Spring has (almost) sprung! And with this in mind I thought it was high-time I collected my edit of suitable springtime must-haves. Following the age-old saying that a little window shopping never hurt anyone - am I right? - I've trawled through the latest drop of high-street offerings that will uplift and transport your wardrobe to next season style in an instant...
Did I mention that this was one of two posts? I sincerely apologise if your purse quivers at the thought. Mine is buckling down with house and holiday (more on this soon) savings, so I'm at the ready to enable any of you should you need it! Part two will follow next Sunday. When you're deathly sick of LFW and need to come back to the present.
Tell me, which piece takes your fancy? I'll take it all.
Reaching new levels of lash length, a new beauty discovery has been uncovered. Well, rediscovered. Having flirted with a bright lip for quite some time now, I went back to basics in search of the ultimate mascara. For me nothing quite beats mastering the art of long, luscious lashes - especially when you wear glasses.
Dashing into Boots, I snapped up the Seventeen Doll'd Up mascara. A throw back to my teenage years, this mascara is (prepare to take a sharp intake of breath) holy grail beauty material. Setting you back less than a tenner, this curl enhancing, curved comb wand allows you to achieve new lash heights you've never reached before. A layer or two will have you in girl-next-door territory, built up however, it's a whole new ball game. Never appearing clumped because of the slick brushed comb, it layers on just the right amount of product. Worth trying out? You betcha.
Have you a secret beauty hero from the high-street?
And yes, this is the mascara that created an instagram frenzy. Whilst in my dressing gown. Oh the glamour.
In search of something sweet and delicious, Matthew and I found ourselves at the Fortnum & Mason Ice Cream Parlour late Friday afternoon. Celebrating Valentines a little earlier this year, we took the day off and headed into town to quite simply, stuff our faces. Starting at Mildreds, a hearty veggie restaurant in Soho, who serve a mean ale and mushroom pie (see here) we then made a beeline to the grand setting of Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly.
Famed for their tea shop and afternoon tea, the rich heritage that surrounds this whimsical department store is rather enchanting. As you step through the doors and travel up the winding dark oak staircase to the first floor, you will find The Parlour. Hailed as an ice cream indulgence, we marvelled the classic meets retro decor and gazed at the delicious array of sorbets on offer, including scoops of pistachio, marmalade, passionfruit and even gin & tonic!
Pumping for a classic sundae, we resisted the temptation to order the gold leaf and caviar chocolate sensation and chose two of the more classic options on the menu.
Complete with popping candy and chunks of pineapple, Matthew's Knickerbocker Glory was laden with scoops of strawberry and vanilla ice-cream, lashings of whipped cream and finished with raspberry coulis.
A spin on my favourite chocolate treat, The Original Dusty Road was a scrumptious medley of rich coffee and chocolate ice-cream. Drizzled with butterscotch sauce, layered with whipped cream and chocolate flakes, the icing on the cake was a single but oh-so-perfect coffee macaroon.
Both delicious, and demolished within ten minutes flat - we're already planning a returning visit to sample their afternoon ice-cream tea. Yes really.
The way to our heart is certainly the sugar kind - tell me, where are your favourite ice-cream parlours?
My name is Sarah and I have (beautiful) addiction to Nars cosmetics. It started with a blusher and quite simply the rest is history. Falling in love with that sleek matte black packing (so shallow), each Nars piece, from lipstick to blusher, never fails to impress me with their beautiful collection of shade ranges, easy to wear formulas and incredible staying power. Not forgetting their witty shade names which brings out my most profound dirty laugh. Sharing with you my collection of Nars, let's delve on in...
Blushers are my weakness and despite the fact I only have two cheeks, my collection borders on obsessive. But this is a beauty blog, so really what did you expect? I love the way a sweep of blush can instantly transform your complexion, a simple flush of colour to have you looking brighter and glowing. From the perfect pink to the peachy corals, Nars caters for all.
Orgasm: Perhaps the most iconic Nars blusher, the ultimate shade that strikes the perfect balance between pink and peach, shot with a faint gold shimmer. Whether you love it or hate it, it's a classic shade that will never date.
Deep Throat: Whilst you may blush at the name, it certainly creates just that shade. My most-loved blusher in the range, this sheer baby pink has a slight sheen, the perfect starting point for any Nars lover.
Gina: A true tangerine hue, Gina offers a pretty pop of colour for the summer months ahead. Pairs perfectly with freckles.
Gilda: Don't shy away from the pan shade, this deep coral shade with a tint of red offers a beautiful but slight sculpting effect without looking blotchy.
Blush Palette: A limited edition product from last year before last, it's almost too pretty to touch. Housing my fail safe Laguna bronzer, a highlighter and four blushers, it really is the perfect travel companion at an amazing price point. Sadly no longer available, Nars do bring out similar - like this handy palette.
Blush and Bronzer Duo: Whilst my original Laguna bronzer may have hit the pan (rip), this handy little duo was part of a gift set from my American travels. It often makes an appearance when I'm away from home or going from desk to dinner, proving a handy little essential.
Moving onto eyeshadow, both the Nars duos and single eyeshadows are really worth writing home about. Rich pigmentation and buttery soft with one sweep of a brush, they are seriously underrated in the beauty world.
Nepal: Let me count the ways I adore this sheer rose shadow, whether a single wash of colour or built into a smokey eye, it enhances blue eyes and offers a beautiful look-at-me shade. Honestly, I love it so much I keep gifting it to friends.
Silk Road: A duo shadow comprised of a champagne hue and a dusky rose rose gold with gold flecks, this really deserves more of my attention come summer. Either works wonderfully as a wash of colour, but together they work together effortlessly to create a neutral shimmering look.
Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base: My beauty routine is not complete without this eyeshadow base, fact. It prevents shadows from creasing, migrating and even loosing their colour pigment throughout the day. It's long lasting and and incredibly lightweight.
From the classic lipstick to the highly rated lip pencils, last but not least my flirt with bright lip shade owes it's self entirely to Nars lip offerings.
Dolce Vita: Admittedly, I'm yet to really give the dusky pink hued shade my full attention. Well received in the beauty world, it's time for me to give DV a proper spin.
Barbarella: One of my first forays into to the lipstick, Barbarella is a sheer peach lipstick. Without any hint of pink, it is a nude shade like no other in my collection. A lightweight formula with a hint of shine, it's nourishing with long-lasting colour payoff.
Lip Pencils: Coming in a range of formulas from matte to satin, they pack a punch of pigmentation and are hand's down my ultimate choice of lipstick. They are fool-proof to apply, easy to wear on the lips (even the matte shades) and they don't bleed either. Excuse me whilst I purchase the entire range.
I know what you're all thinking. Sarah - you don't even have enough room for all these wonderful pieces let alone the funds. You've got me there, but it really doesn't hurt to flirt with the idea of an online window shop. Especially where interiors are concerned. So perhaps this list is jam-packed with golden accents, a few pineapples and far more lighting than a girl without a house should care for, but here is my most coveted on the home front...
