September Favourites

Another month gone...can you believe it? It certainly doesn't feel like September thanks to this current burst of hot weather we're having, but I'm sure it'll turn cold again just as quickly.

This month has been a bit poor as far as products go. I haven't really purchased many news bits, but I have received a few things in the post and have rediscovered an old favourite as well.

Last week I posted my review on the new VIVO Cosmetics brand. I was very kindly sent a few bits to review and I was really impressed! I did search for the brand in my local Tesco store but they didn't seem to be stocking it, which was unfortunate as I really want to get my hands on some more pieces from the range. The eyeshadow palette is now one of my favourites. I love the vibrant shades and they stay on all day, which is a bonus! They're such great quality and really cheap!

I also received some lovely skincare products from the Good Things range which have also become firm favourites of mine. It's lovely enough just to be contacted by some companies for review purposes, but I love it even more when the products turn out to become staples in my morning routine! I'd certainly recommend this affordable range to anyone. The best thing about it is the fact that all the products smell of Starburst!

I randomly brought the No7 Stay Perfect Eyeliner in Chainmail recently, but I didn't have a No7 voucher to go with it! Luckily, the lovely lady behind the counter found one that somebody didn't want and let me use it, so I managed to pick this up for around £3! What a bargain! I'll be sure to do a full post on it very soon!

Now this has got to be my favourite product of the month by far. I received it as a Christmas present about two years ago so it's really lasted. I think it's one of the original Ghost perfumes, there's so many now that I can't really keep track but I absolutely love the scent! The bottle is also really pretty and I'm definitely going to be replacing it when it finally does run out!

Hopefully in October I'll be able to get my hands on a few new products. It's my birthday on the 13th so hopefully I'll get a little bit of money that I can splash! I really want one of the Chanel llusion D'Ombre eyeshadows but haven't been able to get down to Bristol to visit Debenhams! I think a trip is in order!

Wednesday Wishlist #4

Before I start, can I quickly ask what the hell is going on with the weather this week? It's been hotter today than it was all Summer! I'm not enjoying it one bit as I'm working through out it and it's made even worse by the fact we have to wear heavy tunics and cook food using fryers and hot sandwich toasters. I was practically melting today so I hope it doesn't continue for too long!

Despite the weather, this weeks wishlist has a distinct Winter feel to it as I've chosen 4 different jumpers!

Topshop: Knitted Spot Mesh Jumper, Knitted Collar Jumper
H&M: Bag
Missguided: Aztec Knitted Jumper, Elbow & Shoulder Patch Knitted Jumper
River Island: Fabric Tassel Necklace, Oh Dear Print Scarf

Topshop are brilliant for jumpers at the moment and I love all of the contrasting Peter Pan collars that are going on as well. My absolute favourite has got to be the Knitted Spot Mesh Jumper as I just love the polka dot detail and the mesh makes quite a nice change. What do you think?

The two Missguided jumpers were spotted on a few bloggers recently, so I decided to check them out. I wouldn't say the jumpers look particularly flattering in these images but I'd love to give them a try...I definitely need a jumper with elbow patches!

I'm hoping for my birthday and Christmas that I'll be getting/buying a few things that I've featured in my Wednesday Wishlist posts before, so I'll be sure to post about them if I do. I've already asked Vince to buy me the Topshop Studded Slippers for my birthday. Keep your fingers crossed that they stay in stock!

Until next time...

What's in my shopping bags? #2

These little regular features are fast becoming my favourites to write! Anyway, today is my day off and I was originally planning to just stay in my PJs all day and sit on the laptop, but I realised that today is my only free day to pick up my mum's birthday present so after swiftly picking that up, I popped into Matalan to have a quick snoop around.

And boy am I glad I did! Every time I visit the store, I instantly make my way to the accessories, shoes and bags corner and a few bags have caught my eye recently, but I've been very good and have put them back, but today there was one bag that I just couldn't put down.

So, what made it into my shopping bag this week?

Lovely, lovely, lovely! I fell in love with it straight away, but then I put it back because the strap isn't adjustable. Then I picked it up again and ran to the tills. It's SO simple and I absolutely LOVE the fur detail on the top. It's lovely and spacious and was a mere £8, which is a total bargain if you ask me!

Matalan have got some really cute Autumn/Winter accessories in store at the moment. I was close to picking up another fur bag as well as a Mulberry inspired satchel in Blue, but in the end, this bag won. I didn't even need a new bag really, but that's always the time you seem to find great items so I just had to pick it up! What do you think?

Sunday Style Steal #3

I am absolutely knackered! I haven't stopped since I got home from work at 5:30. Mum and Dad are due back from Majorca tonight so I've been cleaning the house from top to bottom, walking the dog and generally making sure everything is nice and tidy for when they get back! As if I needed to be doing that after having to run around like a mad person at work all day. Work was absolutely heaving due to the bad weather and I seem to start doing about a million different things all at once!

Thankfully, Vince is cooking me a lovely dinner, then we're settling down in front of the TV for X Factor and TOWIE! Woo! Mum and Dad's flight isn't due back until 11:55 so we've got a while to wait yet...thank goodness I have a day off tomorrow! Time to relax!!

While I play The Sims Social on Facebook, I thought I'd also prepare today's Sunday Style Steal post! I'm loving writing these posts and I hope you're equally enjoying reading them. You would let me know if you weren't? If you have any 'styles' that you want me to 'steal', just leave a note in the comments!

This week I've chosen a pretty simple outfit worn by the stylish young Hailee Steinfeld. I can't believe this girl is just 15 years old? That's absolutely crazy really. I don't think much of her hair-do or the weird grin she's pulling but I do love the simplicity of the Carven outfit she's wearing here.

It wasn't very difficult to re-create this outfit, however I did decide against completely leather shorts just because the prices are so high. Instead I chose some that incorporated a little leather detailing!

Topshop: Knitted Contrast Peter Pan Top, LAVISH Strappy Platform Sandals
ASOS: Rhinestone Encrusted Cocktail Ring, Angular Cocktail Ring, Premium Shorts with Leather Pockets
Temporary Secretary: Bow Neck Tie Brooch 

I've found that Topshop are absolutely brilliant for recreating Celebrity's sky high heels. I also love the Peter Pan Collar top, although it does remind me a little of a referee!? The shorts are actually really cute and I'd much rather pay £35 for them, with their little leather pockets, than fork out over £100 for a full leather pair.

I absolutely had to choose something from Temporary Secretary when I spotted Hailee's collar. The bow is SO cute and it comes in a brooch form, meaning it's easy to pin to anything. You could even wear it pinned on a jacket pocket instead of from the neck?

Anyway, I best be off! Vince pretended to be making me dinner but instead surprised me with a Miss Millies (cheap KFC, but SO much better) takeaway, so now I've got some more clearing up to do! See you soon!

*Image courtesy of TheFashionPatrol.com

F+F at Tesco Christmas 2011

I know what you're thinking. It's much too early to even be thinking about Christmas, but when you really think about it, planning ahead has always got to be a good thing. Every year I tell myself I'm going to get presents early and as I'm already seeing Advent Calendars and Christmas cards in store, it's a clear sign that it's time to start planning for Christmas 2011. Of course, we also need to plan our Winter/Christmas wardrobes, which is why I'm bringing you the F+F at Tesco Christmas 2011 Lookbook which was very kindly sent to me not long ago!

Many of these pieces are going straight onto my Christmas list for this year and hopefully some of the pieces will inspire you to add them to your own lists, or buy them for someone else. Now you can see how helpful this post will be in getting you organised for Crimbo!

Let us begin with some of my fave model shots from the collection then we'll really get into the good stuff!







I think you'll all agree that Christmas Lookbooks are always something special. Everyone's thinking of Christmas parties, elegance and glamour, which I think Tesco have managed to fit into their collection extremely well. I'm not exactly one for dressing up and going to sophisticated events, but a girl can dream.



As you'd expect, the collection is full of festive colours, LBD's and of course the Red alternative to the LBD, but what I REALLY love is the turquoise blue that's cropped up here. Not traditionally a festive colour, but it's absolutely gorgeous and you'd definitely stand out at a Christmas party in this one.

For those that prefer to play it safe, there are a few traditional LBDs on hand that ooze sophistication. There are also a few alternatives for the party season, such as lace, which has been huge this year, and even a jumpsuit for those that don't care too much for dresses. White and cream are also a big part of the collection this year and you'll look like a winter snowflake arriving in these dresses!









Of course, what I really love is the warm and snug pieces that always come with Christmas collections, such as Pyjamas, socks, jumpers and other accessories. You can bet that every year, under the Christmas tree, will be a new pair of Pyjamas, socks and slippers for me. It wouldn't be Christmas without them! I actually got a pair of slippers similar to the ones below and they were so snug!





So, what do we think of Tesco's latest offerings? I particularly like the black gowns, but the colourful dresses are really the ones that scream Christmas at me and as I mentioned before, the sweet, snug pieces are really what I want under the tree this year!

I think that F+F have been particularly clever with their alternative Christmas party wear pieces and I believe they'll fly off the shelves. People tend to stick to the reds or blacks at parties and Christmas events, so those that opt for the bolder and brighter colours are going to be hugely rewarded with compliments!

The collection also includes some lovely underwear sets, accessories and party shoes so I suggest you put your orders in now!





*Images courtesy of Tesco

VIVO Cosmetics

Hooray for VIVO Cosmetics, who have recently released a brand new, cheap and cheerful cosmetics range that doesn't hold back on quality. The VIVO range is exclusive to Tesco (though unfortunately not available near me just yet!) and has been hailed as the MAC of supermarket make-up.

We all know that some supermarket make-up can be extremely bad and tacky, however, VIVO cosmetics is anything but. The range consists of your every day make-up necessities such as bold, statement eyeshadows, mascaras, liner, lipstick and lipglosses as well as face making musts such as highlighters, powders, primer, concealer, blush, bronzer and even foundation. They've really catered for your every need with the range and I can't believe the prices either. £2.59 for a foundation? Yes please!

I was very kindly sent a few products from the new range to test out and I have to admit, I've fallen in love! I've been holding back on writing this post as I really wanted to get used to the products and give them a good chance. I received the 'Green with Envy' Trio Eyeshadow Palette, 'Baked Bronzer' and a very pretty 'Shimmer and Shine' Lipgloss.

I absolutely love the eyeshadow palette and I've been wearing it non stop. I love the Green shades as it makes a nice, but not too drastic change from my usual eye make-up looks.

The shades are really vibrant and highly pigmented and after wearing them for a full 8 hour shift of cooking food and serving customers at work, the colour just didn't budge all day, so I was extremely impressed! They're great shades to mix and play around with but they also work well as block colours on the lids. I'm not too keen on the applicator though and chose to use an eyeshadow blending brush to apply them instead. However, the sponge applicator provided would probably work really well if you wanted to add a touch of colour to the lash line. I actually really rate this palette and I definitely want to get my hands on some of the other shades, such as 'Graphite Glamour' and 'Innocence,' and for just £2.50 it's certainly affordable!

I think I have managed to just about capture the colours here, which I'm very pleased about!

I was also sent the Baked Bronzer compact, which looks absolutely gorgeous and shimmery. I don't really ever put on a full face of make-up so I won't be using this as much, however I have given it a try and it's great for a night out as it's so shimmery and golden. Again, it's extremely pigmented and blends really easily. As it's such a bold bronzer, I think just a little would go a long long way!

Last, but by no means least, I was sent one of the 'Shimmer and Shine' lipglosses in 'Pink Frost.' I am not a fan of lip gloss at all. It's lipbalm all the way for me, but I will always give a product a fair chance so I popped it on and was really surprised that I actually liked it! It has a teeny hint of a scent, but not enough to make me want to lick it off (which is always what happens), it's also lovely to apply and isn't sticky at all. I could certainly get used to it and think I'll definitely be using it on a more regular basis. Lipglosses usually annoy me and I end up wiping them off after 5 minutes but I've had it on for about an hour already and it's absolutely fine! The shade is really sweet and has a hint of shimmer which I prefer as I'm not a fan of hugely coloured glosses.

All in all this new range of cosmetics gets an absolutely massive thumbs up from me. I am extremely keen to try out a few more pieces from the range, perhaps the mascaras and foundation to really see if they can stand up against some of the current make-up giants on the highstreet. As I mentioned, VIVO has been hailed as the MAC of supermarket make-up and I'd certainly rather spend my hard earned pennies on VIVO rather than MAC, any day.

This post contains PR samples