Spring Clean Part 2.

Get Shopping!!

This here is the second and final part of my 'spring clean' posts. As you know I am an avid shoe lover and I own more than the physical space of my room/studio will allow, plus I just have some pairs I have never got round to wearing. So here is the link to my ebay page- grab a bargain! Alot of fabulous styles for spring summer and a few winter wardrobe pieces too, some of them are not yet available until 29/04/13 so do keep your eyes peeled. If you do win- tweet me what you've got! 

#SpringCleanWinPT.

Beauty Box Review: Part 1 Cosmetics.

Crown brushes, Black Up Palette, MAC concealer and blot powder, Seventeen 'Doll'd Up' Mascara, GOSH cosmetics Velvet Touch lipstick in 'romantic', and me with all my new products :-) 

Knowledge is power! This particular saying and biblical reference is often used in academic or political conversations, but at the end of the day Knowledge- whatever it is that you have learnt or already know is power to the individual that acknowledges this fact. With that said, I present to you my first Beauty box review focusing on cosmetics.

 So my approach to make-up is that it’s there to enhance ones natural beauty, it’s also part of the frivolities of life that can aid to transform ones emotional state, for example-when I’m having a crappy day, a brand new lipstick helps to put the smile back on my face (literally) :-)

My look goes according to my mood and also whatever time I get out of bed hehe. I have combination skin so it’s important that I capture/highlight the features of my face accordingly so a ‘caked’ look is not my thing.

I will be reviewing the Black Up Cosmetics Colour Corrector palette £23. I first heard about the palette after watching make-up artist Chanel Boateng discuss their product range, and even though my foundation was MAC it just turned out that through a range of circumstances (not having enough time to sit in the chair at Selfridges) that I ended up purchasing this palette, and I am in LOVE. The best thing about this product is it’s versatility- I use it as an eye-shadow primer, concealer, corrector and highlighter too. Very long lasting and not cakey at all, good with either fingers or brushes and finally the range of shades in all the palettes are great and easy to mix to suit you. 8/10

The Seventeen ‘doll’d up’ mascara was practically given to me for being a Boots Advantage cardholder. They sent me a coupon saying that I could purchase the product for only £2. It’s a good mascara-nothing too fantastic about it, non-clumping- I’d say a great ‘everyday’ mascara for natural lashes. Seventeen is not a drugstore brand I normally shop from, and for the full price I’d certainly not purchase this, but they do have some nice products. 5/10.

As mentioned in the past, I am a lover of threading my eyebrows. I can withstand the pain as I thoroughly enjoy the results, my brows grow better and the shape is easier to maintain, however I am not always able to get to the hairs as well as my eyebrow woman does, so sometimes I just have to let them grow and appear :-/ So I have been on the lookout for a good thick creamy concealer to use on my brow-bone in order to hide away stray hairs. Seeing a few you-tubers doing the same I was then introduced to the concealer pot from MAC. In NW45 £14, it’s a good consistency and easy to apply with the right brush and sets well with or without powder. It’s ideal because it’s in a shade lighter than my MAC foundation so as it also conceals it’s shade acts as a natural highlight which I can then blend for preference. 9/10

My make-up on a whole has massively improved and generally looks much better through the choice of purchasing good quality tools like the brushes from Crown as mentioned in my spring clean.

The 15 piece 517 Luna £49 set is great for advanced make-up users because the different kind of brushes in the kit allow you to experiment more and get better results with great precision especially for things like blending eye-shadows and highlighting and contouring the face. My personal experience with the brushes have been great- I love the way they feel on my skin; super soft, easy to clean; bit of shampoo and conditioner and your good to go, and also retain their shape/texture after being cleaned, as a lot of other brushes tend to shed or become brittle. This kit has encouraged me to try new looks by trying different techniques and has made my ‘daily make-up routine’ much more efficient and tidy.This particular kit has too many brushes for a beginner and may confuse you, but it’s still great to have in order to learn and work your way up, they have great ranges available for all kinds of levels from beginner to professional. 
The ordering process and delivery from crown was really easy and quick and I will definitely be ordering from them again. 9/10

Part 2 will be a review on my recent skincare products I have purchased.
What are you loving beauty wise?
X

After seven sunny days in April.

Topshop, River Island, ASOS, Other Stories, Zara, La Femme Blushes.

Winter in this beautiful country of ours (England) has been rather draining emotionally and sartorially. Not being able to see the sun and waking up to complete darkness these past months have taken it’s toll on poor old me.

 Snow, rain, hail, sleet you name it, we’ve had it. And yes I know that winter is not supposed to be enjoyable per say but I think that of all the seasons Autumn Winter is my favourite fashion wise. Designers go to great imaginative lengths to make each a/w different from the last, and do their absolute hardest to not fall for the ‘cliché’ winter looks and colours that we all know.  This being said, it’s not been easy to dress up and have fun in the mornings when major practicalities have to come into view. My nice black patent Chelsea boots aren’t going to keep my feet firmly on the ground when I’m slipping and sliding all over the ice now are they? But hooray!!! Spring is officially here. Although many of the spring lines hit many of the High Street brands in January, it’s only now that wearing such clothing is appropriate as the temperatures have been hitting 18, and my oh my is England soo beautiful in the spring!

I know the colour palette is very summery, but sometimes our spring here is also our summer rolled into one! So one has to make the most of it. I am totally loving the oriental kimono from Topshop; that paired with the fringe midi dress, wild green wedges and cat-eye shades and I’m ready for tea and cake on a roof top garden in Knightsbridge. #SoSpringRightNow
Images from topshop.com ,asos.com, riverisland.com, zara.com,google.com, otherstories.com 

The Finer Things in Life.

Tea, bed and blog! I simply adore the finer things in life, but nothing gets a smile on my face quicker than a huge endorsement from the simple things too. After a week away from work, I am rejuvenated and refreshed and my creative absorption levels are at an all time high. This has encouraged me to get back to my first love of designing and sewing. My bedroom/studio is piled high with tons and tons of fabric bags and swatches as well as my clothes and darling shoesies, and whilst in the process of my spring clean which is due to end this month, I have finally embarked on deciding to design and sew my first collection. YAY!

It drives me mad with frustration when I realise I’ve spent half my wages on clothes, knowing that I have the desired skill and understanding to make the stuff myself. Not forgetting to mention that I have a mannequin, sewing machine AND an OVERLOCKER gathering dust in my studio. It really is time to face up to my fears and get designing. It will only mean that I’ll have more money to spend on shoes, bags and jewels…unless I learn to make them too-then I’d only have to pay for food and travel! Ah BLISS!!! Not to use my creative goal as an excuse, but if my posts seem sparse or in fact rare, don’t be mad I’m only working on putting myself out there in this big world of ours. I will do my absolute hardest to keep you updated,for those of you on twitter; keep up with my design movements by tweeting #creativegoals , and I will also be posting my inspirational findings via pintrest. 

Varsity bomber jacket/cream zip jumper/varsity tee/denim gilet/leather gilet/printed scarf all Topshop,
 jewellery-Primark, Purse-TKMAXX, MAC, Seventeen, Black Up Cosmetics, Clutch-H&M

So with that massive announcement out on the world-wide-web, I can only go forward (even though I can easily delete this posting, I’d have deleted it knowing that you out there would have read it, and be anxiously awaiting to see what I have produced-and I’m not a cruel person). Yes so with that announced, here are my purchases in the last ninety days or so featuring clothes, make-up, shoes and accessories etc. Over the next few weeks my ‘purchase posts’ will change as I will be swapping the clothes buying for fabric shopping instead.  Whilst photographing for this post, I looked around at the items and noticed I hadn’t bought a single pair of shoes. In true ‘shoeaholic style’ it had been conveniently wiped from my memory that indeed I had purchased three pairs of shoes…phew considering as I was looking forward to spoiling myself in the asos sale for such resilience hehe 

I picked up a lot of things I wouldn’t normally consider to wear, like a WHITE varsity t-shirt (white and my hips aren’t friends), but I’ve fallen in love with it-definitely getting it in the black! (Topshop Varsity T-shirt £20)

Emerald green according to Pantone (only like the worlds leading colour experts, if you didn’t know!) is the colour for 2013 ‘lively. Radiant. Lush, a colour ofelegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony”. With that being said this choice of a cut-out midi dress in emerald green with leopard print seemed ideal as I do consider myself to be lively, radiant, lush and now with this print….fierce! Meow!!!!

I’ve found injecting colour, texture and print into my wardrobe of late to be quite easy. And stores like asos and topshop have made it even simpler by designing basic pieces but in mouth-watering colours and prints, like this ‘blood orange borderline tomato red’ pencil skirt. Shoe wise I fell in love with these uber comfortable tan wedges similar to the libertine pair and of course lassie. Now I was a bit put off as I thought they were a bit ‘orthopaedic’ and not in a good way, but after ample sessions of trying them on, both with painted nails and with them only being a fiver I just couldn’t resist. I had an impromptu shopping trip and picked up some fab ab jewels from ‘Primarni’ and this gorgeous purse from TKMaxx in a lovely lime green/yellowy colour.

Beauty wise I picked up what was only on my shopping list; MAC concealer and blot powder, gosh velvet touch lipstick in ‘romantic’, and ‘dolled up mascara in black brown’ from Seventeen for only two quid!! A treat from boots for being an advantage points customer. I’ve had my eye on the MAC ‘colour corrector palette’ for a while as seen on my wishlist. But whilst in Debenhams I came across the ‘Black Up Cosmetics’ stand, and I remember watching Chanel Boateng talking about them, so I picked up the colour corrector from them instead-but I have a ‘beauty box review’ post coming up so will spill the beans all in that.

So I look forward to hearing more from you all my lovely readers and I warn you now…watch this creative space!!!

Sugar and Spice and everything thats nice.

' I'll shave my legs tomorrow'

'Naughty'

'Spitters are quitters'

Growing up, I remember watching my grandmother sitting in the corner; she always had a cup of tea, a blanket, bible, knitting needles and a box full of yarn (she was the original old school kind of nana). She would knit and sew to her hearts content, making for all my brothers and sisters scarves, cardigans and lots of crochet tea cosies and placemats. Knitting was something I learnt from my mother through my grandmother and is skill I truly appreciate and love and continue to improve. Unfortunately, needlework/arts and crafts/sewing etc is somewhat lost on this generation. The habits and traits of ‘fast fashion’ has made them lose the sense of appreciation of working/making something beautiful and distinctive with your hands, and it’s great to see shows like ‘Great British Sewing Bee’ reminding us of the fun to be had in working with your hands.

The difference between dressmakers and designers is quite significant, but they all share the common ground of ‘creativity’.  Mixing old with new, naughty and nice is ‘Comme Le Sucre’.  Simply translated ‘like sugar’, Comme Le Sucre is a unique up and coming brand providing super cute embroidery in a selection of designs with a ‘prim and proper’ approach, but with a naughty twist. Not quite the cross stitch you’d buy for mothers day, but it is for the women of today who are real and appreciate a good sense of humour but all displayed in the chicest way possible.

Looking at the blog of owner and founder of the company Kim, her creative eye and attention to detail through her moodboards provide in-depth inspiration and it’s evident to see that there is a lot of love and devotion behind every stitch.

Starting at just £7, there are three designs to choose from, if you wish to purchase a custom design contact Kim here.

My personal favourite is ‘I’ll shave my legs tomorrow’. For me it just sums up everything that life should all be about, being yourself and going with the flow.

Checkin Out; Wishlist SS13

My deepest apologies to all of you, for the lack of my online presence, I can only put it down to work and family responsibilities that have kept me far away from my darling blog. However this absence has not stopped my avid desire to shop and virtually drool over alot of the high street pieces within the spring summer collections. As you can see, I'm having a bit of a love affair with all things nude and rose gold. Amping up my already plump lips with some Russian red lippy from M.A.C and keeping it chic with some sheer blouses and lingerie to boot. Topshop and River Island have both been providing stuff that I just have to get my hands on. My 'saved for later' basket on ASOS.com is full to the brim with Internet lusts that I soon aim to make mine. The picture above is displaying just a few pieces that I am requiring to be in my wardrobe and beauty box. Has there been anything from the Great British High Street that has been catching your eye of late?

Such Fun!

 In the words of Miranda Hart, this video is just 'such fun'! Topshop have really embraced a fresh approach to spring with their collection; offering really ready to wear pieces suitable for both tropical climates and the British weather which basically means layering your whole wardrobe only for you to get indoors and undress layer by layer!! Below is just a screen shot collage of some of the images from the video above, alot of the pieces are already available online and instore, happy times:-)

Images; screen shot from video from youtube.com