Real Techniques Sculpting Brush VS Brush Works Multi-Tasking Brush

It's really terrifying how fast time flies. I told myself I'd take a 'short break' away from blogging, and the next thing I know its 2016 and the last time I wrote was 2014....I'll start with an apology as I'm not quite sure where I have been or what I have been doing all this time! If you can forgive me for being away for so long I'll tell you all about these two brushes that I have been sent.

A couple of weeks ago an email popped up in my inbox from the team at www.makeupbrushes.co.uk, offering me the opportunity to choose two brushes from their ranges available. I said yes please (of course) and chose two brushes that I could compare, a slightly  less known brand Brush Works and everybody's favourite, Real Techniques.

Makeup Brushes sent these out to me pretty quickly and I tested each one for a whole week each with different foundations to see what they could do, and I must say I'm really impressed with both. The Brush Works Multi-Tasking brush is a soft, fluffy brush that blended in all my favourite foundations, including the slightly thicker liquids such as Studio Fix Fluid without any problem. The only bad thing I could say about this one, and it's not even a bad thing, is that the brush is slightly smaller than the RT brush so takes seconds longer to do your whole face. I told you I was struggling to say something bad about it...

The Real Techniques brush obviously lived up to my expectations as well so I'm not going to say a huge amount about it as most of us know how great they are. I loved the angled brush and it blended areas such as my nose and my jaw very quickly. This brush also worked great for sculpting and with blusher, and the Brush Works brush also handled both of these tasks very well.

I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality of the Brush Works Multi-Tasking Brush and honestly didn't expect it to be on par with the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush, but I've learnt my lesson and will pay more attention to this brand!

Brush Works Multi-Tasking Brush retails at £6.99 and Real Techniques Sculpting Brush retails at £8.99, and both can be purchased with free delivery from www.makeupbrushes.co.uk. 

You can also follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/makeupbrushes.co.uk

Instagram www.instagram.com/mub_uk

 Have you tried either of these brushes before? What did you think?

 

Products I've Used Up #6

 

My empty products drawer was starting to get rather full again, so it's time to show you all the things I've used up! I finally got round to buying the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush body scrub after all the hype, and was not disappointed. The smell was amazing and although the scrub was a little sticky, it did scrub well and left my skin really soft. I would definitely buy this again and am debating buying the matching shower gel. Next is one of my regular products - The Body Shop All in One Face Base. I love this powder - its technically a powder foundation, but I wear it over my liquid foundation for amazing coverage. It lasts a lot longer on my combination skin too, so I have to powder less through the day. I buy this all the time, I will have to devote a post to it soon! I've also used up the Nip + Fab Gylcolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads mini pot I had - and already bought the full size product. You can find the review on that HERE.  I've starting going through the mascaras in my drawer and used up the Maybelline Mega Plush Volume Express mascara. I'm really on the fence with this mascara - the wand was super bendy so I found I kept poking myself in the eye with it. It the mascara was a lot better when it dried out a bit, however. I think I'm still on the quest for the perfect mascara. 

I've started leaving a hand cream on my office desk so I remember to use it more - and I've used up my mini Crabtree and Evelyn La Source hand cream. I loved the smell of this and it sank into my hands really well and left them super soft. I have a few more hand creams to get through but would probably consider buying this again. Another regular - Batiste dry shampoo.  This scent is the Oriental, which I really liked as it reminded me of Japanese cherry blossom and gave a  nice scent on days I forgot to wear a fragrance. I'm currently using the Cherry scented dry shampoo but I tend to bounce between that and this one. I've gotten through two shower gels - the Imperial Leather Foamburst in Blackberry and Wild fig. I loved the smell of this but it did leave my skin quite dry and I didn't really like the foam as much as I thought I would. I also didn't like how after pressing the button, a little bit of foam would always come out after you've used it and get on your other products. I also got through the Dove Go Fresh body wash in Plum and Sakura blossom - which again had a great smell, but I really didn't find this too moisturising either. I found I had to use quite a lot of this in my hard water area - not great. I've got plenty of other shower gels to plough through so I probably won't be buying these any time soon.

Have you tried any of these products?

Earrings Storage

If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen me post this baby a few days ago. I have been searching for the perfect way to store my earrings for some time now, as I always lose one or I forget what I have, or they generally just go astray. I think I finally may have come up with an easy, compact and dust free way to store my earrings! This beautiful Copper Glass Box is from H&M and I just adore it. It's £9.99 and you can find it HERE. I've teamed it up with these beautiful recycled earring cards which are mini enough to store a lot in one box. I bought a pack of 50 for £4.59, but they also offer them in 20's and for the die-hard earring collector, in packs of 100. They also come in white but I love the recycled card effect. You can find these HERE. This beautiful box now sits proudly on top of my chest of drawers looking super swish. I'm so pleased with it and hopefully I'll be able to find all my earrings now!

How do you store your earrings?

Nip + Fab Gylcolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads

Oh, there's so much I could say about these little beauties, but I'll try and keep it short and sweet. Months ago in a Christmas present, I received a sample size of these pads and fell in love with them instantly. I don't have, spotty skin, just slightly uneven and around my hairline it my skin feels a little bit bumpy. These pads do absolute wonders for resurfacing my skin - they contain a mix of Glycolic acid, Hyaluronic acid, and blue daisy. With all the acids I did expect them to sting - but they feel so gentle on my skin and it's definitely looking better for it. I use just one at night, (my skin is a bit temperamental so I don't use in the morning) after cleansing but before moisturising - and they make my skin feel so fresh the next day, and slowly but surely, my skin is feeling smoother, and all those horrible little bumpy bits that aren't really spots but never seem to go away - are actually going away. I feel its very rare for me to find a product that actually works but I'm going to say it - HOLY GRAIL PRODUCT. These cost £12.99 for 60 pads so if like me, you only use once a day; that's £6 a month, which I feel is well worth it. Boots and various other places sell these, but so do the supermarkets, who tend to have them on offer so its worth looking out for them.

Meet my new kitten!

Eeek! Meet my beautiful new kitten! I've been dying to show you all for ages but she started off a little camera shy but now she loves her picture being taken. We've named her Penny, and she's an adorable fluffy ball of playful fun. We got her at 9 weeks old and she wouldn't come near us for the first two days as she was having a little bit of a hard time adjusting to her new home. After that she was running around like a maniac and now at 15 weeks old she's a cheeky little monkey! My instagram and snapchat is just now filled with cat related things. She gets a little bit jealous when my boyfriend is round but once she has me all to herself again she's super happy. She's just so adorable!

A Collective Boots, Accessorize and Superdrug Haul

Ohhh I went shopping. I told myself I wouldn't but I did it anyway! I popped into town to buy a kimono and came back with these. I really should learn to focus on what I go into town for...

So I finally bought Indeed Hydraluron's Moisture Booster. Now this is an absolute bargain alert at the moment! Boots have this at a third off, and the kind lady behind the counter informed me there was also a £5 off voucher in the Boots magazine, and she proceeded to cut it out for me at the counter. This retails normally at £25, so to get it for around £13.. dreamy. I HAD to buy. Had to. I'm going to test it for a month and review it after that (even though it has been reviewed to death, I'm going to add one more to the collection.) If you are thinking of trying this, now is definitely the time to, I don't think it will ever be any cheaper!

I also popped into Accessorize and bought some earrings. I have a habit of losing earrings so for me, the cheaper the better. I'm really into my semi-precious gems at the moment and I think these worked out at £2 each after discount. I also picked up the bracelet as I quite like that matte gold style jewellery, and I don't have any chunky bracelets. This was £4 after discount.

In Superdrug, I bought my usual pair of eyelashes as Ardell are by far the best brand I have come across so far. I also picked up these two MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers in Halycon (left) and Tranquillity. I previously bought a red version of this and loved it, and these two didn't have testers out so I just bought both, obviously. They are only £3 each so I've justified it in my head as a bargain. Would you like some swatches of these? Let me know!

I also picked up the new Tresemme Renewal hair and scalp tonic. I've thought it might be nice to try a bit of scalp TLC, and this is a leave in product. This normally retails at £5.49, but was on offer for just £2.73. Would any of you like a review of this product? 

Two days later and I'm still feeling rather pleased with myself for these purchases. Money well spent! 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think of them?

Products I've Used Up #5

Oh, empty products. I once begun a quest to get through all my half used products, because 90% of my room is beauty products, and the other 10% is candles (but that's another story). I started to do so well, and then went completely off the rails and bought everything under the sun and now I'm slowly being buried in cosmetics again. So I'm making a promise to myself to plough through the half used shampoos and the lifetime supply of shower gel that I have...

So I've managed to get through a few products so far, and I'd like to share my views on them with you. So the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution is one of my regulars, I've gotten through about three bottles. It's great on my sensitive skin, effectively removes makeup and I even use it to clean my brushes when I'm in a hurry. I'm currently giving the Garnier Micellar Water a go because it was on offer, but the L'Oreal definitely has a spot in my heart. I've finally gotten through the Boots Coconut and Almond Leave in Conditioner, which felt like I had for an absolute age. It didnt' really do a huge amount for my super dry over-processed hair, but for normal hair it would probably be great. I've also used up my The Body Shop Blueberry shower gel, which I absolutely adored. It's a limited edition but I believe you can still buy it. The Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex mascara I got as a freebie if you spent over a certain amount. At first I didn't like it, but as I find with most mascaras, once they start to dry up a bit they are much better. I don't normally like big brushes but this one was fantastic. Once I've gotten through my other mascaras I might buy this one again.

The Yes to Cucumbers Colour Care shampoo I bought for a bargain price in TK Maxx. I didn't really rate it if I'm honest. I didn't notice it prolonged my hair colour and I found I had to wash two or three times to remove products. I probably wouldn't buy this again, but I would like to try other products from the 'yes to' brand. The Nip + Fab Detox Blend bath soak is my favourite product from my empties. I again bought this in TK Maxx and I went back and bought another one because it was so good. It smelt like green tea and jasmine and genuinely did relax me. I would definitely buy this one again and again! I also did like the Baylis & Harding rose, ylang ylang and patchouli bath milk too. This had a very subtle scent and make my skin feel nice and soft. Lastly, another Nip + Fab product, the Spiced Apple body butter. This was part of a Christmas set and it was the best body butter I've ever used. It sank into my skin instantly without leaving me feeling greasy. I think the scent is a limited edition but I would definitely buy their body butters again. Maybe next Christmas they will run this scent again!

Have you tried any of these products? What are you used products this month?

NOTD #4: Stiletto Nails

I've been gone a looong time. I'm back now though! I've had a little re-design of the blog to try and make it a bit cleaner. Let me know what you think!

I've been swooning over stiletto nails for some time now, ever since I saw them on Lana Del Rey and I filled my Pinterest Style board with images of her and her nails. This mild obsession meant that I MUST have stiletto nails that I can call my own. I'm not a huge fan of acrylics, for me they are a little bit permanent, so I searched my faithful friend Ebay and bagged these babies for an absolute bargain. These I believe are a medium length, and they came in two colour options of natural and clear. I opted for the natural - no particular reason, I wasn't sure there was a huge difference between the two. I've painted mine with Ciate's Cutie Pie.

I think Stiletto nails have a lovely elegance about them and they certainly make a statement! However, I'm not used to having such long nails so for me typing (and basically everything else too) was certainly a challenge. I had mine on for about three days, specifically for a night out, and after that I snapped them all off. I would wear these again though! I'm sure with some time I would get used to them, because they look so good.

I purchased mine from HERE in the teeny pack of 24 for £3.29 (One wear, just lots of different nail sizes). I think I'll be buying the larger pack though!

Do you like Stiletto nails? How would you wear them?

NOTD: Essie Top Coat in A Cut Above

Ooooh glitter. The light is terribly bad in my house, and its dark outside so I haven't captured the true beauty of this polish. I saw a pinterest of rose gold glitter nails ages ago, and just knew I had to have something similar. When I was in Boots last I saw this new Essie shade (I think it's new?) and I grabbed it and I'm glad I did. The top coat is quite sparse and to get a full coat I used about four shades, so it does take a little bit of patience, but it really pays off. Its the perfect colour to team up with winter colours (looks great with a khaki jumper!) and is even better for the party season. The light reflects perfectly off the particles and gives an amazing shine. When it says 'multi dimensional', it really means it!

NOTD #3: Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Crush

Oh I have a love affair for matte nail varnishes, and until very recently, did not own a single one. And then Barry M released a small line of matte shades, and I snapped up two. I think there are four in total but I chose the best two. I chose a matte grey/neutral shade, and this baby - a deep vampy red that I am super excited about. It's such a gorgeous red, in some lights it can look almost black, and its the perfect colour for autumn/winter/Halloween/Christmas/whenever you are feeling it. I would love to say it is the easiest to apply - but it isn't. Matte shades are not forgiving when you have a wobbly hand and the lines will show up as you can see on my imperfect set. This in daylight won't look too bad, but on camera it shows up a hell of a lot! It definitely needs two coats as well to perfect the gorgeous shade. When I first applied it, it came out a really shiny colour and I was convinced it wasn't going to go matte. Shame on my impatience, a couple of minutes in and it goes a lovely texture which I have been loving. I definitely recommend this varnish for those who love a good red, and have a steady hand.

COMING UP SOON: Budget Halloween Makeup!

Empties #4

Woooo I have lots of empties again. I have been trying to narrow down my collection of half used beauty items by attempting to use up everything that I've got, but as you can probably tell from my most recent hauls I'm not really doing very well with narrowing down my collection! I've managed to use up a mini Aussie conditioner, although this used to work for my hair, it doesn't so much now as now my hair is much longer it has the tendency to tangle, and this doesn't cut it anymore, I used it anyway! Make up wise, I've gotten through an entire Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, and I've already bought another one because as you are all well aware, its such a fantastic foundation and I use it every day to spare my eye wateringly pricey ones. I also used up a Benefit They're Real! mascara, although I can't tell if I used it all or if it dried up really quickly. I did quite like it although the brush was a little spiky for my liking and I always ended up poking myself in the eye with it. I didn't review it as there was so much hype surrounding it already, I thought you guys would of heard enough about it without me putting my two cents in. I also got through yet another Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, and yes of course I bought another one! I love love love this concealer as it covers my super dark circles that nothing else seems to touch. I got through a mini Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference serum for combination skin, although this didn't take long as it was such a tiny little tube. I did like it but I don't think I liked it enough to buy a full size, for now anyway..

I absolutely loved this Avon Anew Line Corrector, I don't think I'm really at that stage where I have enough lines to correct, but it did make my skin feel super soft, but for the price of it, it wasn't mind-blowing enough for me to grab another one. However, I won't forget about you Avon! The Body Shop Dry Oil in Shea is a multi-use tool and can be used for pretty much everything, however I solely use it for shaving my legs. It gets amazing close shave, leaves my legs feeling super soft and the razors last longer because of the oil. I will be grabbing another one of these when I remember to!

I've been trying to get through all my half used shampoos and shower gels. Bed Head's superstar shampoo gives such good volume and it smells like strawberry sweets, and I'm a little bit sad to see it empty. You get a huge amount for the money though and a little definitely goes a long way, so I may have a little splurge once I've gotten through my others. I also used up a mini Rehab shampoo by Lush. I didn't really feel like this did anything for my hair, but I did love the smell of it, but I don't think that's enough for me to part with my pennies. Sorry Lush! Of course I've gotten through another Batiste cherry dry shampoo - the cherry is my favourite scent at the moment and I'm dying to try the new oriental one. I've also finished my Bed Head Health Goddess detangling spray, which I did absolutely adore but its discontinued now, waaa. Lastly, I finished up my Original Source Lime shower gel, which smelt like sweet limes and I think its a definite dupe for everyone's favourite Soap and Glory Product! If I could recommend one product out of these for you to try, it would definitely be the shower gel, who doesn't want to smell like a zingy lime?

Lips of the Day #7: Rimmel Kate Moss in 107

So in my most recent haul, I finally picked up a Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick. I've heard amazing things about the Lasting Finish Matte range, so naturally I went for the most beautiful red. I can't figure out if I love this lipstick. I LOVE the finish, the colour isn't as deep as I would of liked, but it has wonderful blue tones that make your teeth sparkly white, and I can definitely get along with that. The lipstick has amazing staying power and glides on the lips so easily that application takes seconds. I enjoy the packaging too, it feels nice in your hand (is that a weird thing to say?!) and is sturdy enough to not open itself in your handbag. The lipstick has a smell to it, its kind of sweet, and I do like the smell, but I don't like it in a lipstick, and I notice it for ages after application. This is an easy red that anyone can get along with though, and I think that explains it's popularity, and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

A Boots and Superdrug Haul

What's wrong with me? Why do I keep buying things? I popped into town today just to get my eyebrows threaded, and I wanted to nip into Boots just to buy a couple of things. As we all know, one can never just nip into boots and buy a couple of things. Boots had an offer on Rimmel products where if  you spent £10, you got a free mascara. I've been eyeing up the Kate Moss lipsticks for so long now, I felt like it was about time I chose one, and of course, I chose a red, because it's pretty much all I wear in the winter. And then I saw the new Stay Matte foundation, and the rest is history. I haven't used  the Natural Collection Peach Melba blusher since I was 16, so I bought it again to relive my youth in a very rock and roll style. I've seen some fantastic reviews on the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint and I'm rather hoping it is a good high street dupe of Benefit's Boi-ing concealer, so we shall see!

I bought my usual eyelashes, because they were on my list, and I bought a couple of Toni and Guy mini's because I'm away from home at the end of October and I didn't fancy taking a separate bag for all my full size products. And then everything got a bit crazy, and I bought the new MUA ever after palette, because the it occurred to me that I don't have an eyeshadow palette, and that it must be corrected immediately. I also saw the new Barry M matte nail paints and I think I chose the best two colours. I also ended up with another Real Techniques brush, they just seem to jump in my basket. I'm really sorry bank balance, I hope we can still be friends.

OOTD: Godinton House & Gardens

Purl-knit Jumper - H&M / Leggings - Topshop / Bag - H&M / Necklace - Vintage / Ring - H&M

Boots - New Look / Lipstick - Smooch in Deadly Nightshade

So I went to Godinton House & Gardens today with my mother and some friends, and it was lovely and interesting, even if my miserable face doesn't say so haha. I've never done an outfit of the day before but I thought I would give it a go. This is my super high street outfit, with a super baggy slouchy jumper that is a mix of green, gold and black and grey. I really love it! Teamed with some comfy leggings and ankle boots and chunky gold jewellery. I'm sure with time I'll get better at these outfit posts, and not look so unhappy in them...

Godinton House is a beautiful manor hidden away in Kent, with some seriously amazing interior design that dates back to the 1600's, and visits from famous figures such as Jane Austen and Baroness Thatcher. Due to the delicate nature of most of the paintings, oak carvings and furniture, photography inside is strictly forbidden which is a terrible shame. If you are from Kent or visiting the area, I would highly recommend a visit, as a guided tour around the house is a mere £8. Today was the last day for visiting this year, so if you are keen, you will have to wait a few months until they re-open! My favourite room was the oriental room, which I will leave to your imagination...

Food Shopping Gone Wrong

So I went food shopping today, and apparently I can't even buy food without ending up spending lots of time along the beauty isles. It turns out that Tesco have some really great offers, and I'm a sucker..

I've been needing some new moisturiser as my skin is slowly turning into 'mid twenties skin' and I'm getting those dreaded fine lines around the eyes that we all have but are ignoring the existence of. I saw this Q10 anti-ageing day cream on a half price offer for £4.99, so I couldn't help myself, I bought it. Nivea just does things to my skin that no other brand has really been able to live up to. I think we're soul mates. I got so excited by the half price offer that I bought a regenerating night cream too because it was only £1.99 and quite frankly, it would of been rude not to. I absolutely adore the St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub and I realised I didn't have one in my travel bag, so I just had to buy one, because apparently I can't control myself when shopping..

And then we come to my greatest purchase of the month. At the beginning of October I realise this isn't the greatest deal, but I was browsing the magazines and Cosmo had the St Tropez wash off tan lotion mini as their freebie this month, so I put it in my basket. And then I wheeled my trolley around to the beauty clearance section, and came across the FULL SIZE St Tropez Instant Wash off Glow lotion for a mere £3. Yes, THREE POUNDS. I wish I'd bought two now, I'm just as pleased as punch to have found the bargain of the century. I didn't really buy any food apart from some Jelly tots and popcorn. I'm a great adult.

Favourite Things

Every now and again I use things that I get quite attached to, and I call these beauties my favourites. Lush's space girl is one of my favourite bath bombs, and they've recently changed the glitter on top to a biodegradable glitter, so they've covered it in the stuff. It still has the most amazing smell and makes the water a gorgeous purple colour, and so when I went to Lush last, I ended up buying four of these. Oops! Whilst I was there, I picked up Whoosh Shower Jelly, because it smells like grapefruit and its really fun to play with. Maybe in love with it a little bit?

I had a bit of a high end shop and grabbed myself the Le Volume De Chanel mascara because it does give the most incredible volume to the lashes. I went to the hairdressers and wore it, and had three separate women there compliment me on my lashes, so I think I'll be sticking with this one for a while. On the same shopping trip, I bought this matte Mac lipstick in honey love as I've got a massive girl crush on Lana Del Rey and I wanted a neutral lipstick so I could look as perfect as her. The lipstick is perfect but the rest hasn't quite caught up yet...

It might be a bit odd to put a toothpaste in a favourites, but I bloody love this one if I may say so. I really hate strong toothpastes that burn your mouth, but the Oral B 3D White has the perfect amount of mint, and it has lifted quite a few stains from my teeth. Good job Oral-B! Whilst upon my high end haul I picked up the Aveda Damage Remedy conditioner, which I have had before and it rescued me from two years of hardcore hair bleaching, and my hair is feeling a little worse for wear lately, so I have high hopes of this giving me Rapunzel hair. My skin hasn't been so great either, I go through oily phases, so this little sample size of Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion (what a mouthful) is light enough to hydrate but not break me out. I have a feeling that a few of these products will be my friends for life...

Along Came Betty Pure Pores Detox Mask

I'm a bit of a sucker for this brand, the girly packaging and fun names really draw me in, not to mention the super budget price. Along Came Betty, a Tesco exclusive brand, have an impressive range of body and skincare products that are inspired by 1950's movie stars which is definitely reflected in the kitsch names and packaging. I picked this up on a special offer for about £3.50, otherwise full price it is a bargainous £5.50. It promises to target 'greasy, spot prone areas and purify the t-zone' for the ultimate deep cleanse. I really like this product, for its simplicity, it promises just to give your face a good old-fashioned clean and help those with oilier skin types. I have a bit more of a combination skin and I find this doesn't dry me out in the slightest, and just makes my face feel so smooth and clean after using. You can leave this on for five minutes for a quickie, or for 15 for a pamper. Its not going to shrink your pores, but then it doesn't promise to, but it does promise to give a deep cleanse, and that's exactly what it does. I love the fact it comes in a pot too, its so easy to use, and it smells fantastic. If you are on a bit of a budget and want something to spoil yourself with, this is definitely it, I've had better results with this than some masks that are twice the price. This one's a keeper!

Tonsilectomy & H&M Haul

It's been another few weeks since I posted, I am struggling to get on top of my time management! I've recently had a tonsillectomy and I'm in recovery at the moment. Tonsillectomies in adults are slightly more complex than in children, and I must admit it has been the most painful experience of my life! If people are interested I may write a post on my time in surgery & post-op. So I've spent a huge amount of time catching up on sleep and flicking through every online retailer I could think of. Turns out the 25% off one item code and the £5 off code are still working on H&M, so decided to order some knits for the winter and some other items, and seeing as I can't do any real posts yet, I wanted to show you all what I bought.

I went for some real neutral colours that reminded me of All Saints, that I can mix up with some real deep berry lipsticks and chunky gold jewellery. I loved the blouse (you can never have too many blouses) and the trousers really got my attention as I'd love to mix up some tailoring in my clothing. And the ring was £3 in the sale, it would of been rude not to!

The codes are - 0747 for 25% off and expires on the 27/09/13 and 1304 for £5 off. Happy shopping!

H&M Biker Jacket & Voucher Codes

I passed my Masters degree! Woooo congratulations to me, looks like I'll be having a second graduation day next year! To celebrate I bought myself a sneaky new purchase. My Camel wool blazer is starting to look a little worse for wear, not to mention the fact that camel is really not an in colour this season, so its time I bought a new jacket. There are loooads of super nice jackets about but I've been toying with the idea of a biker style jacket for a while now, but every time I put on leather I just end up looking like a three piece sofa. Not a great look unless you're actually a sofa. So I came across this jacket from H&M (I am loving their new collection by the way!) and it has just the perfect leather to wool blend ratio. So I've bought it - its not arrived yet, but I just couldn't wait to show you all. I am just loving that side zip and the leather lapels. Oh I can't wait for this baby to arrive.

This jacket, full price, is £34.99, which at that price, I think its a very good one to pay. I'm still in student mode and therefore looking for a bargain whenever I buy anything, and I came across two voucher codes. Turns out on H&M online you can use a maximum of two voucher codes in one transaction - so I used one that gives you £5 off, and another that gives a further 25% off, so it total with postage, I paid a mere £25.14. Now that's the bargain I'm looking for.

I can't recall the expiry of these codes but I'm pretty sure they are good until October - so if you are buying anything from H&M, don't forget to whack in these codes: 1304 and 0560. Beware though, you may have to have severe restraint when ordering, there are too many nice things to choose from.

NOTD #2: Essie Nail Lacquer in Waltz

I feel like I've been away for forever...Hello again! As it probably became clear, I took a little break from blogging. Life got seriously busy - I finished my MA last week and wanted to really focus all my efforts on the exhibition and my last assessment. I didn't make an announcement because I was hoping to be able to blog in between it all - but it didn't really happen. Oops. I'm back now, I've been missing writing and I'm going straight in with a nails of  the day post. These nails are the nails I wore to the private viewing of my exhibition - I went for a very monochrome look with a classic LBD and minimal jewellery, teamed up with this lovely white nail varnish. 

I loved this colour but it took four coats to get a solid white - not for the faint hearted or those without patience. This was also one of my Fragrance direct purchases from a while ago; £1.99 well spent, I think!