Damn these Transitional Periods!

The September issues came this week so I've been looking at the pretty pictures thoroughly digesting the Autumn/Winter trends.

It's got to that transitional period, where the Summer Sales are drying up and the shops are starting to think about getting the coats in. (It doesn't help that I've been looking at the Next Autumn/Winter catalogue).

So now I'm ready to wear my knee high suede boots (a bargain I got them for £40 reduced from £130 - my top tip, buy out of season). And I want to wear my lovely emerald green top with them. But alas no, while I'm lusting after my cold weather wardrobe we've been suffering at the grip of a humid stranglehold.

And while it write this it's now raining and boots are a potential option... who am I kidding, it's August. I have a terrible track record of this new season syndrome. Back in the day (during the Spice Girls era) I got a long leather(esque) coat, mid-August, and I wore it, in boiling hot Summer heat. My mum said I looked like a fool, but I felt awesome, I was so ahead of the trend (and melting inside).

So I'm holding off (for now) and still trying to navigate what to wear during these unpredictable weather days until I give up (1st September!) and revert back to my native jumpers, boots and warm cosy jackets!

Love S,
xxx

Raiding the Charity Shops of York

Hello my lovelies, sorry I've neglected you for a whole week. I planned on posting at the beginning of the week when I got back from York but I've been so tired. I've also got an ear full of wax (nice I know) which feels yucky and blocked (and it's a pretty crap excuse for not blogging!) But hopefully this post will make up for it!


I fell in love with York, the little shops, the smell of chocolate everywhere, the beautiful historic buildings... sigh... why don't I live there?!

Anyways thought I'd share some of my purchases...

Monsoon top (never been worn!) Scope £5 and 100% silk - bargain! Scarf from the 'Vintage' range at the British Heart Foundation shop £5 (and huge!)

Printed Top Scope £5 and a close-up of the print!

Books from Arthritis Research UK altogether about £8

Illustration in the Robert Browning poetry book.

From A Christmas Carol

Not from a charity shop but nevermind! A silver and onyx ring from Pia reduced from £75 to £30.

Finally my Lucky Cat!

Phew! I also bought my mum an amazing owl tape measure (I'll post that sometime soon) and some sweets from the John Bull rock shop!

Now I'm going to settle down with my new book...

Has anyone read this? I'm looking forward to it!

... with cotton wool in my ear (and olive oil drops!) feeling a bit sorry for myself...pardon?!

Love, S
xxx

P.S. If you're wondering about the shopping ban my contact has been extended until October (yay!) so I thought a few treats were in order!

Getting ready for the Races

Well it's finally here, I'm off to York tomorrow and to the races on Saturday! And this is my dress. 

I bought it in March from Reiss, you might have seen that in June Kate Middleton copied my style by wearing the same dress to the Epsom Downs (grr!)

I'm currently trying to summon the energy to pack (you'd think I was going for two weeks not two nights) Hopefully I'll be able to get a picture of the whole outfit on the day.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm going to win any money but I'm just looking forward to seeing all the pretty ponies, because I'm like 5. I had a look at the riders (based purely on names of course) and there are some pretty epic ones:

One Kool Dude, Love Over Gold, Hoof It, Ginger Ted, Midnight Martini, Bang Tidy!

But of course I'm not going to be basing my bets purely on names, I'll have to study the form.

Haha I even had myself going for a minute there!

Love, S

xxx

Nail'd: Girls with Attitude Nail Wraps

Girls with Attitude Glamour to Go Nail Wraps - Neon Orange, Crackle and Cheetah

I've been wanting to try nail wraps for a while now. I like the idea of a smooth finish first time (without me having to try and get nail polish off my cuticles with a cotton wool bud!) And the intricate designs they can give that my hands could never produce!

Looking at videos on YouTube I was a bit apprehensive about how fiddly they are where you have to use a hairdryer to heat them up. Some of them are pretty pricey - you could buy a decent nail polish for the same price.

However these Girls with Attitude nail wraps don't require any heat, they just stick on, so they're a lot simpler to use. And they're only £3.50 so they're not such a weight on the purse-strings, so you can give them a go without the fear of your money being wasted if they go wrong.

Here's the results...

I'm wearing the Crackle Nail Wraps!

Not bad for my first time I think! I definitely think it takes a bit of practice, especially with filing them to remove the excess. You have to be careful not to file off what is on your nail. And you need to make sure they're stuck onto the nail properly, mine are lifting a little where I should have spent more time pushing out the creases with an orange stick.

You can see on this one where I need a bit more practice!

I applied a top coat which gave them a super shiny finish, and incase you were wondering they stayed on in the shower!

These nail wraps are available from Boots and from Girls with Attitude (with free delivery!) where there are loads more designs check them out here!

What do you think? Have you tried nail wraps before?

Love, S
xxx

Friday's Fashion Fix

This week jewellery... that I really want!

Rock 'n Rose

Zoe and Morgan

Galibardy

Me and Zena

I need all of these, and more, there were so many great pieces to choose from. If you're into jewellery these sites are definitely worth checking out!

Love, S
xxx

Nail'd: Toes and False Nail Update!

I'm giving my fingernails a bit of a rest following the false nails I had on all last week, so thought I'd do a bit of toe nail art!

My false nails came off at the end of last week. One of the nails on my thumb just kind of popped off so I took them all off. I must stress that the box says don't use force and soak them in nail polish remover. But because the glue was weakened I kind of pulled mine off (which was really satisfying!)

Underneath my nails were in pretty good condition, just with a bit of glue stuck on the surface. It came off gradually with nail polish remover and soaking in water. My nails still feel strong, they're just a bit dry so I've been using lots of cuticle oil and a gel treatment. But I'm happy to say there was no damage!

Love, S
xxx

Friday's Fashion Fix

This week my line up of the top high street Floral Dresses!

L-R - Warehouse, Oasis, Topshop, Joy

L-R - Miss Selfridge, French Connection, AWear, Dorothy Perkins

Well I've been a bit AWOL this week (for which I apologise) because it's been a bit of a rollercoaster work-wise. Today was supposed to by my last day but at the last minute my contract was extended by another month (phew!)

So I hope you enjoy these floral dresses, I'll be back tomorrow to tell you all about the state of my natural nails following a week of false nails!

Love, S
xxx

Nail'd and Review'd: Perfect Girl Natural Fakes

Perfect Girl Natural Fakes available from Superdrug and Savers and at their website here!

Have you ever tried false nails? 

I’ve been moaning about how I want to grow my nails so Perfect Girl kindly sent me some of their products to test out, including some Perfect Girl Natural Fakes false nails. Retailing at £5.00 they’re much cheaper than acrylic nails and last for up to a week.

My nails before, not growing very quickly and with a yellow tinge from all the polish I've been wearing!

Application was easy. I picked out which nails fitted onto mine. There are 48 nails in the pack so there are plenty to choose from. Because they aren’t labelled I found it hard to pick out ones that were the same size for for both hands. I accidentally ended up putting different sizes on my ring fingers but it isn't noticeable.

The nails bare.

Gluing them on was easy – the glue is extremely strong so you have to be careful not to stick your hands together! But it also means you don’t need to worry the nails that the nails will come off! You only have to hold the nails down for a couple of seconds and they’re stuck solid. Once applied you can see the pink on your own nails show through and they look quite natural. I decided to paint mine as you can apply and reapply polish to these nails as long as you use an acetone-free remover.

 They were really easy to paint and my nails had a smooth and professional looking finish, so I decided to do a bit of nail art on them!

Overall I’m quite surprised at how much I like them! I'm really impressed that once painted they look really natural, my friends have seen them and just thought they were my nails! They also feel good, I'm not worried that if I do anything they'll just fall off, the glue is really strong and they feel like they are my nails rather than something just stuck on. 

I think it would be more helpful if the nails could each be labelled with a size to make it easier to find the right size for each hand. This may be tricky due to the packaging, perhaps numbered stickers attached to the nails.

When I used to think of false nails I pictured really long tacky talons, but these nails do look and feel natural and are a much cheaper alternative to false nails from the salon. I just need to get used to typing with long nails now!

Perfect Girl Natural Nails are available from their website here! You can also pick them up from Superdrug and Savers stores.

Love, S

xxx

Friday's Fashion Fix

This week Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

Top row - Zara, Middle row - Topshop, Bottom row - ASOS

I love the raffia ballerinas from Zara (going for the sensible option there!) All the shoes on Zara's website are in the sale so check it out for some bargains.

I'm also loving the Topshop glitter Mary Janes, they'd translate well into Autumn/Winter and would look great with tights!

I've got so many pairs of shoes but only ever seem to wear a few, looking at these makes me want to put something different on today!

Love, S
xxx

She Wore What?!

Dress- Asos Marketplace, Bracelets- brought back from a holiday, Ring- a gift

I got this vintage dress from ASOS Marketplace. It's definitely worth checking out, there are people selling new and vintage clothing (though there's a fine line between vintage and second-hand!) It's good for something different and original.

This 70s dress is somewhere between mid-length and a maxi. I wore it with my brown wedges but it's the kind of dress you feel you should go barefoot in! It's cotton and wonderfully cool for the Summer, even though we're not really having much of one up here in Manchester.

Boyfriend and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary yesterday by watching trashy TV and eating Strawberry Cheesecake flavoured Häagen-Dazs. Here's to a lot more years of that!


Love, S
xxx

Were You Watching? Perfume

My favourite perfume, Tom Ford Black Orchid!

 There was a great documentary on BBC 4 last night about Perfume! The first episode in this series was titled 'Something Old, Something New' and focused on two perfume houses and they ways in which they lure their customers.

The house of Guerlain prides itself on its heritage, still using the original recipes, some of them 90 years old. Women who use Guerlain use their perfumes for life, a signature scent. We see Guerlain's owner John-Paul Guerlain and his protégé Thierry Wasser and the carefully thought about decision of whether to tamper with the recipe for the iconic Shalimar.

Tommy Hilfiger on the other half, whose perfume is made by Estee Lauder, focuses on its marketing campaigns and focus groups. We follow the launch of their 'Loud' perfume and their insistence that it's the 'next big thing'.

It got me thinking about the perfumes that I use. My absolute favourite is Tom Ford Black Orchid, it's rich and sophisticated, it's my signature scent. His perfumes feel luxurious and exclusive when worn and Ford's Private Blends give the perfumes an air of elegance harking back to traditional perfume houses. But maybe this is just a clever marketing tool!

My other signature scents, Chloe eau de parfum, Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne and Dolce & Gabbana The One

Black Orchid is a bit more of an Autumn/Winter, too heavy for the Summer, so I introduce my three other signature scents! Watching the documentary I definitely saw myself as a Guerlain girl, (that is until Guerlain's racist comments there's no place for that). For me it's one signature scent, ok so maybe four, rather than the next big thing.

It definitely opened my eyes about the way perfume is made, consumed and conceived. Next week it's Bottling the Memory! Were you watching?!

Love, S
xxx

Nail'd: Playing with Fimo!

So I thought I'd do a post dedicated to Fimo and using it in nail art. I bought my sticks on a bit of a whim from Amazon.

As you can see I've only cut a few of them up. You get a razor in the pack and it takes ages. Really they need to be super thin. I watched a video on YouTube about cutting them which said they should be paper thin!

Here's my first nail art with Fimo...

 Not very adventurous! But I tested out their staying power. I had my nails like this for about a week and they showed no signs of falling off. Of course mine weren't paper thin but I stuck them on my ring finger where they were least likely to fall off.

 To stick them on I just used a paintbrush and OPI Nail Envy which I use as a topcoat. I put a bit of Nail Envy on the bottom of the Fimo piece and placed it onto my nail with the paintbrush. I then held it down with the other end of the brush until it had stuck down. I found that with them being quite thick they tend to raise up at the edges. But a big coat of topcoat (and a long wait for it to dry) and they were stuck down nicely.

I'd definitely advise buying pre-cut Fimo, I know you can find it on Ebay or Amazon. That way you get to skip all that slicing and you know they'll be nice and thin!

Love, S
xxx

Nail'd: Going Dotty!

Finally a Sunny day! So I've given my nails a Summery look with dots and flowers...

Cuticle oil is making my hands look shiny could I copy Wah anymore?! My cuticles were looking a bit shocking!

I didn't copy this from a picture/video (I'm getting creative!) But I was inspired by a blogger who did polka dot nails recently. I can't remember or find who it was (which is really annoying me) I'm sure I commented on it though. (Let me know if it was you!)
I used some Fimo flowers I got from Amazon to make it look really Summery! I'm going to do a post about Fimo sticks tomorrow so watch this space

I also used dotting tools (from Amazon). I used the smallest size and all the dots look pretty much the same size. There are of course some great things you can use from around the home instead of buying dotting tools, a hairpin, paperclip, needle head etc. I'm sure you've all heard it before.

Oh also if you're on Twitter I'd love it if you'd follow me @PeuRenardRoux
Haha! I might have made the whole punk band thing up!

Love, S
xxx

Friday's Fashion Fix: Part Two!

Here's part two of today's Fashion Fix focusing on JOY!

All items from JOY!

This time lovely tribal prints! The back of the green dress is amazing so you should check it out. I'm loving all the jewellery here as well... I want it all!

I especially love this...

Large bee necklace, sigh, if only I wasn't on a spending ban!

Love, S
xxx

Friday's Fashion Fix: Part One!

You're so lucky, two lots of fashion fix today both focusing on JOY the store!

All items from JOY!

Let me know if you want any more details about any of the items featured. First of all I picked out some pastel, girly items, cute and ready for Summer!

JOY is a great alternative to Topshop. Their products are around the same price range and they're great quality. I'm loving the rabbit necklace and the sparrow ring, I'm really into jewellery at the moment!

Stay tuned for Part Two coming up later!

Love, S
xxx

Vintage Finds: Hollywood Glamour

Faux fur coat a family 'heirloom'! Vintage silk top from Vintage-A-Peel

In these gloomy weather days I just feel like staying in and watching old films. The kind that make you wish 'we still dressed like that'. Right now I'd much rather be watching All About Eve than thinking about getting ready for work!

But instead I thought I'd show you some of my pieces that give me a little bit of that old school Hollywood glamour. The faux fur coat has been in my family for years, I love the colour and feel of it, it looks so expensive and it's really warm and cosy. The pink silk top with lace sleeves I got from Vintage-a-Peel they've got some cute vintage pieces.

I love this top, it looks a bit shapeless in the picture but it ties at the waist. I'll do an outfit post of it sometime, I think I'm going to take it to York when we go to the races so I can really dress it up then! There are some vintage stores in Manchester  but I haven't really found anywhere near me that does great vintage pieces so I had to resort to online vintage shopping. (If you live in the Manchester area and you know of any great vintage stores please let me know!)

Love, S
xxx

Beauty Heroes: Liz Earle vs. Elemis

I’ve been using Liz Earle for a couple of years. I have dry, sensitive skin that is prone to breakouts. It doesn’t like anything with harsh chemicals and Cleanse and Polish came as a bit of a saviour to my skin.

I know loads of bloggers have expressed the virtues of Liz Earle so I’m not going go into detail about it. What I will say is that if you’re having problem skin give it a try, there’s only one cleanser in the range because it’s suitable for everyone and gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin (100ml pump starter kit £13.25).

I’d also recommend the toner and moisturiser to really complete your skincare routine. The toner with aloe vera, chamomile and cucumber soothes the skin (£11.75 for 200ml). There’s a choice of moisturisers based on your skin type. I use dry/sensitive which has quite a thick consistency. But if your skin was oily Skin Repair Moisturiser light would be recommended as the consistency is much thinner (£17.60 for 50ml).

Recently however I’ve begun to notice that after cleaning my face has been getting very painful. My skin becomes blotchy, especially on my cheeks and I feel like I’m running for the toner. So I thought I'd steal borrow my Mum's Elemis and try it out.

I love the look of the bottle but was a bit worried about whether it would be full of chemicals.  Their tagline ‘Defined my Nature led by Science’ worried me a little. But I got a wonderful surprise. My skin seems to love Elemis, the Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser (£27.60 for 150ml) which is really gentle and takes make-up off really effectively.

I’ve also started using the Papaya Enzyme Peel once a week (which doesn’t actually peel it’s just a mask) which purifies sensitive skin and has a really great subtle fruity smell (£28.60 for 50 ml). And finally the Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules, (pink (rose) in the morning and green (lavender) at night) are fantastic for hydrating my dry skin, though wouldn’t be suitable for oily skin as their consistency is rich and oily (£59.30 for 60 capsules).

Now after cleansing and even when I wake up in the morning my skin has a much more even tone and feels softer and healthier. As you can see, Elemis is quite a bit more expensive than Liz Earle so I’ve been mixing it up. I use the Elemis cleanser with my Liz Earle toner and moisturiser. 

I’ve not given up on Cleanse and Polish forever I think my skin just needed a break and it just shows that it’s good to try something new in your routine now and then

Have you tried any of these products, what do you think? And what would you recommend?

Love, S
xxx

She Wore What?! Monocrome Madness!

It's Summer Solstice, the longest day but it's raining, boo! Come on Summer give some sunshine to those of us who aren't going away.

I've gone all monocrome today in a Prada-inspired Summer dress teamed with tights (of course) and some little black espadrilles.

Me again!

My dress was from Tesco (just a bit cheaper than Prada then!). My shoes are from La Redoute, they were £25 and I love them. They're not too high so I've been wearing them all the time, they look great with jeans too!
I've blogged about my vintage necklace and brooch, you can check that out here!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Love, S
xxx

I Just Wanted to Say... Thank You

To Beth, for making me her first Friday Favourite :) It means a lot, especially as I haven't been blogging for very long.

You can check Crystal Beth out here! And you should, she's got a fantastic blog :)

And I'm currently loving The Kills new single Future Starts Slow, here it is live.

Happy Sunday!

Love, S
xxx

Nail'd: Wah Nails Inspired Leopard Print!

Hey, I would've posted this earlier but had a bit of a nightmare with my laptop. I had this pretend virus thing which was trying to make me buy fake anti-virus software (grr!). My amazing boy managed to fix it though (phew!) So I've only just been able to read all my lovely comments (thank you!)

Today I decided to try out a leopard print design I saw on Wah's site ages ago, here's my attempt...

And this is the picture which I copied it gained inspiration from...

Credit

Yeah so as you can see my nails are a lot shorter, I love the shape of these nails but long nails always make me feel a bit weird. I think I'm going to try and grow them a bit longer and see how I feel.

Despite that I'm well impressed with my handiwork. I tried using tape to do the two colours to begin with but it was a bit too fiddly for me so I decided to just do it freehand. I've got a bit of a wobbly hand but the pattern over the join covered it!

Now I feel ready for Summer and a bit of sunshine, what do you think?

Love, S
xxx

Friday's Fashion Fix

This week: a little bit of Oriental inspiration!

White dress- Topshop, Fan- River Island, All Jewellery- Shared Earth, Shes- both from Miss Selfridge, Beige Maxi Dress- River Island, Kimono- Oasis, Snissues- Miss Selfridge

I really love kimonos at the moment, especially this one, it's so wearable. You could put it with jeans or with a white dress for Summer days. Being on my spending ban of course I'm not going to be buying it. Instead I've decided that if I really need clothes I'm only going to buy them from charity/thrift shops because it's cheaper and it'll make my search for a kimono more interesting! (By the time I find one I probably won't even want one anyway!)

All the jewellery here I picked from Shared Earth's website. If you've never heard of Shared Earth before I urge you to check it out. The things they sell are handmade, eco-friendly and beautiful. All goods are fair-trade so you know that when you buy something the money is going to the skilled people who made them.

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Love, S
xxx

Friday Morning Whinge Club (better late than never!)

Hello! I had to work this morning and didn't really have time to post at 7.30!

Bit more of a serious moan this week. I was watching This Morning yesterday, a segment of which was called 'Asking for it?' The guests included Nick Freeman, who is of the opinion that by dressing provocatively women are making themselves look available and are therefore partly to blame in rape cases.

You can watch the video here.

I couldn't find the video on YouTube, but if you follow the link you can watch this guy pretty much blame women for getting raped. He can only be described as a complete knob fool. His views of women are Victorian and he makes men sound like neanderthals who are all programmed to rape women who wear short skirts.

Personally I try to dress relatively modestly, but I believe women should feel free to wear what they like. As Slut Walk supporter Lisa Longstaff  says women get raped regardless of what they are wearing.

I imagine pretty much everyone following my blog is of the believe that women and men are equal, but it seems that even in the 21st century there are people who take such an antiquated view. This guy made my blood boil and certainly brought out the feminist in me. If you've seen it or have taken the time to watch it I hope that you feel the same.

(On a lighter note I loved the part where Phillip Schofield picks up the paper and asks Nick Freeman if he thinks his daughter looks like a slut!)

Love, S
xxx