Age Of Innocence

Shirt - Urban Outfitters / Dress - The Whitepepper / Shoes - Topshop
Necklace - Urban Outfitters / Nail Ring - Choies* / Watch - Michael Kors

A couple of weeks ago I went to my niece's christening and this is what I wore. I never normally go to church so I had no idea what to wear but I figured everyone else would be dressing up. It was the ideal occasion to debut one of my latest purchases from The Whitepepper. I had my eye on this dress for ages and then it went down to £25 in a flash sale so I snapped it up immediately. It's very oversized so I ended up with size XS which fits me perfectly. I really love the frilly armholes & I think it looks great with a white shirt underneath. I feel like a Victorian child in this outfit or like I work at a Japanese maid cafe, if only! I adore this little black cat nail ring I got from Choies too, so cute!

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The Library Of Fragrance: Pistachio Ice Cream

The Library Of Fragrance Pistachio Ice Cream Cologne Spray* - £15

The Library Of Fragrance is an exciting new perfume brand that have just launched in the UK. Known as Demeter in America, the brand started almost twenty years ago with the aim of capturing all the beautiful scents that surround us in the everyday. The result is a truly fantastical collection of single note perfumes with everything from Lavender, Neroli, Vetiver & Sandalwood to Play-Doh, Sushi, Pizza & Snow. If you can imagine a scent then The Library Of Fragrance have pretty much got you covered.

28 of the most popular scents from The Library of Fragrance are now available to buy from 400 Boots stores nationwide and via the Boots website. However there is a total of 101 fragrances available directly from their website & that's where you'll find the amazing scent that I was sent to try, Pistachio Ice Cream. It's one of my favourite ever desserts but is strangely difficult to find in UK supermarkets. I normally have to seek out a traditional ice cream parlour to get my pistachio fix. A few years ago I became obsessed with the Laura Mercier Crème de Pistache range which just so happens to smell exactly like pistachio ice cream. Such expensive bath & body products are a rare treat for me so I've had to make do without that gorgeous scent in my life... until now, that is! This perfume reminds me so much of those Laura Mercier products. The cool sweet scent lingers on my body for hours & I can't get enough of it. I noticed that Laura Mercier actually make a Crème de Pistache perfume but considering The Library Of Fragrance version costs just a third of the price, I know which one I'd rather pay for.

Whenever I decide to buy a new perfume it's always down to whether I instinctively like it. I'm not terrible at detecting different fragrance notes but I'm certainly no Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (watch Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer if you have no idea who I'm on about!). Anyone who has ever reviewed a perfume on their blog will know how tricky it can be to accurately describe a scent other than 'it's fruity/floral/sweet/spicy/musky'. What I really like about this wonderful collection of scents is that each perfume is incredibly simple & smells exactly how it is supposed to. This perfume smells just like real pistachio ice cream, it's not synthetic at all. The scent encapsulates that creamy nutty sweetness that I love so much & gives me one heck of a gelato craving. At just £15 per bottle this line of fragrances is very affordable & I will most definitely be picking up a few more. I had a quick sniff of them in Boots when I was in Halifax last week and they all smell so good! Jasmine is next on my list as it's so refreshing to find a floral perfume with just one note. Of course part of the fun of this product is that you can combine several of the fragrances to create your own signature scent. There's literally something for everyone here. You won't find a greater olfactory treat from any other brand.

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October Favourites

Sleek Face Contour Kit
As someone who normally has no interest whatsoever in the Kardashian clan, for some reason I've been coveting Kylie Jenner's mad makeup skillz lately. I've even started overdrawing my lips again with MAC Subculture lip pencil. Of course no Kardashian style makeup look would be complete without some extreme contouring and this Contour Kit from Sleek is something I always come back to. I have it in Light which is still a fairly dark & warm toned shade but with a lot of blending it works really well for me. I've been going to town with this and a MAC 109 brush along my cheekbones & under my jaw. I tend to leave my forehead alone as mine is narrow enough as it is. It helps to slim down my chubby cheeks & hide my many chins whilst adding a touch of warmth to my complexion. The highlighter pan will never take the place of my beloved Mary-Lou Manizer but that contour powder is excellent stuff.

TRESemmé Renewal Hair & Scalp Tonic
Dandruff generally isn't a problem for me but whenever I get my hair bleached my scalp always gets a bit sensitive & flaky. A coconut hair mask normally sorts it out just fine but the idea of this scalp tonic was rather intriguing. Plus it was only £2.50 in Boots! This product is a light clear liquid that you squeeze onto your roots using the nozzle applicator before combing it through the lengths of your hair. It immediately feels very cooling on the scalp as it contains tea tree extract. It also features sunflower seed oil, biotin, vitamin C & vitamin E which together help to prevent breakage and promote healthy hair growth. The tonic feels completely weightless on your hair so you won't even notice it's presence but it'll be working to repair & nourish your scalp on a cellular level. A healthy scalp means healthier hair so I really like the concept of this range. Since trying out the tonic I've invested in the Renewal shampoo & conditioner which I also love. The tonic is definitely the star of the show though. It's a lovely soothing treat before blowdrying that will leave your hair & scalp feeling really refreshed & rebalanced. A bit of extra hair growth is always welcome too!

Claudia Louch Protective Jojoba Day Moisturiser*
The Claudia Louch Natural Skin Clinic products are some of the loveliest I've ever tried. This Jojoba Day Moisturiser is certainly no exception. This product is intended for those with combination to oily skin types. It feels weightless on the skin yet it features an abundance of deeply hydrating & nourishing oils. The key active ingredient here is jojoba oil which acts as an anti-inflammatory & actually helps to dissolve excess sebum. It has definitely helped to reduce the amount of blocked pores & breakouts I get and as a result my complexion looks very clear & even toned. It really pampers your skin, protecting it whilst leaving it feeling silky smooth. It sinks in quickly & makes a wonderful base for makeup. The rich & velvety texture makes this my perfect Autumn moisturiser.

Russell Organics Vitamin C Serum*
I'm really loving luxury natural skincare brands at the minute. I've tried a whole host of products that claim to lighten post-blemish scarring but none have worked quite so quickly or effectively as this Vitamin C Serum from Russell Organics. Vitamin C is an important ingredient to look for when choosing an anti-ageing product as it helps to plump up the skin, reducing fine lines & wrinkles. It's one of the few things that can fade and actually stop the formation of freckles & age spots. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C have been shown to increase the efficacy of sunscreens too. This light serum feels very silky & moisturising on the skin. It makes my whole face look really bright & radiant. If you want younger or healthier looking skin then you really should try adding a vitamin C serum into your skincare routine. The orangey scent is pretty gross but if you can get over that it'll work absolute wonders on your skin.

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation
I've been extra cautious with sunscreen this year and as a result my skin is currently looking paler than ever. Quite a few of my regular base products just haven't been looking quite right on me especially when compared to my neck & chest. A few weeks ago I went back to using what is quite possibly the palest foundation ever apart from pure white - Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 02. The price of this product has gone up quite a lot over the years. It was only £25 when I bought it & now it costs a whopping £32! Not good news if you need to mix a couple of shades. That gorgeous skin-like finish is well worth it though. It photographs beautifully with or without flash so it's great choice for special occasions like weddings. The coverage is great without completely masking your skin. Some people have struggled to get it work for them so if you want to try this foundation I would highly recommend buying a couple of other Illamasqua bits for application perfection. Firstly their Hydra Veil or Matte Veil primers are a must-have. Skin Base can cling to drier areas so good prep is essential. The next thing to bear in mind is that you only need a tiny amount of product so squeeze a little dot onto the back of your hand rather than blobbing it straight onto your face. The Illamasqua Highlighter brush is truly fantastic & is the perfect tool to apply it with. If you go to an Illamasqua counter they do pretty much everything with that brush. It really buffs in the product giving it a seamless finish & it feels incredibly soft. With those products in my arsenal Skin Base has become one of my favourite foundations ever as it just looks totally amazing on my skin.

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