Favourite Shoes

Hello lovely people!

This post is to show you my favourite shoes, just to give you more of an idea of my style and choice of footwear. I don't spend a fortune on shoes, simply because I can't. I'd love to be able to spend a bit more on them, just so they're better for my feet and last me longer - maybe one day!

Heels first:

These are from New Look and probably cost me about £20. I bought them in December 2012, so unfortunately they won't be available now. I wish I'd got other colours too as they're a good height and fit and look great when you want to dress up. They're also really good to wear with or without tights, so they're very seasonal.

These are also from New Look and I think they were also around £20. They also won't be available now as I bought in March 2012 for my Auntie's wedding. They were perfect because they made me a bit taller for the photos - I'm only 5'3 so I blended in nicely with all the tall people!

These are from Next, again unavailable as I got them for my birthday night out in July 2013. They really were perfect as they weren't too high and I wore them all night (dancing away!) comfortably enough. I think they were £25.

Now, these were a real splurge, definitely a treat. They're Carvela, Kurt Geiger wedges that I bought for £85 in June 2013. I first saw them in 2012 but didn't get them because I felt I couldn't justify it, however having saved up some money second time round, I knew I'd really appreciate them when I saw them in stock again. They ARE available, however they're now £95 so if you fancy a treat... http://www.kurtgeiger.com/kate-tan-leather-41-carvela-kurt-geiger-shoe.html

Flats next:

These sandals are from New Look, around £15, and they saw me right through the summer without completely wearing out, which is great because I love them and this way I can wear them this summer too!

These are another Kurt Geiger pair, but they were muuuuuuuuuuch less expensive, only around £30. This was a silly choice really. I love them, they're so pretty, but they are SO uncomfortable. I really could only wear this out to dinner or something, somewhere I didn't have to walk....at all.

These on the other hand are amazingly comfortable! Another New Look pair, about £12/13 I think, December 2012. They are simple black pumps but with the addition of little studs and spikes - pretty but also a little bit edgy.

These studded sneakers/trainers are from Miss Selfridge, I think they were £20. They're obviously not for sport, haha, but they're good for making a dressy outfit more casual.

And lastly, boots:

Ah, my beloved Mantaray ankle boots! £36 on sale from Debenhams back in December last year. They're so versatile, keep my feet warm and dry and they're very comfortable. Perfection in a boot!

IOTD - Busy Phillips - My admiration for this talented lady is one thing, but her wardrobe on Cougar Town is something else - crazy cute! I always notice the great shoes that are chosen for her character Laurie.

SOTD - Steal His Heart by Emily and the Woods

The Nutcracker

Hello!

Back in December, I went to visit a friend who lives in London. Initially, we were just going to casually have lunch together and then go to Winter Wonderland which is held in Hyde Park each year. However, my friend had the BRIGHT idea that we have a more sophisticated day out and go to the ballet!!! I immediately said yes and she bought us 2 tickets!

We met at the station and headed to Covent Garden.

Then I think we had a coffee and a snack at Andronica's, but I'm not certain - not very good at this belated blogging business!

Then we had a nice walk to the London Colliseum which is where the English National Opera perform.

And that was where we saw The Nutcracker. If you don't know the story, I've pasted in a little synopsis here:

"Journey back in time with English National Ballet to a frost-covered, gas-lit London and join Clara, her Nutcracker doll and the magician Drosselmeyer in this traditional, festive tale for all the family. 

On an enchanted Christmas Eve, under the heavy boughs of the candlelit tree Clara battles with the Mouse King and falls in love with a handsome stranger. As the air grows colder and snowflakes begin to fall, Clara and her valiant Nutcracker take a hot air balloon ride across the frost-dusted London skyline to the glistening Land of Snow where her adventure really begins.

In a world of Edwardian elegance, Nutcracker brings to life the eternally popular Tchaikovsky score featuring the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers. This classical production is a magical, memorable and unmissable Christmas treat."

http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/nutcracker/

If it wasn't enough that the performance was beautiful, the actual theatre was amazing too! Such intricate detail and decoration, the architecture of these London theatres is incredible!

After the show had come to an end, we went for some dinner at Byron Burger's (SO TASTY!) and then took a walk through Picadilly Circus, aaaaaaaaall the way to Hyde Park. It's a bit of a trek, but it was so nice to see London all Christmassy - and catch up with my bestie too!

Once at Hyde Park, we walked through Winter Wonderland. It's a bit of an odd event, some of it is really traditional and sweet, but some of it is super tacky! Like this strange ride...

And that was the end of our day, well, once we'd gone back to London Liverpool Street and said our farewells. I had such a lovely day and really recommend the ballet to EVERYONE. Go. Go right now!

And to link this back to beauty, here's my face of that day.

Thank you for reading!

IOTD - Cara Delevigne is possibly THE vaguest link to this blog post, but um.....her hair looks....like a BALLERIIIIINA'S! There we go, that's it ;)

SOTD - Lisztomania by Phoenix

Book Review - Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton

Hello everyone! Hope you're well!

I've always been a real book worm - I've had my head in one since I was a little girl. My love of books has extended to my love of coffee table books, especially since one of my main interests in life is art, particularly photography, so looking at paintings and photos is something I really enjoy doing. What I love about coffee table books is that they are wonderful for just dipping into - you can open them at any page and find something beautiful.

I know my blog so far has primarily been focused on fashion and beauty, but I consider it more of a lifestyle blog and this is simply an element of my life that I want to share with you - I want this blog to detail what I enjoy in all aspects of life, not just what I'm wearing.

So, recently I found a Facebook page called 'Humans of New York' (https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork?fref=ts) where photos are uploaded of people going about their daily lives in New York City. They often come with a section of the conversation had between the photographer and the 'subject'. Some of these captions are just very funny, some very romantic and some very sad and moving. It's beautiful because it's life. When I realised there was also a book, I bought it straight away because I love things like this.

It started back in 2010 when Brandon Stanton decided to embark on a photo project in which he created a photographic census of NYC.

As you can see, this collection of photos details a glimpse into the vibrant lives of people in New York. Every photo is magical and unique. Just like every human (cheeeeeeeeeeesy!)

I bought my copy on Amazon for £27 using money I received for Christmas. I'm not affiliated with HONY, I just love it!

IOTD - Ellen Degeneres. I think Ellen is really inspirational simply down to being SO kind, and encouraging others to do the same thing. Oh, and she's beautiful. And funny. And, well, everything.

SOTD - Samson by Regina Spektor

Christmas Cocktails - Outfit and Face of the Night

Bonjour everyone! (Check that out! Bilingual, me. Haha!)

Before Christmas I hosted a cocktail party for my close friends. It was a really fun evening with some yummy cocktails. These were the recipes I used:

http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/recipes/nigellas-christmas-cocktail-recipes

I made Ruby Duchess and Poinsettia from this website - Ruby Duchess was my favourite!

(DISCLAIMER: All my friends and I are 20/21 and above the legal drinking age in the UK, so don't think there was any naughty underage drinking at this party - we're all good eggs!)

This is the outfit I wore that night:

My dress is originally from Monsoon in the Fusion range, but I bought mine on ebay for £25 - bargain considering it was on sale in Monsoon for something like £85!!

My shoes were red suede (fake) heels from New Look (blog post with more details coming soooooon!) and I wore a pair of vintage earrings that belonged to my Grandma.

Make up was very simple - Urban Decay Creep all over the lid and Virgin mixed with Sin in the inner corner with my usual mascara and eyeliner.

My hair looks more complicated than it actually was - I curled the ends using a GHD straightener and simply twisted and pinned the hair back using small individual pieces - and about 100 hair grips #thickhairproblems.

IOTD - Gemma Arterton, she always looks so pretty with an updo, so I was definitely inspired by hers for the party.

SOTD - In Colour by Elviin

Fake New Year

Hello again!

So this year, not only did I celebrate New Year's Eve on the 31st, but one of my lovely friends organised a Fake New Year's Eve for us too. Unfortunately, at this time of our lives, me and my friends are all doing different things in different places, so it's very rare that we're all able to get together and do something. Real New Year's Eve was really good fun, but a much smaller, more chilled affair than usual, which was why it was nice to do Fake New Year which was a little more, well, a little more!

I thought I'd share with you the outfit I wore for this get together:

Sorry about the dusty mirror, I didn't realise how bad it was but I was just too tired to clean it and then take the photo again.

I wore another dress from Oasis (http://www.oasis-stores.com///oasis/fcp-product/4470124926#GBP) which was £48, though I was able to use my student discount which made it cheaper.

Then I wore fleece lined black tights from Debenhams (http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_081010530160_-1) again, which saved me during a 12am walk to the beach - madness!

Then I wore my heeled ankle boots also from Debenhams, by Mantaray (http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_050010110060_-1) which are £49 and serving me brilliantly!

My make-up was the same as what I wore for my friends festive drinks, which I'll link just here (http://elizabeebee.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/festive-drinks-make-up-look.html)

And that was everything!

IOTD - Leighton Meester. Still watching Gossip Girl and I just love this woman!

SOTD - I Say a Little Prayer by Dionne Warwick

Winged Eye

Hello people!

I'll be showing you a winged liner look today, with both a light pink and red lip. Hope you like it!

So, it's a really simple, but elegant look. I've always like a winged liner as it makes my eyes look bigger - something I always strive for!

I used Urban Decay Virgin (a very pale white/pink colour) all over the lid and brow bone, then I used Urban Decay Buck in the crease and blended well. Then I lined my upper lash line with Maybelline Lasting Drama gel liner in black, then used a black pencil liner in the water and tight lines. 

For the pink lip I used a Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty Mimosa with Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in 110 Keep a Secret.

For the red lip I used Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in 22 from the Kate Moss collection - which I applied with a brush because otherwise red lipstick ends up in all the wrong places - can I say clown?!

And that's it!

IOTD - Alyssa Milano. I got my hair done today and this was the picture I took with me for my hairdresser. My hair had such a blunt and straight cut so I had some long layers cut in to give it more movement. I'll do a full post on this in a few days.

SOTD - Buzzcut Season by Lorde

Brown Smokey Eye

Hello kind people reading this! Hope you're well.

Today I thought I'd show you a brown smokey eye look, a little heavier than others I've shown you, but I'm quite pleased with it.

Here's how I did it using the Urban Decay Naked Palette:

Virgin on the brow bone,
Sin on the inner third of the lid,
Toasted on the centre third of the lid,
Darkhorse on the outer third of the lid and along the outer third of the crease,
Hustle all the way along the crease,
Buck above the crease,
Half baked on the inner corner.

I used (as usual) They're Real mascara on my top and bottom lashes with Borjois Kohl and Contour on the water and tight lines. I used Maybelline Lasting Drama gel line along the top lash line.

So yeah, that's pretty much it. Hope you like it!

IOTD - Queen of the smokey eye, Cheryl Cole!

SOTD - Merry Go 'Round by Kacey Musgraves - you really should check her album out, it's so good!