Victoria's Secret: Sexy Little Things Noir

I've always been a big fan of fragrances and I've never really been known to stick to a specific one; I much prefer to have different perfumes to suit different seasons and occasions. My main problem with perfumes however is that I often find I’m allergic to them, like Nina Ricci’s Nina and many of the Britney Spears fragrances. As I don’t really buy myself perfume often, my collection is pretty small and only seems to bulk up at Christmas or birthdays! I can go through perfumes quite quickly, like the bottle of Rihanna’s Reb’l Fleur I received at Christmas- gone in just under 2 months (oops, it just had the most gorgeous smell!). I also received a bottle of Vera Wang Princess but, at the price of this, it certainly isn't something I should use quickly (student budget’s don’t stretch as far as I’d like!), so I decided to find something I could use day-to-day and didn't really break the bank.

After stumbling across the Bond Street store of Victoria’s Secret and dragging my Mum in, I felt compelled to buy something- come on, who doesn't want one of those adorable shopping bags? I took this as the perfect opportunity to find myself a nice, summery scent- enter the Sexy Little Things Noir collection.

I settled on the body mist which was one of the cheaper options at £22 a bottle, slightly steep but definitely worth it. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is literally a bottle of summer. As a blend of amber, nectarine and cattelaya orchid, the fragrance is light, refreshing and fruity and is definitely ideal for this summer. Thankfully, for the price, the mist has a pretty good staying power so a few sprays and you’re set to go, although admittedly, I am a wee bit too heavy handed with it so it may not last me as long as I’m hoping. So many people have commented on how amazing it smells when I've been spraying it near them, quite a few have said it reminds them of sweets and I have to agree, it’s absolutely beautiful!

The perfume was something I bought when I got home, after the reception of the body mist I just had to. I actually picked it up in a store called TJ Hughes for, wait for it... £19.99! I’m pretty sure that’s about £30 cheaper than it was in Bond Street, so how could I resist? As you can see, the fragrance comes in a black, 50ml glass bottle and also a matching black atomiser with black tassel detailing trailing from the end of it. I adore the bottle for the perfume; the shape and colour are so beautiful, and the atomiser just gives it that extra touch of class and elegance- it looks like it should be on the dressing table of a glamorous, sophisticated 1920s woman. The atomiser gives out just the right amount of fragrance with each spray, so I’m hoping that this will make this perfume last a lot longer than many of the others I've owned!

I think next time I go to London I may have to stock up on the body mists- I'm looking forward to trying some of the other Victoria's Secret fragrances too! Have you ever tried one of the fragrances? Which one, and what did you think of it?

Sophie

Another trip to London?

Yes, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I had another trip to London in April- surprise surprise.  It was insanely hot this time so I got the opportunity to air a bit of my summer wardrobe early (not that it’ll get used much up here in the North!) and visit more places around the city that I’d never seen before or those that I loved so much, I just had to go back. Another trip to Camden lead to us stumbling upon London Zoo (a place we had got lost trying to find on one of our first trips) where I’m pretty sure I wanted to take almost every animal home with me, especially one little monkey who was simply adorable. An obligatory journey to 221B Baker Street ensued, as did a trip to Abbey Road- but the real one this time (see my post about my December trip)! 

Camden Lock is so pretty in the sunshine!

How cute is this little fella?!

How cool is that drawing? It was on the wall outside the Abbey Road studios where loads of Beatles fans come to write messages or just sign their names.

Of course, no London jaunt is complete without a trip to Harrods, where I decided to buy a few things as I was feeling a wee bit flush for a change! First up, I had a wander around their beauty hall (which is stunning, it really is) and had to pick up another bottle of my favourite foundation ever- the Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclait, which was £30.50 and is in the shade BR10. A browse to the footwear department of course led me to the Kurt Geiger area where I fell in love with these shoes.

I know, they're beautiful, and at only £29 I had to buy them. The shoes have a slight suedette finish with the shiny gold buckle across the front which just gives them that extra something. Despite being a little bit painful on their first outing, these have become my go-to flats- they go with pretty much all of my clothes in my wardrobe and add a little touch of class to an outfit. The only downside is they really don't like the rain, and can get marked quite easily- something I know all too well as mine now feature two black lines across the toe of the right shoe, no idea where they came from! Suddenly I'm wishing I'd bought them in the black instead... I'm hoping they clean up somehow because they are possibly one of the best pairs of shoes I've ever bought and I'd hate to think they're ruined now!

Have any of you had a similar problem with nude shoes- how did you clean them up?

Sophie

Naked Basics Palette: Review

A little slow on this one but I eventually got the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, a Christmas present from my fabulous best chummy Holly (hello if you’re reading this!) who knew I’d been wanting it for ages. I was so chuffed with it and I can honestly say it is being well used!

I love the packaging for the Basics palette; it fits really well with the whole ‘basic’ thing. The mirror in the upper half of the palette is a great size and I use it all the time when I’m applying my daily face- ideal for people who wear glasses because there’s nothing to get in the way (seriously, applying eye makeup is a pain in the backside when you wear glasses)! The hard plastic casing makes the palette durable and better at withstanding the inevitable bumps it will endure if you carry it around in your bag which, due to its fantastic compact size, you can do with ease.

(from left to right) Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint, Crave

The palette contains 6 brilliantly versatile shades, ranging from a gorgeous shimmering almost-white to jet black.  Venus is the palest shade and works fantastically as a highlighter, just lightly applied on the inner corner of the eye and just under the brow. Foxy, a yellow-toned cream, and Walk of Shame, a more peach-toned shade, look great when applied across the lid with the pale coffee shade Naked 2 blended through the crease. Applying a small amount of the darker brown Fade to the outer corners of the eye gives them a greater depth, although blending this shade through the crease makes for a more dramatic look. The fantastic black shade, Crave, works really well for the classic smoky eye look, as a soft eyeliner or to intensify liquid or gel eyeliner.

I always apply the shadows over a thin layer of the original Urban Decay Primer Potion and they stay on pretty much all day. They apply really well and have a really great consistency; you totally forget you have them on during the day because they’re so light! I love the fact that all the colours are neutral because, despite the slightly steep price tag of £22, the shadows are extremely wearable so you definitely get your money’s worth. I think I may have to invest in one of the other palettes by Urban Decay because, if this is anything to go by, they’re simply fantastic.

Have any of you got one of the Urban Decay palettes- what do you think of them?

Sophie

North East Blogger's Tea Party

The first of June brought with it a new first for me- my first ever blogger meetup! As I mentioned in my last post, it was organised by the lovely Danni and Kloe and was held in Walkabout in Middlesbrough. Arriving there, we were greeted with the sight of the most incredible cakes which some of the girls who had already arrived had brought with them, and these multiplied very quickly.

The last picture there of the cookies were made by a lovely girl called Cate and oh my word, they were the most amazing things I've ever tasted- After Eight Cookies. Seriously, they were incredible, I would have eaten the whole plate of them if I could! I also got to try a fabulous Cornflake Cake (which isn't what you would expect!) made by the lovely Steph which was so nice!

After a day full of cake and fantastic company, there was a raffle to raise money for Macmillan Cancer with some lovely little prizes- just my luck that I didn't manage to win anything, boo! As if that wasn't enough, we were all given some lovely goodie bags by the girls who had managed to get us all some great little presents which I can't wait to try. There were little treats from Lush Middlesbrough, Kiss Lashes, Gloworm, Sweet Cecilys, Metcalfe's Skinny and Treasured Magpie to name a few- expect some reviews in the not so distant future!

All in all, the day was absolutely brilliant, I met loads of new people who were all so lovely and I got to see my friend Abbey who I used to work with and haven't seen for over a year which was lovely. I can't wait for the next blogger event and again, a massive thank you to Danni and Kloe for organising the whole thing, it was a great day! 

Sophie

Life Updates!

*blows away the cobwebs*

Hello internet, I'm back! It seems I went on an unplanned blogging hiatus for the past 4 months.. Oops. Turns out first year of uni is waaaaaaaaay more work than I first anticipated. Seeing as I've been away for so long, I decided it was sensible to make a little post just to update you all on what's been happening in my world!

1. I'm officially finished my first year of university! I handed my last assignment in yesterday and now I'm going to enjoy a 4 month summer break, yey. I'm waiting on the results for 2 exams and 2 assignments (fingers crossed I've done well in them) but yeah, first year has gone pretty well- I came out with a 2:1 overall for my first semester and my first exams and stuff of the second semester went equally well. Uni has been such an amazing experience so far, I've made the most incredible group of friends who are just fantastic, and I've been able to do so many things I never expected- like helping to brew and bottle beer! I can't wait for second year now.

2. I went to my first ever blogger meet up on Sunday and it was so much fun! I travelled to Middlesborough with Hannah where we went to the North East Blogger's Tea Party at Walkabout, organised by the lovely Danni and Kloe who did a fantastic job. Everyone was so welcoming and really excelled with the insane amount of cake we had- expect a post very soon.

3. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before but I'm going to be doing a 5k run next month! Basically, a group of us from uni are going to be taking part in the Colour Run where, for every kilometre completed, you get absolutely covered in powdered paint and, of course, we're raising money for a worthy cause, attempting to make a dent in the £7000 a little girl who suffers from cystic fibrosis needs in order to get a special vest which will help her to breathe easier. I'm really excited for it as it's going to be an amazing experience- best start training now!

4. I had another trip to London in April which was fantastic, and it seems I may have done a wee bit of shopping while I was down there so expect a few posts about what I bought down there! It was such a good trip, the weather was brilliant and I managed to catch a distant glimpse of the beautiful Andrew Garfield while I was down there as the Spiderman premiere was happening in Leicester Square- sadly, no photos as my phone died!

Well, I think that's you all caught up now- expect a lot more posts over the next few months seeing as I'm free now!

Sophie