A Touch of Pink

dress - warehouse, shoes - clarks, cardi - uniqlo

I wore this outfit yesterday for Mother's day - so excuse the massive pink cliche that I am! It was another 'slightly too cold for the current weather' outfit but it was fine in the sun. My grandparents came to visit and my mum and grandmother went around the farmer's market while I carried all their bags of groceries and plants!

Speaking of plants my parents keep moving theirs around the garden and ruining my backdrops for photos! It's very thoughtless of them and I kep ending up with random shrubs poking out from behind me wherever I go... I admit though the main problem with these photos is the fact that the camera wasn't straight so everything is a tad wonky! That's 100% my fault...

Lazy Sunday Links

1. The amazing Chanel Show - love the crystals! 2. A truly stunning photoshoot (warning - boobs!) 3. Gorgeous wooden design 4. Mary Katrantzou by Garance Dore 5. I love discovering new instagrammers to follow 6. Krissy's week looks so gorgeous - she always makes everyday life look amazing.

I've been without functioning internet for the past week as I've been travelling for work, and I will be for next week too, so all these links are a tad outdated now I'm afraid as I've had no browsing time. Instead my evenings have been filled with long baths, podcasts, books and tax revision. An interesting combination - some better than others!

It's been quite refreshing taking an enforced internet break. I have enjoyed not being able to think about blogging for a bit, but coming back to an overflowing bloglovin and the feeling of being completely disconnected from such a huge part of my life was not so great.

It definitely made me realise how much of my life is online, and how much I rely on it. I don't want to go back to the dark ages please! I've scheduled a couple of posts for the next week but see you again (properly!) next weekend!

Real Techniques Stippling Brush.

Yes it's come to this. I am officially a makeup junkie. Ban me from Mac, and unsubscribe me from the Estee Lauder mailing list immediately - I need some rehab! It started so small - an eyeliner, some mascara perhaps - that's normal, everyone wears mascara. But oh then came my gateway drug - foundation. Then of course that wasn't enough - I couldn't just wear foundation - I needed primer, so the foundation looked better, and blusher, so I don't look too pale, and now comes my latest obsession - make brushes.

I have always put my makeup on with my fingers. I never really saw the point of a brush when my hands worked just as well, and I think are just as hygenic as long as you wash them before use! I saw a lot of reviews of these real techniques brushes on the way too many beauty blogs I follow and I got curious enough to make a purchase.

I picked the stippling brush as it looked like a good all rounder, and I'm not quite up to wanting a whole kit worth of brushes yet(!) but I actually had to hunt for it as every Boots I went into was sold out. I eventually bought the last one in Boots on Oxford Street, but I'm taking that to be a good recommendation!

I have been surprisingly impressed with the differnece it makes to my makeup application - it definitely looks less smudgy (for want of a better word!) than when I use my fingers to apply my makeup. I love that there are real techniques tutorial videos online as well, as I always like to see things in action. As a total make up novice all my knowledge comes from blogs and youtube!

That having been said I am still always looknig for new beauty blogs and youtube channels to follow and learn more about makeup from - so I'd love to know your favourites (and your own one too - self promotion is a-ok!). Please do share in the comments!

Iconemesis Winner!

Laura Yardy! Congratulations Laura! In other news I'm travelling with work and have little to know Internet which is just painful! So sorry if I haven't been replying to comments and visiting your blog as much as I'd like. Also apologies if this post is badly formatted as I'm writing it on my phone!

Instagram February (and March!)

1. On the way to work on the first sunny day of the year 2. A trip to selfridges for one of their Words Words Words talks 3. Still wrapping up warm and layering socks and tights in the snow!

4. In Oxford at the Ashmoleum 5. The most beautiful buttons on a vintage 50s dress 6. My front door

7. My face! 8 & 9. A morning spent wandering around Borough Market

10. Back in Oxford for a walk to PC World (at least the walk was pretty!) 11. A trip to Debenhams saw me bringing back a Benefit bag 12. My own local bit of river in London, and my favourite piece of graffiti just under the bridge

13. A mysterious letter in the post from my friend Becca 14. I tried on these shoes in Forever21, fell over and sadly decided I'd better put them back... 15. Introduced my mum to Pinkberry at Westfield Startford

16 & 17. I went out with my parents for Tapas and Mojitos for my Birthday 18. And bought this pretty top from H&M

In February I got back into using instagram a bit more than I had been doing recently, by attempting the February photo a day challenge which went round. I failed at about Day 7 or so, but I am trying to train my eye to see potential photographs better, and I think it was a great tool for that. I recently read Elsie's Five Tips on Lifestyle Photography article, which is all about seeing and photographing the everyday beautiful things in your life. Very much recommended reading for anyone trying to develop a better photographer's eye, or just a more positive attitude to everyday life! 

I am definitely guilty of sitting down to blog and thinking 'Oh I haven't bought anything new or done anything interesting, I have nothing to share' but some of my favourite blogs are just about the little everyday things, I just need to learn to see them properly!

Lazy Sunday Links

1. How yummy does this tart look? I love sour cream! 2. I swoon for beautiful bookshops 3. Such a gorgeous photoshoot 4. A really good read on taking your own outfit photos. So many great hints and tips 5. Ulyana Sergeenko's most recent collection is just as stunning as I'd hoped. 6. I know you're a font snob too! Download some gorgeous ones here for free.

It's a Spring Thing

top - warehouse, trousers courtesy m&s, shoes courtesy clarks, watch courtesy hsamuel

I wore this outfit last weekend for my pre-birthday birthday celebrations. My Birthday is actually tomorrow, but last weekend I had a little family celebration and went to Westfields in Stratford with my mum and then out for Tapas with my parents in the evening. I introduced my mum to Pinkberry frozen yoghurt, which is the queen of the frozen yoghurt establishments in my opinion.

I didn't end up buying much really, which was fine - I think there's not really a lot in the shops I am desiring at the moment. Everywhere seems to be crazy prints, too sheer blouses and cut outs which necessitate not wearing a bra.

I think I have the same complaint every spring/summer, but I really wish shops would take a moment to consider the wearability of summer clothes. I want to be able to wear summer dresses and tops without having to wear a camisole or something underneath to make them decent!

Anyway rant over, I'm off to do some more birthday related things! Have a great weekend!

Competition with Iconemesis!

 

What do you think of my new iphone case? I am so pleased to have replaced my boring old black one with something a bit pretty! The nice people at Iconemesis sent me this one, which features the work of illustator Johanna Basford, and they've offered me the opportunity to give one away too!

To win a case of your choice simply follow the iconemesis twitter or like the facebook page and leave a comment on this post with your email address so I can get in contact with the winner.

For an additional entry tweet the following:

I'd like to win an @iconemesis phone case with @whereisharriet http://www.whereisharriet.net

The competition is open for one week and I'll announce the winner next Wednesday. Good Luck!

Benefit

I am such a sucker for products that are beautifully packaged. Give me a nice carrier bag and a box and I will be just as happy as with what's inside it! As a child I always used to confuse my parents at Christmas by spending more time playing with the cardboard box than whatever present came in it!

After reading approximately three million reviews I popped by my nearest Benefit concession to pick up The Porefessional and obviously I asked for a bag as well! I think when you are buying something expensive nice packaging is part of what you pay for, so I love picking up little bags like this to store random things in my room.

The product itself I haven't used enough yet to give a proper review, but so far I like it. It comes out a brownish colour but it blends away so it works fine on my pale skin. It definitely makes my foundation look better over it, although I have quite dry skin at the moment so I will wait and try it once I've got my face under control and decide if it is really working!

Lazy Sunday Links

1. You had me at quick, simple and beautiful food! 2. A Chanel inspired diy 3. I know Valentines Day was a while ago now but I just read this post and absolutely loved this little heartfelt gift 4. I always get so excited when I see a new post from What Katie Ate 5. The most perfect closet 6. I was fascinated by this comparison of clothes on the runway vs in print. It's interesting to see the different ways they have been styled.

On Style

all photos courtesy style.com

I haven't really kept up with Fashion Week this time around. I knew pretty early on I would be too busy to go to London Fashion Week, and somehow the urge to spend hours pouring over style.com never quite came so I am afraid I am a bit behind the times.

One show that really did stand out for me though was Jil Sander. I think the reason it resonated so much with me is that I feel like my style is growing up a bit, and this collection really encapsulated what I like right now. One look at my pinterest style board will show you my preference for demure, knee length dresses and skirts, in pale pink, navy blue and grey. I definitely have a love for a more ladylike look which I try to bring into my outfits, but I don't always achieve!

I still love my short skirts, and all things kitch and girly but in a couple of weeks I will officially be in my mid-twenties (eek!) and I can definitely see where my style is heading towards. I think I am officially ok with growing up though! Admittedly it would be nice if I could afford Jil Sander to help me out...

Has your style evolved as you've grown up? Was it strange to realise you suddenly didn't want to dress how you used to, or was it a more gradual thing?

Simple Supper

A simple weekday supper - omlette smothered in pepper and Parmesan cheese, with salad, couscous, hummus and sour cream. A perfect quick and easy meal for a Tuesday when I came home from work absolutely starving and with very little in the fridge!

Clarks Shoes

shoes courtesy clarks, culottes - ymc, belt - vintage, blouse - miss selfridge, necklace - vintage

The wonderful people at Clarks kindly sent me a pair of sandals from their spring range, and they arrived just in time for the gorgeous weather this weekend - perfect timing! They're the Aegean Cruise sandals in Mink and I can definitely seeing myself getting a lot of wear out of them this summer.

My outfit is, I admit, perhaps slightly over optimistic considering it's still February, but I wasn't too cold with a cardigan on, and I have plans for these shoes with grey knee length socks when it's not so warm as well!

Lazy Sunday Links

1. Perfectly eclectic style 2. This is the funniest video! 3. Yes Ma'am! School mistress chic 4. Vintage perfection at Hannah and Landon 5. A fascinating trip to a lingerie studio 6. and the best looking garlic bread ever!