COMPARISONS & NOT FEELING 'GOOD ENOUGH'

Quite an unusual style post for me, but something I definitely want to address, and delve into further. Comparisons. 
Ever since I can remember, I've struggled with comparing myself to others, whether that be a girl I know, or a celebrity I don't know. It's something I consider to be the most distressing of any issues I've ever encountered/suffered with, and I'm yet to really conquer it. 
Since I still immensely struggle, I hardly think I'm in any position to offer life advice and be the light at the end of the tunnel, but as it's something I know all too well, I did want to share some tips I've found useful.
DELETE/REMOVE/UNFOLLOW
Yep. As hard as it may seem, removing people from your life who make you question your worth is incredibly beneficial. If you're finding yourself scrolling through feeds of people who don't make you feel so good. STOP. Think. Is what you're doing making you feel good? The answer is NO. Why would you subject yourself to the unnecessary pain? What initially held me back from removing the toxic people was wondering what they'd think. Fortunately, I don't care. Sometimes, you have to put yourself first. 
SOCIAL MEDIA
If step one wasn't doing anything for you, deleting social media is a daunting, but rewarding step. Obviously, I'm no advocate of not using social media, but I certainly have put myself through the steps. I've deleted Facebook, incredibly beneficial. I don't need to know so much about people I'm really not interested in. I used to have a Twitter account which I no longer use. Anyone pre-2013 can stay there. (I do have a new Twitter which I use solely to keep up with the blogging world.. and to moan.. and to post pictures of my dog).  Anyway, rip the band aid off! (Thanks Pheobe). Even if it's just for a day, a week, a month. Do it. You'll notice how much happier you are.
QUOTES
Something I've found useful along the way, is quotes. Sometimes they really put your mind and issues into perspective. Even if it's just for a few seconds, I find it really opens my mind. I'll leave a few of my favourites below.

I hope this is useful, and that you enjoy this type of post! I hope to do more like this in the future, and frequently. Please let me know in the comments if you have any tips/advice for me!

MAYBELLINE BROW SATIN

Today's post was highly requested on my Instagram, (@fashi0nbynicole), and it's reviewing one of my favourite beauty products, the 'Maybelline Brow Satin' pencil. I began using this when I was frantically searching for an alternative to the 'Anastasia Brow Wiz', after my dog chewed it up! This is actually a repurchase, and I can say I'm incredibly impressed. 
I don't draw my eyebrows on, so I can't say how it'd work for drawing additional 'hairs', but for filling in those sparse areas, it ticks every box.

This is my eyebrows before filling in. (Ugh, my eyeshadow is so not on point).

After filling in my eyebrows!

As you can see, those sparse areas are now lightly filled in. The 'Brow Satin' is double sided, one being the pencil, which doesn't require sharpening as it's one of those.. 'twisty pencils'.. (I don't know the official terminology?). The other side is a little sponge applicator. When the lid is secured, the sponge is pressed into a brow powder and ready to use. I rarely use this side, and tend to only go for it for a heavier colour.

I do intend on repurchasing the Anastasia Brow Wiz, as I do love a little bit of luxury, but this is definitely staying a staple in my daily make-up routine as it's super affordable and accessible. 

Have any of you tried this? What do you think? 

ICE QUEEN ACTION

I have to say, not only is the title of this post apt due to the ice-y blue tones of my outfit, but also because it was bloody freezing! Literally.. I died a death out there. Summer, please hurry!
I imagine some of you are familiar with Lily Lulu if you're no stranger to the blogger world, but if not, this dress is from their new collection which is SO Kim K. Minimal, muted, and so chic. I originally thought this dress was a loose cami dress, but it turns out it's quite fitting. It's perfect with some knee-highs, and I went for an obvious choice.. those ASOS boots.
I think I'm definitely aspiring to be Kylie Jenner here.. (and failing), but she's definitely been seen rocking a similar number to this ice blue duster. I purchased this last summer, and it's been perfect for those not so chilly days, (although probably not quite January appropriate!).
To compliment the blue in the coat, and the blue in my hair, I went for my baby blue Grafea bag. I genuinely don't use any other bags now!

DRESS - c/o LILY LULU

DUSTER COAT - ASOS (major sale alert!)

BOOTS - ASOS (linked similar.. cheaper!)

BAG - c/o GRAFEA

BLUE HAIR, I HAVE BLUE HAIR!

So, as the oh so original title states, I have blue hair! Well, blue ombré. Am I Kylie Jenner yet? (Sadly, no). This was a second, and finally successful attempt at blue ombré hair. What do you think?!
Anyway, I rediscovered a few pieces for this look. One being my very well loved Primark dogtooth coat. I wore this to death in recent months, but later found it collecting dust in my wardrobe whilst I swanned around it newer coat additions, so I'm delighted to put it back on the front line!
Even though this outfit is somewhat tame, the shine and print of this skirt provides a little edge. Whilst the silhouette of this skirt is generally covered by my coat, I can tell you it's incredibly flattering. (PS, this skirt is on sale now for under £10, woop!). My top is a super elegant basic I picked up from Missguided a little while back, and I can't believe this is the first time I've worn it! It drapes around the skirt beautifully, and I think this would look just as good over some high-waisted jeans for a more 'put together' daytime look.

COAT - PRIMARK

TOP - MISSGUIDED

SKIRT - c/o MISS PAP (sale alert!)

SHOES - ASOS

 

KIM K SHOES - COMFY EDITION

I'm quite surprised I haven't featured this coat previously, as I've had it since the end of last year! It's a coat I'd been after for so long, waiting for the day it was reduced in price, as I couldn't justify spending £90 on yet ANOTHER coat. I ended up purchasing it in the 'tall' version as it was cheaper than the regular, and it hasn't really been a problem! Obviously, the regular version went down further shortly after, but me being me, I just couldn't wait! I sized down in this, and I really should have sized down again as it's huuuuuge, but I'm not complaining as it's super snuggly.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you'd know that Kim Kardashian has been taking the fashion world by storm recently, with everyone lusting after her gorgeous knitted two-pieces, oversized camel coats, and of course, her incredibly fabulous lace-up heels. They're slowing creeping into all of our favourite high street stores, and online favourites, meaning they've become super accessible, and super affordable. Now, I'm not 'heels during the day' kind of girl, but a chunky heel is something I can definitely work with. When Megan Ellaby, (ASOS stylist, and fashion blogger), posted a picture of these on Twitter, it was a 'straight in the basket' kind of thing. I've worn these out already, and they're SO comfy. Who knew you could get Kim K's style, AND be comfortable?
My coat and shoes are doing all of the talking here, so I popped on my favourite ripped jeans, and basic striped tee. I was concerned my bag would blend in with the coat, but I think it looks okay! Grafea's are always gonna look good, let's be serious.

COAT - ASOS (sale alert!) TOP - PRIMARK (linked similar) JEANS - c/o MISS PAP BAG - GRAFEA VIA ASOS SHOES - ASOS

URBAN DECAY VICE 3 PALETTE

I'm a huge fan of Urban Decay cosmetics, particularly their eyeshadows, so I was thrilled when my boyfriend got me this for Christmas! 

I'd been eyeing it up so many times in work, occasionally sweeping the shades on to my hands as I walked past.. (shh!).

For a girl who is a sucker for a nude palette, but also wants to dabble with some new shades, this is perfect. As you can see, it's a mixture of matte nudes, shimmery nudes, and shimmering jewel tones. All are very wearable in my opinion, and can be built up to suit your desired look. 

As with all Urban Decay shadows, they're velvety smooth, and glide on to your lid like a dream. I always use my Urban Decay eyeshadow primer as a base to make the shadows pop, and last longer. 

On the lid, 'Bobby Dazzle' & 'Lucky', on the crease, 'DTF'

As I was only popping to the shops today, I opted for a simple shimmery nude look. Ps, I'm not make-up genius, this is just how I've worn and applied a few of the shades.

The palette comes in a little pouch, and has a huuuuge mirror inside. It also comes with a lovely little double-ended brush! Bonus.

Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette - Buy Here

I hope you enjoyed this post! What other beauty posts would you like to see from me? And are there any other eyeshadow palettes I should try?

THE BLAZER CAPE

It was only a matter of time until the 'cape' spilled over into multiple other clothing pieces, and I'm thrilled about it! Super slouchy, super chic, super comfy.. what's not to love? This cape blazer is as classic as it gets. Tailoring and comfort don't often come as one, but in this instance, they've teamed up to create the perfect statement piece. 
For me, a cape always calls for long sleeves and a high neck, so this American Apparel style striped crop from Miss Pap was the perfect choice. It's such a thick material, so a good choice for this weather, regardless of it being a crop top. 
I already own these cropped trousers in an icy blue, and I've worn those to death, so it only made sense to pick them up in pink. They also do them in black and a stone colour I believe, so they're next on my list! I've literally had them for two days, and I've barely taken them off! I love a cropped trouser, I think a little bit of ankle is rather appealing! 
These shoes are the most understated, glamorous shoes I've seen. They 100% remind me of the Queen herself, Kim Kardashian. (Quite possibly why I was so drawn to them?). Missguided do them in a whole range of colours, and I'm dying to own the entire collection. I'm particularly after a classic black pair. These nude/blush ones go perfectly with the trousers, and with the muted colours, can be pretty much paired with anything!

CAPE BLAZER - c/o MISSGUIDED TOP - c/o MISS PAP TROUSERS - c/o MISSGUIDED SHOES - c/o MISSGUIDED

SLEEK MAKEUP HAUL & REVIEW

I've recently been branching out with my make-up, and trying lots of new products, so I decided to make a big order on Sleek to try out some new bits!

I was initially going to just post about what I ordered, and not review until a later date, but I couldn't stop myself from trying it all out, so this is a joint haul and review!

Shades from left to right - Stiletto, Mystic & Amped

I don't know why I've never picked up any of the 'true colour' lipsticks up before, as I've seen them so many times in the drugstores, but anyway, I decided to pick up a few colours to try out. After a lengthy amount of time googling swatches, I settled on these three shades. They do come in a range of finishes, but I love a good 'matte' finish, so that's what I went for. All of the colours are so pigmented and creamy. If anybody wants any swatches, let me know!

I would say that 'Stiletto' is a good dupe for NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Dragon Girl', 'Mystic' is a good dupe for MAC 'Heroine' crossed with MAC 'Up the Amp', and 'Amped' is a good dupe for MAC 'Up the Amp' crossed with MAC 'Candy Yum Yum'. 

Sleek Contour Kit in the shade 'Light'

I've only been a fan of highlighters for around a year now, so I've finally gotten around to trying out some new ones! I had actually purchased this kit with the view to learn how to contour as I've not really used any bronzing products before, so I had to choose my shade wisely so I didn't cause any make-up malfunctions! My skin tone is by no means 'light', but I don't trust bronzers whatsoever, and my instincts were correct. I think if I'd have chosen 'medium' or 'dark', my cheeks would be in real trouble. Luckily, this is the perfect shade for me, and the highlight is spot on.

Sleek Molten Metal in the shade 'Steel & Ash'

Whilst scrolling through Sleeks Instagram page, I spotted a model wearing some gorgeous silver eyeshadow which was actually this super cheap little duo! I love highlighting the inner corners of my eyes, and this is the perfect palette to do it with. Like all Sleek products I've used, it's incredibly pigmented and glides on like a dream.

Shades from left to right - Noir, Bullion, Cobalt Blue & Pumpkin

If you've read one of my previous posts, (linked here), you'll already know I'm a huge fan of the Sleek 'Eau La La' liners. In that post, I was discussing them in regards to being a lip liner.. little did I know they were both a lip liner and an eye liner! Silly me. I suppose that explains the wide colour variety! Anyway, I picked up four more shades, this time going for the more 'eye liner' suitable shades. 'Noir' is your basic black liner, and 'Buillion' is a sparkly gold, so perfect for finer detail. However, I was doing my nightly scroll through the beauty section on Pinterest, and spotted this insaaaane eyeliner look using 'Cobalt Blue', and 'Pumpkin', so I'm dying to try that out myself! Like I said in my lip liner post, these liners are so creamy and pigmented.. I think I need the entire colour range!

I hope you've enjoyed yet another beauty post! They're fast becoming my favourite to do! I recently made a little Illamasqua sale purchase, so keep your eyes peeled for more!