Thursday 28 February 2013

My giveaway winner is...


Very quick post today to announce the winner of my necklace giveaway! The winner is Heidi from Heidi-likes! I am going to tweet her now to let her know! 

I will definitely be hosting other giveaway's in the future so keep your eyes peeled for them.

C xxx

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Zozo the Mermaid


I'm sure that many of you will have seen that Zoe aka The London Lipgloss has dyed her hair an amazing turquoise-blue! I think it looks beautiful and suits her down to the ground, so in honour of her shiny blue locks, I decided that I needed to illustrate her again! I decided to turn Zoe into a very tiny mermaid who lives inside a nail varnish bottle with a host of sea creatures. I especially like the turtle! Have you ever thought about dying your hair a bright colour, or do you plan to in the future? I think it looks so fun and I imagine it to be perfect for hot summer weather. 

C xxx

Monday 25 February 2013

Lovely Jennie!

I'm sure you are all very familiar with Jennie's lovely blog sailboat - it's probably one of the first blog's I followed in fact! If you aren't then you should definitely go and have a gander because it is simply awesome, and Jennie is one of the sweetest blogger's around. I love her mixture of lifestyle and beauty posts, and Jennie surely has one of the best blusher collections in the known universe! She's also an avid photographer, and her work is divine - full of charm and soft colours. 


Jennie also has the most adorable little bunny around - Ralphie! Look at his cute face peeking out. You can read all about his adventures here!


So in honour of Jennie and her amazing blog, I decided to illustrate this little portrait of her and Ralphie sailing away. I hope you guys like it!


Jennie can also be found on Youtube, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook! Go and say hello, she's very friendly! 

C xxx

Sunday 24 February 2013

Snow-belles

Hello all! I thought it would be nice to start practising my watercolours again, but with a glittery twist. This is the first painting in a series I decided to call Snow-belles. Each painting is definitely going to feature glitter, and colourful hair most likely! 
Here is the illustration on my little easel - professional! 


Some of the glitter looks remarkably golden in this photo but it is definitely all silver! 


Anyway, I hope you guys like this! It was really fun to make, and of course applying the glitter was very messy but was probably the best part! 

C xxx

Friday 22 February 2013

Just for fun: Bright hair.

I'm a little late to the party with this post seeing as I dyed my hair months and months ago now! I thought I would just chip in with my experience and the products I used in case anyone else is a little unsure about doing it (as I was). 
I also decided to paint this little watercolour to go alongside the post - it was actually based on the model Montana Cox, who won Australia's Next Top Model because I think she's pretty fab at what she does. 




Anyway, I was a little worried about bleaching my very dark hair, and in the end had to do two bleaching sessions (a couple of weeks apart) to achieve a very blonde look. I decided to only do a small streak because I really didn't know how it was going to turn out, but my idea was that I could change the dye colour I used on it whenever I got bored. I used Jerome Russel Bblonde, and would definitely recommend it - it worked a treat. So yes, it did damage my hair slightly, but I think everyone would expect that to happen, as long as you seriously condition your hair afterwards the damage isn't particularly long lasting. So yes! If you are on the fence about bleaching, my advice would be to just do it! Especially if you intend to just bleach a small streak like me. Sorry that my hair looks extremely dishevelled in this photo but it was just to give an idea of how bright I actually managed to get my hair. 


As for the colour itself, I used LaRiche Directions (I'm sure many of you will be familiar with these little pots) and they are essentially like little pots of goo! I mean that in the best possible way, they are very fun and easy to apply! I used my fingers to smooth this product all over my hair and left the dye in for around 20 minutes. The dye is semi-permanent, and you will notice some fading after 4 or so washes, so if you get bored easily, this might be a good dye to try. I used a combination of pastel and flamingo pink, the pastel helps tone down the intensity of the really bright pink, but still gives good colour pay-off. Sometimes I try and get an ombre effect by using Flamingo pink at the top of my hair and fading out to pastel, I'm not exactly an expert though, so that's slightly hit or miss for me! These little pots usually retail at around £3.99 and are available from Ebay, Amazon, and stores like Blue Banana. 

Have you ever been tempted to try bright hair? Let me know! 

C xxx

Wednesday 20 February 2013

A present from Mum.

A little while ago you may remember that I entered the Lashes of London wishlist competition, well my Mum saw it on my blog and decided to treat me to the sequin biker jacket! Luckily the jacket was in the sale and had been reduced from a whopping £130 to just £39, a really good price for a lovely, well-made jacket. I don't think I'll be wearing it out until the weather has improved because it's very much a dressy jacket, unlikely to keep me very warm! 


The lovely guys at Lashes included this huge lookbook/poster in with the package, and it's really pretty, it even has a couple of cute pups on it!


As you can see, my collage making skills aren't too amazing just yet! Lashes describe the jacket as 'antique gold' and I would definitely agree, it really has that burnished look to the gold colour so it isn't too flashy or sparkly. I can imagine this jacket being perfect for a night out, and the biker cut gives it a slight edge. 
Here is a close-up detail of the sequins. I wouldn't describe them as typical girly sequins, more like a mature grown-up version! I love how sturdy this jacket is, you can tell it's good quality from the first moment you glance at it, so I definitely think it is worth £39. If you feel like treating yourselves, you can purchase the jacket here! It looks like all of the sizes are still available too. 

C xxx

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Lily & Zoe at LFW


I have to say that since LFW has been on, I've been more interested in street style than the shows themselves! I decided it would be nice to draw an illustration featuring Lily and Zoe as they are two of my favourite blogger's. I really love how Zoe kind of looks like a little cute vampire by the way her hair was styled, and of course Lily was looking stylish as ever in an electric blue suit. I turned them both into little lip glosses, how cool would it be if they were real! Have you all been keeping up to date with LFW, or did any of you attend? 

C xxx

Sunday 17 February 2013

Moschino Cheap & Chic S/S13



As soon as I saw the make-up look for the Moschino Cheap & Chic collection, I knew immediately that I must base an illustration on it. It was totally beautiful, electric blue mermaid eyeliner, and amazing crimped hair. I know a lot of people are kind of on the fence with crimped hair making a comeback, but I think when it's done right, it can be lovely. The look kind of reminds me of Daryl Hannah's character in Splash. I'm going to have a look through my make-up bag and see if I can find some of my Urban Decay pencils to have a go recreating this look with any success.


When it comes to creating such a vivid eye look, you can't go wrong with some Urban Decay pencils! Luckily they are on offer on the Debenhams site right now!

1&2. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil, Debenhams, £14, now £12.60. In shades, Clash and Morphine. 

3. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil, Debenhams, £14, now £12.60. In shade Electric.

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, Debenhams, £14, now £12.60. In shade Siren. 

I've used the glide on pencils plenty of times, as I'm sure many of you have, and I just love them. The pigmentation, staying power and pop of colour is perfect, especially for creating pretty Summer make-up looks. 

What do you think of crimped hair, and do you have any favourite make-up ideas for S/S?  

C xxx

Saturday 16 February 2013

Sweeties.


This is a little illustration I finished a couple of days ago, inspired by candy and sugary sweet innocence. I really enjoyed working on this piece, it includes most of the things I like, sweets, lace, and pink hair! I've been reading The Liveship Trader's trilogy lately, and for some reason this girl reminds me of a hipster version of Malta Vestrit! If you haven't read those books, then I would thoroughly recommend them. 

Here is the second instalment of 'Inspired by' - hope you guys like it! 


1 & 2. Kola Kubes and Chocolate Limes, Aquarterof, roughly £2.47 for 250g. I used to love getting a bag of Kola Kubes and I haven't had any in ages! So yummy though, I love the chewy centre. Chocolate Limes seem more widely available, and again they are incredibly addictive, a bag doesn't last too long with me. If, like me, you love old fashioned sweets then check out 'A quarter of' for all your sugary needs! Alternatively if you have a market in your town, you could always pop in to see if they have a sweet stall, all the prices are usually ridiculously cheap. 

3. Tea Rose Headband, Crown and Glory, £15. Last time I featured a straw hat, so this time I thought I would choose a floral crown for some variety. Of course when I think of floral crowns the first shop to come to mind is Crown and Glory. There are so many to choose from, but I think this dainty band is my favourite. I love the pastel colours of the roses. 

4. Whole Lotta Rosie headband, Crown and Glory, £20. I also spotted this lovely band on the Crown and Glory site and immediately knew I had to feature it! The rich colour of the roses is perfect for summer or winter, and I think it is just a lovely statement piece. 

5. Cameo Rose cream lace dress, New Look, £14.99. I love this type of dress, but sadly cream is a no no for me as I know I would ruin it in the wash! However, I think it would be a cute Summer dress paired with little ankle socks, and £15 is very reasonable too. 

Don't forget to enter my giveaway here! 

C xxx

Thursday 14 February 2013

LOL Bubble Tea on Valentine's.


I have wanted to try bubble tea for AGES but couldn't find anywhere local that sold it, until now that is! I read about LOL Bubble Tea a little while ago, and my boyfriend and I decided that it would be nice to pop up today for a Valentine's treat.


They had lots of flavours on offer ranging from milk teas to smoothies, each drink is £3.50 for a big cup and one topping. We opted for a banana milk tea with strawberry bubbles and a coconut milk tea with the traditional tapioca bubbles. The lady who served us was really sweet and lovely and talked us through all the options. You can even get all the drinks with reduced sugar if you would like!


Looks how cute the straws are too! I loved the little strawberry bubbles, they pop in your mouth and the flavour is super tasty. The tapioca bubbles were chewy and delicious. 


I really enjoyed the relaxed and peaceful atmosphere of the tea shop, and would definitely go back in the future! If you are ever in Sheffield and fancy giving bubble tea a go, then you can pop into LOL which is situated in the West One Plaza which is just a few minutes walk from the city centre. I hope you are all having a lovely day!

C xxx

Wednesday 13 February 2013

My favourite Winter & Summer shoes.

I have been thinking of doing a post like this for a little while, it's totally different to what I normally post, but I just wanted to give it a try. I added some small woodland creatures to these photo's too - no particular reason for that!


Favourite Winter shoes.

I actually got these boots quite recently due to the fact that my other nice boots sprung a leak! Not exactly ideal for trudging around in all the snow we've been having. I spied these Doc style shoes in Primark for £18 which I think is very reasonable for a sturdy pair of boots with good grip. I love the Doc Marten style, but I actually find real Doc's to be very uncomfortable, and they always seem to rub my heels. I've been wearing these pretty much every day since I got them and I love them - patent goodness! I think I will probably get some extra laces for these, I fancy some nice pastel pink ones. Primark quality seems to be getting better all the time, and I really rate their products nowadays. 


Favourite Summer shoes.

I got these lilac creepers ages ago now from Ebay (can't remember the seller though!) they were probably only around the £15 mark which I think is very reasonable. Creepers seem to be everywhere these days but I rarely see the pastel white-soled versions so that's why I like these. They are really cute paired with Summer outfits, I like to wear mine with my dungarees. I have to admit that creepers are a little strange to walk in when you first wear them, it just feels very weird! Other than that they are actually very comfortable and feel hard-wearing which is always a plus. If you did fancy giving creepers ago, they are available here for £16.99 and there are tons of other colours available! I love the pink and blue ones - so cute. The only other Summer shoes I really love are my jelly shoes, however they tend to make my feet very sore! 

What are your favourite Winter and Summer shoes? xxx

Monday 11 February 2013

Glitter Detector!


If you have followed my blog for awhile you may know that Marta who runs Glitter Detector is my good blog pal, so I decided to draw this portrait as a present for her! I really love Marta's blog - such a nice mixture of lifestyle, beauty and lots of other fun things! In addition to running a lovely blog, Marta is a super sweet girl so please check her blog out. I also added her adorable cat Lily into the illustration (Lily is a little poorly lately so I hope she gets better soon). 



Marta also does lots of lovely tutorials, this is her very latest one which is a Selena Gomez 'pink' inspired look. You can watch all of her other videos here!

I hope you like this Marta! 

C xxx

Saturday 9 February 2013

Win a necklace!


I thought it would be nice to do a little giveaway to say thank you to all of my followers! I really appreciate every single one of you, and your comments really do inspire me. I hope you will continue to read and enjoy my blog! You can follow me on Twitter right here!
Good luck to all of you who decide to enter!

C xxx

Friday 8 February 2013

Lashes of London Competition!


I'm sure you may have seen other posts about this very awesome competition, but I thought I would give it a go too! E-tail has team up with Lashes of London in giving away a very generous £200 to spend on the brand. All you have to do is compile a collage of your favourite pieces from Lashes of London and then write a blog post all about it. If you want to enter too then just click here! 
The pieces I have chosen are slightly eclectic and clashing, but I kinda like it! I especially love the jacket which is actually in the sale now - bargain. I can also imagine the lilac skirt being adorable when the weather heats up, which will hopefully be soon! 

xxx

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Little Summer Owl


I don't know about you, but I'm thoroughly sick of the cold weather and random bursts of snow now - please hurry up Spring! I decided to draw this as a remedy for the wintry weather we've been having. It reminds me of Summer days. I decided to give the owl a little heart shaped face with a flower crown to match the girls hat. I really love owls - I wish I could have this one as a pet! I did once get to stroke a baby barn owl, and it was possibly the softest thing ever! So cute. Anyway, I'm planning on curling up with my hot water bottle again tonight - so glad I decided to purchase one! I hope you all like this illustration.


I also decided (this morning) that I would try adding a new feature called 'Inspired by' where I select a couple of items that relate to my illustration in some way! I probably won't end up doing it for every illustration, but I'll see how it goes. 

1. Orange Stripe Sun Hat, River Island, £15.00. Seeing as the girl in the illustration has an awesome sun hat on, I decided to include this! The only thing that is missing is a ribbon and some flowers, but if you were really crafty I'm sure these things could be added quite easily. 

2. Three Owls on a Branch cushion, Cherry Rainbow, £18.00. How about an adorable owl cushion from Cherry Rainbow. I really love the colours and vintage look to this and would definitely be proud to have it on my sofa! 

3. Pink Fox Bag, Cherry Rainbow, £14.00. This is another piece from Cherry Rainbow, and I think it's so pretty. I could imagine the girl in the illustration carrying this around, and it's definitely my favourite of the 'fox' bags I've seen lately. 

4. Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain in Cherish, Boots, £7.99.  Although these are priced at £7.99, they are usually on offer at Boots or Superdrug! I picked up the colour Cherish, and it's gorgeous. A really pretty pastel pink shade, and perfect for Spring/Summer. I love these because they are long-wearing and I hate re-applying lip colour (pet peeve). 

5. Hawaiian Tropic Protective Sun Lotion SPF 30 200 ml, Boots, £12.59. You may think I have lost my mind at this point, seeing as the weather is freaking freezing, but this illustration reminds me of Summer, and that's why I'm including it! I really like this brand, the cream smells yummy, and the SPF is high enough for my insanely pale skin.    

Anyway, that's all for now - hope you liked this new idea! 

xxx

Tuesday 5 February 2013

This Charming Flan & Madame Gourmand!

Here are some of my very latest commissions that I have been working on for two really nice ladies, Daniella and Lauren. I'm so happy that they decided to get in touch because I absolutely loved creating these!


Firstly is the illustration I designed for Daniella aka Madame Gourmand! Daniella blogs about a wide variety of subjects and currently has a lifestyle blog, and a cooking/food blog, which is why I put her in a cookery apron! I had a blast designing this, and Daniella was really lovely during the process. I urge you all to go and follow her on her facebook page here! 

 
This is the banner I created for the really lovely Lauren! What can I say about Lauren? She is just the sweetest! Lauren also has another blog called 'a lauren to herself' where she blogs about fashion, beauty, and just her life in general! This banner is for her brand new bakery blog and I just love the name she chose - genius! Lauren was absolutely delightful to work with, so please go and follow both of her blogs!

xxx

Monday 4 February 2013

Freya Goodacre


I was recently contacted by another great make-up artist called Freya Goodacre to see if I would be interested in producing an illustration for her! Freya mentioned that she loved fairytale's, so I decided to use that as my theme and create an image around that. I decided to use a nail varnish and a lip gloss as the 'characters' one being good, and the other being evil! I'm really happy with how it turned out - let me know what you think!



These are some of the photo's that I used for inspiration as I really liked the gothic look of them. You can find the rest of the set here! I love all of the lace detail around the eyes - it just adds so much interest to her face. 

If you would like to find out more information about Freya you can follow her on Facebook here and also view some of her other looks too! Freya can also be found on twitter!

Freya's make-up work is really lovely and diverse, so please do take a look. 

Thank you for getting in touch Freya! 

xxx