Fit for Friday - From The Office To The Bar with T.M. Lewin

There’s no better feeling than that Friday feeling. You know the one I’m talking about, the feeling of freedom? The feeling of knowing you won’t be going to work for the next two days and you can do whatever you like? Yeah, that one. After a long week at work all I want to do is let my hair down. Who has time for going home and changing? Not me. It’s all about always being prepared for the unexpected, always carrying around a few accessories or makeup items that can take your outfit from the office to happy hour. But of course what you choose to wear is the most important thing, I mean, you are what you wear. At T.M. Lewin they have a wide selection of suits for both men and women, so wether you’re looking for a work outfit, something more casual to wear to dinner or even to a wedding, T.M. Lewin has you sorted. Here are a couple of my favourite suits from their range and how I would style them to take them from a boring, conservative day at work, straight to the bar.

MENS OFFICE LOOK

SUIT - T.M. Lewin Jackman Navy

SHIRT - T.M. Lewin Non-Iron White Twill Double Cuff Fitted Shirt

TIE - T.M. Lewin Burgundy Slim Silk Tie

CUFFLINKS - T.M. Lewin Burgundy Woven Round Cufflinks

WATCH - Emporio Armani

BELT - Hugo Boss Keep Leather Belt

SHOES - Kurt Geiger Ellesmere

MENS EVENING LOOK

TROUSERS - T.M. Lewin Jackman Navy Skinny Suit Trousers

SUNGLASSES - Ray-Ban 

CARDHOLDER - Burberry Bernie Leather Cardholder 

Personally I find there’s nothing sexier than a man in a suit, mainly a fitted suit. And just how gorgeous is this Jackman suit from T.M. Lewin? It looks incredibly smart and chic but also has a stylish/sexy vibe to it. For a day at the office wearing this suit with a fitted shirt, a gorgeous burgundy coloured tie to add a pop of colour, matching cufflinks, a smart watch, black belt and black shoes will really take the basic office look to another level, a level of style and confidence. To take this outfit from the office to the bar, I would most definitely get rid of the blazer, tie and cufflinks. Unbuttoning the shirt a little and rolling up the sleeves will make this otherwise smart outfit, a lot more relaxed. Now that summer is here and the sun stays out longer, sunglasses are a must, having a fun coloured pair will bring an element of fun and playfulness to the outfit. And since you’re probably going to be paying your cute co-worker a drink, you might as well have a good cardholder to put on show.

WOMEN'S OFFICE LOOK

SUIT - T.M. Lewin Albany Black Tri-Acetate

CAMI - Revolve Flume Cami

TWILLY - Hermes Millefleurs du Mexique

WATCH - Vivienne Westwood

HANDBAG - Kate Spade

LIPSTICK - MAC Blankety

SHOES - Gianvito Rossi Calabria Courts

WOMENS EVENING LOOK

TROUSERS - T.M. Lewin

NECKLACE - Topshop

LIPSTICK - MAC Lady Danger

CLUTCH BAG - Mulberry

SUNGLASSES - Dior

Making a suit work for women can sometimes be a tricky one, they can either look too manly or too revealing, but T.M. Lewin have absolutely nailed it when it comes to creating suits that are flattering on the female figure. I was torn between the Bellgrove Blue Wool suit and their Albany Black Tri-Acetate, but ended up choosing the latter. A black suit always offers effortless sophistication and I love that the trousers are rolled up. Instead of going for the standard shirt, why not go for a cami instead? The weather is getting warmer and there’s nothing worse than feeling constricted in a button-up shirt. But I understand that a cami can be a bit of a risk to wear to work, so to add that professional touch why not use a twilly? For makeup I would stick to a nude lipstick as it's easy to keep up during a busy day at work. And finally to bring the whole look together take a structured bag, a black manly watch (which I find extremely sexy) and a pair of killer heels. For after work cocktails, lose the twilly, lose the blazer, add a pop of colour to the lips with a bright red lipstick. Leave that big work bag in the office and switch to an evening clutch, add a necklace, put on a pair of sunnies and you’re ready to hit the bar.

How would you change your work outfit to make it appropriate for the evening?

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Lots of love, SFS.

GETTING THE GOLDEN GLOW WITH BONDI SANDS

If you also live in the UK you will know that the weather has been complete pants! Like seriously, two weeks of sun and now we’re back to grey miserable rainy days. It’s safe to say none of us will be getting a tan here anytime soon. I’m in desperate need of a getaway and my skin is crying for some colour, but seeing as my next holiday isn’t for another two months I thought I’d cheat and get myself a self-tanner. Now, the first thought that comes to mind when I think of self-tanners is a patchy-orange mess. I experienced this first hand a couple of years back when I was using a gradual self tanner... it wasn’t cute. However last year I started to look a bit more into self-tanners and what were the good ones on the market - St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse was a winner and it still is a firm favourite of mine! This year however, I wanted to try something from Bondi Sands. I’ve heard so much about the brand lately and everyone who has tried it has nothing but good things to say and I completely understand why.

I picked up Liquid Gold in Boots after seeing so many Instagram pictures and reviews about it. It has such a pleasant scent, it reminds me of sun cream and coconut mixed together, now doesn’t that sound yummy? None of that biscuit-y smell malarky. It’s also the perfect tan for the person on the go, it doesn’t need to be washed off and it develops throughout the day, so you can basically put this on, get dressed and leave the house. The first time I did this I was a bit worried thinking ‘oh no, am I going to get tan lines from my clothes?’ but I’m happy to report that I did not. Instead, I was left with the most gorgeous sun-kissed colour. It reminds me of the colour I go naturally on the first two/three days of holidays. 

The fact that it was a bronzing oil was quite bizarre to me, it all sounded very messy, but actually it has more of a dry-oil texture so it absorbs really quickly into the skin. When you squirt out the product it comes out a dark brown however there is no colour guide, so as soon as you start blending you can’t see where the product is going. The fact that there’s no colour guide can be quite tricky, but I find that if you keep blending and blending you’ll be less inclined to miss a spot or two. I’ve used this three times now and I can safely say I haven’t had a problem with streaking, the tan has always come out looking even. It’s very subtle, so if you’re new to self-tanning this will be a good one to start with. On me it lasts a good five days (depending on much I exfoliated during the week) before I have to reapply. I am yet to try layering this tan as I would love to see how dark it can go and if it can keep streak-free with two layers. I’ll report back!

What is your favourite tan?

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Lots of love, SFS.

My Top 5 Everyday Lipsticks

L to R - NARS Bahama, NARS Walkyrie, MAC Cosmo, MAC Whirl, Maybelline Nude Embrace.

It's been a while since I've been able to actually wear lipstick. My lips went through a very dry phase that no lip balm or lip scrub could fix. But after giving my poor lips a break and finally repurchasing the Nivea Lip Butter (which is a lip saver), my lips are finally smooth again. Since I recently posted about my current favourite nude lipstick combinations, I thought I would keep up with the lipstick theme and share with you five of my favourite lipsticks of the moment.

Whenever I fancy a bit of colour on the lips I'll either go for NARS Walkyrie Velvet Matte Lip Pencil or MAC Whirl. Walkyrie is a gorgeous burnt brick red shade that adds a pop of colour to your makeup without being too in your face. Although it's pigmented and deposits a very decent amount of colour to the lips, it's still very neutral. Whirl on the other hand is significantly darker, but still rather neutral with its chocolate hue. I don't think this is a colour everyone will like or suit, but personally I find it looks stunning with a simple eye, it really adds a sense of sophistication to the whole look. 

For those days where I have no inspiration and don't know what lipstick to wear, I'll either pick Cosmo by MAC or NARS Bahama. Cosmo has been a favourite of mine for the past three years. This is such an underrated colour, I believe it deserves a lot more hype. It's a pinky brown that adds the most stunning shade and sheen to the lips, requires no mirror and really brightens up the face. Bahama is a recent acquisition, I've only had it for a couple of months but it became one of my favourite shades after only using it once. It's the most beautiful rose-y brown with lavender undertones. The perfect Kylie Jenner lip. 

And last but not least, Maybelline Nude Embrace. Also a shade that was love at first sight. I use this more when I fancy going for a smokey eye as it compliments that look really well. It doesn't look like concealer on me and actually works with my skin tone. A real winner! 

What are your top 5 lipsticks?

New In My Skincare Stash

I am a self-proclaimed procrastinator, and no, I have no shame in that. I always put off doing something until the very last minute, or sometimes I won’t even do what I had planned to do... I’m working on it. So yes, I skip many things in life, but skipping moisturiser is definitely not one. For someone with dry skin it’s of the upmost importance that some sort of cream is used every single day, I mean hello, I’m trying to avoid wrinkles here.

I first heard of Caudalie, and I’m sure most of you did too, thanks to the hype around their Beauty Elixir, like seriously, everyone kept banging on about it and rightfully so. It’s one of my all-time favourite products and something I will happily repurchase time and time again. The Beauty Elixir sparked my interest in the brand and I tried a few more bits from them, mainly from the Vinosource range. I bought their Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum - which I highly recommend and it came in a set with their Grape Water and a mini version of the Moisturizing Sorbet. Bearing in mind that the set cost the same as the serum on its own and I loved every product that came in it, I kept repurchasing the set and was always gutted every time I squeezed out the last of the Moisturizing Sorbet.

I recently finished my Dior Hydra-Life Sorbet Creme and seeing as I have repurchased it three times already, I thought I’d go for something else this time. I finally picked up the full size Moisturizing Sorbet by Caudalie. It’s definitely the perfect moisturiser for the warmer months, it packs a punch in the hydration department which I most definitely need, but also sinks into the skin really quickly so it doesn’t leave that tacky feeling behind which can be rather uncomfortable in warm weather. The product is housed in a squeeze tube which is perfect for lugging around in your handbag and for travelling as you won’t have to worry about it breaking. 

One moisturiser is clearly not enough when you need moisturise as much as I do, and after reading so many great reviews on the new Lancôme Énergie De Vie Liquid Moisturiser, I went ahead and bought that too. Now this was quite an ‘out of the box' purchase for me and something I would never usually go for because liquid + moisturiser doesn’t sound really good to someone with dry skin. But after researching a bit more about it and how it’s meant to add glow and loads of hydration, I took the plunge and I'm so glad I did. It’s perfect for days where I just feel a bit ‘meh’ and my skin is looking dull and lacklustre, this instantly makes me look more awake and like I’ve had a good 8h sleep. It has a serum-like texture and leaves the skin a bit tacky so it’s perfect to wear under makeup. It also feels really refreshing making it an absolute pleasure to use first thing in the morning. 

What’s new in your skincare stash?

Nude Lips - My Favourite Products

MAC Spice Lip Liner & Honeylove Lipstick

MAC Nice 'N' Spicy Lip Liner & Blankety Lipstick

MAC Stripdown Lip Liner & Maybelline Nude Embrace

MAC Stripdown Lip Liner & ABH Liquid Lipstick in Stripped

MAC Spice Liner Liner & Tom Ford Nude Vanille

Finding the perfect nude lip can be an arduous job, there are so many lipsticks to choose from and so many reviews that it’s slightly overwhelming when it comes to selecting what will suit you best. There are many things we must take into consideration when it comes to buying nude lipsticks, the finish, the undertone, the colour itself and of course, the price point. High-end or drugstore? Pink undertone or beige undertone? Matte or glossy? The decision making process is endless, because let’s face it, picking the perfect nude can be quite hard especially for someone like me who has naturally dark lips and olive skin. I’ve always found it difficult to pull off nude lips due to my olive complexion, however I’ve been experimenting a bit with lip liners and found that even though a lipstick may be somewhat off for my skin tone, adding a warmer lip pencil underneath can completely change the finally look.

I blame Charlotte Crosby’s makeup artist for starting my whole nude lips obsession. I mean, Charlotte always looks flawless in her selfies on Instagram, so of course I wanted to know what lip colour she was wearing and turns out most times she’s wearing MAC Spice lip liner with Honeylove lipstick on top. This has become my signature go-to lip combination. Honeylove on its own doesn’t look too great against my olive skin, it kind of washes me out, but using it in conjunction with Spice lip liner which has a warm undertone makes it the perfect shade.

Although Spice lip liner and Honeylove are my signature nude lip combo, I like to juggle between other shades. MAC Stripdown and Nice ’N ’Spicy lip liners are also the perfect accompaniment to some of my ‘concealer-type’ lipsticks. Stripdown leans more towards the brown side which I absolutely love, I’m really into the brown-nudes at the moment, aren’t we all? Nice ’N’ Spicy is a funny one because it’s actually really similar to Spice, they’re both a cinnamon kind of colour, however Spice is more orange and Nice ’N’ Spicy has more red in it. On top of these lip liners I’ll always be wearing one of these lipsticks; Tom Ford Nude Vanille - which will never suit me unless I’m wearing a darker lip liner, Maybelline Creamy Mattes in Nude Embrace - the most gorgeous ashy-beige, MAC Blankety - this will always be one of my all-time favourites from MAC, it’s a stunning beige with a hint of pink, and lastly Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Stripped - read more about it here. There are other lip pencils and nude lipsticks that I also love, but these are definitely the ones I reach for the most. 

What is your favourite nude lipstick combination?

Products I Reach For Everyday

I want you to raise your hand if you have more makeup than you really need *waves hand in the air*. Us beauty addicts all have this weird obsession with buying more and more makeup, and let’s be honest, who actually uses everything in their makeup stash? Not me. I wouldn’t say I have an enormous makeup collection, but I definitely have more, a lot more, than I need. But you see, the good thing with having too much makeup is that you can tell what products you really love, because in the middle of all the amazing things you own, there are a couple of products you always reach for. It’s not everyday that I wear makeup, but if I’m ever wearing anything on my face, I can guarantee you that these following products have been used. 

I like starting with my eyes so the first thing I use when putting on my makeup is the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Creme De Nude. It’s the perfect base for any eyeshadow look. It stops my eyeshadow from creasing and helps it stay on longer. Some days when I don’t feel like wearing makeup but my eyelids are looking a little red, I’ll dab a bit of this on to even out any discolouration. After priming my eyelids, I move on to my crease. Makeup Geek eyeshadows are beyond incredible, if you haven’t tried any, trust me, you’re missing out. Everyday without fail I use Peach Smoothie and Creme Brûlée, they’re the perfect transition shades and help any darker crease colours blend out like butter. I’m also a huge fan of Cocoa Bear, but it leans more towards the red side and that doesn’t always compliment every makeup look.

I’m not sure I’ve mentioned this on here before, but I have massive under eye bags, I inherited them from my mum, cheers mum. Although I must say that they’ve become less noticeable over the years, they were a lot worse when I was a teenager but it’s still something I feel very self conscious about. Colour correcting has become a huge thing lately, and thank goodness for that! I discovered the Illamasqua Cream Pigment in the shade Emerge thanks to the beautiful Kaushal and wow does it make a difference! It’s an orange/salmon shade that completely erases any darkness underneath the eyes. I couldn’t recommend it more, in fact if you’re planning on buying anything I mention in this post, this should be it. I’ve tried the Becca colour corrector and it doesn’t even come close. 

After applying my foundation and concealer I always like to set using the Soap & Glory Kick Ass powder. I’ve dedicated a whole post to it here if you want more information, but it’s basically perfect skin in powder form. It gets rid of any shine, prevents creasing and pretty much makes you look flawless in pictures. Last but not least I move on to my brows and I’ve been completely obsessed with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in the shade Taupe. Initially I thought this would be too light on my brows, but it gives them a natural look, not too orange or brown, it’s quite ashy which I love. The cream sets the brow hairs into place so I don’t even need to use a setting gel. Very impressed.

What products do you use everyday?

Burberry Makeup Haul

The most dangerous thing a beauty addict can do is browse online shopping websites at ridiculous o’clock in the evening without any form of supervision. I can’t tell you how many Charlotte Tilbury products I put in my shopping bag last night. Fortunately I still have my rent to pay this month so I refrained. I have been eyeing Burberry makeup for such a long time, so this time instead of just eyeing the makeup, I went ahead and placed an order. My self restraint can only take so much.

I’ve heard many great things about their bases and since the warm weather is finally here I thought it would be appropriate to order their Fresh Glow BB Cream. The product is housed in a plastic tube which is great because you don’t have to worry about dropping it, and also comes with a pump making it mess free and really practical to travel with. The formula itself is quite thick and leaves behind the healthiest glow which still peeks through after powdering the skin. This offers a light coverage which can be built up to a light-medium but no more than that. Personally I don’t think this would be suitable for people with oily skin as it can leave a thick-tacky feeling on the face. The only downside is the colour range, there are only three shades; light, medium and dark. I use the medium shade and I am currently at my palest. 

Red lips are something that will never go out of fashion. You could wear jeans with a white t-shirt, slap on a red lipstick and immediately an outfit that is so casual transforms into something a lot more sophisticated. So of course I couldn’t resist their Lip Velvet in Bright Poppy. It’s a matte formula that feels extremely comfortable on the lips, but this means that it doesn’t last as long as other more-drying formulas. I’ll let you in on a secret, it’s almost the exact same colour as the Rimmel 107 but in fancier packaging. Speaking of, the packaging is so luxurious. It has the logo embossed on the actual product, the signature checks on the exterior and has a magnetic closure. Swoon. 

Burberry Kisses in Blush (n77) is my current obsession. It hasn’t left my handbag since I got it. It’s a dark rose which comes out quite sheer on first application but can be built up to a more opaque colour. On me it’s almost like my own lip colour, so it wears off beautifully. The formula is one of the best I have yet tried. It doesn’t settle into any lip lines and feels extremely moisturising to the point where you almost forget you’re wearing lipstick. 

Last but not least I got one of their eyeshadows. I went for Midnight Brown; a shimmery mushroom-y brown shade. It looks quite dark in the pan but is very buildable on the lid. I have yet to try it with a primer underneath, but on its own I found that the majority of the colour fades throughout the day. The eyeshadow itself feels really silky to touch and is easily blended. It’s a great option for an everyday smokey eye where it looks like you tried but only took you a minute to do. I’m already coveting their Lip Mist in Nude Peach and their Light glow Tangerine blush. Someone hold me back!

Have you tried anything from the brand?

Barry M Tiki Hut - The Nude Obsession Continues

Whenever anyone asks me what nail polish brand I recommend, I always say Barry M. Barry M are most definitely my favourite nail polish brand. They have an amazing selection of colours and formulas to chose from, my favourites so far being the Gelly Hi-Shine and the Speedy Quick Dry. They’ve recently launched a new addition to their nail range, the Coconut Infusion formula. It’s meant to offer a glossy finish while coconut water and coconut oil help to hydrate the nails. 

As far as the hydration goes I can’t really attest to much, because frankly I don’t know how one would test if a nail polish is actually moisturising the nails, but longevity and colour pay off, as usual from Barry M, is amazing! I’ve been searching high and low for a nude-brown shade, but could never find the right mix of brown and nude. The ones I found were either too nude or too dark, however I popped into Boots the other day and found Tiki Hut from the Coconut Infusion range and I could hear angelic music being played in the background. It was exactly what I was looking for! It looks so sophisticated on the nails while still looking playful and not too mature - it's always tricky with browns. The nail polish itself actually has a faint smell of coconut and comes with a round ended brush that makes application a whole lot neater. So far I’ve had this on my nails for three days and there’s still no sign of chipping, so I think I’m on to a winner. It’s safe to say that the Coconut Infusion range is fast becoming one of my favourites from the brand and I’m buzzing to try more shades. 

Are there any you recommend?

Nars Ondine

As much as I love a blue or green smokey eye in the evenings, I like to keep it pretty safe during the day. I have two looks I always gravitate towards; a gold all over the lid with a red-brown in the crease or a simple matte eye with liner and loads of mascara. In 2013 I was completely obsessed with Nars Ondine eyeshadow and wore it non-stop throughout the whole of autumn and winter that year, but as soon as the warm weather kicked in, I tossed it to the back of my makeup stash. 

Lately I've been trying to clear my makeup drawers of things I no longer use and came across this gem again. To be completely honest it's pretty similar to MAC Satin Taupe. I like to describe it as a mushroom-y mauve with gold shimmer. It's really buttery which makes it super easy to blend and as you'd expect from Nars, it's very pigmented. I've been wearing this again and I honestly don't understand how I stayed without it for so long. It's such an easy shade to throw on and it's really versatile. Sometimes I'll wear it on its own with a bit of mascara and other times I'll go all out and add a brown in the crease, a cat eye flick and tons of mascara.

And let's all ignore the fact that I've had this for three years LOOL Should probably get a new one but as long as it doesn't smell funny or feel weird, I'm gonna keep using it. Please don't judge!

Do you have a favourite eyeshadow?

Blushbaby

As a girl I think it’s safe to say that we all dream of finding our perfect makeup. Whether it’s an eyeshadow, foundation, blush, lipstick, I’m sure we all dream of finding the product that we can count on at all times no matter what the occasion is. The dream came true for me when I found Blushbaby by MAC. I was initially sold on it thanks to the name, how cute is it? The colour goes with absolutely everything. Bold lips? Yes. Smokey eyes? Definitely. No makeup, makeup? Tick. You name it, no matter what look you want to sport this blush will add that special something to the face without stealing the show.

It’s a sheer tone blush so you can build it up to the intensity you want without it ever looking over the top. It might not look too appealing in the pan as it’s really subtle compared to all the other amazing shades MAC have to offer, but it’s stunning on the cheeks. It’s a sheer pinky-brown which works well for me with or without a tan. If you have darker skin it might not show up as well on you skin due to its sheerness, but if you have an olive complexion or if you lean more towards the paler side I’m pretty sure you’ll love this.

What's your go-to blush?