The Lo Down - My Valentine's Day Makeup Look

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I like Valentine's Day every year as it means my birthday is coming up tomorrow. I know the excitement of it all, I'm going to be the big 27 this year. I don't know how I feel about that yet but I feel happy and positive all the same. I didn't get to see Daragh today cause he's been working but I've been talking to him and he's having a chilled out day since he finished work so I'm glad. We're going to do something fun this weekend to celebrate Valentine's Day and my birthday so I can't wait for that.

So today's post is going to be my Valentine's Day makeup look which I'm pretty excited to show you guys. It's a smokey eye using some of my favourite MAC eyeshadows and my new favourite foundation & concealer duo from Loreal. This look was so easy to create and would be amazing for any occasion not just Valentine's Day.

This is how I got the look. First off I prepped my skin with my favourite moisturiser, Moisturiser Lite from Nimue Skincare. Next I applied Loreal True Match foundation all over my face along with the matching concealer in places where I needed that extra bit of coverage and I use the shade Vanilla, it's the perfect match. I applied both these products using the Louise Young Super Foundation brush, I've had this in my brush collection for ages and I recently discovered it and have been using it ever since. It's a old gem of mine. I used Coppering, a shimmery copper shade all over the lid with Sketch and Texture in the crease. I think this creates a beautiful subtle smokey eye which I love alot. Lastly I applied Max Factor's Fusion mascara, this is my favourite mascara from the brand I use it so much. It really opens my eyes and give the best volume imaginable. Of course I love the packaging as it's my favourite colour in the world, Purple. Lastly I applied some lipstick and today I used Charlotte Tilbury's The Queen Matte Revolution lipstick. This is a recently released Limited Edition shade and it's beautiful. I'm not big into reds but this looks so pretty on and applies like a dream. I've been using it quite a bit lately and I really like it.

That's my Valentine's Day Makeup Look as you can see it was quick and easy. I'll definitely do more posts like this soon as I find them so much fun to do so certainly keep an eye out.

Laura<3

New Goodies from Lush for Valentine's Day 2014

Valentine's Day is a day I always look forward to every year. Not only cause it's a romantic holiday but because it means it's exactly 1 day until my birthday. That's right on Saturday the 15th I'll turn the grand old age of 24!! I love having my birthday so close to Valentine's Day as I love going to super cheesy romantic movie releases. Have to say the big movie companies never disappoint as they always bring out something romantic on my birthday without fail. Anyone remember the movie Valentine's Day with cameos from numerous different A-list stars including Taylor Swift? I went to see that on Valentine's Day when it was released. Man I can't believe that movie came out 4 years ago just shows how times flies. This year I'm planning on going to see Endless Love which stars the very handsome Alex Pettyfer. Paddy and I are going to see either next Friday or Saturday I think so I'm really looking forward to it. I also love how beauty brands bring out limited edition products for Valentine's Day. This year Lush really wowed me with their new products releases for this romantic holiday. A brand that I've been a huge fan of for years, I love when Lush bring out limited edition collections as they are always right down my street. I usually end up picking up everything on payday so I can't say my bank balance is overjoyed about that.

Last week I got a chance to go into Lush's Grafton Street store to talk a bit about the products. This is definitely my favourite store to visit as it's really spacious and the staff are really knowledgeable about their products which for me shows how much they believe in them. There is nothing worse than going into a shop and the person not knowing anything about the products their trying to sell. I always enjoy popping into the store and of course I always leave with a tiny Lush bag full of purchases. This years Valentine's Day collection includes lots of amazing bath and body products that were inspired by the romantic love songs and the movie Cocktail which starred the hunk that is Tom Cruise from the 80's. I love hearing the inspiration behind each product as I find it super interesting. When you go into your local Lush expect alot of vibrant and fun products. I wouldn't leave it too long though as I presume it being a Valentine's Day collection it could be gone by March.

I know a sure winner from this years collection will be the Love Locket bath bomb. If you break this bath bomb in half you'll find a tiny heart inside which means you can get three baths out of this one product or if you want to treat yourself you can throw the whole lot in. If it was my decision I'd probably opt for the later for a nice pampering treat. I'm not go into too much detail about this product as I want you to get a surprise when you try it yourself. My favourite product from this lovely collection has to be the Prince Charming Shower gel. If you've read any of my past Lush posts you'll have heard me rant about the fact that I don't have a bath in my house. This means that I can never use Lush bath products which is pretty annoying considering there is such an amazing selection to choose from. However this year they've brought out Prince Charming and I have to say I'm in love. This product contains a lot of nourishing ingredients such as marshmallow root and pomegranate juice which gives it a really nice sweet scent. I also have to take a second and appreciate the fact that it's neon pink, like who wouldn't be happy to get this for Valentine's Day or like me treat yourself to it. This shower gel for me is up their with Snow Fairy, if it was available all year round I'd definitely repurchase it. I've already asked Paddy to buy me the big bottle of this for my Valentine's Day/Birthday present so fingers crossed he remembers to pick one up.

If you prefer to take the fuss out of searching for a Valentine's Day gift, Lush also have a great collection of prewrapped gifts to choose from. They've brought out three in particular for Valentine's Day, Toucan Love, Neon Love and Lots of Love. These gift boxes are such as great idea for someone who maybe doesn't have the time to browse through all the products Lush has to over or if their a busy bee with work and need a last minute gift fast. All the gift boxes come in at different price points too so there's something to suit anyones budget. I'm loving the Lots of Love box, not only cause it's purple my favourite colour but cause it comes in a reusable box. I like the idea of how when you finish your products inside you have somewhere new to store stuff. Lots of Love contains a mixture of bath and body products so it's a good way to try the new Valentine's Day goodies and get familiar with the brand.

Has anything caught your eye from this years Valentine's Day 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

Denman D3 Kiss Brushes

Denman's D3 Classic Styling Brush has under gone a makeover just in time for Valentine's Day. The result,the Denman Kiss (£7.31/€8.56), a beautiful pink sparkle brush with a lipstick print design which I love. The brush is also available in two other colours which you can check out here. Denman brushes are much raved about, yet having never used one before I didn't quite know what to expect. So of course when I got the offer to try one out, I jumped at the chance to give it a go.

My hair is quite frizzy, the word I use most to describe it is unruly. When I first brushed my hair with this, I was expecting it to get stuck in the mess leaving an unpleasant feel. I shouldn't of worried so much this brush glided through my hair like a dream leaving it so soft. I'm so impressed with the results, I can see why they call it  The Hairdresser's Brush. One of my Aunties has been using this brand for years. I don't know how I didn't manage to get my hands on one before now. The brush design is beautiful but the quality of the Classic D3 Styling brush alone is amazing so I'd recommend trying one out.

If  the Classic D3 Styling Brush isn't for you, there's the Hairbrush Compact (£2.56/€3.08). As I said above, my hair is a mess so this probably doesn't smooth it out as good as the Classic D3 Styling brush. Have said that, it's still very handy to have in your handbag during the day or if your on a night out to touch up your hair. Plus it comes with a trusty mirror which I'm forever using.

Have you tried Denman brushes? What do you think of this limited edition design?

Laura<3