Clarins Colour Accents Face and Blush Powder AW12

Clarins 'Colour Accents' Face and Blush Powder - AW12 - Released at the end of August, price to be confirmed.

The Clarins Colour Accents powder is a a matte, soft, finely milled powder that, to me, sits more in the bronzer capacity than a face powder or blush. Housed in a beautiful, mirrored gold compact with a large mirror, it is one of my go-to cheek products at the moment.

Featuring four shades in neutral bronze and pink tones, I can see my Colour Accents powder becoming a firm bronzing product throughout the summer. I tend to swirl my brush around all of the shades as it would be nearly impossible to pick out a particular shade! Having said that (and I don't know if I'm just super wary of bronzers), it is highly pigmented and if applied with a slightly heavier hand, I can see this feeling quite muddy and cakey on the skin.

A tiny product goes a long way: I'm currently using it with my Japonesque powder brush and it picks up so much product that I often feel like I'm wasting a lot by tapping off the excess (granted, I do this on top of the product...!). It is definitely a buildable cheek colour and would be well suited to those with light to medium skintones. For reference, I have a light olive complexion with yellowy undertones. ♥

quiescent

Cream fan-stitch knit jumper, Unnamed boutique in Hong Kong; Skirt, Zara; Globe necklace, c/o Ever Ours; Navy ankle socks with gold stars, Topshop; 'Aggie' boots, ASOS.

Quiescent (n.) [kwee-es-uhnt] :- a quiet, soft-spoken soul.

Just chillin' in a jumper in June, don't mind me.

This is just something super simple that I'm wearing today. It's all about the three-day week! I'm going shopping in London today with my Mama and sister, for my sister's prom dress, which should be fun. Feels like I haven't been shopping IRL in absolutely ages. Anyway, I can't believe I'm still picking out jumpers from my my sister's wardrobe when the Midsummer has already passed! England, it's been a poor effort from you this year from most dimensions. *cough* The Euro 2012 *cough*

Trying out ankle socks with my ASOS boots today as well. I think it adds just about enough interest to the outfit without looking too try-hard, so I'm happy with that so far! I also dug out this little globe necklace from my jewellery bowl, in testament of my overwhelming wanderlust at the moment. Take me awayyy.

Hope everyone is doing well, I'm currently suffering majorly with hayfever and busy working away at Aesthetic magazine ready for your eyes only. ♥

pretending to pretend

Grey mesh vest, c/o Something Else at Glass Boutique; Floral bra, Intimissimi; Black cord-esque leggings/trousers, River Island; Flatforms, H&M; Rose print scarf, London Fashion Weekend; Pumpkin carriage necklace, c/o Ever Ours; Mulberry Alexa in Petticoat White.

Spied this scarf hanging in my sister's wardrobe and decided I 'had' to wear it today. I picked it up at London Fashion Weekend - the public shopping event after LFW - a few seasons ago and ended up gifting it my sister but I'm forever stealing it when I feel particularly drawn to dressing up in a Disney or Alice-in-Wonderland style. Paired it with my pumpkin carriage necklace by Ever Ours, my favourite beyond favourite River Island soft cord-esque trousers, flatforms and a surprisingly flattering vest from Something Else.

Thank you for all of your well wishes and lovely comments on yesterday's post, girls! I feel like I never say it enough but I'm so grateful to have such amazing readers, your comments really do put a smile on my face. My first day went really well on Monday, although my working hours are super short so it feels really weird to be home by 5pm! In case you were wondering, I am now working in-house at a jewellery company based in London, looking after their editorial and social media outreach. I'm still taking my baby steps with it all, so fingers crossed things work out.

Finally, I'm even more excited to share that I'm now an online contributor to Style It Light, the new fashion platform created by Diet Coke and Look, Marie Claire and InStyle magazines. You can read my first contribution here! It's full of content from the fashion editors and teams over at the mags, but I'll also be sharing some online content on there every so often. It's all come about due to the fact that you guys got me shortlisted for a Marie Claire Blog Award way back in January. Seriously girls, you've made my year so, so nice. ♥

exceeds expectations

White burn-out tee with angel wing, Urban Outfitters; 'Olivia' ditsy print silk peg leg trousers, Boohoo.com; 'Aggie' black suede boots, ASOS; Necklace, A-little-boutique-at-home-that-I-used-to-work-for; Olive green and taupe leather bucket bag, Topshop.

Today is my first day in a new role! I'm cheating slightly with my power outfit though, as I wore this last Wednesday but didn't quite find the time to photograph it, and then I spilt coffee down my shirt on the way home. We'll file that entire escapade under #fashionbloggerproblems(!) Nevertheless, I did wear this last week and whipped both pieces straight out of the laundry for today. My look takes inspiration from Olivia Palermo and the senior fashion assistant that I worked 'under' at InStyle: pyjama style trousers, boots and a slouchy top.

Exceeding all expectations with my third floral outfit in a week. Always the way, isn't it? Insisting one thing and then suddenly everything proceeds to fight against your words. But again, this floral is completely different from the others I've mentioned: a dainty white cherry blossom against navy blue, I'm in love with these trousers. Yep. Trousers. Those scary two-legged things that I once swore I'd never wear. Currently enjoying wearing them with my faithful ASOS Aggie boots and a white burn-out tee, although a tailored blouse would be pretty too, or a denim shirt and black ribbed knit.

How are you girls, anyway? This month has been absolutely manic and I've been adjusting to the Real World as opposed to the Student Bubble. Please feel free to link me to your recent blog posts as I'd love to catch up with you all properly! ♥

a (fulfilling) week in photos

Follow me on Instagram at 'winyeemichelle' for more daily photos.

Percy Piglets · Poring over beautiful catwalk looks for issue two of Aesthetic · An exciting delivery, review and style challenge coming soon! · Last day in the fashion cupboard brought lots of laughs with Yilmaz - holla vocab challenge · My June Glossybox arrived! · An old photograph of Daddy and I · Last day lunch break pose-a-thon · The best part of any magazine internship · 河粉 (flat rice noodles) in chicken broth with spring onion and an egg - ideal! · An interesting horoscope.

All finished with my internship at InStyle now, and feeling optimistic about new beginnings. I'm hoping that next week will give me a chance to snap away with my camera as opposed to my phone: spending the majority of my time in a fashion cupboard drooling over pre-release clothes and luxury leather means that I'm quite restricted with what I can share!

This week I've been experimenting a little more with my personal style. The fashion team at InStyle have some amazing style which has rubbed off a little on me! I'm all but ready to give up on shorts, skirts and flats at the moment. I wore one of my favourite outfits on Wednesday, but didn't quite get a chance to photograph the look (and I spilt coffee down the shirt...!) so I'll probably photograph it when I next wear the outfit. Instead on Wednesday, I posted a little Ways to Wear installment focusing on neons and brights for the 'summer'. I've also been writing and subbing copy for the next issue of Aesthetic Magazine!

In other news, I'm currently floating on Cloud Nine - on Thursday I received my provisional dissertation result and only went and nabbed a First! I've been celebrating with a weekend of spring-cleaning and playing around with the bag of beauty goodies that InStyle gifted me with on Friday - I guess there are a few perks to unpaid work! How have you been spending the weekend? ♥

- this week in five:

• Enjoying new blog discoveries such as Olive My Love and Love for Schoolgirl.
• #F6D4C5
• Adding inspiration photos to my Tumblr (I also have Pinterest!).
• Reaching new levels of poor.
• Missing my Southampton housemates.

Accessorize 'Enchanted'

"A sweet fruity floral accord, consisting of ripe raspberries, candyfloss, soft jasmine, violet and rose, with supporting notes of subtle chocolate musk, vanilla and sandalwood."

Enchanted, £15, c/o Accessorize Beauty.

Ever since I posted a photo of my Enchanted by Accessorize Eau de Toilette in a Week in Photos post, I've been meaning to write a review of sorts about it. I recently went to see Accessorize's newest beauty offerings and fell in love with most of their new collection, and this perfume is top of my pickings.

Enchanted - as well as being the name of one of my favourite Taylor Swift songs(!!) - is a light, summery, slightly musky scent that I've worn religiously for almost a month. The notes of the scent as described to the right can sound a little much but I absolutely love it. The finishing scent(?!) isn't as rich or full as a more expensive scent but I can live with that. The bottle is a sturdy square glass bottle with an expensive looking cap, and Accessorize's signature butterfly design.

It reminds me a little of a Britney Spears perfume that I used to own, and feels a little nostalgic too. I'm not sure that Enchanted is to everyone's taste, but I personally adore it, even though its' longetivity leaves a lot to be desired. It's also very easy to overdo it with this scent, so I tend to spritz it once or twice in the morning, and top up as necessary. ♥

Enchanted retails for £15 and is available from Accessorize and Superdrug.

Jolie-Birthday-Box

JolieBox June 2012 x OCH Studio c/o JolieBox.

This month marks the year anniversary of JolieBox, a beauty sampling subscription service. Along with their one-year landmark, Joliebox are also beginning to roll out their box customisation, which is something I believe no other beauty sampling service has successfully managed yet! Needless to say, seeing my limited edition Och Studio design Joliebox pop through the door in the middle of my working week was the perfect pick-me-up.

June's 'Menu' included an Elysambre lipstick sample - weirdest packaging that I'm not a fan of but this can live in my handbag; a Yon-ka protective and vitalising moisturiser - this is a customised item for each box and is really light to the touch, will be giving this a proper test run this weekend; a L'Occitane cream - can't quite decide how I feel about two moisturisers in a box, but I'm already in love with this one; an Institut Esthederm face and body bronzing spray - seriously intrigued by this; and finally, a Joliebox nail file.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with my JolieBox this month. The limited edition packaging is really sweet and I will definitely be using all of my samples as they're all products I dither over buying. If you'd like a full review of any of these products, be sure to let me know as I'd love to pop a few up! This month's boxes can still be purchased on the Joliebox website here, via a subscription, until the end of the week.

Stay tuned for part two of my June beauty box extravaganza; I've just cracked open another winning Glossybox and can't wait to share my goodies with you lovely ladies! ♥

raconteur

Black and white playsuit, H&M; Leggings, H&M; Crochet knit kimono, Topshop; Moccasins, Topshop.

Raconteur (n.) [rak-uhn-tur; Fr.] :- one who excels in story-telling.

So there I was on Monday, musing over my lost penchant for florals, and today I'm back in florals, in one of those garments I bought many moons ago. It must've been sitting on my mind. Wearing something casual, comfy and even a bit 'boho' today, as the fashion cupboard is more akin to a greenhouse of clothes than a swish Devil Wears Prada scene. Read: seriously hot. My crochet knit kimono has been whipped straight back out of my wardrobe and back onto me and every outfit that I can justify wearing it with, I know it drowns me and to some it looks like a huge doily, but I love love love it. Excuse the inadvertent semi bum flash too...!

Tonight I'm going to indulge in an obligatory Thursday evening pamper. I feel constantly rushed at the moment, so I think I'll clean out my room, do my nails and chill out with a couple episodes of Acchi Kocchi, while finishing some copy for Aesthetic. Perfect. ♥

Ways to Wear #38: neon and brights

One of this summer's biggest trends is the neon and brights trend. If you're anything like me, then you're probably more comfortable in neutrals, classic tones and pastel hues, but I've recently been venturing into new territory and always conjure up bright outfits in my mind. (Too poor to make them a reality at the moment.) I'll definitely be going back to revamping old wardrobe favourites next week, by the way, I feel like this feature has grown and grown over the past year and a half, but I'd love to take it back to its' roots too.

As ever, please don't see this post as a 'you must wear this', if anything, take it as inspiration to fall back in love with pieces you already have in your wardrobe. I know that I have far too many spur-of-the-moment buys hiding away behind new purchases that just need some TLC!

River Island top; River Island trousers; Topshop flats; Zara bag; Accessorize collar necklace.

Look One is demure, classic and wearable for the shy-aways. Building an outfit around wardrobe staples means you'll always look put together, simply accessorise with brighter details to really change your Look. Tapered trousers or cropped denim (not 90's style, may I add and repeat!) updates any outfit for the summer, and a really well-fitting top will do wonders for your body confidence. I adore this bag from Zara, as well as the necklace from Accessorize, in true Olivia Palermo form, who always gets the bright accessorising 'thing' down to a tee!

Boohoo peplum top; River Island high-waist leggings; New Look shirt; Zara bag.

Another way to incorporate brights into your outfit this summer is to wear it via a pattern, with something pastel or neutral. A bright bralet or bustier with a shirt on top and disco pants, or more affordable leggings, is girly and 'edgy' - I hate using that term... - at the same time. Wear with a leather handbag and suede boots for that off-duty model chic look.

Topshop silk smoke cami; Isabel Marant red trousers; Zara jumper; Topshop boots.

Finally, interpret brights with a knit to offset the initial colour shock. In ye olde sunny England, we're more likely to be seen in a jumper and scarf than any semblance of sundress, but Look Three balances the two perfectly. These Isabel Marant trousers are ever so slightly out of my current price bracket, but they're oh so perfect for this SS12. Pair with a printed sun top and a cosy knit, and a sweet backpack for a weekend outfit that is full of style.

Hope you enjoyed this week's little installment! Which Look was your favourite? Will you be recreating any of these looks? ♥

i always forget

Floral dip hem dress, c/o Boohoo.com; Flatform shoes, H&M; Belt, Primark; Red friendship bracelet, c/o Dainty Roses; Bunny bracelet, Dolly Bow Bow.

I thought I'd left my floral phase back in first year of University: y'know, when all Topshop stocked were florals? After spending the evening at a Boohoo bloggers' party with Sarah and Aisling a few weeks ago, I chose this dress to take home with me and I'm in love with it. As of late, I've been much more drawn to leggings and trousers, even reverting back to jeans and succumbing to J Crew pixie pant lust, so a perfectly feminine dipped hem dress feels a little out of my depth. I adore the red cherry blossom print, the lace panel on the back and the winningly floaty material, now I'm just waiting for another occasion to wear this to! For reference, I wore this on Father's Day yesterday, when I celebrated Father's Day at home while Dad worked ten hours at our restaurant... (And the Best Daughter Award goes to...!)

Today I'm over in London as per usual, interning and gazing (kind of) at beautiful clothes, shoes and bags for eight hours. It could be worse! It's my last week at InStyle and I've genuinely really enjoyed it, despite finding it hard to settle in and get to grips with the routine. I've learned so much and had a lot of laughs along the way, and it's opened my eyes to new areas of the industry that I'd love to pursue. I'd been hoping to fit in a few more events in now that I'm back in the area, but I'm honestly so tired when 6pm rolls around that I'd be a sleepy unsociable mess! Hopefully this will pass as I love spending time with fellow bloggers! ♥

Nominate Daisybutter.com at the Cosmo Blog Awards 2012 for Best Established Fashion Blog? It would make my day, week, month and year!

a (commuter's) week in photos

Follow me on Instagram at 'winyeemichelle' for more daily photos.

Making full use of my evenings at home · Ben & Jerry's Core Karamel Sutra · Wedding favours at Betty and Al's wedding last week · What I wore to the wedding · Enrapture 1-3-1 curls at the weekend · Yum cha/dim sum with my family · Homemade chicken katsu curry courtesy of my brother · Listening to BtoB on the way home from another day of interning · Hayfever face · Caudalie Vinosource serum is officially my new favourite thing in life · Black pepper steak for dins with Mama! · 龍眼 and Acchi Kocchi is my current evening routine.

Apologies for a solely Instagrammed blog post this weekend, I've been very quiet on the blog front this week, but the somewhat "break" has done me wonders, and I'm very much ready to ease myself back in the swing of things now! A clear mind does wonders for creativity and honing enthusiasm, and sometimes the Internet can get a bit much and overbearing.

I spent most of my week exhausted from a combination of hayfever and commuting - not ideal! I quickly realised that I'm seriously unfit (if any of you saw me sprint for my train on Tuesday, pls keep that info between you and I!) and proceeded to eat all manner of unhealthy goods. I promise that I do generally eat well!

Next week is my final week at InStyle magazine, which is crazy! It's flown by so quickly and I've learnt so much since starting there, I'll be sad to leave. However, my commuting woes won't end there as I'll be starting (properly) at Dicha Jewellery the week after, continuing my pursuit for the elusive entry-level fash pack job. I'm slowly working towards issue two of Aesthetic as well, and on some content for another platform - can't wait to share everything with you when I can! For now though, Happy Father's Day girls and guys, hope you have a lovely day with your families! ♥

Now Playing: BtoB - 그 입술을 뺏었어

Currently Coveting: debenhams fashion & beauty

1. Warehouse floral printed trousers; 2. Diana Vickers for Very double layered lace top; 3. Oasis lace peplum shell top; 4. H! by Henry Holland navy shoes; Caudalie energizing concentrate; 6. Elemis papaya enzyme peel; 7. Benefit Watt's Up highlighter; 8. Origins 'A Perfect World' cleanser.

Currently can't stop browsing websites and compiling wishlists of high street goodies that belong in my wardrobe. Debenhams is one of those hit or miss UK department stores in my eyes: you do really have to sift through to find the odd gem, but they stock plenty of brands in their concessions, which is where I found these pieces. And what's more, one of my favourite websites - apparently I'm still in super savin' student mode - MyVoucherCodes offers plenty of discounts on a regular basis for Debenhams. Score!

Seriously into the floral printed/pyjama print trouser trend lately. They're perfect to wear with a simple jersey T-shirt, or with something collared, for versatile looks, and you know I adore my versatile looks! I've been toying with the idea of lace and floral together, and think the lace peplum could look so nice with these floral trousers from Warehouse. Finally, I adore these H! by Henry Holland boat shoes, and this cute layered tee from Diana Vickers at Very.co.uk.

Debenhams also have a blimmin' amazing beauty department (or beauty hall, if we're talking stores!), so I couldn't resist compiling a little selection of products that I've had scribbled on the 'Payday' box of my Filofax calendar! If I hadn't already said, I bought the full-size Caudalie SOS serum last week as well as repurchased their beauty elixir, so you could somewhat say I've been bitten by the Caudalie bug. I'm really interested in their energising concentrate, especially with my work-filled days and daily commute to and from London. This is next on my list to snap up! I'm also really interested in Origins lately as well, there's something that sounds so refreshing and purifying about a white tea product!

What are you coveting at the moment? Don't forget to check MyVoucherCodes to snap up some discount codes before you embark on your Internet shopping endeavours! ♥

glisseo

Flock cameo T-shirt, River Island - old stock; Jeans, Miss Selfridge - old stock; Bunny flats, c/o Le Bunny Bleu; Mulberry Alexa in Petticoat White; Bangle, Louis Vuitton.

I just found these photos lurking in the depths of my outfit photos folder (look at me, Little Miss Organised!) so thought I'd blog them before they get lost a little more. These were snapped in the first week of my internship, yet I didn't actually wear the outfit until Monday over the Jubilee weekend. Got all that?! I guess they can serve to remind us all of sunnier times...! I don't tend to take photos and keep them as reserve stock, I typically blog my outfits as I wear them, but I was ill over the Jubilee weekend and then went to a wedding, so there's my half-hearted excuse.

More about the outfit then! I adore this River Island tee that I've had for years. It isn't very flattering as it sits at an awkward length but it is *so* comfy that I can let that go. I thought the cameo print was very fitting to celebrate the Queen's sixty years. I paired it with a simple pair of very well worn jeans - always my favourite - and my Le Bunny Bleu flats that are sadly a little too big for me. Irregardless, they're perfect for running a few errands and popping to family members' houses that are just a drive away.

Tonight I fully intend to put my feet up, apply to jobs and start working on some new content for the blog. I have a lot of exciting things in the pipeline: fingers crossed that everything goes to plan! ♥

counting the footsteps

Sheer peach shirt with rose gold buttons, New Look; Fruit print peplum top, c/o Boohoo.com;
Jeans, Miss Selfridge; 'Aggie' boots, ASOS; Khaki peace friendship bracelet, c/o Mulberry; Bunny friendship bracelet, Dolly Bow Bow; Red cross friendship bracelet, c/o Dainty Roses.

Oops, long time no (new) outfit post. Today I broke my personal traditions by a) not posting a photo diary of my week, b) getting dressed in something other than my usual slubby top and leggings Sunday outfit, and c) wearing brights. Something is arife in Daisybutter land...! I kid: today I wore this little get-up to go for dim sum with my family (minus Mum who was, as always, at work).

This fruit-print peplum top is the piece I chose from the Boohoo bloggers' evening a few weeks ago. It's a thousand miles away from what I'd usually wear, but in all honesty, my wardrobe has been undergoing a bit of a shake up as of late. I'm currently in amidst downsizing my clothes collection and sifting things to donate to charity, to eBay and to keep. Anyway, back to the outfit! Threw my sheer peach shirt - unbuttoned - on top to soften the brights on a pretty drab day, and paired everything with a seriously old pair of Miss Selfridge denim jeans. I can pinpoint the exact time that I bought these jeans too! My friend Amelia and I were a little optimistic in our outfits of choice at college a whopping four years ago, and ended up buying new outfits on a lunch break. Oh life.

Also wearing my favourite ASOS boots that are frequently mistaken for Isabel Marant 'Dicker' boots on a daily basis - win! I accessorised with a couple of sweet friendship bracelets, including the latest addition to my jewellery box from Dainty Roses.

Anyway, off to play a couple hours of Maplestory again, pretend to join in Euro 2012 festivities and then to see my Granny and cousins! Hope you're all enjoying the last of the weekend! ♥

StyleCompare: Metallics

I was recently asked to take part in this month's Style Compare blogger style challenge. This month's theme was metallics, and while I was apprehensive at first to say the least, I ended up picking this sweet little metallic dress from Topshop via Style Compare, which features a subtle metallic chevron print.

(Dress, c/o Topshop via Style Compare;
Mint green peeptoe low wedges, Urban Outfitters;
Neon coral belt, F+F at Tesco;
Necklace, Swarovski;
Mulberry Alexa in Petticoat White.)

Decided to pair my dress with ladylike tones and a little burst of colour at the waist, even though this belt is a tad too big for me now. It's the perfect length and a super cosy, stretchy fit but creases like mad, as you can see, shortly after hopping out of a car. Either way, it taps into a few SS12 trends pretty well as being seriously versatile (leather jacket on top for something edgier, worn with white Converse low tops for a daytime look, the list goes on!). I even wore it out for a meal the other evening teamed with a chunky mens' belt, black tights, flatforms and a statement necklace!

As with most blogger style challenges, if I win, you also win! You can pop a vote in for my entry here if you feel so inclined, I'd be super grateful if you did, although the other entries are gorgeous too. Hope everyone is well and keeping up post-Jubilee spirits, it's been a bit of a 'blah' week for me, but hopefully I'll be able to pick myself up again soon - onwards and upwards and all of that, isn't it? ♥

daisy II phonecase

Say hello to the newest addition to my phonecase collection, Daisy II! I briefly Instagrammed and included a photo of her in my Week in Photos over the weekend, but thought I'd pop a quick post up about the case to answer the questions that came in thick and fast.

My phone (Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, which I'd highly recommend for anti-iPhoners, for those wondering) is notoriously hard to buy cases for. I don't think it's any surprise that I adore a good old personalised phonecase, I guess it comes with the stereotypical Chinese girl image, but I've always liked to adorn my phone with something a little different!

I ended up hand-making this phonecase: the outer, hard shell was a cheapie from eBay - any plain one will do, although I chose white to match the pearl dekoden pieces - and I found a reasonably priced set of Daisy by Marc Jacobs inspired supplies with a little bit of searching on Etsy. The seller I used was Happybeadsupply, who I'd thoroughly recommend, and I just sat down for half an hour with my sister and a tube of extra-strength adhesive, and placed the cabochons wherever I liked them! I love how my case turned out and it's very 'me' as well as rather 'Daisybutter' too!

I also picked up an earphone plug, which is a little device to stop dust/dirt from getting into an unused earphone socket. Unfortunately the matching daisy I ordered broke in transition, I'm assuming, so I'll be sending this one back. Again, there are plenty on Etsy! What do you think of slightly brash phonecases? Or do you prefer something a little more demure? ♥