Tuesday 9 December 2014

Christmas on my fingertips!

Nails from Primark.

Christmas is getting closer and closer which means that lights are getting twinklier, shopping is getting more regular (yayy), creamy mugs of hot chocolate are becoming a necessity and I am very, very OK with all of this! But this also means you have the perfect excuse to start adding some extra touches of glitter and festivity to your outfit. If you are not a fan of the wonderfully ugly Christmas jumpers that are back and more 3D than ever this year, I have discovered a more subtle way to embrace some Christmas cheer into your look. I picked up these cute press on nails at Primark for just £1 recently and I have been so impressed with the results! There are a range of different sizes available in the packet which fit nicely onto my nails. The quality of these are not amazing and they do tend to snap off quite easily. However, for just £1 I really recommend these as a cheap and cheerful little pinch of Christmas and I am really enjoying glancing down at the teeny Santa hats on the tips of my fingers. 

Happy Holidays!

Sunday 2 November 2014

Special Little Statements

Fedora: River Island
Tee-shirt: Zara
Leather Jacket: New Look
Satchel: Urban Outfitters
Skirt: Topshop
Boots: Liverpool Markets

There are so many different ways to make a statement with what you wear. A lot of the time it is great to wear something really special and keep the rest of your look simple so that all the attention is on that one statement piece. In this look, that would be my black and white Tee from Zara. I found this slick white shirt while I was browsing the shops on Fifth Avenue, New York City on my first trip to the "Big Apple". Not only did I love the Tee itself, but I thought it would be a lovely little memory of a day in the concrete jungle as it says "Fifth Avenue, NYC"on it. So even though I am back in Liverpool for my final year of University, I still have a little bit of the incredible city with me to make a "Special Little Statement".
For the rest of this outfit, I added a bit of edge with my acid wash skater skirt from Topshop and my leather jacket. As a stylish twist I added my fedora and a Rimmel red lip from the Kate Moss lipstick Collection in number 107 and let's face it, a big hat and a red lip never gets old. Am I right?

What is your Special Little Statement?


Sunday 28 September 2014

A Taste of Travel: Los Angeles!


Just in case you have been wondering why I haven't been writing any posts lately, I thought I would fill you in and share some of my experience in the US with you! If you read my last post you will know I was lucky enough to work at a Summer camp in the states for three months and then have a little taste of travel afterwards! You can read my last post here if you would like to see some pictures and hear a little about my trip to the amazing New York City! But now, were going to talk all things Los Angeles!

I flew out to LA straight after finishing work and was greeted off the plane by palm trees, glistening buildings and the most huge and fancy cars I have ever seen! I went to stay with a friend who I met in the states, caught up on some sleep and then woke up to the scorching California Sun in Santa Monica! It was such a beautiful area right by Santa Monica beach and the beautiful shops (a necessity for me). I spent the next week soaking up as much of the gorgeous sunshine as I could, exploring LA, going to see Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Disneyland (of course) and pretty much wishing I lived in LA.

Picture 1: The palm tree paradise that is California!

Picture 2: Driving into the city to do some Downtown shopping.

Picture 3: One of many evenings spend on Santa Monica beach, I never wanted to leave!

Picture 4: Me giving the "Skater Chick" thing a whirl. Roller blading in the sun along Santa Monica and Venice beach. Floral shorts and tee both from New Look in case you were wondering.

Picture 5: A roller blading selfie. Life on wheels makes me happy! My love heart sunnies are from Claire's Accessories.

Picture 6: One of my favourite nights spent catching some waves while the California sun set!

Picture 7: I couldn't not go to Disneyland. Sorry not sorry.

Picture 8: I insisted on a picture with the Minnie Mouse ears, she is my favourite! My top is from Urban Outfitters and my skirt is from Hollister, I love the pretty florals. 

Picture 9: Some of the gang on our trip to Hollywood and Beverly Hills. My top is from Forever 21, neclace from Topshop and my shorts are my vintage Levis

I feel so lucky to have had the chance to have such an incredible Summer this year. I have hundreds more pictures and stories I could share on here but that would mean a LOT more posts and probably boring you a little? I hope you enjoyed this little snippet of my time traveling and I will warn you that I am now addicted and hope to travel some more after my third and final year of University (yikes where did time go?!). 


Have you ever been to Los Angeles?

Tuesday 16 September 2014

A Taste of Travel: New York City!


So my Summer this year has been a bit of a whirlwind! A few days after arriving home from University I got a job working at a Summer Camp in America and three weeks later I was on a flight out to the States to move into my new home for the next three months and begin my new job! It was as fast as that! Without boring you of all the details, I'll quickly sum it up and tell you that I got the chance to make new friends from all over the world, teach dance classes everyday, get to know kids and notice the difference I was making for them and push myself out of my comfort zone for an amazing Summer in the States! 

After working for three months, I set off on another adventure and got my first Taste of Travel. I have hundreds of pictures of this part of my Summer, but again, I narrowed it down for you and shared a few of my favourites from my four day trip to the amazing New York City! If you have never been, the city is everything you imagine it is going to be and more! The buildings are huge, the streets are packed, the lights make the night become day, tourists are everywhere, the shops are fantastic and the people are stylish. Can I live there please? Absolutely incredible city!

Picture 1: Waiting for my flight to the states, feeling nervous, excited and hoping my case isn't overweight. (It wasn't, Phew!)

Picture 2: The first picture I took in New York and I think it captures so much of what the city is like!

Picture 3: I was too excited to be in a yellow cab after a trip to Times Square one evening. It felt like I was in a movie!

Picture 4: A spot of shopping on Fifth Avenue one morning. It was inevitable! My dress is from Topshop and my shoes are from T.J. Max in case you were wondering.

Picture 5: Off to see Wicked at Broadway! So glad I got the chance to experience this, it was outstanding! My top is from Topshop, the skirt is from New Look and I got my little bag at a Thrift Store in the states, I love it.

Picture 6: Did anyone recognize this famous doorway? I couldn't have possibly gone to New York without visiting Queen Carrie Bradshaw's apartment!

Picture 7: The view of Manhattan from a quick sail on the Staten Island Ferry to see Miss Lady Lib.

Picture 8: A breathtaking trip to the 9/11 Memorial. What a beautiful place for such a sad moment in history.

Picture 9: Possibly the biggest building I have ever seen, The Freedom Tower.



Stay tuned my blogger buddies, there are more pictures coming soon of the rest of my traveling adventures this Summer! 

Have you ever been to New York City?

Sunday 1 June 2014

Benefit Make-Upper



If your anything like me, you will know all about Benefit Cosmetics and their adorable vintage style packaging combined with lovely quality products that adds a feminine touch to any make-up bag. I always find that I gravitate towards Benefit when I feel like a make-up treat as the more high-end price tag means I don't regularly purchase from the brand, although I know that the pretty packaging and finish will always tickle me! As an attempt to cure the "Monday Blues" a couple of weeks ago, myself and a friend (a.k.a fellow Benefit lover) arranged to try out the Benefit Make-Upper. The Benefit Make-Upper is available at most Benefit Beauty Bars and provides you with a full make-over from the Benefit make-up artists (or "Benebabes") so that you can test out the products and decide what works for you before you purchase. Or, if you just want to take advantage of a completely FREE Benefit make-over like I did!

The ladies at the Beauty Bars were super friendly and chatty making me feel very welcome and free to ask plenty of questions and requests. I have very sensitive skin that can be irritated quite easily and happened to be slightly dry during my make-over. The lady who served me was able to provide me with nourishing and gentle products from the Benefit skincare range to soothe and moisturize my skin before the make-over. I was asked a lot about my make-up preferences during the experience and the products were chosen accordingly to create the look that I described, which was a natural and dewy base, a soft bronze smokey eye with cat flick (gotta have a cat flick!) and a defined brow. 

Base, Cheeks and Lips:

To create a dewy base, the lady used That Gal Brightening Face Primer which left my skin feeling smooth, gave it a healthy but natural glow and made my make-up last longer, which was exactly what I was hoping for and I fell in love with this product straight away. Next, the lady applied the Fakeup Hydrating Crease-Control Concealer and the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation. Both these products I found to be hydrating and left a dewy glow which I like however these are both quite light coverage and I would prefer something slightly more full especially under my eyes!
For my cheeks and lips I tried out one of the cheek and lip stains in Posietint. The poppy-pink shade is a beautiful light rosie flush which adds a hint of colour and has a lovely creamy texture (not to mention the cute name). This shade would suit a lot of different skin tones and I would definitely recommend this tint to give your cheeks and lips a rose pop this Summer!

Eyes:

Ahh eye make-up! No make-up lover can deny the pleasure that is eye make-up. For this look I wore the World Famous Neutrals Kit in Most Glamorous Nudes Ever which contains two perfectly creamy creaseless creams and shimmery bronze shadows to compliment these. I have always loved the World Famous Neutrals kits from Benefit and these shades were no exception, providing shadows for highlight and darker crease shades making eye make-up simple! 
For my lashes I wore my absolute favourite mascara which is They're Real . This mascara gives your lashes a false lash effect and is a jet black colour that stays on all day. If you want lusciously thick lashes with an uplifting curl, this is the one, you won't go back!
After all the eye excitement, I was even more thrilled to hear about the new They're Real Gel Liner Pen coming soon to Benefit. I love to line my lash line with a cat eye effect however I was not very impressed with the Magic Ink liner. So I am looking forward to this new release from Benefit and as I'm sure you can tell I love the They're Real mascara so I am expecting good things!

Brows:

For my brows I got to try out the new Gimme-Brow Fibre Gel which uses fibers to thicken and volumise your natural rows to create a fuller natural brow look. This is a great product for those who strive to enhance their natural brows instead of filling them in for a more defined shape.
As my natural brows can be quite sparse, the lady also used the Instant Brow Pencil to create fullness and add shape. I do think this pencil has a nice colour match to my own brows and skin tone however I am a bit unsure about the shape as it is more thick than what I am used to! What do you think?

So if you have a long week ahead why not call into your nearest Benefit Beauty-Bar and invest in some "you time" (or even a sneaky new purchase?) with this completely free Benelicious treat! I know I will...again. All the products mentioned have been linked throughout the post. Phew! I think that was the longest post I have written in a while! 


Have you had a Benefit Make-Upper? What are your favourite Benefit products?


Saturday 24 May 2014

Shifting Style

Shift Dress: New Look
Heels: Primark

So I know these pictures are a little blurry but I have been so busy with Uni lately that my blog has got kind of neglected and I thought, blurry pictures or not, I'm going to do an outfit post! Last week saw the end of my time as a second year student and there was only one thing for it... a quick purchase from the New Look Sale and a night out to celebrate (and maybe just a little bit of silly dancing as shown in the second picture!)  I got this 60's inspired shift dress for just £11 which suited my end of term student budget perfectly, so if you like what you see and you want one for yourself I suggest you move fast because for £11 I don't think these will be in stock much longer! Don't say I didn't warn you! 

I kept everything quite simple with this look and tried to add touches of the 60's theme by coating my nails in a white polish by Barry M, creating voluminous hair and wearing a dark smoky eye combined with long lashes and an orange lip. My lips don't show up very well in the images but in case you were wondering I wore a Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, and as a little side tip: orange lips are very on trend this Spring/Summer! 

I also love wearing my new monochrome shift dress dressed down with some flats and my fedora! So for now I hope you enjoyed my Shifting Style outfit post and I very much recommend releasing your inner flower power this Spring like I have!

Peace Out!






Monday 7 April 2014

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter


Cleansing butters/balms are the latest skincare and make-up removal must haves at the minute. This new cleansing alternative seems to have appeared out of no where and is slowly becoming a staple skincare step in hundreds of women's skincare routines! I have been trying out The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, and now that I am onto my second repurchase of the stuff, I thought I would tell you my thoughts.

I use this cleansing butter to remove my make-up at the end of the day by rubbing it onto my skin for a few minutes. Next, I rinse my face to reveal a freshly cleansed, make-up free complexion! It's as simple as that! The Body Shop cleansing butter gently dissolves any make-up (including eye make-up) within minutes and leaves your skin feeling incredibly clean and fresh. Also you only need a tiny bit of product for these results! I personally have very sensitive skin that can be irritated easily, but I find this cleansing butter very gentle and nourishing. It is suitable for all skin types and has a very faint camomile scent. I love the feeling of cleansing my face with this after a long day and I also like to use this cleansing butter in the mornings to give my skin a fresh boost for the day! This is an excellent product and definitely one that will remain in my skincare routine for quite a while! Rest in peace make-up wipes!

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter is available from The Body Shop for just £12!

What do you think of cleansing balms/butters?

Friday 7 March 2014

Dress Wish List


For years and years we have heard all about the magic of a pair of shoes. How they can completely make an outfit or how good they can make you feel. I am not saying I don't agree with this, believe me, I do. But something else that can always lift my spirits, make me feel confident and give me that "new shoes" feeling that everyone talks about is a dress. I love to dress very feminine. I have countless dresses in my wardrobe, yet I am always still drawn to them. Here are a few I have my eye on at the minute.

This first dress I spotted in Topshop and fell in love with straight away!  I loved how the monochrome gingham pattern has a bright blue and pink floral design layered on top. It also has a gorgeous rose gold exposed zip down the back. I just think it would make such a pretty addition to my wardrobe and I don't know why, it could be the colours, but it kind of reminds me of a cartoon! Anyone agree? 

I really liked the raspberry colour of this Motel Rocks dress and the print to me has a lovely retro feel. The velvet peter pan collar gives the dress a nice texture and the button through front is just so cute! Also, I'm a sucker for a dress with a collar in general!

See? I told you I liked collars! Here is another dress with a sharp white collar, and again, a pretty gingham print. Am I getting a little predictable? I really liked how effortlessly stylish this dress was and the material has such a nice quality, I couldn't resist!

What is on your "dress wish list"?

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Alexa Chung's Topshop Dress



Alexa Chung is a huge style icon. She has a natural ability to create the most simple, yet effortlessly chic outfits that look casual, but sophisticated, all at once. She has won the British Style Award three times, had a Mulberry bag named after her and last year released her very popular fashion book "It", (which I have yet to read. Sigh). Meanwhile the rest of us are throwing our clothes around the room claiming the classic, "I have nothing to wear!".  
When I spotted this picture of her wearing this gorgeous smock dress from Topshop, I had to share it with you. It has the cutest gingham print that can be dressed up or down, and of course everyone loves a bit of monochrome! Well if you can't find some stylespiration from Alexa Chung who can you find it from?



Saturday 22 February 2014

YSL Rouge Volumpté Perle lipstick


YSL lipsticks have always been a bit of a make-up dream for me. I have read lots of beauty reviews and often stop and stare when passing the YSL make-up counters. The gorgeous gold packaging and array of glossy colours scream high end chic! I finally got my hands on my very own YSL lipstick in 112 Spellbinding Violet and decided I would share my thoughts with you.

The shade is a dark plum with very tiny gold and violet shimmers. The lipstick applies quite sheer and glossy, but can be built up for a more pigmented or intense colour finish, which I personally prefer. The consistency is absolutely amazing! It is the most creamy lipstick I have ever worn and feels incredibly silky on the lips. Unlike other lipsticks that tend to stain or sink into your lips, the YSL Rouge Voumpté Perle formula almost sits on your lips which keeps them from going dry. The lipstick has a watermelon scent and is extremely nourishing and long lasting. 

So, as of now, I can confidently say, that my wish list includes the entire remainder of the YSL Rouge Volumpté Perle lipstick collection.



Have you tried any of the YSL lipticks yet?

Monday 17 February 2014

Green

Dress: New Look
Clutch: Primark

Green is not a colour I wear very often. But when I saw this dress with it's crisp, white collar (I love collars if you haven't already realised), feminine shape and pretty baroque style print, I knew I would be taking it home with me. This dress is from a label at New Look called Mila Loves London. The texture and quality of the dress is absolutely lovely and it also fits perfectly. So needless to say, so far, I am very impressed!

I also need to take this time to express my love and appreciation for this little clutch I found in Primark for just £10. It is an envelope style clutch with sequins in black and gold, as well as pink, turquoise, blue, white, black and gold beads and embellishments all over. Now doesn't that just sound dreamy? The sparkles makes it stand out, and the variation of all the different colours means it will match so many different outfits! Perfect!
To complete the look, I wore my Abigail's Party Irregular Choice heels and my YSL Rouge Volumpté Perle lipstick in 112 which is a gorgeous deep purple, I thought it tied the look together nicely.

What colour do you not wear very often?


Friday 24 January 2014

My First Fedora

Fedora: River Island
Leather Jacket: New Look
Skirt: Vintage
Shirt: Primark
Bag: Urban Outfitters
Boots: Liverpool Markets

I bought this Fedora hat over the Christmas holidays which I had my eye on for a while. I really liked how they looked on other people, but I always ended up leaving it in the shop any time I picked one up for myself. Just because it is a little out of my comfort zone. In the end I realised fashion shouldn't be about being safe. You should always experiment and try new things so you can discover more about yourself and your individual tastes! Am I right?

So yesterday I put this look together and wore my fedora for the first time. Remember what I said about experimenting? Well this one didn't turn out so good! Yesterday, Liverpool was very, very windy and I ended up holding onto my hat for dear life all day! I will make a mental note for next time not to wear my hat on windy days!

I am also starting to wear heels during the day more. I bought these black, heeled boots at a market in Liverpool and I have been loving wearing them casually. I find they make an outfit look more put together and finished, when actually you've just thrown something on and ran out the door! For a pop of print and a slight school girl touch, I wore my new vintage skirt.

What's your "out of comfort zone" look?

Sunday 5 January 2014

The Carrie Diaries



So before I get started, I'd just like to wish you a very Happy New Year! I don't know about you, but I am feeling very optimistic about 2014 and I hope you are too!

This is a blog post dedicated to all those Sex and the City fans out there! Since the show came to an end after six seasons, two movies and one book, there has been a Sex and the City shaped hole in my life. You might think this is a tad dramatic, but a true fan will understand! This is why I was so excited to discover and share with you, The Carrie Diaries. 

The Carrie Diaries is a prequel for our favourite TV series and I have been loving it! Set in the 80's, we follow a young Carrie Bradshaw before the sex and before the city, back to where it all began for her, through her struggle to become a writer, first boyfriend and of course her amazing wardrobe! The series is a real easy watching, "coming of age" treat! If you love 80's fashion and are in need of some stylespiration, The Carrie Diaries is perfect for you! With plenty of bright colours, vintage inspired dresses and clashing prints, the show is worth watching for the fashion alone! 

If you haven't seen The Carrie Diaries yet, I really recommend that you do! If reading is more your thing, you can also read what Carrie got up to in the 80's. The series is based on Candace Bushnell's The Carrie Diaries and Summer in the City

What do you think of The Carrie Diaries?