Miami vice

 As much as I hate the cold, I do love to layer. My wardrobe is rammed full of coats/jackets/raincoats, however it is a nice change to have an item of outerwear that complements an outfit as opposed to covering it all up. And lay and behold I have found that summer item, the one that add's a little something extra. This outfit without the blazer I must say was pretty drab. I had attempted to bling up this tartan shirt, all details in a blog post about the silver studs here. It was a simple and cheap way of adding small details to an otherwise boring item of clothing. 

Now back to the main attraction; this longline white blazer from Primark was £7. I feel it really adds a smarter touch to an outfit whilst the white is a fresh option for summer. Unfortunately I do not trust myself to wear this on a night out: white blazer + Cardiff nightlife  = disaster. Maybe I will just wear it for those casual outings that don't end in a trip to 'chippy lane'.  

Cream of the crop

Cream eyeshadows, the perfect no fuss beauty item. I just apply these with a finger, bit of a dap in the pot and swoop over the eye lid and you are done. My selection of cream eyeshadows come from MAC and a cheaper option from Maybelline. Scroll down for my verdicts on these products.   

 1 MAC | Pro Longwear paint pot | Painterly | My most worn eyeshadow....ever. Such a lovely neutral, pinky shade. Evens out your eyelids and brightens up those tired looking eyes.

 2 MAC | Pro Longwear paint pot | Vintage selection | Something a little more special, nice amount of shimmer without the glitter. Champagne/ bronze colour, perfect for a night out.

 3 Maybelline | 24hr Colour Tattoo | Metallic pomegranate | It's not very often that I stray from my safe neutral eye colours but here it is, a gorgeous berry shade. Unfortunately this colour contains so much glitter I don't tend to wear it in the day time.

 4 Maybelline | 24hr Colour Tattoo | On and On bronze | Such a great dupe for the MAC vintage selection. The right kind of shimmer, a really effortless product that glides on so easily and wears well throughout the day.    

Legs a'hoy

I did it, I got the legs out. I went shopping with my sister a few months back and we saw this skirt in Primark which looked so good styled up on the modal. A few weeks ago I found it again, but in the reduced section - £10 to £3. Naturally I picked up two, one for myself and one for my sister - because I'm nice like that. It is really interesting seeing how two people can style up the same skirt and make completely different outfits. 

I have decided to pick out the navy colour from the skirt and wear it on top with this blue denim shirt from H&M. With a busy designed skirt it is always best to pair it up with something neutral on top. You can never go too wrong with a simple plain t-shirt; so it always best to have your staple white, black and grey in your wardrobe. 

Here's to more sun and a bit more leg this summer.       

Embellished skirt- Primark- £3

Denim shirt- H&M- £19.99

Boots- Next- Sale

Necklace- Primark- £3

Battle of the balms

For a make up addict such as myself I need to consider how I am going to eventually take the stuff off my face. When I started reading beauty blogs, I learnt about cleansing. Apparently face wipes were the devil and just didn't do the job properly, who would have thought. So I have tried and tested the majority of cleansers that Boots have to offer; ranging from gels, oils and micellar water. For those drunken/tired/laziest times before sleep, I have found these balms are my best option. The feeling of rubbing these into my face looks so wrong, but feels so right. You only need a little and as you rub the balms into the skin and they begin to melt. The makeup starts to break down including eye makeup, resulting in a look that would be best suited down the mines. All you need next is a warm, clean, damp flannel to wipe off all the excess.

 Clinique 'Take the day off' has an almost Vaseline like texture and does an excellent job at getting all your make up off; even waterproof mascara. 
However, if I had to pick a favourite I would choose 'ultrabland'. Not only does it leave your face clean and make up free, it makes it smooth and nourished. I very rarely have to apply a moisturiser after.
Clearly not content with 2 balms, I also have my eyes on The Body Shop's Camomile sumptuous cleansing butter. Reviews look great so I may just need to also add that to the cleansing party (mess) going on in my bathroom.  

Lush Ultrabland | £7.25, 45g

Clinique take the day off cleanser | £22.50

Float away

I would rather wear my jeans and trainers then don a floaty dress or anything in the pink palette. However, this little number I can change for. I got this a few years back from Ebay, originally from River Island and bought for no more then £3. I tend to steer away from these kind of necklines or anything strapless, as I am a little bit body conscious of my collar bones that jut out . If I could take a bit from my legs and squeeze it into this area that would be brilliant, however that would also be unrealistic and well, mad. So instead of worrying about it, I'm just gunna flash my bones for tonight. 

The lace, the light weight fabric and floral pattern gives this dress an elegant touch. Here's to hoping that it rubs off on the wearer. Worn with a pair of leggings, this is the perfect outfit to wear when your night is destined for a meal out with friends feasting on carbs.

Making a statement

I make many verbal statements throughout my day: I am hungry, I am pissed off, I want more mayonnaise on that......etc, etc. However, I do not tend to make any statements with my jewellery. To tell you the truth I am rubbish with jewellery, I often just forget to put it on or it gets in the way if I do. Here is part of my necklace collection. From this picture I can see 3 novelty animal pieces which could suggest that I should really, grow up? Go shopping and update my collection? 

I prefer the latter. 

So here is my new statement jewellery wish list, all gathered from H&M and Forever21 who are always on point and reasonably priced when it comes to jewellery.

Statement necklaces by a-greenslade featuring a wooden pendant necklace

Forever 21 flower statement necklace
£13 - forever21.com

Forever 21 cluster necklace
£8.36 - forever21.com

H M sparkle jewelry
£13 - hm.com

Forever 21 necklace
£8.52 - forever21.com

H M short necklace
£9.99 - hm.com

H M wooden pendant necklace
£7.99 - hm.com

               

In the nud

I love a good old smokey eye, in fact I love creating eyeshadow looks. When I put my make up on I go to town on the eyeshadow, making it the main feature, then when it comes to the lips only a nude will do. Now, I know we are heading into summer where I hear bold pinks are hot but I think there is still time to channel our inner Kylie Jenner, minus a shot class and bruised lips. A nude for one person may not be a nude for another, so I am basing these on what suits my olive skin tone.

1 MUA | Shade 11

I had been on the hunt for this shade for months, even my boyfriend remembers the famous 'shade 11'  quest of 2014. Now, you can't go wrong with MUA lipsticks. They are creamy, they glide on and stay on the lips. A real no nonsense lippy and for £1 you really can't go wrong.   

2 Maybelline | 630 Nude perfection 

These Maybelline colour drama chunky lip pencils are the bomb. Great colour collection and a soft and smooth application. 'Nude perfection' is a colour moving onto the brown side of the nudes.

3 Loreal | Collection Privee by Eva
This was the first nude I bought in my collection and it still remains my favourite, almost like a first child. I went for the 'Eva' shade as I thought this would be the best match for my skin tone. A lovely rosey nude with a smooth, long lasting finish. 

4 MAC | Fast Play 
Ok yes, this maybe a little bit of a cheat. An intruder to the nude family but I would say it is a neutral colour that looks great paired with a smokey eye. A deep brown with a tint of berry. 

5 Rimmel 1000 kisses lip pencil | 050 Tiramisu
Great to line the lips or to add an all over colour. Not scratchy like many over lip pencils and cheap. However it does leave me craving some tiramisu.