Urban Decay | Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette | Review & Swatches

I was so lucky this birthday, my family spoiled me with a big family meal, lust-worthy cosmetics and interior accessories. Among some amazing products I received, was this absolute b-e-a-uty of a palette by Urban Decay that I have been coveting for absolutely ages since it's initial release.

Their collaboration with Gwen Stefani on this eyeshadow palette saw both bloggers and beauty enthusiasts alike flock to the shops and online in order to get their hands on the new range. 

Kirsty very generously bought me this palette, and I cannot thank her enough. The shades are beautiful! A combination of 9 must-have neutral shades and 6 bold jewel tones which were hand-picked by Gwen Stefani and unique to this palette.

I can't wait to try out some looks with this palette with the nudes, pinks and bolder shades. I tried to get the image above as true to colour as possible, so this is what they look like!

Below I've swatched the shades for you to see how they come up on medium skin tone (well, light-medium pre-summer!) Row by row, these ultra pigmented shadows pick up and transfer easily to the skin and are just as easy to wipe off. I definitely think they'll require an eyelid primer, such as the Benefit Air Patrol or Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion. 

L-R: Blonde, Bathwater, Skimp, Steady and Punk

These are the more pinky shades with a bolder burgundy Punk shade. I'm most looking forward to experimenting with these!

L-R: Baby, Anaheim, Stark, Zone and Serious

These are the nudes and would be great for a smoky eye! Taking it easily from day to night with the darker brown Serious shade.

L-R: Pop, Harajuku, Danger, 1987 and Blackout.

These are the bolder shades inspired by jewels. The pigment on these is amazing, especially the 1987 shade. Someone needs to teach me, however, to create a smokey eye with the Blackout shade without looking like I've been punched!

If you have a tutorial, do share it! I'd love to learn more and increase my shadowing skills. 

Do you have this palette? Which is your favourite shade?

Interiors | Spring Florals

I'm loving the warmer weather we have been having recently and have really looking to liven up my home. Most of my furniture is minimalist and cold, neutral toned. I love black, white and grey and have pretty much stuck to that theme throughout. I rely on rugs and soft furnishings to brighten things up, and this Evans Lichfield* cushion has done just that. I am cushion obsessed and probably have close to 10 on my bed at any given moment. I am more than a bit partial to pink and this hydrangea cushion pairs well with the deep pink velvet one I picked up at TKMaxx a while back. 

Cushions and the like are perfect for sprucing up your home, as they are easy to switch out with the seasons and as your tastes change. I find it really difficult to commit to colour or patterns (literally all of my clothing is black) so this is ideal. The one upside of having monotone furniture is that pretty much everything goes well. 

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect rug in the TV/sofa section of our open plan living space, but i am tempted to go for something bold that complements my cushions. This Evans Lichfield beaut hasn't lost its' shape after several months of daily squashing and the cover is removable meaning I can wash it when I inevitably spill food on it. If you want to browse their catalogue, you can do so here. 

What are your top tips for livening up your living space for spring?

American Beauty: Sephora Wishlist

I'm sure you have heard of Sephora, and probably want to campaign for it to open in the UK (amirite? If you feels strongly enough, email LVMH which is the parent group that owns Sephora). We are stuck unable to access all the goodies that they stock. They have so many products that are impossible/ very difficult/ expensive to get hold of this side of the pond and I know they recently started shipping to the UK but I found all the good stuff was not available for international shipping. Luckily, I'm in France quite a bit so I can get to a Sephora for all the own brand products and my faves like Marc Jacobs are now available here, but the US Sephora is incomparable. 

 My aunt recently relocated to the East coast and I'm very very lucky to be able to use her postal address. Another benefit of placing a US order is that you get to take advantage of all the promo codes, birthday gifts and samples that not applicable for UK orders, plus the tax is lower. 

Whilst I'm talking about tax, it is important to bear in mind that tax is added on to total when you get to the till so the first price you see is not what you end up paying. I'm not totally sure but I think the tax level varies by state. I had quite a bit of difficulty placing an order because Sephora just did not want to take my money and kept rejecting my money when I knew I had enough in the bank (hello student loan). 

I realise I have not numbered the pictures so I'll go row by row. Without further ado, my top picks:

1. The Estée Edit by Estée Pore Vanishing Stick, $28. I had a little chat with the SA at the Estée Lauder concession in Boots yesterday about this new line (getting matched for the double wear foundation) and she said it won't be widely available in the UK for ages and ages but that it is now stocked in Selfridges, although i found no evidence of this online! The packaging is cute and fresh and I think the brand are really cashing in on their new spokesmodel, Kendall Jenner, and aiming for a younger crowd.

2. Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette, $46. This is everywhere on IG and i'm dying to try it. I currently use the ABH cream contour palette and think powder might work a bit better for me.

3. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Berlin and Vampira, $20 each. Again, i've heard such good things and i'm having a bit of a love affair with liquid lipsticks in 2016. 

4. Milk Make Up Lip Marker in Rare Breed, $20. I love the packaging, clearly reminiscent of old school chunky highlighters. I'm not sure how it will work practically when it comes to application but i'm looking forward to giving it a go.

5. Milk Make Up Eye Pigment in Silent Disco, $24. Again, the packaging of this brand is everything and I think the shimmery brown shade will complement every shade I already own. 

6. Milk Make Up Cooling Water, $24. I'm not going to lie, I have no idea what it is but I want it. It kinda looks like a deodorant and is supposed to refresh and invigorate i think.

7. Tarte Tartelette in Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette, $45. I know Tarte is available in the UK through QVC but I find it such an annoying website because the things I want are never in stock and I deeply resent paying shipping, especially per item. I have wanted this forever and I can't wait to see if the shades live up to the hype. 

8. Fresh Sugar On the Go Lip Trio, $30. I always see these reviewed and on IG and they are just so pretty I have been dying to get my hands on one. They now have a UK website and a London store but I had a terrible customer service experience over Christmas so i'd rather avoid them here. I ordered a load of gifts, payment was taken etc etc and a few days later (very close to christmas) they emailed to say the items actually were not in stock, soz. They offered to let me place an order over the phone but said i would be ineligible for free shipping- I didn't really fancy giving my card details over the phone so that was the end of that. 

9. Tarte Tarteist Blush Palette, $38. Tarte amazonian clay blushes are supposed to be amazing and until very recently I had never even seen one pop up on the QVC site. I looked into getting this on Amazon but it was easily triple the price and for a product I have never tried and tested I was not going to take that risk, and that would have been so stupid to pay that much. I think $38 is really reasonable for 4 shades too. 

10. The Estée Edit by Estée Mattified Lipstick in On Point, $22. I love love love the ombre packaging and a girl can never have too many matte nude lipsticks. 

11. Fresh Sugar Lychee Perfume Rollerball, $25. I am so envious of girls state side who have access to every perfume in rollerball format because it is so damn convenient and much easier that lugging about a massive glass bottle in my handbag. Buying perfume online makes me nervous and although i read a million reviews before i added it to the cart, perfume is so subjective that I don't know if i will like it. It's relatively cheap though and I have high hopes. 

12. Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks in Vamp and American Doll, $20 each. I didn't actually order these ABH beauties from Sephora, I bought them direct from their website here and had zero problems with my card. I have been trying to get these since their release and have been pestering Cult Beauty weekly with emails asking when they will be stocked. Apparently they are just so popular and the UK is at the back of the queue after the US suppliers for orders, I guess we just don't deserve nice things. ABH products have never failed to impress me and I get so frustrated seeing them online and  on IG, rubbing them in my face and having to wait months to then pay an inflated price for the product <stomps feet> Anyway, after all the time i have spent daydreaming about these lipsticks, they better be good. 

If you are interested in treating yourself to a few things from Sephora, there is a flat rate for shipping of £6 for orders over £75. As a rule, products that are available in the UK are not eligible for international shipping, and neither are 'hazardous' products like nail varnish. It will not tell you as you shop that you can't have the item, it will only be flagged up at the checkout stage. For more information about international shipping, see here.

What would you choose to buy?

Results with Lucy | 6 Week Progress*

I'm about half way through my journey in to New Beginnings and I must say, I'm really pleased with the progress I've made. I'm going to admit here and now, and put my hands up and say I haven't followed the programme to the tee. But there have been great results regardless and I can't wait to see what the remaining half of the programme can help me achieve. 

To read my initial post on this, click HERE.

I started off at 12 st 7lbs. Not a happy weight, but a long way off my heaviest weight that I'd reached over Christmas. After developing a dairy intolerance and sticking to a dairy free diet, I shed 6lbs, but soon found my way back to indulging my sweet tooth once I'd fully discovered the Free From ranges in local supermarkets. I've found chocolate bars, cake recipes, brownies, and every other thing that I shouldn't be able to eat, but now I can. My sweet cupboard at home, which I once thought would be baron for many years, this time is full once again with dairy free/vegan sweets, cookies and chocolate. I just can't help myself!

Now with the help of Results with Lucy, I've shed another 7-8lbs (my weight has fluctuated over the last week - birthdays are never healthy) and am now (almost) below 12st. Which is still huge for me, as I was a scrawny child, but once puberty hit, I ranged from an 8 to a 14 and back down again, then slowly crept up over the past 5 years. I realise clothes sizes and weight is just a number, it should be how you feel about yourself looking in the mirror. But with that.. with slimming down and toning up, its nice to know that you've dropped a dress size or you're back to your pre uni weight. 

When I was weight lifting and hitting the gym on a semi-regular basis (my friends would laugh at this) I wasn't losing any weight at all and I got really frustrated and started fixating on the numbers. My then-PT told me to stay away from the scales and start taking measurements as these would be the indicators of my body changing. As I was building muscle, the fat was being replaced pound for pound the more I worked. As muscle has a higher density than fat, I was actually slimming down, but still weighed the same or saw little difference in my weight. This is totally normal. 

After these 6 weeks, I've noticed my legs and tummy toning up, and other areas of my body getting smaller, despite not seeing too much change in my weight. Obviously 8lbs is loads, but in 6 weeks, had I followed the diet plan (and the timetable) correctly, I probably would have lost around 12lbs. I gave in to my sweet tooth, and missed almost a whole week of exercise. Luckily they give you 2 weeks extra to catch up! 

My clothes are fitting better, my sports bra even sits better and isn't as tight and I'm feeling a lot more confident. I really want to be able to shed another 7lbs at the very least over the next 8 weeks in time for my holiday to Portugal, where I hope I'll be able to exercise a couple times too, so I don't lapse!

I'm quite proud of my before and after photo as it really shows my progress. I just cant wait until I have the 13 week photo and see the difference (praying that there is some). You can see my ribs coming through at the sides, my stomach has reduced in size (to be fair, I was really bloated in the first one, as a reaction to dairy), my bum has shrunk, legs toned, chest has shrunk too and arms are toning up.

Here's my new measurements compared to my starting:

Chest - 92cm (8cm loss)

Waist - 71cm (9cm loss)

Stomach - 83cm (8cm loss)

Hips - 86cm (5.5cm loss)

Bum - 105cm (9cm loss)

Thigh - 66cm (4cm loss)

Arm - 30.5 (2.5cm loss)

Fitness Test 2:

Press Ups - 24 (knees) (3 more)

Squats - 37 (full) ( 4 more)

Plank - 1 minute (full) (30seconds and on knees previously)

Jacks - 61 (full) (5 more)

So I've lost a huge 9cm of my bum and waist and 8cm off my chest and stomach. These types of numbers, I like! I've also made an improvement on my fitness too which I've also noticed on my journey to work. I no longer am dying when I have to run up the escalator to catch my train!

Check back in 8 weeks to see the final results!!

If you want to sign up to a New Beginnings plan or a similar Virtual Personal Training plan (they're so cheap!) Click HERE

Have you tried RWL? Which plan have you used?

Gift Ideas For Her | Swedish Massage* | The Beauty Barn, Hertfordshire

With my birthday coming up in the next week or two, there's one thing that's always on my birthday wish list, and that's to get a massage! From gym workouts and a desk job, I'm always aching and hold a lot of tension in my neck, back and shoulders. A massage is just what I need.

Set amongst the idyllic lush green fields of Hertfordshire, Church Farm is a lovely place off the beaten track. A place to visit animals, camp out, and enjoy afternoon tea with family as well as picking up fresh produce straight from the farm. 

A hidden gem amongst the many activities at Church Farm is the Beauty Barn. Offering Holistic Therapy including Swedish, Aromatherapy, Back, Neck and Shoulder and Indian head massages, you are guaranteed to leave your stresses and tension behind you after just 30minutes to an hour. 

Kayleigh, at The Beauty Barn, is a lovely, passionate therapist eager to expand her client base. She not only provides a friendly, relaxing environment, in which to unwind and release tension, but also offers great pamper packages for bridal parties, hen do's, birthdays and girls days out. 

With prices as low as £15, you can treat yourself, your girlfriend, mum, cousin, sister,  or whoever else you think would enjoy some 'me' time, to up to an hour of aromatherapeutic bliss. With countless massage oils of relaxing and rejuvenating fragrances, you can feel at comfort and ease whilst being pampered. 

I was lucky enough to receive a full-body Swedish massage, which incorporates the usual relaxing flowing circular motions with the palms and hands with stretching and more vigorous kneading and percussion-like taps, ensuring the entire body is circulating oxygen in the blood and expelling muscle toxins. 

After the hour long massage, I felt loose, limber and surprisingly awake, considering I was fighting to stay awake throughout. The soothing music definitely chilled me out, but it was the atmosphere, the oils, and of course the skilful therapist which made the experience one I would definitely do again. Kayleigh even offers a loyalty scheme whereby you get 5 treatments, you get a Neal's Yard product free. You get 10 treatments, you get a free facial and a half price full body massage. I can't wait to go back again! It's certainly worth the 25 minute drive up the A10.

If you're looking for a treat for yourself or someone you know, or are even looking for a pamper package for you and your friends, The Beauty Barn at Church Farm in Ardeley, Hertfordshire is super affordable, and a great excuse to give yourself a little TLC.

You can give Kayleigh a ring on 07535650872 to book your appointment!

Makeup Revolution | Ultra Eyeshadow Palette in Flawless | Swatches

I'm utterly in love with the Makeup Revolution Eyeshadow Palettes. Being so affordable and great quality, they're all favourites amongst bloggers. Last weekend I popped into Superdrug actually looking for somewhere that sells NYX. I'm yet to find anywhere local to me. But while I was in there, I thought I may as well browse the offers and see what I can buy instead. Low and behold, the Revolution counter was calling my name. "3 for 2" it was saying, "buy me, buy me".. I mean, how's a girl to resist?! 

So I bought three.. yes three eyeshadow palettes.. all for £16! Such a bargain. I couldn't wait to get back home and swatch them for you. 

Now that I'm helping my friend with bridal makeup clients, I've been experimenting more with eyeshadow looks and really want to wear it more myself, as I'm more of a simple winged eyeliner kinda gal. I do wear shadows on nights out, but they don't tend to be too dramatic as I've not been that good until I started practicing. 

The palettes themselves are very simplistic, but have beaut metallic outer-packaging.  This rose gold box is full of stunning shimmers and glitters and pure gorgeousness. 32 eyeshadows.. at just £8.. it's just unreal! They're all super pigmented and can all work seamlessly together to make the perfect smoky eye, the perfect nude look or the perfect glittery glam.

Here's the swatches from top row to bottom, left to right.

Keep an eye out for swatch posts of the other two palettes I purchased!

Do you have this palette? Done any tutorials using it? I'd love to see them!

Ceramic Braces | Cosmetic Dentistry | Adult Braces

Every Christmas growing up in my teens, I would write my Christmas list for my parents, detailing the things I'd had my eye on that year. Amongst other unrealistic super expensive, dream items, every single year without fail, there on the list would be 'braces'.