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*

New Year, New Habits

New year, new me? I don't really like that saying very much, purely because I'm not the one thats changing, I'm still me. Its the things I do in my daily life that I want to change and/or switch up. Thats why I came up with 'new year, new habits'. I've compiled a small list of 'habits', if you will, that I want to try and integrate into my day to day life this year. Lets just hope I'm able to stick to them! 

READ BEFORE BED

I've specifically put 'read before bed', purely because it gives me a time and place to actually sit down and read. I used to love reading, and as I got older I just sort of stopped. I want to try and read fiction and non-fiction in equal parts, as I enjoy both. Especially with being a uni student now, I need to be picking up all the books I can!

GO TO THE GYM TWO-THREE TIMES A WEEK

I have officially rejoined the gym. I've been twice this past week, which I feel is already a great achievement haha. I desperately want to get my fitness levels up, because I'm pretty sure my lack of exercise is why I feel tired and gross most of the time. Listening to music at the gym definitely helps to keep me motivated as well, and I couldn't recommend the Sudio Sweden Tre Pink Earphones* enough. They're bluetooth headphones, which means you don't have to connect them to your phone. I find this so convenient for the gym, as theres no wire getting in your way when you're using the equipment. 

DON'T SNOOZE THE ALARM

I am very guilty of this. I will keep snoozing my alarm until its literally 10 minutes before I need to leave the house. This is never good, as it doesn't set me up for the day very well. It means I don't have time to do my hair and makeup properly, which inevitably makes me feel worse off as the day goes on. So, heres to getting up the first time my alarm goes off. 

Soooooo, there we have my lil list of new habits I hope to incorporate into my daily life this year!

- Lucy

- This post was in collaboration with Sudio Sweden, however all thoughts & opinions are my own -

Skinny Tan Salon Effects Spray

If I'm ever going to use fake tan, I'll always turn to Skinny Tan products. Mostly because I trust them, and they always give pretty good results, unlike some cheaper self tanning products out there. Recently, I tried out their Salon Effects Spray*, and I thought I'd share how I got on with it!

I'm not someone who fake tans often, mostly because I'm lazy haha. However, when I do get round to doing it, I always wonder why I don't do it more often since I'm so pale. I'm a big fan of the Skinny Tan Express Mousse, so I was intrigued to see the spray compared. I was a bit skeptical as this is a spray tan, and I'm not sure how I feel about that compared to a mousse. After trying it, I can confirm I still prefer using a mousse formula as it can be quite tricky to get everywhere using a spray. Also, I felt like I needed a breathe of fresh air by the time I was done, due to the fact its in an aerosol can. Actually spraying it onto my skin wasn't the overly pleasant either, because it was really cold. Once it was on though, I got my tanning mitt and blended it in, and it didn't look too bad. 

So I've established that spray tan isn't my cup of tea, but the results from this were pretty nice. It does say on the bottle that no shower is required, and that you can just spray this on and you're good to go. However, I don't like my tan to be too dark, so I applied this in the evening and had a shower the next morning just to take the edge off. Once I'd done this, I much preferred the way it looked, as it gave a more subtle bronzed look. 

I wanted this product to be quicker and easier than it was, but despite that I still liked the results I got. If you're a fan of spray tans, I'd recommend giving this a try!

- Lucy

PR Samples/Gifted Items*

New Additions To My Makeup Collection

Over the Christmas period I received a few makeup items, and also bought a few bits for myself and I realised I hadn't talked about any of them yet. So, heres a few new additions to my makeup collection!

Very late on the bandwagon with this one, but I'm so happy to finally have it in my collection. The Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop. This is insanely pigmented, so you only need a small amount on your brush, so this is gonna last me a while. As the name suggests, its a gorgeous champagne gold that looks absolutely stunning on the cheekbones. I'm well and truly obsessed with this right now. Another high end product to make its way into my collection (to much expense), is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation. I really needed a new foundation, and instead of repurchasing my trusty Bourjois Healthy Mix, I decided to splash out and give this a try. For the price tag attached, I expected great things from this foundation and I wasn't disappointed. This is full coverage, which I love as I have oily/blemish prone skin. Although I do have dry patches around my nose, and it doesn't seem to cling to that either so I'm really impressed so far.

Even though I have way too many nail polishes, I decided to buy another one haha. In my defence, it was way too pretty to leave on the shelf. Its one of Barry M's Gelly Polishes in Acai Smoothie. I've been after a muted pink/mauve shade for a while, but wasn't quite willing to spend £7+ on an Essie shade, so I settled for this. I'm yet to try it out, but Barry M are usually spot on with their nail polishes! Getting away from the nails, and onto the lips. My incredible best friend Fran bought me Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Bond Girl, for Christmas. I adore CT lipsticks and everything about them, so I was super happy to receive this (thanks again Fran)! Its so perfect for this time of year, and I'm sure I'll continue to wear it into Spring and Summer too!

Finally, something which I received for my birthday back in September but have never mentioned. Its one of the Morphe Pressed Pigments in Gossip Gurl. I usually stick to eyeshadow palettes, but I was so intregued by the single pressed pigments Morphe had to offer. I opted for this shade, as its a little different to what I usually go for. Its a lovely shimmery, light cranberry shade that is great as a one wash shadow. And of course, the pigment is amazing, as always for Morphe. 

- Lucy

Jaclyn Hill X Morphe Palette

I am so happy to be sitting here, writing this post. When I first set eyes on this palette, I knew I had to own it. I mean, look at it! I must admit though, I'm not a loyal viewer of Jaclyn Hill's videos, but she always smashes the collab's she does with brands, and this is no exception. 

So, this is the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Eyeshadow Palette. Morphe eyeshadow palettes are some of the best out there in my opinion, especially for the price point. Given, this is a little bit more expensive, coming in at just under £40, but for 35 shades you can't really complain. I absolutely love the diversity of the shades in this palette, which is why it appealed to me so much in the first place. I never wear blue eyeshadow but the turquoise shade in the bottom left corner spoke to me for some reason. So much so, I decided to find a tutorial and recreate the look. I followed this tutorial if you're interested in recreating it for yourself!

Every shadow in this palette is immensely pigmented, as Morphe shadows always are. As I mentioned, the shade range is brilliant. Its a palette that works for day time and night time looks, very versatile. You can make a very natural look out of these shades, or glam it up and do a bold look. I feel like if you don't already own many eyeshadow palettes, this would be perfect to have in your stash as you wouldn't really need to rely on any other palette. Obviously, the makeup addict I am, this is probably the 14th eyeshadow palette I own, but I couldn't resist.

So this gets a huge thumbs up from me, I take my hat off to Jaclyn for creating such a perfect palette with so many gorgeous shades and some super sleek packaging too. If you haven't got your hands on this yet, I would highly recommend!

- Lucy

5 Goals For 2018

Its a bit of a tradition now that I write down a few goals for the year ahead. I don't particularly like new years resolutions, but I don't think setting out a few goals for the year can hurt. So, here are 5 goals for 2018!

01. Carry on tackling my anxiety

As I've previously mentioned on here before, I suffer with anxiety. More specifically, panic disorder and emetophobia (the fear of sick). I've struggled immensely with this for three years now, and I want 2018 to be the year I see a serious improvement. I know I can do it, I am capable and I will be in a better place come 2019.

02. Start eating a more balanced diet

I know nearly everyone says how they want to eat healthier in the new year, but I'm tryna be serious about this one. Its time I got my shit together, and started eating a more balanced diet instead of living off sugary foods. I'm going to try and make my lunch before I go to bed each night, so its all prepared for the next day, and just make some more sensible choices in general when it comes to eating.

03. Continue to grow Forever September

I absolutely adore having this little space on the internet, and I'm so grateful for the people I've met through blogging and the support I get on my posts. I'd love to post more regularly again, as I started to slack at the end of 2017. I want to improve my photography, writing style and just progress in general with my blog.

04. Educate myself more

Even though I'm at university now, I'm only studying one subject and thats photography. Obviously, I'm learning so much about the subject and I'm really enjoying it, but I'd love to educate myself on other things in life. Whether thats through watching more movies, listening to a wider variety of music or reading up on things I'm not familiar with.

05. Complete my 1 second a day
This year I've decided to challenge myself and film 1 second of my day, everyday. I think I saw Zoella doing this first and really liked the idea. I then watched a few others post their 2017 videos, showing one second of their day, every day. Its such a nice idea, and you get to see your own progression and adventures as the year goes by.

What are your goals for 2018?

- Lucy

TV And Music Favourites Of 2017

Both music and TV shows play a big part in my life, so I thought I'd share my favourites of the past year. Not all of these were necessarily released this year, but just things I've discovered in 2017. Enjoy!

TV SHOWS

Stranger Things

I was late to the party with Stranger Things, I just never got round to watching it. However, when I heard that a second series was coming out, I knew I had to catch up. I was totally hooked by it all, and honestly I think its the best things I've ever watched. Steve Harrington's character development is the best thing about it in my opinion, but if you haven't watched it, I'll leave that up to you to decide!

Riverdale

Riverdale was released at the beginning of 2017, and I really enjoyed the first season. Every episode left on a cliff hanger, and I was so excited to watch the next episode. Season 2 started recently, which isn't as great as the first but still enjoyable. Worth a watch!

Rupauls Drag Race

2017 was the year I finally got into Rupauls Drag Race. Honestly, one of the best shows out there. Its such lighthearted fun, yet so serious at the same time haha. Season 6 has to be my favourite, purely because it has Bianca Del Rio, and Adore Delano, two of my favourite queens. If you haven't watched this, I highly recommend!

How I Met Your Mother

Another show I'm late to the party with, but its so good. I'm still making my way through the nine series show, but slowly getting there with it. Its so easy to watch, as each episode is 20 minutes long. I feel so invested in all the character's lives already, and I'll be sad when I finish the whole thing I'm sure.

MUSIC

Funk Wave Bounce Vol.1 by Calvin Harris

This was probably my most listened to album of 2017. Its what I played pretty much the entirety of the summer, as its just such a feel good album. My favourite songs have to be 'Heatstroke' and 'Holiday'. 

This Old Dog by Mac DeMarco

Quite the opposite of the previous album I mentioned, but I really got into Mac DeMarco this year (I blame uni for this). This album is the most chill thing ever, and its such easy listening. My favourite songs from this album are, 'Still Beating' and 'On the Level'. 

After Laughter by Paramore

I was never much of a Paramore fan, but when they dropped their latest album I was keen to give it a listen. Safe to say, I love it. Its got a nice electric pop feel to it, which is probably why I love it so much. My favourite songs from this one are, 'Hard Times' and 'Told you So'. 

Starboy by The Weeknd

I know this album came out last year, but I wasn't that fussed by it when it was first released. For some reason, I really got into The Weeknd this year, and have had this album on repeat the entire year pretty much. My favourite songs from this are definitely, 'Secrets', 'True Colours' and 'A Lonely Night'.

Alongside these albums, I've loved so many singles as well. Dua Lipa's New Rules was a firm favourite (wasn't it for everyone)?! Perfect by Ed Sheeran was also a song that was on repeat for me. 

What were your TV/music favourites of 2017?

- Lucy