Extra! Extra!

I always like to add a little bit of 'extra' details to my outfits, whether it's in the form of fun jewellery, or bright make up. Yesterday was a religious holiday for me, so I was given the opportunity to wear some traditional clothes (itchy) and add some 'extras' to it.

First up, my make up was sent over from Urban Decay, from their Long Lasting range. I'm a massive Urban Decay fan and have a few eyeshadow palettes from them, which I love.

I was sent quite a bit of the make up to try out at Reading, so it was the real test of the make up to see if it really can last all day when there is no real opportunity to re-do. And the answer is yes: the make up did last all day. I didn't take any pictures of it at Reading, sadly, but wore it again yesterday and the make up really is fantastic.

I was sent Eye Shadow Primer, 2 Eyeshadows, 2 Eyeliners, Mascara,  Make up Base and All Nighter Setting Spray and all the products lasted all day. 

The eyeshadows were both absolutely gorgeous colours. I was sent 'Midnight Cowgirl' and 'YDK' and both were stand out and super pretty and sparkly. I usually find that I have to re-do eyeshadow at some point during the day, but not with either of these. Even at Reading, when I was tired and rubbing my eyes, the eyeshadows lasted ALL DAY and there was no creasing or fading.

The eyeliners were great as well. Again, there was no need to re-apply during the day, which is great, as liquid eyeliner is my favourite product and I go through my eyeliners very quickly. I was sent brown and purple and both are really pretty colours. I particularly loved the brown. I usually stick to black liquid eyeliner, which makes my eyes look a bit harsh, so it was nice to have brown, which made my eyes look a lot softer.

The Make Up Base cream's aim is to brighten your skin, make it more even and can be used with or without Foundation over it. I'm quite lucky that I have good, pretty even skin, but it's good to have something like this for 'dull skin' days. I used it more as a moisturiser at the start of each day and didn't feel the need to add any other creams during the day.

The Eyeshadow Primer was my favourite product out of everything. It's not a product I've ever used before and so, was impressed at how fantastic and useful it was. It's a light cream and aims to make your eyeshadow last longer, make it more vibrant and not cause any creasing, and this product did what it says. It definitely made the eyeshadow colour more vibrant, and made it look better and neater while on. This is definitely something worth buying and I'll be re-buying it when it runs out.

The All Nighter is a setting spray, that you add on after you've done all your make up and it should make your make up last all day. It's meant to keep your make up on for upto 16 hours, so it's a pretty remarkable product. I haven't had the chance to use it properly yet as I'm guessing it's more for keeping foundation/blusher in place, which I don't really use. But, I can tell you that it smells great. I can't wait to use it for my next night out, but it would've been great for Reading if I used it! It's meant to work through sweat and really just keep that make up lasting all day (and night).

Finally, the Mascara. It's not the best Mascara that I've used (it is one of the top 5 though), but my word, it lasts forever! I'm not joking; this is possibly the longest lasting mascara ever and nothing penetrates it. It managed to stay on despite the rain at Reading and it does look pretty good on. It made my eye lashes a bit longer and does stay all day. If you need a long lasting mascara, this is the one to go for. Ad it's not too strong that it's impossible to wash off. It came off nice and easily in the shower.

I also added some fun jewellery to my look. These earrings were sent over from La Chic Unique, and aren't they so adorable? I love how unique the pink swallows are. The earrings were made really well and are a fun addition to any look.

The website has a lot of really pretty pieces, perfect for any lover of quirky and different jewellery. Everything is really pretty and cute, so definitely worth a look, and La Chic Unique is also really affordable, there's pieces for you even if you are on a budget!

Sherin xx

Reading 2011

Over the weekend, I was over in Reading, for Reading Festival, with Susie and Fritha. We were luckky that we didn't have to camp out as Susie lives in Reading, so after each day, we were met with a warm house, a nice shower and a comfortable bed :)

Outfit-wise, I wasn't anything special and wore pretty much the same thing: a black skirt, a t-shirt and my wellies. I have Wedge Wellies which do look pretty cool and they're really comfortable. I picked them up at a Press Day a few months ago and don't think I could have done Reading without them. Reading really as muddy and wet as they make it out to be.

Day 1:
We came into the arena and heard a bit of Miles Kane in the background and he soundeed pretty good. Mona were playing right after and they sounded amazing. I'm a massive Mona fan and they absolutely rocked! Nick Brown has a fantastic voice and I know the album very well, so it was great to hear them live again. It was quite funny at the end as he smashed the guitar (a bit unnecessary) and gave it to the audience, and the camera zoomed in on people fighting for it.

We rushed over to see Foster The People next and they were definitely one of the highlights of the whole festival. I've had that album on repeat for quite some time and is definitely one of my favourites of the year. They were so brilliant live and the fans were so full of energy. Foster The People are quickly becoming one of my favourite bands now.

Another highlight of my day was White Lies, who played later that evening. I've seen them play 3 times now and they always sound so amazing. They're always such a pleasure to see live and I love them more each time I see them. They're definitely one of my favourite bands to see live as they always put on a good show and you can tell they love what they do.

Other bands of the day:
We saw tons of bands on Day 1, including The Naked and Famous (who sounded great) and heard The Vaccines in the background (who were a let down: they were slurring and sounded pretty awful).

Susie and Fritha...erm...rocking out

We ended the day with 30 Seconds to Mars, Noah and the Whale and My Chemical Romance. I really love Jared Leto, and know the first album really well, so it was good to see 30 Seconds live. Noah and the Whale sounded amazing. LIFEGOESON was absolutely brilliant live and I'm a much bigger Noah fan now. I'm not a major fan of My Checmical Romance, so we only saw half the set. They were ok, but nothing too special.

Day 2:
We decided for a much more mellow amnd relazing day on Saturday. Wecaught Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeroes, who sounded pretty good. I'd never heard of them before, but they had a great vibe and atmosphere. The lead singer was also clearly on 'something' very strong, which was pretty funny to watch.

We also saw the start of Two Door Cinema Clubs set as well. I really love them and they sounded pretty good. Although, we didn't stay too long as we went back into town to grab some lunch and walk Susie's super adorable dog.

We came back for The National, who, again, I'd never heard of. It was a much older crowd compared to the rest of the shows, but they were definitely worth a watch.
PULP and The Strokes were co-headlining and watching the two was a great experience.

PULP were definitely the best act all weekend. Jarvis Cocker is an absolute legend and they definitely knew how to work the crowd. Everyone loved them and most people will probably agree that they were the best. They ended with Common People and the crowd went wild. My favourite was Disco 2000, and listening to that song live has been a high light of my life!

Thanks Susie for the above picture.

The Strokes ended the night in style!! love Julian Casablancas and have always wanted to see The Strokes live. They lived upto all my expectations and I can honestly say that Julian Casablancas is a musical God. They were so amazing on stage and I'm glad they played more old songs Last Nite was a highlight of their set and they really rocked Reading. It was also amazing when Jarvis Cocker joined them on stage for a legendary and awesome duet.

I gave day 3 a miss as I needed to get home, and felt bad about missing Taking Back Sunday, Muse, Ed Sheeran and Friendly Fires. But hopefully I'll catch them again at some point.

Have you ever been to a Festival? Would you go?

Sherin xx

Smooch and Sranrom Review

So once again, I'm reviewing Sranrom and Smooch products. I absolutely loved the make up!

Would you try any of these brands?

Sherin xx

Frey Wille and 18 and East

Wednesday was a very busy day for me as there were events throughout the day, so I was running around a lot.

I started my afternoon at the Frey Wille store in Picadilly and I officially have a new favourite jewellery store. The Austrian company takes a lot of inspiration from European art and mixes art and jewellery very well. I was so impressed at how pretty everything was and how passionate the brand is. It's Frey Wille's 60th anniversary this year and even now, the brand has a great, personal, feel and they even work out of the same factory thath they did 60 years ago, in Vienna.

The brand has a great philosophy, and each piece in the collection is special and takes upto 80 steps to create, with glass and Enamel. A lot of research and effort goes into each piece and I could tell by looking and holding various items, that they really were something special and unique. Instead of focusing on fashion, Frey Ville produce pieces that are timeless and can be worn for years.

Their emblem is the sphinx, and they incorporate it very well within their jewellery. These coral bangles were stunning and surrounded by 18 carat gold.

One of their collections is 'Ode to Joy of Life' and it's stunning. The colours in the pieces are so vibrant and looking at it is meant to just make you feel happy, and it does work as the pieces are so pretty. Even looking at the pictures in the look book instantly lift your spirit.

Out of everything I saw, the cuff was definitely my favourite piece. I got to try it on and it felt so comfortable and amazing on my wrist.

I also loved all the gorrgeous silk scarves. They came in a variety of colours and prints, and some of the larger ones even had different colour schemes on the corners, so it could match anything. With each scarf, also comes a little booklet on different ways to wear a scarf.

If anyone wants me to really love them, buy me something from Frey Wille :)
You can see more pictures on my Facebook Page.

After a stop at Joes Juice (where I had a relaxing hour of sitting, reading and drinking Juice), I went off to Old Street to check out the AW collection from 18 and East, and to buy some sale pieces from the SS collection. I've always been a huge fan of 18 and East clothes as they're so pretty and wearable. They always have great prints and colours, and I'm definitely excited for the AW collection to come out.

I ended my day by meeting Susie and grabbing a quick dinner at Vapianos.

Sherin xx

Nude and Heeled

I absolutely loved this outfit!!! It's nothing amazing or anything, but I felt so confident. I woke up and it was wet and cold outside, then, as if by magic, it immediately got really hot and nice, so I had to get out a pretty dress and go bare legged.

I wore my Paprika dress with my Sarenza heels and was surprised at how they complimented each other. I was even prepared, and put plasters on my feet before I blisters got the chance to attack. Clever, right?

Jewellery wise, I wore my Tissot watch and my House of Harlow Key ring (that ring always gets compliements). I'm also guilty of doing something slightly very lame. You see, I have a crush. He's gorgeous and we've only just started having proper conversations. My bright (yet slightly lame) idea was to wear a necklace with my name on it, so he could know my name. Unfortunately, I didn't see him that day...

How have you all been? I'm off to Reading Festival for the weekend, so I'll be completely MIA.

Sherin xx

Take 10 Challenge 14: Lomography Camera

This months Take 10 Challenge was sponsored by Lomography, who kindly sent each of us amazing cameras. I love taking pictures, so was really excited to get my hands on the Diana Camera.

 

 I love the vintage look to the camera and just how cool it looks. It also comes with a detachable flash, which really makes the camera stand out from all the point and shoot, or SLRs.

I decided to go for a plain black one, but Lomography have camera's in all styles, and some ofthe other girls chose ones with gorgeous patterns and prints on them.

I haven't developped pictures yet, so have no idea how they've come out but I honestly can't wait. The camera is a lot of fun to use and play around with. It's really different from all the other cameras out there right now, so you definitely look great while taking pictures.

Here's how everyone else styled the camera:

Jen from A Little Bird Told Me
MJ from Dreaming Spires & Old Car Tyres
Sherin from HiFashion
Vicki from Magpie Girl
Paula of Pinkbow 
Ellie of Pretty Much Penniless
Sabine from Psynopsis
Susie from TakeOut in Couture
Sarah from We Shop Therefore We Are
Harriet from Where is Harriet 

An Outfit!!

I realised that I hadn't done an outfit post in ages! Sometimes it's just nice to dress up for no particular reason, and wear some new clothes. My initial aim was not to do any sale shopping, but about 2 weeks ago, I lost my will power and bought loads!

One such thing was this really pretty top from A Wear (£9). Gorgeous, isn't it? I love the colour and the detailing around the neck. I paired it with ASOS jeans and a pair of heels of New Look.

I'm going to be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of how this look came out. I think the top is that awkward length, where it's too long to wear with something, but then too short to wear on it's own. I might try it with a belt next. Hmmmm...

I do love the ring I wore with this. My brother got it for me for my Birthday and it's so pretty! It's covered in Swarovski stones and is so sparkly.

I also got this super awesome clutch from Case Mate. CaseMate specialise in really cute and pretty phone and technology covers and are definitely worth a check out. It's called the Kayla Clutch and is perfect if you're super organised, like me. You can fit everything, such as money, cards, a lipstick, inside, then there's a compartment on the outside which you can easily slip your phone into. It's a perfect clutch for a night out, when you don't want to take too many things with you.

Sherin xx

What's in my bag

I thought I'd do a 'What's in my bag' post, seeing as the one I did previously was like a year ago.

This is my handbag...the one I use the most. I bought it on a whim from New Look, and never regretted it. It fits tons inside and it never looks bulky or gets uncomfortable to hold.

I used to be one of those people that carried literally everything in a large bag, but I kicked that habit, and now go out with the essentials (often glaring at those who accidently wack me with their oversized bags which, judging by the bruises on my arms, I'm convinced are filled with bricks).

So the essentials are: an umbrella (because it ALWAYS rains), plasters (because bloody feet in heels are not cool), a notebook, pen, business cards (you never know who you'll run into), my oyster card (always topped up), a USB (you never know), Carmex lip balm, a mirror, lipstick (mine wears off really quickly), eyeliner and cream.

Then there are the things I would never dream about leaving the house with. No matter where I'm going, these things will ALL come with me. I always have a book with me, no matter what. I'm currently reading One Day, as I wanted to read it before I see the movie. I'm not going to lie, it started off nicely, but I'm not even half way through and I'm finding it really boring. I'm definitely not going to watch the movie at the cinema.

There's also my wallet (I treated myself to a Marc by Mar Jacobs one), my new Windows 7 phone (which I LOVE), my MP3 Player (it's a Creative Zen), my keys and a purse for all my coins (the big cupcake).

You'd have noticed the quirky 2 additions: the cupcake purse and the diamond hanging from my keys. Both were gifted by Find Me A Gift and I love how fun they are.

The cupcake purse is so adorable and sweet, I love having it in my bag, after all, everyone LOVES cupcakes. It's from the Fluff range and comes with an explicit caution: 'Use of this product may cause spontaneous delight': Awesome, right? It's amazing quality and the sprinkles are actually beads. It's also pretty big on the inside, so fits a lot.

The diamond hanging from my keys is actually a 'bag light': such a useful invention. We've all been there, where you're looking for something in your bag, but can't seem to find it. But I won't have this problem anymore. This is seriously something that every girl needs in their bag. And the light actually works properly as in you can properly see into your bag when the light is on: see below.

What's in your bag?

Sherin xx

Sunday Catch up

It's been another filled week, aside from several events, I've managed some cool nights out and even got a compliment from a guy I have a crush on. Yup, so a good week! I thought I'd give you a run down on what's been up.

On Wednesday, I headed off to the Boohoo Press Day, and was met by a lovely collection (and lovely team). Boohoo is always one of my favourite places to shop as things are always gorgeous and so affordable. Looks like colour will be back to brighten up our dark winter, and there was also a lot of glamorous and 70's inspired pieces.

There were also vintage inspired pieces, retro dresses and, my favourite, a range called 'luxe grunge'. I seriously want everything from that collection!! I've been lusting over a pair of leather shorts for months now.

Check out more pictures on Facebook. 

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I also attended a 'Spritziamo' event hosted by Martini, and it was so much fun. There were manicures, eye brow threading and food, on top of all the drinks. It was held in a fantastic venue, which was half indoor and half outdoor, which was perfect for networking and mingling.

There were also cooking lessons, which were so much fun. As someone who doesn't cook, I was surprised at how easy it was to make some quick canapes. I will definitely be trying a few of those recipes.

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One event I sadly had to miss, due to a clash, was a Blonie Rae event, at Earth Hairdressing. They were showcasing their new colour remover, and as someone who's been trying to get rid of my colour, without dyeing over, or cutting, I was keen to learn more. There was a live streaming video demonstrating how the product works, which you can check here (not the best quality). The colour remover is also peroxide free, and is supposed to smell amazing.

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And so, naturally, my week consisted of a lot of unhealthy 'on the go' food and cupcakes, so I was in need to bringing myself back into shape. Luckily, Triumph have launched their Curve Camp and it seems amazing.
They aim is to embrace your curves and figure with a new excercise regime, developped by ex military instructirs and fitness camp, No 1 Boot Camp. What I love is that AudioFuel has developped a sound track to match, so you really get a great workout. The 30 minute 'shape-cer-size' session helps scultp legs, glutes and abs, and is designed to lift and firm muscles.

And if you're in London any weeked until the 17th September 2011, you'll be able to join the free work outs, which will take place in Hyde Park. All you have to do is sign up online.

So check out the site, and get active!


What's everyone been upto this week?

Sherin xx