Festival Fashion with Matalan

Kimono- c/o Matalan Festival Fashion

Top- c/o Matalan Festival Fashion

Shorts c/o Matalan Festival Fashion

Shoes c/o Matalan Festival Fashion

I was very excited to recently be contacted and given the opportunity to collaborate with Matalan on their latest Summer campaign to celebrate festival fashion. I was given the challenge to select pieces to style for a festival look from their Festival Fashion range on the website. 

They have so many great pieces that it was very hard to pick but I'm very happy with how all the pieces i choose look together. The cream tasseled top was the first thing that stood out to me, the laid back boho style screams festival. Tassels are a big trend for Summer so its also a great versatile piece to have in your wardrobe. I think the top would look great styled with a long maxi skirt or even jeans but for my look i paired it with a pair of denim shorts. These dark denim wash shorts are the perfect length not too short but very flattering and also very comfortable, which is what you want if your at a festival. 

To add a bit of colour i fell in love with this bright orange Kimono so simple with its plain style just a bit of lace detail on the hem but it makes a bold impact and i think brings it all together. A kimono is great for a festival super light, it just adds that light extra layer to keep your skin out of the sun or for a bit of added warmth in the evening, Matalan actually have this kimono is a few different colours including khaki and at just £8 i think its a mega bargain. 

On to the shoes, how amazing are they? I know for some heeled sandals are not an ideal pick for a festival outfit but i just couldn't resist i love the tribal detailing on the front and they also have pretty chunky heel on them making them pretty sturdy and comfortable perfect for any ladies that want to add a bit of glamour to their festival look. For anyone that isn't feeling heels for a festival the outfit would also look great with a pair of flat sandals or wellies depending on the weather. 

I hope you liked how i styled my outfit, I'm so in love with the look and all the pieces individually defiantly check out Matalan festival fashion shop if your looking for some great affordable pieces. What would you wear to a festival?

Zoe

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What's In My Holiday Makeup Bag 2015

Its that time of year again when I'm off on my holidays! (In fact when this post goes up I'll already be there) Im very much looking forward to getting a bit of sunshine as i think its safe to say our Summer so far had been somewhat disappointing...

Anyway as per usual i thought i would share with you guys the makeup that i decided to take with me,  whittling it down to just a makeup bag full of products is always something i find stupidly hard i mean how do i know what colour lips i will be feeling when I'm over there, or if i will be in a gloss or lipstick sort of mood first world problems hey girls! 

Base/Cheeks-

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer,

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream,

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation,

Mac Studio Fix Fluid Foundation,

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer,

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder,

NYX Conceal Correct Contour palette,

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit, 

Nars Laguna Bronzer,

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher,

Mac Soft & Gentle Highlighter,

Benefit Watts Up Highlighter,

Makeup Revolution Oil Control Fixing Spray,

Eyes/Eyebrows-

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wizz,

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade,

Makeup Revolution Flawless Ultra Eyeshadows Palette,

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows,

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick,

Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner,

Bourjois Volume 1 Second Mascara, 

Lips-

Mac Lipsticks, Pink Nouveau, Heroine and Hue,

Maybelline Colour Drama Nude Perfection,

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Ultimate Red, Tangerine Pop

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Velvet Orange Olog,

Rimmel Apocalips- Big Bang,

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet- Pink Pong,

Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque- Rose on the rocks.

So thats everything, and yes again it may seem like a lot but I'm a girl that likes to have options so all nine lip products are entirely necessary, i actually think i did pretty well only picking one eyeshadow palette, granted it does have thirty two shadows in but i think thats pretty good.

I hope you enjoyed having a nose in my holiday makeup bag, what essentials could you not leave behind?

Zoe

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NYX Conceal Correct Contour Palette

Over the last few years the world has become obsessed with contouring, most definitely no makeup fad this is one trend that is here to stay, and for myself and I'm sure also many others has become a firm part of my makeup routine. I love a bit of contouring it can make such a difference and i just feel it can make you look much more polished and helps bring all your makeup together.
I don't go crazy on a daily basis i use either my Laguna bronzer or Anastasia Beverly hills powder contour palette to define my cheekbones however if i'm going on a night out i might go slightly more dramatic. For a long time i had fancied trying to contour with a cream product, i was tempted to buy the new Anastasia cream kit but i've heard pretty mixed reviews and it seemed like an expensive purchase to possibly end up not liking. I did a little research online for a cheaper alternative, found this NYX  palette and i thought it was worth a try.
The NYX Conceal Correct Contour palette is a combination of six cream shades to conceal spots, correct discoloration and contour and highlight. Available in three shades i picked up the lightest shade which looked like it would best suit my skin-tone. The light palette has neutral, pink undertone and  yellow undertone creams perfect for concealing, a taupe cream for contouring and yellow and salmon corrector creams.
I like to apply my foundation then use a bit of the salmon colour to correct under my eyes before adding some of the yellow cream on top to highlight the under-eye area. I use the contour shade to define my cheekbones, down the sides of my nose around the top of my forehead. The creams are quite thick however blend out well, i then set them with a powder on top to keep in place.
The taupe colour is the best contour shade i've found so far its just the right sort of cool tone that looks really natural and like a shadow would look.
A few things i don't like about the palette is the size of the creams themselves, i find it hard to get my contour brush in and as the consistency is quite thick you do need to work the brush in a bit to get enough product. I also have found you really need to set your under-eye area well to stop the cream creasing.
I do like the NYX Cream palette but am i in love with it? no, i think it could be improved but when i want a more dramatic contoured look this is what i would reach for and at £16 its a great palette for anyone that wants to try a cream contour kit without forking out too much money.

Have you tried the NYX Conceal Correct Contour palette?

Zoe 

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What's In My Handbag?

I've seen many a blogger do this sort of post but until now i have never done one of my own, i personally find it strangely fascinating to see the contents of anothers bag, which personall possessions someone finds essential to keep close in their everyday life. I will admit my handbag has had a slight edit for the purpose of this post, i usually find various odd objects in my handbag random bits of fruit, socks and various receipts but lets be honest they just wouldn't look pretty in the pictures now would they?
So lets start at the obvious place with the handbag itself, i bought the bag with some birthday money i had back in march. Its a bucket bag from River Island and i love them as i find you can fit a surprising amount of rubbish in there. I like to go for neutral shades in my everyday handbags as they will go with everything and its a pretty similar style just a bit of gold hardware for detailing.
On to the contents, the bold lime purse also from River Island is a very recent purchase, i was looking for a slightly smaller purse to take away on holiday and this one was perfect a bright colour great for Summer it also has compartment for a few cards and money. I've usually got whatever book I'm currently reading in my handbag right now that happens to be Always the Bridesmaid by one of my favorite authors Lindsay Kelk she's such a hilarious writer and if your looking for a funny feel good book you cant put down definitely check her out. Beauty essentials are a must for any woman's handbag and i always carry around my Tangle Teaser to keep my mane in check, there's bound to be some sort of hair tie in there as well i've just started using Invisibobble to see if they help prevent hair breakage. A mirror is an essential and a powder and Kabuki brush to keep my makeup in place during the day. There is usually a good selection of lip products in my handbag right now i've been loving the Bourjois Aqua Laque liquid lipsticks so i have a couple of them in there.
When I'm walking or traveling somewhere i like to stick my headphones in and get lost in a bit of music so i always have a pair of headphones in my bag, and a pair of sunglasses these are the Erika glasses from RayBan.
On two my last few but very important essentials, keys of course i do try to keep them in my bag so i don't forget them and have to sit in my porch until someone comes home...
Last but not least is probably my number one essential my phone, i've got the iphone 6 and i love it it never leaves my side I'm always on some sort of social media, instead of doing things i should be doing! The iPhone case was kindly sent from Iconemesis, i love it I'm a big fan of Pop Art, bright colours and bold designs are really my thing so it really stood out to me. Check out some more of there amazing designs at Iconemesis.co.uk

I hope you enjoyed having a nose in my handbag, what's in your handbag?

Zoe

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Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque

When i saw the new release to the Bourjois Rouge Edition lip range i was instantly drawn in. Im not sure if it was the gorgeous summer shades or the new shiny packaging but i knew i had to try them.

Whereas the Rouge Edition Velvet were a matte formula liquid lipstick, the new Rouge Edition Aqua laque are a liquid lipstick with a glossy finish. 

There are eight shades in the collection i picked three of my favourites 02 Rose on the Rocks a pale nude pink shade thats a great everyday go with everything sort of colour, the hint of pink means it doesn't wash you out and it also goes well over other lipsticks, 08 Babe idole a coralish pink colour thats just a nice in between pink its not too bold and is also very wearable, i think the coral hint makes it a very flattering and pretty shade for Summer, and last but not least 07 Fuchsia perche a pinky/red shade and the brightest of the three, again its a very flattering colour and although bright i think the glossy finish makes it slightly more wearable than a matte formula would be. 

Its the formula of the Aqua Laque that i instantly fell in love with, they are light, moisterising and non-sticky the sort of product that you forget your even wearing. They are incredibly glossy with a high shine finish, i find although they have a good pigmentation it takes a couple of layers for a full even coverage of the lips. Bourjois claim there's no need to line the lips as the formula doesn't bleed, however particularly with the darker shades i just don't think this is true and i think they are not the simplest thing to apply defiantly not a no mirror on the go job. I don't find they last particularly well on the lips but with something this glossy i wouldn't expect them too, the darker colours do leave a slight stain to lips though which is nice. I think they are a great lip product for Summer when you want something a bit lighter, just a simple light wash of colour, they even smell lovely and fruity i will definitely be popping a couple in my holiday makeup bag! 

Have you tried the Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque? What did you think?

Zoe 

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Benefit Blogger Meet up Exeter

Emily, Hannah, Tayla, Lauren, Dayna, Me

Last month i was invited to attend a Benefit Blogger meet up at the House of Fraser store in Exeter. The meet up was arranged by fellow blogger and Benebabe Tayla, and was a chance to get a few local bloggers together and have an introduction to Benefit and a play with the products.
We arrived to a fun and welcoming atmosphere, there was music playing, sweets, cakes and pink lemonade. It was great to meet the other bloggers there was only five of us but all were lovely as were the two Benefit girls and it was a relaxed easy going atmosphere.
We got introduced to the Benefit products starting with skincare, through to primers and foundations etc with a chance to test any products out we wanted along the way. I was particularly interested in trying out the now infamous Roller Lash mascara and They're Real push-up liner, and i was very impressed with the mascara its now on my makeup wishlist as i can see what all the hypes about it curled my lashes like a dream.
I had such a great time it was fun to really get to play and test out all the makeup and ask any questions you wanted to both Tayla and the other lovely Benefit girl.
Before we left we given the cutest little goodie box that included a few Benefit skincare samples along with the cutest little mini Porefessional, They're Real push-up liner and Remover.
Massive thanks to Tayla for organiseing, it was great to meet the over girls and i hope to see more events like this in the area soon!

Zoe

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Summer Mermaid Eye Look, With Bold & Nude Lip Options

With a nude Lip..

Face-

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer

Mac Studio Fix Foundation

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

NYX Cream Conceal, Correct, Contour Palette

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

Dermablend Setting Powder

Benefit Coralista Blusher

Benefit Watts Up Highlighter

Makeup Revolution Oil Control Setting Spray

Eyes/Eyebrows-

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

Urban Decay Vice 3 palette (shades used) Truth- Brow bone, Undone/Downfall- Crease, Dragon- Crease, Freeze- Lid/bottom lashline, Heroine- Outer corner.

L'oreal Gel Intenza Eyeliner

Bourjois Volume 1 Second Mascara Ultra Black

Lips-

Bold- Maybelline Super Stay Tangerine Dream

Nude- Mac Hue with Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque 02 on top.

The Urban Decay Vice 3 palette is still without a doubt my favourite eyeshadow palette, i constantly find myself reaching for it and considering i've had it since November last year thats a long time for it to have stayed as my firm favoutite. What i love is the mixture between more wearable neutrals and more bold out there colours, as i love to experiment with my makeup particularly eye looks its just gives so many options. The last eye look i did and posted about was using the gold, orange and cranberry shades for a winter look (post here) this time i thought i would have a play and come up with something for Summer. 

There is a few colours in the palette that really stood out to me as great Summer colours a bold metallic green, blue and a darker matte blue shade. I've listed above the shades i used and where i used them and i love how it looks, it actually a lot more blue the camera just hasn't picked it up as well as it looks in person but i think its got a very Summery Mermaid vibe. I thought it would be interesting to pair it with a bold coral lip as i think in Summer you can just be brave and rock full on colour if your feeling it, however if your not into so much colour with your makeup i've shown it with a nude lip which is a lot more subtle and just lets the eyes do the talking. 

What do you think of my Summer Mermaid Look?

Zoe

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