My Everyday Make Up

Quick plug: don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin, right here!

Back to business. I love reading beauty posts where the blogger goes through all the items making up their make up. All the better when we see the end results in pictorial form... so that's what I'm doing today!

I was actually pretty horrified after assembling all my daily products and the realisation of just how much stuff I put on my face for the purposes of being presentable. Is this normal?? I fear not. But whatever.. this is what it takes for me to not scare small children when I leave the house each day.

Gulp.

It's surprisingly difficult to arrange all these items attractively and clearly I have failed somewhat! Regardless, let's move on to looking at them in detail and I have helpfully arranged them into categories.

First up: let's cover the bases:

L-R: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm / MAC Face Protect /
Clinique Even Better Eyes / A-DERMA Lip Balm

Foundation / Concealer / Powder

Real Techniques Stippling Brush / Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (Shade 1) /
Clinique BB Cream (Shade 01) / MAC Blot Powder (Medium) / MAC Select Cover Up (NW20)

Eye Make Up

MAC Paint Pot (Soft Ochre) / Benefit They're Real Mascara (Black) / Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil (Dark Brown) /
Boots Eyelash Curler / Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad (Addictive) / Pixi Lash Line Ink (Black)

Cheeks and Lips

Benefit Posie Tint / Clinique Chubby Stick (Chunky Cherry)

And this is what it all looks like when it's on:

Ta daa! There we have it. Just a further note that for my eye make up I usually just use the two lightest shades from the eyeshadow quad, mainly due to laziness.

As you can see, I favour more high-end products - this after years of trial and error with the cheaper end of the spectrum, which just do not produce the same results, particularly foundation and powder. Fact.

I shudder to think how much this would all cost if I were to add it all up, so I shan't. So there.

My Make Up:

Click on the links under each photo

Red Leopard Smock

Without wanting to sound terribly British and bang on about the weather all the time, it's difficult not to do so when it's so darn unseasonable outside. Just very recently there was glorious sunshine and blue skies going on... this week not so much, meaning that my furry scarf and beanie have made swift comebacks.

However, cast your mind back to two weekends ago, if you will, and try and imagine the sun's warmth on your skin and a soft breeze in the air. These were the conditions under which I went for a picnic on Hampstead Heath and wore this frankly fantabulous dress. Let's take a moment to appreciate it:

Smock dresses are just so easy to wear, but I've been having trouble finding a shape that suits me. Anything too loose and I look thrice my size. However the relaxed, yet not oversized, fit of this particular dress is absolutely perfect - just throw it on and go. Seriously amazing. I want at least ten more, I really do. I'm wearing it today too, with black sheer tights and a tough mudder biker jacket and boots. Grr, don't mess with me, especially if you're responsible for the weather. Because somebody somewhere must be.

I can't get enough of midi rings right now!

Clearly I need to work on my casual stroll pose

Beautiful Hampstead Heath

Also loving 90s sunnies right now

Speaking of the 90s, that was the weekend the Stone Roses played Finsbury Park in London. I was kinda gutted that I didn't end up getting a ticket this time, however when a helicopter powered overhead, I told myself that Ian Brown was inside. It helped me cope with the disappointment of not being at the gig! Whatever works, eh..

Ian! John! Down here!

Oi! Come back and play Made of Stone!

My Outfit (click on links):

Leopard Dress: Topshop Petite
Round Sunglasses & Midi Rings: Topshop

Converse: bought in Japan aeons ago

Blue Ring & Frilly Socks: Primark

Where Am I?

No, I haven't gone on holiday again (alas, humph) but I thought I would do a quick little post as to where else you can find me on the Interweb, just in case the demise of Google Reader blows GFC into smithereens, as is widely predicted. I feel like we're waiting for the Rapture à la May 2011 all over again...

So first up, the increasingly popular Bloglovin. I really do have a lot of time for this blog reading platform, not least because you don't actually need a blog to have an account. It's also possible to save specific posts for future reference AND categorise the blogs you follow, maybe into 'favourites' and 'not so much' - genius! Find me there under Woo Be Red (put into your 'favourites' *hopeful face*). There's also a very helpful set of articles detailing how to use Bloglovin, on their home page. Marvellous.

Of course I'm also on Twitter @woobered. Expect to see general musings on everything from fashion, the famous, food, felines, photos upon photos...

...this leads us to Instagram. I hold my hand up: I'm Instagramming the shizzle out of everything at the moment. I don't know why it took me so long to get into this. I heart Instagram. A LOT. I'm on there as woobered. Of course.

Sticking to the photo theme, I'm also on Pinterest. I have to say that I'm not into this as much as other social media sites (is it even classed as social media??). Anyway, I try to put at least one photo on there of each outfit / beauty post that I do on my blog. It's a nice at-a-glance record of what I've been wearing. I've got other boards on there too, but frankly, I barely use them. Plus I can't work out how to change my user name so it's stuck as jobethcal (from my pre-blog days).

I'm also on Google Plus, but honestly... I don't really know what that means. It baffles me.

Wedding Belles

Is there anything more perfect than having the day off work and going to a wedding? I don't think so! And that's what happened on Friday, when I attended the super chilled nuptials of the beautiful Hanneke and Robin. It took place at Clissold House in Stoke Newington and was followed by a picnic in the park... a bold decision when you think how up and down the weather has been this past week! However, the gamble paid off and we were rewarded with glorious sunshine all afternoon - all the more perfect for quaffing celebratory champagne in honour of the happy couple.

As we all know, finding a suitable wedding guest outfit can be a bit of a minefield: ideally we should aim to look chic yet not try to outshine the bride in any way. With this in mind, I wanted to find a teadress, something elegant and comfortable (but still in keeping with my style) that I could wear for this wedding as well as another one I'll be going to later in the year. I walked the length and breadth of Oxford Street in my quest, trying all the usual haunts for dresses for more formal occasions: Oasis, Warehouse, French Connection, Mango, Zara... I tried on SO. MANY. DRESSES but didn't find anything I really loved. I then went to Topshop for a break from formal-wear foraging and lo and behold found the perfect teadress in there.. who'd have thunk it?! So this is what I wore and I loved it:

Cat eye sunnies added to the retro look I was after

OPI 'Get me to the Taj on time' & Barry M 'White Sequin Nail Paint'

Well I'm not going to sign off without showing you a few pictures of Hanneke and Robin and their lovely wedding picnic - beauty and bliss! Hanneke's Guess dress was just gorgeous and I loved the quirkiness of her green brogues from Shoe Embassy. So. Cool.

Clissold House

The wedding picnic

Hanneke and Robin

What do you think of my wedding guest outfit? What would you wear to a chilled wedding?

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin right here! Do it do it do it (please). 

My Outfit (click to link through):

Dress: Topshop Petite

Boots: Topshop

Headband: Primark

Necklace: Claire's

Sunglasses: Marks & Spencer (old, similar here)

Graduate Fashion Week 2013 - Nottingham Trent University Catwalk Show

Last week I was extremely lucky to be invited by the lovely Suzanne at Bright Light PR to watch the Nottingham Trent University Catwalk Show as part of Graduate Fashion Week. Did I need asking twice? I did not! I immediately grabbed my good friend Sue and off we went to get our fashion show on - the first ever such experience for either of us.

Our seats were right at the end of the catwalk, so we had a fantastic view of the models as they twirled and preened for the photographers. And thank goodness for those photographers because the images I'm including here were taken by them and not by me. Believe me, my photos were dreadful - oh so consistently blurry! Those models move fast! My poor iPhone just couldn't cope.

Back to the catwalk: there were 23 incredibly talented graduate designers each showing six outfits for autumn/winter. There was a lot of amazingly elaborate knitwear, coats and a general wintry feel to many of the collections. But not all of them! Colour pallets ranged from Kim Cooper's all white collection (soz, no pics) to Jennifer Diederich's 90's rave-esque bright primary colours. Vanina Yankova's pastel knitwear collection was accessorised with awesome mega-winged glasses and Katy Whitehead's elegant cocktail dresses were just beautiful. However, the showstopper for me was a billowing red gown and black leather jacket ensemble by Kelly Walker. Absolutely. Stunning. Enough of my jibber jabber, I'll let the pictures do the talking. Behold:

Top: Naomi Lewis / Nathan Roberts
Bottom: Olivia Baker / Joseph Horton

Jennifer Diederich

Vanina Yankova: with wings!

Top: Thea Sanders
Bottom: Ryan Farrell

Katy Whitehead - love love love

Kelly Walker: THAT dress

See what I mean? Incredible! I loved every second of the show and could definitely get used to attending many more! (Hint hint).

So.. what do you think? Who are your favourite designers of what I've shown you?

All pictures by David Baird.
Eternal thanks to Bright Light PR.

Travelsupermarket.com Worldwide Wardrobe Competition

I'm very last minute with this, but I thought I would do an eleventh hour entry into the Travelsupermarket.com Worldwide Wardrobe competition.  For those who don't know what I'm talking about, Travelsupermarket.com are offering a lucky blogger the chance to win a holiday to one of five fabulous destinations: Paris, London, New York, Ibiza or Thailand!  All you have to do is compile your dream outfit to wear whilst there, to the total value of £200 - check out the full details here. Easy peasy!

I've chosen to style an outfit for sightseeing in Paris... because who doesn't love Paris! Here goes:

Boots: Topshop £85

Smock: ASOS £30

Biker Jacket: Topshop £60

Mint Cuff: H&M £2.99

Multi-pack Bracelets: H&M £2.99

Coral Satchel: H&M £9.99

Spike Necklace: H&M £3.99

Mint Frill Socks: Topshop £3.50

TOTAL: £198.46

So why did I go for this particular ensemble?  Well firstly I LOVE the smock trend around at the moment and the pattern on this ASOS one is just gorgeous. Throw on an oversized biker jacket, some tough boots and some pastel accessories and BAM: casual chic with an edge. Je l'adore.

I fear I'm a little late to tag other bloggers, but here are my five, who you must all check out too: 5'1" is the new 6'2"; Love Cloth; All About The Girl; The Smart Girl's Fashion Guide; The Girl In The Bowler Hat.

What do you think of my selection?

Chambray Sundress

Today friends, I thought I would share the second of my two blue dresses which I bought specifically for my Greek holiday (the first one being here). As today itself has been shockingly sunny in London, it doesn't take much of a mental leap to imagine oneself wearing such a dress again in warm weather. Not that I *am* wearing it today. I'm *actually* wearing a maxi skirt... excuse me, I digress.

So. This particular denim-look dress spoke to me for two reasons: firstly the polka dot pattern. It must be evident by now to anyone who has read this blog that I am borderline obsessed with polka dots. Secondly, the classic sundress style, with the polka dots, is a nod to 50's pin up fashion which is another look I love. Take a peek yourself and let me know what you think!

This dress even has pockets! Perfection!

Catching some rays! Made me giddy!

I must admit that I don't often go into Forever 21, but this really is a habit I should try to break. In general, the lengths of their skirts and dresses are perfect for those ladies who, like myself, are vertically challenged. For that alone, Forever 21: I salute you.

My Outfit:

Dress: Forever 21

Wedges: Topshop

Necklace & Cuff: Urban Outfitters