A day in the country

Recently myself and my family spent the day in the cosy country side looking at a new home and spent time exploring the small country towns. I used to live in the country when I was younger and found myself quite nostalgic spending time in a place with such beautiful scenery and quaint towns. I took a lot of photos while out and thought I would share them with you. Enjoy x

If only gorgeous country homes and quaint towns were closer to the city right? If you enjoyed this lifestyle piece let me know.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Inglot Freedom system eyeshadow palette

If you haven't heard of Inglot then I don't know where you've been living. Inglot is in my top five for favourite eyeshadow products and it always astounds me how inexpensive they are. Every eyeshadow and I’m talking every eyeshadow is at $10 AUD, now just let that sink in. These eyeshadows are high end quality and cheaper than most drug store products. I kept looking for something wrong with them but I simply can’t I even adore the packaging which is simple, chic and of good quality so it makes traveling super easy. 

The Inglot range uses a ‘freedom’ system which pretty much involves choosing a palette from 1-20 and picking out your favourite eye shadows from their range. I originally started with a quad but also purchased a 10 shadow palette. What’s great about this is you can start off with just a few of your favourites if you are running low on money or want to wait for their new shadow release.

The eyeshadows themselves come in a range of colours and finishes that are all very pigmented, blendable and have excellent colour pay off. The shades I have in my collection are numbers 487 (shimmery purple), 153 (champagne), Shine 31 (soft taupe), Pearl  402 (medium brown), Pearl 423 (dark brown), Pearl 451 (charcoal), Shine 36 (medium grey), Pearl 447 (light grey) and Pearl 395 (creme). I absolutely love using pearl 395 as an inner lid highlight or dusted along my brow bone. 

Pearl 395, 153, Shine 31 and 487

Pearl 451, Shine 36 and Pearl 447

Pearl 423 and Pearl 402

The shades I own provide me with the option to create a natural, neutral or smoky eye look all from one customised palette which is really helpful to take with you on trips away from home. This also means you can buy one palette with multiple colours and switch it up to your liking. 

If you’re all for freedom and customisation with your eyeshadows these are deffinetly for you. Let me know in the comments below if you have tried any shadows from Inglot cosmetics.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

Find the Inglot range below.

INGLOT COSMETICS 

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Favourite blushes for pale skin tones

Winter is on its way bringing with it the inevitable loss of our rosy cheeks and glowing skin. Blush can completely reinvent a makeup look when your skin is look a little dull. I have a naturally fair skin tone and have over time found a few blushes that have really helped in battling lifeless looking skin. These products would also be great throughout the winter to mimic the natural flush of the sun.

This illamasqua blush is by far my favourite for two reasons, the first because of the name 'Katie' and two for its perfect baby-doll pink colour. This blush is incredibly pigmented and has a very silky light texture that doesn't crumble on the brush or have fall out. I love using this with my Hourglass ambient lighting palette.

Pink and peach blushes are the perfect tones for pale skin tones particularly those with blue undertones. I love the Benefit Dandelion blush which I mentioned in my Benefit box collection for swapping out my usual pink blushes for a gorgeous peach. 

If barbie pinks or ballerina peaches aren't for you then I recommend the range of blushes by Hourglass. They are 'lighting' blushes and so can almost double as a highlight but make for excellent blushes throughout the winter months or for fair skin tones to add life to your skin. This blush is in the shade Diffused Heat and is a rosy poppy shade and very pigmented. 

I love these three products (among others) especially throughout the winter times, although all blushes particularly Diffused Heat looks amazing with tanned skin as well.

Let me know if you have tried these products or which blushes you use to create glowing skin!

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Sitting in my basket | Missguided

Like most people I am obsessed with online shopping! Is it the convenience? or the fact I can stay home in my pyjamas ogling this seasons trends procrastinating... maybe both but either way all I can say is I love it but can often find it a little over whelming. I know what you're thinking 'shopping overwhelming? yeah ok' but rest assured we've all had those moments. There's so many websites, prices, tabs open every where and you just don't know what you want. Your style clashes with the things you like from different websites or your bank account is just screaming at you to stop. I've felt all these things and it can often make shopping a little frustrating especially on the occasions when you're rushing to find the perfect dress for the weekend. 

I thought this would be a great opportunity to share with you some of my favourite online shops and what is currently in my wish list, basket or saved items. This will be my new series 'Sitting in my basket' and each month I will focus on one online shop. This month will be one of my favourite clothing stores Missguided.

Missguided was one of the very first stores I purchased from online, I was always very hesitant to purchase anything that wasn't in store fearing the clothing would never fit right or be great quality, plus there's always the dangers of losing all your money! But nonetheless I made my first purchase and never regretted it. Everything I have purchased from Missguided has been great quality for the affordable price and always arrived on time. The website is also really easy to navigate, I can't stand busy over the top websites I will always exit out of them!

Coats: Yes winter is coming and I am getting ready to stock up on all the ones I can find, because honestly who doesn't love layering? In my misguided basket I have the Khloe oversized premium waterfall coat in ivory and camel as well as the Hether textured tailored boyfriend coat in pink. I absolutely love the style of the waterfall coats and will deffinetly be getting both colours, they are very Kardashian-esque so do I really need another reason to get them? The 'boyfriend' trend is really hitting this year and the boyfriend coat isn't an exception, this one is in a softer pink and is on sale!

Tops: I always find myself gravitating to black and white colours and tops! I love this Eyelash lace bralet in black, lace is really in this year and this crop could easily be used as a day to night both for hitting the town or paired with a pair of jeans and a trench. I also have in my basket a cropped ribbed long sleeve turtle neck, the turtle neck is also making a come back and I simply can't resist anything ribbed. I also added a capped sleeve knotted crop top and jersey crop top with cut elbows. 

Skirts: I have one skirt in my Missguided basket and that is the Kabrie front split midi skirt in camel. This skirt is super luxurious and I couldn't pass it up as it was quickly added to my cart. I mean its in camel... I had to. 

If you like the idea of this series let me know in the comments, or if you'd like to see how I style these outfits!

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Autumnal Beauty

There's something about the colder months that always gets me excited, and the combination of hot drinks and cosy coats aren't the only reason why. The colour palette for the autumn and winter months are my favourite; berry, mustard, navy and browns all scream perfection to me. I see an oxblood cape coat or red wine sweater and I just automatically feel cosy and autumnal. But it isn't just the fashions which evoke this sense of warmth or help create the perfect autumn or winter look but beauty as well. You could wear black on black ( as I so often do) and pair it with a deep berry lip and you're already set for the colder months. 

To me it's all about the bold lips and nails throughout autumn and winter so I'm sharing with you all of my current top favourite beauty products for the colder months.

Lets start with lips. You don't need to purchase super pricey high end beauty products to pull of the perfect autumnal look. These four lip shades are relatively well priced from all three beauty price departments. 

I have two lip shades by Revlon, a moisture stain and a lip butter. The lip butter in the shade Pink Truffle I mentioned briefly in my January 2015 favourites still continues to be one of my favourite lip shades. It is a deep mauve pink that is almost brown once applied and reminds me very much of something Kylie Jenner would be spotted wearing during the fall. It is moisturising but a little messy and hard to apply due to the shape of the actual stick but nonetheless is still a gorgeous autumn shade one which is a little more subtle for those of you not wanting to wear extreme colours during these seasons. 

The Revlon moisture stain in the shade Parisian Passion is by far my new favourite lip product and I have been wearing it without guilt throughout the end of summer as it is simple too stunning not to wear. This shade is a deep blue plum that applies super evenly with a glossy finish. It is extremely opaque and lasts pretty much all day but does require a little touching up after eating or drinking to avoid patchy colour. The formula also includes aloe so it is super moisturising and doesn't require a lip balm underneath. 

For autumn I also love wearing the Clinique Chubby Stick in the shade Super Strawberry if I want a very subtle and sheer hit of colour that still screams 'autumn'. This shade is really easy to apply but needs frequent touch ups as it fads quickly and doesn't stain.

For a super deep and dark lip shade I always find myself choosing the Topshop lipstick in the shade Depth. It is incredibly dark and almost black in colour so it is deffinetly recommended for those of you who really want to make a statement. It is a little hard to wear especially for lighter skin shades as it sometimes comes of too vampy. I love pairing this with monochrome outfits with neutral eyes and bronzer. It is a little drying so I deffinetly recommend a lip balm. 

Lip butter, Moisture Stain, Lipstick, Chubby Stick

The two shades throughout autumn that I love wearing are both by Essie and are in the shades Angora Cardi and Bahama Mama. Both are deffinetly autumn colours, Angora Cardi is a dusty mauve rose and Bahama Mama a deep wine shade. Both aren't streaky and dry super quickly and last around 3-4 days without chipping. 

What are your favourite beauty products to wear throughout the colder months? Let me know in the comments below.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Estée Lauder skin care | Review

One of the best feelings I think is the feeling of clean and fresh skin. Whether this is bright and early in the morning or after a long day. A great skincare routine can make all the difference but the products you use are even more so. 

I have tried many products when it comes to skincare, my skin is normal combination and can often be a little temperamental... nobody's perfect right? I have tried a huge range of brands from drugstore to high end and I have never found products that really make me and my skin happy. This was until I tried the skin care range by Esée Lauder. I have owned quite a few skin products by Estée Lauder over the years but these products are my favourite and definite must haves when it comes to my skin.

Estée Lauder DayWear moisturiser is the perfect moisturiser for all skin types it leaves my skin so soft and hydrated. I find it particularly helpful throughout summer time it prevents my skin from drying out and leaves it super soft. The textured is smooth and thin and doesn't leave a greasy feeling after application, the smell is also fresh and it just adds to that 'clean' feeling we all love. 

The perfectly clean multi-action foam cleanser is my number one skin care product. It is my Holy Grail and I will never, never use anything else. My skin is prone to break outs but this clears everything up within 24 hours. It doubles as a purifying mask and leaves the skin feeling so incredibly clean and fresh. It foams up easily with little needed product and really opens up your pores. If you don't love that 'tight' feeling on your skin however I wouldn't recommend it as it leaves the skin tight once it is washed off; I however love this feeling so I can't find a fault even the smell is nice. 

The Advanced Night Repair under eye cream works miracles when it comes to minimising tired eyes and dark under eye circles. While not my all time favourite eye cream out of my Estée Lauder favourites it definitely makes the cut. This eye cream is medium to thick in consistency and almost gel like. I find the formula to be really smooth and it sinks in quickly without leaving any greasiness. If I wear this product before going out at night my foundation glides over it smoothly without caking up.

The Idealist pore minimising skin refinisher is amazing for leaving gorgeous fresh and hydrated skin. I love using this product in the morning or when going out to an important event. It is super luxurious to use and leaves the skin so smooth. It also really brightens and shrinks the pores. Combined with the foaming cleanser the refinisher works wonders for blemishes and combination skin types.

Have you tried any Estée Lauder skincare products before? Let me know your favourites.

Katie

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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