South Coast and South Meet-up

Hey Girls,

I am really excited to announce/organise a bloggers meet up for us southerners! I always see meet ups that take place up north and in London and none ever seem to take place down south! I'm sure there must be a few of us hiding in the woodwork! But of course if you are a Northern or central? blogger we would love to meet you too!

When:                     26th and 27th November 2011
Where:                    Brighton


There is no plans set in stone, however was thinking shopping and a few drinks then moving on the bright lights of West St. for a night out- obviously you would have to be over 18 for this, but under 18's are very welcome to come for the day time ! I'm sure it will be a jam packed two days so to ensure this can happen can you Email, tweet me or comment below and let me know you are interested :) and of course, re-post on your blog to ensure we can meet as many people as possible.

My Email is LCCxox@gmail.com and my twitter is @LCCxox

I look forward to hearing from you all and finally meeting some of you :)

Love

Laura 

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September 2011 Favourites...

Hi Guys,

I cannot believe it's the end of September already, eeeek! Back to Uni next week for my final year- that is  so scary! However this month I have been loving the simple side to make up, maybe a bold lip if I am being a bit extrovert ;)  I have made a lot of purchases recently which I am loving but obviously they cannot make my favourites! I will do a haul post later in the week :) Anyhow here are this months favourites...

If you follow me on twitter you will know I am loving Instagram at the moment ;)

Bourjois- Healthy Mix Foundation in shade 56. I have always liked this foundation, however for some reason I have being reaching for this more than my Chanel Vitalumier- which is so weird as my skin has actually been really good recently and I am not needing the extra coverage that this provides. However it is a firm favourite and I am really enjoying it at the moment. 

Chanel - Bronze Universal paired with Sigma F84. I love this product, it is something that not only bronzes my skin but also offers a bit more coverage when I need it. For me, as my skin is a little olive toned, it will not just be a summer product but something I can use all year round. I love the texture the smell, and the Sigma F84 angled top kabuki is perfect to apply. I like that its dense unlike the MAC angled brush which I found left it looking very patchy! All in all its a fab product and a make-up bag must have for me.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle.  I picked this up from Charlotte's Blog sale, after much agro on the post office's part I finally got my hands on it and I can say I am well and truly in love. I use it as a highlight on my cheeks, eyebrow bone and cupids bow. I love using as a base eye-shadow with something darker in the crease on a natural day but also as a blusher if I am using heavy contouring. Love this product and cannot understand why I never bought it earlier.

Prestige- My Blackest Lashes. I love Michele1218 on Youtube, I trust her opinion and her honesty and if I can I will try and try and product she raves about and this is one of them. This is so much better than any other drug store mascara and even maybe top 3 ever! Length? check. Volume? check. Blacker than Black lashes? check. A must have girls go buy now now now ! 

Mac Lipstick in Shy Girl. After Creme d'nude looked  too 'concealer lips' on me I stayed well away from Shy Girl, until I was at the counter looking for a new nude, looking more towards Hue, however the assistant suggested straight away, with hesitation I agreed to try and fell in love instantly, the Cremesheen formula finish really helps too! It's great for change in seasons too!

Oilatum- Natural Repair Face Cream. Cult product shown to the community by Pixiwoo, it not only leaves my skin moisturised and soft but balances out my oily areas - namely my t-zone. Great as a primer under make-up and I use it day and night to ensure my skin stays soft.

Hair Doughnut in Blonde. I am loving wearing my hair up in the doughnut, winged eyeliner and a bold lip. I am really enjoying this look as its simple and easy, but effective. I would recommend picking one up, they are currently £1.00 in Primark and come in different sizes depending on your hair length- this is how I wear mine

What are your top products this month?

Love

Laura xox

NOTD: Leopard Print Nail Art

A rubbish first attempt you may agree, however for a nail art virgin like myself, I was pretty chuffed! This was all made capable with my *new* Models Own Nail Art Pen- which I must say I am in love with!

Have you tried the Models Own Nail Art Pen?

Laura xxx

Clinque Pore Refining Solutions - Review Part 1

Hey Girls,


This is going to be a long post! So if you want to just hear what I think scroll to the bottom ;)


Some of you may know that my pores have always been something that I have struggled with skincare-wise, they are so huge, that not only did it make my skin look un-even and my make up not last very long, but it also meant that no matter how good my skincare routine was, my skin would never be clean and very prone to deep blackheads (were all friends here haha!) I have tried every product on the market including Benefits latest offering 'Porefessional', which was like a silicone-heaven/oil slick for my face, which did take me by surprise.


Then when flicking through a magazine, I saw an advert for a new product by Clinque claiming to help battle large pores, which I don't know why I didn't see it sooner, there are ads for this product everywhere! I thought about it for a while, and with a £35 or so price tag it didn't come cheap. When I was milling around Boots in Bluewater on payday I went to the Clinque counter and enquired about it. 

I was greeted by a lovely assistant called Cheryl, I explained I had seen the product advertised and tried everything else, how could this product help me. This is where I thought it was a bit dubious as she sounded like she had read a script, which I hate with a passion. It was something along the lines of what they claim on their website: 


"Lightweight, oil-free serum with Pore Resurfacing Complex quickly, gently clears out debris and rough flakes. Pores 'snap back' into shape. Over time, helps skin create a stronger support structure and healthier cells. In 2 weeks, clinical tests confirm a 58% smaller appearance. A tighter, smoother look, guaranteed. "


So after the sales pitch was done she explained there was two products both the treatment - (this product) and a concealer type product, as then she proceeded to ask to try both on me. This is where the sales barrier broken down and I was actually able to hear what she actually thought of the product. To be fair the concealer was just a tinted version of the Benefit product so I wasn't interested, but I asked has she seen anyone that has used the treatment etc. Which is when she said that it's such a new product they hadn't seen any of the results first hand, yet I looked in the mirror and i did see a slight change in my worst area. I said to her, even if it improves it a tad I will be happy and she offered me a free consultation 2 weeks later, which is apparently the time it takes to see the full results, and we will discuss my thoughts and recommendations for the product as well as testing out other products in their pore range ( Foundations and skincare I think?) but also so she can see what results the product actually gives.


So with that I was sold! I took it home thinking that this would help me a bit but I wouldn't see much improvement, and I am one who likes to really use a product before making my mind up and really saying what I think. However 1 week into the 2 weeks and MY OH MY , I love this product! MY pores have shrinked so much, which in turn has helped clear my skin!  My make-up is lasting so much longer and my skin feels so soft I cannot wait to see what it will look like when I go back to see Cheryl next week. Friends have even noticed and commenting (un-prompted of course!) about how much better my skin is looking!


This is a pricey product, however I am a strong believer of that money is irrelevant if it works. I will update you soon on my final thoughts, but this may be a holy grail product for me!




What new products have you tried and fell in love with instantly?


Laura xxx

NOTD: Model's Own - Utopia

Love this colour for the period in-between summer and autumn as the weather is crazy!
2 coats and it is perfect- topped off with a nice generous coat of Seche Vite!

What are your favourite nail colours for this time of year?

LCCxox