Josie’s Boux: Pink Bikinis

Summer creeps up on us every year, and I am never prepared on the bikini front. Luckily, you all have me here to remind you that bikini season is well and truly upon us. And it is definitely time to get shopping for your beach fits.

This summer I’m swaying towards pink vibes. So, here are my favourite pink bikinis from Boux Avenue…

The Argentina

A dark neon pink with some strap action. Available here.

The Ibiza

A true neon pink with full coverage and cleavage boosting. Available here.

The Romana

Pastel pink with flower detail. My personal fave of the whole season. Available here, and currently in the sale!

Don’t forget to use my discount code JOSIEOBOUX20 for 20% off your pink bikini fix on the Boux Avenue website xx

What To Wear When Getting Glam

Applying make-up is an intimate event with an exclusive guest list. It’s just you, your products and the reflection in the mirror.

Your reflection doesn’t gossip about the coffee-stained oversized top or rotten dressing gown you choose to wear to the event. It doesn’t tell anyone you didn’t even bother to get dressed after the shower and instead sit there in a towel with one hand to keep the towel up (because you have enough class to not flash to the mirror) and the other trying to blend.

It’s almost the most intimate event in the world. That’s not to discredit the times that you make effort to be a little less gross. But most times you think fuck it, the end result will never tell of my current state.

A Revelation

A revelation for me was discovering that keeping the glam energy of a finished full face during application is revolutionary. Taking a minute to put on something a little classier than your go-to rotten outfit – creating fancy foundations to do your make-up on – changes everything.

And therefore, I suggest turning up your getting-ready game with a bralette. Bralettes are as fancy as they are comfortable, making them the perfect piece to get glam in.

Fancy dressing while doing make-up creates grounds for you to start feeling good before the glam has even begun. It means you look and feel good throughout the process and sets the tone for you to feel confident during the night/day. Feeling fancy means feeling confident – its simple science.

The Best Bralettes

And of course, it has to be Boux Avenue for your bralette fix. Giving you luxe lace, delicate silk and classic satin, their range is unparalleled. My personal fav is the Tori lace plunge bra. Its comfortable, classy and colourful.  I no longer wear a freshly fake-tan soaked XXL t-shirt when applying make-up. I wear a bralette and some loose joggers. I always worried about fallout product on my bottoms but there’s a simple solution to this – plain black joggers from PLT or ASOS. £20 and worth every second of getting into glam mode.

For your bralette fix on Boux Avenue, be sure to use my discount code JOSIEOBOUX20 for 20% off. And get back to me with your verdict on whether fancy beginnings are your new way to go when getting glam.

Wear Your Pyjama’s To Work Day

As a child, I dreamed of Wear Your Pyjamas To School Day. I dreamed of rolling out of bed and rocking onto the playground in a fresh set of PJs and slippers. But this day never happened for me.

Luckily, it has manifest in my adult life as Wear Your Pyjamas To Work Day. Taking place on the 16^th April, this international “holiday” does not mean rolling straight out of bed and into work without changing your outfit. It means finding some fancy nightwear and styling it good enough to wear it out on the street without raising any eyebrows.

I imagine that if the minority of us celebrating the day went out in public in button up pink PJ’s and unicorn slippers there would be many questions of why on earth are you strutting down the street like that?My chosen piece is the Monica chemise from Boux Avenue. Available in black, white and pink, this satin number is perfect for looking PJ-esque but work ready.

I styled it with some black suede boots, straightened hair and a bold lip – I couldn’t risk looking like I may have bed hair and hadn’t made an effort to do my face up if I was to be wearing pyjamas out and about.Use my discount code JOSIEOBOUX for 20% off all new in nightwear on the Boux Avenue site to get yourself Wear Your Pyjamas To Work Day ready!

Living In A Woman’s World This March

International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day and the release of Boux’s new Emmeline balconette bra – we’re living in a woman’s world this month. And here’s a quick rundown on why these events make the perfect medley in March.

Boux Avenue’s new lace balconette bra is named after Emmeline Pankhurst. She was a key figure in the British suffragette movement and fought for us ladies to have the right to vote. Her once ‘radical’ views are now our normality.  

Fusing her memory with International Women’s Day, a worldwide celebration of the successes of women, reminds us how far we have come – both collectively and individually. This fusion prompts us to appreciate the women around us and their role in the progression of womankind.That’s why it is no coincidence that Mother’s Day joins International Women’s Day and Boux’s celebration of Emmeline Pankhurst this month. Together, they are events that make the ultimate fem-trinity.

And in keeping with the girl-power theme dominating March, the new Emmeline lace balconette bra is the perfect Mother’s Day present. With a choice of colours almost as radical as Pankhurst’s views once were (I’m talking Tangerine, Teal and 2 different shades of pink), Boux Avenue’s latest release caters to colour and comfort.The Emmeline bra also goes up to a G-cup for all my ladies who struggle to find their size. We really have come a long way.

Enjoy this month of the woman. And don’t forget to use my discount code JOSIEOBOUX20 for 20% your Emmeline bra purchase on the Boux Avenue site!

A Bit Of Naranja

Orange radiates a niche glamour only held by vivid colours. I’m aware that it doesn’t cause the riot that neon green and fuchsia have proven to be capable of, but doesn’t that make it more stylistically ideal? Orange gives a nod to modernity while embracing the every-day ordinary. 

It’s not a colour here to ruffle feathers or knock new-in neon off it’s throne. Yeezy haven’t drowned Kim K in it, so fast fashion and beauty brands haven’t exhausted it – yet. 

But I do prefer the Spanish word naranja over orange. The extra syllable adds a bit of flair that better represents the pizzazz that the colour possesses. I translated this flair onto my eyelids.

2 Shades of Orange

I wanted my look to be a matte orange only – no crease-deepening browns or lid-enhancing glitters. Which meant that I only used the two orange shades on BH Cosmetics’ Take Me Back To Brazil Palette.I laid a base with the lighter orange shade with the Spectrum Collections B06 tall tapered brush, buffing out the colour and covering my lid. I then packed on the darker orange over my lid with the CO6 brush from the same Spectrum eye set.

The CO6 Tulip brush is my favourite because it’s ideal for contouring as well as packing on colour. The versatility is all down to it’s dome-like shape.
I did a soft look all over my skin to match the ease of orange, opting for dewy complexion with NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation and a subtle highlight by Pixi Beauty.

A major discovery I made in the composition of this look is that an ashy brown lipstick with a warm gloss on top matches orange eye-shadow.

So, I used my all-time favourite liquid lipstick and shade, Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick in ‘Posh Spice’, and patted on Pat McGrath Labs Clear Gloss (unfortunately no longer on sale) with my finger. Finger application was necessary because I wanted my lips to be dewy like my skin rather than light-catching glossy.

In make-up, orange is an ideal colour to chase because it is close to the burnt tradition that we all know and love (read about that here). It takes burnt and removes the dust, leaving a bright colour that is easier to style and easier to love. 

 

You’re Probably Wearing The Wrong Bra Size

Wearing the right bra size is crucial. How could you not? It means comfort, support and the longevity of bouncy boobs. So, why is it estimated that 8 in every 10 women are wearing the wrong bra size?

Why I Might Celebrate Galentine’s Day On The 13th AND 14th

February is always confusing. It’s chilly outside but the high street is warm with red… and it is mostly Valentine’s Day themed products. The world seems charged with a mix of commercialism and the single/couple binary.

I find both combos – commercialism and romantic relationship-love, commercialism and self-love – annoying. I am not convinced by commercialism’s attempts to plunge us into the need to either love our romantic-other or ourselves in the name of purchasing and/or receiving oversized teddy bears and flowers that will eventually die. Can we not just exercise love for the sake of love rather than to turn the wheels of mainstream commercialism?

What I am convinced by, however, is the new idea of ‘Galentines Day.’ I’m not a fan of the word, but I am a fan of the concept.

A quick google search reveals this lesser-celebrated, yet-to-be-rinsed holiday as one all about female friendships and the power of platonic love. Officially, it is supposed to be tomorrow (the 13^th February) but if you’ve not managed to get yourself a valentine (yuck) then hold it out till Thursday and celebrate in true anti-valentine style.

And where friendship is concerned, tokens of affection are much better than rose petals on the bed (which are a nightmare to clean up) and suffocating candle-burnt scents. Instead, we can express affection with girly goodies. If we are going to feed into commercialism, let us do so with ingenuity.

Boux Avenue have dedicated a whole point of sale to Galentine’s Day, from friendship themed pyjamas to face masks for a girly night in. My favourite pieces are the BFF heart pyjama set if you’re spending it with friends, or the Rita Spot Short Pyjama Set if you want to treat one of the ladies in your life.

Whether it is yourself, your friends or your family you want to treat in the name of – dare I say it – Galentine’s, then swap the cheap candles for a Miss B Scent Diffuser and ditch lingerie for loungewear and pyjamas.

The beauty of Galentine’s Day lies in the lyrics of the Spice Girls’ Wannabe –  friendship never ends. You won’t have to watch your BFF pyjamas wither away to nothing like you would some cheap flowers from Tesco. And thus, I propose that I might celebrate Galentine’s because I love loungewear and pyjamas, and because I definitely prefer my friends to any Valentine I may have.

Use my discount code JOSIEOBOUX20 before 4pm on the 13^th February to get your essential Galentine’s pieces on the Boux Avenue website. Celebrate your 14^th February wisely.

Josie’s Boux: The Active Edit

We are all familiar with the optimistic state of mind that fuses the prospect of healthy living and exercise with a new year’s promise of a fresh start. But as January has come and almost gone, how many of us still possess this mindset?

How many of us have been to the gym three times since the new year started? How many of us haven’t been at all?

And I get it. That’s why I’m here creating a Boux Avenue active edit. Because there is no better way to recharge that new-year motivation than with new gym clothes. And if you end up giving it up again, the Boux Active range is perfect for loungewear too.

These are my favourite picks from the latest Boux Active range:

4-Way Stretch Set

Keep it simple (but still active-chic) in this black leggings and crop top set. My favourite look from the entire new Boux Active range! I would recommend sizing up as these pieces do come up a little tight.

Metallic Moment

The beauty of metallic pieces is that they’re simple but by no means boring. Stretchy and super high waisted, the Boux Active metallic leggings are perfect for gym, to chilling, to watching workout videos online while you procrastinate actually working out. 

A Bit Of Copper

Mix it up black with a bit of copper glitter and some maroon. The crop top to this set is as high-support as the leggings are high-waisted, with glitter piped bands on each piece of chic measure.

You can get 20% off the whole Boux Active range for a few more days only with my code JOSIEOBOUX20. It’s definitely time to re-charge that new year motivation.

Happy shopping!

 

 

 

 

What ‘Burnt’ Means To Beauty

In the real world, the term ‘burnt’ implies scorched. We think of a hazy-morning toast mishap or blocks of wood crumbling to ash. Yet, these ideas have not transpired into the beauty world.

In the beauty world, ‘burnt’ means deep oranges and tangy browns. And the beauty of this trend lies with two things: its versatility and its similarity to the classic smoky eye.

Versatility

The ever-annoying rules of this-suits-this-eye-colour or this-suits-this-skin-tone don’t apply to burnt eye-shadow. All you need is some fluffy brushes and eye-lids concealed a few shades lighter than your skin tone.

You can dip your toe into the trend with a light dusting of a muted orange in your crease. But you can also kick start a journey of mastery by creating a skilfully-blended medley of muted oranges, tangy browns, exuberant oranges and dark browns. The beauty of burnt is that it grants opportunities alike of soft-glam or GLAM-glam.

Imitating The Ever-Classic Smoky Eye

A burnt eye is often created in the likeness of the classic smoky-eye… without the tonal severity. Many of its looks start light with a muted-orange base before adding darker colours to the crease and outer-corner to build intensity. And what makes it so close to the smoky eye is how often its wearers extend the shadow onto the lower lash line for ultimate heat.

And just like the smoky eye, you must decide what you want the look to demand. Is it intricate analysis from observers or a deep eyelid crease for the illusion of larger eyes?

However, achieving the perfect level of burnt with orange and tangy shades anxiously toes the line with festival-esque eye-shadow. So, for this trend, choosing the right palette is more important than ever. Think Urban Decay’s Naked Heat, Juvia’s Place’s The Saharan palettes or Beauty Bay’s Saffron Barker collection.Or think Violet Voss’s Hashtag Palette – my unwavering go-to for the burnt eye. And in true imitation of the smoky eye, I used the BH Cosmetics Smokey Eye Essentials brush collection to create this look.I started with dusting ‘Sauce’ all over the lid with No.1, a large blending brush. This brown created a smooth base for me to go over with the same brush in the shade ‘Savage’ to create a tangy but neutral base.

I then dusted ‘Goals’ in the crease with No.2, a small tapered brush, and blended it out in circular motions. And for intensity, the more precise No.3 brush allowed me to carve out my crease with ‘G.O.A.T’ and then the outer-corner with brush No.5, BH Cosmetics’s best smudging brush.

For intensity, repeat the process. And to finish, I put on Tiggy Lashes in the style ‘Natalie.’ I personally don’t wear eyeliner with burnt looks because I like the colours to speak for themselves.If the smoky eye is your thing and you’re looking to broaden your colour choice, turn to burnt. It’s time that, amidst neutrality captivating the beauty world’s focus, burnt overtakes smoky.

And for tips on how to achieve the perfect burnt eye look through brush mastery, be sure to read my guide on the essentials to eye-shadow blending here. Have a fab NYE!

Josie’s Boux: The Nightwear Edit

This month on Josie’s Boux, I am sharing my Boux Avenue nightwear faves, the satin PJs you need to purchase (and have a photoshoot in) and giving you an exclusive discount. Sleep peacefully or chill luxe in Boux’s elegant range, that stretches from ready-to-be-rich satin sets all the way to PJs in a bag and minky loungewear.

Stars And Satin

I opted for a Friday evening in with a glass of vino last weekend in this beauteous star print satin pyjama set. These are my first ever satin pyjamas, but they definitely won’t be my last. Talk about sleeping with the stars. This pattern is also available in short style, alongside the other short-satin sets in pink, black and white.

PJs In A Bag

It’s amazing what us ladies can squeeze into our bags – and pyjamas are no exception. Available in long sleeve for £20 or shortie style for £15, Boux Avenue’s PJs in a bag are perfect for duvet days and making the darker evenings a little more glam and snug.

Loungewear

Revel in the joyous fusion of having your life together enough to get dressed out of pyjamas with the glam feelings given by chic loungewear. The Boux Avenue loungewear collection is inspired by soft colour palettes and even softer material. If the sensation of satin isn’t for you, these minky bottoms and grey lounge top (modelled by The Queen of #BouxEverAfter, Jacqueline Jossa) should be right up your street.

You can get 20% ALL NIGHTWEAR on the Boux Avenue site with my code JOSIEOBOUX20 for this month only.
Glam PJs = a glam life. Happy shopping!