Monthly Archives: November 2014

In the Morning Light

05th November 2014

Last week gave us one of those rare mornings, where thanks to the change in the clocks the garden was bathed in golden sunshine at just 7:15 in the morning. Never one to waste an opportunity (and running early for work for once in my life) I set up my tripod and grabbed some photos of a dress I’ve been itching to share.

Clearly I hadn’t had quite enough coffee yet as upon reviewing the photos I was a little disappointed that things had come out a little blurry and I’d failed to get the settings quite right, live and learn eh?

Dress: Marks and Spencer | Boots: New Look | Bracelet: New Look

I first saw this dress in a preview e-mail of the A/W collection from M&S and fell in love with it, everything from the dusky blue colour to the delicately embellish collar screamed “buy me”. A trip in to town a few weeks later saw me fall further in love as the dress looked even more perfect in real life. I didn’t buy it that day though, for whatever reason and buyers remorse kicked in. A couple of weeks later I was back in town and saw the dress again, this time in the sale reduced from £35 to £22…looks like shopping karma strikes again! It might look super simple, and really it is, but this is such a lovely dress for this time of year and the collar means accessories can be kept to a minimum. I’m a big fan of a pretty collar and they don’t come much prettier than this!

I wasn’t really sure what shoes to pair with the colour of the dress if I’m honest, black seemed to harsh and my grey Zara ankle boots didn’t really work either. In the end I settled for these brown boots from New Look which I just can’t bring myself to get rid of, they are so very comfortable even if they aren’t the most attractive shoe in the world. The outfit still didn’t feel quite right though so if you have any shoe suggestions then do send them my way!

It’s bonfire night tonight and I am so tired after an event last night and an early start at work that any plans to go for a walk to watch other people’s displays have long since vanished- last year resulted in Ben and I playing with sparklers in the park, this year will be more of a cup of tea and glance out of the window type affair! I’m not massive fan of fireworks anyway, unless they are part of an organised display. I live in a really residential area where people insist on setting off industrial sized rockets- Mae is a cowering wreck for the days leading up to and days after the 5th of November and that makes me all kind of mad.

Are you off to any displays over the next few days? I can’t wait to see some photos…

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Posted in life, life stuff, M&S, Mae, outfits

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Event Alert- Dr Oetker Even Better Baking Boutique

04th November 2014
I know that many of you, like me are keen bakers. I never seem to find the time to get busy in the kitchen these days thanks to a jam-packed schedule of work commitments and I know my skills are in need of whipping in to shape. It saddens me that all the coolest sounding events are in London when I’m all the way down in Bristol; even if the trains are extortionate, by the time I’d make it to the captial after work the event would long be over. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to share awesome things with you- for anyone who is in the Big Smoke over the next few days why not pop along to the Dr Oetker Even Better Baking Boutique for some inspiration, hints and tips?
Britain’s biggest and best loved home baking brand – Dr. Oetker, will open its doors to the Even Better Baking Boutique on Friday 7th November until Sunday 16th November 2014.

Each day, the interactive baking space will play host to a range of inspiration experiences to encourage the nation to become even better bakers. These include demos, product showcases, taste testing, master classes, and for the first time ever consumers will also get the chance to purchase all of the amazing products on the spot.

Even Better Baking Ambassador Juliet Sear will host a very special master class on Friday 7th November, sharing all of her insider hints and tips on perfecting a range of tricky techniques. These include the art of perfect piping, simplifying sugar roses, truly irresistible toppings and Christmas themed modelling.

On Thursday 13th November, cake pop expert and baking extraordinaire April Carter will host an exclusive Cake Pop Night, designed to give consumers the confidence to turn their own favourite pop stars into quirky cakes on sticks! Consumers will get the chance to learn from the best and have a go themselves on the night, to the backdrop of a DJ spinning everyone’s favourite 80’s pop tunes.

Other master classes taking place at the Dr. Oetker Even Better Baking Boutique include Beautiful Baking Trends, Chocolate Emporium and Winter Wonder Bakes.

For more information on the full schedule of experiences and to register for a place at any of the exclusive master class’s just visit the Dr. Oetker facebook page.

Let me know if you go along, or better yet blog about your experience sharing your new found knowledge!

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Posted in baking

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Black ‘n Bright

03rd November 2014
I promised an outfit post featuring my brand new boots from the DUO event and here it is. They arrived almost two weeks ago now, so in true Laura style I am behind with my blogging but that gives more weight behind the declaration that these boots are awesome! The perfect fit and oh so comfortable they have barely left my feet. Even better is the fact they are water resistant, keeping my feet snug and dry on the increasingly damp walks to work.

Jumper: H&M | Skirt: Marks and Spencer | Boots c/o Duo

The Somerset boots just so happen to be the perfect partner to this skirt from M&S, a bargain at £25 (yeah, I was amazed by the price too!). I was drawn to the bright yellow/green colour which no longer seems to be available online and there is something quite 1960s about it. This has made a welcome addition to my work wear, and judging by the reaction of my colleagues it’s various colours might become our office uniform. I kept the top half of my outfit simple with a slouchy cropped knit from H&M, another bargain at £7.99 although I am on the lookout for a fine knitted polo neck to complete the retro vibes.
I can’t believe we’re now in to November, there is no denying the fact that Christmas is looming and things are going to be getting a lot colder…

what have you been adding to your work wardrobe lately? I also picked up a gorgeous dress in M&S the other week, one that I had been eyeing for a little while and I then found in the sale…watch out for that featuring on the blog soon. I can’t believe I so often overlook good old marks and sparks, they have some brilliant pieces at the moment, not least this epic Christmas jumper!

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Posted in life, life stuff, M&S, outfits, shopping

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Everyday makeup with BareMinerals

02nd November 2014
Mineral makeup is something I dabbled with when I was a bit younger, but over recent years I’ve neglected it preferring liquid makeup with what I assumed would be heavier coverage. I don’t have bad skin by any means but I do feel somewhat more confident with a face painted on, but when I was offered the chance to collaborate with bareMinerals at House of Fraser to create an every day makeup look using their “get started kit” in Light I figured I’d give mineral powders another go, afterall, things have to have changed in the six or seven years since I last tried them, right?
I was, as predicted, right. Things have changed a lot. Gone are chalky finishes and the poor staying power of cheaper products I used in my youth. bareMinerals products are silky soft and give a lovely natural looking finish (that doesn’t turn orange over the course of the day) perfect for every day office makeup. The kit is comprehensive, containing everything you need for a flawless face- I was a bit concerned that the warmth all over face colour might be too dark, but applied with one of the brushes in the kit and buffed in it made me look healthier than I have in years!
To complete the look I added a pinky nude lip, neutral eyes from the Makeup Revolution essential shimmer palette and a coat of my favourite Bourjois mascara.
The first photo is my no makeup face, which I’m not usually a fan of plastering around the internet, but sometimes needs must!

As you can see, it’s a really sweet little set and it also comes with a DVD to teach you how to buff your way to perfect skin. I admit I skipped the DVD due to time constraints, but having since watched it I wasn’t far off!

I usually use a Bourjois cream primer so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the bareMinerals prime time which is more of a gel. It’s good stuff though and worth the rave reviews it gets. The makeup look didn’t budge until I removed it at the end of the day, and I found the powder foundations didn’t sink in to my pores like my liquid foundation sometimes does.

You get two shades of foundation in the kit (also available in medium, dark and tan) and I mixed a little of each together to get my perfect shade using the largest brush to buff all over my face and then the smallest brush to touch up blemishes. With medium brush and a light touch I used the warmth face colour to highlight where the sun would naturally hit, focusing on my cheeks, forehead and a dab on my chin. This colour blends beautifully with no harsh lines. Perfect! With such a natural, soft look on my skin I didn’t feel the need to add a dramatic eye, or even liner which is unheard of for me but makes a nice change. The entire face of makeup took me all of ten minutes which makes it perfect for a natural work look, or for lazy weekends to be spent chilling out.

What does your every day makeup look like? I feel super grateful to have had a chance to collaborate with the brands in this post as it’s changed my morning routine for the better and my skin feels like it can breathe more as it’s having a break from heavy liquid products- those I’ll be saving for more special occasions.

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Posted in beauty, make up

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Meet the Mighty Buds

01st November 2014
Following on from my blog post the other week featuring the awesome Mighty Purse I now bring to you the Mighty Buds– yet another brilliant idea from the people at wowthem.com and yet another idea to file away for Christmas shopping (yeah, I’m on a roll it would seem…)
The Mighty Buds are an innovative product that uses electroluminescence technology to cascade light up and down a pair of super bright and bold headphones so music loves don’t just hear the beat, they can see it too! I seriously rate these as a pretty good headphone, and thanks to the customisable fit cushion tips they are also really comfortable to wear (which is saying something when you have an ear full of piercings) and despite being a bit of a novelty item they don’t compromise on sound quality.
At £29.99 these make for a perfectly packaged and super snazzy gift for the music lovers in your life. Available in three eye catching colours- orange, blue and green there is something for every one and every listening device. My orange pair (c/o) have been plugged non-stop in to my iPhone, brightening up rush hour bus journeys to see Ben no end. If you don’t fancy being the centre of attention you can easily switch the light effect off and just enjoy the high quality sound and you can also seamlessly switch between listening to music and taking a call.
When it comes to present buying this year I will be heading straight to wowthem for something slightly off the wall. A Mighty Purse is on my personal wish list and I have spied a few bits and pieces I’d like to pick up for other people too.
What’s on your list to Santa this year? What are you listening too right now? I’m alternating between a bit of Ryan Adams for some good old American rock ‘n roll as well as The Unthanks for a more haunting, folky vibe.

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Posted in accessories, christmas, gadgets, gifts, tech

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