Well Thought Out Twinkles

Dress - George* / Bag - George* / Boots - Public Desire / Belt - Primark
Necklace - Lisa Angel / Bracelet - Lisa Angel / Watch - Michael Kors

A quick look through my previous outfit posts will show you how much I love dressing up. I don't feel the need to wait for a special occasion, I simply feel far more at home in a pretty dress or skirt. I find dresses to be infinitely more flattering on me than jeans & a T-shirt so wearing them makes me feel happier & more confident as a result. Ignore the chronic bitch face I have going on in these photos, this dress brings me so much joy! A black skater dress with a white collar is something that I will never get bored of. I already own several dresses with some kind of variation on this style but there was something about this one from George at Asda that set my heart aflutter. I completely & utterly adore it. I think it was the crochet collar with pearl beading that clinched it for me. George make so many lovely dresses & they have something for every occasion. Personally I would be totally happy to wear this particular dress both during the day & on a night out. You could even wear it to work & just make some small adjustments to take it from desk to disco. All you have to do is change up your accessories. It's incredibly versatile!

To break the dress up a bit I added this gold chain belt from Primark. Black & gold is my favourite colour combination so I used that to tie together the different elements of my outfit. I've always wanted a bucket bag so I chose this one from George. The bag has both a long strap & a handle strap depending on how you want to carry it. I think it's the perfect size because it can hold all the stuff you need during the day but it's not so big that it'll get in the way when you're propping up the bar later on. Recently I've been looking for really dainty pieces of jewellery & I struck gold when I found this little star necklace & bracelet from Lisa Angel. Whenever I really like something I always want to get it in every colour so I'll probably end up buying them them in silver too.

I think that shoes are one of the most important parts of your outfit. They can completely change the tone of what you're wearing. To make this dress more casual I would wear it with some Vans. In fact I did just that when I went to the doctor's last week. This is more of a night out look so I paired it with these huge platform boots from Public Desire. I suck at walking in heels but platforms are a lot more manageable, especially when they have cleated soles. I missed out on buying the Topshop Allsorts boots that everyone in the world seems to own so these are a fab alternative. Do you like to dress up every day or do you save your best clothes for a special occasion?

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'

MeMeMe Coral Blossom Cheek & Lip Tint

MeMeMe Coral Blossom Cheek & Lip Tint* - £5.50

Spring is almost in the air & as a result I've been opting for brighter colours when doing my makeup. Normally I tend to go for pretty pinks but peachy tones are slightly more natural looking & a great way to quickly perk up the skin. Recently I've been loving this Coral Blossom Cheek & Lip Tint from MeMeMe. I'm a big fan of multipurpose products like this one as they save some room in your makeup bag & they often end up being better value for money. This liquid stain strongly reminds me of Benefit's Benetint range with this orange colour being most similar to Cha Cha Tint. Benetint is often hailed as one of Benefit's best products but I could never quite bring myself to like it's weird old lady perfume scent & bitter taste when used on the lips. I much prefer the MeMeMe version because it doesn't really smell or taste of anything. Not to mention it's a lot more purse friendly! Coral Blossom simply imparts a beautiful peach tint to your cheeks & lips which will last for hours.

Although the colour of this product is described as coral, it definitely doesn't look that way on me. It's a true pastel orange. The formula is ever so slightly thicker & creamier than your average stain which allows you to blend it in seamlessly. Swatched on my hand it looks really pigmented & opaque but it transforms into something else entirely once you apply it to your face. Coral Blossom is actually very sheer but the colour is buildable if you require something a bit brighter. I have a feeling that this colour would work best on those with pale skin like me though because it might not show up very well otherwise. Used on the cheeks it adds a lovely natural flush of colour with a soft, dewy finish. I normally use three swipes on each cheek & blend it in using my fingers. I've tried blending it in with a brush but that tends to remove my foundation underneath so fingers are the way to go. It feels really light & cooling when you first apply it. I love how fresh & healthy it looks on the skin. As it's a stain the colour is really long lasting so you don't need to worry about touching it up throughout the day. This product adds the most perfect warm peachy glow to your cheeks for a bright Summery look all year round.

I really love Coral Blossom as a cheek product but if you're gonna use it on your lips I find that it needs a little bit of help. Without any kind of base it doesn't adhere well to the lips & the colour is almost undetectable. Maybe that's just down to the natural pigment in my lips but I think it performs so much better with a nude lipstick or lip liner underneath. Then you can just pat it on top or apply it with a lip brush to give your lips that same pretty peach tone as your cheeks. In these photos I used MAC Subculture lip liner all over my lips & then applied a wash of Coral Blossom using my Real Techniques Retractable Lip Brush. I think this combo looks gorgeous & the peachiness is a lot more noticeable this way. The liquid stain dries down quickly & comfortably. However it'll mostly disappear as soon as you eat something. Overall I think this product looks stunning on both cheeks & lips but the extra staying power means it works a lot better on the cheeks in my opinion. Are you a fan of these liquid stains or do you prefer traditional cheek & lip products?

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'

February Favourites

Benefit Roller Lash
Like probably everyone else in the UK, last month I picked up Elle magazine for the exclusive sample tube of Benefit's latest mascara offering. While I do think that a lot of Benefit's products are quite gimmicky & don't really live up to their reputation online, I am completely loving this mascara! Roller Lash is extremely uplifting & holds a curl like nothing else. It manages to coat every single tiny lash & dramatically lengthens my lashes. The formula is super black & stays put all day long. It kinda reminds of the Kevyn Aucoin Essential Mascara but without the fibres. My one issue with Roller Lash is that it can be hard to apply more than one coat so my lashes don't look quite as voluminous as I would like. I tried using Roller Lash as a second mascara last week & I much prefer it that way. I can get the thickness I want from another product & then this mascara on top really amps up the length & curl of my lashes.

Lancome Artliner
Artliner is basically my holy grail liquid eyeliner. I religiously used this stuff for years & after my recent clear out I realised I still had an unopened tube! I swiftly cracked it open & it was a complete revelation. Perfect liner every time. It is quite expensive for an eyeliner but in my opinion it's totally worth the money. I love the pointed nib applicator on this & it applies really smoothly. The pigmentation of the liner is fantastic & it doesn't transfer onto my upper eyelids at all. If you've always struggled with liquid liner then this is the product I would recommend because it is utterly foolproof. It also comes in some really interesting but wholly wearable colours. Black is obvs my fave but I also have it in brown which I think looks lovely with a neutral smokey eye.

Palmer's Skin Smoothing Lotion With AHA/BHA
From a young age we are taught that in order to exfoliate your face & body you need some kind of grainy scrub. I'm glad to see that a lot of people have come round to ways of chemical exfoliation as it's just so much better for your face. However most people still use a salt/sugar scrub on their body, myself included. Well I recently discovered that there are loads of body lotions out there featuring BHA/AHAs and much like acids for your face, these lotions are a whole lot more effective at removing dead skin. I really like this Palmer's Skin Smoothing Lotion. I hate the smell of their regular cocoa butter products but this one is a lot more bearable. It blends together cocoa butter, shea butter, vitamin E, salicylic acid & lactic acid for super smooth skin. It's not very moisturising but the main point of this product is exfoliation rather than hydration. It works wonders on keratosis pilaris & ingrown hairs. It can also help with things like bacne & scarring. Body lotions aren't the most exciting thing in the world but this one is pretty fab.

Swell Advanced Root Nutrient Complex*
I've been using this every time I blow dry my hair & it is such an amazing product. The entire Swell range is designed to provide volume & thickness to fine, flat hair. The Root Nutrient Complex features a unique blend of eighteen active botanical extracts which help to nourish & protect hair at the root. You simply spray it onto your scalp & massage it in. It has made my hair feel so much thicker & stronger whilst giving it some mega volume. My hair was in desperate need of something like this. I'm dreading this bottle running out though because the full size version is so expensive!

Organic Surge Extra Care Hydrating Eye Cream*
Organic Surge make some amazing skincare products and I'm especially fond of their Extra Care range. These products are slightly higher in price than the rest of their skincare but they feature some really high quality ingredients so they're worth the extra expense. This eye cream contains jojoba oil which smooths & moisturises the skin without leaving any oily residue behind. It feels extremely light but incredibly hydrating at the same time. It's suitable for all skin types even sensitive skin. Some eye creams make my eyes water if I apply them a bit close but this feels very gentle. It helps to nourish & rejuvenate the eye area leaving it looking smoother & brighter.

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'