Thursday 31 May 2012

OOTD: Florals and Frills

Trust the weather to take a bad turn on the day I want to take outfit photos! I guess it's my fault for not making the most of the sunny week we have had... Anyway, hopefully the weather will calm down a little soon and I can go back to taking my photographs outdoors :) As you can see, I love my Glamorous blazer; it has made an appearance in two outfit posts in a row now, and this time I have paired it with my new favourite blouse from Matalan, which I couldn't resist buying after featuring it in my Wednesday Wishlist a few weeks ago. I love the frilly socks look on other people but wasn't sure if I could pull it off myself, but I decided to bite the bullet and release the inner five-year-old girl in me... What do you think?

 Blazer: Glamorous*
Blouse: Matalan
Shorts: Primark
Socks: Topshop
Shoes: New Look
Necklace: Topman
Rings(L-R): Miss Selfridge, Coleyyyful

I hope you like my outfit!
Also, just a quick notice for those of you who saw my post about the Glamorous flash sale tomorrow (now deleted), Glamorous have just announced via Twitter that they can no longer run the discount :(

*DISCLAIMER: Starred item(s) are PR samples
Wednesday 30 May 2012

Wednesday Wishlist #15

Not a lot has caught my eye in the New In sections this week, I'm afraid (although this is probably a lot better for my bank account), but I did manage to find a few pretty gems hidden amongst the pages :)


 I love how mildly patriotic this Topshop scarf is, with the teacup, Big Ben and Telephone box print (have a look on the website for a better view of the print) yet it isn't too over-the-top. I love the way the print looks like little watercolour paintings too.

I adore the heart cutout back detail of this blouse, it just adds a pretty, unique touch to an otherwise plain shirt.

I am never usually drawn to brightly patterned shoes as I never know what to wear them with, but I love the colour and pattern of these ones, and I think they would look lovely with a white dress or top to add a subtle pop of colour.

This blouse is just so sickly sweet (literally!) and busy, but I am just drawn to it for some reason; I can't resist the cupcake, cookies and party ring print. I actually think that it looks lovely with a plain pair of shorts or jeans like the model is wearing to tone it down a little.

I hope you like my picks! 
Tuesday 29 May 2012

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Travel Pamper Pack.

So with everybody preparing to jet off to some place sunny over the summer, Montagne Jeunesse have come up with a nifty little kit so that we can keep ourselves pampered whilst on holiday. The Montagne Jeunesse Travel Pack contains six little sachets of fruity-fragranced treatments for your hair, face, feet and body, that will help keep you refreshed and feeling great in the intense heat.



Here is what you get in the pack:

2 x Juiced Orange Body Wash
1 x Crushed Apricot Kernal Skin Smoother
1 x Squeezed Lime Oil Intensive Spa Hair Masque
1 x Crushed Blueberries Foot Cooler
1 x Pulped Pomegranate Passion Peel Off Mask


The products come in a handy travel-sized cardboard booklet, from which you can tear out the sachet of whichever product you want to use. I really like this as it is a perfect size to throw in to your bag or suitcase, and they are all kept together.

I have been trying out the products in here for the past couple of weeks and I have written a mini review of each one for you:


Juiced Orange Body Wash
I am not normally a fan of artificial citrus fragrances but this really does have a true orange scent. It is very refreshing to use both in the morning or after a long day out and it left me feeling clean, with a mild orange fragrance lingering on my skin.

Crushed Apricot Kernal Skin Smoother
This was probably my favourite product in the pack. I love exfoliants that actually feel as though they are working, and the crushed apricot stones in this scrub are quite abrasive, although I don't think that they are too harsh. I find that with most scrubs, the exfoliating beads dissolve as use you rub them in, but these stay put so you can work them on to your skin for longer.

Squeezed Lime Oil Intensive Spa Hair Mask
This is the only product in the pack that didn't work very well for me. Like the body wash, it has a lovely, refreshing citrus fragrance, like lemons and grapefruit this time. My only issue was that there wasn't enough product in the sachet for my nearly waist-length hair, but I don't think that this is really too much of a fault, as these packets are travel sized and there would probably be enough product for people with short to mid-length hair.

Crushed Blueberries Foot Cooler
I used this product after two days of walking for miles in the hot weather that the UK has been seeing for the past week, and my feet certainly are thanking Montagne Jeunesse for it. The foot cooler comes out as a pale blue cream which smells of blueberries with a hint of mint, and feels so cool and soothing when massaged in to your feet. The cream turns to powder once it has settled on to your feet, and the cooling sensation stays around for a good 15-20 minutes.

Pulped Pomegranate Passion Peel Off Face Mask
I am not normally a big fan of peel off face masks as they are usually very sticky and messy to work with, and this one was no different. It did smell amazingly of red berries, however, and once it was dry it peeled off easily and left my face feeling clean and smooth.

Overall, I really like this pack and would definitely repurchase it if I go away somewhere for a week or two. This Beauty Travel Pamper Pack is super affordable at just £5.00 and is available from the Montagne Jeunesse website, where postage costs only 0.75p! An extra bonus is that all Montagne Jeunesse products are suitable for vegetarians and focus on their natural ingredients, meaning that these products are great for anybody :)

Are you going on holiday this summer?What is your favourite Montagne Jeunesse product?
*DISCLAIMER: This is a PR sample. My opinions are still 100% honest as always.
Monday 28 May 2012

Delilah Dust Jewellery Giveaway! *Now Closed*

 Hello everybody!

I am launching a little giveaway for you today... I got in touch with the lovely Antonia from Delilah Dust, who makes and sells her own quirky pieces of jewellery; do check out her website, everything is very reasonably priced and she offers free UK delivery!
As part of her birthday celebrations, Antonia is very kindly offering my readers a chance to win the Pyrite Cube Necklace, which I really like; it is such a simple yet unique piece of jewellery!

Image of Pyrite Cubes Necklace
Photograph taken from Delilah Dust.

The rules 
  • This giveaway will run until 6:00AM this Saturday, June 2, 2012. I will contact the winner via email or Twitter, and then pass your details on to Antonia who will send the prize to you directly.
  • You must be 18 or over to enter or have parental permission to give me your address.
  • The giveaway is open to the UK only, I'm afraid! Sorry to my international followers :(
  • You must be a follower of my blog to enter as this giveaway is intended for my readers! There are a few options for extra entries too.
  • Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck everybody and a big thank you to Antonia for offering to do this giveaway!
*SPONSORED GIVEAWAY: Antonia is very kindly supplying the prize for this giveaway.
Sunday 27 May 2012

iFabbo UK Conference 2012.

I'm baaack! As most of you may know from reading my previous post, I have been in London over the weekend for the iFabbo UK Social Media Conference.

I made the three hour journey down to London with my parents on Friday morning, and then we spent the day walking around Piccadilly and St. James Park in the sunshine. I was so excited to wander around London as it had nearly been ten years since I last visited; I wish we had more time to go sightseeing and shopping! I had a lovely time on Saturday at the conference; had the usual nerves that I get whenever I am going somewhere new that I am going to get lost or feel out of place, but I met a few lovely bloggers beforehand (I will include links to their blogs down below!) and we made our way to the venue together.


The event was held at Kettner's, Soho, which is a gorgeous old-fashioned restaurant and champagne bar with various rooms for private events. We were greeted by very friendly staff and were handed our extremely generous gift bags as we checked in. The conference consisted of five panels of professional bloggers and speakers from companies who taught us different things about blogging from building relationships with PRs and making a business from your blog, to taking good quality photographs and using social media. Despite the room that we were sat in being unbearably hot and lacking an air conditioning unit, the talks were actually very informative and enjoyable to listen to. 
Half way through the conference we took a break for afternoon tea, where we were provided with plenty of beautifully presented sandwiches, mini cakes and drinks.

Thankfully, after all the panels had spoken, we were taken upstairs to an air conditioned room (the sense of relief I felt was so real) for the cocktail hour, where we were treated to some refreshing cocktails and were able to mingle with the panels and other bloggers; everybody I spoke to was so friendly! :)

Overall, I had a great day at the event and I am definitely glad I went; I have learned so much about how I can improve my blog and I am definitely going to take the panels' tips and advice in to hand. Here I leave you with a few photographs of my day :)


I met a few lovely bloggers at the event, some whose blogs I already followed, and some who are now brand new to my reading list. Here are some of them so make sure you check them out :) (I wasn't able to catch everybody's blogs/twitter accounts so if I met you at the conference and you're not on this list, let me know!)

Ceri at Ceri Taylor
Grace at All That Slap

I hope everybody had a lovely weekend! Have you attended any blogger events?

Thursday 24 May 2012

Just a quick hello!

Hey lovelies,

I just wanted to write a quick post to let you know I will be a little MIA over this weekend. I don't feel like I have blogged enough over the past couple of weeks, although it is nice to take a little bit of time away from my computer screen. Tomorrow I am off on a four hour journey to London, ready for the iFabbo Social Media Conference on Saturday which I am really excited about... Let me know if you will be there, I'd love to say hello! I am not sure if the hotel where I am staying will have WiFi, or even if I will be taking my laptop, so I don't think I will be blogging, but I will be on Twitter, as always!
I will be back on Sunday with lots of posts lined up; I will definitely be blogging about London and the conference, and I'm hoping to get some OOTD shots whilst I am away and I have quite a few products to review for you :)

So I hope you all have a lovely weekend! Are you doing anything nice? :)

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Wednesday Wishlist #14

I feel like I've been a bad blogger lately; I'm used to blogging every day but for the past couple of weeks I feel like I've slacked a little bit. Yesterday I was hoping to get a summery OOTD up since the sun was shining but instead I developed a cold and was curled up on the sofa for most of the afternoon feeling sorry for myself :( I'm still not 100% today and it has taken me far too long to put this wishlist together as even looking at my computer screen makes my head throb, but I felt like I needed to get it up. Enjoy! :)

 

I really love the detail on these shorts. The print is so detailed and the colours are really pretty; they'd look lovely with a white chiffon blouse tucked in to them :)

This bralet reminds me a little of the Motel bralet I featured in my Wednesday Wishlist a few weeks ago. I'm really loving bralets worn with high waisted skirts at the moment, and brightly coloured ones like this are perfect for sunny days and nights out.

I have been on a hunt for a new perfume lately, but I think my taste in perfumes has changed quite a bit and I couldn't find something that suited me well enough. I know quite a few people like this perfume so I had a little whiff of it in Debenhams the other day and I love it. The bottle is gorgeous too!

Will somebody please tell me if these are hideous or not? I'm not sure haha. I love my black chelsea boots, they're just so comfortable, but I think they are a bit too warm and dark for summer. These ones remind me of the 60s/70s but I can imagine them worn with pretty pastel dresses and I think they would look really cute.

I hope you have all been enjoying the sunny weather and aren't ill in bed like me :(
Monday 21 May 2012

My Top Nail Polishes for Spring/ Summer 2012.

I realise I am a bit late on the bandwagon with this post with us being half way in to Spring already, but better late than never, right? This post has been a long time coming, I have been planning it for over a month now and wanted it to be my first YouTube video, but due to some technical issues the YouTube videos are going to have to wait :( Anyway, these are the polishes I have been reaching for the most since the beginning of April, I have picked out a nice mix of pastels, brights and glitters... I hope you like them!

 My favourite polishes for Spring/ Summer 2012!

 Barry M: Mint Green
I'm not so much a fan of the formula of this polish; it takes around three coats for it to become opaque, but the colour is so pretty! I've been a fan of mint green on the nails since it became quite popular this time last year.

 O.P.I: Play The Peonies (Nice Stems Collection)
This is my favourite nail polish of the bunch right now. I love this colour if I am after something a little more sophisticated. It is a really pretty pearly off-white/ pale pink shade. I always think of weddings when I apply it, the shade is so subtle and I think it would look lovely on a bride :)

 Models Own: Hedonist (Hedkandi Collection)
 This is definitely the most daring nail polish I own and it is more of a toe colour for me than a finger nail colour. It is a bright neon coral colour which leans more pink in some lights and orange in others. It also has a matte finish which I love, although it might not be for everybody. This can easily be fixed with a glossy top coat though :)

 Urban Decay: Hot Mess (first and third fingers)*
O.P.I: Be a Dahlia, Won't You? (second and forth fingers)
I thought I would include these shades together as they are so similar and the O.P.I polish is probably a lot easier to get hold of. Hot Mess is a gorgeous raspberry pink jelly polish with finely milled glitter running through it. It seriously looks gorgeous in the sunlight. I have been on a quest to find a dupe for it as it is extremely hard to get hold of, and although Be a Dahlia, Won't You is a couple of shades lighter, it'll do for now!

 MUA: U ROK (Love Hearts Collection)
Blue is a colour I find difficult to pull off on my skin tone, but cornflower blues such as this one are perfect, and this MUA polish is such good value for money!

 Maybelline Forever Strong: Lilac Charm
Lilac is another colour I find hard to pull off; they usually lean too pink for my skin tone. I love this one though, it has a slight greyish-blue undertone which makes it cool enough to look flattering on me, and I love the glossy finish it has, even without a top coat.

 Models Own: Ibiza Mix (Hedkandi Collection)
This is the ultimate glitter polish of the year, in my opinion! This photo definitely doesn't do it justice but it has the most gorgeous mix of orange, gold, green, blue and pink glitter particles and looks lovely over nearly any colour (photographed over Lilac Charm).

What are your favourite shades for S/S 2012?
*DISCLAIMER: Starred item was part of a giveaway prize.

Sunday 20 May 2012

Week in Instagrams #13

Quite a heavy Instagram post this week, I found myself just snapping pictures of random things. Despite that, I haven't really been up to that much, I went for a mooch around town and charity shopping earlier in the week, and as I haven't had a night out for a while I decided to venture in to town with some old school friends for drinks last night :)


1. This made me laugh when I got it. I doubt my mum would appreciate a Words With Friends game for Mother's Day.

2. These curtains aren't great for mornings when I want a lie-in as the sun shines straight through them :(

3. Checked out the new Essie stand in my locals Boots! 

4. My new blog design done by the lovely Felicity.

5. A Montagne Jeunesse Travel Pamper Pack to try out. A review will be up in the next week :)

6. Got way too excited when this fell through my letter box. Too cute!

7. Bacon and Cheese stuffed mushrooms.

8. My ombre/dip-dye nails :) See my post on them here.

9. Fell in love with this Lipsy maxi dress in a charity shop for only £7 but didn't pick it up because I didn't know if/when I would wear it. Definitely regretting leaving it there!

10. Hit 800 followers this week, so happy! Thanks everybody :D

11. Smoked kipper and rice for dinner.

12. This is good stuff!

13. Tried the new Magnums. So good but very sickly!

14. Chicken and cheese pitta with fruit juice for breakfast :)

15. My lip saviours at the moment.

16. My night out last night resulted in me randomly purchasing a photo keyring. I don't even know two of the people on it.

I hope you have all had a lovely week! :)

Friday 18 May 2012

(Guest Post) Review: Montagne Jeunesse Shine Control Mask.

This is the last review in my series of Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes range reviews. As it is the Shine Control mask and I do not have oily skin, I decided to pass the mask on to another blogger who would be more suited to it. Say hello to the lovely Nadia from Dressing Table Delights, who kindly offered to review this mask for me; make sure you check out her blog! :)


Firstly, here is what Montagne Jeunesse say about their new range:
Are you having a skin problem? Do you need help? Do you always ask yourself ‘which mask shall I use for my Oily/Dry/Spot Prone/Blackheads or T-Zone Skin? Fear not our NEW Skin Hero Range has landed and are raring & ready to fight for your right to clear, healthy skin the natural way; it’s your weekly essential for healthy, gorgeous, problem free skin.
These are the products in the range:



The 'Shine Off' masque, part of the Montagne Jeunesse new Skin Heroes range, claims to 'balance the skin' which is great for me as my t-zone area is extremely oily whereas the rest of my face is relatively normal - not too dry or oily. So I was interested to see if this would banish my excess oil and balanced the rest of my skin out to create an even base.
These new masks have two steps; the mask which is used first, and a moisturiser for afterwards. 

The mask: the consistency of this was great - not too thick or thin! It was so easy to apply a thin, even layer all over the face. The mask is a tan 'skin' colour and dries to a cream/white colour so you easily see when it is fully dried and the smell was weird - subltle hints of 'fruit' with a clay mask smell - not pleasant nor too bad. It says to it on for 15-20minutes which was exactly how long I left it on for and it was completely dry (I used less than half a packet which was plenty!). As it was drying it felt extremely tight, like i couldn't even move my mouth without it cracking tight, I personally don't mind that feeling but if you do then this probably isn't for you. Once dried it was fairly easily to remove with a cloth and warm water. My skin didn't feel tight or dry once removed, it felt more 'plump' and as it claims.. oil free! 

The moisturiser: I used less than half of this too as I found it to be extremely thick and moisturising. Despite it's thickness it was easy to rub in and absorbed really quickly leaving me with hydrated yet matte skin at the same time (why can't all moisturisers be like this?). Half the packet was more than enough to moisturise my whole face and neck without feeling greasy.

For the next few hours my face was pretty much oil free, but after about 3 hours the oil started seeping back - much better than if I didn't use it though! I think this mask would be great for a quick fix before an event or something where you really need to keep shine at bay! The moisturiser actually made a great base for makeup and my skin overall felt much smoother. Overall, this is really nice for some pre-party pampering and there's enough product for two - bargain!

The Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes range is now available in ASDA stores, and they are a steal at just £1.49 per sachet. You can also purchase Montagne Jeunesse skin care products online at their website, postage only costs £0.50p, or is completely free if you spend just £7.50! And as a bonus, all of their products are suitable for vegetarians and they look to use natural ingredients to give your skin the TLC it needs!

Are you a fan of Montagne Jeunesse? What is your favourite product?
 -Nadia

*PR Sample.
Thursday 17 May 2012

Haul: New Look, Matalan, Internacionale, Dorothy Perkins & Superdrug

Somebody please take my purse off me and don't let me spend any more money?! I have no self control when it comes to mid-season sales and student discount. These are just a few things I have picked up over the past week.

 Tan Mid Wedge Shoes: New Look £17.99
I love these shoes! I really like that they are not quite a flatform, but not a full-on wedge either. They're so easy to walk in and are perfect for the day time. In an ideal world I would also have a black pair, but I must be sensible!

 Pastel Stripe Jumper: Internacionale £22.99 £12.00
I spotted this in the Internacionale sale whilst having a quick mooch around town on Monday, but didn't buy it at first, but this was one of those items that you get home and can't stop thinking about how much you want it. I don't actually own a proper jumper, and the pastel colours on this make it perfect for the more chilly Spring days. I went back yesterday to see if it was still there, and it was, so I snapped it up!

Bright Tropical Print Blouse: Matalan £16.00
This is probably the brightest item of clothing I have ever owned in my life! I've been trying to brighten up my wardobe a little for Summer and this certainly does it! I can't wait until we get a bit of sun so I can wear it out, it's really loose and flowy with a dipped hem and slits in the sleeves, which I love.

 Collar Necklace: £10.00 £1.00
Triangle Ring: £5.00 £1.00
(Both Dorothy Perkins)

I featured some Dorothy Perkins jewellery bargains in my last haul, and couldn't resist going back to pick up a couple more things. Absolute bargains!

 Barry M Mint Green, Barry M Matt White: £2.99 each
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium: £4.19
(All Superdrug)

I love mint green nail polishes and I have been needing a new one, so I opted for the cheap and cheerful Barry M. This is now my third repurchase of the wonderful Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer and I still love it as much as I did the first time I bought it! As Superdrug currently have a 3 for 2 offer across all cosmetics, I picked up another Barry M polish in Matt White as I didn't have a white polish and I think it is a staple colour to have in your collection.

I think a spending ban is in order!
Wednesday 16 May 2012

Wednesday Wishlist #13

I seem to have unintentionally gone by a girly, frilly, floral theme this week; there are just so many pretty cream and pastel pieces out on the high street at the moment!



Matalan have got it so right this Spring! I don't think this photo does it justice, but I spotted this blouse in store today and it is really pretty and would look lovely tucked in to a pair of plain shorts or jeans.

I really like leggings that have a little bit of detail on them to make them look a bit more interesting, and this pastel aztec pattern is really on trend right now.

I really don't need another dress but how gorgeous is this? This is another Matalan piece that I saw when I popped in there today. I think it would look lovely on a sunny day paired with a denim jacket.

4. Crochet Shorts £25.99
I've wanted a pair of crochet shorts for a while now and I loved this scalloped Zara pair. They also have a black pair that I quite like, although I think they give a competely different feel.

This is such a simple accessory but I think it would look really cute worn like a pussy bow under the collar of a sheer blouse :)

I hope you like my picks! Are you loving all the pastel prints at the moment?

How To: Ombre/ Dip Dye Nails

The dip dye effect is everywhere on the high street and cat walks this Spring/ Summer, and now the trend has moved on to nail art. I saw Francis over at francisdodson try this and instantly wanted to give it a go. It is a little tricky at first and takes a bit of practice to get it right, but I love the finished look.


What you will need:
 -Between 3-5 gradient nail polishes
- A triangular make-up sponge

 L-R: MUA Love Hearts Nail Polish in LOVE U 24/7, Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in Lilac Charm, Barry M White

Step-by-Step

1. Prep by dipping the sponge in a glass of water and then squeezing out the excess so that it is left damp. This stops the nail polish from just soaking in to the sponge. I also recommend you paint your nails with your palest shade; this will give the polishes something to adhere to and help the colours show up better.

2. Take your damp sponge and paint stripes of each shade next to each other going from light to dark. Paint on a couple of layers of each so that it doesn't dry up too fast or soak in to the sponge.

3. Do a couple of test dabs on a piece of paper so you can see what the effect will look like. Place the sponge nail polish side down and dab it a few times in the same spot so that the colours blend in to each other.

4. Once you are happy, recoat the sponge with more nail polish and do the same thing again on your nails. It may take a lot of layering and reapplying of the nail polish to get all of your nails done.


5. You're nearly done! Now you should be left with ombre nails but also an ombre mess around the tips of your fingers. Take a cotton bud/ Q-tip with some nail polish remover on it and just tidy up the edges.

6. Wait for your nails to dry for a little bit and then apply a top coat. This will protect your design and blend the polishes in to each other further.

Voila! You have dip-dye effect nails that are perfect for Summer! Don't give up if it doesn't work for you the first time, it can take a bit of practice, it certainly took me a few attempts to get it right!

What do you think of this look? Have you tried it?