Beauty Swap x L'amour Josie

My excitement concerning everything about this post is shooting in a million different directions, I have no idea where to start. I'm just going to come right out with it - I did my first ever beauty swap with the lovely Josie from L'amour Josie from the UK, and just had the best experience with it. I'm obsessed with Brit beauty gals (ie, Tanya Burr, FleurDeForce, ghostparties, meganisobel, essiebutton, AModelRecommends, gemsmaquillage, Lily Pebbles, Lisa Eldridge, Zoella, Sprinkleofglitter, and ThePersianbabe -- sorry I didn't want to leave anyone out!) and have therefore heard each of them go on and on and on about tons of drugstore makeup products that I cannot get a hold of. I know - heartbreaking. So when Josie wrote a blog post asking if anyone was interested in participating in a swap, my hand shot up and I yelled "ME!" at the top of my lungs.....virtually. In real life, I hastily commented on her blog post hoping no one would beat me to it.

I could not have asked for a better swap ... partner (? haha). Josie was so sweet, kind, and a pleasure to converse with. She was so understanding about my student budget and didn't make me feel obligated to do anything that was too much of a hassle for me. Collaborating with her, I also realized that she is incredibly generous without asking for anything in return. After making arrangements for about 2 weeks, we finally shipped our packages out.

Mine came in the mail three days ago, and I was squealing with anticipation when I finally had it in my hands. Nothing like new makeup (from the UK nonetheless!) to get you jumping for joy like a five-year-old. ;) I tried to open the package up as fast as I could but Josie made sure it would be a challenge with all the tape she plastered on to make sure the package was secure in delivery, haha. When I finally got it open, I found each product individually bubble-wrapped (this girl is meticulous!) and all wrapped up in the cutest floral tissue paper. She also wrote a short, sweet note on a little glittered piece of cardstock. Aww.

Finally I am opening products! Haha. Most of the things she got me were on my personal wishlist but there were a few surprises thrown in as well, as we had agreed on. I made sure to cover all the must-haves - here's a list of everything I received:

• Topshop lipstick in Macaroon
• BeautyUK lipstick in In the Buff
• Sleek blushes in Flushed, Life's a Peach, and Flamingo
• MUA Heaven and Earth eyeshadow palette
• Topshop cream blush in Morning Dew
• Natural Collection blush in Peach Melba
• Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium - 3
• MUA Nail Constellation (caviar beads)
• Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

I realized afterwards that all the products I got (with the exception of the eyeshadow palette) are quite bright, so I am now all prepped for the spring and summer!

I am really pleased with all the products that I received and I am looking forward to trying them all out. You will definitely be seeing reviews of these products on the blog over the next few months so keep your eyes peeled for that if you're interested in UK beauty. I did some research before sending Josie a wishlist so to me these are their cult drugstore products, the best of the best.

I would once again like to thank Josie for being so amazing through my first swap experience! xxx Go and check out her blog - it's wonderful and I really recommend it. :)

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