New Years Party Outfit Ideas

Because of the popularity of my 'Summer Garden Party Outfit Ideas' post, I thought I'd do one for if any of you are off to a New Years Eve Party, whether it be with family or with your besties. I've done the same as with the SGP post in regards to having one for those of you on a budget and those willing to splurge except this time I've done two for each - one with a short dress and one with a long dress. Don't ever say I don't do anything for you lot! I guess it's my belated Christmas present to you...

On A Budget - Short (£137.99):

Zara Sequinned Dress in Silver - £35.99 (on sale!)

Office Show Stopper Platform Sandal in Black - £33 (on sale!)

Ted Baker Lilita Gem Brooch Clutch in Black - £53 (on sale!)

ASOS Mini Stars and Jewel Headband - £10

Jack Wills Wilmslow Star Bracelet (to be worn as an anklet) - £6 (on sale!)

Fancy A Splurge - Short (£588):

AQ/AQ Tiara Neck Strap Mini Dress With Full Skirt in Cream - £100 (on sale!)

Ted Baker Richmo Faux Astrakan Jacket - £139 (on sale!)

AQ/AQ Sphere Belt in Muted Gold  £45

Kurt Geiger Carvela Jamie in Red - £59 (on sale!)

Lulu Guinness Chloe Clutch in Red - £245

On A Budget - Long (£122.49):

Mango Sequined Gown in Rouge - £69.99 (on sale!)

M&S Almond Toe Platform Court Shoes with Insolia in Black Mix - £25

ASOS Encrusted Jewel Headband - £5.50 (on sale!)

Dorothy Perkins Black Glitter Box Clutch Bag - £12 (on sale!)

Jack Wills Barrentine Bracelet in Rose Gold - £10 (on sale!)

Fancy A Splurge - Long (£598.49):

Mango Lace Gown in Black - £99.99 (on sale!)

Kurt Geiger Miss KG Echo in Black - £80

Kurt Geiger London Flower Necklace in Metallic - £49

Lulu Guinness Perspex Lips Clutch in Red - £245

Swarovski Afternoon Ring - £124.50 (on sale!)

Have you got any New Years parties coming up?

♥

Massive Boots Haul!

Okay so if you're one of those kinds of people who will read haul posts and then go out and buy everything, you might wanna look away. It's safe to say that after taking the picture below I came to the realisation that I may have a problem... Mum, if you're reading this, you were right. God I hope she doesn't read this. To make my 'little' haul seem less dramatic, all of the products that I'm about to show you were bought on three separate occasions over a period of around 4 months, one of them I paid entirely with advantage points. So it's not that bad...right? I've been keeping all this stuff in their bags and boxes so I could write about them, but admittedly I have used about half of them... oops! Anyways, if you're easily influenced like I said before, you may wanna look away. But for those with a very strong willpower (screw you), carry on...

Skincare

Boots Botanics Micellar 3 in 1 Cleansing Solution Ultra Calm - £3.29 (currently on sale for £2.19)

I wanted to see if I could find a micellar water that would take my eye makeup off as the Superdrug one I was currently using was quite drying and therefore I didn't want to put it on my eyes. It does the job fairly well, it doesn't sting when I use it although you can feel it on your eyes if you use too much. I paid £3.99 for this bottle, it was reduced from £4.99 at the time...looks like they've lowered the price completely!

Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Cleansing & Toning Wipes - £3.39

I think I had a voucher that if you spent so much on the Tea Tree & Witch Hazel range you would get so many points, so I thought these wipes would be worth a try to remove makeup. Plus, they might help my nasty acne-prone skin out!

Tea Tree & Witch Hazel with Active Charcoal Face Mask - £3.59

Same excuse (haha) as above, except I really wanted to try this. I've used their peel-off face mask before and really liked it, so I thought this was worth a shot. I always used to go for peel-off masks over mud masks but recently I've been preferring the latter. Plus, charcoal is meant to be really good for your skin. I used this on Monday, and on first impressions it's lovely! We'll have to see how it goes...

Make-up

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla x 3 - £9.99 each

When I was about 16 this was my go-to foundation. I loved it at the time, but as I got better at doing make-up I didn't enjoy it as much as it didn't give the coverage I wanted and needed. After a 3-year hiatus I returned to it in a classic 'I've ran out of foundation and if I don't get any now I will die' panic. And to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised. Last time I tried it, I hadn't quite mastered the art of concealer, but now that I have I can see how brilliant this foundation is and why so many people rave about it. I guess that's why I bought three...

Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Foundation in Porcelain - £5.99

Ah, the almost-perfect full coverage foundation. This is my go-to if my skin is acting more annoying than usual as it covers my imperfections (with the aid of the LP concealer) without looking too cakey. Only main problem with this foundation is the lack of shade range, especially for pale-but-warm toned creatures like myself.

Seventeen Stay Time Foundation in Porcelain - £6.49

To be honest I'm not too sure why I got this, I guess I was having a foundation-related identity crisis. The reviews on the boots website were brilliant so I thought I might as well have a try. Plus, it's full coverage!

Seventeen BB Magic Blemish Balm in Light - £6.99

Before this purchase, I only had one BB cream from the Body Shop that turned me electric orange. Not a good look. Therefore, I decided to try and find one that doesn't make me look like I've been tangoed as I was going on holiday and wanted a lighter alternative to my usual full coverage foundations.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair x 3 - £4.19 each

The classic Lasting Perfection concealer that everyone and their dog seems to be raving about just had to be included, didn't it? It's fab for the price, and it was on 3 for 2!

Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Neutral x 8 - £1.99 each

I bet you're all getting tired of me banging on about this powder...but it's just so good! You wouldn't think it was good cause it's so cheap, but it seriously is brilliant. If you haven't yet tried it, get one! Or make like me and get 8!

left to right - personne ne rouge & grand cru

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Personne ne Rouge & Grand Cru - £8.99 each

I know I'm super-late on the bandwagon for this one, but that's mainly due to the fact that I've been banning myself from buying unnecessary make-up products for what feels like forever. When I went on this Boots binge I decided to treat myself to one, seen as I've been so good for so long. After much deliberation, I decided to go for Personne ne Rouge - a classic red. Very Taylor Swift. As for Grand Cru, that's Jenny's (more of a sister than best friend) fault. I told her about my purchase of PNR and she fell in love and just had to have it. Therefore, when she got Grand Cru, I just had to get one as well. We are non-biological twin sisters, after all.

Collection Supersize Fat Lash Mascara in Ultra Black - £2.99

Because I'd spent so much on Collection products, I got this lil freebie. I never seem to buy mascara as I always get them free like this, or in sets. I honestly can't even remember when I last paid money for one!

Seventeen Backlash Mascara in Brown Black - £6.49

Like with the Collection mascara, this was a freebie. Not bad for a freebie to say it's worth over £6! I'm looking forward to seeing how these two work out though, although that may be in a year or so. I have a LOT of mascara...

Other Stuff That I Can't Categorise Because There Isn't Enough Stuff...Stuff

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Medium & Brunette x 2 - £3.99 each (on sale for £2.66)

I used to wash my hair every day and now that my hair is down past the bottom of my back, I can't really be bothered anymore. Plus, if I'm straigtening it, it's always better on the second day. Although it's always starting to get greasy at this point, and that's where my trusty Batiste comes in! I always stayed away from Batiste as it was never suitable for brown hair, until they bought this beauty out! I swear by this stuff, it's fab.

Boots Baby Shampoo (500ml) - £1.50

Boots often have a 2 for £2.50 deal on the shampoo and the baby bath below amongst other baby products, and although they're a bargain anyway, I always like to take advantage of the offer. Why not! I use this shampoo to clean my makeup brushes with, and it does a great job! It's brilliant that it's so cheap as I go through the stuff super fast. It keeps my brushes and my purse happy!

Boots Baby Moisturising Bath (500ml) - £1.50

I love a good bath, me. The smell of this stuff just reminds me of being a little kid, and the massive bottle means plenty of super bubbly baths for just over a quid. Yes it's meant to be for babies but don't knock it until you've tried it!

Have you bought way too much in Boots recently?

♥

Sorry Guys...

I would like to formally apologise for being so AWOL recently, I have no serious excuse apart from losing all motivation to write. I see all these other bloggers who've been around for a few months doing so well and in turn that makes me a little jealous. And instead of it making me want to prove everyone wrong, it just caused me to retreat back into my shell.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that my blog is for me, not for anyone else. I need to write about what I want to write, not what I think people would want to read about. Don't get me wrong, I love it when you guys give me suggestions as I do suffer from the occasional writer's block but I'm always worried that I'm gonna let some of you down. Instead of having thousands upon thousands of one-off readers, I have a handful of you that always come back. And because of that, I want to be able to make you smile each time you come here. Whether you're cringing over the amount of products I've indulged in that month, giggling over my attempt at a joke or simply rolling your eyes with a smile whilst I go off on a tangent (which, if you didn't know, is a regular occurrence), I want you guys to be happy that you visited my little blog.

I promise to post more often, and with less fear of what you'll think. I always used to try and post every Friday at 8PM GMT, and I'm gonna do my damned hardest to stick to it. After all, this is something that's super important to me, and I can't wait to see it grow even more. Even if it is at a snails pace ;)

Stay fabulous!

Saffron

♥

Jewels By Jane

My Mum's friend, Jane, runs a jewellery business called Jewels By Jane. I've known Jane ever since I was born as her and my mum have worked together for as long as I can remember. She kindly asked me if I would do a little post about some of her products, and of course I said yes! She's super-sweet, and as you can see below, very talented. I remember when I was younger and my mum and I would stay at her house and she would let me look at her beautiful jewellery collection (it was huuge), so I'm so happy for her that she's decided to create her own!

Silver Cuff Bracelet with Mokume Gane design in Silver

Liberty of London Choker in Sky Blue & White Floral Mix

She has loads of different pieces, the ones shown above are just a select few. Jane lent me around 8 to photograph but these were the only ones that didn't have leather in them, but as you can see they're super gorge! Many of her pieces include the classic Liberty of London fabric, which adds a stylish yet elegant twist to the collection. Also, the products that have charms are detachable, so you can change them up for whatever occasion. Other charms are available separately.


Check out her website here and her Etsy account here and have a little snoop to see if anything takes your fancy. Prices range from around £2.50 - £30 from bracelets and charms to chokers and pendants!

Which is your favourite piece by Jane?

♥

How To: Dress For Your Body Shape - Bikini Edition

You may or may not know that back in January I wrote a post titled 'How To: Dress For Your Body Shape'. It seemed to help quite a lot of ladies understand their figure - and more importantly - how to dress for it. Although summer is long gone *sigh*, I'm off on holiday soon so I decided to do a swimwear version of my original post, to help you lot with your off-peak holiday shopping.

Next Mono Swimwear: Underwired Swimsuit - £24

Boux Avenue Corsica Gingham Bow Bikini Top & Tie-Side Bikini Briefs in Black Mix - £21

Figleaves Midnight Grace Rita Chevron Tankini Top & Bikini Brief - £54

Victoria's Secret Firm Control Retro One Piece in Black - $156.50 (£94)

Boux Avenue Monaco Rose Bikini Top & High-Waisted Bikini Briefs in Blue Mix - £48

Next Shape Enhancing Swimwear Tankini Top in Black & Shorts in Black - £36

Victoria's Secret V-Front One-Piece in Black Multi - $58.50 (£36.58)

Boux Avenue Palm Springs Spot Bow Bikini Top & Spot Bow Back Bikini Bottoms - £21

Figleaves Pour Moi? Trinidad Control Tankini Set - £36

Topshop Peplum Waist Swimsuit - £36

Topshop Mirror Floral Bikini Set - £34

Figleaves Freya Swim Summer 50's Halter Tankini Top & Rio Bikini Brief - £72

Victoria's Secret Racerback One-Piece in Berry Gelato - £21.73 ($36)

Next Mono Swimwear Bralet & Bikini Briefs - £26

M&S Halterneck Abstract Print Tankini Set - £23.50

What's your body shape?

♥

Make-up by One Direction: the Looks Collection + AUTOGRAPHED GIVEAWAY!

In celebration of 1D's new collection, I've decided to do a giveaway so one lucky reader can win one of these kits, autographed by the boys themselves!  But first, here is what you have a chance of winning...

One Direction has teamed up with Markwins to create the fabulous Looks Collection. There are three keepsake tins filled with make-up to collect, all based on each of 1D's albums - Up All Night, Take Me Home & Midnight Memories. Not only do the kits contain an array of makeup, but also a 5-piece stencil set so you can decorate yourself, your friends, or anything else you fancy!

Up All Night - for the Party Girl

Included in the kit:

- Liquilights Glow Gloss in 'Taken' (pink glitter lip gloss that glows to neon orange under UV light)

- 4+1 neutral and blue-toned eye shadow palette

• 'More Than This' (baby pink)
• 'Gotta Be You' (silvered taupe shimmer)
• 'Save You Tonight' (turquoise shimmer)
• 'Another World' (royal blue shimmer)
• 'Up All Night' (sapphire glitter crème)

- Crème Lipstick in 'I Should Have Kissed You' (bubblegum pink)

- Volumising Mascara in 'Little Black Dress' (black)

- Nail Varnish in 'Na Na Na' (metallic aqua-blue)

- Eye & Body Crayon in 'Stand Up' (dark blue)

Take Me Home - for the Girl Next Door

Included in the kit:

- Liquilights Glow Gloss in 'Kiss You' (orange glitter lip gloss that glows to neon yellow under UV light)

- 4+1 neutral and gold-toned eye shadow palette

• 'Back For You' (champagne velvet)
• 'Change My Mind' (peach shimmer)
• 'C'mon, C'mon' (soft taupe)
• 'Little Things' (smoky brown)
• 'Take Me Home' (golden glitter crème)

- Sheer Lipstick in 'Last First Kiss' (nude pink)

- Volumising Mascara in 'Little Black Dress' (black)

- Nail Varnish in 'Live While We're Young' (gold glitter)

- Eye & Body Crayon in 'I Wish' (warm chocolate brown)

Midnight Memories - for the Rocker Girl

Included in the kit:
- Liquilights Glow Gloss in 'Through the Dark' (poppy glitter lip gloss that glows to neon red-orange under UV light)

- 4+1 neutral and grey-toned eye shadow palette

• 'Little White Lies' (pale warm grey)
• 'Don't Forget Where You Belong' (soft pink shimmer)
• 'Half a Heart' (metal grey)
• 'Strong' (charcoal black shimmer)
• 'Midnight Memories' (silver glitter crème)

- Crème Lipstick in 'Best Song Ever' (crimson red)

- Volumising Mascara in 'Little Black Dress' (black)

- Nail Varnish in 'Right Now' (metallic steel)

- Eye & Body Crayon in 'Better Than Words' (black)



To enter the competition just fill in all your details below and share with your friends! You're eligible to enter 3 times a day so what are you waiting for?! Good luck guys!

The line has already been released across the pond back in August but we're still waiting on the international dates. Hopefully not long now!

To stay updated with the line visit their very own facebook page for all the info.

Which set is your favourite?
~this is a sponsored post~

♥

Introducing the new ghd curve

Attention hair-lovers! There are four new must-have products on the market, that aren't even on the market yet. Yes, that does make sense. Last Tuesday, the ghd rep came into work (I work in a hairdressers) and took one look at my hair, said 'Perfect', and kindly asked if she could use my hair to show us what these new, exciting tools do. With Shannon (hey bestie!) on one half of my head using the Classic Curl Wand, and Nicola, the rep, at the other half using the Soft Curl Tong, she explained to us what this new, ever-so-fabulous range was about.

from left to right - Classic Curl Tong, Creative Curl Wand, Soft Curl Tong and Classic Wave Wand

All four of the curlers from the curve range - the Soft Curl Tong, the Classic Curl Tong, the Classic Wave Wand and the Creative Curl Wand - all feature tri-zone technology, something that was exclusive in the ghd eclipse styler. This fancy-sounding stuff basically means that stylers that feature this technology are more powerful than regular ones on the market. With normal tongs, you would have to position the hair in the centre of the barrel, meaning it takes longer for the hair to curl and is generally not very efficient. With tri-zone technology in the curlers, you're able to position the hair from base to tip of the tong, meaning that the hair will heat up quicker, allowing less curling time, and more time showing off your fab hair. Not to mention they heat up to 185'C meaning that it's safer for the hair, but it's still able to create the perfect curl or wave. What's not to love! Additionally, the tongs have an aluminium clip which conducts the heat from the barrel therefore it makes sure even the hair that isn't directly touching the barrel will be heated too, making for better and more long-lasting curls.

Time to show you what all the fuss is about...

the Soft Curl Tong can help you achieve... Voluptuous Volume

the Classic Curl Tong can help you achieve... the Classic Curl

the Classic Wave Wand can help you achieve... Hollywood Waves

the Creative Curl Wand can help you achieve... Laidback Luxe

I've been wanting a tong for aaaaages, and now that ghd have released theirs I may just have to get my hands on their Soft Curl Tong, I just love the way it made my hair look! I've always been a big fan of ghd, as I own their Pink Orchid styler and Air hairdryer, I can honestly say that I've never come across a hairstyling company that beats them. No wonder they're one of the most renowned hair styling companies in the world!

For £110 each RRP, you better get your mitts on them ASAP 'cause I can guarantee they'll be selling like hotcakes. Not to mention the first few come with a free rose-gold trimmed carry bag with attached heat protection pad!

Available from Thursday 4th September from the ghd website, Very or your nearest official ghd stockists.

all photos were taken from ghdhair.com

"The time will come when men such as I look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men." - Leonardo Da Vinci 

♥

Summer Garden Party Outfit Ideas

With the temperatures soaring - and looking to stay like that for a while - us Brits are making the most of it. Whether you're legging it to the beach, frolicking in the park, or simply having a barbie in the comfort of your own garden, it's safe to say we're taking full advantage of this glorious weather. Therefore, I thought it would be a fab idea to put together a couple of outfits in case you're stuck on what to wear to these garden parties that everyone seems to be having. I've just done two outfits this time - one for those on a budget, and one for those of you that fancy a splurge.

On a Budget (£103.96):

Zara Open-Back Dress in Red - £39.99

H&M Strappy Sandals in Black - £12.99

New Look Double Flap Snakeskin Panel Satchel in Grey - £17.99

Mango Enamel Plate Necklace - £16.99

Topshop Chrissie Catmaster Sunglasses in Pink - £16

Fancy a Splurge (£419):

Jack Wills The Ramsgate Dress in White - £69

Kurt Geiger Della Sandals in Orange - £45

Deena & Ozzy Envelope Satchel in Tan - £38

Swarovski Hot Narrow Collar - £159

Ray-Ban Erika Customised Sunglasses - £108

Have you got any garden events any time soon?

♥

Marks & Spencer's Haul

Before I went on my holiday to Cyprus, my Mum and I went on several trips to Marks & Spencer's because one, it's one of our favourite shops, and two, we needed to get more stuff for our hols. Yes, we did need more. I find that Marks & Spencer's is extremely underrated with people my age, as it's dismissed for being a shop for 'the oldies'. I couldn't disagree more! Limited Edition (previously Limited Collection) is one of my favourite places to get my clothes from as they're great quality, reasonably priced, and on-trend. What more could you want?! Not to mention the Food department is amazing...

Normal M&S

M&S Collection Cat's Eye Sunglasses in Black - £15
When I saw these I just had to have them. They had them in a tortoiseshell finish as well, but I ended up going for the plain black as they're soooo Kourtney Kardashian. And if you know me, you'll know how much I love her.



M&S Collection Supersoft Ankle Socks 3 Pair Pack - £4
Yeah I know that socks aren't exactly exciting but I felt the need to tell you about them. I desperately needed some black socks for work (where I'm on my feet all day), so when I saw these super soft ones, I knew they'd do the job just fine.

Shoes (sadly can't find link)
Ahhhh, I love these shoes. At first I was unsure because of the height, but they've definitely grown on me. I surprisingly don't have many pairs of shoes and I wanted some that were classy but could be used for different occasions. These are pretty comfy and suuuuper elegant, something I could see the Duchess of Cambridge wearing, who happens to be one of my style icons.

M&S Active Santoni Seamfree Cropped Leggings in Pink Mix - £17.50
I just had to be a sheep didn't I?! I'd been wanting some yoga pants for ages as I'm forcing myself into starting jogging. I am yet to actually go, as my friend who I'm meant to be doing it with keeps making excuses. Shame on you, Shannon! Anyways, I love the fit and they're ridiculously comfy. I can see my wardrobe filling up with these soon enough... So tumblr.

Floral Collection Lavender Anti-Perspirant Deodorant - £2
There's not much to say about deodorant except that I'm on my third M&S one now (I think) and it does it's job, and is cheap at the same time!

M&S Outlet

M&S Collection Animal Print Round Frame Sunglasses - £9.50 (I think they were £6 in the Outlet)
As you can see, I have a thing for sunglasses at the moment. I got these from the Outlet a week or so after getting the Kourtney-esque sunnies, and loved them. Like I said, I wanted the tortoiseshell versions too, so when I saw these, I fell in love. These are currently my fave sunglasses as they're super wearable and so on-trend at the moment.

Limited Edition Flirt Plunge Push-Up Bikini Top - £4.99 
Limited Edition Flirt Side Tie Bikini Bottoms - £4.50
This is such a gorgeous bikini, I love it! I wore this several times on holiday in Cyprus and it's very supportive and comfortable, not to mention it gave me a good boost, if you know what I mean...*wink wink*.

Bouclé Jacket (can't find link)
Taking inspiration from the Duchess herself yet again, I opted for this classic jacket. I love the shape of it, it balances out my body perfectly. My Gran even commented on it, saying that it was 'very Chanel'. I have to agree, as it has that classic look of a Chanel piece, minus the £3,000 price tag. J'adore.

What have you bought recently?

♥