Monthly Archives: November 2016

Gift Inspiration: Girly Tech from Mobile Fun

16th November 2016
I’ve got quite in to my gadgets lately. A re-kindled love of music has been the main driving force in this, plus a pretty surgical attachment to my iPhone to keep myself in the loop and amused whilst on the go. Mobile Fun recently contacted me about picking some tech products to review* and upon receiving my selection I was impressed enough to turn my review in to a gift guide for any one else who loves their gadgets or is struggling for gift ideas.
The first product I tried out was this gorgeous glittery gold phone case* by Prodigee. I’ve mentioned before I have a bit of a thing for phone cases and most of mine are cheap and cheerful eBay finds which serve a purpose but can be somewhat flimsy. This case is unique in that it comes in two parts and slides on. I’ll be 100% honest and say I’m not sure what this has to do with anything but it was easy to put on to my phone and is also really easy to remove as you don’t have to fight with trying to prise it off corner by corner. It’s definitely the sturdiest case I have owned and makes me feel like my phone is much more protected than usual against my clumsy ways. I love how girly the glitter makes it despite being a fairly simple case (for me) it’s anything but boring- perfect for any stylish friend.
As I mentioned in my introduction to this post that I’m really loving music right now and I’ve got in to the habit of taking my phone with me when I go to shower so I can sing along (badly) as I get ready for the day. The risks to me doing this are obvious so I was really excited to receive a bluetooth shower speaker that means I can leave my phone safely in another room but not have to shower or bath in silence. This claims to be water resistant and having already dropped it in to a full bath (have I mentioned how clumsy I am?) I can confirm that this is indeed true. The sound quality is pretty good, even after being submerged and the button controls mean you can skip tracks, pause, adjust the volume and even take calls as you clean up. The suction design is great and this speaker would also be perfect for use in the kitchen or even at your desk for taking calls hand free as well as having a little dance session to your favourite tracks.
I don’t drive to often rely on my legs to get me to where I need to be. I find walking on my own pretty boring if I’m honest and often relieve the tedium by listening to music. Headphones drive me mad though, I have to say. Trying to find a pocket that’s close enough accommodate the cables- not to mention trailing cables in general really frustrates me so when I got the chance to test out these Zagg wireless earphones* I was really excited. These are designed with females in mind- from everything to the gorgeous rose gold colour way to the lightweight and comfortable fit. The sound quality on these is fantastic, among the best I’ve found in any earphone and I loved being able to keep my phone in my bag whilst clipping the headphones simply to my collar and having full control over track selection, volume and the ability to control calls as well. I feel like these have solved my earphone woes in one fell swoop and the white and rose gold design matches my phone and my style to perfection. Another must have for the fashion and music loving ladies in the world.
What are you must have tech gadgets?

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Posted in christmas, fashion, gadgets, gifts, shopping

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The Only 1 Matte Lipstick from Rimmel

15th November 2016
Rimmel was one of the first makeup brands I ever used and one that I have remained faithful to over the years- I can’t get enough of their products, especially the foundation and mascaras so when a rather snazzy envelope full of lipsticks from them landed at my door I couldn’t contain my excitement!

Inside the package was all nine shades of their brand new “The Only 1 Matte” lipstick*

These are a new generation of matte lipsticks- a bold matte colour that slides on like a dream (it really does!) and has a non-drying formula (also a true claim). The colours are super high coverage with full on colour even in the nude shades, it lasts for hours and hours too which is perfect for someone like me who forgets to take her lipstick out with her on a regular basis.

In the name of blogging I decided to test out each lipstick and post a selfie on social media, partly to show just how awesome these are and partly to help myself decide on a favourite. I’ll say now that I really didn’t expect to love every single one of the shades, there are usually one or two in any given collection that just don’t work for me but as I worked my way through the nine shades here I realised that actually I was rather taken with them all! Hover over each image to find out the shade number and product name…and prepare for an overload of my face!

Shade 110- Leader of the Pink
Shade 610- High Flyer
Shade 700- Trendsetter
Shade 810- The Matte Factor
Shade 750- Look Who’s Talking
Shade 800- Run The Show
Shade 500- Take the Stage
Shade 200- Salute
Shade 120- Call the Shots
Honestly, I think it’s impossible to pick a favourite out of the nine but the one that really stands out to me has to be shade 800- run the show. I had no idea I could be brave enough, let alone suit a purple lip before but this has persuaded me it’s not a bad look at all!

Which shade is your favourite? You can pick up the lipsticks from Boots (£4.99) and Superdrug (£6.99). Let me know if you grab any and what you think.

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*Lipsticks gifted by Rimmel for blog and social media consideration*.

Posted in beauty, brands I love, make up, review

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Pleats, please.

14th November 2016
Anyone else loving the pleated skirts that are everywhere right now? There’s something so compelling about the combination of midi-length and perfectly aligned pleats that has captured my imagination and my current “in my dreams” shopping basket is full of skirts in every fabric from satin to jersey (and everything in between).

Skirt: ASOS | Jumper: New Look (tall) | Boots c/o Ted & Muffy

I’ve seen many of my favourite (and infinitely more stylish) bloggers rock a pleated skirt with a chunky knit so thought I’d give it a whirl myself. This jersey pleated number is by pull&bear at ASOS and was a very reasonable £15.99 although an even better deal for me as it was a gift from Mum. I loved the grey paired with the deep green of this New Look jumper- another bargain at £9.99 and in a fit of madness I ditched my usual black ankle boots for this snakeskin pair from Ted & Muffy which I adore but for some reason overlook.

This has pretty much become my go to comfort outfit at the moment. Perfect for days when it’s a) freezing cold and b) you’re really not feeling your best. It makes a slightly dressier change to slobbing about in jeans, allowing me to feel a little bit more “put together” but still providing the comfort I crave.

Have you fallen for pleated skirts? What’s your go-to comfort outfit? I really wouldn’t say no to a bit more inspiration…

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Posted in life, life stuff, outfits, shoes, shopping

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Solving your “Bra-blems” with Third Love

13th November 2016
A great looking outfit requires great fitting underwear right? As women we all know this and yet despite it being practically an essential it’s still surprisingly difficult to find the perfect bra to go under the perfect dress. And it’s not just for special occasions that we struggle- ever got home from a long day at work just desperate to remove your bra? Yeah. I knew I wasn’t alone in that one! Today I’m sharing a great guide from lingerie retailer Third Love on how to solve those common “bra-blems” as well as being in a position to offer you 15% off a purchase until December 15th 2016.
I cannot being to explain how useful I found this (hence why I’m sharing it) as even though I’m not exactly blessed in the boobs department wearing the wrong bra, or one that is just damn uncomfortable is the bane of my life.

To get a better idea of the problem solving capabilities of Third Love you can check out their interactive fit finder here. It’s tailored to your needs and aims to solve all of your common problems and help you find the perfect bra for you.

Third Love is based in the USA so I know it won’t be 100% relevant from a shopping perspective for a lot of my readers (although they do ship internationally FYI). For anyone who does wish to make a purchase then from your date of purchase you have 30 days to decide if the bra is right for you or not- you can even take the tags off! If you don’t return the bra within the 30 days then it’s yours to keep for $68 dollars and if you happen to decide it’s not quite right for you then you just need to get in touch with Third Love to make a return and you won’t pay a penny!

Tempted? Don’t forget that until the 15th December 2016 you can get 15% off of a purchase by using the code TLNOVBB15

Let me know how you get on and if this has helped you solve some of your bra-blems. I’ve finally realised where I am going wrong with my constant slipping straps issue. No more hoiking them back up in public for me!

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P.S. I was not compensated in any way for sharing this, I just think it’s a really great idea as I found it so useful myself!

Posted in problem solving, underwear

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The Dark Side with Essence

12th November 2016
If you follow me on social media, especially over on instagram you won’t fail to have noticed that I’m going through a bit of a lipstick phase right now. I’m on a real kick of trying out new shades and going bolder and brighter than I ever have before and loving every minute of it. I’ve also been dipping my toe in to the dark side too, a real step out of my comfort zone and recently my brand of the moment- essence sent over a selection* of vampy favourites to encourage me on my journey.
I’ve made no secret of the fact I love essence mascaras more than many a more expensive brand. Their “rock ‘n doll” mascara (£2.80) promises amazing volume with an eye-opening effect and it really doesn’t disappoint. I don’t know how they manage to make such good mascara for such a bargain price but I’m not complaining…this has become a part of my regular eye makeup army.

I’m not very experienced in the world of lip liner although given my recent lipstick lovin’ I probably do need to get better acquainted. At £1.50 for a long-lasting lipliner I really don’t think you can go wrong by picking up a few from essence and I found this really easy to reply, true to it’s word it didn’t budge all day.

The 2 in 1 matte lipstick and liner was the real star of this package for me, so much darker than anything I have ever worn before (shade 05 more is more) and I was a bit apprehensive before applying it but once on I loved it! This was slightly more drying than other matte products I’ve used but it was nothing a slick of lip balm couldn’t fix and at £2.50 I’m really not going to fall out with it. A great introduction in to the world of dark colours.

Finally another shade of my hands down favourite product from essence- their gel nail polish. This is a colour called “wild and free” and is a dark grey/black with a hint of green. I’m hopeless at painting my nails but couldn’t resist a somewhat shaky manicure with this as soon as it arrived. I got a good three days (minus a top coat) out of this with zero chips and at £1.60 per bottle you just can’t beat it.

How do you feel about a more vampy makeup look for day time? I did feel a bit dressed up rocking this to a blood test appointment, but at the same time it’s winter now, time to do away with the pretty pastels and embrace the berry tones for a few months at least!

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This post contains gifted items.

Posted in beauty, brands I love, make up, nails

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