The Rose Gold Makeup Collection You Need To Try

Are you a copper and rose gold fiend? Yep, yes I am. There's just something about the finish of the shade that gets me hook, line and sinker every time. If it's copper, I want it. If it's rose gold, I want it. I just want it all, okay? 

When I first set eyes on the KIKO Limited Edition Summer Trend Collection I fell in love. The Wanderlust collection* is that love at first sight kind of beauty. You see it, and then you need it. You don't just need one product, you don't want just two products - you want the whole blooming range and that's just the way it has to be. 

KIKO is one of my all time favourite budget beauty brands. Some of the prices fall more in the mid-range price-wise but for the quality, luxurious packaging and incredible range of choice product-wise, it's still pretty budget. 

The KIKO Wanderlust collection is perfect for summer. With the beautiful rose gold metallic packaging and glowy, hydrating products that feature inside - this is a must try and you all need something from this range. 

I got my hands on a few of the products and I would recommend them all. 

The KIKO Endless Sky Volumizing Mascara, £12.90 is a little more lengthening than volumising, but I like it all the same. It's jet black and lengthens my lashes the way I want them to be. Plus, the packaging is just so beautiful. 

The KIKO Desert Dunes Trio Baked Blush, £16.90 in 02 Gypsy Pink looks beautiful in the pan and on the skin. This blusher is the most pigmented powder blush I have ever come across - so bear that in mind when applying. A little goes a long way but can be blended out to create a beautiful flush across the cheeks. 

To add highlight, the KIKO Desert Moon Highlighter, £19.90 is my new go to. These baked highlighting beads come in three shades in the pot to create a beautiful dimensional glow on the high points of the face. 

A great but hydrating lipstick is hard to come by, but the KIKO Mirage Lip Stylo*, £13.90 has very much done it. With incredible pigmentation and a super hydrating and glossy formula this lipstick has been a go-to in my day-to-day makeup regime. I've got the shades 11 Soul Blackcurrant, a bright purple toned pink and 14 Bohemium Sienna, a deep pinky nude. I love both shades but I've been picking up 14 on a day-to-day basis as it goes with every makeup look. 

If you want a little extra gloss though, the KIKO Heatwave Lip Oil, £10.90  is a must try. The glossy finish and hydrating formula is great for everyday wear. The best bit though? It smells like coconut, vanilla or grapefruit! I've got 02 Vanilla, a pink and I just can't get enough. 

This new collection is a new favourite of mine. From the gorgeous packaging to the brilliant formulas, KIKO really have hit the nail on the head with this one. Now excuse me while I go and browse the rest of the collection... The In The Shade Eyeshadow and Kajal has my name ALL over it. 

Lorna x

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Contouring and Strobing on a budget

Finding a budget friendly product for a specific trend can be difficult. And when it comes to base products, I always struggle to find the right kind of product for my skin tone so the high street is never normally my go-to but this time it's oh so different. 

I swear by the Rodial Instaglam Compact Deluxe Contouring Powder*, £52 but at that price I just can't justify recommending it all of the time. The colour is perfect for my fair and pale skin tone and up until now I hadn't found anything that met up to it and made me veer away from it at all. I've heard a lot about the incredible contour sticks out there and the Smashbox Step By Step Contour Stick Trio but as I wasn't quite sure about how the shades would work with my skin colour, I never quite bit the bullet and picked it up as it always looked a little too warm for me. The ease of a contour stick still appealed and then the Maybelline Master Contour V Contour  & Highlight Stick*, £6.99 arrived on my doorstep and I fell a little bit in love. This duo, multi-use product features both a contour and highlight stick in one within the same stick. You draw on your matte contour and matte highlight and blend. It's creamy and the finish looks flawless. For me, a highlight shade like that, would never actually be fair enough for my skin tone but it is! It comes in two shades, Light and Medium and for £6.99 you really can't go wrong. If you don't however like the idea of having both of the products in one, then I'd recommend giving the AmazingCosmetics Perfection Stick, £17.99* a go in a few shades darker than you'd usually go. This is a little more expensive, and a little less budget but the small nib and creamy product make it worthwhile. 

If strobing is more your thing and you really are looking to not spend much, then the Barry M Illuminating Strobe Cream Sticks*, £4.49 are a must try. These come in two shades, Frosty Pink and Iced Bronze and I'd recommend picking them both up if you can. They are a perfect creamy shimmer that highlight the high points of your face that would naturally catch the light and give a gorgeous dewy glow. The stick form makes application incredibly easy and I'd recommend blending the product in with your fingers. If you want it to last a little longer and want an a bit more of a glow, then I'd recommend setting the cream product into place with a subtle powder highlighter. This gives the look another dimension and your highlight will look incredible when the light catches it. 

What are your budget contour and strobing favourites? 

Lorna x

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Is a Liquid Lipstick as good as a normal lipstick?

Yes, yes it is - and sometimes even better... 

I am one of the biggest advocates of liquid lipsticks and so I felt like the beautiful product deserved a whole post of its own. I mean, there really is a lot to talk about. Trust me, okay? 

I've been talking a lot about liquid lipsticks lately and I was quite surprised to find out that more people didn't feel the same way as me, and some hadn't even given them a go - which was why I want to write this post to let you know about my picks whether you've given them a go or not. Where you should carry on your collection from, or where you should begin it. Liquid lipsticks are truly great and you must must must give them a go. 

Liquid lipsticks are the longest wearing lip colour I've ever tried. Imagine an incredibly pigmented lipstick, but in a liquid formula, similar to a lipgloss but with a thicker, and more often a bit more matte in texture. I won't lie, some of them, especially the more bolder and brighter shades can be a pain to apply but with a little practice and eventually a steady hand you'll get there and you'll be glad you persevered. 

My all time favourite liquid lipstick is the Sephora Lip Cream Stain, $14.00 and I've raved about this for years. I got one of my friends to pick up 01 Always Red for me when she went to America and it's the best red lip you will ever try. It's long lasting and incredibly pigmented and once you've got it on, topping up is so easy to do. The formula of this liquid lipstick is super matte and when it comes to a red lip, I love that. I've recently picked up a couple more shades from the range too - and they're just as beautiful too. If you can get your hands on these, stock up... 

If you struggle with the application of a liquid lipstick, then the Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipsticks, £19.00* will be your go-to. It's a familiar lipgloss applicator with a tube and a foam end where you apply the lipstick from. The shade range is incredible, from pinks to reds, purples to nudes, brights to lights - it's got them all. These are my go-to for day wear for the easy application or if I know I'm going to need to reapply a lot in the evening. My favourite shade at the moment is Chihuahua - a beautiful pinky nude. 

The Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick's, £23.00 were the ones that were always at the top of my must buy list and it's the beautiful packaging that got me hook, line and sinker. These are a little harder to work with I must admit, but the luxurious packaging and the final finish makes it all worth it. The pigmentation on these are incredible. Go for the darker, brighter or bolder shades - I recommend the reds, especially Icon. 

MAC are infamous for lipsticks, and so when they released their new liquid lipsticks I was just about as excited as everyone else and just had to try them. I got my hands on the MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick in Feels So Grand, £21.00 - the red of the collection, because if I'm going to wear a liquid lipstick then more often than not I opt for a red. This did not disappoint and met up to expectations on all pigmentation, finish, lasting power and application fronts. This one is just beautiful - and if you love the packaging of the MAC lipsticks, then you'll love this too. 

The best budget friendly options are the Bourjois Rouge Edition lipsticks and the Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks. The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Liquid Lipsticks*, £8.99. were one of the first, alongside my beloved Sephora Matte Lip Creams, liquid lipsticks that I ever got into. I remember collecting these when they first came out. The incredible pigmentation, the velvety texture and the beautiful and wearable shade range were all that got me. With its easy application and affordable price, these were my go-to lipsticks for a long time and still appear in my daily makeup routine often. They are matte, but not too matte and I love that. On the other hand, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua*, £8.99 are have a far more glossy texture. It's the same pigmentation but because it's so glossy it can be blended out to create a far sheerer look. They aren't too sticky and again the shade range is great. I love applying these over the top of a lipstick to give it another dimension, another texture and just to make it look that bit more exciting. 

Similar to the Rouge Edition Velvets, the Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks*, £6.99 are great. I don't love the packaging as much as the Bourjois lippies but the product inside makes up for it. Pigmented, matte lipstick with a great staying power is what these budget beauty favourites give and I am a little obsessed with this new release. 

Another budget beauty recommendation are the Makeup Revolution Salvation Intense Lip Lacquers, £3.00. I'd recommend giving the more nude shades a go in this range as getting an even colour pay off from the brighter shades can be a little on the difficult side - but with the nude ones it doesn't take so much effort. These have a glossy finish, are a little sticky but they have a great staying power for a gloss finish liquid lipstick. If you're looking to give one a go and don't have much money to spend, then I'd recommend giving this a go and then moving up the scale if you want something of a bit better quality.

I've got a few more in my collection and other notable favourites would for sure be the Laura Mercier Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour, £22 (I've got fuchsia mauve, a bright purple) and the Tarte Tartiest Lip Paint, £14 - also if you're a fan of the OCC lip tars then the new Models Own Lip Gunk Lip Paint Kits, £10.99 from their new makeup range are a must try. These are an absolute OCC lip tar dupe. They each come with a tray and lip brush to mix and create your own unique shades. I've got a couple of these already but I'm already eyeing up the rest of the collection and need to get my hands on Wicked (a deep purple), Loud (a black), Punk (a nude), Ooze (a pinky nude), Liven Up (a metallic burgundy) and Chaos (a metallic purple). The metallic shades would be PERFECT for Glastonbury in a couple of weeks!

I'm a lipstick fiend, but there's just something about liquid lipsticks that get me that bit more excited. Go on, give them a go and see what I mean. They're just great. 

What's your favourite liquid lipstick? What one do you want to try?

Lorna x

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The Barry M Nail Polishes You Need To Try

Barry M Nail Paints were the first thing I got a little obsessed with collecting in the beauty world and where I note where this beauty addiction really began. I was just getting into beauty and there was just something so satisfying about having several of these budget friendly nail polishes all lined up together. And now I think the same about every other beauty product under the sun, but these polishes are still in my life and my ongoing collection is still growing. 5 years or so on from when I first started purchasing these products and the Barry M Nail Paint collection is far larger than it was and so I wanted to give a bit of an insight into the polishes I'd recommend giving a go. 

Barry M Nail Paints, £2.99

The originals from the range and the ones that got me obsessed with nail polish. These are classic nail polishes that I can imagine virtually every girl has in her collection. I love the Ice Cream shades with Berry Ice Cream being my absolute favourite. It's a perfect pastel purple that's perfect for this time of year. I've got through multiple of these! 

Barry M Gelly High Shine Nail Paints, £3.99

My absolute favourites in the range - and if they're not yours already, they will be too. These are Barry M's Gel effect nail polishes and although they don't have the staying power of actual gel nails, they're right up there with long lasting nail polishes. They are super pigmented, one or two coats is all you need and they are super shiny. If you're into pastels, then you need to try Blueberry, Sky Blue and Fondant. If you're more of a brights lover, then I'd recommend Greenberry, Satsuma, Damson and Sugar Plum. For something a little darker, I'd go with Black Cherry but if you prefer a more neutral polish, then I'd recommend giving Almond or Butterscotch Sundae a go. 

Barry M Sunset Gel Daylight Curing Nail Paints, £4.99

Another gel-esque polish range from Barry M but what's a bit different about these as you have to make sure you use the topcoat from the same range with them. The idea of these is that instead of curing the polish under a light like you would for gels, you cure these in the daylight but can still remove them with normal nail polish remover. Now I wouldn't say they have the exact same effect, but I would say it's along the same lines of the Gelly Paints. They're both great and I love the packaging of these. Shade-wise, I'd recommend getting your hands on All The Things She Red, Bug A Blue and Peach For The Stars. 

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paints, £3.99

I am all about quick drying nails. I often don't have the patience for anything else. I swear by the infamous Seche Vite and have even started using the Leighton Denny Miracle Mist I got from a recent Glossybox to speed up the process that bit more, but when I use this quick drying range from Barry M the polishes are touch dry that bit quicker also. I love the fun packaging of these and recommend giving Eat My Dust, Road Rage and Lap Of Honour a go. I've already been eyeing up the rest of the collection and I just know that Supersonic will be a new addition to my collection soon - I can't get enough of bright cobalt blues at the minute. 

Barry M Molten Metals Nail Paints, £3.99

If you are a metallic lover, then you'll love these. These polishes give a chrome/foil effect and with 2 coats you're good to go. If you love a bit of rose gold, then you must give the shade Copper Mine a go - it's a beautiful copper/rose gold nail polish shade. 

Barry M Lolly Gloss Paints, £3.99

I never quite imagined that I would enjoy a sheer nail polish but these ones from Barry M are perfect to adding an extra dimension to a nearly bare nail or can be applied over other nail polishes to change the shades and create something a little more unique. My favourite shade is Cherry Drop. 

There's just something in me that get's super excited every time that Barry M brings out a new collection. Their formulas and shades are always so on point that they're always a must try in my book. Now to give the Coconut Infusions a go... 

What are your favourite Barry M Nail polish shades? 

Lorna x

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The Glow Getter: The Body Shop Instaglow CC Cream

I am all about the radiance. I always want radiance. I can never have enough radiance... and I don't ever get quite enough radiance. But I just want that beautiful glow, okay? 

After watching Saturday nights 'The Graham Norton Show' with the incredibly beautiful Kate Beckinsale on the sofa, I found myself asking, how the hell do I get myself looking like I've got, even a smidgen of the radiance and inner glow that she seems to have? SHE LOOKED INSANE. Jaw dropping-ly insane in fact. I needed a little something, and I've found something that can help us get on our way (even if just a little). Now I can't guarantee that we'll all look as incredible as she does at her age, but I've got a little thing that can help us right now and it's blooming worth it. 

The new The Body Shop Instaglow CC Creams*, £14 are one of the latest releases from the store and as soon as I heard about them I just had to give them a go. Available in three shades (bright glow for light skin, peachy glow for light to medium skin and warm glow for dark skin) these skin reviving products are a new favourite of mine when I feel my skin needs that little extra something something. A CC cream is perfect for applying before your usual base products to correct the imperfections on your skin and these do a little bit of just that. They illuminate and add a touch of glow to your skin. 

Although each of the products are targeted at different skin tones, they could actually be used on all as they are quite subtle if applied before your usual base products. They individually can illuminate, counteract dullness and can add a beautiful bronzed glow. They can be however a little on the heavy side though and I found them a little difficult to work into the skin but once you get there it's worth it - though I would say that I'd save this for the days I really need it instead of every day use. I find my skin doesn't like it when I try and use too many products on it so I don't let myself do that too often as I like it to breathe when it can, but when I do use it - I really am a fan.

If you're looking for something to add some glow into your makeup routine, then you've found it. Whether you want to slather it all over or use it on specific areas of the face, this really is a must try. 

What are your go-to glow getter makeup products?

Lorna x

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The Multi-tasker: Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Soap

Could one product really have that many uses? Could you really use the same product to wash your face and your dishes? Well yes, the Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Soap*, £5.50 is for just that. Now I have to admit, I haven't tested it on all 18 recommended uses, but I just had to write about this incredible multi-tasker anyway. 

If you're like me, then you'll probably have heard about this infamous product in the blogosphere for washing your makeup brushes - and I have to admit that's why I got my hands on it. It's budget friendly and I always thought that if it really was as good as everyone said it was then I needed to get my hands on it. 

This is perfect for washing my brushes with. The liquid soap is great for giving my brushes a deep cleanse and gets all of the dirt and grime out with ease. It also leaves them smelling beautiful with the super relaxing lavender scent. Though if you're not a lavender fan there are plenty of other scents including Almond, Rose and Peppermint to name a few. 

But what was it that got me completely hooked? I was planning on writing this blog post about my new favourite budget makeup brush cleanser but after a little bit of googling and research I realised that it was so much more than that. This soap really can do it all and is the perfect back up to have in the house just in case you run out of your other usual products. 

The product uses: 

Face cleanser (use 2-3 drops on wet hands and then apply to the skin)

Shower gel (use 1 small squirt and apply to a wash cloth or straight onto your wet skin)

Shampoo (either use 1/2 tbsp in your hand and work into your wet hair or dilute 1/2 tbsp into half a cup of water and work that into your wet hair)

Bath soak (around 2 tbsp works best, it doesn't bubble but because of the lavender scent it is perfect for this and is so relaxing)

Shaving (they recommend around 10 drops for the face, 3 drops for the underarms and 1/2 tsp for your legs)

Toothpaste (now I haven't tried this, and I'm not too sure that I will as I've read that it very much does taste like soap but it has been formulated so that you can use it for this purpose, and so if you do fancy giving it a go then 1 drop on a toothbrush is supposed to be enough)

Foot bath (again, another favourite of mine. If I need to relax or if I've had a long day of walking then this is my go-to because of the relaxing lavender scent. 1 1/2 tsp works perfectly for this, though put more/less in if that works for you)

Clearing congestion (add 1 tbsp in a bowl of steamy hot water and breath in the mist with a towel over your head. I can imagine the peppermint scent would be perfect for this)

Washing the dishes (Dilute 1:10 with water or use directly onto the washing brush/sponge)

Laundry (1/3-1/2 cup of a large load though if you are used to using fabric conditioner make sure to ad 1/2 cup of vinegar too)

Mopping (1/2 cup of soap)

All purpose cleaning spray (add 1/2 cup into the water in a spray bottle)

Windows (1 tbsp soap in a water spray bottle. Make sure to follow this with pure club soda or half vinegar/water)

Toilet (Dilute 1:4 with water in a bottle. Empty the toilet, squirt the toilet bowl and then add baking soda onto the brush and scrub then let it sit for a while before filling with water again and flushing)

Fruit and vegetable rinse (a dash of the soap in a bowl of water is enough for this, though I often find water to be enough on its own) 

Dog washing (This 100% is down to the size of the dog but just apply it bit by bit until you've got as much as you need)

Plant spray for bugs (1 tbsp in water)

I mean, this for me is just honestly mind blowing. How one product can do it all is just incredible. I keep this stashed away for all possible inevitabilities and make sure to add a small one into my bag when I'm heading away. You never know when you might need this soap, it's good for just about anything... 

What do you use your Dr. Bronner's liquid soap for? 

Lorna x

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Relaxing in: Macdonald Frimley Hall Hotel & Spa

I love living in London. It's actually one of, if not the best decision I ever made. It's incredible but there's nothing quite like getting out of the city for the weekend and so thats what I did when I headed down to the Macdonald Frimley Hall Hotel & Spa* for a weekend of nothing but relaxation. 

Based in Camberley, near Farnborough in Surrey, this spa is the perfect getaway from London as it's not too far - but far enough for you to feel like you're 'away'. I headed over there on the train with my boyfriend and it was super easy and not too far at all. A few snacks for the journey and a window seat to see the view turn from 'city' to 'countryside' is just the perfect way to start the weekend. 

The hotel is just what you imagine (and hope) that it'll be like. The exterior is just beautiful and on a nice day with lovely weather I can imagine it's just perfect for sitting outside with a drink. Check in was easy, and the room was just incredible. One of the best bits about staying in a hotel is that moment when you put the key card in the door and open it up to see your room for the first time. It's just so exciting. Our room overlooked the grounds outside the front of the hotel and with the lovely weather it was just beautiful. 

All guests have access to the spa - and with its swimming pool, poolside loungers, sauna and steam room we headed there very quickly to relax. There's also a gym too which looked lovely but I have to admit that we didn't use it (and opted for the sauna a little more instead). The spa didn't have any robes left and the receptionist told us she'd bring us some shortly as they were on their way but I just wanted to flag that this didn't happen. We went out to ask again mid way through, but again she said they didn't have any at the moment. I was a little disappointed if I'm honest, but as there was little we could do we just got on with it... On a Saturday afternoon - the pool was filled with children (which was as expected as it's a family friendly hotel) so I must admit it was a little less relaxing than hoped, but we got past that and enjoyed the swimming and sauna and steam room anyway minus the robes. 

We then headed back to the room to get ready for dinner (and have a bottle of champagne - because why not?). I tried having a bath, but the water just wasn't hot enough - so that's one thing I'd flag but I'm sure this wouldn't be an issue all the time. I opted for a luke warm shower instead, but it was refreshing after our swim so I didn't mind too much. 

The restaurant was beautiful and just as we'd hoped. We sat down, ordered our wine and our super attentive waiters sorted us right out with our drinks and some incredibly tasty bread. Try the brown bread and the tomato bread - it's so good we went back for some more later in the meal. 

We both ended up going for the soup - and I'm so glad we did. The soup was poured into the bowl around the arancini at the table and and oh my was it delicious. If a soup is done well, it's usually my favourite part of the meal and honestly it blew me a way. Whatever soup they have on the menu when you go - you must must must try it. 

Joe ended up going for the beef with polenta and I went for the fish with samphire. Both tasted delicious and as a big samphire fan I just couldn't get enough. 

Dessert was another highlight. I mean, just look at the beauty that was on our plates? They almost looked too good to eat... But we very much did and they were incredible. We went for the lemon tart and the chocolate dessert and oh boy, they were delicious.

A delicious meal and incredible service, would highly recommend!

After dinner, we went through to the bar for a drink before taking it up to our rooms. The bed was incredibly comfy and with the black out curtains I slept perfectly. It was one of those 'I don't want to get out of bed moments' in the morning, but knowing we had breakfast and our spa treatments waiting, I just about managed it. 

Breakfast was a buffet, not as tasty as the evening meal but still great with the usual english breakfast choices, toast, pastries, fruit, cereal and meat/cheeses with all of the usual drinks. Really recommend the potato scones on offer!

After breakfast, we went back up to the room to pack and check out of our room before we headed over to the spa for our treatments. Sadly saying goodbye to our oh so beautiful room we headed to the spa in the building next door (making sure to bring the robes from our room with us as we didn't want to be without them this time...). We both opted for a 30 minute back massage and it was great. Super relaxing and a nice way to start the day! We then went through to the relaxation room to relax and rehydrate before heading down. It was super chilled in there with a few magazines to keep you occupied. One thing worth noting was that I'm not sure how often it was cleaned as I noticed a bacon sandwich that someone had left in one of the chairs next to us but after we'd sat down a little further away with a drink, we just ignored it and it was all fine. 

Back down to the swimming pool and sauna and we were so happy to see how empty it was. It felt so much more like a spa as the people that were there were there to relax. I'd really recommend going for an early Sunday morning treatment and then heading down afterwards. After a quick swim and a go in the sauna and steam room we took to the poolside loungers to read some magazines and just switch off. I just can't tell you how incredible this was. It's so hard to do when you're in London and so this very much was one of the highlights. 

Before leaving and sadly heading home, we decided to treat ourselves just once more with an Afternoon Tea - which too was just delicious. As I don't eat meat, they were more than happy to swap out the meat sandwiches for me with meat-free alternatives. I was super excited to see that instead of adding one of the ones that was already included, they went a step further to make something else to ensure all of my sandwiches were different. The scones were absolutely to die for and one of the best bits about my trip (I feel like I've said and thought that about many things however - there's just a lot to love okay?). With the clotted cream and jam, I just couldn't get enough. With the small chocolate eclairs, lemon and basil tarts, coffee and pistachio macarons and more, we were just blown away. It was the perfect end to the trip and I'd highly recommend (even if it is just for the delicious scones...). 

I'd really recommend heading to Macdonald Frimley Hall Hotel & Spa for a weekend away. It's perfect to getaway or just for a special treat. I highly recommend!

Lorna x

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