Beauty Sale Finds

I'm not really a sales kinda girl.

I actually hate the sales. They are busy, loud, crowded, hectic and stressful and having a 6 month baby bump makes it all the more necessary to stay away.

So this year, I decided I would check out what some of my favourite beauty and fashion spots had online. First stop - beauty. I decided to be reserved and only checked Selfridges and Space NK (aka the mothership). I thought I would share with you briefly what I picked up and then over another couple of posts, I will share them with you in more detail.

So my first venture online was to Space NK. I have always wanted the gorgeous Laura Mercier bath and body sets but I never really felt like spending upwards of £40 on indulgent bath treats for myself! So when I spotted the Honey Musk duo set - with bubble bath, body creme and honey spatula - at HALF PRICE for only £15...well, it went straight in my virtual shopping basket.

Next, I spotted something from Lipstick Queen. I have never bought anything from Lipstick Queen, but I have heard some amazing things. I saw the Liquid Asset set of 3 lip glosses, featuring a stunning nude, a bright popping pink and a vampy red. Whereas I am more of a lipstick girl, I thought my collection could do with some high quality lip glosses. Again, this set was £30 and was reduced to half price. So in the basket it went! Now considering this is still available on the John Lewis website for full price, this to me was a real bargain.

Next was the Selfridges beauty sale. There was so much in this sale that I actually got a bit bored going through the dozens and dozens of pages. I filled a basket quickly and in the end, I had to do some serious editing. Which...was a real challenge!

I ended up purchasing the Laura Mercier eyelash curlers, a MAC black liquid eyeliner and...my favourite new palette, Urban Decay's Naked on the Run - a limited edition palette from the Naked range, featuring 6 new eyeshadows, a bronzer, high lighter, blush, eyeliner, mascara AND a lipgloss, all in the famous naked colour ranges. This is definitely getting it's own post as I really am in love with it. It was originally £37 and I think I got it for £30 in the sale, which isn't that much of a saving, but as I had my eye on it before the sale, I knew I had to just get it!

The Selfridges beauty sale didn't have as many bargains as the Space NK sale, it had more like a few pounds off each product as opposed to a decent percentage off, but if you have the time to scroll through the many...many pages, you will be sure to find some good deals.

So as I said, more details coming soon, but in the mean time, did you find any amazing bargains in the sales?

Belle x

New Yankee Candles

I have a bit of a candle obsession.

It started a few years ago when I used to work at the Christian Dior head office. I was the Front of House gal and a PA, and one of my jobs was to keep the entrance of the office looking pristine and perfect. One of the regulations was that there always had to be a Diptyque candle burning and it had to be Opoponax. I had to bulk order these candles (about 20 at a time) to ensure we always had one burning. When the candle got down to about a quarter empty (or full if you like) that candle was discarded, as it looked messy apparently, and a new one was lit.

Now, this seemed like a HUGE waste to me, and considering my 21 year old brain couldn't fathom the idea of binning an almost £40 candle, when it still had about 15 hours of burn time left, I asked if I could take the discarded Diptique candles home with me. And they said yes!

So that was the start of the obsession. Not just for scented candles, but expensive (tsk tsk) scented candles. They just smell better, burn better, last longer and look nicer. Yes I am a bit of a candle snob. I tried the cheap versions, but they just didn't do it for me. However, I also realise that spending £40 on a candle is a bit cray cray, so my eyes were opened up to the world of Anthropologie candles and, of course, the amazing Yankee Candles. Here you have candles, which do everything the crazily expensive candles do, but for a quarter of the price (depending on sizes).

I received a marketing newsletter from an online gift company recently, about a flash sale for Yankee Candles. Normally these emails make no impression, but I was quick to click on the links and be taken to the Yankee Candle section of the website. All candles at 30% off! Cue one happy girl!

Now, I am trying to save and not splurge at the moment, due to doing major house renovation works, but I have been very good recently so I thought, these candles would be a good compromise purchase - 30% off AND you could argue that they are a home essential, thus needed for the house. That was all the convincing I needed.

I decided to limit myself to just 2 of the large jars. These have around 100 - 135 hours of burn time, plus the chunky glass jars look great and can be used as storage jars when they have finished (thrifty girl me!)

After scrolling up and down the choices for ages, I finally narrowed it down to 4 candles. It is hard choosing scents without smelling them, but I knew I wanted to go for sweet, edible smells. Their floral fragrances are gorgeous, but I aim to put one in the kitchen and one in the lounge, and the yummy smells always seem to suit my house the most.

After a bit more umming and ahhing, I finally chose Vanilla Chai (my favourite hot drink) and Snowflake Cookie (who could resist such an adorable name?) The Vanilla Chai is a deep red and smells just like its namesake. Vanilla, cinnamon and slightly spicy. Mmmm! As for Snowflake Cookie, it's a pretty fairy pink and smells all warm, sugary and just like freshly baked cookies. It makes me hungry just smelling it.

We're not moving back into our home for another 4 weeks or so, and I have been very tempted to light one up at my parent's house, where we are staying, but I am going to save them for when we move back home. Is it sad that I can't wait to light them up, even more so than to see my home with its new look?!

Have you tried either of these scents? What's your favourite candle? Enjoy x

Ewww...What's Wrong With Your Finger?!

We all have things about our bodies that we would like to change...too fat, too thin, chunky thighs, a wonky nose, whatever it is...we all have our hang ups. There are things we can change and things we can't change, and I have something that I had always wanted to change but couldn't, that I have finally accepted.

It's not a big deal at all...in fact, most people don't notice it unless they look right at it, but I have a misshapen finger. The middle finger on my left hand looks a little weird. This goes way back to when I was under 2 years old and my brother accidentally trapped my finger in the bathroom door. My finger came right off and was hanging by a tiny bit of skin. My poor mum freaked out and luckily, our neighbour at the time was a doctor, so we were rushed to hospital and my finger was reattached.

Fast forward a few years and the top of my finger is now kind of bumpy and instead of a single nail, the nail bed was permanently damaged and it now grows as four nails, with two layers overlapping each other. When I was little, kids noticed and I was embarrassed by it, I mean, it does look odd. Although when people asked to see it, I had to literally give them the finger...which always kind of felt good!

Since I started becoming more interested with all things make-up, beauty and fashion, I have become a pro at disguising it as best as possible with nail varnish...another reason why I have so many bottles in my collection! I never really get manicures, because firstly it hurts when they file that nail and secondly, I always think it looks more obvious, whereas I have developed the knack for it.

I have thought in the past about getting cosmetic surgery on it, but I've come to accept my weird looking finger. It's a part of me and even in my wedding and engagement photos, I didn't try to hide it when close up pictures were taken of the rings. After having several surgeries in the past, I don't see the point in going through something traumatic and painful if it's not a necessity.

Over the years, my wonky finger has been joined by a scar on my lower back, due to spinal surgery and more recently, my "crooked smile" C section scar thanks to Elijah's traumatic birth. These are all things, which make my body and along with a bunch of stretchmarks from pregnancy, make my body mine. Would I change them if I could? Maybe. But they are me and me ain't that bad ;o)

A Jar Full of Love

It was my friend Sarah's birthday last week and I wanted to make her something special, as it was a bit of a milestone birthday!

You might remember Sarah got me a gorgeous, personalised Nails Inc nail varnish, which I posted about here.

I remember reading a post by Becky from Milk Bubble Tea, where she created recipe, where a whole cake (rainbow coloured at that) was mixed and baked in a glass jar. I loved the idea of creating something lovely in a jar that I decided that was the way to go with Sarah's birthday present.

Like me, Sarah is a huge fan of beauty products. We have had many a conversation and many a Boots trip involving lipsticks, mascaras and beauty balms, oh my! So, I decided to make Sarah a jar of beauty!

First I went to Cargo and picked up a Kilner jar. These are those rustic looking jars with the clip latch, which look lovely in a country style kitchen. They are not the cheapest (between £3-£4 a jar) but they look so pretty! I then headed to Poundland and picked up a bag of iridescent scatter stuff and mini eggs. The pretty sparkly stuff is perfect for lining your jar and making it look like a a jar full of magic and sparkle!

I then headed to Boots and Superdrug and picked up a load of lovely beauty things like nail varnishes, Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm, vintage looking nail files, a face mask and a few other bits.

The next step was to line the jar with the sparkly stuff and then arrange the items in the jar. I carefully placed them in, as I wanted you to be able to see what was actually in there. Then I scattered the mini chocolate eggs in the jar to fill up any spaces...and because girls need chocolate...fact!

The finished result looked so pretty and I was so excited to give it to Sarah! It went down very well and I have already started planning the next jar.

The best thing about them is that you can spend as much or as little as you want on them and make them completely personal to the person you're giving them to.

What do you think of this gift idea? Would you give it a go? Enjoy x

New Discovery - SilkFred.com

I love finding out about a new fashion hotspot!

I was browsing on Facebook early this morning, when a link shared by a friend caught my eye. The website was called SilkFred.com and the images being advertised were of a gorgeous black jumpsuit. 

Now I love me a jumpsuit and this one was perfect! Harem style trousers, V neck and very slouchy. I immediately visited the website, without really looking into it too much and purchased the jumpsuit in black and in a blue tropical print. I couldn't pick between the two and at under £40, I thought, get both, see if they look good, if they do put them away for the summer.

Once I made the purchase, I then started to browse around the rest of the website. I was so impressed with the unique collection of designers, that I clicked on the "About Us" page. SilkFred.com are basically a website dedicated to scouting out the best untapped and newly emerging fashion designers. Their collection of designers are so cutting edge, I hadn't really heard of many of them. 

You can browse the online boutiques of these rising stars of the fashion industry, who's collections are all hand selected by the SilkFred.com team. The designers are a mixed bunch of trend-makers, each with their own brand concept. They are sourced at London Fashion Week, graduate showcases and shows and launch pad style initiatives. 

I've put three of my favourite designers below; Never Fully Dressed, Dancing Leopard and Vaccine. Their collections really caught my eye and I'll be sure to keep visiting the website to see which new and exciting designers they recruit!

Have you visited SilkFred.com before? What do you think of the concept? Enjoy x

Statement Tee

I've never really been a Tee kinda gal (tea yes, t-shirt, no!)

I get why people like them, they are comfy and easy to chuck on with a pair of jeans etc...but they've never really been...well...me. That has changed a bit recently. As I've lost a little bit of weight and have a new very short pixie crop, I decided to break out of my comfort zone of tights and dresses and invest in some jeans. Skinny jeans to be precise. After a bit of research on the old blogosphere, I decided to try the Topshop Leigh jeans, as there are a lot of rave reviews about how flattering yet soft and comfy they are...a must for me!

I picked up a pair in dark blue and quickly fell in love. I then went back and repurchased a pair in black and grey and am trying very hard not to get any other colours just yet, as I still want to shift a few more lbs!

Anyway, now that I have some suitable jeans, the t-shirt seemed a necessity. Just as well really as they are everywhere, and I mean everywhere this season! The humble Tee has exploded onto the high street for SS14 and everything from subtle prints to vibrant slogans goes. Primark have an amazing, huuuuuuge selection but I had spotted a couple in River Island, which I wanted to get my hands on.

The first is a simple white slogan Tee, featuring the slogan "Tres Vogue Madam." Yes it's a bit of a naff slogan, but I really like it...fashiony without being too in your face. I've already worn this with faux leather joggers and my Leigh skinnies, and a blazer and it looks fab.

The second is a nice black tee with the slogan "Little Black T shirt." Again, so simple yet so effective. I've been wearing this with my grey skinnies and cut-out boots and in the summer, I'm planning on pairing it with a super girly skirt.

I picked up both tops in a size 14, as I wanted them to be baggy. However, the style is already quite oversized, so a 12 would have been plenty baggy enough! They both have little rolled-up sleeves, which gives them a cool James Dean kind of vibe.

What do you think of this season's must have statement T? Are they your cup of tea?! (sorry, couldn't resist!) Enjoy x

The Primark Must-Have Shoe

I had a little blitz around Primark the other day, as I needed a few essentials...socks, tights, knickers, cotton pads etc, and as I was there, I thought it would be a crime not to have a quick look at the clothes and shoes!

After snatching up a slogan tee, a couple of cami's and a pair of tapered, silky khaki trousers, I stumbled into the shoe section. My local Primark has had a bit of a makeover, and looking through the shoes is so much easier now. I am really into the whole cut-out look with shoes and boots at the moment. I think they work so well for winter, summer and in between seasons. I've picked up a couple of pairs from River Island recently, but I really wanted a more light weight pair for the summer.

And then I spotted them. A little block heel, strappy and cut-out effect. Not just one pair...but three...black, white and tan. It was love at first sight and it was also inevitable that they would all end up in my basket. Well, at £14 a pair, it would have been rude to leave a pair! (forgive the exclusion of the white pair in the photos).

I absolutely love them and predict that these will be my go to shoes this spring and summer.

What do you think of these shoes? Will you be rocking the cut-out look this season? Enjoy x

Naked Palette Dupes by MUA

OK, so maybe I have been hiding under a rock but the last couple of years with the pregnancy and the baby, the "It" beauty must have kind of rolled past me with nothing more than a vague sigh of longing from me.

Now that I have a new job starting very soon and the baby is almost a year old (can you believe it?!) I have been slowly getting back into the make up, beauty and fashion loving Claire Belle of old. So in the last three months, my make up collection has been joined by all three of the much lusted after Naked Palettes by Urban Decay.

Now, at £37, these are not a cheap addition to any collection, but, boy are they worth it! I actually worked my way backwards and started with number 3 and after a couple of months of testing, I would say number 1 is my favourite. Now, I saved for these bad boys, but if the thought of spending over £100 on 3 palettes makes you cringe slightly, then do I have a treat for you!

When I was schmoozing on the high street the other day, I wandered into my local Superdrug and have a looksee at the make up. I never normally check out MUA but I just fancied having a look on that particular day and I was very happy that I did. Lining up smartly on the MUA counter were three palettes, which made me stop in my tracks. OK, so the packaging was not as impressive as the Urban Decay numbers, but the similarities in the colour shades was amazing.

Undressed - £4

Heaven and Earth - £4

Undress Me Too - £4

Introducing Undressed, Undress Me Too and Heaven and Earth...the gorgeous 12 shade palettes from MUA. Featuring a selection of matte and shimmer nude and natural shades, these palettes were just begging to go into my basket and at £4 each (yes...£4 each!!!) I really could not resist. I really can't get over the price tag on these palettes, so I was expecting the quality to be a bit meh. Again, I was wrong. With the right eye shadow primer, these shadows are buttery soft and stay put with hardly any creasing. They blend together so well and the colour selection works so well in creating subtle or bold smokey eyes, with shades for highlighting, contouring and deepening.

It's taking some time to get through 36 shades, but if you are lusting after the Naked Palettes but can't justify the price tag, then I cannot recommend these MUA beauties highly enough.

Have you tried these palettes? What do you think of them? Enjoy x

Beyonce Covers Vogue!

Yes I am doing another post about Beyonce...whatever...I love her and this one she REALLY deserves.

Not only do I think Queen Bey is the hottest woman on the planet, but evidently, the hottest fashion magazine on the planet thinks so too.

The May issue of British Vogue was released on Thursday and who is the cover star? None other than the queen of all divas herself making her British Vogue cover debut, looking amazingly spring like in cool blue tones, a blue sequin pencil skirt and a cropped stripe blue top, and flashing her incredibly toned tummy. She is so damn hot!

The whole look has come right off the Jonathan Sanders SS13 runway and Mrs. Carter pulls it off amazingly. The magazine has a whole interview with Beyonce, where she opens up about her marriage, her baby and her work life, with a few stunning photos thrown in to boot!

I love her fresh faced look and natural looking hair. Is there no look this woman can pull off? All I can say is please G-d let my belly look like that one year on. If Bey can do it, I can do it...that is my new mantra.

What do you think of this cover? Will you be picking up a copy? Enjoy x

My Pick of the River Island Mid Season Sale

Sharpen those elbows ladies, it's mid season sale time! If you haven't taken advantage of the mid season sales already, I've done a few "picks of the sale" posts from some of my favourite high street shops.

Even though the weather is so bloody cold out there, it's still a good idea to grab yourself some spring goodies, because, let's hope, the warm weather will be here soon, and you want to be prepared for when it does get here.

So my choice for today is my go-to for reasonably priced fast fashion - River Island. I find their sales very hit or miss, a lot of rubbish seems to be pulled out for their sales, but you can find a handful of really decent bargains. I am especially impressed by their selection of shoes in the sale this year - perfect for spring and beyond!

Here are my picks of the River Island mid season sale. Have you done any sale shopping yet? Let me know if you get any fabulous bargains! Enjoy x

was £35 now £15

was £32 now £10

was £75 now £40

was £40 now £17

was £40 now £17

was £38 now £15

Was £25 now £10

was £22 now £8

Was £50 now £25

Was £35 now £17

Was £20 now £10

was £40 now £15

Beyonce for H&M Confirmed!

It's exciting news if you are a fan of Beyonce...or H&M...or celebrity fashion campaigns.

It has now been confirmed the Beyonce will be the face of H&M's summer campaign! Yay!

After being accidentally leaked on Twitter by one of Bey's dancers back in January, the brand have now revealed one of the gorgeous shots of the diva, which will be being featured this summer.

My favourite ever singer will be modelling pieces inspired by her individual style, in particular, beachwear and swimwear pieces. The shoot took place in the Bahamas, and features Beyonce chilling out on sun loungers and posing by the sea. According to sources at the shoot, Beyonce gave her own "personal input on the pieces used in the campaign." Expect some fierce shots if this is the case!

"I've always liked H&M's focus on fun affordable fashion. I really loved the concept we collaborated on to explore the different emotions of women represented by the four elements -fire, water, earth and wind," said Knowles. "It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island. It felt more like making a video than a commercial."

The print advert will run alongside a television commercial, which will feature a brand new Beyonce song - Standing on the Sun.

I personally cannot wait to see all of the final images and the advert with her new song. Yes I know I am a complete push over when it comes to Mrs. Carter...but Beyonce + H&M = sheer genius!

Are you looking forward to seeing the finished campaign? Enjoy x

Introducing....

Elijah Louie Richard Freed

Well hello there.

Apologies for my long absence. I've been a wee bit busy the last week or so...having a baby!

If you're a reader of the blog, you'll know that I was being induced on the 12th March...as I was almost 2 weeks late. I won't go into details, as it's not very nice, but I ended up having to have an emergency C section followed by 6 days in hospital due to my recovery and a couple of minor health scares with the bubs. But all is well now and we finally got home on Sunday night.

So...what did we have? Titch turned out to be a gorgeous baby boy!

He is so adorable, with a sweet little worried face and he is already full of personality. He loves playing with and sucking his hands and adores being cuddled. He was born at 06:39 am and weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces. We have called our little man Elijah Louie Richard.

I won't go on too much and be a gushing mama...although I really want to! I just wanted to fill you all in on what's been going on and to let you know I won't be blogging as frequently for the next week or two, just while I get my head around things, but normal blogging will resume soon...promise!

In the mean time, here are some pics of our little man. Enjoy x

rocking his cow suit....yes it is a little too big!!