Christmas Pressies From The Boyfriend

Firstly, hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, mine was mega busy with lots of working and family coming to stay with us, hence the reason I haven't been able to update sooner. 

I just wanted to share a couple of things I got for Christmas from my boyfriend, Jack, because he hit the nail on the head and got me the most amazing presents. (Sorry for lack of picture quality, I changed my phone to a Blackberry and the camera isn't as good as my last phone).

So firstly he got me these, from La Senza. I've wanted the pink Boyfriend shirt

 for ages, so yey! 

Next he got me these two ceramic me2you bears, the smaller of the two is a money box, and the big one is one I saw in H Samuells months ago and said it was nice, but who would pay that much for it?! Little did I know he got it for me!

And last but not least he got me the new gold Michael Kors watch with the diamonds around the face, I wanted a gold watch for when I wear all my gold dress jewellery, so I'm one very happy girlie. Ooh and before I forget he got me a personalised bottle of wine, which I haven't taken a picture of because it's downstairs.

My parents got me loads of clothes, pj's two handbags, Tiffany earrings, CD's, smellies, etc. I got jewellery & Lush smellies from Jack's parents/step parents, my brother bought me a Lipsy dress and a CD and my best friend bought me chocolate, wine, a book, jewellery, a purse, Barbie make up and lots of other random bits and bobs. 

What did everybody else's boyfriends get them for Christmas?! Did your boys do good? I'd love to hear what you all got.

Loves,

Pass the parcel...

Stuck for gifts for your Mum, Sister, best friend, auntie Dorris? 

Look no further, here is a site full of great Body Shop discount vouchers *clickedy click*

Loves,

Win A Years Worth Of Shoes - brought to you by Style Society & Dorothy Perkins

As you all should know I've been working with Dorothy Perkins for the launch of a new site - Style Society, well to celebrate the launch, there is a competition, so I thought I'd give all my readers a heads up. 

For the chance to win a pair of shoes/boots every month for a year enter here

Good luck!

Loves,

Daily Make Up Survey

1. What time did you do your make up today? Not until about 1pm today as I wasn't starting work until 2.30pm.

2. What's the least expensive beauty item you used? I wore my Natural Collection lipstick in Apple Blossom today, love it!

3. What was the biggest problem you needed to correct? Getting mascara on my nose!

4. Did you apply false eyelashes? Nope.

5. Did you do anything whilst applying make up? No, only make up.

6. Biggest make up mishap today? The nose thing.

7. Did you have any make up inspiration in mind? Nope, was just going for a natural look for work.

8. What was the most time consuming part of your make up routine? Foundation application and blending it in.

9. What part of your routine is the most fun? Blusher because I get to smile whilst applying.

10. What part of your make up makes the biggest difference in the way you look? Mascara without a doubt.

11. Neutral or colourful eyeshadow? I like my peaches, creams and browns, today I wore MAC's Style Snob with a bit of MAC's Grand Entrance in the inner corner.

12. Liquid or mineral foundation?  Liquid - Revlon Colour Stay.

13. Did you do your hair or make up first? Today I actually did my hair first, but it's usually always make up, then hair.

14. Did you pack a make up bag to take with you for the day? No, not today, I just took my lipstick with me.

15. When did you finish your make up? Probably about 1.15pm.

Loves,

Style Society - Brought to you by Dorothy Perkins & 25% Off

Hi guys,

I'm back from Paris, it was an awesome trip and I have lots of photographs to share with you when I get a spare few mins. 

For now though I wanted to quickly tell you about something thats been kept a secret for the past couple of months. I was approached my Dorothy Perkins via email saying they were setting up a DP's blogging site and would I like to contribute. Of course I said yes and now finally the site has launched.

The first theme was "Going Out, Staying Out" is all about looking at what makes a night out for females across the globe. There are also videos, exclusive competitions, behind the scenes and lots more to come. 

So go and have a look and be sure to bookmark the site, as it will have blog entries from females all around the world and of course me! 

www.yourstylesociety.com

My piece is called "Oh yes, it's Ladies Night" just incase you couldn't see it.

Finally, there's a VIP week on this week so to get 25%  off everything online tap in DPVIPJ at the checkout!

Loves,

Most Worn Tag

Hello guys,

Before I went to Paris I was tagged by the beautiful Chloe at Make-Up Princess to do the most worn tag, I know it's taken me a while, but I've been working a lot recently and really busy. But as it's a horrible rainy Saturday afternoon, I thought I'd give it a go.

The rules are simple, list your most worn:

1) Lipstick/gloss

2) Earrings

3) Shirt/top

4) Nail Polish

5) Shoes

6) Hair product

7) Perfume

8) Bag/purse

And then tag 5 people to do the same and let them know on their blog. 

So here goes...

Lipstick/gloss - Recently I've been wearing MAC's DSquared Nude Rose a lot its the perfect pink for me and I love it, and am thinking about getting a back up I love it that much, although it's now sold out on the website. But if we're talking over a longer period it has to be GOSH Darling (134) 

Earrings - This is a hard one, I mix up my earrings on a daily basis, I've got so many that I wear all the time. Here's a selection of my most worn ones..

Shirt/top - Again another hard one because there are so many and I don't really have a "most worn". At the moment I'm quite into layering as it's getting colder, so I'll wear a plain vest - I have a lot from the H&M range, and I'll layer them with a long cardi. 

Nail polish - I discovered this really cheap one from Boots Natural Collection range, it's £1.70 or something silly like that, it's called Black Cherry and it's the most gorgeous red, I tend to have french tips all through the summer and then in winter I like painting my (fake) nails with dark colours, and this is perfect.

Shoes -  I have a stupid amount of shoes, but I wear my black moc-crock hidden platforms the most when I'm off on a night out. They were from Oasis and cost me £65. They are just the perfect court shoes for jeans or dresses. For day time I love these distressed River Island ankle cowboy boots. Also as it's got freezing outside, I'm probably going to be seen in my UGG boots a lot. I have the full length chestnut ones.

Hair product - There are two and they are both Aussie products. Firstly I use the 3 Min Deep Treatment every time I wash my hair because my hair has been damaged, and I'm trying to get it back into a good condition, I've been using this product for a couple of months and it's working wonders, not to mention it leaves my hair silky soft and smells delicious. I then use the heat protectant before I do anything. Ooh and a last min add on I also like the Batiste Dry

 Shampoo, I have the Blush one and I have occasionally used this on the day I am due to wash my hair instead of actually washing it. It holds out well, but my hair must be washed the next day or later that evening.

Perfume - Ah, an easy one. Without doubt, it has to be Marc Jacobs - Daisy, I have this perfume in all the different bottles it comes in and I love it sooo much. It's my signature scent, and Jack knows whenever I enter the work building because he can smell Daisy!

Bag/purse - My most worn bag of the moment is the Guess bag I got for my birthday, it's moc-crock and patent. I have a thing for big bags and this is a nice size for all my day to day junk. It's a bit of a pain to go shopping with though because it doesn't go over the shoulder it hooks over my arm so when I'm carrying a lot of bags as well as my handbag, it's quite hard work!

I tag anyone that wants to do this tag!

Loves, 

Bye guys!

Hi ladies,

Jack and I are off to Paris in the morning, so I just thought I'd say bye, have a fabulous weekend, and happy Halloween! 

Loves,

Saturday Spending

I popped out to Primark this morning to stock up on tights for Paris as it will be cold, I ended up with 10 pairs! I think I went a bit overboard. And on my travels I found these two necklaces that I couldn't resist and thought I'd quickly share.

Multi heart chain, £3, Link chain £2.50

Also, on Thursday, I went to the River Island sale and only managed to find one thing. This gorgeous brown leather studded bag, was £50 reduced to £25. Happy times.

Loves,

Primers

I have oily skin and I hate it. I've always relied on powders to mattify my skin. Powder before foundation, powder after foundation, powder top ups. A kabuki brush is my best friend, something I always have in my bag just to give a quick brush and instantly take away any shine I may have.

But recently I've been trying out primers, these are the three I have:

I started out with Smashbox Photo Finish Light (middle primer), I got this for free when I was working at Reveal Magazine, so I thought I would give it a go. It claims that it is perfect for oily, acne prone or sensitive skin, this oil free, 60% water based primer refreshes on contact while oil absorbers provide a smooth matte finish all day. 

This primer isn't too thick, and it does instantly mattify my face, however I'm still having to use powder with it, I don't know if that is because of the foundation I use? Also I gave up using this, because I had a break out whilst I was.

The next primer I tried was the No. 7 Shine Free Make-Up Base (left). I never normally use No. 7 products because they are over priced, but I had a £5 voucher, so I think I only paid another fiver for this. By the way ignore the weirdness on the picture of this primer, there was in incident with a straightener. On the front of this product it states that it stops shine for a matte finish. And on the back...Keep shiny skin under control all day long,  with this mattifying oil-free base. This base isn't as silky as the smashbox, and sometimes when I rub it into my face I get little white lumps of product build up that I have to brush away. Also I find that foundation doesn't really go well on top of it. It's really hard to explain, but there are always problems with my foundation when I use this especially on my nose. I wouldn't purchase this again.

Lastly there is the GOSH Velvet Touch, I happened to notice in Superdrug today that this product had £4 off until Tuesday (27th), reducing it to £8 something, so I thought why not try it? The packaging says that it's a perfect base for all make up. It fills in fine lines and deep pores in the skin creating a uniform, matte and silky soft surface, enabling the easy and smooth application of foundation. This comes with a pump applicator (as does Smashbox), but unlike the other two is clear, not white. I've just tried it out on my hand and it feels really silky, but seems to take a while to blend. 

I'm going out tonight, so it's the perfect time to test this product, I'll let you all know how it goes my lovlies! 

What are your favourite primers? Recommendations welcome.

On a completely different note, I got a cover for my MacBook the other day and it's PINK! Everyone keeps asking me if I got a new laptop, I love it! 

Loves,

Paris Essentials & A Mini MAC Haul

Hi ladies,

As many of you will know, for my birthday my boyfriend gave me a trip to Paris as a present, we go on the 29th and for the past month or so I've been collecting my so-called Paris essentials (not really essential, as I'm pretty sure I have quite enough clothes already that I could have taken, but any excuse to go shopping...) I'll add in all the prices incase anyone wants to ask about any of them.

I thought I'd share just a few of the things I have picked up so far:

Two Paris tops, as in my Mum's words when I saw them, I "had to have them". The one on the left is from Topshop (£16), it's a little bit cropped, hence the red v neck vest (£6 or 2 for £9) which I plan to wear underneath the I heart Paris top. And the other top is from Oasis (£22).

Slouchy beige off the shoulder jumper, ASOS (£20) and black "jeggings" are Oasis (£35)

Two jumper dresses (I get so bored of wearing jeans in the winter). The one on the left is from H&M (£19.99) and it is cable knit on the top and plain on the bottom and also comes in purple and white. The other dress is from Miss Selfridge (£38) and it has cut out detailing at the front, and a scoop neck at the back. Both of these will be great for the day time, with some thick black tights and a nice pair of boots.

Faux leather jacket with pleat detailing from Miss Selfridge (£45), will look great over this delicate layered style dress from French Connection, I got this dress back in September as a birthday present and have yet to wear it. I couldn't resist the little black sequin beret from River Island (£9.99) and will go perfectly with my new winter coat.

High boots, Primark (£19) and ankle boots, Next (£45)

::MAC HAUL::

This is just a recent MAC haul, only three items, I'm trying to be good.

Nude Rose lipstick from the new DSquared collection is a perfect daytime pink, and a 168 brush. Here's how the lipstick looks on me (no flash), I think it's a new fave. I'll post more about it and do a comparison in my next post.

And finally, I got a 4 pan pallette to take to Paris, so I don't have to take my 15 palette for fear if it getting smashed or anything.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend,  mine's been quiet, as we're saving money. We just went out to lunch yesterday and then had a nice dinner, bottle of wine and crisps and dips whilst watching X Factor. I'm starting to really like Stacey...

Loves,

Aussie Pampering Event at Adee Phelan's Salon

A few months back I was contacted by Lauren over at 1000 Heads asking if I'd like to become one of their Aussie Angels, of course I accepted and on Saturday night a pampering event was held for us at Adee Phelan's salon in Covent Garden. For any of you that watched The Salon a few years back, he was one of the hair dressers on it.

As quoted from the salon's website, Adee Phelan is an inspirational hair salon that boasts a top celebrity clientele. Be welcomed with a cool, electric yet modern feel enhanced with a line up of acclaimed who offer both traditional and latest in all cutting techniques. The team enjoy catering for all hair types and benefit from exclusive hair, styling and media experience from celebrity hair dresser, Adee Phelan.

I was allowed to take two friends on the night, so I asked Nicola and Sarah, unfortunately Sarah couldn't make it, so it was just Nicola and I. The event was from 7 til 10pm and from the moment we arrived at the salon we were greeted by Lauren and Emma from 1000 Heads with two nice glasses of champagne for us. There was some yummy snacks laid on too.

Straight away we got to go and have our hair done as there were two stylists free. We went through to the funky decorated salon and discussed with the stylists what we wanted done and then had our hair washed with the most gorgeous smelling Aussie hair products. Once washed one of the guys Tom topped up my champagne and my stylist went on to blow dry and style my hair. I asked for volume at the roots and curls at the ends, and that is what I got.

Once we were all done we took a seat, drank copious amounts of champagne and chatted to the PR girls. At the end of the evening Adee came into the salon, and much to my surprise he has a chihauahua puppy which he brought in and everyone made a fuss over.

If all this wasn't enough, after all the girls had had their hair done, the whole crowd of us went on to a bar, where the kind people at 1000 Heads put a credit card behind the bar and all our drinks were put on tab. Jack came and met us and we stayed in the bar chatting to bloggers and left Covent garden at about quarter past midnight,

It was a fabulous evening, and it's so nice to be given something back. So huge thank you's to everyone at 1000 Heads, Aussie and Adee Phelan's salon. I can't wait for the next event, which is a girls night out.

Here's the eye candy...

Yes, that is Nicola and I being pampered.

Loves,

xoxox

New Fashion Brand Launch - Fashion Union

I had the pleasure of being invited to the Fashion Union's press day a few weeks ago which took place in Covent Garden, London. Fashion Union is a new label, which has officially launched online and they state that their site "offers a vibrant range of catwalk classics for fashionistas with a credit crunch budget". Their website is supported by a style guide, which they send out to their customers, much like popular fashion website ASOS do. However, the Fashion Union style guide/catalogue (which I did receive a copy of on the day) is 164 pages long and packed to the brim with all their products and photoshoots showcasing their products. 

For their Autumn 09 style guide all the shots were taken in New York and there is some great imagery. I love the fact that the stlye guide isn't full of advertisements, infact it doesn't have any, the whole thing is dedicated to the brand. The mix of the style guide and the stylish website makes Fashion Union a really accessible stop for this seasons top trends.

 

Chosen for her unique, evolving style, Louise Redknapp (who is lovely by the way, my parents know her) has been chosen as the brands ambassador. On the brand, Louise says, "I love the mix of styles and trends Fashion Union offers. Designer labels are great but it's the fast fashion that really lets you have some fun with your look. I'll definitely need to treble my wardrobe space, the collections look great!" 

Fashion Union's products includes all the Autumn/Winter 09/10 catwalk trends including Country Girl with chunky knits, frayed scarves and wellies. Lady Luxe with belted dressess, box jackets and pencil skirts. Punk Princess with leather jackets, studded belts and wet look leggings. And Sassy Stateside with sequin jackets and dresses. 

Part of the Visage group, who produce collections for ASOS, New Look, Dorothy Perkins and Next, Fashion Unions Autumn/Winter collection price points range from £5 - £59, which is a really great and inexpensive price range, with one of their moto's in their style guide being "dress for less in the union". 

I got to view some of their collection, and here's just a few of my favourite pieces:

Purple double breasted trench coat, also comes in black, stone or red, £49

Leona top, sequin and beaded top in beautiful delicate georgette, black, wine, teal or ivory, £30

This top is a complete bargain when you bare in mind all the sequins and beads, and for the past couple of seasons, French Connection has has a dress that is practically identical to this top, which is selling for over £100

Virginia overshirt, pin striped, long roll up sleeves with tab, £28

And finally, the Ferrara dress, with a fully sequined front and detachable straps, £59

These are just a really small selection of items I liked, from the samples that were there on the day, there are so many more on the website, so check it out, for all the latest trends at seriously affordable prices.

www.fashionunion.co.uk