030: new additions to my skincare routine

✿ nude perfect cleansing oil face and eyes: £28 space.nk here 

✿ effaclar duo +: £15.50 boots here

✿ cane + austin acne treatment pads: £48 space.nk here 

recently my skin has been super sensitive and temperamental so i went into space.nk and had a little look around. i'm not too keen on space.nk because i've never really admired their customer service however, this trip was very different! a really lovely lady approached me and asked if i wanted any help, i replied yes and explained my skin situation. i told her about the topical solutions and creams i was prescribed by the doctors and how i think it's left my skin quite erratic. 

nude perfect cleansing oil face and eyes
she immediately recommended nude and their cleansing oil. at first i was skeptical because of that fact its an oil and my skin isn't good with oily products. however, i've been using it for almost a week and it's so delicate. previously i was using the oh so blogger cliché that is liz earle cleanse and polish which i used to get on with so well however, it's just gotten too heavy for my skin and seriously broken me out. anyway, i can't stress how beautiful the cleansing oil is and if you get the chance to try it out then do!

effaclar duo+
is a product that was recommended to me by the lovely alex from cath kidston and ever since i've seen it everywhere. i have to say it's worked really effectively after just a handful of uses and i'm really looking forward to using it more.

cane + austin acne treatment pads
these are another product i was recommended by the lady at space.nk and something else i've found effective as an on the spot treatment. since these pads are so expensive i've been cutting them into quarters to make them last for a long time!

029: a bootea review

HOWEVER, IT'S SAFE TO SAY IT WAS QUITE THE WASTE OF MONEY

when the gorgeous lucy from fine and bambi posted a picture on her instagram of some bootea i had a little read about it and bought some. however, it's safe to say it was quite the waste of money. i've finished my two week course and i have to say i don't feel any different -if anything i'm eating more because it suppressed my appetite. i thought it would be wrong to think that just simply drinking tea would make you slimmer so i knew i had to make an effort to change my lifestyle. i paired it with healthy low calorie meals and exercised considerably more than normal however, i can't say the tea made me feel particularly detoxed.

disadvantages:

• the tea does claim an awful lot (all of which you can read here!) however, out of the ten claims i think i experienced one. i also asked lucy how she was finding it and she found it was exactly the same. 
• i'm beginning to think either it doesn't really work or it's something you have to drink for months and months but, i'm not really in the position to be spending £20 on tea! 
• i read that the actual tea bags were made to stop the tea leaves passing through however, there was still a lot of sediment at the bottom of the cup.

advantages: 

• unfortunately, there aren't many but i have to say it has made me want to try out different herbal teas. 
• having had a break on from the tea i do believe that it suppressed my appetite as i feel as though i have been eating a lot these passed couple of days. so i think i'm going to purchase this dr stuarts tea i hope it'll do the same thing. 

overall summary: price: 0/5 packaging: 5/5 was it effective?: no would i buy it again?: no! 

028: my favourite style tip

KEEP IT SIMPLE OR SOME WHAT SASSY

my favourite style tip is always keep it simple or some what sassy, either or. i'm a huge believer in keeping outfits quite minimal and practical. i'm not talking rucksack, climbing boots, raincoat, i'm talking along the lines of these secrets to french style. i'm one of those girls who dreams of hoping on the back of a moped in paris wearing a breton t shirt and classic trench coat. so, even in my dreams, it wouldn't be practical for me to be dripping in jewellery or awkwardly fitting clothing! having subconsciously been following these secrets to french style for quite a while now, la redoute have reassured me that coco chanel, jean paul gaultier and yves saint-laurent agree that simple and classic is acceptable! and i'm allowed to be comfortable and moped hopping ready!

027: welcome to my new shelves

✿ lego cloud cuckoo palace: £17.99 lego store here 

✿  laduree savoury cookbook: £18.76 amazon here

I'M A DEDICATED WHITE FURNITURE FAN

as i have said previously (here!) my room required a reshuffle before i bought my imac and whilst watching one of lily's videos i noticed her ikea shelves and decided i could do with something similar. i went for these ikea hemnes shelves after much deliberation and i'm so over the moon with them. i love all ikea furniture and there isn't one piece in my bedroom that isn't from the hemnes collection -i'm a dedicated white furniture fan. after spending quite a while on the ikea website i created a new pinterest board for all my first home inspiration, which then led to my wedding inspiration board… oops?! 

✿ skurar bowl: £7 pink and green here or red and white here

✿ large sweet jar: £2.49 home bargains similar here 

✿ small sweet jar: £1 home bargains similar here
✿ hemnes shelving unit: £80 ikea here  

✿ förtjust tea light holder: £2.25 ikea here and here 

✿ förtjust candle holder: £2 ikea here and here

✿ records: 50p-£30 amazon, rise music   

✿ typewriter: £20 charity shop 

✿ cardboard octopus: alex's mum 

026: a baby bioderma haul

✿ bioderma micelle solution: £4.50-£9.99 here 

✿ bioderma sebium pore refiner: £14.80 here

everytime i buy a bioderma dupe i always think 'i should have bought bioderma'. so, whilst i was in london (for the cath kidston safari launch) i went to the garden pharmacy in covent garden and purchased a bottle. unfortunately i could't find a 500ml bottle which was what i was after because for people that don't live close to london tracking bioderma down is still pretty hard.

i also picked up the bioderma sebum pore refiner because one of the biggest flaws in my skin is the size of my pores. in true regina george style 'my pores are huge' and it's started to really knock any confidence i had when it came to my skin. i haven't had the chance to use it yet because my skin is appalling at the moment and i'm just trying to get it back to normal - any recommendations for combination/sensitive skin?

025: to lily, buy yourself something pretty, love lily x

I'M NOT USUALLY A TECHNOLOGY NERD BUT...

i remember in year 8 going to my friend mollies house and spending hours on photo booth on her imac filming videos and taking hundreds of photographs. finally i managed to get my mitts on my own imac, even if it did mean rearranging my room because its so small! i'm so in love with it and when i was setting it up alex said nothing but 'i want one'. it's fair to say now we just spend evenings both sat on a one man chair looking up lego mini figures on ebay and watching weird things on youtube - money well spent i think. i've had it for a week or so now and i have to say it's definitely been worth the money, besides the fact it doesn't come with a disk drive and i've had to buy an external one it's been incredible! i'm not usually a technology nerd but the speakers are infinitely better than the macbook pros. i've also noticed it goes much brighter (than a pro) which is good because my room can be so bright and it just nice to have a crisp screen.

 

 «currently in the record player: jake bugg shangri la»

lots of love, 
lily 

024: lush favourites, prince charming and neon love soap

I'VE FOUND A SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE WAY OF SMOTHERING YOURSELF IN JAFFA CAKES

i'm lucky enough to work for lush cosmetics and prior to leaving for university i would have been there almost three years! however, i'm back in my hometown working for lush and cath kidston, which is pretty darn cool i think.
anyway! when the valentines day collection was launched i fell completely in love with the neon love shop and shortly after the prince charming shower gel. i featured the neon love shop in a wish list and shortly after i bought my first chunk and i've been hoarding it ever since! it's so creamy and smells so lovely, i definitely recommend you have sniff! also, i've found a socially acceptable way of smothering yourself in jaffa cakes and it's prince charming shower gel.  somehow a mixture of pomegranate, marshmallow root and vanilla smells like the chocolate orange biscuits and i'm certainly not complaining!
unfortunately you cannot buy either online anymore however, you might be able to find it in your local lush store.

«currently in the record player: arctic monkeys am» 

lots of love, 

lily