A Few Holiday Photos x

I thought I'd break up the haulage posts with some pics of my holidays - I know some people find holiday pics boring but I thought you might like to see some anyways xx

My hotel room - gorgeous all in blue, whites. mustards and lined wood- the hotel has had a major refurbishment over the winter and it really shows

Complimentary wine and fruit because we were repeat guests

View from the balcony - the good things about this hotel is over 90% of the room have at least a partial sea view

The pool area - a total suntrap

Holiday cocktails this one is a Traffic Light 

Pics from a trip to Ayia Napa

Protaras by night x

Customary beach shot :)

Finally a sign that made me laugh x currying cash indeed x

Hope you enjoyed next up a holiday accessory haul x

My Rather Large MAC Venomous Villains Haul and More (Pic Heavy)

OK you may wonder why I've started a haul post with a beautiful view of a sun terrace and the ocean, on a a gorgeous sunny day all be it taken on my camera phone, well a week past Monday whilst I was on my hols in Cyprus MAC Venomous Villains launched online. The picture is the view out of the lobby window whilst I was sitting on a computer for €6 an hour INDOORS waiting for the collection to launch on the UK site. Dedication I think so - I have to say I love Disney so the packaging automatically appealed, and some of the colours appeared to be right up my street - it really excited me more than any other MAC collection for a while. Thankfully we had someone looking after the house so I was able to place my order - I have to admit I got way more than I intended too - I trimmed my original wish list right down but when it came to the crunch I ended up buying all the things I'd originally wanted -  so on with the haul that I missed a rep meeting and an hour in the sun for - no swatches as you've probably seen so many already - if you'd like to see some though let me know :)

First of all my favourite collection and the one I bought the most from - Cruella :) A film I always found super stressful to watch (I always thought she'd get the puppies) but she was so fabulously nasty in it and I loved her hair :) The first thing I got from Cruella was one of the things I knew I needed - the Beauty Powder in Her Own Devices

The next two items I'd originally wanted but they were trimmed from my eventual list only to throw themselves into my basket ;) - a lipglass in Devilishly Stylish

and the nude lippy Innocence, Beware

Next up Evil Queen - the nasty one from Snow White of course, thank goodness for the dwarfs, again the Beauty Powder was my must have - Oh So Fair

That was originally going to be it but maybe it was the heat and the thought of such a gorgeous coral colour on tanned skin but Bite Of An Apple blush became mine too :)

Next up the newest of the villains from Princess and The Frog I have to admit I haven't seen this although I remember the story; this has recently been released on DVD so this probably explains why Disney wanted MAC to include such an obscure villain - the only thing that really intrigued me was the magically cool liquid powders, which I believe were originally in the Prescriptives line - I ordered Truth and Light and I have to say it's really pretty a gorgeous, pale peach glow :) I was also surprised at the size of the pot I was expecting it to be much smaller

The last things I ordered from VV's as it's now been called were from Maleficent - in other words the bad fairy from Sleeping Beauty, spinning wheels and all that - she really is scary even to look at - been green and with horns -eeek Anyways the must haves from this part of the collection were the nail polishes - I'd already bought Orly Space Cadet which was a dupe of Mean and Green and the only one I desperately wanted was Bad Fairy - my pics really don't do it justice it is a beaut a red, yellow and copper sparkle ideal as many people have said for the festive season :)

So that was my Venomous Villains haul but that wasn't all I ordered - first of all I added a lipstick from Fabulous Felines to my order Pet Me, Please - a lovely frosty pink nude

and I also got the Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass

I have to say that wasn't it though (feels slightly embarrassed!!) arriving in Larnaca airport on Sunday afternoon, after the horrors of check in, in nearly 30 degree heat we noticed, Mummy LouLou with horror in her eyes and me with lust, that Larnaca airports duty free had expanded dramatically Hello MAC Counter :)

It wasn't the biggest but it would have been wrong not to look - The prices were about the same but I have to say Maleficent I am sorry I ignored you - quite a few bits of VV had sold out but I had some time to play and swatch on the counter and  you guessed it I got some more things, first of all Briar Rose Beauty Powder -  I had considered this to be fair but everyone said it was easy to dupe - but at first swipe it was love - sorry the pic of the compact isn't too good but it is so shiny

Next another nail polish Formidable, again I heard it was dupeable but it looked so pretty with the fluro lighting shining on it, it had to be mine - again the pics aren't doing it justice x

So that was it then I spotted a little section on the counter with a couple of pigments and low and behold they had one I really fancied Lithe from Fabulous Felines - I skipped felines initially but I've seen the pigment in YT vids and so on and I have to say I liked it but it had gone from the UK site :( but being in super haul mode I got the last one and the last Formidable from Larnaca duty free- evil villainous laugh ;)

So that really is it probably my hugest MAC haul ever and I have to say my last for some time I am well and truly stocked up :) Next up some pics from my holiday then a holiday haul probably in 2 parts  ;) If you have any questions or if you would like any swatches please let me know xx

The Wanderer Returns

Hey Loves
Did You Miss Me?
Nah? Well never mind I am back from my little jaunt and I have to say I had a fab time - the weather was great, and I had a proper chance to relax - well apart from my Venomous Villains stalking last Monday :) Anyways I have quite a few posts to come including some OOTD's I took, some NOTDS, maybe some holiday pics, and of course some purchases from the resort and the duty free :) I've also got my Venomous Villains haul to show you, if you aren't sick of it already - I managed to order some stuff whilst I was away and Larnaca airport now has a MAC counter so again I picked up a phew more bits whoops, add that to a few bits that came whilst I was away and you are going to be hauled out x Anyways bear with me whilst I try to catch up with posting and my comments - I am feeling super cold and exhausted at the moment not to mention a bit pink and itchy, and with a few mozzie bites to boot
Thanks for sticking around xx

More Cooking With LouLouLou Via Nigella

Hey My Loves
Here's the last of my scheduled posts for you and this time it's a recipe :) I have to say I love Nigella Lawson  everything she makes looks so edible, some chefs and cooks make things hard but not Nigella everything I've ever made from her works and tastes amazing and this dish is no exception. From the Nigella Bites books section on comfort food, comes the Double Potato and Halloumi Bake - combining some of my favourite things the recipe is a super dish that I always enjoy - I often make variations to the recipe which I'll tell you about as I go on but this is the basic recipe x

Nigella's Double Potato and Halloumi Bake

1 Large or Several Small Sweet Potatoes
1 Large Normal Potato or Several Small
1 Large Red Onion
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1/2 Head Garlic
4 tbs Olive Oil
Black Pepper
125g of Halloumi Cheese Sliced Thinly (you can also use Mozzarella, or Feta) 

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C / Gas Mark 6

2.Wash and cut the Sweet Potato in chunks, and the normal potato into slightly smaller chunks, peel the onion and cut it into similar size chunks usually 1/4 or 1/3 each half, deseed the pepper and cut into similar sized chunks, then separate the cloves of garlic but you can leave the skin on, the cloves will pop out when their roasted. Put the vegetable into a baking dish or roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper, then get your hands in and mix it till all the veg is covered. Put it in the oven for around 45 minutes but keep an eye on it x

2. Meanwhile slice your cheese I've used Mozzarella and Feta here - If you just used Mozzarella you might need to add some salt after cooking x

3. After about 45 minutes your veg should be cooked, tinged a bit brown and lovely and caramelized

4. Take the vegetables out of the oven, now if you have a combined oven and grill like me, switch it over to grill mode, if not whack up your oven temperature. Place the cheese over the top of the veg and place back in the oven / grill

5. Key point here - watch it! - the Mozzarella will melt, the Feta will soften and the Halloumi will start to brown when this is done remove from the oven and serve :)

Hints and Tips

•  As you can see from my pictures I've used a bit more veg than the original recipe - basically you can just add veg to fill your oven tray and alter the amounts of oil and cheese - this recipe serves 2-3
• You can also use other veg but try not to use anything to watery like courgettes, I like squash or pumpkin, and you can also add white onions for colour - I also find the jars of anti pasti grilled peppers work really well if your in a rush. You can also peel the garlic if you want to make it easier to eat
• I often sprinkle some chilli flakes in the veg before cooking for a bit of a kick
• This is great as a standalone veggie dish but you could serve it as a side dish alongside roast chicken all you would do is omit the cheese stage and sprinkle with salt after it comes out the oven

Basically I love this dish I find it so comforting and I'll definitely be making it when I get back from my hols with some great Cypriot Feta and Halloumi - Any questions let me know xx

A Review Of The ELF Studio Kabuki Face Brush

I must apologise a review of this brush was requested erm how can I say this months and months ago when I actually bought it and you've had to wait for the miracle of scheduled posting to see it - sorry I'm a bad LouLou. Anyways I purchased this brush for a number of reasons , first of all I love ELF brushes, they are great value for money, they aresynthetic and the Studio ones especially are super soft, secondly I already have the ELF face kabuki from the Mineral line and I have to say I hate it, it's hard and dare I say it even a little bit scratchy. So looking a for a cruelty free kabuki, I ordered the Studio Face Kabuki.

A duo fibre brush made from synthetic, anti-bactrial Taklon this one is the complete opposite to the mineral one - it so, so soft anf fluffy so much so that Tallulah actually stole it and lay with it in her doughnut thinking it was a mouse (don't worry I throughly cleaned it afterwards ;). The hairs are quite densely packed but being so soft I don't find this a very good brush for the swirl, tap, buff routine of mineral foundation, to create any sort of strength in the brush you have to actually grip the hairs together as you can see below (apologies its dirty - eek)

It just doesn't seem to have the strength for the best application method for mineral foundation, so I've been using this brush for dusting loose powder over my face and also highlighter application, and I think it's done a great job. Ideal for when feather light application is neccessary it's great for applying a small covering of powder to your t-zone, or a tiny bit of powder highlighter to your cheek bones, especially since you can change the shape of the brush for really precise application. So if your looking  for a kabuki brush to dust a bit of highlighter or a bit of loose powder on your face this is a goodie, for mineral foundation I personally will be sticking to my id Bare Minerals Flawless Face Brush. I purchased the Studio Kabuki Face Brush from ELF for £5. Any questions please let me know x

Impressing With My Powders and Pigments

By the miracle of scheduled posting I'm here when in reality I am probably lying on a sun lounger oh bliss! Anyways don't worry I've written a few posts to keep you amused whilst I'm away, starting with this one. A little while ago I decided to go ahead and try and press my loose powder shadows and blushers. I think I got the bug after my little attempt at pressing MAC pigments, I have loads and loads of powder shadows, pigments and blushers and to be honest I wasn't using them, loose powders just seemed a bit fiddly and too time consuming for everyday use so pressing them seemed to be the answer. Obviously it isn't as simple to press mineral shadows as it is to press MAC pigments, with MAC you just need a bit of alcohol however with mineral shadows and dazzle dusts you need a bit of filler, normally silicone alongside the alcohol, so I followed this tutorial from the lovely Lipglossiping use the same products as she does here. Generally I found it to be pretty successful but I learnt a few lessons along the way - first of all mattes are nearly impossibly to press, I found the more shimmer the better the result, I also learnt patience wait until they are dry before attempting to touch or press them otherwise disaster will strike. Another tip I would pass on is to be careful when adding the liquids a few times my mixture was way to wet I had to add more pigment to make it usable, and lastly be careful with them twice I dropped unpressed shadows and blushers on the floor and twice I dropped the pan when mixture was wet big mistake! I might be just a klutz but it you want to try it take care. I bought the alcohol and biosilk from ebay and the pans and palettes from Stars Make Up Haven who are great and usually include a freebie often one of their shadow singles :) On to the part you've all been waiting for pics of my handiwork - first of all blushers I've included some swatches for you so you can see how pigmented they are even after pressing, and I've made my pics a bit bigger than normal too x

Top Row From L-R - id Bare Minerals - Promise, Avon Mineral Blusher - Blushed, id Bare Minerals - Frisky and id Bare Minerals - Confidence

Bottom Row - First Light Minerals - Mistral

Pretty huh - bit of a colour theme developing there tho lots of peaches and corals :) OK eyeshadows - this palette isn't full yet but I still have a few to press and I'll probably need another palette to finish them all off but here it is at the moment, again with swatches :)

1st Row L-R - ELF -Natural, ELF - Earthy, ELF - Girly, id Bare Minerals - Poise, Space, ELF - Partier, id Bare Minerals - Motivate

2nd Row - id Bare Minerals - Pure Joy, ELF - Earthy, id Bare Minerals - Delight, Collection 2000 - Hazy Daze 20, id Bare Minerals - Bravo, Barry M Dazzle Dust - 91 Silvery Black, and Barry M Dazzle Dust - 51 Mushroom

3rd Row - id Bare Minerals - Purist, FirstLight Minerals - Bali Sunset, Collection 2000 -Stonewash, Space, First Light Minerals - Cornish Copper, Space, Collistar Lurex Pearl 2

4th Row - NYX Loose Pearl - 19 Mink Pearl, id Bare Minerals - Strength, Barry M Dazzle Dust - 3 Pink Gold, Boots Natural Collection -?, NYX Loose Pearl - 20 Mocha Pearl, Barry M Dazzle Dust - 101 Buff, and Barry M Dazzle Dust - 29 Yellow Gold

I hope you enjoy these pretty splashes of colour. Any questions on anything please let me know xx



Bon Voyage

Well it's nearly holiday time for me I leave early tomorrow morning but don't worry my lovely followers I haven't forgotten you, I've scheduled a few posts for you so you'll barely notice I've gone. I might pop up on twitter as I have to get some internet access to order my Venomous Villains goodies, so I may see you there. Hopefully after my holiday I'll come back refreshed and ready to catch on on my coming soon posts :), maybe with some OOTD and haulage posts, and armed with a bit more camera practice :) Till then I'll leave you with some pictures of Jake and Jasper "helping" me pack and Tallulah being a good girl and letting "mummy" get one with it - see you soon xx

Savouring September

Well there it is another month gone, I can't believe there are only 3 months of the year left ! Anyway on to my September summary well trimming my stash was a bit of a disaster

Urban Retreat Anti Cellulite Treatment Cream 15ml x 4

La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Spray 150g
ELF Nourishing Cuticle Pen
Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover 150ml
Possibility Strawberry Shortcake Ultra Rich Shower Gel, Shampoo & Bubble Bath 525ml
Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara - Waterproof Black - 13.1ml

Just 9 little items and 4 of those were mini cellulite treatments - eek hopefully I'll finish a bit of stuff on holiday which should put October off to a good start :)

On to my spending diet well shock of horrors I managed it

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Remover - ebay - £3.76
Orly Nail Polish - Space Cadet - £11.84
MeMeMe Blush Boxes & P&P - £15.49
No7 Blusher - £3.75
Elle Magazine - £3.70
Total So Far - £38.54
 
Just made it but I managed it :) Not for the want of temptation mind but the MAC collections didn't really appeal alas other things did but I stayed strong - Obviously I won't be doing my spending diet in October - holidays and the launch of Venomous Villains will see to that but I feel pleased in the knowledge that I managed to hold back this month.
 
Oh and on my other little challenge I have tried to used my palettes a lot more this month admittedly it's generally been my Naked palette but I've enjoyed rediscovering old gems like Tenderling blush in my MAC palette. Octobers challenge is going to to be to get my makeup, skin and nail stuff in some sort of tidy order, it's all a bit disorganised at the moment, so that's something for me to do when I get back from my hols x Any questions on anything give me a yell x