London Bound ¦ April 16

London Bound ¦ April 16

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London is one of my happy places. It honestly excites me so much when I have day trips there, whether is be sightseeing, visiting one of their attractions or my favourite - shopping. This time, my family were travelling to Angle Islington to watch my friends in 'In - Nocentes' by the National Youth Dance Company. Going to watch my friend perform was very important for me as I'm auditioning for a place in the company this year...super exciting! 

However, before stopping at Angel, we had a couple hours to spare. This is where I struggled to restrain myself from the beautiful shops on Oxford Circus and Regent Street; my bank account is honestly crying at the minute so I wasn't able to go crazy. I did buy a couple makeup items in Boots, with the help of a good ol' voucher and my mum kindly treated me to a gorgeous playsuit from Forever 21. 

Selfridges is always my favourite place to shop/look in London. I literally want to buy all the designer bags and shoes; there were so many Kurt Geiger clutches I was lusting over it was ridiculous! The beauty floor is obviously my primary place to go - the Charlotte Tilbury stand always looks incredible with their spotlight display. 

My rust-orange, patterned playsuit was from Forever 21. The material is super lightweight so will be perfect in the summer (maybe not in England but..) and the style is super flattering because of the ruched-detailing at the stomach. Additionally, the deep V neck allows you to glam-up the outfit with a statement necklace if you were to wear it out in the evening. 

In Boots, I had two gift cards to utilise; I decided to go to the drugstore side of Boots as I hadn't purchased anything from there in a while. L'Oreal have always been one of my favourite drugstore brands so I decided to purchase some needed products from the stand - the Lumi Magique highlighting concealer and the Superstar Super Liner. Fortunately, there was a '3 for 2' offer on the counter so I managed to pick up one of their new matte lip products in 'Oops I Pink It Again'. After swatching it on my lips last night I am already impressed - the sponge end allows precise and smooth application to the lips. 

For my evening makeup, I ventured for a purple/grey smoky eye look with a nude lip.

Products used : 

~ Nars Sheer Glow ~ Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer ~ Rimmel Stay Matte Powder ~ Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess ~ Benefit Rockateur ~ The Balm Mary Lou Manizer ~ Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate ~ Urban Decay Smoky Palette & Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette ~ Maybelline Gel Liner ~ Revlon Lash Potion ~ Model's Own Liner (waterline) ~ Charlotte Tilbury Bond Girl ~

The performance was honestly breath-taking - I love contemporary dance and it has been my passion for the last couple of years. I cannot wait to audition for the company in the Summer! My evening was successfully completed with a Mango & Passionfruit cooler from Costa alongside a triple chocolate muffin. Mmmmmm.....

Where is your favourite place to travel to?

Lots of love

Cosy Spring Style for English Weather...

Cosy Spring Style for English Weather...

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Spring in England is always so disappointing for me. As much as I would love the days to be warmer, the sun to shine and flowers to bloom, the weather never lives up to my expectations. How I long to live in a country where the weather doesn't fret from one extreme to the next...

Anyway, today's blog post is a collaboration with the beautiful Abi Hunter from the blog Lady Hunter. Her images and writing are so professional; I can never stop myself from reading one post to the next! Her social media and blog will be linked below - don't forget to check her out!

Blog - Lady Hunter

Twitter - @ladyhunterblog

Instagram - @ladyhunterblog

Whilst I'd much rather get out my daisy designs and summer dresses, it is only practical to stick to cosy attire during the English Spring. Therefore, I've opted for a long-sleeved striped top from Forever 21, a black pencil skirt and some thin opaque black tights. For the Winter to Spring transition, I still tend to wear tights as the weather is not warm enough to start getting my legs out. To make up for that, I tend to wear a light pair of tights to cover up my extremely pale legs, alongside keeping them warm. 

Layering is also essential during Spring, thus I wore a complementary beige knit cardigan to layer on top of the t-shirt. As well as the two pieces complimenting each other, this simply makes me comfortable and warm, whilst dreaming I'm still snuggled up in bed. Over my top, I accessorized with a copper locket. Finally, although not photographed, I paired the outfit with some burgundy heeled boots to invest in a more smart-casual look. 

Ultimately, this look wouldn't be complete without a bold, peachy spring lip to liven up the outfit. I applied a generous coat of Bourjois' Velvet Matte lipstick in 'Peach Club. Benefit's Rockateur blush also came in handy to spruce my cheeks up with a sparkly pink glow.

Where do you live in the World? Do you have issues with the weather where you are?

Lots of love

Winter to Spring Makeup Transition

Winter to Spring Makeup Transition

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When a new season comes around, it is absolutely vital that I alter my makeup bag to fit the appropriate weather/theme. In Spring, I can't help reaching for all my favourite pastels, pinks and shimmers. Here is what you are most likely to find in my makeup as we change from Winter to Spring...

Although I'm a sucker for full coverage foundation, I can't help opting for this incredible BB cream from Garnier. This leaves my face feeling light, even and fresh - the smell is an added bonus, it reminds me of being on holiday!! The lightest shade matches my skin colour perfectly too; I always seem to be paler than pale after undergoing the cold Winter. 

When it comes to complexion, I'm not one to go for intense contour and excessive highlight in the Spring, unless I'm going out in the evening of course. To create a more subtle bronze/contour, I use L'Oreal's Glam Bronze Eau De Soleil for slightly definition. The formulation is very liquid-y and can be messy, so be careful otherwise it will go everywhere - TRUST ME!!!

Jasper Rose by Bourjois is the one to go for if you like pink, rosy cheeks like myself. The powder formula is highly pigmented so you don't need to apply more than two strokes onto your cheek to create the desired effect.

Finally, face-wise, I'm into dewy highlight; Rimmel Wake Me Up Shimmer Touch in Flush of Pearl is supposedly a great dupe for Benefit's well-loved High Beam. The liquid formula forms a dewy, iridescent glow on the cheek bones which instantly draws sunlight. 

During this time of year, all of my pink-based eye shadow palettes come out the drawer and become much more utilised. Recently, I've been loving my Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette as it contains both winter/spring appropriate shades to take me from one season into the next. My fave shades definitely have to be Salted Caramel, Creme Brulee and Haute Chocolate.

 Also, I love to use my Bobbi Brown Pink Opal palette for a quick shimmer on the lid - this can add a glitz to your makeup if you don't have time to go create a whole eye look. This would also work as a beautiful, pink-toned highlight!

Finally, my Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP gives the perfect base for a Spring eye shadow look. I cannot stop using it throughout the season, whether I'm wearing eye products over the top or not!

Leaving the best till last...LIPS! Pink seems to be a running theme in my posts whenever Spring hits us... Anyway, Mac's lustre finish lipstick in Lovelorn is essential in my makeup bag throughout this time of year. Pink lips are so feminine and really lighten my complexion; this blue-toned pink also makes your teeth look insanely white.

In the warmer months, I like to delve into my lipgloss collection - I have such lovely shades but am always hesitant to use them in the Winter, as the wind just blows my hair onto my lips and it is a NIGHTMARE. Urban Decay's beautifully encased LIAR lipgloss is part of the infamous NAKED collection - the colour is less dramatic than the lipstick so would work for those who are tentative at wearing vibrant colours.

Don't forget to check out my Winter to Spring Fashion outfits post! 

What products do you always reach for at this time of year? What is your go-to Spring lipstick?!

Lots of love

~ Winter Ball ~

~ Winter Ball ~

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Hey Everyone! Sorry for the lack of seasonal posts (not that this is any better) but A levels have literally taken over my life, along with extra activities like pantomime rehearsals and driving lessons. Hopefully I will keep this up over the Winter holidays and the New Year because I would love to be as active as I was during the Summer!!

Anyway, today I'd like to write about my Friday Evening at my school's Winter Ball - celebrating the hard work we've all put into playing on the Foosball table in the common room  our AS/A levels so far and to, of course, celebrate Christmas itself. I absolutely loved the venue, the colours used to decorate were very seasonally appropriate and the dance floor was so much better than my prom!!

Onto my favourite part... GETTING READY!

As always, makeup is the best part whenever I'm getting ready to go out. The focus tonight was on my eyes because I wanted them to match my silver and black outfit. Before applying facial makeup, I went straight to my eyes because when black is involved, fallout is crazy!!! I stuck cellotape from underneath the corner of my eye to the point of my brow to create a smooth, neat line where the shadow and liner would finish. Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette came in handy; I applied verve over the top of Mac's Bare Study to form a silver undertone on the lid, followed by pistol in the crease to begin layering. Black Out, an intense, pure black, was placed in the outer corner and crease layer by layer until built to my desired look. I finished my eyes by placing silver glitter all over my lid.

Primer : Benefit Stay Flawless 15hr 

Foundation : L'Oreal Infallible 24H Foundation

Concealer : YSL Touch Eclat

Powder : Rimmel Stay Matte

Eyebrows : Soap and Glory Brow Archery

Eyeliner : Rimmel Exaggerate

Lashes : P.S Love Primark 'Sultry' Lashes

Bronzer : Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess 

Highlight : Mac Soft and Gentle 

Lipstick : Rimmel Kate Moss 101

Outfit: 

Jumpsuit : Topshop

Shoes : River Island

I wore large, silver statement jewellery to cover up big areas of bare skin - i.e my neck and arms. I absolutely love the black and silver theme I went for, despite originally planning to wear royal blue, like my bestie Jess. Also, Jess offered to curl my locks because I wanted to make my hair really voluminous and bouncy to take attention away from my chubby face.

Before leaving for the ball, Jess and I met with our friend Harvey to take some cute selfies. We also had a couple glasses of Prosecco - maybe Harvey had a few too many glasses...

The night finished up being one of the best nights I've had in a long while. I absolutely loved spending time outside of school with new, and old, friends and having so much fun. Surprisingly, the music was fab too and everyone was dancing the entire evening (none of that awkward, tense atmosphere with noone on the dance floor). 

Thank you for reading, I hope to be posting again before Christmas. What would you like to see?

Lots of love

5 Beauty Products You Need This A/W

5 Beauty Products You Need This A/W

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If you are living in the northern hemisphere, you will know that it is time to hide away those vibrant corals and replace them with those ravising reds and berries. 

Welcome to Autumn everyone! Autumn is my favourite time of year due to so many reasons: the nights get darker (not great for taking photos with the poor lighting - but I love it!), the temperature becomes cooler, the knitted jumpers come out along with all the gorgeous autumnal colours. I'm a huge fan of all the autumn trends both in the fashion and makeup industry; so today, I would like to cover my top 5 things I love and you NEED this A/W on the beauty side of things.

During the cooler months, my skin always thinks it would be funnier to go VERY dry and make my makeup cling to patches on my face - FAB!!! To try and avoid this in 2015, I've prepared myself by keeping my moisturizers, primers and radiant illuminating creams at the ready. Garnier and Simple do some great skin goodies for an affordable price!

Another way I like to stay radiant and glowing is using golden toned highlighters. I feel these work best in the winter months as it brightens paler skin. These two high end must-haves are probably the most talked about highlighter and I completely understand why so many people talk about them. Even better, these two products work incredibly together; layer MAC's soft and gentle over Benefit's Watts Up and you're good to go!

Warm, plum blush shades are what you need this Autumn/Winter. They compliment golden highlight and deepen the cheek colour to make you have a flawless complexion. I'm not usually a fan of loose powder products but this E.L.F Blusher in PLUM really does me wonders at this time of year.

Eyeshadows are my favourite to change up seasonally, especially when Autumn comes around. Taupes, maroons, cranberries, coppers and golden glitters are the colours to go for - they correspond to the traditional autumnal shades and look great both daily and nightly. I absolutely love taupe and cranberry colours in the crease of my eye; they help to contour the lid so much and create the prettiest effect. Also, I adore wearing golden glitters on the eyelid too because of how simple is it to create.

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for - my favourite berry red lips for this Autumn/Winter. Want a matte finish? Go for Rimmel's Kate Moss lipstick in 107 or the Nars Audacious lipstick in the shade Charlotte! If you're looking for a more satin finish then you definitely want to opt for Mac's Rebel or Makeup Up Revolution's Rebel With Cause - how ironic that they have similar shade names?! Lastly, if you're a glossy type of gal, I totally recommend visiting Revlon and picking up Parisian Passion from their Lacquer range. 

What are your must-have beauty products for A/W?!

Lots of love

The Cream Eyeshadow Edit

The Cream Eyeshadow Edit

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Are you ever in a rush to do your makeup? Are you ever stuck trying to create that perfect smoky eye in 2 minutes flat? I know I certainly can relate. That's why today's post is here to give you the lowdown on what to do when stuck in these dilemmas - use cream eyeshadows!

On school days or mornings where I have to wake up early, I just NEVER have time to apply my makeup the way I want it to look. Being only semi-okay at eyeshadow, I always find it best to stay clear of dramatic/smoky looks on these types of mornings. The product I will forever turn to are cream shadows; they sit comfortably on the lid, create a wonderful sheen/colour on the lids and are super easy! Majority of the time, I blend in the shadows with my fingers, as I believe it to be the simplest way to apply but using a brush would work just the same.

Below are a few of my favourite brands that have wonderful ranges of cream formulated and pretty eyeshadows :

Starting on the drugstore end of the spectrum, I'd like to give a hand over to possibly the most talked about eyeshadows from the lower side of the market - Maybelline Colour Tattoos. From the moment I started wearing ON AND ON BRONZE two years ago, I fell in love and have always labelled it as a holy grail makeup product. This particular shade is perfect for day and night occasions and make a perfect base for a warm, brown autumn eye look.

Moving on to a recent favourite of mine - the Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks. I can't get enough of the pigmentation, even the most gentlest swipe on the hand and you're left with a beam of colour. The shade I got is a mix between champagne/taupe; a great addition to any smoky eye look. Can't wait to be wearing more of this throughout the cooler months.

Another cult favourite of both mine and other makeup fanatics are the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils. I have 3 shades; milk (white), Yoghurt (pink) and French Fries (bronze). Milk is absolutely incredible for a base or to brighten the eye. If you want to read an in depth review about these just click HERE. Personally, I'm a big fan of the stick-shaped cream shadows as they are less messy and simple to apply.

Sliding smoothly onto the more expensive cream shadows, we have the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows. I've been wearing RSVP for a year now and it is the ONE to wear on a 'no-makeup, makeup day'. It gives a glowing, awakened look to the eye as well as creating a pretty pink/champagne sheen on the lid. Oh, and the packaging is to die for!!!

Finally, here come my favourite of all - MAC PAINT POTS. I'm sure you've heard a lot about these are it is constantly talked about all over the blogger community. The easy-to-blend formula makes these cream shadows a dream to apply, not to mention the extensive colour range Mac has to offer. The shades I have are bare study - a classic champagne/cream colour which works fabulous as a base or primer, and rubenesque - an orange, metallic shade that is very autumn appropriate (the various colours it shares when it reflects is beyond gorgeous!)

ARE YOU A FAN OF CREAM EYESHADOWS? WHAT ARE YOU FAVOURITE EYESHADOW CLASSICS?

Love