A Little Nightwear and Makeup Haul

So I've picked up a few bits and pieces over the past couple of months that I'm probably not going to feature in other blog posts, and I thought you might be interested in seeing them, so I've decided to put together a little haul. Personally I always love a bit of vicarious shopping, so I hope you do too.

First up, this beautiful nightie and dressing gown set from the Rosie for Autograph range from Marks and Spencer.

I'm obsessed with this range. Obsessed. I'm not going to lie - there is a little part of me that secretly believes if I just buy enough Rosie for Autograph nightwear, I will eventually become Rosie Hungtington-Whiteley. It hasn't happened yet, but believe me, I am going for it. 

I often find nightwear a difficult thing to shop for. Unless you want to wear novelty pyjamas, old lady flanneling or porn star negligees, there's not a lot left to choose from, but Rosie for Autograph is a glorious exception. The designs are just so feminine and beautiful - subtly sexy and totally wearable. If Marks and Spencer ever stop producing this line I don't know what I'll do. This set consists of a silky chemise with a lace panel detail and matching dressing gown.

The next two items were purchased because my sister and I are going to be doing our own hair and makeup for her upcoming wedding, and I needed the appropriate tools. I picked up the Real Techniques Bold Metals Pointed Crease Brush and a Babyliss Teasing Brush.

I find eye makeup hard to do, mostly because of the shape of my eyes. They're set quite deep into the sockets and shadows tend to end up all over the place if I'm not careful. The pointed crease brush allows you to apply shadow to your crease in a really precise way, so it's perfect for me. I also think the Bold Metals brushes are just beautiful, and I want them all so that I can display them in a decorative pot on my dressing table. This one has started my collection off very nicely.

I'll be wearing my hair in loose waves for the wedding, and a certain amount of back combing is going to be necessary. I've had a go at it with a regular bristle brush, and that works ok, but when my sister showed me her Babyliss teasing brush I was astonished at how much more effective it is. I went straight out and got my own. Sometimes you just can't beat having exactly the right tool for the job.

And finally, I've collected a little bit of makeup from Boots. Because... well, you know. Advantage card points. And 3 for 2. And enticing advertising. I've been loving the images of Kate Moss wearing her Rimmel nude range, so I couldn't resist picking up a lipstick and nail varnish to try. I got the lipstick in shade 43, which is a peachy, browny sort of nude, reminiscent of Nude Delight which I've featured on the blog a few times. There's more of a coffee tone to this one though, which I really like. Plus, I love the packaging. I pretend that the "Kate" written on it is just for me.

For the nail varnish, I opted for 127 Gentle Kiss. This is essentially the exact same colour as my skin, but I don't necessarily dislike that. It looks very polished, especially with a glossy top coat over it and a couple of nice rings on.

I also bought the Maybelline Master Sculpt palette in light/medium. I honestly don't know why I bought this as I have always avoided the contouring trend in the past. My face is mostly bones and not a whole load of flesh, so contouring is probably never going to be flattering on me. Strobing, on the other hand, now that's what I should be getting into! But this palette was so inexpensive and so hyped up that I thought, what the heck, maybe there's a way I can work with it. I've had a little play with it since purchasing and my first thoughts are that it's very subtle. Almost too subtle. Perhaps I don't have quite the right brush. Perhaps I need to buy the Bold Metals Contour brush. Isn't it funny how new purchases only seem to make the shopping list longer?!

I'm going to experiment a bit more with this makeup and perhaps I'll do a "nude look" post soon if I think it's worthwhile. 

I'd love to know your thoughts on my purchases! Have you tried anything from the Kate Moss nude range?

Kate x

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - First Impressions

You know how it goes. You're just about getting to grips with Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair when it suddenly seems that all anyone is talking about is Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. So you eventually get around to buying the Kiehl's, and now it's all "Sunday Riley this" and "Sunday Riley that".

Well, I couldn't exactly justify splurging on Sunday Riley while this was lying around unused and unloved, so I cracked it open just over a week ago and I've been using it every night since then.

I like the packaging. The bottle is glass and the lid/dropper has a nifty little button which allows you to dispense the right amount of product without any waste. I also appreciate the midnight blue colour, because it gets to work while you are asleep at night. I know that's probably very silly, but it appeals to me for some reason!

I've tried a couple of facial oils in the past - Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair and Clarins Blue Orchid Oil, which I reviewed here. Both of these products were a pleasure to use and both definitely benefited my skin, but my feeling so far is that the Kiehl's is better. This is a first impressions post, as I have only been using it for a week or so, but with a product like this I actually think it's the first impression that counts. It's supposed to work overnight to deliver results by morning, and if you failed to use it the next night, presumably your skin wouldn't look as good the morning after that. My understanding is that it won't necessarily improve your complexion to any greater degree with continued use. (Skincare experts, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!)

I've been using this in place of a serum, and I apply a night cream afterwards. The directions for all facial oils seem to recommend applying two to three drops, but the Kiehl's is the first one I've used where two to three drops actually covers all my face with ease. It's much lighter than the others and just glides effortlessly across the skin. It sinks in very easily and smells of lavender, which I love. One of my favourite things about the Clarins oil was that it felt like an aromatherapy treatment as well as skincare, and you definitely get that with this one as well. In addition to lavender, it also contains evening primrose oil (rich in omega-6 fatty acids) and squalane, which I have never heard of but which is apparently "similar in molecular structure to natural skin lipids". These ingredients are combined to deliver a hefty moisture hit which works its way into your skin while you sleep. This is the optimum time to get the best results from the product as it coincides with your body working to repair your skin from all the damage of the previous day.

Kiehl's promises a "smoother, more radiant complexion by morning" and I have definitely noticed improvements in these areas, from the very first use. I'm never going to have the best skin in the world, but this has certainly made it feel smoother and look plumper. For me, the best part is that it seems to have drastically reduced a couple of fine lines around my mouth that have been bugging me lately. I haven't experienced that kind of result with any other oil. This tells me two things. Firstly, that I need to keep this little bottle of magic as part of my regular skincare routine, and secondly, that I need to hurry up and try that free sample of the eye cream which was included with my purchase!

Have you tried this oil? What did you think?

Kate x

The Shirt Dress

The sequence of events that led to me acquiring this dress went a little something like this:

1. Visit all time favourite blog, Buy Now Blog Later, and see the lovely Laura in a gorgeous light grey shirt dress. Experience dress envy.

2. Go on shopping trip to Leeds with my sister and casually enter Topshop. The first thing to catch my eye was this dress, on the tallest mannequin right in the middle of the store. That's a sign if ever there was one, right?

3. Exclaim, a little too loudly, 'THAT'S LAURA'S DRESS IN RED!!!' and rush over to hunt for my size, totally oblivious to the strange looks I'm getting from other shoppers.

Less than a week later I'm proudly wearing it out and about, and looking pretty happy about it.

Dress - Topshop, Jacket - Warehouse, Bag - Zara, Shoes - H&M, Sunglasses - River Island

There's something a little bit special about this dress. It looks almost boring on the hanger and as though it's going to hang on your body like a sack, yet somehow the cut and substantial fabric make it super-flattering when worn. It looks and kind of feels like silk, though it's actually 100% viscose which obviously makes it a lot more affordable. 

You can dress it up or down quite easily. I've gone for a casual-ish look here, but I still felt nice enough in it to wear it out to dinner with my husband for our anniversary last weekend. (In case anyone is interested, we went back to The Old Weighing Room, which I talked about here. It wasn't really our intention to go back again so soon, but it was booked long before we were invited to the family lunch there, and after some discussion we decided not to change the reservation as we were both so curious to see what the evening menu was like. I'm happy to report the food was delicious - definitely a level up from Sunday lunch!)

Here's the look sans jacket.

I really love the length of this dress, and the stepped hem. It's so easy and comfortable to wear. It's also available in a few different colours. I've seen a bold striped version and a khaki as well as this one and the pale grey. I'm very tempted to pick up another as it's such a versatile piece. I'm going to Mallorca in September and I can see myself wearing this to death there.

£36 for this gem of a dress? Nice one Topshop!

Are you a fan of shirt dresses?

Kate x

Style through the Ages with Katie Lou

A little while ago, I was approached by fellow blogger Katie Lou who wondered if I might be interested in collaborating with her on a post. Checking out her blog, I was immediately struck by the similarities between us. Our names are nearly identical, and of course we're both passionate about fashion and beauty. We even got into blogging around the same time, in the Spring of last year.

However, there is one big difference - at sixteen, Katie is two whole decades younger than me.

Gasp.

Age isn't something I think about too much, or at least I try not to. I have always felt quite strongly, ever since I was a child, that I want to remain young at heart, and not get old before my time. However, the way I dress and do my makeup has obviously changed a lot since I was Katie's age, so I thought it might be fun to make our collaboration about that. How much influence does age really have on our style and beauty choices? Obviously there is nothing scientific about this as it's just me and Katie, but we both thought it would make for an interesting post nonetheless. It was Katie's idea for us both to pick an outfit and makeup for a casual summer day, so without further ado, here's mine.

Makeup

I've been loving dewy skin at the moment so that's what I went for. I'm wearing Clarins Extra Comfort foundation with a bit of Benefit Dallas - an old favourite of mine in the summer months. It's basically like a bronzer and blusher in one and is a gorgeous "sunset" sort of colour. Then a generous sweep of good old Watt's Up across the top of my cheekbones, Rimmel Nude Delight on my lips and that's pretty much it. I kept my eyes very simple - just a creamy colour across the lids and a soft mid brown through the crease, then a little liner for definition and Rimmel Wonder'full Wake Me Up mascara.

Back when I was Katie's age, I was pretty clueless about makeup. I think my collection consisted of a single brick red lipstick that I would slap on as and when I felt like it. It was only in my twenties that I started to wear makeup on a regular basis and only much later with the discovery of YouTube that I started to really experiment with it. In my teens and early twenties I would happily go out without makeup on, but not now. Does age have something to do with that? Well, yes in the sense that as I've got older I've definitely started to prefer a more polished and put-together look. But truth be told, I've never had particularly good skin, and I've grown to really enjoy playing with makeup! If those two things were different, perhaps I'd still be happy to go bare-faced from time to time. Who knows?

Outfit

Well, here I am, strolling casually through my Aunty's garden with my handbag, as you do. This is what I wore for a family gathering last weekend. I bought the top from Zara just before I went to Cyprus and I love it. It works well with denim shorts and flip flops, but I've equally enjoyed wearing it like this too. It's a nice, wearable take on the whole boho/peasant trend. The grey jeans make a change from blue and the sandals and bag are old but still much loved. I added my River Island cat-eye sunglasses (still obsessed) and some delicate silver jewellery that you can't see in the photo.

I'm by no means an expert but I think I have learned something about putting clothes together over the years. When I was Katie's age I was really only just starting to get interested in fashion and when I went into Topshop or wherever I just loved EVERYTHING. Now I'm a lot more discerning and I have a better idea of what's going to look good on me and what isn't. Even now, though, I still sometimes make a point of trying on clothes I'm really not sure about. You just never know. We're changing all the time, and sometimes that means that something you wouldn't have dreamed of wearing before suddenly looks good on you. 

Let's take a look at Katie's photos now!

Makeup

My first thought when I look at this, other than how gorgeous Katie looks, is that I wouldn't have had the first idea how to do this when I was sixteen. I suppose I was a bit of a late developer, but honestly I don't know how any of us figured out anything to do with fashion or beauty before YouTube and blogs came along. Katie clearly knows exactly what she is doing and I love that she still looks totally fresh-faced and age-appropriate - she's accentuated her lovely eyes and lips without looking at all like it's "too much". Would I wear this makeup? Actually, I probably would! A nice sharp liner and a pink lip - what's not to love, at any age? I'd probably tend to wear it as more of an evening look, but that's just me.

Outfit

I love Katie's outfit. Like me, she dressed for a casual summer day - hers involved a spot of shopping and a barbecue. She looks stunning and I love the way her makeup compliments the colours of the dress. I'd wear those gorgeous sandals in a heartbeat, but much as I love the dress, I have to admit that it wouldn't work on me. Is it because I'm too old for the short hemline? Well, that's the obvious answer, but I think there's more to it than that. There are certain contexts in which I would happily wear something that short - on a beach holiday, for example (I was literally talking about denim shorts a few paragraphs ago!) or perhaps for a dressy evening out (a short cocktail dress with heels? No problem!) I think with this dress it's the length combined with the girly simplicity of it that makes it, quite simply, too young for me. Wonderful on a sixteen year old, yet somehow slightly ridiculous next to a more mature face.

This collaboration has made me think quite a bit about how my approach to clothes and makeup has developed over the years. The conclusion I've come to is that it's a continuous learning curve. We are always changing and adapting and always picking up new skills and ideas. Katie is so much more clued-up than I was at her age and my advice to her would be, keep doing what you are doing, girl! Have fun with it, experiment, and basically milk being sixteen for all it's worth! But I'd also say, don't dread growing older. I'm not going to get all deep here because I do know there's more to life than clothes and makeup. (Like, seriously.) But we're all here reading and/or writing blogs because we love clothes and makeup, and my personal experience of the journey from 16 to 36 is that I've gained a lot more than I've lost. Yes, there's certain things I probably wouldn't wear now I'm "older", but the list is really not that long. (There's nearly always a different way to wear something if you think outside the box!) At the same time, there's so much more I can wear now that would have looked too "grown-up" on me when I was in my teens and early twenties. Add to that the years of practice that have led to me finally being able to apply makeup and style my hair properly, and I'm pretty happy where I am! 

How has your approach to fashion and beauty changed over the years, and how influential has the Internet been in teaching you what you know? And finally, please head over to Katie's blog for her thoughts on our style choices!

Kate x

Sunday Lunch at The Old Weighing Room, Doncaster

I've been wanting to try this restaurant ever since we moved to Yorkshire. (Just ask my husband - he'll tell you how long I've been going on about it.) It's called The Old Weighing Room and it's located within the grounds of Doncaster race course. The building dates back to the 1920s and used to be where the jockeys were weighed back in the day, just before the start of a race. Now, it's a bar and restaurant, and I've been excited to try it because I love places that are architecturally unusual or have some history to them.

You approach from the race course car park, and at first glance it's quite an unassuming place.

Skirt, Jacket - Topshop, T-shirt, Sunglasses - River Island, Shoes, Necklace - H&M, Bag - Zara

Walk around the side of the building, and you come across the entrance to this rather lovely bar - something of a surprise after the less than spectacular exterior. It's the perfect place to spend a few minutes perusing the menu while sipping a nice chilled glass of rose. 

And as if this wasn't lovely enough, the bar opens out onto a wide terrace with a perfect view of the race course. There were no races on when we visited, sadly, but I'd love to come back and eat here when there are. Imagine how exciting that would be!

They even have the old weighing scales here, which certainly provide a talking point. And yes, I did weigh myself... before lunch rather than after!

In fact, it was such an interesting place to look round that we were taken by surprise when we were called through to our table. I think we'd all forgotten we'd gone there to eat!

For my first course, I chose the cod fish cake with lemon and dill. I was slightly worried it might be heavy, which was the last thing I wanted before a roast dinner, but it was actually very delicate and perfectly balanced by the tomato fondant that accompanied it. I really loved this dish, and considering that I don't like either dill or tartar sauce that's quite impressive. (Looking back it makes me wonder why I ordered it in the first place, but I'm very glad I did!)

For the main event I went through a somewhat agonising decision making process. I always find it really hard to choose between the roast meats - I love them all and their respective trimmings equally! Finally, I decided to go for the roast sirloin of beef with Yorkshire pudding and red wine gravy.

Now this was very tasty, don't get me wrong, but I'd be lying if I said it was the best roast dinner I've ever eaten. In fact, that honour belongs to the nearby Angel Inn at Misson, a village on the outskirts of Doncaster, who used to do an unbelievable roast. (They may well still do, but I haven't been since it recently changed hands, so I couldn't swear to it right now.) This one was more what you would expect from a typical pub roast. It was enjoyable, but the beef was a little tough and the Yorkshire pudding slightly overdone. I'd expected more from a restaurant like this, so I must confess I was a little disappointed.

Not to be deterred, however, I moved on to dessert with an open mind. I went for the peanut butter cheesecake, served with peanut brittle and a chocolate and peanut butter cup.

I'm happy to say that this was delicious. The peanut brittle in particular was just divine and I ate every last bit. A major hazard for my teeth I'm sure but it was too good to leave!

It's a strange feeling when you've loved everything about a restaurant except the main course. There was general agreement among my dining companions that the roast dinners left a little something to be desired. However, as everything else was so enjoyable, including the rest of the food, I'm pretty sure I'll be going back. I'm curious to try the evening menu, to see how that compares with the Sunday lunch offerings.

Has anybody eaten at The Old Weighing Room? And what's your favourite roast? Non-UK readers, do you have a traditional Sunday meal in your country? Educate me!

Kate x

Holiday Heroes

In lieu of a favourites post this month I bring you my "holiday heroes" - which essentially boils down to the same thing. In case you missed my last few posts, I spent a week in Cyprus during June. While I was there, I found there were a few things I really enjoyed using, and I've been looking forward to telling you about them. I have five here, but the truth is there should be six. I used Nivea Sun Anti-Age Face Sun Cream in factor 30 every day while I was away and I loved it. Aside from the obvious protection, it sat beautifully under my makeup and didn't feel heavy or greasy at all. I totally recommend this product, but I'm preparing this post at my parents' house and don't have it with me, so I can't include it in the photos. #bloggerfail.

Anyway, let's move on to the other five products which I can show you! 

Left to right - Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara, Topshop Lipstick in Charmed, Zara Eau de Toilette in Fruity, Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter, Topshop Bag (I can still only find the black version, but at least it's back in stock!)

YSL Mascara - Firstly, I think it's only right that we all take a moment to admire the work of art that is the packaging of this product. It's absolutely beautiful. Every time I catch a glimpse of it amid the rest of my stash, I can't help but feel like a very rich woman's mascara has somehow ended up in my grubby makeup bag. It's waterproof, which is essential for me on holiday. To be honest, I much prefer waterproof mascara in general, as my eyes can be sensitive and I rub them a lot and I would rather not get black streaks down my face, but I was told recently by a sales assistant that you're actually not supposed to wear waterproof mascara all the time. Apparently, it doesn't contain the conditioners that regular mascaras do, so it's not great for your lashes. Who knew?! But on holiday I figured I was allowed, and I really love this one. It's super dark and gives both length and volume, and it doesn't budge. Also, did I mention the packaging?!

Topshop Lipstick - I'm obsessed with orange-toned lipsticks in the summer. Before I went away I bought this one and Mac Morange, which is darker and more of a true orange. I love Morange, but I think I love Topshop Charmed just that little bit more. It's a lighter apricot shade and just so pretty and easy to wear. Here it is on my lips...

...And here it is swatched (on the right).

Benefit Highlighter - The swatch on the left is Benefit Watt's Up highlighter, a product I've loved for a while now and have talked about on the blog before. I've layered it up here so that you can see the lovely, warm champagne colour, but it can applied as subtly or as full-on as you like. I wore this nearly every evening in Cyprus with a bit of bronzer, Topshop Charmed on the lips and just a little eyeliner and mascara. It just gives the most gorgeous glow to the skin, a look I really love, especially on holiday.

Zara Eau de Toilette - I often don't bother with a perfume when I go on holiday. I don't want to weigh my case down too much and I always think it's one heavy glass bottle that I can manage without. However, my sister told me that Zara do some very small bottles of inexpensive perfume, and I thought that sounded perfect for travelling with. There wasn't the best selection in my local Zara when I dashed in at the eleventh hour, but I still managed to pick up this very cute 30 ml bottle of  "Fruity", which is a light, citrus-based scent. I really enjoyed using it on holiday and it took up almost no space in my suitcase. And it was only £5.99!

Topshop Bag - This was another last minute purchase that I really loved using while I was away. It went with everything from dresses to jeans and it was so nice not to have to carry a big bulky bag when going out for dinner in the evening. This one can hold a phone, lipstick and bank card and that's about it, but sometimes that's all you need. This colour way doesn't seem to exist on the Topshop website, but there's a black version which I'm seriously tempted to get.

So those were my holiday heroes! What are yours?

Kate x