♥ What I Wore Wednesdays ♥ OOTD 05/06/2013

So technically this is yesterday's outfit of the day but as the weather yesterday was so sunny and today was so awful I decided I wanted to show this one instead.

I absolutely love this maxi dress. It's so comfy, you can wear it loose fitting or cinch it with a belt like I have. It'd be perfect over your bikini on holiday and it's also versatile enough to be worn in the winter months as well as the summer. Unfortunately I can't remember where I bought it from!

 

I have paired this dress with a simple black handbag, a gold and black spike necklace and a simple black belt to make it slightly more fitted.

 

 Bag - New Look - gift

Belt - Primark - £2

Necklace - Boohoo - £6

 

For shoes I have on some navy blue sandals with jewel detailing. These were a gift from my mum.

 

 

 On a day like today I would leave this outfit as is, but for days that are a little bit more chilly I would add my navy blue waterfall cardigan that I bought from Primark for £10.

 

 

 

 So that is today's outfit, I hope you enjoyed this post!

Zoe x 

 

♥ Tutorial Tuesday ♥ How to make ice cream cone cupcakes

Beauty and fashion are not the only things I love.. I am also a keen baker too! I bake almost every week and love baking anything from cakes and cookies to savoury pastries.

As part of this tutorial tuesday I am going to show you how to make ice cream cone cupcakes.
So lets get started..

You will need:

- a bowl and spoon for mixing the cake mixture
- cupcake tins
- some foil
- flat bottomed ice cream cones
- raspberry jam (optional)
- vanilla icing
- piping bag and nozzle (optional)
- sprinkles


I start off with a simple sponge recipe:

- 8oz sugar

- 8oz butter

- 8oz self raising flour

- 4 eggs

- a few drops of vanilla essence

Next you need to take your cupcake tins and cover them in 2 sheets of foil. You then need to make small cross in the foil over the centre of each of the 'dents' that usually hold the cake cases.

 

 

Next you need to make the holes slightly bigger with your finger and place the ice cream cone securely in it. This will hold the cones inplace when baking to stop them from toppling over.

 

 

Now its time to put the mixture into the cones. You need to fill it to about halfway. There is a handy line on the inside of the cone that can help you with this. Fill every cone to that line.

 

 

Now place them in the oven and leave to bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
 

  

Once they are golden brown and cooked in the middle they are done. 

 

As soon as they are out of the oven you will need to pierce a hole in the bottom of each cone so that the cakes dont go soggy inside from the trapped steam.

Once the cakes have cooled its time to fill them with jam. This is optional, if you would prefer your cakes plain then skip this step. If you do want jam in your cake then you will need your raspberry jam, piping bag and injector nozzle for this.

 

Once all of your cakes are filled with jam its time to ice them. You will need vanilla icing, a piping bag and a large star nozzle.

 The aim is to pipe a tall swirl ontop of the cake to look like icecream. Start at the edge and work your way inwards. Once the top of the cake is covered, gradually bring the swirl upwards.

 

 

And finally, top them off with sprinkles!

 

 

 

And there you have your finished ice cream cone cupcakes! Enjoy! :)

 

Zoe x

 

Skin 79 BB Cream... A review!

Hi everyone,

Today I am going to post a first impressions review of the Skin79 BB cream. I have been doing a lot of research into BB creams recently as I wanted to find a product that would even out my skin tone and make me feel like I was wearing my usual makeup, without having to apply a liquid foundation every day. I basically wanted something that I could wear on days when I wasn't going to work, or going out anywhere special, that would give me a light coverage with out being too heavy or oily! So after a few days of research I decided to purchase the Skin79 Beblesh Balm for combination to oily skin.

Here are my first impressions...

Firstly I carried out my usual morning skincare routine using the Garnier fresh essentials refreshing gel wash, refreshing toner, and hydrating day care facial moisturiser, followed by my Bobbi Brown hydrating eye cream.

The Skin 79 BB cream comes in a hot pink bottle with a pump so the product is easy to use. The only downside to the packaging is that you can't see how much product you have left inside the bottle.

 

Below is my makeup free face (excuse the lack of eyebrows - blonde girl problems!) on the left, the bb cream swatch in the centre, and how I have applied it on the right. I chose to use my fingers to apply the product so I could see exactly how it went onto my skin.

 

 



 

The product has a greyish tint to it when you first pump it out of the bottle, but as you can see below once it is blended in it evens out the skin tone and almost changes colour to match the skin tone. The photo on the left is the product alone, in the centre I have set it with my mac mineralize skinfinish natural powder, and on the right is my finished makeup.

 



Personally I was really impressed with how even my skintone became after using this product. As I have fairly clear skin my main issues are redness and under eye circles, and I feel this product covered them almost as well as my liquid foundation does (Bourjois Healthy Mix in shade Vanilla).



The photos below show a before application (makeup free), after application (morning), and after wearing the product all day....

 

As you can see the BB cream has broken down a little towards the end of the day and my redness has started to show through along with my under eye circles, but I did spend most of the afternoon at the stables in the windy and wet conditions!  

 

Overall I was extremely impressed with the product. It claims to be whitening (although in my opinion it didn't make me any more pale), it has SPF25, and improves wrinkles (I don't have any wrinkles but I do have kind of puffy under eyes and it did smooth them out).

 

I would 100% recommend this product to anyone who doesn't want/need a full coverage foundation. It is really easy to apply, it blends into your skin well, it evens out skin tone, gives a light coverage, and even smells quite nice! The downside to this product is that it is not available in the UK :( I purchased mine off amazon.co.uk (from a seller called fantat trading) but on the positive side, although the estimated delivery was 3 weeks it arrived after only 10 days all the way from Korea!!

 

Would I repurchase? Yes  

 

 

I hope this review was helpful :)

 

 

Lots of love,

Laura x

♥ Fashion Fridays ♥ What to wear with.. Light wash jeans

On a recent shopping trip i decided to buy some light wash denim jeans. i have never had a light coloured pair of jeans before so when i got home i was playing around with different ways i could style them. I thought that as some of you might be in the same position as me i'd show you three outfits i came up with to give you an idea of what you can wear with light wash jeans.

My jeans were from New look and cost £22.

 

 

Look 1:

For days when it is a bit chilly i have chosen a simple cream knit jumper paired with white pumps and a multi layer nacklace. I like this outfit as it is comfy and simple but still looks like you've made an effort.

Jumper: £21 - Newlook

Necklace: Gift

Fred perry pumps: £32 - ASOS

 

 

 

Look 2:

 

Don't be fooled into thinking that light jeans will only go with similar light colours. I think they also look great when paired with darker colours such as this black leather jacket and my black bow dolly shoes. I chose a light coloured top so the black wasnt too overwhelming and the studs on it tie in with the edginess of the jacket.

 

Jacket: £55 - Topshop

Top: £8 - Boohoo

Shoes: £12 - Peacocks

Look 3

 

This last look is definitely one for a warmer day! I love this dusky pink colour against the jeans. I kept the top simple so that the focus was drawn to the shoes, jacket and jewellery. I think this would also look great with a light coloured clutch and nude heels for a night out with the girls.

 

Top: £8 - Newlook

Blazer: £24 - Republic

Shoes: £10 - Primark

Bracelets: Gifts

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and have some ideas of how you'd style your own light washed jeans.

 

Be your own kind of beautiful

Zoe x

 

 

♥ Tutorial Tuesday ♥ How to.. Clean your makeup brushes

Ok so there comes a time in every makeup lovers life when your brushes are so beyond grubby that they just have to be cleaned. But if, like me, you're not confident with cleaning them and you find it quite a laborious task then getting round to it can take a lot longer than it should.

However, after a lot of research and attempts over the past couple of months I have finally found the brush cleaning routine that I'm happy with. Hopefully after reading this you will pick up some tips that will help you perfect your brush cleaning routine and give you a better outlook on this dreaded task!

So let's get started..

What you will need:

- a textured sponge
- a bottle of baby shampoo
- access to running water
- a water proof/wipeable surface as this can sometimes get a bit messy!
- a flannel or towel to dry your brushes on afterwards

Step 1:

Place the sponge under the tap for a couple of seconds to wet it. Thoroughly squeeze out any excess water, we only need the sponge to be damp.

Step 2:

Then add a small amount of baby shampoo to the sponge, any mild or gentle soap will also work fine.
Slightly rub the soap into the sponge so that it starts to lather up.

Step 3:

Get your makeup brush that needs cleaning. If you are cleaning more than one like me I suggest you do foundation brushes last as they have the most product on so will dirty the sponge a lot more.


Step 4:

Slightly wet your brush underneath the tap, hold the brush in a downward facing position making sure you don't wet the metal part of the brush as this can cause the brush to shed or fall apart. Then using circular motions, swirl your brush against the sponge, do this until the brush looks clean.

Step 5:

Again slightly rinse the brush under the tap to get rid of any excess soap. Squeeze the bristles to remove any water, reshape and place on your towel to dry.

I then repeat the process for all of my brushes, rinsing the sponge and re-applying soap when needed. For small eyeliner and crease brushes I tend to use zig zag motions to clean them rather than circular. I find this works better for these types of brushes.

Once they are all done I fully rinse out the sponge making sure all excess soap is gone and leave it somewhere to dry, here I have placed it on my windowsill as it was sunny. I then make sure all brushes are shaped the way they should be and leave them on their towel somewhere safe to dry.

You will need to give your brushes a good 12 hours to dry before you can use them again as they get quite wet, so plan ahead if you want to use them the following day.

Now all you have to do is sit back and look at all those pretty, clean make up brushes!

I hope you found this tutorial helpful!

Zoe x

♥ Fashion Fridays ♥ 3 ways to wear.. The midi dress

The midi dress has become really popular lately, you probably see people wearing them  everywhere you go. Sure they look good, but how do you style them? Here we give you 3 different ways to wear two different midi dresses.

Red aztec stripe midi dress - £14.99 - Newlook

Look 1:



Bag:  Gift - Newlook

Shoes: £8 - Primark

Look 2:

Boots: £20 - Newlook

Look 3:

 Cardigan: £12 - Primark

Shoes: £6 - Primark



Blue aztec print sleeveless midi dress - £14.99 - Newlook

Look 1:



Bag: £25 - Boohoo.com

Shoes: £12 - Peacocks

Look 2:



Clutch - £16.99 - Newlook

Heels - £25.99 Newlook

Look 3:

Jacket: £55 - Topshop

Bag: Gift - Newlook

Pumps: £42 - Schuh

We hope this gives you some ideas on how to style your own midi dress.

Laura & Zoe x

Aussie Dual Personality Anti Frizz + Conditioning Milk... A review!

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to talk about this new product I have been using. It is the Aussie Dual Personality Anti-Frizz + Conditioning Milk Frizz Miracle. When I was little I had beautiful naturally straight hair, and when I was about 17 I chopped it all off... literally... all gone. Ever since it has been a big frizzy mess that just never grew back the same as it used to be :(

As a result I have been trying out quite a few 'frizz control' type products to try and tame my hair a little. To be honest I hadn't been having much luck until I found this little gem! I bought this product from BodyCare for around £5 (I think it retails a little higher in Boots), and I haven't looked back!

The container is plastic with a pump on the top (as you can see) and holds 150ml of product. It smells like most shampoo's, quite fruity. I use one pump of the product after a shower and comb through the mid-lengths to ends of towel dried hair. I then leave my hair to dry naturally as I find blow drying tends to frizz it up even more. Plus it is much better for your hair to dry naturally :) By the morning my hair is usually wavy and takes very little effort to style. I do have the odd day where I will wake up with awful bed hair that is still frizzy so I just add about half a pump more of the product, again to my mid-lengths to ends.

I love the fact that you can apply this product to wet or dry hair because it allows you to have a second attempt at taming the frizz without having to wash your hair again. My hair is also quite fine but this product isn't heavy at all and doesn't make my hair greasy.

The only downside I can think of to the product is that since using it my hair has become slightly more knotty. However, I am not using the most conditioning of shampoos and conditioners at the minute so maybe that will improve once I move onto something different.

Overall I will give this product a 4 out of 5 stars... well done Aussie!

 

I hope you all found this review useful!

 

Lots of Love,

Laura x

♥ What I Wore Wednesdays ♥ OOTD 3/4/2013

So i thought i'd pop on with a quick outfit of the day for you..

This is my favourite outfit to wear during the cold winter months due to its comfiness and warmth.

My coat is from Very.co.uk and was a Christmas present two years ago. My jumper is from Newlook which i have teamed with some black jeans from Boohoo.com, i then have on some knee high brown boots which are from Tesco. For jewellery i just have on a noahs ark themed bracelet from Newlook and for make up i have kept it simple with a nude eye and red lip.

For days when it is especially chilly i will add a scarf. Today i have chosen my orange and cream ombre scarf from Newlook, i like this scarf as it adds a pop of colour to the outfit without being too over the top.

Be your own kind of beautiful
Zoë x

First impressions and comparison review! Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation Vs. Revlon Nearly Naked foundation.

Ok so as you know from my Bobbi Brown review I have relatively clear skin so I've never really felt the need for liquid foundation. However, recently I have been interested in trying one as it will give me a bit more coverage and help reduce the dark circles under my eyes. However, as I have pale skin which is also oily I found choosing a liquid foundation really difficult!

I went to Boots and after about an hour and a half of trying out lots of different ones I decided to try the Bourjois healthy mix foundation as I saw on a couple of reviews that it was a light coverage foundation that was good for oily skin.

Zoe also has the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation which she has barely used as she is saving it for the summer months due to its light feeling and coverage. As both foundations have light coverage and claim to be good for oily skin I decided to try both and do a little first impressions/comparison review to see which one I liked more and which one was best for my skin.

Ok, so first, a makeup free face!

 

We decided to try the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation first. I applied this for Laura using a makeup sponge due to the runny consistency. After I applied the foundation we set it with the matching Revlon Nearly Naked powder.

 

And here is the end result.

Before powder:

 

From the front this looks fine, but once you see her jawline you can tell that it is very orange and doesn't blend onto the neck very easily.

After Powder:

 

Big mistake! Somebody's been tangoed! As you can see the powder is even more orange than the foundation and was a struggle to apply, instead of sweeping over the skin it felt like it was just sticking to the foundation, definitely hard to blend and definitely doesn't look natural.

 

 

 

Next we decided to try the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. As this had a slightly thicker consistency I decided to apply it with a flat foundation brush. Straight away I could see that this was a better match for Laura's skin tone and was a lot easier to apply too. We didn't set this one with a powder.

 

 

 

And here is the end result..

 

As you can tell straight away it is a lot less orange and was a lot easier to blend onto the neck. This one looks a lot more natural and provides enough coverage, it smells good too!

 

Although both foundations were the same shade it became very clear that one was much darker than the other, we decided to swatch them next to each other and as you can see, there is a huge difference in shade!

 

Left to right: Revlon Nearly Naked, Bourjois Healthy Mix

 

 

 

So after comparing both foundations with Zoe, I feel that the Bourjois was better for both my skin type and colouring. Whilst the Revlon one didn't feel oily it was difficult to apply and was the wrong shade for my skin. I think that the Bourjois Healthy Mix not only smelt much better but was a much smoother consistency and was really easy to apply with a flat foundation brush. There were also many more shades to choose from in the Bourjois range. I was shade 52 Vanilla. So what do you think, nice and natural looking? I think so.

  



 

Products used in the photo above:

 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in shade 52

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder in Light Plus

Bourjois Blusher in Love-struck rose

Bourjois Intense eye shadow in shade 03

No7 Lash Adapt Mascara in Black

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in shade 001 Honey

 

 

We hope you liked this kind of first impressions/comparison review, let us know which products you'd like us to try out and review for you!

 

Laura & Zoe x