Clashing Prints

I spent the weekend 'doon tha toon' ... in Newcastle.  Well, Gateshead to be exact.

Friday was spent with Florence and her Machine ... and what a talented soul she is.  It's my 3rd time seeing Flo and she never disappoints.  I was a little apprehensive about the bigger production of the show to previous gigs but I needn't have worried, I was there for a voice, and a voice is what I got! Oh, and a cape. A stunning, flowing, bejewelled cape.  WANT.

I managed to get some grizzly outfit shots after the gig on our way into town.

Scarf print trousers: Matalan
Heels: Dune
Black top: Zara
Leather Jacket: Esprit
Bag: Mango
Jewellery: Mixture of Topshop, ROX, Links of London

I went for bold scarf print jeans that I picked up (last week) for a snip at £20 from the 'Be Beau' range at Matalan.  I love the colour, print and fit of these jeans.  Probably not the best quality but in my eyes, it's fast fashion, I'm sure in 6 months time I will have no interest in wearing them again so I'd rather spend less.

The clashing red snake-print clutch is a vintage Mango purchase.  Well, that's if you count an 8 year old purchase as vintage.  I do ... ;)  I had my friends give me the okay on the clashing prints as I wasn't sure if it was all a bit too much but they gave the thumbs up and in the end I loved the juxtaposition of both patterns.

What do you think of clashing prints? Do you dare?
x

Blonde - Classy not brassy!

I have spent the last hour looking for photos of me as a blonde.  Yup, that's right, once upon a time, I turned my back on my Titian roots and attempted to find my inner bombshell.

Unfortunately, no photos are to be found and as much as I loved the blonde it really didn't suit a pale, freckly lass like myself.  I do occasionally still reminisce about my brassy past ... and believe me it was brassy.  Home dyes and cheap salon highlights left my hair looking less than classy.

These days though, home dyes have improved in quality and colour pay off as well as being much kinder to your hair.  If you home colour your hair or are thinking of going blonde using a home dye, check out this Garnier video for Garnier Nutrisse Creme Colour....




Although specifically for blondes, Lyndell Mansfield, hair colour expert for Garnier gives some valuable tips on home dying, specifically for use with Garnier Nutrisse Creme Colour.

1) Apply to resistant areas first (e.g, areas of grey hair)
2) Apply at the root for even coverage.  Garnier Nutrisse Creme Colour comes with a precision nozzle to make this even easier!
3) Leave colour on roots for longer to ensure an even coverage
4) Use a nourishing conditioner afterwards to keep your hair smooth, shiny and in great condition
5) Always buy your home colour in advance of dying as you MUST carry out a skin test first

Hope these tips have been helpful for keeping your blonde classy not brassy! :)

x

Who lives in a house like this ....?

The last 4 weeks have been a little chaotic to say the least.

I'd hardly set foot in the door of my new house before the renovations were kicking off.  Three and a half weeks after it all started, the building work is nearly done and soon it will be time to start decorating.

We decided to avoid hassle further down the line by getting all our work done at the same time so we don't have the disruption in the future.  To sum it up, we have moved our kitchen into  a completely different room, split the original kitchen into 3 separate rooms to create a study, utility room and 'powder room' (downstairs loo to you and me) and a complete makeover of the main bathroom.

While all this has been going on I have had limited internet access, no cooking or washing facilities and a house full of unpacked boxes.  We have managed to get by living out of a bedroom and a small space of couch in the living room.  Needless to say the novelty has started to wear off and we just can't wait to get our house back to really put our own stamp on it.

I plan on posting some before and after photos over the next few months as we manage to finish off rooms but I will leave you with some snippets of my new home through the eyes of Instagram....

The view from my couch until yesterday ..!!

new purchases for the garden :) 

restoring my old singer sewing machine table

one of the gorgeous chandeliers that came with the property

my new bath! 

Drumroll .... here is the first of the before and afters!!  This is what will be my dining room which leads onto the back garden.  I wanted more light in the room and the space to feel bigger. I love the idea of bringing the outdoors in and think that this space will be one of my favourites in the house.

Next project after the house is finished will be Project Green Fingers! The garden needs a serious update.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Ta-da!

These wardrobes came with the house, I am undecided if I should keep them? What do you think?

The bones of my new kitchen - it will be finished this week :) 

I've started filling the cupboards - exciting! 

My new shower area in it's early stages - the full bathroom will be complete this week too! :) 

I will keep on sharing photos in between the usual beauty, fashion, lifestyle posts.  There is so much decorating to do, I am sure it will keep me busy for the foreseeable, so any decor tips, send them my way!  :)

x

SHIMMER TWINS

If you are looking for some bad lashes to rock your world... then look no further than Shimmer Twins!

Launched in December 2011, Shimmer Twins Treasure Lashes are the ultimate in party lashes whether you be raving, moshing or glamming it up with the girls on a Saturday night! 

AMAZING!

After being sent a couple of Shimmer Twins Treasure Lashes samples I am absolutely in love and will be stocking up for my professional kit as well as keeping some faves aside for myself.  The lashes are created by celebrity Make-Up Artist Holly Sillius who originally made some bespoke lashes for a 'lash' party.  The collection evolved after she started making them for others including for music videos and festivals and now her own line of amazing and dramatic eyewear. 

The brand itself has a super cool image with Jaime Winstone as the face of the brand and having already been featured on the cover of style Bible,  iD Magazine.  They have also found themselves quite the celebrity following with the likes of Caroline Flack and the X Factor contestants all being fans! 

Jaime Winstone

Treasure Lashes come in a range of plain lashes (rrp £8) or creative (rrp £15).  The creative lashes are pretty much amazeballs ... there, I said it! (hate that expression) but they so are! From gold star lined lashes to iridescent pink hearts, they are loud, vivacious and scream GLAMMA!

You can buy Shimmer Twin lashes at ASOS and Urban Outfitters.  Keep posted for some future face of the days featuring Shimmer Twins, I just can't wait to get a night out wearing the gold star lashes.  I think they will look wicked! 

What do you make of Shimmer Twins? 

x

SPACE NK: Make Up Brushes

Hasn't it been an age since I last blogged?

Moving house was hectic and renovations even more so.  I am living with only a livingroom and bedroom and teeny en-suite at the moment so taking any blogworthy photos has been a little difficult as well as having little to no time to sit down with the laptop.

Anyway, I have wanted to blog about these make up brushes for a LONG time so with a spare 10 minutes this evening, here goes ....

I got to try out some Space NK brushes, which led to me purchasing some Space NK brushes.  Their quality is comparable to high end make up brands and unfortunately so is their price.

I have the blush brush (RRP £28 - my own purchase), the eyeshadow brush (RRP £18 - PR item for review), and the foundation brush (RRP £25 - PR item for review).

The blush brush is large, dense and squared off in shape.  It is actually quite different from blush brushes I have used in the past which have been softer, fluffier and rounder but I have to say this is working well for me.  It gives good placement of the blush and covers a larger area of the cheek, which dependant on the overall finish you want may not always be a good thing.  It has made it into my everyday make up bag so it is a thumbs up purchase.  It's biggest flaw is its price ... for £28 I would rather buy from a major brand ... however, I managed to purchase in the January sales but would never repurchase at full price i'm afraid.

A closer look 

As far as the eyeshadow brush goes, it is great for placement of shadow on the lid, I also use to blend as the brush is quite fluffy despite being densely packed. Again, the price tag lets me down but this is probably because I expect cheaper as it isn't branded MAC, Space NK, Bobbi Brown etc.

Space NK brush on left, MAC 190 on left 

The foundation brush is my favourite of the 3 with it being comparable to the MAC 190 but with only £1 price difference I would personally go for the MAC brush everytime.

Space NK left, MAC right

Although the Space NK foundation brush is a little bit wider, it makes little difference to make up application and these 2 brushes are near enough like for like.

As much as I really really like Space NK brushes, I wouldn't purchase them over branded make up brushes like MAC unless I picked them up for half the price on sale.  With so many similarities to their more popular competition and very little in the way of price comparison, I can't see these brushes standing out in the market place.

Have you tried Space NK brushes? What are your thoughts on quality and price?

x

Swing, Sing and Shine with Swarovski

The Swarovski lookbook landed on my doorstep this week and for a magpie like me, turning each page was met with 'ahhhs', 'oohs' and 'want that one!'.

Swarovski's spring/summer 2012 collection "Swing, Sing and Shine' is a tribute to vintage styling and an ode to the lights, camera and action of the entertainment world.  Creative Director Nathalie Colin uses the collection to tell the story of a young woman as she evolves from a student to that of a starlet becoming accustomed to fame and the limelight.  The collection takes us through themes using pastel colours and shapes associated with the swinging 'sweet sixties' and the glamour of 'in the spotlight'.

I adore the the mix of colour, texture and material used in this collection from the bright gems of the Rainbow Earrings, the pearl and fabric mix of the Ribbon Necklace and the masculinity of the Motaigne chain necklace.

Rainbow Earrings

Ribbon Necklace

Monochrome: Montaigne Necklace (Want this!!)

Monochrome: Remix Bracelet

Vintage Glamour: Reception Bracelet - perfect for a Bride!

 So many stunning item.  I feel like this collection is bigger and better than ever before.  There is something to suit all tastes, whether you are preparing for a school prom, your perfect wedding day or simply looking for some gorgeous statement pieces for everyday wear.

What I also didn't realise is that Swarovski also have Hello Kitty and Disney collections.  I know how many of you love a little bit of kitsch in your life so thought I would includes some examples of the fun yet glamorous and chic offering from Swarovski.

Hello Kitty Chic Earrings

Hello Kitty Glamour Necklace 

Disney Thorn Rose Ring

Asides the stunning jewellery and sparkly bits and bobs, I was quite taken by the imagery used in the 'Swing, Sing and Shine' in particular the make up (naturally).  Graphic Fluoro pink liner accentuated the shape of the models eye on an otherwise neutral lips and cheek.

Front cover of lookbook

Does anything take your fancy then?  I love a good old browse round a Swarovski store in all it's sparkling glory.  Think I will go in and take a look at some of these items in the flesh,  after all my birthday is only a few months away ;)

x

Interiors Inspiration: Handira

While I was in Morocco, I scoured the souks for potential interior inspiration.  I love to fill my home with stories which usually means subtle pieces and sometimes statement pieces come home with me from my travels to fill my abode with pretty things.

In Marrakech I stumbled across and cheeky chap selling some of the most wonderful rugs I had ever seen.  Loomed from sheeps wool and covered in sequin, one of them caught my eye and after a half hour of haggling, I got my price and bagged my rug :)

It was only after returning home that I learned more about my purchase.  It turns out my new rug is traditionally a Moroccan Wedding Blanket or Handira.   Apparently, Brides and their relatives painstakingly create these blankets in time for the big day where the Bride wears it on her journey to her groom.  It is said to have talismanic power and protects its wearer from evil.

Nowadays, they have become a bit of a showpiece in peoples homes as rugs, beadspreads, wall hangings and more.

I plan on using mine on my bed.  Here is my inspiration ...

This is exactly like mine

Those of you with an eagle eye might have spotted a Handira in that ghastly Sex and the City 2 movie.  After being such a fan of the show, I cannot tell you how much I hated this film!! 

I think they are beautiful works of craft and I can't wait to use it in my new home.  I think it will make a real statement in my room should I decide to use it on my bed.

What statement pieces do you love in your home?

x