Style & beauty icon

A few months back, I started to watch Gossip Girl and while the storyline and drama was amazingly gripping for a girly girl like me, the fashion and beauty aspect to it also really appealed to me! All the characters, both the girls and the boys, have impeccable style and it's great inspiration for hairstyles, accessories, clothes and make up! Whilst on screen I adore Leighton Meester's character Blair Waldorfs style the best, it's the off screen style of Blake Lively (who plays Serena Van Der Woodsen) which I'm lusting over! She's constantly in all the top fashion magazines looking flawless and I've always been drawn towards her style. Her everyday look is so casual yet classy consisting of jeans, tshirts, big cosy knit jumpers and gorgeous coats! Of course, she accessorises well with killer heeled boots and gorgeous bags from the likes of designers such Celiné - I'd love to raid her wardrobe!! In the evening, she turns up to red carpet events looking unbelievably classy and elegant in long floor length dresses which compliment her tall physique so well! Even since becoming pregnant, her style has not slipped! She's flaunted the true beauty of a baby bump with so much confidence and grace! Blake's hair is either let down in lose waves or in a ladylike yet sexy up do which really transforms her from day to night! Make-up wise she keeps it fairly simple but either wears a nude or red lip which I think helps her stand out and make a statement. She is going to definitely be a timeless style classic for this era! 

Daytime Christmas make-up

For the festive season I wanted to create a look that consisted of a wearable red lip and a gold shimmery eye. Christmas time is the perfect excuse to add a bit of sparkle to your make-up even if it is for a casual day to day look! I love how you can easily transform this look from day to night by building up the eye make-up and making it look more intense and defined with some individual false lashes and an even coating of black gel liner. 

To make this look more natural and wearable, I opted for more of a dewy glowing fresh base as opposed to one consisting of strong bronzer or blush. After moisturising my skin, I evenly blended my trusty No7 Beautifully Matte foundation in Deeply Ivory all over my face with a Real Techniques stippling brush. To hide my dark circles, I applied Rimmels Wake Me Up concealer in Ivory; this concealer is great for opening up your eyes and making your face look brighter. Using a large powder brush, I set my base with a small amount of No7 Mineral Perfection loose powder foundation in New Ivory. To add some colour to my face I applied some blusher to the apple of my cheeks using the Sleek Face Form contour & blush palette in Light. Along with the powder highlighter in the Sleek palette, I used No7 Instant Radiance bronzing highlighter to slightly accentuate my cheek bones, brow bones and Cupid's bow. 

On my eyes I opted for a soft gold/bronze shimmer that was natural and subtle yet noticeable. Firstly, I applied Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof eyeshadow base to help make my eye make-up last all day. All over my eyelid I used Canary Shimmer Wash eyeshadow from the Bobbi Brown Twilight Pink lip and eye palette which I applied with Mac's 214 brush. This shadow is a gorgeous gold shade which has just the right amount of glitter in it. In the crease of my eyelid, I applied Nars Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Hollywoodland and thoroughly blended it out using a Real Techniques deluxe crease brush. To add some emphasis to the outer corners of my crease, I added a darker bronze shade. This was the shade YDK from the Naked 2 palette and I applied this with a Mac 219 brush. Using the deluxe crease brush again, I blended together the two shades that I used on my crease. I finished my eye make-up with a few coats of Chanel Sublime De Chanel mascara on my top lashes and Cliniques Bottom Lash mascara on my lower lash line. I kept my brows simple and tamed them with Rimmels Brow This Way brow styling gel. 

There is no colour more Christmassy than red so it's a musthave this time of year. I was spoilt for choice with red lipsticks as I own many shades but I settled on using Mac Viva Glam I (matte) as it isn't too bright yet isn't too dark! The perfect shade of red! 

I hope you're getting into the Christmas spirit just like I am!! 🎅🎄

Katie x 

December Look Book

December is one of the best months for outfit planning as I feel like the whole month is one big special occasion! I created a little look book to share some of the outfits I will be wearing over the next few weeks. Recently I've been venturing out to try clothes shops that I've never really brought from and I've been surprised with the amount of gorgeous stuff I've found! As you will notice, I've developed a huge love for Marks & Spencer's clothing range; their pieces are so on point this season and range from beautifully coloured smart winter coats to figure loving sparkly party dresses! Their clothing line is quite affordable as well considering that the quality of their garments is impeccable. 

Look 1: Christmas shopping in town.

I think layering is perfect for the winter as you're never too sure when you're going to get too hot or too cold especially when it comes to stressful Christmas shopping! I absolutely adore this red coat, I love how tailored it is as it smartens up any casual outfit. Perfect for this season!

Clothing: 

- Topshop black Joni Jeans 

- Zara cream jumper 

- French Connection blue-black fur gilet 

- M&S red winter coat 

- Zara grey knitted scarf 

- Ted Baker handbag 

Make-up: 

- Sleek face form contouring & blush palette in Light

- Revlon shadowlinks in Taupe & Sand 

- Maybelline colorsensational lipstick in Coffee Craze 

- Maybelline colorsensational shine gloss in Coffee Kiss 

Look 2: Lunch with friends. 

I love mixing textures so this leather and knit ensemble is perfect for me! The leather skirt and boots give some edge to the preppy cosy knit jumper and camel coat. This coat is surprisingly from Tesco and is retailed at £40 (maybe a bit less) so it's without a doubt an amazing bargain! 

Clothing: 

- M&S knitted jumper 

- Forever 21 leather skirt 

- Primark black tights 

- Tesco coat 

- Next boots 

Make-up: 

- Tanya Burrs lipgloss in Champagne Toast

- Maxfactor glossfinity top coat 

- Essie nail polish in Wicked 

- Rimmel scandaleyes shadow sticks in Trespassing Taupe & Bootleg Brown 

Look 3: Christmas drinks/works dos. 

When going out for drinks, you can never go wrong with a simple outfit like jeans and heels! Snake print is my favourite print and these heels are to die for! My Guess clutch was a splurge item but it is one of my best investments; it's big enough to fit everything in for a night out and the studding detail accessorises every evening outfit so well! 

Clothing: 

- Topshop black Joni Jeans 

- Wallis burgundy wrap over blouse 

- M&S snake print court heels 

- Guess black studded clutch 

Make-up:

- Maybelline color tattoo cream shadows in On & On Bronze and Vintage Plum

- Chanel sublime de Chanel mascara in Black 

- Revlon Colorstay moisture stain in Parisian Passion 

Look 4: Christmas Day.

I think it is so important to be comfy and cosy on Christmas Day so you can't go wrong with a big knitted jumper and Christmas socks! Perfect for hiding a roast turkey tummy! 

Clothing:

- Topshop black Joni Jeans

- M&S grey knitted jumper 

- M&S cosy knitted Christmas socks

Look 5: New Year's Eve party.

New Year's Eve is one of the best celebrations in my eyes so there's nothing better than getting dressed up in a gorgeous party dress! The gold baroque print on this dress is stunning!

Clothing:

- M&S gold baroque party dress

- New Look studded heels

- Missguided black clutch 

Make-up:

- Urban Decay naked 2

- Mac lipstick in Diva

- Benefit they're real mascara 

- Real Techniques deluxe crease & base shadow brush 

I hope you enjoyed this post and hopefully got some Christmas outfit inspiration! 😋

Katie x