Buying Christmas  goodies in October (the beginning of October no less!) must be an absolute first for me!  Really, it's only been the last two years or so that I've genuinely been excited for Christmas - I think it may be a combination of having my lovely little niece visit at that time of year and a new house that I'm really excited to decorate!  We all love having a rummage around TK Maxx right?  Well I did a bit of that in the Christmas section at the weekend.  Yep, totally bypassing the Halloween section I picked up a fair few bits - impromptu Christmas Haul!

I picked up the Bahoma set of two Noel Noel scented Candles (£9.99) first of all, I love Christmas scents!  Label anything as 'Christmas spiced' and I'm sold.  The Noel Noel candles are tangerine, nutmeg, berry, fir needle and cinnamon scented.  I'm waiting until it gets that bit closer to Christmas before burning them, but these still smell amazing!  Actually I blame these candles for getting me in the Christmas spirit!!

I spotted the set of 4 'Cherish The Season' tree decorations (£3.99) thinking the cute little ceramic acorns and pinecones would fit in perfectly with the simple white theme (with a hint of red) I went for last year, which I loved and had already planned to continue with in 2014.  The white ceramic Reindeer head (£4.99) has the same chalky feel as the tree decorations.  It's the subtlety of this as a Christmas decoration that I really like!  Stag heads and antlers have been popular in home decorating for quite a while now, so what better to have around at Christmas times?  This may end up on my mantlepiece a bit earlier than what's socially acceptable for Christmas decorations!

Finally I picked up what must be everyone's (right?!) must have purchase for around the Christmas period (well, towards the end of the year anyway).  A new diary!  I've only ever seen the 'In Tempo Firenze' diaries in TK Maxx, but I've picked up a few notebooks and journals from this brand in TK Maxx before and have found the quality to be really great for the price - this rather large, real leather diary was only £5.99.  Predominantly in Italian (hey ho, I'm an italophile and can understand the basics!)  this page a day 2015 diary has all the sections you could want, I can't wait to start filling it with notes and appointments!!

Let me know if I'm crazy to have started picking up Christmas bits and bobs already!!

We are no way near the stage where we should be buying ornaments or soft furnishings for our new house, but I can't go into TK Maxx without coming out without at least a few bits and pieces - it's an Aladdin's cave of loveliness for the home, and more!

When we popped in the TK Maxx Home Store, HomeSense, looking for a larger piece or furniture all thoughts of a coffee table or chair went out of the window when I spotted the glass trinket boxes for only £7.99 each.  Both trinket boxes came with a 'Passport to India' label - I wonder if this is a TK Maxx brand as I can't find anything about Passport to India on the web.  I'm not sure what I'll end up storing in these little beauties but I plan on displaying them on them the shelves we plan on installing in the alcove of our living room.

I can't ever resist giving ALL the candles in TK Maxx a good stiff, the Pecksniff's Gardenia & White Peach candle has that lovely fresh laundry smell and with a pretty little silver lid, I couldn't resist taking it home - to also sit on the living room shelves, once they're up!

The last, and possibly my favourite new item, is the cute little wise words journal.  As soon as I picked up the journal Chris asked whether I really needed another note book that I wrote next to nothing in - I suppose he's right, but of course my answer was YES!  how could I resist that little owl motif! 

Are you like me in TK Maxx or HomeSense - never able to leave without a little something?  Let me know if you've picked up any bargains recently!

Silver Gold Plated Aquamarine Ring: Glamourite (via ACHICA.com)*  |  Silver Ring with Tibetan Turquoise Stone: Independent Store in India 

My two favourite rings at the moment are the two newest additions to my collection!  I own a ton of rings but hardly ever wear any of them, until I picked up these two little lovelies.  I picked out this stunning Glamourite ring after writing a quick post about the fabulous ACHICA.com. I love the fact that's it's got three stones in a beautiful aquamarine colour, I also don't have many gold rings and thought because it kind of reminded me of the YSL style of ring popular a few years ago it was definitely one to add to the collection!

The chunky silver ring is a little something I picked up on my recent trip to India.  I've had so many complements on it that it has to be best the 600 rupees that I've ever spent!  I've always loved a good chunky ring and the stunning green Tibetan Turquoise stone set it off perfectly.

Inhibitif Advanced Hair Free Serum - £29.99 (Boots.co.uk)

Walk into any Boots at the moment and you'll be confronted with the latest wonder product claiming to be a solution to that most hated chore, hair removal.  I was instantly drawn in.  Hair removal is a big issue for me, I've touched upon the subject before, in one of my most popular posts on this blog - My Guide to Epilating.  Shaving is more than a pain for most people, but I get regrowth pretty straight away - no exaggeration.  My legs are so sensitive, coming out in painful and unattractive rashes from the use of hair removal creams, waxing and even shaving.  Epilating seemed to the best budget option for me ( though I'd love to be able to afford laser treatment), and it still is, but it's a lot of work trying to avoid the ingrown hairs, and once you get out of the routine it takes a lot of courage to get back into it - it can be bloody painful the first couple of goes!

At £29.99 Inhibitif is quite an investment, but it's more than worth it if does all it claims.  The serum works to target the hair follicle, to slow down growth as well as minimising the density and thickness of the hair itself.  Sounds great, but it's quite a commitment.  You need to use the serum twice a day for 8 weeks, applying it to shaved or waxed body areas.  I'm guessing that I'll have to shave or epilate every day or two, which I'm kind of dreading, fearing a shaving rash.  However it seems that Inhibitif is also meant to be great for minimising ingrown hairs and skin irritation, so hopefully that solves a problem in itself!

I don't have any results to report yet, I've only be using Inhibitif for two days, but I'm very excited about this product.  My only observations so far are that it's smells ok - a strange mix of some kind of clean, fresh minty smell and... TCP! Very strange, but ok.  It also leaves the skin super soft, maybe a little tingly at first, but nothing uncomfortable.  I've got very high hopes of Inhibitif saving my summer!!

I've been an iPhone user since the good old 3G came out years and years ago now, I can't see myself using anything else now.  I recently upgraded to the iPhone 5 and absolutely love it!  Obviously it's not revolutionary but the camera is really good, it's a lot faster - way better for watching YouTube videos!

For me, one of the most exciting things about a new phone is getting a new phone cover!  I picked up this little Aztec beauty from eBay, it was a serious bargain £2.99 (link).  Because of the price I didn't really expect a lot, however the quality is actually good.  The frustrating thing is that it doesn't look quite as good in this pictures, the light was so off it doesn't look as bright and vibrant as it does in real life... but I was desperate to show you guys!

I don't want to harp on about it or do a dedicated post, but the word on the street is that the age old GFC method of blog reading is going to be retired by the powers that be.  I've always loved using bloglovin' to catch up with my favourite blogs, so for the next few posts I'm going to leave the button at the bottom of my posts to prompt you all to follow my blog there.

Happy Sunday!  I hope you've all had a lovely weekend.  I just wanted to put up a quick post to show you my new hair.  No great changes, it's a bit of a mess because I was caught it rain/ hail leaving the hair dressers and the pictures don't quite do it justice because they were taken around 4:30 pm - so really bad light!  But here we go.

I hadn't had my hair cut in FIVE MONTHS!  Shocking I know.  But I have quite a phobia of hairdressers, they never seem to listen to what I want!  Luckily, I think I've found a nice one now though!  I've had a good 3-4 inches chopped off with a few long layers.  If you look through my last few outfit posts, you can see that my hair was looking a bit 'brassy' through the mid sections, towards the ends.  I wanted to get rid of this and go back to my darker 'roots', whilst also keeping the lighter ends (but without being in your face ombre).

My lovely hair dresser seemed to know exactly what I was after.   She put a few highlights underneath while running a darker toner through the rest, concentrating on the roots.  I'm really pleased with it!

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - £9.99

Real Techniques (Eye) Starter Set - £21.99

These aren't my first Real Techniques brushes and they certainly won't be my last!  To say I'm a fan is a real understatement.  I can't say I'll never look at any other brushes, but these certainly are my favourites at the moment.  They have been since I bought my first set, the Core Collection, and it was the Buffing Brush from this set that spurred me on to buy the Expert Face Brush!  I hadn't used anything else to apply foundation, tinted moisture or BB cream since buying the set (other than my fingers when I've been waiting for the brush to dry after being cleaned!), so thought the expert Face Brush would be a perfect back-up.

This brush is a tiny bit thicker, with bristles that seem that tiny bit shorter than the Buffing Brush.  For me it means I have to work a bit harder to buff in my make-up, but it works really well when I want that bit more coverage.  The Expert Face Brush won't replace my beloved Buffing Brush, which I wish was sold separately, but having had the Buffing Brush for nine months now and it still being in good shape I'm not worried about having to replace it anytime soon anyway.  I'm happy that I've got the Expert Face Blush for when it's needed though.

If I'm being totally honest, I picked up the Eye Starter Set pretty much just for the Deluxe Crease Brush - after constantly the Pixiwoo ladies using it to seamlessly apply under eye concealer!  It really is perfect for that!  I've always just used my fingers for concealer, and even though I still do sometimes when I'm feeling a bit lazy, I've found it's densely packed brisles  makes applying my Bobbi Brown creamer concealer a so much easier.  Where I used to really struggle to blend this concealer in and also keep a decent level of coverage, achieving a perfect finish is now a breeze!  I quite like the Base Shadow Brush for the same reason, but this is obviously also really great for shadow!  I actually use this for applying crease shadows and blending more than I do the Deluxe Crease Brush.  The other brushes are also really nice, I do find both the Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush and Brow Brush a little thick for everyday make-up, but that's just my preference.  The sturdy bristles are perfect for that more dramatic look!

When it comes to the the case/ holder, this is one thing that I feel is a really nice extra touch.  But truth be told, I've never used it,  maybe if I was a bit more organised it would get used!  I don't know, what do you think??

Let me know in the comments below if you've used these brushes, what did you think?

Don't forget to check out my giveaway, I'm giving away some AMAZING studded boots!  Just click here! 

Primark have done really well with their Christmas home collection this year, and if I was a little less controlled I would have come home with a lot more bits!... I wasn't quite as lucky when it came to the clothes however!

I've found myself picking up more and more bits of rose gold jewellery recently.  Obsessed much?  H&M is amazing for accessories at the moment and particularly rose gold.  This is my little collection so far, each piece ranging from £4.99 to £7.99.  Bargain!  Rose gold is so pretty, and just that bit different.  My favourite is the choker, it gives all outfits that extra edge.  Though I don't think I've posted any outfits pictures wearing the choker yet, you can see the triple ball necklace here.

What do you think of rose gold?  Have you spotted any other must have pieces on the high street? 

ASOS Santo Suede Point Court Shoes  £55

I can't believe it's been a year since I posted about my love for blue shoes!  I've drooled over many a pair in that time, you just need to check out my latest wishlist to have guessed that.  Well, it was only last week that actually went ahead and bought some!  The thing that had stopped me was that I have tonnes of pairs of heels that I don't really wear anymore, I'm seriously starting to go for comfort over beauty in my old ages!!  From strutting around the house I just know that these shoes are going to killer, but they're so pretty I don't care!

I bought them from asos and I actually think that they look a million time better in real life then they do on the website, I really welcome surprise when it comes to online shopping!  In real life the suede is a much brighter electric blue than they appear on the website, yay!  I love the shape and even the neon yellow lining, it's a shame you can't see it when you're wearing the shoes!

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope that you have all had a lovely day!  I've been smelling particularly nice this Valentine's because Chris woke me up this morning with a little beauty, for me perfume is the best Valentine's gift! 

Jimmy Choo describe this fragrance as a modern fruity chypre with warm, rich, woody depths. With luminous green top notes, an aura of rich exotic tiger orchid and base notes of sweet toffee meld with Indonisian patchouli.

I wish I could sniff a perfume and reach such depths of a description!  Alas.  I can definitely smell the sweetness of toffee, though this perfumes reminds more of raspberries than anything else.  What I do know is that I this perfume is lovely, and really fits in with collection at the moment, which includes, namley, Juicy Couture's Couture Couture, Marc Jacob's Daisy, Paco Rabanne's Lady Million and Armani Code.  It's typically sweet perfumes that I go for, particulary for during the day.  Jimmy Choo fits this genre  exactly, but not in that sickly way some celebrity perfumes achieve, it's just more , well, mature.  The best thing about this perfume is that it lasts!  All day!... unlike some of the others mentioned above.  When first spritzed, being an eau de parfum, it can be a little overpowering, but I don't mind that, all the better for lasting all day!

On to the bottle design... I think it's close to perfect (even if it does remind me of a hand grenade, and it's very similar to Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb)!  Very classy from the sturdy black square cap to the beautifully shaped, thick glass bottle.  It's now taking pride of place on my dressing table!

What do you think of this perfume?  Let me know what your favourite perfumes are at the moment.  I hope you all managed to spend your Valentine's Day with people you care about!

Red Shorts £8  //  Striped Top £4  //  Pleated Maxi Skirt £12

Bracelets £2  //  Bandeau Bra's £3 each  //   Nivea Sun Kids SPF 30 £3  //  Faking it Tanning Mitt £2  //  Feather Earrings £1

I'm literally counting down the days (58!) to my next holiday, and when I was last in Primark I decided to pick up a few bits so that I'm ready for the sun!  I loved these red shorts and the stripy top is perfect for summer!  I just had to get these bandeau bra tops, they'll be great on the beach paired with some shorts (that's if it's still dead hot in Malta in September) and the gold one in particular will really jazz up an oversized vest!  I love this style of simple bracelets, they look great paired up with a couple of other styles.

How much of a bargain is the Nivea sun tan lotion??  On sale for £3 from an already bargainous £5!!  The kids version is great too because it's a bit more durable if you're in and out of the pool / sea!

My favourite find from Primark was the pleated maxi in a jersey material!  It's a bit more casual than than the other maxi skirts in my collection.  I'm visiting London tomorrow to see We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, I think this maxi will be perfect for the day out.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Whilst in search for a new concealer and bronzer, and deciding to take advantage of the regular 3 for 2 offers at Boots, I picked up a few bits from the Bourjois stand.

So I'll start with my favourite of this little trio.

Delice de Soleil bronzer

I'd read great things about this bronzer, and although I was determined to finally try the Delice de Poudre 'chocolate' bronzing powder, the shiny and very fancy packaging of the new Delice de Soleil bronzer distracted me way too much!  It actually took me a little longer than expected to figure out the swivelling packaging, however I was certain that once I did I'd actually love it.  I don't mind the packaging, however it's often a little inconvenient when all you want to do is just quickly pop open the lid and apply a little bronzer.

This is a really lovely bronzer, it has a faint smell of chocolate orange... my favourite type of chocolate!  And the tiny little flecks of shimmer are just about as much as you would  want when contouring your cheeks.  I chose number 14, for tanned / olive skin, which is the colour I go in summer, but I doubt I'll be using this bronzer much come winter when I turn whiter than white!


Bio Detox Organic Concealer

This concealer claims to have anti-puffiness properties and massaging effect due to it's roll-on applicator... to be honest I wouldn't know cos I think that this most likely the worst concealer I've ever tried in my life!  I've tried the Healthy Mix concealer, which I liked, so I've nothing against Bourjois, but this concealer just is not fit for purpose.  Firstly, it comes out through the roller ball in thick clumps, which due to the roller action, don't necessarily land where you want it.  Secondly, it dries almost straight away and this makes it really tough to blend... and the under-eye area is not a place you want to be rubbing just to get a product to work properly!  Plus, when trying to blend, all this concealer does is smear.  So, I've not had the best experience with the Bio Detox Organic concealer.  I suppose if I had, I'd be talking about the massaging roller-ball cooling the under-eye, or the benefits of the organic ingredients, but... beh!


Swatches (top to bottom):  Delice de Soleil bronzer,  Bio Detox Organic straight after application, Bio Detox Organic with a lot of blending... very drying, not great in area where fine lines easily crop up!


10 Day No Chip Nail Polish

If you want to see what this polish looks like on, it actually features in a few of my previous post, such as this, or this.  A perfect colour for summer, though I'm still not certain what it is... number 16??  It's easy to apply and dries relatively quickly.  It does not last 10 days, but if you read the small print on the back the 10 days 'includes touch ups'... surely this is the case with any old nail varnish?  I managed to go around 2 days before needing a 'touch up'.  Oh well.  Forgetting the 10 day claim, this a great, though average, little nail polish.

Have you tried any of these products?
Let me know what you think about them in the comments below.





P.S.  I forgot to mention in the post above, but on top of the 3 for 2 offer, in boots (and probably other stockists in the UK too) you can also get a free pair of sunglasses when you spend over a certain amount on Bourjois.  Sorry there are no pictures, the sunglasses are a simple, largish frame with handy little brown silky pouch to store them in... mine are currently being carried around with me for the odd 10 minutes the sun decides to come out!  Last I checked this offer was still on if you want to check it out!