I enjoy watching these kind of videos on YouTube and thought I’d have a go myself
Watch it in HD if you can xo

Leather Jacket – All Saints via eBay (the style is Mahonie)
Jeans – Topshop Jamie
Oversized White Tee – River Island

Plaited Chain Necklace – Kate Benjamin via Accessories Direct

I just adore this chain as it feeds into all my current jewellery loves; statement, layers, mixed metals. It’s also a dream to wear as it is deceivingly light. I highly recommend checking out their sale, brilliant reductions and so many stunning pieces.

Next on my want list is this Jacey Withers Ship Pendant. It’d make a lovely Valentine’s/ Birthday/ Just cos it’s a Tuesday present…. oooh and it’s currently reduced as well… (take the bait Matthew…).

Watch – Swatch
Bracelet – eBay
Faux Fur Bag – H&M

Boots – River Island Sale (the style is Shifty Herit)

So delighted with these boots as I had been giving longing looks over in the direction of the laid-back Banddit Boots but they were just too pricey. These were just twenty tiny pounds and have satisfied my urge for a less structured boot. The studding is just an added bonus

Oh and yes, blonde. Well actually for the past fortnight I’ve mostly been bright orange as I couldn’t decide whether I was going to take the plunge with the “obnoxious red”. I got cold feet though and so I’m blonde. Forever fickle… that’s me folks xo

P.S In answer to Why no face?! COLDSORE SIZE OF BEN NEVIS

I’m in hiding. It’s that time of the month. So you’ll find me under my Lululemon hoodie, clutching a hot water bottle and mumbling something about how everything sucks…

…apart from my new PINK faced Michael Kors watch. Picked it for an absolute steal (£99) in The Watch Store, Belfast. Just looking at it makes me feel brighter xo

]]> http://dressjunkie.com/2011/10/09/lemonhead/feed/ 12 http://dressjunkie.com/2011/09/03/luxury/ http://dressjunkie.com/2011/09/03/luxury/#comments Sat, 03 Sep 2011 23:25:36 +0000 dressjunkie http://dressjunkie.com/?p=3745

Look what Mr Postman brought me! *squeeeeeeeeeeal*

After much deliberation and justification I finally purchased the black Miu Miu Vitello Lux Bow Bag for myself, and I have ZERO regrets. It really is even more stunning than I had imagined.

However this isn’t quite as indulgent as it probably seems.

This particular Vitello is secondhand (2+ years of serious pre-lovin’) and came to me via eBay. I wouldn’t really recommend shopping for designer goods on there unless you really know your stuff as sadly there are a lot of unscrupulous sellers trying to pass off fake goods. However, I think of myself as a seasoned shopper on there and The Purse Forum are a great resource for helping to spot the authentic deals.

Thankfully this was one of them and I made a substantial saving

I have to say that the previous owner has obviously adored the bag too. The leather has that amazing squishy “worn in” feel and look (which personally I heart) but there is no damage and the lining is immaculate. The seller will definitely be getting 5 star feedback from me!

Incidentally today must have been THEE day for Vitello deliveries as the lovely Laura received a pink one. Check it out here! It’s a beaut!

The rest of today’s outfit is high-street. My rather see-through (oooer missis) jumper is from Forever 21. I spent a good ten minutes this morning fretting over what colour bra I could “acceptably” wear with this. I finally settled on black and I think it works…. I may be wrong though

Anyways, I picked it up when I was in the Dublin branch last week. Initial impression in regards to quality is unexpectedly good although I haven’t washed it yet so watch this space!

Jeans are from Zara. LOVE their denim and the fact that they recognise women aren’t just straight up and down. YES we have bums and YES we have hips and most of their styles allow for that.

My blazer is from New Look (recently) and I adore the tailored fit. You can leave it open for a casual look or fasten the button to accentuate the waist. Great staple piece imo.
Shoes are oldies from Faith but I’m actually cursing them as they gave me an awful heel blister this afternoon. Booooo hissssss!

Anyways, must dash as I’m heading to a family party. Have a good night whatever you get up to xo

Weekend of healthy eating ahead……..

Get your fix of BAJILLION calorie American treats here

xo

The town next to ours held its annual 4th of July Celebrations last night and we went along for the sunshine, music, hotdogs, ice-cream and Elderflower Slush Puppies (well actually I went for the beer)…. yum

I took full opportunity to work cow girl chic using a new dress from Peacocks £16 and vintage boots from The Ragged Priest £24.99

I felt really girly as the dress has some netting underneath, so there were a number of gratuituous twirls for the husband

The boots kept it quite casual though and this particular pair are like wearing slippers! With a four hour wait for the Fireworks, I’m really really glad I opted for these over strappy sandals!!

Make-up wise I wore a thin layer of Dior Forever Foundation, this is my go to for evenings out at the moment.

I kept the eyes bright but simple, using just one eyeshadow namely MAC Steamy and then lined my upper lid with Barry M Turquoise Liquid Liner. I adore this liner, however I hate the applicator which is like a spear, and its also near impossible to remove in entirety. I’ll have a little blue hue around my lashes for the next 2-3 days. Not ideal….

Eye brows are courtesy of the Urban Decay Brow Box, blusher is MAC Tippy from the Hello Kitty range, still in my top five and lips are my own

We had a brilliant night, the weather was just perfect and it was nice to see people from all walks of life congregate for something fun! Roll on next year!

Matthew & Izaak skimming stones

Johnny Cash Tribute Band

This band caused much mirth and amusement with us, every song up until about 10 minutes before the end was NOT a Johnny Cash song. Not unless Johnny Cash was the 6th member of Boyzone……

Hard to capture the impressive Firework display on camera phone but it was amazing and such a beautiful setting over Groomsport Harbour.

xoxo

P.S Check out how much my hair has grown?!! We’re entering short bob zone here folks

We have two Sally’s in Bangor, I’d already looted the main street one which was disappointingly thin on the ground for bargains. This morning I turned my attention to their Conlig (Balloo Industrial Estate) site.

The sales assistant was really friendly and helpful. She was explaining to me that a lot of people don’t use her store as they mistakenly assume it is trade only, hence a much better level of stock and reductions. I was in heaven.

The entire O.P.I “Holiday in Toyland” collection was reduced to under half price. £3.99 each and that includes the VAT already. The collection consists of 12 beautiful Christmas shades, predominantly red as it was the festive season obviously. I’ve bright reds coming out of my ears and so I picked out “Sheer” Your Toys. A beautiful light grey, mauve undertones and the most subtle red fine glitter throughout. I tried to capture it on the camera but its far too fine to pick up.

I don’t have good nails. They have always been weakish and a set of acrylics for my wedding last summer just sent them over the edge.

I also have to keep my nails short for working on people’s faces, I’m not allowed to wear polish at all in college due to clients’s potential allergies, and the constant hand washing for hygiene and brush cleanser use is also playing havoc with the density of my nails and the skin on my hands. Solution?

Well… I mentioned a while back how I had purchased O.P.I’s Original Nail Envy and its been an absolute “nail” saver. My nails are improving everyday and they aren’t tearing like they were. I’m also still using Seche Vite as a top coat and can’t recommend it highly enough. I know a few people use the Sally Hansen Rapid Dry Spray to set their nail varnish. IMO this is much better as it doesn’t dull the polish where I find the sprays do. The lacquer keeps its high shine. You can purcase it on Ebay for a few pounds.

Whats on your nails today people? xox

Best Christmas present so far has to be the Coastal Scents Original 88 Palette.

I had watched & read numerous reviews on this palette, as I couldn’t decide whether to opt for the original or the shimmer version. I am so glad @cimota got me the original. It still has quite a few satin colours among the matt, so that more than satisfies my need for a little sheen.

I also knew the pigmentation was supposed to be good, I just wasn’t prepared for how good. In the pictures I am wearing the lightest red and as you can see they is nothing wishy washy about it!. I love bold colours and this palette is an inexpensive way of discovering how far I can take the brights! The actual formula is lovely, not chalky and really easy to blend.

I would highly recommend picking this palette up if you love eyeshadows. you can order it from Coastal Scents here for $21.95 (approx £15.00). Unfortunately at present it is out of stock in the shiny case. Hopefully it will be available again soon.

Shipping is minimal and set to a certain weight limit, so while you’re there I’d recommend picking up  some of their gel liners. Delivery has never taken longer than 7 days from them which is fab!

You can also pick the set up from certain Ebay sellers who will send it on from Japan. However I have heard a few nightmare stories about the palettes arriving broken due to ill packing. I have ordered a number of times from Coastal Scents and everything has always arrived perfect, in bubble wrap, paper and a sturdy box, my vote would be to pay a few extra quid and get it from them.

A month ago I reviewed Covergirl’s Waterproof Lashblast, which is a mascara must have in the states.

Apparently Lashblast “maxes-out each and every lash for a blast of lush, volumized lashes.”

I was unimpressed at the time and I have to say that I still think the promises above are mostly hot air. It does not volumise or add length. The gimmicky wand is just that, a gimmick. It adds nothing to performance IMO.

However I can say with complete authority on the matter that the actual “Waterproof” formula of this mascara is unbelievable. I’ve been up and down like a yo-yo this past week and this mascara has been a saviour. It honestly does not budge. You can rub your eyes, wipe your eyes with a tissue, cry like theres no tomorrow, and this mascara aint moving. It doesn’t even flake, which I find every other waterproof mascara I have tried does, so you end up with those annoying scummy little black bits all over your face. Not with this product.

It is relatively easy to remove with my Clarin’s One-Step Cleanser though.

So if you like watersports, hit the gym frequently or mosh a lot at the weekends I’d recommend getting your hands on this mascara purely for its waterproof abilities. I don’t think it has been released here yet but you can easily get your hands on it through good ole Ebay for around £5.

Have to share my love of YSL’s Gloss Repulpant. I came across this completely by chance, when it was among a mixed lot of make-up items I got from good ole Ebay a few months back.

I didn’t use it until a few weeks ago as, to be honest I’m a “pretty packaging” whore and this wasn’t talking to me. Also the colour which is No 3 Glossy Brown looked very dark.

Just goes to show appearances can be very deceptive… because it is fabulous!

There is only a sheer nude colour from it, and the brush style applicator is soft and flexible giving good coverage. The feel is very luxurious and the only scent is a light menthol.
It is not in the least sticky but somehow it manages to last a long time. It leaves my lips feeling refreshed and smooth.
As it is a lip plumper there is a very subtle tingle when you first apply, but don’t be expecting a trout pout

It retails for £18.50 but you can get it from Ebay sellers for a more purse friendly £12. I would definitely recommend giving this gloss a go. Check out the other shades available here

Todays eyeshadow look was inspired by a tweet conversation last night regarding how much make-up I buy and never use, or use once and make a snap decision its not for me.

Frankly its a disgusting amount, and its really not just make-up, its clothes, hair products, shoes *cringe*

I have made a move on the clothes/ footwear front and Ebayed an absolute tonne of stuff last month, so I shouldn’t feel overly bad

The first make-up product I have picked out for a re-try is MAC’s Fluidline in Brassy.

For those that don’t know these are MAC’s gel eyeliners. I use Blacktrack and Blitz & Glitz regularly but I have never got to grips with Brassy. Its quite orangey in tone and I thought it would really stand out and look lush on the lashline but to be honest, it really doesn’t do either of those things. It just seems to get lost against eyeshadow and mascara.

Sooooo I thought, why not use it like a paint pot and try it all over my lid as a sparkly base and go from there? I did just that, using my 217 brush, put it all over the lid and in the crease.

Then I lightly coated the lid in Woodwinked and put Mulch in the crease and corner. A tiny bit of matt black eyeshadow was then swirled into the outer corner for definition. Mylar again on the browbone (I like it because it isn’t shimmery).

Liquid eyeliner on top lashline and one coat of mascara. I have purposefully kept the lower lashline pencil free to give it a cleaner, fresher feel. I really like the result, so Brassy has been upgraded to my kit again

Eyes

• MAC Fluidline in Brassy (eye base)
• MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked (main eyelid)
• MAC Eyeshadow in Mulch (crease)
• MAC Eyeshadow in Mylar (brow bone)
• Max Factor Masterpiece Liquid Eyeliner (upper lashline)
• L’oreal Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black

Face

• MAC Studio Fix Fluid NW20
• MAC Select Cover-up in NW20
• NARS Blush in Deep Throat

Lips

• Carmex Lip Salve

While I’m waiting for Enormous Lash to perform miracles I am still trying every mascara on the market that promotes longer/ thicker/ blacker lashes. So there was much excitement at the beginning on the week when Covergirl’s Lashblast and Maybelline’s Colossal Volum’ Express arrived via Ebay

The promises are good, Lashblast “maxes-out each and every lash for a blast of lush, volumized lashes.” & Colossal gives “Colossal Lashes in Just One Coat!” apparently. Happy days I’m thinking! Packaging is bright & funky but how do they actually perform?
I am comparing the Colossal against Max Factor’s Masterpiece mascara and the Lashblast against MAC’s Plush Lash as they are similar styles and the wands are extremely alike. See Pics Below.

Covergirl (left) Maybelline (right) wand

Max Factor (left) MAC (right) wand

Lashblast has thee thickest wand I have ever seen on a mascara, the head is huge with rubberised type bristles, formulation is very thick and creamy. I’ve tried this twice now. Both times I have had to put two coats on to achieve anything that gives nearly enough the coverage I like. I do not see the thinking/ point behind the super width wand. The bristles seem stumpy and uneven and I felt they didn’t grip each individual lash, I also felt it was hard to get the thick wand into the base of my lashes without a) poking myself in the eye and b) getting mascara on my eye make-up.

Masterepiece in contrast has the benefit of longer, more uniform rubber bristles and a thinner wand allowing a more precise application, and although I coated lashes twice, once would have sufficed.

Colossal has a large bushy wand, lots of bristles, densely packed. Again I gave 2 coats, it gave a nice black finish, but no wow effect for me.

Plush Lash has an almost identical wand, mascara formulation is a lot thicker though and I felt definitely pumped the lashes up better. However neither of the above mascaras are easy to use on the lower lash line and I feel this is because of the sheer bushiness of the wands. So unless you don’t want to be fixing your undereye make-up with concealer I would give both of these a wide berth.

So not overly impressed with the two new additions to my mascara collection and tbh I doubt I’ll use either unless I run out of my favourites, of which Max Factor’s Masterpiece is still definitely one.

Ok, lets talk MAC brushes, more importantly lets talk fake vs genuine.
This is a subject which interests me greatly, I use Ebay a lot to source my kit, therefore I want to be clued in and spot the baddies, right?
Its a subject that has been analysed to death not only on Ebay guides but You Tube videos. And you know what? They all make my blood boil. I personally think if you are gonna take the time to sit down and make a video that other people out there are going to use as a reference to a potential purchase, then the least you can do is get your facts straight. And unfortunately most of the ill informed helpful reviewers have just regurgitated what they heard from some other You Tuber, wrong information might I add. Aaaaarrrgghhh.
So anyway, deep breath. Here it is. What everyone needs to know about how to spot a fake MAC brush, wait for it………. drum roll please………..

you can’t!!!!!!!!!! Thats it! If you claim to be able to you must have made the brush yourself. That is the only possible way, trust me. Barr if the handle says NAC on it, I’ll give you that

The reason is that even within the genuine brushes there is no hard and fast rule. No 2 brushes are identical.

These are my MAC brushes, all 100% genuine and bought online from www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Common Myths:

• The handles are matt black, if they sparkle they are fake – WRONG, all the handles glitter under light
• They are all made in the USA – WRONG, 2 of my brushes say made in Japan, 3 made in France
• The “made in” is always a certain font and size – WRONG, mine all vary, some bolder type than others
• The ferrule (metal bit) is always flush to handle – WRONG, certain brushes are curved here, see pics
• The handles are pure black – WRONG, My 217 is much blacker than all the others (2nd handle down) yet bought at the same time as the brush above it!
• Real MAC brushes have plastic handles – WRONG, the handles are wooden but coated and will feel quite light

Here is a much better way for working out if the brush is fake or not, if you pay £5.00 for a £25.00 brush on Ebay then you are kidding yourself its the real mccoy.
And if you want to be sure you’re getting the real thing buy it from a MAC store or MAC online