Its been too long!

Apologies once again for the recent lack of posts which is down to a few different factors.
Firstly I was away on a little trip to Ireland for a friends wedding (gorgeous!) last weekend.
Secondly I have been selling (hopefully done now) my flat and searching for a new place. We need to move in 8 weeks - eek!
Thirdly I have broken out in Hives which means I have been avoiding most of my beloved lotions and potions *sad face*. This combined with the sedating effects of the medication I have to take has left me uninspired at best and positively zombie-like at worst.
I have been enjoying reading everyone else's posts though and will hopefully be back soon
xxx

Goody Spin Pins = easy messy updo!

I bought these a short while ago in my local ASDA for £4.98. I've been in search of something that would help create a messy bun and make up for my distinct lack of hair skillz. First impressions are very good. The pins are simple to use and invisible in the hair. Despite my hair being thick, wavy and freshly washed, it felt like it was held in place securely. The end result was quite messy which is what I was aiming for. Those with smoother hair which isn't layered like mine could probably create a neater bun. They were in stock in either blonde or brunette which I guess helps blend them into the hair. The card in the box suggests a few different styles and gives instructions. I also bought the Goody Easy Up Do tool but first impressions of that are less favourable. I will reserve judgement until I experiment some more. Recommend the spin pins for snyone with mid to long hair though.

Too Faced will make you Bronzed and Beautiful

Or at least they will try with this Bronzed and Beautiful palette. My eye was well and truly caught by this beauty in Boots but I resisted given it was £21 and I definately did not need another bronzer, far less a palette of three! For some reason it is available here (not obviously as a sale item although currently out of stock) for the more reasonable price of £13 and when I found it my resolve crumbled. I'm really glad I was weak as I love this palette. The second picture shows the colours more true to life I would say. It has 3 mini sizes of the Too Faced bronzers:

Pink Leopard - great bronzey pink with gold shimmer
Snow bunny - 4 shades, gives a subtle very pretty highlighted glow
Sun Bunny - 2 natural deep bronze shades, well pigmented and quite matte

The palette is cardboard but so far seems sturdy and to be holding up well. There is a decent mirror in the top, making it good for travel or in your bag. The kabuki brush is very soft but the shape is what is really great as its slightly flattened which means I can use the full side for all over colour with Pink Leopard or the flat side for contouring with sun bunny and highlighting with the lightest snow bunny shades. Love it!

Another Maxi dress

I wore this dress last night to the Ruby Wedding party of my friends parents. I missed out when it was available on www.selectfashion.co.uk but was delighted when the lovely Nicola mentioned she had my size going spare in one of her You Tube videos (both her blog and You Tube are great, definately recommend checking them out if you havent already). Its a bit slinkier than my other maxis so spanx are definately required! I really felt good in it and wore it with some tan wedges, a dull gold shrug, gold jewellery and a turquoise flower in my hair which nearly didnt survive the Ceilidh dancing! I am hoping to get some more wears in before the summer is over. Its actually been a beautiful day here, sunny and warm. We took a rare chance to venture out for some yummy ice cream this afternoon which went down very well although if it becomes a regular thing I will have to buy more spanx, lol.

Amarone for Autumn

Despite really enjoying a chilled white or Rose on a warm (I can just about remember what that is) evening, I am really much more of a red wine drinker. My favourite red wine is Amarone. I discovered this on a wine tasting evening - mightily good fun and not too serious or stuffy, at Peckhams Deli. Now, I'm no expert but this is definately a full flavoured red which the husband ejoys muchly also. Its described as having aromas of cherries, berries and exotic fruits and a flavour that is warm, soft and full-bodied. At around £15 a bottle its definately a treat to be savoured and enjoyed. Thanks to my brother in law I have a bottle of this tucked away to enjoy on an Autumn evening.

Glasgow nail of the day

Apologies for the crappy quality of this pic but I had to show you my nail polish purchase of yesterday. I was in John Lewis to buy presents for other people when I saw the perfect little mid-week present for me. One of the teeny cute Mavala polishes called out to me and that polish was called Glasgow. Its a really lovely lilac, grey pearl which I know I will love even more in winter. The colour in the pic is fairly true to life. To early to comment on durability but application was great despite my fears about the tiny brush. One coat was a pretty, slightly sheer but not streaky covering. The above pic is after two coats plus a CND topcoat. Do you like my weedgie nails?

Stila Kitten, my new purrfect eye shadow!

Pardon the cheesy title but I might be a bit excited by this shadow. It was a Sephora purchase during my recent trip to NYC and OMG, how did I live without this prettiness in my life. I suspected, even when I swatched this in store, that I was falling for the hype and it wouldnt be anything special. I was wrong, big time! This shimmering (and it does shimmer rather than glitter) nude shadow is the perfect wash of colour and makes my blue eyes look so awake. I have worn it every day this week with satin taupe in the crease. A match made in heaven I feel. As an added bonus, with only a little UDPP, it stays put with no creasing for 12+ hours - ammmaaazing! I will cry many many tears if Stila ever discontinue this and have ordered a compact to protect the precious pan <3

YSL Eyeliner Moire = eyeliner win!

I posted a while back about my disppointment with the Estee Lauder Double wear eyeliner. After some careful internet research I sent for the YSL Eyeliner Moire in no.6 Chocolate and it has not disppointed. It has a very fine brush which can deliver a thin or heavy line along the lashes. The colour is a nice deep brown which isnt shimmery, so wearable for day time. It dries fast and does not budge, without the horrible tacky heaviness of its Estee Lauder counterpart. This is not a cheap product although I managed to find it for around 16 quid on line which is a slight saving. I just wish I had saved the pounds spent on the EL. *sigh* Its tough being a beauty junkie!

MbMJ sunglasses purchase

I think these were possibly the last purchase I made in NYC. I havent had new sunglasses for years, partly because I am indecisive and partly because I could never find just the right pair. I fell in love with these babies from Marc by Marc Jacobs. The colour really suits me and they are so huge and glam. At around 70 quid they werent exactly cheap but I do tend to look after my sunnies so *crosses fingers* these should last me years. I did save around 30 quid compared to what they would have cost here in the UK - gotta love the girlynomics!

Home Again

Just a quick note to say I am home again with lots of purchases to talk about. There might be a bit of a delay since we are busy getting ready for my husband's birthday party tomorrow

cheers!