Chelsea, Zara & Studs

Why is it that when you are not supposed to be spending money you fall in love with almost EVERYTHING you see in the shops? I've been really good and haven't bought many new things for ages but from the 4 new things I have bought I haven't really pushed the boat out have I...


A quick browse in the Zara sale last week and I came home with these two dresses for a tenner each. They're the same plain dress with a low back and I couldn't decide between pink and green so I bought both because I didn't have the energy for the changing rooms that day. I still haven't made up my mind but I'm leaning towards the green which I promise doesn't look so dull in real life.


It's still sticky and humid outside but I think I'm always on the lookout for new boots, whatever the season. My sister bought these Chelsea boots from Tesco (£15) and I liked them so much I quickly followed suit. I've never worn Chelsea boots before and not too sure if they go with everything. My sis says I should wear them with my jeans rolled up? Seems like it's going to rain this weekend so they'll get their first outing.


Was initially going to name this post "stud love" though quickly reconsidered after thinking about the keyword searches. But I do love studs! I know that everyone will be wearing these Primark velveteen studded loafers (£12) but I could not leave the shop without them. I am usually a 6 in flats but had to size up and even the 7's are a bit snug. They have a green version too but compared to black they aren't so pretty. I also snapped up this studded clutch bag (£6) and this style seems to be everywhere at the moment. I think the Zara version is so much nicer/daintier so will probably get that to use as a purse. Topshop also has a suede studded purse but with silver conical studs. For once I think I prefer the gold version.

Are there any other studded things in the shops right now that I need in my life? By the way I know I've been the worst blogger ever but here are some sleepy kitty photos to make up for it xx

My week in photos and what I bought

From L-R:

1. Stage one of the process of experimenting with dip dye. I'm hoping the blue will turn out as awesome as this so fingers crossed. Also can't get enough of these metal collar style necklaces going around, this one is from River Island (£7) and I love it so much I bought the silver one too.

2. Yummy handmade spinach and ricotta ravioli from Pasta Remoli in Westfield.

3. New bag from Zara (£19.99) but I might get the black version. Grey looks chic but it gets so grubby when going to and from work on the trains.

4. Another Westfield purchase, my new Bobble water bottle! I have no problem drinking tap water but I hate the taste of it when I've refilled a normal plastic water bottle. I always get told off for not drinking more water and I'm hoping this will encourage me to.

5&6. Constant rain and grey skies are so depressing but I've been getting lots of wear out of my mid calf boots my dad bought for me. £18 from Aldi would you believe it.

7. Collection 2000 Multiplier Mascara isn't too grand but it was a cheap buy (£4.99) and the Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner was free with purchase (usually £2.99). Hands down the best felt tip eyeliner I've ever used. It doesn't smudge and it stays on ALL day.

8. I love my new jim jam bottoms from Primark (£5).

9. Found my Nintendo DS in a drawer and I've spent all day on this. Gotta catch em all!

What have you been upto this week?

Winter warmers

I swear I buy a new hat and gloves every winter but whenever the next year comes around they're nowhere to be seen. My massive bobble hat is last season Topshop via eBay and I paid £10 instead of the RRP of £16 but even that is a rip off. It keeps my head and ears warm but the quality is similar to Primark which I wouldn't mind if it wasn't 4x the price. Not cool Topshop, sort it out.



Primark have some great winter things at the moment. These fleece lined mittens were £4 and are soooo soft and warm I never want to take them off. They render your hands completely useless because you can't do anything with them on but they're worth it. Also bought this furry water bottle for a fiver to warm up my bed. My flat is so cold that my nose runs if I don't put the heating on, especially in the ice box bedroom :(:( I've been googling heat saving tips and am really tempted to get window quilts and bubble wrap my windows, sounds crazy but I'm fed up of being cold and miserable.

ugh, only 5 months until Summer!!

What I bought today

Whenever I go out I always end up shopping and there always seems to be things I "need". This is what I bought on my travels to Superdrug and Primark today :)

1. I've been watching a lot of youtube hair tutorials (namely by bebexo and binosusume) and I bought these hairpins (£1.69 from Superdrug) and hairbands (£1 from Primark) which are essential for doing braided hairstyles. Hope to post my results soon!

2. These espadrille styled shoes are everywhere at the moment (£3 in Primark in lots of colours!). They're quite flimsy and I'm not going to wear them out, these are for wearing around my house since my cat chewed up my flip flops :\

3. Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Lipstick in Sweet Tart (£2.99 from Superdrug). Really bright bubblegum pink which funnily doesn't actually last very long! Love the colour but next on my lippie list is another bright pink, Nars Schiap.

4. Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Elimination Cleansing Lotion (around £4). I use this astringent/toner all over my face rather than concentrating on blackheads. It gets rid of dirt and grime and I use it everyday when I get home from work.

Really need to stop spending....!

Peep-a-boo

Peep toe shoes are my absoulute favourites for summer not only because they help keep my feet cooler than usual but also because I get to show off my brightly polished toes! These yellow canvas ones are from Primark and boy do they get grubby really easily, however I just pop them in the wash and they come out like new. They certainly won't last very long, especially if I keep washing them, but for £6 they'll serve me well this summer.

Recent Primark purchases

Just a quick post on what I bought from Primark yesterday. The peacock feather print top with a frilled hem is my favourite, closely followed by the loose sheer black shirt, which I wish came in different colours. Both were £10 each :D

Have you bought anything nice from Primark recently?

Impulse purchase of the summer

...and the award goes to this funky beaded/sequin necklace from Primark. A steal at £3 but I don't know how to wear it and pull the look off successfully. Bah - perhaps I'll save it for next summer.

1,2, buckle my shoe

 
Forgive me for the worst photos ever and try to ignore how stumpy my legs look. I don't wear my jeans like this but I was trying to show the new shoes I bought from Primark in their entirety.

These open toed buckled wedges are REALLY similar to the much lusted after buckled boots by Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony . ASOS had a similar pair on sale but I thought they looked too "plasticy" and were too high for me.

These are made from a faux suede material and don't look too cheap. They are also really comfortable to walk in as the wedge isn't too high. Another major plus is that they're only £15!

I know they're not to everyone's taste but I love them so much.

The High Street S/S 2010

I can't wait for winter to be over so I can start dressing for Spring!

Source: Marie Claire

I never shop at New Look but I might start after seeing these promos. I'm a sucker for anything girly especially polka dots and bows. Also loving the lace at Dorothy Perkins and floral dresses from Primark. I thought Topshop and H&M were a bit blah, (most probably because of the styling)but the bandage style jeans and military esque cropped jacket caught my eye.

Primark A/W 2009

Images: Marie Claire

This photoshoot looks really good but something tells me that the quality won't translate to the actual garments...but I really like the blouse and dress with the exaggerated shoulder detail.

However my favourite item has to be these suede hidden platform boots on the left. They're an exact copy of the YSL ones but are only £25 as opposed to £580! I only wish the heel wasn't so high :(

Latest Haul and a competition win

Out of sheer boredom, I made a trip to my local high street just to get out the house. These trips aren't really recommended because you end up buying things on a whim rather than necessity.

I picked up this snazzy Cath Kidson-esque makeup bag from Primark for £1.50 and a few makeup items from Boots and Superdrug.

I got a gel eyeliner from Sleek in Dominatrix (that's black to you and I)and it's been really good so far. It has good consistency and is quite pigmented. It comes with this teeny brush which is absolutely useless as it's hard and gouges the product. It's waterproof which is an added bonus, and it fared well during my weepy viewing of The Time Traveller's Wife yesterday. Here's a little swatch.

See how dark it is? Great stuff! I only have one other Sleek product which is their liquid liner but I really love this brand. I can't wait to get my hands on one of their eyeshadow palettes!

This isn't a High street buy but it arrived in the post the other day. It's "Chinatown" by Nails Inc which is a hot pink with purple pearlised swish. I freaking love it! I'm used to one dimensional matte finishes but this is a whole new level of colour for me. Depending on the light, it changes from a hot pink to a shimmery pink/purple, and has a wonderful gloss finish.

I'm sorry for the photo but I struggled for 15mins with my SLR trying to take a close up (ignore my pinky finger, it's Barry M raspberry). The polish goes on well and even though I hastily applied it for this photo with no base or top coat, it's survived 2 days with no chips so far. This was a freebie from the News of the World offer and costs £10.50 originally, but I would definitely get this again.

This was on offer in Boots for £2.93 and I've been looking for a waterproof MU remover so decided to give this a go. It's oil based and needs to be shaken to mix up the oil and water. It works but it stings my eyes slightly, and it doesn't leave the skin around my eyes feeling soothed as it claims to? Oh well.

Been looking for this for ages! Exaggerate eye definer from Rimmel that has a built in sharpener and smudger. All for the lowly price of £3.91.

It does the job but I would advise against using the smudger. It's made from a rubbery plastic and drags the skin a little.

I had a £5 off voucher on Ruby & Millie and No7 so I bought this blusher from No7 in "Coral Flush".

It looks more like a dusky pink than coral, and although it has a faint golden shimmer to it, it doesn't really show up. The blusher itself is really chalky and there was a lot of fall out when I loaded up my brush. It didn't last long either :( Nevertheless it's a pretty colour and I only paid £3.74. I wouldn't buy this for the full price of £8.74, no way.

And lastly, I won these E45 goodies in a competition that was run by Now magazine. They are from their Endless Moisture range and I was sent one of each product from both their scent free AND lightly fragranced range. These will come in handy for the upcoming winter :)