Winter Never Looked So Good With River Island!

Afternoon Lovelies! 

I have long been a fan of River Island and the stores ability to flawlessly create incredibly on-trend pieces season after season, so when I was approached by them to write this piece to highlight their current seasons trends, I was extremely flattered to say the least!

To celebrate the brand new Autumn/Winter 2011 Collections, River Island are offering 5 dedicated fans and followers of it's Facebook Page the chance to win all of the 9 items hidden within the postcard relating to the 'Hustle' trend simply by entering their fun 'Postcards from the Past' competition!

The 'Hustle' trend it's self, is a modern chic homage to the seventies! The trend includes all things glamorous; Faux furs, sheer chiffons along with rich colours and killer heels!

I was lucky enough to be given a pair of delicious wedges from the trend to share with you all and show you just how perfect this trend is for the upcoming Christmas period!

Aren't they just beauties!

The wedges are super comfy, make my legs look super long and are going to be amazing for glitzing up my Christmas party outfits! I plan on wearing them with an obligatory LBD over the festive season..

I think after some deliberation I may also treat myself to this gorgeous clutch, also by River Island to wear with them! - Keep your eyes peeled for an OOTN very soon!

To enter the competition all you have to do is take a hop, skip and jump over to www.facebook.com/riverisland and click on the 'Postcards from the Past' app.. This will take you to an image not too dissimilar to this...

Within the postcard will be hidden 9 items from the 'Hustle' trend which you need to find! Once all are found you will then be entered into the competition to be in with the chance of winning every piece you found within the postcard!

It really is a fun and fantastically generous competition from River Island! If you haven't already entered, what are you waiting for?!

What are your thoughts on River Island for the party season? Do you have you eye on anything in particular?

Lovess Xxx

(Item was provided by River Island for review, but as always this is my honest opinion - I just love River Island!)

The Simple, Glamorous Up-Do in 5 Easy Steps!

Hi there girls! 

With the party season almost upon us, I thought I'd share with you all a quick, easy way to achieve a gorgeous, glamorous up-do without the need for a trip to the salon!

A few weeks ago I was asked by my best friend if I would create this look in her hair for her Mum's Wedding.. It worked beautifully and really is so simple and effective!

Step One: Start by spray heat defence product all over your hair, this will protect it from the heat which you'll need to use

Step Two: Once the heat defence spray has dried in, section off your hair and begin to curl small sections. I used a GHD styling iron. You can use anything you wish to create the curls; Other straighteners, Curling wand, Hot rollers etc - Bare in mind you're going to be pinning the curls later on, so they don't need to be perfect!

This was Sarah's hair once I'd finished roughly curling it all, sprayed over with some secure fix hairspray!

Step Three: Once all over your head is curled, start to take small sections on the crown of your head and back comb gently to create a touch of volume - Spray lightly with hairspray to hold the volume in

(Hi there! hehe...)

Step Four: Once you've created as much volume as you personally like, you then need to make the decision as to where you want to position your hair; whether that be to the left, right or simply raised at the top of your crown. Sarah wanted her hair to sit fairly low, on her left hand side. To achieve this, simply take a hair band/bobble the same colour as your own hair and tie a pony tail of all of the curls securely in place. 

Step Five: Once your pony tail is positioned where you want the hair to be pinned, start by taking small sections of the curls and looping them out over one another, using kirby grips to secure the hair and keep in place. Repeat this until all of the hair is looped and pinned.

Et Voilà!

This is what the finished look should be like! :)

As you can see it's such a simple, pretty way to wear your hair over the coming weeks to any events, or Christmas parties you may have..

I later fixed my hair the exact same way for the evening party of the Wedding, but at the top of my crown..

I hope you liked this simple little tutorial, let me know if you want to see similar in the future..

Hope you're all well!

Xx

The Beginning of Forever...

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.. Or in this case more motivated & focused...

I've come to realise my life has changed so much in the past year & amazingly i've never felt so happy :)

Do what makes you happy.. Regardless of the consequences.. You can deal with those later!

Lovess xx

Hi There.. Remember Me? *Picture Heavy*

Ok, ok.. I realise I've literally been the WORST blogger going for the past 2 months, I'm not going to try and make excuses or anything for this though, I've just had a LOT going on and a lot of thinking to do! 

However, here I am!

Finally it's summertime, although up North I'm sure it has forgotten this and we've been inundated with torrential rain for most of the last week!

To get me back into the swing of things I thought I'd show you all a few photos from recent 'happenings' in my life; Summer Nights Out, The Boyfriends Birthday & Days with the Girls!

So there we have it.. A taster of my Summer so far!

Hopefully this will be the beginning of many Summery posts from me, if I can muster up some time outside of; Work, the Stables, the Gym & Applying for University (..Again!)

Thanks for sticking with me & hope you enjoyed a few of the photos!

Lovess Xx

VSL Rouge Volupte #30 Faubourg Peach ♥

 Being treat to these beautiful summery days of late, I have found myself wanting to reach for a brighter more 'sun appropriate' lip colour...

I have been totally in LOVE with this one in particular from YSL; aptly named Faubourg Peach, this beautiful shade of corally peach instantly brightens up your face :)

The famous formulation of the Rouge Volupte lipsticks is just a dream to work with; Creamy, moisturising and they also have such a delicious fruity scent! Numbers currently in my collection include; 2, 7, 8, 24 & of course this one, number 30!

Have you found yourself reaching for brighter colours when doing your makeup recently? Do you have any further YSL recommendations for me to try out?

Xx

Ardell Fashion Lashes

Evening Girls.. 

As an ardent wearer or false lashes, I've become somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to good lashes and bad.. There is nothing worse than wearing a set of falsies which feel like they weigh down your lashes and generally cause discomfort to the eye. I myself wear contact lenses and sometimes with certain, cheap brands of lashes my eyes become tired and irritable after a couple of hours wear. 

Eyelure had always been my lash brand of choice, when I wasn't sporting lashes from my now defunct False Lash company 'Styleyes Lashes', but more recently a brand who in all honesty I'd not heard too much about has taken my fancy and converted me in the lash stakes! 

Ardell are an American False Lash company who's tag line is 'Simply Unforgettable Eyes...' believe me, the Ardell Lashes truly are unforgettable! 

Here is a close up shot of me wearing their 'Fashion Lashes' in number 101.

 The lashes are made from 100% sterilized human hair, meaning they are super light weight. Adding to their comfort levels is the clear flexi strip which the lashes are attached to; the strip is easily maneuvered to fit your own shape eye, it is not rigid in any way which means the highest level of comfort.

On the occasions I wear lashes, I need to be able to be comfortable for long periods of time when wearing them, the Ardell lashes are amazing for this and most of the time I totally forget I'm wearing any at all!

Here is the completed look wearing the 101 lashes and I just love them!

They are currently available to buy from Boots, these ones in particular retail for £5.11 which I think to be a fab price for quality lashes which are reusable, providing care and attention is paid to them in keeping them clean.

Have any of you lovelies tried Ardell lashes? Can you recommend any other styles to try out?

Lovess Xx

Disclaimer: Lashes were purchased by myself with my own money, they were not sent to me by a PR agency or Ardell to review

FOTN: Celebratory Drinks!

Apologies once again for the large gaps of time in which I haven't posted, rather than bore you in this post, I may put together a little catch up post as I've been pretty much absent from Blogging and my Twitter page for some time...

This past Friday was the final hand in date for one of my best friends' dissertations, all was handed in on time and so we decided to mark the occasion with cocktails and champagne, after all it's been a long 3 years of her working super hard on her degree! 

I decided to go for a smart casual look with understated makeup and a sleek up-do for my hair...

Looking rather tired there above, but I took this quick snap when I got in at around 3am hehe Oooops!

I've recently been loving summery glowy skin so this was definitely a must!

Products Used:

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NC35
NARS Laguna Bronzer
MAC Peachykeen Blush
MAC Tan Pigment (highlight)
Eyeshadows all MAC - Nylon, Patina, Bronze & Carbon
MAC Smoulder Eye Kohl

Lashes - Ardell Fashion Lashes 101 (I think...)
MAC Fresh Brew Lipstick

We had a really great evening and the drinks were very much deserved!

I hope you're all well and enjoying this lovely weather which has been bestowed upon us these past few weeks! I've got so many ideas for posts, so it shouldn't be long till the next is up :) 

In the meantime, if you have any questions feel free to leave something on my Formspring page!

Lovess Xx

Bargainous Booties ♥

After bagging such a massive bargain over the weekend I thought it only right to share! 

For a mere £20 I just couldn't pass these beauties up! 

River Island currently have an extra 50% off all of their sale stock, so as there were labelled as £40 in the sale once they were scanned at the till they were a very purse pleasing £20!

They are super comfy, with suede detailing to the heel and rear third of the shoe. I can't wait to pair them with a pair of super skinnies & an on trend over sized blouse.

What about you... Have you picked up any bargains this weekend? Did you find anything amazing in the River Island sale?

Lovess Xxx

Hiatus Over - I Got My Mojo Back!

Evening ladies! 

You may or may not have realised, but it's been a massive 3 weeks since I last posted. I guess with everything that I had going on; leaving University etc all became a little too much for me and blogging unfortunately had to take a backseat. However, I am now 100% happy with my decision and overall a happier and less stressed person. So here I am, ready to get back into the swing of things... Finally! :) 

I'll leave this post short & sweet and just include a simple FOTD picture which I took only yesterday before starting work. With the warmer weather I've really been embracing being able to wear a little less makeup, keeping my eyes very simple and opting for a warm bronzey glow on my cheeks...

Products Used...

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NC35

Maybelline Falsies Mascara

MAC MSF Natural - Deep Dark (Contour)

MAC MSF - Golden Lariat (Cheeks)

MAC Angel worn on my lips

I hope you've all been enjoying this beautiful weather we've been experiencing, it's been a good excuse to get the roof down off my car and turn up the Summery tunes!

Lots of Love 

Xxx

Fancy becoming an Aussie Angel with Aussie Lusciously Light?...

As you all know, I was lucky enough to be chosen to be a part of the exclusive 'Aussie Angels' a group of girlies who are here to trial and test out products and in general enlighten the masses to the wonder that is Aussie! 

Recently we as Angels were sent a rather exciting little teaser... A HUGE box was delivered to the door and lurking inside was a rather cute Aussie helium balloon with, rather ingeniously a bottle of Aussie's brand new 'Lusciously Light' formulation conditioner to weigh it down! 

As i'm part of the Aussome Volume Tribe, the conditioner I recieved was the Lusciously Light Aussome Volume Conditioner - With the promise of lightweight volumised hair, you really can't complain! ;)

In conjunction with the new range of products, Aussie are also on the hunt for a further 10 Aussie Angels to join up with the already formed tribes! 

If you think you could be up to the challenge and really want to be a part of the Aussie Angel action then all you simply have to do is answer the following... 

“Put a spring in your spring! Tell us, how would

you lighten up your life? #AussieLight”

 

The 10 girls who will be chosen by Aussie will be decided upon by the strength of their creative flair when answering the above. You can write a blogpost, film a YT video or simply tweet @YummyHair with your reply! 

 

Whatever you do make sure you manage to send Aussie a link, this would be most easily done by tweeting them @YummyHair

 

You've got until Sunday to get your entries in & full terms can be found by clicking here!  

Good luck to all of you that enter & be sure to link me to your entry if you do!

Lovess Xx

Cause I May Be Bad But I'm Perfectly Good At It ♥

Evening lovelies .. 

It's been a little while since I've bestowed upon you all an 'Outfit of the Night' post and so low and behold here I am with one for you now! 

I've definitely been loving wearing all black recently. I'm not sure if this is because I've been finding it just 'easy' or whether my style is developing into a more 'classic' look, but either way here is the outfit in question!

Underneath all of the layers I have a simple black bandeau top - All Saints

Black V-neck T-shirt - Zara

Leggings with 'leather' effect detailing at waistband - Zara 

Leather & Suede Waterfall effect jacket - Oasis

Block heel boots - River Island

I really loved this look when it was all pulled together, I felt dressed up enough to go out for a meal & drinks yet comfortable and not worrying about what I looked like in the slightest! 

My love for Zara is ever expanding, I seem to buy almost everything I purchase from that store.. Rarely a day goes by when I'm not wearing anything from there! Love it :)

Hope you're all well & I'd love to hear what you think? 

Xx

Wonder Woman FOTD ♥

So as I'm sure you're all more than aware, the MAC Wonder Woman Collection went on general sale on MAC counters just yesterday.. 

Since receiving the products which I had on my wish list from my sister on her return from New York, I've been totally loving them all :) 

I thought I'd show you all a quick FOTD of me wearing a couple of the products I picked up!

As my base I used my usual MAC Studio Fix Fluid

On my cheeks I have the 'Golden Lariat' MSF from the WW collection.. Here I have literally just swirled my MAC 168 around the 3 colours in the pan to give me this gorgeous golden glow. I really love the highlight aspect to the MSF, it's just so pretty! I feel this product will be amazing for summer and works so well with a tan! I can't wait to take it on holiday with me :)

I'm wearing the 'Emancipation' Lipglass on my lips, along with a touch of Myth from MAC which tones down the shimmer in the gloss just a touch. I really am loving MAC Lipglasses at the minute, they're turning into a new obsession of mine, so if you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them!

On my eyes I'm wearing 2 sets of the 'Katy' lashes from my False Lash Company 'Styleyes Lashes' - These lashes are perfect for a natural every day look if you just wear one pair at a time, but double them up and they're perfect for a glamorous night time eye! We also also have a special offer on this particular style where at the moment you can purchase 10 pairs for just £2.50!! Hop on over to the website at www.styleyes-lashes.co.uk to take advantage of this amazing offer! 

I hope you're all well & are loving the products which you've picked up from WW.. What are your thoughts I'd love to know! 

Xxx

Aussie Angels & Birthday Celebration Photos...

Evening ladies & sorry it's been a while! I've been mega rushed off my feet this week looking after my poorly Mum and her bad back. She's now on Tramadol for the pain and still can't yet move off the sofa! :( 

This week however I received a very exciting email from Emma at Aussie welcoming me into the 'Aussie Angels', a venture by Aussie aimed at bringing their products to bloggers and in turn educating us all of the treatments and benefits which Aussie can offer our luscious locks! 

I'm currently torn between the 'Aussome Volume' and the 'Luscious Long' tribes.. Although, as you all know I do have naturally long hair, I feel volume in my hair is more important than the length as I'm most deffo a big haired kinda' gal! Basically, I'd like to say a huge thank you to Aussie for giving me this opportunity & I can't wait to get started with my *Angelic duties!*

On another note, it was one of my good friends' birthdays last week and due to her being a Mummy to be, myself and the bestie Kirsty decided to take her out for a scrummy meal to celebrate, rather than the obligatory night out, which of course she wouldn't be able to enjoy as much! We went to our favourite Sea Front Italian Restaurant/Bar and along with Birthday balloons & surprise chocolate cake we had a fab night! 

I opted for a simple long sleeved black dress with these gorgeous taupe suede shoesies from ASOS..

With the Birthday Girlie herself...

Yummy Chocolate Cake...

We all had a fab night, as usual.. Hope you ladies have all had a fab weekend & remember if you have any questions feel free to either e-mail or Formspring me :) 

Lovesss Xxx

Naked Rediscovery...

Since filling my MAC neutral palette at Christmas after receiving so many shadow pans as gifts, I've been pretty much using it every day. Consequently, my Urban Decay Naked Palette has suffered some neglect and has barely been used!

Last weekend however, after becoming somewhat bored of my usual shadow combinations, I decided to pull out the infamous palette and use it to create a simple, yet effective look for a night out..

This was the final look.. 

A closer look at the eye makeup shows the shadows I used..

I firstly primed the eye using UDPP in Sin and placed 'Virgin' all over the lid and up to the brow bone as a base...

I then used 'Half Baked' a gorgeous golden shade, quite heavily on the lower portion of my eyelid to create a sumptuous bronzed effect. I then took 'Darkhorse' on a MAC 222 and gently blended through the crease to darken the eye but blend out any harsh lines at the same time. I finally took 'Sin' and placed it on the brow bone as a highlight and in the inner corner of my eye to brighten it up. 

To add a little more drama to the eye I used the 'Cheryl' lashes from my False Lash Company 'Styleyes Lashes' which are still available over at www.styleyes-lashes.co.uk - Remember you're getting 10 pairs of lashes for just £5 .. Unbeatable value I'm sure you ladies would agree ;) 

I really loved this combination and will definitely not be neglecting the palette again any time soon! 

I'll leave you lovely lot with a few other pictures from that particular night out! hehe

Me & the bestie Kirsty

Enjoying a much deserved glass of Rosé hehe

Hope you're all well.. Lovesss Xxx

MAC Wonder Woman Haul ♥ .. Photo Heavy!

A few of you who have already seen the 'sneak peek' images on my Twitter account will know that my sister has been visiting NYC this past with with her University course; Fashion Communication. 

During a stop off at Amsterdam airport, waiting to catch their flight to JFK she realised that the MAC counter in the airport already had full stock of the soon to be released 'Wonder Woman' Collection. As she knew i'd been dying for the release, I got a text straight away asking what I wanted picking up as they had everything in stock! 

Needless to say, I don't think i've ever texted as quick in my life! I already had in my mind what I wanted from the collection and here is what she picked up for me :) 

All of the collection comes in Limited Edition packaging...

 

 

 I was desperate to get my hands on both of the 'JUMBO' MSF's in the collection; 'Golden Lariat' & 'Pink Power'. They really do not disappoint and are truly massive!

#

 Golden Lariat MSF

This has been pitched as the product for darker skin tones. It consists of three different shades; a deep coral [ideal for blush], a matte bronzer [contour shade] and also a bright shimmering gold [highlight]

All three shades are highly pigmented

This is my fingers lightly brushed over the surface of the MSF

 Pink Power MSF

Again in three distinct sections, this one I feel would be a lot more suited to those of a paler complexion - Mainly due to the lighter matte bronzer in the centre. 

The blush shade is a beautiful shimmering pink and the highlight a slightly more toned down version of the Golden Lariat. 

I decided after much deliberation that the lipsticks in the collection were just not for me and opted instead for a lipglass in the shade 'Emancipation' 

This is as you can see a gorgeous shimmery neutral pink, perfect on it's own, or over a lipstick!

This is again huge, with the tube being 10.5g instead of the usual 4.8g!

I'm totally in love already with what she managed to pick up for me :)

Keep your eyes peeled for a Wonder Woman FOTD post as i'm dying to try out all of the products properly!

What are you most looking forward to from this collection? 

Lovess Xx