January 2012 in Picture

I think I mentioned in a previous blog that this year I decided to do Project 365, which is to basically take a photo every day throughout the whole year, possibly resembling something you did that day. Some days it's hard to find things to photograph (especially when your life is as dull as mine at times!). With a pile of photos slowly rising, I've decided to do a monthly collage of my antics to show you guys. I've picked the best out the bunch for the collage below, but you can probably tell January has been a very quiet month for me! I have been out to a few restaurants but I'm not the most confident of people when it comes to getting a hefty camera out in public and photographing food, or getting someone to photograph me sat at a table! I'd love to but unfortunately I'm one of these that care too much about what others are thinking! I keep those kinda photos for holidays!

Note: Some shots are a little 'weird' (i.e. the teabag!) - I'm just getting to grips with my new camera and finding new ways to be 'arty', if you can call it that!

Clockwise from top left -
Close shot of a teabag! Self Portrait. The inside of my current fave fruit, a nectarine. Friday 13th, bad luck all day for me! I heart Vegas which I have now completed. Painting time! My adorable 18mnth old niece all wrapped up. My first ever homemade lasagne.

Home Interior: Nail Polish Storage

A few months ago I let you all have a sneaky peek in my shabby chic dressing room which you can see again here.

One way that I showed how I store my nail polishes was in this inexpensive glass vase that I like to call my fish-bowl...

The size of this is deceiving, I think there is roughly 30 plus polishes in there. However, being the nail polish addict I am, this began to over-flow a month or so ago. I toyed with the idea of repurchasing another identical vase however I wasn't too keen on the glass on glass aspect of it, the fact that I had to be gentle when placing bottles back in and rummaging around for new colours was rather annoying to say the least!

I was doing a weekly food shop at our local Morrisons just before Christmas and was wondering down the aisle that was crammed with stocking fillers and gifts. Something that caught my eye was a little white 'cupboard' style box that housed English tea, jam, and 2 cute egg cups of all things! I of course wasn't interested in the contents itself but the actual wooden 'cupboard' had that shabby chic look that I thought would house my ever-growing nail polishes and match perfectly in my dressing room  And whats better, it was a mere £10 in the sale!

The shelf inside has actually got 6 holes in it to place eggs, however nothing that a piece of white card didn't sort out! When I got home I realised I had picked one up that the handle had broke off. Luckily I had an inexpensive flower ring that had recently broke, so I used the flower as a handle/knob instead. Nothing like your own personal touch! This holds approximately another 30 polishes so will keep me going for a while before I need yet more storage!

Have you ever used something unusual for storage before?

January Storytime - 'I Heart Vegas' - Lindsey Kelk

I asked for this book for Christmas, not only because a few bloggers had recommended it, but because I am going to Vegas in September, so I decided this book was a must!

Considering I have a degree in English, I'm terrible at completing a book. Since leaving uni almost 4 years ago, I've only read a handful of books from front to back (and they were by Sophie Kinsella, which I highly recommend if you like a good laugh-out-loud chick lit). This book reminded me a lot of those. Although not so much laugh-out-loud, but there was a lot of secret 'nodding in agreement' going's on, I could really relate to this book, the main protagonist and her way of thinking regarding men (which instantly made her my best friend!)
It has a good storyline that pulls you in and makes you want to keep on reading. It is pretty predictable in places but all in all a very good read, the kind of sunbathing book for that upcoming summer holiday which I hope you're all planning!

**SPOILER ALERT!**
A British girl living in NY city only to find that her visa is due to run out and she has very little time to play with with no real excuse to keep her there. Along the grapevine she discovers that one reason to keep her there would be to marry someone that also lives there. She has a boyfriend of whom she lives with but how on earth would she get him to propose without it appearing like she is using him? A group of her girlfriends take her on a crazy trip to Las Vegas for a break which brings the more 'daring' side out and she says and does things she later regrets...
*******************

I'm sad to see the book end, but, as I promised myself in my New Years Resolutions, 'read 1 book a month' so at least I'm on target with something! There are various others in this series too such as 'I heart Paris' and 'I heart New York' amongst others, so I think I'll definitely be sampling another out soon. I'm a sucker for holidays/travelling so these suit me perfectly!
Next book is a crime/thriller, don't think I've ever completed a book in that genre so I'm intrigued to see how I get on!

What is your favourite book? I need more recommendations ready for the upcoming months!

NOTD - Midnight sky

When I'm not feeling very inspirational, this is one design I always resort back to because its so simple and quick to do. The white polka dots on the navy nail reminded me of a snowy midnight sky (hence the name!). I am sporting a navy lace jumper today which match perfectly with my nails.

I used an old collection 2000 polish (that old that I couldn't track the name down because the label had faded, however they have what looks like an identical one in their new range called 'blue my mind' which you can see here). For the polka dots I used NYC 'Pinstripe White' with one of many dotting tools that I own.

I really can't wait to dive back into my pastel colours. The majority of my collection consists of bright summery colours, however the English weather has recently took a nose dive so I'd feel a little out of place in this dark and dreary weather if I delved into them right now. Maybe in another month? Although I did purchase a No7 polish today which could be worn at any time of the year, so hopefully that will keep me quiet till then? Keep your eyes peeled for it's debut blog in the next few days!

Primark - Spring 2012 Range

I love the anticipation that new seasons bring to the shops. From what I've seen so far, a lot of bold and bright colours are going to be appearing, although that sounds normal for any spring/summer, right?

Primark is many people's best budget friend. I was browsing through their spring collection and 2 pieces really stood out for me which I think I will definitely be adding to my spring wishlist.

Personally I think this outfit looks tacky. I hate the trousers that this shirt has been teamed with. Both the colour, material and style isn't my cup of tea. At all. However, the shirt on the other hand I thought was super cute. I'd be able to wear this for work and dress it up for an evening meal out. This model/photo doesn't do it justice, I originally spotted it on dollybowbow's YT video here were she carries it off much better! For £10 I think it'd be a nice addition to my spring collection!

This dress I think is really feminine and summery and can imagine it being a bit hit in Primark this spring. I love the colours and print. The style is really flattering and one of my favourites when it comes to dresses. I'm not overly keen on the shape of the 'neckline' of the floral as it hits the white neck area, but we can't have it all! I am having to choose my summer clothes wisely this year, trying to accommodate for both the British and American summer. Ok, so I'm not going to Las Vegas till the end of Sept, but I've still heard it's gonna be super hot..

Unfortunately coming from a small town, we don't own the world's best Primark,  so looks like a shopping trip is in order to the next city. Damn! ;-)

Sale Shopping!

Any other year I'd go crazy in the sales. This year was a little different as it's the first year in our house, therefore a lot of my wages have to go on the house now. Therefore I unfortunately couldn't go OTT, however I did pick up a few things, these aren't all of them, but I'm sure you don't want to see lounge wear. Everyone knows what hoodies and joggers look like!

I've been wanting an aztec cardigan for a long time now. I spotted this in Matalan for a steal at £12.50 reduced from £25. I was a little unsure of the pattern at first, but I now love it. The front is a wrap around style that I keep together by adding a thin black belt. It's mega cosy and the warmest cardigan I've ever owned!

I'm gonna be honest - I don't own an expensive handbag. Never had and probably never will (unless I win the lottery). I have a mortgage to pay for, a mega expensive holiday to save for and a car that is recently costing me the earth to get fixed, so I'm not a super rich girl, and unfortunately probably never will be, so it'll be very rare that you'll see super high end brands on my blog. Ok, now we've got that cleared...
My trusty handbag (that infact looked super similar to this one) that lasted me over a year finally started to show her age just before Christmas, so I invested in yet another super expensive one, this time from F&F in Tesco. I need a large(ish) bag for work, and this was ideal. It's black, it looks sophis, and has a strap that turns it into a body bag if my poor shoulders begin to ache.
£10 reduced from £14. Not a massive saving but I like nonetheless.

Firstly, sorry for the in-your-face flash on the box! After the crowds had finally died down in boots, I went and had a look at the remainders of what was left. Even though I had received 2 lovely perfumes for Christmas, I was curious to see if I could pick up 1 final bargain for my collection. There was hardly any left but I was pleasantly surprised to find this. Yes, I know, I know, Gucci Rush is mega old now. But this perfume is nostalgic for me. My friend always used to wear this back in the day when we used to go underage clubbing! (I'm talking 10yrs ago so how old this perfume is I don't know!). I remember having pre-drinks in her bedroom that used to stink to high heaven of Gucci Rush and I used to love it. Ever since, every time I get a whiff, I think of this and my friend. This is definitely a perfume I'd wear for a special occasion. It's not my average sweet and sugary smelling scent! £24 reduced from £35.

Review: Deborah Lippmann - Nail Polish Remover Mitt

I received this exciting sachet with my December Glossy Box (which you can see here).
I've never seen anything like this before, so being someone who constantly has polish on her nails, I was super excited to try this out!

This mitt claims to 'remove all traces of polish for all 10 nails in an instant'. (Source)

I waited till I had the dreaded glitter polish to remove so I could really put it to the test. Ready to remove the exact polish that accompanied this mitt (Deborah Lippmann 'Razzle Dazzle') I followed the instructions (which were to place the mitt over the index finger and sweep over the rest of your nails).



Placing over the thumb as opposed to index finger was for photography purposes only!

First thoughts? A small cute but simple mitt that would be perfect for travelling.
I swept gently over my fingers like it stated. Not a great deal happened. I added pressure, a little more polish was removed but not to the extent I was expecting. Within minutes the remover that was readily absorbed into the mitt had dried up so my only option was to resort back to my own nail polish remover and scrubbing just as hard as I did with the mitt in order to remove the glitter polish.

Opinions? A big thumbs down for this product. To state that it would remove all traces of polish within an instant, I think, is over-exaggerated to say the least. And for the mitt to dry out within 2 minutes of using it isn't very ideal either.
Also for £14 a pop for a pack of 6 mitts is a little steep. I'd rather buy £14's worth of bottles of remover that would last me approx 4 yrs than splash out on 6 mitts that would remove just 6 days's worth of polish!

I have yet to read other's views on this product but I am intrigued, so if you have tried this mitt out, what did you think?!

Such a shame because Deborah Lippmann has some lovely products, go check out her nail polishes, they are super pretty!

NYE NOTN: Emerald Jewel

Together with my emerald green dress that I wore for NYE (which you can see a tiny snipet of here) I dug out one of my oldest nail varnishes in my collection that matched perfectly. I remember this was the first drugstore brand polish I'd ever bought. At 16 the most my money stretched to was the cheap crap on the local market, so it felt really good to have a Maybelline one in my Constance Carroll collection (haha, who remembers those?!).

Anyway! Seeing as thought it was NYE, I wanted a little sparkle on my nail. I was going to go for a full accent nail of jewels, but knowing they are a pain to remove, I decided on the nail tip instead.

Here's the mother of all my other polishes, a grand age of 10yrs old, and still going strong! There's still a few dotted online but their presence in the shops is long gone! This gorgeous mermaid green is called 'jelly bean' (for those that are curious!).

On a side note, I'm doing project 365. For those that haven't heard of this, you simply take a photo every day for 1 year. I think its a great way to capture memories and recall what you did, who you met and what you learned. It's also a great way to bond with a new camera! I received one for Christmas so this project is perfect for me! I'm excited seeing them all together at the end of the year!

Hope everyones' keeping to their new years resolutions! ;-)

NYE FOTN

First blog of 2012, what better way to start it than my last made up face of 2011!

This is the look I sported for NYE, not the best close up shot for detail but the closest one I had! Also excuse the stray hair on my face, that soon disappeared!

Face - Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Desert Beige 2N

Cheeks - Sleek Contour for a bronze glow

Highlight on cheek & brow bone - Benefit High Beam

Eyebrows - HD Brow Kit in Carbon

Eyelashes - Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet Mascara, and Revlon eyelashes for added volume

Eyeliner - Rimmel Black Kohl Pencil

Eyelids (although you can't see them!) I had a gorgeous turquoise glitter pigment (matched my dress!) blended in with Urban Decay 'Twice Baked' and 'Perversion'

Lips - Rimmel in shade 03  (Kate Moss collection)

We had a nice night beginning in our favourite Indian restaurant (which finished with a free tipple on the house and a free pen, bonus!). We then went to a couple of pubs for a few more drinks. We were home for 11pm, (I didn't fancy the taxi queue after midnight!). It was also nice that we weren't suffering the next day. Usually if my boyfriend has too much to drink he is bed bound the next day being sick, so it was good that we didn't welcome 2012 in the wrong way! New Year's Day is also our anniversary (4 years yesterday!). We don't celebrate it though, I think it's a bit silly those who get each other anniversary cards when they're not married, it takes the special-ness of it away once you are actually married. Instead we just spent quality time together (instead of him on the PS and me on my laptop!).

Hope you all had a great time and wasn't too fragile yesterday!

Back to work tomorrow... *sigh*