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 :)