August 2014 - WEDDING FLOWERS
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Royal Outfit of the Day: August 29

When it comes to raiding Queen Máxima's closet, there's just one true question at hand: could I resist the urge to steal a cape for my very own? Sporting a cape makes everything 112% better (scientific fact). Very tempting indeed. The daywear section wouldn't hold much of a draw for me, but the cape would have some serious competition from more than a few numbers from the gown section. Temptation all around...
Máxima, and her family, on the evening of the King's inauguration, 2013.
...but ultimately, I think this little number would give the cape its greatest challenge. Of course, it's related to the cape - a cape cousin - since it is also Jan Taminiau and belongs to the same day and same massive occasion, Willem-Alexander's inauguration (both outfits are pictured below). But the raspberry gown is delicious in its own right. I'd just need some diamond stars to stick in my hair just like the new queen did, and I'd be set. (Surely they wouldn't miss it if I nabbed a few of those while I was at it...)

Which outfit tempts you most from Máxima's closet?

P.S.: It's a three day weekend! We'll be back on Tuesday.


Photos: NOS/Jan Taminiau

Tiara Thursday: The Snowdon Floral Tiara

The Snowdon Floral Tiara
Lady Sarah Chatto’s wedding gown has been discussed several times on this site; the Jasper Conran gown wins a general crowd approval, as does her pairing of the gown with what we’ve referred to as the Snowdon Floral Tiara, a gorgeous diamond floral tiara that breaks into three separate brooches. The tiara has often been reported (including on this site) as having been a gift from Lady Sarah’s father, the Earl of Snowdon, to her mother, the late Princess Margaret, but something about that description never quite rang true: Princess Margaret was never pictured wearing it as a tiara. Would she really have let a tiara from her husband go unworn? Thanks to this year’s wedding gown exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum (and to the many readers that visited and reported back), that little discrepancy has finally been cleared up.
Above, all three brooches used by Lady Sarah (center) on her dress in 1997.
The answer is, quite simply, that the tiara was never worn as a tiara by Princess Margaret because it did not exist as a tiara when Margaret owned it. Lord Snowdon’s originally gave his wife not a complete tiara, but three separate antique brooches. They weren’t used together as a headpiece until the preparations for the 1994 wedding began. Jasper Conran saw the pieces in Lady Sarah’s possession when designing the wedding gown and made the suggestion; Wartski was enlisted to make a frame that would hold the largest brooch as the centerpiece and position the two smaller brooches at either side. The brooch fittings remain in place, and the brooches and frame are in Lady Sarah’s possession. She can be seen wearing all three pieces as dress ornaments above and she also wore pieces at her mother’s funeral in 2002. Her half-sister Lady Frances wore them in her hair for her own wedding.
The only time the “Snowdon Floral Tiara” has been worn as a tiara was at that wedding (which was also the only time we’ve seen Lady Sarah wear a tiara, period), but I’m curious to see it used again. It’s a fantastic take on the traditional diamond floral tiara with lots of dimension to it, but the arrangement is clearly set up for, and enhanced by, the use of a veil behind and greenery to the sides. Would it translate to a normal hairstyle? I hope someday we’ll find out.

Where does this rank on your list of favorite diamond floral pieces?

Photos: Royal Household, UK Press via Getty Images

Leucadendron Tall Red


Leucadendron "Tall Red" is a bushy fast growing shrub that, like its name suggests, grows tall and red. For most of the year, the bracts and leaves are burgundy red.  They are useful as a filler but really not a memorable plant.  But over the winter months a transformation occurs as Tall Red produces its flowers.    The bracts surrounding the pollen presenters lighten.  


Like many Leucadendrons, the colour of Tall Red varies depending upon the amount of sunshine the plant receives.  In full sun, the red is strong but the bracts and foliage that are shaded are paler.  As the the plant begins flowering, the colour difference can be quite striking.  The bracts in full sun are rich red and open to reveal a lime green pom pom centre.  The paler bracts range from a soft peach to a very pale yellow.  



The overall colour effect is soft and peachy.


The lime green centres then begin to turn yellow.


Yellow and fluffy!


They are such a cute cheery flower at the end of winter.


And really useful as a filler flower adding texture and colour.


I just love the range of colour that you get from this surprising plant.  A great leucadendron as a cut flower, and also an easy one to grow in a garden. 







Royal Event of the Day: August 27

The Swedish royal family attended the Polar Music Prize festivities last night.
We now interrupt our regularly scheduled wardrobe theft game for refreshing change of pace (in these summer days, at least): an actual event! Half of the royal ladies were only present for part of the event (Queen Silvia and Princess Madeleine joined in later, Silvia was typical Silvia and Madeleine was...not her best in an Ida Sjöstedt dress), but still, the Swedish royal family is trying their best for us. We do appreciate the effort.
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, above. Click here for a gallery of arrivals, including the King, Chris O'Neill, and a glimpse of Princess Christina and husband Tord Magnuson.
Is this the official Dress of 2014? Victoria's sure trying to make it so. This year has already brought us an outing for Victoria in the dark version and one previous outing in this light version, plus an appearance for Mette-Marit in the dark version. And that's just since June! It's a great dress, and a perfect choice for this event. But I think the question is: too much of a good thing, or never enough?
The dress is from the H&M Conscious Collection.
(By the way, Victoria will have her day in the closet theft sun later on.)

Photos: Anna Lu Lundholm via Getty Images, and H&M
Royal Outfit of the Day: August 26

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 26

Are you in need of the perfect gray suit for your all your job interviewing occasions? Yes? Step right up, it's time to examine our newest queen's wardrobe and take your pick!

I'm kidding. (I'm sort of kidding.) There's actually quite a bit I would grab on a run through Spain's top royal dressing room, a fact which sort of surprised me. I have a few guesses as to what items will be in high demand and I'm ready and waiting for you to prove me wrong with your obscure choices. In the mean time, my ultimate top pick:
This Felipe Varela take on the little black dress was worn on a couple occasions by (then-) Princess Letizia.
Full skirt? Check. Sparkles? Check. Reserved space in my fictional shopping bag? Check check.

What would you grab from Letizia's wardrobe to have as your very own?

Photo: Oli Scarff via Getty Images

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 25

Being an avowed Shoe Person, it's about time I got around to the accessories in my fictional closet raiding. You know who has a good closet for accessory collecting? Princess Beatrice, that's who.
Princess Beatrice attended an event in 2012 in a Roksanda Ilincic dress with an Anya Hindmarch clutch and Nicholas Kirkwood shoes.
Her overall wardrobe game is on a steady upward climb, but her hats (love 'em or hate 'em) have always been showstoppers. And in the past few years, her shoes have been equally fab. This blue pair can be mine any time. Actually anything in this whole outfit is welcome in my closet, but the shoes get a special invite.

If you could have one thing from Beatrice's closet, what would it be?

Photos: Mike Marsland/Wire Image via Getty Images, and Polyvore/Net-a-porter

Mac Lipstick 'Rebel' // Review


Today I thought I'd write a little review on one of my latest lipstick purchases - one of Mac's satin finishes in REBEL. I have worn this multiple times since I bought it as I have been wanting this for quite some time now and I would like to share my opinion on it with you guys.




When looking for a lipstick, I am relatively picky. By this, I mean that I look for 5 specific features - whether the colour suits my lips/me, the pigmentation of the lipstick, how long it lasts throughout the day, the finish of the lipstick (matte, creamy, glossy) and how moisturising it is on my lips.

1. Personally, I like how dark coloured lipstick looks on me so I am comfortable in wearing it regularly and in public. REBEL is a beautiful deep purple that creates an unintentional ombre effect when applied on my lips. I'm not sure if this happens to everyone who has Rebel but when I apply this lipstick, it appears more dark and purple on the outside and much lighter and red on the inner part of my lips. I LOOOOVE ombre lips and have never been able to do them so when this happened I was so so happy.
2. This lipstick is so pigmented, as Mac's lip products have a good reputation for, and you will be able to see how pigmented it is below in some snaps of me wearing the little beauty!
3. OMG! Rebel is super long lasting and will remain on my lips from morning to night. Obviously, like the majority of lipsticks do, the full colour will tone down throughout the day but even when this happens, my lips are stained this natural scarlet colour.
4. Satin is probably one of my favourite lip finishes, with lustres as a close second. So this definitely ticked another box for me!
5. Finally, I think this lipstick is about 4/5 in the moisturising department. It certainly doesn't dry out my lips but I am not completely ecstatic about it fully hydrating them either.

Overall, I have become very obsessed with this lipstick and have received many compliments when wearing it so I am very impressed!

I hope to be posting very shortly, seeing as I have been unfaithful again and haven't blogged in a while...I am so so sorry and I mean it. Thank you all for sticking around and can't wait to see you in my next post.
Pilot

Pilot

Clarification: You know how most TV shows premiere with an episode called 'Pilot'? Our life didn't just start a new season, this is a whole new spin-off show. Hence, the title of this post. ;) (*disclaimer* I am practising British English spelling. I'm not perfect at it, obviously, ((how am I supposed to know what I don't know?)). So try to be patient if you see misspelling, all you grammatically

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 22

If the opportunity ever presented itself to peek inside Crown Princess Mary's closet...I think I'd just set up shop and stay put. Get a cot. Little camp stove. Make me a little Prada nest in which to live out the rest of my days. Yup. Actually - believe it or not - there are things in there that don't interest me, but as far as what I'd grab, I can tell you for sure this one would be on the list:
At Princess Isabella's christening.
I've always had such a soft spot for this mauve-y purple dress. It's a Birgit Hallstein creation, and I'm pretty sure I've liked every one of those Mary's worn.
The dress takes its inspiration from a Prada dress that was already in Mary's closet, but I prefer to imagine it was dreamt up in a moment of pure Liesl love.
A little bit at least, right?
Now, I know some of you would be right there with me in the Prada nest, but I trust you have nothing better to do with your Friday than contemplate my question...

If you could have one item from Mary's closet (yeah, one), what would it be?

Photos: Steen Brogaard/Kongehuset, Niels Henrik Dam/Getty Images, and 20th Century Fox

Tiara Thursday: The Leeds Cartier Pearl and Diamond Drop Tiara

The Leeds Cartier Tiara
Today's tiara belonged to Princess Anastasia, wife of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark, son of King George I and Queen Olga of Greece. Prior to their 1920 marriage, Princess Anastasia was no princess at all, but rather an American with a past that included two previous marriages. She was born Nonie May Stewart in Ohio and by the time she met Prince Christopher in France in 1914, she was known as Nancy Leeds and was a wealthy widow following the death of her second husband. (Her Wikipedia entry - yes, I know, apply your own Wiki cautions - is full of slightly dubious details. For example, regarding Prince Christopher's claim that he married her for love alone and not for her money: "Whether he ever knew that she was, in fact, a decade older than him and had a living ex-husband is unknown." JUICY.)
Princess Anastasia
Anyway, this tiara actually predates her days of royal intrigue. Mrs. Leeds was a frequent client of Cartier, and ordered the tiara for herself from the famous jewelry firm in 1913. The diadem is composed of intertwining diamond circles outlined by a row of small pearls. The interior of each circle is accented with more small pearls. From each circle hangs a pendant, alternating pear-shaped diamonds and drop pearls around the tiara. The pendant diamonds range in size from 9.85 carats to the largest at a staggering 21.60 carats; the pearls at their smallest are 35 grains and at their largest, 64.60 grains.
Detail of the center of the tiara, and the side view
This is a tiara often confused for the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara so famously (and frequently) worn by Queen Elizabeth II, and indeed the design was based off of that very piece. According to Hans Nadelhoffer's Cartier: Jewelers Extraordinary, Grand Duchess Vladimir left her tiara temporarily at Cartier in Paris, and Cartier's close examination of the remarkable piece became the basis for the designs for three more tiaras. These included Mrs. Leeds' tiara shown here, as well as a tiara with large diamond drops made for Princess Paley in 1911 from an existing tiara. Today, we can add the reworked version of Queen Victoria Eugenia's Aquamarine Tiara to the list of similar designs - and, along with the Vladimir Tiara, it is one of this type of design still known to be in existence today. Nancy Leeds/Princess Anastasia died in 1923, and the whereabouts, or even the sheer existence, of her pearl and diamond drop version today remains unknown.

Of the similarly designed loop tiaras, which is your favorite?

Photos: Cartier/Wikimedia Commons
Royal Outfit of the Day: August 20

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 20

If I was let loose in Queen Mathilde's closet, well, there would be a lot that I'd leave behind. Her particular style works for her, but isn't usually stuff that I would choose for myself. However...
Mathilde (prior to becoming Queen of the Belgians) attended a concert celebrating Máxima's 40th birthday in 2011.
I would definitely start the search for her most memorable looks, this one topping my list. A simple white dress can be so divine, no matter what your style.

If Mathilde's closet was willing to give you one thing, what would you take?

Photo: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 19

Didn't take me long to get back around to Elie Saab in this little closet raiding exercise, did it? Well, that was predictable.
Sweden's Princess Madeleine sported Elie Saab Resort 2013 at her pre-wedding dinner last year.
Princess Madeleine has some cute stuff in that closet of hers beyond the gown section - there's an Oscar de la Renta white dress that I'm particularly fond of (see below) - but if there's an Elie Saab garment bag, I'm grabbing blindly.
The Oscar de la Renta dress of which I am particularly fond, on Madeleine and on the runway (with skirt lining added, an unsurprising modification from the runway).

If you could have just one thing from Madeleine's closet, what would it be?


Photos: Kungahuset/B.Grenfeldt, Style.com and Europa Press via Getty Images
Royal Outfit of the Day: August 18

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 18

Luxarazzi asked me which of the grand ducal Elie Saab gowns I'd pick if I were to whisk one away (I went with Stéphanie's wedding gown, because I'm subtle like that), but what about the rest of the royal closets? I know which jewels I'd grab, but what about the clothes and the other stuff? If you could have just one item from a certain royal closet, which would you go for? It turns out that planning a life of fictional sartorial thievery is an entirely pleasant method of procrastination, so let's start with one of the most thoroughly examined wardrobes.
The Duchess of Cambridge at a gala in 2012.
This slice of Jenny Packham pretty for me please, thanks. Just so I can look at the color, which is glorious and one of my current favorites, forever.

If you could have just one item from Kate's closet, what would it be?

Photo: WPA Pool via Getty

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 15

Here's a dress worn (reworn, actually) by Crown Princess Mary earlier this year, but we didn't really have a chance to discuss it in depth at the time. It's an interesting one - interesting in a good way, I think, but you be the judge.
The dress was first worn to the Dutch inauguration in 2013 (shown above), and then repeated at a government dinner in 2014.
Covered in scattered leaves and petals, the Japanese-inspired dress was designed by Charlotte Lynggaard as part of a collection presented to celebrate the 50th anniversary of jewelry company Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen in 2013. Mary wears a lot of Ole Lynggaard pieces, so it's no surprise she was first on the list for their foray into clothing.
Interesting, right? Particularly as a choice for a royal event entailing a sash (which cuts right through the waist detail) and some sort of head accessory (a wee hat, above, and a tiara for the second appearance, below). The dress is the sort of thing that suffers when too much is added in the accessory department, and I have serious qualms about the sash issue, but I'm sort of in love with the way it moves:
Video of this year's appearance. (Mary appears at 2:14, wearing her wedding tiara.)
So how would you style this number? Me, I'm hoping to see it again at a black tie tiara event (let's just dispense with the sash) and with the Midnight Tiara in place. (The Midnight collection was also designed by Charlotte Lynggaard, making it a good match on multiple levels.)

Photos: Pool/Getty Images and Luxury Insider
Week 5 in NYC

Week 5 in NYC

This whole experience went by like it was in a hurry to be done. Taylor kept unpredictable hours. A little annoying and lots disappointing because we didn't get to do as much together as we had hoped. But it's probably going to the the story of our next couple of years so....good practice. Look at this. Look at it! It's a chocolate chip cookie shot! That's milk in a shot glass made of cookie.
All about Keira

All about Keira


Once upon a time, I worked in Juneau, Alaska. The Summer of 2012 I was assigned a roommate who would also be working for HAP. It could have been a disaster. I could've had a pothead for a roommate. Really. 

Instead, I was blessed with a fantastic person and darling friend! 



We had crazy, amazing adventures on the West Coast so when we both found ourselves on the East Coast this summer, we

Tiara Thursday: The Luxembourg Turquoise Tiara

First of all: Posting was held back by some technical difficulties yesterday, hence the radio silence. My thanks to all of you that checked in, and we're back as usual today!

The Luxembourg Turquoise Tiara
In 2008, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa appeared in a petite tiara featuring two rows of turquoise stones surrounded by diamonds, a top row of upright pear-shaped stones and a bottom row of oval stones. She was also wearing a pair of earrings and a necklace to go with the tiara. The set caused quite a bit of interest at the time, as it appeared to be something either newly acquired or newly reorganized by the grand ducal family. For once, though, this is a mystery that would be solved.
Maria Teresa (left) and Tessy (right)
As Luxarazzi relays, an article from Point de Vue cleared up the mystery: the set has in fact been around for a long time. It was likely made around the 1830s, but it was only dusted off and given to the court curator to be restored for use by Maria Teresa in 2006 along with another, larger turquoise necklace. How or why these pieces managed to stay hidden away for such a long time remains unknown, but since bringing it back to life, the tiara has been worn by both Maria Teresa and her daughter-in-law Princess Tessy. It's not the easiest tiara to wear, but since turquoise has such impact (being both bright and opaque), it works particularly well in a small form. Turquoise has always drawn strong reactions one way or the other around here, so I'm curious to know...

How do you rate this little gem?

P.S.: I did a fun, quick interview with Luxarazzi for their summer series on royal bloggers. Check it out here!

P.P.S.: Thursday outfit posts will return when the summer slow season is over.

Photos: PPE/SIPA/RTL
Week 4 in NYC

Week 4 in NYC


The second we got back from Utah, I made a drastic decision. I loved my long hair but when I get restless or stress level goes code RED, I usually change my hair. 






And I couldn't be happier with my new length and the lightness of my head!






We moved the table to the balcony for a nice view when we invited a few friends over for dinner on Tuesday night. It was really dark for pictures
Royal Outfit of the Day: August 12

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 12

Princess Irene wasn't the only one with a birthday last week. Many of you mentioned Princess Beatrice, who celebrated her birthday on Friday, but someone else shares that August 8th day...
In the U.K. in 2010, Sheikha Mozah of Qatar was accompanied by the Prince of Wales for an exhibition opening at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
...Mozah! And here is our elegant celebration, with a bonus lesson on how to do monochrome right. Gray is a color that can be perilously boring, but texture and shape give this outfit all the interest it needs. The design is a couture look in embroidered gray flannel created specially for this 2010 event by Stéphane Rolland, who later commented that it made her look like a 1950s movie star. I couldn't agree more.

Photo: WPA Pool/Getty Images
Royal Outfit of the Day: August 11

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 11

King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and Queen Sofia attended an official reception at Almudaina Palace in Palma de Mallorca last week.
Okay, I take back what I said before. I'm good with a little Mallorca pajama action, as long as you give it a some flair from the original dressy pajama queens: the Golden Girls. Sofia's more than earned her right to a little cheesecake out on the lanai.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez
Royal Birthday of the Week: August 8

Royal Birthday of the Week: August 8

Princess Irene of the Netherlands turned 75 on Tuesday, and that sounds like a good excuse to revisit the very grand wedding gown she wore to her very controversial wedding (here's my original post).
Video, above
This is a sleeper favorite for me - I forget how elegant it is until it pops up again. I also tend to forget how much secondhand claustrophobia I get from watching videos of this wedding (I'm not even prone to claustrophobia, but the madness outside the church! How the couple managed not to freak out is beyond me). But it's well worth it to see this gown in motion. Happy birthday to Irene, and happy Friday-with-a-wedding-bonus to the rest of us!

Tiara Thursday: The King Olav Gift Tiara

The King Olav Gift Tiara
Add this one to your list of 18th birthday tiaras (others include Crown Princess Victoria's 18th Birthday Tiara, the Swedish Aquamarine Bandeau, Princess Benedikte's Floral Tiara, the Antique Corsage Tiara, and the Alexandrine Drop Tiara): this was an 18th birthday gift from King Olav V of Norway to his granddaughter Princess Märtha Louise. Made by Garrard, it's a small tiara of scattered diamond foliage (very petite ears of wheat, it looks like) with a few tiny pearls in the body and small pearl accents along the top.
Princess Märtha Louise
This is by far the tiara we see most often on Princess Märtha Louise. It's the only one she personally owns, and in Norway they tend to stick to their own tiaras. There are exceptions every now and then, though, and so we've seen her borrow another tiara on a handful of occasions (Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara for her wedding and Princess Madeleine's wedding, the Amethyst Necklace Tiara for Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, the bandeau of the Malteser Tiara on at least one occasion). I find that I like her in those special tiaras more than this one, but I recall from our ultimate tiara voting that King Olav's Gift Tiara has plenty of admirers out there.

Is this your favorite tiara on Märtha Louise?

Photos: PA and Royal Court of Norway

Royal Outfit of the Day: August 7

The Spanish royal family posed for the press at the start of their summer holidays at Marivent Palace in Palma de Mallorca.
I would hide behind the girls too, if I forgot to change out of my pajamas before a photocall. Smart move, Letizia.
Leti's drawstring trousers from Hugo Boss. I was dicey on these when they appeared in a fancier fashion, but paired with a simple v-neck tee...nope. Well, not for press business, at least.


Photos: Carlos Alvarez via Getty Images and Hugo Boss

Winter Colour


There is such an explosion of colour on the farm at this time of year.  As the weather gets colder, the colours seem to get brighter.  "Natives" are such great winter flowers with a surprising variety of colours and textures.


Leucadendrons change colour as they come into "flower" which is often over winter and spring.  While some are a rich deep maroon or red throughout the rest of the year, in winter they change colours.  Safari Sunset lives up to its name and changes to a vivid pink with creamy yellow inside.  And Red Gem, one of my favourites, changes from maroon to a buttery yellow with peachy tones.  I just love it!

Red Gem in July

Front - Safari Sunset, Middle Right - Red Gem, Back Left - Inca Gold


Other Leucadednrons that are green for most of the year, start to "glow" yellow.  Inca gold has a rich yellow colour highlighted with red tips.  I'm still looking forward to the Leucadendon Gandogerii and Goldstrike - fabulous spring yellows.

Inca Gold


There's so much gorgeous texture about too.


I love playing with colours and textures at this time of the year.  


It's heartening, on cold wintery days to be playing with such cheery colours too.


And there has been some cold weather lately - snow and hail and bitter winds.  


When you're out in the fields picking in the wind and the rain, with tingling cheeks and numb fingers, what keeps you going are the gorgeous colours that are filling the basket.


Winter is so pretty!

HUGE Beauty Haul


I have a very exciting post for you all today; hauls are my personal favourite type of posts to read! Last week, I went away to Hemsby, a little town about ten minutes from Great Yarmouth, with my family and my best friend Megan. We took quite a bit of money with us because we knew we wanted to have a massive make up splurge considering we are both incredibly obsessed. After searching for hours in different drugstores and having a colourful hands full of swatches, we ended up spending almost all of our money on beauty items...oops! Prepare for a long post....

Face

Rimmel BB Cream (RRP £6.99)



I have wanted a BB Cream for absolutely ages now and when I saw that this beauty balm claimed to have 9 in 1, I was obviously intrigued. This Rimmel BB Cream claims it: primes, moisturises, minimises pores,conceals, covers, smoothes, mattifies, brightens and helps protect. It also has SPF 25 and is in the shade 'MEDIUM'. I have only tried this a few times since I've purchased it and I'm loving it so far - I really wanted something light to wear on my face for the summer because foundation can sometimes feel to heavy and cakey. So far, I totally agree with 6 of the 9 things the cream supposedly obtains but I still have yet to get into this little beauty so I will let you all know how I get on with it if you are interested.

MUA Blush in Bon Bon (RRP £1)


 There is no specific reason for buying this MUA blush, except for my love of the brand and that it is really inexpensive at a bargain price of £1. I chose the shade 'Bon Bon' because pink blushers are my favourite and I didn't own any subtle candy pink blushes. The packaging is obviously quite basic, but I wasn't really expecting anything amazing from a £1 priced product. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Mono Blush in Santa Rose (RRP £3.99)



Even since I bought this blush, I have been using it as a highlighter. It is an EXTREMELY subtle matte peachy colour and looks so pretty on the cheekbone. Rimmel had a clearance stand, which held this product, as I believe this is the old packaging for the mono blushes. I ended up picking another bargain blush for £1.98! I had to take advantage of this and I'm sure I will be getting great use out of this product, especially in the Summer period.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (RRP for full product £30)


I haven't got much to say about this product because I haven't actually tried this out yet. I received this in a GLAMOUR magazine; they are also giving away mini Clinique chubby sticks and mascaras. I intended to get a chubby stick but they had all been taken so I went for this. I have heard amazing things about Clinique skincare so I'm hoping to fall in love with this product.

Eyes

L'Oreal Colour Infaillible Eyeshadow Pigments (RRP £6.99)


Swatches from left to right: Endless Chocolat, Purple Obsession, Naughty Strawberry, Innocent Turquoise, Burning Black
I have absolutely fallen in love with L'Oreal products recently.Their eye products have impressed me the most though; their eyeshadows, pigments and mascaras are incredible and I would highly recommend them to you all. I bought 5 different colours: 012 Endless Chocolat, 005 Purple Obsession, 036 Naughty Strawberry, 031 Innocent Turquoise and 013 Burning Black. My favourite has to be Innocent Turquoise because of how unique it is to anything in my collection - it reminds me of a shade I want from Mac (Steamy). I haven't used these a great deal but am very excited to try them all out - they are incredibly pigmented, as seen in the swatches above.

L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadows (RRP £5.49)

601 Levant Soleil
502 Quartz Fumé



These are so beautiful!!! The photos don't even capture the beauty of these, which is really sad. I believe these are part of the new L'Oreal eyeshadow range and I love how gorgeous they look in their packaging. I just NEEDED to buy them.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze (RRP £4.49)
Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Golden Bronze (RRP £4.99)






Rimmel's Scandaleyes range is incredible and after trying out their Retro Glam mascara I had to pick up some other Scandaleyes goodies! The swatches prove how amazing these are going to look on the eyes, I can't wait to try and recreate some looks with these products!

Calvin Klein Tempting Glimmer Cream Eyeshadow (RRP £15.50)




Recently, I have been loving cream eyeshadows because they are so simple to use whilst till looking so pretty. I chose a deep purple called 'GOLD VELVET' and a brown copper colour in 'RETRO BRONZE'. I have three other of CK's tempting glimmers and they are equally as pretty as these colours.

Bodyshop Baked Eyeshadow in Copper (RRP £7)


To begin with, I picked up an absolute bargain because I bought this for only £2 - it was in the reduced section. Neutral eyeshadows are my favourite so I tend to get drawn to browns, coppers, bronze and gold colours. I chose this eyeshadow clearly for that reason, but another plus is that I luuuurve baked eyeshadows; they last FOREVER! 

Rimmel GlamEyesMono Eyeshadow (RRP £4.49)


Essence I Heart Stage Eyeshadow Base (RRP £2.29)


Finally, to end the eyes section of this VERY LONG haul post, is this Essence I Love Stage eyeshadow base. I have used this quite a few times since I bought it. The application is easy; I just pat it into my eyelid with my finger which creates an even, smooth base,and primer, for my eyeshadow to be applied onto.

Lips


Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Aurora (RRP £6.99)


Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya (£7.99)


Revlon Colourburst Lacquer Balm in Vivacious (RRP £5.99)


MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Funk (RRP £3)


Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss in Silky Red (RRP £2.29)


Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers in Big Bang and Apocalyptic (RRP £6.49)


Bodyshop Born Lippys (RRP £2 each)


Bomb Cosmetics Lipology Balm in Chocolate Jaffa Orange (RRP £1.99)



I've decided not to write anything about my lip products for three reasons. 1. This blogpost is already way too long. 2. If any of you have any questions about the products then you can just comment below asking me and I will respond very quickly. 3. I tend to do Lipstick reviews fairly often so I don't want to write too much about these products in case I write a review in the near future.

Nails

Tanya Burr Nail Polish in Little Duck (RRP £5.99)


MINT GREEN! I have been wanting this for ages and am so glad I finally have it. I've already painted my finger nails in this, it is the most gorgeous mint green colour and also has the cutest name. Can't wait to hear the new cosmetics Tanya Burr is releasing this year!!!


If you aren't asleep yet, well done and thank you for reading. Sorry for my lack of commitment recently, I've just been very busy, my internet has cut out and I've been on holiday and I'm going on holiday again on Sunday. Write to me in the comments and I will respond to you all :-) Love you all x


Char Xx

wedding

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Wondering what style of flower bouquets you'll choose for your big day?
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