Favourite 5 | Dark Lip Colours for Fair Skin

Hello!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekends, I know I am. I really enjoyed showcasing my favourite red lipsticks so I thought i'd do the same for dark lipsticks. I'll keep this intro short and sweet, but I love how a dark lip can add some drama to a look with minimal effort. Having pale skin I think you tend to stick to lighter colours that blend well, but sometimes its nice to mix things up! Whether its sheer, mate or extra glossy, i've picked my favourite five dark lipsticks that I reach to when I want to add some extra warmth to my everyday make-up.

(This background is so drab - i've somehow lost my fairylights! :( ) 

'Fling Thing' Hyrda-Smooth Lip Colour - Benefit

Oh I love this lipstick! I've been such a huge fan of their Hyrda-Smooth range since I worked there, and this shade is by far my favourite. It's described as a 'very berry', and certainly looks darker on the bullet than it does on your lips. It sounds weird, but this lipstick is one that I wore at a certain time in my life that I will always remember, so this will always be a shade that I love. It's really moisturising and you can build up the coverage without it looking cakey and fake. I really love the double-slanted bullet, which makes it really easy to apply. I think this a really great universal shade that's perfect for day or night.

'Wicked' Lipstick - Topshop

This is actually the newest lipstick I own. Absolutely terrifying in the tube as it's so dark, but applies as a rich burgundy and glides onto the lips effortlessly. Topshop lipsticks are a cult favourite amongst British beauty bloggers and I am certainly a fan. I love how creamy the texture is and doesn't need reapplication after eating which is a definite plus. I haven't found a shade anywhere else like this, so I would definitely recommend if you want a deep wine or oxblood shade that lasts.

'Aura' Rouge Coco Shine - Chanel 

This is a different sort of lipstick than the others in this collection as it's really sheer. I know it looks a little odd and I did think so too, but its nice if you want to pat on a little bit of colour but not go overboard with a dark lip. I'm not a fan of the bullet because its rounded making it slightly before difficult to apply straight from the bullet. It's lovely and glossy and hydrating and is ideal if you want a slick of dark colour without all the drama.

Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in Shade 30 - Rimmel London

I'm so impressed with Kate Moss' range of lipsticks. The shades are incredible, the finish is flawless and its so affordable at just £5.49 a tube. This is a lovely plum shade with slight pinky tones peeking through. The colour is really rich and probably the truest shade to the bullet. I feel that this would be a shade that suits everyone and its really easy to apply so I have no issues applying it without a mirror or slicking on a bit while i'm on the train.

'Vicious Velvet' Ultra Moisturising Lip Paint - Barry M 

This was the first dark lipstick i'd ever bought. Costing just £4.49, I thought it would be perfect to experiment, as I would only lose a few pounds if I decided it wasn't for me. I love this colour; it's a really gorgeous berry shade that's really long-lasting. My one flaw is that it is really drying on the lips. Barry M lipsticks are supposedly designed to be moisturising, but that's not really the case. The colour pay-off is great though, making it a pretty decent drugstore lipstick if you want to experiment without breaking the bank.

I hope you enjoyed, have a lovely rest of the day!

x

Nails in 'Junk Yard' By Louise Gray

I'll admit, before her collaboration with Topshop, I had never heard of Louise Gray. Since educating myself, i've learnt that she is renowned for her love of colour, texture and all things fun and this is definitely echoed in her makeup collection.

An eclectic mix of nail polishes, eye colours and lipsticks (With a gorgeous pastel brush set thrown in for good measure!) I was instantly drawn to the bold colours - though I must admit the purple and pink eye cream duo's are a bit too 'out there' for my liking. However, the nail polishes are what really caught my eye. Blue is a key colour this season, and instead of jumping straight to the eyeliner or mascara, I thought i'd start small with this pop of colour.

'Junk Yard' is a gorgeous electric blue mixed with different sized flecks of blue glitter. This polish can be worn alone or ontop of another polish, so in order to ensure the strength of the blue I generously applied two coats of 'Junk Yard' over Rimmel's I Love Long Lasting Finish in 'Azure' so my nails were thoroughly coated in glitter. They are quite attention grabbing, so be sure that your nails are of equal length and stay chip-free with a quality top coat - this shade isn't for the faint hearted! This is generally a gorgeous colour that also looks amazing on the shelf (I especially love the snowflake shapes on the bottle, it reminds me of christmas!), and for £6.50 i'll definitely be treated myself to the other shades in the collection.

On a personal note, I attended the Louise Gray show at London Fashion Week today along with Mark Fast, it was my first show and I loved it - so fun, unique and playful, along with free champagne and Pixie Geldoff in the front row! I took plenty of snaps, so check out my twitter!

You can purchase the Louise Gray Topshop range online here, or in your local Topshop store.

July Obsession: Skulls and Crosses

I know what you must be thinking, that i've slipped into some dark depression and become obsessed with death and other equally morbid subjects! However, contrary to it being 'summer' in Britain, it seem's that everyone has gone all dark, gloomy and skull & cross mad! I don't really agree with using a religious symbol as a fashion statement, so I am quite cautious with what I wear. I've always been a massive fan of grey and black (Even though my mother say's that grey is the most unflattering colour on girls, which I completely disagree on!) and have had my eye on a pair of biker boots and a leather jacket, so these accessories are perfect. Here are my favourites:

Silver/Crystal Twin Skull Bangle - £160, Alexander McQueen

(Image - alexandermcqueen.co.uk)

*Yes, I am aware that i'm featuring a designer, but i've become quite obsessed with designer recently,  and there is a Topshop duplicate that comes at a fraction of the price! Approx £10*

3 Skull Knuckle Duster - £7.50, Freedom at Topshop

(Image - topshop.com)

This is a personal favourite of mine, purely because it's one of my newest purchases. Strangly, the skulls actually look quite cute, and although i'm not a fan of the mixed metal it's a great accessory!

Truly Madly Deeply Animal Cross Tee - £28, Urban Outfitters

(Image - fashionlista.com)

I managed to get my hands on this t-shirt after many months of dabbling whether or not I could justify the splurge. It's been featured on celebs such as Jessie J, Lourdes and X Factor's Amelia Lily, and comes in both white and black - And it's leopard print, amazing.



Minister Tan Suede Cross Boots - £36, Topshop

(Image - Topshop.com) 

At last, some colour! (Although they do also come in black) These are effortlessly casual and the gold detail spruses up an otherwise plain pair of shoes.

Black Skull Print Dress - £25, Yumi

(Image - yumidirect.co.uk)

This is the perfect summer dress, with an edge - a great compromise if you don't want to go too girly this season! It also comes in white, but black is definitely my favourite.

So here you are! Just a few bits that have caught my eye recently, and it seems that more and more designers and high-street brands seem to be channeling their inner goth- and I love it! Have you bought any skull or cross detailed items recently?

Review: Topshop Temporary Nail Tattoos!

Better late than never, right?

To be honest, although this product has been out a while, it's still pretty new to me as it's not actually stocked in my local Topshop so i've had to go online and wait for it to be back in stock before I could get my hands on it.

These nail tattoos are part of Topshop's Sisters of the New Moon make-up collection (Read my review on the Magic Eyeliner from the collection here.), which has a mixture of metallic polishes, bright coral and pink lipsticks contrasting with dramatic black liners and bold mascara to create a distinctly unique look that is completely fashion-forward.

 The pack contains two sheets of different tattoos in various sizes so they are perfect for any length of nail. The designs are mostly astrological signs, but there are a few pretty swallows, stars and moons thrown in there. My personal favourites are the swallows :) The pack contains 86 tattoos in 10 different designs, so you can choose whether to stick to a specific pattern or go completely random with them.

Here's how they turned out:

As you can see, my nail painting skills are not at their best, but you get the gist! I'm so happy with the way they turned out. I did my right thumb and index finger first, as you can see there are a few mistakes and the tattoos actually cracked a little, but I still love them! For the base I used 'Matte White' from Barry M, which I thought was ideal to directly contrast the designs. They are a bit fiddly if you don't have a steady hand! You need to cut around the desired design, remove the plastic backing, transfer onto the nail using a wet cloth and then remove the paper backing. However, if you can't remove the backing or your hands shake while pressing down on the transfer it could affect the turnout, as mine did at the beginnning.

However, once you get the hang of it it's great! The tattoos dry in seconds, and the whole process took about 15 minutes, due to my clumsy fingers not being able to cut around the designs properly! These temporary nail tattoos are perfect for people who aren't so good with a nail striper or nail art pen, who want precise and quirky designs that are easy to apply and look great! I will definitely be buying more of these, but for £7 i'll make sure i've used up every last one of the designs before doing so. There are a few tiny designs which are good for little fingers that would be excellent to use on your toes too!

Topshop Temporary Nail Tattoos are only available in selected Topshop stores (Your most likely to find them in London and places like that!), so your best bet is to purchase them online.

What do you think? Will they catch on, or are they too gimmicky for your taste?

Topshop Buys: Spikes and Mesh!

After looking at various fashion blogs recently, and from my regular window-shopping trips to my local shopping centre i've come to the conclusion that Topshop have some amazing clothes and accessories in recently! So I decided to spend some of my hard-earned cash and pick up a few things:

Mesh Insert Skater Dress - £45

If you've read my previous post on skater dresses, you'd know that they are my favourite style of dress. Flattering and on-trend, they're my go-to when I go shopping for outfits for a night out. That is what drew me to the dress at first, and then I saw that neckline. Plunges to just above the belly button, this dress is not for the shy. The mesh also covers the back, which means you'd either have to wear an invisible back bra, or just go without! It's great if you're self concious about a part of your body (Me with my hips and thighs in particular!) as it draws attention to the neckline. This dress is also sold in nude, but I find it washes out people with pale skintones. The structured shoulders are a great touch too! 

 Layered Spike Necklace - £14

I love this necklace so much! After seeing it on a post by llymlrs I knew this necklace had to be mine! To be honest, i'd seen it in Topshop a few times but never thought about picking it up. I've got a few things coming in the post over the next few days that will go perfect with this, so I can't wait to wear it! I also have a similar silver one coming too :) 

Earrings - £6 approx

First of all, apologies for not being able to remember the exact price of the earrings. But I can tell you that they cost no more than £6-£7! I love the Aztec pattern on the earrings and the length makes them suitable for both day and night wear. I don't usually wear dangly earrings as I already wear a watch, ring and bracelet on a daily basis and I don't want to over-do it so I am excited to try these out! 

Like I said, I have more purchases from Topshop/Topshop from Ebay, Etsy and jwlry, so stay tuned! :)

April Obsession - Studs and Spikes!

Hello all!
If you've been following my blog you would know that I recently went on holiday to Turkey (pictures will be uploaded soon!), and was completely taken back by the over-eagerness and desperation of the sales assistants in their shops, so much so that I couldn't bring myself to go into any shops and have a good browse. Therefore, practically as soon as I touched down on British soil I was out undergoing some much anticipated retail therapy, and I noticed there was only one thing that was catching my eye.

This season, studs are everywhere. On rings, collars of shirts, shoulders of jackets, dotted on ballet slippers. Directly contrasting to the ever-popular pastel trend, a few studs are essential in adding an edgy twist to any outfit. Here are my purchases:

VECTRA3 Studded Slippers - £28, Topshop. Image courtesy of topshop.com

 These could not be more perfect if they tried. Slippers are in right now, and the studs toughen up the soft material (polyurathene, apparently?). They also come in a nude with gold studs, which goes back to a new take on feminine pastels. So comfortable and versatile, these will be my go-to shoes from now on.

Printed shirt with studded collar - £29.99, Zara. Image courtesy of zara.com

This shirt is part of Zara's newest collection, and I have to say it's the cutest shirt i've ever purchased. The owl print keeps the shirt feminine whilst the high collar and gold studs add a straight-edge, making it a perfect accompaniment to a blazer or pair of high-waisted shorts. I wore it today with a pair of black skinny jeans and a blazer, and it reminded me of the style of Caroline Flack. Absolutely gorgeous and such a bargain price! 

But it's not just the clothing that's had the studded treatment: 

1. Black studded bra top - £28, Miss Selfridge

2. Spike end slides - £7.99, Topshop

3. Studded Peter Pan collar - £30, Topshop

Images courtesy of Miss Selfridge and Topshop

I love the embellishments, they really liven up something as simple as a black bra-top. I especially love the hair slides in the gorgeous candy colours. However, when you wear studs just be careful about how far you go with it, keep it simple and avoid studded black collars - you'll look like you're either wearing a dog collar or part of a bondage outfit! 

If you want the studded look without the price-tag, DIY studding is easy. You can buy packets of studs from most textile and sewing shops, and use them to line denim jackets or jean pockets - get creative with it!

 

Review: Topshop Magic Liner

I know i'm not the only one who struggles applying their liquid eyeliner. I try and try, and still managed to end up with a shaky line that starts in the middle of my eyelid. So you could understand my excitement when I came across 'Magic Liner' in Topshop. It's basically a felt-tip style pen with a thin nib to perfect those cat eye flicks. I tend to use Magic Ink eyeliner from Benefit, which is amazing in its own right, but it's the dipping the brush into the pot part that I thought was unnecessary.  With the Magic Liner you just shake the pen and the liner flows freely onto the brush, much like a pen would.


Magic Liner is just one of the many gorgeous products from Sisters of The New Moon, a limited edition makeup collection from Topshop. It features dazzling metallic nail colours and bright coral and pink lipsticks, designed to give you a futuristic high-fashion look.

I love the packaging of the entire range in general. It's a shiny silver and has a gypsy fortune teller feel to it. As you can see the tip is super thin for precision and enables you to layer it on to create a thicker line if needed - with eye-liner it's better to go slowly and layer it so you don't smudge it and create even thickness on both eyes!

This was a simple sweep of the pen along my hand. The slightly thicker part of the line was when I pressed it a little harder, so in order to create a cat eye flick you need to make sure you don't put too much pressure on the pen and relax your hand. It's vital that you use your arm as an 'anchor'. Rest your elbow on something flat and sturdy to stable your hand, once you begin to shake that's it!

I think the idea behind this is genius. However, in order to prevent the tip from going dry it instructs to store it tip facing down or on it's side, so remember that when you're throwing it into your bag. This liner is perfect for subtle flicks, or thick, dramatic eyes. You can also use the tip to create more intricate liner designs, or even use it on your nails for nail art? This really is a great eye liner. Well done, Topshop!

Magic Liner is sold at your nearest Topshop for just £8.

My Newest Topshop Buys!

Hello everyone! Hope everyone's enjoying their weekend. Just thought i'd share my gorgeous new buys from Topshop. There wasn't any reason for this spree, other than I didn't want to go home and spend the next 8 hours doing uni work, so i'd thought i'd have a wander round to break up the time.

I found the top from the dreaded sales rack. It was £7 down from £28 (Amazing!!!), and I knew I had to get it because for a change they actually had it in my size! Don't get me wrong, I love finding a good bargain, but unless you go to the Topshop sale on the day it starts, you're left with the clothes in awkward sizes and everythings basically hideous. But, I actually remember wanting to buy this top in the summer, but refusing to pay the £28 .. so, bonus! :)

The shoes have got to be my favourite. One of the sales assistants was helping me get down a pair of jeans, and had to end up getting a ladder. I was standing there waiting when her shoes came into my level. I could not stop staring at them, I loved them so much! And I cannot believe they only cost me £20! (And I had student discount to add on top of that!) I call them my wizard shoes, and they also have the same style but with red hearts instead of gold stars, which are on my list too. I couldn't stop staring at my feet while I was wearing them, almost causing a few head-on collisions. Oh well, they're worth it!

I also ended up spending far too much money in Mac, so expect a post about that :)

Enjoy your weekend xo

Wishlist, Christmas List, Shopping List: Snakeskin blouses!

1. Animal print side tuck blouse - £36, Topshop 2. Sheer snake blouse - £22.99, New Look 3. Sheer snake double layer blouse - £8, Primark


I love when this happens. The least expensive version of the blouse is the best, and you only pay a fraction of the price! To be fair, the Topshop blouse is gorgeous. I love the cut and the shape of the sleeves, although I wouldn't be able to justify spending £36 on it, even with my 20% student discount! I'm not really a big fan of the New Look blouse, but I can imagine with the sleeves rolled and stitched it would look a lot more appealing to me. It's also £22.99, which is also a bit pricey for me.

I found the Primark version last week when I was off draining the remainder of my bank account in Bournemouth town. It didn't look to appealing on the hanger; it seemed out of shape and I couldn't imagine it on me - so I tried it on out of pure curiosity. The second layer covers up my bra, but leaves my stomach showing due to the sheer fabric, so I wear it with black high-waisted shorts (New Look) to cover myself up a little.

Overall i'm happy with my purchase. It's light and somehow flattering, and I can't wait until I wear it again.

Day at the beach!

Top - £8, Primark Skirt - £28, Topshop Ring - £3.75, Miss Selfridge Necklace - £25, Urban Outfitters

First of all I will say, please ignore the 'face like a smacked arse' look on my face! To be honest if you could ask anyone I knew, they'd tell you i'm one of the smiliest and happiest people you'll ever meet so i'll try and work on my un-photogenic demeanor for the next lot of photos. This blouse was from my Primark spree yesterday, and i'm aware it is incredibly see-through but it is hot out and I don't want any more layers than I have to. Decided to pair it with my black flippy skirt that I bought just before I came to University. Along with the gorgeous rabbit ring that I bought in the Miss Selfridge sale last week, and the working wind-up clock necklace that my mum bought me as a present whilst browsing U.O in London.

Because i'm so pale I don't really want to be exposed to too much sun whilst at the beach, so this is the most covering up I can do under the circumstances!

Have a great day!

Sophie xo

Must Have: Armour Ring

1. £12.50 2. £8.50 3. £14, all Topshop

Dating back to the medieval times, armour rings are a much smaller and more delicate version of the gauntlet glove that was used as armour. This selection from Topshop captures the authenticity of the armour/shield ring, but add a feminine touch by incorporating stones and adding patterned detailing.

During my Primark spree around Bournemouth town today, I came across this:

Floral Armour Ring, £2.50 - Primark

What attracted me most to this ring is the length. Although my nails are long, I still have extremely short fingers, which makes it near impossible to wear the ultra-long armour rings from Topshop. But as you can see from the first picture, it only goes just above the knuckle, so it doesn't look strange on my tiny hand. It also has feminine flowers, but keeps to the medivial theme with the circular joints, sharp lines and the gold colouring.