My New Business | Dakota Collective

The past 6 months have been absoloutely crazy! If you follow me on social media, you'll be aware that I started my very own business, Dakota Collective. It's been a very busy 6 months but we're finally up and running and I couldn't be more excited about what's to come.

Dakota Collective is an online women's retailer and boutique based in my hometown, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. We currently stock some amazing brands such as Motel Rocks, AX Paris, 304 Women's Clothing, Neon Rose, Wolf and Whistle and more!

We also launched our own exclusive range of nightwear including a variety of sensuous satin designs such as night shirts and cami sets.

So, take a look for yourself at our range of dresses, tops, bodysuits, swimwear and more over at Dakota Collective! 

A Night In Jesmond

Last week I was lucky enough to spend an evening at The Rosebery Hotel in Jesmond. I've never ventured to Jesmond before so I was excited to see what it was like. Located 5 minutes from Newcastle city centre, it's known for its student accommodation scene and multi-million pound homes. Within the hustle and bustle of the city, is The Rosebery Hotel which was a peaceful haven.

Myself and John were welcomed by Janet who gave us a tour of the hotel, showing us the highlights. It was great to find out more about the hotel and see the rooms. Usually, I stay in budget hotels like Premier Inn etc where it's very boring so I was amazed when I saw that each room was different and had its own personal style. As well, each piece of furniture has its own story so I really felt as though the whole hotel was thought out carefully and made with love, which made me fall in love with it more!

We stayed in one of the downstairs suites and I think I gasped a little when I saw the size of the room!  There was so much detail and thought put into our room with nice little added touches everywhere. This room was a bloggers dream with marble furniture and pink everywhere! 

I felt as though I was at home away from home. Everything you could ever need was there - including an abundance of tea which made me very happy. I loved the dressing table which was stocked up with bubble bath which brings me on to talking about the amazing bathroom. The bath was huge and I felt like a princess lying in it, with bubbles filled right to the top. Probably the most relaxing bath I've had in a long time.

I loved the feature of having a breakfast table also. It meant we weren't rushed in the morning to get to breakfast in time and we had plenty to choose from. 

Unfortunately we didn't get to see too much of Jesmond as the weather wasn't great but we did visit Santana's just down the road from the hotel, which was recommended to us by Janet. I indulged in potato skins, meat-free carbonara and wine before heading back to the hotel for a relaxing night of TV, tea and a bubble bath.

I'd really recommend this hotel to anyone who needs an escape and a relaxing night or so, or to anyone who wants to visit Newcastle. The location is great, the staff are so welcoming and the design of the hotel is just so unique that you won't find it elsewhere. Thank you for our stay, Janet, we will be back soon!

Visit the website here: www.roseberyhotel.com for bookings and more information!

Jordan x 

CONTOURING ESSENTIALS | STYLESPICE

I feel as if in these days, everyone and their nan's contours their faces. There's an abundance of products available and loads of videos showing you how to do it so you're never far from seeing something contour related.

Here are my essentials for contouring whether you're a beginner or just want to expand your collection. 

Concealing: The first step of contouring is to conceal. You want to choose a colour a few shades lighter than your foundation. I love the Anastasia Beverly Hills Creme Contour Palette (light) and I use the lightest shade at the top left (most used of course) to conceal and brighten under my eyes, on the bridge of my nose, my cupids bow, chin and forehead. For something cheaper, I'll use my NYX HD concealer (shade 02). Both are very creamy and have great coverage.

Contouring: If I'm going out or want a stronger contour, I like to use the darkest shade from the ABH creme contour palette under my cheek bones, around my temples and hairline, down each side of the bridge of my nose, and on my jawline. A cheaper option is the Kiko contour stick. Unfortunately this product has been discontinued but there are many dupes out there. It's a lot quicker and easier to apply than the palette contour. It's great for travelling also.

Setting the contour: to set the concealer, I use the yellow shade from the ABH powder contour set as it brightens the area. I then use the bottom middle colour like a bronzer to set my dark contour. These powders add intensity and keep your makeup in place.

Highlighting: For everyday use, I love the Mary-Lou Manizer by thebalm because it's not too overpowering and it matches my skin colour. If I'm going out, I'll use this glow pot by Topshop as a base before applying Mary-Lou Manizer because it gives me that extra glow.

I hope this post has been useful for all you contour lovers out there! Let me know if you have any recommendations of products because I love to try out new things!

Jordan x 

DESIGNER SUMMER WISH LIST

As I rid my wardrobe's of jumpers, ready to get out all my Summer gear, I realised that I didn't have that much (I don't know how as I shop all the time??) so of course I have started scouring the internet for bits and pieces to buy for warmer days and my upcoming holiday to Spain. Here's my summer fashion wish list including affordable things and some not so affordable things which I'll never buy but a girl can dream right?? I'm loving prints and colours this summer including the pompom sandals which are a bloggers fave.

Chloé cotton voile dress
net-a-porter.com

Caroline Constas white stripes shirt
£340 - modaoperandi.com

TIBI loose fitting crop top
net-a-porter.com

Stella mccartney shorts
£370 - net-a-porter.com

Dolce&Gabbana multi colored shorts
net-a-porter.com

SHE MADE ME crochet bikini
£175 - net-a-porter.com

Aquazzura brown suede flat
net-a-porter.com

Mabu by Maria BK boho sandals
£130 - net-a-porter.com

Valentino orange handbag
net-a-porter.com

Gucci shoulder strap bag
net-a-porter.com

Self-portrait 2 tone sunglasses
£110 - net-a-porter.com

NYX Haul: First Impressions

NYX has been a popular brand amongst American Youtubers and Bloggers so when I heard that a concession was opening up in Boots, I was very excited. I love finding new brands and testing out their makeup. I was originally only going to pick up one of the Lingerie lipsticks but I ended up getting a few bits more - I couldn't resist. The prices were really good so it was hard not to buy more. Another great thing about NYX, is that it's cruelty free!! If you read my blog, you know I'm all about cruelty free beauty so I was really happy when I saw the words on the packaging.

The first and most exciting hyped up item I got was the Lingerie lipstick in the shade 'Corset'. I also got a matching lipliner which was in the shade 'Nude Suede Shoes'. I especially love the formulation of this lipstick because it's not as dry as a liquid lipstick but it's still matte. The colour is really neutral with a tint of mauve so it looks great with any makeup look. I can't wait to get more of these lipsticks because I really love them.

Next is the XXL Lush Lashes Mascara. There were so many mascaras to choose from at NYX but I ended up going for this one because I liked the brush. You can't really see but it's really chunky and has a ball shape at the end for your lower lashes. It's great for adding both volume and length.

The only thing I wasn't really impressed with was this HD Studio Finishing Powder. It's more like talc rather than a powder so as soon as you put it on your brush, it's so light that it flies away. I wanted to get this for baking my makeup but I can't get it to stay on a brush let alone my face. I wouldn't recommend this product.

Next is the HD concealer in the shade 02 - I usually get the lightest shade but it was out of stock and I really needed some concealer. This concealer is pretty good and application is easy which I like. I've found it great for covering up blemishes. It's good for lightening under the eyes but sometime's I find it's too dry to do that. I'd still recommend it for covering any blemishes.

Like the mascaras, there were a lot of brow products to choose from, too. I spent ages looking at them but I chose this 'Micro Brow Pencil' one in the end as it came with a spooly brush and it was nice and compact for travelling. I got this in the shade chocolate. I really enjoy this brow pencil even though I'm used to using powders or wax. It gives a nice natural brow which is good for a simple, daytime look.

Finally is this gorgeous eyeshadow in the shade 'Showgirl'. I don't know what possessed me to buy another copper eyeshadow as I already have hundreds, but I did. It's a really pigmented colour and it's great for a copper smoky eye. I can't say too much about it as it's just a simple eyeshadow, but I really love it and I'm excited to use it.

So that's what I bought from NYX. What do you think of their products?

Jordan x 

Urban Decay Alice In Wonderland Palette Review

Hi everyone, so today, as the title suggests, I'm reviewing the highly anticipated Alice In Wonderland Palette by Urban Decay. It's been sought after by makeup lovers everywhere for its unique design and bold colours - but is it as good as it's been made out to be?

So inside the mystical box is a mirror and an opening which reveals a butterfly - a nice touch but to be honest, I find it takes up a lot of space and would just prefer to open the doors to the eyeshadow. The makeup actually slides out the bottom and 20 pans are revealed. There's an eclectic range of colours to choose from: ranging from magenta to teal. There's a strong mix of matte and shimmer eyeshadows.

The palette comes with the signature Urban Decay double ended brush - one side for the crease and/or blending, and one for inner corners and highlighting under the brow. Both brushes have impressed me so far and the bristles are nice and soft.

Starting with the first half of the colours - these are the ones I've been wearing the least. However, I really love 'Lily' because you think it'll be a shimmery, white colour to highlight with but it's actually got pink undertones and it's quite nice to use in your inner corners. I was really disappointed with 'Dream On' because it looks so amazing and pigmented in the pan but as you can see by the swatch - it's not. I've also been using reflection and duchess which are a lot more pigmented when on the eye.

These are the colours I can talk about a lot more as I've been using them to death. I love orange's so 'Paradox' is a dream. There's also so many brown shades to choose from so I haven't been short of choices for my crease. My favourite colour out of this palette is 'Salazen Grum' which is a gorgeous pink/red toned shimmery eyeshadow. It's so gorgeous and pigmented on. I wear this shade most days and I like to pair it with either 'Royal Flush' or 'Lily' in my inner corners. 

I was going to get some snaps of some looks using this palette but my camera just isn't high quality enough for it so instead here's some looks I've found on Pinterest which you can recreate:

Overall I'd rate this palette a 9/10. I love the colours and the application. It's also good value for money considering you get 20 colours - more than usual from Urban Decay. However, the size of it is a little inconvenient as it doesn't fit in any sort of makeup bag and you have to carry it separately which is quite annoying.

The palette is currently sold out online but check your local Urban Decay for stock!

Thanks for reading, 

What do you think of this palette?

Jordan x 

Getting Back Into The Swing of Thing / Summer Plans

Hello lovelies,

I've been very MIA the past 2 months because I've had so much going on: moving house, starting a new job and exam season starting. I'm still in the midst of exams but I'm going to start posting again. Apart from all that hectic-ness, everything is going gooooood.

I feel like I haven't blogged for so long that I've actually forgotten how to blog so if anything doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. My exams officially finish the 24th June and I can't wait already. It'll be so nice to have nothing to do. If you're a reader of my blog, you'll know I'm not going to University so I'm currently trying to find a job/apprenticeship in digital marketing or PR for September. At the minute, I'm just working about 20 hours a week at a restaurant. So, that's my main aim for the Summer - to find a job.

I'm also still in hope that I'll be going to London to intern in July. Unfortunately, my previous internship cancelled on me last week and I've been sooooo down about it so hopefully I can find something else. Either way I still want to take a trip to London because it's my fave place. Me and my boyfriend try to go every year just so we can go to our favourite Chinese restaurant, Ping Pong. It's sooooo good.

Me and John are also going to my Grandparent's house in Spain in the Summer as well so that'll be a nice time to relax. Also, the area where she lives is a Chinese food heaven like there's a Chinese restaurant on every street (chinese food is my favourite, can you tell??).

That's pretty much my Summer summed up: work and go on holiday! I also want to get into blogging more since I'll have loads of free time so expect loads of posts and maybe some Youtube videos!!

Also keep an eye out for a new beauty post this Sunday.

Jordan x