I have Instagram!

I upgraded to an iPhone earlier this month, and with that, decided to join Instagram! Above are just some of the photos I've taken so far. My profile can be found here, and if you also have one, please let me know in the comments so I can follow you! As for my profile name, the two 'u's after 'lou' represent a 'w' (the beginning of my last name), though they look like I've just extended the 'lou'. uu = double u = w. It's also because other username possibilities were already taken haha. I hope to see you over there!

I went to Primark again...

In Tuesday's post, I said I was also going in town twice more this week, so would probably end up buying some more bits from Primark. I was good on Wednesday, but not so much today. I was still restrained, though! The knitted, navy and white striped jumper was from the men's section, just like the one in my last haul. I love it, and it was slightly cheaper than the other, at £12. My sister and I spotted it at the same time, and she nabbed the last XS, so I had to settle for a S. It's big, but it looks okay! Just after I paid for this, I saw a woman walking around with a giraffe onesie, and I had to have one, too! This is the girl's version of Primark's well known giraffe onesie. I've been tempted by the men's one in the past, but didn't like that it had feet, and the colours weren't that appealing. The colours of this one are softer, the material is fleecier, and it doesn't have feet so you can get away with a smaller or bigger size. There were only two left (I hadn't seen them the last few times I'd been in because they were hidden behind another design!), and they were 10-12s. I thought they may be a little too big, but picked one up anyway because I really wanted it and it was only £11. I tried it on as soon as I got home (It was too hot to try it on in store) and it fit perfectly, so I'm happy! It's my first 'proper' onesie. I've had one other in the past, but it was a pyjama one, not a fleece one, so I couldn't wear other pyjamas underneath and be all snuggly in the winter. I'm warming to the idea of these full body dressing gowns!

Have you bought anything from Primark recently? I'd love to see your autumn hauls!

Wordless Wednesday

Recent Purchases - Primark, New Look, and iPhone Cases

It feels like it's been months and months since I last bought enough things to worthy a post, but really, my last haul was 5 weeks ago. To be honest, 5 weeks is a long time for a girl, and especially for a blogger! It's partly because nothing has taken my fancy, and partly because I'm running low on the money front! 

I'll start with the jeans. Both pairs are from New Look, and they're repurchases. I actually already own 3 pairs of the high waisted ones, but they're all looking a bit worn and faded because I wear them so much, so thought I'd get some more. The top pair were £19.99 and are the 'navy supersoft skinny jeans', and the high waisted pair were £22.99 and are called the 'navy high waisted supersoft skinny jeans'. Since trying 'supersoft' jeans, I haven't gone back. They're just so comfortable!

Moving onto Primark, I actually planned on buying much more, but hardly anything caught my eye. I also wasn't in the mood to shop (shocker!), so that hindered my spending. Every year I plan on buying some knitted jumpers, but never end up doing so. I think it's because a lot of the ones I see are not knitted tight enough, so I know they're not going to hold up. It's also because the material makes it hard to remove hair from, and I have a house full of animals! Anyway, the women's jumpers just weren't doing it for me. The quality wasn't there. So, I went to the men's section and found the knitted jumper you see above. It's tightly knitted and the quality is much better than others I've seen in the past. It was expensive for Primark, at £15, but I was willing to pay it because I've wanted a big knitted jumper for ages. The next item I bought was also from the men's section! The bluey grey hoodie was £10. I love the men's hoodies, and already own a couple, so knew I'd get a lot of wear out of this. The third, and final, items I bought from Primark were the thermal socks for £2.50. Primark's thermal socks are my favourite, so I love it when they bring out new patterns this time of year. I'm going in town tomorrow and Friday (three times in a week!), so will no doubt buy some more bits from our beloved Primarni.

My sister and I upgraded our phones to iPhones at the beginning of the month, and the first thing we did was pursuit eBay and Etsy for cases. The first one, the galaxy case, worked out to be £3.23 including P&P from this seller on Etsy. Admittedly, the case does look better in the picture, but it's still beautiful. Also, for the price, I don't really mind! Quite a few sellers sell this case, and other galaxy variations, so just have a search to find the right one for you. The second, a mix of galaxy and aztec designs, was £3.99 from here. The finish is almost matte, and I really like it. The final case, an aztec design, was £2.99 from here. In the last couple of weeks, I've learnt how hard iPhone cases are to get off! I couldn't get them off for the life of me before. I can now, but still find it difficult haha

This seems to have turned into an autumn haul, hasn't it? Speaking of autumn attire, I still haven't found a pair of black boots that I like! It's becoming mission impossible. 

Have you bought any Primark or autumn appropriate items yet?

Superdrug Colour Effects Conditioning Colours

I tried my first Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In, Wash Out Conditioning Colour back in 2010, and even wrote a review on it here. If you look beyond the terrible photos (!), you'll see that I was pleased with the effects Rich Red had on my hair. 

They're now £1.29 instead of 99p, but I think they're worth the 30p increase. They're also currently 'buy one get one half price', and with student discount, I managed to get the four above for just £3.48. I do love a bargain! 

As I said in my review a few years ago (and in a couple favourites and empties posts), these are not dyes. They're not going to make a drastic change to your hair, but add, for the most part*, warm or red tones (*apart from the blonde shades). 

I used to work them into damp hair and leave for 20-30 minutes, just like any other dye. Now, I put them on while in the shower and leave for 10 minutes. I do this every couple of days until I finish the bottle to build the colour up, and then they last for a couple weeks (or a week if you only apply it once for 30-40 minutes). The packaging used to say to leave in for 5-20 minutes, but it's now changed to just 5 minutes. I wouldn't recommend this because it's not going to make a difference! For me, they last for 3-4 uses, and like I said, I'll do all of these uses over a week in the shower, finish the bottle, and then leave the colour to fade away. Or you could just leave it on for longer and not use it as often. 

In terms of the shades, there's a couple suited towards blondes, and the rest are all very warm or red toned. Even the brunette shades, which I've been using this week, give me a lot of redish tones and leave my hair vibrant (I have auburn hair). The Mahogany shade will give you red tones, like Rich Red, but they'll be much darker. Rich Red is an orange red, whereas Mahogany is a dark red, and these tones are really prominent in the sun. My hair actually looks red in direct sunlight when I use this. True Chestnut is a mix of brown and red, and I didn't think it did anything at first, but you can definitely see a difference in the sun. This is my 'my hair but better' shade. The brown shades, Warm Chocolate Brown and Rich Warm Brown, don't add true red tones to my hair, but they're still very warm and coppery, making my hair a vibrant version of itself. I don't know if they'll have the same effect on brunette hair, but they're the effects the shades have on my auburn hair. 

As for the conditioning factor, I don't think they condition all that much. I don't see this as a problem, though, because you wouldn't buy these as conditioning treatments. You'd buy them as colourants. I really like them, and think they're a cheap way to change your hair colour up a little!

Have you tried any of the Colour Effects Conditioning Colours?

Changing Concealer

I raved about the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer for years, and bought countless tubes of the stuff. I just loved its coverage. I don't look for much else in a concealer because I use a primer to help with ease of application and crease prevention. Then, in January this year, MUA were offering 50% off their entire range, so I decided to add the Cover & Conceal concealer to my basket for just 75p (normally £1.50). It's now been my daily concealer for 8 months, and I'm still on the same tube (it seems like it's never ending!). I tried the Collection one again a few weeks ago, and although great for blemishes, I hated it for redness and under my eyes. I found it so thick and cakey! I'm not used to it after using MUA's light-medium coverage variety. MUA's isn't perfect, though. Like I said, it has a light-medium coverage, so it isn't great at concealing blemishes. It also has a dewy finish, which I don't want around my oily eyes, so I have to set it with a powder. Both concealers have faults (in my eyes, at least), but they work well together. The Collection one for blemishes, and the MUA one for the rest of my face.

I do want to find that perfect all round concealer, though. One that has a high enough coverage to conceal spots, but not so high that it looks cakey on the rest of my skin. I'd also like it to have a normal/matte finish so powder isn't necessary. Do you have any recommendations? I've heard Bourjois and Maybelline have some good offerings.

Models Own Hedonist

First time painting my nails in a month! None of the shades I have were taking my fancy, and I hate the process of painting my nails anyway! Definitely couldn't paint them daily like some. Models Own Hedonist is one of my all time favourite shades, so I'm surprised I've never swatched it for you guys before! It's a neon coral red. Like most neons, it's difficult to photograph. I'd say it's more coral in person, and much more beautiful. It takes 1-2 coats, and dries quickly, almost to a satin finish. I personally keep it how it is, but you can easily add a top coat if you prefer to always have a high shine finish.

What do you think? Are you a fan of super bright nail polishes? I love them, but also love dark, muted shades and everything in between!