Splash of Colour | Neon Love

Being poorly means I have little time for making an effort when I have to show my face in public. I apologise if I’m still looking a little peaky in these photo’s, but laryngitis took hold of me and wouldn’t budge for nearly two weeks! It was my little sister’s 15^th birthday (god I feel old) and we all went out for lunch at a local restaurant. I had the yummiest duck salad for main and a berry frozen yoghurt for dessert – quite healthy for me! Any way I wanted to be comfy because I was still feeling a bit rubbish.

Jumper: c/o Mary Jane Fashion. Leggings: Topshop. Boots: H b Hudson of London. Bracelet: Jacey Withers

My Topshop velvet leggings I basically live in – they are the warmest most comfortable item of clothing I own and I’m gutted because they’ve completely sold out of the majority of sizes so I can’t buy myself another pair! Oversized baggy jumpers are also a staple in my winter wardrobe, you can throw them on with pretty much anything, feel cosy and still look like you’ve made an effort. I’m quite in love with this jumper to be honest – I love the neon coral and how it injects a bit of colour to a simple outfit - I think we'll be seeing a lot more of neon this season judging from London Fashion Week and I'm quite alright with that! I went for a size medium as I thought I’d prefer the larger fitting and I think it works well. 
Now I'm on the road to recovery you should be seeing a few more outfit posts pop up here and there! 
I hope you're all having a good week any way :) Daniel had an operation today, so I've been chilling with him and watching documentaries! (we're not geeks - promise)...

Outfit Post | Strictly Velvet

Tonight, a dear family friend is taking part in a charity dance where she'll be shaking her tooshy ballroom style - all in the aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Mum and I are going on down to show our support and I thought I would share with you lovely lot what I'll be wearing!

Bag: Brand Village. Blouse: Zara. Leggings: Topshop. Shoes: Zara

It's been a god awful day for weather today - so excuse the rain & me looking like a wet rat. I had to take these pictures before I drowned on our driveway!! 

I have been after a new black bag since forever. I don't know what it is, there always seems to be the perfect tan bag available, but when it comes to a smart black bag it's like 'pooft' they all disappear and I am left sad and black-bag-less. So when I discovered this bad-boy on the Brand Village website I was head over heels and couldn't wait to get my filthy bag grabbing mitts on it. It's the perfect size, and has lots of little compartments inside (I'm a hoarder, so I love this). 
I know, I know, I've gone for all black again - but my lips are red, so that counts as colour right? This blouse is so comfy and feels super luxurious - my favourite part being the velvet quilted shoulders and cuffed sleeves. I seem to really quite fancy the pants off velvet - as I'm wearing it on my bottoms too. You remember my black and white velvet leggings that I wore here? Well I loved them so ruddy much that my boyfriend was a bit wonderful and bought me them in black too. YAY! Probably to shut me up going on about my love for them. My little black glitzy shoes are from the Zara basic range and are perfect for dressing up quite a casual outfit. I pretty much hate wearing staggering heels, mainly because it hurts - so these little heels fit my style to a tee. 

I know that cancer affects far too many people's lives - and still isn't something that many people can discuss openly. However, if any of you wonderful lot would like to make a small donation towards tonight then that would be so lovely and you can do so here. 
Of course - please don't be offended by my asking or feel you have to; I just thought it would be nice to share it with you guys in-case it's something close to your heart too :)

What are you yummy lot up to over the weekend? I went to see Twilight last night. OHHHHHH my all I can say is, who wants to go with me again?!

ALSO - I'm getting my hair done next week and fancy something different....ideas?

Outfit Post | Country Bumpkin and the Flu

This weekend, I have the dreaded woman flu. I don't know if you've heard, but it's a hell of a lot worse than that silly old 'man flu'. So really, I should have stayed put in bed yesterday, but I had arranged to see a dear old friend and we had such a lovely day. Luckily, she was happy to take a few snaps of me prancing about in a field (I fear I won't be able to muster any sort of energy to make myself up for a wee while); after we'd spent the morning traipsing to the doctors, shopping to our hearts content, stuffing our face with mc donalds and stopping off for a quick pineapple and lemonade (best drink ever, fact). I am now utterly exhausted.

Anyway, you know how I said in my last post that I was falling back in love with Topshop again? Well, these snaps definitely back that up.

Blazer: Topshop Top: Vintage Leggings: Topshop Boots: Annie and the Mannequins Hair: MESS

I am a big fat fan of these velvet flocked check leggings. Not only are they super cosy and warm, they're a complete steal. At only £28 I couldn't quite believe it had Topshop's name to it. And I know, before you say it, yes they're only leggings and not jeans etc. etc. but they are amazing quality and so sturdy! I know I'll definitely be wearing them a lot more now the weather's turning a little bit chilly. Autumn/Winter is definitely my favourite time of year. And although I love the sun, I much prefer wearing comfy, warm clothes; I cannot wait to start wearing my big, oversized, fluffy jumpers and ridiculous PJ's.
Yesterday, the sun was out but there was certainly a bit of a chill in the air (may just be my lurgy..). So even though these leggings are SO warm, I thought I'd team them with something a little lighter. The cream blouse is a favourite of mine (actually the mothers underwear, again). It's silky, loose material means it goes with almost anything, and it's lovely and cool. I also popped on my trusty black blazer and cowboy boots. After all, this is the countryside you know.

Have you all had a lovely weekend? Get up to anything exciting?

(Psst. don't forget, you can get 10% off at The Vintage Set through WonderfulYou, when you enter TVS!LFW at checkout! Expires midnight 18th September)

Outfit Post | Rekindling Love - Topshop

For a while, Topshop lost my trust. They were throwing out pieces of clothing that to be frank, didn't fit the bill. The quality was getting poor, and the price tag was getting increasingly higher. So for a while, I said ciao! But it's as if they knew! The cheeky devils are slowly (but surely), bringing me back over to the dark side. There have been a few pieces of late that I just haven't been able to resist like this dress here, and this skirt I'm wearing below...

Sandals: River Island

I absolutely love it. It's like, do I want a long skirt on or a short skirt on? Hmm, I want both. VOILÀ! the midi-skirt is definitely a must have for me and this one makes me want to purchase a few more. The shade is gorgeous and the cut makes for ultimate swhishy-ness, which we all know I love!
The gorgeous Lily, of I am Lily Bee was selling a few of her GORGEOUS clothes on ebay, (not gunna lie, want to be her a little bit ;)) and I snapped up this lovely little lace crop top for a fraction of the price it retailed at (also Topshop). I thought it went beautifully with the purple midi skirt, which retailed for £38. They don't have my one in stock any more, but they have brought out a new one which is a bit yummy in it's replacement, have a peek here if you like mine!

When I'm on holiday, I like to feel comfortable, but also look like I've made a bit of an effort with myself. And I think this outfit ticks both boxes, do you?


Life in general is not so peachy at the moment. I won’t go into any detail, but I will say a big thank you for all your lovely comments on my blog as of late. It really makes my day brighter :) (Apologies for that slice of cheese there, but it felt necessary). You are a wonderful lot!

Hope all is fine and dandy your end :) 

Topshop Lipstick | Fire Cracker

The Topshop make up range is not one I’ve explored in any great detail. Why? I don’t know, because I ruddy love their lipsticks. I don’t know what it is with lipsticks and my lips, but they just won’t stay put. All my MAC ones slide off within a matter of minutes (okay that’s a slight exaggeration, maybe a bit longer), but I only have a select few lippies that I always turn to for their longevity on the lips and Topshop is one of them.

Infrared is one of my ultimate faves so when I spotted ‘Fire Cracker’ it was an immediate must have. I love the brightness and the velvet finish it leaves. I only needed to apply one sweep of this for full coverage and a super bright pigmentation.

One of the many things I love about the Topshop make up range is the packaging. Yes it's plain and simple, but that's me all over and I think it is so cute!! I haven't got much to go on, only owning one other lippy by them but you'd assume being a cream packaging it would get really grubby, I haven't found that at all (and it's not sitting pristine on a shelf, it's shoved in with all my makeup in a big box). These retail for £8 each, which is probably just above average for a high street makeup brand, but c'mon it's Topshop, what do we expect ;). And honestly, I don't mind paying this price tag, nope not one bit. The quality is definitely up there with the higher end brands such as NARS; which I think is saying something.
Being a matte velvet finish I was concerned that it would be drying on my lips, but it's surprisingly moisturising. Obviously, everyone is different so there's the possibility that the formulation may not work for you, but I am in love!

Orange is definitely proving to be my favourite lipstick colour, and this shade, for me is perfection. It's not as 'in your face' as a red, but it's bold enough to say 'hello, yes, I am wearing a statement lipstick and loving it' kind of thing, y'know? Perfect for summer and it will definitely be travelling along with me to Italy on Saturday! *dances round in a circle whilst chanting HOLIDAY at the top of my lungs* I am ridiculously excited.

I'm completely impressed with this lippy and it's encouraged me to dabble in a bit more of their make-up range. So if you have any products you'd recommend, be sure to let me know!

What do you think? Are you a fan of Orange or Topshop Lipsticks for that matter?

Outfit Post | Do you like Disco?

As some of you who follow my twitter will know, I went away to London on the weekend with the boy, to celebrate my birthday. It was just a bit special, I literally had the most amazing time, but my actual birthday wasn’t until Tuesday 3^rd; so I thought I would do a wee outfit post for ya’ll to have a nose, of what I wore to my ‘birthday meal’.

Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnnnn, DISCO PANTS! Now, I know that loooads of you will be sat there thinking “ergh, what on earth possessed her”, & I know that these won’t be to everyone’s taste. But honestly, I really, really love them. Anyway, I like pretending I'm Sandy from Greece, the resemblance is uncanny right? ;) pah.
They are definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, the tightest pair of pants I have ever owned, but it’s okay to be a bit daring now & then isn’t it? :) I hope so. 
Now, at a whopping £70 from American Apparel, they are a bit pricey. Usually I wouldn’t pay anything near this amount for trousers/pants; but I really did fall in love with them when I tried them on. (Plus the boy bought them for my birthday, so that’s even better ;)). There are quite a few shops now offering more affordable copies of these, so it’s worth shopping around if you like them; but you cannot knock the quality of these bad boys, they are super sturdy! (No ripping of the bum area when bending down, HA). You definitely pay for what you get. I also really like their riding pants, in the colour Henna. The girl in the shop had them on & she looked fab!

I paired them with this coral 'Angela' blouse. I love the rose gold studded detail, & I’m a huge fan of blouses with collars. It’s made by Dahlia Fashion, (amazing shop, check it out if you haven't already!), although I actually picked it up in Topshop. I did have a look on both their websites, & I don't think they sell my colour anymore; however you can pick a similar one up here.

My little shoesies are from Camden Market, in London. & I picked them up for £10. You can always find a great bargain there, and these are of such great quality.

What do you lovely lot think of Disco Pants? Are you a lover or a hater? I’m acutely aware that my first two outfit posts may be slightly controversial, but hey, I like what I like! :)

If you’d like to see a post on what I got up to over my birthday weekend, then let me know!


p.s. i've totally just realised that the label is at the front & i'm actually wearing the blouse back to front HA. fail.

Beauty & Clothing Haul Video

Hi Lovelies! 

So here's my second YouTube video! Eek.. Firstly, let me apologise for the AWFUL quality, I look like a ghost & on my computer it comes out really blurred (obviously suck at technology). I've just got a new camera, so hopefully I'll be producing some higher quality video's soon. Please let me know if you think it's too rubbish to film ones like these, & i'll stop using it :)

It's a bit of a mixed haul on some bits and bobs I've picked up recently; featuring beauty products from Superdrug & a mixture of clothing from various shops.

Hope you enjoy it! If you've got any suggestions for any more videos you'd like me to film, just let me know in the comments below.

Have you bought anything new recently? I've put myself on a bit of a spending ban for the next month or so. My blog is constantly my excuse to purchase anything & everything! ;)

Outfit Post | Heart Boobs, Oh yes.

Last night, I spent the evening sipping on one too many koppaberg’s & stuffing my face with hog roast (nom); at a very lovely ladies wedding reception. I haven’t been to a wedding for absolutely ages, so thought it would be silly not to invest in a new dress for the occasion! & I also thought; why not cease the opportunity to do my first outfit post for y’all?! ;) I don’t know why, but I was a little bit nervous of posting an OOTD kinda post; just in case you guys were sat there thinking, ew, that girl looks vile...but I decided to do it anyway! Ha.

FACE: Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer: Fair. bare minerals SPF15 foundation: medium beige. Bare Minerals all over face color: warmth. Nars Blush: Desire. Bare Minerals Illuminating mineral veil. Body Shop shimmer cubes. Collection 2000 fast stroke Eyeliner. Collection 2000 Glam Crystals. Topshop lipstick: Infrared.

As you may have read in one of my previous posts, I’m no longer a raving fan of topshop, & their hugely overpriced garments. However, this dress had to be an exception. I mean, seriously, it’s ridiculously cute isn’t it? Hearts on your boobs, what more could you want?

Yes, it was quite pricey. £48 to be exact; BUT I did get 10% off, which completely justifies the purchase, right? If you want to get your hands on it, you can find it here. My shoes were stolen from my mother & are Dorothy Perkins, ooh la la. The vintage bag I picked up for £2 from a charity shop in Leicester, mmhmm, you read that right, TWO POUNDS, I’m pretty much in love with it. I thought I'd drop in a cheeky face picture too; of me looking rather tipsy & awful, just in case you wanted to achieve that sort of look ;)

I’m spending today mainly eating roast dinner, and begrudgingly leaving the house to watch England play, meh. Did you all have a lovely weekend? Hope so :)

Topshop: Nail Varnishes

I’ve developed a rather unhealthy obsession recently with Topshop , but this time it’s not their clothes (although at one point, that’s all my wardrobe consisted of, I now think they’re WAY too overpriced. Anyhoo…), it’s their makeup range! It’s surprisingly affordable, and the quality is excellent. I’ll no doubt be tapping away on my keyboard about their other products, but I firstly wanted to introduce to you the nail varnish.

Now, nail varnish is probably the only beauty product I’m sensible with when it comes to purchasing. With anything else, if I like one thing, I like the whole lot & I buy it all as soon as I am physically able; with nail varnish I limit myself, and only purchase a new one (or two), once I’ve used the first one up. This is purely due to the fact, that if I have too many polishes open at one time, I just won’t use them & they’ll end up all gross and gloopy. Blergh. So, on that note, these are my two new(ish) polishes from Topshop:

Big Smoke

Parma Violet (please ignore my half eaten thumb, i must've been hungry..)

Big Smoke doesn’t seem to be on their website, I did receive this as a gift, so there’s a chance it may have been a limited edition (or something to that effect).  However, you can purchase the Parma Violet one here. These ones were only £5, & I believe the most you’d pay for any others would be approximately £8; I think this is a reasonable price, given the quality of the product. But forgetting the cost, how cuuuuute is the packaging? I love it! Really simple, but pretty too. Now, moving on to what's actually inside the lovely packaging; the consistency is quite thin, which does mean you need to apply more layers, but it decreases the chances of the product getting too gunky. The brush is a pretty much perfect size and fans out really nicely on application (I cannot stand thin nail brushes) & I’d say between 2-3 coats would do you nicely. My favourite bit about the polishes is the non-chipping-ness (yes, yes I did just make up a word); I always struggle to find an affordable nail varnish that doesn’t chip as soon as my heavy handed paws do anything, & I think this is the first one that has stayed put, non-chipped, for more than a week. I’m so impressed with these bad boys, & I’ll definitely be purchasing a few more. As soon as these ones run out of course ;)

Have you lovely lot tried out Topshop’s nail varnish range yet? Or do you have any colours you’d recommend?

Lipstick Love

It is no secret to anyone who knows me, that I LOVE a good lipstick here and there. Much to the dismay of my boyfriend, who for some reason hates them? I say, never mind, I’m sure that’s one thing I’m okay not to compromise on!!

So, on that note, I thought I would share with you the lipsticks that are my absolute favourites so far for 2012.

Starting with Laura Mercier: Gel Lip Colour in Doll Face. So, packaging is always quite important to me, who doesn’t like whipping out their lipstick on a night out and it looking rather wonderful? I do. And I think this one ticks that box 100%. The tube is almost aubergine in colour with tiny little flecks of glitter running throughout. It’s quite a petite size too, so it slots nicely into your makeup bag. It's a light wearing formula, which is perfect for summer and the taste is soooo yummy! You get little bursts of vanilla every time you smack your lips, but it's not too over powering. Although it is a little on the pricey side, £18.50, I find it really difficult to find a lipstick that doesn't dry my lips out, or rub off instantly, and this does neither. It's super moisturising and has great staying power, in my eyes, it's completely worth the money. I got mine here but Laura Mercier is everywhere if you want to pick one up.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Square.  These, are genius, genius I tell you! I have already been spreading my nars-love around the office informing colleagues that these are the best lipsticks ever, ever, ever.  It’s a bit of a twist on your typical lipstick, being a pencil and all, but I love it; plus you’re getting a lot more product for your money. In terms of longevity I would say it’s quite like applying a lip liner all over your lips, it goes NOWHERE but application is really smooth and you don’t have to press hard at all for full coverage. Honestly, I have never known a lipstick like it. If you’re like me, and a little bit lazy at reapplying throughout the day/night then this is the lipstick for you. If I apply first thing in the morning before work I don’t need to reapply until I finish for the day, at the earliest. The pigmentation is incredible, and I absoultely love orange, plus this one makes your teeth look pearly white :). I usually suffer with matte lipsticks, drying and chapping of the licks, but not with this one! Again not a cheapy one, they retail for £17.50, though I think this post represents my undying love for it. I got mine in Fenwick’s in London, but you can pick one up here.

and this is what they look like :)

So what do you think of these two shades? Do you have a favourite for 2012 so far?