Forgot to mention... Forever 21

I forgot to mention that I also bought this from Forever 21 on Friday. It was only £7.80 and is so cute, I can't wait for it to arrive!

One day, two outfits...

POSEPOSEPOSE...

Daytime;

Evening;

Purchases to report, again...

Yesterday, I finally got paid for some work I did in October. This could mean only one thing; shopping! I made a couple of posts a while back about two pairs of wedges that I'd found and couldn't choose between, so was super excited to find a pair in Office that (imho) took the best features of each pair. Even better, they had £30 off so were only £37! Here's a picture;

I also treated myself to a super-cute heart print pussybow blouse from New Look, £22.99;

Final treat was a forest green scoop neck top from Topshop, which was £10. It's gorgeous and comes in many colours, but I couldn't resist the green one as it's my favourite colour;

No more shopping until after Christmas now...

Purchases to report...

I went shopping with my birthday money this morning and came back with these beauties;

Topshop animal print jumper dress, £42

Topshop seam front leggings, £18

Accessorize floral heart earrings, £6

Accessorize "Aztec" nail polish, £4

I've had the jumper bookmarked for weeks so I was really pleased to find it in Cheltenham Topshop. The leggings are great too - the seam front makes them a bit different to the usual black leggings! I also had a lovely breakfast with friends, and a steaming cup of Earl Grey in Costa. A good day so far, having a Thai meal with my husband and my parents later on which I am really looking forward to.

Birthday birthday birthday birthday birthday!

It's my birthday today (28! Can't believe it!) so I thought I'd share the presents that my lovely husband bought for me. Well, not share exactly as I love them all too much to give away...

He also bought me a gorgeous necklace from Accessorize that I can't find a picture of ANYWHERE! It's a tiny white rabbit in a black top hat, on a long gold chain. It's great and really "me"!

I think you will agree that I have been thoroughly spoilt! Or is it spoiled? I'm never sure.

Images are from Google Images.

Quick! 15% of Benefit Cosmetics UK! 4 days only!

Just been emailed this offer and thought it might appeal to some of you! I am tempted to order another The POREfessional even though I have loads left... Also tempted by:

Confessions of a Concealaholic palette, £28.50 before discount

BAD Gal Plum, £15.50 before discount

Benetint lip balm SPF15, £13.50 before discount

Might get some birthday money tomorrow, so we'll see! Only have four days to decide...

Go here to order!

NOTD: OPI Let Me Entertain You (Burlesque Collection)

I fell in love with OPI's Burlesque Collection as soon as I saw it online. A collection of gorgeous glitters and shimmery sheens, what's not to love? I ordered a few from the US (eBay is your friend) and Let Me Entertain You was the first to arrive, so naturally it was the first to be used. It is a beautiful pink shade with very fine fucshia glitter running throughout. It looked great after one coat, but I put a second on just to ensure the coverage was even. I love OPI polishes as they apply so easily and the layer always seems so even no matter how cack-handed you application. It was very difficult to get a good picture of this and mine certainly do it no justice, but here goes;

Taken in natural light - daytime

Taken in artificial light - evening

Taken in natural light - daytime

Beautiful! I am now very excited about receiving my next shades from the collection. Here is a picture of the full range, taken from Angel's Beauty Supply, an American site with a huge range of OPI shades;

Top row, left to right: Simmer & Shimmer, Show It & Glow It, Sparkle-icious, Let Me Entertain You, Ali’s Big Break, Tease-Y Does It.

Bottom row, left to right: Bring On The Bling, Glow Up Already, Extra-Va-Ganza, Rising Star, Take The Stage, The Show Must Go On. 

I have ordered Sparkle-icious (hoping it will be similar to my precious OPI Mad As A Hatter, although I know it is a bit brighter), Bring On The Bling and Simmer & Shimmer, but I would be quite happy with any of them, to be honest...

Topshop wishlist

Lots of lovely things on the Topshop website at the moment! I've picked my top three;

BUG OVERLAY COLLAR

Price: £25.00

LEOPARD VINTAGE FAUX FUR COAT

Price: £98.00

CHAIN BACK DETAIL GRADUATED HEM CHIFFON DRESS

Price: £75.00

I seem to have picked three things that would go really well together - most unlike me!

Comfort food

It's SO COLD here, so I needed something hearty for my tea to warm me up! What could be better than a huge pile of roasted vegetables with chunks of feta cheese? Answer: nothing.

Yum. I used red pepper, courgette, red onion, mushroom and aubergine. I also added a seeded tortilla wrap to mop up the roasting juices!

Want: Pearl Lowe for Peacocks Dress

I am desperate to get my hands on this dress from the Pearl Lowe for Peacocks range when it is released on November 14th;

It will be priced at £45, which is a little more than I'd pay for an everyday dress but I think it's worth it as it looks very versatile. Only trouble is, I don't know what size to order! I am usually a size 10, but have read that the Pearl Lowe ranges are normally quite large so I don't know whether to order an 8 instead.

NOTD: Me Me Me Proud

I've been looking for a khaki nail varnish for a while now, so was pleased when I found this one in Superdrug for the princely sum of £4.50. It is made by Me Me Me (a brand I haven't tried before) and the shade is "83 Proud". First impressions weren't that great, to be honest. The brush was awful - far too thick and ungainly for my skinny nails - and the first coat was patchy and pale. But then something fabulous happened; on application of the second coat, the pale and yellowy shade was transformed into a fabulously shiny khaki hue with no streaks at all. Here are two pictures; please excuse the dink on my index finger, I have since touched this up!

Me Me Me had quite a few interesting colours on their stand in Worcester Superdrug, and I will definitely be trying more. I'd rate this at 3.5/5, it would have been more but the brush really is terrible and the shade is slightly yellower on the nails than it is in the bottle. Fine, but not quite what I was after!

Well, these have really thrown a spanner in the works...

I posted a few days ago about some lovely Office wedges I'd seen. I haven't got round to buying them yet as it's my birthday next week and I am waiting to see if I get any birthday money! Just been browsing the ASOS website as I have a 20% off code and saw these beauties, which have really thrown a spanner in the works;

 

How lovely are they?! They are £60, so would be £48 after the 20% discount. Hmmm...

NOTD: Nails Inc Savile Row

Like every other nail polish addict in the country, I was excited to hear that Glamour magazine was giving away a free bottle of Nails Inc nail polish with its December issue. I am not really a fan of Nails Inc, but I am a sucker for free things, even if it means I have to buy a magazine I normally avoid! I picked up Savile Row, as I already have similar shades to the other three polishes and thought it looked like a nice shade in the bottle. Just put it on now and, as is often the case with Nails Inc polishes, I am pretty disappointed. The polish is thick and gloopy, making it tricky to apply. The finish is uneven. It also refused to dry, so I have already taken it off.

The colour is really lovely, but that is the only redeeming feature. I'm glad I didn't pay the full price...

Here's a picture, which actually shows how gloopy and uneven the polish is;

It doesn't look like I took much care and attention applying it, does it?! But I promise I did!

 All in all, not impressed. Definitely not going to buy more copies of the magazine to get the other colours.

FOTD: Sunday Lunch Look (and Blog Award: One Lovely Blog)

Going to my parents for Sunday lunch in a little while - can't wait!

Here's my face...

Primer - Benefit The POREfessional

Foundation - MAC Pro Longwear in NW20

Concealer - MAC Select in NW20

Lipstick - MAC Hot Gossip

Eyeshadow - MAC Shroom

Eyeliner - Urban Decay 24/7 Electric

I know it's a rubbish photo, but my blog is in the background and that automatically makes it ok...


Edit on 2/01/2011...


I was just having a proper read of the lovely Emma's blog, Cupcakes you say...?, when I came across an award she'd given to little old me - the One Lovely Blog award! Emma, if you see this I am so sorry I didn't spot this and mention it before. I'm adding it in here as it was awarded on 7/11/2010 and I wrote this post on that day.

Shoe lust

Ohhh, I should know better than to persuse the Office website when I am bored. I have now decided that I NEED these shoes;

 

Office, £47.

How good would they look with a mini dress, slouchy cardigan and thick black tights? It's my birthday in two weeks - might have to treat myself...

NOTD: Topshop Gypsy Night & Topshop Matte Topcoat

I have been trying to get my hands on Topshop's Gypsy Night polish for months now, so I was very pleased to find it in Oxford Topshop yesterday. As soon as I got in, I removed my China Glaze Midnight Mission (even though it was still perfect...) and put this on. It is GORGEOUS shade; gold, bronze, green and red glitter flecks in a thinnish black base. It needed two coats for the black to be opaque, but I am used to putting two coats of polish on so this didn't bother me. I then decided to add a matte topcoat as I really like matte shimmer effects. Unfortunately I forgot to take a before picture, but here are a few shots of Gypsy Night and the matte topcoat;

I love it! The pictures really don't show just how lovely it is. 

Both polishes cost £5 and can be bought from the Topshop website.

I really like the Topshop nail polishes as they are cheap, come in a variety of unique colours, apply easily and last for days on the nails. I just wish they were available in my local store!

NOTD: China Glaze Midnight Mission

Used the final shade of my China Glaze Vintage Vixen set this evening, and I really think I saved the best 'til last. It's a glorious navy blue shade packed with tiny flecks of silver glitter, which shines beautifully on the nails. The glitter is very subtle, and the polish is all the better for it. Usual China Glaze - perfect in two coats, glides on easily. Two pictures, first with flash, second without;

As I said a few days ago, this collection was my first foray into the world of China Glaze. After using these shades and being so impressed with the quality of all of them, I think I can safely say that it won't be my last. Better send a nice letter to my bank manager, then...

A new skirt...

I treated myself to a new skirt at the weekend. Nothing unusual there, except for the fact that this particular skirt is the first maxi skirt I have bought since about 1994. This time, I won't be wearing it with fake Dr Martens and chunky socks, though. It's not something I'd normally go for, but I couldn't resist the pattern (to me it looks like insect legs, which appeals to the biologist in me) and I was also so surprised that something in a "normal" range was long enough for me that I just couldn't leave it on the shelf for someone else to snap up!

I got it in the Dorothy Perkins sale and it cost £10 - a bargain, I think you'll agree. I'm wearing it now with a loose-fitting pussy bow top from Gap and my favourite long navy Topshop cardigan. I love it.

Helpless Romantic

I have a bit of an obsession with jewellery, especially quirky, individual pieces. For a couple of years now, I have been eyeing up pieces made by the talented people at Helpless Romantic but have never quite got round to making an order - I always have too many of their items in my shopping basket and can't decide which ones to keep and which ones to remove! I have been looking at their website again this evening and have narrowed it down to these pieces...

 The Unshakeable Etch necklace - £28

 The 250 necklace - £18

Black Widows necklace - £20

So, which should I get? Just remembered that I DO have a Helpless Romantic piece in my collection, but I actually got this from a little shop in Edinburgh on my honeymoon. It's this one and I LOVE it, always gets compliments when I wear it!

 High Tea on my Chest necklace/brooch set - £15

All jewellery can be purchased from Helpless Romantic's website.