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

OOTD: Fog on the Tyne is all mine!

Like I mentioned in a previous post I spent last weekend with a special bunch of Geordie lassies.

Before I left I presented to you how I would style some of my outfits so in true blogger style it's only fair to show you at least one OOTD from the weekend and a glance at what some of the other girls wore.

This is what I wore on Saturday night - Kay's big birthday bash.  I went for the Warehouse patterned dress with clashing jewellery - blue/green earrings, red bangle, gold cuff.

This is the only decent nearly full length photo of the dress, still missing out on the bag and shoes (which were incredibly hard to walk in).  Jenny who I am photographed with was wearing an embellished top and jeans - I was loving her nude clutch.

Here I am with Jen who is wearing a floral mini dress.  I can't quite remember the brand but it was bought from a Boutique in Newcastle.  Jen teamed her dress with nude heels, nude clutch and a gold smokey eye.

As for my make up, I went for my fail safe neutral eye with flicked liner - I made an absolute balls up of my false lashes but was too busy tanning and doing everyones make up to bother fixing them.
I love bold lips and on this occasion I chose another clashing shade of pink.  This is a MAC Pro Longwear shade in Love Forever!

This is Anne who has the most incredible hair.  She is wearing a gorgeous purple dress from Lipsy.  She teamed it with gold accessories and a golden eye and pink glossy lip.

Here I am pretending to be a super pro MUA.  Jenny is a brave girl! ;) 

I couldn't finish the post without showing you a pic of the birthday girl.  She will probably never forgive me for this one but her outfit was so fabulous I had to try and show it in it's full glory.  This gorgeous dress is from All Saints - the colour and embellishments are just divine and complement Kay's tanned skin.  She paired it with Pretty Polly suspender tights - I reckon the birthday girl outshone us all!

The weekend was ended in panic mode when I boarded a train to London instead of Glasgow - luckily I was able to jump off at Durham and was transferred onto a later train.  It all got a bit hairy for a moment but I made it home in the end!

x

The beginnings of a winter wardrobe

I hibernate in the winter. As soon as it gets too wet and windy I hide under a blanket watching DVD's and eating enough chocolate to keep the fat stores at a sufficient level to keep me cosy.

This year I've decided to change that and what better way to motivate myself than make sure I have the suitable attire to be snug and stylish in one go.

In the last fortnight I have started my winter wardrobe shopping and thought the best place to start was with a decent coat ... once I ticked that off the list I ended up accidentally buying some bargain jackets and before I knew it my winter wardrobe was getting out of control already. So be it.

winter coats by saskiathesalsafairy featuring all saints jackets

My biggest buy so far is my new winter coat. It's the 'cute 40's coat' from Karen Millen. I have it in black but above it is pictured in Camel. Camel is very 'in' this winter but I find it to be quite a draining colour on me despite how chic I think it looks, therefore I went with the black.

This coat is a gorgeous angora wool mix and is so soft and cosy. I love the oversized buttons and detail around the collar where it almost looks like a bow. It feels lovely and luxurious and will probably be reserved for days when I want to make an impression as it looks smart, grown up and polished.

My best bargain so far is the H&M aviator jacket at only £24.99. Aviator jackets are a big trend this winter and being a trend as such, I really didn't want to spend a lot of money on one nor did I want to miss out on recreating a Top Gun/Kelly McGillies moment. H&M's version looks much like the topshop version but at a fraction of the cost! Winner.

I also picked up a gorgeous fur Gharani Strok jacket from TK Maxx that will be perfect for glamming up cold nights out on the town and Christmas parties :) I think I will go seventies glam with leggings, sparkly eyeshadow, red lips, high heeled boots and a bandeau head band ... fit for Studio 54!

Despite these purchases I still want more. I need to replace my All Saints jacket and ladies, it looks like Lana is winning so thank you for all the comments on that! I do also like the Cape trend which keeps coming back every few years, maybe I should invest in a classic cape this year that will keep me going for the next decade.

Of course, winter wouldn't be winter without military styles making an appearance, luckily I still have some military style pieces leftover from last year so the credit card can sleep soundly tonight!

What are your winter coat musts and lusts?

x

All Saints ... Luxury Leather

Winter is being thrust upon us and it's quite possible we won't see Autumn at all (at least up here in Scotland) ... so it can only mean one thing. I must get my Autumn/Winter wardrobe sorted.

Last week I took a look in my wardrobe and was quite literally overwhelmed by the amount of clothes I own but don't wear so I decided to to take the step to downsize. I separated the good from the bad and got rid, however a lot of the good (and some of it was really great) that was left behind no longer fits! See, losing weight does have a down side :(

One of the items I was devastated to lose was my All Saints Daisy Bomber Jacket. I bought this a couple of years ago but have now lost so much weight it drowns me.

For me, All Saints purchases are an investment. You are buying luxury and a dose of attitude, although it sits in the higher end of high street affordability - the quality and life you get from the garment pays for itself. You can also guarantee when you buy from All Saints that you won't walk down the street and see 6 different people in the same piece unlike some other high street brands, as All Saints never follows the typical trends that other stores succumb to each season.

Over the years All Saints have grown and grown. I remember a time when my only chance of stepping in an All Saints store was to take a trip to Londons Carnaby Street so there has always been a great deal of exclusivity about the brand. Nowadays most major UK cities have their own stand alone store and they have even expanded to the U.S which is a mean feat for any British brand.

So what am I trying to say? Well, I need a new leather jacket of course, to replace my beloved Daisy bomber and I am heading straight back to All Saints for their leather jackets are so soft and buttery, super comfortable and gorgeous. Expensive these jackets may be but when you weigh it up against other high street competitors, often there is not a major price difference but there is a distinct bridge between style and quality that All Saints wins hands down.

All Sants Leathers by saskiathesalsafairy featuring a leather jacket

I have narrowed it down to 3 choices so far. The Datya Jacket, the cobra bomber and the Lana leather jacket. The bomber would be the obvious choice to replace the jacket I have lost but I quite like the biker style of Lana which is a classic shape that I will get years of wear from. However, the front runner at the moment is the Datya which would suit a layered winter look both casual and formal.

I think I might pop into All Saints today and try these jackets on.

Whats your favourite? Do All Saints feature on your top shops to buy from?

x