Hello my lovelies,

A few weeks ago I promised you a round-up of the outfits I typically wear to work when I want to feel a bit less casual! I must confess I find it a bit fiddly to take outfit pictures in the morning before leaving for work (I hope to remedy this when we move into our flat - I intend to have the tripod set up permanently in the spare room, we shall see how this pans out!). If you follow me on Instagram (polkadani, as always) you will be familiar with the somewhat dingy setting that is our locker room. The photos are usually awful mirror snaps, snatched in a moment when the locker room is empty!

The first outfit is a favourite of mine as I adore the nautical feel to the outfit. The dress is by Next and the skirt is H&M. The second outfit comprises two Dorothy Perkins stalwarts, which you will have seen on the blog before! I love the dress and it's one of my go-to pieces for when I need to feel good about myself.

The third outfit is a Dorothy Perkins t-shirt worn under one of my favourite skirts by Zara. This was perfect for that one reasonably warm day we had at some point this year...

And the fourth is typical of my colour outfits - a patterned dress under a bright plain cardie!

I would hesitate to deem any of these outfits as "smart"; I don't think they are typical of office wear, but they are comfy and smarter than whacking on jeans and a top every day! What do you think?

Hello my lovelies,

Quick outfit post for you today! I wore this to visit my grandparents in Surrey, so I wanted to look a little bit smart rather than throwing on my usual weekend shorts or jeans. Yesterday was absolutely horrendous in terms of torrential rain, so I did actually put on a cardigan, a mac and boots (winter boots!) before leaving the house. Oh, how I long for some sunshine!

The dress is ASOS via eBay - I'm not sure how I feel about it as it gapes a lot and even feels too big over my chest (not a problem I have very often - I'm so used to the opposite, and I'm sure other large-chested ladies know the feeling!). I like the colour and the full skirt though, so I'm torn over whether to keep it or to sell it on! I'm really trying to cull my wardrobe at the moment, as I dream of having a wardrobe uniquely comprised of items I love, with no room for things I am indifferent to... What do you think? Is it possible or are "meh" items sometimes necessary?

Hello my lovelies!

I know everyone and their auntie is posting about the Bourjois Magic 1 Seconde nail varnish remover at the moment, but to be fair the hype is more than deserved! This is not the first remover in a pot I've ever seen - in fact I'm sure my mum has a few knocking about the bathroom cupboard from the early Nineties - but it's the biggest and by far the best.

It's so nice to have a remover solution that doesn't knock you out with the fumes as soon as you open the lid, and it doesn't linger too long on your nails either. It says it's meant to smell of red fruits and vanilla - not so sure about that but at least it doesn't stink! It's also super, super quick - but why babble when I can show you it in action?

 This is before and after one dip and twist of my middle finger, may I add. Glitter polishes are as always a bit more stubborn, but I managed to remove this after a few attempts - you may have to use a bit more force so that the glitter comes off completely but I assure you it WILL come off.

This is totally worth buying, if nothing else it means I will no longer have to sit there like a mug with tinfoil and cotton wool pads attached to my nails to try and get rid of my glitter polishes! It also contains almond oil, and I have to say, my nails don't feel as dry as they usually do after using varnish remover.

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish remover retails at £4.99 in all the usual places.

Hello my lovelies!

You might have noticed I'm a bit of a foundation fiend, with a penchant for buying the next big thing as soon as it pops up in shops. I'm restricting myself now, though, as no one needs more than five foundations on the go - it's a bit ridiculous! I'm happy with this selection for different reasons, so I thought I would share my thoughts on the five foundations I use on a regular basis (as you can see by the smudges - they are well-loved!):

Now, Double Wear is probably my holy grail of foundations - it covers all my spots and dark patches, does not require powder, and more importantly truly stays put all day, even after a sweaty run! (not that I wear make up for going jogging...cough). It does have its negative points, such as caking if applied with a less than light hand, or sometimes it can feel extremely heavy on the skin, but I've yet to find a product that can match its longevity and so I keep repurchasing! I own this in the shade 1N1 Ecru, which is a perfect match for my NW15-20 skin.

Chanel's Perfection Lumière is second only because it doesn't last as long as I would like, even with a primer. I love the coverage and the feel of it though, so it's a foundation I wear on a weekend when I'm not spending 12 hours out and about! MAC Studio Sculpt is in there for the same reasons, although the formulation is slightly different. I find this one can be quite shiny on me, but that's nothing a dusting of powder can't fix! Both of these are the lightest shades I own and are therefore perfect for my winter skin - the Chanel is shade 12 Beige Rose and Studio Sculpt is shade NW15.

Ilamasqua's Skin Base was a total impulse purchase - I had heard great things throughout the blogosphere and found myself drawn to their counter on Selfridges one evening! The sales assistant was so lovely I bought it - and it is a foundation I enjoy wearing as it makes me feel all glowy. The only downside is that it really doesn't last all day on me, so it isn't one I reach for on a weekday. This is shade 7.

Finally there is MAC Studio Fix! I actually own this in NW20 and NW15, having purchased the former last year when I was considerably more tanned! I've recently splashed out on NW15 ( I say splashed out - I actually got 15% off at Debenhams) and this is far more suited to my skin tone now. Of all the foundations this is probably the shade that blends into my skin best (same applies for Studio Sculpt, obviously!) I do think it oxidises a little though, but it works wonderfully as a summer foundation for when I don't feel like caking on the Double Wear. 

I apply all of these with my Real Techniques buffing brush, which gives me the best finish of all the brushes I've tried. I also use a primer (Philosophy's The Present, at the moment) to help ensure that my make-up stays put while I'm at work. Obviously foundation is a subjective product, but if you have oily, blemish-prone skin like mine, I would heartily recommend all of the above!

What are your favourite foundations?

After what feels like months of relentless rain and low temperatures I have resigned myself to the fact that I, like many of you, will not be seeing anything remotely resembling summer this year. Depressing but true! One of the many irritating things about this is the fact that I am now the palest shade in MAC foundation, and even that looks too dark on certain days! I'm so used to having a tan all year round thanks to my Indian heritage, so it's still a bit of a shock that I have to look for concealers and foundations with names like "Ivory" or "Porcelain". It just isn't me! 

With this in mind I have slowly accrued a collection of self-tanning products during recent months, in a bid to reclaim my darker skin tone and look a bit healthier in general. I usually use the Garnier Summerbody gradual tanner as it builds gently, and I have also tried their spray tan (would NOT recommend, unless you enjoy patchy orange body parts - fair enough if you do). It just was not cutting the mustard though and my face was growing paler by the minute, so I bought myself the No7 Quick Dry Sunless facial self tan, as well as the Quick Dry Tinted Lotion in Light/Medium, using the ever-handy £5 vouchers!

I will begin by saying I am NOT a fake tan expert by any means; I've never used St Tropez or Fake Bake or any other brands other than Garnier and Dove, so I wasn't sure what to expect! I have so far only used the body lotion to even out the patches that the Garnier spray tan left me with, and I am very pleased with the results. It's far less patchy, dried very quickly (less than 10 minutes as claimed on the box) and gave me a nice, even tan, the likes of which I haven't had since my Tunisia holiday way back in  2009. Woop!

I'm even more impressed with the facial tanning lotion! I apply this at night after cleansing and exfoliating, and I wake up with a healthy NW20 glow - just what I wanted! Neither of these products smell like traditional fake tan, although they do have a strange, floral "granny" scent - it's difficult to describe, but it doesn't bother me too much and it vanishes after my morning shower, of course. Both products are hypo-allergenic and have not had any adverse effects on my sensitive skin.

I would recommend these if you are looking for a cheap tanning solution (obviously not quite so cheap at full price, but I never buy things at full price...) that you can easily get hold of. Overall I think I would definitely repurchase the facial lotion because it doesn't irritate my skin, but I still feel more open to trying different body tanners - just to see what else is out there!

The facial tanner is usually £10 and the body tanning lotion I bought was £12 before discounts (it isn't quite the same as the lotion I have linked to, but the one I purchased is not on the Boots website for some reason!).

Hello my lovelies,

Blogging two days in a row - woohoo! This is what I wore for Jon's birthday lunch at TGI Friday's; I am SO FULL right now from their gorgeous French Canadian burger, I don't think I'll have to eat for the next couple of days!

Comfort was on the agenda, so I decided to pair these high-waisted New Look shorts with a loose t-shirt from Dorothy Perkins and my beloved Topshop cardie. Of course it decided to bucket down with torrential rain once we left the restaurant...thankfully I'd pre-empted this by wearing opaques, AGAIN. Seriously, where is the summer?! This weather is so woefully depressing at the moment, what has happened to proper seasons? I've had to resort to fake tan in recent weeks so that I can wear my summer foundations; it's ridiculous! It is so tempting to up-sticks and move somewhere hot!

Speaking of which, I am selling a few things on eBay in a bid to downsize my wardrobe as a house-move may well be imminent (and if it isn't, then I'll have some spare change to treat myself, haha!). If you're interested in Topshop jeans and other bits please feel free to check out my listings!

Hello my lovelies,

Yes, I am indeed blogging on a Friday! It's Jon's birthday so I have the day off work - typically it started off wet and cold, after the glorious heat that was Thursday! I'm so bored of having to wear black opaques with everything - it's July, please could someone remind the sun it actually has to show it's face?! I have also finally got hold of a tripod - it's only a cheap one off eBay but it means I can take umpteen photos without worrying that my elected photographer (usually Jon) is getting bored...

This is what I wore to go to Lakeside earlier for a celebratory lunch with Jon and his mum. I absolutely love the bow on this top - the only redeeming feature, as the arms are cut a bit strangely and it looks a bit weird unless it's tucked in! My trusty ASOS skirt makes another appearance because it isn't a work day - I cannot get away with skirts this length at work!

I also decided to try and replicate the smoky eye I was given during a make-over in March, using a combination of MAC Paintpot in Indianwood for the base, as well as Urban Decay Half Baked and Smog. I quite like the effect and it's nice to have a change from eyeliner once in a while.

We're off to see the Olympic Torch go through Brentwood later - so excited!We drove past earlier and it looks like they are setting up a little village fete, complete with Union Jacks and funny hats - such fun!

Hello my lovelies!

 I always enjoy seeing what other people use in terms of make-up on a daily basis! I own so many products, I love seeing what other people do and how they use them because it helps inspire my daily routine. So without further ado, these are the basic products I use every day without fail, weekdays and weekends:

I oscillate between using Double Wear and Studio Fix depending on the condition of my skin - if I fancy a bit more coverage I go for Double Wear because of the longevity and the matte finish, but if I fancy a more bronzed, glowy look, I apply a bit of Studio Fix Fluid. I only ever use a teeny bit of each, about one pump's worth of MAC as I find it tends to oxidise a little if you use any more than that! To hide my dark circles and any other blemishes, if I need to, I use a bit of the concealer. This is honestly the best concealer I've ever tried and it lasts ages, I've had this tube about a year now and I'm still nowhere near finished! £13.50 well spent, in my opinion!

 Benefit Bella Bamba - Benefit Cha Cha Tint

As it's technically meant to be summer now, I've been using these two coral products to achieve a fresh, healthy look. (In winter I favour flushed pink cheeks - think Bourjois Rose d'Or!) Bella Bamba is a really bright shade with some shimmer, so it helps to lift my face and brighten it when I'm feeling particularly dreary! Cha Cha Tint always makes me look more tanned and lasts longer than any powder blusher I've used, so I like to pick it for days when I won't be able to touch-up my make-up. Again I've had this bottle for over a year and it's not even close to empty.

Naturally I also use eyeshadow on a daily basis but it changes depending on several factors (my outfit/the weather/how much time I spent getting dressed); however, these four items are staples in my make up routine. I like BIG lashes, so I tend to use Maybelline for length and Benefit for definition and volume. I cannot be without eyeliner and the L'Oreal one lasts longer than any of my pen liners (but is also slightly dodgy when doing flicks!). I don't use the Sleek palette on my eyes of course...but a quick sweep of the wax over my eyebrows helps a ton when I'm feeling a bit like Brooke Shields!

What do you use on a daily basis? Do you like reading posts like this?

Hello my lovelies,

Just a quick one today as we're about to head out to Bluewater - we were going to do something to make use of the sunshine, but, erm, the sunshine has disappeared. Typical! 

I've also decided to put myself on a spending ban for the foreseeable future! I know I say this time and again but I'm putting my foot down now - I really do not need more make-up, I have back-ups for my favourite foundation and other items and I am forcing myself to sell clothes I don't wear before I allow myself to buy more! This is mainly because Jon and I are getting serious (SRSLY) about buying our first place together - whether it happens sooner or later, I am going to have to get used to living on a smaller budget!

Hope you've all had a good weekend so far!