PrettyLittleThing: 'Eastern Promise' drop

Hello my loves,

Have you ever seen clothes and just felt inspired for no real apparent reason?

When I saw PrettyLittleThing.com's newest drop, I felt this way! I Usually don't really do specific posts for brand drops, but this collection hit my heart hard!

PrettyLittleThing are describing their Eastern Promise collection as a trans season drop - trans seasons are my FAVOURITE, basically it's late summer, early autumn & late spring early summer.

The colour palette is to die for, literally to die for. There are neutral stone nude shades, mixed with arrays of pink from light pink to rose, some dusty blue and of course some darker trans-seasonal colours & oriental-esque print. The mix of fabric is also so varied - you''ll see some lace, some satin, velvet & even fluffy material. 

The collection very really has my name written all over it.

The majority of pieces in this collection are under €30, with the exception of the jackets & fancier dresses, so good price points!

I've picked out some of my favourite pieces from the collection and I am going to link them below for you all to lust over and shop away to your heart's content:

 Kaddy snakeskin bodycon dress €21/£15

Vivienna Dusty Blue Fluffy Knitted mini skirt €21/£15 //  Vivienna Dusty blue fluffy knitted crop top €21/£15      

Ayisha Pink Crushed velvet shorts €21/£15 //  Ayisha Pink crushed velvet bomber jacket €28/£20

Sarena Nude Tie back silky slip dress €25/£18

Alecia Stone waffle knit high waisted leggings €21/£15 //

Emilia Deep Peach Faux suede aviator jacket €70/£50

Krina White premium lace tassel detail bodycon dress €56/£40

Jarah Black foral Applique bodysuit €21/£15 // Shiena black Oriental Print mini skirt €17/ £12

So there we have it, a round up of my favourite pieces from this collection - I've nearly named them all!

Let me know if you guys like these types of posts!

What pieces are your favourites from the drop?

With Love from,

Rebekah x

(All pictures sources are from prettylittlething.com)

Beauty Blender VS Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Hello my loves,

Today I'm going to do a little comparison post between the Beauty Blender and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (that is a MOUTHFUL!). Before I begin, for those who do not know both these products are sponges you use to apply makeup to your face. A sponge is my favourite way to blend the foundation into my skin. I will apply my makeup roughly with a brush to place where I want it and then I will use my sponge to blend it out over my skin. This ensures there are no brush stroke marks and the finish is totally even. The sponges also help to absorb any excess makeup from your face so you avoid the dreaded cakey face.

(For the purpose of the post I will be referring to the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion as the Real Techniques sponge.)

Real Techniques Sponge

The Real Techniques sponge is the Orange sponge and that is the only colour you can buy it in. You can pick one of these up from most Boots and Superdrug Chemists and online. I actually have seen this particular sponge in most chemists & pharmacies I have been in. It retails for roughly €7.99.

The shape of this sponge is basically egg shaped, with a piece removed - what I'm trying to say is that the base of the sponge has a flat edge also.

Beauty Blender

This is the pink sponge. You can actually buy this in a variety of shades - red, nude, black etc. and you can get these from Boots.co.uk (I haven't seen this in any in-store Boots or chemists), Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Sephora and the Beauty Blender website. They retail from roughly €20.
This is sponge is just totally egg shaped, it has no edges.

Similarities

• Both sponges need to be used damp. Never use either dry - they will totally absorb all your product (bye to your expensive foundation!). Run both of these under the tap until they swell & fill with water and then squeeze out all the water to give yourself a damp sponge.
• Both need to be used in a patting motion when applying your makeup. you don't drag these across your skin, you bounce them over your skin to blend your makeup in seamlessly.
• Both can be used to blend other products such as contour, blush etc into your skin.

Differences

• Once dampened, the Real Techniques sponge swells considerably bigger than the Beauty Blender - this can be good in the sense you cover more space when blending, but it can make it hard getting into awkward areas like around your eyes.
• The Real Techniques sponge tends to absorb more product than the Beauty Blender - you can tell that this is the case right from when you are dampening them, it is harder to get the water completely out. You will also notice when you are cleaning your sponges, it is very hard to remove all the products stains from the Real Techniques sponge.
• While they both look like they are made out of the same material(?), there is actually a difference in texture between them. My current Real Techniques sponge is not as bouncy and solid as my Beauty Blender. This is very hard to explain without showing it physically but when you squeeze your Real Techniques sponge hard while it is damp you will see you can leave finger print indentations but this won't happen with your Beauty Blender. I notice that this particular material doesn't allow for as seamless a blend on your makeup in comparison to the Beauty Blender.
• The flat side of the Real Techniques sponge is actually a very handy addition to the sponge - it makes it easier to blend contour under your cheekbones or your nose contour. The flat side of this sponge is very handy for applying the 'baking' technique under your eyes or under your contour.

Conclusion

So out of the sponges which would I choose? 

If I had a choice, money no object, I would pick and recommend the Beauty Blender based on the points above. I feel like the overall application and finish it gives to your makeup is second to none. HOWEVER, considering the price of the Beauty Blender; I would expect it to do all this indefinitely. 

For the price that it is, I feel the Real Techniques sponge is very good competition. Yes, I do find it can take longer to get the same effect as the Beauty Blender, but it is possible to achieve a very similar result - considering it is even less than 1/2 the price of the Beauty Blender I think it is a very good addition to anybodies makeup bag - it beats out any other of the cheaper brand sponges I have used by a mile!

I hope you all found this helpful!

Any questions, leave them below <3

With Love from,

Rebekah x 

Missguided Peace + Love collection

Hello my loves,

Today saw the drop of the new part to Misguided Peace + Love collection and I wanted to share with you guys my favourite pieces from this entire collection because there are some real gems from both the first and second drop, I saw a lot that I wanted!

 The prices of this range are a little more expensive than the standard Missguided stock (premium is the most expensive - but the quality is worth every penny), it's described as 'high end' in the link description and it does look very 'high end' to me!

These are my favourite pieces that are online now:

peace + love satin wrap mini dress burgundy

peace + love kimono wrap dress white

peace + love plunge collar belted jacket pink

peace + love silky wide leg trousers duck egg blue

peace + love strappy bodysuit copper

peace + love metallic choker copper

peace + love slinky midi dress gold

peace + love dollar print kimono wrap dress gold

peace + love satin tie waist maxi dress orange

peace + love satin wrap playsuit nude

My favourite things about this collection is the use of silky, satin and slinky material and also the selection of colours - I feel the colours look so exotic and luxurious!

What are you favourite pieces from the collection?

With Love from,

Rebekah x

(All pictures are from www.missguided.com)

My favourite Australian online Boutiques

Hello my loves,

So, I contemplated doing this post and held off, purely for selfish reasons if I'm being honest - because I know the minute I share these sites with you all, you're going to love them as much as I do - and my secret shopping sites will no longer be secret!

But, you know I share everything with you guys because that's what I'm here for.

That being said, this post is going to be about some of my favourite Australian online stores.

Whenever I go out or have an event I like to wear something that not everyone has. that's why I usually turn to online shops. In the past few years however, online shopping has blown up and now everyone and their mother shops online. ASOS & Boohoo used to be my babies 9/10 years ago, (I used ASOS when it was A.S.O.S; As Seen On Screen - and they used to specialize in celebrity clothes and one of my 3rd year school disco dresses was from Boohoo so..I'm really showing my age! I used to beg my dad for his card to shop online!) I could nearly guarantee that nobody would have the same outfit as me, but now people shop one these sites as much as they do regular shopping if not more. So now when I go out, I see a lot of people wearing what I am, or else a very similar style. I don't mind this most times, but you know them times when you want to look super fabulous & special; I like to have something just a little bit different so I turn to my favourite Australian online stores.

1. Showpo

This site is a firm long time favourite! The thing I have noticed about their maxi dresses is that they are not super long, not sure if this means that this site leans towards petite/average height people as opposed to tall - but I love it as I've never had to turn up a dress, so this suits me perfect. They have the most AH-MAZING work wear range called Executive Ponies, and my god, the clothes themselves are enough to make me switch career so I can wear office clothes every single day! 

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

2. Hello Molly

If you want an amazing going out dress or playsuit, this is the site for you. Not only is the price point fantastic, (I have seen some items from these sites being sold on american & European sites for nearly double the price in some cases) the quality is just on point. Their items are extremely unique - there is a SLIM chance of seeing anyone rocking your 'fit on a night out! You could pick me any item on this site and I would wear it and adore it.

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

3. Miss Holly

This site is a boho girl's dream come true. They have the most stunning co-ord sets featuring beautiful maxi skirts with slits and lacy tops - to me this site screams festival/hippy and boho chic, beachy waves, summer. This site makes me feel some kind of way! I was attending a festival, I would definitely be rocking outfits from here. When I think of Australia, I imagine all the girls walking around on beaches dressed in these clothes! 

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

4. Sabo Skirt

So I think if you've ever heard of any Australian online shops Sabo Skirt will of been one of them. I found out about them off Carli Bybel (she is my favourite you-tuber of all time). Again, a boho lovers dream. Every item looks so enchanting and I just want every single thing! They have lots of flow-y, chiffon-y, silky items. Another great site if your are going to a festival or on holidays. They even have some gorgeous going out/evening dresses that would just be amazing for night time holiday outfits.

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

5. White Fox Boutique 

Ever wanted to look like those forever perfect Instagram girls who seem to always have their lives (and outfits) together?? This site has everything you need - they have the going out clothes yes, but they have an amazing collection of daytime outfits. They have all the amazing items you see on Pintrest and wonder where they came from! They also have a very good range of Quay Australia Glasses. These are the most GORGEOUS sunglasses you will ever lay eyes on I promise. You will want every pair!

Team them with a bodysuit and pair of their destroyed Boyfriend jeans and you will be the most chic person in town. White Fox Boutique also stock the brand 'Nookie' Which is loved by Emily Ratajkowski & Shanina Shaik.

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R pair 1, pair 2, pair 3, pair 4, pair 5, pair 6)

6. Lioness

Again, where do I begin - I want everything every time on go to Lioness fashion - I want the entire site! For me, their playsuits/rompers are the best and most beautiful I have ever bought. They fit like a glove and they are always the perfect balance of flirty, yet cute and classy. Beautiful silky, float-y material is used in many of their items

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

So now that I have emptied all your wallets, let me give you the factual details about shopping from Australia:

1. When you go on the sites the items look expensive, but they are nearly always in Australian dollar and when you convert that to euro - most of the times you will be shocked at how amazing value the items are!

2. Shipping prices range from $9 AUD for standard shipping and $25 AUD for express shipping; which is roughly €5 or €16 respectively. Where possible I use standard shipping. It takes longer yes, but there is less chance of it picking up taxes.

3. Sizing wise I feel like Australian clothes are some of the truest to size clothing that I've ever tried - I feel like they are very consistent. 

So there we have it, a round up of my favourite Australian online stores and a very small few of my favourite pieces they all currently have!

What are your favourite Australian online stores? I love finding new places to shop!

If you like this concept I can do my favourite UK and/or USA stores - let me know below <3

With Love from,

Rebekah x