Monday 24 September 2012

Fall Favourites | Make Up

I have previously posted my Fall Nail Favourites edition, so I decided to do a make up version. These products are the ones I already have & will be grabbing for, throughout the chilly months!
As per, the links to each product are in the products title!
Eyes
I am in LOVE with both of these palettes, equal amounts! I use them daily, seperately, or together. They are perfect to create golden, bronze, warm smoky eye looks. I also love to use these, for a wash of shimmery neutral colour over the lids, with pencil pushed into the lashes, for the illusion of thicker lashes, with a few coats of mascara! So many looks you can create!

Again, I use this daily. I'm starting to become more confident with my brows, as they really do frame your face. I believe pruned, structured brows are a must & really set your face off. As I will be opting for some barely there eye looks this Fall/Autumn, a statement (not scouse!) brow, will finish off the look!

If you're too afraid of a natural eye look, then boost the look of your lashes, with a slick of gel liner. Either stick to just close to your lashes, or as I do & have done for the past god knows how many years, apply a flick, thick or thin, depending on your mood or comfort zone. This lasts all day & is so easy to apply!
I like to apply this with my Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush, for a precise line!

This is the absolute mascara to make your lashes pop. One coat does an amazing job to say the least, so you can imagine what two coats can do! I love to pair this mascara with the palettes above, especially a neutral eye & smudged pencil liner! Perfect combination to go with a brown smoky eye! Very Autumnal!

Face
To keep your make up set for the day, smoothing our pores & making your foundation apply a lot better & quicker on those frosty, pitch black mornings, I like to smooth this over my face. If you need extra help to keep your make up in place, then give this a try.

I'm all for a dewy, revitalised looking skin, but in the colder months, I do like a matte finish. I think it gives a great base, to compare to whatever your adding - in my case, shimmery shadows! This has been a firm favourite of mine, before my beloved Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, as you can tell from the minimal amount of product left - boo! This applies so smoothly, making your skin feel so soft! Excellent shade variety, too!

In the warmer months, I have been a big fan of a pink cheek. Something to warm my face up & make me look remotely alive! However, as the colder days are seeping in, this is the perfect excuse to break out this blush! Its a lovely warmer toned pink, that I sometimes like to apply to my lower cheeks, almost a contour.
This will be a perfect accompaniment to my favourite eye looks!

Lips
I really appreciate the precision of this lip liner style lipstick. This would be ideal for travelling, or busy bodies en route, as you just need to quickly line your lips as you fill them in! I got this quite a while ago, in the spring time I believe, although I found the colour too dark for that time of year. Its quite a purple/mauve tone, which will go lovely with a neutral eye, or lashings of mascara!

Alternatively, I would also just use plenty of lip balm, I am currently using Nivea's Soothe & Protect, which has been going for literally years! I'm also using Vaselines Cocoa lip balm, in the stick form. I hate digging my fingers into the tins! This smells so good & coats my lips, to protect them from the elements outside!

So, that's my Fall Favourites for Make Up. Nothing too special. I hate those cold, dark mornings, when you know you need to get up & make yourself look presentable, but it seems too much effort?! Minimal effort for make up is ideal for myself!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if you would like something similar or any other suggestions! I love hearing your thoughts!

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Friday 21 September 2012

NOTW | Essie Very Structured

As Autumn time has come, I decided it was time to co-ordinate my nails with the current season. Finally! My Nails of the Week comes in the form of a brand called Essie! This polish was featured in my Fall Favourites (link). After publishing it, I couldn't wait to paint my nails with this!
Without flash
I picked this up for a lovely £1.99 at my local discounted make up stall. I always pop over for a look if I am near by, to see what little gems they are hiding. I so far have three Essie polishes, paying no more than £1.99 for them. Win, win!

Once I picked this up, I thought to myself I probably wouldn't wear it, but I couldn't pass up this deal. As the time is falling into Autumn, I found an excuse to finally use it. I really love it. The best words to describe the colour, is a burnt sienna. Its a mix between brown & orange. I think this looks really good against my pale skin & the length of my current nails.
With this polish, I only applied one coat, as that's all I really needed. I'm hoping this polish has good staying power, but after doing never ending housework, I don't think there is a polish out there that can withhold that!
With flash
I am really enjoying wearing this shade of colour. The only other brown colour I love wearing & own, is Barry M's Mushroom, which is a gorgeous milk chocolate shade!

You can pick this up here (link).

Have you tried this shade by Essie? What are your thoughts?
Whats your favourite polish for Fall/Autumn time?

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

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Wednesday 19 September 2012

Fall Favourites | Nails

The time has come. The time of the year I have been eagerly waiting for. Autumn! I know its only September, but the cool breeze, subtle crunchy leaves & layers of clothes, have finally confirmed to me its time I can eventually break out my Autumn/Fall polishes!
I'm going to be showing you my top 6 polishes. Initially, this would have been top 5, but I really couldn't miss out the last sparkly polish, sitting at the bottom of my polish storage!
L-R: Rimmel in Black Pearl, Nails Inc in Victoria, Barry M in Mushroom, Essie in Very Structured, Look Nail Pop in Cool Britannia & Deborah Lippmann in Razzle Dazzle!
I love to wear dark, warm colours through the months of Autumn & Winter. This is the time of year my nails feel the most comfortable to embrace these colours! I still have an eye on some shades of polishes I would like, but for my current collection of polishes, these are the ones I will be steering towards!
This has been a firm favourite of mine for a while now. Only, I can only get away with it for nights out, etc. Its a black polish, with the tiniest particles of shimmer, making it more wearable, than a jet black polish. I like to pair this with Barry M Hologram, for a glamorous, fun nail look!

I received this free with a magazine quite a while ago now. Its a very deep plum red, which almost transfers as a black, its so dark. That being said, makes it difficult for me to wear through the sunnier months. I do love this shade, as its so different from the other darker polishes I own.

I actually like to wear this quite a lot, as it is a wearable nude colour. I love how chocolatey this colour looks & find this works perfectly with my nails, when they have some length in them. Creates a neutral manicure!
This is the newest addition to my collection, as well as being the third addition to my Essie collection. Woo! After jumping on the beauty blogging bandwagon, I noticed the Essie polishes for sale fort an oh so lovely £1.99. I could not pass up this deal. As I picked this up, I thought to myself, even if I didn't like it, its a total steal! Saying that, I am so excited to try this, especially as we're coming into Autumn now!

I received this whilst the Queens Jubilee celebrations were in full swing. Its packed full of glitters & shimmers of blue, red & silver, representing the Union Jack's colours. As these colours mix together, the overall colour is quite neutral in my opinion, with the need for just one generous coat. I especially love the fact the red glitters stand out more, perfect for Winter times!

Finally, my favourite. My number one polish! I picked up this little beauty out of my Christmas '11 GlossyBox. Oh, how excited I was! I'm so excited to coat my nails with this gorgeously glittery polish!
I know we're just entering Autumn & his screams Christmas, but for me, I really couldn't miss this one out!

So, that is my Fall Favourites, Nail Polish edition!
I hope you enjoyed this kind of post, I thought it was time to spice up my blog, from just reviews!
Let me know your thoughs below!

What's your favourite polishes for Fall/Autumn time?

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Review | Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment

Today, I have to review for you something you have all heard of in the bloggersphere. Oil. Hair oil that is!
Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment to be precise!
I have recently started to look after my hair more, by styling, deep conditioning, etc. You know the drill!
This will be my third hair oil I own, so its been interesting to use them all & compare what I prefer, what works bets for me, advantages/disadvantages, price, etc.
 Firstly, we'll get onto the packaging. This comes in the form of jazzy lime green accents, with brown background. These colours work really well together, as well as standing out from all the other professional, structured looking bottles on the shelves.
As well as one of my other hair oils, this comes in a small class bottle, as well as being available in 10ml, 30ml & 125ml. Also a 60ml Spray bottle. I imagine this would be great for distributing the product more thoroughly, opposed to pouring the product into you hands, etc.
 I found the formulation & consistency of the product to be quite similar to the other hair oils I have used. A medium formula, that is quite runny, so its easy to pour & distribute. This comes in a light golden colour.
I found this leaves more of a residue on your hands, after applying to your hair. Most of you will be thinking, well naturally, as it is a hair oil! Duh! But as I said earlier, in comparison to my others, this leaves more. This doesn't have too much of a scent, very subtle & natural, which is quite nice to use.

What I was pleased to hear, is that you can add this oil as an enhancement, into your own hair conditioners, to create a more intensive condition for your hair. You can also apply this before colouring your hair, to improve responsiveness & the ability to absorb. As well as adding the oil into your hair colouring mixture, to enhance colour shine, depth of colour & feel.
I like to apply this to the tips of my hair, working my way up, applying lightly to my ears, just to smooth away any fly aways, knots, etc, before blow drying. I pour this carefully into the palm of my hand, rub my hand together, to warm up the product, then begin to smooth it through my hair, concentrating on the end, & distributing the remainder of the product on my hands, further up my hair, to my ears. I don't like to apply this higher, as I do hair fairly fine, light hair, so I like to try & keep it lightweight as possible from the roots. Once applied, I blow dry as usual.

This makes my hair feel so soft & smooth. I know many of you have probably heard this a million times, but for my hair, it makes it feel manageable, silky & what a hairdresser can normally only achieve!
The only con for me personally, is that it does leave a more oily residue onto my hands, so I do have to have a towel dry them before continuing styling. This may not be anything to some people, but its always worth mentioning pros & cons!

I have yet to try the Deep Repair Masque, as I am waiting until my hair is in dire need of it. I do find I like to use these treatments, when my hair has took a good fry from my straighteners, or from pulling away with them, to create curls! I feel as though this instantly revives the appearance & feel.
I wouldn't say these products fix your hair, as fair as snapped hair & dead ends are concerned. I visit your salon is the only solution to that problem, although this can help the appearance!

Expect a review on the Deep Repair Masque to come soon!

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment (link).

Have you tried the Healing Oil Treatment?
What are your thoughts? If you would like to see a hair oil comparison, let me know!

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Soap & Glory | Mini's & Birthday Gift!

I cannot resist a good old 3 for 2 offer at Boots, especially when it applies to Soap & Glory products. I'm a big fan of picking up their mini travel sizes products, as this gives me a chance to try hem out, before I buy the full size. This also gives me the opportunity to try lots of things at once, without being stuck with huge amounts of products!

I picked up three of these products myself & receive the fourth as a birthday gift.
My bathroom & bedroom is slowly filling up with pink, resembling a pink princesses room with all of these!
I have been wanting a hand gel for a while, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to pick one up. I love how dainty the bottle is, perfect to fit in my bag, or keep on your bedside table, etc. This will come in so handy, when I return to college!

This is described to be fresh, fruity, floral scented - In would totally agree. It sounds as though it would be overly sweet & womanly, truth being, this smells just as Soap & Glory as the next product, with faint hints of fruits & floral. I use this, whenever my hand are feeling a bit.. urgh. I'm really enjoying using this, & the packaging makes it look so much more attractive to pull this out of your handbag!

I was slightly disappointed by this, which made my heart sink. I love all of the products I have so far used, just this one didn't click with me. Damn. I found this wouldn't really lather.. or anything.
Its recommended to apply to slightly damp skin, which I find a bit of a pain, having to wait to air dry/towel dry whilst in the tub/shower, when usually you can be soaking wet to activated lather!

I will continue to try & work through this. I'm happy I have had the chance to try it for myself. The scent is as Soap & Glory would smell like, scented with Mist You Madly's notes of bergamot, blackcurrant, magnolia, freesia, vanilla & musk, with built in moisturising matrix (oo-er!).

I remember a while ago, everyone going wild about this product, being a holy grail, etc. As far as body butters go, I am quite content with my The Body Shop butters, always have, always will.
I have never thought to myself to rush out & pick this up, as it takes me long enough to get through body products as it is (currently working through 3 large tubs & 2 small tubs of TBS Body Butters!).

This has a really creamy, thick, luxurious texture, which I quite like, as I generally apply mine after a bath at night, so they can sink in all night. I'm not a fan of applying things in the morning/throughout the day. Just me?
This body butter holds the aroma's of leafy greens, bergamot & mandarin, followed by musk, oakmoss, amber & woody notes. Beautiful!
This is my very lovely mother bought me for my birthday, after I told her how much I love Soap & Glory - I am presuming, anyway! I didn't know Soap & Glory offered a Bubble Bath, so this was a lovely surprise for me - bonus points to you, Mam!

I love the fact that this has a body lotion built in to the formula, so if you're lazy like me, sometimes, then you can skip the time consuming lotions & potions after your bath!
I was unsure whether this would bubble up, like a good old Radox. This certainly does! Its the most perfect bubble bath I could dream of. I love my Soap & Glory baths, surrounded my pink, retro packaging - which makes interesting reads, floating in bergamot, strawberries & mandarin, musk, amber & warm vanilla scents!

So, all in all, I love all of my S&G products, with a few exceptions, that I am determined to work through!

What are your favourite Soap & Glory products?
Do you like these kind of posts?

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Sunday 9 September 2012

NOTW | Essie in Navigate Her

This is the second Essie polish I have picked up, again for £1.99! As the shades are quite limited, where I pick these up from, I thought you can't really complain at the polishes for £5.99 cheaper than the original price! I still cannot justify paying £7.99 for a polish, unless it was a TO DIE FOR shade!
Anyway, the shade I have to show you today, is Navigate Her. This is from the Essie Spring Collection, but non the less, I actually love it. In the bottle, I was really unsure about how it would love, but on the nails - with one coat may I add, it is a lovely pastel pea green, in my opinion! Even though this is for spring, I intend to wear this throughout autumn, before I whip out my red glitters for winter!
I really enjoy using these polishes, as they only require one coat for a decent looking manicure, perfect if you're in a mad rush. I usually tend to apply two coats of polish, although I found this didn't really need two.
I also have found these are quite fast drying. I didn't have to startfish my fingers throughout painting my nails & the drying process. I could easily get on with what I needed to do, not long after painting my nails.

I believe this is discontinued from Essie's line, as its not on the Boots website, although I can probably see why, as it was a season collection. I have found this on eBay for you, if you would like to pick this up yourself.

eBay - £6.99 (£1 cheaper than Boots!) (link)

Have you tried this shade?
What is your favourite Essie shade?

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Friday 7 September 2012

Rimmel London | Kate Moss Matte Autumn Collectio Lipstick

I recently heard of Kate Moss launching her second collection for Rimmel London. This will consist of five shades, ranging from red, burgundy, pink & nude. There is something that will be sure to suit everyone.

This will be the first matte lipstick I own, which will be perfect for autumn/winter. Something special about these lipsticks, is they also contain Ruby Powder, which is meant to provide a more intense colour hit.
I wish I got the chance to check out the collection for myself, so I could swatch them all, unfortunately, I couldn't, so I did the next best thing..
As the collection is yet to be launched on 3rd October, their Facebook Page are giving their fans an exclusive opportunity to purchase the lipsticks in this collection early! I jumped at this opportunity & picked up the colour I wanted most, which is Shade 113, purely because its a pinky nude, which is something I have been trying to find left, right & centre, without forking out on a high end lipstick.

The shade is a peachy nude, which is a new shade for me!
As its a matte finish, I found I had to exfoliate my lips, just so the lipstick had a better base to apply to. Even though the formulation is a matte one, the consistency is fairly creamy, which makes it a dream to apply, without dragging your lips. The staying power is quite strong, which makes it convenient for busy bodies!
What is also amazing about the FB offer, is apart from the fact that they are free delivery, you will also receive a free nail polish. I'm unsure as to whether this applies to all orders, but make sure to check it out!

Have you checked out Kate Moss's new Matte Lipstick Collection for Rimmel?
What are your thoughts?

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Review | Real Techniques Fine Liner brush

I recently had some birthday money to spend. I knew I wanted to spend it on some things that would be worth it, as well as things I desperately needed. As I contemplated whether to pick up some face brushes, I settled for a brush I knew In definitely needed!
I really did want the Buffing Brush, I just would have preferred if it came singularly, rather than in a set, that I will probably not use the rest! At least I came away with a brush, so I can determine my thoughts!
I have been wanting a good eyeliner brush, specifically for my Maybeline Gel Eyeliner. I love the product itself, just the free mini brush that comes with it, lets it down. I watch countless amounts of make up tutorials, as well as the Pixiwoo girls & Sam's Real Techniques tutorials, of course!. They all include fine brushes to create a winged line - which is my signature look. Finally, I have a brush I can actually work with!

If you are completely i=unaware of what I am babbling on about, where have you been?!
I am showing you the Real Technques Fine Liner Brush developed by Makeup Artist and Beauty Blogger Sam Chapman.
Boots sold ever other brush in the collection, apart from this Fine Liner Brush. I really wanted to pick this up on the day, although it was just never going to happen, so I ordered it from Amazon. After a few days of patiently waiting at the front door each morning, it finally arrived! Woo!
After reading the packaging, I was pleasantly surprised to read that the brush is suitable to use with liquid eye liner. In probably won't use this with that, although it is great to have the option there! The brush arrived very securely in the Real Techniques packaging, with advice on the reverse, explaining the online tutorials that are specifically created for each brush & explain how to use. This is a great concept, if you are just getting into make up, or you have just came across the brand.

Real Techniques have already made me feel comfortable with their products, as I can use their online tutorials, if I feel lost with what I have bought, I can be talked through how to use this, to the best of my ability.
The brush itself is very fine. In the image above, this doesn't look the case. Once you've coated the Taklon bristles with your liner of choice, they will bind together to a pixel point, allowing you to create a fine line, close to your lash line, to create an illusion of fuller lashes, or you can create a thick, winged liner flick.

The brush has a long handle stem, so you can hold the brush quite close to the brush itself, you hold it further away, depending on how comfortable the brush sits with your hand.

Below, I took some photos of different eyeliner looks, from a simple eyeliner flick, creating a more dramatic look..
As you can see, the brush is capable of achieving a subtle, delicate click of gel liner, to something quite dark & bold! I personally only wear just a bold flick, like the second image, although its been great fun experimenting with what the brush can do! For this review, I used Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner, which I have found to be an amazing liner for a drugstore product!

RT Finer Liner Brush (link).
Maybelline Eye Studio Lasgting Drama Gel Liner (link).

Do you own the Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush?
What are your thoughts upon this review?

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Monday 3 September 2012

August Favourites!

This is my first ever monthly favourite post! I don't know why I haven't done one before, but I realised I have been using a few different things this month than usual, so I thought I would share them with you!
I have recently reviewed these products. I didn't know whether I would initially use them as much as I though, although I have fallen in love with these two powders & use them daily! So pigmented & affordable!
I have had this for god knows how long! I have just bought a Real Techniques Liner Brush (review to come!) to use with this, as I am not fond of the little brush that comes with this. As a gel liner, its great. Not too pricey, easy to apply, long lasting. The list could go on!
I use the top left shimmery shade as a lid colour, for days when I just want a simple eye look. I also blend the top third colour across the outer corner of my eye. I have been wearing this look all summer, with the gel liner, for a quick eye look, that lasts. This goes perfect with the blush out of my FashionistA palette!
Primark Donut Hair Bun
I always wondered what these were for, & always assumed they were for old people. Don't ask! Once I clicked on as to what these were actually for, I immediately picked one up for £1. If I couldn't get on with it, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I have been wearing this quite often recently, for the first time in years!
Dove Visible Effects Nourishing Body Lotion
I have had this since Christmas, but as I always have a stockpile of body products to get through, I sometimes neglect the simplest ones. This feels as though it is moisturising your skin so well. It feels as powerful the next day, as it did when you apply it, so if you're someone who doesn't mpoisturise oftenj, this is perfect & longlasting!

I currently have 3 hand creams on the go. This one sits on my bedside table, so I reach for this the most. I find this sinks into your skin quite quickly, meaning you don't need to waft your hands around until they are dry! It is more moisturising than my others, so I prefer this as a nightime hand cream.

I bought this from a discounted shop a while ago. I had completely neglected this, until I did a tidy of all my products. As I have quite oily skin, this is great to try & combat that, before applying my make up. I have really enjoyed using this in the warmer weeks!


For anyone that knows me, knows I have very fair brows. I have been so happy to experiment with this palette. I initially started to use the shade on the top left, as it is lighter, which in theory would suit my hair & blend better. This wasn't the case. It just made my brows look an unnatural shade. I then opted to tyr the top right darker shade. This is more for brunettes, but I use this sparingly & it works a treat!

So, these have been  the products I have been reaching for the most through August. Nothing special, but things that have been keeping me going. I like to try & mix up all my products, so I can bget through them all. This is quite a challenge, but its so nice to redisciver old favourites!

Would you like to see more monthly favourites?

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx