Spring Wardrobe 2016: Shoe edition

It can take a lot to get me out of my winter footwear. I love a great pair of heeled boots, whether it is day or night, so bearing my feet to the world can feel like a big step for me. However, with the sun regularly making an appearance, it's about time I purchased a few new pairs of sandals and summery shoes.

First up is these black sandals from Dorothy Perkins. These sandals are pretty simple and go with pretty much everything, whether that be skinny jeans and a top during the day or a dress for an evening. The 3" heel give plenty height and the simple ankle strap means that they pretty much go with everything in my wardrobe. 

They're currently out of stock online but I'm sure they're still in store.

I love these Alexis shoe boots with fringe detailing. A faux suede material gives plenty of texture and really adds to a simple outfit. The stone colour means that they pretty much go with everything, and i mean everything. There pretty much my go to shoe, apart from when it's raining outside.

They're out of stock online in stone but available in black.

I love these orange Rocco sandals. They're very similar to the black sandals but with a smaller heel. They're great for wearing to work and jazzing up most outfits. I'm a real heel lover at heart so these are perfect to have just that little bit of height instead of a flat shoe. I can literally wear them all day.

These caged gladiator sandals are a great everyday sandal that can be dressed up or down. The faux suede upper adds a little texture and makes them not quite so plain and simple. I don't really like sandals where a lot of my foot is out, it's just a personal dislike on me, so these are great at making sure my foot is covered but still a sandal. Plus, I really like the gold zip detailing on the side and it also makes them super easy to put on and off.

As I said, I'm not really a flat shoe lover, but you've got to have a pair of flats at hand. I really like these orange suede look laser cut slipper pumps. They're simple but with a little something different. I really like them for when I need to run errands or jazz up a really simple outfit. They're definitely a great weekend shoe for me.

I've just realised how many pairs of Dorothy Perkins shoes I've bought this spring. But seriously, they've got a great selection and with up to 30% off event on pretty often it makes shoes so affordable!

February Favourites

Picking out my most-used beauty products from the past four weeks was tough this month.
I’ve been relying on the same old things I’ve mentioned time and time again, but making sure that there's plenty of moisture in there. With the super windy weather we've had in the UK this month my skin has definitely taken a beating.  

I've rediscovered my love of the Elizabeth Arden eight hour cream. This cult beauty classic has been hiding at the back of my cupboard for quite some time, but when my skin became super dry I dug it back out. It makes a great targeted moisturiser, for my knuckles, elbows etc, that really dry out. The thick consistency really makes it feel like it is doing something. 

It's Avon's time to shine. My friend has been an Avon rep for quite a while, so I often feel obliged to buy a few things every now and then. There hand cream is often on offer for 3 for £3, which is a great bargain. I've recently been loving there cocoa butter hand cream for the winter months. It's super hydrating and smells amazing. Definitely worth trying if you buy anything from Avon.

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to pipe up about this foundation. The Bourjois Healthy mix foundation is one.of my favourite go to foundation. It gives my skin a great healthy and dewy look, especially in the colder months. Plus it's definitely build-able, so it even looks great when I want a fuller coverage. 

A subtle lip has been satisfying my need for all things natural and moisturising in the lip department. The Rimmel Oh my gloss lip glosses have that super silky texture, so when layering it with a lipbalm, make my chapped lips feel amazing. I've stayed away from a bold lip this entire month, as no-one wants to see dry, flaky lips!

A little bit of glitter!

I love glitter, I really do. Just not on my face. I know I'm not the only one either. I stick to sheens and glosses, but that's me done. But every time the festive season rolls into town, I suddenly turn into a bit of a magpie. I'm only a glitter lover in the short period from mid December to New Years Eve and then it all gets packed away till next year. 

I feel like the best way to wear glitter is always in the form of a nail varnish topper. op your usual lacquer on then pile on some sparkle either just on the tips, all over or as a ring-finger accent. No matter who you are, you can always get away with glitter and look like you're loving the Christmas season. I love this Revlon Nail Enamel in Elusive; a green with sparkles which dries fairly matte. It's enough to say Merry Christmas but not too much to shock everyone at work. I'm not sure if it's available still, as I did buy it last year, but I'm sure there will be one very similar on the high street this year!

Another great way to add a touch of Christmas to your make-up look is through a pop of gold glitter eye shadow. A pressed eye shadow provides nothing too twinkle heavy as the glitter is finely milled. Adding a pop gold eye shadow to the centre of your eye is a real party-proof way of to a touch of subtle Christmas glam to your look. Plus, you could also use it as a little bit of an inner corner highlight too. This L'oreal colour riche mono eye shadow in Golden Nude is a great colour, for providing just enough Glitter.

I know this MAC lipstick isn't a glitter, but you just can't beat a red lipstick at Christmas. MAC's Russian Red is a cult classic and we all know it. It's a great for a Christmas party look and it really is a true Christmas red shade.

Review: L'Oreal Paris Brow Artiste Genius Kit

A year ago I was massively into filling in my eyebrows and for some reason I just stopped. Whilst I was looking a quick browse in Boots last week on my lunch hour I spotted the L'Oreal Paris Brow Artiste Genius Kit. I know that I'm over a year late to the hype but I was pretty intrigued.

I've never tried a high street eyebrow kit before; I've only every tried more high end products based on lots of reviews I've read. I have always been under the impression that high street eyebrow products were orange based rather than taupe.

How wrong I was! The L'oreal eyebrow kit is an ashy/taupe colour, without a hint of orange in sight. As I have auburn hair I opted for the light to medium shade as dark brows really don't suit me. 

The kit comes with the tinted wax, powder, an angled brush, spooly and a mini pair of tweezers. Which for the price I think is really good value.

The angled brush makes applying both products really easy as I use small brush motions which makes it look super natural and effortless. Plus, the spooly is great for brushing back through my eyebrows to shape.

It's a super quick and easy way of filling in your eyebrows and personally I now prefer it to filling in my eyebrows with a pencil. The colour is a great match for my colour and really makes my eyebrows look less sparse. 

Winter Lip Saviours

If there's one thing we all have in common in the winter months, it is finding the perfect lip balm. One that’s rich in emollients, that keeps our lips smooth and protected. It isn't too much to ask is it?

With the weather changing, we're all on the hunt for the best lip balm to banish chapped lips. Lip balms have come a long way from the high school days when Vaseline was the only lip balm of choice.

I'm that girl who everyone comes to ask to borrow some lip balm from, because you'll never find me without. A great lip balm helps your lips feel restored and moisturised almost immediately, and that's exactly what these 3 winter lip saviours do!

Lanolips
As the thickest lip balm, with an emollient like texture, Lanolips is gentle but moisturising and healing on your lips. An absolute go to in the harsh winter months, providing your lips with lasting softness. It heals chapped lips and maintains moisture to your lips.

The Body Shop Hemp Lip balm
My ultimate go to lip balm. This little hero has helped me through some horrendously dry and chapped lips in the past few years. It's so soothing it won’t sting or irritate cracked lips and my lips always fell hydrated after I use it. It also has a really light-weight feel on my lips, so I hardly notice that it's there but yet it is completely hydrating.

Nivea vanilla & Macadamia lip butter
It has a velvety soft texture that glides on my lips, it's definitely a lip balm that instantly feels smooth and hydrated. It leaves a glossy finish on the lips with no stickiness, which is everything you need. You can really feel a difference after just a few hours. 


I've found nothing better than these three products for healing chapped lips and moisturising my lips throughout the winter months. My ultimate holy grail lip products.

Fleur De Force for Eylure Collection

I was quite excited when I heard that Fleur De Force would be releasing an eyelash range for Eylure. Typically Fleur's eyelash choice isn't too OTT for my liking, she uses lashes to add just the right amount of drama needed.

Personally I like plenty of definition but not too much length, compared to a lot of lashes you can buy on the market. So when I saw that they were a good mix of both subtle volume and length, I knew that if there was ever a false lash collection for me, this would be it.

All of the lash strips give the eye a natural looking defined eye, which majority of the time is all I want. If there was ever an false eyelash range designed for day wear, then this is them.

There's 4 different types of lashes in the collection, 3 strip lashes and one set of individual lashes. I've tried and loved all of the banded lashes, but I've yet to try all the individual lashes, purely because I've loved the other ones so much.

All of the lashes seem to be really good quality, especially as all of my pairs have been worn numerous amounts of times and are still in a good, wearable condition. 

The packaging is brilliant as it shows you exactly what the lash will look like when you get it on, so when your buying them you get such a good idea.

Fleur Loves are three quarter length lash for adding definition to the outer corner of the eye. I love these for day time occasions, where I want that little bit extra. I've never tried corner lashes before, but I think these are my new favourites. 

Simply Fleur are subtle lightweight lashes, providing plenty of definition but without obviously looking that you are wearing lashes. This is my ideal sort of false eyelash as it just gives that little bit extra. They are also quite similar to the Cheryl for Girls Aloud eyelashes which have been my favourites for years. 

Fleur & Fabulous are the fullest set of lashes in the collection. To me they are definitely night time lashes, as they are quite glamorous but still not mega drama compared to other lashes. To say that they are the fullest set of lashes, they aren't heavy to wear and to be honest I forget that they are on my eyelashes.

If you are new to lashes and want to try something easy to wear, then I couldn't recommend the Fleur Loves style more. I've only just realised how much I love corner lashes.

In the UK they are available in Boots, priced between £5.25 and £5.95, which I think is really well priced. 

Drugstore Autumn Essentials

With Autumn creeping up on us, my skincare and make-up products begin to change, and there are a few things I always tend to turn to. 

As much as I love splurging on high end beauty products when I can, there's something very satisfying about buying a fab product without spending a fortune, so hello high-street! I have a few heroes from the drugstore, that I always end up going back to time and time again.

For taking off my make up, I don't think you can really beat Garnier's Micellar water and the L'oreal eye & lip make up remover. They remover all traces of my make up before I cleanse my face, without leaving my skin feeling as though it has a film over unlike other products I've used before.

Everyone seems to talk about these two products, but you really can't beat Rimmel's Stay matte powder and Collection's Lasting perfection concealer. They come in the category of Holy Grail products in my eyes. For £4 the concealer is so highly pigmented, doesn't crease and also doesn't move all day. Everything you want your concealer to do, an absolute steal! Rimmel's Stay matte powder is also great from preventing shine, setting your make up but also not looking cakey and heavy on the skin. I also find the Rimmel Oh my Gloss! lip glosses to feel the most hydrating on the lips as the weather begins to get colder.

My hair in Autumn often goes a little crazy and likes to frizz more than any other time of the year. So I need a mixture of products to keep my long hair in good condition. Aussie Moisture protection conditioner is a God when it comes to my hair. It keeps it moisturised, and as glossy as possible for a really affordable price. The John Freida volume boosting moose also helps give it a little boost, as as much as I love my long hair, it pretty heavy, so natural volume in a no no.

I also swear by John Freida Frizz ease serum both the formula for wet and dry hair. It keeps those little wild bits under control, especially with a spritz of V05 extra hold hairspray. The hairspray is designed for humid conditions, so helps maintain my hairstyle despite getting caught in the odd torrential downpour!

All these little bits help me transition from summer to autumn that little bit easier without paying a fortune.


Let me know your autumn essentials