So about being so M.I.A recently...

I've been pretty rubbish in writing my blog recently.. It's just been a manic time recently, and I have really been neglecting my updating. I got a new job a couple months back, and only just started it having had to work out a pretty long notice period. The new job is great! It's still a personal assistant role, but in a much nicer location (still London though) and much more suited to me. So I've been super busy recently and I have really not had much time to myself to chill out.

That being the case, I decided to spend most of my day in the salon today to relax. I don't dress up to go to the salon - it's not a fashion show after all, and I don't really fancy getting hair / beauty products all over the clothes that I work hard to pay for - yet I don't want to look totally scruffy. I find that a good pair of jeans, flats and a nice job does the job perfectly. A casual, yet smart, outfit which does the trick perfectly. Today my outfit of the day comes from Ralph Lauren, Primark and Tods.

I love my skinnies from Primark - they go with everything and are so cheap that I have them in every colour and wash of denim. I'm a BIG shopper, but the one thing I cannot stand about a spree is trying to find a good pair of jeans. I really struggle to find the right size and shape that suits me perfectly. With Primark jeans, however, there seems to be an added amount of elasticity and so they really stretch well but still cling in all the right places.

What kind of outfit would you wear to go to the salon? Something this casual, or do you dress up slightly more?

Buy my OOTD!

Polo shirt - Ralph Lauren £90 (currently £65 on sale)

Skinny jeans - Primark £11

Driving loafers - Tods £284

Vic xx

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@VictorialHowell

Wonder product: Eight Hour Cream

There's always one product that beauty bloggers and make-up artists claim is their 'desert island item'. It's the one that they absolutely cannot live without and if they were forced to chose only one thing to use if stranded, that'd be it.. Mine is, and has been for many years now, the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm a big fan of multipurpose products, and so this one is perfect for me. The Eight Hour Cream has a number of different uses, including:

1. Skin Saver – Protect skin from drying wind, central heating and air-conditioning. This skincare multi-tasker soothes, restores, calms and helps relieve minor skin irritations including roughness, redness, chapped, cracked or dry skin.
2. After-sun Soother – With its legendary soothing and moisturising benefits, it’s the ideal after-sun treatment to relieve minor sunburn and calm dry, irritated sun-exposed skin.
3. Shine Factor – Found in top makeup artists’ kits worldwide, this all-in-one beauty tool adds shine to eyelids, cheeks, lips and legs.
4. Eye Opener – All it takes is a dab to smooth eyebrows and create a perfectly defined arch that will stay in place all day.
5. Cuticle Conditioner – Soften rough, dry cuticles to keep them smooth, supple and beautifully manicured.
6. Treat for Feet – Smooth rough heels and soften soles for barefoot beauty in every season.
7. Flight Tool – Flying can leave skin looking and feeling dry and uncomfortable. Take along this intensive hydrator to boost skin’s in-flight moisture level wherever you go.
8. Leg wear – Calm irritation, reduce redness after shaving or waxing to leave legs super smooth and silky soft.

I am constantly applying and reapplying the cream (which is almost like a gel in texture), and use it mostly as a lip balm. It's amazingly moisturising and really soothes any irritation I have. I also like to use it as a deep moisturiser when I wax / shave / pluck - particularly on my 'brows. I find I am left with a lot of redness when perfecting my arches, and the Eight Hour Cream brings down the colour dramatically and soothes the irritation in only a short time. 

I love the medicinal-y smell that the product has. It's a strange one and not liked by everyone, but you can also buy a fragrance free version so the brand really caters for everyone. Elizabeth Arden actually offers a range of different products in the Eight Hour Cream range - I own the Skin Protectant (50ml tube) and the Lip Protectant Stick. I normally keep the tube in with my products at home and whack the Lip Stick in my bag for on the go emergencies. Despite being a product marketed at use on lips, I use it as I would the original tube version. It still does the same job just as well, and it includes SPF 15 too!

Have you tried the Eight Hour Cream? Can you recommend any other products from the range? What's the best multipurpose product that you've found?

Buy Eight Hour Cream here!

Vic xx

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@VictorialHowell

Testing... Le Volume de Chanel

I recently got sent a sample of the newest mascara release from Chanel and was aching to try it. Having only heard positive reviews, I decided to trial run the newest volumising mascara to see what all the hype was about. Before I show you the results though, I should make you aware that my lashes are quite thick yet very flat. That being the case, I rely heavily on thick lashings of mascara to make my face look alive and so I'm very particular with my products. My favourite mascaras are BADgal lash by Benefit and Volume million lashes by L'Oreal Paris (the black, waterproof version). I'm itching to see how this Chanel type will match up!!

I started out on clean, bare lashes and applied two coats of Le Volume de Chanel (in 10 Noir) over the top. On the left is the BEFORE image, and on the right the AFTER image (I've also added some black liquid liner to open out my eyes a tad):

I'm very impressed with this product. It gives huge, spidery lashes with mega-volume and length. The product helped open up my eyes for a wide-eyed sixties effect. 

The applicator wand is made up from a patented 'Snowflake' shape that is basically a set of stacked disks on the tip of the wand to distribute the product evenly through the lashes. It's this little beauty that helps to lift and lengthen the lashes to get a finish akin to the image above.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Le Volume de Chanel. My only one criticism would be that the product is quite 'wet'. You'd need to make sure that there's no extra product on the wand before application as the formula is quick-drying, and so too much would lead to an overtly clumpy effect. But having said that, I think that this product is fantastic. A definite addition to my make up bag. No more tester size for me...

Buy Le Volume de Chanel here

Vic xx

Follow me on Twitter!

@VictorialHowell 

My current favourite products!

Jeanne Lanvin Eau de Parfum - This Lanvin Jeanne perfume is gorgeous, fruity fragrance - perfect for summer!

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat - I've raved plenty about my current fave foundation - Le Teint Touche Eclat (see my 'Wonder Product: YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat' post for more detail). It's still on my must-have list and doesn't look like it's about to go anywhere soon!

Percy & Reed Quite Frankly Flawless Finishing Polish - This Percy & Reed finishing polish is great for taming my flyaway hairs. Perfect for the unsettled British weather at the moment.. One minute it's warm and sunny and the next it's hammering it down - that's all a naturally frizzy haired girl like me needs! This polish holds those pesky strands firmly in place, and smells great too.

Clarins Ultra Matte Moisturising lotion - Currently I'm focusing on trying to nurse my skin to health. I've been taking oxytetracycline to try and combat a bout of acne and I've been religious in my cleansing and toning routine. I've been moisturising  using the Clarins Ultra-Matte lotion. It's perfect for girls like me who have really oily skin! 

Clarins Eye Contour Balm - I've also been coveting the Clarins eye contour balm. It's so refreshing and the delicate skin around my eyes just drinks it up. I've been keeping it in the fridge before use and then applying, which helps to reduce any puffiness around my peepers.

Carmex Pomegranate SPF15 lip balm - A deeply moisturising product, this balm contains SPF15 and has a gorgeous fruity scent. My absolute must have for all times. And it's dirt cheap too!

Rodial Brazilian Tan Dark - I came across this Rodial tan by accident - a friend recommended it to me and I'm now hooked! My favourite thing about it is the scent - a rich, creamy caramel. So, so much better than the overpowering biscuit-y scent you get with a lot of other fake tans. It's also fab for quick and easy application. Using a mitt, sweep it over legs and arms sparingly - a little goes a long way - and over 8 hours it will develop into a golden glow. Not that you need to worry about the 8 hours though.. It's dark enough that you can apply and go. Amazing.

What are your current favourite products? Any suggestions for me?!

Vic xx

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@VictorialHowell

Outfit of the day: Casual Sunday!

Today I've been to spend some time with my friend and her little bubba. I love a lazy Sunday, and we had a great time gossiping and catching up with a cup of tea. There's nothing worse than being too dressed up for a casual Sunday though, so I decided to go as low-key as possible. Today my outfit comes courtesy of Ralph Lauren, Gap, Moncler and Converse.

I love this Moncler coat as it's a rain-proof jacket that the wearer can customise dependant upon their mood that day. For today's look I decided to tie the belt at the waist and double knot it, and roll my sleeves down completely. The Ralph polo and Gap jeans are the ultimate in comfortable, yet stylish off-duty wear. Despite being a comfy outfit - perfect for running around trying to keep a 4-month-old occupied! - it's very 'drab', colour-wise, and so the final touch was these low top spearmint coloured Converse with blinged-up toes.

You might have seen these style of Converse before. They're really, really popular in Essex where I live and as they're comfy AND glam they're the perfect way to add a bit of bling to an otherwise boring outfit! I would recommend the company I bought them from (Krystal KicKKs) to anyone - they were really helpful and keen to make sure that my needs were well fulfilled. You can see some more of Krystal KicKKs' work here.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday beautiful ones!!

Buy my OOTD!

Jacket - Moncler (past season, but you can buy similar here)

Jeans - Gap £44.95

Polo shirt - Ralph Lauren £90.00

Converse - Krystal KicKKs £65.00 (look up Krystal KicKKs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!)

Vic xx

Follow me on Twitter!

@VictorialHowell

OOTD: Father's Day brunch

Today's the day to celebrate all our fantastic Dads, and I decided to treat mine to brunch. We went to our favourite brekkie venue in Southend, Ocean Beach, for a Full English and cappuccinos and took Mum along too. The restaurant is a great little joint situated right on the beach, where you can look out over the Thames Estuary. It's the kind of place that's perfect for all occasions - breakfast is amazing, there's a great lunch and dinner menu and you can just head there for drinks if you want. I held my 21st birthday party there, and it really was an evening to remember..

It's not particularly warm today in Essex, in fact it's a little cold - strange weather for June in the UK. but then again we never seem to have a summer anymore.. - so I decided to dress casually but cosy. My outfit of the day comes courtesy of Primark (faux-fur gilet and black skinny jeans), New Look (grey 3/4 length sleeve jumper) and Kurt Geiger (wedge trainers).

I love wedge trainers at the moment for casual wear. As I'm so short, I love to wear heels as often as I can to give me a bit more height, but find so often that my feet are in so much pain after not at all long! These style of sneakers include a great concealed wedge, so they look just like normal high tops but still give the height that I'm after. Added to that, they're super-comfy too so I can wear them for hours without feeling like I need to bug my boyfriend for a long foot massage at the end of the day.

The black skinny jeans and grey jumper is a really low-effort look, but paired with the faux-fur gilet it looks a little more dressed up. To finish my OOTD off, I wore my Ray Ban RB5228 specs, scraped my hair into a high-pony and paired minimal make up with a bright orange lip to add a bit of colour into an otherwise more monochrome look.

Happy Father's Day to my amazing Dad. I love you millions!! Happy Father's Day to all your Dads too :)

Buy my OOTD!

Faux Fur gilet - Primark (mine is quite old and I don't think they sell them right now, but you could try Asos for this great Mango find)

Jeans - Primark (around £11)

Jumper - New Look £14.99

Lazer wedge trainers - Kurt Geiger £110

Ray Ban RB5228 optical frames - Ray Ban (price dependant on lenses etc. Contact your local optician for details.)

Vic xx

Follow me on Twitter!

@VictorialHowell

Wonder Product: YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat

We all know what a amazing product Touche Eclat is. A wonder product on many a make-up artists 'stuck on a desert island' list, this little beauty can camouflage a multitude of sins. Dark circles and blemishes are disguised with a quick click of this pen - it's a must have for every beauty addict.

And now I've found something that throws Touche Eclat right out of the water. The 'big sister' to the pen, Le Teint Touche Eclat has all the great properties of the original but infused into a foundation, and my oh my does it work.

This wonder product holds the key to glowing, healthy-looking skin. It even includes SPF19, helping to protect our largest organ against harmful UV rays. I discovered the Touche Eclat foundation relatively recently, and I'm now such a fan I'm using it every day. I have struggled to find the perfect foundation for a long time and finally here it is. My skin looks even and my complexion is luminous: once you go Touche Eclat you never go back!!

Find your perfect shade with the YSL LE TEINT TOUCHE ECLAT FOUNDATION SHADE FINDER

Buy my wonder product HERE!!

Vic xx

Follow me on Twitter!

@VictorialHowell