OOTD: Reiss

With the lovely weather we have been having in London on Friday I finally felt brave enough to hang up my Winter coat and take my new jacket (originally puchased in the Christmas sales) out of hibernation!

I love the light grey colour as my recent grey obsession continues. It's fitted really well, which makes it perfect for work, but it's thick enough to protect you from the City wind (and if you have stood next to the Walkie Talky building  you will know what I mean)!

The Porter fitted coat is currently on sale in Reiss for £95 here.

#bootsgiveitago Wrap Up

Did you get a chance to log on to twitter and join in with the #bootsgiveitago party? I had such a fun time hosting and just wanted to do a little post to recap some of the trends we spoke about and the great tips that some of my amazing followers shared.



What are your favourite trends for Spring? Will you be trying out any of the looks we spoke about? We would love to see them on twitter, just use the hashtag #bootsgiveitago so we can see your lovely faces ;).

If you want any further information on the various trends or Boots give it a go Friday events, it’s all still live here: http://www.springsummertrends.com/

Hope you guys had fun and thank you to everyone who joined in with us! xxx

*Giveaway* In Love with Fashion

You may have noticed my recent love affair with Love's gorgeous floaty dresses so I am really excited to announce that I will be giving away your choice of dress from their website to one lucky reader!!

 Left: Rainbow stripe flower print asymmetrical shirt dress (£40 here)

Right: Aubergine asymmetrical maxi dress (£48 here).

All you have to do to enter the competition is:

• Have a UK address
• 'Like' Love on Facebook here
• Follow this blog
• Leave a comment with your choice of dress and e-mail address.

The competition begins now and ends at midnight on Tuesday the 12th of June.

I am also currently lusting after...

 Dusky Jersey cut out dress (£34 here)

Aqua chiffon cross back dress (£36 here)

Petrol long sleeve wrap dress (£32 here)

Good luck my lovelies!! Remember you can pick any dress from their website in your choice of size so get browsing! xxx

Lily Cole Cruelty Free Collection for The Body Shop

The Body Shop's latest collaboration with Lily Cole has evolved into a limited edition cruelty free make up range celebrating their against animal testing ethos. The range is full of bright, springtime colours that make a statement, while being vegetarian and 100% cruelty free!

The collection includes a fantastic mix of face and skin products, as well as a mini brush set for cheeks, eyes and lips in a mirrored wallet.

Lily's favourite products are also my top pick from this collection. These cute little domes can be applied directly onto the skin to give an effortless subtle tint or flush to lips and cheeks.

Crazy for Coral is perfect to use on tanned skin, while Pinch Me Pink is flattering on any complexion. The colour is very subtle and easily blendable, perfect for on the go application over/ under makeup or on its own.

These Mini Hi-shine glosses are super sparkly and easy to throw in a bag. The colours are fairly sheer, so they can easily be used on their own or add a wet look to any bright lipstick.

The liquid liner in this collection is a rich violet with a hint of gold shimmer. As far as liquids go  this one is pretty simple to use as its felt tip applicator makes it easy to create a solid line. The purple is not as deep as others I have tried, but it's definitely a fun alternative to black, which is flattering on any eye colour.

I have always loved TBS's shimmer cubes and this combination of colours is absolutely gorgeous. 

I especially love pairing the deep, warm purple with the shimmery copper for an intense, yet radiant eye look.

The Pearl Radiance Primer in this collection is a great base to create a glowing complexion. Since this product has quite a bit of shimmer it does need to be used sparingly, especially on oily skin. Just one pump distributes the perfect amount of light-diffusing pearls!

Have you tried The Body Shop's strictly limited edition cruelty free makeup collection? What are your favourite products from the range? xxx

OOTD: Symmetric Florals

Zara is pretty amazing this season. I have practically banned myself from going in as I always leave with something. I just can't help myself! Sometimes I can be indecisive, but having eyed this dress (£49.99 here) on the rail on three separate visits I decided that it had to be mine.

Although I absolutely love the pattern and the bright colours of this dress, the cut is not super flattering if you are a little bit top heavy. The deep cut outs can really broaden the shoulders, so you have to be careful with your proportions.

I decided to play up the green accents in the dress, while working the pastels trend with a pair of pistachio heels from Roberto Cavalli (purchased in the US for a ridiculously discounted price).

Please excuse my pale post winter legs!

I have been on the search for the perfect Summer leather jacket for months and this buttery soft All Saints Carmine waterfall jacket (£350 here) is just perfect. With fabric inserts in the sleeves, a fitted cut and unique button detailing there is nothing I don't like about this jacket... except perhaps the price!

Have you picked up any cute pieces in Zara recently? xxx

OOTD: Mary Katrantzou Inspired

Mary Katrantzou's bright, eye catching designs have exploded on to every fashion editor's radar over the last few seasons. I absolutely love her style and given a lower price tag I would definitely be investing in her pieces.

Therefore while browsing Love's website I was super excited to see an MK inspired shirt dress at a purse friendly price of £40 (check it out here).

Shirt Dress: In Love With Fashion (£40 here), Belt: Mango, Leather Jacket: Reiss, Tights: M&S, Cool Suede Wedge Trainers: Ash (£139 here), Glasses: Fiorelli.

I love the fact that all the dresses are individual, mine just happened to be mostly yellow and red, but as you can see from the picture on the website all the dresses have a unique mix of colours.

Keep your eye out for an exclusive Love competition for my readers where you will be able to win your choice of their fabulous dresses... coming soon! xxx

Yardley Florals

Though the sun has been a little shy this April nothing can evoke Spring like flowers so when I spotted this beautiful floral advertising campaign by Yardley I just had to share it with you all!

This is Yardley's first advertising campaign in over 15 years and I think they have really brought a traditional brand to the forefront with these absolutely stunning, modern, yet classic images.

These incredible dresses were created by Petra Storrs using white crepe, covered in silk flowers. The video below shows how they were made, as well as some behind the scenes footage featuring makeup and hair!

The perfect depiction of the English countryside - rich in colour, texture and beauty sprinkled with a little rain ;). xxx

butter London S/S 2012

When the new butter London collection images dropped into my inbox this month I had to stop myself from letting out a squeal. I am sure my colleagues at work would not have shared my excitement! The colours in this collection are absolutely stunning and there is definitely something for everyone.

I was lucky enough to receive two shades from the range, including the one I was desperately hoping for - the beautiful, shimmery, multi-faceted and rather originally named 'Knackered' and the vivid, creamy teal 'Slapper'.

All the butter polishes are 3 free with no Formaldehyde, Toluene or DBP and are priced at £12 each here.

Knackered is described on the website as a sheer, twinkling oyster shade flecked with micro glitter particles. This polish is a true duochrome, with facets of lilac, silver and minty green infused with a rainbow of glitter.

With flash.

Without flash.

I was so excited to try this polish (even though I had just had my gels done at the salon so couldn't apply it to my own nails) that I commandeered a very reluctant hand model. If he ever sees this he will be very unimpressed... No nasty comments about the man fingers please, it was either these or Maxie's claws. I was desperate! :P

As mentioned the polish is quite sheer, so to build up the intensity I applied four coats. Once opaque you can see the range of colours light up at different angles, and the glitter really dances in the light! Stunning!

I can't wait to try this polish on top of some darker colours to see what kind of effect it can create as a topcoat!

Have you tried butter London polishes? What do you think of their latest colour palette? Are you a little bit obsessed with the glittery beauty of Knackered? Lots of love for my hand model in the comments please! xxx

Spring in the City

Hello my lovelies, I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather we are having at the moment! I love spring and summer and am so happy it is finally sunny, albeit still chilly and windy, but it is definitely getting there! :)

In keeping with the change in weather I have really switched up my makeup recently. With the sun coming out I want to keep it as natural and fresh as possible, and have not worn my beloved dark, colourful looks in over a month! Don't get me wrong, I still love dramatic makeup, but for the day to day I have been sticking to a little concealer, bronzer, something light and shimmery on the eyes with no liner, a dash of mascara and colourful lips. For lipsticks my favourite have been bright pinks and corals such as YSL Rouge Volupte 8 and MAC's costa chic as well as smile dazzleglass.

Have any of you updated your routine for the spring/ summer season?

Sugarsweet

Straight after the Body Shop event I am sure you have all heard a lot about I rushed to MAC to purchase the sugarsweet collection. Unfortunately as I have been away in the countryside, sans my beloved laptop and reliable internet connection, I was unable to post these photos.

I am sorry these are so late, but here is my take on the collection ie. NOT inspired by the horrible promo image.. really MAC, you should know better!
Cheeks:
Perfect topping MSF
Well dressed blush

Eyes:
Aquavert all over lid
Club in crease
Stars'N'Rockets on lower lashline
L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

Lips: Bubbles and Saint Germain

Lilac Awakening

A fun spring look using shimmery green and purple :)