Chanel 'Les 4 Ombres Variation' - Eyeshadow perfection!

Chanel's Les 4 Ombres, Variation - £38

I don't usually succumb to the lure of a Chanel eyeshadow having been disappointed in the past with application and longevity. Apart from the price, the problem with a quartet is that with four colours there's bound to be at least one that you would never use. However, when I spotted this quartet I quickly realised that this was never going to be an issue!

I already knew that I would love the two darker plum shades, perfect for creating a smokey effect, but was surprised to find that I loved the two lighter shades even more. I certainly wouldn't normally be draw to a pale pearlescent pink but this one is stunning. I love to wear it with a black liner creating a 50/60's inspired look. The pale gold shadow is equally as gorgeous used in the same way. It isn't too shiny and sparkly so perfect for a daytime look. The two darker shades are great for a more dramatic effect and you also have the option of incorporating several at the same time, a great time to experiment with a new look!

I found the colour lasted well for a few hours but did need some touching up later in the day, there is also some creasing with the lighter shades. Overall though,  I was more impressed with this eyeshadow quartet than expected. As usual Chanel have packaged this little gem beautifully, the velvet pouch is perfect for you're handbag. I am already a big fan of Chanel's lipsticks and nail varnishes but don't usually use their other make up products, I certainly will not be as quick to dismiss them in the future.

As to whether this product achieves 'eyeshadow perfection', well I don't think it's quite there yet, however, I will definitely be looking out for some more Chanel eyeshadows from now on and already have my eyes on Les 4 Ombres 'Smokey', a beautiful collection of shadowy grey's!

What other Chanel makeup products would you recommend?

Deborah
xxx 

Valentine's Day - Gift inspiration!!!

 Prestat's Heart Box - £6.50 to £33 

 Passion Fruit fondant, Rice Crisp nougat & Dark Chocolate truffle

With only two weeks until that special day I thought it would be good to list several gift ideas that might inspire that special someone in you're life to spoil you. I was recently sent a lovely box of my favourite chocs to review and decided they would make an ideal gift for Valentine's Day thus inspiring this post.

This is the smallest Heart box available from Prestat at £6.50 with prices rising to £33 for the largest size. I think these chocolates are a little more special than the usual brands making them an extra special treat. I have done a previous post before Christmas listing several other options (see here) but these are particularly appropriate for Valentine's. I wish I could describe to you just how delicious they are but of the three above the Passion Fruit fondant was amazing, you could really taste the passion fruit, I am slightly biased though as fruit creams are my absolute favourite, yummy!!!

Pandora silver bangle and heart charms, John Greed, £145 (picture from John Greed website)

Next on my list of Valentine goodies would be this lovely silver bangle from Pandora. Although quite expensive at £145, you do get the bangle and three charms. If you already have a Pandora bracelet then there are several other 'heart' inspired charms available seperately, these are priced from £20 so again a gift to suit most budgets, the possibilities are endless. My lovely man recently gave me this beautiful 'LOVE' charm for our anniversary, this would be so appropriate for a Valentine gift, I absolutely love it!!!
Thanks Mr Moonstone XXX

Again available from John Greed

(picture from website)

Lola Rose Heart pendant, £20

As you've probably already guessed, I am a big fan of any Lola Rose accessory. What could be better than one of these Heart pendants to say 'I love you'. There are five different stone options available (at the time of writing this) but at just £20 they are sure to sell out fast. Lola Rose do several other 'heart' inspired pieces so they are certainly worth checking out. I received my red heart a couple of years ago and think it's the perfect colour for a Valentine treat. 

Boofle Valentine's Bear, £14.99 (picture from Boofle online website)

Along with roses, champagne and chocolates, the next best thing is a cuddly toy, especially for the more sentimental among us. These Boofle cuddly's are by far my favourite. They are so cute and you can usually find one that expresses exactly the right sentiment. Although I found this one online, they are easily available on the high street and come in different sizes that should accommodate most pockets.

These are just a few of the many ideas out there for Valentine's Day and I hope they've given you some inspiration on how to surprise that special person in you're life. Another popular idea for the more brave among you would be sexy underwear BUT be sure you know size, colour (we don't all like red!!!) and what she likes or it could go horribly wrong! Although us girls just want to be spoilt rotten, it's worth considering what that means. For me it would be a romantic home cooked meal, with a lovely bottle of wine, romantic candles, music and all with the man I love! Here's wishing you all a very special romantic day and remember that it's really about the thought that counts not the price tag!

What would be you're perfect Valentine's treat?

Deborah

XXX

Essie's 'On a Silver Platter' - Bejeweled luxury!

Essie's 'On a Silver Platter', £9.99 - Pearlescent gold with holographic violet glitter! 

When at my local Boot's store I always find myself drawn towards the Essie nail collection. On a recent visit I picked up this beautiful varnish that I thought all you fellow nail addicts would be very interested in. This is part of Essie's 'Belugaria' Collection, 2013, one of six dazzling shades that just scream out luxury.

This particular shade is predominantly an antique silver, almost gold, which is speckled with amethyst coloured jewel like flakes. The effect is absolutely stunning, my pictures really can not capture the true essences of the varnish. It is especially beautiful under lighting that picks out the two different shades in an almost iridescent effect. This is really easy to apply, I used a good two coats to maximise the richness of the varnish. It would also work really well as a topcoat over a gold or silver varnish, although I really like the idea of trying it over a deep amethyst or black for a more dramatic effect. My only issue would be it's durability, being glittery it flakes off quite easily, however, it should last for an evening and probably isn't a colour you would chose for day to day use.

Of the other five shades, I am keeping a lookout for 'Belugaria', described as holographic jet black lace, it sounds gorgeous!!!

Which Essie 'nail effect' varnish would you chose?

Deborah

XXX

The 'Statement Scarf' - Does it have to be designer?

 Louis Vuitton Leopard print stole, £510

 Alexander McQueen Skull print silk scarf, £165

 Accessorize Butterfly print chiffon scarf, one of my favourites, from Lisa last Mother's Day 

 Lola Rose Leopard & Lace print wool scarf, £55

Lola Rose Butterfly print wool scarf, £55

When I first started my blog last September I planned to do many posts on my favourite subject ACCESSORISES! Let's face it, accessories are a basic human right as far as we girls are concerned. However, I've recently noticed that I have neglected this particular area of interest so it's time to rectify this!!! One of my favourite 'go to' accessory is a scarf. You can enhance even the simplest of outfits such as jeans and a t-shirt just by adding the right accessory. A scarf can add a touch of colour to enhance an otherwise plain outfit . They don't always have to be worn with a cosy hat, gloves and coat, although that's good too. I am never without a scarf when out, whether wearing it or having one tucked safely away in my handbag, you never know when it might come in handy.

When it comes to a 'statement scarf' you immediately think of the Louis Vuitton's leopard print, £510, or Alexander McQueen skulls, £165, and although these are both gorgeous they are beyond most of our budgets. The price of designer goods have risen considerably over the last couple of years so its good that the high street provide us with their own take on these designer lovelies. A example of this is my lovely butterfly print chiffon scarf that Lisa gave me last Mother's Day. Personally, I'm not too keen on a copy, I prefer instead something that has taken just a tiny element of it's designer big brother, or better still, something completely fresh and original.

Recently, I was lucky enough to receive two beautiful new Lola Rose scarves for my birthday and Christmas. Although still quite expensive at £55 they do make the perfect present and you get to wear something a little different. The good thing about scarves is that they don't tend to date so you can keep wearing them for many years, this makes them an investment as far as I am concerned. These two are wool so can be used in winter to complement a warm coat or in summer as a wrap for those chilly evenings, multi-purpose!!!

One of my favourite recent discoveries, thanks to the wonderful world of twitter, are Funkydory's beautiful items. I did a post before Christmas on these lovelies (see here) and the few I gave as presents were very well received. At around £8 you really can not go wrong. I have to admit, I did keep one for myself, well you would wouldn't you?

I think all this proves that you don't have to spend a fortune to achieve a designer look. It's far better to source something a little bit more unusual that is bound to grab peoples attention and is a reflection of you're own true style and personality. Be a fashion forward leader rather than a follower!

What would be you're accessory of choice?

Deborah
XXX

Blipster Magic - Beautiful new handmade organic bath & beauty products!

Lavender sample soap sent to me by the lovely people of Blipster Magic

It smells divine!    

Choose you're own! Pick you're favourite scent, £5    

Lavender & Chamomile Bath Soap, £7

I was so excited when Blipster Magic recently contacted me offering to send a sample of one of their products to review. Not only that but I could also choose which scent I would like to try. As you may have already read in a previous post, lavender is one of my 'all time' favourites so it wasn't hard to decide which to choose.

I wasn't to be disappointed, my lovely soap arrived this week smelling absolutely divine!!! Not only does this product smell gorgeous but it also lathers up beautifully producing a creamy lotion that cleans leaving a lovely after scent. My only criticism would be that it left my hands a little dry (I do suffer from dry skin though) but when I mentioned this to Blipster Magic they were grateful for the feedback and said that they would work on the recipe to improve the moisturising effects.

Blipster Magic produce handmade organic bath and hair products, even offering you the choice of scent if you wanted to customise you're own products, I love the sound of Chocolate! They have also created a Multi Oil Hair Balm, from £20, especially for Afro hair that's worth a look. There are some interesting vintage products available too, so I suggest you visit their site ASAP!

These products not only look beautiful but also don't fail to deliver a gorgeous aroma, ideal as gifts for friends, mums or a special treat just for yourself. They are priced very reasonably too, making them doubly irresistible! Keep a look out for a special Valentine's treat, what could be more romantic than a lovely hot bath, scented candles, a glass of something pink & bubbly and a wonderfully romantically scented bath product!

What scent would you choose for you're ideal bath product?

Deborah

XXX

Arthur's Antics! - Christmas 2013

Arthur was a little confused with his advent calender to begin with!

Curiosity soon got the better of him and he was able to remove his daily treat himself!

Arthur hates to dress up but his favourite girl Willow loved wearing his Christmas Pudding outfit - Pets at Home, £9.99

A very excited puppy on Christmas morning, Arthur's pressies were all wrapped in paw print wrapping paper, again from Pets at Home

Arthur's not sure about the whole 'family Christmas jumper' photo!
My holly jumper - Topshop
All other Christmas jumpers, including Arthur's - Next

Like the rest of us, Arthur was all Christmassed out by the afternoon, way too much excitement for a dog!

Normal service is resumed!!!
A trip to our local beach was what a dog really wanted for Christmas!

Christmas seems like so long ago now but I thought it would be good to update you on what Arthur got up to over the festive season. This is his second Christmas and he was just as curious about what was going on. It didn't take him long to get the hang of his advent calender although I don't hold out too much hope of him getting to grips with the training clicker found behind door number 25. Thankfully, he was less interested in the tree, however, he was quick to chase one of the Ragdoll cats whenever they sort cover underneath causing the tree to shake violently dislodging several baubles, I can not believe it survived intact until January 1st. Christmas day was all a bit too much for an excited pup and by the afternoon he'd had enough and retreated to his favourite chair in Tim's office for a nap. 

Like us, I'm sure all you dog walkers out there were not happy with the horrible wet, windy weather over the holidays. Our local recreation ground was saturated so the beach seemed a better option. Arthur loves the beach when the tide is out and chased his ball continually for over an hour. Not sure though if the sand he bought home was preferable to the mud, he has been subjected to more than the normal amount of baths this month!

Like the rest of us, Arthur had a Christmas jumper. He was not as impressed as my kids were but it made for a great Christmas family photo opportunity. Arthur was definitely not impressed with his Christmas pudding outfit but his favourite border collie Willow, who loves to dress up, was more than happy to model the offending article for us, she's such a poser!

Finally Arthur wanted to extend a belated but heartfelt 'HAPPY NEW YEAR' to all you dog lovers out there and I will hope to keep you updated throughout 2014 on any shenanigans that he might, (who am I kidding) will get up to!!!

Do you have any festive tales involving you're furry friends over the Christmas season?

Deborah & Arthur

xxx

   

Essie 'A Sprinkle in Pink' - A match made in fairy pink heaven!

  

Essie duo 'A Sprinkle in Pink' - Fiji & A Cut Above, £12.99 Boots

Having become a big fan of Essie nail varnishes, I found it impossible to resist this perfect duo on a recent shopping trip to Boots with Lisa (Topaz and May), it's all her fault!!! After all the rich decadent colours of Christmas it's quite refreshing to find these lovely light and pretty alternatives, a real 'pick me up' for the winter/post Christmas blues.

I am not normally a 'pink' girl but recently I've found myself drawn to several items in this girly shade and with pastels set to be big this Spring it makes sense to get ahead of the game! The pale pink Fiji is so pretty and easy to wear but add a topcoat of A Cut Above and it becomes far more dramatic. It looks quite effective to add sparkle to just a couple of nails for an accent effect, I suggest you just have fun experimenting with different looks, the possibilities are endless. 

As with all Essie varnishes that I've tried, you need at least two coats for a good even coverage, however, it has proved to be quite durable, especially with the glittery topcoat. At £12.99 the duo is cheaper than buying the varnishes individually, they usually retail at £7.99 each but this is still cheaper than my usual choice of Chanel or Estee Lauder so a real bargin. You could also experiment with alternative shades in the Essie collection if pink is not you're thing.

I will definitely be looking to Essie for some more pastel essentials for the Spring, am fairly sure I need a pretty blue, green and lavender!

Whats you're favourite Essie nail shade?

Deborah

xxx