Fashion: Pick of the sales - New Year's Eve

1 Topshop // 2 Topshop // 3 Warehouse // 4 Warehouse

It really isn't too late to get your New Year's Eve outfit sorted. Here is my edit from the sales. There are some really great bargains to be had this year. I love this jumpsuit and the embellished organza shift from Topshop is gorgeous and could be worn with black tights for New Year but would also work well for a Spring or Summer wedding with some coral shoes and matching clutch. Price per wear and all that...

What are you wearing for New Year's Eve?

Katie xx

Fashion: Pick of the sales 2013 - Tartan Coats

1 ASOS // 2 River Island // 3 Topshop // 4 Warehouse // 5 Oasis

If you didn't treat yourself to a new Winter coat this year, why not pick one up in the sales? The tartan revival from AW13 is still going strong into 2014 and here is my pick of the tartan Winter warmers that you can pick up in the sales. I particularly love the ASOS and Oasis draped styles. Really flattering, hide  a multitude of Christmas sins and you can fit a chunky knit underneath. What's not to love!

What have you picked up in the sales this year?

Katie xx

Life: Update December 2013

1. Misty morning.
Winter is now officially here and this is the view of my street on a misty morning a few weeks ago. I kind of like Winter when you can wrap up warm and head out into the cold or just stay indoors in your onesie with a massive cup of tea.

2. DIY bauble wreath.
I might do a separate post about this but I finally made my DIY bauble wreath! I really wanted to do it last year but didn't get round to it. All it takes is a wire hanger, some Primark baubles and about 30 minutes and you're done. I just need to trim the excess wire and hang it on our front door.

3. Christmas markets in Manchester.
Last week I had my second visits to the Christmas markets in Manchester. For a few years now it seems that the markets take up every available space in the city centre, with most of the stalls centering around food of some kind. I'm not complaining!

4. Our 'fireplace'.
This is our fireplace in our lounge, which is just a cast iron grate and a whole bunch of candles. They aren't all lit here but the effect still comes across. It's nice to have something in our fireplace and the candles do actually give out some heat when they're lit. The glow they give is really pretty and festive. I'm sure they will be lit many more times over the festive period. The grate is from Amazon and the candles are from IKEA.

What have you been up to lately?

Katie xx

Life: Taste of Christmas November 2013

On Saturday 23rd November I met my fave, Helen, for a day of fun and food at Taste of Christmas at London's Tobacco Dock. It's an annual event where some of London and the South East's restaurants, bars and food producers come together to sell their wares all in one place.

Tobacco Dock is easily accessible just a 5 minute walk from Shadwell station, which is on the DLR. Once you enter the venue are were two floors of stalls and rooms, which took us around two and a half hours to get around.

There are plenty of places to grab some hot food I particularly enjoyed the truffle mac and cheese at Opera Tavern and the roasted gnocchi at The Truscott Arms. We couldn't resist a Christmas cupcake and a glass of prosecco either!

There were also demonstrations from some of the UK's top chefs. We managed to catch Michel Roux Junior and Valentine Warner but we could have spent all day watching the yummy food.

I'd highly recommend catching this event next year if you're in the area or can travel to London. There are several options for ticket prices and you can also purchase 'Crowns', which is the currency you need to use for the restaurants in there, along with your ticket. These can also be purchased on the day and equate to £1 to 1 Crown but you must use them up before you leave. My advice would be to get them whilst you're there and buy them bit by bit so you know you will use them up.

Have you been to Taste of Christmas?

Katie xx

Christmas: Festive Clothing Guide 2013

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

As much as I tried to resist, last year I bought a Christmas jumper. I went down the tasteful M&S route but now I wish I had gone with something red and slightly more in your face. I'm hoping to make up for it this year with some of these great jumper and accessory options. That Christmas onesie might even make it's way to my wishlist...

Have you bought your Christmas jumper this year yet?

Katie xx

Christmas: Secret Santa Under £10 Gift Guide 2013

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Ah secret Santa. Loved by some, loathed by others. Hopefully this handy guide will take some of the pain out of it for you. These offerings are all under £10 and fit into categories that aren't offensive (when SS is often run in the office environment...we don't want any post-Christmas sexual harassment cases) and may come in useful at your desk.

In my almost 10 years in the workplace I have found that it is the desk-based secret Santa gift that tends to stick around and be the most popular. I particularly love a good mug, even in offices where there are no drink-making facilities. You can always decant your machine tea/coffee into your mug or heat up your soup at lunch in it. Equally, a photo cube is a great way to personalise your desk with some snaps without going overboard.

Do any of these take your fancy?

Katie xx

Christmas: Beauty Gift Guide 2013

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

I thought, as I have almost finished my shopping (smug!), that I would help out everyone else by running a series of gift guide posts here on the blog.

Today's theme is beauty. There is much more choice these days for cute little beauty gifts. When I was a teenager the choice was a Lancome or Estee Lauder gift set, which wasn't the most exciting. Now there are all sorts of beauty-related goodies to choose from. The majority of the above are from ASOS, Feel Unique and Beauty Bay so if none of them take your fancy, have a browse of the gift sections and you're sure to find the perfect option for your beauty-obsessed loved one!

Katie xx

Review: Muji Log Fire Candle

I had been into Muji to smell this bad boy a few times. Every time I was in London with work (we don't have a Muji in Manchester any more...sad face), I would sneak in if I had time and give it a smell.

Why didn't I buy it? Well it just smells...odd in the tin and I wasn't sure I would like the scent of it burning. However, after a recent Google conference myself and my boss decided to make a quick pit stop in Muji on the way back to Euston and I bit the bullet.

I'm so glad I did! The scent, whilst unusual, is a lovely, welcoming, homely aroma. We don't have an open fire at home so this really makes the place feel all Wintry and inviting, especially when the heating is on and you're all wrapped up in your favourite onesie. No? Just me?

I would definitely recommend this candle to anyone who wants a more unusual scent for their home or who isn't a fan of the traditional sweet candles that seem to do the rounds at this time of year.

Have you tried this candle? Should any of Muji's other candles make their way onto my wishlist?

Muji Feu de Bois / Log Fire Candle £3.50

Katie xx

Life: Amsterdam Mini Break November 2013

We have just come back from a four day visit to the lovely Amsterdam. It was our first time visiting the city and we both loved it! We stayed at the NH Amsterdam Centre Hotel, which was perfectly located opposite the Leidseplein and close to the Vondelpark.

We did most of our exploring on foot, which we always tend to do on city breaks (sore feet!!) but Amsterdam and Holland as a whole is very much a bicycle city. We found out a great fact in that there are 550,000 bikes in Amsterdam and 10% of them are stolen annually. I can fully believe it too as there were loads that weren't chained up.

We arrived around lunchtime on our first day and had a wander. Our hotel and the Leidseplein are at the end of the main shopping area so we had a slow mooch round the shops before heading back to the hotel to check in and decide on somewhere for dinner.

After deciding to venture up the Spuistraat we popped into Lion Noir for a quiet drink en route, which was a really cool bar and restaurant. It reminded me a little of The Alchemist in Manchester, but a lot less pretentious. For dinner we ended up at Humphrey's Restaurant, which is a Holland-based chain but the set, three-course menu was delicious and really well priced.

On our second night we ate at the lovely restaurant in the Dikker & Thijs Fenice Hotel, which also had a set menu. The food here was incredible but the service was a little slow. We had visited the Anne Frank Haus that day, which was unexpectedly emotional so we needed some good sustenance!

On our third day we ate a tasty brunch at Greenwoods, which came highly recommended both in our guide book and on Trip Advisor. I had the eggs florentine and the boy had a full English. Both were excellent and the choice of tea was a nice surprise.

After brunch we bought a 24 hour hop-on, hop-off ticket for the tour boat, which was 20euro each. This was a lovely and relaxing way to see the city after all of the walking we had done on the previous days. We took both the red and orange routes, which covered all of the main sites, including the Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp. We decided to walk back down to this area for dinner on our final night and ended up at the Chocolate Bar, where we were joined for dinner by the house cat! I ordered fondue, which was an obscene amount of food and the boy had a perfectly cooked burger. The bar sits in the middle of a group of other bars and restaurants at the edge of the Albert CuypStraat so you should be spoilt for choice.

Have you been to Amsterdam?

Katie xx

Fashion: The Tartan Edit November 2013

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

I've always had a tartan piece in my wardrobe, usually a casual tartan shirt. This season, to accompany the 90's trend (how old do I feel that the 90's are 'back'??), everything seems to be tartan.

I love tartan mixed with dark denim. You could layer this coat over a leather jacket, black jeans and a denim shirt or equally well over a black dress with a statement necklace for the evening. 

The scarf, which is a lovely Zara special, would bring last years black coat up to date and I don't think I'm going to be able to resist the shirt. I saw it yesterday in our recently revamped Zara store in Manchester and it is a lovely crepe material, which is a nice twist on a classic tartan shirt. 

The dress, from ASOS, is a lovely loose fit, which would be perfect for Christmas day to hide the seasons excesses! It's also in the sale so grab it quickly if you like it...

Have you bought any tartan pieces this season?

Katie xx

Make-up: Ciate Mini Mani Advent Calendar

Just a quick post today to tell you about this gorgeous Christmas offering from Ciate. This is the second year that the brand have done this as far as I know.

What a perfect early Christmas present for nail polish lovers (or for yourself!). Get yours before the 1st December to get the proper advent experience.

Photo from Selfridges.com

Have you got your advent calendar yet?

Katie xx

PS: Keep an eye out for my Christmas gift guide series starting soon...

Life: Update November 2013

I have been pretty quiet on the blogging front recently. Apologies for that. I'm not the most dedicated blogger. I get sudden bursts of inspiration and time to write and schedule posts way ahead of time and then have long periods where I just can't face it for whatever reason.

I know this doesn't lead to a successful blog but I'm just happy to put my content out there and if anyone reads it. it's a bonus.

Here's what I've been up to lately...

Salted caramel hot chocolate in Starbucks // Halloween cobweb liner // Rainbow over Manchester

Mumma Schnitzel halloumi burger // New obsession //  Award win with work

Yummy Nandos salad // Cheese and chive scones (recipe from Nouvelle) // Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes

Katie xx

Favourites: You Tubers Edition November 2013

I am an avid watcher of You Tube videos, as I'm sure many of you are too. I first got into You Tube back in 2008-ish when I started watching Lollipop26, who now blogs over at Buy Now, Blog Later.

From there I discovered the ever-growing group of beauty gurus who I subscribe to and who persuade me to part with my hard-earned cash each month on the latest launch.

So without further ado....here are my favourite You Tubers at the moment.(Note: I have tried not to include the obvious channels that we all watch and love. I'm talking about you Pixiwoo! So here are some that you might not have heard of)

Essie Button

Essie is a Canadian beauty blogger/vlogger living in London. Her videos are really relaxed and natural and she really makes me laugh with her 'hot diggidy' style.

She covers a range of high end and drugstore brands in her videos and her recent 'Brand Focus' series is one to watch.

MakeupbyTiffanyD



I have been watching Tiffany almost since she started You Tube in 2008. She is a beauty blogger and make-up artist from Altanta in the US.

Her hauls, monthly favourites and reviews are some of my favourites to watch and she is very relaxed in front of the camera. I also love her home decor-related blog posts and of course her gorgeous Golden Retriever Waylon (cute!).

Voussontbeauetbelle



Voussontbeauetbelle is the channel of Becca. She's an 18 year old fashion and beauty blogger from the UK. Becca comes across as so much older than her 18 years and is a drugstore make-up and Primark fanatic.

Her regular Primark hauls have recently led to her featuring on the newly launched UK Primark website and many shopping trips on my part!

So, there you have it. Hopefully this post has introduced you to a few new people to watch on You Tube.

Who else do you watch?

Katie xx

Wishlist: ASOS Saved Items November 2013

All images from ASOS.com

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

Another ASOS saved items post. I often wake up much earlier than my alarm so spend countless hours each week browsing the apps on my phone, saving or pinning items to buy later. Here's what's on my hit list at the moment.

There's a mix of season-appropriate knitwear and not so season-appropriate skater dresses and trapeze tops. That's what big, cosy coats are for though!

What's on your wishlist this month?

Katie xx

Life: Anniversary Weekend in Glasgow

A few weekends ago it was our second wedding anniversary so we had a trip up to sunny Glasgow to visit some friends and explore the city.

Here are some photos from my phone from the weekend...

Highlights included breakfast at the lovely Riverhill Cafe on Gordon Street by the station, a lovely Italian dinner at Amarone on Buchannan Street and one of the best curries I've ever had at The Dhabba in Merchant City. Can you tell we like our food!

We also visited the lovely West End area of Hill Head and spent an afternoon at the Kelvingrove museum and gallery.

Have you been to Glasgow? Where you you recommend we go next time?

Katie xx

Life: Summer TV Favourites

Let's start this post of by stating the obvious....My name is Katie and I'm a telly addict! I have always been a massive TV and film watcher. Even as a small child, back when there was no scaremongering about putting small children in front of screens, I used to get up super early and watch a good few hours of TV before my Mum woke up.

Then Saturday night always involved a trip to the video shop (retro!) and I would watch my film, usually something with Care Bears, My Little Pony or the Thriller music video, that evening and again the next morning.

Now that we have set the scene you will understand my current dilemma. Summer is an awful time for TV! Come September/October I usually have over 15 shows on the go at any one time. I will do a separate post on my favourite Autumn/Fall TV shows but for now I wanted to give some love to the shows that have been getting me through the TV wasteland that is the Summer.

Under The Dome


Image via BBC.co.uk

This Stephen King adaptation is coming to Channel 5 in the UK in the coming weeks. I have been watching this via CBS and I am already hooked after under 10 episodes.

The premise is that a mysterious and impervious dome falls from the sky, covering the once sleepy town of Chster's Mill. Most of the town and some visitors are stuck inside the dome and some of the towns' residents are stuck outside of it.

There are several dodgy and mysterious characters and gradually, episode by episode, we as the viewers start to get more details about the dome, its effects on the people under it and where it might have come from.

I can see this one continuing for a good few series/seasons and I will be right there with it!

Perception


Image via: TNT.com

Perception is now in its second season and it shown on TNT in the US. It stars Will & Grace favourite Eric McCormack and 90's teen movie leading lady, Rachael Leigh Cook along with a host of other stars from previous hit shows.

This show focusses on McCormack's character, Dr Daniel Pearce, who is a renowned neuroscience professor who helps former student Rachael Leigh Cook with her complicated FBI cases.

This ticks two of the boxes that I often look for in an easy to watch TV show; procedural, in that it follows the same format from week to week, and crime-based. I love me a crime-based TV show!

King & Maxwell



Image via: MoviePilot.de

King & Maxwell is another TNT drama, but this one is also in its first season. This show stars Rebecca Romjin and John Tenney as two former Secret Service agents who now work as private detectives in Washington DC.

The supporting cast in this show is great, with the quirky genius assistant and the cantankerous FBI agent, they take on cases the authorities wouldn't and often end up in some scrapes.

Again, this is easy watching and the sub-plot isn't too taxing I.e. as a viewer you don't have to remember loads of detail to keep up with what's going on.

Rizzoli & Isles


Image via: ferver-records.com

Last but by no means least is Rizzoli and Isles. Now in its fourth season and starring two recognisable faces, this is another crime-based procedural. The main attraction for this show for me is the friendship between the two main characters. They are both the best in their fields and have a friendship that most of us would 'kill for' (sorry!).

Again the supporting cast is great and the various sub-plots throughout the four seasons have been meaty enough to keep the viewer entertained.

What have you been watching this Summer?

Katie xx

Life: Carrot Cake Cupcakes

After completing the cupcake decorating course at Hey Little Cupcake!, which I talk about here, I wanted to keep the momentum going and try a new recipe with my new skills.

I waited for pay day and popped down to Home Sense, which is TK Maxx's new homeware chain, and picked up a new muffin tin and an icing bag and nozzle set and I was ready to go.

The recipe I used was this one from the BBC website and I found it really easy to follow, even after 10 years without baking a thing.

I didn't add the nuts or dried fruit to the cake mixture but I found that the cinnamon and mixed spice added a lovely twist.

Be aware though that, unless you've got a GIANT muffin tin, this recipe will make loads more than the 12 it states. I got 21 cakes out of this. The frosting though did only top 12 cakes so I have saved some cakes un-frosted for later in the week.

Here are some photos of my first attempt at cucpakes...

** The cook has to taste the goods! **



Have you baked anything recently?

Katie xx

Fitness: Favourite 'At Home' Workouts

For various reasons, sometimes you just don't feel up to going to the gym. It may be the weekend or you may only have 40 minutes or so to work out and don't feel like trekking all the way to the gym.

In my uni days I used to buy a new workout video (yes video!!) each year and do it in my room in halls as I couldn't afford the gym as a lowly student. I think some of these thrifty habits have stayed because I still like to do the odd workout in my living room now and again.

My favourites at the moment are...

Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat Boost Metabolism Workout



Oh Jillian. I shouldn't love you but I do. Ever since her days on Biggest Loser USA and then the ever popular '30 Day Shred', which I actually bought on DVD she has been my at-home fitness guru of choice.

This workout, for those familiar with Jillian's methods, runs along the same lines. There are different routines, each focussing on various parts of the body. This isn't for the faint of heart as it's very high intensity but if you're after something intense to do in your living room, this is the one for you!

Denise Austin: Ultimate Fat Burn Workout



Now this is a great one if you haven't got a lot of time and don't want anything too intense. There is a lower intensity workout and only lasts just over 20 minutes so is a great option if you need to squeeze it in in a hurry.

I found this one on the Be Fit channel on You Tube, which has some great fitness videos and they're all FREE!

What are you favourite 'at-home' workouts?

Katie xx

Wishlist: Home Edition September 2013

This month I thought I’d do a home decor Wishlist post as I have found some great websites and would happily buy everything they sell. I managed to pick a few favourite items though to add to my wishlist…

1. Ferm Living Happy Flags 27.00EUR

I really like the look of a small string of bunting inside the home and think this colourway would be perfect in our (almost finished) guest bedroom. Now to convince the husband!

2. Ferm Living Stripe Tin Boxes - Set of 3 22.00EUR

Again I think these would work well in our guest room with the striped wall. Not sure what I would put in these but for now they will just look pretty on the floating shelves. They also come in monochrome and a lovely blush and cream colourway.

3. Ferm Living Wire Basket - Small 58.00EUR

These wire baskets come in several sizes and you can even purchase solid wooden lids to turn them into practical side tables with storage from the same website. I have added the black version to my list but there is an equally gorgeous blush colour, which I am toying over too. No idea where this would go in the house but I really like it.

4. Rose & Grey - Vintage World Map £29.95

This world map poster has a gorgeous vintage feel to it and would look lovely in a distressed frame. I think this might be another guest room item to add to the list. I love the idea of having maps framed on the walls as they offer so much more than simple prints and I could stare at them for hours.

5. Rose & Grey - Sorting Office Tray £14.50

This sorting/document tray is going to be perfect for the new built in floating desk we have had fitted in the lounge. I want to keep the look of the pieces we style the desk with quite industrial and parted down and this will fit in perfectly.

6. Rose & Grey - Heart Dish £14.00

Mercury glass is quickly becoming one of my favourite materials and, whilst I am not the biggest fan of hearts or anything too girly, this will be perfect for holding earrings and necklaces on my bedside table/night stand. At the moment I am using a scented candle to store these, meaning I can’t light the candle so this will come in handy as well and looking cute and matching the decor in our master bedroom.

7. & 8. Ferm Living Bau Deco Poster – K & J 25.00EUR

These posters are really cute. Again, no idea where they would go at the moment but we’re planning to re-do the stairs and hallway at some point and I know my husband loves the idea of having frames going all the way up the stairs so I might suggest these. For those wondering, J and K are our initials.

What's on your home decor wishlist this month?

Katie xx

Favourites: August 2013

I changed things up a bit in the last few months due to the 'unseasonal' Summer weather we had here in the UK! Here's what I have been using in August...

Skin 79 Super+ BB Cream

This is my third bottle of this original Korean BB cream. I found it on eBay after seeing it in one of Miss Glamouratzi's videos. I know that Ingrid has combination skin like myself so thought this would be a good option that wouldn't leave me with a face like an oil slick by lunchtime.

The formula is thick, creamy and fairly grey in tone, though it does alter to match the colour of your skin when blended. Having said that, I have very pale skin so I don't think this would work for anyone darker than an NC/NW25 in MAC foundations.

The coverage is medium but buildable and I have found that it does let some shine through towards the end of the day, even after powdering. I think this has also helped to fade some of my previous blemish scars as many Asian skincare and make-up products are whitening.

If you are on the paler side and want to try an original Korean BB cream if highly recommend this.

Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Pinched & Flushed

I bought these two beauties about 6 months ago but always struggled to use them without the cream taking all of the foundation off my cheeks on blending. Then I tried applying them before powder but after the BB cream above and I love the result.

I often don't use powder on my cheeks when wearing one of these to let the dewiness of the blush shine through. It provides a nice contrast to the rest of my skin, which I like to keep quite matte.

These are a great affordable way to test the water with cream blusher and perfect for the warmer weather. I have since purchased a lovely MAC cream blusher, which I'll review when I've had a bit more of a play.

Maybelline EyeStudio Colour Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze

This is a fairly recent purchase and one I have been loving for a quick smokey eye. Paired with a waterproof/long-lasting black pencil liner it gives a dramatic and long-wearing look.

I apply this with my ring finger all over the lid up to the crease and then blend the edges into the crease with a MAC 217 or similar fluffy brush. It lasts all day without creasing and I can't fault it.

I now want to try the Permanent Taupe colour as I think this would be great for an easy defined crease eye look.

What were you loving in July?

Katie xx

Review: Oribe Dry Texturising Spray

Oribe Dry Texturising Spray £18.00

This product is quickly achieving cult status, particularly in the blogging world, so I thought I’d give it a go. I was in Space NK picking up a new brush head for my Clarisonic Mia and this was next to the till (damn you Space NK and your tempting till offerings!).

The first thing to point out about this product is the not so purse friendly price point. I picked up the travel/handbag size and even this was a whopping £18.00 but I was so excited to try it I put it to the back of my mind and handed over my debit card.

For a while now I have wanted to try and perfect the ‘undone’ hair look for that ‘just rolled out of bed looking gorgeous’ feeling and I thought that this product would be the key to achieving it. The result, unfortunately, was a messy (not in a good way), dry feeling mop.

I know the clue is in the name of the product but I just wasn’t expecting my hair to feel so dry after using this. Oribe promote this as an alternative to dry shampoo for creating texture and volume and it definitely has the same feeling as my beloved Batiste.

After really trying to make this work for me I have come to the conclusion that I just can’t pull off the messy hair look. Particularly as I get older I think having ‘messy’ hair just makes me look like a harried mother of three (even though I don’t yet have any kids!).

I think I’m going to stick to the clean, shiny ‘done’ look for now!

Have you tried this product? What do you think of the ‘messy’ hair trend?

Katie xx

Haul: Boots August 2013

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Effects in Papaya

This is the second of these gel-style polishes from Barry M that I have picked up. I rushed out to buy Lychee when they first came out like everyone else but, whilst I was having a browse the other day, I noticed they had a few new colours.

Papaya seemed like a quite unique muted orange. Previously I’ve steered away from all things orange-toned as I worry they will clash with my hair but I really like this colour. A bit different to the traditional coral, I can’t wait to try this one out on my nails.I have heard that the darker colours in this line stain the nails so I’ll make sure I used a good base coat.

Barry M Sequin Nail Effects in White

This was a complete impulse purchase but I couldn’t leave it on the stand. I have been eyeing up a really similar version from Revlon for ages and this was at least half the price. I’m not sure how this will translate on the nails as, quite often, you need to slap on a good few coats to get a decent amount of the glitter to transfer.

I quite like the idea of this toning down some of the brighter colours I have with its milky, white base. It might be one of my last forays into glitter polish due to my advancing age. Can a 30 year old still wear glitter nail polish??

Rimmel Scandaleyes Thick & Thin Eyeliner

I couldn’t resist trying this one as soon as I got it. I’ve been wearing a slick of black eyeliner with a flick almost every day for the last 12 or so years and I’m a big fan of these pen-style liners.

I love the really fine nib as it makes getting a precise flick so much easier. I wasn’t however too impressed with the colour pay-off of this. It’s not as black or opaque as many others I’ve tried but the staying power is good. It claims to be waterproof, which I haven’t tested but it definitely passes the inner corner smudge test, which may other pen liners don’t.

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Red Sunrise

After seeing these new lip crayons on Lily’s blog I immediately added them to my list. Originally I was planning to get Peach on the Beach but when I saw Red Sunrise I couldn’t resist it.

This is different from the other lip crayons I’ve tried in that the colour you get when you first apply it is really close to the colour you’re left with after a few hours. I wouldn’t call them stains but they do leave a nice, subtle colour behind if you’re lazy like me and only remember to apply lip colour in the morning.

This is the perfect lazy red colour. It gives great colour pay-off but you don’t need to be too precise with your application (sorry lip pencil!) I find this perfect for work.

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish in Tourquoise

This was a slightly older purchase but I thought I’d add it in here anyway. I have barely had this off my nails since I bought it and LOVE the colour!

The application is the best of any nail polish I have ever tried. The brush is wide enough to coat the whole nail (apart from the thumb) and you can get away with just one coat, although I often do two just for staying power. This coupled with my Seche Vite top coat are a dream combination and have definitely been my Summer nails of choice this year.

Have you tried any of these beauties?

Katie xx

Review: MAC Cream Blush in Ladyblush

 

This lovely cream blush featured in my recent MAC & Primark Haul post and wasn’t really a planned purchase.

I recently fell in love with cream blusher after buying the Revlon Photoready cream blushers ages ago and finally finding a way to wear them.

MAC Ladyblush is a pigmented, peachy-orange cream blusher that applies with a slight sheen but no shimmer, which is just what I was looking for.

I wanted something slightly darker than a coral or a true peach and this is the perfect shade and will see me through to Autumn.

I apply this after foundation and concealer but before powder and, more often than not, don’t powder over it to keep the radiant sheen show through and make me look younger more awake than I am.

Although there isn't a massive shade range in the Cream Blend blushers, I think MAC have got this one just right. You can pick this up anywhere that sells MAC products and it is £18.00 or £15.00 in the pan.

Have you tried this blusher?

Katie xx

Life: Cupcake Decorating Course (Hey Little Cupcake)

A few Sunday's ago I went along to Hey Little Cupcake in Manchester's Spinningfields to their cupcake decorating course. It's something I have wanted to do for a while having previously been an avid baker it was always the butter cream/icing part that let me down.

There were 6 of us in the class on the day I went, all women, and I wasn't the only one on my own, which was reassuring. The lovely Ashley was teaching the class and we had the cupcakery to ourselves.

Several techniques were demonstrated during the class; working with sugar paste (we made leaves, flowers, butterflies and hand-rolled roses), making butter cream and piping using 4 different nozzles for different effects.

Throughout the class you each decorated 6 cupcakes that you could then take home to dazzle your friends with your new-found skills. Here are some photos from the day...

I think my favourites are the cookie monster and the garden. Let's hope I don't spend too much money on cake decorating equipment and then eat everything I bake!

The course was £35 for 2 hours and you can book yourself in here.

Which is your favourite? Have you ever done a baking or cake decorating course?

Katie xx