Current Favourites

I tend to dip in and out of products so much so I don't tend to do that many favourites posts anymore, but today I've picked out a few items to share that I've been enjoying over the last season, including makeup, pamper items and cute bits. My favourite item in this has to be the cutest little shopping trolley from Tiger that I picked up when I was in London before Christmas as it was only around £4 even though I had no idea what to use it for. Turns out it's great as a blog prop so I store lipsticks and fragrances in it on occasion to really show them off. Talking about quirky items, the Charger Cable Bag (£9.99)* from Qwerkity has been so handy when travelling to store my phone charger, earphones and FitBit charger in too.

I bought my Olympus Pen back in November 2015 and haven't looked back since. I feel like it's improved my photography so much and given me more freedom to take photos how I want them to be. I've been using my larger 40-150mm Olympus lens much more often as the quality is just that bit better than my smaller one. With this lens I'm able to alter the aperture to suit the type of photos I'm aiming for, such as a blurry background. I find that this also performs really well in low light, which has been perfect with the lack of good daylight over the past few months, and means that I'm still able to get the shots I want without the ideal lighting conditions. As an example of taking photos I'm proud of, the Rimmel Brow Shake Filling Powders and L'Oréal False Lash Superstar X Fiber Mascara have been amazing products that I've loved this month and I love it when drugstore products turn out to be amazing as you don't have to break the bank to get good makeup.

When it comes to pampering I've been enjoying the Boozy Bath Treats (£9.99)* also from Qwerkity that are prosecco scented bath salts and lip balm which would be a lovely gift for somebody too. I love taking time out for myself every so often, so having a long bath really relaxes me. I tend to pamper myself when I feel like I need a bit of self care and a confidence boost, and the WhiteWash Labs Teeth Whitening Kit has helped me achieve a more confident smile over the last few weeks.

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Current Drugstore Beauty Favourites | Guest Post

I have put together a post today of all my favourite drug store products which I have been currently reaching for on a daily basis. You can pick up all of these products from the high street, and they have been carefully picked from my ever expanding beauty stash.  I have been totally loving NYX since they have landed in Boots earlier this week. They have such a huge range of products and for such a great price. I picked up the NYX Prismatic Eye Shadow in Girl Talk a few months back and I have really been enjoying using it. I use it as an inner corner highlighting shade, it is a soft, pale pink with shimmer running through it. The pigmentation of the shadow is really good and you can use it dry, or you can spray a little bit of setting spray onto your brush to make the pigment more intense. 

I have recently been using nothing but the Real Techniques Multi-task Brush to apply my bronzer and blusher. This is part of their Travel Essentials Kit, and I wish they would bring this out on it's own as it definitely one of their best brushes. This brush picks up just the right amount of product and this means that application is super easy. I use this to apply my bronzer as a contour, and then gently add a little blush to the apples of my cheeks.  I think the drugstore has some really great foundations, but you have to be willing to dig deep into the depths of the shelves. I picked up the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation on a whim and didn't know anything about it. This is a medium to high coverage foundation, and I apply this using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. The only downside to this foundation line is that the colour selection consists of only seven shades, which means it can be really difficult to find your perfect shade match. I cannot say that I have put this to the test for 25 hours, but I have for 12 hours and I can say that it does stay in place really well, and it is not drying and feels comfortable on the skin.

This Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara has been my go to mascara for the last month or two now. I have not been using anything and that does not happen often. I find that the bristles on this reach the root of the lash and really does add a great amount of volume to my lashes. The formula is quite wet so you do have to be a little careful when applying it.  I have recently repurchased this Rimmel Scandaleyes Liner and have fallen back in love with it. I wear just a little amount of eyeliner and the nib of the pen is super thin and pointed and allows you to be really precise. With eyeliner I prefer to apply just a little line and then build it up to my preferred look, and this allows you to do that perfectly. I have tried many eyeliners, drugstore and high-end and this is by far the best of the bunch. What are your current drugstore beauty favourites? You can tweet me @lucyalanaxo Lucy xoxo  

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September Favourites!

Happy October! Sorry, October is my favourite month and I'm ridiculously excited to enter the month! Little rundown: 4th - Sister's 3rd Birthday 8th - Twinny's (A best friend) 21st Birthday 11th - Andy's (boyfriend) 21st Birthday 19th - My 21st Birthday 31st - Halloween! I have a very busy month as it is, along with starting my dissertation for my final year of my law degree! However, let's talk about lovely things, like makeup of course.

You may have noticed I have a different background to my previous posts! I've moved into a student flat with Andy and have bought myself some lovely furniture and realising how often I saw lovely, oops. Benefit Stay Don't Stray I mentioned this in a post I did a while ago (here). My mum bought me this as part of an early 21st Birthday present and I've been wearing it a fair bit lately. I have the shade Light/Medium which is perfect for my pale skin. It helps my eyeshadow and liner stay put during the day, and helps hide the dark circles under my eyes too; a dual purpose product! Benefit Hervana Blush I also mentioned this in the above post, and love how it has different shades that you can swirl together or use individually. I'm loving these multi-purpose products apparently... Rosy pink blushers suit me best, as opposed to a more browny toned one, as I have pale skin and blonde hair. I love how blendable this is too, I can add a tiny bit to make me a bit flushed, quite natural looking, or for an evening out I can apply more heavily and blend to look more noticeable. Urban Decay Perversion Mascara I've only had this a few days but I thought it was worth adding into my favourites! It lengthens my lashes without them looking like spiders legs (which I really don't like, as well as clumps). My lashes have never looked so long, and the thick brush makes applying it really effortless too. Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer This is applied under the Perversion Mascara and it has really helped my mascara stay on all day. I noticed over summer how my lashes looked thinner on days when I'd worn mascara all day. That really annoyed me, as it defeats the purpose of having longer, fuller lashes. This definitely helps avoid this. Urban Decay Perversion Eyeliner With bold claims of 24 hour stay, they tell the truth. This is super black on, and really does last all day. It's super smooth and worth the £15 you pay for it (not that I did, thanks Cohorted!). Makeup Revolution Eyeliner This I Heart Makeup All Day and Night eyeliner is absolutely gorgeous, with blue flex in the black formula. It doesn't last as long as UD's eyeliner, but it is most definitely worth it for £1.99! What are your September favourites?

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April Favourites 2014

Hey lovelies! Sorry for the biggggg gaps in posting, I am trying so hard to be a good law student (who am I kidding) and revising for my upcoming exams. I have in total 7 exams from 8-23rd May so for the next three weeks I am afraid there won't be a lot of special posts but after that I promise I am going on a huge blogging spree! I thought I'd make a big deal out of this post and do a Fashion, Beauty and Random April favourites for this post as it has been incredibly busy for me!I also apologise for the hideous parts of my uni bedroom, i.e. marks left by previous students that I can't do much about!

Powder Blue Midi Skirt - £10 - Primark

I have worn this since I bought it, I just left the tag on before taking the picture haha! This is so cute for Spring/Summer and I am desperate to find the perfect white cami to pair with this! I think this really compliments my hair colour, that sounds weird but I feel like sometimes summer clothes make blondes look really washed out i.e. lemon/lime colours, so a bluey-lilac pastel skirt is just amazing.

Gingham Skort - £17.99 - New Look

I have already featured this in my Collective Haul post (here) but it looks super cute! I have had a bit of a gingham obsession lately but this was so worth the money! As it is only the start of May I have been wearing this with black tights, but I'm sure over summer I will dare to bare my legs!

Midi Dress - Topshop

I have featured this dress in my Topshop post from March (here) and it compliments my short little body a lot better than you'd imagine. My boyfriend's mum told me I looked very summery in this and despite a lot of it being black, it did make me feel very summery and floaty! I think this would go perfect with a blazer!

Daisy Street Gingham Leggings - £12.99 from ASOS

Giggle Geek Shoes - £28 - Topshop

Gingham and Pastels seem to be 'my thing' at the moment where I only reach for these trends! The Daisy Street Leggings really compliment my little legs (yes I rolled the ends up because they are too long) and are leggings I believe will last me a very long time, in quality and in style. They are such a transitional piece and I adore them (I actually only received them today, so you can see my enthusiasm for wearing them out!) I have also featured these Giggle Geek shoes before on my Topshop: March buys post and although I am pasty and don't fake tan, they actually make me look a tiny bit tanned, so I am loving these.

Glitter Jellys - £4 - Primark

How on Earth can you go wrong with jelly shoes for £4!! I should have picked up a lot more! I'm usually a size 4.5, so buy a size 5 in shoes, however these are a size 5-6 so I should warn people that they might be a bit small in size if you wish to buy them, so try them on first. I can't wait for it to warm up a bit so I can wear these more, but I am so glad I bought these. It was a bit of a 'do I, don't I' situation, but even if I suddenly decided I didn't like them anymore (which will never happen), then £4 really isn't a waste of money.

Barry M nail polishes £3.99

These have been featured on my Superdrug haul post (here) and I am currently wearing 'Blueberry' and I must say after this being my first Gelly paint (I have 20 odd other Barry M nail polishes) I am pretty impressed. The finish is gorgeous. The Aquarium collection (mine ft these two and the Mermaid, not pictured) has definitely made my April. I love glitter. That is all I have to say on this matter.

Yes everyone knows this is an Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette. Yes people will probably moan I am one of 54587485 people to feature this. But I love it, so who cares. My favourites are 'trick' 'dust' and 'nooner'. They have so many shades of pinky-goldy type eyeshadows which makes for the perfect spring eye look. Very natural in some ways, hence the 'naked' apart from 'blackheart' but they just make my blue eyes stand out in a lovely way!

I seem to have featured near enough everything already but these are my favourites! I have two of the Revlon Colourburst, one matte and one shiny. The plum coloured shimmery balm compliments my paleness so much and looks super pretty. The matte balm is such a beautiful shade and makes me feel so summer.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation* in 100 Ivory

If you've seen my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation post (here) and read my Twitter: @bevelvetlover you will have noticed I didn't get on too well with that foundation. I contacted COTY about it completely drying out my skin and they sent me this foundation as a 'sorry' and they were going to test that foundation to see if there was anything wrong with it. They very kindly sent me this for free, to replace the cost of me buying the Wake Me Up Foundation. It is ten times better in my view. Although it was the same shade I've always bought, this definitely matches my skin tone a lot better and makes me look more glowy (in a non-shiny way). I was doubting the effectiveness of this, as I am usually a Bourjois/Maybelline foundation gal, but this is amazing and I will definitely purchase this once I have ran out of it.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Rockin' Curves Mascara - Superdrug

I had originally bought the 'Black' mascara from Superdrug in March and loved it, so when Rimmel had their 180th birthday, they had a 3 hour offer for these mascaras to be £1.80 each so I had to pick up another black, and an 'extreme black'. The formula seems quite wet to me, in comparison with other mascaras, but it means you don't get clumpy eyelashes and you can apply several coats without getting spidery lashes either. My eyelashes look incredibly long wearing this, so I have to give it to you Rimmel, you have created my favourite ever mascara. Thank you!

Diet Coke (multipack)

Oh wow, this hasn't half been getting me through my revision! I don't have much to say about this matter, although I do need to cut down otherwise I will develop a Diet Coke addiction... To me, normal coke isn't very sweet and I have always drank Diet, it is nothing to do with any type of 'lifestyle' I just think this one is nicer!

Belvita Breakfast Bars in Cocoa

One part of my mind says, 'Wow Belvita, these are amazing' and the other says 'Why did you make these I want to eat them constantly'. I have to limit myself to one pack a day otherwise I could go through soooo many. This isn't sponsored either, I've just developed a slight obsession. Although Belvita, if you are reading this, feel free to introduce me to other flavours if they are as nice as these!

I did also have Easter Eggs, but it is now May guys, it's not like I kept them.. If you've done any April favourites posts/videos, comment and send me a link so I can have a nose!

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