Clinique Free Mascara Offer!

Hi everyone,

Hope you're all well.

So thought I'd just let you know about a little promotion that Debenhams/Clinique have on at the moment. Basically, if you take in an old/used up/disgusting/any brand mascara into the Clinique counter at your local Debenhams you will receive a new sample size (5ml so not bad) mascara for FREE!!

As soon as I heard about this promotion I raced into town to get mine (as I hear they run out fast!) and got the Clinique High Lengths Mascara in exchange for my rubbish £1 drug store one I've had forever and never used!! So I asked the nice lady if I could have the Clinique High Impact Mascara as well (as you can choose between the two) and was told that it was only one per customer - booooooo!!

Now, I'm not one to give up easily so I persuaded my (long suffering) husband to go in armed with another of my old mascaras and get me the High Impact one and he did!! He is such a sweetie and was very good about it even though the ladies in Debenhams laughed at him (muchos brownie points for him from me!!).

Anyway to top off quite a good day already (what's not to love about two free mascaras???), my lovely husband came out of Debenhams with a bag with something in it.... So me, being me, needed to know immediately what was in it and he'd only gone and treated me to a big bottle of Clinique Happy Heart perfume!! What an absolute darling!!

It smells absolutely gorgeous. I am rubbish at describing scents so next time you're near a Clinique counter I recommend you have a sniff of it, it's just lovely. I'm wearing it now and it's just divine!

Anyway, I think the Clinique offer is on until 20th May (but don't quote me on it!!), so get yourselves down there!!

Lotsa love

Lullahblog xx

5 Deadly Terms

Just came across this on Facebook and it really made me smile as it is so true - just had to share!!!

Lullahblog xx

My Current Beauty Favourites

Hi everyone,

Ok, so I thought I would do a favourites post. These products are ones that I have loved for a few months now and have been using non-stop so it's not a late April favourites or an early May favourites post, it's just a general stuff I've been loving post.

Anyway, I'll get on with it!

Mac Zoomlash Mascara in 'Plushblack' - £14.00

I had heard a lot of hype about this mascara from other beauty bloggers/Youtube gurus etc so I thought I'd bite the bullet and try it for myself and I'm glad I did. I LOVE this mascara and have used it every single day since I bought it. It makes my lashes look so long and it is really black, it's gorgeous. It doesn't tend to clump and if you do a couple of coats it just looks amazing. I use it on my bottom lashes as well and they look super long when I have this on!

I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a beginner and wants to start investing in higher end make-up and doesn't know where to start. This is a basic staple that I will re-purchase again and again.

Vie at Home Creme Blush in 'Rose Blush'

This was the first creme blush that I ever bought and I got it on a whim while at my friend's Vie at Home party and it sat in my make-up storage for months until I came across it again while sorting through my make up and thought I'd give it a try. Now, please excuse mine as it looks dirty - I have used it a LOT!! - and it looks funny because I have been dipping my stippling brush in it which seems to be the best way to apply it.

It goes on reasonable lightly if you're not too bullish with it and you can build it up to a nice rosy glow. It lasts all day on me and it's just lovely.

The downside to this is that Vie at Home have recently gone into administration (booo as I really like some of their products) so once I've used this up it's gone forever! I couldn't even get you a price as the website has now been taken down but I think it was around £7-£10.

I actually really like creme blushes after using this so I have just ordered Mac Creme Blush in 'Movie Star Red' which is a much more daring colour so can't wait to try that when it arrives. I may even do a review for you, watch this space!!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in '51' - £9.99

I was recommended this foundation by a couple of the beauty gurus on Twitter and decided that seeing as Boots had a 3for2 offer on at the time, that I'd try it out and it has changed my life!! I absolutely love this foundation. It couldn't have come at a better time either as I had just run out of my Mac Studio Fix Fluid and I was looking for something cheaper to have as a back up for days when SFF is just a bit too heavy and this is it. It goes on really well with a stippling brush and can be built to a pretty full coverage.

I look airbrushed when I have this on (according to one of my friend's who couldn't believe it how it made my skin look!). It lasts all day on me, oh - and it smells gorgeous as well which is a bit random for a foundation but there you go!! As you can see from the picture I've used just under half of mine and I will be buying a back-up next time I'm out shopping. I also have the matching concealer which I have been using a lot recently as well, it's one of the only concealers I've found that hides under eye circles really well. I've been using that along with Mac Select Moisturecover which is also amazing (I should have added those two products to this favourites post but I completely forgot about concealers - sorry guys! - I'll probably add them to my next one as I'm sure I'll still be using them then, they're that good!).

Rush out and buy it everyone - I insist!! Ha ha!!

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Perfume

Now that we're (apparently) getting into the warmer season, I wanted a perfume that isn't too heavy and is nice and fresh and spring smelling (if that makes sense??) well this is it! It smells so gorgeous, it reminds me of picnics on the beach and summer fun (I live at the seaside - yay!). I'm not too sure on the price for this, I have the big 100ml bottle which I got for Christmas but they sell it online or in most stores, Boots sell it I'm pretty sure.

I like to mix it up as the seasons change, I would go for something heavier over the winter months and this has definitely brightened up this cold spring for me and I'm sure I'll be using it into the summer months as well.

So I hope you all enjoyed reading about my favourite products and I shall be posting again soon. As ever, if there's anything you'd like me to write about or review etc, just let me know.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!!

Lotsa love

Lullahblog xx

Review: Bourjois Bronzing Powder

Hi everyone,

Hope you're all well.

Here is my review on the Bourjois Bronzing Powder (Delice de Poudre) - £4.99 for 16g

 

Now, I've been putting off writing this review for ages as I've tried so so hard to get on with this product and I just can't. A good friend of mine has used this for years and loves it so I thought I'd give it a go.

So the reason I've tried so hard to like it is because it should be amazing. The packaging is lovely, I love the chocolate box feel to it, it smells divine etc but it just does not show up on my skin. I've tried applying it dry, dampening my brush, layering - anything I could think of and it just does not show up on me. Now I am very pale skinned so I can't work out why I can't get it right! I don't know how darker skinned people get along with it when it doesn't show up on my porcelain skin!! In fact, if you are darker skinned and you love this product, then please do let me know because I really do want to love it!!

I do get a bit of shimmer from this product, but it's a bronzer not a shimmer brick so it's not really doing what I want it to!

I hate giving bad reviews on products but I'll always be honest and say exactly what I think of a product and this one ain't good!!

Anyway, let me know your thoughts on this product, I'd love to compare experiences.

Take care all.

Lotsa love

Lullahblog x

Skincare Routine

Hello everyone,

Hope you're all well.

In my original post, I did promise to show you some of the skincare products I have been using recently so, here goes!

My night time routine is certainly more 'intense' than my morning routine, so I'll take you through that.

First I start off with my eyes. At the moment I'm using Simple 'Kind to Eyes' Eye Make-Up Remover (£3.30 for 125ml), just on a cotton pad and to be honest, I'm probably going to use this up and then move on to something else as it's not brilliant. It takes a few goes to get all my mascara off and the eye make up remover I was using before this (L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make-up Remover) got it all off in one, I may have to revert back to that one as it was fab (couldn't resist trying something new!!).

And on to the face...

Since I was a teenager I have always used Johnson's Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing lotion for sensitive skin but I never really liked the tingly/burny feeling it left my skin with. So I decided I'd try the new Clean & Clear Morning Energy Shine Control Daily Facial Lotion (£2.85 for 200ml) instead and what a difference. It smells better, it takes all of my foundation off with no residue the next morning, it doesn't burn and it leaves your face feeling so so clean. It's actually cleared up my spots as well as despite how strong the Deep Cleansing Lotion was it actually didn't do that much in the way of spot treatment. Anyway, I use this on a cotton pad and just gently wipe all the foundation etc off my face and repeat until the cotton pad comes away clean (usually takes about 3 cotton pads - not bad really).

At this point, I use a Witch Hazel (£2.89 for 10g) stick on my spots, just for an added treatment.

Then I spray some Lush Tea Tree Water (£7.00 for 250g) either on a cotton pad or onto my fingers tips and just go over my face with it. This toner is absolutely amazing, it's tea tree, grapefruit and juniper and it says on the bottle:

"Use on cotton wool to remove excess cleanser and refresh the skin"

And it does just that, after using this my skin feels and smells like I've just come out of a spa - even my husband loves it (he just saw me typing this and I have the bottle on the desk in front of me and he wanted a spray on his face - ha ha!!).

Finally, I moisturise with Lush Vanishing Cream (£16.75 for 45g) which is a really light, quite runny moisturiser that contains rose, lavender and witch hazel - so again should keep the spots at bay!! It's really luxurious and soaks in really quickly and again when you've used it you feel like you've had a spa treatment. I really recommend it. My skin feels really soft and nourished after I've used it. Gorgeous! It says on the bottle:

" Light easily absorbed cream with minimal oil content. Helps acne-prone, oily skin and T-zone problems".

I usually do all the above sat in bed on a night and finish off with Soap and Glory's Hand Food (£5.00 for 125ml) on my hands and forearms. I have a little trouble with hand creams as I really hate that greasy feeling they leave on your hands afterwards. It took me a while but I finally found Hand Food - it leaves your hands feeling so soft and no greasy residue either - bonus!!

And that's me done and ready for bed, all cleansed, toned and moisturised!! I know that most of the products I use are for spot control and I actually have really good skin, I don't get a lot of spots. So the reason I use these is just because I wear quite a lot of make-up (I don't pile it on but I wear foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush etc) so I use the products for preventative reasons really - I don't want to take the risk of break outs!!

In the mornings, I usually wash my face in the shower with the face wash that matched the Clean & Clear Facial Lotion then use the same toner and moisturiser and I'm on my way!

Hope you enjoyed the above, let me know if you have any recommendations.

Lotsa love

Lullahblog xx

NOTD: Red Glitter Nails!!

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd share with you my NOTD. I've gone for Barry M 262 nail varnish which is basically just a true red, then I've topped it off with.... drum roll.... Barry M's 150 Red Glitter on the top.

Now, if you've read my previous post on Barry M Cherry Glitter lip gloss, you'll know what's coming!

This nail varnish is the sparkliest, most gorgeous thing I have ever seen. It's true Ruby Slippers sparkly red. It's amazing. In fact, stop reading this and go and buy it immediately, it's that gorgeous!! No way are the pics going to do it justice but here you are anyway...

You can kind of see the sparkle a bit better on the second pic, but definitely doesn't do it justice.

Please remember that I do have a red nail varnish on underneath this sparkly top coat. You do get some colour from the glitter polish it'self but it just wasn't quite enough for me on it's own, so I went back and started again with the red base coat just for an extra bit of ooomph!

Now, this sparkly nail varnish is also available in blue and green but just couldn't resist the red. They cost £2.99 which is an absolute bargain. I love Barry M so much because it's really nice and good quality and costs so little, you can't go wrong!!

The only negative (and this is the case for every glitter nail varnish I have tried), it is a nightmare to remove. Even now, I'm dreading having to take it off cos I just know the cotton wool will stick to it etc etc. But that's the price I have decided to pay for these amazing sparkly nails!!

If anyone knows of a way to remove glitter nail varnish in a nice easy way, PLEASE let me know!!

Hope you've enjoyed this post, see you next time...

Lotsa love

Lullahblog xx

Review: Barry M Lip Gloss - Cherry Glitter

Hi everyone,

So I first saw this lip gloss on a You Tube video posted by SWalkermakeup (swalkermakeup.blogspot.co.uk) - thank you Sara! - and instantly ran out to buy it. It's everything a girl could ever want in a lip gloss, tonnes of sparkle, stays on for AGES and actually gives your lips a really nice not too intense red colour as well. And did I mention that it smells like Cherry Drops? Ah-maz-ing!!

I absolutely adore this lip gloss and have worn it quite a lot. I don't tend to wear it for work as red is a bit too 'jazzy' for that but I do wear it otherwise. 

Hopefully you can see from the picture below just how super sparkly it is.

It reminds me a bit of Dorothy's ruby slippers in Wizard of Oz - it's that sparkly! I also bought the matching nail varnish which I will post on separately as a NOTD post (hopefully tonight).

I got mine from Superdrug (Boots didn't have it which I thought was odd) and it was £4.49 (although I got it on a 3for2 I think).

Please note, the above picture isn't mine, I 'borrowed' it from the internet as my camera is not playing nice today!

Take care everyone!

Lotsa love

Lullahblog xx