What I Got For Christmas 2015

*insert unapologetic comment about negative reception to these kind of posts here* yeah, yeah, yeah... it's pretentious, selfish, materialistic... whatever. You know where the door is. Now for those who enjoy seeing what lovely things others received for Christmas, here are a few of my gifts which I thought you might like to see:

BEAUTY

Collection Lasting Colour Lipstick in Rose Wood - I really love brown/nude lipstick at the moment and I've always been a fan of Collection's inexpensive but long-wearing shades. This particular shade is really subtle and perfect for creating that faux 'no make-up' look.

L'oreal Paris Brow Artist Plumper - I have never done anything to my eyebrows in my life before but I really love the Cara-D-esque bold brow look. This mascara is so quick to use but I did find it easy to over-apply so it's best to start with light strokes and build colour up if necessary. I can't decide if the look suited me or not but nobody came up and said "OMG WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR FACE" so that's a good sign.

Top Ten Trends of 2015

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... 2015 saw a great deal of strange and crazy fads - Kylie Jenner lip challenge anyone? - but only a few were memorable enough to have made a mark on the fashion and beauty industry. Here's my definitive round-up of the top ten trends made popular this year:

1) Camel coats Marsala may have been named the colour of the year but it was camel that all the bloggers and fashion-insiders were wearing on their coats. I don't own one myself but the trend definitely gets my approval!

2) Bold brows I still don't fully understand what 'on fleek' means and I probably never will but I am a big fan of Cara's signature eyebrows and if hers aren't on fleek then whose are?

3) Over the knee boots LOVE. Pair with a jumper dress and see your winter fashion game instantly upped.

4) Brown lipstick Inspired by the '90s trend, brown lips made a comeback this year with the help of Kylie Jenner recently launching her own lipkits featuring some lovely coffee coloured shades.

5) Cullottes Are they trousers or a skirt? No one can tell from far away but who cares when you look great in them.

6) Contouring vs Strobing Basically just bronzer vs highlighter, right? I have no idea but I'm so bored of seeing makeup tutorials which look like a clown facepainting class so this trend can stay in 2015, please.

7) Leather pants I want a pair soooooo bad. *fingers crossed these stay in 2016*

8) The lob Translation: long bob. I'm not sure how this managed to be such a prominent hairstyle this year but it was certainly seen on a lot of celebrities!

9) Suede skirt I'm not really a fan of skirts but they're cute, I guess! '70s fashion has been huge this year.

10) Cold shoulder If it's good enough for NYFW, it's good enough for anyone. Cold shoulder tops are my fave.

What was your favourite trend of 2015? Let me know in the comments!

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The Must-Have Autumnal Shade ft. Nails Inc

It's a quick post from me tonight basically just to show you my new nails! I rarely ever paint them (as you can see by the amount of smudging) but decided to try out the free full-size Nails Inc polish that came with this month's issue of Glamour magazine. There are four shades to choose from (pink, black and beige) and I chose this gorgeous red wine colour 'Victoria & Albert' because I thought it was a must-have for autumn and perfect for getting that vampy Halloween look.

The bottle claims to be 'super glossy, chip-resistant professional quality nail colour' but I'd probably have to disgree with that since I only put it on a couple hours ago (two main coats and a top coat) and am already noticing it starting to chip. However, as its a product which came free with a £2 magazine you can't really complain, can you? It is a really nice colour for the Christmas party season too. PS. Get 20% off all Gel Effect polishes at nailsinc.com with code GLAMOUR20 until 5th November 2015.

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for this month's 'Nina Reads Glamour' post... coming soon!

What's your must-have nail colour for autumn?

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W7 Review: Nude Eye & Cheekbone Galore

Summer is officially here and it's time to perfect your bronzed goddess look (I mean... as tanned as a pale gal can get, right?) Online retailer 'Shop for Beauty' were kind enough to send over some W7 products to help me along, so keep reading to see my review and how the final look turned out.

10 Things I Learnt From Competing In My First Beauty Pageant

As many of you know, from this blog post and my Instagram, last month I had the 'delight' (note: inverted commas) of representing Miss Teen Bournemouth in the national final of Miss British Isles 2015. Ok - it wasn't THAT bad - but it was certainly an experience that I found to be blog-worthy and interesting to write about, as more of a social observation style article. The pageant sphere, while not as exaggerated as the stereotype makes it seem, most certainly is a bizarre world which I have to say, I don't think I am particularly suited for. It was a fun event and I did gain a few Facebook friends out of it, but my favourite part was definitely getting the first-hand 'scoop' on what it's REALLY like. Here are just a few of the life lessons I learnt from being a beauty queen for a day..

Me struttin' my stuff...

ICYMI: I'm Miss Teen Bournemouth 2015!

Hi guys! This is more of a quick update rather than a full-blown announcement, but I thought I might as well make a blog post about it since I've never actually mentioned it here on Lunar Look. As many of you already know, from keeping up to date with me on Twitter, I've made it through to the final of Miss Teen British Isles 2015 and will be representing my home town, hence my sash in the photo above which says 'Miss Teen Bournemouth 2015' - which is all super exciting and I feel strange just casually bringing it up in conversation!

Festival Survival Kit (ft. Kiehl's X Zara Martin)

Festival season is nearly upon us, so what better time to start discussing summer skincare? 

As many of you know, I'm super excited to be seeing my favourite country-singer-turned-pop-star Taylor Swift (for the second time, may I add!) as she headlines BST Hyde Park in London this June as part of her exciting 1989 World Tour. It will be my first 'festival' style concert so I'm definitely looking forward to lounging around in the sun and getting to see a whole range of artists perform, instead of just one.

While it will be great to relax and have a bit of a dance party, it's still super important to make sure your skin is looked after - which is essentially why this post was written! I've put together a few of my personal tips to ensure your face is kept flawlessly fresh whatever festival you're attending this summer...

Colour Crush | Mint Cream Nails

I can't help but laugh at the above photos as you'd assume I was sitting in some fancy salon with a professional nail technician when in reality I was just chilling, after a spot of shopping, inside the glamorous location that is a fast food chain. Yes, I received an impromptu McDonald's manicure courtesy of my friend, Seraina, much to everyone else's probable vexation around us (#sorrynotsorry guys) and the results were actually pleasantly surprising.

Hot Hair Sassy Ponytail Review

This is one review that I've been looking forward to posting for a looooong while. This is my first time experimenting with any kind of hair piece/extension and I was certainly not disappointed with the result! Hot Hair are a UK brand that have been creating hair extensions, pieces and wigs for over 15 years and have a vast array of styles, colours and lengths in both human and synthetic hair. So whether you're looking for something serious to cover up hair loss or simply want effortlessly glam hair in a flash, you're guaranteed to find something that suits:

Sassy Pony - HotHair*

What I Got For Christmas 2014

I apologise for this post’s lack of punctuality, but since we haven’t reached Twelfth Night just yet, I figured the festive spirit should be here to stay for a little longer. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it’s the season of ultimate gratitude and I can’t wait to show you all some of the lovely things I was privileged to receive over the holiday. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see reviewed or talked about more in a future post!

FASHION

Teen Skin Actives Review

Teen Skin Actives Clearing Spot Gel* £6.99
Teen Skin Actives Clearing Skin Wash* £9.99

Recently I was sent some fab skincare products to review from Teen Skin Actives and I must admit I've had so much fun testing them out for the past couple of weeks! The new range, created by specialist Eve Taylor OBE, is specifically formulated to be effective on younger skin, which is great for someone like me and other teenagers who often need to take that extra bit of care when looking after their delicate skin. The products are all colour coordinated (which I LOVE!) and are made from natural plant extracts which means not only are they soft and gentle on the skin, but they also smell absolutely divine! The products I picked have a gorgeous lemongrass scent to them which always leaves me feeling fresh as a daisy both morning and night. 

Buuuut rather than me just rambling on about the wonders they do to your skin, I think it'll be far more informative and beneficial if I showed you my mini photo diary from the week I first tried out both the clearing skin wash and blemish gel.... WARNING: View close up/unedited/au naturel photos of me with caution ;)

'Taylor' by Taylor Swift Perfume Review

Taylor by Taylor Swift 30ml Gift Set

After falling head over heels in love with Taylor Swift's debut fragrance, 'Wonderstruck', I've been longing to get my hands on her most recent eponymous fragrance, 'Taylor', ever since I heard of its release over a year ago. Fortunately it was my birthday a few weeks ago, and I was lucky enough to receive not only the perfume bottle, but the entire gift set along with it. 

Batiste Pixie Lott Dry Shampoo Review

When I first started this blog, I never imagined that I'd be one to post something beauty related (Hair counts as beauty, right?!) as anyone who knows me will be aware that it's just not really my thing; I hardly ever wear makeup or style my hair and I'm just generally clueless about it all - most days I literally just wake up, brush my hair and go!