What is H&M Trend?

Current campaigns in store now. Love the blue brocade outfit in the left photo.

H&M Trend is something I had never heard of before I moved to London this year. When I was a country bumpkin I thought of H&M as a store great for basics and maybe some cool jewellery finds. But working on Oxford Street I came across this particular section in the larger H&M stores and have since become addicted to checking out the new arrivals in H&M's Trend section.

The quality in fabrics is slightly better and more varied than the rest of H&M's range and is more 'out there', copying trends off the catwalks and creating a unique range. You can recognize them due to the white labels on the clothes. The prices are slightly higher than normal but to be honest, worth it and still cheaper than Topshop can be!

Love the fall scenic print and the jewelled collar necklace.

This is my collection of H&M Trend items! The embellished t-shirt I got last week for only £19.99, the pleated blue dress was reduced to £7 and the other two are my beloved peplum tops.

So next time you are passing one of H&M's larger stores I strongly recommend checking out this section of the store, it is constantly changing and does fun accessories as well. Some of these items are available on the website also and sell out quite quickly.

Anyone else a fan of this range?

Shoe find of the week #7

Walking past Dorothy Perkins I stopped to a halt to take a second glance at these beautiful wedge boots. Dalmatian (or Dalmation), print was everywhere last winter but it seems to have been recycled again for this autumn/winter, for example H&M are rocking some cute dalmatian prints at the moment. I think these boots would look gorgeous with black skinny jeans and are priced at £55.

I've never heard of the brand Timeless before but they are a concession in Dorothy Perkins, Barratts and Debenhams. Gives you a choice for a voucher discount!

Glitter NOTD - H&M Confetti nail polish

Just a quick post to show you this amazing nail polish I was drawn to like a magpie in H&M. 

It is called 'Confetti' and I think it is a bit of a dupe for American Apparel's 'Supernova' which retails at £9 whereas this H&M version is a steal at £2.99! 

It has large hexagonal pieces and smaller glitter particles consisting of red, blue, green, gold and silver suspended in a clear base. I didn't feel that it came out that thick, this photograph is with two coats. However at the price I don't think it matters and it would probably look better over a dark colour.

I haven't seen many about so pick one up if you spot one, it'd be a great little Christmas pressie! (Yes I am starting to think about that!)

Mini haul! Beauty, Primark and H&M

Just a quick snapshot on some recent purchases I've made this month... to be honest I've bought more than this but I struggle keeping track! I am a big bargain hunter though so everything here individually is under £30.

Firstly yesterday I picked up a couple of steals from Primark, these 'disposable' silver sandals are now £1, and can you believe it this studded clutch with tassel was £6! Dupe for Topshop's £38 version I think. Will be great for going out for drinks.

The pink cut-out dress was £10 from the Topshop sale and the peplum top is H&M Trend at £24.99. Lucy was wearing the top in Towie last night, anyone else get excited when they see an item of clothing they have on the telly? 

Other bits are: two glitter nail varnishes from H&M (post on them later), the collection £3.99 concealer everyone blogs about, a yummy orange & fig candle 50p in Morrisons, St Ives scrub currently £1.99 in Superdrug, Shu Uemura limited edition gold eyelash curlers, and lastly 3 for 2 in Superdrug on Loreal products - true match foundation, glam shine lip gloss in 'pink treat, and the telescopic mascara as recommended by Kaushal at http://beauty-fulfilled.com/

My week in photos #10

Random sunshine, sunbathing, home, gorgeous Zara shirt, cupcake, cupcake transit fail, lolly, brownie sundae!

Shoe find of the week #6

I had to give shoe of the week to my bargain find this week. I've been looking for some new leather shoes for work but leather is always so expensive. Imagine my delight when I popped in Zara, not expecting to find anything in their end of sale messy bundle, but to see a pair of leather flats all on their own in my size! Originally £79.99 the tag said £29.99, then at the till the assistant said that's £15 please. Don't you love it when that happen? They are pretty androgynous and having large feet they may look a little clown-y, but I really don't care at that price.

Also want to say hello to my new followers! I'm happy that anyone would be interested in reading my ramblings, and love reading your comments. I will always make an effort to check out your blogs and such. I think if I got to 50 followers I'd defo do a giveaway to say cheers.

I'm loving: Jewel Print

From top left: Zara dress £69.99, Zara playsuit £29.99, Asos clutch, Asos dress £95, Asos peplum top £28, Topshop cropped jeans £20, Paprika dress £29, Asos skirt £18.

This may be a little bit garish to some, but it's right up my street. Ted Baker have done similar prints in past seasons but have always been slightly out of my price budget. This Autumn the High Street has come up trumps with some fab jewel print fabrics. 

I fell for the Zara playsuit in the shop the other day but it's not suited for girls with bums unfortunately! I have my eye on the Topshop jeans and the Asos skirt... What do you think of this print style?

OOTD - car print skirt and spike shoes in the Gherkin

Had an ace day having some drinks for my sister's birthday in the top floor bar in the Gherkin, (floor 40!) Not normally available to the public but we were very lucky to get a booking through my sister's work. I thought I'd be scared of the 360º views, but it was breathtaking and I was in awe of London.

I wore a car print pleated skirt from Primark, old pink vest and very old denim jacket (about 10 years old!), spiked earrings from H&M and spiked loafers from an ebay shop. I like mixing accessories that toughen up a sweet look.

I got lots of compliments on these loafers, they are the first time I've worn them and I'd really recommend them. Get them here for just £23.

Just a handful of my snaps from sights 180m above London...

Daily make-up

This is my standard daily, go-to make-up. The basics that I wear everyday for work, then in the evenings I will usually spend a bit more time playing with eyeshadow colours.

As you can see it's not too much. A good quality foundation is really important to me and I am still loving my Clinique 'Stay Matte' foundation. I'm thinking next of re-buying Dior's 'Forever' foundation that I have used in the past as I always got complimented on my skin whilst wearing it. I've been on the hunt for a great mascara and have been using a sample of Lancome's new 'Hypnose Star' mascara. It's pretty good but not the holy grail... I have slightly sensitive eyes and don't want a mascara that 'crumbles' off with the risk of getting bits in my eyes! (itchy!) Any mascara recommendations welcome!

A concealer I've re-bought a few times is Boujour's 'healthy mix' one. It smells lovely and really does have a healthy benefit on the skin. I have tried the foundation version but it just slid off throughout the day.

Blusher I've been using is a lovely rosy pink called 'pink cloud' by natural collection. Really surprised at the quality and staying power of this considering it's £1.99! I enjoy mixing high-end brands with 'drugstore' bargains. I love this retractable brush I bought from M&S for £5, and it's got diamantes on it... bonus!

Always learnt it's important to do your eyebrows as they frame your face. Currently using this brow pencil from No7 because it's quick and easy, although I need to find a better colour match unfortunately. For my eyes I use loads of different things but these are my current favourites; Maybelline's tattoo cream gel eyeshadow in 'on & on bronze', and Rimmel's 'glam eyes' liquid liner. The bronze is a gorgeous colour and doesn't crease at all and the eye liner is great for precision, quick and easy for flicks.

Lastly the product I use on my lips changes daily, but this is one of Maybelline's popsticks in 'pink lollipop'. Overpriced at £7.19 as there is not much colour payout but it's really moisturizing so is good for daily wear.

Any daily make-up products that you trust and always lean to?

Shoe find of the week #5

Spotted these beauties in Zara the other day and had to photograph them for shoe of the week! Grab them here for £59.99 (damn Zara for having gorgeous, expensive shoes!)

So much stuff lined up to blog about but been so busy, going to knuckle down tomorrow and prepare a bunch of posts!

NOTD and POTD!

POTD sounds like a movie about pirates but this is infact a manicure of the day and pedicure of the day post! When visiting home I always take the opportunity to sample nail varnishes from my mum's very large collection, so just wanted to share with you the finds.

OPI Rapidry Top coat, Nails inc - eden grove, Nails inc - fitzroy square, OPI - moon over mumbai, OPI - save me. 

Apologies for posting a picture of my feet... feet just aren't the most attractive body part on anyone are they? But I love the colours layered here. The Nails inc 3D glitter sparkles at every angle, I really want to try one of their 'nail jewellery' varnishes. The OPI 'save me' was part of the Nicki Minaj collection and is on sale on asos here for only £6.50! This is just one coat over a creamy base, it does feel a little rough even with a top coat but I love the holographic flecks.

Shoe find of the week #4

This week I've taken a bit of inspiration from 'The Dark Knight Rises', which has been my favourite film so far this year. If you haven't seen it yet get yourself down to the cinema as it's the kind of film that needs to be seen on the big screen. 

Anne Hathaway was surprisingly smoldering as catwoman and used her shiny heels to her advantage in more ways than one! I spied these H&M stilettos and they reminded me of her leather boots. (Catwoman halloween costume anyone?) I think the gold cigarette heel gives it a luxurious look.

Get them here for a bargain at £29.99

I also love her make-up in the film, would anyone be interested in a tutorial?

My week in photos #9

Lilac nails with ring finger glitter, NERDS, refreshing drink, doggy with her doggy, loo pose, H&M cameo earrings, a healthy feast, Olympic torch concert.

GOSH - Light'N Shine Lip Glaze (06)

Not a new product on the market but a little bargain I found reduced for £3 in my local Superdrug. The store had a large GOSH reduced stand, I'm not sure whether every Superdrug will have this but it must be some of their discontinued colours. This lip gloss was still in it's wrapper and the last one left, so I had to take it home with me! 

Light'N Shine is a gloss I have bought before and loved, there are still many colours available. It is just as much a gadget as a lip gloss, with it's handy mirror on the side and mini lights in the lid, it seems to always impress blokes as well! (No joke!)

As well as being handy on a night out, the colours available are a varied choice and I'm glad I picked this one up as I don't own many golden hues and I love the sparkle on the lips. Not the longest withstanding gloss but feels very soft on your lips and not too sticky. The massive bonus about this shade, (06), is that it smells gorgeous, like vanilla cakes!

Normally retails at £7.99 but always worth having a rummage in Superdrug's bargain bins!

Swatched in daylight

Current Wishlist

1. Limited spike necklace - New Look £12.99

2. Red pleated skirt - Hobbs now £39

3. Cosmic print jumper - River Island £30

4. Knitted candymix jumper - Monki £35

5. Bird print shirt - Miss Selfridge now £25

6. Spike and plate belt - Zara £17.99

Clinique Stay Matte Foundation review

I passed a Clinique counter recently and saw that they have bought out a new foundation called 'Stay Matte'. It was originally exclusive to John Lewis in May but is now available everywhere. I was firstly drawn to it because of the name. Just before I had been trying out Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation which was gentle and refreshing but slid off my face throughout the day due to sweating! (Also the pump had broken)

I wanted something that could last the entire day, cover blemishes, yet not be too thick.

Stay Matte is the answer to my prayers. 

I was lucky enough to purchase it when Debenhams were giving away a gorgeous free lipgloss!

The Clinique website describes it as:

"This lightweight gel-cream texture provides all day coverage with a mattifying finish and feels as comfortable as wearing nothing at all. Controls oil breakthrough and keeps skin shine-free, even in extreme heat and humidity all day. Contains shine absorbers to refine the look of troubled areas. Skin looks and feels flawless all day long."

I'd say that description is spot on. I've been using it for a couple of weeks now before I reviewed it and my impression has not changed. I got matched up to one of the fairest tones, 'Alabaster' which blends perfectly and you can see no tan lines at all. Clinique are fantastic at letting you try the product before you buy it. I was given a pot with about 5 days worth to see if it was for me. I have always preferred appling foundation with my fingers and I believe that this foundation suits that better than application with brushes. 


The thing which I love most about this foundation is how much quicker I can get ready for work in the mornings now as this covers blemishes so well that I have stopped using concealer! I think the product works better on it's own and I have seen a healthy effect on my skin because of it. The second best thing about this product is how long the coverage lasts. The Clinique assistant told me that the product had been tested in high temperatures so it is perfect for wear in the city. I am always rushing about on the tube to work etc, and my face looks just as flawlesss when I get home. 


Furthermore the price is brilliant at just £21.50. I have paid 30 something for Dior foundations before and this one is worth every penny as you don't need to use much of the product.

I really recommend trying out this foundation, you can always add highlighter on your cheekbones if you prefer that radiant look.