Super Shoes

Crap-sticks, this is the second time in a week I've been in the middle of writing a post and blogger hasn't saved a damn thing and I've lost it all (although I'm partly to blame for not pressing 'save' this time in my haste, but you'd think it would do so along the way itself). Anyway, back to typing this all out again and when was the last time I did a shoe-haul post? It feels like forever! I've been on an unofficial no-buy for 2-3 months now due to trying to pay back my ISA (I kept stealing from it to fund purchases), lack of space and gearing up for building work to begin on the house (which will mean even less space) and I just haven't been feeling well enough to go shopping. A couple of weeks ago though, I was feeling really sorry for myself after receiving bad news about my gums, coupled with facing a month of almost constant 'treatments' for it. I decided I should be allowed one treat for being a 'good girl' throughout it and that of course meant shoes! I found the perfect pair a couple of weeks ago and have drooled over them several times every day since. They are Moschino Cheap & Chic and I was buying them from FarFetch, who if you don't know, house brands from boutiques all over the world. It's a great system as it allows you to purchase from places you usually wouldn't be able to. My shoes for example were from Galante in (Brugge) Belgium and the only way to purchase other than in the actual boutique itself is through FarFetch. I hadn't ordered before though and the only downfall was the £19 shipping. I realise that it would more than likely cost that to courier the item to me, but it was bumping up the price of the shoes and I just didn't feel entirely comfortable paying it.

I signed up to the website in the hope of getting some sort of discount code after trawling the net with no luck. I was about to give up hope, when around a week later they emailed me with a code for free shipping. I was ecstatic, although still had my reservations about ordering as I'd have to sneak them past the parents, who didn't know of my plan and stalking! Considering there were only two pairs left in my size, I didn't question it for very long and ordered on Sunday night. I was shocked to see the DHL man come up the path today with my box, considering I hadn't even received a dispatch email at that point! The service was outstanding really and they were perfectly packaged.  The shoes are just (if not more) perfect than I thought and fit like a glove.

It's my first Moschino item and I have to say if I had plenty of money and fitted their clothes, I'd be wearing the Moschino brands every day. They are completely 'me', I love the fun and humour injected into every piece, yet they still have this classic quality with a kooky, kitsch twist! Most people would just look at these shoes and think they were standard black patent peep toes with a red, puffy, pom-pom type trim. On closer inspection though, they are heart shaped and this is the type of cutesy detail that had me totally sold. In my mind, hearts are like polka dots, they never fail to make you feel happy.  Having researched these, beware that some other sites have the same style but with a lower heel-this is why I really wanted them from FarFetch because I knew they had the 4 1/4" heel.

Even the soles have hearts!

If you're interested in grabbing yourself a pair here with 60% off, there's still a 38 left and also a 36.5 (just one pair of each), so act fast! Or there's a black and blue heart platform pair, in sizes 36, 36.5 or 40, also with 60% off.

I began browsing the rest of the site and seriously, seriously considered purchasing these Nicholas Kirkwood platforms for Meadham Kirchhoff. They are so insane and ugly, that I think they rock! There's only one pair left in my size and I can't tell you the amount of times I put them in and out of my basket! In the end, I decided I just couldn't justify £484 (even with 40% off) on a pair of shoes I wouldn't wear every day. They're crazy-cool though.

Actually I pretty much fell in love with the entire Meadham Kirchhoff collection, which I'd already been a fan of from seeing the catwalk pictures. This jacket is the most beautiful jacket I have ever seen in my entire life. It could bring tears to my eyes, it's that stunning. The detail and shape are just perfect. Sadly I don't have the body or a spare £1739 for it.

This cardigan at £409, could have been a cheaper alternative, had it not sold out.

While the detailing in this dress can only be properly appreciated when you see a close-up of it. It's gorgeous and yours for £3939 (non-sale).

I can remember this coat-dress from the show and loved it's 'powder puff' boobies (which I totally want to replicate on something-although maybe not the wisest idea with boobs my size), but was disappointed to note they were missing here. However in the description it does mention them. What's even more interesting is the fact they are Penhaligon's London marabou puffs (not just any ol' puffs here!) and again the craftsmanship in this is exquisite and quite possibly worth the £16039.

I am certain this won't be my last purchase from FarFetch, as they have a great selection of products that you'll struggle to find in other online boutiques and I can't fault the service.  

Evans: Swan By Clements Ribeiro AW12

One week to go ladies until the second Swan collection by Clements Ribeiro hits Evans! I ended up ordering loads of dresses from the first collection, much more than I imagined! Mostly I found them to be super generous in size, always taking at least one size down (in some cases 2 or 3)! I loved the bright colours and prints and my favourite had to be the purple pansy Peggy dress. The bright shades were just spot on for my colouring (and new hair colour) and it's just one of those 'feel good' dresses for me. Plus I own a ton of shoes that will look good with it!

The Frida dress swamped me, but boosted my ego when I returned several and kept the 14! Had they made a size 12, I'd have even tried that, but alas it's one of those 'chuck it on with anything and out the door' dresses!

The Nancy maxi dress was a little different for me, in that it has a relatively straight skirt and is very 'covered up'. All the dresses contained sleeves and I'm not huge on sleeves. Whilst I like them as opposed to sleeveless-armholes which always gape and show my underwear (the perils of having to size up to contain big boobies), I always feel a little drowned in sleeves and think I look frumpy or uncomfortable in them. On this dress though they were sheer and elasticated at the cuff, so I didn't feel forced to wear them full length. This dress has a beautiful neckline and although I wouldn't have paid full price for it, again it's an easy to wear/throw it on dress.

Finally the last one that I've already shown you on The Shoe Girl Diaries is the blue tulip print and black lace 21 dress. I really wasn't keen on this from the online pictures. It presented itself to me in the sale and I decided to give it a go and again if I remember correctly had to order a couple of sizes to get the fit right. It was actually the smallest or truer fitting of all the dresses I tried (I ended up going for the 18). I really fell in love with it though when I tried it on. It smooths out my bust and the black lace versus the blue/red/white print which I expected to hate, I actually rather like.

The hemlines of almost all the dresses from the first collection were rather modest, which may please or annoy people. Actually I ended up sending back the mint wrap dress because I looked like I was trying on my Mummy's clothes! It was bordering on ankle length (and not in a good way) and unfortunately with the contrasting band around the hem, all that would've been lost had I taken it up (and it seemed like to much hassle to take the band off and rearrange it). I own the red Joan dress with embellished shoulder detail, along with it's turquoise and orange printed sister. The first one I bought is the heart print Betty (a huge favourite), but I'm maybe going to dabble with the sleeves in all of these as they are a little large for me hence the reason I haven't worn them yet. I've mentioned my likes and dislikes of sleeves (and forgot to add, it's great not being forced to wear a cardigan when you have dress sleeves), but I know many plus size and/or older ladies absolutely heart sleeves. They think there isn't enough sleeved choices out there and so they will be championing this collection. I'm not sure how this second collection will fit, but I would imagine much the same as the first.  The items I was gutted I didn't get the first time were the heart cardigan and the black broderie anglaise Betty dress, but perhaps my wardrobe can't take much more anyway!

The second collection is not as bright as the last (as you'd expect for AW), but still has a plethora of prints to choose from including a 'Salome' Aubrey Beardsley inspired one which actually reminds me of the SS08 Prada fairy collection, plus pansies and tulips are back again. Evans say, "taking last season’s Swan to another level, dresses and sophisticated separates remain at the core of the collection with an emphasis on autumnal colours such as oxblood red, tan, cobalt blue, dark violet and black". Commenting on the collaboration, Inacio Ribeiro says, "It has been a pleasure to work on this pioneering project. With this second collection, we gained a lot more confidence….and designs are more sophisticated in order to give the curvy girl beautiful clothes which are relevant to this season’s trends".

There was a blogger preview event this week which unfortunately I didn't attend (I couldn't afford a trip to London even if I had been asked), so those bloggers will be posting more detailed snaps of the coming collection soon.  I've seen some already (also check out the Evans blog and Facebook page) and there's a couple of interesting items that I may just stalk!  And what’s more, nearer to Christmas another phase will be dropping just in time to get your wardrobe ready for the party season! Will you be checking this collection out come September 1st?

Image Evans, prices to range from £15 to £125, sizes 14-32.  

Really Fur Real?

Dammit, just typed this entire post, then Chrome crashed and I lost the lot, grrr! Ok, here goes for a second time. I can't believe I'm typing this post, but it couldn't have come at a better time when I was in need of laugh. I was reading my emails this morning and this one popped in and I couldn't believe my eyes. Surely it was a joke? April Fools Day again? Nope and nope. I read and reread the press release and it seemed to be genuine (although I still can't believe it). What am I talking about? Well it's fake tan. Not just any fake tan, but you know that fox from the annoying Foxy Bingo adverts? Well it's him and some girl from TOWIE (I try to know nothing about this show). The press release hints to 'orange' more than once and Foxy and TOWIE bint are definitely an orange shade of fox.

First of all, it's been a long time since I used fake-tan, but the aim with me and indeed most people I know, was never orange. The furthest from orange you were the better. Subtlety is key in tanning, no? Secondly, a fox? A dude dressed as a fox, dressed as a human, why would anyone want to emulate that? Thirdly, TOWIE (apologies to any genuine untanned Essex girls out there who may be reading), but why would anyone want to look as fakely (so not a word) orange as them? Am I in the minority here, am I missing something, does anyone think this is actually genius and will be rushing out to buy a bottle? I still thought it had to be a joke, so checked out the website that stocks it and indeed it's there for £9.99, so you too could be an orange fox! To make matter worse, Foxy launched a fragrance last year. How the F did I miss that one? I'm guessing it was so you could smell....foxy or just like an actual fox? Anyway here's the press release (if you need a good laugh) and some astoundingly orange photos (mmm wow, wish I looked like that!). I can't say it will be gracing my bathroom shelf (ever), not even if I won it at Bingo. Oh there's another laugh, me at Bingo!

Foxy Bingo launches his fake tan alongside ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ star Lucy Mecklenburgh

Foxy, bingo’s most orange icon, today unveils his first fake tan in partnership with the ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ pin-up Lucy Mecklenburgh. ‘Fur Real’ was designed with Lucy, Foxy’s favourite tantalisingly tangoed celeb, to provide others with the ultimate glow. Hot on the heels of ‘Furever’, Foxy’s perfume released last year, Fur Real marks Foxy’s next beauty innovation in his mission to help women everywhere unleash their inner vixen.

Fur Real is a self-tanning gel that when applied evenly all over the body will create a gorgeous tan that is fitting for a trip to top Essex haunts Faces or The Sugarhut. With the short-lived summer in the UK, Foxy has bottled up the holiday season for those looking to stay bronzed all year round. For Foxy fans wanting to get their hands on Fur Real, they will need to either win a bottle at foxybingo.com or purchase it for £9.99 exclusively at justbeautifully.co.uk.

Lucy Mecklenburgh said, “The only celeb who rocks orange better than me is Foxy himself! I’ve already got my own swimwear range and nothing compliments my designs better than a nice tan. I don’t step out the house until I’ve got my Essex glow and with Fur Real, everyone else can have it too!”

Foxy said, “It’s been a right horrible summer weather wise but I knew pictures of Lucy in her bikini would cheer everyone up. I wanted someone similar to myself to launch Fur Real, so with Lucy being both attractive and a lovely shade of orange, I thought we were the perfect pairing. I’m excited to offer the whole of the UK the chance to get foxylicious golden skin!”

Foxy Bingo is the most popular online bingo site in the UK with over one million bingo players on his site. The 200ml bottle is priced at just £9.99 and can be won at www.foxybingo.com, or bought exclusively at www.justbeautifully.co.uk.

YSL Beauty Haul

I've already reviewed this foundation here and here, but I'd gone to the bother of taking photos of the actual haul and figured I may as well post them.  I'm in the middle of ebaying shitloads of stuff just now and secretly hoping it won't all sell or else I'll be lost under a pile of parcels all week!

So the foundation, Le Teint Touche Eclat, I got is shade B10. You can see my swatch and indeed how it looks on the face in the posts linked above. I'm still happily using it every day. Last week I tried wearing Lancome Teint Idole Ultra as a (thin) base layer underneath (and still applying the YSL on top with my Pout Airbrush), as my skin has been pretty spotty and I felt like I needed the extra coverage. Unfortunately doing it that way, you lose the weightlessness of the YSL because the Lancome one is quite heavy on the skin, but you still get that lovely glow. Today though I decided to just wing it with YSL and actually realised that it covers perfectly well anyway, so I needn't have been so distrusting of it this past week!

I think I mentioned to you that I placed this order online with Debenhams after several hundred attempts! They were running a bonus beauty points offer (which you just have to have faith they've added as there's no mention of it on your invoice) and so I ordered another Rouge Volupte lipstick with the foundation. Could I afford to, I'd constantly buy RV lippies, I love them! I always have a lot of trouble finding the beautiful nude shades I see on other blogs and it's because they are permanently sold-out at my nearest counter, so the testers are never sitting out. Last time after getting the assistant to rummage through all the drawers to find the two shades I was looking for, she eventually found me #2 Sensual Silk and said they'd only had 2 of this colour in since it had sold out (before Christmas) and this was only a couple of months ago! Definitely hard to find! The other almost always sold out shade was #1 Nude Beige, which thankfully was in stock online.

It's not very beigey to me, it's a pinky nude in the tube (although I struggled to get an accurate image of it) and then it came out quite peachy/beige in my swatches. I took them in different lights as there was quite a contrast between them. Swatches show one swipe versus several layers and it was my lipstick of the week a couple of weeks ago, so you could check out old posts of The Shoe Girl Diaries to see it on my face that week.

I lucked out on samples with my order (for once) after the YSL notebook I was supposed to receive for free was out of stock. I rarely get samples when ordering from Debenhams online, even although they are always running an offer 'with all beauty orders'! This time though I got some fragrance sachets and a face mask thingy, which when I come to think of it, I've totally misplaced but must find to try! Speaking of misplacing things, for the first time ever I've lost my lipstick of the week! I've only worn makeup a couple of days this week and couldn't find it to wear today. I had to cheat improvise and be thankful it's a new week tomorrow! I can vaguely recall it being in my hand at one point (!) and I know I've probably set it down somewhere but don't know where (my usual hiding place is handbags, but I haven't been out anywhere with it all week).

Finally, I shall be reviewing these Oxy products soon. I just received them this week and got stuck into using them right away. So far so good. I have lots to say about them already, but would like to use them for another couple of weeks before fully reviewing them.