Bourjois magic nail polish remover - Review

Helloha,

I'm always one of those people who can't be bothered to remove nail varnish when it starts chipping, usually because i've run out of cotton wool pads or decide to 'do it tomorrow', I also hate the smell of nail varnish remover. When I came across Bourjois' 'Magic nail polish remover' in Boots for £4.99, which claims to remove nail varnish in 1 second, I just had to snap it up.

I've heard Zoella (an amazing YouTube beauty guru) talking about this in the past, so knew the kind of main features of the product before I bought it. However for those of you that haven't heard of this, it's pretty much a sponge soaked in nail varnish remover in a bottle. It states that it has 'nourishing sweet almond oil' and a 'red fruit and vanilla scent'.

I used this firstly on my newspaper nails where i'd used a base coat, two coats of white polish, the newspaper ink, and then a top coat and it's safe to say it took longer than a second. So you put your finger into the hole, twist it then pull it out (that would sound dodgy out of context), although I had to do this about 5 or 6 times untill it had gone, which to be honest is still easier than removing nail polish with cotton wool. I used it again on nail varnish where i'd used just a base and 2 colour coats and left it to dry for about and an hour and it only took one second to remove it.

If you smell the sponge it definitely smells of nail varnish remover, although once you've taken your finger out and it has dried, it does in fact leave a fruity smell on your fingers, which is a major plus in my books.

I highly recommend this nifty little gadget it's a great time saver and the size which I have (75ml) could quite easily fit into your handbag. Plus it's only £4.99, the price i'd usually pay for a half decent nail varnish remover anyway.


Thanks for reading guys :)

Lots of love, Lucy xx

Back to uni - supplies haul

Helloooha,

So this is a little out of the 'beauty, fashion' area but I always find these interesting to read so thought i'd give it a go :) I really don't have to take much to my University lectures as we're usually just bored to death by the lecturers reading out the power point presentation. Never the less, there are some essentials I do take and a few things I take purely to help myself.

 My bag is this cream and brown faux leather bag from Zara, it was only £22.99 and I think it is adooooorable! The longer strap is removable and adjustable and for the price feels pretty well made. Inside there is a zippy pocket, a cream canvas pocket and little leather one which is big enough for a card or something.

These plastic pockets came as a pack of four from Rymans for something like £3. I take these as we usually get tonnes of loose bits of paper which usually end up getting squished and ripped in my bag, however these keep them much more readable.

This binder from WHSmith was £11.99, a little pricey tbh but I liked it and the fact it's split up into sections makes it easier to organise and to keep notes together.

An academic planner is a necessity for Uni, we have so much research, tasks, group meetings, tutorials, draft dates, hand in dates, presentation dates, room changes e.t.c. without one i'd probably fail. This is a day-a-page diary, giving me loads of room to write on. This was again from WHSmith

My pencil case is again from WHSmith it was like £2.99 which is pretty damn good. I've filled it with markers, highlighters, coloured pens, mechanical pencils and normal pens as I find making my notes colourful helps when I go back to use them. I also have little post-it 'tabs' which I use in my binder as well as in text books to bookmark things.

And that is it :) Thanks for reading guys. 

Lots of love, Lucy xx

How Much Does My Face Cost? Tag

Helloha :)

As you may be able to see I mainly use drugstore products so I thought that my 'How much does my face cost?' wouldn't add to all that much....here's the result.

All photos from Google

1. Simple anti-blemish moisturiser - £4.99

2. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner - £7.99

3. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - £7.99

4. Soap and Glory Hocus Focus - £13.00

5. Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24HR in 'On and On Bronze' - £4.99

6. MUA Professional Eye Primer - £4.00

7. Benefit Bad GAL Lash Mascara - £16.50

8. MUA 'Undressed' Pallet - £4.00

9. Balance Me Under Eye Cream - £11.00

10. 17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer - £4.99

11. Revlon Lip Butter in 015 'Tutti Frutti' - £7.99

12. Topshop Blusher in 'Neon Rose'- £6.00 

13. 17 Instant glow light bronze - £4.59

Total...£98.03

I'm pretty damn shocked that the total is almost £100 :O Plus i'm sure i'll find that I missed things off. Although I guess this total would be much more if I used mainly high end products...I think i'll stick to Drugstore.

Thanks for reading, why don't you see how much your face costs? :) 

Lots of love, Lucy xx

p.s. Don't forget to follow :)

Storage ideas for your beauty things :D

Helloha :)

My room is pretty tiny and used to be stuffed full with make up, hair things, jewellery, cleansers, moisturisers, lotions and potions of all sorts so I came up with some good ideas (if I do say so myself) for storing these things and I gathered i'd share these with you because, well it might give you some ideas :)

I keep my makeup in a little chest of drawers on my bed side table. These are made of a thick carboard and have little ribbon handles, they're decorated in a pretty floral pink and blue pattern. I got them from WHSmith where they do them in a range of designs for £14.99. Also on my bedside table I have this blue and white polka dot GIANT tea cup which I just decorated with a ribbon, it's actually supposed to be used as a plant pot but I wanted it to store stuff in that's usually loose on my side. It was £4.99 from Poundstretcher although i've seen them in loads of garden centres and D.I.Y stores such as Homebase.

 I have a long shelf where I store my toiletries and decided to divide them into boxes and bags depending on what they are, for example I have all my hair stuff in one box. body butters in another bag, nail stuff in another etc. I got a load of different boxes and bags from different places to make it all look a bit mix and match :)

Finally I thought up some cute ways to store jewellery and bits and pieces. I took a long beaded necklace which I don't wear any more and hung it from a handle, I looped a range of my bracelets onto it and use it as a cute little bracelet holder. I used a tin bucket just to keep random things in and I hand sunglasses on the outside of it. Finally I took a 'mug tree' (the thing you hand mugs on in the kitchen) and used it to hang all of my necklaces, bracelets, rings e.t.c. on.





Thanks for reading this post, I hope it gave you some ideas :)

Lots of love, Lucy xx

It's fun to be cheeky sometimes :D

I seem to be posting like a post man on post tablets today.

I'm a spring chicken to the blogging world in that I only started at the beginning of July although, since then i've gotten far too into it so I thought i'd introduce myself to you. Helloooha, i'm Lucy, i'm 19 years old, I go to University, my favourite colour is blue and my favourite animals are Polar bears :D. This blog (Lucy Loves...) is largely about hair, make-up and fashion all of which I am pretty obsessed with.

 So if you're reading this (thanks btw) and are interested in hair and make up tips, OOTDs, DIY things, advice, reviews and a load of other things, then i'd really appreciate it if you could carry on having a look through my numerous blog posts i've done so far, and if you like, think about following? :) (how cheeky of me!) I will also more than likely follow back.

I try to post as often as I possibly can and try my darn hardest to be interesting and to write blog posts which will be helpful in some way to those who read it although your comments, feedback and constructive criticism is all more than welcome.

By the way, i'm a student on a budget so most of the products I use are high street or drugstore, with just a splash of high-end.

That is all, thank you for reading :)

Lots of love, Lucy xx

Worth the hype?...Revlon balm stains

Revlon 'Just Bitten Kissable' balm stains, have become quite a talking point recently being compared to high end products such as Clinique's 'chubby Stick'.

So they're basically a lip stain in a stick.

I love Revlon's lip products in general (being a big fan of their lip butters) so I just had to give these a go. I brought it in the shade 'Rendezvous' a beautiful orange/coral colour. To product applies nicely and is very simple to apply even without a mirror due to it's pencil shape. It also has a nice minty smell which is pleasant.



I guess the main claim of this product is that it's a stain and so has staying power, which it does. I applied it before lunch and it was still going strong afterwards. It's not completely non-transferable, so like if you did kiss someone (as tested on my hand) it leaves a lip-balm mark, but on 2nd/3rd e.t.c. test the transfer is much less viable. Also I applied a swatch to my hand and it takes some scrubbing to get off.

Due to it's staying power however, the Revlon balm stains lack in the moisturising department. It can make your lips feel pretty dry, not dry in the sense that they're sore and cracked, but in that you feel like you have no moisture on them as you usually do with glosses and balms.

The range of colours in the Just Bitten range, are beautiful and the staying power is great. I do recommend these stains but suggest maybe applying a moisturising lipbalm underneath or over the lip stain to keep your lips soft.

Hope you found this some-what helpful :)

Lots of Love, Lucy Xx

Lucyloves OOTD

Night out clubbing :)

The blouse is a black and white striped one from the New Look brand 'cameo rose' seriously can't remember how much it was but i'm pretty sure it was around the £15- £20 mark.

The bodycon black skirt is from H&M and was £3.99 (BARGAIN ALERT)

My shoes are a black wedge with elastic cross over details and they were £19.99 if I remember rightly.

My black, white and gold stud bracelet was £7 reduced to like £2 in the sale from Miss Selfridge. 

The 'Amaze balls' bracelet was £2 in the sale, again from Miss Selfridge. 

The last bracelet is a florescent pink wrap around with a cute little button fastening. It was £2.30 from Accessorize :)

Watch this space for more OOTDs soon :)

Lots of love, Lucy Xx

keep your oily skin at bay!

Helloha :)

Soooo i've accidentally discovered something which is pretty damn good at getting rid of oil. So I had an allergic reaction to a face wash and my face went red and dry (eww) so i was advised by a doctor to use calamine lotion to calm it down, turns out...it also helps oily skin. 

Time for the sciency bit...

So Calamine lotion is a mild astringent meaning it helps to contract skin cells which stops bleeding (which is why it's sometimes used on minor cuts and things) it also constricts pores....smaller pores=less oil! WOO! So in general it reduces the secretion of oil.

You can use calamine lotion under your makeup by using a tiiiiiiny amount and blending it in well so you get its effects all day, this can sometimes make your skin look a little paler and a tad powdery but you'll have much less oil on your skin. If you wanna put it on under makeup you could try mixing a drop with your primer too.

Another way you could use it is by dabbing a fair amount onto the more oily parts of your face (nose, chin, forehead) an hour or so before you're planning to put makeup on leaving it to absorb any oil before wiping it off and applying your makeup. 

Calamine lotion is super cheap, Boots own make is £1.09 for 200ml. So you can't really fail when it comes to price. 

Give it a try and I hope it works for you :)

Lots of love, Lucy Xx

How calamine lotion dries

How it would look if you used a drop under foundation...you can see it's a tad powdery  but it'll limit oil :)

NEWSPAPER NAILS :)

I saw this as a tutorial on Youtube ages ago and got bored today so decided to do it and leave it on here as a bit of a 'how-to' tutorial for you guys :)

So you will need....
~A base coat nail varnish
~White/ light grey nail varnish (you can really use any colour you want but I think these make it look more 'newspapery')
~Slips of newspaper big enough to cover your nails
~surgical spirit or rubbing alcohol (you can also use water but it doesn't work quite as well)
~A top coat of nail varnish :D



Start by painting your nails with a base coat wait for that to dry and then apply your white or grey nail varnish and wait until this is completely dry! If you do it while the varnish is still tacky or wet the paper will stick to it.




You next want to dip the strip of paper into the surgical spirit, rubbing alcohol or water so that it is wet.

Take the strip of paper and place it onto your nail pushing down firmly. Roll your finger over the nail to ensure all of the nail will have writing on. Do this for ten seconds and then gently peel the strip away.












You should end up with something like the picture on the top left. If it smudges or sticks, re-paint this nail, wait for it to dry and try again. One you've finished all of your nails they should look something like the picture on the bottom left. Wait for your nails to dry for around five minutes, using a top coat on wet nails may make the ink smudge. Not good.

 Finally once your nails are dry use a top coat to seal it all in place. I decided to use a slightly sparkly one (17's Glitter Top Coat) but a clear one is great too.

  Thank you for reading, hope you have fun recreating this super simple nail design

Lots of Love, Lucy Xx

6 tips on how to get shiny hair :D

Everyone wants shiny healthy looking hair and there are many ways that this can be done pretty inexpensively. So here are 6 tips on how to get beautiful locks without breaking the bank.

1. Firstly and pretty simply, look for shampoos and conditioners which claim to make hair shiny but before you buy read reviews online and see what others have said so you know you're getting one which is more likely to work.

2. Secondly look for shampoos and conditioners which contain natural oils which will replenish oils which our hair makes naturally, making it look super shiny

3. Don't be rough when dealing with your hair. Some ways to do this is by patting wet hair with a towel or using a towel to wrap your hair up instead of rubbing it. Ensure you use heat defence spray and try to avoid using hair appliances on a super high heat or cut to using them just once or twice a week. Also be careful when brushing your hair (avoid it completely when it's wet) as this snags hair making it less shiny.

4. Many drug stores sell deep replenishing masques which help to give hair shine. These can be pretty inexpensive and only need to be used a few times a week.

5. There are numerous natural recipes which give hair shine. Mixing lemon juice and cider vinegar is one way, this also helps to lighten hair so if you're brunette keep this in mind. Another way is to use black coffee which has cooled down, this can sometimes darken hair. (always remember to wash you hair with shampoo and conditioner after using one of these)

6. Finally blasting your hair with cold water (the colder the better) after conditioning closes the hair cuticles making your hair shinier and stopping excess oils getting out meaning your hair is also less greasy.

That is allll

Love from, Lucy X

DIY- Super simple make up brush holder

I have a load of make up brushes some that I use more than others, I have a Real Techniques brush sort of stand thing for the ones I use most but I had no where to put all the others so I made this very cute very girly holder. So if you wanna know how I did it, keep reading :D

You will need:

A clear jar, something such as an old jam/marmalade jar thoroughly washed is perfect

2 thin ribbons, long enough to fit around the top of the jar (I used the hanging loops in clothes)

One thicker sheer ribbon long enough to fit around twice

A loaaaaaaaaaaaaad of beads

Glue

Start by wrapping a piece of the thin ribbon around the top of the neck of the jar so that it goes around once and the glue it down.

Secondly take the other piece of thin ribbon and wrap around the bottom of the jar, again so it goes around once and when you're happy, glue it down. 

Thirdly, take the thicker sheer ribbon (I used one from a Pandora bag) if the ribbon is too wide just trim it down. Wrap this around the neck of the jar (if the ribbon is sheer you should still be able to see the ribbons underneath) and tie it into your everyday bow at the front. Glue this piece down if necessary although you will want to use a glue that dries clear.

Finally fill the jar about a quarter of the way with beads of any kind, shape, colour and size. I used some beads from a bracelet making kit and cut up some old worn bracelets and added those beads too.

And TaDaa, You have one super pretty brush holder :) 

You can of course decorate the jar in any way you like. Why not make some more bows out of other ribbons and stick them to the front like I have in the picture above :)

Happy making guys.

Lots of Love, Lucy X      

10 Back To School Beauty Tips :)

Holaaa, 
So i'm at University in England so I don't have long days and uniform anymore, but I certainly remember when I did so i've come up with ten tips to help keep you looking, smelling and feeling great allll day long :).

oh and p.s. this is gunna be a long article (sorry)

1.Wash your hair the night before!! No one wants to get up super early in the morning but you can save time (and get more precious time in bed) if you wash your hair the night before and then spruce it up in the morning using a dry shampoo such as batiste's dry shampoo. They also do these in travel size so you could take one to school with you! Alternatively you could use an oil absorbing shampoo the night before such as Lush's 'I love juicy' which helps to keep hair oil free for longer.

2. Get a good quality hairspray which will help to keep your style in place all day without smelling bad or making your hair rock hard. I recommend Tresemme's 24 hour body Amplifix hairspray.

3. Get a good deodorant! You want to stay smelling fresh all day so invest in a deodorant that lasts a long time and keeps you un-sweaty. In the mornings before school I recommend Sure's Maximum Protection TRIsolid cream, this stuff seriously gives maximum protection and smells yummy. It costs like £5 a bottle but it's way worth it. You could always then get a spray deo to take in your school bag.

4. Use body spray instead of perfume! Perfume is great but can be pretty pricey. Body spray on the other hand is cheap as chips and can smell great, the bottles are also more durable for carrying around in your bag.

 5. Only wear subtle make up. In my school we weren't allowed to wear any make-up accept in years ten and eleven although that could only be subtle make up so I sort of got used to wearing more neutral make up which looked great but was subtle enough for school.

MUA's single eyeshadows and blushers £1 each, Barry M lipgloss in 11 £4.49, 17 concealer  £3.89,  Collection 2000 eyeliner in Birdy Song £1.99 and 17 va va voom mascara in Brown £6.29.

6. Get a makeup fixing spray. These don't need to be expensive but can hold your make up on for longer (along with using a primer) so you don't get to lunch time looking like a panda or ghost or clown or whatever. A cheaper alternative is to spray just a little hairspray over your face before going out!

7.Take a hairbrush to school. Don't you find that you leave home looking good then you get to school look in the mirror and...well, you may as well have been dragged to school by your ankles. You can get small fold away hair brushes that you can just whip out to fix your hair with. For those with curly or frizzy hair spray some hairspray onto your hand and flatten the frizz down.

8. In most schools in England we have to wear a uniform so add a kick of your own style in your school bag, pencil case, folders and whatever else. Customise bags with ribbons, buttons, beads and badges and look for bags no one else will have (why not look in charity shops and on ebay?). Making a collage on folders is another way to add a personal touch as no one else will have one the same :)

9. Use a clear or nude nail varnish. As much as we all love bright colours and glitter, some nail varnishes aren't appropriate to school (apparently the colour of our nail varnish stops us doing well or something?) so keep it clear or use a sheer pink or beige colour just to make them look pretty.

17 nail Xtras nail recovery and Avon's speeddry+ varnish in ballerina 

and finally! 10. Drink lots of water. I know we hear this all the time but seriously, water can help make your hair and nails stronger, help to stop spots and blemishes, keep your skin hydrated and make you look and feel more awake. Plus it's free so go crazy on the stuff. (but don't drink too much, that's not good for you either).

Hope this has helped you, again sorry it's so long :P

Love from Lucy :) X

Lucyloves OOTD

Sunday Lunch in the pub :)

I wore this outfit today for sunday lunch (yummm). The shirt is a blue and white stripe with gold buttons and long sleeves (although i've rolled them up). This was from Forever 21 and was £16.75 :). I paired it with a pair of your everyday black leggings from New Look. The belt is coral and if from Dorothy Perkins, they don't have them on the website grrrrr but i'm pretty sure they were £6 for two (the coral and a gold one). My ring is a multi-coloured bow and was £1.50 from Forever 21 :)

That is allllll X

Lucyloves OOTD

Shopping trip :)

These jeans are from Zara and are superly blue which quite nicely matched my top from house of fraser. The denim jacket is from Forever 21 and my beauuuts new bag is a turquoisey and gold one from Primark for like £8!!! The bracelets are a combo of ones of brought this month and last, if you wanna know where one particular one is from feel free to leave a comment :). My shoes if you can possibly see them are brown with a cream fabric bow and were £4...yes £4!!!! from Primark. My necklace is from Accessorize and is a array of gold things and tusks and peace signs....

That is allll :D X

Lucy loves... July BATHROOM

These are my favourite things I have been using in the bathroom in July :D

Aussie's miracle hair insurance leave in conditioner- This is super yummy smelling which is the main reason I use it but it is also non-sticky and makes my hair soft :D

TRESemme's Heat defence spray- Loads of people rant about this and I see why. It smells nice and does the trick. My hair doesn't go all fried like it used to and the spray is diffused nicely and not just in one little squirt like some.

batiste dry shampoo in 'light and blonde'- This is your typical batiste dry shampoo, it smells nice and works but it also has a hint of blonde colour to it which makes your hair look blonder which is a plus for summer.

Garnier's pure active deep pore wash- I LOVE this. It contains salicylic acid which exfoliates and helps to get rid of spots. It foams nicely and really works!!

Herbal essences Hello hydration- oh my lordy lord this is AMAZING. It seriously makes my hair soft like no other conditioner/ deep conditioner/ treatment etc has ever done!! It smells like coconuts and is affordable. :D :D

Finally...St Ives invigorating apricot scrub- This contains all natural exfoliants . It smells fruity and is rather moisturising. I shall be repurchasing that one :)

That is allll :) x

Lucy loved...July BEAUTY (just a bit late oopsy)

Heloha.

I've decided to do my July favourites but found a crap load of stuff which have been my favourites this month and that would take years of typing on here so i've split it up into two categories...beauty (this one) and Bathroom  :)

Soap and Glory's 'hocus focus' if my first fave. It's an 'Instant visual flaw-softening lotion' It's a bit like highlighter in a bottle and I usually mix a splodge with my primer to make my skin look dewy and then I also use it as a highlter. It's fab although a little pricey at £13 for 30ml.

I've gone MUA craaaaaazy this month (I may well do a review) and have the pallet 'Glamour days' for a while and bought 'heaven and earth' recently (which is a dupe for urban decay's naked pallet). They're £4 each and are super pigmented and easily blend-able.

I got 17's Wild Curls mascara on a whim for £1 with a voucher and I super love it. It seems to make my eyelashes look longer. I did a post a week or so ago on it so check that out if you wanna know more :)

My usual eye liner which I have continued to love and repurchased for like the 4th time is Maybelline's Eyestudio lasting drama gel liner. It doesn't flake or smudge and is (as Barney would say) super deeee dooper.  

Moisturiser of the months is Simple's anti blemish moisturiser. My face was going spot crazy and I thought this could maybe help. It has natural ingredients which aim to like reduce redness and oil and bacteria and so on. My spots cleared up good and propper, not sure if I can put it all down to this but i'm sure it helped.plus it doesn't smell and is cheap and moisturising so all is good.

My Eylure lashes in number 155 is a bit random but I wore them on a night out and they looked lurvely without looking silly which they usually do. :)

Me Me Me's boxed blush in coral is another fave. I'm guessing it's using Benefit's boxed blush idea but is £8 so waaay cheaper. It's a pretty colour and...well yeah...that's about it.

Foundation of the month is DEFFO Maybelline's dream fresh BB. It is pretty and not super thick coverage but nice for summer. It also has SPF 30 which is a bonus. It blends pretty damn well and is just amaze.

Apologies for the essay!
That is all :) x