What I Wore: Rainy Summer & Shoe Boots.

               
  

Shoes: ECCO Sculptured 65 Low Cut Lace Boot ♦ Cardigan: H&M.

Leggings: Primark. Nail Polish: Beauty UK Fuchsia. Belt: Vintage shop.

Apologies for the super overcast photographs, the great British weather let me down, but it did give me the perfect opportunity to wear the newest addition to my shoe collection, the Sculptured 65 Low Cut Lace Boot from ECCO. These are unlike any shoes I have owned previously but I was really intrigued by their 'combining style with comfort' tag line. I had little booties that were a similar shape when I was small, minus the heel, and I just adored them. I remember when I first got them I refused to take them off for the whole day and I tried my hardest not to scuff them for months whenever I wore them outside. So these have a little bit of nostalgia attached to them & many happy memories!

There seem to be a few different styles, from shoes to knee high boots, in the new ECCO Sculptured 65 range, these are the Low Cut Lace Boot and I have to say, they are so so comfortable. They feel like they really form to the foot and even though these have a heel, I find them super easy to walk in which is coming from someone that never ever wears shoes with a heel usually! They're super soft and almost give you an added spring in your step remaining comfortable all day long. I really like the whole shoe boot look and I think these are such a versatile piece, suitable for so many different occasions.

I knew immediately I wanted to contrast the patent, quite structured shoe boot with a soft floral and super girlie dress while keeping the colour palette really neutral, letting the print and high shine black do all the work. This is one of my favourite dresses to wear in the cooler weather, it's a really lovely light material with a loose and comfortable fit. The contrast between such a light dress with a sweet print and the high shine boots is something I really adore. It's girlie with a little bit of added edge. To give the dress a bit of shape I added a waist belt with shiny black enamel detailing, which keeps continuity throughout the whole outfit without being too matchy matchy, I hope!

I'm loving simple outfits right now and most importantly, comfortable outfits. There's nothing worse than half way through the day feeling hot and bothered or having aching feet. Even after a long day wandering around the shops this afternoon I felt cool, chic and sophisticated in this outfit.

    How would you style these shoe boots?

    I think they're such a versatile piece & I would really love to know your ideas to get some more inspiration!

    xoxo

   Sponsored Post

This post contains sponsored content however all thoughts, opinions and words are my own!

Too many pretty things..

I think I'm going to have to ban myself from browsing online shops because there are way too many pretty things that I'm finding myself lusting after!

1. Glamorous Navy Sweetheart Lace Dress. 2. OPI Nothin' Mousie 'bout It. 3. Lomography Diana Mini.  

4. French Connection Oxford Quilt Large Tote. 5. Benefit 10 Bronzing & Highlighting Duo.  

6. Too Faced Candlelight Glow. 7. Glamorous Sheer Paneled Jacket. 8. Topshop Liptick in Rio Rio.  

9. NARS Cheek Palette.

I have completely fallen in love with the Glamorous Sweetheart Lace Dress, I think it's so pretty and I'm a sucker for anything lace! I'm in need of a new black tailored blazer and once again Glamorous has come to the rescue with its Sheer Paneled Jacket! The sheer panels bring something a little bit unique to an otherwise classic piece and I absolutely love it. French Connection is the brand I'm finding myself lusting over the most at the moment, they have so many beautiful & classic items and I adore the Oxford Quilt Large Tote bag.

Make up wise I've mostly been keeping in neutral and bronzey so the Topshop lipstick in Rio Rio would give the perfect amount of colour without being overpowering. I'm hugely into bronzers at the moment, I think Benefit 10 Boxed powder looks super wearable & I like that there are two products in one box! This NARS trio has really caught my attention, I've been wanting to try Laguna for a really long time now as well as the Orgasm blush, so this looks like a lovely little deal.

Lastly I couldn't resist adding this Diana Mini camera after seeing it over on Lily's blog because it's just so sweet! The map print is so darling and I can imagine taking this on pretty sunshine filled holidays!

xoxo

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September Sponsor Call!

Whether you’re a boutique owner, fellow blogger, photographer or just a generally amazing lovely person, if you think my readers would love to know about you, let me know! I would love to hear from you!

I currently have two spots left for September! Adverts do not have to be 200px tall (must not be larger) but they must be 200px wide. If you'd like me to resize an image for you I'm more than happy to do that. Each advert will be up for one calender month and I will happily offer a discount if you would like to advertise for multiple months. Adverts will be rotated on a weekly basis ensuring each advert gets maximum exposure! All adverts are £4 per month.

Please please please don’t be shy to enquire!

Email me at: sailorjennie@googlemail.com with the subject title 'Sailboat Advertising'.

xoxo

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Review: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. £7.99.

Usually I'm not one to stray from my tried and tested base make up products but I had been hearing so many good things about the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream and I was really intrigued. Initially I kind of just forgot about it because I find a lot of high street base products are too dark for my fair skin but when I noticed that Maybelline were giving away samples in the lightest shade on their website I jumped at the opportunity to try it.

The shade 'Light' is ever so slightly too dark for me but it's not hugely noticeable and nothing a bit of blending doesn't fix, for reference I'm an NC15 in MAC. It also doesn't look orange in tone & it's quite a nice match for my warm complexion. In terms of coverage it's definitely very sheer, just enough to even out my skin tone but not enough to allow me to skip concealer around my nose and on the redness on my cheeks. The oil free formula leaves a nice glowy look to the skin but it's not greasy and doesn't leave you feeling oily. I'm not sure how well this would work on super oily skin, I imagine you would need a good setting powder but it doesn't slip at all on my normal/dry skin. I don't find it moisturising enough to skip moisturiser before hand and even though there is an SPF of 30 I use a dedicated SPF underneath as well. With a good moisturiser on underneath I don't find it accentuates dry patches at all.

It blends really well into the skin and although the bottle looks really tiny, a little goes a long way, which is nice. It's not overly scented and just feels really comfortable to wear, it's in no way heavy and lasts well on my skin for around 6 to 7 hours without touching it up throughout the day at all. It's fast become one of my summer staples because it's one of those products you really don't have to think about or spend too much time applying in the mornings. I usually blend with my ELF Studio Powder brush but it works equally as well with fingers as well.

Have you ever tried this before? 

What's been your favourite base make up product this year?

xoxo

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Uggs for the iPad!

Colca Sac Hanakapiai iPad sleeve♦ (£27.95.)

Since getting my iPad over a year ago I've been on the search for the perfect case for it. I had the original Apple smart case and I wasn't a huge fan, eventually selling mine & opting for a cheaper click-in alternative, which I love for protection around the house but for traveling or just popping in my bag I don't think it's the best at protecting it from knocks and bumps. Cue the ColcaSac Hanakapiai sleeve, or as I have heard them described, Uggs for the iPad (just way more eco friendly!)! Who said tech accessories can't be cute as well as useful?! Mobile Fun kindly gifted this to me, they have a whole array of iPad covers to choose from, but this is the one that instantly caught my eye & I adore it!

My iPad fits snugly inside, both with and without it's click-in case on, which I really love because it means I don't have to faff around taking it off every time I want to go anywhere & equally I know that it won't slip around if it's in the sleeve without the case. Made of natural materials, it's super eco-friendly which is something that really appeals and the recycled polyester fleece is super soft and thick. This is one of those items that you can tell a lot of thought has gone into, I mean the velcro used is thinner than the average velcro & quieter to open, so if you're in a library you don't have to worry about disturbing others. I love that!

The little pocket on the front, which I'm sure is meant to be for practical things like chargers & USB sticks, is the perfect size to fit my phone, my keys and a lipgloss so it's easy to grab if I'm nipping to a friends house super fast! I'm totally sold on the ColcaSac products, they're practical and really cute at the same time. I mean, it's like a winter coat for my iPad, what's not to love?!

I've spied the ColcaSac website already and totally have my eye on the matching Hanakapiai phone case (I don't even have an iPhone but I'd make it work!) & the Jack Bauer messenger bag. See, told you I loved it!

Do you have a favourite tech accessories brand you always go for? 

I'd love to know what it is if so!

xoxo

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Five Things & Five Blogs I Love Friday #39.

One. Louise Gray for Topshop make up collection. 

Lipstick in Legend. // Cheek Duo in Up In The Air. // Nail Polish in Junk Yard. // Nail Polish in Pink Punch. // Lipstick in Mexican Wave.

I love Topshop make up in general but as soon as I saw the new Louise Gray collection I fell in love instantly. The glitter polishes look so perfect and the lipsticks, oh the lipsticks, how stunning are those colours?! I'm lusting over the bright pink shade especially! 

Two. Ralphie's Grumpy Face. 

I will never ever ever tire of this little face. He has the grumpiest bunny face in the entire world but he's just such a cutie pie. As he grows up he's becoming super chilled out, preferring to to lay down with his little bunny feet sticking out than to run around like a lunatic.

Three. Beauxoxo

Monarch Butterfly Garland. // Bambi Bow Headband.

If you're ever looking for the cutest hair accessories in all of the land then Beauxoxo is the place to go. Honestly, Georgie's creations are so beautiful, I simply adore her Bambi Bow Headbands & the beautiful Butterfly Garlands.  She is so talented!

Four. Nerds.

Wild Cherry & Watermelon. // Tropical Punch & Raspberry.

I remember loving these when I was small and then they seemed to all but disappear from every shop slowly but surely. Apparently you can still get them in stores but I've not seen them in years! I think I'll have to pop a few boxes into my next Cyber Candy order so I can relive my youth a little! I wonder if they'll be as good as I remember them to be?

Five. Neom Luxury Organics Candles.

Since the weather hasn't been that great this summer I've been spending a lot of my evenings curled up in my fluffy slippers reading a good book with a candle lit and it's been really lovely! I have fallen in love with the Neom candles, they really are as good as everyone says they are and in my opinion, completely worth the expensive price tag. These are going to make such perfect gifts at Christmas time!

One. Ample Curvature. Two. Fashbox. Three. Hattie's Hideaway.

Four. Jade-Elaine. Five. Jenventure.

xoxo

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P.S. Please leave a link to your blog or a blog you really love in the comments below if you'd like to be featured in one of these posts in the future. I'd love to discover some new favourite blogs in the process too!

Joules.

As the years have passed by, especially now I’m more settled with a boyfriend and a blank canvas of a house to slowly make into a home, I have found myself becoming more and more addicted drawn towards interior design and home furnishings. When I walk into a department store no longer do I make a beeline straight for the cosmetics hall & fashion floors, (I may swing by as I’m leaving but that inner make up & fashion addict of mine will always be a part of me), instead the home & interiors floor is the one that excites me the most these days.

One of my very first jobs was working for a fashion concession in the fanciest department store in my town and on the same floor was a Joules concession. Joules is a quintessentially British brand, their range is packed full of gorgeous pieces every season and I was always just the tiniest bit jealous of the Joules ladies who always came to work dressed so beautifully in their pretty tunic dresses and quilted jackets. With my very first pay cheque I bought the most beautiful striped dress that was perfect in every way and wore it almost constantly for about a year until it mysteriously disappeared after a weekend away. I really must replace that with a new Joules dress ASAP!

Imagine my complete delight when I learned that Joules were bringing out a bed linen range! I may have squealed a little. Remaining true to their love of prints, patterns, colour and detail the range is sure to be a huge hit with there truly being something for everyone.
LULU.

Lulu has a beautifully detailed floral pattern on one side & super chic stripes on the other, all in a gorgeous almost wedgewood blue hue. The perfect balance between fun and sophisticated has been found within this print, the stripes bring a sense of calm to the full-of-life floral.
CIRCUS.

Circus would be the most perfect addition to any little boys’ bedroom with its sweet vintage inspired print. The blue is rich but not too overpowering and the red stripes add that extra element of fun and a burst of colour. Primary colours look perfect together.
PIGGY CAT FARM.

Piggy Cat Farm is the cutest name with a sweet countryside farm inspired print to match, this one makes me want to throw on my Wellington boots and explore!  This would look so sweet in a little girls bedroom and the multi-coloured polka dots make me smile!
RIBBON STRIPE HORSE.

Ribbon Stripe Horse is perfect for every horse lover with a colourful stripe and simple but adorable horse pattern. The small pops of colour against a calm, crisp white background manages to keep things neutral but statement all at the same time.
ENGLISH GARDEN.

English garden is a simply stunning colourful floral pattern with a vintage edge; the colourful stripes on the reverse are a lovely addition and this would have been my dream bedding as a teenager, heck, it's my dream bedding now! Perfect in an all white room, with vintage inspired furniture and a rustic wooden floor! 
DECKCHAIR STRIPE.

Finally, Deckchair Stripe is my absolute favourite conjuring up sweet memories of time spent by the seaside. The stripe pattern is simple yet statement and this is the one that I think would look perfect in our bedroom. I know my boyfriend will agree, but if he prefers any of the other sets then I’m not going to complain because I absolutely adore each and every one!
DETAILS.

Lulu. // Circus. // Piggy Cat Farm. // Ribbon Stripe Horse. // English Garden. // Deckchair Stripe.

Each set is so perfectly detailed, packed full of beautiful colours, elegant patterns and a huge sense of fun and personality. 

Which is your favourite set? I'd quite like to own them all!

xoxo

*This post contains sponsored content, however all words, thoughts & opinions are my own!
I actually had such a wonderful time writing this, it's inspired me to get back into playing around with words. Thank you, Joules!

Beauty Wish List.

Most of the time I'm quite content with my make up 'collection' but other times, like now, I find myself lusting over a whole host of beauty items that I would love to add to my stash. I have no idea why, I have more than enough products, but companies just keep making more and more lovely things. I want all of the lovely things!

1. NUXE MULTI USE DRY OIL.
I have a sample of the NUXE Multi Use Dry Oil that I received in a GlossyBox and I have fallen head over heels in love with it. I've been using it on my face as sort of a night treatment, I've been running a tiny bit through the ends of my hair before blow drying & I've been mixing a few drops in with my foundation in the mornings. I love love love this stuff and need the full size in my life as soon as possible!

2. TOPSHOP HEAD OVER HEELS CREAM BLUSH.
Peachy toned blushers look stunning with Benefit Hoola bronzer that I've been wearing every single day, the combination is just a match made in heaven. I think Topshop Head Over Heels cream blush will be super similar to MAC Something Special, which I do already own, but I keep finding myself being drawn to this Topshop one too. I love Topshop cream blushers, for a bargainous price, the quality is beautiful!

3. MAYBELLINE DREAM FRESH BB CREAM.
I had a few samples of the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream and I fell in love with it almost instantly. It feels like nothing on the skin, super light and it just evens out my skin tone without looking too much. The lightest shade is ever so slightly too dark for me but it sheers out enough so it's not overly noticeable.  I'm all about the light foundations/tinted moisturisers right now, I love that I can't feel them on my skin and with a bit of extra concealer, I've been using Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer, they're perfect!

4. MARC JACOBS DOT PERFUME.
I'm sure almost everyone has headed to their nearest department store to give the newest fragrance, Dot by Marc Jacobs a sniff. I think it's absolutely beautiful, fresh, sweet and fruity all at the same time and the bottle is stunning!

5. YSL SHOCKING MASCARA.
I have been hearing lots of good things about the YSL Shocking mascara recently and having never tried a YSL mascara before, I'm really intrigued! I'm always lusting over long, voluminous lashes that this mascara seems to promise but I'm not sure I could bring myself to spend almost £20 on something I'll have to throw away after 3 months!

6. MARC JACOBS CRANBERRY.
I know, another scent, but the Marc Jacobs Cranberry fragrance really is heavenly. The bottle is super sophisticated and would look gorgeous on my dressing table. This scent will always remind me of the summer and I would absolutely love to add this to my perfume collection!

7. ESSIE CUTE AS A BUTTON NAIL POLISH.
Since growing my nails I've been eying up super cute nail polish shades and Cute As A Button from Essie keeps catching my eye! I'm slowly learning which shades suit my skin tone and at the moment I'm only really loving pink/coral/blue shades on my nails for some reason!

8. LILY LOLO LIP GLOSS.
I adore Lily Lolo products but I've never tried one of their lipglosses before and all of the shades look so pretty, especially English Rose, Scandalips and Whisper! I love that Lily Lolo products are super natural and these glosses have added Vitamin E for moisturisation.

9. LILY LOLO MINERAL BLUSH.
I had a Lily Lolo Mineral Blush a few years ago and it was gorgeous. They're so finely milled and the shades are all super pretty. I would love to add Candy Girl to my blush collection and I've just noticed they have a new shade called Beach Babe that looks stunning! 

Gosh, that was a long post. More of a little reminder to myself really, I don't want to accidentally forget about any of these products and if I find myself lusting over them in a few months time then I'll allow myself to make a sneaky purchase or two!

Are you lusting after any beauty items at the moment? 

Have you tried any of these before? I'd love to know your opinions!

xoxo

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Saturday Morning.

This morning I was awoken bright and early by the sunlight streaming through my window and I instantly knew today was going to be a good day. The grey clouds have appeared overhead now but I managed to squeeze in an early morning trip to the florist to pick out some pretty flowers & then came home to make some chocolate cupcakes with extra chocolate icing. Yummy!

Now, time for a nice cuppa, a cupcake & some blog post writing. ♥

xoxo

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Five Things & Five Blogs I Love Friday #38.

One. Lensbaby Composer. 

Lensbaby Composer @ Amazon.

There are no words to describe how much I am lusting over a Lensbaby Composer. It would be a total splurge on a fun 'toy' lens but I love the effects you can get!

Two. Phone Shopping. 

Orange San Diego. // Samsung Galaxy Ace 2. // Sony Xperia U.

Since my BlackBerry (seriously, worst phone ever!) finally died on me I've been on the hunt for a new phone. My only real requirements are no blackberries and I'd quite like an Andriod because I'd like to be able to instagram on the go. Yep. I'm totally clueless about phones!

Three. Jewellery. 

River Island Shamballa Bracelet. // French Connection hexagon earrings. // Topshop Glitter Ball bracelet.

Since becoming totally obsessed with wearing black dresses I've been loving browsing for cute jewellery pieces to accessorise with. Friendship style bracelets are my current favourite, especially this gold heart shamballa bracelet from River Island via ASOS. It's quite pricey though so I think I'll have a little browse around on Etsy to see if I can find something similar. For some reason I don't mind spending a little more if it's from a hand made Etsy store!

Four. 2 Broke Girls. 

My new favourite TV show is 2 Broke Girls, I absolutely love it, it's so cute! I've loved Kat Dennings since the days of Raising Dad and I love her even more now! Hai girl crush!

Five. NARS American Dream eyeshadow palette.

I'm not a huge eye shadow wearer so I have absolutely no idea why I'm lusting over this palette so much but I totally am. Every single shade looks gorgeous and I love the name of the palette. I'm a huge sucker for named products! I'm not sure I could bring myself to spend almost £40 on one palette but I'll definitely admire it from afar!

One. The Urban Umbrella. Two. Dimples Diaries. Three. Jaz xo.

Four. Hannah Said So. Five. Britmira.

xoxo

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P.S. Please leave a link to your blog or a blog you really love in the comments below if you'd like to be featured in one of these posts in the future. I'd love to discover some new favourite blogs in the process too!

GlossyBox August 2012: International Superstars.

August 2012 GlossyBox. ♦ £12.95 per month.

This month's GlossyBox theme is International Superstars, no doubt a celebration of the wonderful Olympic games that we just said farewell to, and inside is a bunch of products from all around the world. I have to admit this box isn't one of my favourites, I'm not overwhelmed but there are definitely a few products in there that I'm really excited to try out.

Alessandro Pro White. 
This is a nail polish with an anti-yellowing formula that promises to brighten your nails for a radiant white effect. This is one of the products I'm really looking forward to trying out. Since I stopped biting my nails I have been loving painting them super pretty colours and I'm often really lazy when it comes to base coats but I don't want my nails to turn yellow, so I'm hoping this Alessandro pro white polish will become my new best friend! As far as I can tell (I may be wrong) this is a full size product and retails at £7.85.

Valentina Assoluto by Valentino.
I'm never overly wowed by perfume samples unless it's a scent I already like because I'm super picky with perfumes. I'm not overly fond of Valentina by Valentino but luckily my mama is so this will be going to her and I know she'll love it just to pop into her bag. The full size 50ml is £61.

Vera Valenti L'ombre a Paupiere Margarita eye shadow palette.
On first impressions this looked quite nice, there's a nice selection of neutral shades but I'm super disappointed to say that the shadows themselves are really lacking in pigmentation and they feel a little chalky. I have to say this is the most disappointing product in this months box although it was a nice idea. This retails for £3.85.

Lipcote.
Lipcote is a product that I've always heard about but never really tried. It is the original lip stick sealer and promises to be the secret behind smudge, feather, fade and kiss proof colour that lasts. I'm really intrigued by this product and I'm really looking forward to putting it to the test with my beloved Cherries in the Snow from Revlon. It has such a strong scent though, I'm half expecting it to sting a little when I first apply it! You can find Lipcote in Boots for £3.69.

GlossyBox Lipstick in Glossy Pink. 

These GlossyBox branded products are so cute, I keep the little mirror from a previous box in my bag all the time and this lipstick in the shade Glossy Pink looks really lovely. It promises a luminous, long lasting colour and I'm going to wear it this afternoon so I'll let you know how I get on with it!

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.
I have saved my favourite product for last & I'm sure you all know how much I love skincare so I'm super excited to try this Cleansing Oil from DHC. It promises to be the best make up remover you've ever tried, unclogging pores leaving skin fresh and clean. I love that this is a really good 30ml size so I'll be able to get a good few uses out of it! The full 200ml size is £18.50 which I think is really affordable so if I like it, I can definitely see myself purchasing the full size very soon! They have a bunch of other products on their website too so I'm off to have a good nosey around!

Overall not one of my favourite boxes, the eye shadow palette was super disappointing, but I'm so excited about the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and I think that makes the entire box for me!

Are you subscribed to GlossyBox? 

What did you think of the August box?

xoxo

P.S. Next month is set to be the most unique box to date! I'm not exactly sure what this means but I'm looking forward to it already! It will be limited edition so if you want one, be quick!