* Ugly Duckling *

Alive and Kicking - Although It's Been A While...

2012-02-28T09:48:00.001Z

It's been what feels like an eternity in the blog world; a whole week has passed since I was last here and although a blog post didn't happen in that time a lot of other things have.... I moved back to Korea, I've found a new apartment, almost finished unpacking all my clothes (my goodness I knew I shopped a lot but bloody hell I have a lot of clothes!!) and after spending seven days feeling like an addict without my crack, I finally got my drug back. Yes that's right people, I have Internet in my apartment! I have re-joined the modern world!!

So, I'm hoping to get back to more of the usual in the coming days. I haven't really had time for snapping over the last week but I did take a few pics just before I left England when I ventured out for my last brunch with one of my friends.

Blazer - Topshop. Purple Floral Tea Dress - New Look.

Bracelet - F21. Sunglasses - Chloe.

Bag - Miu Miu. Boots - New Look.

There's that scarf again, bet you're getting sick of the sight of it!

My last English breakfast for at least a year :'( Not actually such a bad thing as far as my hips are concerned.

I'm already missing my friends and the English food (not so much the breakfast though because if I ate that more than once a year I'd probably put on weight!!) but I'm really enjoying catching up with everyone back in Korea and I really love our new apartment! I'm going to try and get some pictures to show you it soon.

Sorry this is only a quick post, I have so much to sort out here (if you've ever moved house before you'll know the chaos!) but I wanted to say hello to all you lovelies and let you know I'm still alive. That's assuming you actually noticed I was gone!!

xxx

I Didn't Wear: Contrast Tuxedo Blazer and Sequinned Skirt

2012-02-21T00:03:00.000Z

I've begun saying my goodbyes before I head back to Korea in just a couple of days time. Today I said goodbye to my youngest brother who is away at university - I cried on the street in front of Selfridges, what a ninny!

Anyway, I currently have a mountain of stuff that somehow all needs packing. Thankfully I'm using the bedroom of the aforementioned brother as my packing room. Now...I should be packing as I'm sat here writing this, that or sleeping, but as they say, 'out of sight, out of mind'. I should also add that I'm pretty much the queen of procrastination sooooo...

...instead of doing anything I should be doing I thought I'd show you an outfit I put on to go out this weekend. It didn't make it out the door though because....

It was bloody freezing outside.
My mum said she wasn't sure about it.

You're probably laughing at me for that last reason!

Although my mum is first to admit she's 'not up on fashion' I do always like to take her opinion and at least give myself time to consider it. After all, it's not often I have her around to ask either! So, I promptly changed into something that you've all seen before but which did however include tights. Much warmer :)

On reflection though I think I still quite like this outfit so I thought I'd show you lovely people and see what you think.

Unfortunately I couldn't fathom (in the short time I had - always running late for a night out) how on earth to get my feet in the photos without them looking weird! I paired the outfit with my suede cowboy-esque boots from this post a while back so you'll have to use your imagination.

Mainly I just love the way the skirt twinkles and the dusty pink colour of it. I'm feeling like this outfit might be coming out to play when Spring weather hits! What do you think? Do you ask anyone's opinion on what you wear? Would you listen to your mum?

xxx

PS: As I mentioned, I'm getting ready to leave England and I'm kind of rushing around like a headless chicken. As I result I've barely had time to get on my computer (which seems to be breaking down on me as well) to reply to peoples comments. I'm really sorry! I am still reading them all though and I promise it's only temporary. If you've asked me a question I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible! :) x

I Wore: Candy Colours for The Great British Day Out

2012-02-18T13:49:00.000Z

Can you see that smug look on my face?? That's because I'm right in the middle of one of my favourite possible days - a good old British day out.Oh...and I just spent £5 on traditional English sweeties!

Although I've been lucky enough to see a lot of truly spectacular places and take in some of the worlds best landscapes there's still no place quite like home for me. I grew up taking regular day trips to different areas of the English countryside, it brings back such great memories when I visit them again. My Dad and I ventured out this week to the Yorkshire Dales taking time to stop off at an old favourite, 'Sweet Memories', a sweet shop in a small town called Thirsk. Once we had the provisions for the day (not the most nutritious!) we went on to visit an old abbey then finally to the seaside where we met up with my brother who is at university nearby.

Perhaps subconsciously channelling my childhood, I opted to wear a girlie combination of a bird print dress and Spring pastels; my new baby...the pale pink Miu Miu, a matching soft cashmere scarf and a pastel green cardigan. To stop it getting too sickly sweet (bad pun intended...sorry folks!) I wore knee high suede boots and my studded wrap watch.

Bag - Miu Miu. Bird print dress - H&M. Scarf - Jobis.

Studded wrap watch - La Mer. Feather necklace - F21. Bracelets - Accessorize.

A walk on the pier at sundown complete with freshly cooked chips to share.

It was a brilliant day out that reminded me of so many old memories and created some new ones too. Shame I still feel sick from all the sweets!

Do you have a particular place/s you used to day trip to with your family?

xxx

Better Late Than Never...Lippmann, Cupcakes & Other Lovely Stuff

2012-02-16T17:06:00.000Z

I know I petty much missed the Happy Valentine's Day Bandwagon but it's better late than never right?!

So how was it? I hope that it was full of love and happiness with the special person in your life. And for those of you that don't have a special person at the moment, I hope you made the most of the opportunity to go to a bar and know, without any awkward questioning or an ounce of doubt, that every guy in there was most definitely single!

I spent mine at home since I have a fiancee who is away in Australia....boooo! He sent me some lovely gifts though including a cute little Koala Bear toy (yep, there's a big kid right here!) and a new nail polish - Deborah Lippmann 'Across The Universe'. I was toying with not mentioning that since I noticed my blog seems to be increasingly looking like a nail polish blog! It isn't though...really...I promise!

I drank some beautiful sparkling rose wine, enjoyed half of an M&S Dine In For Two (how sad does that sound?!!) and then finished off my romantic evening with myself by indulging in one of the total fail brown coloured Red Velvet cupcakes I made.

They actually taste delicious, seriously, seriously good! I guess the English red food coloring just isn't as strong as the American stuff though?!

If you care to see if you have more luck the recipe I used is from the scrumptious (be warned though, you'll probably end up baking something and then eating the whole darn lot!) Bakerella.com!

xxx

Valentine's Day The Single Way: Nail Art and Outfit Staples

2012-02-13T20:00:00.003Z

Whilst I'm not single, tomorrow I'll still be spending my Valentine's Day alone. Unfortunately my fiancee is thousands of miles away working in Australia and although I'd love nothing more than to spend the day with him tomorrow I'm not going to let that turn me into a Valentine's Day Scrooge.

Yes, I know it's just a big commercial marketing ploy really but I can't help getting sucked in to the lovie dovie-ness of the day. Perhaps it's all the red and pink?! Whatever it is, I love this day despite the bad press it sometimes gets. Of course the first Valentine related thing I did was send a gift and card to my lovely other half. Then in the spirit of things I attempted to make some Red Velvet cupcakes....which turned out...brown. Fail.

Not satisfied with my poor attempt at themed baking I set about doing these Valentine's themed nails. In my opinion there's only one colour for your nails on February 14th. As if I need to tell you what that is.....!!

China Glaze - 'Ruby Pumps' & OPI - 'Top Coat'

I very quickly (...and you can tell) did a simple nail art - small white heats using a nail art pen. You could use a toothpick dipped in white polish if you don't have a pen though.

Although this year I won't be one of the lucky ladies going out for a romantic date, this is usually the one night of the year where I tend to go for a particular look and outfit. These are my staples for a Valentine's look:

A little black dress is understated, flattering, sexy and classy all at the same time. You can't really go wrong with a LBD for a romantic dinner date.
Since I don't go in for the obvious choice of a bright red dress I get in the spirit of the day more subtly with a few Valentine's inspired accessories like heart shaped rings and red heels or jewellery. Yeah...I know it's naff and a bit tacky but that's what I love about Valentine's day! Don't go overboard though, there's a fine line between having fun with the day and looking like an idiot.
MAC Superslick Liquid Eyeliner to create feline flicks topped off with long false lashes. Then you can flutter the night away.
A spritz of Gucci Rush - my favourite perfume when I want a luxurious and sensual smell. I pesonally find this too strong for everyday use but it's perfect for a date because it envelops you with a lingering, very recognizable scent. Apparently it's smell is supposed to be intoxicating?? This could be true because I often find myself being drawn to smell it again and again on my wrists when I wear it. Obviously I avoid doing this out in public or on said romantic date night. That'd just be weird.
A striking red lipstick like MAC Ruby Woo to give that intensely passionate look that only a red lip can.

Gucci Rush Perfume. Pre-made Bracelet Stack & Rose Ring - F21

Black Wrap Watch with Gold Studs - La Mer. 'Kiss' Heart Shaped Ring - F21.

Black Ruffled Black Dress & Gold Sequin Clutch Bag - Zara.

Sadly all that will have to wait until next year because tomorrow I will be curling up on the sofa with Me, Myself and I.

What do you wear on Valentine's Day? Do you have a date tomorrow? I'd love to hear what you're doing or whether you're anti-Valentines Day so leave a comment and let me know. Feel free to leave a link if you've written any kind of Valentine's Day themed post!

xxx

Lilac Nail Lovin' and The Zara Saga

2012-02-12T11:22:00.000Z

Lilac nails have always caught my attention but I'd been struggling to find the exact shade I was after.

You know what it's like when you have an image in your head of how you want something to look. I kept seeing a lot of very pale lilacs like OPI's 'Rumple Wiggin' and dark lilacs like Rimmel's 'Ultra Violet' but never light and bright!

Well the search is over, I've found that illusive perfect shade and for once in my life it wasn't even from an expensive brand. Introducing (although it's been around yonks) Barry M's Berry I/C Nail Paint!

Barry M Berry I/C - A lovely lilac nail polish

Practically perfect pale pastelly purpleness! I'm in love!

I'm clearly going to need to stock up on this one before heading back to Korea. As you probably spotted in the post, I picked it up in my high-street beauty haul. It was £2.99 so I figured it was worth a shot. Usually a fan of slightly more expensive nail polish brands like OPI, I was surprised by this polish.

I liked the colour but what I wasn't expecting was to like how this polish goes on. It was so easy to apply (a good consistency and streak free) and I only needed two coats when I usually find cheaper polishes need three. Admittedly I still used three coats but that's because I'm a bit OCD about my nails not because it was necessary! I also went ahead and spruced things up just a touch with a coat of China Glaze 'Snow Globe' as an accent nail. I think it's the perfect combo....what do you think?

As if I wasn't chuffed enough with the new polish, I finally (been wanting one for a loooong time) spotted, and of course, promptly bought....a contrasting tuxedo blazer!

I literally went in to Zara, all in a huff, to return the ill-fitting-major-disappointment-waste-of-postage-money-I-am-not-shopping-here-ever-ever-again items from my previous post and then walked back out with this.

Oh Zara...why do you do it to me?! How will I ever give you up?!

Love can be so cruel.

xxx

Setting Things Straight: Google Friend Connect is NOT closing!

2012-02-10T10:43:00.002Z

Let's start by appreciating the fact it's Friday! Good times.

Now I'd like to talk about something not related to fashion or beauty....Horrid and boring? Perhaps. Bare with me please though and read on because it could be really important to you!

Firstly, I got it back!!! Yep, after an age trying to work out how, several posts in the Blogger forum, an email to Blogger and absolutely no assistance from them whatsoever (thanks guys)...I DID IT! Me. All by myself.

*breathes sigh of relief* I'm just a regular tech junkie I guess, who knew!

I'm talking about my Google Friend Connect gadget if you hadn't worked that out yet. Which leads me to the next point. On so many blogs I visit I see people talking about GFC closing, lamenting that it is no more. I don't know if you know this or not but I studied journalism at University. So, as the big bad-ass journalism graduate that I am, I get bugged by inaccuarate news spreading. So I'm here to try and help people hear the truth....are you ready?? News flash people....

GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT IS ONLY CLOSING FOR NON-BLOGGER SITES!

If you need the proof here's the announcement straight from the Google people themselves, "We're retiring the service for all non-Blogger sites on March 1, 2012. We encourage affected sites to create a Google+ page and place a Google+ badge on their site..."

Read it with your own eyes on the Official Google Blog if you still don't believe me! What this all means is plain and simply:

If you are blogging via Blogger, as in your address ends with blogspot.com or you have a custom domain that you post to via Blogger then you will not lose your GFC.
If you use Wordpress, Typepad etc etc then you will not be able to use GFC anymore.

Rejoice! Well, if you're on Blogger that is.

I hope this helps to set things straight. Go tell people or feel free to link to this post so that our Blogger friends can stop wasting time worrying about it and get on with enjoying the fact it's Friiiiiiiidaaaaay!!

Oh and....follow me on Google Friend Connect now I finally have it back :) Happy Friday everyone!

xxx

Here, There and Everywhere.

2012-02-09T17:29:00.002Z

I'll be the first to say it...I've been a bad blogger lately! I thought I'd have loads of time to blog whilst in England but really it's been the opposite. I get a horrible guilty feeling when I don't blog for several days, I feel like I'm neglecting good friends. My time in England is drawing to a close now though, I only have two weeks left and I've been trying to make the most of it by spending time with family and friends here. So I'm sort of here, there and everywhere but not here...I'm sorry!

A few days ago my dad and I took a quiet walk at a nearby lake. It's such a peaceful place, you could almost believe you're the only people in the world when you stand and look out at the water. While I have a minute, as I wait for my nails to dry, I thought I'd show you the pictures.

Don't take much note of the outfit though! It's a veeery casual...my version of errmmmm....girly? Scruffy? Slob? I literally threw it on and scraped my hair back - I wasn't really planning on an outfit post, apologies!

Black studded wellies - Daniel. Bag - Miu Miu.

Pink Cashmere Scarf - Jobis. Gold Applique Lion T-shirt - Uniqlo.

Doesn't it look so calm and tranquil?! I really love having that feeling once in a while, don't you?

Okay, that's sadly all I have time for....I'm off to get ready to go and meet a friend for dinner, we're going for Thai - Yummy! I will look better than this I promise! I'll be back again tomorrow though to show you how my nails turned out, I've used the new Barry M polish from my previous post. In the meantime, I hope you are all okay and excited that it's almost Friday again!

xxx

The High Street Beauty Haul

2012-02-05T21:05:00.003Z

I'm a big believer that you should spend the most money on the things you wear the most. Following this logic, I think that it's really important to invest in good quality hair and skin products. After all, your hair, skin and face are things you 'wear' every day!

So, I usually buy my hair products from my hair salon and I opt for premium brands such as MAC, Clinique and Estee Lauder for my makeup and skincare. There are a few high street items that I haven't found better alternatives for though and I consider 'must haves' in my beauty regime.

As my time in England is drawing to a close I decided to stock up on them as they can't be bought in Korea. I tell you, the logistics of trying to look good whilst living in a foreign country can be challenging! Just understanding what the product is can be tough let alone finding what you actually want! Fake tan in Korea....errrm...no chance!

I picked up a Barry M nail polish as I haven't tried any of them before. I'll post some pics of it on my nails when I've tried it. I also got two kohl eye pencils to try out, didn't need them, I was just curious as to how good they were. The rest of the things are my high-street must buys! None of them are groundbreaking but I've spent more money and had poorer results with similar products from the high-end brands.

L'oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray 'Very Volume Supreme Hold' - It just lasts and lasts. Seriously! It gives strong hold with a bit of oomph. I like it, I like big hair! Unlike some other hairsprays this doesn't make your hair feel sticky, hard or too crispy. Plus it easily brushes out!

Eyelure Naturalite False Eyelashes 'Natural Volume 020' & 'Evening Wear 101' - These are light weight eyelashes that give you a more glamorous finish to your eye makeup without looking too over the top or 'fake'. There's lot of different styles but these two are my fave, they blend well with your own eyelashes and are a perfect balance between natural and glamorous. Not too much, not too little.

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan 'Light Shimmer' - So you've got last minute plans for a night out but then you realise you've not fake tanned. Arrrgghhh! How can you go out looking pasty white like this?? This stuff is how!! There is a choice of light to dark colour but believe me, the dark is reeeaaaally dark and a pain to wash off your hands! The light shimmer however, is a breeze to apply, blends in easily and you can actually get your palms back to a normal colour with just soap and water. The shimmer finish isn't too intense it just gives you a nice 'glowing skin' look.

Garnier Ambre Solaire 'No Streaks Bronzer Mist' - I usually use St.Tropez Gradual Tan mousse but this mist is a great option when you want a full tan, quickly. It only takes three hours to develop and the spray works upside-down for easy application. It gives me a very uniform looking tan even if I don't spray it perfectly evenly. The colour doesn't come out too dark or orange, which is always a relief! Nobody wants to look like a Wotsit or Cheeto!

John Frieda Frizz Ease 'Secret Agent Perfecting Creme' - This stuff works miracles on dry, damaged hair. Okay...maybe not miracles but it's close! You can smooth down your fly away hairs and work it through the ends of hair to conceal split ends for a sleeker look. It manages to replace natural oils and give hair back a bit of shine without looking greasy as so many other products of this type do. I'd definitely recommend it if you have damaged or over-processed hair!

Do you buy a lot of products from shops like Boots and Superdrug (drugstores)? What items do you find can't be beaten even by the more expensive brands?

Apart from that little adventure to Superdrug I haven't done much else in the last few days. I feel like I've been away from my blog for ages though, isn't it funny how it seems so long in the blog world! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. It snowed here, which of course made my weekend! :)

xxx

Click HERE if you'd like to follow Ugly Duckling whilst the GFC box is still :( not working!

Changes, Awards, A Zara Pan Collar, Lace And A Sprinkle Of Glitter.

2012-02-02T14:21:00.001Z

Do you notice anything different today...? Do you see that little white toolbar at the top of your screen...can you see what's in there?

Yep, Ugly Duckling is growing up! I decided that a serious blog (ha, yeah...it's deep and meaningful stuff we do here!) should have a serious domain name. And so we have...ducklingtoswan.com!! Woooo! Although I didn't need it (story of my life) I am very excited to have it!

Anyway, on with the serious business now....clothes!

Last week I mentioned I had a few more things I'd ordered to show you. They arrived in a nice little package from good old Zara! First and foremost was the sheer lace top with a contrasting pan collar, just so sweet don't you think?! I've been wanting a pan collared top for so long and the lace gives it a romantic feel. I also ordered some sandals, ready for summer - the season that is still about five months away, yep, that's right. Nothing like preparing early is there! They were in the sale though for a huge, eye-watering £3.99! How could I not?!

Lace top with peter pan collar.

Lace top with contrasting peter pan collar - Zara - Link!

Gold glitter sandals - Zara

My first thoughts were 'wow this top is so pretty and what a bargain for the sandals, they'll be amazing for summer with a maxi dress'. Sadly it was all downhill from there

Despite ordering both in my usual size, neither fit me! In fact, they weren't even close! The shoes feel like their at least one or two sizes too small and the top had odd sized sleeves. Both items have to go back. I would have exchanged them but neither are available in bigger sizes now. Overall it was a bit of a disappointment. I've always thought Zara sizing was a bit hit and miss so I don't usually order online from them. I do love Zara's clothing but I'll be sticking to shopping in the store instead from now on.

It got me wondering what you ladies think of Zara's sizing? Do any of you have problems with their sizing or find they're much smaller than you get in other stores?

Now On To A Thank You To Some Blog Friends.

Recently a few people have given me blog awards. I'm so happy whenever someone thinks of me when choosing who to tag next! It's so flattering and it makes me feel great to think that these people really like my little blog. I wish it was possible to answer each of the blog award posts with the answers to the questions or the random facts. Unfortunately if I answer one it doesn't feel fair not to answer all of them and that would be quite A LOT of random facts and answers about me. I know this is my personal blog but I'm really not that interesting, haha!

Of course I still want to say thank you to the lovely ladies for the awards recently! I like reading all of their blogs so go check them out and see if you like them too! I'm sure you will :)

Schnelle @ Schnelle Couture
Pauline @ Instinct of Style
Tori @ Cotton Candy INK
Em @ She. Is. Mary.
Clare @ C-A-T Make-up and Beauty
Claudia @ Claudia - Beauty & Fashion
Lauren @ All Things Beauty, Make-up and Shopping

Finally, I want to let you know that for a few days there will be SOME ELEMENTS OF THE BLOG THAT ARE NOT WORKING. I do know about them, it's because of the domain change, blame Blogger not me! One such thing that won't be visible for a few days is my lovely followers box. You are still all here though, don't worry. If you are new here you can follow me using the 'follow' tab at the very top of the page window or..

...click HERE to follow Ugly Duckling!

xxx

Good Friends Are Like Stars

2012-01-31T01:08:00.003Z

How was your weekend? I had an especially great weekend thanks to two of my lovely friends. We headed to The Restaurant, Bar & Grill, which not so surprisingly is a restaurant, bar and urrrmmm....grill?! Did the name give it away?! We started our evening early (very early in fact - 4pm) as we knew we'd have loads to catch up on.

Since I just got my Miu Miu bag I decided I'm going to try to make the most of the fairly extensive wardrobe I already have for a while! So I chose to wear my snakeskin print tunic dress with leggings. The leggings were because, quite honestly...it is indecent as a dress! Plus, this was supposed to just be a casual dinner and a drink or two. I should have known a girls reunion would never end up just like that!

Deborah Lippmann 'Happy Birthday' & Nars 'Night Rider'. Necklace - Freedom @ Topshop. Studded Bangle - F21.

Dinner Date - Restaurant, Bar & Grill, Leeds.

Wine with Deborah Lippmann 'Happy Birthday' layered over Nars 'Night Rider'.

Wine turns to cocktails...

...and cocktails turn to shots.

And so, on to the next bar we go...

Sky Lounge at Double Tree Hotel, Leeds

Blankets, cocktails and wine on the rooftop deck. Cold but cool!

We headed on to two more bars after this...so much for the casual dinner and a couple of drinks!

Living abroad in Korea has plenty of perks but it's wonderful to be home with old friends for a while, laughing and catching up. There's a saying, 'good friends are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they'll always be there', it's so true. I've been away over two and a half years but it feels like I never left.

What did you do this weekend? Leave a link to your post if you blogged about it, I'd love to see where everyone's been!

xxx

Dream to Reality: Miu Miu Vitello Bow Bag

2012-01-28T11:59:00.001Z

Today something incredible happened. A dream of mine came true. One of my very first posts on this blog, back in August, was 'My Current Lusts'. In that post I showed you the Miu Miu Vitello Lux Tote Bag. You've probably seen this bag before, it's got beautiful bows and gold hardware. I loved it long before that post and I've loved it ever since!

When I first set eyes on this bag I knew I was in trouble. BIG TROUBLE!

It's everything I love; a soft pastel colour, a pretty style including especially pretty bows, a big size and bright shiny gold detailing. I tried to put it out of my mind but couldn't, then to make matters worse Laura of Buy Now, Blog Later got it!

After a couple of months of stalking the hell out of it online I decided enough was enough! It was time to start saving for it! So I did. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally have it!

Yep, I actually just sat and hugged the box for a bit. That's how happy I am!

I love it. The colour is so unusual which is one reason I fell in love with it. It changes depending what light it's under. It's technically a light pinkish colour with a hint of lilac, called 'Mughetto'. In artificial light it looks like a lilacy grey and in dull daylight it looks a little like a nude/grey colour. I'm not explaining this well but you'll be seeing plenty of it in pictures over the coming months so don't you worry about that!

I got the larger size of the bag, I have so much rubbish that I like to carry around with me that I had to get the big size. I could have saved some money by getting the slightly smaller version but I figured if I was doing it, I was doing it right! It's made of leather with a shiny, slightly distressed finish to it. Even the inside of the bag is pretty although I will admit I was a teeny tiny bit disappointed that it wasn't purple anymore. Mine came from the Miu Miu store so it's the latest season of it. The only change I can see is the inside lining is now a silvery colour rather than purple. No biggy though, it's not like I walk around showing people the inside of my handbag is it! Please excuse my slightly dishevelled state and makeup in these pictures, I couldn't wait to open it. I'm just so happy to finally have this beautiful bag!

You can check out the one I got and lots of other colours on the Miu Miu E-Store. WARNING: Lots of pretty things! If you're already kind of broke don't look because if you're anything like me...you sure as hell will be broke after!

So tell me, have you ever saved up for one of your dream items? What was it? There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of finally getting it is there!

Have a great weekend everyone!

xxx

The Everyday Face

2012-01-26T19:04:00.004Z

For some time I've been meaning to do a makeup related post. In particular I wanted to show you my usual daily routine, not that it's all that interesting mind you, my love of M.A.C sees to that! I figured that you see everything else I wear though, so why not see the stuff that works the magic every day!

I'm a big fan of MAC makeup and use mostly their products for my face. They seem to have serious staying power, my face looks pretty similar at the end of the day to how it looked in the morning. Which I think is amazing, by that I mean the makeup not my face. Obviously. No one is that vain are they?! I also love their huge scope of colours so much so that I find it veeeeery difficult to ever walk away from the store empty handed! There's always one more colour I just really want!

What you see in the pictures below is the stuff I use for my everyday natural (-ish) makeup look. It's probably about a fourth of my total collection. Yeah, I love makeup. There are a couple of products I use from other brands, but not many of those are used for day wear.

Although MAC and the other products I use are all on the more expensive side I think it's worth it for something that I wear day in day out. Also I need very few re-applications (if any!) which in the long run probably makes it better value for money than some brands that you need to touch up several times a day.

Face: Clinique Moisturizer, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat and MAC Foundation. MAC Blusher 'Dainty', MAC Mineralize Skinfinish 'Soft and Gentle'

Eyes: MAC Eyeshadows. MAC Zoom Lash Mascara 'Fast Black'.

MAC Eyeshadow: Left - 'Gleam'. Right - 'Honey Lust'. Front - 'Mystery'. Eye Pencil: Black - Dior

Lips: MAC Lip Conditioner - 'Petting Pink'. MAC Lipstick - 'Angel'.

Now, I'm by no means a pro and so I'm not going to attempt a tutorial or anything fancy like that but I will do my best to explain the usual routine I follow. Here's how it goes:

~ Moisturize face with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion. Been using this for years and I think it's great for combination skin. I tried various face primers and moisturizers but I didn't like any of them as much as this. Simple but it does the job!

~ Use Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat in number 1 to lighten the dark circles (caused by staying up too late blogging) under my eyes. Conceal any skin imperfections with MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC25.

~ Apply MAC Pro Longwear or Studio Fix Foundation. I like to add a tiny amount on each cheek and the middle of my forehead then work it onto the skin using brush number 107. I got told I should do it in circular motions so I try to remember but to be honest I'm usually running late so method goes out of the window on this one just a little bit.

~ Use MAC Mineralize Blush in 'Dainty' (a soft pink with a slight shimmery finish) on the cheeks and a light sweep over the chin and eye socket using brush 131. Sometimes I change the shade but generally this is my fave.

~ Lightly pencil in eyebrows following the natural shape using MAC Eye Brows pencil in 'Fling'. My eyebrows are naturally very pale but I only started penciling in my eyebrows about three or four years ago and I think it makes a huge difference to my face. I highly recommend everyone tries penciling in their eyebrows at least once if you haven't already. Go to a make up counter and ask them to do it for you as a trial if you don't want to splash the cash to test the look.

~ With brush 239 apply MAC eyeshadow 'Gleam' or 'Honey Lust' to the whole eyelid working up to the crease and blending it out.

~Take Dior Crayon Eyeliner in Black and apply a thin line to the upper eyelid. No idea why I don't use a MAC eye pencil. I think I received this as a gift and it's good so I just never got around to changing!

~ Blend MAC 'Mystery' eyeshadow (a greyish brown) on the outer corners of the eyelid and across the top of the eyeliner line using brush 228.

~ Use a very fine brush, 209 to apply a darker shade of eyeshadow, usually 'Brun' (blackish brown) or 'Black Tied' (Black with a slight silver sparkle) in a line across the eyelash line of the upper eyelid. Add a touch in the outer corners of the eye.

~ Try to avoid getting my eyelids (seriously struggle with this for some reason! No depth perception clearly!) as I use my eyelash curler to add a bit of shape to my lashes. Apply MAC Zoom Macara in 'Fast Black'. No idea how it's really different from regular black, apparently it's a more intense black though?!! There was me thinking black was...well....black!

~ Highlight the top of my cheekbones and eyebrow arch using brush 168 and MAC (yeah, told you I use a lot of MAC) Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Soft and Gentle'.

~ Finish off the whole lot with slick of 'Petting Pink' Lip Conditioner or if I'm feeling a bit fancy 'Angel' Lipstick both from...yep, you guessed it....MAC!

And that not so simple routine is what I do every day to make me look much prettier than I woke up looking! Haha!

What products do you use on your face? Do you have a set routine that you do most days?

xxx

Day Dreaming: Chloe Enire Scalloped Sunglasses and OPI

2012-01-23T18:55:00.001Z

The postman has made my day today!

Yep, that's really how dull my days are right now.

Last week, perhaps because of how miserable the weather has been here (and the week-day boredom whilst all my friends and family are at work), I found myself gravitating towards items for my spring/summer wardrobe and ordered a couple of things. One of the things arrived in a stupidly large box for such a small item but they say good things come in small packages, and they're right!

Chloe Erine Sunglasses with gold scalloped detail.

Say hello to my new pair of sunglasses from Chloe's Erine line. They have gorgeous gold scalloped detailing which I think is quite unusual and pretty.

I look at sunglasses, like handbags, as investment pieces that I can keep forever. Sadly, Korea has a high luxury goods tax which makes sunglasses ridiculously overpriced there. Boooooo! So, when I spotted these with 50% off at The Outnet I couldn't pass them up. I'm teeeeeechnically saving myself money here.

The other stuff came today too but I'm going to show you those in another post. Despite the fact I've paid for the things it somehow feels like I'm opening a present as I tear into just delivered cardboard boxes. A bit like Christmas morning all over again.

I love that feeling...but....it's not such a good thing really though, it's addictive! I have to keep reminding myself that I did part with my hard earned cash for these things (even if I did just enter a few numbers on a computer screen from the comfort of my sofa) and they ARE NOT FREE PRESENTS!

I realised today how long it's been since I did any kind of beauty related post, I'm planning to do a post about my everyday make up routine soon but in the meantime here are my nails today, the perfect pale pink polish...

''Privacy Please' - OPI. Accent nail - 'Metallic gold' - The Face Shop

Purple Hooded Sweater - Diesel c/o my brother's wardrobe. Sunnies - Chloe

The rest of my day was spent Gangsta chillin' (see the very, very cool picture above) whilst wearing my new sunnies in a hoody I stole from my brothers wardrobe today. Yep, that's right, I've hit a whole new level of ~~boredom~~ ....

..CUH-RAAAZY!!

Seriously though now...being alone with nothing at all to do sure is good for a little while but I'm actually getting excited about getting back to Korea and starting work again, too much time alone is sometimes not a good thing, it can send you a little loopy!

Do you know what I mean? Please don't say that's just me!!

xxx

English Tea Date - The Longline Blouse and Topshop Blazer

2012-01-21T21:17:00.003Z

Can you see my happiness and giddiness in those photos? Well you might think I'm all excited over my new shirt dress and the awesome blazer I'd totally forgotten about and had just dug out of my wardrobe but...you'd be wrong.

There's only one thing that gets me feeling so cheery and that's cupcakes. Pathetic. But true!

I had a lunch date with a friend, the plan being to head to a place called 'Sunshine Bakery', a small cafe that just so happens to be the National Cupcake winner! I think lunch dates call for casual but chic outfits. I put on a new shirt dress I picked up a few days ago and after developing a love for my beige blazer I remembered this pale grey blazer I had left here in England when I moved to Korea. Coming back home to my old wardrobe after over two years away feels like Christmas. So many things I'd forgotten I had! So I paired them together with my casual staple, leggings and the new cowboy boots.

Stone longline blouse - Dorothy Perkins - Link!

Accessorising - Rolex watch, Swarovski heart bracelet, Accessorize ring.

Stone Longline Blouse - Dorothy Perkins - Link! Pale Grey Blazer - Topshop

I really like my new blouse, it's simple and sleek. The material is light, feminine and doesn't feel cheap. I always hate when the material lets something down. The tie on the waist helps to show off your figure in a flattering way. I particularly like it though because of the gold buttons which lift it from a run of the mill shirt dress (well, for shorter people it could be) to something that looks a lot more expensive than it really is.

The cafe was very small and kitsch. I chose a 'Superfoods' salad with smoked salmon, purely to balance the guilt of the cupcake to follow. Of course, being English, it's almost compulsory to have a pot of tea with your cake.

Everything was yummy, yummy, yum! It was a true English afternoon. If you're ever in Leeds (slim chance I guess but you never know) give it a try!

So, what have are you up to this weekend? Enjoying the break I hope.

xxx

A Steal: Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish 50% Off!

2012-01-19T19:12:00.005Z

I'm so envious of all you Americans out there right now! Deborah Lippmann (the nail polish brand I am currently obsessed with) has a special offer of 50% off on three of her most popular shades. Today only you can get (from left to right in the pic) Across The Universe (amazing polish that I desperately want to try), Happy Birthday (featured in a post of mine - here) and Today Was A Fairytale for $9 each. Cheap as chips as we Brits say!

It's only available to people in America, a painful fact for me, here in bloody England! But even though I can't get in on the fun I thought I'd still share it with the rest of you who can! All you have to do is go to the link below and enter the special code 'GMA'! Eurgh, why don't I live in America?! I'd be stock piling these if I did!

LINK ~ Deborah Lippmann Special Offer!

xxx

PS: Any of my American blog friends feel like buying Across The Universe for me and sending it over to England? Not joking, I think I need that sparkly goodness in my life!

Wild Wild West: New Suede Cowboy Boots

2012-01-18T23:44:00.000Z

Have you noticed a lot of cowboy inspired boots everywhere? Wooden block heels, suede and just a hint of western style detail. They started popping up on my radar in late Autumn. Yeah, I'm slow getting on this bandwagon, I know! If you read any of the popular fashion blogs like Fashion Toast you're most likely to have spotted the Dicker Boots by Isabel Marant, those were the first ones I noticed. Priced at a mere £350, I went out and snapped them up. No. I'm totally joking! Do I look like I'm made of money?!

Ever since I first saw and began lusting after those I've been craving some of the western inspired suede in my wardrobe. I shopped around for a pair. In the end, perhaps for the first, and most probably the last time in my life, I actually preferred the cheapest pair I'd seen. Shock horror!

Black Suede Cowboy Boots - New Look

I got these little beauties from New Look. They won me over because they're that perfect kind of heel height that is still really comfortable to wear and even thought they were quite cheap they don't feel it. They are made of real suede and the heel feels really solid. It's also chunky enough to be nice and stable if I choose to wear these out for my next cocktail night. Always such a bonus!

You can get your hands on a pair for £36.99 here! Alternatively, there's plenty of choice to suit every budget in the shops at the moment...

Black Suede Boots - Steve Madden - $120
Coconut Sammie Bootie - DSW - $64.95
Fran Block Heel Ankle Boot - Oasis - $115
Dicker Black Suede Ankle Boot - Isabel Marant - $580
Kenny Black Suede Ankle Boot - ASH - $325
Dicker Tan Ankle Boot - Isabel Marant - $580

So what do you think of Cowboy Boots? Do you have a pair or will you be getting any?

xxx

I Wore: Zara Boyfriend Blazer, Studded Clutch & New Leopard.

2012-01-17T15:42:00.000Z

I don't know how this Zara beige boyfriend blazer hadn't made it's way into my wardrobe sooner. It's definitely a new staple for me. As we head out of winter and into spring I think it'll be the perfect jacket to sling on over floral dresses. Expect to see it in way too many photos.

This weekend I took it on it's first outing when I went to meet friends for some casual cocktails. I paired it with with a leopard print blouse. Yes, I bought more leopard! I picked up the shirt from Zara too. In fact, not intentionally, I ended up being like a Zara advert, the clutch I chose to take was also....yep, you guessed it...Zara. I didn't think about it at the time but when I came to writing this post it suddenly dawned on me, oh dear, not cool. Having said that, there's nothing wrong with a little Zara love, it's one of my favorite stores, if you couldn't tell!

Quilted ballet flats - Russell and Bromley.

Beige Blazer, Leopard print blouse & Studded clutch bag - ALL Zara, ooops!

Black & gold accessories. Cheetah ring & studded cuff bangle - F21. Black feather necklace - Mint Boutique.

I had a lovely night out although I've never worn flats on a night out before which made me feel a bit odd. Normally I opt for heels but I'm always towering above everyone (including the men, haha!) in the bar. Since it was just casual drinks I thought I'd try a night of comfort, probably never try it again though, it just feels wrong to not wear heels in a bar. Do you know what I mean, do you ever wear flats to a bar?

Blog Award - The lovely Ulia Ali who blogs over at View From Heels gave me a blog award, yey! I'm so happy whenever someone mentions me as one of their favorite blogs! I never thought that would happen when I began my blog in August and had just a handful of readers! Ulia said some very kind things about me too, I'm so flattered. Thank you sweetie!

There are a few rules of the award. You should share some facts about yourself and then pass the award on to some others. So, since this is my blog and it's all about me, me, me....let's begin with...ME!

I am exceptionally child-like at times. Seriously...give me cupcakes, sweeties or balloons over flowers and truffles any day! ~ My guilty pleasure is HP Brown sauce on toast. Not in keeping with my usual more gourmet choices but I blooming love it! ~ I love all animals with the exception of monkeys because I got bitten by a wild one in Thailand. They thought it may have had rabies, but I'm pleased to say I am, to this day, rabies free. I have lived to tell the tale! ~ I only ever use MAC make up, I'm addicted. I try other products but I end up never using them after the first week or so. ~ I'm not a natural blonde. You already knew that though, right? Didn't you spot my roots?! ~ I worked as a guest host on a radio station in Korea, in English, of course! I was The Love Doctor, haha! So send your problems through to me. I should state that I have absolutely no qualifications to do that whatsoever though!

That's all I'm giving away at the moment. Now, I pass this on to some wonderful ladies and blogger friends whose blogs I really enjoy reading. Go say hey to them at:

Lilly's Style

Awesomely Awkward

Only A Flight Away

The Girlie Blog

Fashion Fractions

xxx

Get This Party Started - Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish

2012-01-14T15:10:00.001Z

If you read my blog regularly you might remember I mentioned Deborah Lippmann's Get This Party Started set in my New Year's Eve post. I showed you one colour from the set and promised to do a post on the full set soon.

Well, it's been two weeks already and I'll tell you why I didn't get around to this sooner. I needed to make sure I have the entire afternoon free to scrub the glitter off after I've done the swatches. No, I'm kidding, it's not that bad. It only took me about 45 minutes when I did all my nails for NYE! Awesome fun. Okay, okay...pain in the neck removal aside....I do really, really love this set!

The set includes three full size (15ml) Deborah Lippmann glitter polishes. The glitter is the same in each polish, a rainbow glitter with both large hexagonal pieces and smaller too. Each polish has a different base colour though.

Happy Birthday - Deborah Lippmann

'Happy Birthday' has a clear base and can be worn over any other polish to add some pizazz. This baby is going over a hot pink later today!

Candy Shop

Then there is my favourite, 'Candy Shop' which you can see on my nails in this post. Candy Shop has a soft pink coloured base. It's slightly translucent so you can choose how bold you want the pink to be. One coat gives a subtle pink colour and three coats will give you a solid pink nail.

Forget You

Finally there is 'Forget You', a black base with the amazing multicolored glitter. Again, you'll need two coats for a solid black coverage. This one actually goes on a little uneven, with streaks unless you do use two coats.

I don't usually like to wear a dark nail colour, it's just not me, but this one I'll be making an exception for. I mean, look at all that glitter, it's not exactly dark or dull is it?!

Now, you can call me lazy if you want, but in the end I opted to do just one hand, one time, to show you all the colours. To be honest, I didn't fancy spending my entire Saturday getting glitter everywhere by trying to get it off. So here are the three colours with two coats of each:

I had seen this set on a blog a while ago but I had a hard time tracking it down especially from UK stores. In the end I found it for a little under £26 from Amazon.co.uk. It's also on Amazon.com in the US for just over $40.

In short, I think this set is great. I'm all about a bit of sparkle but I tend to find sparkles or glitter on clothes just comes off looking tacky. Glitter on the nails however, seems like just the right amount, playful but subtle! The glitter is distributed fairly thickly and evenly through the polish and it isn't difficult to apply. One coat is enough but if you layer it you can get an amazing, very shimmery overall effect on your nails.

So what do you think? What other glitter polishes can you ladies recommend? Let me know whilst I spend the next 30 minutes trying to get these off! Haha!

xxx

PS: Does anyone have any useful tips for glitter polish removal?

Rolls and Rain Boots

2012-01-12T16:59:00.000Z

Let me introduce you to a very important person, my best friend. Not only is this lovely lady one of the kindest, most considerate friends it's possible to have, she is also now my Maid of Honor. Meet Pippa...

Bag and Boots - Aldo. Waterfall Blazer - Topshop

Isn't she so well dressed?! I always have clothes envy. If only we were more similar in size then I could steal all her clothes. Alas, she is small and I am tall, there's truth in the saying opposites attract. Being the wonderful friend she is, and also being dedicated to her new duties, she took a day off work to make a start on dress shopping with me. We managed to fit in a quick trip to Yo! Sushi and a lot of non-bridal shopping too though. Does it really surprise you?!

If you fancy some sushi, you should give Yo! Sushi a try, it's my favorite sushi place, plus there's 40% off this month. So you can save yourself some money or if you're anything like me, use that as an excuse to eat 40% more!

On the way home from shopping we stopped by Daniel a footwear shop. I picked a pair of much needed wellingtons, otherwise known as rain boots to the rest of the world.

I have a pair of awesome 'Duck Egg Blue' Hunters back in Korea but for some reason (I must be crazy) I didn't think I'd need them when I was in England. Yes, England, land of constant wetness. I told you I must be crazy! It's rained almost non-stop since I've been here and now that I've bought these I'm sure it won't rain again. Still, they're comfy and I think they look stylish enough to wear in place of casual boots, so I'm happy with my latest purchase.

Black Studded Wellingtons/Rain Boots - Daniel - Link!

Black boots - Daniel. Jeans - 7 For All Mankind.

I know a lot of people who think wellies are the ugliest things ever but I think this pair of better than the average. What do you think of them? Do you own any Wellies?

xxx

Paco Rabanne Lady Million and Five Hundred

2012-01-10T20:05:00.003Z

I'm a bit of a perfume collector but as yet I've not dared to dedicate a post to any of my favorite scents to wear. The problem is no matter what I tell you, no matter how I try to verbalize the scents, the fact will always remain that you can't smell a blog post. So, with that in mind, I thought it'd be a great idea to try. Excellent logic on my part, no?!

I picked up Lady Million by Paco Rabanne yesterday. I first spied, or should I say, smelt this perfume on my way through Duty Free and regrettably didn't buy it. I would have saved myself a few pounds but having said that it wasn't too badly priced in comparison to some of my usual selections.

The perfume comes packaged in a beautiful gold box embossed with the name. The bottle itself has been inspired by a jewel and the name and atomizer are gilded with gold giving the impression of something luxurious. So that's the packaging described, now onto the smell. You'll have to forgive me here if I can't do this well. To be honest what I'd be inclined to say first is 'it's nice' but I know that doesn't suffice as a description. So here's my best effort...

Described as a sensual, seductive and a floral scent, when you first spray it the overall smell is most definitely floral. There's hints of Jasmine amongst the floral bouquet. Unfortunately my sense of smell and knowledge of flowers won't take us any further than that. After a few minutes the scent develops and you definitely can smell the notes of honey and orange. I find the smell to be rather sweet but not in a sickly way. It does, as the description states, seem quite sensual and I find it very smooth. I think it's a versatile scent that can be worn in Winter because of the honey and orange or Spring because of the brightness of the florals. But really that's down to personal opinion and preference though.

As for staying power, the perfume envelops you nicely for the first few hours and then begins to fade, it can still be smelt if you're up close and personal but by the fourth or fifth hour you need to spritz yourself again to maintain it's strength.

Overall, I love everything about this perfume. The design is sophisticated but compact enough for me to sling it in my handbag easily. The scent is bold without being overpowering and it develops well over the first few hours. I'll be re-buying this again I think.

You can buy Paco Rabanne Lady Million from The Perfume Shop for £59.99 for the 80ml size I have or if you don't need quite so much, £32.99 for the 30ml. It's available from Sephora too, for people in the US and elsewhere, starting from $48.

Five Hundred

Now, enough talk of a million, 500 seems pretty good to me. This week I passed 500 followers! I was so thrilled, I never thought it would happen this quickly. For the first few months I didn't try to attract any readers (since I didn't have anything for them to read) but I remember when I finally passed 50 followers in November and it seemed huge to me. Now I've passed ten times that!!

I want to say thank you to all you lovely people who read my ramblings, comment and of course follow me!
Although I really enjoy blogging, knowing you lovely ladies are somewhere in the world actually paying attention to what I write is not only a strange feeling but is also an awesome, unbeatable feeling and great motivation to keep at it. Your kind words always bring a smile to my face and encourage me to try and make my blog better.

So a BIG thanks! Without you I'd probably have given up a long time ago!

xxx

Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve

2012-01-08T22:32:00.000Z

I took a trip into the Yorkshire countryside this weekend. I know most people who go walking in the countryside would be wearing walking boots, a waterproof jacket and some woollies but....well...I guess I'm just.... not...that...girl. Practicality has never been top of my priorities because, let's face it, practical is not pretty. Not pretty one bit.

I picked up this simple, casual and cute heart motif sweater from New Look. I didn't realise what a great store I've been missing out on living in Korea. I'm not sure it used to be as good before and I'm told they still have their ups and downs but when I went in recently I saw loads of really nice things. To top it off I could actually afford them, always a bonus/relief! Haha!

Jumper - New Look. Sunglasses - Gucci.

Silver Bangle - Mont Blanc. Charm Bracelet - Pandora. Scarf - H&M


Face - all thanks to MAC!

Military style jacket - F21

I love visiting the countryside when I need some time away from everything to slow down and think about things. Lately, as you know, I've been really busy and this last week one thing and another had started to get to me. I feel so lucky to live near such beautiful natural landscapes, it's awe inspiring. Being there makes me think about how small I am in the world and helps make me see my problems are only momentary in the grand scheme of things.

Where do you go when you need some thinking time or to get a little perspective?

xxx

Yves Saint Laurent Oval Arty Ring Replacement

2012-01-06T14:56:00.000Z

YSL Oval Arty Ring in Aqua Green - Via

Now, you'd think being in an office was a safe, spend-free zone wouldn't you?! Well, not for me! Not thanks to the Internet. I was browsing plenty of sites but then something in particular caught my eye. I've loved the Yves Saint Laurent Oval Arty ring for a long time now since I first spotted it on a few blogs.

Of course, as with SO many things I see and love, I didn't get it. It's a sad story isn't it! It's a bit pricey at around £140 to £160 ($240) for something I wouldn't wear all that often. I couldn't justify it, however hard I tried.

I'd been browsing at a couple of sites today and then I ended up at Accessorize. They have an awesome sale on right now which is what drew me in. Then I saw this beauty, a very good replacement for the YSL ring. I guess that was accessorizes' intention because I think it's a near copy of the YSL ring. What do you think?

What makes it more beautiful in my mind is the fact it's a snippet of the cost. I spent a whole £12 ($18) on this bad boy!

Completely justifiable. I actually consider this to mean I have saved myself money as opposed to spending it!

If you want an Arty Ring Replacement for yourself go to Accessorize and type in 'stone ring'. They ship internationally but the website does state that they're low in stock, so hurry! There's actually loads of other gorgeous rings on there at the moment too.

That's all I have time to share right now unfortunately. At least you know I am still alive now though. I know I usually post at least every two or three days and I haven't done this this week but I do promise I will get back to that next week!

xxx

Russian Ushanka, Recap & Resolutions.

2012-01-04T00:05:00.000Z

I'm reaaally not sure how I feel about this hat. Not one bit. Apparently they're called Ushankas. Here's what goes through my head when I put it on...

Things I like:

It's soft. Like...oh wow kind of soft! Seriously, I want to sleep in it.
It's so warm and snuggly.
It's a bit unusual.

Things I don't like:

I look like I'm going to Russia on a hunting trip.
It's a bit unusual.

Working the Russian Ushanka hat? Errr...no...not quite.

So go on....tell me what you think of my Ushanka? Love it....hate it? Would you wear one? It was a gift so you can be honest, I won't be offended! They don't read my blog either....don't worry!

In Other News

I've been a little MIA for the last few days. Do you ever go through spells where you have so much to do you end up doing NOTHING productive?!

I feel like my life's gone crazy. Not in a bad way. Just crazily busy. Not just for a few days but what feels like the last three weeks actually. Moving from Korea, blogging, Christmas shopping, blogging, getting engaged blogging, Christmas, blogging, New Year, blogging, catching up with friends and family I've not seen for the last two and a half years and a bit more blogging.

And...breathe.

It's been fun but the drawback is I've missed telling you about loads of bits. So I'll try to start filling in the gaps here and there. Firstly, because I'm most excited about it, I started planning my wedding. Yep, I know I still haven't told you the proposal story, it's on my 'to-do' list though! We've set a provisional date of March 2013, on a beach, somewhere warm, possibly Thailand! I'm hoping it's going to look something like this;

I also took part in a Blogger's Secret Santa at Christmas. It was run by the lovely Melina. I received my gift few days ago, all the way from Australia! I got paired up with a very stylish lady who goes by the name of Professor Barbie. Here's the lovely girl herself in a beautiful outfit;

Ummm, how much do I wish the weather here right now was right for that outfit? 100 Mile an hour winds and pouring rain....A LOT! Got to love England! Anyway, she sent me a little parcel of goodies. All so cute and pretty, I will try to take photos to show you soon. She also wrote a cute message and filled the card with sparkly gold stars. You know that made me happy! Check out her fashion and beauty blog Professor Barbie in the Playground.

So that's clued you in on a few bits and bobs that have been going on with me. What's been happening with you since New Year? Have you made any resolutions?

I have, they're horrible. Really horrible. Save money, diet and work harder. Fun huh?!

xxx

Happy New Year : Deborah Lippmann, Drinks and a Dress.

2011-12-31T17:56:00.000Z

My New Years Eve Nails - 'Candy Shop' Deborah Lippmann

'Get This Party Started' - Deborah Lippman

Champagne ready and waiting.

Metallic pink wrap dress with shoulder pads - ASOS - Link Here!

New beginnings.

I've spent my last day of 2011 painting my nails. As if by a stroke of magic the aptly named nail set 'Get This Party Started' by Deborah Lippmann arrived on my doorstep today, over a week before the estimated delivery date. I chose the colour 'Candy Shop' for tonight, I will post about the whole set in more detail another day.

Of course when I say 'I spent the day' I actually mean a few hours,whilst tooling around in between doing various other things. I've spent a lot of time today thinking about the year that has just passed and the things that have happened. I have been living in Korea for the third year so that's been a big experience. I've learnt a lot more about the cultures there and made many more great friends. I also had my mum visit me which was a highlight of the summer. And now I have the pleasure of being back in England with my friends and family here. There's been two big events that stand out for me though. Steve and I got engaged (still smiling) just a few weeks ago and in August I began this blog.

The five months since I first created this little piece of internet feel like they've flown by but I couldn't be happier with how my blog is growing. I'd like to take this chance to thank you all for your support over the last few months. I am so grateful to all of you who read, comment and follow my blog!

I wish you all the very best for the New Year. I hope that with a new year comes lots of fresh new opportunities and great experiences for you all. Have a fantastic night tonight, celebrate the new beginning in style whatever you do (I know you all will)! Make sure you come back in the New Year because I have lots more to share with you and I aim to make my blog better and better.

Happy New Year Lovlies! xxx