YSL Blonde Ingenu: Lana Del Ray's Favourite Lipstick

I love Lana Del Rey's music and of course, her beautiful makeup too! Whilst browsing through a recent issue of Closer magazine, i was surprised to see that my new YSL lipstick purchase is Lana's favourite. YSL's Rouge Pur Couture lipstick in 'Blonde Ingenu', is a beautiful nude shade and one of my most-loved. It's so unlike any of the other nude lipsticks that i have tried. It has more of a peachy-pink undertone than your typical nude lipstick, and has a satin finish which is so much more flattering than the usual matte finish. 

The formula is beautiful- it glides onto the lips so smoothly and provides great pigmentation. It makes my lips look fuller and poutier, and goes great with any makeup look. I particularly love it with my peachy-pink blushers! However, the staying power is not the best. Whilst it's longer lasting than YSL's Rouge Voluptes, it still only lasts for two hours or so on me. To improve the longevity, you can pair it with a nude lip liner- one of my favourites is by No7 in the shade '20-Nude'. The colour and finish is just so beautiful, and very unique for a nude lipstick, that i don't mind having to reapply after a few hours. 

I highly recommend this product. The colour/formula is very unique for a nude lipstick, and as a result, i think it could work on a wider range of skin-tones. It's also easier to pull off for everyday wear, than most nude lip products! Plus, if it's good enough for Lana....

Love, Claudia xo

Laduree & Hello Kitty!

I love Hello Kitty, and i love Laduree macaroons- so I'm really excited to show you these! My parents went to London yesterday, and brought me back a box of my favourite flavours. I just adore the Hello Kitty box and it looks lovely in my bedroom! I love the colour scheme of Laduree and of course, the macaroons are the best that i have ever tried. They are so yummy! My favourite flavours are raspberry and lemon. It definitely won't take me long to finish these tonight ;)

I hope you all have a lovely weekend,

Love Claudia xo

NOTD: Models Own Fuzzy Peach

Models Own 'Fuzzy Peach' is a gorgeous shade for the summer. It's one of my favourites. The bright coral shade is perfect for warmer weather and looks amazing on fingernails and toes. The colour also creates the illusion of tanned skin- even if your a little pale, this colour instantly warms the complexion, which i love! Models Own is a drugstore brand and very affordable. The colour is opaque after just two coats and surprisingly, very long-wearing. This colour lasted on my nails for five days, which is quite an achievement! 

  

Love, Claudia xo

Bioderma Dupe: La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution

This product is my new favourite makeup-remover. It does such a great job at makeup removal, and is just as good as the infamous Bioderma. Like Bioderma, La Roche-Posay is a french, pharmaceutical skincare brand, but is much easier to find than Bioderma, which most of us have to order online. La Roche-Posay, can be found easily at Boots. 

Ok, onto what the product does! It's designed to remove eye, lip and face makeup without irritating sensitive skin types. It removes makeup wonderfully- just as good as Bioderma. Both brands use 'micellar' solutions, which i have found to work the best. Within a few seconds, this product just melts away all of my face makeup. As with all makeup removers, i do recommend double-cleansing afterwards- to ensure that your pores are totally makeup free. Besides it's excellence at removing makeup, it's extremely gentle on the skin too- no stinging or dryness whatsoever. The formula is soap-free, alcohol-free, colorant and paraben free, which is great for my sensitive, acne-prone skin. I love the fact that this product is so gentle and suitable for all skin-types, yet it doesn't skimp on quality either. It can be difficult to find a product which balances these two factors, but this one certainly does. 

I highly recommend this product to anyone. It's so gentle, suitable for all skin types and works very effectively. You can find it at Boots for £11.50, which i think is great value. I have tried many high-end makeup removers (YSL, Estee Lauder etc.) and this drugstore product is far superior.

Love, Claudia xo

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks Review

I recently watched a video by one of my favourite you-tubers, Holly (click here), and she recommended the new L'Oreal Caresse Lipsticks. After trying the Revlon Lip Butters, i was really interested in seeing how they compared to L'Oreal's latest offering, especially since Holly loved them. Drugstore brands have released some great new products recently, and these are no exception.

L-R: 'Dating Coral' & 'Lovely Rose'

T-B: 'Dating Coral' & 'Lovely Rose' 

I picked up two shades: 'Dating Coral' and 'Lovely Rose'. 'Dating Coral' is, as the name suggests, a bright, coral-peach which is perfect for the summer. 'Lovely Rose' is a light, milky pink which is great for everyday wear. The formula is lovely- they are very smooth to apply, and feel hydrating on the lips. They are smoother and more moisturising than the Revlon Lip Butters, but as a result, they don't last as long. However, the formula is so lovely, that their a pleasure to reapply! The packaging is suitable for travel, and they can be applied without a mirror easily, so there are no issues in terms of re-application when they wear off. 

T-B: 'Dating Coral' & 'Lovely Rose' 

As you can see from the swatches, the pigmentation is very nice. They are more pigmented than a tinted lip balm and look much more natural than a highly-pigmented lipstick. I love these 'in-between' lip products as they are so easy to wear, and perfect for everyday, no-fuss makeup looks. The colours are free from shimmer or glitter, and provide a glossy, natural finish that doesn't require a lipgloss. Their just so easy to swipe on, and go- no lip balm, lip liner or lipgloss required!

They have a great selection of wearable shades, and for £7.99 i think that they're amazing drugstore lip products that definitely rival some of the high-end brands. I actually prefer these to the YSL Rouge Volupte's that i have tried! I highly recommend these, alongside the Revlon Lip Butters. They're great quality and great value.

Love, Claudia xo

Clothing Haul: Jack Wills and H&M

I went clothes shopping earlier this week, as i wanted to check out H&M's new Conscious Collection. Each spring i look forward to their new collections- they always have gorgeous pieces for the summer, at an affordable price. 

White Crochet Skirt £19.99 H&M

The first item that caught my attention was this gorgeous, white crochet skirt. I love crochet as it's such a timeless texture, and perfect for the summer. I like the simple design of this skirt, and i think it can be dressed up or down easily. It would look great for everyday wear with a basic tee and converse, or for the evening, a silk vest top and blazer would look great. White crochet always looks good with a tan too!

Mint Green Jumper £29.99 H&M

Next i picked up this lightweight, mint-green jumper. The on-trend colour, and light basic style is perfect for spring. This would look great worn over the top of a pastel shirt, or simply on its own. 

Lemon Lace Top £14.99 H&M Conscious Collection

I only picked up one item from the actual Conscious Collection, which is this lace vest top. I love the pastel lemon shade, the lace material, and exposed zipper at the back. I think it will go well with my mint skinny jeans and nude blazer.

Coral/Pink Lace Dress £29.99 H&M

The last item i picked up in H&M is this gorgeous pinky-coral, lace dress. My mum picked this out for me and when i tried it on, i loved it! The colour reminds me of my favourite blushers! The style and fit is very flattering- fitted and feminine. The quality is amazing and for only £30.00, i think its a fab dress for the summer. I can't wait to wear this dress! 

T-shirt £34.00 Jack Wills

I also popped into Jack Wills, as i wanted another of their basic t-shirts in a pastel colour. I chose this light, pastel pink colour with the classic Jack Wills slogan on the front. I love the preppy style, which i wear during the week for college. Abercrombie, Hollister and Jack Wills, are my two favourite brands for preppy, everyday clothes that are good quality.  

Love, Claudia xo

NOTD: Essie Ballet Slippers

Essie's Ballet Slippers is one of my go-to shades if i'm not sure what i will be wearing that day or, if i need something a little more conservative than my usual bright colours. It's a great colour that goes with everything! Yet, it isn't boring or dull either. Ballet Slippers is a pale, milky sheer pink, and one of Essie's best selling colours. I use three coats to achieve an opaque finish as the formula is very sheer. As with most of Essie's nail colours that i have tried, the formula isn't the easiest to work with. It can become a little streaky, but a good base coat and steady hands do help! I love the way it contrasts with my skin tone and it makes your nails look very clean and well-groomed. 

Next i would love to try Essie's Mint Candy Apple, which looks like a gorgeous shade- let me know if you have tried it! 

Love, Claudia xo

MAC Tres Cheek Haul: 'Immortal Flower' & 'Modern Mandarin'

I don't really follow the MAC collections any longer, but when i heard about their Tres Cheek blush collection, i had to check it out. Blush is my favourite makeup product, and MAC always release some gorgeous shades. The collection consisted of six, satin-finish blushers and i decided on two of them: Immortal Flower and Modern Mandarin.

L-R: Immortal Flower & Modern Mandarin.

I love the smooth, satin-finish of these blushers. There is no glitter or shimmer, just a gorgeous satiny sheen, that provides a natural glow of colour. The pigmentation is great and they apply/blend very easily. 

Modern Mandarin

Modern Mandarin is a bright, orange-coral shade, with a satin finish. It's not for the faint-hearted as the pigmentation is very strong. But if you use a light hand, it's a gorgeous coral shade for the spring and summer time. It would look great with a peachy-nude lipstick and a golden smokey eye! 

Immortal Flower

Immortal Flower is a much lighter shade. It's a light, peachy-pink which also has a satin finish. Although the colour is a lot lighter, it is still nicely pigmented and extremely build-able. This is the perfect everyday blush colour for spring- it gives a gorgeous natural, peachy-glow and compliments any lip or eye colour. It can also be used to tone down any bright blush colours, that you may own in your collection or simply add a glow/sheen to the apples of your cheeks on top of other blushers. It really is a very versatile blush colour. 

L-R: Modern Mandarin & Immortal Flower

As you can see from the swatches, the pigmentation is very good, even for the lighter shades. The satin finish provides a lovely glow, and looks very natural on the skin. 

MAC's Tres Cheek collection is currently online, if you want to check out their new range of blush colours. 

Love, Claudia xo

Soap & Glory Lip Balm: Juicy Peach

Soap & Glory's Lip Moisture Balms, have been in the blogger's spotlight lately and i wanted to give them a try for myself. There are three shades in total, and i chose 'Juicy Peach' which is a sheer pink-peach colour. I love the glossy, juicy finish of these balms- they give a full and healthy appearance to the lips which i always love for the summer. They also moisturise the lips very nicely which must be down to the extracts of mango and apricot butter, and lingonberry oil.  Although they are very hydrating, the texture still remains light and non-sticky/greasy. Plus it smells amazing! The scent is very nice- it tastes and smells just like peaches! 

Juicy Peach

The packaging is very girly and cute, as are most of Soap & Glory's products. The only possible drawback with this product, could be the tin design. Tin lip balms are not always the most convenient to reapply on-the-go, as you do have to use your fingers to apply the product which can be messy and unhygienic. However, this is only a minor problem, and the product inside is so lovely that it's not too much of an issue.  

Juicy Peach

I highly recommend these for an inexpensive, everyday lip balm which basically do everything- hydrate lips, provide a glossy wash of colour and smell amazing! They are so much better than your typical pot of Vaseline. You can find these at Boots for £5.00 and at the moment, they're holding a 3 for 2 offer which is a great excuse to try a few!

Love, Claudia xo

Feeling Blue: Nail Polish Haul

Whilst i'm still loving my pastel nail colours, i have started to develop a new love for blue nail polish! I recently purchased a variety of blue shades from Dior, Nails Inc. and Chanel. 

Although they all belong to the same colour family, each shade is very different and very unique!

Dior 'Blue Denim' 607

'Blue Denim' is a beautiful cobalt blue, with a very subtle hint of silver shimmer. It has a creamy, high-gloss finish, and provides an opaque colour after two coats. It features the new Dior brush, which is wider and thicker than their older design. As a result, the application is much easier and smoother. I think it was part of Dior's Winter 2011 collection, however it was still available at my local counter. It's a great colour for all seasons and adds a splash of colour to any outfit. If you manage to find any of these hanging around your local counters- i recommend taking a look. 

Chanel 'Coco Blue' 551

I had to include at least one pastel option didn't i?! You know how much i've been loving the pastels lately, and i didn't have a pastel blue in my collection. 'Coco Blue' is a light, baby blue with shimmer, and part of Chanel's denim collection. It's perfect for the pastel trends, and looks great on fingers or toes. 

Nails Inc. 'Baker Street'

Last but not least, is Nails Inc 'Baker Street' which is a very bright and glossy blue. It's actually the nail polish that Beyonce sported during her first reappearance, after the birth of her daughter Blue Ivy! It's a very striking shade, and perfect for the brights trend this spring/summer. 

I can't wait to start wearing all of these new colours- i think i need more fingernails! What are your favourite blue shades? 

Love, Claudia xo

Buxom Big & Healthy Lipsticks Review

A friend of my mum's, recently visited New York, and picked us up a few things from our favourite makeup store, Sephora! Unfortunately we don't have Sephora here in the UK, so it can be very hard to try out American makeup brands. One product we really wanted to try, was the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Sticks. We have been using the lipsticks for the past couple of days, and already love them!

 I love the 3-in-1 concept of these lipsticks. They work as a lip liner, lipstick and lip plumper, as well as providing hydration with extracts of Vitamins A, C and E. This makes them the perfect on-the-go lip products, as they are so convenient and easy to use.  The built-in sharpener at the end of the pencils, and the retractable design, also makes them great for travel. Most importantly, they also work very well. They provide a pigmented, long-lasting lip colour, and plump the lips to give a fuller effect. When applied to the lips, they give a tingling/cool feeling and a fresh, minty scent. They work great as a lip liner, as the smooth, creamy formula outlines the lips perfectly. 

Vienna

Vienna is a medium pink with lilac undertones. 

Nantucket

Nantucket is a peachy, apricot-nude. It's a gorgeous colour for the Spring and goes perfectly with peach blush colours! 

Sydney

Sydney, is the perfect beige-nude. It creates a gorgeous nude lip and looks great paired with my Buxom lipgloss in 'Katie'. 

L-R: Sydney, Vienna & Nantucket

T-B: Sydney, Vienna & Nantucket

All of the colours have a matte finish, and look great worn with lipgloss on top, which is how i have been wearing them, or underneath other lipsticks too. I am really impressed with these lipsticks- in fact, all of the Buxom lip products that i have tried, are amazing! I highly recommend these if you are looking for a multi-purpose lip product that has excellent pigmentation, staying-power and a gorgeous range of colours. Whilst we have access to the Buxom lip-glosses here in the UK, we don't have the Big & Healthy Lip Sticks unfortunately! For those in the States, you can find them at Sephora for $18.00. I will definitely be trying some more of these, when i next visit the US! 

We also got to try some American snacks: Hershey's Miniature Chocolates and Dean & Deluca's Macaroons. The 'Krackel' chocolates are my favourite! 

Love, Claudia xo

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you all had a lovely day. I've spent mine relaxing at home, enjoying my mum's Roast Lamb dinner and eating lots of chocolate too, of course! 

Love Claudia xo