My blog has had a makeover!

So, after months of putting it off, I have finally allowed my blog to have a much needed makeover. I just felt that my amateur photoshop attempts at a cosmic banner, gold photo frames and leopard print hearts were getting a bit dated and making my blog look a little tacky, and I wanted something a bit more colourful for Spring/Summer.

I had been considering having my blog redesigned by Felicity over at Pursuit of Felicity for a while, but my lack of funds were holding me back (I have no idea why, because her prices are cheap anyway), but when she blogged about her 25% off offer, I decided it was time to go for it.

 

Felicity was a joy to work with, with a speedy response; the nine hour time difference between us hardly hindered the service. She sent me a form to fill out and just from that she could picture exactly what I wanted. She told me that she had another design to tend to before mine, and that mine would be finished by the middle of this week, but come yesterday afternoon she had already emailed me with screen grabs of what my new design would look like. After a few minor tweaks it was perfect, and a few hours later it was live on my blog!

You can see the packages Felicity offers here. The one I chose was the Basic Blog Design Package, which is already very affordable at $30 AUD, however Felicity is currently offering 25% off all blog designs until the end of June, meaning I paid only $22.50 AUD (if you are in the UK, this is just less than £15.00), which is amazing.

I would definitely recommend going to Felicity if you are looking in to having your blog redesigned; I believe she is currently booked up until towards the end of the month, but like I said earlier, she seems to be working very quickly :)

Let me know what you think of my new design!

*DISCLAIMER: I have not been asked to write this post.

Week in Instagrams #12

It has been another rather boring week for me this week; all I have really been doing all week is blogging and eating (as you will be able to tell from this weeks pictures haha). I have also been emailing ideas back and forth with the lovely Felicity from Pursuit of Felicity, who is redesigning my blog for me. I have just seen my new layout on a test page, and I am so excited for it to go live on my blog!

Follow me on Instagram: @FrancesCassandra

1. I had no idea that these existed until we went on a Tesco run at the beginning of the week. I can't say I rate them though, I much prefer Jammie Dodgers; these are like bourbon biscuits but not as good :(

2. A healthy lunch of a jacket potato with tuna :)

3. A Petit Filous yoghurt. I am five.

4. I picked up this pretty little notebook in an attempt to be more organised. I use it to keep note of things I need to review and other blog post ideas :)

5. I must have had a jacket potato for dinner three days this week ha, this time I had it with salmon and mixed veg.

6. Last night was a night in with nachos with melted cheese and chilli sauce, and crappy television :)

7. It has been years since I bought a magazine to read. Been enjoying flicking through these.

8. Been loving this colour on my nails recently. It is Maybelline Forever Strong nail polish in Lilac Charm.

9. Been loading up my wardbobe with floral prints lately; where is the sun and warm weather so I can wear them?

10. I didn't realise I had so many lip products until I opened this very unorganised draw this morning!

I hope you have all had a wonderful week!

Review and Swatches: The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain

I have never dabbled in to the world of Body Shop make-up before, although I have always been interested in trying some, so when I saw that this full sized product was free on the cover of Marie Claire, I thought I would pick it up.

I really like the idea of lip and cheek stains, a product that lasts a long time and looks natural is always good if it lives up to it's claims. The one I picked up is shade 01- Rose Pink.

The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain

The product comes in a see through plastic 8ml tube with a silver lid. There is nothing too special about it really, I don't think it looks or feels tacky but it doesn't look expensive either. I think 8ml is a generous amount of product as a little goes a long way, and the tube is perfect for throwing in your bag.

Inside the lid is a doe foot applicator which is good for quick and precise application. In the tube, the product looks like it has a gel consistency, similar to a lip gloss, but once it is applied it is actually a lot thinner and more watery. It comes out as a bright hot pink colour which may look a little scary, but you will see in the swatch below that it blends out in to a subtle rosey pink.

The product dries very quickly, so if you use it on your cheeks you have to blend it out quickly and do one cheek at a time, otherwise you could end up with patchy cheeks. However, if you do work quickly, the product spreads nice and evenly.

L-R: Straight from applicator, blended out

As you can see from the above swatch, the product, once blended out, leaves a very subtle rosey glow but it can be built up if you wish for a bit more colour. As it is so buildable, I think this product would look lovely on all skin tones.

I really like this as a cheek stain as it looks natural and is a lightweight product, which will be perfect in the Summer when I don't want to cake my face in powder products. I find that the stain only lasts around four hours before it begins to fade; I don't mind too much though, as it is quick to reapply. It probably lasts around the same amount of time on the lips too, however I really wouldn't recommend this for the lips. I found that when applying it with the applicator, it just wouldn't apply evenly, settled in to cracks and dry patches, and I ended up with blotchy lips, which you can see slightly in the picture below. Being a stain, it also has the tendency to bleed. It is a shame, as it turns your lips a pretty cherry pink colour.

Overall, I rate this product highly as a cheek stain but not so much as a lip stain. You would probably like it if you just like a natural flush of colour on your cheeks. The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain retails in The Body Shop at £10.00 for this 8ml tube, which I think is a little steep for me, but isn't too bad when you consider that it will last a while and it is a lot cheaper than Benefit's Benetint. At the moment it is free on this month's (June 2012) issue of Marie Claire, which retails at £3.70, so if you fancy trying it go and see if you can pick up the magazine, there is also a bronze shade (02 Bronze Glimmer) up for grabs.

Are you a fan of lip and cheek stains? Have you tried this one?

Getting Crafty.

So after I customised my studded loafers a few weeks ago, I decided that customising clothes is something that really interests me; there is something very satisfying about wearing an item of clothing that nobody else owns, especially when you have made it yourself, and I am overly jealous of people who can make their own clothes from scratch. So my dad and I visited our local auction a couple of weeks ago as they had a few lots of materials that I could have a play around with, and we ended up coming home with metres upon metres of chiffon, lace, cotton thread and other fabrics. Admittedly we did go a bit overboard; the box room, the garden shed and my dad's car all look like a dress maker's workshop at the moment as we can't figure out where to store it all.

On the plus side, I can start experimenting and hopefully create a few (hopefully wearable) pieces. There is a minor obstacle, in that I am not at all skilled in using a sewing machine, or a needle and thread for that matter, but practice makes perfect, right?

I am already planning on maybe adding a lace trim or pocket to some denim shorts, but if you have any other ideas, let me know, and look forward to possibly a few DIY posts on my blog in the future :)

Do you like to customise your clothes? Any sewing tips for a noob like me?

OOTD: Striped Blazer

I'm a big fan of blazers, I think they're such a versatile piece of clothing to have in your wardrobe and they can be worn both as part of a casual outfit but they are also great for covering up with more formal attire. I love this one from Glamorous, I think the navy and white vertical stripes are really flattering and are perfect for any time of year. It is very well made and I think I am going to get a lot of wear out of it in the coming months. I am also loving my shoes at the moment, I have always been intrugued by flatforms but too afraid to wear them, however I think these are a nice middle ground between a flatform and a wedge and they're really easy to walk in :)

 Blazer: Glamorous*

Top: Internacionale (Current Season)

Jeggings: New Look

Shoes: New Look

Scarf: Primark

Rings: Miss Selfridge and Coleyyyful
Earrings: Bla Bla Bla* 

Nails: MUA Love Hearts Polish in LOVE U 24/5 and Models Own Ibiza Mix


 What do you think of the blazers and flatforms trends?

*Starred item(s) are PR samples or giveaway prizes

Wednesday Wishlist #12

Wow, is it Wednesday already? It feels like only a couple of days since I was putting together my last Wednesday Wishlist. Over the past week I have realised how bad these posts are for me haha, I go looking for things I really like, fall in love with them, and then end up having to buy them! I have spent far too much money this past week, I am going to have to use all my will power this week and try not to buy anything!

1. Matalan Sleeveless Mirror Print Blouse £14.00

Okay, so I hate to admit that I have fallen at the first hurdle. I found this on the Matalan website a couple of days ago and I knew I had to have it, but I popped in to the store the other day and I couldn't find it :( so I left with something else instead but I am going to check again later this week and see if they get them in. I think it is so pretty, and I can't believe that it is from Matalan; it looks like something you would find in River Island!

2. Miss Selfridge Peach Open Knit Jumper £37.00

I love these open knit jumpers and I really like the colour of this one. I think these are perfect for throwing over a vest top on those more breezy Spring days, or just to add a casual, slightly scruffy look to an outfit.

3. Yankee Candle, Vanilla Cupcake £19.00

I can never justify spending £19.00 on a candle, but I will own this one day. A friend and I always visit Debenhams when we are in town and spend ages smelling all the candles. This is by far one of my favourites, it smells just like freshly baked cupcakes!

4. New Look Mid Wedge Court Shoes £17.99

 I actually already own this shoe in this colour but I really want the black version aswell, which has for some reason mysteriously disappeared from the website. I think these shoes are a nice middle ground between a flatform and a wedge, and they're so easy to walk in!

5. Topshop Cream Blush in Neon Rose £6.00

I love Topshop lipsticks but haven't looked in to the blushes much as I have never really gotten on with other cream blushes that I have tried. I have read so many good reviews on these though, so I would really like to give them a try and this looks like such a gorgeous summery shade.

6. H&M Fashion for AIDS Dip Dye Vest £12.99

I wouldn't normally choose something this bright, but I am trying to add a little bit more colour to my wardrobe this Summer and I want to try the dip dye trend that is popular at the moment. I wish I was going to a festival this Summer, as I bet this would look amazing worn with the denim shorts, a straw hat and wellies.

I hope you like my picks this week and have a stronger will power than me when it comes to not spending money!