The Beauty Drawer | Beauty And Fashion Blog: March 2013

13.3.13

Instagram Diary #2

Just a little instagram update filled with mostly nonsense...

1. Happy Birthday to my beautiful Laura! / 2. Mum being a joker and bringing home masks from work because I was sick. / 3. Posing the day I got sick, not knowing what lay ahead :(. / 4. Playing around with CocoPPA app. / 5. Selena Gomez looking hot as... / 6. Working the white liner but looking like I have a lazy eye. / 7. River Island queue jump tickets for Rihanna.. that I couldn't afford to go to. / 8. Playing around with my housemate's hair. / 9. Playing around in PicFx app. / 10. Couldn't look any less like me, total fail. / 11. Bragging lol. / 12. Drunk posing. / 13. Drunk posing take II. / 14. Inspiration at it's best - RiRi style. / 15. Mean Girls, I love this haha!

-----

Follow me on Instagram @StrawberryHannah. It's mainly just pictures of terrible food I eat, things I stroll across on the Internet that amuse me, or too-close-for-comfort pictures of my face.

Hannah x

♥

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

FLAVOURS OF THE WEEK

I started writing this post last week but I've bddn so ill that I'm only uploading it now, sorry!

So, it appears I’ve been lacking on my blogging lately. I don’t like to use the words ‘lazy’ or ‘hungover’, but let’s be honest – it’s time to get back in the game. As easy as it would be to do a wishlist featuring the majority of items in Rihanna’s River Island range I’ve decided to actually do some blogging work. On a related note, if you’ve been on my Instagram you’ll have seen I won queue jump wristbands for Belfast’s Victoria Square Rihanna launch – but I couldn’t afford to go. Student life, sigh. I doubt I missed much though, the whole collection is online and although it’s selling fast, these beautiful babies are still in my size!

Let’s work the monochrome look!

Black and White Rihanna Painted Stripe Shorts, £35, River Island

I found out there were 5 winners at each River Island store, and I was one of them!

I might be trying my best to spend little on clothes and makeup at the minute but it doesn’t mean I’m going cold turkey just yet. I found two great buys that happen to be my new favourite items at the minute – Rimmel Eyeliner and Einstein Lip Therapy Balm.

I recommend Einstein’s Lip Therapy Balm to everyone! If you love Carmex then you’ll love this. I suffer badly from dry lips (probably because I’m forever biting them) and although I have a million lip balms lying about my bedroom, this is my ultimate favourite and has knocked Carmex off the top spot. My mum was the one who actually bought this until I pinched hers! She bought it from our local Savers chemist for 49p, which is considerably cheaper than the price of Carmex. It smells so much better than Carmex too, at first I thought it was cinnamon but it’s actually a mixture of mint and vanilla.

When I first tried Carmex I was wowed by the tingling sensation it gives your lips but after using it for such a long time I think the effect’s worn off. Einstein describes their lip therapy balm to have a ‘cooling sensation’ which really feels like it’s working – kind of like the feeling you get when you chew really minty gum. I love the tub it comes in also, it’s compact, cute and allows you to control how much product you want to use; this is why I much prefer tubs to tubes. Einstein claims to restore moisture to your lips and contains vitamins A and E, yay for sad lips! I haven't found them easy to purchase online, but I've heard they're from Los Angeles and made by the co-creator of Hard Candy nail polishes, Benjamin Einstein - fancy!

Working the lazy eye look...

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil, £2.99, Boots

Onto the next - I’ve been on the hunt for white eyeliner now for a while but only remembered to buy one last week when I was in Boots. White eyeliner is great for making your eyes look that little bit bigger and it’s good at disguising late nights or hangovers when put on the lower waterline. Using black on tired eyes will only make them look worse however, if you’re like me and are lacking in the lash department then stick with black on your upper waterline to give the appearance of fuller lashes.

My local boots is small and only carries a few high street cosmetic brands so I searched through all of the shop’s eyeliners but the only white one I could find was from Rimmel. I was a bit skeptical before buying it, normally I find Rimmel eyeliners don’t show their true colour on the skin and are difficult to blend but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Its staying power on my waterline wasn’t the greatest but I didn’t mind reapplying it throughout the day because it’s quick to do and is so easy to carry around. If you’re interested in a more natural look then nude is a great alternative to white, I recommend Rimmel's same eyeliner but in Nude.

I had only intended to use the eyeliner on my waterline but after experimenting it’s now my go-to-highlighter for everyday. I’ll use it lightly under my brows, above my cupids bow and on my cheekbones before blending it out with my fingers. I find that by scribbling on the back of my hand and working with it quickly, I can soften the liner and make it easier to blend. If you don’t want to get messy you could touch it against a warm surface, I know people who use lighters but I wouldn’t recommend this as I’d be scared of damaging the product – I’ll use the centre of my light up mirror sometimes as it gets hot. It might seem scary but I prefer using this eyeliner as a highlighter rather than the ones I currently own. I’ve tried Benefit’s High Beam and ELFs Highlight Shadow but personally the shimmer/shine is too much for me on an everyday basis – don’t get me wrong though, nights out are a YES! At only £2.99 it’s worth a go and because it’s matte it’s beginner friendly.

Thanks for reading my flavours of the week, guys! If you’ve tried any of the products I’ve talked about I’d love to hear your feedback about them in the comments below.

Images taken from River Island website and Google as well as my own personal instagram.

Hannah x

♥

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

2.3.13

In Love with ILWF

I follow Etail PR’s blog and noticed their new post about In Love With Fashion. They have teamed up with In Love With Fashion, or ILWF, to give bloggers like me the chance to win £200 worth of vouchers for their online store. The challenge is to create a wish list of your favourite ILWF items although, I’ve decided to be a little more creative and team together some outfits. Check out the competition here.

I first noticed ILWF when I registered for Uni Days – a website offering discount codes for students – and to be honest I hadn't really had a good look through their clothing line until I saw Etail PR’s post. To my surprise when I was looking at their collection, I noticed they had pictures of bloggers wearing their clothes. I think it’s so refreshing to have a brand willing to do this, and it’s a great way to draw in customers and help bloggers at the same time!

The three outfits that I've teamed together are looks that I would 100% wear. I never have a problem creating wishlists – I’m a serial online window shopper and impulse buyer when I have the money. Although the challenge was to create a wishlist of ILWF items, I've used their clothing as the basis of the outfits and added accessories from various shops.

Black Drape Black Dress, £32, In Love With Fashion

Black Chelsea Boots, £36, In Love With Fashion

Rings, Various Prices, Rings and Tings

Short Rib Knit Beanie, £7, ASOS

Plate Detail Skinny Waist Belt, £15, ASOS

Over the Knee Socks, £5, ASOS

Although my lazy days usually involve me lying around in my pjs, I still thought this outfit would be perfect for when you just want to throw on something comfortable. This look is definitely my favourite and therefore has highest priority on my wishlist. I love the thought of wearing something basic and bringing it together with accessories and if you can’t tell – I’m into wearing lots of rings at the minute. I’ve shown the back of the ILWF dress here – the front has a basic round neck.

Grey Long Sleeve Wrap Dress, £32, In Love With Fashion

Black Lace Cork Platform Boots, £45, In Love With Fashion

Maizah "Whatever" Sheer Tights, £5.99, Missguided

Rope and Shard Collar, £18.50, Topshop

Eylure Naturalites False Eyelashes in 107, £5.35, Boots

This outfit is perfect for a night out on the town! I’m forever changing my clothes last minute before a night out, swapping skirts and tops and asking friends for advice. This playsuit however, solves those problems - it’s such a statement piece that it needs very little accessorising. I've added a large mixed metal necklace and big eyelashes, which are essential on my nights out, and I've put the tights in as a cheeky extra.

White 'In Vogue We Trust' Crop Tee, £18, In Love With Fashion

Lilac Metallic High Top Trainer, £34, In Love With Fashion

'E' Beanie, £10, ASOS

Disco Pants, £29.99, Dorothy Perkins

Casio AQ-230A-7DMQ Digital Bracelet Watch, £32.50, ASOS

When I found these ILWF sneakers they instantly reminded me of the American Varsity look and therefore something I’d wear to University. I've teamed them with an ‘In Vogue We Trust’ tee that reminds me of the Celine style top I featured in my last wishlist, as well as a Casio watch and ASOS beanie for an added College feel. I've been dying to get my hands on a pair of disco pants for ages and I came across these imitation American Apparel ones for a fraction of the price. I almost prefer when disco pants are dressed down and I think this is the perfect look to wear them with!

Will any of my fellow bloggers be entering this competition? I'd love to see your ILWF wishlists!

Check out ILWF here.

Hannah x

♥

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram