Outfit inspiration: brighten me up...

A bit of outfit inspiration for the weekend - The weather may be miserable but that doesn't mean your outfits have to be.
Bring a bit of sunshine into your day with a pop of colour...












































(images via Weheartit.com)
What will you wear to brighten up your weekend?
Manthsxx

DIY ripped jeans: in the style of the Saturdays and Miley Cyrus

The grungy look has been big this season, thanks to the likes of Rihanna rocking a 90s grunge trend in recent videos like 'We Found Love', and what better way to rock the look than in a pair of ripped skinny's.

As well as adding an edge to an outfit, it also allows you to flash a bit of flesh without feeling like you're baring all.

Ripped jeans can be found in most high street shops at the moment, but why pay over the odds for a pair of jeans that are effectively ruined when you can ruin a pair yourself for free!

All you need is a pair of jeans that you don't mind ripping up, and a pair of scissors.

You don't have to go overboard with the rips like in the images above, you could settle for a couple around the knee areas or you could go all out and rip to your heart's content.

You don't have to cut neatly, for my jeans I cut a small hole in the area I wanted the rip and then tore the material apart to give a more ragged effect.

Once you have placed all your rips, if you want your jeans to look semi-neat then leave the jeans as they are — you are finished! If, like me, you want them to look more scuffed and distressed, get some sand paper and sand the edges of the tears to rough them up abit. Pull out some threads here and there and then pop them in the wash (this helps the edges to fray).

The results of mine....

Manths xx

Glitz and Glam: The hot and the not...

Red carpet royalty did their best to impress at the recent NY Met Gala, some hitting the spot and some ..... well...not.

Metallics and lace featured highly among the dresses, as well as many monotone hues and some risking it in garish brights.

Here are some of my best and worst outfits of the evening....

Jessica Alba goes golden Grecian goddess in Michael Kors.

Carey Mulligan in Prada.

Lana Del Rey rocks the chain-mail look in Joseph Altuzarra (not too sure about the cape though).

Camilla Belle in a stunning Ralph Lauren creation.

Scarlett Johansson in Dolce and Gabbana.

Heidi Klum looks as elegant as always in Escada.

I'm in love with model Karolina Kurkova's glitzy gown by Rachel Zoe (I would have ditched the headband though - OTT!)

Sophia Vergara works her hourglass shape in Marchesa.

Rosario Dawson goes for an edgy twist on the traditional gown with this leather Calvin Klein dress.

Gisele in Givenchy

Lea Michelle drops her good girl Glee image in a revealing dress.

And the awards for disastrous dresses go to...

Model Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello - need I say anything about this? No-one wants to see your jutting hip-bones lady!

Kristen Stewart in Balenciaga - Bleurgh!

Alexa Chung looks as though she thought she might get a bit chilly in her dress so decided to put a shirt under it?!

We all know I have an enormous love for Beyonce but she has made it to my badly dressed list...I like the idea of the dress from the top to the knees but she could have chosen underwear that matched her skin tone. I know she's a new mother but I think she's taking this 'Blue' theme on every outfit a bit too far...

And lastly Christina Ricci. I love a good bow, it's a great way to change the look of a dress or make something plain a bit more interesting....BUT not when the bow is pretty much the size of you! Otherwise this Thakoon dress is quite nice.

(Images from Daily Mail)

What do you think? Which dresses would you love to wear?

Manths xx

Tropical Punch

Totally loving the tropical prints that are hitting the shops this season, some of them look good enough to eat! 

Incorporate a touch of tropicana into your wardrobe subtly with just a hint of print, or go all out calypso.

All you need is a bit of confidence and possibly a Pina Colada in your hand.

Take a lot at who is embracing the trend...

Beyoncé

Cheryl Cole 

(look at those legs by the way... jealous!)

Jessie J

Pixie Lott

Luckily for us the shops are bursting with these seasonal brights. 

Here are a few of my favourite pieces to get those tropical taste-buds watering...

Own the Runway

Vest £16.99
Wedges £49.99

River Island
Dress (sale) £20
Shorts £25

Topshop
Bralet £25
Leggings £20

ASOS
Motel playsuit £48
Club L bralet and skirt (both sale) £15 each

Will you be embracing the tropical trend this summer?

Manthsxx

An alternative to Botox?

Claiming to be a revolutionary new anti-ageing wonder product, beauty company Perfect Look and Health is promising big things with its new 'Botox like serum'.
The Perfect Secret Anti-wrinkle Super Serum claims to be an instant skin fixer offering Botox-like results but without the pain or the hefty price tag.
What they say: 'This NEW innovative botox-like serum boasts a blend of active ingredients with a combination of new technology peptides, collagen and aloe vera to deliver immediate results. Its secret ingredient is Pepti-Col™ - a combination of new technology peptides which have been proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Key ingredients include: Acetyl-hexapeptide-3, Palmitoyl-pentapeptide-3, Hyaluronic acid, Collagen Hydrolysate and Aloe Vera Gel.
'Ideal for use before a party or event, the Perfect Secret is an effective instant skin fixer, boosting both the complexion and confidence. Used every day, this product works to reduce lines and wrinkles whilst providing much needed moisture to skin. It also helps prevent the formation of further lines.'

With claims like this I was more than willing to try it out for myself.



The product itself comes in a pump tube, and one pump of the product is more than enough for the face as it has a very watery consistency and is easily spreadable.
It is suggested to be used before an event or party or before your daily skin care routine.



I wasn't quite sure what to expect before applying the product, I thought something so watery probably wouldn't do a lot.
After my morning face wash I smoothed Perfect Secret over my entire face and it took seconds to sink in. I experienced different stages as the product sank in - when first applied my face was very wet, as it started sinking in my face was really sticky to the touch and when the serum had sunk in, my face felt quite dry. (They say the product moisturises your skin but I definitely felt like I needed to put some moisturiser on after it).
I could feel my skin tightening - it was a weird sensation but a good one as my skin felt nice and taught - even after I had put moisturiser and makeup over the top. I was surprised that I could actually feel something happening as we all know many companies promise big results but many fail to deliver. This was different, there was definitely something happening to my skin.
The sensation stayed for about half the day (which is longer than my foundation stuck around for!)

I have been using Perfect Secret as part of my daily routine for about a week now and love the feeling it gives (it also seems to make my skin feel softer which is always a bonus).
I could believe that with regular use it would help keep wrinkles at bay as your skin is too tight to move. The only downside is that despite not being as expensive as Botox, it will set you back around £40.
Having said that, it is a generous size bottle and if you are only using one pump a day it should last for quite a while.
I'm not sure I could afford to keep using daily but I will definitely use it to perk my skin up before applying my make-up for a night out!!!
The Perfect Secret Anti-wrinkle Serum is available for £39.99 from www.lookandhealth.co.uk
Manths xx

Shoe envy: Kim Kardashian

If you follow Kim Kardashian on twitter, you would have seen that she posted some pictures of her shoe collection recently. As an ultimate shoe addict, I went into envy overload when I saw them.

For those of you that missed it, be prepared to drool.....

                                     Pics from Kim Kardashian's Twitter

I lost count of all the Louboutins she has stashed in there.....

I would be ecstatic to just have one pair of Louboutins sitting in my shoe rack.... one day, when I win the lottery......... *dreaming* ......

Manths xx

Wake up your make-up!

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a make-up rut and struggle to get out of it?

This is exactly what I am going through at the moment, opting for speed and simplicity with a slick of eyeliner and mascara before I run out of the door to work.

Well, I'm bored of it, so I took to good old  weheartit.com to get some inspiration. 

If your stuck in a rut like me, take a look at these and wake up your make up!!

Try something new with your make up this week!

Manths xx