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!