#UltrabondChallenge

I love falsies. Whether to add a bit of drama to a look, or just to give that perfectly polished feel, there's no end to what lashes can do for your eyes and for your confidence. I don't, however, like the tricky process of applying. Once they're on, they look fantastic, but trimming them to size, making sure they match, and getting them to stay put are a bit of an ordeal that I usually just reserve for special occasions. Thankfully, Nouveau Lashes have formulated a great latex free glue which makes the lengthy application process a little more worthwhile. And last Bank Holiday weekend, I joined 50 bbloggers taking part in the #UltrabondChallenge, in which we put the Ultrabond Strip Lash Adhesive through its paces, spending 48 hours looking glam in our false lashes. Documenting the challenge in a couple of selfies, I'll be the first to admit, I was extremely sceptical, but I was far from the only one who made it to the end. So, here's to an amazing new lash glue, and let me tell you how I got on. 

Day 1:

After a busy day at work, I came home and applied the Nouveau Lashes. The glue is a little different than a normal adhesive, as it takes a while until it's ready to go on the lash line, and remains slightly tacky after application. Once I'd gotten used to this, however, I was away. The lashes themselves were great; super lightweight, and the perfect lash for dressing up for evening or just wearing casually throughout the day. It's a good job too, as I would be wearing them day and night for the duration of the weekend! After carefully taking off my makeup at the end of the night (the part I was most apprehensive about), the falsies hadn't budged.  Granted, I did use a micellar water and a very gentle touch, and I did have to remove a little cotton pad debris from the lashes. Still, an impressive feat for any lash glue.

Day 2:

The following day, I was pleased to wake up and discover that my lashes were still in place. After a very tentative shower, I readied myself for a 12 hour shift at work. And apart from a few comments about getting a little too dressed up for a day of serving drinks, the shift was uneventful, and the lashes behaved themselves for the whole 12 hours. Though the rest of my makeup was struggling by this point, my lashes were still going strong as I locked up for the night. 

Day 3:

The lashes were starting to come away at the corners by this point, but I managed to disguise this with some artfully placed liner. They comfortably lasted through a meal with friends and a sunny day at Southbank, and, after my final selfie, off they came. I used my normal Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish on my lids, and just gently cleansed until the lashes came off. It did feel good to really clean the mascara off after 48 hours of being super careful. I'm so impressed with how long the glue lasted, and the fact that the lashes looked almost as good on Day 3, as they did on Day 1. Understandably, they were looking slightly worse for wear, but overall, an amazing result from a wonderful glue.

Why would you want to wear lashes for this long, you might ask? The glue is actually formulated for those who suffer hair loss; the long lasting glue means that they will be able to wear lashes for days with none of the hassle of reapplying every morning. For those of us who just love a strong lashy look, however, I think this glue would make the ultimate addition to any festival make up bag. Even if you don't quite survive the weekend frivolities, your lashes will. 

The winners all received the generous prize of 5 pairs of Millie Mackintosh Lashes. With my new go to lash adhesive, I'll definitely be getting a lot of use out of these beauties! A huge thank you to Nouveau Lashes and Amazing PR for organising this fun, slightly different blogger challenge. If you want to read more about the glue and how other #bbloggers got on, just search #UltrabondChallenge on Twitter and Instagram. There are plenty of other great reviews to discover. The lash glue costs £12.95, and after testing it for a weekend, I can promise you that it's well worth the money.

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April Favourites

Although it seems like a lifetime ago, April was a pretty exciting month for me. However, exciting as it was, I was fully burning the candle at both ends, and the tube strikes were my breaking point - I was so exhausted that I thought it best to take a few weeks off from the blog, as something had to give. Exhaustion rant aside, let's talk about the best beauty bits of April.

Blink//Nourishing Brow Oil

Last month, I was introduced to the world of threading. A revelation, I was super pleased with how clean and sharp my brows looked after my appointment at Blink Brow Bar (At The Bluebird in Chelsea, FYI, I would highly recommend). Whilst there, I spoke to the technician about how unhappy I was with my uneven brows. One is less arched than the other and, although it's probably only noticeable to me and brow professionals, I was keen to get them sorted. She told me to use Blink's Nourishing Brow Oil every night and come back to have the shape altered to the way I wanted it. I was a little sceptical, assuming she was after commission, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway. I must say, it's really been working. The blend of natural ingredients have really been helping my brows to grow at break neck speed, and on top of that, I find them a lot easier to tame in the mornings. Now there's an added bonus!

Burt's Bees//Replenishing Lip Balm

In terms of lip care, I've never really strayed from Lanolips. It does it's job wonderfully, as well as tasting and smelling pretty divine. It is, however, around the £10 mark and, being a gal on a budget, I just don't really have the money to be throwing at beauty products at the moment. Enter Burt's Bees. These beautiful little balms are just over £3, and are my new weapon of choice for keeping my peckers moisturised, beautified and healthy. With 100% natural ingredients, I keep thinking that it would be a great idea to get one for my desk, one for my bag, one for work etc, but I think bulk buying might defeat the thrifty mission I am currently on. We shall see.

Marc Jacobs//Daisy Sunshine

I bought this in Singapore at the end of last Summer, and adored it. Unfortunately, before I could get much use out of it, it was Autumn and I had to put it aside in favour of something a little less summery. As soon as the sun came out for more than two days in a row, this baby came straight out of retirement and I've been loving using it ever since. It reminds me of a limited edition Impulse Shakers spray called Melon Madness from my early teens that I adored, so has the added benefit of being a bit of a nostalgia kick for me. I will definitely be wearing this for the duration of Summer, although knowing England, it's been and gone, and we'll be dusting off our parkas again before May is out.

The Body Shop//Vitamin E Moisture Cream

Another beaut of a product that's been getting a lot of use recently is The Body Shop's Vitamin E Moisture Cream. I won't harp on about it too much, as I gave it a full review here. I will say that it's been exactly what the doctor ordered in terms of restoring and maintaining a healthy, glowing complexion.

Colour Club//Goldstruck

This one of my April favourites was a Birchbox discovery. This gem of a polish is a neutral, understated soft gold, and looks so beautiful and summery on my tips. I don't think it's a colour I would have picked out for myself, but it's definitely going to be a summer staple for me. That's the beauty of Birchbox people, who, coincidentally, this shade is exclusive to, so they've pretty much ensured I remain a loyal customer. Clever trick there, Birchbox! I also really like its mini size. It's not often I say that about a product, but I can never manage to finish a full size polish before it gets gloopy, so this petite bottle is perfect for me.

Jurlique//Citrus Hand Cream

I love Jurlique products, and I've been having a bit of a moment with their hand cream for the past few months. I love using the lavender one before bed, but it's the Citrus Hand Cream that I've gone a little crazy for. I can't get enough of the scent, it's so delicious! On top of that, its rich, creamy texture feels so luxurious and nourishing, that I just can't stop slathering it on my mitts! A little tube of heaven, right there.

Allure Magazine//April 2014

My final favourite from April - my first ever copy of Allure Magazine. I feel like a real beauty blogger now.

As I'm so behind, I'm not going to ask what your April Favourites were. Instead, what products are you coveting for these sunnier days? Let me know!

S.

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