Octobers Featured Blogger!

So once again here we are at the end of the month, time for my featured blogger pick! For the month of October I couldn't think of any better person to pick than the wonderful Lizzie who blogs at The Awkward Queen. Her blog consists of a bit of everything, which makes it a perfect read for anyone! Below the Awkward Queen herself answered a few questions, so grab a cuppa and prepare to learn a bit more about this beauty of a blog!

1) In less than 50 words tell us a little about yourself and your blog.

Being from London, I see a lot of OTT outfits, but I enjoy taking elements from these wacky people and incorporating it into my own personal style. I blog about all things fashion, beauty and anything pretty.

2) When and why did you initially start blogging?

I initially started blogging in July 2011; slightly irregularly at the beginning but much more frequently now. After finding Zoella's, Beauty Crushes and Le Happy's blog I was inspired to start writing on my own.

3) Do you have any tips or ideas for someone wishing to start a successful blog? 

Don't be put off by people not following you back, this shouldn't be your main concern; create great posts with good quality pictures and soon enough you'll gain a following where your readers really appreciate your blog.

4) Do you feel you've taken anything out of being part of the blogger community?

Blogging makes me beyond happy; it's a lifestyle that I've easily become accustomed to. Everyone is so lovely and supportive in the blogging community.

5) what are your 5 favourite products right now?

Vaseline for Lips, Naked Palette, Sleek Brow Kit, 17 Lipstick in the shade 'Mulled Wine' and Barry M Nail Varnish 'Raspberry'.

6) Who are your 5 favourite bloggers right now?

Beauty Crush 

Arabella

Meek N Mild 

Thunder + Threads 

CATiD

7) Where can we find you?

Click Here For Twitter or Instagram: 'lalizzie'

8) Any final words of wisdom?

If you 'follow 4 follow', your blog is hollow.

Once again I'd like to say a big big thank you to my feature blogger for taking the time to answer the questions and allowing me to feature her on the blog! Why not pop over and leave her a lovely comment? As always leave your links below, who knows perhaps you could be my next featured blogger?



Nothing Burns Like The Cold

Images Tumblr, From Nicole With Love

Primark Winter Lookbook

Finally Primark goes grunge! I know these posts are popular amongst you guys so when I found Primark had released their THIRD!!! Winter lookbook for this year I leapt out of my seat! Admittedly this isn't really 'my style' however I know these trends are becoming ever the more popular, and so, all you lovely ladies will soon be able to get the look for a lot less! Cmon who could deny that? I'd say if I was to buy any of it, It'd be the stuff on the top row, which as you'll notice is probably the girliest out of the lot! Some things never change eh?

What are your thoughts on this lookbook? If your not a fan of this one just wait for the one I've got coming up tomorrow, It'll be sure to make you chuckle!

3 Ways To Wear Fur

Fur. Associated with fashionistas, bag ladies and cat ladies alike; it's the perfect accompaniment to any outfit to mix up the texture. Of course, all the below suggestions of daring, fashion-forward ways to wear are faux, the most cruelty-free (not to mention affordable) way to rock this trend!

Rock a feather skirt.

Not strictly fur, the feather skirt is one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe. Mine is still a work in progress...yes, I made this myself! Team this skirt with a chunky knit to create contrast and a more casual vibe or wear with slicked-back hair and a sequin top for a full-throttle 'New Year's Eve' look. Cheat the trend by DIYing the skirt with trim from eBay like me, it'll cost you less than £30. 

Accessorise with a fur bag.

If you are a reader of my blog at present, it is absolutely no secret that I am head over heels for these fur bags. River Island does my favourites...I have two. Try eBay for these, I got mine for £12 and £15! The luxe chain strap and pop of colour make this is statement item for the fur trend. Wear with a monochromatic palette or seriously clash with different textures, prints and colours. There are no rules when you're wearing a bag like this.

Go classic with a fur coat.

I got my first fur coat for Christmas last year. A steal at £60 from River Island, It gets so much wear. Choose a fit that you'd wear in any coat: if you love the print but hate the fit, move on and find another! Just because it's fur, doesn't mean it adds bulk and doesn't flatter. My favourite way to wear fur is with minimal colour/print/texture on the bottom (flat skirt or skinny trousers-as little bulk as possible) and a collared shirt or dress. It looks so smart and makes the print take centre stage. 

If you love fur but don't have the heart to wear it on such a grand scale, invest in some fur cuffs, a tippet or boot toppers. I can't find my toppers anywhere but take my word for it, they're the cosiest trend ever. I wore them in minus temperatures in Paris and didn't look back. 

I really hope you enjoyed this post and even got a little excited for the coming winter. Fur is a trend I love because I HATE the word trend. Fads come and go, but fur is timeless. You just have to find YOUR way to wear it! 

Thanks to the lovely Rachael for allowing me to guest post and I hope this encouraged you to dust off the ol' fur and embrace winter!

My Beauty Essentials For The Winter Season!

This is just a quick post to tell you all I've been a busy blogger bee and have recently guest posted on Grace's blog Belle Mode. To check out my beauty essentials for Winter and read a few of my tips for perfect skin for the season click here!

Goodbye!

Hello lovely blogger friends! This is just a quick message to say that I'm out of the country until the end of the month and so all future posts from now until then will be scheduled. I'll pop on a couple of times during the month in order to verify your lovely comments but until then, adiós!

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lipgloss in 'Destiny'

First off apologies for the quality, I know it's not as good as usual, I didn't realise until I'd synced them. Anyway less of the negativity because today I bring you my favourite product of ALL TIMEEE! I was so surprised when going through my archive that I'd mentioned it so many times, but never actually photographed it! This is Buxom's (owned by Bare Escentuals for those who haven't heard of it) lipgloss in Destiny, a gorgeous true coral with yellow toned shimmer. Yellow toned lip colour usually screams yellow toned teeth, however the brightness of the pink really counteracts it in my opinion, leaving nothing but a lovely glossy appearance. These glosses are designed to be plumping lipglosses so they have a gorgeous minty smell and taste, they do plump the lips but only subtly. One thing I adore about the Buxom lipglosses is the way they wear. They look gorgeous at first application, and look just as great 5 hours later! For sure worth the £18 in my eyes!

What is you favourite product of all time?

OPI: Nail Envy Pink

A couple of months ago I bought this on a whim, I have no idea why. Of course OPI's Nail Envy line was crowned with awards after awards for their nail strengthening qualities, so perhaps that's why influenced me. Nevertheless, applying one coat of this is enough to leave you with lovely strong, durable, rose coloured fingers and toes, I think it's opacity is what shocked me the most. Of course, It does live up to its strengthening claims too! It's quite a hike at £18 a bottle, however I believe if you really are serious about improving the condition of your nails there really is no other way than the nail envy way! I was so convinced I actually forked out for another bottle, this time a clear version for a 'no nail polish day' - review coming soon!

P.S if you are wondering why the bottle looks a little 'odd' I photographed this minutes after taking this out of the refrigerator. I find OPI to be one of those brands where the polishes go gloopy very quickly, chilling them keeps them good for longer!

Beauty Buys

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

I'm trying to buy up a few final things before I go on a spending ban/ project pan /empties kinda period up until Christmas. The main aim really is to save up some extra money that I can then group together with my Christmas and birthday money and go on a huge sweet 16th birthday shopping spree with at the end of January, although we'll see how long that lasts! I have absolutely nothing like the Barry M nail polish in gold mine, I think it'll be perfect for all the parties around Xmas/NY! Plus I always like to keep loads of smelly stuff in my school bag, I'm one of those really annoying girls that are so strongly scented that 60% of the class start wrinkling their noses and sneezing when I walk in the room and so, in fear of loosing my title as chief spritzer, I'm stocking up!

Love Joy

Jacket - Primark   /   Dress - Love Joy at TKMaxx

I wore this out to a house party at the weekend and although I never post outfits or many fashion related posts I figured I'd share this as I had a lot of people searching for the Primark Boucle Jacket, me being the helpful solider I am I thought I'd show you what it looks like on! Some might say this is particularly dressy for a house party, although its a pretty normal outfit for me - dress, smart jacket and flats = my style 24/7 7 days a week! (well maybe only 2 but cmon!;))

Collection 2000 Extreme Felt Tip Liner

After my first encounter with the Collection 2000 (or just Collection, depending how up to date you are with the pointless rebranding scene) Extreme Liner that I reviewed here I was pretty hostile and didn't expect much however, I was pleasantly surprised! Swatching this gives me a definite assurance that the black variation I bought of this was most definitley dodgy. This teal colour swatches beautifully! Yeah I'll admit it isn't the most wearable of liners, but it's so pretty I can't help but look beyond that point! The pigmentation is like nothing I've seen before in a coloured liner, it's actually so longlasting and pigmented that it stained my upper lash line for two days!!! Not bad for £2.99 eh?

Shopping The Stash #1

I'd be kidding myself if I told anyone I didn't have enough products already, and yet I still seem to justify spending stupid amounts of money on new stuff each month. Now, instead of going all crazy and putting myself on to a spending ban I know I couldn't maintain, I've decided to go and 'Shop My Stash' where basically you look at all your products, think about what you've neglected and use it! Simple!

Bare Minerals Blemish Remedy -

I really really love the idea of this but the results just don't match up to the image I have in my head for what I want my skin to look like after using it. Perhaps I've been a bit unfair in writing this off, who knows it might actually make a slight difference to my skin?

Schwarzkopf Guardian Angel Heat Protectant -

Yes, I did include this in my haircare routine not too long ago, however I stupidly decided to buy even more for the pure fact that it was on offer (FAIL!). Needless to say It's gonna take me 12 years to get through it all at the rate I'm currently using it, so I'm going the full-hog and using it non-stop!

Batiste XXL Volume Dry Shampoo -

I've had a pretty bumpy ride with with dry shampoo as you'll know if you read my review. I lost complete interest in trying to make what was actually a pretty cruddy product work for me. With my stash of 12 (?!?!?!) cans of various dry shampoo's building up I decided I had no option but to try and use it up because I HATE throwing near-full products away.

MUA Lipstick in Shade 3 -
After discovering the Natural Collection lipsticks, I began to neglect what was actually quite a pretty, creamy, bright pink lipstick that is probably my biggest beauty steal of all time! Not gonna lie you've got to be having a "Look at me!" day to be wearing this, but I think it'll be perfect for brightening up the dull black and grey outfits I'll start to wear throughout Winter!

Sanctuary Body Butter -
I have absolutely no idea where on Earth I accumulated this from. It was unopened when I found it so I figure there's no harm in using it? The smell is an acquired taste (or scent ...whichever!), very strong and almost perfumey (reminds me of soap and glory a bit!), although as far as I know Sanctuary is quite a 'luxury' brand to some extent? I guess for that reason it should be pretty beneficial for my winter skin!

No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish in 'Oyster' -
Again another product I never remember buying and again another product completely unopened. I presume I bought this for cheap when the Boots vouchers were out. It's a pretty neutral colour so I'll be great for A/W!

Click on the links for past reviews on each product



Septembers Featured Blog

 So as of this month I shall be starting a new series of posts in which I will feature a new, upcoming blogger in order to give them a bit of a step up in terms or finding new readers. For the month of September I chose Soph from The Pretty Season to be featured as I immediately fell in love with her blog when I found it around a month and a half ago. Her pictures are great, her style is great and she's just an all round lovely person, and one that deserves so many new followers too! I hope you'll all welcome the idea of having the monthly featured blogger and give Soph's blog a peek, chances are you'll fall in love with it just as I did!

1) In less than 50 words tell us a little about yourself and your blog.

Hi I'm Soph, and I am a 16 year old fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger, blogging over at The Pretty Season! I love to blog about fashion and lifestyle mainly, but I do sometimes have a bit of a beauty post!

2) When and why did you initially start blogging?

I actually had an old blog (LoveLouise), which I started in November 2011, but I stopped posting there for many different reasons and started The Pretty Season around June 2012, but I didn't start posting 'till around July/August ish when I was happy with my design and everything. I started blogging after reading so many amazing blogs, and I just thought that I wanted to join in really!

3) Do you have any tips or ideas for someone wishing to start a successful blog? 

Erm, just to be yourself really and enjoy what you do, don't ever blog if you think of it as a chore, because people can tell if your blogging for a hobby or if your blogging  for other reasons. I think people will follow you if you enjoy what you write, simple as that! But commenting on other peoples blog is good too I guess.

4) Do you feel you've taken anything out of being part of the blogger community?
I'm loving being part of the blogging community! I've learnt so much from other bloggers, I used to always join in to the #bbloggers chat on twitter because I gained so many tips from it! I definitely recommend joining in with the chat. I don't think theres anything I hope to learn, I just learn as I go along!

5) What are your 5 favourite products right now?

Oooh, favourite products! This is so hard! Erm, I'm loving the No7 perfect light loose translucent powder, my Diorshow mascara, MUA lipstick in shade 1, MUA eyeshadow palette heaven & earth and... my batiste dry shampoo!

6) Who are your 5 favourite bloggers right now?
This is even harder! I have so many favourite bloggers... Ok, I love Ellie's blog 'Style & Starbucks', Islay's blog 'Islaay', Ellie B's blog 'Ellie's Favourite Things', Laura's blog 'Style and Sushi' and A Is For Ayla of course!

7) Where can we find you?
I have a twitter: @prettyseason_ , and I used to have pinterest but I deleted it and I have a non-blog related tumblr here. Follow me if you want! (you don't have to :P)

8) Any final words of wisdom?

I don't think so! Thank you so much for having me on your blog Rachael! xxx

I'd like to say a big big thank you to Soph for taking the time to answer the questions and allowing me to feature her on the blog! As always remember to leave your links below or on my Twitter (@aisforaylablog) and perhaps one day It'll be you I'm featuring?

Favourite Five: Autumn Reds

Nails Inc 'Piccadilly Circus'   /   Collection Hot Looks 'Diva'   /   Nails Inc 'Chester Square'   /   Barry M 'Raspberry'   /   No7 Stay Perfect 'Damson Dream'

Red is supposedly the colour of this Autumn season so for my Favourite Five this week I decided to go with it and pick out my top red nail polishes. My favourite out of the 5 would probably have to be the Nails Inc ones, the formula is fab and they leave a nice shine that you really don't get with lower end nail polish!

I apologise for having a bit of a blogger break. Really it was down to a lack of inspiration and too much illness. But I'm back to my normal postyness and should (fingers crossed) be posting every day again! Also after having many many issues with my updating my iPods and iPhone to the new iSO 6 I've managed to wipe my twitter app so I'm only tweeting through my laptop, which takes so much time and everything that I'm just not as active as usual. If you don't follow me already my twitter is (@aisforaylablog)

P.s ignore the awful photo quality, the reflections were awful!