I Love Lilac

This week I have been obsessing about a particular shade of pinky lilac which is my favourite colour at the moment. I picked up a Barry M lipstick in Palest Lavender..

Close-up of the lips, I thought they might be too dark to take such a light colour but actually it covered ok. I also thought it would highlight all the imperfections in my lips but after applying a homemade lip scrub of Vaseline and sugar they were perfectly soft and smooth. I just added some ordinary sugar to half a tin of Vaseline and mixed together, then left it on my lips until it soaked in. I nicked this idea from another blog, have been meaning to try it for ages.

This is the actual lipstick, more pinky on than it looks in the tube.

I also purchased Barry M blush in Pink Orchid, I have read reviews of this product on several blogs and it looks such a pretty sugar pink. Pretty things really cheer me up in winter :)

After buying the lipstick I decided to hunt down a matching nail varnish, the only one I could find close to the shade I had imagined was this Rimmel one - its called Twinkle and has a subtle glittery sheen to it - actually nicer than I had hoped!

I am also a bit overly keen on hand cream at the moment, I have been applying my Cath Kidston Rose cream twice a day and worrying that it was going down too fast I bought a minature version to take out in my handbag. This is Lilac & Lavender and the cream is actually pale purple!

Even the design on the back is lovely. I got this tiny tube on ebay, the cream also comes in tins which were super pretty aswell.

I couldnt resist going back to Zara yesterday and got this cute t-shirt for just 14.99. I love the dip-dyed purple fringing.

And finally these bangles from Accessorize. The top one says Forget Me Not on it, I really like bangles with writing on but I thought only expensive designer brands made them.

All these pastels are making me feel like it's spring already, hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Neutral Nudes

All I have read in magazines this week is how nude and neutral shades are the latest thing. I love pinky shades as they go so well with black so I popped to the shops yesterday and picked up a few (a lot) of pretty bits. First these earrings from Miss Selfridge, I mostly wear pearl studs and I love the lilac colour of the ones on the right.

Also this peach bra from La Senza, I love the bows on the sides...

I picked up this peach drapey t-shirt from Primarni for four pounds, I might get it in white aswell as I love comfy draped tops.

I bought this matching peach flower ring for two pounds.

I then went to Zara and spotted this lovely soft pink bag, I might have saved it for another time when I had more cash but then I saw 'special price' written on the tag - it was only twenty pounds! For a bag that big with such a lovely soft slouchy feel to it I would have expected forty five. There were only three in the shop and another girl grabbed one while I was thinking about it so I bet they will sell out.

I had ten pounds left so I grabbed this cute t-shirt. They also had a couple of tees with sequins on the shoulders and a black tasselled one so I will be going back at some point! i couldnt buy them yesterday anyway as they weren't pink or nude and didnt go with the rest of my purchases ;)

I looked through my wardrobe this morning and put together a selection of nudes / pinks that I already have, dont they all look nice together, I love this colour palette. Top row are two River Island jackets, yes I did need both as they are obviously completely different! Then I have a greyish pink Miss Selfridge waterfall cardi, Topshop corset style tee and beaded galaxy top.

And finally, pale pink card skirt and heather type shade jumper with shoulder embellishment, also from Topshop. Love them all!

Tigi Bed Head & My Fave Lipgloss

Just a quick mid-week post about a few beauty buys I picked up for a fraction of RRP on ebay. I have been tempted by Tigi for ages but was put off by the price, then I remembered my favourite online discount haunt. I got the Ego Boost for just under seven quid and the Headrush for under two fifty. The Ego Boost is a leave in conditioner and the Headrush is a shine spray. Both work on wet or dry hair which I was pleased about as I forget these things when I have just showered and prefer to apply products just before I go out the door. I used the conditioner a few days ago and it did make the ends of my hair noticabley stronger and bouncier than before. I applied the shine spray every morning this week and it definitely got rid of the fluffiness at the back of my hair and made it look glossier. Will definitely be buying these again!

I was also considering a product called Queen for a day, has anyone used this or got any other Tigi recommendations?

I also got this brand new on ebay - Rimmel Stay Glossy in Fuchsia Fever. I have been looking for A Dannii Minogue-esque bright purpley pink gloss and this is perfect, I've been wearing it everyday. You might think Rimmel is too much of a cheapy brand to be that good but I did see it winning most long-lasting lipgloss in a magazine and I'm a big fan.

Not the best picture but you get the idea. It's cute but not too bright for everyday.

I heard that the snow is making another appearance very soon and am dreading it. I have bought a new coat and Ugg style boots in readiness but I really don't want to get them dirty in the snow!

Birthday Bits & My Dressing Table

Hi, I had my family birthday party on Saturday and I have loads of photos of nice bits to show you. This was my outfit - Topshop black dress and Topshop necklace...

Close-up of the sharp shoulder and studded necklace. My sister wore a black knitted pinafore dress with a waist belt, plum tights and matching jumper but my silly phone won't load up the pic as its in my messages folder and I can't move it to my gallery.

Anyway, these are some of my lovely presents. The fabric on the left is two dressing table runners my mum made to my specifications. I wanted pink velvet with stud and beaded detailing and that is what I got! I have two big chests of drawers that I use as dressing tables and I wanted to dress them up with some luxurious covers. The pink rose was decorating one of my presents, it has a clip on the back so I can attach to whatever I want. The mirror on the right is something I really wanted and my mum managed to get it for me even though it was sold out in loads of places! I also got the new Lady Gaga CD and some Rose & Violet cremes from Hotel Chocolat.

My granny bought me this pug calendar as she know I love them, my boyfriend got me the Vivienne Westwood perfume and my sister got me the Cath Kidston Wild Rose handcream, it smells gorgeous. I love Sarah Waters and I have read all her other books so this completes my set. And finally my mum bought me a couple of nice cook books and a beautiful pink spatula to bake with. I can't believe I got so much!

This is my revamped dressing table with my make-up box on the left - its great not having to do my make-up in the bathroom anymore amongst all my boyfriend's man's things! There was no decent light in this room before but the bulbs on my mirror are so bright, it has a magnifying side as well and a storage space underneath. I was in two minds about getting it as I read mixed reviews about how easy the replacement bulbs were to come by but i think the fact that it sold out in Argos shows what a good product it is.

This is my other chest of drawers, where I do my hair and display all my jewellery, obviously the mountain bike in the reflection does not belong to me...

My ring tray, I got this from ebay years ago.

These are a few little bits I have collected - the two at the top are compacts, the large one from an antiques fair and the small one was given to me by my mum. The two either side are compact mirrors I got from Accessorize. The little glass dish I use for keeping tiny necklaces in, it is part of a set from an antiques shop and came with a much larger one which I display my perfumes in and two candle holders.

A few make up brushes, and real perfumes alongside empty but pretty bottles.

Both my chests of drawers were originally pine, I painted them white and replaced the plain wooden knobs with fancy ones from Monsoon. I bought loads to do a whole set of bedroom furniture, and no two are the same. I did this about five years ago and it took absolutely ages to sand down and paint it all.

And finally a close-up of my beautiful bespoke velvet runners. So much to look at, hope you like my stuff!

Belated Boxing Day Buys & 10 Things

Hi, this post is a lot later than I anticipated as I have been ill :( I had a cold before Xmas which went on Boxing Day, a few days later I ended up with full blown flu. As I had some sick days before Xmas and then last week off I havent been into work for about three weeks, which sounds great but really wasnt! I ate almost nothing for about a week and actually managed to lose some weight and can easily fit into all my tightest clothes but I missed the self-indulgent fun of the festive season. I am eating normally now and dont feel so weak and feverish but the annoying cough just wont go.
Anyway this is what I bought in the sales when I was feeling ok. River Island snow leopard long
t-shirt, seven pounds, worn with black treggings.


Also from Ri, black waterfall cardigan with lace panel at the back, fifteen pounds. Close up of the shoulder embellishment. I also got a black lace bolero which is going to be part of my birthday going out outfit so i will take a photo of it then.

I got this bra from La Senza for fifteen pounds and some floaty rose print pjamas for twelve pounds fifty. It was hell in there, so many people pushing!

I was just catching up on Em's blog and saw she had tagged me for this 10 things that make you happy award. I guess everyone has probably already done it as I havent looked a Blogger in ages but I thought I would add it on to this post to make it a bit more interesting. Today is the first day in ages that I have bothered to wear perfume and jewellery as i have just been slobbing around the house feeling rubbish, its nice to think of small things in your life that make you feel so much better.

1. My Nice Boyfriend - he is always so pleased to see me when he gets in from work, as if we have been apart for weeks instead of just hours and it makes a rubbish day just melt away. This pic is from a bit of funny angle but we were having such a good time when it was taken.

2. Unexpected compliments - I really don't like my job and am trying to change my career but I am quite good at what I do at the moment. Sometimes a client at work singles me out for praise and it gives me a little lift and I feel like its not so bad after all.

3. A Nice Glass of Wine - I always have a glass of rose on a friday and saturday night and I look forward to it so much during the week. I also like fruit cider to relax on a sunday afternoon, its like my reward for working hard.

4. Chocolate - There's nothing like being given a whole box of chocolates to yourself on a special occasion but on an ordinary day I am addicted to Galaxy Cookie Crumble and Wispa Gold.

5. Nail varnish - It's only a small part of my appearance but I love it when I have just tried out a new colour and it hasn't chipped yet, it makes me feel really polished. Barry M is my favourite and I have quite a collection.

6. Freshly Dyed Hair - my hair is dark brown and I dye it black every 3 weeks. I would quite like to try red but as I have been using permanent black my hair wouldn't take it. Anyway i love it when its perfect with no roots and of course I love good hair days in general as my hair is probably the most noticable thing about me. Sometimes I like to tie it up on my head at night so when I take it down in the morning it has that extra bit of Cheryl Cole lift.

7. A Good Read - I love it when I am reading a book and end up thinking about constantly when I have to tear myself away to do something else.

8. My Bed - I think a lovely long sleep is such a pleasure. Even better if you have a hot water bottle and fresh clean sheets.


9. Cupcakes - My mum makes the most gorgeous cupcakes and all manner of baked goods to keep me and the boyfriend going. It's lovely to have some comforting home baking, we always eat them straight away. This is one of the prettiest ones she made me.

10. Goodies in the Post - I am a bit of an online shopping addict and it's great when I have ordered something and the thought of it possibly waiting at home for me gets me through the day.

I am hopefully going back to work and getting back to normal on monday, then on wednesday its my birthday so that is something to look forward to. I have a family party next saturday and then the weekend after its nearly the boyfriend's birthday so we are having a joint celebration by way of a mexican meal out and cocktails. I feel like I have been in an illness bubble recently so I can't wait to get out!