LITTLE BLACK DRESS

Pretty unexciting post for y'all - sorry! Still working all hours at the moment and haven't had much of a chance to peruse the shops or get inspired recently.

But even I couldn't fail to notice that the weather has suddenly got a lot more spring-like these past few days which prompted me to pick up this little number...

 Black knitted slouchy dress from Boutique at Topshop

Picture it with bare legs, long silver necklaces and some black Ray Bans...

 Can't help but think this is the perfect thing to ease me into summer. It's casual and comfortable looking and I love the semi-sheer effect of the open knit. Hopefully this will come up as long and slouchy as it appears in the picture - Boutique stuff does tend to run slightly oversized, I've found.

PLEASE stay nice into the weekend so I actually have somewhere interesting to wear it other than the office, my car, Cessnock co-op and my house...

RECENT PURCHASES: FEBRUARY

Shockingly I've not actually spent too much this month so far! Cray cray I know and not like me at all, but I've been quite uninspired by the high street of late, and I seem to keep getting outbid by a POUND at the last second on eBay which is massively frustrating... Seems the universe is telling me to save my pennies for some reason...

*strokes beard mystically*

Anyway, here's a little mix of some of the stuff I HAVE managed to buy.

A scrummy afternoon tea with the maw at the Butterfly and Pig Tearooms.

I've been in here loads but never actually splurged on the full afternoon tea package but I was in the other day with my maw, thought SOD IT and treated her to the works. CHECK OUT THE CAKES! Absolutely delish and worth every penny!

Topshop lipstick in Innocent.

Argh, sorry for the HUGE close-up of my trout pout, just wanted to show you the difference between the bullet, swatch and how it actually looks on. As you can see it looks a little darker and warmer swatched but actually goes on quite blue-toned. This is perfect for me as I reckon I suit cooler-toned lippys but just beware before you buy. As for the texture, it's soft and quite moisturising but nowhere near as awesome as Pillow Talk from the Smoke and Mirrors collection. Oh, Topshop, PLEASE re-release it!

Topshop nail polish in Hidden Treasure.

Apparently folk are touting this as a dupe for Chanel's Peridot polish so if that floats your boat defo snap it up, it's only £9! I do like this but think it gives a better pay off when layered over black or dark green. Let's face it though, the real issue is my crappy, stubby nails. MUST STOP BITING.

MAC mineralize skinfinish natural in medium.

I do like my Chanel loose powder but sometimes, on drier days in the office with the air-con up full I find it's really VERY powdery and tends to cling onto my huge sideburns/downy fur up the sides of my cheeks. SOOO when I discovered MAC are doing free online delivery for London fashion week I just had to buy this. Waiting on it arriving and VERY excited to see if it lives up to all the hype.

Topshop floral t-shirt and tunic.

The top one is from the actual shop and looks way nicer in real life. The print is sort of worn and looks kind of vintage, but it's only on the front and not the back which BUGS ME. The second was an eBay bargain. Not even really sure why I got this... I guess I remember liking it when it was out in the shops and I managed to get it for just £8 so meh. Check me all floral out ma nut. You'd think it was like, Spring or something...

intage cat-print cropped t-shirt.

I featured this in my Etsy roundup recently and YUP, I bought it. It's REALLY, REALLY cropped though, not quite sure yet how exactly to wear it. But I'll figure it out. I mean, I have to right? Look at all the cats!!!

Minkpink Marrakesh dress.

I absolutely love this but evidently it splits opinion since Kirsten thinks it looks like a tablecloth. Last week I was literally like "I think I'll wear my new patterned dress, the one that ties at the back," and she goes, "Oh aye, yer tablecloth dress?" CHEEKY MARE. But yeah, this was in the Urban Outfitters sale for half price so double snaps for me. Love.

Liz Earle Instant Boost skin tonic.

Y'all know how much I love my cleanse and polish so I decided to pick this up when I found I was running low on my usual toner. I'd been using the Clinique anti-blemish solutions toner for YEARS but was getting pretty sick of it and I was totally lost about where to go next. Liz Earle just seemed like the sensible choice. This smells lovely and doesn't sting - so far thumbs up.

Desert Essence thoroughly clean face wash.

I got this in Whole Foods on a total whim. I'd been looking for a tea tree oil-type face wash for a while but all the ones I'd tried were really harsh and drying. This one's got loads of other oils in it too though and when it first comes out it looks and feels just like an oil, which is kind of weird. Once you start to rub it in it eventually foams up but it doesn't leave my skin tight or too squeaky. I mainly use this in the morning and I like it so far, although I've had a bad couple of outbreaks the past wee while and I can't work out what's been causing it so I'm keeping my eye on this...

Kiehls Ultimate Strength hand salve.

Reading the gumph on this online you'd think it was for WORKIES ONLY and to be honest my hands aren't really THAT dry, but what they are is old looking. The skin on the tops of my hands is really papery and thin, and I have loads of wrinkles and lines around my knuckles and ragged bits of skin round my nails where I bite and... BLEUUURGHH, OK, basically it's just hand carnage. I have the hands of a pensioner, for real.

This stuff is a super duper strength salve, really not one for chucking in your bag and using on the go. I only ever slather this on at night and in the morning they look less wrinkly and feel velvety smooth, it's magic. The weird, filmy, glove-like texture takes some getting used to so I'd say really only get this if you truly need it.

Cath Kidson toiletry bag.

For keeping my face crap in instead of it all just being strewn across my room/the bathroom/any available surface. Come on, who doesn't love Cath Kidson?

And THAT'S IT. Seems like not a lot really, but February ain't over yet...

PROPER CRIMBO!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

So far, my festive period has been utterly awesome. Friday was spent catching up with an old pal I've not seen in months and resulted in about 14,000 empty bottles of wine (and beer and gin - boke) and a sare heid on Saturday for visiting my wee Grandma and Maw for early Christmas present-unwrapping.

Traditionally I spend Christmas Eve with Maw but this year I headed to the local pub with my pals for more boozing and embarrassing dad-dancing...

Christmas day was a little different - spent the morning visiting my other wee Granny in the home (it's an amazing place, donate!) and then headed over to Kirsten's Aunt's house for a massive roast with all the trimmings :) Then out again to local haunt The Shed for a boogie and bed.

Today I had Christmas dinner take two with yet more turkey and trimmings at my Aunt's and now I'm at work battling through the worst food coma/extended hangover EVER!

Hope you all had a lovely few days and that Santa was good to you!

Oh, PS, I wore this Topshop dress:

SUCH a drama getting it shipped to Glasgow as Aberdeen was the only store in the country with any left in stock. Grr! Thankfully it came, JUST in time.

This week is for working heinous late shifts, sleeping, recovering and planning a humongous diet for the New Year.

Lots of festive love! xxx

RECENT PURCHASES: NOV&DEC 2011

Howdy, y'all.

Currently obsessed with Christmas shopping, but it seems I can't trawl the shops these days without arriving home LADEN with treats for myself too. Shameful!

 In case you're wondering, here's a selection of STUFF I've been buying the last few weeks:

Topsop 'Fluro' ombre jumper. Just trust me when I say it's much nicer in real life. It's a little bit pinker at the top and quite slouchy and over-sized. Perfect for these really dull winter days when the sun never seems to properly rise.

This was ACTUALLY the only piece of clothing I've bought in the last wee while you guys, SO unlike me! The rest of my purchases have been more makeup/skincare based...

Topshop Pillow Talk lipstick. If you follow me on Twitter you might remember a while back I was asking you guys for some nice pale pink lipstick recommendations and this badboy got a lot of hype. I only bought it today so I can't tell you what it looks like on, but hopefully it'll suit me. I have fairly dark browny/pink lips naturally so I hope this has enough pigmentation to properly cover them up and not sit in the cracks and gross chapped bits. Boke! That actually makes a nice segway into my next purchase...

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour skin protectant for lips. I get really bad chapped, broken and sometimes bleeding lips in the winter which I constantly bite and pick at - HOW ATTRACTIVE, GUYS. For the last few years I've been religiously using my Smiths Rosebud Salve - cult fave - but this year they've been particularly bad and I felt it just wasn't cutting it.

I'd heard from a friend this was the way to go, but I got a PURE shock when I realised it was £18! However the girl at the counter assured me that for sore, red, chapped lips there really is nothing better, so I shelled out the moolah. SAW ME COMING, EH?

I've only been using it for a few hours but already my lips feel SO moisturised and much less inflamed. I was worried the texture might be gloopy or thick like the Burts Bees lip balm which I just DO NOT get on with, but thankfully it's light and there's a slight sheen too. I also like the citrus smell and white packaging so all in all, so far I'd say it's worth the money.

Sleek Storm i-Divine palette. I'd been hearing about the Sleek eyeshadow palettes for ages but never really felt much need to get one - usually I'm happy with a generous slick of liquid eyeliner and lashings of mascara, however, for this Christmas season I really wanted to try out some warm, browns, berries and golds.

I'm sure I've mentioned to you all before about what a beginner I am when it comes to makeup, but I kinda felt like only a PROPER DONKEY could go wrong with this particular palette. There are a wide range of shades to blend together (some shimmery and some matte), and a nice wee mirror and applicator, though I might chuck that out and get a proper brush.

I've been using it for a few weeks, on and off and I find the colours really pigmented and easy to blend. I'm still getting used to seeing my eyes with eyeshadow and not just eyeliner as it's quite a DONE sort of look, but for nights out I think I definitely quite like it.

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation. So I've been using my Skin 79 Intense Classic Blemish Balm solidly for a while now as I felt like I needed the extra coverage and slightly satin finish it gives me. Plus, it matches my skin tone EXACTLY. However, recently I've been watching more and more YouTube tutorials which feature this foundation and I love the look of it. It's not cheap though, I paid over £30 for this beast, so I have pretty high expectations. It should arrive in the next few days so I'll let you guys know what it's like. Anyone out there use it? What can I expect?

Mac 187 brush. To use with the HD foundation innit. I usually just use my fingers, or my flat Ruby and Millie foundation brush to apply foundation but I like this swirling, buffing motion I keep seeing and hearing about (amateur guys, I told you) and I fancy giving it a go. This is probably a bit of an unnecessary splurge but WHAT THE HELL, it's Christmas!

Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil finishing power.  Simply the best finishing power I've ever used. Fact! This is a much-needed and long-awaited repurchase.

Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel and Clearing Mattifier. In my tireless, NEVER-ENDING quest for the right skincare to tackle my evil, spot-prone skin that hates me, I stumbled across a YouTube video of Lisa Eldridge using the clearing mattifier and chatting all kindsa good stuff about how it helps control oil and stop breakouts etc etc, and I totes trust her word so, BAM, I just shelled out over £60 for these two products.

I'm really hoping these make a long-term difference you guys. I'm so sick of trying new products with my hopes all up and then nothing happening. Or in the case of the Alpha H Liquid Gold, a totes unexpected painful burning sensation and immediate breakouts the next morning :( If I'm honest though, my skin has been slightly better than usual the past 2 weeks, and that's thanks to my next new buy...

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I am SO glad I bought this. At first it was a bit weird smearing the white cream all over my dry face, but now that I'm used to it I can say that WITHOUT A DOUBT it's the best cleanser I've ever used. The process can be a little time-consuming what with all the rubbing, rinsing the cloth, wiping away, rinsing again and repeating, but the results are totally worth it. After patting my face dry it's completely smooth and comfortable - by that I mean it's not bright red and tight as it usually is with soapy or exfoliating cleansers. I haven't noticed a dramtic reduction in the apperance of blemishes but the overall texture of my skin is much improved. The soft, calm effect is still there in the morning when I wake up and I've noticed that I don't need to use a moisturiser in the morning any more. And it literally removes every single stitch of makeup - waterproof mascara, lipstick, you name it - without all that nasty aggravating scrubbing or harshness of astringent removers.

Seriously guys, this is my new Holy Grail product and I've been raving to everyone I see about it. It's about £18 for the largest size in John Lewis but you can get a smaller amount for cheaper if you want to try it. And seriously, YOU DO WANT TO TRY IT.

Yankee Candle in Christmas Cookie. Not clothes, makeup or skincare-y based at all but something else I'm totally loving at the moment - the Christmas Cookie Yankee candle! The others in the Yankee Candles Christmas range, like Christmas Eve, Happy Christmas and Christmas Tree are all nice enough but it's Christmas Cookie's sickly sweet and warm cosiness I can't get enough of! Sweet scents aren't for everyone and I might not get this as a present for someone unless I'm sure they really are into it, but personally I have a massive sweet tooth that just won't quit so this is perfect for me.

I love giving Yankee Candles as gifts. Sometimes candles can seem like a bit of a namby-pamby cop out but the Yankee range is so well-known and credible, which such a massive range to suit everyone that I can't imagine anybody being disappointed with one under the Christmas tree.

*cough* Hint, santa?

Finally, something I WISH I'd bought recently...

Large Mulberry Evelina satchel in black.

Please, Santa? GO ONNNNN!!!

x

RECENT PUR-CHASES

Actually, although it doesn't look like it since I appear never to be able to live within my means, I've been PRETTAY, PRETTAY, PRETTAY skint this last month or two.

Birthdays, ultimately fruitless trips down south, and more nights out than you can shake a stick at have taken their toll. GODDAAAYUM I'm sick of being skint!

That said, over the last wee while I have still managed to pick up a few shiny new things. Take a peek:

Gold jumper from Zara. Festive or what?! The ultimate dress up or dress down piece, perfect for chilly, wintry nights at the pub and awesome with skinnies or a leather skirt. Love, love, love it. Zara knitwear is having a definite moment just now...

THOSE Topshop boots. You know, the Acne copies that sold out everywhere during the summer. Aye, I caved. They are a slightly lower heel and much comfier than my Topshop heeled Chelseas and I've practically been living in them ever since I snapped up the last 5s in Topshop Argyle St last week. Love.

Topshop velvet leggings. I'm actually not sure about these in real life. They make my thighs look GINORMO and bumfle unattractively around the crotchital area. But I just love the IDEA of them. So far the tags are still on and the jury's still out. They may well go back...

H&M pleather flippy skirt. I've had this for a couple of weeks, and together with the Topshop boots it's hardly been off my bum. I LOVE it. I saw it on someone else's blog ages ago (forget who now) and made a mental note to get it on payday. And get it I did. Goes with everything and is only £19.99. Makes sense people.

Barry M Berry Ice Cream nail polish. SUCH  a gorgeous colour on. Shame my nails are absolutely horrific. I feel a new year's resolution coming on...

Skin 79 Intense Classic BB Cream. GAHD, what a drama I've been having with foundations lately. I'm totally sick of Estee Lauder Doublewear and its cakiness, so I've been trying other, less matte cream foundations over the last month. I'd been hearing all this stuff about BB creams and after hours spent watching reviews on YouTube some gentle research, plumped for this yin off of an American site.

There are some big pros and cons to this cream. The coverage is INTENSE as the name would suggest, which is good if you want maximum coverage, duh. But it's got an SPF of 35 which makes it really thick and very whitening on the skin. I personally don't mind the whitening aspect, as in the winter I normally steer clear of the fake tan anyway, but I know loads of folk won't like that. Also, I wasn't sure I really got the whole 'one shade suits everyone' thing. It comes out the tube a weird grey colour, but eventually oxidises to match your face... or there abouts. Once on though, it stays put. And thanks to the creamy finish it never looks cakey or dry.

I wore this alot in Italy as I do tend to burn easily, so the high SPF and coverage was great, and so was the dewy finish. But now that I'm home I'm defo finding it a bit much. Which leads me to...

Illamasqua Skin Base foundation. I finally feel like I've found my ultimate foundation! Based on BB creams, this foundation is meant to cover,conceal, brighten and enhance. But Illamasqua have removed all the SPF properties normally associated with BB creams, which is great for a night out so you don't get that ATTRACTIVE, your-face-is-ten-times-whiter-than-your-neck reflection thingmy that tends to happen in photos when an SPF is present. Anyway, I love it!

 I was matched with shade 06 when I went in for the tester, but when I went back that shade had sold out. The helpful girl in Debenhams said I could also be shade 05 too since my skin has a slight pinkiness to it. Sure enough it's ALMOST the exact perfect shade. I do find it a touch pink, but with a dusting of some creamy loose powder over the top it's ideal.

Not too thick, creamy, pigmented, easily-blendable... I'm not sure there's much else I need from a foundation. It's £25 which ain't cheap, but a little goes a REALLY long way.

So aye, those were my pur-CHASEs over the last lil bit. I'm away to eat beans on toast for the next 6 weeks...