The Classic Black Dress Revamped

So I'm really excited to be featuring more Fashion on here, continuing on from my summer wardrobe here. First of all, I wanted to show you a really easy go to look when you want to dress up a little but still be ready for whatever the weather throws at you.

The main item in this look is a black dress, which we all probably have tucked away somewhere in the wardrobe. Any will do, seriously, the thing with wearing black is that it all merges into one anyway! I'm wearing one from H&M which I picked up a few years ago.

I then teamed this with a black jacket. The duster coat trend was going around last year when l I picked up one from Primark but I rarely wore it because it just looked strange with jeans.It works perfectly with the dress though, and at £17 it's a really affordable trendy piece.

Then, to pull this look together you'll need some ankle boots. This time I opted for ones that had a block heel, as I think it looks rather nice with a dress. I received these Madisyn ankle boots* from Brantano here. Brantano have many other ladies ankles boots too, if you wanted to browse some more styles.

I just have to add how much I love these boots! It takes me ages to normally break into a pair of boots, but these are some of the most comfortable boots ever! Also, I CANNOT for the life of me walk in heels, but with these boots I really forgot that they even had a heel! So if you're like me, a block heel is the way to go! The suede detailing also gives them a lovely look. As for sizing, I'm somewhere weird between a 4 and a half and a 5, so I went for a 5. These are quite spacious size wise, but it's just right for me as it means I have plenty of room. Best of all, they actually have some grip! I mean, I can go through the entire boot collection in department stores and not find one pair of boots with some decent grip, which isn't ideal for the icy weather here!

I added a necklace for a touch of sparkle. I'm pretty sure I got this years ago from an Argos catalogue, of all places! I just wish I had the matching earrings, but unfortunately one of them went down the plughole (long hair problems!).

Lastly, when it's chilly or you want to protect your hair from the rainstorms, I'd add a scarf. I brought this from Zara last year for £20. I love the colour, but unfortunately on certain clothes (like soft coats) it sheds, so you end up covered with orange fur. It didn't stick to this dress or jacket, but I would still say it's overpriced because you can't wear it with everything.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

What do you think of more fashion posts, please let me know your thoughts?

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Crafting with Stampin' Up!

Growing up, we were quite arty in my house, always doing a DIY project of some kind or drawing and painting. Lately, my Sister really got into scrapbooking and introduced me to the whole concept. You can use it as a way of documenting your adventures or even creating a memoir for someone else. What really surprised me about crafting and scrapbooking were all the things that go into it; washi tapes, adhesives, stickers, ribbons, paper, stamps, I could go on!

Stampin' Up! UK is one of those companies that really specialises in everything to do with crafts. They kindly sent me over their Oh Happy Day card making kit* (here). These kits have everything you could possible need for the project, and I mean everything.

In this kit I received:

* Set of 13 photopolymer stamps
* 20 card bases and coordinating envelopes
* Giftable kraft box
* Die-cut glittered chipboard shapes
* Embossed sheets
* Printed die-cut images
* Die-cut gold foil sheet
* Die-cut white sheets
* Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Spot
* Printed color doilies
* Baker’s Twine
* Glittered dots
* Stampin’ Dimensionals
* Acrylic stamp block

To make a card you can either use the instructions included, which involve getting all the pieces relating to a card ready and then basically sticking them together. You can also mix it up, but I went for a simpler card for my first go. So for this one I only needed five pieces at hand, the printed pink card, the frame and the 3D embossments, the stars and the stamping set. I then stuck all the pieces together with some PVA glue. For the 'Hello There', I peeled off the 'Hello' and the 'There' stencils and placed them on the acrylic board. I then used the stamping ink to colour them, and I then stamped them onto the card which transferred the ink. I really needed to have a steady hand for this part, but it turned out much better than I had anticipated. What do you think?

(They also have a youtube channel (here) for some tips)

This kit retailed for £31.50, which does look pricey initially, but it does offer good value for everything you get. You might be thinking how expensive can some pieces of paper or cardboard be? The answer to that is very expensive! We normally buy these pieces individually and I can say we've probably spent upwards of £40. Clear stamps are quite expensive on their own too, so if you can get them in sets like this then it's a very big bonus!

Overall, I loved using this set and letting the creative juices flow. I was so impressed by the Autumn/Winter range I saw on their website too that I did a little moodboard for you, enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Are you into DIY/Crafts?

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What's On My Shopping List

It's not going to be long now till I'm busy with revision, revision, and more revision! So to keep myself warm throughout the freezing British winter, I've started to put together my shopping list of winter essentials. Most of it consists of jumpers, cardigans and sweater dresses, so very versatile pieces. I did get a few nice jumpers last year, but I really want to get more into layering, and teaming jumpers with shirts. I think it's such a cool look!

To help me put together my shopping list, I'm using Lyst* a new online shopping platform. It's really simple! All you have to do is click on the category you wish to view, so in my case jumpers, and it brings up a whole variety from different retailers. It's a great time saving tool as I don't have to go on the Warehouse website, and then the Zara website, it collates them all in one place.

So here's what I've got my eye on so far ....

Asos Oversized Fluffy Scarf
I'm yet to try one of these stripey scarfs. It's such a staple Autumn product, I feel like I'm missing out!

Zara Red Sweater
I love the bold red hue. For some reason, I tend to gravitate towards blue/purple jumpers, but I think it's time I stepped out of my comfort zone. Its not too bad at £26 either!

River Island Black Clutch
You can never have enough bags, right? Clutch bags are some of my favourites, and this one just screams Winter Nights.

Madewell Riverside Sweater
This grey jumper is perfect for casual wear, plus it looks so cosy! I do love these sort of effortless jumpers that look so stylish at the same time.

Vila Long Knit Cardigan
I've been living in one of these long cardigans for most of the Summer anyway, so I wanted to pick up some more for fall. They go with everything, keep you warm and they look great, what's not to love!

I hope you enjoyed this post!

What have you got your eye on at the moment?

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* This post includes sponsored content.

MUA Matte Lipstick in Wild Berry Review

I initially launched my blog hoping to feature a lot of budget beauty products on here, and in the budget sense, products that are literally as cheap as chips (that's one way to put it). However, with so many reviews on here they get all muddled up. So, I've decided to create a Budget Beauty series, and it'll also give me a chance to showcase a lot of my favourite products that I haven't yet featured. To view all of the Budget Beauty series, all you'll have to do is click on the logo in the sidebar.

Moving on, many moons ago when MUA launched their matte lipstick range (way back in 2013), I was really glad to see a deep berry shade make an appearance. However, the reviews I read weren't very favourable, but I decided to try it out anyway.

First of all, the shade isn't anywhere near as deep or as pigmented as it appears to be. Whilst in the tube it looks quite vampy, it's actually more of a medium raspberry when applied. However, the feeling of disappointment subsided incredibly quickly when I realised that infact this toned down version of the berry lip was actually super flattering, as well as being super wearable. You can built it up in layers, and whilst it does have a matte finish, it doesn't look dry or cracked in the slightest. I normally pair mine with the Body Shop lip balm in Plum (which is very similar in shade), it adds some hydration and stops it from drying out quicker.

One great thing about MUA lipsticks is that they include some extra product at the bottom of the base to help you get a better idea of the shade, you can also use a lip brush to apply it straight from there (great if you're running out!).

Now, onto the downfalls. I've tried quite a few shades from MUA's original line (shade 1 is spectacular and immensely popular), and the formula has always been spot on with those. However, with this one I found the formula was crumblier, and this was similar to other reviews I read. It has a tendency to ball up and some bits can literally crumble off. Hence, why in the pictures you can see there is a lot of product around the tube as sometimes it crumbled off into the lid and went all over the tube. (I might have left the messy tube as it was to illustrate my point, or I might have forgotten to wipe it down before taking pictures, but hey that is the point of reviews, you know it's been well loved!).

Application can therefore be a bit patchy, due to the above. However, you can just use a brush or your finger to blend it in.

The wear time for me is about 4-6 hours, and it actually fades off evenly. The biggest selling point of this lipstick, for me, is the shade! This is my go-to, favourite lipstick of all time. Yes, the formula isn't the best, but I've gotten more wear out of this £1 lipstick than I have out all of my other lipsticks combined. You probably just need to spend an extra minute working with this lipstick, but it's all worth it! I spotted another shade 'Marsala' in the range which I'm keen to get my hands on too.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

What is your favourite lipstick?

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