Monday 30 September 2013

Chelsea Girl Embroidered Dress



So this weekend turned out to be a bit of an exciting one for me as I was lucky enough to win a pair of VIP tickets to the In Love With Fashion Charity football event... A very lucky me indeed. Having never been to a football match before I wasn't too sure what to wear, but seeing as there was going to be an entire football team full of celebs, I wanted to make an effort and dress to impress. In Love With Fashion also put on an after party for those attending, so it was really key that I wore something that was a little more on the dressy side, but not too full on. 

Lucky for me the weather was on my side yesterday, the sun was out and it wasn't too chilly so I decided to wear my Chelsea Girl (River Island) embroidered dress. For me this is the perfect autumn dress as the colour is spot on for this time of year. The embroidered detailing gives this dress that vintage feel to it and allows this dress to be dressed up a little without it looking to over the top. The sheer sleeves have to be my favourite thing about this dress and its detailing like this makes this dress just that extra bit special.

I've paired the dress with a little waist band just to cinch in at the waist a little, even though it does have an elasticated waist that will extenuate your waistline. And of course no autumn outfit is complete without a perfect pair of boots and I have been loving my new super comfy platform ones, also from River Island. I think the boots really complete this outfit and even though they give me an few good extra inches in height, the raised platform makes walking in them a dream.

I had such a lovely day at the celebrity football match, everyone who went to watch was dressed to impress and I was pretty pleased with my outfit choice. 

I would love to know your thoughts on this outfit ladies, do you like the dress as much as I do? Or are you a fan of the boots? Be sure to let me know



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Saturday 28 September 2013

H&M Sportswear Haul



As a lot of you may know I've been spending a decent amount of time at the gym lately and for a little while now I've been wanting to update my gym gear. Being a fairly newbie to the gym, I didn't have what you would call appropriate gym attire. Yes my wardrobe has its fair share of sports bra's and training shorts, but being a cheerleader all my workout gear was very cheer related ... short shorts and spanks are great in the company of cheerleaders but not so great for the gym. Recently I've made up another long wishlist (we all know that there is the beauty wishlist and a clothing one too) this new one being filled with sporting attire. In my spare time I've been browsing the web to see what gym clothing I want to get my hands on and the wishlist has been growing and growing. What I have noticed though though my browsing  is that sportswear is a bit on the expensive side. Maybe it's just me and maybe I was looking in all the wrong places, but as most of its branded I've found that a pretty big price tag was also attached - Not cool! However a friend of mine recommended that I go take a look at H&M's Sportswear range and when I popped into my local store I was not disappointed at all. H&M had so much to offer and the shopper in me soon got carried away picking up everything from neon pink sports bras to funky patterned tops. Today I thought I would share with you all what I picked up as I know a lot of you beauty babes are loving the gym right now and this might just tempt you to have a little shopping splurge. 






For me H&M have really hit the nail on the head when it has come to designing their sportswear range. The material of most of the range is made from a fast drying stretch material which is perfect for those hard sweaty workouts! Not only does the clothing feel great on too, but it looks amazing on! Now I know that the gym is not a place to look fashionable, however I still want to look and feel great in the clothes that I'm in and H&M have certainly thought about the modern woman and her need to feel and look good. Let me know if you agree, but I feel that the gym is a place to push some boundaries a little in terms of clothing. As you will see from the pictures, I have been drawn to neon pink, a shade which I probably would only be seen in on holiday. However wearing such a fun and bright colour down at the gym makes working out all the more fun. If your lacking on some motivation to go the gym, try buying some fun bright clothing to go the the gym in. On those mornings where I just can't be bothered, popping some good clothes on makes me feel good and makes me feel more motivated - As soon as that clothing is on I feel ready to workout and work hard- Isn't it amazing what a few bits of clothing can do?

Overall I really recommend you checking the H&M sportswear range out, especially if your looking to add some inexpensive and colourfull clothing to your gym attire. Have you bought anything from the H&M Sportswear range yet? What pieces are you loving?



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Thursday 26 September 2013

Northampton Fashion Show

 This week has been a bit of a busy one for me, my diary has been packed with endless lists of things to do, which is one of the biggest reasons I've been a bit missing in action on my blog recently. However the beginning of this week set off to an amazing start because on Monday night I was invited to attend a fashion show in my town, Northampton (anyone else in the area attend?). The Northampton Bid put on amazing Fashion and Exhibition Show in order for the locals to find out just what our little town has to offer fashion wise and whats available on our high street. The event was a little fashion and beauty bloggers dream as so many big retailers and small boutiques decided to get involved and put forward their best Autumn/Winter outfits to showcase on the catwalk!

It was great as River Island took part in the fashion show this year and there was a lot of hype and buzz in store about the big event - I have to say I felt very proud seeing outfits put together by the product team being put forward for every fashionista in Northampton to see. Being the fashion and beauty blogger that I am, it was only natural that I took my camera along to the event so I could share with you all some key and on tend pieces that you can expect to see in a shop near you. The pictures below are what River Island showcased on catwalk and hopefully it will give you a little inspiration on how to style your winter wardrobe. 


I don't know about you but I love seeing sweatshirts/knitwear paired with high shine skirts this year - Not only does the bright green jumper shown above add a gorgeous pop of colour into these duller months, but I love that the leather look is back in this season as it really livens up everyday wear a little and makes a big impact.

As I mentioned earlier, it wasn't just River Island who took part in the fashion show, loads of other favourites such as New Look, Top Shop and House of Fraser also got involved. I also loved how this fashion show was able to show the stock of some smaller independent stores around Northampton. I felt very inspired by all the collections and below are some of my favourite selection of outfits that made it on to the runway.


Not only did the Northampton Bid put on an amazing fashion show, but before hand there was a exhibition for us to walk around which gave us all the opportunity to find out a bit more on what Northampton has to offer. Being a big lover of all things beauty related I was instantly drawn to the stand that was filled with SiennaX tanning products, this is where I met some lovely ladies from Concept6 - A local beauty salon in Northampton. It was great having a little chit chat with the girls who were clearly beauty obsessed as I am and I could have talked about tanning and treatments with them for hours! Not only did I get to talk about my much loved SiennaX Tan, but just a few stalls away I noticed that Lush had also made an appearance and we all know how us beauty bloggers love a bit of Lush! Who can resist taking a whiff of a Sex Bomb Bath Ballistic when you walk past one? I know I can't.


Overall I had a fantastic time at the event, it was great being surround in a beauty and fashion environment. This was my first time attending a fashion show and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I just hope that I get to attend some more in the future - Attending the next London Fashion Week is the dream.

I would love to know whats been inspiring your wardrobe for this season, if your liking any of the outfits in this post be sure to let me know.



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Sunday 22 September 2013

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick - Neon Rose


I think it's fair to say that the majority of us beauty bloggers have a big weakness when it comes to lipstick- I know the sight of a pretty pink lipstick makes me go a little giddy and I have no shame in sharing with you all that I've added another one to my collection - The Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in the shade Neon Rose. I am a huge fan of Bourjois products, their chocolate bronzer and lovable pots of blush being a favourite of mine, but for some unknown reason I've always bypassed their lipstick range. But on a whim in Boots the other day I decided to pretty much swatch every lippie Bourjois had to offer and came home with this little beauty.

The Rouge Edition Lipstick is a highly pigmented lipstick that has been enriched with orchid blossom extract which makes it glide on to the lips with ease and give your lips a lovely glossy finish. As soon as you apply this lipstick you feel how it gives your lips a boost of hydration which is long lasting and makes your lips feel so smooth. The finish of this lipstick reminds me of the same finish of Mac's Lustre lipsticks, which is one of my favourites, so this lipstick gets a huge thumbs up from me. Normally highly pigmented lipsticks seam to have a matte finish, but the Rouge Edition lipsticks have great pigmentation which is pretty true to the colour that you see in the tube - And because it has a moisutising and glossy look to it, it gives your lips that wet look finish, creating the illusion of much fuller and plumper lips.


I decided to pick up shade 12 Neon Rose which is this gorgeous blue toned pink that has a bubblegum look to it. As soon as I popped this on to my lips it instantly reminded me of Mac's Chatterbox, which is another favourite of mine. Mac's Chatterbox is from the Amplified collection, which means it's long lasting and has a matte finish, so its great to find something that is pretty much the same shade, but has a glossy finish to it instead which I love. If you've been lusting after Chatterbox for some time then Neon Rose is a great dupe in terms of colour. 

Not only Neon Rose give your lips a gorgeous pop of colour, it also pretty long lasting, which I wasn't expecting due to the type of finish on it. I find that this lasts for a good 3 hours before it starts to fade and needs re-applying. Even when it does start to fade, it leaves more of a stain on your lips, whist still keeping your lips hydrated at the same time. I even love the packaging of this lipstick, the sleek black casing gives it an expensive feel and I love how you can see the product at the bottom, which makes it easy to find in your makeup bag.


Overall I'm really impressed with the Rouge Edition lipstick from Bourjois and with them having 18 different shades on offer I plan on adding a few more to my collection. I currently have my eye on 'Pretty Prune' a deep berry red (perfect for winter) and 'Orange Pop Up' a lovely coral orange shade. I picked mine up from Boots for £7.99. 

Have you tried any of the Rouge Edition Lipsticks? What shades are you loving?

Lots of Love


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Wednesday 18 September 2013

Products I've Used Up #1


I can't believe I've been running my blog for almost two years now and I've never gotten up classic beauty blog 'Product's I've Used Up' post. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think its because as soon as something has been used up its popped in the bin right away. However I love reading these types of posts as it really shows readers just how much you love a certain product. So I have made it my mission to keep hold of my most recent empties to show you just what products I've used up and to let you know if I plan on re-purchasing any of the items shown.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish - Soft & Gentle
One of my most favourite ever highlighters has to be MAC's MSF Soft and Gentle, it is by far one of the prettiest highlighters that I own and I'm a little sad that this particular one is on its last legs. I know you can see some product left, but I have seriously hit pan on this one and will need to make a repurchase soon. This highlighter has gorgeous peach and golden tones to it and leaves a lovely shimmer on your cheeks. I love using this as a highlighter for the eye area too, so its multipurpose. I bought this at the beginning of last year and have used it almost every day since purchasing it so a little really does go along way. If you would like to read my full review of this highlighter you can find it here.

MAC Lovelorn
Another MAC favourite of mine is Lovelorn, if your after a light pretty pink lipstick I can't recommend this one enough. This has to be my most worn lipstick, I just can't get enough of it! Lovelorn is one of MAC's Lustre formulas which means the finish of this lipstick is slightly on the sheer side, but can be built up very easily. I also find that the lustre finish gives a wet-look finish, which makes your lips look soft and smooth - It's also super hydrating which I love. Lovelorn is just a beautiful lipstick and I love it -  you can bet as soon as I next down to a Mac store, I'm going to be making a repurchase. I can't believe I've never dedicated a blog post to my most loved lipstick, but if you would like to see a swatch you can find one here.

Clinique Stay Matte Foundation
If your someone who suffers from oily to combination skin and are after a foundation that will last all day, keep the rest of your makeup stay put then I really recommend you try out the Clinique Stay Matte Foundation. I bought this sometime ago and I only really use this when I'm wanting something that provides full coverage and is long lasting. This foundation is more of a high-end one and for me is a bit of a treat but I absolutely love it and it does a fantastic job absorbing any shine from your skin throughout the day, so your skin is always looking fresh and flawless. I will definitely be splashing out on this foundation again.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum 
This has been my go too foundation this summer, as far as foundations go, this one has a really light finish and is the complete opposite to the Clinque foundation I mentioned above. In fact if your skin is more on the oily side I would probably stay well clear of this foundation. The healthy mix serum from Bourjois gives your skin a lovely dewy look, giving your skin a really healthy look. It gives just the right amount of coverage you need for summer and I have loved wearing this - However I did find that I needed plenty of powder top-ups throughout the day to stop my skin looking too shiny, but this is just because of my skin type. As we are going into Autumn I wont be making a repurchase of this foundation just yet as I like something with a bit more full coverage when the months get colder, but overall this is a great product.

Revlon Photoready Concealer
This concealer from Revlon has to be one of my favourites and it does a fantastic job at brightening up your eye area whilst giving you just the right amount of coverage to hide any dark circles. The formula of this concealer is ever so creamy and glides on to your skin without any fuss whatsoever. It can take a little longer to blend than other concealers, but the end result is bright beautiful eyes. I will definitely be making a repurchase of this concealer and I cant recommend it enough.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution
If you've been reading my blog for a while you will know how much I love this water based cleanser from L'Oreal (you can read my full review here) and this has to be the third bottle that I've used up now. It does a fantastic job at removing all traces of your makeup and acts as a toner at the same time. If you've not tried this and are still using makeup wipes I urge you to pick up a bottle, it's brilliant and so affordable. 


So that's it for all the products I've used up, if you like seeing this kind of post be sure to let me know and I'll make an extra effort of keeping hold of my empty packaging instead of chucking it right into the bin.

Lots of Love




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Sunday 15 September 2013

In LOVE With Fashion || LOVE Charity Match


In Love With Fashion has always stood out to me when it comes to an online clothing store as they always have amazing clothing on sale for great prices. Not only is the clothing just lovely, their pretty playsuits have always been a favourite of mine!

Whats really good to see is companies getting involved and doing their bit for Charity and Love are certainly putting on quite the charity event. At the end of this month Love are hosting a charity football match in support of The Prince's Trust and The Arsenal Foundation down at the Finchley Wingate Stauidum. Being the girly girl I am I don't immediately jump for joy when someone mentions the word 'football' (beauty and fashion are more my thing), however this is no ordinary football match! The football match which will take place on the 29th September has one team filled with celebrities and they will be playing against a team full of Arsenal legends all in the name of charity! 

Some of the celebrities lined up include the gorgeous Callum Best, yummy Laurrie Duncan (Callum of Hollyoaks) and Liam Gilmore (another Hollyoaks hunk!) who are to be under the wing of Jermain Defoe, who will be the celebrity team manager. Now like I mentioned football isn't really my sport of choice, however I do know a thing or two about the game including that complicated off-side rule. What I also know is that this game will be filled with some pretty gorgeous men running around a football pitch for our entertainment and all for a good cause - What is not to enjoy? Not only will it be a football filled day, but In Love With Fashion are also showcasing some other talents including some of London's best dance troops and cheerleaders. Now if you know me and read my blog you will know that being a cheerleader myself, this is right up my street and if you ask me every football match should have some cheerleaders present to get the crowed pumped up for the game ahead.

In Love With Fashion don't stop there with their treats for the day, they are offering three lucky bloggers a chance to attend this special football game with VIP tickets, a ticket to the after party and £100 of in-store credit - WOW! If you would like to know how you could get your hands on a pair of those tickets all you have to do is click the link below.


Being the fashion lover I am, I thought I would bring this post back to what I love and if I was lucky enough to win tickets to attend this charity event this is something that I would wear. 


As I mentioned In Love With Fashion have on sale some of the prettiest playsuits you can get your hands on and I have fallen in love with their 'Love Black Crepe Eyelash Playsuit', the cutout detailing on the back is gorgeous and the lace detailing on the front is a lovely added touch. As the weather has dramatically changed in the last week and Autumn now feels as though its in full swing, I would pair this playsuit with these chunky platform boots from River Island and these cute bird tights from Topshop. To accessorise I would add this statement daisy necklace also from Topshop and pair the outfit with this 'Black Ribbon Shaker Hat' from River Island. This outfit maybe a little dressed up for a football match, but with an after party to go to and celebrities about a girl would need to look her best, right?

With all the fun that this charity event will bring, it's important to remember that its all for a good cause. This event will be raising money for the Princes Trust, a youth charity that..


'...helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. It supports 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Three in four young people supported by The Trust move into work, education or training.'


So if any of you would like to go to attend this match, show your support and raise money be sure to check out this link.

Good luck to every one that enters and I hope In Love With Fashion can help raise awareness and money for this charity.

Lots of Love


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Wednesday 11 September 2013

Deborah Milano 24Ore Velvet Eye Shadow 'Rose'



If you happened to take a read of my August Favourites post (here) you will know that I am a big fan of my Deborah Milano Shine Creator Lipstick. Being the lipstick lover that I am you'll have to trust me when I say its just Ah-Ma-Zing! So I wore the biggest grin ever when Deborah Milano got back in touch with me and asked if I wanted to try out one of the 24Ore Velvet Eye Shadows. Now with 22 different shades to offer, picking just one was quite the challenge, but I decided to pick the gorgeous shade 11 'Rose' which is the most gorgeous blush pink shade.

When it comes to eye shadow, I usually opt for neutral shades as they are just so wearable, but I've been meaning to pick up a pink shadow for the longest of time because if I'm being perfectly honest I've been a bit obsessed with pink makeup recently. I think pink can sometimes be a colour that can be difficult to work with on the eyes, but if you carry on reading I'll show you just how I made this pretty pink work for me at the end of this review.

The Deborah Milano 24Ore Velvet Eye Shadow is a really soft, buttery eye shadow which feels ever so silky to the touch. As the name of this shadow suggests, the texture feels really light weight and has an almost velvety feel to it. I found applying this shadow so easy as the product picked up effortlessly on my brush and its smooth feel to the shadow made blending this a dream. What really impressed me was just how pigmented this shadow was - I find sometimes with lighter shadows you have to use a lot more product to get a good colour payout. However with 'Rose' you need the lightest hand to get a colour which is very true to what you see in the pan. Like I mentioned, I found blending out this eye shadow so easy, and once it has been blended 'Rose' turns from a very opaque blush pink into a light frosty pink sheen on your lids - On its own this shadow is quite simply stunning on. The frosted finish is not too shimmery and reflects just the right amount of light to make it stand out. I love this finish as it takes this pink from 'Barbie' to something a little more sophisticated and glam.



As for lasting time, the 24Ore Velvet Eye Shadow gets top marks, I poped this on the other morning without any primer and it was still firmly on my lids by the time I had finished work with no signs of creasing at all. I love it when you find an eye shadow that has strong staying power.

As for the packaging Deborah Milano have kept the 24Ore Velvet Eye Shadow pretty simple, encased in this pan which fits perfectly into your hand. The clear lid means you can reach for this eye shadow quickly when its sat among your other shadows.  You can't really tell from my pictures as I think my shadow had a few little knocks from the postman, but right in the centre you have the Deborah Milano logo indented into the actual shadow, which is a lovely added touch. The eye shadow also has a mini applicator inside, which I'm not too fussed about as I never used these - But I can see how it could be useful to someone on the go.

Overall I'm so impressed with this eye shadow, a little goes a really long way and this will last me for ages. You can pick up any of the 22 shades in the 24Ore Velvet Collection for £5.50 which is just such good value for money as you get so much product and at such a good quality  If you would like to browse the collection you can find the link here. I love the way this shadow looks on and as promised earlier on I said I would show you how I made this shadow work for me. 



For those of you wanting to know, I've used 'Rose' all over the lid, blended 'Buck' from the Urban Decay Naked Palette in the crease and have also used 'Toasted' also from the Naked Palette in the outer corners. I think this is a great natural everyday look and using a pretty pink such as 'Rose' just gives this look a touch of girlyness which I love!

Do you like this look? Have you tried any eye shadows from Deborah Milano? I would love to know.





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