Bringing the blog back!

Lil Loves has been on hold for the past few months unfortunately due to other commitments. Finally I feel like I am in a good place to start writing and reviewing again, and so the blog is back! My love for beauty and skincare products is still strong and I don't think it's likely that I will ever tire of finding new sweetly scented shower products to obsess over.

I'm looking forward to letting you in on my latest favourites, and reading up on everyone else's. What has been your ultimate favourite beauty product in May? Bring me up to speed!

Lil x

Summertime Music Picks

Here are the summer 2014 tracks that I am currently loving and can't stop listening to! I love it when bloggers share their music on their blogs so hopefully you will find something you like or something you haven't heard before. Click here for the playlist!

For that summer vibe:

I Got U - Duke Dumont

Waves - Mr Probz

We Are Done - The Madden Brothers

Feel - Bombay Bicycle Club

For girl power:

Break Free - Ariana Grande ft. Zedd

Ugly Heart - G.R.L

Salute - Little Mix

For the boyband cravers:

Somebody to You - The Vamps ft. Demi Lovato

Don't Stop - 5 Seconds of Summer

Something catchy:

Maps - Maroon 5

I Will Never Let You Down (R3hab Remix) - Rita Ora

Sing - Ed Sheeran

Braveheart - Neon Jungle

Let me know in the comments your current favourite tracks! :)

Lil x

PS. Check out my new Twitter account!

Summer shades

 Sleek Del i-Divine Del Mar Volume 1

My favorite product for summer:

the Sleek Del Mar palette!

During one of my casual 'not-buying-anything-just-looking' strolls through Superdrug on a sunny afternoon I spotted this palette on a limited edition display and was instantly drawn in by the burst of colour I was seeing. I'm a huge fan of pastels at the moment, and this palette presented a shimmering cocktail of summer pastels, including warm coral, lime green and an ocean-like jadey blue. Then there's 'lounge lovers' - a shimmery pale gold which I knew would add a little sparkle for those summer evenings when matte just isn't enough!

All colours are super pigmented and most are just perfect matte shades for summer. Using this palette you can create an array of different summertime looks - from cool and beachy to warm and tropical - however it is also possible to go for a more natural sandy effect using 'Talamanca' and 'Lounge Lovers'. You can also make your look stand out even more by providing contrast using the Sleek brow kit - read a review of this over on Millie's blog! There are so many fun, summery looks to try with the Del Mar palette - if you own this palette let me know your favorite shades! If not, which colours would you team together? :) Here are some of mine:

For a light everyday look:

1) Sweep 'Talamanca' along the crease and outer corner of eyelid.

2) Use 'Chilled Out' on inner corner of eye and across eyelid.

3) Take 'Feel Euphoric' and put onto outer half of eyelid, blending it in with 'Chilled Out' in the middle.

A hot tropical orange look:

1) Smudge 'Chilled Out' into inner corner of eyelid in order to create contrast and give the bright colours more of a pop.

2) Imagine your eyelid having three vertical sections. Sweep 'Sunset Strip' over first third of eyelid, closest to inner corner.

3) Take 'On the Rocks' and apply to middle third (don't worry if this goes further across the eyelid as it becomes the main colour of this look).

4) Apply 'Talamanca' to remaining third and into crease.

5) Blend!

A cool beachy look:

1) Repeat previous steps replacing 'Sunset Strip' with 'Poolside', 'On the Rocks' and 'Talamanca' with 'Blue Marlin'.

Hope you all have a great summer! 

Lil x

The Perfect Nude

Introducing my current favorite lipstick - Bourjois Rouge Edition in 02 Beige Trench! 

After spending some time looking around for a simple nude lipstick which would suit my skin tone and give a hint of glam to an ordinary daytime look, I found this! 

Colour

Although I love my bright colours for summer I like to have an alternative for a casual daytime look. I have a rather pale skin-tone and fair hair so I don't tend to suit an orange toned lip and usually opt for more beigey colours. This lipstick really complements the natural colouration of my lips, giving them a glossy deep pink shine. I'd say it borders on purple tones, giving a slightly darker look than your normal pinky nudes. The pigmentation is good, however it fades quite quickly so you do have to re-apply this often (which I do not mind at all due to the lovely texture!)

Wearability

Compared to the others I own this is one very hydrating and smooth lipstick, which I love about it. I find myself wanting to re-apply this hourly because of the way it feels! I also find the colour to be pretty versatile; as it is a nude beige this is a great lipstick to wear for an every-day look, however I have taken this with me on nights out and it can be used for many different styles! The colour also makes it perfect to wear all year round.

To buy or not to buy?

If you are not a fan of a bright or bold lip and are looking for something that will just add a touch of glam without staining your lips or drying them out, this is absolutely perfect. It can be worn for a range of looks, whatever the season and does not cost much so I consider this a very worthwhile purchase! 

I'd love to know your favorite nude lipsticks, let me know in the comments!

Chicwish

 Dress: Chicwish.  Necklace: Topshop.  Flower headband: New Look.

Last week my friends and I attended our university's annual Summer Ball. This of course required a new dress! Having watched one of Marziapie's recent videos in which she featured a lovely bag from Chicwish, I decided to check the site out for myself and discovered they had a flash sale! Yes! For this reason I managed to get this lovely white swing dress for a much cheaper price than it originally was! Delivery took a little while. Fortunately the dress arrived in half the time they said it may take which was a nice surprise! The design is gorgeous; I think the crochet detailing on the top is so pretty and perfect for summer. I chose to go for an outfit with a very summery feel, so I paired the dress with these sandals from Boohoo which I absolutely love. 

Sandals: Boohoo

I had hoped that the weather might have reflected my outfit choice and give us a lovely balmy sunny evening. Naturally it was quite the opposite. On our walk to the ball we were treated to not only a downpour but thunder and lightning too! I had spent the whole day with my hair up in Miley Cyrus-esque buns to get those waves and of course by the time we arrived my hair was dripping wet (this is what happens when you vito the taxi idea because you are being tight with your money - oh the perks of being a student...)

Did you go to any summery events this month or do you plan to? If so what did/will you wear? :)