Favourite Purchases of 2011

As we're having to say goodbye to 2011 tomorrow I thought I'd post about some of my favourite purchases that I've made this year. 

Matalan

I actually got a coat this year, my lesson was learnt after a cold 2010. I kind of wish I'd gone for this in one size down but then it's useful for when I have to layer up! I completely adore this colour even with the vast amount of times I've been called red riding hood. 

left - Boohoo & right - New Look

 The boots on the left I posted about yesterday so I wont repeat myself but as I love them so much they had to be included in this post. I've genuinely had them at the side of my bed since I got them. The heels on the right are very special to me. One because they are my prom shoes and two (mainly this one) I can actually walk in these, fairly confidently even if I do say so myself.

Models Own Website

 I think most of us remember the Models Own 50% off sale, don't we. It was bittersweet, the ordering being a little bit of a nightmare but the customer service from the Models Own team was really amazing and they deserve medals for it. Then of course, the sweet part was receiving it! These two are my favourites out of the ones I got. 

Apricot

I got this in the sale and have worn it so many times. I will say that I usually wear it with thick leggings or trousers rather than the tights in the picture - I wore a tube skirt underneath this to save my dignity! This is really summery, comfortable and girly. I love it because I don't feel I have to put much with it, an nice easy outfit in my opinion!

James Corden - May I have your attention, please? & Ed Sheeran - + (christmas presents but probably Tesco and Amazon/HMV)

I read James Corden's book in  two days and a bit of an evening. I love it and him. Admittedly, having watched his Piers Morgan  Life Stories there were some bits I knew about but they were more detailed in the book and the majority of it was new to me. It's entertaining and eye opening, before Piers Morgan's show, I had no idea about his time kind of 'off the rails' for lack of a better phrase but he talks really openly.

Ed Sheeran, you beautiful man. His album is so good, I'd heard most of the songs before I got it but that didn't matter to be honest, it was still so good. Only found the cheeky extra track on track 12 on about my fifth time replaying the album. Yep, I do that. The album seems to go really fast and it's perfect to revise to.

One Direction - Up All Night

&Sorry about the blurry photo but you get the idea! I love this album so ridiculously much, it is in fact playing while I type this. I played it almost solidly for two weeks when I got it, people seem to think I'm exaggerating when I say this, I'm not.

Belt - H&M

       I'd been after a plaited belt for ages. At the end of 2011 I have acquired two or three. The best is by far my H&M one as it was a steal at something like £3.

Primark - £2.50

I'm not a big jewellery person, at all, but I do adore this ring. The price was lovely as well!

Primark - £12

Without a doubt, this was one of the best things I got in 2011. My friend and I looked in the women's section for onesies but they were all plain blue with one cupcake on, so we headed to the men's section. We found this beauty and were sold. It is so so warm and perfect for sleeping in, although I don't sleep with it zipped up as I got too warm one night, tried to unzip it but I'd slept on my hand and so i was, effectively, trapped in my onesie. Still love it though. 

So there we are, my favourite purchases of 2011. If you've done a post like this then I'd love to see it! 

I hope you have a truly wonderful new year, however your're spending it. 

Here's to 2012.

Victoria x

My New Boohoo Boots.

Boots £12 - Boohoo.com

First of all, I hope you had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to a good New Years! Secondly, yes you read that right, £12! TWELVE QUID PEOPLE! 

I didn't get these for Christmas but was ill in the week leading up to it and so didn't really want to blog or go near a computer or anything that wasn't on the sofa. I was actually looking for some waterproof boots for school when i stumbled across these gems. I wasn't sure about them to be honest when I ordered them, but I'd been after something similar for ages and, not sure if I've mentioned it but, they were only £12 (!). 

I think these look best with skirts or dresses but you can put them with jeans as well, in fact I've been sporting them with my pj's, each to their own. I was also worried they wouldn't fit well with the zip being at the back and I have really narrow heels apparently but they're wonderful. I'm still a little wobbly in them but I don't know if this is because I haven't walked in heels that many times or because the heels is quite thin, maybe a combination. However, I'm reasonably confident in them because they're wedges so offer more support. 

Overall, I love these so so much. I think they look lovely and for that price! 

Have you got anything similar?

Victoria x

Instant Nail Polish Remover

Pretty Quick Instant Nail Polish Remover - £2.50 (Boots - here)

My mum picked this up when she went into town the other day after we were shown a similar product at the clothes show. The idea behind this product is genius (I feel I should start a feature after my face masks post!). It makes the whole process of taking off your nail varnish, which I find annoying and tedious, very very quick. You do just what it says on the tub - dip your finger in and twist. That simple and your nail varnish is gone. You may need to dip it once more if there are little dregs of it near your cuticle but that's not really a hassle. 

While this is very time saving, I have found a couple of things I'm not completely happy with but they're quite minor. The first is the smell - please note - the one I linked you to at the top is the acetone free one, mine is not acetone free - it is very very strong. I found it very over powering, more so than the nail varnish pads I'm used to but that is to be expected as this is liquid remover into sponge but never the less I still found it noticeably strong. Therefore I definitely suggest trying to find the acetone free one, I will be doing this in the future. The second thing is that on the nails I left in quite long or dipped again after my nail varnish going wrong it has left some white-ish patches. It's hardly noticeable and all painted over now. As this is the first of these products I've owned I don't know if it is because of the product or if this is to be expected with acetone maybe? If anyone can shed some light, please feel free!

Overall however, I do really like this product and am definitely going to carry on using it and try some others on the market. It really does reduce the time, and mess of remover pads/cotton wool. I can put up with the smell for the ease and speed of the result but as I said, I'm definitely going to get an acetone free one next time. 

Above is a short video of the product in action - I will say that it is much easier with two hands so one can hold the pot still but as mine was busy holding the camera I had to make do!

Also - just a tip. Look to see if you have any cuts/scratches on your fingers before dipping! (sense the tone of regret).

Have you tried this or something similar?

Victoria x

Mirror Mirror: The Untold Adventures Of Snow White - Costumes

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Mirror Mirror: The Untold Adventures of Snow White

I saw the trailer (see below) for this film today and want to go and see it, if only for the costumes. If this interests you at all I suggest you watch the trailers as you get to see a much wider variety. 

I imagine this film to be similar to Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland in the way of costumes and just generally as they are both aimed at the same audience and both adaptations of classics. 

Mirror Mirror is set to hit our screens in the UK and in the US on March 16th 2012. You can see other countries release dates here.

What do you think?

Victoria x

Face Masks In Tubes - Genius.

I love this. When i say 'this' I'm not actually talking about the product as such right now, although I do like this product. The thing I love is the fact that its a face mask in a tube. I've had this for a while but only now am I admiring the simplicity and wonderfulness of the idea. I've often used those 99p face masks, in fact it was always a gift for birthdays in my friendship group. However, when I use those I often find that I don't use the whole of the packet and If i leave it in the hope of using the rest of it soon, I never get around to it. The other option is to just throw it away which seems like a waste to me, it may only be 99p but 99p is 99p after all. 

Enter face mask in a tube. You use what you want when you want and it removes the annoyance of not having or being able to find one of the face masks sachets. 

I know the tubes have been around for ages but I think many people still go for the cheapies but I think this is probably more cost effective in the long run as it cost about £6ish and I've gotten more than 6 masks out of it and still have quite a bit left in it. Obviously, the draw back to face masks in a tube is that they require a flannel and sometimes a little bit of work to completely wash off of your face as opposed to those fabric-y type ones you can get in the sachets but that depends on what your looking for I suppose.

A little about this actual product, I got it from Avon, quite a while ago and it smells delicious. I'm aware the 'dead sea minerals' might not sound like it would smell nice but it does. This is also meant to 'absorb surface oils and minimise the appearence of pores leaving skins soft'. It really does make your skin feel so soft and I don't really have particularly oily skin so I don't really look for that. Obviously though, you know what you want from a face mask and you'll be able to find one of the market that suits you and hopefully comes in a tube!

What do you think? 

Victoria x

p.s. I'm definitely writing this with this face mask on. I look beautiful I assure you.

Clothes Show Live 2011

I've finally been to the Clothes Show - I've wanted to go for a couple years but either we could never make it or we thought we were being taken with school but then that would never work out. But I made it this year! I didn't really know what to expect to be honest and I didn't really see how we were going to use up something like eight hours, but it is possible.

The show was amazing. Again, with the title 'A night at the department store' I didn't know what to expect because I thought the title was a little unusual but It was so good. The whole performance of it all was excellent and the clothes were obviously amazing. My mum and I did recognize one of the male models from the London Graduate Show - he's beautiful and always gets involved with the audience which makes for a great atmosphere.

So, down to the main business - what we bought. This is everything me and my mum bought put together which I don't think looks that bad. The majority of things we got were deals like get these products worth £50 for £10 or words/numbers to that effect. We also got a couple of freebies including several Nivea samples, a heat magazine and two tubes of St. Moriz tanning lotion. I also actually bought some clothes and the clothes show (who'd have thought, right?). I did buy more than I was expecting to to be honest but the fact that I had my first ever pay slip that week added to the whole excitement of the clothes show and little self control meant I couldn't help myself. 

state of the art blue tack used to photograph this without it folding over .

The two tops above were in a £5 'bin' from the company Your Eyes Lie which I now adore. I've wanted something with a space/galaxy print on for a while and after losing hope on finding any decently priced galaxy print leggings I thought this would be a good alternative. The Oh Deer top needs turning up as it's a little long on me right now but for a fiver I don't think its too bad!

I love these dresses. The stall I got it from doesn't have a website or anything they just go around selling at events like the Clothes Show. The first dress is going to be my New Years dress and the second is very similar to one I saw in New Look (i think?) a couple of seasons ago and I liked it then but didn't get it so I thought I'd go for this now.

These feel quite strange to wear as they're knitted and don't have that much stretch in them but I'll get used to that. I've wanted some tribal or fairisle leggings for a while now and these were only £10 which is the cheapest I've seen them so I thought I'd go for it - this was also my first purchase so I was a little excitable as well. I think I still might get some fairisle leggings for the festive season.

Overall I really enjoyed the Clothes Show (free Hagandaaz anyone?! seriously.) I loved the actual show and then looking around all the stalls with my mum was lovely and I think we got some pretty good stuff, some of which I've decided to blog about separately otherwise this post would never end.  I'll definitely go again!

Have you ever been or did you/are you going this year?

Victoria xx

Nails (12) + other.

First off, I cannot take credit for these designs, I painted them but copied some photos I found while trawling
tumblr and blogger for some ideas, so the penguin nails were found on Nailed It and the tiger print is from Emily's Nail Files - her tiger nails are seriously amazing, one nail is a tiger face and is definitely worth a look.

I've done no revision this weekend which scares me because there is so much to revise in such a short time and we've not even fnished all the topics that we need for our exams in January. I went out for an Indian with friends on Friday and was ridiculously tired when I got home from shopping after work yesterday to even keep my eyes open properly let alone revise. Today, I've just been a bit lazy after work but I still have time to do some tonight.

I'm writing a letter as to why I should get to go to Uganda tonight as well as there is only three places, I'm not entirely sure about it as there was massively short notice about applications but the people who went last year said even if your not sure you should at least apply, so that's what I'm going to do!

Finally, It is so sad to hear about Gary Speed, I'm not a massive football fan and so don't know very much about the people involved in and around the game but I've watched all the news on him today and my thoughts are with his family. Also, I was watching the start of the Swansea vs. Aston Villa as the news were showing it and the speaker adressing the crowd said that they would be holding a minutes silence in Gary Speed's honour, the whistle for the start of the mintute blew. After seconds of silence a spontaneous round of applause from the stadium, managers and players erupted. It really was beautiful to watch and I think it says something about the postition he held and the respect people had for him.

Victoria x

New Look 20% Off

My friend gave me a 20% off New Look voucher (which they are actually running online with the code 20NOVTREAT) today as she says she won't use it in time as it finishes Sunday but I'm going tomorrow so she kindly said I could have it. As a result of such kindness I have produced this post on some of the things I like in New Look right now. 

1. I went straight to knitwear on the website as I just adore it. It's finally getting colder now and this jumper would be perfect to just throw on and complete an effortlessly chic (cringe.) look.

2. Everyone and their mothers seem to have found their 'perfect boots' already this year. In all seriousness I am the only one left in dollies out of my friends. I seem to be particularly fussy with boots but without knowing  what I don't like about a pair or what, in fact, I'm looking for. Enter New Look. I think these just look cool. Whack them on with a skirt, tights, leather jacket. 

3. Cheap, cute and colourful. I'm not a massive jewellery wearer so I don't like to spend a lot on it but I think I'd be able to part with three pounds for this. 

4. I picked this because it's a purse in the design of an own. That.is.amazing.

5. These would be a great little present for someone. They're seasonal, useful and cheap so that makes a good present to me. 

6. I think everyone needs a pair of socks like this. These and Number 5 are in a 3 for 2 deal and none of the items included are that expensive so it might be a good starting/finishing place for Christmas goodies. 

7. These obviously caught my eye because of the colour. I've wanted some aztec leggings for ages but haven't spotted any perfect ones. I think these are so beautiful and bright which means the rest of your outfit can be really simple as the leggings do the work. 

8. If, like me, not sure you've yet got the guts to wear something as bright as the leggings before but want to go for the aztec print then these are probably more your thing. These are more toned down but still as lovely, they're also a little cheaper.

9. For years I have been after a cream cable knit cardigan. I've seen quite a few but not loved any of them or not wanted to pay the price they were being sold for. If this is as nice in real life as it looks online this may well be the one. 

Are you planning on using the 20% off code?

Victoria x

Womens Sure Clear Aqua Crystal Roll On Deodorant

Some people may find it odd that I'm posting about deodorant? After all it isn't the most beautiful subject, I mean lets not beat around the bush, we need it to stop us sweating and smelling. If we're honest It isn't always that pleasant hence our use of deodorant on a daily basis. Therefore, when one of us finds a good one I think it's only polite to share, right?

Introducing the Womens Sure Clear Aqua Crystal. This is a roll on (obvs from the pictures) but I think you can also still get it as an aerosol. I have had both the aerosol and the roll on and in my opinion the roll on is far better. I won't lie, I don't think it offers 48 hour protection but then I wouldn't be able to give a fully valid opinion on this point as I apply more than once in a 48 hour period, and if I'm honest I don't think a lot of deodorants actually provide the length of time of protection that they say however, more often than not this lasts me the day and does it well.

I usually put off using roll on deodorant becuause, being completely honest, it makes me cringe. I hate the feel of it and how wet it is, which I know is the form of a roll on deodorant but I still find it 'icky'.  You know when you put it on without enough time for it to dry and then you put your clothes on and the two meet and there is sticking and marks and eugh.

However, while I still don't like that feeling and the texture I do like this deodorant and do recommend it. This will be available from all the usual places like supermarkets, Boots and Superdrug.

Do you use this?
Victoria x

James Corden - An Amazing Quote

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This is James Corden's reply to how he feels about comments saying his weight is part of his appeal. 

"Erm you know, there are lots of people in our industry who will tell you you cant do great things if you don't look a certain way and the truth is you absolutely can, you absolutely can"

- James Corden

   (from Piers Morgan Life Stories)

If you haven't watched his episode of Piers Morgan's life stories I would really recommend it. His book is now firmly on my Christmas list.

                                      

Victoria x