Wednesday 29 March 2017

Far From Perfect Outfit Post


Perfection, it's an unobtainable goal, yet it seems this is what everyone still sets their sights on. Perfection for one person can be very different than for another. Some may look for this in their work, some in their body whilst some seek to find excellence in their entire life!

I don't believe that perfection truly exists, every time you believe you're getting closer to your view of perfection, you inadvertently set the bar higher making it that bit further to reach.
I agree that perfection to a degree is good for a focus, to work towards, to push yourself that bit harder in all that you do but where do you draw the line? Where do you distinguish between unobtainable impeccability and healthy goals? Off days happen, everyone has them but when you have your sights set on perfection and you're bloated or the lighting is not quite right or you can't quite capture your best angle, you start to question yourself, your strength, your integrity.


For me, my perfection is a vision in my head, one I can never quite reach. It makes me both frustrated and sad when I can visualise something so strongly but I can never recreate it how I had hoped.
The second I put this outfit together I had visions of a bold, sassy, punchy outfit that I would hope would go down a storm.. Well I tried three times to shoot this outfit, different times of day, different hairstyles, different locations and nothing seemed to hit the vibe. I was in a form of limbo, torn between my head and my heart, some people don't post content unless they think it's faultless but this time, for me, that's not the case. This outfit represents a work in progress, work in progress towards a finishing line that I am constantly moving but I believe that as long as I am moving with it then that's okay. I still love this outfit, I still see it as the bold, sassy, punchy outfit in my head, I just haven't been able to get that 'perfect' shot and portray it the way I had hoped for but I still want it to be seen and appreciated!
If I one day manage to capture the essence that I was trying so hard to create, I'l be updating this post, just so I, and you guys can see how I'm pushing to improve, perfection or not..






Striped Shirt With Flared Sleeves - H&M
Cut Off Denim Skirt - H&M (Similar Here and Here)
Block Heeled Sandals - Clarks


What goals do you set for yourself?


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Saturday 25 March 2017

Stepping Into Spring


If you read my last outfit post - you can find it here - then you might have seen my recent dilemma, Spring has sprung but my wardrobe was certainly not bouncing along with it. Online shopping was no longer the friend it has once been and I just wanted to hide beneath a pile of black fabric that would cover my pale skin!

I decided then, that what I needed, was to go back to how I shopped in my teenage years, out with friends, heading to town on a weekend, wages in my purse and go on a good hunt through the shops. I need to reconnect with the clothes, get an actual feel for the items, their fit, their fabric and their hang. And it blooming well worked! Little did I know the first triumph on my tours of the shops would lead me to find success in Sainsbury's.
I'm guilty as I'm sure many of us are, of over looking establishments such as supermarkets as a place for picking up my latest outfits, but there were definitely a few pieces that picked some intrigue and one top so much so that I ended up buying it..


It's light spring colours and pastel stripes is the perfect introduction for my wardrobe transition and the added bonus of also being 80% cotton means my skin can breathe, brilliant for when the temperatures finally start rising!

I might only be one spring item down so far, but finally dipping my toe into the season has definitely relight the spark in my wardrobe and has started a black detox!





Pastel Stripe Jumper - Tu at Sainsbury's
Brown Vintage Finish Belt - Asos
Blue Rip Jeans - Topshop
Ballet Pumps - H&M (similar here)


Have you found any new pieces somewhere you didn't expect?



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Saturday 18 March 2017

Faking A Clear Complexion With L'Oréal


This year will be the year I end up with a fresh faced complexion, I'm determined. No more dull, grey, uneven skin tone mixed with sore red flair ups, so expect lots of exciting beauty posts of dreamy skin care finds that I'm trying and loving!
On the flip side of this, I'm currently very far from where I want to be, but thankfully, there are geniuses out there who have created products that can help me 'fake it till I make it' and I've been making discoveries like this little gem, the L'Oréal Infaillible Total Cover Concealer Palette.


Going down the clever route of correcting and concealing, it uses the knowledge of colours neutralising each other to help give you a flawless even skin tone, game changer.

The dark circles under my eyes have been hanging around for so long now, they seem to have made themselves at home, something I'm certainly not happy with and I'm in constant battles for eviction but so far it seems that genetics could be letting me down and that this look could be part of my DNA, so instead I'm just having to get clever at hiding it. Standard nude concealers have always taken me a certain part of the way but never quite managed to finish the race, this is where L'Oréal steps in. The Lilac brightens dark circles and dullness so I no longer look like I've had a heavy night and just rolled straight out of my bed and fallen into the office, instead I'm looking like I've had a solid 10 hours and not a hint of purple in sight!


Unfortunately for the paler skinned of our species, rosy cheeks is a pain that plagues us quite frequently, mixed with the occasional friend that decides to take up home, my face can end up with quite the tomato hue. In terms of colour correcting I think green has been around the longest and isn't quite as new a revelation as the others but until now I hadn't been able to find a formula of concealer that sat nicely on a larger area of my face and under my foundation, but this one has certainly won me over!

I've finally found my one stop palette for faking a clear complexion and I won't be looking back!


Have you given colour correcting a try?



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Wednesday 15 March 2017

Stuck In My Winter Wardrobe


Spring seems to have sprung, and with some force. The blossom is out, the daffodils have lifted their heads and on a few occasions I've seen some questionable people in just t shirts and shorts..

But I seem to be retreating back into Winter like a lost little hermit crab. Looks might be deceiving but Spring is in fact my favourite time of year - my tweets about blossom are never ending - but it feels that this time round, Spring has snuck up on me a little too fast, and although Winter felt like a never ending slog, I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to get up on the starting blocks for the new season just yet.


When the colour black and limb covering items have held the majority stakes in your wardrobe for nearly six months, the prospect of hanging these items up for prints, colours and bare skin can be quite daunting. I love all of these things usually, and any other year my wardrobe would already be brimming, over flowing almost with new season pieces both trend following and investment but this year, the new season excitement seems to be hiding.

It isn't through lack of trying, I've attempted to shop online, and there are so many options, maybe too many, that the pieces that could change my whole mindset are lost in a sea of webpages..
I think my solution to this problem is to do what I haven't done in a very long time, and actually go to the shops, wander around, pick things up, try things on and cut out the endless scrolling and week long waits for the postman!





Cold Shoulder Top - Next
Gun Metal Belt - Newlook
Black Jeans - Topshop
Red Ankle Boots - Clarks



Are you excited for Spring?
Have you left your Winter wardrobe behind yet?


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Saturday 11 March 2017

Revlon Colour Stay Gel Envy Nail Varnishes


The one girly thing I've always been good at, is having my nails painted, and I like to think painted well. The second there's a chip, it's whipped off and redone so they're always looking fresh, polished and smart!

A few months ago this meant that the amount of nail varnish remover, cotton wool pads and nail varnish itself that I was using was getting slightly out of hand, so I wanted to step it up and save myself both some time and money!

This is when I went on a bit of a discovery shopping trip and the results of that, is one very large nail varnish collection and one undoubted winner!


Revlon Colour Stay Gel Envy is what nail varnish dreams are made of. Its a long wear nail enamel that has a base coat included in the colour, making it super quick and efficient, as that's one less formula you need to buy, and one less coat you need to apply.


I've been making a little tally in my head every time I use these nail varnishes to count how long I go without chipping, and my record so far is nine days, which I think is pretty darn amazing, especially as I've had actual Gel manicures that have lasted for as little as three! I can't entirely blame that on the Gel formula or the technicians as my nails are weak and soft so they don't hold the formula very well but thankfully, I've found myself an alternative, cheaper option which so far has exceeded their performance by miles!


My only negative.. The colour range in stores is still super small, (and many are still just a bit too summery for me right this second) but try checking out the website for some more gorgeous options! For now, I'm sticking with these two favourites, but fingers crossed it won't be long before I'm trying out lots more!!


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Saturday 4 March 2017

Tweezerman Tweezers



There comes a point in any craft that no matter how skilled you are, if you're lacking in the tools department then the end product is never going to be as good as you hope.

Of the small amount of sparsely filled blonde brows that I have, I like to think that I have become fairly accomplished at mastering a good outcome. But whenever I tried to give them a little spruce up my tweezers just never quite got what I was after. You would think, that some point within these struggles, the idea would have entered my mind to get myself a new pair, as it turns out I have had the same pair for about 10 years.. Yes I am hanging my head in shame, but it wasn't until I was failing to remove my boyfriends ever increasing brows (sorry honey) that I finally agreed it was time to treat myself, and Alex, to a shiny new pair.


I don't think tweezers are a very large industry but a name I certainly know is Tweezerman so I went straight there for my new pair and they certainly haven't disappointed.
There is nothing I hate more than the skin around my eyebrows being anything other than silky smooth as otherwise for me, I feel my foundation collects and sits in an unsightly mess, which is just not the look I'm hoping for.
I love an eyebrow wax but there is always a time period when the hair is just too short or fine to book that appointment, but I no longer have to worry about this. The precision of these tips is immaculate, obviously there is some hand eye coordination skills involved but once you have this mastered and you're away, you'll be ditching the beauty salons visits for good!

I still can't believe it took me so long to replace my old pair and I'm so glad the new ones have far exceeded my expectations! I'm now going to work my way through the rest of beauty collection and replace anything else that is a bit beyond its time!




Have you had a beauty tool way longer than you should have?
Replaced anything recently and are amazed at the results?



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Wednesday 1 March 2017

More Than Just A Boot



It's hard to explain the feelings a shoe can give you when you put them on and they complete your outfit, or even complete 'you' for that day. I slip these boots on and its as if a new energy comes over me, it could be confidence but not in its usual sense, as boots like these draw attention and that kind of attention I have never been very good at dealing with, but maybe, self assurance is a better word, in that I suddenly feel a better version of myself.

It may seem silly to some that a simple pair of boots could have this affect on the brain but as Marilyn once said - 'give the girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world', and although I'm not about to start taking over any businesses or jetting across the globe, I can see how a different mindset can be such a powerful thing.

For me and my body, the last few months have been a bumpy ride, illness and medications have taken their toll and I'm not where I want to be fitness and looks wise so I've taken to hiding in jeans and jumpers. But it feels that some pieces were just made to make you feel good in, and these boots are one of them. I bet you'll struggle to find anyone who says over the knee boots don't make their legs look taller and slimmer (hey super model pins).



As much as I love them, I feel they may have their set seasons with black being too heavy for summer, but fear not, it's just a perfect excuse to buy a new pair in a different shade..




Drop Earrings - Calvin Klein (Similar Here)
Initial Necklace - Etsy
Ribbed Polo Neck Jumper - Marks and Spencer
Red Leather Look Skirt - Urban Outfitters (Similar Here)
Over The Knee Boot Faux Suede - Public Desire



Do you have any items that make you feel empowered?



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