Frills 'n' Spills

I got this amazing Nars gift set for Christmas and I absolutely love the different red shades in it. It includes the (limited edition) velvet lipliner in Misdemeanor, a lipstick in Flamenco and the velvet matte lip pencil in Mysterious Red and I couldn't be happier with the selection. I am a big fan of red lipstick and these Nars shades apply like a dream. I was looking particularly pasty pale here so the lipstick looks particularly bold. My hair has grown a lot since we took these pictures but I can't decide how long to let it go as I like how it looks here!

A better look at that awesome floral print... I know florals are hardly groundbreaking but these botanical ones are at least more interesting than your usual.

Help a gal out, how long should I keep my hair?!

I am one of those people that has a lot of clothes but I have been pretty brutal recently when it comes to sorting and clearing stuff out. Fun prints will always have a place in my wardrobe and this H&M top was destined to come home with me when I spotted it in the window of my local store. I absolutely fell in love with the sleeves, they are so swooshy and dramatic. This is definitely not a top for the shy and retiring! ;)

The pattern is so detailed and reminds me of china print. There are so many colours that you could match it with but coral is so nice with navy and super summery too... I am obsessed with Bumble and Bumble Styling Creme recently. I don't tend to wear a lot of product in my hair but this has been perfect for adding definition without weighing it down. I bought the travel size from Boots to try it out but I will definitely be buying the full size bottle when this runs out!

These coral shoes always put a smile on my face and they make even gloomy days feel more cheerful. I just wish Clarks would release them in more colours, just imagine how cute they would be in a lemon yellow?!

How do you keep your wardrobe under control?

I was recently offered a copy of Eric Lanlard's Afternoon Tea to review and I jumped at the chance. I own a lot of recipe books but very few that are baking focused. This one is beautiful and full of delicious recipes. It's not necessarily a book for complete beginners (I wouldn't know where to start with making tuna and pumpernickel mille feuille for instance!) but there are some interesting twists on classic recipes- I can't wait to try the savoury macarons! I did find it difficult to choose which recipe to try first but I decided to be nice and bake something for Mark for a change! I'm not normally a fan of banana in bakes but these cookies were absolutely divine. I ate 2 when they were fresh out of the oven and spent the next few days working my way through the rest. 

You can't really go wrong with a natty printed dress and this cute teal number is a firm favourite in my wardrobe. I bought it from Yumi when I was in St Ives for new year and it was a complete bargain. I don't often go for dresses with sleeves (the perils of always being warm!) or many shirt dresses but I think the shape is pretty flattering on me and the sleeves make ideal for work too! I love jewel colours and teal is definitely one of those colours that works on everyone, especially if it is covered in teeny gold polkadots!

I had been searching for a replacement pair of nude shoes with a block heel for what seemed like years and had almost given up hope when I spotted this pair in good old M&S. They aren't anywhere near as comfy as my other pair but I'm hoping that they will wear in soon as they are a perfect heel height!