Lipstick and Study Notes

Hello Everyone!

As July is coming to a close (how quick has summer 2016 gone? Right?!), I thought I'd give you guys the 411 on my favourite products (etc.) over the past month. And yes, I did just use the phrase '411'. Maybe I'm a 20 year old running this blog, maybe I'm your 50 year old neighbour Neill pretending to be young and hip by using really outdated slang. The world will never know. 

ANYWAY.

If there's anything you should know about me by now it's that I'm a sucker for anything new and trendy. I am a marketing department's dream. Just have enough hype around any product (preferably get some celebrities involved) and I will most likely buy it. If it pops up on my instagram feed enough (hey @rowanlola and @rowanlolamua), I will want it. And if there's a big group of people rolling their eyes at people spending x amount of money on a 'useless' product that can 'so easily be duped by the cheaper x', you can bet your bottom dollar I am still going to buy this product just to spite the nay sayers. 

  

So I caved and bought the Kylie lipkit. After months of every single shade being sold out in about five minutes I finally got my hands on KOKO K. What I really wanted was Candy K because it's just a tad darker, but as that one was still sold out, I had to settle for Koko. 

I really like the lipkit and (despite the fact I had to pay an extra 20 euros import fees at the door) I do think it lives up to the hype and is worth the money. I like the formulation of the liquid lipstick, all though it gets a bit dryer towards the end of the day and is generally a bit thicker and more chalky than the Jeffree Star liquid lips. However, the colour is gorgeous, the applicator is great and the staying power is incredible, so this is definitely a July Favourite!

2. The Cotton Flower scented candle by H&M Home

And pretty much every other H&M Home item. They have such cute little things to really add a feeling of homeliness and style to your room/apartment/house. I have been loving rose gold accessories lately and H&M is filled with them, and the best thing is that they are good quality yet affordable. This candle is specifically amazing because it looks pretty (I like the simplistic white/gold look) and smells like freshly washed clothes. Honestly, does it get any cozier than that?

3. The Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Sleeping Mask by The Body Shop

I've recently completely renewed my skincare products (blogpost to follow), but my favorite product I bought by far is this mask. I love masks because they are so good for your skin, but don't like washing them off because they tend to get stuck in my hair and it all just gets a bit messy and annoying. This one sinks into your skin while you sleep so when you wake up you don't have to remove any residue! It's a lazy girl's dream, really. I've only found that when I sleep on my stomach my face will stick to my pillow a little because of the mask's thick and creamy texture but hey, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. 

4. The Godfather, by Mario Puzo

My favorite thing about summer is the amount of free time I have for reading. Wether it's by the pool, on the train to work, in the bath or outside in the sun, there's something about summer that just makes reading that extra bit more enjoyable. I've already read quite a few books this summer but the most recent book I've finished is also one of my favorites so far, the ultimate classic The Godfather. Two years ago in the summer my dad and I binge watched all thee Godfather films together, and I was instantly obsessed. Last year we did the same thing and I was still very much obsessed. So when I saw this book on discount in my local HMV it was an easy choice. My dad recommended the book to me in the first place saying it was the only book he's ever read twice, and even though I read all my favorites at least 2+ times,  I definitely see where he's coming from. Suspenseful, beautifully written, and guaranteed to be your next favorite book. 

5. This cute photo strip of me third wheeling

My best friend has been living in Ireland with her boyfriend over the summer, and with me having been away all winter we ended up not having seen each other for SIX MONTHS. That's the longest we've ever been apart (and the longest we'll ever be apart again, believe you me) so you can imagine how excited I was when she and her boyfriend came to visit for a week. We went out one night and even though I was a massive third wheel they never made me feel like one and we had a lovely time. Now she's gone back to Ireland (worst summer ever btw) so I look at this picture all the time waiting for her to come back again. That's not weird, right?

6. XO, Victoria, rollerball perfume by Victoria's Secret

I tend to forget about putting on perfume until I've already left the house, so when I found this deliciously smelling rollerball perfume in my mom's bag I stole it and put it in mine. It smells amazing, is compact enough to keep in your back and the rollerball makes it acceptable to apply in public (no one likes being sprayed by a stranger's perfume). Sorry, mom.

7. Vaseline

Last but not least on this surprisingly long list is a good old multi-purpose classic, vaseline. The reason I've put such a commonly used (and not at all exciting) product on this list is not for it's original purpose but for a beauty secret only some of us are in on: lashes. I recently got some semi-permanent false lashes that were not the greatest (to say the least), and after pretty much ripping them off I also lost a lot of my own lashes. Putting vaseline on them every night before bed has helped them grow back and strengthen, so if you ever damage your lashes, vaseline is the cheapest and easiest cure. 

There you have it! What have been your favorite products recently? And what kind of things would you like me to include next month? Let me know!

Love,

Rowan 

I have two favorite reds, and both of them are by MAC. They're actually quite similar to each other, however, russian red is a little darker red with a brown undertone whereas ruby woo is a brighter red with an orange undertone. Ruby Woo is one of MAC's most popular lip colors and a definite must in a girls lipstick collection. If you're looking for a good everyday red Ruby Woo is the perfect choice, but if you need a darker, classier tone for a fancy dinner or a night out you might want to opt for Russian Red instead. Both are matte lipsticks which give a great finish, but it's best if you wear a lip primer underneath to make the application a tad smoother. Also, I prefer to use MAC's lipliner in "Cherry" with either one of these lipsticks. The complete MAC lipstick collection can be viewed and purchased here.

 I love pink lipsticks, because there is such a huge range and you can wear a shade of pink on nearly every occasion. MAC's Candy Yum Yum and Pink Plaid are both matte finishes. Candy Yum Yum is a very bright, neon pink that looks great on a summer day if you have a little tan. Pink Plaid is a classy, nuder shade of pink which looks really nice if you don't want too much attention on the lips and if you want to look a bit more sophisticated (it actually even makes me look a bit older. Like I'm about to go pay my taxes. Or whatever it is adults do). My last MAC lipstick -and most recent lip purchase- is Pink Nouveau. This lip color is the most beautiful barbie pink that gives your face a beautiful finish. It's a satin finish which means it's really smooth and moisturizing with a great coverage. Sorbet is my first Revlon lip butter, which I had heard so many people rave about I simply had to see what all the fuss was about. I absolutely love the color, which is almost a fuchsia pink. It's not as pigmented as the MAC lipsticks but it's a lot thinner and feels more like a balm than a lipstick (which is probably why it's called a lip butter) but still gives great coverage and looks beautiful for both a day and a night look. Revlon's Lip Butter can be viewed and purchased here.

Finally, there's two bronze lipsticks I like to use. Bronze colors are great for a subtle finish and work with pretty much every look. The first color is "Think Bronze" by Clinique, with is a bronze with a gold shimmer and a beige/pink undertone. I love this color if I'm wearing a color red or pink that really doesn't match with any of my pink and red lipsticks but I don't want to walk around with 'naked lips'. The last color is my collection is "True" by Victoria's Secret which is a slightly more pink shade than Clinique's lippy. Both of these colors aren't as pigmented as the MAC ones and give a slightly more transparent coverage, but they're both very moisturizing and shimmery. And Lord knows us girls like us some shimmer. Clinique's Different lipsticks (including Think Bronze) can be viewed and purchased here and Victoria's Secret lipsticks here

So there you have it, a little look into my favorite lippies! I hope it was helpful for some, entertaining for others, and maybe even both! 

Hugs and Kisses!