My birthday presents, to myself...!

After I got Wah'd the other day I had some time to spare before meeting up with my boyfriend. So I partook in a little birthday indulgence.

I really needed to find something to wear for Saturday night clubbing but I actually had found a dress on ASOS that I'd ordered the night before. It was pretty cheap for £32 with a 20% discount and so I thought I'd better treat myself to a new pair of shoes. The dress I've ordered it this one, I'm hoping it will look good on. So I decided to try and get some coral/orange shoes to go with it.

Step up these beauties

I actually saw them online first and kind of just thought 'they'll do' but when I saw them in Topshop I was totally like 'OMG, got to have them'

I actually have the same shoes in black which I find really comfortable.

I will be totally devo'd if they don't match the dress or the dress is just plain horrible!

I did also buy another dress while I was in Toppers, but I don't have a picture of it at this moment in time.

I picked up this useful-but-not-very-exciting necklace too. I  love a long chain and it will go with everything!

 BORING!

I then toddled off to Selfridges I was after Peaches blush from MAC. But I totes forgot how much I hate the MAC in Selfridges, it's just really badly organised and you can never get any help. So I did a circle of the make-up stands and found this beaut from Nars - Gina

A fabulous matte peach/coral colour. I only realised the other day that most of my blushes have a shimmer in, I personally prefer shimmerless, especially for the day. So the matte-ness of this blush attracted me!

It's very pigmented so you have to blush with caution

Not a huge haul, but I was happy!

OVERDONE ALERT - MAC Wonder Women Collection

The problem is when you read so many blogs is that when a new collection comes out you can bet your bottom dollar that everyone will have swatched/reviewed it.

Therefore my post is very pointless, but I still enjoy swatches and new blog posts. So I will stuff the new Wonder Women collection down your throat once more, just in case you haven't seen enough of it!

Basically I like the packaging, I knew I'd be most upset if I didn't purchase anything from it. Nothing massively stood out to me, but I've been needing a new blush and a new lipgloss for a while....

It was by chance that I thought, 'hmmm maybe I'll have a look at the MAC website to see if there is any news on when the new collection drops' - and there it was, good timing! I got all ready to go out to my local MAC (actually not that local, a good 40mins drive) and then decided it would be too dangerous to step foot in MAC for my bank balance so I ordered online. Also, like I blogged about that day, Debenhams online have started doing MAC and were offering a 10% discount, which is amazing considering you never, ever get MAC discounts!

So here are my two products

I must say the packaging is my favourite thing - it has stars on the inside too!

Lipglass in Emancipation and Blush in Amazon Princess

Amazon Princess Blush - Swatches. Top - light section, Middle - dark section, Bottom - mixed 

I really, really wanted Mighty Aphrodite but it was sold out everywhere, and I didn't want to chance going into a MAC and finding both sold out. I almost didn't get this as I was unsure how dark it would be, but I'm pretty pleased I did. It just gives a nice pink blush without being over the top. I needed just a nice everyday blush without any sparkles, although the dark section has a very light shimmer to it. Plus I'm super stoked it has a mirror in! Winner

Lipglass in Emancipation

The size of this Lipglass is absolutely hilarious. I mean what the hell MAC? Why would I need a lipgloss this big? If they wanted to give more product then they could have just made it longer rather than wider. The applicator is huge - I mean look at it on my lip! Still I guess it gives full coverage in one swipe of the lips! Size, aside it is a really nice colour. A neutral pink with a shimmer, the gloss itself lasts 2 hours or so but leaves a lovely shimmer behind which lasted more like 6 hours. Whilst it might not be the most interesting lip colour it is something that I can wear everyday and me confident that it looks good!

So that's it really, too good everyday products from a much hyped collection. I'm glad I joined the hype!

I've Been Very Boring

Lately I've been very boring on the buying front.

The reason being that I am determined to pay off my overdraft, which is a hefty amount of £2000 left over from my days as a student. I was actually supposed to pay it off by October last year, but I managed to persuade the guy at my bank to extent it until March. One up for womanly charms, haha!

March is rapidly approaching and I am actually almost there. The tragic thing is that I have nearly £2000 sitting there in my bank account, that is actually my money that I earned good and proper. But it's not really mine, if it were though.......

Do you know what I could buy with that amount of money?

A Chanel 2.55

A Mulberry Alexa

Or some Christian Louboutin Banana Pumps in Nude

The list goes on, and on. Sigh...............

I am holding firm though and although every time I go shopping I'm sorely tempted to spent a few hundred in MAC I haven't done so, so far! Hark I even went to Oxford Street today and only spent £40!

However at the beginning of the month I did actually do a little shop and got a few little bits. Nothing exciting, but I haven't done a haul post in a while.

So here we are (sorry about the picture quality)

Benefit - Bella Bamba
Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink
MAC lipsticks in Viva Glam Gaga and Hue
Soap&Glory - Wish Upon a Jar
Lush Magic Mushroom

Now to start off Bella Bamba was brought using my Boots advantage points, so therefore it was free. And, er, the rest? Well they were all very important purchases that I needed to function properly (yes, Suzi, keep telling yourself that)

Bella Bamba

I knew I was going to get this before I even saw the colour, it could have been bright purple and I still would have purchased it. You see, I have a 'thing' for Benefit boxes. Choosing blush is my one downfall, I can never get it right, but Benefit just do the hard work for me. Plus the box is so pretty, it smells like watermelon and it has a new brush!

Personally I haven't used it that much, it is an absolutely gorgeous pink with gold shimmer in, but I've just been going for corals and slightly more orange blushes lately. It's the whole blonde hair, pink lips, eyeliner-ed eyes that make me think pink blush is a little too much at the moment.

But anyway, a must buy if you are a fan of Benefit. Plus it really does seem to give a 3D look, almost like my cheeks look fuller and plumper.


Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner

I love a gel eyeliner, and this was just a repurchase. I find that Bobbi has a better shelf life than MAC but in regards to the consistency and wear it's pretty much a dead heat. I don't use gel liner everyday so it's important to me that it doesn't dry up after a few weeks, which is why Bobbi wins! As gel eyeliners go MAC and Bobbi are very good and I've not found anything better.

MAC lipsticks

Hue & Viva Glam Gaga

I knew I wanted Hue, I've seen a few bloggers blog about it with love. It's a glaze so it's almost sheer but does give a lovely nude-y gloss on the lips. Nothing special but an easy everyday kind of lippy (urgh I hate the word 'lippy'), I've said before that my lips are quite red naturally, so one coat of this doesn't do much, but a couple of slicks does the magic

Viva Glam Gaga was one that I'd not heard much about, well actually I had but chose to ignore it. I have a Viva Glam that I got a long while ago and it just conjures up images of badly applied make-up, so I guess I associate it with that. But whilst browsing  the lipstick section I picked it up a swatched. It's a lovely girly pink and can be built up to give more colour. Good purchase if you like your pinks


I'm not going hark on anymore. I'll do a proper post on the Soap&Glory Wish Upon a Jar. A the Lush Magic Mushroom is okay, nice pink bath but doesn't smell of much. The video is awesome though. Cute right?!

Hope everyone is planning some fab weekends!

Filling a hole, and opening another right back up

Last week I went to the dentist, just for an innocent little check up and tooth polish? Sadly not. My dentist found a dreaded hole and also managed to make time for me to have it filled in during the appointment. I have no problem with dentists, fillings or injections. But the three of them together is a little bit overkill. Especially as the injection of local anaesthetic in my gum not only made my cheek and mouth numb, but also my whole neck and tongue. I was like a big slobbering mess, it was tres tragic.

As I was feeling so very sorry for myself, I decided to go shopping. So there we have it, my resolution to save money this year has already crashed and burned. I'd actually sneakily been eyeing up these beauts

River Island £59.99

Or a similar pair from Topshop. I like loafers, especially loafers with heels. But, alas, it was not to be, neither my local River Island or Topshop stocked them, so they'll have to be on the wish list until I shop further afield.

No matter though, because instead I got all this.

Topshop (and a smidge of H&M) haul

......but wait? What's that snakeskin print thing in the corner....a top?.....a scarf?......wait a minute, it's not......is it? YES! It is ladies and gents, that is a pair of bonafide snakeskin print leggings......Oh I see....slowly edges away.

Let me just give an explanation here. I have been keen on buying a pair of patterned trousers/leggings for a while now but never really gave it much thought in terms of patterns. So I saw these and thought, ah ha! Printed leggings, and proceeded to carry them around the store without trying them on. When I got to the till they happened to, kind of be, still in my hands.......

Oh snakeskin leggings , how I want to hate you, but when I put you on you make me feel like doing some kind of crazy interpretive dance, you are so comfy and have given me an illusion of a slightly bigger arse. Which must mean they are magical leggings. Let me just show you my leggings on, so you too can marvel in there glory

Granted they are ridiculous. I have limited options to wear with them and realistically they can't be worn that often without people being like 'oh, there's that nutter again in her snakeskin leggings', plus I dread to think what my boyfriend will say. But they were £22 so I don't care. Even if they never see the light of day I'll still be wearing them for my in room dance sessions. 

Conveniently they also match with my new Topshop jacket, kinda seen in the above pictures and here.

 Image from Topshop.com

If ever a jacket wanted to be leather it's this jacket. So soft, almost buttery. But leather it is not, not for £58 it isn't anyway. This in black leather is my idea jacket, as the shearling detail is removable, but this in beige plastic is pretty nice too. I think I might just keep the tag on for a bit though, I'm a bit scared that I'll find everybody has this jacket, because of the price and the fact I found it in my local Topshop, which isn't very big.

Also in the line up are a pair of ribbed knitted cream over-the-knee socks. I actually want a pair of tights like this but I'm not really having much luck, so these will suffice until I do.

Lastly a felt trilbly style hat, £7.95, H&M, I like that it's plain. And cheap!

So did I get over my filling? Yes, but it left a big hole in my purse!

Soap and Some Fur

Here is said haul from last weeks sale/meant to be getting birthday presents/oops accidently shopped for me trip! Like I said not very exciting.

 

Krispy Kreme is probably the most exciting thing here, and let me tell you, it was gooood.

Top - H&M Fake fur collar. L-R Krispy Kreme doughnut (hole with sprinkles, in case you wondered), No. 7 eyebrow pencil, Lush Karma bubble bar, Lush Cinders bath ballistic, Lush Figs and Leaves soap, Lush Oatifix facemask. 

See? Not exciting.....

Still, as it's you guys, I'll do a little review of everything

H&M Fake Fur Collar

I don't have a good picture of this, it didn't photograph very well. But I do have an outfit post with it coming up soon. It's basically just a large piece of brown fur with a clasp at the front. I actually was attempting to buy a brown fur coat but couldn't find one, so this was next best. It's actually amazing, looks great over jackets and macs and sort of gives my old jackets a new lease of life. Very pleased, £10 well spent!

No.7 Beautiful Brows pencil in 10 black/brown

This will forever and always be my eyebrow pencil of choice. I am severely lacking in the eyebrow department and have used this pencil for years. I like the texture of it, it goes on some smooth making it easy to use. Plus it's only £2.50 with the Boots £5 off No.7 vouchers that they do all the time.

Lush


Karma Bubble Bar

My favourite Lush smell. So fresh, it's gorgeous. I actually got the Gorilla Perfume for Christmas in Karma too which is equally as amazing. Makes the bath bubbly and orange. You need this in your life!

Cinders Ballistic

I won't say much on this as it's Christmas stock, it was half price. Smells like Christmas candy, so yum. They bring it out every Christmas I believe. Put it on your wish list for next Xmas!

Figs and Leaves

I've never brought a Lush soap before. I'm not a hard soap kinda girl. But this was half price too and smelt lovely. I like figs a lot, plus it promised to soften skin. I used it in the bath the other day and was pretty happy with it. Looks pretty grim though! It's inspired me to used soap more often, haha, I sound like I'm really dirty or something! I mean soap rather that shower gel!


Oatifix Facemask

 

I have expressed my love for facemasks before. This is soothing, smells like flapjack mixture, I am tempted to eat some, probably not wise though. Just softens and makes skin feel nice.

I also recieved my order from HQHair last week. They had a 30% off sale after Christmas, which was fab because it included Nars. Unfortuantly the Nars products I wanted were out of stock so I just got few bits and pieces. I'm silly for not getting more but I think I was in a rush at the time and wanted to get my order in before the offer ran out.

May I just comment on how good HQHair is, they do some really hard to find products on there and shipping is usually free and super fast.

Murad Hydrating Toner

I've never used Murad products before, but have heard good things. 

I needed a new toner and wasn't sure where to go for one, but I saw this one on the website, it looked good and I'm trying to step away from drying, spot killing, all singing, all dancing toners as I don't think they are helping me. 

Whats weird about this toner is that it's a spray! I've never used a spray toner, I have to psych myself up on cold mornings to spray it on my face as it make me chilly! Actually though it's a pretty good idea, the pump does well at covering all my face in the toner, then you just wipe it with a cotton pad (or you can just let it dry, lets just say I don't have time to let things air dry in the morning!) and I guess you could say it is invigorating! It's hard for me to comment on the effectiveness of it because I've only been using for a week but it's very gentle on my skin, makes it feel very clean and smells really good. Plus the spray action means that you use less so it lasts longer. Seriously I've only used the tiniest amount in the bottle so far! I'm sticking with it for now. I'm quite intrigued to try more Murad products. Anyone have any experience in them?

Butter London nail polish in Henley Regatta

Butter London is another product I've heard lots about, mainly from this lovely lady, but never used. I'm not sure where you can buy it from shop wise, I've never seen it in any stores, but it's easy to come by on the web. It boosts being '3 free' i.e. no nasties and is a mid to high end polish costing £10 a bottle. 

I chose this colour, because, er, well it's gorgeous?! I cannot resist a bit of glitter! I haven't painted all my nails in it yet but in desperate to do my tootsies. So far on the one thumb nail I swatched, no chipping, 2-3 coats needed for coverage and a lovely sheen without a topcoat (but do remember it is a shiny glitter!)

Another brand that I'm interested in now, will defiantly purchase some more colours!

The night owl...gets the shoes?

Posts have been lacking due to my money going on Christmas presents this month. Which I'm guessing is the same for most of us!

I've have obviously managed to pick up a few little bits for myself for all my hard work. Including a E.L.F haul (video coming soon - hopefully - urgh technology!) an amazing woollen cape from Topshop, and last night, these beauties.

River Island £89.99 - reduced to £55

I say last night because I worked a night shift. There aren't many advantages of being nocturnal, but Internet sales starting at around 2am has to be one. Luckily it was very quiet at work last night and doing my usual Internet shopping rounds I stumbled across the River Island website - displaying a banner saying it was updating the website for the Christmas sale....15minute website refreshing ensued (like I said...quiet)

When the sale actually went 'live' I wasn't all that impressed. I put a few bits in my 'basket' but took them out, remembering the golden rule...

"if you didn't want it full price do you really want it half price?"

But then I hit the shoe section. I've been lusting after these boots since they came out late autumn. I've tried them on a couple of times but have been put off by the price tag and colour. I mean red boots don't go with everything, plus I'd already purchased my staple winter boots for the year. That didn't stop me from stroking them every time I went into a RI though.

Finally they will be mine, granted in one size too big, but thick socks are very fashionable, right?!

Snow bored.....

I managed to get into work today, but it was a horrible scary 20 minute journey and I have decided that car trips in the snow will be for emergencies only i.e. work. Plus the slight problem of parking in a pile of snow, rendering my car stuck, until some gentleman digs me out i.e. dad, pretty much means I'm trapped inside. I actually hate snow. So bored. So here is a boring little haul that I picked up in Selfridges last week.

May I just add that I am in love with Selfridges. Love Love Love. That yellow bag always makes me smile.

Anyway here we go


H&M nail polishes (sorry obv not from Selfridges, got waylaid on the way there!) in Moody Model (greeny blue) and Miss Stone Heart (grey).

Great colours, love that they are both a solid and sparkle free. Miss Stone Heart is 1 coat friendly and wears pretty good. Whilst Moody Model is almost 'watery' and needs a good 3 coats to be solid, meaning that it chipped very quickly. Which is a shame because I love the colour. Maybe its a dodgy batch?

MAC brush 188. Using it for stippling my foundation, its quite small which means that I can get into all my crevaces! Fab, as all MAC brushes are.

Clinique Redness Solutions foundation in calming neutral. Amazing coverage for me. I've never found Clinique foundations very good at hiding my blemishes but this does the job. It's a perfect colour for me and has good staying power. I'll probably do a post on this as I'm so pleased. Makes up for my YSL disappointment.

Laura Mercier loose setting powder in translucent. I've never been a powder wearer as I hate the chalky appearance it can give. But decided to get some of this as I'd heard good things. The jury is still out, I'm yet to go on a night out wearing so I can't really review it properly. I've been using it during the day without too much chalkiness and I guess my make-up does last longer, but I'm not raving about it so far!

Shoppers Block

After very little sleep last night I set out for my shopping trip with a spring in my step, a song in my heart and a credit card in my purse.

I returned bags-o-plenty, but with a feeling of guilt on spending a little too much dosh. And as the bags have been opened and the new purchases flung on the floor, I'm actually starting to feel a bit depressed. The day had such promise......


So I got the aformentioned wedges. During my sleepless night I had already pretty much made up my mind that they were to be mine. I'm having second thoughts though, the colour is a beaut but they only really go with jeans and although I know they will be worn, will I actually get near £90 worth of wear out of them?

Whilst I was in River Island, I duelly noted that there sale had started today, I couldn't be bothered to go through the clothes section but had a browse through the sale shoes. Where I came across these boots. I've wanted a pair of flat, lace up boots for winter and these seemed like a good idea. Size 5, perfect. Random lady commented on how nice they looked. Gay SA (well I presumed he was gay, he was wearing UGGs) reassured me that, no, they didn't look like moon boots and that he was upset that they went on sale today as they were his favourite style. Plus the fact they were £30 (from £74.99) all equates to a purchase for me. However I overlooked the small detail of them being white. Can anyone get away with white boots? No. I think is the answer to that question. Perfect fitting and cheap or not these bad boys are going back to the store.



My last RI buy was a cape. Tricky to pull off but we all know capes are en Vogue for the season and it was £59.99. Unfortuantly I found it on the 'buy it now' rail or whatever its called. Alerting me to the fact that they only had one left, in a size 12. I usually wear size 6-8, but its a cape right? It's one size fits all surely? Plus the pipeing matches my new wedge/boots perfectly.....If I keep them



Oh and I also snaffled this ring, very McQueen, £4 and I cannot resist a ring, or 3.



My other purchases included a dress for saturday night (doesn't fit), YSL Touche Eclat (and 'Top Secret' eye depuffer, that I probably didn't need and got talked into buying) a very good copy of the Louis Vuitton leopard stole and a black tassle clutch (that is a little OTT in retrospect) both from H&M and a red riding hood halloween outfit (more on that later, possibly)

So I guess slightly sucessful, but overwhellmingly disappointing.