La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] - Review

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] £15.50*

I'm a massive fan of Effaclar Duo. Since discovering it, I have repurchased it about 3 or 4 times. It's always a tense moment when a product you love has been reformulated. What if I don't like the new version? How will I find a product that does the same job?

I have been using Effaclar Duo [+] for at least two weeks now and I can already see an improvement in my spots as well as scars left behind by old spots. Every morning and evening, I have been applying it after cleansed skin. La Roche-Posay recommend using a moisturiser as well if you suffer from dry skin but I don't have that problem as my skin is oily. Effaclar Duo [+] has been my daily moisturiser and it has provided enough moisture for my skin without leaving any dry patches.

Effaclar Duo [+] is clinically proven to improve the appearance of blemishes as well as the overall texture of skin. It reduces the appearance of red and brown brown marks (which I suffer from) as well as unclogging pores and controls the appearance of shine. I have noticed a difference in the size of my spots and I haven't had any red or inflamed spots. The scars left behind have also reduced in size and colour. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it continues and they disappear completely!

La Roche-Posay are so confident in their new formula that they are inviting you to take part in the Countdown to Clear challenge. They believe you will achieve clearer-looking skin and if you don’t see results during the 6 week challenge, they'll give you your money back. What do you have to lose? 

Luckily for me, I love the new formula and the improvements I have seen in just a few weeks. 

Are you an Effaclar Duo fan? Have you tried the new formula? What do you think?

Rachel x
Lost In Lipstick

Follow me on Twitter // Like me on Facebook // Follow me on Bloglovin' // Follow me on Instagram

Country Attire Fashion Evening

Image by Jess

On Monday 10th February, I attended Country Attire's very first Fashion Evening. Country Attire "offers the essence of the British attitude to style, to customers around the globe. Instead of crafting [their] own garments, [they] source the very best on [our] behalf, carefully selecting, testing, and sharing products that look fantastic and perform their function beautifully. [They] select beautiful, handcrafted heritage pieces from Britain and beyond, plus the directional contemporary designs that will become tomorrow’s classics. All of the highest quality. All hard wearing enough to enjoy every day. All available with FREE delivery anywhere in the world."

The event was held at Revolution de Cuba in Manchester and we were greeted with a glass of champagne (which I kindly declined as I had drove to the train station) and a goodie bag. Several brands were showcasing  their collections including Strathberry of Scotland, Sebago and Barbour. We had the opportunity to touch, feel and try on the clothes and accessories as well as chat to the Country Attire team and brand representatives. Models walked around the venue, showcasing some of the latest collections including swimwear. I felt very cold just looking at them! 

There was a photobooth set up where we could have our photograph taken wearing any of the clothes or accessories. Being bloggers, we couldn't help but pose! I bumped into Jess as soon as I walked in and other bloggers throughout the evening including Lily. We were able to get our make up or nails done or just get some beauty tips. I opted to have my nails painted which were done by Pretty Me Nails. They were filed and shaped before being painted white. Once our nails were dry, we were told to return where they stamped a butterfly on our accent nail. A butterfly is Country Attire's logo. 

Image by Country Attire

Image by Country Attire

Image by Country Attire

Image by Country Attire

Image by Jess

Image by Jess

Image by Jess

Image by Jess

Image by Jess

Image by Jess

My Week In Instagram Pictures - Week 8

Loving this colour. Models Own HyperGel in Turquoise Gloss. // Selfie in the hairdressers! // Looking like a swamp monster in Seaweed Face Mask by LUSH. // Cocktails, Cocktails, Cocktails.

Albert's Worsley Bar & Restaurant - Main Course - Slow Braised Meatballs. // Albert's Worsley Bar & Restaurant - Dessert - Chocolate Volcano with Honeycomb Ice Cream. // New Creme Egg Biscuits £1 in Morrisons! // Love these together - Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Fresh Moisture Mist & Eau de Toilette.

What have you been up to this week?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Follow me on Twitter // Like me on Facebook // Follow me on Bloglovin' // Follow me on Instagram

January Empties

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo // Liz Earle Botanical Shine Conditioner for Dry/Damaged Hair // La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution // Simple Eye Make Up Remover // Skinetica Anti-Blemish* // Impluse Body Spray in Tease // Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for Normal/Combination Skin // Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer // Collection Colour Lash All Day Mascara in Clear // Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder // 

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo - This is my second bottle and I would definitely repurchase. I am currently trying out the L'Oreal Ever Sleek range but if that doesn't live up to the high expectations set by Liz Earle hair care, I will be repurchasing. I love everything about this shampoo from the smell to the way it makes my hair feel. It doesn't contain any nasty chemicals so I know it is only good for my hair. I don't have any problems with it lathering up but if I feel like it isn't creating a lather, I just add more water rather than shampoo.

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Conditioner for Dry/Damaged Hair - I also love the conditioner from Liz Earle. It comes in three different formulas so you can tailor it to your hair's needs. I use the dry and damaged version as my hair is so dry and damaged from years of heat and colour. I have reviewed the shampoo and conditioner in full on my blog, you can read it here.

La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution - I have tried several different Micellar Waters now. I like quite a few products from La Roche-Posay so I thought I would give it a try. I didn't dislike the product but I didn't love it either. I didn't feel it was worth the money as I had used drugstore versions that were just as good. La Roche-Posay's offering to the Micellar Water craze costs £11.50, which is quite expensive considering I wasn't wowed by the product. I don't think I would repurchased this again as I am in love with the Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution! 

Simple Eye Make Up Remover - As Micellar Water is fairly expensive, I continue to buy Simple Eye Make Up Remover to remove my eye make up (obviously!) as it only costs around 3 pounds where as my Bioderma Micellar Water costs about £10 so I don't want to waste it on my eyes. Plus my eyes are super sensitive and I know that this make up remover doesn't sting them that much. 

Skinetica Anti-Blemish* - I think this is my second bottle of Skinetica and I quite like the stuff. It doesn't sting and it doesn't break me out. I would say quite the opposite and it helps to clear up my spots. It does contain alcohol but I never found it to be drying. Maybe if you have dry skin to start with just be cautious. 

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for Normal/Combination Skin - I love Liz Earle moisturisers. I have used this one along with the light version for oily/combination skin. I saved this one for my evening skincare routine so my skin had an extra boost of moisture overnight. The scent is lovely but not too strong if you're sensitive to scents. 

Impluse Body Spray in Tease - Still my chosen body spray for work. I do feel like I'm too old to still use body spray but it's always on offer for 99p and why waste my perfume at work when I work with children?! Does anyone else still use body spray over the age of 25? I love the scent of this and it actually lasts a fair amount of time for a body spray. 

Collection Colour Lash All Day Mascara in Clear - My £1.99 brow gel! It does the trick and it doesn't make my eyebrows crispy! I apply a little to each brow and go over with a brow comb which removes any excess. It keeps my stray eyebrows in place all day long. 

Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer - As I find Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer too thick for under my eyes, this is my concealer of choice. I use the lightest shade and it gives an instant boost to my eye area. It helps to cover dark circles and adds dimension to my face by illuminating the eyes. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - I suffer from oily skin so I like to apply a powder to set my make up and keep the shine away. This does the job perfectly at a bargain price! My skin isn't overly oily so I don't need to reapply throughout the day but it does keep my skin looking matte for several hours. 

Which products have you used up this month? Have you been loving any of these products? 

Rachel x 
Lost In Lipstick

Follow me on Twitter // Like me on Facebook // Follow me on Bloglovin' // Follow me on Instagram

Outfit Inspiration: Meal & Cocktails with the Girls

Shirt with sequin collar - Amazon // Black Jeans - Oasis // Nude Shoes - Debenhams // Clutch - Nelly.com // Earrings - River Island // Lipstick in Naked Bud (Fantasy of Flowers Green Collection)- MAC // Blush in Peony be Bold - Bobbi Brown

Tonight, I am going to a local restaurant for a friends birthday. Cocktails will probably be involved as they have a very tempting cocktail menu!

The shirt with the embellished collar is gorgeous. I love anything with a collar, especially an embellished one as it instantly glams up an outfit. The shade of pink is beautiful and I found the perfect heels and earrings to match. 

To compliment this look, I would go for a subtle smokey eye with nude lips and a natural pink blush. 

Are you going anywhere nice this weekend? What will you be wearing? 

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Follow me on Twitter // Like me on Facebook // Follow me on Bloglovin' // Follow me on Instagram

My Week In Instagram Pictures - Week 7

Country Attire event in Manchester // Love my nails which were done by Pretty Me Nails at the Country Attire event // Chilli con carne with wholegrain rain and cheesy garlic bread // Big winner on the EuroMillions!

Catching up with Pretty Little Liars. They're even prettier in black and white! // Happy Valentine's Day meal // Obsessed with Hostages // Lazy Sunday morning with a homemade smoothie and a book

What have you been up to this week?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Follow me on Twitter // Like me on Facebook // Follow me on Bloglovin' // Follow me on Instagram

The Wedding Series - Wedding Invitation Ideas - Sweetheart Stationery

I haven't posted a wedding related post for months and months. Sorry! As we booked the church and venue so far in advance, a long period of time elapsed where we didn't do anything and since Christmas, it has been full speed ahead! It's now less than 6 months till our wedding so we're busy busy busy! I'm looking at wedding related things and spending MORE money on a daily basis at the moment! Wedding guides suggest sending invitations two months before the big day but as we need to inform guests of hotels near by, I want to do it as soon as possible. I'm currently searching websites and wedding fayres for invitations that I love and before Christmas I contacted a few supplies to see if they wanted to be featured in this series. This will be a two part post as I received so many samples, which is great for you and me, but I don't want to include TOO many pictures in one post! One company that was extremely kind with their samples were Sweetheart Stationery. Lisa, from Sweetheart Stationery, sent over ten samples and I genuinely love every single one! I actually can't narrow it down and quite a few are my favourites. Wedding Day invitations start at £3 but each invitation is bespoke so Lisa will be able to give you a more accurate quote if you contact her. You can find the website here. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking, so here we go!

My Week In Instagram Pictures - Week 6

My Models Own order has arrived! // The beautiful polishes that I chose // Mini haul from Boots - all new products to me // Made some new gorgeous bracelets

Chicken Tikki Masala with wholegrain rice, poppadoms and naan // Gorgeous beach in Mexico. I cannot wait for our honeymoon // Loving CSI Sundays! //Hating Mondays!

What have you been up to this week?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Follow me on Twitter // Like me on Facebook // Follow me on Bloglovin' // Follow me on Instagram

My Week In Instagram Pictures - Week 5

Oops! I got a new phone even though my other contract hasn't ran out (but my battery is broken!) // Reached 70,000 views - thank you so much to everyone who reads my blog. It means so much to me. // Whenever I receive an email from The National Lottery, I get so excited. I don't know why I bother?! // 6 months until I get married! Scary but exciting!

Obsessed with this perfume (review here) // Couldn't resist 50% off on the Models Own website and made a cheeky purchase // My new jewellery holder - I've had it for about 6 months and it's only just gone up on the wall! // Healthy dinner of smoked haddock, sweet potato mash and green beans

What have you been up to this week?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Follow me on Twitter // Like me on Facebook // Follow me on Bloglovin' // Follow me on Instagram

Diptyque L'ombre Dans L'eau Eau de Toilette - Review

Diptyque L'ombre Dans L'eau Eau de Toilette

For Christmas, I received a little bit of money. I had never bought anything from the online sales on Christmas Day or Boxing Day so this year I thought I would have a browse and see if I could find any goodies. From last year, I remember everyone raving about the Space NK sale so that's the first place I looked. I wasn't that impressed to be honest but I bought a couple of things. I couldn't resist adding this to my basket for £34! I have never smelt any Diptyque perfumes before so I bought it completely on a whim, using the description alone to help me decide which scent to go for. After about half an hour of reading descriptions, I settled for L'ombre Dans L'eau Eau de Toilette.

I wouldn't like to even attempt to describe the scent so here is what Space NK say "Like a glorious green riverside English garden, L'Ombre Dans L'eau is fresh and delicate, yet luscious, too. Amid the rustling of petals and fruit trees, roses blend with blackcurrant leaves in a bouquet that is heady, sensual and sophisticated. From the legendary French perfume house, Diptyque, L'Ombre Dans L'eau is worn and adored by both women and men. This warm and captivating fragrance is ideal for evening wear."

I absolutely love this perfume. It has quickly become one of my favourites. As it's an Eau de Toilette, it doesn't last long so I add a couple of sprays throughout the day to top up the scent. Rory has even commented that he likes the scent on me, although I'm not sure he would wear it himself. I would say it's too floral and feminine for men to wear but they can definitely adore it on women.

Diptyque have redesigned the bottles to a sleeker rounder design which is beautiful but as I bought this for half the price, I'm not bothered what the bottle looks like. L'ombre Dans L'eau translates to The Shadow in the Water which is actually a really pretty name for perfume and makes me want to find out what all the other Diptyque perfume names translate to. There's no way I can afford a Diptyque perfume at the full price so I may start a new tradition and buy one every year in the half price sale. That way I can slowly build up my collection!

Do you own any Diptyque perfumes? Which scents do you recommend?

Rachel x
Lost In Lipstick

Follow me on Twitter // Like me on Facebook // Follow me on Bloglovin' // Follow me on Instagram