My Christmas Haul and Beauty pressies

Happy Holidays everyone!  I had a chance to spend Christmas day doing some much needed retail therapy.  In between eating ridiculous amounts of food, I was doing nothing else but online shopping. I was very happy about this and grabbed a few highly sought after items for 50% off of rrp.  I could have bought so much this year, but I'm restraining myself from impulse buys (it's so very hard lol).

My first purchase was the Comet Boots by Acne on the Harrod's Boxing Day Sale which started a day early. I am praying that these fit me.  These are the type of boots that you have for life and at 50% off RRP, I just had to have them. 

 

The next impulse buy was the Guerlain Terra Nerolia highlight palette that I have given up ever owning. It appeared for 50% off on Debenhams, and I just knew I had to grab it. Look at that beautiful craftsmanship and I just know this is the kind of shimmer that my winter face just needs!

I also wanted to share some of the beauty products that my co-workers have bought me as well. They know me so well :)

I received:
The Penahligon's  Ladies Fragrance Collection Set
Clarins Eau des Jardins Smoothing Body Cream
MAC polish in Muscle Tone
Escada Cherry In The Air perfume
Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne Sample

I will most definitely do a blog review on the Penhaligon's fragrance sample next. I couldn't believe they got me this beautiful set.  What more could a perfume addict want?

The MAC polish is a lovely nude colour that I am actually going to wear today.  Cherry in the Air is a very light and sweet fragrance. I will probably use it as a room freshener more so than a fragrance.  The Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin is exactly the type of zesty unique scent that I need during these cold winter days.  The Clarins body cream is a very light gel like cream and I'm looking forward to taking this with me on my cruise to use :)

So these are the little pressies that I treated myself and was treated to this Christmas.  I was involved in several swaps online this year. It was a lot of fun and a great way to try new products.  I also spent most of my Christmas money at Lush and did a major hoard (which I didn't put on this post as I'm going to re-gift most of it anyways). I realize I need to calm down and step back in the new year and sort out my Lush stash! haha.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and please share with me your favourite purchases and gifts of Christmas 2013.

Amsterdam Trip & Beauty Shopping

About a month ago, I went to Amsterdam on a work trip and was able to spend sometime in the city by myself.  It was odd being in a city alone, despite having co-workers around. On one hand, I felt I should mingle, but on the other hand, I wanted to explore a city on my own.  I have never done that before, so this was a perfect chance for me to do so.

Being selfish about wanting to go to the shops I wanted to go to and see the museums that I wanted to go to, I ventured out by myself on a cold winters day.  Amsterdam was very easy to walk around. 

L-R: Canals, Rembrandt museum, view from my hotel windows, an amazing pastry I bought at a local stop one late night yum

, and artifacts that Rembrandt collected himself

My favourite part of Amsterdam happened to be the Rembrandt Museum.  The best part was the etching workshop that I did at the Rembrandt museum.  There was something very interesting and unique about doing etchings in the same place where he did his etchings. What a genius! Oh and the canals.  I know...so tourist-y, but that's what I was that day. I walked around eating from local shops.  I didn't get photos of the vintage shops that I went into, but there were so many.  Unfortunately, I thought the prices were too high for what they were so I ended up buying only some Dutch chocolates and a Koh Crystal Nail File.

I've heard so much about Koh nail polish and a few years ago I was obsessed about getting some (this was of course when I still lived in America).  When I went into Douglas, the Koh display was so dusty and not cleaned and it looked as cheap as some of the drugstore displays.  I didn't get any polishes.  They were beautiful, but it just wasn't worth the hefty price tag.

Crystal Nail File from Koh

Still very expensive at 27 euros, but I realised that it is something that I will use constantly that isn't a tacky souvenirs that every tourist gets.  The quality the crystal file is amazing.  It is heavy, and beautifully made; however, it makes an awful noise on my nails that reminds me of when someone runs their nails on a chalkboard.  The key is to file slowly and take your time.  For that reason, I give this a 7 out of 10.  I didn't realise that a crystal nail file would make that noise on my nails. If I would have known, I wouldn't have purchased this, but at least it's a beautiful item for me to have and use and will always remind me of my trip to Amsterdam.

October Empties

It has been ages since I did an empties review. Probably because I have an attention span of a fly and end up giving away most things before I finish them.  Well I stuck through these, for better and for worse and this is my review.

SUQQU eyebrow liquid pen
£20 from Selfrdiges
This is my second one that I have gone through. The first time, I thought I may have gotten a bad one as it barely lasted me more than a month.  The finish is very natural and great for that daytime natural look, but there is not a lot of product. The actual longevity of the product is great however.  I will not be repurchasing this one for the 3rd time. I am now using a Chanel eyebrow pencil and I am happy with that.  I will definitely be buying their cream foundation however as soon as I muster up the will to drop £65 on it.

DIOR Diorskin Nude natural glow hydrating makeup
£32 from Boots
This liquid foundation contains spf 10 and is a lovely nourishing natural foundation.  You can build it up for medium coverage, but this is not a full coverage foundation.  I fell in love with the texture and the scent of this foundation and have this in two shades. This one is my winter shade in 020 and I have 040 for when I return from holiday with a tan.  I would consider re-purchasing this one definitely.

LUSH Sun Perfume
£18.50 from Lush.co.uk
Lush released a new series of perfumes last year an this is part of that collection.  Sun is a zesty, citrusy and very fruity perfume.  It reminds me of a fresh satsuma orange peel and is really pleasant and easy to wear.  The base of this perfume is sandalwood oil and it's a very gentle one. It lasts roughly 2-3 on my skin and then it turns into a very subtle sandalwood oil.  The bottle comes with a dropper and not a spray.  I would definitely repurchase this perfume, especially for the summer.

LUSH Feeling younger skin tint
£12 from Lush.co.uk
This is a creamy highlighter that I mixed with my foundation and moisturiser for the last year. This 20g pot lasted me that long. You only need a little bit for a healthy glow and it really left my skin feeling moisturised.  There are loads of beautiful ingredients in there like oatmeal infusion, almond oil, and cocoa butter that gave my skin the nourishment it needed.  I highly recommend this one for those who love to use highlighters to brighten up their face.  I will definitely be repurchasing this one!

MAC Face an Body foundation
£21 from Debenhams
I bought this foundation after good reviews that I read online.  After using the entire 50ml, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in this foundation. I found that it dried too quickly and if you didn't act fast when applying, it had a tendency to drag the colour.  I know this one is not for full coverage, but the website stated that you could layer this up.  There were some grand promises with this one and I have to admit that it doesn't stand up to it's review. I will not be buying this one again. The only good part of this foundation is the plastic bottle in which it comes in an it helps with getting all your product out by squeezing it.


Overall this post will give you an idea of the two areas that I am really interested in and that is beautiful skin and perfume. 

What were your favourites this month? And if you have any recommendations for foundations, please let me know! xx

Currently - November 2013

Taken from the fabulous blogger over at The Non Blonde.  Here is what I'm currently up too.


BOOK:
Shamefully, nothing at all. I read online articles more so these days (shame on me Ms. Lit major)

MUSIC:
I'm balancing my time between Wu Tang, Dillon, Little Dragon, Digital & Spirit, and Lana Del Rey

TV:
Walking Dead and not much else

MAKEUP:
Using up my stash at a very fast (and scary) pace.  I will soon do a empties video. Currently loving the Naked Palette again and wearing Red Lips on a daily basis now.  My favourites are Lush Decisive and Santa Baby Lip Tint, Dior Little Red Dress, and Tom Ford Cherry Lush.

FREQUENTLY WORN OUTFTS/ITEMS:
Galibardy necklace, All Saints black hoody, and anything black really

FOOD:
Home cooked meals for once

DRINK:
White tea with vanilla and Pomengrante white tea

BANE:
Embracing (trying to at least) a hectic work schedule
 
JOY:
Oscar

ANTICIPATION:
My trip this weekend to Amsterdam

WISHLIST:
Vivienne Weswood ... anything

RANDOM THOUGHT:
I wonder how much all this stuff I need to buy this Christmas is going to set me back?

Stash Clearing Update

Spent today at home fighting this cold so I decided to have a quick gander at my vanity and storage.  A few weeks ago, I made a pledge to myself to downsize my stash and keep the products that I will use.  I ended up sending around 90 products in a large swap and received 4 Chanel nail polishes in return.  I was so relieved to make room on my vanity and storage drawer and to add 4 more Chanels into my collection (total of 51 now). 

I also gave away a few bits to my co-workers and managed to give some away to my mother in law as well.  I'm still hanging onto bits that I know I never reach for. I think the hesitation lies in the fact that they are higher end pieces and I'm afraid if I let go, I'll regret it.

I am treading along, a bit of a struggle but it's movement.

I'm reminded of a great quote by William Morris,

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

and Vivienne Westwood,

"Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity"

This is the motto in which I will finish off 2013 and start 2014.  This pertains to beauty products, clothes, everything.

 

 

Yardley London Polaire Gift Set Review

I had the most ridiculously long work week, when I arrived home to find this gift set waiting for me.  Mail is always so nice to receive isn't it? Yardley London has launched a new gift set to coincide Downton Abbey's Season 4 series.  I could go on and on about Downton Abbey but I will spare you all with my obsession with this drama series.  All I will say is that I am in love with the fashion and I absolutely love it.

I was eager to try this fragrance as I find that all of the fragrances from Yardley are quality for their amazing price points.  I don't know how they manage to keep the price points so reasonable. Perhaps they decided they would rather spend money on the product than millions upon millions on tv adverts.  Out of all the Yardley fragrances that I have tried to date, Polaire is by far my favourite.

Polaire is a gentle, sophisticated, and complex fragrance. It opens up with a fresh, fruity green top notes of pear and freesia, a comforting yet exhilarating Rose, Ginger and pink pepper heart/middle note, and finally finishes off with Patchouli, Amber and Balsam.  There is something very wild yet contained in this fragrance.  It nicely represents the female consciousness of the roaring 20's where freedom and fun were a new and exciting concept.  It is very modern but without losing the glamour and allure of the 20's.  This scent is a familiar scent, but it is very youthful and glamorous at the same time.

Polaire didn't stay on my skin for long, so this one will have to be topped up quite often, but it is fantastic when you do spritz it. I'm going to keep this on my work desk to give myself a nice sweet reminder to stay fabulous!

For £19.99, you will get both the 50ml fragrance and the body lotion.  They are best when layered for longevity of the fragrance. You can find them at Boots and other stocks here, or on their website http://www.yardleylondon.co.uk/polaire

Less stuff, Less stress

Less stuff, less stress is a phrase that youtuber pinksofoxy said in her latest video.  In search of finding some sort of sanity amongst my tiny room, I decided to finally declutter my stash.  For over 5 years, I have been a self-proclaimed makeup junkie/hoarder.  Like many of my online friends, I have immersed myself into this beauty world where we would rather buy the latest lipstick or nail polish than food lol.  You know I'm right ;) The difference is, my friends all have big houses to store these things in, where as I'm trying to  get all of these things into a small one bedroom. 

So I spent the last week gathering everything that I know I won't use in the next 6 months and will begin my declutter.

Has anyone else done this? Is it really this stressful to de-stress? I'm assuming I will feel better once I get rid of this stuff and finally see some empty space.  I have to keep my eye on the prize and that is to finally have some space in this room and whatever money that I recoup from this stuff will go towards a much needed pair of winter boots.  WOW, I sound so practical lol.

Lush's Halloween 2013: Lord of Misrule Review

Lush recently launched their Halloween collection and out of the three new products, Lord of Misrule is by far my favourite.  I am highly impressed by this bath bomb. Not only is it a very complex fragrance combination, but it is a lovely slow fizzer that really moisturizes the skin and leaves you feeling relaxed.  The ballistic fills your bathroom with beautiful mysterious aroma and changes colours right before your eyes.  The end result is an amazing wine coloured bath.  The fragrance is very unique and not your typical run of the mill single note fragrance that most bath bombs have.  This is by far my top 3 bath ballistic from Lush. 

The ingredients are vanilla, black pepper, and patchouli with some gardenia extract as well.  

You can buy yours at any Lush shop for a limited time only and also online at www.lush.co.uk.

If you try this one, let me know how you like it? x

Dior Vernis in NY 57th Polish review

About two years ago, I sold this polish to put towards my moving fund and this week I was able to re-buy this limited edition polish for £6 (with postage included) from ebay.  I was so happy and I put it on as soon as I got it in the post.

 

The formula was easy to use and I love the Dior brush; however, I'm not crazy about the colour. I realised now why I sold this before I moved here.  I think the allure of this polish was that it was limited edition and that it was influenced by the streets of NYC.  So despite not loving this colour, I will keep this and possibly use it as a base for something else.  

 

September Wishlist

So many things, so little time and money. These are the things that I've been eyeing this month and will probably all go on my Christmas wishlist.

MULBERRY DORSET TOTE in Oak

£495

photos from Mulberry

ALEXANDER WANG Elin Leather boots

£200 Outnet

photos from outnet

CHANEL NAIL VERNIS in  Taboo and Alchemie

£18

Photos from Selfridges

GUERLAIN TERR NERROLI

£44

Photos from Polyvore

What's on your wishlist?

 

 

Liberty x Vans Limited Edition trainers

Its been a little too long since my last post.  Not going to make excuses other than the fact that I've been quite busy :)

I'm looking forward to sharing all my recent interests, purchases, and swatches x

Up first are my Liberty x Vans limited edition trainers. I'm not a trainers type of girl, but these are fun, comfy, and fulfills my appetite for that traditional Liberty print. For £54.99, I ended up getting mine online as I missed my chance to get them at Liberty.  They also fit true to size, always a good thing when you are shopping online.

 

So I ended up buying these and a pair of Nike high tops.

My feet are going to be comfy! and just in time as my studded Topshop flats are worn down and starting to look really tattered.  I guess this is what happens when you are on your feet all day long. 

I haven't bought trainers in years, so I wonder if this will kick start my sneaker fad :)

Lush Cosmetics Full of Grace Serum Bar Review

What a beautiful name for a product.  Grace is something that I need more in myself and funny enough, Lush's Full of Grace was something that I needed that I didn't even know that I needed.

Full of Grace is small pink/nude solid serum bar. It melts immediately with the touch of your fingetips and apply the melted serum onto your face.  Personally, as a day time moisturiser it is too oily, but it is perfect for when I want to give my face a massage in the evening.

I'm in my 30's now and skincare has become a very important product in my beauty regime.  I want something that has long-term benefits and I learned awhile ago that your skin isn't ready to accept products until it is "awaken".  I learned that it takes roughly 30 minutes of vigorous massage to wake up the skin and that is why makeup usually doesn't stay on skin.  It makes sense to me.  There are tons of Asian beauty tools targeted to massage your face as well. So there must be some truth in this?? Whether there is any validity behind that statement, I have been massaging my face whenever I have the time. 

This little bar is full of power as well (so a little goes a LONG way).  It has some amazing ingredients like:

Murumuru Butter, Calamine Powder, Cupuacu Butter, Fresh Rose Petal Infusion, Organic Almond Oil, Perfume, Fresh Portobello Mushrooms, Chamomile Blue Oil, Rose Oil, and Tagetes Oil

I love all the moisturising butters that they put in this and the fact that there is fresh rose petal infusion in it too, which makes this an extremely delicate serum that I believe has a lot to do with diminishing my roscea.  Also, when I use this at night, I find that I don't need as much moisturiser in the morning, because my skin is very supple.

I loved this so much that I already have a backup of it (as you can see from my photo).

It's  an amazing price for £7.95.  Serums usually cost a lot more and I can't even read the ingredients in most of them, so for less than £8, I am very very happy with this serum and it is definitely worth every penny.

You can buy yours at any Lush shop and online.

Until next time - Stay Graceful :)

When Trolls attack ...

I never thought that I would be in a situation such as this.  Over a year ago, I reviewed a salon visit and the review was negative as I honestly had one of the worst services ever.  Since publishing that review, I have gotten nasty anonymous comments.  I published one and responded, but never got a response back.  Then just tonight, I got a racist comment awaiting me when I came home.

Does this sound like a disgruntled employee? or the works of a Troll?

I don't want to jump the gun and say it is the actual owner of the salon nor it's members, but the comments seem invested into that business to defend them with such vigor.

Racist attacks will not be tolerated. So I am publicly logging this on my blog for everyone to see.  If this harassment continues, I will be seeing a solicitor and the police.

Here is the blog post which I updated so you can all see what sort of response I received from this company and/or Troll.

http://tokkiandoliver.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/my-salon-experience-review-paul-henri.html

I'd like to add that I know that many people face trolls on their blog. I shutter to think of what kind of messages that big bloggers face. I don't take lightly to harassment via website as I definitely wouldn't accept it in real life, so I have put a tracker on my blog so that I can see where visit hits are coming from. I highly recommend every blogger doing this as well.

Update as of 23-9-13
The new owner of the salon has contacted me today via email letting me know that it was not anyone from the salon that had left those comments. I did respond to him and told him that I appreciated his email.  I also stated that just as I can not be 100% sure that it was an employee that he couldn't be 100% sure that it wasn't. Who would admit to their new boss of such horrid behavior?  Having said that, I am happy to announce that the salon is under new management, so there is hope that this salon will turn over a new leaf, improve their customer service and be thriving in a town where we need high end salons such as theirs.   Based on the professional email that I received, I have a feeling that there is hope for this salon.

Born Pretty Gold Nail Studs and S10 Stamper Set NOTD

Hi lovelies!

Born Pretty sent me some more awesome things to try and I had loads of fun! The first one I have to show you are these gold square studs

http://www.bornprettystore.com/gold-square-stud-rhinestone-acrylic-nail-p-2857.html

You know how much I love metalworks and studs, so I popped these babies on and I got compliments all day long.  They were super easy to use. Two coats of polish then I put these bad boys on and then topped off the whole nail with Poshe topcoat.  It lasted all day long without falling off too!

 

This is actually the photo at the end of the night. Aren't they bling-tastic? I loved them so much!

These studs were only $5.84 for a full bag, so I'll be getting loads of manicures out of this bag.

The day after I was so eager to try something else that I took these off and I tried stamping for the first time in years.  I'm not perfect at it yet, but it was really easy to use.  I bought Konad when they first came out and I was awful at it that I sold my konad set.  So this is my first attempt since my initial failure. I was quite pleased with all easy it was to use.  

Stamp set S10 was only 99 cent! Can you believe how cheap that is!

http://www.bornprettystore.com/cute-rabbit-animal-design-nail-stamp-template-p-1924.html

 

These are my goodies! The anchor water decals will be the next NOTD that I will be blogging about. I like how the plates come with a protective cover.

Plate s10

Yes I'm such a child, I really enjoyed stamping my nails with this plate. I used two colours but interchanged them on different hands to give myself an up to date look.

Eck! My cuticles need some TLC - Time to get my Lush Lemony flutter out

I also used the stamper and scraper that only cost $2.03. It worked just as good as the Konad and I'm very pleased that it was so effective as well as being cost effective.

http://www.bornprettystore.com/stamping-nail-stamper-with-scraper-p-992.html

Overall, I'm very pleased with these items and I can't wait to get better at stamping and do better designs on my nails.

If you like these and want to grab yourself some, you can use code: SUEG10 to get 10% off http://www.bornprettystore.com

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation 20 Beige Review

My quest for that perfect foundation still continues. When Debenhams was having a sale, I used my card points and bought the Vitalumiere aqua foundation.  I heard negative reviews, but when Lisa Eldridge spoke about it on her blog, I knew I had to try it.  I quite like Lisa's videos as she has loads of experience with makeup application and can give an unbias opinion as she's using products on all different skin types and not just hers.  The best advice that I took away from her videos was to work in thin layers and build on colour.  I realized that I was doing the complete opposite, so I went for Vitalumiere aqua to give myself that dewy natural coverage.

 

 The consistency is watery and I didn't think that it would give me enough coverage, but as you can see in the next photo, it blended in beautifully.  It gave me that natural and moist/dewy coverage that I needed and wanted all along.

 

The coverage is very natural and light.  I find myself applying 3 thin layers on my face to cover my scars and other imperfections.  3 layers isn't that bad. I use to put on 1 thick layer of my other foundations and I still needed concealer.   If you have lots of acne scaring and you want full coverage, this foundation is obviously not for you, but for me this is a great day time coverage.

I use my fingers to blend this foundation in and I love how easily it glides on my skin.  It almost feels like I'm applying a tinted moisturiser on.  So far, I've enjoyed using Vitalumiere aqua and I will most likely repurchase this and use it on the days that I'm looking for light moisturised coverage.  Gone are the days where I'm looking for a flawless porcelain skin. Sometimes, you want to give your skin some breathing space and this foundation does just that.  It covers enough so that I'm not feeling self-conscious about my skin, but light enough to let my skin breathe and naturally shine.  It also has spf 15 so there is some protection as well (which is very important).


This foundation has Lotus Water and Brown Seaweed Extract which helps with toning and energizing your face.  I believe it as my skin does give a slight radiant glow.  Who doesn't want to glow right?

£31 at your local Chanel counter, Boots, Debenhams and anywhere else that sells Chanel.

Is it worth £31 ? Well that's up to you and your skin needs. If you are like me and desire that natural glow then this is worth it, but for those who like fuller coverage, this may not be your cup of tea.

Have you tried this? What do you think of it?

Update: Glastonbury, work, health, etc. etc.

Time just flies by so fast and then you realize you haven't blogged in almost a couple of weeks. The last time I left, I was telling you all about my trip to Glastonbury.  The journey was amazing. The car ride down with friends, to the little village we stopped off for dinner, to the windy and very narrow car path to Glastonbury, and passing by Stonehenge - all of it was just amazing.  It was an exhilarating trip. I felt so alive and had a blast.  I didn't get a chance to take too many photos as I was really engrossed in the moment, but it was just magical.  We stayed for roughly 4-5 hours and danced and just enjoyed the atmosphere.  

Stonehenge at dawn - AMAZING!

The photos that I did manage to get were the amazing buildings that were built for the shows.  The amount of work and artistry that went into these buildings were just amazing. I can see why everyone goes to Glastonbury.

The venue that DH played

 

I ended up changing my outfit at the last minute and I didn't even need wellies this year as the night sky was beautiful and dry. The weather was perfect and the music was so amazing in open air.  I hope to return next year again.

Work has been so busy and eventful, literally filled with events. I'm exhausted and my last two days off of work has consisted of sleep and vegging about. I can't seem to shake this horrible cough/cold/hayfever/asthma and it's wearing me down, but I'm home so I definitely had to take this chance to blog and update everyone on what's been happening with me.

I have some good stuff to blog about as well, so keep it locked xx

Glastonbury, Here I come

I was thrilled to hear that DH has a gig at Glastonbury (of all places!), so of course I was more concerned about what to wear than I was how we are getting there lol (don't worry it's all sorted). I ho and hummed about what to wear to this haven of music, fashion, and debauchery :)

Initially I was going for a Karl Lagerfield camo dress with my Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Rain Boots (otk wellies) and a cheapy black hooded rain jacket

http://www.highsnobette.com/news/2009/01/13/marsha-rain-boot-by-jeffrey-campbell/

It was going to be a simple, urban camo outfit, no fuss and really just something comfy but I thought slightly fashionable.

I was all set until I went shopping with a friend who I'm going to Glastonbury with as well and I made the "mistake" of walking into All Saints.

Needless to say that I left a few pennies in there (money from my cruise fund, oops) and the All Saints dress kicked the Karl Lagerfeld's dress back into my closet.

The All Saint Amei dress in black is what I'll be rocking at Glastonbury. I love the drapery of it and it's softer than the camo dress despite being black.  I love black, and although this may not be the typical Glastonbury outfit, I have to be true to myself. I've never been and never will be one for flourescent clothes with daisies in my hair :)

You can get the Amei dress for £98 in black or £70 in the menthe colour here.

I'm going to rock the dress with these tights and of course the JC boots.

 
I was able to get my tights on sale at TK Maxx last year, so check your local TK Maxx or even ebay for these.

Off to Glastonbury ladies! See you in July x