Practically Fashionable...

So as you may have seen in my last post, I'm currently loving this summers recycled trend: the crop top! 

The crop top is a trend which first took a stronghold in the 1980's, and was originally inspired by American Footballers tops, which were cut short in order for the players to be kept cool whilst playing in the heat. It seems like everyone wanted a piece of the look as they were popular for both men and women alike :) - Can you picture your other half sporting one?.. I'm not so sure!

Now, in 2010 they're back with a vengeance and boy am I pleased. As much as I'd like to sit here and lie to you all and tell you that 'I too wear my crop top to keep me cool while playing sport', we both know this isn't in fact true hehe.. I do however work in a rather stuffy environment which is by far lacking in the air-con department! 

This look was put together with comfort, practicality and aesthetics in mind...

Crop Top *River Island Sale*

Jeans *Jamie Ultimate Skinny - Topshop*

Sandal Boots * Zara*

Besides being an ideal choice for me to wear to work, this was a perfect choice for my day off, which I spent mooching round the sales at the Metro Centre and in our rather large TK Maxx store (..They've started selling Calvin Klein & Lancaster Makeup!?)

I do realise this is my second OOTD post in a row, it's just I'm again super busy this week and when I decided to wear this I thought it was possibly worthy of a post :)

P:S...Don't forget, I now have a Formspring so get asking away...

Xxx

If you had one question...

What would it be? 

To ask moi that is... 

I recently just signed up to Formspring in the hope that any questions or comments you lovelies have for me, but may wish to remain anonymous for, can be answered :) 

You can check out my profile by clicking here

I hope by doing this you'll be able to get to know me as a person and not just as the beauty blogger whose posts you read hehe :) 

Feel free to ask away...

Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend :) 

Lovess xx

♥ Stripe Induced Sailer Esq OOTD ♥

Evening lovelies! 

My, my, my I feel like I've totally abandoned you all and my blog this week... I've been so totally 'over' busy with work and I've only had one day off this week, on which my body decided to give me a migraine & so I couldn't bare to sit in front of the laptop for more than 10mins at a time! 

Anyways, enough of the rambling on! - I've got loads of things to blog about, it's just finding the time to sit and write properly :) 

So for the time being, I thought I'd post a OOTD for your kind deliberation :)

I was at work today and the store where I work always ends up uber hot, especially on icky clammy days like today. So because of this I like to keep it simple, floaty and of course comfortable considering I'm on my feet from 9-6! 

[Click to Enlarge]

Please ignore the ridiculous expression I have on my face, my sister was insisting on making me giggle!

Over Sized Nautical Crop Top - River Island

Jeggings - TK Maxx

Gold Pumps - Accessorize 

Sunglasses on Head - Celine

Bag - Mulberry Bayswater

I actually was rocking quite a dark St Moriz tan, but the flash on the SLR seems to have desperately washed me out hehe! 

[Click to Enlarge]

You can see the tan a little better here...

I thought I'd post this closer up shot, as I'm wearing Snob, my latest MAC lippie which was bought solely on the basis of how beautiful it looked on the gorgeous Annabella :)

I've got it mixed with a little Body Shop lip butter, so it looks a little paler/more sheer than it does by it's self, but it's an absolutely amazing colour and I'm so glad I picked it up!

 So there we have it... What do you think? Yay or nay to the sailor stripes hehe? 

Lovess xx

100+ Followers Giveaway...Announcing the Winner ♥

Evening my little sugar plums :) 

After going through all of the entries to my giveaway to celebrate 100 followers, of which there were 117 in total, I have finally given each entry a number and entered the range from 1-117 in 'random.org' to determine a winner! 

After counting the single entries and then the entries with an attached link I worked out that the 107th entry was the lovely Lauren over at LoveLaughLauren!

Congratulations Lauren and once I've contacted you I shall get your prizes sent out asap! 

Hope you're all swell, have had a nice relaxing weekend & don't have the Monday blues :) 

Lovesss Xx

♥ Delicious Bargains from the Zara Summer Sale ♥

Evening girlies :) 

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend! - Mine has so far consisted of work, work & more work! 

I am desperately trying to not let the fact that I don't have a day off until Wednesday depress me ha.. I do however have a casting for a hair & makeup competition with Aveda on Monday; needless to say, the mere insinuation of a 'makeup' casting was enough to bring about a major breakout in my chin region... Let's just say Laura won't be getting the job! ha 

To put an end to my rambling I thought I'd show you all a few things I managed to pick up in the Zara sale in the last couple of weeks. I have to admit I totally love Zara after falling in love with the brand on a holiday to Tenerife 5 years ago; they have a fabulous flagship store there :) - I'm hoping to go back in October for my 22nd Birthday!

These little, or should I say rather chunky, beauts were first spotted by myself and my sister when they first arrived in store, probably back in March sometime. We were silly in not picking them up straight away, and ummed and ahhed over them.. Consequently they all sold out, aside from 3 pairs which were in the shop window on mannequins! We then asked a member of staff and the lovely girl told us they would either be a size 5 or 6 and we could put our name down for them, to be called when they eventually changed the display. Lo and behold, we got a call when the shop went into sale telling us that in fact they were a size 5 and we could come and pick them up :) .. Their original retail price was £89.99, but due to them being part of the display I got them for just £49.99!

As the wedge also has a platform, they are super comfy to walk in, a major plus! 

When I was in the store picking these up, I also spotted out of the corner of my eye these other two pairs of summery sandals...

These ones here are reminiscent of so many on the high street, the familiar style of this seasons footwear; the 'sandalboot' - At first I was really quite wary of this concept as I have a major hangup about cutting my legs off at the ankle, I feel it makes me look stubby, even though I'm a fairly tall 5'8ish.. However, the material these have been made out of is a really soft slouchy denim. As you can see by the tootsie marks on the sole, I've been wearing these quite a lot! Mostly for work, with jersey or denim hareem style pants (eliminates the illusion of a cut off leg)... These were originally £39.99 but I got my hands on them for a mere £19.99

Finally, under a pile of messed up t-shirts, I found these little gems! How cute are these please?!

I'm yet to wear these, but I think they'll work really well with a maxi dress for an evening... They'll also be ideal to take away on my holiday...(that I'm yet to book! hehe) - Again, I think these were supposed to be £39.99 and I got them for a steal at £19.99 :)

So there we have it, my lovely purchases from Zara! - I bought quite a bit in the Topshop sale too, which was surprisingly really good up here (Topshop Metro Centre & Debenhams) - Although a lot of the things I bought were cute little jumpers which will be ideal to take me through into Autumn *shudders* at the thought of cold weather :( 

I may do another post on what I picked up at Topshop, so if you'd like to see what I got my hands on just leave it in a comment below :) 

I'm hopefully going to post the winner of my blog giveaway tomorrow as well, so stay tuneddd :) 

Nighty night princesses :)

Mwahh xx

General Update & 8 Questions Tag...

Evening girlies :) 

Thought I'd just write a quick note as I haven't had time this week to blog properly :( 

I've basically been working non-stop this week, with today being my only day off so me and the boy spent some well deserved quality time together and had a fab day watching dvds & baking yummy treats (..Well I was baking hehe)

So I'm back at work tomorrow and for the whole of the weekend, but I'm going to try and get some OOTD posts put together and I've got a nice review to write up for you all too :) 

I also thought I'd include in this post a tag which I was included in by the lovely Laura (..Good name!) over at Pieces of Beauty

If you don't already follow her, then hop on over and check out her blog

 

 So here it goes...

1.What is your ‘must-have’ makeup product for summer?

My beauty must have for summer I would have to say would be fake tan, with the makeup essential being a good bronzer. I'm naturally very pale and so look awfully washed out and dull if I don't wear any faketan to give me a slight glow! Bronzer is obviously such a versatile product which I use for contouring, adding an overall glow to my face and also lightly dusted over my shoulders etc for a night out.

2. How would you describe your style?

I wouldn't really say I had a specific style, I can go from one day wearing a maxi dress and cute flats, to the next at work wearing skinny jeans and a Lyle and Scott polo (I work in a menswear boutique) or just chilling out and wanting to be comfy in my oversized joggers and hoodie. I think the key to being stylish is wearing something that you feel comfortable in and something that makes you feel good about yourself, not just necessarily following current trends or buying a whole capsule collection from Topshop just because in the shop it all looks good together. 

3. Lipstick or lipgloss?

Definitely lipstick!

4. What is your reason for blogging?

My reason for blogging is pretty simple really, I do it for myself. As most of you already know I love fashion and actually study it, well study Fashion Communication as my degree at Northumbria University. I also love beauty and anything to do with making yourself look and feel better, at the end of the day you only live once, so to live the way you want to is the most important thing. I also would like to think that some of you might just get a little bit of enjoyment from reading what I write, but if not I'll just carry one rambling to myself hehe

5. Who are your beauty icons?

If I'm honest I don't really have any... There are so many beautiful women out there!

6. What was your most recent purchase?

My most recent purchase, beauty wise was a MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty from the lovely Sinead over at *Dainty*Dollymix*

  
7. What is your daily skincare routine?

I have to admit I've always been super lucky with my skin and have never really stuck at a certain skincare routine as I've never felt they've ever really been that beneficial to me. On a morning I usually give my face a quick wash over with a daily face wash such as the Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Wash & Mask - Obviously just used as the wash, then on a night time I usually remove my makeup with a makeup wipe, ones I'm loving right now are the Garnier Clean & Soft Complete Cleansing Wipes - These are really great at removing my makeup and leave my skin feeling really fresh, I'll then repeat the wash which I used on the morning, or whatever one comes to hand first. While I'm in the shower I use the St Ives Elements Warming Scrub which gives me a deeper clean and leaves my skin feeling amazing. 

8. What is your personal definition of beauty?

My definition of beauty is not just something which exists on the outside, but something which has to come from the inside in order for you to have a beautiful appearance. If you're ugly on the inside, it doesn't matter whether you're pretty or not, as you're just not a very nice person.

I tag all of you lovely ladies who follow me to complete this tag, I think Laura's questions are really great and you can get some really informative answers from them, so go ahead and answer the same set I have :) 

I'm thinking of setting up a Formspring account, so if any of you lovelies wanted to ask me any questions which weren't featured up above, then you could do so on there... What do you think to a Formspring account? 

Anyhooos I'm going to get off to sleeps for another long day at work tomorrow, on my return I shall be making a start on numbering all of the enteries for my 100+ Followers Giveaway which ended last night :) 

Much love :)

Xx

Giveaway Reminder...

Just a little note to remind you all that my 100+ Followers Giveaway ends tonight at 9pm...

Here's a sneak peak at what you can win...

If you haven't already entered then you can do so by clicking here :) 

Good luck my little lovelies! 

Lovesss xx

Fashion Marketing Graduate Photoshoot: Final Images...

Afternoon my lovelies & a happy Sunday to you all :)

So being at University studying a Fashion related degree is such a great way for me to explore the industry, not only the academic and business side of things, but also the more glamorous! 

I recently was asked by one of the graduating Fashion Marketing students if I would model her final collection for all of her promotional material which would be used at Graduate Fashion Week on the Northumbria University stand. I of course jumped at the chance, not only to help her out, but to get some new pictures for my portfolio. 

The shoot was of course based around her garments, which had been designed as 'Winter Luxe' loungewear. Due to it being a wintery shoot I was seen without any fake tan for the first time in many months hehe 

She sent me back all of the final images which were taken on the day, and I thought you might like to see a few...

If you click the images, I think they should enlarge :)

These next few shots are photos Gemma (..the lovely talented girlie who's garments I was modelling) took when she set up her stand at GFW..

It was quite exciting to see myself as part of her work and I was really excited in general to be able to help her out...

I hope this hasn't been too much of a boring post for you all, just a couple of girls said that they'd like to see some of the images from the shoot :) 

Hope you're all having a nice weekend! 

Lovess Xx

Boyfriends Birthday OOTD & FOTD ♥

Those of you lovely ladies who follow me on Twitter will know that my gorgeous boyfriend turned 21 on Tuesday (..Yes he is a couple of months younger than me hehe)

On the day I took him out for lunch, we then consumed copious amounts of his 3 Birthday Cakes and then went out on the evening for drinks with all of his friends and mine!

I thought I'd get some quick snaps before I went out on the evening to show you what I wore and how I wore my makeup :)

Click Images to Enlarge...

Black Boob Tube - H&M

Jeggings - TK Maxx

Ring - Topshop

Bangles - Topshop

Wedges - Topshop

Makeup wise...

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC20

Benefit 'Big Beautiful Eyes' Kit (Brown Shadow for Eyebrows)

MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre

MAC Eye shadows in Shroom, All That Glitters, Patina and Smut

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner

MAC Blush Baby Blusher

MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle

MAC Pretty Please Lipstick

You may have realised that I haven't mentioned up above which mascara I used, this would be because I wanted to show you properly my new absolute love! 

Introducing... My lashes wearing Cover Girl's Lash Blast Mascara! 

I was lucky enough to win this in Jen's giveaway a couple of weeks ago and since then I haven't used anything else, it's totally amazing! This photo was taken earlier on during the day (different makeup..) but I only had one one coat and got this result, so you can see for yourselves how much of a difference it really makes just after one application. On an evening I've been wearing two, maybe three coats depending on how dramatic I want my eyes to look and it hasn't once clumped! - I shall be repurchasing this, whether it be on ebay, or by getting it sent over the America, it really is THAT good! 

So there we have it my lovelies.. What do you think? 

Xx

St Moriz: Mousse Vs Mist

Evening Ladies :) 

Sorry I've been so quiet this week, I've been working shedloads, but it's all for a good cause (...Dying to book a holiday! - Any suggestions welcome as I can't decide where to go!)

So basically with the weather being so beautiful these past couple of weeks, and me being the uber pale redhead that I am, I have been embracing my self tanning regime with open arms in a bid to not look like a walking milkbottle! 

For the past few months I've been religiously using the much coveted St Moriz, but for some reason all that has been available to us in my town has been the mist. I hadn't came across any of the mousse until about 2 weeks ago, so when I did I made sure to stock up and bought a few bottles! 

I've been paying £2.99 for the mist, and the mousse was exactly the same price. The mist, as I'm sure you'll already know comes in a 150ml tin, whereas the mousse is in a 200ml pump action bottle - So really you end up with even better value for money when buying the mousse. 

I do love each product for different things, so I thought I'd do a quick rundown of each ones positives and negatives. 

First off the 'Spray/Mist' 

Positives

- Great light guide colour which shows where you've sprayed and leaves you with an instant glow

- Very natural colour, even though I'm a redhead

- More of an olive tone so no orangeyness (..is that even a word!?)

- Very, very quick drying - You can literally apply, put on a dressing gown, do your makeup and then be good to go! - No sticky-ness or tacky feeling

- Very buildable

Negatives

- Not very moisturising - If you have any dry patches it will 'sit' on your skin and look cakey

- Spray nozzle can seize up - This happened to me once and I was left with splatters of tan on my legs which in turn went a darker colour to the rest of me! 

- Can be messy - I bought a large brown beach towel to put down on the floor whilst I use this

- Wastage - Along with the messy side of the product I can't help but feel as you're spraying it on that you're losing lots of product to the floor (...my tanning towel ends up soaking from the tan after applying it)

Secondly the 'Mousse'

Positives

- 200ml bottle so more product for your money

- Quick drying

- Not messy at all - You can apply as little or as much product as you wish - Much more control

- Olive undertones once again for a natural look

- More moisturising - Less of a tendency to sit on skin, I feel it sinks in better

- Buildable colour

- No wastage as all product is used

Negatives

- Quite an intense colour guide so I can't personally use it as an instant fix as it doesn't work with my skin tone

- A little longer to dry than the spray (...but this may explain why I feel it's more moisturising)

- Can leave you with tacky feeling skin for a little while, especially in the heat we've been experiencing

Overall conclusion...

Although I thought I'd found my HG tanner when finding the St Moriz Spray/Mist, I think it's been out done by it's sister, the mousse :) - I know I can't really use the mousse as an instant fix tan, like I do with the spray, but I feel in the long run the mousse leaves me with a better colour. Personally, I think I'll be using the mousse as my 'base' colour and then if need be, top it up with a quick spritz of the mist! 

Oooh and a little tip I've found when trying to keep my tan looking better for longer; once I've applied, slept in and then showered off my tan in the morning, I stand in the shower and apply some Johnsons Baby Oil all over my body, whilst it's still wet. This helps to seal in moisture to your skin, keeping it soft and supple and ultimately keeps your tan looking great!  - I then just put on my terry towelling dressing gown and allow the oil to soak into my skin :)

In case you were wondering, I apply both the mousse and the mist with a tanning mitt as I find I get the best finish this way! 

I realise the St Moriz posts have been done to death, but I know there are a lot of girls out there who are very pale like me and are terrified at the thought of buying and applying a fake tan to achieve a golden glow, but then end up orange! I hope with posting this it shows that St Moriz can be used on all skin types :) 

Hope I haven't bored you all too much hehe 

Have a fabulous weekend my little cherubs! 

Xx