OOTD: Easter

 

 Dress: Whistles (on sale on Asos)

Shoes: Melissa

Bag: Chanel

Hair: curled in small sections using the Babyliss Curling Wand Pro

I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter break!

Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick #19 Gabrielle

Its Chanel, it's classic, it's creamy, it's vibrant and rich and perhaps the most beautiful red I have ever seen. My new red lippie of choice is the Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick no.19 Gabrielle. I am in love!

A classic red lip is one of the easiest looks to do, but it never fails to make a statement and make you feel feminine and glamorous. The tricky part (once you have mastered creating a neat lip shape) is finding the right red for you!

 I think this colour would suit most as being a true red it is not too dark or cool, but still retains all its 'teeth brightening' properties. I'll let the swatches speak for themselves ;).

 Tutorial for this look is coming soon, but I just couldn't wait to share my lipstick love!

Do you love red statement lips? What is your favourite red lipstick? xxx

Gifts for Him!

In the second installment of my perfect gifts guide we are going to talk about the boys, the mice and the men ;). Males of any age are notoriously difficult to buy for unless you are blessed with a guy that possesses a genuine passion for something... anything other than beer and 'insert appropriate sport here'. In my experience once a boy reaches the age of 13 he is interested in little but girls anyway...


Elemis Daily Men's Grooming Collection (£27 -10% at feelunique.com) - For the man who is a little tentative when it comes to skincare this set makes a perfect beginning to a routine. My very low maintanence bf has been testing this out for 2 weeks and has provided me with some valuable (albeit typically manly) feedback, though bless him for trying! He absolutely loved the skin soothe shave gel (and even asked me to get him some more!) as the foam is thick and firm it allows the blade to glide smoothly and gives a very close shave. The deep cleanse facial wash 'did a good job' and cleansed the skin without making it feel dry. The daily moisture boost was perfect for use after shaving and he found it lightweight and soothing, without being greasy or breaking him out. Overall he really enjoyed the set, and given that he normally rejects every product I attack him with... ahem.. let him try, I highly recommend it!

Armani Code Gift Set (£45) and Bleu de Chanel (£42). My two favourite men's fragrances for the season. The Armani code was purchased for the bf last year and is a great all rounder - a masculine contemporary fragrance with citrus and olive tree blossom that belnds into a slightly woody finish. Bleu de Chanel was a recent purchase that I just couldn't resist. This fragrance really reminds me of the original Abecrombie eau de toilette, but with a sophisticated twist. Incredibly sexy and fresh with notes of sandalwood, jasmine, citrus and incense it wears well and lasts through the day. The bf has given me great feedback and so have many of his female colleagues... perhaps one too many ;)?

Call Of Duty Black Ops (£39.99) - As much as I hate being woken every Saturday morning by the sounds of gunfire I can't deny the fact that pretty much every guy I know loves this game. Whether he has an X-box, PS3 or even a Wii the new COD will occupy him for hours ;). I usually use this time to blog, read or even have a little pamper so it's a win all around!

Ted Baker Shield Wool Winter Coat (£350) - If you want to really treat that special boy and keep him warm, while looking stylish this winter a coat would be a great purchase. The deep navy colour is flattering on any skin tone and does not look as harsh as black, or as 'tatty' as brown. Of course my choice had nothing to do with the doe-eyed male model, but you can't deny he looks gorgeous! The sharp lines and military inspired detailing keep this classic shape modern and sophisticated, while slimming the figure.. for the gentlemen who require a little streamlining ;).

FCUK Brown Leather Belt (£12.99 down from £30) - I always think it's a bit cheeky buying a present on sale, but hey, I won't tell if you don't. Every guy needs a smart belt and though it may not be a very exciting present it will be a useful one that he will probably wear every day!

 

Remington Groom Innovation Navigator All in One Kit (£29.99) - For the man who takes a little more care of himself this is an absolutely fantastic set to cover all his needs (some of which you may not want to know about... nose and ear trimmer anyone?). This kit includes the PG520 unit with up to 60 minutes of cordless usage (that's a whole hour of nose hair trimming!) as well as 5 attachment heads, a body hair trimmer, wide trimmer, fine trimmer, mini-foil shaver, nose & ear trimmer, 3 combs for different hair lengths (1 – 20 mm), charging stand, cleaning brush & oil bottle. Amazing value for so many tools, and you can be sure that he will find something he can use, or something you can convince him to use in the New Year ;)!

TIGI Bed Head for Men Matte Separation Workable Wax (£8.45) - We all know that guy at school, university, in the office that uses too much hair gel. The 90's are over boys, it's time to update your look! This pliable, matte wax will leave hair looking natural, sorry Westlife, and give it a secure hold without looking greasy or setting stiff and crunchy. If you no longer want sticky fingers after running your hands through his hair, sorry Ross from Friends, this may be the budget friendly hint.. umm... gift you are looking for!

I recently read the results of a poll that announced the gift most men want is that of experience, while girls prefer clothes, jewelry, cosmetics and other tangible items (go figure!). I completely agree with this, and even though it may take a little more organisation an 'experience' is a fantastic present. Of course you can chose something your man is already interested in (Super Car Driving, Golf), but I prefer to try something new such as learning a new skill (Cooking Lessons, Wine tasting, Clay Pigeon Shooting - went down a storm for the bf's bday!). Or why not try something unique such as Feeding Big Cats by Hand or a Flying Lesson?

I hope this gives you some ideas ladies! Good Luck and let me know if you have any recommendations :). xxx

Chanel Jade and Ciate Apple and Custard

Chanel's jade nail polish is being sought after by every fashionista, but unfortunately they are at present only releasing a few hundred bottles.

If you too are lusting after this season's most talked about nail varnish, but do not want to join the hundreds of people already on its waiting list you do not have to be green with envy! Ciate have brought out a beautiful milky green polish called Apple and Custard, which is the closest dupe for Jade I have been able to find.

This polish is extremely opaque, yet it dries very quickly. One coat gives you beautiful milky pistachio nails, and after two coats the colour is even richer.

I have tried several Ciate polishes in the past and as well as their pretty packaging I know I can trust them to be good quality. I am particularly a fan of their cream formulas as they are not at all streaky and quite dense so the colour you see in the bottle is the same as what you get on your nails. If you are interested in checking this colour out it can be found here.

What do you guys think of the Jade hype and will you be painting your nails green this autumn? I am still not too sure, but I just had to see what the fuss was about with this colour. After wearing it for a day I actually think it is pretty wearable, and much prefer it to MAC's celebrated peppermint patti :).

BBR Contest :).

I have been following Hele's and Holly's blogs since I first started my account so I am very excited that they are having a contest with some amazing prizes :).

I chose to do the brunette look because I love Katie Perry and think she looks fantastic here.
This is my look, I tried to do the fringe too.. heheI used:

Face- MUFE HD foundation 115 and powder
MUFE lift concealer
Chanel Bronzer 22 Sierra (to contour and tan my pale self up a little more to her level)
Mix of MAC Melba and another peach blush
MAC MSF Soft and Gentle to highlight

Eyebrows:
Brow wax in wheat and espresso eyeshadow (to darken my brows like hers)

Eyes: (I couldn't really see what she was wearing on her lid in the pic so I improvised)
UDPP
MAC- twinx all over lid
dark devotion along lashline
all that glitters in the crease
shroom to highlight
jardin aires pigment w/ mixing medium along lower lashline
Blacktrack fluidline- upper lashline
Feline khol power along waterline
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara
Red Cherry lashes, for her full eyelash look :)

Lips:
Mix of MAC Hue and Vegas Volt lipstick to get the coral/ peach colour.Hope you guys like it and thank you for the great contest :)!

Love Natalya
xxx