The Beast From The East And Lypsyl Giveaway Winner Revealed*

Hey Guys x I hope you're all well, and that you're all keeping warm and cosy, and staying out of the wind and snow. The "beast from the east" has slammed into my little corner of Co Durham today with heavy snow falling for most of the day and freezing temperatures, and supposedly there is more to come!

I know we deal with bad weather incredibly badly in the UK compared to some countries but the snow and the cold can be deadly. I've tweeted a few links today from Centrepoint and Shelter on how to help homeless people in this weather so please take a look if you can but in the meantime take care of yourselves! Please, please don't go out if you don't need to, and if you do go out make sure to wrap up warm, and if you're taking the car make sure to take a shovel, some food and drink and a blanket in case you get stuck. it's better to be safe than sorry, so take notice of all of the local travel and weather reports and take care! 

On a slightly less serious note please don't forget to look after your skin in the bad weather, no matter how well you wrap up there will always be a bit of your skin exposed so make sure you use plenty of moisturiser, and don't forget the lip balm!

Speaking of lip balm (see what I did there ;) it's now time to announce the winner of my Valentines Day giveaway, and to find out which one of my lucky followers has won a Lypsyl Revitalising Cherry And Almond Lip Balm Stick*. Thanks to all of you for following and of course for entering unfortunately there can only be one winner, and the winner picked at random via Rafflecopter is.....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Margaret G.

Congratulations Margaret! I'll be sending you an email shortly to ask for your details. If you weren't lucky enough to win this time don't worry I have several more giveaways planned (cough, cough Tarte anyone ;) that you won't want to miss, so stay following, and keep your eyes peeled x

*Press Sample

Soft And Kissable Valentines Day Lips With Lypsyl* And A Giveaway - CLOSED

Happy Valentines Day, I hope you've all being thoroughly spoilt by your OH but if you haven't don't fret I love you and I'm sure lots of other people do to, you're amazing and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise x

If you're lucky enough today then you might be getting a few more kisses than normal, I love a nice kissing session! but sometimes those kisses aren't quite as nice as they should be. Apparently some of the biggest kissing passion killers are bad breath, stubble, and rough, and dry lips. Even if you aren't kissing that special someone today I'm sure that you want lovely, soft lips anyway. Dry, chapped and peeling lips don't look that nice and they can actually be really painful, a no no on Valentines Day or frankly any other day for that matter

Thankfully dry lips are not pretty easy to treat thanks to the copious amounts of lip scrubs, lip balms, lip butter and lip salves on the market. I can't really remember when I first started using lip balm but I think I probably started using it when I was at junior school, and whilst the dates are slightly hazy the brand certainly isn't. Like so many of my classmates, I had a little blue and white, tube of the original Lypsyl in my school bag.

Loyalty when it comes to beauty products as you know isn't my strong point, in fact I've lost count of how many lip balms, salves and butters that I've used over the years, but while lots of brands have came and gone Lypsyl, who were established way, way back in 1891! are still alive and kicking and bigger and better than ever before

I only ever remember their original balm from my childhood but they now offer a range of cute balms in mirrored compacts and a wide range of lip balms in the tradition stick format, using modern formulations and a wide range of good for you, nourishing ingredients

A couple of weeks ago now I was sent two of their newest and fruitiest introductions to try out - Uplifting Strawberry And Pomegranate, and Revitalising Cherry And Almond.

Both balms come in 4g pocket size, easy to twist up sticks and contain an SPF 15 to protect against UVA and UVB rays, they also contain Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, and Beeswax, as well as Aloe Vera to soothe and repair, Vitamin E to prevent the lips from drying out and Avocado Oil to moisturise and repair the skin. These lip balms are dermatologically tested and contain not artificial colours of preservatives.

The one I tried out was the Uplifting Strawberry and Pomegranate. The tube was sealed for hygiene purposes but just a little twist broke the seal, and the ivory coloured balm twisted up with ease.

These are un-tinted balms and the apply clear. This once felt nice and moisturising on the lips and it give them a nice sheen. It wasn't too thick, too white or too sticky and it after a short time it absorbed into the lips leaving them looking and feeling less rough and bitty, even after one use.

Given the name you would expect this one to be super fruity and it is. It has a nice fruity scent with just a hint of tartness and sparkle from the pomegranate. The scent isn't too sweet or sickly, and whilst the taste is pleasant, it isn't moreish enough to make you want to lick it off :)

I was also sent the Revitalising Cherry and Almond version which comes in the same style of packaging and contains the same treatment and nourishing ingredients, only with a cherry almond taste and scent. Now I can cope with a lot of scents and tastes but unfortunately cherry almond, bitter almond, marzipan, Dr Pepper and Cherry Coke are on my no no list. Apparently I ate too much marzipan as a child and it's destroyed me for life. Since I'm not going to get any use out of it then and seeing as it is Valentines Day though I thought that I'd give one of my UK followers a chance to try this one out. So all you need to do is read the terms and conditions and fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win a brand new and sealed Lypsyl Revitalising Cherry And Almond Lip Balm Stick.

Terms, Rules And Conditions

This giveaway is open to UK residents only
If you are under 18 please get your parent or guardians permission before you enter as I will need your contact details if you're the lucky winner.
Entries will be picked at random using Rafflecopter
I reserve the right delete any entry that hasn't fulfilled the entry criteria or redraw the winner
The giveaway will end at midnight on 22nd February 2018
The winner will have 7 days to respond to my email, if no response is received in this time I will draw another winner
This prize was provided for review / promotional purposes by Lypsyl. I am responsible though for the giveaway, the prize, and contacting the winner and posting the prize.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Lip balms cone in at all price points now from pocket money friendly quick fixes, to pots that cost more than your weekly shop but again this product from Lypsyl proves that you don't need to spend a fortune for a product that works. This balm from Lypsyl may come in at a purse friendly price point but it contains some great ingredients and it works. I've been using this product for a few weeks now and my lips definitely feel smoother, more nourished and less bitty. The SPF is also a nice addition come the warmer months or whether you're feeling brave and hurling yourself down a ski slope, then this is an easy to carry, pocket sized essential. Lypsyl Uplifting Strawberry And Pomegranate and Revitalising Cherry And Almond Lip Balm Sticks retail at around £1.50 to £1.89 each from all major chemists and supermarkets, and you can also stock up on the these two balms and all of Lypsyl's other products from their official UK website. Are you a lip balm devotee? Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to enter my giveaway x Good Luck x

*Press Samples

Happy 11th Birthday LouLouLand !

Well there were times over the last 12 months that I didn't think that I would make it this far but I have and today my blog is celebrating it's 11th birthday.

About this time every year I normally write a post sharing some of my wisdom about blogging and what I've learnt over the last however many years. I don't really want to repeat myself too much so all I can say is that most of what I've learnt in the past 10 or so years still applies.

Over the last 12 months or so I've struggled on so many levels, and it's probably pretty obvious to most of you that I've struggled when it comes to blogging as well.

A lot of that has been to do with personal things and health issues but at times I've really felt as though that my blog has ran it's course.

There is no doubt that blogging has become harder and harder as time has gone on, there are so many bloggers out there now that you sometimes feel as though your getting lost in a sea of people with way more talent, charisma and presence than you will ever have.

I've talked on several occasions about finding your own niche, about going your own way, and doing your own thing, and not comparing yourself to others but I'm not going to lie it's easier said than done at times.

If you're lacking in the old self belief and self confidence thing it really doesn't take a lot to make you question on whether it's all worth while and whether any one would really care if you just hit the delete button and moved on! Then though, I look back at everything that's happened to me because of blogging and then I think yeah, I may not have kazillions of followers and get sent on press trips to the Maldives ;) but I'm doing pretty well thank you very much! I've worked with some amazing brands, I've met some lovely people and I've had so many lovely messages and emails over the years from readers that just makes it all worth while.

I guess what I'm trying to say is never give up on anything, look at how far you've come, how hard you've worked and what you've achieved so far. Obviously we all want to be right up there and be the best that we can be, but beating ourselves up and thinking that we're a failure because of a few numbers on a screen or because you don't get a cute package through the post or invited to the event of your dreams, isn't the way to go and that's the one piece of advice that I would give anyone who wants to be a blogger - don't use things like that to value your own self worth!

Although I'm finding myself using it more and more, I'm not a huge fan of the term small blogger, or small You Tuber, believe me when I say that there are way more of those then they are of the big boys! There are so many amazing bloggers and content producers out there that don't have a ton of subscribers and followers, and whilst I hope upon hope that they do get the recognition they deserve at the same time I really hope that even if they don't, they don't give up and they keep doing what they love, after all that's what it's all about at the end of the day.

I originally set my blog up to explore things that I love including fashion, beauty, food and home style, and whilst at time I've fallen out with the whole blogging thing, and the politics and stresses behind it at times, I haven't fell out of love with why I started blogging and maybe that is what's kept me going for 11 years.

So you haven't got rid of me that easily! I'm still here and when I'm up to it I'm still going to be sharing my life and my loves with you, so thank you again and again for all of your support, and for all of  your lovely comments and messages over the years I really do appreciate it more than you will ever know x

PIXI + It's Judy Time Get The Look It's Eye Time Eyeshadow Palette Giveaway Winner Revealed

Just quick post for you today and it's the one that you've probably all been waiting for - Admittedly a little later than I'd intended but it's now time to announce the winner of my PIXI giveaway x 

I had over 500 entries for which I'm really grateful for so thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to check out my blog and my other social media channels x I really enjoyed reading all of your comments and finding out all of the lovely things that you were lucky enough to receive over the holidays, and after having a read through  I couldn't resist adding a few things to my own wishlist ;)

As much as I'd love to give a prize to you all though I can't and there can only be one winner, and using Rafflecopter, the lucky winner who will receive a PIXI + It's Judy Time Get The Look It's Eye Time Eyeshadow Palette and a NEXT Cosmetic Bag is.....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cheryl H.

Congratulations Cheryl, I will be in touch soon for your postal details. If you weren't lucky enough to win this time, don't worry there will be plenty more chances to win on LouLouLand in 2018. Thanks again to everyone who entered and thanks again for supporting my blog and my social media channels x

Trimming My Stash - January 2018 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews And A Catch Up

So we're now into the second month of 2018 already and as the song goes "Thing Can Only Get Better". I've lost count of how many times I've quoted that damn song on my blog but please, please, please can something go right for me just once?

The virus from hell is still continuing to plague both myself and the mothership, and to say that I'm feeling pretty fragile, both mentally and physically is an understatement. I feeling as though it's 1 step forward and 2 steps back at the moment, I'm feeling weary and drained, and everything just seems to be getting on top of me again, and just when you think that things can't get any worse, a rogue MacBook update rendered my Mac unusable!

Thankfully the amazing guys and girls, at the Genius Bar, in the Intu Metrocentre Apple store managed to get my up and running again with a few hours, but I've spent the last few days, downloading things from the cloud, and reinstalling a few programmes, thankfully though bar a printer that doesn't seem to want to install, it's almost like nothing ever happened so after another unplanned hiatus I'm ready to embrace, my blog, and You Tube again, and I'm back with another Trimming My Stash post x

Femfresh Ultimate Care Pure And Fresh Gel Wash - 250ml
Vitamasques Hydro Face Mask 120 Hours Of Hydration - 25g - 1 x Hydrogel Mask
Primark PS Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Oily & Blemish Prone Skin - 25 x Wipes
The Body Shop Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel - 250ml

Total - 4 Items 

Obviously it wasn't my intention to post two Trimming My Stash posts in row but that's just the way that things have worked out. In an ideal world I would have started 2018 off with a bang and finished a ton of products in January but surprise, surprise it hasn't worked out like that. Still four items are better than none, and whilst they aren't the most exciting of items either, it's a solid start and I guess you know what I'm going to say next.. things can only get better from here on in x 

1. Femfresh Ultimate Care Pure And Fresh Gel Wash - 250ml*

I'm going to start off with a slightly controversial product, feminine wash! There are so many arguments surrounding this stuff that I really don't want to get it into now, or maybe ever! It's all down to personal choice but I can honestly say that it's something that I've never gone out and purchased myself but after receiving a package of products from Femfresh a little while ago now I decided to give this a go. I guess the argument is that highly perfumed products can cause a few issues downstairs, and since I was using a bottle of glitter filled Lush Snow Fairy at the time I decided that maybe I should use something else to wash my ahem..undercarriage. It had very little fragrance and it didn't feel drying or irritating, on my more delicate areas, and I guess it probably did them more good than a smattering of glitter and sparkles. I still have a few different varieties of Femfresh to try out, and whilst I firmly believe that I smell okay naturally I can definitely see myself using this product again in the future, particularly at certain times of the month. Femfresh Ultimate Care Pure And Fresh Gel Wash retails at around £3.29 for a 250ml bottle.

2. Vitamasques Hydro Face Mask 120 Hours Of Hydration - Rose Of Jericho - 25g - 1 x Hydrogel Mask

Like most people whenever I'm poorly or under the weather you can really see it in my skin. Over the last month or so I've noticed a real change in the texture and feel of my skin, and although it still looks shiny, at the same time it also feels quite tight and uncomfortable. Having quite oily skin I've always been quite scared of adding to much moisture to my skin, but since somebody once told me that oily skin can still by dehydrated I had a little look through my collapsed skin care drawer (long story basically it's too full!) and found a few hydration and moisture boosting products to try. Face masks are always an easy option and I think they are a great quick fix for a lot of skincare issues, and something that I've fallen in love with is the sheet mask. They are perfect for a pre party or a special occasion boost and in a lot of cases they can make your skin look smoother and brighter in a matter of minutes. I've tried a few sheet masks from Vitamasques but this one was something completely different to anything else that I'd tried before. Instead of the one piece, conventional liquid infused fabric or paper mask, this fibre mask came in two pieces for a better fit and featured a thick almost gel like layer of product. Containing Rose Of Jericho extract, this mask promises 120 hours worth of hydration, and whilst I'm can't be 100% certain that the effects lasted that long this wet, and cool feeling mask certainly left my skin feeling moist, and looking a bit more even in tone, and Mummy Lou even said that I looked a little bit more awake and refreshed. This mask was definitely what I needed last month and whilst £7.99 is a little bit pricey to some for just one mask, this one definitely did what it promised, and I'm definitely going to look into trying more hydrogel type masks in the future.

3. Primark PS Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Oily & Blemish Prone Skin - 25 x Wipes

I've used these for a couple of reasons over the last month, including cleaning swatches for some blog posts that I've got coming soon, and I've also been utilising the antibacterial properties of the tea tree oil and wiping bits and pieces down in an attempt to rid myself and my surroundings of this virus from hell! In fact the only place that I haven't used these wipes on in the last month is my face, my skins just been a little bit too dry and sensitive for these ones so I've been using a combination of AVON micellar waters and Primark's Micellar Water wipes for those lazy skincare days of which there have a been a lot lately. These wipes are still a staple in my beauty stash though and they are something that I will continue to purchase. 

4. The Body Shop Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel - 250ml

Finally a Christmas product and something that hasn't been around for the last year or so :( As you know I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop Christmas collections, and one of my favourite scents that they've ever done is Frosted Cranberry. Alas over the last few years it's been replaced by Frosted Berries which I do love but it isn't quite the same. I'm crap at describing scent but it this is the perfect combo of sweet and tart cranberries with just hint of spice. I have a couple of pieces left in this fragrance in my stash but like with all of their apple scents I'm hoping that The Body Shop bring this one back for Christmas 2018.

As I say not the best of starts to 2018, empties wise, but it's better than nothing and I'm already feeling positive about what I can achieve in 2018 and just how many products that I can finish! If you're a beauty obsessive like me are you doing something similar this year? or are you taking it further and cutting down your beauty spending? Let me know in the comments below x and I will see you tomorrow when I'll be revealing the winner of my PIXI giveaway x