FOTD: Pink Eye

Apologies for hideously bad quality photo booth images but it was the quickest way for me to take photos of my make up yesterday. 

I wanted to go for a soft feminine look so decided to break out all the pinks.  Eyes, lips and cheeks all in tones of soft pink.   Pink is not always the easiest shade to wear on eyes, you can potentially come out looking a little ill or bruised so tone, intensity and contour is quite important.  

This was a daytime look so I was able to keep it soft and subtle avoiding any chance of a heavy handed application.

FACE:  Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 Beige - Desert, MAC Select Cover up concealer in NC25

CHEEKS:  Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzer in 52 (Just started using this, review will follow!) and New CID i-glow in Coral Crush 

EYES:  Clinique Strawberry Fudge palette, MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, MUFE Smokey Lash mascara

EYEBROWS:  Shavata eyebrow pencil

LIPS:  MAC Pro Longwear lipstick in Love Forever! smudged over lips applied with finger, topped off with Lipstick queen fifteen minutes of fame gloss in 2 minutes

A review on the Bourjois bronzer is coming up soon.  It's the first time I have properly strayed from my holy grail bronzer, Nars Laguna so I really want to let you know my thoughts.  Watch this space!

I kind of miss face of the day posts, I remember back when I started blogging it was one of the most popular type of posts from bloggers.  I quite like kicking it old school sometimes!

Are fotd posts of interest to you?  And what do you think of pink eyes ...?!
x

Alice Temperley for Twinings GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the launch of Twinings new and improved blend of Earl Grey, Twinings have teamed up with the fabulous Alice Temperley to create an exclusive, bespoke Temperley for Twinings print.

Alice Temperley's design mood board

An absolutely stunning scarf of 100% silk, Alice Temperley's gorgeous print scarf brings to life the incredible journey of the original Early Grey blend created by Twinings in 1831, as it travelled across the oceans from China to the UK.

The print will be used over a number of products but this beautiful scarf is limited edition with only 1000 available to purchase at £115 a pop.  You can purchase here.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been sent one of these gorgeous scarves... I have literally not had this off me all weekend.  I love the length, the colour palette and the sumptuous texture of the scarf.  Not only that, I also have an extra one to give away! You do not want to miss out on this - this scarf is just too chic to not lust after.

If you want to be in with a chance of winning this stunning scarf, you have to do the following:

1.  Be a follower of my blog through google friend connect
2.  Leave a comment below simply saying 'Fancy a cuppa?'
3.  The giveaway will close on Friday 22nd July


If you happen to leave an anonymous comment - you must must must leave an email address otherwise there is no point in counting your entry.

Winners will be chosen through random.org and the winner will be announced this weekend.

I hope that's clear enough - get commenting!! :)

Good Luck!

x

Eucerin - Skincare with integrity

Eucerin is a brand that has always been on my radar, with over 100 years of experience, it's hard to miss it.  I have never tried the products as although I sometimes suffer dry skin, my skin isn't sensitive enough for me to deem it necessary to purchase.

However, when asked to review it for my blog, I had a perfect guinea pig in mind.

Meet my husband, Garrath

Garrath suffers from quite severe eczema that consumes his entire body.  He mostly uses medicated lotions to help alleviate pain, flaking, itching and cuts that can be caused by his eczema.

He has so many lotions and potions that his toiletries bag is twice the size of mine if not bigger and shower times take forever.

It's meant to be us girls who take their time!

Garrath has tried many solutions over the years to no avail.  He now knows what is good for him and what isn't and despite finding some skincare from the high street, most of his skin relief is still medicated.

So, he was a little ominous when I asked him to try Eucerin as he worried this may disturb his current routine which is going okay but still not the best, with a lot of achey, flakey skin on his head, hands and particular parts of his face.  There are not many brand he puts his trust in so it was a big ask for him to give this a go.

Here is what he used and what he thought of them:

Eucerin Dry Skin Relief Shampoo with 5% Urea
Garrath's previous solution to a flakey scalp was old favourite 'Head & Shoulders' with some medicated oils for extra measure.  This helped to reduce the flakiness when his hair was first washed but after half a day or so the itching began and flakes re-appeared.  Using Eucerin, Garrath really liked the texture of the shampoo as it felt moisturising on his skin but best of all it reduced the flakiness but kept his scalp itch free for much longer.

Eucerin Dry Skin Bath & Shower 20% Omega
Garrath found the best way to use this was to dampen skin and moisturise it all over his body as he was in the shower.  This product has given him positive benefits within just a few days of use.  His skin is free from the dreaded itch and he feels it helped to lock in the moisture throughout the day.  Normally Garrath has to re-apply creams throughout the day but re-application has reduced since he has used this in his shower.

Eucerin Replenishing Face Cream and Replenishing Night Cream 5% Urea
The most noticeable difference Eucerin has made is from the face creams, both day and night versions.  Garrath always has flakiness or sore red patches on his face from his eczema.  It is rare that his skin looks well.  Since using the face creams, he has only had to apply once in the day then once at night and has also been able to stop using his medicated lotion.  No need to get up in the middle of the night to reapply face cream to alleviate tightness and dryness that interrupts his sleep.  You can also see how fresh and smooth his skin feels and looks.

All in all, Garrath loves the Eucerin products he has tried, so much so, he is going to go and purchase their anti-age range and also has some hand and foot cream to try out at home.

Admittedly he was sceptical at first but since trialling he has noticed such obvious and positive results that it looks like Eucerin will now be a permanent feature in his toiletry bag.

If you think Eucerin might be for you then you can purchase it online at Boots or straight from the Eucerin website.

Initial Jewellery

Ever since way back in the days of Carrie in Sex and the City where the obsession for name necklaces grew - the trend has continued and evolved in different forms.

Instead of full names emblazoned on our decolletage, the minimalist approach has been introduced, reducing it to just an initial.

From scrabble jewellery to dainty necklaces, there is always a new and unique way to combine our accessories with our identity.

Scrabble ring sourced from Folksy

sourced from Etsy

Sourced from Urban Outfitters

For me this has come in the form of these cute little rings from Urban Outfitters.
Despite the fact they turn my finger green (nothing that can't be fixed with some clear nail polish), at £8 each they look lovely stacked and worn alongside bigger rings.

Do you wear initial or named jewellery/accessories?  How do you wear yours?

x

NOTD: NYC Times Square

I have had a heap of NYC colour polishes lying in a drawer for ages now - most of them going unloved.  I got round to trying this one the other day when I did the 'shut your eyes, dip your hand in and paint with whatever colour you pull out' method.

I picjed out an NYC shade in Times Square.  What I immediately liked about it was that it wasn't quite a true red but certainly not a pink or orange either.  It's an unusual mix of all three and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't capture the true shade.

It applied opaque after 2 coats and gave a lovely glossy finish with no topcoat.  It may have been the lack of topcoat that caused it to chip quickly or it could have been the poor condition of my nails - I'm not really sure.

I do like these NYC shades and should really continue to pay attention to their range - it is so reasonably priced at around £3 (can't remember exact cost) that they are a great solution for updating seasonal nail trends.

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

Shoulder to Shoulder

I am a big fan of shoulder embellishment - always have been.  Hence my feathered cape, fur cape, plethora of crystal shouldered tees and love for shoulder pads... I love the arrogance, the glam and the confidence that comes with strong shoulders, harking back to the days of the 'power suit'.

Images like this simply encourage my love of the shoulder embellishment and take it to a new level in the form of an ornamental decoration or costume jewellery.  I believe this is called Epaulettes but if anyone would like to correct me feel free.

Natalie Portman looking fierce

I have seen a few celebrities sporting the look from Natalie Portman to Gaga but I was completely sold after seeing a truly exquisite pair at the Scottish Fashion Awards.

My jaw literally dropped in awe of the breathtaking adornment gracing the ever so chic shoulders of Swarovski Creative Director, Nathalie Colin at this years Awards.  Laden with swarovski crystal naturally, the beautiful work of art cupped Natalie's shoulders connecting with sparkling chains garnishing the decolletage.

You can just about see Nathalie's shoulder decoration pictured here at the Scottish Fashion Awards 2011.

So this really brings me onto - how can I find me some of this shoulder bling?  I have toyed with making my own but can't work out the best materials to use.  The wonders of Etsy has led me to stumble across some absolutely stunning epaullettes but at sky high prices.  Is it worth it?

Absolutely stunning and ever so Gaga, I love the juxtaposition of the spikes and crystal while an array of chains drape the body.  You can find this for sale on Esty here.

Another stunning pair found at the same Etsy store have a more military feel.

I love how these ornamental creations can be worn over clothing or on bare shoulders.  It beats a statement pair of earrings anyday.  They can so easily transform the simplest of outfits into something quite spectacular and certainly attention grabbing.

 I am pondering over whether they are really worth the cost or if I can find a cheaper supplier elsewhere.  I have got to get me a pair of these one way or another so the search will continue until I exhaust every avenue.

Has anyone else come across these delights and can recommend a retailer?  Even better - any DIY tips?

x