Laura Mercier Smokey Violets

Laura Mercier is a brand that I haven't really looked at before but recently I have been gravitating towards that stand every time I visit my local Space NK or John Lewis. The products are high end so good quality with high levels of pigmentation coupled with chic packaging which will give the classic look I long for. 

The Christmas collection really caught my eye this year and has also managed to indulge my love of make up palettes...

Lust at first sight with the Laura Mercier Colour-To-Go in Smoky Violets. Anything with a different way of presenting the products and I just can't contain the excitement and this palette features a double decker design.

Open the first layer and you are confronted with a full mirror and the piece de resistance as far as I am concerned the eye colours that give the palette this name.

From left to right you have the trio of eye shadows, soft with great pigmentation and easily buildable and blendable for a basic day look or something a little smokier for the evening. In the far left we have the luster finish in 'Violet Steel' and in the middle a matte 'Plum Smoke', to the right there is another luster finish to be used as a highlighter which is a 'pink champagne' shade. The darkest shade in the palette is a tight liner in exclusive shade Violet Asphalt. Use a damp liner brush to get the right depth of colour otherwise it is all just a bit 'meh'.

Open up the second level and there is a beautifully presented bronzing powder in 'Golden Bronze' a second skin cheek colour in 'Barely Pink' and one of the famous lip glacé products in a nude 'After Hours'. I really really do like the finish that the blusher gives you and is different to other things that I have as it is matte rather than a little shimmery. A little does go a long long way so I will definitely be checking out some of the other colours.

The lip product has a milky finish and a lovely pink nude colour which again is different to anything that I have but I'm afraid that is where the things I like about this end.  It does have a tendency to look a little 'gloopy' and sticks to any dry spots that you have on your lips. It also has the most horrific smell, I think it is supposed to be chocolate / coco butter but there is an underlying chemical plastic scent that makes me want to gag. For now it can just stay in the palette and continue to look pretty which it definitely does.

This is definitely going to be in my make up bag through out Christmas especially when we travel home as it is practically a whole face in one beautiful packaged palette. 

It can be found at Space NK for £31.00 here.

Learning something new

So last weekend, on a rather chilly and damp Sunday I made a quick trip down the M5 to Weston-Super-Mare. Let me tell you, it is as glamourous as it sounds. I was heading to Loves Cafe, to meet with Hayley from Lovely Craft Works who had promised me that she would be able to teach me crochet in 5 hours, and not only that I would leave with something I had made. 

I learnt to knit a long time a go but can't remember how to do it at all, and I have never crocheted (not even sure if that is a word). 

We started the day learning the basic single chain, and then how to add to this with double chains to make rows. This would make a basic square. I choose pink wool and have kept my first 5 rows of crochet.

Pink wool and my first hook

My first 5 rows!!!

Once we got this far, we swapped and started again. Choosing colours to make our first product, a draw string bag that would house our valentines themed key chains. Hayley was keen to show us how to make something simple, but also learn how to change colours. 

I'm not going to say that it was really easy, as I had to think all the time about what I was doing to ensure I got straight and flat chains. Hayley was so patient with me, at first I was all fingers and thumbs but eventually you do get into a rhythm. It becomes all engrossing and is a great place for some escapism. It doesn't play well to my perfectionist tendencies as I became more and more obsessed with how it looked, which was basically wonky!

Row on row of crochet

Managed to actually do 2 colours

My finished article

One day I might be able to make all these lovely things

My practising hasn't gone so well I'm afraid, so I am looking forward to my next meet up with Hayleys' loopy group on the 1st March and finding out what other little delights I can try and make. I am really enjoying learning something new and my friends and family can rest assured that they may well end up with crochet birthday and Christmas presents for years to come.

Katie x x

Instagram Memories #3

 

 

 

 

Christmas day in the sun with a beautiful pool /// Christmas cocktails

 

 

 My 2 favourite people in the world Nephew Jack /// Niece Molly

  

 

New brand blusher /// My new 'Bristol Slippers'  

 

 New brand nail polishes which I've been having so much fun with /// Useless but necessary Paperchase purchase
 

Instagram Memories #2

 

Finally got the Oyster & Caviar Palette from Bobbi Brown which I love love love /// My 'first Christmas' bauble now on my tree

 

A token Christmas tree in the Nicholls household /// Hoping we've been good and that he might make a surprise visit before heading abroad

 

Blog planning for the Christmas holidays /// Planning, iPad and home decor porn = perfect evening in

 

Lone trip to the cinema and I was convinced to buy the worlds biggest drink all to myself /// Amazing street food in Bristol, nom nom

 

Wrapping style 2012 /// Pre-holiday pamper treat

Quick #notd

 

 A very quick nail of the day post from me, as I'm trying to get in the festive mood and I love this more sophisticated work friendly take on 'sparkle'. 

On the nail is elf 'Dark Navy', topped with a coat of Revlon 'Sequins' finished with Leighton Denny 'Crystal Finish'.

I love dark short nails particularly in winter but it is nearly Christmas after all and during one of my little wanders around Boots at the weekend I saw that it was 3 for 2 on Revlon makeup, and with any 3 purchases you got this free 'Sequin' polish. That is FREE people and obviously the 3 other items I HAD to buy were a necessity. Let me tell you it was not hard to buy 3 Revlon make up products (but that is a whole other post coming shortly). I knew as soon as I got it that it would look great on top of the 'Dark Navy' already in my collection!

OK so I have to tell you about the top coat as well. You may be thinking...how can you get so excited about something so boring! But the search for the perfect top coat has been ongoing. I want high shine and a smooth finish and I also want my nail varnish to last longer than one day. Until I found this, I had not found it. 

I have seen this on a couple of blogs and thought I'd give it a go, but it is quite pricey at £11 for one bottle and I picked this beauty up in M&S (also a surprise). This is without a doubt the best top coat I have ever used and definitely ticks all the boxes, so until I find one that is even better this will continue to be gracing my little fingers.

Instagram Memories #1

I have always loved seeing peoples Instagram and photo diaries on their blogs so thought I would share some of the recent things that I've been snapping, over my birthday and this festive period so far.

 

 Some Christmas Decoration Inspiration from John Lewis /// Making the work phone a little more interesting

 

Some amazing Christmas decorations in the John Lewis Christmas shop 

 

Festive evening at Bath Christmas Market /// The parents came to stay so I got in the provisions

 

New Birthday onsie and Christmas slipper socks getting snuggly /// First frost

 

The cheese monster from Pizza Provencale in Clifton - DELICIOUS!!! /// Enjoying some mulled wine at the Christmas market with the bestie

Christmas Tag!

Hello!

I have found this Christmas Tag going around, and the first one I read was from Beauty Becky and it seems it originated from Georgina at Makeup-Pixi3 (credit to her for the picture), who I have also now subscribed to!

It is one of the first tags I've got involved in so I am excited to share it with you.

As a kid I loved Christmas (obviously) and every year I try to re-create a small amount of that magic, and this year I am getting crafty. Can't wait to show you a couple of things that I have been making to get my home looking festive. I've also been pinning like crazy on my Christmas pinterest board.

So let me tell you a little bit about why Christmas is still one of my favourite times of the year.

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

Hot chocolate, mulled wine, hats and gloves, Christmas lights and champagne...lots of champagne.

What is your favourite make up look for the festive season?

All that glitters. I'm a firm believer that over the festive season the more glitter the better.

Real tree or fake tree?

100% real tree! Although we won't be getting one this year as we are going away for a week between Christmas and New Year and I don't want to come back to a dead tree so it will be the fake one for us this year.

Giving presents or receiving presents?

As a child it was always receiving presents of course and I still love the joy of a beautifully wrapped gift with my name on it, particularly if whats in it is from the approved birthday list! Although when we were younger we were all given a small sum of money, I think it was £10 to spend £5 on each of our siblings. I would spend a long time thinking about what to get them with my small fortune and opening them on Christmas eve, when we were all so EXCITED before the big man himself would show up.

As an adult I still get such great joy in searching for, wrapping and giving the perfect gift, something I think you can only appreciate when you are grown up. But I like to think that this came from my early appreciation of buying presents for my brother and sister.

Do you open your Christmas presents morning or evening?

Of course as Santa comes down the chimney very early Christmas morning, and leaves presents in your stocking these have to be opened as early as possible Christmas morning. 

But our tradition is that other presents from friends and family would be opened in the afternoon after lunch (well actually after the Queen's speech). I do really really like this, as it spreads out the excitement of Christmas day for that little bit longer. Testing when you are  7 years old that's for sure!

Handmade Christmas cards or bought?

If only there was time to hand make cards! Maybe one day, but for now it's shop brought Christmas cards. Often from the sales the year before ready for the next.

What is your favourite Christmas film?

Home Alone. Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

What is your favourite Christmas food?

David's nan makes the most amazing biscuit cake and every year she makes special Christmas versions which form the centre piece of David's parents Christmas table. She now makes us one, and I feel such pride when I use it as the centre piece for mine. As I said above, David and I are starting to make our own traditions and this feels like one. It is also AMAZING and we eat so much of it over the festive period!!!


I love this tag! It has gotten me even more excited for Christmas now! I tag all of you to do this and please link it below so I can read it.

Christmas 'Stocking' Treats

This weekend a couple of lovely ladies came down to visit for my birthday, in order to thank them for their long drive and as a little pre-Christmas treat (I will be away over the festive period and won't see them) I wanted to put together a selection of beauty products for them, many of which I have seen on the blogs that I read with good reviews. 

From left to right

Lindt Balls  - these are AMAZING and any Christmas stocking is incomplete without a little sugary goodness.

Superdrug Calming Mud Mask

Balmi Lipbalms - in coconut and strawberry

Lush Sunnyside Bubble Bath Bars - these smell so good and foam up to create a luxurious bubbly glitter bath. Girl heaven!

Accessorize Bag Hooks

Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets

Natural Collection Polish - cosmic crush and red robin

Cath Kidston Notebooks - stationery of course

The girls were so excited to receive their little gift bags and loved all of the products. We had such a fun girly night doing our face masks and nails!  

 What would you put in a Christmas stocking for your friends this year? 

 

Birthday & Christmas Wish List

December is fast approaching and is not only a firm festive favourite but is also my birthday month, in fact my birthday is a mere 6 days away.

So here is my birthday wish list, and anything left over goes straight onto the Christmas list (lol)!

1. Hunter Wellies

So I moved to Bristol, and let me tell you a little secret - it rains! A lot! I'm fed up of getting wet feet which makes me miserable for the whole day. These are glossy and adjustable, what more could you want from something so practical.

2. Evernote moleskine notebook

If your not already using Evernote to help you organise your life, then you need to be. I have since 2011 and it literally has my whole life on it. This notebook is designed to make photographing the notes even easier and so will really help when I'm planning some of my work projects. Also who would ever hate receiving stationery!

3. Hunter welly socks

I don't just want dry feet, but I want warm feet to, and these will be just perfect.

4. Lily flame candle in Blush

I was given one of these as a present maybe 3 years ago for Christmas and I was hoooked. The whole range smells AMAZING but this one in particular is my favourtie. It is a strong floral, girly smell and I love, love, love it. It has a regular spot on any gift list I am creating! The whole range is available at John Lewis, and I suggest you go down and have a sniff.

5. Calvin Klein Euphoria

Check out my post on 'My Favourite....Fragrance' - nuff said.

6. Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight face mask

I have read so many great reviews on this, but I have such sensitive skin. So I went to Origins and got a tester and I love it. It makes my skin feel amazing and it also smells delicious too, and so the full size product has earned its way onto the wish list - fingers crossed.

7. Per Una Slippers

These also make a regular appearance as they are my favourite. They look snuggly and the fleece lining means they are. They also have memory foam soles, so they shape to your feet. My shoulders relax just thinking about slipping these on!

8. Duo Boots

Duo boots, is a shop (both online and in the real world) that specialises in making boots in a variety of calf and foot widths. So those of you with the skinnest and the curviest of legs can still get your hands on very fashionable shoes. I brought my first pair a couple of years ago, and until their recent demise wore them almost religiously from around October to April. It is time to invest in another pair and these have caught my eye. I have noted to the parentals, that I appreciate they are rather expensive so we could compromise and for one time only I would consider a joint birthday and Christmas present (one of the horrible things about having a birthday in December).

9. A Personal Planner

I saw these on blogs from those who attended the Leeds #bblogger meet up and I'm hooked. Anything that says; stationery, personal, and organised has me hooked. The site allows you design your own diary or planner and upload your own cover and name. What could be more perfect for a budding blogger.