Hey, hey it's Friday - welcome to the weekend! Although weekends don't mean as much as they used to for me - they are a perfect excuse for some serious family time and at the moment I need that x I've had another rubbishy week so I did what I always do when I'm feeling stressed I bought something. I'm trying to save a bit of money this year, so I'm trying to cut down on the shopping sometimes you just need a treat so I ordered a Lola Rose bracelet from QVC and I got this kit from ASOS.
Yup, another Hello Kitty for OPI kit :) I'm a huge fan of the OPI mini kits and this one had been on my radar since I first saw it. The kit contains 5 x 3.75ml OPI nail lacquers, and a free double ended OPI and Hello Kitty branded nail art tool.
Packaged in a plastic storage tube, the red double ended tool features a small metal dotting tool on one end, and a thin striping brush on the other end. As much as I love nail art I'm normally, pretty lazy when it comes to my nails, a quick paint job is usually all I manage, but I have an awful lot of nail art tools, and embellishments, so hopefully 2016 will be the year when I finally start to express my creative side.
The kit contains 5 of the Hello Kitty colours, including 4 shades that are available in the full size and one shade that is exclusive to this kit.
First the two palest shades - on the left is the exclusive shade Milk Bottle, which as the name would suggest is a creamy, milky, white, and on the right Let's Be Friends, a creamy, very pale almost French pink.
The next 3 shades are perfect for creating a German or a Belgian flag, or any bright comic book look, on the left is the black shade, Never Have Too Mani Friends! in the middle is the bright apple, red, 5 Apples Tall, and on the right is the bright, creamy yellow, My Twin Mimmy.
As with the previous kits the pigmentation is excellent and it only took on average 2 coats to achieve full coverage all be it on a plastic nail
If you read my previous Hello Kitty For OPI post (read it here), then you'll know that I already have 3 of these colours in the full size, never mind the kit was still will worth it for the exclusive colour and of course the super bright, My Twin Mimmy, I love yellow but it's definitely not a colour that I would wear everyday so the mini is the perfect way of having a colour for those days when you want a super bright nail.
All of the colours in this kit work perfectly together so this is a great kit if you want to to try OPI or if you want to try a little bit of nail art. I've seen this kit for sale at a few different price points but ASOS is definitely the cheapest at £19.95 if your interested x Have you tried any of the Hello Kitty For OPI kits yet?
Hi all, I'm back with another haul post for you and this time it's a clothing, shoe and accessory haul x I've got quite a bit of stuff to show you so I'll cut out the rambling and get started.
First up shirts or blouses or whatever else you want to call them. They are my latest obsession and I'm particularly loving bright shirts that I can throw on over a pair of jeans. Last month I showed you a gorgeous sheer white shirt with neon floral print that I bought from Litttlewoods (see it here), well I loved the shirt so much that I went back on the site and found and ordered two very similar shirts.
The first shirt that I got is in a sheer white material but this time, it covered in a bright, floral, rose design. It also has a solid white collarr, and a solid white covered button placket. This is the shirt that I'm wearing in the accompanying video later on in this post and it was £35.
The next shirt that I got was also from the Definitions brand at Littlewoods (and Very). Again it's in a sheer white fabric but this time it's covered in a random pink and purple almost paint splash design that resembles flowers and birds if you let your mind wander a bit :) This one was £34.
I'm really loving these sheer shirts at the moment. Yes, you probably do need to wear a camisole or a vest underneath them but they look so cool and smart for the summer, just throw them on with pair of leggings or some skinny jeans, and some heels or some sandals and you're good to go.'
Sticking with the shirt theme I also got something slightly more sensible, I was looking through my wardrobe and to be honest something was missing - a good, classic white shirt, I've got a couple but they've definitely seen better days so I ordered a couple from Next. One of them was a bit too boring and went straight back, but this military style shirt was definitely more versatile. Made from a slightly stretchy, self stripe fabric, this shirt will work equally well with a smart black skirt like I wore it with today, as it would with a pair of jeans and some boots. This one was £28 which I think is great value for something that I'll get a lot of wear out of.
From something that's subtle and classic to two pieces that are bright, eye catching and in your face! Last month I also showed you a top that I'd purchased from QVC and more specifically from the Wearable Art By Bob Mackie line (take a little peek here to refresh your memory) I loved the psychedelic patterns and colour so much so that I had a little look in the clearance section on the website and I bought two more brightly coloured, and patterned pieces.
They always say that if you like something you should buy it in every colour, well I didn't quite buy it every colour but I did buy the same top in two different colours. With a geometric, almost Aztec and daisy print, I got this top in both a pink and lilac combination and in a fabulous almost periwinkle blue and green.
These tops are made of a gorgeous lightweight, almost slinky type fabric which feels lovely and cool against the skin. I paid less than £20 each for them which I think is pretty good for the quality of the product and for their originality and exclusivity.
Next up H&M and I couldn't resist a little sale and non sale order. The first item that I got was in the sale and it was the blush pink version of the navy blue skirt that I bought here x
Again it has an elasticated waist, and two front patch pockets. This was £12 in the sale reduced from £24.99 and it's still available online.
As well as the skirt I also got one full price clothing item x This short chiffon kimono comes from the Divided line and was only £7.99
It originally came in a variety of different designs but this geometric, Aztec design is the only one that's still available. I really like short boleros, shrugs and kimonos for covering the top of my arms when I'm wearing a vest or a camisole. This really is a multi coloured piece and I think it would work well with a variety of different colour camis.
Next up a scarf, and although I don't wear them anywhere near as much as I used to I'm still slightly obsessed with neck wear.
Alas this pretty navy blue floral scarf isn't online anymore, but it was just £2 so it's worth having a look in store if you fancy it.
My final H&M purchases were all jewellery pieces including this gorgeous, statement bracelet which was just £4 in the sale.
It's a basic silver tone clamp bangle with a beautiful, eye catching, opalescent and sparkly faux crystal design.
I also got some earrings including this mismatched four pack which was only £3.
This gold tone set contains a small stud, a small circle design, an ear cuff, and a little crystal star on a hoop.
I also got a full price set of 9 pairs of earrings. The set contains 3 crystal pairs, 3 faux pearl pairs, and some gold tone ball studs and gold tone knot pair, and they were just £3.99
Next up Avon, and over the past month I've picked up a couple of their bracelets including this one.
The picture isn't great but it's multiple strands of navy blue waxed cord, with a gold tone fastening, and attached to the cords are tiny gold tone and crystal flowers which move freely along the cords. The design reminds me a lot of some of the Folli Follie flower pieces, but this was a lot more purse friendly. Unfortunately I can't find this bracelet online or in the most recent brochure but it's worth keeping an eye out when a sale supplement pops through the door.
Something that is still available though is this Irlana Bracelet which is currently on special at £5. What these are, are oval natural gemstones attached to different coloured adjustable cords, with different coloured findings. There are 4 different stones to choose from but I went for the Cream Quartzite which represents Health - believe me I need all the help I can get! This semi precious stone comes on a black cord and features gold tone detailing
I love this bracelet and I can definitely see myself buying a few more colours, next on my wishlist is the Chalcedony which represents love -awww x
My final jewellery purchase comes from ebay and it's an inspirational quote necklace. It comes in a silver tone and features a circular double sided pendant. I'm not sure how well you can see it but one side is engraved / embossed with the words " Life The Life You Love"
and the other side features the words "Learn From Yesterday Live For Today Hope For Tomorrow"
I love quotes, and inspirational sayings and this necklace was only 99p including postage from this seller .
My name is Louise and I'm a shoe a holic, well I'm not as bad as I used to be but I still love my shoes, and despite getting rid of numerous pairs, I still probably have more than one person will ever need. That hasn't stopped me buying some more though and over the last few weeks I've picked two more pairs.
Yes more Mel's, My black rubber ballet pumps with huge bows on the toes are probably my most worn shoes of 2015, so I decided that another similar pair would be a worthwhile investment. Again in a black, bubblegum scented rubber, instead of a bow these ones have a cut out heart on the toes.
I paid £36 for these ones from Dorothy Perkins, which isn't cheap but for me they're well worth it. They are comfortable and based on my experience, they wear really well, and always look box fresh.
From some quirky but classic ballet pumps, to some fun and summery sandals from New Look, via ASOS,
I love anything sparkly, holographic and metallic and these strappy sandals fit the bill perfectly. They're quite simple and feature just two simple, fixed straps, but they are in the most gorgeous silvery, holographic faux leather. These sandals were just £.9.99 and whilst I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of them this year, I couldn't resist their metallic prettiness.
If you want to see all of the items in this haul in more detail and you want to listen to me rambling on, then please have a little watch of the accompanying You Tube video below, if you're on a mobile device though you can also find the video here x
So that was my pretty epic, collective clothing, shoe and jewellery haul, If you have any questions, you know the drill - leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you x Thanks for reading x
You wouldn't think it from the weather this week but a new month means were one step closer to Spring. I love all the seasons in their own way but Spring really is something special. I'm going to sound a bit cheesy here but there really is something about the new born lambs in the fields and the flowers starting to bloom again that really lifts your spirits.
Spring also means a change a fashion, and probably since the year dot one of the key fashion trends of Spring / Summer has been the floral print. As well as the classic Liberty prints, designers as diverse as Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Roberto Cavalli have all based designs and collections on the humble flower.
What about this year? well florals were back again on the catwalk and featured heavily in the Spring / Summer 2014 collections from labels such as J Crew, Valentino, Miu Miu and Erdem. As per usual though you don't need to fork out for that price tag to get the look, ASOS alone comes up with around 1000 hits when you search for florals! These as just some of my high street and online floral picks.
It's not just clothes though florals really are everywhere at the moment. Shabby Chic is probably the buzz word when it comes to home styling. It's vintage feel and look and vintage floral inspired designs are must haves whether there from Cath Kidston or from IKEA like my duvet cover.
It goes without saying that florals play a major role in the beauty industry, more and more products are botanical based and more and more floral prints are popping on product packaging, in product design and on beauty accessories such as this cute floral design pocket mirror*
I said in my recent Batiste Monochrome review that Batiste are a brand that like to follow fashion, and they've done it again with the recent introduction of Batiste Floral.
I'm really impressed with the designs on Batiste cans and the illustration on this one is gorgeous. It's a pale lemon with pink roses and bright green leaves scattered - not dissimilar to my duvet cover if the background was yellow - obviously.
When it comes to it's abilities as a dry shampoo having reviewed so many Batiste products before, I guess I don't really need to say anything bar it does exactly what it claims to, they are nothing if not consistent. - where they do vary is with the fragrances. Batiste Floral as you would expect has floral notes at it's heart and features a combination of rose, violet, blossoms and lily of the valley. Perhaps more unexpected though are fruity top notes of melon, orange and peach. When you think about it maybe it's not that unexpected, all the top fragrance houses mix up their fragrance families to product unique scents and that's exactly what Batiste have done here. As you've probably gathered I'm useless at describing scents but you definitely do get a sort of fresh fruitiness at first leading to a sort of fine fragrance floral aroma afterwards. The smell of this one definitely reminds me of something but I can't put my finger (or my nose!) on what. At first I thought it was DKNY - Be Delicious and whilst I can see why I thought that (it has a similar combination of fruits and florals) I don't think that's the scent I'm thinking of. No matter, if you like floral fragrances but you don't like in your face say rose or violet, then you might like this fruity floral -it's definitely up there with my favourite Batiste fragrances of all time, and the can makes a lovely edition to my room x
Batiste Floral* is a Superdrug exclusive and retails at £2.99 for a 200 ml can x
They may not be a fashion brand but you can always count on beauty brand Batiste to be right on trend with their packaging and their fragrances. Over the last few years they've followed fashion trends with dry shampoo cans featuring lace, animal print, and Cath Kidston and Meadham Kirchhoff inspired cherry blossoms, and their latest introductions are no different.
One trend that keeps popping up every season is monochrome. Okay you don't automatically think black and white when it comes to spring and summer, but think about it - the majority of us probably wear black and white at least once a week. It's a classic combination that just works and always looks perfect whether you wear a black suit with a white blouse, a pair of this seasons gingham check pants or even a pair of black trousers and a plain white t-shirt -The shops, magazines and catwalks are full of it.
Yet again Batiste are where it's at when it comes to fashion with their new release Batiste Monochrome.
Photographed artfully (lol) against my lovely zebra print scarf and some lovely black and white striped everton mints , the can is decorated in a retro, almost op art black and white design.
Okay I know it's not all about the packaging, so what about the product inside, well like every other Batiste variant it does the business. It's a fab for freshening the hair and for adding volume whatever the time of year. In fact due to the electrics blowing in the bathroom over Christmas I probably used this more that I would in the summer - have you tried washing your hair in the dark? - not easy x
Apart from the cans what differentiates all the different varieties of Batiste is the smell. I have to be honest and say that this one isn't one of my favourites. Monochrome has a very heady, almost spicy fragrance which include floral notes of iris, lilac, orange blossom and hyacinth, alongside heady and warming notes of pepper and musk.
Batiste Monochrome Dry Shampoo is a Boots exclusive and retails at £2.99 for 200ml.
If you like something a bit warmer and dare I say a bit sexier than maybe Batiste Monochrome is the fragrance for you, if your like me though and you prefer a softer floral then maybe something else will suit you better for example Batiste Floral, another newish introduction which I will be reviewing next week x If you have any questions please leave me a comment xx
(Batiste Monochrome Dry Shampoo 200ml And The Yummy Everton Mints Were Provided By PR For Review / Promotional Purposes)
Another one of your requests on my giveaway post was outfits of the day, eek as you probably know I'm not a million percent happy with my body at the moment but whilst I debate starting yet another diet I thought why not. Mummy Lou took a few pics of me whilst I was on holiday so I thought I'd show you some of the things I wore. You've seen some of these outfits on me before but there are plenty of new combos x
Travelling In Comfort
Drawstring Waist Cropped Black Harem Pants -George at Asda
Navy Blue Sequin Details Dress - Moda at George at Asda
Flip Flops As Before
Blue Sandstone Lola Rose Bracelet and Earrings
Navy Blue Silver Tone Gummy Bracelets
As you can see I need a bit of practise with the posing, but now I'm home and I've got my tripod this might be a bit easier - I warn you I am one of the most boring dressers ever but my public has spoken lol Any questions on anything leave me a comment x Next up the post you've all bee waiting for the holiday haul!
