16 going on 17; a summer garden party

Dress: here. Hat: alternative here. 

Earlier this week we celebrated a family birthday with a garden party at Charlcote Park, a beautiful 16th century stately home set within its own deer park. The stunning Elizabethan style building which is still home to the Lucy family, once played host to Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare himself is said to have frequently visited to hunt within the grounds.

My extended family rented the right wing of the top floor of the house for the week in celebration of my Auntie Gill's birthday, which meant that when all the visitors left at 5pm we were left alone in the grounds. The family who still live in the house were away for the summer, so it was incredible to be able to wander the grounds alone (many 'welcome to my humble abode' jokes were made...)

It was a scorching hot day, and during the party, my mum and I couldn't resist excusing ourselves to explore the grounds. As we were admiring some towering cedar trees, we realised it would be a beautiful and unique location for an improptu photo shoot. I'd already commented on how this pale pink dress makes me feel like Liesl Von Trapp when she sings 16 Going on 17 (then I had an internal weep over the fact that I am now 24 going on 25 and that doesn't have quite the same ring to it...) so, when we spotted a pair of stone benches, we saw visions of Liesl leaping around the garden room and decided to have a little fun with it. 

The dress, which I paired with a vintage straw hat in an attempt to make it a little more casual, has fast become one of my favourites. It's delicate layers of fabric flow beautifully and the perfectly ruffled bardot neckline and hem are lined with wire to preserve and hold the incredible ruffled effect. Don't tell anyone, but I ADORED this dress so much, I also bought it in a mint green... 

The Perfect Highlight for Pale Skin

Laura Mercier Face Illuminator  in Devotion - a cool, pearly pink.

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I have difficulty with highlighters. I'm pale - deceptively so, and often even the lightest toned highlighter ends up looking like a smear of shiny bronzer on my pasty cheekbones. I've experimented a lot, and about 18 months ago Laura Mercier's Baked Highlight in 01 found itself sitting happily in my make up collection's top highlighter spot and remains there today. It's a soft champagne highlight with a beautiful texture, great staying power and a 'behold my fabulous god-given cheekbones' finish rather than the 'shield your eyes from my laminated face' effect. 

So, when I saw that Laura Mercier had released a new collection of 'Face Illuminators' I was immediately interested. It's a brand that suits me and a brand I trust - particularly in the highlight department. The product comes in Laura Mercier's classic deep brown packaging and is baked into a swirling wave-like pattern. 

The new collection has four shades; Addiction, a gold, Seduction, a soft bronze, Indiscretion, a warm rose gold and Devotion, a cool pink. The product is described as a multi-use, buildable highlighting powder that'll bring light to your eyes, face and décolletage without shifting during the day. 

Devotion, the cool toned pearly pink immediately caught my eye and it was love at first swatch. I prefer pearly highlights on pale skin - in my experience, they really lift the complexion and Devotion doesn't disappoint.  It's an ethereal, icy pink and the pigmentation is magnificent. It's soft, creamy, applies well and has the same finely milled texture as my current everyday Laura Mercier highlight. Applied with a light or heavy hand, it gives a beautiful pearlised shimmer across the cheekbones and even though it's a summertime release, it's a product that I can really see myself using throughout the year. I guess you could say I am now devoted to Devotion...... *insert canned laughter* 

So, Laura Mercier have continued to impress me and I'd recommend this 100% -particularly if you're a fellow fair skinned individual or someone who prefers a pearly highlight. 

Below you'll find my everyday favourite highlight and The Face Illuminator in Devotion, the product we're talking about here.