#BeautyChatLIVE

Last night, I met my blogging heroines - Anna and Lily of 'Vivianna Does MakeUp' and 'Lily Pebbles' - and as you can probably tell from my overexcited expression, it was seriously surreal. When the beauty duo announced that they were taking 'Beauty Chat' on the road just last month, I knew I had to go. An evening in Brighton spent sipping champagne and perusing the isles of my favourite beauty store? Yes please. This small branch of Space NK is situated in the Lanes, i.e. the city's trendiest shopping destination.
Space NK rolled out the five star treatment for us bloggers, with champagne upon arrival and macaroons dotted round the store. After a quick browse of some of the new beauty releases, Anna and Lily joined us for a Q&A session. Without reciting every cliché in the book, the event had such a nice atmosphere. It was very chilled and relaxed. Although I was pretty starstruck (did I ever mention the time I bumped into Lily in Oxford Circus and the only thing I could think to say was how much I loved her?), it felt like one big girly chat, a room full of people with a shared love of beauty. Having answered some questions from Twitter to 'break the ice', the floor was open for us to pick the brains of our favourite beauty bloggers. Questions ranged from Anna and Lily's thoughts on the new Benefit 'Roller Lash' mascara (Lily's a fan, Anna - not so much) to asking advice in finding the perfect red lipstick for fair skin... the answer is to go for a blue-based colour, in case you're wondering. I plucked up the courage to ask their advice when it comes to balancing student life and also running a blog - I had always felt inspired by Anna and Lily as they started their separate blogs while still a university. Both said to take the pressure off posting everyday. After all, a blog should be something you enjoy doing and not a chore. They advised staying consistent with posts and that you can always find something to write about in the depths of your make-up bag. Great advice for a blogger on a budget.

After some intense questioning, it was time to shop and I made an immediate beeline for the NARS counter. Like I wrote in my Lip Pencil Review a couple of days ago, my beloved city Southampton is in desperate need of a NARS fix. It's safe to say I made up for lost time, however, leaving the event with two new releases in hand. My first purchase was the 'All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation' which I'd been eyeing up for quite some time. I was even sneakily colour matched in my local Space NK this weekend, but wanted to wait for #BeautyChatLIVE before I indulged. Both Anna and Lily reviewed the foundation on their Youtube channels and the general consensus was that it provided more coverage than the cult classic 'Sheer Glow' and also had a more matte finish. Personally, 'Sheer Glow' never agreed with my oily teenage skin - although my lacking make-up knowledge back in the day probably had something to do with my dislike of this best-selling product. Now that I'm fast approaching the big 2-0, I've noticed a definite change in my skin of late and I'm hoping that this foundation will be a good match.

I couldn't have been more predictable in my second purchase - it was always going to be another Lip Pencil. 'Sex Machine' is my third 'Velvet Matte' pencil but easily the most wearable. It's a feminine, soft pink with a subtle shimmery base. The ideal 'I'm not wearing lipstick' lipstick! Discovering NARS' pencils reminds me of when I first started wearing Topshop's 'Leigh' jeans.
It's an addiction, once you've found your ideal fit you can't help but want all the styles/colours/patterns. The same goes for lipstick. That's the only way I can justify my ever-growing need to own all the colours and all the formulas.

As a result of my little beauty splurge (Space NK makes me forget I'm a broke student), I was given a rather massive goodie bag to take home with me. Bursting at the seams with samples of luxury products, the ladies at Space NK were incredibly generous. They even included a Tangle Teaser, i.e. one of the only hairbrushes to successfully tackle my unruly locks. Out of the many products that were included, I'm most excited to try the 'Oskia Renaissance Mask' - a product Anna and Lily are constantly citing but always felt a bit out of my reach in terms of price. Who knows, maybe I'll be converted. But for the foreseeable future, I'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to skincare. I've already set aside some of these treats for my Mum and my sister - I'm sharing the beauty love!
Although it was only a quick trip to Brighton (I only wish I could have stayed longer - but university calls), meeting Anna and Lily and treating myself to some good ol' retail therapy made the journey so worth it. I got the chance to chat to them a bit after the Q&A and they're even lovelier in 'real life' - we shared a common love of 'Whistles' and even started comparing nights out in our respective university cities. They're genuinely lovely and their advice only reminds me of how much I love this online world of all things beauty.