Getting Inked!

I make no secret of it that I would love a tattoo but can't decide where to get it or what to get.

On one hand I would like something quite bold in a very obvious place but on the other hand I worry about future employment prospects (a tattoo-ed face may not be the image a business wants to portray) and I do think it would be 'safer' to have it somewhere that could be hidden if needed (i.e, in front of Mummy & Daddy!!).

I got to dip my toe in the water so to speak while in Marrakech with a henna tattoo.  Marrakech is awash with women offering henna designs with some of them even glittered and look absolutely stunning.   I adore henna designs and it just happens to be one of the designs I had considered for a potential tat.  I quite like the idea of having my hand done so asked the artist to create me something gorgeous.  She initially tried me with red henna (original) but it didn't show up on my skin oddly enough, so she went with black.

I absolutely loved the result and after having it on for over a week now, I could definitely live with a hand tattoo so it's certainly food for thought.

x

Jessica GELeration at the Rainbow Rooms

Before I jetted off to Morocco, I was in desperate need of a good manicure and pedicure, specifically gel.  I knew I could rely on gel nails for my holiday as the finish is so groomed and the results last for up to 2 weeks.

I rather jammily ended up being sent to the Rainbow Rooms for their Jessica GELeration mani/pedi.  I was looked after by Alison who kept me amused for the 2 hours as well as convincing me to have a wax at the end of the treatments but that's another story!!

Confident Coral

Jessica GELeration is applied exactly like Shellac as all gel nails are, it's just the branding and colour range that differs.  I went with 'Confident Coral' on my hands and a dark wine shade on my toes, I'm afraid I can't remember the name.

I apologise profusely for this picture!!

Confident Coral is an utterly gorgeous, vibrant shade and was just perfect for a week in the sun.  As much as I can't really tell any real difference between GELeration and Shellac, I did feel the quality of GELeration was slightly better and it seems to have lasted slightly longer but this could be down to a number of factors including not having to do any washing up or cleaning for a week while on vacation!

Prices start at £42 for Jessica GELeration at the Rainbow Rooms.  Expensive but very pretty.

Do you have a preference in Gel nails?

x

Marrakech Outfit of the Night

Here is an outfit of the night I took while on holiday.  I managed to recycle this outfit and wore it twice, once in Marrakech then in Essaouira (something usually unheard of for me).

I wanted to make sure my shoulders were covered up and that I didn't expose too much skin.  I rarely take heels on holiday but I threw a pair of wedges in last minute and I'm glad I did as this jumpsuit had super long legs.

Despite having invested in a super new camera, these photos still aren't very good - I can only blame my photographer ;)

Jumpsuit: Primark (last minute holiday buy but it is a LOVE purchase)

Belt: attached to jumpsuit

Wedges (Unseen): Topshop

Clutch: Warehouse

Ring: Primark (yup another cheapo) 

Watch: Swatch

I love the wine shade of the jumpsuit, it looks so much richer than the actual price tag which is always a bonus when it comes to stores like Primark.  I also really like the 70's feel to this outfit which went with a new style of wearing my hair.

I have been wearing my hair in a middle parting a lot recently since my fringe is growing out.  It's a painful process and I am not convince a middle parting suits me but it helped to wear it like this on holiday as I managed to forget all my kirby grips and couldn't find any in Morocco to buy!

Tonight I finally managed to complete the upload of over 1000 photos I snapped in Marrakech and Essaouira so will try and share a few with you in some separate posts.

x

Social Media Week - Glasgow

This week Social Media Week hits Glasgow with lots of fantastic events and seminars offering advice, assistance and insight into the world of social media whether from a business, voluntary or personal perspective.

You can find out more about the events taking place in Glasgow here.

I would especially love to go to the Fashion Blogging 101 event tomorrow evening but alas it is fully booked - being away on holiday during registration certainly has it's downside.

However, what will be keeping me awake tonight is the fact I am actually speaking at one of the events taking place tomorrow morning.

'Blog Off!'  takes place tomorrow morning at Mansion House, Glasgow and is a session about starting your own blog or perhaps improving your existing blog.  It will take you through the essentials you need to know to start up, how to drive traffic, create your own custom header or how to deal with brands and PR's.

It should be a pretty interesting topic to discuss with likeminded people and I just hope my 15 minute stint on the floor goes to plan.  I am not sure how much I can say about my blog for 15 minutes but I guess I wouldn't be saying if it wasn't for all you little gems who still come back to read it time and time again and for that I am truly grateful!

x

I rocked the Kasbah!

Well, Hello There! 

Long time no see.  I just arrived home from Morocco last night and already I am back to my busy as ever schedule.  Before I left for my holiday, life took it's busiest turn yet and as much as it's exciting, it does get exhausting, so my break was very much needed.  

My trip took in Marrakech and Essaouira in Morocco (thanks to @clairenelson for the Essaouira recommendation!).  Both locations were amazing but I think my heart lies in the magic and madness of Marrakech.  I have lots to fill you in on it and maybe some tips for anyone thinking of visiting but in the meantime here is a sneak peak of the my album wonderful sights of Morocco! :) 

Enjoy

x

The iPhone Diaries ...

It has been a struggle to dedicate time to blogging this week, I have been too busy setting up my business website, facebook, twitter, arranging and buying more goodies for  my kit and taking on board all the advice from Sam and Nic after completing the Pixiwoo intensive training.

I am dying to tell you all about it and about my transition to working as a make up artist as it's been on the cards for a long time and something I have actively pursued over the last 10 years but simply hadn't had any formal training or the guts to actually pursue it as a career.

Anyway instead of yabbering on, here's a peek at what I have been getting up to recently through the eyes of my i-phone ...

A bit of chunky bling from Primarni ... I quite liked that it was tacky with a mix of feminine and masculine shapes and material.  Sometimes you have to place tongue firmly in cheek when it comes to accessories.

Airport shopping, on my way home from Norwich I had a bit of a boring wait at Stansted Airport (that was until Danny Dyer ended up on my flight! Schwing!) .  I amused myself at MAC, Mulberry and my favourite but overpriced All Saints.  I was lucky, it was sale time, I picked up a maxi kaftan for my upcoming trip to Morocco :) 

I tried these wedges on in All Saints.  Loved them but didn't purchase.  Regret.

Yoo Moo! Something else Stansted had me hooked on.  I had never had this brand of frozen yoghurt where you fill your cup add some toppings, weigh then pay ... bit like pic'n'mix.  It was delicious and I've been craving it ever since I got home.  Is Yoo Moo available in Glasgow?  If you know, inform me! 

A somewhat shameful purchase.  A 'fake' bag!!!  I feel dirty to even admit it.  But you know, the Celine Boston Tote is somewhere in the region of £2k and it would take me until 2020 to a) save up for it b) justify that gut wrenching cost on a bag.  So, with the help of eBay I picked myself up a real leather version for £50.  Feel free to judge.

Aaah Chanel D'Illusion Ombres.  Everyone is raving about them, me included.  The latest souffle like eye cream/shadow/mousse from Chanel come in an array of metallic shades and are part of their permanent line.  I used some on the Pixiwoo course last week and loved them so picked up Epatant this week.  I did a bit of midnight make up experimenting and I can safely say it is beautiful worn alone (bottom pic) but also does a wicked job of creating a dark, dramatic smokey eye when layered and blended with a darker shade (top pic).  In this case I used MAC blackground.  Think I may go for this smokey look tonight.

In other news, this time next week, I will be flying to Morocco so I need to get myself organised and packed.  I am planning on taking minimal make up but not sure I can kid myself on by trying to downsize on the wardrobe.   I also got my first DSLR this week - the Canon EOS 600D.  I am still learning how to use it but hopefully you will see much better quality images here from now on.

Hope you are all having a fun weekend!!

x