Everyday smoky eye tutorial

Can I just start by saying that this is the best eyeshadow palette I've ever had!

'The Nudes' by Maybelline was introduced to me in August, and it was love at first sight. 

It's the perfect shades when you want to create a smoky eye look, whether you're after a more neutral look, or something more dramatic.

This, in combination with a badass waterproof eyeliner pencil and a fibre based mascara is all the eye makeup I need.

The eyeshadow colours go from basic beige and browns, to metallics and black.

I'm going to show you how I do my standard everyday smoky eye makeup, and the colours I've gone for are somewhere in between neutral and dramatic. You can easily add some more black if you need your makeup to take you from the office to a night out without having to redo everything.

Most people start with the light base colour, but I actually think it's easier to start with the darker coloour.

I simply start by placing a fingerprint sized dot in the outer corner of my upper eyelid with the help of a standard eyeshadow brush.

With the brush I then blend and spread the eyeshadow into a C-shape to create an illusion of a frame and bigger eyes.

Moving on, I then use the same dark eyeshadow and apply it underneath my eyes (two thirds in) to really get that smoky effect. I use the same brush for this as I'm not too fussed about the line looking neat. I'm a rock chick, and I like a lot of makeup ;)

The next step is to add lighter eyeshadow to the inner parts of your upper eyelids. Make sure you blend it well where it meets the darker shade, and don't be afraid to add a bit more dark eyeshadow in the outer corners if needed.

Apply eyeliner in your preferred shape (I love a bit of winged eyeliner to create that cat's eye look) and top it all off with mascara.

And tadaa! That's your basic everyday smoky eye makeup!

I can really recommend the nude shades from Maybelline. Like I mentioned before - it's the best eyeshadow palette that has ever been in my possession!

Sleep well, shop well - getting spolit by Premier Inn in Manchester

Well hello there!

A mirror selfie? Why?

Because I was in a hotel room all by myself about to go out for some exciting shenanigans with some fellow fashion bloggers!

My outfit for the night was a strapless black skater dress and a blue and silver statement necklace, dramatic eye makeup, and of course a pair of heels to top (bottom?) it all off.

There were 20 local-ish fashion bloggers that had been invited to an exciting event called #SleepWellShopWell, hosted by the fab Premier Inn Picadilly in Manchester in collaboration with Propeller Net and The Front Row Society.

It should have been called #EatWellSleepWell in my opinion, with the amount of food they brought us for dinner! Oh my!

We were treated to dinner at Fumo (a San Carlo chain restaurant) in central Manchester, and the menu had been set for us.

They went for a tapas style menu with lots of small dishes, and we couldn't believe how much food there was! The waiters just kept coming out with more!

There was bread and olives, prosciutto, pasta, pizza, duck salad, steak... you name it!

It was all gorgeous, and we were basically rolling out of the restaurant afterwards.

Myself and fellow Swede and Leeds blogger Jennie from Lifestyled by Jennie enjoyed a Limoncello after dinner.

I got to know lots of lovely bloggers that I've never met before, including Bryony from Bea Lea (to the right), and lots of other girls. 

I do love a social event like this - such a great campaign idea Premier Inn!

After dinner and quite a few drinks it was time to go back to the hotel for a great night's sleep before the adventure was due to continue the next day. 

Remember, if you sleep well you shop well ;)

Goodnight!

Premier Inn seriously has the comfiest beds ever! 

I'm really picky with pillows, and sleeping on a pillow that is not in line with what I'm used to can really ruin a night's sleep completely.

I can't even remember falling asleep this night! I put my head on the pillow and all of a sudden it was morning, and I was more than ready for an exciting day of shopping.

Premier Inn had teamed up with Manchester stylist and blogger Megan from Pages by Megan, and after a massive and delicious hotel breakfast all bloggers made their way to the Northern Quarter in their own time, where Megan had picked out a few of her favourite shops for quirky, wonderful and vintage finds.

One of the boutiques was COW vintage, which truly was vintage heaven!

It was quality European vintage fashion arranged to perfection on two floors.

Although we went to a few different shops of similar styles in the Northern Quarter, COW was definitely my favourite!

Another vintage shop that I really liked was Pop Boutique.

It was like stepping right into the 1970's, and even the shop assistants looked the part with their clothes, hair and makeup.

Very 70's retro, indeed!

After getting slightly lost in Afflecks Palace, Jennie and I continued to do some shopping in the Arndale Centre before heading back to Leeds again.

Thank you so much to Premier Inn for inviting me to this fantastic blogger event where we all got to eat well, sleep well and shop well - I felt so spoilt, and it was nice to get a different shopping experience like this, rather than just sticking to the highstreet!

Oriental vibes

I've always been a huge fan of the colour purple
(I used to live in a purple house, ride a purple bike, and drive a purple moped...),
so this purple Oriental print top that matches the swirly flower tattoo on my back perfectly was just a must-have!
There was only one problem...

...it was a crop top, meaning I had to get my belly out!
It doesn't matter how many sit-ups I do, but I still don't have a flat belly.
So what do you wear wth this current trend?

The answer is simple - a high-waisted skirt!

By combining a crop top with a high-waisted skirt it means you only have to show the middle section of your belly, which actually turns out to look quite flattering on any body type. I've gone for a full pleated tan midi skirt in a faux suede material, as I think the neutral hue goes well with the colourful top.

And also, this is a tattoo I don't get to show off very often!

Bonus!

It's my little life motto, and I love it.

(No, you're not really supposed to be able to read it, hence the extremely scribbly font).

I opted to throw a thin beige cardigan on before leaving the house though, as it's unfortunately not summer in England anymore.

It goes really well with my bag and my shoes!

The bag has been featured on the blog before. It's the perfect clutch bag that goes with everything.

I'm also matching my green nails and my many colourful rings in purple, green and amber to my patterned crop top.

It's all about the details ;)

 

I love how my tattoo looks like an extension of the top! It's basically the exact same colours!

I'm also wearing some green feather earrings.

I wore this outfit a few weeks ago, when it was still warm enough to get your toes out. 

I hate wearing socks, and try wearing sandals for as long as possible. Usually between April and October.

And that's it, folks!
I don't know what to call this Oriental, suede outfit though...

Any suggestions?

An organised mess

 My makeup and beauty products have always been stored in one big mess.
I always knew in which part of the house or in which drawer I would be able to find what I was looking for, but actually digging through everything to find that specific product could take a while!
Well, that part of my life is now over, and thanks to this beauty of a sideboard from Trade Furniture Company I've now been able to maintain more of an organised mess!

 The small sideboard, which works perfectly as storage for my beauty products, is completely handmade and made out of reclaimed Indian wood, which means that one of these pieces never look exactly the same as another one. I absolutely love that it has got elements of teal and green, as these are two of my favourite colours.

 My small guestroom works as my dressing room, and I feel that it's important that the place where I get ready in the morning looks pretty. Silly? Well, let's just say it's inspirational. 

Because of this, I've tried to decorate my beautiful new sideboard with items that match, including this Oriental looking jewellery box from Accessorize - a perfect piece to keep your bling organised.

 A few chosen nailpolishes in matching colours, a vintage looking clock, and a small wooden jewellery box full of earrings also decorates the new piece of furniture, and they all work as great additions to my dressing room. 

 The sideboard has some great storage, with three deep drawers - perfect to store makeup in! 

I giggle to myself every time I see the writing on my makeup bag; 'Real-life Photoshop for my face' - it's so true!

 The piece of furniture also has a cupboard with two shelves on which I have placed a couple of black wicker baskets that hold all of my hair styling tools and products. I have also hidden an extension cable with plugs under it on the floor so that I can easily access some power for my straightener and hairdryer when I need to use them.

Did I mention that I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to matching? ;)

When you have a ridiculously large collection of nailpolishes you can always find one (or a few) to match anything!

I was actually crafty enough to create this fascinator myself at a recent blogger event by Hillary's Blinds, and even this is a match made in heaven with my new sideboard.

I love the new addition to my dressing room! It makes getting ready in the morning so much more efficient and pleasurable.

Boho chic

Continuing on the 1970's theme from last week, this outfit is fringe heaven!

I've never been a fan of ponchos, but when I saw this poncho inspired oversized scarf with an Aztec print from Matalan, I just had to have it!
I've been a lot more adventurous with my choices of outfits lately, and I'm now more open to trying new styles.

It just screams 70's boho chic, don't you think?

But naturally, as with every style, you can't just mix and match such a specific item with anything, but I felt that the rest of my outfit had to be in line with the theme.

The colours of this poncho-like scarf are just gorgeous.
Very autumnal and earthy hues that go well with my complexion.

I've paired my 70's boho inspired outfit with glass jewellery made by Swedish glass artist Gunne Brandstedt. Glassworks and mouth-blown glass is an old tradition in Sweden, and all the pieces of jewellery in the GB collection are therefore unique in colour and pattern.

I didn't go quite as far as flared jeans for my 70's outfit though... I thought this pair of medium blue wash jeans with scuffs and rips suited the style very well.

But when it came to the shoes I went all out!
Hello lovely tan ankle boots with fringes!
Love at first sight!

These, just like the scarf and jeans, are from the AW15 collection at Matalan.

What do you think of the overall look of this outfit?
Do you like the 70's trend which has come back massively in the last couple of years?

My necklace is also part of the GB glass art jewellery collection, and goes well with my bracelet.

See what I mean with the colours and patterns though? All unique, but still matching each other.

And no 70's boho style would be complete without a few flicks and a middle(ish) parting! The slight ombre kind of adds to the look as well.
Peace!

A 70's inspired co-ord set, Pocahontas style

The 70’s style is extremely popular this season, and you’ll recognise it from all the fringe details, earthy colours, suede material, and flares – flared jeans and flared sleeves. And don’t forget the sloppy lace-up style and native indian influences with feathers, leather and metal accessories.

This two piece co-ord set in a tan faux suede just screams 1970’s retro style with its cut, colour and material. It’s the Charisse Suede Crop Scallop Two Piece from Luxemme, and to be honest with you I felt like a blonde Pocahontas the first time I tried it on.

I decided to play on the Pocahontas inspiration, and have gone for a bit of native indian influences to match this crop top and high waisted shorts. The Disney princess herself accessorised her tan suede co-ord set with an earthy red tattoo and a dark turquoise necklace, and these are the colours I've opted for to complement my Luxemme outfit.

Why stick to one ring when you can wear one on each finger? 

Since turquoise is my favourite colour when it comes to jewellery I've got multiple rings in this hue that all go with each other in a mix-match sort of way.

The zigzag style ring on my middle finger is actually from the 70's and is a hand-me-down from my mum.

These beige suede wedge sandals from Deichmann have been my best friends this summer! They're extremely comfortable, and they go with basically anything - especially this two piece set. Bingo!

A loose braid and some reddish lipgloss to emphasise the style...

...and the turquise necklace is of course a must when Pocahontas is your source of inspiration!

I've even added some quirky handmade silver earrings with cracked turquise stones. These were bought at a market in Dubrovnik a few years ago, and I absolutely love how unique they are!

A dark turquise handbag from Accessorize finishes off my native indian 70's look.

You obviously don't have to wear these pieces as a set, but I'm thinking the top would look good with a high waisted skirt and a cardigan now when the autumn has arrived. The shorts can easily be transformed into a more wintery item by pairing them with thick tights and knee high boots.

What are your thoughts on co-ord sets and 70's inspired fashion? 

How would you wear it?