My Littlewoods Shopping Wishlist!

I'm a prolific online window shopper! I'm always adding thousands of pounds worth of stuff I'd like to have in my life into virtual shopping trollies... usually with the intention of whittling it all down to maybe just one or 2 things that I *must* own and that my bank balance can stretch to, but without the decisiveness to actually do so.

So, when I was asked to make a wishlist of things I'd like from Littlewoods, I jumped straight on it as this is totally my forte. As usual, when adding products to my wishlist, I went TOTALLY overboard, so I then had to limit myself to just my favourite 8 items from each of the departments I was 'shopping' from.

First stop was Littlewoods range of Jewellery, and I'd say this was probably the hardest department to limit myself to just 8 items in, due to the sheer volume of different items available added to my magpie 'shiny shiny' tendencies. I tried to do a mix of fashion and more classic products, as I do like both... they all have a place in my jewellery box, but I do love a statement piece of jewellery. The products I've chosen relate to each of the links below, numerically.

1. Lipsy Bow Stretch Bracelet, £15
2. Fiorelli Stretch Crystal Wide Bracelet, £42
3. PIECES Knot Necklace, £27
4. Sterling Silver and Purple Cubic Zirconia Ring, £55,
5. Tanzanite and Silver Ring, £117
6. 9 Carat White Gold 50 Point Diamond Cluster Ring, £326
7. 9 Carat White Gold, White Topaz, Diamond Set, Radiance Set Ring, £276
8. Sterling Silver and Pink and White Cubic Zirconia Ring, £19

Total spent: £877.

Next up I headed to Littlewoods range of Women's Jackets, since I've been desperate for a winter coat or 3 for some time now, since losing all the weight, as everything is way too big. There's a mixture of styles included here because to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure which style will suit me more these days.  Before, I used to just go for items that fit me and were quite loose in fitting so as not to show my numerous lumps and bumps. however I do like the look of all of these, and so that's why I chose them.

1. South Leather Biker Jacket, £139
2. South Fur Lined Biker Jacket, £60
3. Love Label Dolly Fur Collar Coat, £85
4 Superdry Eskimo Cape, £118
5. Lipsy Belted Coat, £105
6. Definitions Lux Military Parka, £110
7. Vero Moda Yatsy Padded Coat, £44
8. Myleene Klass Genuine Leather Biker Jacket, £160

Total spent:  £821.

Finally, I found myself loitering in Littlewoods range of Lipsy Dresses, because again, now I've lost weight, I am a total sucker for a pretty party dress; and, since we're rapidly heading towards party season, I thought what better way to warm up than by choosing some of my favourite dresses from the range.

1. Lipsy Bandage and Lace Dress, £68
2. Lipsy Bodycon Illusion Dress, £74
3. Lipsy Jersey Bodycon Dress, £62
4. Lipsy Lace Detail Bodycon Dress, £74
5. Lipsy VIP Lace Feather Dress, £142
6. Lipsy Sleeveless Sequin Lace Dress, £44
7. Lipsy Shimmer Bandeau Dress, £60
8. Lipsy Cap Sleeve Dress with Stud Detail, £62

Total spent: £586.

So, there you have it... my 8 favourites from each of just 3 of the Littlewoods ranges available online. Being the indecisive madam I am, this was actually incredibly difficult to do; and should I ever be asked to further whittle it down to less than these 8 items per department, well I just don't think that would be possible, I would be totally bamboozled and probably end up in an indecisive heap on the floor. Ha.

My only wish, is that these items were being sent to me right now, instead of still only being a distant dream in my virtual trolley.


What do you think to my choices? Are there any items from the ranges that you'd have picked differently? x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

My £60 Party Preparation Package Challenge!

Christmas parties and nights out can often end up costing a fortune in pre-party preparations alone, with salon appointments for beauty treatments and other general pampering often taking up a large chunk of your budget. In fact, the Most Wanted team at VoucherCodes did some research and found out that 18-24 year olds are spending an average of £110 on their party season beauty bits!

So, they approached me and set me the challenge of reducing that outlay to just £60!! Yes girls, you did just read that right, 60 English pounds for a party package to last throughout all the festivities! And so this week, I’ve been getting creative and finding my favourite, fabulous products for you to reach for, instead of spending all your drinking money on salon treatments that could be avoided, leaving you enough money to buy some perfect presents for your nearest and dearest.

Tanning is an important one for a lot of people, and professional spray tans can be costly, but with a fab selection of ‘at home’ products widely available, there is money to be saved here.

Fake Bake ‘Perfection’ Instant Fake Tan & Mitt (£10.98) has been one of my staple products over the last year or so, it’s incredibly easy to use because the colour is instant, no development time is needed – just apply, and then get dressed (especially good for people like me, who never leave enough time to apply and then let a tan develop before they go out),  and the colour is great, not in the least bit orange… plus it smells beautiful; vanilla, girls, no biscuits!!

I generally just apply to the areas that will be ‘on show’ because there’s not much point in doing a full body application (unless your full body will be on show, of course) and also it lasts longer, giving you more applications this way too.

Pre-tan preparation is important if you want a nice, even colour - even when using an instant/wash off formula. Now, I could tell you to go and buy an expensive exfoliator from one of the tanning brands, but you really don't need to do that. You can achieve the same result, using a normal body wash with a pair of scrubby, exfoliating gloves for a fraction of the price. The pair in the image above from Boots, (£2.69) do the trick nicely, although if you go to local pound shops/discount stores, I reckon you'd get a pair for £1 or less.

Hair appointments are also quite costly to factor into your beauty budget when getting ready for a night out. I’m talking styling and conditioning treatments, rather than your regular cut/colour appointments (but if you want to find a way of cutting down those costs – pun intended, this post may be useful for you), so I’m not factoring that into the budget, since I expect those would come from your regular maintenance funds.

When your hair is in good condition, it is generally easier to style, so a conditioning treatment/mask is my first recommendation. I love Wella's System Professional hair masks (£12.71), they’re used by hairdressers and professionals in the salon I go to and in my book, if they’re good enough for them, then they’re good enough for me. Obviously you’ll be choosing the perfect mask for your hair condition and texture, but I love the Volumize on my hair, as it conditions without weighing it down!

To get the true salon feel of a head massage, I really recommend using the Denman BeBop Massage Brush (£2.87)  (also available from boots for about £3.80) to massage the conditioning treatment into your hair, and also to use when shampooing to make sure your scalp is squeaky clean - just don't massage too vigorously at this stage if your hair is longer than your chin, as it could make your hair a bit knotty.

For almost effortless styling, rollers are your friend as once in, they do the work for you! I'd love to to suggest some heated rollers here as there are some fabulous sets available these days, but this would completely bust the budget, so instead I’ll recommend 'Velcro Sleep-In Rollers' (£17.95) as my favourite non-heated variety instead as they're a cheaper option but without too much of a compromise in results!

I’m not including this in the budget as many of you will probably already have styling products, but I really rate Aussie’s 'Aussome Volume Conditioning Mousse' when I want a bit of oomph in my hair as it gives volume without being sticky and horrible – just remember to blow dry your hair when using it, it doesn’t work quite so well if you leave it to air dry. If you did fancy trying it, it’s available from Boots for £4.89. 

This, along with a spritz of hairspray (which I’m also assuming you’ll already have, but I swear by Elnett Very Volume available from boots for £6.49 for 400ml) will keep your hair looking great throughout the evening.

Finishing Touches & Handy Tips!

A manicure might be the next thing on your list, and whilst it's lovely to have your nails done for you, it's not impossible to do them yourself for less of a financial outlay - especially if you get a friend to do yours, in return for you doing theirs (which certainly makes your weaker hand application better - you know this dilemma, don't you?!). I love nail polish, from a whole host of brands, but I'm recommending ORLY Nail Lacquer (£7.50), as I've never had a bad polish from them and they also have some beautiful colours out right now that are perfect for party season - the polishes shown in the image above is their 'Naughty or Nice' collection. They're also currently on offer at Beauty Bay for £7.13 each.

If you're a fan of false lashes, you could pay around £15 having them applied at a salon... or you could spend just £3.20 (by using code SCOOP-20) plus £1 delivery for orders under £15 on a fab set of lashes from LoveLashes at Lashizzle (more styles being added on a regular basis)! This discount code is exclusively for readers of The Beauty Scoop, and will be valid at least until the end of December 2012.

Fancy a facial? Give yourself an exfoliating facial on the cheap by using your everyday skincare products and putting in a bit more effort. Massage your cleanser into dry/damp skin (depending on the texture of the products you're using), and then use a hot flannel to exfoliate the cleanser off, before massaging your serums and moisturisers in afterwards (if you have a face mask already, you could also use this in-between washing and moisturising). It's simple, but effective, and what's even better is that you can get yourself a flannel for less than £1, with the flannel in the image above, from Tesco costing just 75p(!), although you can get them from about 20p each from cheap shops like home bargains etc.


So there you have it, my budget saving products all in one handy post; and in total, these products come to a very reasonable £58.28 (excluding any postage costs), leaving you just under £2 to splurge on whatever you like, maybe a £1 product from the MUA range at Superdrug?

What do you think? Do you think you'd swap your salon treatments to save money? Maybe you have a few budget beauty tips of your own?!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless Wednesday - Ciaté Sequin Manicure!

Lots of lovely things coming from Ciaté!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Ciaté 'Treasured Possessions' Collection!

Just noticed a sneak peak of an upcoming 'Treasured Possessions' collection on the Ciaté Facebook page, I think I spy some of the shades from this post last month - how exciting!

I'm definitely going to need to get my hands on them all, they look right up my street (ie, they're full of glitter and shimmer) but are also perfect for Christmas and party season for those who don't normally bother with glitter (even if only on the tips of the nails), don't you think?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

My Pre-Party Season Sale Picks From Dune!

I got an email, informing me of the Dune sale yesterday, which was like a red rag to a bull as I have no self control when it comes to spending. I actually need a lottery win as I've seen at least £10,000 worth of things I want to own, over a number of websites... and that is me being conservative with my online window shopping, as I have this fantastic ability to go onto a website, and see that minutes later, I have put over £1,000 worth of products in my basket. Madness.

Anyway, in a bid to save a bit of money (well, not really as I never actually save anything, I just buy more) I decided to treat myself to a few of the sale items in preparation for the (hopefully) many Christmas parties and nights out I'll be attending. So I'm showing you what I bought, and also linking to some of the items I didn't buy, even though I desperately wanted to.

You'll notice that there's a running theme with these shoes, that I only really noticed after sending my order, and that is that most of the shoes that have stolen my heart, are all full of sparkle and glitter - even the flat ones. What is wrong with me, and how much glitter and shit can I actually get away with at the age of 31 and up? Ha.

So without further ado, here's the booty info:

Dance-Tear Peep Platform Court, £38 - I actually bought these last year for about £90 after lusting after them for a couple of months before they were released. However when they arrived, they were faulty as they had been made too small and I ended up feeling like one of the ugly sisters in Cinderella trying on the glass slipper. They they just did not fit, and even if I could have shoehorned myself into them, there's no way I could have walked in them. I was gutted to find out that there were no replacements available, and thus I was given a refund whilst my heart slightly broke. So imagine my joy when I saw them available for this bargain price, needless to say, I snapped them up! I bought them in 2 sizes this year, just in case.  Unfortunately, there are only 5's and 6's available and I expect that stock is low*.

Macie Fold Up Sequin Ballerina, £16 - I bought these for that inevitable time in the night that I need to change from heels to flats (which these days is usually after about 10 minutes, once everybody has seen the pretty heels, as a gesture). I thought I might be able to fool people into thinking I still had the heels on, since they're quite similar in texture. Available in all sizes bar size 6*.

Octave D Round Toe Platform Court, £22 - I've wanted some nude-y shoes, purely because I just don't own that many pairs and with all the glitter, I felt I had to be a little bit more grown up with at least one of the pairs I bought. Plus, they're a total bargain! Available in all sizes, bar 2, 7 and 9*!

Mazzy Fold Up Glitter Ballerina, £16 - Another pair of shoes to try to disguise the fact that I've shrunk, and my legs are looking dumpier due to ditching the heels mid-evening. More glitter, but what would you expect by now?! Available in all sizes*.


And now here are just a few pairs of the shoes I also wanted to buy!

Babbington Platform Glitter Court Shoe, £64.

Dragonby Low Platfrom Peep Toe Court Shoe, £64.

BO Concealed Platform Glitter Court Shoe, £68 (shown here in Pewter, but I also had my eye on Champagne and Silver too).

And just as a final note, does anybody else think the shoes below look like they're fresh from the Wizard of Oz? I kind of want them too 'There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home' but I don't know why, it's probably because of the glitter. ;-)

Blaire Flared Heel Almond Toe Court Shoe, £42 (shown in Red Glitter).


*All stock levels correct at time of writing. However, if the ones you want do sell out in your size, then you could check over at John Lewis as they're price matching the sale items (seemingly not the cheaper, seemingly clearance items), so some of them are available over there too. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Party Season Make-Up - Sisley Phyto-Khol Star Glittering Eyeliner in Deep Silver!

Another superb Sisley product today, this is their Phyto-Khol Star Glittering Eyeliner in Deep Silver a glittery, sparkling eyeliner that is completely perfect for glitzing up your party season eye make-up! The shade is stunning, kind of a gunmetal-y hue that would complement pretty much any look on any skintone!

The liner itself is very impressive, it applies very, very easily as it is so soft (yet still firm) and pigmented that it just glides over the skin, leaving a sparkly trail behind it. Once applied, the liner stays put (hurrah) which is always good news as nobody likes that panda eye look at the end of the night (or god forbid in the middle of it)!

With Flash (both)!

No Flash!

Not only is there a sparkle in the eyeliner, but there's also an extra special touch of it at the end of the pencil, where Sisley have applied a Swarovski crystal (matching the colour of the liner that you have) that twinkles away nicely. It serve no real purpose, apart from looking pretty but I bloody love it and it really gives that extra feeling of luxury when it's on your dressing table.

I would have liked the pencil to twist up rather than be sharpened manually (as I always seem to buy dodgy sharpeners that stop working after 1 use) but that is a personal niggle and it really doesn't detract from the eyeliner in any way!

It's available in 7 colours (I want every one of them) from your usual Sisley retailers, including House of Fraser for £30.50!

Party Season Make-Up - Sisley Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick

I've been planning out my party season make-up recently so thought I would do a series of posts to show you some fabulous make-up that is perfect for partying the night away this Christmas!

The first product I want to show you is a gorgeous cherry red lipstick from Sisley that just screams Christmas to me. The lipstick is a beautiful shade of red, it leans towards blue rather than orange which I generally prefer (and is a bit kinder to the colour your teeth, since orange tones have the bad habit of making your teeth look a bit discoloured) and I think would be suitable for all skintones; even if you don't normally feel that you can wear a red, as there's enough pink in this to stop it looking too in your face - especially if you use a light hand to apply it.

The lipstick comes in a luxurious gold bullet that, much like YSL's packaging just screams high end - it even has it's own little velvet 'coat' which is quite cute and will offer some protection to the gold casing should you want to sling it in your bag and take it out with you. It has a rosy scent to it, and rose is actually a scent that I really don't like generally, but this is very subtle and actually not at all offensive to my nose - thankfully, since it's worn right under it haha!

I'm very impressed with the pigmentation in this lippy, I used a fairly light hand with my swatch application, and you can see that it's still very vivid indeed. It also lasts quite well throughout the day, considering it's a hydrating formula that would normally slip off a bit quicker on my lips - I got about 4 hours wear with it, and it faded pretty evenly too, which is an important factor for me!

Indoor daylight with flash!

Daylight with flash!

All 3 outside in daylight, no flash but various angles to show how it the pink comes through!

I notice that lanolin is at the top of the ingredients list, I expect that this is where a great deal of the hydration comes from as it's said to be able to hold 200% of its own weight in water! It's a key ingredient in the Lanolips range, a range that has the USP of being hydrating and good for your lips... so this is great to see as a major ingredient in this product! Let's face it, products that make your lips look dry (or actually do dry them out) are never a good idea!

Apologies for the lack of lip photograph, with the cold of weather, I've had a bit of a chapped lip issue that I'm currently working on getting rid of, so the pictures wouldn't have been as nice as I'd have hoped for you!

Available from House of Fraser and John Lewis for £31!

Sisley Website!

The Christmas Countdown Begins...

I can't believe it, it's actually December already(!), and that to me means that panic can now set in as Christmas is officially here (almost) and I need to get my skates on and get my gifts for people chosen, bought and then wrapped... the countdown is ON!

I'm sure many of you are also in the same predickydoodah* as me, especially if you also don't have a clue what to buy for your nearest and dearest. So with that in mind, I'll be doing a series of posts to try to help you pick some fabulous gifts for the special people in your life.

Another part of Christmas that I look forward to is partying and with that thought in mind, I'll also be showing you my favourite party season make-up, accessories and skincare to help get you through the festive season in style.

Finally, I'll also be throwing a couple of competitions into the mix, so don't forget to come back and check the site for those too!

*Mr Beauty Scoop insisted that I wrote this, instead of the more widely used word 'predicament' that I originally had typed out!

Yves Saint Laurent - Holiday 2011 and New Lipstick Range - Rouge Pur Couture Lustre!

The smoky eye is in full force over at YSL for their Holiday 2011 collection... I am loving the look of the black/grey shade palette and I actually saw this being worn by the YSL lady at the YSL counter in Manchester's Boots store and it looked amazing! Also loving that they have included a matte and glossy black polish, I do love them when used together (see above).

Below the Holiday 2011 products there's also a new lipstick line being released, Rouge Pur Couture which looks fabulous - especially that pink!

Below are some images of some of the collections - what do you think?

           5 Ombres Lumieres Palette - Noir Terriblement!  Face Highlight Palette - Blanc Terriblement!

 Black Matte and Gloss Polishes!

                  Ombres Duo Lumieres - No 39                               Ombres Duo Lumieres - No 41

 Rouge Pur Couture - No.40

YSL Golden Gloss No's 47, 45 and 44.

  

               Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre - No.102.         Rougue Pur Couture Golden Lustre - No.101

 Rought Couture Golden Lustre Full Range and No.110

Launches October 19th!

Paul & Joe Christmas Collection 2011!

I can't believe I am saying this, but Christmas is coming(!) and I've already started doing my Christmas shopping and my own wish list (trying to be organised, for once); so I think now is a great time to tell you about the gorgeous looking Paul & Joe Christmas Collection so you can add your favourite pieces onto your Christmas wish list to Santa! The collection includes:

Ornamental Self Select Eye Colour's, £12 each - These come in pretty little boxes with different designs and a ribbon attached, so they can also double up as Christmas Decorations once you've got your shadow out. I love this idea, the hippy in me likes less waste and this is such a great way of doing it.

 Joy To The World

 Silent Night

 Midnight Clear

 Deck The Hall

Fa-La-La-La-La

Nail Colours, £10.50 each - Paul & Joe polish bottles are beautiful, but it's what's inside that counts and these polishes do not disappoint. They're colourful and sparkly amd they're perfect for Christmas (although frankly, I think that you could easily get away with wearing them in the summer too).

 

 Rockin' Around

 

 Merrily on High

 

 O, Holy Night

 

 Hallelujah

 

Home for Christmas

Ornamental Makeup Collection, £30 - A gorgeous case that contains one lip and one eye colour!

L-R - 001 Silver Belles (Metallic Eye Gloss 01 and Lip Lacquer 01) & 002 Noel (Metallic Eye Gloss 02 and Lip Lacquer 02

Body Fragrance Collection, £34 - Body cream, a solid fragrance and a hand cream are included in this set and there are 2 options available, 003 Toyland (sweet and sensual) and 004 Mistletoe (fresh and floral).

Luxury Pouch, £32 -  Limited edition Jacquard clutch-style make-up bag!

Available from October at www.beautybay.com

Is anything catching your eye, ladies? x