Hello my lovelies,

Today I have a bit of a Lush haul because recently I can't seem to stop spending in there! I do love a bit of Lush, and I've started to venture out of just using the bath bombs and starting to try all the other lovely products they have to offer! So without further ado, let's get to it.

First off, I have Sakura, a gorgeous smelling bath bomb that I can't wait to try as it's supposed to be quite calming, something that I definitely need right now!

Next up is Intergalactic. I'm a bit apprehensive about trying this as I'm not a huge fan of large amounts of glitter. I don't mind when it's a subtle amount but I really don't like coming out of the bath looking like Edward Cullen (like I did with The Experimenter). The peppermint smell is definitely unusual to me for a bath product, but I feel as though it might wake me up, so this would be a good one to try the morning after a long night at work.
                                                       

I had to steal this image of Honey Bee from the Lush website as I already used this bath bomb! I am a massive fan of anything honey, so of course I had to try this. I was, however, a little disappointed as it was supposed to help with dry skin, but instead I found the skin on my shins flaking off. But each product works differently, and I do find products from Lush that are aimed at dry skin, such as Oatifix, don't work very well with me. I'm just an awkward one!

This next product is Floating Island I am very much looking forward to using as it smells heavenly! I am, however, saving it for a particularly stressful day when I just need to unwind and float away as I feel as though it will help greatly.

Next I have Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment. I bought this for a friend, and on another visit to Lush I decided that I wanted to try it for myself. It smells incredibly sweet, which is my favourite kind of smell, and I would say it has a greasier texture than the Floating Island but I do feel that my entire bathroom is going to have one gorgeous smell when this is in the bath.

Last but not least for my bath products is the Yuzu and Cocoa Butter Bubbleroon. I used this today and I have to say it is one of my new fave smells, although I don't like the smell of the shower cream of the same name. I was a little disappointed as I thought there would be a few more bubbles, but beggars can't be choosers. I have been feeling very ill the past couple of days, and this definitely relaxed me and helped soothe my aching back. I'm almost positive that I am going to repurchase this.

I have always heard good things about the Charity Pot, but never actually tried it myself. And now I am wondering why I didn't try it sooner! The formula is great for my dry skin, and is especially fab to use after shaving. I also want to try Dream Cream soon, as I've heard it is good for tattoo aftercare (I'm getting a new one on Thursday!).

This next product is Ultrabland Facial Cleanser, and one that I would never have thought of buying if the lovely assistant hadn't shown me how to use it. I have recently decided that I want to stop using face wipes as they are very harsh on my skin and even the sensitive ones sometimes leave a burning feeling, particularly around my eyes. The assistant explained that if I put this on my face, followed by toner water to wipe it off, it will remove my makeup as well as hydrating my skin. She demonstrated on some lipstick swatches on my hand and I was amazed at the result as lipstick is often quite hard to get off! The formula is very waxy, although I haven't tried it yet as I'm too ill to be wearing makeup!

To go with the facial cleanser, I got the Breath Of Fresh Air Toner Water. On the website, it says that this will help cool any redness, something that I definitely need help with! I will put this onto a cotton pad and wipe off the Ultrabland to remove my makeup.

I also got the Tea Tree Toner Tab, mainly because I'm just intrigued to see how it works. And apparently you can bottle up the water to use as a fresh cleanser??

Finally, I got my all time favourite shower gel, not just from Lush but from anywhere, Happy Hippy. The grapefruit smell of this is refreshing and makes me feel awake in the morning, I can't get enough of it. I definitely prefer shower gels to the creams, I just finished The Comforter and although the smell is amazing, I found I wasted a lot of product as it was very runny. If you're stuck for which Lush shower gel to go for, I definitely recommend this one.

I hope you enjoyed this, and that it gave you some ideas for what products to get the next time you're in Lush. If anyone has any suggestions on what I should pick up next then please share, I would love to hear them! :)

Layla x

Just my last couple of shoots where I asked both men and women their opinion of women. Here is what I got :)

"Women are the equal opposites of men"

"Sometimes scary, women fascinate men"

If there was no women, there'd be no life"

"I would never burn my bra or anything like that, that's dangerous!"

"Overall, I see them as quite judgmental"

"We're very much pressured to fit into various boxes, so what's on the surface isn't necessarily an accurate representation of what is going on underneath"

"We are empowered by raunch culture and I think that's a shame because more and more girls think they need to be sexy to be attractive"

"Women in society are criticised for everything we do, so I feel like they're viewed in a negative way. As a woman, this makes me feel very self conscious"

"I can be jealous if I think someone is prettier than me but then I never had much self confidence"

"Women are powerful, both physically and mentally, and we don't actually realise how powerful we are until we are pushed"

"In comparison to men, we have higher pain thresholds... but this possibly makes us more resilient"

"Women are beautiful creatures, deprived of their own rights by society"

Hello!

Today I thought I would do something a bit more personal and do the TMI tag. I'm going to answer 50 questions about myself, so here we go!

1: What are you wearing?

Black top, black jumper, black jeans, black Docs...

2: Ever been in love?

Yes, twice.

3: Ever had a terrible breakup?

Yes

4: How tall are you?

5'8"

5: How much do you weigh?

I haven't weighed myself since the summer but I was 8 and a half stone in June last year

6: Any tattoos?

Yes, 3, soon to be 4!!

7: Any piercings?

Yes, 8

8: OTP?

Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes from Downton Abbey

9: Favorite show?

I don't watch that much TV anymore... would probably have to be Friends

10: Favorite bands?

Shinedown, ELO, Twenty One Pilots, James Bay, I like a bit of Motley Crue and Rainbow too

11: Something you miss? .

Not having exams

12: Favorite song?

Hold On Tight - ELO

13: How old are you?

19

14: Zodiac sign?

Pisces

15: Quality you look for in a partner?

Funny

16: Favorite Quote?

I don't wanna say because it's on my ankle in Elvish and I'm not telling anyone what it translates to.

17: Favorite actor?

Jim Carrey // Rachel Adams

18: Favorite color?

Purple

19: Loud music or soft?

LOUD

20: Where do you go when you’re sad?

The bathroom (wtf Layla???)

21: How long does it take you to shower?

Usually like 10-20 mins

22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

Sometimes it can take me over an hour

23: Ever been in a physical fight?

With my brother when we were younger

24: Turn on?

Smile

25: Turn off?

Feet

26: The reason I started blogging?

I just wanted to try it and then it turned into something that I really loved

27: Fears?

Heights, stairs, being alone

28: Last thing that made you cry?

My best friend threw a potato at the back of my neck

29: Last time you said you loved someone?

I don't actually know

30: Meaning behind your blog name?

My first name is Layla and one of my middle names is Aurora

31: Last book you read?

How To Be Normal - Holly Bourne

32: The book you’re currently reading?

Gone Girl Gillian Flynn

33: Last show you watched?

Er...

34: Last person you talked to?

Like in person? My grandad

35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?

One of my close friends

36: Favorite food?

My grandad's spaghetti

37: Place you want to visit?

America

38: Last place you were?

As in abroad? Holland. On holiday? Wales

39: Do you have a crush?

Well I like someone yeah

40: Last time you kissed someone?

Yesterday evening

41: Last time you were insulted?

I get insulted all the time

42: Favorite flavor of sweet?

Cherry

43: What instruments do you play?

I used to play guitar and viola

44: Favorite piece of jewelry?

My bracelet my grandparents got me for my 18th. I never wear it because I'm terrified of losing it

45: Last sport you played?

Er... Probably basketball at the park 2 years ago

46: Last song you sang?

Gotsa Get Paid - ZZ Top

47: Favorite chat up line?

I don't have one

48: Have you ever used it?

Obviously not

49: Last time you hung out with anyone?

On my college break today

50: Who should answer these questions next?

Kirsty - kirstyhanson.blogspot.com

Katie - http://garnerkatie.blogspot.co.uk/

Hello, and welcome to my very first book review!

Over the past couple of years, I've fallen out with reading, which was actually a very sad thing to happen. I used to pretty much speed read, and I would finish a book in literally three days. But recently, I've started picking up books again and falling back in love, and I did in fact finish this book in 4 days!

The book revolves around the main character, Evie, and is in a diary form. The diary is basically her recovery diary as she attempts to come off her medication that is treating her OCD. Evie has an obsession with becoming a "normal" 16 year old, and doing the normal 16 year old things, like hanging out with friends, partying, drinking and of course, interaction with the male species.

What I like most about this book is that it's real. Not a true story, of course, but I feel like Bourne really gets what it's like to be a 16 year old going through struggles. She writes perfectly about the relationship a person has with their counsellor, that they are a person you can talk to a rely on, but you know at the end of the day they are paid to listen to your problems.

Bourne explores many issues that regular teenage girls have. Evie has to start college, and her best friend from school, Jane, has essentially ditched her for her new boyfriend. I feel like this is something that a lot of teenage girls go through, and something that definitely happened to me when I started my first college. Another problem that I related to was making new friends. When I started my second college, I had to make entirely new friends, which I did, but I definitely related to Evie with wanting to keep these new friends and not look like a freak straight away. *insert crying laughing emoji*

The story also delves into some more serious issues revolving around mental health, which can often be a difficult subject to talk about. But Bourne just seems to get it. And she also wrote about how mental health issues are commonly used like "I was so scared, I had a panic attack" and how much of an issue this is, creating further stigma around the issues. Finally, someone said it!

Overall, I feel as though Bourne really understands not only what it is like to be a 16 year old in this day and age, but also understands what it is like to have a mental health issue. I really enjoy her writing style, it's very personal and relatable, I felt as though I was walking by Evie's side as she went through this journey. I really want to read Bourne's other books as I have heard many good reviews!

Thank you for reading.

Layla x

Hello!

So recently in the internet-sphere, I've been seeing this idea of baking your face with talcum powder. At first, I thought it was a bit weird, but then I decided that I should give it a go. I am quite pale, and even some translucent loose powders still come up on me, which sucks. I started baking with loose white eyeshadow, but I can only find it in small pots so I barely get that many uses from the pot when baking my whole face.
I used Nivea talc rather than Johnson's because when I was a baby, I was allergic to Johnson's, and I know skin changes but I don't wanna risk it. Plus this was like, 99p from Bodycare and it's quite a big tub! I was very impressed with the result, so here's what I did :)

I took my face sponge from elf as this is what I normally bake with. I'm thinking of getting the Real Techniques setting brush but I don't know???

Then I took the talcum powder, and I put it in the little lid thing that came with my Collection loose powder just so I didn't make a mess trying to get it straight onto the sponge.

Then I made myself look like a cray-zay person and put the powder where I normally bake my face. I then left it on while I did my eyebrows, and swept it off with my Real Techniques buffing brush.

And I was so impressed with the result! I didn't notice much of a white colour from the powder which I was unsure about when I first decided to try this, so that was a bonus. I feel that my skin looks very smooth and even, which is exactly what I wanted. However, this is messy! The talc came off as it was baking and went everywhere, but that generally happens to me anyway when using loose translucent powder. Overall, I love this, I especially think that it's great for pale people and I will probably be doing this all the time now.

Thank you for reading!

Layla x

Hey baes!

Today I have a look that is inspired by my one and only Queen, Jeffree Star and his beautiful hair.

If you don't know who Jeffree is, then please educate yourself. His makeup skills are just on another level, and his hair is actually stunning, so I wanted to create an eye look inspired by this.

(https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/319333429807871390/)

So once you've discovered Jeffree (and his amazing makeup, which you can get from Cocktail Cosmetics in the UK), we can start with the look!


After placing my tape and priming, I first used Freshly Toasted from the Zoeva Cocoa Blends palette as my transition colour.

For this look, I decided that I was going to use a blush palette rather than eyeshadow, and I am using the Makeup Revolution Blush palette in Sugar & Spice. I have numbered the colours in order that I used them as they don't have names.

I took the first colour and applied it over the initial transition colour, extending it up a little to show some subtle pink. I focused mainly on the outer corner with this,

Then I took the second colour to add a more pinky vibe.

I wanted a little bit of depth so I added Naked from the Naked palette with a pencil brush just to lightly add a bit of shade because I didn't want to go too dark with this.

Moving away from the blush, I added Virgin also from the Naked palette in my inner corner. To add a bit more shimmer, I added Set Me Free from the Makeup Revolution Death By Chocolate palette on top of the Virgin shade as I thought these two made a great combo.

Coming back to the blush palette and using the final third shade, I applied this in my outer corner, buffing it along the tape.

I found that this reduced the intensity of the shimmer colours, so I went back over these, and added the thinnest line of Sin from the Naked palette inbetween the third blush and the shimmer colours as I felt this made the transition look a bit neater.

And this is the part I well and truly messed up. You know when one wing goes absolutely perfect, and then the other one really doesn't but you can't wipe them off because then you'll ruin all of your hard work with the shadow? That's what happened to me with this look. But it's okay, because no one has perfect eyeliner days everyday, even with the aid of tape.

After doing my face makeup, I drew a kohl liner along my waterline

Then I added a mix of the second and third blushes directly under this in a smooth line to add an extra pop of colour.

I added mascara and lashes, as per, and the eyes were complete.

On my lips, I decided to use the Makeup Revolution lipstick in Scandalous Depraved. I quite liked how the pink and purples mixed well, and I also liked how this lipstick got darker the longer I was out, that was pretty cool.

Please excuse my hair, my straighteners literally exploded on me so I need to buy some new ones.

I hope you enjoyed this look, it was definitely a lot of fun playing around with colour for a change, and something that I would like to do again.

Thank you for reading,

Layla x