Yes yes, I am a little late on wishing all you lovely people a Merry Christmas but it was by no fault of mine, google revoked my account and I had no idea why. Hopefully Santa was very good to you, I had a wonderful day and got lots of lovely presents (a few people have tweeted me asking if I will be doing a 'present post' and the answer is no I don't really think it's necessary), there's a couple of snaps here.

2010 was full of worry, sadness and health trouble for me so I am hoping that 2011 is a much happier and brighter one! A new year, a new start and I need to think up some resolutions for the new year, what have you decided on? Did you keep last years?

It may be nothing but I love warm snuggly things, and this is perfect a sparkly pink hot water bottle to keep me toasty in the cold snowy days (and nights).

Butler and Wilson do some FABULOUS pieces, real statement pieces and very chic. I am always eyeing one or two bits, infact I have already seen another gorgeous bracelet and earrings. Plus you gotta love hot pink packaging.

One thing I would love to do this year is go to Paris, only for a weekend trip but I have wanted to go for ages so I shall keep my fingers and toes crossed that this year sometime I will be whisked of my feet and taken. 

la ville de l'amour

I will be up in Lancaster, surrounded by the lakes and beautiful countryside which means perfect days out in spring/summer for random day trips and picnics in scenic places.

And since I have my new Emu boots I can be sure I won't be slipping and sliding everywhere. They are wonderfully comfortable, I prefer them to Uggs as I find the sole thicker and sturdier. 

Sadly I don't have many snaps from Christmas as my phone/camera were out of use. So do tell what did you do for Christmas? Was Santa good to you?

Liz Earle Lotions & Potions♥

Winter is a horrible time of year for our skin, constantly going from hot to cold can dry the skin out and it can become irritated so it is really important that you remember to moisture your body as well as your face. That is something I always forget to do, easily done as I have a habit for my facial routine but always forget to whip out the body creams. However that bad habit has finally been kicked! 


I have been trying a load of body lotions, and I thought I would share my thoughts on two that have stood out recently for me. From Liz Earle their Superskin Body Cream and their Nourishing Botanical Body Cream. Both lovely products to use. 


Silly me though I seem to have misplaced my little tube of the Liz Earle Superskin so you will only get some snaps of the other one today, when I find it I will update the post. Sorry guys!


♥Superskin Body Cream♥
This is a really rich intensive body lotion, that is a dream to apply with its rich aromatic scent, I love catching a whiff of myself after using this. Formulated with 25% plant oils to help aid that intense surge of moisture into your skin. With "East African shea butter, organic rosehip oil, antioxidant cranberry seed oil and pomegranate extract, natural source vitamin E, plus the divine scent of neroli" it's great for your skin, I like to try use natural products when I can as I feel they are better for the skin.


Specifically I suffer from really dry skin on my legs that around my joints can become rather cracked, this is what I jump straight to use when it begins to worsen mixed with a little of the Liz Earle Superbalm just to assure that my skin is super soft. 


I can't recommend this enough, I only have a small tube but it has lasted me a good couple of weeks so if you just want to try it you can, before getting the full 200ml. I REALLY need to get my hands on another tube soon! It has become a favourite of mine.. oops!!


Grab yours on-line or on QVC


200ml £27.50
50 £12.00


♥Nourishing Botanical Body Cream♥
This is another good product from Liz Earle, I prefer to use this on my upper body as the smell is divine. That is one of the things that draws me into Liz Earle products I always adore the smell and this body cream is no exception. With a heavenly mix of Pure Orange, Lavender and Rose-scented geranium oils it is a relaxing and dreamly lotion to apply, lifting your spirits with the scent.

Unlike the Superskin cream I don't feel this is as rich, but instead lighter which I like as it sinks in quicker. It doesn't compromise on the hydrating side of things, this is a great long lasting body cream. Very silky on the skin. I like the fact it isn't as rich. It is a soothing cream mainly due to the relaxing aroma is gives, it really is a pleasure to unwind after a stressful day in the bath then apply this after.

Price point it is cheaper than the Superskin so if you want to try a Liz Earle body cream but don't want to spend too many pennies then this is a better option.


Grab yours on-line or on QVC
200ml £15.50
50ml £6.00
30ml £4.50


These are the only two body products I have tried from Liz Earle, however I have heard good things about their Energise body range so it's on my list of things to try in 2011 along with their hand repair cream. I adore their foot care range, their is a review coming of it all tomorrow! 

OOTD & A ramble♥

Since it is super chilly in the UK with all the snow, I have began to layer my clothes a lot more. Since I only had to nip to the doctors again I went very casual no need for anything special. My leggings are from Topshop, I have a peach vest top (underneath) again from Topshop and then my oversized white tee is from Republic it is by Crafted. I love my oversized t-shirt it features a lot in colder whether as it is perfect for layer, it is so soft and the long sleeves keep my arms nice and cosy in the cold.


As for accessories, I wore my Vivienne Westwood Pearl Orb earrings, my sideways cross necklace and stacked some bracelets. I wore my uggs and opted for my Orange Chloe bag. 


Like I said it has been snowing a lot in the UK, airports and trains cancelled and roads are a nightmare. I live in North West England and will be travelling down to Marlow in Buckinghamshire on the 23rd, a journey that would normally take between 4-5 hours but now due to weather I reckon it will be double that. As a family friend drove from near here down to Marlow a day or so ago, a journey which took him a mind numbing 15 hours. CRAZY. It is times like this I wish my car was automatic instead of manual.

I love snow, it makes me feel all happy inside it is always a great feeling seeing it fall out my window. But I have to admit it is a pain when I need to get home for Christmas!


Hope you all have a great Christmas, and get to spend it with your loved ones.

NOTD♥

Hope you are all well, and for those of you who celebrate Christmas I hope you have a fabulous day! And that Santa brings you some lovely gifts. Anyway on with this post, I always love a bit of sparkle so this week I have been rocking a flash of gold glitter on my pinky finger and it looks really nice. People have been asking what brand/shade it is, so it is clearly going down well!

Left to right:

Essie Neo Whimsical & OPI Bring On The Bling

I went for a soft lilac as it was a change from the pink I had been wearing over the last couple of weeks, and Bring on the bling is my new favourite glitter polish. The Essie colour took two coats to get an opaque shiny finish, and so far has last 4 days without any chipping or going dull, Essie do some really good nail colours and the brand is quickly becoming my favourite nail brand - sorry OPI! As for the OPI it is fine, I haven't experienced any chipping but as always glitter polishes are notorious for getting off so I am not looking forward to taking it off! 


Hope you like this combo, I love it♥

A festive Make-up Tutorial♥

Miners Autumn/Winter Nails♥

Miners have done a good job in creating some stunning shades for this season, and at affordable prices too only £2.99 each. The colours are rich and vampy, perfect for bringing your nails on trend during the holiday party time.

The five colours (going left from right in the picture), LBD a shiny black perfect for a vampy look, Dorothys Shoes which is a really pretty shimmery red I can see where they took the inspiration from, Mulberry Shimmer a rich plum brown that looks beautiful on my toes really lifting my tan, Molton is my favourite a rich gold with plenty of shimmer and finally Midnight Lavender is a steel grey with heavy undertone of lilac another fave of mine.

Surprisingly the quality is really good for the price, on my toes it lasted 9 days before chipping (no top coat) and on my fingers they last a good 6 days before any need for tidying up.


Grab yours here!

My Product Picks of 2010♥

♥Clinique Anti-Blemish Foundation 
I have a long love affair with Clinique foundations since working for the brand, there is one for every skin type or skin problem. So whether my skin is dry, or oily or spotty, which is where this comes into it's best. Since the launch it has been a favourite of a lot of people, and for good reason. It hydrates my dry areas, controls my oily t-zone and treats any spots I have or spots that are tryna break out. With the same care and ingredients that go into Clinique's Anti-Blemish 3 step not only do you get light feeling flawless skin but you also feel like your doing good for your skin too. A firm favourite of this year.

♥Clinique High Lengths Mascara
Another Clinique product, what can I say they have come out trumps this year for me. When I saw the adverts for this I rushed out to buy this, previously my HG mascara was High Definition by the brand (it still is in my top 3) so I had high hopes for this to exceed it. It did. The wand may look a little daunting or that it won't do very well but don't be fooled it is thin enough to get right into the roots of your lashes giving you thick and full lashes, and with the plastic bristles is combs through separating each lash giving you long defined lashes. I can apply coat after coat and it doesn't get clumpy. This wins my mascara of the year.

♥Make-Up Forever HD Blushes
These bad boys are beyond amazing, you need the teeniest tiniest amount of them to get a flush of colour. They last all day on the cheeks, fading ever so slightly and they don't transfer or slide anywhere else. But don't make the mistake I did of getting all giddy and doing a full pump I soon realised that if I were to use all that I would have clown cheeks for me and all my friends. A little goes a long way, making them good value for money. I love all the colours I have.


♥Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream
A few of you may have heard about this recently after the gorgeous Pixiwoo girls mentioned it and raved about it. I've have had this for a while now, and agree with everything those girls say. It gives you amazing skin. Fully moisturises without being too heavy on my t-zone and leaves my skin glowing. This creates a fabulous base for foundation too, I don't need a primer or illuminator with it. For such a cheap moisturiser, RRP £7-8, it left me impressed.

♥Good Things Night Cream & Face Wipes
This was a new brand launch this year that a lot of bloggers fell in love with, both for the great products and the fact the products are paraben free & contain no other nasty chemicals. While I love a few products from the range these two are the ones I have re-purchased over and over. Not only do they make my skin feel amazing, but they smell so yummy too. I love anything with a berry scent.

♥Xen Tan Dark Lotion
2010 saw me try a whole host of new fake tanners, all trying to beat my favourite Xen Tan Deep Bronze Luxe, some came close but only one beat it. Another Xen Tan product, their dark lotion is unlike any other lotion self tanner I have tried. Before this I used to hate lotions, only using Deep Bronze Luxe once a week, I found the majority just left me sticky and streaky. But not this bad boy it dried quickly, gave a good guide colour, developed fast and didn't give me a horrible strong fake tan smell. Even the boyfriend didn't mind. I have gone through easily 5 bottles of this and I can see many more being used too.


♥Famous Dave Tanning Mousse
A couple of girls had blogged about the brand and how amazing the products where, but it was a relatively unknown brand to me after a little research I discovered this had a bit of a cult following with celebs and knew I had to try the mousse. As soon as it arrived I stripped down and started slapping it on, one of the easiest tanners I've used, and the best colour result that I've had from a mousse. Deep dark golden brown, no orange tones, no streaks just a healthy 2 week in the sun tan. Another favourite tanner.


♥Paul Mitchell Haircare
Now I couldn't really narrow this one down, what did I love most? The shampoo, conditioner, styling products or treatments? In all honest, I loved it all! After Nicola introduced the brand to me I purchased a few products hoping to get as fantastic results as she had. I was disappointed, after using a Paul Mitchell routine for my hair care in 3 weeks but hair totally transformed from dull dry and brittle to soft shiny and bouncy, I couldn't believe it. 3 products to try, Super Strong Liquid Treatment, Original Moisture Mask and the Glaze. 

♥Green & Spring Relaxing Bath Oil
Having had such a stressful year I have really gone back to loving long hot soaks in the bath, and bath oils are a love of mine I have way more than one girl needs. The reason I've picked this as my No1 is how moisturised my skin feels after the bath without feeling too greasy, some oils are just too much for the skin, and I love how the lavender scent lingers on my skin after so every so often I get a burst of relaxing lavender.


 And last but not least No 10...

♥Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish (everything else by them)
After reading so many rave reviews, and watching too many QVC shows my Gran kindly bought me one their duo of this with a toner. It is now my favourite cleansers, with this I don't need a separate eye make-up cleansers, one pump of this dissolves all my make-up and deeply cleanses my skin. Making it look and feel amazing, the muslin cloths are great for scruffing away any dead skin cells gently every day. Nothing has beaten this cleanser for me.


So there you go I hope you've enjoyed reading about the products I have loved this year. If I were to recommend one to you it would most definitely be the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish it is my HG and I'm sure you will all fall in love with it like I did.


I'm looking forward to what 2011 has in store beauty wise! What did you discover and love this year?

Beauty Blog Link Love♥

 Amy Antoinette reviews Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Foundation and Concealer.

 See a sneak peak at the Nicole by OPI liquid metals collection, and a nail of the day!

 Dare to wear red lips this holiday season? Check out Katie’s picks ranging from sheer to bold on My Lips But Better.

 Do you love rock n’ roll? Find out what product Cindy at Prime Beauty uses to channel her inner Rocker Chick. Soft Rockers, don’t fret; there’s a look for you as well!

 Shela at Confessions of a Beauty Guru is going cuckoo for Korean lip products!

 Curious about more unconventional skin products? Rachel tells all about Witch Hazel Wonders at Queen of Turquoise.

 Retrodiva experiments with the Estee Lauder Holiday Collection and likes what she sees.

 Emma compares two similarly packaged mascaras to see if they really are the same.

 Got a sticky compact and don’t know what to do? Musicalhouses shows you how to clean up a sticky NARS, Smashbox, or Becca casing!

 Need holiday makeup look ideas? Check out Audrey Dao’s Holiday Look Book for ideas and tutorials!

 At theNotice, Rae checks out a Benefit cult favourite — but doesn’t like what she sees.

 Red lips are hot for Christmas! Lipglossiping trawls through her collection and uses a Red Lip Series as a great excuse to buy more!

 Daily Polish falls head over heels (but manages not to lose her head!) for Rescue Beauty Lounge’s ‘Catherine H’ from the new Tudor collection.

 At Pink Sith, Joeybunny introduces you to the Wet n’ Wild Night Elf Palette. See why she’s swooning!

 Chanukah may be over, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy this LUSH Fizztival of Lights gift set!

 Beautywoome has published its Christmas gift guide, because you know you haven’t done your shopping yet.

 Hellcandy stumbles across her first dupe! Find out which drugstore brand matches the gorgeous fucshia of Nars Funny Face lipstick here.

 Acquaintance gifting causing you stress? Jeweled Thumb shares her coworker holiday gift guide to put your mind (and wallet) at ease!

 L from Beautifully Addicted To rediscovers Erase Paste.

 Kim Porter shares some skincare tips for the cold weather.

 Take a sneak peak at Dior’s Cannage eyeshadow palette from the upcoming Spring collection over at Pleasureflush!

♥♥♥

 Jenn over at Spiced Beauty is celebrating her 2 year bloggerversary with a Huge Annabelle Cosmeticsgiveaway!

 Phyrra is giving away 5 eye shadows from the Aromaleigh Wonderstruck Collection!

 Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More loves Revlon’s Perplex Nail Enamel so much that she is giving away four bottles to her readers!

 Beauty Crazed loves Burberry Beauty and wants to give you a chance to love them too!

Update♥

Sorry there have been no posts this week, been a bit ill again but blogging will return Monday ♥

November Favourites♥

My Nail Rock♥

The biggest nail trend that is floating about right now is nail wraps, funky patterns, bright colours and delicate designs that you perhaps wouldn't be able to create using a nail brush. But with brands like Nail Rock and Minx you can get some serious hot nails!


For £6.50 you get a sheet of the nail wraps, with a choice of 24 stunning designs there is one for everyone and every mood. I went for the red lace print as I thought it was different and it fits in with my love of all things red right now.

I was a little nervous about using these at first, they have been sitting lonely in my nail box for around a month I was sure I would never get it right and end up wasting them creating a disaster! But it is so easy to do, a lot simpler that I previously thought they would be.

How to Nail Rock:

1 - Ease back cuticle and remove any nail polish.

2 - Shape and file the nail edge.

3 - Gently remove surface shine using a nail buffer or a smooth nail file.

4 - Select Nail Rock Wrap nearest to your cuticle size. These can be trimmed to fit if needed.

5 - Do not touch the adhesive side of the wrap that will be used on your nail.

6 - Place at the cuticle edge and apply heat from a small or travel hairdryer for a few seconds until the wrap is hot, soft and pliable.

It is important to keep the Nail Rock hot and pliable throughout the process, heating until it goes soft at each stage. The heat activates the adhesive and allows Nail Rock to fit over the curve of the nail. A travel hairdryer is the most effective.

7 - While the wrap is still hot, applying firm pressure, press the wrap down onto one side of the nail. Re-heat, making sure the wrap is soft again and firmly press it down onto the other side of the nail.

8 - Heat again and push firmly over the entire nail for a secure fit. If there is a crease; re-heat, gently lift the wrap off the nail and reapply adding further heat and firm pressure.

9 - To complete the seal, heat the whole area again and then gently pull the excess part of the wrap over the filed edge of the nail so that the shape of the edge becomes apparent through the wrap. Pull firmly but be careful not to stretch the wrap.

10- File off excess wrap at the end of the nail in a downward motion with a fine wooden file.

And this is the end result! 

A little messy at the tips but to be fair this was my first attempt, and I don't mind as you can't even notice it. Just up close like this you can.

I really would like to try the classic leopard print, the black polka dots and the gorgeous metallic gold. They are the kind of designs I've been after but can never seem to get right at home myself, so glad Nail Rock offer a quick and easy way to get A-list nails.

Nail Rock is an amazing brand and I really recommend you all try some out, if you do or have let me know what design you went for and how you got on?!

Sunday Session♥

Hello cupcakes! Hope you are all good, and have had a fabulous week? My week has been a bit up and down, I'm currently on day 10 of both an abdominal and head migraine which is not nice, and very very painful. To top it all off the sickness that accompanies it is ridiculous, so all in all I have been rather drained this week.

♥ Disney films - My dad got me a load of Disney films, so being the big child that I am I have enjoyed being snuggled up in my cosy bed all toasty and laughing along to the movies. My favourite was Shrek no matter how many times I watch it I still love that film!


♥ Candles - Again I'm featuring candles as I discovered a new scent that fills my room making it smell divine! That is vanilla and chocolate, I tend not to like chocolate scented candles they always smell too 'fake' for my liking but this one smells almost good enough to eat :)


♥ Individual false lashes - I always seem to have a pack around somewhere but I never ever used them they were always just pushed to the bottom of a box. But over the last 3 weeks they have become my new best friend, carefully applying a few lashes to my upper lash line I don't need to apply any mascara just a touch to my bottom lashes. With a bit of practice I find them easy peasy to apply, using Duo glue they last all day nothing budges them.


♥ Peppermint tea - This is something I go through phases of drinking, and over the last fortnight I have been sipping numerous cups a day in a bid to help my sore tummy and bloating. I always find this works a treat and really does soothe my stomach. Another favourite herbal tea of mine is strawberry yummy.


♥ Dior lipstick - Go have a read of my latest lipstick post on my new love Dior Replenishing Lipstick  and maybe you will fall in love with it like I have.

Dior Red Lips♥

Over the past couple of weeks, I have done a lot of posts on lipsticks, so hopefully I'm not boring you too much but lipsticks are a big love of mine. Probably the biggest part of my make-up collection. If you read my previous post on my favourite red lipsticks then you will already know that this winter I have really embraced the classic red lip. I was delighted when this Dior lipstick landed on my lap a couple of weeks ago. 

Dior Rouge Favori 752 is a beautiful orange based red, creamy and long lasting. It has become my lipstick of the moment, mainly wearing it during the day, something I don't do often when it comes to red. 

It retails for £21.00 which is expensive, but it is well worth it for the quality you get. 

♥Swatch♥

I will be doing a video this week featuring this lipstick on how to get the perfect red pout for all your Christmas parties. So look out for that! For now I shall leave you with one final snap of me wearing this fabulous colour..

Grab yours from Escentual's online

Surprise surprise, men are rubbish at buying gifts♥

The title sums this post up well. Top ten presents men buy for their partner that they really want for themselves:

1. DVDs

2. Digital camera

3. Laptop

4. Tickets to a concert/event

5. A weekend away

6. A holiday

7. iPod

8. Nintendo Wii

9. Computer

10.TV

Four out of ten men are planning to buy a gift for their wife or partner this

Christmas – just so they can use it themselves, a study by The Perfume

Shop revealed yesterday.

Instead of buying their partner’s dream gift, forty per cent of cheeky

blokes admitted they are going to get something they want instead, such

as a TV or a games console, and pass it off as a present.

However, researchers found that women aren’t as clueless as men think

as 36 per cent said they had opened a present and soon realised they

had only been given it because it was something their man wanted for

themselves.

And 15 per cent of men have ended up having a row with their..

Guys get something your girl actually will want for Christmas, The Perfume Shop have loads of great perfume sets that are perfect! Although if anyone wants to get me a holiday or new laptop I wouldn't mind!! hehe

Thanks Everyone♥

This is just a quick post to say a massive thank you to everyone who reads my blog and watches my youtube videos, last week I hit over 1000 followers on my blog I couldn't be more thrilled that you like to read my posts. As a little thank you for following I will be holding a giveaway in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that! I am so grateful you all take the time to subscribe and comment, I love chatting to you guys, so don't be afraid to comment or even get in touch via email.

Lu xx

p.s 14 days til Christmas!!

I'm a Mysterious Girl♥

See what I did with the title? I can be rather clever. If you haven't already guessed this post will be featuring the recently launched new perfume from Peter Andre called Mysterious Girl. I will be the first to admit I am not a huge Peter Andre fan but I am a sucker for celebrity perfumes. Named after his most recognizable song from 1992, Mysterious girl is a catchy song that you find spinning round and round your head. This pleasantly surprised me I expected something overtly sweet and sickly, but it is a fresh scent that settles a little deeper, with the mix of rose and jasmine give you an initial floral burst which then settles into a sweeter musk that is really nice. 

What Peter has to say about his latest scent 

"Mysterious Girl is my favourite Fragrance to date ­ I've been developing this for over a year. I will be travelling around the country doing perfume signings and meeting my fans, I can't wait to hear what they think. I hope people enjoy this Fragrance as much as I enjoyed developing it for them."

The top notes are Rose, peach, leafy green. Heart notes of Lemon Blossom, Jasmine, Waterlily and Orange Flower. And the base notes are Heliotropin, Vanilla, Amber, Sandalwood and musk.

It's the kind of perfume I see a lot different woman wearing, and one I have been sporting the last 2 days non-stop happily sprinkling myself with more of its lovely floral scent. I am a fan. 

You can buy this from The Perfume Shop with prices starting at £19.50 for 50ml