Top 5 From Charlotte Tilbury

Here's the part where I try to justify my exorbitant array of Charlotte Tilbury purchases, and here's the part where I fail. Phew. Now that's over, let's just say that we all deserve a little bit of luxury in our lives. And of course, nothing soothes the soul like doing some damage to your bank account at the Charlotte Tilbury counter, right? Right.

Charlotte Tilbury has stolen my heart this year, so here's my top 5 must-haves so far...

It all started with the the Filmstar Bronze & Glow, a Christmas gift card purchase, this highlighting and bronzing duo is a contour lover's dream team. With a buttery bronzer on the left, and the perfect champagne gold shimmer on the right, you just can't go wrong. Nothing says high end like the signature rose gold packaging, but this product really does have the formula to match.

Next up is my first ever Beach Stick purchase in Es Vedra. A twist up colour stick, this shade isn't one I would usually pick, but looks beautiful applied to the apples of the cheeks.  Described as a 'mystic sunset coral', it gives a gorgeous dewy finish that fakes a holiday glow. What I love about the beach sticks is that they double up as a lip colour, too, for a brave hot pepper red.

As for lipsticks, I am obsessed with the Matte Revolution range for the creamy formulas and ultra pigmented shades. With the square bullet, these lipsticks apply like a dream without dehydrating the lips. Lost Cherry is a really unusual fuschia shade, a cherry red-pink, it feels incredibly classy to wear and makes a statement without being a typical postbox red. For the perfect nude lip, I'm in love with Sexy Sienna as brown-toned nudes have never worked on me. Inspired by Sienna Miller, it's a beautiful golden coral that looks perfect with bronzed skin.  Of course, I could not leave out the Lip Cheat in 'Pillow Talk', perhaps the most loved lip-liner in the beauty blogger world. This really is a your lips but better shade that does everything you'd want in a lip liner, allowing the right amount of definition to the lip without going too Kylie Jenner.

Are you in love with Charlotte Tilbury? What are your favourites?

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

A Dreamy Spa Day | North Lakes Hotel

 When I was contacted by the luxury North Lakes Hotel to review their newly opened spa, it was an offer I just couldn't refuse! Nothing says perfection to me like a day of complete relaxation. It was the perfect chance for a much overdue mother and daughter day, too. My mum's best friend and her daughter - who is also one of my longest friends - decided to come along. Your mum, best friend, and a spa treatment is just a winning combination, right?  So off we headed to Penrith for a day of pampering...

 After soaking in the beautiful, scenic views of the Lake District leading up to Penrith, we arrived at the hotel which instantly had a warm and welcoming feeling. With its gorgeous wooden beams, it felt as though were were stepping into a classic country house.  The facilities of the spa are brand new and have everything you could ask for. With a huge swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi, and a fully equipped gym, we were really impressed.  There was even virtual spinning on offer complete with a virtual instructor on a projector, so you could come and do the class at your own pace. We were taken into the spa relaxation lounge where we sipped on herbal teas before filling out our lunch choices for the day. The lady who looked after us was so friendly and accommodating and made sure that my awkward vegan food choices were catered for, which is always a huge plus.

 Next we were taken upstairs to the spa area, where there was a peaceful relaxation room with comfy recliners. The perfect place to just sit, read and empty your mind. There were also refreshments on hand throughout the day - fresh fruit, granola bars and yogurt parfaits were later replaced with more indulgent treats in the afternoon. We slipped into our complimentary fluffy robes and slippers then headed down to the pool for a few hours before our treatments. Along with the welcome area downstairs, you were free to come and go from this room throughout this day as you pleased.

I struggled to get a photo of the pool for privacy reasons, but trust me, it was something special. With its ambient blue lighting and towering arched roof, the pool definitely makes the hotel. I put my mermaid skills to the test and did plenty of laps - got to fit in some exercise there, right? We tried out the sauna and steam room which I could only manage for a few minutes from the heat. Our favourite part was definitely the jacuzzi, the perfect place to chill out and have a catch up.

After chilling in the pool, we headed down to the relaxation area for our much anticipated lunch! As a foodie, I was so impressed with the menu which had lots of healthy options, including a delicious super food salad. When I'm having a spa day, I definitely prefer the choice of healthy, nourishing options. It just doesn't seem to make sense to me to cleanse your skin and mind and then fill your body with unhealthy food. Of course I went for the super food salad of delicious crunchy veggies drizzled in a mustard dressing.  Mum opted for the salmon and Creme Brulee for dessert, which I didn't even manage to get a photo of before she demolished it! I went for the fruit kebabs with a gorgeous mango dipping sauce, yum.

After lunch, it was back upstairs to our private changing room to get ready for our treatments which we had picked out from the Taste of Relaxation package. With this package you choose two treatments with a choice of facials, back massages, body polishes and manicures. Both my mum and I opted for the YTSARA Lawan Facial and YTSARA back, neck and shoulder massage. We were taken into our treatment rooms which were filled with a enchanting aromatherapy scent. Before the facial, the therapist gave a brief consultation to tailor the products to my skin type. I went with YTSARA products as they're 100% natural and I'm definitely someone prone to reactions from new products. I've had quite a few facials in the past but I was really impressed with how thorough my therapist was. It's essential to communicate with your therapist to make sure you get the most out of your treatment! The facial was lovely and left my skin cleansed, glowy and exfoliated.

For the back massage, again the the therapist made sure which pressure I liked which has been a major problem in the past as I'm a complete baby with pain and pressure! She asked me if I had any problem areas so I let her know that I'd been having pain in my right arm and shoulder from typing essays for my degree. She spent some time focusing on this and the relief I felt in my shoulder afterwards was amazing. The massage was just the right amount of pressure to get all the knots and tension out. She also placed a hot bag on my lower back which was so soothing. My mum is way braver with massages than me and went for high pressure - and she came out saying it was the best one she'd ever had!

After our treatments we spent a little bit more time chilling on the recliners and chatting about how much we loved them. There was also make-up and ESPA products on hand to try so we of course took advantage of this! We finished off our day by spending some more time in the pool before heading home, feeling completely pampered and relaxed.

Overall, I really loved the spa and there was nothing I could fault. The staff and beauty therapists were incredible, the facilities were beautiful and lunch was amazing. I would definitely recommend a visit and all of us agreed that we'd come back! The Shire Hotels are part of a large hotel group so if Penrith is miles away from you, be sure to check if there's one near you here.

Are you a fan of spa days? Have you ever visted a Shire hotel?

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

Vilamendhoo, Maldives | Part 2

Forever21 Kimono* | Boohoo Swimsuit | Floral Kimono* | Oasis Gandys*

An extremely overdue second instalment in my Maldives holiday posts. Being on Vilamendhoo island is like living in a dream. Waking up to the waves crashing over the steps of the water villa, going on an adventure of the Indian ocean in a Dhoni boat, sipping coconuts on the beach. What I'd do right now to be sprawled in a hammock watching a Maldivian sunset.
For part one go here 

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Kit | Review

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Kit 

If I had to narrow down the things I love in life, chocolate and contouring would definitely be on the list. An unlikely combination, I know, but Too Faced have got it bang on with this chocolate scented contour kit. With its buttery powders and addictive scent, this has been my go to palette all summer.
I'm forever obsessed with the wonders that contouring and highlighting can work on my face. I have too many contour kits to count, but this one is definitely at the top of my stash. Besides the fact that it smells good enough to eat, this little kit has everything you need for gorgeous, bronzed cheekbones.
'Medium Cocoa' is my dream contour shade, an ashy brown, it gives a definition to the cheekbones that can either be completely understated or built up for an ultra chiseled effect. The difference between 'Fawn' in the Anastasia Beverly Hills kit is only slight, where Anastasia blends out to be more of a HD shadow on the face, the Too Faced powder works more for a bronzed, summery look. 'Dark Cocoa' is a dark brown with an orange undertone, this is definitely too orange on my pale skin to use as a contour shade alone but works beautifully as a bronzer. I sweep it over my contour on a fluffy brush just to darken things up and add more definition. I also used it as an eyeshadow as you can see in the photo and absolutely love the smokey, orange-brown Olsen twin smokey eye it creates.
As for the highlighting powders, I am reaching for 'Light Cocao' over my Anastasia banana powder for brightening all over my face. Seriously, this is a step you just can't miss out as the effect is incredible. Stippled on with a buffing brush, the powder is amazing when applied under the eyes and cheekbones for defining your contour even more. The 'Pop of Highlight' is a really fine milled highlight with chunky bits of glitter which adds a really pretty glimmer to the cheeks. But as a girl who usually ends up looking like a disco ball from overdoing highlighter, the effect just isn't quite enough for me.
At £28.00 for four high quality powders and an angled brush, I think this is an amazing all in one kit. There are a lot of contour kits out there that come with too many shades that you just don't use, but anyone can get full use out of these four powders. Overall I am absolutely in love with this palette and would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting chiseled cheekbones!

Have you tried this? What are your favourite contour products?

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

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Zoeva Rose Golden Eye Set | Review

Zoeva Rose Golden Eye Set*

Have you ever seen a set of make-up brushes this beautiful?! The rose gold packaging, the crisp white bristles, the cute little box it comes in... Zoeva, you know the way to a blogger's heart.

I will never forget the day I ditched my sponge applicators for a real set of make-up brushes. Without sounding dramatic, it really was the day my make-up game changed. Gone are the traumas of patchy foundation and unblended eyeshadow.  Give the artist the right tools and she can create a masterpiece. Give her an eyeshadow kit with a foam brush and, well, you get my failed smokey eye photos circa 2010.

Zoeva are my go-to brand for make-up brushes now as 1) IMO they are just are on par (if not better than) MAC, 2) amazing quality and 3) have no ridiculous shipping/ tax/ importing fees. We don't have a whole lot of options for high quality brushes here in the UK. There's the extremely expensive high end options then the low end but nothing really in between. It's either stick with Real Techniques, shell out £20 a brush at MAC or order online. Zoeva are only about £7.50 shipping fees which to me is worth it given that these brushes work out to barely £4 each in this set. I reach for the 227 blending brush over my MAC 217 which cost me a crazy £17.

So, not only do these brushes look dreamy on my vanity, but they really do the job. Thanks to these brushes I can really get the make-up looks that I want and have complete control over application and blending. You have everything you need (and more) in this kit. My absolute favourites are the 227 for seamless blending, the 231 for packing on colour right into the outer v, and the 238 which allows you to have total accuracy for smoking out the eye with a tiny bit of dark matte shadow. Also, the 332 brow line is one of my favourite brushes - ever - for defining and highlighting my brow bone. It really does take your make-up to the next level.

Overall I can't recommend this kit enough to anyone who wants to up their eyeshadow game. At £50 for 12 brushes it's incredible value compared to high end brands and definitely rivals them in quality. I couldn't imagine doing my make-up without it now.

Have you tried this? Are you a fan of Zoeva?

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner & Mascaras - In Colour! Review

Benefit They're Real Liner & Mascara in 'Real Colours'*

We all remember the launch of Benefit's Cult 'They're Real' Push Up liner this time last year. As a lover of the 'They're Real' mascara, I was fully behind the hype of this revolutionary liquid liner set to answer all of our uneven flick woes. It was my first major beauty blogger event in London and I was so excited to one of the first bloggers to hear about it and try it. Armed with my goodie bag I thought about my perfect flicks all of the way home - only to be totally, well, deflated.
 If you're like me and stuck the liner in a drawer to gather dust alongside other disappointing releases, then this might be the time to get reacquainted. There are plenty of reviews of the liner out there, like the mascara, it's a marmite product where bloggers either are head over heels in love or really don't get along with it.
But when the colour range landed on my doorstep I just had to have a play around with them. This liner isn't like any others out there and does require a little bit of patience and getting used to. But trust me, anyone can get the knack of this, and once you've got it, you'll love it. My technique is putting the mirror right under my face and getting right in with the liner against my lash line and using it in small strokes. If you're wanting to drag this across your lid in one line, it's just not going to happen. The formula is amazing but dries really quickly so you don't want to be layering over it, just gliding it on slowly in small movements.
I went for big blue flicks with the mascara and I really loved this ultra dramatic pop-art look that I ended up with. What I really like about this range is that it encourages you to be a bit more creative, but it's really easy to work it in to your usual look. If you're wanting to do something toned down but with a pop of colour, the blue liner is more of a dark navy which makes a really easy alternative to black. The purple is also a really deep colour that is easy to wear but just adds that extra element to your make-up. At first I thought I would never be brave enough to wear these, but actually, it's opened up my mind to a whole new range of colours that usually I wouldn't go near. I'm also loving the green which looks surprisingly neutral and will look so beautiful on brown eyes. The browns are great, too, especially for minimal make-up days. But if I had to pick a favourite, it'd definitely be the electric blue mascara, especially with a plum smokey eye.

Overall I really like this launch and for any Benefit lovers it's a great way to repurchase one of your favourite products but try it out in a whole new range of colours. If you need any more inspiration, just visit a Benefit counter because the girls' takes on the colours just look so beautiful and will get you inspired to try something new with your make-up!

Would you try this? What do you think of the new colour range?

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

Vilamendhoo, Maldives

Forever21 White Playsuit* | Missguided Elephant Top & Shorts* | Boohoo swimsuit | River Island Sunglasses

The milky glow of the Maldivian moon swallows the sky, dripping its pallid light across the dimming azure blue waves of the ocean. The sea rolls gently over the lips of the island sand, reclining and returning like the promising caress of a lover. Cradled in the crooked arms of the moon's glow, the island springs to life; fruit bats pulse through the dark, island birds lurch into their echoing calls.

Tracing the imprints of towering palm trees against the watercolour pinks and oranges of the Indo-Asian sunset, they seem too perfect to have been placed there by accident. As though arranged by the hand of an artist, the island is always poised for some surrealist interpretation on canvas.

The Maldivian night isn't like any other night. It's punctured by clusters of stars, a universe free from the permanent blanket of pollution which sallows our earth. As arms cut through the pool in evening swim, scents rise from the heart of the island, where cooks work to the clockwork of three meal times each and every day. Jasmine, cardamon, and garam masala intertwine with fried oil and sugar, twisting with the sea breeze in an enchanting aroma.

Room boys sweep the sand from still hot verandas, lizards from palm tree to palm tree, the bellies of crickets reverberate from the shrubs.  Imprints of bare feet are left behind to be washed away as the crabs scuttle and burrow, racing the sweeping tide line. These island dwellers speak a secret language; they cheat life, they get to stay here forever.

Laughter bubbles in private jacuzzis. The thunderous pressure of outdoor showers smack tiles. Evening dresses drape across the beach, cologne mingles with the scents of herbs, tablewear clangs, wine is poured as honeymooners dine in the dark. 

The island itself is a memoir. Laden with the serenity of a reminiscence;  love, laughter, paradisaical tranquillity, the excitement of embracing new experiences. Isolated from the rush of modern life, you remember, or learn, how to be present in the world. Heaven on earth.

Lydia Rose,

xoxo

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