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Thursday 27 March 2014

Outfit of the Day | Arabella

Well what do we have here? An outfit of the day? Are you sure? Oh yes!














Dress- Primark
Hat- eBay
Bracelets- home made
Belt- Primark
Socks- Topshop
Shoes- River Island
Necklace- Fiona Jones Jewellery


I mentioned this dress in my recent Primark Haul post and video and absolutely love it! At £8 it was a total steal and a great shape for my figure, being really versatile to all kinds of occasions. 

Now onto the slightly more...controversial combo I'm wearing- socks and sandals.. Some people will love it, others will full on hate it but in my book it's fine because they're heeled wedges and and and well, I think it looks cool okay? Take it how you will! And as for the hat, I've missed my hat and it makes me feel quintessentially English in this warm climate. Say hello to Harry my rescue dog, he fancied a pose too..

I hope you guys like this look, let me know what you think and don't forget to watch the video! 






Kat
xxx


Wednesday 26 March 2014

Primark Haul



Hello lovely people! I've finally got time to show you my mini Primark haul from my visit back to the UK!




 As you can see there's some pretty trending patterns I've picked up, in particular aztec and tribal prints which are still going strong for me and this gorgeous heart print which I am IN LOVE with, especially as it's burgundy and a tea dress!! Three wins right there my friend and an OOTD post to be done real soon featuring that dress.

The aztec shorts I think will be great for days at the beach and general sunbathing as they'r super light weight being a linen style material. I bought them several sizes too big for a more slouchy. I hate tght elastic as quite frankly no one needs muffin top and Primark sizes can be rather bizarre at the best of times!

I'm also particularly loving the bikini set. Primark do the bet swim wear in my opinion as it's value for money and washes well and just lasts! I'll certainly be stocking up on more of those on my next trip.

So that's my mini haul, it's nothing massive as there wasn't a vast amount of summer stuff out in February beginning of March. If you want to see more of the haul check out the youtube video where I've also shown the bits I picked up for Chris too! It might even give you ideas on what to buy your other half.




I hope you're having a lovely hump day! No innuendos intended there...heh..

Kat
xxx

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Beauty Haul: March 2014


Hey lovelies, I've got a beauty haul for you! It's been a while!!

Dry Shampoo- Boots
Natural Collection Concealer- Shade Medium
Natural Collection Nail Polishes- Tip whitener, Peach manicure & Mulberry
L'Oreal ELVIVE Extraordinary oil
Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter- Peach Parfait

Whilst back in the UK I had to get a few bits I can't live without in Cyprus, the main ones being dry hair shampoo and natural collection products (they're just so cheap)! I opted for Boots own brand dry shampoo in "Paradise Island" as opposed to the Batiste range as it was cheaper and 2 for 1! Bargain! I can happily say it was a good saving and I prefer it to Batiste Its less chalky in the sense it gets rid of the greasy look without leaving a mega obvious chalky residue behind. It's less noticeable and easier to brush out than the batiste range.

I usually would go for the collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer but I was feeling a bit craaazy and went for this natural collections concealer in shade medium. Now I'm no medium shaded lady at present, however once the summer sun hits Cyprus which should be any minute now, I will require a darker shade of concealer and this one matches perfectly to my mac studio fix in shade NW25- result!

As for the Revlon Clourburst lip butter... well... I can tell you that this baby is the tits. It's damn sexy as far as sexual lipsticks go, giving a lovely juicy look to the lips in a sheer glossy way. It glides effortlessly onto the lips and leaves them feeling nourished and smooth! I love the sheerness of the shades as it isn't too over powering and for gals like me who like a bit of colour but nothing too BAM in your face, its perfect! I definitely want to invest in other shades but for now peach parfait is a dream, the subtle shimmer is also perfect for a summer wedding so don't be surprised if it's my lippy of choice for my big day!

The nail colours are pretty self explanatory but I must admit I'd never purchased natural collection nail polishes before. They're surprisingly long lasting, cheap to purchase and have a good colour pay off!

The L'Oreal ELVIVE Extraordinary oil was a re-purchase, being a firm favourite in my hair care routine. It nourishes the hair beautifuly, leaving my naturally dry locks feeling soft and silky. I can get away with quite a lot of this product in my hair without it looking heavy or greasy. And gosh it just smells so lusssssh. Yum.



 Now onto the big guns...




 Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Ohhhh lordy lordy lordy... my life is complete. I am a proud owner of the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette. Not only has it taken my UD virginity but it has changed my outlook on the brand. Aaages ago I did a blog post on the MUA undress me too  palette vs the Naked Palette and as good as the MUA dupe was, it just wasn't the real mccoy and I knew it. Now I can see how blind I was.. I was in denial! This is a thing of beauty with its amazing colour pay off, it's beautiful shades which all work seamlessly together and beautiful shimmers. I know there's not a lot of matte shades but quite frankly I don't care. I love shimmer! The hard metal casing also means I can quite confidently pop this in a bag and not worry about it breaking. Roll on trips around the world with me you naked mistress! I could go on but there's hundreds and hundreds of reviews on this palette which I'm sure many of you have read, me included and yeah.. It's beautiful, that is all. The only down fall is it's brush! It's not my favourite as the bristles don't really move the way I like and blend the way I like but hey, I bought the palette for the shadows not the brush!







 Real Techniques Core Collection

Another thing I've been lusting after...brushes! I've not treated myself to new brushes for years and years, sticking with my trusty SBA rushes from college (my makeup career clearly kicked off eh). I've gone from rags to riches with these brushes and being reintroduced into a buffing brush once more. My original college one generally angers me everytime I use it as the bristles fall out of it like some kind of alopecia brush. It's terrible and leaves me with a whisker face- nooiiice! Anyhu, I've been watching the Pixiwoo ladies for a few years now and everytime they get out their real techniques brushes I'm truly fascinated by the way they appear to blend and apply make-up so effortlessly and now I can see why! They're fantastic although I've still not found a major use for the little detailer brush but I'm sure it'll have it's day. The white ends of the bristles hold the product whilst the black half work and blend the product in with ease. The shape of the brushes for me is what really make them great as they fit the contours of my face so well. This kit comes with a: detailer brush, foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush. The bushes also come with a handy little stand which doubles up as a carry case- perfect for on the go. I trusted that these brushes would be good, being made by make-up artists themselves and I wasn't wrong- they're fantastic and I can't wait to get my hands on the other ones!



Enrapture Totem Styler 

Aaaand last but not least the enrapture totem styler which I have been wanting for a good year now and finally treated myself with some left over Christmas money. If you're looking for a curler which can do many styles then this is the one for you. Thanks to its three heat sections of the barrel, you can create various defined styles dependant on the heat setting. The heat settings range from 1 to 3, 3 being the highest and so far I have created very loose waves on setting 1,1,2 and a more defined look on setting 2,2,3. The size of the barrel is just what I was after as it produces a beautiful wave shape without being ringlety. I know that's not a real word but ye know! Ad another thing to note is the cord twirls which makes it a lot easier when using the curler so the cord doesn't get tangled. Simple things! I may well do a separate post on styles I create with this wand.

So there we have it, my beauty haul done! A lot of waffling by me but I was super excited to share with you guys! Hope you enjoyed, see you sooooooooon!

Kat
xxx









Weekly Weigh In

It's been a while since I've posted one of these! If I'm completely honest, I went completely off the rails with my diet when I was back in the UK. So that resulted to three weeks of epic fail diet wise! However, I am back on track now and raring to go.

This week I've thrown myself full throttle into exercise too! Jazzercise three ties a week, and two different work out DVDS a week, topped off with the usual dog walking. I'm hurting but it feels good all the same and I know I'm working hard! My weight hasn't gone up too much since being back in the uk but I've undone all my hard work so I really need to kick my ass back into gear.

Now onto this weeks top tip and it's omelettes! Now I loooooove eggs, big time. They're seriously delicious, packed with protein and a good food. My favourite way to eat eggs is poached and on toast but to make eggs into more of a filling meal I opt for omelette. It's such a versatile dish as you can chuck pretty much anything and everything into it and it's so easy to make!





For this omelette I opted for a lot of veg, throwing tomatoes and onions into the mix. I also grated a little cheese on top just for some added flavour. Mmmm, cheeeeeese... But you could get creative with your omelette! Chuck some bacon or ham in, some chili flakes for some added spice. Whatever you like, go crazy kids! But the main thing is it's filling and can be super nutritious with veggies added in.

What are you loving for healthy eating right now?

Kat
xxx

The Mothers Day DIY Craft

So with Mother's Day being a week today, I thought it'd be most fitting to do a craft for all our lovely mother's out there!








So in case you haven't noticed, my mum's name is Julie! I got the inspiration to make this hanger for her whilst making my wedding hangers (see post here), as she cooed over them and said how lovely they were.

I decided to keep her wooden hanger natural instead of painting it like the wedding ones as it'll match better with whatever she chooses to hang on it. I also opted for lavender as the flower accent as it's her favourite!

To make this hanger you will need:

  • 1 x wooden hanger
  • Jewellery wire or florist wire that is easy to manipulate
  • Silk/ faux flower or whatever decoration you think your mama will like!
  • Jewellery Pliers
  • Wire Cutters
  • Hot glue gun

To Make

1. Sketch out your mum's name onto paper, with enough space each side to anticipate how much wire you will require to fit it to the hanger.

2. Bend your wire to fit the letters you have drawn on the paper. You may need pliers also to make tight bends or create letters e.g. the letter i.

3. Snip the end of your wire, leaving a small excess and measure against the hanger. Leave a small amount of wire each side to slot into the hanger.

4. Next make two small holes in the hanger where the wire will slot into place. A drill is really handy at this point but I unfortunately didn't have one so opted to use a cork screw! I wouldn't recommend this but it's a good back up..ha!

5. Slot the wire into the holes made, snipping any excess wire as required. Hot glue gun into place.

6. Next take your faux flower or decoration of choice and attach onto the wire with the hot glue gun.

And voilà, you're finished!




So I hope you guys like this DIY. I think my mum was hinting at me to make her one as she said it'd be lovely to have a nice hanger to put pretty outfits on the day before a special occasion and hang over the door. I know exactly what she means! I do that too! 

If you're making any homemade gifts for your mama, please link me to your post or tweet me a pic, I'd love to see!

Kat
xxx

Sunday 16 March 2014

The Sunday Post- how I spent my weekend

Evening all, hope you've all had a fun filled weekend!



I've been having a chilled one with my first week back in Cyprus proving to be a nice relaxing one, with a bit of wedding craft (blog post coming up soon) and some dog walking. There's a lovely little beach near to where we live and it's great to head down there for some fresh air and a doggy paddle!





Dress- thrifted (originally Primark)
Denim waistcoat- Primark
Rock sea shoes- eBay

PLEASE NOTE that those shoes are purely for the water and walking over the rocks! The hieght f fashion I know, but once I was out of the water I was back in my ballet pumps. The rock shoes are god damn hideous but practical for the daaaawg. I love this dress so much, it reminds me of seasides abroad and generally jolliness. I remember seeing it in Primark and ummed and arred about buying it. Then the next time I went in it had sold out- typical! My top tip with Primark is if you're not sure- get it anyway then decide when you get home. 

Saturday night Chris and I decided to be super adult and make a den in our living room! Armed with blankets, throws and chairs, this is our creation! Of course fairy lights were added- it's not a proper den without fairy lights ye know..







It was of course an adult den as we equipped it with supplies of wine and chocolate...yum!! Our cat decided to join us too.. We had her spayed this week hence the cone of shame!

 I would highly recommend making a den even if you are at the tender age of 25 like me. It's so much fun and makes a night in a bit more fun and silly but also romantic if you have a other half. We loved it and even put pics of it on Facebook which went down a treat! Everyone was totes jealous...

So that was our lazy lovely weekend, what did you guys get up to?

Beauty haul to come next week! Stay tuned!

Kat
xxx

Monday 10 March 2014

The Wedding Edition: DIY decor for a rustic wedding

Hello hello! I've been missing for a few weeks due to my recent visit back home. It was so good to get back to the UK for a bit of normality and familiar faces, not to mention some crafting for the July wedding!

WARNING: PHOTO HEAVY CONTENT!


The Table Centrepieces









Wooden Heart Plate- The Range
Hessian Bottle- home made
Congratulations ribbon- Hobby Craft 
Tea light jar- up-cycled dessert dishes
Petals- the range
Foam Flower- Hobby Craft

I'm particularly chuffed with these centre pieces as I think they fit really well with our rustic theme for the wedding. I was originally looking for logs to place the wine bottle and tea light on but came across these wooden heart plates in The Range and thought they'd be perfect (not to mention a bit more sanitary than logs!) My Nan has been saving jars for me for months for the wedding and these little dish ones seemed perfect for tea lights, teamed with ribbon perfect for the occasion! I can't however take credit for the making of the wine bottles... My mum's partner's daughter (what a mouthful) also got married recently and asked if we'd like the bottles along with some other decorations she no longer wanted. I was so chuffed and thought up-cycling the bottles would be perfect for the theme, why didn't I think of these? Another great DIY.


General Decoration

 Cardboard letters- Hobbycraft

 White wicker heart- The Range
Plain Wicker heart- QDs

Painting cardboard letters of you and your husband or wife to s a simple DIY but also effective and ensures the colour scheme is kept to. I used acrylic paint that dries matte for our letters and didn't fuss too much on the application as I wanted them to look rustic. The cardboard also helps with the effect.

The wicker hearts were easy to pick up and decorate. I used foam flowers dotted around a few of them to add a bit of extra something.

Jug- QDs
Corn- From a field!
Fake  lavender- eBay

I thought these jugs really lend themselves to the rustic country feel and again are easy to pick up. I managed to get some corn last year before the harvest from a local farmer and the great thing is it keeps! These will look great dotted around the marquee but also for outside decoration.



The Hangers











 Hangers (set of two)- Poundland
Jewellery wire- Hobbycraft
Faux flower- Wilkinsons
Acrylic Paint- Hobbycraft
Blackboard Paint- Wilkinsons

This is probably my favourite DIY I've done for the wedding. I love photographs of the dresses all hung up the day of the wedding and why not frame them with beautiful hangers? These were super simple, drawing the letters on paper then bending the wire to shape the letters. I used jewellery wire but you can use florist wire, just ensure it is easy to bend and shape for your letters. Once it was bent I cut the excess wire to fit the length of the hanger before drilling a hole. I then painted the hangers in acrylic paint, hot glued the wire into place and wound the faux flower around the wire. Voila! For the groom's it was slightly different in that instead of a flower he had a little black bow tie and black painted collar. As you can see some are better than others but practice makes perfect and they have a lovely home made touch. All of these were super simple and effective and also make a nice reminder or present to the wedding party.



So those are just some of my wedding DIYs. I don't want to post them all now as it'll spoil the surprise of the day but rest assure there will be plenty more ideas and inspiration for you once my day has passed! Any questions on the decor, please comment below!

Kat
xxx


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