Shoetastic - ECCO

When I was younger, I hated shoe shopping. Ask my mum, she refused to go with me because I was too fussy! I always wore basic pumps and it wasn't until a few months ago that I realised I really should broaden my collection. I am slowly buying more shoes, I now have sandals, boots and even heels. Being 5'8", I always felt too tall, so heels were a no-no. However, I have found lots of lovely shoes that aren't too high, and so I can easily wear them.

 

ECCO have created a new shoe called the Sculptured 65, and it is the perfect combination of fashion and comfort. There is nothing worse than going out and your feet causing you trouble.

 

 

The Low Cut Lace Boot is the perfect size heel for me, and what's best is that my feet feel comfortable the whole time. Inside it has a textile lining, a leather inlay sole covered with the ECCO Comfort FibreSystem, and a moisture-absorbent circulation system. Now this may not mean much to you, but it means all day comfort!

 

 

The boots go well with pretty much anything. I decided to team it with a black hearted and cream New Look Dress, a black bracelet and perhaps even a leather jacket to go on top. This would be perfect for a night out.

 

 

For a daytime look, I would wear it with my denim shirt and black leggings from H&M, and a bright lipstick.

 

What's great about these boots is that the list of outfits you could wear it with is endless. I also considered a chiffon shirt and a dark blue pair of skinny jeans.

 

What do you think would look best with these shoes? I'd love to see what you would wear them with. Also, don't forget to have a look at the full Sculptured 65 range on the ECCO website.

The ECCO Sculptured 65 line will arrive in stores by August 2012 in a shoe, boot and bootie style, with a variety of colours and in both leather and patent leather. The shoes are available in a range of sizes from EU 35-42.

 

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Products I've Used Up | Part One

For a while now, I have tried hard to not buy beauty products and focus on using up some of the ones I have instead. I've built up quite a collection, and it feels quite good to clear out part of my collection. This post is going to be body products, and then I'll have a seperate post on make up.

Boots Natural Collection Vanilla Body Spray - £2.00

I won this in a giveaway and really loved the scent. I bought a White Musk one for my mum and so nearly got another for myself! I will definitely repurchase after I've used up some of my other body sprays, as they are so cheap and last a very long time.

Dipalomo White Grape and Aloe Shower Cream* - £9.00

I really enjoyed using this up, it has a very rich scent. As well as using it to wash with, I'd also add a few squirts in my bath and it would bubble up and smell amazing, leaving me feeling very relaxed. To be honest, I don't think I'd buy this, but I've been eyeing up Dipalomo's candles.

Pearl Drops Transform Toothpaste - around £5

This was a good alternative to my usual toothpaste as it whitened my teeth and still kept them feeling clean. (You know some teeth whitening toothpastes don't quite clean your teeth). I probably will buy this again, but I want to try teeth whiteners that have a bigger effect than this. This was perfect for making my teeth look a bit better, but there wasn't a big difference, which is what I want.

Stay tuned for Part Two...

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Favourite Perfumes

When it comes to "all time" favourites - I'm not a fan. This is usually because a week later, my favourites would be completely different. However, when it comes to perfumes, I've had these favourites for a while, and although you'll probably see a post like this in the future with different fragrances, I thought I'd do it anyway. So let's call this blog post, my favourite perfumes for now. :)

Tommy Girl - £12.25 for 30ml

This was the first perfume I ever wore, and it was a present from my dad. A few months ago, I saw it in Boots and luckily my boyfriend heard the very small hint I gave and bought it for my birthday. It's a relatively cheap fragrance but certainly doesn't smell like it. It has a light, fruity, floral scent and is perfect to wear on a daily basis.  It has what I call a 'clean' smell, and I couldn't recommend it enough.

Benefit Hooked on Carmella - £29.50 for 30ml

Normally, I prefer to receive fragrances for Christmas and my birthday, but this was an impulse buy as I received a sample and fell in love. The vanilla scent is absolutely gorgeous, and this probably will be an all time favourite. It's quite small considering you pay a lot but I love it so much, it is worth the money. A few sprays of this will last all night.

Lacoste Touch of Pink - £25.00 for 30ml

I think this is my 4th bottle. This fruity, summery scent is perfect for me, and I love wearing it throughout the summer. Whenever I wear it, it brings back a lot of memories, and the scent isn't too overpowering.

Dreams Unlimited - £15.00 for 50ml

Another fresh, floral, fruity scent that smells 'clean'. It has a slightly strong scent, but it's not overpowering. I read a review that it smelled 'aquatic' which fits it perfectly.

When it comes to reviewing pefumes, I'm not the best. I think it's very hard to define a smell in a blog post. However, I do recommend that you have a little smell of these next time you see them.

What's your favourite fragrances?

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Review | MAC Select Moisturecover

If you saw my MAC haul then you'll know I had a few reviews coming up of the products that I purchased. The first review is going to be the Select Moisturecover.

I was recommended shade NW20 and at first I was unsure as I am normally a NW15 in foundation and you're normally meant to get a little lighter than your skin tone. However, I trusted his judgement and it looked okay. However, when I got home and tried it out myself, I realised it was way too dark for me. I can't wear it alone, and have to put foundation over the top, so to be honest I can't really give it a full review as the idea was to purchase this to brighten under my eyes and allow me to not wear foundation.

Other than that, I really do like it. It is quite a thick consistency, but doesn't clog my pores. It feels like on the skin, and provides a good coverage. I apply under my eyes and on any problem areas and then blend in using my fingers or using a concealer brush. The concealer tends to last very well too.

Would I repurchase? I'm not too sure. I think I would have to try NW15 in order to get a full idea of how it feels, but it does a very similar job to my Collection concealer (review coming soon), which is a fraction of the price - so maybe it isn't worth it.

Select Moisturecover retails online at £14.50. What's your experience of MAC Select Moisturecover like?

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Guest Bloggers | Ombre Glitter Nails

Hi guys! Hope you're all well. For this guest post I've decided to do a nail tutorial. I love love love nail art & have just started learning how to do my own! I've never done dazzle nails before, but I thought I'd show you how I've done it & we can learn together. Ahh, cheese! ;)

So, first things first... what do you need?

• A base coat - I'm using Boots essentials base coat.
• A coloured nail polish - I'm using OPI that's berry daring.
• A Barry M dazzle dust or another sort of pigment - I'm using Barry M shade 71.
• A top coat - I'm using Sally Hansen's InstaDri
• A spoon with a flat end

& here goes! Apply one coat of your base. This step is obviously optional, but doing so will prevent any staining to your nails & will provide a more even finish to your polish. Once the base coat is dry apply your polish of choice. This is where you need to be on the ball!

Now, using the flat end of the spoon pick up a little of your dazzle dust & place it just above your nail cuticle. Whilst the polish is still wet blow the dazzle dust in the direction of the nail. I learnt from doing mine that if you blow nice & slowly you get a better effect. Otherwise, the dust just goes everywhere. You might make a little bit of a mess, but just do it outside or on a tray & all is dandy!

Repeat the above steps on each of your nail, & you should end up with something like this... very messy, glittery fingers!

By the time you've done all of your fingernails the coloured polish will probably be dry. So now you can apply your top coat.

Once the top coat is bone dry you can clean up your fingers & be left with beautiful nails! I just used a face wipe for mine & it worked great. I did get my sister to help though, preventing any smudging.

& voila, there you have it! My first impressions... I really like it! I like the subtlety of the colours. I think it gives a gradient/ombre type of effect. Next time I'll use contrasting colours & the dazzle dust will be a lot more obvious.

If any of you guys try this out, lemme know! & lemme know what colours you think work best :) Send me a comment over at http://www,jensbrightandbeautiful.blogspot.com.

Guest Bloggers | Prolonging Make Up

Today's blog post is by Aniqah at http://andlaughatguildedbutterflies.blogspot.co.uk/ Enjoy!

I know many people will often come across the problem of how to prolong their make-up.  Whether it is due to an oily skin-type that allows your base to slide all over your face, a dehydrated patch of skin than quite literally sucks up all your make-up, or the weather, which, let's be frank, is a tiny bit on the weird side at the moment.  Then there is the issue of how to make your make-up last for occasions such as weddings or graduations and wotnot.  I have, in my cosmetics and skincare arsenal, a number of products that I use to help me with this problem, and thought today might just be the time to share it with you!

First up, you need to know your skin-type: by identifying this, you can identify exactly what you need to do with the rest of your routine to help your make-up stay on all day.  My skin-type, for example, is oily, with a dehydrated nose, meaning that my nose suddenly has no foundation on!  To counter this, I quite often use a combination of a balm cleanser to add moisture, clay mask to draw out impurities, then a moisturiser to re-balance the skin.  My products of choice at the moment are the Boots Botanics Organic Cleansing Balm, Good Things 5 Minute Facial Mask and the REN T-Zone Balancing fluid.  To add extra moisture to my dehydrated nose and eyelids I often use an intensive moisturiser such as my DCL Post Peel Quick Recovery Lotion at night.  When it comes to skincare, use products suitable for your skin-type but always remember that you need to put back some of what you take out: balance deep-cleansing products with moisture-replenishing products, and your skin should be happy.

I have one primer that I turn to when needed - I generally go without a primer as I already pile layers and layers onto my face.  It is Philosophy The Present, which I find acts as yummy-scented super glue!

In terms of foundation, I would say the best I have come across in terms of longevity is the Dior Forever.  It comes in a large range of shades, has a matte, very polished finished, and is buildable from around a medium-high to a flawless coverage.  It easily lasts around 7 hours unpowdered, BUT I always powder.

When it comes to a setting powder, I have only used one for the last 2 years: the Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder.  It is a super finely milled powder, white in colour, but completely translucent on the face.  It works to blur imperfections, creating a soft-focus finish on the face, and helps in the battle to control oil.  I use this after my pressed powder, and find that I really notice the difference when I do not use it.

Newest to my little arsenal is the Collection 2000 Fix It Up Spray.  This is a last step after all make up is applied, although I prefer to use it before I apply mascara, but each to their own.  You simply spray from a couple of inches away, inhale the yummy smell, and wait for it to dry and therefore set your make up.  I find that this really holds its own when used during the day at any point where you might get shiny.  It does not disrupt the make up at all, and just serves to perfect it further.

I hope you liked my tips - and remember it all starts with skincare!

Love A.x

Guest Bloggers | Autumn Staples

Hello gorgeous readers here at Ditzy Glamour, I'm Ana and I've been busy blogging over at We All Think Differently. If you haven't already why not come check me out?! Jess here, told me she was going away on Holiday and wanted some guest bloggers, so i volunteered, but here's the deal..I've never blogged over at anyone else's blog, (Call it lack of confidence) and i may not be as interesting or funny as Jess is. So basically, I'm scared to do this post, but Jess told me I'll be fine, so I'm taking her word for it and jumping in.


Lets talk about Autumn Staples in your Wardrobe..

With summer coming to end, (Well lets face it, with the ONE week of British summer we had.. finished) I am super excited that Autumn is on its way..i was sitting at work the other day thinking how rubbish summer has been this year and it hit me that I'm actually so excited to get my beanies back on my head and to wrap up in my scarves again..so I'm going to be chatting a little about what staple pieces you should have in your wardrobe OR at least what pieces I WILL have in my wardrobe.

-Scarves.
I LOVE THEM, the longer, the better..i don't really use the thick ones until Winter fully kicks in but one that i can wrap around myself a good few times, usually excites me.
-Hoodies.
This is one thing that's in my wardrobe throughout the year, I just love them, and again the bigger the better, if you have a boyfriend, their hoodies are by far the best to wear. I like wearing mine in a dressed down way.. on my "relaxing" days, and I  also like looking for hoodies that have university names on them, I  kinda collect them.
-Flat high boots.
These for me are preferably in black or brown, I practically live in my flat boots throughout autumn, i like them high and I LOVE wearing them with my skinny jeans. This look can be quiet dressed down or with the right accessories can be glammed up.

-Beanies.
The bigger the better, that's all I'm saying, I'm talking about those beanies that look like they're about to fall off your head.. i have SO many of them and in lots of different shades! :)
-Heeled Ankle Boots.
Perfect for a night out, they don't have to be all dressy up they can be simple and it would still work.. you can wear them with a dress and some tights, or even with some jeans.. i think everyone should own a pair.
-Flares.
Bear with me on this, as I think of few of you may disagree, BUT some good fitted Flares to me are a MUST.. they are perfect with some heels, and again can be dressed up or down.. I think I'm going to wear mine to my new work quiet abit this Autumn.

-A Leather Jacket.

I spend alot of my Autumn time in mine, I have a brown one and a black one, the black is by far my favourite and I wear it usually with my long scarves.
-Jumpers.
I love jumpers throughout the Autumn months, I look for jumpers with great pictures or designs on the front and i look for ones that look fluffy and warm.. I tend not to go for REALLY thick ones as i always think "I will get too hot, its not winter or Christmas yet."
-Jeans.
Weather they be skinny, or flares, or even boyfriend jeans, I love jeans, i practically live in mine, all year round. I love then cropped and I love them long. To me this is an essential piece of clothes every wardrobe should have regardless of the season!

And there you have it, my MUST HAVES.. for the coming Autumn month.

What are your staple pieces and have I missed anything out?!

Thank You to Jess for allowing me to write this little post on here..! :)

Ana X

Tomorrow...

I am going on holiday!

I will be at Butlins in Minehead (I think it's going to be so exciting) from tomorrow until Friday and I don't know if I'll be tweeting, but I definitely won't be blogging. Don't worry, I've got some great guest bloggers who will be taking over and their posts are amazing! Please leave them a comment, and be sure to check out their blogs.

I'm gutted the Olympics is finishing. As much as I was worried about the traffic and overcrowding, it's been surprisingly nice and everyone has been so patriotic and happy. I really cannot wait for the closing ceremony and the Paralympics.

This weekend I finally found the time to go to a car boot sale. Aiden and I actually did two and I even got a sun tan while I was there. It's such a lovely little community feel and it helps to make a bit of extra money to go towards next week. I'm going to be blogging about car boot sale tips on my other blog, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend and to those of you in the UK, I hope you made full use of the sunshine. Let me know what you've been up to, and I'll see you all next week!

x

Monthly Favourites | July

Another month, another set of favourites!

Soap and Glory Glow All Out - £11.00

See original review here. I still love this product and it puts a little 'life' into my face. The only downside is that the white packaging has got so dirty!

The Body Shop Shimmer Cube Palette - £16.00

See review of my other shimmer cube palette here. These are perfect for travelling and I have been mixing the colours together to get different natural looks. The one I'm loving is Shade 06.

ELF Mineral Eye Brightener - £3.50

I have been applying this underneath and on my inner eye to help get rid of the dark circles. It helps a lot without looking too over the top.

The Body Shop Seaweed Pore Cleansing Facial Exfoliator - £8.00

This is very gentle but still exfoliates my skin well, without leaving my skin feeling red or sore. This is perfect for anyone who has oily skin.

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Guest Bloggers Needed

I know it's been a while since I did a beauty blog post, and I promise there will be some this week, but I wanted to quickly do a post on guest bloggers.

Next week I am off to sunny old Minehead to visit Butlins. It was meant to be a trip abroad but passports and expiry dates got in the way, sooo Butlins it is. I'm actually really excited and it's a lot cheaper so that means more spending money. I'm away from next Monday to the Friday and I wanted to fit two (maybe three) guest bloggers in. You can blog about anything that fits in with my blog, so it can be beauty, fashion, lifestyle. If you are interested, please feel free to send me an e-mail at jesswd18@hotmail.com

Alternatively, I am also looking for guest bloggers on my other blog. If you have any money saving tips, or want to blog about how you save money, or maybe you've found an amazing bargain that is worth talking about, then again, just e-mail me and let me know.

I really hope some of you get on board - guest blogging is an amazing way to get your blog 'out there' to some new readers.

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