The Perfect Christmas Party Dress

Christmas parties are something I look forward to all year round.  It's the one night a year when you can go all out in the glitter and glamour!  With the party season fast approaching, I've been on the hunt for the perfect Christmas party dress and I have a pretty firm winner.  This beautiful pleated halter neck dress from Topshop (£46) has stolen my heart.  I'm in love with the metallic colour, the material, the style, the lot!  As I'd previously mentioned a few posts ago I'm loving gold at the minute so it's no surprise I'm a fan of this.  I think this is perfect for Christmas parties and I'm really hoping to get this for mine this year!  

Have you found your perfect Christmas party dress yet?  I'd love to know!  

Leopard Lovin'

I've always been partial to a little bit of leopard print.  Some people hate it but I kind of love it and that love has been in full swing recently.  My most recent leopard print purchase has been a skater skirt (£12) from Boohoo.  The skirt is in a skater style and made of polyester.  It's a great fit and sits on my hips really well.  I'm always a bit paranoid about my chunky thighs and this skirt is complimentary and doesn't make them look huge which I always worry about!  

I'm a huge fan of Boohoo as I think the clothes are always such a good quality for the price, this skirt is so similar to ones which I've bought in the past which have cost me much more then £12!  I paired the skirt with a black halter top from River Island, which I wasn't able to find a link for annoyingly, some plain black heels, a sparkly gold clutch along with gold earrings and my white and gold DKNY watch.  The outfit was so simple which really highlighted the statement skirt.  

Are you a leopard lover like myself or more of a leopard loather?  Let me know! 

Black Cat Seventeen Gel Nails

Black nails are kind of my go to colour.  You can't really go wrong with them and they look so sleek in my opinion.  I had the absolute disaster of my black nail polish running out last week and I was desperate to find a replacement.  I was keen to get a gel polish as they tend to last a little longer and have a more 'finished' look so off to Boots I went.  With it being Christmas time and all I was hoping to find one that wouldn't break the bank either.  I was having no such luck with finding a polish that matched my criteria until I stumbled upon the Seventeen range and found the shade Black Cat, it was a gal polish, black as night and only £3.99, everything I was looking for!  

Seventeen isn't a nail brand I'd used before so I was eager to give this a go.  The polish is really opaque and smooth.  It glides on the nail without being too clumpy or runny.  You could probably get away with just one coat on too, but I always do two, I feel a bit strange doing my nails with just one coat... Just me?  And the colour is a perfect black that doesn't come out looking a bit off grey.  It states on the bottle you get 8 days wear out of the polish, now while I haven't had it on for a whole 8 days I can vouch that it is durable.  Yes, I had a few chips after a few days but for under £4 what can you expect really and even at that it's just little scuffs from me being a klutz.  Overall, this is a great polish for a go to black and definitely one I would recommend.

What is your go to nail colour? 

L'Oreal Double Extension Mascara

For months I've been using L'Oreal Miss Manga (£8.99) mascara without complaint, with 3 re-purchases (which is unusual for me as I'm bit of a mascara floozy) I was really happy with how the product worked for me.  However when my 3rd tube ran dry I was in the mood for something a bit different.  The L'Oreal Double Extension (£11.29) mascara caught my eye straight away purely for the oddly shaped packaging.  Upon further inspection I discovered this was a double-ended mascara with one side being a base coat and the other the actual mascara.  I was so intrigued I just had to have it.  

Step one is the white ended base coat.  This helps to lengthen your lashes and work as a base for the actual mascara.  The product is enriched with fibres and other things that I don't understand which make your lashes look longer.  I was a bit dubious if this would work as all it appeared to was make my lashes white!  However, when the black mascara was added it was a different story. 

Step two is adding the colour and coverage.  This is a carbon black mascara which applies to lashes wonderfully, the brush works great as it gives minimum clumping and a full colour.  My lashes look long, voluminous and as black as night.  The base coat and colour   work really well together and do make lashes look really long without looking clumpy.  Win win. 

What mascara have you been using lately?  How have you liked it? 

Beauty Wishlist #1

My beauty wishlist is something that grows with every blog post I read so I thought I would put together a few of things I'm desperately craving this winter.

Firstly there is the NARS blush in the shade Outlaw (£22.50).  The colour is described as a soft rose tone with a golden shimmer, how dreamy does that sound?  I've seen a few people wear this blush and it looks wonderful on them so this has been on my wishlist for quite some time.

Continuing with the NARS lovin' there is the Sheer Glow Foundation in the shade Barcelona (£31), this is one of those foundations you just can't escape, everywhere you turn someone is wearing or buying it.  It looks so flawless on people skin and looks like it gives a good coverage as well as a lovely glow.

Next up is the Black Magic (£27) Eyeliner set from Urban Decay. These double sided pencils come in a mix of colours such as blue, purple, grey, brown and black.  I've read so many reviews of them and they look amazing!  I love the idea of using an eyeliner other than black!

The Naked Illuminated (£22) is something that caught my eye earlier this week.  I've been looking for a good highlighter and this is something I definitely want to try.  I can't decide which shade I want though as they both sounds great.  There is Lumionos which is a champagne shimmer or Auro which is a soft pink shimmer with a golden sparkle.  Decisions, decisions...

My love for rose gold is continuing as I've been coveting the Rose Gold Zoeva Luxury Brush Set (£55), I've seen these on so many blogs and they are absolutely stunning. Even more though I am in desperate need for some new brushes and these look perfect, they may seem a bit pricey but 8 brushes for £55 is good going and plus they're supposed to be fantastic and will last a good while.

After seeing mega-babe Lou Teasdale sporting MAC Lady Danger (£15.50) over the summer, it's been really playing on my mind.  The colour is so unlike anything I'd normally go for as it is a bright red but I absolutely love it.  It's a perfect Christmas colour and really adds a little something extra to a look.  Do I dare venture out of my comfort zone and buy this?

I love dark nails in autumn/winter and the Ciate Haute House (£22) has 5 beautifully dark metallic colours that are just begging to be bought.  There is a metallic blue, green, purple, red and gold which all look so pigmented and striking.  This is a perfect autumn/winter set to me as it had the darkness I love with that little bit extra sparkle in the metallic shimmer.

 Finally, the Benefit They're Real Mascara (£19.50), I think I am the only person in the whole world who doesn't own this mascara right now.  The reviews for this are raving and it is the UK's Best Selling mascara so there's clearly something special about this.  It's been on my wishlist for ages and I'm hoping to finally take the plunge and buy it this winter!

What are you craving at the minute?

Mood Board

Something quite different coming to you today.  I created a mood board type of thing with a bunch of things I've been feeling lately since a lot of new obsessions have come around.  Let's get started shall we.

Firstly, the new One Direction album FOUR.  Yes, I will admit I am a complete One Direction fangirl.  I can't help my love for them and their music, it's just so catchy and I've yet to find a sound I like more in the world than Harry Styles' voice.  My favourites are probably Stockholm Syndrome (despite the controversial title), Girl Almighty and Night Changes.  Although these change approximately every 7 seconds.  

Next up is a bit boring but it's water.  I've really been trying to be a lot more healthy and think about what I'm putting into my body.  Despite the fact I'm 20 I still suffer from quite bad skin so I'm hoping the water will help fight that too and keep me looking a bit more hydrated through winter. 

A strong love for gold has came crashing into my life.  I recently found my white and gold DKNY watch and since wearing that all I've wanted to do is wear gold jewellery.  I've found a few new pieces and I don't see this love fading anytime soon. 

Bobbly hats are staple for winter and I'm absolutely loving these fluffy ones that are out just now.  They look so cute and are a real twist on the classic wool.  I'm really hoping to pick one of these up in the next few weeks as my old wooly hat just fails in comparison. 

I have been absolutely loving Holland Roden's look at the minute.  Her hair is to die for and her makeup is always so on point.  She is definitely my girl crush at the minute and I've been really trying to channel her in looks recently. 

Thinking positive is one of the most important things I've been trying to embrace recently.  With a few not so great things happening the past few weeks I've been really trying to focus on the good in my life instead of the bad.  

Leopard lovin' is next up.  I've always been partial to a little bitta leopard print (and may just have a leopard skirt post coming your way soon) so these print plimsoles are something I am craving.  The style of shoes are so comfy and they will definitely make my feet happy.  

You either love or hate Taylor Swift's music, I don't really think there is an in between.  I am currently sitting on the loving side of the fence with her new album 1989.  Even though a few songs are aimed at my main man Harry, I just can't get enough of them and my favourite just happens to be Style would you imagine!  

Lastly, is there anything more festive than glittery nails?  The minute the Christmas adverts are on telly I'm whipping out my sparkly nail polishes and dousing my nails in glittery goodness!   

What are your thoughts of my mood recently? What has been on your mood board?  

Jame Brown Photo Fabulous Kit Review

It is a known fact I love big hair.  I'm always on the lookout for products that will give my hair a little extra oomph.  So when one of my friends surprised me with the Jame Brown Photo Fabulous Kit I almost wee'd myself (shoutout to Hayley, you da best). The kit included a Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner and also an Intense Treatment for Glossy and Texturised hair.  Heaven.  Just an FYI since this was a gift I am not sure where the actual kit, which comes in a lovely box that I forgot to photograph, comes from but the products are sold at Boots, which I have linked above.  

First up is the Shampoo and Conditioner, they both smell heavenly, like I'm not kidding, they have such a professional smell that lingers on your hair and leaves it smelling so dreamy.  They also work great together as you would expect, they both help to add that little bit extra volume and texture to my hair that I strive for as it can sometimes fall quite flat throughout the day.  I did still of course have to use my usual mousse etc but these did certainly add a little more bounce and help to hold the volume for longer!  The only con was that my hair was left feeling a little dry after washing it with the shampoo but this was solved with the next product. 

The Intensive Treatment for Glossy and Texturised Hair was great for fighting against the dryness left in my hair post-shampooing.  This is applied in between shampooing and conditioning your hair.  You apply it from roots to end, leave it one for around a minute then wash it off for longer than you would a conditioner.  I also used some conditioner after this just to give my hair a little more moisture.  Again, this smells heavenly, it has the same professional type of smell as the other products and is just divine.  Annoyingly I can't quite pinpoint the smell. I do feel this treatment was vital in the process as I think my hair may have been a little dry after using only the shampoo and conditioner.    

Overall I really liked these products, they gave my hair added volume and texture and left it smelling and looking great.  I'm now keen to try more form the James Brown range.  

Have you tried any James Brown products before?  What did you think of them?