Pastel vibes with a little bit of wild...

Today is a very rainy day in Edinburgh so I wanted to channel some pastel vibes to brighten up the day and of course add my little obsession at the moment which is an accent of leopard print.

I love this Johnstons of Elgin cashmere jumper, the pastel hue and cosy fit is perfect for a day like today. This and my pukka three ginger tea was just the combination I needed this morning, in my favourite Marks and Spencer 'S' mug.

A little highlight of pink goes perfectly with my pastel blue jumper, I got this Bourjois Paris Colour Boost in Proudly naked yesterday. It has a great glossy finish, glides on and feels very nourishing on my lips. I even may be able to wear it sans Burts Bees - very bold for me. With a little spritz of my favourite Victoria's Secret 'Sexy little things' I felt a lovely pink glow.

My whole make-up look today is very natural with a little highlight of pink cream blush. I curled my hair for yesterdays blog post but I then got very rained on and it lost a little bit of its magic so I pulled it up into a high ponytail.

I love a statement necklace, this is one from Zara a few seasons a go and I find that it goes so well with a lot of outfits and the position is great for a high neckline.

This is my little hint of wild. I have been trying to break these in for a very long time and I think that today is the first time that they haven't hurt - it was so worth it though!! I've teamed these with my distressed jeans to add a little edge to my pastels.

I will be working away today on lots of new fun blog ideas! If you have anything that you would like me to cover, let me know! I will be cosying up with my ginger tea and doing lots of fashion, style and beauty research and maybe obsessing over Chanel's runway (airport lounge) show.

Happy Tuesday!

Styling Happiness xoxo

H&M Bargain Dress - £10!

I love a bargain, some of my favourite items of clothing are amazing bargains that I have found while rummaging through a sale. With Summer coming to a close I have been pondering through the high street to see if I can pick up any bargains that I can tuck away for next year. I love buying classic items that can be worn again and again for years. The other day I struck gold finding this classic monochrome lawn tennis dress for £10 ... I am in love with it.

This is the perfect Summer dress or for a more Autumn feel bringing it to an evening look with gold accessories, Chanel bag and black strapped sandals.

For make-up and hair and wanted to go for something quintessentially British. I thought a 1940s vibe would work perfectly with this so I loosely curled my hair, kept my eye make-up to my signature winged effect and glammed it up the look with a red lip.

Coming out with bargains like this makes me extremely happy and make all that rummaging worthwhile. At only £10 my bank account was also very happy!

I love to hear about your bargains too, so tell me all!

Styling Happiness xoxo

Natural Make-Up Tutorial

I thought a Sunday was the perfect day to post a blog on how to get the perfect natural make-up look. Sunday's are casual, so to complement your relaxed, dressed-down Sunday style here is how to keep your make-up low key and simple while still highlighting your best features.

I'll take you through step by step. All the products that I use are available at boots (apart from a couple of Mac items) and are great for beauty on a budget.

Here is my no make-up selfie - it is never flattering taking a picture naked (make-up naked). Start off with a freshly washed face and moisturise lightly - a heavy moisturiser can give you an oily glow so don't use too much.

To start off with I use Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser, I have large pores so this is perfect to use as a primer - I focus on either side of my nose and my eyes so that there is a base to apply Bourjois Paris Happy Light concealer in Ivoire. 

Using my Real Techniques concealer brush I apply the concealer around the dark circles in the inner corners of my eyes, in a triangular shape on either side of my nose for subtle contouring and down the centre of my nose to thin it - I have a large nose so this is quite vital.

I have used Mac Studio Fix Fluid for years, the colour changes throughout the year depending on the weather and where I have travelled but it provides the perfect coverage. I use NC35, the NC range has yellow undertones which compliment my skintone as it is quite olive. If you have a paler skin I would go for the NW range with its pink undertones. 

Using a Benefit foundation brush I apply it lightly all over my face, blending in with the concealer for an all over coverage. Make sure that you blend your foundation into your neck and choose a colour that is the same as your neck so that you don't have the dreaded tidal mark! After that I use the below Hello Flawless powder and apply evenly all over to give a matte finish and seal in my foundation. I use a Real Techniques brush for this.

Benefit Hello Flawless Powder in Honey.

Now it is time for subtle contouring, I have put a little more on than usual so that you can see where to apply it. I find Maybelline Master Sculpt is perfect for contouring, it is not too heavy and you can build it up to get the effect that you are looking for. I use a Real Techniques sculpting brush as it angles well when contouring.

I want to subtly accentuate my cheekbones so it is time to pout, follow the the natural line that forms, angle your brush length ways and apply the contouring powder. I also put this around my hairline, my jawline, the bottom of my chin and down the sides of my nose to thin it!

Now I blend in the contouring using Benefit Hoola, Bourjois Paris blusher in 16 Rose Coup de Foudre and Benefit sun beam.

I apply bronzer to my forehead to give a sun kissed glow and to my cheeks to blend in with the contouring using the brush that comes with the Hoola. I then use the blusher on the apples of my cheeks to give a little colour. I then want to highlight to contrast the contouring, I use sun beam under my eyebrows, at the top of my cheeks just below my eyes and on my cupid's bow (the dent above your lip).

I have very dark eyebrows naturally, so defining them is something that I have just got into. I think it really adds shape to your face, so it is a beauty tip I would highly suggest. However, make it subtle and follow your natural brow, I have seen some bad eyebrows in my time - don't be one of them. I use Benefit Browzings in dark.

Fill in the gaps and give a subtle defining look.

It is now time for eyes and for a natural look I am going to keep it very subtle and fresh. I use Mac Pro Longer Paint Pot in Bare Study - it gives a lovely glow and is very crease resistant. I love a winged eyeliner look, alongside a defined brow it gives a great shape to your face, I use Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner which I have used for years as it really stays in place.

I keep the winged eyeliner to a minimum and follow the natural line of my eye with a small tail on the outer part of my eye.

Now to bring it all together with mascara. I have used Bourjois Paris mascara for years, I have tried a lot of other brands in between but keep coming back as it is by far the best. I have recently moved on to Twist up the Volume and I love it for its two brushes in one.

Mascara really opens up your eyes, make sure you apply it to the bottom lashes too to give a natural, wide eyed fresh look.

To complete the look I want to keep the lips subtle so have decided to use a light pink - Estee Lauder Lasting Creme in Vanilla Truffle. I have very dry lips so am never very far away from my Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. I always put this under my lipstick so that it blends in subtly and doesn't give a too harsh look.

Here is the finished look. Natural, fresh and perfectly contoured.

I've decided to go for my hair down to keep it natural, now to decide what to wear!

I hope you all have lovely, relaxed Sunday's!

Styling Happiness xoxo