Summer Playlist

Hey there,  

                Now anyone who knows me will know there are only a few aspects of my life that are organised and they are my wardrobe, my makeup and my iTunes library, everything else  is pretty much up in the air at all times, like literally I'm a failure at life. 
But luckily enough we don't need to know about my shambles of a life and today I'm talking about my summer playlist. I literally make playlists for everything and I'm the go to person when any of my friends are having a party to sort of the Spotify selection for the night. I've been doing it for years and I've got the general ones you know like my 'I just want to lie in bed and cry' songs, my 'I'm practically Whitney Houston' shower songs, my 'I'm completely zen' bath playlist and all that. But I also make playlists for big events, like when I started my final year at school or when my best friend got her first car or my 18th birthday. You catch my drift. I like to do a mixture of old and new and you can guarantee Beyonce will appear on all my playlists at least once. 

Here's what's on my summer playlist for 2015

1. Feelin' Myself - Nicki Minaj Ft. Beyonce 
2. Prayer In C - Lily Wood and The Prick Ft Robin Schulz
3. Bitch Better Have My Money - Rihanna
4. Ship to Wreck - Florence + The Machine
5. The Wolf - Mumford & Sons
6. Don't You Find - Jamie T
7. Think Of You - MS MR
8. Bang That - Disclosure
9. Say Something - Karen Harding
10. Ring Off - Beyonce
11. Sugar - Maroon 5 
12. Get Busy - Sean Paul
13. The Blacker The Berry - Kendrick Lamar
14. Get Right - Jennifer Lopez
15. Hold My Hand - Jess Glynne
16. Habits (Stay High) - Tove Lo
17. Bills - Lunchmoney Lewis
18. All Cried Out - Blonde Ft. Alex Newell
19. Lonesome Street - Blur
20. Wish You Were Mine - Philip George 

It's a weird mix I know but I like a bit of everything and this has literally got something for all moods this summer. 
What's on your playlist this summer? Let me know! 

 X

How I Do- The 'Overdrawn' Nude Lip

Hey lovelies! 

                    Starting a new series today all about how I do all my favourite make-up looks! I'm starting with possibly the biggest trend of right now, the nude lip. The nude lip is something that has obviously been around forever but thanks to Kylie Jenner and those larger than life lips she's sporting, it's now everywhere! I love it and I'm all about the big lips. 
BUT I've seen SO many people get it wrong, it's actually painful. The key to a slightly overdrawn nude lip is for it to not actually look like you've drawn your lips on. Seems obvious right? You'd think so but a couple of scrolls on Instagram would suggest not everyones got it. 
Here's how I do it: 

Start with a dark lip liner to create the shadows, focus on the inner corners of the lips and underneath the bottom lip, where the natural shadow would lie. None of this has to be neat as everything gets blended at the end. 

MAC 'Chestnut' lip pencil 

Then go in with a nude pencil, slightly darker thank your own lip colour. Here's the important part - NEVER overdraw the corners of the mouth, this is what will give you away. Start from the inner corner following the natural line and slightly go above your natural lip line. Don't emphasise the cupids bow, go straight across (*obviously* don't draw a line across your mouth). 

MAC Pro Longwear 'Nice n Spicy' 

Now this is what will make or break the lip, (woah tense) you have to use a matte lip colour as anything with a shine will draw attention to the lip liner. My favourites are MAC 'Yash' and Illamasqua 'Bare' but you can just use whatever you have that works for you. 

MAC Lipstick in 'Yash' 

Then if you want to add a dab of concealer in the centre of the lip and blend out, as well as highlighting above the cupids bow. Get a lip brush blend up any lines so everything looks one gradual colour. Don't add gloss. If you feel you need it, add a clear or a lighter gloss in the centre. 

It's easy really. It's my go to lip at the moment and I love it, anything that makes you poutier can't be a bad thing, right? Let your inner Kylie Jenner soar my children. 

What's your favourite nude lipstick? I'm always on the hunt for more!

X

Liverpool Forever (Or The Next 3 Years...)

Oh hey there,

For many people, this September has brought about a terrifying reality- it's your last year of school/college and clearly the age of 17/18 is the perfect time to decide what you want to do with the REST OF YOUR LIFE...what?!

If you're like me and struggle deciding what you're doing on a Saturday night, this is probably causing some intense panic. Considering we're well into October, I'm assuming everyone who's going to uni is well submerged in UCAS applications, personal statements and open days (and if you're not, then God knows how you're being so chill about the whole thing). The thing with UCAS applications is, that you actually have to choose where you want to go for the next 3 years as well as what you're going to spend more than £27,000 studying (DA FUCK?!!!), the whole idea of this has my nerves gone, there's about 300 courses to choose from and that's not including the option of joint honours/major and minor subjects/years abroad etc. This is one of the many reasons why I've decided to stay in my wonderful city of Liverpool as quite frankly add a change of location into my already massive choice and my head will most likely explode.

If this applies to you and you've made the genius decision to stay here then you've probably been met with various questions like "don't you want to get the full uni experience?" "Don't you want to be independent?" "Don't you want to see other places?". I've had all of these as well as about 100 more, mainly from my Dad (to be honest, I think he just wants me as far away as possible so I can't ask him for lifts everywhere- yeah I'm onto you Paul) So here's all the reasons why I think it's perfectly acceptable to stay in Liverpool...

1) Liverpool has 4 universities!:- yes 4 and okay I know Edge Hill is verging on major wool territory but you catch my drift. The University of Liverpool is one of the top universities in the country for things like Dentistry and Nursing, it's also a Russell Group university which is basically the top 25 uni's in the UK and it's got a massive Management School which offers courses like accounting & finance, business management and marketing. You've also got Hope, JMU and Edge Hill with Hope and Edge Hill specialising in things like secondary and primary education, offering some of the best courses in the country for any future teachers. Not to mention, when it comes to student satisfaction and best nightlife, all Liverpool uni's always smash the league tables (well obviously) 

Just look how gorgeous the University of Liverpool is!

2) Independence is overrated: Hear me out for a minute here, I'm not saying stay at home with your mum forever if you're staying here for uni, cos to be perfectly honest I'm a bit jealous of all my mates who have got their own little flat and new life going on right now. But I am very much into the fact that my mum and her roasts are a bus ride away if I'm feeling a bit shit on a Sunday or my dad being able to come and get me when I'm stranded somewhere and I've lost my bank card again. It's going to be scary enough moving out and not being able to shout my mum when I can't work out if my foods done but moving that far away that I can't ring my dad to come and fix my telly if it's broken- no thank you, that's not happening. 

3) Uni is expensive: as previously mentioned, uni costs upwards of £27,000 for a regular student like me who won't be receiving grants or bursaries so would it really hurt to save some cash by being close to the Bank of Mum and Dad? I think not. Following on from my last point, not only is it nice to still have your parents around, it makes sense economically...I swear. Think of all the money you'll save on food when you get to go home, have your dinner and raid the cupboard for all those koka noodles and doritos your mums carried on buying cos she's forgotten you've moved out. Also if your mums anything like mine, the idea of mess doesn't bare thinking about. So you can pretty much guarantee a full room clean, duvet change and dish wash every time she 'pops round', it's like having your very own Kim and Aggie but without the bejewelled marigolds and over bleached hair. As well as all these, never underestimate how much you actually cost to buy for. My Sunday scrangover probably sets my parents back a good £15 a week, add in my inability to switch off lights and love for having the hot tap on whilst I'm in the bath, my mum and dad are gonna be minted when I finally get off next year. More money= happy parents, happy parents= increased generosity, increased generosity=more likely to give me a nice little hand out when I come round purely because I miss them. Don't feel bad about it though, you're not rinsing them, it's simply the circle of life.

4) Who wants to become a 'student'?: Now I'm not talking about an actual student of a university, cos that's pretty much the point of this blog post. I mean those people that show up in September and hang around concert square dressed up as a Smurf or Where's Wally and feel like UV/ foam parties are acceptable forms of entertainment for people that are supposed to be real functioning adults. If you're one of these people and the only reason you're even bothering to go to uni is to pull birds/ be a constant bevy victim, then please save yourself the £27,000 and go and work in Zante or Napa for a season or two, at least you'll have the weather. Seriously though, this is one of the MAIN reasons why I'm staying in Liverpool as I reckon it's moving away that does this to people. I'm sure not everyone who moves away for uni becomes a massive loser who you'd usually feel ashamed for if you saw them on a night out, but it happens to that many people, I'm not willing to risk it. Clearly when people move away, the fact that they can reinvent themselves is too much and they instantly become a uni victim, complete with freshers wristband and shutter shades. Maybe it's the fact that they no longer run the risk of seeing that tidy lad who you stalk on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook etc or that girl who always has perfect brows and is your secret sworn enemy. Whatever it is, I'm not okay with it. I like dressing up and going out looking nice and their is no way that I'm swapping my heels for a pair of Tom's just because I've decided to carry on with a glorified version of school, swerve that. If you move away you either beat them or join them and the odds of beating what so many wools aspire to be are slim to none, at least if you're still here you can stick to the safe perimeters of Seel Street and judge the kitten-heeled, ra-ra skirted wools with fellow scousers. 

5) You can still leave: This might come as a bit of a surprise to everyone who see's staying in Liverpool as a life-long sentence to never venture further than the Runcorn tunnel, but you can actually leave whenever you want to. Just because you choose to stay here for uni doesn't mean you can't visit your mates around the country or apply for graduate positions in London or Birminghan or Timbuktu when the time comes. When people leave, no one tells them they can't come back home, so why is there some sort of weird stigma attached to people staying here as if the trains and buses only go one way. Liverpool is one of the biggest cities in the country, there's no absence of jobs opportunities for students. We might not be London but our business sector is thriving and we've got amazing companies like Agent Marketing setting up things like their Agent Academy that offers people the chance to get 10 weeks experience of working in marketing to boost your CV and possibly lead to a job opportunity. You can still leave whenever you want to but with the business ventures that are popping up around Liverpool at the moment, do you really need to? 

All in all, I love Liverpool and I couldn't bare to leave it for too long but if you're one of those people that are moving away, good luck to you and never forget the great responsibility you have of representing Scousers everywhere in whatever city you choose to make your temporary home. If you are staying here, then congrats on being one of the 60,000 students that have also made such a genius choice. I'll be there in full Scouse rigout whinging about any student that dares step foot in Santa's with flashing bunny ears on or in fancy dress, you can swerve that right off.

XXX

She's A Liverpool Girl, She Loves A Dance...

 I love Liverpool. I love the people, the shopping, the architecture but most of all I love the nightlife and I reckon I'm dead lucky to live somewhere that definitely has some of the best bars around complete with tidy bartenders and even better bevys. I'm not arsed if you're a student or you're "only going for a quiet one" (when does that happen really?) you should always make an effort. Now I don't mean you have to have a spray tan/Illamasqua makeover and full professional curly blow every weekend cos let's be honest I get payed monthly and I'm normally skint a week after pay day but that doesn't mean you let your prin standards drop. If anything you should go out more in order to get better at the pre night out prep so you don't look shit when it actually matters. 

The basics are obviously tan, hair and make-up and what you're wearing but if you've got the first three sorted you can almost get away with your outfit being a bit more chill. 

Tan prep should start AT LEAST a full 24 hours before so you have appropriate time to exfoliate, shave and  moisturise before you even think about picking up that St Moriz. Please don't be one of those crazies who live on the edge and think doing their tan last minute is fine and end up being left with odd arms and a streaky back. None of that tar. 

Tan done, I normally do my hair before my makeup simply because I have more makeup than I care to admit and can spend about 2 hours arsing round when it comes to my eyeliner and fake cheek bones. It's up to you what you do with your hair but please do something, if you're really shit/have no time, scrape it back, keep it high and pretend you've intentionally gone for a catwalk style slicked back pony. Thankfully the hair Gods were looking down on me when I was born and blessed me with my own personal curly blower (my mums a hairdresser), but if this isn't the case for you, then heated rollers will be and should be your best mate. Lash them in before you start your make-up then all's youve really got to do is a bit of back-combing before you leave the house and you're pretty much sorted. 

I pretty much ALWAYS have my hair blown and curled, it's the easiest thing ever!

Contour game so strong

Now when it comes to make-up, there's no time for messing round cos this is where it becomes obvious who means business and who needs to be sent back across the Mersey from whence they came. If you're not on the contouring/highlighting bandwagon then get on it now. It will change your life (and your face). The scarier and linier you look the better, just for the love of God make sure you remember to blend it properly! It should be flawless, no big lines or white stripes across your face please ladies. When it comes to eyes, there always has to be something there. I don't care if you're 'doing a statement lip' or if you can't do a smokey eye for shit. Buy a Naked palette, a 217 brush and teach yourself how to blend. Don't throw yourself in the deep end with black though, leave that to the professionals or there's a 99% chance you will end up with a striking resemblance to a panda. Also I find it WELL better to do my eyes before my foundation etc, just in case I have one of those days when you get leaky eye syndrome and half your eyeshadows down your face because you blinked too fast. Do it first then you're free to wipe away any mishaps. Eyelashes should be your mate, don't be scared of them cos I really do think they can sense fear. Trim them, put your glue on, pull yourself together and just pray you don't end up looking like you've got one eye looking at you and one looking for you. I assure you that there's nothing that awakens my wooldar more than a bare eyelid complete with an untrimmed spider lash, THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. If this is you, now you know the error of your ways please correct it IMMEDIATELY or I will not be held accountable for my actions the next time this holy show presents itself to me. Soz rant over, please don't do it though, k? Boss. Lipstick should also be your mate. Whoever said you can't do lips and eyes is probably the same person who said you cant get your boobs and your legs out at the same time, clearly a boring bitch. I reckon a smokey eye and a red lip look fab and I wouldn't be seen dead without my lippy on a Saturday night. 

Once all this fun stuff is sorted you're now free to sort through those 25 outfits you and your mates have deemed acceptable, find something fabulous and then make sure it's slut-drop proof whilst listening to Beyoncé, with a bevy in hand whilst waiting for your Delta (get the iPhone app, it's well quicker). 

Town is BOSS, therefore you should look boss cos you always have a better night when you know you're looking fab!

Don't forget though, you've made all this effort so YOU have an amazing night so  please don't be the girl who stands at the bar pouting all night, eyeing up every fella who walks past and just waiting for someone to buy them a drink.  Swerve that. Be fab cos you want to be and not cos you're looking for a fella and you're determined not to pay for any of your own bevys. Get your birds, get your bevys and then find a big enough dance space to do the full Single Ladies routine and then slut drop for the rest of the night. 

XXX

Fake It Til You Make It - The Kylie Jenner Effect

Hey hey hey, 

So unless you've been living under a rock of late, I'm sure you've all been privy to the worldwide phenomenon that is Kylie Jenner's lips. 

Now I for one, am one of those people who has no qualms whatsoever when it comes to plastic surgery or fillers or whatever, so many people look amazing with it, many of whom I know. I'm also pretty sure that as soon as I can afford it, I will be getting a 0.5ml Juvederm syringe of filler in my lips to make me look pouty and fab. 

My problem however is that Kylie is telling the world she hasn't had anything done and is therefore responsible for girls everywhere drawing big lines on their face and passing them off as their lips as if no one can tell. I'm not saying she doesn't do it well, cos bloody hell that girls make-up is on another level of perfection but seriously who is she kidding? She's gone from this to this in like 6 months...

Girl please. 

If she want's to say she's had no fillers (which I highly doubt) that's cool, she's very clearly also over-drawing and rounding them off but can she at least say something? She's acting as if it's normal for your lips to just quadruple in size over night, which unless you've developed a particularly nasty allergy to something, they don't. Tell the world your secret before every girl in the world thinks that because they own a nude liner, they've cheated their way to new lips-you haven't.

My real problem here though, is the MAC problem. Ever since the new and surgically enhanced improved Kylie emerged, everyone and their dog has jumped on the bandwagon and sought out the lipliner that is apparently Kylie's secret- Whirl. That lipliner has been sold out for what, 6 months? This however has now filtered down into the other MAC liners and consequentially led to MY lipliner of choice for the last 3 years, Spice, being sold out for nearly 2 months in my two local MAC stores. WHAT?! Is this a sick joke? I've had to change to a pro liner in Nice 'n' Spicy, which is good but it's not the same. 

Seriously Kylie, what are you playing at? Just tell everyone your mouth is full of collagen and put the world to rights again!

XXX

All Night Long - Clutch Bag Essentials

Sup guys,  

               So I reckon over the past few months, I've finally sorted out my night out clutch bag essentials and I've basically got it down to a T. Now let me warn you in advance, I favour and over-sized clutch, simply because I carry a lot of shit needs lots of things. So this guide probably isn't going to be for those who want to carry some sort of wristlet invention (HOW DO YOU DO THAT?!). 

First the obvious: phone/cash/ID/keys. I assume these are everyones essentials for a night out, unless of course you like have a beard or don't use phones, have a bar tab and get into your house through the window at the end of the night. If you're not one of those people however, I assume you would need all these things. I personally don't ever take a purse on a night out as it just takes up unnecessary room in my already rather full bag. It's much easier to put your card/cash/ID in the zip compartment of your bag and not have the worry that if your purse mysteriously disappears, you're left with nothing (of course if you lose your bag, you would also be left with this problem so just don't lose your bag, okay?). 

Now lets get onto the important stuff. 

Firstly and possibly one of the most crucial part of any going out bag, EYELASH GLUE (unless you don't wear eyelashes *shudder*). If you don't take your eyelash glue out, you are playing a very risky little game and must be some sort of dare devil/adrenaline junky, cos really WHY you take that risk? Are you insane? What happens if you get caught in a twister? What happens if the tequila hits you the wrong way and you burst into completely unnecessary tears? Or most likely, what happens if those pesky corners come unstuck and you have to walk round looking a little bit gozzy for the rest of the night? Just take the glue,k? 

GOD.

Next, you should always take a powder and a brush. I know some people don't feel the need to carry make-up on a night out (I don't personally know any of these people obviously) but I really think you should. Think of that dreaded moment when you get the Instagram/Twitter/Facebook notification the morning after a night out, that you've been tagged in photos from the night before, you might look like a drunken mess but at least if you've been touching up all night, you won't be shiny *silver lining* 

I personally favour this one, as it's brilliant, has a nice big mirror and it looks pretty

Next, something that I've found particularly useful of late. As someone who favours a nice lipstick, whether that be a dark purple, deep red or a Kylie Jenner-esque nude, I'll always be wearing something. Obviously your lipstick fades throughout the night and particularly in winter, this tends to leave a bit of dry patchy lip behind. Which is why I feel lip balm is necessary. Put it on before you re-apply for a smoother application or put it on when you can't be bothered to put your lips back on and get a lighter and shiny version of your prior lip colour, simple!

That is what I'd call the bare minimum. I personally also take my lipstick, bronzer, bronzer brush, eye liner, chewing gum, plasters and a hair bobble (in case of the dreaded rain striking). But I personally think you could probably scrape through with that much. 

Let me know what you take on a night out, am I the only clutch bag hoarder? Tell me in the comments below!

XXX

You're Not 19 Forever, Pull Yourself Together...

Oh hey there, 

                     So here I am, crawling back to this blog, pretending I haven't been absent for nearly a year... but the dates don't lie and here I am writing a blog post. I've decided I've got some stuff to say and I've got to do SOMETHING to make a change before I turn the dreaded 1-9. Now  I know many people will be thinking, what's so bad about 19? A thought I shared with you until it started coming at me faster than I'd like to admit and I realised I'd done barely anything of interest in my first year as a real-life adult *let the sobs commence*.

So I'm going to blog again, cos then I can at least say I do something other than sleep, eat and watch Netflix...(I'm not sorry about any of those things btw). 

Also I still have a ridiculous need to buy beauty products and spend way too much money on them. This month is also filled with birthday funzies which means lots of getting my make-up done and new make-up to go along with it *cheers immensely*.

Gerd your loins kids, this is gonna get good. 

XXX

Happy me on my birthday last year, oh how times change...

Guess who's back...

Sup strangers,

                      Time for a major blog revamp. Seriously. I really mean it this time. After not writing anything on here for a very long time cos well basically I forgot all about it, I HAVE A LIFE OKAY?! (AKA I watch Youtube videos in bed eating noodles all the time)...

Time to get back to business or actually start business as I have never been very consistent, I assure you this is true to all aspects of my life not just the blog. 

Brace yourselves guys shits about to get serious, I'm talking new layout and everything * cue exploding and wow sound effects * 

New posts - coming soon...

Hot in Here...

Hey pretty's!
                      So for all you lovely British people out there, I'm sure you're aware of the rather stunning weather we've been graced with of late and I for one have been enjoying it immensely. However as someone with balayage locks, the sun is not particularly kind to my blonde bits. So here's three products I've been using to keep my hair in a suitable state for the summer...

Firstly I've absolutely fell in love with the Charles Worthington Hair Healer leave-in Conditioner. It retails at around £6 so isn't expensive at all but it's insanely good. It comes in a good sized tube and has the consistency of a normal conditioner and is pretty much used in the same way. You apply it to wet hair ( I usually towel dry mine first) with hands or you can comb it through, not directly applying to the the roots, concentrating more on your ends. It leaves hair looking glossy and feeling amazing, as well as smelling like salon products. Perfect product for anyone who uses heat on a regular basis and hates the broken fly aways that come as a result. 

Secondly I've rediscovered my love for Frizz-Ease Hair Serum after drifting away from it for a year or so. It's perfect for any curly haired people like myself who are self confessed straightener addicts. It just gives my hair an all around smoother look as well as making it stay straight for longer, which is always a bonus when the weather's warm, the less time I spend styling the better! Once again it's around the £6 mark but is very often on offer in Boots/Superdrug. 

And finally the Phyto Protective Sun Veil spray. This is basically an SPF for hair. It's a kind of fine oil that has the most amazing scent ever! You apply before and during your time in the sun and just acts as a really good pick me up for dry hair. It has a UV filter and also protects hair from salt and chlorine, so is perfect for holiday use. It's also said to preserve hair colour which is an added bonus. 

So there's my products for perfect hair this summer, what are yours? Have you found any miracle products for keeping your locks looking lovely lately? Let me know in the comments below! 

Lots of Love X 

Haul Ass!

Oh hey there, 
                       Yes it's me, that person who used to have a blog. I shan't go into the usual heaps of excuses of why I haven't blogged in an eternity as quite frankly I have no excuse, I've just been super busy of late and the blog took a back seat. So my sincerest apologies aside, let's pretend like this isn't kinda awkward...

I thought I'd come back with a quick hall of a couple of make-up items I picked up of late. I have had a job now for a full year so I am basically a fully grown adult...right? No, I'm not at all, I bare no resemblance to an adult at all, apart from the fact that I can now buy things without having to go into the living room with my puppy dog eyes at the ready and tunefully say "daaaaaaad". I have acquired so much new stuff of late that since I took the photo's for this blog, I've bought even more new stuff, don't hate...I think I have a problem. I will show said other new things at a later date but for now here's what I bought last week...

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation in 303, Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Never Say Never, Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel, Benefit Hoola Bronxer, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Alluvium, Illamaqua Cream Eye Shadow in Inhale

I'm very much enjoying all of my new products as their pretty and lovely and new... The bronzer and cream eye shadow are repurchases because I have used both products every day since I discovered them so now I just can't live without them. 

The Rimmel foundation was a bit of a random purchase after being a bit curious about drug store foundations as I've been a bit of a snob of late. Although nothing will ever beat my beloved Double Wear, I do really like this foundation, it's super long lasting but not too thick so perfect for everyday use. I've also worn it out on a night out with a primer underneath and it's lasted all night and photographed well, perfect! 

I was SO excited about the Elemis peel as I've heard people rave about it for years. It's kind of pricey but it is worth every penny as it makes my skin feel all smooth and baby like. Full review coming soon!

I've also noticed that I have a definite lipstick problem of late, particularly of the bright pink variety. Through the winter, I was all about the vamp but lately pink is the way forward. The Bare Minerals lipstick was a bit of a random thing as I've never used Bare Minerals products before but this lipstick is gorgeous. It's super pigmented and doesn't dry the lips out at all. My 2 best friends and myself all wore this lipstick out on a night out last week and it proved itself to be rather long lasting, well done Bare Minerals! 

Finally the Illamasqua pigment is just a thing of genuine beauty and it would've been rude not to buy it. It's a beautiful midnight blue with silver, gold and pink glitter in and it make's me happy just looking at it. Oh I just LOVE Illamasqua. 

And finally...

Shoes glorious shoesssss

I nabbed these bad boys after months of lusting after them but not being able to justify the price tag however one rainy Thursday I stumbled into the Metquarter and in the corner of a rather cramped sale shelf, my future babies were sat very patiently awaiting my Visa's visit. They were the only pair left in the whole of Liverpool (I'd already been to 2 Kurt Geiger's that day...) and they were in my size. It would've just been silly not to buy them really. They are genuinely beautiful, the picture doesn't do them justice at all. The front is super pointy (more so than in the photo) which I love and the wedge makes the lack of platform way more bearable. 

So that's that. I promise to be better from now on, really I do. If you want to see more in depth reviews of any of the products let me know. 

Speak soon guys X

Keeping Glam: Contour and Highlighting

Hey girl hey,

So today is just a quick one about my absolute favourite look ever which I wear pretty much every day and can change depending on what I'm wearing it to. Basically it's all about the contour and highlight. My love for cheekbones hit me hard last year and I've been blagging I have them ever since thanks to some wonderful little products.
I love both high end and high street products for creating this look and here are my favourites...

Firstly, for anyone who's on a budget or just wants something simple, Sleeks Face Contour kit. It's ridiculously cheap at £6.49 and comes in 3 different shades, making it pretty accessible for most people. The kit comes in a compact form with both a powder contour colour and powder highlight, complete with a good sized mirror which is always handy for topping up whilst out. The contour colour is gorgeous and I've actually used it all over the face when I've forgotten my bronzer as it isn't too heavy but is very easy to build. The highlight is peach toned but is very glittery and pigmented so it is better for a heavier look and not so much for natural every day make-up. I absolutely love this product and have repurchased twice and would highly recommend it to anyone who's interesting in having a play round with contour.

Secondly, my most used duo for contour and highlight is Benefit's Hoola bronzer and Highbeam liquid. Hoola's around £28 and Highbeam is £18 but are both some of the most long lasting products I've ever used. I first received Hoola in 2010 and it has been my daily bronzer ever since, becoming my contour colour also in 2012 and I am now only just coming on to my fourth box now. I also received Highbeam for Christmas in 2011 and am still only about half way through the bottle. 

I've now moved into the magical world of cream contour and I can honestly say, it's one of my most favourite make-up products I've ever used. The "contour" I'm using however is actually a cream eyeshadow by Illamasqua in the shade 'Inhale'. It's a grey toned brown and it gives the most realistic looking shadow. 

When it comes to brushes, I first used the Mac 168 for contour and the side of the brush for highlight when using powder. I then moved onto the Real Techniques Blush Brush for contour as it gave a more natural effect because of the domed shape and it was also easier to blend with. I've now moved onto the Mac 109 for contour and the Real Techniques Contour brush from the Core Collction, for highlighting (I tried it for contour and in my opinion it didn't work as well) 

So that's it guys, I absolutely love everything about contouring and highlighting. It's so handy and personally anything that makes me feel a little bit more like a Victoria's Secret model is always welcome. Who doesn't want to look they have a more bronzed/sculpted/glowing face? 

Lot's of love

XOXO

Oh hey there 2013

Hello lovely's! 

                       Happy New Year! I hope you all had an absolutely gorgeous New Year's eve and drank lots and kissed lots and danced lots as everyone should on New Year's Eve. I had a lovely night with all my favourite people and truly welcomed 2013 in with a bang (there were fireworks, yay!). So that out of the way, I thought I'd make some resolutions for the coming 362 days (it's the 3rd today, I do know there's actually 365 days in a year, honest). I shan't say the silly things (lose 5 stone, smile all day every day, buy a unicorn etc) just the thing's I actually plan on doing to make this year truly wonderful. 

Firstly I plan on trying to do everything I want to do. That may sound silly but believe it or not, I tend to over think things way too much. So this year, I'm just going to try as much as possible to do what I want to whenever I can. Basically I'm just not going to over think anything and do what I want and if it doesn't work out then so be it. 

Secondly I'm not going to sweat the small stuff. This is basically a continuation of my first resolution but considering I'm a massive stress head, I think I just need to put it out there. I am so bad for stressing myself out over the simplest of things and towards the end of 2012 I was getting so much better at just chilling out, so I want to carry that on this year and be as calm as possible, yay!

Thirdly I want to take more photos. I am so bad at getting all dressed up and planning a big night out and then not taking any photos to actually document the occasion, so this year I'm going to become completely snap happy and become the resident annoying girl with camera within my group of friends, how fun. 

And finally I'm going to finally get my tattoo. I've been wanting one for ages but I keep putting it off and being a major wimp but this year I'm getting it for definite and hopefully it will be before my birthday (11th of February, buy me presents...), how very exciting. 

So that's my initial plans for this year and hopefully I can stick to them. 
Have you got any New Year's resolutions? Did you manage to stick to the ones you made for 2012? Let me know!

Speak soon lovelies! 

Izzi 

XOXO

My Christmas Wishlist

Well hello there, 

So as I'm sure you're all aware, Christmas is nearly upon us, if you weren't aware of this, I'm terribly sorry to have ruined the surprise for you. And what with the most wonderous of days being less than a week away!!!!!! (

As I'm now so ridiculously old, I do tend to ask for more practical things for Christmas that I wouldn't tend to buy for myself, however if someone bought me a Barbie Dream House and a Tickle-Me Elmo I would be in no way disappointed...here's my more realistic gift preferences for this year: 

Firstly, we have make-up. Arguably my most favourite thing to buy/own/use, I go all out at Christmas. This is the first year in a while that I'm not asking for brushes, as I think I'm pretty much set. My actual make-up collection is also pretty substantial so this year, I have asked for some more exciting purchases, for example...

 Rebel&Hang Up Lipstick

And the list goes on. Hoola bronzer and Chanel powder are something I get every year and they are firm staples in my every day routine, I love them, lots! The Edie Sedgwick Collection by Nars is possibly one of the most beautiful sets I've ever layed eyes on, I'd get it for the film case with Edie's face on alone. Considering Factory Girl is one of my favourite films, this is definitely a must for me. 

Two beautiful things I definitely want are: 

A gold Daisy Knight's ring

And these shoes from Topshop

Finally I would also very much appreciate a selection of the always lovely books from Urban Outfitters and a nice sum of iTunes vouchers to purchase all my new loves. 

What are you all asking Father Christmas for? Let me know! 

If you want to know more about anything featured in this post, every image is linked to it's rightful home (none are affiliate links, obviously) 

Lots and lots of love and Christmas cheer! 

Izzi X 

Rocking On: My Winter Playlist

Hey kittens!

                     So for the last few weeks I've had the same playlist on a loop at all times and I'm absolutely loving it. I started getting into Spotify in the summer and ever since then I've developed a little ritual, in order to broaden my musical horizons. 

1. Find the song: Basically every time I hear any music that remotely interests my ears, I find it on Spotify, add to a playlist and give it a listen. 
2. Check out the artist: If I like the song, I look into more of the artists stuff, usually the top 5 songs on their Spotify page and add those to my playlist. 
3. Decide: If I'm still liking the artist, I'll download their music to my iTunes and add it to my favourite iTunes playlist
4. iPod: If it makes it to my iPod, it's a keeper

These few steps have helped me discover some truly wonderful artists, that I'm sure are going to keep me company over the next few months. A good playlist is essential at all times, but considering we spend so much time inside during the winter months, it's even more important to musically educate yourself whenever it's possible. 

Here's my top 15 picks: 

• No Room for Doubt - Lianne De Havas
• Piledriver Waltz - Arctic Monkeys
• Goodbye Kiss - Kasabian/ Lana Del Rey: Give both versions a listen, you wont be disappointed.
• Young Love - Mystery Jets Ft. Laura Marling
• Diamonds- Rihanna
• Someday - The Strokes
• If I Were a Boy/ You Oughta Know - Beyonce
• A Real Hero - College
• Pilot Jones - Frank Ocean
• Octopus - Bloc Party
• The Last Time - Taylor Swift Ft. Gary Lightbody
• Not Nineteen Forever - The Courteeners
• Feel To Follow - The Maccabees
• 99 Problems - Jay Z 
• Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

 So there's my top 15 songs off my winter playlist. It's a bit of a peculiar mixture I must say but there's pretty much a song for all moods on there. Some of it's from a good few years back but whatevs, I'm sticking with it. 

What song's are going to be getting you through winter? Do we share any musical loves? 

Thanks for reading lovelies! 

Stay Classy X 

Keeping Glam: How to Survive Winter

Hola Chicas! 
                       Long time no see, what've you been up to, how are the kids? Good? Brilliant andddd back to me. So we've reached that awful time of year where the trees are naked and we're anything but. Knits and tights have replaced my many beloved pairs of shorts and the Barbour's been dragged out of the wardrobe. 
I don't know about you but winter does me no favours, I hate wearing pants, I hate wearing coats and as a girl who basically has an afro, I react the way to rain the same way the Wicked Witch of the West does....

But as we lucky little Brits are stuck in this predicament for the next few months, here are my tips for staying fabulous. 

1) Don't be a fanny:  Okay so maybe I could've phrased this better but seriously why is it that people are completely and utterly intolerant to any form of cold weather? Winter happens round about the same time every year, yet people still bitch/moan/cry about it when it pops its head up at the end of September. Yes it's cold, but it's not the Arctic. There is no need whatsoever to sacrifice looking lovely to stay warm. Warmth is overrated, just ask the eskimos. If it's cold put on a jacket and find a scarf, but please do not use winter as an excuse to cocoon yourself in a mixture of jeans and bubble coats for 5 months, it is not acceptable. (Bubble coats are never acceptable...) 

2) Fake it till you make it: If you don't catch my drift on this, clearly you've never been to Liverpool. Winter means cold, it also generally means no sun, unless of course you live near a ski resort where it's about 20 miles thick with snow yet you still manage to burn, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?! For the many of you that don't live on a ski resort, you may think the lack of sun means sporting dull, pasty skin is acceptable, it isn't! I urge you all to invest some time and money into Orange Wednesdays, no not the 2 for 1 movie deal, but the routine of tanning on a Wednesday day night and carrying it on for the next few days (depending on your desired level of tannedness). This not only insures that you are nice and tanned for the weekend but it also means you won't go through the following week looking like you're doing a shit impression of Caspar. The only time it is ever acceptable to be sporting your natural skin tone *shudder* is on a Tuesday night/Wednesday morning depending on when you're planning on doing your tan as obviously, full preparation (exfoliate, shave, moisturise) must happen before all ventures into the world of St Moriz.

3) Be extravagant: Winter is after all the season, that holds some of the best holidays of the year. Halloween and Bonfire Night have been and gone and it's only been winter for like, a month! In 3 weeks we'll be rolling out the Advent Calendars and preparing for the most wonderful time of the year. Excited? You better be. If there was ever an excuse needed to be completely over the top at all times (FYI, their isn't. It's a state of mind and a basic human right) IT IS NOW. November is pretty much the bleurgh month, everyone's just waiting for Christmas really aren't they? So combat the shitty weather and your even shittier mood by simply being utterly fabulous. Sequins, leather, purple/red lipstick, beautiful coats and even better shoes, should be on your mind at all times, if not on your body. Overcompensate for the weight of your jacket by whipping your legs out. If you're covering up, make sure you throw on a ridiculous amount of jewellery to compensate for your sheer lack of effort regarding your wardrobe choice (I'm talking to you Mrs "jeans go with everything" aspffft). Stay interesting, otherwise come New Years Eve you'll be the one asleep by 12 on the couch whilst people are draping party popper streamers around your seemingly lifeless body...that's totally never happened to me, I swear...) 

4) Hydrate: In the winter there are 2 main sources of hydration which you should all be doing on a regular basis. The first is moisturising. Not just your general nightly moisturise before bed, I'm talking about buying shares in the Body Shop body butters because you plan on using that much. If you do one thing this winter, please moisturise, please. I don't think I can cope with seeing girls looking like actual mutants in the early weeks of April, as they start to re-introduce their scaly limbs into daylight. As if anyone wants to see your flaky knees. Just don't do it, okay? 

The second source of hydration is alcohol. Yes, alcohol. Winter is shit. At first, it's all cute and everyone loves wearing their jumpers, watching fireworks, walking through crunchy leaves blah blah blah. BUT after a week while, the novelty wears off and it's just cold and miserable and depressing. So cheer yourself up with alcohol. If you've followed my first few steps then go out, grab your friends/boyf/monkey lover and have a ball in town. If you haven't however, go to Tesco, buy some Glen's and have a night in, followed by a quiet word with yourself promising that you'll step it up from now on. Winter is the best time for going out! You can spend all day getting ready because there's no urge to not waste a nice day, the lack of going out in the day time means you'll have more money to spend in the night time AKA more money to spend on alcohol and because everyone is so miserable at the very sight of the sky, they will all jump at the chance of going out and restoring fun back into their boring little lives. 

So that's pretty much how I plan to survive Winter. How about you? Bought anything amazing that's going to be a saviour over the next few months? Let me know in the comments below!

Speak soon!

Stay Classy!X

P.S. Wellies are not an acceptable item of footwear unless you're at a festival/in a storm/fishing/being a farmer. Just because you own a pair of Hunter's, does not make it okay for you to wear them on a daily basis. Please stop it. Now.