How Time Flies

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post (and I'm not sure a picture of something I was selling on ebay even classes as a true post does it?).

My main excuse aside from the ususal (work, house, the fact that I think I have S.A.D.) is Xmas shopping. Literally every spare minute I have had this past 5 weeks has been spent thinking of present ideas, searching ebay or pounding the streets. I have 19 people to buy for this year (ranging from one gift people to they boy who gets ridiculously spoilt) not including the work secret santa. Alongside this there's the boy's 21st plus two other birthdays in a 1 month period.

So while thinking of ways to save on gifts (I'm well known in the family for being the one who starts her xmas and birthday gift shopping a few days after the festivities have ended) I'm also spoiling my boy silly rotten seeing as its a big'ol' birthday. I'm so excited to give him what I've got and can't wait to buy him even more. Unfortunately I can't name anything here in case he reads it but seeing as I'm getting my very own real life digital camera for xmas you may just see some photos :)

More Clearing Of The Closet

Selling my Topshop Mint Green Sequinned Feather Top on Ebay



Must dash, Hollyoaks is on and I most definately need to turn it off lol

UPDATE: Sold

A Bunch Of DIYs That Unfortunately I Cannot Show You!

Not a huge amount of point to this post really except so you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

I've done a bunch of DIYs recently and have a few more planned. But the boy as gone on a little trip to Prague which means I am sans even remotely usable camera (ie his phone).

Off work on Tuesday, can't wait, so I am going to attempt to take some pics with mine but I doubt it's gonna come out all that well.

Also, I still really want to do a DIY of the Miu Miu socks but can't find beige over the knees anywhere but River Island's website and they're quite pricey with p+p etc. Any ideas?

P.S. Got my hair cut a little shorter as I just couldn't do anything with it that didn't take like an hour. Thankfully because it was under two weeks since I originally had it done they did it for free as well. Much happier now, but I do think when it needs a trim that I may go a little shorter again.......

One Hour Vintage Haul

Just had a quick sojourn to my favourite neighbourhood charity shops (plus a sneaky latte and piece of coffee cake, yum!).

Came away with a surprising amount of vintage and non vintage goodies plus a tee for the boy.

Please excuse the bouffant hair (what happens when you pull tops on and off in quick succession, not a style statement) and the fact everything is paired with the leather leggings (it started raining and leather leggings + water = a bitch to get off).

Vintage Damart Sweater £3

















Vintage tennis tee (came with a matching skirt) £3











Rose print Gap tee £2


Blue and white rose print blouse £2.30
















The sleeve length on the above blouse isn't really me so hopefully I'll be able to take them up a little (I'm thinking maybe cuffing and tacking??!!). Either way the sewing machine will have to come out coz as I tried on the sweater i split the seam on the neck with my massive head/hair combo lol

Go Figure

So, after just spending the last hour playing with my hair, and almost crying at one point over the loss of my long tresses and the fact that I had made myself resemble a young female Labour MP, I think I've figured out what my love/hate relationship with my new haircut is all about - it's not short enough or, quite frankly, crazy enough.

You see, my hair for the majority has been long. And even when it's short it's been a simple bob. Not only was I hankering from the freedom that having short hair brings but also I wanted to make a HUGE differenec, have people go WOW! In all fairness a couple of people hat work did say that but I just don't feel like going from past my collarbone length to jaw length was enough.

It'll probably be best for me to keep it this length for a little while and see if I can't fake the look I'm going for as and when I want it (atleast I'll have the added bonus of a more simple hair do when I want it).

For now he's a couple of pics of what my hair looks like today plus an outfit post





















Sweater dress H&M; studded belt TOPSHOP; wet look leggings TOPSHOP; scarf H&M, black & white leopard print bag MORGAN; Barry M nail polish in Pink Flamingo

Car Booty

Quick post to show you what we picked up at a car boot sale on Bank Holiday Monday. I know someone who's sold here a few times and someone else who's shopped it on it's usual Sunday trading day. It was good but there weren't that many amazing finds (the girl who's been before picked up some gorgeous gold jewellery and a vintage Brownie camera for 20p!). It was still probably one of the best we've been to though so think we'll leave it a couple of weeks and go again when I have a Sunday off work.

Glass Sweets Jar - I'm amassing quite a collection of these to house, amongst other things, buttons, beads and Barry M nail polishes


Yellow pyrex gravy boat and plate - to replace the plain white china one that cost 99p but is quite frankly boring

Red plastic chain necklace from Mango - should look good with my Sweet & Sour nautical themed tee (£2.99 thrifted) or my navy and white stripe crop tee (TS)


Mini tea set - there's a very obvious DIY jewellery project here but I'd like to make it a bit edgier...will keep you posted

Coming Soon To A Blog Near You

Just wanted to give you a little heads up that over the next few weeks I'll be posting a flurry of DIY projects I'm going to be undertaking.

I've always been into adapting my clothes and used to make and sell jewellery on Etsy but finding, buying and moving into the house meant all of that got put on the back burner.

Now I finally feel like I can start getting back into it. I've just trawled through the DIY section of all the blogs I follow and am feeling uber inspired!

If I can get my butt in the shower this morning my plan is to whip up a little cushion cover on the sewing machine and then adapt a tee - I'm also hoping to hit up the local charity shops today so will post on this t-shirt revamp project as and when.

I have few other ideas up my sleeve as well and one big project that I'm very excited about and will let you in on when it's nearer to completion. For now it's just gna be a few little revamps until I can get back to my Mama's house to finally grab the last of my stuff, most of which is of a crafty persuasion.

Over and out for now xoxo

Quick Post - Ebay bargains to be had

Got a couple things on Ebay at the moment and thought I'd stick links on here so you can have a look see if you so wish. Need a major de-clutter now we're in the new house! These are already a few days in unfortunately as the mouse stopped working so I had no pictures to put on here:

Reko 4 Topshop Eiffel Tower Print Dress (size 8)


Zip Front Shoe (Jade) from Topshop, size 5 (PLEASE NOTE: the shoe I am selling is black NOT red but I can no longer find the correct picture)
UPDATE: Sold

Nu Hair Do!

Had my hair cut on Saturday afternoon. It was a very last minute decision...didn;t decide until very late Friday evening that I was going to do it and then had to get up at 9am the following morn to ring the hairdressers and hope they could squeeze me in.

Before the hairdressers:


After the hairdressers:


Quie a difference huh??!! I like it but don;t love it yet. I need to have a chance to play around with it properly, plus I'm still getting used to seeing my reflection without the massive mane.

Quick pic of my 'first day back to work' outfit:

Navy jacket/blouse-vintage from Ebay; black boobtube-H&M; denim skirt-Danielle Scutt 4 Topshop; black wet look leggings-Topshop; navy ribbon, gold chain and pearl necklace-Accessorize.

More American Apparel

OK, these are the colours I've narrowed it down to. I'm pushing more towards pomegranate and apricot but I'm not a strong decision maker - anyone who has ever eaten in a restaurant with me can attest to that!



From top: Heather Lake Blue, Apricot, Navy, Orchid, Pomegranate!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

I promise I'll let up on the AA talk now, at least until I receive my chosen dress and do a few outfit shots

x

MIU MIU Socks...To D.I.Y. For

How amazing are these Miu Miu sequin embellished knee socks. But with a price tag of £245 (WTF, they're only cotton socks!!!???) I think I'll be doing my own DIY version in time for autumn. If you have money to burn the black version is sold at Net-a-Porter.com.

Pondering how to wear them?
They kinda look like embellished knee high boots don't they? My DIY version will probably be paired with Topshop nude leather ballet pumps that I plan on buying when I go back to work.

The nude colour palette was continued throughout the MIU MIU a/w 09-10 ready to wear show as well. I have a major obsession with all things nude at the moment!

Which is causing me a slight problem in picking a colour of Le Sac dress from American Apparel. Yes, it's another 'Ways To Wear' piece. £34 for 6 different looks = £5.66 per dress (not including the infinite possibilities you can come up with yourself). You can't even get a dress for that price at Primark, and even if you could it would probably fall to pieces after a couple washes (this is the logic I will be using to convince the boy to let me buy).

Primark Bargain

So everyone knows that for the past few years there has been one can only be described as 'Primark Fever' in the UK (remember the near riots when they opened on Oxford Street?).

Well, when they opened here about 4 years ago I, like everyone else I'm sure, couldn't stay away. And I, like everyone else I'm sure, bought a bunch of cheap tat that got worn once and once only.

I only have one think left from various Primark hauls which is THAT gold sequin bolero that was a bit of craze when Primark stores started popping up everywhere. I have to say I wore and wore and wore it and it's still standing with very minimal sequin shedding and once of rescued it from my old room at my Mum's it will be re-instated back in my wardrobe.

But now that I'm a little older and wiser I don't visit Primark that often. Occasionally I'll pop across to have a look at the shoes (did buy a really cool pair of black vinyl studded flat sandals a little while ago that I call my 'Armoured Turtle' shoes) but a couple of weeks ago I spotted an amazing necklace in Grazia magazine so went on a journey to the store that took up pretty much all of my lunch break coz of how far I have to walk to get there. Totally worth it though.
You've probably seen this necklace on many blogs and sites before this one but I'm guessing with all the press coverage it's pretty much sold out everywhere so I kinda just wanted to go 'Yay, I got it!'. Childish yes, but I'm not ashamed (OK, maybe a little).

So why is this necklace so fabulous. Well firstly the price, just £4. Standard by Primark but compare to other high street stores and you'd easily be paying anywhere from £12-£30 for something similar. Also its huge. Often with bib necklaces they're a little paltry in the size stakes which to me kinda defeats the object...they're meant to be a statement piece. Worn with a plain tee this piece of neck armour creates the illusion that your wearing an embellished top and dresses up a t-shirt and jeans combo when your having a lazy day. Obviously for such a low price it could easily fall apart (this is something I'd like to keep for as long as possible coz it does create quite a timeless, non-seasonal look) but it does appear to be made quiet sturdily (the beads and gems are sewn onto a thick piece of felt then backed with another piece of felt). If a few do fall off however I reckon I'll be quiet happy to sew them back on to extend its life.

Decoration Inspiration

When it comes to home decor I only feel a room is truly finished when it has been 'styled'. With the bathroom that meant putting razors, cotton buds and cosmetic pads into my thrift store green glass tumblers on the shelves that almost never happened. And while decorating the rest of the house is being put off in favour of getting the rest of the boxes unpacked I do want to style the rooms as I go so it feels more like home. I've just spend a few minutes looking for some inspirational pictures and thought I'd gather them together here for you to look at and as a reference point for myself:

If you couldn't guess from all the black lacquer this is a photo of Anna Sui's kitchen. Oh my god, I want this kitchen. I especially love how she's mixed the cream and white. I didn;t want to go all cream in ours as it is a tiny room and I thought it might be overpowering but also didn't want to go all white as it could look clinical, especially against a dark surface. Perhaps this would be the perfect compromise. I especially love the shaping on the top of the cabinets.

I have a doll's house that my Dad made when I was little - a four roomed town house with a staircase and working light in the bedroom. When our bedroom is decorated I plan on refurbishing it to match (though I'm going to keep the original ditsy floral wallpapers) and then probably spend a small fortune buying furniture despite the fact I'll never play with it.

I love old fashioned glass candy jars and all ready have a few that I have been lucky enough to get for small change from charity shops. My largest is currently houseing all my beads and charms though I think I might put my nail polish collection in their instead and organise my craft stuff into smaller ones.

I have a great thifted dining chair that I'm planning on re-painting. It'll probably end up in the 2nd bedroom/dressing room piled with my lifestyle guides and fashion books.

What I'm Using Right Now

I have decided to take up lollipop26's offer of copying this post. I really enjoy reading them as you can find brands and products you'd never heard of before, or perhaps bypassed them because you didn't know enough about them. Plus I've never done one before...

Shampoo: Herbal Essences Fresh Balance Clarifying Shampoo. The scent is icy pineapple and it smells amazing. Me and the boy both use this and it stops my hair getting dirty too quickly as I touch my barnet a lot and use a fair amount of product.

Conditioner: As above - they where 2-4-1 so I got it to try and find it helps to control my hair without weighing it down.

Styling products: Elnette Flexible Hold hairspray all day everyday. Lee Stafford Poker Straight Night Patrol spray...smells divine! I actually use this on curly/hair and it works just as well (when I'm feeling particularly lazy I'll curl my hair in the evening, spray it, go to bed and wake up with soft waves in the morning). My desert island hair product is Batiste dry shampoo to add volume as well as extend the time between washes (like I said I touch my hair a lot) - I'm currently using the Diva fragrance which is oriental and the least chemically smelling one I've tried.

Shower Gel: Imperial Leather Bitter Lemon & Ginger - I like zingy smells to wake me up in the morning.

Body moisturiser: I have a few pots and bottles but don't use a body moisturiser everyday.

Deodorant: Dove cream stick.

Fake Tan: Oil of Olay Everyday Sunshine is my regular one but I planning on getting a mit and re-trying St Moritz.

Cleanser: Clean & Clear facewipes and toner

Exfoliator: I tend to use men's ones as they are less creamy and I often find that women's ones have less particles. I'm currently using a Boots Age Defying one coupled with the occasional steal of the boy's Toni & Guy.

Primer: Don't use it.

Foundation brush: My fingers.

Concealer: My Face Cosmetics cream concealer No111 from the Fair section. This is a really great concealer - smooth, creamy texture that blends into foundation really well to create a seamless look.

Powder: ELF Transclucent Powder - I was worried that this woule actually go on orange when I first saw it but I love it. The packaging withstands the bumps of my handbag (unlike other powders which have fallen to pieces) and the product lasts and last. Unlike others I only need to apply this in the morning and then at lunch. It's also lasting very well to say you don't get a huge amount.

Blusher: Currently flicking between ELF's Shy (soft mauve pink) and Glow (bright coral) though would probably only re-purchase the first as Glow doesn't seem to last very long on the skin.

Bronzer: ELF Golden Bronzer...I am in love with this product. I use it all over applied with a big powder brush then use a contourer to define my cheekbones by applying the shades seperately. I also use the lightest colour as an eyeshadow.

Highlighter: ELF All Over Colour Stick in Lilac Petal - a great multi-purpose product with that lovely ELF scent of Sugar Orange (I plan on getting the other three colours in this very soon and am bummed that the US site has two new colours that aren;t available in the UK yet!).

Eyeshadow base - I just use a little of my My Face Cosmetics foundation on my eyelids to keep my shadown in place (FAIR_01).

Eyeshadows: At the moment I'm using ELF's Pink Ice as an all over wash on the lid with Moondust worked into the crease and blended with a contouring brush. I also use Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Beige and Mahogany on a regular basis. For colour I use one of two Urban Decay palettes and for a rich eye I plump for Barry M Dazzle Dust in Rust (though I also have Chocolate, Oyster Grey and a Limited Edition Lilac).

Eyeliner: Barry M Intense Eyeliner Pen in Black.

Curler: A cheap pair from H&M...these are the only ones I've ever found that actually curl my lash properly.

Mascara: Prestige My Biggest Lashes in Very Black - I like how it gives amazing volume without looking clumpy.

Lipstick: ELF's Peaches for everyday or when my lips feel dry, Revlon's Cherries in the Snow for the wow factor, Barry M's Lip Paints in 101 Marshmallow, 100 Baby Pink, 73 Mulberry and 147 Peachy Pink.

Lipgloss: Don't use it, I prefer a stained or matte lip.

Nail Colour: Mainly Barry M in my collection - favourites are 115 Red Black, 295 Turquoise, 276, Mulberry Pink, 303 Bright Purple, 279 Bright Pink, 273 Raspberry, 262 Bright Red, 292 Navy, 119 Baby Pink and 129 Chocolate Brown.

Feel free to do as I did and copy this post. Leave a link in the comments and I'll be sure to have a read.

Cut The Ribbon...The Bathroom Finally Unveiled

OMG it's finally finished. I was seriously wondering whether this day would ever come. Since I've rambled on about it for so long I thought I stick a couple of pictures up so you could see what all that hard work created. I'm very happy with how it's turned out, just wish the road their had been a lot quicker. Note that the floor will be painted white in a couple of weeks when I'm on holiday from work and then we'll decided what curtains we want.

White Shelves Dunelm
Green Glasses Charity Shop
Towels Primark & Tesco
Chair Ikea
Laundry Hamper Dunelm


















White Hooks Dunelm
Mirror Charity Shop
Light Pull Woods Pine
White Shelf Dunelm
Cream Bowl Au Naturel
Soap Dispenser TK Maxx
Toothbrush Holder TK Maxx

Yesterday's Outfit

Because of where I work I have to put together outfits for myself 5 days a week that consist purely of that brand (not including shoes, accessories and clothing tho). Ive worked their two years and get discount on 6 items every 3 months which means (quick bit of math) that I've bought 48 pieces of uniform, about 5 of which will have been shoes so let's say 42. Alongside this I've obviously bought things outside of my uniform allowance. Maybe that sounds like putting an outfit together should be easy but trust me it isn't. Firstly these are high street clothes - they aren't realistically meant to last forever and at 2-3 wears and one wash per week for 12 weeks+ they tend to have come to the end of their life by the time the next uniform swings around. And really 6 pieces isn't that much - to me that's just the equivalent of 2 outfits. So you build up a wardrobe of basics and occasionally you sneak in some vintage bought from the Leeds store (read: found it in a charity shop) and sometimes your happy with how your outfit turned out and feel a bit more you that day:

Black Roll Back Crew Tee - TOPSHOP £8 (3 seasons old)
Bright Floral Body Con Skirt - TOPSHOP £28
Hi-Waisted Wet Look Legging - TOPSHOP £20
Black Zip Up Shoe (JADE) - TOPSHOP £55









Light Grey Slouchy Cashmere Jumper - GAP £20 SALE (4 seasons old)














Light Grey Vinyl Biker Jacket - TOPSHOP £15 current sale
Black Cable Knit Scarf - H&M 99p sale
Purple Metallic Leather Bag - Laguna London @ TKMAXX £14 sale










NECKLACES

Stag - FREEDOM £6 (I think)
Green Teardrop - AVON (from charity shop) - £1
Bevelled Edge Clock - JUMBLE SALE 50p
Amber Glass Teardrop - AFFORDABLE VINTAGE FASHION FAIR, York £5






Apologies for the crappy shots, I still haven't found a camera so am using my phone when needs must. Can I also just say that I'm in no way slagging off my employers with this post, just saying how frustrating it can be to create an outfit with a very select pool of clothing that you see day in day out.

Ciao

P.S. Is it worth me doing the occasional 'Outfit Post'? Do people like these?

E.L.F. Review...FINALLY!

Sorry for the lateness of this much promised post....yet again it was more bathroom issues that kept me away from the computer plus lots of early shifts this week and extreme tiredness yesterday - I couldn't even keep myself awake to watch one of my ultimate feel good films 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'! The boy is still in bed having not got in til 5am (it being 10am here now) and so I am using his unconsciousness to my advantage and taking ownership of the computer.

So on to E.L.F. As it just seemed rude not to I treat myself to £30 worth of products and received free p+p. I was amazed to get an email just a handful of hours after ordering to say that my order had been dispatched. Because I ordered Friday I knew I wouldn't get them til Monday, and like I said the nice postman left the package under the doormat so I didn't have to get is re-sent to me. Hip hip hooray!

One of the things that I read in their FAQ's page struck me again when I received my packet - "we'd love to put mirrors in our compacts or have the same great containers as Nars or Stila, but we’re about something different: namely giving women the chance to try anything they want without the commitment to a major spend". Perhaps this was written a while ago but the two white basic compacts that I bought both had mirrors and the studio line products all came in very Nars-esque packaging......trust me I'm not complaining as it obviously hasn't effected the price.

So like I said I spent £30 and tried to go for a wide range of products that really excited me when I saw them. There was also one other - that bronzer - that I had to get just because of the hype.

That Bronzer - let's start with that product shall we. This seems to be the one that everybody is raving about at the moment. And quite frankly who can blame them. Great sturdy packaging, tons of product, doesn't flake, shimmery but not glittery. I also like how the four colour blocks can easily be used separately (for instance as a blusher, highlighter, and shader) and well as being brushed all over as a bronzer. I went for the Golden Bronzer (also comes in Cool and Warm) as I have a light warm skin tone and felt this would work well rather than looking muddy and fake. I've also used the colours separately as eyeshadows - it's an all round fantastic product and deserves the attention its been getting.

Translucent Matifying Powder - I've had a lot of problems with powder compacts of late. Ever since I can remember I've used Rimmel's translucent powder (there has been the occasional mishap into other brands but I've always come back with my tail between my legs) but as of late the packaging seemed to get even flimsier and I was only getting halfway through before the product would break away and crumble rendering pretty much useless. So I bought a different Rimmel powder with sturdier packaging but the same problem is starting to occur. So, while I wasn't really needing a powder just yet I decided to add the E.L.F. into my basket. And man was I disappointed when I opened the compact....it doesn't look translucent at all (because I'm so pale, any hint of colour to my powder just make me look orange). However after a week of using it first thing in the morning and for at least one re-application during the day I can say it is a perfect colour match to my skin. It comes with a dense sponge applicator which is great for applying powder as it stops it clumping and while the amount of product does look tiny is doesn't flake so should last quite a while.

Eyebrow Kit - my final product from the Studio range. Strangely they offer 3 different kings of eyebrow product - that just seems an awful lot for one small Internet cosmetics brand. The others are Eyebrow Lifter & Filler, a double ended pencil, and Eyebrow Treat & Tame, a double ended mascara. I'm not much good with kohl and don't think a mascara would look good on my blonde quite thin brows so went for the powder. I will admit I went by the image here rather than the description as it wasn't until I opened the compact I realised it was a powder and gel combo. I went for light (also comes in medium and dark) which is a minky powder and standard brown pigmented gel. The little brush is surprisingly useful and I'm glad I bothered to try it out as usually I just throw them straight in the bin. I do find I have to be very light handed when it comes to the gel but the product goes on easy (probably quicker than my usual application of Chanel eyeshadow) and stays all day without smudging or clumping.

Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 - now for the budget range at £1.50 a pop. I have to say I am very disappointed in this. Firstly the bottle is incredibly small (the FAQ's page states "all products are full sized just like any other cosmetic company" and so I didn't bother looking at weights), 12g to be precise. I would expect at least double from a product such as a tinted moisturizer and will probably only get 4-5 full face applications from the bottle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching about the price and don't feel I've been ripped off, I just think it jars against the rest of the range where you get a substantial amount of product. I went for the lightest colour, Tone 1, but have found it's still a little too dark (perhaps better with a little tan) but the consistency to me does not match that of any other tinted moisturizer I have used. In fact I'd say my regular foundation is more moisturizing. A bit of a dud I feel, and since they only offer this type of foundation product plus a heavy duty stick, I doubt that the company put much focus into their formulations.

Nail Polish - OK, I'm just gonna get both the bad reviews out of they way in one go. Quick and painless like ripping off a band aid. There wasn't a hue range of colours to choose with what their was mainly being in the pink spectrum. There where a couple of stand out colours, their new colours Chocolate & Navy being stand out ones that unfortunately I already have in Barry M. So I decided to go for a basic Nude. I wish I hadn't. I wish I'd gone for something with a deeper pigment such as Blush so that it would have actually come up on my nails. Nude is basically Clear but looks prettier in the bottle. However it is damn hard wearing, I'd just make sure to choose something with a much deeper richer pigment when I make a future purchase.

All Over Color Stick - as with their foundations E.L.F. offer two highlighting/3-in-1 products the other being Shimmering Facial Whip. I wanted this to be something I could cart around with me for during the day so went for this thanks to the better packaging and ease of application. I love this!!! When I re-purchase from this site, which at some point I most definitely will, I will be buying this in more than one colour. This time I picked up Lilac Pearl which acts as a great highlighter so I would also pick up something darker to work as a blush on its own (they actually only offer 4 colours in total - Lilac Pearl, Pink Lemonade, Persimmon & Toasted - so the likelihood is that I'll collect all of them).

Eyeliner & Blending Brush - because they where a low price I also decided to try out some of their brushes. My eyeliner brush needed replacing and while this one isn't angled like any others I have use before I'm getting on pretty well with it. I'm finding the blending brush to be a little rough and cheap feeling but it does apply blush amazingly so I'm glad I got it just to find out whether it would be a useful tool for me but will probably replace it with a better quality MAC one. These tools would also be perfect for someone who's just starting to wear make-up and wants to experiemnt or someone who wears it rarely.

Custom Eyes, Lips & Face - I was very excited to find that E.L.F. offer blank compacts that can be filled with your own selection of eyeshadow, blush and lipstick. A lot of companies offer this but at a much inflated price. Here a compact and four products will set you back just £7. I went for two compacts - the first with two eyeshadows (Pink Ice and Moondust) and two blushes' (Shy and Glow). I would definately repurchase the shadows plus more...they are the consistency a love, shimmery but not glittery and leave a lovely wash of colour on the lid. I love love love Shy - this is my perfect blush. Glow is a little orange for me but will probably work with a tan and blending. I will definately be buying Shy in the full size solo compact as soon as I'm out. Did I tell you I love love love it?

For the lips I chose Peaches (fleshy nude), Icing (pale pink), Nude Blush (mink pink) and Crimson (raspberry). The consistency is quite sheer but still with a strong pigmentation and as long lasting as you would expect. At the moment all of the customer lip products are half price at 75p so the full palette only cost £4.50. I would probably repurchase Peaches and Crimson and would probably try out some of the other colours (like the polishes they mainly stay in the pink section of the spectrum). I would be even more likely to purchase if the colours could be bought in full size tubes so hopefully that's something they will move into.

Right, one ridiculously long (but hopefully useful or atleast enjoyable to read) post. I found a few star products here which I am very happy with (namely the Golden Bronzer, Translucent Powder & Shy Blush) with only a couple of no-go's. I'd definately recommend this brand to anyone irregardless of whether they are a make-up nut or not. I also think E.L.F. would be great for gifts...I'd be over the moon with a colour palette where the giver had spent the time picking colours and products they thought would be just right for me.

OK, I need another cup of tea and Charlie is wanting some attention.

Speak soon

The Life And Times Of Moi...atleast over the last few days

While some me see it as being tardy in regards to blogging, I'm quite proud of myself for regularly posting on the blog (to me its regular, ok?)

Anyway, muchos to tell:

• Got my package from E.L.F.! Yay for my postman who put it under my doormat rather than sending it back to the depot for me to arrange re-delivery (which would have meant I wouldn't have received my goodies til tommorow). I've tried everything and will be posting a full review tommorow lunch
• The bathroom is still not finished! Ha, is this really a surprise to anyone? Really it's just the shelves that need finishing but because we're using gloss paint it takes an age. A plus point is that Papa has been round and done the silicony bit around the tub so Friday evening will be the time for the first official proper standing up shower. Woop woop!
• Uniform came round again and I got 6 gorgrous things but I couldn't find everything on the website to show you pics so that will have to come at a later date.
• I just made smily face Smartie buns (this is not really relevant but they make me smile so I thought I'd put it out their)

But most importantly, and what this post is really about, is a little online magazine called Betty. If, like me you are a follower of Miss Susie Bubble's Style Bubble blog then you will probably already know about it but if not (and why not?) then here's the 411 -

"Betty magazine is a new bi-monthly e-publication created just for girls. Empowering, witty, intelligent - quite simply a jamboree of independent style. Betty is your new best friend. Betty's mission is to fill a void in women's magazines, no weight loss or diet tips here, we don't want to play on people's insecurities: our philosophy is for people to embrace who they are and celebrate it. Content is a whimsical mix of editorial, news bits and interviews ranging from 50 word snippets to feature length articles. Betty is produced by two final year BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion students, Hannah Burgess and Charlotte Jacklin from UCA Rochester, who are changing the way people consume their bi-monthly dose of fashion, music, culture and lifestyle."

Well after reading the magazine and enjoying it very much (for me it's kind of a mix between Nylon and Neet but more accessible and a little quirky) I decided to go out on a limb and contact Hannah and Charlotte about whether they would like some help from me as a copy editor (stylistics being a sick and perverse obsession of mine lol). And I waited...and waited...and then, despite the fact I made it very clear in my e-mail that I in no way meant my comments as patronising or condescending, felt a fool, sure that they where scorning my behaviour. Then I forgot all about it. Not until several days after did I check my e-mail (I check it even less frequently than I post if that's possible) to find an e-mail from Charlotte taking me up on my offer. Yippee! Not only will I be involved in a cool new online magazine but I didn't make a twerp out of myself




x

More Dramas From The Bathroom

Firstly. I apologise in advance for any missed spelling mistakes - the kitten is wandering across the keyboard and computer desk (I'd probably move her if she wasn't so darn cute!)

So yes, more bathroom issues. There I was scrubbing the floor and mopping up the water with my new mop (I'm a bit of a Monica with this mop) when I heard a buzzing. Assuming it was a wasp or blue bottle I had a quick look around the room. Then the buzzing got louder and I figured since the window was open I could just hear someone doing something in their backyard. Went to turn back round but being the clumsy clown that I am I overbalanced so put my thumb on the radiator to stop myself........WHICH IS WHEN I GOT ELECTRICUTED! So now the buzzings real loud and little orange sparks start coming out from a gap in the floorboards. I had no idea what it was but obviously knew sparks and water don't mix so started frantically mopping. Once all the water's up I bent down to have a better look and try and figure out why the hell my floor is doing this which is when theres a bang (which even he heard downstairs but just figured I'd dropped something, a fair assumption) and a ball of orange about 1/2" from my face (I swaer if I had been any closer I'd be writing this without the joy of eyebrows).

Proper shit up I explaioned it all to the boy who said we'd need to get an electrician. 'No' said I, 'I'll call my Dad'! Even though my Dad doesn't work with electrics he's one of those guys who knows a bit of everything. So he came round and it's a friggin' bare live wire thats sticking up between the floorboards (about 2" from the hole the cat keeps investigating which is the thing that scares me the most - that shock definately would have killed her) which was from an older water boiler. Looking in the fuse box unearthed a fuse for said water boiler, though the bang had obviously fixed it. So why was a fuse that led to nothing not noticed by the £450 surveyor we had to get in as part of our mortgage agreement? Why did the idiots who previously owned this place think that cutting and leaving a live wire was acceptable behaviour? I spent an hour on the sofa with a major headache watching The Hills, which I think I could become quite addicted to.

On a lighter note, this is what the cat's doing now



LMAO