Empties #3

  There were so many things in my ever-growing empties box that I thought I should split them in half: makeup and non-makeup. Above, we have a number of hair products, like for example the Batiste Dry Shampoo, the Aussie 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, and the Boots heat protective spray. I was a fan of all three of these, they are nothing fancy, but they do the job for not much money. 

  Then not one but two Snow Fairy's. A mini and a big one. It took me ages to get through these, and I admit I was getting a bit sick of the scent by the time it got to May, but I wanted to finish them up. My friend gave me this Ted Baker body mist, which I liked the smell of very much, although the only thing I'd say about it is that I got through it very quickly.

  In terms of skin, I've tried a couple of different products recently, neither of which I particularly liked. The Freederm face wash left a very strange residue, and the Neutrogena 'blackhead eliminating' lotion did not do very well at eliminating any blackheads.

  This may look like quite a few products (especially lips) but it has taken me six months since the last empties post to collect this lot. First is the Maybelline Baby lips, just the clear one. I liked this, not least because it was only £2.99. Then the Fresh Sugar lip treatment in 'tulip'. You may have seen this in my Sephora haul post. It took me a while to finish, but I'm sad that is now done because I can't easily find/afford another one. The Rimmel stay matte powder and Collection lasting perfection concealer are both old favourites, both of which I have already repurchased. 

  I actually finished the Benefit Lollibalm quite a while ago, because I got it for Christmas, and it didn't last very long, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. You may not be able to see from this rather low quality photo, but I have finished the middle three eyeshadows from the Naked Basics palette, Foxy, Naked 2 and Walk of Shame. I liked these immensely, but I've now used the colours I most like, so I'm not sure what I'll do with the other three (even though I've hit pan on Venus). 

Sorry I had a month off blogging, I was extremely busy, but now it's summertime, so hopefully posts should be more regular.

Love Lucy xxx

Revision and Exam Preparation Tips

It's that time of year - exams. As all older teenagers in the UK (and US?) will know, this time of year is stress-filled and revision-heavy. It would be fair to say I hate revision, and my study time is usually not very effective, but I have learnt some techniques which work for me, and hopefully might work for you too.

1. Make a timetable

Structuring your time is essential, because otherwise I am prone to zoning out and playing on my phone (not good). Having a clear plan allows you to be purposeful, and know exactly what you're supposed to be doing when, which helps. 


2. Have breaks

I definitely know from experience that trying to do 4 hours of solid revision will not work. After around an hour of productive revision, my brain just becomes fuzzed, and all further revision is unproductive. It's much better to do effective blocks, rather than hours of bored, bad revision.

3. Break topics into chunks

I always do this with topics, especially things like biology and history, where there is just so much content to learn, that just to sit there and read years worth of notes is not very effective. With biology, I made an A4 page or two of typed notes for each topic, which didn't take too long, and is a lot more manageable.

4. Make flashcards

I used to loathe flashcards because it took hours to write them out. Then I discovered the world of online flashcard websites, and my life was transformed. www.cram.com is my personal favourite, although there are many others. They are an excellent way of learning, for example dates, or specific facts.

5. Don't over-revise

This may sound stupid, but while these exams are extremely important, getting too stressed will be counter-productive and end up making you do worse. Doing revision is necessary, but doing too much, or cramming crazily, won't help you get the grades you want.

Hope this helps!
Love Lucy xxx

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue | My thoughts

I was going to include this in my next samples roundup post, but I decided that it merited it's own post. I finally summoned up the courage to ask at the bareMinerals counter for a sample of their new Complexion Rescue (believe me, it took a long time, I hate talking to people in shops). 

 The lady was very pleasant, and colour-matched me to my shade (01 Opal - the lightest shade naturally). She squeezed me out a sample into this cute pot. On the voucher I brought along it said 'Deluxe' sample, and let me tell you it was definitely deluxe. I got 18 uses out of it! That is a lot! And I was not being scarce with it, I was going all out, assuming it would run out after a week. 

The texture is extremely light, and the colour is perfect for me. It spreads very easily, and so a little goes a long way. The coverage is quite minimal, but having said that, it does reduce redness and cover up acne quite well.

The only negative I have with this is that it is very dewy. I usually like that radiant-complexion kinda look, but I have quite oily skin, and it is more of a shiny-face sort of effect. Coupled with the fact that I have just run out of my Rimmel Stay Matte powder, the shine has been reigning free for the last few days.

  All in all, I am a huge fan of this, and am extremely tempted to buy the full size, but it is pretty expensive. Having said that, bareMinerals is an excellent quality brand, and given how little is needed, it would last a long time. Hmmm...

Love Lucy xxx

What's in my bag

 I though I would do one of these posts, because I love reading/watching them, but I warn you that it might be a little dull, because I really don't carry very much around with me.

My bag is a rucksack from Primark. I got it last summer, but either they still sell it, or another shop sells similar, because I see people with this design all the time. It was, if I remember correctly, only £8, so it may not be the best quality, but it shows no sign of failing me yet.

Like I said, I don't carry very much with me, because I hate carrying heavy bags, so I choose to travel light.

 First (and most important haha) is my phone. I don't think I could live without it, and I am constantly checking it, or playing games (Candy Crush is my personal favourite). I have a Cath Kidston case with clocks on it, which I love.

 For my purse, I use this one from Cath Kidston (I am a fan, if you couldn't tell). I got it for Christmas, and would seriously recommend investing, because it holds literally everything. 

  I suffer from extremely dry hands, so this E45 hand cream is an essential. It is so hydrating, thick and creamy. Maybelline baby lips are another must, and this one - 'Mint Fresh' - has a very nice smell.

Love Lucy xxx

My eyeliners

 Yes, this is a lot of eyeliners. What can I say, I like trying different ones. In my defence, all of these have different purposes.

Stila Stay all day eyeliner in 'Midnight' - An essiebutton inspired purchase, and one that I don't regret. The formula is very good, and does last all day as the name suggests, but the brush is a bit thin for my liking. I do love the navy colour though. 

Mac Superslick Liquid eyeliner in 'Defiantly Feline'  - My mum bought this for me in duty free, and whilst I like the long brush, the formula takes a while to dry, and I think I would have gone for the black rather than the brown, which has some shimmer in it.

Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner in '01 Black' - This was the first eyeliner I ever bought, which was a long time ago, so I should probably throw it away, but it is my only black liquid liner, so I am reluctant to. This is definitely not the world's best eyeliner, because it only lasts about 2 hours before it smudges or somehow evaporates, but I will keep going with it because I don't want to buy another liner. (I really don't need any more)

Charlotte Tilbury Rock'n'Kohl liner pencil in 'Bedroom Black' - The only pencil eyeliner in this collection, and also my favourite. It has become very small, because I have to keep sharpening it, so I am going to run out soon. I don't think I can bring myself to repurchase it, so I will have to find a pencil alternative. :(

Urban decay eyeshadow 'Crave' from Naked Basics palette - I apply this with a little angled Elf brush which came in a travel set, and I actually really like the effect of it. Crave is a matte black colour, and while it doesn't show up well on the paper, it is actually very pigmented. 

I might do more posts like this, focusing on one sort of product, but to be honest I only have one of most other products, so it might not be very interesting!

Love Lucy xxx

Review | Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Polish

  Well if the extremely long name and the snazzy racing-themed names weren't enough to tempt you into trying this range of nail polishes, I can add my praise to the mix. I've been a fan of the Gelly polishes for a while, and after hearing some raves about this new range on Youtube and in the blogging world, I decided to give it a go. 

 I wanted to pick up the shades 'Eat my dust' or 'Stop the clock', but both were completely sold out in my local Boots so I got this one instead, 'Lap of honour'. It is a beautiful colour, and at £3.99, I am very likely to get a couple more colours, because the whole range is stunning. 

  I have always been sceptical about so-called "fast drying" nail polish, but I can honestly say this is the real deal. I couldn't believe it when my nails had dried in about 5 seconds. The whole process took record time, and I am extremely impressed. 

Have you got any fast-drying recommendations? I am very tempted to buy other colours, because this is easily my favourite nail polish of the moment, and very spring appropriate!

Love Lucy xxx

Samples Roundup #2

I'm back today with the second installment of samples from my sample drawer! Just a little head's up that I have a hella lot of samples still to try, so there will be more of these posts to come. :)

Garnier 5 second Perfect Blur - I did actually like this, and while I won't be purchasing the full size (because I don't believe in primers personally), it was quite a novel experience. Like it claims, it does blur imperfections reasonably, and smooths out skin ready for base.

Benefit Stay Flawless 15 hour Primer - Whether or not it was because the sample was in strange packaging, but I didn't really enjoy using this. It caked up quite a lot, and I ended up removing it and starting again both times I tried using it. As to it's lasting 15 hours, I'm not sure whether anyone has tested that assertion, but it seems unlikely to me. 

Bumble&bumble Colour minded Shampoo&Conditioner - I don't have coloured hair, so I probably wasn't the target audience, but I still enjoyed using these. I only got one wash out of the samples, but they were very moisturising, and I can understand how they would help prolong colour, with their hydrating properties. 

L'Oreal Elvive Smooth&Polish Perfecting Shampoo - I've wanted to try L'Oreal Elvive for a while now, and while this sample might not have given me the best idea, I certainly found it lived up to expectations. Also, the sample gave a hefty amount of shampoo, compared to the measly amounts usually given.

Love Lucy xxx

PS. The Garnier one isn't open in the pic because I hadn't started using it when I took the photo :D.