Thursday 27 December 2012

Boxing Day SALES!

Hello 

Every year without fail, my mum and i hit the sales on boxing day so we headed out early morning and although I didn't end up with as many purchases as I normally do, I did get a few bits that I thought I would show you guys, so here goes :-):

Taking photos of myself is difficult just now without a tripod but I did include a few posy pics trying to show you some items :-)

So I spent ages in Next buying loads including..

Santa socks reduced from £6.50 to £2.



Blazer, tee and snood combo reduced from £32 to £14.



Heart jumper reduced from £28 to £14.



Fluffy berry cardigan reduced from £38 to £18.

Floral Blouse reduced from £15 to £7

Then I popped into Matalan where things were also half price or less and picked up:

Shorts reduced from £5 to £2.50. 


Red floaty short top reduced from £8 to £4.

Then I quickly ran into h&m where I didn't actually see anything exciting and only bought this scarf which I've wanted forever:


Mint scarf reduced to £4 from £8.

Then i also picked up some cute underwear from M&S and Matalan:

First pants M&S £2.50 reduced from £5.
Bra £3 reduced from £6.
Pants £1.20 reduced from £3.

I also picked up another blouse and top from Next which happen to be in the wash but i'm sure they will feature in a OOTD very soon!

Did you pick up anything in the sales?
If you did I would love to see so if you've blogged it leave me your link :-) 
 A 

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Christmas Gifts!

Hello 
I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and didn't eat too much!

I'm going to do a quick haul of the main gifts I was given! I am extremely grateful for every single gift I receive and am by no means bragging but if you feel as though I am or you just don't like this type of post then please don't read on!

With that said and done, here's what I got :-):




So my amazing mum and step dad, or 'santa' , bought me loads of gifts including the Dior perfume you can see, all the sweets of which I got more but I left them out of the pictures! The DVDs, makeup which you can only just see, snowflake origami? Pants, socks and pjammas! 

My lovely boyfriend got me the nexus 7, which I am currently writing this blog post with! A beautiful links of London charm fort my bracelet and the Marc Jacobs dot perfume that can just be seen in the first gift picture. 

I got loads more sweeties, socks, and money from other members of my family and friends too!

Thank you to everyone who gave me these presents! I am more than grateful and I love everything!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, what were your presents?

Love to all, from my new nexus7 ;-) 
xxx

(You'll all have to forgive me until I learn how to use this properly, haha!)

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Pardon Moi?

Hello 

I'm always always late finishing Christmas shopping and this year is no different, in fact, i'm actually doing a lot better than usual!

I'm just heading to town to pick up a few more things and i thought since i'm no longer major stressed about uni applications and work etc, i would take some quick pics of what i'm wearing before i run out the door!


Nude pink coloured 'Pardon Moi?' tee from Dorothy Perkins picked up recently in the sale for £3!


I wore it with my Leigh jeans, Boyfriend Blazer and my JC Lita Dupe Boots!


Tee: Dorothy Perkins £3
Leigh Jeans: Topshop £38
Boyfriend Blazer: H&M £19.99
Lita Dupes: Boohoo.com £35


I'll be doing a nail post on my Christmas nails you can only slightly see in these pictures soon!

Hope your shopping is going better than mine!
A 

Monday 10 December 2012

Stocking Flillers for Him & for Her!

Hello 

I've been a bit MIA recently as i've been ill and doing uni applications etc so i've not really had much to post about! 
Today however, i have been looking at gifts for my friends and family and thought i would share some little stocking filler ideas i liked for both men and women from different high street shops!

I'm going to start with stocking filler ideas for men:

RIVER ISLAND

Santa Ball Sweets: £3 here.
Wheres Wally Boxer Shorts: £12 here.
Split Photograph Camera: £18 here.
Ridleys Harmonica: £5 here.



TOPMAN
Hoody Ipod Cover: £9 here.
Abbey Road Coasters: £12 here.
Tetris Light: £30 here.



MARKS & SPENCER
Pin the Moustache on the Cowboy: £5 here.
Desktop Skittles: £4 here.
Decision Dice: £3.50 here.
And there all on 3 for 2!


Now for Women!



RIVER ISLAND

Silver Sequin Shorts: Now £15 here.
Christmas Pudding Beanie: £15 here.
Cream Faux Fur Snood: £30 here.
Red and Gold Nail Art Kit: £7.50 here.



TOPSHOP

Cinnamon Soap in a Tin: £5 here.
Fur Pin-Stud Bow Earmuffs: £14 here.
Ginger-Bread Man PJ Set: £26 here.



MARKS & SPENCER

Baroque Bead & Sequin Clutch: £35 here.
Tatty Teddy All in One: £22.50 here.
Mandarin, Clove & Cinnamon Candle: £7.50 here.

Hope this gave you a few little ideas!

I'm thinking about doing a fashion gift guide for men and women if this would help anyone! I could even include children's fashion gift guides too if you wanted.

Hope you are getting on well with all your Christmas shopping!
A 

Thursday 29 November 2012

LUSH Hottie Massage Bar!

Hello 

So i've been pretty ill recently dying of a sickness bug and as i've been getting better i have been craving a pampering session! Meaning that my boyfriend will be blackmailed kindly talked into giving me a back massage! I want to use my massage bar that i got a while ago from LUSH and so what better a time than now to soothe my stiff muscles after being ill!

Described on LUSH website:

"Hottie is designed to get to grips with areas of the body that have been overworked and are in shock. The blend of warming oils bring warmth and comfort to the area - using ginger oil and black pepper oil to stimulate the blood flow."


(image from lush.co.uk - my bar has been used, therefore looks nowhere near as pretty as this!)
First impressions of this bar, were that i hated the smell. However, it actually grew on me a bit! I'm not sure what i hated about it to begin with, i think that it has a slightly peppery smell, not sure, it just takes a while to get used to!
The bar melts a little on contact with warm skin which makes the bar sort of slippery but it leaves an buttery residue on the skin. It feels lovely while being massaged and it is really relaxing due to the raised bumps on the bar. It has a slight warming sensation but not overly so and it feels really soothing and relaxing.
Overall, this massage bar is really great! It's only down points i would say really were the initial smell, although i don't actually mind it now, and also, i would say that the butteriness it leaves on your body seems to stay wet for quite a while, i felt as thought i just wanted to go in the shower to wash it off.
It is relaxing and lovely if used just before you are going to bed or not having to put on a top and go anywhere straight after!

I want to try other massage products so if you have any recommendations let me know!

You can purchase your own Hottie HERE for £5.75 a bar!

Have you tried any LUSH massage bars?
A

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Maybelline's Fit Me - First Thoughts!

Hello 

So i said on twitter that i was waiting for a sample of the Maybelline 'Fit Me' foundation but it hadn't come! I was in desperate need of a new foundation though so i decided to go out and get it anyway!


The shade i ended up with was 130 in the foundation. I would now say, after trying it on my face for a few days, that the lighter yellow based colour in 120 might have been a better match for myself! I will still be able to use the 130 though, it's just a slightly darker tone than my skin but is unnoticeable really (except to my perfectionist brain)!

The formula of the foundation is described by Maybelline as 'our first gel foundation made with no waxes and fillers'. They have a concealer shade and a powder shade to match every foundation, a 'customised make-up system'.

I think the idea of having matching shades etc is a really good one as although you can go get the shades you want, if you are like me you often end up with a concealer too dark for your foundation from two different brands etc! But maybelline's match system makes this a lot easier and makes for much more even base coverage.

I love the consistency of the foundation, it is quite thin but not too much so, therefore it is easy to blend into your skin and gives good coverage without using too much product.


The concealer is the same really, it is pretty much the same shade as the foundation, a little thicker in consistency but still quite thin for a concealer, it's really easy to blend away red marks or dark circles.


 The powder is slightly lighter and it gives really good coverage. I would say however, that i am not in love with the applicator this comes with and i much prefer to use my powder brush!



I have been wearing the full combination for the past few days and so far, my makeup has lasted all day and i have needed no real touch-ups!

Overall, i really do like the fit me range by Maybelline and am interested to see how long the products last me.  I am enjoying using the products for now however, i do think the consistency might just be slightly too thin? I will see how i get on using them a bit more! If i do buy the range again, i think i might go for a slightly lighter shade too! Generally, i am really liking the collection so far!


Have you tried the fit me range?
What are your opinions on it?

Friday 23 November 2012

Drugstore Face of the Day!

Hello 

I was going to my friends flat to hang out with the girls for a while the other night and thought i would do my face using cheap(ish) products and not use any high-end brands on my whole face just for fun really.

I do use all of these products anyway but i just thought i would use them all together and this is what i came up with:

I look asleep...

Products:


So on my face i have:

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation: 100 Ivory
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Pressed Powder: 2 Medium
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer: 2 Light
ELF Complexion Perfection Tone Correction Pressed Powder: Translucent
Bourjois Bronzing Powder: 52
Barbra Daily Blusher: Flutter-Bies
MUA Undressed Palette: Shade 5- base, 4- outter corners, 11- crease, 1- highlight/browbone
ELF Eye Transformer: Upper Browbone
ELF Eye Brightener: Inner corners
Collection 2000 Skylash: Black
ELF Exact Lash Mascara: Black
Collection 2000 Liquid Liner: Black
Collection 2000 Pencil Liner: Black on bottom water line
GOSH Eyebrow Kit: Darkest Shade & Setting Gel
VIVO Eyebrow Pencil: Dark Brown (literally the best eyebrow pencil..ever! £2!)
Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick: 107
MUA Lip Liner: Brooding Plum

I think it went quite well really ...
(except my camera makes me look paler than i actually am!)

Hope you enjoyed!

What are your favourite drugstore makeup products/brands?
A

Fashion Vouchers Christmas Party Outfit Bloggers Challenge!

Hello 

In celebration of the start of the festive season, fashionvouchers.com are hosting a bloggers challenge to come up with a Christmas party outfit from one of their retailers costing less than £100! The best entry will win £100 in vouchers to spend on anything from the retailer they picked their outfit from!

I thought this was a great idea and i love taking part in this kind of thing so, here is my entry!

I chose Boohoo.com as my retailer as they have some really pretty party season items at really low costs therefore i thought this would be one of the best to get a really nice outfit for under £100:





Fayanna Stud Bodice Mesh High Split Bodysuit Dress £30

Olivia Black Peep-toe All Over Stud Heel £35
Gina Stud + Sparkle Clutch £15
Aya Triple Stud Ring £6
TOTAL: £86!

So i still have a bit more left to spend however I think this outfit is just lovely the way it is that the rest of the £100 can be spent on drinks for your Chrsitmas night out ;).

This dress is on my own wishlist right now, they are so on trend and just really beautiful in my opinion. You all know i love studs, which are also a key trend for A/W fashion, so to match the gold stud detailing on the dress i picked a gold studded clutch bag, gold spiked ring and a lovely pair of black spiked peep-toe heels, which i think go amazingly with this dress.

Would you wear this for your Christmas night out?

Are you going to be taking part in Fashion Vouchers challenge? You can get all the entry details you need by clicking this link - fashion vouchers challenge.

Hope you like!
A 

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Nail Diaries #3

Hello 

Time for another Nail Diary. This is what i have on my nails this week:

Cupcakes!

I'm hating the wintery weather so these make me feel like comfort food happiness without the calories! I actually do this design quite a lot in different colours, i love it.

So basically, to keep this post short and not let it turn into a mad ramble like the majority of my posts, this is how i created this:

Firstly, i painted the tip of my nail using a light pink shade.

Then, using nail art pens, which you can get pretty much anywhere now but the ones i used you can get by clicking here. I used a darker pink and drew lines over the now dried light pink to create the cupcake case.

I then used the white nail art pen to draw an outline of where i wanted my cake to go to and filled that in. I also drew it over the side of the cupcake case to make it look realistic and not just a straight line.

Wait for this to dry then simply use a selection of different coloured nail pens to create dots for the 'sprinkles'.

I added a little gem stone on the top of my cupcakes while the white polish was still a but tacky but they look fine without too!

Then wait for that all to dry and use your favourite top coat to stop any chipping etc!

Done!

Hope you enjoyed this and i managed to keep it short and simple!
Would you try this out on your nails?
A 

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Little Makeup Tips #1

Hello 

I'm going to start a little series like my Nail Diaries but on Make-up Tips where i will post little handy tips every so often to hopefully help at least one person out!

Today's is a really simple one and a lot of you probably know it already but this is my savior!

When applying mascara, no matter what one i use, i always seem to get it under my eye:


As you can see, it is all under my eyelid and this annoys me no end! 


Such a mess!

So to get rid of this, i used to just use my finger and i would smudge it everywhere and feel as though i should start my whole face again!

Now however, i wait until the mascara is all completely dry and when it is i get a cotton bud and gently roll this back and forward under my eyelid to wipe and remove the excess mascara! 

You don't need any water or anything on it, just the bud itself effectively removes the mess!


Rub gently until all of the mascara is gone!



Much cleaner and no smudging! There are other ways of getting rid of excess mascara, like using a baby wipe, but at least this way, you don't rub off any of your other makeup :).

This also works if you get mascara on your brow bone just under your eye-brow when doing your top lashes, like i usually also do!

Hope my eye close-ups aren't too gross, haha!
(as well as my stray eyebrow hairs as i'm growing them to thread, sigh..)

Hope you try this quick tip if you didn't know it already! Maybe you're just not as messy as me!
What are your little handy makeup tips?

Monday 19 November 2012

Simple Outfit of the Day!

Hello 

Today, i am once again, doing nothing really exciting, maybe just heading to the bank to deposit some money and have a little look around town, so i'm going to show you my outfit!

I have gotten used to the fact that Scotland's lighting situation hates me, there was also no one here to take photos for me and my tripod is useless so i had to take them myself, therefore, excuse the crap quality!
(not the best angle really...)
Top: Matalan £12  - Here
Jeans: Topshop - Similar Here

I love this top it's really pretty with the lace shoulders and i think it really dresses it up a bit:

It comes in black, burgundy  white and blue of which i actually want to buy all of them. It's such a comfy, pretty top! I only ended up with the black because it goes with anything.


And the Jeans from Topshop are really comfy and easy to wear, I have jeans in so many colours all of which pretty much go with this top but i've just put on my plain old blue ones with it today!


This picture also shows the flare of the peplum top!

To layer this outfit for going outside i just threw on my military style jacket.


Love this jacket so much! It's so flattering with hook and eye fastening and lovely military style sewn on buttons. It flares at at bottom and has a nice collar making it a bit more formal. It is by far one of my favourite jackets ever! 

I have had this one for ages but since the style has come back in this season i have seen similar in Primark and ASDA which i can't seem to find online but i have seen them in store if you're after one.

So that's my outfit!
Hope you enjoyed!

Do you like this kind of post?
Do you have a favourite jacket, what's it like?

A 

Sunday 18 November 2012

Poundland Purchases!

Hello 

So i don't know about any of you guys but i really love to have a look in Poundland. It often has little bits and bobs that are well worth picking up as they are much more expensive everywhere else! 

So, while i was in town the other day i decided to pop in and have a little look. I resisted buying loads and loads of stuff but i did pick up a few thing which i'll share with you guys!


On this trip i picked up all of the above for £1 each. 

The first thing is a gold dazzle eye-dust by colour addict called 'Gold Digger'. 


It is a beautiful colour, i've been looking for a gold eye product for ages so i thought it would give this one a go. The only downfall of this i think, is that it is a really loose powder and litterally gets everywhere, so i'd advise wearing pjammas or something while you're applying and do your eyes before you finish off your face!



This is just one swipe of it across my hand and although you can't see quite how shimmery it is it does show how pretty and quite subtle the colour is just using a little product.

I also picked up two nail polishes, the first one is this in 'Ariel' from Chit Chat.



This polish looks really really lovely in the bottle, however, on the nail it is actually a bit of a let down and is really just a blue-glitter top coat! I was a bit disappointed with this to be fair as i thought it would be a bit more coverage and it also takes ages to dry and smells really strong!

With just one coat (ignore the chipped gold underneath!) 

Two coats.

I do actually think this polish would be really nice with a blue base colour or a green or something rather than just on my natural nail but i still don't absolutely love it. At least i don't feel like i wasted loads of money on it!

I also got this one by Revlon Matte Suede in 507 'Fire Fox':


I really like the colour, its a sort of shimmery red with tiny tiny bits of glitter in it. It does dry matte which i'm loving just now:

(excusing my quick mess!)

This picture doesn't really show how matte it dries as this had to be taken with my camera flash on! I love anything matte just now from lipsticks to nail polishes so i love the finish of this! If you didn't want it to be matte however you could always shove a shiny top-coat over it. It's a lovely colour, i love the finish and it dries quite fast!

Then, i bought one more eye product from Rimmel London:



This is the Rimmel Eyeful Glistening Eye Crayon in shade 100 'Girls Only'. It's a really sheer pink shiny colour and looks lovely on the eyes.



Pretty pretty, i've been wearing this with a light browny colour blended to the corners and the crease of my eye and it looks really subtle and nice! It's quite creamy so i would advise using an eye primer before applying to stop it creasing throughout the day.

Annnnd that's all i picked up in Poundland this time!


Would you be interested in seeing future Poundland purchases?
Do you look in there sometimes for a bargain?

A