31.10.15

Hair Inspiration

clavicut
clavicut
clavicut
clavicut
Source: Pinterest
I haven't had a hair cut in a while, but been thinking about going a bit shorter - about collarbone length with long layers and keeping the fringe long as well. These are the pictures I will be taking to the hairdresser. 

Follow me on Pinterest for more hair inspiration.

xo

29.10.15

Autumn Fragrances for Every Budget

library of fragrance perfume

With no doubt that autumn's arrived, light and fresh fragrances feel a bit out of place so it's a great time to update your perfume wardrobe, here I have 3 options for every budget:

The Body Shop Vanilla: A classic gourmand scent, this EDT is warm and seductive. Long lasting and very affordably priced at £8.50 for 30ml, this eau de toilette is great value for money.

Giorgio Armani Code: A feminine and sweet fragrance comprising of orange and jasmine top notes, orange blossom as its heart note, and base notes of honey and vanilla. A 30ml EDP bottle will cost you £45 but if you get the gift set you will also get a free body lotion with it, which will help the scent last even longer.

The Library of Fragrance Chocolate Chip Cookie: Another sweet smelling perfume, smells just like the name suggests - freshly baked cookies with rich dark and light chocolate, hints of sugar, creamy butter and vanilla. It's £15 for 30ml cologne spray, a reasonably priced fragrance to keep or gift someone. 

What's your favourite autumn fragrance?

xo

27.10.15

Garnier Oil Free BB Cream

Garnier Oil Free BB Cream

It all started with a sample I got in a magazine, I have tried the original Garnier BB cream, the first BB cream to hit the UK, I believe, so was quite interested to see how they compared. After trying it out a couple of times (the sample lasted me quite a while) I decided to go ahead and buy it.

The Garnier Oil Free BB Cream is aimed at combination to oily skin and claims to mattify thanks to ultra absorbent perlite, blur pores and imperfections using mineral pigments, even skin tone, moisturise and protect with its SPF 20. 

I usually mix a little Garnier Oil Free BB Cream with my moisturiser for an even lighter coverage, but even so this BB cream manages to even out my skin tone and blur out pores, scars and marks, which is always nice. It doesn't feel greasy on the skin and helps to keep it a bit less shiny than usual.

I've never been a fan of heavy coverage makeup as I don't like how it feels or looks on my skin, so a BB cream is a great choice if you prefer a natural finish.

Find Garnier Oil Free BB Cream in LookFantastic.

xo

22.10.15

Dying My Hair Purple

L'oreal Casting Creme Gloss in Plum

A while ago I received a box of L'oreal Casting Creme Gloss in Plum to try out, and only recently got around to using it. I hadn't dyed my hair in about 10 years and just wanted to do something different as I was off work for quite a while. 

The L'oreal Casting Creme Gloss conditioning colour contains no ammonia and promises shimmering colour, glossy shine and soft voluptuous hair, as well as blending away grey hair. The kit comes with a tube creme colorant, a bottle of developer cream with a precision tip applicator, a bottle of nutri shine conditioner, a pair of gloves and instruction leaflet. 

To use you must do an allergy test and if there's no reaction it's safe to use, for which you mix the colorant and cream together, shake well, break the tip of the applicator and distribute through your hair, after the time indicated you rinse it off and apply the conditioner (no need to shampoo). 

My first impression was that my hair looked darker even though it is quite a dark brown colour (the dye is recommended for dark brown to black hair) and the plum colour wasn't very visible unless my head was backlit. After the first couple of washes the colour became a bit more noticeable. 

As I don't have greys I can't comment on that but my hair didn't dry out or feel coarse. After over 28 washes there is still a hint of plum noticeable on the top which I believe is due to applying the colour there first and therefore being on there for longer than on the rest of my hair. 

Overall it is a fun way to try something new with your hair without being permanent or having to damage it. If you have dark hair and want something subtle then this is for you. 


xo

20.10.15

New In: September 2015

cotton cashmere uniqlo jumper
givenchy live irresistible
daler rowney watercolour
Lierac Luminescence serum
minimal jewellery

For our 3rd anniversary Dot got me a Uniqlo cashmere blend jumper and a H&M glass box where I keep some of my jewellery on display. 
Also last month I won a couple of giveaways including a Boden cashmere cardigan and a 75ml bottle of Givenchy Live Irresistible
After being painting for over a year I decided to upgrade my painting supplies and got a Daler & Rowney set of watercolour paints and Daler & Rowney mixed media sketchbook from Hobbycraft as they were half price.
Found the Lierac Luminescence serum in TK Maxx for just £13 (normally around £40) so couldn't not get it.
Last but not least, another giveaway I won: a couple of gold necklaces from Gramerci design.

xo

14.10.15

Sanctuary Spa Body Butter

Sanctuary Spa Body Butter

A while back I won a Sanctuary Spa gift set that contained, amongst other products, the Sanctuary Spa Body Butter, which is an award winning product that claims to provide a boost of moisture and instantly smooth and soften skin.

There are a few varieties of the Sanctuary body butters, but this is the classic scent one which contains luxurious butters from shea and cocoa, oil from macadamia nuts and sweet almonds and vitamin E.

The Sanctuary Spa Body Butter has a sweet, light scent and a slightly thicker than cream consistency. When I first used it I thought it would be thicker but it is in fact just perfect as it is very easy to apply and spread, you only need a little bit, it sinks in quickly and leaves skin soft and moisturised but not greasy.

Find Sanctuary Spa Body Butter* in Boots.

xo

13.10.15

Oversized Cardigan

nomads oversized cardigan
longline cardigan
nomads oversized cardigan
oversized cardigan
oversized cardigan

Nomads Oversized Cardigan* // Uniqlo Jumper // Topshop Jeans // Paul Costelloe Bag // Topshop Chelsea Boots // Gramerci Necklace*
(Similar: Bag, Boots)

On Saturday I received in the post this super long oversized cardigan from Nomads Clothing, it is super cosy so perfect for layering and can even be worn as a coat. It is comfortable, soft and keeps me warm which makes it perfect for autumn and winter.  

Nomads Clothing is offering 20% off to all my readers, all you need to do is use the code BLOG20 when you order. Happy shopping!

xo

8.10.15

Back To Work Haul

thermo flask
biker boots
Denim Backpack, Flask, Umbrella & Biker Boots: all Primark.
(Similar: Backpack, Flask, Umbrella, Boots)

As I work in education, it was finally time to go back to work for me last month, for which I decided to get a couple of things as an upgrade was needed.

I got a backpack as the bag I was using for work was a satchel, I liked that it was structured but sometimes I needed a bit more space, also I like that I can carry it on my back which avoids back pain. 

As I'm cold most of the time even in the summer, I got a thermo thing to carry hot drinks with me, which a) will help warm me up and b) will save me queuing for the kettle at lunch time, which means wasting precious eating time. 

The temperatures keep dropping, for which I needed a new pair of boots (my last ones were falling apart). These ones have faux fur inside which makes them super cosy. 

Last but not least, I got an umbrella which I haven't had the pleasure to use as it hasn't rained when I walk to or from work (typical). I love the floral design on the dark background and the ruffle trim which makes it very feminine.

xo

6.10.15

Styling a Dress for Winter

winter dress styling



If you thought wearing dresses is something that should be left only for when it's warm this might change your mind. You can also wear your dresses when the temperatures drop, the key is to layer up with your cosiest accessories to keep yourself warm. 

I would choose a knitted dress in a burgundy tone and a camel masculine inspired tailored wool coat, along with a super furry scarf and leather ankle boots. For accessories I like to keep things to a minimum but I never go out without earrings on, so these tiny stud ones are great. A wide brim hat, watch and cross body bag complete the look.

How do you style dresses in the winter?
Share with the #FFAWDressUp and you could win £250 Farfetch credit.

xo

1.10.15

Alaïa Paris Perfume

Alaïa Paris Perfume

With the purchase of the most recent edition of Glamour UK magazine, there was a sample of the new Alaïa Paris perfume, which I, as a fan of fragrances (my collection won't stop growing as of late), curiously decided to try. 

There was no description of what the scent would exactly be like, but judging by the model's outfit styling and the black background I assumed it would be a sexy, night time, deep, dark and mysterious fragrance. 

The packaging features a dusty pink box with black font, and on the bottle the colours appear inverted, plus there is a very interesting geometric pattern on the bottle and a textured golden lid. Upon further reading I found out the notes of the Alaïa Paris Perfume are musk, blended with tones of freesia and pink pepper.

When I first sniffed it I thought it had a strong scent to it and proceeded to apply it on my pulse points. The perfume has very faint floral notes and is very woody and warm, it's definitely a lovely scent but I find it a bit masculine and I think I would appreciate it more as a male fragrance, just not on me.

It is definitely long lasting, I applied it in the morning and can still smell it after about 10 hours, so a great option if you like your fragrances to have lasting power and find it annoying having to reapply them.

Find Alaïa Paris Perfume in John Lewis.

xo