Twelve days of Christmas day 9: Festive nails

"On the ninth day of Christmas my true live gave to me....nine ladies dancing" I decided to have a go at some Christmassy nails for today's post. I know most people reach for the reds and golds at Christmas time but I decided to go for something a little bit different and have actually come up with some thing a little bit more Frozen inspired.  Disclaimer: As far as I know everything used is vegan but please let me know if I'm wrong.

How to:

-I used a clear polish from Topshop as a base coat

-I painted both hands with two thin coats of Topshop nails in a pale blue (the names rubbed off my bottle and I can't find the dame, sorry!) and left to dry

-I then used the pritti princess polish in Aladdin's diamonds to create a gradient from my cuticle to the tip of my nail. I found it easiest to place a blob by the cuticle, wipe the brush clean and then drag down lightly.

-Once this has dried, repeat.

-Apply a second coat of the clear polish all over the nail to even everything out and protect the polish. 

This is a really simple design that I think looks really effective. you could definitely try this with lots of different colour combinations too. Let me know if you try these out.

Springy purple lips

 
When I think about Spring makeup I don't normally think about purple lips, it's definitely more of an Autumn/Winter thing for me. Recently while perusing the Topshop makeup counter I discovered the Fast Lane lipstick and thought it might be the perfect in-betweeny purple. I've been a fan of Topshop's lipsticks for a long time and really like the creamy consistency they have, they're a little bit more sheer which I prefer for the warmer weather.   I also found the Mac lip pencil in Heroine. It's a slightly darker purple than Fast Lane but they work well together, especially if you want to vamp it up for an evening look. I also think you could use Heroine on it's own, I know they have a matching lipstick which I'm very tempted to try too. Who knows maybe purple lips in Spring can be my thing!

The comfiest boots in the world!

Hello!!   Today's post is about the first pare of heels that I can genuinely say are comfy!! I've had shoes that I thought were quite comfy "for heels" before but the Topshop Hola Chelsea boots are like wearing slippers. I've actually managed to wear them through the day for long periods of time, something my poor feet can't normally tolerate. These are great for dressing down a more formal outfit or dressing up a more casual look, which has meant that they have very rarely left my feet since getting them. I payed £45 for them a little while ago but they are now in the sale for a bargainnous £25. The Suede ones are gorgeous too but my vegetarian ways meant I couldn't get those ones. I realise these won't be everyone's style (my mum thinks they're hideous ha) but I absolutely love them. If you want to pick a pare up for yourself have a little look here to see if they have your size!   Hope you enjoyed today's post, remember to keep popping back to see more.

Paris in Outfits: Day 4

  Hello!! This is the last of my Paris outfits. This day was quite chilled as we were flying back in the afternoon so just did a little bit of sight seeing whilst searching for the best macaroons (pretty sure we found them too). We went for a little stroll down the Champs Elysees and visited the Eiffel tower. Paris is such a pretty city, check out the view from the hotel room!! I hope you've enjoyed my outfits posts. I really enjoyed making them and would like to do more in the future so let me know what you think. I would like to thank my boyfriend/photographer for helping me make them, he's a good'un. I have a couple of other Paris related posts planned so keep checking back to see.  

Outfit:

Jumper-H&M

Trousers-Topshop

Necklace-H&M

Autumn Favourites

Hello!!

Today I'm running through what's really been floating my boat this Autumn. I don't actually think we're that far through Autumn yet but I feel like it's been chilly for long enough now that i can share these with you.

First thing is the Zoella Blisfull Mistfull which I have mentioned before in another post which you can read here. I've been using this every single day since I got it as it's just the perfect amount of sweetness for in the day and as it was such a bargain I don't have to worry about saving it for special occasions.

Next are a couple of lip products that I've been using loads recently. First is the Revlon colour burst matte balm in elusive insatiable. I seemed to miss the lip crayon hype from a little while ago and this is the first one I've tried but I absolutely love it. This shade is a lovely dusty, rose and although it's matte I don't find it drying at all. It also tastes really minty too which I really like.

The second is by Revlon too. This is the super lustrous lipstick in the colour Fire and Ice. If I'm honest what made me by this is that the name is very nearly a game of thrones reference (geek alert!) This shade of red is more orangey that I would normally go for but I really like it. I've either been dabbing and blending this on viviannadoesmakeup stylee or going for the full on dramatic look and I really like both.

Next are a couple of skin care items (would we class a primer as skin care?) The first one is supposed to be the Decleor hydra floral masque but like I did in my last post I have managed to take a photo of the wrong product ha! Damn those yellow bottles all looking the same! The hydra floral masque is brilliant for this time of year to help putting the moisture back in the skin that the cold weather can take out. My skin feels so soft and glowy after using this.

Next is the Maybeline baby skin primer. I've been using this every single day since I got it and it definitely helps to smooth out any the visible pores on my skin. My makeup has definitely been lasting longer since using this and as I work in avery hot spa so anything to stop my makeup from sliding off throughout the day is definitely a winner with me.

Next is the Herbal essences clearly naked dry shampoo. I've done a whole post about this one which you can read here.  but basically I absolutely love it and don't think my hair has ever smelt so fresh even after a couple of days without washing it.

 Next is the Body Shop honey mania bubble bath melt. Autumn definitely means having lots of warm baths and I've been using this almost every time. I either use it on it's own or mixed with something from Lush but either way it smells incredible and makes loads of bubbles, baths with bubbles are best!!

Next is the Topshop glow. I know a lot of people like to keep highlights for Spring/Summer but I like to have glowing skin year round. You only need a tiny amount of this one and it brightens my entire face. I only use it on my cheekbones but you could definitely use it on other areas of the face you wanted to add a bit of brightness too. It blends beautifully too so you don't end up with any cakeyness.

That's everything for today. Hope you enjoyed having a look at what I've been enjoying using recently. Keep checking back for more updates!!

Robyn xx

Wish list

Hello!!

Some months the money just doesn't seem to last as well as others, and typically those months I want to buy every single thing I see. #firstworldproblems I thought I would put together a little list of a few things that I'm really pining for in the hopes that I'll get it out of my system and won't bankrupt myself as soon as I'm payed.

 

Aaah Pro-collagen marine cream, it's truly the stuff of skin care legend and all I can think about is how beautiful this would look on my bathroom shelf. I've mentioned this beauty before but they currently have a 100ml version out for breast cancer which is double the size of the usual one. At £99 a pot this is by no means cheap but it is for a good cause so we'll see how spendy I'm feeling come pay day.

 

These cute, little shorts are from Zara and are a total bargain at £12.99. I haven't got any holidays planned for this year yet but the weather in England is currently really good so I would still get the wear out of them. I love the whole outfit in this picture to be honest and wouldn't mind having the legs to match, a girl can dream.

 

 

 I've always loved a good kimono. I think they make any look fancier and it's always my go to look if I'm rushing out and don't know what to put on. Now long ones are all the rage I need one in my life and this one from Topshop looks right up my street. It has a beautiful pattern but I think the colours are subtle enough that it could still be worn with most things. I think I need this in my life.

 

 

This is another that may seem a little extravagant and to be honest it is but I've been thinking about getting canon for a while spotted the canon EOS 1100D digital SLR while on amazon the other day and they have a really good offer on at the moment. It would definitely still be a splurge but I have some amazon vouchers saved up and I keep telling myself it would be an investment! I still want to do a little but more research about this one to see if it's right for me but keep an eye out for beautiful pictures coming from this direction in the very near future.

Well that's everything. We'll see what happens on pay day but I'm sure once it actually comes around I'll have changed my mind about most things. Hope you all enjoyed today's post. I have a few ideas at the ready so keep an eye out on here in the near future and I'll be back soon.

Robyn xx

Top 5 Spring nail polishes

Hello!!

Today is the second instalment in my top 5 series and we're looking at all my favourite nail polishes for spring time. Yay!

 5. First we have the American Apparel nail lacquer in the colour Butter. I think pastel shades are perfect for spring and this one is no exception. As the name suggests, this is a lovely buttery yellow shade which looks amazing with a tan. It applies quite opaque but I always like to apply 2 coats to make the colour really pop!

4. This is the O.P.I nail lacquer in the colour shorts story. I don't think O.P.I. ever gets enough love on the blogosphere but I think it's a really great brand and I can never resist the amazing shades and insanely cute names. It is a higher end brand so can be quite pricey but if your looky enough to have a capital card (or know someone who does) then there a bit of a bargain! This one is a really bright Barbie pink which looks great on the nails and again even better with a tan (why am I not blessed with olive skin?)

3. Next up is the Barry M gelly shine nail paint in the colour Dragon. I've raved about these before which you can read here. I really love this pale, bubble gum pink shade and I especially love the gel effect that these polishes have. They last really well and look amazing on the nails. Love them!

2. Next is the Tophop nail polish in the colour AWOL. This is an amazing bright blue which is really different from any other polishes I've seen. I love how it looks and is something a little bit different from the standard spring time pastels.

1. Not sure if this is cheating but number 1 is the Barry M gelly high shine in the colour Greenberry. As much as I love all the line this is definitely my favourite shade. I can't quite put my finger on what makes this one so special but it really is beautiful. If you haven't done already I would definitely have a look at these. They are absolutely amazing and keep on adding more and more shades, it's not doing my bank account any favours.

So that's it for today. Hope you all enjoyed and have got some ideas from today's post. Hope your enjoying my Top 5 series, they'll be more to come soon!

Robyn xx

A few new purchases

Hello!! I've recently bought a few new fashion items and thought I'd share them with you. Hope you enjoy!!

 

This first top is from Zara. We haven't got a Zara where I live (sobs) but I picked this up on my trip to Edinburgh recently. This was only £17.99 and it came in a few other colours too. I've worn it a couple of times now and really like how it looks so I might have to make a sneaky Internet purchase for one or two of the others!



 

 

This next top is from Zara too. I don't know how well I've showed it in this picture (blogging newb) but the back of it was the thing I liked most about this one. It's sort of a dip-hem but a little bit more gathered. I realise that's a pretty poor description but you can rest assured that it looks very nice indeed! This one was £25.99 but because of the colour and quite simple style, I think it's something that I'll be wearing a lot!

 

 

This last one is from Topshop. After seeing this on a client at work I went on a mission to track it down! It was hidden very well but I finally found the last one in the shop that just happened to be in my size. Win! I think this is gonna be the perfect dress up/dress down item and I'm looking forward styling it. It was £36 which I think is pretty standard for Topshop but I absolutely love it and am so pleased I managed to snag the last one in the shop!

 

Hope you enjoyed this one, it was my first fashiony one so let me know what you think. I may do a few outfit posts at some point and I think these tops might make an appearance.

 

Robyn xx

 

Current Favourites

I've decided I'm not going to do monthly favourites as I'm normally quite loyal to the products that I like and don't tend to mix things up too much. I thought I'd share with you a few things that have really caught my fancy lately and will keep you posted as and when this changes.

The first item that's really tickled my fancy is the naked palette. I know I am very late to the party with this one as there are now 3 eye shadow palettes, a blush palette and lip glosses in the naked range but I'm very glad I've finally caught on. I think it's just beautiful and very wearable. I tend to wear sin, buck, smog and toasted the most but I'm looking forward to wearing some of the darker shades for an evening look.

Next on the list is the Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation. I've had this one for a little while and was really excited to really excited to try it. At first I wasn't impressed at all. It was a runnier consistency than I normally like and I found that it didn't last on my skin for very long. In spite of that I've found myself coming back to it and now really really like it. I find with a little powdering through my t-zone it lasts pretty well and leaves a lovely glow to the skin whilst still giving a nice coverage. Winner!

Next up is the Topshop lipstick in innocen. This is the first liostick from Topshop that I've tried and I will definitely be trying more because I absolutely love it. This shade in particular is really wearable for day time and is really creamy in consistancy. I think I've worn it nearly every single day since I got ha!

The next item that I've loved for a while now is the Nivea Q 10 anti-wrinkle night cream. I've done a review on this one before and my love for it is still growing. It's amazing stuff!

The next couple of items are a little bit random but I thought I'd throw them in there because I am definitely obsessed. The first one is the Game of Thrones series. I know I've mentioned what a big fan I am on here before but I really can't rate it enough. You need to watch it now!

This next one is another obsession of mine and I can easily demolish a bag of it in about half an hour! The Tesco's sweet and salted popcorn is amazing. Popcorn seems to have become quitea trendy snack lately and I've sampled my fair share but this wins hands down for me. Yum yum in my tum!!!

So that's my little list of what I've been loving recently. Hope it's been interesting to some of you given you some ideas of things you'd like to try out!

Robyn xx

Wish List

Hello!!

I've hit that point in the month where there's just a little bit too long until pay day and things are getting a bit tight. Don't get me wrong I'm still comfortable but I'm trying to be a little bit more careful with money and  save more when I can. This, sadly, doesn't leave much room for treating yourself but a girl can dream. I thought I'd share with you a few things that I've had my eye on lately so that you can maybe enjoy them even if I can't!

 
The first item on my list is the elemis pro-collagen cleansing balm. Cleansing balms seem to be the big thing in skin care at the moment and I can definitely see why. I use Elemis products at work so I have managed to have a little play around with this one and I can safely say it is one of the most luxurious products I have found. The smell is divine and the consistency is so silky smooth its ridiculous. I'm still sneakily hoping that I can snatch this product up soon!

 

 

 

 



The next item I've been lusting after is the Naked flush palette by Urban Decay. I've only just purchased the very first naked palette (I know I'm a bit late) and I absolutely love it. The naked flush seems to cover all bases with a gorgeous bronzer, blush and highlighter and I would very much like it to come and keep my naked palette company.

 

This little beauty of a playsuit is from Topshop. I really love the gathering in the centre and navy blue is fast becoming one of my favourite colours. This one however will have to stay on the Topshop shelves. I would probably only wear this one on a night out and due to my work schedule they are becoming very rare and when I do go out boogying I like to keep warm and cover my legs (I sound like a pensioner ha!)

 

 

 

 

This last one might seem a little bit random but I've recently been on a Game of Thrones binge and watched the first two seasons in about 3 days! I didn't think it was going to be something I'd enjoy. There's a LOT of killing and people are really horrible to each other which can be quite uncomfortable at times but the story is really good and has completely sucked me in. My boyfriend's a big fan of the show too so I think we might have to make a cheeky purchase before the fourth season starts.

 

So that's my little list of lovely things that I'd like to buy. Maybe you can get some of them on my behalf and enjoy them.

 

Robyn xx