Winter Boots || 2015

One of my most popular posts on my blog is my winter boots post that I did last year and because I'm a total shoeaholic its something I really enjoy writing about. So this year I thought I would do a repeat and share with you the boots that I've choosen for the Winter weather this year.

The first pair are 'Caddy Belles' from Clarks and they are these gorgeous riding boots with a leather front and an elastic panel at the back which makes the boot super easy to slip on. I love how elegant these look and the fact that the front of the boot comes higher than the back is super flattering. These come in a gorgeous tan colour as well which I'm definitely going to be picking up soon and I'll  post pictures of them when I get them and they come in a navy suede also. The one thing I would say about these boots are they're extremely difficult to fit so its definitely worth popping in to Clarks to try them on rather than ordering your size online because a five in the black 'Caddy Belle' fits me perfectly but in the tan even a four and a half is slightly big on me. They have a tendency to rub really badly at the heels as well but top tip -  if you flex the back of the heels with your hand before you wear them it should break them in enough to stop any blisters forming (works for all shoes)! However, they are a really good one for any ladies who struggle to get boots to fit their calfs or ankles because of the elasticated back. These retail at £140 but because they're black leather you can be sure they'll last you for many Winters to come.

The second pair of boots I have for Winter are these gorgeous suede, thigh high boots by Ted & Muffy*. These beauties are going to have an entire post of their own very soon to tell you about the amazing experience I had at their store but I couldn't miss them out in this post too. They're slightly less practical than my Clarks one with being suede but wow are they gorgeous! These ones retail at £400 so are definitely a luxury purchase but every girl needs their own pair of fairytale boots!

These 'Busby Fresh' ankle boots I've shown in a haul post previously, they were more my Autumn boots because of the cut outs but on dry days I've still been wearing them in Winter and I think they'll carry me straight through to Spring too. They're fab because you can wear them with frilly socks to keep warm and when it gets warmer again they can be worn bare foot and because they're taupe they add something different to an outfit. These were £75 but are now in the sale down to £55 and also come in a black colour too.

The last new pair of boots that I got were also ankle boots and again these are in a black suede finish. I love the chunky cleated soles of these and they're surprisingly comfy too and the inside is made of the softest material which makes these really comfy to wear with or without socks. They're super versatile as well, I've worn these on a night out to a club because they're still dressy but not a full on heel and they're great for going out for meals but are still casual enough that you could dress them down and wear them to the shops. I choose the black suede because they're dressier however it does mean that they aren't as good in the rain and my dogs fur attaches to it constantly (as you can probably see).

I still have my black Clarks chelsea boots from last year that I love to death and wear on rainy days where I want an ankle boot rather than a knee high boot and theres still some left in store this year if you like those. They're called 'Mariella Busby' and retail for £80. The second pair from last year that I still have are my tan chelsea boots from Clarks, these are slightly more battered as they're not the type of leather that you can polish up but I do still wear them occasionally if I want a tan boot. These aren't in stock any more but they do have other tan chelsea boots fairly similar.

What Winter boots do you have this year?

Lots of Love,

A

♥

Merry Christmas || Blogmas Day 25

Merry Christmas Blogbees!!!

 I just wanted to schedule this little message to you all to wish you a very merry Christmas! I would love to be able to say it to every single one of you and give you all a big hug but unfortunately this is the best I can do!

I hope you've all been well and truly spoilt with presents and love from all your nearest and dearest. For Christmas I'm going down to my aunties house where all my family is gathering for Christmas dinner, what are you doing this year? 

I'm so , so happy I have completed Blogmas and it definitely is a massive acheivement for me. I had several challenges from university exams to becoming ill for the last few days of Blogmas so I'm really proud that I managed to stick to my schedule and get a post up every day! I've enjoyed daily blogging so much, I'd love to do it full time but sadly I don't have the time to dedicate every day to my blog but I'm definitely going to try and blog more next year. 

I hope you've enjoyed my blog posts throughout December as much as I have enjoyed preparing them and writing them.

Lots of Love and Hugs and Kisses,

♥

Christmas Nail Polishes || Blogmas Day 22

 I love getting my nails done but after having both gels and acrylics done I've always found my nails dry, brittle and extremely weak for a long time afterwards. I didn't want to have the expense of having to continually get gel/acrylics on to hide the brittleness so I made the decision to not get them done again - for a while anyway. Therefore that means even for special occasions where previously I'd have got my nails done I just do them myself despite being absolutely awful at painting my nails.

However ramble over I have picked out my favourite polishes that I own that I think would look perfect for the Christmas season. You don't necessarily have to have these exact shades but if you just have similar shades in your collection then hopefully it will give you some inspiation.

This polish I have a love/hate relationship because I absolutely love the colour and it is perfect for Christmas time. However, Tanya Burr's polishes just don't get on with my nails they chip within a few days so if I'm wearing this for Christmas I would definitely be painting my nails on Christmas eve to make sure they were still nice. It's a gorgeous purple colour with a slight shimmer through it, if anyone knows of any better dupes for this colour then please let me know.

Another one is a bit of a random one, I got it in a nail polish set last year and it's this black shade with loads of shimmer through it. I love it on my nails because I think it looks like a starry sky albeit a really, really starry sky and I especially love this for New Year. I think it's a Champneys one which I've never really heard of before but I'm sure you can find it online somewhere.

I love a red nail polish at Christmas almost as much as I love a red lip. I just think theres something so classy about red nails and a red lip. I have quite a few red polishes but my number one favourite is OPI Big Apple Red which is basically like Russian Red by MAC in nail polish form.

If you're not big on reds a nice take on the colour is a raspberry pink shade. My favourite is Barry M's gelly polish in Pomegranate which doesn't look exactly like gel nails but it's glossier than the average nail polish. Barry M raspberry is also a really nice shade for this time of year.

Glitter, glitter, glitter. As a general rule I avoid glitter polishes on my finger nails because it's a horror to get off as anyone who has ever had glitter polish on will tell you. However, this is the time of year where I make an exception because it's so seasonal and pretty. I usually go for a gold or a silver at least on my ring finger or if I'm feeling adventurous then I'll do all fingers glittery. My favourite silver is Which is Witch by OPI from the Wizard of Oz collection and my fave gold glitter is Barry M's yellow topaz glitter.

 Another take on the glittery look is a metallic nail polish which I like to think of as the easier to remove version of glitter polish. My favourite two are the Crabtree & Evelyn ones, I have a silver one and a gold one and I think both look really pretty on their own or layered over the top of a block colour polish.

 As always I wear Orly glosser top coat over all these polishes to make them extra glossy and shiny which helps me not miss my gel nails (as much). What are your favourite nail looks/polishes for this time of year?

Lots of Love,

♥

Cosy Christmas Primark Haul || Blogmas Day 12

I don't really go to Primark very often because it's in the centre of town and it's always so busy that you can't really see anything so I tend to avoid it as a general rule. However, when it comes to Winter time I always have to go in because I love their slipper socks, pjs and everything Christmassy!

So this is one of what will probably be many Primark hauls this Winter. I actually was very good and restrained on buying loads which I was really tempted to do because I never do things by halves. Last year however I bought loads of fluffy pj's and my drawers overflow with them and it's quite often too hot to sleep in fluffy pj's so I restrained from all the cute fluffy pj's. Instead however I picked up three pairs of normal pjama bottoms because that's what I actually needed and it just so happened that Primark had lots of nice pairs.

 The first pair which I think is my favourite pair out of all of them, are these grey and navy ones with little bears on them. I love animals so anything with animals on them especially woodland ones is right up my street. These are so cute and I love that they have pockets for my phone which makes them the perfect lounging around in trousers. They also have the little cuffed bottoms which I really like in pj's now that I have an ankle grabbing puppy that thinks anything that floats about is a chew toy. These were £5 and they have lots of different styles and even though the band at the top is blue, it still has the little bears going around the inside of it which I think is super sweet.

The second pair I got were more traditional type pj's and they're in this checked/tartan?? print that I seem to have a slight obsession with at the moment. I thought they looked quite cosy and Christmassy too so they were well worth picking up. Of course they were really cheap being from Primark too so only £6 and they also have pockets.

 The last pair I picked up are again super cute ones with you guessed it animals on it, this time it's cute little polar bears on a navy background with snow falling around them. Pretty Christmassy and cute and these are the same style as the bear ones with the cuffed bottoms. The only thing that annoys me about these though is that they don't have pockets like the other two do. My favourite thing about them however is that they have pretty mint green detailing on the ties and the buttons which means it goes perfectly with the next thing that I bought...

 HOW CUTE IS THIS?! I saw it hanging on a shelf in the complete wrong place and it happened to be in my size and I was over the moon but thought it was maybe a pjama set that was missing the bottoms. So I had a hunt around the shop (thankfully having not put this back down) and I found them and they were just individual jumpers and there was only size 18 plus left so I'm super happy I managed to grab this. It's so cute that I would have been totally gutted if I couldn't get it! I plan on wearing this with the polar bear jammie bottoms above since the mint green ties it all in nicely however I also reckon you could wear this as a Christmas jumper. Since it's not entirely fluffy and has the jersey arms, neckline and the bottom of the jumper so it doesn't overly look like a pjama top. I've had this on loads since I got it, it's literally the softest, fluffiest thing.

It also matches my nail polish!

 The fluffiness also goes all the way around to the back so this is totally my new favourite thing especially in the colder weather. The inside of the jumper is lovely and fluffy too so it'll keep me cosy this Christmas.

 The last cosy thing I got was a pair of Primark's slipper socks which I have an obsession with. Like the fluffy pj's I went daft on these last year and still have loads left over but I couldn't resist getting one new pair. I chose these puppy dog ones, I think they're meant to be pugs. Although I'm not a fan of real live pugs, I just think there are thousands of cuter dogs out there and I think the selective breeding of them is pretty cruel, I did think these slipper socks were cute! They only cost £3 too which is definitely worth it for keeping my feet cosy and cute.

The last thing I got was some pants because Primark are amazing for picking up cheap pants. I know there's a bit of a taboo about showing underwear on the internet but the way I see it is everybody wears it and has to buy it so I may aswell show you some of the nice stuff that's out there to buy. I love the 3 packs of thongs they do because every girl needs thongs for leggings and dresses and personally I think they're the comfiest style of pants - although I know many would beg to differ! It comes with a grey pair, a black pair and a plum pair and they're all made from a surprisingly soft material. 

What do you like to buy from Primark?

Lots of Love,

♥

Autumn/Winter Lip Picks

 When it comes to lipsticks, I think Autumn/Winter has got to be the most interesting season. I think there's much more fun colours that you can play with at this time of year and I tend to wear much braver and bolder lip colours than during the Summer. I've put together a collection of a few of my all time favourite lipsticks for this time of year to hopefully give you some inspiration or new lisptick ideas for the coming months.

 My all time favourite shades at the moment are reds, purples and berry toned lipsticks. I'm not a massive fan of purple lipsticks when we're talking summery light purples but when it comes to deeper richer purples I looove them.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Grandest Grape is a pretty unusual colour for me. I'm not overly keen on it yet but I'm really hoping it grows on me because it looks lovely on other people so I shall persevere. It's almost a cool toned dark purple shade? It's a nice texture and obviously being a chubby stick is very moisturising. (review here)

Cruel is actually one of Topshop's gloss inks that they released early this year but it's the perfect deep purple shade for Autumn/Winter. I have previously done a full review on the gloss inks which I'll link here. It's more of a glossy alternative to a A/W lipstick however it is very messy which stops me using it as much as I would like to.

 Revlons lip butter in Raspberry Pie is definitely one of my favourite drug store picks for Autumn/Winter. It's not really red or purple toned, it's just that perfect berry shade. For a lip butter it is incredibly long lasting, pigmented and not at all messy. I really like the name too and think it suits the colour perfectly because it really is the colour of raspberries.

 Red Balloon is one of Mac's limited edition lipsticks from the playland collection so I wasn't sure whether putting this in was helpful or just taunting you but I thought I'd throw it in anyway because it could give you inspiration. It's probably the best pink shade that I could wear in Winter because it's so cool toned but isn't as bright as Girl About Town so it suits the colder season perfectly. As pink lips is my favourite I had to find a way to incorporate it into the current season and I think this is the lipstick to do it with.

 This one is a new addition to my Winter lipsticks collection and it's Kate Moss number 30. I've done a full review of this the other day but it's a gorgeous purpley red shade that smells delightful. Even better, it's so reasonably priced. (review here)

 Brave Red is my oldest red lipstick that I own. It's pretty similar to Russian Red by Mac just slightly brighter and much creamier because it's a Cremesheen finish. Although I love my deeper reds in Winter I also really like going for the classic red lip too. (review here)

 The second red lipstick I own from Mac is of course Russian Red which is much loved by every Mac lipstick fan. It is your classic red lipstick which has a stunning finish and lasts literally forever. You could eat, drink and sleep with this on and you'd wake up with it still on. Its lasting power is down to it being a matte lipstick though so that does mean it can leave your lips drier. For those that suffer from dry lips Brave Red is probably a better option. (review here)

Kate Moss 107 is another cult beauty product which everybody has fallen in love with. Its so so pretty and it just reminds me of Christmas time. The Kate Moss lipsticks always have a gorgeous smell too and the classic red packaging looks lovely on display.

 As you want victoria is one of Revlons moisturising lipsticks which I've also done a review on. It's super pigmented, creamy and glossy but very messy. This one is more on the pinky scale of things but I loved this one when I was too scared of the more bold shades so this one is really good if pinks in your comfort zone but purple isn't quite up there yet.

Left to Right: Kate Moss 107, Grandest Grape ,Cruel ,Raspberry Pie, As You Want Victoria ,Russian Red, Red Balloon ,Brave Red

Lots of Love,

♥

Kate Moss #30

 In Autumn/Winter I am an avid dark lipstick fan. It's one of my favourite parts of the colder months is being able to pull of the dark, vampy lip look that I don't really wear at any other time of the year. My collection was a little bare though and tended to lean towards more of the reddy dark lips so when I saw this purple shade I knew I had to snap it up!

The Kate Moss lipsticks are absolutely fantastic, the pigmentation is fabulous, the lasting power is phenomenal and the colour range is equally great. They're also really reasonably priced at only £5.49 which for a lipstick that's of comparable quality to MAC is mind blowing. This one is no different and is just as amazing as all the others! It also has a gorgeous smell, like Kate Moss 107 but slightly different, smells good enough to eat!

The shade itself is a berry toned purpley red but definitely has more purple undertones. It is absolutely stunning and I've had so many compliments on it and it really makes the most basic outfits and makeup looks look great.

 The only thing I would change about these lipsticks is that they have names instead of numbers because I always like my products to have names (strange??). It just sounds a bit nicer to say oh I'm wearing 'Purple Rain' (I know my imagination has BLOWN you away) today instead of 'number 30'.

I am going to be so sad when Winter is over and I have to put this lipstick away until it's Autumn again. Have you tried it? What's your favourite purple lipstick?

Lots of Love,

♥

Winter Boots

  One of my all time favourite things about Autumn/Winter is the shoes and especially buying those new Winter boots. So I bought not one pair but two...woopsy. I am very lucky because I work in Clarks (aswell as going to university) so I get 75% off shoes which is why I justified buying two pairs because what is saving money? Something I definitely cannot do.

 The first pair I bought are the style 'Maisie Hotel' and I got them in a tan leather. How beautiful are they?! I'm in love with them, I think they look amazing with skinny jeans and leggings and they will be well worn throughout Autumn/Winter.

 The next style of shoe is called 'Mariella Busby'. Quite a few people have said to me aren't they just the same shoe in black but no they aren't, they're very similar but this one is a much softer leather and has a nicer sole. I do already have black chelsea boots but they aren't as nice as these ones and they really hurt my toes so it was definitely time I got a decent pair since I love them so much. I needed a new pair of shoes for work too and I don't want to wear my tan ones to work because if the leather gets scuffed it's much harder to hide. Whereas with black leather you can hide it with black shumagic and polish etc so these are much better for kneeling down and measuring feet with. I will of course wear them out of work too because I love them so much.

 I have worn them both and both pairs are really comfy and I'd recommend them to absolutely anyone. Both of them cost £79.99 from Clarks. I definitely have a shoe addiction but you can't not purchase one.. or two as the case may be boots at the start of Autumn/Winter.

What Winter boots have you got/are you getting this year?

Lots of Love,

♥