Guess whose back!

Back again! Chloe and annie are back, tell a friend! That doesn’t quite work does it? Never mind, I’m sure you are all super psyched cos you have been crying every day since our last post.

So let’s have a mini update… I now have a two year old, and annie has an 8 month old baba who is super beaut! After months of reading posts (mainly Rach’s) and missing blogging I decided… it’s time to get back on it.

So this photo currently sums up my life at the mo. Cutie babas, my pooch and living in the county side. So my face is currently a slight disappointment and I need some blogging inspiration to motivate me to love make up and skincare as much as I used to!

We haven’t decided on a blogging schedule yet, basically cos we don’t want to rush things and then realise we have no time to post every day or something cray. So currently I will be posting my usual beauty etc posts and annie will be popping in for some baba updates and to tell me how pretty I am and how much she misses me cos I currently have a constant cold so can’t go smooch them!

So thanks for reading and for staying loyal to our two little owls baby as well as our new (and not so new) real ones! WE MISS YOUUUUU

Starter Stories: Home Sweet Home

A: We have recently been introduced to Compass, and decided to join in on their Starter Stories blog post project about our first homes, the ways we have made them our own and our DIY triumphs. Chloe and I have both been wanting to write a post like this for a while, as we have both recently ventured onto the housing ladder and bought our first homes. My boyfriend and I actually moved into our house two years ago, and have been decorating and making it our own ever since. We still have so much to do – living in a DIY project whilst both working full time is neither a quick or easy task to take on, but we are getting there and we are both really happy with the changes we have made so far. When we moved in, our house was perfectly functional, but we (I!) felt the need to really make it our own but I’ve actually found it really hard to decide on themes and colours for each room. I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to stuff like this, and I have put way too much pressure on myself to get everything right but I’ve also been worried that once a room is finished, I’ll change my mind within six months and want to redecorate… I do have a habit of that. To get around this, our bedroom is very simply decorated, with cream walls and a cream blind and curtain voiles – after getting rid of the horrible floral wallpaper obviously.





This means that I can change the bedding whenever I like, and it will still coordinate with the rest of the room. At the moment, this is my favourite bedding….



I love the spring colours in it and the vintage florals – and it goes perfectly with the throw my nanny knitted for me. One of my favourite features in our bedroom is my jewellery storage.

I’ve always struggled to store my jewellery – maybe this is something to do with the copious amount I have, but I came up with this idea and finished the project in just a day! You can see the full blog post about how to make these jewellery hangers by clicking here. 



Moving onto our living area, this is one of our finished rooms. My boyfriend is a plasterer, and although he is very good at his job, it is sometimes hard work to get him to do decorating jobs at home. But when he does plaster at home, he always wants to show off his skills – understandable. So he created these arches above the fire place, and also bought me this beautiful Moroccan lampshade for a birthday; which made me decide to continue with this theme.

This kitchen and second living area is an on going project. The fireplace was actually only replastered a few weeks ago, and my boyfriend also built an area to store logs (having a woodburner as our main source of heat is a very lovely but very messy experience). We are yet to attach a handmade door, but the addition of the tiny alcoves are one of my favourite things in our home. My boyfriend knows how much I love to light candles, and tea lights in jars look so pretty tucked away in here. 



This has also been one of my favourite projects, and something I enjoyed doing because of it’s history. This set of Victorian drawers was my Granny’s, and a little worse for wear when it arrived at my house. But after sanding, painting and some cute new handles I think it looks lovely. And Granny Kath would certainly be proud I think!

Lastly, I wanted to share some of my favourite trinkets with you. Chloe and I love to go to antique fairs, charity shops, flea markets and junk shops because we both love a bargain, and anything that is unusual, old and vintage. I think it’s these extras that make a house a home, and of course a pair of fat, lazy cats. 



I hope you enjoyed having an insight to our home – and I’d love see some of your favourite features in your own homes? #twolittleowls

Chloes 2014 Beauty Favourites!

C: This has been our blogs first Christmas, and therefore our first New Year! To celebrate our first year (almost!) of blogging I have decided to do a post on my favourite beauty/make up items of 2014. Some of these I already loved before starting the blog, whereas others are new discoveries through twolittleowls! I have split these into several sections, because apparently blogging has been bad for my bank balance and I now have loads of favourites that I cannot live without!

Base:

ELF HD Powder – my new favourite powder that is super cheap and lasts forever! I have used this every day since I got it 6 months ago, and it is still half full! It keeps shine at bay all day and makes foundation look super natural!

The Balms Mary Lou Manizer – I won’t go on about this, as I reviewed it here but it is definitely my new favourite highlighter!

Benefit Hoola Bronzer – another blogger favourite that is the perfect bronzer for pale skin!

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray – never thought I would be someone who wears an eyeshadow primer… I originally thought they were a bit of a lie/con! But they really do work! I received this in a Birchbox and it has lasted for ages, so I will definitely re-buy it when it runs out!

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer – this has always been a favourite of mine. Covers spots and darks circles perfectly. Heaven.

Benefit Professional Primer – never knew I was such a Benefit fan until I started this… but hey ho. This is perfect for covering up my pores. I wouldn’t use it every day as it does clog up my skin a bit but it is perfect for nights out and special occasions!

Brushes

You can’t have nice make up, without investing in nice brushes! My favourite this year has to be my DaVinci Rondo foundation brush. It makes applying a smooth perfect base so easy! I love it! I have also become a massive fan of all Real Techniques brushes, and this precision eye shadow brush from The Vintage Cosmetics Company. All of these bad boys make my make up look almost like I know what I’m doing!

Eyes

ELF Eyebrow Kit – another beauty product I never thought I would love! I never used to fill in or do anything to my eyebrows (don’t panic I did pluck them), and now when I look at photos I freak myself out! This is comparable to the Benefit Browzing’s and a fraction of the price!

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette – won’t go on about this too much, as there will be a review coming shortly but I am now in LOVE!

Benefit They’re Real Mascara – oh look. Another Benefit product! Perfectly separated, massive lashes. The only downside is its so long lasting that its super hard to remove!

Lips

Model Co Lipstick in Kitty – another Birchbox discovery that I have since repurchased! This is the perfect pinky nude for me. It is long lasting yet hydrating, and definitely the product that sparked my love for lipsticks!

No7 Lip Crayons – I am not putting the shade, as this is a general love for all of them! I have a couple now, and they are amazing. They are highly pigmented, moisturising and long lasting. Definitely the perfect alternative to the Clinique Chubby Sticks if you are looking for something a little cheaper!

Laqa & Co Lip Lube – another surprise favourite. Purple lip lube you say?! never! But I love it! It is moisturising, pigmented and fades evenly so you dont need to worry about it being all over your face/looking horrendous.

So guys, what are your 2014 favourites? Any the same as mine? #twolittleowls

OOTD: mismatching prints

Shirt: Asda
Pinafore Dress: Primark
Shoes: Primark

A: Something a little different today, a work OOTD. I actually work in an office so always have to look smart and presentable – but I never like to look boring. I steer away from suits and structured clothing because they just don’t suit me – I like to let my personality shine through, even if it’s just a little. This is one of my favourite things to wear for work. It’s super comfy, easy to wear and looks smart, and the shirt and dress do not crease at all – perfect. Although when I wear this my boyfriend always ask why I’m wearing my Tetris dress and why I don’t wear it with a shirt that matches. No idea what he is talking about, florals and checks go perfectly well together!

C:I love this outfit! It just shows that you can look smart for work whilst not looking boring, and showing off some personality! I think a lot of people are a little nervous about clashing prints, and this is the perfect way to start. Pick something a darker colour (like this pinafore dress) and then choose a brighter print to go underneath. As long as one of your prints is relatively simple, you can’t go wrong! Let us know if you try it!

What do you think to Annie’s OOTD? #twolittleowlsblog

A Boxing Day Christmas Haul!

C: happy Boxing Day guys! Hope you have all had a fantastic Christmas and successfully slept off the wine/food from yesterday ready to start again today! We have been doing blogmas2k14, so have been posting every day but now that has finished we will be returning to our usual routine of posting every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and once over the weekends! So to start us off I am going to do my first Christmas haul post – I am splitting it into two as I got super spoilt so today I am going to be showing you the house/other bits I received and then my next post will be the beauty items I received. Please note, this is in no way a method of bragging – I just love reading these on other peoples blogs and wanted to share all the treats I got with you lovely readers. So lets get cracking!

House Stuff

Russell Hobbs Kettle and Toaster – we are currently doing up a house and are hoping to move in in March (ish) time. I obvs have a kettle and toaster… but I really loved these and mine are super old now so asked for these. I love the cream colour, will look lovely in my farmhouse-style kitchen!

Salter weighing scales – I love baking so I also asked Santa for these (but my nan got them… magic) as my non-electric scales are very old and not very accurate now! Cant wait to bust this out!

Next Sharing Board Gift Set – apologies for the horrendous photo, its dark and foggy here so had to put all the lights on to be able to see anything in the photos! This is a wooden board with two little bowls for oil and balsamic vinegar to dip your bread in! We love doing this, especially when some Brie is involved so can’t wait to use this!

Rosies Kitchen Fork Knives – seriously. I think these were my favourite present (which my mum wasn’t happy about considering how spoilt I was ha!) They are so cute! I can’t cope with them. They are from Boots, but unfortunately are sold out online but check your local store and try and nab some. They really are beautiful.

Cosmetic Organizer – from my sister! Literally can’t wait to move into my new house and organise my dressing table! Don’t worry, photos will be shared!

River Cottage Every day Veg Cookery Book – I always get a cookery book from L’s parents each year and I love this! Its full of amazing idea’s on how to make veg more interesting (which even the most healthy of us need sometimes!), let me know if you are interested in seeing some recipes!

Yankee Candle in Vanilla Cupcake & Winterwood Candle – I love candles, especially this time of year. It makes the house smell beautiful and look more homely! I got these from my parents/ L’s parents and I can’t wait to try them out!

Owl Related Presents (everyone thought it was funny to get Annie & I owl presents – obvs we agreed)

Orla Kiely Owl Mug – from the mother in law! Isn’t this amazing!

Owl Mug and Owl Dashboard Toy – our friend Spen bought both of us these! I am waiting until I find the Owl dashboard thing less funny before I put it up else I’ll find it too distracting to drive. Love it.

Owl Candle Holder – you know you are getting a great present when Annie says “I have bought you the worst and yet the best present ever!” and she was right! She painted this for me at our local pottery place! It’s disgusting and I bloody love it. Pride of place on my coffee table!

Random Fun Stuff

Burgundy Vans – I have ruined mine by wearing them whilst doing my new house up (seriously… they used to be white and are now black) so my lovely parents bought me a new pair!

Glittery Jumper – I am not sure where this is from, but I believe Annie got me it from the Clothes Show! I love it! Perfect for this time of year, and its such a lovely thin material – perfect for shopping etc when you get too hot and cba to remove layers!

Walking Dead Season 1 – fav present from L! So scared of Zombies but can’t wait to watch this!

Emma Bridgewater Diary – another present from L. Last year I asked him to pick me up a new diary as I needed one, so he brought home the most disgusting one he could find. It is pink velour or something, so he bought me a nice one this year to make up for it!

Alphabet Bags make up bag – my work bestie bought me this! Annie has wanted one for ages so she is super jealous! Can’t wait to use it!

So there we go… can you see why I am splitting it into two posts now?! Crazy eh? I have been so spoilt and I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for the lovely (and funny) presents! What did you guys get this year? #twolittleowls

Foodie Friday: OK Diner

C: my friend Kitty took me to OK Diner a few weeks ago, I had never been before and it was amazing! Apparently it is weird that I have never been, so I thought I had better share the American Diner experience with you lovely readers.

As we were in an American style diner, we thought we had better go all out (for the sake of research) and get milkshakes. I got a cookies and cream shake, and it was possibly the best thing I have ever tasted. It was super thick and the metal cups are also full of milkshake so you basically get two glasses! It was so good I had basically finished it before my meal came (not that they were ages… I am just greedy) and I was full! Don’t worry, I still managed to fit in almost all of my burger though!

I went for the 6oz Royale Burger, which is topped with BBQ pulled pork and Jack cheese. Obviously a winning combination. It also came with curly fries and a tomato relish.

Kitty went for the OK Beanburger, topped with veggie chilli and cheese with a side of curly fries. It was super messy to eat so I wouldn’t recommend it if you are on a date and wish to look attractive in any way!

We both really enjoyed our burgers and the whole OK Diner experience – I was a bit too excitable. It was exactly as I expected, the food was good, the service was great and although the waiters were not on roller skates (disappointment) it was definitely the best girly date we have been on in ages – even if I did think I was going to be sick on the way home due to over indulgence.

Have any of you guys been to an OK Diner? If you want to check out their menu now we have made you super hungry then click here! #twolittleowls

Big News (it’s a hoooot!)

A & C: Hi guys! Just a little update to let you know that we have made a twolittleowls Facebook page! Would love it if you could click on this little link here and give us a sneaky like, meaning you can keep up to date on our posts more easily.

Let us know what you think #twolittleowlsblog

“Knock, knock”
“Who’s there?”
“Owl”
“Owl who?”
“Owl be seeing you!”

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#bloggersfestival: Meet the Brands

A&C: we recently posted a little teaser post, including some of the people we met at the bloggersfestival and a few selfies so now we would like to show you the brands that we met! Scarlett London did an amazing job at getting such lovely brands to showcase their new lines/products and we loved our little sneak peak into the Autumnal trends, here are our favourites/photos:

We started at Quiz Clothing and we loved their designs for next season especially a full length silver sequinned dress – unfortunately we cannot justify spending pennies on something we would probably end up wearing around the house, as we don’t go to many balls!

Urban Outfitters were next, and their Autumn collection looks AMAZING! Chloe fell in love with a beautiful monochrome jumper, which is definitely getting bought when it becomes available online. We love UO anyway, so it was a massive treat to see their future lines before they are released.

Izabelle Hammon were doing manicures with their beautiful nail stickers, unfortunately our nails had studs and glitter on (of course) so we couldn’t have ours done but we got a few treats to take away and try at home.

 

We then got to try out Bee Good‘s current range of skincare products (who apparently started out by making the products in their kitchen!) and got to take away a lovely honey and vanilla lip balm (and Annie obviously got a bee shaped biscuit to eat later) a review of which will be coming your way soon.

Ecco and Minimum were showcasing their products, and although they weren’t somewhere we normally shop we have definitely changed our minds! Just look at this amazing jacket from Minimum and the Ecco shoes Annie wanted to steal!

We then saw Want Her Dress and their team were lovely. Carol, the owner was especially lovely and we spent ages talking to her about the amazing collection they had brought with them to showcase. They are also running a campaign around body shapes, and dressing for your shape. Want Her Dress aim to dress real women, with real shapes – something we agree with due to our extra lady lumps (sorry this is a little blurry, we had just finished out champange cocktails and it’s the only photo we had of this brand). This was Annie’s favourite dress – a pleated maxi dress in a gorgeous deep green.

 

Then, we met the Very team and we chatted to a lovely man (we didn’t get his business card which is sad, cos he was nice) and tried to steal (jokes) a dress which Annie was in love with and some sequinned shorts which had Chloe’s name all over them. You seriously need to keep an eye out for their new Autumn clothes as there were so many beauties, we were given a voucher for £10 off their website and I think it will be put to very good use!

We then went to visit Lee Stafford (not Lee himself, alas) where we could discuss our hair problems (basically we have too much/crazy hair) and what products would help. This was great, as it meant everyone got personalised advice and could take a few treats home to try too.

Oriflame were also showcasing some of their beautiful products, which we got some lovely photos of. The colours of the nail varnishes look AMAZING and Francesca was super helpful, talking us through the products and just having a lovely chat in general.

We then met Natalie from Search Laboratory – a digital markteing agency who specialise in PPC and SEO. Natalie was so helpful, explaining about all of the internetty stuff which we definately need to know more about. Again, she was so lovely to chat to, which was one of our favourite things about the event – the fact that people just want to talk and get to know who you are, what you’re about and about your blog.

We apologise for all the photos/rambling, but we hope you enjoyed a little sneak peak into the Autumn trends/lines that will be coming available! Let us know what you think #twolittleowls

*A special thank you to Jennifer from Search Labs for permission to use some of their amazing photos.

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Birchbox – Away We Go (August 2014)

C: I received my Birchbox today, usually this is a super exciting day for me (I know… must get a life) but the past couple of months I have been a little disappointed with my boxes. I am not sure if this is just because the initial novelty of my beauty box subscription has gone, or… the boxes have got worse?! So here is what I got this month, and please let me know what you think!

So this is how my box came packaged. You can’t see the products very well in the photo but I just wanted to show you all the cute make up bag everything came in. It is super cute and goes well with this months holiday theme, however I must point out that its quite small and being a beauty addict my every day products wouldn’t fit in here! (Update: my little make up bag just broke after using it for the second time!) But anyway, here is what I got:

And a little close up of the eyeshadow:

So lets start with the eyeshadow. This is from “Wild about Beauty” and is in the colour “Fern” – Full sized and costs £13. I thought I had the wrong colour in the box, as to me ferns are green… but I checked on the Birchbox website and this is indeed the Fern colour. I like it actually though, especially the little bee!

Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect – RRP £20 sample is worth £3. A leave in conditioning spray to help detangle and protect against sun and heat damage. My hair is super knotty and I always have to use a detangling (is that a word?!) product so I will definitely try this out.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Refreshing Bath Shower Gel – RRP £7.15 sample is worth £0.51. I have heard of this brand before but it has never appealed to me. I can certainly get some use out of this sample – everyone washes – but to me Birchbox is about trying brands that are more high end so you can try before you invest.

Sarah McNamara Miracle Skin Transformer Hydroactive Microderm – RRP £25 sample is worth £7.35. A product I have never heard of before, however microderm products are usually too harsh for my sensitive skin – something I have filled out in my beauty profile – so I will try this, but doubt it will work well for me.

And lastly I received a sample of the Liason De Parfum in Stay With Me and the first chapter of The Proposal by Tasmina Perry – something that I wont read as I will be super annoyed if I like it and then have to wait for the rest of the book to be delivered!

So the total worth of the box is £23.86 plus the make up bag and little extras which is very good considering the box cost me £12.95 including postage. However, I am still not excited about it? I will get some use out of all of these products but nothing jumps out at me as being super amazing. So what do you guys think? Should I keep my subscription or try out something new? I am leaving it down to you! #twolittleowlsblog

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A sneaky Tuesday Haul.

C & A: We had a little trip to our local TK Maxx today on the hunt for professional people work clothes and a wedding outfit. We didn’t do too great with planned hunt, but we bought lots of fun stuff!

Okay so we bought the same skirt, but it’s an amazing skirt and was a bargain at £10! Neither of us could say no because it’s such a flattering shape and fabric that it looks lovely on. Super happy! We may have also both bought green jars, but they aren’t exactly the same! Annie chose the one with the copper coloured lid but she needs to have a practice run of where it will go, it was originally bought as a coffee jar but we think it would look really pretty on her dressing table. Chloe chose the one with the glass lid, which she will use on her dressing table in her *new* (not jinxing) house. These were just £3.99 – so cheap for such beautiful glassware.

Next, Chloe found this amazing maxi dress with a really pretty gold floral/leaf print. Perfect for this time of year and also something she can wear for work. It cost £15.

Annie bought these amazing hand-painted knobs (LOLZ) for her vintage bureau (pictures will be coming soon, we promise!). These are so pretty and are perfect for making a piece of furniture unique, and they were only £3.99!
Lastly, a haul isn’t complete without make-up. This is another of Annie’s purchases, a Revlon lipstick in the shade 075 Peach. Orange lipsticks are perfect for Annie, even though she has orange hair, but they really suit her skin tone. £2.99 – perfect!

What have you been hauling recently? #twolittleowls

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