Icy blue winter nails made with dry marble technique

 Even though we rarely get a proper winter with snow and ice here in the UK, it's a cool element to get inspired by for some wintery blue nails.

 For this dry marble design I'm using cold hues of nail polish; light icy blue, silver glitter, white, pearl, and of course my favourite top coat from No7. 

Actually, before you even start trying to achieve a dry marble nail art, make sure you have a good top coat to hand - it won't work otherwise!

I was actually inspired by Dolce & Gabbana's winter catalogue (seen in the background) for this swirly blue and white pattern.

To start with, I just painted my nails in one coat of plain blue polish, and I chose pearly white for my accent nail.

Once the first coat had dried, I painted a second coat of blue - doing one nail at a time - directly followed by a few drops of the white and pearl polishes straight onto the still wet blue polish. Don't worry about the size of the "blobs", but just experiment as you go along. Just make sure that there's enough nail polish to spread out and swirl around your nail.

 With the help of a small-headed dotting tool I'm drawing swirly patterns on my nails in the wet nail polish. It does look VERY MESSY at this point, but believe me... it'll all get sorted out with some amazing top coat. Just let it semi-dry first.

Here you can see the difference between having added top coat and not; the nail on my index finger is all nice and smooth whilst the others are still very textured and messy-looking.

With top coat on all nails and a coat of silvery glitter on my pearly white accent nail my swirly blue winter design is all done! 

Have you ever tried dry marble nail art yourself?

If not, I hope this post gives you some inspiration to do so.

It really is super simple!

Posh dinner, posh attire... and a murder on the posh floor!

You may be wondering why Kristina from Mode of Style and myself are all dressed up, holding on to some very important-looking items such as a magnifying glass...

Well, we had received a very fancy invitation for an event at nowhere other than the posh Hilton in Leeds, where we had been asked to 'dress to impress'.
On top of that we had been promised an eventful dinner with some detective work!

 Although the cause was unknown, it seemed like the area was a crime scene already on our arrival, and had been investigated by the police.

What had we gotten ourselves into? 

WERE WE IN TROUBLE?!?

 But when they presented us with some items a la Sherlock Holmes, and explained to us that we simply had to help out with an investigation, we could finally relax (and start enjoying the wine!)

 All the best private detectives wear a mustache and/or glasses, right?

Was Kristina a suspect in the crime which we were yet to be presented?

 We were about 30 bloggers that all sat down for dinner at three different tables...

 ...but before we had even stuck our forks into our starter, a man stumbled into the room and DIED RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! 

 Luckily, the ACTUAL SHERLOCK HOLMES (starstruck!) was quick to arrive, and to our horror he declared that there had been a MURDER!

But who was guilty to this terrible crime, and where would we even start our investigation of the #MurderOnThePoshFloor?

 Sherlock Holmes made us take an oath that we would truthfully and wholeheartedly put all of our efforts into helping out finding the murderer (although that was very difficult when there was delicious food put in front of us from time to time - extremely distracting!).

We were served a 3 course meal consisting of tasty soup, chicken breast with potato gratin and vegetables, followed by some sort of raspberry mousse with white chocolate. 

And in between the courses we were trying to solve the murder mystery in our different groups, which became very competitive. 

Luckily, we had Sherlock and a policeman to help us, and before we knew it they had found some evidence which we dusted for fingerprints, and BINGO! With the help of forensic reports, questioning of suspects, checking of criminal records, and warrants for pocket searches, we managed to solve the murder and arrest the perpetrator.

Thanks to Posh Flooring for such a fab event with lots of friendly faces and lots of fun! 

It was a true one of a kind dinner, and one I will remember forever!

Cryotherapy - The power of ice

Have you ever heard of Cryotherapy? 

Neither had I... until XS Hair in Leeds invited me to a demonstration at their fab event in Leeds last week. 

There were bubbles, pampering, and the power of ice!

I had a very special guest with me to the event (who I think got more out of it than me in the end!) - my little sister! She had come to Leeds for a visit, and I was so happy to get to show her "my" Leeds. She's only ever really been with my parents before, but I had a great time showing her around the younger parts of town.

But back to the event. 

When we arrived we were welcomed with a glass of bubbly, and the first thing we saw was a girl laying on a bed having some sort of treatment on her face. We were promised an in-depth explanation and demonstration shortly.

Having read the benefits on the leaflet I was handed on arrival I was very curious to what this miracle treatment was!

So what is Cryotherapy?

It's a pioneering technology originating from Japan, which uses liquid nitrogen to cool down a concentrated area on your body, which in turn triggers a physiological reaction. These reactions have multiple benefits such as weight loss, tighter skin, reductions of cellulite, wrinkles and acne scars, and even pain relief. 

Or like the lovely ladies at XS Hair explained it in a more humorous way; the freezing temperatures basically tricks your body into believing it's going to die, so the blood rushes to the treated area and plumps up the skin and burns lots of calories.

It's a natural treatment with biological health benefits.

Next up to have a trial session of the facial treatment was Kellie from Big Fashionista.
She was covered in warm towels and had her makeup removed to start with.

Having done the treatment on just one half of the face (the one to the right in the photo) you can already see that her face looks smoother and plumper. 

It was such a popular event, and lots of Leeds bloggers, journalists, and even a soap actor had come to see the wonder of Cryotherapy.

My sister had a quick blast of Cryotherapy done on her chest since she had had a stubborn cough all week. This was followed by a chest rub. She said it was very relaxing. 

On top of this, XS Hair treated us to hair styling, and some advice from their hairdressers.

Here's Ally from Digital Diva having a consultation on her fringe, whilst Kellie from Big Fashionista is having her hair curled.

There was also a choice of having your nails done with Shellac polishes. 

Such a luxury event!

My sister and I had a great time learning about Cryotherapy and mingling with other bloggers.

Thank you so much to Cryotherapy UK and XS Hair in Leeds for arranging such a fantastic event!

Styling up a mediocre budget jumper

A standard oversized knitted jumper is boring... Correct?

If you wear it on its own with a pair of jeans, yes! But with the right shoes and accessories you can easily turn this plain garment into a fashionable outfit!

I found this tan coloured knit at Primark last week, and bought it for the purpose of being a comfy go-to jumper for the house. But when trying it on for the second time I realised it would go so well with a pair of tan shoes that were hiding at the back of my wardrobe...

These heeled platform ankle boots from UGG are great for wintery days when you want to look a bit stylish. Or in this case - to spice up a mediocre jumper.

But how to make this outfit complete? Cause you wouldn't see me just walking around solely in tan coloured and earthy hues... That sure would look quite bland!

I'm starting by adding some contrasts in the form of accessories. This black metal lace necklace is a favurite of mine, and I found it at Wallis last year. 

The black necklace got paired with a pair of faux leather leggings for that rock chic look that everyone knows I love.

A black leather handbag to match the leggings, and some golden bling in the form of a set of stacking and midi rings almost completes the outfit. I've gone for gold to better match the earthy colour of the main item, which in this case is the jumper. As you can see in the photo above it has got golden zippers decorating the sides of it.

 The last piece of the puzzle is this black and gold bangle which ties it all together really nicely. I also love it when I accidentally match my outfit colours to my tattoo!

And that is it, folks! - A cosy but stylish winter outfit in warm and earthy hues with contrasting black leather.

What do you think?

Feeling refreshed with a Summer in December

Fashion Infatuation has been on a bit of a break lately, because I decided to escape the cold and treat myself to a holiday!

I've never been on a sun holiday this late in the year before, and it felt really surreal being on a beach one day, only to come home to cold and rain the next - going straight from summer to Christmas!

The destination was the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, which has a pretty solid 28ish degrees all year around, and the softest sandy beaches I've ever experienced!

The sea was absolutely crazy at this time of year, with extremely high and strong waves, but that didn't stop me from getting in! 

I lost my beloved Ray Bans to the depths of the sea though... :(

Swimwear-wise, I went for a turquoise two piece for this holiday.

I wanted something a bit different from my usual earthy hues - something that would stand out - and thought this colour would look good against tanned skin.

 If you look at the bikini close-up you can see that it has got decorative patterns that resemble something a bit oriental - a nice detail to a bikini that is otherwise all the same colour.

The bandeau style allows me to get a nice and even tan without leaving white strap lines on my shoulders. Should I have needed more support when swimming there was a halterneck strap you could tie to the metal ring in the middle of the bikini top.

Good thing I'm quite small in that department so that the bikini stayed up anyway ;)

My holiday nails for the second week of the holiday (first week was turquoise nails to match the bikini) were painted in a very simple style; just a dusky pink polish topped with a coat of glitter. You can't really go wrong with that.

And my toe nails are matching, of course!

What I really love about going on a sun holiday is how care-free I feel. It's so relaxing, and I don't worry about anything, and definitely not my looks. Just like it's a two week holiday from everyday life, it's also a break from makeup and other products, as well as from my blog as you may have noticed. It's just a time to enjoy yourself and let the sun, sea and sand work its magic on your dull northern European skin. I feel refreshed, and like a new person!

The Parisian way to style up a pair of chunky boots

 There's this tiny little park in the centre of Leeds, just a 5 minute walk from the shopping area, that is so lovely and quiet. Even though it's so central, not many people seem to know about it. It's located in an old square, and all the buildings surrounding it are old-fashioned, and really posh.

I've made it a habit to walk through this park every time I go to Leeds, and I always admire the pretty town houses with the colourful doors. 

It doesn't feel like being in England, but I imagine this is what the outskirts of Paris look like.

 So when I stumbled across this Paris print t-shirt at Primark the other day, I immediately knew where I wanted to go to photograph it for this outfit post!

It's such a simple t-shirt, but that's also what makes it so versatile. 

A basic piece of clothing like this can be worn with literally anything!

But the real inspiration for this particular outfit was actually the boots.

With them being of a chunky military style, I wanted to continue this style and go for the typical military green and camel colours - but proving that even this style can be worn in a chic and Parisian way.

This khaki green pleated midi skirt is from Boohoo, and is (just like the t-shirt) very versatile and can be worn for any season paired with the right items.

 The ruched sleeve camel coloured blazer in a soft jersey material is from wearall.com. 

I really love the button details on it, and the sort of military inspired shoulders.

I'm pairing it with a vintage looking pocket watch necklace in brass.

 But back to the Paris print t-shirt...

I've always been quite reluctant to wear standard t-shirts, ad it's just recently that I've embraced this basic item and realised what you can wear it with.

Just because you're wearing a simple t-shirt, it doesn't have to mean you're casual.

I tend to wear my t-shirts with high-waisted skirts, under blazers, and I'll definitely take this one with me on holiday next week when I'll be wearing it with some denim shorts!

 The reddish tan military style boots are from the AW15 collection at Clarks, and they're actually the first flat boots I've had in years. 

I find myself wearing heels a lot, but when I first laid eyes on these badboys, I just knew I had to have them! I also sort of wanted to prove to myself that you an look chic and feminine even when wearing really chunky footwear.

And pssst...! Clarks are actually taking part in Black Friday this year, so you may be able to find yourself a bargain or two if you're out to get your hands (or feet!) on some quality shoes.

 

 The handbag is my trusted cream and beige DKNY.

It's been with me for over a year now, and I still absolutely love it.

With the colours being so basic the bag goes with pretty much anything, and especially with my Paris t-shirt and the earthy hues in this chic military inspired outfit.

 

As usual, let me know what you think of my outfit by leaving a comment.