Eyeshadow Palettes Worth Mentioning

Just like I mentioned in my The Budget Concealer Palette post, I'm a palette fiend. I will never turn one down. It's a 'you've gotta collect them all' kind of vibe and I very much do that... 

I've added quite a few new palettes to my collection of late and these are a few that I thought were worth a mention. 

Pur Minerals Secret Crush Palette

I'm doing it, I'm starting with the best. This palette has blown me away and honestly that's the only way I can put it. This palette might not be much to look at - the packaging isn't the most beautiful but it really is what is inside that counts. These shadows are not only super wearable shades, they're the most pigmented and most blendable shadows that I have ever tried. From the gorgeous rose gold shade to the shimmer bronze, these shades work incredibly on their own, or blended together to create a gorgeous smokey eye look. They last really well when used with a great eyeshadow primer (I use the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base) and honestly, I couldn't recommend this any more. 

Clarins 5-Colour Eye Palette in Pretty Day

This is the perfect palette for travelling with as it's super small. The shades are perfect for the day, which is quite apt due to the name. This Clarins palette couldn't be more different from the Pur Minerals palette I mentioned above as the shades aren't half as pigmented but I really don't mind that. They're great for as subtle wash of colour in the day time and that's just what I use it for. 

Me Me Me The Ultimate Eye Palette*

This palette is incredible for the price. Super budget friendly and well worth adding to your collection if you feel like you've got a neutral palette shaped gap in your heart (or makeup collection). The palette features a range of neutral shades to give a wash of colour or a subtle smokey eye. The shades are buildable and are perfect for both day and night wear. 

What eyeshadow palettes are you loving at the minute? 

Lorna x

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Budget Halloween With Boohoo

I bloody love Halloween. The dark lipstick, the smokey eyes... Well lets be honest, everything's a little darker and I just love that. But the thing I ALWAYS fail at, every single year is planning what to wear... and actually what to do. I'm a bit of a last minute Halloween kinda gal and I can't really see anything changing... so this post is for all you last minute gals out there - because I feel you! 

I always end up making last minute Halloween plans after I get to the point where I think I'll be left doing nothing. I end up with a few days to come up with a costume and generally that's where the cat ears come out. I think thats what I may have sported for the last two years... And before that I went for a scary doll - and that's all makeup related so I didn't really need to pick anything up. 

Boohoo sent me a pair of their devil horns and one of the most beautiful budget dress, all in spooky Halloween shades perfect for a last minute get up. It is part of their #HallowIN and #HallowOUT campaign, and I am most definitely the latter. 

If you're looking for a simple do, I recommend getting a nice dress and making it Halloween inspired using a pair of ears or a bit of spooky makeup. I fell in love with this Boohoo Tanya Strappy Cut Out Dress in Berry* as I know it'd be great for all year round - especially the new A/W season - I love this shade. To go with that I got my hands on the Lexi Velvet Devil Horns Headband* and this is just a great one to keep in your stash for any last minute costume dilemmas. I'd pair this look with a black lipstick, a black smokey eye, pale makeup, dark nails and a bit of black hairspray through your locks. Darken everything up. 

This year however, surprisingly I've put a little bit more effort in. I'm going as Wednesday Adams, I know it's still totally generic, but I've got a dress I really want to wear... and so I will. I've made plans, got a few bits coming in the post for my costume and I just can't wait. It's so unlike me to prepare. But I'm no outfit repeater and if any other Halloween plans come my way, I'll be sporting this look from Boohoo as it is just ideal. In fact I'm wearing my devil ears as we speak, and guess what? They're blooming comfy too. 

What are you going as for Halloween? 

Lorna x

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The Budget Concealer Palette

I have a palette addiction. There's just something so satisfying about seeing a range of shades of something in one place. It looks beautiful and it's so bloody convenient. It can be difficult to find great palettes for a great price, and I can understand that the outset price, which is usually quite a lot, can be a difficult bullet to bite for some people. 

I've got endless eyeshadow palettes, a few blush palettes, contour palette and highlight palettes are the new thing but I've never thought of owning a concealer palette. Mostly because I find the concealers I like and stick to them, buuuuut as soon as I saw this beauty I just had to own it - even if all of the shades aren't right for me, right now. 

The Collection ConcealAndLightLikeAPro Palette* is the beauty that I'm talking about and its only £5.99. I just can't quite believe it. Everyone and their dog loves Collection for their concealer and this one is pretty great too. The palette features a range of shades to be used for different things... the concealer shades to cover imperfections, the yellow shades to brighten dark circles, the purple shade to revive dull skin, the green shade to neutralise redness and sculpt and highlight using the highlighter shades. This palette does it all and it's a great one to have for those just incase days when your skin is looking a little dull, or when you need a bit of extra help on the under eye area. 

It's a bargain, and I just had to tell you about it. 

Lorna x

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How To Hydrate Coloured Hair

Since having my hair done back in May (remember the balayage/ombre I got?) I've found that as expected, my hair is a little bit on the damaged side so I've got to work a little harder to keep it in that tip top and super soft condition that I'm used to. I've tried so many products to try and get it back to a better condition and I've narrowed down a few products that have really helped me get here, and that are current staples in my hair care routine. 

First up the SenSpa Nourishing Shampoo and Nourishing Conditioner* are amazing. They hydrate my hair, while giving it a great cleanse and it's a great starter step for my haircare routine. They're not pricey and they're well worth giving a go. Plus, the packaging is super cute. 

I'll regularly use a hair mask and the Richard Ward Intense Argan Age-Proofing Hydrating Treatment* is honestly so so incredible. You pop it onto your hair after you've washed it and leave it on for a while. I usually pop on a face mask while I do this and give my body a good scrub while I allow it to penetrate through and work its magic - it's great for a pamper session. 

After I've washed my hair, I swear by the Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes range. The Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Golden Girl Oil* and the Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Conditioning Spray* work incredibly well in unison. It keeps my hair super hydrated before I dry it and keeps the colour as I wanted. The Conditioning Spray is tone correcting as it's filled with violet pigments to subtly work to keep those brassy tones at bay while hydrating alongside this. The Golden Girl Oil works in a similar way, but I'd say that this is what really hydrates my hair but it too does work to get rid of the brassy tones in the colour. These products are a dream team and I'm so in love with them. 

These are my wonder products to help keep my hair hydrated... I love them, but I'm always looking for more to add in. I am a beauty addict after all. 

What are your favourites?

Lorna x

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The Best Cleansing Balms

I've always been obsessed with cream cleansers. I generally just feel as though they've always worked incredibly well with my dry skin... but there's a new type of cleanser on the block (and something you may have heard of or tried already) and that's the cleansing balm. I've narrowed down the ever growing collection of cleansing balms on the market (well, from the ones I've tried anyway) to let you know my recommendations. 

Cleansing balms are incredible for hydrating your skin and getting all of your makeup off. My skin afterwards feels unexplainably great and you really just need to give one a go to see the effect. 

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter was the first cleansing balm I tried, and was the first cleanser that I started incorporating into my skincare routine regularly, alternating it with my favourite Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I picked this up (along with everything else in the store) when I worked there for a little while a couple of years ago and it's been a firm favourite and a cleanser I'm forever recommending and so I just had to include it. This cleanser works incredibly for all skin types, but I'd really recommend it for those with sensitive or dry skin. 

Merumaya is a brand that I've only very recently heard of and I'm blooming glad I did (I'm currently eyeing up their masks: the Merumaya Mud Marvels Mask, the Merumaya Skin Brightening Exfoliating Mask and the Merumaya Pure Radiance Mask). The Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm* is just like you'd expect your cleansing balm to be. It's hydrating, cleansing and calming. The thing that made me love this cleanser though is that it's in a tube. I really dislike having to dip my fingers into products as it just makes me think about the bacteria that could potentially be living in there... and, well, I just find it to be a bit of a mare. If you too have this issue, this is definitely the one for you. It works well for all skin types... in fact, they all do, so give it a go. 

The Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm* had me falling in love with the scent. A love at first sniff if you will. I spied this at a blogger event and my eyes fell firmly on the description stating there was mango and coconut in the product. I love mango and coconut, and you can really smell this in the product. It feels incredible against the skin and just like the others its super hydrating, and super cleansing. It removes all of your makeup easily - even waterproof mascara and leaves my skin feeling so smooth. 

I'm such a cleansing balm convert and I just can't wait to give a few more a go. 

What is your favourite cleansing balm? 

Lorna x

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Autumn/Winter Ready Legs

Just because it's Autumn/Winter doesn't mean that I don't want to keep my legs looking fine. Summer ready legs is definitely a thing, so why can't Autumn/Winter ready legs be a thing to? The season of not shaving your legs is no more... For me anyway. 

I think there's just something about having super smooth legs that really appeals to me and epilating has made me crave that 24/7. I mentioned about my new epilator in my Operation Be The Best Me post recently and said I'd give you a full run down on the Braun Silk-epil 9 SkinSpa Wet and Dry Epilator* and yep, you guessed it. Now's the time. This baby is life changing and I just couldn't recommend it anymore. It comes with 3 different heads - to epilate, to shave and to exfoliate and they all work incredibly. The Epilator comes with a light to highlight the hairs and make sure you don't miss any, while the exfoliator head makes sure you get rid of all of those ingrown hairs. The shaver head changed my life and makes a quick shave that bit easier, no cuts and the closest shave I've noticed for a long long while. The epilator works incredibly well and gives you the option to use different tops to make it hurt less but I like to be able to pick up a lot and so I use it without. Don't do this at first though, ease yourself in and you'll get used to it and be able to do this like I can. I used to have a much smaller and cheaper epilator and although that was great to get me started (I think it was about a year before I finally got into using it) this is the perfect step up as you can not only use it dry, but you can use it in the bath or shower too, making it all that bit more convenient. Though, I do find it picks up more hairs more quickly when you do this dry - just to make note. 

After I've given my legs a good epilate/exfoliate I've got a few products that I'd really like to give a mention to. Just because it is technically the Autumn/Winter, it doesn't mean that we don't get those days where the suns out and we can get our legs out... Yep, I live in England - who know's what the weathers doing. And if I've been sitting out in the sun, I swear by the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun - it works a treat at keeping my legs hydrated and it smells incredible. In fact the whole range does, if you've not tried Hawaiian Tropic, you need to - stat. 

My favourite moisturiser at the minute, and the one I'm ALWAYS using on my legs is the Radical Skincare Firming Body Multi Repair Body Lotion*. This stuff hydrates, sinks in super fast, smells incredible and leaves my legs looking like I've never seen them before. I know the price tag could be a little daunting, I mean I get that it's just a body cream but trust me, it's so worth it. It really is worth parting with your pennies. 

Finally, to add a bit of colour - something I'd never thought I'd say - so pale gals, this is definitely something you can get on board with too. I'm talking The Body Shop Honey Bronze Tinted Leg Mist*, it's a transparent gel mist that adds a hint of colour to your legs instantly. It just gives you a glow and I love that. It really makes a different and if a tan-o-phobe like me can get on board with it, then I just know you could too. It must be good if I'm talking tan right? 

I love keeping my pins looking great all year round and I have epilating and my new favourite Braun Silk-epil 9 SkinSpa Wet and Dry Epilator to thank for that. I'm a little obsessed if you couldn't tell already. 

What's your view on legs in the Autumn/Winter?

Lorna x

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Eating in London: The Diner (New Menu)

If you've been reading my blog for a little while and have seen any of my 'foodie' posts then you may have noticed that The Diner is one of my favourite restaurants (remember my post on their special Pancake Day menu?) and is always my go-to if I don't know where to go. You know when you always know it's going to be good? It's a safe bet, and it always will be. 

The Diner* has a super cool vibe, it's a fun location and I always take people who are visiting London there - and they always blooming love it. 

They announced that they were changing their menu and I was both super excited and super nervous. I suppose it's one of those things where if it's great already for you, you don't really need it to be fixed but at the same time, I hoped they'd add a few new favourites. 

I had to try it out, I mean I've been about a bazillion times, so why wouldn't I? We headed to my favourite branch, the one just off Carnaby Street. It's great, I love it and it's really the only one I ever go to (I was scared off by a not so great experience at the Covent Garden branch, and so this one is my home away from home). I always get great service here, and this time was no exception. 

We started off with some drinks - there's literally so many to choose from. If you're into milkshakes, their ones are incredible and need not to be missed - I need to go back to try one of their hard shakes! They've also got an extensive menu of cocktails and beers, and that's what we went for. I'd recommend the Cali Sour and Long Island Iced Tea and their hard teas are also worth a try. To go alongside your drinks while you decide what to eat, get some of the Queso and tortilla chips.

I'm not going to lie, I was really sad to see quite a few of my favourite dishes taken off of the menu. The mushroom burger, shrimp po boy and shrimp taco salad I'm looking at you - but my favourite sides were still on the menu with a few added extras so I had nothing to complain about on that front. I went for the veggie stack burger and my friend went for the Californian burger with great feedback. I would say less for the veggie stack as it was a bit bland and dry, so if you're not a meat eater like me, then I'd recommend the halloumi burger. It really is a goodn'. Meat eaters though, I always hear incredible reviews of the Arch burger - so that comes along highly recommended alongside the Californian burger. 

Sides are always my favourite part of any meal at The Diner. They REALLY do know what they're doing, trust me. We went for the waffle fries (a new and great addition to the menu), hanger fries (these beauties are topped with cheese, smokey onions and burger sauce. A little taste of heaven if you ask me, and I ALWAYS order these) and onion rings (they're a great onion ring, they know what they're doing, need I say more?). Other side recommendations would definitely be their garlic butter fries, chilli cheese fries for the meat eaters amongst you (these always get rave reviews from whoever I go with - you need to try them), the mac and cheese and the coleslaw. In hind sight, I could probably just order a few sides and have that for my meal. They are incredible and such great portion sizes. Sharing is key. 

As if we needed any more food we had to try the desert I've been eyeing up on the menu ever since it was released. I am such a Cronut fan and am forever heading to Dum Dum Doughnuts whenever I'm around Shoreditch and so seeing my favourite restaurant add their take on it onto their new menu made me oh so happy. Plus it has Nutella in it and if anything can make anything better, it's Nutella, duh. We of course went for the Rinkoffs Crodough filled with Nutella and marshmallow fluff and served with ice cream and it really did live up to expectations. The hot Cronut went so well with the cold ice cream and although I'm really not a marshmallow fan usually, this addition just worked well here. I'd definitely have this again. 

Although I was disappointed with the Veggie Stack burger, it hasn't hindered my love for The Diner at all. I just can't ever see that happening. I've tried the majority of the menu - and if I haven't, someone I've been with has so I feel like I know what's what. But The Diner... Please bring back the Shrimp dishes - they were truly incredible! 

Head to The Diner for a great meal and a super fun experience. I've never taken anyone there that hasn't been a fan and I don't expect that to change any time soon. Great for those of you out there that aren't from London, and also those of you that are... Just go, okay? You won't regret it.  

Lorna x

*My meal was complimentary but as always all views are my own

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Falling In Love With Too Faced

I feel like I'm getting around the old block with beauty brands and my knowledge is definitely forever growing. After blogging and working in beauty for a few years, I definitely know a thing or two but for some reason there are still and I'm sure will always be those brands I've heard great things about and want to try but still, for some reason, haven't. Too Faced is one of those brands and as you may be able to tell by the title, I've now finally tried and fallen in love with in the process. 

I've tried the Too Faced Love Palette* and the Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Fig* and I blooming love them both as you may be able to tell already... Too Faced are one of those brands where the packaging is absolutely adorable and I always feel like if you fall in love with the packaging first, and then fall in love with the product you've definitely got a good thing going. 

The Too Faced Love Palette features a range of shades and I really love that. Some of them could look a little scary upon a first look but actually they're all muted down tones of colour so if you do want to try out a little bit of colour, then this is a great start. All of the shades have a beautiful shimmer or glitter to them and I love that. They are absolutely stunning and the lighter shades work incredibly for highlighting the inner corner of your eye. You can create a beautiful smokey eye with this palette! 

The Too Faced Melted Liquified Lipstick is one of the most pigmented lipsticks I've seen. A little goes a long way with this and the application with the sponge tip makes it so easy. It blends across the lips seamlessly and it gives a gorgeous and slightly glossed finish. This mattes out a little bit after a while and I love that. It's not super long wearing, but I really don't mind that as the application is so easy. There's nothing worse than having a super difficult lipstick to apply and you have to do it every 5 minutes, this definitely isn't that and I can't get enough of it. I've got the shade 'Fig' and it's a muted purple. If you want to add a purple into your collection then this would be a great one to start with - especially if you're a fan of pink lips already. I'm not usually but this is almost like an in between shade that I really do like. It's great for both day and night wear and I really have been utilising that! 

As you can probably tell, I just want to try more from the brand. I'm already eyeing up other shades in the Melted Liquified Lipstick range (Berry, Ruby and Violet - I'm looking at you), the infamous Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, and of course the beautiful palettes (the Matte Eye palette fo' sho' and I may as well give a mention to the infamous Chocolate palette - it looks gorgeous!) 

Too Faced is an absolute dream and I really don't think this'll be the last time you see me mentioning them... Rave review done. 

What are your favourite Too Faced products or the one's you've got your eyes on? 

Lorna x

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Eating in London: The Hungry Donkey

I love trying out new cuisines and I can't actually think about many times I opt for a Greek restaurant and so I was super excited about trying The Hungry Donkey* and seeing what they had to offer. It's a super chilled space and is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner as the food comes and goes super quickly. 

We opted for the Pan-fried Saganaki Cheese and the Zucchini Fritters with some Aubergine dip to start. Super delicious, and although the dip isn't much to look at it tasted incredible and made the starters. 

For mains we both went for the Vegetarian and Halloumi Souvlaki Pitta Wraps - this was so delicious and so worth how messy it was to eat. We had some of the Chips with Graveria and Oregano on the side and these went down so nicely alongside the wraps. I am a massive cheese fan so this really did not disappoint. 

If your interested in trying something new, then I'd definitely recommend trying the deserts out as honestly they were unlike anything I've ever tasted before. Although they weren't to my palette I can see how they would be for others. 

I'm really impressed with The Hungry Donkey. It's great food with great service and it's all at a really great price point. Honestly there's nothing to complain about. Excuse me while I go satisfy my halloumi cravings after writing this post... Eee - can I have that wrap again? 

Lorna x

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