Brighter is Better!

I've been steadily creeping closer to this point with my hair for the last 8 months. And yesterday I finally took the plunge and attempted to go 'blonde'. My colour before could have, possibly, been called blonde, but it could just have easily fallen into the 'light brown' category and I decided that at least once in my life I wanted to be blonde!

And I'm loving it so far, because I've gradually lightened by hair (deciding to go a little lighter every few months) it's not a huge change, but it still feels quite weird to look in the mirror and see such light hair! Especially considering my natural colour is a very, very dark brown!

I've kept my 'roots' as dark as I felt I could so regrowth shouldn't be a complete pain. But my biggest hurdle is definitely my eyebrows as they're naturally so dark - luckily bold brows are very in so I think I can just about get away with them!

The day after dying it I popped on some make up to go out and I wound up putting on Revlon Just Bitten Lipstick and I just loved how the bright colour worked with my lighter hair. The lighter I've gone the more I've had to change up my lipstick with bold lips becoming increasily popular! 

The rest of my make up was pretty simple, Nars Kalahari duo (the lightest swept all over), a mix of Lioeli BB Cream and Mac Strobe Cream (trying to use up the strobe cream) and my beloved Lancome Oche Doree. I applied Oche Doree slightly differently today, focusing on the edges of my face and not bringing it so far onto the apples and I think I quite like it!

It seems weird to be going for such bright colours when we're in autumn but the weather here has been so beautiful that it still feels like summer - and I'm all for clinging to summer for as long as possible!

UK Haul

So… I didn't wait very long after landing and making my way to boots! My intention was purely to buy some eyeliner (I'd run out), and the all other purchases I can completely justify so I'm quite proud of myself - I ventured into Boots and returned without a huge dint in my bank balance!

L'Oreal Super Liner
The one thing I intended to buy. I vaguely remember purchasing this before and liking it, so after playing around with every single other pen-liner boots had to offer I decided this one looked the most promising- by far! No Doubt I'll keep you updated on my thoughts

Revlon Kahki Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Mildew smashed on my last flight (still heart broken) and I don't have any similar shades as it's not one I wear regularly. The absence of a khaki eyeshadow has most definitely been felt though and I thought I'd try out a revlon eyeshadow as I've heard good things.
(but I dropped this getting it out the bag and it now has a precarious chip…not the best start)

Bourjois Liner
I saw another eyeliner similar in the US in Sephora and I was so close to buying it. So when I saw bourjois had a similar one I had to give it a whirl.

Barry M Gelly Almond
I cannot tell you how much I have wanted to try the barry M Gelly formula but I couldn't get my hands on it until I got back to the UK. I was all set on buying Lychee until I saw it in person, and at the last minute I swapped for Almond. (excuse the messy application I was so excited I just slapped it on)

I'm not 100% sold on the Gelly formula but I'll experiment more with it before I make up my mind! So glad to be back in surrounded by affordable make up - it's going to be a struggle to keep myself in check though!

Tartan Love

Despite clinging desperately to summer, I'm having to accept autumn is well and truly on the way and although I'm definitely not looking forward to the chillier weather, the amount of tartan in stores is making me drool! In the last week I've already bought a 2 pieces of tartan and I can see several more tartan beauties making their way into my wardrobe before winter is through!

Topshop Skirt / iPhone Case / New Look Dress / New Look Shirt / ASOS Shoes

I actually have that checked shirt already, and today I bought a near enough identical skirt from New look too! My Tartan collection is steadily growing, now I just need to hunt down the perfect tartan scarf

In keeping with the idea of embracing autumn, I tried a Pumpkin Spice Latte for the first time today, and I have to say - I just don't get all the hype! I mean it was nice, it didn't seem to be anything all that special though! Are you looking forward to the changing seasons?

Dressed up Ponytail

You may have noticed I'm very low maintenance when it comes to my hair, I wash it, let it air dry and then pretty much leave it alone! So I often fall back on a bun or a ponytail when I need to do something with it, but putting your hair up in a ponytail doesn't have to simply be functional it can also look really chic with just a few additions!

My make up was actually really minimal, no foundation, just concealer, mascara and a great matte red lipstick. Mac Russian Red is clearly the star here so I keep everything else simple so I can pull off such a bold lip for day time

And to jazz up my hair itself I just take a small strange from the pony tail ad wrap it about the hair tie. I don't normally even bother using a hair grin to secure the piece of hair, I typically just secure it by putting the end back through the hair tie. An easy way to make it look like you put in some effort!

I've been wearing this way more than I probably should as the whole thing takes literally 5 minutes and yet I think I look pretty put together!

The Lip Product Tag

I've seen a few of these on various blogs and youtube, are there seem to be a ton of different questions with everyone sporting their own list! So I've done a bit of a combination of a few different lists.

1. Favourite balm or treatment?
I'm very low maintenance when it comes to lip care, which is bad. But I hate feeling like I have stuff on my lips so treatments are out the window since I only do a lip scrubs once in a blue moon. I'm going to be boring and go for my EOS Lip balm. 

2. Favourite eye catching Red/Bright

This has got to me Mac Russian Red. It's a lovely matte red that's just deep enough to make it easy for me to wear.

3. Favourite Pink Lipstick
This is strange, but I rarely wear pink lipstick. I just haven't found one that really suits me. The only 'pink' lipstick that I've kept in my clear out is Mac Viva Glam Gaga as I do like to keep a pink on hand 

4. Favourite Nude Lipstick

I am not a nude lipstick person. Oh I've dabbled with them, bought more than I can count but I've never worn one more than once or twice before dismissing it. Nudes just do not suit me.

5. Luxury or Drugstore?
Buying a luxury lipstick just makes me feel pressured - if you get a bad shade then you've shelled out all that money for something you'll never use (speaking from experience here with YSL 24..) So Drugstore all the way… although that depends where we're putting mac as I always think of mac as somewhere in between

6. Best Mac Lipstick

I do love my mac lipsticks so picking one is just hard!

7. Favourite Gloss

This is another easy one. I'm really not a lipgloss person, I just never wear them reaching for lipsticks over a gloss any day. But I recently bought a Buxom gloss in Sugar and I'm hooked. It tingles when applied which I usually hate but for some reason it stops it feeling so heavy - heavy gloopy, sticky glosses are my idea of a nightmare.

8. Favourite Spring/Summer shade

Honestly, once the weather warms up it's tinted lip balms all the way. And if I'm being honest the one I reach for most is vaseline rosy lips. Boring I know, but you just can't beat that slight wash of colour 

9. Favourite Autmn/Winter shade

Benefit Do Tell. This was another one I only had to contemplate for a moment or two as do tell instantly sprung to mind. It's the perfect winter colour for me adding some drama to your look while staying creamy despite frigid temperatures.

10. Lip Liner: yes or no?

i want to say yes, but i never, ever use one. I'm actually guilty of