BOXING DAY SALE BARGAINS

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got everything you wanted! I had a lovely family day and received some lovely gifts including Rhod Gilbert tickets, a tattoo (!), slippers, dvds and all the other lovely little presents you get a Christmas time! My boyfriend did a great job and got me this amazing Pandora bracelet - very impressed as he chose it all himself and I didn't even hint THAT much ;)

This morning I got up bright and early to hit the Boxing Day sales. I have a retail park less than a minute walk away from my house. I KNOW. I got quite a few little bargains. My total full price should have been £169 but I managed to get it all for just £80! These are a few of my favourite bargains of the day.

Soap & Glory Heaven Nose Gift Set
Was: £16 Now: £8
Boots

Miss Selfridge Heart T-Shirt
Was: £20 Now: £10
Miss Selfridge

Sodamix Heart Cardigan
Was: £35 Now: £15
Outfit

I also got a couple of other tops, some towels from Matalan, and a few other bits from Boots, but the above were my favourites! Have you been sale shopping? What bargains have you discovered?! x

Glittery Nails

Quick post from my phone to show you Models Own in Pink Fizz. How lovely is this?! I put it over Nails Inc Havana but to be honest if you did two coats of Pink Fizz you wouldn't need a base coat!

I got this as part of a set of 3 polishes costing £10.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree....

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

So the time finally came at the weekend where I was finally allowed to purchase and put up our Christmas Tree! I am VERY organised in my tree purchasing and VERY particular about tree decorating, and even present wrapping. I do have a life honest! Excuse my photos - my beautiful bestie is borrowing my camera so I am using my phone!

The Tree

So this is my little tree. It's actually a 6ft one and cost £25 from Tesco and was pre-lit (a godsend as I cannot stand putting on the lights - it takes too long to get it right!). I got all the decs from Tesco too as they were half price - I think I paid about £2.50 for all the baubles! I went for traditional red and gold. You might notice that I haven't got any tinsel. I hate tinsel. Please don't judge me.

The Present-Wrapping

I love wrapping up presents! I like making them look all pretty. I choose a wrapping paper theme each year and stick to it (I'm not doing myself any favours here am I?!). This year I went for gold and pink for the ladies and gold and blue for the men. Little girls get Peppa Pig and little boys get Cars. Every present has to be wrapped in ribbon, tied into a bow and they all have the same glittery gold bauble tag.

Please can someone tell me that I'm not the only one who is very particular about Christmas decorations and wrapping paper?!

xxx

VIVO Lipstick Review & Cute baby bunny...

As soon as I saw Tesco had a new make up range my ears pricked up. Tesco = Cheap so does that mean Tesco + Make Up = Cheap?! YES IT DOES. Unfortunately for me, my Tesco seemed to be awful at restocking VIVO so the lovely Kerry from VIVO sent me a couple of items to try.

The first item to catch my eye was the lipstick. I am looking for the perfect everyday lipstick so I was hopefully that this one would be a winner. The shade is number 5. The colour is very pigmented and glides on easily. I was quite surprised at how long it lasted too! I would say that perhaps shade number 5 is a little too bright for daytime wear (on me, anyway) however this has prompted me to get some more VIVO lipsticks in other shades should my Tesco get better at stocking them!

You can buy VIVO at Tesco. The lipstick retails at just £1.99 so it's easy on your purse in the run up to Christmas :)

I thought I would also include a little picture of my little bunny, Mark Hoppus. He is a house bunny and likes to hop around while I try and take my pictures!

Have you tried any of the VIVO range yet? What did you think?

Christmas Wishlist...

I love Christmas. I love Christmas Shopping and I love giving and receiving Christmas presents. No bah humbug over here! People have started to ask me what I would like for Christmas so I thought I would compile a list. Take note boyfriend, friends and family ;)

1. Swarovski Necklace. I absolutely love the jewellry from Swarovski and have a couple of lovely pieces. Unfortunately I lost (well, I didn't lose it, but it's a long story!) my staple 'wear everyday' necklace so want another piece that can go with all outfits! This necklace is so pretty and simple. £59 Swarovski

2. I always buy HUGE bags. This is a bit of an issue on the rare night out when I need a smaller bag. I love this little one - the cute bow detail and chain strap are amazing! £25 Topshop

3. Toni & Guy Curl and Wave Tong. I have a lot of hair. A LOT. Granted it's mainly extensions however my own hair is pretty thick too. Since my beloved GHD's died a death I have had to use my back up straighteners which aren't very good at curling so these look great for my type of hair. £14.30 Amazon

4. Faye Black Chiffon Strap Peeptoe Wedges. Ahhh! I just love these! I could do with them for this weekend to be honest! Perfect for any outfit! £35 BooHoo

5. ASOS Belted Dress with Star Print. I like black dresses. I like stars. I love this dress. The fit is lovely and although I don't have this girl's figure I think it would be quite forgiving. £45 ASOS

What are you asking Father Christmas for?!

Post-holiday blues...

Firstly I would like to apologise for the complete lack of bloggage since getting home a week ago.
I had a fantastic holiday - I visited Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Yosemite and Las Vegas for 2 weeks and loved every second of it! I partied, visited historic sites, partied some more and visited some of the most beautiful places in the world. Here are a few pictures from the trip (these are just from my iPhone!):

I also picked up some amazing duty free goodies! I saw Leanne & Katy on Saturday and showed them my lovely new purchase - the MAC Ice Parade Fabulously Festive Face Kit in Warm. It cost me $49 which is around £30 - bargain as its all pretty much full sized! It retails for about £42 here. Apologies for the lack of picture but my camera has broken and its too dark to take one on my phone - I did find a good stock image though!

The kit includes:
4 x Eyeshadows (Once Upon a Time, Below Zero, Expensive Pink, Embark)
1 x Blusher (Buff)
1 x Lipgloss (Tra la-la)
1 x Lipstick (Imagine This)

plus 3 brushes and a handy case - what more could you want!

I also got myself some lovely Givenchy Ange ou Demon Le Secret Elixir perfume and Mac (oops!) Studio Fix Foundation.

Don't you just love holiday shopping?! What bargains have you got while on holiday?

xxx

Goodbye... Auf Wiedersein.. Au Revoir...

There will be no blog posts from me for the next two weeks as I am going on holiday tomorrow morning! I'm flying into Los Angeles, renting an RV with some friends and we're going to visit San Francisco, Yosemite, Las Vegas, Anaheim & possibly San Diego! Being a travel agent, I got myself an absolute bargain on the flights and we've got the 32ft RV at an amazing price too!

I'm hoping to stock up on some MAC make up while I'm there as I think I'll save a bit and also some nice new clothes! I just LOVE shopping in America and I haven't been in 2 years so it'll be good to pick up a few bits! When I'm back I'll be sure to do a post on what I have bought!

Anyway, I have to be up at 5 and its half 12 now so errrr best go get some sleep!
xxx

Soap & Glory Cosmetics - Finally!

I love Soap & Glory. Last year for Christmas I got given LOADS of Soap & Glory products - infact I am still using them now and haven't had to buy any shower gel or body butter for a year - result! My favourite bath product is the Breakfast Scrub - seriously if you have not tried this yet - GET IT IN YOUR LIFE. But don't eat it. I always get the urge to eat it.

My prayers were finally answered when Soap & Glory announced their new cosmetic range. While in Boots earlier (stocking up on Man-Flu remedies for the BF) - I just HAPPENED to come across the new stand. I knew I had around £8 on my Advantage card and I knew I had to purchase something. I've been eyeing up (LOL) a new pen eyeliner for a while now, so when I saw 'Supercat - Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen', I knew I had to have it.

Dressed in the distinctive S&G packaging, these products will stand out in any make up collection. Underneath, the pen itself is equally as classy.

The tip itself is perfect for achieving different looks - use the fine point for a day time look or use the thicker side for more dramatic night time edge. This is foolproof - believe me I am awful at putting on even Kohl eyeliner and I can manage this!

The liner itself has a glossy black finish. It retails for £6 and is available in most Boots stores or online.

Tip: This pen would also be great for Halloween face painting - it's nib makes for easy drawing of webs and spiders!

London, Cake & You Me At Six

Quick one today as I need to get ready to go to London to see You Me At Six! I thought I would post what I am wearing - not a picture of me unfortunately (hah!) because I haven't got a tripod for my camera yet!

Obviously New Look haven't got the exact jacket I bought only a week ago on their website but its very similar to this but without the fur - it was a bargain at £25!

Next up is Republic, one of my most favourite shops in the whole wide world. I got both my dress and scarf from there and lovely them both dearly. I think the dress was £19.99 and the scarf £7 - the dress is one of those staple pieces I can put on in the event of an emergency of not having anything to wear despite a wardrobe full of clothes.

I'm wearing all that with my suspender tights (oo-er!) and my knee high leather boots from New Look AGES ago.

Also, yesterday I made cake again. I don't eat all this cake, I must assure you but I do LOVE making them! They were Malteaser Cupcakes (with WHOLE malteasers in the ACTUAL cake).

It would be rude of me not to have You Me At Six as my song of the day today - so here they are with new song 'Loverboy'.

Why I love Jenna Marbles...

Ok so this post is going to be slightly unconventional. It's not about glittery nail varnish. It's not about a lovely new blusher. Or cake. It's about my love for Jenna Marbles. Now, myself and Katy over at Not Just a Mum frequently spend evenings watching Jenna's You Tube videos for HOURS. (Among the videos of kittens and puppies doing cute things of course)

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Why do we love her? I think its the fact that she unashamedly points out what other people are thinking in a hilarious way. She is not afraid acting like a bit of a mentalist and definately not afraid to make fun out of herself. She does this along with her two little dogs, Marbles & Kermit - they even have their own fan page. Look how cute they are:

I'm going to Los Angeles on the 24th October and word has it she now lives in Santa Monica. I would LOVE to bump into her - I would totally give her a hug and tell her how fricken awesome she is. I think the videos speak for themselves - she puts out a new video on her Jenna Marbles You Tube Channel'. Now she won't be for everyone - not everyone can take that much swearing and ranting but here are a few of my favourites!

Recipe: Shelley's Sparkling Marshmallow Cupcakes

SHELLEY'S SPARKLING MARSHMALLOW CUPCAKES

I love baking. I'm not brilliant at it, but it's something I really enjoy. I figure the more I try the better I will become, so today I made CUPCAKES. Everyone loves a cupcake. I'm not one to take a recipe to my grave (plus I got it from the internet and tweaked it) so, without further ado, here are my Sparkling Marshmallow Cupcakes.

What you will need:
240g plain flour
280g caster sugar
3tsp baking powder
80g unsalted butter
240ml whole milk
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
24 pink marshmallows
Vanilla buttercream frosting
Edible glitter decoration
Mini marshmallows

This makes 12 large cupcakes or 24 small cupcakes - half the mixture for 12 small cupcakes!
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees (325 degrees F/Gas 3). Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter into a bowl and beat together until you have a sandy consistency. (You could probably do this with a mixer however I don't have one!). Gradually pour in half of the milk and keep beating it until the milk is just incorporated.

Step 2

Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a seperate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Step 3

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until 2 thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched.

Step 4

Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 5

Put the pink marshmallows in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Leave until melted and smooth. When the cupcakes are cold, hollow out a small section in the centre of each one and fill it with a dollop of melted marshmallow. Don't worry if yours are messy like mine as it will be covered with the buttercream anyway! Leave to cool.

Step 6

Spoon and smooth the vanilla buttercream on top of the cupcakes and then decorate with the mini marshmallows and edible glitter!

Et voila!

Weekend Summary

On Saturday I had an unexpected shopping trip with my friend to Basingstoke. I managed to pick up a few items - a birthday gift for a friend, a bag and scarf from Republic, a lovely hooded leather jacket from New Look and a mini haul from Primark. While walking through Festival Place we happened upon a mini Fashion Show! Festival Place were letting each retailer showcase their new lines - however the models were not just walking up and down the catwalk - they had actual dance routines! It was brilliant. These were a few of my favourite 'New Look' outfits.

On Sunday I popped into town before starting work and went into TK Max. Now, I have a love/hate relationship with TK Max as I just wish it was more organised in there! I discovered some make up from a brand I haven't heard of before - Pixi Beauty. I picked up the most beautiful nail varnish in silver glitter - review to follow! All in all - I had a lovely weekend, picked up some great items and best of all I had the most awesome sleep last night! I am an insomniac so its a rare thing for me!

My song of the day today is Gavin Degraw 'I don't wanna be' - I've been listening to him quite a bit recently and this is probably the most famous song thanks to One Tree Hill.

Review: Barbara Daly Nail Polish in 'Boulevard'

After visiting Katy the other day, we had are usual 'What have you bought recently?' debrief. It was in this debrief that I first set eyes on the beautiful Barbara Daly Nail Polish in 'Boulevard'. It's a gorgeous unusual colour. Dark pink with a hint of glitter, it's pretty but with a bit of edge.

It's not a huge bottle. I got it on offer for £3 but still would liked to have seen a little more product for my money. I usually buy Barry M nail varnish and for £2.99 you seem to get much bigger quantity. The polish goes on quite nicely, and it only needs two coats to get to this:

Apologies for the state of my nails - I am in the process of growing them with the Sally Hansen Maximum Strength program - review to follow! Overall I think the beautiful colour of this nail varnish makes the tiny bottle worthwhile - it's definately worth rebuying when I run out!

And so it begins... again...

I have decided to relaunch my unsuccesful blogging career. I'm going to be blogging about me, the things that surround me and things I love. This will include music, technology, films, books, fashion and beauty. Each day I will bring you my 'Song of the Day'

I'm going to start off with Blink 182 - one of my Top 5 bands of all time. They have recently released their new album, the long awaited 'Neighborhoods'.