❄ OOTD: I’m Gonna Be Warm This Winter ❄

In New Zealand we are over halfway through winter and thankfully it hasn’t been too bitter. *Touches wood* I wanted to share an outfit with you that I have been wearing a lot lately, it’s perfect for winter but will still keep you looking stylish. (The outfit is pocket friendly too!) This outfit is a cross between casual and semi-formal. I took inspiration from nature and opted for greys and blacks to represent the clouds and gloomy weather. I kept the colour palette neutral so it would be easy to recreate and it also means you can accessorise easily and wear whatever makeup you wish. Unfortunately, most of these items aren’t available online anymore but I will link the products I can find at the end of the post.

Clothing

Long sleeve Roll Neck Boucle Jumper – $15

I purchased this jumper at the beginning of June and I have been obsessed with it ever since! I spotted this in store and instantly fell in love. The jumper is lightweight and doesn’t feel heavy on but is still warm and cosy. I really like the roll neck, how it looks and the practicality of it for cooler weather. This jumper is quite slouchy and oversized but somehow it is the perfect fit at the same time. The sleeves aren’t too long and the hem sits nicely. The short splits at the sides are a cute touch.

Anna High Neck Tee – $5

Cotton On has become one of my favourite places to shop for clothes recently. Their clothes are the right mix of stylish and affordable and I picked up this high neck tee back in January for only $5! I like the ribbed effect, the sleeve length and the fitted look. I’m a curvy girl but I love how this looks on and how it makes me feel confident when I wear it; it hugs in all the right places. I believe this tee would work with most outfits all year round.

Grey Jeggings – $15

I love the comfort of leggings and I love the look of jeans so it was a no brainer for me to pick up this pair of jeggings. My pair have an elasticated waist as opposed to a button and zip closure. Unlike a lot of jeans and leggings that gather around my ankles because I’m short, these don’t. Although I couldn’t find a picture of my exact pair online, I feel this image best represents the colour, not dark grey but not light grey either.

Accessories

The Saturdays Crystal Heart Necklace – $2

I have had this necklace for a couple of years now and it was an even bigger bargain than the high neck tee! By Gioia are a company that specialise in jewellery from the world’s biggest musical artists and I purchased this necklace from The Saturdays’ line for £1. When the line was first released I think this retailed for roughly £17.99. This necklace has an adjustable chain and I chose this particular piece to compliment the roll neck jumper because of its’ length.

Footwear

When it comes to footwear for this outfit, I have two options: one is more casual and the other is more dressy if you were going out or had an event in the evening.

1. Skechers Flex Appeal Sweet Spot Walking Shoes – $77.99

 This pair of shoes is the most expensive item in this post but as far as shoes go they’re still not too expensive. I find shoe shopping can be difficult because I have wide, short feet and my ankles roll out when I walk (pronation). These shoes are one of the most comfortable pairs I have worn and I’m sure that’s down to the memory foam. I love to be comfortable and I bought these because I wanted a nice pair of trainers which these certainly are. If you’d like to read more about these shoes, I wrote a post on them HERE.

2. Onix Suede Boots – $20

I bought these boots almost two years ago and they are still in near perfect condition. Despite these being suede, I’ve never experienced any water damage or any marks. Originally these boots retailed for $179.99 and I almost couldn’t believe it when I saw the price sticker for $20. These boots have the slightest heel but that doesn’t alter how comfortable they are to wear. These look so cute with the grey jeggings tucked into them.

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Jumper: Kmart

Top: Cotton On

Jeggings: Postie

Necklace: By Gioia

Shoes: Skechers

Shoes: Diana Ferrari

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I hope you enjoyed reading this post and seeing what I’ve been loving and wearing lately fashion-wise. Let me know what you think of this outfit – would you wear it?

Winter Lipstick Picks 💄

Next week marks the beginning of June which means Winter will have officially arrived in New Zealand! Today I’ve got another seasonal post lined up for you: my top lipstick picks for winter. For a lot of people the cooler months are all about berry tones and while I do like those, they aren’t the only colours you’ll see me wearing. Whether you’re a fan of berries, neutrals or classic year round shades, keep reading to see how to dress up your winter lips!

Berry

I’ve got two options for you on the berry front and they are both matte. One is a cult classic among beauty bloggers and the other is a gorgeous purple-berry shade I won in a giveaway.

1. First up is Rimmel 107 which is much adored in the blogging world. This lipstick is a lovely berry/wine shade and another huge plus point of this lipstick is it’s price tag. I paid around $11 (NZD) for it and it retails for roughly £5 in the drugstore. If you are prone to dry lips, I would advise applying a balm under this one.
2. Secondly, we have After Dark by Urban Decay. This lipstick is from Urban Decay’s relatively new Matte Revolution range and I was luckily enough to win this shade in a giveaway last December. The best way to describe this lipstick is Rimmel 107’s more purple cousin. This lipstick is the epitome of Autumn/Winter and I used it to create my autumnal makeup look. The sleek black and purple packaging adds to the luxury feel. The formula of this lipstick is not as matte as Rimmel 107 and I can get away with not wearing a balm underneath.

Neutral

Ever since I started blogging, I’ve become obsessed with neutral everyday shades and wear them at least once or twice a week. Again, I’ve got two options in this category including an old favourite and one of my more recent additions.

1. If you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while now you will know all about my love for MAC’s Syrup. It was my first ever MAC lipstick and MAC purchase and I still wear this shade constantly. Syrup has slightly pink, slightly muted berry tones with a hint of raspberry and it is one of my favourite lipstick shades in my collection. This shade is perfect to throw on if you’re not sure what to wear and is appropriate for both day and night.
2. I purchased Asia by Rimmel back in March and it is fast becoming another of my favourite shades. The browny/pink tones pull cool making it a lovely option for winter and would look gorgeous teamed with either a smokey or shimmery eye. It’s still warm enough that it adds colour to the face and would even look lovely worn with just a few coats of mascara.

Suggested post: Nude Lipsticks 101 – see more of my favourite neutral lip colours.

Bright

When it comes to lipstick my absolute favourite shade to wear is fuchsia! A more restrained alternative to fuchsia is my Raspberry Ripple lipstick by W7. (The name even has berry in it!) I purchased this lipstick for my mum but she told me to keep it as she already owned similar shades. This lipstick cost me $6 and the pigmentation and formula doesn’t disappoint. This lipstick feels so moisturising on the lips and doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything at all. Raspberry Ripple has a slight frost effect to it but if anything it makes the lips look highlighted and isn’t as frosty as a MAC frost lipstick.

Classic

You can’t go wrong with a traditional, classic red, particularly in the form of Ruby Woo by MAC. Ruby Woo is a blue-toned red meaning it makes your teeth look whiter and who doesn’t want that?! The lasting power is pretty amazing but it is a retro matte formula meaning it can be more drying than usual. I have worn this lipstick without applying a balm first and let me tell you, I don’t advise it. Application wasn’t the easiest and when I removed the lipstick my lips were sore and felt dry. I’ve said this before but I guarantee you, Ruby Woo is the perfect red lipstick!

Swatches

Left To Right and listed in the order above: 107, After Dark, Syrup, Asia, Raspberry Ripple and Ruby Woo.

Do you agree with the shades I’ve selected? What would you add to the list?

Winter Beauty Wishlist

Hello lovelies – hope you had an amazing Easter with lots of chocolate treats! The last time I wrote one of these wishlist posts it went down a treat and it is actually one of my most popular posts. CLICK HERE to read it. Autumn has barely started but somehow I’m already thinking about winter, well the end of it. I’ve set myself a goal to purchase all of the items on this wishlist by the end of August, giving me just under five months. Read on to see what I’m lusting over!

1. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

I am coming to the end of my tube of Maybelline’s Fit Me concealer and I have mentioned how much I like it dozens of times but I wanted a change and I know if I don’t find anything better I can always go back to it. I’ve lost count of the number of bloggers who have raved about the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer so I thought I’d give it a go and see if it’s as good as everyone says. I actually purchased this one at the weekend as I saw it for 30% off. I purchased the shade ‘1 Fair’ which is the lightest shade. I compared the tube to the Maybelline one and the colours look similar which is interesting considering I use the second lightest shade of Fit Me. Sadly, I won’t be cracking into this one just yet, I’m waiting until I’ve finished my Maybelline.

2. Real Techniques Starter Set

I have really stepped up my eyeshadow game over the past 12 months and my Real Techniques shading brush is my most used. It’s a great little brush; the size is perfect, it blends, the bristles are incredibly soft but lately I’ve been thinking I could do with another one or two eye brushes. I’ve heard bloggers praise the deluxe crease brush and the base shadow brush which are part of this set along with three other brushes (the accent brush, fine liner brush and brow brush). I got my last lot of Real Techniques brushes from iHerb and I got an email from them saying I have some credit to use up – I’m thinking these would be a good choice!

3. Real Techniques Retractable Lip Brush

I really like the look of this brush, it’s bright pink and it seems perfect for on the go reapplication. You can pop some product on the brush, place the cap over top and have it ready for later when your lip colour has worn off. I don’t particularly want it for that as lip product stays on my lips incredibly well but that adds to it’s versatility. I thought this might be good to use to apply lip products when you’re sick to prevent spreading germs or if a friend wants to use one of your lip products, they could apply it with this brush. I don’t like sharing my makeup (which I don’t) but this would help keep everything that little bit more hygienic.

4. Rimmel 60 Seconds Super Shine by Rita Ora – Bestival Blue

How beautiful is this colour?! About a year ago I was looking for a cornflower blue-purple nail polish but couldn’t quite find what I was after. I saw a bottle of this last month and very nearly picked it up (I wish I had). I literally turned to my brother and said, “this is the same colour as my work shirt, I could match my nails to my uniform.” Next time I see Bestival Blue, I’m buying a bottle!

5. Cotton On Faux Fur Rib Beanie – Black

I’ve always thought beanies look super cute and I’ve convinced myself I want one. I was thinking a navy blue beanie might be nice, but they don’t make one in this particular style so naturally I default to black. Black goes with everything. This one also has a cute little pom pom on the top.

6. Philips Moisture Protect Hair Dryer

I bought myself the matching hair straightener before Christmas and I love it, it makes my hair feel lovely and silky and it’s so easy to use. I don’t hair dry my hair very often but I would like to have one so that if I go away or am staying at a friend’s I can use my own. I currently use my mum’s and it’s really good for how old it is. My mum has had her hair dryer for over 30 years and it never misses a beat! What appeals to me about this hair dryer and the straightener is that they preserve your hair’s natural hydration. You can alter the temperature settings and there is special technology that protects the moisture balance of hair. The diffuser and concentrator nozzle also come with the hair dryer which is handy if you like to style your hair.

What do you think of my wishlist? Have you tried any of the things on it?

Winter Essentials

Happy Monday everyone! How was your weekend? Since it’s officially summer in New Zealand and it’ll be a while before the wet, cold, frosty days are back I wanted to talk you about my winter essentials. I also thought this post would be nice for all my blogging buddies living in the northern hemisphere. I have compiled a small list of my favourite things for the cold winter days and even colder winter nights. Enjoy!

1. A good book

I have always enjoyed reading and something I love to do is curl up with a book. Winter is a really good excuse to curl up in bed of an evening with a hot chocolate; cream, marshmallows, the works! I have spoken before about how I love to read autobiographies but I am also partial to a bit of romance *awww*. Romance novels make you feel good and are heartwarming. If you have any suggestions for winter books leave them in the comments below!

2. Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 107

This shade of lipstick is spoken about so much in the blogging world and for good reason! If during the cooler months you like wearing dark, berry lips you will love this shade. 107 is a gorgeous wine colour with a matte finish so you can be sure it will wear well and last throughout the day. If you have dry lips dab on some lip balm before applying this lipstick to make sure they stay hydrated. Normally when wearing this lipstick I dab on Dainty Doll’s Wonderbalm and I find this makes the colour into a vibrant dark red.

3. Body butter

I’m currently using The Body Shop’s Vitamin E body butter which I picked up in July. I apply my body butter after a shower before I get dressed as I find it soaks into my skin more effectively and provides more nourishment. I don’t pair scents with seasons but if you do, Wild Argan Oil and nutty, shea scents would be perfect matches for winter. If you haven’t tried a body butter before I’d recommend starting off with one of the smaller 50ml tubs. They still last a decent amount of time and if you find you don’t like the scent you’re not stuck with it. The only downside to that is there are certain scents only available in the 200ml tubs.

4. Slipper boots

If you like UGG boots but can’t afford them or get hold of them any pair of ordinary boot styled slippers will do. Boot slippers are the most comfortable for me and because they come up past the ankle you stay warmer. No warm air can escape and let any cold air in. I picked these slippers up last summer when there was a sale on and paid $4.95. I love the ice blue colour too, it adds to that cosy winter feeling.

5. Throw

I have purchased two lovely throws for my bed this past year: a coral and the grey one in the picture above. Not only is a throw stylish, it is an extra layer for your bed to help you keep warm. Throws are also useful for curling up on the couch when you’re watching TV or a movie; they’re lightweight and easy enough to grab and put back on the bed. I love the thought of snuggling up when there’s a good night of telly on.

Tell me, what are your winter essentials?