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. 

All these autumn leaves are yours tonight

I've been a tad naughty and treated myself to a few lovely things, Firstly I got a stunning new lipstick from sleek, they're fast becoming my favourite brand, I have a thing for matte lipsticks but I accidentally picked up a sheen instead, which is actually really beautiful, long lasting and a stunning dark red. Although I haven't quite gotten over my matte obsession, so I might have to go back and get my intended purchase. I also bought some light blue jeans with ripped knees ( my Grandma was really shocked that I bought trousers with rips in! bless her)

Natasha (my sister) and I went out for another Sunday stroll and took some photographs amongst the changing leaves, there really are some stunning sights in Redditch that people over look and take for granted, it was also surprisingly warm for this time of year. I wanted to show off some of my new purchases, such as a lovely gold necklace/choker from H&M it's lovely and reflective, and is a great addition to any outfit as a little glimpse under a a blouse  or on top of a t-shirt. I also got some gorgeous black loafers from NEXT, i'm not as fan of flat shoes but these are just stunning, i adore everything about them, and i'm wearing them all the time. Versatile, but not comfortable yet, hopefully they'll get a bit softer with time. 

Autumn Walks

Hello, so finally i've gotten outside for a blog post, it was so nice to go for a walk with my sister to clear my head, we went over to the garden centres and had a coffee and a chat, and wondered back through the woods and took some photo's and hung out.  So, this is my little sister Natasha, she hasn't got a blog but she does have a lovely Instagram if you're interested, we do have a similar dress style although i'd say she's a little more refined in her style than me, and often inspires me with the lovely things she buys, sometimes I feel like she's the older sister! 

Autumn isn't my favourite season, but I do love seeing all the leaves fall and the colours change, also buying lots of new knits and cosy clothes isn't so bad. I got some new trousers from H&M, my first patterned pair, I've been drooling over them on Pinterest and really wanted to try them out, for £14.99 they're great quality, and surprisingly i didn't have to take them up at all! I suppose i'm always a little reluctant to invest in patterns as they're very obvious to others when they're worn and I don't get as much use out of them, having said that, I haven't wanted to take these off, the colour and the print is so sweet and I do think they'll go with a lot of clothes I already have. I also bough a gorgeous cream mac in the sale, Natasha is wearing the Navy version below, it's such a flattering classic coat, and not too thick, Below I'm wearing my Cream thick Next coat (as i felt it was chilly today) and my River Island Cotton Blouse. 

Rings are H&M and Watch is from the sale in Miss Selfridge a few years ago.  I just adore all of the blues and oranges that work so well together in this picture. Natasha wears her earrings as ear-cuffs, as they are adjustable they can bend to any size, I just loved how creatively she chose to wear these.  My shoes are slingback Kitten heels from Primark £7

Grey/Blue scarf is from H&M

Company Magazine, Natalie Lines Fashion Illustrations

Ok Ladies and Gents, the sad time has arrive, it's the last printed edition of Company magazine, and I am truly sad. As i've mentioned before I absolutely adored company for years now, they gave me my first illustration break, and really believed in me, I thought the magazine was going in an amazing direction with unique content and brilliant staff, i'm glad to hear they're continuing online though. These are the latest pieces i've done for them, and I am over whelmed at how lovely they look! The theme was bright bold colours with dramatic eyes and lips, It took a lot of work to get them here and i'm massivley proud with the result. I'm happy to say that you can buy one of these illustrations in A4 for £10 or A3 for £17 HERE. I'd love to know what you think of these drawings as they're a little different to my usual style!

One of the first looks which was due to be published (below) but i had to change it around to feature the pink and blue look instead, I really wanted to show this piece as i really did love the oranges and blues together, As i mentioned before, get a lovely print HERE and pop it on your wall. I think it's so striking with the burnt orange hues. 

 

Make sure you pick up the final copy, it's bursting with beautiful fashion tips, expertly designed and all over lovely! Have you also seen that you can win one of my newest Illustrations? Either Retweet, share on Facebook or Regram to place your entry to the giveaway, Exciting hey! 

Autumn Winter loves.

Hi! I thought I'd write a post on my Wardrobe, and my favourite things i'm looking for this winter! Also, I thought I'd try out a new hair style, What are your thoughts? Every time I search for fashion inspiration i've come across ladies with beautiful short bobs, wonderfully textured in tumbling waves. I thought i'd give the style a go to see if it suits me, I think it makes me look entirely different, which is a lot to get used to. Don't I look old to!? 

I thought i'd try out a new hair style! Thoughts?

1. Large Wardrobe
This is my Ikea wardrobe, one of my smartest decisions, lots of room and it's exactly what I wanted, I love whites, I prefer to have a plain room/Wardrobe which can be changed around easily, as apposed to something filled with character which has to compete with it's surroundings. It's just personal preference but I love having everything ordered from my most used to rarely worn, Its nice to visualise what i'm getting the most use out of, and see all the colours which work together. 

2. Sturdy shoes

This year I've been wearing shoes that I wouldn't usually wear, I was never keen on pointed toes and I was more comfortable in a wedge, but as my style has developed I've loved wearing stilettos and ankle straps. For winter i'm going to love looking out for nice sturdy boots with a thick heel. I'm also partial to a 60's style flat too.

Trendy shoes:
Thick heels, brogues.

3. Mixing textures.
The one thing that helps me get over the passing of summer is a lot of lovely knitwear, paired with leathers or cottons the mixture of textures works really well, All my fluffy jumpers look great with a tailored blazer or a patent skirt. I love greys and whites, muted colour palettes are really catching my eye this winter. Last year done up shirts were a massive trend, however this year I think a slouchy blouse with a few buttons left undone paired with tailored pegged trousers is a really beautiful look with out complicating things. 

Winter staples:
Blouses not done up, tailored blazers, Pegged trousers.

4. Beauty

I've recently noticed a huge increase in people waring nude lipsticks, I've recently bought a few matt lipsticks in oranges and light pinks, just as a variation, as I usually wear a nice bold red. However, Miss Kylie Jenner has brought the over lined nude shades back into the spotlight (through her love of the 90's) and it's really starting to take off again.  I can't say I'm totally taken with the 90's grunge fashion lately, as I think it's gone on for a long time, but I do love a nude lipstick.

Favourite lipstick colours:
purple, nude, maroon

5. Wardrobe updating. 

 Ok, I've discovered something really interesting, Vinted, an online platform where you can sell unwanted clothes and.... Swap them too. I'm amazed that people have been interested in the items I don't like any more and have agreed to swap with me for items that I really love, It's a great way to update your wardrobe if you want to save money as all you have to pay is postage, there's also a lot of good quality clothing on there going for really reasonable prices. There's nothing to lose, so try it out. If you want to see what i'm getting rid of then you can find me here. I'm looking out for a white blazer at the moment, so maybe we can swap? 

Best to find on Vinted:

Asos, H&M, Misguided 

6. Jewellery
I'm resisting the urge to buy a choker, just because i'm a little over fashion moving backwards at such a strong pace, having said that if there are some lovely ones I might purchase! I store my necklaces and rings in Kilner jars, they're so easy to find and look lovely placed over the room as a decoration, my favourite accessories at the moment are thin chains, and layering lots of different rings!

best accessories:
Flash tattoos, silver and gold rings. 

ok, so those of my favourite things i'll be wearing this winter, I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog, i'm trying to up my photography standard to make it all a little more interesting! If there are any comments, tips etc you want to give me, then I always welcome them.
If you want to keep in touch with me I'm on:

Twitter : @NatalieLines

Facebook : Natalie Lines Illustration

Mom Jeans

Hello all! I must say i'm a little nervous to do my first fashion post! As an illustrator i've put my work out there to be criticised/praised and in a way i can hide behind that, but a fashion post is letting someone really jude your sense of style (obviously) which is a little scary as it's so personal. But I wanted to blog about different things so i'm going to give it all a go!  I've been pinning mom jeans like mad lately, and i've definitely been wanting to give them a go, I love how comfy they are and they're definitely a great piece to style up or dress down. I decided to pair them with some black heels and a basic blazer. The Heels are lovely to wear for half an hour, they they rub terribly, I love to wear stilettos but these are not kind on your feet, If I were going out in this outfit I would definitely grab my pair of kitten heels (below) which I bought for £5 from ebay, They're second hand Very shoes and are super comfy. The one thing I will say about mom jeans it that they can accentuate you in the wrong places, personally I don't think i've got very large hips but they do emphasise them so i've made sure to wear a tight t-shirt and tailored blazer to slim me out a little. I'd love to try styling these jeans in a few different ways to see how versatile they can be! unintentionally 90% of this outfit is Primark, Oooh LA LA

Blazer: second hand free - T-shirt: Primark Basic £2.50 - Mom Jeans: TopShop £40 -
Shoes: Primark £12 - Bag: Primark £12 - Glasses: Primark £2.50

I try to separate Gold and Silver as I don't think they work too well on me together, The only silver I have is the little frame on my sunglasses, but my watch, bag and shoe detailing are all gold.

my new shoes! super comfy, I forgot I bid on these and was very happy to find them on their way to me!
 Well, thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed my first fashion post :)

Lipsticks

I'm a huge fan of lipsticks, RARELY do I dare to do no colour, if i do i'm always wearing a moisturiser /chap stick for some comfort, I get asked what colours i'm wearing so I thought it'd be interesting to get some of my favourites together.

Loreal
I was given this lipstick by my aunty, as I usually wouldn't bother buying anything else until my collection 2000 has run out, But i'm glad i've had the chance to try something new,   it's a great Lipstick, lovely packaging and feels very luxurious, It also comes off easily on glasses and whatever you eat, but blotting should help that. This is an amazing intense red lipstick which is one of my must-haves.

Sleek - Mystic 783

This little lipstick is modestly packaged but it has become one of my favourites, in a beautiful bold purple colour it applies really well and has a very smooth moisturising feel, if you're worried about wearing a Matt lipstick which may make your lips look dry this really is a great find,  creamy and vibrant and surprisingly long lasting, at £4.99 it's a win win. 8/10

YSL Rouge 

it is far by the best lipstick i've ever bought, in every way it's exceptional, The packaging is beautiful and hardy, it's lovely to hold and it really feels like it's worth every penny, The scent of the lipstick is very fruity, and obviously the coverage and the feel is everything I want from lipstick, the colour is intense and only one/two applications is needed, the staying power is brilliant and it has a really nice mouse like texture. At £25 it is the top of my price range, but it has lasted a long time and i'd love to own more from that collection. 9/10

17 Lasting fix lipstick - Hot Chilli
This is one of my go to lipsticks, not quite a red as it has a gorgeous orange tint to it, it doesn't quite have the super human staying power as sleek Mystic though,  which isn't a bad thing as it's still brilliant, anyone who's not quite brave enough to try a full on red might want to give this a try one evening, you won't need to worry about re-applying and it won't look flakey. £4.29 8/10

Collection 2000 Volume sensation - Cherry Pop
When you get a Red lipstick you need a good one! and this is it,  (the search is over!) I'm always being complimented on this and for the price it's incredible value. It stays on so well, it's creamy, moisturising and had a really vibrant coverage, it goes everywhere with me i had no idea it was meant to be plumping but it does have a little glossiness to it which may add to that illusion, Great find and i can't recommend enough. £2.99 9/10

Rimmel Apocalips - Apocaliptic,
 Intense, vibrant and smooth, it' much thicker than a gloss and it's lovely to wear, the colour is super strong and really gives a nice edge to makeup, it can look a bit much if worn with heavy eye-makeup but it depends what you want to get out of it. I love this Lipstick/Gloss and it's one of my favourites, might be worth using a lip liner if colour bleeds on your lips. £5.99 8/10

This is my FIRST ever make-up post so i hope it wasn't too boring and at least a little interesting, Thanks for reading if you got this far, would love to know your fave lipsticks and what you thought of this post. All photographs have been taken by me.
 Nat x

   

2013 in pictures

From Left to Right

1. Jan - We had the most beautiful snowfall, I took my camera out immediately to take some photos, I still think they're my best, they didn't need much editing, the natural light was just stunning. I still like flicking through these, hoping that 2014 will bring beautiful sights too.

2. Feb - We still had some snow, so my Sister and I decided to make some cake-pops, they were brilliant, we bought a little oven with circular moulds so they turned out really well, we then popped them in the snow and I took some photos.

3. March. As I recall it was still a little snowy, it was my mums Birthday but she had to cancel due to the weather being really rubbish, A few weeks later we managed to have the party and made lots of little cake pops for everyone to nibble on.

4. April - I really decided to start taking the blogging seriously, looking back on the post my design work has come a long way, I really have listened and learnt and I like looking back to see the change, I'm always aiming to improve.

5. May - My first Company magazine Beauty Commission, Until this point i'd been working on lots of illustrations with company for their music section, I was really glad to be given the opportunity of drawing some make-up and expanding my portfolio, It was great experience which has improved my skills.

6. June - One of my favourite months, It was so hot, and  everywhere was blooming, I spent a lot of time in Tenbury Wells for my Boyfriend who was producing an Album, I would then spend some time with a friend playing with the chicks and making Elderberry Cordial and lots of other lovely things.

7. July - My 23rd Birthday,  I was in Stratford a lot this month, my boyfriend and I watched the River Festival, again the weather was great ( I honestly think it was one of the best summers) The festival is great, there are lots of lovely canal boats and market stalls, in the evening there's a fireworks display too, so it's really worth going to.

8.  August - I went to Portugal, my first Holiday in 4 years, I last went to Greece, which was beautiful, especially Lindos ( a sickening everlasting boat ride away from where we stayed)

Portugal is beautiful, the sun was hot, the food was amazing and the company was even better. I really loved this Holiday, it went so fast, but I'm glad we got to do so much, visiting the reservoirs, going on a Jeep Safari and seeing new things.

Later in the Month I took my boyfriend to Ragley Hall to the Battle proms, it's highly recommended, and I hope we've started a tradition.

9. September - My first phone cases were printed! I was so excited, my images printed really well and they sold better than i'd imagined, you just wait for this year, So many more designs and so many beautiful things to put them on.

10. October - My first experience in a pop-up shop, I was pretty nervous as i'd never done anything like that, although It was one of my goals so i decided to jump at the opportunity, i'm so glad i now have the experience in doing this, I now understand the market more, what sells, what doesn't :(

11. November - It was pretty quiet for me, I really enjoyed not doing much and just appreciating Autumn, the shop kept me ticking over so I kept my head down with that.

12. December - Christmas! It started off pretty rubbish, but a visit to the German Market and hanging out with good friends quickly changed that, For the first time ever we booked to go out for Christmas lunch, It was lovely and my Mum and Grandma really loved not having to cook. I got a new 50mm lens so i'm excited to start 2014 with it.

Thanks for reading if you got this far, it's been really nice to look back on my year and remember what i've done.

Christmas Cards

Well, It's December, Already! Where has this year gone?
 We all had goals and ambitions for the year, mine was to gain more exposure within the Illustration word.
set up a shop! (DONE)
 and, I think, to explore my artistic style a bit more.

I do think i've achieved a little of it, i'm never 100% happy with my work, but i'm ok with that, personally i don't think i'll improve if i'm content (I think i've said that a lot)

I've made some really girly Illustrative christmas cards, they're luxurious, pretty and delicate, and are perfect to send to those friends who love Fashion and all the stereotypical girly things I adore too ;)
I wanted to experiment with the pink and gold colour palette, I think it works really well as a christmassy Card to go along with presents or as a gift card, After xmas I will be selling these as Happy Birthday Cards too!

They're £5 for a pack of 5! or £1.50 each
The pack can be a mixture of the two designs or of one only.
It's up to you, but be quick, They're selling out :)
You can buy them HERE

Illustration, black and white watercolours

Hey all!
Thanks for viewing my new blog, Hoping everything looks nice on it, I just wanted to write an update on my new work, I really felt like my portfolio needed some versatility and a breath of fresh air, so i decided to experiment with some watercolours and pencils in a different way.

The image below is something i'm really proud of, it look a long time and I do struggle with making sure the image is simple enough but still pleasing to look at. (something I spoke about with my Asos Illustration in a previous post)

  I thought it looked a little plain, so i added some extra movement with sharp brush strokes at the bottom to imply a fluffy jumper! If you really like this piece you can get the A4 Version Here for £10
 I think it shows a really mature side to my work and something i hope to pursue and experiment with. 

This Second piece is a very early work in progress shot, It's going to have a very stark black background and dramatic reds. I'm looking forward to completing this piece as it won't be like something i've done before.

My First watercolour piece, very close up and simple again, 

It's gotten a really good reaction, I do like the eyes, If you like this illustration you can buy it here for £10