Tala Samman & Natalie Lines Illustration

As some of you may know, I'll be spending a lot of my time in Dubai from Novemeber, I'm excited then i get a bit nervous, then excited again. In anticipation for this i've been working with Dubai Blogger Tala Samman, who i'm sure you're already very aware of, her blog is clean, fashionable and bursting with content on a regular basis which keeps it a powerful tool for her business.
We've been working together on a few blog posts to add an extra bit of flare to her articles, it's always a pleasure to draw a beautiful face so i've enjoyed working with her! 

We worked on some illustrations together for her Article on 2015's Best foundations, from an illustrative point of view all the products worked really well together visually and came together to make an illustration i'm really proud of. 

A small update on personal work i've been creating for my website shop. You can purchase prints over at shop.natalielines.co.uk for £10!

Tala has also started a career in DJ'ing, which is a new exciting step in strengthening her identity in the business world, i created this illustration for her Instagram, I think she slightly resembles Anna Kendrick in this image, If you're a blogger in Dubai and want to collaborate then shoot me an e-mail to natalielines90@gmail.com and we can chat! 

What to do in Lake Como

Im back from my trip to Lake Como and it was incredible, I've heard amazing things about Como but I wasn't really prepared for how beautiful it would be (despite the amount of times i'd looked at it on Pinterest) This is the second time i've been to Italy, I went to Rome earlier in the year so I was really excited to see a different part of the country. We stayed in Brunate (above is the view from our bedroom) i'd definitely recommend staying here if you're ever looking to visit Como. It's a great drive up into the mountains through little villages with cafes, restaurants and of course, amazing views. Here are some of the best places we visited around the Lake. 

Varenna 

A beautiful little fishing town on the eastern shore, we reached it by catching the boat from Managgio, it takes around 15 minutes and you get a chance to see the town from a different perspective. I can imagine it's a great place in the evening for dinner on the waterfront. Everywhere had so much character. 

Tremezzo
We went and had a drink at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, one of the most beautiful hotels i've been to, it's all very "Grand Budapest Hotel" with elaborate decorations and symmetrical architecture. If you get a chance I would definitely recommend spending time here, especially at the beach bar which has a pool on the lake. We didn't get to see the gardens in the back but i've heard they're amazing.

Bellagio

My favourite place, it was beautiful, every street had so much character, there were so many places to eat, you could get lost in all the tiny streets and find beautiful shops and cafes. We ate on the waterfront and later explored. Arguably the prettiest part of Lake Como, everywhere is so lush and green, it's Italy as you imagine it. 

The Market Place

We were recommended to visit here by my friend Cat (check out her instagram account for the BEST food porn) I can't get over how good the service was here, the waiter was the nicest man, he went out of his way to suggest food and translate the menu if we didn't understand. It was a fantastic venue and the Dinner menu looked like it would be great to try, Probably the fanciest meal I've ever had. 

Crotto Dei Platini

We drove past this accidentally on the way home from Mannagio, it looked beautiful from the outside, which is why we had to have a look. We sat downstairs on the waterfront, an enormous storm came in which we watched flash over the lake.  The service is great, and the food was even better, the best of the trip and the tastiest duck i've ever eaten. I would highly recommend going here, just book a table as it's very popular.

Crot del Tas

Right next door to our Hotel, this pizzeria was just what we wanted, we sat on the terrace with Wine and had some good pizza, because you have to in Italy. It's had some really bad reviews but everyone was friendly to us.

Overall it was one of my favourite places I've been, it was so quiet and relaxing, I feel so lucky to have stayed where we did, we got to watch all the lights on the villages come on at it got later, also, another storm rolled in which we watched from the terrace.

Ombre Lips

Hola! After my previous post on Barcelona and what it's like to spend a lot of time there I thought i'd post how it's changed my Fashion sense. When I first arrived in February my friend and I were very influenced by London styles, dark hues, skinny jeans and long sweeping coats. For the first few months this was fine, in my opinion it was still quite chilly (but i think i just feel the cold a bit more than most) But as it gradually started to get warmer, we were reluctantly stripping back the layers as summer blasted in almost over night.
  Waterproof makeup is a must, purely because being out in the mid day sun is going to make you sweat it off, i don't often wear much due to this reason, it's really cleared my skin up wearing less and favouring the natural look. Although going out at night is when you'll appreciate the waterproof makeup, Going to clubs and bars i rarely re-apply, i've found a great Italian shop called Flormar, which i've found is slowly accumulating in my make-up bag. I use their concealer, foundation and lipliners, but not necessarily in the usual way.
I bought a very very dark foundation for the purposes of contouring, it stays very well and adds a warmth, i was struggling to find a bronzer which was dark enough for my skin so It's the first time i've used a foundation instead, it works really well and i've fallen in love with using a beauty blender sponge, those little things are magical. Used with the concealer (which doesn't go dusty or highlight under eye creases)  they create a great combination of shadows and highlights.

I accidentally bought the lipliners thinking they were more nude, but having caught the sun a lot the colours look different on my skin tone, Not like thats an excuse, I picked up purple and a lighter shade. I seem to prefer using them as all over lip sticks/stains now instead of just liners,  Using the darker shade I've lined my lips, with a lip brush i've swept it in for full coverage just leaving a little on the insides to create a gradient, with the lighter shade i dabbed a little in the centre of my lips and used my fingers to pat and smudge it out slightly, if it isn't as light as you want I have added a dab of concealer, although be careful as it can be very bright.
I really have to recommend their false eye lashes, I bought the "Magnificent Eyelash extensions" they are so natural and not too long, I really hate false lashes which look fake, I wanted something that i could get away with wearing in the day if i was attending a meeting, etc, and these are perfect, i trimmed them a little on the edges and the glue holds really well. I've had a lot of compliments about them. 

I think my style has changed here, i wear brighter and lighter colours, I wear more skirts and dresses, I'm glad the weather has pushed me out of my comfort zone.

And thats it! Have you been makeup shopping in Spain? Are there any Brands you'd recommend?

Get your own ombre lips print here for £10 

What is it like to live in Barcelona

Wow, it's been TOO Long, and i've abandoned my poor little blog, i've wanted to update for a while now but i've always been stuck for what to say,  because so much has happened. I moved to Barcelona which is incredible, it's been a great opportunity to meet new people and teach myself that it's not actually that scary of difficult to move away. Of course it's been challenging at times but overall it's been one of the best decisions i've ever made and the opportunities i've had since taking a risk like that outweighs some of the stresses. Barcelona is stunning, if you haven't visited i'd say it's one of the friendliest, and happiest places i've been. A lot of people say it's the best city in Europe.

What is so good about Barcelona?

1. STUNNING

There is so much to see in Barcelona, Park Guell is very pretty, I stayed in the Gothic quarter, my friend and I decided to take a walk there, (if you know BCN you know how stupid that idea was) An hour later in the heat, uphill, we arrived, but it was well worth it. I preferred the gardens to the architecture, but it's still something you have to see. 

recommendations: Parc Guell/ parc ciutadella / Barcelona Zoo/ Arc de triomf

2. SOCIAL
There's always something going on. I love rooftop bars, seeing the city from up high when the sun is setting is just amazing, Barcelona is beautiful all day long but I think it's particularly special at night. Everyone is really friendly, I've always felt safe in the evenings, having said that, always watch out for pick pockets.
recommendations: 1881(rooftop) / Creps / W Hotel (wet deck party on sundays) 

3. FOOD

It's just really good, theres a massive variety of restaurants, more tapas than you can shake a stick at, I've never been disappointed by a meal (mainly the service, just be patient and let them do their thing)
recommendations: Jai-ca / MakaMaka / Haciendas

4. DISTANCE
Apart from walking to Park Guel, everything is really close in Barcelona, Living in El Born the beach is around 15 minutes and shopping on Ramblas is even closer, when staying in Barcelona i'd definitely chose to be in Barceloneta, Gotico or El Born. There are great bars to go to, and if you want a livelier night i'd chose to go to Port Olympic where the big beach clubs are, just be wary as they can be pretty pricey, and people selling you wrist bands are making a huge profit on your naivety, queue up instead.

You're also have a great opportunity to take advantage of the coast, around an hour north is Palamos and Begur which i visited, we went on a trek and found stunning secluded beaches, we took food and sat on the sand and swam, it's so beautiful. I'd definitely recommend it as a day out, it's completely knackering but well worth discovering things for yourself, watch out for the sea urchins (took my weeks to remove all the spines from my feet) oh, and the nudists. haha. 

Thanks so much for having a read, i'm off to Lake Como next week so i'll be sure to update the blog on the visit, also my next post will be illustration so keep checking back for that tomorrow with updated work. You can also follow me on

Twitter // Instagram // Facebook

Pink

Maybe I should give a disclaimer, this post is a little girly and pink, and although i'm usually not into that, Pinterest has a tendency to inspire me, so i thought, lets give pink a chance, I don't think it's my colour, but tweaking it toward a purple hue is a little kinder on my skin tone I think! So yes, my inspiration lately is gold and pink, and on a crisp white blazer it really pops. I also bough some lovely white shoes from Ebay (china) They're beautiful little court shoes which look amazing with a tailored blouse and trousers. They are cheap, and you do get what you pay for, but they're easily replaced and they're a great little addition, if you're going to wear them I would always bring another pair of comfortable flats with you as a days walking in London in those nearly killed me. No joke. Having said that, it hasn't put me off them I just understand the appropriate times to wear them. I really do think heels are more comfortable than  most flats, especially if they are patent (lesson learnt the hard way) 

Accessories are a great way to include complimentary colours to an outfit, i love little gold watches and rings, H&M and Miss Selfridge always have amazing sales which grab my attention and never disappoint. Little hooped gold earrings and pale nail varnishes are a nice way to tie everything in a simple chic way, less is more I suppose. I went for very simple make-up which is super cheap, I can never go anywhere without my MUA highlighter, I really think it adds the finishing touch to a look. 

So, pink, it's not too bad, especially when used with metallics, and with the dreaded (or lovely) Valentines day ahead, we're bound to be bombarded with it. So we can at least make it look good ;)

I've made a special edition PINK lingerie print, available from my website shop.natalielines.co.uk for  £10 printed on beautiful watercolour card, and makes a great gift for valentines or any occasion, who doesn't love lingerie or shoes? There are other prints on there, which aren't pink. If you're already sick of the sight of it all! 

Thanks for reading, and as always you can catch me on my 

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

Update.

Here we are again, gloomy Tuesday morning and no snow, unfortunately. I did manage to get a sweet necklace from H&M though, it comes with the alphabet so you can spell out your name (providing it doesn't use the same letter twice) or your initials, or a few words, Only rude ones come to mind for me. It's also in the sale, so grab it quickly, and don't wear it in the shower, unless you like your necklaces to look rustic :(
I've also been playing around with eye makeup, I got a few cheap palettes for christmas, and decided to give them a go, and for how cheap they are they're surprisingly lovely, as you'd imagine so much competition has brought out the best in a lot of companies. Pound land has even had good reviews for a lot of their products.
For £4 the Revolution palette is great, there is a mixture of matte shadows and glitter in similar complimentary hues, so you can't go wrong really. I'd be interested to play with the rest of their line.
I'm also looking for a new mascara and good natural false lashes so if you have any suggestions please let me know! 

2015

Hey All, it's been a while hasn't it? I've, as always been super busy with work but i've finally had five minutes to update on what i've been up to, etc.

A lot has happened and i've been doing lots of preparation for 2015, I'm going away to Barcelona For a few months in February and i'm a little nervous, but mainly excited about it! it'll be lovely to see the city properly and obviously I need to see all of the galleries, etc! If you have any good suggestions on what to see, then please let me know!

Fashion wise, things are changing, as you can see my photo to the left is probably the most natural i've been in a while (ha) I'm so inspired by simplicity i'm really going to encourage it more this year, Designers such as Whistles and Reiss are fast becoming my favourites.
Makeup wise, i'm going to play with some more natural hues, i've loved my new pink lipstick (in the shade Love Me") from Essence, stupidly cheap but applies as well as expensive brands, it's long lasting and very smooth.  Also, MUA's highlighter is always beautiful to aid contouring. I've also been making an effort to wear less eyeliner and use just mascara, it's such a simple change but i think it makes a big difference. 

So yeah, a quick catch up, and i'll be posting some big work in the next few weeks for a hairdressers i've been working with. 

some of the imagery i've been loving for 2015, lace lingerie, pastel blouses, and metallic accessories.