Pretty Geeky

Today, today

2011-05-15T22:06:00.000+01:00

(Image via www.wehartit.com)

Pictures and quotes, two of my favourite things! I hope you enjoyed your weekend.

Love, Lottie xxx :)

Spring Vintage Bridal Photoshoot - Part 1

2011-04-17T17:47:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of being invited to do the makeup for Shan Fisher's (Shan's Photography)spring vintage photoshoot at the Tynwald National Park (Arboretum Park), St Johns, Isle of Man.

The weather was absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to see the next parts of the shoot on Shan's blog.

We are actually using all of the suppliers featured in this shoot for our wedding in July. It is lovely to work with all of them, who I now consider to be good friends! I am so pleased to have their services booked. :)

Suzanna was my model and was a pleasure to work with. I would love to do her makeup again. With her beauiful English Rose complexion, I went for a classic, romantic look with dramatic lashes. I drew inspiration from Shan and Heidi's beautiful vintage items to pick out the beutiful eau de nil colour for Suzanne's eyes.

Products used:

Eyes:
Too faced Shadow Insurance

Colour directions powder liner in 01 Coal

Mac eyeshadow in Phloof!

Body Shop eyeshow in 38 Spearmint

Colour Directions Signature Shadow Quad in Muse

Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof Mascara in black

Benefit Jet-Black Liquid Eyeliner

False eyelashes by Eye Candy

Clarins Eyebrow Kit "Pro" Palette

Face:
Clarins Paris Beauty Flash Balm

Colour Directions Pro Palette Concealer

Benefit Foundation Spin The Bottle mixed with Benefit "That Gal" brightening face primer

Mac Blushcreme in Ladyblush
Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Blonde

Mac Cream Colour Base in Pearl Frost
Colour Directions Mineral Powder Foundation SPF15 in Blonde

Lips:
Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner in 063 Eastend Snob
Benefit lipstick in Shy

Clinique Superbalm Moisturising Gloss in 01 Apricot

Body:
APT Mineral Sheer Veil in Champagne

I used my new Sigma brushes which were my prize for winning Bubblegarm's make up competition (blog post on that coming soon).

Credits:
Model: Suzanna Clauge/Kyle Uren
Flowers: Heidi Baker – The Flower Studio

Grooms suits: Uma and Rob from The Tailor Shop
Vintage Car: David Karran – The Platinum Cars (In Part 3)
Assistant: David Fisher
Photographer and stylist: Shan Fisher

I would love to know what you think so please leave a comment below.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Love, Charlotte xxx

Wedding hair inspiration

2011-04-03T22:46:00.001+01:00

Evening all!

Hope you've enjoyed a lovely Mother's day.

I really enjoyed putting together my last blog post for wedding flowers so thought I'd continue with a version for hair.

For some reason, choosing a hair style for the wedding has left me undecided.

Here are some options I like:

A charming headpiece as the centre of attention:

An interesting variation of the side bun:

Incorporating twists, braids and soft tumbling curls for a bohemian vibe:

Half up and half down with curls:

A modern day princess tiara:

(All images are derived from Google images)

What do you think? Decisions, decisions!

Love Lottie xxx

Wedding flowers inspiration

2011-02-26T09:57:00.003Z

Morning all!

Hope you've had a splendid week; here comes the weekend!

As we're meeting with our wedding florist today, the lovely Heidi at The Flower Studio St Johns, I thought I'd post some of my ideas for my bouquet and the bridesmaid's boquets after browsing the net recently for some general inspiration. All images are from Google images unless otherwise stated.

Our main flowers are telemagenta germini with lime green hypericum and alchemilla mollis (how do florists remember all these names?!)

So, some ideas....

How about an adorable little circle bag of flowers? The red rose boquet photo is from Alex Beadon Photography (check her Facebook Fanpage - she is amazing!)

Or a beautiful handheld bouquet with long trailing ribbons?

Or for something completely different, a beautiful heart. How adorbale is the creation by Heidi?

For the bridesmaid's bouquets I'd like some cute hand held posies with cute details.

I love the small details you can incorpate into our colour scheme; it's so fresh, zingy and summery!

Maybe a flower present for someone?

I would love to know what you think!

Have a lovely day!

Love Lottie xox

Bubblegarm's 'Make me up' Sigma Competition

2011-01-24T22:51:00.000Z

Hi ladies

I've done a further two entries for the lovely Bubblegarm's 'Make Me Up' Sigma Competition in the 'Make Me Blush'(Pink)and'Make Me Cool'(Teal).

'Make me Blush' (Pink)

'Make Me Cool'(Teal)

The pink is certainly not a 'wearable' look but make up is all about having fun and expressing yourself! The eyelashes are great fun and I was pleased to use them.

For the teal look I went for a tropical theme. I adore turquoise, blues and teals and this is definitely something I'd wear.

I will update with product information soon.

I would love to know what you think!

Love Lottie xxx

Are you entering the competition?

Bubblegarm's 'Make me up' Sigma Competition

2011-01-19T21:06:00.000Z

Hi ladies

This is my entry for the lovely Bubblegarm's 'Make Me Up' Sigma Competition, the look I've gone for is: 'Make Me Classy' (black).

Inspired by a Clarins visual from a few years back, I've gone for something edgy and editorial with my own spin. Obviously this is not something you'd wear out!! I just enjoy being creative with make up and seeing how it turns out. :)

Hopefully I'm going to have time to do entries for the other categories: 'Make Me Blush'(Pink),'Make Me Cool' (teal) and 'Make Me Crazy' (Purple).

Products used:

Face:
Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
Colour Directions Mineral Photo Touch Foundation in "Linen"
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in "Blonde"
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in "NC20"

Eyebrows:
Colour Directions Brow Blender in "Soft Taupe 02"

Eyes:
Colour Directions Signature Shadow Quad in "Muse"
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear gel Eyeliner in "Black Ink 1"
Colour Directions Powder liner in "Fog 06"
L'Oreal Superliner in "Silver Black"
MAC Eye Shadow in "Plumage"
Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

Girls Aloud False Lashes in "Nadine"

Lips:
YSL Rouge Volupte in "8"

Would love to know what you think.

Love Lottie xxx

Are you entering Bubblegarm's competition?

Checking in with Weight Watchers - Week 3

2011-01-19T20:20:00.000Z

Good evening lovely ladies!

Week three of Weight Watchers came and went with another pound down.

Total weight lost since start date = 5lbs
Total weight until goal = 17lbs

Tips of the week is go swimming. It's a full body workout and very relaxing. It doesn't take up too much time and you won't break into a sweat.

(Image via yousendit.com)

Foods of the week have been zero points bananas, apples and strawberries. Jacket potatoes have also been a lunchtime God send to keep me full during the day.

I'm looking forward to getting my exercise routine updated on Sunday. Hopefully this will help me kick off some more pounds in the coming weeks.

Love Lottie xxx

Are you on Weight Watchers too? How's it going for you?

Checking in with Weight Watchers - Week 2

2011-01-09T20:50:00.000Z

Hello lovely followers

(Image via weheartit)

Week two of Weight Watchers had a somewhat shaky start with some naughty mince pies and Christmas biscuits still hanging around! However, overall a good week with another pound gone. This means I have lost four pounds since starting. Hurray!

Exercise wise I did a half hour swim, two half hour gym visits and one half hour walk. My goal this week is to fit in five 35 minute exercise sessions.

I'm enjoying trying the Weight Watchers recipies, it gives you the opportunity to try something new whilst still controlling portion sizes.

This week's favourites have been:

Baked Potato with Cheesy Mince Topping with plenty of green salad.

Weight Watchers Toad in the Hole with Broccoli.

And Tosca Reno's Picante Frittata, a perfect light meal. I substitute the peppers with tomatoes.

I am thankful to my lovely fiance for cooking and helping me in my efforts!

I hope anyone else who started Weight Watchers this year is doing well too.

Have a good week and I promise some beauty related blog posts soon! I am thinking about creating a separate blog for health/fitness/Weight Watchers to keep it separate...let me know what you think.

Love C xxx :)

How are your new year goals going?
Do you like beauty blogs with other topics on them too?

Photography

2011-01-08T17:01:00.001Z

Good Afternoon everyone!

I hope you're happy a lovely weekend.

After saving up I treated myself to a camera instead of buying anything in the January sales.

It's a Canon EOS 1000D SLR. I must admit, I'm not really sure what I'm doing yet but on first impression the quality is fantastic and I like the fact that it's light to carry.

Here's some practice shots taken before the Christmas decorations came down, always a sad moment!

And a couple of other textures and items around the house:

I'm particulalry pleased with the close ups our bedroom's beaded lampshade. I really like interpreting patterns and textures in close up.

I decided to use of of the images for my new blog banner using the free editing software that came with the camera. I hope you like it!

Hope everyone is having a good 2011 so far.

Love Lottie x

Are you taking up any new hobbies or restarting old ones in 2011?
Any suggestions for beginner photography blogs?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!

2011-01-01T19:41:00.001Z

Happy 2011 to all my lovely blog readers!

I hope 2011 is the year all your dreams come true and you had a lovely new year's eve. We had a lovely night in with thai green curry and champagne to start the new year.

I'm excited about the opportunities 2011 will bring. There's nothing like a new shiny year to start you thinking about resolutions.

I've got a pretty little notepad to write them all down so I can keep check of progress.

My first goal is the greatest new year's cliche there is - to lose weight. Last year I managed to lose half a stone on Weight Watchers. However, I started to let slip of tracking my points, exercising stopped taking priority and I started eating too much of the wrong foods and having too big portions!

I have now dowloaded the Weight Watchers app for my iPhone and it's so convenient. It's going to make keeping track much easier.

Since Boxing Day I have been setting myself up for success by using the app and exercising most days. I already feel much better.

I need to remind myself when I feel tempted to slip back to old habits why I want to lose weight. Obviously getting married is my major incentive and my specific goal is to lose 19lbs for the big day.

I need to be realistic about how long my progress will take and take it a day at a time.

By checking in on this blog at least once a week with how things are going I hope I can motivate some others who are in the same boat. I hope to also update with health and fitness tips.

My other resolutions are to become a better marketer and to become a better make up artist too.

To set a proper budget and stick to it in order to save for things I really want.

Improve my blog and update it more often.

And most importantly make my life as much of a stress free zone as possible without anxiety and worry!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year!

Love Lottie x

What did you do for New Year's Eve?
What are your goals for 2011?

New Coat by Apricot Clothing

2010-12-28T15:51:00.001Z

Good afternoon lovely people!

Hopefully you're enjoying the festive break and getting some good R&R.

I really enjoyed Christmas this year and am enjoying spending time with loved ones.

One of my favourite pressies was something I spotted at Tynwald Mills by UK label, Apricot Clothing.

I introduce to you, the Jacquard Coat in black:

I love the patterned detailing and the military style buttons. There's a definite nod to Karen Millen in terms of the structure and design.

The best news is its price point. At £49 this was about a third of my expected cost and I thought it'd be rude not to!

The coat isn't dry clean. The label says it needs to be cold washed. This could be a good or bad thing. On the one hand it cuts the cost and horrible smell of dry cleaning (is it just me who hates the smell?). That said, I'll edit this post with how well the coat washes.

I hadn't heard of this brand before so I checked out its website. Other eye-catching items for me are:

Night Forest 3 Button Tunic

Perfect paired with opaque tights, boots and a red coat.

Cotton Shirt Dress

With skinny jeans or leggings.

Big Flower Belt Dress

Could be worn casually with skinny jeans or with tights for a night out. The colours of the flowers are perfect to use for accessorising.

I'll try an do an outfit of the day with my new coat as the website photo doesn't do it justice. :)

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog post. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Love Lottie xoxo

What were your favourite Christmas presents?
Have you bought anything from Apricot before?
How would you style this item?

* All images via http://www.apricotonline.co.uk/

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T15:47:00.002Z

Merry Christmas! by ♥LottieB♥ featuring sterling silver bracelets

I hope everyone's having a fantastic holiday, getting thoroughly spoilt on Christmas day!

It's been a lovely, romantic time for me. Product reviews on some of my pressies will be up soon as they were lots of beauty products and some clothes too.

Thank you supporting my blog this year!

Lots of love C x

Make up Parties

2010-10-18T19:36:00.005+01:00

Hi ladies

Would you like to get your make up done by a professional make up artist, fully trained by international celebrity makeup artist Wendy Campbell?

I will give you a makeup tutorial with a bespoke look for your own Colour Direction to give you a sparkle!

The makeup is from a brand new mineral makeup range which is currently exclusively online. This is the perfect opportunity to try out these gorgeous products for yourself.

It's THE night in before a night out and a great chance to get some of your Christmas presents sorted or even just to treat yourself!

Costs £15 per person for a maximum of 10 minimum of 6 people.

If you would like to arrange your own girls night in makeover night for you and your friends please contact me at charlie_beeman@hotmail.com. I can come to your house or other venue at a time suitable for you.

This could be a fun work night, hen night or just a girls night in!

I can also arrange a bespoke "Design your own perfume" night for you to create your own fragance like the stars do!

Love Charlotte xxx

Manx Bridal Fashion Photoshoot 101010

2010-10-17T19:10:00.009+01:00

Hi everyone

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to take part in the Manx Bridal Fashion Shoot. The event was the concept of Shan Fisher who, with Project Manager Heidi Baker of The Flower Studio St Johns. Shan is an international award winning photographer and also happens to be our wedding photographer for our big day next year!

The shoot took place at the beautiful Nunnery in Douglas and incorporated over 27 wedding suppliers based on the Isle of Man. The objective of the shoot was to encourage brides and grooms to use local suppliers.

I was lucky to be comissioned the make up for a "Rock n Roll bride" and a "Traditional bride". Models Terri Anne and Amy Baker were fantastic canvases and a pleasure to work with.

For Terri Anne I used the following products:

Primer: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
Concealer: Sheer Cover Duo Concealer
Foundation: Mineral Phototouch Foundation in Linen
Eyebrow powder: Clarins Eyebrow Kit "Pro" Palette
Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Powder: Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15 in Blonde
Blusher: MAC Well Dressed
Highligher: Prestige Skin Loving Minerals
Eyeshadows: Signature Shadow Quad Hipster, Body Shop 39, MAC Phloof
Eyeliner all over the lid: Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Electric
Eyeliner on the upper lash line: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner Blackink 1
Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black
Lipstick: MAC Lustre Lovelorn
Lipgloss: MAC Lustreglass Flusterose
Eyegems: 2true Crystal Couture dazzling crystals for eyes and face
Falsh eyelashes: Internationale
For Amy I used the following products:

Primer: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
Concealer: Sheer Cover Duo Concealer
Foundation: Mineral Phototouch Foundation in Linen
Eyebrow powder: Clarins Eyebrow Kit "Pro" Palette
Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Blusher: MAC Ladyblush Creamblush
Highlighter: MEMEME Beat the Blues 1 Sun Beam
Powder: Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15 in Blonde
Eyeshadows: Ultimate collection, Dazzle dust by Barry M 39, MAC Phloof
Eyeliner on waterline: MAC Eye Khol Fascinating
Eyeliner on the upper lash line: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner Blackink 1
Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black
Lipstick: Lustre Plink!
Lipgloss: MAC Creamsheen Glass

I have included Shan's photographs of my models who I'm sure you'll agree looked stunning.

To see the whole shoot - please check out Shan's blog here.

You can also watch the behind the scenes video here:

Shan's Photography - Manx Bridal Fashion Shoot 2010 from Shan Fisher on Vimeo.

Credits:

Credit:
Project director: Shan Fisher – Shan’s Photography Project Manager: Heidi Baker - The Flower Studio
Photographer: Shan Fisher – Shan’s Photography
PR Manager: Charlotte Beeman – Pretty Geeky

Venue:
The Nunnery – Gill Maddox
Isle of Man Railway Douglas
Flowers: The Flower Studio – Heidi Baker

Wedding& Bridesmaids & Flowergirls Dresses & Jewellery:
The Bridal House – Kate
Bells and Bows – Rachel

Menswear: Jonathan Daniel The Tailor Shop – Rob & Uma
Wedding Transport: Platinum Vintage Cars - David

Tables:
Hollywood Themed Black Table – Finishing Touches Ltd – Candy Atheson
Vintage Red Cherked Table - Finishing Touches Ltd – Candy Atcheson
Shabby Chic Table – Switched On Events - Angelina Leece & James Gale
White Party Table - Switched On Events - Angelina Leece & James Gale

Wedding Cake:
Roses Cupcakes & Heart shaped Biscuit - Sally’s Cake – Sally Humphries – sallymanxcakes@hotmail.co.uk
Manx Themed Cake – Manx Cake Maker - Allison Ratcliffe
Shabby Chic Cupcakes – Cake Away – Maria

Catering: The Nunnery – Angelo
Marquee & Changing Room: Manx Marquee – Angelina Leece & James Gale

Props & Decorations:
Balloons To Go – Paul & Gill Fisher
Paperstitch – Kirsten
Pomegranate – Sam Rafferty
The Snug – Kim Kneen

Wedding Stationary: Handmade by Sarah – Sarah Kerruish
Videographer: The Video Moment – John

Party Dresses & Accessories:
Boutique Mesmerize – Sonia
Formal Menswear: Burton Isle of Man – Chris

Makeup Artist:
Karen Bass - Euphoria Charlotte Beeman – Pretty Geeky
Hairstylist - Globe Hairdressers,Douglas:
Carol Brogan - carolkane79@yahoo.co.uk
Rachel Tewksbury
Emma MacDonald - croeso@hotmail.co.uk

Stylist: Shan Fisher / Heidi Baker
Behind the scene Photographer: Mark Parsons
Assistant: David Fisher / Ruth Baker (team catering)

Female Model: Lauren Rafferty / Maria Hodgson / Teri Anne / Amy Baker / Danielle Quinn
Male Model: Chris / Nick Kinrade / David Baker / Sam Waugh
Flower girls Model: Lucy Cringle / Ruby Kirby / Lianna Godwin / Naomi Godwin
Pageboy Model: Liam Hunt / Patrick

Love Lottie XXX

My Prices For Make Up Services

2010-10-17T18:52:00.005+01:00

Hi everyone

As promised, this is my price structure.

Wedding prices:
For the bride: £75 (Trial costs £35, this is redeemable against your final quote and secures your wedding date for my make up services)
Bridesmaids and bridal party: £35 per person
Flower girls: Free on the wedding day
Assistance Service: £25
Evening Make-up Service: Quote on request
False Eyelashes: £7 per person
Travel costs: £10-20 (depending on location)

Please note, a 50% deposit is required 4 weeks before the wedding and the final amount is to be paid one week before your wedding date.

Special occassion prices (i.e photoshoots):
£50
False Eyelashes: £7

Make up lessons:
£80 for one-on-one session

Make up parties (includes personal colour direction tutorial for each attendee) for 6-10 people (perfect for proms):
£15 per person

Gift Vouchers:
If you would like to treat a loved one to a make-up lesson or other make-up service please contact me for a quote and to arrange payment.

To book an appointment, please email me at charlie_beeman@hotmail.com

Love Lottie xxx

Make Up Artist Training In Colour Directions

2010-10-17T17:42:00.008+01:00

Hello everyone!

What else have I been up to? Well at the end of August I completed a professional make up artist course with Wendy Campbell of Image Matters. Wendy was only doing a couple of these courses so I was very lucky to get a space.

The course was based around Wendy's new mineral makeup range called "Colour Directions". The first day was spent on colour theory as well as learning about different eye and face shapes.

By the second day I was desperate to try out the make up. With a small class size we were all able to really experiment with the whole range. I will post pictures of our makeovers soon.

Theses are some pictures of the gorgeous products.

I also took part in Wendy's filming for the new range and will post a link to that soon. For now here is a sneak peak of my makeover.

Thank you to Wendy for making this course so informative and fun. I have been doing makeovers for friends and family for a long time but now I feel I have the skills and confidence to persue my hobby professionally. I am currently building a website which will feature my portfolio but for now, I shall also post a link with all my prices and services on my blog.

You can buy the Colour Directions make up online here and I really recommend you try the products out.

There are so many to choose from but I have narrowed down my top five products:

1) Mineral Photo Touch FoundationThis is so easy to work with and I love the inbuilt brush. The foundation lasts all day and you can build the right amount of coverage for you. My colour is "Linen" and it blends perfectly with my skin tone. I have tried this foundation out on lots of clients now and it's brill!

2) Volume X Mascara
This mascara gives incredibly length and volume but doesn't look clumpy or thick. I particulalry liked the plum colour for an alternative to black.

3) The single shadow quads
These are a must have for any make up artists kit bag. The range of colours are great and the colour payoff is awesome. I like to get creative and use different cominations, the possibilities are endless.

4) The artists palette
A great product to have. I can minimise redness and cover dark shadows before applying my base with this - I love it.

5) The Artists Concealer Palette
This is another must have for any makeup artist. I can get the correct skin tone for any clients with this neat little product.

I hope you will check out this make up range and hopefully you'll love it as much as I do!

Love Lottie XXX

Update and Studying Tips

2010-10-17T17:18:00.004+01:00

Hello everyone!

Sorry I have been AWOL for so long! I will not bore you with excuses, rather, I thought I should just start off where I left off. It's is good to be back and thank you for your patience to anyone who is still following this blog!

I thought it worth mentioning though that the primary reasons for my absence is that along with working full time I have also recently completed and passed The Professional Certificate in Marketing from The Chartered Institute of Marketing. This is a great course and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to persue a career in marketing or who wants to market their own business better.

My best study tips are:

1) Engage with your peer group
Don't be selfish. Help other people and they will help you. You class mates will be one of your best resources of knowledge so get together, get to know each other and help each other through.

2) Learn how to pass the exam or assignment
This sounds simple but how often do we all start reading rather than learning how to answer the questions. Base your revision around past papers, certain thems always come up so, as a starting point, learn to answer these questions.

3) Cut yourself some slack
You can't be expected to know everything, just get the basics covered first and work from there.

4) Avoid the post mortem
What's done is done. There is no point dwelling over the paper. As long as you've done your best that's all you can do.

5) Look after yourself
Eat well, sleep well and take walks as regular breaks. You will need it!

All the very best to anyone taking exams soon. I hope some of these tips are helpful!

Love Lottie xxx

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-22T19:25:00.003Z

Just a little message to say....

To my lovely readers I am sorry I have not blogged for so long, I will be back in the new year as I have LOTS to catch up on.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas and have a brilliant time!

On the Christmas theme, here is a little Polyvore set I put together based on the dress I wore to our office Christmas party; what do you think?

See You At The Party? by LottieB featuring Miu Miu shoes

Items in this set:
Sally Jean ~ SHOP ~ Christmas 2009, $30
STRAPPY SUEDE SANDALS, 348 GBP
Maida Velvet Clutch By Malene Birger, 120 GBP
Kenneth Jay Lane Crystal-embellished earrings, $210
Judith Jack - Christmas Novelties Pin (Sterling Silver) - Jewelry, $154

Lots of love

Lottie x x x

Quick Monday Tag

2009-10-13T19:14:00.006+01:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Hello my lovelies!

Hope you're having a fab day! I thought I'd do a quick tag from Karen's Beauty Blog to get me back into the swing of blogging again. I can't produce any exciting posts at the moment as I am desperately seeking my camera charger. I hope I didn't leave it in my hotel in Italy :/

1. Mood:
Happy/busy.

2. Do you read or study with the TV or music playing in the background?
Yes I don't like complete silence.

3. Do you wear glasses?
Yes! I am very shortsighted and although I mainly wear contacts I occasionally sport some funky turquoise and lime green DandGs!

4. Outfit:
Comfy tracksuit.

5. Cold weather — love it or hate it?
I think I was born into the wrong climate.

6. Eyes/Lips/Cheeks:
Body Shop number 16/ MAC Syrup lustre/ Clinque almost bronzer 01 light/medium and Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Baked Mineral Blush 03 Peach.

7. What was the last nice thing to happen to you?
A big cuddle from my fiancee.

8. Something you’d like to remind yourself of today:
“Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7: 7)

9. Guys who carry man purses — yes or no?
Definitely yes! There is nothing more annoying than, "Can you carry my keys, wallet etc etc?". Plus, I think man bags are hot!

10. Weekly goals: Do my reading for my marketing course and go to the gym or go running three times.

Please feel free to do this tag!

Lottie x x x

Brilliant Botanics and The Power of Social Media!

2009-09-13T20:38:00.003+01:00

I love discovering a new product at a decent price which hasn't been adorned with OOT advertising or PR. This is the type of product that is discovered by a blogger or YouTuber and quickly becomes a "must have". For example, Lollipop26's discovery of GOSH's "Darling" lipstick - who knew? Probably not even GOSH!

I think I first caught wind of Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover from Hele Says's blog and it's slowly trickled through my Blogger dashboard ever since.

I'm not onto my second bottle of this stuff and would definitely recommend trying it to everyone.

It's cheap (I think £2.91 from memory and often on a 3 for 2 deal), does the job swiftly and easily and is gentle enough for the most sensitive eyes. It doesn't leave a dry feeling on the skin around the eyes and neither is it too greasy. An added bonus is that is smells nice and is very economical to use. In short, it ticks all the boxes at a sensible price; what more can you ask for?

To that end, I've decided to test out a couple more Botanics products: Organic Rosewater Toner, Skin Brightening Cleanser and Cleansing Mousse and shall keep you informed on my thoughts on these products.

Has anyone else tried the above products? What did they think?

I'd love to hear what your best online discovery found through Blogger or YT
has been!

Lottie x x x

Some things on your "to do" list will always be more fun!

2009-09-13T20:16:00.002+01:00

Hey everyone,

Hope you've all had a great week!

I'm getting ready for one more week of work before setting off on our holiday! Those who follow me on Twitter will know that my "to do" list is growing seemingly larger; however, let's be honest, some things will always be more pleasant than others.

For example, deciding what nail varnish to wear on holiday! I'm thinking of something in the raspberry/coral/pink hue spectrum which can be easily topped up and will go with a variety of outfits.

The options I have are (L-R):

Collection 2000 35 "Dynasty"

Barry M 305 "Pink Flamingo"

Barry M 279 "Bright Pink"

Collection 2000 34 "Hoola Hoop"

Revlon 093 "Tropical Temptation"

Max Factor 215 "Pearl Maron"

No7 (Unknown)

Claire's (Unknown)

NYC 226B "Madison Avenue"

Advice please ladies! Decisions, decisions!

Lottie x x x

Poem of the day - The Road Not Travelled by Robert Frost

2009-08-31T17:35:00.002+01:00

Image by James Jordan via Flickr

Hi all,

Hope you're all having a good bank holiday. This was recommended to me by someone relating to life's big decisions...enjoy!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Copyright © 1962, 1967, 1970

Tip of the day - Eyeliners

2009-08-25T19:52:00.002+01:00

Image by ♣ Glamorous _ girl ♣ via Flickr

Hello ladies of the blog!

I hope you're all having a stunning day!

Tip of the day today is, to make cheap eyeliners more blendable, just blast them with a hairdryer for a few seconds before use.

Hope this helps some of you!

Have a great evening!

Lottie x x x

Face of last weekend...

2009-08-19T19:22:00.004+01:00

Hi guys,

Hope you've had a great day!

I thought I post some pictures of a recently green look I did last weekend for an afternoon shopping with Mummy :)

I enjoy being a bit more dramatic and colourful with eye make up at the weekend.

Products used were:

Face:

GOSH Velvet Touch Foundation Primer

Barbara Daly Make-up Moisture Foundation in "Ivory" applied with MAC 187 brush

MAC Select Cover Up in NC20

Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Sunbaked Mineral Bronzing Powder in "Pure Shimmer" applied with MAC 168 brush as highlight

Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Fresh Glow Baked Mineral Blush in "Peach" applied with MAC 168

Finished with MAC Fix+ Rose customised with "Vanilla" pigment a la Bubblegarm :)

Eyes:

Clarins Shimmer Eyeliner in "03 Turquoise" and The Body Shop Eye Definer Shade "11 Vibrant Emerald" (a freebie with this month's InStyle magazine) used as bases

MAC eyeshadow "Shimmermossb Veluxe Pearl" all over the lid with MAC 207 brush

Bobbi Brown eyeshadows "Eucalyptus" and "Sea Foam" used to contour with MAC 207 brush

APt Simply Mineral Rocks light green shade used in inner corner using small Sheer Cover Studio eyeshadow brush

All shadows blended with MAC 224 brush

YSL Faux Cils mascara in black

Lips: Glossy Tubes by Barry M Super shiny lip gloss No2

What do you think?

Have a lovely evening!

Lottie x x x

I'm back and am mostly thinking about holidays!

2009-08-18T20:48:00.005+01:00

Hey guys,

Wow, it's been so long since I last did a post! My excuses aren't very exciting to say the least but now I'm in full blogging spirit again :)

Time is going amazingly quickly at the moment and I'm shocked that my holidays are only around the corner...We've managed to find a lovely hotel in a tranquil location with the added bonus of a spa - bliss!

We are visiting Sorrento in Southern Italy which I'm praying will be hotter than here. (It's August and it rained all day - fail).

Has anyone been here? Can they recommend any "must sees" or "must dos"?

Here are some Polyvore outfits inspired by the summer sun, I hope you like them!

To see all of my Polyvore creations, please visit my home page here.

Hope you're all having a great week!

Lottie x x x

Sorrento by LottieB featuring Banana Republic jewelry

Yellow and Blue by LottieB featuring Monsoon

Take me away by LottieB featuring Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry

London Calling!

2009-07-21T20:56:00.009+01:00

London Town by LottieB featuring Louis Vuitton bags

Hello my lovely followers,

I hope you've had a fab day!

I'm planning an exciting little adventur to London with my fiance and wondered if anyone could recommend....well anything really! I'm a firm beliver in "word of mouth" to find cool places. I've been lucky enough to visit London quite a few times so have done the standard touristy things. It would be cool to find some interesting places to visit/eat/stay and above all shop!

I'm looking for somewhere a little unique/interestingand non generic to stay, preferably near the Canary Wharf area but anywhere central. Apartment or hotel room is fine. Obviously the less we have to spend on accomodation, the more money we have to spend on other things! Above all it must be clean and preferably modern.

Shopping - obviously an extremely important but I'm looking for unique and different places. Vintage and/or charity shops or markets would be great. Also are there any particulalry good places to find beads etc for jewellery making?

Also any other tips for a romantic break are much appreciated.

Please help!

Love Lottie x x x

FOTD and OOTD

2009-07-19T20:41:00.003+01:00

Hey everyone!

Hope you've all had a great week!

As I've nearly recovered from a nasty virus (and no, it wasn't swine flu!), today was the day when I finally felt like wearing some nice clothes and wearing some make up. Hurray!

We went for a family lunch at The Garrison followed by an impronto visit to Castle Rushen, a national heritage site on the Isle of Man.

Make up wise I went for green around my eyes using MAC Juxt satin eyeshadow with Body Shop 44 in the crease to match the green in the skirt. I used MAC Phloof! frost eyeshadow in the inner corners and Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in black ink to line and do the 'flicks' with a MAC 208 brush.

Base in Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup (recently repurchased) in 210 Light Pale. No7 Instant radiance Concealer was used to attempt to cover my bags.

I also used (suprise suprise) Prestige Skin Loving Minerals mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer to highlight and a little bit of MAC Well dressed satin powder blush.

The outfit is:

T Shirt - Topshop
Cardigan - M&S
Skirt - recent purchase from the Laura Ashley sale - down to £45 from £65
Shoes - Topshop

Hope you all had a lovely day!

Lottie x x x

Organic Surge goodies!

2009-07-12T21:05:00.003+01:00

I was also lucky enough this week to also be sent some goodies to try out from a company called Organic Surge. I hadn't heard of this range until we exchanged tweets a couple of months ago!

The range contains no Parabens, SLS, sulphates, synthetic perfumes, chemical antioxidants mineral oils, petroleum, propylene glycol or aggressive foaming agents.

The range is totally cruelty free with no animal derived ingredients in development or manufacturing.

Ethical ambitions are of primary importance to the Organic Surge brand. Its ultimate aim is to develop a highly successful brand which will help its efforts to release children from poverty and enable them to live enriched, meaningful lives. Donataions from Organic Surge products go towards creating educational scholarships in schools, helping the Kenya Children’s Home Orphanage in Kenya and supporting the Watoto children’s charity in Uganda.

Organic Surge also has an awesome blog on healthy living and beauty which you can check out here.

The products are readily available and are very reasonable in price. You can find a list of stockists here.

If there was ever beauty with a conscious, Organic Surge has it. I am extremely impressed with the ethos of the brand and I hope it will be very popular.

To try out I have: fresh ocean shower gel, tropical bergamot body scrub and a lavendar & geranium handcream. I've already had a smell of these products and they're great! I will update you on how I get on with the products in due course.

Have any of you guys tried Organic Surge products? What did you think?

Lottie x x x

UPDATE - Garnier Goodies!

2009-07-12T20:48:00.003+01:00

Hey everyone,

Hope you are having a fun weekend! I was NOT impressed to wake up with a sore throat on Saturday morning which has now turned into a cold :(

Unfortunately I couldn't join the Garnier blogger's event which was held last month. However; its PR company has kindly sent me some products from the Garnier Pure Active range.

From the range I have: spot on roll on for blemishes, blackhead clearing scrub and a spot fighting 24 hr moisturiser.

You can find out more about the Garnier Pure Active range here.

After doing some Internet research, I am unable to confirm if Garnier products are cruelty free; does anyone know?

UPDATE - I have been informed by Garnier's representative's that the products ARE cruelty free. It is my view that products which are cruelty free should be labelled this way and I've recommended they do so in the future.

I'm looking forward to trying all of these products in due course. Have you already tried them? What did you think?

Lottie x x x

PDATE -

Recent Polyvore looks

2009-07-06T17:42:00.004+01:00

"Dreams"

A beautiful dress complimented with matching accessories.

"Oh"

Autumnal colours with a summer vibe.

"Often Times"

Working in an office doesn't mean your style has to be boring!

"You Can't Pretend To Have Fun"

Floral style with an edge.

"Morocco"

Relax and enjoy your holiday!

"You Brighten Up My Day"

Feminine pastel style.

Two looks for Tsunimee

2009-07-06T17:26:00.006+01:00

Lovely YouTuber and fellow Twitterer Tsunimee requested a couple of Polyvore looks and here they are:

"Golden goddess"

"Tropical purple and yellow"

What do you think?

Lottie x x x

The Lady, The Switch and The Wardrobe

2009-07-06T16:23:00.005+01:00

I wanted to say a huge thank you for all the GEMS ladies at Living Hope Community Church for organising such an amazing event last Friday.

The aim of GEMS is to give a relational focus to ministry, being Christ-centred in our approach to each other and those around us.

We all took part in our first ever "Swish" or "Switch". The concept was to bring along three garments/jewellery pieces/shoes which you no longer loved in exchange for tokens. You could them use your tokens to exchange for any of the items on offer.

Also on the night was fantastic entertainment from singer/songwriter Becky Wright and dance performances too. The food was lovely too, especially the chocolate fondue!

We aslo found out more about what GEMS will be doing throughout 2009 and beyond, including the up and coming Mosaic Conference in November this year. In addition, I really enojoyed hearing evertone's reports from Cherish, a Christian conference for women held at Abundant Life Church in Bradford. I have this in my diary :)

I went along to the event with my Mum. There were so many things which I liked and she kindly gave me some of her tokens too!

Here are the goodies I picked up:

A gorgeous coin neckelace with beaded detailing. I love the peach/pink colour.

A stunning turquoise vest top from Warehouse (still with the label on it, priced £35). I can see myself wearing this with a white skirt, chunky banges and some nice shoes on holiday.

A really nice pair of brown loafers from Per Una. I can tell from the soles that these have only been worn a couple of times). These will look great with jeans in the day and are a really comfortable height.

A lovely teal coloured pencil skirt from Dorothy Perkins (again with labels still on, priced £20).

All this was taken home in this pretty pink bag with matching tissue!

Thank you again GEMS ladies, it was a great night! More photos by fantastic photographer Kate Teare can be found here.

Have you ever been to a swishing party?

Lottie x x x

June comment love

2009-07-05T16:22:00.003+01:00

Thank you very much everyone for all your lovely comments throughout June! I've enjoyed reading all of your blogs too and being part of the community! Let me know if you have any blog post requests for July.

Thanks again for reading my blog :)

Lottie x x x

Marie http://marie-loves.blogspot.com/

Ashley http://polkadotandpaisley.blogspot.com/

Nadia http://lovelipstickandlime.blogspot.com/

Elana http://elanasprthoughts.wordpress.com/

GiGi http://makeupdiaryconfessions.blogspot.com/

Miss Dolly Gal http://missdollygal.blogspot.com/

chulalouie http://chulalouie.blogspot.com/

tina_mbc http://allthevanity.blogspot.com/

Emma http://evilblackpixie.blogspot.com/

Ka http://kurtkaren.blogspot.com/

Kaz http://glittertoast.blogspot.com/

Ditzymakeup http://ditzymake-up.blogspot.com/

Tali http://theglossgoss.blogspot.com/

Kirsten http://bonbonrose9.blogspot.com/

Classy Dea 66 http://clasydea66.blogspot.com/

Laura http://romanticdreaming.blogspot.com/

Dila http://bubblymubblybubblegum.blogspot.com/

MissGlamTan http://missglamtan.blogspot.com/

Beauty Addict http://secretdiaryofabeautyaddict.blogspot.com/

Saskia The Salsa Fairy http://saskiathesalsafairy.blogspot.com/ (Special thanks for your wedding series, I love it!)

Shortiee31 http://shortiee31.blogspot.com/

Lipstick Rules http://lipstickrules.blogspot.com/

Mystical http://dazzling-within.blogspot.com/

Catanya http://catanyasthings.blogspot.com/

Black Vanilla Rose http://blackvanillarose.blogspot.com/

Sugar http://shewga.blogspot.com/

Mocha Mish Mash http://mochamishmash.blogspot.com/

Rocaille http://rocaille-writes.blogspot.com/

Superficial Girls http://superficialgirls.blogspot.com/

Shirley http://meek-n-mild.blogspot.com/

Courtney http://escourtn3y.blogspot.com/

Lauren http://laurensloves.blogspot.com/

Loveaudrey http://loveaudrey-loveaudrey.blogspot.com/

Alexis http://alpha-blonde.blogspot.com/

Hazeleyes http://greenxeyes.blogspot.com/

Caramel Diva http://jmtjm.blogspot.com/

fantastic http://suka-spice.blogspot.com/

Shopaholic http://jo-shopaholic.blogspot.com/

KitKat http://katzandthecity.blogspot.com/

fabulousfashions4sensiblestyle http://fabulousfashions4sensiblestyle.blogspot.com/

LV http://thelittlemusingsoflv.blogspot.com/

GinaG http://ginagloves.blogspot.com/

Sarah http://thepolished.blogspot.com/

sweetestsinsheroon http://sweetestsinsheroon.blogspot.com/

Tip of the day!

2009-06-29T22:49:00.004+01:00

Have you run out of shaving foam/gel?

Fear not! Simple hair conditioner will work just as well and will protect the skin.

Try it out!

Lottie x x x

For Gabriela...

2009-06-29T22:34:00.004+01:00

Angels With Dirty Faces http://gabriela-lifeinengland.blogspot.com/- check out her style!

Modern 1970s

Rock chic with a femine twist

What do you think?

Lottie x x x

Verse of the day....

2009-06-29T21:50:00.002+01:00

There is a season for everything; what season are you in? (Verse recommended to me by someone special :))

Ecclesiastes 3

1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Lottie x x x

Tip of the day!

2009-06-22T22:43:00.002+01:00

Image by remusse via Flickr

Dear all,

I hope you've had a fab start to the day!

My tip of the day is, instead of splashing out on expensive exfoliaters just buy yourself a couple of muslin cloths from Superdrug. Use them after cleansing in the shower when your pores will be open.

They are only about a pound and are really gentle yet effective for exfoliation.

I wouldn't be without mine :)

Lottie x x x

Happy Father's Day and FOTD!

2009-06-21T18:32:00.002+01:00

Hey everyone!

Hope you are all having a superb Father's Day! I know my Mum is a "silent" follower and my Dad has read it once or twice. I just wanted to say how much I love my Daddy and how lucky I am to have such a wise, caring, positive and encouraging Father! :)
For our Father's day lunch I wore a gold and blue combination (inspired by Tali :)!)

Eyes: MAC "Cornflower" Pigment, MAC "Pure Ore" Metal X Cream Shadow, Bobbi Brown eyeliner in "Black Ink" and Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascarain "Black"

Face: Rimmel Recover foundation in 100 "Ivory", No7 Instant radiance Concealer, Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Mineral Bronzing Powder in 03 "Pure Shimmer" for highlight and contour, Maybelline Pure Blush Mineral Powder Blush in 40 "Quartz Peach"

Lips: Clarins Instant light Perfector in "01"

Let me know if you have any questions on any of these productes or if you'd like a review.

Enjoy your weekend!

Lottie x x x

Polyvore of the day....

2009-06-20T22:55:00.004+01:00

Hope you're enjoying your weekend, unfortunately I'm feeling extremely tired and a bit headachy :(

On to the fun stuff!

Today we have:

"Feeling Blue"
Cool, calm and collected.

"Sitting Pretty"

Embrace your inner girly side with this pretty pastel and floral casual look. "Be Careful What You Wish For"

An explosion of stylish colour!

Hope you enjoy these!

Lottie x x x

Polyvore of the day...

2009-06-18T21:48:00.004+01:00

Hello wonderful ladies of blog land!

I hope you've had a stunning week so far! Apologies that the blog has veered completely onto Polyvore of late, but it is so much fun! I'm very busy working hard at the moment but am looking forward to doing some reviews, FOTDs and other types of posts very soon. Today we have....

"Well Everything's just Peachy"
A casual look using beautiful peach tones complimented by tan. "Whose Side Are You On?"
A very unusual but beautiful colour combination of turquoise, orange and red.

"Not So Mellow Yellow"

It's summer, lets get bright!

"All I Want To Do"

So pretty for a summer night out

Lottie x x x

Polyvore art of the day

2009-06-17T20:53:00.003+01:00

"The Best Things In Life Aren't Things"

Enjoy!

Lottie x x x

Poem of the day

2009-06-17T20:12:00.002+01:00

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you."

Mary Stevenson

The Adorable Blog Award!

2009-06-16T22:16:00.007+01:00

What a lovely suprise!

The beautiful Shirely at meek n mild nominated me for this very sweet award! She does some awesome OOTDs (love her style), FOTDs and reviews on her blog. She also does videos on You Tube - please check her out if you haven't already :)

So here are The Adorable Blog Award Rules:

♥ Include the award logo in your blog or post.

♥ Nominate as many blogs as you like.

♥ Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

♥ Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

♥ Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award

MY nominees are...

BUBBLEGARM I'm always excited to see what see comes up with next! She is an extremely beautiful girl and is very sweet. Thank you Mushine for all your tips and great creative posts and thank you too for answering all my questions and responding to requests!

The Style Diet - Again, such a sweet and beautiful girl. Love her style and fashion stuff, she is also fab with make up and hair!

Saskia The Salsa Fairy - I.want.your.shoes. Thank you so much for your wedding series!

It's a Hard Life But Lets Make up It Better - This girl is the queen of hauls! I want to have a play with her make up collection! She is super sweet and friendly too!

LoveLipstickandLime - Brilliant and interesting posts from across the globe. She is so sweet and friendly too!

Alpha Blonde - Love her reviews, tips and FOTDs!

Laura's Blggy Blog - Intelligent, thought provoking and interesting posts. This girl is an extremely good writer. She is super friendly. She is very gorgeous, she just doesn't know it yet!

Mizz Worthy -Love the firerce and dramatic looks she creates. This girl is the queen of reviews! They are always extremely detailed and honest.

Cupcakes and Cherries - Love her hauls, reviews and FOTDs :)

I'm so sorry if I've missed anyone. I love ready everyone's blogs. Thank you so much for sharing your interests with me :0

Lottie x x x

Polyvore of the day...

2009-06-16T22:04:00.003+01:00

Hey everybody! I hope you've had a lovely day!
I've been busy creating come further sets and doing some for my friends. What do you think?
Love Lottie x x x

"Jenny - Baby Boy"
For my pregnant friend, sporty cute style with baby! "Jenny - Baby Girl"
Pretty and casual for a day out with baby girl!

"Hollie"

The perfect outfit for a romantic meal whilst on holiday.

"Can We Go Party?"

Can we, can we?

Polyvore of the day...

2009-06-15T22:41:00.004+01:00

I've done a few more summer looks; what do you think?

It's got me dreaming of a summer holiday...where shall we go?

Lottie x x x

"Feeling Bohemian Like You"
Be free, be bold, be bright!
"Island Life"
Chill on the beach with exotic with coral and turquoise gems.

"Monsoon"

When will it rain?

"Gorgeous Olive"

Be good enough to eat!

Recent adventures on the Isle of Fun

2009-06-15T20:59:00.006+01:00

The secret beach at Niarbyl

The Home of Rest for Old Horses

We are family

A quiet time at Derbyhaven

A quick hack with my favourite girl

Lucy, the most beautiful horse in the world

Trees at the secret beach

Part of our commute home each day

Walking to the secret beach

Green light

Beautiful tree at St Johns

Mother and ducklings at St Johns

Cast a light

Standing tall

A snoozy kind of picnic

Furry friends

Hello ladies of the blog!

Hope you have had a stunning day!

I just thought I'd post a couple of pictures of our recent adventures here since the weather has been so lovely! I'm a bit of a photograpy addict, I want to be better at it though! What do you think of these pics? These are for my friends and family to see too because Facebook is just sooo slow :)

What have you been doing at the weekends recently?

Lottie x x x

Polyvore of the day......

2009-06-14T21:56:00.002+01:00

Today I have been playing on Polyvore and have come up with these sets. I hope you like them!
I've been showing my Mum how to use it too and she helped me create "Lilac Haze" and "Summer Loving".

"Lilac Haze"

Whimsical, delicate and pretty. A dream for every girl's wardrobe! "Summer Loving"

Be adventurous this summer with hot yellow and blues!

"Working 9 till 5"

For all the ladies who are back to work tomorrow like me :)

"Long Hot Nights"

A simple, classic summer look for dreamy evenings sitting by the sea.

"Red and blue"

Dramatic and bold; ladylike a chic!

Lottie x x x

Sorry I couldn't come and play at Barry M!

2009-06-14T21:30:00.006+01:00

Hello gorgeous ladies,

I'm at my parent's house at the moment and found these photos on my Mum's laptop. They are, in short my homage to Barry M using the products I have! I did them on the day of the event. I was going for lunch with my Mum and Mother in Law in case anyone is interested. They are used to me and my colourful combinations though!

I loved reading everyone's reports of the event; it looked awesome! It would have been great to meet some of you and play with Barry M goodies!

Unfortunately because of other commitments I can't make the Maybelline/Garnier event either but hopefully there will be an event soon where I can meet some fellow enthusiasts!

Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend.

Let me know if you like these looks or if you have any questions or would like any reviews!

Lottie x x x

My Polyvore passion....

2009-06-12T19:06:00.003+01:00

Hello all!

Today was Senior TT Race Day on the Isle of Man so most of us have the day off! How great is that? I have mainly been sleeping, eating, reading magazines, catching up with The Hills and playing on Polyvore. These are the kinds of pointless activities I enjoy when I'm feeling tired!

I have created:

"Girl about town..."

A hot summer time look focussed around the coral dress incorporating bright accessorises.
"We used to be friends..."

Unlease your inner rock godess with this fierce monochrome look!

"Sometimes love comes around...."

A really pretty playful spring or summer look. I just love the floral pattern and colours on the skirt. I couldn't decide between the shoes; they are equally amazing so i included both!

"Je t'aime...."

An elegant, sophisticated and daring look with all the accessories you need. Perfect for the city of love.

What do you think? Thank you so much for the positive feedback on the last selection. Please let me know if you have any requests for a look or an occassion.

Lottie x x x

For the fashion lovers....

2009-06-11T23:10:00.004+01:00

Hello my lovelies! I hope you have all had a stunning week! Yes, I've been playing on Polyvore again. I've come up with......

"Thinking about you..."

A classy casual look using tan contrasted with turquoise accessories. This outfit could be worn anyway and dressed up or dressed down accordingly.

"It started with a kiss..."

A beautiful summer look using black, peach pink and light green. I like these colour combinations and am in love with the dress!

"The lady, the switch and the wardrobe"
Some more classic, evening inspired looks with a hint of pink for all the princesses out there :)

What do you think?

Lottie X X X

Playing on Polyvore....

2009-06-09T23:01:00.001+01:00

Tips for faking it, not baking it!

2009-06-07T19:30:00.004+01:00

Good evening all!

Juliet at http://www.littledishy.blogspot.com/ (check out her blog for all things crafty) requested I do a blog post on some fake tanning tips so here are my two pennies worth:

1. Know when enough is enough - Embrace yourself for who you are!

How gorgeous does Nicola from Girls Aloud look now she's ditched the fluro orange look? It's okay to be a bit different. After all, "If everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking at each other."

2. Subtle is best

Johnson's Holiday Skin and the Dove Gradual Fake Tanner are brilliant for developing a natural looking glow. To build it up a bit more quickly choose the versions for normal to darker skin.

3. Add sparkles

For a bit of shimmer I love Clarins After Sun Shimmer Oil and/or Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. Both look really pretty on paler skins.

4. Use your bronzer

For a quick fix of colour just use your usual bronzer with a large body brush (Marks & Spencers do a good version which doesn't shed).

6. Get an immediate tan - then wash it off

Rimmel London's Sun Shimmer Instant Tan Make up is great for a quick fix. It's perfect for last minute plans to go out if you want to wear a skirt or dress because it really is instant. I suggest wearing some thin surgeon's plastic gloves to apply so you don't get any product staining to your hands.

7. A recommendation

I don't normally get on with fake tan. In fact I have ended up "tangoed" more often than not. However, I finally discovered Shiseido Brilliant Bronze Quick Self - Tanning Gel which is brilliant. It gives a really natural colour and never goes orange. You only need a small amount and the bottle lasts for ages.

8. Enjoy the sun

But stay safe, always wear at least a SPF15.

9. Avoid sunbeds

We all know why...cancer, premature ageing, need I say anymore?

Hope this helps!

Does anyone else have any good tips?

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Take care,

Lottie x x x

May Comment Loving!

2009-06-02T21:34:00.002+01:00

FOTD - Lime and turquoise

2009-06-01T22:12:00.005+01:00

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all enjoying the stunning weather!

It was my fiance's birthday on Saturday and as it was on a weekend I luckily had time to play around with some make up! His favourite colour is lime green so I did a look based on

Barry M's 75 and 82, No7 Stay Perfect Eyeliner and some Bobbi Brown black ink gel eyeliner. I kept the rest fairly simple opting for my usual skin basics and some lip balm et voila!

He liked it, I liked it, what do you think?

Have a great week!

Lottie x x x

Tip of the day - talking about eyebrows

2009-05-30T10:53:00.005+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Good morning everyone and what a beautiful day it is here on the Isle of Man!

My tip of the day is one learnt through experience. To avoid the dreaded "over -pluck" create the shape you want first using a white eyeliner and restrict yourself to not going over the white lines you want to be really particular you can also use a small ruler to make sure your lines are straight. If Remember, it's so easy to take away, not so easy to grow back!

Also, always pluck after a bath or shower as the steam will open up your pores and make it less painful. The skin will also be clean which avoids infections.

Never apply moisturiser, eye cream or make up onto the area you have plucked straight away as it can cause whiteheads.

Hope that helps!

Have a stunning day!

Lottie x x x

Product love - Shu Uemura Lash Repair

2009-05-29T22:08:00.004+01:00

Hey everyone,

Just a quick update on a product I've been loving for nearly four months now.

It's called Shu Uemura Lash Repair and costs around £18. As well as conditioning your lashes to help them stay strong, it is a great primer for any mascara. The wand is so tiny and precise you can really get to the tiny little lashes and separate them.

I've definitely seen an improvement in the length and condition of my lashes since using this. They are getting seriously long!

Has anyone else tried this? What did they think?

Have a beautiful weekend!

Lottie x x x

For the homemaker in all of us....Country Nik Naks!

2009-05-27T20:48:00.003+01:00

I thought I'd do a quick blog post of a really cute website I recently stumbled upon called Country Nik Naks which sells shabby chic french style painted furniture, gifts, cushions, candles, pretty storage boxes, garden and home accessories.

The is a distinctive Laura Ashley/ Cath Kidson theme and the prices are very very reasonable.

I ordered three items for our new house and have made a Polyvore style set with them in it! Can you guess which items they are?

I really hope you enjoy the site, please check it out!

Lottie x x x

Tip of the day!

2009-05-27T19:52:00.004+01:00

Hello one and all,

I hope you've had a stunning day!

My tip of the day today is a time saving one. Wash and condition your brushes while your in the shower, it really is less tedious this way! You just need to bring a cup with all the ones you need to wash into the shower with you. Also, you can put the dirty ones in the cup as the week goes by so you have them ready to do at the weekend. I also give mine a quick clean after each use if I have time using Clinque's Makeup Brush Cleanser during the week.

Take care!

Lottie x x x

Love is.....

2009-05-25T22:23:00.003+01:00

....the best feeling in the world!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . .And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - excerpts from 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

Happy 18 month anniversary sweetie - I love you!

x x x

UPDATE

2009-05-25T11:46:00.002+01:00

Good morning everyone!

Just a quick update as I haven't been able to post for a while this has been because I've moved house and started a new job!

We've just moved house and only got re connected on Friday, that said, there isn't really a "place" for my desktop so I'm currently typing on my bedroom floor. Hopefully when I get the deposit back from the previous property we would really like to invest in a apple laptop. I adore the new house though and am very excited to do some blog posts on interior design and storage ideas for you; I'm particularly excited about the dressing room as you can imagine!

I started my new job as a marketing coordinator on Monday which has been fantastic so far. Everyone has been extremely welcoming and lovely. I'm very excited about it! It's great to enjoy what you do.

Hope you're all doing well. It was such a shame I couldn't join you all at the BarryM event. I loved reading your posts about it and will be posting a little BarryM tribute soon (photos on my Mum's computer).

I am bursting with ideas for new blog posts so please don't unfollow me just yet! I just need a little more time to get settled :)

Hope you have a fantastic day!

Lottie x x x

FOTD using Clarins shimmer palette

2009-05-11T14:36:00.006+01:00

Hey guys,

Just a very quick post as I need to get our new house sorted; so much to do! It's gorgeous though :)

This is the look I created using the Clarins palette I pictured in my recent shopping trip post. I used Clarin's turquoise liner on the lower lash line and the Prestige liquid liner on top. I just used the usual suspect items for my face etc.

What do you think?

Hair is scruffy, earrings from Superdrug and tshirt from M&S.

Hope you're having an excellent start to the week!

Lottie x x x

Moving house

2009-05-09T13:11:00.004+01:00

If I can't use my own blog for shameless self promotion, where can I? We're moving and will have a smaller living room. This TV was kindly given to us but it is too big, it's free to a good home.

I would like to sell the three piece for circa £250. Genuine leather, excellent condition.

You would need to be able to arrange collection from Douglas, Isle of Man.

Thanks!

Lottie x x x

April comment loving!

2009-05-09T10:47:00.005+01:00

Hi guys,

I'm going to try and do this each month. It's just a quick note to say thank you to the below bloggers for their comments on Pretty Geeky during April. I really enjoy getting feedback. Please check out these blogs if you haven't already :)

Krystallia http://www.blogger.com/profile/06876353981808861475

My Bloggy Blog http://romanticdreaming.blogspot.com/

It's a hard life... lets make-up it better! http://theglossgoss.blogspot.com/

littlebrew http://littlebrew.blogspot.com/

MAKEUP DIARY CONFESSIONS http://makeupdiaryconfessions.blogspot.com/

STEPH STUPH http://stephaniemcmakeup.blogspot.com/

Happy1234 Make-up Blog http://happy1234make-up-blog.blogspot.com/

That One Girl http://lizzclare.blogspot.com/

MediterraneanX http://mediterraneanx.blogspot.com/

Fashion Couture RTW http://joannartw.blogspot.com/

Cuz I'm Crazy http://cuzimcrazy.blogspot.com/

meek n mild http://meek-n-mild.blogspot.com/

Black Vanilla Rose http://blackvanillarose.blogspot.com/

Belle Du Jour http://belledujournewyorkcity.blogspot.com/

Melinda's Fab Life! http://melindasfabulouslife.blogspot.com/

Beauty Addict http://nysmakeup.blogspot.com/

Curiouser & Curiouser http://anniediamond.blogspot.com/

Simply Lovely Ideas http://simplylovelyideas.blogspot.com/

NicolaVC86 http://nicolaarthur99.blogspot.com/

Hele Says http://helesays.blogspot.com/

LoveLipstickandLime http://lovelipstickandlime.blogspot.com/

deannamargaret http://deannamargaret.blogspot.com/

aestheticcoo http://aestheticcoo.blogspot.com/

Whitz World of Makeup & Beauty http://whitzmakeuptipz.blogspot.com/

JB's Blogger http://genabee6.blogspot.com/

Panda Does Makeup http://pandadoesmakeup.blogspot.com/

Mizz Worthy's Stuff http://mizzworthy.blogspot.com/

twicebaked http://twicebakedbets.blogspot.com/

Saskia the Salsa Fairy http://saskiathesalsafairy.blogspot.com/

Dazzling... http://dazzling232.blogspot.com/

I Love....The Obsessions of a Shopaholic! http://marie-loves.blogspot.com/

Fashion, Beauty, Make-up and Stuff http://lamiats.blogspot.com/

CelebrityCircus http://charliescelebritycircus.wordpress.com/

Dress Junkie http://dressjunkie.com/

My Glamourous Beauty http://myglambeauty.blogspot.com/

Kerry1487 http://kerry1487.blogspot.com/

Polka Dots and Paisely http://polkadotandpaisley.blogspot.com/

RockMeBeautiful http://rockmebeautiful.blogspot.com/

inspiredbeauty09 http://inspiredbeauty09.blogspot.com/

MY Fashion Frenzy http://www.myfashionfrenzy.net/

Cupcakes and Cherries http://cupcakeswithcherries.blogspot.com/

Naughty Girl http://naughtygirlx.blogspot.com/

Your feedback is greatly appreciated, thank you all so very much for following my blog!

What would you like to see more of on Pretty Geeky? Please let me know!

Have a stunning day!

Lottie x x x

Healthy living

2009-05-08T17:11:00.006+01:00

Help!

I've put on nearly a stone over the last year and nothing seems to be stopping the extra pound or so every couple of weeks :( I want to make sure I look like a princess on my wedding day and I need my clothes to fit again. I also want to have more energy and feel less sluggish.

I went horse riding nearly everyday during the last two years of my degree and could eat whatever I wanted. Horse riding is so good for your core stability muscles, I even had a six pack at one point! Then I started working in an office, moved in with boyfriend, stopped exercising and it's all gone downhill!

However, tomorrow is a new day and all is not lost. Another purchased from yesterday the Weight Watchers scales and some fitness magazines. However, I'm not going to get too hung up over weight, I'm going to take measurements instead. Also I'm going to jot down everything I eat to see where I'm going wrong!

Does anyone have any healthy living tips which might help?

Thanks!

Lottie x x x

Lottie went shopping...oppps!

2009-05-08T14:56:00.011+01:00

Hello ladies!

I hope you are all having a stunning day!

I went shopping yesterday and here are the lovely goodies I picked up:

Inspired by Bubblegarm's beautiful wedding scrapbook I got myself a couple of these really cute folders from WHSmith to add interesting pictures to. I will then find a beautiful book to stick my final "theme" pictures into. I also picked up a card making pack, some italic pens and a paint tray with I'll use for watercolours.

I found this really pretty eyeshadow in the Boots bargain bin from PURE. It's a really pretty gold shimmery colour which will be perfect for summer. Unfortunately there was no number or name on it. It comes in a big chunky perspex box.

I am so in love with my Prestige bronzer; it rocks! I decided to try out its blush. I picked up 03 Peach which I thought would suit my skin tone. The swatch hasn't really shown up but I'll use it for a FOTD soon.

I also picked these Prestige eyeliners in the Boots bargain bin! The colours L-R are Icon and Fame. I thought they would be a nice alternative to black. What do you think?

I found this cute Color Wheel Mosaic Eye Powder in Superdrug. As you can see the colours are very sheer but I still think its pretty.

This was a real treat. It's from Clarin's Instant Sun Light limited collection. Its a Shimmer Palette for eyes, cheeks and decollete. I thought the colours were very unusual and I adore the packaging. How adorable is the little case it comes in (above)?

I love chunky jewellery and anything wooden is a bonus as it doesn't irritate my skin. I found this cool bangle in Topshop which I've wanted for quite a while.

I needed some flat pumps to just slip on for driving as I've damaged quite a lot of my heels! I thought these gold ones in New Look were nice. I also picked up this sweet little flower ring which matches the necklace I'm wearing here.

This might not be everyones cup of tea, but also found in Topshop was this beautiful floral print cardigan which will looks lovely with skinny jeans or over dresses. I prefer to use pretty hangers rather than plastic ones where possible. I got a set of the one pictured from TK Maxx.

I picked up a couple of Topshop vests which I wear a lot. You can never have too many. I think they were on an offer of £9 for 2.

Hurray! I found the Girls Aloud lashes in Claires Accessories (bar Cheryl's). I can't wait to try them out!

A quick trip to the Body Shop where I found this gorgeous shimmery aqua eyeshadow. It's number 38.

Monsoon goodies: beautiful gold set of coasters for our new house, kirby grips, pretty dangly gold earrings and this super cute lunch box from the little girls range hehe!

The Body Shop also had an offer on if you got five travel sizes you got a free wash bag in lime green or pink. Some I stocked up on the olive range which I really like for my gym bag and picked up a couple from the honey range to try out. Has anyone used this range? What did they think?

Enjoy your day and thanks so much for stopping by!

Lottie x x x

Lottie.....the scientist?

2009-05-07T19:17:00.005+01:00

Hey everyone,

I hope you all have had a great day! I have been shopping all day and have tried on some beautiful princess wedding dresses with my Mum as adviser!

I picked up these really cute sample pots from http://www.cocktailcosmetics.co.uk/. It's a fantastic site with lots of discounted goodies and was highly recommended by fellow and lovely bloggers That One Girl and Magpie Sparkles.

I decided to mix some of my MAC pigments together for fun last night and this is what I came up with. Future career as a Laboratory Technician?

Maybe not, but it sure looks pretty!

Hope you enjoyed this post, at the moment it's called "Lottie's Magical Mixture" but I am open to suggestions so if you have any ideas please let me know!

Lottie x x x

FOTD - Aqua eyes with nude pink lips

2009-05-06T19:45:00.007+01:00

Good evening everyone!

I'm finally caught up with FOTD. This is what I wore today:

FACE

Base: Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup in 210 Light Pale

Contour: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Highlight: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Blonde

Blush: Maybelline Pure Blush Mineral Powder Blush in 40 Quartz Peach

Concealer: MAC Select Cover up in NC20

Tools of the trade for face: MAC 168 blush and contour brush, Clarins buffer brush

EYES

Eyebrows: e.l.f Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara and No7 Precision Brow Pencil

Eyeshadows: Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Sea Foam and Cloud Blue from the Bobbi Brights Eye Palette; more info here

Eye liner: No7 Metallic Eye Pencil in Green on top, Clarins Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in 04 Turquoise on bottom eye lid, No7 Stay Perfect Eyeliner in Sapphire on top of finished look; review/swatches can be found here

Primer: MAC Prep + Prime Lash

Mascara: NYX 1000 Miles Long Mascara in black

Tools of the trade for eyes: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, GOSH smudger brush

LIPS

Lipgloss: Nivea Lip Care Caregloss & Shine

Headband is from Accessorize, cardigan from Zara and vest top from H&M.

Let me know if you would you like any further swatches/reviews.

Hope you've had a great day!

Lottie x

FOTD - Emerald eyes and berry lips

2009-05-06T18:56:00.006+01:00

It's not all about coral, another hue I love is emerald. Here's a recent look look I did with green eyes and berry lips. Here's what I used:

FACE

Base: Revlon ColorStay makeup with SoftFlex SPF 6 Combination/Oily Skin 150 Buff

Contour: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Highlight: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Blush: e.l.f All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade

Concealer: No7 Instant Radiance Concealer in shade 1 underneath the eyes and Benefit Boing Concealer in light for blemishes

Tools of the trade for face: Body Shop Foundation Brush, MAC 168 blush and contour brush, Clarins buffer brush

EYES

Eye shadow base: e.l.f Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Olive

Eyebrows: e.l.f Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara and No7 Precision Brow Pencil

Eye liner: GOSH Extreme Art Eyeliner 12, No7 Metallic Eye Pencil in Green

Primer: MAC Prep + Prime Lash

Mascara: NYX 1000 Miles Long Mascara in black

Tools of the trade for eyes: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, GOSH smudger brush

LIPS

Lipstick: e.l.f All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade

Lipgloss: Lancome Juicy Tubes Fraise 017

Earrings from Next.

Do you like green too?

Thanks for stopping by!

Lottie x x x

FOTD bronze and gold eyes with coral lips

2009-05-06T17:29:00.003+01:00

Here's another recent look. This is what I used:

FACE

Base: Rimmel Recover Foundation in 100 Ivory

Contour: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Highlight: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Blush: APt Mineral Blush Pressed in Desert

Concealer: No7 Instant Radiance Concealer in shade 1 underneath the eyes and Benefit Boing Concealer in light for blemishes

Tools of the trade for face: MAC 168 blush and contour brush, MAC 161 fan brush, Clarins buffer brush

EYES

Eye shadow base:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyebrows:

e.l.f Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara and No7 Precision Brow Pencil

Eye shadows: e.l.f Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Butter Pecan, APt Simply Mineral ROCKS gold and bronze colours

Eye liner: GOSH Extreme Art Eyeliner 02, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon, Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliner in black ink

Primer:

MAC Prep + Prime Lash

Mascara: NYX 1000 Miles Long Mascara in black

Tools of the trade for eyes:

Shu Uemura eyelash curler, MAC 230 shader brush, MAC 224 blending brush, MAC 209 liner brush, GOSH smudger brush

LIPS

Lipstick: Max Factor 825 Pink Brandy

Lipgloss: L'Oreal Glam Shine Juice 224

Coral cardigan is from New Look, neckelace is from M&S and earings are from Internationale.

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Lottie x x x

FOTD Smokey brown look with defined crease

2009-05-06T16:56:00.004+01:00

Good afternoon ladies of the blog,

This afternoon I shall be catching up with posts as I have been disconnected since Friday. I'll be posting some recent looks and here is the first one.

Here's what I used:

FACE

Base: APt Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation in Porcelain

Contour: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Highlight: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Blush: Blush: MAC Love Rock Mineralize Blush

Concealer: No7 Instant Radiance Concealer in shade 1 underneath the eyes and Benefit Boing Concealer in light for blemishes

Tools of the trade for face: Body Shop foundation brush, MAC 168 blush and contour brush, MAC 161 fan brush, Clarins buffer brush

EYES

Eye shadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyebrows: elf Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara and No7 Precision Brow Pencil

Eye shadows: MAC Frost Phloof! NARS shimmer single eyeshadow Cyprus, MAC Frost Bronze

Eye liner: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon, Benefit eye bright, Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliner in black ink

Primer: MAC Prep + Prime Lash

Mascara: NYX 1000 Miles Long Mascara in black

Tools of the trade for eyes: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, MAC 230 shader brush, MAC 224
blending brush, MAC 209 liner brush, GOSH smudger brush

LIPS

Lipstick: 17 Sheer Moisture Lipstick in Balmy Beige

Lipgloss: Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01

The coral ruffle top is from Primark and the butterfly earing from Miss Selfridge.

What kind of look did you wear today?

Thanks for stopping by!

Lottie x x x

TAG: Getting to know me, getting to know you

2009-05-06T15:44:00.009+01:00

This is an open tag from the lovely Alexis aka Faffaholic and here are my answers:

What made you choose your blog/twitter/youtube username? Well I write about pretty things in a "geeky" context.

What's your actual name? Charlotte

Do you have any nicknames? Charlie, Lottie, LottieBee, Princess Lottie.

Apart from the obvious make up / beauty hobby, what other hobbies do you have? I'm a keen horse rider and would love to have my own horse one day. I also love art and photography as well as crafty things like jewellery and card making. I love spending time with my friends, lots of whom I have been friends with since high school and even primary school!

What do you do?I've spent the last seven months working in PR which has been a fantastic experience. I will shortly be joining a new company and starting a new role as a marketing coordinator which I can't wait to get stuck in to.

What would you like to do? Live in a Tuscan villa with my fiancee with our own horses and paint everyday for pleasure.

Tell us something embarrassing, but that you love doing? I love cooking big batches of food and then putting it into Tupperware boxes for freezing. It's one of the more fun things about being a "grown up". Am I weird? Probably.

Tell us a little something that we don't already know about you. My fiancee whisked me away for a romantic trip to Florence on our third date! The rest, as they say, is history. I feel so blessed to have met somebody I want to spend the rest of my life with, who understands me, who loves me for who I am and who I love so dearly!

What achievement are you most proud of? Getting my degree in Humanities with Literature from The Open University.

What do you most like about yourself? I try to be kind.

What would you change about yourself if you could? I am a work in progress, the rest is still unwritten.

If you could have anything in the world (that doesn't cost any money), what would you want? I don't wish bad things on anyone but I particularly wish that bad things didn't happen to good people.

I tag all the lovely people who follow my blog!

Lottie x x x

FOTD yellow/gold and navy/khaki with bold eyeliner

2009-05-01T18:15:00.007+01:00

Hello bloggers and blogerettes!

I hope you have all had a lovely day!

This is my look for today. It's quite a light look but with intense eyeliner. The colours I used on my eyes were yellows and navy/khaki.

Here's what I used:

FACE

Base: APt Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation in Porcelain

Contour: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving Minerals Bronzer in Sun Shimmer

Highlight: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving Minerals Bronzer in Sun Shimmer

Blush: MAC Love Rock Mineralize Blush

Concealer: No7 Instant Radiance Concealer in shade 1 underneath the eyes and Benefit Boing Concealer in light for blemishes

Setting powder: MAX Factor Natural Minerals Foundation 40 Creamy Ivory

Tools of the trade for face: Body Shop foundation brush, MAC 168 blush and contour brush, MAC 161 fan brush, Clarins buffer brush

EYES

Eye shadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyebrows: elf Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara and No7 Precision Brow Pencil

Eye shadows: MAC Frost Phloof! on inner corners, APt Rocks in yellow and dark navy on top of No7 Metallic Eye Pencil in blue

Eye liner: Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliner in black ink

Mascara: NYX mascara in black

Tools of the trade for eyes: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, MAC 230 shader brush, MAC 224

blending brush, MAC 209 liner brush, GOSH smudger brush

LIPS

Lipstick: No7 Stay Perfect Lipstick in 40 Mischief

Lipgloss: NARS Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight

Have a great long weekend everyone and thank you very much for stopping by. If you would like a more detailed review of any of the above products please let me know.

Lottie x x x

Dupe alert! Mac and No7

2009-04-29T20:48:00.002+01:00

Ciao belles,

I hope you've all had a wonderful day!

I thought I'd share with you a couple of dupes I recently spotted. I bought these two eyeliners a while ago from No7 using the £5 off vouchers. I really like these colours in fact, when I got them home I realised why. In true make up addict fashion, I already had them!

Check out the photos above. To my eye, there is really no difference between these and the MAC versions. Both brands are great quality and give great colour pay off. In addition, both are very long lasting.

Both brands do not test on animals. To find out more click here and here.

The only difference it would seem, is the price. Boots No7's version costs £8.30 and MAC's version costs £12.72.

Have you tried these? What did you think?

Lottie x x x

Tip of the day - condition your brushes

2009-04-29T10:09:00.005+01:00

Hey everyone,

I hope you are having a lovely day.

The tip for today is:

After shampooing your brushes also condition them. I tried this out the other day using regular Pantene conditioner and the difference was incredible, especially with my newer brushes. It also made the lower quality brushes far more soft.

Let me know what you think if you already do this or you decide to try this out.

Lottie x x x

Making use of.....foundations!

2009-04-23T13:47:00.003+01:00

Ciao!

Have you got so many foundations you don't know what to do with them? Do you like them but they aren't quite perfect?

Here are some handy tips:

Too thin/ not enough coverage? How about just keeping in your drawer at work for top ups during the day (if required) with a sponge?

Too thick/heavy? Try mixing it in with your usual mosituriser to get a more balanced coverage.

Too dark? You could try using it as a cream based contour colour.

Too light? Try mixing it with your usual foundation and using it on highlight areas. Or mix it in with your under eye concealer to help reduce the appearance of dark circles.

Too drying? Again, try mixing it in with your moisturiser to make a tinted moisturiser.

Too oily? Try using it mixed with a primer for added staying power.

Mineral make up which doesn't give enough coverage? Use it as setting powder.

What do you do to make the most of your foundations? I would love to hear your tips.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!

Lottie x x x

Tip of the day

2009-04-23T13:42:00.002+01:00

Hey everyone,

Thought I'd do a quick tip:

To help create seemless blending, apply tinted moisturiser to your neck and a tiny bit on your ears.

This will help your foundation look more natural when you blend it all in with a brush/sponge/fingers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lottie x x x

CelebrityCircus

2009-04-21T23:32:00.000+01:00

All celebrity gossip lovers out there should check out my friend Charlie's blog here! This girl is a star and a star in the making :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

2009-04-21T22:55:00.005+01:00

Hey everyone,

I hope everyone has had a great day!

So, yesterday the postman arrived with my Secret Santa Summer Make up Swap and I was so happy and excited to get the parcel! The idea was all kindly organised and administrated by Panda Does Makeup, whose blog you can find here.

My camera has been sent away to be fixed so unfortunately I couldn't take any photos of all the beautiful wrapping, Christmas charms and cute little card included. Thank you so much to my swapper who went to this effort. It was very gratefully received :)

This is what I got:

Revlon Nail Enamel in 093. Unfortunately I can't find a picture of this online. However, luckily, the lovely Talluluh Bella has recently done a post about this so you can check out the colour here. My secret swapper knows I love coral! This is such a lovely colour for summer and I really like the quality of Revlon nail polishes. Thank you!

Next opened was a prestige Skin Loving Minerals Sun Baked mineral Bronzing Powder which I've been lusting after for quite a while. I was SO pleased to open this up! itsliz89 on Make Up has a review and pictures here. I really like it, I normally find bronzers to dark but this one is very subtle and gives a gorgeous glow. I like mineral products too so that is another bonus! Thank you! Thank you!

Unfortunately I can't find any pictures on the web but my swapper also got me a gorgeous beaded bracelet from Evolution. We don't have this on the Isle of Man, it says it's fair trade and was handmade in Bali. It's gorgeous and so colourful. I really like wearing bright accessories so, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Also included was a chocolate face mask (YUM) and a spa hair mask with mandarin and grapefruit oil. I can't wait to relax and enjoy these at the weekend!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to the person who sent me these! All of the gifts were so thoughtful and really "me". They really brightened my day :) I can't wait to find out who it was!

Many thanks again to Panda Does Makeup for organising this and watch out, my parcel with be delivered soon - hope you'll love it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lottie xxxx

Hot tip of the day - long lasting curled eyelashes!

2009-04-16T20:08:00.002+01:00

Ciao belles,

Hope everyone has had a great day!

How did I not know about this? Anyway, I thought I pass it forward. I read this tip in amongst the blogsphere last week but can't find the link grrrr!

Anyway, the tip is, instead of splashing out on expensive heated eyelash curlers or salon treatments simply heat your eyelash curler up with a hair dryer for about 30 seconds.

Make sure the curler is just warm and not too hot (you can test it on your arm) and curl the lashes as normal.

I tried this out yesterday and it really made such a difference. My lashes were much more curled than usual and the curl lasted all day.

I urge everyone to try it out if they haven't already :)

Take care,

LottieB x x x

Product love - an oldie but a goodie Clarins Double Fix' Mascara

2009-04-14T23:15:00.005+01:00

Ciao belles,

Hope you have all had a lovely day.

I just thought I'd do another quick product love post about a product which I'm not sure is very well known across the beauty blogsphere.

It is Clarins Double Fix' Mascara and it retails at £13.21.

It makes any mascara waterproof with one coat. I really like it because it means waterproof mascara doesn't need to be worn everyday which is pretty hard to cleanse off and therefore not good for the delicate skin around the eyes.

It can also be worn as a clear mascara or brow groomer if preferred.

It's not a gimmick product; it actually works! I probably wouldn't have tried it if I hadn't worked for Clarins but I have since repurchased many times which I think is always a good test for a product.

Has anyone else tried this? What did they think?

Are there any alternatives out there?

For anyone who is interested, Clarins does not test on animals. Find out more here.

Take care,

Lottie x x x :)

Product love - L'Oreal De-maq expert Elixir Concentrate Ultra Make-Up Remover

2009-04-12T20:13:00.006+01:00

Ciao belles,

I hope you're having a happy, peaceful and blessed Easter weekend!

A while ago I read a blog post on He1e says about this product and having run out of my Dermalogica Pre Cleanse I started searching for a new make up remover. The reason I didn't return to this was because I didn't really feel it removed my make up. It did "melt" it under a hot shower but it felt a greasy residue which was harder to remove than the actual make up itself!

I spotted this in the Superdrug aisle a few weeks ago and am impressed. It's great for dissolving and removing your make up leaving the skin nice and clean to use your cleanser to remove any excess impurities.

Only a small amount is needed and you just need to rub it into the skin and then dampen it. It feels light and not at all greasy. I think it was about £5 at Superdrug.

As an added bonus my skin is looking a lot healthier. Now I am resolved to drinking lots of water to really clear it up!

For anyone who is interested, L'Oreal's stance on animal testing can be found here.

Has anyone else used this product? What did they think?

Did you enjoy reading 'Product love'?

Stay fabulous!

Lottie x

Tip of the day!

2009-04-10T20:25:00.001+01:00

Don't throw away old mascaras before washing the wands thoroughly with shampoo and water. They can then be kept and used for either combing unruly eyebrows into place or for combing through mascara to get rid of any clumps! :)

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Lottie X

Bobbi Bright Eye Palette

2009-04-09T20:20:00.000+01:00

Ciao belles,

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. Hurray for a very long weekend!

My lovely big/little (she is smaller than me!) sister came over last weekend with a super lovely pressie in tow.

*******The Bobbi Brown Bobbi Bright Eye Palette*********

It is so cute and I am having a lot of fun playing with the colours everyday! The are all matte apart from one Shimmer Wash Eye in Ultra Violet and there are 36 colours in total.

I've previously steered away from palettes as I find there are always colours I never use but I can see myself getting good use out of all of these. In any case, each colour is very small! However, most of my eye shadow brushes are small which means the shadows are easy to pick up and product isn't wasted.

I have been experimenting by wearing the darker colours on the outer edge and crease and going lighter towards the inner corner of the eye. I sometimes add some shimmer using say a GOSH or Barry M pigment to enhance the colours.

This would be the perfect little palette to take on holiday as you would have every colour you needed. There are also some lighter nude colours in there if you wanted something more subtle.

I've not used Bobbi Brown eyeshadows before I got this but I'm very impressed with the quality as the products are long wearing and also are suitable for sensitive eyes/contact lense wearers like me.

Has anyone else tried out the palette? What do you think?

If you are reading this Pippa - THANK YOU!!!

Lottie xxx :)