Wearing my festive jumper/ sweater dress. It would be indecently short on me as a dress so I pair it with lace trimmed cycling shorts from Topshop, dotty Primark tights and sparkly Zara shoes (purchased on my Summer holiday).

Dinner was at my Mum’s house and as usual she outdid herself with the fabulous table decoration. My Mum and I are very similar, in that we are drawn to the more bright and childish Christmas ware. If it doesn’t feature a Santa/ Snowman or Ruldolph then it doesn’t say Christmas to us!

Noah (6) sharing his seat with two of his new friends, Bruno the Dog (Build-A-Bear) and Mosh & Chat Katsuma. Well done Santa

Dinner was particularly tasty. I rarely have seconds (unless it’s the Chinese Buffet… then I have seconds, thirds and fourths…) but I couldn’t get enough of the turkey this year. Scrummy!

My mother (60) and Izaak (10). Pray to goodness that I’ve inherited her ageing genes. I think she looks fab!

One looking at the lens… other looking at the display screen #fail but YAY for matching Christmas jumpers!!!

My brother even made dinner this year which was great. Fingers crossed 2012 is a good one for him cos 2011 has been pretty sucky tbh

ATTACK!!!!

…..until an impatient Izaak can track Santa again

All in all Christmas was everything I could have hoped for and more. Hope yours was enjoyable too xo

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

NOW on to the Sales. I really didn’t buy much this year. Well…. definitely a lot less than previous years but still probably too much *shrugs*

First up is this light from NEXT. I think this is my top sale bargain as it was just £20 and will look amazing in our dining room. WIN!

Then these mid heel leopard booties from M&S for £15. Ridiculously comfortable and I totally fell for the little ruching detail.

Also this colour block scarf from M&S reduced to £12 from I believe £29 (say whaaaaat?!). I live by the sea and you can NEVER have too many scarves, hats and gloves. Also my beloved multi-coloured one from Tesco is starting to look a bit shabby so this is a nice replacement.

That’s it for now, I’m waiting on a few online purchases arriving but nothing too mind-blowing.

What’s been your pick of the sales? xo

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Jacket – Zara £119 (Sold out online)
Boots – Next £78
Bag – Bimba & Lola (Past season)

Dress – Pearl Lowe @ Peacocks £20

What a busy little weekend I have had! Yesterday I ventured into the city for lots of Christmas goodies and ended up in Build-A-Bear for OVER AN HOUR. If you don’t know what this shop is, it’s basically hell disguised as something fluffy and fun. Long queues, lots of screaming children having Build-A-Bear parties and loooooong queues. Plus add-ons, so a bear that initially costs £15 at the start (of hell) ends up ringing in at an eye watering £38!! once it’s been dressed and given a heart. Did I mention the never-ending QUEUES?!?!

Ugh, anyways… hopefully there will be one very happy little boy on Christmas morning and my measly hour of delirium will all have been worth it. Oh and you know how you’re not meant to shop for yourself while buying presents for others? Yeah well I failed, multiple times… oops…

While making one such purchase (chunky mustard circle scarf) in Accessorize I met one of my lovely blog readers. I was so chuffed! She has a YouTube channel about Plus Size Fashion which you totally need to check out here

Saturday night my Mum took the kids so that Matt and I could have some (much needed) couple time. We hit up the Christmas Market in Belfast for currywurst, macaroons and crepes ♥
Then today we spent the day eating out and doing the last of Santa’s shopping. It’s been a lovely 24 hours

xo

]]> http://dressjunkie.com/2011/12/18/oh-buoy/feed/ 6 http://dressjunkie.com/2011/12/13/hot-as-mustard/ http://dressjunkie.com/2011/12/13/hot-as-mustard/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:16:58 +0000 dressjunkie http://dressjunkie.com/?p=4341

Dress – H&M £14.99

Boots – Topshop Ambush £75

Coat – TU Clothing @ Sainsbury’s Sale £17.50
Scarf – Florence & Fred @ Tesco £8
Lipstick – Studio Make-up Really Red

Necklace – Urban Outfitters Sale (donkeys ago)

Well how are we all doing? I’ve finally moved (again….) and although there are still a mountain of boxes to unpack I’m trying to be upbeat. Not sure whether it’s a subconscious thing but this past week I have found myself dressing head to toe in black which perfectly matched my mood, well… barr Saturday night when I wore a red dress to an Xmas do *inserts grainy phone pic*

What is a very conscious realisation though, is that wearing bright colours makes me feel sunnier. So this is my excuse for dressing like a real life rainbow today, and I think it’s working. That smile almost reaches the eyes… no?

Loving

• Wrapping up for Winter. Hats, scarves and mittens. I adore them all and feel happiest when bundled up in all of these things walking the dogs on a windy evening ♥
• Statement necklaces – Think big & mutiple layers. They dress up the simplest of outfits with minimal effort
• Primark Super Cosy Tights – Loved these last year and once again they get a massive thumbs up from me. Who couldn’t adore fleece lined tights?! ‘MAZIN!
• Sweet Potatoes – Let me count the ways I can cook thee… Delicious, nutritious and ready in a flash!
• Getting up early – Say whaaaat? No but seriously. Hear me out. It’s 13 miles drive to the boy’s school and I like to leave around 8am to get there in plenty of time. This means I now rise at 6.45am (previously I got up around 8 as boy’s school was 2 minutes drive up the road). I don’t know why but it’s invigorating getting up earlier. Everything is less manic and more organised. I need that in my life

Not Loving

• H&M returns and general customer service. I had to hold for over 15 minutes just to ask for a Royal Mail return label. This should be included as standard with Northern Ireland deliveries as unlike the mainland we cannot ring the Hermes courier direct to book returns. Not impressed
• Unpacking – nuff said
• My hair – I’m not sure whether the water is different in County Down but it’s not been behaving itself at all this past week. Soooooo tempted to hack it all off again but chanting “persevere, persevere, persevere” whenever the dark thoughts come

xo

Did you guess correctly?

I am thrilled to be working with Voucher Codes on their latest “Most Wanted” campaign. Of course, when I opened the email and read that they wanted me to road-test GLITTER SHOES on your behalf I knew it would be an obvious hardship…

Dress - River Island (2010 Sale)

My shoes are the ASOS Pepper Peep Toe Mary Jane Platforms (bit of a mouthful) in glorious ruby red. When I first opened the box I couldn’t help but squeal with delight, but having been burnt by ASOS sizing issues in the past I was also anxious that they wouldn’t fit. I needn’t have worried, the UK size 7 is refreshingly true to size. No gap at the back, no ugly overhanging toes at the front. I’d go so far to say these are my perfect fit.

The attention to detail is excellent. The Mary Jane strap is elasticated but also has a functioning buckle. A god send in design where I am concerned as I am very narrow across the top of my foot and these kind of straps are usually baggy and offer little support. I love the fact that the peep toe is colour-matched to the upper. So often this is not the case and I personally think it’s a tell tale sign of a cheaper shoe when they differ. I’m always lusting after the latest Miu Miu sparkly creations but if the high street can keep getting the quality as right as it is with these I think the big designer labels are in real trouble!

Comfort wise they also get a massive thumbs up. So far they have withstood a night of dancing and I have zero blisters/ discomfort to report. I think it’s the concealed platform that does the trick, in fact I’ve noticed that I always favour going out shoes with this feature. All sequins are also present and accounted for. Yay!

Price wise these normally retail for £50 which I think is excellent value considering the finish, comfort and style however the whole Pepper range is currently on sale. Most at £37.50! Have a nose here. I am sorely tempted to treat myself to the black glitter ones too. Can a girl ever have too many sparkly shoes?….

You all know how much I love a bargain, especially in this current climate. It’s extremely rare that I’ll just purchase something without searching for a discount code first. Free Delivery is also a BIG pull for me, I really begrudge paying shipping costs. Stay savvy and be sure to check out Voucher Codes ASOS offers page here first should you decide to splurge! xo

P.S How dodgy does my hand placement look in my outfit picture? I SWEAR it was just behind my back LOL

Did your heart skip a beat?

Mine certainly did when I set eyes on these frankly DELICIOUS New Look sparklies.

Then it promptly plummeted to my feet as I realised (with a large degree of overly dramatic) horror that they only had a size 6 left and it was too small. %&$£!!

I looked for them online with ZERO success.

Then I went to a different branch and……

they had 5 pairs of size 7… *whistles tunelessly*

To me they just SCREAM Christmas Party, which is where I intend to debut them. I’m gonna go the whole hog and pair them with a festive red frock, HELL, I might even wear some novelty earrings and a Santa Hat (I definitely won’t do either of these things). I’m all the more delighted because they were just £24.99! An amazing price considering places like DUNE are selling similar styles for £90 *faints*

Get them in store while you can, oh and I believe they also come in black and purple if that’s your thing!

xo

My annual obsession with all things Christmas continues to gather speed.

I just couldn’t resist buying these two ridiculously glittery nail polishes from Sally’s.

The O.P.I Holiday Collection is just gorgeous, especially “Dear Santa” which is a tomato red sparkly number. However it was “Smitten with Mittens” that won me over. It has a deeper red hue laced with gold glitter, a tad more sophisticated (well as much as a glitter bomb varnish can be…) and wearable.

I also couldn’t leave China Glaze Emerald Sparkle sitting on its a lonesome. It seems this little bottle didn’t manage to find a home in Winter 2008. I’m going to try and show it some love, perhaps in the form of some Christmas themed tacky nail art incorporating Smitten with Mittens….

xox

Am so stupidly excited today about Christmas!!

I am always childishly hyper (hubby would say annoying) in the run up. It has got ten times worse since having my own kids, as I just feed off their innocent hope and wonder towards all things “Santa”!!

It totally hasn’t helped that @cimota presented me with this “surprise” package yesterday. I have absolutely no idea what it contains but can’t WAIT to find out!!!

So in an effort to keep calm I’ve turned to my make-up for a half hour

This is a smokey purple look, almost charcoal looking, but as you can see in the third picture under certain light you see the pretty purple haze. Its very sultry and would be gorgeous for wearing to a Christmas Eve party or even New Years Eve. I have taken the sparkle up an extra notch using body glitter over the lid but you could leave that step out for a more subtle shimmer.

Click on pictures to enlarge

What did I use?

Face

• Revlon Color Stay Foundation 180 Sand Beige
• Barbara Daly @ Tesco Concealer Medium
• M&S Autograph Dark Circle Concealer under eyes
• MAC MSF So Ceylon (highlight)
• Paula Dorf Cheek Color Ballet

Eyes

• UDPP (base)
• NYX Jumbo Shadow Pencil 606 Baby Blue (main lid)
• Coastal Scents Neutral Palette Soft Pink (2nd row, 3rd from left) (brow bone)
• NARS Night Rider (main lid)
• NARS Barbuda (crease & under lower lash line)
• Coastal Scents Neutral Palette Purple Black (top row, far right) (smoked into crease)
• Barry M Loose Body Glitter 8 (applied with mixing medium all over main lid)
• Max Factor Master Piece Glide & Define Liquid Liner (top lash line)
• MAC Powerpoint Pencil Engraved (water line)
• L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara Carbon Black

Lips

• Chanel Gloss 108

I’m more than a little late with this post this week, but better late than never
I blame Christmas! It’s much too exciting and fun!

1. Benefit’s High Beam – I’ve been experimenting with winter looks this week and in the process have fallen back in love with this product. I completely forgot how precise you can be with this high lighter, an area where MAC’s MSF’s fall down. I particularly like concentrating it just on the brow bone, gives the most gorgeous frosty shimmer. Beware around the nose/ inner cheek area if you have visible pores like moi, this product just loves to accentuate the bad as well as the good
2. Estee Lauder’s Lash Primer Plus – Love love love this. No gimmicks, packaging is very uninteresting, wand regular and unshaped, but the formula is fab. It conditions, seperates and bulks out my lashes. Can turn a relatively average mascara such as Miss Sporty Studio Lash into a lash sensation. I just apply one coat and let it dry for around 30 seconds, then apply my regular mascara. Brilliant product!
3. Christina Aguilera Eau De Parfum – I have numerous expensive perfumes which I love but I’m quite open minded on the whole scent front. If I like something I will wear it regardless of cost/ brand. This is one of those items. I’ve been wearing it non-stop this week, I really like it and the husband has given it his seal of approval too. It is quite musky but floral too, sexy but feminine. Try it!

What have you been reaching for this week? xox

Party season is upon us and its a rare chance to break out the glitter with a vengeance, plaster on the eyeliner, and generally teeter on the thin line (of taste) between glamourista/ strictly come dancing contestant/ drag queen!

I adore silvers and greys but I think they are really hard to wear, especially with my pale skin. Adding glitter to the mix is a must for me, and also a rosy blush, essential if I am to avoid looking like an ice queen.

Although I’m just wearing lip balm above, if I was wearing this look out on the works Christmas do etc I’d wear a bold red lipstick/ gloss with the obligatory falsies (thats lashes, not boobs).

I know its “apparently” a big no no to accentuate both eyes and lips in one look, but I think thats a very boring 21st century rule that I like to break whenever possible. Certainly there are times when playing one up against the other works better but Christmas is NOT that time.

Pump up the volume and glam it up!!!! xox

Face

• Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Sand Beige
• Autograph Illusions Dark Circles Concealer in Light
• NARS Blush in Outlaw

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion (eye base)
• Bourjois Loose Glitter Eyeshadow in Gris Pixel 26 (main eyelid)
• Barry M Dazzle Dust in Silver Iridescent 8 (inner third of lid)
• No 17 Eye Dazzle in Star Crossed (crease)
• MAC Eyeshadow in Vellum (brow bone)
• Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara Black

Lips

• Carmex Lip Balm

I need to take my own advice, sit down, relax and breathe.

Have been running about this morning having a Santa related stress out. No one should under-estimate the importance of picking Puppy in my Pocket Playhouse over the Pet Hospital. I had some kind of mini episode in the toy shop when my brain simply shut down for a few minutes.

Disaster is now averted and we are complete in our Santa purchases (for the kids at least) barr a Sonic game which isn’t out until next week. I can’t speak for anyone else but I know personally this year I am definitely trying to make the money go further and not just picking up things first time I see them.

Heads up to other parents looking bargains, try your local Tesco. I am not sure why exactly but a lot of the girls toys and the Ben 10 figures are reduced, however the reductions aren’t advertised on the shelves, it is just taken off at checkout. Either way I am a happy mum saving some pennies

Really looking forward to Christmas, I think for years I was so over it. Its only when you have your own children and share it with someone who loves you that the magic of it is reignited xox

I have done a look today for the upcoming Christmas party season. It is quite daring and not for everyone, but I like to have fun with make-up and especially love green against my eyes. I have used a mixture of products, but most are very inexpensive and available from Superdrug or Boots.

All the coloured pigments I used were from Barry M, Superdrug is currently running a promotion of 3 Dazzledusts for £10 which is great value. I covered my lid with MAC paint in Bare Canvas to give a nice sticky base for the pigment. Then using homemade mixing medium (1 part glycerin to 3 parts water) I made a nice paste of each pigment. Far far easier to work with and no annoying fall out. Yay!!

I then took it a bit further, couldn’t resist!
I added a splash of red to the corners to make the look really young & fun
Please excuse the eyebrows, I have ruined my tweezers by using them to perform a number of non tweezer related jobs (ie DIY things that actually required pliers). Ooops

Eyes

• MAC Paint in Bare Canvas (all over eye to prep)
• Barry M Dazzle Dust in Emerald 72 (lid & up into crease)
• Barry M Dazzle Dust in Lime 75 (inner third of lid)
• Barry M Dazzle Dust in Cherry Red 84 (outer third of lid)
• MAC Eyeshadow in White Frost (Brow bone)
• Rimmel Exaggarate Eye Liner Intense 001 Black (top lash line)
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Covet (under lower lash line)
• Collection 2000 Glam Crystals Gel Eye Liner in Pizzazz (over the 24/7 on the lower lash line)
• MAC Plush Lash Mascara in Plushblack

Ok ok, I know its only November 4th but I know the fab festive time is approaching when MAC release their Holiday Collection. And today was that day in the UK, along with “Red” She Said, a retro-starlet allure of Hollywood glamour, with a modern twist. Perfect for the up coming festive season

My generous husband has ordered me the Enchanting Vermillion Brush Set, a medium-sized red-orange patent brush canister with wine satin stripes.  It includes five professional brushes featuring black gloss handles and a metallic red M∙A∙C logo: the 129SE, 219SE, 239SE, 266SE and the 316SE.  The only down side is waiting patiently until Christmas Day!