Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow!

Kudos to Benefit for coming up with a pretty long foundation title!

So, Benefit are launching a liquid foundation in March 2012 under the name of, yep, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow. Offering a natural finish, oil free formulation complete with SPF, I cannot wait to head over to a Benefit counter near me to try this foundation out. Having said that, as I have combination skin I'd be interested to see how this works with me.

Whilst I have yet to hear anything about this in the UK, presumably because it has not even been released here yet, I have heard a few good things so far about this from some friends across the pond in America. I am told it provides a lovely, smooth 'almost skin like but better' finish and comes in a good variety of shades. One particular friend told me the reason she liked it more than her former foundation (which was Make Up For Ever HD Foundation) was because it made her look like she had good skin with perhaps a tinted moisturiser on as opposed to a full face of foundation. Good things indeed!

Whilst I'm quite content with my current Mac Studio Fix powder foundation in that the coverage is amazing, I do have to say that it does look a little heavy at times and as I'm relatively young (I'm in my early 20s) this is not a look I want. This is why I would like to try a foundation that offers a medium coverage at least with an SPF if possible but does not look oh so obvious. I'm pretty fussy when it comes to foundation but do believe that you should be as the base of your makeup is where everyone will notice you- not the accents (i.e. eyeshadow, lip colour etc).

I can't wait to see what the shade selection will be like over here, but if it's anything like the image above (taken from the Benefit US website) then there will be a good selection of shades. I just really really hope though that this foundation does not oxidise as this is something that I have been plagued with, with virtually every foundation I have tried.

So, do you have any current liquid foundation loves? Have you tried Benefit's H.F.O.W?

Ta ta!

Major Wedge Moment!

It's official. After lusting after wedges for a while but not having enough courage to wear them (for fear of stumbling whilst strutting my stuff), I declare I want as many pairs as I can get my hands on. I love wedges as they are generally easier to walk in than heels, look amazing and add inches in height without looking over bearing!

My personal favourites?

Office 'Wedgie' Wedge Shoe

£60

Available from www.office.co.uk and at Office stores

I love this pair! Firstly it's black meaning it'll go well with everything, secondly, it has a generous platform and thirdly it has espadrille detailing- gorgeous!

Kurt Geiger 'George' Wedge Shoe

£270

Available from www.kurtgeiger.com and at Kurt Geiger stores

Officially besotted! What's not to love about this sky high but still stable, intricately detailed nude pair? I love the fact that they are of a nude colour way- as it's quite hard to find wedges in this colour and the detailing just makes them stand out that much more.

Diavolina 'Karis' Wedge Shoe

£68

Available from www.asos.com

I'm in love with the detailing on this pair. These are a pair that can easily go from day to night without looking over the top. Wear with bare legs or even with tights, I need to make these mine asap!

Messeca 'Charmene' Wedge Boot

£135

Available from www.asos.com

As I type this, these are sitting in my basket at Asos- happy days! I've been after a pair of wedge boots for a while and whilst I have a few pairs, there's nothing too special about them but this pair I love because they are fleece lined which means comfort and warmth and feature a wooden wedge with strip detail at the back meaning you'll get admiring glances no matter which angle these are eyed up from! Fabulous and can't wait to actually have them- I predict these being a big staple in my wardrobe :)

LK Bennett 'Maddox' Shoe

£175

Available from www.lkbennett.com and at LK Bennett Stores

These and I lounging about on the French Riviera. Enough said. Never underestimate the power of a well made pair of snakeskin print shoes. I love that the snakeskin print on this pair is in a rose colour, not as stern as your typical ivory and black colour way. 

River Island Multi Coloured Print Wedge Shoe

£50

Available from www.riverisland.com

Paired with a silk black wrap dress and minimal jewellery, let these darlings do the talking! 

So, what are you wedge wonders this season?

Ta ta! 

High Top, You're No Flop!

I'll get straight to the point. I do not believe in wearing trainers (or sneakers, whatever you choose to call them) anywhere outside of a gym or a park (and even then, only if you're actually exercising in a park). So, it came as a bit of a shock to me that I have been lusting over a pair of of black Isabel Marant high tops for the past month. The last time I wore high tops was when I went through a 'I can wear high tops with anything because I'm cool like that' phase and it ended badly with pair upon pair of my collection being donated to my local charity shop. They must have thought I had issues.

The beautiful pair that I have been drooling over have a concealed wedge, a tongue that's a little higher and more padded than you're average high top and contrasting fabrics/ colours on each pair. Could these have been made more perfect! (That was not a question!)

Anyway, these are the gems-

Now I know they look a bit, how do I put it, strange (?) at first but to give you an idea of what they look like on, look at the famous in them-

Petra Ecclestone

Beyonce

Alicia Keys

Miranda Kerr

Alicia Keys

The down side? They are sold out pretty much everywhere! Aaaargh! Every store, every website and no thank you I shall not resort to ebay to score a pair (as tempting as this may be). So what's a Materialistic girl to do? Why dream and pray that somehow a pair is available somewhere, of course. Seriously though, I'm tres annoyed as I am desperate for a pair and can't find them anywhere. I don't even know the price tag but have reserved aside £1000 for them as I presume they will be upwards of £500 for sure. So if someone somewhere knows of any store in London or any website with these in stock, please please help a girl out and let me know! Merci!

Got any high top cravings?

Ta ta! 

T.G.I.F

Ah how I love that Friday feeling! I had a rather eventful night out and was greatful for the lovely company. There's nothing better than knowing that the next two days are entirely yours! Have a great weekend, be happy and enjoy life!

Ta ta!

Purchases of the day!

So what's a girl to do but shop, right? Whilst out today I was supposed to be attending a few meetings. But in between my downtime, I managed to pick up just a few small things as you'll see in this post.

Take a peek at my purchases-

Philosophy The Microdelivery Purifying Peel

Available from QVC

£32.00

This I actually ordered last week from QVC as my current one was running dangerously low- therefore I did not pick it up today of course, but it was waiting in all it's glory for me when I got home :) I use this weekly as part of my facial (I have yet to find someone who will deliver a facial without terrifying my skin). I love the texture of this, although for sensitive skins it may not be ideal as you do feel a bit of a sting on the skin when this is applied. The results though far outweigh the initial tingle though and my skin is left clear and very bright. Another reason I continue to use this is because over the course of two months, my pores have decreased in size considerably! I have no cons for this product and would highly recommend it to those who want a fresh, livened complexion weekly (i.e. everyone!). 

Also, I'd like to recommend QVC for those of you who may be a bit apprehensive about a purchase as their returns policy is amazing and helps me put my confidence in them should anything go wrong.

L'Occitane Soap

Available from L'Occitane stores

£4.50

I love luxury soaps. They look great, smell wonderful and put a little piece of luxury in your everyday life. This was my first time in a stand alone L'Occitane store and I loved it, the sales staff were attentive but not pushy and were happy to give advice and let me browse in peace. I bought these two soaps for the guest bathroom and opted for the Cinnamon and Verbena scents- at £4.50 each it was rude not to.

Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama Mascara

Available from Boots

£7.99 (Currently £5.99)

The darker the better I say, which is why I was curious to try out The Falsies mascara in the blackest black they can offer. I have heard great things about this mascara but then I say that about most products I end up being disappointed with. I will use this for a month and then report back with a review. 

Sally Hansen Miracle Nail Growth

Available from Boots

£9.65

This is a no-brainer. Want long, strong healthy nails in days? Make this your new best friend without fail! I love this and have been doing so for about two years now. It truly works and leaves nails strong and glossy. I can't be without it.

Care to share your purchases?

Ta ta!

'Juicy' summer shoes!

When the Spring/ Summer season approaches, year after year, we are spoilt with shoes in what I call 'Juicy' colours. What I mean is the juiciest, most gorgeous tones bold enough to have you drooling but wearable enough for you to throw on with the plainest of outfits. In layman's terms, bold colours.

Since most of us come out of hibernation (i.e. are more willing to venture out just about anywhere and everywhere and generally enjoy ourselves a whole lot more) in Spring/ Summer, I prefer flat shoes and I have found some wonderful affordable options whilst trawling the 'net today-

New Look have designed some real gems in their footwear selection this year. Although it is difficult to find smaller sizes in stores, I have to say, generally you can get what you want online. The first loafer I love because of the colour and the print- both unexpected but both done quite decently-

Patent Snake Slip On Loafer 

£15.99 

(http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/shoes/patent-snake-slip-on-loafer_239309177)

This second loafer I love because of the suedette finish and the tone. Everyone knows that a bold blue hue is a must have for any woman this season. Whether it be a bag, a shoe or a scarf it just has to be done. My shot of blue this season will likely come from this loafer or perhaps a scarf- not quite sure but at £15.99 these shoes are inexpensive enough to trash and not feel bad about when throwing away! I can see these working well with a yellow taffeta skirt and gold jewellery.

Slip On Suedette Loafer

£15.99

(http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/shoes/slip-on-suedette-loafer_236420040)

I can imagine telling anyone who will care to listen how they simply must have these slingbacks this season. They are a lovely bright yellow and feature a beautiful bow slingback- what is there to think about?

Carven Flat Suede Slingbacks

£285

(http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/181968)

These had me at watermelon scented! (No joke!)

Thuja Bow Ballerina Pump

£45

(http://www.tedbaker.com/women%27s/women%27s_accessories/shoes/list.aspx#-&styCode=95986&colRef=85-ORANGE&path=/women's/women's%20accessories/shoes/)

Good enough to eat! A demure pointed toe flat, these would look amazing teamed with indigo skinny jeans, a crisp white oxford and a pink patterned scarf! I love!

Ellos Patent Ballet Pump

£29

(http://www.laredoute.co.uk/ellos-patent-ballet-pumps-with-flat-heel-6-colours.htm?ProductId=324296189&CMPID=COM0057LARGOOGBLNK)

Make yours a juicy Summer!

Ta ta! 

Fabulousness- round up of the week!

There are always a select few things that have me squealing with excitement when I see them. This weeks round up of such things are as follows-

1) Vintage Style Card Cake Stand-

Initially when I came across this, I thought it was a china cake stand and got all sorts of excited! However, it is a card cake stand. Not put off and smitten with the lovely prints on all tiers, I think a stand like this would look fabulous on a dresser adorned with one's favourite costume rings. At just £9.50 and available from Velvet Store (http://www.velvetstore.co.uk/truly-scrumptious-vintage-card-cake-stand), I can't think of a reason not to own it.


2) Tom Ford Lip Colour-

Tom Ford you've stole my heart. Normally never a sucker for the allure of packaging alone, I have to say that this lipstick had me at the case- how beautiful would this look in your hand bag or on your dresser! Now I know, I know there must be a multitude of brands with similiar shades but I've yet to hear one bad thing about Tom Ford lip colours. At £36 it may come across as a little pricy, but honestly, I'd be happy to pay this for the casing alone, I love it. I don't know of many places to pick up Tom Ford lip colours but I know Selfridges do stock them. My only debate though, Pink Dusk or Spanish Pink? 

3) Missoni for Brics holdall-

Love. At. First. Sight. This is how I'd describe my feelings when I saw this holdall. I was set on purchasing a Vuitton Keepall 55 for my upcoming Summer trips, but this just looks so much nicer not to mention you won't be battling with the army of people carrying counterfeit versions! I have loved Brics as a luggage brand for years but never quite found myself plucking up the courage to build up my luggage collection (partially because luggage is one of the last things I think about when I am travelling). In particular, I love the leather trimming on the bag as well as the distinct but tasteful Missoni print. Combined with the subtle leather, this looks stunning and will be finding it's way in to my open arms very soon! 

Priced at a very reasonable £345 and available from Case Luggage and Leather Goods (http://www.caseluggage.com/brics-missoni-202-holdall-medium-clipper-p-bio00202-c-tabacco.html)

4) Pearls-

Does this need an explanation? Not really. I am of the opinion that every lady worth her weight in gold absolutely must own a pair of pearls. I mean it should practically be made manadatory. So, when I unfortunately lost one half of my pair a few weeks ago, I was distraught. Firstly because they were a gift from my dear Mother to me, and secondly because they were quite pricy. On the hunt for a pair to replace mine, I have found a reasonable alternative from Ernest Jones priced at £75 (http://www.ernestjones.co.uk/webstore/d/6637140/9ct+gold+cultured+freshwater+pearl+9.5mm+stud+earrings/).

Luckily, I ordered mine before they went out of stock but I wonder if suddenly everyone has developed a pearl fetish as literally every pair of pearl earrings on the Ernest Jones website (as of today) is out of stock. I can't say it's a bad thing! 

5) Jonathan Adler-

I love/ am obsessed with/ admire Jonathan Adler's work and his unbeatable talent and vision of continuously being able to mix colours, textures and prints to create the most beautiful pieces for one's home. I can't explain how much I look up to his way of styling. Until this afternoon I was actually completely unaware that Jonathan Adler products are actually available in the UK through Heal's (www.Heals.co.uk). Before this I was completely infatuated with his trellis rugs and then completely angered by my inability to find anything even remotely similar in London. 

My personal must haves?-

As with most Jonathan Adler products, you can tell from a mile away that this is one of his designs. I love it. I would never normally pair blue with taupe but it works beautifully well. I wouldn't restrict this to the kitchen though, I can easily imagine this in my bathroom with white candles of different heights placed on it. Priced at £78 and available from Heal's.

What's not to love about this Talitha vase? Priced at £70, I think this is a steal for such a unique print vase. Bold enough to look fabulous empty, and intricate enough to make a bunch of fresh white lillys look contemporary- I have to make this mine. 

This Positano tumbler retails at £9 and is another complete steal. I had to check twice to make sure it was the correct price. Not for the kitchen though, oh no, this I can picture as a mini vase with yellow rose heads- perfect for display in the hallway or on the dresser.

Last but certainly not least are the Carnaby mugs priced at just £18. I don't own a house of my own (I live with family) but I will be buying 6 with a mug tree and gifting my Mother these- she will love them. These I will be out hunting for tomorrow since the pink colour way is out of stock online already. 

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing- have a great week ahead. 

Ta ta! 

What holds your travel card?

Living in London means constant travelling, more so via public transport than my car. Although I love driving (Nobody can see the slippers you wear to drive or hear you imitating Adele), it isn’t always possible due to the horrendous traffic which is a regular occurrence as well as the congestion charge (which I hate paying and which, no matter what anyone says does not decrease traffic thank you very much!). So I take the much easier public transport easily available and quite reliable. When I got my Oyster card (those that don’t live in London, it’s a refillable card you use to top up and travel on buses and trains) I got a tacky plastic wallet with it, which was yellow in colour with a huge ikea advertisement on the front. I love yellow so that wasn’t an issue, but an Ikea advertisement? Really? Who on earth is going to look down at their Oyster and think ‘Oh, I need to go to Ikea for a spot of flat packed furniture shopping! ‘- major fail marketers, this is not how commuters think.

So, the search was on for a decent Oyster card holder which looked chic. There are tons of the plastic ones with different designs easily available online, but I was far more fussier- I wanted leather. Yes, premium brands do do them but I wasn’t going to spend a small fortune on an Oyster card holder, I wanted something relatively easy on the purse but still classy enough.

Enter Aspinal- now now, I can’t say I love the brand or anything (some of the leathers, the craftsmanship and totally overpriced handbags put me off completely) BUT, when I saw these, I knew I’d have one-

Designed well in an array of colours and textures (you can choose from smooth leathers to textured ones) and starting at just £20, I was sold. It is sold as a credit card holder, but I use it for my Oyster and find it a pleasure to use. It has got me compliments often, and I am sure that if there were even more colours I would buy more to change up each season. I ended up sticking with the black colourway which I love but am tempted to go for the red- it's just too adorable to pass up.

Do the standard Oyster card holders bother you or not? Why?

Ta ta!

What to adorn the nails with?

Polishes are either a joy or a disaster. With the beauty industry crammed with different brands and price points, there isn’t a nail in London that cannot be painted in a range of different hues and finishes. So it is for this reason that I have experimented extensively, been seriously disappointed and found some real gems.

My personal favourite nail polishes are from the OPI, Mavala, Revlon or Essie brands. I have of course purchased other polishes (both high end and low end) and there is a lot to dish! In terms of high end polishes, Dior and Chanel have got to be the worst offenders- yes, I know there will be an army of fans who will be screaming at their computers/ laptops right now, but I purchased many shades and was disappointed each and every time. Dior polishes chip as if they were designed to purposely do so, for this reason, I stopped buying them (and yes, before you ask, of course I used base and top coats). Now let’s get started on Chanel polishes- yes, they create amazing publicity for themselves each and every season, yes they come in beautiful packaging but no, luxury formula they are not! These too, would chip far too often for my liking and also, some colours I purchased were streaky- in my book, when it streaks, it’s meek! Simple as. The other thing I've noticed about Chanel polishes is that if there are a few weeks where you go without using one, you open it to find it a little gloopy in texture and I shouldn't have to be thinning my polishes out, especially not premium brand ones. 

My low end purchases were from such brands as Rimmel and Maybelline, again, with the common disappointing factor being chipping. In addition, I do think the formulas were a little too dry. Nails Inc are another offender in my book. Whenever I've had manicures and pedicures in the salons (Bluewater Nails Inc team- you lot are great!) I've always left happy, but the colour chips far too soon for my liking. Other than that I love everything about the brand- the packaging of products, the prices, the shade range and of course, the shade names). However, some of the Nails Inc treatment products are, without a doubt, some of the best I've tried and these would be the Striptease Cuticle remover and the hand exfoliator (in the purple packaging) which I no longer seem to see anymore. 

So, what impresses me about OPI, Mavala, Revlon and Essie? Firstly, price points- between the four brands, anyone can afford one or the other. Secondly, formula- every single polish bought from any of these brands has withstood heavy duty jobs, never streaked and not chipped prematurely either. Thirdly, the consistency of these polishes- not too thick and not watery thin- something that some brands need to pay more attention to. Too thick and you risk not getting the colour you expect as well as drying problems, too think and you risk taking ten years to achieve a decent opacity. The only thing that is a little difficult is where to buy Essie and OPI from- I have to go to my local Sally Beauty Supply store for mine and don't know of many mainstream stockists. Having said that I have heard whispers that Boots will be stocking Essie colours soon- something which I am extremely ecstatic about! 

So, what are your thoughts on polishes, price points and formulas- do you notice a difference or are they all the same?

Ta ta!

What's tickling my fancy this year?

The Fairy Godmother of handbags-
The Hermes Birkin bag in black togo leather

I don't think this needs any explanation really but I shall provide a brief one anyway.  This isn't something that is tickling my fancy just this year, in fact, I have spied on this bag since 2005- no other bag has had me lusting after it quite like this. Every time I was on my way to putting funds towards this though, a Vuitton came up that had me besotted and that I gave in to :( For now, I will keep dreaming of a day when the Birkin and I can be together, but one day I will make it a reality :)



Moleskine notebooks-

I love love love Moleskine notebooks. My aim this year is to ensure that every single notebook/ diary/ journal I own is a Moleskine one and not to throw away a single used one. There's something too gorgeous about the quality of paper and the wonderful binding which somehow makes you feel that whatever you're writing will be treasured forever. Now I know there are other beautiful notebooks out there (Smythson, you are also loved by me) but I love the simplicity of Moleskines as well as the elastic which only encourages one to stuff it to the core. I have owned Aspinal journals too recently but hate the quality of them, poor paper quality, cheap leather and very poor craftsmanship- Aspinal if you're reading this, please improve the leather quality of your journals, it is not nice to have the stitching come undone for no apparent reason on two occasions!



Skinny jeans-

Now, I live in skinny jeans- I own no other style. I love boyfriend fit jeans, but cannot pull them off to save my life. I also adore kick flare jeans, but again, cannot pull them off without making my derriere appear about 10 sizes bigger than it is. My problem though is the rise of skinny jeans. Let me elaborate, low rise, mid rise and high rise- so you'd think they are all readily available, oui? Non, most certainly not. I hate low rise jeans because I am constantly paranoid that someone will see my underwear and hate high rise because although amazingly comfortable, they really don't look cute. A simple, well cut, indigo, mid rise skinny jean is what I crave and I have made it my mission to find a pair no matter what the cost before the end of 2012. Because hey, if the world is ending this year, I intend to leave it in a nice pair of skinny jeans :)



The Louis Vuitton Leopard Stole-

Can't help it. I just can't. No matter how many people I see this on, I still want it. The size, the print (it's not your average leopard print), the colour range and the composition- this is a scarf that I can see myself having forever. Literally, forever. I can see myself happily justifying this purchase without any qualms. The only thing that troubles me?- which colour, brown or navy?

So now that I have shared with you what I fancy so far, why don't you tell me what you are besotted with?

Ta ta!

Intro!

So I've entered the world of blogging! After a year of relying on blogs for everything from cosmetic swatches to cooking recipes to the odd love of pets doing funny things, I figured it was my time to enter the blogging world and share with you my shameless sense of materialism (amongst other things)! Enjoy!

Ta ta!