Three Red Sparkly Things

First up is the Barry M Lip Gloss Wand in Cherry Glitter (£4.49). This is a lovely non- sticky gloss that goes on really smooth and gives a lovely flush of colour with just a a hint of glitter. The smell is also divine – cherries!

Next up is the Barry M nail Varnish in Red Glitter (£2.99). I tried this on top of my OPI Gelcolor (Live and Let Die) and it really gave it a glittery lift.

Finally it’s the MUA Lip Boom in Bring It (£3.00). This has a lipstick on one end and a lip gloss on the other. It comes in 8 different shades and is available in Superdrug.

Having mastered the red lip (finally) I decided to go for this stunning deep red. The lipstick colour on its own as shown in the first picture below is a rich dark red. The lipstick goes on really well and feels really nice on the lips.

Then I added the shimmering lip gloss. This really gives a very glamorous finish and makes your lips look really glossy and plump. This gloss also has a smell – sort of creme brûlée which I know doesn’t sound great but actually really works for me!

Overall I am very happy with my three red glittery purchases and all for just over £10!

Topshop Skirt

When I was last in London, I spotted this skirt in Topshop and thought it looked amazing. Its very structural which I like a lot. I also love the digital floral print on it. I am not exactly sure when and where I am going to wear it but I am sure I will find an excuse to wear it soon! The skirt was £48.

In the picture above I am wearing the skirt with my Asos blouse. Below on the left I am wearing it with a top from Malaysia and on the right with my Dorothy Perkins blouse and Primark shoes in both.

New Boots

A friend from work had on a pair of smart brown ankle boots which she said were from Jones. So as soon as Jones the Bootmaker went on sale I went online to look for them and also for some smart knee high boots, also in brown. Well I struck it lucky! The ankle boots (called Martha) were reduced from £99 to £49.50!

As you can see from the pictures they are really smart and a great shape. The ankle is really low which I think makes it really easy to wear with skirts or dresses. I also tried these with cropped trousers and I think they really work. I am extremely pleased with these as they will be great right through to summer.

Picture on top – Jigsaw skirt, H&M peplum top, Primark belt. Picture on bottom – Zara cropped trousers, River Island top and Jigsaw Jacket.

I also found these lovely knee high boots called Tonia reduced from £180 to £90. Even at £90 they are pricey but are beautiful on and go with everything. The leather is really soft and they are very comfortable. I have been looking for smart knee high boots with a low heel that I can wear to work, at weekends, with skirts, dresses and trousers and I have finally found them!

 

Primark t-shirt and River Island jeans.

Christmas Outfits – Inika and I

 

This is what Inika and I wore on Christmas day!

I went for a sparkly top from River Island (£20 in the sale), my old Jigsaw jacket, my Zara cropped trousers and two shoe options – my new Jones ankle boots for going to the pub and my Jimmy Choo heels for after! I also took my Mulberry Cookie Lily.

Inika wore an amazing dress from Jigsaw (£28 in the sale), a gold cardigan from H&M (£9.99) and sparkly tights from Primark. Her shoes are H&M too (and reindeer headband of course)!

Pre Christmas Night Out

A group of us went out in Winchester for a pre Christmas night out. We started with cocktails (of course) and then went to a lovely restaurant after. So I thought it would be a great opportunity to write a blog about what me and my good friend Mel wore. Mel came over in the early evening so we could have a few drinks and get ready together. Mel is super fashionable so it was a perfect chance to include some of her fashion and accessories in the blog!

As usual I did a swift last minute purchase on the day of the party and went for a black and sequin dress by Vila from a small boutique in Winchester called Maxims. The dress was I think a real bargain at £50. I also wore my black Jigsaw jacket with it (it’s a really old purchase but they always have similar ones). For shoes I went with my Zara gold and red shoes. Other accessories included my Mulberry Lily Cookie (black) and some amazing folded copper earrings by nbNg I bought at a jewellery fair (£50).

For makeup I decided to go quite classic and simple. So on my face I stuck to my trusted Sleek Makeup BB Cream in Medium (£8.99), followed by Look Cosmetics Blush in Flirt (£8) and Estee Lauder Illuminating Powder Gelee in Modern Mercury (this was a limited edition but they do similar ones for about £28 ). I only used my Sephora and Shu Uemura brushes mainly for the blush and highlighter. On my eyes I used a Barry M liquid eye liner in black (about £5) and L’Oreal Telescopic False Lash Mascara in black (£8). On my lips I went for MAC Ruby Woo (£11). I then sprayed myself with the Guerlain “Vol de Nuit” shimmering spray (see this year’s version here £45) for some added sparkle!

Mel wore black printed trousers from Zara (£40), a beautiful glittery silver top from Banana Republic (£35), a very cool (very Kate Moss) jacket from Mango (£70) and these stunning red shoes from Carvela (called Amelia in Red and she got them in the sale for £59). She also wore some beautiful earrings from Nour which you can get from Bijouled (£26).

For makeup Mel used Laura Mercier Cream Smooth Foundation in Sunny Beige (£41.50) and a Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic (£31) as blush and highlighter. On her eyes she used the gold colour from the Estee Lauder Violet Underground palette as a base (£40), followed by Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Illusoire (about £23), 3 Dot Eyeliner by Clarins (£15) and YSL Shocking Mascara in No 4 Grey-Black (about £23). On her lips she used MAC Matte Lipstick in Deeply Adored (limited edition) and Bobbi Brown lipgloss in Black Pearl (£17).

I really liked the chance to talk about all my passions together and it was good fun to do so I may be writing more like these in the future when the opportunities arise!

OPI Gelcolor – Skyfall 2

I am so excited to show off my new OPI Gelcolor Skyfall nails. I wanted something really festive and stunning but with a bit of a twist so I went for two colours! “Goldeneye” on my ring finger and “The Spy Who Loved Me” on the rest!

I think they look amazing together and it just adds a bit more interest having the ring finger in a different colour!

As you can see “The Spy Who Loved me” is an amazing bright red with a golden shimmer that is perfect for Christmas. “Goldeneye” is exactly as you would imagine – a rich gold glitter.

Now I am ready for the Christmas parties to begin!

Jacquard Print Cocktail Trousers

A bit too often I find myself browsing the immense Asos website. I know when I start to browse it’s going to lead to trouble.

Anyway I was looking for some jacquard print cocktail trousers for evening wear – not subtle but really glam. Cocktail trousers are very popular at the moment and can be found everywhere on the high street from Zara, Topshop, Warehouse to the higher end market like J Crew. I often decide to go with Asos because I think that it won’t be so easily recognisable as those from the high street shops.

So whilst looking for said trousers I “stumbled” upon a beautiful chiffon black blouse (i.e. go with EVERYTHING cannot live without). As for the trousers well I found a metallic pink and black jacquard and a metallic green and black jacquard so I ordered both of them! I ordered the pink trousers in both a size 12 and 14 (I am normally a 14). The green trousers were only available in a 12. I ordered the blouse in a 16 because I wanted it to be really loose and flowing. The blouse was £30 and the trousers were £45 each.

Here’s what they look like on me! (I have to apologise for the complete mess of wires behind me – really must sort that out!). I really like both the pink trousers and the green trousers but really can’t decide which size. The 12 fits perfectly but I like the way the 14 sits on my hips. I think I prefer the green colour but they don’t have any size 14 left! Now I just have to make the decision about which one to keep..??

These are the size 14 above.

These are the size 12 in pink above and green below.

Helena Flower Table Lamp

I know this is slightly outside of the realm of what I normally write about but I couldn’t resist writing a post about this light. Its a flower table lamp from Habitat (£60) designed by Helena Christensen (of supermodel fame). I was out buying Christmas lights, as you do, and there it was. I had to have it.

It comes with a green bendy stem that you can pretty much bend and twist to make it stand however you like. The flower itself is has copper petals which gives the light a beautiful glow.

I have now installed it in my living room where I think it looks amazing! Its just so unusual and almost art like which is what I love about it.

Aspinal of London Cuff Bracelets

I just received an e-mail from Aspinal of London and these beauties caught my eye.

Statement jewellery is very on trend and cuff bracelets are appearing everywhere from Chanel, Swarovski and the high street (e.g. Zara, Accessorize).

These ones from Aspinal are just gorgeous and not too pricey (from £65). I was pleasantly surprised by the wide range of colours and designs which means you are bound to find one that you will love or that would make a good gift (there is still time before Christmas!).

My favourite is definitely the Roma in brown, gold and black snakeskin below (£79).

Eyes Lips Face Beauty Books

Last Christmas I went a bit mad for these Eyes Lips Face Beauty Books. I just thought they were great stocking fillers for my girl friends as they are reasonably priced (about £6 each) and really great quality and design.

I went for a whole variety including the Glitter Eyes, Neutral Eyes and the Beauty Encyclopaedia.

I notice that this year they have two different types of Beauty Books with a range of colour options such the Natural, Smoky, Bronze, Bright and Neutral (see below).

What I really liked about these Beauty Books is not just the fantastic range of colours but also the instructions that come on the inside cover. For people who dont know what they are doing with eyeshadow application this is genius! Its also great how you can close the cover and keep everything clean and protected which makes it great for taking with you on your travels. Each Beauty Book also comes with applicators and a mirror – everything you need for eyes on the go!