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April 2018
Greetings from the Ark.
Well, obvs not but seriously, that would have been the most appropriate mode of transport for today. It did finally stop raining but not until I feared I was going to disintegrate in the deluge.
And it's as if the whole world is against me (she says in typical, ridiculously melodramatic style) as I was so excited about my Monday Must Have. Which I had planned on doing last week but I was away in Cyprus and even I wasn't going to take boots with me then.
As YES we are talking boots. So in one breath I moan about the rubbish weather and in the next breath, I'm extolling the virtues of boots.
But in my defence, these are a thing of beauty and are a very sensible addition to a Summer wardrobe. Except when it rains. Which means, thinking about it logically, maybe not the pair of boots you'll wear the most in this country with our constant rainfall.
Ach, details, schmetails. These are almost identical to the Isabel Marant ones I bought last year for three times as much - even in the sale - and returned as this colour suede + our climate = a very foolish purchase.
But from Zara? BRING IT ON.
Leather High Heel Ankle Boots from Zara £69.99
They are perfect with skirts and dresses when you want something dressier than trainers but not a heavier winter boot. They are SUPER comfortable, you can walk miles in them and they are - well, I'm in love with mine.
I was going to wear them today, but it was pouring with rain so ya boo sucks to that.
Here is what I did wear....
Hoodie - H&M (sale aw17)
Skinny coated jeans - Boden (4yrs ago)
Trench - Zara (aw16)
Trainers - Golden Goose from FarFetch (sale aw17)
Bag - Loewe from Matches (current)
And this was from Saturday night when we went to see The Vamps (ticket success!!).
Skirt - Jigsaw (gift current)
Tee - FWP by Rae (gift aw17)
Jacket - hush (gift 4yrs ago)
Bag - Hill & Friends (gift current)
Boots - Chloe (aw16)
So I am very much hoping to be able to wear the boots tomorrow.. watch this space! I've checked the weather forecast and it's not raining. A girl can but dream.
This week I've got loads of blogging to catch up on as I've been so busy out and about the last couple of weeks, I've not had time. However, I have loads planned - want to run you through my current skincare routine which I'm really pleased with (not to mention my new makeup which I am blooming OVER the moon with), dresses with a difference (I promise this isn't something I've done in AGES), we need to talk sandals and other Summer shoes. And t-shirts. Wide leg trousers - oh the list is endless! Anything to not have to think about the rain....
I'm sure the rest of the world wonder why we Brits are obsessed with talking about the weather. Until they spend a week here and a) get it and b) question as to how on earth we live here (teensy exaggeration but...).
The other thing that I don't get it - how does it still irritate the bejeesus out of me all these years later. 45 of them to be precise. You would think I would be used to it now (as the long suffering husband points out on a regular basis).
Well I'm not. And it pees me off BIG TIME (nothing to do with what I fear is my peri menopausal mood swings. More on that another time...).
So balls to the weather - I'm on a let's buy a Summer wardrobe mission.
Seeing as I have just spent the most glorious 3 days in Cyprus, I am all about the Summer gear. Inspiration times a gazillion from getting my old summer clothes out and seeing what works, year in, year out and spending time with other ladies and ogling over their wardrobes.
We decided (that's not the royal we.. that is me and a couple of my friends) did decide that one perfect Summer dress which we all needed was... wait for it and don't all dismiss it immediately... is.. the bardot dress.
Which sounds all sorts of wrong diddly but it works. This is the perfect dress for sitting out in the sun and not getting those incredibly irritating tan marks on your shoulders. Don't ask me how but you don't really seem to get marks on the tops of your arms (go figure). What it does do though, is hide the top of your arms which, as we get older, does become one part of our body which most of us would rather keep hidden.
You can belt them, you can wear them loose. Or there are ones you can buy which are already waisted for you. They are the ultimate dresses to dress up and dress down as they don't look too "beachy". The one I have, is my regular "it's boiling in London, what do I wear to a meeting" dress. Thinking about it - these are the only Summer dresses I actually need.
And I might. I just "might" get my knees out this Summer. Don't all gasp at once, I said might and I'll return another day with why.
But in the meantime, here are a selection of what (currently.. I reserve the right to change my mind..) is my favourite Summer dress. For holiday AND for here. Which is something you can't really say for most beachy dresses.
Bra issue I should probably cover off.. hmmm well I swing free but I have fried eggs as boobage however dare I say a strapless bra? I am fully aware that the word "just get a strapless bra" is only uttered by those of us who can go without one. If anyone more blessed of chest knows of an amazing strapless number, maybe they could share in the comments?
ASOS Tall Off the Shoulder Maxi Dress £20
But they don't have to be long.. you can have short too.
ASOS Tall Off the Shoulder Dress £15
Plain in white at River Island
Maxi Bardot High/Low Dress £32
Which they also do in black... but in the sale now at ASOS for £25.50 (from River Island)
Plain at Ganni except for a piped trim. This is just crying out for a statement belt and would happily take you out for drinks in the evening.
Off the shoulder gathered dress from Ganni was £300 now £150
Bring on the print... Black tile print high low hem dress from River Island £36
ASOS DESIGN off the shoulder dress with shirred cuffs in floral print £35
Now I am always always being asked about the Petite ranges and TA DAH! I am beyond jealous that this is petite as I would absolutely buy this.
Brave Soul Petite Kaylee Off the Shoulder Dress was £50 now £30
Longer and printed again at ASOS.
Reclaimed Vintage Maxi Dress £60
Or this...oh that waist. Love love love.
Raga Tessi Off the shoulder dress was £140 now £105
This one is superb for the Summer though.
Off the shoulder gathered dress from Ganni was £300 now £150 from The Outnet
Now this I love - if only it was longer. I have become vaguely (code for VERY) obsessed with shirring.
Off the shoulder shirred gingham dress by W118 by Walter Baker was £175 now £87
Short again..
Off the shoulder embellished dress by Velvet by Graham Spencer was £245 now £120
Absolutely love this short one (obvs it's got shirring..).
Fashion Union Dress with balloon sleeves was £35 now £21
Another short one in red for a steal.
Vero Moda Dress was £36 now £18
But this would be my choice. They only have it in a small but I think I'd
White Cove Tall Dress was £70 now £17.50
And here I am in mine that I wore in Cyprus that's two years old now.
Dress - & Other Stories (sale two years ago)
Sandals - & Other Stories (two years ago)
Belt - Topshop (ss17)
Sunglasses - Chloe from Very Exclusive (aw17)
Bag - Hill & Friends (gift current)
So we are off to see The Vamps this evening (well, hopefully, I've obviously left everything till the last minute and now have to pick the tickets up from the Box Office.. what could possibly go wrong?) OR we may just go to the cinema if it doesn't pan out. Last minute.com is actually my middle name....
The Insta Live Makeover, in partnership with Max Factor. Actually we should probably call it a Marathon as that's what it was. We thought it would last about 15 mins. One section of a 15 min vid before we realised the wifi kept dropping so we had to upload to "premium wifi" and then another 45 mins (including poltergeist moment of phone flinging itself off tripod and nearly giving us all a heart attack. Kudos to the lovely Polly who then had to hold it for the next 30 mins!). AND we could have kept on going.
Just so much to talk about, so much information to learn from the simply incredible Caroline Barnes and a real eye opener to how in the dark I am when it and (judging by all the message I've had) so many of you are when it comes to makeup.
Plus we just started with a natural day look. Nothing complicated but a total revelation to me.
So we're going to start with me giving you as much information as I can here about what we went through last night and then put out heads together to think about what else we can do improve ALL our knowledge.
The GOOD news is, you can still see this over on Facebook (simply search Does My Bum Look 40). The entire video (well - the both of them.. well... actually one of them as I'm having trouble getting the second super long one to load. Any technical suggestions greatly received!).
Let's start with the base.
I had so many questions on foundation generally but lots were to discuss how to cover things that suddenly appear with our progressing years. I like to think of them as "fun medals"... sound so much better than age spots, thread veins or the attack of the peri menopausal spots.
The bad news is that these really need to be addressed in a skin care regime. The ideal is to work on reducing them so you have a better base to work with, which will mean your foundation will sit much better on your skin. When you put it like that, it doesn't sound like rocket science, does it? But it's that thought process which I'm missing.
So I want you to leave that bit with me and I'll work on finding some solutions for our fun medals and ensure we all have a better base to work with.
The main thing I took away though, was to make sure you moisturise really well. Almost so your face feels tacky, whereas I would usually start with a very dry face. Think dewy.. (which sounds so much better than tacky..!). This is explained over on the video as it does sound like I'm making it up!
One area of issue which I do have an answer for, is that of enlarged pores. Primer. As Caroline said, if you're plastering a wall, you don't do it over lots of holes, you fill the cracks (in the nicest sense of the word) first. So primer in this instant will be your friend.
Max Factor Smooth Miracle Primer £10.99 (on 3 for 2)
Then up, it's foundation. Now. Where do we start. Ok so the first point is, only put it where you need it. AND BLEND. This is Caroline's favourite foundation from the Max Factor range (even though it's not their top selling) as it's light whilst still giving good coverage.
Mac Factor Miracle Touch Foundation £13.99 in Warm Almond and Bronze
Fingers are your friend when it comes to blending although you can use a blush if you prefer (but who has time to wash them... that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. If someone knows a super easy way, please do educate me!). Caroline used a darker shade to match and tie in with my chest around the edge of my face and down my neck and then a lighter shade as a concealer around the areas that needed it on my face.
She then used a powder to highlight certain areas (this is all clear over on the video!) but only in certain areas - mainly down the bridge of my nose and between my eyebrows.
Max Factor Facefinity in Crystal Beige £11.99
Then we moved onto eyes.
Starting with eyebrows. Revelation here for me - always use a shade lighter than your natural brow. That's a first - I thought you matched it. Which is why I've always done it too dark. Which makes me look like a wannabe Kardashian which has never been the plan.
In fact, she said that for most light brown and dark blond people - the shade Brown 02 will work (she used it on me and uses it on herself). And you need to brush them first. Swipe the brush up and out towards your hairline.
Max Factor Brow Shaper Pencil in 02 Brown £7.99
Next up - the dreaded eyeshadow. Essentially for a day time look - less is more (clearly where I've been going v wrong...). And for those of us with hooded eyes, it's all about not putting too much dark into the creases but moving it to the edge of the eyes to lift them. TA DAH! Sounds simple? Actually it probably doesn't when I write it down so best to head over to the video as it makes much more sense if you see it.
This is the perfect neutral shade - it's not a brown and it's not a grey, it's a taupe. With a hint of warmth to it though. Plus.. it's a cream eyeshadow (new to me...). Feels lovely and light with a swathe of warm colour and not too overwhelming (Alice Cooper be gone).
Bourjois Satin Edition Liquid Eyeshadow in Mauve Your Body £4.85 (out of stock but Sur Prunez Moi is v similar).
And I think that might be sold out... a great alternative would apparently be this.
Max Factor Masterpiece Colour Precision Eye Shadow £6.99
How is it so hard to get eyeliner right? Apparently it's not. Take one soft kohl pencil in brown (we should probably keep the black for night or unless you're looking for a stronger daytime look - make up should be pared to your outfit - which sounds obvious but was a slight revelation to me - to be explored in more detail hopefully at a later date) and very lightly draw along the top eyelid, as close as you can get to the eyelashes. Slightly heavier on the outer lashes and also down towards the inner eye (again, something I've not done before).
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Khol Kajal Pencil in 003 Brown £2.75
I think that might be sold out but this is very similar (although not waterproof...).
Rimmel Soft Khol Kajal Eye Pencil £2.99
And for day time, you're done with the liner. Step away from the tightlining for the day if you've followed those instructions (or at least give it a go.. I'm going to, who wants to hold my hand?).
To make the look last.. (something I struggle with), dot between your lashes with this GENIUS liquid eyeliner. More like a flat marker pen (all the lingo going on here...not).
Max Factor Masterpiece High Precision Liquid Liner £8.99 in chocolate or charcoal
Mascara. Now actually, this is something I was fully on board with (well I thought I was. Clearly way too confident in this statement!). With regards to it shedding, which is what a lot of people asked - it could be because your mascara isn't fresh enough (and so does go flakey as it's dried out a bit). Or the formula doesn't work for your lashes. Or that your lashes are flatter against your face and so they rub on your skin. Maybe try waterproof mascara?
The revelation I had was to not put it evenly through your lashes - achieved by using two mascaras Put more on the base and less at the tips (who knew?) AND put it on the bottom lashes as well. This is a game changer for me - I always felt a bit Baby Jane with them on but I'm going to give it a go.
Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara £9.99 - use this to run through all your lashes.
Max Factor Lash Crown Mascara £10.99 - use this to add extra volume at the roots (only on the top lashes).
To soften the look on the bottom lashes you can also smudge the roots with a light taupe (I'm assuming this is to match the top shadow) powder shadow (not liquid - fear not, I did ask). Apply with either the applicator you get (the pointy spongey one) or a cotton bud (you can now buy paper ones which are much more environmentally friendly) and push the powder up against the bottom lashes for a softer, slightly smudgy look.
Max Factor Masterpiece Nude Palette 02 Golden Nudes £14.99
Moving up to blush and it's all about the cream blush. Except if you have used powder on your cheeks and then you should stick to a powder blush. I fear a cement mixing related nightmare if you don't... However for those of us who have very little or just foundation on our cheeks, a slick of the neutral (Caroline says it works for everyone) cream blush here will work to give a sun kissed effect and add to that dewy look we're all striving for.
The place to apply it is where your sunglasses hit your cheeks - I would say it's almost along your middle of your cheekbone, from the start of it and up out to the level of the edge of your outer eye.
Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blusher in Soft Copper £6.99
It probably hasn't escaped your notice if you watch my Insta Stories that I love a bit of highlighter. Cheekbones you can see from space is my goal. Although there is a fine line between looking chiselled and looking like Skeletor....
So a swipe of cream highlighter over the top will just enhance them - definitely to be swept only over the top of your cheekbone.
Max Factor Miracle Glow Duo Highlighter in Light £10.99
Onto lips. Oh where to start? How long is a piece of string would be a good place? SO - we came up with an awesome colour to work as an inbetween for those who want more than a nude but less than a full on rouge. It's a browny, pinky, mauvey, beefier nude. Clear as mud?
It's this one and I'm wearing it in the picture below.
Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Burnt Caramel £7.99
I am so so keen to look at more different shades - we were going to try a coral but went with this one - would we like more lipstick info?
On a practical note - how to keep it on. Make sure your lips are well moisturised and apply a liner over the whole lip. Then apply your lippie.
The usual way to do it, as I've mentioned before, is to apply lipstick and then finish and perfect with a lipliner. Mind. Blown (well, the first time I found out from Caroline!).
This is the liner she used and she did say it's pretty universal for most nude/brown/pinky/mauve shades (obvs don't use it with a bright red or a burgundy) and you don't have to match your liner to your lipstick EXACTLY (I had always thought you did...).
Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Liner £7.99
The other alternative is to use a clear liner. What is this genius of which we speak? This....
Max Factor Colour Elixir Universal Lip Liner £4.99
For those of you who have issues with lipstick that bleeds, this is your friend. Keeps lipstick in. You are all welcome x
And here is the finished result!
I was honestly living my best life last night. You can probably see from the video how totally giddy I was and just in awe of how much I actually know!
We moved on to chat about other things afterwards and just realised there is so much more I need to find out about. A really good Out Out look. Or how about a strong daytime look that doesn't need to be as much as a NIGHT look but for a Wedding/Christening/Ascot/First Holy Communion, you need your makeup to be bolder but not club level. How do you achieve that?
And matching your makeup to your clothes? Ok not matching maybe, but Caroline says you can completely change your outfit by making your makeup work with the colours and print. A complete revelation. I have become a 45yr old sponge and need more info..
So help me with this quest. Is it just me or are there more of you that would like more makeup help? What looks are you dying to master? What occasion has you totally stumped when it comes to makeup? Answers on a postcard (also known as, please just leave a comment...!).
This post was written as part of a paid partnership with Max Factor but has been written unedited.
...we need to think about jackets again.
And whilst we've looked at denim jackets, there is another alternative.
Safari. Utility. Army. It's not the same but it sort of is. Ok so it's not at all but we're talking in a category of their own. The "very hard to pinpoint and get right" Spring Jacket.
I have two options (although with my current newfound fondness of a denim number, we could stretch that to three) - the biker and the blazer.
However there is another player out there which other people rock - that of the safari/utility/army variety.
I have tried and I have failed. I think it's the length? Maybe it's because they look better with jeans and I only have spates of wearing jeans as opposed to them being an every day occurrence in my wardrobe. And even then, I'll only wear them with blazers. A biker and jeans - I feel like an extra in The Outsiders (amazing '80's film if you haven't seen it, eye candy-tastic - seriously, every single lust throb from that era that you can think of... you know it if you've seen it...). Or The Fonz. Just doesn't quite work for me.
BUT that's not to say that a utility (for the interests of speed I've decided that's what they are) jacket can't work instead. And most other people look superb in them.
Will there be one out there that can have me ditching the blazer?
Starting with the traditional khaki. Whilst we're here - should mention, it is THE most neutral colour out there that also has a bit of an edge. Love it.
Belted Army Jacket £89
Boxy Khaki Shacket £49 from Topshop
Raw Hem Crop Shacket £36 Topshop
Like a Rhinestone Cowboy... all sing along, you know you want to...
Rhinestone Embellished Jacket from Topshop £79
Embroidered at ASOS with Maison Scotch was £180 now £125
Utility at Jack Wills £79.95
Similar at Mango but it does look slightly lighter weight.
Military style overshirt from Mango £49.99
The classic Military Jacket in khaki from hush £69
Off piste now in blush.
Military Jacket in rose £69
Neutral Longline Denim Work Jacket from Whistles £119
But there is one that has turned my head. This. OH how I love it. I may have totally impulse purchased it last week - will do a trying on session tomorrow, will be over on Instastories so you can see what you think.
Leopard Print Jacket £89 & Other Stories
Speaking of Insta Stories - I have just got back from London after my Insta Live Marathon with the amazing Caroline Barnes and Max Factor. Over on Instagram... and all the highlights will be written up for a blog post tomorrow.
This is what I wore...
Tee - FWP by Rae (gift aw17)
Blazer - Zara (ss17)
Jeans - MiH at Fenwicks (sale aw16)
Shoes - Jigsaw (gift current)
Bag - Chloe at Bicester (ss17)
Belt - so old I can't remember but I'd just had my first baby so 13yrs ago!
Actually I did change the tee for a silk shirt as I was pretty darn freezing. It was a LOT colder than it looked!
Hope you enjoy the Insta Live if you get a chance to have a flick at it. Can't believe tomorrow is Friday!
