Friday 31 December 2010

A New Year's Clothing Resolution...

I have realised that I buy too much and wear too little, so...

No more buying clothes or shoes (or nail polish, or unnecessary cosmetics*) for THREE MONTHS. You read it here first, unless you are a Facebook friend or on the LLL forum, in which case you read it here second or third...

I am also doing another Vegetarian January, just like I did last year. Actually, I did three months last year but the original intention was to do a month.



*I can buy replacements when things run out.

Thursday 30 December 2010

My eBay listings...

I have been very busy girl today and uploaded 58 items to eBay. I even had to use my husband's laptop so that I could use Turbo Lister, as eBay still haven't made a Mac compatible version and there was no way I was going to sit and write 58 separate listings! One slight annoyance though is that eBay has changed my carefully edited and styled listings into MASSIVE BLOCKS OF TIMES NEW ROMAN! Argh. I really hope it won't put people off. At least it's not Comic Sans, right?

You can find my items here - Office, Topshop and vintage shoes in sizes 6, 7 and 8 and Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Primark, Miss Selfridge, Oasis and vintage clothes in sizes 8 to 12. 

Edit - I just couldn't leave them as they were so just spent almost an hour changing the font to Verdana and centring (sp?) the descriptions! I am clearly insane.

Edit again - just added eight coats and jackets including a Ringspun one. In sizes 8 and 10 this time!

Wednesday 29 December 2010

Christmas baking

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Pear and almond sponge cake and mince pies

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Apple crumble pie

Close up of apple crumble pie

These all went down very well with everyone :)

Clothing and shoe clearout: DONE!

It has taken me about three hours, but I have sorted out ALL of my shoes and clothes into four piles:

- Keeping
- eBay
- Charity shop/clothing bank
- Bin

I can't believe how much stuff I had. For example, I binned 15 pairs of shoes and boots (all damaged beyond repair), have 15 pairs to put in the clothing bank, have 18 pairs to put on eBay and have kept 31. That's 79 pairs of shoes, boots and trainers. That's frankly ridiculous, and I have to say that I am thoroughly ashamed of myself for being so materialistic. I also now have a massive pile of clothes to put on eBay and a huge bag for the charity shop, and as a result of that I can now open all of my drawers again! 

I cannot allow myself to get to that stage again, so therefore I have set myself some new year's clothing resolutions, which are:

- Quality not quantity (one gorgeous expensive dress rather than four cheap ones)
- Buy a few pairs of knickers to replace the ones I have thrown away, but don't overbuy just because they are pretty
- No more cheap bras as they don't fit! Freya and Fantasie all the way
- NO MORE TIGHTS
- NO MORE CARDIGANS
- NO MORE SHOES
- Save up for and buy a fabulous pair of brown boots at some point this year
- Don't buy ANYTHING in the sales unless it is something I saw and loved but previously couldn't afford
- No shopping after breakfast on Saturdays (we always go into town to meet friends) unless I need to replace something

I've also realised the reason I don't wear a lot of my gorgeous cardigans - I simply don't have enough short-sleeved plain tops to go underneath them! So with the money I (hopefully) make on eBay, I am going to buy myself four or five really good quality basic tops for that purpose.

Phew. What a day! Make-up and jewellery clearout tomorrow...







Tuesday 28 December 2010

What I bought with my Christmas money...

I was very lucky this year and got £60 cash, a £20 Accessorize voucher and a £10 Topshop voucher! I haven't spent the Topshop voucher yet, but I got these with the cash and the other voucher;
Diana Mini Starter Kit

Fair Isle scarf

Floral tights


Friday 24 December 2010

Urban Outfitters sale, and a dilemma...

Ok, so I said to my husband that I'd have a clothing clearout next week and get rid of anything I haven't worn in the last year or so. I also said that I'd stop buying clothes for a while as I really don't need anything else, save for a new pair of brown boots as mine died last week. All well and good, but then I received the inevitable SALE email from Urban Outfitters (one of my favourite shops) and stupidly clicked the link... My initial basket came to £203.99, but I whittled it down to three items at £15 each. The three items are different colours of the same jersey cardigan, and I already have the other colour on offer so know that they would fit and wash well. Here they are:


I wear jersey cardigans all the time, and was only saying last week that I could do with a couple more as some of my old Topshop ones have seen better days. These should be £32, and are now £15 each - a bargain in my eyes as I was happy to pay £32 for the grey one and haven't been disappointed with it. So I have a dilemma; do I buy the cardigans and risk being a massive hypocrite, or do I leave them and risk being annoyed at myself in a couple of weeks when I am cold and they have sold out? 

Looking forward to the clearout, by the way. I have too much stuff that I just don't wear, and also I'm sure I have some hidden gems buried underneath the mountain of cheap Primark blouses that I've worn and washed just the once. The mission is to clear the crap and leave myself with a much smaller, versatile wardrobe that I hope will actually make me wear more of my clothes as at present I tend to just wear and wash the same few things over and over again to save me having to rummage into the depths of my chest of drawers.


Wednesday 22 December 2010

Dear Father Christmas,

Hello, my name is Laura and I am 28. I hope you are keeping well in the snow and that you are ready for Christmas! It seems to have come around so quickly this year! How are the reindeer? Good, I hope. And Mrs Christmas?

I have tried hard to be good this year, I hope you will agree. If it is not too much trouble, I would love to wake up and find one (or more - cheeky!) of these items under my tree on Christmas morning. I have included where to buy the items, and also the prices to help with your budgeting at this expensive time of year!
Nutmeg & ginger bath oil, £38 for 250ml, Jo Malone

Mawi gold-plated jade and skull ring, £205, Net-A-Porter

Little Robin Red brooch, £17, Helpless Romantic

Diamond Tears necklace, £125, Tatty Devine

Small Firework necklace, £30, Tatty Devine

Set of 100 Penguin Classic postcards, £15, Urban Outfitters

Melissa for Alexandre Herchcovitch flocked wedges, £85, Urban Outfitters

Apricot double ruffle tunic, £50, Topshop  


Holiday Jewel Basket, $49.95, Nubar
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my letter. I hope the journey on Friday night/Saturday morning isn't too tiring; make sure you put your feet up and relax when you get back to Lapland! 

Lots of love,

Laura
xxx

Saturday 18 December 2010

NOTD: Topshop The Big Easy

I had to cut my nails short as I broke one yesterday! Woe is me! But I actually quite like them short, funnily enough. Went for a Topshop shade when painting them last night as I wanted something quick and easy to apply. I plumped for The Big Easy, which is a blueish lilac shade that's opaque after just one coat. Here it is on my short nails:



Friday 17 December 2010

Final post today, I promise! Which ones should I order...

Currently have these things in my Topshop shopping basket, they have been there for a couple of weeks now...

It's that time of year! 2010 favourites...

Gosh, this year seems to have flown by! Can’t believe I will have been married for a year on Monday! Madness. I thought I would do a post about my 2010 favourites before the year finishes, so, in no particular order, here goes…

1) Topshop Brighton Rock lipstick. A pinky orangey coral (!) shade with a matte finish. Only £8, this lipstick is a must-have. Looks great on its own or under a gloss, and doesn’t dry out the lips. Perfect!



2) China Glaze Riveter Rouge nail polish. A gorgeously glittery red shade. I am not usually a fan of red nail polish, but the glitter in this makes it a winner in my eyes. Applies beautifully and lasts well. The first China Glaze polish I tried, the start of my obsession…




3) Lush BIG shampoo (a rediscovery!). The Lush website says that “[Big will] give limp hair the volume it deserves, with seaweed infusion to soften hair and citrus juices for shine. After using Big, your hair will be bouncing back to life.” A perfect description. I used to use this several years ago but stopped as I thought it was getting too pricey, but decided to try it again a month or so back as my hair was looking limp and lifeless. It is expensive, but I think it is worth it. Cost per use is also low, as you only need to use a tiny amount! It also works really well with my favourite conditioner, Lush’s American Cream. 


4) Boots Botanics Rosewater toner. A product for all skin types with a beautiful rose scent. This helps to remove every last trace of make up without leaving behind a residue like other toners sometimes can. My skin is very sensitive and this is perfect for it!

 

5) Urban Decay Naked palette. In my opinion, a perfect collection of neutral shades. What more could you want? Such good value too, as you get 12 full size shades for about £25! Urban Decay says this about the palette; “THIS is how Urban Decay does neutral! Far from a group of boring beige shadows, this long, lean, seductive case is packed with TWELVE gorgeous neutrals. Shades range from delicate champagnes to dark, gritty gunmetal, and feature FIVE NEW shades with names like Darkhorse, Virgin and Buck. We've also included a range of textures: everything from glitter to shimmer to matte.”

 

6) MAC Pro Longwear foundation in NW20. Good colour match, medium coverage, easy to apply and very long-lasting, this foundation is perfect. 



7) Benefit The POREfessional primer. I will quote myself for my short review of this product; "it's a thick, pinkish brown coloured liquid that easily blends into the skin without leaving a trace of colour. It feels very soft on the skin (similar in feel to Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, actually) and smells lovely. You pat it onto the skin, and the effects are instant; pores look visibly smaller, and appear to have disappeared in some cases (although I know they have cleverly been hidden)! I have worn it alone and under make-up, and I have been pore-free for the whole day.” Amazing.


8) Topshop Parma Violet nail polish. Described by Topshop as “fast drying, extra long wear with lasting glossy wet look finish and perfect coverage.” This is a lovely pastel shade, and was the inspiration behind my blog URL so I had to mention it in my end-of-year round up!



9) Andrea Fulerton Gemstone topcoat. About which Superdrug says “enhance the look of your nail varnish colour with this beautiful jewel effect topcoat taking varnish from day to night with dazzling shiny gem like particles.” I love this over navy blue, black and dark purple shades, it gives a really unique and different effect. It also looks really good underneath a matte topcoat. 



 

10) MAC Ever Hip lipstick from the Give Me Liberty of London 2010 collection. A peachy-orange shade with a sheen. Beautiful packaging, beautiful shade, long-lasting. 



Still haven’t managed to find a moisturiser to suit my skin type, which is extremely oily on the nose, dry everywhere else and sensitive all over. Maybe in 2011?

Cardigan lust...

I have an unhealthy obsession with cardigans. I saw this one on the Topshop website a couple of months ago and loved it, but put it to the back of my mind as I couldn't afford to spend £65 on a cardigan. Just been browsing the site today and saw it again. Still lovely, still £65. Gah! Perhaps I'll get some money for Christmas? 

LOOK AT THE DUCKS! DUCKS!



Ohhhhhh, I need it!

Monday 13 December 2010

Errr, I think I have a problem...

Whilst bored last night, I decided to swatch all of my nail polishes so that it would be easier to pick a colour each time I wanted to paint my nails (err, every day then...). I think I must be slightly obsessed, as all I can think about now is buying more colours so that I can have a completed plate... Here are some (poor quality, as ever) pictures. Sorry about the smudging, I intend to sort this out ASAP!




55 different polishes on here, and that's without my many base coats and top coats! Eek. Can anyone beat me? Please?!

Saturday 11 December 2010

Today's purchases...

I finished my Christmas shopping today so it would have been rude not to treat myself, especially as I have been working so damn much recently and have also been doing very well with saving money for next year's big trip! I bought...


All from Topshop - black extra long high-waisted leggings (£15), forest green tights (£6) and mink jumper dress (£38). The leggings are my holy grail of leggings, I love them.

Also, my lovely husband bought me this gift set from Lush:
It's the Gingerbread House tin, and cost £13.95. It contains a Cinders ballistic, a Lush Pud ballistic, a Gingerbread House bubble bar slice and a Candy Cane bubble bar slice, all in a gorgeous tin. Lucky me!

Monday 6 December 2010

NOTD: ASOS Ciate Alexa and Andrea Fulerton Gemstone Topcoat

FIRSTLY - apologies for the hideous spaces between the text and pictures in this post, and the fact that the photos aren't aligned. I CANNOT sort it out! I blame Blogger.

Inspired by the lovely Kirsty at The Leopard Anchor, I decided to try my Andrea Fulerton Gemstone Topcoat over a dark navy shade, in my case ASOS Ciate Alexa. I am pretty sure that she actually used GOSH Rainbow in her NOTD, but I bought the Andrea Fulerton Gemstone shade as I couldn't find the GOSH colour anywhere and had heard that Gemstone was a pretty good dupe. You can find her post here. I haven't put a matte topcoat on yet as I am a little bit in love with the shininess! May pop the matte on tomorrow, depending on how I feel. As ever, photos are rubbish but give you some idea of the effect. I love it! Apologies for not tidying up my nails. 
    

   

    


Also, should I press "confirm" on my Topshop order?
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