Turkish Lookbook

A post I would have scheduled while I was away if I had the time, is a mini collection of the outfits I'd wear on holiday. Instead, I'm sharing it now:

The Airport

A simple and comfortable outfit for travelling in; no-one wants to be taking off loads of layers and accessories when going through security!

 The Daytime

Not a part of the holiday that requires much in the way of clothing! Being the lazy person I am, I only made it to one breakfast! and the rest of the day it was lounging around the pool in a bikini and throwing on this awesome white kimono for lunch.

The Evening

When it came to packing outfits for the evening, I pretty much just threw things in my case that were summery and I wouldn't be able to wear for much longer. Nothing too fancy, just something to wear while working my way through the menu of all-inclusive cocktails...

Las Vegas Stylin'

Back to the fashion posts for today! I was approached by vegas.com to take part in their #MyVegasStyle challenge: creating multiple looks for a day and evening at the Aria Resort and Casino.

My first look is for chilling by the pool, something I could definitely get on board with! I actually recently bought the sandals I've included; I think they're so pretty and different. The star of the outfit, however, has to be the bikini, from the already hyped brand Triangl.

For the rest of the day, I've switched up some accessories, but kept a few the same for an easy transition. With the warm weather I probably should've chosen shorts, but I really like these jeans and wanted to incorporate them into an outfit.

And finally, for the evening, I've kept a similar colour scheme but gone for a much more dressed up outfit. I'd love to wear this, but I struggle to find jumpsuits that fit my leg length (tall girl problems).

Las Vegas is definitely on my bucket list, and if I won the lottery I'd hop on a plane (first class obviously) right away and wear all of these things!

xxx

SS14 Outfits

Hey! Just a quick post today: with Spring/Summer well and truly here I wanted to share a few outfits I've put together - the kind of things I've been wearing to add some colour to my wardrobe!

Mint

 Orange

Floral

I do love the warmer weather for getting a little more experimental and daring with my wardrobe. I also love adding colour to outfits, and I find summer clothes to be far more flattering!

xxx

Fashion February: Kimono

Hey! Today is my final post in the #fashionfebruary series I've been a part of. The 'theme' this week is to style a kimono, a trend I want to get on the bandwagon of, but wasn't really sure how to wear one out of a holiday beach cover-up type of situation. So this style 'challenge' was pretty much perfect for me.

I decided to go on Polyvore and let my creativity take over, and ended up styling this floral kimono with a monochrome striped pair of jeans, and added a pop of colour with a cobalt blue bag - plus simple shoes and plenty of rings as accessories because I recently bought a selection of rings/midi rings I've been enjoying wearing all at once.

I personally think the outfit works, despite the potentially clashing prints, but what do you think? Would you wear this?

xxx

Fashion February: Tartan

Hey! I almost completely forgot about this, but it's time for Fashion February again! This week's topic is to style the ever present tartan trend, and I've gone for an outfit that pretty much sums up my current sort of style.

Hope you like it!

In other news, my SD card reader is working again (yay!) so I can finally upload and share with you my pictures from Paris! Be warned though, I took one heck of a lot of photos...

xxx

Fashion February: Numari Edit

Hey! And today is another fashion post for you! As part of the #FashionFebruary bloggers, our first topic of the month is to style up a Numari dress using just 5 accessories.

I chose this Numari dress, mostly black and I decided to grunge it up a bit! Grunge to me instantly says 'biker jacket' and who could resist this one from Topshop that is on sale for just £20! Keeping with the grunge theme, I've added some ankle boots with cut-outs and buckles - right on trend! And peeping through the sides, will be these cute pug socks - tying in the camel colour in the dress!

To complete the look, I've gone for a statement necklace, something gold like this one would be perfect and another item in the sale; bargain! And if we count makeup as one accessory, I'd go for a smoked out eyeliner and bold red lip!

What do you think of this outfit?

xxx

Campus Style

Hey! Something a bit different today, since I've decided I'd like to do a few more fashion posts! To start off with, I thought I'd share my everyday sort of look, for days when it's cold and I have to walk to lectures and do work and stuff.

While I'm a bit in denial and keep thinking Spring is really soon, it's still so cold outside! However I am useless at layering so this is the sort of thing I like to wear: ankle boots, leggings and a nice cosy jumper (you can never have too many jumpers right?). Then to wrap up I have my big khaki parka (mine was from Asda of all places!) and cosy winter accessories to keep my extremities warm, and so my hands don't fall off.

Short and sweet post today, let me know if there's any other sorts of outfits you'd like to see!

xxx

Bloody Mary Makeup

Hey! Just a quick post today, as I wanted to share the makeup I did for a fancy dress bar crawl I went on last night. The theme was drinks and cocktails, so I went as Bloody Mary (a cocktail I actually love anyway).

I kept the outfit simple: a red skater dress (only a fiver from Primark!), black waist belt, suspender tights and black ankle boots. But for the makeup, I made a little more effort and went for a 'I've cried so much my eyes bled' look (I wouldn't recommend it for everyday!).

To create the look, I first primed all around my eyes with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, then liberally applied MAC Cranberry all the way up to my brows, and quite far below the eyes. I then used Urban Decay Blackout blended across my brows and down into the Cranberry, and also down the sides of my nose for a hollowed look.

With a black eyeliner, I added details above my brows for a sad expression, and lined my waterline and lashline (all the way to the inner corners of my eyes). I applied mascara to my top and bottom lashes, and then dripped fake blood down my face.

While waiting for that to dry, I applied concealer to my lips (I don't own a nude lipstick - blogger fail) as I didn't want to detract attention from the eye makeup, and I back-combed my hair for a messed up effect.

What do you think? Would you wear this for maybe Halloween next year?

xxx

Halloween Costume & Makeup (Not for the Faint Hearted)

Hey! So Halloween was a couple of days ago and I thought I'd share with you what I went as! I know a couple of weeks ago I shared some simple makeup tutorials, but for my own costume I opted for something a bit more extravagant!

I decided I wanted to be something a bit different, and after finding inspiration online, I went for being a zombie Disney princess! The question then was: which one? Being brunette narrowed down my options and I chose Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Personally I think that works out perfect, because I told my 'backstory' of how the 'real' ending was just that I got attacked by the Beast, instead of the happy ending we've all seen in the Disney film!

Anyway, here's the whole look:

And here's a close up of the makeup:

Ouch. The makeup took just under 3 hours in total, and I used this (and this) video on Youtube as inspiration.

I had a house party on Halloween night, and it was quite funny watching peoples reactions as I opened the door! That said, I hope I haven't traumatised anyone! (Or scared away any of you lovely readers, I promise my face will be back to normal next time!)

What did you do for Halloween?

xxx

Back to University; OOTN & EOTN

Hey! So I'm back at university this week, ready to start year 3 of my degree (nope, not final year I'm on a 4 year course). But more than that, I'm ready to catch up with friends, get dressed up and enjoy some nights out again!

And on that note, I thought I'd share something I'm definitely planning on wearing at some point in the near future; clothes and makeup.

Quite often at uni, you end up going out pretty last minute and don't really have time to do all this, but on a night which was planned and I had time, this is something I would absolutely wear.

This polka-dot bodycon dress was a bargain in the River Island sale at just £10, and although you can't see, I've accessorised with glittery gold shoes and also this balloon elephant necklace. 

For makeup, I've kept the focus on the eyes with a bold and classic grey smokey eye and I've also lightly filled in my brows. The rest of the makeup is kept very simple so as not to look like I fell face first into my makeup collection.

For my hair, I really would need some time to do this (my hair is both long and thick, so takes ages to curl) but I wanted to keep the outfit fun, and I felt curls would fit best.

xxx

Autumn Lookbook

Hey! September has officially landed, and with it: Autumn! I love summer as much as the next beauty blogger; but I can't say enough how excited I am to embrace all the AW13 trends! 

Today I thought I'd share basically a mini lookbook for the sorts of things I'd like to wear this season. I've chosen three main trends: Monchrome, Tartan, and Floral.

My first look is for Monochrome, and includes two of my favourite things: oversize knitted jumpers and ankle boots. The colder weather means I can bring out my trusty beanie (a saviour on bad hair days!) and I also feel this outfit would be appropriate for more wintery months with a big coat thrown on top.

My second look, Tartan, also includes ankle boots but I think this check shirt is absolutely gorgeous as it's made of a sheer fabric. I think this would be a perfect look for uni, but it doesn't feel complete without a red lip!

Last but not least is Floral, and I think this is a nice transitional outfit - one for the warmer weather we're still getting. Having said that, you could definitely add a thick pair of tights and a cosy cardigan to this for the chillier weather. I also own a pair of shoes like this, and I feel they ought to get a bit more love this Autumn.

Bonus look! Another floral-themed outfit, I spotted this skirt on Polyvore and couldn't resist making a look with it! I think this would be more suitable for an evening out, and you could wear heels with this.

So those are my looks for this AW13! Hope you've enjoyed, and maybe got some inspiration.

xxx

OOTN: Japanese Geisha Costume & Review of Illamasqua Cream Foundation

Hey! Today's post is sort of multi-tasking, I wanted to share the costume and makeup I wore for a party last night, and also review the Illamasqua foundation used! It also seems appropriate with Halloween not too far away... this is definitely a costume which could be zombie-fied!

So it was my friends 18th yesterday and she was having an 'Around the World' themed party. (Funny story; she had the same venue and DJ as I had at mine 2 years ago! Good taste obviously) I personally love costume/theme parties and after spotting a kimono on eBay for a bargain price of about £4, I decided I would be a Japanese Geisha!

The kimono itself was a teeny bit short at the back, so I wore a plain black skirt underneath and I swapped the white ribbon belt which came with it because it looked a bit naff.

The makeup itself was actually pretty simple, but for some reason did take me an hour! (I'm blaming those pesky false eyelashes) I applied a base of Illamasqua Cream Foundation in 110, then filled in my brows to emphasize them a bit more, some blush blended on my temples, a simple cat-eye flick with some liquid eyeliner and applied some false lashes and mascara, and finally red lipstick just in the centre of my lips.

You may also notice I've re-ombré-ed my hair - bright red to go with the outfit. This was such a simple (and cheap) costume to put together but I got a lot of compliments for it.

Okay, onto a more detailed review of the foundation!

I knew I would want my makeup to last, and not irritate my skin so I decided to purchase some proper white foundation instead of regular face paint. Also I remember doing a friends makeup to look like the Joker last Halloween and the white face paint being really thin and un-pigmented if that makes sense? So I immediately thought of Illamasqua as they're known for their more theatrical makeup. Lucky for me, at the time I was looking they had a 50% sale on! So this foundation is still available here for £23, but I managed to get mine for just £7.50 - bargain!

The consistency of this is nice, and is definitely pigmented! I applied this with my Real Techniques Stippling brush, and while I got good coverage, I'm disappointed to say it did not last well. Even with my trusty Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray, which usually makes everything stay on my face all day/night! I found I had to re-apply my foundation a couple of times through the night, which isn't really ideal.

I might try this again at some point using the sponge which came with it to apply the foundation, and see if that makes any difference - but I generally prefer to use brushes for my makeup. On a positive note though, I have to commend Illamasqua for their fancy packaging - I really felt like I was opening something special! Even if it does seem like a rather large box for just one item!

I don't think I've been put off buying other products from Illamasqua though, I've quite got my eye on a glow-in-the-dark nail top coat they do!

xxx

Prairie Charms: Project Blogger

Hey! So the last post featured a lovely little online boutique called Prairie Charms. They hand make gorgeous jewellery and hair accessories and today I'm going to review some items I've ordered from them, as well as offer you the chance to win some in my first ever giveaway!

Before I jump into proper review mode, I'd like to take to a minute just sit right here I'll tell you how I became the Prince of a town called Bel Air to rave about how great the customer service is! The email responses are so fast and super friendly; I feel well and truly looked after even with one small order! I should also warn you this post is pretty picture heavy (everything is super pretty though).

One final thing (I promise) is how cute the packaging is! My order arrived in a fancy gold envelope (none of this boring brown paper here), making me feel a bit like Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - or should it be Charley and the Chocolate Factory? Anyway, I digress... each of the products was wrapped safely in cellophane and then pretty purple tissue paper (how did they know purple's my favourite colour?) making my order feel more like a gift than a purchase.

Okay, onto the actual products!

I chose a couple of hair bows - a pink polka dot one for day, and glittery ones for night; some plain black hair ties (I'm sure I've read somewhere this style does't snag your hair) and because I spent over £10 they also sent me a little extra in the form of a glittery purple heart headband (could also be worn as a bracelet).

So first up is the pink polka dot hair bow. This is the Aaliyah Bow - £6.50*, and I think it's so cute and retro! I've worn this at the front of a hair bun (using a Vivienne Hair Tie - £5*) and it takes seconds to clip in, but really adds a bit of interest to the hairstyle. I was a bit worried initially that wearing a hair bow might take me back to my school years and make me feel a bit childish - but its quite the opposite I think! I feel some 50's housewife vibes crossed with Minnie Mouse. As homage to that, I've put together a little outfit I'd wear with this; as well as some nail art:

I've picked some light blue 'mom jeans' with a simple white cami and cutesy accessories. I've also taken inspiration from my own mum as she actually had this Ted Baker bag in a peach colour! This works for warmer weather, or the addition of a cream knitted cardi makes it suitable when there's a typical British chill!

For nails, I didn't want to be too obvious and have plain polka dots so I went with something which highlighted the Minnie Mouse feel the bow has. I would have had white Minnie-heads but they didn't show up too well! So black silhouettes with a glitter accent nail it is! 

Next up is the Effie Glitter Bow in Peacock - £8*. I LOVE the colours of this! It's so unique to anything I've seen in shops, and I think it'll be great to jazz up outfits for a night out! The other bonus is that to go from day night all it would take is a swap of a hair bow! So, what would I wear on a night out with this?

...A dress of course! And some accessories which complement the hair bow; glittery shoes, a necklace with similar colours and a simple bag to bring it all together!

For nails, I've tried to find a colour in my collection which complements the hair bow and so I've gone for a bright teal colour. I could have gone for all-out glitter nails - but I didn't want to go over the top! So one glitter accent nail again, and a second accent nail in a simple-aztec design for this look.

I am super happy with my hair bows, and also my hair ties which really don't snag your hair or create that dreaded kink! I'd now like to offer you lovely people the chance to win the other items I haven't mentioned yet! That would be the other glitter bow, and the purple glitter heart headband!

This giveaway will run for a month, and then I shall let the winner know! To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter widget below and make sure you're following my blog either with GFC or Bloglovin'

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Products purchased with 50% off as part of Project Blogger.

My Weekend: Instagram Style

Hey! Today is something a bit different, and I totally meant to put this up yesterday but I was so tired after a busy weekend! It was my best friend's 20th so I went to visit her for celebrations. We had a delicious meal and cockails in Las Iguanas (sadly, not pictured) followed by ice cream at Creams (also not pictured, sorry!) on the Friday, and on the Saturday (her actual birthday) we went shopping and then clubbing.

I'd baked some popcorn and choc-chip cookies (recipe here) from Joy the Baker's blog (highly recommend these, so yummy!)  and promised to do nail art for her. This actually ended up turning into nail art for her housemates too, and we had a bit of a mini salon going on in the back garden!

Our outfits seemed to have a bit of an electric blue theme going on (love that colour) and I finally decided to brave the crop top trend!

What did you get up to this weekend?

xxx

PS Apple Sourz and Coke make an oddly nice drink...

Lasula Boutique

Hey! Today I'd like to tell you about a new little clothing brand called Lasula Boutique. 

A few days ago they tweeted offering the chance to sample some of their clothing before their official website launch in July. Now I don't know about any of you, but I've certainly never heard of clothing samples before! Never one to turn down a freebie, I jumped at the chance and today my goody bag arrived.

I received this beautiful hot pink top, with pretty multi-coloured jewels around the neckline. One thing which usually annoys me about embellishments on clothing is when they've been glued on and all fall off in the wash (who has time to hand wash everything?!) but these have been sewn on so that shouldn't be an issue! 

Lasula also included this pretty necklace, and some yummy sweeties (they must be psychic because these are all favourites of mine!)

I have to say, this top isn't one I'd normally pick out in a shop as I'm not a massive wearer of pink, but I absolutely love this top! I think its perfect for summer, and I've put together a couple of outfits, to show how I intend to wear it.

My first outfit teams the top with an cobalt blue skirt (from River Island) and some simple ballerina pumps. I love the idea of clashing bright colours, and if you cant do that in summer when can you?

For my second outfit, I've worn the top with a simple pair of white jeans (from Next) and jewelled sandals (from New Look). I think the simple white makes the hot pink really pop, and the shoes keeping with a jewelled theme as well as adding a bit more interest to the outfit.

I would wear both these outfits day or night, but if I was wearing them as a night-out outfit, I think I would add a few more jewellery accessories. The necklace I received perhaps?

All in all, I can definitely see myself wearing this a lot, and I can't wait to see what else Lasula Boutique have to offer!

xxx