Autumnal Photoshoot

Outfit

Dress - Motel Rocks

Cardigan - Primark

Boots - Schuh

Brooch - Tatty Devine

Bag - Primark Limited Edition

Makeup

Foundation - Estee Lauder Double Wear in the shade 'Cool Bone 1C1'

Blush - NARS in the shade 'Douceur'

Lips - Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in the shade 'Red Velvet'

Eyeliner - Stilla Waterproof Liquid eyeliner

(Here's a little video diary of the day in action.)

The day. During my week off work I went to Cassiobury Park with Joe, and he took some Autumnal shots of me. Everything looks incredibly pretty during this time. The crispy leaves, the oranges and reds, wearing wooly knits, and anything pumpkin related. Perfection.

Anyway, the reason behind the photo shoot was that I wanted to do something a little different on my blog, and I've had something like this in mind for ages so it was nice to finally see it all come together. 

My only critique of the snaps, and I'm sure some of you will agree, is that I should of used a better quality camera. I do have a Canon 30D, which I should of probably used for this, but I am a little out of practice with it these days. I think my little vlogging camera (Canon S110) captured some pretty nice shots anyway. I know they aren't 'perfect' SLR quality' but I'm ok with that.

A Birthday Wishlist

I know I've done a lot of wish-list's lately, but its my birthday on Friday (Halloween), and well, I just enjoy putting these little wish-lists together, mainly as a reminder to myself for things to get in the near future, as well as ideas for Joe and my family.

Topshop Clean Rib V Sweater
I need to stop buying knitwear, but look how pretty this jumper is! It's your every day slouchy, paired with jeans kind of jumper. Very me. As an alternative, I've always been eyeing up this. I guess I'm really into grey things at the moment. Playing it safe.

Topshop Petite Ripped Joni Jeans
I recently split my work jeans so I'm after a new pair. I do like the look of these Joni Jeans from Topshop so I may have to invest in a pair. But I have to say, I find Topshop's jean quality rather disappointing, especially Leigh Jeans. I'd wear them a couple of times and they would stretch a huge amount and get holes in the crotch very easily, so I would end up replacing them every two months or so.

Michael Kors Jet Set Tote Bag
Moving on to the gorgeous Michael Kors tote bag. I know I will never probably own this bag as it is ridiculously expensive, but I shall keep on wishing.

Canon 600D
I would really REALLY like to treat myself to the 600D so I can film 'proper' videos for my Youtube channel, and possibly even use for my blog photographs as I'm currently using my vlog camera, the S110. It's not perfect but does the job for now.

Schuh Black Raunch Boots
And last but not least some shoes! I really like the style of these ones and think they would be my every-day A/W booties. Alternatively I've always wanted a pair of Red or Dead's Exam Boots. They don't look great in the pictures on Schuh's website, but they look beautiful on the feet.

Damian & Tracey's Wedding

Last weekend Joe's dad, Damian got married to Tracey, and I made a little video diary of their special day. 

I throughly enjoyed myself, danced like a chicken and drank far too much wine... I suffered with a two day hangover... But hey ho, you only live once, as the cool kids say.

If you have a Youtube account, like and subscribe to my channel and I'll love you forever!

An A/W ZARA Wish list

ZARA always have the most beautiful knitwear. This A/W I would like these four cute knits to come home to me and join my ridiculously large wooly stash. From top left to right, then bottom left to right:

Elephant Printed Shirt

I don't actually own any shirts but I really like this one. It has elephants on it which remind me of my travels to Thailand a few years ago. And, it's reasonably priced at 25.99!

Oversized Jacket With Pockets

How gorgeous is this cardigan! It's cream or 'light mink' as stated on the website, fancy. It also comes in a chocolate colour but I prefer the lighter one. It retails at 35.99 which is pretty reasonable to, especially for ZARA.

Twist Neck Turtleneck Sweater

I'm really into turtleneck's this A/W, I recently bought one in H&M a couple of weeks back and I love it! It's so cosy and warm. I'd like to get this 'light mink' coloured one as the other one is more on the dark side. This is also 35.99.

Knit Cardigan With Pockets
And last but not least, this beautiful grey knit! This is a great staple for any A/W outfit. I would pair this with a slouchy top, ripped jeans and some nice boots! It is rather expensive though, it retails at 59.99 which breaks my heart and would definitely break my bank balance. But a girl can dream, right!

Corby Steaks & Tuesday Vlog

I'm up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning, well it's now 9:54am to be precise. 

Anyway, I decided to vlog on Tuesday as I had the day off work, so you can see what an average 'blogger/illustrator's day' looks like. I also included a snippet of Sunday where me, Joe, Joe's mum and sister went out for dinner. Any who, I hope you enjoy this little Vlog I've put together. Really starting to get the hang of this 'vlogging thing'!

And, my Sunday Vlog will be up tomorrow as per usual. I filmed Joe's dad's wedding, so if you're interested, check back tomorrow around 5pm.

Also I've got the week off work, would you guys like to see more daily vlogs with things I get up to this week? Or I could vlog my birthday? Let me know if that's something you'd like to see! I'm probably going to do it anyway...

Review on L'oreal's Pure Reds Lipstick Collection

I've been meaning to do beauty reviews for quite some time now, but haven't had the chance to until now, so here's my very first review on the new L'oreal's limited edition Pure Red Lipstick Collection.

I saw an advert on TV showing off the exclusive collection that L'oreal has created, which includes four red lipsticks to suit every skin tone. So I dashed to the shops to try and nab a few. Sadly I had no luck, so I resorted to getting them online but they had all sold out (the dramas!). Then a couple days later, I popped back into my local boots and there they were, with halo's around them, telling me it was fate and I knew I just had to get them.

I picked up Blake's, Julianne's and Eva's shades. I couldn't get my hands on Liya's, but I was unsure about that shade as it's for dark skin and I'm super pale.

And, before I get stuck into my review of each shade, I have to say that I've always been a bit daunted by red lipsticks as I find most clash with my hair, well they certainly did when I had more of a red tone to my hair. It's currently looking more on the gingery side, so they should look ok.

Anyway, let's get straight into it, starting off with Julianne's Pure Red. This is the one that is designed to suit my skin tone and my hair (faux ginger nut). It's a matte pinky-berry-red, not usually what I'd go for as I don't particularly like 'pink lips' but I have to say, it does look rather nice with my complexion and hair. Also I wore it to a wedding at the weekend and it did not budge one bit, and I'm going to be completely honest, it made me feel really 'sexy', if you know what I'm saying ladies.

So, big thank you to L'oreal for creating the perfect red for me and the other pale ginger girls out there.

Second up is Blake's Red which is a pure ruby red colour designed to suit warm skin tones. Now I do like this shade, it looks similar to Julianne's, but looks more pinky on the lips, weirdly. However I don't think it suits me at all. Personally I feel that it clashes with my hair... Ginger problems.

And then we have Eva's Pure Red which is a pure brick red designed to suit warm skin tones. I know this isn't recommended for my skin tone, but I really like it. It reminds me of a MAC lipstick I've been eyeing up recently - Chilli, a gorgeous deep red colour, which is very similar to this one.

Overall I'm really impressed with the formula of these lipsticks, they aren't as good as a trusty MAC lipstick, but for a drugstore brand, they are really impressive. Long-wearing from A.M to P.M, a matte-velvet formula yet very moisturising on the lips and looks lovely as a day-time or evening lippy. Hats off to you L'oreal.

And to finish off on a totally unrelated note, here are some photographs of me being snap happy and silly in the bathroom.

Autumn Favourites

The crispy leaves, pumpkins, wooly knits, berry lips and oversized jumpers - it's Autumn again! 

Autumn is my favourite part of the year, I love being cosy and warm twenty four seven so that's probably why I love this season so much. Also my birthday is on Halloween, obviously the coolest day of the year!

Anyway, let's get into my favourite things this Autumn.

Teapigs Liquorice and Peppermint

I'm normally an earl grey kinda gal, but once the cold weather comes out, I'm all about the Liquorice and Peppermint tea. I'm not usually a fan of liquorice, but this doesn't taste of it what-so-ever. It's a beautiful twangy peppermint flavour, perfect for evenings in and cuddling up by the fireplace.

MAC Lipstick in Amplified
This has to be my most loved MAC lippy - a beautiful dark berry colour! Sadly I could no longer find it on the MAC website, so I'm wondering if it was limited edition? Also, I don't have much of it left, so I will be treasuring this and keeping for special occasions!

ESSIE Nail Varnish in Eternal Optimist
I decided to get a shade that I wouldn't normally go for, and so this pinky-peachy colour caught my eye. And I know this isn't a typical 'Autumn shade' but it's really pretty and I've been wearing it non-stop this month!

NARS Blush in the Douceur shade
A classic for the season, of course it's the Douceur NARS blush. It's a soft pink-brown colour and looks very natural on the skin. Pair's up really nicely with my favourite MAC lippy, Amplified. And, if you're going all out, put on ESSIE's Eternal Optimist on the nails, and wallah - natural autumnal queen!

Tatty Devine Tortoiseshell Mexican Embroidery Necklace
Ah, my beautiful TD tortoiseshell necklace! This has to be one of my favourite necklace's that I own (I know I say that a lot but it's true!) and now that it's colder, I can whack out my knitwear and show off this little beauty.
Unfortunately, they no longer sell the Mexican Embroidery Necklace in Tortoiseshell, however they do have it in 'Autumn Berries' this year.  

Tatty Devine Cuckoo Clock Brooch
I know, I know, another Tatty Devine piece, but this was my anniversary gift from Joe this year, and it runs along nicely with the autumnal theme. As mentioned on the website, the brooch depicts an Autumnal woodland scene where time ticks by as a pair of cute squirrels perch on chopped logs. Two tiny acorns swing on golden chain pendulums, the finding touch to this cute chalet brooch. Aww.

Air Wick Candle in Spiced Apple & Snowy Mountains
*sniffs* This is the nicest smelling candle EVER, it actually smells incredible! I wish you guys could actually smell this on the screen - wouldn't that be cool. Maybe that will happen in the future - smelling products on computer screens!  I'm waffling... Anyway, it reminds me of a cinnamon christmasy scent, very warming and makes you feel happy inside!

I'd love to know some of your Autumn favourites! Let me know in the comments below!

Lazy day & Mum's birthday

A little earlier my newest vlog went live. And, for a change, I vlogged in my home-town Watford. 

On the Saturday, I had a pretty chilled out day, which was rather nice, especially after having a hectic week at work. In the evening, I did go out for dinner with a few girl friends, we went to Prezzo (in St Albans), a lovely little Italian restaurant. I had a salmon pasta dish, with red pesto and chilli's - yum!

And, on the Sunday, t'was my mum's birthday. I treated her to some Hotel Chocolat and the Toby Carvery (her choice). We then went back to my parents house, and my nan and grandad popped round. It was so lovely to see them as I haven't seen them in yonks!
Later on in the eve, me and my mum went to B-I-N-G-O, and I came so close to winning three hundred pounds! I was waiting for one number for bloody ages! Better luck next time, aye.

After bingo-ing, I chilled with Joe with a cuppa (of course), and we snuggled up and watched a few episodes of our new favourite TV series, Person of Interest. It's so bloody good! We raced through season one! And, I have to say, this show is on par with my love for Breaking Bad. That's a bold statement from me!
Oh oh, and the main guy, Reese, is rather yummy. He's the type of man you would want in your life. (Sorry Joe!)

A Tatty Devine Wishlist

It's no secret that I love Tatty Devine. I have quite the impressive collection with over forty pieces that I have collected over the years. But, I still want more, what can I say, I just can't help myself!

1. Lobster GIANT Necklace in Black. I've been wanting one of these since forever and they do creep up in price every year which is very sad, but they are very beautiful. I've actually got two smaller lobster's in black and in glittery red, so it would be nice to have a mother figure for them. 

2. Tiger Necklace. This is such a great staple piece and I absolutely love the colours of this. I would very much like this little tiger in my life!

3. The Moth Necklace. This isn't a usual typical 'Tatty Devine' necklace, it's made out of birch wood and features a digital print on the body. I always find their wooden pieces more intricate and they have a lovely vintage-y feel to them.

4. Keep It Safe Earrings. These earrings are a collaboration with the illustrator Rob Ryan. Aren't they gorgeous? They are made in sterling sliver and I would love them to be a part of my forever growing collection.

5. Swallow Triple Necklace in black. If you know me in person, I am a huge bird lover. And, I can't believe I don't own this already! It's a lovely little swallow necklace, which would also match my tattoo nicely.

6. Butterfly Necklace. This is one of Tatty's newest releases. They have one slightly larger than this too, but I prefer the smaller one I think. This would be perfect for Autumn and matched with a wooly knit.

7. Forever Love Forever ring. Another brilliant Tatty Devine and Rob Ryan collaboration. I don't know why this isn't in my life already? Please come home to me soon.

MAC Lipstick Wishlist

Who doesn't love a good old MAC lipstick? They are a cult classic and I bloody love them! I've put together a little wishlist of the one's I need in my life, yes need. From top left to right, then bottom left to right:

1. So Chaud

2. Ruby Woo

3. Fashion Revival

4. Crosswires

5. Russian Red

6. Velvet Teddy

7. Lady Danger

8. Chilli

A Beauty Birthday Wishlist

I turn twenty five on the 31st October (halloween baby), and I'm rather nervous about it. I'm in the middle of a somewhat 'quarter life crisis' but I'm not going to babble on about it, instead I thought I'd share with you my beauty wishlist. I don't expect to be given all of these items, they are just ideas for my boyfriend and family. Also, if I'm feeling spendy during the next few months, then I'll also pick up some of these. In fact, I've already treated myself to three of the Maybelline Colour Drama lip pencils this morning, I got Nude Perfection, Minimalist and Berry Much. They are currently on 3 for 2 at Boots, so I thought why the heck not! And yes, a review of those will be coming soon!

Any who, lets begin.

So, as some of you may know, I love baths. And I've been eyeing up this luxurious bubble bath by Laura Mercier. It has been made with coconut milk, almonds and honey and it comes with this cute bath stirrer. This retails at £32 which is very expensive for a bubble bath, but I thought that would be a really nice birthday present. And, Tanya Burr uses the Creme Brulee one so they must be good!

Moving on to a face-mask, who doesn't love a good face-mask aye? I've had my eye on the Aesop Parsley Seed Mask, which is £27 a pop. I've never actually tried Aesop the brand, but Essie Button recommended this a while back and I am yet to try it!

And then we have the Maybelline Colour Drama lip pencils, these are £4.99 each, and are a much cheaper alternative to the Nars Velvet matte lip pencils. And, as I mentioned earlier I picked up three shades. I would still very much like to get Fab Orange to complete my collection!

Moving on to Lush's bath bombs. I've chosen So White (£3.50) and Luxury Lush Pud (£3.50), however I do want the entire Halloween and Christmas range. I have a feeling when my birthday comes, I'm going to be spending a fortune in Lush. So, do expect a massive haul in the near future.

Now, I've ran out of perfume (dun dun dun), and I want to try something new. It was a debate between the Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream perfume and the Chloe perfume. I did have a whiff of the Chloe one in Boots recently, and it's not something I'd usually go for. It's very girly and has a fruity, floral scent to it, but I quite like it. It's definitely a contrast to my all time favourite, Lady Million. But, the price is pretty steep (£62-75), so I keep putting off purchasing one. 

We have another lip product, what can I say, I'm a huge lipstick addict! This is one of L'oreal's latest launches - the Colour Riche Pure Reds Collection (£6.99). I've chosen Julianne's red lippy, as I feel that matches my skin-tone and hair colour best. However, I am also intrigued by Blake's red lipstick, unsure if it would suit me though. Unfortunately the majority have sold out super quickly, so I will be keeping my eye out in Superdrug and Boots for when they re-stock them. 

And last but not least, the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette (£37). I'm not really an eye shadow kind of gal, I'm more into my dark winged liner. But I'm thinking of switching things up as I'm getting older. I'm not saying I'm abandoning the winged eye-liner for good, I just want to experiment with my eyes a bit more!

And that's everything I'm currently wishing for which is beauty related. There will be a few more wishlist's to come later on in the week. Keep your eyes peeled for my current fashion cravings and other bits and bobs!

Anniversary Vlog

 

I previously blogged about mine and Joe's fourth anniversary, where we adventured into London and had a lovely time. You can read about it here.

I also vlogged the whole day. Video is underneath, expect lots of glorious food, wanderings of the streets of London and a last minute theatre booking!

A Pandora Wishlist

I've always wanted a Pandora bracelet but never got one. I was always hoping someone would buy me it as a birthday or Christmas present, maybe this year if I'm lucky *winks*. 

Anyway, I've put together a little wish-list of all the Pandora charms and things I've been loving.

Laurel Wreath Ring

I very rarely find rings that I like but I stumbled across this one on the Pandora website. It's very simple and elegant. Alternatively I do like this one from Rust. 

Pandora Charms

Below I've put together a list

of all the charms I would want on my imaginary Pandora bracelet.

Sparkling Leaves Openwork Charm
Floral Heart Padlock Openwork Charm
Bird Cage Charm
Globe Charm
Sparkling Pineapple Charm
Tea Pot Charm
Tea Cup Charm
Elephant Charm
Cruise Ship Charm
Heartlock and Key Charm