Penny Pinching Fashion

We all love to keep our wardrobes updated with the latest trends and key pieces, but the fast-fashion culture in which we live today doesn't make things easy for us. No sooner have you bought the latest studded pumps or dip-dyed shorts, than things have moved on, and the shops are full of collar-tip blouses and spiked jewellery. Keeping up can be a pricey endeavour, and given the current state of the economy and our need to save pennies for our futures, we can find ourselves missing out on some of our favourite finds, and with dangerously low bank balances to boot.

Luckily for us, there are some fantastic websites online which can help us to get the best of both worlds - a full wardrobe and some cash left over for other expenses and plans. So, where can you find these wonderfully helpful sites? Well, I'm about to show you.

Fashion Vouchers

Fashion Vouchers is a relatively new website which boasts a vast array of vouchers and deals for some of the best high street and online stores out there. If you enjoy shopping at the likes of Oasis, Missguided, My Wardrobe or Motel Rocks (to name but a few) then this site could end up saving you huge amounts on your shopping trips, with current offers including :

·         10% off all UK orders from Urban Outfitters

·         25% off Motel Rocks exclusives

·         £10 off your first order over £30 from In Love With Fashion

·         20% off full price dresses from Oasis

Just pop onto the website and grab the relevant voucher codes, and these great deals are all yours for the taking.

                                                                  Big Wardrobe

You’ve all heard of the concept of gathering together all your unloved clothing and accessories and swapping them with your friends, for great new outfits without spending a penny. Well, Big Wardrobe offers just that, only with a huge database of others users for you to exchange your items with, as well as buying and selling! The best thing about this is that you can often exchange your unwanted bits for designer and high street pieces from all over the world, meaning that you can stock your wardrobe with unique pieces that you are unlikely to see anyone else wearing nearby!

Buyosphere

This site offers a personal shopper-type service, finding you your favourite pieces at the lowest prices. Want a studded-collar blouse or a gorgeous pair of mint high-waisted shorts? This site does the work for you.

Shoeaholics

For any self-respecting shoe lovers out there,  Shoeaholics is a godsend. With great deals and discounts on branded shoes,  you can scout out some real bargains, and what’s not to love about gorgeous shoes and money left over to take them out for the night and show them off?

Girl Meets Dress

A great site for those of you with expensive tastes but who resent paying the price-tags, Girl Meets Dress enables you to feel like a star for the night without the financial commitment. With top designer names such as Miu Miu and Stella McCartney,  you can hire a beautiful dress for a special occasion and return it the next day, with no harm done to your bank balance.

Ebay (UK)

I think we are all well aware of Ebay by now. Still one of the best sites I’ve come across for bagging a bargain, you can find all manner of designer and high street brands going cheap. You may find that you need to spend a bit of time searching in order to find a worthwhile purchase, but if you are a savvy bidder then you can get your hands on some amazing items at great prices.

Boohoo

Boohoo is great for stocking up on fast fashion pieces, and is updated with new and exciting items on a daily basis.  Think of a trend, and you will almost certainly find an array of affordable examples to choose from, with prices beating the majority of the most popular high-street shops hands down.

So there you have it – my pick of the best money-saving websites out there for fashion lovers like myself! I really do think that these sites can make a huge difference to our spending habits when used wisely. Sometimes, we needlessly spend above and beyond what is necessary to get the looks we want, but have you ever stopped to think about what you could be doing with the extra money instead? Personally, I’m a bit of a travel junkie, so while I love to keep my wardrobe full to bursting with gorgeous clothes and accessories, I don’t want it to be the only thing I have going for me in my life! Besides, what’s the point in having all those beautiful pieces if you can’t afford to go out and show them off? Personally, I’m really trying to cut back on my spending this year, and sites like these have made things much easier for me. To keep me motivated,  I’ve set myself a little goal in that every time I save some money, it must be popped into a little ‘travel fund’ I’ve set up, so in the end I am going to have some lovely things to wear and a fantastic reward for my efforts!

Why not set yourself a goal and start putting your spare change aside for something you’d really like to do?

xx

Laura Mercier Cinema Noir Collection A/W 2012

Inspired by the film era of the late 1940s and reminiscent of such big screen icons as Ingrid Bergman, Katherine Hepburn and Rita Hayworth, Cinema Noir is based upon a time where black and white was slowly giving way to colour. Focussing on soft shades and flawless finishes, the collection has a number of sumptuous new products to tempt us with sultry lip shimmers, luxurious nail lacquers and glamorous face powders and eyeshadows.

Shimmer Bloc in Starlet Mosaic

Ground Espresso and Deep Teal Tightline Cake Eyeliners

Eye Colour Duet: Suspense

(There will also be another duet, Mystere, available, featuring a taupe and a midnight blue, which looks really pretty.)

Burgundy Longlash Mascara

Creme Lip Colour in Raspberry Sorbet

(There are also Creme/Shimmer Lip Colours in Passion Fruit, Tea Rose and Fresh Brown).

Nail Lacquers in Cocoa Suede, Organza and Nude Silk

I love the look of the Shimmer Bloc and think it could be the perfect all-in-one bronzing and highlighting product. Actually, this is something I probably would have enjoyed using during the summer months to get that healthy holiday glow, but I'm sure a bit of bronze won't go amiss in the Autumn/Winter when our cheeks have faded to a deathly shade of pasty (pastey? Basically, I'm not talking about the Cornish pastry treat we know and love in the UK!) white.

I'm definitely finding myself intrigued by the burgundy mascara. I don't really know what to expect from it, if I'm honest, but I'm all for trying something a bit different, as so many of the cosmetics that come out these days are a bit samey. Burgundy might perhaps make for a dramatic evening look....or 'been punched in the face chic' if it decides to rain when I'm wearing it. Let's be honest, that's quite likely in our delightful climes. Either way, I am looking forward to giving it a try, and if I do so happen to end up looking like I've been on the wrong end of someone's fist then I will just have to find a way to make it work for me. Fashion is all about making statements these days, no?

I will probably also be slipping the Tightline Cake Liner in Deep Teal into my online shopping basket, though knowing me, this will be indecisively emptied and refilled several times before I finally actually give in and  make the purchase. it's a battle of wills. My wallet almost always loses in the end.

I like the look of Raspberry Sorbet, being a fan of a good berry lip in the Winter. In terms of the Eye Colour Duos, as I mentioned before, I am way too indecisive to choose just two shades, so I think I'll be sticking to bigger palettes which provide me with an array of shades, although I'm sure these little beauties will be perfect for some of you to slip into your handbags for day-time touch-ups or nights out.

All in all, I think I like the glamorous air this little lot gives off, and some of these will definitely be making an appearance on my Christmas list if I am still grappling with my online basket by then.

The collection is now available from Space NK, Harvey Nicholls, Selfridges and other departement stores.

What do you think of Cinema Noir? Have you seen anything that is very much your cup of tea?

xx

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain: Rendezvous

I'm sure you've all heard about these little beauties by now.
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains had a lot to live up to, following the raging success of their cousins, the infamous Revlon Lip Butters. As I have said before on my blog, such was the hype surrounding the Lip Butters that I almost didn't want to like them, but alas, I just couldn't resist their charms, and to be honest, I think few people could. So after having been won over by them and by Revlon's Photoready foundation, I was very much looking forward to the release of these chunky pencils, although, never having purchased a similar product, I wasn't sure what to expect.
The Balm Stains have a smooth, slightly waxy texture, and require some pressure when being applied, but for me, the fact that they are not too slippery bodes well in terms of staying power. I find it easy to get an even colour all over my lips, and I like that I don't need to be as meticulous with this as I might a lipstick, with which any little mistake is glaringly obvious. Another definite bonus is the lack of sharpening required as the product wears down, thanks to it's handy 'twist up' mechanism.
So, onto the shade I chose.
Being a huge fan of orange lip colours, Rendezvous was the obvious choice for me (although I now wish I had picked up several of the other shades too!). It's a juicy tangerine shade, a true orange with no pink, red or coral undertones, and while that might sound scary to some of you, it's actually incredibly wearable. It's not just because I personally enjoying using these sorts of shades, either - I can honestly say that this, out of all the orange lip colours I have ever tried, is by far the easiest to pull off. If you have never tried anything similar, why not take the plunge and give it a go? Applying a light layer leaves you with a pretty orange sheen, whereas a bolder look can be achieved with a second. I'd say that pigmentation is pretty good, though it's definitely buildable.

- I'm afraid these photographs haven't really captured the true colour very well, but I decided to include them anyway because I always prefer to see them in reviews. Rendezvous is really much more, well, orange than it looks here, and as I mentioned, not at all red. - 

I have actually heard that, out of all the colours available, Rendezvous has the least staying power, but not having tried any of the others, I can't really comment on that. What I can say, however, is that regardless of this, I have been extremely impressed. I have never, in my life, found a lip product that stays on my lips for more than about ten minutes! I don't know why that is, but I tend to apply one, have a drink, and that's it - gone. And yes, even the most long-wearing lipsticks and stains are included in this. I do have a Topshop Lip Marker which is able to stand the test of time to some extent, but I must say, it does not fade evenly at all and leaves my lips looking patchy.

So imagine my delight when I tried this little treat out for the first time, went about my daily business, hadlunch, and then looked in the mirror to find that it had stayed put! Yes, admittedly it had faded to some degree, but not really much - and even better, my lips were still a lovely, even colour! 

Now, while these are 'balms' as well as stains, I wouldn't say that they are hugely moisturising, but then they are certainly not drying either. However, as with every lip product, I would recommend giving your lips a good exfoliate prior to application to achieve the best results. If you already have dry patches then they are going to show up, but I have yet to find a lip product with which this is not the case.

One more thing to mention is that these pencils do have a light, minty scent, which for me is not a problem at all and is actually rather pleasant, but if any of you dislike scented products then this mightn't be your cup of tea. Maybe this is childish of me though, but I would have quite liked it if the pencils had had fruity scents, as I always enjoy those.

So, as you have probably gathered, I am really enjoying using this product, and it has barely been off my lips since I got it! I will definitely be buying some more, although I think that Rendezvous is going to remain my favourite shade. Revlon really have come up trumps here again, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next!

A little summary of the main points mentioned for you:

• Good staying power
• Fades evenly
• Reasonably moisturising, though not hugely so
• Pigmented but buildable
• Handy twist-up mechanism
• Light minty scent

So I hope you enjoyed reading, and that perhaps if you have been on the fence or hesitating about trying these then this might have helped you make your mind up!

If you have tried the Balm Stains, what did you think?

Happy Friday! :)

xx

Weekend Wishlist

So, I hope you can forgive me for not providing the direct links and the prices for this week's Wishlist. The reason for this is that my internet is playing up yet AGAIN, but I won't go into the boring details too much as you've heard it all before. All I will say is that I have extremely limited connectivity that keeps cutting out, making it very difficult to put together a  post for you at all. To make things easier, I have chosen all of this week's must haves from Topshop, so if you head over to the new in section then you should be able to find all of these lovely bits, bar the Ren face masks, which you can track down over at Ren's own site, here.

I'm finding that my Wishlists have become a bit of a mad mix over the past week or two, as while I am still busy lusting after pretty Summer pieces, the Autumn/Winter trends currently hitting the shops combined with the rubbish weather have got me also eyeing up some cosy jumpers and printed jeans to snuggle up in. I love these dusky pink heart-print jeans, and think they would look great now with white basics and sandals, continuing on into the Autumn and Winter with cosy knits and boots. Speaking of cosy knits, I'm a little bit in love with this lovely pony-print jumper. It does actually look quite thin though, again making it a versatile piece  suitable for year-round wear.

Topshop have got some gorgeous new nail polishes in at the moment, including this Crackle Topcoat in Black Dynamite, and the beautiful lilac/purple glitter polish in 'Firework'. But my favourite find of the week is, without a doubt, these gorgeous studded leopard-print shoe-boots. You can't actually see the stud detail very well in the picture, but if you look closely then you will see them decorating the toe area. I love a good statement boot, and live for them in the Winter when clothes tend to be from a darker colour palette, as they can be a fantastic way to brighten things up a bit and add interest to an otherwise basic outfit.

I am absolutely itching to try both of these Ren facemasks, as lately I have been really enjoying having a bit of pamper time, but as I mentioned in this month's Beauty SOS, I am yet to find the perfect product for my skin. Really, I am looking for both a clay mask to combat any oiliness and clear up blemishes (I don't get many, but my skin has been misbehaving a little bit recently) and a lovely, luxuriously moisturising one just for a treat. I have been hearing whispers about Ren's masks for a while now, and one of you recommended I try the Invisible Pores Detox Mask, but while having a browse on their website, the Glycolactic Radiance Mask also caught my eye. So there you go, call me greedy but I want them both!

I just would like to say in advance that I don't think I'll be doing a 'Week in Pictures' post this Sunday, as it takes a bit of work to edit and put the photographs together, and obviously with my current internet woes this would prove quite difficult. Instead, I'll be posting a couple of other things I had already prepared for other days, and then maybe next week when I have got things sorted I will be able to get the missing post up. You will still be hearing from me on a daily basis though, as luckily I have been very organised this week and written lots of posts in advance, so I will be able to just publish those from my phone.

Hope you've had a great week and are enjoying a weekend of relaxation and release.

Have you been watching the Olympics?

What's on your Wishlist this week?

xx

Friday Finds (#6)

                                                                    Chelsea Doll

It's Friday, huzzah. This week's vast array of beautiful accessories come not from Etsy, but courtesy of Chelsea Doll, an online treasure trove of kitsch delights.
Chelsea Doll has actually been open for business since 2009, but with smaller online stores it is often word of mouth that spreads news of them, so if you don't happen to come into contact with someone who has bought something from them, or if you are not the sort of person who scours Google for new finds, then you might well miss out on some lovely treats. Personally, I stumbled upon Chelsea Doll only recently, and I liked their pieces so much that I thought it only fair I share them with you!

I would just like to point out here that I am not affiliated with this brand in any way - I am sharing purely because I think you will enjoy having a browse!

Chelsea Doll Jewellery prices range from about £10-£15, with bags starting at £15, so they are affordable but not dirt cheap. I particularly love their selection of collar and spike necklaces and animal-themed jewellery. I can't decide whether I love or hate that theatrical mask ring - it's so pretty, but at the same time it freaks me out a bit! If it's not your cup of tea then the website has an amazing selection of quirky rings, featuring elephants, skulls, peacocks, rabbits, anchors...you name it. Here are a few of my favourites:

How precious is that hedgehog one? I love it.

If you haven't yet had the pleasure of shopping at Chelsea Doll then you can find their website here.

Where do you buy your jewellery and accessories? Have you discovered any hidden treasures lately?

Beauty SOS! (August)

- Just a random Instagram of me from last week - I feel like I haven't shown my face on here for a while and I think it's sometimes nice to put a face to the name behind the blog! - 

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the Olympics! I know I am, which is saying a lot considering my lack of enthusiasm in the lead up to the games. I think it had just been so long since the last one that I had forgotten about the adrenaline of it all, and it's actually proved to be a source of much 'friendly banter' between the hubby and I, who, if you didn't know, is Brazilian. When I say friendly banter, I mean we have been winding each other up something rotten. I got a bit too big for my boots and came over all smug during the GB/Brazil basketball game on Tuesday as it genuinely seemed like we were going to win, and he is always going on about how much better Brazil are at all sports than we are. Imagine my surprise, then, when Brazil made a comeback and managed to pip us to the post in the last quarter. Cue much word-eating for me. However, this was soon rectified when our women's football team panned theirs, although hubby naturally had to put a dampener on it by saying that it 'didn't count because no one cares about women's football', or something equally helpful. Just to clarify though, he is not a horrible person - he just knows exactly what to say to get a reaction out of me, and I always fall for it! Haha.

ANYWAY.

Today is the second instalment of 'Beauty SOS'. If you missed last month's then it's basically a series of posts I am running, where at the beginning of each month, I ask you lovely people for a spot of advice on whatever is troubling me beauty-wise that month., in that I ask for your recommendations of products and tips. I will then share the solutions and tips I have been helpfully given (or have since discovered myself) the following month so that we can all feel smug that we know the answer. For more info, feel free to pop over and have a look at the first Beauty SOS post here.

So, a quick recap of last month's 'issues'. I asked for your wisdom on:

1. Dark circles under the eyes

The lovely Alex over at The Wallflower suggested I try ginseng, although she didn't specify how to use it. Well, I have been taking a multi-vitamin with Panax and Ginseng, and using eye cream religiously, morning and evening, and I have noticed some small improvements. I'm still on the lookout for something else to help with this problem though, so do let me know if you've got any secrets!

2. A good matte bronzer

Lots of you recommended Benefit Hoola and Bourjois Delice de Poudre, so I decided to get myself a Hoola sample in order to try before I buy. Surpisingly, I didn't find this powder to be particularly flattering on my skin tone, which is odd given what a cult product it has become. Weirder still is that Dallas, an unusual sort of plummy-brown shade of powder (also Benefit) which I had previously seen and said I would never buy, has turned out to be a huge winner for me! As I mentioned in my July Favourites post, it's perfect for contouring and looks great alongside the Coralista blush. Some other suggestions were Bare Minerals the Warmth, Bobbi Brown and Nars Laguna, which has LONG been on my wishlist. I WILL get it, eventually!

3. Neutral matte eyeshadows

I have received suggestions of Too Faced Matte Colours Collection and Stila Into the Light for this one, but due to the expensive car troubles I've had this month (which I've already mentioned a million times!) eyeshadows haven't really been my priority when it comes to money. Both have been popped on my shopping list though, so again, I will let you know when I have had a chance to check them out, along with Natural Collection eyeshadows and the MUA Heaven and Earth palette.

4. Blocked pores on my nose.

Alice, one of my lovely readers, suggested that I try Montagne Jeunesse Charcoal Pore Strips, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find them anywhere near me. Alex recommended that I try a homemade baking soda and orange juice scrub, which I had completely forgotten about until now, so I will endeavour to try that out and let you know my thoughts. What I have been doing at home though, is  paying more attention to the area when exfoliating, and use my Caudalie Beauty Elixir after cleansing, and this does seem to have helped a bit. Benefit's The Porefessional also goes onto the area before my foundation, and while it doesn't solve the root of the problem, it does help with the appearance.

Please do head over to the first Beauty SOS post (linked above) and have a read through all the helpful comments my wonderful readers have left. If you are troubled with any of the above then you may well find yourself a solution, although I have tried to summarise all that was mentioned here.

So, onto this month's beauty emergencies!

1. A good clay face mask.

I've noticed that my T-zone has started to become a little oily of late, particularly my forehead, and I seem to have been getting a few more blemishes too :( So I would like a good clay-based face mask that is worth the money it costs.

2. A moisturising face mask.

I'm after a really luxurious one that doesn't cost the earth and will really quench my skin's thirst.

3. Something to banish dry lips once and for all!

Self explanatory really. If you know of any innovative new products then please do let me know in the comments below.

4. An amazing deep conditionng hair mask.

One that truly does the job and doesn't just 'coat' the hair to create the illusion.

That's it for this month, please share your wisdom if you feel that you have some on any of these topics, and if there is anything I could help you with in return then please feel free to ask!

Our car is finally, FINALLY fixed, so we are going on a little impromptu day out today, although we are not sure where yet. It's lovely and sunny, so I'll be sure to take lots of photos to share with you later.
Glad to see that we have won a couple of gold Olympic medals since I first wrote this post! Let's hope there are more to come today.

Hope you're having a lovely day!

xx

August Agenda

I absolutely cannot believe that today is 1st August! It is freaking me out how quickly this year is going, it's almost time to start thinking about Christmas again already! Too early to start compiling my Christmas Wishlist!? No, never! Just as well really, as I actually do have a bit of a mental one going on in my head already! 

Anyway, being the first of the month, it's time to dust off July's Agenda and see how I did with my little tasks, and also to set some new ones for the coming month.

So, here were the things I had hoped to achieve in the month of July:

1. Learn to do a fish-tail plait/braid.

Mission accomplished. I actually did this one on the same day as I put up the post. Check me out, being all organised and one step ahead. You'd think that boded well for the rest of the month, wouldn't you? Yeah.....

2. Bake Macaroons and Slutty Brownies.

Fail. And this one isn't even a chore! To be honest, I think the fact that my husband's family fed us so much cake when we went to stay with them kind of put me off a bit - I literally felt sick by the time we left to come home! And I've also been ill three times this month. Maybe next time!?

3. Save my pennies.

Well. Isn't that ironic. I did indeed save as many pennies as I possibly could this month.....and then, as many of you will already know, my car essentially died and cost me a LOT more than the pittence I had saved. So actually, it was like I took this task...and achieved the complete opposite. Yay. Oh well, not to worry -  apparently I (and most of the other #bbloggers on Twitter) have won a small fortune on the South African lottery without even playing it, so all our financial problems are soon to be a thing of the past! 

(Just in case anyone missed the sarcasm there....yeah, that's what it was).

4. Get away.

I don't think this one needs much of an explanation. It didn't happen!

5. Blog every day.

Huzzah- I'm going to give myself a gold star for this one, as even though I didn't technically blog every single day, the only exceptions were when I was ill and when I was having internet problems, and in spite of this I still finished the month on thirty five posts! Win!

6. Do something crafty.

Well. I cut up an old t-shirt I never wear and made it into something else I will never wear. Does that count?

In my defence, I have ordered some studs from Ebay, so expect to see everything I own, including my dog, covered in those very soon.

So, I scored a grand total of............................2 out of 6. How embarrassing. But do you know what? I'm not really all that bothered, as I feel that I've achieved a lot this month anyway. Blogging as consistently as I have was the most important challenge to me, and I have also managed to get some exercise most days and do some more work on my secret little venture, so I feel quite satisfied in spite of my score for the month!

August's Agenda will be as follows:

1. Plan looooads of extra activities for my classes in advance.

Some of you will know that I teach English as a foreign language, and lessons start again next week. I always try to plan lots of fun activities to keep my pupils' enthusiasm levels up, but often, they only last me until about half way through the term, and then I am desperately looking for more! So this time, I am going to make sure I have more than enough at the ready so that I don't have to stress about it later on.

2. Finish my secret project.

I'm afraid I can't really tell you much about this one until it's ready, but let's just say it is a new little business venture of mine. Hopefully, I will finally be ready to reveal all in next month's recap!

3. Keep up the daily exercise.

Self explanatory, really.

4. Have a nice day out with the hubby!

Again, this one is penny-permitting, but I'm including it anyway as I wish to start the month with optimism!

Just those four for this month I think, as the first two are going to be taking up a lot of my time!

(By the way, the photos in this post are just a couple of my favourite Instagram pics from the past month.)

What tasks and activities have you got planned for yourselves over the coming month? Do you find setting yourselves goals helpful?

xx