Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer | Celestial, Aurora* and Big Bang

I have had the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers in Celestial and Big Bang since having a little spend in the ASOS 30% off Rimmel sale a few months back. Recently, The Hut** very kindly sent me the shade Aurora* to give a whirl and add to my collection, so I thought it was about time for a good ol' review!

L-R: Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquer in Celestial, Aurora* and Big Bang

Aesthetics are usually what draws me towards a product and I love the packaging of the Apocalips. From the little diamond shaped tube tips to the way the shade of the lacquer fades into the black packaging, it all looks pretty damned attractive to me. The applicators themselves are doe foot applicators but with a kind of well in the middle to hold more of the lacquer, which I can't say I've noticed being used on any other lip product! It works really well for application as it holds a nice amount of product, avoiding repetitive dipping. I found that the pointed shape also made creating a nice, neat finish incredibly easier.

The lip lacquers have a much thicker, creamier consistency and incredibly higher pigmentation than a regular lip gloss, but they are not at all sticky. The glossy shine is equally as impressive and the product didn't dry out my lips in the slightest. For me, on the whole the formula is pretty much perfect.

L-R: Celestial, Aurora* and Big Bang

Celestial is the lightest shade of the three; a perfect subtle baby pink colour. Aurora* is a brighter, more coral pink colour. This is the first coral toned lip product I own as I wasn't convinced I would suit it, but it's such a subtle coral that I think few people would struggle with. Last but certainly not least, we have Big Bang; a bright, look-at-me red which is certainly not for the faint hearted. I freakin' love it! My new absolute favourite lip product; the lip swatch really does not do this beauty the justice it deserves.

I did find that as Big Bang is so pigmented, it is better worn with lip liner and blotched with a tissue for a more flawless finish. The first time I wore it without blotching, I was having constant battles with the whole lipstick/teeth appearance...oh how attractive I must have looked. 

Other than that, I have no quips at all with these beauties. The lasting power is pretty damn good to be quite honest; even food and drink has a pretty tough time shifting it, and it doesn't fade unevenly at all. The only complaint I have is that I only own three shades...

The Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers are available here from The Hut for £5.99.

They are also avalailable from £5.99 at Superdrug here, or £6.49 from Boots here.

**I really would recommend taking a peek at The Hut, not only for their range of beauty products (some of which are even cheaper than in Boots) but they also have some gorgeous clothes, and sell all sorts of other bits and bats! 

I have been having a good gander myself and I feel a wishlist coming on... 

   

Which is your favourite shade of the Rimmel Apocalips?

Love, 

Jo xxx

Designer Wishlist

Now admittedly, I am not usually particularly interested in owning anything designer. I prefer to buy loads of cheaper items for the same buck than just one item that I might not necessarily get my moneys worth out of.

Having said that, recently I really don't know what's come over me. Whether it be the influence of the blogosphere or far too much window shopping, I have been seriously lusting after a bunch of designer beauties, so I thought I'd put together a cheeky wishlist so I can drool over them all in one place. Well, most of them anyway. My lust list is pretty much double the length of my arm, so here is just a select few...

1. Michael Kors Saffiano Leather Wallet | £125

This is the item that I am undoubtedly at the most risk of investing in. I have been drooling over the white range of Michael Kors handbags and purses for what seems like forever, so unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which way you look at it), I think this purse may well be mine in the near future. Ooo, my first ever designer item! Fancy.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Dolce Vita | £38

I have seen this eyeshadow palette crop up on a number of blogs and my God are these shades beautiful. I have never tried anything by Charlotte Tilbury but, as stunning as this is, I really cannot bring myself to spend just short of £40 on an eyeshadow quad. 

3. Burberry Deerskin Handle Walking Umbrella in Light Mint | £295

£295 for a damned umbrella which (if you live in the UK anyway) will probably get blown away on its first use! But boy would I buy this if I had the money... Last summer I was a little bit obsessed with pastel shades and I'm feeling like this summer will be no different.

4. Hunter Huntress Gloss Wellies in Violet | £89

Do I need these? No. Doesn't mean I can't admire them though, right? I was torn between these and the same ones in Pillar Box Red and I'm still not decided which are my favourite, so I guess it's a good job I'm not buying them! 

5. Burberry London Leather iPhone 5/5s case in Pomegranate Pink | £135

Admittedly I've been drooling over more or less everything on the Burberry website, they have some divine pieces in at the minute. I don't even have a damned iPhone 5, but if I had the money I'd just buy one of these and try my damned best to squish my 4s into it. It's very plain but I think that's a running theme for this wishlist; it's just the beauty of designer items I guess!

6. Agent Provocateur Gloria Floral-Embroidered Tulle Contour Bra | £125  &  

7. Agent Provocateur Gloria Floral-Embroidered Tulle Briefs | £110

This underwear set is beyond sexy, I don't think I even need to explain myself for picking these out. For some reason I seem to struggle to wear matching underwear every day (lazy girl problems), but I'm starting to make a conscious effort to do so. So I'd obviously have to purchase both of these if I had the money. Even if £110 for a pair of knickers is pretty damn extortionate.

8. Michael Kors Jet Set Travel Textured-Leather Tote in Black | £260

'More Michael Kors?!' I hear you cry...well yes, more, and don't moan because I know you want this bag too! The classic Michael Kors tote...I again was lusting after this in white (it's stunning in white) until I realised what a ridiculous idea it would be for me to buy a designer white handbag. I think it would last approximately 3 weeks before I dropped it into a muddy puddle or scraped it against a brick wall or twelve. Not like I'm ever going to own one anyway, but a girl can dream, eh?

I really must win the lottery. 

Love, 

Jo xxx

ModCloth | Uniquely You Prom Outfit Challenge

Last week I was contacted by the lovely Amy at Modcloth and challenged to take part in a little blogger competition to create a prom-themed look based around their Classic Stunner Dress. Not one to shy away from a bit of a challenge, I thought it'd be fun to give it a whirl!

Now I'm not sure about anyone else's experiences but for me, picking a prom outfit was like pulling teeth. After hunting high and low for about a month in total, I ended up panic-buying an average dress about a week before prom. 

Word of advice if you're thinking of leaving it late? Please don't. Especially if you know you're a fussy git like me. 

I can promise you, you will regret it. 

1. Classic Summer Dress in Floral | $99.99

So voila, this is the dress I was challenged to style! One of the things I regret the most about my prom dress was the fact that I chose one that was so prommy (yes, I've decided that's a word) that I would never be able to wear it again. This makes me like the classic style of this dress even more; it is simple and timeless, so you can definitely wear this again and again once prom has been and gone. I love the volume in the skirt too; I can imagine it being flattering on more or less all body shapes.

2. Cool, Clear Night Clutch | $42.99

The dress is very pretty, so teaming it with this clutch bag just gives it that little hint of a sultry edge. I absolutely adore the on-trend transparency and sexy lace pattern of this bag!

3. Cinquain Necklace | $15.99

I chose this just to break up the block beige of the dress, whilst sticking to the colour theme with the gold coloured trim of the necklace.

4. Nine to Jive Jacket | $77.99

Okay, now to give the outfit a bit more of an edge. Leather jackets are the perfect accompaniment for more or less any outfit, they are ridiculously versatile! This one is no different, and I absolutely adore the detail along the hem.

5. Shoe of Hearts Heel | $74.99

Now for a bit of colour! These heels are absolutely adorable, and add that perfect little eye-catching piece to an otherwise relatively understated look. 

Remember that it's your prom, not your wedding day, so don't forget to add a little fun to your outfit!

6. Lime Crime Lipstick in Glamour | $17.99

The whole outfit has a very vintage vibe so sticking with that, I'm definitely thinking a nice bold red lip will bring the look together perfectly...

7. TheBalm Precisely! Liquid Eyeliner | $16.99

...add some winged liquid eyeliner and you're laughing!

8. Duck, Duck, Umbrella in Red | $17.99

If you live in the UK, you'll understand that this is final outfit addition isn't as ridiculous as it might initially look. What good is it getting all glammed up to step one foot outside and end up looking like you swam to prom? Exactly. Take one for goodness sake!

If you're be hunting for a prom dress this year, I wish you the best of luck and like I say, please start looking now! Why not check out the rest of Modcloth's dresses here. They have a nice selection to give you a few ideas!

Love, 

Jo xxx

Bargain Steals Haul!

Steals is one of those shops that is completely hit or miss. You either go in and wade through a load of tosh, or you go in and buy half the store. I wouldn't say I quite bought half the shop, but luckily for me yesterday there was a hell of a lot of goodies in there.

If you don't already know what Steals (or Next2Nowt, as it's know online) is, I did give a brief lowdown in my previous Steals haul here if you're interested.

Anyhow, onto the goodies!

Dress (originally Topshop), £13 |  Playsuit, £15  |  Leather jacket (originally Topshop), £25

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past 6 months, you will more than likely recognise the red dress as a Topshop one, except I got mine for a mere £13 (cue smug grin!). The colour isn't represented well in the photo at all; it is actually a bright red colour rather than orange.

I'm not sure where the playsuit is from originally, but it's perfectly tailored, flattering and too versatile to leave behind. I bought the leather jacket to replace my cheap Primark faux leather jacket (which you can have a nosy at in this outfit post)...couldn't go wrong for 25 quid!

Skirt, £6  |  Beaded cami, £10  |  Corduroy shirt, £6

This floral skirt is so cute and flattering. The boyfriend and I are thinking of having a sunny getaway together in March so I thought I'd better invest in some summer clothes (any excuse). The beaded camisole top was simply too cute to leave behind. Usually, the beaded tops in Steals are falling apart at the seams with about three embellishments left, however I got lucky with this one as it looks in pretty perfect nick to me!

The floral corduroy shirt isn't something I'd usually go for, however when I tried it on it was slightly oversized and I liked the laid back look of it. I thought it'd look cute over summer dresses or with a cute cami top and jeans, and for £6 I couldn't really say no!

Boots (originally Miss Selfridge), £6

I've been looking for some more winter boots and again, I love the laid-back vibe of these ones. The fluffy fleece lining is a massive bonus for my permanently-ice-cold toes!

What have you guys been buying recently?

Link me to your hauls if you like, I'd love to have a nosy!!

Love, 

Jo xxx

Christmas Wish List 2013

It honestly just gets harder and harder every time I sit down to write a Christmas wish list. Anyway, these are the things I'm lusting after this year! Clothes wise, I'd rather just have vouchers and pick things out for myself, so it's a bit of a boring list to be honest, but a list all the same.

1. Coated jeggings | River Island

I spotted Jess from Copper Garden sporting a similar pair of jeans about a week ago, and have been lusting after some since then. Just jeans, yes, but with a bit of added interest.

2. Dirty Works Banish the Bags Eye Cream | Sainsburys

Starting dodgy shifts at my new job has played absolute havoc with my poor dark circles. I've read mixed reviews about this eye cream, but with such a tiny price tag I am more than willing to give it a whirl.

3. Dior Nail Glow | Selfridges

Okay, so this is a pricey one at £18 a pop, but again, my poor hands are really starting to suffer from all the hand washing at work. This stuff just looks amazing; like a french manicure in a bottle. I'm dying to give it a try! 

4. Faux fur headband | eBay

When walking the dog in the cold weather, my ears get so cold they give me headache! This headband is cute and practical. Yes please!

5. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

This won't be released until mid December, but it is so freakin' beautiful. Enough said.

6. Dollar Vintage Wellies | Topshop

Yes, you probably think these are extremely garish but I think they're cute, okay?

7. Sleek Face Contour Kit in Medium | Superdrug

I am yet to try any products from Sleek so I think it's about time I did. My chubby cheeks need all the contouring they can get.

8. Real Techniques Blush Brush | Boots

Since receiving the Starter Set for my birthday, I am head-over-heels with Real Techniques. This blush brush has been on my wishlist for long enough.

9. Oversize chunky knit jumper | eBay

I have been in serious need of a plain jumper just to throw over my dresses for day-to-day wear. All my jumpers are patterned and clash with my dresses (not in a good way either...in a really, really bad way), so I really need this addition to my wardrobe!

What's on your Christmas wishlist? I'd love to know! 

Love, 

Jo xx

Poundland | Revlon Nail Varnish in Bewitching

Whenever I'm in town, I always try to make time to have a quick peek at the beauty products in Poundland. Admittedly, it is completely hit and miss, but it's beauties like this Revlon nail varnish that motivate me to keep having a look. 

Revlon | 620 Bewitching

I picked up a Revlon nail varnish in the most beautiful deep pinky-red berry colour, Bewitching. The picture doesn't do it justice; it is a little deeper and more striking in real life, and is my current favourite nail varnish. I couldn't have found a more perfect Autumn/Winter shade!  

What's your current go-to nail varnish shade?

Love, 

Jo xx

Durham Lumiere Festival of Light

On Sunday, my parents and I decided to visit my sister and while we were in the area, we thought we'd take a trip to the annual Durham Lumiere Festival of Light. 

Luckily it wasn't as cold as it has been these past couple of days (anyone else wake up to pure solid ice on their windscreen this morning? Phwoar it's sure getting cold), and there was only a sprinkling of rain so it wasn't too unbearable being out in the cold for so long. 

The main show area opened up at around 7.30pm and I have to say the organisation of the event was fantastic. We followed hundreds of people on the path round and up to the Cathedral with minimal waiting, where we were met by some gorgeous lights being projected onto the beautiful cathedral. 

Apologies for the rubbish-y images; my camera doesn't seem to like the dark

We then continued through the Cathedral to the smaller but equally as pretty attractions, my personal favourite being a phone box filled with tropical fish, which sadly I couldn't seem to get a good photo of. Stupid camera.

We also grabbed hot chocolate and a homemade cookie each from a cute little stall along the way for just £1 (which was yummy!) to warm up a bit before continuing to a couple more sights further on. 

Dresses made of tiny lights

As we were all working the next day and had a beastly drive home that night, we left at around 8:30pm having seen less than half of the lights on show, which was a huge shame. But it really was worth the journey; there was a lovely atmosphere and we all really enjoyed spending time together as a family.

Who would have thought plastic bags would make such a pretty Christmas tree?!

Unfortunately, Sunday was the last day of this years show so if you do want to take a peek, you will have to wait another year for the next show! It is completely free so a great little event if you're struggling to occupy the kids or just want to fill an evening. 

I just wish I could have told you about it sooner! 

Love, 

Jo xx

Offer | Amazing Discounts and Free Delivery at The Body Shop!

I thought I might share this amazing offer that popped into my inbox this morning...because I'm just so nice like that.

The Body Shop are offering some fab discounts this weekend so now is definitely the time to be doing your Christmas shopping. The offers are;  

£5 off when you spend £15

£10 off when you spend £25

£25 off when you spend £50

plus free delivery on all orders over £30!

Just use the code 'SPICE' at the checkout!

Shop away ladies! 

Love, 

Jo xx

eBay | Scottish Tartan Scarf

During the winter, I have always admired the tartan trend but this year it seems to have made a full-force comeback and I am loving it!

A good few months back I spotted that red tartan scarf in Primark and stupidly didn't pick it up. After heading back to my local store for it and to my horror finding it wasn't there, I turned to eBay in search of an alternative. That's when I stumbled across this little beauty. 

Tartan scarf | £9.99 + £2.50 p&p | here

The scarf is made by a Scottish brand called Berrydale. It's the perfect shade of red; not too bright, not too deep, and is 100% lambswool, so it's pretty cosy and is good quality. Admittedly I did expect it to be a little little wider, but it's nice and long and all in all it's pretty much perfect. I love it!

How have you been working the tartan trend so far this year? 

Love, 

Jo xx

Guess Who's Back...Back Again

Oh my word have I misbehaved this past month or so.

Since starting my new job as a Radiographer (oo, how grown up and sophisticated am I?), life has been pretty much non-stop! Trying to adjust from having more time on my hands than I could imagine to barely having time to brush my teeth has been strange, but now that I have begun to settle into work properly I feel like I can (hopefully) get back onto the blogging bandwagon. Granted, my posts won't be as frequent as they used to be, and I will have to somehow fit blogging around my shifts but all I can do is my best, eh?

I'm on late shifts this week anyway so hopefully I can schedule some posts during the day for the next couple of weeks. 

Anyway, how are you all doing? I've missed you! Give me updates!

I haven't been doing much exciting outside of work to be honest. My sister visited home from Newcastle a couple of weekends ago and we went bowling with her boyfriend and my dad for the first time in so many years. I lost (expected), but we had such a laugh and had some fun on the arcade games after.

We also had a bonfire gathering at our house with a few family friends, food, fireworks and lots of alcohol which was lovely. It's a nice yearly tradition that we have which will hopefully be continuing for many years to come.

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Did you have a nice Halloween/Bonfire night? 

I also started my Christmas shopping on Monday (sorry to those who are still not allowing any mention of the 'C' word, but I am far too excited this year!). My best friends and I are doing a Secret Santa this year so I already have that one in the bag. For once I have actually managed to be organised. *fistpump*

For some reason I've found this post really hard to write up! I think I just need to get back into the swing of things and hopefully things will start to spill out onto the page again soon enough.

Anyways, I've probably really bored you here but I will get some posts scheduled and hopefully get back to normal(ish). Hope you'll forgive me for my absence just this once! 

Lots of love, 

Jo xx

30% Off Rimmel Products at ASOS

Just a wee quickie to let you know about the 30% off Rimmel products at ASOS!

From left: 

Rimmel Apocalips | (L-R): Big Bang and Celestial | £6 £4 each

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick | (L-R) 05 and 08 | £5.49 £3.50 each

In standard Joanne style, I decided to take advantage and ordered myself a few goodies.

I've been hankering after trying the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers ever since they hit the shelves, so I got two in the shades Big Bang (which is the most stunning bright red I've ever seen), and Celestial. 

I also treated myself to a couple of the Kate Moss lipsticks, in shades 05 and 08. I'll pop up some reviews soon if you like, just let me know in the comments! 

Altogether these four products came to just £15, rather than the RRP of £22.98.

Bit of a bargain if you ask me.

Go on, what are you waiting for? Get spending ladies! 

The discount page can be found here.

Love, 

Jo xx

What I Wore | 23.09.13

So I thought for a change I'd try taking a couple of outfit photos outside in an attempt for clearer images; whether the images actually are better or not I'm undecided, so I'd love it if you could let me know which you prefer in the comments! 

Jumper - H&M | Disco pants - Daisy Street | Bag - Matalan | Glasses* - Firmoo | Necklace - ASOS | Converse All Star* - Amazon

Shamballa bracelet - Tresor Paris via Peter Jackson | Bangle - gift | Chain ring - H&M | Stone ring - Vintage | Star and eye rings - Primark | Nails - W7 10

This jumper is a current favourite of mine; you may recognise it from my 21st birthday present haul as my mum bought it for me after I picked it out in store. I've worn it a ridiculous amount of times already, it's so easy to just shove on and go, although it's not really for the faint hearted!

These Daisy Street disco pants are fab as well - I actually sized down in the hope they would suck me in more and they definitely do, although I may have been tempted to reach for them more often if I'd have bought them in my size. They are a little uncomfortable to wear for a full day just because they're that darned tight, so I only wear these when I know I won't be out and about for hours on end. I'm such an idiot.

The Tresor Paris bracelet is a new favourite of mine; I don't own another expensive bracelet and so this is a lovely treat for me which again I received as a birthday gift from a family friend. 

The lilac colour is just so perfect. 

What do you think of this outfit?

Don't forget to let me know whether or not you prefer the outdoor photos! 

Love, 

Jo xx

Polka Dot Nails | W7 10 & Revlon Rock

Quick nail art post for you today! I'm trying desperately to have a bit of fun with my nails before I start my new job as a radiographer on Monday (eek!). Obviously, working in a hospital I won't be able to wear nail varnish for infection control reasons so I've been applying new colours like there's no tomorrow!

This was just a really quick polka dot design I created using the gorgeous W7 pastel purple (which is just named '10' as far as I can see on the bottle) and a deeper purple Revlon shade called Rock. 

I thought the colours looked really cute together!

What do you think? 

What nail art have you been doing recently? 

Love, 

Jo xx

Painted Glitter Turns 1!

When I set up my very own little space on the internet exactly a year ago today, I actually wondered how long it would be until the novelty of my new hobby wore off.

Yet here I am; a year down the line and I am more in love with blogging than ever.

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The blogging community is a far more amazing and supportive place than I could ever have imagined. 

You provide the perfect escape from day to day life and are the perfect audience for me to share my opinions, thoughts, loves and lusts. 

I don't think you guys realise how much that one little comment can brighten up my day; it means the world to me that so many of you care enough about what I'm saying to subscribe to my blog, comment and take the time to come back and visit again and again. 

In short, I'm seriously grateful to each and every one of you, so thank you.

Here's to the many more years of blogging to come.

Love always,

Jo xx

H&M | Chain Rings

Okay so I may have fallen a little bit in love with these rings. So much so that I thought they deserved a blog post of their own; aren't they just the luckiest rings in existence? 

Go with it, guys.

Rings | H&M | £1.99

Admittedly I don't think I'd wear both rings together, but I just wanted to show you what they looked like on. They were just £1.99 for the pair; absolute bargain and I'm sure I'll get a ridiculous amount of wear out of these beauties. They don't feel half as flimsy as you'd imagine at that price either! 

What do you think?

What jewellery have you been buying lately?

Love, 

Jo xx

L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Blush

I have to admit this is one product that really did excite me when I first saw it. 

L'Oreal claims their Nude Magique BB Blush to be a unique gel which 

"goes on clear and transforms on contact with the skin, self-adjusting to the skins pH level to deliver a natural glow specific to your skin tone".

That all sounds very scientific, so instead of expanding on that quote and pretending I know what the hell I'm on about, I'm just gonna chat about my opinion instead. I can manage that.

The packaging of the BB Blush is so clean and simple and in my opinion, you really cannot beat it. 

Sure, I do love the pretty, eye-catching packaging by brands such as Benefit and Soap and Glory, but sometimes all I want is something simple and uncomplicated, and L'Oreal really hits the nail on the head in that sense.

The product does indeed dispense as a gel-like consistency as claimed. 

However, do be warned that you have to be quick when applying the product after it has been dispensed. It doesn't take long before it starts to stain your skin to the garish colour (garish for a blusher, anyway) shown in the picture above. 

Trust me, the first time I applied this it was not a pretty sight. I looked like i'd been slapped with a belt on both cheeks. But, as long as you blend it onto your cheeks relatively quickly (I use my fingers rather than a brush and it seems to blend well enough) and don't just leave it all blotchy for a few seconds, it provides a beautiful, natural rosy glow to your cheeks.

I'm not actually sure if the colour differs for different skin tones, as obviously I only have my own skin tone to go by, but the colour really did compliment my tanned skin. I was surprised at this due to the shocking pink pigmentation I could see on the tube nozzle, but once blended it became much more subtle and natural.

One thing I would say about the blush is to apply it in a dabbing rather than a rubbing motion. When I tried to rub it in, it left very little pigment on my cheeks. It was only when I dabbed that I could begin to build up the colour nicely. 

However, even using the dabbing motion, I did find that I needed to apply a good 2 or 3 layers of the product before I achieved my desired look. I believe this could be purely down to my deeper, more olive skin tone. I think the blusher would be much easier to work with on pale-skinned girls, where the pigment can really stand out and quickly give a healthy pink flush.

Bottom: dispensed product | Top: blended product

I was expecting to be left with quite a dewy finish seeing as the product is a gel, however this wasn't the case. Once applied, my skin felt silky soft to the touch and I was left with a finish that was probably more on the matte side; a really natural, muted glow.

It also seemed to last well on my cheeks; I'm usually not a massive fan of the more liquid-based cheek products purely because I find that they tend to disappear relatively quickly on my combination skin. However, this one stuck around pretty much all day with no unsightly blotching or uneven fading.

Overall, I really do like this product and have started using it on a pretty regular basis, purely due to how healthy and hydrated it makes my skin look. Once you get the hang of applying it evenly, the finish it gives is pretty much flawless.

L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Blush can be purchased from Boots for £7.99 here.

Having read a couple of reviews on this blush before, I know that not everyone has been as impressed with it as I have so I'd really love to know your thoughts!

Have you tried out the Nude Magique BB Blush?

What do you think?

Love, 

Jo xx

Calvin Klein | Mad Red

So I'm back from my 4 night stay in Alicante!
I had such an amazing, relaxing holiday, but all this morning I have been walking around with four layers of clothing on and I'm still freezing cold. I'm missing the 35 degree heat already!
We spent the whole holiday sunbathing, eating and drinking as to be honest there isn't much else to do there. However the beaches were just perfect; crystal clear, bright blue sea and palm trees galore.
A well deserved break, even if I say so myself!

Anyway I did schedule this post to go up on Wednesday (first and last time I will ever attempt to schedule a post!) but it seems Blogger didn't want to play along, so here we go!


I'd just like to start off by saying I have no clue why this nail varnish is called Mad Red. 

Mad Pink, maybe, but I certainly can't see a hint of red in this! 

Anyhow, this is one nail varnish I have been wearing to death recently. Calvin Klein's Mad Red is a lovely shade of pink which I would (maybe oddly) describe as a creamy coloured pink, with a teeny tiny hint of orange. 

It's a lovely bright, almost neon nail varnish, perfect for tanned skin and unlike any colour I've seen before.

What do you think of Mad Red?

Love, 

Jo xx

Collective Haul | ASOS, Primark, Steals and Charity Shops

So after throwing my 21st birthday party, I was left with a lot of money which has been burning a hole in my pocket. This means I've been doing quite a bit of shopping recently, but the majority of stuff I've bought have been absolute bargains which means I've not actually spent much of it at all... 

...so I went mad and booked a last minute holiday to Alicante with the bestie.

We're going on Monday and I am too excited for words. We've been talking about going on holiday for a good while now, but just never had the time to look or could never find a good enough deal. 

But we finally did it! 

Cue last minute panics about...well, everything. 

Anyhow, onto the haul!

Chain necklace | asos | £8 £4

T-shirt | Mango via asos | £19.99 £11

Jeggings | Pieces via asos | £22 £8

The asos sale is always worth a look as soon as any new items are added, as all the goodies disappear far too quickly. The necklace is sadly now sold out but I absolutely adore it; it was a bargain at just £4. 

The t-shirt is also really cute. It's boxy in shape, which I've never really taken a second glance at before as I never thought it would suit me, but it does! I didn't actually notice the little diamante anchor in the middle but it's not too obvious so I don't mind it. 

The jeggings just look like jeans, but are ridiculously comfy because they're so stretchy. I bought them in a size S/M, which is the perfect fit for a size 8/10. 

I actually tweeted @ASOS_HeretoHelp to ask which size I should order, as the whole S/M thing in something like jeans really puts me off buying them; if they weren't so cheap I wouldn't have bothered risking it.

It is such a fantastic Twitter account; any issues or queries regarding an ASOS order and they're on it within minutes. Customer service at it's absolute best!

Bag | Steals | £6

Cami top | Steals | £2

Shirt | Steals | £8

Steals is a store that stocks items from brands such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge and BooHoo which have been either returned or worn on the catwalk and cannot be resold. This means that you can get current season, high street stuff for ridiculously low prices. 

The shop labels are always cut out so if you recognise where any of these three items are from originally, I'd love to know! I have a feeling the bag and camisole might originally be Topshop pieces (it's not actually a great picture of the cami; it looks so much better on). 

The bag is huge and it feels so soft! Bargain.

Dress | Charity Shop | £5.99

Shorts | F&F via Charity Shop | £1.50

Jumper | H&M via Charity Shop | £3.50

As always, I couldn't resist a cheeky trip to the charity shops.

This dress, although I'm unsure as to where it was originally from, is the perfect fit and I love the cut out side detail. 

I've been looking for some cute shorts to wear to bed and for £1.50, I couldn't resist these cute floral ones. I was totally drawn to the jumper purely because of the colour. It's such a gorgeous bright blue, and I don't actually own a jumper with a v-neck; it makes quite a nice change to my standard round-neck jumpers.

 Monochrome cami | Primark | £5

As you can probably tell, I love these camisole tops just because they are so darned easy to wear. I couldn't resist this one; the Primark one's are just as good as the Topshop version, at less than a third of the price too!

 Travel bottle set | Primark | £1

Bikini bottoms | Primark | £3 £1

Seeing as I'm only taking hand luggage to Alicante, I needed to buy some travel bottles. I am ridiculously worked up about what I'm going to prioritise to take with me (sad I know). I'm actually thinking I might have to leave my foundation behind.

The thought of that makes me feel physically sick.

As expected, when we went bikini shopping yesterday we discovered that nowhere is stocking swimwear any more, and it's too late to risk ordering anything online. So i ended up just buying some bikini bottoms in the Primark sale which I can match with the black bikini top I already have.

So that's everything I've been buying recently! 

With the rest of my birthday money I'm seriously contemplating buying a tablet, but I'm a bit of a technological Dumbo and already having a laptop, I'm so unsure as to whether or not it would be worth the money.

What are people's opinions on tablets? Are they worth it?

What do you think of my haul?

Love,

Jo xx

What I Wore | 21st Birthday Edition!

Yes I'm behind on my posts; bite me. I'll get there in the end!

Today I'm getting round to doing probably my last 21st-birthday-related blog post; my outfit of the day!

Dress - Primark | Necklace - Primark | Sandals - Next

Blue ring - Vintage | Scrabble ring - eBay | Above knuckle rings - eBay | Nail varnish - Kiko Apple Blossom

I actually received the majority of this outfit for my birthday. I knew I was getting the dress as I had picked it out whilst shopping with my mum. It's probably one of the most flattering dresses I own, it is just the perfect fit, has a really nicely structured top and is a thin, silky kind of material which just falls beautifully. I love the retro style print as well; it's not like anything else I have in my wardrobe. 

I've bought some gems in Primark recently so if you haven't been in for a while, I'd definitely recommend you pop in!

The rings all featured in my birthday present haul post (here), and the vintage one is now probably my absolute favourite. My mum bought it for me at a small market when we went on holiday down south, from a lovely lady who was telling us the story that it once belonged to her great grandma. 

I decided just to shove my hair back in a rough ponytail to make the outfit look a bit more casual as I didn't want to look too dressy, particularly as we weren't doing anything much until our evening meal. 

What do you think of the dress?

Love, 

Jo xx

Haul | 21st Birthday Presents!

I can't quite believe it was over a week ago now, but last week I had my 21st birthday! 

Luckily I don't feel any older and still act half my age so it's all good.

I thought I'd show you guys what I got; these pictures were taken before I had my birthday party at the local cricket club so since then I've been lucky enough to receive a few more bits of jewellery, gift vouchers, money, alcohol etc.

I know people sometimes complain about blog posts regarding birthday presents but they are my favourite blog posts to read, so just as a standard disclaimer I definitely am NOT boasting, I am just really excited and grateful to have received such gorgeous presents and I wanted to share that with you.

Now that's out the way, let's get stuck in!

My auntie bought me the VK's, Marilyn Monroe eye mask and red spotty ice pack (she blatantly knows me too well), along with some money, and my sister very bravely decided to buy me 21 things beginning with the letter J! 

Not all of these are pictured, but they included the Jack Daniels nail stickers (classy!), Jaffa cake keyring, and the gorgeous little Jane Austen book you can see peeking out just behind the acrylic makeup storage.

 The picture does not do this book justice at all. It's beautiful to look at and the paper is gorgeous; really thin and delicate so I'm not sure I'm brave enough to actually read it in case I ruin it! She also bought me the cute J scrabble piece ring, the gorgeous blue ceramic jar and the little colourful sticks on the bottom right of the picture. They are called Juicy Canes; I really wish I'd have taken a close-up picture of the ends of these because each rubbery stick is a different shape. They are so cute; and you chop them up into tiny pieces to stick onto your nails. They're so adorable, no doubt they'll be featuring on my blog anyway so watch out for that.

The gorgeous lilac Tresor Paris bracelet was a gift from a close family friend, I am so excited to own a genuine Tresor Paris bracelet! Everything else was given to me by my mum and dad, including the Real Techniques makeup brushes which I have been lusting after for far too long, a white rotating wooden pot to store my makeup brushes, the acrylic makeup storage, the vintage ring in the green box and the clothes in the image below.

Apologies for the bad photo quality, it was the best of a bad bunch!

My main gift from my parents was the party I mentioned before; I had such an amazing time and literally could not have had a better birthday if I tried. Don't you just love birthdays?

I'm also being taken shopping by my closest friends soon so that I can pick out some makeup for them to buy me, so I still have that to look forward to!

I am unbelievably grateful for all of my presents and I was well and truly spoilt rotten!

I have been doing a lot of shopping recently to get rid of the birthday money which is beginning to burn a hole in my pocket, so I think I'll try and get a few more haul posts up soon as well.

Love,

Jo xx