Dreaming of Oscar

Yes, I'm daydreaming of Oscar. Oscar de la Renta that is. Well, okay, it's more like swooning over some Oscar de la Renta dresses.

It's a bit like dreaming tho, because I'm pretty sure unless I start selling my organs on the black market I can't afford these.

Even so, they are gorgeous aren't they?

Oscar de la Renta, £1333.20

Oscar de la Renta, £4,013

I really love these two. They just want to join my wardrobe and scream to be worn. But yes, oh, dear those price tags will keep me dreaming for now!

Actually, just heard about Oscar de la Renta at Outnet, 24 pieces available from the 26th Feb. Yay! Okay, I know it's available now but I wrote this in advance! Can't wait to see them. For a chance to win a dress and £500 to spend on the collection, check out Outnet here.

I've been blogging about a lot about fashion lately. I've been kinda on a dress kick.

Another kick I've been on is following a new workout regime. I've done about a week of a new workout DVD, SparkPeople's 28 Day Bootcamp with Coach Nicole. Working out is not really in my nature. I was a very energetic kid. Swimming and gymnastics were some of my favourite activities, but as I've gotten older and started working I don't really have access to either. Boo to that! So I was kinda expecting this Bootcamp to kick my butt. Well, that hasn't happened, but I am feeling better. It's really easy and not too demanding, which means that I actually will do it everyday (or almost everday - they factor in some rest days). Will let you know how I feel when I actually complete the 28 days!

Jill Stuart Jewel Crystal Eyes Princess Sapphire Review

I've been meaning to swatch more of my Japanese makeup for you all. I know what it's like to want to drop a ridic amount on some makeup but you still want a tinsy bit more info before you commit. So I'll really do my best to share what I do have. Sorry, I've been so lazy/busy lately.

Anyways, let's take a look at Jewel Crystal Eyes in 03 Princess Sapphire from Jill Stuart!

As with all the JS cosmetics, it comes in a beautifully ornate silver casing perfectly fit for a princess.

This palette contains 4 shadows: a light bubblegum pink, a silvery lavender, a magenta pink, and a dark mauvey purple.

And, as expected, tonnes of sparkles.

I can't blog about Princess Sapphire without mentioning... well Princess Sapphire from Ribon no Kishi by Osamu Tezuka of Astroboy fame.

I don't really see the connection tho... Probably just a coincidence.

Owl tell you what I see in the mirror

I just grabbed this lovely orange owl dress from Yumi at House of Fraser when I was up North. It's still on sale on the website here, but I got it for £15! I couldn't pass it up. Even if it does scream HALLOWEEN to me. lol

Anyway, I thought I would do something a bit out of character for me. I'd post a photo of me. I've been pretty shy to show myself. I don't know why really. I just have.

Actually, I do know why. It's been a bit of an up and down last couple of years for me, and sadly that's been true of the scale too. I'm actually struggling a bit with my weight right now. I'm currently the heaviest I've ever been. Like I never ever thought I could weigh this much. However, I still feel like a thinner girl. I get shocked when I look in the mirror, or in this case when I take a picture and look at it. What way to get better at accepting yourself than by being open, so I'm sharing with you here. I'll try to do this from time to time. It was also a glasses day, so sorry for the glare. This is also first thing in the morning, so I get bonus points for being awake in this photo.

Oh yeah, of course, I did take this photo back in 1979. N'ah actually, I propped my camera on a scarf and the scarf somehow got in the way of the lens. Sigh. I can't be the only blogger who can't figure out this camera business.

I also want to say thanks for Laura over at A Daisy Chain Dream because she has inspired me to share my outfit! Thanks, Laura for always be honest and sharing how you feel. You helped remind me that we all have insecurities. It's hard when all your blogroll is full of lovely ladies who look gorgeous to imagine that everyone has their own hang-ups, but it's true. What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Covered from A to H

I recently purchased a bra from the lovely Boux Avenue and I thought I'd share with you all. Altho I made my purchase online the experience was actually pretty remarkable.

First my order arrived almost instantly! It must have been 2 business days, but I swear it was one. I don't know how they managed that.

Then when I opened it, here's what I found:

A lovely pretty printed box to make me feel like I got a present. Okay, yeah you can choose at check out to get this or to just get a plain box. I thought I'd 'treat' myself as it didn't cost any extra.

And here was my purchase wrapped in pink tissue and scented potpourri rose petals - not real petals, but shaped like them.

Wow, I really felt like I'd got myself a present. I love it, so I wanted to share.

Here's what I got

Another thing I'm really liking about Boux Avenue is that they have larger cup sizes. All my life I've been a B-cup until recently I had a sizing since nothing was fitting right anymore and turns out I was an E cup. Yikes. Most of the brands I loved and have shopped with for years don't go beyond D, so I was really happy that this place not only has A, B, C, D cups but also all the way up to H cups! Not only do they have larger cups, they also show the bras in a couple of sizes, so you can see how different it looks in C cup versus E cup. Brilliant! I think we're going to be very good friends.

Pantone colour of the year: Emerald nail polishes

This year's Pantone colour is emerald which happens to be one of my favourite colours! Can ya tell? How about a series of posts for us emerald lovers?  What better opportunity than to look at nail polishes in this lovely shade!

Essie Going Incognito

Essie Pretty Edgy

OPI Jade Is the New Black

Revlon Emerald City

China Glaze Paper Chasing

China Glaze Starboard

Nails Inc Picadilly Arcade

Barry M Emerald Green

A-England Dragon

Personally, I'm a green fiend when it comes to nail polish, so I have to admit quite of few of these feature in my collection. Sadly, I still can't wear nail polish just yet. Darn you, finger infection. Nails take a long time to heal. What do you think?

Always time for a shop

It's been a busy month! I feel like I haven't had a quiet weekend in awhile! First there was a hen do, then it was a 30th birthday and of course the horrible winter illness bug, so I'm really looking forward to Friday and a bit of chilling out. And yeeeeah, I realize it's only Tuesday. Ugh, is the week over yet?

Despite the busy schedule, I've still found time to shop. A girl's gotta have priorities, right?

Wanna see what I got?

Okay, so I haven't got it yet. I ordered it online from Japan thru Rakuten, and sorry, it was the last one! Btw, I love that the model is my height. Ha, I'm model height in Japan. Definitely not in the UK or the US...

Isn't it cute? It was on sale to boot, and I loved this Snidel dress when I first saw it in this Tabio advert way back in October! I never thought it would or could be mine! Let alone for an affordable price!  Snidel is a Japanese brand, so yeah, unless I had a trip to Japan soon, which I don't, so this surprised even me. I guess never underestimate a girl with an Amex burning a hole in her wallet.

What a good feeling. Don't you love it when you nab a great deal or find something you didn't think you would?

Despite still having the winter lurgy, ugh, it's been a pretty darn good last few days. Ya know when things are just going your way? Yeah, that doesn't usually happen to me either, but I'll take the good streak! We all deserve it from time to time. I hope you're having one too!

Valentino Exhibit in London

Lately I've had a lot of love for Valentino and RED Valentino designs, especially the feminine and girlish dresses, tops, skirts, and coats. Soooo... I was really excited to find out that there is currently a major exhibition about the man behind the beauties that we've all come to know and love going on in London.

 Valentino: Master of Couture is at Somerset House until the 3rd March 2013 and tickets are £12.50 (or £9 concessions).

The exhibition is divided into three parts. The first features photographs from Valentino's private collection. The second section is what has my heart pounding though. 130 Valentino haute coutre designs all in one place for you to walk through on a catwalk. Eeeeeeee. See, I can't hide my excitement. And the last part features a behind the scenes of the making of Princess Marie Chantal of Greece's wedding dress.

What a great way to spend an afternoon! I'll have to make sure I get myself to London before it's over. Have you been yet?

Duty calls - Shopping for love

Happy Valentine's Day!

And what better way to spend the day of love than shopping!

Well, I'm looking at attending at least two weddings this year, so I've been keeping my eyes out for some appropriate dresses. Hey, you don't need to give me an excuse to buy a nice dress.

Here are some of my top contenders:

RED Valentino

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Anna Sui

Shoshanna

Monsoon

Cacharel

Monsoon

What do you think? BTW, I probably need 2 dresses as I'll see the same people at both weddings!

DKNY gets it right with Saffiano Satchel

This red leather handbag (Saffiano Satchel) from DKNY has caught my eye.

Isn't it lovely? Sadly (well to me, anyway), it only comes in one colour - red. I do like it in red, but I also like a choice of colour. Oh well, it's not very cheap at $295.00 US or £277.83.

I know, this is my favourite type of handbag. I just love a good bowling bag or whatever you want to call it. Altho, not sure I'd wear it with the strap, but that's just me. 

It was these two ads from DKNY featuring Cara Delevingne where my eyes were just drawn to this bag. Actually, I like these adverts a lot. There's something really bright and lively that I love about them. The primary colours and the lively city background. Plus I love her hair.

What do you think?

Surviving February

Apparently January is the most depressing month of the year, but I actually find it's February. It may be cos I have a birthday in January, and I usually have some time off at the beginning of January every year, but I find January flies by.

February, however, seems to last forever. Yes, I know it's the shortest month of the year, but hear me out. It's dark. Well, if you live north enough, it's dark. It's dark when I get up for work, it's still dark when I leave work. It's cold, and there's no festive holiday like Christmas that puts me or others in a jolly mood. I wish people would keep the Christmas lights up until at least the end of February. It's not too much to ask, right?

The thought of a different type of holiday help me get through February. Usually I would plan a nice warm get-away about now, sadly, my finances aren't allowing me. So I've got to find something else to distract myself with.

If you've been following my blog, you know that I've been working out lately and hoping to get back in shape. So I thought I'd post some lovely warm swimsuit pictures that remind me why I am working out. Maybe they'll inspire you too.

These swimsuits are all from Shabby Apple which specialize in vintage recreations.  I love that they've shot in such apt locations as well.

How do you get through the winter?

New Covergirl Pink's rocking nails

I saw this advert featuring the latest Covergirl, Pink in my January Allure magazine and am really digging her nails.

This look can be created combining 3 shades from Covergirl's outlast stay brilliant nail gloss: Black Diamond, Perfect Penny, and Midnight Magic.

These nail polishes come in 45 shades and Covergirl claim you don't need a topcoat.

As soon as I can paint my nails again, I'd love to give this look a go!

Post-workout shopping at Jack Wills

I've been trying not to spend money when suddenly I was wandering in the shops on a lovely Saturday and somehow ended up in Jack Wills. Yes, I know if you don't actively go shopping you won't be tempted, but what's the fun in that?

Jack Wills is a British brand that reminds me a bit of Abercrombie & Fitch. Their main concept is utterly British and outfitters for university students. Real posh and typical British middle upper and pseudo upper class. I say 'pseudo upper' cos I don't really think super posh people would shop here. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm still a foreigner here after 8 years! :P I don't mean to offend. I really dig their look. Very classic.

I can definitely see why they recently expanded their shop in Oxford. The students are their target market and Oxford is overrun with them! The staff were also super friendly, something that you don't always get in the UK. I mean, like genuinely friendly. Also, they seemed to welcome me and my boyfriend even tho we were clearly not students. Nice :)

A few of the dresses caught my eye. Aren't they cute?

Mablethorpe dress £89.50 or $138 US

Porchfield dress £59.60 or $89.50 US

So I decided to treat myself to the Mablethorpe dress. It looks beyond adorable on. I know I shouldn't have but I deserved a treat. Let me explain!

I've recently started up with my workouts again. I'm still taking baby steps - first week just a 10 minutes workout everyday. Then I'm upping it to 20 minutes the following week for a month. I've got a couple of DVDs I want to try. More about that later, of course! But the important part is that I was looking for a small reward for having completed the first week. I think this will be it. :)

Any thoughts on Jack Wills? Or workouts?

Follow your heart this Valentine's Day

I'm using Valentine's day as an excuse to blog about heart-shaped or heart patterned makeup.

Let's take a look at some of the most beautiful.

Shiseido InteGrate Pure Big Eyes and InteGrate Rainbow Grade Eyes 

Shiseido Integrate have not just one, but two collections of heart eyeshadow palettes: Pure Big Eyes and Rainbow Grade Eyes.

Pure Big Eyes have four little hearts full of shadows.

Rainbow Grade Eyes look gorgeous and sparkly as well. Luckily, you can see swatches of all of these over at Palm Girl Shop here.

Physicians Formula Happy Booster

Physicians Formula Happy Booster has a tonne of heart products: blush, bronzer, and lipstick.

Kiss Mix Heart Cheeks

Blushes available from Kiss Cosmetics. How cute are these? 

 

For more on these check out my earlier blog posts here. 

Lavshuca Candy Pop Shadow

Lavschuca have also just released some eyeshadow singles with lovely little heart impressions on the shadow!

Well, those were the cutest heart-shaped makeup products I could find. What do you think? Will you be treating yourself or someone special to some beauty products this Valentine's Day or is the whole holiday not really your thing?

Personally, I've never really been big on V-day. I like chocolate, and roses, don't get me wrong. And I love hearts and pink and red and all, but I just find it weird to have a day of forced romanticism. Romantic gestures are romantic because they are unexpected. If you have to wait for V-day to be romantic, well that's just lame. For me, it's just another day. But that's just me! Either way, hope you all have a great one!