Xmas Day Outfit & Presents

Hi, it feels like I haven't looked at my blog in absolutely ages, I've been out every day of the holidays so far and am glad to stay in and relax today! Above is some of my lovely presents, my mum knitted the little pug for me - she can make anything - it was such a surprise when I opened it. I love pugs and wish I had one of my own. I also got the pink mini straighteners from ASOS, they are tiny handbag sized and I have been doing my fringe with them. They are really good and a get a lot hotter than I thought they might. For some reason I decided I wanted a collection of mini items for Xmas, I also requested the YSL Babydoll mini perfumes and a Too Faced mini palette. This is why I am selling the Elf mini palette i mentioned in the post below, I had had my eye on this Too Faced one. The colours are perfect, I used it to touch up my make-up before I went out last night. I also got my boyfriend to get me a huge bottle of Marc Jacobs Lola - I first smelt it in Harvey Nichols in the summer and have been waiting for it ever since - and my sister got me a few lovely Lush bits - she knows I love a bit of Snow Fairy.

On the day I wore this pastel pink Miss Selfridge jumper dress, I love the crochet detail at the neckline...

My Vivienne Westwood pearl bas necklace which I got for my birthday last year...

Barry M nail paint in Baby Blue, I got a couple of lovely sets of Accessorize rings last week which I have been wearing aswell.

Another pretty ring, this one came in a set of 3, the other two were a gold heart with a pearl in the centre, and a tiny rose cameo.

As I wasn't going to be walking far, I dared to wear my New Look black suede OTKs..

And for the journey from the doorstep to the car, I wrapped up in this gorgeous mushroom pink cropped fur jacket from Zara.

This is the jacket laid out - it has a blue rose print lining, could it be any prettier??

I had a nice Xmas dinner cooked by my lovely boyfriend, then we went to visit my parents later on in the day for nibbles, everyone has been very generous to us, we got 3 food hampers! Obviously I had to hit the sales on Boxing Day, I will do a post on my bargains later on. Hope everyone had a great Xmas Day.

Babyliss Straighteners & Elf haul

As per my last post, I recently bought some new straighteners and here they are - the Babyliss Pro 230 Radiance. Their original price was about a hundred pounds but they are half price in Boots at the moment and even better at forty pounds in Argos, where I picked up mine. I have had previous bad experience with Argos but I couldn't believe how fast I was in and out of there. I reserved them for instore pick up and it literally took two minutes. The straighteners are in the bottom half of the picture, I photographed them with the curling tong I already have because it all matches :) They came with a matching storage bag and heat-proof mat. Personally I have very thick hair and 90% of straighteners seem to be the pencil thin kind, great for my fringe but way too time consuming to do all of my hair. These Babyliss ones have quite wide plates, not quite as wide as my old Remington ones which don't seem to be available now, but satisfactory. The straighteners themselves were pretty good, superfast heat up time, and they did the job. I wouldn't rave about them and declare them to be the "miracle straightener" most people on the Argos website did, but they were fine, my hair came out very straight. I have yet to find a straightener that does work miracles, GHD would be the obvious answer but I have read quite a few reviews about them blowing up and a lot of people claimed these Babyliss ones were more effective than GHD anyway.

I have to guiltily admit that I treated myself to this huge make-up set this week. Well, I did have a tough interview on friday, that I did a lot of work for, and although I had been planning to buy it after Xmas I was browsing on the net and found that Elf (Eyes Lips Face) had a really good offer on. i have read some things about Elf on other blogs, and the consensus seems to be that they do really good quality products really cheaply, especially brushes. I bought a generous-sized blusher brush for three pounds fifty, and their Master Make-up set for thirty five pounds. There is a huge amount of make-up for that price, loads of gorgeous eyeshadows, not just every colour of the rainbow that you wouldn't even use, but all really soft colours. There are six lovely blushers in there as well, and even a face powder that matches my skintone.

My camera is rubbish as you can't even see the make-up in these picture but the colours are really strong, you don't have to put loads on just to be able to see it, I only put one stroke of eyeshadow on and then blended the colour as it was so highly pigmented.

This was my free gift for spending over twenty five pounds, i won't keep this as there is no pale face powder and I dont really use bronzer. There are some lovely smoky eye colours in there though and a nice blusher. Plus an eyeliner pencil and all the brushes you need. If you buy this on its own on the website it costs fifteen pounds, I am going to ebay it unless anyone reading this wants to buy it for ten pounds plus one fifty postage. This was advertised on handbag.com as the best travel make-up kit you can buy, it would be a nice present for someone. The actual Elf website was a bit annoying as it seemed to be crashing all the time. I tried several times to pay for my things and it came up saying there was an error, then after I finally managed to pay I checked my paypal balance and I'd ended up paying three times. I emailed Elf and when they didnt reply within a couple of hours i phoned their customer helpline. It connected a couple of times but there was no one there, then I spoke to a woman who was not apologetic in the least, and took ages to find my order. She said she would cancel the two duplicate orders. Then I got an email reply from the company director apologising for what had happened and when I checked my paypal again he had refunded the two payments. So it turned out ok in the end, they do have a lot of positive feedback on their site so it must have just been a one-off. Not that I would need to buy from them again now I have their ultimate collection...

Outfit of the day & my Xmas tree

Today i am wearing this lovely rose print tunic from New Look, with black jeggings and a River Island waist belt. I love purple, black, pink and grey, and I think it goes with my freshly dyed black hair.

Close-up of River Island flower ring...

On my nails I am wearing Barry M Once Upon a Time, which is silver and bright pink flecks and is pretty sparkly and festive, speaking of which...

My Xmas tree is now up. It is the black artificial one from Paperchase, my boyfriend put it on a chair as its only 3ft, not sure it goes too well with the chair but my tree and decorations are magical.

My mum bought me this bird ages ago, its jewelled with a beaded tail and goes perfectly with my other decorations.

The hanging jewels and snowflakes are from Paperchase. There are loads of different colours but they are all pink, turquoise, purple pretty kind of shades. The piece of silver tinsel was only 50p from Wilkinsons, I also got 20 baubles for two pounds, a set of fairy lights for 1.98 and the silver butterfly topper. They didnt have any angels or stars apart from the ones for huge trees, I don't normally go in Wilkinsons but its one of those places where you can find bargains if you are discerning. I think the tree looks beautiful considering we only moved out of home six months ago and had to buy everything new on a budget.

I also bought some new hair straightners this week, didnt really want to splash out but my old ones broke :( I will do a review at some point next week. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Rock & Rose and Fake Marc Jacobs

This was my casual Sunday look last week - plain grey top styled up with layered necklaces.

The top is Topshop and is a bit assymetric, its longer on the right of the photo and I have an ASOS lace trimmed vest underneath in the same shade of grey, worn with faded boyfriend jeans. The knotted seed pearl necklace is Accessorize and the pink rose necklace is from the Rock and Rose jewellery website.

Close-up of the rose necklace - so pretty!

Also I wanted to stick on a picture of my new bag, I know its fake Marc Jacobs and they have been around forever but I still like the style. I had one a few years ago and the clasp broke, they were so popular at the time I even managed to sell it on on ebay for a good price, despite me stating that it didnt actually shut properly. Anyway its a great copy, looks like real leather and is just the right size. I have been used to carrying bigger bags around and eveything gets lost in there, its so much better now I have cut down my clutter and have everything to hand.

On the Christmas front, I did order the black faux tree from Paperchase, unfortunately they tried to deliver it yesterday when I wasn't in so I will probably be picking it up on saturday. I braved the crowds in the Leeds Borders at the weekend - there was a closing down sale on and it was heaving! - and I picked up a couple of pretty tree decorations from the Paperchase in there. I also got some carefully chosen cheap bits from Wilkinsons to pad it out. I can't wait to put it all together and get a photo up :)

Pretty Pearly Things

I got a mini Topshop haul this week, my last for a while as I am concentrating on Xmas shopping now. I got this gorgeous Chanel-esque purse with pearl embellishment. I added a tiny Vivienne Westwood brooch that I have been waiting to to pin on something, I think it makes it look at bit more expensive. They also do the purse in blue, I prefer red though and it's more Xmassey.

I also got these gloves, they are very soft angora wool and keep my hands toasty. Plus I had to have them because of the super cute pearl detail.

They go really well with my new scarf, I love the soft pink and blue colour blocks against the neutral black.

I am really getting into the Xmas spirit this week and I can't wait to get my tree as everyone at work already has theirs up. I have finally convinced the boyfriend that a fake tree is a cheaper and chicer option, plus we can keep it up for much longer. I am considering a black one from Paperchase as I think they look quite stylish.

ASOS Acquisitions

I got paid yesterday and treated myself to a few bits from ASOS. I used to order loads from here every month (some who know me may say I was obsessed), but haven't had time for ages to look through everything as there is so much choice! I have just copied the photos from the site as most of my stuff is black and doesnt show up well on my camera. I got the above skirt which I thought I could wear to work. I could put it with any top and heels and as its stretchy jersey fabric its so comfy. I already have a black suit skirt but this one is a perfect length and would also work for a casual look.

I got this one as well, my boyfriend hates it as he thinks its too hippyish but I think it would look cool worn exactly as the model does in this photo. I have plenty of great boots and fitted tops I can wear with it and I am always in my leather jacket. I am even considering a hat as it looks so cute. I like to wear mostly black as its slimming and I like a gothic edge to my outfits but the trouble was I didn't have a black casual look before. I couldn't really think of anything to wear on a sunday afternoon but my boyfriend jeans. This skirt solves my problem, and I am pleased to see they have a good selection of longer skirts on ASOS these days. I like a variety of lengths in my wardrobe to suit my mood and in the past I think ASOS only catered for fans of the very skimpy.

I popped this bracelet in my basket as well, its very casual but the pretty grey suede and glass beads make it look more than the six pounds it cost.

And finally, I introduced a friend to Eyeko this week. She was admiring my lilac nail polish and I showed her the whole website full of goodies. The outcome of which was that I decided I really needed another nail paint in this mint green vintage shade. I'm sure everyone has heard about the Chanel pastel green polish that came out in recent months, which was soon copied by loads of other brands. I was unsure about it at the time as I prefered black and dark red polish, but since I have tried the lilac I have completed converted to pastels! I am going to alternate between this, the lilac and my ultimate favourite Barry M Flamingo Pink.

I am having a lazy day as the weather isn't enticing me anywhere at the moment. I am curled up watching films and contemplating a glass of rose later on. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

River Island Haul

I got an email from River Island last week about the range of t-shirts they have brought out in aid of the Prince's Trust. There are 3 designed by / designed for celebrities - a spangley Kelly Rowland one, a sequinned Alesha Dixon one and the one I got, a studded and tassled number associated with Pixie Lott. The one she is pictured in on the site is black and white zebra print but I preferred it in plain black. I thought it might be too short to wear as a dress as she does like them very very short but it was actually perfect, just normal mini dress length. I love it, am thinking of layering long necklaces over it.

I was in need of some new winter gloves as I just have 2 pairs of mittens and wanted some fingerless ones so I can use my phone and get things out of my bag without having to take them off. These just have a slit in the side for your thumb and i love the pompoms and the fact that they are quite long and keep my wrists warm. I also got a snood to match, have been meaning to get one for ages. It's massively long and so cosy, just like a much thicker than normal scarf that you can loop round your neck.

And saving the best for last I splashed out on these boots. I wasnt intending to get anymore pairs of boots but they would go with so much! As you can see from the photo I have turned the tops right down and unlaced them. I wore them today with thick black tights and the t-shirt dress I got from Peacocks a couple of posts back. I love mini dresses but I find flat boots don't lengthen my legs enough and I prefer to wear flats with a longer skirt or jeans. I have plenty of heels but if I am going out for the day my feet start to ache and these are the perfect compromise as they are very chunky and easy to walk in.

I went to the cinema to see New Moon today but it was sooo packed it was claustrophobic and girls were actually screaming when they started letting people into the cinema. We couldn't even get near the ticket office so we decided to leave it until the madness has died down! We did have lunch in a nice pub though so I enjoyed the day out even though the rain was relentless.

Blog Award & Topshop pumps

The lovely Em at Passion for Fashion nominated me for this award, I normally just stick to clothes and make-up in my posts but I have come up with a few facts about myself so you can get to know me a bit better:

1. I was born on Friday 13th. My birthday is in January which I like to think of as the thirteenth month as it follows December, the twelfth month. I am not superstitious about it at all and can't believe some people won't even leave the house on this day! On the other hand a lot of people say it is their lucky number even though they have no connection with it whatsoever, so it must be special.

2. I have a degree in English and I love reading. I read every day on the journey to and from work. I like anything with a bit of a twist and a spooky atmostphere, from Wuthering Heights and Dracula to anything by Barbara Vine and Sarah Waters.

3. I met my boyfriend on Facebook - internet romance really does happen!I found him on the friends list of someone I know and we have now been living together for six months.

This is him:

4. I have double jointed arms - this was always my interesting fact when we had to think of one at school.

5. I never learned to ride a bike - although I am going out with someone who is obessessed with downhill mountain biking.

6. I have applied to do teacher training next year, I want to teach English in a secondary school. It would be an exciting challenge and I can't wait to find out if I have a place at uni.

7. When I was ten I had two pet mice, a brown one called Minnie and a white one called Mary. I have no pets now but would love to have a pug puppy one day.

The people I tag for the award are:

I Heart Vintage

London Rose

Hannah Babey

So Beautylicious

The Beauty Spark

PS look at my lovely new Topshop bejewelled pumps! I have been putting off wearing them as its such horrible weather and I don't want them to get wet and muddy. I might just keep them for wearing inside over Xmas.

Flamingo Pink & Cheryl Cole

I have just tried out Barry M's Flamingo Pink nail paint and I love it! I had seen it on a couple of blogs and although I thought it might be a bit orangey for my skintone I bought it anyway and it's now my favourite, its so bright and such a dense colour.

It goes really well with this long cardigan I got from ASOS, I am wearing it as a dress...

with a long vest and treggings underneath.

I went out wearing this denim quilted bag from Topshop, I wouldnt wear the skinny jeans in this pale shade of denim so I think the bag is a much cuter way to work this trend.

The ASOS cardigan I had on was meant to be "in the style of Cheryl Cole" because she was pictured wearing one exactly the same, and I have been thinking about buying some of the Cheryl Cole false eyelashes from Superdrug. Has anyone tried these? I am really tempted to get them but my mum thinks they will be OTT. Maybe the Kimberly ones instead? One of my friends says false eyelashes can stay on for up to 2 weeks so it would be better to get some that were a lot more subtle, but then what would be the point in wearing them? And i wouldnt want to leave them on for work anyway. Any comments welcome.

Unexpected Saturday Buys

I went into town yesterday just to get some boots heeled, and ended up looking in Peacocks while I was waiting. To be honest I hadn't thought that Peacocks was that great in the past, I once bought a pair of Lady Gaga type shoes from here but that's all, I never really looked at the clothes as I thought they were a bit.. well... chavvy. But I take it all back because I bought loads! My style is quite goth glam at the moment, I tried on the above top and realised it was actually a mini dress, I really like it because it is a bit rock n roll without being over the top. It was a really good fit as well, as was everything I tried on.

I also got this top, in pink and in grey as well. I wasn't sure about such a pale colour but it suited me, probably because I have such pink cheeks. It was slightly on the loose side and nice and long. I actually tried on a top in River Island that was almost exactly the same, grey marl with studs on the shoulders but the fit was rubbish. The Peacocks one was only twelve pounds and the dress was the same price.

My favourite item was this coatigan, I have been wanting one for ages. There was one in River Island that I wanted that sold out, and then a fair isle one in Topshop that sold out as well! I had a look in Primark the other day but they all had short sleeves, i had been considering some not quite perfect ones on Ebay when I saw this gorgeous one in Peacocks. It had five pounds off it and was twenty. It's nice and thick, with long sleeves and a hood, and it's below the knee length. The best thing about it is that it's a perfect fit on me. i can wear it whenever I want to wear a dress or thin long cardigan underneath and it's too mild for my big winter coat. I wore it out today with...

Primark shirt dress, Accessorize bracelets...

Topshop black treggings, I have taken a close up of the high waisted buttons

And my new favourite boots, these were an ebay bargain. They are slouchy, studded and buckled and barely worn in excellent condition, originally from Topshop in London. I read in a magazine this week that all women are searching for the perfect black flat boots this winter and I'm glad I have mine.

I am wearing Barry M nail paint in raspberry. It's my new favourite, the colour shows better on the picture of the treggings, it's a lot deeper than it looks here.

I went food shopping today, I was looking for the new popping candy Chocolate Orange, but they only had the boring original one so I got some Chocolate Orange cookies, which were half the price anyway :)

One Lovely Blog Award

Thankyou to Laura at The Beauty Spark for nominating me for this award, i have seen it on a few blogs but thought only bloggers with hundreds of followers would get one!

The Rules:

1. Add the logo to your blog.

2. Link to the person from whom you received this award.

3. Nominate 7 or more blogs.

4. Leave a message on their, blog, letting them know they are "One Lovely Blog"!

So many people have had this already I am just going to mention a couple of my favourite bloggers who I can't believe wouldn't have already been nominated ages ago but i can't see the logo on their page so...

Hannah at London Rose - the most fashionable blogger i know, who would actually look good in anything

&

iheartvintage - who writes a completely unique blog about looking uber-fashionable but spending barely a fiver at a time

Check them both out, as i love looking through their posts for inspiration.

Thanks again to Laura who nominated me for being such a lovely blogger herself!

Aussie goodies and a jar of beads

For the last few months I have been using Organix coconut milk shampoo and conditioner, its running low and although I love the coconut smell I fancied trying something different. I had Aussie in the back of my mind as I used a sachet of 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructer quite a while ago, and always meant to buy a full bottle.

I popped into Boots and they were doing 2 Aussie products for six pounds, as just one bottle of Organix costs almost this much on its own I had to take advantage of such a bargain! I was considering Aussie Long Hair shampoo but reading the back of the bottle it seemed to be geared towards reducing fly aways which I am not that bothered about and I was worried it might flatten my hair too much. I was also drawn towards Aussie Volume shampoo as I had seen adverts for it in magazines but really my hair is big enough already. My main issue is condition at the ends so I went for Miracle Moist.

I used both products last night and was really pleased with the results. I don't really know if it was the shampoo or the conditioner that did it but the both smelled gorgeous and really did seem to get rid of my split ends. I had previously been using Umberto Giannini intensive conditioning mask but I found it difficult to get it to absorb into the ends of my hair, whereas it seemed to just drink in the Aussie Reconstructer. Will definitely re-purchase!


I thought I would put a photo up of my pot of make-up brushes as I think it looks so pretty. I had the idea of fillling a pot with scented beads but I couldn't find any anywhere, only the kind you burn like a candle. I went through my collection of beads and jewellery making things and poured some pretty ones into an old pink see-thru pen pot. The pink jewelled brush is from B Never Too Busy to Be Beautiful and the green one is from The Body Shop. I have also ordered a pink brush from Barry M but due to postal strikes I am still waiting for it. The pot is just for eye brushes as I have a few different colours of shadows and like to use a different brush for each.

Close up of the beads, photo could be a lot better but they are mainly black with a few pearls, ethnic-style silver beads, and pink and turquoise beads and sequins thrown in.