Everything Erin

For years now I have described my dream place to live in the whole world as Notting Hill, despite the fact I had never even visited that area of London before. But, as seen all over Instagram and Pinterest, and of course, one of my favourite films Notting Hill itself, the colourful houses are so dreamy - how could you not want to live in one?! It was a bucketlist place to visit while in London so I was really excited when me and my friend decided to spend an afternoon wandering around the most beautiful streets you will ever find.


Getting there on the tube from King's Cross was surprisingly easy and enjoyable - I don't know if it was the fact it was a Sunday afternoon, but actually getting a seat the entire way made a huge change to being rammed up against the door on my way to Leicester Square the day before! We got the tube to Ladbrooke Grove, rather than Notting Hill Gate, because it was much more straight forward, and as the signs on the platform suggested, it led us straight to Portobello Road market, exactly where we wanted to be.


But first, we had to have some glimpses of some colourful houses! We first walked down Lancaster Road, which has beautiful houses in bright colours - I absolutely adore the red one. Just off Lancaster Road is a little street called St Luke's Mews where they filmed the super famous scene in Love Actually with the signs - me and my friend both love that film so we had to take a visit! The pink house is where Keira Knightley's character lived in the film, and it is totally gorgeous; no surprise it had several people crowded around taking photos!


Then we made our way to Portobello Road, which hosts its famous market on every day but Sunday, so we couldn't feel like we were recreating the scene in Notting Hill where the seasons change as Hugh Grant walks through the market. But, on the same theme, we went to visit a little shop just off Portobello Road, on Blenheim crescent - The Notting Hill Bookshop.


This is the bookshop that inspired the travel bookshop in the film - it even has a plaque to say so! Make sure to leave plenty of time to visit as I can imagine the entrance gets quite crowded with photographers, we had to wait a short while. But you will also be able to spend plenty of time exploring the store, which is fairly small but has a great collection of books, especially classics and of course, travel books. It also has some merchandise that I was very excited by, purchasing a tote bag, notebook and a coaster with that famous Notting Hill quote on it (I'm just a girl...)


Back onto Portobello Road we went! I would recommend taking some time just to wander the streets going off the main road as there are plenty of little side streets with really pretty pastel-coloured houses, with Instagrammers galore posing for photos - which of course we had to join in with, it only feels right doesn't it?


There is a huge array of cafes to visit in Notting Hill. If you search for recommendations online, the top result is always Farm Girl, which we went to, but queueing for a while they were all out of cake, sadly! So while it is probably amazing, if you really want to go I would get there early. We instead went to Gail's Bakery and had a muffin which was lovely and well-priced, I really want to try more of their options, it all looked delicious!


As we only had the afternoon we then went to get the tube back again, while I confirmed to my friend that yes, now that I have visited I can still absolutely say that it still is my dream to live there.

EG x

In the 1960s, Mary Quant put London at the centre of the fashion world's map. As the V&A's previous exhibition proved, the feminine Dior-esque French style ruled the late forties and fifties, but the swinging sixties was a time for bright colours and experimentation - Quant made sure of it.

Exhibitions at the V&A are always truly spectacular. Having looked at a list of their previous exhibitions, I can say that there is at least one or two each year I would have loved to have visited, however their 'Mary Quant' exhibit marked my very first. I was really excited to visit the exhibition as it felt like the perfect crossover between two of my favourite things - history and fashion, to learn more about one of the most influential British designers ever.


The exhibition takes place on two floors, designed to take you on a journey through Quant's illustrious career. Walking into an exhibition full of clothes nearly sixty years old, you would expect them to feel like they belonged in the last century. However, so many of the items featured in the collection felt like they could easily fit in with today's fashion trends - I couldn't believe how similar the zip up pinafore on the right was to items I have recently seen in H&M.


What also struck me about Mary Quant's designs is her immense use of colour. There's some real autumnal colours - burnt oranges galore, but bright yellows and pinks too. Her clothes really reflect the idea of excitement throughout the sixties with a real purpose of self-expression through women's clothing.


Quant is most famous for popularising the miniskirt, which of course is still a staple today. She actually provided the name for it herself, after her Mini car. There were, of course, many miniskirts on display alongside many other beautiful outfits and dresses. While many of her bright creations stand out, more delicate pieces also caught my eye - such as this gorgeous lace dress, one of my favourite items on display.


While I was expecting an exhibition focusing simply on clothes, there was also a feature with her makeup line which of course, as a beauty enthusiast, I was really excited to see. Her makeup line revolutionised the beauty world we have in today, as according to a woman who worked as a cosmetics sales assistant for Mary Quant, the advisors of other brands appeared much more intimidating, whereas Quant's employees were friendly and drew in a younger audience. I absolutely love the cute uniform they had as sales assistants too!


There was plenty of videos and extracts to read about Mary Quant's life and career which I found really interesting - I definitely want to read more about her but since I didn't know very much, it was the perfect starting point. The dress she wore to Buckingham Palace to receive an OBE in 1966 was an incredible feature.


The exhibition gave an incredible outlook on not only Mary Quant's incredible career and amazing designs, but also a reminder where the fashion industry of today still has its roots. There was a real sense of freshness to the exhibition; these designs pioneered the styles we still wear today.


To see all of this up close and even more, the Mary Quant exhibition is on at the V&A until the 16th February - plenty of time left to get tickets here. Have you been to any museum or gallery visits lately?

EG x

As what I consider a 'lipstick collector' (here we are trying to justify how many I own), I have tried quite a few of the liquid lipstick variety from a range of brands. However, there are really only three brands' liquid lipsticks that I believe are worth the spend.

They are matte, incredibly long-lasting; when they do fade, they fade evenly. They aren't drying, you can't feel them on the lips, instead they settle nicely. Their shade ranges are incredible and the lighter shades aren't still really dark, and finally, they are super easy to apply. While as a rule, I prefer bullet lipsticks, these liquid ones are honestly my favourite lipsticks ever. They are everything I want out of a lipstick, so if you need a liquid lipstick - here's where to look.

Too Faced's Melted Mattes

I remember purchasing Too Faced's Melted Matte liquid lipstick in the nude shade Child Star a couple of years ago - it was an expensive product for me so I was really hoping it was going to be worth the price. Thank goodness it was everything I was hoping for - and even more! It quickly became my all time favourite lipstick. It is super flattering, complimenting any eye-look and long-lasting meaning it became my go-to for when I was going out for the day.


I had to purchase another shade from the collection which is another fave of mine, in the shade Sell Out. It's a more adventurous shade for me because it's very pink but again, it's very flattering so I get a lot of use out of it. I think it is so important for a bolder shade to last and fade evenly and that is exactly what you get with this lipstick - as I type this it's currently still on my lips after having it on for hours, through meals!

NARS' Powermatte Lip Pigments

This was a gamble of a purchase - I had an ASOS voucher and after a lot of research thought the NARS lip pigments looked super nice, especially in the shade Get It On. However, I had never swatched it before I bought it, which I always like to do first, so I had no idea what the consistency would be like.


I was right to put my faith in NARS' formula because it really is a winner. It is lighter and thinner than lots of other liquid lipsticks which makes it really easy to apply and I think helps make sure it is not drying at all. Again, it lasts all day, tried and tested through meals. The shade I own is a liquid lipstick alternative to my classic MAC Velvet Teddy, it really suits any brown or burnt orange eye looks. It's absolutely gorgeous, as are all of the range - I definitely want to try more!

Anastasia Beverly Hills' Matte Liquid Lipstick

ABH was definitely one of the first brands pioneering liquid lipstick and making them essentials in any makeup bag. I believe that the classics are always worth checking out, and the ABH liquid lipsticks are no exception.

Like my other favourites, The Anastasia Beverly Hills lipsticks have a winning formula. They really last all day and are really comfortable on the lips, you can't tell it's on once it has dried at all.
The shade range is really unbeatable, there is no doubting that you will find a shade perfect for you. I have a few but my favourites are Stripped and Dazed - Stripped is a lovely nude perfect for the spring months, but I have got Dazed out again now it is autumn because it's a really lovely brown tone for this time of year.


But what makes these three brands special? Now, I've not tried every single liquid lipstick brand out there, but out of the ones I have tried, these are the only ones that I consistently use a lot - notably, the only ones I have brought with me to uni. Sometimes it is a shade range issue for me - Kat Von D's formula is famous, yet I don't find many of her shades very flattering. A lot of cheaper brands in my opinion are either too drying or crumbly, or don't even set on the lips - I'm sadly looking at you Maybelline! These are the only three liquid lipstick brands I believe you need to check out.



However, if you have a firm favourite I haven't mentioned, make sure to let me know! Maybe I will check it out and you will have proven me wrong!

EG x