Design your own Wellies with Joules and win!

This morning I received an email which I thought was so fun, I wanted to share it with you lovelies! Since then, I've been playing around with various styles and it's super fun! I think a hot pink with blue stags was my favourite style, but there are so many options! Let me know what you come up with :) It's super easy to enter, and if your design is chosen, the winning design will be put into production! I for one wish that my pink/blue combination will win, as I would totally wear those bad boys <3 the link for the competition can be found here (http://getcreative.joules.com/) and not only would your design be in production, but all of the funds from the sales with go to their Charity: Charitably Joules.

Here's some extras about what you lovelies can win! A luxury break worth £5000, 3 wonderful nights in a Golden Oak Treehouse Cabin and even if you don't win, there's the chance for 10 runners up to win £250 gift cards! It's super fun to enter, so what have you got to lose? The winning design will go on sale on Joules.com. Let me know which design you choose, and definitely let me know if you win!

*Post in collaboration with Joules. 

Current Makeup Bag Favourites

I love talking about makeup. I talk about it on my lunch break with the girls in work, on Twitter with my followers/those that I follow, my family, friends and also brands/pr's, because makeup is a huuuuge part of life for me. It's not so much about hiding, as it used to be when I was younger; at the age of 12/13 when most girls wore makeup, and you were made fun for your skin/hair/weight/intelligence level/where you lived/what bag you used/where you sat... so I basically wanted to blend in, with clean hair and as much makeup as I could get on my face, with my minimal pocket money's worth of products. I remember shopping with my mum and begging her to buy me this and that, saying that I needed it. I didn't need it. I just wanted it, so much, so I could fit in and go through school unscathed. I didn't get through five years of secondary school unscathed, but who does/did, right? So yeah, makeup used to be about, basically shovelling it on my face... but now, many years later, many tutorials watched and many products tried, I'm familiar with my face and what works on it.

My skin can wear a lot of bases, regardless of coverage, it's always the concealer I need to focus on and three products that I love to use are Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light Foundation (£29.50, here), Maybelline's Eraser Eye Concealer (£7.99, here) and Rimmel's Lasting Finish Concealer (£5.49, here). These three cover all manner of sins and blemishes, whilst still creating a light enough base that it still doesn't look too heavy. The foundation from Estee Lauder looks like more of a Summer/warmer weather choice, but I wear it regardless as it gives such a wonderfully glowy light/medium coverage. The two concealers are basically for any time of year in my opinion, and I'm all about concealer (keep your eyes on the blog to see a post dedicated to concealer). Continuing onwards, three products that I would have touched a year ago are three of my hero products; Charlotte Tilbury's Bronze and Glow Palette (£49, here), Too Faced's Chocolate Soliel Bronzer (£25, here) and The Body Shop's Honeycomb Bronzer (£13, here) - all three represent the evolution of my makeup choices and how with experience and influence, these three have become such an important part of my makeup routine. Yes, two out of three are a bit expensive, but with the quality, I use them everyday and they don't let me down. Charlotte Tilbury's Palette is a mixture of contour and highlight, a delightful pairing that complement each other so well, and give that added pop of 'wow' to the face (as you can tell, 'Sculpt' has more of a dent than 'Highlight', as I think the highlighter is a bit too sparkly for everyday usage). The quality is superb, as is the Bronzer from The Body Shop, which at only £13, is a bargain for how amazing it is - I have the shade 02 and it's perfect for when my pale skin has a touch of tan, but even in the dead of Winter, I'll still be using this to perk my skin up. The last offering from this section, is from Too Faced, and to be honest, it wasn't something that I was impressed with at first. I loved the smell, but the colour seemed a big blergh. Since I've reused it, I officially love it - perhaps I was too heavy with the brush I use it with, or simply wasn't used to it, but now it adds definition to my cheekbones and looks gorgeous on my skin. 

Another three additional main face.. products. By main face I mean like, the cheeks/cheekbones etc... basically where you put all your base products. Anyway! I have an obsession with Bourjois' Cream blushes (£7.99, here), especially in the colours Healthy Glow and Rose Tender, which I use basically everyday because they go on like a dream, and can be easily blended should I apply too much. The little round pots pack such a colour punch that I take them on every holiday and weekend away, as they're so simple to use. Brilliant, creamy and long lasting! The last product is from Makeup Revolution, and it's their Goddess of Love highlighter (£4.99, here), a product that I've been in love with since I bought it; it's had it's own blog post dedicated to it, and I've inspired a lot of others to buy this pearly beauty, because it's amazing! Plus the baked highlighter is in the shape of a heart, so what's not to like about that? 

Natural Collection Eyeshadows (£1.99, here) are a reintroduction for me, as I used to use them quite a lot when I was younger, as they were cheap, cheerful and a brilliant formula - fast forward a few years, and after accumulating a lot of eyeshadows, I find myself coming back to this fabulous little pots. The three colours above are (from left to right), Sea Shell, Milk Chocolate and Asteroid, which are a fantastic trio for any base eye look, such as a smokey eye, or even just a defined crease. Whether used separately or together, these three are bargain shadows that I cannot recommend enough to those looking to expand their makeup collection. Another quick addition to the eyeshadow paragraph, is a cream offering from Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot (£16, here) in the shade Bare Study, which is a wonderful glowy nude, i.e. the perfect base for any eyeshadow look. It especially looks gorgeous and illuminating in the corner of the eye. 

Onto some of the most 'fleek-wothy' products such as Anastasia Beverly Hill's Dip Brow Pomade (£15, here), Benefit's Gimme Brow (£18.50, here) and Maxfactor's False Lash Effect Mascara (£10.99, here), the latter a product I tend to get all over my eyelids because of how big the brush is. It's really good, don't get me wrong, but I'm just useless and it goes all over my skin. But with blending, it goes away, so there are no black splodges on my face whatsoever, thank goodness. Combined with a good eyelash curler, my lashes look intensely black and curled, something I struggle with as my eyelashes really struggle to hold curl, even with a waterproof mascara. So yeah, as the hip kids say, 'fleek'. My eyebrows are something that I'm very protective over, and ABH is something that I'm so glad was introduced into my life, not only for the quality, but for the look it goes. Natural but dramatic brows... everything that you could ever want in a creamy pot; I apply it with an angled eyeliner brush, and then I brush through the brows with Benefit's Gimme Brow, just to give them some texture, as they can look quite flat otherwise. I like brows to look like brows, as that's what I prefer. Texturised brow goals? 

The final three products are for the lips. I loooove a good lipstick, and two of my favourite brands right now, are Clinique and Mac, in the shades Poppy Pop, Melon Pop and Crosswires - three shades and two formulas that glide onto the lips, almost effortlessly, giving such a gorgeous look, perfect for any season. Although A/W tends to be more focused around darker colours (holla at me, berries), I do still like to switch it up with a pinky nude or an orange red. Clinique's Lip Pop's (£16, here) are gorgeous and long lasting, as they include a primer in the product, which helps them to stay put for longer than most lipsticks, and as I work in retail which involves a loooot of talking, these lipsticks stand up to their claims. Mac Creamsheen (£15.50, here) wasn't a formula I was really interested in when I got into the brand, but now, after looking for a more wearable, comfortable product from the brand, the shade Crosswires immediately caught my eye, and has immediately become a favourite. Especially when layered over Rimmel's Lip Liner in East End Snob. 

What are your makeup bag favourites right now? 

My Updated Skincare Stash Essentials

Back to blogging, and back to basics. A good base stems from good skin, and good skin is a product of good skincare... so I thought I'd show some of my favourite products; how long I've been using them, what benefits they're adding to my skin and whether I'd repurchase. I'll say this now, everything shown is a product that I would buy happily, with my own money. Regardless of cost, these products work for me, and I cannot keep my skin looking good day to day without them (with the exception of a surprise blemish... yeah, can't do anything about those little buggers). 

So let's start with the goodies in the basket: Pixi Glow Tonic, Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque, Aveeno Skin Relief Shea Butter Lotion and Vita Coco Coconut Oil. Four Products that my skin just loves. Aveeno and Vita Coco are two products that are really looking after my skin, in the transition from Summer to Autumn, and then Winter, as my skin gets so so dry and flakey at this time of year. A mix of these two products not only lock moisture in, but I know that they're doing my skin good. Much like my face and hair, I like to lean towards more natural products, unless they're chemical exfoliants (like Pixi's Glow Tonic) as my skin just drinks them in. I find that the two lotions help to combat my eczema, which flares up horrendously and itches so much, so soothing it is a main priority - as otherwise I'll just scratch and scratch until my skin is red raw and bleeding. Not a good look. My go-to masque of the moment for my face is the Mint Julep Masque, as not only is the smell divine, it soaks up all the oil from my t-zone and aids in fighting the oil production, which is a big issue I tend to have with my nose and forehead. I smooth it on, look like Medusa without the snake hair for 15 minutes, and then gently rinse it off with a flannel and warm water: my skin instantly looks brighter, and clearer - for me, it's one of the best masques out there for skin with blemishes and oily skin. Lastly for this section, it's Pixi's Glow Tonic (£18, here), a cult product that I knew I wanted for so long, and when I finally did try it... I wondered why I hadn't purchased it sooner. I soak it onto a cotton pad and run it all over freshly cleansed skin, before completing the rest of my routine. It leaves me looking fresh and clean, with it's Glycolic properties lifting dead skin cells and thereby exfoliating my skin once more - super clean skin, ready for all the oils and serums that my skin slurps up. 

Moving away from the basket of tricks, I have some of my basic skincare products, including face masks and even my deodorant (£2, here), which is such a godsend, as I'm such a sweaty Betty these days (thank you to Mitchum for keeping the sweating at bay). Soooo, let's start with a brand that I cannot get enough of; Ren. Ren Skincare is simple, effective and a staple in my face mask routines, so much so, I think I might cry when I run out of my Glycolactic Radiance Cleanser (£32, here) as well as my Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial (£32, here), because they're just so damn good. I use the cleanser twice a week, and the Flash Rinse Facial once a week, or whenever my skin needs some perking up, as one thing that they do well, it make my skin look alive and healthy (something I desperately need right now with this cold *blows nose for the 100th time today*). From Ren masks, I'll move onto another one of my favourite brands, and that's Jurlique: the brands is full of natural, homegrown ingredients and my skin drinks them in so well, especially their Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum * (£49.50, here), and cult product, Rosewater Balancing Mist * (£24, here), which I may have mentioned numerous times... but hey-ho, I love them that much. 

Next up are some glow-getters and some super moisturising products: The Body Shop's Vitamin C Skin Reviver, Embryolisse's Lait Creme Concentre and Kiehl's Creamy Avocado Eye Treatment (£33, here) - three super selections that I love to use, not all together, as I only use Kiehl's during the nighttime, as I find that it's too rich to wear under my makeup during the day. But Embryolisse's moisturiser (£13, here) followed by the Vitamin C Skin Reviver (£16, here) is a duo for radiant skin that I swear by, and have been using for the past few days as I've been feeling under the weather. I would definitely recommend it to someone who's having some issues with dull looking skin during illness. It perks you up, making you look alive and well, when you just want to cuddle up in bed and watch Netflix. 

What skincare stash essentials have you been using recently? Any that I should keep an eye out for? Have you tried anything in this post? 

Why I fell out of love with blogging, and what's changed.

This post isn't going to centre around the blogging community, but mainly about myself... with maybe a bit of soul searching/whining thrown in (just because it's fun), but mostly, about why I felt like I had no energy or desire to blog/write/take photographs. I think the reasons why I was so uninspired was because that I felt like my photography/writing/content was soooo lacking compared to others (and I know we're not supposed to compare ourselves, but we all do it). I love photography, and love trying out new styles, but with amazing men/women/people creating amazing things, I just felt like I couldn't compete. So, I took a break... or temporarily gave up, depends on how you look at it. I've worked loads, travelled a tiny bit with my boyfriend, and as I write this, I'm four days away from my Holiday to Menorca (yay) and I'm trying to sort some Autumn/Winter holiday posts, before I lose all hope and pack away all my sandals, never to be seen again until next year.

So yeah, I gave up. There was/is something better at writing, at photography and styling blog posts, someone prettier and wittier... so where do I fit in? I figured out, that I didn't. Hence the no blog posts for a month (sorry about that, my loves) but now i'm hoping that this post, here, will be the start of something new for me. I just hated everything. My ideas, my writing, my photography (especially that) were all terrible and not good enough - I'm terrible in the sense that if I'm terrible at something, I'll usually give up unless I'm forced to continue onwards. But with blogging, it's different. It's a hobby, and something that's left a really big void in my life - yeah, there's only so much Netflix a girl can watch before it's just enough. But one day, I felt like I could take good pictures. The light was good, and I felt inspired. 100 pictures later, I felt like I had something good enough to post, and something I was actually proud of (which was a big deal for me, considered that my last big bout of picture taking was in July, and I basically hated them all). But now, with the turn of the season, OKK is going to have a voice again, and although it may not be as big, or important or life changing as others, it's mine, and I want to use it.

I've decided on a photography style that works for me (see above, what do you think?) and my writing style, which tends to just be me rambling about what I love and dislike, is going to be somewhat the same as before... hey, it's my voice right, may as well be true to myself. Plus, I wanted a new mascara, and because I've been so unengaged from the blogging world, I had no idea what products people were loving, so... I took a long time to nose around Boots before deciding on one by L'Oreal, as their mascaras tend to always suit me very well. But I basically had nooooo idea, and I hate that. So, back to the blogging world I go, and please leave me links to your blogs, I need to get back into reading all the wonderful beauty/lifestyle centric posts.

My Weekly Skincare Saviours

Three products that my skin has been drinking in this week (I blame the weather for making my skin so dry) are not ones readily found in the drugstore (sadly, my local Boots doesn't have Origins, so ordering online is the only way to go). Jurlique, Caudalie and Origins are full of natural goodness and so damn refreshing that I cannot get enough of them. I really dislike when the weather makes my skin so dry, that I break out into blemishes and eczema - as who wants to be spotty and itchy, with flaky, red skin? No one, that's who. So I've been trying to calm my skin, with cooling, natural-ingredient-rich products, and these three at the moment, are suiting my skin very well. Origins GinZing eye cream (£20, here - full review here) is a brightening, calming, almost flesh toned moisturiser that aims to wakeup the under eye area, and energise it with the scent of citrus, all the while, disguising dark circles and de-puffing. If I had a little fridge in my room, this eye cream would be in there, and I would slather this one my under eyes in the morning, so it could relax me even before the day has properly started (this is basically what I did on my holiday, and boy was it good).

Another product that's been perking me up, is Caudalie's amaaaazing Beauty Elixr (From £10.90, here) which is so damn refreshing that I'm spritzing myself as I write this post - gotta love that scent as well. This weather is making my skin soooo dry right now, my eczema is horrible, flaky and red... not a good look, but Jurlique's Rose Body Oil* (£38, here) is keeping my skin really hydrated (I don't think anything can help my eczema except steroids creams, sadly), especially my shins, which always seem to be really dry and patchy. Not only does it smell of roses (that gorgeous, non-artificial rose scent) but the bottle that it comes in makes it feel so luxurious. I love hard wearing glass bottles, and it doesn't hurt that they look especially pretty sitting on my dressing table (which at the moment, is the biggest mess ever) when it's all tidy and organised. I also sprinkle a few drops in the bath, when my skin is feeling especially dry, combined with the scent, it makes for such a relaxing bath. These three products are really helping to keep my dry, tired skin at bay and really make me look as healthy as possible. Gotta love 'em. What are your skincare saviours in this mix of bad/good weather?

Future Home planning with Pinterest and some pinning tips.

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Future Home planning is one of my favourite things to do, and with Pinterest, it's easier than ever to create and organise boards for the home of your dreams. My dream homes range from a beachside cottage to a super-sleek full of glass modern home, to one of those really rustic country homes... and let's not even mention the townhouses. Oh dear me *fans self* I think it just shows that what you want can change, and it should, because we as people are constantly developing into who we are, so why can't our taste do the same? There's a part of me that wants wood and earthy tones, but I also want everything to be white and airy... but cosy and snuggly at the same time. See my dilemma? One day, I'll have to decide... but for now, planning my dream homes in my head is one of my favourite day dreams to have. 

Recently I've become even more obsessed with pinning on Pinterest, and I really think that's shown in the amount of followers that I've gained. What I gathered from some amazing pinners, is that 'little and often' really applies well when on Pinterest. I'll pin 10-15 images every few hours or so, or whenever I fancy a scroll, and I make sure that my boards are really fun but relevant to the images within it. The two collages are from boards named 'Coffee table and living room dreams' and 'Desk Inspiration', which are proving to be two of my most popular boards - I think everyone just loves the 'Pinterest aesthetic' no matter what the idea of that is, as it changes for different people. I see a lot of marble, copper, white, gold and grey; I think it's gorgeous, absolutely beautiful... but that doesn't appeal to everyone. I like to think that my pins are a reflection of my taste, but I also just love including pins that look like something I never would have thought of.

I see Pinterest pages that are really sleek and really thought out, which is really impressive and amazing to see. Mine aren't really like that, per se, although I do like to arrange my most popular boards so that they sit at the top of my page, and then change the cover image every week or so, just to keep everything looking fresh and exciting. My boards are just what inspires me, and what I want to see - and I think that's the most important tip of all, pin what you want to pin, not what others are doing. I see trends for pastel hair and talon esc nails - both gorgeous trends, but not really my thing. I'll pin a few of those images, but for me, I wouldn't pay enough attention to them to make them entire boards. Create what you love, not what you feel like you should love. (Shameless plug for my Pinterest)

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My go-to: COLAB Dry Shampoo in New York and Rio

Dry shampoo is a thing that I wasn't aware of until I started University. Late nights and early mornings meant that there was less time to wash my hair, as I would roll out of bed, throw something presentable on, wash my face, apply a little bit of makeup and attempt to control my grease mop of hair - all before rushing off to a 9am lecture. Since then, I've tried all manner of dry shampoos, from expensive to those ones you can pick up in £1 shops - all in the name of finding the best one for the job, and what I've realised is that they majorly dry my scalp out, like dandruff-flaky-scalp-dry, and that's not good at all. So in reducing my consumption of dry shampoo, I've discovered the ones that do the job best, 2-3 times a week, are those from CO-LAB, a brand created by Ruth of A Model Recommends, who not only has amazing hair, but taste in beauty products, so I knew that as soon as I saw them, I needed to give them a try. Not only is the formula sheer, but these Extreme Volume offerings plump up the hair, making lank locks look gorgeous and workable - basically, it gives my hair a bounce, and actually makes it look like I didn't roll out of bed 20 minutes prior. 

With sophisticated and fashionable packaging, these dry shampoos are easy to carry everywhere with you (they come in different sizes for handbags etc) and are totally instagrammable. My favourite two are Rio, a wonderful tropical fragrance in a gorgeous teal colour that my mum can't help but 'borrow' from me (I said borrow, I mean steal and not give back) and New York, a soft fruity fragrance in a bright coral casing. Whether you purchase normal or their Extra Volume shampoos, CO-LAB have hit the nail on the head with their niche of invisible formulas, fun fragrances and swish designs; they've created a formula that I cannot be without, as who wants to wash their hair every other day? So dull, and it takes up so much time. Especially for me, as I tend to shy away from using a lot of heat on my hair during the warmer months, when it can just dry naturally. Which leaves me with lots of wavy hair, and when I use the Extra Volume dry shampoo on wavy hair, it makes everything look more bouffant; my manger in work even asked if I'd had a blow-dry (how's that for volume, huh?). I snapped up these two bottles when they were on offer, but when they're not, they retail for £4.49 each (Rio and New York, and the whole range can be seen here). I don't think there's anyone better than Ruth herself, to model her range, as we see her in her Youtube video's with hair in all manner of style, but I bet these bottles are definitely coming in handy with her new baby. 

The Process of how I apply my dry shampoo (it's nothing groundbreaking, but I always like to be nosy and know how people apply things hehe);

To apply, I brush my hair, making sure there are no tangles or knots, before sectioning parts of the hair with my fingers, and spraying the roots from a good distance away (about 20-30cm will do). Once I've done each section, I pin everything back and continue with my makeup, before running my fingers through my hair, making sure everything has been absorbed. Then with a quick finger back-comb, or a quick brush through the ends of my hair, I'm done! It's simple, non-sticky and since it's a sheer formula, there's no mad brushing, or blending to get rid of the white powdery streaks (I'm looking at you, Bastiste). I always try and leave a few minutes before applying, and then styling my hair, but you're in a mad rush, then you can style right away.

Have you tried anything from the Co-Lab range? Let me know what you think.