Sunday, 30 June 2013

Are you beach ready? - the beauty edit

To complement my beach fashion edit yesterday, today I shall share with you my top beach beauty products. To feel your best on the beach it is essential to put some pampering hours in before your departure date (and besides, which girl doesn't like to pamper herself from time to time?). The key to feeling you best on the beach is glowing skin, a good mani and pedi, and shining healthy hair. My simple top tips for glowing skin are (after a good waxing session!) 1) exfoliate 2) moisturise 3) protect in the sun. For a good mani and pedi you could pop to the beauty parlour, but if you can't afford this option or don't have the time, all you need is a good nail file and buffer, a bold bright nail polish, and gorgeously soft soles and palms. Finally for shining healthy hair head to the salon for a trim, and then make sure you use products which nourish your barnet. So read on for my tried and tested products to help you follow these top tips. 

THE EXFOLIATOR 

SANCTUARY
salt scrub
£11.25

THE MOISTURISER

PALMER'S
cocoa butter formula
£3.77

THE PROTECTION

NIVEA SUN
invisible protection factor 30
£7.34

THE NAIL POLISH

ESSIE
muchi muchi
£7.99

THE FOOT LOTION


BURT'S BEES
peppermint foot lotion
£12.99

THE HAND CREAM

L'OCCITANE
verbena cooling hand cream gel
£14

THE LIP BALM

BURT'S BEES
replenishing lip balm with pomegranate
£3.69

THE HAIR CARE

AUSSIE
3 minute miracle shine
£4.99

MY FINAL SECRET


VITA COCO
pure coconut water 1 litre
£3.49

Each of these products I use regularly when preparing for the beach, but also just for summer in general. My final secret - Vita Coco - is probably my best. For the last few months I have had some almost every morning, and it really does make you feel great. It's hydrating, nourishing, and totally delicious, and is the secret skin weapon for some of our top super models such as Miranda Kerr. 

So I hope that some of my fashion and beauty tips will help you to feel your best on the beach this summer. But I would like to finish by saying that we really shouldn't put too much pressure on ourselves to feel "perfect". Sure it's nice to buy a few nice items of clothing, and to look after your body to feel pampered, but do these things for yourself, not because you feel the pressure to look "perfect". Who wants to be "perfect" anyway? Imperfections are beautiful - so try to embrace your imperfections this summer!

Love Lucy x

Saturday, 29 June 2013

Are you beach ready? - the fashion edit

Ladies, I am sure that many of you feel the same as I do about the beach. It's a love-hate relationship: you love to feel the sunshine bronzing your limbs, going for a dip in the sea, and relaxing with a good book or some summer music; but what about your wobbly bits? What if someone sees your cellulite? What if something pops out of your bikini in the waves? What about your post-lunch tummy? Now, I'm not going to claim that I have a miracle cure to these worries, but what I can do is suggest some beautiful beach pieces, and give some top tips so that you can feel your most confident on the beach this summer. I've planned to do two posts on this one, one for beach fashion and one for beach beauty (pre-beach and on the beach), so have a read and see if any of my top tips can make you feel your best on the beach this summer.

THE BIKINI

NEXT
leopard print bikini top
£14 (matching hi leg brief £10)

I bought this bikini for my holiday at the end of May, and it was so great that I bought it in black too! Bikinis can be really tough to get right, especially if you are more "curvy" as I am. Often bikini tops and bottoms are sold as a set, which seems ridiculous to me (you would never be sold a bra and knicker set unless you were under 10 years of age!), but there are some shops which do separate bikini pieces very well, and Next is one of them. They understand that their customers will rarely be the same size on the top as they are on the bottom, and thankfully their bikini tops are labelled by bra size rather than dress size. What's more, they have a great selection of styles, patterns and shapes, so it's easier to find something you'll like. If you like to shop online, Asos is also good for separate bikini pieces, and they also have a great DD+ section for ladies with a fuller bust. 

THE COVER-UP


NEXT
yellow knitted kaftan
£22

Next also do some great beach cover-ups. For my holiday I didn't buy this particular kaftan, but one similar, and Next cover-ups are always of a good quality, designed with their customer very much in mind. I've gone for this beautiful yellow one because if you can't wear bright colours on your summer holiday, then when can you wear them? Cover-ups are essential on a beach holiday as they are a beautiful way of hiding all the bits you don't want exposed, whilst making you look and feel summery and gorgeous. 

THE FLIP-FLOPS

HAVAIANAS
black slim flip-flop
£21.99

Havaianas are the holy grail of flip-flops, so why buy any other? Brazilians know how to do beach, and we should all embrace that and spend our annual beach time solely in Havaianas. They're comfortable, they're cool, they come in loads of different colours - what's not to love?

THE ACCESSORIES
TOPSHOP
chevron revo sunglasses
£16

TOPSHOP
zig zag duffel backpack
£32

RIVER ISLAND
orange striped sunhat
£15

Every girl needs some trusty staple accessories for the beach, and I love these three colourful pieces. The sunglasses by Topshop are incredibly "now" with their orange reflective lenses, and they go perfectly with the yellow Next kaftan. Sunglasses are an important part of your beach wardrobe as you need to protect your eyes, and they'll also prevent you from frowning in the sunlight, keeping those pesky crows feet at bay! I also think that the green and white duffle bag from Topshop is just gorgeous, and makes a difference from your usual beach bag. Backpacks are perfect for holidays where you'll also be doing some walking, as it's ideal to whack everything in a bag and carry the weight on your back. The River Island sunhat is a holiday must - no one likes to get sunstroke - so you might as well wear a hat which is girly and gorgeous. 

What's in your beach wardrobe? And what are your top fashion tips for the beach?

Love Lucy x

Saturday, 22 June 2013

LUSH Cosmetic Warrior: my secret skin weapon!

Why can't I have perfect skin? (The question I am constantly asking myself!). It seems so unfair that most of my friends have perfect complexions, whereas I regularly have to battle blemishes and breakouts. Being in my early-20s, I am of course no longer a teenager, so having these "teenage" skin problems are a real bore. I have a twice-daily Clinique routine of cleansing, toning and moisturising; I always take my makeup off before bed, or before exercise; I drink enough water and eat my 5-a-day; I am forever washing my hands and obsessing over hygiene - and yet I still seem to have skin that has a mind of it's own. Unlucky for me, I just have difficult hormones and very sensitive skin, (although it is true that I could do with more sleep!).

Having tried almost every treatment available - creams, gels, lotions, tablets, supplements, etc. - I was very close to feeling completely exasperated, until one day back in October last year I went into LUSH in Covent Garden to try and find a natural solution to my skin woes. I was drawn to the face mask section, as I thought it was a good place to start. I started chatting to a lady who worked at the shop, explaining my issue, and she suggested that I tried Cosmetic Warrior. Intrigued by it's courageous name, I asked what was in it. The main ingredient was garlic. Ew. I was horrified at the thought of putting garlic on my face, but the LUSH lady promised me that garlic was an amazing antiseptic, and slowly coaxed me into giving it a go.

LUSH
cosmetic warrior fresh face mask
£5.95


Nine months on and I wish I could remember which lady served me, as I would love to go back and give her a huge thank-you hug! My skin is so much better than it was: my pores have tightened, I have significantly fewer blemishes, and the ones I do get are less angry and much easier to deal with. I am not going to lie and say that my skin is completely perfect, and that Cosmetic Warrior is a miracle product, but I can honestly say that it is one of the best facial products I have ever discovered, and now I couldn't live without it.

I use the mask 2-4 times a week, making sure that my face is completely clean of any makeup before I apply it, and then I leave it on for about ten minutes each time. All you need is a bit of warm water to wash it off, and your skin will instantly feel fresher and in better condition. The garlic is what makes it so effective, but here is a list of some the other products in it (all fresh): green grapes, free range eggs, honey, and tea tree oil. The garlic and the tea tree oil both act as antiseptics, fighting those evil blemishes, and the other natural, fresh ingredients nourish and feed the skin.


I really can't recommend this product enough if you suffer from similar problems to me, and even if you have other skin worries, still give LUSH fresh face masks ago. My experience of their staff is that they are all well trained and very helpful, so I am sure that they will help you to find the face mask that best suits your skin type. 

Just before I go I'll share my two top LUSH fresh face mask tips with you: 1) use the product within the first two weeks of purchasing for the best results, 2) once you've collected up 5 LUSH pots, take them all back into the store with you and you'll get a 6th fresh face mask totally free!

Have you found any great products for fighting your skin dilemmas? 

Love Lucy x

Thursday, 6 June 2013

June Wish List: Top Ten

First things first, I must make a brief apology for my absence from the Bloggersphere over the last few weeks; I had a much needed holiday, and the week before and after have been totally crazy at work! But I had a really lovely two weeks away in Portugal, and have had inspiration for some holiday posts over the next month.

Now to my favourite month of the year - June! The sun is shining, everyone looks healthier and happier, and it is my birthday next week! My June Wish List is inspired by the beautiful sunshine that London has been basking in this week (please, please last for another few weeks at least!). I am loving the "White Heat" trend at the moment, and have complemented these items with some bright summery pieces (I am totally in love with the Topshop beaded rainbow jacket and the River Island dreamcatcher necklace!). So please do dive in and enjoy my June Wish List:

1.

TOPSHOP
rainbow beaded jacket
£150

2.

WHISTLES
white tia jacquard dress
£155

3.

TOPSHOP
nelson chunky 2 part sandals
£45

4.


RIVER ISLAND
multicoloured dreamcatcher necklace
£28

5.

TOPSHOP
LA burnout top
£18

6.

ZARA
ethnic jacquard mini skirt
£29.99

7.


BIRKENSTOCK
black patent t-bar sandals
£49.95

8.

KLEAR KLUTCH
transparent clutch made in the UK
£59.99

9.

ACCESSORIZE
isra stone ring
£12

10. 

WHISTLES
elise cashmere curved hem
£165

So I do hope that those of you in the UK are enjoying the weather as much as I am, and that the weather elsewhere in the world is as equally as gorgeous. Let's celebrate it by making June our most fashionably fun month yet!

What is on your June Wish List?

Love Lucy x