Video: September Favourites 2014

It's that time of the month (not THAT time of the month...) where I let you in on what I've been loving. There's a little bit of beauty, a pair of TO DIE FOR shoes and an album you just need to get your hands on. 

Here's my September faves... 

Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer*

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation*

NARS Creamy Concealer*

Bourjois Volume 1 Second Mascara*

Bourjous Mega Liner*

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01 

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask 

Puma Suede Trainers 

Disaronno* 

iTunes Festival

Nick Mulvey - First Mind 

What have you been loving through September? 

Lorna x

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The Pick Of The Scent Samples

I didn't quite realise how picky I am when it comes to perfume as I did when I was putting this post together. I have a massive stash of samples of so many different scents but going through them to find my favourites was so difficult. I imagined I'd have to narrow it down to only a few, but picking these 4 was tough enough... 

I'm a Marc Jacobs Daisy gal through and through and have used that scent for years. I try not to use it all of the time as buying perfumes for myself is something I just wouldn't like to do. I know they last FOR AGES but the extortionate prices and the luxury of buying a perfume just isn't the same when buying it for yourself, so I try and make sure I don't get through them uber quickly. I mean, I don't exactly have people begging to buy me perfume so I have to make it last. 

I've got a list of perfumes I'd love to own and Victor and Rolf Flowerbomb is firmly at the top of that list. I have been in love with it for ages and am forever leaving hints to my Dad around Christmas and Birthday time, but you know... It's never been picked up on, so for now, this sample will have to do. A beautiful sweet and floral scent that I just can't get enough of. 

Another I've always wanted is Paco Rabanne's Lady Million and I adore that scent. The one I found in my stash is the Eau My Gold version and it's just beautiful as well. I've been keeping this one in my bag and spritzing it when I can. It smells amazing and of course, I wouldn't turn a full sized bottle away. 

Lastly is the scent I hadn't really thought about loving before. Burberry Body is another gorgeous scent and I actually realised I have a couple of samples of this in my stash. It's another lovely scent that's well worth a sniff and I'm now super excited to use up the tiny bottles I do have. 

In a dream world I'd love to say that I love each of these perfumes so much I'll be popping to the shops right away to pick up all of the full sizes, but this is the real world and perfumes are crazy expensive and for a student like me, well it's just not in my budget. One day I'll have a perfume collection that shows off all of these scents and I'll be dying to choose which one to wear each day. It could happen, right? Victor and Rolf Flowerbomb will be mine... 

What's your signature scent? 

Lorna x

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Kitchen Dreams with KitchenAid

If there's something you don't know about me, maybe it's that I bloody love to cook. That being said, I'm not a baker. I'll give it a go on a special occasion, when the kitchen's super clean (students that live in MASSIVE houses, you know where I'm at on this...) or when I'm feeling annoyed. Baking commences and usually (not always, but usually) it's a bit of a disaster. I just can't seem to prettify things to make them look delicious, I don't know why, I just can't. But that doesn't mean it doesn't taste amazing... Again, this isn't always the case unfortunately. Although, it always all seems to get eaten. 

I'm more of a savoury kinda gal, but that doesn't mean I don't love a good slice of cake every now and again and so when I was invited down to Cake Boy with Curry's and KitchenAid, I of course jumped at the chance. Learning from master baker Eric Lanlard, why wouldn't I go?!

We learnt the ins and outs of a making a Red Velvet Cake and it was absolutely delicious. The lightest cake i've ever tried. Eric Lanlard's top tips? Make sure to use a gel or paste bake stable food colouring and not liquid as it changes the texture of the cake and when using an electric mixer, like the KitchenAid Hand Mixer above, move the mixture in an '8' motion to make sure you get the best texture possible. 

The best texture means you get the best out of your mixture, and of course we all want our cakes to be the best they possibly can be, right? Let's test it out, make all of the cake, and of course we wouldn't want to waste any by not eating it... Justification, oh yeah. 

I've now got my hands on my own KitchenAid 9 Speed Hand Mixer* and for any lady that loves the kitchen you'll know just how excited I am about this. Of course the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer is the one we all dream about (i've got my eye on the pale blue one) but this will do perfectly for right now. I love the sleek black and it works like nothing I've ever owned before. I'm envisioning using it in my house, with a beautiful kitchen and of course my KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer by it's side... The dream! 

What's your favourite things to bake? Inspire me! 

Lorna x

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Transitional Lip Shades

With Autumn coming, it means one thing... I can get back on the darker lipstick bandwagon without feeling not 'Summer' enough. I've always been a dark lipstick kinda gal and obviously, Autumn is prime time on the deep shaded lipstick front! 

Introducing my top picks that work well not only for Autumn, but this in between time that we're currently experiencing. I'm talking the deep shades with a little nude thrown into the mix... 

On the nude front, I've got a gorgeous nude lipgloss from Paul and Joe. It's their Glossy Lip Colour in  01* and it is to die for! Beautiful formulation, not too sticky and beautifully pigmented, but not too much. Really great product and I've had so much use out of it. 

I've got also got a few picks from Bourjois, a definite favourite drugstore brand of mine at the minute. From the Bourjois Rouge Edition 12 Hours range*, I've got the shades 30 and 31. They are gorgeous 'your lips but better' shades and they're the products that I'd put down my new found love of a nude lip straight to. The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet is another goodn' and on the nude front I'm talking the shade 07 Nude-ist*. It's a really nice nude matte lip that lasts really well. 

On the other hand, from the same Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet range I've got 08 Grand Cru* which is a deep red. Perfect for getting back into the darker shades and the bonus? It lasts amazingly. 

Another favourite is the YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 12 Forbidden Burgundy, a super luxurious lipstick. Need I say anymore? Just look at it... 

The Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Grandest Grape is a great one, super hydrating and really easy application. Perfect for keeping your lips hydrated but while still having a bit (or a lot) of colour on them. 

Last but not least I'm talking the Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Stunner. This can be used over the top of a darker shade to add another dimension or it can be used alone as a hint to the deeper more autumnal shades. 

I'm so excited at all the autumn lip shade possibilities! 

What shades will you be sporting this A/W? 

Lorna x

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Video: Autumn Fashion Haul

I know, I know. It's really not okay, but I've been shopping again and it's just something I obviously couldn't help (justification, justification, justification). It was one of those situations where I just fell in love with everything and I was shopping on my own, so didn't have anyone to tell me no (obviously why I went shopping on my own) but the best thing? Not only have I got a few awesome new pieces to add to my wardrobe, I've got another haul video for you all to see! Obviously, I went shopping for everyone who watches it, right? 

Anyway, lets get down to the nitty gritty and these are the bits I picked up... 

Product Mentioned & Links: 

TOPSHOP

Topshop Backpack

Topshop Grid Print Skinny Cigarette Trousers 

Topshop Tapered Pinstripe Trousers 

Topshop Black Jamie Jeans 

MONKI

Monki White Crop Tee 

Monki Biker Coat

MISSGUIDED

Missguided Roll Neck Bodycon Dress 

Missguided Bardot Dogtooth Dress 

ASOS

ASOS White Sheer Crop Top 

Kiss The Sky Crop Shirt With Lace Trim 

ASOS Grey Duster Kimono 

Club L Check Print Bodycon Midi Pencil Skirt 

Go on, tell me your favourites? 

Lorna x

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Summer to Autumn Transitional Skincare

Summer to Autumn seems to have come around so quick... And I hate to say it, but I am quite excited about the weather getting a little colder. I'm looking forward to wrapping up in some wooly knits and sitting in with a cuppa watching a good ol' movie. There's just nothing better in the Winter is there? Okay, I may be getting ahead of myself, corr, next I'll be talking Christmas (I won't, don't worry). But with the weather getting a little colder, it can play a bit of havoc with our skin and so we need to make sure we've got all the bases covered. 

First things first, keep hydrated. I've got dry and dehydrated skin so I've got to make sure I'm on this step 24/7. The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is an all time favourite of mine. I haven't been using it throughout the spring/summer but as soon as the colder weather comes back round again, I know it'll be making appearance after appearance. It's an overnight mask or basically a super hydrating night cream that just smells amazing. If you've not given this one a go, you need to. Just trust me on this... 

Scrub, scrub, scrub... Exfoliating is so important and that's why I've included the Nip + Fab Glycolic Scrub Fix* in this post. The colder weather can make our skin all dry and flaky and this sort of scrub helps with that. It's a lovely scrub, and I really like the effect it has on my skin! 

I've not always be a massive fan of this product, although, I can see why others are so thought it was worth a mention. The Caudalie Beauty Elixir is a perfect 'spritz' to carry around with you to keep your skin hydrated on the go, plus it works well to wake you and your skin up on those colder mornings when leaving bed is just too much... 

Just because it's becoming a little colder, it doesn't mean that the sun has disappeared! Keep on going with the SPF and this one from Balance Me is perfect for your face. The Balance Me Natural Protection Moisturiser SPF25* is a beautiful SPF, it feels like you're applying a moisturiser and that's perfect for all year round. Also, we could still have a few more hot days, right? All hope isn't lost yet... 

Thinking of that sun, I'm now talking a few products that will bring back that summer feeling and remind you of all the summer memories. The Time Bomb Complexion Cocktails* are just perfect for that and I've got the Time Bomb Complexion Cocktail with a shot of B12, the Time Bomb Complexion Cocktail with a shot of Chlorophyll and the Time Bomb Complexion Cocktail with a shot of H2Omega. They all have an area that they target specifically. The B12 is to reboot tired skin, the Chlorophyll is to reboot stressed skin and the H2Omega is to combat dehydration. All perfect products for this temperamental time of year and they smell AMAZING. 

Keep hydrated, stay protected and enjoy what if any warmer weather we are still having. 

What are your top transitional skincare picks? 

Lorna x

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The Dream Base: Primer, Foundation, Concealer & Powder

I used to be a no base kinda gal. A bit of concealer to even the complexion but that'd be it. Everything's changed and I've got myself the base that a girl can only dream of. No dry bits, a super even complexion, this is the base that I've always been looking for... 

Starting with the Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer* to hydrate and even out my skin and of course, make the base last even longer. This primer has a gel texture and it's perfect for my dry and dehydrated skin. I've always found primers make my skin feel weird and leave it with a odd texture, which is the

complete opposite of what it should do but this primer just works perfectly and it's a godsend for us dry skinned girls - this is going to be a dream when the colder weather comes in! 

I then apply the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia*, a beautiful colour match for my uber pale skin with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush from the Core Collection. This foundation is so build-able so if you're looking for a lighter coverage then you can work with a lot less product or if you want a bit more of a higher coverage then that works well too. 

On to Concealer and NARS has got my back on this front too... The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly* is perfect and I honestly don't know how I ever lived without it. It's the perfect creamy concealer (obv) and with this selection of products I don't see it creasing or falling off any time soon. I apply it with the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush and dab it in a bit with my finger and the finish is flawless. 

To set all of that in place, I love using The Body Shop's All-In-One Face Base. This can be used as a base on it's own, but I don't really find there to be much, if any coverage and so I think it works perfectly as a powder to make the base last all day and to just matte it out a little bit. I really like this compact and using it with an Eco Tools brush works really well. 

This base just works so well with me and for my skin type. I honestly can't tell you how happy I am to have found this beautiful dream team... 

What's your Dream Team for your base? 

Lorna x

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