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.