Christmas Beauty and Bath Haul

I hope everyone has had a glorious Christmas with lots of food and baileys and laughter.
Mine was lovely, and Santa was very generous indeed :)

This is a fairly 'body care' heavy haul as I didn't really need much make-up, not that I ever do when I splurge, but there were a few hair and body products I did need.

Champney's Body Brush - (£10).

Like most girls on this earth, I'm plagued by the cellulite monster.
I think healthy eating and regular exercise is definitely the best remedy - before Christmas came along I was exercising twice a week and staying away from shitty food and it made a big difference!
Howeeeever, I've heard body brushing can be good for cellulite, and even if this is a myth, body brushing is definitely good for the skin and supposedly 'drains toxins'.
Anyway, I've been using this every day since Christmas and my skin feels silky soft.
The action they recommend is firm strokes from the feet up towards the heart.
It is said that the real benefits of body brushing really start to show after a couple of months - I plan to continue, so I may well write a full post about Body Brushing in the months to come if anyone is interested.
I follow with a good moisturiser - which incidentally I shall mention next as I was given it for Christmas too.

Aveeno Moisturising Cream - (about £4-£5 for a 100ml bottle)

I first heard about this because my sister was prescribed it for her dry skin; I took this as a good sign as surely doctors only prescribe things that really work!
It contains 'naturally active Colloidal Oatmeal' which, to be honest, means nothing to me. But none-the-less it sounded good - it's not nice to have products full of mysterious artificial ingredients.
Loving this stuff so far! I have KP (Keratosis Pilarias or 'Chicken Skin' for those of you not familiar) which basically is a really common condition of dry raised bumps on the upper-arms and thighs. Using this cream daily combined with body brushing is working wonders.
Sinks into the skin straight away and doesn't leave you sticky despite being a really intense moisturiser.
Great for the money.

MAC Omega Eyeshadow (£12.50)

I picked this one myself - I don't think I could trust anybody to pick out make-up for me!
The current eyeshadow I've been using for ages to fill in my brows has crumbled recently and is now mere dust so I decided a new one was in order.
This colour, as you can see from the swatch, is an ashy matte-brown.
The main problem I tend to encounter with brow powders is that MUAs always pick shades that are far too dark - I don't want to darken my eyebrows at all, simply fill the sparse patches convincingly.
This shade suits me really well, and I use it sparingly with a 266 Small Angle Brush.

HighTech Cosmetics Instant Lash Extender (Starts at about £8 on the internet but I have a feeling my Grandma bought me this from Price Drop TV as, bless her heart, she's always buying things off the telly)

This is a pretty random brand that I'd never heard of before my Grandma gave me their mascara. I've gone through about 3 so far and actually really like it!
The 'serum' aspect pretty much goes over my head, and I don't pay much attention to the claims that it actually lengthens your natural lashes, but as a mascara it works nicely.
I don't think I'd actually buy another of my own accord, but I'm happy to use it when it's given to me.

Soap and Glory The Ultimelt - Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser (£8)

I think products like this are copying the originals like Liz Earle, which I haven't tried, but I certainly like this one.
Comes with its own little cloth (how cute!) which you're meant to run hot water over before gently wiping the product away - with no need to rinse after.
Smells amazing (due to the sweet almond, orange and lavender oils I presume), feels buttery and literally melts into your skin whilst your massage it in, and makes your face feel so smooth!
Whether it's coincidental or not, I had a few spots when I started using it on Christmas Day and I'm happy to report that I am now spot free for NYE! Hurrray.

Soap and Glory Foam Call Body Wash and Whipped Clean Shower Butter (£6.50 and £8 respectively)

Love Soap and Glory body products, they always smell amazing and do the job well enough!
Whipped Clean says it works well as a shave gel as it's so thick, which sounds good to me, but I've yet to try it out so can't really comment on that yet.
Both of them claim to be moisturising so that's all good for my dry skin.

Bed Head by TIGI 'Urban Antidotes Re-energize Shampoo and Conditioner' (About £30 for the two)

As a University Student I seem to spend lots of money on essentials that I wish I didn't have to fork out for - Shampoo and Conditioner especially are something that I go through at a rate of knots.
Alas, I would rather save my money in favour of meals out or cocktails, and usually end up with Herbal Essences from Poundland.
Therefore, I came up with the ingenious idea of asking Santa Claus for good quality Shampoo and Conditioner, and massive ones and that.
Each bottle is 750ml which should last me quite a while! They also come with a handy pump.
They describe themselves as being perfect for 'normal hair' with a low damage level. It also claims to 'boost shine retention' with its 'radical revitalizers'.. ooo, fancy ey!
So yes, I'm very pleased to have this to wash my locks with now! I've yet to use it, but I shall do when I return to Uni and am eagerly anticipating the renewed shine of my hair!

I realise this post is overwhelmingly positive - I don't really have any complaints!
How lovely is that, as I can be quite the complainer.

Maybe I'm just in a super duper good mood as I'm about to go out for pizza now, and then having MUCH MUCH merriment with my best friends tonight before 2014 begins!

On that note, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tomorrow when I'm bored and feeling worse for wear I most write a fashion post on my outfit for tonight. We shall see..

About Me

Hiya anyone out the who may be reading!

I feel as though it's terribly inappropriate to be posting all sorts of things without you lovely folk being able to put a face to a name, so here is a little about myself.

My name is Lucy, I'm 20, Welsh, and a 2nd year English Undergraduate.

Here I am:

Basically I've been following makeup blogs and youtube channels for years; they're really what got me so obsessed with all things makeup, so I decided to set one up of my own :)

As an English student I love to write, and as a girl I love to aimlessly natter - therefore I anticipate combining this with my love for cosmetics will be very much enjoyable.

Expect reviews, hauls, the occasional tutorial and perhaps non-makeup related things, like baking and fashion, if the mood takes me. 

Getting to know me:

Favourite brand: MAC (without a doubt! except their mascara which I've never been that impressed with)

Hair/Eye/Skin colour: mid-brown, light bluey green and NC15/20 (pale and sallow - niiice)

Desert Island Products: Waterproof mascara - holds curl far better than normal formula. And curlers cause I have naturally very straight eyelashes. And tweezers as I'm completely obsessive with neat eyebrows!

Cosmetic Pet hate: Over-plucked eyebrows, too much blusher and gravy lines (incase you're not British, a gravy line is the unsightly mark on your jaw line when the colour of your foundation is darker than the colour of your neck)

Favourite Clothing brands: Love ASOS, Topshop, Urban Outfitters and River Island when it's not being too chavvy

Hobbies: Reading, eating cakes (lol I'm not even joking, gotta love sugar), Zumba, playing around with makeup of course, aaand watching copious reality TV series'

Whether you wanted to or not, I now hope you feel you know me a bit better.

Thanks for reading (if anyone ever does?!) and feel free to make comments or suggestions for me!

My Hunt for the Perfect Purple

I've always been one to experiment with make-up so the trend for purple lips has definitely caught my eye!

Last winter I was very much into inky berry colours, like MACs 'Dark Side' and 'Odyssey', but this Winter I fancied something even more daring - a proper purpley purple!

The first stop in my hunt (and usually in any makeup hunt) was my local MAC counter.

 I'd recently had an email from MAC about the release of the ever sought-after shade of Heroine, which MAC describes as a 'powerful purple' in 'vibrant matte'.

However the MUA had no idea Heroine was even being released and supposed it must be only in the US to begin with. This was a bitter blow but didn't deter me.

I tried two shades instead; One was Rebel and the other was Violetta (which is usually only available in the PRO stores but was part of a limited edition Christmas lip trio).

Being the fuss-arse that I am, neither purple was quite right. Both were too pinky, especially on my yellowy NC20 complexion.
Furthermore I found Violetta too frosty - though many MAC enthusiasts love the shade, I didn't like the duochrome iridescence of it, preferring more of a Satin finish.
I was warned by the MUA that a blue-purple would wash me out and make me look ill but, ever the risk taker, I decided to ignore her and keep trying for the shade I had in mind.

After this disappointing visit I went home to research, and two cheap alternatives drew my attention.
I wasn't looking for cheaper brands in particular, but it does seem that most of the high-end brands are a little sophisticated for a poster-paint shade of purple, preferring more of a pink-heavy or deep berry purple.

The first was Topshop's make-up brand in a shade called 'Straight Ace', which can be found here: http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/lips-in-straight-ace-2372256

The second was a pretty random one - Superdrug sells a make called 'Collection' (not to be confused with Boots' 'Collection 2000'). It's super cheap so I decided I'd chance it because frankly you can't go far wrong with a price like that!
http://www.superdrug.com/lip-make-up/collection-little-mix-lipstick-perrie/invt/754059

Enough of my ramblings, lets get down to business. 

Swatches:

As you can see, they are quite similar colours but the finishes make them a little different - Straight Ace's is a touch pinker and the glitter gives it a totally different look.

Topshop's 'Straight Ace'

Price:
£8 - I'd say this is pretty reasonable, but then again past experiences of Topshop make-up aren't great compared with cheaper brands like Barry M.

Colour and Finish:
I'd describe it as a midtone purple with a balance of pink and blue undertones. However on my skin it did look a touch pink - but not excessively.
It feels pretty moisturising and gives quite a lustre finish.
Like Violetta, it is quite iridescent, due to a fair bit of microglitter.
I'd even go as far as to say It's actually a pretty good dupe for Violetta if my memory serves me correctly.

Pay-off and Durability: The colour pay-off is poor; you have to apply quite a lot for a decent coverage and it looks a little uneven on the lips. As it fades it gets much more pinky which I didn't like.
It doesn't last long either - I road tested it whilst eating a bagel (pastrami with Swiss cheese and gherkins, in case you were curious) and my lipstick was almost entirely gone by the time I was finished! I think this is down to the glossy, moisturising texture which means it doesn't cling to the lips like more matte finishes tend to.

Packaging: Comes in its own little box, which is cute. The lipstick case is an attractive black and white striped affair in a cool matte plastic. Packaging doesn't really matter to me but I know some like to know these things!

I like the colour, but the finish and lack of staying power lets it down in my eyes.
All factors considered I'd rate this lipstick a 6/10.

Superdrug's 'Perrie' lipstick

I've read that people have been having trouble getting hold of this lipstick, but thank goodness my first trip into Superdrug was prosperous; there was ONE Perrie lipstick left. I took that as a good omen.

The lipstick is apparently designed by Perrie from Little Mix - usually these type of gimmicks don't offer up anything noteworthy but this shade is truly unique. Thumbs up to Perrie for her choice!
She wears this shade quite a lot for public appearances and she looks gorgeous in it.

Price: £2.99. Cheap as chips.

Colour and finish:
Compared with Straight Ace, 'Perrie' is a touch plummier, and the matte finish definitely amps up the colour difference on the lips even though in the swatches they don't look a million miles apart.
It is matte, but not super-duper matte, it's quite moisturising and wears really comfortably.

I LOVE the colour of this - really striking but it didn't wash me out, and the blue undertones made my blue eyes sparkle and teeth look whiter!

Pay-off and Durability:

This lipstick has great colour pay-off, not just for a £2.99 lipstick either, I'd be impressed with it if it was a far more expensive brand.

I'll be the first to admit I can be a terrible make-up snob and generally believe you get what you pay for but I'm happy to admit I was proved wrong in this case.
The durability is good enough; when it fades the pink comes out a little more so you have to top up every now and again but the same is true of most lipsticks so this isn't a problem.

Packaging: Not very pretty but it does the job of holding in the lipstick so there we go, job's a good'un!

Overall I'm super happy I bought this, the quality and unique colour means it really holds its own against much more expensive brands, and I have a feeling I'll be wearing this one quite a lot. If you're thinking of trying a purple lip then I'd make this your first stop.
Solid 8/10

Perrie (right) actually looks quite pink here -
this is not the case when applied!

P.S

Speaking of wearing my Perrie lipstick a lot - I'm actually going to wear it out for cocktails this evening.
Shall let you know if I get any compliments on it!

Let me know in the comments if anyone's on the hunt for a perfect purple or has any suggestions for shades I might like to try next!