Bite Me - It's Halloween...

So this year is actually the first year in the history of forever, where I am not doing anything for Halloween... Massive thumbs down. Yes, in the past I have been a Crazy Clown, a Disco Devil (don't ask) and even a crazy Rocker!

But this year, I will have to settle for sharing my Halloween look from our Creep It Real photoshoot with Rock On Ruby!

 

I LOVE our Halloween shoots! Each of us ROR girls got to choose a top from our range and style it up in our own way. Our inspo behind the shoot was very much "Kylie Jenner with PMS"

or rather, WWKD (what would Kylie do) for Halloween? We reckoned that a cool chick like her would go for her usual grunge style and throw in a cool top or accessory for an understated, gothic twist. This ain't fancy dress!

For my look, I chose our cropped Bite Me Sweater and paired this with my ASOS leather mini. I finished the look with my chunky shoe boots and this awesome Mamie checked shirt from Missguided.

 

The finishing touch was this black, floral headband from Primark. This beauty looks just like the other expensive versions that you see on the high street, but I think I got this for a steal at £1. Yes, literally ONE POUND. I nabbed it in Summer and as the colour was quite out of season at the time, it was in the sale. A great tip for finding bargains - shop ahead!

 

As you may have seen in my previous blog post, my Halloween make up was done by Sam at the Glamboxuk - she gave me an absolutely flawless base with amazing contouring, a smokey, glittery eye and a fab ombre lip. I totally didn't want to wash this off!

 

What are your plans for Halloween? Will you be dressing up or going for fashionable fancy dress?!

1 comment Halloween, Missguided, OOTD, Rock On Ruby

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Illamasqua Halloween Beauty School

 

So... Obviously it's Halloween week and everyone's going CRAZY for gothic style outfits, manic mani's and spooktacular make up! When I heard Illamsaqua were going to be doing a Halloween Themed Beauty School sesh, I had to be there. From all the gorgeous goodies above, the following look was created...

 

Our makeup artist for the day was Patrick. He started with the eye make up first, giving a red base to the eyelids using a red pencil... then layering over the eye shadow Demon.

You would never know from looking at this pic, but actually model Alex's brows are totes FAKE!!? Amazing. Yes, Patrick drew them on from scratch (see above!) using Illamasqua's gel liner... So frickin clever. There's hope for all our brows...

The same gel liner was used to add depth to the lash line...
Tip: Patrick lined the waterline of Alex's eyes using a red lip liner. Yup, LIP liner! Illamasqua's products are amazingly versatile and can be used anywhere on your face.

Add lashings of mascara - Personally, I would add falsies to make sure that your lashes stand out against this strong look...

Next, onto the skin! Patrick recommended the Hydra Veil Primer before buffing their skin base foundation into to the skin to give full coverage. Patrick mixed Illmasqua's white foundation into the mix to give a super pale look!

The key to this look is a lot of layers... Pencil first and powder after. Once the foundation has been applied, the eye shadow under the eye has to be blended out for a flawless finish...

This had to be my fave part of the make over... CONTOURING. Patrick used an eye shadow to give a shadow under Alex's cheek bones (told ya the products are versatile!). A pure white highlighter was then added above the cheekbones to add to our ghostly look... For a super cool effect, one of Illamasqua's glitter powders was dusted over the cheek bones. (I own one of these called Furore and it's my fave thing in the world).

Now... for lips like Kylie Jenner! Patrick used black gel liner to line all around the outside of Alex's lips. You need a steady hand for this...

He then shaded in the lips with black pencil and added a deep purple lippy to the centre of Alex's lips to create an ombre effect. The last step was to add a sheer gloss!

Et Voila!

What do you think of this look? Would you dare to wear?

This is quite a brief overview of the how the look was created, so if you have any questions on this particular look, head over to Patrick's instagram page @patrickbastonmakeup

Leave a Comment How To, Illamasqua, Make Up

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Make Love Not Horcruxes

A foggy day in Manchester...  

It's not often that we get weather other than rain in Manchester,  but this gloriously foggy morning made the perfect back drop for my latest #OOTD...

 

I have wanted to grab one of our Rock On Ruby totes ever since seeing Hannah Crosskey style one up on her blog - afashionfix.com These gorge, canvas bags are perfectly spacious and can really funk up a simple outfit. This burgundy colour is fab for A/W and I couldn't resist a Harry Potter quote in the run up to Halloween...

 

This gorgeous statement necklace is a fab find that I got from Topshop in the sale. The great thing about Topshop jewellery is that they often reuse the same styles from season to season and simply update the colour scheme...

 

Make LOVE not Horcruxes.

 

This beaut kimono was a new bargain from Primark (£15!) The colour is gorge and has a subtle pattern running through.

What slogan would you choose to put on a tote bag?

Leave a Comment OOTD, Primark, Rock On Ruby, Topshop

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Rockin' Halloween Make Up by The Glam Box

So, every year at work we go all out for Halloween - I mean seriously, forget Christmas, Halloween is OUR NIGHT. This year in particular, we were so excited to do our photoshoot because for the first time, we would be featuring our Rock On Ruby tops! EEK.

To make things even better, we were contacted by a local make up artist Sam who runs The Glam Box UK, who was very excited to work on some Halloween looks with us... We each chose a different look and here's mine >>

Freshly made up before our shoot...

 

Sam gave me a beautifully, gothic look with a heavy smokey eye and an ombre lip! She used all MAC products - which was perfect as they are one of my fave brands... (I will definitely be recreating this lip look again)

 

If you're trying this look at home, don't forget to to frame your eyes with a strong brow! Add extreme lashes to make sure that these stand out against the heavy eye make up - the ones I'm wearing are Eylure Double Lashes (HUGE!)

Sam did an ah-mazing job contouring my face make up - my cheek bones have never looked so killer!

A little gold glitter, makes your eyes pop!
And here's the final look in action! 

You can see more of our Halloween looks online at www.girlynightsout.com/blog - the other girls rocked looks for Cat, Wednesday Addams and even a Kylie Jenner inspired "Harry Potter"!

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One Lovely Blog-ger

Now, I don't normally go in for these things, but since I have only just recently got back into blogging, it's always nice to know who you are reading about!

So here are my 7 Blogtastic Facts >>

1. I am a Lefty. This means that whilst I might not live as long as you righties, I can apparently see better underwater? Useful.

2. I know how to say "Cheers" in 10 languages...
(the benefit of being an Erasmus student)

3. I met actual George Ezra and had an actual conversation with him.

He will totes remember me....

4. Apparently I sing too much at work? Can this be possible?!

5. I LOVE Monopoly. Did you know you can get the app on your iPad??

6. I am not a morning person. Like, seriously.

7. I am a Box Set Whore. I am currently watching but haven't yet finished any of the following:
24, The Tudors, Orange Is The New Black, Greys Anatomy, Downton Abbey...

How this Lovely Blog thing works;

Display the Lovely Blog logo somewhere at the top of your post.
Who did you get nominated by? Let us know!
Give us 7 sexy facts about you...
Tell us how this lovely blog thing works...
Nominate some other fab bloggers (you should probably tell them that you've done this)
Share the love and give them a cheeky follow! xxx

I was nominated by Lauren at http://thebeautyideal.blogspot.co.uk and Samantha at
http://livinonbrightside.blogspot.com 

I'd love to know a bit more about the following Bloggers:

Hannah from www.lockedinabow.co.uk
Hana from rimmelsmudge.blogspot.co.uk
Michelle from whatshellsays.blogspot.co.uk

Lucy from prettylittlethingsmcr.blogspot.co.uk/

Cat from www.prorebel.com

(Ladies, I won't be offended if this ain't your bag!)

If you have any recommendations for Box Sets, I'd love to hear! ;-)

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Trust Me, I'm A Blogger...

 

So last weekend, I headed down to Birmingham with Gail from www.thequinoxfashion.com for the Press Day of My Bandage Dress. So obvs I needed to plan something uber cool to wear... My new Rock On Ruby top was perfect for an event filled with Blogger babes! I teamed this with my Topshop fringed leather jacket and ripped ASOS jeans.

 

Unfortunately due to a little bit of car trouble and a lot of traffic, Gail and I arrived super late for the event :-( But we did get there just in time to see the Fashion Show start...

 

I loved the fact that despite this being their Autumn / Winter collection, the MBD team had still chosen some great colours and not just black. The fur gilets were super eye catching and looked gorgeously snuggly - definitely going on my wishlist!

 

Can you spot some familiar blogger faces in the crowd!?

 

 

Also at the event was a stand hosted by Luxy Accessories - these statement pieces were so colourful and ornate (just my thing!) These are a fab way to bling up an LBD this Winter...

 

Surrounded  by jewels <3

Thanks to Gail for letting me get my pose on with my balloons! And BIG thanks to the girls at My Bandage Dress for inviting us down for the day! If you were also at the event, do comment below and say hey! :-)

H xx

6 comments ASOS, Bloggers, My Bandage Dress, Topshop

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How To Get Free Things From Blogging...

Ok so... whilst I am no blogging expert, there are a few things that I have picked up on from working with Rock On Ruby when it comes to looking for a Fabulous Blogger (or Fabu-Blogger!) I look at Blogs daily and there are certain things that can really catch your eye, or turn you off straight away... So let's see!

Hey Good Lookin', let's make that Blog Sexy!

First of all, make sure your Blog fits in with your individual style. The header, colours and font should give the reader a strong sense of you and your blog from the first glance.

Make sure your layout is clean and professional. This is simpler than you think! You can easily make changes to your blog by Googling how to do certain things like, "make your About Me picture bigger" I did it!! (so proud of myself...) The main suggestion I would make for any blog, would be to widen the main section! Larger images are so much easier on the eye - at least 600pxl wide is so hot right now :-)

So your blog LOOKS good, now what? Get People To See It, Obvs.

Yes, Brands do look for blogs with followers unfortunately, which can suck for "newbie bloggers". But there's not much point having the most beautiful blog in the world if only you know it exists. So get sharing...


Tips to get seen: 

1) Tag brands in your outfit posts when you share (you never know, you might get a repost!) 
2) Join #Fblogger Chats on Twitter. My fave (and the original) is hosted by @BeckyBedbug on Monday evenings from 8pm. This is a great way to interact with other bloggers & social media addicts!
3) Join The Blogger Programme or eTailPR - an instant way to connect with brands
4) Interact with other Bloggers on Instagram / Twitter by leaving comments
5) Take part in Bloggers Meet Ups, Fashion Events - get your face out there! 

Be A Better Blogger.

If you can build up your blog following, page views and post history, a brand will be just as happy to work with you, as your blog will be seen as a credible source with Google. 

Whilst you might not be able to control your follower count directly, you do have 100% control over your blog! So make it AWESOME! The main things here are to:
1) Post regularly and keep posts relevant to your blog theme, eg fashion.
2) Post great images wherever possible! Good lighting, clear photos.. BLURRY, DARK AND GRAINY IS JUST CRAP.
3) Spell check!! Seriously, if you can't be bothered to read your own blog, why should anybody else?

Again, this all takes time... but if you're passionate about blogging and enjoy it, then stick with it! If your blog looks great, is regularly updated and sparks interest with other Bloggers when it's shared, brands should see you as a Fabu-Blogger!
Finally, what not to do >
Call yourself a Newbie Blogger.
Expect Free Stuff because you have blogged for 1 month.
Buy Followers.
Just Blog to get Free stuff.

That's it! What do you think? Do you have any tips that you would like to share? Love H x

Leave a Comment Blog Tips, How To

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Help! I'm trying to get White Blonde Hair!

Bleach London Review

So, after years of coveting Jen An's honey blonde tones, then Kimberley's perfect ombré, my new hair crush is more instagram inspired...

"White blonde." Easy right? Well in my quest to banish my yellowy hues I decided to try Bleach London's products. I was swayed by their clever marketing and trendy packaging and here's what happened... 

I took a little visit to Boots and got the following :

- White Toner £7

- Silver Shampoo £5

- Silver Conditioner £5

I started off with the toner which promised to know out yellow tones (yes please) and give me my "lightest, brightest blonde yet" (awesome). This is supposed to be a semi-permanent dye which lasts for up to 20 washes.

Here's what I got!

The box included Developing lotion, colourant, a hair recovery mask, gloves and super handy instructions. First of all, the instructions were so easy to follow and very clear. Did I follow them exactly? Erm, not really. I mixed the lotion and colourant to make the toner and then left it on for a whopping 40 minutes rather than the recommended 20. What can I say, I wanted whiter than white hair!? Unfortunately this didn't happen.

Here's my hair before: 

And here it is after :

Ok, jokes, this is obvs the same pic! But still, my hair looked absolutely NO different!? Sadly, this pack didn't give me the outcome that I wanted at all. I probably needed something stronger with actual bleach in... However, before I completely write this product off, the recovery mask that came with the pack was absolutely amazing and left my hair silky smooth. I would definitely recommend buying this! The reincarnation mask is available to buy on its own for £6 and you should get a few uses out of this. 

I then tried the Bleach London Silver  Shampoo and Conditioner. These immediately gave a more noticeable effect! Both product have a lovely smell and were quite thick in texture especially the conditioner. 

Good points: 

The shampoo really brought out the highlights in my hair even after leaving it on for only 3-5 minutes. 

The conditioner whilst it didn't really seem to have an effect on my colour, did leave my hair very soft and super smooth.

Bad points:

The shampoo can be quite difficult to lather up, as a result I think you end up using more product.

I have tried to leave the shampoo on for much longer (20 minutes) to get a more noticeable effect but it could be left for even longer to get this.

The conditioner can be quite tricky to get out of the bottle when you get near the bottom (think of those infuriating glass, Tommy K bottles!) 

So, overall, would I buy this again? 

Toner - No

Shampoo and conditioner - Hell yes! Every time I use these,  get asked if I've just had my hair done. A cheap alternative for when you want to leave it a bit longer before heading to the hairdressers!

I will be trying the cheaper and often recommended 'Touch Of Silver' shampoos by Provoke - so watch this space for more hair reviews!

Leave a Comment Beauty, Hair

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OOTD & AX Paris Press Day

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So, a few things have changed since I last blogged.... First of all, I am now part of Team Rock On Ruby! We design and create our own slogan tees - and even allow girls to design their own unique top. (Check us out on insta at rockonrubyxx)

From this, I was lucky enough to have been invited down to the AX Paris Press Day along with fellow Blogger Gail from www.thequinoxfashion.com

Gail was one of the first bloggers who we collaborated with as Rock On Ruby, way back in May, and we have stayed in contact since via email! This lovely blogger has just moved to Manchester for the year whilst she does her MA - cue lots of fashion related events and blogs!

I wanted to introduce Gail to the Northern Quarter so we hit Common for burgers and fries before heading over to the Press Day at Black Dog Ballroom, Oxford Road. Whilst en route, we stopped for a few pics at Piccadilly Gardens to snap some #OOTD shots...

I wore our Rock On Ruby It Girls Tee with my Topshop leather leggings and new Grey Check River Island Jacket. To add a pop of colour, I brought my yellow Cambridge Satchel along! Huge thanks to Gail for her fantastic photography. Check out her blog here - www.thequinoxfashion.com

The event itself was fab with lots of things going on... First off, we were greeted by a table of yummy cocktails and even yummier cupcakes. (Absolutely regretted eating before the event as there was so much food on display!)

After browsing the rails of clothes on display, we got mingled with a few other bloggers. It was so nice to meet some of the girls who I have already spoke with online... Lauren, Millie, Stephi, Meena, Danielle and a whole group of familiar faces from the Manchester Bloggers Meet!

Look forward to the next one... And maybe even organising our own!

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