Eyebrow Threading

It's true what they say, your eyebrows frame your face.  I love brows, thick ones, skinny ones, pencilled in or au naturale ...  as long as they are groomed well ... I am fascinated by all brow shapes and how you can alter your face based on how you choose to wear them.

Depending on how you shape your brows, it can radically change the shape or appearance of your face by softening your look or by creating an edgy angled brow for added oomph.  

I have always been quite lucky in the brow department as I have a fairly nice shape to start with and not much in the way of stray hairs although I would love them to be a bit darker so I didn't need to pencil them in every day.  This is not to say they don't look messy and need some TLC on a regular basis.

For the past 6 or 7 years I have been getting my eyebrows threaded.  Threading is traditionally an arabic/asian method of hair removal using thread rolled along the hairs of the brow.  It is neater and quicker than tweezing or waxing and in my opinion creates a much more defined brow than the more common methods of brow grooming.   It can be a tad painful the first time you try it or even if there is a lot of hair to remove but it is so fast and effective that it is definitely worth those 5 minutes of squirming.

Sourced from o5.com

In recent years, threading has become all the rage and you can now find threading areas in most major department stores.  I tend to stick to 2 of my favourite salons that are local to me.  They offer threading for £5 and one even offers it for £3 as long as you return each fortnight for a tidy up.  Bargainous!  It does make me feel slightly smug when I hear of others paying anything between £10 - £30 for their threading experience.

To give you an example here are photos of my brows before then after threading.  You will noticed the extra definition, shape and groomed appearance of my brows afterwards.  It literally feels like my face looks clean again.  I love getting them done!

Very tired eyes but you get the idea - unkempt brows

Very light pencil used on brows but a much more defined, sleeker shape

For any girls in the Glasgow area, I would recommend 2 salons, one on the South Side the other in the West End.

Farah's, 127 Albert Drive, Pollokshields, G41 2SU - 0141 423 9731.

Al Aisha, 441 Dumbarton Road, Partick, G11 6DD - 0141 533 5812.

No appointment is needed at either salon and both offer threading at £5 with Farah's offering a £3 fortnightly maintenance.  To be honest, I couldn't recommend any other treatments at either salon but threading is definitely their forte.

Does anyone else prefer threading?

x

When life deals you lemons ...

... Get a tattoo!!

Life has dealt me lemons this week.  After some lovely highs ... passing my driving test, some new work opportunities, my husband home from yet another lengthy business trip, a gorgeous family wedding ... I was feeling very positive, passionate and optimistic about my future and a new chapter in life coinciding with the excitement of my 30th next month ... then it all came crashing down.

So what do we do in a situation like that?  Well, I always find a change is quite good - like a new haircut that makes over your physical appearance but gives you an inner boost of confidence that is often needed in times of low energy.

I am considering something a little more drastic (for me, anyway) ... a tattoo.  Something permanent, something that will remain with me and remind me of where I've been and how I can (hopefully) overcome anything.

Tattoo wise - I like birds, feathers and especially love the 'trend' for handwritten tattoos

I've no idea where I would get my tattoo (can anyone recommend the least painful areas of the body please? I am a woose!) and still to decide what I should go for.

I may even visit some tattoo shops this weekend for some extra inspiration and encouragement.

What is your tattoo inspiration?

x

*All Images sourced from Weheartit.com

Girl About Town

This one is a bit of an oldie but it's still a goodie!

I remember MAC's Girl About Town becoming famous in the UK when it was worn by Cheryl Cole but many other celebrities have sported this shade before and after her including Beyonce and Kim Kardashian.

One of MAC's amplified shades, Girl About Town is a vibrant dark fuschia pink which has a glossy yet opaque full coverage on the lips.  It's really long lasting and feels creamy on the lips.

Thanks to it's celebrity following, it has become a bit of a MAC classic and although I have owned this shade for a long time it's only now that I have realised what a pretty colour it is.  I wear it during the day with minimal make up and at night usually with a golden subtle smokey eye.

I am sans camera this week so I'm afraid I have had to make do with my iphone and photobooth. This was the best of a bad bunch!

I am still adoring bright lips at the moment and find it hard to resort back to nude or paler lip shades.  I just feel like there is something missing without an eyepopping lippie these days.

If you don't want to shell out the price on a MAC lippie, you might find Barry M's Cerise Pink (144) a good alternative.  It differs very slightly but is hard to tell the difference on the lips.

x

VROOM VROOM ...

Toot toot! 

So today, after much stressing and an extreme case of the shakes ... I only blimmin' well passed my driving test!!

Delighted, over the moon, elated, flabbergasted, thrilled, overjoyed ... none of this covers how exactly I am feeling.

I was convinced I had failed my test,  I had made so many silly mistakes that never seem to happen on my lessons, so when the examiner announced this would be the last driving test I would ever sit - I burst into tears!!

Ugh, how cringeworthy ... especially since the tears were followed by me screaming and much jumping around in the drivers seat with excitement.

Anyway,  I am a bit restless now and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself so I thought I would google cars!!  I love retro/vintage cars and in an ideal world I would only ever drive them (albeit a pimped up version with power steering, ABS, electric windows etc ... not that i'm fussy!!) but they can be a little too expensive and hard to come by.  Luckily I already have a car waiting for me, a racing green soft top MX-5 ... Just need to get the insurance sorted and I should be good to go by next week :)

So here is my idea of car candy ...

Alpha Romeo Spider

The original Fiat 500

BMW Roadster

VW Beetle

Not an actual photo of my car but this is basically it - Mazda MX-5

Instead of lusting after brand new car models, I really do love the vintage styles and retro shapes. 

To be honest, I would drive anything, I am just so darn chuffed to actually have a license now!! 

What's your idea of car candy??

x

Street Styling with Diet Coke

Hot on the heels of the Nails Inc collaboration, Diet Coke have now teamed up with the fabulous online retailer ASOS.

I think it's fair to say ASOS is a favourite of everyone's, especially bloggers.  The partnership comes in the form of a limited edition can of Diet Coke offering codes that you text or enter at cokezone.co.uk.  With each code you will receive a discount voucher worth £100, £20, £10 or get £5 off your next ASOS purchase of £20 or more.

These are the cute cans to look our for and you can find your redeemable code underneath the ring pull.

So far, I have found myself three £5 off codes which is a nice wee bonus to drinking your fizzy pop.

On top of that ASOS are looking for their Street Style Star and are encouraging all you budding fashionistas, stylists or just generally stylish people to upload their photos to asos.com/streetstylestar with 3 lucky winners having their winning style showcased on the infamous Picadilly Sign in London.

On top of that .... yes, that is not all ... out of all the street style uploads, regional favourites will be exhibited online and it will be up to you to vote for your favourite who will win £1000 to spend at ASOS.

All in all it's a win win situation and at the rate I go through Diet Coke I am hoping to find myself a big money voucher code *crosses fingers*.    As for street style, I will leave that to the cool kids and look forward to voting for my favourite!

Adios lashes!

A few posts ago I told you about my new lash extensions I got while in London.

I had mentioned in the post that after a week I was feeling a bit fed up with them ... well it turns out I got more than fed up.  They felt heavy and uncomfortable on my eyes, they certainly weren't lightweight or subtle.  They also looked and felt very plastic.

The first week I put up with this thinking they would start to feel better and I would get used to them but after my sister in laws hen night I decided enough was enough.  They really altered the way I looked and not for the better.  They also made me feel dirty as I never felt my eye area was fully clean despite using make up remover on them every night.

I phoned a few local salons for help and they were all completely useless ... each one telling me I had to go back to where I had them done ... in London.  I was now back in Glasgow, tut!  Anyway, I decided to take matters into my own hands and committed the cardinal sin of pulling them off.

This was no easy feat ... in fact it was pretty damn painful and long.  It seems they used superglue (not literally) on my lashes... these things would not come off without a good pull and a tug.  When I eventually got at them, I found that most of them were not just glued to my lashline but to the entire length of my lash!!!!   Therefore I was left with very few lashes.

A baldy eye and a hairy eye ... I thought I was going to have to go out like this!! 

At one point I thought I was going to be left with one baldy eye and the other fully extended with falsies still intact since it was so difficult to get them off.

above the remnants of my lashes, below my raw, sore & sparse lashes

The result is that I am now left with wonky, thin, brittle lashes that having been falling out by the second.  Not good.  To counteract I have started using Rapidlash to help condition, lengthen and thicken again.

Rather than put anyone off getting extensions, I simply want to show you the not so glamorous side of it that may make you think twice before getting them but hopefully most importantly will make you research and choose a reputable brand and salon.

I just hope my lashes return to a normal condition soon ... I am a bridesmaid next week and I don't want baldy eyes!!! Eeeek!

x

Chocolate dreams ...

Lent starts tomorrow and some friends and I have decided, despite having no religious hankering, that we are going to give up some of our favourite things for 40 days and 40 nights (well, it actually turns out to be 46 days for accuracy).

My absolute vice in life and ultimate addiction is chocolate, so as of tomorrow I am waving 'Buh-bye now!' to any cocoa infused goodness.

This ties in quite nicely with the fact I joined weightwatchers last week so hopefully it will provide a helping hand - that's if I can stick to it.  I've gorged myself on chocolate today for old times sake and all I have left is some choc infused pictures to drool over ...

Creme eggs are my favourite treat and with Easter bunnies and eggs overflowing on the shelves of supermarkets I fully expect to physically restrained from cheating on Lent.  

What are you giving up for Lent?

Do you have any tips or words of motivation for remaining choc free?

x

Not just for pirates ...

I promised I would get back on track with outfit posts and when I make a promise, I always deliver.

So here is today's outfit ... it was a quick throw together for an early start at work (casual Friday) but it had to be pub/shopping appropriate as I originally planned to head into town when I was done.

I searched high and low in H&M's across the city for these faux leather patch leggings.  It became frustrating that whenever I did find them they were all in tiny or huge sizes ... eventually my search paid off and I found them hidden in a rail of regular leggings.   I can't tell you enough how comfy they are to wear and just look great with so many things.  They work a casual smart look terrifically.

On top I went for an H&M semi sheer blouse which dips down at the back hiding my big booty that will no doubt be struggling with gravity in my leggings.  Jewellery was at a minimum today as I was rushing out the house at 7.30am there wasn't much I could find or even be bothered to look for.

I wore my Mango trench style spring jacket even though it's still pretty chilly.  I love this jacket but the belt has broken and the shoulder buttons have fallen off ... to disguise this I threw on my trusty H&M fur stole over it which transforms it into something a little Burberry-esque.  Wow, nearly a full outfit from H&M!

I don't normally lie on the wooden floor, just for you guys ;)

Shoes were my trusty Dune wedge shoe boots.  Honestly, these shoes have hardly been off my feet since I got them, they are so comfortable and give me an added bit of height that I need.  And to think I considered returning them!

You might also notice my new hair colour.  As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I got rid of my ombre hair and have gone for an all over shade of chestnut which over my natural auburn locks turns out quite a nice reddy shade.  I kept the length in my hair even though my ends make go lighter quicker but this will hopefully just give a sunkissed look.  Now my hair is bridesmaid ready! :)

x

My jewellery stash

I was a bit dubious when I was requested to post about my jewellery collection.  Most of what I own is costume jewellery with only a few stand out pieces that I wear on a day to day basis.  I tend not to buy a lot of great quality items as I tire so easily of it.

I will keep this post as short as I can but will take you through the layers of my collection.  You will notice that my bling is stored in no particular order, I have no dressing table so I literally throw everything into shoe boxes (as carefully as possible, 'course!)

I have heavily reduced the amount of jewellery I own in recent times as so much of it was hoarded and never worn.   The bulk of my stash is made up of rings.  All mostly the type that turn your fingers green!

Lots of floral rings, gems and pearls

Some more bling, precious stones and even plastic

Floral rings seem to be popular in my collection although I very rarely wear them.  I usually go for large statement rings or anything that looks slightly unusual.   Many of these were purchased in markets, on holiday, a couple have been inherited and there are a few expensive and some designer ones in there too, that I treasure.  Some are tacky and others more ethnic or rustic looking ... it's a real mish mash of styles but there is always something I can find to suit any outfit.

earrings, bangles, necklace 

I de-cluttered most of my bangles and earrings a couple of months ago.  I used to always wear big statement earrings but I find the older I get, they suit me less so I save them for big nights out and sometimes then they don't see the light of day.  I have kept the bare bones of my earring stash and in honesty they haven't been touched since I last re-organised them, not even my studs.

I hardly wear bangles these day but some of them are too cute to get rid of so I save them in the hope I fall back in with the bangle trend.  I figure bangles are more of a summer accessory so maybe they will be of more use then.  I mostly stick to chain bracelets, beads or friendship bracelets these days.

Necklaces - I have quite a dire selection and seem to stick to the same ethnic style H&M pendant with every outfit I wear.  I keep a hold of what I do have, beads, chains with pendants, medallions ... I just never seem to find long length necklaces that I like or look good to really add to the collection.  Any recommendations girls?

The best of my collection is saved for my wedding jewellery and some vintage or more expensive pieces.  I have pearls, swarovski crystal earrings and a stunning mantilla comb from my wedding day.  My vintage Chanel earrings that were a gift from a friend and some vintage necklaces have sentimental meaning to me and I hope to not part with them.

I also make a point of owning LOTS of pearls in the form of necklaces, earrings and bracelets, cheap or expensive.  I use them for decorating around the house (even used them to decorate my wedding venue), for fancy dress or simply to dress up a plain outfit.

My absolute love however are my wedding rings which are the single most precious items I own.  They are absolutely to my own taste with an art deco vintage feel.

So there's a nosey in my jewellery stash, not much to rave about really but lots of blingy, colourful things to see nonetheless.

x

I'm a Winner!

Remember I blogged about this little Nails Inc/Diet Coke creation?

Well, I only went and won myself a wee treat at The Berkley Hotel!  Amazing.  I didn't even put much thought into the fact it was a competition ... I'm a 'it's the taking part that counts' type of gal so this was a lovely surprise to have my bottle picked as winner :)

I just need to set a date to reclaim my prize ... can't wait!

x

Cocktail creations

If you follow me on twitter you may have noticed a lot of hen night chat.

I am a bridesmaid for my sister in law in a few weeks and myself and the brides sis had the gruelling task of arranging the hen do.  After going over many options, we decided on a spa day, a relaxing cocktail afternoon and an evening of singing and dancing - we liked to call it 'Spa & Sparkle' :)

I am all about the detail so I tasked myself with arranging the favours for the day/night.  Our spa day started early and as we provided food for the guests, cupcakes were the obvious option as our daytime treat.  I bought a gorgeous little cakestand and set up our buffet style sweet and savoury treats in the spa area that had been cordoned off for our party.

After the morning of pampering,  an afternoon of champagne, chat and girly fun while getting ready for our big night out seemed more than appropriate.

Finally it was time to head to our venue - the gorgeous Corinthian in Glasgow.  It has recently went through a refurb and is absolutely stunning ... shame I can't say the same about some of it's clientele but that's another story.

After having cocktails in the main bar we were escorted our private room for an evening of nibbles, cocktails and karaoke.  Myself and Katie (The Chief) had sneaked into the room beforehand to decorate it with our favours and other pink goodness as per the Brides favourite colour.  Check out the amazing chairs in the room ... they were so comfy to sit in.  I don't think the Bride's throne was quite as enjoyable to sit in but it sure looked good too.

Onto the favours ... I had a sudden brainwave one evening to give everyone a cocktail glass filled with goodies.  I sourced some glasses (plastic) from Ebay but upon receipt of them was dismayed to see how plain and dull they looked.  Back on Ebay I sourced some pink and pearl gems and went on to painstakingly glue gems to the base of 16 cocktail glasses.  After finding some loveheart shaped sweets and wands (Valentines day remnants were a blessing) I was able to fill the glasses along with a pink nail polish and party popper for everyone.  A butterfly was also placed on each glass with the Brides favourite cocktail recipe scribbled (literally, I was running out of time) on the back.  Thanks to Claire for this tip! :)

Obviously a hen night isn't a hen night without willies and although the Bride asked for a classy do ... we just couldn't resist and before we knew it willies were flying everywhere ... even landing in drinks to the surprise of some hens.  

 I couldn't leave this post without a group photo of all the hens together ... this was just before we headed to the club downstairs and I hope you agree we still look fairly glam for having downed the equivalent of a half bottle of sambucca each along with various other cocktails of vodka, tequila and gin.

The Hens (Bride is 3rd gal in with the lilac dress)

Sunday was most certainly a day of recovery and reminiscing over a fabulous day of fun and frolics.

x