Keeping Britain Shabby: Cath Kidston

Hello lovelies!!

Remember back in the day when IKEA, dramatically, ordered you all to "CHUCK OUT YOUR CHINTZ"?? To banish kitsch and floral in favour of minimalist and clean?? Swap your pastels for contrasting brights and hide your tea set away inside sleek, Swedish storage units?? I do. If you don't then here's the YouTube Link to the ad (circa 1996) for you all to have a giggle at. I take great pride in the knowledge that one woman has single-handedly laughed in their faces and, in recent years, has not only taken the world of home, decor and lifestyle by STORM, she has reclaimed British-ness for our bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms and all the personality and character that goes with it. I am, of course, talking about the interior design powerhouse, Cath Kidston...

I was recently set a challenge by Amara.Co.Uk to tell them, and my lovely readers, WHY i love Cath Kidston so much.... But i fell a bit flat trying to put it into words. HOWEVER, i realised i was answering the wrong question. Rather than writing a whole post along the lines of "I love Cath Kidston because her things are pink and pretty" (which is, of course, a part of it), i've decided to tell you a bit about what Cath Kidston MEANS to me and how it makes me feel. The woman has, basically, reinvented an entire way of living incorporating nostalgia, vintage crafts and stunning prints for all ages. She's personally sparked a national obsession with what has now become known as 'Shabby Chic'. 

Cath, herself, describes her style as being of the 'Marmite' variety. In her opinion people either go nuts for it and have to have EVERYTHING or are completely repelled by it. Personally, i haven't come across ANYONE, male or female, who has expressed any significant dislike for it. 

Whenever i spot a piece of Cath Kidston in a shop window or online i automatically smile. The style just seems to evoke a warm, safe, homely feeling in me. Kind of like how i used to feel as a little girl when i used to stay at my nana's and loved how warm and snuggly the Eiderdown she used to put on my bed was. I don't know if it's purely psychological (probably) but i always feel physically warmer under a ditsy floral print duvet than i do from anything clean, crisp and plain. 

Aside from the warming factor, i find the colour palette Cath Kidston uses to be very calming and easy on the eye. It's easy to just sit back, surrounded by all that pastel loveliness, and just breathe out! With all these lovely feelings it's not surprising that i am currently trying to introduce the style into every area of my life. My travel makeup bag is Kidston (see previous post), my Oyster card wallet is Kidston, all my laptop and iPad wallpapers are Kidston.... you get where i'm going with this. It ain't easy though cos this lady isn't cheap (and rightly so) and my student budget is lowly at the best of times. 

Here are just a handful of the items on my 'Cath Kidston Lust List'...

Pink/Spot Duvet set in Provence Rose - (link)

Washed Roses Day Bag - (link)

White Printed Bathrobe - (link)

Trailing Floral Twin-Lid Sewing Basket - (link)

Crochet 'Knit in a Book' Tin - (link)

So, all in all, i reckon Cath Kidston has done a bang up job of taking the retro and outdated and reinventing it into something stylish, current and hugely popular within modern homes of all shapes and sizes. And as for IKEA?? Well i'm sure they're laughing all the way to the bank now, as they try and sell us back all the things they encouraged us to bin all those years ago. I hear that they too have jumped on the Shabby Chic bandwagon. The Swedish may have AMAZING meatballs, but they can't take away our British character!! So feel free to sit back and pop your homemade crochet teacosy on your floral teapot, relax and feel PROUD to be British!!

And I'll leave you with a, not so subtle, suggestion.....

Updated: What's in my Travel Makeup Bag??

Hello lovelies!!

Some of you know that i am currently making a weekly commute from London to Derbyshire for University, which involves me staying a couple of nights at my parents house per week. Obviously i don't take my entire makeup arsenal with me every time, but i decided earlier that i'd give you a little nosey into my travel makeup bag so you can see what my essentials are and also what products i use on my face for a normal, uneventful uni day. I quite like reading these types of posts so i thought maybe you would too. Once again i missed the last of the daylight for this post so have had to brighten the photos slightly. Fed up of these dark winter days. ROLL ON SUMMER ALREADY!! I'm fed up on relying on flash.

The Makeup Bag...

My current travel makeup bag of choice is this pretty Cath Kidston one that i got on eBay (Link). This particular design is currently out of stock but they have others and will probably restock. It comes with a matching circular mirror at a really great price. Well worth checking out. As you all know i ADORE anything Cath Kidston. The Liz Earle zippy bag is what i carry my brushes in as well as my foundation (as it doesn't fit in the makeup bag). 

Base...

New CID i-Prime*

and

Look Beauty Airbrush Base in Medium

I love this combo for day to day lately as it is no effort to apply and lasts really well. I haven't been using either of these products for very long so am still getting used to them but so far i'm very impressed with both. Watch out for a review of the LookBeauty foundation coming soon. 

Cheeks...

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

and

Look Beauty Make Me Blush in Pinch

My MSF is a staple in my everyday makeup bag so i have to include it in my travel bag too. I find a quick dusting of it quickly sets my foundation, gets rid of any remaining shine and prepares my skin for whatever blush or bronzer i feel like putting on. This week my blush of choice is this one from LookBeauty but i tend to switch it up depending on my mood. Usually it is MAC Sunbasque or my NYX blush stick but i just fancied this one this week. The compact also has a really good size mirror so i find it handy for carrying around in my handbag for uni as well. 

Eyes...

BeneFit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Sippin'n'Dippin

Maybelline Gel Liner in Black

and

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black

I really don't do anything fancy with my eyes for everyday wear so i tend to pack light. I don't always put colour on my lid to be honest but, when i do, its usually just a subtle wash of one of the Creaseless Creams applied with my finger followed by a sweep of gel eyeliner, which has become my favourite form of eyeliner in recent months. I use the Clinique Mascara (think this was a freebie in a magazine at some point) purely because it's a handy size for fitting in a small makeup bag, but i actually really like the mascara itself and will probably repurchase! 

Lips...

Rimmel Apocalips in Luna

Pillsbury Reindeer Sugar Cookie Lip Balm

MAC Honeylove (Left)

and

MAC Shy Girl (Right)

My lip products actually tend to be IN my handbag and not in my makeup bag, purely because i always reach for the same ones on a day to day basis so they are always with me whether i'm travelling or not. Apocalips is a new addition obviously (see previous post) but Honeylove and Shy Girl are my staple lip colours and i would be lost without them. They just never let me down. I guess they're quite similar really. The Pillsbury lip balm was a present from my housemate for Christmas as a bit of fun but it's a really great lip balm! It's relieved my sore lips on several occasions in the recent bitter weather. 

Brushes...

(Left to Right)

Royal and Langnickel Eyeliner Brush

Elf Blush Brush

Real Techniques Foundation Brush

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

and

Real Techniques Powder Brush

Don't think i need to explain what each of these brushes are for, and i KNOW i don't need to preach to you all on how amazing Real Techniques brushes are because i'm sure you're all already converted to Sam Chapman's brilliance. I find the Elf blush brush really versatile for cheeks as you can use it flat or on its side or just the very tip so it's great for travel as a contour, blush and highlight brush in one! Not sure why i'm carrying both the foundation AND stippling brush at the moment but i tend to alternate between the two depending on what foundation i'm using and i'm still experimenting with this one so i guess that's the reason. 

Hope you enjoyed a quick peek into my travel makeup bag. I haven't done a makeup bag post in a while and it was interesting for me to consider why i use what i use.

What makeup do you pack when travelling?? What are your essentials??