So this is my first WOMF post since I got back from all my travels. I was aiming for something fresh and pretty!

I started by trying out a new primer in my collection, the Revlon Photo Ready Perfecting primer which I did like but I wouldn't say it's my favourite. On top of that I used a brand new foundation from Revlon, Nearly Naked, which is one we've waited to have over hear for a little while. I was so excited to use this and thankfully it did live up to my expectations. I'd say it has a light to medium coverage with a gorgeous dewy, glowy finish. I find it really easy to blend in with my buffing brush but you can also use your hands (like I would with my YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat which is similar!). I've used it every day for about a week and am really loving it. The only downfall is the fact it has no pump.... I think we'd all agree we'd prefer to pay more for a foundation that has a pump so we don't end up wasting most of it on the back of our hand (a little tip is to use a cotton bud to scoop out what you need!). 

Then a touch of my favourite blush, a swipe of a mascara I regret buying and a sweep of MAC's Cork on my lids. I've also recently fallen in love with this face palette from Topshop that includes a cream bronzer, blush and two highlight colours. It's the perfect handbag staple!

To finish off the look I used one of YSL's new Rouge Volupté Shine in 14 'Coral in Touch'. This lipstick ticks all the boxes... the packaging is incredible, the smell is sweet and yummy and the colour payoff is perfect. I find it's not too strong and it's not too sheer which means it feels really comfortable and moisturising on the lips. 

What do you think of this WOMF?

Lily xx

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer* | Topshop cream highlighter 'Kick Start'

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation 150 Nude* | Origins Plantscription concealer 02*

Bobbi Brown corrector Light Bisque | MAC Cork eyeshadow* | NARS Deep Throat blush 

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine 14* | Majolica Majorca Lash King mascara | Jouer Hydrating Bronzer*

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As you know, I like to keep things pretty positive on here... if a product is a bit 'meh' then it doesn't really end up being featured. BUT occasionally I look forward to trying a product and get quite disappointed when it doesn't live up to my expectations. So here's a thumbs down products video talking you through some of the beauty bits that let me down. 

Enjoy! 

Lily xx

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CROWN BRUSHES

I've known about Crown brushes for a few years, I've seen them at IMATS and I always hear their name thrown around the beauty industry but for some reason I had it in my head that they were very expensive. I'm so pleased that the people at Crown got in touch because after giving these a go I can confirm they feel very expensive, but actually they are really affordable! 

It seems these days that people either use MAC or Real Techniques or a mix of both in my case. Crown has always been more of a makeup artist brand, but I'd highly recommend these to anyone who wants to invest in some good brushes. 

My favourites are the Mini Duo Fibre, which is only £6.99 and is perfect for cream highlighter, the contour brush which can also be used for blush and the eyeshadow brushes are all great. There is pretty much an exact dupe for the MAC 217 for only £5.76, which is amazing. 

I'm really impressed with them and I'll let you know how they wash when I get around to it. Have you tried any Crown brushes before? 

Lily xx

Crown Brushes*

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I'm a huge fan of Grazia so this is a very exciting day for me... I'm in this week's issue! I spend a lot of my time eating, shopping a mooching around North London so it completely made sense for them to make me their ambassador for the area. 

There's a little interview with me and a great list of places to visit in North London put together by Grazia readers. I also have a feature going up on Grazia Daily with my personal top picks, so keep an eye out for that! 

I'd love it if you showed your support and bought a copy! Eeek! 

Lily xx

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My LFW (like most people's) was stressful, jam-packed, tiring but amazing as always. I was working the whole week for L'Oreal Professional reporting on all their shows for their blog which you can read here. I got back from Thailand Thursday night and fashion week started on the Friday so there was zero time for outfit planning. Also I've learnt in past seasons that when you do backstage you need to be comfortable and you also need to stay out of the way which means no huge coats or handbags. I wanted to look nice but my outfits were probably my least priority of the week, but I thought you'd still like to see what I wore so here it is... 

Day 1: Ray Ban Wayfarers*, Romwe jacket*, Zara necklace, Urban Outfitters bag, Topshop tshirt dress, Topshop spotted tights, Topshop boots. (Romwe are currently running their White Valentine's Day sale!)

Day 2: Zara necklace, Topshop jumper, Urban Outfitters bag, Topshop skirt, Topshop boots. 

Day 3: Topshop necklace, Zara coat, Topshop top, Urban Outfitters bag, Topshop leigh jeans, Topshop boots. 

Day 4: Topshop necklace, Topshop leather jacket, Zara top, Urban Outfitters bag, Topshop leigh jeans, Hudson boots*

Day 5: Romwe jacket*, Topshop jumper, Zara shirt, Urban Outfitters bag, Topshop leigh jeans, Hudson boots*

These photos make me laugh... look at my face in all of them, it just screams "I'm so tired". Despite this it was a successful Fashion Week and these are (in my opinion) a successful collection of thrown together, casual outfits. What do you think?

Lily xx

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So as you guys know after Thursday rambling red lip post, I've been in Paris for a couple of days this week. I promised I'd bring you along with me, so here it is... my two day vlog. It's my first time using this camera (Canon IXUS230) so excuse the shakiness.

I had a really lovely time with Clarins and the other bloggers and I hope you enjoy watching the vid. 

Lily xx

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Week #56

Apologies for the messy order but I'm finally back with a 'My Week' post! 

LFW bits  |  Reunited |  LFW pass

Zara scarf  |  Joe & the Juice  |  Fail! 

Burberry screening  |  Testing  |  Messy dressing table!

Topshop highlighting palette (LOVE)  |  Hair  |  Back to filming

Mollie King  |  New MAC foundation out in March  |  MAC Moisture foundation

Sushi feast  |  Bloggers do Eurostar  |  Paris day 1

Sephora  |  Clarins International Bloggers Party  |  Red lips!

Plaited hair  |  Photo booth fun  |  Lily does Ross Geller

Bioderma heaven  |  Cara  |  Filming for L'Oreal Professional

Follow me on Instagram @lilypebbles

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~ Surin Beach ~

~ Time for Lime cookery course ~

~ On the walk to Long Beach, Koh Phi Phi ~

~ Castaway resort 

~ Long Beach, Koh Phi Phi ~

~ Koh Phi Phi Leh lagoon ~

~ Koh Lanta ~

~ Good Days resort, Koh Lanta ~

Click here to see my last 'The Little Things' post. 

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I took this WOMF before I went away and from what I can remember, my heating had broken and my room was freezing. I wanted to experiment a bit, but I also wanted to hurry up and get downstairs to where it was warmer. 

I've been addicted to the Laura Mercier primer for adding extra glow and it mixed really well with the NARS tinted moisturiser, which I used in the lightest shade. I added the tiniest amount of NARS Miss Liberty which is a bit too glittery for me, but a little bit is really nice. On my cheeks, an old drugstore favourite, The Natural Collection Peach Melba blush which is the perfect peach. 

For my eyes I decided to add a bit of colour, using MAC Cranberry all over the lid and then MAC Woodwinked on top. Cranberry alone made my eyes look a little too red, so Woodwinked helped tone it down and make me look less ill. I then used my favourite MAC Club under the eye and a bit in the crease. The green in Club only really comes out when you layer it all over the lid, otherwise it's a nice smokey brown. After the mascara was applied I felt a bit overly made up and had quite dark eyes so I opened them up a bit using Rimmel's nude eyeliner in the waterline and inner tear duct area. 

Because of the heavy eyes, I left my lips neutral just using a bit of Melvita's Honey Lips Gloss Balm which brings back childhood memories of drinking warm milk and honey when I was homesick staying at a friend's house. It tastes yummy, looks like a gloss and feels like a nourishing lip balm. 

So that's that. What do you think?

Lily xx

NARS Laguna | Clinique Even Better Eyes* | Laura Mercier Radiance Primer

NARS Tinted Moisturiser | Bobbi Brown Corrector | NARS Miss Liberty | MAC Painterly

Origins Plantscription Concealer* | Melvita Honey Lips Gloss Balm* | Benefit They're Real*

The Natural Collection Peach Melba blush | Rimmel Scandal Eyes Nude* | NYX Brown liner

MAC Cranberry | MAC Club | MAC Woodwinked

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Thailand done, London Fashion Week done, now I must put my brain into gear for Paris... first thing I think of? Which red lipstick to take! 

It's an important decision and I'm sure you beauty addicts will agree, so I dug out my red lipsticks from the lip drawer, swatched them all on my arm, tried on my top three and then picked the winner. 

To my surprise the winner was the most random out of them all and what I like to call the underdog. And the winner is... the Helen E Cosmetics 'Hollywood Red' (third in on from the left) that I recently received in my Valentines GLOSSYBOX. I didn't think much of this when I saw it and the packaging is pretty basic and not particularly pretty. But when I put this on I instantly knew it was the perfect red and I absolutely love it! 

But wait a minute, it's not just about the colour... I need a lipstick that's going to last all night at a party and will last all day through lunch and endless pharmacy shopping. So I put it to the test and it seriously passed. It lasted really well and even after a few hours when I had just assumed it would be faded, I looked in the mirror and it was still there, bright and in place. 

So a huge thumbs up for this little lippie (which apparently you can find in some Debenhams stores), it's earned it's place in my handbag for Paris. 

I'm off today so follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@lilypebbles) for annoying frequent updates and look out for the Paris vlog coming this Sunday!

Au revoir! 

Lily xx

Swatches left to right | MAC Cherry lip liner*, Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Mightiest Maraschino*, Helen E Cosmetics Hollywood Red*, Giorgio Armani 401*, Revlon lip butter in Cherry Tart, Maybelline Neon Red, Bourjois Rouge Edition 10*, Bourjois Rouge Edition 15*, MAC Russian Red, Revlon Revlon Red* 

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I'm back from Thailand! Hopefully two weeks of intense blog post writing and video filming meant you hardly noticed I was away. Somehow I returned from Thailand with a suitcase full of beauty products, I swear it wasn't my intention! I had no plans to shop but once I started I couldn't stop. I thought I'd make a video and show you what I got, so I hope you like it. 

Lily xx

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APIVITA VALUE SET

I absolutely love it when brands do value sets. It's a great way to try out a new brand without having to commit to any huge full sizes and you also save a bit of money! 

Apivita is a brand that I'm not massively familiar with. I've tried one of their face masks before, but that's about it. They're a Greek brand that made their entrance into the UK last year via Marks & Spencer's new beauty halls. Apivita is all about being hollistic and using natural ingredients, in fact their products are 100% natural and use pure bee products and essential oils. 

In this set you get a hand cream, body cream, cocoa butter lip balm, blackcurrant lip balm, natural soap with olive oil and natural soap with honey. They all come in a very cute black tin with white bumble bees on. 

I'm really looking forward to trying all the products. So far I've tried the lip balm and hand cream and I'm pretty impressed!

Have you tried anything from Apivita before?

Lily xx

Unfortunately (I only just found this out) this was a limited edition set for Christmas - grrr!

Apivita Value Set £25 (vakue of £32)*

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So let's talk about what is probably the most intimidating lip product on the market... 

I've always heard so much about OCC Lip Tars and I've seen them at IMATS and dotted the niche beauty sections at places like Selfridges. They come in a little tube that looks more like a concealer than a lipstick and 'Black Dahlia' literally looks black in the tube. It's one of those products that sits in my lip drawer and I pick it up every now and again, look at it,  tilt my head, then put it back cautiously. 

But this time I thought I'd be brave and give it a go! It's 100% the type of lip product that you need to use a lip brush with. There is no applicator and a finger just wouldn't do the trick. I squeezed a little (tiny) bit onto the back of my hand and was surprised it was more watery than I was expecting. It's quite easy to work into the lips with a brush and felt more like a stain than a thick 'tar' like texture. Maybe a little bit like the YSL glossy stain, but don't quote me on that!

The colour wasn't black, phew! It came out a gorgeous, deep wine which looks a bit too gothic on me when pale but with a bit of colour it should look less striking. It lasted really well on my lips and didn't feel at all heavy. 

The lip tars come in loads of different colours and some of the popular ones are stocked on Cult Beauty. They are definitely fun to play around with if you're into experimenting and the colours can be mixed together easily on the back of your hand. I'm glad I gave it a go and I might look into some of the more wearable colours now. 

Are you a fan of OCC Lip Tars?

Lily xx

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in 'Black Dahlia' £12*

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It occurred to me when applying one of my favourite face masks last week that for some reason I hadn't yet done a solo review on it, so I quickly ran downstairs and took a photo (it was midnight and my boyfriend thought I was crazy!). 

The AESOP Parsley Seed Mask is a an 'anti-oxidant clarifying masque' and the three main ingredients are parsley seed, evening primrose and rosehip seed. It feels like a clay mask when you apply it, but thinner and more watery than others I have. You apply a thin layer all over your face after cleansing which feels really cooling and then leave it on for 15 minutes. The mask slowly hardens and dries in funny patches. I also find that when the mask is dry it clearly shows the problem areas on your skin which for me is the dehydration around my nose and OMG can you see the holes all over my nose?! GROSS. 

After washing this off it does feel a little tight (on dehydrated skin like mine) but it also feels really deeply cleansed and refreshed. After applying moisturiser all the tightness goes away so I don't mind that. I also use this as a spot treatment on certain problem areas if I don't have time to apply it all over. 

I personally love it, it seems to be lasting a very long time and the very handy tube packaging is pretty to look at. 

Have you tried this mask?

Lily xx

AESOP Parsley Seed Mask £27

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It's been a while since my last makeup tutorial, so here's one I filmed before I went away. It's a look I've been wearing a lot recently as I'm sure you've noticed on here. 

I hope you like it and for a list of all the products used, click to watch it on YouTube. 

Lily xx

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Of all my beauty drawers, my lips drawer is always the most full. I thought it was about time I did a little spring cleaning, as I had to so many that the ones I loved weren't getting any love because they were lost amongst the rest! 

There was a mix of reasons why some lip products had to go. They were either old and unusable, something I just won't use because I'm not a huge fan of it, I've grown out of it, it doesn't suit me as much as I'd like it to or because I just think one of my family or friends would appreciate it more than me. 

Amongst the 'to keep' were my beloved Clinique Chubby Sticks Intense, YSL Glossy Stain, most of my Revlon Lip Butters, all my MACs (you never know when you might need some brights!) and a few other random ones. Amongst the 'to go' pile were a few Rimmel Kate Moss shades that don't suit me, my Clinique Chubby Sticks that don't show up on me but my mum LOVES, quite a few too nudes that make me look ill and a lot of old, gross lip balms. 

The drawer is part of my Ikea 'Helmer' and the insert is from Ikea too, just in case you were wondering! 

I think we all need a good clear out now and again, although I'm well aware this is not your standard lip product collection - I should be ashamed. 

Anyone else a lipstick hoarder? Come on, own up! 

Lily xx

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This was the day I put the Kiehl's BB cream to the test (I reviewed it a few posts back). I didn't have much planned apart from lunch with Anna, but because the BB cream is quite sheer I wanted to do a bit of a smokey eye. I spoke about the Kiehl's Powerful Strength Line Reducing Concentrate in yesterday's post and I've been loving using this recently. I apply it all over my face and it really smoothes out my skin and feels a bit like a primer. I really like the way makeup sits on it and so far I'm impressed! 

For my eyes I went for a brown smokey look, which always feels a bit much for the daytime but mixed with a light base on my skin and nude lips, I think it works. I gave the new Guerlain mascara a go (it comes in the cutest packaging) and it gave me fluttery, quite feathery lashes. On my cheeks a natural blush and on my lips a purple toned nude that I wore loads throughout the Summer. 

Simple, but quite nice for a lunch date I think!

What do you guys think?

Lily xx

Jouer Hydrating Bronzer* | Kiehl's Powerful Strength Line Reducing Concentrate* | Estée Lauder Stay-On Shadow Paint in 'Chained'* | Urban Decay Dangerous Palette 'Deeper'* | Origins Plantscription Concealer* | Guerlain Maxi Lash* | Kiehl's BB Cream* | Jemma Kidd Rose Gold Dewy Glow | Bobbi Brown Corrector | L'Oreal Rouge Caresse 'Tempting Lilac' | MAC 'Blush Baby

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