Leather, Stripes and Studs

I am a big fan of how leather looks, however being a vegetarian I am not keen on where it comes from. So when I found this fake leather pencil skirt I knew I had to have it. It was perfect for our last night date. I paired it with some studded silletos, of course, but also a striped multi coloured chiffion top that soften the look. Ths skirt has the ability to be dressed up or down and I am going to try it with a casual T and some flats next.

Weekly round up: Vases

I thought I would shake things up with the round up this week. With spring here there is an abundance of beautiful cut flowers around. With some many vases on the market it can be tricky to find the right ones. I hold a small collection of vases all the time, a few big ones and an army of bud vases. I also like to find unique items to use as vases such as old liqueur bottles, Mason jars, old candle jars

1. Hexagon Vase - Collected
2. Swirl vase - Stevens
3. Pastel pop Vase - The Warehouse
4. Copper Geo vase - Vintage love
5. Swan Vase - IkoIko
6. Montana flower vase - Briscoes

Seaside Green

Before we lived together Brendan and I would often go on drives in the weekends, most of the time we had no idea where we were going to end up. The other day we did that again and happened to stumble across the beautiful beach. It was just too pretty not to take a few photos. The best part about spring is being able to wear cut off jeans again, this pair are so comfy and flattering. I am trying to love green a bit more lately so this top with a mix of green, black and yellow is my new thing. Together they make a great weekend outfit.

Weekly Round Up: Blush

Blush has taken me a long time to love and understand how to use. A lot of people say to apply it to the apples of cheeks when you are smiling but I find that when you stop smiling it tends to make your cheeks look lower. Instead I sweep it upwards along my cheek bones, this gives my face a bit of definition also. Here are my favourites.

1. Phoenix cosmetics Hush pink Mineral Matte Blush: The great thing about this blush is the girls at phoenix matched it to my skin tone through my custom blend foundation, so I know it suits me. The powder is build able so I can choose how intents I go. The powder sits seamlessly on top of my custom blend foundation from the same company.
2. Jordana Blushing Rose: Such a beautiful colour and blends really well. The deep rose is probably more of a winter colour as it is very dramatic. There is a slight golden shimmer to this which makes it very wearable for night time.
3. Kleancolor American Chick in Fruit Sorbet: Never mind the very low price tag for this the blush, the colour is absolutely beautiful. A nix of hot pink, lavender, tone balancing yellow and much more. This blush gives a stunning effect on the skin, with a small amount of product going a long way. My favourite low cost blush. 
4. Elf St Lucia: This is the blush from the blush and bronzer palette. I have never touched the bronzer but this dusty rose and gold shimmer blush is almost gone. It adds a lot of warmth to the face and works well to add some definition. Elf is a great quality low cost brand

After I wrote this I noticed my lack of blush! Leave a comment and let me know which ones I should try!

Pastel Perfect

There is something about pastel colours that shout spring time, they are soft, fun and ultra girlie. Mix that with polka dots and the outcome is perfect for a spring weekend. I mixed this up with a vintage bag since the ruffles in this top give it a slight vintage feel. This look can be paired with flats for a great spring casual look.

What I've learnt: Self confidence

 

The confidence we have within ourselves and about ourselves is hugely important to how the rest of the world interacts with you and your attitude towards life. I can be hard to achieve and although I may be relatively young I have learnt a lot about how self confidence is effected and achieved.

Growing up I didn't have a lot of self confidence, I was a tom boy so I put on this front of "I don't care what you say" but to this day the bullying and name calling from childhood has stuck with me. Being called "Freckle face"  for the most part of my younger days is the reason I am yet to love my freckles, for a while during the wedding planning I thought about getting a long sleeve dress because I was so worried about how the photos would look if you could see that my arms are covered in freckles but I have learnt not only how to reduce them with makeup but more importantly to focus more on the features I do love about myself. I have tried so many creams to fade them but once I accepted them as part of who I am and remembered that there are some people who find them endearing I became more comfortable.
I think a lot of self confidence is about being comfortable with who you are. Yes there are things we all don't like about ourselves but being able to see past those thing and keeping in mind that you are more than your "flaws".
I got to a point in my life where what people thought of me affected how I lived my life and how I felt about myself so much that I needed to take a step back and look at myself. I had a loving and supportive family, a boyfriend who thought I was beautiful, funny and clearly loved me since we are now married. I had to realise that although I didn't have a huge group of girlfriends like the movies, my friends would do anything for me in a heartbeat, which is much more important than how many people I could call a friend. It was at this time that I realised my self confidence was not only more important but also influenced how people acted towards me. From that moment on I have really worked on the way I feel about myself. To not doubt people when they give me a compliment, to not justify why I left the house in track pants, understanding that if I am negative about myself around people that will rub off on them.
Most of the days I lack confidence is because of the pressure I put on myself, Can i do something as well as she can? Do I look as nice as she did when I wear my hair like that? Did they notice that I haven't wiped down the windows? It's the pressure I put on myself to be perfect, which is silly because I know that perfect doesn't exist. Understanding that even the people who look perfect and seem to have a perfect life sometimes stay in their pyjamas until noon.
Mostly I have learnt to not compare myself to others. There will always be someone who can do something better than me, that is taller, has nicer clothes but at the end of the day if I am happy with my self does any of that matter? Why waste a night dancing carefree on the dance floor because you were worried about what that guy would think? What people think about you is not important, how you feel about yourself is. As soon as you understand this your confidence will increase by leaps and bounds. If you are confident it will shine through in everything in you do.

" Confidence is silent, Insecurities are loud"

Four Favourites

Mid week treat from Petit Four

This week marked the first week of Spring and it has done nothing more than to damped my excitement. It has been raining and cold all week, with reports it will be like this until Christmas. So my spring dresses go back in the wardrobe and the jackets come back out. That aside, it has been a good week, lots of small changes around the house, Spring veggies growing and a bit of shopping.

The window we used as a seating plan, turned into something beautiful

Irises and Rosemary

Red lipstick on coffee

weekly roundup - Highlighters

With the new trend of "Strobing" highlighters are in the spotlight at the moment. They are an easy way to make you appear fresh and glowing. Highlighting the high points of your face is also a great summer alternative to contouring and highlighting as you don't need to wear as much make up on a hot day.  Below are my favourite products to highlight with.

1. Lush Feeling younger: This cream highlighter is the first one I ever used. When the make up line first launched at Lush we were taught how to apply the product, little did I know at the time they had just taught us how to strobe. The cream is easy to blend and doesn't have any glitter chunks that sometimes get left behind. A small amount of product goes a long way.
2. Bossy cosmetics Strobe effect highlighter: I had heard a lo about this product so I had to try it. The powder is easy to work wit and a small amount will go a long way .  It can be a bit to glittery to pass as a natural glow but none the less the highlighter really makes an impact.
3. Mellow Baked eyeshadow in Peach: That's right, this is an eyeshadow but it makes such a beautifully natural highlighter. The peach colour is similar to skin  tone so blends flawlessly, leaving behind a pearlescent glow. Very build able and easy to work with. 
4. No 7 Illuminating lotion: A lovely pink pearlescent lotion that is natural enough to be worn as a highlight with no other makeup on. It can feel a bit heavy If it is used with a full face of makeup but the effect it gives you is fantastic. Start with small amounts as the effect can go from natural to heavy fast. Easy to blend with fingers or a blender.
5. Mellow Baked eyeshadow in Cream: She product as the peach but this is a simple off white  version. I find this colour great to add to the inner corner of the eye to make you look more awake also. 
6. Sleek Precious metals palette: This palette is stunning, the colours are so pretty. The creams are easy to apply and blend. The four different shades are great to use on the different parts of your face. The product is build able so you get control over a subtle look or a more dramatic look.

I would love to know if you have tried any of these or what your Favourites are.