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OK, the fabulous Boots haul, here it comes.
17-I'm a little confused with this one. They had an offer on for the past month (spend £5/free gift thingy), however that finished this week to be replaced by 3 for 2 (on website and in my local anyway). However, my sis noticed (in a larger store) that there was a different free gift with £5 spend (but not the leopard print box one?!). Anyway, I was more than happy, as this gift is even better than the last. It's fabulous that they can give away a gift worth around £15, when you're only spending a fiver. I think though, it's because the 17 packaging is being updated and the box contents are all old packaging. Each is like a lucky dip, as all the colours vary (I'm so going to become obsessed with this!). I got Lasting Fix Mascara in Black, High Gloss Nail Polish in Twilight Teaser, Solo Eyeshadow in Walnut Pearl and a gorgeous nude lippie, Sheer Moisture in Balmy Beige. I bought Lasting Fix Nail Polish in Seabreeze and Smoke Signal (both new colours-not a great pic below).
No7-Spend £20 and get a free gift (worth £28). I bought the lovely new Limited Edition Beach Beautiful Eye Palette £12.50, which contains 5 eyeshadows. The rest of the summer collection didn't really interest me, so I was going to get Stay Perfect lipstick in Nude, but it was out of stock. My sister decided that Angel Kiss was quite similar and that I'd probably like it, so I got that. My sis is such a savvy shopper and she got oodles of Advantage card points and also a voucher (out of the machine) to get a free No7 High Lights (I got Dandy Pink) with any No7 cosmetics purchase. Wow, lots of freebies!
I also asked her to get Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Kirk (nude) off my advantage points (we have tonnes). It's a really cute product , you tilt the lid to 'undress' the man!
Lip swatches below (from left to right) No7 Stay Perfect l/s in Angel Kiss (very shimmery), 17 Sheer Moisture l/s in Balmy Beige (barely there peachy nude) and Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Kirk (glossy nude). 
Another lovely day and I have the house to myself, yay! I'm going to spend it taking and editing lots of pictures after I've recharged my camera battery! 
I must quickly tell you about the new Stila stuff at Beauty Spot Cosmetics. They got stock yesterday of the cheek colour pans and by last night, over 80% of the stock had gone. Even by the time I logged on around 11am yesterday, many colours were already sold out. There are very few shades left, but they are an incredible £2.95 (rrp £11) and if you purchase 4 or more, you receive the mirrored compact to put them in, for free! So, a big bargain. I ordered Cream, Electric, Cozy and Blush. Today I got an email to say they now had the eyeshadow pans. £2.95 (rrp £11) each and a free compact with 6 or more shadows. Again, lots of shades had gone by the time I looked, but they do have over 60 colours to choose from, so there is still ample stock if you're quick. This time I ordered Twilight, Evergreen, Cha Cha, Poppy, Wisteria and Slate and also decided to get more cheek colours; Bud, Delicate, Tutu and Heat. That whole lot (minus delivery charges), comes to just over £41 for 6 e/s, 8 blush and 3 compacts, which is pretty darn good. Expect lots of pictures when I get them-although I seem to have a major backlog of cosmetics awaiting to be photographed!Wasn't Britain's Got Talent fantastic last night? I'm so pleased Diversity won, as Su-Bo definitely has a career out of it, regardless of the outcome. I have no idea how anyone could choose between Flawless and Diversity though. My sister loves Diversity, but isn't so keen on Flawless which I can't understand. Both groups were absolutely amazing, totally unique, inspiring, talented and flawless-nobody put a foot wrong. What are we going to watch on the telly now though?
It's a gorgeous day today, blue skies and very warm! This is me, looking rather dishevelled after eating lunch outside. Although it's hot, it's windy, so I had to hold onto my Pom Bears as they flew off my plate! My sister went shopping, so I gave her a list for Boots and she got me everything and more, lots of freebies, so I'll post about them soon with pics. I've also taken pictures of my Stila IT Glosses and swatched all of them, so that will be up next week. You may have guessed from that, that I've finally figured out how to upload and edit photos from my new camera, thank goodness!
I'm loving peplum dresses just now. Although in general I'm not too keen on the 80's trend for myself, I think I like the bits that I didn't get to wear first time around! These shifts are from Peacocks for a fantastic £22 and come in 5 different colours, all with exposed zip at the back. 
Also, can anyone ID these sandals for me? I saw them on the shoe homepage on Yoox, but when you click on the banner it doesn't take you to the item. I've looked through over 900 pairs of sandals and still can't find them. I contacted Yoox and although they were quick to reply, they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. It's driving me nuts and I really want them (if they are within my budget of course). You can almost see the brand label, but my eyesight won't quite make it out. Looks like one smallish word though. *update: I contacted Yoox again, with a picture this time. This is the reply "We are unfortunately unable to locate the shoes portrayed in the picture. It is possible that the product is currently available, therefore we invite you to search our high-heeled sandals category. You may find exactly what you were looking for, or another similar item to your liking." Aaaah, I've already looked at the 936 pairs of black high heeled sandals and not found them! Any help would be greatly appreciated.* *update2, the shoes are infact Miu Miu...they didn't even have them available for purchase until a few weeks after they posted the image, problem solved*
Beauty Counter Direct have a small selection of MAC lipsticks at fabulous prices just now. One such shade is Charismatic, shown above. It looks a scary terracotta brown in the tube, however it's a lustre, so the colour is very sheer. It's also very buildable, as you can see from my swatch below. One swipe provides a pretty, pale rust, while the terracotta really comes through with more layers. There is also a slight copper sheen to it and I'm sure this would look great on all warm skintones. A nice colour that is easy to dismiss in the tube, so I'm glad I gave it a try!
I am almost winning the war against technology. With a lot of frustration and tears and general tantrums with the wish to throw things, I have eventually managed to upload photos to the computer. Yay! I have some pics of my brithday outfit from Sunday, when I went out to lunch with my friend. I got lots of lovely things (yes even the naughty camera) and am ignoring the fact that I'm a year closer to 3....0!
*update: I have pics of the b'day outfit (dress-Dorothy Perkins, leggings and cardi-?, pearls-Primark, shoes-Miu Miu, clutch-Mikey, bangles-gift from my friend and pearl bracelets-Primark, rings-various, satin bow hairclips-Primark). I think my lips are MAC Creme d'Nude lipstick with a Lancome CF gloss over the top-but I can't be sure*
*some of the images may look a bit speckled, as my camera uploads them to a massive size. When I resize it, sometimes it looks really grainy, so I'm editing that a little too. An American tourist came up to me in the restaurant and said that she loved my outfit and my whole look, which I thought was really sweet. Others just stared!*
Tonight is my ER telly night, the last EVER. I have already been crying at the trailers (seriously!) and find myself switching to More4/E4 at any given time, in the hope of catching the advert again (sad I know!). I was seething, absolutely seething, when I noticed beeatch Thandie Newton was coming back! Aaargh, I'm Carby through and through and hated her character. The writing has never put her in a favourable light and I hate Carter when he is with her (and I don't want to hate him).This means I will miss tonights Britains Got Talent semi-final, as I'll be watching ER ALL night, definitely worth it though!
I was recently sent a rather large box of Anatomicals goodies to review. Although I was aware of the brand I hadn't tried their products before, so was eager to test them. As you can see from the image above, the packaging is young, vibrant and very funny. I admit that packaging is usually what initially attracts me (and I'm sure others) to a product and you wouldn't be disappointed with these quirky bottles. I won't copy word for word what each item says, but the thought and comedy put into each product is enough to make you buy it on that alone!
First up is Stop Cracking Up-lip balm. Without a doubt one of my favourite Anatomicals items and definitely one I'll be purchasing in the future. It comes in a 15ml squeezy tube and at first I thought this clear gel would be too runny, but it isn't at all. You just need a little amount on your finger and apply to your lips. I usually avoid using balms or glosses in tubes, as I hate being left with sticky residue product on my finger after application, but that didn't happen with this product. It has a very soft (perhaps strawberry?) scent that reminds me of the Victoria Plum makeup my sister used when we were little! I applied this at night and woke up the next morning, still with gloriously glossy lips. It contains, vitamin E, sweet almond oil and beeswax to condition, soothe and soften. I am not keen on the stickiness of lipgloss (although I wear it all the time!) and this product is the perfect hybrid of balm and gloss, providing a moisturising sheen to the lips, without being sticky or feeling too heavy.
I decided to let my sister try this out too, as she has very dry, chapped lips. Although she liked it, she found it wasn't quite substantial enough for her needs. I think this would be the perfect balm for warmer months or on already healthy lips. A definite 5/5 from me.
Snoozers Are Losers-energy patches. A really unique product, each box contains 6 patches in individual sachets. The idea is that you place a patch on your upper arm and the caffeine contained in them provides a little energy boost. Now for someone like me (suffering from M.E.), I need all that help I can get in the energy department. I slapped a cold, slightly wet patch on my arm straight away. To be honest it's difficult to gauge if this really worked. I was more aware of whether or not I had more energy and couldn't really equate it to whether the patch worked or I just 'thought' it did! It certainly didn't do me any harm and I think if you wanted to forego your usual morning coffee for a patch, then it's definitely worth a try.
Help The Paw-hand cream, another great product. This hand cream comes in a 100ml tube and has a scent that I can't quite put my finger on (no pun intended). I think it's lemon-ish. It contains vitamin E and sweet almond oil, to nourish and soften. I can be quite fussy with hand creams and don't like anything too runny or too thick that takes ages to absorb. This is very light and non-greasy and is absorbed very easily. The first time I applied this, I did notice a quick moment of stickiness, that passed quickly with further massage. To be honest I haven't noticed it since the first few applications. I think the trick is to not use too much, you really only need a small amount. Overall, it's hard working but lightweight cream, I'm sure I would purchase this again, 4/5.
The Follicle Oracle-shampoo and The Sleek Shall Inherit the Earth-conditioner. Both 250ml bottles with tilting lids. The shampoo is pearlised green and has a plant-like scent, while the conditioner has a floral fragrance that I could get quite addicted to! I have been using both of these products since colouring my roots recently. Bleaching (eek!) is obviously damaging to the hair, so I need all the nourishment I can get from a shampoo and conditioner. The shampoo lathers well but I found my hair felt dry and tangled (whilst shampooing), although this is probably due to the condition of my hair and I have found this with other (but not all) shampoos. The conditioner more than sorted that though, my hair felt softened and detangled instantly and after rinsing, it didn't feel at all dry or damaged. I can't say I've noticed a huge difference in comparison to my usual shampoo and conditioner, but my hair does feel soft, bouncy and healthy. Overall the shampoo gets 3/5 and conditioner 4/5. Check out the Anatomicals site for more information on the products and to buy. I should also meantion that these items provide fantastic value for money (most things under a fiver). There are many other products I'm keen to try now, like Snog Me Senseless Lip Balm and No Old Bags Allowed eye gel!
Technology is not my best friend today. I've been snappy happy all weekend with my new camera and today when I tried to upload the images using my sisters camera/docking station, it wouldn't work. I didn't want to add yet more software to my computer and am really comfortable using the kodak easyshare program anyway, but it doesn't seem to recognise my memory card.
I decided to play the Sims 2 and leave the photos for another day, but that didn't work either. It crashed whilst loading, so I tried again and it did the same thing! Then I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to do the simplest of things on the slower, than slow internet. Aaagh! Anyway, there will be (somehow) new pictures, swatches, reviews etc coming soon! I promise.
Linzi Shoes have added many new styles lately and I noticed some were quite similar to Office. I haven't seen all the pairs in real life so cannot comment on the quality or likeness, other than from the images on the websites. Please also note the difference in size between the close-up shots of the Office (larger) and Linzi pairs and don't let this put you off looking at the actual details (it's just a difference in proportions due to image size). The Office shoes are shown on the left and Linzi on the right in all pictures.
These 'Party the Night Away' shoes from Office are mega fabulous. I've made no secret of how much I love them, but it wasn't until last week that I saw the brown pair in real life and realised that the platform sole is a polished wood-effect. Even more gorgeous than I knew!
Office £85, platform 4cm, heel 14cm, available in brown croc, black croc, pink patent or gold metallic (£55, not shown).
Linzi: £50 now (although they were £45 on Saturday?) platform 5cm, heel 15cm, available in brown croc or black croc.
Latin Lover, an embellished gladiator sandal. I would say the main difference in these two is the heel. The Office pair feature a very curved heel and although the difference in height is very slight, it is noticeable (although it may be the angle of the picture). The Linzi pairs don't have the same worn-in 'tribal' vibe, however the variance in price is significant. The Linzi pair do feature almost identical placement of studs and trims to Office.
Office: £80, 8.5cm heel, available in black or tan.
Linzi: £35, 8cm heel, available in black or white.
There's a big difference in the materials used for these pairs, but the overall shape is pretty spot-on.
Office: £85, heel 13cm, platform 4cm, available in black or grey snake effect or taupe suede.
Linzi: £30, heel 13cm, platform 3cm, available in black patent.
The Office 'Pegasus' pair feature a more slender heel and have an overall curved appearance, the Linzi pair also have a wider peep-toe front.
Office: £85, heel 12.5cm, platform 2.5cm, black, multi or purple patent, red patent (£80)
Linzi: £30, heel 12cm, platform 2.5cm, black patent.
Hopefully this comparison article has helped you decide if you want to splash the cash on an expensive pair or perhaps save or buy a couple of cheaper pairs!
Yet another 'bank holiday'-is there no end to them? Anyway, this means good things for online shoppers; lots of offers and free gifts!Beauty Spot Cosmetics: 10% off when spending £20 or more or 15% off spending £40 or more. Enter the code SD1905 and press 'apply'. Expires midnight 22nd May. Orders over £40 automatically qualify for free shipping and any order over £20 will receive a choice of free gift at checkout. BeneFit (US site): US free shipping with any order, enter code MEMORIAL at checkout. Free international shipping on orders over $100, enter code WORLD100. Both offers expire end of 25th May (US time). Also get your free posietint mini (a $10 value) with any $50 purchase. Add the mini to your shopping bag and enter promo code POSIMINI after entering your relevant free shipping code at checkout. On top of that, every order over $35 will automatically receive a free Color Plump in Yoo hoo and every order comes with 2 free samples. Clinique: Free bronze makeup bag with any 2 purchases, enter code BRONZEBAG at checkout. Plus 2 free samples with every order. While stocks last.Designer Beauty: 15% off when you spend £15 or more, enter code CH102, ends 24th May. Dorothy Perkins: Free delivery when you spend £50 or more, enter code FREE9, valid until 11th June. Faith: 20% off full price items, no code needed-items already marked down, for limited period.Magic Makeup: Free delivery on orders over £25 this weekend, enter code MAYDEL.Marks and Spencer: 10% off clothes, accessories and lingerie, enter code WEBS2559. Offer ends midnight 26th May. My-Wardrobe: 30% off shoes and bags with code BAGSSHOES30 plus free shipping on all orders, ends midnight 25th May. New Look: 20% off full price items, enter code NLMAY20, offer ends 25th May.Oli: Free standard next day delivery (worth £4.95) when you spend £50 or more before 31st May with code RG6P. Punky Pins: Free surprise name necklace with every order over £25. Enter the name you want in the notes section during checkout (9 characters or less). Offer ends 26th May.
£125 is a lot of money in my opinion for a handbag. But what about for a piece of art? The wonderful Helen Rochfort has teamed up with artist Sarah Graham to produce 3 limited edition bags featuring life-like printed paintings. I am head over heels in love with 'Sheer Blonde'. Everybody knows I loved Sindy dolls when I was younger (and still do) and this shows the old fatter faced (and much cuter) Sindy, it totally takes me back to my childhood. I love, love, love it! The bags are available now (Sindy, robots or sweets) and are limited to 500 each-you will receive a certificate of authenticity. I can vouch for the quality of the bags as I already own the black guitar and Wizard of Oz versions. I would be one super happy little girl if I got this for my birthday!
How pretty is this? Super, super cute necklace from Anna Lou (who just keeps getting better). Limited Edition, £25 available on the site now. This will be going on my in-my-head-birthday-wishlist!
17-I'm a little confused with this one. They had an offer on for the past month (spend £5/free gift thingy), however that finished this week to be replaced by 3 for 2 (on website and in my local anyway). However, my sis noticed (in a larger store) that there was a different free gift with £5 spend (but not the leopard print box one?!). Anyway, I was more than happy, as this gift is even better than the last. It's fabulous that they can give away a gift worth around £15, when you're only spending a fiver. I think though, it's because the 17 packaging is being updated and the box contents are all old packaging. Each is like a lucky dip, as all the colours vary (I'm so going to become obsessed with this!). I got Lasting Fix Mascara in Black, High Gloss Nail Polish in Twilight Teaser, Solo Eyeshadow in Walnut Pearl and a gorgeous nude lippie, Sheer Moisture in Balmy Beige. I bought Lasting Fix Nail Polish in Seabreeze and Smoke Signal (both new colours-not a great pic below).
No7-Spend £20 and get a free gift (worth £28). I bought the lovely new Limited Edition Beach Beautiful Eye Palette £12.50, which contains 5 eyeshadows. The rest of the summer collection didn't really interest me, so I was going to get Stay Perfect lipstick in Nude, but it was out of stock. My sister decided that Angel Kiss was quite similar and that I'd probably like it, so I got that. My sis is such a savvy shopper and she got oodles of Advantage card points and also a voucher (out of the machine) to get a free No7 High Lights (I got Dandy Pink) with any No7 cosmetics purchase. Wow, lots of freebies!
I also asked her to get Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Kirk (nude) off my advantage points (we have tonnes). It's a really cute product , you tilt the lid to 'undress' the man!
Lip swatches below (from left to right) No7 Stay Perfect l/s in Angel Kiss (very shimmery), 17 Sheer Moisture l/s in Balmy Beige (barely there peachy nude) and Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Kirk (glossy nude). 
