(OOTD) Everything5Pounds.com Haul

Evening! Majorly starting to stress for Monday now, hopefully can relax by writing you a lovely long blog post!

Will start with my OOTD, been at work today. I know my shorts look askew but it's because I am stood with one foot in front of the other. I promise I can dress myself...

Cardigan- Primark, ages ago

Black Long-Sleeved T-shirt- New Look, around £4

Vest- H&M, I think around £4

Shorts- H&M, last summer, I can't remember how much

Leggings- £4 Select

Belt- Primark, I think, a long long time ago!

Now accessories:

 Top Left- Ring- Primark, £2.50

Top Right- Scarf worn as a bracelet- Primark, £1.50 in a pack of two

Middle Left- Long Pendant- Jewellery Sale, either Top Shop or BHS I think £2

Middle Right- Long Pendant, same as above necklace

Bottom Left- Bird and Feather hair slide- Primark, £1

Bottom Right- Shell Necklace, from Rosie.

So when I got to work this morning I had an email saying my parcel from www.everything5pounds.com/ was getting delivered today. And sure enough, when I got back there was a lovely big box waiting for me! I only ordered it on Tuesday so I am impressed with how fast it arrived. 

So I thought I would share with you what I got. I was a little bit dubious about ordering, because normally anything that is too good to be true, normally is a con. But I had read some reviews on the website and people seemed impressed, so I took the plunge and I am so glad I did! I ordered 10 things, I read reviews on every one, and people seemed happy with their purchases. I was a little surprised to see that the postage is worked out on weight, so was slightly alarmed with £8.22 postage, but, divided out that makes every item around £5.80, which is brilliantly cheap. But enough rambling, this is what I got...

So the first item I bought it all three colours available because I was desperate for some new cardigans. These are wool-type cardigans and oh my gosh are they soft! I have noticed the labels say E-vie, which I am pretty sure is a Peacocks brand. The plastic bags they arrived in said they were supposed to be £18, so what a bargain at a mere £5 each. I got an 8 (no 10s left) in the black, and 10s  in the other two as it was suggested in the reviews that they are a little on the large side. I could have gotten away with  an 8 in all three, but now they are extra snuggly!

Now this I am in LOVE with. I honestly can't believe, with Aztec and similar prints being so popular right now, that I could get this for £5. It is a knitted cardigan that is longer in the front than in the back, and sits over the shoulders really nicely so it looks more angular on. The arms are slightly tight but after a wash I think it will be fine. I can't wait to wear this!

There's not much to say about the next item. I saw a panda, I bought it, and I love it! It feels such good quality, quite a thick vest and I am pretty sure the bugle beads used are glass, and they are sewn on really well. I am super impressed with this. They had it in other colours too, but sticking to true Panda form, I thought that white was best... can you believe it was only £5?!

The next item looks a little weird on the hanger, because its a 'one size fits all' kind of thing. It is so stretchy and lovely and looks so nice on. I would say that someone much bigger than a 14 may not be comfortable wearing it, because even me at a size 12 seemed to use a lot of its stretching capacity, much more and I would have look like I'd forced it on. But as it is I love the colour and how it fits me, so I can't complain :)

I love the colours in this fine knit jumper, I think they are going to be so easy to wear. I love the fact that this is slightly oversized and slouchy. The quality feels really good too!

I was in two minds whether to order this, but I am glad I did! It's another thing that is a little tight on the arms, but nothing the washing machine won't fix, and be warned, there is a lot of gold that comes off this product; I tried it on, and I still look like Tinkerbell sneezed on me! I do love the gold and rusty colours together, and I think this could easily be dressed up or down. 

More cardigans you say? Well yes, as someone who is always cold they are a necessity, but these ones are much more suited to spring and summer. They are classed as 'boyfriend' cardigans. They are lovely and soft and slouchy and light, and I love the colours. The lime one is quite bright but I think it will look great for spring.

So there we have it! For anyone who has, or hasn't heard of this site before, I thought it would be useful to write a review of my experience, as sometimes you wonder whether things live up to what they claim. In this case everything5pounds.com/ does claim value and quality, and delivers it. I am thrilled. What's more they update their stock every day, which means there is always something new to look at! However, I need to close my purse for a while now, and get saving, I may need to move to London soon!

Anyway, have a lovely evening. It will probably be Tuesday before I am back, going down to London tomorrow and am back late on Monday after the interview... 

Wish me luck!

Top Five Fridays (Well I say 5, but, it turned into 12...)

So, not feeling too great at the moment, I think I am getting a little nervous for my upcoming interview! I am sure by Sunday I will be raring to go! So wish me luck!

So today is Friday, and therefore it's time for a top five: Necklaces. But, as I was trying to pick my list grew from five, to twelve, I just couldn't pick!

So there is kind of a general order, but some are in my favourites for sentimental value, rather than their fashion value, so I am going to start with these ones:

So I am classing the first two necklaces as 'one' because I always wear them together. The heart pendant was from my boyfriend for my 18th, the Australian Opal from my parents, and the other necklace, which says 'Friends are kisses sent to us by Angels' was from one of my best friends for my 21st. I love these necklaces dearly, they are so precious to me.

This necklace was a Xmas present from my brother when I was in Australia in 2008, he had it made for me. It's on quite a long chain which I love. As you can see, it says my name on a grain of rice within the pendant, and also contains a pink flower. It's so special to me, he let me pick the shape of the pendant and the colour of the flower, and this is one of those things that will stay with me forever.

Now to the first of the necklaces that my mum has made me. She likes to make glass jewellery and I was admiring this on her when I went home before Xmas. She then gave me this one and made herself another. I can't wait for next Xmas to wear it again!

This necklace has featured in my blog before; my Vivienne Westwood necklace from Rosie. I love this necklace so much! It's quite big and makes such a statement. I love the style of Vivienne Westwood jewellery and was thrilled to open this for my birthday last year :)

This necklace came from Camden Market a couple of years ago for around £3, the reason that this is so special is the pattern that the cube is in. My boyfriend can solve a Rubick's Cube really fast (26 seconds at one point!!) and he made this pattern just for me. If you can see it has an 'L' in, (yellow), and therefore it is precious :)

Now the second of the necklaces made by my mum. She hated this pice of glass. She didn't like the bubble and some of the fire paper had melted to the side and made it a little bit rough. She classed it as a reject; I wanted it. So she put it on this cord for me. I love it because you can wear it over bright colours and it just looks really awesome!

Moving onto a necklace that is both fashionable and sentimental. This was my Xmas present from my best friend Sam. This necklace is from Tatty Devine, I have still not looked at their website because I am scared I will want things. I love this little owl, I think its so cute and I like the fact that it's wood. I also love the little guitar pick in the chain, I think its a nice way to incorporate the logo onto the piece. This necklace is so easy to wear as it's lovely neutral colours, so thank you so much Sam :)

I have had this necklace for ages, but I still love this little Russian Doll. I got it in America in 2006 and I just love it so much, it's so cute and I have not seen one quite like it in the UK. I think it was around $5.

I bought this necklace from New Look last summer, and I have had so many comments on it. I bought it in the sale on the first day it came in the store. I was attracted to the mish mash of birds, leaves, coins, pearls and jewels that make up this lovely piece. You can't see very well on the picture but the jewels are a sort of petrol navy that catch the light brilliantly. I just love this necklace!  

This next necklace is simple and so pretty. It is all clear faceted beads linked with brushed gold hoops. I like the style of Rosary beads, but, not being religious, I didn't really want to wear some, so I was please to see this alternative in New Look, I think it was pretty cheap. It's another piece that is easy to wear with any colour or style.

My favourites collection wouldn't be complete without a Panda. I got this little guy Xmas 2010, I love the fact that his arms and head move, and that he has got little black crystals all over the dark sections. He is so cute!

 So the last necklace is a little more shiny, but is ideal for any top and any jewellery combo, owing to the fact it has gold, sliver, pearl and gunmetal strands of plastic beads. I really love how easy this necklace is to wear with almost anything, it just adds a bit of sparkle! I think it was from Internacionale or Select a couple of summers ago.

So there we have it, there's nothing really in here that is 'on trend' as such, but more things that I find useful and that are important to me. I hope you find my collection interesting. I do have a LOT more necklaces, and I do tend to buy them quite often. I just feel that this little collection are my absolute all time favourites....ever!

Anyway, best get some sleep, work all day tomorrow, then to London on Sunday!!!

(OOTD) January Glossy Box Update

Evening all!

Will get straight to it today with an OOTD:

Top- Primark £6

Long-sleeved t-shirt- New Look £4

Cardigan- New Look Sale, last year, £8

Shorts- H&M ages ago, the are getting more and more battered and I like them more and more!

Leggings- Select £4

Shoes- Ted Baker, £55 (wearing them in!)

Had a bit of a mad day! My washing machine broke, then I decided to fix it myself and got covered in smelly water... lovely. And apart from that I just had a mental cleaning spree and ran some errands.

So I did say that I would review my Glossy Box again after trying all the products, so here we have it. I am going to use the same pictures again because I really didn't see the point of doing a whole new set of photos...

I am going to review these two products together, as I used them together. First of all, I really do like the scent. I think it's unusual and it did last on my hair for the rest of the evening after I used it, which I liked. I used the Davines Cleansing Nectar first as a body and hair wash, and then used the Moisturising Balm as a hair mask. Although they feel nice on the hair, they didn't really leave a lasting effect, my hair felt no different then when I wash it with my Simple Shampoo and Conditioner. I am happy to use the samples of this product, but if I had paid £17.40 for the Balm and £18.25 for the Nectar I think I would be disappointed. 

The next product is the Eyeko Eyeliner. I really like this product, it is soft and easy to apply. I did say when I did my original review that I have very similar product from Helen É and that I find that both are a little expensive, when there are other brands that are selling very similar products for a fraction of the price, so I don't think I would be purchasing one of these eye liners any time soon.

So, moving on the the FAB body wash. I thought this product had quite a strange lather, it seemed to be really thick on the skin where it first made contact (I hope this makes sense). I like the fact that it is scentless. However, there was no 'wow my skin feels so much different!' If I had paid £10, I think I would be disappointed, Simple do just as good, if not better job, if you ask me.

Now, although this primer is slightly dark for my skin, (if I had a tan it would be great!), I really do like it. I think my skin did look a lot better with a primer under my powder. There is a bit but, to the tune of £29! I do spend £25 on my Touche Éclat, but I really do consider this my one luxury splurge. This product has encouraged me to look for a primer, but more on a student budget... I will let you know how I get on. If I had the money and could get the right shade, I would be tempted to treat myself to a full size version of this product.

Oh, and the sweet was really yummy :) Thanks Glossy Box!

Ok so there we have it. What I have learned is that I can be really fussy! These are just my opinions, I am sure other people have had completely different experiences with these products. If you have, please share, maybe I am missing something. I am looking forward to seeing what the next box brings... delivery starts tomorrow... so excited!

One last thing, just thought I would share one of my baking 'wins' with you, my Mississippi Mud Pie...

It's a bit of a beast! But it tastes bloody good :)

Anyway, work tomorrow, then a Top Five Friday, so see you then!

(WLW) It's so Shiny!

So... did everyone have a good Valentines Day?

I had a lovely chilled out evening!

Bit of a random collaboration of a post today, but hey, let's just go with it!

First things first, I just have to share with you that my daily views have tipped over the big 100! So I just want to say thank you to everyone who is reading, it means a lot!

Now, something that I now have a small obsession with since Xmas... Swarovski Charms. My boyfriend bought me a lovely Vivienne Westwood charm bracelet two Xmases ago, and I love it dearly. However, since then I have only bought (or been bought) two charms for it, and I have been generally disappointed with their selection, especially in the York store, (which I found out at the weekend, has closed down!). My mum asked me if I would like a charm for the bracelet this year, and I struggled to find one in the VW collection that I liked, so I started look for alternatives. This is when I found Swarovski's Charm Collection, and instantly fell in love!

(The three inner charms are Swarovski, the outer two are Vivienne Westwood)

The two Vivienne Westwood charms I do have I do love a lot. The detail on this shoe is great, and I love the vivid blue. However, I do feel that the VW charms could do with a bit of sparkle! This charm was £40, and I am unsure whether it is still available to buy new.

And this is why I love Swarovski! Check the sparkle on the little mushroom! It's unbelievably cute and sparkly! I got this for around £25 in the Swarovski sale after Xmas. I love the little face. They have several charms with faces, and I love them all!

Speaking of faces, I was torn between the mushroom and the ice cream when I was in the shop, so I accidentally got both! The colours are awesome! I think you get a lot of sparkle for your money. Again this was around £25 in the sale, I am not sure if I would pay £55 for it (approximate full price), but I will be keeping a look out for Swarovski sales in the future for more of these beauties!

This next charm is my favourite charm ever! As you know, I have a slight obsession with Pandas, so mum got me this beautiful Panda charm for Xmas. This was £50, and because of my love on Panda's I would pay it (especially considering Vivienne Westwood charms are £40 and lack the sparkle of the Swarovski Charms). Anyway, who could resist that face....

This was the first charm I got for my bracelet, my lovely boyfriend bought it when he bought the bracelet. I love this little shoe, it's so bright. It's one of the only charms that has always been available, (I really had my heart set on buying a stamp charm that was available when the bracelet was bought, but it was never in stock again!), most charms have only been available for a few weeks. One thing I would say though is that some of the 'silver' is starting to wear off, as you can see in the picture, and I have tried to take the best care possible of this bracelet, so not sure what's going on there...

 I don't know if it's because VW haven't made a lot of money on them, or whether they have just lost interest. But I was excited to create a collection of VW charms, and this just hasn't materialised for me. I am relieved to find that Swarovski offer a shiny (and in some ways better) option to continue to create my charm bracelet collection. I have my eye on the cute little whale next. Swarovski Charms are available here. There selection is amazing, there is something for everyone, and some are great prices for gifts.

So I guess the reason I wanted to make this post was to let people who have Vivienne Westwood bracelets, that there are other options to build up your collection. And for anyone else looking for a lovely charm collection, Swarovski also sell charm bracelets and necklaces, so what are you waiting for? 

So aside from my love for all things shiny, today is in fact Web-Link Wednesday, and after quite a list last week, this week I only have one. I don't know how many people have heard of http://www.everything5pounds.com/, but if you haven't, you should look. I just ordered quite a haul from them, and I will be posting about it once it arrives, but judging from the reviews already on the site, I am not about to be disappointed! But yeah, I am excited to see what comes through the post soon :)

And one last thing... I went to the National Railway Museum today, to see the Harry Potter train, (I LOVE Harry Potter!), so I thought I would share this with you:

So there we have it! See you soon...

(OOTD, FOTD) e.l.f. Review

So first thing's first... Happy Valentines Day!

Hope people are having a lovely day :)

So have a couple of things to get through today, then going to get an Akbar's (yes, it's a takeaway, but today is a treat, right?!?).

First the OOTD, felt like a bit of pink today... (excuse my camera, it seemed to think the flash was unnecessary...) 

Jumper- Vintage, inherited from my Grandma

Dress- New Look, around £7 in a sale wayyy back!

Leggings- Irregular Choice, Xmas present (I love the bright pink down the back!)

Belt- Primark, £1 for three :)

Rose- Valentines present <3

Necklaces- New Look (short), Primark, (pocket watch)

(Random rose hair slide)

And for the first time I am going to do a FOTD, this is partly because I was testing out some of my new e.l.f products...

On my Face:

- YSL Touche Éclat, shade 1

-Murad Facial Primer (Glossy Box item)

-Body Shop Pressed Face Powder, shade 2

-NYC Sun 2 Sun Bronzing Powder

- e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick, Pink Lemonade*

On my Lips:

- e.l.f. Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint (SPF 8), Blush*

On my Eyes:

- Body Shop Shimmer Cubes, Dusted Silver, Hushed Orchid

- Vivo Pearl Eyeshadow, Electric Purple

-e.l.f. Cream Eyeliner, Gunmetal*

- Helen É Eye Pencil, Black

- Clinique High Impact Mascara, 01 Black 

(* reviewed below)

(would just like to add that I got distracted mid post by Indian food, mmm =D )

So anyway, moving on (now very very full!), I was very very excited to see this come through the post today!

I ordered a couple of treats from e.l.f only four days ago!! (talk about fast delivery!) So straight away I wanted to try out everything... so I did :)

So the first thing I picked up was the all over colour stick. This product can be used on eyes, lips, and face, which makes sense coming from this brand! I chose the colour pink lemonade. At £1.50 I don't think you can go wrong, I love the colour and it blends so easily into a lovely blush colour, (really subtle as seen above), but can be layered up to make a darker shade. I see myself using this a lot, and I think it would be great to keep in your handbags for touch ups.

Straight off the stick

Blended in

I am glad this is out of focus, because you can see the lovely shimmer!

Next, another product I have instantly fallen in love with is the Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint (SPF 8). I LOVE this! Not only does it go on great and give a lovely colour, but it tastes amazing! (Perfect for Valentines Day ;) )I think £3.50 is amazingly reasonable for this product, I also love the packaging. 

Such a delicate colour

Now I haven't fully tested the next product yet, but I am excited. This is the Mineral Lipstick in Cool Coral. This was also £3.50 and again I am delighted and love the packing. I think the e.l.f packaging makes you feel like you own a high end product, but for a fraction of the price, props to your packaging and design departments! I am looking forward to perfecting my use of lipsticks, and I will definitely be showing you this product when in use.

Another product I have used today is the Cream Eyeliner in Gunmetal. I am pleased to see that it came with a brush as this is my first cream eyeliner. I think the angled brush is great and does the job perfectly. I found it easy and smooth to apply and I love the colour! I think that at £2.45 I would definitely look at buying this in other colours once I become more confident with cream eyeliners. And once again, I love the packaging.

Can be built up to make it darker, I think it's perfect for a smokey eye!

The final product I treated myself to was a Nail Polish in Smokey Brown. I currently have my nails painted, so haven't had the chance to try this yet, but this will be the next colour on my nails. I think it will look great on its own, or twinned with my Models Own Gold crackle. I will have a play, but for £1, yes £1, you really can't go wrong. The range on the website is unbelievable! So many colours I want to try so if I get on with this, I will definitely be looking to purchase more, because, why spend money on expensive brands when you don't have to?!

So there we have it for today. I have to say that I am thrilled with my products from e.l.f. (thanks Sam for letting me know about them in the first place!), and I can't wait to try more in the future.

Well now it's time for a glass of red and a movie with my man, so, enjoy the rest of your evening everyone, lots of love :)