The Only Two Lipsticks You'll Ever Need?

Imagine that, from now on, you had to live the rest of your life with only two lipsticks. Once you had finished rolling on the floor shrieking "NOOOO!!!" you would probably pick one nude and one bright, am I right? Me too. Whenever I'm trying to pack light - and packing has featured pretty highly in my life of late - this is the kind of soul searching question I ask myself. And I reckon that if I absolutely had to, I could make do pretty well with these two beauties.

The Nude - Maybelline Color Sensational in Tantalizing Taupe (725)

As much as I love Rimmel's Nude Delight, after careful consideration I think I would go for a pink-based nude if I could only have one. This is a fabulous contender. It feels creamy on the lips, has a lovely sheen to it, and the colour is just right. There are some pinky nudes that look gorgeous swatched on your hand, but on the lips are so close to your natural colouring that there doesn't seem much point in applying them. Obviously this will be different for everyone but Mac Patisserie is a great example of this for me. Tantalizing Taupe, on the other hand, is different enough to make it look like I'm wearing lipstick but still definitely a nude, if that makes sense. The staying power of this is not the greatest, but if you don't mind re-applying then I totally recommend it.

The Bright - L'Oreal Color Riche Pure Reds Collection in Blake's Pure Red

Everyone and their Aunty seems to be obsessed with this lipstick right now and I am definitely no exception. My sister bought it when we were shopping together just before Christmas, and I was so jealous I had to go back and get it for myself. I think it's the beautiful ruby shade that makes it so special. There's a lot of orangey reds around at the moment, which are also gorgeous, but this is slightly unusual in being more of a pinky red. One word of warning - it's not the easiest to apply. I've slapped it on direct from the tube for the purposes of this photo but it really needs a lip pencil and a lip brush to get the best result. Also, you need to blot and reapply. And then blot and reapply. And then blot some more. It will transfer all over the place otherwise. Still, the finished result is well worth the trouble. The velvety matte finish combined with the stunning colour make you feel all opulent and super glamorous - just like Blake herself!

What do you think of these lipsticks? And what would you pick if you could only have two? I'd love to know!

Kate x

New Home; New Hair

Well hello there!

It's been just over a month since I last blogged, and boy have I missed it! Moving house has taken up pretty much all of my spare time since the new year, plus I came down with a nasty bug a couple of weeks ago that kept me in bed for about four days feeling very sorry for myself. I'm better now, and although we still have boxes all over the place, my husband and I are essentially moved in to our new home, so we are slowly starting to get back to some sort of normality - finally!

We've moved, for work reasons, from the south of England to the north, and from a fairly large but slightly shabby older property to a smaller but bright shiny new one. In a word, it's a pretty big change, and coming at the beginning of a new year, it really feels like the opening of a brand new chapter.

So perhaps that's why, when I dashed into the hairdresser's mid-move for my regular six weekly trim, I ended up getting my long layers chopped into a blunt, collarbone-length cut instead.

The inspiration for this drastic action came from one of my favourite Youtubers, Barbara from The Persian Babe, whose channel is well worth checking out if you haven't already. Barbara recently cut her long hair to a similar length and I've been obsessed with it ever since. Even so, I never do anything on a whim, especially not when it has to do with my hair, so I was astonished to find myself asking my hairdresser for a similar cut without having spent weeks weighing up the pros and cons first. I guess I got all caught up with the spirit of change and just went for it! I'm so glad I did, because I really love the result. If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen this picture before - it's also right there in the sidebar, look! - but I've had no time to play with my camera since the move, so it will have to do for now I'm afraid!

As much as I love long hair, I'm really enjoying the versatility of having a shorter style for once. It's nice to be able to show off necklaces, earrings and collars a bit more without having to tie my hair back. Plus, it takes a lot less time to wash, dry and style. While I'd never consider this a reason to change my hairstyle, it's definitely a nice bonus!

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll soon be able to get back to regular blogging now that all the upheaval is over! In the meantime, what do you guys think about shorter hairstyles? Let me know below.

Kate x