#street style - Dark Craft Glamour

I've photographed Rachael for my blog before and when I saw her the other day I couldn't resist snapping her again. I loved her deliciously gothic inspired outfit.

The black dress looks great underneath the burgundy fluffy jumper (bonus points for use of texture!! she was so soft). I'm also loving the cut out leather ankle boots, I basically love black ankle boots (it's hard to go wrong with them).

Also, I am loving Rach's choice of burgundy lip colour, colour coordination at its best!

The Damned: TOPSHOP A/W 13 Makeup Collection

I know I blog a lot about TOPSHOP but I do work there so I have a first look at products!

Today I want to have a look at some of the A/W makeup collection. With Halloween a week today it is aptly named "The Damned". I love this collection and I already own a few products from it!

(I haven't had time to swatch these yet, but I hope too as soon as possible)



My favourite product is the Illuminating Face Powder - £14

Everyone should own a finishing powder and this is one of the best ones I've used.

The product has a  delicate fragrance and is beautiful smooth to the touch. To look at the product, at first glance has a shimmer to it and one may think it is a highlighter however, once buffed onto the skin with a powder brush you get no shimmer at all. The product does two things at once, it mattifies (which is great because no-one wants to be shiny) and it also gently diffuses light hitting the face for a perfectly smooth complexion. 

I'd say go and buy this, but be quick as I have a feeling this will sell out quickly!

Cheek and Eye Duo - £12

Named Bitten Cherry the cheek and duo is a lovely addition to the collection. The compact is split into two halves, one darker pink and one a frosty pale pink.

The darker colour works as a contour/blush when used on the cheeks and the lighter side working well as a highlighter. Also the two can be used on the eyelids for a frosty pink delicately smoky eye.

I've not used this product myself but I think has good potential.

Lips - £8

I have reviewed TOPSHOP lipstick before and I will again because they are great. At £8 each I think these lipsticks are a bargain for their quality. The three I've chosen to review are Wicked (left) Called Up (centre) and Ruthless (right)

Wicked is a lovely burgundy colour and comes in a creamy finish and gives long wearing moisture. This colour looks great with a clear gloss, for high shine vampiric drama.

Called Up has more purple undertones and the final colour is a beautiful berry colour. The finish of this product is again creamy, providing moisture throughout the day.

Ruthless is the most dramatic lipstick in the collection. It has a blue base and comes out a really deep almost black colour. Coming again in creamy finish this product won't dry your lips out. I say for ultimate drama apply a couple of layers and finish with a gentle dusting of translucent powder for a matte finish.

Velvet Lip - £10

A new product out there. Velvet Lip is a ultra pigmented lip cream drying to a powdery soft, ultimate matte finish. It comes in three colour Plush (middle) is a gorgeous purple colour. There is also Raven (right) which is a pure black and Velveteen Ribbons (left) a lovely deep red colour. 

These products dry very quickly so you need to apply as quickly as you can. First line the lips with a lip liner as close in colour to Velvet Lip as you can get and then get applying! It takes some practise as it's not like a normal lip colour but once you get it right it will look incredible.

Eye Gleam - £9

I've been waiting for TOPSHOP to make these and I hope they make more colours as I love them. These can be seen as a good dupe for the MAC paint pots. Eye Gleam is a mousse creamy eyeshadow. Coming at the moment in three colours Winter Frost (left) Bronze (centre) and Noir (right).

The products work great as a base for eyeshadows and as stand alone colours. They are heavily pigmented and have great lasting power. Winter Frost is a lovely pearlescent white colour, as well as an eyeshadow smooth a thin layer under the arch of the eyebrow for a cheeky highlight. Bronze does exactly what it says on the tin, a beautiful copper colour gives rich and warm tones. Noir is just amazing! The colour is a beautifully dark, a inky black colour with shimmer. It looks great in the light and creates a dramatic and sultry smoky eye. 

Matte Nails - £6

Matte nails are the most fashionable nails around at the moment. If you're going to paint your nails this A/W then try a matte nail varnish. Keeping in with the Halloween theme TOPSHOP have created a lovely range of deep, rich matte nail colours.

Brutal (left) is a gorgeous berry/purple colour. Drizzle (middle) is a purple-ly based steel grey (one of my favourites, it's so chic) and also Dress Up (right) a gorgeous red colour, get your vamp on!

Whichever shade you choose, you cannot go wrong with a matte nail.

Like I said I love this collection and I'm sure you will too! Let me know how you get on with any of these products if you go and get them!

Much love

R x

sartorially spooky: the Halloween trend

With Halloween not far away, what would autumn be without a dark and moody trend? The key is in the title, gothic, and black is (as the saying goes) the new black.  This does not mean that I suggest you all dye your hair black and wear extreme platform boots, the fashion industry has moved on to a more sophisticated take on Gothic. 

MEN: Your key item for this is the black super skinny jean. Use this as your base and then create your outfit around this. Another great piece is the black blazer; you can never fail with sharp, crisp tailoring and a black blazer will become so multi functional. You would be silly not to buy one. Why not try layering black mesh over black jersey for a gothic/sports mix? Or keep it smart but teaming a charcoal turtle neck (yes they are back) with a black blazer and tailored trouser? Or keep it grungy by teaming ripped black skinnies with a dark grey oversized sweatshirt. My top tip for this trend is to NOT treat it like a costume. Make it your own; just keep the colour palette dark.

LADIES: The key here is texture and mixing of texture. You will see everything from high shine vinyl to soft matte leathers. Also think lace and velvet. Fur and sheer netting. As with the gents the base colour here is black but there have been some cheeky pops of acid colour (mainly lime green and cerise pink) to break up the monochrome feel. One of my favourite pieces is the TOPSHOP all in one disco suit which provides a great base for layering other items. A good black coat is also going to prove to be a staple investment and I'd say for this trend why not rock a leather biker jacket - it'll keep it edgy. Think dark lipstick too, Urban Decay do a brilliant one called SHAME. It is a gorgeous deep berry colour and will work brilliantly with this trend. 

I recently took this photo of my work colleague Iona as I think this outfit is great. Iona wears the disco all in one (linked above) with a crystal blossom print t shirt and turquoise "Gwenda"stilletoes. The finishing touch for me here is the lace cat ears. It really adds some fun to the whole piece.
All - TOPSHOP

I haven't covered everything because I could ramble for ages and ages and that wouldn't be fun for anyone, but, I will try and get some more pics up as soon as I can because this trend is great!

R x