AW12 Trend - The Midi Skirt

Its been around for a few seasons now but this Autumn I have finally discovered The Midi! By The Midi I'm of course talking about to the super-flattering calf-skimming skirts that have pervaded both the catwalk and the High Street! The Midi comes in lots of shapes and styles - floaty and feminine, pleated, A-line or my personal favourite, the pencil skirt!

The Midi, http://www.asos.com/Women/Skirts/Midi-Skirts/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=12906

The Midi is super versatile! Dress it up with heels or down with ballet flats. They're cute with bodies and crop tops and look fantastic with this season's other big trend, The Peplum!

Pull-on dogtooth check pencil skirt, Primark, £11 | Pull-on textured pencil skirt, Topshop £20

Pull-on green flock spot pencil skirt, ASOS, £20

 My favourite way to wear The Midi is with a cropped tee or bralet, bare legs, chunky socks and my lovely Topshop ankle boots! Autumn chic!

I'd love to hear about your favourite seasonal trends!

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Review - New Boots Botanics

A few weeks ago I had some time to kill while waiting to meet my lovely friend Ciara and so decided on an aimless browse around Boots, something I frequently find myself doing! On my amble around the enormous Newcastle store (I think I burned at least a 100 calories on my mooch!) I stumbled across the recently revamped Botanics range.

Botanics has been around since 1995 and to be honest its never really been on my radar, but when I heard that the range had had a makeover, with a little help from leading plant scientists at the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew I thought it was worth a little investigation!

On first glance the new Botanics range doesn't look like anything to shout about. The packaging is pretty average (although it is sustainably produced) however the products inside have definite appeal...at least for  me! Botanics ethos is to "combine natural ingredients with scientific formulations to create effective skin care products" - many of the products in the new range are 100% Organic and all formulations are now SLS, SLES and paraben-free! And after all, who wants to put nasty chemicals on their skin! Not only that, those clever scientists at The Royal Botanic Gardens make sure that each formulation contains enough of each active plant extract to actually work!!

 I bought two products from the range to trial, the All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll-On with Hibiscus and the Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask with Willowbark. 

Like lots of people I have dark, shadowy under-eye pigmentation and while I love my Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair, at £14.25 for a 10ml tube, it is a little on the pricey side. So I've been on the hunt for a new eye product for a while now! After the ladies at Pixiwoo.com recommended Clinque's latest eye roll-on I must admit I was tempted but again, its not cheap. So when I spotted this product from the Botanics range I thought it was worth a try. Like lots of eye products on the market, including Clinque's latest innovation, this little baby has a cooling roller-ball which massages the refreshing gel into the delicate under-eye area (that's the theory anyway) however I must admit to some gentle patting to help things along! The gel formulation is definitely cooling and refreshing and, importantly (for me at least) doesn't impact on the application of make up! However, I'm sad to say I didn't see a noticeable reduction in my dark circles, despite using the product in the morning and before bed! If you're after something light and refreshing this could be for you but if you need a little more help in the under-eye department then look elsewhere! For me, its back to the Liz Earle!

I'm glad to say that my second purchase, the Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask was far more successful! There are hundreds of clay-based masks on the market, ranging from the super-cheap to the insanely expensive and pretty much all of them promise to rid us of those pesky blocked pores and blackheads. I've been suffering from blackheads since I was in my teens, so I've tried and tested lots of masks and only one has ever come close to actually working - Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask! Unfortunately at £20 for 100ml, its a bit on the pricey side! Thankfully, this Botanics mask shares a lot of the qualities I loved in the Orgins product - to start with, it works! Like most clay masks, this product is a pretty unattractive grey sludge, its very liquid and needs a good shake before use. Despite being very runny, the mask is super easy to apply, is fragrance free and even a thick layer dries in about ten minutes. Its equally easy to wash off and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or dry, just clean, fresh and de-congested! At only £4.99 for 100ml this is a bargain product but it still manages to feel pampering and luxurious! Definitely one to re-purchase!

Overall I'm pretty impressed with the re-vamped Botanics range! I love their ethos, the use of organic ingredients and the price tag! Admittedly the All Bright Eye Roll-On was a little disappointing but the Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask more than made up for it! Next on my list to try, this 100% Organic Facial Oil with Rosehip! Watch this space!

Boots Botanics range is available in all Boots stores and online at http://www.boots.com/en/Botanics/

Xx

Things that go bump in the night: American Horror Story

Happy (slightly belated) Halloween! I hope everyone has had a spooktacular week...sorry, I couldn't resist that one! Not only did this week see the joyous annual Halloween fancy-dress-fest, my favourite TV show of the moment (sorry Homeland) was also back with a second series. American Horror Story: Asylum is the follow up to last year's American Horror Story, created and produced by the brains behind Glee, Ryan Murphy. However if you're after a little tooth-achingly sweet highschool musical drama then AHS is definitely not the show for you...buuut...if you're a fan of a good old-fashioned ghost story or a little Gothic Horror then read on!

Season One of AHS is set in present day and follows the Harmon Family: Psychiatrist Ben, his wife Vivien and their teenage daughter Violet who move into a restored LA mansion only to find that, horror of horrors, their new home holds some bloody secrets and worse, is haunted by the ghosts of its former inhabitants. While not for the faint-hearted, American Horror Story is full of unexpected twists, turns and terrors!

Season two, otherwise known as American Horror Story: Asylum is a complete departure from season one, at least in terms of storyline and location! Scares still abound as the terror is transported to, you guessed it, an asylum for the criminally insane. The drama swings between 1964, when Briarcliff Mental Institution is home to, amongst others, serial killer Bloody Face and is governed by some seriously creepy nuns, and present day, when the asylum is deserted...at least by the living! If episode one is anything to go by, American Horror Story: Asylum promises to be just as fantastically spooky as the original series!

If that hasn't got you hiding behind the sofa already these little sneaky peaks definitely will...

American Horror Story Season One is available to buy and download.

American Horror Story: Asylum airs in the UK on Tuesday at 10pm on FX.

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