60's inspired flick

I am a little bit addicted to watching beauty guru's on youtube and saw a video by PIXIWOO on their youtube page of a Laura Mvula inspired look and well I loved it so thought I would give it a go but make it more wearable for a day time look, despite the gorgeous cat eye flick I feel like I couldn't go about my day to day business with such a dramatic eye and so feel their look is fabulous for a night out whereas I have played it down a notch.

To create this look I used the MUA palette in matte nudes, HD brows palette, Hoola Bronzer by Benefit and the Topshop Brighten Up pen.
I love neutrals on my eyes anyway as I feel it really suits me but would love to be a bit braver and go for something brighter so that is a personal challenge to myself.
As for the flick I am awful at eye-liner flicks but have seen the benefit push up eye-liner which is on my must buy list as so many people have claimed it makes eye-liner so much easier so hopefully a review of that will be up soon.

Watch the pixiwoo video <a href="http://youtu.be/2IIOp0MH7go?list=PLp3X8qeGtLO8IIpcLXMIYHnoLhAMpXNup">here</a> 

Feeling Blue

Recently I've been noticing a lot of blue makeup looks in magazines and online so thougt I'd give it a go to see how wearable the look actually is.

I chose to go with a light almost sky blue with a slight metallic finish which is out of the Topshop smoky eye palette in constellation.

On the photo it looks almost silver but trust me it is a light blue colour.

The wear on this eyeshadow wasn't too bad with a little bit of fallout but nothing too major that couldn't be sorted with a quick once over.

Overall this look was maybe for me a trusted brown eyeshadow sorted of girl was a little too much for the day but with a little black eyeliner and a more defined crease I think this look would be fantastic for a night out. 

Has anyone else seen any blue inspired looks they want to try? 

I think I'm going to try the blue eyeliner look next! 

Challenge Spend Less: Beauty and Fashion

I am currently on a mission to spend less money and be debt free by December 2014 so I can go into the new year with a clear mind and healthy spending habits.
So to aid my mission I've set myself a challenge to not buy any beauty products if I already have a few bottles or products of it already.
I'm also going to delve into my wardrobe and try and wear some items I haven't worn in a while and if I can't wear them sell them on eBay or give to charity. All the details for this challenge will be in a separate blog post but essentially I can't buy any clothes for myself unless the item is £10 or less.

Anyway onto the beauty side of the challenge:
I have loads of lipsticks, foundations,  highlighters and eye-shadow palettes my challenge is to use up what I have before buying any more.

Just a small selection of what I have. Need to use one before I buy another one.

Challenge 1: Lipsticks
I'm not saying I have loads of lipsticks by any means well not compared to some people but I have more than my fair share. The challenge I've set myself is the standard use one before you buy another one this could take weeks in fact no months but does mean I'm more likely to use my lipsticks as I have been neglecting them lately.

Need to use all these bad boys

Challenge 2: Highlighters
I have 4 different highlighters and I intend to use all 4 before buying another one. Not only will this help with spending less but will also help me make an informed decision on which one I like the best or whether I'd want to try a completely new one by the time they are all used up.

Need to use 2 of these fully before committing to another foundation

Challenge 3: Foundations
I have 9 foundations/tinted moisturisers I only have one face. Now I know I need different foundations for different occasions and one for day one for evening and so on, but I'm buying some and forgetting and neglecting others already in my collection.
My mission is to use 2 of my foundations fully before buying just one, so if I want to buy 2 new foundations I have to use up 4 of my foundations.
I think this will help me because A: I'm not spending money and B: I'll be more likely to make an investment purchase as I will want a really decent product to use.

These are the ones I'm aiming to use up: From top Left going clockwise:
Topshop Constellation Palette
MUA Undressed Palette
MAC Quad Palette
MUA Ever After Matte Palette

Challenge 4: Eyeshadow
I have a ridiculous amount of palettes and just general loose eye shadows. For this challenge I'm going to use up 2 of my palettes before buying any more. I also have an Urban Decay set I've had for years but have desperately wanted one of the Naked Palettes so before committing to purchasing one I have to use up all of my current one.


Those are my challenges this could take a long time but I'm ready for it and will post updates as and when they come along.
Anyone else done anything else like this either to save money or try and make more space for more cosmetics?

Midas Touch

Shoes- Topshop- £60

Over the weekend I went to my friends Hen Night in Birmingham whom I am a bridesmaid for and well no trip to Brum is complete without going to the bullring. Once there obviously I had to go in Topshop whilst in there these beautiful shoes caught my eye.
It was the gold detailing that really caught my eye, I liked the fact that the shoes are actually quite simple but add the gold toe and buckle and it instantly makes these shoes a talking point. Trust me when I got them back to the hotel all the girls were oohing and ahhing in all the right places as I modelled these bad boys.
The heel is quite chunky and the platform makes them easy to walk in and very comfortable.
Obviously ankle straps aren't for everyone as they can make legs appear shorter but I'm 5"8 so don't really have to worry about that.
I'll post an outfit shot of these shoes when I get a chance.
The amount of wonderful shoes they have in Topshop at the moment is quite incredible I could have bought several pairs.
Has anyone else seen or purchased any of their shoes recently?
If so let me know and if you've blogged about them comment a link to your blog. I need more shoe porn in my life.

Feeling Flush

Top- Miss Selfridge- sale
Vest- Topshop- £6
Leggings- River Island- £15
Skull Necklace- Topshop- £10
Long Cross Necklace- Asos- gift

Quick Update

I haven't posted in a while due to moving house and not having Internet until last week, boo it was like living in the dark ages. 

However the Internet is back in my life so I can blog more regularly as well as look at cat videos, research sloths and drool over shoes. 

I wore this outfit a couple of weeks ago. I've been trying to go through my wardrobe and wear items that I don't really wear any more and give them a new lease of life, whatever I don't wear in the next 6 months is going to charity or being sold on eBay, or giving them to family or whatever it just needs to go.  

I love this top. I got it from Miss Selfridge a while ago. Loved it for ages and finally got it in the sale.

I've teamed it with some black leggings a vest and 2 necklaces, the skull one is from Topshop and the longer cross one is from ASOS.

I've recently had a bit of a spending spree so I'm going to be posting a few more bits in the next few days.

Is it Summer yet?

Denim Jacket- Tesco
T-shirt- Topshop- £12
Skirt- River Island- £10 (sale)
Shoes- Topshop- £20
Hat- Topshop- £10
Bag- The Cambridge Satchel Company- Gift

I have had this skirt for a very long time bought on a whim in one of the River Island sales and never knew how to wear it. There is a split from floor to upper thigh on this skirt and because of the colour I knew I couldn't wear black tights so had to settle for nude ones. I finally figured out with a little help from lookbook how to piece this outfit together. I wore it in the hope of sunshine but lo and behold it rained silly april showers. Regardless the day went on as planned and I felt I finally had a go to outfit for those days when you just do not know what to wear. 

The beanie is a fabulous investment too and I feel I can get a lot of use out of it. 

Who else has a beanie and how do you style yours? 

P.S. I haven't posted for a while due to personal issues in my life but that is changing with more posts coming this week about losing my virginity to Chanel and a few more outfit posts. 

Nails It!

N Ring- £4.00
Nail Wraps- £7.50
Nail Art Pen- £6.50 

One of my favourite pastimes is browsing TOPSHOP.co.uk and looking at all the nice things and trying to resist buying but end up buying anyway then regretting it but feel the stuff is too pretty to return and well I had that moment 3 days ago. 

And as you can tell my willpower was having a day off as he often does the lazy so and so. 

The package came today which was quite nice as I wasn't expecting it till Friday and I don't know about anyone else but I also love the TOPSHOP packaging, it always makes opening it so much better. 

This time round I had bought a ring, nail wraps and a nail art pen. 

I'd been after a midi ring for a while and when I saw this one I just HAD to get it and it was only £4 well go on then. It has a cute little N inlaid into the ring (obviously my name starts with N otherwise that just would have been plain silly) As far as I can tell they have all the alphabet so I may also get one for my sister and friend for their birthdays that are coming up. 

The wraps were a complete curiosity buy upon receiving them I'm neither amazed or disappointed, they kind of remind me of bubble wrap but maybe they will look better when I get them on. 

The pen is something I've wanted to see if I can do me a bit of nail art it seems fairly easy I'm just going to say though I'm a bit annoyed at the amount of sequins/diamante but nether the less I'll see how I get on with it. 

Have you ever tried nail wraps or nail art before? If so and you have some pictures link me. 

Two Tone

Top and Shoes- TOPSHOP £20, £28
Denim Shirt- Tesco £5
Necklace and Leggings- River Island £5, £18
Pug Harry- My own Priceless

It seems the trend of dip dying has transitioned to clothing, which I for one am a Massive fan of.
When I saw this top in TOPSHOP I just had to get it.
The top itself is super versatile I've teamed it with a pair of disco leggings from River Island and a denim shirt I got from Tesco years ago which I feel gives it a grungy edge. I'm also wearing studded flats from TOPSHOP, a crystal necklace from River Island and the ultimate accessory my little Pug Harry.
I feel like this top will take me far into the seasons paring it with shorts in Summer and tan sandals.
What do you think of the Dip Dye trend? And how do you feel about it being used on clothing.

Beetle Juicer

Leggings- ASOS
Top- Urban Outfitters
Boots- Topshop
Necklace- ASOS 

I've made a conscience decision to try and do an outfit post once a week to actually try and make this blog more personal to me. 

The problem I seem to have is lack of space there is no where in my house or room where I can have a nice set up so I took to doing this outfit in the garden please tell me what you think. 

These leggings are probably the best thing I bought in 2012 and now I'm always on the lookout for more comfortable different leggings to wear. 

I recently purchased some knock-off Disco Pants from River Island that I will style soon and post a picture. 

I call these leggings my almost Beetle Juice leggings because despite the fact they are nothing like Beetle Juice leggings they do remind me of him. 

The boots are from Topshop and are the best boots I've ever bought, I'm always looking for a bargain and felt a bit ick about spending £40 on these but it was honestly the best £40 I've spent on shoes not a week goes by without me wearing them and they literally go with everything I know when these are deemed useless by the constant wear I will be instantly purchasing some different boots but they will definitely be from Topshop. 

So what do you guys think? 

Any tips for taking outfit posts? 

NYE outfit

For NYE my friend and I decided to go to Birmingham's propaganda at the o2 academy. It was such a good night with probably too much drink but hey that's what New Years Resolution's were made for. In the venue itself there were 3 rooms with different music genre's playing in each, upstairs was charts as far as I could tell with the second room being more dance i.e drum and bass, dubstep etc with the downstairs main room being indie rock music where admittedly most people were.

We were staying in a slightly dodgy hotel located on the outskirts of Birmingham I won't name it but wouldn't suggest staying there. Let's just say it was a misleading advert however it was cheap and we only slept there. 

Anyway on to the outfits unfortunately my camera was stolen a couple of months ago so I've been saving for a new one these photos and (until I get a new camera) future photos are being taken by my phone so the quality isn't amazing but you'll get the idea.

I was wearing ASOS striped leggings, a topshop shirt with a split back.

Please excuse the socks I hadn't got my shoes on at this point but the shoes I wore are pictured below and were in the sale from river island just £35 if I remember rightly.

My friend is wearing an orange chiffon top from asos and disco pants from missguided.

£35 River Island Sale

Below are some random photo's from the night.

All in all it was a very good night the only regret I have is not taking more photo's, but the quality would have been truly awful. 

What did everyone else wear for their New Years Eve? 

And what are your resolutions? 

la saison du noir

As i rummage my way amongst the numerous clothing websites i know i will never fully be able to afford, it has become obvious that spring is slowly beginning to introduce itself within our clothing. I have seen endless floral patterns, candy colours and fearless frills but despite all of this i refuse to welcome spring with open arms, Instead i have found myself hopelessly trailing through the winter sales because i simply refuse to salute goodbye to the stunning black mesh, chunky heels and Gothic style i have adored all throughout this winter.

I feel that i haven't had enough time to enjoy this dark sultry look for long enough, so i intend to carry my winter clothing as far through spring as the English weather allows me!

i do of course have my absolute favourites that i know i can in no way afford, but a girl can dream, right?

I have had my eye on this dress for months now, it's from topshop and it is in the sale for £75 but the only sizes they have in stock are a 6, 8 & 10, somehow i can't see me fitting into this any time soon.

I can't say I've ever been a fan of high leg boots, but recently they have been growing on me and i soon as i saw these pair from topshop i instantly fell in love, but of course they are also in the sale for £75 and unless i fall into some miraculous money then i doubt I'll ever be able to call these beautiful boots mine, even though i am completely and utterly in love with them!

This absolute beauty is again, from topshop. I have adored the black mesh look this season and then to find a top that is as outrageous and gorgeous as this is somewhat of a miracle for me. Unfortunately it is completely out of stock which is a shame because it was in the sale for £45 and i would of been 100% willing to scrounge some money together on pay day to purchase this beauty!



Amylouu
xo

Fringing

Diesel, Cavalli, VPL

Fringing has been all over the catwalks for Spring 2011, from designer's such as Cavalli to Versace and Ralph Lauren. 

This look is a modern romance of the prairie, it is rustic with a bit of a hippy vibe thrown in for good measure. 

Shorts, Playsuit and White Tee- Topshop,
Shoes- River Island, Jacket- Dorothy Perkins,
Belt- Warehouse, Bag- Urban Outfitters. 

• Look for items with movement and Texture.
• Use Colour to break the look up. 
• If fringing is too much on clothes look for accessories such as bags and shoes.
• A fringed belt can add texture to an outfit while still being edgy. 

LFW Survival Kit

London Fashion Week is fast approaching and with many things on people's minds on one of the most hectic weeks in the fashion calender, I decided to do a LFW survival kit, just a quick piece about the essentials to take with you, to help everything run a little bit more smoothly. 

First things first the outfit, you want to be wearing something comfortable yet stylish after all this is London Fashion Week. The shoes you wear are to be considered massively, you want to be wearing some that are comfortable and easy to walk around in. 

The shoes pictured are from Forever 21 and personally I find wedges THE most comfortable shoe around without substituting style. Wedges add that bit of height and sophistication to any outfit.

England isn't famed for it's hot weather and sunny skies, so the best bet is to to wrap up warm, but you want layers in case all that running around gets you too hot. Open Cable knit jumpers (pictured is from topshop) are amazing because they are on trend and you can layer up different vest tops of long sleeve and short sleeve underneath to go along with the changing temperatures.

The harem trousers are from Dorothy Perkins and I chose trousers because I feel like they would be more comfortable then say a dress or skirt, also trousers especially tapered ones are very on trend right now so I was going for a comfortable yet chic look, that you can wear all day without feeling self conscience.

The colour palette I was aiming for is a mix of camel, nude and tan. This is a complete contrast to the acid brights we are seeing everywhere, I think what you wear should be understated chic, you should almost channel  Parisienne style but give it your own twist, for instance the mustard bag from Debenhams adds a quirky twist to this otherwise muted palette of colours.

You should mix your outfit up with small details to make it more original and personal to you. But remember to be comfortable because you will be running around in it all day. 

This brings us on to the bag essentials. 

The bag as stated is from Debenhams and is a satchel style, so it is on trend and a roomy bag without being too big.

In the bag there is a Filofax, which is there to write notes and important runway show times in for when everything is coming down on top of you this should be your life-line.

Make-up wise, you should pack a good concealer, the one pictured is Laura Mercier, this is to stop your make-up looking dull and tired, a simple highlight and cover up can freshen the skin up instantly.

Two essentials that I personally would be lost without is eye-liner and mascara, these two products can make eyes appear wider and brighter, great when it's early mornings all round.

Face wipes are a brilliant must have because not only do they fix make-up mistakes, but they freshen up your skin and can make you feel fresh in sweaty areas (if you get what I mean).

When running around your hair can become flat and lifeless, to combat this simply pop your head upside down and spray batiste dry shampoo on hair to give it more volume, stores now do a travel size spray so it doesn't take much room up in your bag at all.

Last but not least is perfume, you want to smell nice all day especially in an environment where you are mingling with different people, the perfume featured is Jimmy Choo's which if you haven't smelt yet, you really should because it's gorgeous.

Now you don't want to be taking a full bottle of perfume out with you in your bag for fear of it leaking or even worse breaking, so you can now buy travalo's which you simply pop on top of your perfume and pump the spray it then fills with the perfume and you can pop it in your bag and it lasts for 50 sprays, if you want to put a new perfume in after it's all gone just wash with water and use again. This little gadget is brill because it saves the hassle of having to buy a little perfume to take round with you. 

Top Tips

• Be Comfortable
• Wear comfy shoes
• Don't forget a pen or notepad
• Don't overfill your make-up bag
• Take a roomy bag to fit everything you need in but don't over pack
• Stay Fresh
• Drink lots of water
• Layer up 
• And remember to use your own individual style in everything you wear.