Make-Up Revolution: First thoughts

There has been a lot of hype and excitement about new budget brand, Make up Revolution. I myself was dazzled by the colours of some of the products and happy to see a more affordable brand offering more daring products, usually reserved for the likes of Urban Decay, Illamasqua and Lime Crime. 
I will do a proper review of these when I get a day at home (weather has been too awful today to take photos after I got home from work), but I was very excited when I opened my package so thought I would share what I got:

Iconic 3 Palette: £4
Like all beauty fans I have been lusting after the Naked 3 palette, but £37?? I don't think so. People were saying this is a dupe (though I don't think these are as rosy-toned) and I'm looking forward to giving it a go

Individual eyeshadows: £1
These are ridiculously bright! Can't wait to try these when I've hit the fake tan.

Velvet Lip Lacquer: £3
These have been compared to Lime Crime's Velvetines. I quickly slapped some on to try, but not owning any Velvetines I can't really comment on whether they are comparable. However this is a highly pigmented, super bright candy pink with serious staying power (I had trouble removing it!)

Blue lipstick: £1

This is the product I was excited about. Rihanna had worn a similar lipstick last year but it was so unique and crazy that I thought only high end brands would do something similar. I didn't want to shell out a lot of money on something I probably won't wear too much so was happy that they've done a similar shade. I've seen some people have issues with it applying streakily but when I gave it a quick try it didn't seem too bad, though I'd recommend a light foundation layer to make the colour pop even more

Here's a brief swatch of the two lip products, I will post some decent photos when we have another brighter day

So this little bundle cost me a whole..£10! I'm looking forward to trying these properly and it wouldn't surprise me if I made another order soon

Style Crush: Carmen Miranda

The lovely weather a few weeks back got me all excited about returning to and updating my summer wardrobe. Though it's been grey and rainy again, I'm still finding myself drawn to bright colours and especially fruit prints! After buying a pair of pineapple earrings from Topshop and trawling Pinterest for pictures of the fabulous Carmen Miranda I think it's safe to say an obsession has begun.

What's in my basket... Zara S/S 14

Long time no post! Usual excuses; work, lack of money to buy anything worth blogging about and long- distancing with the boyfriend means that my weekends are usually spent trawling up to Dorset.
A nice simple post to get back into the swing of things: my recent picks from Zara. I always see people buy gorgeous things from Zara, and there's usually one or two blogger-hyped pieces each season, but I find it hard to shop in store. Whenever I go in I can never find what I'm looking for or even much I like, but when I went on the website this afternoon I found so many things I want! I've just been paid but I'm trying to restrain myself...
all images from zara.com
Skirt with crochet/lace hem: £25.99

I love the detail along the hemline of this skirt, but it has actually inspired me to give this a go myself, by buying a cheap skirt and some pretty trimming to sew along the bottom. I'm thinking a lilac or baby blue version would be lovely for summer.

Printed skirt: £19.99

This has a really sporty vibe, which isn't usually my thing, but I think the combination of the loud print with the sporty accents works so well

Wrapover skirt: £25.99

This caught my eye due to the way the skirt ties across the front. It reminds me of a piece from one of Rihanna's collections for River Island, a dress with a 'fake' shirt tied around the middle.



Striped dress with floral sleeves: £19.99

I first saw this on the ever-stylish Lily Melrose, and fell in love. It's really good value for £20 and I love clashing prints.

Hopefully now the days are staying lighter for longer I will get back into blogging. I really want to do outfit photos but have no tripod and I hate having my photo taken, so I'm too embarrassed to ask anyone else to  take some!

Making a statement #2: Jewellery

Jewellery is one of these  easiest and cheaper ways to update an outfit. Below are some of my favourites; the bigger the better!

Top row:  Silver spike necklace: Primark, around £4 (similar on Ebay here and here) Silver and neon oversized bib necklace: New Look- £9.99 (was £20 before going into sale)

Bottom row: Silver torque, choker necklace: Ebay (loads available- here's one for only £2) Disney Couture 'Fairest of them All' necklace Iridescent gem necklace- Primark- £6 Neon and silver spike drop necklace- New Look £5

What's in my basket...Boohoo S/S 14

The glimpse of sunshine we've recently had has made me long for summertime to hurry up! The weather has influenced the sort of clothes that are now catching my eye, as you can probably tell my selections from Boohoo below:

Though drop waist dresses remind me somewhat of the dreaded peplums, there was something about these two dresses that I really liked. The short sleeved pink dress is only £12 and also comes in lime and navy; I'm quite tempted to get all three colours! It's a bit longer at the back which I appreciate, as you know there's no risk of an unsightly bum flash.
The red long sleeve drop waist dress is £18, still really reasonable, and comes in black and navy as well. I love that lots of websites now provide a video of the garment being worn, as you get a much better idea of the movement and how the fabric looks on. With Boohoo the fabric can be hit and miss, and I was concerned this dress would be that horrible thin jersey material that clings. But in the video it looked really flattering so I'm definitely considering it.
The floral slip dress (£20) is a bit 'sexier' than something I'd usually go for, but I think it has potential to be 'grunged' up with boots and an oversized denim jacket.
Finally, the lime and metallic shoes (£30)- I think these are incredible! I'm still trying to think of something in my wardrobe that I could wear these with to justify purchasing, but I'm struggling. They also come in white; maybe that would be a more sensible choice?

NOTD: Go bananas

As is often the case, this manicure was inspired by one posted by Wah Nails on Instagram. Mine's not quite as good as theirs, but I love the contrast of the yellow against Models Own 'Hedonist'. Need to make my bananas a bit bendier next time!

 

1 Motel Dress, 3 ways to wear

I've been a long time fan of Motel since the early days, back when their specialty was printed body con dresses. The brand has really evolved and I love seeing the new prints they bring out each season.
I recently bought the 'Petal Shift Dress' in the tangerine Morris Flower print and below are three ways to style it (though excuse my laziness in not changing up my hair and makeup too :p):

Look #1: Smart/ Sophisticated
Though the dress is pretty loud, a blazer and some strappy heels smartens it up

Look #2: Bright and Casual
With a denim jacket and neon necklace this dress can be dressed down for a casual pub outing

Look #3: Clash with other prints It can be hard to successfully clash prints, but for some reason leopard print seems to go well with all sorts of patterns- spots, stripes, tartan and floral too. Knee high socks are a bit passe now, but I kind of like them with this outfit.

Pinspiration #3: Nails

I think I've made it pretty clear I'm a big fan of nail art. I got into doing my nails at uni, as I only had 6hrs of lectures and a lot of free time! Here's some designs I've pinned recently (some Easter themed nails are next on the cards I think)

NOTD: nude half moon mani using Barry M Nail art Pen

I have something of a split personality when it comes to nails. I veer between the completely crazy to the more refined and classic. A friend at work had recently had a gorgeous, chic half moon mani that I wanted to recreate myself. I don't have the steadiest of hands (something of an impediment when you are a big nail art fan), so I thought it would be a perfect time to try my new Barry M Nail art pen

I needed a new black nail art pen and the design of this looked so much easier than conventional nail art pens- it's just like a felt tip.

So the idea is, you pump down on the nib a couple of times to get the ink flowing and voila! Nail art is a hell of a lot easier! It is literally like drawing on your nails with a felt tip (FYI- I have heard Sharpies can be used for nail art, something I'm yet to try out...) I always found conventional nail art pens to be difficult; if you used the nib, it would sometimes scratch your polish and would eventually clog up, not to mention the cramp you get in your hand from squeezing the tube bloody tight to get the polish to come out!  But this was so easy to use, you can tell by the crisp lines I managed to get doing my half-moons 

My only issues with this is that I think it is meant more for drawing lines and shapes rather than block areas; it did crack slightly when used to 'colour' in a large area. But it's hardly noticeable, as in the photo below you can barely see it. Also, you have to make sure your polish is dry before drawing otherwise it can dent a bit. Still, this is definitely my new favourite nail art tool, just wish they did more colours!

Making a statement #1: Tops

Despite my original intentions to have this as a fashion-focused blog, I'm not the best person at putting outfits together. So I usually pair a statement piece with something more plain. Here's a selection of statement tops I've recently bought- any interesting fabrics or textures always catch my eye:

Metallic Jacquard top- Boohoo

I was so impressed with this top from Boohoo. As much as I like some of Boohoo's designs, I feel the quality can be a bit hit and miss. However, this top is so well made and looks a lot more expensive than it is. The overlaid stitching and colour of the fabric makes it look almost like burnished metal. See the close up below.

The piece looks great over skinny jeans for a simple dinner outfit, or with leather shorts or a pencil skirt for a more dressed up look. It was £18 when I purchased, but you can get it right now for £15

Waffle-textured leopard print top- Topshop

Again, another great top for dressing up or down. And do you see what I mean about loving texture? This has a 'waffle' sort of texture with the leopard print design over the top. It's quite out there, and when I picked it up I had a brief moment of trying to decide if it was hideous or amazing! Obviously, I decided on the latter. I think this was £20, it's not on the website anymore and last time I went into a store it had gone in to the sale for £12, so there might be some knocking around still.
Below is another close up to show the texture.

Teal Jacquard top- Topshop

Stores at the moment seem to love labelling pieces 'Jacquard'- I have to admit I don't really know what this means! But in this case, it is almost like a tapestry-like effect because of the weaving of the fabric. This was the statement top I bought first, as my eye was drawn to the colour and unique fabric, which has a slight sheen to it. This was £28 and is no longer available, but Topshop have some  similar styles here, here, and here

White Leather Look Tee- Missguided

I was umm-ing and ah-ing over this for ages and finally bought it. I got a 10 (as I tend to find Missguided sizes a little small) but because of the cut I should have got an 8, as it looks a bit big in the shoulders. However, I still really like it and looks great with a statement necklace (post to follow soon...). This is still available on the site for £17.99, but I think I got it a bit cheaper as Missguided is very generous with dishing out discount codes!

So that's my first post on statement pieces, more to come soon!

What's in my basket....New Look

I think New Look is a brand that girls of my age have a sentimental fondness for. It was one of the first stores where I would spend my pocket money on buying my own clothes, from the 915 range. At one point I don't think the brand had the best reputation, but the last few years it has gone from strength to strength, managing to keep up with the trends and remain affordable. Here's my pick of recent pieces (links below)

Coral Boyfriend coat: £34.99 
Gingham top: £12.99
Cream check A-line mini: £17.99
Floral Midi skirt: £19.99
Black rucksack (also available in a beautiful taupe): £17.99



Do you ever shop at New Look?

NOTD: Sharks

When I saw WAH nails new shark design pop up on Instagram I straight away went to recreate it! I used my favourite Barry M Cyan blue, 17 Holographic silver and Models Own Hedonist to make it pop. 

Models Own Haul inc. Hyper Gel swatches

I've been keeping my eye on the Models Own Facebook page for weeks now,waiting for the elusive 50% off code to drop when they reached 250,000 likes. And it finally happened! I was so happy as some of my favourite Models Own polishes needed replacing, and I wanted to try a couple of the Hyper Gels too. Here's what I got...
All swatches are 2 coats

(top L-R: Hedonist, Beach Party, Ibiza Mix, Sophie's Pink, Red-Black
Bottom L-R: Hypergels White Light, Pink Veneer, Cornflower Gleam, and Scented Blueberry Muffin)

My Hed Kandi collection polishes (Hedonist, Beach Party, Ibiza Mix) had gone thick and gloopy but they're some of my favourites so I wanted to replace them.
Hedonist (left) is a neon red and Beach Party neon orange. They have somewhat of a matte finish and look really good with a tan (which I'm lacking at the moment)

Ibiza Mix is my all time favourite glitter. Below is 2 coats; you can see how good the coverage is. It looks great over so many colours. 

I've always seen Sophie's Pink on the website and been tempted, so when the 50% off deal came around I thought I might as well. It's not as bold as the swatch looked on the website which I'm a bit annoyed about.

Left- Sophie's Pink on the website. Right- Swatch

Img- nailpolishdirect.co.uk

Red Black actually seems more purple-black than anything, which I was a bit disappointed with as I was hoping for more of a 'Chanel Rouge Noir' colour. It was really hard to photograph too, so in the photo below it just looks black.

I didn't indulge in the scented collection when it was first released, as I thought it was more gimmicky than innovative. But I love a blue polish so went for Blueberry Muffin. This applied really well and wasn't streaky which surprised me. Looking ahead to summer I kind of wish I'd got the whole scented collection as I do love the pastel colours.

And finally...the Hypergel polishes. Part of me wanted them all but I restricted myself to three. 

I always find white polishes a chore, as it's so hard to find one that's not streaky and gives solid opaque coverage. The Hypergel shade 'White Light' is completely opaque in two thin coats. 

In hindsight, I didn't really need Cornflower Gleam, as on inspection it is nearly identical to Barry M's Gelly Polish in 'Blueberry'. I'm a sucker for a blue polish though.

Below is a comparison between the two, Models Own 'Cornflower Gleam' on the left and Barry M's 'Blueberry' on the right. The formulas are also really similar, in that they are quite sheer and require a few coats for full coverage. I was hoping this wouldn't be the case with the Models Own one, as that's part of the reason I don't use the Barry M one as much. You can see how much shinier the Model's Own polish is though.

Pink Veneer is a pretty cool toned baby pink which I didn't think would look right against my skin tone (a lot of pink polishes just don't look right on me) but I really like it on. It applies well and non-streakily which is a bonus in such a pale colour.