Humidity is a bitch

I am very sorry.

It's been a while since my last post and I levy responsbility/fault to humidity. Try taking an outfit of the day picture when the lens clouds up and you have to wait 20 minutes for it to become crisp and focussed....takes a bit of the fun away.

This photo is a prime example/piece of evidence - a gorgeous low backed dress from Zara in a bright blue/aqua but I am surrounded in a heavy air haze.

This was the best of the lot in terms of clarity....

Whilst this is admittedly quite flattering - who doesn't like the soft gauze effect? - it's also a bit crap in photos.

In truth it's also been a very busy work week and not much is going on clothing wise. I wore clothes (obviously!) but it's all pretty blah....I mean alot of what I wear is blah but in this case much more corporate and dull.

I went to the mall today in hope of some inspiration but the shops are full of wintery wear and seeing as I am going to be in Dubai for a few months, it all seems a bit irrelevant.

Cue sad face 

I think a shopbop.com sale order is required to lift my spirits. They have amazing bargains, deliver in three days and because I am in Dubai, I don't pay any tax. Hurray :) Shopbop.com is normally a site I flirt with but rarely buy from because of the associated tax charges that you see at checkout...so I am going to enjoy it whilst I can!

Anyway, a couple of things I did buy - and love - are from Forever 21. I was trawling their accessory section for the studded bracelets that Sandra recently posted about. I didn't manage to find them but I did find these....

...and I love the quirkyness and the mixed metal effect. For about £3 each I also love the price - a bargain never fails to make me happy :)



By the way, this is what I wore to the mall...you know it, you've seen it but heck I love every single item you see here so it's worth posting, right?  :)

Jacket: GAP
Shirt: Whistles
Shorts: H&M
Bag: Miu Miu
Shoes: Tory Burch

It's been a few days = ramble

* I am covered in freckles...we are talking tons of the things. This means two things: a) Sun damage and b) I don't need to wear so much makeup. The latter is nice, the former not so much. I am using Bioderma SPF50 and I don't even go outside that much but the sun is strong here...so it would seem. I do like a bit of colour - as politically incorrect as that sounds - but I like the evenness that comes from faux tan. What I would give for some St Tropez - I know they sell it here but you have to make some effort to hunt it out...something for the To do list :)
* Bath and Body Works Wallflowers - I have just tweeted about these and boy o boy, these are amazing. I am a HUGE fan of the Slatkin & Co candles that are sold via BABW but the wallflowers are a revelation...incredible smelling flat and none of the candle hassle. You bet I am going back there to stock up! At the moment I have Sensual Amber and Twilight Woods - let me know if you have any scent recommendations :)

Looking forward to getting more regular on the posts - it doesn't feel right to not post at least every other day :)

Have a great Friday!

MAC Smoked Ruby

I was told this was THE shadow to buy in the Semi-Precious collection.

So I went to a counter one day, had a look and a little swipe and walked away. It didn't seem that special and it didn't intrigue me.

But then I was near a MAC counter for the second time. Again, had a look and could see why people like it. A rustic red and black swirled together to make an intriguing combination. But I resisted.

Finally, upon my third visit, I just bloody well got it.

And I am SO glad I did. It's transformative.

When swatched dry it's "nice" but when used wet it's sensational. It becomes a completely different product - a deep, warm metallic that is unlike anything else I own.

I actually semi-hate it when bloggers swatch eye and lip products on hands (especially lip products - what's the ruddy point of that?!) but hey ho, I can't beat 'em so I join them :)

(Dry on the left, wet on the right :)

So far I have used it on it's own, with Urban Decay's Buck in the crease....and as an eyeliner which was recommended by @Tine_77. I would love to hear how you use it though :) 

Sunday's OOTD

I use this heading with jest as this would definitely count as an OOTD fail. 

For most of today I wore trackie bottoms and a loose top. Neither of which co-ordinate together but they are wickedly comfy and perfect for slobbing about in. 

Top: Weekday

Lurid tracksuit bottoms: Victoria Secret

Keepin' it real :)

Here's to a good week ahead of us all!

Erm...

...I am not even sure what this post is really about so I don't have a suitable title for it...here's what is currently in my head:

Airport purchases

I am currently on a business trip for work which means a lot of schmoozing and a teeny bit of work. Tied into that equals a plane ride and a perusal round duty free at Gatwick.

So I picked up Underage lipgloss. Totally not necessary but I just like doing Underage okay?

Sounds wrong. As a colour, so right....

Then I remembered, pre-checkout that my beloved Liz Earle was resting in my bathroom - bloody hell/FFS I cursed to myself (and perhaps out-loud) but every oversight has a silver lining and in this case at least I can now say that I have tried Dermalogica Pre-Cleanse.

Pre-Cleanse is an oil make up remover that markets itself as being extremely thorough and non-irritating. I can't say how different it is from so many others out there except that it smells nice and is really expensive - 150ml for £24 odd quid? Ouch! After an initial outing on my face last night I have to say it works well....I don't begrudge the cost to be honest if it proves to work effectively. Fingers crossed!

OOTN

Not dressy but it was a casual dinner with one colleague and when you work in digital/design you can wear whatever the hell you like. Thank god.

This is a crap OOTN BTW but hey I had the DSLR and I wasn't afraid to use it :)

Jeans: Cheap Monday
Top: BikBok
Shoes: Acne
Jacket: Topshop leather jacket (one of my most cherished items evarrr)


In other news

My hair has decided to turn slightly mmm how do we say this? Warm toned?  I can't say I hate it.

I will confess however that I embarked on a wee bleach bath a few weeks back - mixing shampoo and a little bleach powder/developer and placing on head for a few minutes - and this seems to be the result.



PS. Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara is the sh*t.

Roger that! :) 

Oily face

I love a slightly sweaty face - I really do. I even buy foundations marketed as "dewy" or "glow-giving" in order to get this look and slap on some creamy highlighters to get a reflection going.

I am all about the glow and conversely, not so much about the ropey, tired  face.

Surprising that, isn't it? ;)

Apart from using slap to create a fresh complexion I am also keen to buy any skincare product that promises to do the same. That is even better in my book - you can look fantastic without needing to resort to cosmetics....that my friends is the holy grail!

The closest thing that comes even a smidgen close to doing this on my skin is facial oil.

Facial oils are more nourishing and more intense than a moisturiser. Don't think you need super dehydrated skin to qualify either - they comes for all skin types and problems...

I have dabbled in these a little over the years - admiring the Decleor and Clarins versions when I was about 15, trying Bio-oil (and getting a delightful cystic acne breakout on my face) and then I tried Aromatherapy Associates Anti-Age Oil...



Divine. £41.50 for a little bottle that will last you a year. No joke.

And the difference to the skin? Just 2-3 drops equals even texture and a revived complexion. So it's serum first and then oil second...morning and night if you wish, although I do the double whammy only at night.

Also I wouldn't necessarily recommend this but if you have had one too many G&T's, an oil can do wonders on hungover skin. Slap on before you pass out and you will wake up looking far better than expected.

But...it's all gone.

Sad face.

And me being my fickle self, I feel the longing to try something else.

So for the last week I have been using The Sanctuary's version as recommended to me by my friend Sarah.

This cost me about £17 in Boots and is double the quantity of Aromatherapy Associates, at 30ml versus a puny 15ml.

But is it just as good? Time will tell but they smell suspiciously similar to each other and the blurb sounds promising...

A potent mixture of pure oils, sunflower, jojoba and wheatgerm oil, known to be rich in vitamin E, soak into skin to help hydrate and condition. Rosehip seed oil helps rebuild and strengthen while the balancing duo of precious rose and frankincense both soothe and calm, for skin which looks dewy-soft, radiant and noticeably younger.

Yummy.

I also love the dropper that dispenses the oil as well - it feels that with every application I am medicating my skin younger.

Let's see how it goes. Fingers crossed!

PS..

I did debut my bag today..and I have a photo. But it was shot in the toilets at work and no - this is not an acceptable location for any form of OOTD. I need to rope in unsuspecting friends and/or buy a decent tripod...clothes are a big part of my shopping habit as you will find out :)

For what it's worth...and it's not worth a lot:

Black jacket: Zara
Jeans: Hollister Oceanside Super Skinny
Flats: Topshop
Bag: Zara
An embarrassed expression: Model's own.