The Perfect Red Lip

Whoever said diamonds were a girl’s best friend clearly didn’t own a red lipstick. One thing that can transform you from day to night, casual to glam and simple to exciting in one swipe is a red lip.

When it comes to a red lip there’s a few things that are an absolute necessity: it needs to be moisturising, it needs to have good lasting power, it mustn’t bleed and more importantly – it must be bold.

It’s a bold statement to make when wearing a red lip and luckily, Bourjois have nailed it to a T.

The Rouge Edition lipstick* is a must have lipstick of every girl’s make up bag and with 18 shades to choose from, there’s something for everyone.

I have shade 13 and the staying power is amazing. They claim it leaves the lips with a glossy finish and feeling smooth and hydrated for up to 10 hours – I can’t vouch for 10 hours but I certainly got a good five or six hours worth of wear before I needed a top up. Personally, I think that’s amazing and I didn’t even need to apply a balm or liner underneath.

The packaging is stylish and sleek and I love the colour is shown in the clear casing at the bottom – I hate those colour dot stickers as they’re not accurate enough when it comes to seeing the colour.

At £8.99 from Boots you can’t go wrong really and I’ll definitely be picking up a few more colours to add to my collection!

What’s your go-to red lip colour?

Winter Wishlist: Knee High Boots

It's almost time for uni again and we all know what that means: Student Lock-Ins!

Basically, lots of discounts for us students to spend all of our loans on before the term even starts.
With almost 100 days to go until my first New York trip I'm desperate for some boots that will see me through. Heading to New York for Christmas is an absolute dream but for my tootsies, they're going to get quite cold. With temperatures dipping below zero degrees and an expected amount of snow and rain I need a pair of boots that will not only be comfortable and durable for lots of walking but waterproof and cosy too!

Boots, especially a decent pair can start getting quite expensive which is why I've decided to find a good pair around when the student discounts are high in the hope I can snag a bargain!

I usually stick to ankle boots, perhaps with a few studs and buckles to give a toughened up biker-chic look but this year I fancy pushing the boat out and choosing an knee high pair. Perfect whether worn over jeans or with a dress and cosy tights, my legs could do with the extra warmth from having a boot around them I'm sure!

After having a browse online, I've picked out six of my favourites that I'll definitely be trying on! I'm torn between all six but I think the first pair could be the top of my list. Which is your favourite?

L-R: River Island, Dorothy Perkins, River Island, Office, New Look, Office

Benefit They're Real Trio

I first heard about Benefit's new release on Instagram long before it was announced what it actually was, but I was already excited! With promises to revolutionise the way you do you make up I couldn't wait to find it what it was and how long go before I could get my hands on it.

Released to stores in June, I patiently (not) waited but after begrudging paying almost £20 for an eyeliner I waited to grab a bargain in the beloved duty free.

Last month when I went on holiday, there it was in the stand waiting for me! I'm not sure if this is an airport exclusive as it was labelled as a 'travel set' but for £28.50 you could get both the infamous They're Real Mascara and the hyped They're Real Push Up Liner. Also, for an extra £12 or something there was the They're Real Remover that was dubbed as a 'must' for when it comes to removing to stubborn liner and mascara.

I've been trying this duo out for a good six weeks now and I have to say, unlike every other review you've read, it's not the most positive.

First we'll start with the eyeliner. The eyeliner itself is amazing: it's solid black and it doesn't budge. What more could you want?

When the campaign was announced the Benefit professionals said you could apply this with one hand, on public transport no matter how bumpy it is and I even heard that it could be applied while doing a one-handed push up - I'm definitely not believing that final one.

Perhaps I don't have the knack to it but I've tried countless ways and I can't seem to get the line as perfect as it was hyped up to be. It seems to drag along the lash line and it's quite difficult to get it smooth so I've been using a stamping sort-of technique!

Although I'll continue to use it, I don't think I'll be purchasing another one when it's finished. After the years put into producing the perfect accuflex tip and a liquid-gel formula, I regret to say that I'm not as impressed as everyone else.

That's not to mention that I didn't love the other products though. I've previously used Benefit's Bad Gal Lash Mascara, it's good with a VERY fat brush, perhaps too fat so I was hoping I'd prefer this one and I have to say, I love it. I'm a fully They're Real convert when it comes to mascara now!

I have nothing else to say other than the fact it is absolutely amazing, it grips the lash from root to tip and leaves you with solid black, full lashes. Also, even after a month and a half, the mascara is still very 'wet', do you know what I mean? I have loads of trouble with mascaras drying out after a couple of weeks, but with this one it's all go go go!

Finally of the Benefit trio is the They're Real Remover. Released alongside the Push Up Liner, Benefit realised that their mascara was too good and it just wasn't budging with any ordinary make up remover!

Although I slated the eyeliner, I have to admit that one day at work I was changing a barrel of Fosters (I work on a bar if you hadn't guessed!) and it popped in my face leaving me soaked in beer. My make up was a gonner and my hair was left smelling erm, lovely (questionable!) - apart from my eye make up! Even after a good soaking, the mascara and eyeliner was still fully intact!

I suppose that's one good thing: if you job means you might get a little wet sometimes then I'd recommend They're Real for some staying power when it comes to your make up!

What do you think of the They're Real collection?

Ebay Wish List #2

Here is the second eBay post and it's focussing all on holidays! I've been on a couple of holidays this year and a kimono was definitely at the top of my shopping list. Whether I wore it over a bikini, over a top and shorts during the day or over a dress for the night time it came in handy every day. What's even better is, it double up as a blanket for the airplane, they can always get a bit chilly! What did I ever do without one?

You know the rules for these eBay posts - everything must be under £20 and I've stuck to it! Which one of the three is your favourite? I love those heels and they even come in a selection of colours! You can never have too many shoes, no matter what anybody says!

Kimono | Playsuit | Heels

What Zoe Did #4

After a long and both relaxing and busy month, my blogging mojo is well and truly back and we'll ease this in with a round up of the previous month via Instagram.

If you're not already following me, but would love to see my updates of food, kittens and cocktails then check my profile out at @zoeskerrett!

I'll not ramble on to much but the past month I've either been having fun on holiday, eating out, drinking cocktails or working - some of which I love, and some not so much. You can tell which is which by looking at the majority of the pictures - I'll leave that for you to decide.

Also I've got a few ideas lined up for What Zoe Says in the up and coming weeks and months, plenty of duty free beauty reviews, the one and only eBay post with some absolute steals and perhaps some advertising slots for you to get your blog known! If you'd be interested in this, give me an email using the link in the sidebar and I'll give you some more information!

Manchester with the girls | The MSS girlies | First try of Japanese soup

Princess the cat | 6am on the beach in Magaluf | Boat partying

My favourite Mojito bar | My two best pals | Typical holiday picture

Palma from the sea | Big hot dogs (I couldn't finish it) | Late night walk to Penshaw

Alfie the cat | Summer BBQ'in | Finishing the month with some cocktails!

What Zoe Did #3

Can you believe we are nearly half way into July? No, me neither! Here's a little Instagram collage of what I've been up to in the month of June. As you can see it includes plenty of food and cocktails - as it should do!

What did you get up to last month?

The pool in Portugal | Portugal's finest beer | Yet again, the pool

A hanging kebab. Amazing | My new fave cocktail - Lazy Red Cheeks | An egg on a pizza

My two best friends | Eggy bread and bacon stack | Formby beach

A lovely view in Formby | My new tattoo | Happy Birthday Steph

How I Keep My Eyebrows In Shape

Eyebrows are one of the most important features on your face - they frame your face and make you look all in proportion and 'finished off' if you know what I mean. If I could only use one make up product, forget mascara, blusher or lip balm, mine would be my HD Brow Kit!

Naturally, my eyebrows are the lightest, most see through things ever and without a bit of powder you can't even see them. Fab. For the past few months I've been getting them tinted: once HD style and twice just a wax and tint as a 'top up'.

HD Brows at the salon is a seven step process including a tint, wax, thread, tweeze and trim. Personally, I love going through the whole HD process but I don't think it's necessary each time, perhaps just three or four times a year with a tint and wax in between.

As you can see in the pictures, they are a little bit pink, especially between my eyes but the colour difference and shape is much more defined! It has been a little over five weeks since my last wax and tint and I'd not touched them with tweezers since - the hardest thing to do when the stray hairs start popping up all over.

I also got my eyelashes tinted for holiday, I like to have mascara on to open my eyes up but during the day when you're sunbathing or in and out of the pool who wants to be worrying about the dreaded panda eyes?

How do you groom your brows?

OOTD ft Dollface London

This weekend me and a few of the girls went over to Manchester for a night of cocktails, cocktails and yet more cocktails. We stayed in a lovely apartment with beds the size of a house - okay maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but seriously they were huge!

The lovely girls at Dollface London kindly gave me some gorgeous jewellery for the occasion - a gold double band midi ring and a silver unicorn necklace. You may think that silver and gold don't go together but to be honest, this is 2014 and we should never stick to the rules?

The dress, Topshop, actually belongs to one of my housemates - it's great living with my two best friends as I've gained two new wardrobes! Finally the shoes, a chunky black pair from Garage. The champagne is an optional extra to the outfit but if I'm honest, it's the best accessory you can add!

Dress: Topshop | Shoes: Garage | Jewellery: Pandora & Dollface London*

 

Summer Ready With Quiz Clothing

The perfect summer outfit includes anything bright, anything floral and anything white. I've picked out an outfit from Quiz that incorporates all three of them in order to look summer ready, show of your tan and make the most of any sort of legs-out weather we may have.

As soon as I see the bright clothing coming back into the shops I immediately start to feel summery, I want it all and I want a bronzed tan so I can feel my best when it comes to baring a little more skin than I would the other ten months of the year.

With Quiz Clothing I've picked out a bright lime summer dress and paired it with a black floral kimono and some white chunky platform heels.

This zingy citrus coloured dress has a contrasting PU leather trim around the neckline and sleeves making it look sophisticated and smart. When paired with this floral kimono the colours all pop together and it's always nice to have something to cover up with - you know what the weather can be like in England. Well, actually you never know, one minute there's gorgeous blue skies and the next you're frantically trying to find some shelter as the heavens have opened!

Finally, something that always give us confidence, especially when showing off our legs - heels. This white faux leather pair are extra chunky and you know what that means, they're easier to walk in! Hooray for all!

Kimono | Heels | Dress

What are your summer essentials?

Top Summer Picks From Darccy

If you’ve not heard of Darccy yet let’s just say, where have you been? They have a gorgeous selection of dresses; many of them are ice cream pastels and exactly what you need for the summer. If frills, collars and cute dresses are for you then this is the place you need to head too!

While having a browse through their collection there was far too many pieces I could imagine myself in but I’ve managed to whittle it down to just three to show you my favourites!

First up is this golden ivory dress, the Uniform Dress, with a mesh top leading up to a white collar and down to an appliqué floral pattern it’s something that you summer wardrobe is in dire need of.

Next up, something you would but shouldn’t turn your back on for summer: the black skater dress. The Bunny Dress has a lovely textured top half with a netted layered skirt making it a pretty twist on the classic skater dress. For the summertime it’s pretty much garden-party-come-evening ready with a pair of pastel pinky-nude heels and a matching clutch!

Finally in the pick of top dresses is the lovely pastel pink dress – they really do love the pastel colours at Darccy, but can you blame them? This dress has popped into the sale, which couldn’t be any better for our purses, and when paired with neutral accessories you’re good to go. Summer ready in next to no time.

The lovely people at Darccy have offered you lot an exclusive 10% discount using the code darccy10 – as if you needed an excuse though.

Uniform Dress | Bunny Dress | Lace Skirt Dress

All About Prints

Finally Summer is here and I am loving everything bright, printed and floral! Summer is the perfect excuse to wear more colours than the rainbow and I always try my hardest to resist wearing the usual blacks and neutrals that see me through the rest of the year!

The Sugarhill Boutique isn't a shop I've come across before but when I looked through their stock I couldn't help but lust over everything printed and colourful. It was hard, but I've narrowed it down to my top three pieces to show you!

First up is the feather printed playsuit, not quite floral but just as good! This would be perfect for a city break in the sun where you want to stay a bit covered up but still show off your (albeit, fake and fresh from the bottle) tan!

Then comes the trousers, I used to be a jeans girl but this year has converted me and I'm a sucker for a pair of fitted, printed trousers. They're easy to style as everything else can stay plain and simple. Top to toe lovely with no effort at all!

Finally is this bright yellow top. If it's not good enough on its own though it comes with a matching skirt - co-ords are my fave at the moment and I just can't get enough of them. Bring on the twosies I say!

Playsuit | Trousers | Top

Ebay Wish List #1

If you're anything like me you'll spend hours upon hours each day browsing through eBay to see if there's any bargains (whether you need them or not!)

Instead of keeping my browsings (yes, I've made that word up!) to myself I thought it would be a good idea to share them with you lot - you never know, you might find something you'll love and I've saved you about three hours worth of aimlessly searching. You're welcome!

Let's hop to it shall we? I've only set myself one rule with these posts - everything should be less than £20 unless it's a special occasion and a must-buy-now-or-will-die. You know what I mean! Enjoy!

Boots - Dress - Sunglasses

Get The Look: Fearne Cotton

When I spotted this picture of Fearne Cotton wearing a gorgeous floral dress I instantly knew I had to find a way to steal her style at a much more affordable price.

As soon as summer comes, I love reaching for bright floral patterns - anything to stay away from the usual blacks! This outfit is the image of summer with the flower printed dress, sunglasses and some strappy sandal-like pumps.

If, like me, you wince at the price tags of the clothes celebrities wear then keep on reading.

Dress | Shoes | Bag | Sunglasses

First up is the dress, Fearne's is from H&M and comes in a couple of styles but there's also a lovely floral dress quite similar on Love Clothing. The long sleeves and skater shape are the same as Fearne's but the pattern is more greeny-blue than her yellow floral print. It's still a winner if you ask me though!

Fearne's shoes are by Vivienne Westwood but I've managed to find a pretty similar pair in Topshop - good news to your bank balance! Multiple straps are a definite winner this summer and these shoes are too cute not to pick up. Don't they remind you of being younger?

When it comes to bags, we all need a sizeable one to fill with everything we may ever need for any occasion that might crop up. You know what I mean, let's be honest - we don't really need to carry around with us nine different lip products, but we do. 

Finally, the sunglasses. A must have for summer, even if you just use them to cover up your tired eyes instead of helping you see in the bright sun.

Next time you feel like looking like a celeb, don't forget that you can do on a budget too!

Excel Clothing - New York Wish List

Excel Clothing are running a competition to win £500 to spend on their site and all you have to do is create a wish list of your top three items on the site.

As I'm heading off to New York for the first time in a couple of months, I decided to compile my wish list of things I want to take with me to the Big Apple.

First things first, we all need a big bag with plenty of room for all those things we carry around with us but never use. I'd say they were necessities but in reality, I barely reach into my bag for anything other than a lip balm or a hand cream.

When in New York, a camera is a must-have. Being an eager tourist with plenty of excitement about my first visit to the city I can imagine myself being snap-happy so my bag needs to have plenty of space for my DSLR camera.

So, obviously, I've picked out the Michael Kors Selma Bag - a classic winner when it comes to picking out a tote bag. This bag comes in a variety of sizes and colours but instead of picking out the plain black style, I've chosen a navy bag with white 'wings', brown handles and gold hardware.

Is it just me, or do you like the inner lining of your bag to be just as pretty as the outside? I love patterned or coloured linings and this MK printed one doesn't disappoint, there's plenty of inside pockets too for your phone and other bits and bobs.

Secondly, a comfy pair of shoes. Pretty important for spending all day on your feet sight seeing and of course, shopping.

When I go, it will be pretty chilly so a pair of boots are important for keeping my toes cosy as well as blister free. As much as I love the original furry UGG boots I can't help but lust over their other shoes, especially these Krewe Ankle Boots!

The leather looks hard wearing and the two straps are a lovely detail along with the embossed UGG branding on the side of the heel. Even though there's a small heel you can tell they'd still be comfy after a day on your feet.

Finally in my New York wish list is a Ted Baker top in a gorgeous corally-orange colour. The Myrine Layered Ruffle Sleeves Top is perfect for any occasion whether it's formal or casual. Jeans are the best match and can be paired with flats or heels.

The top may be for Spring/Summer but who says it can't be worn in the colder months? A bit of colour is the best way to brighten up an outfit from the usual blacks and greys you get around winter time.

What would you put on your New York wish list?

Cheeky Boots Haul

Typical, eh? I went into Boots looking for a new blusher and walked out with a bag full of goodies and my purse feeling significantly lighter.

I'll admit I was slightly hating myself for spending so much money and put myself on a swift, strict spending ban. But who can be unhappy with lots of new 'toys' to play with?

Not me, that's for sure. I could barely wait to get home to try out all my new buys.

I'm that person that easily gets sucked in by offers, vouchers and promotions - hence why I went in looking for a blusher and came out with pretty much one of everything.

So, first up is Bourjois. Oh, spend £12 and get a free blusher you say? Well I wanted the blusher in the first place, I might aswell buy something else and get the blusher for free! Does your mind work like that, or is it just me?

Healthy Mix Foundation | Bronzing Powder | Little Round Pot Blush

I'll do a full review on all the products once I've given them the full whirl, but first impressions - this foundation is more than I could ever want and need in a foundation! As a BB cream girl, foundation scares me a little bit for a day-to-day basis and I prefer something a little lighter on my skin so it still has room to breathe. Now though, I've seen the light and I've been brought into a whole new world. Foundations are my new thing, and I want (read: need) more.

Cleansing Balm | Dry Skin Rescue | BB Cream

Normally, I would describe my skin as pretty normal but recently I've been suffering from dry patches that no matter what I use, I can't seem to shift. So after consulting a lovely woman at the No7 counter, she pointed me in the direction of their Beautiful Skin range that caters for every skin type. I used to use the cleansing balm from the Normal to Dry range and there is definitely a difference between the two.

This whole range worked wonders on my face and within a matter of days, my skin was back to it's usual self and the dry patches were gone. A full review will be coming on these products shortly, but the way the woman re-did my make up in store gave me such a glow I couldn't not purchase everything she used.

Good job they usually have a 3 for 2 offer on skin care is all I can say!

High Shine Lip Crayon | Instant Radiance Concealer

Just as I was about to pay up and leave, I spotted a sign offering a free box of goodies if you buy two make up items. Well, after running out of my last beloved No7 concealer stick I should probably replace it, right? Turns out, the whole range has had a revamp and I chose a creamy concealer instead which has plenty of similarities to my all time favourite concealer and highlighter, YSL Touche E'clat!

Then it came to choosing a second item, a tough one - however, summer is coming up and this coral lip crayon is exactly what I needed! Gorgeous.

And here it is, last but not least the little freebie I got. I've not given this much of a test out yet but I'll tell you that the lip crayon, along with the coral one, is quickly becoming a favourite of mine!

Just a little haul for you all to take a look into the newest products in my make up bag. Full reviews of each thing I got will follow shortly after I've given them the proper testings. It's safe to say, No7 is definitely a firm favourite in my skin care at the moment!

We Meet Again

Oh, hello again blogger!

We meet again then, yes here I am again and this time I'm here to stay. I've been umm-ing and arr-ing about blogging again, but what do I have to lose? Nothing, that's what.

So here I am after a few months apart, and this time it's for good. Blogging is becoming part of my schedule on top of those essays and exam revision that's piling up as we get further along into my second year. Bear with me, but here I am again and I'm going to be dishing out two or three posts each week filled with beauty review, fashion posts and to be honest, just general chit chat.

My blog is a space for me to pour my ideas and that's exactly what I'm doing right now as I sit here at 10pm on a Sunday night supping on my cuppa and dunking some biscuits.

Stay tuned for an exciting (hopefully) ride!