March Favourites 2012

Friday, 30 March 2012

NARS Laguna Bronzer, Maybelline 24 colour tattoo, Bourjois magic nail polish remover*, Elemis Fresh Skin serum*

Just a quick monthly favourites this month, as nothing has really shone for me. Next month will be a big one as I have already fallen in love with loads of products over the last week. 

NARS Laguna Bronzer:  I've wanted this bronzer for ages but hadn't run out of my old Guerlain bronzer yet so couldn't justify buying it. That was until I got an email from Buyapowa and saw it was available for as low as £18 (I think). So I snapped one up within minutes! I really like it. You need to apply it with quite a light hand as it's quite dark and very pigmented, but it's easy to blend and looks really natural. 

Maybelline Colour 24 hour tattoo (never know what the real name is, it's too long!) in 'On and on bronze': I've already written about this in detail here, and I haven't stopped wearing it since. It's the perfect eye shadow for work because it stays put all day. I can't recommend this enough, it's amazing! 

Bourjois Magic nail polish remover: This has changed my life. I know that these were brought out a few years ago, but Bourjois have just created their own pot of magic nail polish remover and this time it won't damage your nails. You basically stick your finger inside the pot of foam, twist it around a bit and voila, your nail polish is removed. I'm obsessed with it and for £3.99 I will be repurchasing this again and again. It's made with sweet almond oil so your nails feel nourished after. This will be available from mid April in Boots and Superdrug and I highly recommend it. 

Elemis Fresh Skin Super Boost moisturising serum: I got this at the Superdrug press event and I was actually really pleased to hear that Elemis were putting their products in Superdrug. Elemis Fresh Skin is their sub-range for younger skin and I think it'll work really well. I have been loving this serum this month; I use it before my moisturiser and primer and it feels gorgeous on the skin. 

What have you been loving this month? 

Lily xx
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Collar tips and Loafers

Wednesday, 28 March 2012

Shirt Zara £25.99, Shirt Primark £10, Shirt Primark £10, Shoes Topshop £30

If you follow me on Instagram (@lilypebbles) you would have seen most of these items last week. I've recently become obsessed with collar tips and lucky for me there seem to be a lot around at the moment! 

I picked up the Zara shirt when I was in Birmingham last week and really like it. Apparently you can get these kind of collar tips on ebay to accessorise your shirts - I haven't look into it yet. I love the mint green colour of this one and the longer length at the back. The second shirt is from Primark and is a great one for wearing underneath sweaters because the collar is really sturdy and sits well. The third shirt, again from Primark is something a bit different and although the shirt itself doesn't fit me well, this collar will easily bring some life to a dull outfit. 

The sun came out on the weekend and I suddenly realised all I had was black boots! Whilst we were in town I popped into Selfridges and tried on as many Summer shoes as I could. I really wanted Toms but my stupid half sized feet wouldn't allow me. I ended up buying these scalloped edge loafers from Topshop. I really like them and so far they are comfortable! 

What do you think of my new purchases? 

Lily xx
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NARS 413 BLKR Collection

Tuesday, 27 March 2012

NARS 413 BLKR Collection*

The new NARS 413 BLKR Collection is inspired by one of my favourite cities in the world, New York. The collection is named after the West Village flagship store on 413 Bleecker Street (I've been there... it's amazing!). 

The packaging is the same as their usual, gorgeous black matte but with the added '413 BLKR', which I think looks really smart. There are 3 pieces in the collection; an eye shadow, a lipstick and a lip gloss. 

Pure Matte Lipstick £18.50: Although this shade isn't for me, the product itself is gorgeous! The pigmentation is unreal and the lasting power is amazing. The formula is also rich and easy to apply. 

Larger Than Life Lip Gloss £19.50: This lip gloss blew me away! I opened it up, saw a very short stumpy brush and doubted how good it would be. As soon as I started to apply it I saw how incredibly thick and pigmented it is. It literally feels like you're painting the red onto your lips and I've never experienced such a opaque lip gloss. If you want to look like Jessica Rabbit, this lip gloss will do the trick! You'll never get this effect with a lipstick, so if you want high shine and great pigmentation, I highly recommend this lipgloss. 

Single Eyeshadow £17.00: "Just like the city itself, sophisticated, luminous and light-reflecting". I've never owned a NARS eye shadow before and I'm absolutely in love with the mini packaging. This shade is a gorgeous dove grey, which is perfect as an everyday shade for work. You can lightly dust this on or dampen your lids and apply it thicker for a more intense look. 

This collection is available in store exclusively at the Bleecker Street branch, but for those of us who are not so lucky to be able to shop in that store, it is also available on the NARS website here

So what do you think? Do you like the look of this chic collection?

Lily xx
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Origins: Earth month trade-in day

Monday, 26 March 2012

Origins A Perfect World moisturiser*

Have you got loads of products that are half used? Or do you cling onto your empty packaging like I do? If so, then this will definitely interest you! 

Origins is holding a 'trade-in' day on the 21st April as a part of Earth Month to encourage recycling. If you take in any empty packaging from any brand you can trade it in for a complimentary full size of either the 'Starting Over age-erasing moisturiser' or 'A Perfect World SPF25 age-defense moisturiser'. Both products are incredible and are worth over £30 each. 

Let's get things straight first, this is not one of those opportunities where you go to Superdrug, buy something cheap, empty it out and trade it in. This is to encourage you to use up your products and recycle the packaging to help save the environment. 

I always keep my empty packaging (above) so I happen to already have some, but this will also encourage me to finish off some products that I keep forgetting about. 

Will you be visiting an Origins counter or store on April 21st?? I definitely will be! 

Lily xx
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Week #12

Sunday, 25 March 2012

Rich with tea bags on his face  |  Road trip with Debs  |  Visiting my old Uni to do a talk! 

Shopping in the Bullring  |  Chicken Katsu curry  |  Collar tips from Zara

Chocolate milkshake  |  Krispy Kreme kitchen  |  NARS laguna from Buyapowa

New jumper  |  Outfit  |  Red velvet cupcakes at LOOK mag HQ

Me and Zoe  |  Collection's 25th birthday party  |  Slob fest at The Diner

Such a messy dressing table!  |  Primark collar tip  |  Easter chocolate at work

Blue nails  |  Morning snack  |  Outfit

Lola's  |  Magnum on a sunny afternoon  | Wok to Walk before night out

Cool bar in London  |  Cocktail in a teacup with a sandwich  |  ELLE covers

Chilling in a buggy  |  Outfit  |  Bouncy castle! 

Boris bike ride through London  |  Shoe shopping  |  Got these! 

99 flake  |  Pina Coladas!  |  Sunday morning hair

Sunday face  |  New Bourjois polish  |  Badminton in the garden

Lunch in the garden  |  Mini Milk  |  Cheesecake


Follow me on Instagram: lilypebbles

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Bourjois: Sweet Paris Spring Collection

Friday, 23 March 2012

Nail enamles £5.99*, Eyeshadow £6.49*, Effect 3D lipgloss £7.69*

This Spring, Bourjois is all about pastels. The new collection, 'Sweet Paris', is inspired by the world of patisserie; macaroons, cupcakes, you name it! 

There's one new addition to their famous Round Pot Eyshadows called 'Sweet Pinks Marry'. The shade (above) is a lovely pastel, soft pink that looks lovely lightly dusted on the eyelid. 

There are two new 3D lip glosses as well. Rose Chimeric is a frosty pink and Coral Idylliic which is a soft, golden coral. The lip glosses have a brush applicator which means it takes a little longer to apply but you get a really nice, glossy finish. 

The two new candy coloured nail enamels are shade 25 and 26. The matching lid packaging is really nice and apparently these give you ten days without any chipping... I'll get back to you on that one! 

The whole collection is really sweet... literally. It'll be available from Boots and Superdrug from mid April. 

Are you a Bourjois fan? Before this I'd only tried the foundation and mascara. What's your favourite product of theirs?

Lily xx
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Shopping Spree!

Thursday, 22 March 2012


I've been buying far too much recently. Working in town is really bad for my bank balance! I've had quite a few video requests so here's one on all the bits I've bought recently. 

Hope you like it! 

Lily xx


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Introducing NEOM

Wednesday, 21 March 2012

NEOM Happiness candle £37.50*, Real Luxury sugar body scrub £30*, Complete Bliss Body Oil £30*

Let me introduce you to my most recent luxury obsession... NEOM. My mum has been a fan of this brand for a while, but as usual I didn't really take much notice until it hit the blogs (sorry Mum!). I first realised how amazing NEOM was when I found myself browsing their products in Selfridges (right next to Diptyque). They sell a big range of candles, reed diffusers, body care and hand products. 

The 'Happiness' candle is one of their newest additions and it's described as an uplifting spring/summer garden scent. Like all their candles, it's 100% natural and hand-poured in the UK. They do a travel size candle for £13 which is great to have in your bedroom. I don't know about you, but I'm running out of table space and travel sized candles are now much more appealing to me. The smell is really fresh and gorgeous and so far I have loved burning this in my room. 

The Complete Bliss body oil can only be described as pure luxury. Body oils aren't for everyone; some people may not have time or may prefer a lotion. If I'm honest, I don't usually use either. I have many body lotions that I love but I usually forget to use them and after my bath/shower I just want to get straight into some warm PJs. I gave this body oil a try and OMG it's so lovely. I was worried I'd feel oily, but the oil sinks straight into your skin and leaves your skin dry to touch. I'm not very good at describing smells but to me this just smelt of a spa, which is just what I like! 

The Luxury Organic Sugar Body Scrub is another incredible product (wow I have nothing bad to say about this brand). Unlike most scrubs I try, this one is sugar-base mixed with fine oils. The oils in this scrub are Safflower and Jojoba and also includes Vitamin E for extra soft skin. It's a messy product to use and is very oily but again like the body oil, it doesn't leave you feeling greasy. It's got enough sugar in to remove any dry skin and enough oils in to soften the exfoliated skin. The large pot will last for a very long time the scent of lavender, jasmine and brazilian rosewood is gorgeous!

So that's NEOM... Not only are their products amazing but the company itself is great too. My mum is a loyal customer and has been invited to an event tonight along with some other customers for an evening of drinks and canapés to give them feedback on products. She was picked from their database and she is so excited! I think that's so cool; I love it when companies care about their customers. 

Have you come across NEOM before? What do you think of their luxury products?

Lily xx
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Maybelline 24hr Colour Stay Tattoo eyeshadows

Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in' On and On Bronze' and 'Tough as Taupe'

Whilst in America at Christmas I bought myself a Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo eyeshadow in 'Tough as Taupe'. I'd seen these being spoken about on US blogs but the buzz hadn't really hit here yet. I didn't blog about it because it wasn't out in the UK and I thought it would be a bit irrelevant. But the great news is these are now available in the UK, hooray! 

So... let me introduce you to these wonderful cream eyeshadows. As I said, 'Tough as Taupe' was bought in America for $6.99 and 'On and On Bronze' was bought a few days ago for £4.99 in Superdrug. They're doing a 3 for 2 offer at the moment but good luck finding 3, as usual with a highly anticipated launch, they have sold out in most stores. 

'Tough as Taupe' is a matte grey/purple with cool undertones. I find this works really well as a base/primer when doing a smokey eye. It also looks really nice smudged underneath the lower lash line. It's quite a thick and rigid consistency that's easier to apply once it's warmed up. 'On and On Bronze' is a gorgeous shimmery bronze that applies really thick and can be used on it's own as an eyeshadow. This one is much softer and easier to blend. 

So is this just another cream eyeshadow I hear you ask? NO! After swatching these on my arm for the photo above, I sat in my lounge scrubbing my arm with my other hand amazed at the staying power. They didn't smudge one bit.. not even a tiny bit. I was especially impressed with the bronze as it looks almost wet but is so incredible dry. They set so well, better than anything else I've tried. 

These come in loads of different colours, including some gorgeous brights. I highly recommend them! 

Have you tried these yet? Will you be hunting them down?

Lily xx
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Jemma Kidd: Masterclass at Home

Monday, 19 March 2012


Last week I was invited to Jemma Kidd's studio (eek!) to learn more about the recent projects she's working on. I think I'll have to break this post up a bit as I left the event so inspired with so much to tell you all! This post is going to be about her amazing Masterclass at Home. 


Let's start by confirming your thoughts... "is that the guy from...?", yes, Jemma Kidd's inter national Head of Makeup is Korben from Pop Idol. Not gonna lie, I was a big fan back in the day so this was pretty exciting for me (such a loser). Anyway, he is a lovely guy bursting with makeup knowledge and we were lucky enough to have him as our teacher for the evening. 

Jemma Kidd's Masterclass at Home is a brilliant service where a Jemma Kidd makeup artist will come to your home and teach you and your friends professional makeup techniques. Let's get this straight, this is NOT one of those evening where someone comes to your house and gives you and your friends makeovers... you'll be doing the makeup yourself. There are a few different courses to pick from ranging from the makeup basics for teens, to evening glamour makeup tutorials. 

We sat down to fully experience the Masterclass at Home. We all had are own little desk, mirror and brushes. We were handed the dreaded makeup wipes and after we all agreed to not take photos of each other, we removed our makeup and got started. Korben talked us through the basics of the makeup colour wheel and how we know what colours are best for us. We were introduced the the Mannequin skin (oh my god best product ever), the tinted moisturiser and the concealer. We applied our makeup whilst being guided by the pro. It was a really amazing experience and something I would LOVE to do with a group of friends at home. I think it's so important for people to learn how to do their makeup properly otherwise so much money is wasted buying products that just don't work. For more information on the Masterclass at Home check the website here

We met the lovely Jemma herself who talked us through The Jemma Kidd VISIONfund, a program set up which sees £1.25 from every purchase made on www.jemmakidd.com go to sight-saving treatment in Ethiopa. It's something very close to her heart and she showed us a really moving video of when she visited the families affected. 

Jemma has two ranges; the Jemma Kidd pro range which is sold in Space NK and Feel Unique and the JK range which is sold on ASOS. I'll be do individual reviews of some of her incredible products. 

So what do you think of the Masterclass at Home? Is it something you'd like to do? 

Lily xx
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