Monday 30 April 2012

Dress For the Occasion With Ted Baker.

With Spring here and Summer well on its way (or looking at the weather lately, maybe not...), I imagine everybody has at least one special occasion to look forward to, be it a summer barbeque, a wedding or a school prom. Whilst scouring the Ted Baker website the other day, I couldn't help but notice that they have a dress perfect for every occasion, so I thought it would be nice to put together this post and maybe help you find the perfect dress for whatever special day you might have planned :)



 I think this dress has the perfect balance of simplicity, sophistication and glam. I love this shade of blue and the beading detail on the bust adds just the right amount of sparkle for any occasion.

When I saw this dress I thought it would be perfect to wear to a wedding. The detail on the bodice actually consists of little hearts in the shape of flowers, which I think is very fitting.

If you are more of a no-fuss kind of girl, this might be the dress for you. The pleat detailing, the dipped hem and the subtle sweetheart neckline are all very flattering, and they add a special touch to your dress whilst still keeping it simple.

If I could do my high school prom again, I would... in this dress. The detailing on it is absolutely beautiful. Seriously, go and take a look at the detail up close on the website. I am in love.

I thought this dress would look gorgeous for an outdoor garden party. I think the colours and the print on it are lovely, and it would look flattering on absolutely everybody.


 Do you have any special occasions coming up?
*This is a sponsored post.
Friday 27 April 2012

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes De-Clog Pores Nose Strips

I love using nose pore strips every few weeks; there is something grossly satistfying about pulling the gunk out of those pores (please tell me you agree!). When I saw that Montagne Jeunesse were bringing out some nose strips in their new Skin Heroes range, I was very excited to try them out.


Firstly, here is what Montagne Jeunesse say about their new range:
Are you having a skin problem? Do you need help? Do you always ask yourself ‘which mask shall I use for my Oily/Dry/Spot Prone/Blackheads or T-Zone Skin? Fear not our NEW Skin Hero Range has landed and are raring & ready to fight for your right to clear, healthy skin the natural way; it’s your weekly essential for healthy, gorgeous, problem free skin.
These are the products in the range:
  • De-clog Pores nose strips
  • Break Out Mask
  • Shine Control
  • Dry Skin Mask
  • T-Zone Peel Off


This sachet contains three nose strips, each individually wrapped in a little yellow packet. I think this is good as you are definitely getting good value for money.

This product contains Citrus to draw out impurities in your skin for less visible pores around your nose area. I'll be honest, to me these do not smell nice at all. I was expecting a nice, fruity orange fragrance; these smell like... I don't know, burnt oranges? Not too good when they have to sit on top of your nose for fifteen minutes, but I think how well the product works is more important.

You use these nose strips the way you would use any other nose strips; dampen your nose and the area around it with warm water, and then press the nose strip on- it should become tacky on contact with the water and stick to your skin. Then, you wait for fifteen minutes whilst the strip dries, and then gently peel it off.


I'll spare you all the gorey details, but these pore strips do the job! I don't think I left mine to dry for long enough, as it didn't pull and make my eyes water as much as pore strips usually do haha, but it still worked, and left my nose looking and feeling clean.
I will probably repurchase these after I use the other two up, they are a lot cheaper than other popular pore strips on the market (Biore, I'm looking at you), but do the job equally as well.

The Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes range is now available in ASDA stores, and they are a steal at just £1.49 per sachet. You can also purchase Montagne Jeunesse skin care products online at their website, postage only costs £0.50p, or is completely free if you spend just £7.50! And as a bonus, all of their products are suitable for vegetarians and they look to use natural ingredients to give your skin the TLC it needs!

Are you a fan of Montagne Jeunesse? What is your favourite product?

*DISCLAIMER: This product is a PR sample and was sent to me for free. All opinions are still 100% my own and honest.
Thursday 26 April 2012

Chalk Pastel Highlights.

If you follow me on Instagram or on my personal Twitter account you may have seen this photo of my pastel highlights. So many people have asked me if they are real haha, and no, they're not. I am far from being brave enough to bleach my hair and stick lots of different coloured dyes in it haha!

I had seen this chalking method on a couple of other blogs recently, and was rather intrigued by it, so when I stumbled across my old chalk pastels from when I studied art in college, I decided to give it a go.


To achieve this pastel highlight look, you dampen a piece of chalk (you can also dampen your hair a little bit) and run it down the length of your hair. You can then wait for your hair to dry and then seal the colour in using your hair straighteners. I like the pastel look on curled hair, when the strands of colour are intertwined with your natural colour.

 Excuse my naked face haha, I wasn't going anywhere!

I personally wouldn't wear this look out, it's far too messy, so if you do, make sure you wear dark colours or put your hair up- the top I'm wearing in these pictures definitely took a battering! I wouldn't recommend doing this if you or other people will be in contact with your hair, the powder does still transfer when touched. The chalk also made my hair feel so dry and matted (hence why my hair is out of control in the picture), which was expected, after all you are applying a powder to your hair which will just suck up all those oils. The beauty of this method, however, is it washes straight out, so if you are just wanting a pop of colour for a night out, a fancy dress party or a photo shoot, then this will give you exactly that, no commitment. It also works on dark hair, as you can see! So when you wash it out, make sure you give your hair a good conditioning treatment afterwards to restore the moisture.


Have you ever tried this? Or are you brave enough to do the real thing?

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Wednesday Wishlist #10

The high street has failed to wow me this week and I have only been able to find four things to put on my wishlist (which is probably a good thing to be honest!). I know as soon as I post this though, I will probably find a ton of other things that I like haha!

Stock images taken from retailers websites.


Republic isn't a place where I usually shop but I thought I'd have a mooch around their website whilst I was looking for job vacancies. I think this dress is really cute and could be dressed up for the night time as well as down, with a little cardigan and some flats.

I couldn't believe these culottes were only £6.00 when I saw them, I love some of the prints that Matalan are coming out with recently. Will definitely have to hunt these down next time I pop in to my local store.

I have always been a little scared of maxi skirts, not having the longest legs in the world; but since seeing Zoe's post on how to style them I've really wanted to buy of these flowy chiffon-style maxi skirts.

Since managing to get my hands on Ibiza Mix last week I have been obsessed with the colourful, chunky glitter on my nails. I really want to try this American Apparel nail polish, I think the chunks of glitter in it are really pretty!


I hope you like this week's picks! :)

Monday 23 April 2012

DIY: Studded Loafers

This post has been a long time coming, I bought these plain black loafers a couple of months ago and had been planning on studding them since but didn't have time because of uni :( Since finishing for summer, however, I've had more time to do things, and these were one of the first things on my list.

I'm sure you have all seen or own a pair of the Topshop Vectras; I really love them but couldn't justify spending £28 on a pair of flats, so after seeing a few other DIY studded loafer posts, I set out to have a go at them myself.


I bought these loafers for £10.20 with my student discount from Select. I bought two packs of 100  8mm studs in silver and black from this eBay seller for £2.75 each (it seems that the eBay seller has now raised their price slightly to £3.34 :( ) They have four little spikes on them which you can pierce through the loafers and then bend flat on the inside so that they don't scratch your feet.


It was a little tough in some areas to poke the studs through the material of the shoe, so I used a needle or a pair of nail scissors to help me (I found that the nail scissors were much easier to hold than a needle). Use something that you don't mind getting a bit bent out of shape though haha!

I was originally going to stud them exactly like the Topshop Vectras, but with two different coloured studs to add my own twist to them. However, after I finished the heel area of both shoes I quite liked them how they are... What do you think? Should I leave them how they are or stud them all over?




A lot of you will probably think that this is a lot of effort and would rather buy the already-made ones from Topshop, but if you are like me and are on a tight student budget, then the extra effort might not bother you, plus I think it's nice to have a piece of clothing that you have customised yourself :) I saved £12.00 by doing this and I now have a pair of shoes that nobody else owns, so it was all worth it for me!

Do you customise your own clothes? 
Let me know if you try this!


Sunday 22 April 2012

Week in Instagrams #10

Nothing that interesting has happened this week really, I just seem to have accumulated quite a few photos of random crap haha. I have finally submitted all my work for second year though, so I am now free from uni until September! Not a clue what to do with myself for the next five months though, a lot of blogging is definitely on the cards, and hopefully I'll find a job and get to attend a few Blogger meets over the Summer! :)
Follow me on Instagram: @FrancesCassandra


1. A bacon and cheese toastie to start the week. Perfect.

2. Little chick easter chocolate .

3. I love the Keep Calm and Carry On app on the iPhone. I look through the quotes when I need a bit of inspiration or cheering up.

4. Treated myself to a few summery nail polishes :)

5. The best special fried rice (or farm fried rice, as I like to call it) from the chippy down the road.

6. Had a third year preparation session at uni on Thursday, where we played with Lego. Yes, you read that correctly; soon-to-be third years... at uni... playing with Lego...

7. We're having a shiny new building built ready for our lectures in September so it's goodbye to this building! It will not be missed!

8. NOTD! You can read a full post here :)

9. Angry Birds keyrings that my dad got me from the Philippines :)

10. He also bought me a bunny ears phone case, which I love. So tacky haha :)

11. Look at that smile.

12. Obsessed with these little miniture jellies which I got from the Philippines. You can also get them in places like China Town, I believe :)

13 & 14. Went out for lunch with the parents today, had garlic breaded mushrooms to start, followed by a Sunday Roast. Om nom nom!


I hope you have all had a lovely week! :)

Saturday 21 April 2012

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes Break-Out Mask

I have been a naughty little beauty blogger a couple of times this week, falling asleep without taking my make-up off properly. As a result, my skin has been punishing me for it, and I have had a few break-outs. However, this was the perfect time to try out the Montagne Jeunesse Break-Out Mask from their new Skin Heroes range.


Firstly, here is what Montagne Jeunesse say about their new range:
Are you having a skin problem? Do you need help? Do you always ask yourself ‘which mask shall I use for my Oily/Dry/Spot Prone/Blackheads or T-Zone Skin? Fear not our NEW Skin Hero Range has landed and are raring & ready to fight for your right to clear, healthy skin the natural way; it’s your weekly essential for healthy, gorgeous, problem free skin.
These are the products in the range:
  • De-clog Pores nose strips
  • Break Out Mask
  • Shine Control
  • Dry Skin Mask
  • T-Zone Peel Off

Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes Break-Out Mask*

This mask has two steps; the first is the mask, which you apply to a cleansed face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off, and the second is a moisturising cream that you massage on to the face and leave on.

This product contains Tea Tree, Canadian Willowherb and Witch Hazel to calm your skin whilst fighting those pimples. It has the most amazing herbal fragrance which made me feel as though as I was at a spa whilst I was using it. If you are a fan of the smell of tea tree oil, this will definitely appeal to you.

The mask is pale green, and has a thick mud-like consistency and is nice and easy to spread on to your face with your fingers. I would say that there is enough product in each sachet to last for two uses, so after I applied it I taped up the packet to use another time. The directions say to leave the mask on for 15-20 minutes but I always use face masks whilst I am in the bath, so they are usually left on a little longer.


This face mask feels really cool and soothing on the skin upon application, but dries quite a bit on your face and tightens your skin, so it may not be ideal for those with very dry skin already. However, the moisturiser does seem to restore the moisture in your skin really well and has a lovely, calming peppermint smell. An hour or two after I used the mask, I inspected my skin and noticed that my breakouts had dried up and reduced and they weren't as red, so this face mask does exactly what it is set out to do. It is now one of my favourite Montagne Jeunesse masks and I will definitely be purchasing this in the future.

The Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes range is now available in ASDA stores, and they are a steal at just £1.49 per sachet. You can also purchase Montagne Jeunesse skin care products online at their website, postage only costs £0.50p, or is completely free if you spend just £7.50! And as a bonus, all of their products are suitable for vegetarians and they look to use natural ingredients to give your skin the TLC it needs!

Are you a fan of Montagne Jeunesse? What is your favourite product?

*DISCLAIMER: This product is a PR sample and was sent to me for free. All opinions are still 100% my own and honest.
Friday 20 April 2012

NOTD #7: Ibiza Mix & Lilac Charm

It has been AGES since I last did a NOTD, mainly because capturing the true colour of nail polishes on camera is a pain in the backside. However I picked these polishes up in Boots last week (see the haul here) and fell in love with the combination when I tried it, so it was only fair to share :)




L-R: Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in Lilac Charm, Model's Own HedKandi in Ibiza Mix

I love Ibiza Mix, I think it is the ultimate glitter polish for Summer. It is a clear polish containing lots of different sized chunks of orange, gold, pink, green and blue glitter; I can't describe how pretty it looks in the bottle, especially when the light hits it. I didn't actually think it would go well with a lilac polish underneath but I love how this combination looks. On my nails is one coat of Ibiza Mix over Maybelline's Forever Strong Pro polish in the shade Lilac Charm, which I picked up on a whim with the 3 for 2 offer because I had heard that these polishes are supposed to be good. It is a very pretty lilac shade with a slight grey-blue undertone, which I like, as I find that a lot of lilac polishes lean too pink for my skin tone.

Have you tried Ibiza Mix or Lilac Charm?

Thursday 19 April 2012

Wednesday Wishlist (A day late!) #9

Forgive me for being a day late, I've been swimming around in the last of my university assignments for the past couple of days so I didn't really have a chance to browse through all the online stores for this week's wishlist. I have just submitted the last one, however (YAY!), so I am now unwinding for Summer and I just might treat myself ;)


Stock images taken from retailers websites.

I am loving the American Flag shorts that are floating around at the moment, and I love this jacket too (not together, obviously!). With the design on the back of it I don't think it is too in-your-face and it would add a little something to a plain black outfit.

How gorgeous would this dress be for summery nights out? If you know me you'll know that I adore dipped hem skirts and dresses at the moment, and I love the colours in this one :)

3. Bowler Bag £40.00
I really like River Island's bags, they're a good size for carrying all your things around and they look really elegant and classy. I love the subtle pop of colour on this one and think it would be a lovely bag for Spring/Summer.

I have been wanting a plain black skater skirt for a while now, I remember there being a nice one in River Island but it sold out before I could get my hands on it :(... This one from Miss Selfridge certainly won't break the bank at £14.00.

After being exposed to the beauty/fashion blogging world for the past five months, I think I want to delve in to the realm of JC Lita's (or Lita-likes, in this case). I can't help but think they'd look ridiculously like stripper shoes on me, but I absolutely adore how they look on other people, so even if it is just for the purpose of displaying them in my shoe collection, I want a pair of these shoes.


I hope you like my picks this week :) Is anybody else submitting their final assignments of the year?

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Mini Haul: Primark and Boots

So if you follow me on Twitter or read last week's Week in Instagrams post, you will know that I met up with a few other bloggers in Sheffield. The plan was to have a little mooch around Meadowhall; I had to leave a little early, but I did manage to pick a few things up in Primark :)


 Moustache T-Shirt: Primark £4.00
How cute is this little tie front t-shirt? I have a thing about moustaches so I couldn't leave it behind! It is really lightweight too, perfect for layering or for warmer days.

Dalmatian Print Top: Primark £8.00
I really love this top, from the print, to the colour, to the material. It's a little more pricey for Primark but I think the quality is a little bit better than some of the things from there. Make sure you learn from my mistakes and try things on before you buy them in Primark though, unfortunately this doesn't fit me, so fingers crossed they have other sizes in stock when I go to exchange it in Liverpool tomorrow!

 Bow Print Playsuit: Primark £5.00
I think this playsuit is absolutely adorable and I couldn't put it back down when I saw the price of it. Unlike the dalmatian top, this fits perfectly, and you can see me wearing it here.

I have also been on the hunt for two of the Models Own Hedkandi nail polish for the past week or so, but every time I visited my local boots, one or both of them were out of stock! Slowly slipping in to the state of desperation, I decided to order them online whilst the 3 for 2 offer was still on, and I picked up a Maybelline Forever Strong Pro nail polish for free as I have heard some good things about them. I'm not going to say much about the nail polishes yet, as I intend to write a post on Spring/Summer nail polishes soon, but I do love them all so far!

L-R: 
Maybelline Forever Strong Pro nail polish in Lilac Charm: Boots £4.09 (free on 3 for 2 offer)
Models Own Ibiza Mix: Boots £5.00
Models Own Hedonist: Boots £5.00

Do you have any of the Models Own Hedkandi nail polishes?

Flight-Friendly Fashion at Harrods.

Who is jetting off on holiday this Summer? Unfortunately, I can't say that I am :( But this doesn't stop me from lusting over gorgeous Summer clothes!
Images from Harrods website
I think it is always important to dress comfortably for flying but who says you can't do that in style? Harrods are here to provide you with some stylish-yet-comfortable picks to keep you fuss-free on your flight, and I must say I wish that I could afford everything on this list! This beautiful floral Ted Baker dress will make sure all eyes are on you as soon as you step off the plane and would look gorgeous paired with a scalloped trilby hat and some over-sized sunglasses. As you probably know, pastel colours are taking the fashion world by storm this year, so these skinny jeans by True Religion are perfect, and Chloe's Madeline Bowler bag is perfect for carrying your on-flight essentials! And of course, you can never go wrong with some of Alexander McQueen's signature skulls to add a little rock chic to your outfit; I have fallen in love with these loafers!
8)    Kanebo: Sensai Sun Protection

Where are you jetting off to this year?
*This is a sponsored post. 

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Review: Yves Rocher Riche Creme.

Yves Rocher is a brand that I have heard of before, but never tried, so when Elizabeth contacted me asking if I wanted to review some of their products I was happy to accept as I am always open to trying new skin care products.

Yves Rocher is a French based brand, which really interested me as France seems to be reknowned for their skin care products. They make both skin care products and make-up, and focus on natural and botanical beauty.

One of the products that I was sent to try out is the Riche Creme Intense Regenerating Care which contains a whopping 30 precious oils in its ingredients. Upon further research I learned that this is actually an anti-aging day and night cream. I can't say that I can see any extreme signs of aging in my 19 (nearly 20!)-year-old skin, but this doesn't stop me from trying out anti-aging products, I think they can be more effective if started a little earlier and are fine to use if  your skin can handle them. I get a few stress lines on my forehead, so I was interested in seeing if the wrinkle-filling properties that this creme claims to have would smooth them out.


The creme comes in a metallic gold jar which makes it look expensive and looks very nice sat on my dressing table. It may not be to everybody's taste that it is in a tub rather than a squeezy tube but I am the only person using this and I always make sure that I have clean hands before I touch the product so it doesn't bother me.

One thing that I do not like about the packaging is that there is no information about the product printed on it, not even on the outer cardboard box. If I want to look at the ingredients or read about what the product does, I have to refer to the website, which is a little bit of a pain.


Now on to the actual product. The Riche creme has a thick cream consistency, with quite a strong, floral scent, which I personally like, though it might not be for people who do not like fragranced products.

It feels a little greasy on the skin on application but this subsides quickly and leaves my skin feeling nourished and hydrated. As for my stress lines, they are still there but I do think they look much less prominent. I do really like this as a day and night moisturiser; even though I can't comment much on the anti-aging properties, it does feel luxurious on the skin and I do believe that it will smooth fine lines.

Yves Rocher Riche Creme retails at £36.00 for 75ml. This is a bit too expensive for me as a student and I probably wouldn't purchase this myself, but I know that this product will last me a long time, I have been using this twice daily for over two weeks and I have hardly made a dent. If you have a little bit more money to spend on skin care and you are looking for something highly moisturising or to smooth fine lines, you might want to give this a go. I also thought I would mention that this cream contains parabens, so if parabens concern you then this probably isn't for you.

Have you tried any Yves Rocher products?
*DISCLAIMER: This is a PR sample. This has not affected my review and all opinions are 100% honest.
Monday 16 April 2012

How To: Remove Glitter Nail Polish with Ease.

I'm sure we all know that as pretty as glitter nail polishes are to look at, they are a pain in the rear to remove. A lot of you have probably heard of this method of glitter polish removal, but I do still see quite a few people asking for tips on how to take off glitter polish easily, so as I was about to get rid of my glittery pink manicure anyway, I thought I would quickly put together this post :)

You will need:
 - Cotton Wool
- Nail Polish Remover
-Tin Foil
-And of course, glittery nails

 Step One:
Soak a small piece of cotton wool with nail polish remover and place it over your nail.

Step two:
Wrap tin foil around the cotton wool to keep it in place.

Step Three:
Repeat on all your nails. Leave them like this for around five minutes whilst the nail polish remover works its magic!


 Step Four:
Time to remove the foil! Give your nail a little rub with the cotton wool as you take it off and the glitter should just glide off with it!

There! It's as easy as that, no more scrubbing at your nails for twenty minutes trying to get that stubborn glitter off! 
I hope some of you found this helpful! :)

OOTD #5

For some reason, I feel like I have travelled through the decades and stopped at the 90's wearing this outfit haha! I love this playsuit that I got from Primark and it was a steal at £5.00. The kind of tie-dye-effect denim jacket is the result of a little D.I.Y. It wasn't originally intended to come out like this, I was after a light-wash all over, but I do quite like how this looks. What do you think?




Playsuit: Primark (Current season)
Denim Jacket: Vintage (DIY)
Tights: Marks and Spencer
Shoes: Converse
Rings: Miss Selfridge
Hair bow: Primark
Nails: O.P.I Come to Poppy and O.P.I I Lily Love You.


I hope you enjoyed this post! Have a lovely day :)