FLYING SAUCER

Cute Mittens and Ultimate Nails

It's the time when England is like 'omg snow!!! hellllp' and here in Manchester we only got a dusting overnight, but seriously try living in Sweden where it snowed for three months!!! I just had a look at a folder of photos from Sweden and it's made me a little sad! I'm not sure whether to visit or just keep the nice memories unchanged. Hmmm anyway I don't feel the cold much at all, probably because my whole family slept in the basements of our house when was it guest house until I was about thirteen! I sleep upstairs now that we don't have it anymore but my brothers have the basement floor to themselves and it's like a lair!

I also don't really like being hot and stuffy? In Sweden believe it or not I didn't even have any gloves! Someone told me it would snow for two weeks so I was hopeful it would give up, but there was the most snow for 15 years while I was there!? At work though I've been eyeing up these River Island bear face mittens for weeks and weeks, but I have to dash to work most of the time so never had a chance to get them. By the time the shop started opening later for Christmas, they had sold out! However, like I said a few posts ago, I spotted a random pair last week and reserved them until the end of my shift hehe. I get a bit nervous with gloves that I'll drop my buspass and can't find anything in my bag, but mittens are like the happy medium.

They're quite big when you put them on but I believe the key to great style is having everything really cool, whether that's cute or vintage or interesting, whatever! Often you have to pay a little more to get, say, some embellished flats rather than a plain Primark pair, but you'll feel much more confident when you look down and smile because your shoes are so eye-catching rather than something you'll  get over in a week. Most people I think get this feeling from wearing lovely accessories and jewellery, but I never accessorize! I've mentioned this loads of times and even yesterday I set out some jewellery to wear during the week, but I just forget. Also, like being hot and stuffy, I don't like stuff jangling off my wrists and neck. Gotta work on that!

I can channel my accessory failure through my nails though! I haven't had my gel nails redone in literally months, and part of me can last longer because once painted, they look fine. But that one I had redone at Nails Inc. for £7 (?!?!?) has already snapped off and maybe it's a bit gross to have the same bits of plastic on your fingers for so long! I'll wait until payday I think or when I'm next at home. Usually I get them cut quite short but now I'm used to longer nails, this time I'm going to go really long and COVER them in gems and bows! All of the stuff I got on eBay from Hong Kong came today (apart from some fimo canes) and I can't wait! 

I got three sets of the pearls, and also roses, stars and plain gems .I think there is a Hobbycraft near where I work so I might find it tomorrow morning and see if they have any bigger gems. Pictures online are quite deceiving as I thought everything would be double the size, even when I knew it would be smaller! I thought the roses would be huge but actually the circle divider they are in is smaller! I went to a sewing shop and got all these bows and rabbits too, but the heart gems I got are far too big! Maybe I'll stick them on my phone. I want the kind of nails that look really impractical but most of the time things ping off through the day! 

Edit- I also show the gloves in a haul video I made if you don't mind videos! xx

Denim details for next season

I went to the Trafford Centre for the first time today to start Christmas shopping! It's a bit of a travesty that I've never been there before and I've studied Textiles in Manchester for over two years. One of my housemates hadn't been either so we spent the day there and saw Harry Potter in the evening, I was so scared throughout!! I kept remembering what was about to happen from the book and had to hide behind my hands for all the jumpy bits, don't know how kids watch it! I didn't think the Trafford was too great though, the Zara was a bit better than the one in town but everything seemed a bit cramped in. I'm not shopping for any more winter clothes now but I managed to get myself a load of beauty products and only a few presents. The gift sets in Boots and the like just seem to offer so little encased in a load of pretty packaging. I might buy loads of little things for all my presents this year rather than sets of a few. My Mom and my sister and I always go to Boots on boxing day and snap up all the half price gift sets! I haven't looked at the SS11 runway shows yet but I've heard the trends are for brights, all white, the '60s and the '70s. Those are my favourite decades for fashion so I am looking forward to the return of maxi dresses and flares, of which I have a few of both! I will also be wearing this H&M Fashion Against Aids dress that I re-wore the other day.

I got this dress ages ago in May when I was interning, and I hopped down to H&M in Covent Garden on the launch day because for £25, this dress is a beaut! Mostly of course it's the 3D details along the neckline but it's also open across the back and has details on the elbows too. Typically it doesn't fit perfectly at the waist and, like with most cheaper bandage dresses, it's stretched a little at the hem, but maybe it's better not too tight. I used to always wear dresses and I miss being able to throw one on and your outfit is finished, but good quality dresses are quite expensive in the long run so I tend to buy separates nowadays or maxi dresses that I can wear jumpers over the top. However come Spring my hair should be a bit longer and I will finally have to a buy a floppy, hippy wide-brim hat and wear it with loads of rings and platforms!

Pics are tumblr x 2 and my own.

Nails of the week & Models Own Nail Art Pen

 

I've just realised all my nail polishes are running low and very gloopy- does adding a few drops of nail varnish remover help? I don't like spending loads on actual polish because I love a colour for about a week but then the million other colours out there will grab my attention! However I saw a few bloggers had gone to a Models Own x Wah event for their new nail pen and I've been meaning to get one for ages. As I was ordering, the postage was nearly the same price as the pen so I bulked up the order! This glitter polish is my new favourite, although golden pinks always look different in different lights; sometimes flamingo, sometimes neon! The nail pen however wasn't the best buy. I've been really into colour theory recently after realising just why some people look so put together. Extensive Tumblr surfing and makeup videos has made me ditch everything blue toned, and if you make all the colours in your outfit the same tone, it immediately looks somehow better. Think of how silver suits blue and gold suits red. I might do a post on it when I find out more!

As for the pen, I always tend to use an old liquid eyeliner brush dipped in black nail polish for my details, especially since most people warn of the cheap nail pens on eBay and the like. I might go back to that because this pen is too hard to use!

The main brush is huuuge, like as long as my actual nails! It says it's meant for lines but I'm not too keen on nail stripes, especially in black. Might be cute when they bring all the other colours! I'm going to cut it in half as the nib at the top of the pen is too blobby and a short brush could be the happy medium.

You can see below after the first use that polish doesn't stop bubbling out of the top nib so every stroke will start off with a blob. When you replace the lid you have to put a TEENY pin in it which is just about impossible and it all gets a bit messy. I might visit home next week as I need to get my nails done so badly; there's remains of weeks of gems and they're all wonky! One snapped off and I got a replacement done at Nails Inc. (the only nail place I knew in Manchester) and it was £7! For one nail- what a rip off! I've got a massive order of cheapie 3D nail stuff from eBay coming from Hong Kong, I can't wait!! I just got some mittens with bear faces on them from River Island that I was eyeing up for ages and I randomly found a pair last week even though they sold out! They can be fingerless with is perfect for cool nails. I had to hide them until the end of my shift hehehe. I've had some hellish assignments in the past weeks and had a few nights of going to sleep at 7am and getting up at 8. Trying t0 put in 110% for final year as my worry is that I'll be on the cusp of two different grades and will think 'if only I had put in one more hour of work!'!!

Forever shoe love

 

This has been a week of total ups and downs! First I had an assignment due in which meant it was library times from 7am and until midnight and then carrying on for as long as possible at home. One night there was a huge religious thing with boy racers blocking the main roads so I had to walk home and I got horribly harassed all the way! My cat broke the comma and full stop keys on my laptop and when I try to press them, the mouse gets all possessed and goes crazy across the screen, then disappears. So I had to work at the library and the night before the hand-in I had one hours sleep! Because it's final year, I feel like everything can be improved so I researched LOADS and still wasn't happy. And I had to go to work that day too, and the managers weren't happy because lots of things got stolen; gah people are so skanky!! If I'm on the fitting room, then the onus is on me to stop thieves but people are really clever and you don't want to suspect anyone. 

However the week was made right again (even though I have another assignment in this week, argh!) when it ended in a really great night on Friday and my shoes came in time! For the past weeks I have been obsessing with the Forever21 Miu Miu inspired (rip off?) mary janes that came out months ago, but my current going out shoes (the Miss Selfridge bow platforms) are starting to wear out. I find it quite hard to buy heels and will only have one pair at a time as I'd rather spend more on makeup and lashes, and recently my friends and I have been totting up the real cost of a night out. Lashes, new clothes, all the makeup, taxis, pre drinks, hangover food; really the cost is way more than what you actually pay in the club! And what if the night isn't even that good? But I came to the conclusion that the F21 shoes were the most gorgeous shoes just about ever and had high hopes that the new Birmingham store would stock them! I couldn't get down on the opening day but I woke up a few times really early in the morning to refresh the UK website encase it launched. Then I kept ringing the Bullring but they didn't have a number for the actual store yet and the lady started to get kind of annoyed! I even got my Mom to go and they didn't have them, but she did say the store was amazingly merchandised. Finally on Saturday I got through to the store on the phone and a guy said if a line they get in sells out, they don't replenish it. They weren't on the website either so after pondering for weeks, I got an eBay pair!     

 

They were way more expensive than the original pair with the postage too and worked out in total at about £70 instead of around $20,  but they're going to be a Christmas present! I bought them on Sunday and with priority postage,  they came on Thursday! That's amazing from America. I'm usually a UK6, but can fit a 5 sometimes, and I got these in a US8 and thankfully they fit perfectly! They're not too narrow at the toes and the strap means the SUPER high heel and platform is easy to walk in without your heel slipping out. They really are very, very high, and the platform is curved so they're really comfy. They do the black pairs but the daisy print were only on eBay and they're my favourite! I have a few patterned dresses that won't really look right with them but I have way more plain black dresses and they're the perfect pattern injection! 

  

I got mine from this seller  btw so can vouch she's really good, and I bought a shoe protector spray to hopefully keep them shiny and in good condition. They're very sturdy and luckily the pattern will hopefully disguise any scuffs or marks that might occur. Love!

Pics are my own, google image search, and tumblr.

October Favourites!

Most YouTube beauty gurus do monthly favourite videos and since June I have too! All the gurus own so much makeup that it's good to see what they're actually using each day. I usually list all the products I'm using but last month my daily stuff didn't really change so I've picked out a few things I especially liked! The video is at the end of the post after some swatches.

Gucci by Gucci Eau De Parfum perfume
Eyeko Extra Glow cream
Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Lipstick in '11 Orange Punch'
MAC Blonde/Brunette/Redhead LE Lustre Lipstick in 'Marquise D''
Miss Sporty Perfect Colour Lipstick in '020 Strip Tease'
Frizz Ease Straight Fixation Smoothing Crème

Since I got the keratin blowdry, I don't need to wash my hair for maybe 4 days! So on the 3rd-ish day I'll put in a bit of the Frizz Ease smoothing cream and it makes it fresh and defined again on the middle and ends.

Guy LOVE this perfume! I got it as a Christmas present a few years ago because the Blondie advert was amazing and it gets loads of appreciation, I tell some stories in the video. I'm on an Eyeko press list and they send me surprise stuff sometimes, but I actually turned down their offer of the Extra Glow cream as I have the original one but got it in the post anyway! Turns out it's amazing! Very flattering on pale skin and in photos. Also comes in a huge tub. I'm not an Eyeko ambassador where you get a free gift when you buy something and the blogger/vlogger gets a bit of money but if you google it, you'll find someones code!

 

I always have at least three lipsticks knocking around in my bag and one in my pocket at work, and these three were on rotation all month. First is a cheapie Collection 2000 lipstick in Orange Punch that I've meant to buy for ages but kept putting it off as I have a few similar. I finally got it though and it's an amazing bright orange/red that lasts ages and doesn't get dry. If you go to MAC and get colour matched to a foundation, if they give you an NW shade then orange lipstick will look great on you! MAC did a Blonde/Brunette/Redhead collection ages ago and I have the MSF so couldn't resist getting one of the lipsticks off eBay too. I got it in the summer but wasn't too impressed as it doesn't last too long and wasn't that fun, but now it's the perfect natural colour. I was checking out MAC nudes and instead of buying Shy Girl, I got the Miss Sporty (!!!) dupe for mega cheap. It's a sheer, glossy nude and I say how I wear it in the video!

The order of the labels is the opposite to the picture above!

  

Below is the Eyeko cream (not blended), Orange Punch, Marquise D' and Strip Tease.

 

Just above Orange Punch in the pic below is the original orangey-red lipstick I got from Makeup Store in Sweden in 'Dare' on the right and Rimmel's 'Coral Queen' on the left. My lips are quite pigmented so sadly Coral Queen looks really red on me, but it seems to look really bright on other people! I'm still trying to find the perfect bright pink/coral.

 

I might make some daily vlogs this week as I've got some big assignments due and it's not much fun! We went out last night but my friend heard good things about a bar called Mohos, but it turns out she read it in the Spanish way and it was actually Mojos. Both clubs were on the same road and we weren't too impressed when Mohos had a lack of good music and boys in general! Mistake of the century! Also if you don't follow me on Twitter you are missing moments such as the said housemate put my status as 'looking forward to a night out in my trackies and uggs! :) xxx' hmmmmm!!!! I can never leave my laptop alone, and once they texted some guy I really wasn't interested in asking if he wanted to go for pizza from my phone, and then when I didn't reply ever he sent me loads of stuff saying I was horrible and he'd see me around campus eeek! I don't look at anyone when I get the bus to Uni!

ski bunnies

I went on the hunt for some little boots suitable for rainy days and found these cuties in New Look. I tried them on but after a few minutes thought 'argh have I just picked up uggs?!' There's something slightly ugg-like about them but if you want furry boots then they all are! Alongside camel, all the shops are stocking arctic, 'alpine' stuff, which makes for really cute mittens and scarfs. In fact I bought these River Island tights in the summer because snow flake print is the best! I think patterned tights are a bit more wearable with ankle boots as they look more like leggings, and leggings with coats are a cute look. D&G always put extra girly, sexy stuff down the runway and how amazing is the knitted all-in-one! Not quite right to call it a jumpsuit or a leotard but I bet it's cosy.

It looks great in the advert! Also absolutely love the little jumpers with maxi dresses. There are sooo many maxis in the mid season sales, I would invest but as I said in previous posts, I don't have time to wear all my clothes as it is! I only have one maxi dress that's as floaty as these and it's not long until colder months so I'll have to wear it as much as possible.

I was going to take an outfit photo but I foolishly wore these to watch the fireworks and it was a bit of a mud fest! Hopefully after a brush they'll be as good as new. And they were only £19.99! I ripped out some vouchers in a New Look magazine that I found in the staff room at work too so they were even cheaper, bargain! They're wide fit but feel the same as other shoes, maybe even cosier. There's something really fun about wearing fur around your ankles, and super toasty too!

 

Runway pics from style.com and advert from tfs.

Just Jeggings

Jeggings? Hmmm. It's common knowledge that leggings worn with tops look bad 90% of the time and might I add, VPL is also a problem with most maxi dresses. Look behind you! M&S do no-VPL undies! But in the big wardrobe stock up of the year, aka student loan day, I was browsing around Topshop with my friends feeling all pleased that it was freshers week and we had no work yet and life was generally fun times. Since it's my final year, my housemates and I have made ten gazillion trips to the shop to buy coke and chocolate, ate out loads, got takeaway loads, bought new dresses and lashes for practically every night out, and watched TV a LOT. This is stopping asap! But this demonstrates my thought process when looking for staple clothes for the year and I wandered into the tempting Topshop denim area. Topshop clothes don't really fit me but they have these really stretchy Leigh jeans that are no way justified at around £38 as they are basically cotton, not denim. But I grabbed a few pairs out of and they're the best! I'm more of a buternut squash than a pear haha, so no matter what size the waist, the jeans are really tight on the legs anyway. Basically jeggings but they're not just leggings disguised with a jeans pattern printed on.

I'm wearing a H&M cardigan and a New Look belt and shearling boots too. A top tip is that guys love this cardigan! Yea I have no idea why but maybe it's if you wear a cardigan like a top with nothing underneath? Sadly I made the fatal mistake that I did with my work uniform jeans and got the sensible size instead of the tightest size. Now they are HUMONGOUS! It's like one of those diet adverts where people hold their old jeans ten miles away from their hip. I have to wear a belt and strap the scanner around the waist too to hoik them up! Now the TS jeggings are a bit big around the top so I have to wear a belt too, boo. I was just browsing the site because I need some new going out heels and I saw these lovelies, how cute! If it were spring I would totally be into them, they'd look great with knee high socks. I was following some shoes on eBay but they were a little expensive and now they're sold, sob!

I just went to watch the fireworks though and ate loads of candy floss and a toffee apple in the space of about five minutes and then we just got takeaway, woohoo! The good cookery days of second year are truly over!

Considering Mid-lengths

I used to only wear short skirts and dresses but I have bought a pair of jeggings and some flowery Zara trousers this season, really weird! I think I'll start wearing skirts and tights once I find some cute flat boots but I've worn skirts and tights for years, what's new?! However I pursued the AW10 runways seriously a few months ago and vowed to get a mid length skirt. It was a case of waiting for the high street to bring stuff out though and everyone seemed a bit too concerned with shearling and camel; in fact most retailers are in a tizz because their suppliers can't keep up with demands! I tried on a few skirts in Zara but it was too summer then, but now I'm trying to figure out how to wear longer skirts with coats. I think you can just about get away with a big cardigan or chunky jumper right now but when it's wet and rainy you can't really flounce around while your umbrella is flying all over the place! 

I loooved the short sleeve jumpers and calf length skirts at Louis Vuitton and almost bought the Zara £19.99 version in every colour, especially the dark green, but I just got the camel one as it pretty much goes with everything. I was doing some naughty shopping with my housemates last week (after going to Yo! Sushi, yummm!) and stumbled across the most perfect skirt ever in Mango! If you merge the jumper in the first look below and the skirt in the second then I almost have the perfect outfit!

Unfortunately there are a few problems and this outfit shall never be. Even more sad as I just got these nude pointed flats in the River Island sale; you can't see too well but nude flats look great with everything! A bit more grown up than normal ballet flats and less like school shoes than usual plain black. Anyway I'm going to return the skirt because it's £50 and I don't think I can get £50 worth of wear out of it. I'm only in uni for one lecture three times a week, and on one of those days I have to wear my work jeans as I have a shift straight after! So I only really need two outfits a week and the rest is just stuff to wear to run errands or go to the library, and I already have a full wardrobe that could fill many weeks of wear. It's just one of those things that I do really love but I won't have a gap if it's gone, no matter how gorgeous it is. It's really soft and full and swishes amazingly when you walk!

If I had an aviator jacket I may reconsider as it looks really great in the Mango lookbook. Mango and Zara are killing it this season! I didn't have an aviator jacket in mind as leather jackets aren't really me but I see so many girls looking really great in them! It's too late to get one now and they are absolutely everywhere, but I appreciate them from afar!

 

If I were to keep the skirt, I could wear jumpers over it but I need some kind of coat/jacket to get to and from Uni. In December, January and February there's really no way you can get away with no coat! Here's a lil bit of inspiration from my huge file, I'm not a trench coat kinda girl but longer skirts look great with them thrown over. I've got a load of maxi dresses so now that I've just got the hang of wearing those, a mid length skirt is something else! I almost don't have enough days to try wearing something longer and putting together that many outfits. Maybe if I worked five days a week 9-5, but in reality I could get away with wearing leggings and a hoodie every single day!

Runway pics from style.com, inspiration pics from The Sartorialist x 2, What Elle Wears to Work, Garance Dore (I think!)

I want Lanvin not diamonds!

I'm a bit H&M designer collaboration obsessed and the pictures of Lanvin for H&M came out today! I think it's a great collection but knew Lanvin wouldn't be quite up my street for practicality- do I need any evening dresses? I'm also a sucker for fashion videos and the promo film is fantastic! I love models too and I started to get the urge for dresses as they all look really great, but it's easy to get swept up in the commotion! I wear the jumper I got in the Sonia Rykiel collection and have a gorgeous shirt from the Viktor & Rolf collection that isn't so suitable for every day wear but maybe when (if?) I get a job! I also got some shoes when I queued at 4am for the Jimmy Choo colletion in Gothenburg last year but that was all part of the hysteria and I was going to get a bag and even more shoes too until I stopped myself!

However on Nitrolicious you can see the prices in dollars and I think most dresses will be £100+ and t-shirts at least £40. If the clothes were sold normally in store you probably wouldn't look at them too closely so you have to figure out what's worth the hype.

If I was going to get something then maybe it would be a t-shirt, although straight fit tees aren't usually the most flattering or comfortable top you could wear. I love the huge ruffles on the dresses (especially the yellow!) and would consider a skirt but if it was in store normally then I doubt I'd pay £50+ for it! Some of the shoes are amazing too with the ribbons and I love pointed heels right now, but unless they're kitten heels then I don't think they're wearable. If I wasn't a scummy student I'd so be wearing kitten heels right now but they're a bit unnecessary for a lecture trek! BUT I just spotted they're releasing a lipstick! My ultimate weakness of the past few months has been lipsticks and I have a list as long as my arm of even more colours I'd love to buy, so maybe a little lipstick purchase is enough to also get one of the bags? Something about having the collection bag is just as good as buying the actual clothes! I doubt the queue in Manchester would be too mental so I'll see what I'm doing on the day as thankfully my campus is right on the edge of town! Actually to be honest that's probably my bank balance downfall...!

 

A Short Story

Despite spending loooads and having a bunch of new stuff in my wardrobe, I have no idea what I'm wearing this season! I haven't been going out half naked but I'm confused! I had a couple of gaps like some kind of warm thing to wear with maxi dresses and a new skirt to go with all tights, but I haven't worn everything enough to totally know what's what. I'm barely in Uni this term and only have one lecture a day when I am, so I haven't been wearing that many things if that makes sense? But like I said, I had a shopping list at the start of term and on there was some high waisted shorts, preferably leather but not real! Sadly I have come to the conclusion that shorts just don't suit me. I want really high waisted ones that end up being wide at the hem but nowhere has had anything just right. I've tried on loads of pairs but they don't fit the way I want, though when the pair below came into store last week I was like hellooo! Everywhere's coming out with the cut out shorts and they're not leather and about £20 with my discount, but alas shorts are not my friend!! The pair at the bottom are the ASOS pair that I was waiting to come online for ages but they were real leather and I don't like the feel of it very much.

I do however like this girl's hair a lot! And I got a faux leather skater skirt in H&M as my autumn staple so I've got my leather quota and can admire shorts from afar. In the meantime I'll take some photos of my newest buys for you but to be honest this reading week I'm trying to not look decent so I will stay in and do work! I just had a quick browse at the River Island Christmas collection and will be awaiting this hopefully faux t-shirt arriving; cropped tees and maxi dresses are a match made in heaven!