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

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

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.

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

Leeds Shopping Day......Hip Hip Hooray!

So, I'm now on the 2nd day of my week long and much needed holiday as is the boy. After spending 6 hours negotiating the mine field that is painting our bathroom we decided to spend today in Leeds partaking in some good old fashioned retail therapy. While Hull does have a vast array of shops we are both always drawn to leeds for shopping - probably because of its cool mix of high street, vintage and boutique plus Urban Outfitters which we unfortunately do not have :(

Im always excited when I'm heading in UO even though every single trip lets me down. This isn't because of the fare it has to offer but because my first trip into one of these hallowed stores was on Broadway in New York City when the dollar was at its best for a Brit shopper like myself. In England I generally go straight for the sale section knowing that atleast I'll be able to afford something from there. Tried on a couple of skirts (I really do need to do a post on my love affair with jersey fabric) but neither fit great so I plumped in the end for a vintage-style sexy nightie/slip and white patent purse, £20 & £10 respectively

I also hit up a little cosmetics and clothing boutique which sits in the gorgeous Victorian Quarter called Rose Apothecary. As the name suggests it is focused around the old fashioned but holds modern gems that some how still sit really well. Upstairs the bulk of the stock is pretty soaps and cupcake shaped bath bombs along with a little Paul £ Joe make-up and some Tarina Tarantino jewellery. Downstairs is a treasure trove of newly made clothes based on 1940s and 50s designs as well as a substantial underwear department housing vintage style garments and pretty panties. Having more than enough underwear myself I decided to purchase a pair of black sequin and bead nipple patties -no idea why but I've always wanted some at at £5 in the sale I wasn't exactly breaking the bank.

Since the boy decided to add a third scent to his growing collection with Ralph Lauren Blue, I felt I should do the same. Please note I will still pledge my allegiance to Coco Chanel, and shall probably wear it every day until I die, but occasionally I want for something a little lighter (plus at 50 odd quid a bottle and the way I spray it, its probably more prudent to having something to help spread out its life span). After smelling a few I opted for Stella McCartney's Stella...not a new kid on the block but the rose scent made me feel nostalgic and reminded me of my grandma's talc (though I will note you don't get very much for £30)!

I had a quick sneak into Accessorize while the boy perused the bargain bins in a record shop, hoping to find a few gems in the sale section. Unfortunately for the purse strings the only things I was taken with where full price...damn. After seeing a fellow blogger's purchases from this store via their YouTube video I really wanted the ribbon and chain bracelet with the big gold anchor charm. First dilemma being that I couldn't decide between the red, blue, or stripe ribbon. Second being that my tiny hands and wrists made it look as if it was going to fall off at any minute. So instead I went for a £12 chain, navy ribbon and pearl necklace and a £5 gold chain and black ribbon ring picked up last minute at the till


Surprisingly for me there where no Barry M purchases in Boots - though I do have three new nail paints due to arrive tommorow, ha! Other buys today where a massive gold skull ring from a trashy shop called Culture Vulture which is half covered in topaz rhinestones and half covered in clear. Plus the allusive stripy tee has now been found in the Gap Body section (for a bargainous on sale price of just £8). Also picked up a little Urban Retreat styling cream from TKMaxx which will only come in handy when we get a shower and I can finally put conditioner in my hair and actually use my straighteners to give my hair some wave (you can tell I'm missing the curly can't you?).

Right, being the good housewife that I am I'm off to await my beau's return from football practice and check on the roast gammon joint in the over. Who know's I may even wear the patties tonight ;)

(Apologies for the cut + paste pictures, I am still without a digital camera boo hoo!)