A Classic Update At Banana Republic

Banana Republic is the place to be if you favour the smart and polished look. This season they are all about taking a traditional classic design and re-inventing it for a more up-to date look.

An update to the classic shirt is, while it is still fitted, to have a more slouchy, relaxed feel while still giving off the smart concept you would expect. Also, using a striped material (such as this) instead of just the classic white we all know. I would personally wear these shirts with jeans, adding heels for a night out, or with leather leggings for a more rock 'n' roll look.

Switch your classic denim jacket for their coated denim one definitely gives it an update and also gives it a leather look, without the leather price tag. This is one piece you will love in your wardrobe, as it can be worn multiple ways, from with jeans for that 90's double denim look to with a dress to 'harden' it up a bit, or relax that sequin dress you've been dying to wear.

Backpacks are going nowhere fast - this rose coloured one is the perfect update to take you into the new season - I personally love this bag! Also, leather is nice change from all the material ones you normally see and it has better durability, so it is defiantly an investment piece. With it having a simple, toned-down colour it gives a more polished look and it is also perfectly on trend and if you want  to be catwalk cool, clash with a red top. The style of this also reminds me of Cara Delevingne's collection for Mulberry - without that price tag.

The ankle strap shoes has now gone from heels to ballet flats and these ones are perfect for the new season. With the contracting back colour, they are sure to stand out with whatever you wear them with.


What do you think of Banana Republic's new collection?

Love Laura x

Focus & Fix Eyebrow Kit

Bold brows are going no-where and were still being shown on the catwalks at New York, London and Milan fashion weeks. However, not all of us are blessed with these beauties naturally and we need a bit of help. This is where the Focus & Fix Brow Kit by Makeup Revolution comes in. This kit comes with everything you need to get runway worthy brows without having to leave the house and within budget - it is only £2.50!

Fullips Lip Enhancer

Big lips á la' Kylie Jenner are such a huge trend right now but, what if you want to create this look but aren't blessed with this natural plumpness? Or, in my case, aren't very good at the whole over-lining your lips thing? This is where these wonder enhancers come in! I was lucky enough to receive a set of Fullips Enhancers* in the post and my god they are amazing and I have no idea what I did before them!

(R-L) Small Oval, Medium Oval, Large Round

In a nutshell, these are lip enlarging suction cups which come in 3 different sizes and 2 different shapes. The size/shape you use depends on your natural lips and also your desired effect/look.
Each cup is super easy to use - all you do is use a little water to wet your lips, place the enhancer over your mouth and gently suck in short puffs of air - you should feel a slight pull of your lips. Hold for 20-30 seconds and break the suction with your fingers. Keep repeating this until you have your desired look, then apply your lip cosmetics as normal.

 

I was so pleased with the outcome of using these enhancers and I can honestly say, they really do work! I generally used the large round first then went to the medium oval, as I felt this was best for me. With these enhancers, it is just a case of trail and error to see what works best for you. I have only found out what works best for me after about a month of trailing these out. The effect normally lasts about 3 hours, which is pretty good and also means that if you don't like how it looks, it will soon go. The Fullips Enhancers are also small enough to carry around, so touch ups can be done on the go. What is even better is that this is completely pain-free and comfortable to use.

These are perfect for anyone who want bigger lips that are completely natural and I could not recommend them more. I would also like to say thank you to Linda at Fullips Enhancer for sending me these to try out - the packaging was so cute and made me even more excited to use these!

Love Laura x

Barry M Matte Nail Polish

At the moment I'm having a bit of an obsession with beauty products that come with a matte finish and this is what lead me to buy a Barry M nail polish from their matte range. Barry M have a large range of colours in this collection, but I was after a pink as I don't have that many, so I chose 'Rhossili'. This is a deep berry pink which is perfect for this time of year and also matches in with the trends from the A/W catwalk shows.

When applying, it does look shiny but you can actually see it drying and going to a matte finish. I did have to use 2 coats of it, purely because I wanted the colour to be as strong as possible, but I feel one coat of this polish would be enough as it is quite thick. The nail polish is also easy to apply and doesn't look streaky in anyway - it simply glides on and, in my opinion, looks amazing!

I will defiantly be purchasing more colours in this range, as I love the matte effect it has. It is certainly something different compared to all of the shiny nail polishes you normally see.


Love Laura xx

Tresemme Conditioning Masque

After using so much heat on my hair in the last few weeks, it was in desperate need of a treat in the form of a conditioning hair mask. I normally use Tresemme products on my hair - I feel they work best for me - so I tried their Deep Smoothing masque. This is perfect for me, as my hair is naturally frizzy and was also quite dry from all the heat it had been subject to.

For one use, I used about half of the packet which I found was more than enough for my length of hair and it was easy to apply without it being too thick as some conditioning masks can be. The smell was also quite present - it actually reminded me slightly of sun lotion - but was not overpowering and you can only smell it when it is actually on your hair, not when it has been washed out. It does take a bit of time to completely wash out, but I feel this shows that it is actually working on your hair and some of it has 'stuck' to it to smooth and replenish your hair.
This masque defiantly does what it says on the packet, as my hair now feels so much more healthy and smoother but it doesn't feel heavy as some others can make your hair feel - no matter how much you may think you have washed it out!. I would recommend this to anyone, especially if your hair is dry and frizzy. I have a stash of these in my bathroom now!

Love Laura xx