Look Book | Beach Style

Polyvore

Hey ladies! Hope you are all having a good week so far. Its been gorgeous here, the sun is always shining which has been lovely. Working in it hasn't been as great.. its boiling and ends up making me feel really tired. I think work should be banned when its hot and sunny, that would be perfect :). Anyway todays post is along the sunshine theme, its a quick post on beach style and a few style essentials for either your holidays or that day by the sea.

So first up, I included some swimwear. You can never have too many bikinis or swimsuits and whether its enjoying a hot sunny day here in England or your in paradise for your hols, swimwear is a must. I am totally obsessed with these super cute fringed bikinis at the moment. They just look so summery and are really flattering. I just love them! For those of you who are not as keen on a two piece, why not this very glamorous one piece. Its stunning and very chic. Sticking with clothing, I also added a pair of denim shorts. you cant go wrong with a simple pair of shorts, they go with absolutely anything and these American flag ones are amazing! I actually want these desperately. Anyone know where I can pick up a reasonably priced pair?

Moving onto accessories, a pair of flip flops is definitely an essential. They are ideal for by the pool or on the beach and are super easy to wear. Another thing that is a total beach essential is a beach bag. Especially these straw like ones. I think they are so summery and you can cram lots of goodies in there, such as suncream, a good book and a few magazines. Next up are sunglasses. Now I don't know about you guys, but I have a ridiculous amount of sunglasses, I don't actually wear half of them either but I always find I buy more every year. Lastly, a little bit of jewellery. These cute rope and bead bracelets are perfect and are very beach chic. I love them, I find rope bracelets just remind me of holidays and those little stalls you always end up buying a million from. :)

Kisses
Luci xo

My Favourite Foundation | MAC Face and Body

Hey everyone! I'm really sorry I haven't posted in a little while. I have just been super busy what with work and everything. I need to start taking my photos in advance so I can just plonk myself down and get writing as soon as I have a spare moment. Also, how amazing has the weather been here in England this past weekend? Wow! Its so rare to actually have some sunshine let alone hot weather. Its been gorgeous! Pretty bummed that I had to work the entire scorching weekend... at least today has been lovely too. Anyway, todays post is on my current favourite foundation, MAC Face and Body.

Now I have been using this foundation on and off now for about a year but in the last few months I have been using nothing else. I just love this foundation! Its really light and super build-able, so whether you want a nice light coverage or something a lot heavier for a night out - this is all you need. As you can probably see from the swatch, it is quite a runny product which may not be to everyone's fancy. I personally love the fact its runny as it make blending a doddle and makes it super easy to build up to the kind of coverage I want. As for lasting power, this lasts on my skin all day long, and doesn't flake off or turn my skin shiny after a few hours. I normally apply this with a buffing brush so I can buff it into my skin to create that natural, yet flawless look.

Now I have super dry skin and foundation isn't always the easiest thing for me. I have gorgeous thick foundations for nights out or when I want a flawless finish but they are not ideal for every day use, my skin just flakes. This is perfect! So if you have dry skin, I couldn't recommend this enough. This foundation applies a light to medium coverage so I am pretty sure it will work for all skin types too. Another brilliant thing I love about this foundation is the fact it feels so moisturising on my skin. Like I said before, some foundations can turn flakey on my skin or make it feel tight, this doesn't do that all no matter how long I have been wearing it for. Its a must have for me in the summer and winter months thats for sure!

As for shades, I go for the shade C1. I am normally a NC15 in other MAC foundations and concealers so this was the nearest to that. When I do get a tanned face, this can be a little light but nothing a little bronzer cannot fix. Over all there are 13 shades to choose from which is more than enough, they range from really dark to really light and nearly all of them can be mixed together to create pretty much any shade imaginable. Another great thing is they do this is two sizes, a 50ml for £21.50 and 120ml for £27 so if you wanted to give this a try but didn't want to splash out on the larger bottle and waste a lot of product, then you can purchase the dinky one and test it out.

So yeah, this is the foundation I am totally obsessed with at the moment and if you are in the market for a new foundation yourself then this is definitely worth checking out. If any of you have used this foundation before, what did you think?

Kisses

Luci xo

Sun Beds | Worth The Risk?

Picture Link

Hey everyone! Hope you are all well and ready for the weekend. Its meant to be glorious for the next few days and seriously warm. Im gutted because I am working the entire weekend so am missing out on decent weather.. boo! Should still be hot on Monday which is my day off so I'm just going to look forward to that! Anyway, onto todays post. I have been wanting to do a post on this for a while now, so finally decided to sit down and get to it. :)

Now I love getting a tan, whether it be on holiday or in my own back garden. I love the feel of the sun on my skin and how healthy I look once I have a bit of colour and glow about me. When I have a tan I feel great, I love the fact I don't have to wear nearly as much make up, I can show my legs knowing they look fantastic and I just instantly feel more confident. But what I would love to know is why so many people put their lives at risk just for the feeling?

Sun beds are the largest cause of skin cancer in the world and after just one use, they can increase your chance of getting it by 90%, especially if you are under 25. That is massive and a risk I would never be willing to take. Why so many people do is totally beyond me. A tan is basically your body's way of protecting itself from the UV rays and too much can cause serious damage. What's more, sometimes you wont be able to see the damage until 20 years later. Obviously by then, its too late.

Sun beds can give out greater doses of UV rays then the midday Mediterranean sun which seems pretty extreme to me and aside from the damage they cause and the high risk of developing Melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer), they also can turn your skin leathery and wrinkled. I mean, who would actually want to end up with skin like that? We spend ages making ourselves look good but to then ruin your skin that way is crazy. Once your skin is like that, you cant go back. It's far better just to wait until you go on holiday or can enjoy the natural English sunshine (with sunscreen of course!). If you're really desperate, there is always fake tan!

Like I said, I understand why people like having a tan. I totally agree with them, who wouldn't want to have a nice golden tan all year round? But is it really worth the risk? Is it really worth maximising your chance of getting skin cancer just for the sake of a bronzed look? I really don't think so and I do think people need to understand what spending 12 minutes a ay on a sun bed does to them. Too many people think 'it won't happen to me', but how do you know that? You don't and its just not worth it.

Lots of love

Luci xo

Selfridges Festival Beauty Box

Hey ladies. How are you all? Todays post is on Selfridges Festival Beauty Box which I ordered a a week or so ago. As soon as I heard about this box I couldn't wait for it to come on sale. The products all looked amazing and were definitely things I would use. The box itself cost £25 but is worth a total of £110. That is amazing and makes it a perfect way to try out new products without spending a small fortune. As for the packaging, this was a super tiny box which I guess is because its meant for taking to a festival but all the products fitted in perfectly. It was still in Selfridges signature yellow style with the super cute tissue paper so it still looked classy. Anyway lets get onto the products inside this little box...

Sol de Janerio Coconut Cooling Mist. This is lovely and very refreshing. I actually tried this as soon as I opened the box and I really like it. Its ideal for when your feeling hot and just want to cool down. The smell is also lovely, its very subtle so its not overpowering. Strong scents are a no no in the summer as far as I'm concerned. 

Topshop Lip crayon in 'Powder Room'. I actually included this in my June favourites here because I loved this so much. The colour is gorgeous and perfect as an every day pink and the formula is fantastic. Its not too drying or flakey and it lasts for ages! Something thats very important when you're out and about and don't have the time to reapply.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in 'Navy'. I have tried a few of Eyeko's products before and quite liked them so I am pretty excited to give this a go. I normally wear black eyeliner so navy should make a change and create a slightly different look. I quite like the idea of wearing navy in the summer, its something a little less dramatic. Have to wait and see!

Coloursmash Hair Shadow. Sooooo excited to try this. I always see this pictures on Instagram of girls with pink or purple bits in their hair for summer and it looks so good. I am not quite brave enough to ever do that permanently so this looks like a good way to test it out and wear it for a day or so without actually committing to wearing it full time.

Violent Lips Lip Appliques in 'Warm Rainbow'. These do look pretty scary but I remember seeing these being applied at a beauty show once and they did look really cool. I am not sure if I would ever have the guts to wear this out and about but it will be fun to try them out anyway. :)

Illamasqua Liquid Metal Metallic Cream. Love this shade! Its gorgeous and will look amazing on a night out or something. I can't wait to test this out. Its lovely and creamy and looks like it could be a perfect base too. I have also always wanted some Illamasqua make up! Yay!

Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing Moxie Lipgloss. Bare Minerals is a great brand so I was so excited to try this lip gloss out. The colour is a perfect pink and will look great with any kind of look whether it be a neutral look or something a bit more dramatic. Again, the formula is brilliant and the lasting power is good for a lipgloss.

Azature Nail Polish in 'Champagne'. Woooo another nail polish! My collection is growing more and more by the day. I have never even heard of this brand before so I don't know how great the quality is or anything. Pretty excited to use it though and the colour is really different. Its like a bronze shade but with little bits of gold and champagne coloured glitter. Lovely!

Cowshed Anti-bacterial Hand Gel. You always need Anti-bacterail hand gel so this was a nice little extra. I always have one in my bag at all times but I tend to go for your average brands that don't cost a small fortune. Cowshed is a good quality brand so it will be interesting to see if it makes a difference at all. 

NPW Mini Scented Hand and Face Wipes. These are so cute! The are so dinky and the packaging is so cool. Again, perfect for popping in my hand bag. You never know when you might need them. If I was going to a festival, this would be the sort of thing I would be super happy to receive in this box.

NPW Chubby Glitter Stick. Again, not something I will probably use regularly but would be ideal if I was going to a festival this year. I still think it will be pretty handy. Who knows when you might need some pink glitter in a stick right?

So thats whats included in the Selfridges Festival Beauty Box. The box is still available to purchase on Selfridges website here but I'm not sure how long it will be around for so get to it quickly. :) If you have already got this cute little box, what did you think?

Kisses

Luci xo

Again just another reminder... Now that Google Reader is shutting down this month, don't forget that you can still follow me on bloglovin' along with all your other favourite blogs. Its going to take some getting used to but in the end it will be as if we never did anything else. :)

Monthly Favourites | June

Hey everyone. How are you all? Back to work for me this week which is a little depressing after having a whole ten days off. Don't you just find that time off just flies by? Its really unfair! Anyway its time for my monthly favourites and I seriously cannot believe its July already, it almost feels like we haven't had June at all. Probably doesn't help with the rubbish weather here in the UK. Hopefully this month brings a bit more sunshine! Anyway... onto the favourites!

Charles Worthington Salon at Home Volume and Bounce Shampoo. So I bought this along with the conditioner near the beginning of the month and I love it. It really gives my hair a lovely boost and lasts all day long (with the occasionally backcomb here and there). I also really love the smell of this shampoo. It smells really clean and refreshing which is a perfect wake me up.

Victoria's Secret Warm and Cosy Body Lotion. This has actually been a firm favourite of mine for a little while and I did a post on it here along with my other favourite body lotions if you want to take a look. The reason I put it in my monthly favourites is because I have used this nearly every day this month. I have always loved the smell but I have been really really loving it lately. I think I have also been using it a lot more because my skin doesn't need that extra moisture in the summer months.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun. I am in love with this product! Maybe for just smell alone? I bought this ready for holidays and when the sunshine finally arrives here. We did have a lovely week of weather the other day and I got to try it out. Its very hydrating and soothing on the skin and leaves it feeling unbelievable soft and cool. The smell is actually divine and lingers for ages. Love it!

Sinful Colors Nail Polish in 'Unicorn'. I did feature this in my nail polish haul here. I have worn it a few times now and I actually adore it. Its a gorgeous pastel yellow which I find are pretty hard to come by anyway but this one is very opaque and not sheer and runny like a lot of yellow polishes can be. I have worn this several times this month and because it doesn't chip easily, I have got a lot of wear out of it. Highly recommend you check out Sinful Colors nail polishes, they are amazing!

Topshop Lip Crayon in 'Powder Room'. I actually received this in Selfridges Festival Beauty Box which I will be doing a post on in the next couple of days. I haven't had it for very long but I really like it. The colour is gorgeous and something you can wear everyday and the formula is great too. When I have worn this, it has lasted for absolute ages. Very impressed Topshop.

Bdellium Tools Pink Brush in # 940. I picked this up at IMATS the other week and I have not stopped using it since. I have been using this to apply powder under my eyes and it works perfectly. The brush is so soft and gentle and applies just the right amount of product. Plus its pink so thats a bonus. :)

Pretty Little Liars Season 3 DVD. Oh My God! So again, I had to include one thing that wasn't beauty related and it had to be this. I am totally obsessed with Pretty Little Liars and have been watching this non stop. It so addictive and I just love it! Its definitely one of my favourite shows and can't wait to find out whats going to happen! :)

So there you have it, another months favourites. Can't believe it will be July's next! What have you been loving this month? 

Kisses

Luci xo

Oh and one last thing... Google reader is shutting down from today so be sure to follow me on bloglovin' if you haven't already. Its the new best way to follow all your favourite blogs and check out all their new posts. I think that google reader going really sucks as its my favourite way of keeping up to date with my favourite blogs but I guess at least we will all be in it together. :)