My Style Diary - Grey Skies...(and a ramble about boots)

I find boots to be one of the trickiest things to buy. It's probably partly because I'm so picky, but I feel like they are such an investment piece, and can completely change an outfit. When I buy a pair of boots, I want them to be something that I will love and have in my wardrobe forever! That's why, for me, it's so important to get it right, and really spend the time searching for the perfect pair.

These are one of those "perfect pairs" (in my humble opinion... of course everyone has different tastes, but for me they are perfect). These were actually the first pair of boots I ever bought, way back in Year 10 I think it was. They're from Rome, and my Mum and I spent a long time looking before we struck gold. I love the soft brown suede, which makes them super comfy, the pointed (but not too pointed toe), and the fact that they come up to just the right height (often quite difficult to find for a shorty like me!) 

When I first bought them I was obsessed, they were pretty much all I wore for ages... 

but one day... the magic started to wear off, they started to lose some of their sparkle, and I started to think "hmmm not sure I really like these that much". 

I knew of course, that it was probably just a phase, and so, to the back of my wardrobe they were put, where they stayed for quite sometime. 

Then one day (just last weekend), for some reason I decided to pull them out and try them on... and... ta-daaa!! The magic was back, and I've fallen completely back in love with them. 

That is the beauty of really taking the time to find something classic that you truly love. Because even if for a little while your tastes change, or trends change, one day, you'll be able to go back and really appreciate them. 

Anyway, enough rambling about shoes!

I hope you're enjoying this rainy Saturday night! I'm sitting in front of a lovely cozy fire in Margaret River and feeling very content. I only have tonight here because I have to head back home tomorrow for work on Monday, but for now, I'm just enjoying the moment. 

Goodnight!

Lauren

xxx

Dress/top - Jeans West

Boots - from Italy
Watch - Thomas Sabo

Bracelet - Local Boutique

My Style Diary - Blue, Black and Cotton Candy Pink.

Heya :)

Wednesday night already! This week seems to be flying by which is awesome, although I am pretty exhausted so I'm going to keep this post short and sweet!

These are some photos I took a few weeks ago (before my computer went crazy). A very simple outfit, but I really like this top - it's pretty much just a basic black top with a subtle sort of peplum style, which I think is cute and adds a bit of interest. It's from a local boutique, but the brand is Minty Meets Munt. I just googled them and they have some really cute pieces! I might just have to investigate a bit more!

Anyway, not much more to say for now, so I'll leave it at that.

Happy "hump day"

Love Lauren

xxx

Top - Minty Meets Munt

Jeans - Siwy

Shoes - Country Road

Jacket - from Hong Kong

Necklace - Swarovski (birthday gift)

Essie Nail polish in Chastity

Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

My Style Diary - Cream, Pink and Khaki

As I'm sitting here writing this, it's actually bucketing down with rain, but when I took these photos yesterday it was just the most lovely sunny day. It's not quite spring yet, but  yesterday it was definitely starting to feel like it, particularly as the plum blossoms are blooming! 

This is my absolute favourite time of year - it's slowly starting to warm up, the sun starts rising earlier and setting later (making it just that little bit easier to get out of bed at 6:30 am), and I just overall feel much more positive about life in general. 

I haven't written about this all that much on here, but a few months ago I was feeling pretty negative about things. I was so anxious all the time about various things that I don't really want to get into on here. For some reason though, over the past few weeks things just seem to have gotten better.

Anyway, hopefully that's all over *fingers crossed*. One of the things that I think has definitely helped is the fact that I've been trying to keep myself busier.  I was in a bit of a rut before, but I've been making more plans, seeing more people and just generally trying to fill my free time with things I love doing. It definitely helps that it's been nicer weather. When it was colder, all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep!

This blog is just one of the things that I've decided I'm going to spend more time perfecting. I really enjoy it, and although it does feel slightly narcissistic sometimes (I mean, it is a blog mostly filled with photos of myself), it is a nice kind of creative outlet. 

My good friend Alex who is a bit of a computer wiz was kind enough to spend time showing me the very basics of html today. He helped me set up the navigation bar up the top there ↑ and already I think it makes the whole blog look so much nicer! So thank you so so much Alex! :)

Whoa that was ramble-y! I didn't even talke about the outfit :p.

I hope you're having a lovely relaxing Sunday night

Lots of Love

Lauren

xxx

Top - Asos

Pants - Country Road

Sandals - Therapy from Transit

Belt - Witchery

Bag - Jigsaw

Watch - Thomas Sabo

Bracelet - Pandora

Beauty Bits - My Thoughts on the Mac Illustrated Face Kit (Plum)

I was just having "a quick look" at the Mac counter the other day, when this beautiful palette caught my eye, and despite trying to resist, I ended up walking out with it. Just look how gorgeous it is! 

To start off with, the packaging is just divine. It's sleek and compact with a decent sized mirror and magnetic closure. The artwork, designed by fashion designer Rebecca Moses, gives a unique twist that just adds that bit of extra "fun". I also really like that there is a cover over the lipsticks to stop them getting messy!

 L-R: Mocha, Yoghurt, Plum Reduction, Romance Me, Heather Belles, Blankety, Syrup

Moving onto the actual products - the kit comes with:

Matte Powder Blush in Mocha

This is a really lovely matte,  plum-pink with a slight brown tinge, which goes perfectly with the eyeshadows, and is particularly great for winter when you want a slightly deeper blush.  It's pigmented, but not overly so, which makes it very easy to use and just gives a lovely flush to the cheeks. I've had my eye on Mocha for quite a while now, and I figured this was the perfect time to pick it up.

Matte Eyeshadow in Yoghurt

A matte, soft pale pink which looks more of a white/cream colour with only the very slightest hit of pink when applied (on me at least).

Satin Eyeshadow in Plum Reduction

This is described as a light satin brown. It also has a slight plum tone to it.

Lustre Eyeshadow in Romance Me

Described as a warm plum with gold-toned pearl.

Satin Eyeshadow in Heather Belles

Described as an intense black, however I think its more of a charcoal with a slight grey/blue tone to it. It's not really a true black in my opinion. 

Amplified lipstick in Blankety

This is described as a soft pink beige. This is the only colour that I'm not particularly in love with, it's a bit too beige for my lips and kind of washes me out. I never wear nude lipstick colours though, so maybe it's just that I'm not used to it. 

Lustre lipstick in Syrup 

Described as a "cloudy pink", this is a really lovely lipstick. It's a perfect "my lips but better" colour, as cheesy as that is. It has just a hint of plumy-purple and is very natural. The lustre finish goes on so smoothly and feels really nice and moisturising.

Overall I think this is a really great palette. I rationalised buying it because for what you get it really is pretty good value, and it will be perfect for travelling. It's so versatile as well, allowing for a nice light day-time look that can be darkened up for night. So far, I've just been using Yoghurt all over the lid, with Plum Reduction in the crease, and Heather Belles smudged along the lash line. I usually wear very neutral, natural coloured shadows (when I bother to wear eyeshadow at all), so this is  a nice way to add a bit of colour with very subtle pinky-plum tones.

These Illustrated Kits are available at David Jones and Myer now if you wanted to check them out and cost $115. Expensive I know, but much less that you would pay if you bought everything individually!  I've only recently started using Mac, but from watching Youtube videos the list of products I'd like to try is quite extensive, so it is nice to be able to try out a few different things and not have to spend (too much of a) fortune!

Let me know what you think of the palette, and also your favourite Mac products!

Love Lauren

xxx

My Style Diary - Pastel Prints and Chambray

Hello Hello :)

So I've been a bit out of the blogging loop the past 2 weeks because my laptop decided it would be annoying and was refusing to let me turn it on! Thank goodness for the lovely people at the Mac Genius Bar who managed to get it working again... It ended up just being a software problem (I hadn't updated it, and it was still running on the 2008 software *guilty face*). Luckily I'd backed up all the important things (photos/video etc) before it spazzed!

Anyway... let's just forget about the computer drama and move on to the outfit...

These jeans were a complete steal from Cotton On for only ... wait for it... $2! How crazy is that?!! I love the pattern, but mostly I love the pretty pastel colours. Very Lauren and very spring-y. 

Another (fairly) new purchase was this Chambray shirt from Portman's. Usually this style never looks quite right on me, but this one just seemed to fit. The cotton is so so soft, and I think the tailcoat kind of style at the back adds a cute touch. I've been wearing it non-stop since I bought it, it's just so versatile. I can see it's going to become one of the most well-loved items in my wardrobe. Let me know your favourite way of wearing a chambray shirt, I'm always looking for new ideas!

Anyway, that's it for today. It feels so good getting back to blogging. I know it's only been 2 weeks, but I've actually quite missed it. There's something just so relaxing about sitting down with a cup of tea  and either putting together my own posts, or scrolling through my favourite blogs. 

It's nice how they can give you just a little peek into other people's lives. I always feel so much more inspired and motivated after reading some of my favourite blogs, and it just puts me in a really happy, positive frame of mind. 

Speaking of motivation, I went to an Xtend Barre class today. It's a mixture of ballet/pilates/aerobics, and was so tiring, but fun at the same time. I've been saying I need to incorporate exercise into my life more, and maybe this will be a good start. The warmer weather definitely makes it a bit easier! 

Okay... after saying "that's it" I rambled on a bit! I hope you're having a great weekend!

Love Lauren

xxx

Shirt - Portman's

Patterned Jeans - Cotton On

Shoes - Trenery

Bag - Jigsaw

Watch and Bracelet - Thomas Sabo

My Style Diary - Perfect Sunny Sunday

Today was one of those perfect days when you just feel so lucky for everything. I know that it's still technically winter, but today it certainly felt like spring is on its way... the sun was shining and there was just that scent of warm weather in the air that makes you feel happy and lets you forget all your worries...even if only for a moment...

Catching up with my best girl friends over a delicious lunch by the beach was the perfect way to spend a Sunday, particularly one this lovely. 

It was also the perfect time to break out a few new additions to my wardrobe. These jeans were a surprise from my Mum - she picked them up from Picnic for a steal - apparently she just couldn't resist because they were such a great bargain. I love the muted floral pattern and they're super comfy! Similarly, these heels from Forever New were a great buy for $50ish (reduced from $99!).  I've become a bit of an expert at finding bargains at Forever New... that probably means I shop too much... ah well..

Anyway... that's it for tonight! ...Sorry my posts always seem to have some sort of commentary on the weather... but I'm one of those people who's mood can be really weather dependent! Thank goodness I live in Perth!

Lots of Love

Lauren

xxx

Jumper - Dotti

Jeans - Picnic

Heels - Forever New

Bag - Country Road

My Style Diary - Shades of Blue

Hi there :)

So here is yet another super casual, comfortable outfit. I'm getting a bit sick of the cool weather now and just can't wait for it to warm up so I can start wearing shorts and pretty summer dresses!

Perth weather is actually very mild... but for me it's still pretty chilly, and when I'm cold, all I want to do is snuggle up in a cozy jumper and jeans (which makes for fairly boring outfits).

Ah well... here's the latest of my typical winter "jeans and jumper combination"... 

Maybe the next post will be a little more exciting :p

Lots of Love

Lauren

xxx

Top - Hurley

Jeans - Calvin Klein

Scarf - Valley Girl

Shoes - from Singapore

Watch and Earrings - Thomas Sabo

Bracelet - Pandora