'Vintage Vera' Makeup Look // Makeup Your Mondays

 I'm a bit of a 'Vintage Vera'. That's what I like to call people that wish they were born in the 50s/60s and I am definitely one of those people. I love a good Peter Pan collar, bouffant and shift dress so I thought I'd show you how to do my classic, retro cat eye makeup. With an added red lip of course.

Having already done my base, these are my eyes with a light shimmery shade all over the lid. I used my Sleek palette but any is okay, the eyeshadow isn't too important.

Here I've blended a darker shimmery taupe around the edges of the lids and slightly into the crease just for a litte definition.

This is how I begin my cat-eye. I start just drawing a line from the edge of my eye up towards my eyebrow. This line can be as long or as thick as you like.

I then join up the 'flick' in the previous picture by taking my eyeliner right to the inner corners of my eyes, really close to the lash line.

Now I just add in my brows and mascara.

Sometimes I also like the line the top inside of my eye with pencil eyeliner (I know it sounds odd!) just to make the lashes look fuller and thicker.

I then add the lips and for this I used the Maybelline ColourDrama Matte Lip Pencil in 'Red Essential' which is a gorgeous deep really vintage red, deeper than it looks in the photo. It's a dream to apply but is not drying at all.

 This is the finished look. I love it because it allows me to feel like a child of the swinging sixties! Sometimes if I'm feeling crazy and daring I also add a bouffant hairstyle like this. I slightly back comb the underneath then grip it down into a ponytail at the back. It's a really quick way to add some character to your look.

The products that are essential for me in this look; L'oreal Superliner Perfect Slim in Intense Black and the Maybelline ColourDrama Lip Pencil in 'Red Essential'

Yoga at lululemon // TGIF

A couple of weeks ago my friend dragged me up on a Sunday morning and into Covent Garden to lululemon to do a yoga class. This particular class is completely free (!!) and takes place at the lululemon store in Covent Garden. The store sells lush workout clothes and yoga wear but every Sunday they wheel the clothes rails away and lay out 30 mats. They then shut the shop doors for an hour and you do get some funny, confused looks from shoppers who like to stop and watch through the big windows. Every weeke is taught by a different teacher from a different studio so that means you get a whole variety of classes, ranging from the more spiritual to the more physical. The class is first come first serve but it actually wasn't full when we went. It was literally the best start to a Sunday morning ever and left me feeling really energised and mentally chilled.

lululemon's yoga class on a Sunday morning is free and starts at 11.00 (10.30 over the Christmas period).

Granny Chic // On Wednesdays We Wear...

'Granny Chic' is how my friend describes our style (we always go for the same clothes, we once even bought the same dress without realising!). Basically, a collar, some lace or prints and a pair of brogues and you're all set for Granny Chic.

So when I saw this dress in Primark I was absolutley sold. It kind of reminds me of a horrible, old pair of curtains but that's why I love it so much! And it has a pop of colour in the form of the red Peter Pan collar. I couldn't leave without it.

For breakfast at the Duck and Waffle I paired it with black tights and these black loafers which are also from Primark.

Duck and Waffle // Chewsday

I had wanted to eat at the Duck and Waffle in London for ages. I just love the city and think it's so beautiful so the idea of eating whilst overlooking the London skyline appealed to me greatly. I just had to find a weekend when I was free. So me and my friend arranged a breakfast date and braved the early November morning. After catching the first tube of the day to Liverpool Street we took the lift up to the 40th floor of the Heron Tower in Bishopsgate to the restaurant. Nervewracking even for me, who doesn't mind heights, but equally breathtaking.

Our table was right by the window, looking east and, as we ate, the sky got lighter, the mist shifted and London began to wake up. We both ate waffles (how could we not!). I had the Banana Brulee and my friend had the Toffee Apple (both amazing) and we shared sourdough toast.

The restaurant is gorgeous, the food is delicous (and very reasonably priced) and the view is sublime. This place is an absolute must for anyone (who isn't afraid of heights), either Londoner or visitor.

The Duck and Waffle is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The ghostly deserted Kings Cross station at 6.30am on a Sunday

The crazy, super-fast, super-colourful lift to the 40th floor

Duck and Waffle homemade jam

The view from our table

My lush hot chocolate

Our sourdough toast

Toffee apple waffle: poached apples, honeycomb, chopped nuts, toffee sauce and cinnamon ice cream

The fab view of the Gherkin

Banana Brulee waffle: banana brulee-d with chopped nuts, vanilla ice cream and homemade nutella

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet // Make Up Your Mondays

I feel like I have to tell the world about these. I read Lily Pebbles blog and she had mentioned them so I thought I'd try them out (this was about 6 months ago) and oh my goodness! I have a bit of an addiction to lipsticks but these are by far the best of their type that I've tried. Six months on and they're still my favourite liptsick ever. And all for £8.99!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet are 'liquid lipsticks' that are applied by a lipgloss-style applicator: something that seemed to become all the rage earlier this year, with every brand releasing their own version. However they dry down completely matte and just stay on your lips all day. I eat and drink and sweat and these things stay put! They are also (like they say on the tin) 'velvet'. I'm not entrely sure what that means but they definitely feel velvety, not at all dusty like the Rimmel Apocolips (which I didn't like).

The colours are just so bold and fabulous, every time I wear them I get a compliment on my lip colour or people asking 'what lipstick are you wearing?'

Personne ne Rouge! is my favourite colour, very sophisticated and not too bright.  It's actually very similar to MAC's Russian Red, but just stays for longer. Hot pepper is a very loud, more orangey-toned red, Ole flamingo! is a shocking pink and Grand Cru is a deep almost burgundy colour. Grand Cru is actually the only one I don't really love, the formula seems different and it seperates on your lips.

But really, these are just the best lipsticks I own. When I want a bright, bold colour (most days...) these are what I reach for. So please, get yourself down to Boots or Superdrug and try these babies out. You won't regret it.

This little light of mine // TGIF

Winter is in full swing now and my favourite thing to do at the moment of a cold dark evening is light a candle. I have a few but this Diptyque one is definitely my favourite.
I bought it recently from John Lewis and it is gorgeous. Finally I've found a candle that actually emits a scent whilst burning rather than just when it's first lit. Diptyque is expensive but it just makes the room smell so lovely.
My candle is 'Baies' (it means berries) which smells like a mixture of roses and fruit. I will also definitely be cleaning out the glass jar when it's finished to use for storage...
I think I'm going to have to make another trip back to Diptyque very soon.

I'd drink to that // Thursday's Thoughts

'Binge drinking' is a phrase we normally associate with alcoholism, a sort of diagnosed problem. However, in reality Britain's drinking culture now has quite a reputation. I think I read statistics saying around 50% of men and women that drink, drink more than their recommended units at least once a week.

And that's the issue I think. Drinking excessively. As a country we don't seem to be able to have just one glass of wine, we have to have more otherwise 'what's the point?' This attitude is mainly common with young people. Certainly as a student at university I feel like many people think that drinking and partying every night is almost what university is for.

Going out and just drinking excessive amounts is something that we all do. I do it, you do it. I don't think I've met many people my age that haven't ever been so drunk they've vomited all over the shop (myself included). And that is the norm. "I'm not drunk enough!" How many times have I heard someone ask that? But I feel that. I can't stand house parties when I'm sober, they're just awful. Is that because I (and British people in general) are too contained too deal with situations like that and feel that the need to let loose?

I'm not really making any judgments, I'm just curious as to why the British culture of binge drinking has evolved into what it is today. Is it our personalites? Or just the feeling needing to fit in? I don't know but for now I'll just mull it over with a double vodka and lemonade please and thank you. Cheers.

High Heels, High Hopes // On Wednesdays We Wear...

'A girl can never have to many shoes' is a rule I live by and although I don't spend a lot of money on shoes I do have quite a few pairs that don't get worn. However here's a look into my closet (shoe rack) to see my favourite pairs of heels which, especially now party season is coming up, get the most wear.

These red Primark shoes were bought for a fancy dress costume as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. This black pair is from Boohoo.

The nude pair with the pastel ice cream coloured studs are a Primark find which I bought for my Prom 2 years ago. The loafer style ones are again from Primark and are actually a dark green. I like to wear these with the socks for a very preppy look.

I LOVE these block heeled shoes from New Look (which I got for £7!) and they are possibly the comfiest heels ever. This blue suede-y pair are from Miss Selfridge and are a bit battered (well loved let's say) from nights out.

DIY Chai Latte // Chewsday

 It's now November and this means all the coffee shop are cracking out their festive cups and new christmassy drinks. However my all time FAVOURITE drink (which is served all year round but just reminds me so forcefully of Chrsitmas) is Chai Latte.

Now as much as I love a good Chai Latte I can't bear to be spending £3 a pop for one everytime I have a craving and the instant powder you can buy from supermarkets is just crammed with sugar.

So I devised my own super quick and easy way to make your own 'Christmas in a cup' Chai Latte at home. All you need is milk (green, red or blue top), cinnamon, a tea bag and, if you want, a squeeze of honey:

- Heat the milk (either in a pan on the hob or in the microwave)
- Dunk the teabag into the hot milk and leave for as long as you like (depending on how strong you want it)
- Remove the teabag and stir in as much cinnamon as you like (I go overboard at this stage; I LOVE CINNAMON)
- If you need it a little sweeter than a squeeze of honey will do the trick.
- Put on a pair of fluffly socks and drink up!

Disappointing Product // Make Up Your Mondays

 There is so much love from everywhere for the Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray. I was in Debenhams on Oxford Street a couple of months ago and decided to pick one up from the Urban Decay counter.

However the one that I was sold is the 'De-Slick' one, which I think that lady sold me because I told her that I sweat my makeup off (the problems of dancing for 8 hours a day!). I don't actually have oily skin, I have pretty dry skin and so I don't think this particular one is right for me.
I was just generally disappointed with the way it didn't really stop the makeup sliding off my face and how it looks slighly sticky/shiny when dried on the face.

I think I should probably have bought the 'All Nighter' spray, which I've read rave reviews about and so I will probably go back and try that one out next.

My Current Music Vibes // TGIF

 I just felt I should let everyone know that my album of the moment is absolutely Jessie J's Sweet Talker. I'm generally a pretty mainstream gal so when this album was released I kind of knew I'd love it.
There are a lot of beautiful ballads in there which is a lovely change from the chart hits featuring so and so which are always on there. (I'm talking about Burnin Up feat. 2 Chainz and Bang Bang feat. Nicki and Ariana in particular).

However my absolute FAVOURITE track is Strip. This is literally such a fun uptempo song that just makes you feel happy. It kind of reminds me of Sexy Lady from her 2nd album in the way that it just makes me want to dance down the street.

Please just go away and listen to this, if you love Jessie J (who doesn't!?) and good old pop songs then this is the best album around at the moment.
Also the woman is just flipping gorgeous.

Jessie J's third album Sweet Talker is out now.

OMG I can't even ILYSM // Thursday's Thoughts

This is not me moaning about how much I hate internet speak, this is the teenagers on Twitter, Youtube, Tumblr etc and their [often unhealthy] obsession with their idols, be it One Direction, 5 Seconds Of Summer or Connor Franta.  I don't have a problem with being a fan of your favourite band or youtuber, even mild hysteria when around 1D is normal: fans have been like this since The Beatles.

My worry is that these teenager's lives are one sided. I feel like some of them don't have any space in their life for anything else: they pour everything into their phones and keyboards and seem to forget the importance of real interactions with friends, family, boyfriends even. I watched a documentry on Channel 4 a couple of years ago about 'crazy' One Direction fans and, though I appreciate that the programme may well have been edited to look a certain way, some of these teenager's beliefs unnerve me slightly.

I probably sound like an old women and I'm in no way saying that being a hardcore fan of something is a bad thing. However I want to emphasize that they key is balance. Yes, be obsessed with One Direction but then be able to go out shopping with friends or for a meal with your family and not have to think/ talk about/ check Twitter for them every second. Learn to distance and not become reliant on something, like you would a drug.

Everything is healthy. In moderation.

Corsets and Crinolines // On Wednesdays We Wear

The Fashion room at the V&A Museum is every little girl's dream.  I love it there, every time I go I spend an age poring over the fabulous dresses, wishing I was living the life of Downton Abbey or The Great Gatsby. This weekend was no exception. It was a very rainy Sunday and what do you do on a rainy Sunday? The V&A of course! If you haven't been to see the incredible vintage outfits at the V&A or even just to the Museum generally then I would definitely recommend it for a Sunday afternoon trip. The Building itself it just beautful and is actually just very soothing to sit in. (I know I sound weird...)  The Natural History Museum next door also has a Christmas are outside with an Ice Skating Rink which is perfect to get in the mood for Christmas.

The V&A Museum and The Natural History Museum are open 7 days a week.

Christian Dior dresses

Vintage Vogue

The incredible ornate chandlier-type 'thing' in the entrance hall

Prada pumps

What I wore didn't exactly match up... Shirt: Primark, Necklace: New Look, Coat: Fat Face, Jeans: Topshop, Bag: Alice Temperly