Don’t they just!

I think it’s the best bit of PR I’ve seen from a cosmetics company in a long time!

The premise of the deal was that if Models Own got to 100,000 likes on their Facebook page then they would throw a 50% off sale for one week on their website.

They reached that number last Friday and I don’t think that even they were prepared for the sheer volume of traffic the site would receive. Since then it’s been constantly falling over but with perseverance and a hell of a lot of patience orders can be made! Trust me!

I placed my order late Friday and it arrived this morning. Tbh I didn’t expect to see it for a few weeks so kudos to the staff. I’m very impressed by any company that doesn’t just fold under the pressure of a big sale.

Also loving that each polish was individually bubble wrapped. To me this says Models Own are a company that care about what state my purchases reach me in. I like!

On to the haul….

Well… initially I had 4 polishes in my basket but OBVIOUSLY the lure of 50% was just TOO much of a bargain. I ended up with 8.

Total was £20 inc free p&p. Now that’s flipping fabulous! I already have several Models Own polishes and I believe that even at £5 they are ridiculously good value for money. £2.50 each is just a steal!

I got:

L: Pearly Queen R: Snow White

Pearly Queen is very subtle pretty pink and the name is apt. It’s pearl earrings in liquid form.  The Snow White swatch is a bit pointless but basically I got this as a base for the blue glitter.

L: Champagne R: Nude Beige

Going on sight and swatches alone Champagne is the stand out beauty, a rich pearly light gold. Nude Beige on the other hand is slightly disappointing, definitely not as nude as the site swatch. Much more minky than I was expecting. Jury is OUT!

L: Raspberry Crush R: Tickled Pink

I love both of these. Raspberry Crush is much more cerise than it’s appearing here, really vibrant and it’ll make a great toenail colour. Tickled Pink is a great glittery rose. Super feminine.

L: Blue Sparkle R: Silver Spangle

I’ve wanted both of these for an absolute age but I probably wouldn’t have bought them unless the sale was on. Why? Well crazy glitter polishes always seem like a bit of a waste. Lets be honest I’ll rarely wear these. I am looking forward to experimenting with them though.

Initially the glitter seems like it will be easy to place on the nail. If I had to pick a negative I’d say that these took almost twice as long to dry on my swatch card. Definitely not ones to be apply if you’re in a hurry.

Overall I’m delighted. I really hate spending big bucks on nail polish, unless it’s something super special, because quite honestly it’s not my favourite beauty product. However I’m well chuffed that I have eight new shades to play with and they didn’t break the bank.

You can still take advantage of the offer here up until midnight Friday the 27th of August. Make sure you add in the code FACEBOOK50 at the checkout

xo

you overindulged at the weekend?

*raises both hands*

I love red wine. I love Indian food. Sadly my insides disagree.

Today I am STILL recovering after a fun Saturday night out. Bread and muchos water please!!

Outfit wise I had planned to wear a frock on Saturday night, but absolutely crazy weather put an end to that idea. I ended up heading out in straight leg jeans and a white blouse from Warehouse. Absolute bargain at £7.50! There is another 50% off their sale prices in store.

This was a bit out of my comfort zone, so I did spend a large proportion of the night pulling at it and feeling the need to smooth it down. However it was very comfortable and cool to wear so it’s definitely opened me up to the idea of a shirt and jeans as alternative going out attire.

Both necklaces are from River Island. I think my favourite high street jewellery comes from there. It’s always a bit different and the pieces I have already have lasted well, unlike Primark bits n pieces. I’d rather spend a few quid more and not worry about it falling off my neck halfway through a night

Shoes were another sale bargain from the fail that was Faith. £10 in the Debenhams outlet. I thought they were really cute but classy, and they even have a little cone kitten heel. I can see these getting a tonne of use!

Speaking of fashion I’m currently lemming a hacking jacket… you know the type. Fitted tweed with elbow patches? I’ve tried a few on in Zara but not been overly happy with the fit and at £79.99 I expect to be! Anyone seen anything similar? Link me up please

xo

I had the wantsies for a Sydney Evan Disc Necklace as worn by the lovely Lorraine Stanick but what I didn’t have the wantsies for was parting with $1020 to get it. Eeek!

I searched everywhere for a cheap dupe online, but I just couldn’t find one that was big enough/ sparkly enough/ dirt cheap enough.

So I set about fashioning my own.

I took one pair of drop disc earrings from the current Oasis Sale £4

These were good because they had a fixed eyelet already soldered to the top of them, meaning adding a chain would be wee buns (easy peasy)!
I just used a pair of pliers to detach the bar from the disc. Then took an old unused necklace and fed it through.

Voila!

I think it’s really classy, although I would like a finer open link chain but that’ll be easy enough to pick up for a few quid in Accessorize or the like. Most importantly it has satisfied my want. When I get bored of it I won’t feel guilty tossing it. Especially for £4.

My top is from Tesco, I think it was around £12. Just really loved the slogan and print

Not much planned for today, we have all 4 kids all weekend so that should be …….. fun?

I also have a tonne of housework to catch up on. Thankfully Noah has decided all things cleaning related are AMAZING!?! So I have a little helper today!

That's my boy!

Mr Mop

You could eat your dinner off it!

Have a good weekend whatever you get up to, and much love to all you kind and wonderful people. You know who you are

xo

Well it’s a bargain if you happen to like Uggs. If not… move along… nothing to see here

Now this isn’t perhaps the most seasonally appropriate post, what with it being July and apparently the British Summer Time. However unlike the mainland, us Northern Irelanders aren’t experiencing this fabulously warm heatwave. Instead we’re dodging rain clouds and bullets ( I jest).

So I think you’ll forgive me when I tell you that I just purchased a new pair of Uggs. To wear. Like now.

I’ve always fancied a pair in the “Cardy” style. I just didn’t fancy paying £125.00 for them. So I didn’t!

I shopped savvy and picked them up for £64.00 in Cruise Clothing. I bought mine in store but they’re also available here in pink, grey and light brown. The black is not reduced. Remember the “Don’t you hate when clothing shops reduce like that, by popularity of colour?” Errr well yeah I do… again. Grrr

Anyway definite bargain to be had, even if it’s not for yourself! I’m gonna order the pink for my besties Xmas pressie. I know she’ll LOVE them.

Word of warning or maybe advice though in regards to Uggs. Even the authentic Uggs are bad for your feet with prolonged wear. Due to the design and composition they simply can’t offer the kind of support that a trainer or laced shoe can.

Like a lot of people my feet naturally over pronate, meaning that my foot tends to roll inward at the arch area. A shoe without support at the arch area ie Uggs, flip flops, slippers will aggravate this and ultimately cause pain in the shins/ knees and in my case lower back.

So what can you do about it?

Well personally what I do is still buy the footwear I like the look of but I adapt the support offered by inserting my own gel insoles. I wear these in almost ALL my shoes now, and I’d say that 90% of my knee & back pain is gone.

You can pick them up in most sports stores these days. Shop around though as they can be pricey. I paid around £10 in DW Fitness for a pair, and then on holiday got a few pairs for 7 euro!

Hope this helps someone

xo

Hmmmmm… note the House of Fraser slogan….

They aint lyin!! I was lucky to get out of there with some change in my purse!

Now I’m not sure if it was nationwide, but the Belfast branch of House of Fraser has been holding a 2 day Sale which ends this evening. With discounts of up to 30% off the majority of fashion brands, and 10% off beauty. Hooray!

I went in with the sole purpose of buying a clutch sized bag, and ended up with not one but two bags (…well you DO don’t you?).

In my defence it is entirely NOT my fault. If places like HoF are going to reduce bags by one of my favourite designers by 25%…. and then on sale day by a FURTHER 25% I’m going be pretty bloody helpless in saying no, …. right?

Disclaimer over….. and I got my small clutch

It’s a beautiful butter soft black leather one by Badgley Mischka , almost pouch like. The big selling point for me was the fact that it features a long thin strap enabling cross-body wear. This is a must for me on a night out. If the bag is not physically connected to me in some fashion I WILL lose it. Trust me, after 31 years on earth you get to know yourself quite well, and I lose clutch bags… a lot.

Bonus too that the strap can be doubled up, which shortens it and means you can wear it underarm. Cute AND versatile!

I also fell in love with this Badgley Mischka tote. I admit mostly because of the stunning colour.It’s so unusual! Almost peach.

This also has a detachable strap and therefore can be worn in a multitude of ways, although it won’t be getting any wear until June as I’m saving this for our Summer holiday

Beauty Hall purchases were strictly limited to skincare for a change. I’m just not “feeling” make-up at the minute. I’m more than satisfied with what I already own tbh so I just picked up 2 things from Origins.

The “Make a Difference” Ultra Rich Rejuvenating Cream. I’ve been on the hunt for a really rich night cream and the sales assistant directed me towards this one. I didn’t argue, felt rich, smelt unoffensive and wasn’t ridiculously expensive. Sold.

She was actually really enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the Origins range (as she should be) which is probably how I ended up with “refreshing eye cream” that I didn’t know I needed (… until I’d bought it) but I was in one of those carefree shopping moods this morning, open to trying new things and being easily influenced. Sometimes that’s the best kind of shopping.

Anyway, that’s my lot. I’ve been on a post shopping high all day!

Enjoy your weekend folks, whatever you get up to!

Me, I’ll be chilling tonight with the family, and then tomorrow night I’m hitting Belfast with one of my chums. It’ll be a heels, lipstick and champagne kinda night. Can hardly wait!!

xox

Just a few little bargains I picked up in Bangor this weekend.

First up, jewellery. I LOVE when Topshop have a jewellery sale as the reductions are nearly always 50% – 75%
That said, just because its a bargain doesn’t mean I should buy all the shit of the day. So initially I do tend to go a bit crazy grabbing everything in sight.

Then I take my haul to a mirror and try everything on (necklaces/ bangles/ rings) and hold earrings up to get an idea. Just by doing this I normally manage to whittle it down from about 12 pieces to 4 or 5…… ish

First up are two pair of heart earrings. Hearts are very “me”. I am very in touch with my feelings and a massive romantic. I’ve had my heart broken many times but I’d rather that than never having known what it’s like to fall in love…. So hearts make me smile

The stud silver pair were £5 down to £2, and the woven gold danglies were £7 down to £2

Then I got a bunch of silver bangles. I’ve been wearing a lot of gold over the summer, but my preference from young has always been silver. I thought these would come in useful over the festive season. £12 down to £2. Bargaintastic!!

And finally a sweet little owl, star and moon necklace. This wasn’t reduced but inexpensive anyway at £6. I bought this to wear with my Winter Coat from New Look as the owl has lovely emerald coloured eyes. Too cute!

Clothes wise the ultimate bargain was unearthed in my local British Heart Foundation Charity Shop. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I practically squealed when I found this dress nestling in the rails. It is a velvet & lace vintage “Kays Catalogue” Bodycon dress. I’m too embarrassed to say what they were asking for it, but needless to say I rounded it up to a more acceptable amount to donate to charity.

To be fair, lying flat/ on the hanger it doesn’t “really” look anything special but…

when it’s on, I feel super sexy. I adore any kind of open or low back. This dips down in a very deep lace covered V. LOVE IT!!!

Last but not least I caved in and bought a pair of super tight sequin leggings.

I’ve hmmed and haaed over these a couple of times. Do I really need them? Am I not a bit old to be wearing sequins on my legs at 30? But at the end of the day, I just thought fuck it. Life’s too short.

Now… when I’ll actually get to wear them is another matter. When I do though I’m thinking I’ll pair them under a nice long jumper dress/ tee. Keep it all quite simple and let the sequins do the talking? Any suggestions would be great!

So thats it from me for now, I’m off to stick a white wash on….. oh the glamourous life I lead

xox

well it is for me anyway

As a full on brunette I have always been able to carry off black eyeliner/ mascara…. however in these bright summer days even I think its a bit harsh on someone of my colouring.

So when I spied the Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Rope Collection on sale in Debenhams I jumped at it. Not only does this give me a spare Zero (their black) for Autumn/Winter but it also contains Bourbon, a brown I’ve been wanting to try out for quite some time. Plus 24/7 has always been a winner for me and my watery eyes! It stays put!

When you consider that just one of these pencils full size is £10 it really is a bargain, I already own the bright colours VIP collection and find that these last around 2-3 months anyway even if used daily

From L-R Yeyo, 1999, Zero, Bourbon & Stash

These are all very wearable, I’ll use the white in my inner corner on occasion, and 1999 will fit in perfectly with my new love of all eyeshadows plum. Stash is also an amazing green/ gold, not unlike Illamasqua’s Solstice Liquid Metal tbh. This would make a gorgeous base used all over the lid.

The result of Bourbon on the waterline is really quite refreshing. Much softer and more season suitable IMO. I’m even thinking of trying out a brown mascara now which is something I would never have entertained :-O

Any suggestions ladies?

xoxox

I know I do, and thankfully they were everywhere when I went into Belfast yesterday. Recession or no damn recession people were out in their droves and spending seemed to be the order of the day! It would have been rude not to join in…..

Heres a few of the highlights of my shopping trip

A gorgeous floral pashmina from M&S £14.99 A spring/ summer staple. I have several scarves but was holding out for a pretty blue toned one. This was love at first sight.

Staple summer sandals. I can’t be doing with completely flat sandals, they just aren’t comfortable on my arches, so this mini wedge talks my kind of language. M&S £15

A few accessories, actually truth be told this was all I was shopping for initially… oops

The long necklace on the left is from H&M £3.99, middle and right are both from Miss Selfridge and were bargains reduced to £3 & £2 a piece. The floral one looks quite over the top and gaudy but its actually very pretty on. I think it’ll be gorgeous on a warm summers evening with a plain white skinny vest.

A cute biker jacket from Dorothy Perkins which had an additional 20% off sale stock. I’ve been after one of these for a while to throw on over casual dresses when out for a night, but I didn’t want to pay big money. The wait paid off….DP’s £12

Bargains reached fever pitch in Victoria Square, the House of Fraser shoe sale was AMAZING! I spent a whole hour just trying on fabulous shoes. In the end I opted for these classic Carvela black patent killer stilettos. Original price was £95 but after two reductions I got them for a stellar £29

Last stop on Sunday was Topshop. Now I love Topshop but I do think that their clothing is mostly over-priced. I tend to get the bulk of my Topshop bits n bobs during their sale and yesterday was no exception.

This jersey long line vest is very me. It clings in all the right places and skims and flatters in all the wrong ones I’ll be wearing this over leggings now and as a dress with sandals as it gets warmer. I love multi-functional pieces like this and I’m stocking up on my navy tops which replace black for me in the brighter days £10

This next item makes me smile big style. I am totally in love with it. I’m calling it my “Kirstie Allsopp” number! It’s my new spring/ summer coat and I imagine she would share my love of it.
I like fitted coats but truth be told these full circle style numbers suit me best. I feel like Audrey Hepburn in it, it nips me in at the waist (Size 12 Yay!!!!) and yet sits out like a flirty dress over my hips. I adore it. It was £75 (I’d have bought it at that price) but as luck would have it, reduced to £35

Final topshop purchase and definitely not in keeping or to be worn with the above coat is a soft grey hobo sac.
This is a gorgeous casual slouchy bag that will see me from now well into Autumn. I’ll wear it with jeans and flip flops and keys will go missing for days in the bottom of it, but I won’t care!

So thats it for yesterdays shopping spree. I think I did well and have some great new season staples now for my wardrobe. I’m sure Gok would approve!

A little additional purchase today was a Max C dress from Tempest, I’m intending to wear this out tomorrow night when I go to see Girls Aloud in concert. Can’t wait!!! It was reduced from £45 to £22.50. My husband has pointed out that it is a little “red, white & blue” which is quite funny in Northern Ireland (perhaps not elsewhere), I’m thinking it’ll be grand, and sure at least I have my outfit sorted for the 12th

What bargains has everyone else been getting in the sales?? xox

I haven’t had time to think never mind blog in the last few days, its just been go go go at this end.
My youngest son has been “especially” demanding lately but we seem to be coming out the other side of that little phase (thank god).

I managed to get out for a few hours on Friday night with friends and it was lovely to get glammed up, cute print dress from Topshop paired with red 40’s style Carvela heels (a dirt cheap Ebay purchase) that I adore and have got soooo much use out of.

Saturday I was meant to be at IMATs, but to be completely honest, I just couldn’t justify the cash that would have been required for flights, hotel, food and inevitably tons of make-up purchases. So I worked Saturday instead and earnt some more readies for the Hello Kitty @ MAC fund

Sunday I popped up to Forestside (a mall outside Belfast) and browsed for some bargain accessories. I completely refuse to spend money on expensive clothes at the moment, I just don’t see the point now that I am determined to shed the pounds. Therefore I have been focusing on the belts, scarves, bags, shoes and basically anything that adds to outfits I already have.
Below is a little peek at some of the deals I picked up including bargain boots from Clarks, the long ones were reduced from £79.99 and the short ones from £69.99!!! I love Clarks shoes, I have rubbish feet and their boots are unbelievably comfortable xo

Chainlink Hairband Blk & Gold New Look £4

Cream Leather & Chain Effect Hairband New Look £4

Chunky Waist Cincher Dorothy Perkins £5

Black Leather 3/4 Length Boots Clarks £23

Grey Leather Ankle Boots Clarks £23