The 3 Step Skincare Routine You Need In Your Life

I know I've only recently done a skincare related post but to be honest, skincare is my weakness and I probably enjoy it more than makeup. I was kindly sent some products by Green People to test out and I've been soo impressed with them. This is their Organic Young collection, which is aimed at teenage/young adult skin which suits me perfectly. 

So the three products I've been testing are the OY! Clear Skin Foaming Face Wash*, the OY! Clear Skin Purifying Serum* and the OY! Clear Skin Cleansing Moisturiser*. So first things first, cleanser. I haven't used a foaming cleanser in what seems like years now so I couldn't remember what to expect. As its a foam formula, it feels very lightweight when applied to the skin and feels very gentle when massaged in. It has quite a strong tea tree scent which I personally like a lot. Every time I use this my skin feels squeaky clean afterwards and honestly, I think this with a combination of the other two products, is what has kept my skin clear.

After I've popped a bit of toner on, I then go in with the purifying serum*. This has what I can only describe as a jelly like consistency. You don't need much of this, about a pea sized and you're good to go. This feels very soothing and sinks in quickly, which is always a plus with serum. I feel like it's the perfect serum for the summer months because it feels so cooling. The last thing in the trio is the cleansing moisturiser*. I've been on the hunt for a new moisturiser for ages now and I think I've finally found a holy grail. This is a lightweight moisturiser and it smells incredible, I think that's to do with the mandarin extract. Similarly to the serum, this sinks into the skin quickly and feels very refreshing. 

In all honesty, I think I have this trio to thank for my skin being so well behaved recently. I have a combination skin type with quite an oily t-zone and using all of these has really helped to control the excess oil I experience. I'm definitely going to continue using all three of these in my skincare routine and hope my skin stays well behaved!

- Lucy

PR Samples/Gifted Items*

May To Do List

I can't believe we're in May already, 2018 is going ridiculously fast - I can't keep up! I thought I'd start posting a 'to-do list' for every month, because then at least I have some goals to work towards. Not saying that they'll all get done, but I can at least try.

01. COMPLETE AT LEAST 3 SHOOTS

Seeing as I've finished uni for the year, I really want to do more shoots for people. I was lucky enough to photograph the beautiful Elena on Friday and I'm so happy with how the images came out. The just leaves me with two more to do this month, which I think I can do!

02. HAVE A MAKEUP CLEAR OUT

Since spring has well and truly sprung, I've been doing quite a lot of clearing out recently. I decided the other day to buy some new bits and update my desk area and make it more 'minimalist'. So, I kind of want to carry this 'minimalist' theme through to my makeup collection. I have so much stuff I don't use that needs to be chucked away,  just gotta make the effort to do it. 

03. BUY A BASKET BAG

I mean, I've spent enough money this month as it is (oops) but I saw the most gorgeous round basket bag in Miss Selfridge and decided I need one. Although I can't find that one online *cry*, so I hope they still have it in store! If not I've been eyeing up this ASOS one and this Topshop one.

04. FINISH READING 'HOW TO STOP TIME'

I can't remember the last time I actually finished a book, which is soo bad. I've started reading How To Stop Time by Matt Haig and so far I'm really enjoying it. I'd love to be able to finish it by the end of the month.

05. RUN AT LEAST ONE 5K

I signed up to my local park run a couple of weeks ago, I just need to turn up to it (lol). I'm so unfit its unreal and I don't even go to the gym anymore, so I think this would be a good start to get back into the whole fitness thing (wish me luck). 

What are your goals for May?

- Lucy

First Year At Uni: My Experience

And just like that, it's all over. I can't believe I've come to the end of my first year at university, its gone so quickly! Throughout school and sixth form I never wanted to go to uni and was convinced that I'd do anything but a degree, so it's crazy that I'm now at this point in my life.

I haven't really done the whole university thing the way you'd imagine it. I don't live in halls, nor do I spend my nights getting drunk at the SU or going clubbing. I actually still live at home with my family and spend most my nights watching RuPaul's Drag Race with my boyfriend, which suits me down to the ground. So its safe to say my uni experience has been a bit different to others out there.

For a bit of context, I'm studying photography at a university that's literally 20 minutes from my family home. The reason I didn't choose to go to university further afield is due to my anxiety. It's best for me to live at home and commute in every day (or not every day as the year went on). So that's that and I'm happy I'm not doing university the conventional way. So let's talk about how I've found the course and general day to day uni life over the past 8 months.

I chose to study photography because honestly, I've loved it for as long as I can remember. I'm not very academic and hate exams so it made sense to do a creative degree. I also fell in love with the facilities the uni I go to has to offer, there's just so much creative freedom. We had four different units to complete this year and a lot of work had to go into each and every one of them. I won't go into detail about what each one was because we'd be here for hours. But each unit taught me something different and looking back, I've learnt so much. I now know how to use a medium and large format camera and I've even become super confident in using a 35mm camera as well. I know how to work with both black & white and colour negatives and how to print in the darkrooms, which is really fun.

Although I've learnt all this new stuff, I definitely could have put more effort into my unit workbooks/final outcomes. I am the queen of procrastination and will avoid doing work at all costs. So the amount of time I spent scrolling through Instagram or watching Youtube videos could have been spent doing actual work, but hopefully, the motivation will pick up next year (who am I kidding)?!

I was worried at the beginning that I wouldn't make any friends as I didn't live in halls, but I did try to make an effort to talk to people on my course. Luckily everyone's really nice and obviously, we have stuff in common or else we wouldn't all be on the same course. However, I have made one really good friend, Sarah. Who actually has a blog as well and has written about her first year at uni experience, which you can read here. I think I'll wrap this up now because I'm fully aware I've been rambling on, haha!

What was your first year at uni like?

- Lucy

Lush Haul

I've spoken about Lush products on this blog quite a lot over the years, but it occurred to me the other day that I've never written a whole post dedicated to the brand. So, here we are with a Lush haul! 

A few weeks ago I popped into my local Lush with the intention of buying a fair few bits (my student loan had just dropped) and that's exactly what happened. I think I'm going to talk through everything in the order I picked it up in. Sooooo, the first thing that caught my attention was the Bunny Moon Jelly Face Mask. I've always been intrigued by their jelly masks as they're so different from their fresh face masks. I have combination/spot prone skin and was told this was probably the best mask to go for as it has honey in which works as an antiseptic, rose oil which helps to soothe and chamomile which calms the skin. The rose oil is really prominent, so if you're a rose fan you'll love the smell of this mask. I do find this helps calm my skin down and it's always nice to use just before going to bed.

The second mask I picked up was the famous Cup O' Coffee. I decided I needed this in my life when Gem mentioned it in one of her recent blog posts. Because I have a combination skin type, I tend to get really dry patches around my nose and sometimes on areas of my cheeks. This is the perfect exfoliation mask and smells absolutely incredible; that is if you like coffee of course haha. Let's step away from skincare for the moment, and onto haircare.  

At the beginning of the month, I got my hair diiiid, which involved a lot of bleach. Everyone knows what bleach means, dry hair. Consequently, I was on the hunt for products that'd give my hair a bit of moisture. I'd seen a few people talk about the hot oil treatments and wanted to see what they were all about. I decided to pick up the Marilyn Hot Oil Treatment, as its targetted towards blondes. I'm yet to try this but it smells amazing and I can imagine it being so nourishing! The other haircare product I picked up was a pot of H'Suan Wen Hua. Now, this really is all about nourishing and giving your hair a boost of moisture. It has quite a strong scent which I can't tell whether I love or hate...its an odd one. Kinda smells like chai latte, kinda smells like a gone off cinnamon biscuit?! Anywho, I can get past this because my hair has never felt so soft! 

Last but by no means least, Dirty Shaving Cream. I'm aware this is aimed more towards men, but I absolutely love the 'dirty' scent, its one of my faves. Shaving cream is shaving cream right?! So I now use this when shaving my legs and it works wonders. I'm sometimes prone to shaving rash but this stops that in its tracks and works well to soothe my legs. 

What's your favourite Lush product?

- Lucy 

My Current Skincare Routine

Over the past couple of months, I've been switching up my skincare routine and trying out some new products, so I thought I'd share my thoughts. So, to take my makeup off initially, I use the Garnier Micellar Water, which I've been using for a couple of years now. It does such a great job and doesn't irritate my skin at all. After that, I go in with my trusty Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. I am obsessed with this stuff as it feels so gentle and has such a gorgeous subtle rose scent, which I'm sure so many of you are familiar with. My skin seems to love this cleanser so I think it's going to be a staple in my routine from now on!

After cleansing, I like to go in with a toner. When I was in London a couple of months ago, I popped into The Ordinary pop up shop in Shoreditch. I'd heard great reviews about their Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, so I decided to pick it up. Plus it was only £6.75, so I couldn't really go wrong. I just pour a little bit of this onto a small cotton pad and gently wipe it all over my face. It's incredible at removing any excess makeup/dirt from the day, even if it does sting a tiny bit sometimes. At this point, I usually clean my teeth whilst waiting for the toner to sink into my skin properly.

Once that's settled into my skin, its serum time. The one I've been using for a while now is the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum*. I've loved using this in the warmer weather as well, as it just feels so cooling on the skin. Although I have a combination/oily skin type, it's also a bit dehydrated so this really helps to fix that problem! Whilst this is sinking in, I also pop a bit of the Botanics Hydrating Eye Cream* on. I never used to bother with eye cream, but I suffer from quite dark circles so decided it was about time to use something on them. I haven't noticed a massive difference I must say, however it definitely calms my eyes down when they're a lil bit puffy.

Finally, a product I've been waiting to talk about on the blog for ages - the SOS Solution For Scars*. I've had my fair share of breakouts over the years and I've been left with some scarring on my cheeks/chin which, to be honest, I wish wasn't there. I've been applying this cream morning and night across the areas where most of my scarring is and I have to say I'm starting to see a subtle difference. The scars I have are quite dark/red from spots that I popped or picked at (oops) and I'm surprised at how well this has reduced the redness from them. Don't get me wrong, my scarring hasn't all gone yet but I am starting to see a difference and I'm hoping the longer I use this, the more it'll continue to fade. Another product I like to use on pesky spots is the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. This stuff really is a miracle in a bottle I'm telling ya! Whenever I have a breakout or the odd under the skin spot, I'll pop some of this on and overnight the spots are visibly reduced - it's amazing!

Sorry that this post was so rambly, I just love talking about skincare and it always intregues me to know what other people use in their routine. If you have any recommendations for combination skin I'm all ears.

- Lucy

PR Samples/Gifted Items*

You May Delay, But Time Will Not

It's that time of year again, yes exam season. Luckily for me, I won't be sitting in a hall staring at an exam paper this year (praise the lord), but I do have deadlines and various projects to be getting on with. I like to try and be as organised as possible, especially at this time of year, so I thought I'd share a few goodies I got to pick out from the Old English Company. 

Let's start with the smaller bits and pieces, shall we? Since we're made to wear our student IDs at uni now, I thought these pin badges would look so cute attached to my lanyard and jazz it up a bit. The first one I chose was their Buy Me Pizza Enamel Pin*. The full thing actually says, 'buy me pizza and tell me I'm pretty', which to be honest sums me up well. The second one I spotted was the Love Avocado Enamel Pin*. I know how much of a cliché avocado has become, but I honestly love it. Avocado on a bagel is literally one of my fave things to eat, so I knew I had to own this lil pin to show my love for them haha! Alongside the two pin badges, I decided to pick up this gorgeous Monstera Leaf Keyring* to pop on my car keys. I definitely already have way too many keyrings weighing down my poor car keys, but I couldn't resist this. It's actually quite lightweight, so hopefully, it won't make much of a difference when added to the abundance of keyrings I already have. 

As I'm doing a photography degree, I always seem to have rolls of film that need developing or SD cards that I need to carry around. So, I picked up this super cute Hot Mess Makeup Pouch* to keep them all in. I just love that it says 'hot mess' on it because I mean...I can relate, haaa. Okay so onto the less frivolous items, the more organisational bits and pieces. The first thing I spotted and knew I needed in my life was the Brush Stroke Weekly Agenda Notepad*. I will literally buy anything and everything that gives me the illusion that I have my life together. But seriously, this is actually really helpful as I can see what I've got to do for the week and it makes it seem more manageable. Something else to help me out is the Motivational 2018 Desktop Calendar*. I usually just use the calendar on my phone, but it's quite nice to have a physical one sitting on my desk to have a look at. Also, each month holds a motivational quote which is super cute! The final 'organisational' item I picked up was the You May Delay Notebook*. I'm a sucker for a good notebook and I own way too many, to be honest.  I love this quote because again, it sums me up so well - I am the queen of procrastination. Finally, I picked up this sweet lil' Love Heart Card* which I'm sure will come in handy for an occasion of some sort!

- Lucy

- Post in collaboration with Old English Company -

Travelling Abroad As An Emetophobic

First and foremost I want to include a trigger warning, this post will be talking about issues surrounding emetophobia. Travelling abroad (or anywhere for that matter), can be such a strain on mental health. It's made even worse if you suffer from a mental illness and can make you feel uneasy. I suffer from emetophobia (fear of sick), which causes me to have intrusive thoughts and severe panic attacks. Its safe to say I was pretty anxious about travelling abroad, but I was also determined to not let my emetophobia take over my mind and ruin my holiday. So here we have a few things I put in place to help manage my anxiety whilst away.

TAKE ANTI-SICKNESS TABLETS / ANTACIDS

A few months ago I went to my doctor and asked if there was anything else that could be done to help me manage my emetophobia and she prescribed me anti-sickness tablets. Even though I don't necessarily need them, they really help to act as a safety blanket for me. I decided to take one of these most mornings, so I was set for the day and hopefully feel no nausea whatsoever. I must say this really helped me out, whether it was a placebo or not it put me at ease and made me feel safe. Alongside the anti-sickness tablets, I took some antacids with me because anxiety can cause acid reflux/heartburn (as gross as it sounds). But again, if you feel that coming on, you just have to take one of these and hopefully, you'll be good to go!

WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE

This is actually a title of a mindfulness book, that I'd highly recommend. This was a statement I was constantly telling myself whilst I was away. Wherever you go, there you are. There's nothing you can do about the situation you're in, once you're somewhere, that's it, what can be done. So I tried my best to live in the moment and not even think 5 minutes into the future and just live in the now. It takes a lot of practice to do this, but its definitely a technique I've found very helpful.

USE TRAVEL SICKNESS BANDS

Something I found out through watching Lily Pebbles Instagram stories when she was away in Miami. I don't suffer from travel sickness myself, but my emetophobia likes to convince me that I do. These wristbands work by exerting pressure on the acupuncture point P6, by the means of a plastic button. I don't know much about acupuncture, but I'm always willing to try out methods of reducing any nausea that doesn't involve medication. I wore these on the plane, again mostly as a safety blanket and to put my mind at ease. 

I know that these three things aren't necessarily the answer to solving emetophobia, but they really did help me to keep calm for the entirety of the trip. I'd love to hear any other ways you keep your anxiety at bay when you're travelling!

- Lucy  

My Go-To Spring Outfit

I know the weather in these photos doesn't really scream spring. Sadly we still haven't had much in the way of sun in England, but fingers crossed next week is a lil bit warmer! Anywhoooo, I thought I'd share one of my go-to outfits for springtime, when it's not too hot but not too cold either. You know the in between weather when you don't need a coat but you still need something?! 

I think we should start with the 'statement' piece of the outfit. This is the Rust Button Up Cardigan* from Tobi and I looove it. It's come out slightly more orange in these photos than it is in real life but it still stands as a bit of a statement against the blues/blacks. I decided to pair this with a plain black tshirt from Zara, which only cost me a couple of quid. I've also been obsessed with Mom jeans lately, and I recently picked up this pair from Topshop. Although they're on the pricey side, they're so comfy and last a really long time in comparison to the Joni or Jamie jeans. 

I also popped on my favourite Topshop Western Belt, and I really like the way this stands out with the cropped tshirt and coloured cardi! Finally, there's no surprise here that I've chosen to wear my trusty Converse. I just absolutely love the way these look with rolled up Mom jeans, I feel like there's something quite retro about it? 

This cardigan is going to be so good transitioning into autumn as well, especially with the rust colour that it is! 

- Lucy

96 Hours In Berlin

So, myself and my boyfriend booked a trip to Berlin back in January and the time to fly out there finally arrived. I'm so excited to be writing this post. I got back last night (as I'm writing this on Friday), and honestly, I'm so sad that I'm back in the UK. I had such an amazing four days exploring Berlin and eating all the yummy food, I can't wait to go back already. So here's what we got up to in the time we spent in Berlin.

DAY ONE

Day one of the trip included a very early start of 4am, to catch a 7:15 flight. Although I was tired af, it was worth it as we got to spend the whole day in Berlin. We checked into our hotel and swiftly went for a little explore. Obviously not knowing Germany very well, we weren't aware of the fact that pretty much everything's shut on bank holidays, so we were kind of limited on what we could do. However, the zoo was open so we decided to have a wander around that. It was quite busy, probably because there wasn't much else to do haha. After we'd finished there, we decided to wander further afield and headed towards the Tiergarten. 

We walked through part of that, which is essentially a big park. After walking through part of the Tiergarten, we saw the Berlin Victory Column. I really don't know much about this, other than it was built between 1864-1873. From there, we decided to carry on walking towards Brandenberg Gate. It's a very long stretch of road from the Victory Column to Brandenberg Gate, but there are a few sites to see on the way. One of which was the Soviet War Memorial, which was very grand. Just on from this was (finally) the Brandenberg Gate, which was stunning. As we were walking back towards our hotel, we decided to have a look at the Reichstag Building, which was pretty much just next to the Brandenberg Gate. The Reichstag Building is the current home of the German parliament and has a lot of history behind it. The grounds are really nice as well, which I'm sure would be perfect for picnics in the summer. So that was our very busy first day in Berlin, but we managed to see so much!

DAY TWO

The first thing we did on the second day, was head towards the Art Of Banksy exhibition, in Bikini Berlin. It was quite pricey but worth seeing for sure. After this, we decided to use the U-Bahn (the underground) to get around, which was surprisingly much easier than I imagined. The first place we headed was towards the centre of Berlin, and more specifically Checkpoint Charlie. This wasn't too much of a walk from the tube station, and the sun was shining so we were happy. I must say, Checkpoint Charlie isn't the most exciting tourist attraction in the world, as obviously it's been built around over the years. However, it was still really interesting to see where the Berlin Wall crossing point was. 

From there, we decided to go and see what was left of the Berlin Wall. We hopped back on the U-Bahn and headed towards the East Side Gallery. This is where the remainder of the wall is left, and all the way along it, artists have painted murals on it. This was pretty cool to see, as there was such a variety of artwork, a lot of which had a political message behind it. Once we had seen the most part of the wall (and had a well-deserved rest in the sunshine), we headed back on the U-Bahn towards the Ritter Sport shop. I love Ritter Sport chocolate, so this was far too exciting for me haha. I picked up 4 bars, but honestly, I could have bought the whole shop, there were so many yummy flavours. After we'd finished there we decided it was time to head back to the hotel and call it a day. Although we did go to Spreegold for dinner, which was incredible. I posted a photo of what I had on my Instagram, so if you want to see that you can follow me here. 

DAY THREE

Day three started with the usual breakfast at Spreegold, and then we made the short trip to the Olympic Stadium. The weather on the third day was by far the best, and it reached 20 degrees! This was perfect for walking around the Olympic stadium, and it made it look 10x prettier. It was built for the 1936 Summer Olympics and has had so many events held there since. The architecture is incredibly beautiful and they've kept a lot of the original features, which is so nice to see. After we'd looked around the stadium, we headed towards the Memorial of the Murdered Jews. This is a memorial, that consists of hundreds of concrete blocks, the commemorate the murdered Jews during the war. The meaning of it is open to interpretation, but most people say it looks like a crematorium, which I have to agree with. After this, we decided to go and get a pretzel and sit and enjoy the sun. There was a seating area in the of the roads leading up towards Brandenberg Gate so that's where we sat and enjoyed our food for a bit. 

After that, we decided to get an ice cream and go for another wander. This quickly turned into a small shopping trip, which I wasn't complaining about haha. We saw signs for The Mall of Berlin, so we decided to try and find that. Although it's a huge shopping mall, it was quite underwhelming in my opinion. Maybe that's because there weren't the shops I was used to from back home, but it was still cool to look around. We then walked back to where we started and went to Vapiano's for dinner, which was so different to anything I'm used to. You have to go up and order your own food, you then get a pager and it buzzes when your foods ready, so you have to go and collect it. Basically, it's a self-service resturant, and the pizza I had was delicious. 

DAY FOUR

Our last day in the beautiful city of Berlin. We had our last breakfast at Spreegold (sigh) and then headed towards the Museum of Photography. As a photography student, this was a must for me as I do love a good gallery (lol, how old am I)?! Although we had to pay 10 euros each to get in, it was pretty good. There were three exhibitions on, the main one focusing on Helmut Newton. It took us just over an hour to wander around, and I thought it was pretty good. 

After that, we had another little walk around Bikini Berlin which was a smaller shopping centre right by our hotel. There were some really cute shops there and they even had some pop-up shops, including one called 'little beauty box', which was right up my street. We also walked around some of the outside shops, but by this point we were both quite tired. So a lot of the time was spent sitting in coffee shops, eating bread/cake haha. Then it was time to head to the airport for our flight back. 

Overall, I had the most incredible time exploring Berlin and I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else (thanks Dan). I'll definitely be back one day, and hopefully be back to explore other parts of Germany too. 

- Lucy

The Perfect Prep And Prime Products

When I first got into makeup, I had no idea about primers, or anything products that help to prep your face for makeup. Fast forward a few years and I couldn't live without them. I have combination/oily skin, so makeup doesn't always sit well on my skin, but with these products thats not a problem for me.

I never understood why people would put moisturiser on straight before makeup, I couldn't see how that'd help. However, that was before I tried out the Glossier Priming Moisturiser. This is a super lightweight moisturiser, that sinks into the skin quickly and makes for a great base before applying makeup. Another primer I have totally fallen in love with recently, is the Elf Poreless Face Primer. I neglected this for the past few months, and decided to crack it out again and oh my god am I happy I did. This gives the most flawless, smooth base for makeup and genuinely makes your face look poreless. As someone who has quite open pores (lol), I'm always looking for a product that will counteract that, and this does the job. It smells like tea tree oil as well, which is actually really refreshing. 

If I didn't use anything on my eyelids, I'm pretty sure my eyeshadow would be gone by lunchtime. So before even priming them, I pop some of the Glossier Stretch Concealer over them, as an extra base for eyeshadow. This also gives a neutral base, ready for eyeshadow. On top of that, of course I have to use my trusty Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This really helps to keep my eyeshadow from moving, and I don't think I could live without it now, one of my makeup staples! 

And finally, gotta keep those eyebrows in place as well. For this, I use the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper. I love how small the wand is, so it really picks up every hair to keep them in place throughout the day. 

What products do you use to prep and prime?

- Lucy 

Asos Spring Wish List

Spring has finally arrived, and I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this. Although we'll ignore that bit of snow we had last week shall we? I can finally look forward to more sunshine  (fingers crossed), and lighter evenings. The fact spring is on its way, also gives me an excuse to start buying new clothes. So I've put together a small asos wish list of a few bits I spotted that I think would be perfect for the upcoming spring!

Theres quite the mix of yellow, pink, red and monochrome here I must admit haha. Yellow seems to be making quite a big appearance this season, which I'm so happy about because its one of my favourite colours to wear. The same goes for pink to be honest. I'm also loving all the patterned pieces brands are bringing out, especially the small floral tea dresses/tops. 

What's on your spring wish list?

- Lucy  

The Ordinary Serum And Coverage Foundation

Back at it again with the beauty post, ayyy. Today I've decided to chat about The Ordinary Serum and coverage foundation's, their differences and if I think they're any good. The only thing I'd tried out from The Ordinary before, was their Hyaluronic Acid Serum, which I really liked, so I had high hopes for both their foundations.

Let's start off with the serum foundation shall we? This is the lighter coverage out of the two, and has a very watery consistency, as the name would suggest. I've tried applying this with both a beauty blender and foundation brush, and I found the two give very different results. When using the beauty blender, this gives a super light/sheer coverage, so if you were looking for that then I'd recommend using a beauty blender to apply it. However, if you prefer a light/medium coverage for your foundation, then I'd recommend blending it out with a foundation brush. This definitely gives you the chance to build up the foundation more, to give a medium coverage. As for how it sits throughout the day...well pretty damn well. Its still very much on my face by the end of the day, which I was quite pleased to see, considering its literally £5!

Onto the coverage foundation. I think this is probably my favourite of the two, but thats because I prefer a lil bit more coverage because of my troublesome skin. Again, I've applied this with both a beauty blender and foundation brush and the results vary. With a beauty blender you get a medium/full coverage, but with a foundation brush it really is proper full coverage. If I'm going out in the evening or prefer a higher coverage, I'll definitely go with the foundation brush option. But for every day wear, applying with a beauty blender is perfect.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with both of these - especially for the price. Although if I were to purchase them again, I'd certainly get a lighter colour as the lady in the shop definitely colour matched me wrong. But I'm hoping these will look a bit better in the summer months when I have a bit of a tan.

Have you ever tried The Ordinary foundations?

- Lucy

Benefit BadGal Bang Mascara

I feel like I'm going back to my original blogging roots by doing a single product review, haha. I haven't done a post like this in a very long time, but I felt as though this mascara deserved it. This is the very hyped up Benefit BadGal Bang Mascara. 

Benefit always go all out when they have a new launch, and the new BadGal mascara was no exception. As you probably saw, they sent a bunch of bloggers out to The Maldives...insane! Anyway, I digress. I never owned the original BadGal mascara, but I absolutely loved Roller Lash, and wasn't sure any other mascara they brought out could top it. However, this comes in very close second. 

This is advertised as a volumising mascara, but personally I see it as more lengthening. The wand is plastic, and has very thin bristles, which doesn't equal volumised lashes in my opinion. But I do feel like this is very standard for Benefit, as pretty much all of their mascara wands have plastic bristles, so continuity and all that. Saying this, the wand is really good at getting hold of all my lashes, which can be a struggle with some cheaper mascaras. 

The formula is quite wet in comparison to the likes of the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara for example. This doesn't bother me too much, as it doesn't seem to transfer onto my lids when applying, so no issue there. However, I do think that because it has quite a wet formula, the whole volumising thing fails. Nonetheless, it grips every lash and really lengthens my lashes which I love. Its also a very intense black, which is a big thumbs up from me. The real make or break with mascara for me, is panda eyes. If by the end of the day I don't have black smudges underneath my eyes from the mascara running throughout the day, its a winner. And I can confirm, this stays put all day without smudging, transferring, running or flaking away, which is what makes it such a fab mascara. Its also relatively easy to get off at the end of the day, and I don't find myself vigorously rubbing my eyes until they're sore, just to remove it. 

So overall, this is a winner for me, despite not living up to the volumising statement, I still think its a fab mascara and great new launch from Benefit.

- Lucy

Keeping It Stylish With Caseapp

I'm a sucker for anything pretty. I also low-key have an addiction to phone cases, oops. Whenever I see a nice on, I'm like 'oooo I need it', when I really don't. You can only use one at a time after all. Anyway, I digress. Caseapp got in contact with me, and I was able to pick out two items from their site and I just had to share them as they're so gorgeous!

Obviously I was drawn to the phone case section first, and I honestly spent about half an hour scrolling through all the pre-made designs, in awe of how pretty they all were. Although as soon as I stumbled across the Banana Leaf* design, I knew I had to have it. Its very blogger-esque, so I guess thats the initial reason I fell in love with the design, haha. I didn't realise I'd opted for the tough option, which means this is quite a chunky case as it protects your phone if you were to drop it. So if you're quite clumsy, I'd opt for this one but if you like to keep your phone lightweight, just go for the normal one. Alongside all of the pre-made designs you can purchase, you can also make your own custom case too!

I also chose a new laptop skin, as I had one from caseapp before and it was so good but it started looking a bit worn. This time I went for the Small Dots on Pink* because I liked how minimal it was, and also because I just love pink. Its a really pale pink, hence why it looks almost white in the photo, but still super pretty. 

If you want to pick either one of these up for yourself, (or anything from their site for that matter), I have a 20% off code that you can use when you check out, 'FOREVER20'. 

- Lucy

PR/Gifted Items*

Stepping Into Spring

I'm fully aware we had snow about a week ago, but I am soooo ready for spring to arrive already! The weather has decided to perk up just a tiny bit, but its still pretty chilly out there. Nonetheless, I've decided to share with you a transitional outfit that I've been loving!

SKIRT* / TOP (SIMILAR) / SHOES / NECKLACE / WATCH*

I find it quite funny that I'm looking mysteriously off into the distance in all of these photos, haa oops. Its obvious that I suck at outfit photos, but oh well! Anyway, the outfit itself. To me, skirts and tights are my go-to transitional picks, whether thats winter to spring or summer to autumn. This gorgeous plaid skirt* is from Tobi is definitely going to be a staple piece for me through until summer. Its a simple a-line skirt, but I find it so flattering and easy to pair with basics I already have in my wardrobe.

I also love the button down detail on the side, something about it makes it feel a bit more put together, yano? God I can't talk about fashion to save my life haha. But seriously, I'm obsessed with this and how easy it is to wear on a regular basis. As for the rest of my outfit, my trusty white long sleeve is from Pull & Bear (which I can't find online), tights are Primark (obvs) and my chelsea boots are from Deichmann.

Whats your transitional outfit picks?

- Lucy

PR/Gifted Item*

How Mental Health Can Affect Relationships

I'm aware the title of this post sounds a bit negative, almost as if I'm saying that mental health can ruin relationships, but I can assure you thats not what this post is about. As someone who has suffered with anxiety for years, I've seen first hand how mental health can affect various aspects of relationships.

I'll start off with my personal experience. I'm very lucky to have people around me that are supportive, caring and loving, such as my parents, boyfriend and friends. Even though they're very supportive, having a mental illness such as anxiety and panic disorder can take its toll. Panic attacks can not only be draining for me, but for them too. I'll often have to wake up my parents in the night because I feel like I need someone there to support me when I feel like I could pass out at any minute. It sucks because it disturbs them from sleep, and it makes me feel like such a burden. Even though I feel like I need the support, I don't always want to ask for it as I feel like I'm pulling other people into my problems.

Its also difficult when you make plans to go places, because I may be fine one day and the next I could be an anxious mess. So not only will I be feeling like an anxious wreck, but I'll feel awful for having to cancel plans or just not being myself when I am out and about. So due to all this, mental illness can put a strain on certain relationships in your life.

One thing I've found to help me out, is therapy. Whether thats online, group therapy or 1 to 1s. It gives you the chance to talk to a new face, and someone who isn't immediate family or someone you see on a daily basis. And obviously, its a professional you're speaking to, so you can get the help you need. A great place to get help is Talkspace app, which is an online therapy facility, where you're able to talk to a professional therapist via chatroom. Definitely would recommend downloading it and give it a try if you're looking for immediate help regarding your mental health. Its amazing what talking can do, and can take the strain off relationships, as you're not relying so heavily on those closest to you all the time.

So even though suffering with mental illness can affect the relationships in your life, it doesn't have to stay like that, or make a big impact. I'd highly recommend giving online therapy a go if thats something you're open to.

- Lucy

- This post is in collaboration with Talkspace -

3 On My Reading List

I used to love reading as a kid, and over the past few years I've started reading less and less. Since being at uni, reading is something thats become compulsory again, which isn't necessarily a bad thing I guess. Soo, heres three books I have on my current reading list.

#GIRLBOSS by SOPHIA AMORUSO

A popular book in the blogging community, which I've had sitting in my room for almost six months now. Its written by Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Gal. It also recently got turned into a Netflix documentary, but I'm definitely going to read the book before watching that. So basically, its about Sophia's story of becoming a girl boss and her journey in creating Nasty Gal. Should be an interesting read!

CAMERA LUCIDA by ROLAND BARTHES 

When I started uni back in September, I got given a reading list, which I'm sure most courses do. On that list was this book, Camera Lucida. I'd never heard of it before, but it sounded pretty interesting and my course leader said its a must read. I've read the first few pages, and its extremely philosophical to say the least. Lots of big, fancy words that don't necessarily need to be used (in my opinion), but make it sound much better. I'm interested to read the rest of this and see if I can even comprehend what its trying to get across, haha!

WAYS OF SEEING by JOHN BERGER

Another book off my uni reading list (soz). Buuut I'm genuinely really interested in all of these photography books, as its not something I've delved into before. This isn't even necessarily photography based either, but literally about how we see the world around us. Again, I've flicked through the first few pages of this and so far so good. Likewise with Camera Lucida, it takes your full concentration but thats okay, just gotta make sure you're in the right frame of mind haha. There's a quote from this book thats on one of the first few pages that I absolutely loved, 'When in love, the sight of the beloved has a completeness which no words and no embrace can match: a completeness which only the act of making love can temporarily accommodate'.

Whats on your current reading list?

- Lucy

Life Lately 1.0

Its actually been way too long since I just sat down and typed. I feel like I've been so distant from blogging recently, and that wasn't even intentional. So I guess today I'm just gonna sit, and talk about whats been going on in my life over the past few weeks. 

I haven't had as much motivation for blogging the past few months if I'm honest. I blame the weather. Its been so miserable and dull outside, that taking photos becomes difficult and I just feel so meh about it. I mean, I hate winter in general, so I'm extremely excited for spring to finally roll around. My anxiety hasn't been great either, as I've mentioned before I suffer with emetophobia and generalised anxiety disorder and its all just gone to shit really. Although I've had some good days amongst the bad, winter isn't a great time for my mental health either. I've definitely spent far too much time in bed, when I know full well I need to be up and about doing stuff. But I guess thats the way it goes some times, and I just have to accept that. I think its safe to say, I'm fed up with winter and can't wait for summer to arrive!

In other news, I got a tattoo on Monday and I'm so in love with it. I got it done by the lovely Katy, who is so talented at what she does and did an incredible job. I have a feeling this will be one of many more, but we'll see! The Monday before that, I saw Kendrick Lamar at the O2 with my boyfriend which was sooooooooooo good. To be honest, I didn't used to be the biggest fan of rap or R&B music, but thats definitely changed over the past 6 months or so...thanks Dan haha!

I've got quite a lot planned over the next few months, like going to Berlin, a fair few concerts and some other really exciting bits and pieces!

How's life been lately for you?

- Lucy 

Hydration Is Key

Even though I have combination/oily skin, its still quite dehydrated. I mean, this is probably down to the fact I don't drink enough water (oops), but I have a few products that really help to inject a bit of hydration back into my skin. 

I was recently sent a few bits from Wishtrend, which mainly sell Korean beauty items. I've heard so many good things about Korean beauty/skincare from other bloggers, so I was excited to try a few bits. One of the best things for hydrating the skin is definitely a good face mask. These Wishtrend Gauze Sheet Maks* are such a dream to use. I left this on for 40 minutes and let my skin soak up all the goodness, and my skin felt so hydrated, plump and soft afterwards. Loove these!

Another product thats great for hydrating, is serum. I've been trialling the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum*. I love the simplistic packaging for this, and the amount of product you get for your money. I think a lot of serum's come in a 50ml bottle or less, but this is 80ml which is fab. I've found this sinks into the skin super quickly, and leaves no residual at all. My skin literally drinks it up, which is a good sign for sure. Finally, something I'm not used to using but thats eye cream. I've been using the Botanics Organic Hydrating Eye Cream*. I don't quite know why its taken me this long to start using eye cream, but this feels so soothing after a long day. I'm not sure I've seen much of a difference in terms of my under eye bags, but that area is certainly less dry. Definitely going to continue using this, and hopefully see some results!

What products do you use for hydration?

- Lucy

PR/Gifted Items*

My Favourite Albums

Music plays such a big part in my day to day life, and I'm constantly listening to something. I wrote a while ago, mentioning my favourite songs/albums of 2017 and I really enjoyed just sitting, chatting about music. Sooo, I thought I'd share my favourite albums!

STARBOY - THE WEEKND

I honestly love The Weeknd. I never gave his music a proper chance until last year, and I can't believe I didn't do it sooner. Starboy is definitely my favourite album of his, and I don't think theres a single song on there that I dislike. The Weeknd even won a Grammy for this album, which was so well deserved. You can find all of the Grammy nominations/winners on the HMV* website. My favourites include, 'Stargirl Interlude', 'A Lonely Night' and 'Secrets'. 

THE 1975 - THE 1975

This post just wouldn't be complete without me mentioning The 1975. They're my all time favourite band, and this album feels so special to me. It doesn't matter how many times I listen to it, I never seem to get bored. My favourite songs on this are, 'Robbers', 'Heart Out' and 'Pressure'. 

THIS LIFE, VOL. 1 - COASTS

I remember discovering Coasts a couple of years ago, but they seemed to fall off my radar for a while. But they were scheduled to play at a local venue, so my boyfriend and I went along to see them and they were soooooo good! I completely fell in love with their music again, and this album has become one of my firm favourites. The best songs on this album are, 'Come On Over', 'Paradise' and 'Make It Out Alive'. 

CURRENTS - TAME IMPALA

I feel like Tame Impala are so underrated in the music world. The vibe they give off as a band is just so chilled out, and its such easy listening. Its definitely very different, and I feel like its a required taste but equally, I love them. My favourite songs on this album are, 'The Less I Know The Better', 'Cause I'm A Man' and 'Let It Happen'. 

FUNK WAVE BOUNCES VOL. 1 - CALVIN HARRIS

Another album I mentioned in my previous post, but such a good 'un. This album just screams summer to me and I love it. I don't have much to say about this album other than the fact it reminds me of summer, and thats the main reason I love it haha. My favourite songs have to be, 'Heatstroke', 'Rollin' and 'Holiday'. 

What are your all time favourite albums?

- Lucy

- This is a collaborative post, however all thoughts/opinions are my own -

Everyday Accessories

I'm not one to wear accessories all the time, but sometimes its nice to add a little something to bring an outfit together.

One thing I wear on a daily basis, is a watch. In specific, I've been loving my Henry London Richmond Watch*. Its quite a chunky piece, and it definitely makes a statement but its still perfect for everyday wear. I find it goes with pretty much all my outfits, and I love the hint of rose gold detail, I mean who wouldn't?! Henry London also have a sale on at the moment, if you pop in the code '241' when you check out, you'll get yourself some discount!

Over the past year or so, I've really got into wearing necklaces, and theres two that I wear on a regular basis. The first one, I got for my 18th birthday and thats the Anna Saccone Virgo Zodiac Necklace. I really don't know what there is to say about a necklace, other than I love it - wow, I'm a bad blogger. Buuttttt, it goes with a lot and its silver, which is definitely my preferred jewellery style. The second necklace I adore, and wear on a regular basis is my Alex Monroe Swallow Pendant Necklace. My boyfriend bought me this for Christmas, and I've worn it soo much since. Its such a dainty necklace, and I think thats why I love it so much.

What are your everyday accessories?

- Lucy

- This post was in collaboration with Henry London, however all thoughts/opinions are my -

5 Minute Makeup Menu

I'm definitely someone who would prefer 10 more minutes in bed over getting up and doing a full face of makeup. Yes, that is kinda lazy but I love my bed waay too much. So, I've managed to master the art of doing my makeup in 5 minutes, and these are the products I use to do that.

 I start off prepping my face with the Glossier Priming Moisturizer. Its super lightweight and sinks into the skin really quickly, which is perfect if you're in a rush. I then go in with the Glossier Stretch Concealer, which is great if you want a more natural look. Its a tad too dark for my skin tone, so I always go over the top with my trusty Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, which really helps to conceal and hide those under eye bags. The coverage of this concealer is so good, especially for the price as well - an all time favourite!

I feel like when I'm in a bit of a rush, I don't really have time to fill in my eyebrows properly. Sooo, I just brush the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper through them just to give them a bit more definition, and to shape them a lil bit. As for eyeshadow, when I don't have much time I like to turn to my trusty Tanya Burr Enchanted Dram Eyeshadow Palette. I pop the shade 'Cocoa Plum' all over the lid, and then 'Magic Carpet' through the outter corner and crease. This just gives a super simple, neutral eye look. Then, I curl my eyelashes and apply the Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara, and I'm good to go!

Whats your 5 minute makeup menu?

- Lucy

Winter Skincare Saviours

Its crazy how much the cold effects my skin in the winter months. I get dry patches on my face, and overall my skin seems to be a bit irritable and itchy. But, I've been using some products over the past few months to try and combat all of this!

First up, Lush Sleepy Body Lotion. This is raved about quite a lot within the blogging community, and for a good reason. This lavender scented goodness sinks into the skin quickly, and the scent lingers for ages, which if you're applying just before bed, can really help you to fall asleep. Next up, is something so useful for the winter months. The Botanics Super Balm*. You do only get a small pot of this, but a little goes a long way. This balm can be applied to any dry areas of skin, and it really helps to hydrate. I usually pop this around my nose where I get particularly dry skin, and around my ears where I'm prone to eczema.

I picked up the Zoella Winter Wonder Hand, in the boxing day sales and I've been loving it. I really like the scent of this range, its probably one of my favourites actually. This sinks into the skin really quickly, and does the job of making my hands less dry! Something I have to have with me at all times in the winter, is lip balm. The wind, rain and general cold weather makes my lips so dry. When I was ill a few weeks back, I picked up the Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm, as it was the cheapest one in Superdrug at the time. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by this. Its about as basic as a lip balm can get, but for carrying around in your handbag its perfect and keeps my lips hydrated at all times. Before bed, I've been religiously using my Frank Body Lip Balm. The consistency of this is much thicker, and I feel like it works really well as an overnight treatment for my lips. Plus, it has a subtle coffee scent which is so nice!

Lastly, something I didn't expect to be enjoying as much as I am, Nivea Soft Lotion. Granted, the packaging isn't the prettiest but this works so well at keeping dry skin at bay. Plus, its only £1 in Superdrug at the moment, absolute bargain. I first heard about this when I was watching a TV programme, where they were testing a range of moisturisers and this came out top in terms of hydrating the skin due to its high glycerin contents, which is fab due to how cheap it is.

What are your winter skincare saviours?

- Lucy

PR Samples/Gifted Items*