Revisited: Gold FUN from Lush

In my post earlier today I mentioned a product that made me realise that I as ready to start blogging again. That was this; gold FUN. It's a product that I first wrote about around this time last year when it was released as part of the Lush 2013 Christmas range, but has been brought back this year as part of the 2014 range.

For those who haven't heard of FUN before, it is a 4-in-1 product from Lush that is able to be used s bubble bath, body wash, shampoo and soap... It also happens to look, feel and handle in the same way as play-doh!
Designed to be suitable for those with even the most sensitive skin, FUN was released as a bath product for those who are unable to use the bath ballistics and bubble bars, due to their slightly harsher ingredients. It is made using a base of talc, glycerine and cornflour which work together to make it silky smooth as well as humectant.

Now, I'll admit that during the time that I worked for Lush, I absolutely hated FUN, and I mean really hated it. In my mind it was messy, gooey and just generally not my cup of tea at all. I think a lot of this was based on the demo station for the product which was always soggy, messy and gave me a headache, especially on a busy Saturday!

However, when sorting through my stash the other evening, I found a bar lurking from last winter that had gone a bit droopy and sorry for itself so I decided to give it a real chance and have a FUN only bath so that I could use up the whole bar. I have to say that as much as I didn't think I would, I loved it. I pushed the boat out and used around two thirds of the bar as bubbles by breaking it up and swirling it under the running water. If you have ever used one of the Sunnyside bubble bars then you will be aware of the swirling gold effect in the water, Gold FUN has the same effect. It also smells like the much loved Honey I Washed the Kids soap. By using two thirds of the bar I was surrounded by mounds of bubbles so I could have easily gotten away with using much less.
With the other third I washed all over and also shaved my legs by lathering a little up and using it in place of shaving foam.

I found that after my bath I came out feeling really smooth and relaxed. I often get trouble with eczema on my legs but I found that even they felt soft and supple and whilst I still moisturised, I could have gotten away with not using any.

So, as much as I will always carry memories of children modelling penises out of Pink FUN or mixing every single colour together on purpose because clearly it's very funny when I was working in-store, I can honestly say that FUN is not the product of nightmares that I originally thought. In fact, it is everything that it claims to be, and something that I will actually repurchase regularly and very soon.

Annie xx

Lush "Granny Takes a Dip" Bath Bomb Review

This post was meant to go live on Friday but after a technology 'mare and time slipping away, here we are on Tuesday, oops!
Bath ballistics are the one product that really define Lush as a company, when you think of one, you think of the other. Personally, they have never been one of my favourites types of product sold in the store, however, there is no denying that they are a unique, exciting product that sets Lush apart from other more mainstream brands.

Granny Takes a Dip is one of the most recent offerings to be released. An amazingly bright tie-die effect bath bomb that is scented with ginger, pepper and lemon, Granny Takes a Dip is an wonderfully uplifting choice for summer. The blend of oils is designed to be perfect for lifting your mood, and giving your muscles that warm, relaxed feeling, without putting you to sleep and I found that the slight spicy kick took the edge off any over sweetness there my have otherwise been.

It swirled around the water, fizzing away fairly slowly, leaving a beautiful rainbow trail of colours in its wake, and due to the addition of a little cream of tartar, also left soft, foamy bubbles as it melted away. If you enjoy long lasting bath bombs that take their time to fizzle out then this is a good choice, and I think children would also enjoy the theatre of it. Because there was a fairly high concentration of pink colouring in this bath bomb I did expect a bit of staining on the bath but was happy to find that there was none at all.

In summation, I would say that Granny Takes a Dip has probably been one of my favourite bath bombs, and at £3.25 it is definitely one I would pick up again as a treat. It isn't on par with the likes of Dragons Egg per say in terms of the spectacle side of things, but in my opinion, it definitely smells better!

What do you think of Granny Takes a Dip. Have you tried it yet? Which is your current favourite bath bomb from Lush?

Annie xx

February Favourites 2014!

February has felt like a month of recovering from winter and getting excited about spring this year and I've found myself reaching for spring ready makeup more and more in the last couple of weeks and I think this months favourite products really reflect that.

I love a nice flawless base and I find that the lovely fresh weather we've been having lately suits the Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation perfectly. It is a good coverage for building up a medium level of coverage with the smallest amount and where the formula has been whipped into a light mousse it still lets skin breath. I've been pairing it with a beautiful coral pink baked blush from Accessorize for a glowing, light flush of colour. The small amount of shimmer hits the light and gives a sheen that enhances cheekbones.
I've also been focusing on bold eye makeup lately, giving some less tried out products a trial so lips have been kept nice and simple. I've found myself reaching regularly for my Brave lipstick from MAC which was actually the first MAC lipstick I ever owned. It is a pinky nude shade that is barely there but gives lips a beautiful definition and lasts for hours. On drier lip days I've been whipping out a little piece of Lush history in the form of the Snow Fairy Lip Tint which combines the benefits of a lip balm with a slight wash of colour. It also tastes just like their Bubblegum Lip Scrub. I'd say that whilst this is no longer available to buy it is very comparable to the Maybelline Baby Lips products.
To complete my spring ready vibe I've been dousing myself in my all time favourite perfume; Moschino Funny which has been my signature summer scent for years now. Its full of beautifully bold fruity notes and to me just sums up so many happy years.
Finally, because no matter how much I try to deny it, it is still kind of winter out there and so my skin is still annoyingly dry I've been treating it to a daily helping of the rich and deeply moisturising Ambre Vanille Souffle Body Cream. I cannot get enogh of this stuff! It works wonders on my skin and smells completely out of this world. It's such a sophisticated, sensual smell- nothing like your average vanilla scent.

What products have you been loving during February? Have you tried any of these before? What did you think?
Annie xx

Lush Valentines Collection! Neon Love Soap and Prince Charming Shower Gel!

Last week I showed you a first glance at the Lush Valentines Day collection and there was a lot of excitement from you guys (and me!) about trying the products out. So on my last trip into Bath I popped into Lush and picked up the bits I was most looking forward to enjoying; the Prince Charming shower gel and a slice of Neon Love soap and both really are gorgeous!

First up we have the intensely fruity Prince Charming. This bright pink bottle of goodness is packed full of fresh pomegranate juice, almond oil, grapefruit oil as well as sweeter vanilla and marshmallow root, geranium and sandalwood. I'm not sure what I was expecting scent wise from this, maybe something similar to Snow Fairy, but I wasn't prepared for the beautifully intense fruity punch that this shower gel gives off. It reminds me a lot actually of the fruity bit inside jaffa cakes and I think if you are a fan of Happy Hippy then you will be a fan of this one.

Now onto Neon Love, a soap that looks amazing when whole of in large chunks and also smells incredibly fruity! My piece doesn't show it off but the white inside the soap is actually large soap hearts full of soya yoghurt and coconut oil to leave your skin feeling silky smooth as well as being deeply nourished. Now, I'll be honest, when I smell this soap all I can think of is the ultra zesty scent of a Pisco Sour cocktail (seriously, you need to try one, they are amazing) and I just can't get enough of it. It's a real uplifting scent that reminds me of summer, sunshine, and-of course- cocktails.

When I was in the shop I also took a little look at the Valentines gift boxes and the packaging team have really done well this time. I already know that I love the products but the boxes themselves really made me want to add them to my collection. There is high gloss paper, bright colours and one gift is covered in toucans!

Have you tried any of the range yet? How are you finding the products? Do you like the sound of cocktail scented soap?

Annie xx

Lush Valentines Collection First look

Now that Christmas is done and dusted, the retail world has moved on to the next "big day", valentines day!
Being a hardcore Lushie I was very excited when an email pinged into my inbox telling me about the super bright valentines collection.
This year the collection takes a nod towards the beautifully bold! Think neon wrapping, confetti, glitter and punchy fruit scents.

The range takes a rather artsy theme with products inspired by musicians, novelists, artists and actors and I have to say that I really love how everything looks. I've never been one for laid back, subtlety and the stand out style really appeals. I think that the collection shows Lush as people want to see the company; as the crazy soap shop that we all love.

I'm meant to be on a spending ban at the moment since my beauty stash is getting quite astonishing, however I'm going to get my hands on a few bits from the collection to show you in closer detail...and also because I want some of these gorgeous bright goodies in my life so any excuse! ;)

Prince Charming is definitely the product that I'm most keen to have a good sniff of. The sweet yet refreshing ingredients all point towards it being a product that I'll end up falling in love with then pining for when it's discontinued.
The only thing that I'm a little disappointed by is that there are several products in the collection, like "The Kiss" lip gloss that have been returned from last year that, to be honest, I thought were pretty rubbish that time round and could have maybe been replaced with something more interesting however that's just my personal opinion.
You can find the range *here*. What are you most looking forward to trying?
Annie xx

Lush Scents Ponche Perfume

Every year around November Lush host their annual fragrance party and release a selection of five limited edition perfumes sharing the scent of some of their most loved products and all Lush fans get over excited to see which will make the cut.
Ponche was a limited edition shower gel launched last year as part of the Christmas range and brought back this year due to popular demand. It also happens to be one of my favourite Lush scents of all time!

Inspired by a buying trip to Mexico last year, ponche is inspred by a zesty Mexican Christmas punch. I'm talking blended orange, cinnamon, buchu, petigrain and a splash of tequila so as you can imagine, the scent is warm, fruity and full bodied. It terms of wear I have been really impressed. A light spray in the morning and I've found that I can still smell it late afternoon thanks to the high concentration of essential oils (10%).
For a 30ml bottle the cost is £23 which for a high quality perfume is very reasonable. Also in the collection is Calacas at £25, Rose Jam at £30 (this came out last year and smells divine!), Snow Fairy at £25 and Snowcake at £23 all of which are gorgeous smells and equally as high in quality.
The perfumes are available *here* for another couple of weeks or until stock runs out and are online exclusives.

Which scent would you be most likely to go for? I might have to add Rose Jam to my collection if money allows :P

Annie xx

A Very Lush Christmas #4 Gold FUN!

A product that I was maybe a little apprehensive to see as part of the Christmas range, Gold FUN is a product that I thought I might have a love hate relationship with. I've never been a big fan of FUN as I find it has a tendency to break apart a little bit and leave "crumbs" which bug me. I also found that when wet the original formula had a bit of an...oozy problem. BUT, thnkfully, so far, I've found that with the new gold FUN these haven't actually been an issue so I actually love it!

The golden play dough like product is made using the same base as other FUN products which is built up of a blend of talc, corn flour and glycerine which are all beautifully gentle and are what make FUN such a child friendly product to wash with, and they all also happen to be ingredients perfect for eczema prone skin like mine which gets really bad in the winter. What I like most about gold FUN though is that it is scented with my favourite Lush smell; Honey I Washed the Kids which is a soft caramel honey aroma which works really well with such a soft, relaxing product.

The soft doughy texture makes it nice and easy to break a piece of FUN off of the bar before stowing the bar away somewhere dry (important because otherwise it will go a bit gloopy from the wet!) and it can be used for all sorts of different things. Uses I've tried have been showering, hair washing, bath bubbles, soap and shaving my legs but I've heard of people using FUN as a face mask, to wash clothes, and even as washing up liquid.

Whilst FUN will never be my favourite Lush product, I do really like the golden FUN bar and I think that some of the bigger problems I had with it have been fixed. I think it will make a lovely little stocking filler or secret santa gift and is fab for children who, from my experience, love squidging it and making a bit of a mess with soapy play dough :)

Annie xx

A Very Lush Christmas #3 Let the Good Times Roll

Christmas launch day is tomorrow! Wow this week has gone fast. Unfortunately I didn't get around to blogging yesterday because things got rather ridiculous on the illness scale but todays product is a favourite for so many people that hopefully you'll be so glad to see it back that you'll forgive me :P
Let the Good Times Roll is a facial cleanser originally released last Christmas and became such a huge success that when it was discontinued in the new year because "too much of a good thing can be a bad thing" customers were devastated and all year customers have been asking about its return.

This facial cleanser uses a lovely soft blend of polenta and popcorn to give a light but effective cleanse and the products naturally slightly oily nature makes it a good choice for normal to combination skin types as it will draw any excess oil on the skin into the cleanser and out of the skin so that when you wash it off your skin is left fresh and clean and will also be lightly moisturised. Fab right!

Just like the other Lush roll cleansers, to use this all you do is mix a pea sized amount with a little water and rub to form a milky paste that you can make as thick as you like, then simply massage onto the face in little circles to make the most of the scrubby ingredients and rinse off with warm water before feeling smug about your soft, caramel scented skin ;P

This was my favourite Christmas product last year and so far it has been this year too from the things I've tried. I cannot express enough how much I think people should try it out, or at very least head into your nearest store and give it a good long sniff! A lot of love for this one!

Annie xx

A Very Lush Christmas #2 The Penguin

Hello,
Today has been nothing but illness and drama so I'm afraid this is a lot later than planned. I'm now sat in bed forcing down throat sweets with my scented candles on the go to make myself feel a bit calmer.
Todays little peek is at one of the cutest Christmas products in this years range, a bubble bar, simply named The Penguin.

Isn't he just adorable? This sweet little guy is full of orange flower absolute and Sicilian mandarin oil so you get a lovely warming, festive scent to your bath. The design inspiration behind this cute bubble bar actually comes from the smallest breed of penguins in the world who are blue and found in the south of Australia.
Whilst it makes me feel like a really mean person crumbling The Penguin into my bath, the bubbles produced are gorgeous. The mixture used to create the white part of the bar are made using what's known as bubble crumble, which has extra cream of tartar added to give softer, foamier bubbles (especially good for people living in hard water areas like I do)

I think the penguin makes a great little add-on gift, stocking filler or treat for a cold, rainy winters evening although I can't promise that you won't feel guilty breaking him apart!

Tomorrow I have a product that is making a welcome return from last year and I'll be honest, it may be my complete favourite ;p
Annie xx

A Very Lush Christmas #1 Santa's Scrub and Santa Baby

Its that time of year again and all of the Christmas ranges are being released!
One of the most anticipated has to be that from Lush with devout Lushies asking in store for several months prior to the launch when it will be. Well this year its on 4th October (this Friday!) so I thought I'd give you a few sneak peeks this week to get you s excited about the range as I am.

First up are two items that I've already pretty much fallen in love with being a bit of a lipstick junkie. We have Santa's Lip Scrub which is a gorgeous, cherry cola fragranced scrub complete with edible glitter hearts and lip plumping lime and black pepper oils which is designed to not only taste amazing but get your lips beautifully soft and ready for those festive parties where you may want them kiss-ably soft.
There is also Santa Baby lip tint which is a vibrant holly berry shade of red with the same scent made up from cherries, dates, lime and pepper giving that cola aroma. A great festive lip colour to pair with shimmery eyes.

As you can see both have a lovely vivid colour. They're also both very soft on the skin.
Santa's Lip Scrub has a much softer base than some of the previous scrubs. It uses a blend of extra virgin coconut oil and coconut milk powder as the base to keep the texture light yet nourishing.
On the other hand, Santa Baby uses a lovely rich blend of fair trade shea butter, organic cocoa butter, capuacu butter and aster oil to give that lovely soft texture and stop lips from drying during wear making the tint great for wearing all day and evening without worry of lips getting chapped and sore.

What I like the most about these two products though is how well they complement one another. The combination makes a great little gift for a beauty lover that won't break the bank. I think the scent and taste of the scrub may divide a few people (as they all do) but the effect is lovely and the prodcts, as always, are great quality so for me, a big thumbs up :)

Tomorrow I have an ultra cute bubble bar to show you :)
Annie xx

Annie in London- Day 1

Aloha!
I'm writing this from a super comfy hotel bed in Marylebone so ima keep things pretty short and sweet but as part of my #blogyoursocksoffseptember I thought I'd show you a little of what I've been up to today :)
Most of the day was spent wandering around Covent Garden looking at the markets and shops. I was excited to finally set foot in muji and pick up a few pieces and then got way over excited to find Cyber candy and spend too much there :p
We then carried on to Knightsbridge on a pilgrimage to Harvey Nichols because my beloved Ginvera bb cream ran out and needed replacing and of course it would have been rude to not look around the whole shop and harrods as well ;p
I'll show you my buys properly when I'm home and have a computer but for now heres a little collage of photos from today.
Annie xx

July's Pay Day Treats!

Another payday passing means another little shopping trip for Annie! Shopping is definitely more fun if you've been waiting all month before treating yourself to a mini splurge.
This month I've been fairly well behaved and not bought too much (being strict with myself may be starting to pay off?!?) but I do love the things I have bought.

My first stop off was to a gorgeous little boutique that I've actually not been into before called Traffic People where I picked up the earrings in the photo above and the necklace in the photo below. My friend and I actually stumbled upon the store on our way to get sushi but I'm so glad we did, it's a little gem full of pretty things (@Trafficppl on twitter if you want to find them and say hi!) As well as selling pretty, unique styles of jewellery they also sell pretty dresses and accessories. New favourite shop for sure!

I paid £10 each for the earrings and necklace which I'm happy with. I liked the earrings so much that I actually wore them straight away and the necklace has been worn today so I'm thinking cost per wear is going to make both items pretty fab value for money.

Next we called into Lush where I picked up a couple of bits that I was running out of. I also finally grabbed a small bottle of Flowers Barrow which is from the Gorilla Perfume range and is a quintessentially English scent built up of rose, geranium, blackcurrant, chamomile as well as a blend of herbs. What I love about Lush perfume is that the high concentration of essential oils in the blend mean that the perfume sits uniquely on each persons skin and smells different to on everyone else so its like wearing my own special scent. The size I bought retails for £14.

On down to Accessorize where I picked up these two sweet little rings in the sale for just £3 for the two. It was the peace ring that drew me in because although it doesn't show from the photo, the stones are actually a pretty milky white and glow almost like opals do. Pretty!

Our final stop was Urban Outfitters. I have wanted this cat cup for months now and just couldn't justify it for anything but when I saw that it was in the sale for £4 I had to bring it home. I'm actually using it to store my shorter makeup brushes because the large Cath Kidston vase I bought last month in the sale is fairly tall and some of the brushes had been lost in the depths. £4 well spent I feel!

So that is this months little haul. I think I was fairly restrained to be honest. I did also spend £6 on a pair of shoes from Asda but I forgot to take a photo of those, oops!
What have you been buying with this months wages? Anything fun?
Tomorrows post is one for my mummy followers, the perfect little holiday kit for young ones so be sure to take a look!
Annie xx

Reaching for Recently

Oh my goodness it's been hot here! Living in the south west we've been getting the hottest of hot weather and boy it makes makeup choices tricky. I'm really not used to having my makeup slide off my face in the UK but some products just haven't been able to hack it!
With a little experimentation though I've found these products to all be fab, even in the heat and beating sun.

Ginvera Green Tea BB Cream- Foundation has been the biggest problem in the heat because most have just made my skin feel clogged or have just slid off but the Ginvera BB cream has held its own. I've been using it because of the good coverage, SPF 30 (definitely essential right now) and because, being from Singapore, the formula is able to stand up to heat and humidity.
MAC Coppertone Blusher- I use this as a bronzer rather than a blush and just use  little to contour cheeks and add definition but the colour is gorgeous in the sun and I find MAC powders are the best for being long lasting but weightless on the skin.
MAC Lightscapade Skin Finish- This is a product that I've loved since purchasing but as someone whos a little hooked on highlighters, it can tend to be a little neglected. In the same way as Coppertone, the powder feels weightless on the skin but sits beautifully and lasts for hours. I use this around the outer corners of my eyes, along cheek bones and down the centre of my nose to highlight...and it also helps keep my foundation on!
MAC Painterly Paint Pot- Always a staple product for me. I've found that more than ever I've been needing something to keep eyeshadow sat in place and MAC paint pots are simply unbeatable, especially Painterly as it also evens out colour and conceals dark circles.
Lush Strong Lipstick- The whole Lush Emotional Brilliance range has been really good through the heat actually. I find the colours stay in place, don't dry out and also don't spread half way across my face if I get sweaty. I've been wearing Strong a lot because the warm toned red is really pretty and on trend. The long lasting formula also really helps when you need to constantly be drinking water but don't have time to re-apply constantly :p
Lush Sophisticated Eyeshadow- Another Emotional Brilliance colour! Sophisticated is a soft, shimmery colour that is really easy to wear and I've been loving it just with a little mascara for a quick and effortless look that stays in place.
17 Lip Liner- One final staple has been a clear, slightly illuminating lip liner that stops lipstick from feathering across my face from excess heat. This one was really cheap but works just as well as others I've tried and for me, that makes it a winner!

Worn together, I think these items work really well and create a soft, fresh faced look thats easy to maintain in the heat.
One thing that I've really noticed though is that MAC seems to be an unbeatable brand in this weather, which only makes me love it more :)
Have you found your makeup routine has suffered in the sun? What products have you been reaching for most? Or have you been braving a bare faced look like I wish I was brave enough to?
Annie xx

FOTD- Fresh Faced and Wide Eyed

I think I may have found it! I mean my perfect non-designer foundation!
You may remember that the other day I blogged about some cheeky payday buys. One of those was the Instant Radiance Foundation by No 7 which I picked up for £12.50, well it turns out that its really great!

I admit that usually I'm a bit of a foundation snob because I think that there's no point in using high end paint on a cheapo canvas so I usually spend quite a bit to get the best base possible for my makeup but I've not liked a foundation this much since accidentally falling for the Dior BB cream so I'm more than happy...along with my bank balance! I won't say too much now because I have a full review coming up tomorrow, but for now I'll just say that the finish is light, dewy and fresh; just what I like for summer.

So whats on my mug?
Face:

• No 7 Instant Radiance Foundation in cool vanilla
• Nars Orgasm Blusher
• Lush Emotional Brilliance Sheer Powder
• Illamasqua Gleam in Aurora
• Lush Feeling Younger Highlighter

Eyes:

• Bobbi Brown Mahogany powder on brows
• MAC Painterly paint pot
• MAC Eclair paint pot
• Soap and Glory Thick and Fast mascara

Lips:

• Lush Strong lipstick
• Lush Vibrance lipstick

It always amazes me when I write down how many different products I use without realising. I swear it doesn't feel like it at the time. Do you find that too?

Have you tried any of the No 7 foundations? What do you think?

Annie xx

Makeup Mugshot and Mermaid Nails

Today has been one of those strange days where you just wake up feeling pants for no particular reason. I know I'm prone to the odd gloomy day but this has just been weird.
So plans have been cancelled, calm, happy music is being played and vanilla scented candles have been lit.

I always find painting my nails pretty colours is great for cheering me up so today I've gone for glitter and used a combination of GOSH "Ocean" and Barry M "Amethyst Glitter" and created pretty mermaid nails :)

The photo doesn't show just how bright and pretty the colours are in the light but it gives you a good idea :)

The other thing that makes me feel more like me when I feel rubbish is bright red lipstick. I sort of feel like if you give off confidence from the outside maybe you'll feel better on the inside too.

Whats on my face:

Skin:
Estee Lauder invisible fluid foundation
Lush Emotional Brilliance face powder
Benefit Dandelion blusher
Lush Feeling Younger highlighter

Eyes:
Bobbi Brown Mahogany powder on brows
Lush Sophisticated eyeshadow
Soap and Glory Thick and Fast mascara

Lips:
Lush bubblegum lip scrub
Illamasqua Sangers lipstick

I have to say that just doing these little things has made me feel a lot better about myself :) I'm lots calmer and ready to face the world again.

What do you do to cheer yourself up on an off day?

Annie xx

Makeup on the Go

I'm a bit of a control freak. I always have to do lots of planning and I tend to do a lot of thinking ahead so of course I have a little makeup kit in my handbag at all times, ready for lipstick re-application and powder emergencies :)
So what do I carry?

I got this Weird Fish tin in a goody bag from the designer fashion show during Bath Fashion Week and thought it was a pretty weird gift and couldn't for the life of me think of a use for it until I happened to clear all the lipsticks out of the bottom of my handbag and shove them in there for safe keeping temporarily. Temporarily kind of became permanently and other bits and pieces have been added to make a little emergency kit :)

Of course I have my holy grail tin of Lanolips Golden Ointment* (reviewed here) in there, ready to soften my skin if its ever feeling a bit sore and dry and a back up lip balm for if I can't find my faithful Lush Honey Trap one for whatever reason.
I also keep a small pot of Bare Minerals mineral finishing powder in there along with a mini kabuki to rid my face of any shine that may creep up during the day.
My lovely MAC Fast Fleet blusher has also made its home in my makeup tin because I've found its a great blusher for adding a little extra definition and colour to cheeks for an evening look so I use the Benefit brush that I've popped in there to do a spot of contouring after work so I can head straight out.
Finally, I always seem to have two or three lipsticks in the tin, usually one red and one bright pink because those are my two go to colours. In the photo above the lipsticks are MAC Girl About Town and Lush Power. Girl About Town lives perminantly in my handbag because I am so so in love with it, it's definitely my go to lipstick!

Occasionally if I'm feeling a bit bored I'll swap things around a bit and add an eyeshadow or if I know I'll be out over night I grab a mascara to go in the tin too, I also have wet wipes in my handbag constantly to battle panda eyes in the morning, but in general, this is my handbag makeup collection :)

Do you carry a makeup tin/bag around in your handbag? What do you keep in yours?
Annie xx

Makeup Mugshot- Taking the Plunge

For some time I've been debating getting a pretty major hair cut. I love my big, flowing mane but its a nightmare to wash and tangles like no ones business so, spurred on by the sunshine and an urge to be able to dye my hair without needing 2 bottles of dye I went and got chopped :)
So heres new Annie!

What do you think? I've had about 4 inches off the bottom and lots of shape and layering put in to give me back some bounce and I love it! The next step is to dye it a nice bright colour, I'm thinking maybe dark purple or red.
Makeup wise I've been loving black eyeliner in my waterline recently. Just enough to make my eyes look nice and bright without being too heavy, combined with fairly neutral eyeshadow and dark pink lips.

Face:
Bourjois 123 perfect foundation
Nars Orgasm blusher
Lush Emotional Brilliance face powder
Lush Feeling Younger highlighter

Eyes:
Bobbi Brown Mahogany powder on brows
Lush Sophisticated cream eyeshadow
Rimmel scandaleyes waterproof black eyeliner
Soap and Glory thick and fast mascara

Lips:
MAC Pink Nouveau lipstick

So what do you think of my new hair? Do you think it suits me? And the most important question; red or purple dye?
Annie xx

It's Easter Time

I know I've neglected my blog a little in the last week, I've not meant to but there's been a big shake up in my personal life and I just haven't felt like it but I'm getting there and have some new favourites to show you as well as some FOTD posts and a couple of jewellery and outfit posts too so I'll be back into it soon.

When I saw this Simon's Cat video I had to show you :) It may still be freezing but I'm staying optimistic and saying that spring has sprung and that means playful little squirrels running around and taunting kitties like this little fellow is doing :)

What plans do people have for the Easter weekend? I'm working every day but you know what, that makes me happy because I love my job, and in the last week the people I work with have been so amazing and supportive, and thats meant the world to me. We're a little Lush Bath family.

Annie x

Come on Pay Day, I'm Lusting!

Pay day cannot come soon enough, its been a long time that I've been low on money now due to missing pay cut off etc last month. A proper shopping trip feels like a long lost memory and the enforced spending ban is getting me down so I've been doing a spot of online window shopping for bits and bobs to treat myself to when pay day finally rolls round.

1. It's time to cave in and buy a tangle teezer to try and tame my mane a bit. I have so much hair and it can really hurt trying to force a brush through it so I'm hoping this one makes it a little easier after reading some amazing reviews.

2. I'm a blusher fiend and the blush up brush from the Illamasqua I'mperfection range looks amazing for contouring so it's definitely on my "must buy" list.

3. I promised myself when I was unemployed that I would buy Calvin Klein CK1 Shock with my first pay cheque and that is exactly what I'm going to do. Have you smelt it? It's amazing and I love the street edition bottle!

4. I'm really in to glitter nail varnish at the moment but we all know it's a nightmare to get off. I've heard that the Bourjois 1 Second magic remover works fairly well so I'm thinking of giving it a try.

5. Honey Trap has always been a Lush favourite of mine but since the new formula has come out making it preservative free and a whole lot creamier I just cannot get enough of it.

6. Blowfish shoes are the comfiest I've ever found. I have a pair of their boots and they get me through 8 1/2 hour shifts on my feet ache free so for spring and summer I'd like to invest in a pair or two of their pumps and think these red velvet ones are gorgeous.

7. Finally is the much raved about milk_shake whipped cream leave in conditioner. I've eyed this up lots of times and never bought it but I think I deserve a treat after an uber busy month :)

So thats my lust list this month. What are you looking forward to treating yourself to? Have you got any of these goodies? What do you think of them?
Annie x

Makeup Mugshot- Spring is Springing!

Today has really felt like spring is on its way; through the cold air the sun has been shining and the crocuses have popped out. To get in the mood for spring I went for light, fresh looking makeup today (even though I have huge eye bags from not sleeping much last night and having only got up half an hour earlier!)

Look how light it was at 7.30 this morning! Spring must be here!

Products used:

Face:
Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation in light vanilla
Rituals Gemstone enriched blush in Sunglow Pink
theBalm Fratboy blush
Lush Emotional Brilliance translucent face powder
Lush Feeling Younger skin tint

Eyes:
Bobbi Brown powder in mahogany on brows
Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Pastel Pink
Lush Sophisticated cream eyeshadow
Soap and Glory Thick and Fast mascara

Lips:
Max Factor colour elixir lipstick in Bewitching Coral

What do you think of todays look?...minus the eyebags that is. I'm loving the fresh, dewy look at the moment, it really is getting me excited for spring and summer to come. Are you getting that spring feeling?
Annie x