The Fashion Edit: New Year's Eve Sparkle

Happy Saturday everyone!

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas with your friends and family and aren’t going too crazy in the post-Christmas sales!

With New Year’s Eve being only a few days away, I thought it was only appropriate to bring you my fashion edit of the best New Year’s Eve sparkly outfits for your celebrations.  I have a bit of a mixed bag in terms of the price range, so hopefully there is something to suit everyone.

Sparkle 1 / The Ultimate Maxi Dress

Let's start off with the ultimate maxi dress which screams - bring in the New Year in style! This ASOS Red Carpet Premium Dress is stunning, a bit pricey at £150 but it is now down to £90 in the ASOS sale! It is such a unique, exciting dress; the balance between the gorgeous large kimono sleeves and low cut v-back make this an elegant, on trend option for your New Year's celebrations.  The large sequins are so eye-catching and you will definitely turn heads at the party!

Sparkle 2 / The Playsuit
A little easier on the pennies is this Motel Rocks Paulette Long Sleeve Playsuit in Burgundy coming in at £59.  This is super sparkly and in a staple winter colour.  The long sleeves, plunging neckline and cinched waist makes this a very flattering option for New Year's Eve - get a pair of gorgeous heels and statement necklace and you're good to go!

Sparkle 3 / The Co-ord
Another ASOS number! This Triangle Embellished Turtle Neck Crop Top & Pencil Skirt in Scuba are a stylish choice for New Year's Eve.  The golden metallic embellishment against the black edging is a nice touch and breaks up the sparkle, making both items of clothing really stand out.  This outfit comes in at £72 which is good for 2 separate items which can be worn all matchy matchy or worn again with contrasting crop top or skirt.  

Sparkle 4 / The LBD
If you're looking for the classic LBD with a bit of a twist then this Nicole X Cut Out Midi Dress Black Sequin from Missguided is the dress for you! The front of the dress looks like a co-ord top and skirt, and the high neck detailing makes this a little different.  It is usually £40 but is now down to £24.99 - bargain!! Get out your bold red lipstick and gorgeous strappy heels to go along with the gorgeous, reasonably priced dress.  

Sparkle 5 / The Accessory
Sparkly outfits not your thing?  This Sequin Crossbody Bag from Topshop might be just the right amount of sparkle for you.  It is the cutest little bag with a long chain strap and tonal sequins.  It's a perfect party bag and was £25 but now £15! 

Have you already got the perfect NYE outfit ready? Let me know what it's like!

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year and have amazing memories of 2014.

♥︎ 

Festive Treats: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Happy Saturday everyone!

Only 5 more sleeps until Christmas!  I love the run up to Christmas - party nights out, wrapping loved ones presents, Christmas movies and eating some goodies you usually would avoid!

On that note, todays post is all about making your own Christmas treats over the festive period, in the form of chocolate covered marshmallow reindeers, too cute!

For this treat you'll need:

• Marshmallows
• Pretzels
• Milk Chocolate
• Red M&Ms
• Silver or White Chocolate Pearls
• Cake Pop Sticks or Straws

You'll also need a spoon, scissors, bowl, pan and something to stand your sticks or straws in - I used a mason jar but a foam block would be best if you were making a lot of these so they don't stick together!

Step 1 / Cut your pretzels in half to create the antlers, this can be a bit tricky in getting the pretzel to cut in the right place - just make sure you have enough for trial and error!

Step 2 / Pop your marshmallows onto the end of your sticks or straws, I used festive straws from Ginger Ray with little tags saying 'Be Merry!' and 'Ho Ho Ho' - I love them!

Step 3 / Create 2 small holes in the top of your marshmallows to make it easier for the pretzel antlers to be added.  To do this I opened up a pair of scissors and jabbed the marshmallow a few times, there is probably a much easier way to do this - if you can think of another way please let me know! :)

Step 4 / Next you want to break up your chocolate and put it in a glass bowl.  To melt the chocolate you can either pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds and keep bringing it out and stirring until melted, or you can place the glass bowl on a pan of boiling water while continuing to stir the chocolate until it has melted.  

Once it has melted pick up each of your marshmallow sticks and coat your marshmallow in the chocolate.  Once it is covered use a spoon to even out the chocolate a little and pop them back into your jar/foam block.  

Step 5 / Pick up your antler pretzels and position them in the small holes you made earlier, this can be a bit fiddly and I held the pretzels in place for a minute or so they wouldn't slip out - patience is key here! 

Step 6 / This is where your little Rudolph's come to life!  Add your silver or white pearl sprinkles as eyes and a red M&M for Rudolph's nose.  Again just make sure the eyes and nose don't slip off if the chocolate is still pretty melty.  Then pop them in the fridge to dry and your Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer are ready!

Are you going to try and make some homemade treats for your family and friends this Christmas? 

I think I'll make more of these for Christmas day :)

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone! 

Nails Inc Champagne Nail Bar

Recently my family and I had our annual festive day out in Edinburgh - a day of eating lunch at The Dome around the Christmas tree (if this place can't get you in the festive spirit - nowhere can!) and a wander around the Christmas market with some mulled cider - yum!

Earlier that morning my mum and I made our way into Edinburgh to get a gel manicure at the Nails Inc Champagne Nail Bar in Harvey Nichols - we couldn't wait for an early Christmas treat.

When we arrived we spent time picking out the perfect shade of polish, and since I was feeling festive I went for a champagne sparkly number with a nude bottom coat.

We then sat down and were given a glass of champagne, the manicurist started tidying up our cuticles and nails, while they asked what nail length and shape we'd liked.  I can't do much with long nails so I was happy to have them filed down and neatened up.

My nude bottom coat of polish was applied and then 3 coats of the glitter polish.  As much as the 3 coats look great, if I was to purchase this polish I don't think it needs 3 coats, the glitter is packed into the polish really well and has great coverage on the nail.

The manicure was then finished off with a gel top coat and oil applied around the nails - I have the cuticle oil at home and it really is great, even when applied to your nails before applying polish, it helps to hydrate cuticles and nails and I can always see the difference after the first use.

(Nails had grown in a bit in this photo)

The manicurists were lovely and I liked that the champagne nail bar was in the centre of the beauty department - plenty to see with lots of tempting beauty products everywhere!

I'd definitely recommend it, go treat yourself.  :)

Benefit Candy-Coated Countdown

Beauty advent calendars seem to be popping up everywhere at the moment, and I have been very lucky to receive the popular Benefit Candy-Coated Countdown this year.

It's in the pleasing candy shoppe style of Benefit, while incorporating some lovely greens and reds of Christmas, with some of their best selling products and other gifts behind each door.

I'm really pleased with what I've opened up so far! I haven't tried out their It's Potent Eye Cream or Stay Don't Stray Primer yet - looking forward to using them over the weekend and opening up more doors with fun-sized Benefit goodies behind them.  

What beauty advent calendar do you have this year?  Are you enjoying trying out the products? 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tech Chat: Macbook Air Case

I spent a lot of time finding a case that I loved for my Macbook Air, I tend to only use it at home so I only needed one that would protect it and look pretty!

A print that I am obsessed with is chevron, it's so simple yet effective and to me, really stands out.  

While browsing Pinterest for some inspiration I stumbled across this beauty from Bertie's Closet on Etsy, I immediately fell in love with the coral chevron design complimented by the cool mint and simple button detail.  

This is a very lightweight, padded case with a handy pocket across the front, which I like to keep some of my to do lists in, and because it's padded it works as a nice cushion to sit your Macbook under if you're using it on your lap (as I'm doing at the moment!).

With Bertie's Closet, when you select your case and go to your basket, you're also asked what type of laptop you have, so you know that the case is made specifically for your needs and will fit your laptop like a glove - and at under £30 I thought it was such a bargain.  

Bertie's Closet have so many adorable designs, I was close to changing my mind and purchasing this Pink Elephants case which is so cute!

What case do you use for your laptop?  What designs do you prefer to go for? Let me know if you've found any
laptop case inspiration! 

An Oldie But A Goodie: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you're all having a lovely weekend.  

I'm heading out tonight, so this morning (being a beauty lover and all!) I was thinking about what make up I'd like to play with when I get ready later - it's definitely one of the best parts of a night out!  Looking through my make up drawer I decided to pull out an oldie but a goodie, my Naked 2 eyeshadow palette.

This palette is perfect for all occasions with 12 neutral, highly pigmented tones which range from matte, shimmer and glitter shadows.  The colours are all taupe based and the range of textures is really what makes this such a well-rounded product.

I also love the packaging of the palette - a sturdy case which is perfect for travelling with a large mirror and useful double ended brush included.  One end of the brush is fluffy, which I like to use as a blending brush, and the other end a flat brush which is great for building up colour.

When I turn to this palette for a gorgeous gold based look, I use Half Baked, Bootycall, YDK, Busted and Blackout.  Five colours in one go might seem a bit much but I find the colours look great together!

First of all, I use Half Baked as my base colour - this is my absolute favourite.  It's a gorgeous bronze gold with a shimmer texture which I pop across my lids.  Next, I use Busted for the crease, it's a brown shimmer which works really well with my base colour.  I then pop a bit of YDK on top of the crease colour (this is where the fluffy brush comes in), it's a cool toned bronze shimmer which really compliments the contouring on the lid.  Next, I go onto Blackout - a great matte black which I find is a perfect alternative to eyeliner! I use this to define the crease slightly and pop it on like eyeliner with a slight flick at the end and run it gently below my lower lash line.  Finally, I finish off with Bootycall - a gorgeous light cream shimmer which is perfect for the inner corners of your eyes to really make them pop.

I'm already looking forward to wearing this eyeshadow combo tonight, do you have any favourite shades in the Naked 2 palette? Let me know what other colour combos I can try out next!

The Fashion Edit: Top 5 Autumn Accessories

Autumn fashion has to be one of my favourites.  Getting all cosy in my many layers and popping on a berry lipstick (which I rave about in my previous post) to go meet friends over the weekend is so much fun.  To celebrate my love for all things Autumn, I have picked my top 5 accessories for this time of year to help you bring together the ultimate Autumnal outfit.

Pick 1 / The Tartan Scarf

What more could a girl want? I'm a sucker for a good tartan scarf at this time of year.  Last year as a Christmas gift I received a red based Glen Lossie scarf, but this year I have my sights set on this Asos  Grey Tartan Scarf.  It's a great oversized scarf which would most likely double as a blanket! The grey scarf with red and blue tones throughout makes this suitable with almost every outfit, and at £16 it's a bargain.    

Pick 2 / The Ankle Boot

Ankle boots are gorgeous at this time of year, Topshop always have a great selection and I love those with a slight heel on them - they can dress up any outfit, day or night.  Topshop's MINE Leather Buckled Ankle Boots are perfect, they have interesting buckle detail and a gorgeous gold plate on the front of the heel, adding a little extra detail and without being too chunky makes them perfect for this time of year.  

Pick 3 / The Statement Necklace

This is one bad ass statement necklace.  This Zara Crystal Fringe Necklace could easily dress up any outfit and you could get away with this being the only piece of jewellery you wear.  Even with jeans and a white t-shirt this necklace would instantly dress the simple outfit up.  It will also be perfect when the party season comes around, definitely worth investing in!

Pick 4 / The Shopper Handbag

Another Zara pick, this Mini Shopper with Pocket in Burgundy is the perfect Autumn bag.  It's in the ultimate Autumn shade and is a good size.  It has two options of a standard handle and attachable shoulder strap, it also has a zip up compartment to keep all your valuables safe.  Isn't it a beauty?!

Pick 5 / The Christmas Socks

Ok, so it's not quite Christmas and Christmas jumpers aren't appropriate (yet!), however there's no reason why you can't get in the festive spirit under those gorgeous ankle boots you've been wearing.  Topshop again have a good selection and these Santa and Candy Cane Socks are just the cutest!  Make sure you pick up a pair and make yourself feel festive in the run up to Christmas.  

Do you have any top picks for Autumn?  Enjoy bundling up all of those layers!

New Kiko Favourites

Recently my boyfriend and I spent a few days in Rome being full-on tourists.  We visited so many of the gorgeous sights during our time there, and all the while I referred to my Top 10 Rome pocket guide every 10 minutes to rhyme off facts about the beautiful churches, statues and squares which take over the city.

(The Pantheon, our amazing view at dinner in the Piazza della Rotonda one night.)

I had a list of places I wanted to visit before we arrived - the Colosseum, Vatican City, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and, of course (to my boyfriends dismay), Kiko.
Living in Scotland, my nearest Kiko is probably a couple hundred miles away so you can imagine my excitement when I found out we were staying a few doors along from one of the stores in Rome!

I didn't go too crazy, but I'm extremely happy with the products I purchased.

I'll start off with the face - I purchased Kiko's Natural Concealer in 01 Clear, and I love it.  It reminds me of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer due to its amazing staying power and easy to apply doe foot applicator.  The shade 01 is perfect for my pale skin, it has a slight pinky tone to it which makes it great when applying under my eyes to hide those nasty dark circles.

Next up, eyes.  I bought the Color-Up Long Lasting Eyeshadow in 10 Bold Rosy Taupe and it's exactly as it says - long lasting.  I'm so impressed with this eyeshadow, it's more of an eye crayon which glides onto the eyelid with no pulling (which I was initially surprised at as long lasting eye crayons can be a bit on the dry side at times!).  It's a gorgeous shimmery purple taupe shade and I like to blend it once applied, I'd recommend doing this immediately as after a minute or so that's it set for the day and won't budge.  To change up the colour at times I have put dark powder eyeshadows in my crease or added a hint of cream shimmer to the inner corner of my eye.  I also found this easy to remove with a muslin cloth and my standard face wash.
I would definitely repurchase in many different colours!

Last but certainly not least, my favourite purchases - Ace of Diamonds Lipstick and Lip Pencil in 27 Refined Burgundy.  This is the ultimate Autumnal shade for the lips, a lovely mix of berry purple and red which is so smooth when applying.  It has a moisturising formula which has good staying power considering it isn't sold on being long lasting.  The lip pencil also has a creamy texture making it super easy to apply.  The colour and formula of this lipstick and lip pencil duo have made it my firm favourites of the season.

Have you made any Kiko purchases recently? I'm considering buying their Golden Game Sculpting Bronzer, if you've tried it let me know what you think!

Pretty Polish Review

Picking out a new nail polish has to be one of my favourite things.  

One of my most recent purchases has been the essie watermelon nail lacquer.  This polish is a gorgeously refreshing shade of red, a bit of a mix between essie's bachelorette bash and raspberry lacquers.  When it comes to nail colours I always seem to be draw to pinky reds, so this is one I definitely had to purchase!

I love, love, love this nail lacquer -  it has a really great, thick formula and I only had to apply one coat, it's also very opaque which makes the colour look great and super glossy on the nails.   Essie have the best brushes when it comes to nail polish, the bristles are tightly packed together making it easy to sweep on your favourite colour without it going all over your fingers.

I popped on my favourite top coat and this polish has lasted me over a week already with no chipping - perfect!

What are your favourite essie nail lacquers? I'm looking to purchase more winter appropriate shades, let me know if you have any recommendations!

Mini Lush Haul

I recently made a day trip to Edinburgh and picked up quite a bit of shopping..!

While walking along Princes Street I spotted the Lush window and immediately stopped in my tracks - the festive Lush products were in.  

Lush has always been a favourite of mine, and my love for this brand grows and grows at this time of year.  I didn't go too crazy and only made a few purchases, but I have every intention to return and extend my collection as the festive season nears.  

In my mini haul I purchased a Sparkly Pumpkin, Dashing Santa and The Melting Snowman.  

Sparkly Pumpkin

I'm a sucker for Halloween and glitter - so it was love at first sight.  This bubble bar has a warming yet refreshing sent with juniper berry, lime and grapefruit oils, which left my skin feeling silky smooth when I (eventually!) got out of the bath.  It also makes your bath look great with all the glitter.  

Dashing Santa

Since Lush Christmas is in I had to purchase a Santa bath bomb, and this one makes your bath look pretty in pink when the dashing santa fizzles away.  This bath bomb has an orange, zesty scent, not one I would usually go for (that citrus-type scent tends to remind me of cleaning products!) however it was really uplifting and not too overpowering.  A nice change of scent for my Sunday bath times.  

The Melting Snowman

I first picked up this little guy because he looked so cute.  His little melted body and (unfortunately) missing carrot nose made him too cute to refuse.  I wasn't expecting the scent but I LOVED it.  It is the ultimate Christmas spiced scent - cinnamon, clove, sweet orange and patchouli.  On top of that it is made with almond oil and cocoa butter.  I can't wait to try this one out.  

Have you been purchasing some of the Lush Christmas goodies? Let me know what I should try out next!