As I've been back from New York for a couple of weeks now, I thought it was about time to give a run down of the beauty pits that I picked up whilst over there. I've split it into two, with 2 brands in each post (glossier and Sephora, and then Ulta and Bath and Body Works)!


Glossier was one of he places I was desperate to visit and it was as incredible as I thought it would be! The showroom was complete Instagram heaven (see me instagram for the pictures) and I couldn't not pick up some of their cult products!


The first thing I picked up were the lidstars, these are fairly new to Glossier so I was super excited to pick a couple up! They were on 2 for $30 (I think!) so I picked up the shades moon (a gorgeous creamy champagne shimmer with blue reflects!) and cub (a beautiful copper shade that's been majorly hyped about on here). I haven't given these a go yet, so I'll be sure to report back when I have, but I knew I just had to include them as the packaging is just so cute!!


The next thing I picked was one of their two masks - I went for the hydrating moon mask but they also did a detoxifying one as well, so they're really covering a wide range of skin issues in just two masks! I'm super excited to try this one as I've heard such great things about how it sorts out dry skin!



I couldn't g to Glossier and not pick up this could I! The milky jelly cleanser is probably the mots hyped about Glossier product ever! I actually went for the bigger size because why wouldn't you! The smaller 2 oz. size was $9 and the bigger 6 oz. size was $18, so you're getting triple the product at only half the price!


Another of the internet's favourite is their cloudpaint! This is their liquid blusher and I was so tentative when I was picking the shade out as sometime blush shades don't quite sit right with my skintone but then  found the shade beam and I absolutely loved this! I've used it a few times so far just dabbing some on my cheeks and then blending it out with either my fingertips or a really dense brush and it just gives a really nice peachy glow to the skin - it works really nicely on very pale skin!

  The final product I picked up was the coconut balm dotcom! everyone always say how good the balm dotcom are so I had to get one. I ended up going for coconut in the end, over the one that I originally wanted - the birthday edition one - as I found that they had a very similar scent but the shade of this one was just so much nicer, so be sure to keep that in mind if you're ordering online!




So, the first thing I picked up was the purple clay mask which moisturises and smooths! They did 5 different colours I think and they all did pretty different things but this was the one I thought would do the most for my skin! This was only $8 and says it has 4 uses in, so I'm super excited to use this and see what it's like!
 Now, this product has quickly become a favourite product of mine! It's the fenty beauty match stix which is a matte facestick that is kind of a blend between foundation and concealer, but it sits really nice on the skin - it's very much a barely there finish but the coverage is insane! The shade range is also incredible and I actually managed to find a shade too pale, and that never happens, so I ended up with this shade porcelain which I think is the second palest!

Another product I got was the fresh lip treatment in petal. I am absolutely loving this so far! It's the perfect mix between a lip balm and lipstick! It sits really nicely on the lips and feels so nice and moisturising, but the colour is also so buildable! You can juts dab a bit on for a wash of colour or you could use a lip brush to create a more high-impact look!


I also managed to pick up the It Cosmetics your skin but better CC+ cream which everyone seems to be loving at the moment! I've tried this only once or twice so far but I really like the finish, eventhough it sits quite heavy on the skin to begin with, once fully blended it's a lovely airbrushed finish, without making it too obvious! Also, I found that blending on a freshly moisturised face really helped the skin look smoother and make the product cling to drier areas less!


Then I picked up 2 of the Sephora collection solo eyeshadows! I haven't tried these yet but I'll give you a quick run down of what I can remember from the swatches in store! he first shade - blonde ambition - is a gorgeous shimmery champagne that can be built up to a gorgeous pale gold shade, whilst the second shade - antique copper - is so much more pigmented and high impact, and the shade itself is (as the name suggests) a true copper shade that has slight burnt orange undertones which I think will look gorgeous in warm-toned looks throughout autumn!


Then the final thing I picked up was the Sephora colour switch eyeshadow brush quick cleanser. This is essentially a sponge that you swirl your brush around on in between shades and it gets rid of the previous shade! This is such a good idea as I often need the same brush for different shades within the look, so I'm super excited to try this out!

So, that was a slioghtly longer post than normal, but I hoped you all enjoyed it and be sure to look out for the second instalment in a few weeks time!

Lou Loves x

Glossier website - www.glossier.com
Sephora website - www.sephora.com (you can now only order from the Europe store to the UK so not all products will be available!)

I was always a powder highlight only kinda gal, until this year. I never really understood the difference in what they did and powder highlight was just so much easier to use.


I always used this NYX beauty - shade 04, ritualistic - as it's such a gorgeous icy glow, but it's still warm enough to use in winter and it doesn't look too cool toned with slightly warmer toned make-up. Eventhough this is a very creamy formula, I always find that sometimes adding another powder into the mix can make your make-up look a little cakey and heavy. Don't get me wrong, the look that this one gives is gorgeous and it's my favourite powder highlight, but sometimes the finish just isn't quite right.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, the lovely guys over at MUA sent me two shades of their light lustre liquid highlight - sublime (on the right) and marvel (on the left). Both have a gorgeous pearl finish and give that glow without making you look like a completely glitterball. Out of the two, sublime has to be my favourite as I tend to find that if you put too much of 'marvel' on, it can look a little too dark for my skin, but would be such a gorgeous natural glow for you darker skinned gals. Sublime is fairly similar to the shade of Benefit's highbeam, so this would be a fab alternative if you're not quite ready to take the plunge and go high-end first time.


Now, I'm a complete liquid highlight convert, because as much as I love my powder highlight, and as much as they're easy to use, I just find that liquid highlight gives you a much more natural and glowy look, rather than a blinding sparkle highlight. So, I guess that whichever you use depends on the look you're going for!
Also, I'd definitely say if you were going to trey either first, go for a powder, as it is much easier to blend and apply, as with the liquid highlight you have to blend straight away or it starts to sink into the skin and you can struggle to blend it! (not a fault with this exact highlight, but is a problem with most other liquid highlights)

So, thank you so much for reading, and let me know if you prefer liquid or powder highlight in the comments below,

Lou Loves x

*This post contains sponsored/gifted content, but all opinions are my own*

I love sharing my wishlists with you guys and I feel like I haven't done one for a loooong time. So, today, I'm sharing with you the items I'm dying to pick up over thesummer.


First, is the Tarte x Aspyn Ovard palette. This peye and cheek palette looks gorgeous on any skin tone and the packaging is to so pretty! I've been putting off getting this until I go to New York this summer so I don't have to pay customs and I'm so exciting about picking this one up while I'm there!

Another product I've been dying to try is the Barry M gloss in sugar. I've been on the hunt for a nude gloss for a while and this one is perfect - it's an orange-brown toned nude with pink undertones! It's really subtle but looks really nice on!


Next up, is this gorgeous linen dress from Topshop. I spotted this on Hannah's HG Ten the other week and fell in love! It so versatile because it can be dressed up or down, so is absolutely perfect for this time of year!


Finally, we have a skincare product that I have been dying to try all year! It's the Glossier milky jelly cleanser. This stuff is consatantly hyped about on the internet, with every who tried it loving it, so I can't wait to pick this up from the Glossier showroom in New York!

So, that's all for today! Let me know your summer wishlist in the comments! See you all next week.

Lou Loves x

*No photos are my own and were all found on www.google.com*

I'm such a sucker for a Pinterest board, so of course I was going to make a summer one! To start with, if added a few pins to get started, I'll be sharing my favourites with you today, and then over summer I'll be adding a few more every week, so make sure you follow my Pinterest to stay updated!

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/louloves01/summer/

First off is the much hyped about high beam highlighter. I held off giving this a go, because I never really got the appeal with liquid highlighters. But, as soon as I tried this, I realised why everyone loves it so much; it's such a dewy and delicate finish but can definitely be built up for a blinding highlight. I really love the shade of this as well, it's got that gorgeous pink undertone which makes it that little bit different than your usual icy glow.

I love to blend this in with my finger. I dot it along my cheekbones and brow bone, and then just pat it in with my ring finger for a more natural look, but you could definitely use a quite dense brush (maybe a concealer brush?) to build up the shade. This works perfectly on pale skin, but because of the shade, I'm not sure how well it would work on darker skintones.


Next up, is my brow holy grail - goof proof brow pencil. I'm completely obsessed with this brow pencil - it's super easy to use but makes your brows look good and more importantly stay put! It has two tips to use; the pointed end is designed for mapping out the brow shape and defining, whilst the wide tip is used for filling in! I have shade 3, which I think is the only shade they do in a mini, but they have 6 shades for the full-size product, and which come with a built in spoolie which is super helpful for travelling!


Finally, is my all time favourite - Rockateur. I'm obsessed with this product just because it's so versatile! Obviously, I love to use this as a blush, but it's also gorgeous as an eyeshadow, and I also use this as a bronzer, because of the gorgeous bronze shimmer running throughout it! This might be my all time favourite Benefit product, because it feels so lovely and light on the skin. It's also a really nice blush shade; it's such a perfect delicate blush shade, but you could definitely build it up for a more dramatic, evening look!

Thanks so much for reading, and let me know your favourite Benefit product in the comments!

Lou Loves x

All products can be found on www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

I often struggle to understand make up trends - like halo brows, what's even the point?! - but this current fresh, minimal make up trend is definitely one I can get on board with! I've just about got my look down, so I thought it was about time that I shared my look with you!


First off to prime my face, I mix the L'Oreal hydra genius moisturiser with their luminising  primer shot. This really makes sure the primer settles into the skin nicely and isn't sat on top of the skin which is often what makes make up look cakey! I then use about half a pump of the true match foundation and just distribute it lightly all over my face - you could also use a BB or CC cream instead, I've heard the it cosmetics CC cream is fab for a nice light coverage! I just blend this in with the Spectrum B01 brush and then just bounce off the excess with my beautyblender!


   

I then just lightly dust the rimmel stay matte powder to make my makeup last longer! To give my skin a bit of life back, I use Benefit's rockateur as a contour! This blush is perfect for a natural look as it has the coppery tones but still that main blush shade as well! To top it off I add some of the NYX highlighter in the shade 4.


I then lightly run the benefit goof proof brow pencil (shade 3) through my brows to create a light and fluffy brow look and use L'Oreal baby roll on my lashes to add loads of length but still not making them look heavy or un-natural! At this point, I also sometimes add a nude lip shade (ususaly Tanya Burr pink cocoa) but the look still really works without it!

And that's it! Less than ten products and takes me 15 minutes, max! So, I hope you all enjoyed this post and I'll see you next week!

Lou Loves x

I'm definitely one who gets excited about new beauty releases so today i'm sharing with you my top 5 new releases or products that are being released super soon!


Smashbox's Petal Metal highlighters

These highlighters are part of a 9 piece collection with Make-Up Artist Vlada Haggerty. There's two shades - Rosemantic (a pale rust shade with gold sheen) and Gilded Rose (a true gold shade with a peachy pearl). I'm so loving the metallic trend right now, so these go perfectly for that. They'll also look perfect in summer for that perfect golden glow!


The Body Shop Body Yogurt

These have been out for a little while now, but I've still not gotten around to giving them a go! These have been released in the standard range scents (strawberry, mango, etc.), and at the start I was sceptical as to how different they were from the original body butters, but all the reviews have said they're a much lighter formula that sinks in really quickly! These would be so perfect for summer as the body shop scents are always so fresh and light!


KKW Beauty Lipsticks

I couldn't do a new releases post and not include these! Kim has smashed it out the park with this nude lipstick range! It caters for all skin tones and every undertone imaginable! My two favourites are Nude 2 (a warm light nude) and Nude 5 (a mid-tone rosy nude). This range is so lovely because they're not just your same old boring 3 or 4 colour nude range. I normally struggle to find nudes that I like, so finding two that I love the look of is incredible! The only downside on the KKW Beauty products is the UK shipping and customs charges!!


Dior 'Backstage' Collection

This range is the diffusion line to the core collection that was showcased on the catwalk. It boasts everything from 40 foundation shades to a contour palette designed by Bella Hadid. The foundation, is my favourite product from the collection because it's designed to be a medium coverage that can be built up with a dewy finish. It's also rumoured to be the foundation that Meghan Markle wore at the wedding, and if that isn't incentive enough to give it a go, I don't know what is!



Nugg Peel Off Masks

Nugg have just released two more of their pain free peel off masks. One charcoal and vitamin C mask for cleansing, unclogging pores and reducing shine! The other is tea tree and seas silt mask for toning, cleansing, refining and energizing skin. Most peel off masks hurt so much, so I love the idea of a pain-free peel off, so I'll definitely be trying these when I can!

Thank so much for reading and let me know which new releases you're loving in the comments!

Lou Loves x

Links:
Smashbox highlighters
The Body Shop body yogurts
KKW Beauty Lipsticks - releasing 8th June 2018.
Dior 'Backstage' Collection
Nugg Peel Off Masks

*No images are my own and were found on www.google.com *

I did this post way back when I first started blogging so I thought it was time for an updated version!

1- Soap & Glory melty talented balm

This stuff is INCREDIBLE! It's a dry skin balm with coconut and almond oils, mango butter and vitamin E. You can use it on your face, lips, hands, feet, hair, knees ,elbows, cuticles, wherever you've got dry skin basically and it works an absolute dream! In the tin, it's a solid oil and then it melts onto the skin! It also smells amazing so that's a major bonus as well!

2- L'Oreal hydra genius

You guys will already know that this is my absolute holy grail moisturiser. It's water based so doesn't feel heavy or sticky on the skin! It also has aloe vera and hyaluronic acid in it so it's really good for balancing out skin texture and colour as well as locking in moisture!

3- Benefit goof proof brow pencil

I've always struggled to find brow products that're the right shade for me as I find that the "blonde" products are either really grey or yellow so tend to look a little bit weird! This, however, suits my shade perfectly (I wear number 3) and just makes doing your brows a whole lot easier. It has two angles you can use to fill and define in separate areas which I really love!

4- Garnier Micellar cleansing water

I think just about everyone has tried this now, but it's just so good! It cuts through make up so easily but still feels like it really cleanses your skin and makes it feel really fresh!

5- L'Oreal baby roll mascara

This mascara is my absolute favourite - I just cannot get enough of it! It makes your lashes super fluttery and long but still holds a degree of natural-ness (is that even a thing?! I'm not quite sure but hey ho)

Thank you all so much for reading, and be sure to leave your desert island picks in the comments!

Lou Loves x

I have been loving doing this look recently, especially as it's warming up! What's better than a warm toned eye and nude lip?!

First off, I prime my eyes with the Smashbox 24hr shadow primer. This stuff is incredibly and I've been using it religiously for the past couple of years! Then I set this with powder to really lock the base down.


I then use the Morphe 12NB (natural beauty) palette. First off, I use the palest pink shade (top right) and blend it all over the lid with the NYX 17 brush. I then use the bottom right shade which is a gorgeous deep mauve. I start by blending this into the crease before blending it around, to create a halo eyes shape. To add the final glitter centre, I use the 3rd shade in which is a gorgeous gold glitter and the 2nd shade on the 2nd row which is just slightly darker. I add this into the centre with my finger as I find that that gives the best pigment.



I then use a mixture of the L'Oreal baby roll mascara and Sleek full fat lash mascara. This creates a nice dramatic eye whilst still keeping into natural and fluttery (This would also really suit some individual lashes in the outer corner.


To moisturise and prime I use the L'Oreal hydra genius and mix it with the L'Oreal infallible primer to create a glowy base.


Then, I apply the L'Oreal true match foundation over my face in tiny little dots. I know this sounds like major work but it just helps get a really even blend. I blend it using the Spectrum B01 that has 2 sprays of the Mario Badescu rose water spray on it. I then use the L'Oreal true match concealer under my eyes. I then use my beautyblender and the Rimmel stay matte powder to bake under my eyes and along my jawline. I leave this for a couple of minutes and then blend it in with a damp beautyblender, rather than blend away with a brush.



I then fill in my brows using Benefit goof proof brow pencil in the shade 3. Then, to highlight the brow bone I use the shade "virgin" in the original Naked palette.


For the final touches to the face, I use the benefit Rockateur blush and the white glow shade in the Sleek Solstice palette. Finally, I use the Barry M matte me up lip kit in pose, for a gorgeous pinky nude lip!

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you all again next week!

Lou Loves x