Party Make Up...

As a follow-up to my last post here’s my current favourite party look, which would be perfect for New Year’s Eve or a Christmas Party...

I started with my eyes, by priming them with the Rimmel Exaggerate Primer. I then used the colour ‘Gateau’ from the Sleek ‘Oh So Special’ Palette, all over my eye lids and used both ‘Gift Basket’ and ‘Boxed’ in the outer corners of my eyes, blending for a few minutes to create a subtly smoky effect. With the Lancôme Artliner in black I created a cat eye flick and then lengthened my lashes with the No 7 Lash Extensions Waterproof Mascara, which stays put for hours!

(Finger Swatches) Left to Right: Boxed, Gateau and Gift Basket.
 (Hand Swatches) Top left: mixture of Boxed and Gift Basket, Left to Right: Boxed, Gift Basket and Gateau.

Having finished my eyes, I moved on to the rest of my face. I started by putting on the Rimmel Match Perfection (in 200 Soft Beige) all over my face. I then used the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (in 3 Medium) underneath my eyes to hide any dark circles and brighten the area. To add a bit of colour and highlight, I used the Ted Baker Bronzer on my cheekbones and then the MUA highlighter above my cheekbones and on my brow bone. Finally to finish off the look, I used the Rimmel Kate lipstick in 08 for a subtle hint of pink.

Who else is excited for all the parties and fun to come?! :) xx

Party Outfits...

With Christmas and New Year’s round the corner, I thought I’d share what sort of outfits I’ll be wearing to parties and gatherings…

The first is a navy blue dress from boohoo.com. It’s embellished with silver gems around the waist and the straps, so would be perfect for a more dressy event. The silver makes it easy to accessorize, so I’ve teamed it with silver heels from next, a silver clutch (a present) some crystal studs and some silver bracelets from Accessorize.

The next dress, from ASOS is a bit more casual. It’s black with a metallic bronze filigree pattern on it. As it’s a skater dress, it hides a multitude of sins as well as being super comfortable! The heels I’ve chosen to wear with this outfit are from Ted Baker and well worth the tear jerking price, as they are gorgeous! They’re made from satin with a bow detail on the front, as well as the golden sole and tiny button on the heel detail thats signature to Ted Baker. They’re very comfortable on the whole, however the 4 inch stiletto make them a bit difficult for dancing in! As the neckline of this dress is high I opted to skip a necklace, instead wearing a coppery bracelet from Jack Wills and a simple black clutch.

This dress is probably the most daring one as the open back means you can't wear a bra with it! It's made from a black lacy material and is quite tight, as well as very open! You can also purchase this dress from ASOS in a few other colours, although I think the black one is the most versatile and stylish. I finished off the outfit with some black wedges from Forever 21.

The last dress a burgundy bandeau dress is from ASOS. Although the bust is quite tight the skirt is much looser and softer. I felt this dress was such an elegant looking colour that golden accessories would complement it well. So I chose some golden dangly earrings from next and a necklace from primark. For shoes I have chosen some quite glitzy heels, which are quite comfy even though they're 5 inches (although they do have a tiny platform)!

Thanks for reading! Which outfit do you like the most? :) xx

Black Friday Haul

As most people will know last Friday (the 28th) was Black Friday aka crazy shopping event! So I decided to take advantage of the sales and get a few things for an upcoming holiday I'm going on...

The first place I visited was boohoo.com, where I bought both a Dress and Skirt in the same print. I loved the print as it's bright and playful, and as it incorporates many colours, so will go well with many different other pieces in my wardrobe.

Next I bought a Tropical Print Jacket. It almost looks like a kimono, but is a bit thicker. I think it'll make a nice addition to my holiday wardrobe as its light and loose, so will be nice to wear when travelling.

Finally the last few things I bought from boohoo were a ruched hip detail Black Maxi Skirt and a White Crop Top. I feel these two items are staples and will be very versatile.

The next site I visited was ASOS. Here I bought a Blue Shift Dress (available in Black too), this will be perfect for wearing when going out for dinner or can even be jazzed up a bit and worn with heels as a party outfit. I also bought a Silver Plated Sea Charms Bracelet, as It looked perfect to wear on the beach and as it's silver plated, I won't be too worried about it rusting!

The last thing I bought from ASOS were some plain Black Espadrilles. I've been a fan of espadrilles for a while now, as they're the most comfortable type of flat shoes I can find, and comfort is key when travelling! I also think the pair I've bought look relatively smart, so I may even wear them with the shift dress, for a meal out.

I then had a look on very.com as I'd heard  good things about their swimwear, so wanted to try some out. I ended up buying two items; a Resort Premium Embellished Hidden Underwire Swimsuit and Resort Tie Side Swim Shorts. I'd bought these with a water park in mind, so I wanted some pieces that weren't going to come off mid ride! With that in mind I had to return the Swimsuit as it was much too loose! It was much too long for me and didn't feel like it was going to stay on! The Swim Shorts fit much better and were quite comfortable, so I decided to keep them.

The final item I bought was a pair of Vans Authentic Slim Rose Black Multi. I've wanted a new pair of Vans for ages, and I've been looking specifically for some with an exciting design or pattern, so I was thrilled to find these! I especially love that these are bright and colourful, as I will be able to pair them up with a multitude of different outfits!

I hope you enjoyed this haul!
What kinds of things do you like to wear on holiday? :)

Christmas Gift Guide 2014!

December has just started, making it now acceptable to start thinking about Christmas!!!! This year I've decided to be super organised. I have everything from presents, plans and parties already sorted! Although I've realised from the panicked looks on many of my friends' faces that some people aren't as organised. So I thought I'd try to tackle one of the most common problems of Christmas time... Gift Shopping!

Christmas Shopping is always daunting, as it seems like there's no time yet so much to do. However, I think the key to a good Christmas present is finding something that will be appreciated or shows how much effort you've put in rather than how hefty the price tag! So I've created a small Gift-Guide to share some of my ideas with anyone struggling with shopping...

The first few ideas are for make-up and beauty lovers...

These make-up gift sets are from Boots, and are all around £15.00, and can be bought using Boots' 3 for 2 offer. The top right hand picture is of the Jack Wills Chubby Lips set, which has 4 very wearable shades of both matt and glossy lip colours. The bottom two pictures are of Ted Baker gift sets. The one on the left is The Kiss of Ted, which has a chubby stick, a red lipstick and lipliner, a mirror and lip balm. The other in called Shades in Waiting, which I've done a blog post reviewing. These are great for friends who're starting out with make-up or even someone who would enjoy an addition to their make-up stock! 

Another idea for beauty lovers would be Nail Polishes...

Nail Polishes are perfect for a budget present as they can be quite affordable, but still a welcome present to anyone who loves a bit of colour! The five in the picture are my favourite Christmas Nail Polishes; Ted Baker - Gold, Rimmel - Double Decker Red, Jack Wills Radford Nail Varnishes in Gold and Dark Star and Barry M - Amethyst Glitter.

These ideas are very general, but can be tailored to an individual...

The first is FUZZY SOCKS! I love winter, but I hate the cold! So socks like these are brilliant, as they're incredibly warm and soft helping keep your toes warm. The ones in the picture are from Primark and they're cheap and cheerful at £4. The next idea is DVD's, because everyone loves a good movie. The ones shown are classics that most girls seem to love, but obviously you could get a movie like Guardians of the Galaxy for your brother or someone who loves marvel or Now You See Me for your friend whose a little bit obsessed with Dave Franco! Next is Books, which can be tricky to choose, however if you choose a book written by an author they love, they'll be impressed you remembered that they liked that author. The books I've picked up are 'The Hunger Games' and 'The Fault In Our Stars' as they've become quite popular due to the fantastic movies! Also I've included 'The Mums Book of Glamour' as I feel this book is lovely to give to your mum or even grandmother, as you could use the books Arts and Crafts tips/ideas and turn it into an activity you can do together. Finally there's always Bath treats (from Soap and Glory)! These are great for people who love to pamper themselves or even those who need to be forced to relax!

Homeware is not everyones cup of tea, but there are many people who adore candles and love decorating their home to reflect themselves...

Candles are a wonderfully versatile gift as they can be bought in all shapes, smells and sizes! Pictured above is an Apple and Cinnamon candle, which smells delicious! Frames are also quite versatile gifts, however they can be personalised, by putting in a lovely picture, perhaps one of you and the recipient of the frame, to remind them of a special time. The two I've shown are quite different, the Small Owl Frame would be good for a portrait and the larger Rose Gold Frame would be nicer for a group shot.

The last few ideas were bought with my brother in mind, so could be perfect for boyfriends or dads too...

The first idea is a tumbler, the one pictured above is from Coast (available only in store) and would be great for lovers of Coffee or hot chocolate. The second is a phone case. This is a great present as you can choose one to suit whoever will receive it. I have bought the Vans iPhone case from Belkin, which I have myself and have used for a few months, so can safely say it is very good for accident prone people! And finally, one of my favourite presents, a Marvels comics Mug, Chocolate and ID tag set (only in store at Asda or Pound Stretcher). This is something I have bought for my brother who absolutely loves superheroes and has recently been enjoying watching Marvels Agents of Shield and Flash. So I reckon this would be a great treat for lovers of comics or superheroes.

 I hope this helps give you some ideas! Enjoy Shopping :)

P.S What would you love to receive from this guide?

Ted Baker Eye Look for £15

As a student, I know how difficult it is to shop on a budget, and I especially struggle to find good quality but affordable make-up! However I recently purchased a Ted Baker Gift Set from Boots, and was delighted at the quality, the packaging and price of the products.

The Gift set is called Shades in Waiting and includes 3 eye crayons, a mascara, an eyebrow pencil, an eyeliner pen and tweezers.

 Having tried out all the products, I realised that they were all good quality and can be combined to create a whole eye look, for only £15!

The first look I managed to create would be perfect for every day, as it’s quite neutral, with the gold eye crayon all over the eye and the bronze crayon in the crease. I finished it off with a bit of eyeliner and one coat of mascara. (P.S thanks to my sister for letting me use one of her eyes!)

The second combination would be great for a dressy event like a Christmas party, as it’s a bit darker and very sparkly! Using a light hand I put the silver eye crayon all over the eye and then I went in with a heavier hand and layered on the crayon in the crease, to make it a bit darker. I also did a cat eye flick with the eyeliner, which I had to apply 3 times in order to make it more opaque and put two coats of the mascara on.

In general this set is excellent. The eye crayons are the stars of the show, with a lovely creamy consistency and excellent pigmentation and sparkle! The mascara was also very good, as it was not clumpy and added both length and a bit of volume. The eyeliner however was not the best quality, as it did go on quite transparent, but after a few coats, it does look much better. Unfortunately I couldn’t use the eyebrow pencil as it was too light for my sister or me, however I did give it to a friend with light brown hair, and she raved about how lovely it was!

All in all this would make a lovely little set for someone who’s on a budget, or is just starting out with make-up, as it’s got everything you need for an eye look! It would also make an excellent Christmas present or stocking filler as it it’s nicely packaged and all round great!

What do you think about these types of gift sets as Christmas presents?