Christmas 2012: OOTDs etc~

Hello all!

Ho ho ho! Well, Christmas is over for another year and I must admit, I'm not looking forward to the darkness and coldness of January and February. But anyway, I had a lovely Christmas and I wanted to share it with you all~

I went down to Somerset to spend Christmas with my aunt, uncle and grandma this year. It was a really long drive but I quite like long drives, as I get to sit in the back of the car with my music on and clear my thoughts.

We drove past Stonehenge on the way!

Once we arrived at our seemingly deserted inn, we discovered that it was rather shabby and more than a little bit creepy - the landlord wasn't the most likeable character either but it was ok.

The view from the car park of our inn...there's actually a
prison on the left side!

The place was very historical but it was also crammed full of strange oddities, like ceramic mushrooms with faces!

Some of the weird and wonderful things in our room...
that wheel light was particularly spooky!

Ok, now onto the main feature of the post - the outfits! We arrived on Christmas Eve and I was feeling rather retro that day (blame the history revision) so I decided to pair my newly-bought-but-much-sought-after denim jacket with a berry knit top and black skater skirt. I like the silhouette and I decided to add some spotty tights and my lace collar to the look. I topped it off with a chunky rose bracelet. For my makeup, I applied a large wing of eyeliner, mascara and white highlight. On my lips I used a combination of Estee Lauder's 'Beige' and 'Hot Kiss' to create a nudey-purply shade that was still light (although the picture doesn't do the colour justice!) Here is the result:

Top - Hand-me-down    Jacket - New Look
Skirt - New Look    Tights - Marks & Spencer
Collar - New Look    Bracelet - New Look
Shoes - New Look

For Christmas Day, I wanted to be more relaxed, so I broke in my new khaki jumper from New Look. I loved this jumper not just because of the colour, but because it has a really cool zip up the back (which my grandma rather scornfully suggested was 'an invitation to certain Korean males'). It's neutral too, so it should be a versatile piece to style. I paired it with my lilac jeans that were a birthday gift from Warehouse (although they do lose their shape once they've been worn for a while). I don't find trousers particularly flattering but it would be ridiculous to boycott them. For my makeup, I did intend to have just a hint of eyeliner, but it was a case of putting a little too much on one side...so adding more to the other side, only to make it more uneven, so adding more to the other side...you get the picture! I added a tint of this insane lilac lipgloss I got for about 50p reduced. It actually looks very pretty!

Jumper - New Look
Jeans - Warehouse
Shoes - New Look

So that was my Christmas from a fashion point of view :)

(Here's some bonus photos! Ho ho ho~)

My dad's gift-wrapping skills...

Christmas tree!

AMAZING sky while walking my uncle's dog!

Marzipan animals, make by 3 generations^^

Beauty Haul & Review!

Hello everyone!

I've done a bit of beauty shopping recently and I wanted to show you guys what I got!

The first thing was this New York Colour blusher in 655 Central Park Pink:

 



I must say I was a little biased towards it because of it's 'New York' gimmick - I went to the Big Apple last year and really fell in love with it. I've been needing a bluser for a while and this one is really nice. It isn't the most pigmented but it's great for a subtle tint and goes nicely with my skintone. It feels really silky too! I'm pleased with this buy, and I give it 8/10.

 



The lovely expensive concealer that my grandma gifted me is running out, so I was looking for a replacement and went for this one by Collection 2000 (because it was cheap!). It's a good colour and consistency, however I have experienced a strange hot feeling occasionally when I apply it. The coverage is alright; a few layers are needed under the eyes, but overall it's satisfactory. 7/10.

 

I saw this MUA Extreme eyeliner recommended on another blog and I do need a new one, so I decided to try this out. At first, I was thrilled with it - it gave strong lines and was easy to apply. However, it drags on your skin a lot and that makes doing wings very hard. It also goes faint easily. For £2, however, you can't really complain. 6/10.

 

This is my second MUA lipstick and I love the texture. The first one I bought is a little dark for me, and I had a sudden urge to buy a lipstick, so I did! My complexion makes it hard to find a shade that both suits my skintone and doesn't make my teeth look yellow (thanks, reds!) and I knew that a pale pink was safest. This one has subtle glitter and is a lovely soft colour, not as dark as the pictures make out, and it doesn't bleed. I love it, especially for £1! 10/10.

 

 

 

(What's happened to the picture?)
My favourite mascara is running out and I wanted to try a new one. Since I was thrilled with my New York Colour blush, I decided to try their mascara too. This is 'Show Time Volumising Mascara'. I have a thing about the brush - if it isn't big and thick then I dont think it will be good. This turned out to be the case here. The brush is a little sparse and the mascara itself is not very thick. It is ok, average I'd say - but I do like BIG volume. This might be good if you have naturally dark lashes, but mine are blonde and so they need an extra boost, which this mascara doesn't give me. Also, this happens:

See the horrible ugly smudging on the lower lashes? That is my number one peeve with mascara, since I'm especially fussy with my bottom lashes because they are so sparse. 4/10.

Lastly, I got some pressed power from MUA. I've had this one from them before and I really like it. The only complaint is that it doesn't last long and it gives me a dry feeling on my skin. The coverage is great, as is the colour, and it feels really soft. It is a little itchy sometimes but my face is sensitive and it's cheap so that's to be expected really. 7/10.



I wanted to see how these products matched up to being worn, so I used all six and took a picture before and after I'd been out.

This was how it looked before I left the house, bearing in mind the flash does wash out the lipstick and the blusher a little.

Not the nicest picture, but this is how it looked when I returned after 2 1/2 hours. The lipstick has worn off, and the mascara ran a little because I did some laughing.

So there you go! I hope you liked this post and I hope it was of some help to you!

My Opinions on...Autumn Trends 2012

Autumn trends...two I love, two I don't, and one I've changed my mind about...

1. Love: Studs

Truthfully, I never really thought that studs were my thing - but I was wrong! Because my style is very feminine and cutesy, I often feel in danger of looking too sugary, and studs are the remedy. Fashion is about balance, and clashing a super-girly blouse with studded shorts, or a floaty skirt with a studded jumper is the perfect balance for me! I particularly love pyramid studs, in gunmetal or bronze because they look a little worn.

2. Love: Ankle boots

I've loved ankle boots for as long as they've been around because they're so versatile. One pair can take you from work to play and stop everywhere in between! Dresses, jeans, you name it and there's a pair of ankle boots to match. Fur or studded, or even just plain, my love for ankle boots is sure to be burning a hole in my pocket soon!

3. Hate: Neon

Honestly, how this has remained in fashion escapes me. I think that it's overpowering and should be worn sparingly - if at all. But what irks me more than anything is when neon is paired with lace. These are two things that should never be mixed - lace is supposed to be delicate and pretty, something which neon is most certainly not. I would reject the world's most beautiful dress if it was neon, I dislike it so much.

4. Hate: Capes

Who are you, superman? Didn't think so, so why on earth are you wearing a cape? This trend is, for me, is just a little...strange. They don't even seem like they'd be very warm, they don't have real sleeves - not practial.
*Note - not to be confused with ponchos. I like ponchos - in fact I have my eye on one from La Redoute. Although they look similar, there are differences between capes and ponchos.*

5. And the one I changed my mind about...

Military. At first, I strongly disliked the military trend - I saw it as untactful! towards our boys in Afghanistan. However, the more nice pieces I saw, and the more clever style-ups I drooled over, the more I began to like this trend. I've had my eye on some cargo-style trousers for about two years now but could never find any...now, however, they're everywhere! Although I'm still not keen on blatant items like big camouflage jackets or camo leggings, I really like the subtler pieces - and I've always loved khaki!



So there you go! I hope you enjoyed ^^

Autumn Wishlist Pt1

Hi everyone!

This is my Autumn wishlist, both fashion and beauty. Hope you enjoy!

Cargo Jeans

£29.99, Zara

I've had my eye on a pair of these since I saw them in a Japanese fashion magazine about two years ago, and these are not quite the same, but close enough. A friend found them for me after I asked after a similar pair that she had, and I must say these look as though they will fit well and I like the zip detailing. And hey, £29.99 is pretty pocket friendly for something I'd get so much wear out of!

Pussy Bow Blouse

£7.76, Ebay

I've liked pussy bow blouses for a long time and when I saw this one on Ebay I thought it was perfect. It's Asian import so it's really cheap, and the quality doesn't look all that bad. I love the colour and I think the black detailing stops it from feeling too sugary.

Two-tone Dress etc.

£6.73, Ebay

I saw this on Ebay and I instantly loved it. I really like the pale minty colour and the ribbon belt. Although it's quite summery, I think it could be a good layering tool and it would be fun to grunge up a little.

I'm not going to list the rest of the things I want from this seller because there are a lot of things! So I'll put the links here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160877121609?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140842824581?var=440076640159&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160877080181?var=460112816488&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130760153446?var=430093062368&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160874934008?var=460111622301&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Converse-style ankle boots

£4.69+£2.99 P&P, Ebay

Again, something I've been looking for for ages, and I've just come across these on ebay! Although I would have loved pink ones, the khaki is a much more versatile colour and they come in my size too!

Fur Ankle Boots

£19.99+£3.50 P&P, Ebay

Although I love ankle boots, I'm quite fussy about them - but these seem to be the perfect compromise! I would have liked a wedge heel that was a little higher, but you can't have it all!

Pumps

£12.51+£3.49 P&P, Ebay

These aren't quite what I'm looking for (I'd like a paler colour) and I think the price is a little steep - I'm sure I can get these in Primark for £8! However, my life has a ballet-pump-shaped hole in it - well, several ballet-pump-shaped holes - and I really need to fill them, because I need more shoes if nothing else.

Makeup Brush Set

£0.99+£1.69 P&P, Ebay

For some reason, to me makeup doesn't feel good enough without a nice brush to apply it with. However I am stingy and I spent about half an hour looking for a decent set for a ridiculous price! These, at a total of £2.58 including P&P were exactly what I wanted, complete with a cute pink case! Needless to say these will be in my basket in no time!

Studs!

£3.29+£1.00 P&P, Ebay

I've caught the studding bug! I think it's a quick, cheap, easy way to add a bit of attitude if I feel a little too cutesy, not to mention it's great fun! This seller has a wide range of style, colours and sizes for what I've been told is a good price, and my fingers are itching to stud something!

Staple shirts

No picture because I can't find one online and I'm sure you know what I mean. I'm in dire need of some basic pieces and I'm a sucker for soft, feminine shirts, especially these blush pink and cream blouses that seem to be so in fashion at the moment. I'd also like to stud the collars of a couple. It's very satisfying to customise things and it's cheaper to stud my own stuff anyway!



That's part one of my wishlist, part two will come soon enough - there's always stuff I want when I have no money!