February Empties

When I write my Empties post, I tend to loose count as I can't remember what I finished at the start of that month. I was surprised to see that I finished ten products throughout February. As soon as I finish something I put it into a tiny shopping bag I own from Forever 21, not to be seen again until the end of the month (makes sense that I wouldn't remember). All in all February has been a good month, I've had some of these products for a while so I guess it was about them I finished them.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

I love this lip scrub. I've lost count of how long I've had this for, so believe me when I say they last  for ages. After using this, my lips were left feeling so smooth. Also the smell was pleasant, just like Snow Fairy. I got the Pow Wow lip scrub at Christmas time but I don't think I like it as much. I may have to buy this the next time I'm in Lush.

No7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 wipes

I'm going to keep this short and sweet as I do seem to ramble on about these wipes quite a bit. There my favourite wipes on the market right now. Since I'm all out of them at the moment, I've been using different wipes (post soon) which don't compare at all. If you go into Boots looking for these, the packaging has changed completely, but they are the exact same wipes.

Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub
The Breakfast Scrub is another product I have a lot of admiration for. Not only is it an amazing scrub it also smells great. I did a review way back when I started blogging you can check it out here.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser
I've been using this moisturiser for ages now. I can't say how much I like it enough. I have combination skin, so this moisturiser is light but still really moisturising. Skin Repair Light is expensive at €20.50 but I think it's worth every penny.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
When I seen that I was almost out of Urban Decay's Primer Potion, I ordered another off Beautybay.com. I've tried other eyeshadow primers in the past but they don't compare at all. This also comes in other shades, I want to try Eden (matte) and Greed (shimmery gold) next.

Urban Decay All Nighter Spray
My Mom got this for me when she went to New York last year. I'd heard so much nice things about the All Nighter Spray. I think it's a really nice product but at €27.50 there's much cheaper alternatives out there. For that reason, I probably won't be repurchasing it.

Batiste Big & Bouncy XXL Volume Dry Shampoo
I didn't like this at all! Don't get me wrong it gives you volume like it says it will, but when it came to brushing my hair, it was a complete nightmare. I felt like I was yanking my hair out completely.

Garnier Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

This is by far my favourite eye makeup remover. A while ago I messed up and bought Garnier's 2 in 1 eye makeup remover and I didn't like it at all. I do use this product up very quickly, but it's not too expensive (€4.99) and it's usually on special offer.

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion
This is the third bottle of Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion I've gone through. I really like it so I'll be picking one up the next time I'm at Wilde & Green. It may not be a neccessity, but my eyes always feel super refreshed after using this. You can see my review on this product here.

Have you tried any of the above products??

Laura<3

Some Lush Gems...

At this stage you must be fed up of me talking about Lush, I love this brand too much. I  started using their products way before I started blogging so needless to say I've bought alot. I wanted to do this post to show everyone a couple of Lush products I currently love. This is in no order whatsoever, I think each product is equally as good as each other.

Creamed Almond & Coconut Smoothie

Anyone who reads my blog will have heard me mention this product on a number of occasions. I love it! Basically a shower cream, a little bit goes a long way so this tub will last for ages. Creamed Almond & Coconut Smoothie has a really nice vanilla scent which is ironic considering the name of the product. After using this in the shower, my skin is always left feeling so soft. I've repurchased this so many times already. My Mom got me the one I'm using at the moment in the Lush Sale at Christmas, so I'm unsure what the price was. I heard a while ago that Creamed Almond & Coconut Smoothie was being discontinued. It's not on the website, so maybe it has been. I'll check the next time I'm in Lush. If you can get your hands on this I'd definitely recommend it.

Ocean Salt

I haven't had this too long but it has already made it into my favourites. After using this my face is always left feeling really nice and soft. I don't know how this would work on people with sensitive skin as it is a very coarse scrub. I love the smell of this, it reminds me of the seaside, which makes sense as it has sea salt in it. Don't get this in your mouth when your using it, you can probably imagine how horrible tastes. Ocean Salt is available in two sizes, I purchased the smaller of the two as I wanted to see did I like it first. It's safe to say that I'll be certainly repurchasing it.

It's Raining Men Shower Gel

Having only a shower in my house I do tend to buy alot of Lush shower gels, this is the first of my favourites. It's Raining Men started off as a limited edition Valentines product, now it's available all year round. It has a very sweet, floral scent, basically Honey I Shrunk the Kids soap but as a shower gel. The bottle in the picture above is the smallest bottle you can get, I think this one is great for staying in a friend's house.

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

I love Snow Fairy, it's a limited edition Christmas product. I like the idea that it's only available at Christmas time, as I will always know there'll be something I'll enjoy in the range. The shower gel itself has bits of blue glitter running through it which looks very pretty. It's not noticeable after showering which is a good thing as I doubt anyone wants to look like a glitter ball. Snow Fairy have a really nice sweet scent, it's so yummy!! Again the size I have here is the smallest size you can get (100g). I did stock up on Snow Fairy over Christmas so I don't think I'll run out anytime soon.

Sexy Peel Soap

Wow this soap smells amazing. If you tried Snow Globe over Christmas this has a similar scent. It contains a blend of orange, lime and lemon. So as you can imagine it's very citrusy. The soap itself contains fruit rinds which makes it stand out from the other soaps. Sexy Peel is great in the morning as it always leaves me wide awake with it's refreshing scent. It's my favourite Lush soap by far, I love it. My family has also caught on to how nice this soap is. Everytime my Mom's in town she picks it up too. For example during Lush's Christmas Sale my Mom picked up loads of Snow Globe soap, because she knew how much it smelt like Sexy Peel. We still have alot of this soap floating around the house and were coming into March now. Sorry there's no picture but I don't have any at the moment, I'm going to have to get some the next time I'm in Lush. I know Lush Soaps can be quite expensive, but they can cut you off a chunk from the block, Sexy Peel is usually available in gift sets with other products.

What's your favourite products from Lush?? What should I try next??

Laura<3

My MAC Lipstick Collection Part 1

Twenty?! That's how many MAC lipsticks I have. Even though I got most from bringing empties Back To Mac, I'm still in shock. I'm a lipstick girl which you can probably tell by the amount I have. If I had to choose between lipgloss and lipstick it would certainly be the latter, I have hardly any lipglosses. Don't get me wrong I like how they look on but they just aren't for me at all. I find that I have to apply them way more than lipstick and there too sticky. I don't have a favourite finish, if I like the colour I'll probably end up buying it.

I'm in love with MAC lipsticks. They just have such an amazing range of shades and finishes. I've made some bad lipstick purchases which you will see throughout. I don't have a favourite finish, if I like the colour I'll probably end up buying it. I've decided to break down my collection into three seperate posts cause I do have alot and I don't want to bore you too much with my rambles. This post is going to contain all my lustre lipsticks!

Lustre - Glossy & Demi-sheer

I'm a big fan of sheer lipsticks so it makes sense that I have eight of these. They could quite possibly be my favourite finish. I also find lustre lipsticks mositurising which is great as I have dry lips.

Naturally Eccentric

Buying this lipstick was a mistake on my part. When the Surf, Baby Collection came out I was all for getting this lipstick, I seriously should have left it in the shop. When applied it looks like concealer, it erases my lips completely which was definitely not the look I was going for at all. I've never actually used this lipstick once since I bought it so it was such a waste of money.

Lush Amber
A limited edition from the Semi Precious collection, I'm not too sure on this one. When I bought it I thought I would have worn it alot more than I actually did. It's a peachy brown shade that almost doesn't show up on my lips at times. I'm going to try to put this in my makeup bag more so I get more use out of it.

Marquise D'

Another limited edition lipstick, Marquise D' was launched with the Wonder Woman collection. First up I love the packaging, my favourite in a while. A perfect pinky nude shade for everyday. I bought one of these for my sister too because I love it so much myself. This is my favourite lustre lipstick so I'm trying to make it last. If you know any good dupes for Marquise D' let me know!


Quiet Please
If Marquise D' is my favourite, Quiet Please has to be my runner up. It's a nice pale pink shade, again great for everyday. As you can see I've used up quite alot of it already. I can see myself repurchasing this one.

Hug Me
I read in a magazine that this was a favourite of Molly from The Saturday. When my boyfriend was in Manchester last year he bought this for me in the airport. A sophisicated dark nude I can see why some people may like this. I wore it alot at first but now not so much.

Patisserie
This is a dark horse lipstick, I'm surprised I haven't read much about it as it's such a beautiful shade. When I was getting my makeup done at MAC, they used Patisserie and I fell in love with it. This lipstick is not written about enough, if you haven't tried it swatch it the next time your at a MAC counter.

Viva Glam Gaga
This is my first Viva Glam lipstick. My Mom and Dad gave me a MAC Christmas set that contained both Gaga lipsticks. When Viva Glam Gaga was first launched I contemplated getting it for an age before deciding not to. After seeing it featured in so many Youtube videos and blog posts I regretted that decision. I was so delighted I got this for Christmas. For someone like me who doesn't particularly like really bright colours I think this is great.

Syrup
I bought Syrup after it was used on me at an event. The makeup artist mixed this and Lickable together to create a unique shade. I was planning on buying both lipsticks the next time I was at MAC, but Lickable was brighter than I expected. We all know how scared I am of pulling off a bright lip. On the other hand, Syrup is a dark pink shade which I wouldn't usually go for, but it actually looks really beautiful. On my lips the shade looks vaguely similar to Korres Plum lip butter  in my opinion. The latter being that tiny bit darker.

Top Row - Naturally Eccentric, Lush Amber, Marquise D', Quiet Please
Bottom Row - Hug Me, Patisserie, Viva Glam Gaga, Syrup

As you can see from the swatches, I like to wear a neutral lip. When Lush Amber and Quiet Please   look identical, you could say they were the same lipstick.

Do you own any of the above Lustre lipsticks? What's your favourite?

Laura<3

What's in my Bag? - Updated

I haven't done a What's in my Bag post since May last year, when I started blogging. Obviously the contents of my bag have changed so I thought it was about time to do another. Like all girls, I tend to carry way too much in my bag. I like to think everything I carry is a necessity but I may be fooling myself a little.

Messy I know but isn't everyones bag?  If they say it isn't you know their lying.

I love this scarf, I bought it along with some matching gloves in Accessorize before Christmas. Unfortunately I lost the gloves, I was so disappointed as they were so pretty. I've worn this scarf probably everyday since I bought it. We never get nice weather in Ireland so it's needed.

 I always have a deoderant and a Impulse body spray in my bag. I'm still not too keen on the Lynx Attract For Her packaging, but seeing as I bought it I might as well use it up. A new purchase of mine is the Avene's Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water. I've been using this to set my makeup lately, so refreshing.

Nothing too interesting in this picture. Basically there's my keys, battered old purse, glasses, umbrella (it's Ireland), Ipod and Muppet's Cardholder for my Age and Travel card.

A mixture of beauty products I found throughout my bag. I'm surprised at how many were in there. I had a lot of "so that's where you went to" moments. My mom bought me the Nivea Pouting Princess tin, it contains two lipbalms. I really like it. The Chocomania Body Butter (travel size) and Soap & Glory's A Great Kisser lip balm are recent purchases. I'm going to do a review on both of them soon.

Here we have my 2012 diary, a empty tin of Glee mints (courtesy of my Mom), a pocket mirror, Travalo (Burberry Body smells like heaven) and my makeup bag. Let me know if you would like to see a What's in my makeup bag post. I don't think I've done one before.

Last but not least is the book I'm reading at the minute. Yes I got a Kindle for my birthday, but I still have a mountain of books to read. I've finished all the other books in this series, Vengeance is the last as you can see. I just started it so I can't wait to see how everything pans out in the end.

So that's everything that's in my bag. I sure do carry alot more around with me than I did in May last year.

What's a must in your bag?

Laura <3

My Recent Topshop Makeup Purchases

If you read my birthday post last week, you would of seen a picture of some purchases I made from Topshop's Makeup range. I've read so many blog posts featuring this range especially the nail polishes. There was no better time to treat myself to some new makeup than on my birthday. When I went into Topshop I noticed that there new seasonal collection was launched.  Sisters of the New Moon is the new Spring/Summer makeup collection for 2012. It consists of a magic liner (eyeliner), mascara, two lip products, four nail polishes and last but not least, nail tatoos.

I made a few purchases from this range as I seen so many nice bits and bobs.

Zodiac & Mesmerise

 After seeing lots of pictures online, I'm going to go out on a whim and say Zodiac looks alot like Chanel's Graphite (possible dupe?). I could be wrong as I don't own Graphite, I would love to know your thoughts. Back to the polish, the finish seen above was achieved after just two coats. I can see myself wearing this polish alot I really like it.

Charmed & Crystal

Both lip products from this collection caught my eye. I've been using the lip tint, Crystal alot. I've bought lip tints like this before, that supposedly react to your skin to create the perfect pink shade. To be honest I've never been a fan, the pink that comes out on my lips always makes me look ridiculous. Crystal is different, I adore the finished shade as it's not too bright and looks quite natural. On the other hand I haven't gotten on as well with Charmed. It's a bright tangerine shade which isn't to my liking. I'm not one to wear vibrant lipstick so I feel like this doesn't suit me one little bit. I can't for the life of me remember why I bought it. I'm going try to find some different ways to wear it on the lips.

Innocent

This purchade was from Topshop's permanent makeup range. I saw Innocent on alot of blogs and of course feel in love. When I spotted it in Topshop while browsing, I decided I had to have it. Innocent is a really nice everyday pink shade (can't get enough of them lately). The white packaging does end up looking grubby in my bag, but this is something I can look over as it's such a beautiful lipstick.

Have you tried anything from Topshop's makeup range? What should I get next?

Laura<3

MUA Love Hearts Collection

At the beginning of February, I received an invitation to the launch of MUA's Love Hearts Collection. The event was being held in London which unfortunately meant that I couldn't go as I live in Ireland. The MUA PR Team were ever so nice and offered to send me some stuff from the Love Hearts Collection, aswell as some of their newer products (review coming soon). I haven't tried many MUA products, there are only two Superdrug stores in Dublin and both are ages away from where I live, so I don't get the chance to go that often. I'm in love with their eyeshadow palettes, so of course I couldn't wait to try more products from this brand.

Isn't the packaging gorgeous?

I am obsessed with lip balms, I always have lots in my bag. The minute I seen the Love Heart lip balms online I couldn't wait to try them. The two shades I was sent were Kiss Me and Sugar Lips. Both lip balms have a gorgeous vanilla scent which is quite similar to MAC's Tinted Lip Conditioner. I do find them quite moisturising which I need as I do get dry lips. The balm can wear off so it's always best to reapply it regularly. For £2 each you can't get any better than these two products. Both balms give a sheer pop of colour to the lips. Sugar Lips is my favourite out of the two, I have my eye on a few other Love Hearts lip balms so hopefully I can get my hands on them.

I love both of these nail polishes. I <3 U is a gorgeous nude shade which is so wearable, perfect for work. Love U 24/7 is my favourite of the two, I'm a fan of purple polishes so that's probably why. The result above was acheived after only two coats. For £2/ these nail polishes are such a bargain. There are six gorgeous bright shades to choose from, I can definitely see myself getting more!

MUA Love Hearts collection is available to buy from selected Superdrug stores and online.

What have you tried from the Love Hearts Collection?

Laura<3

Lush PS I Love You Gift Box

One of the presents I got for my birthday was the P.S. I Love You Gift Box from Lush. I love when their products come in usable boxes, as when I get the cardboard box ones that are gift wrapped I tend to just bin them. With this version it's different, as it's way too pretty to throw out. I'm going to use it  to store some Lush products. Even though this is a limited edition gift for Valentines Day, three out of the four products are in Lush's permanent range So if you see anything you like, don't fret you'll still be able to get it in stores.

Silky Underwear Dusting Powder

I've only used another Lush Dusting Powder once which was the Lustre Body Powder. To be honest I wasn't a big fan of it, it had a really strong jasmine scent so I ended up giving it to a friend. When I seen that Silky Underwear Dusting Powder contained Jasmine, I wasn't looking forward to using it. I was really surprised when I tried this, as it doesn't have the same off putting scent as Lustre. Although I can see myself using this product, perhaps it's not something I'd repurchase as I don't use dusting powders regularly. On the leaflet that came with the gift box it says you can also use Silky Underwear as a dry shampoo. I will definitely put it to the test on my hair and let you know my thoughts.

It's Raining Men Shower Gel

This shower gel is a favourite for alot of bloggers. It's Raining Men came out as a Limited Edition product but has since been added to Lush's permanent range. This has such a beautiful sweet floral scent which is identical to Honey I Washed The Kids soap. My favourite Lush Shower Gel is a tie between It's Raining Men and Snow Fairy, I just can't choose. If you haven't tried this shower gel already I'd definitely recommend it.

Sweet Heart Soap

This is the only limited edition product in the gift box that was launched especially for Valentines Day. I'm not too keen on the smell of this soap, it has a  very strong scent. It's described as being a "Jasmine, Mandarin and Vanilla Soap", I can't smell vanilla off this product at all. I find the jasmine a bit over powering. I don't think your missing out on much if you can't get your hands on this soap.

Soft Coeur Massage Bar

Wow I can't believe I haven't tried this before, I'm in love with this product. Soft Coeur has a gorgeous scent of chocolate and honey. I will definitely repurchase this as it smells amazing!

Did you try anything from Lush's Valentines Day range? What do you think of the PS I Love You Gift Box?

Laura<3