How To: Get Glitter Roots

There has been a new hair trend taking over Instagram and it’s glitter roots! Not only is it a bit space-age but it’s also a little bit festive with all the sparkles. 

It’s a super easy but super effective look to create that is perfect for nights out, Christmas parties or just to make a bold statement. 

You can either go for a glitter that’s similar to your hair colour if it’s already dyed into a colourful shade, or you can go for contrasting colours. In this tutorial we have gone for a holographic blue against brown hair, so it really stands out. 

I've collaborated with Charlie from the fashion blog Chazabella, she has awesome style and you should definitely check out her blog to find out what she wore to style up this hairstyle!

How to recreate the look

Step 1

Section your hair into a middle parting, even down the back and create a high top bun on each side (just like the classic Miley look). This can be done by pulling the hair up into a high pony tail on each side, twisting the hair around into a bun and then securing this with elastics.

Step 2

Mix clear hair gel and your chosen colour of glitter into a bowl. 

Step 3

Using a brush apply the glitter gel to the roots along the middle parting. Apply more product towards the parting and then brush it out to fade outwards. 

Step 4
Go out and make a statement with your new hair do!

Connect With Me 
Twitter | @Alexandraahowe 
Facebook | Alexandra Elizabeth 
Instagram | @Alexandraahowe

Forget Contouring, This Is How To Master Strobing

If you follow me on social media you will probably know that I have been interning at InStyle magazine within their beauty department (a dream come true for a beauty lover!) and they let me write an article for their online beauty section! 

I couldn't believe it either. It didn't feel real until they actually put it live onto the site and to be honest it still seems so surreal! You can read the original article over here. If you don't want to go on head over there, you can read the same article here below. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think in the comments.

Issey Miyake's SS15 Makeup

We've only just mastered the art of Kim K Kontouring but now it's all about 'Strobing'. Not sure what I'm on about? Check out my guide to getting your glow on Strobing style…

Forget Kim K Kontouring, the latest beauty obsession is all about Strobing. It might sound a little sci-fi, but I'm not talking laser quest here, Strobing is officially the latest way to get a glow worthy of the red-carpet. The secret celeb beauty trick to looking, well, completely amazing, everyone's doing it. Miranda Kerr's supermodel skin? That's Strobing. Kendall's totally enviable dewy complexion and sculpted cheekbones? Yup, Strobing as well.

So what even is it?
Unlike contouring, rather than making the low points of the face appear more shadowed, Strobing brightens and illuminates the high points on the face for that fresh futuristic glow. It's way easier to master and a lot lighter on the skin, so there's no need to worry about it melting off! Summer friendly instead of sweaty? Tick.

Why now?
It all started at Issey Miyake's SS15 show where MUA Alex Box transformed models into glowing goddesses with a futuristic touch. Since then celebs like Amanda Seyfried, Kendall Jenner (rebelling against her sister's famous contouring) and Karlie Kloss have jumped on the brightening bandwagon to rock it on the red carpet.

Ok, so what do we do?

1. Hydrate
To start off you want your skin to be plump and hydrated, to do this massage a radiance-enhancing moisturiser into the skin. I love the M.A.C Strobe Cream, £24.50 (appropriate, non?) as it de-stresses and freshens the skin, and also contains iridescent particles to make your skin glow. The best bit? If you're worried about your skin not appreciating the extra layer of makeup everyday, this lightweight formula also contains anti-oxidants and green tea extracts to help improve your skin condition over time. Nice.

2. Prime
Shimmery products have a tendency to highlight and cling to dry patches of skin, not good. Primer is the answer. Smooth any lumps and bumps or large pores with NARS Light Optimising Primer, £26. It's oil-free and contains SPF15 to help protect your skin against sun damage as well as prepping the surface for getting your glow on.

3. Foundation & Concealer
For this look you want flawless looking skin.  NARS' legendary Sheer Glow Liquid Foundation, £31 has a medium coverage and satin finish to give you an airbrushed look. Don't be tempted to go too heavy with your base, we're going for youthful and dewy not contoured and cakey.

Cover any imperfections or dark circles with a slightly warm-toned concealer. Beware of cooler shades, it might seem logical to cover darkness with paler makeup, but a warmer tone will avoid your under eyes looking ashy. And, let's face it, no one wants that.  Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage, £26.50 is a must. It's two-shade system is super pigmented meaning you can easily get your perfect colour match without piling on loads of product. Remember, the key to Strobing is to make it look as if you just woke up like this. Healthy glow is the goal people!

4. Highlight
The actual strobing part of the process, to get that really intense highlight you need to layer products. A cream highlighter with a powder highlight on top is a guaranteed way to add instant glow with a flawless finish. Benefit's High Beam, £19.50 is a classic cream highlight which has a really easy application with it's handy little brush. Simply dot this along the high points on your face; the cheekbones, cupids bow, bridge of the nose, brow bone, inner corner of the eye and the centre of the forehead.

Set the highlighter in place and remove any hint of greasiness with a light dusting of powder over the same areas of your face. Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed, £30 powder is perfect for this, just make sure you choose the right shade for your skin tone. If you're a paler lady, Moonstone will work a treat, for those of you lucky enough to work a darker skin tone, Opal will look less chalky

My top tip?  If you're wearing a low cut or shoulderless top, sweep the highlighter across your collarbone, it'll do wonders for your all over glow.

Et voila! Ultra-glowy, healthy looking skin in minutes. Strobing never seemed so easy.

Connect With Me
Twitter | @Alexandraahowe
Facebook | Alexandra Elizabeth
Instagram | @Alexandraahowe

Find Your Perfect Summer Red Lip

Red lipstick is a staple product that every makeup lover should have in their makeup bags, it can transform a day look into a glamorous evening look. In this post I'm going to show you some of my favourite red lip shades and also give you a brief overview of which types of red lipstick are most likely to suit you.

What toned red lipstick should I go for?
Pink/Cool toned skin - go for the classic reds or a pinky red.
Warm/Caramel toned skin - go for a burnt orange/red.
Dark toned skin - go for the richer red shades.
Really there is no right or wrong way when it comes to red lipstick, so if you feel like it, go for whatever shade you like!

Some of my favourite Summer reds

Mac Lipstick in Ruby Woo £15.50 and Mac Lip Pencil in Cherry £12.50
Ruby Woo is the classic red lip, with its blue undertone and matte finish. This colour works beautifully against cooler skin tones, just like Taylor Swift.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick by Kate Moss in 111 Kiss of Life - £5.49
This lipstick has a mix of orange and blue undertones meaning it should suit a variety of skin tones. It claims to have a matte finish but I would call it more of a satin when you look at it compared to Ruby Woo.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Harlot - £14
If you prefer a lip colour to be more glossy the OCC lip tars are great. They have a really strong staying power as they do slightly stain your lips. Harlot is a more pinky red and is more likely to suit cooler toned skin.

Mac Lipstick in So Chaud - £15.50
If you have a warmer skin tone this lipstick is a stunner! It really warms up the skin with it's orange undertone, whilst also having a beautiful matte finish. I love to pair burnt orange/red shades with the Mac Pro Longwear Lip pencil in High Energy.

Mac Lipstick in Lady Danger - £15.50
Lady Danger is another staple lipstick, it's such a vibrant burnt orange without being too garish and neon. Again I pair this with the Mac Pro Longwear Lip pencil in High Energy to really get the full potential of the lip colour.

Connect With Me
Twitter | @Alexandraahowe
Facebook | Alexandra Elizabeth
Instagram | @Alexandraahowe

Shop The Trend: Palm Leaves Print

I have recently fallen in the love with the palm leaves print trend, it's the perfect summer staple this year. I've already bought a few products in this print which I will show you all styled up when I go on holiday in a couple of weeks time.
If you aren't into small and busy floral prints, this is the perfect alternative as they tend to come in quite big prints that aren't quite as flouncy. It also comes in such a range of colours and styles you can really incorporate the trend into your own style and wardrobe.
Almost every shop I go into at the moment have featured this print in their summer collections but I've picked out a few items that have stood out to me ranging from high-street to high-end to save you from hours of browsing!

Product links in order from left to right 
Missguided | Tropical Print Halterneck Backless Crop Top £15 and Tropical Print Jersey Culottes £25
ASOS | Mix & Match Multi Leaf Print Bikini £10-£18
Roberto Cavalli | Tropical Print Lace Insert Jersey Dress £670
New Look | Khaki Leaf Print Twist Front Underwired Racer Back Bikini Top £17.99 and Khaki Leaf Print Strappy Side High Waisted Bikini Bottoms £11.99
New Look | Orange Palm Leaf Jacquard Zip Back Skirt £19.99
Warehouse | Tropical Palm Culotte £36

How To Balance Studying, a Job and a Blog

If you didn’t know already, not only do I write this blog but I am also studying fashion at university and I work at MAC during the weekends, so I have a pretty busy lifestyle!
I often get people asking me how I balance between all these and still do my hobbies like tennis and going to see friends. I can tell you now it’s not easy but it is doable so here are some of my tips that I would give to anyone else in the same position. 

Be Realistic
When thinking about getting a part-time job look into realistic hours, think to yourself ‘Are you already struggling with time management?’ If so maybe look into a few hours a week, if not you could go for a couple of days a week. 
If you have a blog, having a post schedule can be pretty handy but don’t be unrealistic, don’t aim to post every day of the week, maybe once or twice. That’ll be enough to keep your readers interested in your blog.

Give yourself weekly goals
I try to set myself weekly goals, so if I have a particular project going on for uni I will set days to aim to do certain parts of it. I may even set myself a couple of hours to go through press emails, updating my blog, replying to comments or even researching up new ideas for future blog posts. 
Having goals set at the start of the week will push you to be more motivated to get stuff done, rather than just being very here and there about it. I love my little to do list from Paperchase by Rifle Paper which I have staring at me on my desk all the time. 

Have blog posts and social media scheduled
Sometimes I will have one week that is jam packed and then the next I will have a lot more time. So during my less busy week I will try write up a few blog posts and then just schedule them to post during my busier weeks. This means I don’t end up with weeks of no posts coming up on my blog as this can cause a drop in followers and views. 
You can do the same with social media, for example I use Hootsuite to schedule tweets, as sometimes when I’m doing uni work I’m trying to stay away from it so I can focus better or I’m at work so I don’t have access to social media. 

Have time for yourself
Try to not make things become a chore, make sure you still get time for yourself. Sometimes I get my best ideas when I'm at the gym or just going for a walk through town. If I give myself a couple of hours a day just to do whatever I want, sometimes that'll be just watching youtube videos, giving my self a manicure or chilling with my housemates. I find that I become much more productive when it does come down to getting on with work.

If you’ve already put yourself up to be juggling all these things, you’re probably already a very organised person. But if you aren’t so much, then hopefully following the few pointers I’ve said above will help you that little bit more to becoming better with time management.  

Budget Beauty Storage

My beauty corner really needed a tidy up and some new storage, but being a student I was on a bit of a budget. I found all these storage pieces at H&M Home, they were great value and really good quality which often lacks in budget products. 

I now store all my current skincare products and perfume on the small wooden tray £9.99, it keeps them all in one place and displays all the pretty packaging instead of them being stuffed up in a tin. I pop all my cotton pads in the glass jar £6.99 which keeps them clean and means I can chuck away the packaging cotton pads come in as it's not particularly attractive. Finally I got the set of 3 storage boxes £12.99 where I now store all my makeup brushes and other beauty accessories, I like how they are all different sizes and the heights are great to display brushes. 

My beauty corner now looks a lot more refreshing and modern and I haven't had to bust my bank! I think I'll be purchasing more from H&M Home in the near future. 

Le Keux Vintage Photoshoot Experience

Whilst I was working in Birmingham over the summer last year I came across this adorable vintage salon at The Custard Factory called Le Keux Vintage Salon, you can get your hair cut, coloured and styled and they also hold hen parties and photo-shoot packages.
My sister was turning 21 in September and really wanted to treat her to something extra special. She's always had a love for pin up girls, especially Marilyn Monroe, so I thought taking her to have a vintage styling experience there would be perfect.
It's normally £99 for a pin up shoot but at the time they were offering 2 for 1 so we went along together. We had such a lovely experience, we had our hair and makeup done and then we got to pick out our outfits from an amazing range of vintage clothes. Then we had our photos taken in all sorts of different sets, from a little cafe, hairdressers, dressing table and a sofa that looks like a cadillac! We really felt like we had stepped back in time!
To top it all off they even have their own range of makeup products and brushes that they use and you can also purchase.
If you have a friend or family member that loves all things vintage, this is the perfect present for them!

Fresh Mint Check & Neon Heel #ColourMeMarch

In celebration of #ColourMeMarch at the Cheltenham Races this week and Ladies day tomorrow, I've put together an outfit that is sophisticated but with a pop of colour! This skirt from Zara is so comfy and the print really brightens up the outfit, you can get a top with the same pattern to make it into a co-ord but I found the black top made all the colours in this outfit really pop. 

 | Zara Top |  Zara Skirt | Schuh Heels | 

| H&M Necklace | Lulu Guinness Clutch (Similar) | Pandora Ring |  Rotary Watch |

The Best Eye Primer Ever.

I have the most awkward skin, the majority of my face is dry but then I have really oily eyelids. I have tried out eye primer after eye primer and I've only just found the perfect solution to avoid that annoying creasing of eyeshadows and printing of eyeliner.
MAC's Prep + Prime 24-hour Extended Eye Base has worked a dream for my eyes. It's £16 for the tube so it's not extortionate and for how well it performs I think it's worth every penny!

Normally I would come back home after uni or work, or even just see in the mirror during a toilet break that my eyeshadow or eyeliner would be all over the place.
After seeing that this primer claims to be sweat-resistant I thought I would try it out. I popped it on and did my eye makeup as normal at about 9am before work, I then came back home at almost 7pm and my eye makeup hadn't budged a bit!
As my eye products are now staying put I don't need to bring them in my bag to top them up, which not only saves bag space but I'm also not using up as much product so they'll last so much longer.

The product is really soft and smooth, it blends out translucent so it's perfect for all skin colours and you only need the tiniest amount to cover the entire lid. I even pop a little bit on my under eyes before concealer to reduce that from creasing too.
From now on this is my staple eye primer and it will be forever in my makeup bag!

Have you tried out this primer or now tempted to try it? Would recommend any others? Leave your comments below! 

Boots & Capes W/ Stephi LaReine

I bought this cape towards the end of the summer when they first started appearing in the shops but the weather was so warm up until recently, so I've only just been starting to wear it. I've joined up with the lovely Stephi La Reine to style up an outfit with this seasons essential. You can check out her monochrome cape outfit here.
I love how comfy capes are! This one is particularly snuggly and warm, it even works as a blanket at the end of the day. I really like wearing skater skirts with this cape as it's quite a slouchy item, so I like something more fitted and flattering for the figure underneath. Then of course I had to pair it all up with my chelsea boots which I have worn to death over the past couple of years, they are a must have for your shoe collection!

Cape - Miss Selfridge

Top - Primark

Skater Skirt - Newlook (Similar)

Boots - Topshop (Similar)

Necklace - Urban Outfitters (Similar)

Bag - Urban Outfitters

You can also check out my Steal the Style: Capes post here

Have you been styling up capes this season?

Steal the Style: Capes

This Autumn/Winter Burberry have brought out a whole range of capes in a whole bunch of styles and of course it wasn't long till the high street started to feature them too. Now, not everyone has several £100's to spend on a single item of clothing so I've found some similar styles at high street prices! 

Burberry Check Merino Wool Cashmere Wrap £650

Just looking at the close up of this cape you can see how soft it looks! It has a lovely sheen to it and features the classy Burberry print, but is it worth £650? I don't think I could ever justify it!

ASOS Reversible Cape with Check Panel £25

This was the closest dupe I could find, I know the colours aren't exactly the same but the style of it is pretty much the same. It is made completely from Acrylic so it may not have as much softness as the Burberry one but at £25 can you really complain? 

Burberry Check Wool and Cashmere Blanket Poncho £895

Out of all the Burberry capes this is one of my favourites, I love rich warm tones so that's probably the main thing that draws me to it. This one isn't as soft as the other Burberry cape as its 85% wool and 15% Cashmere, this does however give the cape more structure. 

ASOS Block Panel Cape £25

I actually think this one looks much comfier and it's only made from acrylic. The colours again are so rich and warm and you can see it has a very similar print style to the Burberry one. You can look just as stylish but for £870 cheaper! 

If you haven't already entered, check out my giveaway here where you can win a £20 ASOS voucher, if you win it you could get one of these capes for just £5! 

200 Followers Giveaway!

This weekend I reached 200 followers on Bloglovin! When I decided to start blogging along side my Youtube channel I was so worried that no one would ever follow my blog and that it wouldn't catch on but now it's so lovely to read your comments about you liking my content and to see my followers slowly but surely creeping up. As a thank you I am going to be giving away a £20 ASOS voucher along with a few other surprise little bits and pieces.
ASOS is one of my favourite places to shop as you can get such a variety of brands, clothing, accessories and beauty products. It's also great for us students as they always have some sort of discount going on. As everyone has different styles I thought I would do a voucher so you can use it on something you've been eyeing up for the past few months or for a lovely impulse buy.

You can enter my giveaway using the Rafflecopter app below and the rules are as follows;
You must follow my blog on Bloglovin as this is where I reached the goal but all other entries are optional, the more you do the more chances you have! The giveaway is running for 2 weeks and will end at midnight on Sunday October 12th and the winner should be announced within the next few days after the closing date.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I look forward to seeing what the future holds for me and my blog and again a big thank you to each and every one of you for supporting me.

Fashion News: Game of Thrones Stars Become Face of Fashion Brands

Some of you may know from the occasional tweet that I'm quite a fan of the TV series Game of Thrones and recently I've noticed that some of the actors have now become the face of big fashion brands. This is one of the first shows other than reality or soaps that I've seen several actors work along side fashion brands, I keep wondering who will be next from the show to sign up, my bets are on Emilia Clarke also known as Daenerys Targaryen.

Sophie Turner normally known as Sansa Stark in the show is currently the face of Karen Millen. She has gorgeous red hair and pale skin that works beautifully with the warm colours and floral patterns in the collection she is modelling.

"We really admire sophie's talent and ambition. She has a real presence and warmth, great personal style and is brimming with confidence and energy. She was a natural choice for us." - Karen Millen Insider.

At just 18 I can imagine there will be plenty more modelling opportunities for Sophie either with Karen Millen or many other brands. I'm looking forward to seeing her again in season 5 next year, and maybe some more shows or films in the future. 

Now onto Kit Harington also known as Jon Snow. I'll start off by expressing my absolute desire for this man, he is just pwoar! He's currently the face of Jimmy Choo mens clothing and their new fragrance. In the show he wears a lot of dark coloured clothes and is usually layered in lots of animal skins, so it's nice to see him all suited up for a change. He's still in dark colours, but I think they just suit him perfectly, especially with his long dark locks and facial hair. 

'It is incredibly exciting to work with a brand that is so highly regarded in fashion so it is a real honour to be the face of their campaign.' - Kit Harington

In TV series like Game of Thrones you tend to grow a connection with the character they are, so it is quite hard to see them as someone else, but I felt that these two brands have picked styles that almost match up with the characters personalities as well as their personal styles.

I feel like this post is slightly different to my norm, but if you would like to see more fashion or beauty news type posts, please let me know in the comments! 

Floral Fatale

This Autumn/Winter dark florals are back in trend and I am loving it! I fell in love with this graphic print skirt from Topshop that i bought recently, not only is it super pretty but the material is also really comfortable. I've featured this kimono before in an outfit post, it such a great item to have in your wardrobe as it can really dress up an outfit without being a heavy jacket. The little bag from H&M is perfect for a night out as it's small but big enough for all you need, it zips up and it'll pretty much work with any outfit. I am so ready for the Autumn now, my tan has gone, my dark hair is back and the fashion is much more my style!

Skirt & Necklace - Topshop / Kimono - Missguided / Bag & Top- H&M / Shoes - ASOS 

Lipstick - Captive by MAC / Nails - Pillow Fight by Ciate