Fragrances for the summer

I used to always be a one fragrance only kinda gal. Marc Jacobs Daisy was it for me, but with a few fragrances between now and then my collection is growing and I love to change my scent for the season. 

The first scent I swear by was something I've had for quite a while now and it really was love at first sniff. The Jo Loves Pomelo Fragrance* is my go-to summer scent and you can just tell that it's perfect for the season as Jo Malone herself says that its inspired by memories of summer holidays, white sandy beaches, fresh linen sheets and sparkling iced water. With the notes of grapefruit, this scent is the perfect mix of refreshing, energising and just blooming delicious. If you love a fruity scent, then this is a must try. 

Moving slightly away from the fruity scent, but still just as fresh I love the Roger & Gallet Fragrance Water Sprays. I've got Gingembre* and Gingembre Rouge* - both favourite scents of mine and I can't get enough. These are far lighter scents and so are perfect for spritzing on in the summer and keeping in your bag to freshen up on the go. Gingembre has notes of Ginger Flower, Neroli, Bergamot, Ambrette, Benzoin Balm and Musk. The perfect summer-esque scent with a hint of a little something extra. Gingembre Rouge is fairly similar on the note front, but with a different twist. It has notes of ginger, mandarin, pomegranate and lychee - this fragrance is just stunning. I have to admit it pips the post just slightly over the original Gingembre scent, but as always this will depend on my mood on the day. This fruity, yet spicy scent is just beautiful and you must give it a sniff. 

If you're looking for another light scent for the summer that's also budget friendly like the Roger & Gallett scents I'd really recommend looking at The Body Shop. Their fragrances are so underrated but they really are great and mind blowingly affordable. My pick is the newest to the range and is the The Body Shop Polynesian Island Tiare Eau De Toilette*. This is more on the floral end of the summer fragrance spectrum but I'd really recommend giving this a go the next time you walk past a Body Shop. 

Finally, moving a little bit away from summer specific scents as actually I don't always opt for summer only scents - I mean I live in England, it could feel like the bloody winter in the summer so I may sometimes opt for something a little different or warmer. My current picks are the Giorgio Armani Si Eau De Parfum* for its notes of cassis nectar, modern chypre and light musky wood. I'll go for this if the weather is a little cooler or in the evening. The same can be said for the Leighton Denny Light & Dark fragrances*. There's a few different fragrances in this uni-sex range and I'd recommend giving them all a sniff to find out which is the best for you (or your partner!). 

I'm obsessed with adding fragrances to my collection so I can just seeing this keep on growing... So watch this space for a new update with some new favourites in a couple of months. Who know's what I'll be loving then. 

What are your favourite summer fragrances? 

Lorna x

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The Rose Gold Makeup Collection You Need To Try

Are you a copper and rose gold fiend? Yep, yes I am. There's just something about the finish of the shade that gets me hook, line and sinker every time. If it's copper, I want it. If it's rose gold, I want it. I just want it all, okay? 

When I first set eyes on the KIKO Limited Edition Summer Trend Collection I fell in love. The Wanderlust collection* is that love at first sight kind of beauty. You see it, and then you need it. You don't just need one product, you don't want just two products - you want the whole blooming range and that's just the way it has to be. 

KIKO is one of my all time favourite budget beauty brands. Some of the prices fall more in the mid-range price-wise but for the quality, luxurious packaging and incredible range of choice product-wise, it's still pretty budget. 

The KIKO Wanderlust collection is perfect for summer. With the beautiful rose gold metallic packaging and glowy, hydrating products that feature inside - this is a must try and you all need something from this range. 

I got my hands on a few of the products and I would recommend them all. 

The KIKO Endless Sky Volumizing Mascara, £12.90 is a little more lengthening than volumising, but I like it all the same. It's jet black and lengthens my lashes the way I want them to be. Plus, the packaging is just so beautiful. 

The KIKO Desert Dunes Trio Baked Blush, £16.90 in 02 Gypsy Pink looks beautiful in the pan and on the skin. This blusher is the most pigmented powder blush I have ever come across - so bear that in mind when applying. A little goes a long way but can be blended out to create a beautiful flush across the cheeks. 

To add highlight, the KIKO Desert Moon Highlighter, £19.90 is my new go to. These baked highlighting beads come in three shades in the pot to create a beautiful dimensional glow on the high points of the face. 

A great but hydrating lipstick is hard to come by, but the KIKO Mirage Lip Stylo*, £13.90 has very much done it. With incredible pigmentation and a super hydrating and glossy formula this lipstick has been a go-to in my day-to-day makeup regime. I've got the shades 11 Soul Blackcurrant, a bright purple toned pink and 14 Bohemium Sienna, a deep pinky nude. I love both shades but I've been picking up 14 on a day-to-day basis as it goes with every makeup look. 

If you want a little extra gloss though, the KIKO Heatwave Lip Oil, £10.90  is a must try. The glossy finish and hydrating formula is great for everyday wear. The best bit though? It smells like coconut, vanilla or grapefruit! I've got 02 Vanilla, a pink and I just can't get enough. 

This new collection is a new favourite of mine. From the gorgeous packaging to the brilliant formulas, KIKO really have hit the nail on the head with this one. Now excuse me while I go and browse the rest of the collection... The In The Shade Eyeshadow and Kajal has my name ALL over it. 

Lorna x

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Contouring and Strobing on a budget

Finding a budget friendly product for a specific trend can be difficult. And when it comes to base products, I always struggle to find the right kind of product for my skin tone so the high street is never normally my go-to but this time it's oh so different. 

I swear by the Rodial Instaglam Compact Deluxe Contouring Powder*, £52 but at that price I just can't justify recommending it all of the time. The colour is perfect for my fair and pale skin tone and up until now I hadn't found anything that met up to it and made me veer away from it at all. I've heard a lot about the incredible contour sticks out there and the Smashbox Step By Step Contour Stick Trio but as I wasn't quite sure about how the shades would work with my skin colour, I never quite bit the bullet and picked it up as it always looked a little too warm for me. The ease of a contour stick still appealed and then the Maybelline Master Contour V Contour  & Highlight Stick*, £6.99 arrived on my doorstep and I fell a little bit in love. This duo, multi-use product features both a contour and highlight stick in one within the same stick. You draw on your matte contour and matte highlight and blend. It's creamy and the finish looks flawless. For me, a highlight shade like that, would never actually be fair enough for my skin tone but it is! It comes in two shades, Light and Medium and for £6.99 you really can't go wrong. If you don't however like the idea of having both of the products in one, then I'd recommend giving the AmazingCosmetics Perfection Stick, £17.99* a go in a few shades darker than you'd usually go. This is a little more expensive, and a little less budget but the small nib and creamy product make it worthwhile. 

If strobing is more your thing and you really are looking to not spend much, then the Barry M Illuminating Strobe Cream Sticks*, £4.49 are a must try. These come in two shades, Frosty Pink and Iced Bronze and I'd recommend picking them both up if you can. They are a perfect creamy shimmer that highlight the high points of your face that would naturally catch the light and give a gorgeous dewy glow. The stick form makes application incredibly easy and I'd recommend blending the product in with your fingers. If you want it to last a little longer and want an a bit more of a glow, then I'd recommend setting the cream product into place with a subtle powder highlighter. This gives the look another dimension and your highlight will look incredible when the light catches it. 

What are your budget contour and strobing favourites? 

Lorna x

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Is a Liquid Lipstick as good as a normal lipstick?

Yes, yes it is - and sometimes even better... 

I am one of the biggest advocates of liquid lipsticks and so I felt like the beautiful product deserved a whole post of its own. I mean, there really is a lot to talk about. Trust me, okay? 

I've been talking a lot about liquid lipsticks lately and I was quite surprised to find out that more people didn't feel the same way as me, and some hadn't even given them a go - which was why I want to write this post to let you know about my picks whether you've given them a go or not. Where you should carry on your collection from, or where you should begin it. Liquid lipsticks are truly great and you must must must give them a go. 

Liquid lipsticks are the longest wearing lip colour I've ever tried. Imagine an incredibly pigmented lipstick, but in a liquid formula, similar to a lipgloss but with a thicker, and more often a bit more matte in texture. I won't lie, some of them, especially the more bolder and brighter shades can be a pain to apply but with a little practice and eventually a steady hand you'll get there and you'll be glad you persevered. 

My all time favourite liquid lipstick is the Sephora Lip Cream Stain, $14.00 and I've raved about this for years. I got one of my friends to pick up 01 Always Red for me when she went to America and it's the best red lip you will ever try. It's long lasting and incredibly pigmented and once you've got it on, topping up is so easy to do. The formula of this liquid lipstick is super matte and when it comes to a red lip, I love that. I've recently picked up a couple more shades from the range too - and they're just as beautiful too. If you can get your hands on these, stock up... 

If you struggle with the application of a liquid lipstick, then the Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipsticks, £19.00* will be your go-to. It's a familiar lipgloss applicator with a tube and a foam end where you apply the lipstick from. The shade range is incredible, from pinks to reds, purples to nudes, brights to lights - it's got them all. These are my go-to for day wear for the easy application or if I know I'm going to need to reapply a lot in the evening. My favourite shade at the moment is Chihuahua - a beautiful pinky nude. 

The Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick's, £23.00 were the ones that were always at the top of my must buy list and it's the beautiful packaging that got me hook, line and sinker. These are a little harder to work with I must admit, but the luxurious packaging and the final finish makes it all worth it. The pigmentation on these are incredible. Go for the darker, brighter or bolder shades - I recommend the reds, especially Icon. 

MAC are infamous for lipsticks, and so when they released their new liquid lipsticks I was just about as excited as everyone else and just had to try them. I got my hands on the MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick in Feels So Grand, £21.00 - the red of the collection, because if I'm going to wear a liquid lipstick then more often than not I opt for a red. This did not disappoint and met up to expectations on all pigmentation, finish, lasting power and application fronts. This one is just beautiful - and if you love the packaging of the MAC lipsticks, then you'll love this too. 

The best budget friendly options are the Bourjois Rouge Edition lipsticks and the Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks. The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Liquid Lipsticks*, £8.99. were one of the first, alongside my beloved Sephora Matte Lip Creams, liquid lipsticks that I ever got into. I remember collecting these when they first came out. The incredible pigmentation, the velvety texture and the beautiful and wearable shade range were all that got me. With its easy application and affordable price, these were my go-to lipsticks for a long time and still appear in my daily makeup routine often. They are matte, but not too matte and I love that. On the other hand, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua*, £8.99 are have a far more glossy texture. It's the same pigmentation but because it's so glossy it can be blended out to create a far sheerer look. They aren't too sticky and again the shade range is great. I love applying these over the top of a lipstick to give it another dimension, another texture and just to make it look that bit more exciting. 

Similar to the Rouge Edition Velvets, the Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lipsticks*, £6.99 are great. I don't love the packaging as much as the Bourjois lippies but the product inside makes up for it. Pigmented, matte lipstick with a great staying power is what these budget beauty favourites give and I am a little obsessed with this new release. 

Another budget beauty recommendation are the Makeup Revolution Salvation Intense Lip Lacquers, £3.00. I'd recommend giving the more nude shades a go in this range as getting an even colour pay off from the brighter shades can be a little on the difficult side - but with the nude ones it doesn't take so much effort. These have a glossy finish, are a little sticky but they have a great staying power for a gloss finish liquid lipstick. If you're looking to give one a go and don't have much money to spend, then I'd recommend giving this a go and then moving up the scale if you want something of a bit better quality.

I've got a few more in my collection and other notable favourites would for sure be the Laura Mercier Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour, £22 (I've got fuchsia mauve, a bright purple) and the Tarte Tartiest Lip Paint, £14 - also if you're a fan of the OCC lip tars then the new Models Own Lip Gunk Lip Paint Kits, £10.99 from their new makeup range are a must try. These are an absolute OCC lip tar dupe. They each come with a tray and lip brush to mix and create your own unique shades. I've got a couple of these already but I'm already eyeing up the rest of the collection and need to get my hands on Wicked (a deep purple), Loud (a black), Punk (a nude), Ooze (a pinky nude), Liven Up (a metallic burgundy) and Chaos (a metallic purple). The metallic shades would be PERFECT for Glastonbury in a couple of weeks!

I'm a lipstick fiend, but there's just something about liquid lipsticks that get me that bit more excited. Go on, give them a go and see what I mean. They're just great. 

What's your favourite liquid lipstick? What one do you want to try?

Lorna x

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The Barry M Nail Polishes You Need To Try

Barry M Nail Paints were the first thing I got a little obsessed with collecting in the beauty world and where I note where this beauty addiction really began. I was just getting into beauty and there was just something so satisfying about having several of these budget friendly nail polishes all lined up together. And now I think the same about every other beauty product under the sun, but these polishes are still in my life and my ongoing collection is still growing. 5 years or so on from when I first started purchasing these products and the Barry M Nail Paint collection is far larger than it was and so I wanted to give a bit of an insight into the polishes I'd recommend giving a go. 

Barry M Nail Paints, £2.99

The originals from the range and the ones that got me obsessed with nail polish. These are classic nail polishes that I can imagine virtually every girl has in her collection. I love the Ice Cream shades with Berry Ice Cream being my absolute favourite. It's a perfect pastel purple that's perfect for this time of year. I've got through multiple of these! 

Barry M Gelly High Shine Nail Paints, £3.99

My absolute favourites in the range - and if they're not yours already, they will be too. These are Barry M's Gel effect nail polishes and although they don't have the staying power of actual gel nails, they're right up there with long lasting nail polishes. They are super pigmented, one or two coats is all you need and they are super shiny. If you're into pastels, then you need to try Blueberry, Sky Blue and Fondant. If you're more of a brights lover, then I'd recommend Greenberry, Satsuma, Damson and Sugar Plum. For something a little darker, I'd go with Black Cherry but if you prefer a more neutral polish, then I'd recommend giving Almond or Butterscotch Sundae a go. 

Barry M Sunset Gel Daylight Curing Nail Paints, £4.99

Another gel-esque polish range from Barry M but what's a bit different about these as you have to make sure you use the topcoat from the same range with them. The idea of these is that instead of curing the polish under a light like you would for gels, you cure these in the daylight but can still remove them with normal nail polish remover. Now I wouldn't say they have the exact same effect, but I would say it's along the same lines of the Gelly Paints. They're both great and I love the packaging of these. Shade-wise, I'd recommend getting your hands on All The Things She Red, Bug A Blue and Peach For The Stars. 

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paints, £3.99

I am all about quick drying nails. I often don't have the patience for anything else. I swear by the infamous Seche Vite and have even started using the Leighton Denny Miracle Mist I got from a recent Glossybox to speed up the process that bit more, but when I use this quick drying range from Barry M the polishes are touch dry that bit quicker also. I love the fun packaging of these and recommend giving Eat My Dust, Road Rage and Lap Of Honour a go. I've already been eyeing up the rest of the collection and I just know that Supersonic will be a new addition to my collection soon - I can't get enough of bright cobalt blues at the minute. 

Barry M Molten Metals Nail Paints, £3.99

If you are a metallic lover, then you'll love these. These polishes give a chrome/foil effect and with 2 coats you're good to go. If you love a bit of rose gold, then you must give the shade Copper Mine a go - it's a beautiful copper/rose gold nail polish shade. 

Barry M Lolly Gloss Paints, £3.99

I never quite imagined that I would enjoy a sheer nail polish but these ones from Barry M are perfect to adding an extra dimension to a nearly bare nail or can be applied over other nail polishes to change the shades and create something a little more unique. My favourite shade is Cherry Drop. 

There's just something in me that get's super excited every time that Barry M brings out a new collection. Their formulas and shades are always so on point that they're always a must try in my book. Now to give the Coconut Infusions a go... 

What are your favourite Barry M Nail polish shades? 

Lorna x

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