The New Face.

It seems that all of my posts start with an unfortunate need to apologise for my absence. There's been a lot going on in my little bubble lately - some exciting, some more of an annoyance but hey ho, that's life; we roll with the punches and throw them back when needed. Anyway, I've got a quick announcement and then I'll proceed to profess my love for my new favourite cosmetics - I've quit my day job. This is less reckless than it first seems, because I do actually have a new job lined up but not for a couple of weeks. Basically, writing is all I've ever wanted to do (aside from being a Disney princess) and I'm at a point where I just really want to give it my all and see how it pans out; I could fall spectacularly on my face and end up rummaging for pennies in the darkest folds of my sofa but I'm going to give it a shot. So yeah, the security blanket of regular income and 9-5 life has been temporarily abandoned. 

Anyway, I made the oh so sensible decision to have a bit of a splurge on the Selfridges website last week to take full advantage of their 20% discount. In a bid to make myself feel a little bit better about the bomb which hit my bank account, I decided to write a post about my purchases because that just totally justifies me blowing a significant proportion of my final paycheck, right? I thought so. Here goes...

 1. The Foundation.

I've wanted to try the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation for what feels like a lifetime. It's held in such high regard by so many of the top beauty bloggers, particularly by my all time favourite - ViviannaDoesMakeup. In terms of finish, it's difficult to describe, it's not like any other foundation I've used - in the best way possible! It's quite matte without being cakey, and most importantly it's still got that dewy, luminosity about it. In short, I love how this sits on my skin. I'm notorious for liking quite a full coverage foundation but that often comes at the price of feeling like I've got an extra 5 layers of skin on my face, yet this one feels light as air whilst still giving me that much needed coverage. A final note? This foundation contains no SPF which makes it great for nights out because you won't get that dreaded white-face-tanned-body look in your photos. I mean, who wants to spend £34 on a foundation and have it ruin their #selfie game on Instagram? Nobody. But on a serious note, because of the lack of SPF, if you are going to wear this foundation in the sun then you need to layer it over some sun protection. 

2. The New Nude.

I confess, when it comes to lipstick, red will always be my colour of choice. For the past few years, the red pigment on my lips has been as consistent as the rain in Wales. I don't actually remember how this great love affair began, but it's reached a point where I don't even feel like myself if my lips are missing their signature coat of crimson. Yes, I realise that this sounds absolutely ridiculous, which is why I'm trying to change it up a little. Enter Charlotte Tilbury and her K.i.s.s.i.n.g lipstick in Penelope Pink. Now, I do love a nude lip on other people, I think it looks so glamorous when paired with a smokey eye whereas red can sometimes look a little too over the top. I admit, I'm still trying to get used to myself with a nude lip - hence the lack of photo of me sporting my lovely new cosmetics. However, it has been two whole days since I reached for my beloved Mac Ruby Woo, and trust me - that's quite the accomplishment. One of my favourite things about the K.i.s.s.i.n.g lipstick is its formula; it's enriched with an anti-oxidant that naturally protects lips from UV damage and external pollution, yet it's also blended with special waxes and light-diffusing pigments which give the impression of fuller lips. I've been using this on top of the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Pencil in Iconic Nude, so the longevity of the colour has been perfect - I barely have to touch it up throughout the day. 

3. The Perfect Contour.

First things first, we all know it's what's on the inside that counts - but can we please forget that for a moment and admire this packaging? I was smitten with this palette before even opening it - I honestly became something akin to Gollum in LOTR, stroking my new "precious." Anyway, I eventually got a grip and opened Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze & Glow, and fell further in love. Let's rewind a little to the fateful day that I bought these products - this palette was the one thing I was unsure of. I didn't know if I could justify the rather hefty price tag, but it's something I've wanted to try for so long. I mean, how much difference can one highlighter really make? Apparently, quite the difference. Admittedly, I still don't have cheekbones to rival Cara Delevingne but this product definitely helped. The smallest amount of product goes a long way, the powder is so pigmented. The Filmstar Bronze & Glow palette really helps you transform your facial framework; you can sculpt, define, shorten, slim and highlight your features all whilst gaining a truly lovely golden finish. I've only used it twice so far, and I want to watch more videos of Charlotte using it so I can really maximise the product and get the best results, but once I'm a little bit more familiar with this product, I'll write another post and put in a few pictures so you can see what I mean - I'll even use my new nude lipstick! 

What about you guys? Any new make-up wonder products that I need to know about? As much as my bank account hates me for it, I'm always on the hunt. 

Thanks for reading

Instagram // Twitter // Bloglovin'

xx

The Wanderer Returns...

First things first...I feel I should apologise for my little six week hiatus. I'd very much like to pretend that it's been an exciting few weeks of adventure and travelling, but I am not a very talented liar. Basically, I was ill for a little while and then had a mountain of freelance work that I needed to catch up on, which ultimately meant that I spent a fair amount of time lounging around my house in a pair of oh so flattering Topman PJs (yes...I'm aware that it is the male counterpart of Topshop). I wasn't so sure if anybody would want to read a post entitled "How To Dress Like A Male Slob", so my personal blog sadly took a bit of a backseat, but anyway...I have returned; healthy, triumphant and back in women's clothes. 

(Dress - ASOS,Shoes - Missguided, Bag - Primark, Cuff - New Look, Necklace - Vintage)

I wore this outfit a few weekends ago for a night out in Cardiff with friends, it's a little lower and clingier than I normally go for sans gym-body, but a girl needs to feel feminine after spending so much time in Topman PJs! You'll have to forgive the photos, I was about to miss my train and my father isn't much of a photographer so the lighting is simply horrendous. Oh, and you can also see that my dip-dye is no more! I've gone back to my roots ready for winter, it's a little darker than I initially planned and left me feeling a little washed out, however I found the perfect solution for this: the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick in Ibiza. I first bought some Charlotte Tilbury cosmetics on a whim when I was last in London, I fell in love with an eye palette of hers, then when I saw Millie Mackintosh post a photo using the Ibiza beach stick, I was on the Selfridges website just as quickly as I would have been on a trip to the white isle itself. The consistency is lovely and creamy; it doubles up as a lipstick as well as being flattering on the cheeks and giving a killer glow. Whilst it is a little pricey, a little goes a long way so it is a worthy investment. I'm also thinking of doing a full post about the make-up products I use and my favourite products if any of you would be interested. 

Also, seems as I've been away for a little while, I haven't had a chance to share my other blog with you. I've recently started working with a local vintage store; I've created a blog for them and will be posting weekly articles about vintage dressing and inspiration if any of you fancy taking a look and following the blog then it would be greatly appreciated. You can find it here.

Thanks for reading!

Instagram // Twitter // Bloglovin

xx

Snow White.

I'm not going to lie, the thing that stood out most to me when I looked at these photos was my deathly pale skin. I worked until 5.30 this evening, and then had to get ready in about 40 minutes to head to a gig....hence my lack of fake bake. I probably should have pretended that my paleness was intentional, shouldn't I? Oh well - you live and you learn. I went to see Kids In Glass Houses tonight, for possibly the millionth time. Incase you haven't heard of them, they're a Welsh band who are currently preparing for what will be their final tour; this is a depressing thought - not just because they're a talented band, but also because it makes me feel incredibly old....I've been going to their gigs since I was around 15 years old - it's like the end of an era! In terms of the venue, it was a relatively small and intimate gig, but once they started playing, you could have easily forgot that; their stage presence and energy is simply phenomenal, they have a profound ability to liven up even the most neglected of bars. I'll probably post a couple of photos on my Instagram account, I took them on my phone so the quality isn't sharp enough for my blog, sadly.  A quick tip: if you haven't heard Kids In Glass Houses before, give them a quick search on YouTube. "Drive" is my song of choice.

 

Kimono - River Island, T-Shirt - River Island, Skirt - ASOS, Boots - Kurt Geiger, Bag - Urban Outfitters, Necklaces - River Island, Cuff - New Look

I wasn't really too sure what to wear, it was an indoor gig so I went for something relatively cool. I  think the whole outfit would have worked a little better with a different choice of shoe, but I knew the entire place was going to be crammed, and I didn't want my poor little tootsies to get crushed. So, instead of focusing on my rather boring and mismatched outfit, I'm going to bang on about my hair for a little while. I've had a couple of private messages asking me what I do to style it, and the answer is frustratingly simple....I hardly do anything to it. My hair has a natural kink to it, which used to be the bane of my life. Nowadays I embrace it. I normally wash my hair, and then put it in a very loose and messy bun on top of my head until it's 80% dry, then I blast my hairdryer over it and rough straighten my "curtains". I then tip my head upside down and spray a little Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray through the ends and scrunch it in before combing through it all roughly. Voilà! That's basically it; my answer to scruffy, grunge hair! Oh, and another question I've had lately - "Do you wear extensions?" No, my hair is naturally this length. I'm always more than happy to answer questions about my style and/or beauty routine, so do feel free to tweet/comment/instagram/send smoke signals if you want to know anything more. Actually, maybe not smoke signals....I'm not sure if I'm fluent enough in smoke yet.

Thanks for reading!

Instagram // Twitter // Bloglovin

xx

Liebster Award

I was nominated for the Liebster award by Sophie from As Seen On Sophie. I'm relatively new to the blogging world so it was lovely to be nominated for something. The Liebster award is basically a way for new bloggers to connect with other bloggers, and it's also a good way to get your blog out there by answering questions about yourself. The rules are as follows:

You must answer all 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.

You must link back to the person that nominated you.

After completing these questions you must nominate 11 bloggers (with under 200 followers) and give them 11 questions of your choice.

You can not nominate the person who nominated you.

Okay, here we go. These were the questions I was given...

.1. What has been your favourite moment this year?

Hmm, I assume this means within 2014, but I'm going to take it as "the past twelve months" ha - just so I can use my favourite memory of finally getting to see Kings of Leon in the most incredible atmosphere of V Festival. I've been to so many gigs, but seeing a band you love in a festival setting is such an experience. If I was to answer the question properly though, my highlight of 2014 so far is probably visiting Liverpool. I booked it on a bit of a whim for Easter weekend, but I had such an incredible time in the Cavern Club - pretending I was living it up in the 60s, ha.

V Festival 2013

2. What are you looking forward to most this summer?

I'll be honest, this summer pales in comparison to last summer where I swanned off to Ibiza, lived it up in V Festival and had several weekends away, ha. But I can't complain too much, I'm hoping to book a mini-break to Newquay for August Bank Holiday weekend, and I've got a couple of small gigs lined up such as Kids In Glass Houses, Taking Back Sunday and Reel Big Fish. Plus, I'm hoping to go to Iceland in November to see the Northern Lights and make up for my lack of summer holiday this year.

3. What got you in to blogging?

People had been telling me to blog for ages, and it was always something I was interested in but kept pushing to the bottom of my to do list. Then one day, I was moaning about the lack of fashion writing opportunities in my hometown, and I just thought that I should make my own platform rather than way for somebody to allow me share theirs. 

4. Sweet or savoury?

Sweet, 100%. My goal of having a body akin to that of  a Victoria's Secret model drifts further and further away every single day.

5. Cats or Dogs?

Dogs. I have two - a malamute and a springer spaniel. Currently waiting for somebody to buy me a Saint Bernard.

Me and my dogs...trying not to be cruel and refer to my sister as a dog too, ha. Not the most fashionable of photos, but sometimes (just sometimes) warmth comes first...mainly just in times when you're not expecting a camera in your face.

6.If you could be anyone for the day, who would you be?

Valentina Muntoni....without a shadow of a doubt. 

Valentina Muntoni: The definition of "utter babe"

7. If you had to choose which one would it be, fashion or make-up?

This is so hard, ha. I'm going to go with fashion....I could probably hide my scary make-up free face behind a gigantic pair of Chanel sunglasses that way. 

8. What's your favourite TV show?

Friends, even though it ended over a decade ago, ha. Rachel and Ross stole my heart! I am partial to a bit of Made in Chelsea though, it's my guilty pleasure. 

9. What's the worst experience you've gone through that you have learnt from?

I don't really want to bring too much negativity to my blog by answering this question, so I'm just going to answer with something I've struggled with recently rather than my worst experience (I know - what a cop out!) I found life after university a lot harder than I thought it would be; I assumed that I'd have landed my dream job by now and be well on my way to paying off my rather huge student loans. But I just don't think that's realistic for anyone thesedays. In my last year of university, I realised that a degree isn't worth as much as it used to be; employers want real experience nowadays. So I've spent the last couple of  years trying my best to balance university work, a job whilst also trying to freelance as often as I could, at one point I was trying to finish my dissertation whilst working unpaid for Closer Magazine in London (4 hours away from my university campus and home), because I just really wanted to get myself as much experience as I could. Luckily, I've graduated now so the intensity has lifted somewhat, but even now I still write between 8-12 articles a week whilst working 37.5 hours a week and trying to blog as often as I can - so forgive me if my posts are sometimes few and far between, ha.

10. Who is your favourite blogger and why?

Lydia from Fashion Influx. I've followed her for years, and I like how she's stayed true to her style. She also finds the best bargains.....which makes you forgive her for her seriously enviable figure!

11. What do you love about blogging? 

As much as it sounds like a cliche, blogging allows me to bring my two greatest passions together - writing and fashion. When I started my blog, I was always a little concerned that people would assume it was a bit narcissistic in that "look at me and how awesome I think my fashion sense is", but I think personal style blogs are such an interesting platform for creativity, I love how people showcase their outfits - even if it's in a style that I personally wouldn't wear. I just really do believe that fashion is a form of self- expression in the same way that music is; fashion is a culture that we all immerse ourselves in every single day.

Here are my nominations:

www.gracesbeautyspace.blogspot.co.uk

www.farhfromordinary.com/blog/

www.vogueandvigour.blogspot.co.uk/

www.anikamiller.blogspot.co.uk/

www.yourdailydoseofstyle.blogspot.co.uk/

www.sophiedeedoesbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/

www.themodelcachet.blogspot.co.uk/

www.freyablendell.blogspot.co.uk/

www.simplesassysultry.blogspot.com

www.rockmyboots.blogspot.com.es/

www.hellolupi.blogspot.co.uk/

And, here are your questions for you:

1. What has been your highlight of the past 12 months?
2. What are your top 3 summer fashion essentials?

3. How did you get in to blogging?

4.  If you were on a desert island, what would your 3 beauty essentials be?

5. What is your key festival outfit?

6.If you could visit anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

7. If you had to choose which one would it be, fashion or make-up?

8. What's your guilty pleasure?

9. What is your dream career?

10. Who is your favourite blogger and why?

11. What do you love most about blogging? 

Thanks for reading!

Instagram // Bloglovin // Twitter

xx

Grungin' It Up In Gingham.

This is probably the first photo of me wearing a pink ensemble since I was about 7 years old, so drink it up. I think I have had a bit of an unfair aversion to pink clothing for the last few years, choosing to associate it with Barbie-esque hair extensions and a heavy spray tan; but when I saw this dress on Motel, I fell a little bit in love with it. I've made no secret of the fact that I like my outfits to have an element of grunge to them, and not look too "overdone", so with this in mind I was a little worried about how I could make pink work for me - but I do love a challenge. As always, I layered my favourite necklaces over it which are from ASOS and Empty Casket. This had the desired effect of taking me away from that dreaded Barbie route. I was originally going to team it with my JC Lita's, but it was so warm yesterday that I opted for my new La Moda sliders. This whole outfit was for a mini music festival that my local pub hosts every year, so the loose fit of this slip dress was a real winner when I spied the giant BBQ. Aside from the occasional "why are you wearing PJs?" comments, I was happy with how this outfit worked out and surprisingly didn't feel out of my comfort zone by not wearing my atypical outfit of 95% black.

(Dress - Motel Rocks, Shoes - La Moda, Choker - ASOS, Necklace - Empty Casket, Bag - H&M, bangle - Topshop, Rings - Primark)

As for my make-up, I kept it fairly simple but I opted for a purple toned lipstick for a more 90s feel, rather than my signature red lip, and my hair - as always- pretty much did its own thing. I let it dry naturally in the sun and then scrunched some Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray into the ends before flicking my straighteners over my fringe/curtains. Also, I apologise for the rather boring setting of my photos, I was running late as always. 

Another thing - if any of you choose to buy anything from Motel Rocks, you can get 20% discount off your orders with the code "RHIANSD24"

Thanks for reading, please follow the links below for more from me.

Instagram // Twitter //Bloglovin

xx

Bohemian Vibes.

I feel a little self conscious writing another post about this kimono seems as I did one not too long ago - I think it's just such a statement piece that it remains rather fresh in my mind, but it's simply too pretty to end up being a "one time wonder" piece of clothing that I castaway to the far depths of my overflowing wardrobe. I went for a couple (okay - a lot) of drinks for a friend's birthday last night. We only headed down to our local pub, but regardless of that, I didn't really want to go for the "full slob" kinda look. Seems as it was the hottest day of the year to date, I thought I'd opt for a dress of sorts - however the problem which lies within this decision is that I have a rather unhealthy obsession with black clothing. Albeit, this is hardly an apocalyptic issue, but it does make summer dressing a little boring sometimes. That's why I think that this Rat and Boa kimono is perfect for those of us with a penchant for darker colours; it's sheer, lightweight and really lifts an otherwise boring outfit. It adds a great deal of colour and dimension to an outfit without being overpowering.

Kimono - Rat and Boa, Dress - ASOS, Shoes - La Moda, Anklet - Ebay, Rings - Primark, Watch - Marc Jacobs, Bag - Urban Outfitters, Choker - ASOS

I'm so glad that I finally got a hold of a pair of these La Moda shoes as well, especially because they went down to half price in the sale; they are just the most versatile shoe I have ever bought. Plus, I can finally give you all a break from my much-loved Primark sandals now. Oh - and as you can all probably tell by now, I do tend to recycle the same accessories over and over again. It's ridiculous, because I have so much jewellery and keep buying more, but I always go back to the same key pieces. Does anyone else do that?