July favourites {2012}

July has been a month where I've rediscovered some old favourites. Despite making a few cheeky purchases over the last few weeks, I've really been shopping my stash and adapting my routine to suit the scorching sunshine, choosing cream products over powders, wearing shimmering gold and bronze colours, and opting for a 'less~is~more' approach with my hair care products.

MAC Eyeshadows ~ 'Woodwinked' and 'Romp'
{They look so similar in the pan but they transfer differently, with Romp being the darker of the two. Romp is on the left, Woodwinked is the one I've hit pan on, on the right}

I've barely reached for my MAC palette since Urban Decay's Naked palette was released back in 2010. After using it day~in~day~out, I got bored, and an epic clear out of my make up stash meant I found things I had forgotten about ~ these two gorgeous eyeshadows included. Despite being quite dark, smokey colours, the golden hue found in both lends itself well to the current climate, and I can create a smokey bronze look in seconds with these two babies. I've been wearing a quick wash of Woodwinked over the lid with Romp in the outer corner, finishing the look by blending it out with a pale colour {like MAC's 'Carefree' or 'Brule'} and lashings of the blackest of black mascara.

Original Source Shower Gel ~ 'Vanilla Milk & Raspberry'

Quite simply, this is heaven on a shower puff. Is it the most moisturising formula I've ever used? No. Does the scent linger all day like my beloved Lush shower gels? Sadly not. Is it cheap as chips and does it smell utterly divine? Definitely! It does the job and is a great comfort as I'm standing under the shower refusing to open my eyes in the early hours. Enough said.

Body Shop Born Lippy Lip Balm ~ 'Guava'

Usually, I'm not a big lover of lip balms, preferring instead to use a lip scrub and a really intensive treatment every so often. However, the blazing heat has meant I've not wanted to wear anything heavy on my lips, so a slick of lip balm is all I've wanted. I love this one as its quite a summery scent, taste and colour, and it's doing a brilliant job of keeping my sun~chapped lips at bay.

Batiste Dry Shampoo ~ 'Tropical'

I'm not a typical dry shampoo devotee. If my hair needs washing, I wash it. I have been loving this lately though. I don't use it as a shampoo, I use it to give a bit of volume and to make my hair smell fresher. This is a coconutty, pineappley yummy scent which I'm tempted to just squirt all over. If Batiste made a hairspray with this smell, I'd be there in a flash! It's also been great at disguising heavy roots when I've been chucking my hair up into a messy bun. You need to use it sparingly, more so than the other ones I feel, but that just means it lasts a bit longer, which can only be a good thing.

John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Spray

I'm loving going blonder at the moment, and to help keep my dreaded dark roots and hint of ginge at bay, I've been spritzing this over damp locks before roughly blow drying into a surfer~come~bedhead style. Having long, thick hair in the height of Summer is an absolute nightmare, so having something as low maintenance as this is perfect for me. It smells lovely and although it is quite a small bottle, the teensiest amount is suffice. The result is uber gradual {obviously} but the subtleness of it just makes it look more natural, and helps blend everything together nicely. Every blonde should have this in their arsenal. Fact.


Honourable mentions this month include : Tangle Teezer / Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime and Mixed Fruits cider {with the risk of sounding like an alcoholic, I cannot get enough of this stuff. I'm not a massive cider fan but this is so refreshing, so easy to drink and so damn tasty!} / Yankee Candle in Red Velvet {candles in this heat? Yup... I love them} / my iPhone cover / the new nail combo I'm currently sporting for my mani {blogpost to follow shortly!}.

What have been you been using during July?

Love Laura x

What goes buzz buzz...?

I made promises to blog more often and subsequently went AWOL, neglecting my little blog. I have been such a busy bee over the last few weeks {buzz buzz!} and despite wanting nothing more than to settle down with my laptop and a cuppa, I just haven't had the time. I thought I'd give you a little update on what has kept me buzzing away since my last post...

I've gone back to my blogging roots.

I found myself in a bit of a quandry. I really missed writing 'Lollipop Loves' as the new~ish blog wasn't quite cutting the mustard, but in many ways I felt that I had outgrown it. The simple step that seemed to offer a solution was to drop the 'Lollipop' and make it a bit more basic {quite literally, Laura writes...} ~ and now I'm much happier! I feel like I've found my path again. I'm also in the process of revamping it slightly, so don't be alarmed if it looks a mess as you read this!

I've obtained my first passport.
What an absolute palaver, but I'm finally allowed out of the country! The Passport Office were probably glad to see the back of me and granted my passport in the hopes that I wouldn't return to the UK afterwards...

I've started the hair lightening process to be a blonde bride.

Since setting our wedding date, I knew I wanted to return to having bright blonde locks, so for the last few months I've been disregarding my beloved Clairol Perfect 10 Dark Blonde and having my hair coloured professionally. I was reluctant to use bleach on my hair as it's only just recovering from years and years of over~processing, so I've been having it tinted which is a much gentler option. As such, I haven't felt entirely confident with the level of lightening, but after the last batch of foils I am thrilled at how much blonder my hair is. I was apprehensive that it wouldn't be light enough on the weddng day, but I'm booked in for at least 4 more sessions so I'm sure I'll get the results I so desperately crave. I've also been persuaded to use bleach just once before the wedding, as it will lift the colour immensely and show up better in the photos. We'll see, but I'm so glad to be a blondie again!

I've made a massive dent in the wedding planning.

I'll try and round it up and keep it short and sweet, but we've only got 4 months left to go! Eek! We've been to give notice, bought my bridesmaid dress {this one, if you're curious ~ much prettier in person}, made a start on my wedding bouquets, have almost completed our invitations {I'm a fully fledged DIY bride!} and I've also settled the veil debate ~ I've fallen in love with the idea of them now so despite my initial reluctance, I'm getting one. A long one. *Nods enthusiastically*

I've basked in the sunshine.
It is so rarely sunny now that I try and make the most of it whenever Mr Sun has got his hat on. I love relaxing on our garden swing {or if Ted allows, the sun lounger} with my Kindle. Despite being right on the beach front, my garden is very serene. The hustle and bustle on the sand seems to bypass my garden, so it's very private and relaxing out there. {The picture above is of Ted hijacking my sunbathing session by jumping up onto my chest for a cwtch!}

I've received an early birthday present off my nearly~husband.
My birthday isn't until March 17th but when I was presented with tickets for the stage show 'Viva Forever' for the weekend of my birthday, I was beyond excited. I adore the Spice Girls, they formed a huge part of my teenage life and I doubt very much I'd have the same beliefs and experiences without their girl power. Plus it means I get to go back to London again ~ wahoo!

I've started planning next years holiday.
My lucky, lucky fiancé won £500 in Thomas Cook vouchers from a work competition. We were thinking of putting it towards our honeymoon but we
a} paid in full
b} booked with Thomson

c} decided to treat ourselves next year for Gareth's birthday. It took me long enough to get my passport, I'm making sure I get good use out of it {assuming the flight to NYC doesn't scare the living daylights out of me!}.

We're looking for somewhere we can relax, so not really a big city sightseeing break, and we want somewhere sunny. We need to get some sunshine on our bones! If you can recommend somewhere, please do as we just don't know where to start looking!

I've added a charm to my Pandora bracelet.
I chose a limited edition London bus, to represent my love of London and to also celebrate the epic year to be British with the Golden Jubilee and Olympics. It's very cute.

I've hated clothes shops.

I can't be the only one who is dismayed at the sight of A/W 2012 collections hitting the stores? We've had one week of sunshine to date. I don't want to be thinking about the thick Winter woolies I've just packed away!

I've been reading.
I caved in to the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' phenomenon. It took me forever to get into it but once I did I couldn't put it down. It was so frustrating and in many parts I wanted to launch my Kindle through the nearest window, but I was completely hooked. I'm over it now though. Laters baby.

I've been feeling patriotic.
When it comes to Wales and Welsh rugby in particular, I am super nationalistic. However, I watched the Olympics opening ceremony and though it started off really slowly, by the end I felt typically British. I wanted to wave some Union Jack flags and indulge in some cream scones with cups of tea, in a proper cup and saucer. Anyone else get goosebumps, tingles and a few lumps in the throat watching it?! More so when they showed clips of the Olympic torch relay. Totes emosh.

I've been spending lots and lots and lots of wonderful time with my fiancé.
With the wedding taking over our lives, we've tried to make some time to spend together, wedding~free, family~free. We've been bowling, gone out for breakfast, had some yummy meals out in our favourite places, taken a few trips to the cinema... it's been lovely.

I've bought make up.
I haven't bought make up in what seems like years, but I've finally bought the Naked 2 palette. I have used the original one so much it's falling apart, and despite hearing less~than~enthusiastic reviews on this one, I've really been enjoying using it.

I've been baking.
Back in June, I made some cupcakes for Gareth's birthday ~ a light and fluffy vanilla sponge with a deliciously sweet raspberry jam centre, topped with a creamy coconut frosting. Nom! They were scrumptious, even if I do say so myself! I also made my own little cupcake picks with his initals and some bunting for a cake topper. Not at all what I had planned, but time restrictions meant I couldn't execute my original plan. I'm saving it for next year, but he loved these nevertheless.

I've gotten broody.
Very broody. I think it's the whole 'becoming~a~wife' thing. It's traditionally the next step, isn't it? Fall in love, get married, have a baby. But the less said on that one, the better.

So, what exciting things have you been up to?

Love Laura x