The Pandora Garden Event And New Jewellery For Spring/Summer 2019

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a lovely event in London - a spring celebration in honour of Pandora's new spring/summer jewellery collection. Held at the beautiful Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings in Clerkenwell, the garden theme was in evidence as soon as I walked through the door, perfectly in keeping with the whimsical designs of the new jewellery pieces, all inspired by gardens.

The main event of the evening was a terrarium making workshop, which turned out to be pretty difficult, but a lot of fun. It was such a great idea too, as it meant that all of us bloggers immediately had something to bond over and talk about. I met some lovely girls, including Layla from Sprinkles of Style, whose blog I have followed for years now. It's so nice when you finally meet someone in person who has become so familiar online.

We also enjoyed champagne and canapés, although you had to grab them quick as there was a lot of soil flying around! 

Finally, terrariums complete, we were able to sit back, chat, and admire the jewellery. Floral designs are quite dominant in the collection, as are butterflies and four leaf clovers. I can definitely imagine layering the delicate pieces together to pair with pretty summer dresses and blouses. I was even given a ring to take home with me, which will make a beautiful addition to my jewellery collection and which I know I will wear often.

I had an amazing time at the event so thank you so much Pandora for inviting me! Do check out my video to get a flavour of the evening, and if you fancy shopping any of the jewellery, you can find it here, with a little more information on the inspiration behind the collection here.

Are you a fan of Pandora jewellery? And will you be picking up any pieces from the new collection?

Kate x

Styling Faux Leather Trousers - The Evening Edit

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Last week, I told you about the challenge I set myself to style up my faux leather trousers, in order to save them from languishing in my wardrobe while I continued to wear skinny jeans on repeat! I brought you the daytime edit in that post, and, as promised, I am back today with the evening edit.

Now I must confess, I got a little carried away with this part of the process. The object of the exercise was to find two different ways to wear a pair of trousers I already owned. Buying an additional pair is definitely not the way to do that, but in searching for inspiration for the evening look, I stumbled across these paperbag waist trousers and fell head over heels in love. What can I say - the flesh is weak. In my defence, however, I really do think it's the particular style of these trousers that make the look.

The trousers feel like something of a special piece. The faux leather is super soft and comfortable to wear, and they even have a fleece lining, which makes them feel even more luxurious. The legs are slightly tapered to just above the ankle, giving you the opportunity to show off a nice pair of heels, while the very high, belted waist is incredibly flattering. They even have pockets, for optimum posing.

As the trousers are such a statement piece, I chose to pair them with a fairly simple white blouse. Mine has a few ruffles going on, as I usually find I need at least one feminine element in an outfit to soften the overall look. That said, something sleek and sharp would also work beautifully if you can pull it off. The simplicity of the blouse lets the trousers take centre stage and keeps things sufficiently fuss free to allow a little room for fun when it comes to the accessories.

Speaking of which, I'm completely obsessed with these zebra print mules. I am constantly on the lookout for shoes which classify as "proper heels" but won't reduce me to agony on a night out, and these tick both boxes nicely. I wouldn't want to run a marathon in them, but getting from car to bar to restaurant and back again is no problem. I also love how fun they are, and am seriously tempted to pick up the same pair in blush pink (AD) as I think they would be really useful throughout the summer.

To complete the look, I added my trusty red Zara clutch which probably qualifies as a vintage piece  by now, as I have had it so long. I always think a pop of red works really well with black and white, and  using your handbag to do it is such an easy way to make an impact.

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While I might not have completed the challenge exactly as planned, I have definitely ended up with two outfits featuring faux leather trousers which I love and know I will get plenty of wear out of. So I guess you could say that's a win! 

How do you feel about this particular pair? Would you wear them?

Kate x

4 Dress Styles To See You Through Spring

With warmer weather on the horizon (hopefully!) I thought it was about time I started sorting through my wardrobe in search of existing pieces that can be reworn in the months to come. One of the joys of milder temperatures is the opportunity to wear more dresses, so that's where I decided to start! These four pieces all represent dress styles that are versatile, easy to wear, and perfect for swishing your way through spring.

You can watch the video on YouTube or right here, but do head over to YouTube if you want to check out links to the dresses or similar pieces.

Have you dug out your spring clothes yet?

Kate x

The Two Palettes I'll Be Reaching For This Spring And Summer

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If you saw my latest video, you'll know that I've picked up a few new makeup items recently, including an eyeshadow palette and a face palette. I'm so happy with them, both in terms of their quality and the selection of shades, that I can't see myself feeling the need to reach for any others throughout the spring and summer. So it seems only right that I dedicate a blog post to these two palettes, to show them off in a bit more detail.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Eyeshadow Palette (AD)

It's been such a long time since I last bought a new eyeshadow palette, so it felt like a real treat to open this one up for the first time. I went for an ABH palette because I've never tried anything from the brand before, and had heard so many good things about their eyeshadows from my fellow bloggers. While I was tempted by the most recent launch, the Riviera palette, I ultimately decided that there were too many bright shades in it that I would probably never wear. Instead, I opted for Sultry, which contains a beautiful selection of neutral shades in both matte and shimmer finishes.

The pigmentation of all the shadows is excellent, especially when paired with my usual Urban Decay Primer Potion (AD). Buttery soft to apply, they blend like a dream and leave behind a beautiful silky finish. While I do experience a small amount of fallout from the shimmer shades, it's very minor and is easily swept away afterwards. 

My most worn combination so far is Twig through the crease with Cinder all over the lids, although I also love the slightly deeper Teak. Rose quartz is the perfect soft pink shimmer, while the matte shade Bloom is absolutely beautiful and is what I will opt for as a lid shade if I want to do something different with my eye makeup than my usual metallic shimmer. Steampunk is more of a vivid, green toned gold, Pearl is ideal as an inner corner highlight and Fresh as a base shade or for highlighting under the brow bone. Noir is a gorgeous, soft velvety black, great for smudging around the lash line if you're creating something deep and smoky.

In short, there isn't a single shade in this palette that I wouldn't wear, and I can see myself using it exclusively throughout the spring and summer months. When you think about it like that, the £46 price tag almost feels like a bargain! Those who have a well stocked makeup collection with plenty of neutral shades probably don't need this palette, but if you're like me and you have worn down your existing neutral palettes to within an inch of their life, Sultry could refresh your collection nicely.

Too Faced Natural Face Palette (AD)

This face palette has been around for a while and is something that has been on my wish list for a long time. I'm a big fan of Too Faced as a brand and the packaging of this palette really is stunning - a real collector's piece. It even smells beautiful; the scent reminds me of Swiss chocolate. Containing two bronzers, two blushers and two highlights, once again I can't see myself needing any other face products throughout the upcoming season with these at my disposal.

A light hand is essential when applying these products, especially the bronzers and blushers, as the pigmentation is so strong. However, they all blend really well, and the effect of wearing two or three of them together looks beautiful. Just about any combination works, with my current favourite being Sunny Honey, Pink Sand and Satin Sheets. The only shade I was concerned I might not like is Pink Wink, as it's so bright, but blended into the skin it's just lovely, giving you a healthy, radiant glow. The deeper bronzer, Tropic Like It's Hot, is one I think I will get a lot of use out of when I am (hopefully!) tanned later on in the year.

The Natural Face Palette is £35 and I think the price is worth it considering that the shades are such high quality, so wearable and presented so beautifully. It would also make an amazing gift for any makeup lover.

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Do you own either of these palettes? What makeup do you think you'll be reaching for the most through spring and summer?

Kate x

Styling Faux Leather Trousers - The Daytime Edit

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A little while back I set myself a bit of a challenge. Despite really liking a pair of faux leather trousers I had acquired some time ago from H&M, I found I wasn't wearing them very often, tending to fall back, as I so often do, on my tried and tested jeans. I was determined to change that, so I laid out the faux leather trousers on my bed and told myself I wasn't going anywhere until I had figured out both a daytime and an evening look that worked with them.

Did I succeed? Well, I ended up buying a second pair of trousers for the evening look, so I'm not sure that "succeed" is the right word! On the other hand, I have two new outfits in my wardrobe that I might not otherwise have thought to put together, so on the whole, I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

The original trousers, featured here, are very similar in style to a pair of skinny jeans, though not quite so tight fitting around the calf and ankle. They are comfortable to wear and have a fair bit of stretch in them, while the sheen from the faux leather fabric makes them eye catching and a nice change from regular jeans. Mine are from H&M and were bought some time ago, but they always seem to have something similar in stock - I have linked a pair below which look almost identical.

For the daytime look, I opted to go for something fairly sleek and smart. While faux leather trousers can look great dressed down, it can all start to get a little bit too grungy for me - not a look I can pull off well. I'd been lusting after a long-line belted blazer for a while, having seen more and more of them popping up on Instagram in recent weeks, and when I spotted this one on the River Island website, I could instantly see it working perfectly with the trousers. The fact that it can be belted at the waist creates a really flattering silhouette, and also means that even petites like me can get away with the longer length. In addition to this, the black panels down the sides help to streamline your figure even further. I find the sleeves a touch too long, but they work well rolled back, so this isn't an issue. As for the grey check print, it's a classic that looks super smart and works beautifully with black.

Once I had the blazer, adding a simple, fitted black turtleneck underneath seemed like the perfect pairing, while the structured handbag and high heeled stiletto boots completed the look nicely.

It's been a while since I worked in an office, but I reckon this outfit would be a great addition to a workwear wardrobe. Personally, I'll find it useful for those occasions when I have events to go to in London, or even for a smart lunch or coffee date. Switch the heels for some sleek flat boots or loafers, and you could do an afternoon's shopping in this get-up too.

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I'll bring you the evening look in another post soon, but in the meantime, I would love to know how you would style faux leather trousers for the daytime. Let me know in the comments!

Kate x