Haul #5: London

Last week I went to London to apply for a Visa to study in America from August for a year. My appointment at the US Embassy was at 11:00 and lasted only 2 hours and now I'm officially going to America! I booked my return train a lot later in the day though, which gave me a chance to go on a huge beauty haul (which may have not been the best idea for my bank account!).

Space NK

My first stop was Space NK just off Oxford Street. There was one product I really wanted from there and it was the By Terry Ombre Blackstar. I hadn't quite decided what shade to get but as soon as I tested Misty Rock on the back of my hand I fell in love. It's a gorgeous shimmery taupe purple shade that is great for a day or nighttime look. At first I was reluctant to buy an eyeshadow stick for £28 but I'm glad I did. The texture is really creamy and a little goes a long way. It's also a really easy product to use and you could just simply swipe your lid with this to get a great eye makeup look, perfect for when on holiday or travelling. I'm so happy that I listened to beauty bloggers like Tanya Burr and Vivianna Does Makeup because they are so right about this product! 

Selfridges
Selfridges is one of my favourite shops, ever, especially the London one because it's so huge! I had a few hours to kill but ended up spending nearly all my time there. The beauty department is just to die for! I ended up buying products from three counters in Selfridges, as well as getting a quick Pinkberry as a break from all the shopping.

Charlotte Tilbury

The first counter I purchased from was Charlotte Tilbury. I found it so difficult to limit myself to what I bought. I spent so long testing out the products on my hand, asking the friendly staff on their suggestions and having them try some products out on me. Eventually, after much deliberation and re-testing (I'm the worst decision maker ever!), I finally decided on a K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect and a Rock 'n' Kohl eyeliner in Bedroom Black. I already have the Lipstick colour in So Marilyn and I love it but it's such a true bold red that I don't get a chance to wear very often therefore I wanted a more of an everyday shade and Bitch Perfect is that perfect shade! I'm so glad I chose this shade as it's just a classic pinky nude that lasts a while, smells delicious and has a great texture to it. I find myself reaching for it all the time for an everyday look. I also decided to go for the Rock 'n' Kohl eyeliner because I've not bought a pencil eyeliner in ages and all the women at the counter recommended it to me. This is such a great eyeliner. It lasts a ridiculously long time without smudging yet it glides on so easily. It's a great one for the waterline too. The black is very bold though so I try to use it more for the evening when I'm going out. 

MAC

My next stop was MAC. I had a slightly clearer idea of what I wanted from there but still spent some time trying to narrow down my options. One thing I definitely knew I wanted was a 4 eyeshadow palette so that I can travel without taking all of my MAC eyeshadows in my 15 palette with me. I also knew I wanted one last eyeshadow to fill my 15 palette. I originally wanted Mulch but when I tested a few shades on my hand I finally decided on Twinks and the lady at the counter said this colour would bring the blue out in my eyes more. It's a beautiful bronze/brown shade with a hint of plum. I also bought a new lipstick as I haven't bought a MAC lipstick in about 3 years (such a long time!). I went with the colour Craving in the end because I'd done some research beforehand. It's a beautiful warm plum colour with a creamy finish and smooth texture. It's also a great shade to wear as a slightly bolder lip look in the day or a nice deep shade for an evening. I haven't got much use out of it yet but I can't wait to try it out more!

Chanel

Finally my last purchase of the day was at the Chanel counter. Last year I'd heard loads about the Summer Collection and luckily I reserved products at John Lewis so they didn't sell out (I ended up choosing some products that sold out immediately). However this year I'd not heard much hype about the collection so decided to ask at the counter when the 2014 collection would be released. I spoke to the nicest woman who told me that they had the products a week early and not many people knew (so if you want any of the collection they should be out everywhere now!) Because they had the products there I decided to buy one thing from the collection and that was the Illusion D'ombre in New Moon. This is such a gorgeous bronze colour and it's so glittery, I'm almost too scared to wear it. The formula is also so creamy and it glides on so easily, I'm looking forward to using it a lot more in the future.

I'm so happy with all my London Haul purchases and I went home on the train feeling both happy but also with sore feet and a sore bank account! I have decided to go on a makeup ban for at least a month now because I bought so much in this haul, let's see how long I can last!

The Best of London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014

With London Fashion Week drawing to a close on Tuesday, I thought I would share my best shows from the past week. Unlike Sophie, whose favourite fashion week is New York (click here to see her best from NYFW), London is my favourite of the 'big four' fashion weeks- I love seeing British designers on the global stage and this year they didn't disappoint.


Burberry Prorsum

This show is the one I always get the most excited for every season, with the added benefit of being able to watch the show live online it makes you feel a little bit more of the action. The clothes were as exquisite as always with hand painted floaty floral dresses, sheer lace skirts and of course the classic trench coats. For the finale, the hottest models including Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, Edie Campbell and Suki Waterhouse also sported a personalised cashmere scarf; that will definitely going on my wishlist in the not so distant future.


Temperley London

Slowly earning its place along side fashion's power houses, Temperely London has a strong reputation, a big red carpet presence and the seal of approval from the Duchess of Cambridge. The show displayed feminine dresses with bold prints, beautiful fabrics and intricate embellishment.


Topshop Unique

Blues, yellows and blacks seemed to be the main colour palette for Topshop Unique AW14, with a range of different materials and textures throughout the whole collection, from patchwork fur coats to sheer tops and a few cosy jumpers in between. An impressive FROW including the fashion matriarch herself, Anna Wintour sat next to reality star Kendall Jenner, Kate and Lottie Moss, Poppy Delevingne and Sir Philip Green.


Anya Hindmarch 

Anya's supermarket themed 'Counter Culture' show was certainly different, but none the less enjoyable. With a catwalk reminiscent of a conveyor belt and a back drop resembling a barcode, the theme did not stop there... With handbags the shape of a packet of digestive biscuits, the famous Kellogg's cockerel and Tony the Tiger plastered on her Ebury totes; Anya's show was bright, colourful and a lot of fun.


Tom Ford

Tom stuck with his usual monochrome colour palette for his AW14 show, there were sharp and elegant dresses, with jewels, leathers and fur. The beauty for the show was in control of make-up genius Charlotte Tilbury who created a dark smokey eye on the models, including Georgia May Jagger and Liberty Ross. Tom showcased his designs in the magnificent Lindley Hall in front of an impressive Front Row including Anna Wintour, Bradley Cooper and Suki Waterhouse.


Holly Fulton

Edinburgh-born designer Holly showcased her collection full of graphic prints and printed motifs, the show had a more grown-up feel to her earlier work and full of nudes, dusty pinks and powder blues. The show was based upon a theme of silent movies but she still managed to pay homage to her Scottish roots with Scot-made knitted kilts and wool coats. Although high fashion, a lot of Holly's looks and dresses would be very wearable straight off the catwalk.

What were your favourite shows and looks from LFW? Keep an eye out for our favourite shows from Milan and Paris over the next couple of weeks!

2014!

Happy 2014! First of all I need to apologize for the complete Blogmas fail! As it got closer and closer to Christmas I was so busy I just didn't have the time to keep it up. 

2013 has flown by, its had its ups and downs, visited some amazing places and I am looking forward to making 2014 even better. Here are some of 2013's biggest highlights for me:

I went to Dubai for the first time at Easter

In June I got to go to the races for the first time

I visited the Greek island of Santorini

I've had a couple of fun trips to London with my family

And I've had some the best times with my amazing friends 

What have been your highlights of 2013, and what are you most looking forward to in 2014?