Wednesday 23 October 2013

E.L.F: Waterproof Eyeliner Pen, Lip Lock Pencil and Glitter Eyeshadow


I used to be obsessed with Eyes Lips Face when I was first getting into makeup. Their affordable prices meant that I could afford to try out a large range of products like I was seeing all of these bloggers doing. I wanted a piece of that lifestyle that I was forever reading about and E.L.F gave me that. I was forever ordering in bulk whenever any great deals came up or discount codes and I was shortly becoming obsessed. Just like any other beauty blogger, I then became obsessed with the next best thing and started exploring into other brands and products. I still looked on E.L.F and fancied a few bits and pieces but I just never really got round to ordering it for one reason or another so when E.L.F recently contacted me asking if I wanted to try out a few bits, I jumped at the chance.




I love a good Eyeliner Pen and actually one of my old favourites was from E.L.F, so when I saw this in the package I was pretty excited. I am such a clutz when it comes to eyeliner, especially when I'm trying to give it a bit of a winged effect. I'm forever rubbing it off with a makeup wipe trying to get that perfectly even winged liner but I usually end up with super red skin underneath before it is achieved. These eyeliner pens make this chore so much easier as it feels like your literally just drawing it on. I usually apply this over a much darker black eyeliner as I like my liner to be super black! It lasts well and I would definitely repurchase this as it is super affordable!




I used to really like the studio range from E.L.F, it is affordable but still feels as though it is a little luxurious with its sleek black packaging in comparison to the cheaper looking plastic of the normal range. Slightly more expensive than said normal range but I like them both all the same. This Lip Lock pencil is a clear, thicker nibbed lip pencil. You apply it prior to the application of your lipstick and it works as a barrier to stop bleeding etc. I really like using this as you don't need a different lip liner colour for each lipstick you use - this is great for the lipsticks I don't have a matching lip liner for!





A glitter eyeshadow, who could turn that down? A beautiful gunmetal grey glitter perfect for using in a smokey eye for a night out. I haven't used this to go out in yet as I haven't had a big night out in a while, but the next time, I will be jumping at the chance to use this bad boy! It looks beautiful swatched and I can only imagine how gorgeous it will actually look around the eye! 

I have totally got my love back for E.L.F and will be bringing out some old favourites and hopefully making some new!

What are your favourite E.L.F products?

Lorna x


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Tuesday 22 October 2013

Celgenics: Moisturiser Light and Eye Essential


Celgenics Moisturiser Light* - £40 and Eye Essential* - £45

Celgenics is a brand that I am slowly getting to know quite well and boy am I enjoying it. I wrote previously about their Deep Cleansing Lotion and Classic Rose Water Toner and how much I enjoyed them. The Cleanser is super soft on the skin! Marian, the lovely lady who owns the brand kindly offered to send me some more of her beautiful products to review and of course I couldn't pass this up. I love skincare and am always on the hunt for something better, something more, something that makes my skin that much better. 

The Moisturiser Light isn't actually all that light so don't be fooled by the name. I have pretty dry skin and actually this moisturiser is aimed at dry/combination skin which I was pretty surprised about. I expected the moisturiser to not be enough for my skin, but surprisingly it was. It works to rebalance a combination or problematic skin to try and reformulate it into more of a normal skin type. It works to moisturise while still combating oily areas. I love this, it has a subtle scent which I don't generally enjoy but it smells so natural which actually it is. I love this product and will definitely continue to use it! 

The award winning Eye Essential is one of the products I was most excited about trying. It works with anti-ageing properties and although I don't really need this yet, I still want to start using it to combat early signs of ageing and also to try and reduce my dark circles! I haven't been using it for as long as the moisturiser and haven't noticed any difference yet, which honestly I don't really expect to, but either way it moisturises my under eyes and feels lovely on the skin. It revitalizes my under eyes and that is what I want in an eye cream. It's super luxurious like the rest of the product range and the natural ingredients mean that you don't have to worry about what you're putting onto your skin!

Just like the previous products I reviewed, I'd definitely recommend these too. They are great and feel super lovely on the skin. The natural scent smells lovely and they are filled with natural ingredients. I honestly can't wait to try more. Marian mentioned that they might be creating a serum and I cannot wait to give it a whirl as I know it will be as great as the other products!

Have you tried any products from Celgenics? 

Lorna x

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Monday 21 October 2013

Introducing Jacava London

L-R Jacava Polish in Passion*, Topcoat with UV Inhibitor* and Blackberry Fool*  all £14.50

I am a totally nail polish hoarder. I need every shade... they all just look so pretty in my drawer! So when Jacava London contacted me asking me if I wanted to try their polishes of course I said yes! What nail polish addict wouldn't... I am totally in love with the shades that they have sent me and the packaging is just wow. It is beautiful and looks so luxurious. I've never seen a bottle like it! I was a little unsure that it would fit in my storage with my other polishes but it definitely did. They are tall, but they're not THAT tall. 



Passion is a beautiful dark pink/purple shade, perfect for A/W; I can imagine painting this on my nails through out the autumn! Blackberry Fool is a slightly lighter version of a pink/purple shade. The image doesn't show it's exact colour as it was really hard to capture it on camera but it is something actually I don't have in my collection. That perfect mixture of pink and purple which isn't too much of either, oh I'm in love... The Topcoat with UV Inhibitor is pretty quick drying and super glossy and although I've only used it with these shades, the UV Inhibitor is said to keep whites, white for longer and that I something I cannot wait to try out. The wear of these polishes is pretty good, although for me I usually take off polish before it gets too chipped anyway as I get bored of the shade! The pigmentation is great and isn't streaky at all. 

I'd definitely recommend these if you're looking for a luxurious polish to pick up! I can imagine these would be great to give as a gift too! They sell some in set's which would be great for this! 

Lorna x

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Sunday 20 October 2013

Introducing Veil Cover Cream






Veil Cover Cream is a total new brand and actually a totally new product to me. I've never really thought about the need for products to cover up in such a way and although I probably did now that they existed I just had never thought about trying them. When Veil Cover Cream contacted me to try this out I was a bit sceptical as I hadn't ever seen anything like it but after tweeting about it asking who else had tried it I had to see what all the fuss was about. I had a really great response, so many women telling me what a great effect the product had had on their lives. One woman mentioned how it changed her wedding day for the better and made her feel comfortable in herself to make her feel better about herself. So in essence, it isn't just a product, it's something that can have this overwhelming effect on specific people and honestly help people for the better! 

It isn't something I genuinely need myself, but I wanted to share with you all the product and the idea of cosmetic camouflage as after hearing those women's stories I need you all to hear too! Veil Cover Cream is a super thick and heavy coverage product that can be applied as a concealer where needed or as an all-over foundation. It should be applied to freshly cleansed and toned skin, much like any other makeup. It can be applied in any way you like - if using like a concealer, I'd probably use my finger and then a brush to blend. You can the apply the Veil Finishing Powder over the top to set the product. It should then be fully camouflaged and completely unnoticeable - as you can see on the cover image! 

I think this is such a great product, and they have a brilliant shade range and have a sample pack that you can order prior to making the full purchase which the cost would then come off your next purchase so you're not wasting any money making sure you get the perfect shade for you. 

If this is something you feel like you may need or know someone that would then honestly I couldn't recommend it more. I've never had a response like that to a tweet and I know that there will be plenty more people who's lives have changed through this product. We all know that beauty can have such an effect on people and if something like this can up someone's confidence that much then no one should be able to stop them! 

Have you tried Veil Cover Cream before?

Lorna x

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Saturday 19 October 2013

Introducing Charmed Ivy Jewelry


Charmed Ivy is a new online jewelry store at affordable prices and it really is super cute! They sent me a couple of pieces to review and I'm actually really happy with the selection. Both gold, which I would say is the finish that I choose to wear the majority of the time. I usually find it goes better with what I'm wearing. 



I was really happy with the studded earrings as of course we all know that I love a good ol' stud! I don't really wear earrings though as my ears get irritated really easily. So I may pass these onto someone else or may keep them for a rainy day when I do decide to wear some as they are super cute and totally my style. 




I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the ring because although I really did like it, rings don't usually fit me that well so I just assumed that this would be the case here too. I put it on and voila it fitted and not just, it fitted perfectly! And on a number of fingers. Boy was I happy. I love the simplicity of the design, and I love that it isn't too out there so would work well with a number of other rings as well. 

I love the jewelry  and I would definitely recommend it. It's super affordable and even if you didn't love the pieces as much as you thought you would, if you'd wear them a couple of times then you honestly can't go wrong at that price!  

What are your favourite pieces? 

Lorna x

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Friday 18 October 2013

Seascape Uplift Body Wash





I used to be obsessed with baths and would always opt for them over a shower but since moving into my new house I have an ensuite with a shower in it. I was faced yet again with not being able to relax in that nice hot bubble bath and I wasn't the greatest pleased although it was to be expected as it is a student house after all! 

This shower gel from Seascape was greatly welcomed, I love trying out new products like these as they are necessities for everyone. This one is quite luxurious and I love to use it in the morning because of the refreshing scent it carries. This includes notes of lavender, lime and eucalyptus - which would also be great if you have a cold. It cleanses nicely and does exactly what it is meant to. As a bonus it is also free from parabens, SLS, silicones, petroleums and artificial colours and fragrances. I love this as you know that you're not putting any of those nasties onto your body - this is definitely something I should look into doing more often.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a product to help wake them up in their morning shower! It does that and feels luxurious at the same time. Perfect!

Have you tried any products from Seascape? This was my first! 

Lorna x

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Thursday 17 October 2013

W7 Nail Bling Set in Blue Diamond





Another budget buy from W7 again today! They have such a great range at such bargain prices so I just can't recommend them anymore! This Nail Bling set is so great. I am so clumsy when it comes to nail art and this is great for that - it's so simple and adds that bit extra to your normal mani. The set includes the W7 polish in Wild Blue, a deep metalic blue shade along with two pots of glitter. 




The glitters include a pot of a fine dark navy blue shade and a larger silver glitter mixed with a fine turquoise shade - this pot reminds me a lot of my favourite glitter polish ever - Topshop 3D so this pot is welcomed nicely into my collection. I love using these glitters for an accent nail!




I have included nail swatches so that you can see what the glitters look like with the Wild Blue metallic polish and boy does it look nice! The application is easy as explained on the back of the box - you apply one coat of the polish and let it dry, another coat is then applied where you then dip your nail into the pot of glitter and voila it's done... It takes a while to dry, I would light some candles and pop on a movie - I usually smudge them way too soon so this is really the only way for me whether it's with something more interesting like this or literally a couple of coats of colour. I can't help but be clumsy!

They have a range of shades but I really like this set. Have you tried any? 

Lorna x

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Wednesday 16 October 2013

W7 Matte Lipstick in Ruby




W7 is a super affordable brand and although it's not that easily found (I have actually seen some of their products in Poundland so it's well worth a look!) you can pick up quite a bargain when searching for them online. £2.99 for a lipstick with such great quality is amazing! This is the second lipstick that I've tried from W7 and in a much more me shade. The quality of both are great and I love a matte lip so that suits me down to a T. The packaging isn't anything special, but honestly what can you expect for the price, it does the job and really that's all it should do. 


Now onto the beautiful, beautiful shade. A gorgeous and intense cherry red that will look gorgeous all year round but I'm imagining wearing it in the winter surrounded in snow! I love a red lip, it goes perfect with nearly anything and I am very prone to sporting one so this lipstick is happily added to my collection!

What are your favourite W7 lipstick shades? 

Lorna x

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Tuesday 15 October 2013

Introducing Smooch Makeup



Smooch is a new brand to me, and as a lover of makeup I couldn't wait to try it out! Each of the shades of each of the products are right up my street and so wearable! The packaging is sleek and black which I love and makes it look much more classy. It does get quite dirty easily, but this can be easily combated through just being that bit more careful.



The Duo Eyeshadow in Dare To Bare* includes two absolutely beautiful shades. Both quite muted filled with shimmer. They are shades that will work well blended into each other or other shades you may have in your collection - it works well with the Urban Decay Naked Palette! They brighten the eye beautifully and I think they work well for during the day with a light sweep of colour or during the night blended with darker shades for a beautiful smokey eye. 


They look beautiful don't they? The shade on the right looks gorgeous in the inner corner of the eye! The pigmentation is great but the shadows are a little chalky but I think this is easy to get over. 

The Blush in Glamour Puss* is a shade I actually don't have in my collection, I have a bazillion peaches and light pink shades but when I opened the box to find a slightly darker pink shade I was pretty excited. All I could think about was how perfect this is for A/W! It is matte which is great as you can use a separate highlighter without it being too overpowering, which could definitely be the case with a glitter filled highlighter. 


 My favourite thing about this blush is how nice it looks with my beloved purple lipsticks, my bright blush shades just don't quite cut it. A beautiful rosey pink shades that will work perfectly at this time of year!

The bronzer in Tan Queenie* is gorgeous! I usually steer clear from most bronzers and generally stick to my Benefit Hoola Bronzer mini. Some do often take my fancy but I usually end up too scared and leave it. I was excited to try this one out as I thought it was about time to add another to my collection. Tan Queenie is a lovely shade with a slight golden shimmer running through it. I usually prefer more of a matte bronzer like Hoola but actually this is a nice change. It works well with my skin tone and I really like the bronzed look it gives - this will look beautiful in the summer and will still work with my pale winter skin tone. It also comes with a super soft brush and although it isn't the type of brush I would use to apply this product with, I really want to find a use for it because it us super soft and lovely on the skin. 

I am so happy that smooch has been introduced to be as it is a lovely brand, I love the packaging and the quality of the products are really nice. I also love the shade range! I cannot wait to try out some more of their products as I can only hope that they will be as good as these!

Have you tried any products from Smooch? What are your favourites? 

Lorna x

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Monday 14 October 2013

Introducing Amargan Hair Therapy


I have been in need of a decent hair oil for a while, I do love the Vo5 one that I do use sometimes but I just wanted one that does that bit more so when Amargan contacted me to try out some of their products I jumped at the chance. It was a new brand for me but their products seemed lovely, people had been comparing them to the illusive Morrocan Oil and for that I was down to try it!

The Hair Therapy Oil is my favourite of the bunch and will definitely be the one that I use the most. It is the original product from the Amargan range which the others are then based on. It sorts out frizz, adds shine, detangles and strengthens hair. You can actually use this in place of a conditioner, but as my hair needs as much moisture as it can get I would use this after. I would then either let my hair dry naturally (which is usually the case) or go on to blow drying. The Amargan Advanced Styler can also be used at this stage. It is heat activated and works to condition, eliminate static and keep your hair styled. I like this product as it adds to the conditioning of my hair while keeping it styled and although I do rarely use it, I do use it when I want to give my hair a bit of a boost and treat it a bit better - I'm prone to using this before a night out! The Amargan Ultimate Curl again isn't a product that I'd usually use as my hair is straight. It gives a slight wave to my hair which is nice and I would then curl my hair over the top. I usually use my straighteners so that the process is quick and this speeds it up even more. It also helps to combat any frizz so that is great too - I can only imagine what a godsend this product would be for those with curly hair.

I love this range and I really want to try out the Deep Penetrating Hair Mask next!

Lorna x

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Sunday 13 October 2013

W7 Dot to Dot Nail Parlour


I have always said that I wanted to get myself a nail dotting tool, but it was always just one of those things I never got around to picking up as either I would forget (which is generally the case) or it would be more than I wanted to pay - who needs to spend a lot more on a big branded one when you can pick one up from W7 for so cheap with 3 mini polishes included too?!

This set is beautiful, I am so in love with the colours - the pinks are super bright which is right up my street. I love the size of the polishes, which some people may not love, but I find that I'd never get through a large polish, sometimes I'd never even get through a mini one so small polishes like this are much more suited to beauty hoarders like me... W7 polishes aren't the greatest quality but that isn't what you buy them for - you buy them for their beautiful colour range. They do the job, they colour your nails and honestly I can't qualm that! 

The dotting tool works great, I'm a really clumsy person when it comes to doing my nails - honestly you should see the process I take to do it and make it look okay; and that's just painting the base colour! II was sat down with my friends the other week and they were painting their nails using some from my rather extended collection... I already had mine painted a lovely green shade from Nails Inc. and decided to add a bit on top. I wasn't really sure where they were going to go and what I wanted to do, but they ended up being themed to one of my housemates - Dina - a little in joke so won't bore you with the details! 


You can see the little flowers I did using the dotting tool! I'm a bit stuck for what else I can do with it, I've done dots all over the nail to look like polka dots - but it didn't turn out so good, practice makes perfect though and I'll definitely be giving it another go! 

What are you're favourite designs to use with a dotting tool? 

Lorna x

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Thursday 3 October 2013

Ajala Spa: Luxury Hammam Ritual/Honeymoon Treatment

A while ago I headed over to the Aqua PR Bloggers Tea Party at the St Paul's Grange Hotel with my friend Dina. We were excited for all of the tea, cakes and sandwiches we could eat, to see what products Sranrom had to offer (which I have actually blogged about here) and have a look around Ajala Spa - and boy were we impressed!


One of their treatment rooms!

We headed down to Ajala Spa a few weeks ago to try out the Luxury Hammam Ritual, also know as the Honeymoon Treatment after a bit of a mix up the time before when we tried to go for our treatments. This was rectified well, and we were treated brilliantly the next time we attended the spa for our luxury treatments.

The Honeymoon Treatment took place in the Hammam, a steam room with stone beds. The treatment is used to deep cleanse the skin, exfoliate the pores, eliminate toxins and impurities and to melt away muscle tension - and boy did it!

The treatment was split into sections giving us time to relax within the steam and let each of the stages soak into our skin. The treatment starts with a quick go in the rain shower to remove any impurities on the top of the skin. We then relaxed for a while in the Hammam to open the pores and prepare the skin for the treatment. Black soap with a eucalyptus fragrance is applied by the therapists (our therapists were lovely, Anna was amazing! She was lovely and so helpful afterwards, she is a credit to the spa!). The soap is left on the skin while we were left in the Hamman for around 15 minutes to really reap the benefits of the soap - if you have a cold, this part would be perfect for curing that! The soap is so smooth on the skin, I can't even explain to you how amazing it felt! We were then taken back to the rain shower, my only queery with this was that it is actually out in a public area and it is a public shower so it did take a little out of the experience as a whole but I would put this down to it being in such a central location and obviously it can only be in the space they have got so they can just use what they have.

The therapists then apply a body exfoliation using a body exfoliating glove (there is a proper name for this, but I can't quite remember what it is called - sorry! I can try and find out though if you want to know). This is rough, but it is so worth it, your skin is amazingly soft after! Application of a mask is then applied, this is the rhassoul which deep cleanses the pores. It is left on for around 15 minutes before removal which this time was done in the Hammam using a cold water spray. It was cold, but quite refreshing at the same time as the room has been so steamy and hot throughout the treatment. An application of another mask is then applied, this is the honey and royal jelly white mask which is used to soothe the skin while giving it extra nourishment, this is removed too after 15 minutes. I can't explain to you how amazingly relaxed we felt after this and how our skin felt. It was so soft. We made sure to keep our moisturisation up, they recommend using a body butter daily to prolong the soft feeling. They also recommend you to refrain from using any exfoliation products for around a week because all of your dead skin should already be removed and your skin just wouldn't need anymore.

It was a lovely experience and actually was both of our first experiences in a spa, I can imagine a country spa would be even nicer as the location would be even more relaxing - although this was a nice break away from the city centre of London.

I'd love to hear your spa experiences and your favourite places and treatments!

Lorna x

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Wednesday 2 October 2013

LFW with New Look


Fashion week was a bit of a disappointment for me as actually... I didn't make it. I was in the midst of moving house which also meant that there were problems with me receiving my tickets meaning they came after all the shows had finished (gutted didn't quite cover it!) I tried to make it down to the LFW New Look Refuel Room but unfortunately there wasn't enough time in the day and I very sadly missed it - I'll make sure to go next time as from what I've seen it looked amazing!

New Look then contacted me asking me for a quick Q&A about LFW and my blog which I was more than happy to do! 

If you could take home one of the collections, who's would it be? 

Mulberry! I'll be honest and say it was one of the only shows I kept tabs on and watched but boy was it beautiful. I'd happily own it!

If you could sit in the front row with all of the celebs, who would you want to sit next to? 

Alexa Chung for sure. I've been a massive fan of her and her fashion for a long time and it would be amazing to meet her. She is one perfect lady!

If you had a chance to attend the next event, what would you be most excited for? 

The LFW New Look Refuel room looked amazing this year! Filled with all kinds of food and drinks, a photo booth, nail painting and clothes - what more could you want! I'd be excited for it all. 

What made you start writing a blog? 

After reading blogs for so long and constantly contemplating making my own, I just bit the bullet and did it. I wanted to be involved in a community which looked so fun. It seemed amazing having this little space on the internet to update. I had some spare time when it came to the summer that year, so I just did it. 

What is your biggest aspiration for your blog? 

I wouldn't say that I have specific aspirations at the moment as honestly, I currently feel so confused with life and what I want to do. I love my blog to pieces and wherever it goes and wherever it takes me is just a bonus. I'd love to end up doing something in beauty, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes to it. I get so excited when I see I have a new follower, the idea that someone has taken their time to click to follow to keep updated with all of my posts is just amazing and I appreciate every single one of you more than you'll ever know! I've recently started a YouTube account too, so I guess I'll be seeing where that one takes me too!

I really want to attend Fashion Week next year, so hopefully I won't be too busy! 

Lorna x

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Tuesday 1 October 2013

Wishlist: Avenue 32



Avenue 32 is a website filled and filled with pure designer goodness... a little out of my poor student budget, but a girl can dream right? 

The Annelise Michelson Gold Plated Thorny Rosary Necklace is just perfect, I'm on the hunt for a new necklace to replace my beloved spiked one that sadly fell apart - a very devastating moment (reminder: don't drink and wear favourite things, they don't last forever...). I can really imagine this around the collar of a white shirt, simple yet perfect! 

The LBD; a staple in EVERY girls wardrobe and the Wunderkind Black Alpaca Cartridge Dress is a perfect twist on just that. The small details about this dress are what makes it so perfect, while still having an edge. It has a fur top with a lace bottom, the perfect contrast while still blending into a beautiful one piece dress! 

I've had my eye out for a plain black bag with gold detailing for a while and the 3.1 Phillip Lim Black Croc Pashli Satchel is right up my street (although, a lot out of my price range! maybe I can find a high street version!) 

I surprisingly don't actually own any peplum tops, although I have come very close to purchasing a number of times. They're nice, and they look so perfect on but I just find them to be a little dressy for my style but this Co Ivory Cashmere Peplum Knit has changed my mind... A beautiful fitted and knitted top that will look amazing while keeping you warm in the winter? I'm there and I need me one of those! I love the white shade as it would look gorgeous with nearly anything. A simple yet amazing piece, I can only imagine the quality of that beautiful cashmere... 

Last but not least is this beautiful Tim Ryan Multi Frindged Skirt. A statement skirt and one that you would have to pair with very simple accessories and items but boy would it be worth it. I can't say I've seen anything quite like it and although it's not something I would usually go for, I would definitely make the change for this and I would definitely make an occasion for it!

I'm really impressed by Avenue 32, a range of beautiful clothes and I can only imagine the quality. They are everywhere at the minute, it's so hard to shy away from them! Have you noticed they're adverts in loads of the tube stations recently? 


Keep your eyes out and take a look on their website, it's definitely work a sneaky peak! 

Lorna x

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