Wednesday 4 December 2013

Feeling Festive

With December upon us I officially give you all permission to get Festive! 

'Tis the season for Christmas Jumpers, Festive Tunes, Sparkly Jewels, Tacky Novelties and here are a few of my favorites I have found so far!

1.Vintage Christmas Sweater, £14.73_2. Penguin Hat £7.99
3. Fairisle Print Christmas Dress £35.00
4.Jumper with Stag Print £38.00_5. Christmas Wreath Necklace £120.00
6.Gingerbread Socks £7.00_7. Santa Sweater Dress £68.97
What are your favorite festivities?

Hannah x

Saturday 30 November 2013

Autumn Winter 14/15 Knitwear Lowdown!


Looking for a trans-seasonal buy? Wanting to get ahead of the crowd? Here is an overview of what could be made available to you in the knit market for Autumn Winter 2014/15!

The Coatigan





The bigger the better. Expect to see dressing gowny, cocooning, swaddling cardigans with exaggerated colalrs and kimono sleeves. Knitted in aran cables, fisherman ribs and bobbled yarns!


Navaho and Tribal Patterns


Chunky cowichan jackets use marled and rustic yarns to reinvent and add further dimension to tribal patterns. Not only are the yarns turning this artisan style into a modern trend, expect to see the knit paired with chunky biker zips, toggles and chunky button bands to update the old into the new.




Crew Neck/Cable


Next season sees the cable being developed in a manner of ways.
Slouchy cables are being used to create voluminous shapes then being paired with intricate detailing to create a soft and feminine appease. Fair Isle and Marl yarns are being infused to add colour and pattern to add dimension. The use of soft yarns, such as soft mohair, angora or fluffy yarns, are causing patterns and colour to blur into a dreamlike sugar rush.
If you’re after an urban trend, don’t panic! Knits will be colour blocked into wide blocks and oversized prints to create a bold statement with an urban feel.





Roll Neck


As this season saw the roll neck slowly creep into the limelight, this was all in preparation for next years spectacular!
As the necklines widens, the hemlines shortens! Slouchy and cowled necks are being paired with rising hemlines to crate super slouchy and super cropped jumpers. Whether being knitted in a cable, rib or with fluffy yarns I think we can all agree these are adorable!
Heavy gauge knits are being used to fulfill and emphasise proportions of the garment in; as I said, the bigger the better thesis! 



If any of these have inspired you to get knitting, (and lets be honest, a jumper will take a year... at least) then there are many ways to get going. Try using youtube videos to teach yourself the different stitches and techniques. Start of with projects that you want/will use, as it encourages you to finish! If you are looking for projects to do, then ww.ravelry.com is a website which is free to sign up and contains thousands upon thousands of patterns (alot of which are free) for you to try!

Writing soon,

Hannah

Thursday 29 August 2013

I'm A PES(ce)T!

Hey Guys! 

So this is  post 1 which will feature sort of a weight loss / about my diet / lifestyle choice esque information which I have been meaning to write ever since I starting blogger at the beginning of summer, and just didn’t have the balls to do. I couldn’t be more nervous about posting this if I tried, but, I have convinced myself though if it will help only one person it worthwhile posting!


So through a series of events (starting from 2 years ago when I started uni) I felt I’ve gained a lot of weight, which I noticed a lot more this past year, which was making me feel very down in the dumps, so I naturally began a deep re-evaluation of my lifestyle.


One of the major decisions I took was to become a pescetarian, which for those of you who don’t know, is a vegetarian who eats fish and seafood. I made this decision for 2 main reasons.

1) Being a student. I can only afford the vilest of meats, the ones with about 80% water in, I was just becoming bored with the taste and texture and wasn’t enjoying eating meals anymore

     2)  I also challenge you to name a fat vegetarian. (I am aware there are a few… damn you cheese…but you get what I am saying)

With eating fish, you are still able to gain a wider variety nutrients, have a wider menu selection so you’re not feeling so restricted; It has just been a guideline to making healthier food choices and to get me back into eating proper meals again rather than just eating junk so I avoid the dreaded water infested meat.


If this is a decision you are thinking about making yourself, there are a few things to consider.

Firstly, is anyone you are living with an omnivore? For example, I am currently living with my parents, grampy and brother who are all omnivores and we always eat the same meal at dinner together. So I had to consider the implications of changing my diet, as in would I have to make my own separate dinner every night etc, Luckily for me because of gramps we have very ‘English’ meals. Meat, Potato, Veg. So switching the meat for a veggie side wasn't too difficult.

Another subject that may be interest you… you may want to look into sustainable farming of fish and research into how they’re are cultivated if that’s a subject that matters to you, as sourcing our fish can have a massive impact on the environment and other such things.

Also, without trying to make you all sound dumb, you don’t eat fish or seafood every day. I’d say I would have it about 3 times a week. This is because if you eat too much fish you can get high levels of certain substances, reportedly mercury which could be… problematic.

One more thing... I would advise to slowly change your diet. maybe only eating one veggie meal a week or removing one type of meat from your diet and make the change slowly, as myself and a few other people I know who took meat out of their diet felt really ill a week or so in! It does pass after about two weeks but you just feel really tired and that you have no energy! Just to warn/advise!


Overall I would highly recommend considering it as a lifestyle choice. I have lost weight, improved my health and eaten a lot of new foods as well!

I would also like to give a shout out to Georgia at the pescetarian pantry, as I love looking at her recipes and her guide to becoming a pescetarian posts are also 10x better than mine!

If you still have any queries, feel free to ask! Tweet, Comment, Message whichever floats your boat!




Hannah x

Sunday 18 August 2013

Autumn Winter 13 Trends: Make Up

As summer wraps up and they days are becoming shorter I thought I would start posting about different trends for Autumn Winter 13!

I'd say this autumn there are 3 key 'wearable' make up trends!

Minimalism.

This sees dewy looking, fresh as ever faces, with no blush (eek!). natural coloured eyeshadows with the occasional microscopically thin line of eyeliner on the upper lashes!
 Fantastic excuse for a 'can't be bothered for make up today' excuse, it's on trend guys!



Retro

The modernisation of iconic looks from decades ago can't get old can they?
Well autumn/winter 13 collections saw new spins on grunge, punk and 60s make up looks
I especially love the first Anna Sui one, the subtle sectioning of the lower lashes is a really wearable take on the twiggy classic!



Berry Lips

Glamourous, Seductive and voluptuous berry coloured lips are perfect for the Christmas season. Can be hard to find a colour that works for your skin tone, I would advise spending the time finding the perfect one  though as the results can really finish off any look!



What Are Your Favorite Trends This Season? 

Monday 12 August 2013

Best Of Teen Choice Awards 2013

So Yesterday saw the Teen Choice Awards Ceremony 2013 taking place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California , and it's the perfect opportunity to see what the young, uprising and future stars are wearing to grace the stage. 

After looking through the outfits, here are my 4 of my favorite outfits, 
Seems I may have a slight Jumpsuit addiction ey!

Bella Thorne Wearing Fausto Puglisi

Crystal Reed Wearing CH Carolina Herrera

Shay Mitchell Wearing Jenni Kayne

Nina Dobrev Wearing J.Mendel

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Retro Glam Nails

Add caption
My first (and awful) attempt at the nails on the Rimmel
 Retro Glam advert! 

I tried to copy it the best I could.. I used a nude base instead of white as I personally really hate white nails! Then used the brush part of the models own nail art pen to create the black border! 
On reflection.. I need to let my nails grow longer.. and I also would try to repair the metal nib; as mine has dried up, that would create the circular blob at the base of the nail better. I did attempt to do this with the brush but they where all to different... so I spread the polish out to create a thick, curved 'half moon' border!

 I think this could look really nice as a 'french manicure' colour scheme.. a pinkish base with a white border? Will give it a go and try!

What are your seasons favorite nail trends?

Friday 2 August 2013

Dior Over Curl Review.

Hey Guys! 
 This post is kind of a make up review / is it worth paying more? kinda post! I have had an issue with mascaras for half my life. 

With having naturally long eyelashes and wearing glasses, I faced the mare that when I wore mascaras, they would just accentuate my eyelashes straight, outwards, so that they would hit the back of my lenses, snap, and leave black marks all over the back of my lenses! 
My previous routine to try and prevent this from happening, involved eyelash curlers then 4 different mascaras worn at the same time to try and get the to curl and stay up! 

Researching into which mascaras where best for this, two brands kept popping up. Lancome and Dior. Well I just thought,is this a joke? I have to spend £20 on a mascara to see if it will do anything!?
A few simple calculations later... I realised that I was spending a massive £29 a MONTH on masacara! £29! 

 So after growing some balls I decided I would treat myself into buying one.. So I trundled into a boots store and decided I would get the Dior Overcurl seen as the Lancome man was busy with a client. That's what made my choice. 

23 quid down the drain and a 2 hour train ride later I arrived home all excited to try it out. It comes in a neat little silver box which I destroyed through travelling! 
The tube of masacara itself corresponds with the metallic silver box it came in. Fancier stuff than your matte black and neon bottles of the High Street! 
The brush has a weird globular design to it... not the straight up 'c' shape you get with high street store 'curl' mascaras. Only way to see if it makes any difference is to use it! 

The first few days I didn't really feel it was WORTH £23... until I started working and putting it through to the test...
 ____________________________________ 

This is a picture taken at 7.30 yesterday morning. I curled my eyelashes using No7 Eyelash Curlers and applied the Dior overcurl mascara to the lower lashes and top lashes using the wiggly method (technical term there) 


 This photograph was taken 12 hours later at 19.30 after 8 and a half hours in work on the hottest day of the year!


So although the effects have died down.. There is no doubt in my mind that any high street mascara would have preformed aswell under these conditions! There's little smudging around my eyes my lashes still aren't lying flat, colour is still there, its evenly spread. I also quite like the look left.. very natural!



I don't think I will be returning to high street masacara in the near future!

Whats your opinion on high street VS high end?




Wednesday 31 July 2013

Money Saving Conquest!

Hey Hey!

After reading many a many blog posts recently about 'saving money' and going on spending bans an thrifty shopping..this got me thinking about my own terrible spending habits!

I am awful at saving. As soon as I have a penny I am looking to spend it on the nearest tat (as a haul post coming later on this week will show...ooops) After this haul and reading all these posts. I have decided to write down 5 things that I have seriously considered buying; and seen as I am now employed I would naturally run out and buy on payday, and weigh up the pros and cons of each to see if they're genuinely worth buying.

As I was brewing up this master plan. I discovered the root to my mothers thriftiness as she said;
 "before you buy something, think about how many hours you would've worked, in order to pay for it" 

and alas... the plan 102839418 to save money began!

The Chosen 5
One I originally wrote on the list. 'Smartphone' I have already decided to go ahead with! I have never ever owned any smartphone of any kind. The closest I had was a phone with a touchscreen but it only sent texts and called people! haha! All I wanted from this phone 'upgrade' was for it to have a high megapixel camera, and good internet access. I found the Sony Xperia T, which when bought on contract from Three Mobile cost me £20 for the all you can eat data and etc per month. So that's 4 hours of work a week to give me a phone for a month. Brilliant!

The other four...


1) Microbraid extensions
I have wanted these done for many years (I think possibly when Zoe Birkett was on pop idol in 2001) but I only wanted a couple of these done in the very front of my hair, that bit in front of your ear which is just never right. However, I had a scalp condition that prevented me from looking into it, until finally this year we have discovered a treatment which is working for me. I then went straight for a consultation (see about the quick spontaneous spending) and have been quoted £120 to have it done! That's around 18 hours of work so still undecided on whether or not to take the plunge!


2) Printer
Since being on my course at uni, one of the biggest problems and expenses I have faced is printing. I had been considering buying a printer, a fancyish one with a scanner and for it to possibly print A3 to save time, hassle to grief. After a quick visit to costco I saw that they had a few available. Dad caught me browsing and we got discussing if its worth it or not. In short he said don't think about getting an A3 one, as the type of work I do, the amount of ink it would take would end up costing me MORE than it already is! He agreed though on an A4 printer and we are just waiting on some fantastic deal to appear out of mid-air!

3) Hair Diffuser
This is just an ease thing, in my uni house as a money saving choice we avoid putting the heating on, this however means my hair can take ages to dry! So I had considered getting a hair diffuser so I can dry it curly then go. However seeing the results of most of them.. I may just ask for it as a present. We shall see how we go!

4) Black Dungarees
I put this on the list as I have been searching for the perfect pair for what feels like years so I know as soon as I see a pair I like I will pay for just to rid the issue.
Having a nosey on the internet today. I have seen a pair on ASOS for £31.50 which I really like. Then a similar pair for half the price at £18 from boohoo, but you can even tell from the picture it isn't half as nice which led me to a conundrum hopefully you would be able to help me out on.

Is it worth paying more for something which may be only slightly nicer?

Boohoo £18
ASOS £31.50




















What are your 'money saving' tactics?

Sunday 28 July 2013

Prime Time: Wrapping It Up!

Hi Guys!

So all this week I have been testing and reviewing a selection of 5 Primers



Without further ado.... here are the results!

Joint 1st: Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer & No7 Airbrush Away Primer with 32/40
2nd No7 Beautifully Matte 30/40
3rd: No7 Colour Calming 21/40
4th: Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer 21/40

I really enjoyed testing these primers and will certainly be running more tests/reviews in the future!

I would love to hear feedback, do you think this 'back to back' approach is successful? would you prefer one massive post? let me know! :)

NOW FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT...

The original plan was to set up my first giveaway, the prize being my favorite or the top scoring primer from this week. However, seen as we have a top joint place, I decided to scrap that plan and offer the winner the choice of which of these primers they would like!

So enter below and I will contact the winner asking about which of the 5 they would like and delivery details!

Good Luck Everyone!


Prime Time: No7 Beautifully Matte Make Up Base


I bought this to replace the colour correcting serum I reviewed earlier in the week. It’s from the same ‘family’ of primers however I thought I would change as I have found other products which help with my uneven skin tone. Funnily enough, reading the description; ‘Light reflecting particles help disguise fine lines and flaws, while Meadowsweet helps regulate oil production, to minimise blemishes without blocking pores’ Sounds like the Airbrush Away primer… with benefits! At £10.50 this got me really excited! Sounds l like I am grabbing myself a bargain!


The application was easy enough, a thick moisturiser with no smell, again felt llike it was easy to use alot! You do get more than enoughbproduct though! O immediately noticed a reduction in shine and also my pore size, not much change in evening my skin tone!!

Mid-day review
Five and a half hours after application and make up is still in place! A slight exposure around my chin, (again, darkness around my eyes as I keep rubbing them...) still impressed none the less!


End of the day
Still very impressed with how much the make up has stayed in place, rereading the claims I have noticed that my forehead and nose are very shiny, overall I think this is the best primer from the no7 £10.50 range! 

Scores (out of 10)

Packaging: 7
Value for money: 8
Lasting power: 8
Product: 7

30 out of 40! 

I would also like to apologise for any issues with layout etc, as this is the first post written and published from my smartphone! I will make any relevant changes on Sunday when I am back home!!

Friday 26 July 2013

Prime Time! Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

This Witch product claims it prepares the skin for foundation whilst creating an invisible shield to help protect your skin from the make up which can cause or aggravate spots and ‘helps calm and soothe the skin hydrates and draws away excess oils’ Yet Again, I do not really suffer from spot related skin conditions. However when I first got this job and started wearing full face make up daily, I noticed I sprouted a couple of spots, saw this in the bathroom cabinet and though… what harm will it do?
A 30ml ‘pump’ bottle, where it has a plate at the bottom which moves up, like what you get in toothpastes (no idea what it’s called) and priced at £6.99; currently on offer at Superdrug for £4.66. Very Reasonable!

Application
Pump bottle leaves no mess and easy to use. The formula is REALLY REALLY REALLY sticky (really sticky) so felt horrible to apply! I felt like I had to rub it in a lot then leave it to dry off a bit before I could apply make up! Which isn’t what I wanted getting ready in a rush for work!
On a positive once the ordeal was over it did leave my skin feeling very soft and smooth.


Mid-day review
Make up is still on my face – Pro! Unfortunately, some of it has sank into ‘expression’ lines and my skin doesn't feel as smooth as it did in the morning!

End of the Day
Again my make up is still there – even if it is in ditches – but I don’t really have anything to say about it! I think that pretty much sums it up. Nothing special. I wouldn’t shout about it or rave about it. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone (unless they had spot prone skin and it was still on offer. May say is worth a try), I’d advise people to spend £2 more and go for the Maybelline one!


Scores

Packaging: 8
Value for Money: 5
Lasting Power: 5
Usability: 3


21 out of 40!

Do you buy primers made for you skin condition?

Thursday 25 July 2013

Prime Time: No7 Airbrush Away Primer

I got this No7 Airbrush Away Primer as a sample in a No7 Summer Beauty Bag offer they currently have running- Which I was THRILLED about as I had always wanted to try this; assuming it was similar to the smashbox Photofinish primer. Upon reading, This No7 primer is actually designed to reduce signs of ageing as it contains ‘light diffusing particles which makes you look younger instantly by putting fine lines and wrinkles into soft focus’. Being only 20 I am not sure how much younger they can make me look hey!
This primer is also slightly more expensive than the others, £19.50 for a 30ml bottle. (still cheaper than smashbox!)

Application
The product resembles a moisturiser, because of its consistency and how easily it takes to the skin, it also smells a bit like a particular brand of suncream, but can’t for the life of me think which one! I didn't notice anything ‘exciting’ I can’t relate to the claims it makes but so far I cannot see why it costs £19.50 low value for monies? MOREOVER I felt I had to use a lot of product, maybe I didn't need to and that’s a virgin error. Time will tell...


Mid-day Review
SCRATCH THAT LAST! I am so impressed with how it has kept my make up in place! The photo shows that my eyes are really dark, but I think that’s because I have an inkling that I may be getting conjunctivitis and I keep rubbing my eyes -.- 
Can’t blame the primer for that! So really impressed with its upkeep and I am starting to see why they can for this for £19.50, massive difference in quality compared to the colour calming one!



End of the Day
So 10 hours after application and some of the imperfections are arising and the powder has disappeared, however unlike the others I didn't top up with powder at Lunch as I forgot it... turning out to be awful at this testing malarck! So 10 hours wear of make-up, when I have been working is really incredible! 



 Scores (out of ten)

Packaging: 7
Value for Money: 7
Lasting Power: 9
Usability: 9


32 out of 40!



Would you spend £19.50 on a primer?

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Prime Time! Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer

Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer is a clear gel like product designed to give a smooth canvas for make up application. It costs £8.99 for a little 7ml pot! Extremely Cute and Make-up Bag friendly! Although I am slightly worried about ‘Value for Money’






Application
This gel has a non-sticky formula that applies really easily onto the skin and leaves it feeling lusciously smooth! I honestly found it impossible to part my hands from my face I couldn’t stop stroking my cheeks! However, because the gel is clear it’s quite hard to tell where you have applied to product (I practically left out most of my nose…) but for the silky softness it gives, and the fact a little goes a long way, I will let that slide.

Make up after application

Mid-day review
6 hours after application my face is still feeling like a babies bum but I have noticed fading on my chin, apart from that my make up remains pretty intact! Silly me went shopping so I forgot to take a snap! Apologies!

End of the Day
I am not quite sure what happened in the past 4 and a half hours but the make up has faded so my imperfections are more visible! Which is really upsetting as I was loving this product! I guess 8 or so hours wear isn’t too bad! Still feeling soft but the lasting power has ended!


my make up after a hard day!

Scores! (out of 10)
Packaging: 9
Value for Money: 7
Lasting Power: 8
Usability: 8



32 out of 40!


Would you use a 'gel primer'?