One man's trash is another man's treasure...

"Everything I buy is vintage and smells funny. Maybe that's why I don't have a boyfriend" - Lucy Lui, actress. 

I love vintage shopping, and often spend my weekends searching through markets and antique stores to try and find a bargain. As the old proverb says, 'one man's trash is another man's treasure'. Around the world, ordinary people are still feeling the knock on effects from the global economic crisis; we've gotten used to using buzz words such as 'credit crunch' and 'double dip recession'. In one way or another, we are suffering from the cost of living rising above the rate of inflation, coupled with wages being frozen. Even my home town of Framlingham, one of the wealthiest parishes in the country, has had to open a 'Food Bank' (where people can receive free emergency food supplies) because some of the residents are living in relative poverty and are unable to afford to feed themselves. Against this backdrop, it is no wonder that people are turning to thrift store shopping, made ever more popular with the release of the Macklemore song 'Thrift Shop', lamenting the idea of spending fifty dollars for a t-shirt. 

And although the idea of thrift shopping is not a new one, it is becoming ever more popular. However, there is still a great deal of difference between 'thrift shopping' and buying something 'vintage'. As Sloane Crosley says, 'our culture [has an] obsession with vintage objects... People want heart, they want a chaser of emotion with their aesthetics'. With the high street playing clone wars and rolling out identical items, and designer items reserved for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas, I have joined the quest for something vintage, unique, and affordable. 

One of my favourite areas of London is Notting Hill, a love that was inspired by the film of the same name, and enhanced by visits through the years to the annual Carnival, and walks around the awe inspiring houses that I yearn to live in (maybe one day!). Of course, you cannot visit that area without walking along to Portobello Road Market, one of the best in the country. 

The road is lively, bustling, colourful. The stalls sell clothing, shoes, jewellery, gifts, a vast array of items to peruse at your leisure. The food stalls sell delicious french cheeses to die for, although I recommend buying it towards the end of your visit, as I found I was wafting the smell of Camembert wherever I turned. Also on sale are fresh fruit smoothies, any type of burger/hotdog from budget to gourmet, and Churros, a long mexican donut covered in sugar and cinnamon, which tastes delicious dipped into chocolate. If you fancy queuing and paying a premium, then pay The Hummingbird Bakery a visit. 

The most recent item I picked up from Portobello Road was this hand knitted jumper in perfect condition, for £10. I normally wear it with my hair in loose, messy curls, black leggings, pumps and oversized gold or silver jewellery. It's really warm and a lot thicker than your average high street jumper, but a fraction of the price of new hand-knitted clothing. 

At the opposite end of the city, in East London, lies Brick Lane market in the heart of Shoreditch. The area is buzzing with people from all walks of life, different sounds, smells, and sights, including some amazing street art. 

 If you visit there, the first stop should be to the 24/7 Beigel shops, that serve world famous bagels at ridiculously low prices - £1.60 for salmon and cream cheese. The sandwich giant Subway had the audacity to open up an outlet across the lane - but many people have boycotted it. I prefer the original shop, opened over a century ago, which is the one on the left, as it has a greater range of flavours including mouth watering, tender Salt Beef. If you fancy something more substantial, Brick Lane is one of the best areas in the country to go for a curry, and most of the restaurants do pretty good deals. 

After satiating your appetite, you can then move on to the serious business of shopping. The area has always been great for vintage finds but has expanded in the past few years as the area gets more and more popular. My favourite stores are Rokit and Beyond Retro, which was where I found a vintage Lacoste jumper a few years ago for the bargain price of £7. Buying an equivalent of this new would cost £70-£150. 

On recent trips back to Suffolk, I've managed to pick up some other brilliant vintage finds in the pretty little towns of Southwold (a gorgeous cameo broach for my faux fur coat) and Woodbridge (a genuine vintage Gucci bag, which is bordering on vulgar and had a lingering smell of cigarette smoke but I love it). 

  

However, one must be careful when shopping for vintage. On a trip to Camden market a couple of months ago, me and my friends were offered a 'genuine, original vintage' shirt for £25. When we read the label, it said Cedarwood State - the male clothing section of Primark! I dread to think how many people have been ripped off with scams like that. 

Sometimes thrift shopping and vintage collide and intertwine. In Stepney, a shop has opened called 'The East End Thrift Shop', clearly riding on the back of the popularity of the Macklemore song. There was a lot of hype on Facebook and Twitter and the photos looked great. However, when we arrived I was very disappointed. The whole place had an awful funky-in-a-bad-way smell, and the clothes did too. A lot of the clothes were dirty, smelly and stained. One sweatshirt looked like it had a large amount of gravy on it, but retailed at £10. Let's make this clear - you cannot and should not sell a stained top for £10 and claim it is vintage just because it originated pre 2000. Further, these places are making a profit, whereas charity shops in the UK and places like Goodwill in the USA only sell items for the benefit of helping people less fortunate. In times where there are Food Banks in the wealthiest countries in the world, surely it is better to do your thrift and vintage shopping in charity shops and markets rather than in smelly hipster warehouses in the East End? 

You can genuinely find some great items in charity shops. When I was younger I volunteered at Oxfam in Woodbridge, and someone donated some genuine Jimmy Choo heels, although unfortunately they were a size 3 or 4 and too small for me. My friend manages the St Elizabeth Hospice store in Aldeburgh, a town that has extremely wealthy residents and visitors, and has received donations of designer clothing from the likes of Ted Baker, to CHANEL! Therefore a great tip is to go thrift/charity shopping not on the high street, but in wealthy areas such as Chelsea, in order to find the best deals. 

My Tips for Vintage and Thrift Shopping 

DO

• Research the area and the store before going there.
• Have an open mind, and be prepared to see a lot of trash before you find your treasure.
• Check the item carefully for stains or breakages that would leave the item unwearable, as most places to not give refunds. 
• Make sure you thoroughly clean any jewellery before wearing it, especially items such as earrings. 
• Take a visit to your local charity shop or Goodwill centre. 

DON'T

• Be unrealistic - not every single shopping trip will be successful and you won't always be lucky enough to find something designer. Be positive and keep trying. 
• Buy something for the sake of it - the fact that it is vintage or cheap does not mean that you are going to make use of it. 

All that being said, I will still continue to shop on the high street and lust after designer labels. It would be pretty impossible and frankly unsatisfying to only thrift shop or only wear vintage items. Often, people that do that can seem like they are trying just a little too hard to be unique and different, only to look like everyone else. As Coco Chanel said, 'fashion fades, only style remains the same'. As much as it may be the fashion to look like you're wearing your grandad's clothes, it must still be done in a timeless manner. Mix it up, wear something from Zara with a thrift store bag, or add a vintage broach to a faux fur coat from New Look. 

Remember, you should always reflect your personality in your clothes, but never be defined by them. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX 

Ethics vs. Aesthetics: The Fur Issue

"In a meat-eating world, wearing leather for shoes and even clothes, the discussion of fur is childish" - Karl Lagerfeld 

Love it or loathe it, fur is back with a vengeance this season. From headbands and stoles, to full on fur coats, this is the quintessentially glamorous clothing to be seen in this winter. Fur conjures up images of 1950's movie stars, with siren red lipstick and diamonds. 

Anne St Marie, 1950's 

Karl Lagerfeld once said that wearing real fur was synonymous with using leather and eating meat. However, that is not strictly true. Indeed, animal welfare has improved enormously over the past few decades, with companies such as "Happy Eggs" ensuring that their chickens are free to roam around; and Anchor Butter, who use free range cows with the slogan, "if cows were meant to be kept indoors, they would be born wearing slippers". Horse meat scandal aside, the welfare of animals reared for human consumption is a world away from the frankly disgusting conditions of modern day fur farms where the skin is ripped off animals that are often still alive (take a look at www.peta.org.uk for a more in-depth analysis). 

Recently I've been exploring weekend markets and picking up vintage items from Portobello Road and Brick Lane. You will find rows and rows of fur coats, some real and some fake. Call me a hypocritical ex-vegetarian, but there is something about real fur that gives me the shivers when I touch it. Mink fur is absolutely beautiful but I cannot handle it. For me, there is an issue of both the ethics of real fur, but also the cost of it when compared to faux fur. It used to be the case that fake meant ugly, but things are starting to change. 

This season, Versace have released a 100% Raccoon fur coat for £3020. 

I feel that there are infinitely better options, both ethically and price-wise. Staying high end, I love this faux fur coat from Alice+Olivia by Stacey Bendet, originating from my second favourite city, New York. At £445 I feel that this would be a much better buy. 

However, a far more budget friendly version for people (myself included) who spend half their salary on rent, New Look have a similar version for £44.99. 

I'm a huge fan of Marc Jacobs, and both his own fashion brand and his work at Louis Vuitton have included some of my favourite pieces in the past few years. Whilst browsing Net-a-Porter, I began to lust over this antique rose coloured fur coat from the Marc Jacobs collection, at a staggering £8000. 

However, my heart sank as I read the description: 100% fox fur, lined with lambs leather, originating from Finland. Again, as much as it may seem hypocritical as I am not a vegan, I couldn't ever wear fox, or any other animal that was killed purely for the skin on its back. Obviously this is such a debatable issue that will not be ending any time soon, especially when in some cultures, fur is necessary for survival in the sub zero winter months. Nevertheless, £8000 is more than I would dream of spending on a coat, at least for the foreseeable future! 

This winter, I scoured the shops and found a gorgeous coat from New Look at £54.99. 

A beautiful, silky brown colour with a chevron pattern in the fur, it has actually been mistaken for being the real deal, which I profusely corrected. With red lipstick and an LBD, it leaves you feeling a million dollars (rather than, in reality, about 50 quid). Unfortunately it is completely out of stock online, but keep an eye out in stores or on eBay and you may be lucky! Or of course, pop down to a vintage market where there are bound to be hundreds of similar ones, albeit with the lingering smell of mothballs. Even Karl Lagerfeld himself has this season designed a faux fur coat at £390, a fraction of the price of Versace's offering. 

The way I see it, faux is the way to go. 

Yaasica Lucia xxx

SOS: Save our Skin!

While I love being in London, living in any city is arguably bad for one's health. I read the other day that during a 40 minute journey on the London Underground, you inhale the same amount of toxins as you would smoking two cigarettes. I imagine this is similar on the Paris Metro or the New York Subway. If you walk to work or cycle in the bus lanes, you may as well have smoked a pack of Marlboro Lights. Further, working in a professional environment means having to make an extra effort with my appearance. 

Gone are the days of rocking up to a lecture in an old Jack Wills hoody and leggings; instead I have to wear full foundation and other make up everyday, especially to avoid the dreaded "You Look Tired/Ill/Drained" comments that nobody ever wants to hear - EVER. To put it bluntly, living in London is taking its toll on my body, inside and out, and since moving here, I've found that my skin has reacted badly to the change. Luckily, if it all gets a little too much, I can go and stay with my mother in the Suffolk countryside for a few days to detox, relax and refresh. 

However, this clearly isn't the case for the majority of people, and even I struggle to go back more than once every couple of months. Other than going to a spa every weekend, there must be a cheaper alternative. When half of your wages go on rent, travel and food, there is even more need to find great budget products. Therefore, I decided to take advantage of the 3 for 2 offers in Boots. The shop does a selection of miniature items, which are ideal for the gap between paydays, and let you decide whether to buy the full sized version at the end of the month. 

This week I chose to revisit Soap & Glory, a brand which, after receiving a gift set five years ago and loving it, I had sort of forgotten about. However, the eye catching, retro/vintage packaging in my favourite colour caught my eye. Soap & Glory claim that they are a "fun, fresh, fearless, fantastic British Beauty Brand", and I have to agree. 

The products that I chose all had the "Original Pink" fragrance which is one of the main attractions of the brand. Everything is bursting with mouthwatering, almost edible smells with notes of orange leaf, lemon, peach, strawberries, summer rose, gardenia and jasmine. The fragrance is also reminiscent of the perfume Miss Dior Cherie, my ultimate favourite scent (currently on my 6th bottle). 

The Righteous Butter is a thick moisturiser, made with Shea Butter, which is extracted from the African Shea tree, originally used to keep skin hydrated in the hot dry weather, and is now used all over the world. It also includes Aloe Vera, which is known for its healing and soothing properties, especially after sunburn and other heat related skin problems. The product has a smooth and velvety texture, and when applied to slightly damp skin, leaves you feeling positively silky. 

Hand Food is a non greasy, hydrating hand cream, again using Shea Butter. It uses macadamia nut oil from the Australia Macadamia tree, which is a great natural skincare solution. It also includes marshmallow plant extract, an African medicinal plant which helps to soothe irritated skin. Using anti-bacterial soap and gel can be harsh on hands, especially for people with sensitive skin, but it is 100% necessary in order to stop the spread of germs. Therefore, this great smelling hand cream is a handbag essential, especially if you cannot afford to buy arguably the best hand cream on the market, the Shea Butter Hand Cream by L'Occitane.   

  The third product I chose was Flake Away, an exfoliating scrub using sweet almond oil, peach seed powder, sugar, sea salt, grapeseed oil and of course, shea butter. This is the best smelling body polish I have ever used, and one of the great things about it is that it has a warming effect on the skin when you apply it. This is a lifesaver for clogged pores and dry skin which is prone to being made worse by the constant wearing of foundations and powder. 

Another problem with working in cities or built up areas is the long hours and travel time, getting hot, flustered and sweaty. It is therefore imperative to remove make up in the evening. However, more often than not I will forget, or just feel too tired, and wake up with panda eyes and gross looking skin. Therefore I decided to get some proper make up removing products from Superdrug. 

The face wipes are infused with Vitamin E which is really good for nourishing the skin on your face. The gentle eye make up remover is great, especially as I am constantly wearing Maybelline 24hr Gel Eyeliner, Rimmel Kohl Pencil and Benefit "They're Real" Mascara, all of which have brilliant staying power and need more than a cleansing wipe. I've also decided to give the Vitamin E Night Cream a go, as it was only a couple of pounds, a fraction of the price of the tradition Olay, No7 and Estee Lauder night creams. 

Now, for a confession. I have given in. I have purchased my first onesie, and I absolutely love it. It was £10 from Primark so I felt less guilty, and it is a furry, fluffy pale pink colour, covered in a French Bulldog print - très chic. Never fear, I will not be uploading any statuses or tweets exclaiming my happiness to be "chillin' in ma onesie". Nevertheless, it was very good value for money, as items from One Piece of Norway can cost over £100. The only time I'll be spending that amount on night wear is if I'm in Victoria's Secret. 

As the geniuses at Soap & Glory say, "while beauty absolutely matters, it doesn't matter absolutely". With any budget lifestyle, general living costs, bills and rent come above any beauty product, but that does not mean neglecting your body, especially your skin. So take full advantage of the offers and gift sets currently in Boots and go and buy some great value products to pamper yourself with! 

Yaasica Lucia XXX

The Bow Bells: Becoming an Eastender

They say that you are a true cockney if you live within the sound of the Bow Bells, which are situated in a church in the City called St Mary-le-Bow, near Cannon Street, which it turns out is only a few minutes walk from my office in St Paul's. Obviously I was delighted, being a massive fan of the BBC series Eastenders. Recently, I moved to the East End of London, living in a townhouse with an old school friend who is also a uni graduate living on a budget. Of course, I had to check out what the new area had to offer. Victoria Park has a buzzing community and is near Mile End, Bethnal Green and Stepney, with pubs, delis, cute cafés and restaurants.

The first place I went to was 'Spit Jacks' which is to the north of Victoria Park. The little restaurant had a French countryside feel, and specialised in rotisserie - meat slow roasted on a spit. We chose spit roasted chicken which was delicious, with crispy skin and tender meat, accompanied by French fries. We also had roast leg of lamb with tasty little roast potatoes and salad. Another highlight was crunchy corn on the cob, in a chilli and lime butter which I will definitely be replicating at home. It was all washed down with a carafe of cheap but highly drinkable table wine. The cosy and rustic setting is one to be enjoyed by friends and couples alike. 

To the south of the park, near Mile End tube station and Bow Road, there is a brilliant restaurant called Greedy Cow. Specialising in burgers, they have a lot of different meats; the standards such as chicken and beef, along with some more exotic choices such as kangaroo and wild boar. I had the Mexican - a beef burger cooked to Medium, with salsa, sour cream, cheese and jalepenos. We also tried the beer battered onion rings which were probably some of the best I've tried (and I've worked in many quality pubs that also serve them). 

Another great place in the area is the Royal Inn on the Park which does a brilliant Sunday roast, served very quickly. The pub also serves Aspall Cyder from Suffolk which is one of my favourite drinks and complemented the pork beautifully. After lunch, you can take a leisurely stroll in the park, which has lakes, gardens, play areas, a skatepark and little cafés to get a hot chocolate to warn you up in the rapidly cooling autumn weather. Parks like this are often underrated with people choosing to visit the obvious ones such as Hyde Park, Regents Park, Hampstead Heath etc. However for a bit of a change, along with Vicky park, why not try out Battersea park which is next to the Chelsea embankment, or Brockwell park in South London which holds a country show each year and has one of the city's last remaining lidos. 

Another great reason for coming to this area is that it's only a short journey away from one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe - Westfield Stratford City. Being a shopaholic and beauty addict, I'm yet to decide whether this is a blessing or a curse. However, not only are there brilliant shops ranging from Mulberry and Primark, there are also some great restaurants. My new favourite is Cabana Brasilian Barbeque which is part of 'The Street', the outdoor shopping area. When inside you feel like you are in the centre of Rio, with Latin American music playing, bright decorations and the sound and smell of sizzling barbecued meat. We ordered marinated chicken and steak skewers which were smoky and flavoursome. However, my favourite dishes were the starters. One was Barbeque pulled pork in a cheesy dough ball. The other were magnificent king prawns in a Malagueta sauce, which was sweet, spicy and bursting with chili. If you're a fan of street food, I'd definitely recommend visiting here after a hard day's shopping. 

East London is becoming more and more popular, especially since West and Central London are becoming even more exclusive, with tiny apartments selling for a million pounds and cocktails costing 20 quid each. All the more reason to give the East End more than a passing glance. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX 

Go West!

"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel Johnson, 1770's. 

The trouble with living and working in London is that you fall into a routine. For most of the week, the only areas I really see are around my office in St Paul's or on the way home from the Tube Station in Mile End. As much as I love working in the heart of the City, sometimes it's easy to get stuck in a comfort zone and not really venturing out of it. Therefore, when some friends from university came to visit for the weekend, it was a perfect excuse to go and explore the West End. 

The first place we went to was Vista, a rooftop bar overlooking Trafalgar Square. The views were breathtaking; from the crowds around the fountain, to Nelson's Column, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament to name a few. The only drink to fit the occasion was a cocktail. I went for the 'Vista Boulevard'-  an enticing combination of watermelon liqueur, fresh lemon juice and agave syrup, charged with vodka and topped with ginger ale and a marshmallow. The cocktails there aren't cheap, so I recommend getting a 'long' drink and making the most of it. Another great place nearby is Searcy's at the National Portrait Gallery, again with amazing views, along with a chance to browse the fantastic works of art. 

Next, we headed into Soho. There is so much variety here, from the theatre district at Leicester Square, to Chinatown with the beautiful red and gold decorations lining the street. However, we decided to head to Kettners, a place that is so much more than a bar. There's lots of different areas - a brasserie, a cafe in which to have champagne and cupcakes, and a cosy seating area with antique furniture and booths that can be booked for large groups. I had two cocktails here, the first was Lilly's Lemonade (pictured). However my second one, Kettners KP, was amazing. It involved tequila, pear, almond syrup and lime, and the glass came with crushed almonds around the rim rather than salt - this is the best variation of a Margarita I have ever had. Again, this place isn't cheap but at the same time, it's not the Ritz; I recommend visiting straight after payday. 

To soak up all this alcohol, we walked through the buzzing streets of Soho and on to a Mexican restaurant called Wahaca. The chain was created by a previous Masterchef winner, and focuses on street food rather than your average Tex Mex. There were 7 of us in total and so we went for a huge array of tapas (small dishes) rather than a main meal each. Highlights included soft tacos with slow cooked pork, in a Yacutan marinade, topped with pickled red onions; grilled steak tacos with chipotle salsa and cheese; chorizo and new potato quesadillas; smoky caramelised chunks of sweet potato.

Overall, the weekend exploring Soho was fabulous. There are art galleries, museums, bars, clubs and restaurants. However, for me, it's a once in a while thing as you definitely pay for the location. Sometimes, its totally worth it.  

Yaasica Lucia XXX

Vamp it up for Autumn

With fashion weeks happening all over the world and autumn thoroughly upon us, it's time for the transition between summer and winter make up and clothing. As much as I love summer, I'm sure I'm not alone in delighting over the thought of wearing warm winter coats, leather boots and cashmere jumpers. Foundation and eyeliner may actually last the whole day rather than slipping off the face in protest of the heat.  And of course, the pictures of Starbucks' seasonal drinks have already started cropping up on Instagram (mine's a grande skinny salted caramel mocha). 

In terms of beauty, a look I am absolutely loving is 'vamp' - deep, blood red, wine stained lips. There are some great colours out there and my personal favourite is 'Beguiled' by Topshop, which has a satin matte finish and so is a perfect texture in the sense that it isn't shiny but does not dry the lips out either. 

As you may have read in my previous blog about lipstick, I'm not the most confident in bold lip colours. However, so long as you remember to blot, check your teeth and try not to smudge it down your chin, you should be fine. If this colour is a little dark, I recommend 

Revlon colour stay Ultimate Suede lipstick in backstage 035 (left) or Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in 18 (right). 

This look works really well with gold jewellery and accessories. Paying rent in London on a graduate budget means that of course, I have costume jewellery rather than solid gold (or even gold plated). All high street shops do a great variety, but recently Primark (yes really) have been nailing the statement necklace trend. 

All of these necklaces were under £5 which is ideal, and (I hope) shows that you can achieve a good look without breaking the bank. To top this look off, add a parka or a faux fur coat in either black or dark brown, keeping other clothing simple, and you're good to go. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX 


What hot Autumn looks are getting you excited? 

Reaping the Benefits - is it worth it?

Benefit Cosmetics, originating from San Francisco, has been around for a while now, becoming more and more popular in the UK over the last 10 years. With gorgeous packaging and witty slogans, such as 'Dallas: an outdoor glow for an indoor gal', its easy to see why Benefit now has some of the bestselling beauty products on the market at the moment. However, being a graduate on a budget, especially since making the move to the capital city, I find myself increasingly unwilling to pay as much for cosmetics as I previously have. I always wonder - is the extra cost really worth it? 

One of my favourite Benefit products was one of the Box o' Powders, perfect 10, which was a highlighting and bronzing duo. 

Needless to say I was gutted when I realised that it had been discontinued, as has the dupe by W7 called Double Act. 

Another of my favourites is Dallas, a blusher/bronzer combo that is great for my skintone. 

So, you can imagine my dismay when I went to buy it and was told that they rarely get it in stock anymore, and that Dallas was also going to be discontinued - I suggest if you are a Dallas fan, stock up from their website as it still has it on sale. Luckily, the girl on the counter was lovely and offered a free makeover using newer products from the line. 

First, primer was applied to my face which gives a great base for foundation, and keeps it in place for longer which is great if you work long hours and still want to look half presentable towards the end of the day. The POREfessional is the number 1 selling primer in the UK, and it has a lovely texture and made the skin smooth to the touch. Then, That Gal primer was also applied. 

When I asked the make up artist which was better to use, she suggested using both, which she also suggested to a few other people browsing. As much as I love the products, at £24.50 and £22.50 respectively, there is no way I would dream of spending nearly £50.00 on something to go under my normal foundation. That's CRAZY. If you want to use Benefit primer, just choose the best one for your skin type. If like me, you're on a budget, I recommend using Rimmel Fix & Perfect Perfect Primer in 002 which at £5.99 is a lot more reasonable. 

That being said, I still love the brand and believe that some of the products are genuinely worth paying more than the usual prices of drugstore brands. For example, the newest mascara, They're Real, is a great investment and for £19.50, you get a full sized item and also a mini item worth £9.50, for free! It's a brilliant product and is long lasting and waterproof, with a unique wand, and true black in colour. 

Rockateur is the new Box o' Powder on the block, and I have to say, I'm in love. It's a rose-gold blush with bronze undertones, and very little has to be applied in order to create a gorgeous effect. It also smells great and comes in 'provocative' packaging of gold, snakeskin and lace print. These boxes last for so long and so at £23.50, you won't have to buy another blusher/bronzer again for many months. 

Benefit Cosmetics have brilliant branding and gorgeous designs, with some great products. However, my advice is to choose key investment pieces and be sensible and realistic about buying your entire makeup collection from them. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX

What are your favourite Benefit products?