10 My New Trusty Black Ankle Boots

Some of you may have read my Christmas wishlist post where I lusted over a beautiful pair of Topshop Chelsea boots. Safe to say, they were definitely out of my price range at a whopping £80 so I stuck to mooning over them online to cheer myself up on particularly bad days.

HOWEVER, last week I invested in a new pair of boots that happen to be almost exactly the same (minus the elasticy bit on the side) for a fraction of the price. I have fallen into ankle boot love and they have seriously improved my life (no joke). 

After my favourite brown boots died a sorrowful death in the snow, I had to pop into town for an emergency shoe buy and came across these beauties in Dorothy Perkins. They were on sale for £20 (YES) and have a teeny tiny heel that make a really satisfying clicking sound on the pavement so pretty much a win in every respect. The only downside is that they’re made of a suede like material which means they scuff quite easily, which for me is an issue as I walk like a ridiculous person and manage to scuff shoes in places they shouldn't be scuffed.

I envisage myself wearing these with everything. You really can’t go wrong with a pair of black ankle boots, can you?

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3 RECIPE: Baked Salmon with Lemon & Garlic.

A healthy low-carb lunch recipe...

This recipe is fast, easy and ridiculously healthy so if you're feeling peckish, pop this bad boy in the oven and treat yourself to a salmon filled parcel of deliciousness without the guilt.

What you need:

Two salmon fillets.
One lemon (sliced, plus juice)
Chilli (fresh, paste or dried).
Dill (fresh or dried).
A clove of garlice (or two if you are a garlic fan!)
Three-four spring onions (chopped).
Salt & Pepper to season.
Salad leaves.
Tin foil & baking tray.

What you need to do:

Preheat your oven to gas mark 7 (220 Celsius) and line a baking tray with tin foil. Next, lay four lemon slices onto the baking tray and then top with your two salmon fillets. 

Then, smear your chilli and garlic onto the salmon fillets, top with chopped spring onions and season with dill, salt and pepper. Drizzle a bit of lemon juice onto the fillets and then wrap the tin foil to create a parcel. Pop the parcel into the oven for around 20 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking away, put a big pile of salad leaves on a plate and dress with whatever dressing you like! I put a bit of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice on mine, but any low fat, tangy dressing would work perfectly. Once the salmon is cooked through and flaky, lay the fillets on the salad leaves and munch away! Bon appétit!

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Let me know in the comments if you've given this recipe a go or if you have any other delicious healthy recipes to share. Excuse the lack of pictures, I was so hungry when I made this that I ate it as soon as it came out of the oven, without a thought for taking some blog-friendly snaps!

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5 Three Fashion Faux Pas that Became Fashion Forward.

Whether you’re at the front of the fash pack or (like me) lurking somewhere at the back, we all know that fashion goes in circles. Many of our favourite trends and designs are drawn from previous eras and while they’re updated and modernised, the inspiration is pretty much clearly there. Many of us are now rocking styles that were made famous in decades gone by and our obsession with our stylish ancestors shows no sign of stopping. With vintage boutiques popping up here, there and well…everywhere, our love affair with bygone fashion definitely seems here to stay. Before you start throwing salty language my way, I’m 100% not knocking vintage fashion but it is fun to look back at terrible ideas (or so they seemed) that have transformed into fashion forward and high street friendly trends.

Bum Bags

Convinient? Yes. Safe? Check. Cool? Absolutely not. I’m willing to bet that those poor souls who suffered needlessly through the bum bag era thanked their lucky stars that this trend came to an end 

(except it didn't). 

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For some unknown reason, bum bags re-reared their ugly heads a few years ago. Suddenly celebrities from Rihanna to Pixie Lott were donning their low-slung body bags and people actually liked it. You may have noticed from my tone that I've yet to be convinced. Nevertheless, the bum bag became a big fashion trend again in 2009, marginally improved by stylish fabric and studs. Perhaps they might still have a place at festivals or in areas with a particularly high mugging rate, but I still think they should stay far, far away in the 1990s.

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MC Hammer Pants.

Hammer pants were made popular by the 1980s rapper, Stanley Burrell (aka MC Hammer, fools) and apparently, the saggy crotch and fitted ankle made them perfect for hip hop dancing. They also made them perfect for looking like an absolute troll. 

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However, the bulging nappy look returned to us 21st Century fashionistas and harem pants became the hot new trouser silhouette in 2009. And they're still with us in 2013, ASOS and other retailers continue to feed our dropped crotch trouser need. I admit, I was skeptical of harem trousers at the beginning but they have slowly grown on me. They are just so frickin' comfy. 

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Daisy Dukes.

These impossibly short shorts were made famous in the 1970s show The Dukes of Hazzard. While Catherine Bach looked hot in her denim cutoffs, not many people could pull off the teeny tiny shorts. It is said that Catherine had to wear nude tights so that she didn't expose too much of herself while filming, so you get the danger of donning a pair of daisy dukes.

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I'm not entirely sure that short shorts ever fully went away, but knicker shorts and tiny denim shorts have definitely come to the forefront in recent years. Lets be honest, you can't pop into Topshop without inadvertently glimpsing a bit too much of a fellow shoppers bum and the less said about nights out the better. I'm probably being bitter though; there's no way I could pull off a pair of sequin knicker shorts. No way in hell.

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2 Steal Her Style: Rita Ora

Having left a blazing trail of fun and effortlessly stylish fashion in 2012, Rita Ora continues to fly the flag for street-luxe-meets-old-Hollywood glam in the New Year. Our favourite songstress leapt to fame last year with her chart topping hits R.I.P and How We Do (Party) but has also been rubbing shoulders with the fash pack ever since her eclectic wardrobe stole the spotlight.

Safe to say, the Brit has taken the fashion world by storm. Citing Gwen Stefani as her ultimate style icon, Rita mixes the 90s urban look with red lippie and statement jewellery. Her no-fear approach to style has captured the attention of super-cool Italian brand Superga, where she is set to front their Spring/Summer campaign (taking over from icon Alexa Chung). Other fashion houses have also been clamouring to dress her, with favourites like Vivienne Westwood, Pucci and McQ already leaving their mark on the Kosovan beauty. 

(All items from fashionunion.com)

Rita’s urban glam style has had a huge influence on our highstreet wardrobes. The fact is, rocking her look couldn’t be easier. The key to achieving the look is to mix sport style with more feminine pieces. For a daytime outfit, Rita isn’t afraid to don a pair of high tops with a bold printed bodycon dress, finishing the look with layers of statement jewellery. To keep warm in the winter months, baggy denim jackets, oversized parka jackets and beanies are Rita-approved ways of staying stylish and cosy. The fash queen has proved that the horror of clashing prints is a thing of the past, so we should seriously think about mixing the likes of leopard print with geometric designs for our daytime wardrobe.

(All items from fashionunion.com)

  As a winner of the ‘Best Newcomer’ in the British Red Carpet Fashion Awards, Rita knows when to step out of the high tops and into a pair of heels. The singer knows how to work fashion-forward evening wear and we can definitely take a leaf out of the star’s lookbook for our Saturday night party dresses. Channelling old Hollywood glamour, the songstress combines bold prints with classic shapes to create a sleek and dramatic red carpet look. To create our own Rita-inspired evening look, the first rule is to wear a statement dress. The singer’s evening looks often channel ladylike sophistication, so midi or maxi dresses are a must to recreate her style. To bring in some urban glam, accessorise with bang-on-trend jewellery and slip on a pair of platform boots. An oversized clutch bag completes the look. Of course, Rita’s vintage-inspired curls and her signature red lipstick are also mandatory.

(All items from fashionunion.com)

Whether you’re inspired by Rita’s eclectic urban luxe daywear or her Hollywood glamourpuss evening wear, the British singer is set to become an even bigger style icon in 2013. The fact is, her loud style reminds us that fashion is fun, creative and the perfect way to express ourselves!

17 REVIEW: Makeup brushes on a budget.

Hello!

I have a confession to make. I'm poor. My life is generally in a state of ridiculousness at the moment but I'm pretty convinced that's no excuse for not having a nice face. Because of my state of poverty, my makeup brush collection had got into a terrible state - I was reduced to one powder brush, one angled blusher brush, a blending brush and a shadow brush. And that's it. I know, #firstworldproblems. 

I'd heard on the grapevine that the Fraulein 38 brushes were good but I was initially skeptical - I'm used to Mac brushes but I've pretty much lost all of them (having moved house a lot in the past 3 years). The Fraulein 38 brushes are ridiculously cheap, however, so I decided to bite the bullet and invest regardless. I went for the 7 piece travel set that includes:

• Powder brush, 
• Blush brush, 
• Foundation brush, 
• Eyeshadow brush,
• Small shader brush,
• Sponge eyeshadow applicator,
• Nasal shadow brush (I imagine this is used for contouring...)
• Travel bag.

All this costed me around £7.30. Ridiculous, right?!

In my mind, cheap brushes never give the same results as pricier makeup brushes but here is my review of the travel size brushes!

The Powder Brush:

Not a huge fan of this brush - though mostly for size reasons. Travel sized powder brushes are a bit useless in my opinion, I prefer a much bigger brush. On the plus side, the bristles are beautifully soft and do give a good coverage. In the end, I decided to give this brush to my mum, who uses smaller brushes (I'm kind AND giving). 

The Blush Brush:

I love this brush! I'm using to for contouring purposes, rather than blushing (?!) purposes but it's working great. Once again, SUPER soft bristles and a perfect size for my tiny midget hands.

The Foundation Brush:

I'm a keen bean for this foundation brush. It's very small (travel sized, innit) but I quite like that because it means you can get into all the crooks and nannies nooks and crannies of your face. I might even prefer it to my old Mac foundation brush because it's much more soft - my foundation seems to glide on!

The Eyeshadow Brush, The Small Shader Brush and the Nasal Shadow Brush:

All of these are BRILLIANT. I use the nasal shadow brush on my eye creases however, as I have no need for nasal shadow.Which sounds like something very hairy men get after a few hours after shaving their noses.

The Sponge Eyeshadow Applicator:

I hate these things. I really don't know what use they are. This one is not absorbent enough to apply eyeshadow so I'm using it as a bit of a smudger for my eyeliner. A bit of a useless addition to the brush set, I'm afraid. 

My verdict? An excellent makeup set for £7.30. Some of the brushes are a bit redundant but the shadow brushes are worth that money on their own. Definitely a brilliant investment and a great addition to your makeup kit, particularly if you're on a budget!

So there you have it, my review of the Fraulein 38 travel size brush kit. Buy this set of brushes here and browse the rest of the range here!
:)

 

Teapot Love 

xoxo

2 The Fight for Fakery.

Why I’m gluing on false eyelashes and bidding good day to natural beauty.

We’re bombarded with conflicting messages in the media these days: look beautiful (a cross between Mila Kunis and Scarlett Johansson if poss) but don’t overdo it. Get that must have sunkissed look but step away from the fake tan. Peer through big, bold eyes but falsies are a no-no.

The natural look is championed by the BBC’s Snog, Marry, Avoid? show where POD (the most irritating thing on TV, ever) gives the participants a make-under. The personal overhaul device strips the participants of their “fakery” and puts them in rubbish clothes, with crap haircuts/wigs and dull makeup. To be honest, most of them looked better before going on the show and practically all of them go back to their previous looks afterwards. I don’t blame them. False eyelashes are great.

The fact is, most of us look ill without makeup. And those who don’t look ill probably have mascara hidden down their bras. People can shout “she must have low self-esteem!” at me all you like but the proof is in the pics.

Of course, moderation is the buzz word used by fans of makeup/tan/all things artificial. If that works for you then that's great. However, us gals who like to slap on a little more than tinted moisturiser and a slick of mascara shouldn't feel guilty. I've had countless comments along the lines of "...Lauren wears a lot of makeup doesn't she?" or "Why do you fake tan? What's the point?" I would never dream of saying to someone "Why don't you use concealer? You look a bit peaky" and it should work the other way too.

At the end of the day, makeup/tan/extensions/eyelashes exist to improve and glam up your appearance. What's wrong with that? Appearances count for a lot, whether you want to be self-righteous or not, so why not stick on a lash and have a good time!

Teapot love

xox

15 Ruth's A/W'12 Must Have Beauty Looks...

Helloooo,

Lauren has asked me to do a spot of make up blogging for you all so here it goes...

This A/W season my must have looks are dewy skin and bold lips!!

Look One: Dewy Skin.

In the cold months ahead I think it's important that we don't let the weather take the glow out of our faces and the best way to do this is with a light reflecting foundation. Here is a list of some foundations I recommend for this look:

• On a budget? Why not try Rimmel Wake Me-Up Foundation.
• Little bit of extra cash in the bank? I really recommend M.A.C Mineralize Satinfinish Foundation.
• For those of you that want to splash out, I love Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturizing Foundation.
• If you usually like a matte face, why not try SLEEK Luminous Pressed Powder over the top to cover those shiney T zones!

Look Two: Bold Lips.

It's really important when doing a strong lipped look to remember that your eyes should stay to a minimum, as you don't want the attention from your lips to be lost. So keep it simple a touch of eyeliner and mascara can go a long way! 

The colour you go for will depend on your skin tone but my favorite places to buy lipsticks from are No.17 (available at Boots in the UK) and M.A.C however an item I have not been able to live without is my Bobbi Brown 1991 lip palette which is still available in some stores if you ask! It has such a wide range of colours and comes with a cute little lip brush so easy to change my look from day with a neutral pastel colour to night with a strong burgundy red!

Here is a little example that I have done on Lauren. Products used are as follows:

• M.A.C Mineralize Satinfinish Foundation.
• Benefit Boi-ing Concealer.
• No. 17 Brow Pencil.
• Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Loose Powder.
• Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Liner in Gunmetal.
• Topshop Cheeks Highligheter stick in Bay on the hollows or the cheek and luminescence on the appels.
• No.17 Blow out masscara.
• No.17 Lasting Fix lipstick in black.

Happy Make-uping

Ruth xoxo