It's taken me 3 months but it's over!!!

What am I being so dramatic about?! Glossybox. After receiving my 7th Glossybox a week ago I've given up and unsubscribed. I was so disappointed by the last box, it contained bath salts, hand cream, face cream, a perfume, and Nail Rock Nail Wraps. I wasn't excited about any of these products, the only 2 with potential were the hand cream which went straight into my work bad but it's just a hand cream, and the Nail Wraps but they were leopard print.

My favourite products from previous Glossybox's have been -

• WELEDA (POMEGRANATE REGENERATING BODY OIL) - July
• HD BROWS (EYE&BROW PALETTE) - September
• DERMALOGICA AGE SMART - MULTIVITAMiN THERMAFOLIANT - OCTOBER
• STILA - SMUDGE STICK WATERPROOF EYE LINER IN khaki - OCTOBER

I've definitely given Glossybox time to develop but I feel their selections are getting worse. I still love the idea of a beauty box subscription because I enjoy looking forward to the monthly box being delivered and it's so exciting opening the box. I've done some research and have subscribed to Boudoir Prive. Although the products aren't as large as Glossybox they same to be more suited for me, more cosmetics based. So I'm looking forward to receiving the box which will arrive mid December.

What are your thoughts and experiences with beauty subscriptions?

what have I been up to?

Hope everyone is well!

I haven't had the chance to blog much recently, work is busy and I'm also redecorating. I live with my in laws (not as bad as it sounds!) and we're switching rooms at the moment. The one me and my hubby are moving into is huge but it was decorated so badly. Think dado rails, stripy flowery wall paper and lots of chintz! So I've spent the last couple weekends decorating and I am tired! Its not completely done yet as we have furniture to build tomorrow and because the new carpet doesn't arrive till Wednesday or Friday, we won't have our wardrobes and new bed in until next weekend. It's all a bit hectic. 

The whole process almost put me off my long term plan of getting our own home, actually it really doesn't!\the wall you can see is where I plan to put my new dressing table.....which I'm still looking for.

Hope you're all well and here is a progress picture to give you an idea of what's going on. As it's my birthday next week I should hopefully have some blogs up to share my busy long weekend with you all. And that reminds me, I was bidding on a Topshop blouse which I was planning to wear on the evening of my birthday but I forgot to check and lost out. Damn all this decorating, it's interfering with my clothes buying!!!

Any suggestions for where to look for a new dressing table?

a little surprise...

Hope you're all well and have had a good week, I for one am so glad the working week is over, bring on the weekend!

Today at work I was given a present, it was from our office cleaner who is such a nice woman. She has been dealt some bad card in her life and always seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. Yesterday my team, including the cleaner, were discussing ring sizes, as you do! I pointed out how I have skinny fingers. The today she came if and gave me a ring that belonged to her daughter who died around 3 years ago. I was touched by the gesture, I have no idea of the rings worth or history. Apparently the owner was a bit of a hoarder, I'm sure we would have got on very well! 

The ring is very me, and here is a picture

The ring features 3 oval shaped stones. I did originally feel uncomfortable taking it but my friend did say it would mean a lot to her as she doesn't like the idea of her daughters belongings just remaining unworn. 

All in all, the ring left me feeling very good and it's nice to think that my friend thinks enough of me to give me something that belonged to her daughter.

Have you ever received anything that made you feel warm and fuzzy inside?

Outfit of the night

As promised by my previous post, I managed to take a few pics before I went out last night.

My bargain £2 necklace from Dorothy Perkins.

Two bracelets from Primark.

Green slouchy top from Boohoo, see my previous Chelsea Boot Love and recent shopping, and Topshop Leigh Jeans.

Studded heel shoes bought ages ago from Linea, House of Fraser.

Really don't like this pic but it shows my green and black eye makeup.

Raspberry Daiquiri.

Apologies because I am really bad at taking pics of myself and had noone at the time to help out, but at least you get the idea. I had a fabulous time and had some lovely cocktails.

What did you get up to last night?

Happy Sunday everyone! 

Saturday bargains!

I went to Outfit this morning, for those who don't know Outlet is a large shop for the Arcadia group so it holds Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, Miss Selfridge, and Evans. I was on the hunt for Topshop MOTO Leigh Supersoft Jeans in Burgundy £38, which I found. I already have these jeans in black and light blue (only suitable through summer) and I absolutely love them. They're so comfortable and a higher waist so you're not having to pull them up constantly. They're also tight around the ankle and are super stretchy.

I also found two absolute bargains in the Dorothy Perkins sale. They were both priced at £7 reduced from £15, but when I went to pay for everything the total came to £42. Obviously like any sane female shopper I did a "yay!" inside but didn't say anything as I thought the Sales Assistant must have done a mistake. I paid sharpish and once I was safely outside I checked the receipt and had only been charged £2 for each necklace. Here they are.

I am so happy with both of them as they're exactly my style, a bit chunky and very versatile. I'm hoping to do my first Outfit of the Day/Night tonight as I'm going out with my best friend. Hopefully I'll have enough time to take a few pics while I'm waiting for my lift. I'm planning on wearing the new jeans, a green metallic slouchy top, and one of the above necklaces. Not sure about shoes yet.

Have you had any absolute bargains recently?

Travalo

Just a quick post to let you know about a recent ebay purchase I made, after watching various Youtube videos on the Travalo I decided to order one from an ebay seller for £7.59. Although the item arrived in perfect condition, it did take 5 days to get here so shop about if you want it quickly. It could be as a result of "ebay karma" as I took almost a week to post an item I sold (Leighton Denny Sex Kitten Nail Polish - from the October Glossy Box).

 

The Travalo is a portable 3 inch(ish) tall container designed for carrying around your perfume in a convenient way. At the bottom of the container is a suction which you place over the top of your favourite perfume Bottle on the white stick bit and you just press down around 30-40 times. I love to carry around makeup and toiletries but it's always in miniature or small compact form, so this is ideal for me. I've already filled mine with my favourite day perfume, Anthology 3 L'Imperatrice Perfume for Women by Dolce and Gabbana. 

"Succulent exotic fruits of bright pink florals give way to a musky, appetite-arousing base. A mouth-watering concoction of fresh watermelon and juicy kiwi is offset by the drama of a pink cyclamen for an exhilarating fragrance sensation. Boisterous, brilliant and incredibly addictive."

I also think these would make fantastic stocking fillers or presents. They also come in black, silver, pink, and gold, which can be seen here. 

What do you think?

Nails of the Day

I love nail polish!

After searching 3 different Topshops for Butterscotch Babe, £5 I finally found it and I love it. It's a gorgeous burnt orange and I wasn't able to find anything that came close. I would probably have resorted to paying the equivalent for the cost of the product for the p&p and ordered it online if I hadn't found it.

If you are generous enough with one coat of this it is enough, it is very opaque and looks creamy in texture which is what I love in my favourite nail polishes.

Then I went to Superdrug to stock up on essentials and couldn't resist NYC Boundless Berry which was an absolute snip at around £2.50. It is completely opaque after one coat and has a gorgeous glossy finish. I went back to work and couldn't resist apply it on the ring finger on each hand. It does look slightly darker when applied on the picture, however it is definitely true to the bottle shade. The colours actually complement each other well and are season appropriate. Whilst Butterscotch Babe is gorgeous, I think I will definitely be exploring the NYC range more as it's half the price and you get slightly more product.

As always, I topped off each colour with my favourite top coat, see my post here. The reason I love the creamy opaque consistency of these polishes over their more shimmery counterparts is because the former is suitable for work and play but the latter should be reserved for play time only!

What are your favourite nail combos. or do you jut prefer to done one colour? 

Happy Friday everyone!

40 Getting to Know Me Questions

Wasn't sure what to blog about tonight and I love to watch these types of videos on Youtube so thought I'd do my own version on here, so here goes...

SKINCARE


-How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice, without fail. Occasionally I will cheat and use a cleansing wipe instead but I'm pretty geeky when it comes to removing make up.

-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
I'm pretty lucky and have good skin, I don't honestly do that much. I do get a shiny t-zone throughout the day and prefer to use blotting paper as opposed to reapplying makeup.

-What is your current facial wash?
Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Cleanser and Mask. I have used this for around 5 years.
-Do you exfoliate?
Yes, around twice a week but products vary. I do love Dermalogica Microfoliant but have recently been using the Microfoliant of the same brand, which I received in the October Glossy Box.

-What brand do you use?
Haha, see above!

-What moisturiser do you use?
La Roche Posay Effaclar M Daily Mattifying Moisturiser, around £15 from Boots. I try to stock up when the 3 for 2 deals are on as each bottle contains only 30ml. I also mix in a tiny amount of Oilatum Natural Face Repair Cream (around £7 from Boots).

-Do you have freckles?
Nope

-Do you use eye cream?
Yes, the L'Oreal Collagen Micro-Vibration Eye Cream, £15 from various retailers. I wouldn't say it's amazing and I don't even use the vibrating but. I will probably look for something new when it runs out. 

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
I'm lucky that I've always had clear skin, I do get the occasional hormonal breakout but nothing too bad.

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
Don't even know what it is

MAKE-UP


-What foundation do you use?
I don't use one, I use MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural. Is that a foundation?

-How about concealer?
MAC Select Cover-up, I did try the Collection 2000 one which is about 1/3 of the price but the colour range didn't suit me (I'm NC35).

-Do you know your undertone color?
They call me mellow yellow!

-What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I love them but find them tricky to apply. H&M do a nice natural pair for £3.99 which I can apply but they're not glam enough.

-Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes but I don't use mine every day so I think I would waste a lot of product if I did change every 3 months, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

-What brand of mascara do you use?
At the moment I'm using Max Factor False Lash Effect, not amazing me a lot but will do for now. I have thick straight stubborn lashes, even eyelash perming didn't work on me.

-Sephora or MAC?
No Sephora where I live so definitely MAC

-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No.

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Fingers for eyeshadow, but MAC brushes for everything else.

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes, I have used Urban Decay Primer Potion for about 10 years, I'm using the Sin one at the moment but will return to using the original when I've used it up. I recently purchased and tried MAC Paint Pot in Indian Wood but it creased on me.

-For the face?
No.

-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
I really don't have one, I love neutrals.

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Gel...
-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never, ouch!

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I used to be obsessed with MAC's but they created too much and I either compressed them with MACs Mixing Medium or binned them.

-Do you use mineral makeup?
Yes, MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish.

-What is your favorite lipstick?
Revlon Super Lustrous in Mink or MAC Viva Glam Cyndi, a gorgeous pink coral.

-How about lipgloss?
I'm not a fan of lipgloss but I have just purchased Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Cream in Fairy Cake, it's more of a liquid lipstick but is matte and lasts quite long.

-What is your favorite blush to use?
Dior Bronzing Powder in Amber Bronze (I know it's a Bronze but I have darker skin), not sure how much because it was given to me. For a pink tone I love Boots 17 Blusher in First Flush, £3.49.

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
I did used to buy MAC pigment samples but some of them were fake so that has put me off.

-Do you like drugstore makeup?
Loveeee them!! Revlon lipsticks, Sleek and Boots 17 blushers,

-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
I have been to one in York, UK, they had a really good selection but I didn't really buy anything.

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
No, it's just a bit of fun for me.

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
I don't think so.

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Foundation that doesn't match the skin, AAARRRRGHHHHH!!!!

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I like colourful lips and on the eyes I will wear purple/green/blue on the lower lash smudged out but stick to neutrals everywhere else.
-Which celebrity always has great make up?
Oooooh I'm not sure, I could lie and mak one up but I won't.

-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Concealer!!!

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes, but I don't go very far.

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
Apart from the dark under eye circles I don't think I look that different.

-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
MAC.

Your turn!!!

My first dip into Lush

I visited Lush yesterday and felt the urge to buy but had no idea what to get and was overwhelmed by the choice. I spoke to a male Sales Assistant and decided I wanted to pamper myself so I chose the following and tried them all out last night....

First I used the free sample of Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser, I received a generous amount and think it will last me around a week if used once a day. I loved the almond smell and the concept was fun, you put a small amount of the dry product in the palm of your hand then add a small amount of water and use to cleanse your face. It also mildly exfoliates and I would definitely repurchase this. The full price is £5.95 for 100g.

I then used the Moon and Sun Steamer Tab to open my pores. It cost £2.50 for one small 7g tablet. Although I enjoyed using it I don't think I would re-purchase as I'm not sure if it really did anything apart from get me a bit flustered through the steaming process. It also had a lavender fragrance which I wasn't keen on.

My favorite item was the Brazened Honey Face Mask. I have normal skin which is slightly oily on the T-zone and felt this product balanced my skin. It cost £5.50 for 75g and it will probably last me around 6 uses. I was advised to store it in the fridge as well. I love honey and this smelt absolutely delicious. I was originally advised to try the Love Lettuce mask but as it smelt quite strongly of lavender so I asked for an alternative.

Finally I asked for a facial spritz which I could use at work to freshen my face during the day as I tend not to reapply makeup. I picked up the Breath of Fresh Air Toner which cost £3.75 for 100g (shouldn't that read 'ml'?). Although I like the actual product the mist itself isn't fine enough and it leaves large droplets on your face which isn't really practical when you don't want to reapply makeup. I think I'll be using this at home and at the moment I'm not sure if I would repurchase.

 

Overall, I'm pleased with the Lush products I bought and am very keen to try more, I feel a new addiction developing!

Have you tried Lush? Can you recommend any products?

Chelsea Boot Love and recent shopping

I've been browsing on ASOS and I've cone across these amazing Chelsea Boots. They're £85 though (sad face). How amazing are they?

I recently did a shop on Boohoo and this is what I bought...

This Cathy Dress was on sale for an amazing £8 and it looks gorgeous on, perfect for Christmas parties

I also got a pair of Cord High Waisted Green Shorts and I'm so glad I read the reviews and ordered a large because anything smaller would of been too tight. They're perfect for wearing with leggings, boots and a chunky cardigan but I'm concerned about how long they'll last as they're very thin, but only cost £10.

I've also been wanting a Scallop Vest for a while but didn't want to pay £15 for one at Topshop. Luckily Boohoo had an amazing selection of colours and I got one in Berry and it was £8

Finally from Boohoo I got a Metallic Lurex Zip Back Top in a gorgeous green. I got the top in S/M and it's still very baggy, I'll probably wear it with skinny jeans tucked in at the front.

 

Boohoo is a really good site and I would suggest that everyone has a look and definitely check out the clearance section because they have some absolute bargains (I love the dress!!).

Yesterday during lunchtime I also went on a New Team Bonding Trip to H&M, any excuse, and got 3 tops costing £7.99 for work and play, all of which I already own in different colours. Isn't that just the norm when in H&M? Apologies for the quality of the pictures but it is difficult to drop in the images from the site. 

The first Top has a zip pocket and is a gorgeous soft jersey material. I already have it in black and picked up the rust colour. I got the Medium as it looks much better when it's slouchy as opposed to how it looks on the site.

I also got a Cowl Neck Jersey Top in purple, which is actually the 'corporate colour' of the company I work for so I don't think I will wear it to wear. Buy I have it in black also and love the soft draping effect of the neck. Again I got it in Medium as I think it looks much better slightly baggy and tucked into high waisted jeans or trousers. 

The H&M site isn't the best to navigate around and as a result I couldn't find the final top but it was a very simple three quarter sleeve, slash neck top and I picked it up in the black as I already had the grey/black stripe version. H&M do amazing basic tops which last forever. I think about 70% of my wardrobe is H&M!

I also picked up an almost maxi Long Black Sleeveless Dress which was £24.99 but I will be returning it as I got it in a small but it's just too baggy around the top and feel an extra small would be too tight around the waist.  I couldn't find this top on the site either but have taken a picture and will drop it below as I think some people will love it. It also came in a rich purple colour. I'm 5'5'' and it hits me just on the ankle. 

Apologies for not being able to rotate the image but I'm on my brother in laws Apple and it's confusing me!

What have you been buying? I hope you all have a good weekend

a "well done me" present....

The last two weeks have been busy!

I had an interview for an internal post and got it! Well done me. Then I went to London for a few days to stay with family. The day after I got back from London I went to Sheffield for training. I got back last night and after finishing working today I though "I need a treat!".

My manager always wears an amazing ring and although I've noticed it many times, I've never asked about it. So I was in a lift with her in Sheffield and decided to ask her randomly. It was from Pandora and her ex bought it for her a few years ago. I though Pandora just did those charm bracelets and necklaces which I'm not a fan of. But as soon as I could I went on their website and trawled the many pages of gorgeous rings. They didn't have the same style as the one my boss was wearing but there were some lovely designs. I went to the Pandora store today which is around 5 minutes walk from my office and ended up buying this beauty....

It was £100 and the name of it is "190383" (catchy!). I love the design and it will go with everything! I initially wanted the 190140, also £100, but when I tried it on in the store I realised that it didn't look as good as it did on the site. Here is that rejected ring....

There are some other styles I have my eye on but the 190383 will definitely do for now. All the rings can be found on the Pandora site.

Whilst in London I went shopping to Westfield. A huge shopping centre. I was hoping they would have a Forever 21 because I really wanted to have a look at their jewellery but Forever 21 doesn't exist in Westfield (sad face). I didn't really have much time but did manage to check out watches in the Michael Kors store, see my previous post here. My husband quickly ushered me out of there before I could even speak to any Sales Assistant and I ended up in New Look looking for something to make me feel better. I saw this jacket and was reluctant to post the link because it looks horrible on the site, but here it is, Printed Drop Pocket Kimono. In person it is much more relaxed and sheer than it appears on the site and will look lovely with my skinny jeans, boots, and a simple plain top. 

What have you been up to?

My Indian drawer

I have various places where I store my jewellery....

I have a very small jewellery box on my bedside drawer
In my wardrobe I have a basket which holds my Indian jewellery sets, each in their own box
Along the top of my mirror which I use every mornings I have bent hair pins (classy I know!) and hung necklaces  on the pin, this is so I see them ever day and use them (I'm a very "out of sight, out of mind" type of girl
A huge gift/storage box which contains sandwich bags (again, oh so chic!) full of coloured Indian bangles which I tend to not wear so much these days as I prefer to wear either golds, silver, or antique golds, depending on the Indian outfit I'm wearing
A drawer in my dresser which contains all bracelets, bindis, and small jewellery sets

Below is pictures of the drawer that holds many of my Indian accessories....

I like to see pieces as soon as I open my drawer, rather then having boxes with lids on. Tonight I am attending my two year old nephews birthday party and I plan to wear a mainly black outfit with blue and gold in. I will probably wear more western jewellery as that's the style of the outfit. I will take pictures once the outfit and accessories are all together. 

If you would like specific details on anything, let me know.

Oh and if you're wondering, the vast amount of white string in one of the boxes is used for threading through the salwaar part of my Indian outfits and through the top of petticoats for sarees. Would anyone be interested in more details on my Indian outfits?

Shellac nails

After reading a post on Laura's blog (http://www.buynowbloglater.com/2011/10/pink-smoothie.html) on Shellac nails, I was determined to find somewhere local to me. After some research (all I did was google "shellac" and my home town name) I made an appointment. I went this morning and wasn't entirely impressed with the results, but this is solely because of the lady who did my nails and not the actual products used. The whole manicure cost me only £15 which just goes to show you get what you pay for. 

For more information on Shellac go to http://www.nailsmag.com/article/1061/shellac-your-nails. When done well the treatment should last for 2-3 weeks and once removed correctly there will be minimal or no damage to nails.

As soon as I got home I grabbed my Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in Midnight Red, around £4 and went over it. The colour hadn't been applied close to the edge so I had gaps on almost all nails. I then applied a top coat, Nails Inc. Save the Nail 45 Second Top Coat (amazing value at about £4.50 and available at Boots).

I'm currently researching UV Nail Lamps and looking at buying my own, ebay sells ones for as little as £8.99, does anyone know if these are any good? I would then have to purchase Shellac Base and Top Coats as well as colours. I'm quite good at doing my own nails so I'm thinking this is a good long-term option. 

This is the final result....

I still need to tidy it up a bit but I did a much better job than the "professional".

Anyone else tried Shellac?

Recent buys

Yesterday I went to Primark and H&M on my lunch for a look about, and I found these two...

The left is a small bracelet from H&M and it was £2.99. They had a selection of different colours but I don't think you can ever go wrong with black and gold.

The large cuff/bracelet is from Primark and was £3, amazing value as it is very well made, the gold disc is securely fixed as opposed to just glued on which is sometimes what Primark do. I think it is a gorgeous statement piece. The "leather" looks black, but it is a really dark brown.

My makeup must haves

As well as jewellery, I love makeup. Over the past five years I have experimented with some crazy eye colours and a range of pigments, palettes, primers, lipsticks, lipglosses, mascaras, eyeliners, foundations, eyeshadows etc etc....

At the ripe old age of 28 I have now got what I call, my makeup must haves. These are products I either use everyday or use on a night out. Here they are...by the way, this post will concentrate on makeup only. I will be doing another post for skincare.

MAC Select Cover Up is my favorite concealer. In the past I have tried Bobbi Brown Correctors and Concealers (too much creasing) and Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer (shade range didn't suit me.

The MAC Select Cover Up provides perfect coverage, doesn't budge all day, and comes in a hygienic tube as opposed to a pot which you constantly dip your fingers in! It cost £13.50. I use this under my eyes and place small dots around my noise, between my eyebrows, and on my chin. Then I blend with my favorite brush...

The Body Shop Retractable Blusher Brush £11.50. This brush is dense enough to blend in the concealer and when working on smaller areas I pull the handle down on the brush as if I was about to close it and stop about 1cm from the tip. This makes it even denser, then I retract fully to blend everything in seamlessly.

My eye primer of choice is no surprise, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, around £13.

I have used this for around 10 years!!!! I currently have the Sin version which has shimmer to it but once it has finished I will be reverting back to the original as you can always add the shimmer with eyeshadows. However, it takes freakin' ages to get through just one, and about 8 months in I'm still nowhere near finishing.

Next I set my face with MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Dark.



This costs around £19 and is brilliant at providing the natural minimal coverage I need. As I now don't ever use foundation I just rely on this to cover what the concealer hasn't. Simples!

I love my brows and often receive comments on how nice they are, I got sent the Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Palette, around £24, as a present from a friend.

I use the dark brown shade for my eyebrows and the middle taupe shade for for whole eyelid area. I find the shimmer too lights and the concealer is a bit heavy and light in shade for me.

I do tend to swap blushers or sometimes not wear any at all, but at the moment I love Boots 17 Blusher in First Flush (£3.49) applied with the same brush I use to apply the MAC MSF. I love this bright blusher and it seems to last all day and is very VERY pigmented so you have to have a light hand.

Finally I use MAC Fluidline in Blacktrach £13.50 on my upper eyelid, as thin as possible and slightly thicker on the outside. I apply it with my MAC 266 Eyeliner brush £16

.

That's it, all in all this takes me about 10mins or less to do as I do exactly the same thing everyday, as I'm up early for work Monday to Friday I just stick to the same routine.

A trip down memory lane

I was looking through some pictures this weekend and realised it was a perfect place to show some of my collection, so let's have a look...

I had to start with the jewellery I wore on my wedding day, I love it and haven't worn it since (five years ago). Bought in India it was around £200 and also consisted of some earrings which you can't see. And if you're interested, this is a picture of my chunni/duputta. The bangles (known as a churra) were also a major part of the outfit.

Colour blocking at its best!

This is a real Indian gold set which I love, I will be taking closer pics of some of my favourites and this will be one of them as the detail is amazing.

My large earrings from Accesorize (around £12), the stones are a gorgeous grey which matched the outfit perfectly. This was taken Oct 2010 and I prefer to do either necklace or earrings, but usually opt for the former as I find having long curly hair, earrings are usually hidden.

Another Indian piece but this one isn't gold and I have amazing memories of buying this in India, 2006.

Very dangly earrings which annoyed the hell out of me as I was getting my bhangra on on the dancefloor! These were around £5.99 from H&M. The bangles are also a crazy mix of colours which was so suitable for this wedding reception. You can also just about see my favourite clutch.

For some stupid reason I threw this necklace away in a cleaning frenzy last year, not knowing that Aztec was all the rage this summer. £1 from Primark, bought in Winter 2009 on a shopping trip whilst at university, a last minute purchase to go with an outfit that same night.

I spent most of a 2010 holiday in Rome untangling all my long necklaces, and this was one of them. Quite heavy for what it is and it features a collection of "rings". Around £6.99 from H&M.

I love this necklace but it's such a hassle to wear as it takes some messing with to make it look even all the way round. When I originally bought this necklace it has more pearls and rhinestones attached but I wanted to  strip it back to mainly the chains. I can't remember where I bought this, I think it may have been Warehouse, on sale.

Another piece not to wear when you're planning to dance all night is this necklace from my clearly favourite store, H&M, and it was a steal at around £5.99. They currently have the same one but in an orange.

I know, I know, the same top (£7.99 from New Look, Summer 2011). This one isn't very easy to see so I will take clearer pictures. It was 70% off at an Accessorize sale around 3 summers ago and features purple, pink and green blocks of colour.

I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. Let me know which ones you would like to see more clearly. And this is just a small sample of what I own so lots more to come.

Hope you're all having a good start to the week.