2016 Beauty Wishlist

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Lauren

New year, new beauty, right!? At least I am sure that’s how it works! As 2016 is in full swing, it’s time to look at my wishlist picks for the year ahead. How exciting! I was actually looking back at my 2015 wishlist before writing this up and of course in real Lauren fashion I successfully ticked everything off my list! 2015 resolutions made, eh!? Although this year I am trying to ease down when it comes to beauty purchases, in a bid to try become more of a saver rather than a spender so hopefully purchases are more to a minimal this year! Nevertheless, I still have a little wishlist of items that I am desperate to get my hands on sooner rather than later!

First up, the cult favourite sponge that just everyone and their dog raves about, the Beauty Blender. To be honest I never quite understood the hype around a sponge, I mean surely it is just a sponge!? Although after a bitter start with my Real Techniques sponge turning into a everyday used tool, I gained a lot of interest in this little pink egg. I have heard so many people say that it is far superior to the RT version so I guess there is only one way to find out!

A lipstick that has been on my radar for far to long is the Nars Audacious lipstick in the shade Anna. I’ve heard a lot of good things about these lipsticks and being one of my favourite brands Nars never seems to disappoint! The shade Anna looks gorgeous too and such a great everyday shade being a mauve pink.

I am always up for trying new bases and this year I have two from Charlotte Tilbury on my list. I am a huge fan of CT products, as I am sure you are already aware! Although I have never got round to trying her base products and her two foundations sound exactly what I am looking for. Firstly, the newer Magic foundation was launched last year as basically the perfect foundation with great coverage but whilst remaining weightless and natural on the skin. I really have high hopes for that one! The other is the Light Wonder foundation, her first foundation in her makeup line. This is more of a dewy lightweight foundation so I would really like to try this too having heard great things and also developing a love for those lighter bases.

I do find it a little difficult to part with my cash when it comes to more expensive nail polishes although I am desperate to get my hands on one of those gorgeous Smith & Cult polishes. Again I’ve only heard good things regarding these shades and whilst they are pricey they look so gorgeous. Stockholm Syndrome and Bitter Buddhist is on the list, the first being a gorgeous grey-ish lilac shade and the latter a gorgeous spring mint shade.

Lastly, towards the end of 2015 I started to develop a little thing for liquid lipsticks and I am still looking out to try basically every one on the market. I love a good Mac lip product as much as the next gal so I couldn’t hide my excitement towards the new Mac Retro Matte Liquid lipsticks! I just adore the Mac packaging and the fact these have the typical Mac black lipstick top. There is a pretty good shade selection too and my heart is calling out between the two lightest shades in the collection; LadyBe Good and Back in Vogue which both look gorgeous everyday shades. I need!

What is on your 2016 wishlist?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin | Instagram

Re-write the Royal Ascot Dress Code

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Lauren

The Royal Ascot is a huge summer event in the UK. If you are unfamiliar with the event itself, it is a horse racing event which dates back into the 18th century. As the name suggests it is also an important calender event for the Royal family with several members including the Queen making an appearance. Now fast forward to the 21st century aka today and the event is still making headlines. Although not particularly for the horse racing itself. The style and dress code is a major part of the event. Having a link with the royal family, the event is very formal with a strict dress code ensuring everybody is dressed in an appropriate manner. However the dress code is slowly dying with many females choosing a rather less than appropriate attire. Every year sees a media frenzy of the many outfits worn to the event with many tabloids trying to ridicule many of the racing-goers on their choice of clothing.

Now you are probably wondering where on earth I am going with this… Well basically Farfetch.com who are a luxury online retailer have launched a campaign called Unfollow. The campaign with the tag line ‘For Fashion lovers, not followers’ is expressing individuality and rather than following trends its all about those who break the rules and show their creative side. As part of the campaign I got involved with the Re-write the Royal Ascot Dress Code competition. As part of this, I created a look of items from Farfetch which would be suitable for the Royal Ascot although a look which ties in with the unfollow campaign expressing individuality and something fresh. So here is what I put together …

Rather than going with obvious dress look I went with a skirt and body suit combo. The Pop Cph sheer detail body has a slight risqué factor to it with the sheer detailing however with long sleeves and a high rounded neckline there is nothing too offensive for the Royal Ascot. I then went for the MSGM printed A-line skirt which is a mid-length skirt cutting off just above the ankles. I am so in love with the vivid print of this skirt. Paired with the black body suit, it allows the bold colourful skirt to make a statement. To flow with the splash of yellow from the skirt I added some equally bright accessories. I added this uber pretty Givenchy yellow envelope style clutch which I love and also a little bit of British from the amazing designer Charlotte Olympia which is these adorable ankle strap pumps. Of course last but not least a fancy piece of head-wear is a must to the races. I added this beautiful cherry blossom pillbox hat from Piers Atkinson which is simple but makes a statement.

What do you think of this outfit?

Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin

Spring Clothing Wishlist

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Lauren

You may have seen my beauty Spring wishlist but now its time to look at my recent clothing wishlist. Looking at my picks, they aren’t the most obvious spring inspired pieces, sorry I am pretty boring and like wearing dark clothing! Anyway on to my picks…

Topshop Moto Black Short Dungarees – Dungarees are not something I ever thought I would be sporting again since I was about 5 but I seem to have took quite the loving for them in the last year. I kept getting put off them but they seem so effortless and a style that I don’t think will leave us any time soon. Being black denim they can go with pretty much anything, so hopefully I can add these to my wardrobe to release my inner Alexa Chung.

Weekday Chidi Tee – There is no denying I love a bit of stripes. They look so stylish yet they are so effortless to be paired with a pair of skinnies and flats, I’m so in love ❤ I’ve been looking for a good quality striped top for a while and after coming across the brand Weekday I’ve basically fell in love with them too, they have such great basics! I know without a doubt this top won’t be the only thing I buy from Weekday!

Topshop Scarf Border Print Top – Fingers crossed Topshop get more stock in of this beautiful printed top. I have another top from Topshop which is incredibly similar to this, just a different print. Its such a pretty colourful print that can worn dressed down during the day or for going out.

Birkenstock Arizona Leather Sandals – These sandals have got me in a bit of umms and ahhs. I keep seeing them around on the likes of Pinterest and other blogs and they look ever so cool, the basic black sandal going with pretty much anything as well as being comfy. The only thing is I’m still torn about them, are they one of those ‘ugly’ sandals? I’m not so sure, what do you think?

Topshop Moto Black Rinse Jamie Jeans – A pretty boring but essential piece. A pair of black skinny jeans. I am lacking a good pair of black jeans at the minute and I am looking for a good quality option that will last me a long while. As usual I have turned to Topshop although I am still looking around on this option. I usually get the Topshop Joni jeans but I think the quality is slightly lacking as mine always seem to stretch after washing and lose their structure so I am considering the Jamie jeans which I have tried before.

Cheap Monday Halo Tee – I am really looking into investing in some good quality basics especially t-shirts and this one from Cheap Monday fits the bill perfectly. It has a boxy structure and a pocket which makes this on trend and stylish. It would help achieve that effortless look teamed with some skinny jeans and many some Birkenstocks, eh?

So what is on your clothing wishlist for Spring?

Spring Wishlist

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Lauren

Forever making wish-lists… Yup its time for another! With Spring just around the corner and the nights getting lighter and the sun appearing *shocked face* its time to rock the fresh glowy faced look with touch of coral (ah dreamy <3). Anyway as usual when it comes to wishlists (well mine anyway) its full of expensive guilt-worthy high end products I don’t really need but hey they would be nice 🙂 Now on to the list…

Nars Sheer Glow – I apologize if I keep batting on about how much I want this one in my life. I think its probably been in every wishlist I’ve created and I’ve still not bought it *oops!*. Anyway this one will officially be ticked off this season as I have a SpaceNK voucher and I need this so it makes sense, right!?

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir – Ahh beautiful! I am forever hearing about the beauty that is Jo Malone fragrances. I went to the Jo Malone counter not too long ago to have a little sniff around and spotted this popular but beautifully scented gem. Its not the most spring-y scent but I like it and I want it, nuff said.

Burberry Pale Barley Eyeshadow – Can you tell I am forever a suck up to blogger hype!? I keep seeing this beauty everywhere and it looks ever so beautiful. Its always described as the ‘one wash wonder’ eyeshadow which seems great for me on my morning rush. Its a pricey one but its Burberry and its damn beautiful!

Benefit Majorette Blush – Another one I’ve had on the wishlist for too long! This was released last year and I am still hearing good things about it. It really is the perfect spring blush; coral with a cream-to-powder finish, perfection it seems!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Diffused Heat – I have yet to take the plunge into anything Hourglass yet mostly because they are quite far out of my budget but c’mon! These blushes truly are gorgeous as well as pretty much every other Hourglass product! Again this glowy blush looks perfect for Spring and a great intro to the Hourglass brand!

So what is on your spring wishlist?

2015 wishlist

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Lauren

New year, new long list of expensive beauty items I don’t particularly need. Last year seen the start of my makeup obsession and lets just say my purse wasn’t too happy with my shopping decisions. Getting to experiment with different brands and products has allowed me to become more aware of my makeup needs and what products I really need to achieve the best results. Its no surprise I have really took to high end brands and it looks like this year is going to be filled with trips to Space NK and House of Fraser.

Anyway on to the list, I have picked 8 items but lets be real here if I picked every item I wanted to buy then I don’t think it would be quite possible to cover them all in the one post so I’ve stuck to the top 8 most wanted.

First on the list is the best primer I’ve ever tried. Its the highly raved about Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation primer. I have had no luck with primers and I recently got a sample of this and tried it out and lets just say the results amazed me. It is pricey but its hella good. Next is the dream duo from Nars, the Sheer glow foundation and creamy concealer. You may recall seeing this on previous wishlists of mine and as you can tell I have still not spent the cash on it but this year is the year! I also want to try the Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette in Streak, it just looks so heavenly and these shades seem perfect for my pale complexion. Now that my Naked palette collection is complete I need my hands on the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. The shades look so beautiful and the palette is always the talk of good reviews so why not! Being stuck with a cheap and terrible pair of eyelash curlers is doing me no good. After hearing constant rave reviews from pretty much every blogger particularly Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup these Shu Uemura curlers are meant to be the bee’s knees. No surprise that Nars made the list again with the Copacabana illuminator which looks like such a beautiful and effortless highlighter. And last but not least after converting my usual stippling brush in favour of a buffing brush for foundation I have noticed far superior results. It is so much easier to blend but I would love to get my hands on the Bobbi Brown Full coverage brush which I have seen so many bloggers using recently. Its pricey but it seems to get flawless results.

So what is on your 2015 wishlist?

Christmas Wish List

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Lauren

Can you believe its less than three weeks until Christmas! Christmas is by far my favourite time of the year, I just love the atmosphere and all the events in the run up to the big day. Anyway of course there is always a little gift giving across Christmas and I have put together just a few things I would quite like to own. Some of these items you may recall me mentioning them before in other posts but sadly they just haven’t came my way yet!

Benefit They’re Real Mascara – Its one of the most raved about mascaras in the beauty world and I want to try it out for myself. I love the Benefit Bad Gal lash mascara and would love to give this one a try.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette – Well obvious one here, I picked up the original naked palette and the third one this year and with one left to get its no surprise this is on my list!

Versace Crystal Noir – I have been failing quite recently in the perfume department, I am really in need of a good strong bottle of scented stuff. This scent is quite different for me but its strong and dark.

Real Techniques Eye Starter Kit – If you seen my Fave brushes post not too long ago you will know I am a huge fan of the Real Techniques brushes and one thing I don’t own is any of their eye brushes. I would love to add these to my collection and hopefully they are as good as their other brushes.

What is on your wish list this Christmas?

Autumn/Winter Lust List

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Lauren

Hello everyone 🙂 Short but sweet post today displaying the items that have been on my wish list for quite a while now and that I am desperately wanting to add to my collection. All of the above products are high end.. thats what beauty blogging does to you eh!? Hopefully by the end of the year I will be the owner of these to-die-for products but please do let me know your opinions on them? Have you used them, are they worth the expensive price tag? Thanks guys, next post on Wednesday!

My Summer Wishlist

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Lauren

As usual I have been browsing the web looking at pretty much every retailer you can think of in search of my next purchases. Above (and below) are some of my most wanted products that I hope to be picking up soon!

If you have any of these products then please do give your personal reviews, I would love to hear them 🙂

1. Fine one-one – Benefit Cosmetics – I first seen this product on TV and was quite fascinated by the idea of it. Its a three-tone lip and cheek tint and is easy to use by

just swiping the cute product along your cheeks/lips. It can be used for a blusher and a highlighter in just one simple stroke which makes this product seem very appealing.

2. Satchel – River Island – I am very much a bag person and I currently lack in a good quality small bag that can be used daily for

going to the shops etc and I love satchels and this cute little bag from River Island is a must for me and would go with almost anything.

3. Cream Lace Mac – Topshop – Topshop have had a number of cute plastic macs in this season and this one is incredibly cute and girly with a lace print.

The macs are perfect for summer as they are lightweight and can help in the unexpected lash of rain! It is quite pricey at £52/$95 so I will have to be saving my pennies!!

4. Makeup Brushes – Forever 21 – I am really in need of some new makeup brushes and these brushes from Forever 21 are purse friendly and have a cute

polka dot design. Defos snapping these up!

5. Versace Crystal Noir Perfume – I love a good perfume and having finished a bottle of Thierry Mugler Alien I need a new high end perfume and this one from

Versace is quite different from my usual taste with strong scent however its feminine and seems to be long-lasting.

6. Bourjois Lip Crayon – Peach on the beach – I am in need of a light pink shaded lip stick and I’ve heard plenty of good reviews about this particular product and

I have always wanted to try the lip crayon which has become quite popular recently. The colour is light and perfect for day-to-day makeup.

7. Maybelline Colour Tattoo Eyeshadow Taupe – I am not much of an eyeshadow wearer but I would like to add more colour to my eyes and this product which is cream gel based has came to great reviews and

a long lasting finish and the cream gel finish seems more bolder than the typical powder eyeshadow.