OOTD: Saying Good Bye to Winter

In Australia we are now into the final week of winter and soon saying hello to spring! Of course, this doesn't mean that the cold will be long gone for the rest of the year as September still has its cold and rainy days. The day that I had the following photos taken was a nice and sunny day but it was one of those days where it was still cold enough to rug up in warm coats and knits

It's been too long since I last did a fashion/outfit of the day post so I'm excited to finally share one. The lovely team at IZABEL sent me some items that I was able able to create an outfit from. I received an asymmetrical zip coat, a sleeveless shawl cardigan and a pair of heeled, buckled ankle boots and together I styled these pieces with my own grey shirt, matte black leggings, bag, watch and gold jewellery to complement the look. Izabel London is a UK online clothing store and have recently started shipping to Australia and New Zealand.

I decided to keep it as a grey and black theme as these have been the key colours that I've been wearing throughout winter, and what better way to give winter the send-off by wearing these colour combinations before the season's over.

 *Asymmetric Zip Detail Coat - $49.99

I think asymmetrical zip jackets are so trendy and this one definitely be worn as a cape as well as a usual coat. In the photos you can see how I've styled it both ways with my outfit. I generally find that wearing a coat as a cape looks classier than usual.

*Heeled Buckled Detail Boots - $39.99

I am a huge fan of ankle boots, I have them in many colours and styles, both with a heel and without a heel. They are perfect to wear in the colder months and I especially see buckled ones as very hip and edgy. They're so versatile, you could pair them with practically anything! I decided to pair mine with matte black leggings to enhance that edgy look and I would say that they're a match made in heaven. These ones that I have on are great for everyday wear and I find them super duper comfy - I've worn them so many times since receiving them!

*Shawl Long Cardigan - $39.99
Recently I tweeted that I've been obsessing over draped vests/sleeveless knits and the obsession continues on with this addition to my wardrobe. I love putting them on over a plain shirt to add a bit of style and a finishing touch to an outfit. I'll definitely still be making use of these in spring when the weather is still cool and having on an extra layer won't hurt.

What I noticed were these little heart details on the sides which add another dimension to the shawl and I really like the drape style at the bottom. The overall length is fantastic as it allows me to get away with wearing leggings as pictured below:

I hadn't taken proper outfits shots before so I was happy to have the chance to have some taken by my boyfriend at a local park. He is in no way a professional but all I wanted was for some simple outfits shots to be taken and he was willing to do just that :)

I can't have photos taken without taking some selfies so once we were done shooting I took the camera and snapped some photos of my own, hehe!

Mwah!

Questjen of the week:

What are your staple items/colours for winter?

I know for us Aussies, winter is almost over but for the rest of you, it's on its way!

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Disclaimer: Products marked with * were sent for consideration purposes. This is not a sponsored post with any monetary compensation, nor I am not affiliated with of the companies mentioned in this post. Links provided are not affiliated links. All opinions stated by me are 100% and are free from bias. See more at http://www.questjen.com/p/disclaimer.html for full disclaimer.

"Grey Matter" Makeup Look | Blog Collaboration

This is my first blog collaboration post and the idea came about from my blogger friend Hana where we've both come up with our own makeup looks. I needed some ideas for a name and she helped me name this one 'Grey Matter'. Here's the look that I've created:

Excuse the hair frizz

The inspiration for my look came from one of Hana's shawls. The initial idea was the incorporate similar-coloured shawls into our looks by wearing it but seeing as I own none, I instead decided to create a look to complement the colours and patterns on her shawl, as though I were wearing it.

Seeing as there were many colours and patterns going on with the shawl with contrasts of dark and light, I decided to keep my look fairly neutral with a slight pop of colour to my eyes. With the crimson and berry tones in the shawl, I chose a berry-shaded lipstick to pair the look as well as blending in a berry eyeshadow colour.

I'm getting better at filing in my brows - practice makes perfect!

The look reminds me a lot of the ELES Berry Crush look that I did last year except I've used grey/taupe shades and a hint of blue. I swept the same berry-toned blush over my cheeks and contoured with my Benefit HOOLA Bronzer. Below are the products that I used:

FACE

Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation in 030 Sand (Reviewed HERE)

Benefit HOOLA Bronzer (Featured HERE)

ELES Mineral Blush in Mixed Berries (Featured HERE)

EYES

Australis Eyeshadow Primer

Models Prefer Day to Night SHADOWS Palette (Reviewed HERE)

SAVVY Liquid Eyeliner in Navy Blue

The Face Shop Lovely Me:Ex Make Me Star Waterproof Gel Liner in Indigo Blue (Featured HERE)

Dolly Wink Eyelash Glue (Featured HERE) 

Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Dark (Featured HERE)

Red Earth Brow Kit (Featured HERE)

DAISO False Lashes

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara (Let me know if you'd like a review!)

LIPS

Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 31

TOOLS

Shiseido Eyelash Curler (Featured HERE)

L-R: Sigma Brushes x3, Manicare Brush, EcoTools Brush, Bella Brush, Real Techniques Brush x2, Bella Brush

I used three shades from the Day to Night SHADOWS palette (which looks strikingly similar to Urban Decay's Naked 1 palette but we've already established this long ago). Apologies for all of the noise in the photo, photography and photo editing are still not my strengths. Anyway, I've indicated with arrows which colours I used. I started off with 'Hot Date' (third arrow) as my base taupe colour, then used the crimson shade 'Overachiever' (middle arrow) on the centre of my eyelids to make my eyes pop. For the outer corners of my eyelid, I used 'Co-worker' (first arrow) and blended this into my eyelid's crease. I blended the colours in to create a subtle smokey look.

I really wanted to add a touch of blue to the look so I decided that the best way to do this without blending it in with the rest of my eyeshadow was to use it as a lower lash line colour. I used the shade circled on my 88 Shimmer Palette above and ta-da, I was happy with the colour combinations.

Used a blue liquid eyeliner for my upper lash line and added mascara and falsies - look complete!

I got a bit of an 80s-90s vibe from the shawl as it looked a little retro so I found that my colour combinations matched well with the retro-ness of the accessory. Using blue eyeshadow and eyeliner already brings back memories from the past!

Definitely suitable for daytime wear!

Now in comparison to Hana's look, this is completely different! I think it's awesome how we went about this differently and created looks that aren't like each other's. That is simply the joy of applying makeup and playing around with it - we each have our own interpretations and that shows how individual and unique we really are when it comes to all sorts of things, including being creative. Take a look at how amazing her makeup look is:

So on point and stunning!

Seeing Hana's look after doing mine makes me think 'wow, I should've done that' haha but nonetheless I had fun with what I did and keep it fairly winter-themed and subtle. Hana's the pro here, the makeup artist so big claps for her gorgeous look! I think my next makeup look should be a vibrant one though, what do you reckon?

Anyway, now that you've had a preview of Hana's look, I definitely suggest that you go and check it out and leave some love on her blog as well!

Questjen to you:

How do you like your eye makeup - vibrant or subtle?

Both is great depending on the occasion however I never wear a lot of makeup so subtle is the way to go for me!

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