OOTD: Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree ♥

Hey guys,

So today was a christmas shopping day, pretty chilled really as our main priority was getting our christmas tree for our lounge, we got a real one last year for the first time and I couldn't wait to go and choose one again this year. We started putting our decorations up last night and we put up one tree and decorations around the rest of the house but we just needed to get our hands on a lovely tree today to finish it off.

Here is the outfit I wore for the day....

A little bit windswept...

I bought my dress a couple of days ago from Primark, I only actually intended to go in for a onesie but I spotted this and knew I had to get it, I bought the necklace and studded bracelet too because they were next to the dress and I thought they'd all look lovely together, I can just imagine the bracelet going with so many outfits over the christmas season too! My watch is Michael Kors which was a graduation present from my sisters and my cardigan is from H&M, leather jacket is Wallis, fur headband is Miss Selfridge, pumps are Converse and scarf is Topshop (I think - it's my sister's). I kept my make up pretty simple with just my Dior foundation, a little bit of blusher and some brown eyeliner and make up, I didn't want a really full face as it was only a chilled out kind of day. I did wear my new Raspberry Pie lip butter but that was a last minute decision after the pictures.

I actually wore two pairs of tights because I didn't think one would be enough to keep me warm, and I very nearly didn't wear my headband, but I'm so glad I did because I was so cold and I think my ears would have actually fell off without it! The day was a success anyway and we chose a gorgeous tree, (I will put a photo on my instagram) and I even bought a lovely, snuggly christmas jumper... look at those cute little reindeers, awwh.

....Perfect for my skiing holiday after Christmas.

What do you think of my casual sunday outfit? What did you all do with your weekend?

Love 

x

Eyes Lips Face Brush Cleaner: Review ♥

Heyy guys,

I don't know about you but cleaning my make up brushes seriously is the bain of my life. It's just so time consuming and the more brushes you have the worse it is. It's just not a fun task. This is why I decided I needed to get myself a daily brush cleaner to keep my brushes hygienic and clean in between thorough washes. I'd heard lots of good things about e.l.f cosmetics, particularly the amazing prices so I thought I'd have a look there before splurging on the Mac cleaner I was considering buying. Needless to say, they sell everything on that website and for around £3-4 I spied this massive 250ml bottle, so it would have been pretty rude not to buy it really.

I use this cleaner every couple of days, not daily as it suggests because if I'm honest I don't have the time, although the spray head does make it SO easy quick to use.I just spritz a few times onto my make up brush and rub the brush with a clean cloth and then leave to dry for the rest of the day and then my brushes feel lovely and soft and fluffy again when I come to use it my foundation or concealer is applied much more evenly.

I'm in two minds about its scent...you can sort of smell the anti-bacterial ingredients in it (if that makes sense) because it smells a bit like germ spray/gel for your hands, which is good because I know that it's probably doing a good job killing germs and it smells like it's actually deeply cleaned, although it makes me feel a bit sicky if I use it too much all at once because it's quite strong. The after-smell on the brushes once they've dried isn't strong though and it leaves them smelling quite fresh, and it certainly hasn't done anything bad to my skin which can sometimes be quite sensitive. The consistency is just like water as well so it's really easy to spray and coats the brush enough to know how much you're using, I hate products with a spray nozzle that don't spray evenly because they're too thick to come out. Overall I'm a happy bunny with this cleaner as for around the £3-4 mark it's an absolute bargain for such a large bottle I think. I've had it a couple of months now and Ive still got loads left. The good thing about cleaning my brushes regularly with it means I don't need to use lots every time because they're pretty clean with only a couple of days worth of make up on them (handy tip there) so it saves me pennies in the long run.

The bad news is I think they've downsized the bottle online, unless it's sold out because I couldn't find this bottle when I looked but it's still only £3.75 so it's still a bargain compared to others on the market.

Have you ever tried this brush cleaner? What do you think? What other brush cleaners would you recommend?

Love 

x

Shellac Manicure: Review ♥

Hey beauts,

So I'm currently off work ill and as I've not left my bed all day, I needed a bit of cheering up (there is NOTHING good on tv in the day) so I thought a little post about my current Shellac mani would be a good way to take my mind off being poorly.

I've had a pretty busy couple of weeks, what with my graduation and then a wedding and an awards ceremony, so I obviously wanted my nails to look as perfect as possible. I was tempted to get acrylics again, but they really ruined my nails in summer so I opted for a Shellac manicure instead. I had french tips done for my graduation and was really pleased with how they looked....however, the day after my graduation, the polish started to peel away from the sides on both my index fingers which was so disappointing as they were supposed to last up to three weeks

I went back to the salon and they said that it shouldn't have happened and the UV light which they put them under to dry might not have set them properly down the sides of the nail beds so I went back and had them done free of charge. The second time I had them done I had them painted a full colour instead of french tips as the beautician said this would be stronger, so I went for black nails and a silver accent nail with tiny black gems to go with the two dresses  I was wearing for the wedding and awards evening.

Here is the picture I instagrammed straight after having them done so my cuticles are still a bit oily...

This time they've lasted perfectly and even when I've knocked them or scraped them they haven't even chipped, which is amazing because usually no matter how many top and bottom coats I apply to my nail polish it still chips within a day. They're still beautifully shiny and smooth which I love because I find that normal polish usually goes quite dull after a while and I can't see them chipping anytime soon, they're definitely as strong as they should be this time. I paid £30 for the manicure, which is quite expensive but it does take about an hour and they last up to three weeks so in my opinion it is worth it if you've got some pennies to splash or you have a nice event to look forward to.

I'd definitely recommend them to anyone considering having something a little bit different on their nails, there are some gorgeous festive colours like red and gold glitter which I definitely fancy trying after this. They also protect your nails unlike having gel or acrylic nails put on as you get given a cuticle oil to massage on daily which protects the nail underneath and doesn't result in ridges or thin nails like acrylics. Although they don't add length, it doesn't matter because short nails look just as glamourous as long talons would. All in all I'm really happy with them now I've got a colour on and I can't wait to try out the different range of colours.

Have you ever had a Shellac manicure? What do you think of my nails?

Love 

x

How to wear: Knee High Boots ♥

Hey lovelies,

I don't think I've ever done one of these posts before, but I love reading them, and considering I recently added a new pair of boots to my shoe collection, I thought I'd do a little 'how to style' post.

I love knee high boots for this autumn/winter, they're so practical and keep my little toes warm in the cold weather and they look great with any outfit to make a change from ankle heeled boots like my Ambush boots from Topshop. Here are a few ideas of what you can team them with...

Date night: Playsuit-Boohoo, Leather jacket-Topshop, Clutch bag-Topshop, Bracelet-River Island, Rings-River Island, Tights-Topshop, Boots-Asos

Shopping: Fur Gilet-Topshop, Jumper-Miss Selfridge, Coated Skinny Jeans- Warehouse, Bag-River Island, Heart Necklace-Topshop, Boots- Asos.

Outdoors: Wax Jacket- Barbour, Bag- Mulberry Del Rey, Skinny Jeans-Topshop, Scarf- Barbour, Jumper-Barbour, Fox Necklace-River Island, Boots- Asos

Out for Dinner: Dress-Miss Selfridge, Necklace-Miss Selfridge, Nail Polish- Nars Dovima, Bag- Asos, 

Ring-Miss Selridge, Tights-Topshop, Boots-Asos


What do you think of these outfits I've put together? Do you own any knee high boots for this season?

Love
x

Impress Nails: Review ♥

Hey beauties,

I was thinking of what better way to start posting again than with a good old review of a product I recently tried out. Throughout the summer I had gel nails with a white tip, so that I could paint them when I liked or go for the simple and classy french mani look for the rest of the time. Obviously as they started growing out they looked a mess and my plan was to just keep getting them done, until my last few pennies had to go on other holiday essentials like clothes and I couldn't afford. As my nails were in such terrible condition from being gelled and filed until they were almost non-existent, I needed something to glam them back up again, so I tried out Impress Nails.

I'd heard a lot about this brand on the internet and had wanted to try them at the start of summer but I couldn't because of my gel nails, so as a much cheaper alternative (£8.99 compared to £25 for new gels!) I got them for my holiday to Spain. I applied them the day that I left for the airport and they were SO easy to apply, all you have to do is choose the appropriate size, peel back a sticker and press on to the nail and voila! Beautiful nails! The ones I chose were in the colour 'Lovestruck' and were so cute and girly, perfect for a summer holiday, but Boots, where I bought them had so many different colours and styles it was actually quite hard to choose.

This is the photo I instagrammed from the airport! Impress Nails - Lovestruck - £8.99

In terms of staying power, this is where I had a few problems...because of my gel nails, some of my nails ended up quite uneven on the surface, with quite big ridges in them so sadly the nails didn't stick very well to those. I think it was one thumb and one index finger that had the biggest problem and came a bit loose. The rest of the nails stuck so well though and when it came to taking them off after losing a couple, they were quite tough to get off, even after travelling all day and washing my hands numerous times. So overall, I was really impressed with the staying power to say it's just a sticky back and no glue is required. It was only my nails which made them loose, nothing to do with the product itself.

I'd definitely buy these nails again, and I'm patiently waiting for my nails to grow properly and the ridges to grow out, I'm thinking the rich, red colour 'Tweetheart' for the autumn and winter months!

What do you think of this speedy manicure? Have you ever tried Impress Nails?

Love

x

We're Going Through Changes ♥

Hello lovelies,

I've been a bit of a naughty blogger lately and haven't posted in aaageees! But, I have got a few excuses...1) I now work full time, and my body has found it hard to adjust to the early mornings so I've been absolutely shattered every night, so firstly, not much shopping for new goodies to talk about, and also not much energy to even write or take pictures.. 2) I've been hating on my blog design for a while so I guess I've been avoiding it at the same time. I've changed things up a bit now though and I'm feeling the love for my blog and writing new posts again, so watch this space...I'll be back to normal very soon! I feel a shopping spree coming on...

(I do still exist...)

Love

x

How to: Dip Dye Denim Shorts

Hey lovelies,

So with my holiday coming up (the one that I'm now actually on) I decided to get a bit creative and taking some inspiration from Kirsty at Bows and Belles and her dip dye denim shirt post, I decided to re-vamp my old and unused denim shorts. They were pretty plain, dark denim and I never wore them so I had nothing to lose if it didn't work. I did it all for free as I just used what I had at home and have to buy anything so it was a really cheap and easy process which only took a couple of hours.

Firstly I cut my shorts as the hems were originally rolled up, so I unpicked the stitching and snipped away until they were at the length I wanted. I then folded the shorts in half and put a clip coat hanger on the shorts at the top so that they were level all the way across the bottoms.

I then filled a sink bowl with two bottles of Domestos bleach ( I did try one but it wasn't enough for how high I wanted the dye to go) and placed the shorts in the bowl so that just under half was immersed in the bleach.

I left them soaking and went back to check on them every 15 minutes or so to check their progress. Altogether it took about 1 hour 50 minutes to get them the white shade I wanted at the bottom. After about 1 hour-ish, it went a light blue which did look nice but I wanted it a bit lighter so left it.

As soon as they were white enough, I placed them in another bowl in the sink and ran cold water all over them before putting them in a bowl of cold water and white vinegar. I used a whole bottle of this to stop the bleach dying and running and then I put them in the washing machine for two washes.

Once they were dry I cut them up a bit more and using a nail buffer I rubbed over where I had cut to give it a bit more of a ragged-y look and hey presto, brand new looking shorts that are much more fashionable than they previously were and for free as all of the bits I needed were already at home.

The finished result...

What do you think of my new shorts? Is this something you'll try at home?

Love 

x

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stains ♥

Hey beauts,

I've been wanting to post this for ages but never got around to taking the pictures. The other week I accidentally fell into Boots and accidentally bought two Revlon Lipstains because I have zero will power and they were screaming out to me to buy them in all of their £2 off goodness. I wanted a coral-y orange colour to make a nice change from all my pink lipsticks so I chose Flame, but not wanting to be left out, Passion also persuaded me to buy it and I got that too. These are my first lipstains as my collection consists of mostly lipsticks and tinted lipbalms.

I would say that the pigmentation and the brightness of each are pretty good, although this could be because they are brand new, but I was quite impressed with how bold they are, as this is great for a night out as you can build it up to be even more intense if you like. The only problem I did find was that, although you don't have to apply a lot, they can go a little patchy so a few coats are sometimes needed, it just seems to depend on how much comes out each time.

As you would expect from a lipstain, the staying power is fantastic. I even tested it out (unintentionally) by eating fish and chips for my lunch, and it still looked as good after the meal as it did before which was amazing as you definitely don't get this with some lipsticks. I'm not entirely sure what the lip balm at the other end is for as it doesn't make much difference to the overall look, but I suppose for really dry lips it's a good addition as lip stains are quite drying at times. I have heard that they can dry out quite quickly so I'll have to keep my eye on that and see how I get on, I hope they don't though because I do love the colours.

Haha had to put this cheeky shot from the boyfriend taking the pictures. A mirror is deffo needed for precision, not as easy as lipstick!

 Flame...

Passion..

This one did apply easier and definitely looked less patchy.

I think for summer, Flame is my favourite as it's a gorgeous colour to brighten up day to day make up, and I think it would be the perfect transition from day to night make up, Passion is that shade of pink that will be cute all year round.

Have you tried the Revlon lip stains? What did you think of them?

x

Cabbage Soup Diet | Day 7

Hi guys,

I have to be honest, I got up yesterday and could not face the soup at all when I smelt it, so I binned it and decided to just finish a day early. The way it had made me feel the last couple of days were not worth it at all and I'd weighed myself and felt happy enough, one more day wouldn't have made much difference.

Instead I just stuck to fruit and then had chargrilled chicken and salad for dinner, so I stuck to healthy foods and counted my cals. Overall I lost 6lbs, which I'm really happy with. I'm not totally sure I'd do it again, definitely not in a hurry anyway, but I have enjoyed following the strict regime as it's really helped me avoid cheating and motivated me to continue just by counting down the days and reading what is/isn't good for you on certain days etc.

I would recommend it to people for a quick weight loss, maybe for an upcoming event or holiday but I would advise to take care. I'd also suggest to eat as much soup as you can to fill yourself up, as looking back I know I probably didn't have as much of that as I could have, but I was worried I'd run out and have to keep making more batches. If anyone is interested in following this diet, then good luck! In my opinion it does work, and i'll be interested to see what the following days/weeks are like, as I know after some quick diets you just put the weight back on really quickly. If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer them or give any advice on how I managed the 6 days or if anyone has any advice for me on how to improve if I do it again, I'd be happy to hear it :)

Love 

x

Cabbage Soup Diet | Day 6

Heyy beauts,

Today wasn't as good as the other days. I woke up feeling really sick and faint and my arms and legs felt so weak, it was clearly the result of not having eaten properly/enough for the week. As I was at my friends I had to have something before I left so I had an orange as a little sugar boost because I had to drive home, and when I got home I ignored the soup because there's no way I could have had that at 10 am so I had one weetabix and a tiny bit of milk as I needed to go and get my eyebrows done and needed energy for that. I've been shattered all day and although the weetabix really helped give me an energy boost, I have been so tired, I've been napping so much this week!

My dinner today was Steak and vegetables and I could have had up to three steaks if I'd wanted! I could never eat that much so I just stuck to one and some green vegetables and although I couldn't finish it all it was nice to eat a real meal. I was supposed to have my soup at least once today but I didn't feel up for it at all so I just had some fruit for my lunch. I obviously didn't really stick to today's rules apart from having the steak and veg, but I think the whole diet finally took it's tole on me and I just did not want to eat it again. I'll probably have the soup again tomorrow and my dinner is brown rice and veg, so I will eat that. I haven't been unhealthy today so I'm not too fussed about not sticking to the rules but I could have sold my own arm for some bread or a doughnut. Only one day left and then I can eat what I want again, although I definitely won't be running to all the sweet things I'm craving, I'll still be good...promise.

Love

x

Cabbage Soup Diet | Day 5

Heyy guys,

Today was my 'Beef and Tomatoes' day, so I am allowed to eat up to 6 tomatoes, and up to 20 ounces of beef (whaaat) I would never be able to eat that much! I just got some sliced beef and cut up some tomatoes for it and had that for breakfast (yummy). It was nice to eat meat though and the tomatoes made a nice change too. These next two days are supposed to be introducing meat back into my diet again and it spices things up a bit, so it's not so bad.

I have been feeling pretty tired for the last few days though and I've been napping everyday, I don't have much energy to do much in the day either, probably due to the fact that I'm really not eating much at all but I am feeling better in myself. Drinking so much water is pretty hard though, because I'm just not often that thirsty so that's a bit of a chore but it's good for me so I can't really complain about that. Getting a bit hungry now so obviously my my soup is calling me... Looking forward to tomorrow - I get to eat steak and vegetables (and my soup at least once) so it'll be like a proper meal finally! :D

In other news...I dip dyed some old denim shorts yesterday so look forward to a post on that soon!

Love 

x

Cabbage Soup diet | Day 4

Heyy lovelies,

Quick update on today, not really much to report. It was the bananas and skimmed milk day today but I don't like milk so I skipped that. I did try a glass but just couldn't finish it, there's just something about it which I don't like. I did have 3 bananas throughout the day though and then had soup for my dinner followed by another banana for dessert. You aren't allowed to have more than 8 bananas in total but you can drink as much skimmed milk as you like and have your soup at least once, so it's not a particularly hard day but you don't actually eat much.

I wasn't as hungry as I thought I'd be or as I have been on the other days though but I am pretty tired, and don't have much energy. But in other news, I had a cheeky step on the scales, even though I shouldn't have and should have waited until Sunday, but I've lost 4lbs so far, so that's encouraging :D little bit of motivation to carry on anyway. Let's just hope it doesn't go up or something! I have also noticed a difference when I look in the mirror so, all's good so far.

P.s. Here is the soup - I've blended it now, it's much better, even though it does look pretty rank it tastes nice. I think the spices I added helped! :).

x

Cabbage Soup Diet | Day 3

Heyy lovelies,

Today was a fruit and vegetables day which meant that I could fill up on fruit and vegetables of my choice throughout the day, as long as I had the soup at least once. I had watermelon and blueberries for breakfast and as I was going shopping I took an orange in the car to munch on because I knew I'd get hungry at some point. I then bought some carrot sticks and a fruit pot when I was at the shopping centre so I could stave off my hunger whenever I needed to and have the fruit for lunch. Although, the worst thing happened and I dropped my fruit pot on the floor in the Apple shop and when I went to get another they'd sold out :( so I had to just wait until I got home for my soup.

I had the soup for my dinner and I blended it tonight to be a little bit more adventurous, ha. It think I actually prefer it blended as it's not so watery, and then I treated myself to a few strawbs after. I've just been drinking water mainly, with the odd glass of cranberry juice thrown in for good measure, as that is one of the permitted drinks. I am also allowed to drink unsweetened teas, so I've had those occasionally.

I have been a bit peck today though, especially after dropping my lunch, but I've avoided all temptation and even avoided sweets, crisps and popcorn at my friends last night, so I think I deserve a gold sticker for that! 

Tomorrow is my 'Bananas and Skimmed Milk' day but I don't like milk so that should be fun. I might substitute it for just normal fruit, I'm not sure yet. I'll decide tomorrow - living on the edge or what! 

I will put a picture of the lovely soup eventually, but I keep forgetting to take one because when it comes to eating it I'm just so hungry! I will remember tomorrow (or thursday) though! :)

Love x

*Picture taken from http://indian-teenage.in/balanced-diet/

Cabbage Soup Diet | Day 2

Hey guys,

So it's day two, and after eating just soup and fruit yesterday, I have to admit I did go to bed a bit hungry, but I just ignored it as it was only day 1 and I wasn't going to quit there. I obviously haven't noticed much difference as it's only been one day, but I haven't weighed myself again either because I heard that it can fluctuate a lot during the week with water retention and being a change to your normal diet etc so I'm not sure of the results so far, but I'm not worried. I don't seem to have put weight on anyway so it's all good, ha.

Today I struggled a bit as it was my 'vegetables' day, which meant I can eat any veg, especially leafy green ones as long as I have my soup at least once. As you can imagine, facing veg or soup for breakfast isn't the most appetising so I put it off until lunch. Probs shouldn't have done that but I just could not have had soup or vegetables any earlier in the day. I had soup at lunch time and then took myself some carrot sticks to munch on whilst shopping. For dinner I was then allowed a baked potato with a little bit of butter. I put some celery, green peppers and peas with it though as I hadn't really eaten many vegetables, or even very much all day, so it was an attempt to fill myself up for the night.
I'm going to my friend's tonight for a bit of a girls night in, so hopefully there won't be any temptations there because I could so easily eat some sweets right now.

Tomorrow is a fruit AND veg day, how exciting, ha! But at least that means breakfast will be easier and I'll try and be more adventurous with my vegetables. Mmmm.

x

*Picture taken from http://indian-teenage.in/balanced-diet/

No Carbs before Marbs: Update ♥

Heyy lovelies,

So my intentions were great and I really thought it'd be a breeze avoiding carbs for a little while, but after like 2 (maybe even 1) days I gave in to the little devils. I didn't really think how difficult it would be to avoid them when going out, or when eating at other people's homes, because I couldn't exactly turn down their cooked meals because of the carbs. So anyway, hopes of toning up/losing weight that way failed pretty miserably.

With a week to go until my holiday though, I thought I'd try the Cabbage Soup Diet, which is basically a 7 day speedy diet where you eat cabbage soup, and each day you eat different specified foods as well as the soup in an attempt to drop a few pounds, which is pretty perfect really as I only want to lose a few, not loads. Today is my first day, so I've made my big batch of soup which is actually more of a vegetable soup than just cabbage, as it has green peppers, spring onions, mushrooms, tinned tomatoes, celery in and any spices you want to add too. It's actually pretty yummy (for now), not sure how I'll feel about it 7 days later but thats for another day.

Today I also have to eat fruit - any fruit I like except for Bananas. So i've stuck to watermelon, which was amazing and refreshing after lots of Rosé wine last night, strawberries, blueberries, and oranges. Tomorrow is a vegetables day where I eat any veg I want, especially green leafy ones..not really looking forward to that for breakfast but we'll see how it goes.

So far, not so hard, although I am getting a bit hungry, but I haven't had dinner yet so it's all good! :) I'll update daily on how it's going and if I can see any difference. :) wish me luck...again.

If anyone else has tried this, I'd love to hear how you got on, and what you thought?

x

*Picture taken from http://indian-teenage.in/balanced-diet/

No Carbs before Marbs ♥

Hey lovelies,

I'm sure many of you know about all of the bikini body faddy diets and some of you may have even tried some before, but as someone who rarely sticks to any diets and really just eats what I want, I didn't want to go for something that meant I couldn't have proper food or proper meals. I'm not overweight but I have noticed the pounds creeping on lately, as I've finished Uni and come home to a permanently full fridge and cupboards and I've been on holiday to Turkey, where I obviously didn't begrudge myself any treats. So I thought, to feel a bit better about myself in time for my second holiday to Spain, I'd give up carbs for four weeks and exercise more often (I rarely exercise, the gym is not my friend) and see if it made a difference.

As someone who never weighs herself, I'm not going to bother with the scales as I'll be able to notice and feel if I've lost any weight and I can normally just tell in the mirror. I'm also going to try and eat 'little and often' as it's apparently the best way to lose weight, although I already find this hard as I normally consider weight loss to mean cutting back on what you're eating, so eating like this really does seem like cheating, but we'll see.

I'll update weekly to report on how I feel I'm progressing, if at all (I hope it does help a bit otherwise I'll get to my holiday with no change except a waste of 4 weeks! Ahhh) and tell you how easy/difficult - probably difficult - I'm finding it!

Wish me luck!

P.S. If anyone has done this successfully before and has any tips to share, please let me know, as anything to make it a bit easier is welcome! 

x

*Picture taken from http://indian-teenage.in/balanced-diet/

Holiday Outfits ♥

Hey lovelies,

Thought I'd do a cheeky little post about a few of the outfits I wore in Turkey, as I haven't done an OOTD post for a while. I got a few things before I went away - actually,  pretty much all the things I'm wearing on the pictures are new. Ooops. But that does mean they may still be hanging around in the shops, especially in the 'Buy now or regret it later' sections.

Left: Dress Topshop, Belt: Primark, Sandals (Last Year): Primark, Necklace: Topshop

Right: Bandeau: Primark, Skirt: Topshop, Feather Sandals: Primark

Left: Dress: Topshop: Belt: Primark 

Middle: Dress: Topshop, Vans: Sister's Boyfriend :P

Right: Sunglasses: Primark, Bralet: Topshop, Sheer Maxi Skirt (Looks like trousers because of the wind): Topshop, Bag: Primark

These are a few of my favourite outfits that I wore out in the evenings. Obviously the bottom middle picture is a bit of a joke, I didn't actually wear huge size 10 vans with my dress, I actually teamed it with my feather sandals. All the outfits had to be floaty and cool enough to bear the hot Turkish nights so I opted for more skirts and dresses than shorts or playsuits this time. My fave outfit was the bottom right as I adore the straps on the top and my new skirt which is sheer from half way down the thigh. Oh, and it even has slits up the sides - perfect for the infamous Angelina Jolie leg pose ;)

What do you think of my holiday outfits?

x

How to: Giant Birthday Cupcake ♥

Hey lovelies,

So yesterday was my lovely mamas birthday and next week is my twin sisters birthday too, so as a little joint/early for my sisters treat I thought I'd make a giant cupcake birthday cake. I've seen them in lots of bakeries yet have never actually tried one but I found a mould in a catering shop so I thought I'd give it a try with my boyfriend. Finding recipes for a cupcake that big turned out to be quite difficult as each one seemed to say different amounts and the mould didn't have any instructions on it, so we ended up making it up a bit as we went along and working it out as best we could for ourselves, but luckily it worked and was deeeelish!

Unfortunately I haven't got pictures of every stage because some we got a bit ahead of ourselves and just carried on, but there are a few for you to check your progress :)

What you will need to make the cake we made:

A Giant Cupcake Mould 

250 grams of Self Raising Flour

250 grams of Unsalted Butter

250 grams of Caster Sugar

5 Eggs

4 tablespoons of Milk

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Buttercream fondant icing 

Pink (any colour of your choice) food colouring.

Cake decorations

Piping bag

Preheat oven to 200'c

Step 1: Cream the butter and caster sugar together until a smooth paste is formed

Step 2: Add one egg at a time with a little bit of flour and beat

Step 3: Add 1 tspn of Vanilla Extract and fold in the rest of the flour

Step 4: Add milk and continue to fold until the mixture is more smooth and liquid-y and easy to pour into moulds.

Step 5: Equally distribute the mixture into the top and bottom parts of the mould and place the bottom mould into the preheated oven first for 10 minutes, as this is slightly thicker and needs more time.

Step 6: After 10 minutes, place the top mould into the oven for 35 minutes.

Step 7: Icing - If you're cheating a little with the icing, like us, then pour the buttercream icing into a mixing bowl and add a few drops of food colouring, adding more when required in order to get the colour you desire.

Step 8: When the cake is ready, leave to cool before taking out of the moulds.

Step 9: Using a serrated knife, slice the bottom mould where it has risen, to make a flat surface for the top mould to sit on. Do this for the top mould as well, so that the top sits comfortably on the bottom.

Step 10: If you wish, you can add some of the buttercream icing to 'glue' the parts together like we did.

Step 11: Using a spatula, evenly coat the base of the cupcake in the buttercream icing so that all of it is covered.

Step 12: For the top, using icing in a different colour (or the same if you prefer), pour the icing into a piping bag and ice the top layer in whatever pattern you wish.

Step 13: Decorate the cake using flowers, hearts, sprinkles or whatever takes your fancy and carefully take off the messy icing plate to make it look neater(or just wipe the edges). Now share with the world and enjoy :)

         

Such a simple recipe for something that looks really complicated. I'd say the whole thing takes about two hours though with the decorating being so precise so quite a lot of time and effort is required. :) Happy Baking.

Have you ever made this before? Do you think you'll be attempting this yourself at home? 

x

Wednesday Wishlist #2 ♥

Hey beauties

I haven't done one of these for a while because I've been shopping a fair bit recently but I have my eye on a few things for my next holiday and just general wear at the moment I thought I'd display them all in a little post :).

Left to right: Necklace- Topshop, Dress - Sugarhill Boutique, Skirt - Missguided.co.uk, Playsuit - Missguided.co.uk, Shorts- Missguided.co.uk, Hand chain - Topshop, Blouse - Topshop,  Colour change nail polish - Barry M,  Stacked ring - Topshop, Playsuit - Topshop, Shard ring - Topshop, Peplum top - Topshop, Shoes - Topshop, Skirt - Missguided.co.uk, Shorts - Topshop

Unfortunately I don't think the tiny amount I have in my bank account will stretch to all of these straight away so I think I'll have to pick out some favourites, although I think they're all perfect for my upcoming holiday to Spain at the end of August.

What do you think of my wishlist?

x

Instagram Snooping #2 and Life Update ♥

Hello lovely followers,

I hope you're all good, I've been on a little blog break recently, as I've just been so busy, so thanks for hanging in there! I thought I'd ease myself back into blogging and just give a little update on a couple of the things that have happened in the past month or so and my recent Instagram pictures, because everyone loves to be nosey don't they?

So a few updates:

1) My lovely boyfriend is back from his year studying abroad, happy days! I even went to the effort of making a huuuge banner to say welcome home and held it up at the airport with my sisters and cousin just to see his little cheeks go red. Gotta love embarrassing the other half every now again ;)

2) I took the plunge and treated myself to HD brows. I wasn't sure about them at first because I thought they were really dark and I'd just had my hair dyed lighter but since having them done I can't bear my eyebrows looking so light or being out of shape. Definitely worth it, and I only paid £20 as it was my first time there - winner!

3) I went to Kusadasi in Turkey for two weeks with my family, we had such a lovely time chilling out and it was amazingly hot which was obviously great but it means I've been desperately trying to save my tan since being home.

4) I got a First Class Honours degree and I found out on holiday, cue lots of celebrations and biiiiiig smiles, just need to wait to graduate in November! NOVEMBER! I'm sitting here looking at everyone else's gorgeous graduation photos getting desperate for mine. Mainly just excited for the hat and gown to be honest.

And here's a few pictures of my life since June :)

1) Packing for Turkey 2) New gel nails 3) Yummy cupcakes 4) New Revlon Lip Butter 5) Playing with fake eyebrows and moustaches 6) New Mac lipstick in 'Snob' 7) Me and the Boy 8) Very rainy driving 9) Cheeky duty free purchase 10) View of the pool in Turkey 11) Degree results 12) Balloons from the boy 13) OOTD last night in Turkey 14) Blue mondays 15) Caviar Manicure 16) Marie Claire freebie 17) Shoe shopping 18) 50 shades of Grey 19) Cosy night in 20) BBQ 21) Cringe message sent to the boy's Nan 22) New Revlon Lip Stain 23) Inpromptu Olympics shindig 24) Thinspiration 25) New lipstick holder


Instagram name: zoenaylor1 - feel free to follow me for lots of daily photo updates

Will be back to usual beauty blogging from tomorrow. What have you all been doing since I've been away? 

x

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation: Review ♥

Hello lovelies,

I bought the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation a few months ago as an alternative to my Estée Lauder Double Wear Light, as I wanted something that was a little bit more lightweight (as well as being cheaper) for the good skin days when I didn't need too much coverage or when I was only going to lectures or other day to day things that didn't require a full face of make up.

After it being recommended to me by my housemate and around 40 minutes in Superdrug swatching about a million other foundations I took the plunge and bought it. I was sceptical at first as I didn't think anything would  be comparable to the coverage or finish my Estée Lauder gives, but I was surprised at how natural and blend-able the make up was, whilst still offering a good medium coverage. I chose the shade 103, True Ivory as the closest match to my skin and I found that it applied really easily to my skin and didn't make me look caked in make up at all. I really like the dewy finish as it does make you look more awake and fresh-faced, it's also perfect for my skin which is sometimes prone to dryness and gives it a glow, so maybe those with oily skin wouldn't find it as good because of the dewy and anti-fatigue properties.

The smell is also lovely as it's quite fruity and refreshing for applying in the morning, and I find that it's pretty long lasting as well, which is a massive bonus for me, as I hate when I get half way through the day to find my make up has rubbed off. I sometimes set it with my MAC mineralize skin finish if I know that I need my make up to stay in place longer or I don't want the dewy effect as much and it stays put for the day. Overall a great high street alternative to my Double Wear Light :) and considering I wear it most days and I bought it a few months back, I've still got quite a lot left which is great because a little goes a long way.

This foundation retails at £8.99, and here's some pictures of how it looks on the skin with no powders or blushers on top :) *these pictures had to be taken inside because of the weather, but it will probably feature in most OOTD's which are taken outside*

Have you ever tried this foundation? What is your go-to high street foundation? 

Estée Lauder Day Wear: Review

Hellooo,

I recently gave in to temptation and bought the Estée Lauder Idealist Pore minimizing Skin Refinisher, I bought it online and chose the set, so that I could get a pot of the Day Wear moisturiser as well. I've been using my Liz Earle skin repair religiously since I took the leap and started using the Cleanse and Polish in April as I find it works amazingly on my skin. I have normal/combination skin and sometimes feel that the areas around my chin and nose get a bit dry so I like a product which is deeply nourishing and moisturising but not oily.

I've loved Estée Lauder since I bought my Double Wear Light and the mega-hyped-about Advanced Night Repair is amazing, so I thought I'd expand my collection and add a couple more beauties to the box. The Day Wear cream is just as lovely as I expected! It claims to diminish and prevent against early signs of ageing, which is always a bonus, even though I am only 21 it's never too early to protect against fine lines and dullness. It also contains SPF 15 which is perfect for the summer months and means I don't have to smother my skin in oily sun creams before applying my make up.

The moisturiser, although being super moisturising and hydrating, is really light, which again, is perfect for the summer months where my skin benefits from something a bit more lightweight rather than being slathered in a thick moisturiser which takes a while to soak in. It instantly hydrates the skin and leaves the skin looking fresh and glowing without it feeling oily on the surface, so make up can be applied pretty much straight after. It also has a refreshing cucumber scent so is lovely as a wake up in the morning, which is when I tend to use this cream. It can also be used in the evening, however, I still stick to my Liz Earle cleanse and polish routine at the moment because it really works for me.

I would recommend this moisturiser to anyone who wants a lightweight moisturiser which is still deeply nourishing and hydrating, and I think it's perfect for the summer months.

This retails at £37.00 for 50ml, but I got mine in a set with the Idealist Serum and also the ANR eye serum for £38.00 - well worth it!

Have you ever tried this moisturiser? What's your favourite?

x