Christmas Presents

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup
Just like last year, the main thing that I wanted for Christmas was some more Charlotte Tilbury makeup. I just love everything about Charlotte as a person & I can't get enough of her products! As soon as I laid eyes on her latest rose gold & night crimson makeup bag I knew that I needed it in my life. It's such a beautiful bag with plenty of room inside to store all of my CT goodies & I adore the little lipstick zip charm! I'm obsessed with the Matte Revolution lipsticks so I got Very Victoria along with the Iconic Nude lip liner. The lipstick is a soft rosy brown nude inspired by Victoria Beckham. It's one of Kim Kardashian's favourites & I'm sure it'll become one of mine too. I also got the Feline Flick liquid eyeliner & a couple of eyeshadow brushes. Compared to the Real Techniques Bold Metals brushes, Charlotte's collection isn't much more expensive but applying your eyeshadow with these feels like your eye is being stroked by a tiny kitten. They're the softest brushes I've ever touched & I'm completely enamoured with them!




Lingerie
I always ask Andy to get me some new lingerie for Christmas & he did very well with both of these. I've wanted a harness bra for so long as I think they look really cool peeking out from under your clothes. This one was from an Etsy shop called ColieCo & it can be adjusted to fit anything from a 28 to a 38 back. He also got me this gorgeous red glittery set from Boux Avenue. Their lingerie tends to fit me really well & I love their overall aesthetic.




Audio Equipment
I've had a few failed attempts at making YouTube videos already but it's something that I do want to persevere with in the coming year. Personally I currently find watching videos more engaging than reading blogs & I think many other people feel the same way. I plan on doing some makeup tutorials & I wanted a mic to record a voiceover with. One of my favourite Let's Players said that he uses this Samson mic for his voiceovers so I got the same one. I can plug the USB cable straight into my Macbook Pro & record without any hassle. The sound quality is excellent & it came in a set with these headphones which will be perfect for video editing. I might try my hand at podcasting too!



Kindle Paperwhite
I bought myself a basic Kindle for Christmas a few years ago but I always regretted not getting the Paperwhite version. My mum kindly treated me to an upgrade & having a light built into the screen is infinitely better! I can read a book anywhere without having to disturb other people & the new display is super sharp. The battery seems to last longer too which was a pleasant surprise. I kinda miss having buttons on either side of the device as I find myself touching the screen & turning pages by accident but it's all worth it for that wonderful built-in light!



Marc Jacobs Daisy Gift Set
Having never owned a Marc Jacobs perfume before I was pleased as punch to be given a bottle of the Daisy eau de toilette. It's such a classic fresh floral fragrance & the bottle looks totally stunning on my dressing table. It's sophisticated & feminine without being too sweet. The perfume came with a Daisy Bubbly Shower Gel & a Daisy Luminous Body Lotion. Normally I don't care for the other products that come in perfume gift sets but these two are genuinely lovely & smell almost as good as the real thing.



Soap & Glory Products
My in-laws got me this cute box of goodies from Soap & Glory. I've previously bought & loved all four of the miniature products in this set so I was very happy to receive some new supplies. Who doesn't love Soap & Glory products?! Their shower gels are fantastic & Clean On Me is one of my favourites. The best product from this set is definitely Hand Food which I'll be keeping in my handbag for some much needed hydration on the go.




Birth Chart T-Shirt
I find astrology to be really interesting and love learning about things like horoscopes & tarot cards. I religiously check out my monthly forecast on Astrology Zone & I would really like to get a proper birth chart drawn up some day. In the meantime I can just wear this awesome birth chart t-shirt to show that I'm a proud Leo. As part of Selfridges' Christmas grotto, The Numinous collaborated with YRStore to create these custom astrological t-shirts. The shirts are unisex so if you're planning on ordering one I would recommend sizing down. Each design features symbols related to your star sign including an astro glyph, colour, planet, birth stone, the Chinese animal you were born under & your life path number in numerology. It's an entirely unique present & the finished design looks really cool!



Alice Bow Insoles
My mum has always been obsessed with the Royal Family & if Kate Middleton buys something, she has to buy it too. She told me about an article in the Daily Mail which said that the reason Kate can spend hours at all these royal engagements wearing high heels is because she puts these Alice Bow insoles in all of her shoes. So my mum went a bit crazy and bought two pairs for herself, me & my sister. The insoles are specially designed to cushion the ball of the foot & boast high-quality padding wrapped in premium Italian leather. They have different padding depending on whether you're wearing flats or high heels & I have to say that they definitely do make a difference. The pink & gold leathers look lovely inside my footwear whilst adding comfort & support to the cheapest of shoes.



Sailor Moon Merchandise
I'm a diehard Sailor Moon fan so I was really pleased to get this mug & coaster set as my present from Chloe. In fact I often consider getting a Sailor Moon tattoo! The artwork on these two items is so cute & I love drinking my nightly rooibos tea from this mug. I was in need of a coaster too as I normally end up leaving my tea on the floor to protect my desk & inevitably forget about drinking it!

I got so many lovely presents for Christmas this year & I'm incredibly grateful for every single one. The Charlotte Tilbury makeup bag was my absolute favourite though <3 This Christmas was a lot of fun as I made sure to buy Chloe games that we could all play together. We got a few board games & she asked for Mario Party 9 for the Wii as she loves watching videos of it on YouTube. We played it for hours on Christmas day & we got so into it that I nearly forgot to cook Christmas dinner! It all went to plan in the end though & tasted delicious. Pigs in blankets are literally my favourite thing about Christmas, I ate six of them haha! I must've been fairly good though as I still managed to lose 0.5lb at Slimming World this morning. I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas & got everything you wished for!

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Sunny Delights

Over the Summer I became slightly obsessed with buying new pairs of sunglasses. Normally I'm pretty content with just wearing my trusty old Ray-Ban Wayfarers & Clubmasters. However this year brands kept coming out with so many cool new styles and... let's just say I got a bit carried away!


Quay Australia Kitti Sunglasses in Black / Smoke Lens
One brand in particular fuelled this new found desire for stylish frames & that was Quay Australia. Their sunglasses were all over Instagram & as a result getting hold of a pair was near impossible. I had to order some of mine directly from the Quay website but delivery was pretty fast considering they came all the way from Australia. The initial rush seems to have died down a bit now & it's much easier to find them on ASOS or Topshop. The first pair I bought were the Kitti sunglasses. I love their classic cat eye design which is very flattering & suits many face shapes. They equally remind me of the sunglasses that Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast At Tiffany's & a superhero mask. However they have one major flaw. The frames are made from a matte rubbery material, similar to what NARS use on their product packaging. Whenever I wear these I end up with black marks all over my face. The faux-monobrow they give me certainly isn't a good look! I still think they look really cool though so whenever I wear them I just have to make sure I've packed some extra concealer & I'm good to go!


Quay Australia Invader Sunglasses in Black
The second pair I purchased were these black Invader sunglasses. They have a similar cat eye style to the Kitti but with round lenses & cut-out details. I've probably worn these ones the most out of all the sunglasses I've gotten recently. They're sure to turn a few heads & I always get loads of compliments whenever I wear them.


Quay Australia Invader Sunglasses in Gold
As I love the Invader style so much I also bought them in gold! I have so many pairs of black sunnies so I wanted something a bit different. I'm obsessed with gold accessories & the futuristic design of these sunglasses makes them a very bold fashion choice. I think they look utterly incredible & they're such a fun way to liven up a simple outfit.


Quay Australia My Girl Sunglasses in Black / Blue Mirror Lens
The final pair that I bought from Quay Australia were the infamous My Girl sunglasses. They are undoubtedly Quay's most popular style & it was a nightmare trying to get my hands on them. Shops just couldn't keep them in stock! I finally tracked them down on the Topshop website & ordered them immediately. I'm so glad I managed to buy some as those blue mirror lenses are simply mesmerising! They're absolutely huge but the fit is perfect. They feel much sturdier than the other frames & are really well made. Again the shape is universally flattering & they look stunning!


Sundried Bamboo Sunglasses*
Sundried are a new clothing & accessories brand who will be officially launching next year. Inspired & tested by real athletes, their apparel is made using responsibly sourced materials with low environmental impact & respect for people in the supply chain. I'm really excited to be able to show you something from their sunglasses collection! I've been loving wooden accessories lately & their Bamboo sunglasses are no exception. They come in a classic wayfarer style but the frames are made from real bamboo. Not only do they look awesome but they feel super light & are very comfortable to wear. I'm looking forward to seeing what other fashion innovations Sundried have up their sleeves!


Marc By Marc Jacobs 369S Sunglasses in Pink Blush*
Sunglasses Shop kindly sent me these adorable Marc By Marc Jacobs sunglasses. I don't own any other pink sunglasses & I just thought they looked really cute. I love their unique butterfly shape! They're very oversized which makes them a great pair to hide behind when you're feeling a bit worse for wear!

Do you have a favourite pair of sunglasses?

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Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola!

I tend to have a 'one in, one out' policy in operation when it comes to buying a new scent. My beloved Jimmy Choo perfume recently bit the dust and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to splurge on a new fragrance. The only perfume I've ever repurchased is the Chloé EDP and since I still have a bit of this left in the bottle I decided to try something completely new. I've always liked Marc Jacobs perfumes and I previously had a 100ml bottle of Lola. At first I loved this scent but towards the end I felt it was a bit too strong and powerful compared to the sweeter scents that I normally go for. The perfect solution to this was released in the form of Oh, Lola! I've wanted to buy this particular perfume since it came out last year but for some reason I have this aversion to shelling out loads of money on new perfumes. Maybe because they're essentially fragranced water? Anyways I noticed that the 50ml bottle was reduced to £40 in the Feel Unique sale so I went for it. How good was that sale by the way? I was so tempted to buy a ton of stuff including that Emma Hardie cleansing balm but I was fairly restrained for once and the only other thing I ordered was a new tube of my much loved Kérastase Ciment Thermique.

Oh! Lola is such a wonderful sweet scent. Its just so fresh and light, making it the perfect Summer perfume in my opinion. It has topnotes of pear & raspberry, midnotes of peony, magnolia & cyclamen and basenotes of sandalwood, tonka bean & vanilla. The thing I notice the most is the raspberry scent. Its very sweet yet refreshing at the same time. If you like really girly scents then this is a great one to try. The bottle is absolutely beautiful and makes a fab addition to any dressing table. The only complaint I have with this compared to the other Marc Jacobs perfumes is how long it lasts. If you're planning on buying this you either need to keep the bottle in your handbag or invest in a Travalo because all trace of it fades within an hour. Its such a shame! I remember Lola lasted for hours on me but Oh, Lola! just doesn't have any staying power. I absolutely love the smell of this perfume, I just wish it lasted a little bit longer considering the designer price tag.

Tropical World

Shirt - Topshop / Disco Pants - American Apparel / Necklace - Marc Jacobs

Denim shirts aren't something I wear too often. I always find them a bit too stiff and I have to make a concious effort not to wear jeans with them for fear of looking like a double denim disaster. I spotted this lovely pink one on the Topshop website and was very tempted to buy it. Then I saw a girl in Leeds wearing it and it looked about 1000x better in real life which took it from 'ooh I like it' status to 'I need it now!'. My sister kindly bought this for me as a birthday pressie and I absolutely love it. Especially the contrasting white collar. Its really comfy without being too thin either. Love my disco pants too. I'd say to go for the originals if you're after comfort, quality and that awesome sucking in effect. I never buy full price American Apparel stuff anymore, theres almost always a discount code knocking about so I bought these a few months ago for just £50. Still don't think I've got this whole topknot thing down. Despite what people told me on Instagram, I'm 99% sure I look like a tit.

I stupidly wore this the other day when we visited Tropical World in Leeds. If the name doesn't completely give it away Tropical World is home to many creatures including butterflies, meerkats, snakes, bats & crocodiles and it is very very hot inside. Disco pants aren't the greatest thing to wear when its a bit hot, let alone in a room heated to 40 degrees! At least it was a good excuse to eat lots of white chocolate Magnums afterwards while strolling around Roundhay Park. The best part was the baby meerkats. So tiny! Squee!

The Dangerous Type

Top - The Orphans Arms / Skirt - Glamorous* / Flatforms - ASOS
Necklace - Marc Jacobs / Rings - Regal Rose & H&M

Well my hair is looking a bit mental today isn't it! I had my roots done a couple of weeks ago which was a bit of a disaster. They were adamant on getting the remaining bits of pink out of my hair even though I told them not to, which resulted in two lots of bleach over my entire hair and a horrible chemical burn at the top of my head. Ouch. I decided to make it properly pink again today but my hair was so white that some of the pink appears to have turned neon! I think the pastel pink was a lot more flattering so I'm hoping that it starts to fade a bit soon.

Today I'm wearing this awesome skirt from Glamorous. I've wanted a dip hem skirt for ages but being so short, it was difficult to find one that didn't completely drown me. This is the perfect length and looks exactly how I hoped it would. Glamorous currently have a 20% discount offer on if you enter the code 'Glamorous20' at the checkout. They have loads of gorgeous clothes on there. I think I'm gonna order this skirt next because its a perfect dupe for one of my fave styles from American Apparel but at half the price! I paired the skirt with this t-shirt from The Orphans Arms which I really love because its so comfy. It makes me wish there really was a London School Of Sorcery! I've always wanted to look like Nancy in The Craft so thats the style I'm channeling today haha.

I've not really blogged for the past few weeks, so sorry about that! I've been a busy bee looking after a poorly child, doing some special blogging projects and just enjoying the sunshine. I probably would've gone to the park again today but Mumford & Sons have taken it over and you have to pay £50 to get in even if you don't want to watch them play. I really would've liked to see Willy Mason play live today though. I used to listen to his albums everyday when I walked to my art foundation course back in 2006. Six years later and 'Save Myself' is still the most played track on my iTunes library! Anyways I feel like June is gonna be a lot calmer so I should be posting more often.

Object Of Desire: Christmas Edition

Marc Jacobs Oh Lola Perfume
I used to have a bottle of the original Lola perfume as I really loved the scent. But it pales in comparison to Oh Lola. Its so much lighter, sweeter and fruitier which is definitely the type of perfume I normally go for. I tend to alternate between which perfume I use every week so theres always room for another in my collection.

Amazon Kindle
I do love reading and the physical quality of flicking through a book. However I hate the clutter that stems from having loads of books laying around the house. I would give my books away to the charity shop but what if I want to read them again? Thats why I would love to get a Kindle. You can keep all your books in one small space and you can take them all with you wherever you go. When I'm traveling theres only so many times I can refresh twitter without going a bit mental so this would be a much more intellectually challenging way to pass the time.

Antique Silver Knuckle Ring
I've been a bit obsessed with rings for a while now but I only have a couple of long ones. I really like this one from Love Hearts & Crosses as it looks quite elegant and its pretty cheap too. Perfect stocking filler.

Nintendo 3DS Limited Edition Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Bundle
I already have a pink DS but its the huge crappy original one from 2005. When it was announced that Ocarina Of Time was gonna be rereleased on the new 3DS I knew I had to get one. I'd been holding out for a pink one but a special 3DS with a Zelda design seems infinitely cooler.

Canon 600D Camera
I currently use a Canon 400D camera which I've had for many years. Before that I had a 300D but I've never felt the need to upgrade from the 400D until now. I want a 600D because the images it can produce are really high quality and the HD video is ridiculously clear. I'd love to start doing Youtube videos and feel that if I had a good quality video camera it would really help me get into it.

Vivetta Cat Skirt
I adore pretty much all of Vivetta's clothes but this cat skirt is just perfection. I don't think theres a cuter piece of clothing out there. It comes in a few colours but if you're gonna wear a skirt that looks like a cat's face it may as well be pink right?

Topshop Konfetti Fine Glitter Lace Ups
I like sparkly things. I like brogues. These babies marry the two beautifully. Topshop's shoes have become really expensive though so hopefully I'll get a Topshop gift card or something.

Sadly I don't think I'm gonna get any of these this year. I think I will probably invest in a Kindle next year if I get some money for Christmas because it does seem like a great thing to have. I would also like Joe Gilgun to be my boyfriend but something tells me thats not gonna happen either!

Crimbo Haul

I know Christmas was quite a while ago now but my mum and sister got me some stuff in New York that I wanted to show you as well and they only got back a couple of weeks ago. First of all heres some stuff I've bought myself lately:


Liz Earle - I went to the new Liz Earle shop in Leeds because I was desperate to try Cleanse & Polish after reading so many reviews on the stuff. It definitely lives up to the hype. The limited edition tin is really cool. I love the toner I got too, it feels really refreshing on my skin. I also got the Bust Treatment because having a baby is not good for your boobs! Not tried it yet, but I'll let you know how it goes ;)


Yankee Candle - I really wanted wanted one of these massive candles after watching one of Fleur's videos. I totally fell in love with the strawberry buttercream one in Clintons, it smells delicious. It reminds me of the birthday cake body butter I got from Dylan's Candy Store a couple of years ago.


Sigma Brushes - I ordered these on Black Friday because they had free shipping. I really wanted some brushes for contouring my face. Unfortunately they sent me the large powder brush instead of the tapered face brush and I had to pay more money for it afterwards because of their mistake. Bleh. Although I like the brushes I'm not gonna order from them again. I didn't like my experience with their customer service.





MAC - I was quite excited for the Cham Pale collection and was tempted to order the special highlighting powders but when I tried them instore, I didn't really like them. Instead I just got the NC15/NW20 & I Get No Kick pencils. I love both of these, perfect for the waterline without looking too fake. I also got Harmony blusher for contouring as recommended by Pixi2woo and Amber Lights & Naked Lunch for my eyeshadow palette.



Bow Satchel - So this is the fake Miu Miu Vitello Lux I ordered off ebay. I'm not very impressed with it, it was a bit of a waste of money, so it might end up back on ebay. Its too hard and looks very cheap. I also got this weird coin purse free with it, at least that made me lol.

On to the stuff I got given:


Marmite Mug - My friend got me this epic mug! I love Marmite, I always add a thick layer of the stuff to crumpets and toast. Now I can drink hot marmite in my mug too :D


Bones - My boyfriend got me the Bones season 1-5 box set. So excited to finally watch it all!



M&M Pillow - Last time we went to New York I got the massive Reese's Peanut Butter Cups pillow so this time my mum got me the M&M one from M&M World. Its so soft and lovely to stroke. She also got me loads of American sweets such as Lifesavers, Tootsie Rolls & Cookie Dough Bites. Yum!


Sephora - My mum knows how much I love all the stuff in Sephora. I didn't ask for any of these, she just has fab taste. I got By Terry Touche Veloutee which is the best concealer ever. Its like Touche Eclat but about a million times better. Theres also a mini Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, Lorac liquid eyeliner, Marc Jacobs Lola rollerball, mini Nars Orgasm Illuminator & two random Sephora nail polishes. I've been using the Orgasm Illuminator every day since I got it and it looks amazing on my skin. It gives your cheekbones a beautiful peachy pink highlight. Its a wonderful product.


Chanel Bag - Okay its a fake but what a good fake it is! Its really soft, well made and looks just like the real thing. Plus my mum haggled with the seller so she bought it for the grand total of $20! Thats like 12 quid! Love love love this bag and love love love my mum :)