Sunday 30 June 2013

Goodbye Google Reader, Hello Bloglovin..

So, since we all know Google Reader is disappearing tomorrow #sob, we have all converted to Bloglovin, whether we wanted to or not! I'm still adjusting to the change. I personally prefer Google Reader, but it's a hard life..

Anywho, just a quick post to remind you lovely lot, that you can come follow me on Bloglovin here: http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3547303/luceeloves.

There is some really great step by steps on their homepage, to convert all of your beloved blogs to Bloglovin. How easy!

So, I hope to see you all over there!

Monday 24 June 2013

Nude Nails

I know it's summer, and I am probably breaking all of the rules, by reviewing non-bright, summery shades, as I have been attending a lot of interviews and such lately, I though this was an opportunity to share my favourite nude polishes. I have just received a conditional offer for an apprenticeship within the NHS for Business Admin, which is very exciting. I am looking forward to the prospect of a career, within such a recognised company! One thing that gives me a boost of confidence and just finishes off a look, is to have manicured, polished nails. I think its an important touch, even if you're the only one to notice them! As much as I love my brights at the mo, I don't think they would have been particularly appropriate for a business position interview. I always opt for a nude polish, I think it looks so classic and mature. I have a few favourites, which regularly feature on my nails, post interviews!
 
Ciate Cookies and Cream is my newest addition to my polish collection, as I am sure it is to many other bloggers, too! This came in a set, along with the caviar, which I have yet to try, but the polish has already set the bar high! This is also my first Ciate polish, so it's been interesting trying different formulations and brushes, apart from my beloved Essie's! Cookies and Cream is a perfect name to describe.. It's a milky nude, which really just neutralises your nails, giving them a preened look. This is something I would actually recommend for weddings, or if you're not allowed to wear bold polish in the work force, although you like your nails to look done.
 
Models Own Nude Beige is one of my favourites. This is a warmer nude shade, but still very demure. Once I came across this shade, I was besotted. To me, this reminds me of milky milk chocolate. This is a bit more noticeable than the previous polish, although it instantly gives your nails a look that you would expect from the salon. I have had many compliments of this shade, as it is a signature nude. I only have two Models Own polishes, although I do highly rate them, especially for £5 each!
 
Essie Neo Whimsical has recently featured in my Discounted Essie Collection. It has to be one of my favourite polish at the moment, whether I am attending interviews or not. This regularly features on my nails, and everyone loves it when they see it. In the bottle, it is an unusual shade, which is why I picked it up. I don't own anything remotely similar. It is a nude in my eyes. Although, it has a soft pink/lilac hue. Only in particular lighting, or on whoever is looking at it. I reach for this in a heartbeat!
 
Barry M Mushroom This is an old, old favourite of mine. I used to be obsessed with Barry M polishes. They have an extensive range of colours and textures, at an affordable price. Mushroom is the darkest nude tone of the lot, a dark milk chocolate shade. This was my first favourite nude, before I discovered Models Own Nude Beige, and so on.  Barry M polishes apply so thickly, so one coat does the job, and they wear great. Again, the finish on this polish looks like you've walked straight out of a salon!
 
So, these have been my latest favourite nude nail polishes, especially for interviews. I always feel the most elegant and grown up with a classic nude lacquer applied to my nails!
 
PS. Wish my luck for the apprenticeship!
 
What is your favourite nude polish?
 
LuceeLoves
 
xxx


Thursday 20 June 2013

SXUC Bruno White Sunglasses

Since trialling contact lenses, after wearing glasses since I was young, I finally took the opportunity to try some sunglasses, and feel like everyone else in the summer! Today, I have to show you some gorgeous sunglasses, which have a unique twist on Ray Ban Wayfarer's, at a fraction of the price.
 
The Sunglasses Shop are an online store, who is the largest in the UK. They aim to deliver top quality products, at affordable prices, which is great to keep up to date with trends. The Sunglasses Shop also stock a range of Designer and Luxury glasses, such as Ray Ban's, Gucci, Prada, Dior and more. Another great and convenient feature their services cater for, is spectacle wearers. You can order Prescription Lenses on a wide range of frames, which is a great option and change from the usual prescription frames.
 
The model of sunglasses I have, are the SXUC Bruno Sunglasses in White. They consist of hard wearing plastic frame, white on the top rim, along with the legs of the glasses. The bottom of the frame is a clear plastic, which I think looks so cool and individual. Out of the many models, colours and frames, these caught my eye the most, as I haven't seen any similar before. I originally was torn between the black frame and the white, but I found as I have blonde hair, and I am fairly fair, the white would compliment me better, especially in the summer! I think this frame would also look beautiful against a tan, which would make them really pop and stand out!
These frames also block UVA and UVB rays, and offer UV400 protection, UV protection upto 100%.

These sunglasses came within a few days of ordering and arrived very securely within a cardboard box, and then wrapped within a plastic bag. This is a great feature to their products, as you're safe in the knowledge that your purchase will arrive safely. One thing to note about these sunglasses, is that they do not come with a glasses case, although as the sunglasses are an affordable £20.00, for such a statement frame, you can't really complain. I have found the frames to be very durable and strong, which many affordable sunglasses snap easily.

SXUC offer a range of different styles, such as a classic aviator, sporting sunglasses, full frames and more, starting at £10. There is bound to be a frame or two that will suit everyone, at such an affordable price.

What is your favourite style of sunglasses?

LuceeLoves

xxx

Bleached Denim & Neon Pink Converse | OFFICE SALE!

Just a quick update to let you know OFFICE is currently holding some massive sales on their shoes and trainers, from Jeffrey Campbell's, Vans, Converse, Blazers, Fred Perry and more! You can catch the sales in store, or you can guarantee whether they have your size, by ordering online.
 
I have been desperate for a pair on Converse lately, especially for the summer. I spotted these amazing Bleached Denim and Neon Pink Converse online, and luckily caught my size in store! They look gorgeous, especially with the neon pink running through the sole of the shoe! If you are an even bigger lover of all things bright, they also include some neon pink laces. I purchased mine for £30, from £52.99, which I am so happy with!
 
If you pick anything up in their sale, let me know what you got or tag me on Instagram - @LuceeLoves! :)

LuceeLoves
 
xxx

Wednesday 12 June 2013

My Discounted Essie Nail Polish Collection

I have been a huge lover of Essie polishes for a while now. Everything I look for in a polish, Essie caters for. Now, I myself, can't justify paying £7+ for a nail polish. My purse strings wouldn't let me, unfortunately. However, I have luckily came across some local stalls that will feed me my addiction, at a fraction of the price. A mere £1.99! I know many online retailers sell discounted Essie polishes, which are only discounted as they are out of season! They include Fragrance Direct and Xtras. I am so impatient when it comes to any online shopping, so I am super grateful I can get many of the shades of these sites, in my hand the same day. There has been a few shades I am not particularly keen on, but for the price of an Essie nail polish, I really cannot say no.
 
I have so far accumulated 9 shades, which I was quite surprised about. I really would like a lovely nail polish rack to display these in, as I have started to expand my little collection! Some things I would like to point out, is each polish has it's pros and cons, which I will review. There is one shade I have yet to try, and I think I am going to pair it with L'Oreal's Confetti Top Coat, to break the colour up a bit. I also own one polish, with which I believe is their older brush. The rest have the signature flat, rounded brush. So, onto the shades!
 

Sugar Daddy
This is the very first Essie polish I ever bought. I was so excited to find an Essie polish, I didn't even care of the shade! Sugar Daddy is a very sheer pink shade. Ideal to use as a French manicure, or if your nails need to look polished, but you aren't a fan of colour. This does take up to 3-4 thin coats to have an opaque result, although if that's what you're looking for, I would suggest seeking another formula out of their range, with a similar colour.
 
Neo Whimsical
Now, without a doubt, this is my favourite all time shade. I have actually worn this numerous times, and had lovely compliments on it. I rarely reapply the same shade so soon after wearing it, but I adore this. In the bottle, it looks like a very muted nude. Almost a white with a touch of nude. On your nails, it transforms into something else. It's almost a muted pink, lavender in certain lights. A very difficult shade to describe, although I love to wear this for a professional look, something demure. The formulation is lovely to work with. Two thin coats and you're good to go.
 
We're In It Together
This is a shade I knew I didn't really need, but I had all the other shades in stock, and I was craving a new one. This is a light pink, with a pearlescent finish, with blues and purples running through it. As beautiful as it looks in the bottle, this does not transfer onto the nails very well. This requires 2-3 thin coats for an opaque finish.
 
Off The Shoulder
This has to be my second favourite and first favourite for summer colour! It's a gorgeous girly pink, with no shimmer. I have worn this a few times and I am in love with every application. The formulation of this one is thicker than the rest, so you can get away with one good coat, or again 2 thin coats.
 
Bikini So Teeny
It wasn't until after I purchased this, I seen online swatches as it floated around my blog reader. This is a light blue/lilac in certain lights, with the finely milled shimmer running through, in silver. However on me, this shimmer does not transfer, which I don't really find as the shade is so pretty, soft and pastel like. This polishes formulation is similar to the one above.
 
Navigate Her
I believe this is another one of the first ones I picked up, and not my favourite. I was obsessed with the fact I could get Essie, so I wanted every shade the stall had available. This is a pale green. An odd shade at that. I have worn it possibly twice. Application wise, this is the poor of the lot, in my opinion, It's a very thin formula, although does apply opaque with one application. It's one of those that shows your ridges in your nails, if you haven't used a filler prior.
 
Mojito Madness
I have yet to try this one. I have had it for a few months now. I'm not particularly keen on the shade in the bottle, however, I have seen swatches online, and it doesn't look terrible. This is a good colour to have if you like nail art. This is the shade I believe I will air with the confetti top coat, to give it some dimension. It does look perfect for summer, though!
 
Orange, It's Obvious
At the time of purchasing this, the stall hadn't restocked in a while, and they had this shade and some I already owned, available. I thought I may as well pick it up and I might be able to find a use for it. In the bottle, it is super orange, like neon orange. This is what scared me slightly. However, with the little burst of summer we had, I broke it out. It's not actually that bright on the nail, so it's bright and wearable for summer. I imagine with a white base, this would really pop!
 
Very Structured
Finally, my least favourite. A poor one to end the post on. This was one of the first I purchased, around last autumn. The shade seemed appropriate. It's like a burnt orange/brown shade? Again, difficult to describe. I don' believe this is the most flattering shade, and probably only suitable for autumn or nail art. I have the old brush in this polish, which is just a straight and thin brush. I struggle to create a neat finish, as the newer brushes have a flat, rounder brush, which makes it perfect to curve around the cuticles.
 
So, that is my lengthy blog post on my current Essie collection. I do love some of their current summer shades. With my experience with their discontinued polishes, if the shade is perfect for me and the formulation is what I like, I probably would purchase one full price, as I do reach for these every time I paint my nails. We shall see!
 
At the moment, Fragrance Direct are selling a few of the shades I have reviewed here (link).
If you're interested in seeing swatches, let me know. You can also check out my Instagram: @LuceeLoves, as I swatch on their as soon as I have painted my nails!
 
What is your favourite Essie shade?
 
Lucee Loves.
 
xxx

Friday 7 June 2013

Maxi Maxi Maxi

If you are following me on Instagram (@LuceeLoves - Come say hi!), I have been on a stressful hunt for a maxi dress/skirt. I hate the thought of wearing black tights in the summer and I can't bear to bare my legs - I have this paranoia in my head that I have overly large legs, even though curvy women can embrace theirs. Sob. Anyway, my way around this, to make me feel comfortable and confident, is to wear a breathable maxi. I can easily pull up to let the sun shine amongst them, without feeling 'too out there'!
I have mainly been eyeing up Primark. Good old Primark, eh! Firstly, I have a bottom heavy hourglass figure, so I suit skater skirts the most. I found some maxi skirts drape from my widest part of the hip, creating the illusion of a tent. Once I overcame this, I tried on a dress. I like this one shown, but it hung in all the wrong places - basically my bum.
All in all, I opted for the maxi dress and a longer roomy crop top. This gives me confidence, keeps me feeling cool and comfortable, as well as having a sneaky peek at my smallest part, my waist. I'm really happy with the final outfit choices, and this 'window shopping' gave me the opportunity to self teach how to dress myself and my figure.

This was a rambly post, but it is to prove that changing rooms are there for a reason and you don't know until you try!

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Hello, I am back!

I've had a fab night tonight, at the #bbloggers chat! I thought I would create a little post to say thank you for all the recommendations I received and a hello to the new people I have met tonight!
 
I have been quiet on the blogosphere lately, but I have still been madly in love with all things beauty, especially my current nails! Iam currently sporting Essie's Orange, Isn't It Obvious, with some cute and bright eBay fruits. I never do a pedi, but I wanted to wear my new sandals and wear my new L'Oreal Confetti Top Coat I won. I will do a more in depth post on that soon!
Thanks for stopping by my blog, and a HUGE thank you for tonights #bbloggers chat!
 
LuceeLovesBeautyBox.
 
xxx