Chanel Chance Eau Tendre

Hooray for Boots points!  I finally collected enough of these magical points to allow me to buy the perfume I’ve wanted for ages, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre!  Yes, it was an arduous and extended process.  I was never much of a fan of the original Chanel Chance, however I’ve always liked their third generation, Eau Tendre.

They describe the scent as, ‘a fruity-floral constellation in which echoing scents of Grapefruit and Quince intertwine with Jasmine Absolute, warmed by the feminine note of White Musk’, my thoughts exactly :)

The thing I most love about this perfume is that it really lasts throughout the day and develops into a much softer fragrance than when initially sprayed.  I suspect this will be a new classic for me, go try it!

Forever 21

Yes, as I suspected, a Forever 21 order was imminent!  I placed my order on Monday and it arrived on Thursday, so quite quick.  It was a bit of a gamble as to what to order having not actually been in a Forever 21 shop before, but my venture was a success.  In terms of sizes it’s much better to go by the actual measurement chart rather than dress size, to be sure of a good fit.  Firstly I chose 2 cardigans because it’s coldddd!

The first one:

I love the buttons on this cardigan, it’s quite long on vertically challenged people like myself, but not too long.

The second one:

I didn’t like the shape of this cardigan as much as the grey, however it still fits well and is cosy!

Next I chose this jumper: 

This was chosen mainly because I love the colour, but it’s also fleece lined so yes it’s very warm :)

I’d heard a lot about Forever 21 jewellery and wow there is a lot to choose from, and all at very good prices. 

I went for a Christmassy reindeer necklace:

And a chunky pearl ring:

So yes that’s it, my first Forever 21 haul!  I really liked what I chose, and was impressed with the quality.  I feel it’s closest to H&M in terms of the kind of styles they stock.  So it’s definitely worth taking a look if you’re a fan of H&M, or even if you’re not you still have to look at the amazing jewellery!

A Discovery

When taking a walk around the shops the other day I suddenly felt compelled to go into Huttons, a lovely little gift shop.   For some reason I don’t usually frequent Huttons, however once inside I took a look at their jewellery and discovered Hultquist Copenhagen.  The brand claims to be ‘influenced by the classical Scandinavian look expressing individualism and fashion awareness’. 

What immediately attracted my attention was this chunky silver ring, which also comes in gold. 

The sizing can be difficult, because I think there are only 2 sizes, so it’s best to try them on. 

I also chose these gold heart studs:

 I’d been looking for some gold studs for a while and thought these looked really pretty.  I managed to control myself at this point, however I did spy some other potential future purchases, including some earrings with ‘H’s’ on which stands for Heather, right? :)

You can check where Hultquist is available on their website and browse through their online catalogue. 

Scarves, Scarves, Scarves

I don’t tend to wear scarves a lot, other than out of necessity in the winter months.  However after watching Gemsmaquillage’s latest outfit of the day video, I’ve changed my mind.   Gemma had a lovely vintage scarf that she got from Lush, courtesy of their new gift wrapping service.  Lush now offers knot-wraps, using vintage scarves for their products.  However you can also buy the scarves separately and of course they smell like Lush!  There was lots to choose from and I decided upon this nautical print:

Vintage Scarf - Lush - £3.95

I haven’t decided exactly how I will wear it yet, although it seems as though  Parisian-looking will be the order of the day!

Also on the scarf front, I’m lusting after this chunky forest green scarf from Topshop which I think will go perfectly with my famous Camel duffle. 

Knot Tassle Scarf - Topshop - £16

In other news, Forever 21 has launched in the UK!!  After watching many Forever 21 hauls from American beauty gurus on youtube, I’m excited to see what they have to offer and am already considering my first online order :)

Topshop Sale

I’ve never been very good at sale shopping.  Some people have an amazing magpie quality when it comes to finding gems at a sale, but I tend to get overwhelmed at the sight of the mish mash that is the sale rail.  However I managed to hold my nerve in the Topshop sale recently and picked up this dress:

Rose Dress - Love - £10 originally £38

This dress is by the brand ‘Love’ and only available in larger Topshops.  I love the classic fit and vintage looking rose print. This dress was only £10, originally £38.

I also found this lovely purple metallic purse, although I’m not entirely sure what I’ll put in it, it was shiny!  :)

Purple Purse - Marc B - £5 originally £25

This is by ‘Marc B’, again only available in larger Topshop stores.  'Marc B' makes some great handbags, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for when they’re in the sale.  This purse was originally £25 and was in the sale for just £5.  

Unleash your inner magpie!

Zara and Glamour

After a brief hiatus, I’m back in love with Zara.  Zara is full of great knitwear at the moment and I found this lovely knitted cream jumper with pearl buttons:

Cream Jumper - Zara - £25.99

It also comes in black:

Although I liked both, I decided to go for the cream which felt much more cosy and log cabinish, yes that is an adjective :)

Away from the knits, I chose this stripey top, which will look great layered and with leggings.  It comes in a few colours and I chose navy. 

Striped Top - Zara - £7.99

A little less interestingly, I also picked up two grey tops, a long sleeve and a vest, for layering purposes you understand:

Grey Top - Zara - £9.99

Grey Vest - River Island - £5.99

Also look out for this month’s Glamour magazine with a free Nails Inc. polish.  As I've subscribed to Glamour I received Jermyn Street, so keep a look out at what colours are available! 

Jermyn Street - 'Greige' - Soft Taupe

OPI

Ok ok I’m over the natural nails.  I know that was short lived, but that’s because I’ve discovered OPI’s new collection, ‘Burlesque’!  The discovery was courtesy of Lorraine Stanick’s (thecurrentcustom) ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Bring on the Bling’ mix she was wearing in her latest video.  I went for the ‘Little Teasers’ set which comes with....

Rising Star:

Lustrous glimmering gold

Take the Stage:

A warm orange spotlight shimmer

The Show Must Go On!

Deep pink shimmer

Ali's Big Break:

Glowing red shimmer

I love the little OPI collections, mainly cause I’m just a sucker for miniature versions but also because I can never seem to choose between colours.  So yes not only is ‘Burlesque’ shaping up to be the perfect re-introduction to Autumn/Winter colours, they’re sparkly! I mean what more could you want?

In other news, I got my camel duffle coat!  I admit I did have to concede on the petite, but managed to track down a smaller size and am now officially content :)

What I'm Loving

Plaid shirts:
When it comes to Autumn/Winter, I’m always loving plaid shirts, they’re just so versatile.

Grey Skinny Check Shirt - Topshop - £28

They can be worn casually with jeans and boots, or oversize with a belt and leggings, with the sleeves long, sleeves rolled up, with a big cardigan, tucked in, loose, layered...the list goes on.

Hair accessories:

I don’t often wear anything in my hair, usually opting for just straight or curly.  However I’ve recently been loving two hairbands I picked up in Accessorize.  This headband I found is quite quirky and for some reason came through the till at £3 which has made me love it all the more! 

Woodland Feather Statement Alice Band - Accessorize - £3

It looks lovely on light brown hair and reminds me of Autumn and the countryside.

The other is this black beaded bando:

20's Beaded Bando - Accessorize - £8

This can look both formal and casual and adds sparkle to an outfit.

Revlon Colorstay foundation:
This foundation provides great coverage and really does stay.

Revlon Colorstay Foundation - Boots - £11.99

Currently I’m mixing two shades, Ivory and Buff, which has been working very well with my skintone.  However as many others have mentioned, the lack of a pump can be quite a pain and this is only made worse when attempting to mix shades!

Natural nails:

Sally Hansen nailgrowth miracle - Boots - £9.45

I usually love painting my nails, but having left the summer brights behind, I don’t feel quite ready to embrace the darker shades of Autumn/Winter, so am currently staying natural.  I’ve been using one coat of Sally Hansen ‘nailgrowth miracle’ every other day, and although not sure I have encountered miracles there certainly hasn’t been any breakages.

So that’s it, my little round up of what I’m loving at the moment, how about you?

Winter Coats

I’m disappointed.  I thought I had found my perfect winter coat after discovering the duffle coats currently lining the Topshop shelves.  I’ve always loved duffle coats, yet never owned one and these looked ideal and came in a number of colours:

Black

Camel

Navy

Petrol

Red

However what really caught my eye was the camel.  As camel is definitely in this season I thought it would be perfect to combine the simple style with an on trend colour.  Now my local Topshop only had one size left, but I did not fear as I knew I could simply order online.  However when trying on the different colours I soon discovered I needed a petite.  I quickly rushed up to the counter and enquired after my beautiful coat, but no, the camel duffle doesn’t come in petite!  Not only this but the camel in the normal range has now sold out completely online!


So I’m now left with two choices, a red that makes me look just a little bit too much like little red riding hood, or black, and I already own a black coat.  At the moment I still can’t seem to break away from my desired camel duffle, so I’m just holding out a little while longer in the hope of a miracle.  Come on Topshop don’t let me down!

A Lush Christmas

Pre-November I have an aversion to anything remotely Christmassy.  Each year I’m amazed at the early arrival of Christmas items in the shops and tend to ignore their presence until at least November, spouting disapproval at my friends, as they begin to stock up.  However I am officially now a traitor, as I am in possession of my first Christmassy item at it’s only early October.  Now what would make me break my anti-Christmas pre-November vow?  Why Lush of course!

Lush recently opened a new store close to where I live and, loving Lush as I do, I obviously went in for a perusal.  I hadn’t been in Lush for a while so was excited to see what was new.  My first purchase (not in the Christmas line) was ‘Mrs Whippy’ bath ballistic.

Mrs Whippy - £2.50

I was immediately attracted to its similarity in appearance to ice cream and a cupcake!  It is described as a ‘strawberry ice cream skin-softener’ with soya milk in the middle to create a milky and soft bath.  

Secondly I chose ‘Li'l Lush Pud’, a fizzy figgy pudding!   

Li'l Lush Pud - £1.95

Despite not actually liking Christmas pudding I loved the scent of powdered lemon peel and clove which adds ‘sweetness and spice’.  The ballistic is made with aloe vera to ‘nurture dry or rough skin’.

I thought best to go for just one Christmas product at a time, however there’s lots more I’d like to try, especially:

Candy Cane bubble bar:

Candy Cane Bubble Bar - £2.35

Cinders:

Cinders - £1.95

And of course, Satsumo Santa!

Satsumo Santa - £2.90

Maybe nearer December though!  Has anyone else delved into the Lush Christmas goodies yet?

Details and images from http://www.lush.co.uk/index.php

Etsy

Look what arrived!!  Recently I created my first ever Etsy order, courtesy of a recommendation of Classicdesigns by Lollipop26.  I love Lollipop26’s blogs and youtube videos, so I promptly had a browse through Classicdesigns necklaces.  Here I found this beautiful little necklace...

I immediately loved it.  I’d never been one to mix silver and gold jewellery but the little star on the silver disc looked perfect together.  But the thing that really sold me was the initial.  I’m a fan of anything with initials (as my scrabble necklace shows!), so I knew I had to have it.  Theresa Mink (creator of Classicdesigns) is from the USA, but luckily postage was reasonable to the UK (£3.25) and I crossed my fingers for no customs charges, which there weren’t.  Mine took just over 2 weeks to arrive which was not bad at all, considering it was also personalized.

It is a very delicate necklace, so I’d make sure you check out the sizing before ordering to make sure you’re not disappointed.  I love small necklaces, so this one is perfect for me, so much so that I don’t intend to take it off!

Moroccan Oil

I’ve finally got my hair the length I want.  I’ve always tried to grow my hair, but loved the excitement of coming out of the hairdressers with a new style, and therefore never managed past my shoulders.  However with willpower I have managed to resist the hairdresser’s scissors, other than trims, and now love the way my hair can be curled and still long.  Although I’m still faced with an internal quandary when entering the hairdressers (knowing I’ll leave looking pretty much the same!) for the time being, I’m still going strong.  However the ends of my hair aren’t so much. 

I’m definitely a GHD addict and along with regular dyeing, my hair has its fair share of damage at the ends.  This leads me to my current debate as to whether to finally get on the Moroccan oil bandwagon.

I’ve heard a lot of buzz about the Moroccan oil and its amazing conditioning and strengthening properties.  Currently it has a 4.2 rating on Makeupalley - pretty darn good.  It is for these reasons that I was particularly excited when my hairdresser brought out a bottle in a recent trip to the salon.  My hairdresser used the oil from the mid section of my hair down, concentrating on the ends.  I couldn’t say I could see an immediate difference when looking at my hair, however upon touching it did feel noticeably softer.  The effect also lasted longer than I expected, even after washing my hair.  So it all looked promising apart from one thing...the price.

Now I don’t mind spending a bit more on hair products that work really well (case in point, I couldn’t be without my Kerastase Ciment Thermique) however £29.85 for 100ml?  I’m not sure if I can bring myself to do it.  Has anyone else bit the bullet and gone for it? 

A Bargain

My local New Look has recently had a makeover, with the greatest transformation being the shoes section.  I’ve always known that New Look can be great for inexpensive pretty shoes, yet I often found myself turning instead to the likes of Zara or Office.  However, when confronted with the new and shiny display I began to appreciate the gorgeous array of shoes New Look has to offer.  After browsing for quite some time, I finally settled upon a pair of nude satin and lace heels.  Not only were these beauties perfect for a wedding that I’m attending next month, they were also a steal.  Originally £20, they had been reduced to £15 and with my student discount I got them for just £12.   

New Look - £15

In other news, I also found this beautiful cropped jumper from River Island.  I love the bright floral pattern which I’m hoping will brighten up the transition into Autumn! 

River Island - £19.99

Have you discovered any bargains this month?

September Purchases

September is a strange time.  It’s a time in which you find yourself torn between embracing the exciting new Autumn/Winter collections that line the shelves or desperately clinging onto the last remains of Summer.  Consequently my recent purchases have tended to be on the borderline, with basics and layering being the main objectives. 

My first purchase is a grey long knit cardigan from Zara: 

£25.99 Zara

 

Whilst Zara is fantastic at keeping up with the trends on the catwalk, it is also great for basics.  I always find it difficult to bring myself to buy basic items as I tend to gravitate towards prints and details that catch my eye.  However, I know that this cardigan will be extremely versatile and soon one of my most worn items.  I particularly like the ribbed and button details on the sleeves.  The arms are quite long on me but can easily be bunched or rolled up to make the look more casual.

Next I picked up two ribbed vest tops from Topshop in their 2 for £12 offer:

2 for £12 Topshop

 I had a difficult time choosing my two colours and my eventual decision epitomizes the September fashion quandary. The first colour I chose was a beautiful berry colour, perfect for Autumn, whereas my second colour was my favourite colour for summer, peach. 

I decided not to delve into the array of boots on display along the high street, but instead selected a pair of flats from Zara:  

£29.99 Zara

                                     

These shoes are slightly pointed which I often prefer to rounded ballet pumps.  They are made of a grey metallic mesh which is simple but attractive and will go with pretty much anything.

My final purchase was what I like to refer to as my Nestle clusters necklace!   

£12 Accessorize

This long necklace has a gold chain and pretty little pearl clusters and is from Accessorize.  It is perfect for wearing on its own with basics but would also look great layered. 

So, as you can see, my current thinking is to retreat back to the basics!  What’s your September shopping strategy?