Boxing Day Traditions

Christmas is all about family traditions. We all have them, the phrases we say once a year every year, the 'in-joke' gifts we give, the places we visit, the family we see who we haven't seen for the rest of the year and the food, oh the food! 

In my family it's Boxing Day where the traditions are most obvious, we always always go for a walk to burn off the turkey tummies brought on by far too much Christmas dinner and a day of slobbing about, and we always head off to a pantomime in the evening for some good, old fashioned fun :)

I thought I'd share some of my pictures from my Boxing Day traditions, I'd love to know what you're traditions are and how you celebrate the festive season.

This year we walked up to the abandoned mental hospital which sits on top of a huge hill near my parents house.  I think this building is so beautiful, it's so sad it's fallen into such a poor state, I'd love to be able to take a look inside.

As kids we used to tell ghost stories about the hospital, my friend once claimed she'd snuck inside and found the whole place still set up like a hospital, beds made, the whole lot, as if everyone had just vanished all at once.  It was a good story if nothing else!

It's behind you! 

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and have a fabulous new year!

Steph

x

Foundation Fix

 


As Christmas draws ever closer (only 4 more sleeps!) and my purse gets ever lighter I've been doing my best to save where I can so January is not the cash strapped month it so easily can become.

Earlier in December my MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation began to run ever so low *sob* and I told myself I would search for a cheaper alternative rather than spend over £20 on a bottle which lasts me so little time.  I thought I would investigate what the high street had to offer in terms of foundation, something I've not done for a few years, and see if I could find a dupe that would see me through.

~1~
My first find was Sleek's New Skin Revive in White Rose.  I'm a fan of Sleek's eyeshadow palettes and contour kit but this has left me a little underwhelmed.  For £7.99 its definitely within my price range but I felt as if even this might be too higher price for it.  

The consistency is really thick, meaning a little goes nowhere and your face can end up looking a little cakey to say the least.  I ended up mixing it with a dollop of moisturiser to thin it out and make it go further and this did give it a better look but I feel you shouldn't have to do that every time you want to wear it.  It's also a little dark on my skin, but that is my fault for picking up what I thought was the lightest colour instead of what actually was!

~2~ After the slight disaster of the Sleek purchase I thought I might try something a little lighter than was more of a liquid than a double cream!  I found the B. Flawless Complete Coverage Foundation from B. in Superdrug and thought it looked like a good bet.  At £9.99 its still a pretty affordable product and it has the added benefits of SPF15, same as Studio Fix.

I chose the shade 10 Linen and its a really good match for my skin so definitely a similar colour to NC15 (the shade I use in MAC).  Its got a really nice consistency, like a slightly thick liquid and a little goes a pretty long way, so good value as well.  Although it says it's a full coverage foundation I've been wearing it for more casual days as I don't find it as full as Studio Fix and it does have a fairly strong smell of sun cream but I don't mind that too much!  

Bottom line I think I will be repurchasing this one as a day to day foundation that I can wear year round and have the added benefit of sun protection.

~3~ One of my more recent purchases has been the L'Oreal True Match foundation in N2 Vanilla.  The colour is slightly darker than NC15 but the blendability and the way it adjusts to your skin tone means it doesn't end up looking unnatural which is a massive plus!  At £9.99 its another affordable purchase and less than half the price of MAC.

I've been really loving this foundation and aside from the super thin consistency (which seems to run off the back of my hand every time I move!) I have only good things to say about it.  I think the thinness off the formula adds to the blending ability so as long as you're not as clumsy as me (it's on my carpet in more than one place!) you should be fine.  

~4~ Last but not least is the Maybelline FIT me! Anti-Shine Stick.  I was really curious to try this one as I've never used a foundation in a stick form before and was interested to see how it would compare to liquid foundations.  It's a  little cheaper at £8.99 but is also a lot smaller than the bottles of liquid foundation.

I've used this product  few times and so far I'm not in love with it.  It feels fairly thick on the skin and isn't the easiest thing to blend out.  I'm also not majorly keen on the fact it's a stick that goes straight onto the face, with a liquid you can wash the brush or buy a new sponge and help stop breakouts so I'm not sure sure how well my skin would fair if I were to use this every day.

On the plus side the few times I have used it it does what it says on the tin, it keeps shine at bay and I've actually been quite liking it for concealing my under eye circles before putting on foundation.  

I've not yet managed to find a high street foundation that would convince me not to repurchase Studio Fix ever again but I'll definitely be using the B.Flawless and L'Oreal True Match as alternatives on a daily basis and maybe keeping my MAC foundations for more special occasions like nights out or days when I want a really flawless look.

Steph
x 

Winter Essentials

It's that time of year again, when the cold sets in and staying warm and cosy becomes top priority.  There are a few things I couldn't live without when winter hits and I thought I'd share them with you :) 

Hats ~ Keeping warm is always top of my list when the weather turns.  Each year my collection of beanies, berets and any other form of winter hat seems to grow considerably (I think they must be multiplying in the wardrobe!)  My faves so far this winter have been this 'Bad Hair Day' beanie from New Look and the gorgeously cosy Cream Cable Knit beanie from Topshop.

Candles ~ This year I've gotten really into scented candles (I'm going through them at a rate of knots!) and am just loving having a festive smelling room.  My most used candles are the Caramel Apple scent from Green Earth and Yankee Candle's 'Sparkling Cinnamon'.  I'd have them all over the house if the family would let me!

A Good Book ~ There's something about being curled up under a blanket as the night draws in with a candle burning reading a really good book, heaven!  I'm currently reading 'Dolly' by Susan Hill and really enjoying the creepiness of it.  If scary stories aren't your thing 'Chasing Harry Winston' and 'Last Night as Chateau Marmont' by Lauren Weisburger are both really good 'chick-lit' reads as is the new Bridget Jones installment.  I'm looking forward to reading 'Chanel - An Intimate Life' next too, gotta keep it classy!

Festive Manicures ~ I've gone into nail painting overdrive recently and have the urge to constantly have something festive on my nails.  I've gone for something a little more subtle this weekend with gold glitter over a Christmassy red.

Mini Purses ~ I recently discovered these gorgeous little purses in Primark after a friend showed me hers.  Aside from being the perfect size to keep a couple of cards and enough change for a night out they've also got a section to strap in a phone.  As someone who has lost more than one phone to a club toilet I had to invest!  The purses have little wrist straps (which you can remove if you're less clumsy than I am!) and at only £4 were a bargain, not to mention a little cheaper than a new phone!  I can't wait for the Christmas parties to begin so I can take them out!

Eye Cream ~ As someone who could sleep forever and still have bags under my eyes, I'm always after a goof eye cream to perk them up a little.  I recently discovered the 'Puffy Eye Attack' from Soap&Glory and have been really enjoying it.  It's been keeping my under eye area really moisturised and, as it's a gel, it lasts for hours.  I've been slicking it on morning and night and only have good things to say so far.

Gradual Tan ~ Dove's Summer Glow gradual tan has become my new best friend this winter.  Aside from preventing me from looking like a Twilight extra it also moisturises my skin and leaves it feeling really soft, a must when the weather can be so drying.  I've been using the lighter shade so that I don't look to obviously tanned but it's been giving me a really lovely colour and is much easier to control than a regular self tanner.

Exfoliater ~ Soap&Glory always have the best smelling exfoliaters and 'The Scrub of Your Life' if no exception.  I've been using this one for a few weeks now and it's been helping to keep my skin buffed to perfection!  The winter weather can really dry skin out and this helps to keep it smooth as well as providing a great base for moisturiser.

Winter Shoes ~ I recently gave into my love for Aldo and picked up a pair of wedge trainer I'd been eyeing up for about 3 months! I blame the Cyber Monday discounts partially for this purchase but the Aldo sale was definitely a contributing factor too!  Since they arrived they've barely been off my feet and are soo comfy.  The heel isn't too high for day wear and I've been rocking them with jeans, leggings, skirts and dresses as they're such an all-round shoe, I think it might be love!

Big Hair ~ Winter can leave hair feeling a little flat, especially if its been crammed under a beanie all day!  So far this winter I've been making a little more effort to give my hair some added volume using the Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray or the Fat Hair Amplifying Mousse.  Both are great for creating volume at the roots and the size of the Bumble and Bumble spray makes it super handy for travelling.

Hair Oils ~ On the hair theme I've also been making an effort to keep my hair moisturised and glossy.  The combination of cold weather and heating can dry out your hair just as much as your skin so a hair oil can really help to combat the effect.  I've been loving L'Oreal's Extraordinary Oil for Coloured Hair.  I use a tiny amount all over my hair when its damp as added heat protection and focus more toward the ends on dry hair to prevent drying and split ends.

So there you have it, just a few of my winter faves for 2013, I honestly think I could go on all day with the products I'm loving at the minute but these are definitely my top picks.  Let me know what you've been loving so for this winter, I'd love to try out some new things!

Steph

x

Positive Image Month ~ My Perfect Imperfections

This week I found out that November is Positive Image Month here in the UK.  After reading an article about the ideas behind the campaign and finding out that 1 in 4 of us worry about our looks every 60 seconds (that's a hell of a lot of worrying we're doing!) I wanted to pay tribute to this month of positivity.

The stats are bad enough, 1 in 3 of us feel that we'd be happier if we could change our body and 40% of us think we'd be more successful if we were better looking.  I know I'm just as guilty as every other woman out there for hating on myself and having days where I really don't like what I see in the mirror, but seeing the statistics written in black and white made me realise just how much of a problem body image really is.

Thinking about this week I realised that I have been unhappy with the way I look every single day for the past 5 years, 5 years!  How much time have I been wasting worrying about the way I look and how other people see me?!

So, as part of Positive Image Month I've decided I am going to give myself a break and make a huge effort to love what I've got, cos ya know what? It's the only body I'm gunna get and it spends all day everyday keeping me alive.  How ungrateful am I being by hating the one thing that's keeping me alive?!

If you've seen any of the Perfect Imperfection tag videos on YouTube, you'll know that female YouTubers all over the world have been trying to encourage a more positive attitude towards body image, laying themselves bare and telling the world three of their hang ups but also three of their body loves.

I adore the title of the tag and really love the idea.  I decided I wanted to join the cause, so without further ado here are my Perfect Imperfections...

I need to learn to love...

~ My height, being 6 ft tall has its advantages but mostly it means I tower over all my friends even when they wear heels.  it also makes shopping for clothes a pain in the arse, my body is too long for cute dresses and skirts end up showing my butt to the world (never a great look!).

~ My legs, specifically my thighs.  Years of trampolining  and a bunch of genes from my dad (cheers dad!) mean I've got pretty muscular thighs.  I've always felt they look out of proportion to my smaller calves and skinny ankles.

~ My stomach.  probably my biggest hangup and something I worry about every single day.

And in the spirit of positivity, the bits I love about my body are...

~ My eyes, they've got a really dark ring round the outside of the paler blue which I think looks kinda unique.

~ My skin, I'm lucky enough to have missed the acne genes in my family and to only suffer the occasional breakout.  

~ My boobs, although I'm never gunna have anything more than a handful I'm okay with it.  And on the plus side I've been reliably informed by female relatives that they'll be perky long after everyone else's have gone south (win?!).

This month join me in building up female self- esteem, give yourself a break and let me know what you love about your body and how you plan to turn your hang ups into positive thoughts.  

Remember you are beautiful, obsessing over your body wont change it but it will waste your time and energy.  You are gorgeous just the way you are, perfect imperfections and all.

Steph

x

(for more info on Positive Image Month head over to www.timetolookbeyondthemirror.co.uk)

Happy Halloween!

It's that time of year again, when the ghosts and ghouls come out and pumpkins become the most popular veg on the market!

In honour of Halloween I decided to give myself a fitting manicure using the Janchristie nail transfers I ordered earlier in the year (click here for my review).

1 - To create this nail look you'll need orange and black nail polishes, nail tape (or strips of masking tape) & nail transfers.

2 - Paint the base colour onto your nail, I used the orange to give a solid background for the transfers.

3 - Once the polish is dry, cut out and press on the transfer (I found using tweezers the easiest way to do this).

4 - Cover the transfers with clear polish to prevent them lifting.

5 - Stick the nail tape onto the nails without the transfers.

6 - Paint over the nail tape with the black polish.

7 - Before the polish dries dries peel off the nail tape quickly (tweezers were helpful here too!).

8 - When the black polish is dry cover all the nails again with a top coat and you're done!

Now I've got my nails all Halloweened up I'm going to spend my night watching scary films, wrapped up on the sofa, drinking hot chocolate.  Let me know what you're doing for Halloween, and who you're going as if you're dressing up this year!

Steph

x

JUST DO IT! (at home)

I'm the first to admit I'm not the most sporty or active person on the plant, I've always been the one curled up with a good book or watching endless Youtube videos (oh the exciting life I lead!) 

 I have, however tried out a shed-load of home workouts, diets, fitness fads, gym classes and just about anything else you can think of, in the effort to loose that dreaded 'Freshers 15' (It's not even a 'Freshers 15' anymore, I've been carrying an extra stone for the last 3 years, I cant even blame uni anymore!)

Anyway, onto the point of this post.  I wanted to make a little collection of some of my favorite home workouts and some which haven't impressed so much (to put it nicely!)  Workout DVDs are a really good way to workout at home, granted its the same routine every time and they'll make the same jokes/comments/explanations every time, but if you mix it up and do a couple they can be a really good way to fit some exercise into your day without having to go to a class at the gym.

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD is one of my faves.  Man can she kick some ass!  The DVD had 3 levels and to complete the shred you're supposed to do 10 days of each level, working out 6 days a week.  Each level is 30 mins long with a warm up and cool down and the 3 circuits made up of 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs.

I went into this all guns blazing and managed 2 weeks of 6 day per week workouts but I felt so drained at the end of each one!  I cut down to 4-5 days a week when I started my new job so I can't vouch for what would happen if you stuck to 6 days religiously, I also didn't follow a calorie controlled diet plan when doing this DVD, I just ate sensibly.  

The levels do get easier the more you work on them and you can definitely feel them working but, unlike the box will have you believe, I didn't loose 10 lb in a month.  I know I would have lost more if I had stuck to a religious diet plan too, but honestly the workouts take it out of you and I was left feeling dizzy more than once.

Overall a really great workout, and probably something I'll do again in the future, maybe with a diet plan too to see if that makes anymore of a difference.

I recently bought Jillian's book 'Making the Cut' and am planning to follow the plan in that to see if it works better than the shred for me, I'll let you know!

Davina McCall has more workout DVDs out than you can shake a stick at (weird expression that!) but my old fave is the Davina Super Body Workout.  Davina is fab and although I couldn't do this everyday (she makes way to many little comments and jokes which I know would grate pretty quickly!) I really enjoy it when I'm feeling the need for a fun workout.

The DVD has two 40 minute workouts, Super Fit and Super Sculpt and then you can bump it up to 50 mins by adding Super Pump, Super Abs, Super Legs or Super Six Pack (killer!) onto the end.

All in all really good workouts and they make me smile when I do them, which can't be a bad thing!

On the flip side Mari Winsor's Pilates with Mari Winsor is definitely not a fave!  I picked this up a couple of years ago when I found out Miley Cyrus had been using Marie's classes to gain THOSE abs (what can I say I'm a sucker for a celeb endorsement!).   

Doing this DVD is painful, and not in the usual workout sense!  I get that the moves are probably very good for you and for toning the body but it's just so slow paced and Mari spends and age explaining every detail of the move or not explaining it at all and leaving you suuper confused and behind.

I think it's just the set up of this DVD that I find so uninspiring, along with the overly smug looking women doing the moves along with you (yes I can see that you can do the move a billion times better than me, you don't have to rub it in!)  To top it off I find some of what she says quite patronising, and there's only so many times you can listen to someone tell you your'e movements are 'beeeautiful!'

In my opinion, not worth your hard earned!

Youtube workout videos have become my latest love when exercising.  I've got two faves that I've recently subscribed to.

First up are The Lean Machines, John Chapman and Leon Bustin.  their channel has a mixture of the sciencey (real technical there!) bits behind the workout and weight loss, tips and tricks and workouts.   I really like learning the science behind the exercises as well how nutrition etc works and affects the body.  I'd reccommend giving them a watch, pluuuus they spend A LOT of time with their shirts off so y'know not exactly hard to watch haha!

www.youtube.com/user/TheLeanMachines

(You're welcome!)

I've also recently been loving JessicaSmithTV's videos, man does she make you work!  I really like her ballet based routines for beginners and she has some great ab and arm workouts too.  I love that her videos are all of different lengths so you can pick one that will fit in with your day and she runs little challenges too which is really great.

Jessica puts out a new video at least once a week so you don;t really have the time to get bored and she's got such a variety on there.  Plus her adorable dog Peanut is always on hand if you just need something to distract you while doing the hardest moves!  

www.youtube.com/jessicasmithtv

So there you have it, my favorite, and not so fave, workouts to do at home.  With so much out there there really is no excuse for not doing something a few times a week (that's what I keep telling myself anyway!).

I'm always looking for new ways to work out and change it up, so let me know if you know of any good sites or trainers who can kick me into shape!

Steph

x

Paramore at Wembly!

Okay so this post is majorly late but it's an event I couldn't let go by without blogging about it.

On the 27th September I (finally!!!) got to see Paramore perform *insert fangirl scream* at the Wembley Arena in London!  If you've seen my first Influenced post all about Hayley Williams then you may have guessed that I'm a but of a Paramore fan (okay 'a bit' is a major underestimate) and have wanted to see them perform live since I was about 15 years old.

Over the years numerous reasons have popped up or conflicted with dates and meant I have never been able to go to a show until now, and it was so worth the wait!

My evening didn't start out as planned with the friend I was going with getting a mixed message from my dad, missing the train and leaving me sat at Wembley station with a dead phone, alone in the dark for over an hour, not the best.  But once we got there, scoffed a hot dog in record time so we didn't miss the start of the show (classy biatch here!) and got into the arena, all was well with the world again.

The show was insane, and over in a flash but was honestly one of the best nights of my life.  Two hours sped by as if it was 20 minutes and I spent so much time on my tip toes, out of pure excitement, (kinda like a kid when they get excited!) not because I couldn't see, that I had cramp all up the backs of my legs by the end!  But Oh My Days was it worth it!  

Paramore kill it live, they are all over the stage and bring so much energy to every single song you can't help but be drawn in.  Hayley Williams knocked the vocals out of the park, I seriously don't know how anyone can leap about that much and still manage to hit every single note and not sound out of breath!

All together one of the best nights of my life and definitely one I won't forget anytime soon.  If you're even a little fan of Paramore I would recommend you go see them live.  You'll have a blast, and maybe end up with hamstrings as tight as mine are now!

Steph

x

Make A Change

Recently I've been going through some pretty major life changes (and by recently I mean for about the last 3/4 months!).  As hard as change can be (I've been through every emotion on the spectrum, trust me!) I feel as if I'm finally coming out the other side with a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders and an immense sense of freedom, and it feels pretty darn good!

Like I said change is never easy regardless of if it's something as small as changing up your hair colour (a change I am waaay to happy with!) or something huge like moving away, ending a relationship or changing career.  Change is necessary for us to survive, (it's what evolution is all about after all!) and if you don't or can't change then you're stuck in the same place, going nowhere.

Over the past few weeks and months I've been reading up a lot on how to deal with change and why it feels the way it does.  I wanted to share some of the videos, articles and quotes that have really helped me through this time and hope they might help you out too if you're going through some changes.

Frilly + Fancy's blogpost 'Change' really made me feel loads better about changing circumstances.

http://frillyandfancy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/change.html

HaiLedaBear's video 'Wish' is an old favorite and something I always go back to at unsettling times.  This video always reminds me that you have to stay true to yourself and change, although necessary needs to be for the right reasons.

Here are just a couple of quotes that've stuck in my head over the past few months and seem to make sense to me now more than at any other time.

And lastly, as vital as change is, make sure you're making the right changes for the right reasons.

Let me know in the comments if you have any more videos/blog posts/articles etc on change that you've found helpful and I'll be sure to check them out!

Steph

x

Lookin' Sleek!

Aaagess ago, in a desperate bid to replace my favorite lost lipstick, I stumbled across Sleek make-up in Superdrug.  I found a perfect replacement for my old trusty (is it bad that it still bugs me that I don't know where that went?!) and thought nothing more of it.

More recently, over the summer, I rediscovered Sleek and thought I'd have a good look at their collections seeing as I love their matte lippies so much.  I picked up the i-Divine palette in au naturel (mineral eye shadows), face FORM palette in Light, 373 (contouring, highlighter and blush) and a single blush in Life's a Peach!, 922.

(No flash or filter so you can see the colours at their best :) )

I've been using them for a good couple of months now and I have to say I really really like them!  I adore the range of colours in the eye shadow, although they're all earthy tones I like the way they're almost divided into groups of four with similar shades grouped together (that might just be the way my ocd eye wants to see it!) with both matte and shimmery shades together.

I've been creating lots of smokey eyes as well as more simple, toned down, every-day looks and have found it to be so versatile.  I'm seriously considering picking up another one of these in a different tone on my next payday!

face FORM palette in Light 373

Blush in Life's a Peach! 922

Onto the blush and the face FORM palette.  Sleek has a range of blush palettes that I was really tempted by with three blushes in each but seeing as the palette I was going to get had the same blush as the face FORM palette, Life's a Peach! and a shade I wasn't too sure on, I went for this combination.

The Life's a Peach! is such a gorgeous colour, it's not too strong but you can layer it up to create a way more dramatic look, its awesome!  The blush in the face FORM palette is a little more subtle and I've been loving it for day wear.  Its slightly shimmery and is such a pretty pink colour, its adorable! 

The contour and highlight in this palette are really nice products too.  The highlight is perfect for my fair skin, it's not overly shimmery or peachy and leaves a subtle glow on the skin.  The contour is okay but considering the palette is 'Light' its sooo pigmented!  The first time I used I ended up with the dreaded brown streaks on my face!  A little bit definitely goes a looong long way here!  Saying that it may have something to do with how pale my face is,so maybe it would be a slightly better shade on someone with light skin as opposed to paper-white skin!  

Let me know if you try any of these products out and which Sleek bits and pieces you love, I'm definitely up for another trip to Superdrug!

x

Influenced #1 ~ Hayley Williams

A few weeks ago I bought the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's book Influenced and have read most of it (I will get to the end of it soon, I'm just a suuuper slow reader!).  I've found it really interesting reading about the people who have had an impact on their lives in terms of fashion, art, attitude etc. and thought I'd like to make my own version as a little series on here.  I want to share with you the people who have inspired and ultimately influenced me across my 22 years, so here goes, the first of what I hope to be many!

Source - hayleywilliamsedits.tumblr.com

Thinking about people who have influenced me the first person to come to mind had to be Hayley Williams.  The the lead singer of Paramore, a band I discovered aged 14/15 and have loved ever since, her style has evolved as she, and the band, have grown up, and I feel that she has had such a lasting influence on me, and many others, as we've grown up with her over the years.

Hayley is a couple of years older than me and being able to watch her go through the transition from tomboy teenager to the style icon she has now become for many has definitely influenced the way in which I grew up and tackled the awkward teenage years.  As Julie Greenwald (Atlantic records) says 'She was never a young, fabricated artist.  She still styles herself.  She knows who she is and who she wants to be.' 

That self assurance and self belief is definitely one of the ways in which Hayley has influenced me and my style.  She made it okay to be 'that weirdo with five colours in her hair' (anyone who was a McFly fan back in the day will get that one!) or to wear what ever the hell you pleased, because it's your life and what's the point of not being yourself.

Source - hayleywilliamsedits.tumblr.com

'Baby Bangs' and bright orange hair ~ source - omghayley.tumblr.com

Hayley's hair is one of the things she is most known for.  She has been almost every colour of the rainbow and managed to suit all of them.  She does, however, always seem to come back to vibrant reds and oranges in varying shades giving her a flame like look, especially when leaping about on stage!

Hayley's ever-changing hair ~ source - welovewilliams.tumblr.com

Hayley writes many of Paramore's songs and her lyrics are always so relatable that you are able to connect with what she is saying every time.  She manages to write songs that feel as though she's singing straight to you while at the same time commanding an arena full of people.  Jeremy Davis (Paramore's bass player) puts it perfectly 'I think the reason why most people respond to Hayley is because of her lyrics.  Even though some of her songs are dark and heavy, if you listen to the words there's hope.  She writes her life stories really.'

' Last Hope' ~ source - alliwantedwasbands.tumblr.com


Hayley's fashion has ranged over the years from polo shirts and skinny jeans with distinctly tomboy touches to her looks today, tough outfits with feminine touches and punk over tones.  Her look has always just seem ed so achingly cool to me and she always always pulls off whatever she is wearing with such flare and attitude that it just works.

A little selection of Hayley's style ~ sources - tumblr tag #hayleywilliams

Hayley Williams is definitely one of my biggest style influences and icons and has been for almost 10 years now, and hopefully will be for another 10 to come!

Are you a fan of Hayley Williams' style? Let me know in the comments what you think of her looks and also who else I should feature in this series in the future.

x

Paws and Claws

Recently I ordered some nail transfers from Janchriste, a nail design shop I discovered through Zoella's blog.  I thought the little stickers looked so cute and at £1.80 a sheet they are a litle bargain!

I gave into my cat obsession and ordered two sheets of cat prints, but there are so many styles in the shop in various colours and designs.  They also sent me a few little extras to practice with so I knew how to apply them and not waste the ones I'd paid for, which I thought was really generous.

Janchriste Nail DesignsApplying the transfers is really easy once you get the hang of it and didn't take too long at all.

~ First apply a base of a pale colour, the paler the better, you can put the transfers straight on a non-painted nail too but I liked the look of the coloured background.  ~ Once the polish is completely dry cut around the image you want as close to the picture as possible.
~ Next peel off the paper backing, I found it easier to do this with tweezers to stop the sticker from rolling or stretching, and stick it onto the nail of choice!
~ A few coats of clear polish or topcoat and you are good to go!  I found two layers of clear polish was best and then topped it up a couple of days later to stop the transfer from lifting.

I really love these little transfers, they give such a unique look to your nails for a fraction of a professional manicure and make it easy to chop and change your mind.  I can't wait for Halloween to roll around so I can use my little black cats with a bright orange background!

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Autumn Loves ~ Boots

Each year as autumn approaches I get the urge to purchase a couple of winter essentials to keep me going through the harsher months, in particular cosy coats and chunky, functional boots.

This year my desire for boots got the better of me early (in my defense I did need a new pair!). My old boots have sat woefully in the wardrobe with the soles hanging on by a thread for the past six months, thanks to one to many cycle to and from uni up Welsh Valleys in countless storms, they really had given up.

My New Loves!

As sad as I will be to part with my old faithfuls I am far too excited to wear my gorgeous new pair and am already planning my winter outfits (too soon?!).  After a hunt round the high street I found a pair which were not only practical, with a nice thick sole, grip and fleecy lining for snow and ice (I am ever hopeful!) and a good bit of style to boot!

These lovelies are from Primark and cost £25, a fair price for a good pair of winter boots in my opinion, and I can't wait to wear them.  I've been experimenting with folding the tops down to reveal sections of the lining and to cut the leg off in different places and I think I like them best when they're rolled down.  Primark had a bunch of other styles and I can see myself heading back there to pick up another pair, funds permitting!

Now I've just got to resist the urge of the winter coats, I've got my eye on a gorgeous leather one in Topshop, I'll have to see if I can save up for that one!

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