Halloween Nails!

I don't really celebrate Halloween anymore. Obviously as a kid I went Tric Or Treating, but I didn't really have imaginative outfits, I remember being a witch, Scream and a cat and later on at University, I was a Witch and a Devil...My first ever Halloween costume was a Witch that was made out of bin bags and a witch's hat!

On Wednesday Vince and I went to see Paranormal Activity 3 and I have to say, I was SO disappointed. I actually really liked the previous two movies, although a bit silly at times, and I thought this one was going to really explain the back story of the two main characters, but it just really left me feeling like 'was that it?' It also didn't help that the cinema was full of children, blatantly under 15, all shouting, screaming and laughing. I'm not entirely sure why they paid over £7 for a ticket, only to miss half of the film due to messing around?!

Anyway...as a form of Halloween celebration, I decided to try my hand at some Halloween nails! After a quick Google search, I got some ideas and whipped these up quickly! They're a bit messy but they'll do just for one day. Barry M have some great colourful polishes that are perfect for Halloween nails. I also used a black eyeliner for the drawing as I just hate the Models Own nail art pen, and a China Glaze crackle polish as well!

Created using: Barry M #290 Spring Green, #134 Yellow, #301 Block Orange
China Glaze #980 Black Mesh
Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Liner

Happy Halloween everyone!

Sunday Style Steal #7

I cannot wait for this weekend to be over! At work we are hosting the 'Fisherman's Festival' for the British Aquatic Society and while it's nice looking at all the fish and some of the animals and stalls in the tents, that's all there is to it. The people that have turned out for the event aren't our usual over 50's, they're much louder and ruder. Yesterday morning I served a man at 10:15am and he was already drunk, with a Becks in his hand! Gross.

Christmas officially starts on Tuesday at work and I can't wait. It means we don't serve ANY hot food, meaning I won't stink of chips after work! I don't have a day off until Thursday now, so I'm going to try and keep the blogs going when I'm finished each day. It might be difficult to get some decent pictures though. I finish at 5:30 every day this week and with the clocks going back, it'll probably be dark before I leave!

One of my old Glossybox's is coming in really handy as a little 'review' box. I've picked up quite a few bits and pieces to review recently, so they're all sitting in the box waiting to be photographed and written about!

Until then...let's get on with today's Sunday Style Steal. Number 7, can you believe?! This week featuring Kate Bosworth, who's fashion sense is sometimes pretty questionable. Thankfully, she turned out looking half decent at a Chanel dinner recently, in an all black outfit.

Kate looks simply stylish here and her hair looks great in a top knot. Very sophisticated and I much prefer it to her more recent turquoise blue dip-dye look. Her outfit consists of a black A-line patterned skirt and black silk shirt with embroidered cuffs and detailed buttons.

She also wore Chanel lace up wedges, complete with gold trim detail, and a Chanel clutch bag! Unfortunately, we can't all afford gold trimmed designer clothes, so I've managed to find a few alternatives!

Topshop: Black Flannel Mini Skirt, Chiffon Tab Shirt
ASOS: Vintage Look Watch Bracelet, Pointed Wedge Shoe Boot, Feather Clutch Bag   

Whenever I wear black on black, I always feel like a mime artist. I suppose this look is broken up a bit by the skirt and the material of the shirt. Although a designer label, the outfit itself looks like something pretty simple to be wearing to such a prestigious event. Kate pulls it off well though, don't you think?



*Image courtesy of Celebrity-Gossip.net

Your Hair December '11

You may remember when I posted about my work in Hair Ideas magazine. Well, now I've got something even better to show you!

When I was on work experience back in August, at Your Hair magazine, I was asked if I would fill in for someone who had dropped out of the reader makeover. I was told I'd get a lovely haircut and make over and would appear in the magazine. I was a bit unsure whether to do it at first but everyone told me I should as it would be a great experience and probably something I'd never get to do again.

On the day I arrived at a hairdressers in Bristol and was given a consultation. I definitely wanted some colour in my hair and we decided on some Red, which I loved. We had the lovely team from Indola doing our hair and the company's global ambassador, Leonardo Rizzo, cutting it.

My change of hairstyle wasn't as drastic as the other girl's, but I really loved it. Unfortunately there was no way I could keep it up at home, but I did love the new found volume of it.

It was absolutely HORRIBLE having my photos taken. I had to stand in awkward poses and was made to show my teeth, something which I really hate and am concious of, but I think the photos turned out OK in the end. I wouldn't like to see the ones that were rejected, haha!

So, you can see my full make-over and hair restyle in the December Issue #124 of Your Hair magazine!

Bed Head by TIGI Candy Fixations

When I received an email asking if I'd like to try the new Bed Head by TIGI Candy Fixations range, I jumped at the chance! I thought the packaging alone looked gorgeous and fun and when I saw the volume products, I knew I had to try them out. The Candy Fixations range claims to deliver volume 'lighter than candyfloss with flexible hold and no residue,' and I can safely say that they more than deliver!

Since I had my hair cut in August, I've been using the Fudge Pump Up Mousse for some much needed volume and bounce to my hair, but I'm afraid I now have a new favourite in the form of the Totally Baked Volumizing and Prepping Hair Meringue.

Not only is this mousse lovely and light, it gives my hair some much needed volume, but the best bit is the smell. It smells AMAZING. I'm being completely honest when I say this smells EXACTLY like Lemon Meringue and it's gorgeous! My mum and I were sat on the sofa sniffing it for ages! The scent stays in your hair as well so you get nice whiffs of it through-out the day. It's best applied to damp hair like any normal mousse, but if you blow-dry it afterwards, you get a lovely cooked meringue smell, which again, is gorgeous!

I also received the Sugar Dust Invisible Micro-Texture Root Powder which is just so cute! I've never used a powder for volume before and this is just lovely! I applied it to my hair when it was wet and again when it was dry and it didn't leave my hair with a white tinge to it (thank goodness), and it left it lovely and volumised, just how I like it. The dust is so fine it looks like it's snowing when you sprinkle it on and again, it smells utterly gorgeous!

My roots feel a tiny bit dry and stiff but that's something I can easily put up with. My hair has got a bit longer and heavier now so it's difficult for it to retain the volume but I've had the products in for a few hours and it's holding nicely. I'm still getting lovely lemon meringue scent as well.




So, all in all, I am more than happy with these products and I've been using them daily ever since! I've taken a few snaps of my hair straight after using the products, but please forgive my terrible split ends!

The cat's whiskers

Recently I was accepted as part of the lovely Best British Bloggers programme, and was asked if I would like to pick something from the Joe Browns catalogue in order to review!

With some help from my mum, I chose the Quirky Cat Sweater worth £37.95.






It arrived extremely quickly which was great and it's a lovely cosy jumper, perfect for wearing in doors with your slippers and a blanket! It'd also be great with a pair of simple leggings and ankle boots. :)

I think I should have ordered a smaller size as it's a bit loose fitting, when I would have preferred it to be tighter. I really like the fact that it's longer than normal jumpers, so extra cosy, but I think I would have preferred long sleeves!

The cat motif is really intricate and pretty thanks to the use of black, sparkly jewels. The cat does look rather quirky as well, with it's big red eyes! I think it's quite an interesting jumper and I love the bow detail on the back!




I've never ordered from Joe Browns before but we have been receiving their catalogue through our front door for years now! I think my mum must have ordered from them in the past and now I've had a browse through their website and received this lovely jumper, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on their collections.

This post contains PR samples

Wednesday Wishlist #8

I'm so annoyed at myself for not blogging since Sunday! I do apologise, and I'm working hard today and tomorrow to get lots of posts lined up for you!

Tonight Vince and I are going to cook a nice dinner at his house and then go and see Paranormal Activity 3 at the cinema! We originally planned to go out for dinner using a voucher I purchased from Groupon, but only realised today that you have to use it before 5pm! So we're using that for lunch tomorrow and cooking something up ourselves tonight. I know lots of people don't like the Paranormal Activity films but I quite like them! This one is about the main characters when they were young girls, and we find out how the haunting began! So I think it'll be pretty good! At least I'm hoping it is anyway!

Am going to be working a lot over Friday and the Weekend. It's some sort of special event at work so Friday night I'll be working until 1am! :( Then on November 1st, Christmas officially begins! I am actually looking forward to it because the guests get lunch in the restaurant, meaning we don't have to cater for them and we can close for an hour! Good times!

Now, today's Wishlist comes to you completely from Topshop as per usual. I love browsing the 'New In' section and finding lots of treats...

Topshop: Velvet Studded Leggings, Studded Wallet, Utility Shirt, Flannel Skirt, Cross Embroidery Skirt    

Quite a dark colour palette, but lovely all the same. The Velvet Leggings caught my eye in particular as I think they'd be pretty warm in the Winter and would make a nice change from my current, boring grey leggings. They also have a non-studded version and lots of different colours! I definitely need to try these on in store!

The shirt is a red version of the one I already have. It's a really nice, loose fit, great for warmer weather so I might purchase this ready for next year! I'm always looking for new purses and wallets, but I seem to have had the same one for three years now and it's never let me down. This studded one is very pretty and if I spot it in store I might just have to get it!

Both the skirts are really pretty and definitely 'me'. I much prefer floaty, loose fitting skirts. It looks like a trip to Topshop is definitely in order for me when I next get paid!

Sunday Style Steal #6

I can't believe I forgot to do the Sunday Style Steal last week! It just completely slipped my mind, probably because I was working or something. But this week I've remembered and have had no trouble in finding someone's style to steal!

On November 1st, it's officially Christmas at work and the guests celebrate every week. It's really weird celebrating it so early and it's also weird how the guest pretend it's Christmas Eve/Day and New Year and actually celebrate. Little creepy? My hours will probably drop quite a bit as we close at lunch times, so that will be a bit of a problem, what with the fact I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet!

Anyway, I've not exactly been up to much. On Wednesday Vince and I are off to watch Paranormal Activity 3 at the cinema. It probably won't be much good, but I actually enjoyed the last two, so fingers crossed. We're going to be going for a meal beforehand as well. :) We're not celebrating an occasion or anything, sometimes it's just nice to go out for a meal and do something different.

Enough about me! For this week's SSS I have chosen the stylish Leighton Meester who I have spotted a lot recently wearing some really great outfits. The outfit caught my eye due to the skirt which is similar to one I've featured in my Wednesday Wishlist posts, I also absolutely love her hair!

Leighton wore this Jason Wu Spring 2012 outfit to the Jimmy Choo 'Icons' Collection in New York recently and I love it's casualness and it's ability to still look smart and dressy at the same time. The outfit consists of a black and white petal print blouse and silk 'rise and fall skirt'. She has worn Jimmy Choo platform heels of course and carries a Jimmy Choo 'Cameo' clutch. Obviously we don't all have the money for such designer gear but I've found a few more affordable copycats on the highstreet!

River Island: Midi Skirt
New Look: Apricot Chiffon Polka Dot Blouse
Topshop: Cats Eye Round Pendant, Velvet Platform Sandals
Missguided: Ostrich Envelope Clutch 

I've added the necklace in for a bit of contrasting colour against all that black, but overall it's a lovely outfit. Something to wear in the day as well as the evening/night time. I really love the skirt and wouldn't have thought about pairing it with a blouse like this!

Might have to add the pendant to my wishlist! Such a pretty colour!

Glossybox October 2011

Can you believe there have been 6 GlossyBox already? I signed up for the boxes when it first launched in May and have so far received 4 of the 6. I unsubscribed from the August and September boxes as I didn't have a job, therefore no money to pay for them. I now have a job so decided to sign up again for the October box and I'm so glad I did!










What was in the box?

Dermalogica Age Smart Multivitamin Thermafoliant
A powerful thermal skin polisher that combines physical and chemical exfoliants

Dermalogica Age Smart Multivitamin Power Recover Masque
A powerful masque of concentrated antioxidant vitamins to help skin recover and regenerate

Dermalogica Beauty Bag and Age Smart Renewal Lip Complex
A daily treatment that restores the delicate lip tissue

Leighton Denny Expert Nails in 'Babydoll'
Beautifully groomed hands and feet are always in fashion and with Leighton Denny Nail Colours, it's easy to keep them that way.

Stila Smude Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in 'Moray'
Stila's highly pigmented, waterproof eye liner glides on delivering intense, vibrant colour with staying power.

Robert Piguet Eau de Parfums
Fracas de Robert Piguet, Visa de Robert Piguet and Calypso de Robert Piguet are three signature scents from the 'most Parisian of fashion designers'.


As soon as I opened the box and saw 'Dermalogica' shining up at me, I knew this was going to be a good box. I have used Dermalogica in the past and found them to be really good. I haven't used the Age Smart range, but I know I should start looking after my skin at 23, to avoid wrinkles in the future! Not only was there two decent sized Dermalogica products, there was also a really cute make-up bag that was hiding a miniature item inside! This extra gift is to celebrate the 6th GlossyBox, and what a lovely gift! I am definitely going to make great use of the make-up bag for storing all of my stuff as I'm getting fed up of the storage baskets I'm currently using!




A girl can never have too many nail polishes, and I know for a fact that Leighton Denny is a big name within the nail polish world so I was really pleased with this polish. I received the 'Babydoll' shade which is a gorgeous Pink and actually looks really pretty, despite it not usually being my sort of shade! It two coats to get this really vibrant colour. I was expecting it to be extremely thin and to need about 5 coats before you could even see a colour, but I was completely wrong. It also dried pretty quickly!






I was also really pleased with the Stila eyeliner. I received the glittery/green 'Moray' shade that is so soft and easy to apply. I love the fact that it's highly pigmented, waterproof and you're also able to smudge it to create a great smoky eye look. I opted for a block colour look and it makes a nice change from my usual Black/Grey eyeliners.








I've been hearing that some of the Stila eyeliners are being a little temperamental and not twisting properly, and people were twisting them too far so they'd get stuck. I tried twisting my own eyeliner and it's quite difficult to get it to extend. I'm sure this is just my eyeliner, but I tried applying a little pressure and it seemed to extend a little but I can tell I'll be having problems with it in the future!

I always like getting new perfumes so these three samples were very much appreciated! Full size, these perfumes are the most expensive things in the box!




I wouldn't recommend ripping the samples from their packaging or you'll end up covered in perfume like I was. They do smell really nice but my favourite has got to be the Fracas de Robert Piguet sample as it's much sweeter and subtler than the other two. They're not too bad sized samples either and they'll certainly last a while as I like to wear a different one every day!

Overall I was extremely pleased with this months box and I think it is their best yet! This month's included a lot of brands that people will be aware of and I like to receive brands that I know have a good reputation! I'm really happy that I signed up again and don't even mind paying the new postage costs when the box is as good as this! I can't wait for November's box and I hope there will be a Christmassy surprise in December's!

Wednesday Wishlist #7

I do love a day off work...followed by another one tomorrow! Work is getting very 'same old, same old' so it's nice to be at home again! Didn't I tell you that I'd be moaning about work as soon as I got a job? Yet, when I was unemployed, I was constantly moaning about being home all day. You just can't win!

After a nice lie-in and two cups of tea, I finally got dressed and headed to NEXT to spend my birthday gift voucher. I was really surprised by how much lovely Winter stuff they have in stock at the moment. I picked up some deep Plum coloured skinny jeans that caught my eye after about 5 minutes, so I'll be sure to review those soon! I also popped into Boots and picked up a few bits from the new Soap & Glory Cosmetics range. I was a bit disappointed that the range had launched today, yet they weren't stocking everything yet. I really wanted to try the mascara. I don't understand why they wouldn't send all of the range to the stores on launch day?

Couldn't resist a Chicken Tikka Subway for my lunch! Usually I stick with my good old friend, the Meatball Marinara, but I thought I'd have a change and go for the Chicken Tikka with Onion, Lettuce, Cucumber and Sweet Onion sauce, but I have to say I wasn't that impressed! I should have stuck with what I know!

Anyway...back on topic now. Everytime I browse around a shop, I feel myself looking for potential Christmas presents for people. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything yet, but I have spotted a few bits from Topshop that will be going on my own Christmas list this year!

Topshop: Knitted Crest Cable Jumper, Mushroom Mug, ESME Velvet Cat Slippers, Dotty Owl Notebook, Floral Notebook   

I realise this list is made up entirely of Topshop items, but when other people are buying, it doesn't really matter does it!? I absolutely LOVE the jumper, it looks so comfortable and a bit different from what I'd usually wear. It's a little preppy looking which I like!

Also a big fan of novelty and stationary gifts at Christmas time. Every year, without fail, I will receive a Calendar and Diary for the year ahead as well as a variety of notebooks and stationary, so these two notebooks will definitely be on my wishlist and they're very reasonably priced as well! The mushroom mug is just a fun little thing I'd like for no particular reason and the slippers look SO snug! My mum brought me some sheepskin slippers back from Majorca which are a little like these, minus the cute cat face! Need these in my life, definitely!

Barry M Foil Effects

When I first heard about the new Barry M Foil Effect polishes, I was really excited to try them out! Barry M was the first ever nail polish brand that I really got into and they make up a hefty part of my nail polish collection. Everyone is becoming a bit bored of the crackle bandwagon now so I don't think I'll bother reviewing the new Gold Crackle that I accidently picked up, thinking it was one of the foil polishes (idiot!), but I will say that I quite like it!

I had no idea the new Foil polishes were available in the shops, I had searched high and low for them and had no luck until last week when I saw them shining away at me. I think they're a pound more expensive than the usual Barry M polishes, but I didn't mind as I'd just got paid! I dithered over which one I should get, until deciding on both! For blogging/review purposes of course ;-)

When I tried the polishes, I was expecting something magical to happen right before my eyes, like the crackle polishes, but nothing happened. After painting all five nails on my hand I accepted that nothing was going to happen and realised that they are infact, just thick Gold and Silver polishes that dry quickly. I have absolutely no idea how they are supposed to look like foil? Don't get me wrong, they do look extremely pretty and are great for statement nails and accent nails and they look very silky, but they're not 'foil' like in my opinion.

As Laura from ADaisyChainDream.com mentioned on Twitter, these polishes would look really lovely in some different colours. I think a Red for Christmas would be great! They're quite expensive looking and dry quite quickly, which I like, but I feel disappointed that I brought into an 'effect' polish where I don't see any effects?