Tales Of A Pale Face Beauty Swap with The Shelley Diaries!

Hello all!

How gorgeous is the weather?! I hope you're all enjoying it sensibly by frequenting a beer garden slathered in a high SPF!

Last month, Kat from Tales Of A Pale Face contacted me to tell me who I have been paired up with for her Beauty Swap. This is how I met the lovely Shelley, of The Shelley Diaries. After getting to know each other via a bit of blog stalking and emailing, we discovered we had quite a bit in common- from music to makeup, so this swap was even more exciting! With Dita Von Teese featuring as both of our beauty icon's, we both set out to create the perfect beauty swap products, with an agreed budget of £20.

On Wednesday, I awoke to an exciting package; my beauty box from Shelley!

 

 

 

The box was so 'me'- monochrome! It very much reminded me of the Thomas Sabo jewellery packaging and I will definitely be putting it to use for storage and room decoration!

Inside was just as beautiful. Each item was wrapped with pink lace patterned tissue paper, with some pale pink role petals too. Amongst this was a lovely note from Shelley.

So I'm sure you all want to see the beautiful goodies Shelley picked for me....

Shelley obviously did her research as everything was utterly perfect! I had recently resolved to take better care of my hands, as apparently they show someones true age, and Shelley must have known this as she gave me a tube of Soap&Glory Hand Food, which hasn't left my handbag since and I use every time I wash my hands!

Next were two nail polishes. I had already mentioned to Shelley that I usually play it safe with my nails- you may have read my '5 Nail Shades Everyone Should Own' post and these are generally the shades I stick to- so Shelley chose a great deep red black by Maybelline and a black and silver glittered polish my Revlon- both colours I would definitely wear!

Sticking with Revlon- a brand I haven't used but have heard great things about, things that I can now agree and comment on having used these products- Shelley also sent me a rich deep red/currant lipstick that is so pigmented and looks great- stay tuned for swatches and possibly a FOTD with it!

On to the eyes! Shelley sent me 2 products that I believe are the only products you need. First off, liquid eyeliner. This Seventeen one has the type of nib that I always favour, a strong and short one. I really can't use thin, flexible nibs, so this one will ensure that I can get perfect winged eyeliner every time- thanks Shelley! Then to finish off, this Smokey Eyes palette by Collection is great to create different smokey eye looks. With ranges of blacks, greys, pinks and browns, you can create the perfect smokey eye from subtle brown toned for day time, to strong looks with the greys and blacks. It also has a range of slight shimmer and matte shades which is great for diversity!

Every single item is perfect and fit perfectly in not only my makeup collection as a whole, but also my everyday makeup bag too. Thank you so much Shelley!

You can see what I got Shelley here. Definitely have a look at her blog, with a song to accompany every post, and a range of beauty and fashion features (including my new favourite 'Shoesday') there is always something to read!

I would also like to thank Kat for pairing us, it was a truly great match!

June Favourites!

Hello all,

I cannot believe that it is July already! At the beginning of every month, I love reading other bloggers monthly favourites posts or YouTubevideos. For a while I had always wanted to do these, but I had been very frugal previously this year. However, Superdrug and my job means that I have discovered many products in June that I feel are worthy of being favourites.

  Clockwise l-r: Sleep-In Rollers (part of a goody bag curtsey of Fake Bake) | Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in Shade 111 'Kiss of Life | Raspberry & Macadamia Nut Shampoo and Conditioner - Superdrug | Maybelline Color Tattoo in Permanent Taupe

First off, these sleep in rollers are my new obsession. After washing and blowdrying my hair, I put these babies in, continue my evening and nights sleep, and wake up to volumised, glamorous curls. Having them in makes me feel really retro when I have them in, like a glamorous fifties house wife! Honestly, I find them easy to sleep in. A friend of mine said that they were incredibly uncomfortable, but everytime I have used them, I have been perfectly rested. I definitely recommend these!

In the month of June we had #RedLippyProject & National Kissing Day, so I was exposed to many lip products. This Rimmel Kate Moss matte lipstick was a definite winner, I love the matte finish and the rich red is perfect. It's super cheap but good quality too.

I've never stuck to only one brand of shampoo & conditioner. I always go for ones with 'colour protect' features, but I often change what brand I use. I've tried high end (and high priced) brands like Percy&Reed and Tigi 'S Factor', and also drugstore brands like Aussie, and honestly they all seem to do the same thing! So when I saw that these Raspberry & Macadamia Nut duo for only £1.50 (that's only 75p each!) I couldn't resist. They smell delicious and it seems to be working fine. It leaves my hair soften enough for extremely dyed hair! It's still on offer, so I think I may repurchase these!

Finally, I had wanted to try these Maybelline 'Color Tattoo' shadows for a while. The shade Permanent Taupe is a perfect base colour that lasts all day and is, as far as I know, the only matte shade in the collection. I have swatched some other colours are they are really shimmer/glittery which isn't really my thing. however 'Pink Gold' and 'Pomegranate' are gorgeous and I am very tempted! The colour I have is extremely pigmented and I've been using it as a base or as a wash of colour all month.

I'm really trying to blog more, especially beauty posts, so I hope you are enjoying them!

Manicure Monday: Bling it on Rebel!

Hello all.

Another Monday, another manicure! I was kindly sent the 'Bling it on Rebel' kit by Nails Inc recently and couldn't wait to try it! As it was so cool, I wanted to save it for a special occasion, so with the #LDNBloggersParty on Saturday (you can see my write up of this here) I thought that I would do some cool nail art with this kit.

So in the kit you get a full sized 'Shoreditch Lane' polish, which is a deep burgundy, with a definite purple base, polish that dry to the leather effect. You also receive 4 skull and cross-bone embellishments, 10 square based stud embellishments and several small swarovski crystals. You also are provided with 2 orange sticks and glue for the embellishments. This means you can get super creative with this little kit as everything is provided and the skulls and studs are perfectly my style!

So here is what I created with the kit, please bare in mind that it was my first attempt!

 

Please excuse my long, uber boney claw-like fingers!

So on my thumbs I stuck 2 of the skull and crossbones on, which was so fun as every time I texted, I could see them! Then on my middle fingers I placed a stud, and on my pinkie's a black crystal. I know I will become more creative with the pattern I go for in future, but for a first attempt, I was very happy!

I plan to use 3-4 studs on my middle finger next time in a vertical row, I think it would look so good! 

I was also sent the black leather and skull set, so keep a look out for that in the next few Manicure Monday's! 

#LDNBloggersParty!

Hello all!

On Saturday I went to the #LDNBloggersParty at Dirty Martini in Hanover Square for my first event run by bloggers, for bloggers, and it was fabulous! With cocktails and fellow bloggers, it was the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Although most disliked that there was no mobile signal as the venue was a basement, I loved being able to shut off for a few hours and focus on what was happening at the party instead of furiously refreshing my twitter feed!

I met up with Georgina and Lorna at Oxford Circus and did the obligatory outfit pictures, before heading to the venue, which was just opposite Vogue House.

I met some lovely ladies, drank delicious drinks and left with a very generous goody bag. It was such a great event, much congratulations to Scarlett for organising such an amazing event.

All pictures are curtesy of Georgina, Scarlett & some of my own.

 I also met the absolutely lovely Arabella, who was amazing and has given me a huge bout of wardrobe and style envy! 

The goody bag was really generous, with a range of beauty products plus a can of diet coke and galaxy chocolate. Otherwise known as a beauty bloggers dream!

This 'Blogger' necklace is so cute, and the red with silver chain is perfect for my colour scheme! It was such a original gift.

I had some difficulty choosing what to wear to the event, as it was during the day and quite hot so I wanted to right balance of my own style and weather/event appropriate! So here was my OOTD:

 

Jacket (top) H&M (bottom) Miss Selfridge | Top- Camden Market | Skirt- Miss Selfridge | Shoes- New Look | Bag- Mulberry

So I had a little difficulty choosing a jacket so I bought 2! As you can see from my pictures with Georgina and Lorna, I started out with the black blazer, but thought that the white tuxedo jacket was a lot more summery so changed into that! I love the bleeding c vest, Chanel inspired but bought from Camden market and I think I wear it a bit too much!

All in all, the #LDNBloggersParty was a great Saturday afternoon, I met some great people who I hope to meet up with again soon and hope to attend many more events such as this!

Confessions of a Shopaholic Tag!

Hello all,

The lovely Kate of Kasha Zee tagged me in the 'Shopaholic Tag' so I thought I would respond. 

Honestly, I'm not a huge shopper. As an intern and freelancer, my income fluctuates so I have to really prioritize when it comes to fashion and beauty. However, I think I do a fairly decent amount of shopping so read on to see my confessions...

1. Would you consider yourself a shopaholic?

I would consider myself a 'window-shopaholic'. I love to go shopping, trying on clothes etc, but I am very restrained and hardly ever buy anything unless I love it, it's a good price for what it is, or wait until it's in the sale!

2. How would you classify your style?

I couldn't fit into one catagory as I change my style. I love Victorian, 20s, 40s, 50s and 60s fashion so often incorporate 'vintage' into my style. I also love monochrome, in face a large proportion of my wardrobe is black or white. For this reason, I am drawn to Parisian style, simplistic, yet always elegant. I also love Carine Roitfelt's style, as shes got the Parisian elegance with the rock chick, smokey-eye edge. I do love gothic, 'rock-chick' style too.

3. What store can you not leave without buying at least one thing?

As I've said, I'm pretty good at restraining myself from buying things. However, TopShop is always the biggest temptation!

4. Where do you find the best deals?

I love markets, such as Portobello and Camden for deals. I've improved my bartering skills so have managed to get some great deals!

5. What designer are you willing to splurge for?

I recently bought a Mulberry bag at Bicester Village, it was heavily discounted and I got a classic colour so it won't go out of fashion. I also have some Vivienne Westwood accessories so she is another designer I think is worth the money. Of course, a timeless Chanel 2.55 is and probably will always be on my wishlist, but it is SO expensive that I couldn't justify it. Also an Alexander McQueen scarf is on there too, and Charlotte Olympia Kitty Pumps!

6. Do you have a go to shopping outfit?

Flat shoes are my only requirement! Layers are also good, so a vest,cardigan and blazer combo are great as shops and especially sales can get very hot and stuffy!

7. What is your guilty pleasure? (Not including make-up).

Monochrome or skulls!

8. What is one staple clothing piece you can't live without?

Just one? Maybe a classic LBD.

9. What is a trend you hope never goes out of style?

I'm generally not a follower of trends, but I do like romantic goth.

10. What trend do you love that passed way too quickly?

Again, I'm not really a follower of fashion trends.

11. Who is your fashion icon?

I wouldn't say icon's as I would never copy, or buy something because 'It's SO [insert name here]' but as I said previously, Carine Roitfeld but also Alexa Chung, Lana Del Rey, Paloma Faith, Miranda Kerr and the Olsen twins all have great style.

12. What trend can you absolutely not stand?

I think grunge has been to 'fashion-ised'. I loved that grunge was raw and about not having money to spend on clothes, so you wore your Dads checked shirt, or your jeans were ripped because they were old. Now people pay loads to get this look. I love the grunge style, but how it was done in the 90s, not so much now.

I hope you enjoyed reading my confessions! I am tagging anyone who reads this to do this tag! Please put yours response in the comments and I would love to read yours!

Summer Series: Barcelona Beach

Hello all

Welcome to my new Summer Series. It looks like I won't be having a summer holiday, as its far cheaper to go out of season! However, to ease the pain of the inevitable smiling summer holiday photos, I thought I would create the 'Summer Series'. I will be putting together outfits that I would wear at different holiday venues. They won't be everyone's style but they are what I would wear to these places. Expect to see beach, city breaks and maybe the odd clubbing venue thrown in!

First off, Barcelona Beach!

I'm planning to go to Barcelona later this year,as its the perfect combination of beach and city break.

Clockwise from top left: Topshop Lip Bullet in Rockabilly | Topshop Bikini top and high waisted bottoms | Smashbox BB Cream with SPF 35 | Converse in Red | New Look Cat Eye Sunglasses | H&M Skater Dress

I tried on this bikini recently and oh my it is flattering! I felt like a 50s pin up, not sure I looked like one, but feeling it was good enough for me! Keeping with the fifties feeling, I would add some cat eye sunglasses and a slick of red lipstick. I had to include something with skulls, of course, so this light H&M skater dress is perfect. I don't particularly like my feet, or sand, so sandals aren't my best friend. These Converse are more streamlined and lighter, so more feminine so I would definitely wear them to the beach. I would suggest getting a size or half size bigger as for me these came up quite small.

I have previously stressed the importance of SPF, and on holiday it's even more important. I don't tend to wear face products on holiday, although eyeliner and lipstick are musts! This BB cream is light enough in colour and texture and has one of the highest SPF numbers for a BB cream.

I hope you liked this new series! Look out for more Summer Series destinations!

 

National Kissing Day: My Tips for Kissable Lips!

Hello all!

Mwah Mwah Darlings! Today is 'National Kissing Day', and to celebrate (apart from planting several big kisses on my half-sleep 'no-a-morning-person' boyfriend this morning) I though I would share with you my secret to soft lips.

I suffer with incredibly dry and cracked lips. Previously, any lipstick I would wear, would sink straight into these cracks and result in really uneven coverage. That was until 'Lush Lip Scrub' came into my life and became a perminent feature of my beauty routine. I have the flavour 'Bubblegum', which smells delicious and looks great amongst my beauty products too. I have always loved Lush's ethos and love of using natural, organic and often vegan ingredients in their products. The simple mixture of sugar and essential oils in the lip scrub means that it gently exfoliates and clears the dead skin on your lips, leaving them so soft and smooth. 

So now I have the softest lips possible. As a serial red lipstick wearer, kissing becomes a problem! Lip Stains are really great as they last and modern formula's are anti-drying. Some lip stains have quite a glossy finish, which I really don't like. I am definitely a matte girl, which doesn't really bode well for someone with dry lips, but I am stubborn and I know what I like! I love Benefit's Benetint for a soft pinky-red stain (just remember to screw the lip on well. When they call it a stain, they really mean it! Just ask my previous makeup bag....) If you don't want to spulrge on Benetint, MeMeMe Pussycat Cheek + Lip Stain is a great cheap alternative.

Other lip essential for me are Carmex Cherry Lip Balm and Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast. I love the tingling sensation they both give. It's like you can actually feel it working! The cherry scent of the former is lovely, and the latter is a beauty top given to me by the lovely makeup artist Florrie White, who suggested using original Blistex, but being the princess that I am, I sourced out the Raspberry Lemonade scent and it is lovely! Having a tube of either of these with you is definitely a must!

So there you are! My Tips for Kissable Lips!

You can also read my full beauty feature on National Kissing Day on Your Coffee Break here