A date with the Trafford Centre

I looove the Trafford Centre! What's not to like about having every shop you could ever want (apart from American Apparel and Urban Outfitters-come onnnn TC!) under one roof with a restaurant serving food from every country in the world, a cinema, club, bowling alley and a roof covered in clouds and twinkling stars? I've never been to Dubai but I think it's probably the closest I've got to a world within a world (if you've studied communication studies you'll know what I mean).

So today I'm going with the  intention mission of finding my NYE outfit. I have an idea in my mind but I'm open to offers so am taking my trusty shopping partner with me for moral support and style advice.

This is how todays outfit was going to go like with a navy angora jumper from 'Topshop' and an 'Urban Outfitters' full length skirt and my all time favourite 'Roxy' leather belt. However I got stuck at the shoes part and had to abandon the whole thing

So this is what I swapped it for with my mum's trousers from 'Topshop' (a size too big but I dealt with that) and an 'Urban Outfitters' gold heart necklace and my faithful white converse. 

I know Christmas is basiclly over now but I still have presents to give my friends and this is what I'm giving my shopping partner and partner in crime for NYE. 

'Minnie Mouse Couture' make up bag and body scrubber

It's a 'Minnie Mouse Couture' make up bag and body scrubber with little ears and a bow! My friend worked a summer at DisneyWorld in Florida and is obsessed with all things Disney (as am I) so I knew she would appreciate it. I wanted to get her one of the nail polishes from OPI's 'Minnie Mouse' collection but I can't find it anywhere although I know they brought it out a while ago. I loved this make up bag so much I bought myself one too.

Wish me Luck!

Love

Bella

x

Splish splash I was having a bath...

I rarely have baths and I have my reasons for this: firstly, I don't have the time. If I find myself somewhere warm where I'm invited not to do anything for a while then I tend to abuse this right and will happily spend up to three hours soaking in a hot bath doing nothing but blowing bubbles. Instead of reaching a point where I decide enough is enough and get out I will just get lazier and lazier and stay put until someone knocks on the door needing the loo. My second reason is that I'm not just a quick dip in and out person- I have to go the whole hog and shave, exfoliate, scrub, polish and pop a mask on and if you're doing this in a shower there's only one place where your hard work can go and that's down the plug. If you're in a bath where does the days muck go? Well it stays in the bath doesn't it? And that idea is not especially appealing.

But every now and again I'll feel like having a good old condition and a mask or trying out some new products and that's when I find myself turning on the taps, getting out the bubble bath and lining up the essentials.

This is what I think of when I think of bath time:

'Mulan-Honour to us all'

Actual bath time

The products tend to revolve depending on what I'm trying out at that particular time but there are some that stay put on the shelf and that I come back to when I'm having an especially bad skin week and drastic action needs to be taken! 

'Secret Sanctuary' 

My favourite brand is 'Sanctuary Spa'. They have a product for everything and it all works. I guess the fact all these products are developed and used in the actual 'Sanctuary Spa' makes me trust that they know what they're doing and they look and feel like a little but of luxury yet they aren't even that expensive. My skin can be pretty sensitive as I get older but these leaving it feel soft and smooth like I've actually been to a spa without any flare ups. 

They're not heavily fragranced or unnaturally coloured a lurid lime green so I feel like they're a bit 'safer'. I usually start with the warming micro-brasion polish on my face and leave it on for a couple of minutes whilst I apply the detox mask to my chest and shoulders which is where my skin tends to kick up a fuss (always when I'm planning on wearing a next to nothing skimpy top!) 

Whilst that's getting to work I scrub the rest of my body with the moisturizing butter scrub. I know it says it's rich enough that you won't need a moisturiser but I always put my faithful 'Jergens' healing cream on anyway although some people could easily do without anything else. My favourite thing about the polish and mask is that they both heat up when you apply them so if you need a pick me up but don't have time for a bath you can still put them on and feel the benefits as the warmth opens your pores. 

'Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends hair mask'

'Lush's Mask of Magnaminty'

'Lindt' chocolates

I always flirt with 'Aussie's 3 minute miracle treatment' but ultimately I go back to Herbal Essences because you really can't beat their hair masks. Even their basic conditioners transform your hair and I use their leave in conditioner on the ends of my hair to carry on working throughout the day. If it's feeling really dry I'll apply  one of their hair masks, comb it through and then tie it up and wrap clingfilm around my head and then go to sleep and in the morning my hair is ridiculously shiny. If I don't have the time to re-wash it in the morning I'll put the mask on, wrap a towel around my hair and sit by the fire so the heat can help the mask to work harder.

I discovered 'Mask of Magnaminty' by 'Lush' back when I was a teenager going to prom and stressing out about the state of my skin. I was wearing a lilac strapless dress and about to take it back and swap it for something that completely covered my top half. I went to 'Lush' hoping there would be something strong enough that would dry out my skin on my back and chest and the sales assistant introduced me to this mask. It smells of mints and is a dark green with black bits in it, it's not very attractive and kinda looks like something you'd find in a swamp but trust me it works! Put the mask on a couple of days before a big event and you'll find a massive improvement by the time the big day comes. 

The 'Lindt' chocolates are just to heighten the feeling of luxury! 

Bella

x

Boxing Day

As most people who work in retail will know, Boxing Day is not a time to play around with the new things in your make up box and twirl about the house in the outfits you got the day before. It is a time when you wake up regretting eating and drinking so much and trying to get your game face on for work because it's 'SALE DAY' and whether you're one of the shoppers or the one serving the shoppers we are all familiar with the routine.

You set your alarm clocks, get down to your chosen shopping centre at around 8.30am, agree on your target stores with your fellow team members, discuss specific items you are looking for plus sizes, colours and any mark down faults you will or won't take into consideration and then hand out fluorescent tabards and whistles so everyone can be easily identified in the crowds. Okay maybe that's going a bit too far but believe me I have seen some sights!

If you're the one gripping the edge of the till trying to remember your stores refund policy on sale items then you'll probably have done your sale shopping back on Christmas Eve when you found out what beauties were being marked down which means you got first dibs on sizes and colours. It also means that you will have spent today constantly picking clothes off the floor, diffusing arguments between shoppers and changing till rolls.

Thankfully by the time I started half way through the day it didn't look quite like utter madness anymore and I even managed to do a bit of sale shopping myself. I've included some things that I bought at full price but that shortly after went into the sale (not that I'm bitter or anything).

I went to trusty 'Topshop' and went for this grey cardigan which I had mused over for a few weeks at the full retail price which I think was £45 as I'm a sucker for a grey cardigan especially a chunky knit and I have about ten now. But this one was reduced to £25 and I couldn't resist.

'Topshop' £25 Grey Cardigan

Next was this light blue woolly jumper with grey flecks in it which at full price was around £45 which is when I actually bought it  but I think it's now £25 (annoying as I got it like two weeks ago but ah well). It's quite a loose fit which I like and I've worn it with a choker necklace covered in lilac and blue gems which has gone down pretty well. 

Not a great shot of the necklace but you can see how it would go.

'Topshop' £25 Light blue jumper

This black and white top has gone down to £15 I think and is really easy to wear because it smartens up your jeans instantly if you're off to a restaurant but don't want to go too dressy but you can wear it out on the town as well. I've been wearing it with a mid length black skirt when I've been out to a restaurant but also with denim shorts on holiday. 

                                     

'Topshop' Black and white lace top £15

I also got this black beaded choker necklace which was half price down from £10 although now I wish I'd paid the £10 extra and got its full price sister in gold which I had preferred but couldn't justify the price tag as the black stands out too much on me on this style of necklace. I prefer longer ones you can wear with a jumper and jeans whereas this is a dressier one.

                                 

'Topshop' Black beaded choker necklace £5

I uhmmed and aahhed over these printed trousers with my sister and some friends and we all agreed they would look awesome. I had to get the size up as they wouldn't do up in my actual size but after one night out in them they'd got really loose around the waist, thighs and knees so maybe I could have squeezed into the smaller ones and put up with the uncomfort for a few hours. These trousers seem to divide opinion, girls think they're utterly gorgeous and will rush out and buy them whilst I've had a few puzzled looks off my boyfriend and some mutterings about curtains from my Dad. But what do boys know anyway? These were around £40 when I first bought them in the summer and are now £25 I think and come in a few different prints. It can be difficult to know what to wear with them so I've been going for white shirts or dark jumpers with shoe boots or ballet flats to level out the busy-ness of the print.

'

Topshop' Skinny cigarette trousers in 'Winter Flower' print £25

Last but not least was this snakeskin Iphone case which was full price but I snuck it in my basket anyway. I've been looking for a case that I can put my phone in and throw around my bag/the dance floor without feeling like a an anxious mother watching over her new born. This was £15 at full price but I got 25% discount and the only things I find annoying about it is that I have to un-strap my phone every time I want to take a photo and make a phone call. I tried putting people on loud speaker but I ended up whispering into it with embarrassment. 

                                   

'Topshop' Iphone 4 case £15

I looked high and low for a 'Minnie Mouse' case and finally found the perfect one...in Hong Kong. It would cost me whatever the equivalent of $39 is in pounds and with Christmas post being a nightmare at the minute I thought it would be just my luck that I'd drop my phone whilst waiting for the case to arrive so settled on the above instead.

Iphone 4 case from 'Zazzle.com' $39.95

So those were my Boxing Day delights. After work I went to my grandparents for my second turkey dinner of the season and was impressed with my starter of a salmon and crab parcel, pudding was chocolate fudge cake with sauce and then it was all topped off with a glass of Bellini and a homemade Disney princess cake. Gran knows me well!

                       

Happy Boxing Day to all my Sale Survivors!

Bella

x

Christmas time, Make up and wine...

So today is Christmas Day. Or Christmas Evening to be precise. Granddad has nodded off in front of the telly, Mum's on the Baileys and my little sister (who isn't even eighteen yet) has wandered off to the pub leaving me to eat my body weight in Cadbury's chocolate boxes. You'd think by twenty two I'd know when to put a box down but no. But that's the beauty of Christmas, normal rules are abandoned and everyone gets involved. If you wore reindeer antlers at any other time of year and wound some tinsel round your ponytail you'd be stared at on the bus, but in December (or November if you're an eager elf) you can do what you like.

So down to the important stuff-what did we all get in our stockings? Aside from the usual Santa shaped chocolates, bath stuff and socks there's the things we all hope and pray will find their way down our chimneys and mine are nearly always high end beauty products I can't justify buying myself. 

First up was the Urban Decay Naked 2 pallette which I had researched for months trying to decide between the first and the second. Most people's reviews seemed to lean more towards the original pallette but my theory is if it was good enough the first time round they wouldn't have tried to improve on it by bringing out a second and to be honest I was loving 'Black out' as opposed to the original darker shades 'Creep' and 'Gunmetal'. Now I know this came out quite a few months back but I have so many brown shimmer eyeshadow pallettes by Bobbi Brown and Benefit that I refused to invest in another before I had really done my research. A more realistic reason was that I was living in Devon for the year and trying to find somewhere that stocked Urban Decay was a mission and a half! 

So the task was given to Santa and as per usual he delivered the goods. 

From left to right: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, Ydk, Busted and Blackout.

I did a few swatches and tried out a 'Christmas Smokey Eye' on my Sister which turned out surprisingly well and I've promised to recreate the look for her eighteenth birthday party. Like most people I wish they'd included a few matte browns rather than shimmers but I have enough in my own make up bag to make up for that. I'm also a bit flummoxed as to why they included a lipgloss rather than the original 'Primer Potion' but I guess the primer is raved about so much people would probably buy it on its own anyway. The lipgloss is in the colour 'Naked' which you'd think would be a nude colour but no, it's a dark rosy pink and very sticky although it does have a lovely taste and smell of mints.

'Naked' Lipgloss

I also recieved two presents from my Dad's girlfriend which was a pleasant surprise and she had clearly been listening to my beauty rambles at the dinner table. First up were 'Stila' lipglosses that came in a set of eight and are colours that are right up my street. They range from my favourite all time shades of peachy pink to coral to nudes to a dark cherry shade- pretty much every colour you could want! Now I'm not a huge lipgloss fan, I'll throw a nude lipstick on every now and again but I mostly stick to tinted lip balms on dressier days and good old 'Nivea lip butter' on more casual days, which is most of the time. However, I've been wearing these all day and I have to say I'm pretty happy with them! I'll be trying more 'Stila' goodies as soon as Boots sends me my fifth points card!

 'Stila' Lipglosses

'Bomb Cosmetics' is a really lovely, fun brand that I have a few lip balms from already but hadn't found many shops that sold it (maybe I haven't been looking properly) so I was happy to find she'd got me a set of soap paints, although I had no idea what they were! After some careful investigating I realised they're like shower gels but coloured in blue, pink and green and smell deliciously fruity. My Gran pointed out I'd need to take someone in the shower to paint me...Right. Anyhoo, I love an odd gift that gets you trying something new so I will certainly be giving these a splash.

Soap paints by 'Bomb Cosmetics'

Next up was my favourite brand 'Essie'. I typically wear cherry red's or deep dark red's all year round with the occasional break of black for nights out and lilac and mint pastel shades dotted throughout Spring and Summer. Fingers and toes always matching, always cut short and filed to perfection with a glossy top coat. What can I say? I like what I like! Unfortunately I had managed to leave all of my nail polishes behind in Devon during the big move up North. Thankfully Santa had heard my sobs and knew I was a red girl at heart so dropped these two lovelies off for me.

 'Lollipop' and 'Fishnet Stocking' polishes by 'Essie'

I went for 'Lollipop'which was the more Christmassy of the two and it will be the first in a whole new collection of red nail polishes, this time safely in the North. Ignore the scratches, it's been a busy week in work!

Then there was the Marc Jacobs 'Dot' perfume which I had smelt once before when my beloved 'Daisy' ran out although admittedly I had been pretty stingy and gone for the handbag sized mini version at 20ml whereas this is 1 fl oz. I'd passed 'Dot' up and gone for my usual Juicy Couture number but after having a good old squirt of this here, there and everywhere I'm definitely a fan and starting to thinking Mr Jacobs can do no wrong. It's hard to describe the scent but I'd say it's similar to 'Daisy' but more fruity rather than fresh and light, probably something you'd wear more at night. When I first smelt it it reminded me of DKNY's red apple. 

'Dot' by Marc Jacobs

My sister always wins at giving presents with the best present she ever got me being a canvas print of my favourite picture of Marilyn Monroe in a bright pink dress that cost her just a couple of pounds. She never spends a huge amount but they're always really thoughtful and somehow she knows exactly what I've been looking for without me having to say. She also wraps absolutely everything in Disney Princess paper, makes hand made Christmas cards and labels and buys and wraps all her presents by at least the end of November putting me well and truly to shame. 

This year she bought me a 'Cath Kidston' key chain, compact mirror and card holder. Like most girls I adore 'Cath Kidston' but I refuse to buy one of her bags on the basis that every Mum in Devon had one within a week of the store opening up so I'm sticking to accessories! Our spending limit was ten pounds but we may have gone slightly over as I got her a 'Topshop' make up bag, two mini 'Yankee' candles in 'Pink Sands' and 'Buttercream' and 'Loreal's' Telescopic mascara.

'Cath Kidston'  key chain, compact mirror and card holder

Last but not least was the sequel to 'Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe' by Jenny Colgan following a woman called Issy who is fired from her corporate job and opens up her own bakery in London taking on two single mums to help her out and of course, finding love along the way after leaving her love rat ex boyfriend. This one is Christmas themed and titled 'Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe' and as far as I can tell it's about the love of Issy's life moving to New York to pursue her career leaving her cupcake shop and relationship in limbo. It's definitely a light and fluffy book but as I don't normally like them I was surprised to find Jenny's books are written with so much personality the fluffiness of them is forgotten. A pretty nice touch is that Ms Colgan is clearly into her baking and each chapter starts with a new recipe which has got me, who absolutely hates cooking, into making the odd few trays of cupcakes that haven't gone too badly wrong yet.

'Jenny Colgan' 

So that was Christmas.

I have to admit I was pretty spoilt and as it's my birthday in January I try not to get my hopes up as I know Winter is an expensive time for Ma and Pa but they/Santa certainly did me proud this year.

And here's my happy little face to prove it!

Bella

x