Month: September 2013

It’s a statement necklace kind of day…

When it comes to jewellery I’m not particularly too adventurous. My ‘uniform’ consists of pearl earrings, a Tiffany necklace I never seem to take off and a vintage-style ring my mum bought me from Egypt that I’ve worn for years.

On nights out I also tend to stick to a routine; chandelier earrings, a bangle or two and a costume style ring. Sometimes a necklace.

But that’s not to say I don’t have a chest full of jewellery that is screaming to be worn. So, out comes this statement necklace I found in Marrakech  – via a rather embarrassing haggling session from my boyfriend – a few years ago that has sadly only been worn two times.

Statement Necklace Turquoise 3 Row

It’s a gorgeous turquoise colour with silver clasps at the side and while quite heavy with three rows of beads (?), it sits well and is actually quite comfortable to wear.

I need to wear statement necklaces more. They really do make simple outfits more exciting.

Posted in Fashion and tagged , Marrakech market, Statement Necklace, Style, Turquoise necklace on by . Leave a comment

Autumn Winter Floral Print – Boho Chic

I love floral print. It’s pretty, feminine and very ME. So the Autumn/Winter (or Fall if you’re American) floral trend is something I’ll flirt with regularly.

Today I teamed my Summer floral kimono top with velvet leggings, knee-high boots, a hat and tassle bag. It’s comfortable and casual yet still quite chic.

Autumn Winter Floral Trend Kimono Top

Bardot Inspired Big Bouffant Hair

Brigitte Bardot is the original Big Hair Babe. And I love big hair. I love that the ‘Bardot’ look is classic yet soft and sexy. It can really be styled to create a dramatic evening look or a ‘just got out of bed’ messy style for effortless daytime glamour.

Brigitte Bardot Bouffant Big Hairstyle Easy Quick

This is my daytime ‘Bardot’ look with a medium-sized bouffant and a VB-esque pout.

So, how did I achieve this look? Well my hair is thick to start with and needs a lot of product to keep it in place. It also has a fondness of frizz, much to my dismay. I used the following products to give my hair some extra volume, root-lift and bounce!

1. Although I styled the bouffant on day-old hair, when I did wash it I used the VO5 High Definition spray which works as both a heat protector and root-lift. It’s also good for smoothing out frizz!

2. I started out by sectioning my hair into a T working at the front. So I put the front two sections in rollers and clipped up the top part that’s going to be backcombed. I spritzed a little hairspray over the rollers to keep them in place.

3. I then used the Schwarzkopt got2b Volumising Style Powder to create some instant volume. I sprinkled it throughout my roots and worked it through my hair. The texture is quite sticky and the colour is white but this becomes transparent once worked through.

4. Next up I backcombed my hair starting from the back of my head using the teasing brush. This is such a useful little tool and super affordable. Typically I don’t like to backcomb my hair as it’s so damaging but by using the brush and got2b powder combination, I find that it requires less work to reach maximum volume!

5. Once the top half of my head was backcombed, I used a comb to gently brush it all back and secure with kirby grips. I took the rollers out and added a little extra lift with the teasing brush before spraying hairspray all over. I then loosely curled the rest of my hair so that it had the ‘made to be messy’ look.

And there we have it. A medium-sized Bardot inspired bouffant that is relatively easy to style and a look I love to play around with.

♥ L’Oreal Elnett Flexible Hairspray  – Link (I think I prefer the TRESemme Volume and Lift Firm Hold hairspray)
♥ V05 High Definition Blow Dry Spray – Link
♥ Schwarzkopt got2b Volumising Style Powder – Link
♥ Teasing Brush – Link

Posted in Beauty and tagged Backcombing, Bardot Hair, Big Hair, Bouffant Hair, L'Oreal, Schwarzkopt on by . Leave a comment

Decadent Chocolate Truffle Torte Teacup – No Bake Recipe

Love seriously rich, decadent chocolate? Then you are in for a treat. It’s sickly sweet and super easy to make – my fave combo!

Chocolate Truffle Torte No Bake Recipe

I found this recipe on the BBC Good Food website – it requires only a few ingredients, takes hardly any time to make and requires no baking. It’s really as simple as that.

And to serve? I set the torte in these pretty vintage style teacups – perfect for afternoon tea!

♥ Decadent Chocolate Truffle Torte, BBC Good Food – Link

Topshop Faux Leather Shorts – Autumn Winter Fashion

There’s something kind of fun about wearing tiny faux leather shorts during the day. I wore mine today with a chunky cardigan from GAP, leopard print blouse, a black lace satchel bag from New Look, a H&M floppy hat and flat black patent pumps. There’s nothing I love more than layering up. It’s that cosy, snuggled feeling that makes Autumn/Winter fashion so appealing to me.

My face, however, has that ‘Sunday’ look of minimal makeup. I like to see it as fresh faced but I think it’s more of a ‘washed out’ look. So, let’s ignore that.

Topshop Faux Leather Shorts

Faux Leather Topshop Shorts & Black Lace Satchel

♥ Faux Leather Shorts – Topshop
♥ Leopard print blouse
♥ Chunky cardigan – GAP
♥ Lace satchel bag –New Look

Posted in Fashion and tagged , Black Satchel, Chunky cardigan, , Floppy Hat, GAP, Lace satchel, Leather Shorts, Leopard blouse, Leopard print, Patent pumps, Topshop on by . Leave a comment

Faux Fur + Red Lip = Hello Autumn!

Autumn is fast becoming my favourite season of the year. I think it’s the romantic thought of cosy knits, faux fur and nights snuggled on the sofa watching The X Factor with hot chocolate a glass of wine. Oh my, I really am getting old.

Chanel Rouge Allure Red LipstickToday I teamed a red lip with a floppy hat and faux fur collar. Because red lips really do brighten up a pretty standard day.

The lipstick is from Chanel’s Rouge Allure range but the actual shade is now discontinued (which doesn’t surprise me considering I found this in an old makeup bag), so I won’t go on about this too much. What I will say is that it is the perfect shade of red to wear during the day. Classy and bold but not too bright. The only negative is that it doesn’t stay on too long and the shine disappears after a while.

I think the closest match from Chanel’s current collection would be the Rouge Allure Pirate – particularly as it’s a blue red.

However, my next Chanel lipstick will be La Fascinante (No 38) from the Rouge Allure Velvet collection as it’s a matte texture which I much prefer for the staying power and the colour looks absolutely gorgeous for Autumn/Winter!

As much as I love Chanel makeup, my bank account does not. So I would only buy from the brand for red lipstick/varnish – classic colours that require something that little bit special.

♥ Rouge Allure Lipsticks: Chanel – Link

Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede Fragrance Collection

Let me introduce a little bit of floral fancy, Jo Malone’s new Peony and Blush Suede collection. I’ve literally coveted this fragrance for so long that when I turned the page to a free sample in Vogue’s October issue, I squealed. Yes, I squealed at Jo Malone.

Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede Fragrance Collection New

Peonies are my favourite flower and I am a little obsessed with my Jo Malone Red Rose bath oil, so I was ridiculously excited to smell this scent. I would describe it as Grown Up Femininity. Think of a quintessentially English garden full of pretty pink peonies – add a glass of champagne, strawberries and a perfectly preened woman wearing a strand of pearls with a Chanel bag by her side. This is the image that comes to my mind.

Jo-Malone-Peony-Suede-Blush-one

Peony and Blush Suede is an incredibly floral scent and quite strong, although not overpowering.

  • The top notes are red apple, fresh almond and bergamot
  • The heart notes are peony, jasmine sambac, rose, and gillyflower
  • The base notes are suede, patchouli and amberwood.

The collection includes cologne, body and hand wash, body creme and the candle but unfortunately I can’t seem to find anything on a bath oil. I would LOVE a bath oil in this scent. Regardless, with a stunning scent and the typical Jo Malone luxurious packaging, any of the items from the collection would make the perfect present.

The Peony and Blush Suede candle is at the top of my Christmas wish list!

♥ Peony & Blush Suede Collection – Jo Malone - Link