Kiss Kiss

Recently my darling boyfriend Howard visited Chicago for a conference, and being the wonderful man he is, brought back with him something I'd had my beauty loving eyes on for ages.

I am a sucker for the cosmetic alchemy contained within most ladies make-up bags, and E.L.F cosmetics (Eyes Lips Face) have been a beauty favourite of mine for a few years with their cruelty free range equally kind to my bank balance. Their Daily Brush Cleaner in particular has been a key part of my make-up kit for years, but it was their Disney Villains collaboration which had me swooning over my laptop.

E.L.F. Maleficent Palette.

Sadly the Disney Villains series, designed "for the villainous beauty in you" was only on sale in selected American branches of Walgreens and as a Londoner on the wrong side of "the pond", I had given up any hope of ever getting my hands on one.

The collections were a fantastic idea - E.L.F. took four key Disney Villains (Maleficent, Evil Queen, Ursula and Cruella DeVille) and created a day and night look using their core colours as inspiration. The "look book" came with instructions, a palette of six eye-shadows, a mascara, kohl-liner, liquid liner, lip-gloss, eye primer and a blending brush, all for just $9.99 (approximately £6.21).

You can probably already tell where this story is going. I was over the moon when Howard had tracked one down whilst visiting Chicago, and couldn't wait to test it out upon his return!

The Day and Night "Maleficent" looks as suggested by the E.L.F. lookbook.

How I would use the "Maleficent" to create something which I could wear everyday in the studio.

With regards to what came in the box, it was a great introduction to some of the products I'd never used before. As E.L.F. is such a budget brand, I had overlooked some of their main products on account of them being so cheap but their eye primer and lip gloss were wonderful. The liquid liner was a strong, solid black and the mascara lifted and lengthened far more than I thought possible for such a cheaply priced item. Even the eyeshadows which I had again previously overlooked had a buildable quality to them, with the brown shade proving great at doubling up as a brow-cake.

Coincidently, I had also placed an order with the UK branch of E.L.F which arrived the same day I received my gift, and has already been used in conjunction with the lookbook and the rest of my make-up kit.

I used my E.L.F. angled foundation brush to apply the Mineral Infused Face Primer.

My favourite item in the delivery was the Mineral Infused Face Primer (£6), which has made my foundation stay put even when shooting in the studio. I chose the "clear" one which gave my skin a surge of moisture and a blank canvas on which to apply my foundation.

The Baked Blush in Pinktastic (£3.75) offered a lovely, soft wash of colour to bring out my cheekbones a little more, whilst the High Definition Powder in Translucent (£6) masked any imperfections and set my foundation in place for the day.

The MakeUp Remover Pen (£3.75), Mascara & Shadow Shield (£3.75) and Mineral Glow in Shimmer (£7) were all brought as impulse purchases, and I was very excited to work with them. The pen was perfect for removing those unsightly liner or mascara smudges offering flawless touch-ups throughout the day. The shield too does exactly what you'd imagine it would and solved the problem of how to put mascara on my lower lashes without looking like a black eyed zombie by the end of it!

The Mineral Glow was perhaps the most interesting product. 100% mineral based and with no parabens, preservatives or chemical dyes, this pink based shimmer leaves a radiant glow wherever it's placed. Perfect for legs, arms, cheeks and collar bones, this pot of sparkle will be shimmering right into my party season beauty arsenal once Christmas gets a little closer.

As excited as I was to receive my gift, I was even more happy to have Howard home in one piece as his flight was the last to leave Chicago as the UK braced itself for the worst storm it's experienced in decades. Being a bit of a night owl when editing, I finished a particular set of images a little after 2am and realised that if I left shortly after, I would make it to Heathrow with more than enough time to meet him off the aeroplane. At this point we had only really started to be pelted with rain, and I knew the worst was to come just after he landed and felt that a horrible journey from Heathrow to North London would be made easier by a sleepy girlfriend holding coffee.

Green Park during the start of the UK Storm - the first change in a network of over 2 hours of night buses!

Although the journey took over two hours to complete across a series of nightbuses, I felt so happy when I found myself walking into the International Arrivals area at Heathrow's Terminal 5. So armed with coffee and a book, I dried off and waited, having been awake for almost 24 hours by the point and bubbling with caffeine fuelled excitement!

His face when he walked out and saw me was probably one of the loveliest things I've ever seen and made the rain soaked journey more than worthwhile. And armed with the knowledge of what was and wasn't working on the London transport network, we managed to navigate our way home swiftly and happily with the longest we'd ever been apart finally behind us. ♥

(Note: This is an honest, impartial review after purchasing an item, and not one which I have been paid for.)

Until next time,
Diana xx

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Sweet Head (Two birthdays, Halloween and a wedding.)

I know that this post comes a little late to the party, but I really love October. Not only do I get to revert back to being some sort of sugar engulfing eight year old with Halloween, I also get to celebrate my birthday, Howard's birthday and an assortment of other people's happiness which this year included a wedding.

This Halloween I was DJing at Whiskey Kittens, where I had an assortment of tricks and treats ready to play. With Howard away at a conference in Chicago, it was always going to feem more like a "girls night out" with some of my best friends and they certainly didn't disappoint with costumes ranging from a siren like Medusa to  the most incredible Sugar Skull make-up I've ever seen.

I decided to go as my favourite anti-hero, Daria complete with her trademark big fringe and *cough* "round" glasses.

Green Cardigan: Primark

Mustard Yellow T-Shirt: Primark

Black Skirt: ASOS (in the sale for just £14!)

Tights: Lida Tights

Green Sequin Collar: H&M

Record Necklace: Tatty Devine.

DM Boots: Stolen from boyfriend.

Glasses: eBay.

One of the most important lists of all lists, ever.

One of the other things I love about October is that mine and my boyfriend's birthdays are very close together. Although we will celebrate them together separately, the Saturday in the middle of them is normally reserved for a birthday blow-out with our closest friends. This year, it was a Saturday of booze, cakes and boardgames. And when I say cake, I wasn't messing around...

And then of course there was the wedding. One of my dearest friends had made the jump in the most happiest of ways, and so it was a weekend of celebrating in the countryside with my camera in tow.

Fascinator: SaiSai in Camden.

Dress and Cardigan: Matalan.

Tights: Lida Tights.

Iridescent Hearts Necklace: Tatty Devine.

The weekend was beautiful, and I felt lucky to have my most favourite arm candy with me - my dapper gentleman.

Although the day of the wedding was quite stormy, the return journey through the British countryside was filled with the most blissful sunshine and Autumn scenery.

All in, October has been  a pretty fantastic month and with November kicked off in style with fireworks and mulled wine, I can't wait to see what else it has to offer!

Until next time,
Diana xx

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Little Wonder (aka Lida Tights).

Ever since I reached an age where puberty and it's subsequent curves kicked in, tights have been my mortal enemy. It didn't matter whether I was at my highest or lowest weight, I could not find a pair which would stay where they were meant to on my hourglass shape.

I brought tights too big in the hope that they'd be more resilient against gravity, but it was to no avail. I brought tights too small which would leave me walking around like a drunk marsupial. I brought tights within my "recommended size band" which would ladder before I'd got them over my knee, and I've brought tights which cost me as much as the rest of my outfit, only to find myself wearing them underneath additional knickers or spanx in the vain hope that they're stay north of the equator. Of course, they hardly ever did.

I hated tights and their anti-curve elitism and felt waves of leg envy as I was forced to resort to leggings, tights' less glamorous and frumpy cousin. I tried to convince myself that they were "more practical in the studio" but really I was just fed up with having to constantly do the "gusset almost around my knees" shuffle. On the plus side, it gave me an excuse to build up a cute collection of stockings for those occasions were leggings just wouldn't do, but stockings really aren't practical when doing the weekly shop or running to catch the last tube home. And heaven forbid you have a gust of wind attack your hem line - I've had moments in the middle of Camden and Brixton which would make Marilyn herself blush!

Enter Lida Tights, sartorial saviours of legs and curves. I was lucky enough to be given some black and nude tights to try out, and my legs have been strutting like they're stomping down a catwalk ever since!

The perfect nude tights for my Daria Halloween costume (post to follow).

Established in Poland over 20 years ago, Lida Tights design a wide range of tights and hosiery with lines specifically created for curves and plus sizes. They succeed where others have failed by adjusting to the needs of a fuller figure, with the larger sizes (2XL to 4XL) featuring double gussets in addition to a huge amount of stretch in key areas such as the thighs.

The perfect stay-put black tights for my outfit as a wedding guest (post to follow).

One other point to mention with  Lida Tights is their incredible durability. Between shooting a friend's wedding and DJing all night, neither pair laddered, bobbled or ripped. And having been washed and worn again since, they have maintained their shape and elasticity. Hurrah!

Although sadly you can't purchase their tights anywhere in stores, you can visit their website or Facebook and get in touch with them online. View their entire plus size range here and be prepared to ditch your leggings in favour of showing your legs off!

(I also want to stress that I haven't been paid to write this review, and indeed the tights were passed on via a third party and not from Lida Tights themselves. I genuinely was amazed by the incredible fit and wanted to share that in case other people have found similar issues with the fit of their hosiery.)

Until next time,
Diana xx

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The Stars Come Out At Night

Christmas promotional images for Bettie Wishes and Lana Pillay.

It feels utterly terrifying to even contemplate that we're hurtling towards the end of this year, but my diary and it's list of Christmas themed bookings are making me face the truth - shortly I need to start thinking about starting my Christmas shopping!

However there are lots of advantages in the run up to the festive season; mulled wine, good food and all the Christmas market hot chocolate my stomach can manage! It's also a fun time in the studio, with my regular clients feeling festive and lots of fun taking place in front of the camera.

The studio diary is beginning to fill up with clients wanting to get their festive promo shots sorted ahead of the Christmas rush, so if you have a seasonal act you need publicity stills for, or just want a nice image to send out on a card to your business associates, family, or friends, drop me a line at diana@fashionlovesphotos.com to get booked in with packages starting from just £80 for a shoot and two edited images of your choice.

(As a special early Christmas bonus, book before the end of the week and mention "sparking Christmas baubles" to get the £80 package for just £50.)

The Hardest Button To Button

Birthday treats from Sugar & Vice and Tatty Devine.

It's been a busy few weeks in photography world, which has also included bouts of DJing, my birthday and a few other fun events. And fun events mean wearing my favourite outfits!

Matt & Nat Dwell Handbag from the ASOS Sale.

Now that the summer has gone on holiday, my amazing vintage green Autumn cape in full swing (literally!), I've been in need of finding a large faux-vintage handbag to match it as the cape needs a bag carried by hand, but I also needed something which could contain my tablet, camera and the other assortment of girl / photographer things to get me through the day. My bag shaped pleas were answered in the form of the Matt & Nat Dwell Handbag which to me carries like an oversized Kelly bag - my favourite type of vintage bag shape. Although it has a front flap rather than a clip, it still works in tandem with my cape and I feel like instantly put together, even on my dressed down days.

Chelsea Boots from Primark.

Ankle boots have been the bane of my existence these last few months, with the search for my perfect boot starting back in the Summer. I don't have particularly wide feet, but everything, even lace-up boots felt incredibly narrow so was over the moon to stumble across this bargain beauties. I love that they smarten up my grungy outfits and grunge up my tea dresses so I feel I can wear and accessorise them with almost anything.

Weather-proofing hair with a silk scarf and pin-curls.

One of the other key things about Autumn when you spent much of your time shooting outside on location is how to weather proof yourself. Silk scarves and pin-curls have been a life saver to ensure I can run from shoot to event with my hair brushed out into shiny waves rather than rained on frizz. Thank you vintage styling!

Max Factor's Whipped Creme Foundation and Lush's Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick.

As much as I love the seasonal transition into Autumn, my skin sadly doesn't agree. All it takes is a few days of biting wind for my face to fall to pieces, but I have finally found a drugstore foundation which moisturises, evens out and makes my skin look and feel fabulous.

The foundation is Max Factor's Whipped Creme, and I've used their palest shade in Light Ivory / 40 with an angled foundation brush. One of the other things which really stuck out was that the foundation didn't leave me with a yellow cast. Most pale drugstore foundations are still too dark on my pink based complexion, and this for me was spot on. It covered any redness, evened out my skin, covered any spots and left me feeling like I wasn't wearing anything other than my usual moisturiser.

Another new purchase was my new red liquid lipstick from Lush's Emotional Brilliance make-up range. I chose Decisive which is a strong cherry red colour with a blue base - perfect for pale skin and vintage lovers. It needs a lip liner underneath or else you'll look like The Joker after one cup of tea, but a liner locks it onto lips like a magnetic force.

Flower crown by Frankii Wilde, swallow necklace by Tatty Devine.

Dress by Lady V Vintage, cardigan, belt and leggings by Yours Clothing.

The first of my favourite outfits this month is what I wore to DJ at the last Whiskey Kittens. The photos are pretty terrible and don't do either the dress of flowers justice, but I received so many compliments on both for the whole night, and even the journey to the venue!

Bubble Blower Necklace from Sugar & Vice.

Cardigan and vest from New Look, skirt from ASOS and leggings from leggings by Yours Clothing. I literally wear those boots with EVERYTHING at the moment!

I also feel like I've been really spoilt this month with some wonderful birthday gifts (and self-given-almost-birthday-gifts!)

Cat watch from the ASOS Sale.

I very rarely get called Diana these days unless it's a client, or I'm in trouble! Most of my friends call me Kitty and have done for years, so this birthday gift to me from me seemed perfect. Puuurfect even. I'd been wanting to find a cute watch for a while, and fits in perfectly with the rest of my jewellery.

Rocket Ship Necklace from Kate Rowland.

This rocket ship necklace from Kate Rowland goes with so many things in my wardrobe. It's kitsch enough that it brings a simple tea dress to life, and gives a lift (off) to a more simple outfit.

Tortoise Necklace from Tatty Devine.

Hi I'm Diana, and I'm a Tatty Devine addict! This was something I picked up on my last trip to Brighton, but it's really been this last month of Autumn colours that he's permanently lived on my finger. Sadly he's no longer in stock as he was part of Tatty Devine's seasonal collection, but this particular one is called Horrace after my childhood Carolina Box Tortoise and I always feel happy when I wear him.

La Luna Necklace from Tatty Devine.

The second I saw the larger version of this necklace on Mary Portas, I knew I had to have it. I've always had a love of the stars and night sky, and convinced myself that since Diana was the name of the "moon goddess", it was meant to be. I'm sticking to that. Yep.

Custom made necklaces from Bette Noire.

I am a sucker for handmade creations, and love this custom cuties from Bette Noire. One is a lovely heart shape with kitty ears and "Kitty" emblazoned on the scroll, whilst the glittering double hearts have the name of my club night, Whiskey Kittens.

Birthday treats from Sugar & Vice and Tatty Devine.

With my friends knowing my love of cute perspex and personalised cuteness, my darling friend Luna had this Kitty necklace made for me via Sugar and Vice. Howard also picked up on my "subtle" hints (hah!) and brought me the adorable Dog on Wheels necklace from Tatty Devine.

Aphrodite's Child Carnival Ruff from Lovechild Boudoir.

Another stunning birthday present from Howard was this incredible Ruff from Lovechild Boudoir. I had fallen in love with it when we were kindly lent some of her products for a photoshoot with Rush Hair. Although this particular piece wasn't used, it was the one which I adored the most and was so excited when I opened it up. I spent much of birthday wearing it with my pyjamas and pin curls until finally putting on real clothes and being whisked away for a birthday hot chocolate.

Birthday hot chocolate.

I've felt thoroughly spoilt the last few days, and am struggling to get my brain back out from birthday mode to work mode. It's not helping that we are celebrating this coming weekend (the half way weekend between mine and Howard's birthdays) so it feels like three weeks of cake and cuteness. Am I complaining? Nope! I love birthdays, whether they're mine or my friends. I love this time of year for the never ending supply of cake!

Until next time,
Diana xx

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