I should have gone to Specsavers ...

Not Primark!

Look at me, posing like a loon!

When I was a child I always used to lie to the optician in the hope he would prescribe me glasses. Back then I wanted a pair of plastic rimmed, oval, rainbow coloured specs ... geek-chic even back then, obviously I was a fashionista in the making!?

These days I envy the Chanel framed eyes of my friends. I have never needed glasses but I have always lusted after that sexy secretary image, the sophisticated intellect or the geeky goddess.

I'm sure i'm not the only one, there is something so intriguing about someone who wears glasses, you want to know about the person behind them. They give a chameleon affect where the wearer can change their image just by switching to a new pair of spectacles depending on their mood.

When Myleene Klass appeared in the papers this week wearing a pair of oh-so-trendy geek glasses, I finally bit the bullet and nipped to Primark for my £1 plastic copycats but you see, they are not enough. I want gorgeous glasses that frame my face and are the envy of my Chanel clad friends.And while we're on the subject, remember Colin Firth in A Single Man ... how sexy did he look in those black rimmed glasses? Phwoooar ... tell me I'm not the only one?!

So, is it any wonder that Specsavers are trying to find the 'Spectacle Wearer of the Year 2010' .... Do you think I'm in with a chance??????



Aherm, no, I didn't think so either. But you could be... if you think you are a stylish spectacle wearer, why not enter. You can do so by clicking on here or here.



Oh and before I leave you, heres a top tip for us girls from celebrity make up artist Armand Beasley ... 'If you wear specs or contact lenses it can be hard to know how to make the most of your eyes. Spec wearers should always opt for an under eye concealer which contains light-reflecting particles. If you suffer from under eye puffiness go for one in a slightly darker shade to your skin tone and apply on top of the puffy area to give the illusion of "bag receding". Remember light enhances and dark recedes.'



Thanks Armand :)



Good Luck to all you stylish spectacle wearers!



x





You can enter the Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards here

And you can find out more and watch YouTube footage about the Competition here





(This is a sponsored post through Handpicked Media.)

Topshop gets a new look ...

I was doing a bit of online window shopping last night and was delighted to find that Topshop have revamped their website.

I love Topshop but I hated using their site for browsing as it was just a little bit messy before. It's new chic and minimalist approach makes it much easier to search through the proverbial rails.

This cleaner, uncluttered design is much more user friendly ... maybe not so friendly on my bank balance though!

x

Smokey but Subtle FOTD

As mentioned in my previous post I attended a Christening at the weekend. Being a religious and special event I still wanted to look glamorous but a little more toned down in keeping with the tone of the day.

I decided on an understated smokey eye using the following 3 eyeshadows from Estee Lauder:

From left to right: Twilight Rose; Sizzling Copper; Hot Cinammon

These shadows are positively lush. They come in matte, shimmer and metallic, all apply beautifully and are incredibly pigmented. All 3 colours I used are available at Estee Lauder counters now except for Twilight Rose which will be available in the Blue Dahlia collection which is available in August priced at £15.00.
FACE
Estee Lauder Double Wear (shade Al Fresco)
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer (shade Warm Ivory)

EYES
Estee Lauder Twilight Rose all over the lid
Estee Lauder Hot Cinammon in outer v and under eye
Estee Lauder Sizzling Copper blended into the crease and under eye
MAC Shroom to highlight
Bobbi Brown gel liner in Caviar
Clarins Mascara

CHEEKS
Nars Laguna
Bobbi Brown Apricot blush

LIPS
MAC Angel

The end result was soft and subtle, perfect for daytime but could easily be transformed into an evening look by adding a little more definition using Hot Cinammon.

My standout products from this look are the eyeshadows in Hot Cinammon and Sizzling Copper as well as my fail safe MAC Angel lipstick which is such a versatile colour. I manage to go through at least 1 every few months!

What are your stand out products of the moment? Anything you can't get enough of?
x

My weekend in pictures ...

Well, my weekend was quite quiet but very lovely. My husband was Godfather to gorgeous baby Noah so we spent the weekend in Dunoon for the Christening ...
Garrath exploring the beach at Dunoon ...
Gorgeous baby Noah ...

x

Clinique Longlast Glosswear SPF15

In my last couple of 'Cheek of the Week' posts I have been wearing a gorgeous lip colour thanks to Clinique.

I was sent a handful of products from Clinique, mostly suncare I may add, which I will test drive in Barcelona next month, however a couple of lovely cosmetics were thrown in as a little treat. One of them was the above mentioned, Clinique Longlast Glosswear SPF15 in shade Fireberry.

Now I looked at this and thought ... 'Naah, not for me'... the colour seemed a bit too autumnal at first. I thought it would age me and look a little old fashioned. Ooh, how wrong was I?

You know what they say, never judge a book by it's cover? Well, apply the same to lipgloss.
I may not like it on first appearance in the tube but on the lips it's lush. A lovely fire pink (hence the name) with subtle gold flecks. On it's own it gives a sheer but pigmented and longlasting glossy finish but also works well over your favourite lippie. My favourite combo's so far is to wear it over Rimmel Pink Pout, MAC Angel and Revlon Cappuccino.
I barely need to re-apply even after drinks and snacks. Maybe 2 touch up's at the most in a day which I think is terrific. It is suitably gloopy but not too sticky.

This gloss is £13.50 and available at clinique counters now. I definitely think this is worth the money, I have been using every day for past couple of weeks and still have loads left, if this where a MAC gloss, it would be all gone by now.

Added bonus is the SPF15. Did I ever tell you about the time I burned my lips in the sun? No? Well, it wasn't clever and it certainly wasn't pretty!! 'nuff said.

x

Cheek of the Week! - Illamasqua Tweak

I will be honest, sometimes I quite like the Aunt Sally look.

This week I went for that look full throttle. A messy application of blush with little blending to create a ruddy, just been fooling around in a haystack kind of look ... not everyones idea of pretty I do agree but what the hay?! Geddit?!

I turn to Illamasqua Tweak for this look ... it's a really hot pink with elements of both red and coral in it. I imagine this is gorgeous on tanned and darker skins especially but it is pretty versatile and colour can be applied as lightly as you require. Although, it is very pigmented so you have to be careful if you are heavy handed.

The rest of my make up was kept very simple, mainly for the fact I was at work but if you have dramatic cheeks you need to tone everything else down for it to work.

This is a gorgeous colour, great for summer but equally as good for winter months as it gives a lovely rosey finish. It's probably not everyones cup of tea applied as heavily as this but I quite like it every once in a while. I have convinced myself it looks 'youthful'.

Also, a few people have asked what colour I am wearing on my lips from previous posts and it's the same colour I have on here ... It's a lipgloss by clinique but stay tuned for more info in a future blogpost.

x

NOTD - Rain Polish

Eyeko's latest offering of nail polish comes in the form of a limited edition.

Rain polish is a cute duck egg blue that only requires 2 coats for full opaqueness but heck, you could probably get away with just one.

I find it a more mature option on the blue front. I sometimes feel a little child like with blue on my nails but this is a sophistcated alternative.

I have to say after one day it has chipped lightly but not enough to merit a re-paint.

I believe this polish is available to buy online now.

x

Wah! Wah! Wah!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Having recently got into doing a bit of d.i.y nail art, it was an absolute pleasure to find Wah! Nails.

Where have I been?? Really? How did I not know about the wonders of Wah! already?

Anna Sui Inspired Nails

Originally based in the East end of London (correct me if I'm wrong), Wah! seem to be growing in leaps and bounds and now have another base at Topshop Oxford Street.

KISS inspired nails

The brain child of Sharmadean Reid, who herself is already succsesful as a stylist, journalist and editor of her own online magazine, she decided to venture into the world of nails and now has some very talented people creating wonderful nail designs.

Miu Miu Inspired nails

I'm not talking about airbrushed nail art, although I don't doubt that they can offer this too, but intricately drawn on designs ranging from leopard print to spongebob square pants to pretty little bows. In fact, they take inspiration from everywhere, delicate works of art to rock bands to the latest designer must haves.

I am unsure of how much nails like this cost but I have heard that it's not too expensive at all - next time I'm in London, Wah! can expect a visit from me :)

Check out their website, the creations are amazing. http://wah-nails.com/

x

Homes & Interiors Scotland Exhibition 2010

I am a natural nosey parker. I love seeing inside peoples homes, how they decorate and how it fits their personality and style.
I also have a real love for design, in particular interior design. I love to decorate and pay close attention to detail making sure that both mine and my husbands personalities are reflected in our home.

So it's no surprise I am quite excited about The Homes & Interiors Scotland Exhibition at Glasgows SECC on 27-29th August.

I have been for the last 3 years and as well as their main focus being interiors you will find exhibitors from wine tasting to cookery to floral design. In fact, they have even been known to have beauty exhibitors. Something for everyone.

My favourite part is getting to see roomsets on display, especially when created by talented designers who can help you to think outside the box when it comes to designing your own home. Since we are still in the process of house huntng, it's great to get inspired by all the ideas that will be on display at the exhibition.

It's also a good way to find out about local suppliers as I am a great believer in supporting local businesses, especially as we have so much creativity and talent on our doorstep in Glasgow.

Anyway, the geek in me is already sifting through copies of Homes & Interiors Scotland magazine in anticipation of the exhibition.


x

Matching your nails with your laptop ...

I have been hearing about this collaboration for ages now and to be honest it all seemed a bit gimmicky, however, now that it is here I have to say I am pretty tempted.

Dell have teamed up with OPI to 'fuse fashion and style' ...(shouldn't that be beauty?) I digress ... to create 26 different coloured covers all inspired by your favourite OPI nail lacquer shades.

You can choose from shades like 'I'm not really a waitress', 'Strawberry Margarita', 'Rosy Future' ... and then some.

My only issue would be choosing which cover I was partial to most.


Thing is this does coincide with my own laptop dying a slow but sure death. In fact, my laptop is so bad it is starting to take the fun out of blogging! poor me.

Anyway, I have little knowledge on laptops and unsure whether Dell are a reliable brand to buy from (even though I worked for them once upon a time).

So, what do you think of this collaboration? Will you be upgrading your laptop for one of these? And does anyone want to stop me from rushing out to my local PC World before I make a big mistake?

All advice and opinions welcome :)

x

Face of the day: Blue Dahlia

A few posts ago I showed you Estee Lauders new Autumn palette, Blue Dahlia and mentioned I would try and do a FOTD.

And I have.

It was a quick FOTD and I didn't go overly dramatic as I had to face the public in broad daylight with it. I dare say for a night out I would go a little bit heavier and smokier but we will save that for another day.

Cue the head tilt 'staring into the distance' pose ...My personal preference for a dark smokey eye would be to use navy and this palette teams navy with teal and mink perfectly to create something that is soft and more alluring than your typical blue powdered eyes.

Let me be clear however, the navy in this palette is probably not everyones version of navy and even for myself I have encountered darker, richer shades of the hue. However, in this palette it works perfectly with it's partners.

I deliberately used every colour in the palette to ensure it could be done. So here goes:

The teal shade was used all over the lid,
Navy was applied in the crease and outer v and blended, I also brought it underneath the eye lightly,
Black was added to the outer v for extra definition (this black is perfect for this, much better than my usual go to, Mac Carbon)
The mink I blended just above the crease and underneath the lower lashline
Finally I used the sparkling white lightly over the lids to add a little bit of sparkle and used a tiny amount on the browbone (you can barely see it in the photographs)
I also lined the eyes with Mac fluidline in blacktrack and applied a Barry M navy liner in the waterline however this didn't really show up.
A lot of people worry about clashing blue, teal, navy eyeshadows with blue eyes but I think it gives blue eyes a more sultry appeal rather than the usual bright and bushy tailed blue eye.

As for the rest of my face:
Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear
Bronzer: Nars Laguna
Blush: Illamasqua Unrequited
Mascara: Clarins


A special mention has to go out to my lip colour - I am wearing a lipstick by Revlon called cappuccino. It is a frosted pale nude that doesn't make my lips disappear completely and looks lovely with a tan. Perfect for that smokey eye/nude lip look that everyone loves.

I teamed this with one of Estee Lauders new pure colour glosses in Twilight Petal which is absolutely lush.

And that is my Blue Dahlia Face of the Day.

x

Dress Lust!

I want I want I want!

It's not often I look at Mrs Beckham and think her look is effortless ... often she is overstyled and her image is just so contrived ... although admittedly she does always look amazing and she herself is now producing some gorgeous designs.

Anyway, back to the point, earlier this week she was photographed wearing this cute bow print Marc by Marc Jacobs dress. In true VB style, she had dressed it up but it's such a cute summer dress that would look great with sandals too.

I was quick to spot it was on sale on Net-a-porter but boo hoo.... it's all sold out.

Luckily, my husband flies to the states on Tuesday where I know he will drop by the Marc Jacobs store so fingers crossed he finds me it!

x

NOTD - Nails Inc Drury Lane

I knew I had to blog about this nail polish the minute I had finished painting my nails last night.

Nails Inc Drury Lane is a ridiculously pretty colour. A gorgeous coral pink which is lovely and vibrant for Summer.

I own a tonne of coral nail polish but this one is probably the prettiest of the lot.

Please ignore the colour of my skin is these photos - I have tried to crop as best I can as I had a major fake tan fail this weekend (the first in a very long time) and have managed to tango my hands!! whoopsy!

The only downside, as I find with all Nails Inc polishes ... the application is horrific. It's gloopy, streaky and takes me up to 3 coats to get a smooth enough finish. As you can see from the photos though I didn't really get that smooth a finish after all. I managed to smudge them seconds after I painted them ... hmmph!

On one hand I can't stand Nails Inc polishes but when they produce colours this pretty I do tend to just put up and persevere with the negatives for the sake of pretty nails.

x

Cheek of the Week! - Mac Grand Duo

This week's cheek was thanks to MAC, in particular their grand duos mineralize blush collection.

I feel like I am the only person who purchased 'Grand Duo' from this collection, I haven't heard or seen anyone else rave about it at all. 'Love Rocks' seems to have been the favourite but it just didn't appeal. If I am going to buy something in a collection, I try and pick out items that I don't think can be duped all that easily and certainly with Grand Duo, I don't own anything else like it.

One half is a lovely warm plum shade while the marbled side is a coppery pink that perfectly compliments the plum. I was feeling a bit pale this week and this blush gave me just enough colour to warm up my otherwise pale cheeks. It is not overly pigmented but this is a bonus as it is very frosty so it is better to build it up so you don't over do it.

What you finish with is a shimmery frost over the cheeks which some don't like but when I am pale, I am happy for a bit of shimmer to help me achieve that 'glow'.

My favourite thing about this blush is how long lasting it is. I never ever have to touch it up throughout the day which is good for a lazy girl like me.

This is probably more of an autumn/winter shade for the cheeks but seeing as we are having some Winter weather this week in Glasgow while the rest of the UK enjoys a heatwave, then it is probably quite apt.

Did anyone else like Grand Duo Mineralize blush or was it just me after all?

x

NOTD: Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia

Following on from my previous post introducing the Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia palette, here is another one of my favourites from the collection.

(Excuse my shoddily applied nail colour)

It's the pure colour nail lacquer in Blue Dahlia. I said before that I like navy, well I love it on the nails. In fact, navy is pretty much my favourite colour so anything in that hue grabs my attention.

Now I own a few 'navy' nail polishes but none that look a true navy on the nails... usually there are flecks of purple or a tinge of sparkle somewhere (e.g, OPI Russian Navy).

Estee Lauder's Nail Laquer however presents a true navy. On my nails, at least. In the bottle it can look a slightly dark aubergine in certain lights but on the nails it is as true a navy as I can find. It leaves a glossy dark blue finish that is opaque with 2 coats.

There is no colour changing effect depending on light, just true glossy navy which I love and I know I will wear again and again come Autumn and Winter ... heck I am even loving it for Summer!

x

Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia

Lucky old me has been given a sneak preview of Estee Lauders Autumn 2010 collection, Blue Dahlia, created by Lauder's Creative Makeup Director, Tom Pecheux.

I don't get that excited over new make up collections (sometimes) but I had already seen this gorgeous palette on Lipglossiping and Getlippie's blogs and virtually couldn't wait to get my hands on it. To some it may seem a bit of a boring palette (which is one of 2 palettes in the collection coincidentally) ... but I think it's not only an unusual colour choice but it is daringly sophisticated. I adore navy and teal on the eyes so I was lusting after this one.


Firstly, the packaging. The palette is encased in glamourous gold packaging with the Lauder logo/emblem etched on it. The casing has a mirror on the inside as do the individual Estee Lauder shadow palettes. I think every item of make up should come with a mirror attached, I really do. The only draw back to the packaging is sometimes it can be a bit sticky to open and I do worry that I will crack/break it. The palette. Urgh, in my opinion, it's just gorgeous. The shadows look and feel silky to touch.
Clockwise from top we have
A shimmering teal blue
A gorgeous mink
A smokey navy blue
A sparkly white with flecks of teal glitter
And in the centre there is a matte blackThe sparkling white is really quite something, here is a closer look where you can see the teal sparkles. I would use this to highlight the browbone and inner corner of the eyes or simply to add some sparkle over another colour.

Swatches. This is the colours in the same order as mentioned above. The white needed to be layered quite a bit to get the pigment as shown in the swatch photo but the rest of the shades applied well with good pigmenation. I especially love the teal and mink but I will endeavour to do a face of the day with this palette to show it off on the eyes.

This beautiful palette is available along with the rest of the collection featuring nail colour, glosses and gloss sticks from August 2010, in stores and online at www.esteelauder.com

x

With this ring ...

I'm tired and gloomy this Sunday evening, the weekend is over and i'm preparing for another working week :(
Just before it's all over though, just a quick post to show you my new rings purchased this weekend.

The gold & pink ring is from Mango and mimics the gorgeously fashionable and wonderfully formed Agate rings. I have been after a true Agate ring for quite a while but never find any that take my fancy so the search goes on, however, this will do in the meantime. I picked it up when returning some unwanted items but I believe it was £9.

The silver ring was purchased from a Polish man who runs a stall at Sloanes Market, just off Buchanan Street, Glasgow. The market runs every Saturday and Sunday but yesterday was the first time I really explored it. The man who sold me the ring told me the stone was some sort of amethyst .... I don't remember much else, I was too excited about it's price tag ... only £4! This ring will compliment my VW skull ring just nicely I think.

A few stalls up from the Polish stallholder, there was a lovely girl whose jewellery designs go by the name of Cherry Loco. She had some amazing pieces that are all designed and made by herself. I picked up a gorgeous necklace which I will blog about seperately but I can't wait to go back and visit her stall come payday! :)

Overall, I was really impressed with Sloanes Market ... situated in a lane at the bottom of Buchanan Street it has a varied array of stalls selling jewellery, clothes, sweets and art. I can't believe I have overlooked it for so long.

x

My favourite products of the month!

It has been a while since I did a 'favourites' post so here's whats getting the thumbs up from me this past month ...

HAIR

• Bumble & Bumble Creme de Coco Shampoo & Conditioner - I love love love this. Smells great and helps bring the volume and shine back to my lack lustre hair! Result.

FACE

• Estee Lauder Double Wear - Now that I have a little bit of tan to my face I switched from Clinique Anti Blemish to Double wear. I try and resist using double wear daily if I can help it as it gives a full coverage but it's so lovely that I have worn it most days.

LIPS

• Estee Lauder gloss in Nude Rose - I bought this last year before my holidays and it has turned into a bit of a fail safe nude gloss for me. With a scent of fig, it smells as good as it looks!

CHEEKS

• Topshop Neon Rose - This is such a fresh bright colour for the cheeks. It creates a subtle glow that really brightens the face giving an almost luminous glow (not in the radioactive sense. It can be layered easily or applied sheerly for a subtle hint of colour.

EYES

• Urban Decay shadows in Drink me, Eat me and Madhatter from the Alice in Wonderland palette - I have been wearing these most days, it's an easy neutral combo that is perfect for work.
• Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Teal - again I got this as part of the AIW palette. It looks gorgeous on the waterline and takes my work look from day to night by adding some welcome colour.
  
• The Body Shop Metallic Eye Definer in Burnished Amber - this is another one I love on the waterline especially for summer when I am tanned (fake of course) and wearing bronze colours on eyes, lips or cheeks (but never all at once).

BODY

• Xen Tan - After a rocky start I think I have now bonded with the wonder of xen tan and I am now sporting a gorgeous natural looking tan that fades without leaving harsh lines or streaking - review coming up shortly ...
  

FRAGRANCE

• Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne - this is a deliciously fruity fragrance with hints of peach and plum as well as the obvious nectarine and honey, perfect for day wear and I always get asked what I'm wearing :)
  

NAILS

• Anything goes! I have been mixing it up with leopard print, bows, stripes and flowers on my nails. Perfect way of getting use of your polishes in one go

SHOES

• Topshop Wedges - these were purchased as part of a birthday treat as I loved the blush/nude colour and lace up front. Despite how they might look, they are actually really comfy. Honest.

CLOTHES

• New Look Harem Jumpsuit - I adore this. So comfy, so versatile and perfect for sunny weather. Easy to dress up with a belt, necklace, wedges or go casual in flip flops.

I probably have loads more I could chat about but this post has to end somewhere. For July, I am already predicting a return to brights on the lips (pink in particular) and pretty dresses ... yay for Summer!

x