Summer Style

One perk of my job is that I get to style the mannequins in outfits I'd like to wear myself so I can see how they go together and forward plan for my summer holidays. I'm a girl, I like bikinis and I like to be organised!

I love this white crochet playsuit! There's a dress version as well and I think you could wear it in the daytime or nighttime because it's just so pretty! The headscarf is a lovely silky blue number covered in skulls which I've tried on many a time but my head is just too small to keep it in place. I've seen girls pull headscarves off with ease but sadly I am not one of them. 

We recently got the orange version of the playsuit too which personally I don't think is quite as striking as the white but with the right accessories it could work although I think it would look best with darker hair.

I love this swimsuit so much because of the pretty poppy pattern and the balconette style cups, however who goes to a sunny country and wears a swimsuit? No one. Why? Because we want a tan. I'd probably wear it like this anyway with the shorts though or with a tube skirt at nighttime.

Under this little black dress is a red tartan style bikini in a cheesecloth material which I just can't get to grips with. It should work but for some reason it makes me feel weird when I look at it. It's like seeing a Christmas tree on the beach, it shouldn't be there but it still looks enticing. 

This Atlas style bikini is probably best left to a smaller busted lady or I think China might fall of the map. It's an odd pattern that couldn't really work with cups but I don't feel like it gives much support or shape. Younger girls might appreciate the playful feel of it more but it's not my cup of tea.

This is my favourite bikini! Bright yellow with blue flowers and a great set of cups to give you all the support you could wish for. I also love the retro feel of the specs which goes with the whole 50's vibe of the bikini and I think the colour would be a knock out with a golden tan. My only gripe is that I wish the top came with a bit of padding in smaller sizes but other than that I give it a sturdy 8/10.

Now we just need that sunshine and all will be well in the world. 

Bella

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A week of outfits

It's not easy being bang on trend as well as warm y'know. I've tried (and sometimes failed) but on the whole it can be done.

First of all we have a green bodycon dress by 'Topshop' £32 with my 'Topshop' scarf and leather jacket and  'Primark' brogues. You can only wear dresses this tight before lunch otherwise food babies can be seen from space. Hence why I wear this maybe once a month on a good day.

Then we have said biker jacket and faithful scarf followed by a denim shirt and aztek print skirt, thick tights and black 'Alexy' boots £75, all from 'Topshop'.

Then my new favourite all time purchase is this cream oversized jumper that I had to get in a size 6 because it was soooo baggy. I haven't really taken it off to be perfectly honest. It's warm, hides all food babies so can be worn at all times of the day and literally goes with anything. It does what all good jumpers do! £36 by 'Topshop' accessorized with 'River Island' jeans and an 'Accessorize' necklace.

It also has a great big zip all the way down the back which I especially like although have yet to use, I prefer the old fashioned method of pulling it over your head.

Then there's the stripey tshirt, grey 'Andy' skirt (both from 'Topshop'), brown leather 'Roxy' belt, tights and loafers from 'Office'. My grandparents commented on how nice it was to see me in a skirt instead of 'those tatty ripped jeans'. They were referring to my brand new, rather expensive 'Lacey' jeans and needless to say I grumbled about how on trend they were but I can see they have a point. Sometimes it's nice to get the pins out and twirl around in a skirt from time to time.

So that's my work outfits.

There was also a night out with the girls from work but this is the only picture I took which is a terrible shame because my outfit was adorable. I went for a black scallop necked top with an amazing flower print skirt from 'Urban Outfitters' with black ankle boots and glittery gold socks. I was literally only out for an hour but you know when you're wearing an outfit and you feel dead comfy and happy and YOU in it and you don't really want to go home? Well it was like that so if you don't mind I'm gonna be replaying that outfit again sometime. 

Then there was a night at the 'Rocky Horror Show' and what a night that was! My friends and I all went as characters from the film but I got so busy at work that by the time the day was upon us I had no time to get anything so I wore a black corset with a leather 'Topshop' skirt, fishnet tights, boots and my glittery gold socks and lots of black eyeshadow and red lipstick. I mostly looked like a (high class) escort but I didn't have much of a choice. If I'd had more time I'd have worn a tuxedo and a party hat. My friend went as Janet which was very original but we both agreed she looked very much like little bo peep as well.

To add insult to injury my bra strap broke :'( 

Royal Opera House!

The whole audience was dressed up and the place was packed! Definitely a must see :)

Bella

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Here are a few of our favourite things...

There are some fashion looks that you will just never give up on no matter how out of style they get. I know my personal style very well by now and can tell you exactly how I'm feeling from the clothes, make up and colours I'm wearing in any given picture, memory or moment. For example, if I've got chocolate brown hair with a thick fringe then I've just broken up with someone. I know this because the fringe suggests I'm hiding and the chocolate brown is my natural hair colour which means I'm going back to my roots after clearly straying too far from the nest. If its blonde then I'm in the midst of a relationship, probably a new job and making new friends and the blonder it gets the closer I am to that chapter ending. If I'm wearing an off the shoulder top I'm feeling sexy and my skins clear. If I'm wearing a jumper dress then I'm having a fat day. If I'm wearing a bobble hat then I'm feeling outdoorsy and looking for an adventure. If I have lilac nails its summer time, if I have bright red nails its Autumn, Winter or Spring. If I'm wearing shorts I'm feeling cute. If I have no eye make up on I'm feeling annoyed and trying to get back to basics. If I'm wearing lots of dark eye make up I'm feeling super confident and if I'm wearing my hair in a messy bun I'm fed up with it and in a serious mood.

So here are a few staple favourites...

Off the shoulder

My favourite of all fashion related things to do. It's as simple as you're gonna get, it instantly makes every outfit sexy and casual. Even if I have a perfectly good tshirt, jumper or dress I will still make it into an off the shoulder number. This is also a really good way of making smaller chests look bigger as the material hangs on every curve giving the illusion that there's more going on up there than there actually is.

 Cigarette Pants

I'm so glad these have started coming into mainstream fashion thick and fast this season because up until now you had to rummage in your local charity store to find a pair or save up the equivilant of a house deposit and get them from 'Prada' or 'Chanel'. These are a very sexy style of trouser as they taper at the ankle and are high waisted so they make the most of tiny waists. They will probably make your bum look a bit bigger as they sit tight unlike hipster jeans which cut across your widest points but I say who cares?? If your bums big then your bums big and you might as well embrace it or forever wear sweats.

Boots

I'm not saying you have to go thigh high (although I would very much like to give that a go) but quite frankly boots are pretty hot. If, like me, you're a casual Kate then boots will make the frilliest of clothes look a little more down to earth. They have that brilliant combination of being practical, chic and sexy all at the same time  giving every outfit heaps of attitude. Boots are a little like jeans in that you need a pair for different occasions so invest, take your time and try styles you wouldn't normally look twice at. I always thought ankle boots would make my rugby mans calves (thank you years of ballet dancing for that one) look even more manly but they actually make the most of my tiny ankles. I also never dreamed I'd swap my girly stilettos for peep toe boots for a night out till my best friend through uni introduced me to a pair and for three years I never looked back and I can tell you now, we were the fiercest looking girls in every club.

Collars

My collar obsession is going through the roof but in my experience if something is in style and it looks good on you go all out and buy as many as you can because once fashion moves on you're still going to need to look good. Collars instantly fashion up any jumper, dress or tshirt you've got hanging in your wardrobe and even better if you can pop a statement necklace in with it. I thought collars were too prim and proper and would make me look super flat chested but once I gave them a go I was in love.

Accessorize

We all know the importance of accessorizing but there is such a thing as over doing it. One of my friends recently reminded me of something I told her years ago which is before you go out the door take off the last piece of jewellery you put on. My style mantra is 'less is more', it's simple but very effective and works in most areas of life. Invest in more expensive jewellery you'll never take off, I wear my 'Roxy' brown leather belt religiously and my silver 'Pandora' ring and 'ChloBo' bracelet never come off.

Baggy Jumpers

A baggy jumper is a savior  In the middle of Winter it's perfect for pairing with leggings, boots and a leather jacket and in the Spring you can belt it up and go bare legged (if you so dare). You can revert to style essential number one and drop it off one shoulder (swooon) or keep it structured if you've eaten far too many Sunday roasts lately, no ones judging. 

Tshirt and Jeans

If you've seen 'He's Just Not That Into You' (what a brilliantly educational film that is) then you will know how jaw droppingly gorgeous Scarlett Johanson looked in this scene where she's just wearing a tshirt and jeans. Obviously it helps if you've got her fab curves but if you haven't you're still going to look amazing and that, my friends, is the beauty of this look. Think of a tall, dark handsome guy with muscly shoulders and a nice tan-now think of him in a tight white tshirt and dark blue jeans doing something manly like fixing a tractor-like? I thought so. There's a reason the Diet Coke guy is always in this get up. It's simple and casual and brilliant.

The Little Black Dress 

We've all got one. That faithful classic that skims over the bits we don't like and accentures the bits we do like (which should be most of them). If I'm going out in a LBD you can bet your bottom dollar there's someone there I'm about to impress.

Blazers

There's a certain feeling you get when you slip a blazer on. It's 50% cool and 50% business. The best ones are the tailored, fitted kind but there's no need to be a blazer snob about where you pick yours up, the high street does some brilliant quality blazers in all shades of the rainbow. You don't have to stick to navy, black and grey, team a peach blazer with a flowery tea dress and step out into the sunshine.

Bella

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Going nuuuuude

Since I started wearing my new 'Studio Fix MAC Foundation' I've discovered that I don't really need to wear much on my eyes so I've been doing something I never thought possible before-skipping the eyeshadow and wearing barely there mascara. Normally I look like a door mouse but apparently with a pore and blemish free backdrop your eyes suddenly become bigger, rounder and more colourful.

Using my 'BadGal' mascara by 'Benefit' (all time favourite) I concentrated my wand mostly to the outer corners and went pretty light on my lower lashes. I thought I'd massively regret going without my usual smokey eye by the end of my eight hour day at work but everyone said I looked exactly the same without make up as I do when wearing it which quite frankly is worrying! I seem to be getting a lot of comments on how sweet and innocent I look at the minute which people were forever telling me when I was a teenager so I've come to the conclusion that less eye make up has clearly knocked five years off me.

Not sure how I feel about being called sweet and innocent though..

Although I did spend my Tuesday night at a cake decorating class making cupcakes so maybe they have a valid point. I don't care though, it was the most relaxing two hours I think I've ever had! I was concentrating so much on what the teacher was saying all my other worries just disappeared through sheer focus and dedication to my cupcakes. Each class is about £20 but well worth it, have a look if local bakeries or colleges do something similar in your area. I take classes at a family owned bakery about half an hours drive away and the daughter takes the classes in groups of ten. Last time was vintage inspired cakes and she also does celebration cake classes if you wanted to make your own wedding cake or a personalized birthday cake.

Due to the odd weather we're having I've been going from wearing my favourite tortoiseshell 'Topshop' sunglasses (£18)...

...to bringing out my favourite 'FatFace' bobble hat (£23).

I'm not complaining though, with skies like this who could?

Come onnn Spring, let's get going!

Bella

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OOTD and MAC foundation review

Outfit Of The Day

Finally my skin has cleared and I look a lot more human which means it's time to get low cut and backless once again. 

Scallop top from 'Topshop' £16

Leigh jeans from 'Topshop' £38

I decided I was going to actually save my money this month and massively cut down on my shopping sprees so I can finally go on a few travels over Summer. I was allowed three things under £30 and one big night out and one of the things were these boots from 'Topshop'. They were £75 at full price but with my discount I got them for £28 and I uhmmed and ahhed over them for literally months. All the girls at work were after a pair but they were flying off the shelves until there was only one pair left. They were my size and it was payday- it was meant to be! They're not even a big heel but everyone keeps commenting on how tall I am and I am probably around 6ft in them so yes, pretty tall. But they're lush so I don't care if I'm a giant and they don't hurt a bit.

 The second thing I was allowed was getting my nails done. At full price they're £27 but as my best friend was doing them for me I got a mate rate.

They look super natural due to their rounded shape and I got them without the french tip so I can paint them if I so wish to. I feel like these are more the fashion nowadays but when I first started getting acrylics done it was all long, square and bright white tips. If you happen to be in the Chester area drop into 'Joanne Harris Nails & Relaxation' in Rufus Court and ask for Vanessa Link!

Accessorised with my favourite necklace from 'Topshop' (obv). I literally wear this everyday! I love when you find something you want to wear for years to come and it cost you nothing, my only fear is it will unravel one of these days.

My third and final splurge was this foundation by 'MAC' which was £20.

Which brings me to my rather in-depth review...

I confess I'm not much of a 'MAC' lover. I don't know why, I guess the sales assistants make up scares me a little. I'm not much of a bright pink lipstick and black eyes with fishnet tights kind of girl, I'm more of a nude lipstick and bit of bronzer and a nice pair of heels kind of girl so you're much more likely to find me at the 'Bobbi Brown' or 'Chanel' counter. The only times I've really bought anything from 'MAC' is when I've seen a girl wearing something truly amazing and asked her where it was from and she's said 'MAC' which is my cue to go running to my nearest 'Debenhams'. Other than those few and far between times I've always given it a wide berth. Again, I can't really put my finger on why exactly. We just haven't clicked the way a beauty obsessed girl and a beauty counter should. 

I had bought a 'MAC' foundation before but I returned it on the basis that it showed up every flake and pore going. Fast forward a few years and my little sister received a 'MAC Studio Fix' foundation for her birthday and I'm not exaggerating, she looked like she had a different face! After another couple of months trying desperately to find a full coverage low end alternative and not having much luck I finally ate some humble pie and went off to 'MAC'. My sister is the whitest thing ever with a smattering of adorable freckles so she uses her NW30 as war paint to match her bright white face to her fake tanned body. I have fairly olive toned skin but with a touch of redness and as the sales assistant instructed me is that foundation is meant to cool your skin tone and take away any redness.

When they colour matched me to NC25 I said it was too light but the next one up was too olive toned. As they had no samples to try out I didn't have long to try before I bought but I went ahead anyway. 

I think this may well be the best foundation I have ever bought! As a person with oily skin prone to the occasional spot here and there the 'Studio Fix' seems to absorb any oil and stay matte all day. The best part is that the longer it's on for the more 'glowy' it gets and it still feels light weight and doesn't look cakey despite it being full coverage which meant I didn't need to use a concealer.

My only negative point is that it does highlight blackheads and any dry patches although I think most foundations would find it difficult to completely disguise those. 

And if I had to add one more negative it would be that you have to buy a pump with it which is annoying. If you're going to charge £20 for something it should come with all the necessary attachments at least. If 'MAC' listened to their customers and read their reviews instead of rising the prices of pumps perhaps they'd have a few more converts. That said their foundations are that good most people would buy them anyway, but even so!

9/10

Bella

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OOTD

Outfit Of The  Day

As it was super sunny outside I left the layers at home and went for a leather skirt (saucy).

All by 'Topshop'

Top I think is around £22

Skirt £40

Shoes from 'Primark'

Make up wise I went for barely there foundation and concealer as my skin is still having an epic Mariah Carey fit and it always makes me feel like not wearing any make up at all or I end up all kinds of colours and textures.

Eyes were an all over taupe colour by 'Bobbi Brown'.

I've had this eyeshadow pallette since I was in Highschool and all the names of the eyeshadows are in Japanese so I have no idea what colour it is. It looks golden in the picture but it's definitely a taupe!

Then a flick of 'Magic Liner' by 'Topshop'.

And then I felt like giving blusher another chance (something I always live to regret). I went for 'Frosted Rose' by 'Bourjois' over the top of my bronzer and it seemed to come out pretty well although I'm still not at all convinced blusher is my thing.

I'm so happy the sun is finally coming out! I don't want to jinx anything but I am SO OVER Winter! 

Bella

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Waste not, want not

I came back to my room today to discover someone had left me some presents...

Apparently it was my very lovely neighbor! I LOVE 'Planet Spa' because everything smells of Japanese rice, a strange homely smell that makes you want to keep smelling it. You can keep your florals and fruity scents, I'm happy with rice! They do a great illuminating moisturiser which has tiny sparkles in it so it's perfect for your legs on a night out. Well these two treats are 'Thailand lotus flower deep pore cleansing face mask' and 'Japanese sake and rice refreshing eye soother'. 

Lovely!

Then my grandparents dropped this 'Morrocan Argon Oil' off for me. They're always worrying about my hair because it's naturally curly and if I go round with straight hair or I've dyed it a different colour they're always horrified I've done some irreparable damage. I use Argon oil anyway but it had run out so I was glad of the extra stash! Some people swear by it but I've never noticed a massive difference although maybe I just haven't been using it regularly enough.

Then my Mum popped in with some goodies as she has sensitive skin and 'Clinique' doesn't sit right with her so as her offspring I get all her cast offs. This 'Seven Day Scrub Cream' looks pretty interesting! I'm not sure what's meant to happen after seven days but I'm guessing it's something good and I always go for the scrubs because I just feel like they get down into your pores and I feel squeaky clean and soft afterwards.

And then she gave me this 'Anti-gravity firming lift cream' also by 'Clinique'. I don't know if I'm the target audience for this but it's never too early to keep the facelifts at bay.

So that was that. A good basket full of products and I never even opened my purse!

Bella

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