The New Charlotte Tilbury Instant look in a palette

There have been a few new offerings from Charlotte Tilbury and plenty more to come with her new brow and lipstick products still to launch (Sorry bank balance!) I tried to resist buying this one as I have so many palettes already but I knew I would get a lot of use out of this one and to be fair- I don't actually own any of the products inside (I think I've justified it- right?)

I have to say I am not disappointed, I did think this looked small online and in photos but it is much bigger than I imagined with plenty of room to swish your brushes without mixing the products.

In the palette there are: 

3 eye shadow shades (1. Brighten 2. Enhance 3. Smoke), 

2 blushes (3. Swirl 4. Pop) 

a bronzer (4.Bronze) 

and a highlight shade (7. Highlight).

All of the them are super creamy with great pay off. It's great to see a palette than contains everything you could need on the go and I haven't got anything quite like this in my collection.

In the palette:

1. Eye brighten is for use all over the eyelid as a wash of colour

2. Eye enhance adds a lovely glow to the lid in a champagne shade

3. Eye smoke helps to add a smokey element to your eye makeup, perfect to take your day time look into the evening

4. Face bronzer to give you a sun kissed glow and to contour the cheek bones

5. Cheek swish which is a lovely coral/peach shade to be applied to the apples of the cheek for a rosey glow

6. Cheek pop for a more natural pink flush

7. Face highlight to be placed on the tops of your cheekbones, brow bone and the centre of your nose for that lit from within look

The bronzer and highlight are the same as the film star bronze and glow which I own but in the limited edition cream formula. It is hard to tell if the blushers are new for the palette or have previous been sold separately. I think this palette would work very well for light skin tones like me, I'm not  sure if it would work perfectly for everyone's skintone though, particularly those with darker skintones. It is a great a palette, especially if you are looking to try Charlotte Tilbury products but do not want to buy separate eye shadow palettes, blushes, bronzers etc. I'm sure I will get a lot of wear out of this and as always the packaging is sleek and beautiful with a great mirror for on the go/ travelling.

You can pick up the palette here for £49 on Charlotte's website or in store from Selfridges

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

The new Byronaldo burger at Byron

As of Tuesday 17th May 2016 Byron are releasing a limited edition Byronaldo burger. I got to try this in a preview on Monday and I have to say I much prefer it to the last Bunzilla limited edition burger.

The Byronaldo is a 6oz hamburger with crispy bacon, Freddar cheese, Bovril onions, crispy onions, bread- and- butter pickles, mustard, burger sauce all served in a glazed bun.

I really liked the crispy onions- these were a great edition to a burger and the freddar cheese is my favourite cheese that Byron do. I absolutely loved their Freddar dawg burger which came out last August and it would be very hard to beat that but this one comes pretty close.

The meat was cooked medium and the bun had a lovely glaze on the top, my only disappointment was the bread- and butter pickles. I'm not sure what I was expecting but these sounded exciting and they turned out to be pickles in a some melted butter. I asked the waiter about the bread part but he said it was just a name given to them.

I had the burger with sweet potato fries and onion rings which I have every time I visit Byron and they didn't disappoint.

Overall I give it 8/10- very tasty and worth a trip if you are a burger fan like me

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Clarins boots offer: £10 of advantage points and 3 free mini products!

I wasn't going to do a blogpost on this purchase as I only intended to buy the Clarins Instant light lip comfort oil in Boots but when I reached the Clarins counter I found this offer too good to resist.

If you buy two full size Clarins products you get £10 worth of Boots advantage card points and in store you receive a beach bag and 3 generous sized mini products! 

The lip comfort oil £18

Clarins instant eye makeup remover £20

This made the eye makeup remover only £10 and I got miniatures of the same eye makeup remover (50ml), relaxing bath and shower concentrate (100ml) and the hydra quench cream (30ml)

I already love the eye makeup remover and the hydra quench cream so I am excited to try the bath concentrate which is a very generous size and smells amazing!

If you are looking to repurchase some old favourites or simply want to try some new Clarins products, get yourself to Boots quick! You can see all the products included in the offer here.

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

New: Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes Review (feat: Before and After)

Photo taken from CharlotteTilbury.com

I've been looking forward to testing this new Mascara out from Charlotte Tilbury. I liked the original Mascara that she created but this definitely seemed more up my street. Firstly, the packaging is beautiful as with all Charlotte Tilbury products. I've been using this for around week now and I do really like it. It creates brilliant length and holds a curl well, much better than my Too Faced better than sex mascara.
Personally, I find that all mascaras that I use tend to be better after a couple of months as they seem a little wet to start with. The only negative is that I found it transferred under my eye. Maybe this was because it's been hotter recently and my skin is more oily but if you struggle with mascaras smudging then you might need to use Clinique's bottom lash mascara to prevent this from happening.

As you can see from the before and after, there is a real difference in definition, particularly length but I have to say the volume is pretty good too. I thought the some of photographs on Charlotte's website made it look rather clumpy on the models but it is definitely build-able and you can achieve the look you like, personally I like my lashes to look more separated but with lots of volume and length. I curled my lashes first with the Shuuemera lash curlers and then applied  two coats as I normal do.

I also found this easy to take off as normal with a cleansing water and cotton pad so no scrubbing your eyes which is always a bonus. Well done Charlotte- definitely a hit with me. I can wait until the new brow products launch in June!

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

The perfect summer wedding outfit

Now the weather is FINALLY getting better and we approach Summer, we are getting into wedding season. In June I have a couple of weddings coming up and I've found the perfect dress for the occasion. This dress is part of the Mylene Klass collection for Very.co.uk and has a beautiful crochet design over the top of a pale pink slip underneath. This would suit almost every body shape and looks fantastic on. I really like that the sleeves/ top part of the dress and the bottom are sheer. I have paired this with some heeled pink sandals (very comfy for those long wedding days) and a waterfall jacket for the evening if it gets a little chilly. I am very excited to wear this and thoroughly recommend checking the collection out at Very.co.uk

Item mentioned:

Mylene Klass cut out floral hem dress- Very £90

Heeled sandals- Deichman £19.99

Waterfall jacket- M&S £39.50

Have you found the perfect dress to wear for a wedding? I would love to know about it

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Quick and easy nail stamping at home

I've really been into nails recently and have been experimenting with lots of different designs and techniques including ombre, glitter fades and nail stamping. It really is easy, doesn't take too long and  the best bit is you can pick up all the tools you need for only £7.86!

The first thing I do when painting my nails is to make sure they are prepped well. This really does make your nail varnish last so much longer. Personally, I use shellac cnd polish (you can read all about how to do shellac nails at home here) as it lasts much longer (around 2 weeks) but I use normal nail polish to do the stamping part in-between the colour and the top coat. For this particular design I used CND Gotcha but you could use any colour you like to do the stamping on. Ciate cupcake queen is also similar. The most important thing is that you make sure your colour is totally dry before stamping.

Equipment I use:
Nail stamping born pretty plates 46-55 (10Pcs £5.80
Nail stamper and scraper (This set also comes with mini plate designs too!) £2.58
Oko peel off liquid tape £2.79


Before stamping your nails, I use the OKO peel off tape around the edge of my nails to create a barrier so that the stamp does not go on my finger.
 This really does save time at the end as you can just wipe it off and your nails are perfect!
After you have painted your nails as normal I used the born pretty plate no.55 to do the design. For this design I chose Essie's bahama mama as it is darker than the Gotcha polish and will stand out. I normally choose much darker colours or very light grey/white. I place a generous amount on the design plate I want so that you can't see the plate through the nail varnish. I then use the scraper to take off the excess polish and swipe it off in one movement. I then take the stamper and press firmly down on the plate so that the design is transferred.
For the perfect finish on the nail, I have found that rolling the stamper from side to side gives a better finish as I curve it to the nail. When I have finished one hand, the design is dry and I place a top coat layer to seal and protect the design.

I would love to see your designs if you try this out, tag me on instagram!

Thanks for reading
Katherine
xxx

Current minimal makeup routine

Today I would like to share with you my current makeup routine. These are all my favourites that I have been using over the last couple of months and reach to on a daily basis.

To prep my skin I use the origins ginzing energy boosting moisturiser and then prime my skin with the too faced hangover primer. If I'm going to be out all day I find this helps my makeup to last longer. Sometimes I do skip this step if I'm feeling lazy!

For my base, I have fallen back in love with the Estee Lauder Enlighten even effect skintone corrector. This is a light weight base that evens out any redness whilst giving you a put together glowy finish. Paired with this I use the Mac studio fix concealer for any blemishes and then I go in with contour. I have been loving this pro sculpting face palette by makeup forever. This is a cream quad which has two contour shades, highlighter and blush. The perfect slim palette that has everything you need. I then add some bronzer. I've been using an old favourite from the Clarins summer collection last year, the aquatic treasures bronzer. Unfortunately this was limited edition so I can't link the product.

Next, going onto eyes. I keep things very simple here by using on product on the lids and that's the Charlotte Tilbury eyes to mesmerise in Bette. These cream eyeshadows are so pretty and last all day without creasing. I then add a layer of the Too faced better than sex mascara to make myself look more awake. You can see a full review with before and after photos here. Finally, I brush through my brows with the benefit gimme brow (Again, you can see this in the mascara post) to keep them in place and to add a few fibres where my brows are sparse from teenage over plucking!!

What are your favourite go to makeup product right now?

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Current night time skincare routine

Since Christmas I have tried lots of new products and now feel like I can do an updated night time skincare routine telling you all about the products I LOVE. I am so happy with my current routine and feel really confident with my skin which is now glowing for the first time ever (which is no mean feat for those suffering with dry skin I can tell you!)

First step is removing my makeup and for this I have been using the Sephora triple action cleansing water. I alternate between either this or bioderma depending on what I can get my hands on. I use two cotton pads and gently remove my makeup from the day. 

Then I go in with the Oskia renaissance cleansing gel. I have been using this for quite some time now, I really like the gel/oily texture that removes any stubborn makeup and cleanses my skin. I use this every night to make sure that I have super clean skin ready for toning.

Next up I have recently discovered Pixi as a brand and I have to say I am very VERY impressed. If Caroline Hirons works with a brand, you know it is good! I then use the glow tonic on a cotton pad and wipe this over my face and neck. This closes pores and tightens your skin after cleansing and adds a glow with the exfoliating toner. 

For that extra glow, I use the overnight glow serum 3/4 times a week which again exfoliates your skin. This has to be my favourite skincare discovery this year as I wake up with fresh, glowing skin. I can't shout about this product enough. If you suffer from dry/ patchy/ dull skin you MUST try this, it not only changed my skin but also the way makeup sits on my skin too- I love it!

I then finish by moisturising my face with the Origins Ginzing moisturiser. This is a lovely cream that has a slight gel texture to it and smells incredible! 

I also apply the Dr Lipp nipple balm for lips- very odd name but does the job perfectly. I have also been using the Shavata brow strengthening gel after seeing Sam Chapman from Pixiwoo rave about it. I have been using it for about a month now and I can definitely notice a difference in the smaller brow hairs that are finally growing back after too much over plucking as a teenager. Why doesn't anyone warn you?

Have you got a holy grail night time routine?- I would love to know which products you can't do without

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Homeware wishlist: Oliver Bonas, Habitat and Made.com

Peak Mirrored base terrarium (Oliver Bonas) £27

Cara camo pom pom cushion (Oliver Bonas) £28

Mati stripe pom pom cushion (Oliver Bonas) £26

Bamboo and white lacquer tall side table (Habitat) £35

Chicago tripod floor lamp (made.com) £189

Cotton dipped waffle throw (made.com) £45

Cullen wall clock, marble and copper (made.com) £49

Recently I've found myself perusing online at new accessories and homeware for my flat. Even when your flat is meant to be all done and finished there is always something new that tempts me to have a change/ rearrange. I would really like a floor lamp and side table for my living room that blend in with my new kitchen (See a blogpost all about it here). I really like this side table from habitat with its white top and bamboo cross legs. I am also in LOVE with this floor lamp from made.com- it is so unique and unusual. I think this would look amazing next to my table and chairs. I was also thinking about giving the bedroom a Spring makeover with a new throw and cushions, Oliver Bonas have nailed their Spring collection with some lovely accessories for the home, I recommend checking them out.

Which is your favourite?

Thanks for reading

xxx

Byron: The new Bunzilla burger

 

 

Last night I went to the preview evening of the Bunzilla burger from Byron. Now this burger is very different to what Byron usually produce, Bunzilla is a Japanese-inspired special. Inspired by their head chef Fred's recent trip to Japan, Bunzilla is a 6oz soy-glazed patty, topped with miso-roasted bacon and an onion ring for crunch and sweetness, plus a dab of wasabi mayonnaise, all atop a bed of shredded white cabbage, served in a classic squishy bun. Homemade Japanese-style pickles on the side instead of our classic sliced pickle are the finishing touch.

Obviously I had to have sides and chose the sweet potato fries which are delicious and onion rings to share. All washed down with their maple and salted popcorn milkshake- yum!

My thoughts.......
I really loved the idea of this burger, especially the miso roasted bacon which was delicious. I did find the wasabi mayonnaise over powering but there was a big dollop of it on the burger- maybe too much! I did enjoy this but I don't think it beats the traditional burgers from Byron or their limited edition Freddar Dawg which was my absolute favourite.
If you are a fan of wasabi and the traditional Japanese flavours this may be the burger for you but if you are a traditionalist I would probably give this a miss for the Byron or the double bacon cheese burger.
My verdict
6/10

Thanks for reading
Katherine

Cult beauty haul and first impressions

I recently made a cult beauty order after trying an Oskia restoration oil sample and watching all of Caroline Hiron's vlogs and her work with Pixi as a brand. I have been on the hunt to sort my dry, dull winter skin and decided it was time for a skin care shake up.

First on my list was another Oskia renaissance cleansing gel which I have had in my skincare routine for quite some time now. I love the gel texture and how it turns to an oil as you cleanse. I have to say along with the Emma Hardy cleansing balm this has to be my favourite.

I also purchased the restoration oil. This was quite pricey but I managed to get 20% off which made it a lot more reasonable. I put this on at night and again in the morning and my skin has been glowing which is a miracle when you have dry, dull skin like me.

I also wanted to delve into Pixi as a brand. I haven't tried anything from them before but I have seen Caroline Hirons talk about them and trust her opinion and knew that I wouldn't be disappointed. I picked up to glow tonic and also the overnight glow serum. I have been trying these out for a couple of weeks now and I am really enjoying them. I may even prefer the serum to the Oskia oil. I really like the texture of this as it is thicker as you would expect from a serum rather than an oil. I alternate with this and the restoration oil and I wake up with glowing skin.

I am very happy with this order, my skin  looks amazing and it makes my makeup sit so much nicer on the skin. If I had to choose one to recommend it would be the Pixi glow serum

Have you added anything to your skin care routine recently?

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Weekend wind-up: Back to work and missing the sun, Sephora hauls and new moisturiser

This week I'm afraid it's back to work and the cold weather. I am thoroughly missing Spain and my holiday from last week. It's been very cold here in the UK and having sunshine really makes a difference to my mood and outlook. Hopefully it will start warming up soon and we can have the warm weather too.

Whilst I was in Spain I did make a sneaky trip to Sephora and there was a haul post yesterday if you would like to see what I bought. I wish Sephora would come to the UK but it's probably a good thing for my bank account that it doesn't! 

One thing I am really loving from that haul is the Origins GinZing moisturiser. The smell alone is reason enough to try it out. I'm sure this will be making into my February favourites shortly. I would love to know what moisturiser you use- have you got a firm favourite? Especially those with dry skin, I am constantly on the hunt to solve my dry dull skin.

This weekend I am going up north to see my grandparents and to take them out to see a surprise concert. Coming from a musical family where playing in a brass band and being a miner was part of the norm, I took them to see Black Dyke brass band as a birthday surprise, we also went out for dinner. Now that I am slightly older, it is really nice to be able to take my family out and treat them.

I've also been loving the series 'Back in time for the weekend' on BBC in which a family gives up 21st century technology and travels back in time to discover leisure time in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. The Ashby Hawkins family have their home decorated to suit the era and try out all of the games, gadgets and lifestyle of that decade- definitely worth a watch. Next week is the 90s which I'm sure will bring back lots of fun memories- gameboys, arrival of the internet, going to the gym and home makeover shows!

I would love to know what you have been up to- what is your favourite show right now?

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Sephora haul

Last week I went to Spain and was very excited to visit Sephora as we don't have them in the UK. I visited the Alicante store where I picked up a few naughty purchases.

Firstly, I got another Too Faced better than sex mascara which I have been loving for quite some time. This was also in my 2015 favourite post. As you can see from the photo, there is a dramatic increase in length and volume. The only downside would be that it doesn't hold a curl all day. Despite this, it is my favourite masara so far and if you are from the UK you can also get this in debenhams too.

Next up, I got two of the Sephora sheet masks in pearl and lotus. I picked these up whilst waiting at the checkout as I've wanted to try a sheet mask for a while now. These are fibre masks soaked in the mask goodie which you place straight onto the face- no scrubbing dried mud off here!

I'll let you know my thoughts soon.

I then headed over to the makeup forever counter. We do have makeup forever in the UK now but it isn't widely available so it was lovely to be able to see so many products I have yet to try. I decided to pick up the ever pro sculpting face palette. This contains a highlight, contour, shimmer and blush in cream form. I've been using this for the last week and I am really enjoying it.


Particularly the contour shade which is a great dupe for the Kevyn Aucoin creamy glow duo.
This is only £6.50 more and you also get a blush and a highlight. A great palette for travelling

Radiant primer

Also from makeup forever, I picked up the step 1 radiant primer which is for use under makeup to give you a glow. One of the ladies in Sephora actually tried this out in store on my face along with a few other products and it really impressed me. I am forever in search of a glow as my skin is often dry and dull. Again, I will keep you posted with my thoughts.

Finally, I got the Origins enery- boosting moisturiser which I have been eyeing up for a while now. Anything orangey and it's got my name on it! This smells incredible, so fresh and citrus. I really like the texture of this as it does't feel like a standard moisturiser. It feels gel like when you first put it onto the skin and then almost feels like an oil when you massage it in. It is lightweight and oil-free with panax ginseng and coffee bean which helps to rehydrate the skin and give you a healthy glow. I've been using this for the last week and so far so good! This is also available in the UK at boots or from the Origins website where you can currently get a full size eye cream for free (£20 value) when you spend £40 PLUS if you register your email first you will get another £5 as a new customer with the code NEW2

Have you tried anything new from Sephora recently?

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

New editions to my Spring wardrobe from Oliver Bonas

Now it is slowly approaching Spring I have been craving some more colour in my wardrobe. As much as I love greys and blacks, I have really missed colour this winter so I decided to pick up this bank holiday jumper in a lovely peachy tone with a ribbed knit effect. I don't know if you are like me but when I'm looking at clothes I feel them as I walk past and this one stopped me in my tracks. It is sooooo soft! This looks great with a pair of skinny jeans and a floral scarf or even tucked into a little skirt. I'm not sure it is bare leg weather yet but we're getting there!

I also purchased this cloud 9 jumper. I saw this on the website as I really liked the contrast collar and trim and the soft siloutte/bat wing style cut. This really doesn't look good on the hanger but once you try it on it is very flattering. I love this muted blue colour- again perfect with jeans or a statement necklace to dress it up.

What have been your new purchases recently- have you got a new favourite item in your wardrobe?

Thanks for reading
Katherine
xxx

Weekend wind-up: Holidays, blogging break, Sephora hauls and cocktails

This week I jetted off to Torrevieja in Spain for a must needed rest. I joined my parents out in a two bed apartment with my sister for the week. Apart from having to get up at 3am to go to the airport, I had such a relaxing week and feel much more human again. 

I've found it quite hard to blog recently, especially when it is so grey and miserable outside. Not only does it effect your mood but it really narrows the window in which you can take good photos for your blog. I've decided to do 3 posts a week for the moment instead of 4 as I really want to put up content that I feel proud of and not just churn out rubbish for the sake of it. 

My holiday has refreshed my brain and mood and I feel more excited to blog again. During the week we did a bit of sunbathing, walked along the beach and ate lots of lovely food including tapas and paella. The weather was very good for February, we had 3 sunny days which were around 16 degrees and hot enough to lay in the sun, much better than I was expecting. Obviously all the lovely food we ate had to be washed down with some lovely cocktails too, this photo was taken at a little cocktail hut along the sea front near where we stayed.

We also visited Alicante for the day where I had to make a trip to Sephora. There will be a haul coming your way very shortly. I also got some new clothing items which I will show you too.

If you missed it, I did a Space NK haul and also a DIY for home decor photo frames too.

I hope you had a lovely week

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

DIY photo frames PLUS discount code!

I recently created these two lovely frames for my bathrooms and decided to share with you how I created them. I find if you buy already framed prints they can be extremely expensive. These work out at £15.62 each.

I bought the prints from Etsy from a shop seller Visual aesthetics. You can download and print the saying you would like that day. These particular ones were £4.26 each 'Peace begins with a smile' and  'prove them wrong'. You can also customise your own in beautiful fonts and styles. There is currently a sale. 15% purchases between $10-19.99 with the code take15 and 25% over $20 with the code take20.

I then printed these out at home in A4 size and framed them in these grey frames from Marks and Spencers for £12. They also come with a stand if you didn't want to mount them on the wall. They also come in bright colours which would be great for a gallery wall in coral, aqua, yellow, white, black and natural wood. Ikea is also great for cheap picture frames.

A great DIY which also makes a lovely gift for someone too!

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Space NK and Boots haul

I recently made a naughty trip to Space NK and boots and thought I would show you what I picked up. I have been really good recently and haven't spent any money on makeup/ clothes so I thought it was about time for a haul. First and top of my list were the Hourglass ambient strobe lighting powders. I have been eyeing these up for the last couple of weeks and finally gave in. I picked up the shade iridescent strobe light. I wrote a full review and blog post all about these here if you want to see swatches of the other shades too. Also, until Wednesday 17th February, Space NK are overing £15 a £60 spent which means you could try the hourglass strobe powders. There are plenty of other goodies on the website too if you only wanted to pick up one. Use the code EXPLORE16 at the checkout before tomorrow!

I also picked up the NARS pure radiant tinted moisturiser the shade Light 1 Finland. Now we are approaching Spring I fancied trying a new base which is lighter in coverage. I really love the Chanel Vital Lumiere aqua and the Estee Lauder EE skin corrector for light coverage so let's see how this compares- full review coming soon!

As you read this I will be in Sunny Spain for a weeks much needed rest with my family. I decided to pick up the Simple Kind to skin protecting moisture cream SPF 30. If I fancy a day without makeup I thought it would be good to keep my skin protected from the sun. After all, we haven't had any sun here in the UK for quite some time! At only £4.99 I thought this was a bargain. 

Lastly I picked up another Denman ceramic barrel hot curling brush. I recently had my haircut and find that the ends of my hair are sticking out more so I needed a barrel brush to keep the ends at bay. I've also been enjoying using my Babyliss big hair spinning brush for giving myself that hairdresser blow dry look at home.

Thanks for reading 

Katherine

xxx

Review: The new Hourglass ambient strobe lighting powders PLUS discount code!

Hourglass recently released four new ambient strobe lighting powders which instantly sent my heart a flutter! As you can see from the photo, I am a huge fan on the hourglass powders and palettes. In this new collection there is:

• Euphoric Strobe Light
• Iridescent Strobe Light
• Brilliant Strobe Light 
• Incandescent Strobe Light

Pictured left to right:

Brilliant light, Iridescent light, Incadescent light and Euphoric light

These have a beautiful glowy shimmer running through them and are perfect to give you a natural glow or highlight. They are very finely milled and do not disappoint compared to the blushes, powders and bronzers already in the collection. These retail at £34 each but keep reading for a discount code.

I took two photos of the strobe powders- one in day light and one inside.

I found it quite hard to choose which one I liked the most. Brilliant is a beautiful golden/yellow highlight, iridescent and incandescent are very similar. Iridescent is more pinky toned/ rose gold and euphoric is the darkest of the four with a warm golden/bronze tone.

After much swatching and deliberation I went for Iridescent light. I thought I was missing a more pinky toned highlight from my collection.

Until Wednesday 17th February, Space NK are overing £15 a £60 spent which means you could pick up two of these for only £53 (£26.50 each) saving £7.50 on each one. There are plenty of other goodies on the website too if you only wanted to pick up one.

Use the code EXPLORE16 at the checkout

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Current ASOS wishlist edit

It's finally pay day! I always find January a difficult one as you end up spending a lot of money at Christmas and all through January you have the sales and you are trying to save your pennies until pay day. I haven't been spending any money recently to try and save up for the important things in life, but if I do decide to get spendy, here is what I would choose:

Avocado toast t shirt £36

2 in 1 strip jumper £39

Daisy street pink jumper £12

Vila printed shirt £30

ASOS parka £37.50

Denim look jogger £22

Monki printed shirt dress £35

Pearl ear cuff £4

Boohoo boxy cropped shirt £18

Ear cuff pack £7

Ring stack £12

What is on your current wishlist?

Thanks for reading

Katherine 

xxx

Weekend wind-up: Yummy breakfasts, favourite nail polishes and an updated makeup routine

This week has been pretty miserable here in London. I had to go on the train to work instead of cycling because it has been raining all the time. Good news though, it is starting to warm up a bit and there are very small signs that Spring is on its way.

You may have seen from my January healthy lifestyle post that I have been trying to eat breakfast. I've always struggled to eat before 11/12 o clock so I've been having a few yummy meals to try and get myself to eat breakfast. One of my favourites so far is homemade guacamole on toast. I mash up 1 avocado, chop two tomatoes and add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, season with salt and pepper and there you go! This breakfast works out at around 450 calories and keeps me feeling full until lunchtime. I've also been loving spinach and cheese omelettes which are around 300 calories.

I feel I have settled into a routine with my no fuss minimal makeup routine. I wrote a blogpost here with all the products I am currently loving on a daily basis.

I also wrote a blogpost about my top 3 most worn nail polishes. These are all shellac polishes which I do myself at home and last two weeks without chipping. I wrote all about how you can achieve these at home without paying the nail salon price tags. These polishes are cheaper than OPI, Zoya, Smith and Cult and Nails Inc, definitely worth checking out if you hate painting your nails every few days.

I haven't really ventured out much this week as the weather has been so rubbish, I'm really looking forward to my Spain holiday- 2 weeks and counting!

What have you been up to this week? I would love to know

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

My top three most worn nail polishes with DIY shellac at home

Today I would like to share my three most worn nail polishes. Now you might be saying hang on a minute these are shellac polishes, I can't afford to go and get my nails done all the time. Here is where I tell you- you can!

I love having painted nails but I hate having to repaint them every few days because of chips. These beauties last for two weeks and do not chip. I remove them after two weeks as they grow out with my nail or occasionally one nail polish might peel off completely.

Cost comparison of nail polishes:

OPI £11.50 RRP

Butter London £12- 15 RRP

Zoya £9.95 RRP

Essie £10.95 RRP

Smith and cult £19 RRP

CND Shellac £11-16 (Depending on colour)

Now I know there are plenty of drugstore polishes cheaper than this but if you compare the CND to the prices above, I honestly think it is worth it as they last so much longer and look much better. They have a beautiful shine and I constantly get complimented on my nails.

I did a shellac at home post where I listed all the kit you need to start you off- a perfect birthday gift and once you have the lamp (£18.99), prep wipe and remover (£12) and base and top coats (£22.95) you are good to go!

You can read that blogpost all about how to DIY shellac at home here. I also recommend where to buy your shellac polishes from as I have quite a collection now and the seller has been great on amazon. There are also lots of swatches of different polishes if you want to see what they look like.

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

My current everyday minimal make up routine

Today I would like to share my everyday make up look that I wear if I'm only going to work/ out in the day time. I know I can rely on these products to last and give me a fresh put together look.

For my base I start by applying the Embryolisse moisturiser to my skin to give it a much needed boost after I get out the shower, I then follow this with the Too faced hangover primer on my nose, cheeks and chin where I find that my foundation starts to wear off first. I'm currently using the Rimmel lasting finish 25 hour foundation in the colour Ivory which I have had for ages but have recently rediscovered. I have to say that I still love it and it gives a medium coverage that makes my skin look fresh and evens out my complexion. After my foundation I powder my t zone if my skin is feeling a little shiny with the Charlotte Tilbury airbrush flawless finish powder in the colour fair. If I have any blemishes I tend to use the Mac studio fix concealer which is unbeaten at covering spots/ redness. I also use the Maybelline eraser eye in a triangle shape under my eye to brighten any dark circles.

Next up are some much needed cheek bones! I use the Kevyn Aucoin sculpting powder to lightly contour my cheek bones and use this down the sides of my nose and on the top of my forehead. I then  take the Charlotte Tilbury dreamy glow highlighter on a fan brush and brush this onto the tops of my cheeks.

Now onto brows, I am still using my firm favourites here. The soap and glory archery pencil in blonde bombshell to fill in any sparse areas, I then set this with the Benefit gimme brow in medium/deep. To finish off this minimal look I curl my lashes with the Shu uemura eyelash curlers and apply the Too Faced better than sex mascara. If I want my makeup to really last, I give my face a spritz of the Mac prep and prime fix spray to really lock in moisture and keep my makeup looking fresher for longer.

What is in your current every day makeup routine?

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Weekend wind-up: Dinner at Kettners, favourite skincare and my current wishlist

It's that time again where I round up my week and let you know what I have been up to.

It has been quite a quiet week, I am very much looking forward to the middle of February as I will be jetting off to Spain with my family for a week of relaxation and fingers cross- a bit of sunshine! I'm sure there will probably be a Sephora haul coming your way too so watch out for that. 

Yesterday I went to restaurant called Kettners in Soho, London which was recommended by a friend as it is about to close ('in its present form'- not entirely sure what that means!?) so we went for dinner. The food was pricey but delicious. I had a creamy mushroom dish on brioche followed by lobster Mac and cheese and guess what- I had pudding too with a vanilla chocolate bomb with chocolate mousse inside with passion fruit curd- delicious! 

This week there have been two blogposts if you missed them, I did a favourite skincare post where I shared my current skincare routine and all of my favourite products, you can have a read here if you missed it. I am also currently in love with Oliver Bonas and all the new lovely things on their site for this spring. I put together my absolute favourites in a post here if you would like to read it. I'm sure I will be making a cheeky purchase very shortly

I hope you have had a lovely week

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

Current favourite shop: Oliver Bonas wish list

Alice Jumper £39.50

Stone grey military tunic £49.50

Marble jewellery box £19

Connected blocks collar necklace £24

Peggy scarf £24

Marble tray £24

I can guarantee I will always pick something up in Oliver Bonas everytime I catch a train at Kings cross station! I absolutely love it. Their scarfs and little trinkets are beautiful, perfect for birthday presents and to treat yourself. I really like some of the new pieces on their website for the spring season, particularly their jewellery. There is also a wider range of homeware and furniture on the site too. There are so many statement necklaces I am in love with, particularly those with shapes, rose gold and marble- a bloggers dream! There is currently a sale on too if you want to grab a bargain.

Which is your favourite?

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx

My current skincare favourites

It's 2016 and time for an updated skincare routine. Here are all the items I use on a regular basis:

Every day

In the evening, I start by removing the majority of my makeup using cotton pads and the Sephora micellar water. I picked this up last time I went to Spain and I really enjoy using it. It removes even the most stubborn eye makeup. Once I have removed most of my makeup I use the Oskia renaissance cleansing gel or the Espa Cleansing milk. I've enjoyed using the Oskia cleanser for a while now, it has a gel like texture that turns to an oil when you massage it into the face, I then remove this with a warm muslin cloth. 

I had a facial recently at an Espa spa and I ended up going away with two products. The hydrating cleansing milk and the refining skin polish. I tend to use the cleansing milk on no makeup/minimal makeup days when I want to switch from the Oskia gel, this has a milky texture, much lighter than the Oskia cleanser. I use the skin polish twice a week. This is an exfoliating cream that has a sandy texture and this is brilliant for rejuvenating my skin and getting rid of the dry, dead skin cells without irritating my skin. Each morning I use the Embryolisse lait cream concentrate before I apply my makeup to give me a final boost of moisture.

Once/ twice a week

Once a week I use the Aveda hydrating mask after I have exfoliated my skin to give a boost of moisture back to my dry skin. I also love Eumocream each night before I go to bed in the winter as it really quenches my dry skin and I wake up feeling refreshed and hydrated. I did a full blog post about this beauty here. Sometime I use the Ole Henrikksen pure truth activating oil if I feel like I need a boost of moisture to the skin which is really lovely. I think I prefer this to the Kiels midnight recovery concentrate AND Estee Lauder advanced night repair.

For those pamper days

When I feel like pampering myself, I use the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess skin clay mask, when I use this it gives me such soft baby skin. I tend to use this whilst I go it the bath. I really like this mask because it doesn't dry which keeps your skin hydrated.

What do you currently love using? I would love to hear from you

Thanks for reading

Katherine

xxx