Just had to give these lovely shoes a mention! I've seen them so many times when I'm out and about shopping and I fall in love with them every time I see them...they look even better in real life than in the picture, need them! The Elliot shoes are my favourite pair from Kurt Geiger's SS12 collection.
Although these would look beautiful during the day, I think they'd look best as part of a smart-casual outfit, maybe for the office or evening dinner with friends.
I'll be wearing them with black super skinny jeans (Topshop Leigh jeans are very flattering on all body types and retail at £38) and a white, fitted shirt; but with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up midway to stop the outfit from looking too formal.
I'll team the outfit with a long gold chain and clock pendant and intense, matte red lips*. Eye makeup will be kept to a minimum (two coats of Benefit Bad Gal mascara and a little Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Very Black* for a very subtle smoky-eye effect).
Instead of straightening my hair or styling it too much, I'll leave it in its natural ringlets and wear it down.
*I'll be reviewing Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 39 (red) and Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Very Black soon.
I've owned countless red lipsticks, but this is by far my favourite; as soon as I tried it for the first time I had to tweet about how amazing it is! Despite the matte finish, the lipstick is very moisturising; I've found in the past that for the some reason red lipsticks really dry my lips out, but I've never had that problem with this one.
It retails at £23.50* and is totally worth the price - it lasts for a very long time and the shade of red is the most attractive I've ever come across in a lipstick: it's very intense and is leagues ahead of the pigment in cheaper red lip colours. I've included a photo of me wearing it at a New Years party (below) to show you how beautifully it photographs
outside (the light in my room is a little bright).
I didn't have to touch up once for the entire night; the colour was just as intense at the end of the night as it was at the beginning and it didn't bleed at all - something a lot of my red lipsticks have done in the past. Drinking wasn't a problem - it barely even left lipstick marks around the rim of my glass, so very long-lasting and resilient!
One thing I would recommend though is red lip liner; I never wear bright lip colours without lining my lips first, so that there's a strong, clear outline. Otherwise the colour can fade around the edges and stop the lips from making such an impact. I recommend Collection 2000 lip liner pencil in Brick Red One - it's only £1.59 and works perfectly!
My absolute favourite thing about this lipstick is the matte finish - it has to be the most flattering feature of any lip products. Rouge Allure Velvet would contrast beautifully with dewy skin, but also really complements a matte, powdered complexion; you cannot go wrong with this! Plus, the depth of the red means it suits any skin colour, just as long as those with red areas neutralise them with a suitable foundation.
As a general rule, I never wear heavy eye makeup and lip colour together; I find it too much. So, I made sure I kept my eye makeup to a minimum when wearing this; as you can see above, I wore black eyeliner (which I smudged on my upper lids for subtlety) and some mascara - don't detract from this beautiful lip colour by overdoing your eyes.
So all in all, a wonderful product which I will continue to buy again and again!
*http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/CHANEL+ROUGE+ALLURE+VELVET+Luminous+Matte+Lipcolour/158742982,default,pd.html
Just had to give these lovely shoes a mention! I've seen them so many times when I'm out and about shopping and I fall in love with them every time I see them...they look even better in real life than in the picture, need them! The Elliot shoes are my favourite pair from Kurt Geiger's SS12 collection.
