Money Supermarket's Big Night In

A short while ago I contacted Money Supermarket about taking part in their home improvement challenge which I was woefully a smidge too late on. But, because they're really lovely people they asked me to take part in the next competition to design a fab night in for under £50! Being the total night-in lover that I am I just couldn't refuse. It's so easy to spend a fortune on a night out. A trip to the cinema and simple dinner will take a hefty chunk from your bank balance nowadays and that's just for two people. When you want to involve family it becomes absolutely extortionate.

Here's how I decided to spend £50 on a night in for the lovely people in my life:

I decided to make my all time favourite dish, enchiladas (a delicious mexican classic with chicken, cheese, and spicy tomato sauce baked inside tortilla wraps) and garnish it with some tasty grown up sides. Since we're non-drinkers I picked up some sparkling juices which went down a storm and are so much cheaper than cocktails!

 Even my Grandma who swears by the simple meat and two veg rule for every dinner tried an enchilada and I now have a potential Mexican cuisine convert! How adorable is she?  Every day is a night in for her so it's so nice to see her smiling and enjoying time with us like this.

For dessert I set up a mini ice cream cone factory with flakes, sauces and sprinkles which my brother adored. I went for a vanilla ice cream waffle cone with rainbow sprinkles, raspberry sauce and flake. Things were melting so quickly I was only able to get this one quick snap. But yum, so, so good.

We rounded off the evening by watching Despicable Me. Who else can't wait for the sequel?

A big thank you to MoneySupermarket.com for letting me take part! How would you spend your perfect evening?

Lauren

Review: Melt Candle in Joy

I love scented candles and usually try to keep a few around the house for relaxing evenings. Since my life has been turned upside down this month I've really been craving one of those nights! Starting a new job and moving home are so ridiculously stressful and doing both at the same time have left me with zero down time. Luckily I was sent a gorgeous handmade scented candle from Melt* and finally now have the time to tell you all about it!

I really love the modern monochromatic packaging. It goes with everything and lends an elegance to the candle. The pattern even matches my current quilt cover which was an unexpected but pleasant surprise! I also love that it comes in a box - many candles don't. It's a bit shallow but I appreciate the "high end" feel I get from boxed items. For me personally, a huge plus of Melt candles is that they're handmade in England. This means that we get to support our economy and reduce the harm done to the environment that's caused by importing which makes me feel a little bit better about spoiling myself!

Joy is described as "A sparkling citrus floral on a complex woody and musk base, over a rich, floral heart of iris, rose and lily" which is pretty accurate! I mostly picked up on the rose and wood scents which are some of my favourites. I actually have Lancome's Midnight Rose perfume which is a similar sort of fragrance with the addition of blackcurrant so it's definitely a winner for me. This size of tumbler will burn for up to 25 hours and the fragrance really fills up a room. Besides the gorgeous fragrance, my favourite thing about this candle is how evenly it burns. The entire width of the candle melts which means nothing is wasted. One of the worst things about larger candles is how they can leave such an enormous amount of wax around the edge. It feels like such a waste having to cut it down!

This size candle will set you back £21 which to be honest, I don't think is too bad. Other brands charge a lot more for very similar products and I think the quality and longevity of this one makes it worth it. I would definitely be up for trying another of the 30 scents. I currently have my eye on Violet and Black Pepper! Perhaps a cheeky first pay day treat.

Final Verdict: A beautifully scented candle handmade in England. Definitely worth a try if you love brands like Neom and Jo Malone.

Have you tried any of Melts candles? Which fragrance should I try next?

Lauren

Daily Make Up/How Much Is My Face Worth?

For the longest time my daily make up was literally just a flick of liquid liner and some mascara but frankly, that wasn't cutting it. I've since upgraded into a full face of make up and love the freedom I have over my look. These are the products that I use pretty much every day for work etc. I don't bother with make up if I'm just nipping out shopping or slumming it around the house so I can give my skin a break.

My base hasn't changed in quite a while. I currently use The Body Shop Moisture Foundation in 03, Lightening Touch Concealer in 01 and All-in-One Face Base in 03. The colour match is essentially perfect for me and I love the included SPF. Check out this post for extra details! Sleek's Face Form (Light) is the most recent addition to my daily make up bag and it's revolutionised my base. I love how transformative it is! I have so much more warmth and definition to my face now and feel much more confident. I tend to always use the contouring powder and highlighter but swap up my blush depending on my mood. For blushes I switch between the blush included (Rose Gold,) TBS Macaroon Blush and Maybelline's Cream Blush in 06 Berry.

I always use some combination of my MUA Undressed Palette, Rimmel Liquid Liner and Illamasqua Sophie pencil for my eyes. As you can see I use every colour in the palette and never wear the same look twice in a row just to make myself experiment more. It's so easy to get stuck in a rut (coming from liner flick and mascara girl, so trust me!) so I love my new philosophy. I don't always wear liner but when I do these are my go to products. The Rimmel liquid is so easy to use and this is my second bottle already, forever repurchase! The Sophie pencil is the blackest of blacks and is really soft and blendable but doesn't smudge when it sets. Pretty much perfection in a pencil. Deborah Milano Mascara is an essential for me; I originally got it  for reviewing purposes but I adore it so it became my daily mascara. I get a ton of volume and length with a couple of coats and it's the perfect finishing touch to every look for me.

For day to day, I just wear a clear balm or lip butter to keep my lips in good condition. That way they're looking gorgeous and smooth for when I go all out with a fabulous bright lip in the evenings. I swear by Nivea Lip Butter for the most kissable lips going!

So how much is my face worth?

Base:

The Body Shop Moisture Foundation SPF 15

£13

The Body Shop Lightening Touch Concealer Pen

£14
The Body Shop All-in-One Face Base

£14

Sleek Face Form in Light

£10

Eyes:

Mua Undressed Palette
£4
Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Liner in Black
£4.29

Illamasqua S.O.P.H.I.E Pencil
£13
Deborah Milano 24 Ore Absolute Volume Mascara
£9.50

Lips:
Nivea Lip Butter (Not Pictured)
£1.99

Total: £83.78

I so was not expecting it to be that high! I didn't include any of my brushes or moisturiser so that's pretty shocking. I don't even use any high end products aside from the Illamasqua pencil. I guess my only defence is that I've seen worse...? Not very good defence!

Do you use any of the same products as me? What do you think of my philosophy of never wearing the same eye make up twice in a row? And how much is your face worth?! Add it up and let me know!

Lauren

June Make-Up Wishlist: Nude Eyes and Bright Lips

I really have my head in the clouds if I think that I'll be able to afford any of this for this month but isn't that what wishes are for?! Recently I've been wearing a lot of neutral shadows and bright lipsticks. I've completely ditched my signature liquid liner flick for a much more subtle, sculpted look and I'm loving it for Summer. I've even started some gentle contouring with bronzer and I'm feeling so much more confident with my beauty choices these days. The bright lips are turning a lot of heads in my small town but I'm putting it down to the classic "jealousy-gawk." As such, I think it's high time to get some higher quality shadows as "investment" pieces (wink) and throw some even more fun lipsticks into my collection!

1. Maybelline Vivid Lipstick Hot Plum, 2. Benefit Most Glamorous Nudes Ever, 3. Lime Crime My Beautiful Rocket, 4. Stila In The Light, 5. Lime Crime Velvetine, 6. Urban Decay Naked Basics

See? Gorgeous. Am I right or am I right? 

1. I have been declaring my unending love for Maybelline's Color Sensational Vivids for a while now and already have 3 (review and swatches here) but Hot Plum is calling my name. I originally deemed it too close in colour to Fuchsia Flash to warrant a purchase but I'm officially retracting the statement, I want! Being the cheapest product in my list it's possible I'll be able to smuggle this one into my collection... I'll keep you posted. 

2. I had Benefits Most Glamorous Nudes in my clutches in Cambridge after I had scrimped and saved my Boots points for MONTHS and what do you know, the tills weren't working and I couldn't spend my points. I reluctantly handed my beloved palette back to the grumpy assistant and never saw it again. My lust hasn't subsided and I'm determined to get it one day!

3. Lime Crime is the stuff of my dreams. I adore oranges and My Beautiful Rocket is perfection in a tube. I have a similar shade from Models Own but I imagine the pigmentation and lasting power of this is infinitely superior. One please!

4. The In The Light palette is so friggin' pretty! I love the colours and the swatches I've seen have been incredible. I'm also really excited about the liner included as I've been searching for the perfect brown liner for a while and I love this deep chestnut shade.

5. Lime Crime makes an impressive second appearance with it's beautiful Velvetines. I've heard tell that there will be some new colours in the future and I can't wait to see them! Frankly I'd take any of them; it's the stunning rose petal texture that has me clamouring for my purse and I think these are the epitome of old Hollywood Glamour.

6. Last but far from least. Velvety smooth and richly pigmented, the much loved Basics have been at the top of my list for way too long and it's high time I took them home. One day, I promise you Naked Basics, one day.

Has your wishlist just grown? I would love to hear any comments about the products shown if you've tried them!

Lauren

Sleek Palette Giveaway

I had long planned a giveaway for my 500 follower milestone but sadly just didn't have the resources at the time. Recently things have started turning around for me and I find myself filled with positivity and excitement for the future. I have just been offered a job and I'm starting a whole new chapter of my life in September when I go to University (better late than never!) This is just a little giveaway to say thank you for sticking by me during my hiatus. I continue to be overwhelmed with gratitude for all your support and lovely comments and I really want to give something back! 

These are my all time favourite Sleek Palettes, the Sunset i-Divine and the Lace Blush by 3. Beautiful reds, coppers and golds and some fab Summer brights in the shadows - there's something for everyone there! Lace is a collection of corals and pinks that are universally flattering and have amazing pigmentation. I know Sleek is difficult to get hold of outside of the UK so this is of course INTERNATIONAL - woo!

Enter using the widget below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. Please, please, please don't lie about your entries, I do check them and I hate having to remove people so play nice!

Lauren

Orange Nail Varnish Collection and Swatches

Orange is one of my all time favourite colours. It always perks me up to have a pop of orange in my look and nail varnishes are ideal for this. I think orange is one of the most lively and positive colours there is and I find myself picking up cosmetics in this shade far more often than I'm willing to admit! As I was packing away some of my things for my upcoming move (nothing dramatic, just going back to Grandma's before University so we can help each other out) I started idly scanning my polishes and a few really stuck out to me. So here are my five favourite orange nail varnishes!

From Thumb to Pinky: Models Own Fluro Orange, Nails Inc Porchester Place, Essie Fear or Desire, Rimmel Tangy Tangerine, W7 Pastel 16

Fluro Orange is ridiculously bright, no camera on earth could capture it's insane beauty. I didn't keep this bizarre (but kinda cool right? No? Just me then...) mani on for long but it's definitely the one that I couldn't keep my eyes off. If you're after some seriously attention grabbing talons I can't recommend this enough. It has a semi-matte finish but you could easily add a glossy top coat for a little more finesse. Porchester Place and Fear or Desire are fairly similar but Porchester Place has a touch more pink and is a little more muted. Both perfect for holiday toes! Tangy Tangerine is a classic apricot and was my boyfriends favourite of the lot for some reason. When I first asked his opinion he replied that they were all the same (my jaw nearly hit the floor at his blindness) but when pressed he claimed that Rimmel's offering was "more subtle and pretty."  I have to agree, it's a great transitional shade for Spring/Summer and won't offend your poor blind boyfriend. W7 is such a pain in the bum to effectively track down but I do so love them! I got a ten pack of pastels from TK Maxx and this is one of my favourites. Very delicate and cool and gorgeous with a tan.

I really hoped you like this! I have a real soft spot for colour-themed collections and adore seeing them on blogs so I couldn't resist! I think I may go for pink lip products next time. What do you think?

Which is your favourite shade? Any others that I have to try?

Lauren