Magdalene May Ball 2015

Last week the hubby and I attended the Magdalene College White Tie May Ball in Cambridge. If you have been reading my blog for a while you will see these posts pop up every two years. I love sharing these experiences with you all, especially when there is an opportunity to dress up! It’s funny to think that this year will be 10 years since we matriculated and here we are back again still feeling (and behaving) like teenagers.

Rather than going for a traditional ball gown (I wore a pretty big MaxMara number to the last one) I decided to switch it up with something a little more sleek and form fitting.

The India dress from Forever Unique was on sale in two different colours (purple version from ASOS here). However, as I wore a purple one shouldered gown (from Coast) four years ago I decided to try the emerald green. I absolutely loved the heavy embellishment on the sleeve of this dress and its overall shape.

Of course the material of these types of dresses is always quite thin so you can see every contour, making a tactical choice of underwear a must!

For makeup I did a very simple smokey eye using the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay. I made sure that the look lasted all night by using a really long lasting foundation (Mac Studio Fix) and setting it all carefully with powder (I used a combination of MAC MSF natural and ELF Mineral Glow powder). I finished the look off with false lashes from Eyelure (Cheryl Girls Night style).

 

For hair I used the Babyliss wide barrel tong (Glamour Waves) to create large curls. I then clipped the bottom sections while getting ready to ensure they had more texture and gently curled the top section at the end so it looked smooth and sleek.

It was a wonderful night of champagne, street food, music and dancing with the Fratellis performing.

We bumped into so many alumni from our university days and it was really fun catching up with them all!

I made it from sunset to sunrise! Hopefully we will be back in 2017!!

Boudoir Lashes - 50% off for my readers!

As you may have noticed from this blog and my YouTube videos I am a fan of big lashes. I don’t need much of an excuse to stick on a pair of falsies or pile on the mascara! However, having used various eyelash growth stimulators such as Lilash and Rapidlash I definitely prefer the natural look. I was therefore really excited to be given the opportunity to try out a full set of lash extensions from Boudoir Lashes!

Boudoir Lashes is based in the prestigious Becca store, just minutes from South Kensington. Luckily, this is very close to my house so I was able to rush there makeup free post shower as Asma advised me that I should not get my lashes wet 24 hours after application. Having had cluster extensions before I was looking forward to seeing how different the individual lashes would be.

Asma welcomed me in and was absolutely lovely. We got started straight away after a consultation and cleansing the area to make sure there were no impurities on the lashes. She first applied little protector pads under my eyes and stuck my bottom lashes down with tape. I am very squeamish when it comes to my super sensitive eyes, but I can assure you this only took seconds and was completely harmless.

 My little lashes before treatment

As I lay with eyes closed Asma began to carefully apply the lashes. She was extremely gentle so there was no tugging or pulling on the eyes and were it not for the sounds of people coming in and out of the store I would have fallen asleep! (Normally Asma is located downstairs where it is much quieter, but we were upstairs due to a bridal event that weekend).

Just under an hour later my lashes were finished and though I was excited to see them I knew this was the part I had been dreading as the last time I had my lashes done the glue made my eyes so irritated that they were red and streaming almost an hour after application. Well, I need not have worried! As I opened my eyes and the pads and tape were removed there was absolutely no stinging or irritation. I blinked a few times and though I could feel my lashes were heavier they still felt light, fluttery and most of all natural.

Looking into the mirror I was so happy with the results. My lashes were long, looked darker and more voluminous, but the shape created was the same as my own lashes so they looked extremely natural. They blended in so well that it was almost impossible to tell they were not all my own.
I don’t know what it is about lashes, but I could rest easy if my hair, skin and lashes always looked good!

After my appointment I made sure to keep the lashes dry, forego my usual oil based cleansers, skip the mascara and try to sleep on my back. I am a horrendously antisocial sleeper – usually sprawling like a starfish on my front, but I made a mental note to try and at least sleep on my side to ensure I didn’t squash the lashes in my sleep and wake up with kinks. As the lashes are light and flexible the few times that I did find myself nose first in my pillow in the morning I simply combed them through with a clean mascara wand and they bounced back into shape.

As my lashes defined my eyes I felt I needed much less eye makeup. For the next week or two I mainly stuck to a little bit of liquid liner, which I gently removed at the end of the day with a damp cotton bud, making sure not to pull on any of the lashes.

 

(day after application)

Asma says that the lashes last about 3 weeks and I would say that they stay full, with only the odd one jumping ship for about 2/3 weeks. After 3 weeks I did start losing more lashes and began to use a little mascara on the roots to hide any gaps. No doubt this hastened the shedding process, but they actually stayed put for much longer than anticipated and almost 6 weeks since my appointment I still have 2 stragglers lol! Of course after a few weeks you can get your lashes filled in or come in to have them professionally removed, but I found that they fell out on their own well enough with no unsightly patches. My real lashes are now a little shorter and less healthy than they were prior to application, but I would not say the difference is dramatic, nor is it something that can’t be changed with a little conditioning treatment. Since the lash cycle is roughly 3 months though they seem shorter they are still growing until they reach full term.

 

(2 weeks after application)

 

Overall I was so happy with my lashes and would love to have them done again. They are absolutely perfect for a special occasion, holiday or just a little treat for yourself and I am so excited to let you all know that Asma has been kind enough to offer a discount for my readers! 50% off a full set of lashes for the first 25 readers to book - please contact asma on info@boudoirlashes.co.uk with FGM50 as your redemption code (subject to availabilty terms and conditions apply ask at the time of booking).

Please do let me know if you decide to try these out as I would love to hear about your experiences! xxx

Prohibition in the 1920s

Last weekend I stepped back in time to the roaring 20s at one of Prohibition's secret parties. Though the dates of these are not top secret the venues are hidden and only disclosed to ticket holders. If you haven't heard of this before, then do check their website out here. With flowing vintage cocktails served in tea cups, live bands, silent movies, casino and even a burlesque show this was definitely a fun and unusual way to spend a Saturday evening. It was fabulous!

You all know that I love to dress up and when given a theme I can never go less than all the way! Luckily, I already had this little flapper outfit hidden away in my wardrobe. The dress is a Massimo Dutti number that I have had since I was 16 (does that count as vintage?). My style has changed so much since then and I even surprised myself that I have kept it all these years. The dropped waist style is perhaps the least flattering shape of all for my figure as it highlights the widest part of the hourglass and the length shortens my legs. To accesorize I wore my Chanel pearls and various feather pieces including a broach that I made into a headpiece, a feather clutch from ASOS and green feather detailed shoes from New Look.

Even the bf grew a 2 day moustache for the occasion so I made sure we both looked perfectly 20s. I tonged my hair with the Babyliss Wave Envy (check out my review here) to add texture. I then painstakingly pinned it around the nape and folded it under my shorter layers to create a faux bob, which I am proud to say lasted through many a dip on the dance floor! 

For makeup I used lots of powder to create flawless, matte and pale skin. I then contoured the cheeks to narrow my face shape. On the eyes I used a mixture of pigments - collection 2000 teal all over,  shimmery golden green in the centre of the eyelid, matte brown to blend and create a more rounded eye shape. I also made my brows thinner and darker to create the classic strong, slimline pencil brow of the 1920s. I then added two pairs of lashes (top and bottom) to make my eyes look larger and alter their shape. I used the new Katy Perry Cool Kitty lashes (£5.95 here) on the top as they are perfectly full and not too long.

I then finished off with a strong lip, making sure to define the cupids bow. This is my slightly more modern and wearable take on flapper makeup!

Have you ever been to a 1920s themed party? What is your favourite decade? Are you tempted to attend the next Prohibition event? I believe it will be held on Saturday the 8th of September! xxx

Carmine Review

To get 50% off your first Carmine box (for £5) enter the following code at checkout: 50GORGEOUS. This code expires on the 29th of February.

For more information on Carmine please visit their website http://www.carmine.co.uk/


Products included in January's Box:

• Korres Wild Rose-24 Hour Moisturiser
• Eldora False Eyelashes
• Eyeko Fat Eye Stick 
• Balance Me Radiance Face Oil
• Westlab Himalayan Pink Salt 

The box was sent to me for review consideration. This is not a sponsored video and all opinions are my own as always. xxx

Drugstore Valentine's Makeup Tutorial

So many of you lovelies have requested a look using only drugstore/ affordable makeup, so I decided to incorporate this into my Valentine's look this year. 

Products Used:
Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation
Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush
Sleek Brow Kit*
UDPP

Rimmel eyeshadow 139 Tribute
Rimmel eyeshadow 33 Dusk
BarryM Dazzledust 51
Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad 25 Summer Bloom
The Body Shop Pencil 14 Glowing Amethyst*
Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner Powder Pink*
L'Oreal Carbon Gloss liquid liner
Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara*
Eyelure Girls Aloud Nicola Lashes

17 Mirror Shine Beehive Lipstick
MUA Hot Lips Lip Balm*

All products marked with * were sent to me for review consideration. This is not a sponsored video.

Valentine's kisses! xxx

New Year's Eve Outfit

A few of you have requested that I post some pictures of my Christmas and New Year's celebrations, especially as I took a little break from the internet over the festive season. Since my Christmas was pretty low key there are no pictures to speak of, but I did manage to convince the bf to take a few snaps before heading out to celebrate the beginning of what will hopefully be an amazing year!

On the night itself I chose to wear an old dress from French Connection (circa 2005!) with opaque tights and the most obnoxiously glittery shoes that I had picked up in the Ted Baker sale a few days earlier.

They may not be for everyone, but I absolutely love them... they make me feel quite the modern Dorothy ;). If you are looking for a glitter shoe that is just that little bit more sophisticated (and I use that term very loosely) than the chunkier versions all over the high street then I highly recommend you check these out. They are currently available in red, black and my favourite rose gold colour on sale for £67 on the Ted Baker website here.

Continuing on the rose gold theme I also wore my new Folli Follie rose gold Heart 4 Heart key necklace. Unfortunately this is no longer available for purchase alone, but you can still find it as part of a special edition set here. I wear the plainer key for work by shortening the chain, and keep the crystal one (worn above) for occasions that require a little more sparkle!

I styled my hair with a new curling iron that I have been experimenting with over the last couple of weeks - the Enrapture Totem Styler, which has three separate heat setting for different areas of the barrel. I set mine at 3-2-3 for defined curls and back combed my hair at the root to create lots of volume.

Makeup wise I wore a smokey eye similar to the one I created for my birthday party. The main focus was MAC's reflects antique gold glitter applied over the lid, with a shimmery brown eyeshadow smoked into the crease and below the lower lashline. I then brightened the lower lashline and inner corner using Urban Decay's heavy metal glitter eyeliner in baked. I completed the eye look using the You Complete Me mink lashes from Velour.

On my cheeks I used a mix of NARS Angelika and MAC Well Dressed blush with MAC's Perfect Topping MSF to highlight. On my lips I applied MAC's Hue lipstick, followed by my favourite gloss, the absolutely delicious Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in No.2 Apricot Shimmer (£12.15 here).

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and celebrated the beginning of the New Year in style!! xxx

Acceptable In The 80's

I've got love for you if you were born in the 80's!

This weekend I celebrated one of my best friend's birthdays in true retro style - at a roller disco. Although we were only babies in the 80s, we decided to pay homage to the era in full fancy dress. My budget outfit was put together last minute - a Mango leotard, pleather leggings (yumm!), fluorescent pink tutu, leg warmers and fishnet gloves (ebay).

 

For makeup I took inspiration from a plethora of 80s music videos and decided to wear clashing colours - lilacs on the eyes (BarryM dazzle dust all over the lid and up to the eyebrows!), fuchsia pink strongly contoured cheeks (MAC full fuchsia blush) and bright pink lipstick (BarryM lip paint in no. 146).

To complete the look I used L'Oreal carbon gloss liquid liner and my new favourite mink lashes from Velour (You Complete Me - half price sale for $29.99 here).

Instead of opting for a crazy 80s perm, I decided to create a modern interpretation of big hair. I kept the natural curl in my hair and added lots of volume and texture by blow drying my hair upside down, back combing, and fixing with Tigi Bed Head Candy Fixation Sugar Shock Bodifying Sugar Spray (£10), which not only smells amazing, but also gives great hold without making the hair feel crispy and dry.

We had a fabulous night of skating and dancing and somehow I managed to stay upright throughout... though the same can't be said for my friends! Although we were celebrating a twenty-something birthday we had so much fun pretending to be teenagers in the 80s!

Are you a fan of the 80's? What's your favourite fancy dress? xxx

My Birthday.. in Vivienne Westwood!

On Saturday night I celebrated my birthday in Juju with 30 of my closest friends. We had a brilliant night dancing and drinking champagne till the early hours of the morning! I was very spoilt with lots of lovely presents and couldn't be more thankful for my amazing extended family (friends).

 Rubens Print Friday Dress: Vivienne Westwood Anglomania

I knew that I wanted a very special dress for my birthday this year, so I saved up and took my time looking for something unique. I have always loved Vivienne Westwood dresses for their gorgeous feminine shape and unusual fabrics, so when I spotted this Rubens painting print dress in Harvey Nichols I skipped into the changing room straight away. As this dress is a lot more pricey than my usual purchases I did 'umm' and 'aaah' about it for a while, but in the end decided to treat myself and I am so happy with it!!

For a little bit of a glow I skipped the fake tan (for fear of it rubbing off on my dress) and opted for He-Shi's One Day Tan (£14.50) instead. This gel cream is so quick and easy to apply, dries very speedily and gives instant colour, which is perfect for that special night out when you don't want to risk any streaking, or simply don't have the time to wait for your tan to develop.

I styled my hair with the Babyliss heated rollers and backcombed at the roots to make sure the volume lasted all night. To set the hair I used Pantene Volume and Body Haispray and Tigi's Hair Bodifying Sugar Spray (which smells delicious and holds really well).

For makeup I used Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation, a heavier base that would stay put all night. I set it with MAC MSF natural and contoured with YSL's Afrique bronzing powder. On the cheeks I used a mix of MAC's Well Dressed and NARS Angelika blush and highlighted with Guerlain's Butterfly highlighter. For the lips I chose an old favourite - MAC's A Rose Romance lipstick. On my eyes I used UDPP, MAC's Reflects Antique Gold all over the lid and Espresso in the crease. I finished off with MAC's Blacktrack gel liner and the most amazing mink lashes from Velour.

These are the You Complete Me mink lashes ($29.99) from Velour and they are my new favourites! The mink hair is so lovely and smooth, and somehow looks much more natural than plastic lashes. I would also like to point out that these lashes are cruelty free - the hairs are gently brushed from live mink and sterilized to ensure that they are hypo-allergenic.

I absolutely adore their shape, with natural lashes nearer the front and longer, fuller sweeping lashes in the outer corners that give a beautiful, flirty look. These lashes are extremely well made, easy to apply and super comfortable to wear. I have also found that they are much easier to clean, so much so that they can we worn up to 25 times!

I had such a lovely birthday and am very sad that it's all over. I hope you are all having a lovely weekend!

Are you a fan of Vivienne Westwood? What is your dream party dress? What lashes are you loving at the moment? xxx

Shu Uemura Retro Graphic Lashes

I am a big fan of false lashes, so much so that I rarely have a night out without them. Nothing adds drama like falsies and they can be the quickest way to take your makeup from day to night!

I have always admired the innovative and fun designs of Shu Uemura lashes, but previously only purchased the more mainstream styles (eg. smokey layers). So when at a recent event I was kindly offered to have some lashes applied by one of the Shu Uemura technicians I decided to choose one of the most striking and original designs in the selection!

The Retro Graphic lashes come with a thick black and white zigzag band that stretches out to create a lavish cat eye eyeliner.

They look absolutely incredible on and make a big statement! At first glance it isn't obvious that the lashes and the band are attached so you can fool people with your amazing liners skills ;). However, when your eyes are open they look much more subtle (especially if you have less lid space like me) and you can just see a hint of the monochrome along the lashline.

I am yet to brave applying these for myself, but I imagine the trick is getting the two 'flicks' at the same angle. The MUA took all the guess work out of the process by adding two perfectly placed dots of eyeliner where the tip of the flick should be. It's funny that in Russian an eyeliner 'flick' is called an 'arrow'!

The Retro Graphic lashes can be purchased at Shu Uemura counters and retail at £18.50.

Are you a fan of Shu Uemura lashes? Have you tried any of their more eccentric designs? What are your favourites? Will you be attempting any of the dramatic eyelash and liner combos? xxx

Dinner Date

 Last weekend the bf and I indulged in a lovely meal at one of our favourite London restaurants - Cafe des Amis in Covent Garden. They have a great deal on OpenTable, so if you are a foodie it's definitely worth checking it out!

I wore a dress from Karen Millen and shoes from Carvella.

I rarely take the time to blow dry my hair as there's so much of it, but since this was a special occasion I took my time in styling it with the Babyliss Big Hair. It's so much easier to use than a regular brush and a hairdryer, and is fantastic for adding volume and movement.

Makeup wise I kept it pretty neutral since my dress was such a vibrant sapphire. For foundation I chose the NARS sheer glow topped off with MAC well dressed blush and NARS laguna bronzer. I used a gold BarryM dazzle dust all over the lid and smudged Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in zero to create a smokey cat eye. I finished the look off with false lashes from buyeyelashes.co.uk.

What are your favourite restaurants in London? I'm always on the look out for new places to visit!