Style inspiration

I’ll begin this post by admitting a few things.  I honestly, truthfully believe I am the most unfashionable person, ever.  Honestly.  I have never been called fashionable, and not many compliment my outfit choices.  I think this is down to the fact that I prefer being comfortable rather than stylish… Not that I don’t want to look stylish, because I do!!  I’d love people to look at my clothes and think, wow, she looks great, but I can’t help but throw on comfortable clothes day in, day out.  I don’t think that I need a personal shopper or anything, because I know what my ideal style/look would be, I just don’t think I have the guts/charisma to pull it off.

Anyway, this summer I’ve definitely had a life epiphany – on how I want to live, how I want to dress, how I want people to perceive me and how I want to look.  Therefore, I’ve decided that in the winter holiday, I am literally going to sell my whole wardrobe (bar the things I love and I know that I will wear again).  I have a billion gothic/grunge t-shirts from my goth days which need a new home and I can’t wait to revamp my wardrobe and life! Haha!  I’m going to be more brave with my looks and be confident and charming and dainty.  I want my look to be simplistic, elegant, womanly and just more attractive than the typical leggings and baggy tee’s I wear to uni.

Whilst browsing lookbook the other day, I stumbled upon a girl who has just stunned me with the style and look that I crave and admire, her name is Victoria Tornegren.  I want to wear my clothes with the grace and beauty that she does.  I think she pieces together amazing clean, simple staple items of clothing so well that it looks effortlessly cool.  In other words – I want to dress like her!  After stalking her page I stumbled upon her fashion blog, and although I can’t read it (she is Swedish and I’m gutted I can’t translate it!) I can’t help but drool at her fashion choices!

Her clothes don’t look too uncomfortable, right? (apart from the heels – I’d feel like a twat going to uni in heels but they really do make each outfit look glamorous, mature and complete), so surely I could pull some of these looks off.  I’m definitely going to try and recreate some of these looks and hope that I don’t look ridiculous and maybe I’ll post my versions when I’m confident.  She has already inspired me to try a centre parting with two plaits either side which I really love the look of (although I got bullied silly at home by my sister, her boyf and my mum!).

I really adore her black peep toe strappy wedges – I am in love with them and I will definitely be purchasing a pair with my new wardrobe fund this Christmas!  By the looks of it, I’ll also need to get a fitted black blazer, some white shirts and some simple vest tops and shirts, but for now I’ll try and use what I already have in my wardrobe.  You can find her fashion blog here - http://nyheter24.se/modette/victoriatornegren/

On the same fashion blog I also found My Blomquist, who is also stunning and cute and has enviable clothes. I decided that I also love her style and she definitely deserves a spot on this post.

I have just found her lookbook and discovered she is 16! SIXTEEN! Hell, at 16 I was sporting fishnet tops and tartan skirts!  I honestly thought she was in her 20s like me! Wowza. Well, this girl knows how to dress and also does the cutest smoky eyes as you can see in her pictures.

I love her gothic, grunge look, but also love how she mixes crochet, silk and leather, and gets away with all kinds of textures in her outfits.  She is just adorable!  You can find her fashion blog here http://nyheter24.se/modette/myblomquist

SO there you go! Two blonde Swedish girls that I’ve fallen in love with! 

What do you think of their styles? Is your style similar?

Any tips for looking glam and feeling confident in your clothes?

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Foundations – Reviews, Swatches, Pale skin.

Who, like me, always has a problem of finding a decent foundation?  I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I’m glad to say have found my Holy Grail foundation which I will continue to use until it gets discontinued (which I hope never comes).  On my quest for the perfect foundation I picked up a few others and I will review them all today and swatch for you.

L-R - L’Oreal Paris Infallible Long Lasting Perfecting Foundation in Porcelain, MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15, Revlon Photo Ready in 002 Vanilla, Boots Botanics Quench Your Face Foundation in 10 Almond

My biggest problem when looking for the perfect foundation is the colour.  I am very pale and most make-up brands have completely ignored us Caspers and haven't catered at all for us in the foundation department. 

What I look for in a foundation -

• COLOUR – It has to match my skin perfectly, meaning it has to be pale, I don’t want to look like a tangerine.
• COVERAGE – I want the foundation to even my skin tone out.  I don’t want to look patchy. (Not too worried about it being able to cover spots as that's what concealer is for, right! and I always use concealer.)
• FORMULA/finish – I do not want to look cakey.  A big no no.  Nor do I want to look oily.  I want my skin to look like skin – natural, silky and dewy in certain weathers.  The formula is a big deciding factor for me.
• PRICE – I don’t mind paying £25 for a foundation, but only if it really is the most amazing, perfect foundation ever.  If it has faults then I’m not blowing my hard earned cash on it. 
• SPF – I obviously would prefer a foundation with SPF.

I will review each foundation in each of these categories so that you know exactly what I think about each.

 

REVLON PHOTO READY

 

• COLOUR – I’ve actually been really surprised with this foundation.  When I first bought it I discarded it thinking it was too dark and orange, but since coming back from holiday with a bit of colour I’ve been using this everyday!  The colour is almost perfect for my skin after holiday and can always be lightened up with my powder.  You can see in the pictures above that this gives me a really healthy colour and glow!
• COVERAGE – Really good medium coverage, again, I’m impressed.  Evens my skin tone out and covers blemishes well, although leaves them looking a bit dry, so moisturize spots before hand.
• FORMULA – I really like the formula of this foundation.  Nice and creamy and quite silky, applies really well to the skin, sinks in nicely, doesn’t dry my skin out.  Makes my skin look glowing yet natural.  Many people have moaned about a sparkle in natural light, but I haven’t noticed this at all.
• PRICE – Retails for £12.99 in Boots.  When I first picked this up I thought it was quite expensive and didn’t realllly want to part with the cash, but I’m glad I did.  I’d say its worth the price and I guess its a lot more affordable than high end brands.
• SPF – The highest SPF out of the bunch, SPF20!  Fabulous!

L’OREAL INFALLIBLE

 

I’ll mention now that this foundation is my favourite.  I’m on my third tube of this and it just gives me everything that I want out of a foundation.

 

COLOUR – This matches my pale skin perfectly!  I was so surprised when I tested this out in store and I can’t express how happy I am with it.  Its pale but it doesn’t make me look ghostly or colour-less.  Perfect for winter and spring for me.  I can always add bronzer to add colour!

COVERAGE – If you have lots of pimples and are looking for a heavy coverage foundation, you won’t like this.  The coverage evens my skin tone out perfectly but isn’t thick enough to completely banish red spots, which is why I always use a concealer with it, just on the areas that need it.  Its has a nice light coverage which is perfect for smoothing out.  (No concealer used in the pictures above though – just foundation in those pics!)

FORMULA – I ADORE the formula of this foundation, it is so silky and thin and just perfect, I can’t really explain it.  It isn’t at all thick or runny, its feels like a very light cream silk that blends really well into the skin, whilst also leaving me feeling moisturized but never greasy or oily.  It almost dries as a powder which feels really nice.  I can’t find any faults with it.

PRICE – Such a bargain at around £12, I can always afford to grab this when I run out.  Great price, affordable for a great foundation.

SPF – Includes SPF15, what more could I ask for!

On the bottle of this foundation it states that it is a ‘Long Lasting Perfecting Foundation’ that ‘lasts 16 hours and fights the signs of make-up meltdown’.  I never bought it for this reason and only just noticed that it stated this not long ago, but I don’t agree with it.  This foundation is perfect, but I’ll admit it doesn’t last all day, which is why I always carry around a tiny concealer and powder for top ups.  I kind of wish that it didn’t state this on the packaging so that people wouldn’t be let down by that statement.  It lasts well, but not all day.

MAC STUDIO FIX FLUID

 

 

COLOUR – SO disappointed with this foundation. Its such a shame and it angers me that my NC15 concealer matches my skin perfectly – whereas this is the SAME number, but SUCH a different colour.  Such a letdown.  This makes me look like I’ve been tangoed good and proper.  Foundation line is clearly noticeable no matter how much I blend.

COVERAGE – Maximum coverage.  If you have lots of pimples and uneven skin tone this would be perfect for you.  It covers all blemishes really well and almost makes the skin look airbrushed.

FORMULA – Very thick and creamy and almost cakey once on the skin.  I guess you’d expect that from a high coverage foundation.  If this foundation was the correct colour for me, I’d wear it on special occasions where I wanted perfect, almost fake looking skin.

PRICE - £19.  I think this is very expensive for a foundation, but maybe I’m saying that cause I'm biased because of the colour.  This is definitely worth having if your going to get your moneys worth and use it everyday but it was a waste of money for me, personally.

SPF – SPF15. 

I’ve included this extra to show how dark it is, in natural light.  You can clearly see a orange line but my hair/ear.  Covers blemishes well though.  For the palest foundation in MACs huge collection, I think this is totally unacceptable!

BOOTS BOTANICS

 

 

I picked this up in Boots Clearance a while ago ( I think it may have been discontinued or repackaged?) as I couldn’t believe that it was so pale and needed it, impulse buy, and I’ll admit that I haven’t used it much as although the colour is perfect.

COLOUR – Great colour, lovely and pale, suits me well.

COVERAGE – The coverage of this is quite light, I’d compare it to that of a tinted moisturizer.  It gives a natural coverage, but you can still see your skin underneath in – I think it just evens the skin out a bit.  I actually quite like this as a beach/holiday or uni/work foundation as its natural and light and affordable for everyday use.  You can see in the pictures above there are a few areas around the chin/cheeks/forehead where you can still see red blemishes.

FORMULA – The formula of this is weird! Not weird, just quite watery and runny, which I presume is down to the natural ingredients in it.  Its very runny and finishes quite dewy, which is very nice but I feel as if it sits on the skin quite a bit because of its formula.

PRICE – I have no idea what this retails for in store but I picked it for about £2, which is good but probably no good if its been discontinued! (I apologise if it has!)

SPF – SPF 12! This foundation has added ginger and jojoba to help moisturize.

There you have it! My four foundations.  After doing this whole post I realised I have a GOSH Velvet Touch foundation as well which I completely forgot to include, so if anyone would like to see that then comment below and I’ll write it up in a separate post!

What do you think?

Are you disappointed with MACs colour range?

What do you personally think looks the best?

XXXX

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Presents! – Benefit & Kat Von D Makeup haul!

Evening sweetpeas! How is everyone today?  My throat is still pretty sore but I’m recovering well.  It hurts to laugh and yawn so I keep trying not to although its quite hard!  I also can’t speak long sentences cause it hurts/aches my throat – my family are probably very happy to have some peace and quiet for once! Haha!

Anyway.  My BFF, Rhianne, went to New York City last week and bought me back Birthday Presents! (We have known each other and been best friends since we were babies and are always religiously late giving each other birthday gifts!)

 

I had asked her to pick me up a Kat Von D palette as we can’t get them here in the UK, and she got me two!  Along with Benefit’s “That Gal” and Stay Don’t Stray primer (and a cheeky little I <3 NY shot glass!)

True Romance Eyeshadow palette in Metal Orchestra

L-R First Class, Techno, Thrasher, Dagger, Lucifer, Glock, Razor Gray, Slayer (cream)

How gorgeous is this!!!  I’m in love with this palette, its very ‘me’.  My favourite colours and the ones I can see myself using the most would be Thrasher, Glock and Razor Gray.  I haven’t actually used this palette yet but this holds all the key colours for me to do a smokey look.  I also love Slayer, which is a cream instead of a powder shadow.  its nice and thick and pigmented which will make a great light silver base for my looks.  Slightly disappointed with Techno and especially Dagger – they re both stunning colours in the palette but they just don’t translate as well on the skin, I had to use quite a few swipes to get the colour pigmented on the swatch above for those two shadows.

True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Love and Fury (also named Adora)

L-R Albino, Holy Bible, Slayer (cream), Glock, Crucifix (cream), Bloodletting (cream), Ace of Spades, Oddfellow

Again, a perfect palette to create a smokey look.  I love the concept of this palette - “Every woman has two sides” – The angelic side and the dark gothic side.  I will be mixing both sides of my womanly mystery when it comes to using this palette, combining the gorgeous highlighting shimmers with the dark gothic creams.  My favourite from the previous palette – Glock, is again in this one which is fab.  I’m also really impressed with the three creams, I can’t wait to get my gothic on!!  Again, Ace of Spades and Oddfellow are quite disappointing as they look so stunning in the pan but don’t look as nice on the skin.  Ace of Spades reminds me of MAC’s Beauty Marked though!

On the Sephora USA website the palettes cost between $34-24, so that works out to be around £21-15 which is a good price to pay for a stunning palette with 8 eye shadows!  The palettes themselves come absolutely stunningly wrapped inside a decorated box and the palettes are a really nice size, very portable.  They also come with two small eyeshadow brushes which is great – so much better than the sponge ones you normally get in palettes.

I haven’t yet had a chance to try out my “that gal” primer as I haven’t worn make-up in ages, being ill and all, so I’m looking forward to trying it out when I next venture out of the house!  I will be reviewing it in the next few weeks along with all my other Benefit products so stay tuned for that!

Has any one else got any of the Kat Von D palettes, or makeup?

What do you think, have I tempted you?

AND!!! Don’t forget my GIVEAWAY post!! Not many of you have entered which I’m surprised at!  Its a big thank you so go head and enter HERE! You’ve got nothing to loose, right!

XXX

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YSL Rouge Volupte #13 Peach Passion

Hospital - I must apologise in advance for my spelling/waffling in this post – I have just been discharged from hospital after having my tonsils out and am so dosed up on medication I’m even more ditzy than usual!  I’m in a lot of pain at the moment so I’m trying to keep myself busy to take my mind off it.  The hospital I stayed in was lovely though, with lovely staff and the operation went smoothly, and thankfully my amazing Mum kept me company before and after the op which kept me brave and strong!  I’m starving hungry and am trying to eat lots of toast so that I heal quickly, but if any one else has had the same operation and have any tips then do let me know!

Lipstick! - I’ve been eyeing YSL’s lip sticks up for a while now and so when I saw these in a beauty store on holiday I gave into the urge and bought one – I never feel as guilty when I buy stuff on holiday cause your on holiday, right!  I can say now, it quickly took its spot in my top 5 lipsticks and I ADORE it. 

I chose #13 – a gorgeous creamy peachy orange pink shade – the colour I’ve been obsessed with since early this year.

 

Its beautiful.  Everything about this lipstick is incredible, from the packaging to the texture to the colour.   This lipstick glides on like silk and is so moisturizing its quite unbelievable.  It feels delicious on the lips and surprisingly lasts a while before it wears off.  I feel like a superstar putting it on as the packaging is just sublime, its golden casing with intricate detail and the mirror on the lid.  The colour is just perfect and suits my skin tone and will keep me looking feminine and summery all winter long.

I have quite a few similar peachy lipsticks so I thought I would swatch them to show you what's similar!  All of the five below (apart from the Barry M) are my favourite lipsticks at this current moment in time (I’d swap the Barry M shade for my Edward Bess lippie!).  Maybe I’ll do a post soon of my favourite lipsticks of all time?

As you can see, YSL #13 is a mix between Ever Hip and Jazzed – it has the pinkness of Ever Hip and the orange tones of Jazzed and I just adore this shade. 

I am SO happy that I bought this and can’t wait to invest in another one.  At around £21 its not the cheapest lipstick but I honestly think its worth every penny!

Has anyone else got a YSL lipstick? What's your favourite colour?

And have you any tips for recovering a tonsillectomy?

XXXX

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Sephora purchases!

Whenever I go to America or France, one thing I always look forward to is going into a Sephora!  I adore the stores but I always end up walking out with nothing as there is too much to choose from and I want everything!  This time I decided to get some lip products as its my current favourite piece of make-up at the moment.

Lipstick – Sephora Rouge Cream in R08

Lip Glosses – Baby Pink gloss #11 and Bright Pink gloss #16

R08

I adore this lipstick, it instantly stood out to me as its very bright in real life – quite a bit brighter and louder than in the pictures but you can see the basics above.  There was another one quite similar which had more orange tones than this one which I definitely want to pick up next time I go to a Sephora – It was either R06 or 07.  This lipstick is moisturizing and glossy yet so pigmented which is great – I’m so used to Barry M’s drying pigmented lip sticks that its great wearing a bright one that doesn’t dry my lips out.  Definitely one which I will be wearing on special occasions and next summer.

#11

Described as a pinkish mauve with opalescent sheen, I’d say its more of a baby Barbie pink with a beautiful shimmer.  This colour is very ‘me’ and one which is sheer enough for me to apply over my favourite bright lipsticks to add a bit of gloss and shine.  I probably wouldn’t repurchase as, although I love the colour and the scent, I’m definitely more of a lipstick girl than a gloss girl.

#16

  

I chose this colour out for my Mum as she wears lip gloss every day as one of her staples and I’ve come to know what colours suit her and what she likes to wear.  This gloss is the most stunning, beautiful colour ever in the tube I knew she would love it.  Its a bright pink with slight purple and blue shimmers which are great for making your teeth look bright and white.  Its not as bright on the lips, I’d say its more attractive in the tube but definitely more wearable than it looks.  (My computer is being absolutely ridiculous at the moment and is messing all of the colours in my pictures up.  I really apologise! The swatch above is similar to how it looks on the lips but brighter – its duller and less neon in real life but still really pretty!)

What I think – I really love the lipstick and my gloss but I do think they are a tad expensive for what they are.  Each product here was 10Euros each and I don’t think these products are jointly worth the value of 30Euros – around £25!  I could get products just as good in Boots or Superdrug for around £15 thanks to the likes of Barry M, Gosh and Rimmel.  I will enjoy using these products but won’t be buying again – I’d rather experiment with other colours if I’m going to be paying that much for them.  Apart from that mini rant – all products are moisturizing, pigmented and smell great.

Has any one else got any Sephora products?

Anything you would recommend or do you agree that they are a bit over priced?!

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GOSH Nail polishes – my collection!

Aren't they pretty!  Ever since GOSH first appeared in Superdrug I’ve always been a fan of their nail polishes and I always have a cheeky look at them when ever I go into the store.  These 7 have made their way into my collection, see swatches below!

Nero – The blackest black, every girl needs a black polish in her collection, right?!  Although I don’t wear this often, I know I can rely on it when I do to give me a full even coverage in just one coat.

 

75 Avantgarde – I must have bought this when it was on a 3-4-2 offer in Superdrug as it isn’t usually a colour I normally go for (I’m usually drawn to brighter colours) but this is a nice colour to have as its quite glamorous and mature.  A gorgeous deep burgundy red which looks like a deep brown in certain lights.  I love how pale this makes my skin looks!

549 Holographic – My favourite in the collection for obvious reasons.  I have two of these just in case one ends as I adore it so much.  I have already reviewed this here, but I think its deserving of more attention on my blog.  The formula is great although streaky on the first two coats, but it dries really quickly and never smudges.  Only downside is it chips after one day, but I don’t mind as its so beautiful.  I need more special occasions to wear this to!

562 Magic Star – A clear polish with lots of beautiful glittery sparkles in!  I like layering this up on other colours to add some shimmer and sparkle.  The second picture above is more colour accurate and shows what the glitter looks like in the flesh.

 

02 Pearl – Shiny white polish – looks like a thick ice on the nails.  I bought this especially to play around with in nail art and I often coat one half of a nail with this, and the other half with a bright colour which adds a really pretty dimension to bright nails!  (Sorry about the horrendous second pic – I tried to take the red tungsten glow off of the picture but instead made my hand look rather deadly!)

F1 base – A pretty boring base colour which I always use before I wear dark polishes!  Nice for French manicures though.  Quite a thick formula which does take a while to dry.  Swatches above is with two coats, but you only need one when doing French manicures!

595 Miss Sweety – The newest polish to my collection and my joint favourite along with holographic.  I adore this peachy cream shade and I wore it all summer long (forgot to put it in my August Favourites though!).  It suits my skin tone perfectly and I feel it makes my hand look delicate and feminine without being too over the top and bright.  Its a tad more flesh coloured and muted than in the pictures above.

What I think – All of the polishes above retail for £5 at Superdrug, although there's almost always a 3 for 2 offer on the GOSH range so I’d wait until then to grab some!  They all have a great colour pigmentation, quite similar to the Barry M polishes and you only need two coats tops to get a nice even finish.  I’ve never really come across a nail polish that doesn’t chip quickly on me, and these are no exception, I find they last 2-3 days before chipping (apart from the holographic one which chips after 1 day!).  I also really like the packaging of these polishes, nice and simple and elegant.

Does any one else have a stash of GOSH nail varnishes? What's your favourite colour? Are there any I should look out for?

Want more nail polish swatches?  Coming up soon – my Barry M polish collection!

XXX

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August Favourites!

I’m back from holidaaayyyyy!  And I have a tan, the first proper tan I’ve ever had in my life, albeit a bit patchy from an accident with SPF40 sun cream, haha!

I’ll show you my favourites from this month and then a few holiday snaps!

L-R

Sephora ultra-shine lip gloss #11 – I snatched this up in Sephora in Calais and its lovely.  A beautiful pink gloss which smells like cake!  Proper review on the three products I bought in Sephora to come in the next few days.

The Body Shop Brazil nut body butter – I used up and finished a 200ml tub of this body butter this summer.  Its my favourite body butter and I was so gutted when TBS decided to discontinue it (luckily I have a few back ups left!).  It has been the perfect moisturizing companion this summer and has lasted me well.  I find that I don’t get as many gnat bites whilst wearing this and its helped my tan last well, as well as keeping me from peeling excessively.  In terms of consistency, its similar to the shea, mango, cocoa butter and coconut so if your after a dupe which is similar, I’d go for one of those!

TBS Shimmer cubes in 06 – Lately, I’ve been doing less black smokey eyes and more brown, neutral eyes and these cubes are perfect for doing this look.  I’ve enjoyed using these colours separatly and together with just a tad of kohl eyeliner and lots of mascara.  You can see my swatches of these shadows - HERE!

Lily Lolo Mineral foundation in Porcelain – This month I’ve been trying to use less product on my face as my skin has been pretty crap lately, so I switched my liquid foundation for mineral foundation; Lily Lolo’s Porcelain being the palest mineral foundation I have ever found.  As I’ve also caught a bit of colour I’ve been mixing this shade with Bare Mineral’s fairly light mineral foundation, to create a lovely base for my skin.  Lily Lolo doesn’t give much coverage, I find, but I love the colour none the less.

Bare Minerals Full flawless face brush – I’ve been using this gorgeous brush to apply my mineral foundation and it does a lovely job.  Its not that soft to be honest and does have some hair fall out at first, but it applies the product well and is a good size to carry around with me.

YSL Rogue Volupte Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick in #13 Peach Passion – A guilty purchase which I’d been eyeing up for a few months and I’m SO glad I caved in and bought it.  Quite expensive, but worth every penny.  Full review with swatches to come, so check back!

Barry M lipstick in #54 – I bought this a few months ago and never used it after I bought it, not once.  A complete random purchase, I even contemplated cutting half the stick off to heat and mix with another un-used lipstick to create a customised lip balm, but I finally found a few ways of wearing this and I’m glad I didn’t cut it up.  This lippie is a neon orange matt shade which is very difficult to wear, but I enjoy wearing it with a pink lip gloss to create a coral lip, or just wearing it lightly tapped onto my lips to create a peach flush of colour.

Holiday Pictures -

I went to Cognac in the South of France for two weeks with my family after a stop off at Disney Land Paris and I had such a lovely time.  I adore going on holiday with my crazy family and always look forward to the adventures we have.  This year these adventures included – Cognac tasting in three different factories, lots of BBQs, lots of Uno & blackjack card games, visit to the Zoo and seeing a polar bear, bike rides along vineyards, stargazing, ping pong, swimming and going to a mini gig!

   

  

 

The Snooks family + Sisters boyfriend after a cognac tour at Remy Martin!

There you have it!  I’m back now for good so expect lots of posts!

Do you wear mineral foundation?  Or has one of your favourite body products ever been discontinued? X

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