Playsuit - H&M
Boots - New Look at Asos
Hat - H&M

I bought this playsuit when I went to Santorini last year and I'm a little shocked myself that it hasn't already featured in an outfit post on the blog because I love it.  It was part of last years H&M Loves Coachella collection and I don't know if it was all the Coachella inspired outfits on my instagram feed  last month or what but it reminded me that I had this wonderful fringed number.  So I decided that I was going to get as much wear out of it as I could whilst the sun was making a rare appearance (so please do excuse my pasty white legs, they don't see the sun very often!).  I really love the fringing on this playsuit, adding a boho vibe during the day, then add a pair of heels and a swipe of red lipstick and you're ready for a night out.  It's so versatile.

I decided to pair my playsuit with these little peep toe boots and go all out with the fringing.  I bought these boots the week after Christmas in the sale from Asos for a mere £14.99 and have been waiting for the weather to pick up so I can wear them.  I love the cut out backs and peep toes, making them the perfect summer boots, but nobody likes frost bitten toes so when summer does arrive I'll be getting as much wear out of these as I can.

I don't know what it is about fringing but there's just something about it that makes outfits seem more fun and just makes you want to swish around.  Don't you just love it?


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L'Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation, £14.99*

Cushion foundations seem to be all the hype right now so I was looking forward to giving this L'Oreal one a try.  I love L'Oreal as a brand and have most recently been loving their Lumi Magique foundation (which you can see my review of here) so I had high hopes for this new foundation.

The foundation comes in a little round plastic compact with a mirror in the lid.  To be honest there is nothing really wrong with the packaging, it looks nice enough and it is nice and compact, making it perfect for fitting in your bag.  The only problem I have with the packaging is the second lid that the applicator sits in and covers the cushion, it feels very flimsy and when I open it I always feel like it's going to snap off so I'm just hoping that it stands the test of time.  It tells you to make sure that lid is always closed properly to ensure the foundation doesn't dry out so I'd hate for this to happen if it did break off.

Now onto the product itself, as you can see once you open the second lid there is a soft sponge like cushion soaked in foundation.  Taking the applicator by putting your fingers under the strap, you gently press the front of the applicator into the cushion and it applies a nice even layer of foundation onto the applicator.  You then just tap the applicator onto your face and repeat the process to build as much coverage as you like.  Obviously the more you tap the more coverage you get.  I would say this is a very light to medium coverage but it can take a lot of product and a lot of tapping to get a medium coverage.  I would definitely say this is more of an everyday foundation when you don't require too much coverage.  If you like a full coverage foundation then this is probably not the one for you.

As I have really dehydrated skin I am a sucker for a dewy finish and if there is one thing I can promise you it is that this foundation gives you the most beautiful luminous finish.  It leaves my skin looking so radiant and there is not a dry patch or any cakey-ness in sight.  It applies to the skin so beautifully and evenly and leaves your skin looking so nice and natural.  It also contains SPF 25 so keeps your skin protected too.  For £14.99 I think it is a great product and one I would repurchase, even better there is £5 off the L'Oreal Nude Magique Foundations at Boots at the moment making it £9.99.

Have you tried a cushion foundation before?  What do you think of them?

It's been a while since I've done a baking post as I have been on a bit of a health kick, and baked goods like this are just too much of a temptation to have lying around the kitchen, and also because I just haven't really been feeling up to it.  If you follow my blog though you'll know how much I love to bake and over the last few weeks I have really been missing it, so I decided it's time to put my mixer to good use again and get my baking mojo back.  This past weekend it was a special little girl's birthday and as she is lactose intolerant I was set with the task of making her some dairy free cupcakes.  I'm always a bit wary when making "free from" or "healthy" cakes as all the ones I've attempted have never really been up to scratch but these ones actually turned out pretty good.  So I thought I'd share the recipe as I know how hard it can be to find a good dairy free cake recipe and even if you can have dairy these are lower in fat and taste just as good as the real thing.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

250g caster sugar

250g Vitalite dairy free (or an alternative diary free spread)

3 eggs

290g self raising flour

1tsp vanilla essence

145ml sweetened soy milk

For the buttercream:

250g Vitalite dairy free (or an alternative diary free spread)

500g-800g icing sugar

1-2tsp vanilla essence

Makes approx. 20 cupcakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c and line tins with cupcake cases.

2. Beat together the caster sugar and dairy free spread until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat together with the mixture after you have added each one.

4. Add the vanilla essence and beat again until well combined.

5. Sift the flour into the mixture and beat again until it is fully combined.

6. Add the soy milk and mix well.

7. Spoon the mixture into the cases until they are about 2/3 full and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are golden on top and bounce back when gently pressed. Then leave on a cooling rack to cool completely.

8. When the cakes are almost cool you can make your buttercream.  Start by beating the spread until pale (about 5-8mins).

9. Sift in 500g of the icing sugar a little at a time and beat after each addition until it is well combined.  This will make a nice buttercream but as we are using dairy free spread rather than butter for me it is a little too soft, especially for piping.  So add the rest of the icing sugar a little at a time until it reaches the consistency that you prefer, this can vary depending on the type of dairy free spread you are using.

10. Add the vanilla essence and mix well.  Again the amount you will use depends on the type of dairy free spread you're using.  To me the dairy free spread has a strong margarine like taste so I tend to use about 1 and a half teaspoons of vanilla essence but you can use a little more or a little less to suit your tastes.

11.  Pipe or spread onto cupcakes and decorate however you'd like.

Let me know if you give these cupcakes a try or if you have any other great dairy free recipes.

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Pinafore - New Look

Top - Dorothy Perkins

Shoes - New Look

Bag - Michael Kors

Watch - Michael Kors

I'm sorry if you are blinded by the reflection off of my lily white legs but the sun has made a rare appearance recently and it's actually felt like spring, which meant I could finally wear a dress without tights!!  Oh, the simple things!  I got this pinafore for my birthday and had been looking for a nice striped top to wear under it and with the hope that the weather would be getting a bit warmer I didn't really want a long sleeved one.  After hunting online but not finding one I liked, I happened to stumble upon this one in Dorothy Perkins in the sale.  It is more of a jumper style and the sleeve length is perfect, making it ideal for the days when the sun is out but there's still a little chill in the air.  For £8 you can't really go wrong.

Another recent purchase that was an absolute bargain were these little shoes.  I've been wanting some new little black flats for a while, but as usual I was being my picky self wanting something quite plain but that had that little something extra that didn't make them your typical boring black flats.  Cue these little beauties with their little cut out details and ties with gold tips.  What makes them even better is that they are reduced from £19.99 to just £9!  Who doesn't love a bargain?!  Especially when it's exactly what you have been looking for.

I really love Olivia Palermo and her classic yet beautiful style, she always looks absolutely flawless.  I have no idea how her collaboration with Ciate London absolutely bypassed me until one day whilst I was browsing in TK Maxx I happened to stumble upon a small selection of this collection (I am absolutely kicking myself for not picking up more now!).  The main product that caught my eye was this gorgeous lipstick in the shade Cashmere.  The packaging is just beautiful and typically classic of Olivia Palermo in a simple black and gold.  It has such a luxurious look to it, especially with the OP and little bow embossed onto the lipstick itself.

As you can see Cashmere is a lovely nude shade and very highly pigmented, with just one swipe you get this amazing colour pay off.  What has sold me most with this lipstick though is the formula.  I have fairly dry lips so am always on the lookout for products that won't dry them out.  This lipstick has a lovely creamy texture and feels rather moisturising on the lips but doesn't look too glossy, which some moisturising lipsticks can.  I have pretty much wore this lipstick daily since the day I bought it.

Like I said I stumbled across this lipstick in TK Maxx and was able to pick it up for just £6.99!  They also had it in the shade Truffle which was a bit more of a pinky nude and after how much I've fallen in love with the formula I really wish I'd bought that one too.  So I'd definitely recommend checking your local TK Maxx on the off chance that they might have a few pieces from this collection, otherwise they are available here but for over double the price at £19!  I think I would still pay full price for it though as I think it is well worth it for the quality.  I have also got my eye on this eyeshadow palette from the collection now too.

Have you tried anything from the Ciate London X Olivia Palermo collection?

Boohoo is a brand that I've always been aware of but never really paid too much notice to.  Recently I have seen more and more of it, whether it be on other people's blogs, TV ads or instagram and have found certain items catching my eye, and seeing as it is so affordable have been having a little browse.  Here are just a few of my favourites...

1. Boutique Zoe Bonded Suedette Biker Jacket, £35 - I have been wanting a suede jacket for a while and have been waiting for the weather to get a little bit warmer.  I love the style of this biker jacket with it's added little details such as the belt and the press stud epaulettes.  Then this next bit is where I'm a little reluctant to place an order, as first of all this jacket is described as khaki but looks more of a tan colour in this product image and then on the model it has more of a hint of green to it, so I'm not actually sure what colour it would be when it arrived.

2. Skye Sling Back Ghillie Flat, £20 - Now Spring is finally on it's way I'm hoping I won't have to be keeping my feet so warm in big woolly socks and boots.  As much as I love boots and have a couple of summer appropriate pairs I can't wait to start wearing pretty little flats like these again.  I'm loving the way they tie with the little tassels on the end and the gold detailing on the heel adds that little something extra.

3. Nicole Crochet Tassel Top, £18 - This top is one of my favourites.  I don't know if it's all the Coachella style I've been seeing over the last couple of weeks but it instantly reminded me of that festival style with the fringing and crochet detail.  I think this top would be so versatile, worn with skinny jeans or denim cut-offs when the weather is a bit warmer, it would even make a great cover up on the beach if I had a holiday booked.

4. Honey Monochrome Stripe Woven Culottes, £15 - Two trends I have been loving recently and want to try and incorporate into my wardrobe this spring is stripes and culottes.  I'm loving stripes at the moment and anything stripy seems to catch my eye, but I have especially been on the lookout for a pair of wide legged striped trousers that don't look like a pair of pyjama bottoms.  I thought maybe a culotte pair would remedy that problem and they look great on the model but I am still a little bit worried that I'd be too short to pull them off.  For £15 though I am very tempted to give them a try.

5. Clara Corded Lace Insert Smock Dress, £20 - This little white dress is the perfect little spring dress to me, the white will brighten up my wardrobe but the long sleeves make it ideal for the colder days (which we're still having here in England, snow in April anyone?!)  You can't really see the detail very well on this picture but if you click the link you can see on the website that it has a lovely lace detail over the shoulders and a tie with a pretty frilly neck.

6. Millie Woven Stripe Off The Shoulder Top, £14 - As I mentioned earlier I have been loving stripes recently so obviously this top also caught my eye and off the shoulder tops are popping up everywhere at the moment.  I think they look great simply paired with some jeans or tucked into a high waist skirt for a more girly and dressier look.

What have you been loving recently?  Have you ordered from Boohoo before?  I'm seriously considering ordering a few of these and I would love to know your experiences shopping with them on their quality and sizing.