How To.. Brows.

I used Sleek Makeups Brow Kit in Dark £8.49 @ Boots.

Your eyebrows are your best accessory, they help shape your face and frame your eyes so you should take care in how you present them. Perfect brows should be based around the natural shape, size and colouring, ideally starting from in line with the centre of your nostils and ending diagonally from the edge of your nose past the corner of your eye.

Here I have created a step by step guide to get those brows you've always wanted as unfortunately we can't all be blessed with beautiful big brows.

1) Using an old and clean mascara brush, brush your eyebrows up and out.

2) Take your tweezers and see where your brows should start and end and then pluck any stray hairs.

3) Using the angled brush in the brown wax create a smooth sweeping line from inside to out just below or on the bottom line of brow.

4) If your eyebrows aren't very full do the same again along the top of your brows, ensureing you create a nice finish.

5) Still using the angled brush and wax coat the hairs from 1/4 of the way in and fill in any gaps. Ensure to use the brush in outwards strokes following the way the hairs are growing.

6) Very carefully and gently in upward strokes fill the inner part of your eyebrows. The inner part should be lighter than the outside.

7) Taking the rounded brush dust the brown powder over your brows carefully, only a small amount is needed.

8) Using a light matte eyeshadow or white eyeliner, highlight under the arch of your brow, be sure to blend it well.

Brush up & out - line underneath - line above & fill outer edge - carefully fill inner brow and highlight arch.

I hope this was helpful! What are your tips for getting the best brows?

Lipsticks.. Save. Spend. Splurge.

Finding the perfect lipstick can be hard, you want the right colour that's going to last without going flakey and drying out your lips, chapped lips are not attractive, and you want it at a good price. So I got out my lipsticks, tested them all and here are my top three at a Save, Spend and Splurge.

Save: Natural Collection Lipstick £1.99 at Boots.
At a price like this it's hard to criticise, but its also hard due to the fact that this super cheap lipstick is actually rather good. In the darker colours this lipstick goes on really well, it doesn't cake up and it makes your lips feel and look soft. It is quite wear resistant however, when you're eating and drinking, it can start to fade in the centre and you may look like you've just drawn around the edges. The lighter colours in this range aren't as great as the darker ones as not much colour shows and it can tend to just be visible in areas that are chapped.

Spend: SEVENTEEN Stay Pout Lipstick £4.49 at Boots.
With this product being available at Boots, you will probably be able to find it as part of an offer, saving you a bit of money. I have used SEVENTEEN lipsticks for a very long time and I must say I do still like them. Unfortunately, once again the lighter colours aren't that great,  they're quite shiny so there's not much colour, so I am just going to skip that part and talk to you about the darker colours. They go on brilliantly, they're very true to colour and have just the right amount of shine. They make my lips feel very soft and it lasts a good amount of time, for the price I am happy to reapply that little bit more often than perhaps needed with more expensive brands.

Splurge: MAC Lipstick £15.50 at MAC Stores.
I love, love, love, MAC lipsticks and they come in so many different colours! Though being quite a bit more money than drug store brands, they're definitely worth it. They go on brilliantly, they're extremely long lasting and all their colours look fantastic on. Even my personal favourite YASH, which is in matte, doesn't look or feel dry. If you've not used MAC lipsticks before I would definitely recommend trying them out, even if you only buy one or two just to use for special occasions.

These three brands all have wonderful lipsticks and I personally like them all but I have to say although more money, MAC get first place off me.

The two that didn't make the cut. I also own Barry M Lip Paint (£4.49) and Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Moisturizing Lipstick (£21). The only colour I use by Barry M is the red which is long lasting and goes on quite nicely, as for the other colours, although fairly long lasting, can appear very caked on. As for those by Elizabeth Arden, as lovely as they go on and don't dry out your lips for the price they don't last as long as I'd like.

I hope this was helpful and I'd love to know which lipsticks you like best?

Lights. Camera. Dresses.

Freddie Wears: ASOS Suit & Tie.

I Wear: TFNC Dress & ASOS Shoes.

The party season may be over but that can mean only one thing, it's nearly wedding season and if you're like me you'll already be on the search for that perfect day to evening dress. Plus you'll be after getting the best snaps of you looking hot to trot, and of course the beautiful bride.

When I started this blog there were a few reasons behind my decision to do so, my love for writing, my ever growing list of hobbies and of course the fact I love all things fashion and photography, so my friends glamorous birthday bash gave me the perfect opportunity to write about both of these. 

So first of all a little bit about my camera, the Samsung DV150F. With dual LCD screens, perfect for selfies, this pocket size camera is great for taking with you to any occasion, no matter how small the clutch bag! I love the fact it has wifi, meaning I can upload my pictures to fb at the touch of a button, you can also activate multishare so that any snaps you take go straight to your phone. The photo quality is great and so is the zoom, the only downside to this camera is that when it comes to taking photos in dull or dark lighting it can be a bit temperamental if the flash in inactive, something which I must say I have experienced with a lot of cameras. Now I don't want to bore you with all the specs, half of which I don't understand, so if you would like to read more about this camera here is a link to PCmag. However, I think there review is a bit harsh.

Time for the fashion. For this Hollywood themed night I bought this gorgeous Grecian style TFNC Dress from Topshop. The style of the dress shows off just the right amount of flesh and the wrap allows for a bit of over indulgence on the party food, which after this Christmas and New Year I definitely needed. The beading and fabric on this dress is simply stunning but be warned, due to the style, on some photos this dress may make your bum look huge as it did mine! 

Now for me, an all day wedding requires an elegant yet fun dress to take you from day to night, something that I think this particular dress does well. The length, colour and beading keeps it all very classy and sophisticated but the split gives it that element of sexiness and fun.

Finding the perfect dress is no easy job so I thought I'd start it off for you.

Fitted Dresses.

Ginger Fizz Pencil Dress £39 - Lipsy Lace Panel Cami £60 - ASOS Blossom Print £70

Floaty Dresses.

ASOS Fit & Flare £55 - Little Mistress Bandau £58 - ChiChi Floral Midi £55

Wrap & Peplum Waist Dresses.

Lipsy Shift Dress £60 - Asos Floral Peplum £55 - Lipsy Wrap Dress £55

Those are just a few of my favourites.. I hope you like them.

A Very Happy Shopper.

Today I saved £100 at Next Clearance! My four purchases should have originally come to £138, of course with it being a clearance store, most of their products are reduced. Luckily for me, the items I fell in love with had major discount and upon arriving at the till to find out two were even cheaper than the labels showed, I was over the moon to walk away with a floral blouse, a camel touch of cashmere polo neck, a pair of black wellies and some gorgeous tan open toed shoe boots for just £38. 

Blouse, originally £22 I payed £10 - Saving of £12

Jumper, originally £35 I payed £15 - Saving of £20

Wellies, originally £26 I payed £4 - Saving of £22

Boots, originally £55 I payed £9 - Saving of £46

How good do those savings look?

If you've never been to a Next Clearance, like I hadn't until about two years ago, they're basically a normal Next store during the Christmas sale all year round, different items in different sizes all dotted about everywhere, just with a lot less people!

Now, I'm not one for sales. The pushing, shoving, long ques and disorganization just doesn't do it for me, I would rather find bargains online or simply go without. But if you fancy a browse and have a little time to rummage in almost peace and quiet, the Next Clearance stores might be your cup of tea.

The stock doesn't change that often and I find that my size is hard to come by, so I rarely go there, but when I'm in the area I always like to have a pop in just to see, if like today, I can find some good bargains. The downside to my particular Next Clearance Store, and I don't know if it is the case with all of them, but they don't have changing rooms and I like to try things on. Luckily for me I'm quite good at wiggling in and out of clothes whilst keeping everything hidden! If you're not, there's no need to worry, they have a 15 day return policy and you can return the items to any Next store.

Now about my goodies! The lovely blouse has a v-neck and no sleeves. The mid-grey colour makes it perfect for all year round, I'm thinking black jeans and blazer in the colder months and nice white jeans when it's that bit brighter. Also the light dusky blue and pink flowers help make it suitable for both day and evening, smart enough for dinner at a restaurant but pretty enough for a walk down the canal.

The camel Jumper, which can I remind you has a touch of cashmere, is as you can imagine super soft and feels really good quality. The fact that this jumper isn't very thick makes it perfect for layering, you can simply team with a nice trench/duffle/faux fur coat for whilst you're outdoors and then when you take your coat off indoors, you'll remain snug but not too hot. I think this will look stunning with my black thigh high flat boots and black jeans but also dressed up with the tan shoe boots for those dinners at the pub. Whilst on the subject of these boots, they are very comfy with the heel being chunky and not too high and lets face it, they're gorgeous too? I shall be wearing these for those walks to my little country pub, family gatherings, dinner and cinema dates with my boyfriend and perhaps those short little shopping trips to town, in which i'll probably buy more shoes.. Oops!

Finally, the welly boots. I love going out on walks and don't want to ruin my best shoes, but still like to look nice. My job doesn't require any sort of beauty products or nice clothes which means at the weekend I enjoy dressing up. So when I saw these plain black wellies with their knitted top I simply couldn't resist. They're cute, go with everything and practical. 

What do you think of my bargains? I'd love to know.

Hollywood Glamour.

Katy Perry Lovely Lolita Lashes, Boots£5.95 - Maybelline Rocket Volum' Express Mascara, Boots £7.99 - L'Oreal Super Liner, Boots £6.49 - 17 Brow Sculpting Pencil, Boots £2.89 - Sleek Make-up Brow Kit in Dark, Boots £8.49 - Old Mascara Brush - Versace Cystal Noir Miniture, Gift - Rimmel Stay Matte Primer, Boots £5.99 - Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation in 303 & 400, Boots £7.99 each - Rimmel Natural Bronzer, Boots £5.99 - Elizabeth Arden Brush & Other Brush, Prices Unknown - 17 Plum Puff Blusher, Discontinued - Rodial Stemcell Superfood Lipbalm, Debenhams £17 - Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, Boots £29 - Elizabeth Arden Lip Pencil in Bare, Gift - MAC Lipstick in YASH, Mac Store, £15.50.

So tonight is my beautiful friend and work colleagues 30th birthday party and for this special occasion she is hosting an Oscar Awards Night themed party! That means beautiful dresses, stunning hair, glamorous make up and best of all, my boyfriend in a suit! I cannot wait!

When it comes to my hair I am very much a creature of habbit, scraped up or down naturally, not very glam! So for tonight I have treated myself to a french plait done at the hairdressers, that way I can have my hair off my face how I like it, but looking perfect for the theme of tonight.

For me, an up-do requires beautifully bold eyes, a slightly bronzed cheek and that perfect shade of nude lipstick.

My Routine For Tonight

I will first use the Clinique moisturizer on any areas of dry skin, only a small dot is needed as it spreads along way. I will then apply the Rimmel primer to my T-zone and eyelids. Now we're ready for the foundation. I use these two shades of Rimmels 25hour stay foundation so that I can highlight and contour (see image below). This long lasting foundation is brilliant if you're going to be out all night dancing as it doesn't budge! However, for young supple skin this foundation is perfect, it covers spots without that caked up look you might expect from a thick foundation yet stays quite dewy, unfortunately if you have very dry skin or in the words of my mum "old wrinkly skin" you may find this foundation to be too thick.

Eyes next. Create a bold, winged line with L'Oreals Super Eyeliner on your top lid (see image below for different styles to practice, I tend to do a mix of  1 & 5). This liner lasts all night and drys pretty fast. Once it's dry take the glue from Katy Perrys Lashes, included in pack, and apply to the line of the fasle eyelashes. Wait 20-30 seconds, for the glue to become sticky, then starting out the outside stick them down as close to the lash line as possible. I use a hair grip to help me press the corners down. I'm not one for dark kohl eyeliner on my bottom lashes so instead I use Rimmels brow pencil. I then use my Maybelline mascara to coat both my top and bottom lashes.

Only very recently have I started using Sleek Makeups Brow Kit and I am already in love. I start my brows by brushing them up and out with an old mascara brush, I then pluck any stray hairs with the mini tweezers. Next use the angled brush to line the bottom (and top if you desire) of your eyebrows from inside to out using the coloured wax, next give your brows a sweeping of the wax to fix them in place and then using the other brush dust over the coloured powder. For perfect shaped brows see the photo below.

Kissable lips. I apply a tiny bit of Rodial Stemcell Lipbalm to make my lips look softer and fuller, as well as moisturizing them, which in this weather is a must. Then using Elizabeth Ardens Lip Pencil in Bare, I line my lips to make them look fuller, fill in with MACs lipstick in Yash, kiss a tissue and my lips are done.

Finally, a sweep of Rimmels bronzer, where we used the darker foundation, a slight touch of 17 blush on my cheek bones for a natural rosy look and a spritz of Versace Crystal Noir and I'm ready to go!

I hope this was helpful. What are your favourite beauty products/tips?