Festive Fun!

I had my work Christmas night out on Friday in Edinburgh which was great fun! I wanted to have a Christmassy feel to my outfit so I went for a dark red top, a black pencil skirt and a gold belt (hopefully I didn’t look quite as much like Mrs Clause as you are probably imagining right now!!)

The sheer sleeves of this ASOS top (similar here) give it at dressy evening feel, and the colour is red enough to be festive without looking like you live at the North Pole!

I matched my gold belt (gifted) with a gold statement necklace, from Dorothy Perkins, for a bit of glitz.

As we were going to be on a bar crawl in Edinburgh in the freezing cold month of December, I finished off with cosy black tights and low heeled suede Chelsea boots from Clarks.

For my make-up, I went with a smoky eye, which I achieved using L’Oreal Color Appeal eye shadow in 150 ‘Real Silver‘ and L’Oreal Chrome Intensity eye shadow in 182 ‘Blue Jean‘. I used Collection 2000 liquid eyeliner on my top lid and my new metallic Stay Perfect eye pencil on my lower lid.

Now onto my nails. In a previous post I said I was considering wearing one of my new No 7 Stay Perfect berry-colour polishes on my nails, but when it came to it, I felt the red and purple shades I had bought were a bit too matchy-matchy with my top. I decided to go for a complete contrast and painted many nails a bright sparkly blue! To keep with the Christmas theme, I added a burst of gold sparkle on each nail.

To achieve this effect I used Max Factor Max Effect Mini Nail Polish in ‘Odyssey Blue’ and Model’s Own Hed Kandi polish in ‘Disco Heaven’.

Oh and don’t worry about those No 7 polishes, they will be put to good use soon!

Have a great time if you still have a work Christmas night out to come!

Box of Treats!

I have my work Christmas night out this Friday and I have been looking for a perfect nail colour to wear. I nipped into Boots on my lunch hour and found some lovely polishes in the No7 Stay Perfect range for £5.50 each. Two colours jumped out at me straight away.

These are ‘Damson Dream’ and ‘Salsa’ and they made me think of Christmas tinsel with their bright glossy colours and hint of sparkle! This is how they look on my nails.

I would describe the polish as almost like a glaze for the nails. One thin layer gives a nice subtle translucent effect, but two layers (as shown in the photo above) really builds the colour and gives a lovely strong effect with an extremely glossy finish. I’m not wearing topcoat in the photo above, and you can really see the shine! Now I just have to decide which colour to choose for Friday!

An added little bonus of purchasing these nail polishes was a free gift! Because I had bought two selected No7 items, I received this gift box full of No7 goodies, including Exceptional Definition mascara in ‘black’,  Stay Perfect lipstick in ‘Classic Rose’, Stay Perfect eyeshadow in ‘black gold’ and Stay Perfect metallic eyeliner in ‘blackest’.

Now sometimes with these kind of free gift sets you are given colours that aren’t the most popular and perhaps wouldn’t suit the majority of skin tones. I was pleasantly surprised then to find that the colours are very wearable. The mascara is black which is the colour I normally wear (and I would expect a lot of other people do to!). I have swatched the other products on the back of my hand to let you see the colours a bit better.

The lipstick is a lovely classic pink which I would expect to suit a number of different skin tones. I am impressed with the quality of the lipstick which is rich and gives coverage. The eyeshadow shown at the bottom of the picture is a lovely, blendable browny-black with gorgeous specs of gold through it – definitely one for the party season! And finally, my favourite of these four gifts is the eye pencil, a beautiful steely black which again has a lovely thick texture and would give a really dramatic and glamorous eye effect!

This offer is currently on at Boots for a limited time. If you fancy treating yourself to an early Christmas present, details can be found here!

Festive Feet

I’ve fallen in love with a pair of shoes.

As soon as I saw them I thought they are the most perfect pair of heels for Christmas, with that festive red colour and the gold shiny heel! The satin also gives them a luxurious feeling – well if you can’t treat yourself at Christmas, when can you? The snakeskin detail on the back of the shoe and the platform makes them slightly less formal and will help to protect the satin from the elements in the wintery weather. I just want to dance round the Christmas tree with a glass of mulled wine in these shoes! (Another reason I like them is that they just happen to match perfectly with my nail colour today!)

Rimmel 60 Second Nail Polish in ‘Rapid Ruby’

These shoes are by Dune and also come in a rather gorgeous black. They are available at ASOS – just click here and they can be yours!

Casual Friday: Wet Winter

It’s Friday. Which means the last day of the working week! But it also means dress down time at work: often a slightly stressful situation, as an office appropriate outfit is required, but you still want to be able to reflect your personal style!

Today I’ve decided to go with a denim pencil skirt as it is an appropriate length and style for the office, but the denim makes it much more relaxed for casual Friday! I’ve teamed my skirt with a cream linen t-shirt by Eleven Paris @ ASOS which is covered in pale blue stars. The pattern makes the top stylish and relaxed but not too out-there for the office. To finish off, I’ve added a purple cardi by Rocha John Rocha at Debenhams and a burgundy snood from New Look. This adds a little colour to the outfit which cheers me up in this grey, wet weather we are having at the moment!

Accessories wise, I’ve chosen black patent ankle boots from Topshop with a block heel (waterproof and comfortable for rushing sounds at work!). Finally, a purple Jasper Conran handbag and a spritz off Britney Spears Fantasy Twist, and I’m good to go!

I love painting my nails with a really funky design on a Thursday night. Last night I decided to go for a navy polish, which is by Barry M (shade number 292). Barry M is a great brand for good quality polish at a reasonable price! I added some pale purple gems to my ring finger nail which adds a bit of glamour! These nails will take me through casual Friday and onto the weekend nicely!

Remember you can follow me for regular outfit photos on Twitter!

Hope you have a fantastic Friday – cheers to the weekend!

Baby, You’re A Firework

Hey all, long time no see! I’ve had a little break from blogging recently due to life being a bit crazy but I’m back with lots of ideas for new blog posts, and with a new phone which should make blogging on the go a li’l easier!

I previously wrote a review of four shades from the range of Maybelline SuperStay 24 lip colours which you can read here. I recently bought a new shade for Halloween called Fire Garnet (shade 450). I picked this shade as it is a strong red and I thought it would look great with my devil’s costume! I have found that I am wearing it much more regularly however as it is a really gorgeous and surprisingly easy-to-wear shade!

The colour itself is a very warm red with a subtle good sparkle through it and has a rather Christmassy feel:

When worn, the colour is a warm red with a hint of sparkle:

The colour is nice and strong but not overpowering, so it would be great for nighttime or for a bolder daytime look.

I have been really impressed with these lip colours and have my fingers crossed that some more shades might appear in my stocking this year!

Striped Beige Blazer: A Look For The Office

This is the outfit I wore to the office today. I bought the black and beige striped blazer a few months ago but the weather has been unpredictable so I have never had the chance to wear it! Today was forecast to be dry so I thought I would take my chance.

The blazer is by Principles at Debenhams. I styled it with a fawn coloured sleeveless blouse top from Dorothy Perkins, skinny black trousers from GAP (previously worn in this post) and leopard print flat ballet pumps from Primark.

I accessoried with my pewter Fiorelli Garland handbag (previously featured here), gold and black beaded bracelets I was given as a gift and a chunky gold necklace from Topshop.

I love the way the colours of the blouse, blazer and bag complement one another. However to stop the look being too matchy-matchy, I chose leopard print pumps which add an extra dimension.

What do you think of this look for the office?

Hot Pink ‘Twiggy’ Jeans

I don’t know about you, but I always find that skinny jeans/jeggings have a habit of being very restrictive and limiting your movement, which, let’s face it, is not a good look! Because of this, it is very precious when you find that perfect pair of skinnies that stretch enough to allow you to have your full range of movement!

I had been looking for some hot pink skinnies for ages but could never find the perfect pair. If you are following me on Twitter then you will know that I recently ordered these beauties…

Hot Pink Jeggings (Twiggy @ M&S, £25)

These are by Twiggy for Marks and Spencer and they are nice and stretchy but good quality and keep their shape well – perfect! The colour of these is described as ‘lipstick’ which is accurate as they are a true strong pink.

As I haven’t owned jeans of this colour before, I tried styling them in a few different ways…

I have used clashing prints with the tops I have chosen in the photo above. The top is by Miss Selfridge as was featured in this post. The jacket is from River Island and is a perfect summer cover up which really dresses up an outfit. I have chosen a River Island clutch bag in a clashing pink to tie together the pink in the jacket and the pink of the jeans. I finished off with a pair of black wedge ankle boots from ASOS.

 My second look is more casual and is suitable for a chilly Spring day. I styled the jeans with a purple top and matching purple flats by Guess. I added my gorgeous soft faux-fur gillet from Zara. I like this look as it is cosy and cute! Here is a close up of the shoes:

Adorable!

My final look is more of an evening look. I have paired my jeans with a pair of snakeskin heels which I picked up in TK Maxx. I added a black vest top from Karen Millen and lots of gold and silver chunky jewellery.

Which look is your favorite? How would you style lipstick-coloured skinny jeans? I would love to hear your ideas!

Florals and Prints

I was browsing on ASOS.com earlier and noticed how many cute items they have with pretty prints and unique details. Here is a round-up of my favourites!

Floral Peplum Dress (£35), Flower Print TOMS (£40), Pink Jacket (£60), Blue Floral Midi Skirt (£40), Strawberry Print Sleeveless Blouse (£29), Gold Toe Cap Blue Floral Heels (£45) and Heart Knee Skinny Jeans (£35) all ASOS.

I love all of the floral prints, they are so fresh and feminine! The gold toe-capped heels are so sexy and made me think of a pin-up girl. The little pink jacket is so versatile and could be worn with dresses or jeans. I just can’t resist those little hearts on the knees of the jeans – how adorable! I love a kookie print, and the strawberry print shirt does this beautifully without being too over the top. For fashionistas who also require comfort,  my beloved TOMS are available in this beautiful multi-coloured flower print! I want them all!

A Little Reminder…

Hi all! Just wanted to post a wee reminder that you can follow me on Twitter @EntirelyEz  to see some more of my photos! I love to gossip about fashion and beauty and share tips and ideas and I would love you to join me. Just click on the button below to follow me…

Give me a tweet to say hi! I would love to follow you back and see what you are up to. See you there soon! ♥

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My Magic (Lip) Wand

As you may remember me mentioning in this post, I am a big fan of Maybelline Superstay24 lip colour! It lasts for hours – you can eat and drink all night and the colour wont budge! The balm adds just the right amount of gloss and keeps your lips feeling soft and moisturised.

I currently own it in four colours.

The lip colour is dual ended, with the colour at one end, and a glossy, clear balm at the other end.

The colours I have are (from left to right): Magical Merlot (280), Wildberry (260), Plum Seduction (240) and Raspberry (195).

I have swatched each of the colours on the back of my hand and have photographed them in natural light to try to give you the best idea of the true colours.

L to R: Magical Merlot (280), Wildberry (260), Plum Seduction (240) and Raspberry (195).

Magical Merlot and Plum Seduction are slightly glittery, Wildberry is a matt colour, and Rasberry is slightly shimmery. The real test, of course, is how they look on your lips!

Clockwise from top left: Magical Merlot (280), Wildberry (260), Plum Seduction (240) and Raspberry (195).

For me, Magical Merlot is the most natural looking colour and as the glitter is subtle it could be worn during the day. Wildberry has very purplish tones and gives a nice strong coverage. Plum Seduction is a very bright, glossy pink and reminds me a little of Barbie! It is a fun, feminine colour though and would look great with the right eye make-up. Lastly is Raspberry, which is my favourite – the colour is strong and vibrant and perfect for a night out!

Would you wear any of these shades? The full range can be seen by clicking here. I think I will need to add ‘Cherry Pie’ and ‘Fire Garnet’ to my collection next!

Shhhh, a little tip…as this colour is stay-on, it can be pretty tricky to remove. Speaking from my own experience, I have found the best way is to apply a generous amount of trusty Vaseline over the lip colour, leave it on for a couple of minutes, then wipe with a tissue. And voila, clean, soft lips with no scrubbing!