Summer Daze

I am loving all the blue and white vase-esque prints we're seeing for Spring/Summer '13. Looks so great with woody tones and denim.

Left: Hat, River Island, Dress and Bag Primark, Shoes, Aldo.

Right: Aviators, Mango, Top, River Island, Shorts and Shoes, Topshop 

Sweater, MissGuided, Satchel, Topshop, Earrings, MarissaCollections, Nail Polish, Essie

What's in my bag: Beauty Essentials...

• Mac Sheer Pressed Powder - Glides on effortlessly and lasts ages without drying out also provides amazing coverage, easily the best powder i've ever used.
• Mac Blush - Ideal for using in the winter when the bronzed look just isn't neccesary!
• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Vintage Pink - My lips get really dry so I need my lipsticks to be moisturising too, this rosy pink colour is very subtle and keeps lips soft whilst being long lasting.
• Benefit Cosmetics Erase Paste - Perfect for those days when you didn't get enough sleep the night before, covers up the greyest of under-eyes.
• Benefit Cosmetics They're Real Mascara - Someone asked me if I had lash extensions in the other day, that says it all! The brush can be tricky to master but it lasts a long time, doesn't dry out or clump.
• Vaseline Lip Therapy - Needs no explanation, everyone should have vaseline in their bag.
• Benefit Cosmetics High Beam - Highlights and illuminates, great for freshening up dull skin and giving you a fresh complexion.
• Bed Head Superstar Volumizing Spray - The best hairspray i've found yet, adds volume and lift, provides substantial hold and smells lovely.
• H&M Bronzing Powder - A rival to any designer make-up brand, this £4.99 bronzer is my favourite, gives a subtle sunkissed glow without looking orange.
• Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Moisturiser - Perfect for my post-holiday skin as it's kept it hydrated all day (my other moisturisers were needing to be reapplied at lunch time!) also smells lovely and a little goes a long way.
• Jimmy Choo EDP - One of my top three perfumes along with Marc Jacobs' Daisy and Kenzo, always recieve compliments on this woody/floral perfume.
• HD Brows Palette - Slightly expensive but worth it (comes with four shades, the one I use has lasted me nearly 10 months!) I've blogged on this before and it really is amazing, I could never go out without wearing it now.
• Accessorize Nail Polish - Accessorize's beauty range is moderately new but I think it's great, not only are these polishes super cheap they glide on easily, never clump, dry quick and don't chip for days even a week or more. Plus all the shades are really cute.
• Neutrogena Hand Cream - Another staple, all that you need in a handcream, deeply moisturising and long lasting.
• Tresemmé Hair Spray - Alongside the Bed Head spray this is another favourite, provides super strong hold but still brushes out easy.

So what are your everyday beauty essentials?

How we became a nation of sun worshippers.

Everyone loves to look sunkissed; whether you're holidaying, spray tanning, faking it or using a sunbed, it just makes you feel better.

The fake tan industry is worth more than ever and scary tanning alternatives such as injections, pills or nasal sprays are popping up left right and centre. But what is it about sunkissed skin that drives us to extremes?

For two weeks of the year I pack up my swimwear and head far away where the sun actually shines during summer and lay in the sun all day. First thing in the morning until the sun goes down.

I know the dangers and I never burn, always applying protection regularly but even though i'm aware of the harmful rays, premature wrinkles and the fact that it'll be non-existant within a few weeks of landing in the miserable UK, I just HAVE to come home with a tan.

Despite stars such as Nicola Roberts, Dita Von Teese and Kelly Obsourne sporting the pale look and looking fabulous, we still yearn to be bronzed. Tanning helps clear skin, can reduce the appearance of spider veins and stretchmarks as well as boosting confidence in general. Vitamin D also helps you to feel more relaxed, leaving you healthier and happier. And of course we all love those post-holiday compliments, “Wow, you are SO brown, where have you been?”

A desire to be tanned is nothing new really, ladies have been lathering on the oil for back garden sun sessions for years maybe we're only just noticing it with the rise of the stunningly sunkissed celebs sprawled across the media.

Prior to the 1920s tanning was deemed to be associated with the lower class, those who would commonly work outdoors. Women were even believed to have used lead-based products on their skin in an attempt to artificially whiten it.

But legend has it that in the 1920s on a trip to the French Riviera, Coco Chanel accidentally burnt her skin, as the redness faded a sunkissed look developed, a look which Coco's fans admired and longed for.

Some years later, in the 1940s the bikini took over the original one-piece, with this came the first ever self-tanning product and advertisements began appearing in glossy mags endorsing tanning. By the 60s sunscreen was to be SPF rated and the 70s saw tan junkies utilizing sunbeds.

Also in the 70s, Mattel introduced Mailbu Barbie. This sun lovin' doll came complete with a towel, sun lotion and sunglasses and her skin would actually get darker in the sun. Pretty heedless product planning on behalf of Mattel, but come to think of it my Barbie's convertible had no seatbelts and i'm not sure whether her dream house came with smoke detectors and burglary alarms.

Regarding modern day tanning, the rise of celebrity culture has undoubtedly played a part in the obsession. Cheryl Cole and Kim K are never spotted out and about without their trademark tans and celebrities including Peter Andre and the TOWIE cast have endorsed fake tan products.

So if, like a lot of Brits you long for perfect pins try faking it with these....

 Xen-Tan, Deep Bronze Luxe, £21.50 @ Feelunique.com

• Vanilla scent - No biscuits!
• Voted best beauty buy by Elle.
• Contains Vitamin E, Green Tea and anti-oxiding which sooth skin as well as providing colour.
• Lasts upto 7 days.
• Streak free.
• Provides an olive colour, not orange!

 L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Tinted Gel, £11.43 @ Feelunique.com

• Winner of Cosmo's best beauty buys 2012.
• Provides a natural sun-kissed shimmer.
• The gel is non-sticky and non-greasy.
• The tinted formula is instant, meaning you can see where you're applying.
• Enriched with Pro-AHA for long lasting and even application.
• However needs to be applied 2-3 times a week.

 Famous Dave's Tanning Mousse Gold Edition, £24.95 @ Famousdave.co.uk

• Works with all skin tones to provide a natural looking colour.
• Dries almost immedietly.
• Praised by glossy mags aplenty including Closer, Now, Marie Claire, The Telegraph and the Daily Mail.
• Contains a helpful colour guide.
•  Streak free and non-sticky.
• No added fragrance and not tested on animals.

The 90s - Not so anti-fashion after all.....

The trends of the 90s originated mostly through the music of the era. Whether it was rock generating the grunge trend, pop producing a platform obsession for young girls everywhere or rap establishing bandanas and baggy jeans.

Often dubbed the decade of 'anti-fashion,' the 90s refused to obey the straight-talking rules of fabricating fashion. I'm talking slashed jeans, Doc Marten's and flannel shirts. Maybe not aristocratic style but hey, we're still wearing 'em!

Think Spice Girl Mel B's leopard print craze and those Irish popster's B*Witched, they were always rocking double denim. Take a quick look through your childhood photo albums, pastels, cropped tops and patterned leggings aplenty right?

Just picture the opening scene of the classic, Clueless; Rich girl Cher Horowitz is choosing her outfit for school through her computer-organised wardrobe, in that moment every girl watching had style-envy.

Cher's outfits kicked off an array of trends; mini backpacks, exposed midriffs, loafers, velvet, sheer chiffon and plaid to name a few. No-one does preppy chic quite like Cher, she was stylish but subtly sexy in her classic blazers, crisp shirts, knee-high socks and chunky Mary Jane's. I think it's safe to say Clueless has a place in every fashionista's heart (and wardrobe.)

And the celebs love it too. Below; Leighton Meester as Blair Wardorf, the ultimate preppy style icon of the decade wearing a white dress similar to Cher's for her big date, Alexa Chung rocking dungarees a'la Brittany Murphy as Tai in Clueless, Ashlee Simpson is often seen in grunge styles, Fashion icon Clemence Posey wearing double denim and slashed jeans and a flannel shirt for Miley Cyrus, also a grunge fan.

 

Below: Alexa Chung in a cropped top and preppy blazer, Fearne Cotton in preppy chic, Rihanna embracing the Clueless trend, Selena Gomez exposing the midriff, Mary-Kate Olsen wearing an oversized flannel shirt, the Olsen twins are often spotted in grunge styles, Rihanna again – clearly a 90s fan rocking double denim AND a bumbag!

 I think every girl (including myself) has a 90s inspired piece in their wardrobe and I beg to differ that the 90s is the decade style forgot.

Get the look.

Boucle jacket and shorts, Mango, Socks, Debenhams, Mary Jane's, Nine West, Backpack, Skirt and Blazer, Pork Pie Hat and Red Shirt, Topshop, Light jeans, Levis, Trainers, Converse, Shirt, Superdry, Jeans, Miss Selfridge, Boots, Etsy.

Confessions of a lazy beauty addict....

From primers and plumpers to brighteners and balms, you name it, I own it. I'm the first to admit I am utterly captivated by every new product pledging to hydrate, boost and soothe. As a result of this, my family and friends take great joy in preparing for a night out in my bedroom, my sister once told me: “I love getting ready in your bedroom, it's like being in Superdrug.”

Despite my shameless obsession with all things beauty I can't resist a shortcut if it means twenty minutes longer in bed. Like most girls I love big hair, however I simply don't have the time or patience to sit or uncomfortably sleep in rollers. My answer to this is quite simple, I wash and blow-dry my hair as normal then I'll throw my head forward and back (much like Willow Smith whipping her hair back and forth) then set with hairspray, instant volume.

The truth is, brilliant products can do a lot for your hair. I openly admit that once I didn't have my hair cut for over a year despite this people would often tell me how great my hair looked. I would bathe my hair in intensive conditioner, lather on the MorrocanOil before drying and rub wax into my shabby split ends. My reasoning for not booking in for a trim was more fear of leaving the salon distraught because the stylist got 'scissor happy' than lazy, but still I found a way to conceal the unfortunate state of my over-dyed, parched hair.

Given the option of waking up thirty minutes earlier than necessary and wash, drying and styling my hair or sleeping in and dousing my hair in dry shampoo, it's a given I'll take the second option. My number one product dry shampoo both camouflages the grease and creates volume, ideal when time is in short supply. Now you are familiar with my laziness regarding habitual haircuts and washes, you'd be correct to presume the same rules apply with hair colouring. Hair colouring is both costly and time-consuming and if I want to look fabulous whilst leaving 6-8 weeks between hair appointments I have the perfect product. It's cheap, takes ten seconds and no-one will ever guess the secret; hair mascara. 'What?' I hear you say, 'I haven't used that since the 90s' well, hair mascara isn't just for purple highlights at your best friends bouncy castle party. I simply run the wand over my visible roots, then it's good to go, flawless root coverage in seconds.

Picture this, I'm sure you've been there. I've put on a great outfit; a simple white blouse with cropped black trousers. Then just as I’m about to leave the house I see it, the dreaded leg stubble. My train leaves in fifteen minutes, I don't have time to jump in the shower and shave, so I wet the razor and run it over the visible part of my leg, similarly I'll paint the only two toes exposed through my peep-toe court shoes. When it comes to nails it's always assumed a manicure means time, but for glossy polished looking nails I rub a little Vaseline into the cuticles. If I do have time to paint them, it's still an inconvenience to wait for them to dry, I'll leave them for 2 minutes then immerse them in ice-cold water to dry them quick.

As a firm believer in life-changing products, I have faith that when you find that miraculous piece of make-up you can often minimise your daily routine. Before I discovered HD Brows I could spend the entire afternoon and several products attempting to make my eyes look how I wanted them to. I soon realised that shaping and colouring over my brows (not like the 'Scouse Brow' mind) changed and flattered my whole face. For days when I'm just popping out for ten minutes and don't want to cover my face in foundation and powders I simply shade in my brows and brush on some mascara, it really is enough to make me feel better and takes 2 minutes.

So for those days when you'd rather have time for a coffee than a shower or you think you can't wear those cropped jeans because of stubble, consider taking a beauty shortcut. If no-one will notice the difference, why waste your time?

Kindles Vs books

I'll admit one thing, I am painstakingly attached to my iPhone. However, that's as far as my love for technology goes. I can't help but find a lot of it well futile if i'm honest, where do we draw the line between convenience and plain consumerism? Correct me if i'm wrong but Ipads to me are just larger phones (which cost as much as a laptop.) I have a laptop and I have a phone, why would I need an iPad? But Kindles baffle me the most.

Sure I understand a Kindle has its practicalites, you can store over a thousand books on it. Pragmatic for commuters, teachers and students who need to carry around academic texts. Great for travelling too, but be prepared to turn it off for take-off and landing.

I even think it'd be fun to build up a library and appreciate that it's tonnes better for our environment but to be frank, I prefer books.

I've never been the type to go into WH Smiths and pick up a bestseller, I much prefer finding hidden gems mainly because I don't read popular romance novels or biographies anyway. What could be better than roaming a second-hand book shop letting the covers jump out at you, finding notes and messages scribbled inside and the smell, I just love the smell of old books. 

Once, at a car-boot sale a lady picked up a book from our table; “what's this like?” she asked. This lead to a full discussion about the book, I love that books can be shared and passed down through generations. What will be in one hundred years? Will we tuck our children up in bed and read The Secret Garden to them on a Kindle? I hope not.

When I visit someone's house I nearly always snoop through their bookshelf, I think a person's choice of books says a lot about them. Upon researching this I found many people feel the same, here's a quote I found from 7reasons.org which I think sums it up perfectly;

“The volumes you gather as you travel through life are a story in themselves. The spine creases of the well-thumbed volume; the stain left by the coffee you spilt when you first saw her; the enthusiastic underlinings of well-loved sections and the page corner-foldings of inspiration; the sheer sentimental, colourful, characterful accumulation of books. You can’t furnish a room with a Kindle.”

Books have so much character and tradition, do we really need to modernise them as well?

The Kindle's high contrast E-ink display apparently reads like a book making ideal for reading in sunny weather, you can even turn the pages. That's great but it's still an LED screen, with my laptop and iPhone I spend enough time as it is looking at a screen. When I curl up to read I don't want it to be with a hard plastic gadget, I want it to be an escape from the real world but using an electronic device doesn't seem like escapism to me.

Whilst Kindle's and other trivial gadgets will never phase out writing completely; clearly an author can market their book through any media, book shops, publishing houses and libraries will struggle.

Records were destroyed by tapes, tapes by CDs and CDs by downloads. I'm sure in years ahead everyone will own a Kindle and that's fine, i'm not totally against them by any means but I think i'll stick with my books for now, I don't need instructions for those.

This week i'm lusting after...

Rose gold watches. Either will do :)

HD Brows

In my first Glossybox I recieved this full sized HD Brows palette, having never filled in my brows before I wasn't particularly excited by this, until I used it! The set comes with four shades, I use the bottom, right rich brown colour for mine and occasionally use the white underneath and around the brow just to define them a little more. The set includes an angular brush which is perfect for the sweeping shape you need when applying colour. It's highly matte, highly pigmented and doesn't smudge (unless you really rub it!) I now use this every day without fail and cannot understand how I never used this before, no way could I not fill my brows in now! This retails at approx £20 and although that's quite steep it lasts forever, I got mine in September and have used it every day and still have over half of the shade I've been using left, when this one runs out I can just opt for a different shade of brown mixed with the lighter one. I had planned on trying Benefit's Brow Zing after but now I'm not sure I want to change...

holiday must buys

I am completely guilty of cramming my suitcase full of beauty products when I go on holiday, probably more so than I do with clothes. Sea salt spray, intensive conditioners, oils, balms, waterproofs - you name it. Few products really impress though and tend to be a 'throw away before you come home' kind of thing, a handful of products really amazed me for my holiday though so i'll leave you with a brief review of my 3 fave holiday buys.

Garnier BB cream

I initially bought this as I'd seen rave reviews in almost every magazine I'd picked up, not sure why so much hype surrounded the product i gave it a quick google, BB stands for blemish balm which is huge in Asia, but has not yet made it to our stores, meaning people wanting to buy these products have to import them online, at a cost. So at £9.99 a pop (currently £7.99 in Superdrug) this seems like a good deal.
Instantly I was surprised by the lack of colour choices, as a tinted moisteriser you would expect several shades but no, only a light or dark option. Of the two choices I went for dark, I have olive skin and was about to go away so knew it would get darker. I think if you're very fair skinned this probably wouldn't work for you without mixing to another lighter product, which would get pricey. Anyways back to the review, BB cream claims to blur imperfections and smooth fine lines with the added bonus of 24hr hydration and SPF 15. My skin tends to look tired, for that I can blame my 5am alarm call, and i do have the odd breakout and uneven skin tone. After initially applying my skin felt a bit tighter and did make my skin look more even without feeling heavy, however it is slightly oily and as I have oily skin I did feel the need to cover with powder, if you have dry skin this would be better. It felt a little like flash balm, but was only a snippet of the price, anyone expecting amazing coverage needs to buy a more pigmented product, this is both a moisterising skin product and a beauty product combined not a heavy foundation. Having said that if you don't want to clog your face up with make up products this is ideal for a smoother and more blended appearance and instantly looking more awake and brighter. I've given it a 4 for the oily skin problem and the lack of available shades.

4/5

Piz Buin after sun with tan intensifier

I picked this up for under £10 in Wilkinsons, I wouldn't usually spend that much on a simple after sun but as it claimed to contain taminel which doubles the production of your skins natural tanning pigments, essentially prolonging and enhancing a natural tan I thought i'd try. I used this at the end of the day once all oil and sun cream had been washed off in the shower, the after sun is like a general moisteriser cream consistency, once applied to the skin it doesn't take too much absorbing and sinks in to the skin nicely, not too shiny. It didn't feel oily or greasy and leaves even my sun drenched skin hydrated all day.
As for the tan intensifier, well i've only been back for a couple of days and I tan easily anyway but at least the product doesn't contain fake tan (why bother laying in the sun all day if you're going to add fake tan?) and it doesn't smell like biscuits, hurrah!
I read several negative reviews which seemed a bit unfair as they were mainly people who regularly suffered from allergys complaining about an allergic reaction, if your skin is sensitive and you tend to come out in rashes if you use different products, avoid this and go for a simple unperfumed after sun.

4/5
Morrocan oil treatment

My biggest praise for holiday products undoubtedly goes to this Morrocan oil treatment, I purchased a 25ml bottle on feelunique.com for £12.85 which seems a lot for such a small bottle but you really don't need to use a lot at one time, even on my long hair after two weeks of using every day and my mum using too, i've only used 1/3 of the bottle. Let me begin by explaining my hair situation, I always need a brilliant conditioner after dying my hair for six years and not having it cut regularly, I think it's fair to say it's in bad condition. Whilst I was away my days were spent lying in the sun for 8 hours a day, if I weren't doing that I was in the cholrine filled pool or the salty sea. My hair needed rescue. After washing hair, I would towel dry (I know this is terrible for your hair but my god it would take ages to dry if i didn't) then apply a pound sized amount from my ears down (don't like putting oily products on my roots but you could try...) if you put together in your hands it goes further than you'd think, i then dried my hair and styled as normal. After the first application, even after drying and straightening my hair was soft, sleek and in general in better condition. My hair is dry more than frizzy but I imagine this could help frizzy hair a lot, I had read a lot of amazing reviews of this but wrote it off as hype but now I can really say this WILL make your hair softer and glossier - looking and feeling similar to salon results. This works better than any leave in conditioner i've tried, and is incredible as a detangler too. A small 25ml bottle would last roughly 7/8 weeks I'd assume, vo5 have just bought out a similar oil treatment and there are several other budget versions, i'll give them a try but can't see them beating the results of the Morrocan Oil.

5/5

Clarins beauty flash balm; does what it says on the tin...

I first tried Clarins beauty flash balm when I recieved a trial size amongst a bag of other eye creams, day creams, night creams e.t.c. Usually trial size products stay in my drawer for a very long time before i bother using them/throwing them away. However I'd heard good things about the flash balm and as it's won numerous industry awards I thought i'd give it a go.
Using it as a primer i'd apply a thin layer, not rubbing in like a moisturiser and following with foundation, powder and so on. I found instantly my face felt tighter, my make-up felt in place and like it would stay for a while. Whilst I have no wrinkles to fill, yet... it still gave my finished face afirmer and immedietly brightened look. I was impressed with how the balm worked as a primer, my face make-up lasted and looked radiant for longer than with other branded primers. Besides the fact it smells a little like my grandma's bathroom products, the balm is incredible for oily skin, acts like a mask and doesn't leave foundation slipping off at the hint of warm weather.
Also great for dull lifeless skin, to re-awaken before a night out or to just refresh tired skin on an early start.
Being a beauty product addict when my trial size ran out I went about trying other products, none of which have worked as well as this for me, I'm definitely buying another ASAP.

Beauty review: Volumising hairsprays

I think it's safe to say that I have tried hundreds of volumising products, hairsprays, blowdry sprays, shampoos, conditioners, mousse, balms, serums, leave in treatments, waxes, cremes... you name it! Very few have worked, if i'm honest. One which definitely worked and i've proceeded to buy over and ovoer is TIGI Bedhead's Superstar, a volumising hairspray.

Not only does the spray smell lush (I think it helps that I first used this on Holiday in Sri Lanka, therefore the smell brings back memories!) but it holds for hours and hours. Most of the volumising products I've used make my hair big for all of about ten minutes before going flat again.

I also find with most hairsprays, if they're good and it holds well it will also leave your hair hard as rock, this spray holds well but also still looks natural and smooth. I've not used this with any other Bedhead products but used with other volumising products, shampoo, conditioner, blow dry spray e.t.c. this has best results.

Prices vary, available from ASOS and most good hair salons.

Beauty review: Body shop seaweed clarifying toner

With previous toners i've found that they tend to be a bit pointless and not do a whole lot so I stopped using them for a while, clearly I was using the wrong ones as when I purchased this clarifying toner for just three or four days I noticed results immedietly.

I usually use the Simple cleanser or if i'm not too skint the Clarins one-step cleanser, which is ace for oily skin. This week i've been using my cleanser as usual then using this toner about 5minutes after my cleanser. Within a couple of days I noticed the toner had worked wonders on my usually oily t-zone, my pores were visibly clearer and a couple of people had commented on how well my skin looked.

The toner is also very calm which is important for me as my skin is sensitive and irritable, so a harsh toner is a no-no. The high mineral content makes it cool and refreshing, packed with vitamins it balances the skin and leaves it noticably clearer. An absolute bargain too, 60ml for £3 or 200ml for £7.

Beauty review: Body Shop vitamin E face mist

Originally I bought this face mist to use as a bit of a pick me up during the day, as after a few hours at work my make-up can begin to wear away and generally not look so fresh. Priced at £7 I thought i'd give this one a go, I noticed results instantly, My make-up is applied at 6am and with a couple of spritzs (they are nice misty spritzes too as opposed to some face sprays which soak you!) of this throughout the day is still looking good by the time I finish work.

Not only does it set make-up and keep it looking pristine, I felt refreshed, moisturised and it smelt yummy as the rose water elements smell exactly like Turkish delight!

Vitamin E is one of the best natural antioxidants for protecting skin against environmental damage, sun, smoke and pollution, helping you feel fresh all day! I would definitely recommend this, would be perfect for use during or post long flights too.

£7, The Body Shop.

Dear Topshop....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/feb/02/topshop-high-street-fashion

I came across this article at the weekend and I have to say I completely agree, after years of lusting after pretty much everything in Toppers, I have recently, several times logged on to Topshop.com to find nothing. I'm not sure if it's because everything else on the high street is improving so much, maybe Topshop peaked to early? Who knows? All i do know is that there are several online stores, New Look, River Island e.t.c. where i can buy things just as nice but with a smaller price tag (Maybe not RI but it has improved massively!)