Winter Primark Haul

I am a fan of Primark all year round but this season they have some absolute treats! Here's a selection of what I have picked up recently.

Starting off with the red festive jumper - this was £12 and I love it. The tree's baubles are little bells so they jingle, also it is slightly cropped so has a modern twist compared to the other novelty sweaters that are about. The patent pumps were just £4 and I think it is always essential to have a black pair of pumps to hand. The fairisle throw underneath all the bargains is also £10 from Primark and has a lovely soft fleecy feel.

Check out this adorable Rudolph necklace on a gold chain. This was actually £2 from the children's section but isn't too short in length. I love that he has a wobbly head also!

COOKIES! With the snuggliest lining ever, these slipper socks were only £4 however they sadly don't have the strongest elastic on the heel.

I have been wearing this over-sized pink cable knit jumper tons, I can't believe it was £14 as would cost so much more in somewhere like Topshop. I've been teaming it with this gorgeous black jewel necklace which was a bargain at £5.

This galaxy print rucksack was £6 from the mens section - can't go wrong really!

Lastly I picked up some new winter jammies, tartan is everywhere at the moment and the dog on the top was too cute to leave in store. This set was under a tenner.

So there we have it! I find it impossible to go in there and just get one item, I get drawn into the store like a magnet! 

What have you picked up from Primark recently?

1920's Gatsby Girl Look - OOTD

Last week I went to a 1920's Prohibition night at Bloomsbury Ballroom near Holborn for my friend's birthday. It was great fun getting a look together for the night, I tried to be as authentic as possible but probably wasn't! Hope you like the finished look.

I managed to source a lot from my wardrobe, this mini dress from Ted Baker had not seen enough love! The only item I ended up buying are these deco earrings - £3 from Primark! Grab them now for some Christmas sparkle. 

I've included a snapshot of some of the make up I used that evening. The make-up industry exploded in the 1920's, big bold smokey eyes were popular, bright cherub lips and eloganted thin eyebrows. Luckily for me, pale skin was in fashion. I tried out No7's mousse foundation but was not that much of a fan of it - review coming soon. My favourite product I used was the black eyeshadow by Pupa. An Italian brand rare to see in the UK but I picked it up in TKMaxx for just £2.99 - it's pigmentation is so impressive.

What do you think of Gatsby fashion?

Dear Santa...

I've finally compiled my Christmas wish list which took longer than I thought! Links to items can be found below.

• Baking is something I enjoy and would like to do more of in 2014, I am lacking a cupcake tray and mixer - these two are cheap as chips from John Lewis. 
• I have a wide eyeshadow collection but not many brushes so I would love this Real Techniques set for £21.99 from Boots
• I recently bought some comfy gloves from urban outfitters but they are falling apart already! Touch screen gloves would be a blessing so I don't get my fingers cold using my iphone, these cute bow pair are from asos for £6.
• These Timberland boots are more of a desire than a reality due to the price, but I think they are great quality and have a classic style. Moreover if we have an icy winter they will be great for walking in the snow! Best prices are £135 from USC or a variant for £75 here. Not pictured but I'd also love a pair of Joules wellies for the winter! Dog version, obviously.
• Been enjoying Baileys in my hot choc as a nightcap, gotta try the orange version! A litre is currently £12 until Tuesday in Tesco!
• Fluffy earmuffs, these M&S ones are very soft
• As mentioned on a previous post, the Nars Bourdin collection is lustworthy. I picked out this gift set as the lips box would be great to keep trinkets in after!
• Xen Tan Moroccan Tan is a luxury fake tan that I've read great reviews of but has been a touch too expensive for me to take the plunge. Available on asos for £20
• Seche Vite, a great topcoat that I need to repurchase! £9 in Boots.

Phew! Most items (bar the boots) are under £30 so hopefully I've given you some ideas for your loved ones. What's on your wishlist? 

Black Friday offers

Black Friday is a huge shopping day in the USA which has crept it's way over the pond to us here in the UK. Every year it takes place the day after Thanksgiving and is America's biggest shopping day of the year with massive discounts across stores. Apparently crowds get pretty crazy - anyone seen the latest South Park episode?
I have gathered up all the best discount codes valid here in the UK so we can all enjoy the Black Friday spirit!

ASOS - 10% off with MSEASOS10
Dorothy Perkins - 40% off everything until 2nd Dec with DPEXTRA10
John Lewis - One day offers and pricematching
Marks and Spencer - 20% off homeware until 1st Dec
Misguided - 15% off until 1st Dec with FUNDAYFRIDAY
Miss Selfridge - 50% off everything online only
Office - 20% off until 1st Dec with ELF
Ohh Deer - 15% off everything
Selfridges - up to 20% off until 1st Dec with SELF2013
Topshop - 20% off shoes and bags with free delivery
Urban Outfitters - 20% off everything with PARTY

Westfield London is also holding a big shopping event with up to 30% off in stores until the 1st.

Phew! Many deals are available online so there is no reason to leave your comfy sofa! However as I'm on holiday at the moment I may just pop out to Westfield...

Out tomorrow - Meadham Kirchhoff for Topshop

Tomorrow sees the launch of Meadham Kirchhoff's 4th collaboration with Topshop. This Glam Rock influenced collection was created to dress imaginary girl band The Cherrys, although to me, there seems to be a strong Anime element to the clothing. True to the duo's style, the pieces range from outlandish to cute, there are some items that make me think eww... and some items that I adore! I'm sure it will all sell out nonetheless.

I picked out some of the most entertaining pieces, but you should check out the rest of the photos on vogue.co.uk

I've actually found the links to these items on the Topshop website already:

1. Eyeball print dress £80
2. Mongolian Fur pastel coat £750
3. Red Sequin Heart bag £40
4. Cherry hair tie
5. Glitter face boots £120 
6. Fluffy bag £60

It's great that the collection has such a wide price range as there is something for everyone - from £8 socks to a £750 coat! The fluffy bag is my favourite. What do you think of Meadham Kirchhoff's latest Topshop collection?

Nars Guy Bourdin Holiday 2013

High on top of my Christmas list this year is the highly coveted Nars Guy Bourdin Holiday 2013 collection. 
Guy Bourdin was a Parisian fashion photographer who reached the height of his success in the 70's, shooting for Vogue, Chanel and Versace to name but a few. His style and concepts were ahead of their time and he is still known today as one of the best fashion photographers in the world. I went to see an exhibition on his work in Paris about 10 years ago and my interest was sparked then. I loved the surrealism in his photos, provocative yet sinister. 

François Nars cites Guy Bourdin as an inspiration of his ever since the 70s. In this Harvey Nichols interview François Nars describes why he decided to make this limited collection: "I always dreamed about it; Bourdin’s influence is everywhere in my life; it’s in the DNA of NARS. I’ve long incorporated his work into our collections — in names, colours, even inspiration for the campaign images. It was only a matter of time before I created an entire collection around him and his work."

I would be happy if Santa bought me any goodies from the collection, in true Nars style the colours are deeply pigmented. It's a nice change to see a bright Christmas collection, instead of the normal burgundy and glitter. You can purchase single eyeshadows, nail varnishes or lipsticks from the collection, however my favourites are these 4 sumptuous gift sets/palettes.

1. Beautiful Stranger nail polish set £25

2. Voyeur Larger than Life long-wear eyeliner set £30

3. Crime of Passion face kit £35

4. Fling Lip kit £30

Autumn in Pictures

Loving the bargains at the tail-end of the Zara sale, London Cocktail Week, our doggy jealous of our toffee apples, my nail varnish collection, trying an amazing Brazilian churros in Greenwich Market, Cutty Sark, Blackheath fireworks, Nails inc Snowflake on ring finger.

Nails last week...

Models Own - Catherine Wheel and Topshop - Moondance

A snapshot of two new polishes I tried out last week, both suited to my magpie's eye - one glitter and one holographic. 

The Models Own polish is from their new Fireworks collection and I just had to get it due to the name! I only used two coats and was happy with the glitter distribution. I didn't use a top coat and was really surprised at how long lasting the polish was. Would look great over a contrasting colour, e.g. black. It is £5 from Boots, but I grabbed it in their current buy '1 product get 2nd half price' deal.

The Topshop polish was beautiful but only lasted a day. (Anyone else find holographic polishes on the whole have bad staying power?) The blue tones turned rainbow in different lights. Available here for £6.

OTTD - Woodland Print Skirt

Just a quick post today to show you my new skirt from & Other Stories. It's a perfect transitional piece into Autumn. It is lined but not very thick, so works great with tights. I can imagine pairing this with many different items and lots of colours - grey tights, green jacket, burgundy lipstick... the list goes on.

I love the woodland print and keep discovering new animals. So far I've spotted a fox, owl, ferret, stag and a hare! Reminds me of home!

Get it here for £39.

Rihanna's Holographic Outfit - Get the Look

Ever since I saw this image of Rihanna a couple of months ago I've been drooling over her outfit. I have loved the holographic trend but it takes a lot of balls to pull it off, I really admire how Rihanna has made such a statement top look casual with ripped boyfriend jeans.

image source: Splash

The holographic trend was big on the catwalks for S/S 2013 but is pushing its way into the Autumn too. Bonfire night, Christmas... the best time to wear something sparkly surely? Rihanna's top is Stella McCartney but I found some high street alternatives below.

 

1. Missguided £13.99

2. Asos £45.50

3. Topshop £58

4. Naven at Asos £80.50

5. Asos £38

6. BooHoo £18

7. Mango £44.99

8. River Island £45

9. Topshop £65

10. River Island £55

11. Etsy £16.17

12. New Look £12.99

& Other Stories...

& Other Stories opened it's doors on Regent Street this March, but it hadn't really caught my eye until now. It wasn't until I stumbled inside on Saturday that I realised how captivating the store was. This is the first, and currently the only store in the UK and has a very unique vibe. It is under the H&M group but is quite different from it's sister brand. Similar to COS there is an emphasis on minimalism and clean lines but with a more contemporary and diverse mixture. 
As well as gorgeous lines of designs of clothing, swimwear, bags, beauty and jewellery to name a few, & Other Stories also houses a small sample of other brands such as This Works skincare and Nike trainers.

Here are a couple of sneaky snaps I took whilst having a look round the store. Clothing sections were grouped together by colour and style with co-ordinating jewellery alongside. This was a fun change to a generic 'jewellery stand' as you have the opportunity to explore new pieces throughout the shop. There are just two floors and the second is home to a stunning shoe collection. 

I love Primark bargains as much as the next girl but it's a pain when everyone knows where your £3 top was from. & Other Stories is priced much higher but you know you are getting an individual item. 

I couldn't leave empty handed and took away these pretty rose gold hair clips with baubles for £4. 

Here are a few of my favourites from the website, have a browse for yourself at www.stories.com

Updates...

Blimey I have been a very naughty blogger! May was a crazy month for me, started a new job and focused hard on a play I was appearing in. However I have still been reading bloglovin' daily, enjoying all your posts - and will try and be more active from now on!

In other news, my obsession with Soap & Glory is growing and my Primark addiction is still unhealthy!

Birthday gifts, Birthday meal & cocktails, £1 Primark bracelet, Amazing Primark shorts for the bf, Summer in the city.

Wantworthy

I have discovered a very cool site... wantworthy.com is essentially an online shopping list that will interact with ANY e-commerce website and drop the item into your wantworthy list. What I love about the site is it's simplicity; there's nothing difficult about signing up, the layout is minimal and you can connect with your friends and see their desires. I think this will come in handy when you are looking for inspiration for a friend's birthday!

I don't know about you guys but I spend far too much of my time scouring the 'new in' section on the Topshop and Zara website, just to then forget how many beautiful things I've spotted, or have a billion pointless bookmarks! Wantworthy allows you to keep all the images and links in one place, allowing you to remove items at ease or 'tick' that you've bought them!

With the ominous dark cloud of the disappearance of GFC hanging over us bloggers, wantworthy is another option to connect with each other; so check out the items I'm lusting after and follow me here - www.wantworthy.com/catherinejones

And if you're not already, follow me on bloglovin here

:)

My week in photos #17

Valentine's, meal in Zizzi, cupcake in Selfridges, love this coat in Primark, NME awards, extra chips in Nandos and Maiden Castle Iron Age hill fort.

NOTD - with L'oreal Confetti

Just a quick post today to show you my new love for L'oreal's unique top coat - 'Confettis'. It is similar to Illamasqua's speckled nail varnishes but also contains white particles. It is a snip of the price at just £4.99, (Illamasqua's are £14.50).

Underneath I paired it with 2 coats of Barry M's 'Berry Ice Cream', however you only need 1 coat of the 'Confetti' to achieve the desired effect. I really like the fact that the particles aren't raised - it's a pain when glitter nail varnish catches on your tights! Hopefully it will also be easier to remove than glitter. I think I'll have a lot of fun trying this top coat with different colours; it definitely works best with pastels.

I picked this up in a Boots on Oxford Street as it's not available nationwide yet - although seems to be available online!

Be my Valentine...?

1. Heart Dress - £20 Topshop
2. Beagle Puppy Card - £1 Marks & Spencer
3. Lips Print Shirt - £5.85 eBay
4. Lips Mug - £5 Marks & Spencer
5. Heart Print Tights - £15 Littlewoods
6. Patent Lip Clutch - £25 Aldo 

Don't forget the Chocolates and Flowers!

Weekend Haulin' - Primark and Beauty

Not had the energy to venture in to Oxford Street for a while now, so the last two weekends that I've had free I have just popped into my local Primark for some retail therapy!

I love Primark home items and fell in love with this soft lips cushion - only £4, and the space invaders coasters - reduced to £1. The Baggy top was £6, and is to wear with leggings. The burgundy skirt was a bargain at £5 - although not ideal in this windy weather, but looks great with boots and came with a gorgeous studded belt.

I also got a green jersey pencil skirt for work - which meant I had to pick up their body shaping tights. If they work for £2.50 I will definitely be getting some more!

Beauty wise, I was ecstatic to find OPI's Skyfall set in TKMaxx - 3 for £16.99, so gorgeous it will have it's own post! The rest are items I picked up in Boots, my first Real Techniques brush, and 3 Rimmel items as they were on 3 for 2!

A Surprise weekend away in Bath!

A couple of weekends ago I was spoilt by my lovely boyfriend to a weekend away in Bath. It was something he'd saved up for as a late anniversary present and I was thrilled to be whisked away so unexpectendly! 

If you have never been to Bath I really recommend it - such a beautiful historic city, and a welcome break from the hub-bub of London. I'd been before when I was little but it was great to go with a boyfriend as it is a truly romantic setting.

Wandering round the town is a joy - there are so many unique boutiques as well as all the standard shops, (great Urban Outfitters). However I didn't just drag my poor fella round the shops, we did all the normal touristy stuff. It is a must to visit the Roman Baths; formed on Britain's only natural hot spring, it is amazing to step on the same stones as Romans did 2,000 years ago.

There is a modern Thermae Bath Spa as well, but we didn't have time to go on this visit. We stayed at the Hilton, which had a great location close to the stunning Putney Bridge and served a gorgeous breakfast buffet - best part of staying in hotels I think! 

We went for dinner at an amazing Asian restaurant that we had passed in the day - PanAsia. The decor and drinks were gorgeous, and the food was so yummy! So if you like Asian food and are visiting Bath - make this restaurant a must.

And here's the outfit I wore in the evening - a blue pleated dress from H&M and a holographic clutch that was reduced to £5.

Have you ever been to Bath before? There's still time to plan a last minute Valentine's trip this year!

My January sale purchases!

My favourite time during the sales is right at the end - when it's quieter and you rummage around to discover a solitary item left just in your size - that's when a bargain feels more rewarding! Sure, I got excited when the email notifications came in on Boxing day, but week 3 in January is when things have been really reduced. In particular I'm talking about Zara, some items only had a minuscule £5 off at the start but yesterday (21st Jan), I got £80 off a pair of boots!

Firstly we have a Zara shirt with a metal collar tip and gorgeous botanical flowers, this was £22.99 and I wanted it originally full price. The snake necklace with emerald eyes was £6 from Accessorize and the stunning red suede bag was £59.99 from Zara. This Lancome gift set from Boots was such a great deal - £13.99 for a full Hypnose Drama mascara, khol pencil and eye make-up remover. The masacara alone normally retails for £21!

And yesterday on alternate routes home from work due to snow, I was magnetically drawn into the Zara at Canary Wharf which still has tons of sale stuff left at cheaper prices. I picked up this rhinestone cowgirl shirt for £17.99 and these red studded boots from £119.99 to £39.99... pretty amazing right? And they are the softest leather ever!


So over a whole month I don't think my January sale buys are that excessive, although I doubt it's over!

Best of 2012 Beauty

Here's a selection of my favourite products I discovered in 2012 - all of these I either have repurchased already or will do once I've finished them.

1. St Ives Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub -  Such a brilliant scrub for face or body, great for clearing up acne quickly and leaving smooth skin behind. Gorgeous apricot scent and a steal at £3.99 but is often on offer as well. I discovered this from a tester and have kept repurchasing it ever since as it does the job so well.
2. Yes to cucumbers hypoallergenic body lotion - I bought this on a whim during a sale at work a couple of months ago as it was only £1, and have been so impressed with it that I would repurchase it for it's normal £10! This is great to use on sensitive areas of skin that need a bit of TLC, and is also great at helping heal blemishes. And yes, it does smell of cucumbers which is amazing.
3. Dove original roll-on deodorant - So simple and can't go wrong. A deodorant that works, is caring to underarms and smells great. I love dove products and this is a staple to me.
4. Shu Uemura eyelash curlers - A bloggers favourite - ridiculously overpriced at £20 but at least I got the limited edition gold pair during the Olympics! They are the best eyelash curlers and I am even confident to go out without mascara after using these.
5. Simple light moisturiser - I have tried so many face moisturisers but keep coming back to this one. It's perfect to use daily before make up as it is so lightweight, leaves no film and is not greasy. Yet it hydrates the skin perfectly and doesn't have any intense smell. Great price and will continue to repurchase this as I trust it.
6. Morroccan Oil - An expensive product but popular for a reason. It makes your hair feel lush - that is the only word I can use to describe it. 
7. Pantene mousse for defined curls - Are you looking for a hassle free way to add some boost to your hair, increase your natural curls and is lightweight? This is it. Only a few pounds and as you only need a small amount it lasts ages. Recommend giving this a try.
8. Maybelline colour tattoo eyeshadow - These eyeshadows last all day without creasing and I love the colour of 'on and on bronze'.
9. Sleek face form contour & blush Palette - A great purchase in 2012 is this bronzer, highlighter and highly pigmented rose gold blusher. Reviewed here 
10. Clarins lipstick in fig - This was a second lucky £1 purchase from a sale at work. I wouldn't have chosen this colour in the shop but it actually compliments my skin really well. I love this lipstick as the smell is incredible and it is really moisturising.

I forgot to include my favourite concealer which is Bourjois' healthy mix! - Highly recommended. But otherwise there's the detail of what I enjoyed using most throughout 2012. I've linked the best price online for each of the products, happy to say 7 of them are £10 or under! 

Let me know if you also love any of these products.

My Festive week in photos #16

I hope you have all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year! Mine was generally chilled, which was a great change from all the hustle and bustle of London. I love living in the city but I love visiting my home in Dorset just as much. My sister and I cooked Christmas lunch this year; including a gorgeous cranberry and meringue pie. So knackering, I have sympathy for mums everywhere that slave cooking the Christmas lunch!

The Ritz Christmas tree and gold leaf cocktail, New Look jewellery from myself to myself, our decorations, Christmas pie, Bryn with his favourite present and New Year fireworks on Blackheath hill.

I hope blogging in 2013 will be more regular and I'm going to make a conscious effort to comment on posts more - as I know I love reading your comments!