ClaireJuly 3, 2013

Liebster Award!

WELL HI THERE.

As you all will know, we are a little baby blog in the big scheme of things and have been genuinely overwhelmed by the response to us, our blog and our twitter since starting out a couple of months ago (you’re all great). We’ve had some wonderful twitter chats, spent many hours perusing your blogs and generally getting involved in this delightful thing we call the blogging community. A week or two ago, the lovely Lorilee (from Lorilee’s London) nominated us for a Liebster Award – which is a fantastic way of discovering new bloggers and finding out more about the gals behind the blogs.

What in God’s green earth are the rules?

– Each nominee should answer the 11 questions by the tagger.
– Choose 11 bloggers with under 200 followers to pass the award to and link them in your post.
– Create 11 new questions for the chosen bloggers.
– Go to their page and tell them about their nomination.
– No tag backs!

So now you know (and don’t you feel enriched!). We went by Bloglovin’ followers (follow us here, hint hint, nudge nudge) for the 11 bloggers we chose and here are our answers to Lorilee’s questions!

1. If you had to choose between dream job far away or a rubbish job and close to your family what would it be?

C: I think in today’s modern world with Skype and Facetime, you don’t really need to see your family all that much. In fact, sometimes it’s nice not to have go round a relative’s house and pretend to enjoy their god-awful cooking and constant boring questions about your job and relationship status. Therefore, I would definitely choose the dream job far away – I’m sure my mum would be satisfied with a postcard now and then.

L: Definitely dream job far away – I’m originally from South Africa so I’m used to moving around and while I’d miss the fam, you can’t pass up an opportunity!

2. Shoes or clothes?

C: As much as I think that shoes are vitally important – and yes I do judge boys immediately based on what shoes they’re wearing (sandals? Get out) – my love for clothes has to win here.

L: Clothes, I resent buying shoes and feel like they are a human right that should be provided by the government (heels, on the other hand, I am quite happy to buy…hmm).

3. Reading blogs or watching YouTube?

C: I can spend hours of my day watching YouTube videos (and even more hours trying to replicate the things that I’ve seen in tutorials), but reading blogs is definitely one of my favourite things to do over a brew!

L: Definitely reading blogs! As an English graduate, I do prefer reading to watching stuff because I am a massive geeky SNORE. Also, my YouTube watching usually descends into cat videos and pandas going down slides. Saying that, I do use vlogs for hair tutorials and other things I fail miserably at (note – never attempt to give yourself a full fringe after watching a youtube video).

4. If you could live in any country where would it be?

C: Is it terribly boring for me to say England? Other countries are exciting and that, and when I was in Brussels last year I did think that I would like to spend a year or two living somewhere European and cultural, where I could maybe ride a bicycle with a baguette in the basket and become quirky and adorable. Then I remembered that I can’t ride a bike and I’m no-carbing. I do just really like England; I like the humour and the cities and the fact there’s a Greggs on every high street (what was that about no-carbing?)

L: I’m going to be massively boring and say England. I moved here about 10 years ago, so it is all still new and exciting for me. Castles are pretty much my favourite thing ever and I like a place where people say ‘thank you’ to bus drivers. And where the weather is acceptable small talk (anyone else turn into the weather man when meeting someone new? “OH DON’T WORRY, IT’S MEANT TO BE NICE ON FRIDAY”)

5. Favourite colour?

C: I absolutely LOVE the colour white. My phone, laptop, hair straighteners, iPod docking station, bed and all bedroom furniture are white. I also really like wearing white, though I tend not to risk it too much as I’m the messiest person ever.

L: Probably cream or nude because I’m a pervert.

6. What is your favourite topic to blog about?

C: I like doing haul posts because I get so excited by new things I buy and, frankly, nobody ever wants to hear me waffling on about them in real life. But I also love getting stuck into the longer, more ‘feature’ style posts that we’ve occasionally done, where we get to unleash our creativity (or lack of).

L: I personally love a bit of a beauty review – makeup is something that makes me infinitely happy! I also enjoy writing our funny little features that amuse me and probably no one else.

7. Nail polish or moisturiser?

C: I’m sure my skin would look ten times better if I did, but I actually don’t have all that much of a regular moistursing routine. Unless I’m feeling particularly dry, I often tend to forget about it to be honest – whereas not having my nails done makes me feel like a boy.

L: I SIMPLY CAN’T CHOOSE. My skin is scaly and tragic, so moisturiser is a huge must for me. But then not having nail varnish on makes me want to crawl into a dark hole and remain there for eternity

8. What is your favourite season?

C: Although I am one of those rubbish people who often complain about it being TOO hot and accidentally spend the most glorious days of year sitting inside watching DVDs, summer definitely is still my favourite season. When I bother going out, then nothing beats sitting in a pub garden or having a barbecue.

L: There is a time of year that Claire and I fondly refer to as ‘cardigan weather’. It usually happens around spring and autumn, when it isn’t too hot but it’s sunny and lovely – e.g. perfect weather for a cardigan. I will ceaselessly love this sort of weather; I hate being hot and bothered (clearly an African girl…).

9. Blog everyday or tweet everyday?

C: We’re absolute pests, so we do both.

L: We try to do both! Sometimes we go overboard and blog a few times a day – IT’S JUST TOO MUCH FUN. We are terribly sorry for pestering you all so much…

10. Handbag or rucksack?

C: I’m a weakling, so I have genuinely struggled whenever I’ve had to carry a rucksack in my life. A medium-sized handbag is definitely more my thing.

L: Oh, definitely a handbag. Rucksacks are terribly confusing and cause me quite a lot of worry. ARE THEY SAFE?! What about pickpockets? What about wayward zips? Shoulder rubbing?

11. Films or television?

C: I love watching films, but I’m also a commitment phobe and sometimes I think ‘ooh I dunno, can I really commit two hours of my life to what could potentially be a rubbish film?’ Whereas I couldn’t actually estimate how many hours of my life I have spent re-watching every episode of Peep Show and Green Wing. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to ANYTHING as much as I looked forward to my weekly episodes of Game of Thrones (though that is probably a really sad fact to admit).

L: Well, Claire and I are poor and pathetic at the moment and don’t actually have a TV. We’ve been doing our best to keep up with shows but at the moment we basically live in the third world. Films are great but I feel like it’s not always possible to commit to a full 2 hours, so I’m going to go with TV on this one!

And we are nominating these lovely bloggers:

1. Emily at Emuleh Parker

2. ChiChi at Project Chi Chi

3. Sarah at Sarah Speaks

4. Jem at The Name of Beauty

5. Vickie at StonesGotStyle

6. Linda at Love for Beauty

7. Sophy at Lashes and Splashes

8. Shuvii at Fashion & Cupcakes

9. Lisa at Little Miss Lines

10. Emma at Fab Head To Toe

11. Jessica at Jessica Emilee

Our Liebster questions for you:

1. Would you rather have lipstick on your teeth or your skirt tucked into your pants – and WHY?

2. Where is your favourite place to blog?

3. Would you rather have a shaved head or have to dress like Dobby the house elf for 6 months?

4. If you had £5000, what would you buy?

5. What is your favourite bargain product?

6. If you had to dye your hair an unnatural colour, what would it be and why?

7. What’s worse – war or corduroy trousers?

8. Do you ever worry you have a moustache?

9. What is your preferring snack and/or beverage whilst blogging?

10. Who is the most annoying celebrity in your opinion and why?

11. What do you have for breakfast on a normal day?

WE CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR YOUR ANSWERS! Please let us know if you have answered them so we can have an ogle. Leave us a comment or find us on Twitter @StylingoUK if you want to have a chat.

ClaireJuly 2, 2013

Life Tips from Amanda Bynes.

We all fondly remember the girl in ‘The Amanda Show’ and ‘What I Like About You’ (though I think ‘The Amanda Show’ should have been a bit of an indication that she is in fact somewhat cray. It wasn’t ok.). Thinking back to my childhood years, she actually played quite a big part of my TV watching schedule. Claire and I were discussing this and even her recent films have been quite great, ‘Easy A’ was genuinely brilliant and nothing more needs to be said about ‘She’s The Man’.

Unless you’ve been living under a horrible, dark and lonely rock for the past year or so, you will be aware of our new form of Amanda Bynes entertainment. Amanda Bynes’ twitter account is literally gold dust. If you’re feeling sad? Go on Amanda Bynes’ twitter. The man got you down? Go on Amanda Bynes’ twitter. Hangover depression got you in a spiraling tornado of guilt and sorrow? Go on Amanda Bynes’ twitter. Basically, my answer to everyone’s woes at the moment is to hop on everyone’s favourite microblogging site and scroll back through hours of comedy gold, selflessly provided by Amanda herself.

What I have actually realised is that Amanda is something of a life coach. There is many a day where I find myself annoying Claire with unavoidable life questions. There’s only so many times she can hear ‘DOES THIS BOY LIKE ME’, ‘IS MY FACE TOO ORANGE’ and ‘I JUST WATCHED BLACK MIRROR AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT LIFE MEANS ANYMORE’ in one day. The poor girl would go even madder than she already is. With that in mind, I had to find someone else to counsel me in my times of trouble and that person has turned out to be Amanda Bynes.

Amanda on relationships:

Don’t bother playing hard to get:

At the end of the day, Amanda has shown us that if you like someone, it’s better to let your feelings flow. Going in for the kill and letting them know how you feel is a good way of showing them that you really care.

This is a great example. What is the point in fannying around playing coy and sneaky when you can just tell your intended beau that you love him? Granted, it might scare him off but who wants a boy that gets frightened that easily anyway?

If the man of your dreams rejects you, this isn’t the time to save face. It’s better to let it all out and get those feelings out there. Bottling emotions up inside can lead to a bigger breakdown later along the line, so wear your heart on your sleeve. If it makes you feel better, insult the man you used to love – it can get rid of that pent up aggression.

Know what you want out of a man:

It’s safe to say that most of us are looking to eventually get married and find ‘the one’. It’s a tough dating world out there and these days, it’s becoming more and more difficult to find that perfect person to settle down with. To make the situation easier, Amanda has shown us that you should make a list of what you do/don’t want in a relationship. This really helps to narrow down the pool of potential suitors.

Helpful, right?

It’s worth letting your man know you’re in demand:

It’s a sad fact of life that our relationships are influenced by the people around us. For example: that boy down the road that you thought was a loser actually has millions of women after him. Suddenly he doesn’t seem like such a snore. Suddenly you question your judgement. Is he actually fit? Are his khaki crocs in fact endearing rather than repulsive?

By letting your potential suitors know that you are a man-magnet, you are effectively showing him that you are something worth having. It’s quite difficult to do this subtly, so think about taking Amanda’s approach.

It’s forward but ticks the right boxes – it’s all about showing you’re unavailable. We all want what we can’t have, right?

Amanda on beauty:

Exercise is important:

We all know that exercise is important for our health and this is something that Amanda often champions on her twitter account. She is an avid gym-goer, so it may be worth taking a leaf out of her book if you’re looking to get into shape.

But it’s worth remembering that you can’t expect results straight away.

If you feel like you need a change of exercise routine, why not take up a unique sport or activity?

But don’t worry if people hate on you for it, they’re just jealous.

Physical attractiveness is important:

While personality is important, lets all be honest and admit that physical attractiveness plays a big role in society. There’s a reason why we all dedicate so much time and money on makeup, haircare, the gym and other efforts to improve our appearance. It doesn’t mean we’re shallow, it’s probably just an ingrained mating instinct to create the best children possible (science, isn’t it great). Amanda might take aesthetics a little bit too seriously but she does emphasise the importance of taking care of your physical appearance. If Amanda doesn’t care, then who on this green earth would?!

Amanda on haters:

Lawyers are there for a reason:

Why do lawyers bother going to university for aeons, having boring lives and wear terrible suits all the time? Probably because they earn lots of money from people like Amanda. At the end of the day, they’re there for a reason and if someone is mean to you, the best thing to do is sue them for defamation. No one likes having stories made up about you, especially if they’re not true. The best way to react is badly. We’ll have none of this ‘be the better person’ or ‘the best way to defeat a bully is to ignore them’ nonsense. Get right in there with a lawsuit and show them that you mean business.

For more Amanda Bynes gold dust, follow her on Twitter @AmandaBynes. It’s guaranteed to make your life infinitely better and you might just learn something along the way. I don’t think it would be exaggerating to say that she has changed mine and Claire’s life for the better – there are days when we look at each other and think ‘WWABD’. She dishes out the life tips willy nilly and they simply can’t be ignored.

ClaireJuly 1, 2013

Outfit of the Day: Acid Wash Jeans and Lace.

Well something entirely mad has happened. It appears I simply can’t get my Topshop acid wash jeans off of my legs.

Joking and larking around aside, I really do need to stop wearing them constantly before you all think I am homeless and have no other trousers. But they really are my favourite jeans at the moment and they work well for both casual and nighttime looks. This is basically what I had in mind on Friday, which was the day Claire and I tried to do the frightening from-work-to-drinks thang (see her OOTD post, she looked much more trendy than I did). I figured you couldn’t go horribly wrong with jeans, a blouse and a pair of wedges so I opted for potentially the most boring outfit in the world. Nevertheless, I was pretty happy how it turned out and things weren’t too tragic if I do say so myself! A fierce (hopefully) bun and my usual face plastered with makeup and I was ready to down a cocktail or 10. We ended up having a brilliant night and now I’m vaguely convinced we are sophisticated gals about town.

If you want to recreate this outfit…YOU CAN’T. Only kidding, I’m pretty sure the top and shoes are no longer on the highstreet but they’re quite simple items so I’ve sourced some similar ones for you to peruse online. I also realised I look a bit like a vicar with a bun, so I’m not so sure about the top anymore (which is great as I’ve already worn it, snore).

Topshop Acid Wash Jeans £39.99 Beige Wedges £19.99 White Lace Top £24

ClaireJuly 1, 2013

Outfit of the Day: Primark Patterned Trousers & Crop

SHOCK BLOODY HORROR, CLAIRE’S ONLY WEARING A CROP TOP AGAIN. Seriously, what will I do when these go out of fashion? My midriff will feel so unloved.

On Friday we had the ever-daunting task of going out for drinks straight after work. This is the sort of thing that Cosmo pretend is really easy when they write things like ‘this dress is the perfect office-to-drinks piece’ – in real life it is very difficult and means lugging a pair of heels, extra clothes and your entire makeup bag to work with you (we don’t have ‘office-to-drinks’ faces, unfortunately).

I opted for my new patterned trousers from Primark, with a plain long sleeved black top during the day. Just before leaving work, I released my stomach and got changed into the crop top for a more evening-appropriate look. I’ve just realised that this entire outfit, including necklace, is actually from Primark. I’m going to awkwardly side-step away from life now. Bye.

ClaireJune 29, 2013

June Haul: Primark, Topshop, Motel & eBay

ALOHA, SLUTS. This week, two big events coincided – one, payday; two, A Terrible Week. When these two things meet, a lot of shopping ends up happening, and that is why all of these new clothes are currently sitting in my room. I won’t depress you all with the details of A Terrible Week, but it goes without saying that cocktails and friends have made things significantly better.These new little purchases have helped too….

Printed trousers and midi dress – both Primark

Of course, I had to venture to Primark in my time of need. I’ve been after these trousers for a couple of months now, and finally got round to buying them. I do think that a pair of ridiculous trousers can really brighten not only your day, but the days of everyone around you. These are really comfy and the elasticated waist came in SUPER handy yesterday when I accidentally had a pie and chips for lunch instead of a salad (how does that sort of thing always happen? It’s a mystery).

I also finally picked up one of the Primark midi dresses. As I’ve no doubt whinged about before, being petite means that finding a midi is a challenge and most of the ones I’ve tried on in places like Primark have looked awful. To be honest, this one didn’t look great on in the changing room – despite getting a size 6, the slouchy fit still just looked TOO slouchy and shapeless, and I’m just not sure if they suit little people. So why did I buy it still? That’s a really good question, and I wish I knew the answer. I think I want to try it on with some wedges and a belt and see if it can be salvaged – if not, it is farewell, midi.

I picked up a few other bits from Primark, including a new purse, a belt, some socks and a makeup bag – unfortunately at the time we went to press (ie now) all of these items were strewn around various parts of my house and not available for photographing.

Jeggings – Topshop £22

This might be a really odd thing to say but these are actually my first pair of jeggings. Ever. I’ve never found any before that suited me or that I liked and, to be honest, I thought they were kind of gone now. But I saw these in Topshop and decided to try them on because I liked the pale denim. And IT WAS LOVE. They fit beautifully and are perfect for the summer. So please can nobody ruin my joy by telling me how sooo 2010 they are (even if they are).

Cropped blazer – eBay

I actually already have this blazer in black and in white. I’m usually not a fan of stocking up in this way, but I actually can’t resist with this item. I love blazers but really struggle to find ones that don’t swamp my small frame and make me look about seven feet wide due to unnecessary shoulder pads. These cropped waterfall blazers from a run-of-the-mill eBay shop are actually the perfect length, and come in at around a tenner including p&p – so of course I couldn’t resist adding this minty one to my collection.

Tube skirt: Motel £10

When I spied this bad boy in the sale, I couldn’t say no. It’s described on the website as being ‘a maxi or a midi depending on your height’; on me it is definitely a maxi, but quite an ankle-grazing one, which is quite nice. It’s actually a thick, knitted material which I wasn’t really expecting (because I don’t read descriptions, mainly), but I’m happy with it as I’ll get loads of wear out of it into the winter too.

Dip-dye dress – Topshop via eBay

This shouldn’t really be included in the haul seeing as it’s not a ‘new’ item as such – I actually swooped in and won this on eBay for a victorious £3. It was brand new without tags so quite the bargain.

What do you all think of this haul? Have you bought any of these items lately?

ClaireJune 28, 2013

How to Dress Like… Iggy Azalea

I don’t think I can accurately describe how thoroughly in love I am with Iggy Azalea. Ever since first seeing the ‘Work’ video, I’ve dedicated good portions of my day to stalking her Twitter and Instagram accounts, lusting over her hair, clothes, figure… okay, her everything. It borders on a creepy crush, and I’m perfectly fine admitting that to you all.

I figured that I may as well put my obsessive perusing to some good use and run through some of Iggy’s key looks, how you can replicate them and general tips on how to embrace your inner Iggy.

Look 1: The Body

Miss Azalea is regularly spotted wearing leotards that perfectly show off her teeny tiny top half. One of the reasons I absolutely adore her style, and I’m sure I’ll waffle more about this in a bit, is because she’s proud of her ‘runway tits’ and doesn’t go in for trying to make them look bigger like other small-boobed celebs do (Rihanna, I’m looking at you, ya B-cup faker).

Motel body / Miss Selfridge Black Mesh Body / New Look Print Body

Look Two: Urban

I’ve read numerous bits about how Iggy moved from Australia to America (which is not something I’d necessarily do – waving ‘laters’ to fit Aussie surfer boys just seems like the actions of a lunatic) because she considered it to be the home of hip hop. Her love of this culture is obviously something that passes into her style, so she’s regularly repping the urban look. Generally, I wouldn’t encourage you to start going out in full tracksuits unless you’re a big name in rap, but luckily the current trend for sport luxe means that you can incorporate this in a wearable way.

River Island Mesh Crop / Topshop Grey Quilted Joggers / River Island Studded High Tops

Look Three: Bright Bodycons

One word will suffice here: CURVES. She’s always emphasising hers in bright prints and colours. I’m personally really intrigued to know whether she ever wears fat pants to suck it all in – I mean, I know her abs are amazing, but what if she has a really big pie before an event? Unfortunately, I don’t think I’d get a response if I tweeted her about her underwear. Sad face.

Boohoo Ombre Dress / Motel Jolene Dress / Motel Zoe Dress in Aztec

Look Four: The Crop Top

A girl after my own heart, Iggy has a selection of amazing crop tops. If you had a stomach like this, wouldn’t you constantly be flashing it?

Topshop Leater Look Bralet / New Look Aztec Crop / Urban Outfitters Halterneck Crop

What do you all think of Iggy Azalea’s style? Who are you admiring at the moment?

ClaireJune 27, 2013

ASOS Sale: The 6 Best Bargain Dresses For This Saturday Night

Mini Polo Neck Dress / Petite ‘Cold Shoulder’ Aztec Print Dress / Glamorous Number Print Midi Dress

Square-Back Mini Dress / Motel Midi Dress /River Island Diamond Print Bodycon Dress

I always get overly-excited when Asos launch a big sale – it’s one of my favourite retailers, and I never fail to find something on there. There are always great bargains to be found in the sale section, but at the moment they seem to particularly have a frankly SUPERB selection of going-out dresses. As I’m a kind-hearted girl, I thought I’d pick out six of the best dresses that you can pick up for under £15 – and if you order today or tomorrow, it can still arrive in time for that big night out at the weekend. You are very welcome.

ClaireJune 26, 2013

Mini Haul: Primark, Simple and Collection!

Hey chicks!

As a lot of you will aware from our incessant celebrating, yesterday was pay day. I feel like you have never truly experienced happiness until you get that heady ‘I’M SO RICH, KANYE HAS NOTHING ON ME RIGHT NOW’ joy from getting paid. Getting paid means splashing out on those things that you lusted over last month but couldn’t afford because you spent all of your money on pay day (LOGICAL?). As soon as lunch time hit yesterday, Claire was all over eBay and investing in her current list of must-haves. I, on the other hand, was attempting to be sensible and not buy anything unnecessary. This went pretty well until I got into Birmingham after work and had half an hour to kill before going for dinner. I went to Boots, which is ALWAYS dangerous, and then couldn’t stop myself from strolling around everywhere looking for things to satisfy my deep, deep need for material possessions (nail varnish = happiness. It has been proved. By science).

This is just a mini haul post on what I bought yesterday – I’d say none of it is HUGELY exciting, but still, a haul is a haul. You have to excuse the awful photos, I had to resort to my iphone after I’d had a couple of glasses of wine and apparently this is what happens. WHAT KIND OF BLOGGER DO I THINK I AM?!

I have a little bit of explaining to do with regards to each item actually and they all come with wonderful stories that I know you are all dying to hear, so feel free to make yourself a cup of tea and snuggle down. I’m justifying this little shopping trip because most of the items were entirely necessary and I did vaguely try and be thrifty NO JUDGEMENT PLEASE, MONEY GOD.

This little bad boy I have been lusting over since I spotted it in Boots a few weeks ago. I was actually having a lovely chat with @StonesGotStyle on Twitter about it and we both were thinking it’d be a BRILLIANT product if it delivered on the makeup fixing front. For the price, I think it really could be a winner, particularly when compared to more expensive brands. I’ve got it on today and so far so good – although I would say it’s not really a fair trial as I manage to smear all of my makeup over my face when I’m at work no matter what I’ve got on. I’m going to try it out on Friday when I head out with Claire and the gals – expect a full review very soon. It also smells lovely, as a side note!

Why have you put a lip balm on a haul post, you ask? Well, it does seem a bit pointless BUT I think it’s good to know what lip balms work and smell good. There have been so many times I’ve just gone with Vaseline because I couldn’t make up my mind about other brands and to be honest, Vaseline is a pile of greasy nothing. For anyone else who struggles with chapped lips in the summer, this lip balm is perfect. It smells and tastes yummy and actually works – I’ve been using it for a while now and I can safely say I’ve not used a better everyday balm.

I CAN’T RAVE ABOUT THIS CONCEALER ENOUGH. Honestly, it is full on amazing. I’ve tried similar illuminating concealers and they have all been WUBBISH. I’ve also heard this is the best dupe for Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat and for £5, it’s definitely worth giving it a go. I bought it in the ‘Glow’ shade as it’s the darkest one they do and use it under my eyes and down my nose for contouring purposes. Occasionally I’ll use it on spots too, although I try not to as it is a mixture of a highlighter and concealer (and who wants to highlight their spots?!). Saying that, it does work well as a simple concealer too. I could go on about this product for YEARS but will save you all the torture and just recommend you purchase and give it a whirl!

Claire and I had a moment the other day when we realised that big earrings were no longer cool. It was quite a heart wrenching moment; our standard jewellery ventures used to be a giant pair of chandelier earrings. But this just simply can’t be done anymore, sob. We’ve come to the conclusion that necklaces and rings are the big players in the jewellery world now, which is fantastic apart from the fact I have sausage fingers. ANYWAY, it turns out I haven’t been quite able to let go of my love of earrings and decided to buy a load of hoops from Primark. At £1, it was pretty rude not to. My theory is, because the 90’s are well and truly back, I can get away with a bit of Jennifer Anniston hoop. I’m planning a big topknot and hoops for Friday, so I will take a picture and see if this is achieved! I also got this set of rings because I love a bit of neon and they’re a great way of adding a bit of the trend into a boring outfit (note – Primark have some LOVELY neon jewellery in at the moment).

If you follow us on Twitter, you might have seen my #bbloggers beg the other day for some eye makeup remover recommendations. I have a new mascara, which I love, but it refuses to come off. It’s not actually waterproof but has a terrible habit of sticking to anything and everything. I had a lot of response and I really wanted to invest in a No7 oil based remover that one of you lovely people recommended. However, I left my voucher at home and in a bid to be sensible, decided to go with something a bit cheaper. I also looked for the Neutrogena wipes that were recommended but unfortunately the Boots I was in didn’t stock them, so I went for the next make up remover suggestion! So far, I’ve been really happy with this Simple one and it takes all of the naughty mascara off in a few wipes. I’m actually very happy with it and for the price, I think I will buy it again. So big thanks to all of you who gave me some suggestions!

Finally, this was my last purchase yesterday! There’s not much to say apart from the fact that my shoe situation is terrible and I needed some black pumps for work. They’re quite cute, so I’m happy! I have my eye on a pair of nude t-bar studded ones in Primark actually, and will probably buy them in the next few weeks.

WELL, that was my slightly mad pay day haul yesterday. I’ve told myself I’m on a spending ban now, but lets see how long that realistically lasts….

ClaireJune 25, 2013

Wishlist: The Search For A New Handbag.

Handbags. Even girls (who arguably should be sectioned) that claim they don’t like shopping and ‘girly things’ love a good handbag. Where else are you supposed to keep essential items like phones, keys and snacks for later? POCKETS? ARE YOU MAD? HAM SANDWICHES DON’T SURVIVE IN POCKETS.

Ahem. Anyway. I’ve been on the hunt for a new handbag for a while now and I’m in two minds whether to invest in something fancy or just go with my usual standard of buying a cheap handbag that only lasts a couple of months. At the moment I’m using a horrible combination of a little black box bag for the days I don’t have a lot of stuff (it’s a really old Primark one that’s not worth getting into too much detail about) and a big floral one for when I’m going to the gym (or have a big lunch…). They’re doing me fine for now, but I really feel like I need a nice grown up handbag in a sophisticated shade of black or tan to make my life a bit better.

So, with all of this pointless information in mind, I’ve decided to put together a handbag wishlist to try and streamline my ideas and also share with y’all the best of the handbags on the highstreet.

Contrast effect bags:

As you may notice, I’m after a bit of a classic bag that’s going to last me over the next couple of years (fingers crossed), so I’m a bit wary of getting involved in anything too neon or rucksack-y. On the topic of rucksacks, me and Claire were discussing what perils you could encounter while wearing one. Don’t get us wrong, we are both big fans of rucksacks but there are things that need to be addressed. What if someone stole my lunch on the way to work (don’t pretend like you didn’t unzip people’s backpacks at school and hide their things)? What if I fell over backwards and squashed my belongings? What if I was mistaken for a five year old and told to go back to pre-school? Will I actually just look like a giant douchebag? For these legitimate/worrying reasons, rucksacks have not been featured on this bag wishlist. Sorry gals.

Tan bags:

Printed bags:

I’m painfully aware that the tan bags and contrast bags I picked are all a bit boring, so I’ve decided to do a ‘printed’ category to take me out of my comfort zone a bit. I’m not sure how classic these are but the I do enjoy a good bit of leopard and geometric print so one of them might be the one!

What do you guys think? Any particular favourites or recommendations?

*Note – Claire just pointed out I wrote about lunch on three occasions in this post. IT’S MY FAVOURITE MEAL OF THE DAY, I’M SORRY I ENJOY A FREAKIN’ SANDWICH.

ClaireJune 24, 2013

E.l.f. Contouring Kit: Review

I’ve mentioned a few times in this blog how one of the main beauty techniques I’m interested in developing my skills in is contouring. I dabbled in it a bit, just by using my bronzer and blusher but was keen to see what else could be done. So as part of our E.l.f haul last week, I couldn’t resist trying out their contouring kit. For under £4, how could I say no?

I chose the ‘St Lucia’ shade, which I think is the lightest shade in the range – but I was a bit worried about the bronzer being too light on days that I’ve fake tanned and am sporting a touch of Orangeface (which is a technical term, just in case you were wondering). What I didn’t like about the look of this kit in comparison to ones from other companies like Sleek was the fact that it’s more of a bronzer-blusher duo as opposed to a bronzer-highlighter. I did wonder whether it would look any different to what I currently do, so also ordered a highlighter with the intention of maybe incorporating that too.

Contouring Kit / ‘Spotlight’ Colour Stick

So, what do I make of it? The contouring kit itself is good quality. I like the packaging, and the mirror inside the compact is a nice touch .I needn’t have worried about it being too light, the bronzer is quite dark. The colours are really pigmented too, particularly in the bronzer. This means that less is definitely more – the first time I applied it, I ended up with way too much product and looked like I was trying to do army camo down my cheeks. Less Kardashian, more Rambo. Mistake.

The blush is a bit less intense and once I applied it I was left feeling a bit like it didn’t add a great deal to the look. So this is where the highlighter came into play. I applied this across the top of my cheekbones and it had a much better effect with the bronzer. I actually ended up being quite in love with this product and might do a full post on how to use it once I’ve mastered the art myself.

The contouring kit IS good, but like I said – it wasn’t a huge difference to what I was already achieving myself with my bronzer and blusher. So it’s a nice product if you’re new to contouring, but not one that’s really going to change your life (some people might say no makeup product can change your life; to these idiots I say ‘SHUT UP, YOUR PRIORITIES ARE WRONG AND YOUR PARENTS DON’T LOVE YOU’)

Have you tried this product? What are your fave contouring kits?