Wednesday 16 March 2011

Brogues.

Just a quick little post to show you my new pair of little shoesies!


In the last couple of months, I've noticed that Topshop clothes have become increasingly absent in my wardrobe. Recently, I've preferred ASOS, I am really taking advantage of their 'UK Style Saver Delivery'.
I find Topshop on the whole a funny one; my love for it varies from one season to the next, I can absolutely love the clothes in one range, but for the rest of the year I can find the same thing somewhere else for much cheaper.



Kamille Soft Tan Lace Up Brogues - TAN
£52.00

At £52.00 it's definitely very pricey, and you could say that Primark offer the same shoes at a fraction of the price and you would be right.
But I always look at shoes as an investment. Generally speaking, unless it's something like simple black pumps I do prefer to shop at stores like River Island, Topshop and Office for them. I feel that the quality of these products are second to none and they really do last me a lifetime.

I love the colour of these, I can wear them with practically any of my Jeans.
I also absolutely love the little detailing and the worn look about them, it makes the overall shoe feel very vintage like.

 



Monday 14 March 2011

ELF BRUSHES

As stated in a previous blog which you can read HERE, I have recently purchased some make up brushes from ElF.
I have been reading a lot of reviews about this make-up company and with the average price per product of £1.50, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what all the fuss was about!
I ordered my items on Friday morning, seeing there was free delivery on all orders over £30, and me being a girl who loves any form of freebies (who doesn't?!), I thought this qualified as a good enough excuse for me to order slightly more then I initially thought.
On Monday morning my phone went off to a text regarding my order:
I was really very impressed with the direct form of contact ELF had to offer, Not only did I have an email but I had a text message as well :). 10/10 ELF for customer service! 
My order took exactly a week to come - arriving at my door on Friday morning. I have to say if I hadn't of qualified for free delivery, I would have been a bit miffed that my parcel took quite so long to arrive. Bare this in mind, if you order this as a birthday present etc.
It was really refreshing to see that although the products weren't particularly expensive, the parcel was packed with a lot of care - each brush was individually wrapped and specifically placed. The parcel itself was lined with bubble wrap to prevent my products from damage whilst in transit.

Here is what I ordered:
I chose to remove each brush from the packaging for comparison purposes.
Elf Professional 9 Piece Master Set 1813 - £15.00
These brushes came in a 'Travel Roll' (Not Pictured) - I will take some pictures of the packaging when it comes to the review of these brushes.
Eye Crease Brush 1823 - £1.50
Fan Brush 1824 - £1.50
Blending Eye Brush 1803 - £1.50
♡ Mechanical Eyelash Curlers 1705  £1.50
Kubuki Brush 6802 - £5.00 
Not pictured as I am an idiot and forgot to include it! I'll post these pictures at a later date.
Bamboo Complexion Brush 6812 - £5.50

I also decided to splash out (by elf's standards but still incredibly cheap compared to other companies mind) on the Bamboo Complexion Brush. 
There is definitely a huge difference with the quality of this product in comparison to the 'professional' range. The brush is so incredibly soft, and is so chunky and sturdy to hold - I can see this being very useful to have perhaps even becoming a staple item to my daily beauty routine.



Overall I'm really happy with this order. The products are immaculate and I really like the fact that each brush carries the same appearance and theme. The handles are all the same colour (apart from the Kubuki and Bamboo brushes) with the writing engraved on each handle. Very professional - It's the little things that matter in my opinion :).

Review will be shortly.
Stay tuned for my first AVON order, reviews and the Elf Kubuki Brush!
Hope you had a great weekend!
 
I'd love to hear your thoughts?
Have you purchased anything from Elf before?
Do you think there is a particular brush/make-up item that I'm missing out on?

Sunday 6 March 2011

Weekend Summary & First FOTD!

Well I've been writing on here just under a month and I have realised that apart from my little photo on my 'about me' page, there is none of me.
So..the time has come for my first FOTD.
I have to admit I was a little bit nervous about putting this up, perhaps this will explain my awkward smile. (seriously what facial expression are you meant to pull?!)
 I feel that taking photographs on my digital camera so long winded, don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore Photography, but I find the whole 'aiming the camera lens in the mirror while posing away' waaaayy to cringy!
 I also really wish that my web cam was of a better quality. No matter what form of lighting is used I feel that Photobooth banishes all form of colour from my pictures. Grr!
Normally I would do my make-up, but seeing as this photo is of such poor quality I'll save that for another day.
Right Rant Over!


Bella and Me
My Outfit
  Dress/Long Top - New Look


 I've  had my hair re-dyed and I have to say I absolutely love this colour! This is by far the brightest red I've ever been and I was really sceptical to go this shade. But I am so happy with the results.
I've also taken advantage of the Tesco offer on 'Aussie Hair' (any two products for £6), and combined, my hair feels so vibrant and nourished. 
♡ My boyfriend and I rented two movies this weekend. I've been dying to see 'The Back-Up Plan' starring Jennifer Lopez since I saw it being advertised in the cinema - luckily enough he let me, with the agreement that we also watched 'The Human Centipede'. I soon regretted saying 'yes'. The Human Centipede is by far the sickest and most disgusting film I've ever seen, for those of you have had the misfortune of seeing it too, I'm sure you'll agree. But in the interest of those who haven't - Just don't.
♡ We also took my five month puppy to my boyfriends grandparents. I live on a 'Marina'.. No not a boat, but a house that backs on to the Thames so I don't have a garden, just decking with the river underneath (I am fortunate though to have plenty of fields within a 5 minute walk - but being a puppy I just don't fully trust her to come back if I let her off the lead). It was really nice to take Bella over to a place that does have a garden, she looked running around chasing after tennis balls :)
♡ I've been on a bit of a spree this week, I am trying to save, but I just find everything too tempting. I've been after some new make-up brushes for quite some time now, but no matter how much I want too, I just can't justify splashing the dosh out on MAC. I have however, spent a purse friendly amount on ELF - so many people have been raving about this company, I just had to try it out. Hopefully my parcel will arrive early next week - I'm sure to blog about it.


Hope you've had a lovely weekend.
 





Thursday 3 March 2011

My Guide To 'ASOS' Shopping

I've been shopping online at the ASOS website for a couple of years now and over this period I have learnt a few useful hints and tips to make Shopping a little bit easier.

Always Take Your Time
One of the biggest perks to shopping online is that you have the luxury of going at your own pase. Indeed it can feel as though the shops have closed just for you. I often find shopping on the high-street visiting shops like Primark, River Island etc such a mission. The pushing and shoving, fast-pased hustle and bustle, long changing rooms and even longer queues. It can get exasperating. I now make sure I go to my local high street stores in mid week (I'm a student so I am very fortunate to be able to do this) because of this.
On ASOS, once clicked 'add to bag' on an item you can have it in your 'shopping bag' for up to an hour and half before you pay for it, so you've always got enough time to see what else takes your fancy.

Always View Catwalk
This is one of my biggest top tips! I can't tell you how many times this has been my savour! You can really see what the item looks like; the style, the length etc.
I've realised that 'if a product looks unflattering on the model, the chances are it'll look even worse on you.'

Always Look For Discount Codes
Lets face it, we all like a discount! ASOS regularly do 'Free Next Day Delivery', they may also have other discount offers available such as 10% off with an NUS Student Card, which sure does come in handy for me!

 Do Not Be Persuaded In Spending More Money Just So You Qualify For Free Delivery
We've all done this. It's fine if you're just a few pounds away from receiving free delivery, but when you're anything more than £10, is it really worth it? 
ASOS also have at the moment, 'UK Style Saver', this means postage is free, but can come up to 6 working days after you have placed your order. Generally this is usually the delivery I choose :)

 Always Check The 'Clearance' Section
I cannot stress this enough. All items available in the clearance department is all set up in the same way as that of the normal website. This makes it so much easier to shop with. In my opinion, there really is nothing worse then the task of searching the 'Sale Rail'.
It's also a really good idea to keep tabs on the items available in the current season, as generally speaking these all end up in the clearance stock. 
Have a look at my past blog HERE for examples on what I found in the clearance section.

Always Check the Side Toolbars
ASOS usually have 'Complete the Look' or 'Asos Recommends' or 'Other Customers Bought' etc.
I find this really useful, especially when your buying a new outfit and your in need of some other clothing ideas. It's also good to see what else people have bought who have the same style as you.
 Take Advantage of the 'Free Returns'
If you aren't 100% happy with your product, you have just under a month to return them. Each parcel comes enclosed with a return sticker. There is nothing worse then paying for something to collect dust in your wardrobe.

 Always Make Sure You Enter Your Card Details Correctly
Trust me, I learnt the hard way. ASOS doesn't keep anything aside for you either, everything goes back on their website to be resold again. When I went to buy a dress last month, I wrongly entered my security code for my card in which meant that by the time I tried to reorder my items they had all sold out :(.
Image taken courtesy of www.smashingmagazine.com

Order With Plenty of Time
If you are placing an order with the intention of wearing it on the coming weekend or for a special event, I would seriously urge you to invest your money with 'Next Day Delivery' or have a seriously good back up outfit!
After all, it's better to have too much to wear then too little!

Hope this helps!
 
All Images on this blog entry unless otherwise stated are courtesy of www.ASOS.com
- Images solely used for demonstration purposes only 

Wednesday 2 March 2011

When in first you don't succeed, try and try again!

I can't believe I have finally managed to buy it!
This dress came out in September 2010. I had my eye on it as the dress for my eighteenth birthday but with the inital £150 price tag, I just couldn't justify spending that amount of money on a dress I would probably only wear once.
About a month ago I saw that this dress had now been reduced to £75. But, of course, by the time i noticed, the only sizes available were either size 4 or size 16. 
A couple of weeks later, I noticed that the dress was back in stock and my size was available. Knowing that I wouldn't be paid till the end of the month, I asked my mum if I could pay on her card with the intention of paying her back once I received my pay check. Somehow, I must of entered the wrong security code on the back of the card, which resulted in my order failing. Instead of keeping the items aside for me to reorder, Asos puts my item back on the website to be resold. So when it came to reordering my products they were again, out of stock :(. Are you feeling sorry for me yet?
After checking daily ever since my last order failed, the dress was no where to be seen, a couple of days ago I gave up my search. Today, I did my monthly shop of Asos, after purchasing two items that I have had my eye on for a while I looked to see if the dress was back in stock. It was - but the only size available was a size 8. 
Seeing as I am hopefully going to commit to a diet soon, and that this dress and size was the last in stock, and most likely (as the dress had been on the 'clearance' section for a while) would be the last ever stock they would be getting in. I quickly clicked 'add to bag' and paid for my item.
The only downside of today was the fact that my two orders (my monthly purchases and my dress) combined would have qualified for 'Free Next Day' had I paid for them in one transaction.
As a result, although I've still qualified for 'Free Standard Delivery', I have to wait till next Monday for them both to arrive.
Here's what was bought
 ASOS WHITE WOOLY Shearling Boot
RRP £125.00. (But were reduced to £68.00!)
I was really torn with whether to go for Black or Tobacco, but seeing as my size was only available in black this made my mind up. 
Black does indeed go with more colours - more outfits - and therefore more times to wear them.
The link to these Shoes can be found HERE

 ASOS PETITE Iggy Overdyed Black Skinny Jean
RRP £30.00 (but reduced to £18.00!)
Black jeans, as I'm sure you ladies would agree is an essential item for anyone and everyone. They really do go with everything.
Plus I can definitely combine my new Shoes with my new Jeans - Bonus!
The link to these Jeans can be found HERE

and finally..
 ASOS PETITE Exclusive Feather Corset Dress
RRP £150.00 (but reduced to £75.00)
Isn't it just so nice?
I've definitely got a thing when it comes to white dresses. I own 5 already - more the merrier, right?
I plan on saving this dress for a 'special occasion', it is probably to 'dressy' in my opinion to wear for just a night out. I'll either wear it for my boyfriends birthday, prom or (if i can wait that long) my birthday in September
I'm just praying that this size dress fits :)
This Dress can be found HERE
(if anyone looks on this link and finds it in a size 10 please let me know!)


I worked out that, with the overall discount, I have saved (on all my products and Free Standard Delivery) an amazing £150.90!
Hope you have a great day!
 
Images are taken from the Asos website - images solely used for demonstration purposes only.
Pricing of products were correct at time of this blog entry.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Bio Oil

I have to admit, I am really bad when it comes to washing my face and using skin products. I'm simply the type of brush-my-teeth-twice-a-day-and-remove-make-up-before-bed type of gal! I guess I'm lucky that my skin has (apart from the odd spot every now and again) stayed clear, recently however I have become aware of the fact that my skin appears much drier then normal - usually I would describe my skin as being normal.
Being an AVON representative I've definitely spied a few products in the current brochure that I will be ordering later on this month. But I was just wondering if there was anything in particular that anyone would suggest works well for them?
So far I have invested my money into something that I have heard a lot of recommendations for - my mum in particular swears by it.
BIO OIL
 (N.B if you would like to purchase this product I would seriously urge you to look at websites such as Amazon rather then your local drug store, as the prices are dramatically cheaper online!)
I was instantly drawn to its multi purpose functions:
♡ Scars
♡ Stretch Marks
♡ Uneven skin Tone
♡ Ageing Skin
♡ Dehydrated Skin

After using this product last night, I can definitely see a huge improvement in the condition of my skin already - my skin feels so moisturised and hydrated.
Here was my routine:
1. Wash your face with an exfoliating wash - This will clear and open your pores 
2. Put a couple of drops (literally only about 2-4) on to the palm of your hand - It really is a case of 'less is more'  as a little really does go a LOOOONGGG way.
3. Using your other hand's fingers apply to areas affected - I would suggest you treat it like a moisturiser and apply all over the face, there is no harm in doing this and you'll get an even coverage apply to the whole of your face: there is no harm in doing this and you'll get an even coverage.
4. Keep rubbing until almost absorbed and then allow it to natural sink in to your skin :).

Overall I am really pleased with its results, however the drawbacks of this product would be that it is far to easy to use too much, there is a slight fragrance to it, which could be overpowering to some people,It does take a while to sink into your pores. 
And Finally - the instructions leaflet states 'Use For A Minimum Of Three Months'.

Something tells me I should have bought a bigger bottle..
I'd love to hear your thoughts..
Do you have any other products you would recommend?
Have you used Bio Oil Before?
If so, what's your regime?


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