Blog Behind the Look: January 2014

Well today I am sharing with you all the 2nd post in the 2014 Blogger Challenge and the topic that Gabi has given us is ‘All About Skincare’.

Now I have to be honest with you all, I am really nervous about this post. Since I started this blog I have never posted anything to do with beauty so I really hope you like it.

I wanted to talk to you about winter skin as it is so hard to look after your skin when you are going from the warmth of your home to the freezing cold outside. I am going to share with you my skincare routine that keeps my skin looking great throughout the winter months.

Morning Face Routine

Morning Routine

Now I know many of you maybe looking at my photo above and maybe thinking that these products are expensive. My answer to that is yes they are but I believe that it is important to invest in your skin, after all we only get one. I would rather go without getting the latest pair of shoes or handbag in order to invest in these products. Even if you only invest in to one of these products you will be so happy that you did.

1. When I wake up in a morning the first thing I do is wash my face with Estée Lauder perfectly clean multi action foaming cleanser. I love the consistency of this cleanser and you hardly need anything to wash your whole face, as they say a lot goes a long way. It foams up to leave my face feeling fresh.

2. Next I apply Estée Lauder perfectly clean toning lotion. It's a great toner and picks up any unwanted dirt that the cleanser has left behind.

3. I then apply Estée Lauder Daywear. I fell in love with this day cream the first day that I used it. It leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft, it smells really good too.

Evening Face Routine

Evening Routine

Now I live in London and anybody that lives here or who has visited will understand that at the end of the day your skin feels tried and clogged up with the dirt from this amazing city. When I get home, I like to wash my face straight away in order to feel refreshed and ready to relax on the sofa for the evening. So here is my evening skincare routine.

1. I repeat 1 and 2 of my morning routine.

2. I then take off my eye make up using Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Make Up Remover Gel. I love this product because it is really cooling on the eye area but it is also a gel so it leaves your eyes feeling refreshed. I have tried other eye removers but they have left my eyes feeling sticky and greasy which is something I don't like, so this gel works great for me.

3. I then apply an eye serum using my ring finger as this way I apply as little pressure to the sensitive eye area as possible. I use Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Eye Recovery Complex as it helps to protect the delicate eye area from environmental damage.

4. Next I apply Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex. I love this serum as it leaves my skin feeling smooth and once again a little of this product goes a long way. Like the eye serum it works overnight to repair the damage from the environment and minimise the signs of aging.

My advice to anyone reading this would be to invest in either the eye serum or recovery complex as this is a real investment and it is never too early or late to protect your skin.

Hand Care

Hand Care

I love nail varnish and painting my nails but there is nothing worst then winter weather damage. I love Aveeno Hand Cream as it smells great, absorbs in to my skin really quickly and best of all it moisturises for 24 hours.

I wash my hands lots of times throughout the day but it still works to keep dry skin at bay.

I also use cuticle oil as much as can as it is really good at protecting dryness around the nail area and making sure that my nails really make a statement for all the right reasons.

Lip Care

Lip care

Lastly I wanted to share with you what I use on my lips as in the past, I use to forget about protecting my lips in winter (I know, I am really bad but I paid for my mistake) and I use to end up with really bad winter burn.

To help keep this at bay I use Blistex Moisture Max, it contains shea butter and aloe vera that leaves them feeling and looking soft. If I ever feel the winter burn coming on then I substitute this product for Lanolips 101 Ointment which acts as a moisture reservoir by holding 200% of its own weight in water to keep lips hydrated.

Do you use any of these products? What do you think to them? I would love to hear your thoughts.

The girl! x

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It's one of my favourite time of year, yeah I know I do have a few but it's always great once you have said goodbye to the previous year and you hit that mid January dip to suddenly remember that the award season is upon us! Yeeeaaah, I can hear you all say!

If you are a lover of fashion like me, then I'm guessing that it is also your favourite time of year too... It is the time that the world has its eyes on Hollywood and is speculating which designer will dress Hollywood's most wanted!

Last Sunday night was the kick off to this season with the golden globes and here is my round up of the Hits and Misses on the red carpet!

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook on Polyvore

Miss - Sarah Hyland

Many of you maybe thinking why have I decided that Sarah Hyland is a miss, well for me the award season is the perfect opportunity to wear beautiful couture dresses and although this is a beautiful dress and colour, it is just a little plain and safe for me. Given her age, I feel that she should be pushing the boat out a little bit.

Hit - Amber Heard

I love this dress I think the colour is just gorgeous and the cut of this Versace dress stays true the brands signature. I also love the way Amber has let the dress speak for itself by wearing her hair up and not wearing overpowering jewellery.

Hit - Louise Roe

This is a great look for Louise, for a start I love the colour and I think that the lace on the neckline and sleeves adds a beautiful interest.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook featuring golden globes

Hit - Mila Kunis

Wow, what can I say about Mila? This look is a real hit for me, I love it so much. I love the beautiful sequin detail at the top of the dress and the way that it starts out in dark silver and then graduates to light silver, it works really well.

Undecided - Emma Watson

I am really undecided about his dress, from the front Emma looks stunning as you think that this is such a winning look, she turns around to show a deep cut out that shows her back off and it all goes pear shaped. My eyes drop to the bottom of the dress and in disbelief I realise that she is wear trousers something that totally ruins this look for me. So this is why I am leaving this as an undecided, I love it but yet hate it!

Hit- Lizzy Caplan

Now many people have said that this look is a miss for them but I love it. I think because it reminds me of a dress that I used in a photo shoot called frozen (read about it here). I think the silhouette is beautiful and I love the detail around the neckline and down the sleeves.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook on Polyvore

Miss - Edie Falco

This dress is a total miss for me, there is just too much going on around the neckline. I feel that we should be able to see a little more skin in order to see more of Edie figure; at the moment I am just seeing a sea of red satin that does nothing for her.

Hit- Kaley Cuoco

I think this is such a cute dress, yes it does look like it from a ted baker store in terms of the print but the cut looks stunning on Kaley and I love the corset princess style on her.

Miss - Jennifer Lawrence

Oh what is right with this dress I am so disappointed with Jennifer's choice this year. It looks like something went wrong with her original dress and the stylist has had to come to the rescue by making a dress for the occasion. Her solution being the white bed sheet and some black ribbon. What was she thinking? It's a total miss from me!

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook on Polyvore

Miss - Tina Fey

Although I don't mind the colour combo, I think that the patterned curtain style fabric doesn't work with the silhouette of this dress. Which means that this is a miss for me.

Hit - Julie Bowen

The silhouette of this dress works well with the tonal colour blocking and the cut out style belt emphasizes Julie's tiny waist.

Miss - Amy Adams

What happened here? Where is the wow? To me this dress looks like its a summer day dress that has been jazzed up a bit... Add a train, change the fabric! For me Amy, it's a must try harder.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook featuring golden globes

Miss - Elisabeth Moss

I love the fabric and the top of the dress but what really spoils this dress for me is the hemline... If it had touched the red carpet at the front then it would have been a hit but until that happens its a miss.

Hit - Adele Exarchopoulos

Wow - the colour is lush, the cut is sophisticated I just love this dress so much, it's such a hit for me.

Hit - Sofia Vergara

Another wow, it maybe black but it's always a colour that you can never fail with. I love the sweetheart neckline and the way that the dress flares out from the waist to create a traditional ball gown shape. Sofia is also a girl after my own heart and has added a pop of colour through her necklace.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook on Polyvore

Hit - Juliana Margulies

I love this dress but when I been reading people reviews on the internet, some people have said that it is a miss for them. I don't really understand why people are saying this I think the dress is elegant and I love the gold embroidered detailing on the shoulders and hemline.

Hit - Caitlin Fitzgerald

This dress is great, it's such a bold colour and Caitlin really does stand out from the rest for all the good reasons.

Hit - Lily Rabe

I love the dark to light effect around the neckline and the graduation of colour. The silhouette is also a shape that we have seen on the red carpet for this event so there is trend forming here.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook featuring golden globes

Hit - Sarah Paulson

This dress is beautiful, I love the lace layered paneling that gives this dress and vintage 1920's twist.

Hit - Olivia Wilde

She may be pregnant but she still knows how to rock the red carpet. I love Olivia in this sequined dress, the colour is rich and sophisticated.

Hit - Kate Mara

This is a great dress for the red carpet. I love the pale silver colour and the plunging neckline draws the eyes to the star like detailing around the waist. Kate is such a hit in this dress.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook featuring golden globes

Hit - Helen Mirren

Helen looks amazing in this colour, I love this dress on her so much. Helen looked amazing in her dress last year and she has continued to show that she has a amazing body. Lots of gold stars for Helen in the red carpet fashion awards, a total hit.

Hit - Tatiana Maslany

Another trend forming in the colour form of pale silver. Tatiana made her red carpet debut in this stunning dress, that has the most beautiful beaded detail around the neck and waistline. I also love the rib effect within the fabric that has been used.

Undecided - Kelly Osbourne

While I love the dress and think that Kelly looks amazing in it, the thing that leaves me undecided about whether this is a hit or a miss is her slicked hair. I don't like how you can see her ends as it leaves me feeling that it is unfinished. For me her hair should have been slicked back totally.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook on Polyvore

Hit - Taylor Swift

Taylor looks amazing in this pink number with black pop across the chest area. The silhouette is a great style on Taylor and she shows that she can't only just make musical hits but that she can also make great hits in the fashion stakes.

Miss - Sandra Bullock

Wow, I hate this dress and I am very disappointed that Sandra didn't make a better choice. She looks like she has stepped out of a disney book.

Hit - Margot Robbie

Margot is such a hit in this dress. I love the colour and silhouette with the sexy bit of leg showing. I love the bead detailing the goes down the side seam, such a beautiful dress and such a hit!

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook featuring golden globes

Hit - Kate Beckinsale

Kate looks stunning in this sequin beaded strapless dress. I love the colour graduation and the silhouette looks great on Kate's amazing figure. Kate gets a A+ for wow and style factor.

Hit - Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita looks amazing in this red caped dress. She really shows that she has a individual sense of style and the cape emphasizes her slender frame. She is definitely up there on the best dressed list.

Miss - Aubrey Plaza

Now I am such a purple girl, I always have been but I really hate this dress. The colour is a tad purple overload and the silhouette is a bit like fabric has been sew together without any thought about the how this will look on the female form. I think there is a better dress that Aubrey could have worn.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook on Polyvore

Hit - Maria Menounos

This dress is amazing and is another hit for me. What is not to love about this dress? The colour looks great and I love cut out detailing on this dress.

Hit - Kerry Washington

Such a hit, Kerry shows how stylish you can be when you are rocking a little bump. The colour looks amazing on her, the front panels draw the eye down and away from her bump.

Miss - Lena Dunham

Everything about this dress is wrong for me, the colour doesn't suit Lena skin tone, the silhouette doesn't suit her shape and looks far too tight. Lena should have gone for a more sleek and clean silhouette but until that happens she is on my miss list.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook featuring golden globes

Hit - Cate Blanchett

Cate looks stunning in this black lace high collar dress. Her fashion choices while promoting her new film have left us less than deflated but at this event she not only took home a win for her performance but also firmly put herself back on the fashion hit list.

Hit - Giuliana Rancic

Giuliana has said that this is a dress that she wouldn't normally go for. I love the colour on her and the embroidered bodice is beautiful. I am not a fan of the bottom of this dress as I think there is too much fabric but I like the fact that Giuliana has stepped out of her comfort zone and she does look beautiful so for that she is a hit for me.

Hit - Allison Williams

Again people have said that this is a miss but I think this is such a great dress. I am a massive fan of Alexander McQueen and I think that Allison looks amazing in it. I love the sleekness of it and the colour combo is something that you can't go wrong with. The printed bodice is actually what looks like black and white rows of feathers which I think is a beautiful way of creating this effect. I also think that the intricate neckline is a refreshing change from what we are normally use to seeing on the red carpet. This dress is on my hit list!

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook on Polyvore

Hit - Jenna Dewan-Tatum

Jenna is a totally hit, what's not to love? The colour is great and is another trend that we are seeing coming from the red carpet. I love the contrast black embroidered detailing and love where it has been placed. The silhouette is a hit for me too!

Miss - Zoe Saldana

Wow what happened here? I'm disappointed that Zoe would chose this dress as it looks like someone has throw up fabric and then sewing it together. Horrible dress, must try harder Zoe, must try harder!

Hit - Zooey Deschanel

Many people on the internet have said that this dress is a miss for them. I actually love it as Zooey has totally stayed true to her own quirky style, it may not be right for most people but for Zooey it works.

Red Carpet Style: 2014 Golden Globes by laura-jane-girlbehindthelook on Polyvore

Hit - Michelle Dockery

I love this super glamorous white dress on Michelle. The gold embroidery is beautiful and this dress shows that for another year running, Michelle can make very stylish and elegant decisions when it comes to walking down the red carpet.

Hit - Zosia Mamet

I love the black contrast detailing on this dress and the way it has been used on the dress really emphasizes Zosia waist. A total red carpet hit.

Miss - Heidi Klum

I am disappointed in Heidi for wearing this dress. Although I love the colour combo and think that the embroidery is beautiful, the reason it is a miss for me is because I don't like the sheer fabric and I really hate the neckline.

What do you think? Do you agree with me? Who are your Hits and Misses? I would love to hear your thoughts.

The girl! x

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