My Wardrobe: New Spring Pieces

 Blue Blazer - Forever 21 £16.00//Yellow Blazer - Forever 21 £29

 Yellow Jumper - H&M £12.99//Mint Jumper - H&M £14.99

 Yellow & Blue Dresses - H&M £7.99

I thought I'd do a bit of a different post today and show you some new clothes I've picked up for my Spring wardrobe (if it ever gets warm enough to wear them). I don't like to spend too much on clothes because of the forever changing trends and don't want to pay a lot of money for something I might only wear for one season. That's why I rely on shops like H&M (where I work) for their affordable, 'fast fashion' pieces. Also, last week the first ever Forever 21 opened in Scotland (directly across from my work) so I also went in there a picked up a few things. I shopped in Forever 21 when I visited places like New York and Florida so I'm so happy one has finally opened in Glasgow!

As you can see I'm loving bright/neon yellow right now, every time I see something this colour I need to have it. Last night I wore the blue dress with my yellow blazer (and was freezing), I love these two colours together and they're such a big trend for SS13. I've also got an addiction to buying blazers at the moment, I now have one in yellow, blue, pink, mint, orange, navy/white stripes, black and white...I think I need a red one next! The yellow dress and jumper also look lovely under the blue blazer, I can't wait to wear them (please stop snowing). 

I'm really happy with my purchases, they were so cheap and I love how I can mix and match and wear them together. What trend are you loving this season...pastels or neon? I think I'm leaning more towards neon! 

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Romance

I finally bought my first ever Chanel lipstick!! When I was at the Debenhams press evening we all received a voucher in our goody bags and I knew I was going to head straight to the Chanel counter. I ended up buying a lipstick and a foundation (which you can see in my previous post). I found it so hard to choose which lipstick I wanted and did a bit of research before I went in, I had no idea which finish or shade to go for. After some recommendations from you lovely beauty bloggers, Sandra from The Black Pearl Blog sent me a link to her review on this gorgeous Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in Romance and when I tried it on I knew it was the one I wanted, so thank you Sandra.

The Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks are described as a 'hydrating sheer lipshine.' They glide on like a balm and leave a glossy, sheer finish with a hint of colour. I love how hydrating this product is, especially with the crazy snow in March weather we're having at the moment. Romance is a gorgeous medium pink shade and I found it hard to chose between this, Boy (a lighter pink) and Monte Carlo (a darker reddish pink). I love the colour and the finish of this lipstick, it's great for everyday wear as it's so natural looking. The only thing is it doesn't last as long as other lipsticks but that's to be expected.

I absolutely adore the Chanel packaging, there's just something so satisfying about pulling this little beauty out of your handbag. I think every girl needs a Chanel lipstick in their collection, I'll definitely be adding more to mine. The Rouge Coco Shine's cost £24, a little pricey but worth it for that little bit of luxury or if you want to treat yourself.

Have you tried any of the Chanel lipsticks?

Battle of the High End Foundations

For years I was always a MAC Studio Fix Fluid girl and wouldn't try any other foundations because I liked to stick to what I knew. Then when I started reading blogs and became a beauty blogger myself I decided it was time to branch out and try some new foundations. I have never really found a drugstore foundation that I like or that works for me, I have really red skin and an oily t -zone so I like a medium to high coverage and it has to be long lasting. I always tend to go for high end foundations as I find that they're just much better quality and there is a wider colour range.

The top 3 high end foundations that I find work for my skin are Giorgio Armani Lumious Silk (5,6), Laura Mercier Silk Creme (Cashew Beige) and Chanel Perfection Lumiere (40 Beige). As you can see from the photo above all of them are a very similar shade and that's why I love them so much, they match my skin perfectly. Each time I've went to one of their counters, the girls have colour matched me and they all done an amazing job (I'm always a bit worried about them choosing the wrong colour).

The first of these foundations that I discovered was the Armani Lumious Silk which I bought last October. A couple of the girls in my old work had bought it and raved about it so I had to try it, It's also a celebrity favourite (Kim K, Megan Fox, Kristin Cavallari). When I first tried this foundation I absolutely loved it, it has amazing coverage but doesn't look cakey on the skin, gives gorgeous radiant finish and stays put all day - what more could you want? Also, because it doesn't contain an SPF it look amazing in pictures which is always good for when I'm blogging. You can see a photo of me wearing this foundation in my Christmas Makeup Post. Luminous Silk costs £32, which is the cheapest of the three. When I first got this I only used it for nights out but that soon changed when I found a new favourite...

Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation is definitely my favourite out of the three and I'm not going to say much about it as I did a full review on it not too long ago which you can read here. This foundation is a blogger favourite and once my sister tried it and loved it I just had to have it. It has the best coverage out of the three, which is great when I'm having bad skin days or I want a flawless finish for a night out. It's great for my oily t-zone and still manages to give a gorgeous natural glow. Silk Creme costs £33 and I definitely think everyone should try it!

The last one is the newest foundation in my collection, Chanel Perfection Lumiere (and also the one I'm wearing in the photo above). I've always wanted to try a Chanel foundation but they never seemed to have enough coverage for me. One day I got a sample of Perfection Lumiere in a magazine (luckily in the shade 40) and I wore it for a couple of days and absolutely loved it. I ended up forgetting about it until I got another sample when I was buying my sisters birthday present and once I tried it again I knew it was going to be the next foundation I purchased. I'd say this has the lightest coverage out of the three, but it still has more coverage than the other Chanel foundations. It has a semi-matte finish but as you can see from the photo above it still gives my skin a lovely glow. This is going to be perfect for days when I feel that my skin is looking good and I don't need as much coverage (it still manages to cover my redness). This is the most expensive at £36 but it's definitely worth it if you want to treat yourself.

So far these are the three foundations that I'll definitely repurchase. What are you're favourite high end foundations? I really want to try NARS Sheer Glow next.

Xen-Tan Moroccan Tan

When Xen-Tan launched their Moroccan Tan I was dying to get my hands on it. For me when it comes to fake tan, the darker the better and I was really interested in the fact it had Moroccan oil in it. I never usually spend a lot on fake tan and religiously use St Moritz which is always on offer in my local Savers or Semi Chem for a mere £3.99 (and it works like a dream). However, after rave reviews from my sister, I really wanted to treat myself to one of Xen-Tan's products. Before I had the chance to order it, my sister already had so I thought I'd wait and see what she thought of it first.

After my sister had used it once, she decided she didn't really like it because it was too dark for her so she kindly passed it on to me (my skins a lot darker than hers). So, on to the basics...Moroccan Tan is meant to give a deep instant colour, dry quickly as well as have a lovely tropical scent. Personally, I do agree with everything it says on the tube but I just did not get on with this product at all.

I'll start with the positives. This tan smells absolutely gorgeous and reminds me of being on holiday, you know that coconut smell you get when you slather on your oil (or is that just me)? Definitely the best smelling tan I've used. Also, I really loved the deep dark colour this gave me however, it could be a little dark and unnatural looking if you're already quite pale.

Now for the negatives - it dries too quickly. I know that sounds like it would be a positive but it literally dries less than a minute after you put it on which makes it a nightmare to apply. I found blending this extremely hard and just couldn't get it to look even on my skin. I though that maybe it would be okay once I washed off the guide colour but it just looked a bit patchy. Being a regular user of fake tan, I've never had that problem with any of the other tans I've used.

I've seen a lot of positive reviews of this product but unfortunately it gets a thumbs down from me - gorgeous colour, terrible to apply. Have you tried this tan yet, what did you think?

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OOTN: Charity Fashion Show

 Bodysuit: Missguided

Trousers: New Look

Blazer: New Look

Shoes: New Look

Rings: H&M

First of all sorry for the lack of posts last week, I was really busy and didn't have much time but I've got lots planned for this week. Last Thursday I was kindly invited to the Style at Merchant Square fashion show and VIP reception. The show was in association with House of Fraser and was held to raise money for The Prince & Princess of Wales hospice which was such a great cause and I had a really lovely night. 

When we arrived at Metropolitan in Merchant Square we were welcomed with a champagne reception and got to sit and chat to other bloggers and get our photo taken while we waited on the fashion show to start. An hour later we headed downstairs to watch the main event and we luckily got to sit in the front row. After the show, a raffle was drawn with some amazing prizes (unfortunately I didn't win anything as usual) and then we went back in to Metropolitan for another sneaky drink (followed by a chippy - glamorous).

I wasn't sure what to wear at first, I didn't want to go too fancy and wanted to get my Spring wardrobe back out (even though it's still freezing/raining/snowing in Glasgow). I had not long bought my Missguided bodysuit but hadn't wore it yet so planned my outfit around that. I decided on bright floral print trousers that I bought last year and absolutely loved and finish it off with a matching blazer. I think I'm going to start doing more outfit posts on my blog for a change since it's mainly beauty, what do you think?

I hope everyone had a good weekend and in case you haven't yet please follow me on Bloglovin here.

How To Get Ashley's DOI Plaited Look With Osis+

[Image from Ultimate Ashley Roberts edited by me]

Last week Immediate PR tweeted asking if any beauty bloggers would be interested in recreating Ashley Robert's plaited hair look from last Sundays Dancing On Ice using Osis hair products. I've seen a few bloggers do these posts before and jumped at the chance as it looked really interesting (and I love Dancing On Ice and Ashley). I also really love the Osis products, especially Dust It. I received the products on Friday and have been practicing all weekend as it looked quite tricky.

The products I got sent to create the look are Schwarzkopf Silhouette Color Brilliance hairspray, Osis Curl Me Soft curl cream, Osis Magic anti-frizz serum and Osis Sparkler shine spray. Here are the steps to follow to recreate Ashley's gorgeous hairstyle:

Step 1: Apply Curl Me Soft to damp hair and blow dry.

Step 2: Curl hair using tongs or large rollers to add bounce (I improvised and used my GHD's).

Step 3: Put your hair into a center parting from the front of the hairline to the nape of the neck.

Step 4: On each side, French braid the hair from the nape of the neck up to the front hairline and finish with a small amount of Silhouette Color Brilliance.

Step 5: Cross over the two braided ponies at the front and pin into the already French braided hair.

Step 6: Pull and loosen braids to get more of an edgy feel and run some Osis Magic through the hair to stop frizz.

Step 7: Finish off the hair with Osis Sparkler to get that red carpet look.

I absolutely love the finished look, obviously it doesn't look as amazing as Ashley's as I'm not a professional hairdresser and I did find it difficult to do the French braids from the bottom up to the front of my hairline so I got my Mum to help me out (thanks Mum). If you aren't very confident with French braiding, then I suggest you get someone to help you too. I also love all the Osis products that I was sent and will continue to use them in my hair routine. 

Thank you Immediate PR for giving me the opportunity to recreate Ashley's hair, I'll definitely be doing it for a special occasion soon. What do you think of this braided look, is it something you'd think about trying?

CK One Pure Color Lipstick in Liplock

CK One Pure Color Lipstick in Liplock - £13.00*

If you read my previous post you'll know that I attend the Debenhams press evening last Wednesday and in our goody bags we got a Calvin Klein product along with other lovely things. The product I received was one of their gorgeous lipsticks that I'd already been eyeing up - Pure Color Lipstick in the shade 500 Liplock. Also if you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know I absolutely love berry coloured lipsticks so I was so excited to try this out.

First of all I absolutely love the monochrome packaging (so this season), it's a bit of a different shape from your usual lipstick but it definitely won me over (kind of reminds of me of a pill?!). I prefer simple makeup packaging like this, it just looks much more sophisticated.

I'd say that Liplock is a dark purple/red colour quite similar to MAC Rebel as I swatched them both together, however Liplock has more of reddish undertone and is slightly darker and Rebel is slightly more pink/purple (does that even make sense?) I found the formula quite moisturising, it didn't dry out my lips and the finish is glossy at the start but eventually dries to a semi-matte finish. The lipstick lasted for around 3/4 hours on my lips before I needed to touch it up which I think is reasonable for a good quality lipstick. 

Overall, I really like the CK One lipsticks (although this shade is probably not necessary in my collection) and may even purchase more shades in the future, I'd like a brighter one for Summer. Have you tried any of these lipsticks? What do you think of Liplock?

Debenhams Press Evening SS13

Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to attend the Debenhams SS13 Press Evening at the Lighthouse in Glasgow. It started at 6 but I didn't make it down until 7.30 because of work, I was glad I managed to make it for the last hour and a half though as I had a great time with some of my fellow Scottish bloggers.

Debenhams were show casing some of their menswear, womenswear, accessories and cosmetics collections that will be in store this season and we got to have a browse and try out some of the products. Some of my favourites were the H! by Henry Holland collection and some gorgeous Ted Baker lingerie. We also got to see some of the new cosmetics that will be launching this Spring. I loved the look of the Calvin Klein collection, especially the lipsticks (I was lucky enough to leave with one in my goody bag) and definitely need to get my hands on one of the Illamasqua polishes that I've seen floating around the blogosphere.

There was also some beauty treatments up for offer and I cheekily got a manicure by Nail Girls London and finally got my brows done by one of the lovely Benebabes at the Benefit stand. I've been meaning to get my brows done by Benefit for ages after hearing so much about their brow bars at previous events. My brows are looking the best they ever have now and I'll definitely be back every 4 weeks to get them sorted. I definitely recommend going to Benefit if you're needing your brows done, they're amazing!

I had a really nice evening with Debenhams and I'm looking forward to future events. I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil

I don't know about you, but one of the steps I neglect the most in my beauty regime is body moisturising. It's only since I've became a beauty blogger that I've started taking an interest in what I use on my face, although I'm still not quite there yet (some lazy nights I still reach for the face wipes, I'm sorry). So I thought it was about time I became a good beauty blogger and start moisturising my whole body daily.

At first I started using my Soap and Glory body butter but it still seemed too much of a hassle for me (I really am that lazy). However, last week while I was reading Kate's blog I noticed a product that looked like it could solve my problem - Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil. A spray that moisturises and doesn't need much rubbing in? Yes please! So while I was in Boots last Saturday I picked up a bottle.

I've seen a few body oils on blogs in the past but they were always a bit out of my price range and I never really thought about using them. However, at just £7.99 it seemed reasonable (I think you can actually get it cheaper than this other places). This light weight oil is 5 times more concentrated in nutrients than any of Garnier's regular body lotions and enriched with 4 precious oils - Argan, Macadamia, Almond and Rose, a dream for your skin. These ingredients work together to not only moisturise your skin, but illuminate and perfect it. It also has a really subtle scent which I love as it isn't too over powering.

I've been using this product twice a day for a week now and have already noticed a difference in my skin (before I'd only moisturise every few days when I could be bothered). My skin is feeling much softer and definitely looks a lot better. It's also so easy to use, just a couple of sprays covers a large area and only needs rubbed in a little bit. I was worried I'd be feeling greasy all day (flashbacks of using oil on my summer holidays) but it isn't greasy at all, it dries in and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth.

Overall, I'm really impressed with this product and think i'll be sticking with oils instead of lotions from now on. Are there any body oils you recommended?

Benefit Fake Up

On Monday night I was invited to attend the launch of Benefit's brand new (which you bbloggers have probably already heard about) product, Fake Up in House of Fraser Glasgow. Fake Up is Benefit's new and innovative moisturising concealer that promises not to crease under the eyes (yay!). I don't know about you, but no matter how much I work my concealer in, by the time I've moved onto my mascara I already have some creasing underneath my eyes even if I've powdered. So I was so excited when I heard about Fake Up and as I'm already a big fan of Benefit Makeup (especially They're Real! and Brow Zings) I was expecting great things from this product.

First of all, lets talk about the packaging. Benefit always go all out with the design of their packaging, it's always brightly coloured, patterned and most of all, fun. I love the lipstick style silver and pink casing and the fact the colour of the box corresponds to the colour of the concealer. Overall, the packaging gets a big thumbs up from me.

Now onto the product...Fake Up comes in three different shades; light, medium and deep. So what's the secret behind it? It has two layers to it, the hydrating ring on the outside and the concealing core. The hydrating ring contains Vitamin E and apple seed extract to ensure that it moisturises the skin immediately and keeps it hydrated for up to 6 hours. The concealing core hides dark circles, smoothes skin and diffuses light to make those early mornings a little bit easier.

What does Benefit have to say about Fake Up? - "Our new hydrating crease-control concealer instantly hides dark circles & minimises fine lines for silky smooth coverage!"

I definitely agree with what Benefit say. I tried this product on at the start of the event and by the time I got home it was still perfect and not a crease in sight (with NO powder just to let you know). As soon as you apply it you can feel how moisturising it is and you can even see it in the photos above.

The lovely Claire colour matched me to the shade 02 Medium, but we were lucky enough to leave with all 3 shades. Now I bet you're wondering, what would I possibly do with all 3 shades? Well, Benefits Head Makeup & Trend Artist, Lisa (oh and Brow Expert, did I get it all right Lisa?) told us that not only can it be used as a concealer but also a highlighter and contour. I'll definitely be trying the Light out as a highligher and the Deep underneath by cheek bones as a gorgeous contour. Lisa also used Fake Up at the Matthew Williamson show at London Fashion Week.

Overall, I'm completely sold on this product so far and have never used anything like it, Benefit just keeps getting better and better! Fake Up retails at £18.50* and will be available to buy from the 30th of March. What do you think, will you be buying it?

Instagramming: February in Photos

New favourite: Essie Mint Candy Apple//This months glossy's//New jumper//M&S lunch//Benefit Glamouriety event//Cooking: The Londoner//Sisters 21st cupcakes//Blogging//Macarons with the bestie//New Missguided bodysuit//Pretty bedding//February Favourites

I've only had my iPhone and Instagram for a couple of months but I always see bloggers doing these kind of posts and thought I'd do one to round off my month. So February's been a kind of rubbish month for me personally but I still managed to have a bit of fun. The Benefit Glamouriety Roadshow was such an amazing night thanks to some lovely Glasgow bloggers and the Benefit girls, always love going to Benefit events (Fake Up on Monday, yay!). I've also spend a lot of time cooking, eating and hanging around with my best friend Emma - she always has cakes! Oh and it was my little sister's Birthday, can't believe she's 21 already. How nice is my new Missguided bodysuit? I was going to get the AA one but this was only £9, bargain! Can't wait to wear it this weekend and will probably do an OOTN post. I haven't blogged as much as I'd of liked to in February but I promise there will be more posts this month. 

I hope everyone had a good February :)