My Pinspiration: Collars and jumpers

 Original photo sources:  1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

I apologise for the bad pun (I'm sure that I'm not the first to have come up with that corker...) but I wanted to do a post on the best place there is to find any kind of inspiration- Pinterest! I mean really, online scrapbooking! Whoever came up with that idea is a total genius! Anyway, as I'm sure you all have and love Pinterest as much as I do, I won't go on about it, but do check mine out if you fancy and please send me your links too. I love finding new people to follow.

So, onto my recent pins. I'm a huge lover of jumpers of all shapes and sizes (really, I need to stop buying them, it's getting a little out of hand), and one of my favourite ways to wear them is with a collar poking out of the top. I think this style has got a great autumnal feel to it and I love how you can mix smart with casual; for example a smart jumper with a denim collar or second hand slouchy jumper with a clean cut cream collar. I also love patterned collars, or ones that add colour to an outfit. Really, the possibilities with this look are endless!

I thought that I'd also give a little life update for those of you who are interested. I've been back at Uni for a month now and have been rehearsing hard for our theatre company's performance of DNA by Dennis Kelly. It's been really fantastic but of course, very hard work (as these things should be!) We've got our dress rehearsal tonight and then the show opens on Wednesday, which is a terrifying but extremely exciting prospect. It also means that once this week is over, I'll be getting my life back again (or some of it anyway...) and I can't wait to get back to the blogging world. More than anything, I've missed reading everyone's blogs, although it's probably been better for my bank account :) And of course (shameless plug coming up) if any of you live in or around  Sheffield, come along and see the show!!

Essie x

Review: Sleek Blusher

Sleek Blusher: £9.99

I've actually had this post in the pipe lines for ages now but, due to an incredibly busy last few weeks, I haven't got round to posting it (sorry). Whilst this means that I appear to be very late on the bandwagon with Sleek's 'Lace' palette, it also follows that I've tried and tested this product for a couple of months now, something that I think is important for a review as opinions can change so quickly (or is that just me?)

I'll be honest with you, blusher is something that I've always been a bit unsure about. I never know what colour is best for my skin tone, or even whether I'm putting it in the right place, and so I've never been fantastic at experimenting with it. However, after seeing this palette appearing on so many blogs and as the blusher I had been using for ages was at an end, I thought that it was about time to give it a try. As I hope you can see from the pictures, the colours in this palette are really gorgeous. I've done a swab of them at their most intense but the great thing with this blusher is that it blends beautifully. This also means that a little goes a long way and after about two months of daily use, I've barely got a dent in any of the colours. The colour that I currently use the most is 'Crochet', which pleasantly surprised me as I've never used a coral blush before. I do love the pink 'Chantilly' colour, although I sometimes think that it can bring out the redness in my skin if I'm having a bad blemish day. I like to use 'Guipure'  to create a  more natural, glowy look and also use it as a highlighter as it's got a real shimmer to it.

All in all I'm absolutely over the moon with this palette. It was only £9.99, which I think is amazing value for money. Sleek's made me feel far more excited about blusher and hopefully from now on I will feel braver and try out different colours and palettes. Oof, cheesy but true :) 

I'd love to know what you think of Sleek's palette if you've tried it. Have you got a favourite colour? 

Essie x

Review: L'Oréal's Ever Riche shampoo and conditioner

As anyone who knows me will be fully (and painfully... sorry) aware, my hair and I have a very bad relationship. This sad reality is due to the fact that my hair is exceptionally fine. So fine in fact that three different hairdressers have told me that I have the finest (and most tangley) hair that they've ever had the displeasure to comb (they didn't say it in quite those words...) This means that it dries out in a flash, gets horribly knotty looking if I don't brush it regularly and has next to no volume. You can imagine how excited I was therefore when I discovered a shampoo and conditioner that has turned all of this on it's head!

I started using L'Oréal's Ever Riche shampoo and conditioner about a month ago and, in a nutshell, I absolutely love it! The first point that I have to make is that this stuff actually smells like heaven. And I mean actually! It says that it's made of 'botanical oils, camelina and apricot seed', which doesn't really help describe the scent but it smells incredibly natural and so good that I want to try and eat it. Which I promise I won't do. 

In addition to it's heavenly scent, this product really has made my hair feel beautifully soft and much thicker than usual. A hairdresser once told me that L'Oréal is a great brand for haircare as they're owned by the same company that makes really good quality salon brand products, her thinking being that surely it's all the same technology that's used to create products that care for your hair instead of simply coating it in silicones and waxes. I obviously don't know how true this is, but the Ever Riche product certainly seems to prove her right. I have been using the one for dry, fine hair (although they have different types), which promises nourished and flowing hair that feels 'satin soft', and it's certainly delivered. My hair does indeed feel so much healthier, softer and is most definitely not as knotty as usual. It also feels really clean, and so, although I am no expert, I feel that the 'no sulphate' and 'no waxes' promise really does make a difference. The one thing that it doesn't do is add volume to my hair, but I've actually found that I haven't been as bothered about that as usual. Maybe becasue it looks healthier?

So, now I've finished getting more excited about shampoo and conditioner than I ever have in my life, I'd love to hear what your favourite haircare brands are? Do you use this product and if so, what do you think? Has it impressed you as much as it has me, or do you have another favourite that gets you as excited as I just have? If that's possible.

Essie x

Liebster award: a li'l about me

So, I've got a slightly different post for you all today. A while back the lovely Em from Mascara Warrior tagged me in her Liebster award post which got me SO excited. I always love to read other people’s tag posts because I think that it’s such a great way to get to know other bloggers, but I never dreamed that someone would tag my li'l baby blog. I especially like this tag, which has been circulating for a while now, as it's specifically aimed at newbies. I hope you find it interesting and not too rambly, and please check out the blogs that I have tagged!

Here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who nominated you. 
2. Answer the eleven questions from the person who nominated you.
3. Write down eleven more questions. 
4. Nominate eleven more bloggers that have less than 200 followers. (I've gone on Bloglovin followers as that's what I use)
5. Let the bloggers you've chosen know about it.

So, without any more ado, here are the questions from Em: 
 
1. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? 

There are SO many places that I would love to go to! I’d say top of my list to travel to would be South East Asia because it's meant to be so beautiful but not bank breaking (relitively speaking). In terms of a holiday however, I would probably have to choose Tuscany in Italy because it’s just stunning. Or I would love to go back to New Zealand and Australia if money was no object. Ahh, just too many amazing places in the world!! 

2. Are you an extrovert or an introvert?

I think that I have a bit of both in me, but when I asked Rob he answered 'extrovert' immediately. So I suppose I should go with extrovert…

3. What are some interests of yours besides beauty and makeup?

Oh goodness I have quite a few. I spend nearly every minute of the day at Uni doing 'drama-ry things', which I'm aware is very vague but if I start talking about it all then I'll probably never stop. I love making and watching theatre, singing, dancing, crafty things... I could go on but I won't.

4. You woke up late and have five minutes to do your makeup! What do you reach for?

Haha, well in reality I’d probably just be late but I suppose that doesn’t really answer the question, so I’d say my Collection 2000 concealer and some mascara. I'd tie my hair up, which is something that I’ve only been able to do pretty recently as it’s been too short for so long (it’s still an exciting novelty!) throw on a comfy jumper and leggings or jeans and run out the door like a maniac!

5. What's your favorite type of clothing or accessory?

I’m drawn to oversized, second hand jumpers like a magpie to shiny things. I realised the other day that I don’t actually own a jumper that I’ve bought new. Oops? I also love frilly socks. I’ve kind of missed wearing them over the summer and can’t wait to start putting them with EVERYTHING now Autumn's arriving.

6. What's the last thing that you genuinely laughed at?

My brother got married this weekend and it was the most wonderful, happy occasion. I did a lot of smiling and laughing with my family, but the speeches were what got me going properly. Nothing beats a good wedding speech, especially when they're taking the mick out of my big bro!

7. What's your favourite book, movie, song, or television show?

Ooh this is where I reveal the geeky side of me. I could go on about all of the classics that I adore (and there are a lot, I promise!) but deep down I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. Like, HUGE. In terms of music, I'm currently obsessed with Bastille and Of Monsters and Men, as well as being a true Adele and Emeli Sande fan. And if I start listing my favourite films and TV shows we'll be here till Christmas!! 

8. What skill do you wish you had, or one you wish you could do better?

I wish I was good with a sewing machine. I have so many items of clothing that I would love to alter, but I just don't have the skills (or a sewing machine for that matter...) 

9. If you could speak any language fluently, what would it be and why?

I'd probably say French, because I was so rubbish at it at school. Then I could be in French movies with lovely French actors... hmmm... I'll keep dreaming...

10. Name something off of the top of your bucket list.

To run the London Marathon.

11. What do you usually do when you want to have fun?

It totally depends. Everything that I do keeping busy at Uni is for fun (although sometimes I have to remind myself that when I'm feeling a tad stressed). I love every minute that I spend with my friends, a good family get together and, of course, spending time with Rob comes top of the list!

And here are my questions to the following lovely ladies:

Sophie from That's What Sophie Said

Melissa from Melissa Loves This

Daisy from I Am Daisy Alice

Mollie from What Mollie Did

Lisa from Damn Precious

Millie from Smudges of Thoughts

Beckie from Belle et Beaut

Rachael from Rachaeleeno

Emily from Freckles and Flaws 

Lottie from Huckleberry Friend

Bec and Amy from Beautibop

1. What do you love most about blogging?
2. What would be your number one beauty tip?

3. Describe your perfect place to live.
4. If you had to go back to a period in history, when would you choose and why?
5. What's your favourite season?

6. Shoes or handbags?

7. What would be your perfect way to spend a weekend?
8. Is there anything that you would like to achieve before the end of the year?
9. Who's the blogger that you most look up to?
10. Who do you most look up to outside of the blogging world?
11. And here's the mean question; describe yourself if five words (sorry) :)

Essie x