Fashion meets comfort

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania + Melissa Skyscraper pump 2 

Like most, my love for fashion developed at a young age when I would proudly stand in front of my mums full length mirror in her faviourite red heels, adorned with pearl necklaces, with a face covered in hideous dress up makeup from my beloved fisher price dressing table. To be honest excluding the makeup not much has changed since those days, and dressing up in my faviourite glad rags has become a faviourite past time. However one thing that has slipped over time has been my desire to wear high heels. Long gone are the days where I would roll in at 3am after a night dancing away in my faviourite DP Mary janes, instead these days my heels get replaced after an hour or so in favor of a comfy pair of flats. 

However ladies things are about to change, thanks to the well overdue addition to my collection. Meet my Vivienne Westwood and Melissa Black Skyscraper heels. When I think of Westwood I imagine her crazy ass heels that have sent models such as Naomi Campbell flying across the runway. These however are a simple, stylish and wearable pair of black heels. 

All Melissa shoes are made from plastic, think old school jelly shoes meets fabulous modern day fashion, creating something unique yet quirky that incorporates the styles of both designers. With a cushioned instep these beauties are function-able yet fashionable. Want to know the best bit of all?? the shoes smell like bubblegum, mmmmm bliss!!

The only downfall is the £130 price tag, but with years of fabulous nights out on the horizon, we can forget about that not so little negative, right??

Are you a heel lover, or would you rather opt for flats?

Wordless Wednesday #2 ..The Bubble Necklace

Gift ideas for him

I dont know about you lovely lot, but I always find it quite a task to conger up original Christmas ideas for the men in my life. I sound like a floozy saying that, but of course I mean for the boyfriend, brother, granddad etc ha. I often feel like presents 'for him' are often unimaginative, ie socks, boxers, deodorant. They may not put a full face of makeup on, or spend all morning in the mirrors like ourselves (this fully excludes my brother, I have never known a man to primp themselves as much as him), but even the men in your lives whether it be husband, granddad or brother  sometimes like a little luxury too. So here's my pick of gift ideas 'for him'. 

Box Of Twinkies- what man wouldn't love a box full of american yumminess. 

Comic Wallet- Lets face it most men are nerds at heart, with the likes of DC and Marvel being all the rage, hopefully this little gift will make you their hero *que the tumbleweed*. 

Topman Geek tee- So the female version of this tee has been doing the blogging rounds lately, and with good reason. This version is just as nice in my honest opinion, a perfect choice for the fashion forward guy. 

Call of Duty Black Ops 2- Need I say more, whether 15 or 50 most men have some form of console in their lives (I swear they never grow up ha).. so why not treat them to the latest craze, and be prepared to be ignored (or on the other hand keep them quiet) for hours

Ipad Mini- Okay this is a slightly extravagant purchase, but after living with a dad whos obsessed with electronics for the past 21 years aswell as a brother and boyfriend whom have to have the latest gadget/widget, I know this would go down a storm with most. 

Chanel Deodorant- I know I mentioned deodorant at the start of the post, but I think this one is a perfect example of a little male luxury. My mum tends to purchase this for my brother most Christmas/birthdays, being the pamper obsessed (I will not lie ive known him to use my face masks ha) this present never gets old, and its something he enjoys that he would not necessarily splash the cash on, for himself. 

What gifts will you be purchasing 'him' this Christmas?? 

Weekend Essentials

So nearly two weeks ago (time seriously flies) the Boyfriend and myself spent a lovely, hectic weekend in London, of course for a makeup obsessive I didn't travel that light (Is bringing 6 lip products a little excessive for two nights away? no I didn't think so either ha). Swapping and changing, these 5 pamper must haves made the cut, as I squashed them into my already bulging suitcase, oops. So here it is, my weekend essentials. 

BB Sunday Shampoo- When I originally purchased this Shampoo, I may or may not have overused it due to its amazing cleaning effects, which sadly led to my hair getting lighter in colour due to its stripping ingredients. Since this incident I only use it on a Weekend to leave my hair feeling squeaky clean, so a perfect tool for a weekend running around the capital. 

Caudalie Beauty Elixir- I will quite happily admit that I excessively use this product, I use it after cleansing both morning and night, throughout the day, aswell as when I feel my skin is in need of a little tender loving care. I absolutely love the smell, its like a Spa in a bottle, and it refreshes my skin. Whether it actually does that much im not to sure, but it well and truly has a home in my makeup bag!! 

Lush Ponche Shower Gel- After a somewhat in-depth conversation with the sales assistant at Lush about all things spice scented, she very kindly sent me away with a near full try me bottle of Ponche (I can never get over how friendly and fabulous the sales assistants at Lush are). Since then this has been my go to shower gel of a morning, It really is like a party in the Shower. I wont even attempt to describe this as im awful at identifying and describing scents, but with a shot of tequila and with influence from Traditional Mexican Christmas Punch, Ponche is a perfect wake me up of a morning. 

Benefit Boo Boo Zap- When I originally purchased this spot treatment I was slightly unsure on how to dispense the product, after getting over that little stepping stone I have found this to be a brilliant spot remover, so it is understandable why it is a necessity for a weekend away!! 

Benefit Foamingly Clean Cleanser- Long gone are the days where I may or may not have used just wipes to clean my face (naughty I know). This Benefit product is a perfect sized Cleanser for a weekend away!! 

So there you have it, my weekend essentials! What are your must haves for a weekend away?

Gift Ideas- A little luxury for someone special

Carrying on with the Gift Ideas theme (you can see my post on my handmade gift jars here) this next post is based on more luxurious presents for that extra special person in your life, whether it be your mum, aunt, girlfriend or best friend. 

I absolutely adore the Anya Hindmarch Pouch, a perfect token for your nearest and dearest, I know id certainly love to see this in my stocking Christmas morning (hint hint Santa if your reading). 

These Mulberry stacked rings are a perfect gift for the jewellery obsessed, with bright pink hearts and the iconic Mulberry tree logo whats not to love?? 

A girl can never have enough heels right?? These Vivienne Westwood beauties are a perfect edition to any shoe lovers wardrobe!! 

Finally for the beauty obsessed, These Dior Polishes add a touch of glamour and a splash of colour, as for the eye palette I dont think it needs any justification!!!

Would you be pleased to wake up to these Christmas Morning??  

Christmas Ideas: Gift Jars

So for the past few years, Christmas has been a time full of hectic deadlines, especially last year with the forbidden D word, and Christmas shopping was put on the back burner in order to complete essays etc, however now a graduate, and being free from the work load, I am thoroughly throwing myself into the spirit of Christmas shopping (aswell as convincing myself not to purchase an extra polish here and there for myself ha). After reading Becky's post on crafty Christmas gift jars, I decided to take some inspiration from her fabulous idea and created my own jars as gifts for friends. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I am currently smiling like a Cheshire cat with how they turned out!! 

I purchased everything to create these gift Jars from Wilkinsons (apart from the presents) for around £20, with the most expensive items being the Jars themselves at around £4 each. 

Like Becky I have hidden some of the presents within the jar,however instead of filling the jars with chocolate I used faux snow, which I think adds an extra little Christmas touch.

I filled the jars with:  

• Nail Polishes from the Mirror ball Collection
• A Disney Vinylmation
• Cath Kidston Mirrors
• Snowmen socks (from Tesco)
• A Cath Kidston purse. 

 After filling the Jars with presents I then wrapped ribbon around the lid, and then threaded it through the clasp to create a pretty bow. The way  in which I have tied the bow means that it needs to be undone in order to open the lid, so hopefully no sneaky peeking until December 25th ;).

To finish it off I bought plain paper tags for around 60p and jazzed them up with christmassy stickers and added two bells which I think gives that finishing touch, what do you think?? 

What Crafty ideas to you have planned for Christmas this year??

Wordless Wednesday..The unnecessarily beautiful

Life in Instagram #2.. London Edition

 early wake up // gingerbread latte // result of Bichester Village

pretty bag // Peruvian yummyness at Ceviche

 A magical sight // Chanel pop up shop // tree in Covent Garden

Covent Market // my dream home // Royal Albert Hall

 Macaroons // in all there delicious glory // followed by another cheeky Laduree pit stop

Mickey at Harrods // Louboutins //  the red sole

A cheeky visit to Victoria's secret // Ceaser Salad // lots of shopping 

a lego high heel // the perfect breakfast non?? // the result of the CCO

Designer Pudsey's in all their glory 

Hey lovelies, 

So if you read my previous post or follow me on Instagram then you'll know that last weekend The boyfriend and I embarked on the mother of all road trips (5 hours to be precise) to London, the reason for the trip?? to nerd out at the Distant Worlds Concert (FYO its music to do with a game called final fantasy, the boyfriends choice of entertainment I must add but it wasn't all that bad ha). Of Course we stopped at Bichester Village to take the boredom off the driving a little (post of my haul here), aswell as several coffee stops. One of my favourite things to do whilst in London is to dine out in new restaurants, don't get me wrong I love Nandos and TGI Fridays  but sometimes its good to have something a little different. So the first stop after a 40 minute  tube ride was to Ceviche. I travelled to Peru for my 18th a few years back, as my dad used to work out there, eating our way through the tapas sized menu seriously brought back memories through my taste buds. Seriously guys its definitely worth a visit if your in the Covent garden area, and the prices are pretty reasonable. A rather indulgent pit stop from endless shopping happened on Saturday morning when we sat down for macaroons and Vanilla tea at Harrods after wandering through the shop floor full of decadent delights (one day I will buy something there, perhaps when I win the lottery), and admiring the fabulous Disney themed window displays, on a side note I would seriously pick a diamanté pair of Louboutins over a glass slipper any day, wouldn't you? After two days of endless walking and shopping we still managed to fit in a little detour to the Swindon Designer Outlet, although perhaps a little disappointing it was totally worth it for the CCO purchases!!

What have you been up to this week??

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

When it comes to my makeup routine I have been a one foundation only kinda girl for a long time, staying faithful to my beloved MAC studio sculpt, with the exception of Dr Jart's BB cream on occasion. For a good year or so Studio Sculpt has been enough, however my needs have changed so with a heavy heart and a slice of my bank balance I decided to bite the bullet and leave my fuller coverage studio sculpt behind in favour of a lighter, more grown up (if that's even possible) foundation in the form of Chanels Vitalumiere Aqua.

Although hesitant due to its water based contents,the minute the MUA applied this to my skin, I knew it was the one, it was the perfect shade, with a lightweight feel and smooth finish. Put next to Studio Sculpt this foundation comes up trumps lasting most of the day without the need for powder. Like all Chanel items, the packaging is cute, yet practical with its CC embossed lid, compact enough to take on the go and although 30ml like most foundations it feels light in comparison. The small nozzle also makes it easy to dispense  the foundation, without having an oops moment and emptying the whole bottle (OK that's a slight exaggeration but you catch my drift!).

Ive had Chanel Vitalumiere in my mitts for merely a week so I cannot fully judge this beauty, but expect a catch up review uber soon!! The only downfall I have already noticed is the £32 price tag, but for such a fab foundation that's also aesthetically pleasing, I think I can see past this little blip!!

Have you tried Vitalumiere Aqua?? What are your thoughts??

Bichester Village Haul

So on friday the boyfriend and I embarked on a 5 hour road trip to London town (posts to follow). To soften the utter boredom (theres only so much I can take of the same 10 songs being played on repeat ha) I cheekily suggested a detour to the very much hyped about Bichester Village for a bit of retail therapy!!

A gorgeous village set in the heart of the beautiful Oxfordshire Countryside, Bichester truly is a shopaholics paradise (although not the case for the bank balance), home to the likes of Mulberry, UGG, All saints and most importantly the cosmetic company outlet. Although I purchased a fair few bargains I will be honest and suggest that one really needs money and time to make the most of the visit, as although many of the brands are discounted, most are still fairly expensive (boo). 

So what did i pick up??

Of course my main objective for stopping by Bichester Village was to study the shelves of Juicy Couture and The Cosmetic Company Outlet. After walking away from Juicy Couture with a ridiculously cute bag, within it two pairs of earrings (at a bargain price I may add), the next stop was to peruse the aisles of the CCO. 

The boyfriend actually spotted this Michael Kors and Estee Lauder Collaboration, and I will admit to letting out a little squeal at the site of a gold compact containing 6 shadows and a blush, a lipstick, lipgloss, double wear eyeliner, brushes, and the piece de resistance a gorgeous Michael Kors embossed Cosmetic Case, all for the grand total of £38. Yep you read that right £38. In all honesty Im shocked at the fact these are still available in the CCO as I would have thought they would have been snapped up within the click of a finger, but I cannot complain as this set of utter beauty is now mine (Que evil laugh).  

Of all the makeup collections released, the one I have kicked myself for not purchasing an item from was MAC Venomous Villains. This collection was released at a time when I was too scared to stand at a beauty counter for the fear of being pestered (oh how times have changed). So when I saw this gorgeous eyeshadow and lipgloss, I let out yet another squeal of excitement. Recently I have been embracing  the more vampy/ wintry colours and wrongspell and vainglorious fulfilled my needs (aswell as being Disney related, have I mentioned I love Disney?) 

I snapped these both up for around £8/ £9 each  

Finally, on the way back from London, as a pit stop, and another excuse to shop, we visited the Designer Outlet in Swindon, which I will add was a total disappointment, however I did pick up Golden Lariat from the Wonder Woman collection, aswell as Sinister and a different groove,from the Villains and Liberty London Collections, aswell as a few Ojon goodies for my mum, all for the grand total of £40 which wasn't to bad, for what the items would have originally cost!! 

Have you been to Bichester Village or the Swindon Designer Outlet??

if so did you pick up any bargains??