The magic of brows - with Benefit cosmetics

A few weeks ago I was invited to this quite fabulous blogger event, and yes, you guessed it right...
- it was all about eyebrows!

 But is it possible to focus a whole event on just eyebrows, I hear you ask?

Well, when it's no one else that Benefit cosmetics hosting the day, then the answer is HELL YES!

 As usual with blogger events we were all greeted with some bubbly on arrival.
Whilst sipping our delicious drinks, the girls from Benefit went through a short presentation about the new eyebrow products that were still due to get launched to the highstreet.

Did you know that eyebrow products are currently the most bought product out there when it comes to makeup?
It's even more popular than mascara!
But who can blame us consumers when we've got strong-browed role models like Cara Delevingne to look up to?

 After the presentation we were shown into another room where 3 makeup stations were set up, and the Benefit girls started working their magic, transforming everyone's eyebrows with the products from the new collection.

 My partner in crime for the day, Jennie from Lifestyled by Jennie, seemed very happy with the result!

 

 There was a third, secret room at the event venue, and in there it was all fun and games!
Jennie and I were the first ones in, and the first challenge was to match eyebrows to celebrity faces.
It was a lot harder than it looks, especially when the clock was ticking down!

 Challenge number 2 was to draw a pair of eyebrows on a vintage cartoon lady - blindfolded!
I think we did a decent job though...

Challenge number 3 and 4 involved shaving a poor guy's hairy leg in a straight line (Ouch! I hope he got a hell of a good compensation for enduring that!), and decorating a slice of cake into an eyebrow.
Silly little games, but we had so much fun!

 A couple of weeks after the event, this amazing box of all the still not launched products landed in my post box.

 I really couldn't wait to try the Gimme Brow fibres, and it's now my favourite eyebrow prduct. Best one I've ever had!

 Thank you so much to Benefit cosmetics for an amazing event and for the generous box of goodies.

Gazing over the Atlantic for historic inspired attire

Well howdy how there.
This outfit is a bit American western inspired, mixed with some old fashioned touches.

It kind of makes me think of the era that was a hundred or so years back, when people were emigrating from UK and western Europe to the states. Although, that was not intentional when putting together this outfit.

 The inspiration came from Apricot, and the most amazing flowing black gipsy skirt I found on their website recently. It was love at first sight, and I just knew it would be perfect for summer.

 With the right combination and accessories, I managed to put together quite the unusual attire - definitely not what I would usually be seen in, but I loved it!

 Matching my amazing black flowing skirt with a dusky pink checked shirt with a high button collar is what made it all look so western inspired. The skirt, from Apricot, originally came with a plaited leather belt, but it wasn't quite the right colour to match my shoes, so I swapped it for another, slightly lighter, leather belt that you tie in the front.

 The checked shirt is an old one from Next, and I've fallen in and out of love with it so many times. Recently I've started experimenting more with what I'm combining it with, and it's now back at the top of my shirt pile.

 Very suitable to the theme of emigrating across the Atlantic, but also this a mere coincidence, I'm accessorising my outfit with a world map watch. The dusky pastel colours and the light tan leather strap is a match made in heaven for this outfit.

I originally found it on Etsy, but then managed to get it for a bargain price on Ebay.

 What do you think of this combo?
Do you agree that it looks quite old fashioned?

 The tan leather platform clogs I'm wearing are also part of what inspired my choice of clothing for this post. They might not look it, but they're really easy to walk in and they're actually really comfy. I got them from Deichmann, and they're the ultimate staple shoes for summer.

 To finish it all off I'm wearing a tight brass necklace with tiny chain fringes. This, just as the skirt, is also from Apricot. I really feel that it's completing the outfit without being over the top. Even though it' a bit of a statement necklace, it manages to blend in nicely with the shirt.

Fascinated by fascinators

The first time I ever went to the races was back in 2010. I had only lived in England for a few months by that time, and when told that it was quite a fancy event I put on whatever dress I had to hand in the back of my wardrobe. As someone who was used to wearing jeans and sneakers, I thought I looked super posh...
When I arrived at York races I realised that I didn't!

The second time I went to the races I understood more what it was all about, so I put on a nicer dress, but I still stuck to wedges rather than heels to avoid getting stuck and ruining my shoes on the lawn.
No one else seemed to have the same idea... 

I couldn't for my life understand why all girls were wearing what I thought was silly head gear though. Were they hats, were they head bands? What were they, and why was everyone wearing them?!

When I went to York races last weekend I caved in, and I went all out. I wanted to know what it felt to fit in to all this fanciness, and I bought myself my first ever fascinator. 

I must admit I felt marvellous!

To go with my posh fascinator, I was of course wearing a dress suitable for racecourse poshness. 

It's a black layered sheer dress with a lace style bodice, and a butterfly cut hem on the skirt, meaning it's longer on the sides.

The back of the dress is quite fabulous as you show off your back through the pattern. Unfortunately that means you can't really wear a bra with it though, but of well... the things you do for fashion!

I tricked you a bit though... it isn't actually a posh dress - it's just from H&M. But it's all about how you mix and match your clothes that make the finished outfit!

To really complete that race style, I put my hair up into a low and voluminous side bun, making sure the fringe finished it off with a wave framing my face. You won't see me with my hair up very often, and I do quite struggle with updos, but I think this experiment was quite a success. Especially with the fascinator decorating it!

I took the liberty to climb up to the horse owners' area, where you had a good view over the racecourse. Since my strategy when it comes to horse betting is based on who's got the funniest name, I didn't win anything though... What a surprise!

Silver jewellery in the form of my trusted Links of London charm bracelet and multiple silver rings is pretty standard for me to bling up an outfit. Add to that french manicure nails, and my handbag being the only pop of colour to break off the black, and I was all good to go.

And not to forget the massive fake lashes! I wanted to go a bit over the top and look like a doll for this special occasion. Why not, hey? I was also practising my Maid of Honour makeup for next month, although I won't go as extreme with the lashes then. It's more about the contouring and finding makeup that will stay on all day in any weather.

And that is it, folks. For the first time since I moved to England I felt like I actually fit in to all the fascinator madness at the races. Have I officially turned more British than Swedish? I bloody hope not, but it's all fun and games experimenting with fashion and different styles.

An evening of pampering with Treatwell at RMUK in Leeds

Have you thought about the fact that we nowadays book or buy most things online? But when it comes to hair and beauty treatments we tend to do it the old fashioned way - either by a visit or over the phone. This is where Treatwell comes in! As the largest hair and beauty booking website in Europe, they're on a mission to inspire people to express their beauty in every way. The website is perfect to use if you're a bit spontaneous with your beauty bookings, or if you're after a great last minute deal. It's also ideal for discovering new salons or spas you've never heard of before.

A few weeks ago, Treatwell visited RMUK hair salon in Leeds to talk about their super convenient service, and to let us trial some taster treatments in the form of hair styling, manicure, and mini massages. I was one of the first to arrive and got first dibs on a treatment of my choice, and I opted for something I've never tried before; bamboo massage. It was basically a normal aroma therapy back massage with essential oils, but rather than using her hands, the masseuse used hot bamboo sticks. The sticks are of various sizes to reach muscles in different areas, and they're cylinder shaped with rounded edges. 

After my massage we had a thorough browse around the very impressive RMUK salon. I had never been in this salon before and I was amazed by the layout and the stunning interior.

But then it was time to gather for some bubbly and the official welcome speech by the Treatwell founders.

I absolutely love the concept of booking your hair and beauty appointments online on one massive hub where you can see all your local companies. Why has no one thought of that before?! Treatwell has been around for years, but due to their expansion to the rest of Europe they've recently rebranded the company - they used to be called Wahanda.

There was even a celebrity appearance at the Treatwell event! A few actors from the Emmerdale cast were amongst the VIP guests that had been invited for this evening of pampering.

A couple of manicurists were working on getting everyone's nails all shiny and sparkly.

My plus one guest for the night, Laura from Top Style Advice, opted for metallic nails of a cool purple hue.

It was such a fab event by Treatwell, and I managed to squeeze in three mini treatments; bamboo massage, head and shoulder massage, and a manicure. I had the limpest hair on the day, full of dry shampoo, so I didn't fancy any of the stylists trying to do anything with it. I would have felt sorry for them!

I absolutely adore the dusky teal nail polish I ended up choosing from the impressive nail bar. That's one to go on the shopping list!

Scandi style with a hint of pastel

I felt so typically Scandinavian in this outfit that I wore for a day out last weekend.

But what do I mean by that?

If you look at Scandinavian fashion in general it all tends to be very minimalistic (in the sense of colour and details - not the lack of fabric!) and classic - very white and grey.

The same goes for interior design. I don't want to say plain, but Scandinavian designers all agree that less is more, and that a basic colour palette can be spiced up into anything depending on your accessories.

I actually bought this grey turtle neck bodycon dress during my last visit in Sweden, at fashion giant Gina Tricot. You may not have heard about this chain yet, but believe me... you will do eventually! I'm pretty sure they'll take over the world sooner or later, just like their fellow Swedish fashion house H&M.

I wanted to pair the dress with a blazer but without it looking too formal and office-like, so I opted for a white one. A black one would have looked too serious, but this white blazer from Wallis is perfect for Spring.

But dressing all in a black/grey/white is not in my nature... I like colours too much!

And the best colours to opt for now that spring has arrived are dusky pastel colours.

I found this dusky lilac/pink messenger bag at a bargain price in the sale at Deichmann.

I absolutely love the colour, but also the structure.

It may look small, but I could fit a lot more stuff than I thought I would in it (like my big SLR camera I used to take these photos with).

The bag blends in well with the grey, but it's still a little pop of colour, which makes the outfit so much more interesting. 

As for accessories, I've gone for less is more like the true Swede that I am, and I' wearing this lovely lilac stone pendant on a thin silver chain. 

It goes perfecty with the Scandi style outfit and the dusky lilac handbag.

No outfit is complete without nail polish!

Don't agree?
Then try wearing that bright pink nail polish you had on all of last week with something red or orange... it doesn't go, does it. It clashes quite horribly actually.

As you know, I'm all for my nail polish, and even though you can't cater for every outfit when panting this week's nails, you can at least try to stick to certain coloured clothes for those specific days.

And that is it, folks; My white and grey Scandi style with a hint of pastel - in this case dusky lilac and turquoise.

What are your go-to colours for Spring?