Give A Little Love (This Christmas!)

I've been a little absent from the blogging scene for nearly a month now, and am giving myself a slap on the wrists for being so bad!
However, I decided to get my a**e in gear to make this video, as it's about something I had great fun doing and hope you may feel inspired to do the same :-)
**VIDEO REMOVED**
I'm aware the sound and video aren't quite in time with each other, and I have no idea why :-( But I really hope you stuck with it and hopefully got a general idea of what I was going on about!
Here's a few pictures I took of all the goodies before whisking them away to a very deserving cause this afternoon - it's a real fest of all things girly!...






So I hope you might just fell inspired to give a little love this Christmas too, in whatever way you can :-)
xx

These boots are made for walkin'!

You know when you buy something and you like it so much that you have to keep looking at it?! Well that's how I feel about my latest purchase - my gorgeous boots from River Island :-) I keep popping into my bedroom to get another peak! ('sad' springs to mind...)

I was in Watford supposedly shopping for Christmas presents recently, but 'accidentally' wandered into River Island and picked these beauties up for myself...

I've been after a new pair of boots for a few weeks now, what with the colder weather n all. These were just what I've been looking for as they're flat (I can't be doing with heels on a daily basis), a lovely tan colour, and have fur, which is just everywhere at the moment.

Now this might sound strange coming from someone who shops a lot, but the £44.99 I spent on these is the biggest amount of money I've spent on any single item in ages. Although I buy quite a lot, I normally shop in sales and am a bit of a bargain hunter. However, I reckon they're great value for money. They're really good quality and I think they'll be pretty versatile.

They should be perfect for work as well as play, and I think I can wear them with a whole range of looks. Also, as well as wearing them with all the fur showing you can turn them up so they look more like boxing boots, to give another look again.

I am tres happy with my new purchases and can't wait to debut them at work a some point this week :-)

But from now on I think I need to be kept on a tight leash on Christmas shopping expeditions, and remember I'm supposed to be buying for other people! I think it's probably best that I avoid River Island then...

xx

A Nail Revolution!

As I've said on here many times before, I'm no beauty expert. I love getting all dressed up, but I lack a bit of confidence in the make up area and so tend to stick to the same routine on a daily basis. The one thing I do like to play around with is nail varnish, because that seems far less scary to me and I figure you can't go too far wrong :-)

I own quite a lot of nail varnishes and tend to buy a new one and wear it religiously for a couple of weeks. However, the nail varnish I bought recently has to be one of my favourite ever nail purchases - I've just never seen anything like it.

I'm sure you've read many reviews on different blogs about Barry M's Nail Effects so I won't bore you too much with the details, but basically, for those of you that don't know, the idea is that you paint your nails a base colour of your choice (it doesn't have to be a Barry M polish), let it dry, and then over the top paint the Nail Effects black polish. Then, before your very eyes, it dries and starts to crack, leaving a really cool finish.

I've tried it out with a few different base colours, and so far my favourite has to be Toasted Almond by 17. I think it looks really good with the black Nail Effects over the top, and almost gives a bit of a leopard print feel.

I've had so many compliments since I've been wearing it, and I telling people all about it who haven't heard of it yet - I feel very 'in the know'! One random thing I really like about it (and I probably shouldn't admit this!) is that when your nails start to chip you don't really notice it so much, so you can keep hanging on for those extra few days! There's a lazy girl's review for you!

Overall, this is one of my very favourite new products ever and I'm a total convert :-)

Good one Barry M - you've really excelled yourselves with this little baby! xx

Heavenly Haul

Hola Chicas!

Firstly I should say that I haven't gone AWOL! My recent absence from the blogosphere has been due to my poorly mac, which had to be fixed in the apple shop. But it's now back fighting fit and I'm once again ready to rock n roll!

After getting my hands on a few new purchases recently, I thought I'd do a lil haul post for you :-) I managed to get a few sale bargain as well as some really useful items that should be perfect for work. So here goes...

Poodle Beanie Hat - Topshop -£2

I was very happy to stumble across a Topshop outlet store in Slough the other week - I didn't know these even existed. I'm trying to build up my stash of winter accessories to make the thought of the colder weather a little bit more bearable. And for £2, what a bargain!

Gold Leaf Necklace - Republic - £2

A girl can never have too much jewellery! What more can I say...

Motif T-Shirt - New Look - £4

Since starting work I've got a little bored of dressing sensibly 5 out of 7 days a week, so on the other two days I'm starting to want to be a little bit more fun with what I wear. I thought this was super cute (look at the little bow in the girl squirrel's hair) and I just couldn't resist :-)

Beige Cardigan - New Look - £16

So this cardigan isn't the most exciting thing I've ever bought, but it will be really useful for work. I'm wearing a lot of basics for work at the moment, made a bit more interesting and adding colour with scarves and jewellery.

Maxi Skirt - New Look - £12

I was lusting after this maxi skirt when it was full price, so when it was reduced to £12 in the sale I just had to get it. I think the colours are lovely and its perfect for this time of year.

Skinny Trousers - Dorothy Perkins - £25

I was in need of some trousers for work that were smart but still casual (if that makes sense!). These fitted the bill nicely and are super comfy - shame I saw them reduced in the sale yesterday for £15 :-(

What have you guys been buying recently? Any good sale bargains or cute winter purchases?

xx

My Summer Faves!

So I've finally (reluctantly) admitted to myself that summer is over, after having to turn the heating on for the first time this week, digging out all my winter clothes and starting to browse the shops for scarves, hats and ear muffs. In doing so, I thought it might be a nice idea to do a post on what have been my 'summer faves', to point out what have been my favourite new purchases, the items I just haven't stopped wearing and my bargain buys of Summer 2010, before they are banished to the back of my wardrobe for winter! On that note, on to business...

My favourite... first!

Now I'm sure this might sound strange to many of you, but before this summer I'd never owned a pair of ballet pumps of any description. I'd just never found a pair that were cute AND comfortable. Well, that was until I discovered these little beauties for £12 in Tesco. I think the combination of bows, leopard print and jewels is so tacky that it just about works! I've worn these shoes so much this summer and am yet to find a second pair of pumps that lives up to them!

My favourite... bargain!

If we're talking on a cost-per-wear basis, my absolute bargain of the summer just has to be this floral dress from the G21 range at Asda :-) It cost £7 and I have worn it soooo many times! The great thing about it is how versatile it is - I've worn it for a job interview, nights out and just chilling in the daytime. It's so easy to transform with different shoes and accessories. It was perfect for those days when I couldn't really think what to wear, as I new I could just put this on, and with the right accessories and shoes it would be prefect for whatever I was doing - I need to get myself a winter equivalent!

My favourite... 'unusual' outfit!

My favourite outfit that I've only ever worn once and am 99.99% sure I'll never wear again is my graduation outfit, which I wore back in July for my graduation ceremony :-) After 4 years hard work (and a lot of fun!) it was a great feeling getting the gown and mortar board on - we had finally done it! I thought I might feel a bit silly wearing it, but I think you really get into the festivities of the day, and are so proud of what you and all your friends have done that it feels like such an accomplishment to finally be wearing it :-)

My favourite... freebie!

Between graduation in July and starting my new job last week I had a lot of lovely spare time over the summer months, and one of the things I busied myself with was entering lots of competitions (random I know!). I was pretty successful anyway, and won a whole plethora of goodies, from make up to vouchers, and hair products to teapots! However, my favourite win just has to be this gorgeous dress from Tesco's couture range which I originally reviewed here. I'm still waiting for the perfect occasion to wear it, but I just can't wait to do so - I think it's so pretty :-)

My favourite.... 'special' purchase!

My absolute favourite purchase of the summer overall has to be the dress I bought back in June for my Graduation Ball. Some of you may have followed my search for the right dress for the occasion, and I just knew when I lay my eyes on this Karen Millen number that it was 'the one'! I LOVED everything about it - the cut, the colour, the detailing - I just thought it was perfect. I felt really good in it, which I think is the most important thing when dressing up for a special occasion as confidence really shines through :-) And it was only £55 which I think for a dress like that is pretty darn reasonable! If you want to see more pics from that night you can look at the post I wrote back in June here.

So there we have it - my favourites of the summer :-) I hope you've liked this post. If you have, maybe I can make this sort of post a more regular thing.

What have been your favourite items from your wardrobe this summer? And what are you most excited about wearing this winter? I need some inspiration, as at the moment I'm pretty depressed at the thought of cold weather!

xx

The Look Show!

Morning all,

I hope you are all believers in the saying 'better late than never', because I'm eventually posting my review of The Look Show which took place nearly two weeks ago :-/ It's quite long (with a lil video at the end!), so grab a cuppa and enjoy...

I was one very happy (and lucky!) bunny when I got an email from New Look telling me I'd won a pair of tickets to The Look Show - an event hosted by Look magazine showcasing the hottest collections for Autumn/Winter from all our high street favourites. I'd never been to a fashion show of any description before so it's true to say I was positively bursting with excitement before the big day!

I didn't have much idea about what to expect so I spent ages umm-ing and ahh-ing over what to wear. As New Look had given me the tickets, I thought I should show my loyalty and so plumped for my New Look t-shirt, skirt and jacket. This is the ensemble I eventually ended up in...

Jacket - New Look

Tshirt -New Look

Skirt - New Look

Boots - Tesco

I also wore this gorgeous necklace that I got from Primark for £3. I've seen quite a lot of turquoise jewellery around recently, so I thought I'd add this little baby to my collection :-)

With my friend Fay as my plus one, we headed off to the Saatchi Gallery where the event was being held - a very ooh-la-la venue in Chelsea (I could get used to this life very quickly!)

Once past the burly bouncers and relieved to find our names were on the guestlist, we navigated our way to the champagne and canapes. With an hour to go until the show started we had time to people-watch and have a snoop around. The room was full of super stylish people dressed to impress, but it wasn't at all intimidating and bloggers, competition winners, models and people from all the brands mingled together.

There was even a handful of celebrities thrown in for good measure! We spotted the gorgeous (although a lot shorter than expected!) Shayne Ward, Callum Best, Ali Bastian, Una from the Saturdays (her hair is to die for!) and Joe McElderry amongst others. Although most people seemed to take being with all these famous people in their stride, I wasn't quite so cool! When I spotted Danielle Lloyd I couldn't resist asking for a photo - she was glowing and really pretty.

Whilst all this was going on, we were treated to some great musical entertainment. First up were 'The Like' who you can see in the picture. They looked and sounded brilliant, especially the lead singer who had an amazing voice. Next up was Gabriella Cilmi. She wore a gorgeous black lace dress, sounded great and had real stage presence - I was mucho impressed.

Just before the show started, Fay and I spotted this weird looking contraption...

It turned out to be a photo booth. But unlike any normal photo booth, this came complete with wind machine and instant airbrushing (no wonder the queue was so long!). After an initial unsuccessful attempt where we failed to notice the seat you were supposed to sit on and so ended up with pictures of our torsos, it was second time lucky and we ended up with some lovely pictures. If only my little digital camera could do this my Facebook pictures would be a whole lot more pleasing on the eye!

When 4pm struck we stopped with the schmoozing and settled down for the show. The basic format was a short video on the projector from one of the brands, followed by the models strutting their stuff in that store's outfits. It was really great to see clothes on the catwalk that were affordable and available on any high street. It really showed me that style isn't about how much money you spend, it's about how you wear things and the confidence you have.

The models were all stunning, and it was great to see some plus size beauties too. Fay and I went all 'Miss J' (of 'America's Next Top Model' fame) and were critiquing all their walks! But they did so well, made the clothes look gorgeous and successfully managed to stay upright on some ridiculously high heels!

There were pieces from all the collections that tickled my fancy, and New Look's was no exception. In fact, if it weren't for my huge student debt I would have happily toddled off to the nearest store and purchased the vast majority!

New Look's collection included faux fur (as I predicted in my entry to the competition!), cool hats and cute print dresses. The 70s were also clearly a huge influence with high waisted skirts and shorts, and bows on blouses. There was also a little bit of sparkle thrown in for good measure, which in my eyes is never a bad thing!

Even once the show over, the event wasn't finished yet! We were all treated to a great performance from Diana Vickers who rocked out despite being all alone on stage.

Eventually it was time for us to (reluctantly) head home. Fay and I parted ways, and as I sat on the train I had a rummage through the goody bag that we were all lucky enough to receive. Bursting at the seams with beauty goodies, discount vouchers and even some yummy chocolate to munch on the way home, we were extremely spoilt!

I slept soundly in my bed that night and had sweet dreams about fashion, celebrities and champagne!

I would really like to thank Look magazine for putting on a fantabulous event and, of course, major kisses to New Look for choosing me as a winner and giving me this great experience :-)

Throughout the day I also tried to record little snippets of videos, which I've combined below for your viewing pleasure!...

I could get used these events very quickly! Were any of you at The Look Show? DId you have a great time too?

xx

The wanderer returns... In Primark wedges!

Good afternoon lovelies, on this lazy Sunday (well it's pretty lazy for me anyway!)

Firstly I want to say sorry (cue puppy dog eyes) for my absence recently. As you'll know if you follow me on Twitter I've moved to a new part of the country recently and have been super busy making our flat feel like home (and getting a job in the process - yay!). Anyway, because I've been run off my feet I haven't written a post for over a week :-/

I promise to get my act together now we're all settled, and I still need to fill you in on all my goss from The Look Show I went to last week - better late than never! My post on that should be up real soon.

For now though, I just thought I'd do a really quick post on my latest purchase. Now I love Primark as much as the next bargain-hunting fashionista, but on my last few visits I haven't found anything that tickled my fancy. However, yesterday I grabbed (in a slightly aggressive manner I admit) the last pair of these beauties from the shelves...

I wouldn't normally dedicate a whole post to one item, but these just have to be one of my best buys in ages - I'm in love with them :-)

I've been reading everywhere that 'camel' is the colour for this season, so I really wanted to get myself some camel-coloured shoes. These ones are just perfect. They have a suede feel and wedge design, and in my opinion were a bargain at just £12!

I think they'll be perfect for my new job, as they look professional but are still young and on-trend (and comfy too, which will be important for all the traipsing round the office that I'm sure I'll be doing as I learn where everything is and no doubt get lost on my way to the canteen on my first day!)

What do you guys think? Have you got any good bargains in Primark recently?

Again, sorry for my lack of posts recently but now we're settled in the flat I'll be back and firing on all cylinders! If you have any requests of posts or videos you'd like to see, just let me know - I have a week until I start my new job so should have some time to get writing/filming :-)

Hope you all enjoy the rest of this lazy Sunday...

xx

Specs Appeal (or not, as the case may be!)

I'd always thought my eyesight was pretty good, so I was a little bit sad when I went to Specsavers a few days ago and was advised to get glasses :-( I don't have to wear them all the time though, just for 'concentrating tasks'... for some reason this makes me laugh, as I seem to concentrate a lot when straightening my hair, choosing an outfit etc, but I don't really think that's what they meant! Watching tv and being on the computer was more what they had in mind...

Anyways, as I won't have to wear the glasses that much I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I went for one of the cheapest pairs they have in Specsavers - these black rimmed ones at £25... (please don't laugh!)...

It's not that I don't like glasses. It's more that I like them on other people but don't like them on myself! Other people can make them look cool or sexy, but I'm not close to achieving either of these looks! But hey, if they help my peepers, then I'm all for them :-)

I'm slowly getting used to my spectacles (I love that word!) although I can only wear them in short periods at the moment. Adjusting my eyes should be achievable. Mastering looking cool/sexy/seductive may take a little while longer!

Now I'm off to plan my outfit for The Look Show on Friday. Let the deciding I hate all my clothes, throwing everything out of the wardrobe and crying, commence!...

xx

My First Fashion Show! Tres Excited!

Hello loves :-)

I have some very exciting news to share - this Friday I'll be attending my first ever fashion show! Needless to say, I'm a very happy and excited little bunny.

I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets to The LOOK Show in a blogging competition being run by New Look, who'll be showcasing some of their latest pieces at the event. To enter the comp, you had to write a short paragraph on your 'Top Autumn Trend Prediction'. As is always the case with me and these types of thing I got rather carried away, and instead of just writing a short paragraph this is the entry I submitted (you can click on it to see it bigger)...

New Look must have liked it, as I got an email earlier today saying I was one of their two winners :-) I'm so excited as I can't wait to see all the clothes, and apparently there'll be some celebs there too, and I do love a good ol' bit of celeb spotting! I'll be sure to post pics on here, and obviously I'll be writing a piece for the New Look blog too, so I'll post a link to that once it's up.

So now I'm off to find a friend to go with and, most importantly, decide what to wear! Any suggestions are most welcome...

xx

Getting DIY Design Confident!

As I had a few very lovely comments on a recent post I wrote about a table I bought from a car boot and decorated lovingly (you can see it here) I thought I'd show you my latest creation. Again, I plan to put this to use somewhere in our new flat which we move into soon.

This time round I bought a stool. Again, it was from a car boot and cost £2. It was a pretty basic and boring stool that wasn't in the best condition, so I wanted to give it a bit of a makeover!

This is the bit when I go all Blue Peter on you! he he. Here's me (looking rather scruffy I do apologise :-/) with all the bits and pieces I used. I needed...

- white paint - I just used one tester pot from B&Q which cost 98p

- coverlon (I don't know if it's actually called that, but that's what I call it! You know that sticky stuff you cover your books with at school. Sticky back plastic?)

- piece of wrapping paper

- 1 meter of beading

First up I painted the whole thing (except for the top) white. Obviously you could paint it any colour, but this just went with the look I was going for.

And here's one I made earlier!! I was so into what I was doing that I forgot to take pictures at each of the next steps! But basically I cut a circle of wrapping paper the same size as the top of the stool. Then I cut a slightly larger circle from coverlon, and stuck this to the top. You could then see the coverlon stuck down around the sides, so I superglued some beading around the edge to hide it.

And voila!!...

I think it looks really cute even if I do say so myself :-)

I actually think it's too nice to use as a stool now, so I might use it as a stand with a plant or something on and put it in the corner of the room.

I'm in the process of making over a couple more items that I've managed to get my little mitts on over the past few days, so if anyone is interested I'll post pics of them too. Let's just say I plan that one item will incorporate a feather boa!... should be interesting!

xx