Just to let you know

If you're not following me over at www.fashionsuede.blogspot.com already then why the hell not? ;)

I just wanted to let you know that I received a box from Boudoir Prive and if you would like to read about it you can check it out here

Unexpected Blog Sale

I'm holding a little blog sale over at fashionsuede - these are some pictures of the things I am selling :) check it other here - http://fashionsuede.blogspot.com/2011/08/unexpected-blog-sale.html

a fresh start

I'll try and keep this is short and sweet as possible. For a variety of reasons I have decided to no longer blog here at My Lincolnshire Lifestyle. I want to say a massive thank you to all 342 of you that currently follow me, and for you to know you haven't quite got rid of me.

I have set up and opened a new blog http://fashionsuede.blogspot.com and there is a very lengthy introduction on that blog explaining why I have decided to move. I hope some of you will take the time to read it, and hopefully it sounds interesting enough for you to re-follow me over there.

Also with this move comes a few other new accounts:

twitter - @fashionsuede

tumblr - http://fashionsuede.tumblr.com/

I really cannot thank you all enough for your devotion to reading my posts and commenting for the past two years. I don't want you to feel like I don't appreciate you, because I really do. I will leave this blog up for a few months, until the view hits become low and I feel it is time for it to be deleted.

The Ultimate Product Rave!

For as long as I can remember, I have always suffered with dry skin. It gets very bad in the winter and means after just a few hours wear my foundation appears flaky and uneven. I have tried endless moisturisers that claim to "hydrate" or "quench" dry skin, but nothing ever really worked. And then I found this product.

I first got a sample of the Neutrogena deep clean invigorating daily scrub in a magazine about a year ago now and I really liked how the beads left my skin feeling super soft, but for some reason it wasn't until about two or three months ago that I actually picked up a bottle of it from superdrug.

Not only did this product completely solve my dry skin problem but it also helped to just clear up any blemishes that I had. I love that it has a very menthol feeling on the skin so you feel fresh and awake after using it. I also find that I don't have to use this every day. With some products, if you don't use them daily, you skin can breakout or return to it's original state but with this Neutrogena scrub I feel like the results last for day.

I just honestly cannot rave about this product enough and I think if you suffer from dry flakey skin it is 100% worth a try. Although it is marketed at "Invigorating" I don't find the product harsh on the skin if you are using it daily and it also doubles up as a great make-up remover as it literally scrubs away everything :)

You can pick this product up from Superdrug for £3.56 here and earn 30 beautycard points :)

Summer Nails

Back in December I created this post of my favourite winter/fall nail polishes. It seemed like a few people were interested in that post so I decided to create one for the summer months now that it is August :)

For me, Barry M nail paints are a winner no matter what season it is. They are super affordable, come in such a great range of colours, dry quickly and look really professional when they are on. For summer I have picked the shades:

- Black Magic (the crackle polish)

-Blueberry Ice Cream

- Mint Green

- Matt White

- Pink Flamingo

Essie in Sand Tropez

Essie in Van D'Go

Collection 2000 in Hoola Hoop

Nails inc for InStyle in Candy Orange

Avon Nailwear Pro in Sunshine

As always, if you would like to see swatches of any of these colours then just leave a comment and I will try to get it done for you.

NOTD - Essie in Super Bossa Nova

Super Bossa Nova was one of the four nail polishes I received from the lovely Christine in our make-up swap. I have to say straight away, I think Essie is possibly my favourite nail polish brand. I currently own 6 of them but I cannot wait to get more :D

I'm not very good at describing colours but I would say Super Bossa Nova is a hot Purple-y Pink with amazing pink, purple and maybe a little blue shimmer. I think if you would like a better description you are best off checking out this post from scrangie, my favourite nail polish blogger or this post by Temptalia. I find it only needs two coats which is impressive for Essie as most of their polishes are known for being quite sheer.

This is my very poor attempt and try to capture the amazing shimmer in this polish. It is just such a beautiful colour and so perfect for summer. However I think for my this is the kind of colour I would prefer to wear on my toes rather than my fingers, but taking pictures of my feet just feels strange :P

International Swap goodies from Christine :)

Remember this post, where I was desperate to get my hands on a new tube of CoverGirl Lash Blast mascara? Well the super awesome Christine came to my rescue and this was the result of our little international swap :)

She packaged it in a super cute Luxe Box container which I believe is the Canadian version of the Glossy Box

The Goodies:

• OPI Nail Lacquer in Skull & Glossbones
• OPI Nail Lacquer in Mod About You
• Essie Nail Polish in Braziliant
• Essie Nail Polish in Super Bossa Nova
• NYX Single Shadow in Champagne
• CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara

Skull & Glossbones - Mod About You

Super Bossa Nova - Braziliant

I honestly cannot thank Christine enough for agreeing to do this swap with me :) Everything was packaged so amazingly and all arrived without any problems. She also included a super sweet card which I stupidly forgot to photograph :(

You may remember if you have been a follower of mine for a while now that last February I did a swap with the lovely Emily and I think it is swaps like these that remind you how much fun Blogging can be. It is far too easy to be sucked into drama or the benefits of being contacted by PR companies when swaps like these show how we are all part of a community of people who have a genuine interest in beauty products are are always ready to help each other out when we want to get out hands on a product.

Over the next few weeks I will try and post some reviews/NOTD's of my lovely new polishes or you all to see :)

THANK YOU CHRISTINE!

Fake Tan Shopping - I need your help!

Not that long ago, I posted that my current fake tan routine consisted of the super affordable St. Moriz, topped with the Maybelline SunGlow. However, I think it is time for a change.

You see, I have always been pale. For years, I pretty much just embraced it and the only tanning products I would use were perhaps a sweep of bronzer or a little Johnsons Holiday Skin. Then I bought St. Moriz and I think an addiction started. I loved the colour it gave to my skin and how much more confident it made me feel in my clothes.

However, there is always a down side. St. Moriz is horribly patchy when it is time for it to come off. The worst effected areas for me are my arms and my neck, which means I've been wearing a lot of long sleeved tops and scarves recently because no matter how much you scrub, this stuff does not come off until it is ready to itself.

This hasn't however put me off fake tan. I'm desperate to put a little bit of colour back into my skin but I have no idea what to try out next. Here are some of the products I have been tempted by.

• XenTan Mousse Intense
• St. Tropez Instant Mousse
• Superdrug Solait Mousse

I would love to know your opinions on any of these products, or perhaps leave me a link to a review you have done/seen.

As you can see, my preferred formulation is mousse so if you have any other mousse fake tanners you think I should look into, please let me know :)

June Favourites

As always, this favourites post is a little late, but I hope you still get something from it :)

Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Daily Scrub

Clearasil Ultra Overnight Lotion

Nars Sheer Glow Foundaton

St. Moriz Mousse Fake Tan

Benefit High Beam

Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Sin

Mac MSF in Soft & Gentle

Mac Bronzer in Golden

Tag - Summer Besties

I've seen a few people on YouTube do this tag so I thought I would give it a go to show you the kind of products I have been wearing during the slightly warmer weather :)

Best Lip Product - Any Lip Balm

To be honest, any lip balm will do in the summer. I don't really bother with lipsticks or lipglosses because they just seems little too fussy when it is hot. The ones pictured are from Mac and The Body Shop but I also really like Vaseline, Carmex, and, well just anything that keeps my lips moisturizer really :)

Best Blush - Mac Well Dressed

Although many people will say cream blush is the best product to use during the summer, the one ones I own are the Topshop ones which are a cream to powder formula, so they don't really make much difference. However Mac Well Dressed was the first Mac product I ever bought and I think it is perfect for both summer and winter :)

Best Liquid Face Product - Nars Sheer Glow

Although I would love to say "oh, in the summer I love this tinted moisturiser" it's sadly just not true. I don't feel confident enough with my skin to wear something light and sheer so I stick with my Sheer Glow to provide me with a pretty medium coverage and a really nice glow to the skin :)

Best Powder Face Product - Soft & Gentle MSF and Bronzer in Golden

Ok so I may have slightly cheated but these two products looks amazing together. I don't like to wear fake tan on my face so the bronzer helps to match my face to the rest of my body and the MSF just adds a lovely sheen over areas like cheek bones, brow bones and along the nose.

Best Nail Polish - Essie in Sand Tropez

I only recently got this nail polish but the second I applied it, I fell in love with it! It is such a lovely neutral that goes with just about every outfit for every occasion (I even wore it to my prom this year). I think if I get the chance when the weather is nice I will try to post a NOTD post of this polish in natural sunlight. But if you are interested in purchasing it, it is currently on sale at ASOS at the minute here

Best Tanning Product - St Moriz & Maybelline Gradual Tanner

Ok another cheat but I just cant help myself. I like to apply St Moriz every two or three days,and then in between I like the apply the gradual tanner to keep my skin soft and to maintain the colour. And the best thing about these products is that the mousse only cost me £2.99 and the Moisturizer cost me £2.49 :)

Best Eye Product - CoverGirl Lash Blast

This is honestly one of my all time favourite mascara's. I actually prefer the waterproof one during the summer but I have completely ran out of that now :( I am however currently in the process of a swap with the lovely Christine to get my hands on another tube of this mascara before it runs out :)

Best Accessories - Toms

I only got these a few weeks ago but I absolutely love them and practically live in them! I can't want to get them in loads of other colours like white, black and navy (adventurous i know :P) And I also really like the look of the crochet ones for the summer :)

Best Clothing - Denim Shorts

I just think they are really easy to wear with everything and can either be dressed down in the daytime with like toms or converse and a casual t-shirt, or dressed up at night with heels (or wedges in my case because heels are just a no go) and a nice top.

I actually forgot to take a picture of the Best Hair Products, but during the summer it just has to be Batiste :) My favourite scent is the tropical one :)

Turn that receipt over

So, you've just been into Superdrug, picked up the essentials and maybe a little make-up treat because you deserve it ;) but what did you do with the receipt? If you still have it floating around in the carrier bag or somewhere in your purse then whip it out and prepare to save some pennies next time you're in there!

All you have to do is log onto www.superdrugfeedback.com and fill in a little survey about your shopping experience last time you were in Superdrug. It honestly takes no longer than about 5 minutes and at the end you get a little code to write in the space provided on the back. Then next time you're shopping, if you spend over £10 you can save 25% off Superdrug own brand products and 10% of branded products.

Bare Minerals Sample

I stumbled across this post from Charlotte over at Lipglossing late last week which introduced the new sample sized products that were on offer at Escentual.com. This isn't a website that I have ever visited before but the idea of trying out some very expensive products for a super cheap price before committing to their full size price tag really did draw me in.

I have wanted to try the Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals foundation since I went to their counter in Meadowhall back on boxing day 2010 but a lot of things have put me off. First of all, I have very dry skin so my worry was that powder would not sit well and simply make it look even more dry. Then there was the coverage issue. My skin is much better than it used to be but I have been left with a lot of scarring and redness that I like my liquid foundation to cover and I just wasn't sure if a powder would manage it alone.

This 10 day sample pot and mini kabuki brush cost me £3.00 and postage was £1.95. Inside the package was a free nail file, business card and Bare Minerals booklet on how to apply the powder. I think these little extras really make a difference when shopping online and really make me want to revisit the site. I ordered this on Sunday night and it arrived Tuesday morning so delivery time was impressive. Overall I think my experience with Escentual.com was very good :)
Another great thing is that if I decide to buy the full size powder after trying out my sample I get £3.00 off the price, which basically means I got the sample for nothing. And even if I decide not to buy the full size, I got the opportunity to try a usually very expensive product for the bargain price of £3.00!

There are loads of other sample sized products available here

So far I have only tried this powder three times but once it is finished I will do a review and let you know what I think and whether I am going to buy the full sized foundation.

International Swap Anyone?

I have been thinking about doing another international swap recently because my beloved CoverGirl Lash Blast seems to be running a little low and rather than trying something new, I think I want to stick with what I know and love :)

I did a swap with the lovely Emily a little over a year ago and it was so much fun shopping for someone else and receiving some lovely things that just aren't readily available over here.

You can view the items I received here

I think this time if someone agree's to do this with me I would like to maybe get some essie or OPI nail polishes? Obviously the CG Mascara and maybe a few other little bits.

If you are perhaps interested in the idea of a swap then I can easily get brands like:

• Barry M
• Collection 2000
• Gosh
• MeMeMe
• St. Moriz
• W7
• Boots 17
• Rimmel
• Soap & Glory

The only British brand that I kind of struggle to get hold of without ordering online is Sleek

Anyway, please leave me a comment or message me on Twitter if you are interested :)

March, April & May Favourites

So, it has been a while since I did a favourites post so this is a collection of the past three months worth of products. Enjoy :)

Illamasqua Eyeshadow in Jules My only matte eyeshadow that works great in the crease

DiorShow Mascara Slightly strange smell but really helps to open the eyes and add length to lashes

Revlon ColourStay Foundation Great coverage and a lovely dewy finish, but be careful it can look a little greasy

Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Foundation Probably my all time favourite!

Barry M Nail Paint in White Goes amazingly with a tan

Illamasqua Eyeshadow in Tango Reminds me a lot of a classic Olsen eye when it is smoked out

Calvin Klein Highlighter Pen Really brightens the eye area

Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Topaz at first I didn't like it but on the waterline I think it really makes a difference

Neal's Yard Remedies Eye Liner in Black Smokes out beautifully, and I think it was a freebie in a magazine

Mac Studio Finish Concealer This will forever be in my favourites, the coverage is flawless

Soap & Glory Hand Food Perfect after work when my hands feel really dry

Clearasil Ultra Overnight Lotion I think this really has helped to clear up my skin recently

Superdrug Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream Amazing tapped along the cheekbones

Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Daily Scrub Seriously cannot rave about this enough. I have really dry skin but this removes it all and makes my face feel and look super smooth

Maybelline Dream Sun Glow Instant Bronzing Perfect for an instant tan that you only want for one night

Soap & Glory Righteous Butter Always a favourite!

Collective Beauty Haul

It has been a while since I showed you some of the lovely things I have bought so here is a quick overview :)

St. Moriz Mousse Fake Tan - £2.99

Wilko's SPF 25 Sun Cream - £2.99

Batiste Boho Dry Shampoo - £1.00

Neutrogena Invigorating Daily Scrub - £3 something

Maybelline Instant Tan - £2.00

St. Moriz Tanning Mitt - £2.99

Leighton Denny Polish in Do Me A Flavour - Free in Harper's Magazine

Miss Sporty Nail Polish in 346 & Miss Sporty Disco Tech - about £1.50 each I think

Barry M Nail Paint in Pink Flamingo, Spring Green & White - £2.95 each

Urban Decay Pigment in Smog - £3.00

Bourjois Bronzing Powder - £6 something

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara - £5.00

Girls Aloud Festival Lashes by Sarah Harding - £1.00

Look how pretty they are with the red flicks :)

My Blogs 2nd Birthday :)

I really can't believe it has been two years already!

I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who reads my blog and takes the time out to comment on it. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I would have been able to continue with it for this long!

It's that time of year again ... Benefit Freebies!

Thankfully these three were much easier to track down than last years freebies seen here

This years magazine came with large sample sizes of the cult cheek products:

• High Beam
• Posie tint
• Bene tint

And with Glamour magazine only costing £2 per issue, you can't really say no :P

Have you managed to grab all three yet?

WAH Nails Inspiration

Another Nail Polish post :) Seriously, I just cant help myself :)

After seeing these nail art designs in the recent issue of Elle Magazine I was completely inspired by the colours and decided to take some inspiration from Leanne's post to come up with my design.

To create it I used:

• Avon Nail Experts Nail Strengthener
• Avon Nailwear Pro in Sunshine
• Nails inc. in Candy Orange
• Nails inc. in Shoreditch
• Primark blue nail polish
• Barry M Instant Nail Effects in Black Magic

Recent Nail Polish Haul

Make-up hasn't really been grabbing my attention much recently, so instead my money has been spent on some fabulous nail polishes :)

Nails inc. in Candy Orange - Free with InStyle magazine

Glo Baby Glo by Primark in blue, pink & green (the actual names of these are on the boxes and I threw those out) - £2.00 each (also, these glow in UV light which is amazing aa we have UV lights at the bar I work at so I can't wait to try them out there)

Barry M in Peach Melba - £2.95

Essie in Sew Psyched - £6.50 in ASOS Sale

W7 In Cosmic Purple - £1.99

NYC in Park Ave - £2.49

Body Collection Crystal Suede (I think these are like the OPI Suede's) in Champagne & Little Black Dress - £2.49 each

Gosh in Purple Heart - £5.00

If you would like to maybe see some swatches of any of these colours then just leave a comment and I will try and get some done on a day with lots of sunshine so you can see them in natural lighting

Royal Wedding Nails

I'm back bitches :) Watching the royal wedding this morning has put me in such a good mood that I thought I would get my act together and write a blog post as it has been quite a while since I have done so. I decided to paint my nails with a Union Jack theme, and this is how they turned out :)

W7 Diamond Topcoat

NYC White Nail Enamel

Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours in 324

W7 Blue Dazzle

W7 Red Dazzle

Ciate Paint Pots in Mistress

Barry M in Bright Red

I think the main reason for my not blogging as much was simply not really having the money to buy new products to blog about but I recently got a new job so hopefully you will be seeing more posts from me in the future :)