconic beauty box for £12.95 filled with 5 samples and this month I'm going to be introducing the May box.
I met with Birchbox a while back and when they told me the theme of the box I gasped with excitement! I literally doodled my way through school so this is right up my street. The box comes with an intricate design already printed on, but despite my love for monochrome it's just screaming to be coloured in. Adult colouring in books are actually a thing these days and I'm not surprised, it's incredibly relaxing. So before you've even opened the May box you have the opportunity to have a bit of fun, do a bit of colouring in and you can enter their "Colour Your Box" competition to win £500 of beauty products. I kept my design pretty low-key, but I think it looks really pretty. I am so competitive!
So what's inside the May box? Well I've picked my favourite box variation to share with you today. The guys at Birchbox have also given me a private code so that if you do order a May box and you like this specific variation they can guarantee you get this box by entering 'LILY' as a promo code at checkout.
There are some real gems in here, so let's start with the NUDE Pro Genius Omega Treatment Oil. NUDE is one of my favourite skincare brands and I've loved using this oil in the past, especially in the evening before bed. They use really honest, good ingredients and it really pays off when you use their products regularly. The Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish is a cult classic for a reason and it's a cleanser I always go back to. It's light and creamy so great for the mornings but it also removes makeup really well so can be used in the evenings too. It's a gentle cleanser so I like to recommend this to younger skin types as well as for sensitive skin, but really it works for everyone. The Stila Lip Glaze was one of the first products I ever tried from Stila and they're great because they come in really handy, fuss-free packaging and they're nude/pink shades are great for every day wear.
Birchbox have also partnered with Wah Nails for this box which is so nice because it's a home-grown London brand and it works perfectly with the colour me in theme. Wah Nails always do colour so well and their nail art is just incredible. In the box you get some of their press on nails so if you're not so great at nail art, these are an easy way to impress your friends! There's also an exclusive product in this box which is the Moisturizing Sea Salt Spray from Parlor. This one is new to me so I'll be giving it a go and using it in the mid lengths of my hair for a bit of texture. Also for hair is a sachet sample of the Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Mask which is a soy protein mask so I'm looking forward to trying that. The final product is from Jelly Pong Pong and it's a travel friendly bronzer duo with two warm tones bronzers, one matte and the other shimmer.
There are so many good products crammed into the box this month and I really enjoyed colouring mine in!
This blog post was sponsored by Birchbox. You can find out more about Birchbox UK here.
Too Faced, as a brand, sits in the same category as Benefit for me. Slightly confusing as their price tag doesn't really match their young and fun packaging, but despite that the products always impress me. If you can see past the gimmicks and fancy shmancy marketing, you've got yourself a really lovely brand with great products.
Something they are well know for is their huge range of bronzers, there are eight in total and there's literally one for everyone. Let's break them down into categories:
Chocolate Soleil // There are three basic bronzers to chose from; Milk Chocolate, Chocolate and Dark Chocolate. All three bronzers are matte and made with real chocolate that you can definitely notice in the scent. The lightest shade is perfect for pale skin tones and works nicely as a subtle contour on light/medium skin tones like mine. The Chocolate shade is a nice all over bronze shade and their newest Dark Chocolate edition works best on deeper skin tones and has a nice amount of red tones in it for a natural look.
The Bunnies // There are three 'Bunny Bronzers'; Snow Bunny, Beach Bunny and Sun Bunny. Sun Bunny is the easiest to wear as it's a split shimmer bronzer with a lighter pinky shade on one side and a bronzer on the other. Beach Bunny has four shades in one ranging from a very dark bronze to more pink and golden tones. Mixed all together these look really pretty and can be used on your neck and chest as well as the face. Snow Bunny is supposed to mimic that fresh, bronze look you get after coming off the slopes. This one is an illuminating bronzer with white and pale pink shades to mix in with the bronze.
Extra Special // The Endless Summer Bronze is a 16-hour wear bronzer that's made with a "double bond" formula for a longer lasting bronze. The shade is similar to the Chocolate Soleil but with shimmer, so it's not as good for contouring but nice as an all over, easy bronze. The Pink Leopard is a shimmery, pink and bronze highlighter that looks gorgeous on the tops of the cheekbones. I'd say it's too pink for all over the face but to just use on your cheeks it's really pretty and the leopard print is mesmerising!
My favourites? Milk Chocolate, Chocolate and Snow Leopard. They'll be coming home with me...
I hope this guide was helpful if you're looking to get a Too Faced bronzer. They're £21 each - which one is your favourite?
I've had my eye on this Oskia serum for SO long that I actually thought I owned it until I went to use it and realise I'd still never purchased it! On my next trip to Space NK I made sure to add it to my basket and I've been desperate to tell you all about it ever since.
Oskia does no wrong in my eyes so I wasn't expecting anything less than amazing, but somehow I was still surprised at how much I love this. The Get Up & Glow is a "radiance, energy & protection booster" but what drew me to it is it's kind of duo-chrome, glowing appearance. A glowing product that actually glows? I'm sold.
The idea is that you can apply this as a serum after cleansing and before moisturising or you can pat it on top of your makeup to give it a fresh boost. I'm not a huge fan of the packaging as it's glass so it's heavy and not great for travelling, I also find that the pump makes it hard to use the right amount of product.
I really like the product inside though, so much so that I've become a bit addicted and keep it on my desk. I use it in the morning and it instantly adds a sheeny glow to my skin, it's also very light and fresh so feels nice on the skin. I was unsure about applying it on top of my makeup but it really does add that glow that my dry skin craves towards the afternoon. It's like a quick fix, a shot of energy!
This serum includes a huge list of active ingredients which are all listed here on the Oskia website and you can find it at Space NK here, or Cult Beauty here. I have a feeling I'm going to go through this one quite quickly!
If you watch my vlogs or follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat you will definitely already know about what I've been up to this week. A couple of days where spent in Paris and Anna and I were lucky enough to meet someone we've looked up to for a very long time. Lisa Eldridge was even nicer, even prettier and even more sophisticated in real life. She was so kind to us, we sat and chatted and she even let me do a quick quiz with her (without having to pre-read the questions!). It was a wonderful experience I'm sure neither of us will ever forget.
The search for MAC soar lip liner continues and not because I want Kylie Jenner lips, but just because now it's in my head, I need it!
Tomorrow's video is a little different so I really hope you enjoy it. I've been enjoying #EveryDayMay, although it's hard I have been enjoying the challenge. Reading all the comments every evening is a massive highlight and "highlight of the day" has given me something positive to focus on every evening. I hope you have all been enjoying it too.
So another week gone in a flash. Let's catch up tomorrow with a brand new video and nail post. Have a good Saturday!
Following on from this post on Topshop's 5 year anniversary, here are the 5 celebratory polishes they've brought out in the anniversary collection. During the past 5 years Topshop have sold over 2 million bottle of nail polish and I'm personally a huge fan. Their colour selections are always spot on and the price point is incredible at only £5!
The 5 best sellers make a really nice group of polishes for this collection. Adrenalin is the all-time best seller and is a pink, very sparkly glitter. Heart of Gold is a classic gold that works nicely by itself or used for nail art. Green Room is a gorgeous bright green with quite strong blue tones (this one is right up my street!) and Boy Next Door is a powder, baby blue. Finally, Parma Violet is the one I've been wearing all week, a soft and gentle lilac, perfect for Spring.
The re-released polishes all come in the limited edition gold packaging, pretty enough to display on a shelf! So which one if your favourite?
Whilst I try to keep up with daily vlogging, I thought I'd do quite a casual video for this Sunday. Come with me to take a peak inside my skincare cupboard whilst I talk you through my morning and evening routine. Enjoy!
On my recent trip to Paris I found myself browsing the MAC store, picking up all the eyeshadows I already own and all the lipsticks I've loved for years (why does that always happen?!). Eventually I started picking up shades I don't already own and I fell in love with three. Mehr was sold out so I was left with Peach Blossom and Dark Side, two lipsticks I've heard of in the past but never purchased.
Pink Blossom is slightly lighter than my natural lip colour but the cremesheen formula is incredibly glossy and leaves a pretty pink shine on the lips. This one is great to wear with rich, brown smokey eyes and I'm sure it'll become a daytime favourite. Dark Side is an amplified lipstick so it's rich and creamy and has really strong pigmentation. The colour is a deep, berry wine and I absolutely love it. The slight pinky/purple tones make it a great bold lip for the summer and I can't wait to start wearing it more.
Two quite different lipsticks, which one do you prefer?
Another week has passed and I'm still going strong with Every Day May. I am really loving the challenge of filming and editing every day and hopefully I'm keeping up with the usual quality of my videos. If you want to catch up with all the Every Day May vlogs you can watch the playlist here and that will take you through each video one after the other.
I hope you're enjoying watching the videos as much as I'm enjoying reading all the comments! You can expect another vlog tonight at 6.30pm - so see you then!
When the doorbell rang with yet another Amazon delivery I stopped to look around the kitchen and suddenly noticed my mum's addiction... cookbooks. I have never known anyone to have so many (and actually use them!) so for today's post I thought I'd run through some of her favourites and take a look at how cookbooks have evolved over the years.
This is just some of them, you can double this collection to get an idea of how many sit on our kitchen shelf. It all started with a Mary Berry book in 1978 - this came free with my mum's first ever food processor. A whole book of baking with a food processor and still to this day we swear by the chocolate brownie and apple cake recipes. Delia Smith was probably the first chef she really started following as her cookbooks were simple and great if you were just starting out. Her recipes range from all different kinds of meals, but it's just great everyday food.
Jamie Oliver came next and he was the first big TV chef to catch my mum's attention, the first 'celebrity chef'. Jamie Oliver launched as the 'Naked Chef' and he suddenly made cooking really exciting and fun. Jamie's recipes had more of an Italian theme to them and she liked how he'd use a lot of fresh ingredients. Nigella Lawson sits in a similar boat to Jamie but with a slightly more luxurious, indulgent feel to her cooking. Her recipes were always quick and easy and my mum liked how they would always work - there were never any cooking disasters with her recipes. Nigel Slater has some gorgeous ideas in his book but the way the cookbook is set out makes it more reading material than cooking material. My mum finds her self reading this one like a book rather than flicking to a quick recipe when she fancies something.
So now let's talk about Ottelenghi and I think this is where it all changed. My family love his restaurants so of course my mum eagerly bought all of his cookbooks as they came out. His recipes are middle eastern themed using a lot of raw, fresh ingredients and personally I think he kick started the "healthy eating" trend that we see so much of these days. Honey & Co is very similar and takes inspiration from the middle east with delicious, healthy recipes and this kind of food is a personal favourite of mine.
My mum has always been into healthy eating, she's a massive salad lover, but at this point she really started cutting out excessive sugar from her diet and trying to eat healthier overall. She found loads of great recipes in Sunday supplement magazines, so as well as all the cookbooks there are books of papers all over the place too. She finds good ones in magazines too such as Good Housekeeping and Woman & Home.
Gwyneth Paltrow's book "It's All Good" came after Ottelenghi and this is a massive favourite in our house. It's healthy but not vegetarian and with a house full of meat eaters this makes things much easier. She really got us all into healthier eating but whilst still making delicious, filling food.
So then what I find really interesting is how things changed after that. Suddenly our cookbook shelf is filled with super super healthy recipes with books like Deliciously Ella, Hemsley Hemsley, Get The Glow and The Detox Kitchen. My mum didn't even know who half of these girls were but she found them on Amazon and thought they looked interesting. We don't eat vegan or gluten free in our house so she tends to take the recipes for flavour and healthy eating tips but then adding in our own meat and good carbs where possible.
Cookbooks have come along way and I think right now we are in some kind of crazy health craze, but the recipes are more interesting than ever. If you're like my mum I thick it's great to be able to take a recipe and play around with it to suit you. Take inspiration from the books but make it your own. What's your favourite cookbook to take inspiration from?
Ever since this video I have had so many questions on here, my YouTube channel and Twitter about epilating so let's do this...
Epilating was never something I'd thought about until my friend Keisha suggested it to me. In the past I'd shaved my legs but despised doing it as it was becoming a daily task. Even once I'd shaved I never really felt like my legs were smooth and hair-free.
The idea of epilating is horrific... it pretty much looks like a mini lawn mower. It looks like an electric shaver but the wheel spins, plucking the hairs as it goes. If you've ever plucked your eyebrows you'll know how it feels, it's not painless like shaving. The first time I tried epilating on my legs it was tough as the hairs were stronger and thicker than ever (thanks to my shaving habits). I'm not going to lie it hurt... but with some loud music on and a bit of screaming it was doable and not too bad. At this point I was debating whether I'd continue epilating but what happened next made my mind up for me. It was about 4 or 5 days until I saw any hair on my legs. Now let's remember that I have thick black hair and sometimes when I shave in the morning it's grown back by the evening. This was a miracle! For me personally, the frequency of hair removal is the most annoying and this was a life changer. I also loved how smooth the skin feels after epilating, which I have never achieved with shaving.
The second time I tried it on my legs it was a lot less painful and as the hair grows back in cycles you don't have to do your entire leg. You can just epilate the hairs that are showing through and it makes the process a lot quicker and easier. I also tried epilating my arms and as you saw on camera the first time I did that it was really painful. I've always stayed away from arm hair removal because I didn't want to have visible stubble on my arms but using an epilator means the hair grows back softer and thinner. It's harder to do my arms because the hairs all grow in different directions and because you have to go in the opposite direction of the hair, it's tricky sometimes to find out what that is.
The world of epilators is a daunting one and as an epilator newbie, I am no expert. I know that some come with a shaver plug and some come with a plug you can use anywhere, it is possible to get an adaptor though so that's not really a deciding factor. I started with the most basic model and the most affordable. The Braun Silk-Epil 5 is a basic entry level epilator and it's good for beginners. It doesn't do anything particularly fancy, it has two speed settings and it just does the job. There are some more expensive, fancy epilators around, some of which can be used both wet and dry. With any technology products, the more expensive it is the more features and advanced technology it has. Some of the more expensive ones have wider heads and better tweezers for a smoother finish. They also come with extra add-ons like a skin buffer or face epilator too. I'm now testing out the Braun Silk-Epil 9 which is their most advanced and newest addition and so far I'm loving it. It's still quite painful but easier to use, especially around the knee area and it picks up more hairs so speeds up the process.
I just love how if you see a hair, you can just grab the epilator, remove what you want and carry on with your day. It fits in better with my lifestyle and the results are amazing. I'm a convert.
Have you tried epilating?
It's finally Friday and before the weekend rolls in I wanted to highlight some bits and pieces that I've been loving recently. A bit like a mid-month favourites!
I used to wear my Acurist watch religiously until I got this beautiful, very similar watch from Daniel Wellington. It's black and rose gold with quite a large, flat face. It's light and comfortable on the wrist and I think it looks really classy. I love grandpa style watches and this one is grandpa-chic.
If you've been watching my vlogs you'll know about my search for MAC Soar lip liner... it was a long one! I finally found it in Selfridges and purchased it along with Mehr lipstick. They match perfectly together and with the matte lipstick on top they are incredibly long lasting. It's hard to describe the shade, like a muted rosy/nude. If you want to see it in action, check out this vlog.
After meeting Lisa Eldridge and seeing the beautiful polish she was rocking, I have really been enjoying wearing red/orange nails. This Nails Inc and Victoria Beckham collaboration polish is gorgeous and I've spoken about it previously here. It's perfect for when you're wearing all monochrome and it looks incredibly classy.
Finally, the new Jo Malone charity candle White Lilac & Rhubarb. Not only does part of the proceeds go to charity, but it's a gorgeous scent that I've loved burning in my office. It's floral and fruity... and well, it smells great.
So what are you guys loving mid-month?
It's time for another monthly beauty chat and this time we're talking all things travel! We get pretty giggly in this one so no changes there... enjoy.
