NOTD: Love is a Racket

Hi my lovelies,Omigosh I am loving this late summer we are being blessed with in London at the moment. It's warmer and sunnier than it's been all actual summer! Check out a recent NOTD:

This is OPI's 'Love is a Racket'

This nail polish was released back in August as part of the Glam Slam USA duo by Serena Williams. Glam Slam! U.S. featured a duo-pack with two high-shine shades: shimmering red, Love is a Racket, and glittering bronze, Pros & Bronze. 

Applied smoothly, this was three coats. It's quite a bright red with a high shimmer (not glitter) factor.
It reminds me a bit of that shiny red cellophane paper you get around Christmas time!

Beautiful hands right? It's because they aren't mine!

They are my friends hands haha...I reckon she should be a hand/nail model ;)

Woop woop for it being Friday!!

Cheers to the freaking weekend; I'll drink to that....

xoxo

BINTM and the winner is....

For the last few weeks I have been following Britain & Irelands's Next Top Model. Yes I am a real sucker for shows like this; just love it! Nothing beats talk like 'Smizing' and 'Tyra Mail' or in the UK series 'Elle Mail' because it's hosted by the stunning Elle MacPherson. On Monday night it was the long awaited final and me and my new flattie were on the couches at home with a cuppa dying to find out who'd take the title this season! And I am soooo happy that my favourite Jade Thompson won Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model over fellow finalist Juste Juozapaityte!

Here they are (Jade on the right) waiting to be told the winner....(such tension hehe)!

B&INTM host and judge Elle MacPherson said of Jade's look: 'This show is about finding a special kind of beauty. A unique modern kind of beauty... and that is what Jade is.'

I think Jade looked UH-mazing in these beauty beach shots taken in one of the challenges in the show. A perfect combination of sexy and cute!

And fellow judge Grace Woodward, who is known for her high standards and catty comments, said: 'Jade is like her name, she's a rare and precious stone we've found in the rough.'

Her freckles are too cute!!

Thompson's prize included a prize with model agency Models 1, a six-page fashion editorial, a cover spread with Company magazine and a £100,000 cosmetics contract with Revlon. Lucky girl. I hope she'll do well in the modelling world because I think this girl actually has a special and unique look :)

And being Wednesday will round this post up with a little inspiration..

Happy Hump Day everyone! Lots of love xoxo Roz

How to create a messy bun with Goody spin pins!

A few month's ago I saw this advert on TV for the product 'Goody Spin Pins' and I was instantly intrigued and knew I just HAD to get myself some of these pins. They said 'now available at Boots' so the next day I rushed myself to my local Boots store, but no luck :( Over the next few weeks, every time I was near a Boots store I would go in full with excitement only to be disappointed....I couldn't find them anywhere! Turns out I wasn't the only girl who had been intrigued by this advert because the Goody Spin Pins were pretty much sold out everywhere in the UK. So yes after a few weeks of searching the excitement eventually wore off and I'd pretty much forgot all about them until I actually spotted some in Boots accidentally few months later! There they were the Spin Pins right in front of me for only £4.99.....and so the love affair with these pins began ;)

Now some of you might be thinking, what on earth is she going on about?! Well let me tell you about these brilliant pins. Would you like to create simple messy bun's like this but have always found it too tricky to do?
Well than the Goody Pin Spins are the answers to your prayers!! It's super easy to twist and style with the Simple Styles Spin Pins. They come in a pack of two (available in shades blonde and brunette) and each pin has the equivalent hold of 20 bobby pins!

These are the Blonde ones!

"All you need to do is wrap hair around itself into a top knot, bun or romantic side bun. Then simply twist the Spin Pin through the bun to insert, and untwist to remove. It glides smoothly in and out of hair, without snagging or tangling thanks to the double dipped ends. A compact six-layer coil design with the hold of 20 bobby pins, smaller than a lipstick it fits perfectly into make up bags.

The flexible tension spiral moves smoothly through all hair types. The Spin Pin adjusts in size for optimum hold in fine to super-thick, straight or curly hair to create free-floating suspension."

Here are the instructions provided on the back of the packet!


I am seriously in love with these pins and have been telling all my friends about them. It's such a brilliant concept and it works with thin or thick hair and you'll be amazed how only two pins can hold the bun so tightly all day long! Here is another look I created using the pins....

And to show you how SUPER SIMPLE it is to create this look I have filmed it for you!

Here's my little turorial video :)
UPDATE: If the below video is blocked in your country, here is the link for a version without sound so hopefully you can view that one! Let me know if any problems....

I honestly think these pins are such a FAB invention and would recommend them to any girl that wants to create fun and simple up-dos :) You can purchase them at Boots online here now!

Have you heard of these Spin Pins before? Hope you enjoyed my little video xoxo

The journey for the perfect jeans...

Just like many other girls out there, my hunt to find the perfect pair of jeans seems to be a never ending journey. It’s all about that pair that has the right colour, fit, feel and most importantly look! My current go-to favourites are my dark stretch denim skinnies from River Island (as seen in this & this post). Popular jeans these days are often made from stretchy materials but for a while now I have wanted some proper jeans, you know the original sturdy kind? Anyways, while out shopping in Notting Hill a few weeks ago I stumbled upon a shop for the brand ‘7 For All Man Kind’.

I’d read a lot of great reviews about their jeans in the past so thought hey worth checking out! Once I started trying on their jeans in the store I was amazed; I tried 4x pairs in different styles and shades and loved them ALL. If it hadn’t been for the price tag, I would have bought all of them…but because they were about £175 a pop I had to decide on one pair! Not an easy decision I will admit, but I ended up getting the Roxanne style in a lighter/true jeans blue shade. Tada...
"The Roxanne is our classic slim fit. It has a natural rise and a narrow leg opening. With an inseam slightly longer than ankle length, it's perfect for a stacked look. The Roxanne features our signature squiggle or a variety of back pocket designs."

I know this sounds a little silly but in a way jeans are all about...well..the booty right? I normally find pants give me a bit of a flat bottom (ok it feels so weird to talk about my bottom on the internet!) but I found these jeans had the opposite effect, they actually made me feel a little 'bootylicious'! Btw did you know bootylicious is now officially a word in the Oxford English Dictionery? Crazy stuff but  it shows the power Beyonce & the Destiny Child ladies had with that song haha ;)

Anyway enough about that and back to the jeans.
So here I am in an outfit of the day post wearing my new amazing jeans!

 Jeans: Roxanne by 7 For All Man Kind

Check out more Roxanne styles on their website here.

Top: White racer back cotton singlet by ZARA

Jacket: Steel Draped Cardigan by Armani Xchange - availble online here

Necklace: Tiffany & Co heart pendant on long chain

Shoes: Silver ballet flats by ZARA

Do you like my new jeans? Have you ever heard of or tried jeans from 7 For All Man Kind?

These pics were taken about a month ago when I was back home for a weekend with my friend. After I'd taken my outfit of the day pictures on my laptop my friend decided to joined in on the photobooth fun....

The below photo's actually had me in tears of laugher (as you can even see from the smudges mascara in the second photo)!!

We called the last photo of me my 'evil alter ego' and how I might look in 20 years after lots of plastic sugery haha. Isn't just being silly sometimes so much fun? You never get too old for this kind of stuff I say :)  Wishing you all a lovely weekend. xoxo

Seriously?!

Hey lovelies!
Woohoo it is Wednesday = Happy Hump Day :)
Saw this to other day and made me laugh...

See? Blame Disney ;)

In other news, I am happy to announce that my move went smoothly (Ta mum & dad) and I am now officially living in Notting Hill! My parents were here for the weekend to help me move and to explore my new stomping grounds with me. We walked & biked around Notting Hill, Maida Vale, Regents Park and Primrose Hill areas of London and ate lots of yummy food. I am feeling really happy and I LOVE my new home! 

PS: I am finally going to see the movie 'Crazy Stupid Love' this weekend.
It comes out in the UK on Friday. I can't wait :)

Love the bit where he goes "I'll drive" ♥

Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love. = ABSOLUTELY, AMAZINGLY, GORGEOUS! 100% Perfection! That's all!
Enjoy! xoxo

Best & Worst - Primetime Emmy's 2011=

The stars were out to celebrate the best of television at the 2011 Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre on Sunday (September 18) in Los Angeles. Here are my Best & Worst Picks of the red carpet!

Best

From left to right:

♥ Lea Michele, from Glee, in a stunning red dress with a low-draped back and rosette sleeves by Marchesa. The colour suits her beautifully & I adore the (slightly sexy) low back and shoulder detailing!!
♥ Julia Stiles went for a soft, feminine look in a strapless lilac gown by Georges Hobeika Couture. 

The dress fits her like a glove and the lace in this light colour matched with soft side swept hair and subtle jewellery just screams elegance. 

♥ Kelly Osbourne stepped out in a J. Mendel gown looking sophisticated and gorgeous. I am not normally a fan of her style but have to say the last 6 months or so she's been looking really good! The colour and shape of this dress really show off her amazing new figure! Not 100% sure on the strange hair colour plus a shame about the tattoo's but I still think she looked fab.

♥ Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara looks incredible in a curve-hugging coral one-shouldered crepe custom made gown by Vera Wang. She finished off the look with large striking emerald earrings. Love the colour, love the dress, love it all :)

On the fence...

I can't quite make my mind up on Gwyneth's outfit for the Emmys. She definitely shows off her amazing toned body in this black sparkly lace belly-baring dress by Pucci. I like it but then am also not sure on the exposed midriff section for such a glamorous event. Her hair and makeup is perfection however! Gwyn topped her daring dress with black and white 7 carat diamond earrings and two platinum and diamond bracelets totaling 100 carats and a ring of 5 carats - jealous much?! Hmm final decision, overall I think.....yes she pulls it off! Gwyneth, a hit or miss; what do you think?

Worst

From left to right:

★ Julianna Marguiles won Outstanding Actress for her role in The Good Wife but unfortunately she lost out on the red carpet! Stiff, old fashioned and bridal in Armani Privé. 

★ Heidi Klum in a gown designed by previous Project Runway winner Christian Siriano. Too much ruffles for my liking. Heidi is so stunning and think this dress doesn't do anything for her amazing figure. 

★ Phoebe Price is one of those strange Hollywood girls who somehow gets invited to all these events despite the fact that no one knows who she is. Her floral dress looks like it was made out of her grandma's curtains and don't even get me started on the feathered fascinator or her makeup! 

★ Paz de la Huerta looked just TERRIBLE, was she deliberately trying to get on the worst dressed list or something? The dress itself isn't that bad but her overall look is just wacky, she looks like a zombie! I mean check out that crazy bird nest hairdo and the bizarre over-bronzed face makeup with grey (?) lipstick.  Total FAIL...

★ Katie Holmes looked a little too boring and casual for my liking in this ill-fitting cobalt Calvin Klein Collection dress by Francisco Costa. It almost looks as though she'd put it on back to front ;)

What were your Best & Worst for this year's Emmy Awards?

Here are some of the Winners at the 2011 Emmy Awards:

- Drama Series: Mad Men

- Actress, Drama Series: Julianna Margulies in The Good Wife
- Actor, Drama Series: Kyle Chandler, in Friday Night Lights
- Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones
- Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Margo Martindale in Justified
- Comedy Series: Modern Family
- Actor, Comedy Series: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
- Actress, Comedy Series: Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
- Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Julie Bowen, Modern Family
- Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Ty Burrell, Modern Family
- Miniseries or Movie: Downton Abbey
- Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
- Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
- Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
- Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce

MAC Crosswires and Snob

Hey my lovelies,

While I was on holiday in Italy my friend was so kind to let me to have a nosey in her makeup bag. I love doing that kind of thing because I think it's a great way to discover new products. Like me, she very much loves her MAC makeup and was happy for me to play around with two of her favourite lippies. 

So let me share my findings:

Crosswires - described by MAC as 'a clean pinky orange' (Cremesheen)

Snob - described by MAC as 'a ladylike mauve' (Satin)

Here they are swatched on my hand:

These photo's were taken in natural light with no flash.

MAC Crosswires is such a stunning bright orange/pink coral shade. The cremesheen formula's is one of my favourites, so creamy and smooth, plus it's also very long lasting. Think this colour would suit many different skin tones and would look great on both blondes and brunettes. It's definitely not one for the shy-hearted though as it's very much a 'look at me' lippie! :) 

I really liked this lipstick so it has now been added to my (ever growing) lust list.

MAC Snob is a bit of a 'cult favourite' in the lipstick world. It's very popular with some but then also hated by others. Snob is super pigmented and a pink with lavender/purple undertones. I like the satin feel and look, but it can also be a little drying. I love the look of the lipstick swatched and in the tube, plus every time my friend wears it, I always think WOW that just looks FAB! However, the moment I applied this lipstick to my lips I just felt it didn't suit me at all! Too pale, too lilac and too cool toned...it just washed me out and made me look a bit like a porn star haha. Strange because it looks so amazing on my friend! Think it depends on the shade of your lips naturally to decide if the lipstick becomes more pink or purple on you. Therefore if you like the look of this lipstick in the shops I would definitely recommend getting it applied to your lips before making a rushed purchase! What do you think; are you a snob lover or hater? 

xoxo Roz

PS: I am sorry if I am a little MIA for the next few days - my parents are in town plus I am MOVING house this weekend so busy busy but am very exciting for this new adventure of my life to start :)

And Miss Universe 2011 is.....

A new Miss Universe was crowned Monday night: She's Miss Angola, business student Leila Lopes, and she plans to work on HIV advocacy worldwide, in addition to helping her own country.

"As Miss Angola I've already done a lot to help my people," Lopes, 25, said Tuesday morning after taking home the crown. "I've worked with various social causes. I work with poor kids, I work in the fight against HIV. I work to protect the elderly and I have to do everything that my country needs. I think now as Miss Universe I will be able to do much more."

The top 10 finalists in the MIss Universe competition stand proudly on stage in their swimwear!
From left: Miss Austrailia, Miss Costa Rica, Miss France, Miss Ukraine, Miss Portugal, Miss Panama, Miss Philippines, Miss Angola, Miss China and Miss Brazil.

Out of the top 10, these were my favourites:

Miss Australia: Scherri-Lee Biggs

Miss China: Luo Zilin

Miss Panama: Sheldry Sáez

and Miss Angola: Leila Lopes

Another favouritte of the competition, that was highly ranked
but unfortunately didn't make it to the top 10, for me was:

Miss Netherlands: Kelly Weekers!
Haha ok I am a bit bias I suppose but she's really pretty and I watched her win Miss Netherlands 2011 on this TV show and she was such a sweet & down to earth girl.
Check out some stunning pictures of her here.

Lopes is Angola's first winner. She beat out 88 other competitors to win the title during the 60th anniversary of the world's biggest beauty pageant. Lopes, 25, laughed and smiled as she hugged runner-up Miss Ukraine Olesia Stefanko, then felt a crown placed carefully on her head after dazzling a panel of judges with her beauty and impressing them with her brain ;)
Ahh congratulations to the beautiful new Miss Universe 2011. Who were your favourites and do you think Miss Angola deserved to win the title and crown this year?

Happy Hump Day everyone :)
xoxo

Bronze summery night look with a pop of aqua! #

Hey my lovelies,

This is another look of the night from my holiday in the Amalfi Coast back in August (pictures here).

We had been at the beach all day and I felt like a bronzed, summery and fun look! I wore this zebra/tiger like kaftan which has a lovely bright blue stone on it so I decided to incorporate the blue into my makeup too :)

The kaftan I bought about 3 years ago while on holiday in greece. It's more of a beach cover-up really and therefore very see-through, but when you match it with a nude slip underneath it's suitable for a summery evening out.  The hair...quite messy after a day at the beach so decided to braid the front to deal with the 'out of control' side fringe. Here's a close up look of my face of the night makeup:

♥ Face

Collection 2000 - Lasting perfection concealer (3)

VIE - One step face base in soft beige

NARS - Laguna Bronzer

NARS Orgasm Blush

MAC Soft & Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish

♥ Eyes

Estee Lauder - Island Oasis Eye Palette, aqua shade tear duct & inner 1/3 of eye

Estee Lauder - Island Oasis Eye Palette, warm yellow gold shade to mid of eye lid

Urban Decay - Naked Palette, smog eyeshadow in outer crease, blended into crease & lower lash line

Bourjois - Effect Smokey Pencil in ultra black (76) in waterline & smudged along upper lash line

Lash Perfect - Ultimate Black Mascara 

♥ Lips

Lancome - Juicy Tubes in Fraise

I really loved this look. Think the aqua in the corner of they eye gives it that real summery POP!
What do you think? xoxo

Smell AND feel good with Tous H20

Yes, now there is a fragrance that won't just make you smell good, buying it should hopefully also make you feel good as TOUS has released a new fragrance that has created a union between beauty and sustainability. 

For every bottle of the eco-chic TOUS H2O perfume sold, they have promised to donate a percentage of annual sales from the perfume towards water projects in countries where the non governmental organisation Oxfam is working. It is said that each bottle of perfume sold will allow Oxfam to provide 15 litres of water (that is enough for 10 days!!) to a person living in a situation where safe water is not easily accessible.

Inspired by a single drop of water, Tous H2O is zingy, refreshing and oh-so-chic. With base notes of amber and cedar and top notes of organic lemon and lavender, it smells divine and very 'aquatic'.

The fragrance actually reminds me of my teenage days when I used to wear 'Davidoff Cool Water'.

The fragrance is housed in a lovely glittering briolette-cut bottle which is made from 25% recycled material and it 100% recyclable. And the eco-fun doesn't stop there, even the handling of the fragrance and its packaging is carried out by the Arco Iris Foundation, a non-profit organisation working to integrate disabled people into society and the workforce. Plus all the cardboard used in the packaging is certified by the FSC and components of the fragrance are 'Ecocert' certified. So, all round, a great choice if you’re concerned about your impact on the environment.

This means you can now treat yourself to a lovely new fresh fragrance and feel great because you are doing your bit to to give back by helping Oxfam & the environment; a win-win situation I say! :)

So far TOUS has delivered on their promise by donating £132,000 to Intermon-Oxfam and they’re hoping to hit their target of £200,000. The fragrance comes in 30ml (£26), 50ml (£36) and 100ml (£46) bottles and is available at Debenhams nationwide and at the moment on sale online.

Home sweet home %

That time of the week again!

Happy Hump Day :)

Here are some quick pictures of me enjoying the little things in life during a visit home at the end of August.

♥ Hanging out with the parents in Utrecht
♥ Messing around at the beach on a cold and windy summers (?!?) day
♥ Antique shopping in The Hague
♥ Visiting the fortressed town of Naarden

♥ Two blondies by a canal

♥ One of my favourite drinks, fresh mint tea!

♥ and, finally, the obligatory jumping shot haha ;)

Also am addicted to this song at the moment: Gym Class Hereos ft Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts! xoxo

Tickle my France-y?

Don't you just love OPI's polish names? 

This nail lacquer belongs to my friend but she gave me a fab manicure with it while in Italy!

I adore this colour because it's not your average nude, there's something about this color that makes it so unique. Think it's the pink/mauve undertones which make it so soft and pretty!

This polish is part of the 'La Collection De France'.

We applied 3-4 coats to get a smooth opaque finish. 

Great formula, easy to apply and check out that shine (no topcoat)!

Funny thing was that after my friend did my nails we were so surprised how the shade looked so different on my nails than on hers..her application was a few days old. Check out the difference; mine on the left and hers on the right! Mine is more pinky, hers more Taupe. Weird but actually love both shades :) This polish lasted on my nails for ages and loved it so much think I will need to purchase this polish for myself to add it to my collection. And are you ready for this confession...I think I may have found my holy grail nude polish!! xoxo

A night out in Public $

Hey everyone,
Back in August, during my 'birthday celebrations weekend' (Omg I can't believe that's already a month ago) me and my friend Lulu went out for a night of fun in Chelsea. We were meeting some friends at a nightclub called Public, which is usually pretty hard to get into (unless you book a table!) but because we knew some people that were already inside, we were able to smooth talk our way in - YAY!

Makeup wise I went for a grey shimmery smokey eye:

I created this look using my Bobbi Brown Chrome Palette but you could easily copy this shimmery grey eye with any other grey and silvery eyeshadows (for example with Urban Decay Gunmetal e/s or MAC Pandemonium e/s)

Forget makeup however, more importantly was my outfit of the night!!! I'd been out and about shopping with Lulu that same day in Notting Hill and after lunch at one of my favourite places; Nicole Fahri's '202' cafe we browsed around the amazing shop that is in the basement of the cafe. This shop sells the most beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories but it's more window shopping because the stuff they sell is normally quite a bit above my price range. BUT on this occasion we spotted a sales rack....and in this sales rack was this amazing dress.....Ok I think you can tell where I am going with this.....I just had to try it on and yes..again you guessed it - I just HAD to buy it because it looked so-so good! These were Lulu's words not mine, but hey who was I to disagree? haha.

OK now to the shock factor of this little story....the original price of the dress was........are you ready.......£660!!!! Yes I would call that MEGA expensive, eeeeeek! Thank goodness the dress was on sale and discounted by 70% which made it £198. Still not cheap I know, but I just loved it so much I felt it was an 'opportunity' I couldn't resist. Bet you are curious about this dress now!

The dress is from an Italian brand called DROMe that specialise in leather fashion! The dress I got is a grey/metallic snake-print fitted leather dress with capped sleeves, a round next and back zip fastening.

You can view (or buy) it online here. 

This is me and Lulu out in Public - wearing my new dress!

We had such a fun silly night out! The music was great so we boogied the night away and met this group of crazy guys that were on a stag do and which were a right laugh :)
We even did the world famous......

LOL! Looking back on these pics now brings back such fun memories but also makes me miss my Lulu which is back in the Netherlands and me in London!  I say she should visit again soon, do you? ;) xoxo

Lucas Papaw Ointment - a handbag must have?

Open the handbag of any Australian or New Zealand girl and I can guarantee you that in pretty much each bag you will find a big red tube. This Australian product has been popular down-under for ages and over the years the hype has slowly spread worldwide. Have you heard of this 'magic' red tube before? Let me tell you about Lucas Papaw Ointment!

Lucas Papaw Ointment is a healing balm made in Australia from a formula created by Dr. TP Lucas over 80 years ago.

"T.P.Lucas, after years of research as a botanist with professional experience, stated in his 1906 handbook that he believed that the papaw was the finest natural medicine yet discovered. He believed that the properties of the papaw tree (Carica Papaya) made it one of the most outstanding trees in the world. Of the thousands of specimens which passed through his hands, that which commanded his closest attention and to which he devoted special study was the papaw Tree. T.P. Lucas documented many cures with remedies made from the papaw tree."
Lucas' Papaw ointment is great to use as a lip balm, but also helps with cuts, insect bites, burns, open wounds, dry and cracked skin and many other small skin irritations.

List of ingredients: Fermented Fresh PawPaw Fruit, Rhus Succedanea Wax, Glycerine, Petrolatum, Canola Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Beeswax, Corn Starch, Potassium Sorbate (0.1 mg/g)

I love this product: it's super moisturising on all dry areas of skin and is amazing on chapped lips. The texture is really nice (a little greasy, like vasaline) and it has a very neutral smell. I feel it's a great 'must have' for a girls handbag because 1) it's a fab lipbalm and 2) it has so many other brilliant healing power uses! Plus a little goes a long way, which means the tube will last you a long time making it pretty good value for money at approximately AUS$5/£5 per tube.

Lucas' Papaw Ointment is widely available at most pharmacies in Australia and New Zealand and available online in other countries. I know Cult Beauty stocks it and they ship worldwide.
Have you tried this product before? xoxo