JORDAN DAKOTA: November 2014

Wednesday 26 November 2014

FANTASTIC FAUX ❅

Faux fur is what it's all about this winter. If you're not wearing it already, then you should be. Who can resist a cuddly coat when it's minus 100 degrees outside or a fluffy accessory to glitz up your evening wear? Faux fur is the perfect way to add glamour and warmth to any outfit. Here's 4 fab ways to wear faux fur this winter (well wasn't that a tongue twister):

The Classic Faux Fur Coat

Starting off with the most obvious and popular of the four-a big, warm, cosy coat. Not only do these coats keep you lovely and toast on a cold day, they add class and elegance immediately. Pair with a some jeans and boots because who said being warm has to look unfashionable?

Boohoo £40

Missguided £49.99

H&M £49.99

The Fluffed Heel

Are these the most adorable shoes or what? I love the accent of the fur on the straps of these heels, they add a little je ne sais quoi. They really remind me of Playboy bunnies somehow too-in a good way of course! Plain strappy heels don't have to be so plain anymore so add some fluff to your foot to stand out from the crowd.

Topshop £58

Linzi £30

Public Desire £27.99

The LFD (Little Fluffy Dress)

Perfect for any night out, these winter wonderland dresses are stunning. The faux fur is positioned to flatter any figure and is sure to make a statement. Since being spotted on Victoria Beckham, the faux fur trim is coming in and selling out fast so get your hands on one quick!

Lavish Alice £48

Topshop £40

Topshop £55

The Finishing Furs

Finally, what is an outfit without accessories? Add some sparkle to your outfit without glitter and sequins, and add faux fur instead. It can literally be used as any accessory: from scarves, to head bands to keychains; the possibilities are endless.

River Island £25

Dorothy Perkins £7

LYDC £4

How are you going to wear faux fur this Winter?

Jordan x

TUTORIAL: Winter Date Night Makeup ❄

Hi everyone! In my Edinburgh travels post, I included a picture of my makeup that I'd wore to go out whilst I was there. I received so many compliments on it so I thought I'd do a tutorial of how I created the look. It featured a bronzed smoky eye and a deep, red lipstick. I absolutely love this look. I feel so confident when my makeup's like this because it's so bold and ahhh I just love it! Anyways, enough rambling, here's the look:

Face/Base

1) First, I apply this Smashbox primer all over my face so my makeup will last throughout the night.

2) I then use my Real Techniques foundation brush to apply Tom Ford's traceless perfecting foundation. This foundation is so amazing. It has amazing coverage and feels fab on my skin. It's quite pricey though so it only makes an appearance on special occasions.

3) I finish off my base makeup by using a Sephora powder brush to sweep this Dior powder all over my face.

Contour

1) I apply a Collection concealer in a v shape under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose and on any blemishes and blend it in with my Real Techniques foundation brush. Doing this brightens the skin in duller areas and works like a highlighter.

2) Then, I apply Benefit's hoola with a Sephora angled brush under my cheek bones. I blend it out with a Real Techniques blusher brush so the line isn't as harsh and unnatural. Hoola is a really good bronzer to use if you want a natural, bronzed look on your cheeks (well under).

3) I apply Benefit's high beam on top of my cheek bones and blend just using my finger.

4) To finish contouring, I use Benefit's high brow under my eyebrows to give my brows a lifted and arched effect.

Eyes

1) Using the Naked 2 Pallette by Urban Decay, I pat the shade 'Suspect' all over my lids using the flat end of the Naked 2 brush.

2) Next, I apply the shade 'Snakebite' in the creases and outsides of my lids using the fluffier side of the Naked 2 brush.

3) The, using a small eyeshadow brush, I take the shade 'Busted' and do an angled flick/line from the outer corner of my eyes in the direction of my outer brow. Then I curve it round into the crease of my lid, taking it about halfway in.

4) I apply 'Booty Call' in the inner corners of my eyes also to brighten them up a bit.

5) BLEND! I use a Real Techniques eyeshadow blending brush. Make sure you blend thoroughly. Unblended eyeshadow is not a good look.

5) I apply Rimmel's scandal eyes pen liner on my top lid and just a pencil liner under my eyes, going about half way in. I also use the blending brush to blend the pencil eyeliner.

6) I apply lots of Rimmel's scandal eyes mascara on both my top and bottom lashes. I blink into the mascara brush to give my lashes extra thickness and length.

7) I colour my brows in using a Topshop brow pencil and give them a brush to shape them.

Finishing Touches

1) I use Diva by Mac all over my lips. I love this lipstick. It adds to the dark eyes and it's a gorgeous shade for winter.

2) Finally, I set my makeup by using Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray to help my makeup stay on even longer.

I hope you've all enjoyed this tutorial! If you want to see any makeup looks, let me know in the comments below! Also, if you've recreated this look, upload a picture and tag me in it-

Twitter: @jordandnixon

Instagram: @jordandakotaa

Jordan x

BRANDS: Marcolin Eyewear & Sukishufu

Hi everyone! To make up for a lack of posting recently, I have not one but two brands to introduce to you all today.

Marcolin Eyewear house one of the largest eyewear collections. Ranging from Balenciaga to Dsquared2, Marcolin offer chic, classic eyewear to fit every season. Add a touch of glamour to your look this winter with sunglasses featuring Swarovski crystals or add class and elegance with a pair of cat-eyed glasses. Marcolin offer many products suitable for anyone who wants their eyewear to stand out from the crowd.

SukiShufu provide bold and attractive yet practical activewear perfect for every activity. The designs are built to be flexible, resistant and breathable - essential for a busy, active lifestyle. The possibilities are endless with this brand as the clothing is great for leisure, teaching and workwear. The eccentric designs add a touch of fun to your wardrobe too. Alongside all those amazing features, the smart designs hold shape and have built in SPF 50 UV protection - perfect for those runs in the sun or yoga in the park. SukiShufu also source ethically and environmentally so you know that when you're buying these products, that you're buying good quality and fairly sourced materials.

Jordan x

Christmas Gift Guide: 20 Secret Santa Gifts Under £20

Hi everyone! There's only 6 more Monday's until Christmas, how exciting is that?! I absolutely love Christmas, but on the other hand, hate Christmas shopping. I always struggle to find the perfect gifts for my friends and family, especially when partaking in a Secret Santa. It can be tough doing this especially on a set budget. So, here are 20 fabulous gifts to give if you're a Secret Santa!

1) Nivea Set - Boots - £15

2) Ted Baker Polish Set - Boots - £14

3) Starbucks Mug & Milk Coins - Boots - £8

4) Soap & Glory Set - Boots - £10

5) Popcorn - Next - £10

6) Socks - Topshop - £3.50

7) Zoella Body Mist - Superdrug - £8

8) Benefit Set - John Lewis - £17.55

9) Nars Polish - Liberty - £15

10) Mac Lipstick - John Lewis - £13.95

1) Hip Flask - Urban Outfitters - £12

2) Hand Warmers - M&S - £15

3) It by Alexa Chung - Urban Outfitters - £16.99

4) Makeup Bag - Cath Kidston- £12

5) Purse - River Island - £10

6) Phone Case - River Island - £8

7) Earring Set - Miss Selfridge - £4.55

8) Chocolate - Thorntons - £15

9) Versace x Disaronno - DrinkSupermarket - £18.99

10) Yankee Candle - Debenhams - £13.99

Let me know what gifts you'll be giving as a Secret Santa in the comments below!

I'm also thinking of doing a Q&A soon too, so if you have any questions for me, also let me know in the comments.

Jordan x

The Body Shop Makeup Haul and Review

As of last week, I officially work for The Body Shop! I'm so thrilled to have escaped from my previous job and into something I'm really going to enjoy and have fun with. As an employee for The Body Shop, it's my job to try sell products and there's no better way to sell them than to use the products myself and give personal recommendations and advice. Luckily for me, I got given five free makeup products of choice to promote it, which I have to wear in store, so I picked these five gorgeous items and seriously, they're amazing! I've never tried any makeup from the store before and I'd been dying to so this was a great opportunity to sample the products and see how they worked on me.

As usual, I will leave a link to products below the images so you can find them easily!

First, I chose a foundation because, well, you can't really go wrong with a foundation. I got the moisture foundation with SPF 15 in the shade 03. Now you're thinking "Jordan, a shade 3?!?! You're so pale, though!" and that's perfectly true, but there isn't actually a shade 01 and the 3 is lighter than the 2 which makes no sense whatsoever! However, it's a lovely foundation. It feels weightless on my skin, it isn't sticky, it gives enough coverage for me and it moisturises and rehydrates my skin with every wear.

£13 - buy here

Also in the face category, I chose a bronzer. I really do love bronzer and now I couldn't live without it. For me, it frames my face and gives it shape and depth, rather than just looking like a plain Jane. I chose the matte bronzing powder in the shade 02 which is just right for my light skin tone. It gives a natural look but can be built up to give a more dramatic look.

£13 - buy here

Moving on to eyes, the MUA picked out this beautiful quad eyeshadow palette for me because it was quite similar to the colours from the Naked palette I was wearing. I like to keep a neutral look through the day so this one was great. This set is called 'Shimmer Cubes Palette 30 Spring Bronze' which contains 4 neutral shades with a touch of bronze, shimmer and gold to give a warm, romantic look. *note, I did swatch these but the colours wouldn't show up on my camera due to the rubbish quality and lighting in my room

£16 - buy here (palette 30)

Next, I wasn't really sure what to get but then I spotted this eyeliner. It reminded me of the Benefit Push-up Liner because of the gel liquid and the angled brush which I really liked so I just went for it...it's amazing...seriously, everyone should get this eyeliner! It goes on so flawlessly and it's super easy to apply (this is a must for me because I'm not the greatest at creating an even eyeliner look). This one's the smoky 2 in 1 gel liner in black. It's my favourite piece out of the 5 because it's so pigmented and I really like the cute little brush!

£10 - buy here

Last but not least, is this nude lipstick in the shade 220. It looks quite brown and not very nice in the picture but it goes on as a soft nude. I like to blend it out so it isn't too harsh as I don't really suit lipstick unless it's Mac's Diva (don't ask why because I really don't know). I never really get lipsticks but I had to wear one as part of my uniform so I just chose a subtle one that wouldn't look too silly on me. I actually really like these lipsticks because they moisturise my lips which is essential in this harsh weather.

£10 - buy here (shade 220)

So there we have it, my 5 lovely new makeup products courtesy of The Body Shop.

If you liked this post, please do let me know in the comments (along with any other comments or requests for posts) and follow me on Bloglovin (link below) where you can keep up to date with my posts.

Jordan x

5 Festive Party Outfits for Under £150

The festive season quickly approaching, which means party season is also quickly approaching. Budget's will most likely be tight after doing a lot of spending on gifts so you'll probably be panicking because you need to find something to wear but don't have hundreds to splash out on a designer outfit. I feel your pain girls' so here are 5 gorgeous party outfits for under £150 so you can look £1 million but not break the bank.

Everything is linked so you can quickly and easily browse and buy!