This Is Not The Life I Chose, But It's The Life That Chose Me.

Isn't it weird that you can be totally convinced you know where your life is headed, plan everything down to the most tiny detail, only for it all to change in the blink of an eye. That's definitely where I am right now, if someone had told me a year ago that this is where I'd be at in a years time I'd never have believed them. For the last few years I've been saying that I'm going to start my own photography business, it's been a pipe dream that has never actually materialised due to time, financial issues and circumstance... Until now!

On the 5th of August one of my best friends and fellow photographer Georgina and I, finally took the plunge and decided to set up our company 'The Two Belles Wedding Photography'. 

The initial response we've received has been incredible, we've had so much support and had so many kind people offer us their own talents and services for next to nothing, for which we are so grateful.

At the moment everything is a work in progress, but we hope to have our official site launched in the next few months which is super exciting :) If you are getting married or know anyone that is, please don't hesitate to get in contact or if you're feeling particularly lovely, like us on Facebook here.

Dress: Tesco

Bag: New Look
Ring: H&M

ANYWAY, exciting news aside. This is the outfit I wore last Saturday. Me and a friend had a little picnic and I met her boyfriend for the first time, the weather is so confusing at the moment and it was ridiculously hot so I was glad I opted for this simple loose fitting dress from Tesco. It's a really light material so is great for chucking on on a hot day, but I'm also looking forward to wearing it out on a night out with some thick tights and fur in the colder months. Tesco can be so hit and miss, but paisley print was all over the catwalks for S/S 2012 and with its monochrome colours and simple shape, defo worth the £16! 

I also spotted this bag in the New Look sale section for only £7! I originally bought it and wasn't sure if I should return it, but it's really grown on me and I love how much stuff it fits inside (!!).

What do you think of this dress? Is it something you'd consider buying yourself?

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!

Katt xo

Bargain Of The Week #6

I can't get enough of the sale jewellery in Topshop at the moment. I always use it as an opportunity to update my collection and save a fairly significant amount of money at the same time. These necklaces were only £1.50 each, reduced from £5 which I thought was very reasonable! They had rows and rows of similar designs all with the new brown packaging they've introduced (and I much prefer!) so I had a good ol' rifle through till I found a couple that caught my eye.

Necklaces: £1.50 each, Topshop

I think I've said before I'm a massive sucker for anything with my name/initials on it, so was obviously instantly drawn to this design :') On a small side note I also noticed a post on Stacey's blog this morning, and she's selling the most adorable scrabble style initial cushions for only £5 each! Probably, definitely, going to place an order for one later. Such a bargain!

One of my best friends bought this necklace for full price when it first came out and I'd been eying it up ever since... for £1.50 it was time to purchase!

What do you guys think of these necklaces? Would you buy them? Have you found any other bargains in the Topshop sale? I also picked up the most amazing collar necklace for only £4! 

Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather we've finally been given the last few days :)

Katt xo

Where Does The Good Go?

I can't get enough of these Topshop t-shirts at the moment. They're so easy to wear and so comfortable! I've already bought it in two colours and I'm lusting after more.. Just add a simple piece of jewellery and you're good to go ;)  

I bought this necklace from Primark about 2 months ago now when I was living up in Lincoln, the time has literally flown by! I totally forgot about it until the other day when I saw it pop up on Meg's Blog and was inspired to give it some wear! I think I'd written it off as something I bought on a whim, but I actually love it a lot more than I first realised, and for a couple of quid (£2.50 maybe?) I'm kinda glad I was being slightly over spontaneous that particular shopping trip.

Top: Topshop

Necklace: Primark

Rings: H&M

I wore this a few days ago when I spent the day with my little sister. We went for a walk and got ridiculously wet and muddy :') It's definitely the one thing I really love about being home again, funny family times!

Has anyone else bought this necklace? It's such a bargain!

Katt xo

Two Ten's, That's a Win - Win Situation.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far! Monday till Wednesday I had an impromptu visit from one of my best friends who lives about a million miles away, so happy to be reunited with my partner in crime. Miss her so much now that we no longer live in the same city :( 

This is what I wore out with friends at the weekend. I can't remember the last time I went out and actually had a few several alcoholic beverages. I had a brilliant night and it was over far too quickly!

This fake leather jacket from Toppy is my new favourite piece in my wardrobe! It goes with everything and is great for chucking on over any outfit, and because it's not real leather you can just shove it in the washing machine when it gets dirty which suits me much better than getting it dry cleaned ;)

I also recently bought some hair oil products from Buyapowa which I've been testing out. Thinking about doing a little series on different oil products as some seem to be a lot more effective than others. At the moment I'm using some of the Macadamia Treatments, which have left my hair so much more manageable and healthy! 

Jacket: Topshop

Pink Vest: Topshop

Leggings: Topshop

Necklace and Ring: H&M

Has anyone else bought this Topshop Jacket? I've seen quite a few people wearing it out and about! How would you style it!?

Katt xo

Baby love, my baby love I need you, oh how I need you!

So two days ago, one of my best friends in the whole wide world gave birth to her gorgeous baby boy :):) None of my close friends have had babies yet so she's the first, needless to say I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to share in all the excitement and happiness. Every update, no matter how small makes my heart totally melt. I love their little family so much.

This is what I wore up to the hospital yesterday and it feels slightly inappropriate posting this outfit as it has been chucking it down with rain since I woke up this morning! It was boiling yesterday, I swear!

I got this dress a couple of weeks ago in the Topshop sale for £15, which was about half price I think. It's one of those dresses that you thank your past self for buying on days like yesterday - not exactly the most exciting dress in the world, but great for chucking on on these random hot days the english weather kindly decides to give us once every couple of weeks! The dress being black also means it's a blank canvas for accessories, granted my choice yesterday wasn't exactly thrilling, but I'm looking forward to playing around with some different styles over the summer.

I've also been wearing the L'oreal rouge caress lipstick in 'Cheeky Magenta' a ridiculous amount since I bought it. It's a really flattering shade and it's texture is amazing. Though I've been struggling with the shade 'Fashionista Pink', it doesn't seem to show up on my lips at all!

Black Midi Dress: Topshop

Belt: My Mums

'K' Necklace: Primark

Wooden Bangle: Topshop (about 5 years old :'))

Has anyone else has the same problem with that particular shade? It's so annoying because I really love 'Cheeky Magenta' ! Hope everyone is having a lovely rainy Friday :)

Katt xo

Bargain Of The Week #5

Pink Blazer: £19.99 H&M

Dress, Blazer, Jewellery and Shoes: All H&M

Clutch: New Look

I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked at the price tag for this jacket and knew I had to snap one up straight away. In all honesty these photos were taken a few weeks ago before dinner and drinks with some friends, but I figured I'd still share them as both the dress and blazer seem to be making recurring appearances in my day to day outfit choices!

Originally I was unsure how much wear I'd actually get out of this blazer as it is VERY bright and I'm usually a, stick to black, greys and neutrals and play it safe, kinda gal. It really has surprised me how easy it is to wear and it gives a great pop of colour to my otherwise boring outfits. 

I'm also in love with this patterned t-shirt dress at the moment, I just love how versatile it is. I've worn it dressed up with tights, down with leggings and even bare legged (!) when we had our mini heat wave the other week, and it was only something ridiculous like £7.99! So worth the money!

What does everyone think of this Jacket? Would you wear it? I think they also do a black version and I'm so tempted to get that one as well as it'll go with everything ;)

Happy Sunday!

Katt xo

Lush, Light Pink Colour Supplement - Review.

Light Pink Colour Supplement: £7.95 Lush

For my birthday a month ago one of my friends bought me an amazing bundle of lush goodies. Between packing and unpacking from moving, I totally forgot about the couple of make up bits in the bundle! 

I've been using this colour supplement for just over a week now and I have to say it's my new favourite part of my makeup routine. The product comes in 5 different shades each suitable for different skin tones - Dark Yellow, Light Yellow, Dark Pink, Light Pink and Jackie Oats which is for paler complexions, and they are available in stores or online here.

On the lush website it recommends using the product mixed with moisturiser, to create your own tinted moisturiser. Although I've read a few reviews that have mentioned that this approach did cause them to break out. I've been using this product as a simple concealer and I've found it to work wonders! 

On first glance the product does seem quite pricey for something so teeny, but a little really does go a long way. I haven't even used any product from the actual jar so far and have been using the product stuck to the lid. For application I've been using my RT detailer brush, it picks up only a tiny amount of product at a time which means that nothing gets wasted. I usually paint some under my eyes, over any blotches or patches of red and over any spots. 

When I first applied the product it went on slightly watery and didn't seem like it would blend well at all, cue the RT buffing brush. Using this brush buffs all the product into the skin flawlessly and leaves a perfect, even base for foundation.

I really don't think this colour supplement is suitable as a day to day foundation as the consistency is quite heavy, but as concealer it gets 10/10. I've always been a fan of the simple Lush packaging and I love the little jar as you can see how much product you actually have left and it can also be washed out and reused - though I doubt this pot is going to run out anytime soon! The product also has a pleasant smell, which isn't that noticeable when the product is sitting in the pot, but when applying you find yourself noticing it.

I'm fairly pale and the 'Light Pink' shade seems to suit my skin tone perfectly (apparently it's Lush's best selling shade of this product), but I would be interested in trying out 'Jackie Oats' and comparing the difference! 

Has anyone else tried these colour supplements? Do you love this product as much as I do? What was your verdict?

Katt xo    

Thanks Sarah.

Hiii everyone, I'm so excited to be back and ready to blog again. I've finally got settled back into my Mum's after nearly 4 years away and have set up my own office space in my bedroom which I LOVE :) It's going to be so much easier to regularly post as I won't have to use my dying laptop anymore! Hurrah! 


This is just a quick post to say thank you to Sarah who ran a competition on her blog, 'Beauty Geek' a while ago which I entered, completely forgot about and won! I don't think I've won a competition before in my life (apart from winning a personal cassette player from puppy in my pocket magazine, about 15 years ago ;)) I'd been having the worst week in the world when she emailed me and needless to say, it definitely put a smile back on my face!

The prizes I received are absolutely amazing! They are all products that I would purchase myself and nearly did.. I had been planning to buy the Real Techniques brushes literally the next day so I was so, so pleased to receive them as a prize :) 

Real Techniques Core Collection

L to R: Contour Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Detailer Brush, Buffing Brush

After only owning one makeup brush for the past goodness knows how many years, it's been so nice to get to grips with these brushes and to use different brushes for applying different products. My favourite of the four is of course, the bloggers favourite - the Buffing brush. I use this for both my liquid foundation and powder. I've been applying my foundation with my fingers as usual, but then finishing off by using the buffing brush to buff it all into my skin nice and evenly. I've also been using the Contour brush regularly to apply blusher and it blends powder really well giving a seamless look. I'm actually so surprised how much of a difference it makes using brushes and I won't be going back to using my fingers anytime soon! I'd really recommend this set to anyone unsure of which brushes to buy, the set is worth it for the buffing brush alone!

Tangle Teezer 

  

My hairdresser has been using one of these bad boys on my hair for years and I had always been meaning to invest but never seemed to get round to it. My hair is bleached blond and relatively fine, so after washing it can be a total nightmare to try and brush (anyone else with bleached hair will feel my pain I'm sure!) I'd got to the point where I didn't even bother attempting to brush it damp and just blasted it with the hairdryer and hoped for the best. This little plastic brush has changed all that! I really don't have any idea how it works, but it does, in a big way. Brushing my hair out now takes about 2 minutes which makes it so much easier to style. Total god send, plus it's pink and anyone that knows me knows I'm a sucker for anything pink :')

OPI Minis

L to R: Play The Peonies, I Lily Love You, Be A Dahlia Won't You and Come To Poppy.

Last but by no means least, I also received this gorgeous set of OPI minis. The colours are so cute and are all shades I'd pick out myself - my friend even bought me the full size 'Lily I Love You' for my birthday. I've saved and put aside the mini version to include in my own giveaway I'm looking forward to hosting soon, as I thought it was only fair to share! Don't want to be known as the "I Lily Love You' hoarder now do I ! :')  

^ Two coats of Play The Peonies and one coat of I Lily Love You.

Well this post came out a lot longer and more ramble filled than I first planned but hey-ho! I think I'm just glad to be back. Thanks so much again to Sarah. I really appreciate all my goodies.

Has anyone else tried any of these products? What do you all think? Is there anything I've featured on the blog in the past you'd want me to include as a prize? I'm thinking of getting a couple of packs of nail wraps as they seemed pretty popular!

Hope everyone is having a lovely day so far :)

Katt xo  

17 Supreme Shine Lipstick - Hot Flash - Review

Lipstick: £4.99, 17 @ Boots - Shade Hot Flash

The other day I spent AAAGES in boots trying to find a lipstick that would give a little pop of colour to my (planned surprisingly weeks in advance..!) birthday outfit, but also one that wasn't going to break the bank. I um-ed and ahh-ed over a few different brands and colours (one of which was the L'oreal, Rouge Caresse in 'Cheeky Magenta', defo need that shade in my life in the near future ;)) but in the end decided to go for this 17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in the shade 'Hot Flash'. 

There were a couple of reasons why I was drawn to this shade, the first being that I swatched the lipstick along with so many others on my hand and the colour remained all day! I really love lip products that give a stain to the lip as I'm forever licking my lips/eating/drinking, which doesn't bode well for products with little staying power! Another being that I'm trying to break away from my usual pink lip and try something new!

In real life the bullet of the lipstick appears much less red and leans more toward an orange shade (I have no idea why it looks such a deep red above!) The colour swatch at the bottom is pretty much spot on in terms of how the shade looks on the lip. The product is lightweight, similar to a gloss/balm and applies with ease. The shade looks subtle with only one layer of application but can be built up to create more dramatic colour. 

As you can see below the colour does tend to stick to any dry skin/lumps and bumps remaining on the lip before application, so I would really recommend exfoliating lips first to get a nice smooth surface! (I've been using the Lush sugar scrub which is DELISH!)

I really can't decide whether I'm a fan of the packaging for this product. The silver case is heavy and doesn't appear cheap, which really surprised me considering the price point! It seems a lot more high end than it actually is which is a plus. However the little blue 'new stickers' stuck on the front are so annoying to try and get off and leave a horrible sticky residue on the silver. I've also found the shiny casing to get covered in smudgy fingerprints and mark fairly easily, though I suppose you can't find that much fault for £4.99 ;)

Overall I was very impressed with this lipstick, the shade is interesting, moisturising, long lasting and good value for money. What do you guys think of these Supreme Shine Lipsticks? Would you say they're worth the money? Do you like the packaging? Is there anymore shades I should have a look at? I really like the look of 'Pink Posey!' 

Katt xo

P.s. My lovely friend Sarah Harrison has applied for Jack Wills' summer internship opportunity and I would LOVE it if you like her application, you could vote for her! HERE! I think that link should take you straight to her video, if not I think her entry is on the second page of the girls! You can vote once a day! But even one vote would help her out SO much! and all it takes is a few clicks of the mouse! Thanks Guys :)

Life in Limbo.

Photo-albums/Scrapbooks: £10.75 Each Paperchase

At the moment my life is a big ball of excitement/nerves/sadness all rolled into one. In just over 3 weeks time I'm moving out of the place I've called home for the last 3 years and back into my Mums. I'm going to be setting up my own photography business, which has been very much in the making for the last couple of years, but back home, with a lot less financial pressure, it's finally going to be possible! On the one hand I'm so excited to be coming back, I'm looking forward to really pushing forward with work and spending more time with my family and friends that I feel I have neglected in recent months, (especially my little sister who I miss so much!) BUT at the same time, my current house has been my home for what feels like forever and every time I think about everything changing I get that horrid lump in my tummy/throat and have to quickly think about something else. My little house holds so many special memories and it's going to be so sad locking up and leaving for the last time. 

Over the last few years I seem to acquired so much stuff! My house is full of it and I have no idea how I'm gonna fit everything back into one room but I'll give it a go ;) One thing I really love about my house at the moment is my three pin-boards which have been filled up over the years with photos, postcards, stickers, clippings etc, etc. I decided to transfer everything from these boards (along with any other random photos and pictures) into some cute scrapbooks so I don't loose anything! I did consider taking everything down and putting all back up in my new room but I think that space should be saved for all the new memories I'm looking forward to making :) I'm going to start putting the books together next week so will probably post a few pictures when I'm done, I just seem to be avoiding anything 'moving 
house' related, (denial much!) 

Updates on The Katt's Pyjamas have been all over the place recently, but a regular blogging schedule WILL BE in place for after May 31st when I move! I also haven't posted a 'Bargain of the Week' for a few weeks now, but I have two great items I've been waiting to share with you guys, so one of those should be up Sunday ;) This is a bit of a boring/filler post, but just thought I'd share where I'm at.. I also can't believe I reached 100 followers the other day, I've been planning a giveaway to say thank you to you all, with a few bits I've featured on here over the last few months which I'm really looking forward too!

Hope everyone had a lovely bank holiday weekend! What do you think of these memory scrapbooks? Anyone have a insane fear of change like myself?

Katt xo

Nail Wraps - Review

Nail Wraps: £4.50 Asda

So last night.. I lost my nail wrap virginity! I'd been wanting to try out some of these for a good while after seeing various bloggers raving about them, but just wasn't sure if I'd be even be able to get them on my own fingers! I'd seen a lot of amazing designs on Asos, but for almost £7 a set, I just couldn't do it knowing that there was a high chance of them going hideously wrong. I spotted this set, and a few others hidden amongst the clothes section in Asda and thought I'd give them a go, at the slightly cheaper price point of £4.50. They had about 6 designs in store, some of which you can see in this blog post I found on google. The watermelon style wraps are so cute as well, as are the pink flowery ones! Though I'm confused as to why all but the ones I purchased, are only £4? Maybe the people at Asda have cottoned on to the fact that these are the most desirable of the selection and can get away with that cheeky extra 50p... I can't really complain too much though, I am so happy with the results and would say they are definitely worth the price. 

The wraps come sandwiched between sealed plastic wrapping and are easy to peel off ready for application. You literally just stick them over your nails like you would a sticker, I never used to understand how this would possibly work, but trust me, it really does! The wraps sticky adhesive side hardens after a few hours and fuses the wrap to the nail. It says on the back to use as soon as the packet is opened to prevent the wraps drying out, but it took me about 2+ hours to get them all stuck on and they all worked fine :) 

I think the key to getting good results with wraps like these is patience. They are fiddly and it can take a good few attempts to get the wrap to sit in the right position on the nail, but once you nail that part (budumdum tshhh) it's pretty much plain sailing. You just fold the excess wrap over the end of the nail, pull it tight and file it off. Though again, patience is key, I got slightly file happy and ripped off half of one wrap accidentally and had to cut the larger spare wrap to fit a smaller finger, but it worked ;) 

  

So far the wraps have lasted a day with no chips or tears and I was pretty sure they weren't going to last the night. The adhesive really does harden well and I'm no longer worried about them peeling off while I'm in the bath or asleep! :') I don't think they'll have the staying power of my usual nail routine, but I'm hoping they'll last a few more days at least! 

These wraps have definitely inspired me to try out different brands of nail wraps and I'm thinking of repurchasing these same ones for my birthday weekend in a few weeks time. I really do love them!

Has anyone else tried these wraps from Asda? What did you think? I'll keep you updated on how long they last!

Katt xo

[EDIT: They lasted around a week which I was very impressed with, not in perfect condition, but the pattern of the wrap disguises any imperfections really well!]

Bargain Of The Week #4

Trousers: £14 Asda

It seems I can't get enough of Asda at the moment! I picked up these cute printed trousers and another gorgeous dress this week, and for £14 I only have good things to say about them! Firstly, they are so, SO comfy! I often have difficulty with trousers, I have pretty sturdy calves and thighs in comparison to my waist, and trousers or jeans never seem to sit just right, but these slid on like a dream ;) They aren't restrictive in the slightest and so much more comfortable than a pair of jeans! 

I've wanted a pair of printed jeans/trousers for a while but have been reluctant to actually take the plunge and buy a pair! Mainly due to price, but also the question of.. can I actually get away with wearing these, and pull them off?... This pair from Asda, I must admit, are relatively 'safe'. The print is simple and it's pretty difficult to go wrong with simple black and white, but this is why they're so great! They're actually much more versatile than I first thought, I wore them fairly casual with my studded Topshop pumps, but I'm thinking about wearing them with a chiffon shirt and wedges for a night out next week!   

Jumper: Topshop (old)

The only thing I'd bear in mind if buying a pair of these beauts is that the sizing does come up maybe a size bigger than usual! As the material does give slightly throughout the day. Other than that I have absolutely no complaints!

What do you guys think of these trousers? How would you wear them!

Katt xo

Bargain Of The Week #3

Jumper: £14 Tesco

I spotted this Jumper on a quick trip to Tesco with my Mumma and fell in love with it. I love the pastel tones and I think it's a great way to buy into a trend without breaking the bank! The weather is back to it's usual dreary self, so this jumper's currently keeping me snug whilst spending some time with the fam, however it'll also be great to chuck on to keep warm on cool evenings in the summer. I like that the sleeves are cropped and it's not too long either, which means you can get away with dressing it up a bit!

Rings: £2 for set Primark

These rings from Primarni are also another great way to buy into the pastel trend on a budget. They can be worn individually, which is how I'm wearing them today ;) or they also stack up and can be worn as one big statement ring. I think these are so cute and pretty, and they'll definitely get a lot of wear. I'll probably mix them up with other rings or maybe just wear a single one on its own. 

Necklace: £1 Primark

What do you guys think of this jumper? Would you wear it? Has anyone else bought these rings from Primark! I really do love them :')

Hope everyone is having a wonderful easter! Nothing better than having a little break from everything and having some time back home. Later I plan to eat my body weight in chocolate and watch some cheesy films with Mother :) 

Katt xo