FRIDAY'S FAVOURITES - Superdry

Friday's Favourites is a new weekly feature for my blog, and will consist of my top five pieces from a particular brand or store.  Today's FF will be based on a brand that I feel is often overlooked by women, as I know a lot of people (myself included up until recently) associate it with hoodies and men's T-shirts..and not much else.  Superdry is a successful brand (43 stores and 48 department store concessions) and is inspired by "Japanese graphics and vintage Americana, with the values of British tailoring".

I picked up their S/S12 catalogue while in there with Mike last weekend, and fell in love with pretty much the whole catalogue! I really love their individual style, with an element of laid back sex appeal.  So, with no further ado - here's my Friday's Favourites for Superdry!

Left-Right:

Superdry Vintage City Mac: I can't find this anywhere on the official Superdry website, so i can only assume it's one of their older pieces.  Prices start from £140 on Very.co.uk.  I love the military style of this mac, combined with the urban grey fleece inside.

Superdry Foundry Skintight Jeans: I'm always on the search for a good pair of skinny jeans.  Since I wrecked my Diesels, I haven't really found a pair that I really like, and therefore spend most of my time in skirts and dresses.  These look really nice and totally my kind of jeans.  Prices are pretty damn reasonable at £64.99.

Superdry Vintage Bouquet Dress: I think this dress would look so amazing with a checked shirt and hi-tops.  The layered skirt is bang on trend and is a combination of two different fabrics, making it really unique.  For only £44.99 what are you waiting for?!

Superdry Tokyo Brand Vest Dress: When I was in Superdry last weekend I tried this on in an alternate colour - a bright orange/red.  I decided against it as I knew I was getting my hair done pink and didn't want to clash!! I really like this deep burgandy colour though.  It fits really well and I really like the tie-sides as they give a really cool ruched effect.  It's only £27.99 as well :)

Superdry Twill Trailer Tie Shirt: This shirt comes in like a million (ok, 9) different colours, so I was totally spoilt for choice! I eventually decided on this colour scheme as it's a classic combo and would go with most things.  I'm starting to get more confident with wearing stomach-skimming tops and would maybe even dare to bare with no top underneath this shirt! £39.99 from superdry.com.  

What do you guys think of Superdry? Do you shop there a lot, or barely go there at all?

Tali xxx

HAIR: Tali meets My Little Pony

Hey everyone! I'm chilling out on the sofa with Mike after watching the lamest movie ever (Bad Teacher - Marshall from How I Met Your Mother was the only thing holding it together!).  

Anyway, as I hinted (ok, gave it away) the other day, I finally decided that 25 is NOT too old to go back to my pink hair! I can't get away with being awesomely cool (ha) forever so I may as well suck it up while I can.  When I was 21 I had pink and blonde and black hair...yes I was a skanky scene kid to the max...and it was awesome! That coupled with the whole pastel hair trend that I have been quite frankly OBSESSED with since winter, meant that I had to do this.

My inspiration:

 So. I booked an appointment at my local hair and beauty college as they needed models.   As cheapskate as this sounds, I can't remember the last time I paid full price for my hair!! I always go to trainee stylists because they do an amazing job and are supervised every step of the way.  This time was slightly the exception - the student went on a break for an hour (the horror!), leaving bleach on my hair, while I was panicking and thinking "my hair my hair!!".  It's a tiny bit damaged, but definitely salvageable!!

Anyway, onto the point of this post!

So. First came the aforementioned bleach:

I already had subtle ombré - caramel dip dye that meant that the colour lifted pretty speedily.  So by the time an hour was over it was mega light!

Then they applied the pink dye.  It was a mixture of different Goldwell quasi colours.  I am really impressed - I always thought it was alternative brands like La Riche Directions, Fudge Paintbox and Manic Panic that were the only manufacturers of crazy colours, but Goldwell have really produced some fantastic colours.  Even better, even after shampooing my hair this morning, I didn't get a bright pink blood bath in the shower - I think this colour is going to last a good long time.

Excuse the crazy one-eye iPhone shot!!  The stylist left this on for ~30mins, and when it washed off.. wow!! Check out the finished product ;)

I love it so much! Let me know what you all think :) Are you a fan of 'crazy colours' or do you prefer natural shades only?

Tali xxxx

REVIEW: How Liz Earle saved my skin..

Liz Earle is a UK based company which makes naturally active products for face, body and hair.  I first heard of it when my mother went through a QVC phase going on for about 10 years ago!  As an unenthusiastic 15 year old without problem skin (those were the days!!) I never really 'got into' it, but my mum and my sister both absolutely loved it.  

Flash forward a decade and enter my annoyingly sensitive skin era, where using anything new can result in a flare up of Type IV Rosacea, rashes and anything else my skin decides to throw at me.  I have to be so careful about what I put in my skin, so when my mother gave me the biggest Liz Earle goody bag for Christmas I was a little wary.  At the time I was using the most basic (in way of ingredients) drugstore products I could find, and while they were working ok-ish for me, my skin had definitely been better.  So I gave it a go.

(left to right; Cleanse and Polish, Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Moisturiser)

Cleanse and Polish (£14.25 for 100ml and a muslin cloth)

These days, Cleanse and Polish is a total cult bestseller which has won multiple awards.   The rich cream-based cleaner is applied to skin, and then removed with a pure muslin cloth which gently exfoliates away dead skin and impurities.  I personally don't use the muslin cloth because my sensitive skin can't take it, but I do love the creamy cleanser and simply remove it with a cotton wool pad.  I find the cleanser really gently cleans my skin, and leaves it clear without stripping it and making it feel dry.

Skin Tonic (£12.50 for 200ml)

This is an amazing smelling toner which is designed to remove any remaining cleanser and impurities from skin.  Honestly? I LOVE the smell, but don't really feel it adds or enhances my skin care routine.  However, I do use it twice daily, but that's mostly because it's there! I don't really feel it makes much difference, but it smells heavenly!!

Skin Repair Moisturiser (£18.75 for 50ml)

Skin repair comes in three different varieties - oily/combination, combination/normal and dry/sensitive.  I obviously use the latter because of my crazily fussy and dehydrated skin!  I love this moisturiser.  It really soothes my skin, getting rid of any redness and irritation, and it moisturises without being heavy.  Although some might see it as being quite pricey, I find it lasts at least three months at twice-daily usage, so I see it as a good investment ;)


I'm now going to review the most recent Liz Earle product I have tried - their foundation!

Sheer Skin Tint Spf15

Sheer Skin Tint Spf15; £21

My normal foundation is Lancome Teint Miracle - I like dewy finishes and light-medium coverage.  While it is a nice foundation, I find that it (a) doesn't seem to last all day on my face and (b) irritates my skin big time!  I had got a little mini rosacea outbreak from using Teint Miracle, so decided to ask for some free samples from Liz Earle customer service (who are the nicest people in the world. Fact.).  I received, very quickly, the Skin Tint in the three different shades that were available at the time - Bare, Beige and Beach (they now have released a darker shade called Deep Bisque).  

Beige suited my NC20 skin flawlessly, giving a good amount of coverage for such a light foundation! It is more of a tinted moisturiser than a foundation, at least on first application, but the coverage is definitely buildable.  I have broken capillaries on my nose, and this covered them perfectly.  If I do break out, I use concealer on the affected areas in addition to Skin Tint, but that's normal for most foundations to be honest.   My dark circles were masked, and my skin looked glowy and fresh.  More than this, it lasted from ~8am to ~9pm when I take my makeup off! I find that very impressive considering I don't use finishing powders most of the time.

More than THAT, however .. I put this foundation on my rosacea-affected areas (how else would I know if it aggravated my sensitive skin?!).  By the time the evening came around and I removed my makeup. ..

My. 

Rosacea. 

Had. 

Gone.

Now, disclaimer time, I can't promise that this will have the same effect on everyone - it is always a good idea to patch test a foundation if you have sensitive or acne prone skin.  However, for me this foundation really soothes my skin, calms down any redness and gives light moisturisation.  Plus is a badass foundation!

Win win :)

All these products, and much more, can be purchased on www.uk.lizearle.com .

I <3

Tali xxx 

HAIR: Sneak peek

Ta da! The long awaited (by me at least!!) pastel ombre pink hair I have been dreaming about since winter.  It was a struggle between me and how I feel a 25 year old should be, but of course in the end I won ;) I'm not going to be young and able to get away with crazy hair forever..although I will probably try when I'm a granny haha.

Sorry about the lame pic - it's too dark and cloudy to take pics today, and besides my skin is acting up at the moment :/ don't know whether it's hormones or my new moisturiser, but I'm not used to it and I don't like it!!

HOWEVER, amazing pics to follow soon I promise!! 

Tali xxx

MEMEME: 82 day catch up

Me in Espy bar, before hitting the beach (I love this weather! I was wearing bikini top and denim hotpants, on a Scottish beach in June! What the hell.  I'm loving this heatwave <3

Hey ladies! It has been a while for sure.  I cannot BELIEVE I haven't blogged in 82 days!! What started off as a couple weeks of break while I felt a bit uninspired, led into a holiday, which was then followed by Mike imposing a 'social media break' from 1 May for a calendar month (whaddya mean it's not the 1st June yet? Oopsie).  

I don't know how regular my posting will be, but I do know some things for sure, such as the direction I want to take my blog in.  I've never really been one for OOTD posts - I'm not really bothered by them on other blogs, and I always feel a tad uncomfortable and poserish when I get Mike to take blogging pics of me.  AND I NEVER LOOK GOOD WHYYYY.  I love reading (and writing) reviews, and I'm also beginning to realise I love lifestyle blogs, rather than just fashion/bblogging.   I've actually just unfollowed some (very famous) UK bbloggers, purely because I'm fed up of OOTD posts with not much integrity to them.  That coupled with the fact that they just make me want to go out and spend a fortune on MU/clothes/whatever (even though I'm currently supporting Mike through college and therefore don't have a shit ton of money) has left me feeling unsatisfied, both by feeling very consumerist/materialistic "OMG I MUST BUY THIS NOW" and also with my blogging skills or lack thereof.  So yes, back to blogging square 1.  Which is pretty exciting!

I went to Spain.  With my parents.  As much as I was dreading it (I mean, I love them to bits, but 10 days of nothing but your parents for company can seem a little daunting!), it was actually AWESOME.  We all agreed that it was like getting to know each other again, which was really nice! I did a lot of walks with my dad, catching up with my mum and sunbathing to the max :) 

View from the top of a mountain - I love where our Spanish villa is - surrounded by valleys and olive groves :)

Well, it wouldn't be a British blog post this week without mentioning the weather! It's been fantastic!! I just looked at my arms and I think I may be a tad burnt oops! Every break in my labwork as seen me chilling out in the grass by my workplace.  LOVE IT.  I wish it was like this all the time, which I suppose which is why Cali/Australia call to me so much.

Me soaking up some rays when I should be working ;)

I will leave you with this picture of my cat (by the way, don't leave Neurofen tablet strips out overnight, or you WILL end up with hefty vet bills but that's a story for another day!) and also some exciting news - remember my post from 29th January this year (can't believe I've been wanting it for this long)?  Well.. it's happening!! Woohoo

xxxx

MEMEME: Week in pictures

Resolutions: I will schedule my posts better! I will!

From top left: Pentland hills 1 and 2, feline love, poser Monday, OOTD Wednesday, pastel nails, new hair, lap cat, hooked on that book

HAIR: Tali and Ombré, finally united!

My hair and I are no strangers to the ombré concept. Nearly 2 years ago I went into a salon, asking for dipdyed ends and darker roots. The hairdresser basically refused, saying it would look like grown-out highlights and she didn't want to do it!!!! Ombré then became more and more popular, every picture taunting me of the hair I wasnt "allowed" to have!

 Just over a year ago I went to another salon (I had moved to Scotland by then) and asked for it again, showing pics of what I had in mind. I walked out with orange hair and one inch of dark roots!! The orange was kinda my fault, as the stylist had warned me that the warm brown I had previously had on my hair would pull warm. However, she pretty much gave me a reverse ombre - I maintain to this day that if she had only bleached the tips I could've pulled off the orangeness!!

 Anyway, I hope the above rumblings gave you some insight to my ombre longings! For the last few months Ive been torn between pastel and ombré.. Or pastel ombré for that matter!! I eventually decided that ombré would be kinder on my hair as I wouldn't constantly have to refresh the colour. And if I do want pastel I'm going to chalk my tips. 

 Now, I'm writing this down for the world to see: 

 TALI - STOP DYEING YOUR HAIR!!! 

I always go straight for the dye whenever I feel a little 
[down/insecure/unconfident/bored/dissatisfied] 
with myself and/or my life. I now want to leave my hair and just focus on its health - good products, limited heat styling, lots of biotin - and if I do feel any of the above, I'm going to do something that will actually help my life and not just try to "start afresh".

So, my hair!!

It started off like this:

With maaajor bad roots!!

The hairdresser backcombed my whole head: 

 LOL I looked half vogue, half scary monster

The stylist then coloured my roots/midsection to my natural colour (level 5), and bleached the ends.  The backcombing helped prevent there from being a visible line between light/dark

The finished piece:

Yep the duckface was a freebie haha (sorry I'm a poser)

The ombré won't photograph well on my iPhone grr, and my camera battery is dead.  But take my word for it - caramel dip dye and a warm level 5 for the rest! It's lovely and I feel much more like myself as a brunette again.

And the best part? No more roots, no more fadeage, just my natural hair growing back in, with caramel dipdye for added dimension! Woohoo :)

Let me know what you think!