Special delivery

One thing I hate more than anything is waiting to be paid when I need or want something, because I'm extremely impatient and worry incase all the goodies will sell out of the shops!

When I was paid earlier on this month, I already had a basket full of goodies in an online basket at Superdrug, so as soon as I clicked the magic "proceed to checkout" button, I was very happy to know that very soon a very special delivery would be on it's way to me.

 As sad as it sounds, I loved slicing open the sellotape and peering inside, I'd ordered quite a lot of things and what I was impressed with most was the fact that everything I'd ordered was in stock.

Like I said, I'd ordered a lot!

I'll start with the hair dye, Loreal Feria Colour Boost Pure Plum P37, £5.79 (currently on offer, 2 for £8.99) as I've mentioned previously I love this colour and the way it looks on my hair, I usually dye my hair every 4-6 weeks as I'm not really keen on having roots! Next the eyelashes, Eylure individuals. I've been wearing these eyelashes for a few years now and I love the way they make my eyes look! They're easy to apply and last around a month.

At the time of purchase, Barry M was on offer, £2.99 each or 2 bottles for £5. I chose Berry Ice Cream 308, amd Strawberry Ice Cream 309. I've had Berry Ice Cream before and was in need of another bottle, it's such a pretty, summery shade, and after reading other reviews I selected Strawberry Ice Cream, again, a beautiful summery shade but it does need about three coats to turn totally opaque.
I bought Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation in Light Vanilla, £10.99, which I've been using for a while now, and Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation in 010 Ivory, £5.65. I used to use this years ago but suffered with dry skin, making the foundation appear flakey, so I thought that given that I've got older and my skins changed, I'd try this again, probably over a light coating of the Bourjois.

Next, I wanted a brow kit but wasn't sure what one to go for, but for £5, (£3 when I bought it!) the FashionistA brow kit seemed to be the best choice. With three shades for your brows - dark, medium and light - and a setting wax, complete with tweezers and a brow brush, as well as a magnifying mirror, I was really happy with my choice. The idea is you use the tweezers to pluck your brows, then use the brush and your selected shade, brushing the shade over your brows, then use the other end of the brush to wipe a thin layer of the setting wax over your brows. To me, £3 was a good price to pay but now at £5 I wouldn't pay full price, the shades are just like eyeshadows which makes me wonder that as soon as I've used my desired shade - the darkest shade - there's nothing stopping me using run-of-the-mill eyeshadow.

I already own the Make Up Academy 'Undressed' palette, so it was only natural that I ordered their 'Heaven and Earth' palette, too, after hearing so many good things about it! The shades don't have names, but as you can see the top arm photo is the 'Heaven and Earth' pallette and the bottom is the 'Undressed' version. Their powders are pigmented quite well and the colours in these two are lovely if you're a fan of neutrals. Make Up Academy palettes retail for £4 at Superdrug.

For £2.59 I also ordered some metal-free hair bands. So, that was the end of my Superdrug splurge, but then... I went to boots! I'm am huge fan of the Natural Collection, so as their products are 3 for £5, I selected the pressed powder in 'Neutral', the suntint bronzing powder in 'Golden Glow', and blushed cheeks in 'Pink Cloud', then their pencil eyeliner in black, liquid eyeliner in black, and juicy lips lipgloss in 'Barley Sugar.' Then, for my trip to London (which I've already blogged about!) I selected a facewash from the Simple range, a some TRESemme shampoo and conditioner, because I love the fragrance.

  

I then went and got a Beautiful Bronze Self-Tan applicator mitt for £3.99, and a self-tan back applicator with two additional pads for £2.99, but the price has now increased to £5.99, both from the Soltan Self-Tan range. The mitt was a must-have because mine was on its way out, and so was the back applicator because my Mam's been sick of having to fake tan my back, and when we move out my boyfriend's refused point-blank to do it! It's a little difficult to co-ordinate it at first, but it's easy to get the hang of after a few applications :)

So there you go, my beauty splurges! 3 weeks today I'll be jetting off to Venice and leaving you in the capable hands of Rachel, who will be no doubt blogging about her latest purchases while I'm floating about on a gondola somewhere! 

Until next time..

Alley x

Pay Day!

Tonight was meant to be a blog about my new Revlon foundation. Instead, it’s a blog about the £71 I’ve just spent in River Island and Dorothy Perkins. Pay day clearly equated to new outfit day in my mind.

Alley is a horrible influence, but I have been raving about River Island’s spring preview for weeks and walking into River Island on my dinner hour to scout out my favourite pieces. I had far too many favourites to pick, but here’s the two I ended up with.  

I picked up the top first and it feels and looks a bit like a PJ top. It’s not so bright that I can’t wear it now, but it’s floral and happy enough to wear with denim shorts or pale denim jeans come summer, or with the skirt and a tan.

The skirt is black laser cut with lining under and is rather inappropriately short, but the skater style tends to flatter my big bum. I liked the grunge meets girl feel to it and bought a charcoal coloured vest to throw on with it initially. I would probably have bought a camouflage shirt or something to go with it, but I’m not made of money. However, I do see a denim shirt on the horizon which will pair beautifully with it. It also comes in a much more summery cream version. 

Top £38, Skirt £18

£48 reduced to £15. Bargain!

The spending was going to end there, until I found these boots in Dorothy Perkins, Alley reminded me that I get paid weekly and that they are reduced from £49 to £15. How good am I with bargains lately?! They have a western feel to them which is very this season, but the studs add to the nineties grunge trend that seems to be making a bit of a come-back.

Again, I want to believe I’ll pair these with legs that rival Pixie Lott’s and a glowing tan, but it remains to be seen whether they will ever escape jeans and tights territory. It will be a shame if they don’t because they’re the perfect spring/summer boot.

I’m going to see Rita Ora in Newcastle on Tuesday with the boyfriend and will be wearing this outfit, probably with my Topshop leather biker and rocking my new hair. (Tomorrow is haircut day! Yeyyy!) So, anyone who happens to read this and is also going to Rita Ora’s  Newcastle gig, if you spot me, feel free to come tell me what you think of the blog or the outfit! 

So there we go, a big chunk of this week’s pay spent in River Island.

Anyone else got anything good?

Rachel xoxo

London Chic

So during my time in London we didn't really do much, partly because of the weather and partly because I'd gone to London to see Aaron, not to go sightseeing.

So to travel down in on Friday, I thought I'd keep it simple and stuck to my staple basics of 300 denier opaque thick thermal black tights (£4.00, ASDA), and my gorgeous shoe-boots, £12.50 from New Look, reduced from £25. I kept it simple with a black vest top and black cardigan, both from Primark, and finished the look off with a Houndstooth skirt with netted underskirt from River Island.

On Saturday the only place I went was to a little cafe for some breakfast, so again I wore my beautiful shoe-boots, tights, black cardi, and teamed them up with my Topshop Love Label floral dress. I've had this dress a while which was around £25. I also added a black elastic waist belt which was a birthday present off Rachel for my 21st. Because of the cold weather I wore my black trench coat, also from New Look, and you can see my beloved Ted Baker bag!

So on Sunday (my last day, boo) I again wore tights and my black cardigan but this time with my aztec print strapoy dress from Primark, a total bargain at £10 and it's so versatile, I can wear it on so many differed occasions. Again I teamed it up with the waist belt but this time with flat black dolly shoes from Primark, don't bother buying them, they lasted five minutes, they let the water in and the sole comes away!

Finally, the weekend before I chose to wear this outfit for going out for tea with Rachel and two of our other friends. I wore black rights and a tartan skirt which, if I remember correctly, was from the g15 range at ASDA years ago! I teamed it with my long tan boots from Evans, long tan cardigan from Florence and Fred at Tesco, black vest top from Primark, my Ted Baker bag and a lovely gold lepord-style print which I recieved a few Christmases ago from my parents.

So there you have my London weekend (and previous weekend) outfits. What did you wear this weekend?

Alley x

H10 London Waterloo

So this reviews slightly different from the others. It's a review of the beautiful hotel Aaron booked us to stay in last weeked in London, and believe me when I say that beautiful is a complete understatement! It'll also be followed up with a "what I wore" post, so keep your eyes peeled boys and girls.

The Hotel H10 company started out in early 1980 and operated in Spain's main holiday destinations, and now has over 40 hotels in 16 destinations, one of them being London. So as you can see from the photos, we stayed in the four star Hotel H10 London Waterloo, which boasts 177 rooms including double rooms, deluxe rooms and single rooms, has free Wi-Fi, a Despacio spa, mini bars, bars, restaurants, ipod docks in all the rooms, plasma screen TV's... need I go on?

 So here's me :) The only downside to the weekend was that Aaron had to work. Usually he comes home on weekends but with him having to work he paid for me to get the Grand Central train down to London and we stayed in Waterloo. I buised myself reading magazines and sleeping while he was working so it wasn't all too bad!

We stayed in 616 and the room was literally breath taking. The bed was so comfortable! The hotel has only been built around three years so it was ultra sleek and modern. Each bed was against a feature wall, ours was backed with stripes which made the room feel larger, we also had three large windows with a good view of the London Eye. The bathroom was seperated by a sliding pannel of frosted glass and the shower and bath were lovely. We had complimentary tea and coffee, decaf coffee and green tea, along with cups and a kettle, an ipod dock and clock in our room and a phone, as well as a sliding wardrobe, laundry service and an umbrella for our use during our stay. The staff were also incredibly friendly and very attentive!

 

 (Excuse Aaron's feet!) Each room came equipped with a mini bar and I must say it really was expensive (£3 for crisps.. no thanks) but then again that's what I suppose you get in the capital and certainly what you would expect to pay for mini bar services. The same can be said for room service, which included a £4 surcharge for actually ordering it on top of what you were already paying for your food. Needless to say, we didn't use either and opted instead to go to the shop and stock up on snacks!

 

What I did like was the complimentary toiletries. With a wide range of toothbrushes, razors, shampoos, conditioners, soaps, body washes, sewing kits, shower caps and combs, anything you may have forgotten was certainly catered for. The shower wash, shampoo and conditioner had a lovely scent of green tea which was really refreshing and relaxing.

Saturday we spent relaxing in the hotel and on Sunday we went to play at being tourist with a trip to London Aquarium and a walk along Westminster Bridge. The weather, like most places around the UK, was cold and snowy, and I will admit London does look beautiful in the snow, however once you're outside plodding about in it, it's not as pleasant! I ruined a pair of shoes (Primark shoes so I should have expected it, really) and they let the snow in through the soles leading to my feet being freezing, so I had to go out and buy a pair of (beautiful) new boots which I will be showing off in a later post. The weather could also be responsible for the fact I've been poorly since arriving back home last night and ended up staying off work today and spending most of it in bed trying to sort myself out ready to return to work tomorrow.

Overall, we both really enjoyed our stay at the Hotel H10 London Waterloo and we would go back again in a heartbeat! I'm not entirely sure how much Aaron paid for our room for the two nights but I know it's not exactly a cheap place to stay. If you're looking for comfort and to be left to your own devices, this is most certainly the hotel for you.

The Hotel H10 company have hotels around the world, and you can visit their website here.

Alley x

You must try this!

So, I got this little sachet in my Sanctuary gift box. I got one in last years gift set and as part of a gift from Alley last year. I'm also fond of putting them in as part of little gift bags for people's birthdays and such and there is a good reason why.

It's only £1 for a sachet and it's really good!

So, one sachet is enough for one bath time. It's made up of dead sea salt and also contains jojoba, coconut and almonds.

Ignore my nephew's toothbrush in the background. This is what it looks like out of the sachet.

I rub it on to damp skin, focusing on my legs and the sea salt exfoliates and buffs away any dry or dead skin. Then, I get in a hot bath - for best results, use Sanctuary Bath Float as it contains a lot of the same or similar ingredients which compliment the scrub. Then, just relax and let the scrub work its magic!

The sea salt will dissolve in the bath water and the oils soak into the skin, moisturising and promoting cell renewal, giving you baby soft skin. Use a moisturiser after and your skin will feel and smell wonderful.

I love this product. It feels really luxurious as you lounge in the bath and let it do it's work. Plus, did I mention it smells wonderful?

You know what? I'm singing it's praises, but for £1, you could run out to Boots, get yourself one and give it a whirl! Let me know what you think.

Rachel xoxo

Skin Care Resolutions

Hi all :)

I can't be the only one that makes New Year's resolutions and is really up for it in the first week or so, then relapses into old habits. So I had the usual save money and get fit. Saving money isn't going too badly, but getting fit isn't going well at all due to a chesty cough and a love for the biscuit tin.

The other two were more attainable. I want to make my skin care regime more than a wipe round with a baby wipe and I want to start taking care of my legs. What's the point of toning them up if they look like cellulite ridden dragon legs?

So, to help me on my mission, I'll be using these products.

Soap and Glory 'Peaches and Clean' Cleanser

This cleanser is delightful. As the name suggests, it smells of peaches and cream and you massage it into your face before washing away with warm water. The peach contains skin smoothing fruit acid and jojobar oil as well as 'pore shrink' and 'detoxyboost' technology. Whatever the label says, the smell alone was enough to convert me, along with the clean, almost tingly fresh feeling you get after use. Your skin looks brighter after only a couple of washes and I definitely noticed a change for the worse when I forgot to use it/got lazy for a week. Definitely clears up problem areas, softens and brightens. The only thing I feel the need to warn you about, which it does say on the back of the bottle, it can make skin photosensitive, so invest in a BB or foundation with sun screen.

Nivea Soft

I love the original Nivea cream, but I find it a bit heavy and greasy to use under make up and it can worsen problem areas. Nivea soft is the perfect compromise. All the Nivea goodness that has made it such an essential for everyone's make up bag, but it drys almost instantly and works as a brilliant base without being shiny or greasy. I've been using it on my neck as well and have nothing bad to say about it.

Garnier Body Tonic

I've used this before and it's a fantastic morning moisturiser and quick fix. It drys really quickly, isn't oily and therefore won't stick to your clothes. The zingy, fruity smell gives you an instant pick me up too. It claims to reduce the appearance of cellulite and contains caffeine to help boost circulation. It's certainly not a miracle cure, but results are noticeable.

Soap and Glory Righteous Butter 

An old favorite and it smells utterly divine, but like most butters, it's a bit heavy for morning use as it takes a while to sink in and stays a little bit greasy for a while. However, if you use it just after a bath or before bed then wear cotton pjs, or just wander about with your legs out after a night time pamper sesh, it leaves you with beautifully soft leg skin.

Soap and Glory 'Some Like it Hot' Thermal Scrub 

Wonderful for an every day shower, and even better on a cold day. It heats up on contact with skin, helping to open pores and maximise exfoliating effects. Like all Soap and Glory products, it smells wonderful and leaves you with soft skin. It's not too abrasive, but I definitely wouldn't use it after a shave. My only gripe is that the thermal effect is short lived, but it makes a pretty good none thermal scrub! As with all scrubs, be sure to moisturise after.

Soap and Glory 'Sugar Crush' Body Scrub

Smelling of limes and brown sugar, I initially disappointed as I hadn't read the label and assumed it would smell like the maple syrup scented 'Breakfast Scrub.' However, I found myself loving the refreshing, zingy fragrance. Where a little of 'Some Like it Hot' goes a long way, 'Sugar Crush' doesn't really. However, it does wash off easily and is a little more gentle. More moisture, less exfoliating but just as effective in removing dead skin and boosting circulation. The thermal scrub feels like it's working with the heat it produces, but 'Sugar Crush' smells like it's working and is really invigorating.

So, this is my effort to take better care of my face and legs. Which ones will you be trying?

Rachel xoxo

Last Week in Pictures

I have been ever so conscientious and last week, decided that I would take pictures so I could show you lovely people what I bought, what I wore and to where. So enjoy. Sorry about the slightly poor quality, an Iphone is so much more convenient than a camera. 

 Saturday 5th Jan. 

Cardigan - Primark 2011. T-shirt - River Island, £15.  Jeans - Topshop, £38.
 Boots - George at Asda 2011. Necklace - Topshop, £7.50

I went for a walk along the sea front before this picture was taken with my sister, mam and nephew. I took this after I had tested my sea salt spray and decided that I really just wanted to be comfy casual for a night with the boyfriend. I went for a casual t-shirt with stone wash super soft jeans and a giant cardigan. The boots were falling to bits and have now went the journey. R.I.P zombie killers. 

Sunday 6th January 

My new bits and pieces. Actually purchased prior to 6th January, but only got around to photographing them and start using them around 6th. Plus, I forgot to take a photo on the 6th. I got the Raspberry Pie Revlon Lip Butter for Christmas and while it is amazing, I wanted a more subtle colour. So, taking inspiration from my girl crush on Emma Stone, I went for Peach Parfait. They're currently £5 in Boots and Superdrug, so I may well buy another! I know I'm late to the party, but they really do give you all the intensity, but none of the chalky dryness or stickiness of traditional lipsticks. 

I also cheated on Barry M with Rimmel because I just loved the vibrant turquoise colour. I really can't remember what it's called, and won't be getting out of bed to look, but it really is one of a kind, block colour and goes on like it too. There's no lumps, no streaks and it really does dry in around 60 seconds. Result. 

The sea salt spray is Charles Worthington and bought completely on a whim. I'm on the fence with it because if I use it on wet hair then rough dry as it recommends, it just makes it look tangled. Perhaps my hair is too short or fine. If I use it then brush through or use it on dry hair then brush lightly with a paddle brush, it goes wonderfully fluffy with a matte texture, without the frizz. A must have for 'can't be arsed to straighten' days. 

Rimmel Nail Polish - £3.50, Charles Worthington Spray - £3.66, Revlon Lip Butter - £5.
All from Boots

Monday 7th January 

I know there is scratches on the heel. Whoopsie. Good job they were cheap!

Actually, I bought these on a whim in Tesco on Saturday night with Marc. He really shouldn't let me near the shoes while he's looking at games and technology. We all know I have an ongoing love affair with Florence and Fred at Tesco's shoes. And these were only £10! Perfect upgrade from the scruffy old zombie killers. I wore them for the first time Monday and took this picture when left to my own devices in the office on Friday. They were a sale buy though, so be quick about it! 

However, on Monday, after attending a work induction, I did buy this dress. These things happen when forced to walk past Topshop on the way to the car park. It's from the Love concession and was another irresistible sale buy for £10. Guess how much it it was reduced from? Go on, guess... 

£38. It would have been rude not to. I took the picture while trying it on at home. I wore it for my first day of work with black tights and my new boots. It would work just as well with bare legs in summer or a leather jacket for evening. 

Wednesday 9th January. 

Casual Nero's toilet shot on the way to work. I was early, went for coffee and realised that as I'd slept at Marc's the night before and he lacks a full length mirror, I hadn't taken a picture. The wavy hair is a result of salt spray and the coat and bag combo are timeless. 

Bag, £50 Fiorelli at TK Maxx. Coat, £80 River Island 2008.

Friday 11th January 

Comfy casual. My office is casual and a grey jumper is always a fail safe. Loving the stone wash jeans this week with the boots. My mother hates the jeans as in her words 'they make your thighs and bum look big.' But I like them.

Jumper - £20, River Island, Jeans - £38 Topshop.

Saturday 12th January 

Pub with the girls. Much needed wine time! I put my hair in a messy bun and tried to make my make up look polished but natural so it didn't look too garish with the shirt. The shirt is from New Look's Spring Preview and as I posted before, I can't wait to wear it in the summer! For now, dark jeans and the new boots are the answer. And gold cross necklace. This shirt was worn for a date night with Marc earlier in the week and failed the boyfriend test miserably. In his words. 'It's strange.' I asked good strange and he said 'no' and muttered something about it being offensive to the eyes. Men eh? What do they know?

Make up: Rimmel BB Cream in Ivory, Natural Collection concealer, No 7 blusher and highlighter, Max Factor kohl eyeliner, Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara and Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait.

Clothes: Shirt - £14.99 New Look. Jeans - £19.99 New Look. Boots - £10 Florence and Fred at Tesco. Cross Necklace- £7.50, Topshop. 

So, that's my week! What has everyone else being buying and wearing? 

Rachel xoxo

Tantalizing Talons!

Evening lovelies,

We can't be the only ones who are really struggling to get back into a normal routine - getting up seems so much harder in the dark! Roll on the lighter mornings when we're all filled with more energy to attack the day ahead of us!

So I mentioned a few posts ago about an amazing No7 Rechargable Manicure Set I got for Christmas.. and here's the review to go with it.

So as you can see by the green present sticker, this was on Boots "3 for 2" offer this year and retailed at £20. It comes with 12 attachments suitable for natural and acrylic nails, as well as pedicures, and comes in a storage box. The set device itself comes with batteries already included, so I'm yet to have to charge mine. It has two speed settings which is perfect depending on how long or short your nails are, and it also comes with a handy cuticle pusher. This product is ideal to trim, polish and shape your nails and with the hard skin attachment it's perfect for keeping the skin on both your hands and feet really soft.

Some reviews say the instructions should be more clear and maybe the product would be better with a DVD giving instructions on how to use it to it's full potential, but personally, I think it's self-explanatory but then again that could be down to the fact that I spend a lot of time getting acrylic nails on so I know when to use each different attachment and what to use it for. There is plenty of choice on what attachment to use, whatever your nail length or condition.

I've used this product quite a lot since Christmas and I feel it leaves my nails in a lovely condition. It doesn't hurt at all and each attachment is sturdy enough to withstand removing any sort of stains on your nails. The only way I think this product could be better is if it came with a cuticle remover cream and maybe some hand cream to apply after for that salon-soft finish. This product is a must-have for anyone wanting to get perfect fingers and toes in time for summer!

Each attachment is easy to attach to the device, simply push the attachment into the top of the device until it feels secure, and you're all set to go! You can review and buy your rechargeable manicure set from here.

I also recieved the No7 Perfect Pedicure set £15, and although there are some quite bad reviews out there, I personally think it's a really good product. It's a battery-powered unit which fits easily into your hand, and comes with three attachments. I think what a lot of people who have reviewed this need to remember is that you don't always get salon-worthy results and home, so maybe expect a little less, and you'll be pleasantly surprised. You can buy the pedicure set here

 Alley x

EXCLUSIVE: Models Own first ever bottleshop!

If you're like me, everytime you're wandering through you're local Boots store, you'll stop and stare and the Models Own section. With it's wide range of colours from cute summer pastels, to bright in-your-face neons, to striking block colours.. there's a shade to suit everyone.

Last year Models Own launched the worlds first ever bottleshop at Westerfield Shopping Centre, London (Shepherd's Bush), which stocks the full range of Models Own products and accessories. So the burning question that's on all of your lips.. what on earth is a bottleshop? Well.. exactly what it sounds like, a shop shaped like a nail polish bottle!

When asked how Models Own came up with the idea for their bottleshop, their CEO said “At Models Own we like to do things differently. You hear about other brands trying to create ‘immersive shopping experiences’ so we’ve taken this literally by asking people to actually shop in the world’s largest bottle of nail polish!" 

Surely I can't be the only one looking at all the different shades and just itching to go and have a browse round for myself!

Models Own also do some fabulous box sets that come in a lovely, clean cut box. 

I'm a massive fan of their Wonderland box set, which describes itself as "A magical polish collection offering gradients of subtle to dense glitter for a sophisticated grown-up glimmer. For a manicured finish use the iridescent shades to give an accent of glitter, or be brave and layer up the polish until it's opaque! Each polish gives a different nail finish from frosty to full on snowstorm!"

 Each shade also has a beautiful name! From left to right we have: Jack Frost, Southern Lights, Snow Flake, Northern Lights, Blizzard, and that all important 3 in 1 Base Coat + Top Coat.

I also really like their Ice Cream Sundae box set. To me each sade is perfect for the summer, the Lilac Dream reminds me a little of my favourite Barry M shade at the moment - Berry Ice Cream. I'm really keen to try Lemon Meringue, yellow isn't really a colour I'd ever imagine on my own nails because when I'm not wearing false ones, my own natural nails are so short so I always feel new colours will make them look horrible, but this shades quite creamy and delicate so I think it's going to have to be something I invest in this summer. Each box set retails at around £20.

Left to right: Lemon Meringue, Pastel Pink, Beth's Blue, Lilac Dream, Fuzzy Peach, Jade Stone.

You can buy Models Own from selected Boots stores, or from their website here

Don't forget to check out their other fabulous range of accessories and their great offers!

 

Alley x