Monday 29 September 2014

Falconwright - The Greatest Clutches On Earth!

Like I said in my last post, I've been pretty ill the past week, I'm not entirely sure what is up, I have all the flu symptoms only without the mucus. Gross - I'm sorry.

Anyway to cheer myself up when I'm not sleeping I've been oogling pretty clutch bags from Falconwright

Falconwright is a handmade and hand-screen printed two-woman company based in Toronto. Sandi (see her amazing illustrations here) and Danielle (who sell beautiful jewelry here) are both incredibly talented in their own right but come together to create something special. They use their own designs and prints to create these gorgeous clutches, card holders and mini-pouches.

I've chosen my favourites to show off here and it was really hard to not add it all:

uk style fashion blog ouija print clutch
Witchboard Ouija Print Clutch
I LOVE this!
uk fashion style blogger ghost halloween
Ghost Print Mini-Pouch
Because everyday is Halloween!
uk style fashion blog printed clutch zodiac
Zodiac Print Clutch.
I'm obsessed with Zodiac symbols and this is amazing!
uk style blog snake print clutch
Snake Mini-Pouch.
There is something about the way this print sits and the gorgeous yellow that I am in love with.
uk style blog cactus clutch
Cactus Clutch.
This is my other fave actually available on ASOS (as is the Ouija print and Zodiac print.).

So what do you think of these beauties? I feel like these ladies have incorporated everything I love and put them onto cute clutches!

I'm back off to lay on the sofa and re-watch the American Office on Netflix.

Peace
X

Friday 26 September 2014

Manchester Music: My Favourite Artists.

Hello!

I've not been feeling very well this week but sleeping it off every evening when I get home so I've been a little quiet on here.

Today I wanna share my favourite music with you guys. I actually started this list with different intentions but it got too long and I couldn't choose who to cut out! It's such a hard thing to choose 'favourites' when I listen to such a broad amount of music and genres.

One theme that did occur in my favourite tastes was a huge Manchester influence from the 80's and early 90's. My Dad is from Manchester so half of my family live there, my fondest memories as a child was about twice a year we would go up there to see my family and it was always my favourite place ever. If I ever decided to move from Cardiff (which is actually what is stopping me from buying property here) I would go to Manchester in a heartbeat.

When I was a tiny child I used to love going driving around or just sitting with my Dad blasting 'his' music on a Saturday morning and its 100% what has influenced my musical loves now although I ended up finding my own path with it. As I started my list the Manchester theme was strong so I thought I'd continue with it and share my favourite Manc bands. Even on of my favourite songs, I'm Not In Love by 10cc (see below) is from a Manchester band too.


stone roses manchester influential music blog
(image via)
The Stone Roses.
Probably my ultimate favourite now, 'Manchester's finest' as my Dad labels them and they really are. I can listen to their debut 1989 self-titled album on repeat and love every single song. A rare thing for me not to dislike at least 1 song. I got to see them live last year and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

the chameleons
(image via
The Chameleons.
I was actually introduced to these by my boyfriend 2 years ago. They are an amazing band who have slipped under the radar of popular Manchester music form that era however I recommend them highly! Last November we even flew out to Berlin to holiday with friends and see The Chameleons and this year his band got to support them in Cardiff and I got to meet the singer Mark Burgess, who was lovely! We are going to see them again in December twice - in Manchester ;) 

manchesters best artists
(image via
Oasis.
Probably Manchesters most famous/infamous. I'm one of those people who only LOVES 'Definitely, Maybe' and 'What's the Story Morning Glory' but the other albums I can only bear a few songs. They went downhill sad to say HOWEVER Noel Gallagher remains one of my fave people (hearing him from the old Russel Brand radio shows made me love him so much) and I actually didn't mind High Flying Birds. If they reunite I will be first in line for a ticket.

the smiths manchester influencial music blog
(image via
The Smiths
This is where me and my dad disagreed - he hated Morrissey (until we went to see him in 2014 and he was won over) but loved Johnny Marr's music. The Smiths for me were my teenage years. From about 12 years old it was all I listened too. Sadly I don't think I'll ever see them reunited, however I've seen Mozza live 3 times now and I wanted to see Morrissey in December however Ross is away in Europe on tour :( 

Other Manchester greats include Joy Division, New Order and of course The Happy Mondays 

(image via)
'Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches' and 'Hallelujah' always get me revved up for a night out ;p

So how are your favourite artists? I love so many more but I thought I'd stick to this era/genre and maybe do another post on some different genres soon :)

Take Care
X

*sponsored link included*

Monday 22 September 2014

Raising Eyebrows with Benefit

Last week I was invited by Benefit to join them and their world-class team of experts to talk all things brows!

Now I may or may not have mentioned it here but I actually do nothing to my eyebrows...I only pluck a couple of strays but nothing more. I've always been curious but never taken the plunge to do anything with them.

When I got to meet the UK Head MUA Lisa Potter Dixon, who I've followed on Twitter since about 2009 now, and Global Brow Expert Jared Bailey. Jared basically took me under his wing, he said I will never forget me first time and I don't think I will - he was so gentle and kind, and it was in a fancy hotel suite too! We are talking eyebrows wax, tint and shaping here and now I will never go back!

First we started with the 3-point brow mapping technique which is marked to give your brows the right shape to suit your face. Then Jared custom blended a tint together to tint my brows - here is the pic we took with my tint on: 

Jared Bailey Benefit Global Brow expert eye brow tint

I'm so glad my eyebrows didn't really look like that! 

Next up was the wax, most of us know the pain of waxing, short, sharp and leaves you looking red! But afterwards Jared used Boi-ing the industrial strength concealer to hide any redness and BOOM here are my new brows: 

Jared Bailey Benefit Global Brow expert eye brow wax

I love them! I know now why people love theirs too! I'm going to get tinted and waxed when I need it from now on and of course I only trust Benefits' Brow Bars to do it! 

After the service I was given a Brow Prescription of some products which I should use to help enhance the brows  super easily:

Benefit raising eyebrows book browzings gimmie brow high brow blogger
Browzings* - Wax and Powder combo which includes a guide-book and tweezers.
Gimmi Brow* - This smudgeproof fiber gel enhances the smallest of hairs to make your brows much fuller.
High Brow Glow* - An eyelift in a pencil!
Raising Eyebrows* - An amazing guide to all things brows, from the history to do's and don'ts - perfect for a brow amateur like me! 

I had the best time and want to thank Benefit so much for the afternoon and of course Jared for sorting my brows.

There is also a new limited edition Benefit brow product which I will be giving away on my blog in a few weeks time which I can't wait to share with you - so make sure you check back!

Have you ever used any Benefit for your Brows?
X

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Ocean Salt Self-Preserving LUSH Review.

As if they couldn't get any more kinder to us, LUSH have now turned 3 of their best-sellers into Self-Preserving! 

Ocean Salt, Dream Cream and Mask of Magnaminty have all been given the self-preserving treatment which basically means all synthetic ingredients (although totally safe) have been replaced with natural preservatives which means the product is now Vegan. It also has much less water inside which gives the product a much longer shelf life compared to other non-solid products. 

uk top beauty blogger review
uk lush beauty blogger review
Ocean Salt Self-Preserving Face and Body Scrub c/o LUSH.
Ocean Salt smells divine! It's a very fresh smell with the top ingredients being Grapefruit extract and Lime extracted Vodka. Basically a cocktail!

Although this is marketed as a face scrub I actually prefer to use it as a body scrub to help with stubborn dry areas. The main ingredient in this is Sea Salt which after exfoliating really keeps the skin feeling sooo soft! The scrub is pretty coarse - which personally I love! I love to feel like something is working so when it feels like the scrub is getting rid of dry and dead skin, it feels great.

Have you tried any of the self-preserving range yet?
X

Saturday 13 September 2014

Reiki - My Experience.

You may remember in my post from the Kamigata Party that I said I had a Reiki taster - and I loved it! 

I actually went to a full session at a different place after this and didn't enjoy it as much. The woman didn't really know what she was upto and her phone ringtone was the Harry Potter theme tune! She also gave me reflexology which was nice but she said 'your feet are like blank slates' which in my head was code for 'you didn't tell me what was wrong with you or why you came at the start so I have nothing to go on'. She also said I need to drink more water which will help with 'what the world is going through' when I questioned this she said 'the 2012 shift in conciseness'... I'm definitely all for alternative therapies, meditation and crystal healing and practise it regularly however I'm not so into the whole 'New-Age' thing (personally I prefer the Eastern/Old style), as for the shift - we will see ;)


reiki blogger

The lady who did the Reiki at Kamigata (pictured above) was a Reiki master, to begin with she sat me down, I closed my eyes and gently whispered in my ear what I was to envision. I was feeling a bright, white light going from my head down my body and the same from my feet up my body where they would meet in the middle. I then used this light to 'root' myself into the ground. I envisioned a beautiful garden where tree-like roots coming from out of my feet down into the ground then wrapped around the whole world.

While keeping this image in my head was hard, due to loud party music and talking, I kept at it. The lady (who's name I totally and sadly forgot) used her hands to place them on my upper-body Chakras where she picked up on ailments and how they were affecting me and why.

When the mini-session was over and she told me what she found and thought I was amazing! It was almost freaky!

She told me that I have upper-stomach pain often (which is true) which is due to me keeping problems and emotions inside for too long and I need to go to a secluded place and just shout them out to release them. She also said I had a tickly throat/cough every few weeks (100% true) which is because I have money but I am too afraid to spend unless it's essential (like food, bills) and I shouldn't be afraid (helloooo shopping spree!). This is also VERY true to my character.
Something else was said but I totally have forgotten what it was but it was so true of me and the whole experience was really great. My friend also went after me and got a totally different reading which was very true to her character too which is why I don't think this was 'cold-reading' just she has learn't to find genuine issues linked to certain aliments.

I loved this lady and her work and really want to go back to see her again when I need it!


My key Chakra is the Ajna (or Third-Eye) so when I need to ground myself I just tap or press with my finger or thumb just inbetween my eyebrows. I was also given a spray of the scent connected to this which I spray on my wrist or chest if I need a bit of calm or to set up my day.

Have you ever tried any Reiki or alternative therapies? How did you find them?

Hope you are having a great weekend, last night I went to see a KISS tribute band - it was wild! Check out my Instagram to see a picture of me with 'Gene Simmons' :p

X

Thursday 11 September 2014

We Are Pom Girl!

A couple weeks back I made the best drunk purchase ever!

I had been following Pom Girl via Instagram for a while now and loved all of their creations, so while browsing their site, after a night in with a bottle of Pinot, I made a drunk accident order which arrived at my door a couple weeks later:

uk fashion style blog pom pom furry fluffy accessories

I actually pretty much forgot about it until I had an email saying it was on its way and had to go back through and see what I had ordered and in which colours. I say it takes a few weeks because they are getting huge now and have alot of orders which are all handmade and made to order - another reason to love Pom Girl.

uk fashion style blog pom pom furry fluffy clutch
Lung Chain Fur Shoulder Clutch - £18.99
It's so fluffy eee! This bag is basically my dream, remember my ugly pink heart bag? Well this is basically ugly pink bag part 2 only not ugly and totally adorable.
uk fashion style blog pom pom furry fluffy socks
Marabou Socks - £5.99
I love socks! I always wear them and these as so smooth and soft they make my feet feel like they are on a holiday.
The colour is so gorgeous too, also love the Coral pair.
uk fashion style blog pom pom furry earrings
Tiger Tassel T-Shirt - c/o Xirl.
Capricorn Necklace - Ebay
Swing Loops - £9.99
I can't really wear hoops because I have one earlobe with all of my piercings as those minging tunnels that I regret wholehartedly, but a girl can damn well try, so one earlobe is fine, the other I may have to come up with another idea!

What do you think?! I know it's definitely not everybody's cup of tea but it is 100% my cup of tea (which is strong, skimmed milk with no sugar btw.)

Anyway I'm due for a nap,
Take Care.

X

Tuesday 9 September 2014

No7 Match Made Lipstick Service

On Saturday I went down to Boots in Cardiff city center where they were holding a little event in aid of their new No7 Match Made lipstick service. There was a photobooth in which customers were invited to come along to get Match Made and then lipsynch along to the new advert for a video or have some photobooth snaps to keep!

no7 boots blogger photobooth lipstick match service

You may have heard of their foundation match service where they use a little machine thingy (not the technical term) and take a photo of your skin tone to see which foundation is the perfect match for you. Well this is another beauty first for No7 who can now tell you, by your skin tone, just exactly which lip colour suits you best!

I was 'Cool Vanilla' and I got to look at all the shades suited to me and choose which I felt most in the mood for and went for 'Soft Paprika' - which was gorgeous! I wanted to try more but I wanted something bright to wear while I went to get some other involved in the photobooth action and talk beauty with customers at the No7 counter.

no7 boots lipstick match service

There are 43 new flattering lipsticks which are set out to complement your specific skin tone so there is something out there for everyone! They are available in formulas 'Moisture Drench' (my personal fave) or 'Stay Perfect'.

no7 boots blogger photobooth lipstick match service

I love photobooth they are so much fun especially getting 4 completely different pictures, here is the video that was blasting through the store and grabbing people in to lipsynch (or shout) along to:



no7 boots blogger photobooth lipstick match service

I really recommend going for the service, it's totally free and you can keep your card that shows you all the No7 shades best suited to you - plus you can try them all then and there with the awesome No7 staff!

Thanks for having me Boots - it was a blast!

X

Monday 8 September 2014

DIY Nails

Hello!

Lately life has been getting me down and I can't shake it which is more annoying to me than anything! But I do have lots of things that cheer me up too - such as suprise packages! 

The gorgeous Claire (or as you may know her blog Bee Waits.) cheered me right up last week by sending me a suprise little package of joy! I'm desperate to go upto Glasgow and meet some pals who I've know online for ages but never met. I have some train tickets I need to use up so maybe this is the trip I need!

I thought I'd show off what I did as soon as I got the package and spruced up my nails with the nail-based treats that I had received:

uk beauty blogger
OPI - Moon Over Mumbai:
This is a pretty grey that actually has a slight purple/blue tint. I got this in a gift bag from the Kamigata event.
Essie -Full Steam Ahead:
This was given to me by Bee, the lilac has iridescent glitter in it. Very subtle and cute! 
uk beauty blogger nail art
DIY Nails - Sweet Hearts Decals.
Also part of my gift, these cute little decals are so so easy to put on! You just cut the one you want, wet it for 5-10 seconds in water and then slide it off the paper onto your nail.

Cactus Candle - Tiger.
uk nail art blog

I love having my nails all done up but sadly with my job being so hands on they chips right away :(

Can you recommend any super chip resistant nail polishes? I really loved the Essie - it was my first time using them and now I want more!

Hope you had a great weekend :)
X

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Kamigata Birthday and Vivienne Westwood AW 14.

Last week Cardiff's most fabulous Aveda hair salon, Kamigata, celebrated their 4th Birthday - and they celebrated in style!

The Birthday party, which was inside the salon on the ground floor of St.Davids, was open to their nearest and dearest clients as a thankyou for their love and support since their opening in 2010. There was champagne flowing and even their very own cocktail made for the evening to coincide with their next-door neighbours Vivienne Westwood's A/W '14 lookbook.

uk fashion blogger vivienne westwood

The salon had models dotted around showing off the high-fashions of VivienneWestwood's A/W '14 lookbook, music was pumping and the atomosphere was incredible.

vivienne westwood aw 14 model


Aswell as all of this excitement there were also complimentary hand and arm massages, OPI nail painting, Aveda Chakra rituals and Reiki being performed for guests.

kamigata birthday partyOPI manicure
Aveda Rituals


Lucky for me lots of my pals were actually at the event and one (pictured above) even worked it! 

At the end of the evening was a raffle draw to win Aveda, GHD (which the gorgeous Beth won!) and Vivienne Westwood goodies - lucky little me won an Aveda Stress Fix kit worth upto £70!

This was definitely one of the best event of the year!

X

Monday 1 September 2014

Old Wives Tail - Luxury Hair Treatment review.

Hi there!

I've had a lush weekend back home in sleepy Devon and back in Cardiff which is on lockdown for Obama and other world leaders' arrival for the Nato conference. You will have to twitter-search or Google to get the full effect of what it's like here at the moment but it resembles the film 'Children of Men' or a Zombie apocalypse survival town. Police with guns, giant mental fences and people filter-systems - Scary!

Anyway onto something a little more light-hearted, today I have to show off a luxury hair treatment from Old Wives Tail (I think the spelling mistake is deliberate here!)

uk beauty blogger
Organic Clove and Jojoba Organic Oil Treatment*

The first thing that caught my attention with this brand is that it is 100% animal friendly and 10% of profits go to charities that are stopping animal testing and protecting animals from it. The packaging insn't that striking however it's true to it's natural and organic roots which is always good.

This hair treatment is mean't for hair that is brittle, dull and broken (exactly like mine!), I found it hit and miss for a few reasons (mostly totally my own fault) and here is why:

First up you have to leave the treatment on for an hour - now finding an hour in my day where I have nothing to do except sit with treatment on my damp hair is hard BUT I managed it! Then I'm pretty sure because it felt like I wasn't using alot of product/it wasn't going far, ending in me using WAY too much. Instead of massaging it into my scalp as instructed I actually put it all over the ends of my hair (as I thought I'd put it on the part that needed the treatment rather than the parts I felt didn't) which after the wash-out left my hair pretty greasy.

The plus side is my hair smelt amazing and felt super soft, so if I find another spare hour at some point and re-try this I will definitely follow the instructions properly and hope for real results :)

Do you have any dry/broken hair treatment miracles you can share with me? I really need them!

X
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