Autumn/Winter Flats Feat. UGG & Clarks

UGG Alloway Cheetah Flats Smoking Slippers 082

UGG Alloways in Cheetah

Long live flat shoes. I’d love to be one of those terribly chic women who dance around in heels all day, going about their business with balance and poise. That, however, is a pipe dream and the actuality of me in heels normally ends in a sprained ankle. So, it’s good news that (nice) flat shoes are still in fashion this Autumn/Winter season, and I’ve already acquired a couple of pairs for when the weather inevitably turns.

Firstly, I used a little discount and helped myself to these UGG smoking slippers. Not many people know that UGG do sell other shoes bar their rather unsavoury, but obviously very comfortable boots. I saw these on a couple of fashion bloggers and thought I’d check them out, and I’m actually very impressed. They come up a little small, so order a size up, but they are lined with sheepskin so are super comfortable; and are a very en vogue leopard print so hit the trends this year.

Clarks Black Patent Hotel Chic Loafers 080

Clarks Hotel Chic

I fell in love with these shoes when I first saw them. I couldn’t believe they are Clarks, except that I have been a convert since they released their slightly edgy brogues in Winter 2011. The pony skin look plus the patent gives the manly loafer style a feminine twist and they will be fantastic with jeans, or dressed up with black tights for a smart work meeting.

What shoes are you coveting for Autumn? I’m sure I will collect at least another 2 pairs so if you’ve seen any you’re after (monk shoes, anyone!) let me know..

La Vie est Belle: New Lancome Perfume

Lancome La Vie Est Belle Perfume 076

La Vie est Belle

Boots and their bloody £5 off perfume vouchers; gets me every time.

The newest addition to my collection is this beautiful musky, sultry number from Lancome. Reading the info after my rash purchase, I found it’s made with Jasmine, which seems to be one of the more pleasing perfume ingredients for my nose. It’s also got a very classy bottle – something as my collection grows that I care more about.

Apparently it also has something to do with Julia Roberts, and I quite like her, so that’s OK with me too.

Lancome Skincare Giftset 078

Then, I got done over by Boots again with their promise of a free gift if I brought another Lancome item. So, I treated myself to the Albar Elbaz Hypnose Mascara which I’ve had my eye on for months. Now I’m the proud owner of all these little tiny bits and pieces!

Jolly Good July Purchases

Topshop Breton Tshirt Zara Pink Bib Necklace 075

TopShop Breton Stripe Tee
Zara Bib Necklace
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Stoner – John Williams

So, I’ve joined the rest of you and brought this Breton stripe tee from Topshop. T-shirts are definitely a new ‘thing’ for me; I think this is the first time in 10 years I’ve owned more than one. But, I do appreciate the ease at which you can throw one on, tuck it into a skirt and leave the house. This one is a classic, and I’ve mostly been wearing it with my Reiss cornflower blue skirt and gladiator sandals.

I find Zara hit and miss for clothes, but their accessories are always bang on (even if a bit expensive for what they are). This dusty pink bib necklace is great for adding a bit of drama to an otherwise quite plain outfit. I’ve now also got my eye on this clear flower one here!

Finally, I’ve been so busy with work I’ve barely got time to even sit down at the moment, but when I do, I’ve been making the most of below, plus a few books I’ve had for a while.

Me and my man sat down one evening to attempt to watch Baz L’s version of the Great Gatsby; unfortunately, we didn’t get very far (just past the credits). I’m not sure how I feel about Jay Z’s sound track, but we both decided that it looked a bit too Moulin Rouge and not enough Romeo & Juliet so we’ve said we’re going to read the book again before we ruin it with bad music and overzealous artistic direction. So that’s why that one is there; the other, I was somewhat attracted to the book name. Who knows why.

John Lewis Mosaic Bed Linen 2 074

Bedding – John Lewis

And…finally. Look at this baby. With the excuse that we spend 1/3 of our lives in bed, we jazzed a load of money on this amazing bed from Warren Evans, complete with a Tempur mattress (apparently astronauts use this shit!). It is A-May-Zing. And so is this duvet cover!

Shorty: The Silly USB Stick

Net a Porter Marc Jacobs Shorty USB Keyring 068 mini

Just a short post this evening, showing something silly I have been after since before Christmas that showed up in the net-a-porter sale here.

It’s really the most ridiculous USB stick ever – 2GB for £25 when you can get non-designer one’s which have 100 x the storage. My dad refused to buy it for me as my Christmas present on grounds of practicality; he’s now immune to my silly ways.

So, a stupid purchase. But that’s kind of the point. I just love that little boston terriers black and white mug, and now it is pride of place on my key ring.

Any one else picked up anything anywhere near as stupid in the sales? Please share and make me feel better, thanks.

My Skin-Care Regime (Spots, be gone)

I went through most of my tweens, teens & early twenties feeling incredibly blessed by my good genes and my smooth and spot-free appearance (me, smug? why never); then I hit twenty-seven and suddenly all pimply hell broke loose. It seems that when you do things that are good for you, like give up smoking, alcoholic binges and terrible boyfriends, spots rear their ugly heads just to remind you that nothing is ever perfect. So I’ve had to get a new skin-care regime (warning, work in progress).

Clinique Liz Earle Kiehls Skin Care Regime Spots 069 mini

This is my new regime in all it’s glory. And when I say regime, I mean whenever I can be arsed – approximately 3 times a week. Oh God, please don’t tell the real beauty bloggers of this world.

Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions 3 Pack 070 mini

You can see that this is really just the result of a spendy trip to Boots where I fell foul of the Clinique girl’s wiley ways and returned a la maison with £50 worth of potions that I knew probably wouldn’t work. But, I’ve got to hand it to her and her slidey chart (which worked out within 10 questions that for my spotty skin I needed the anti-blemish variation of their hugely popular range). Since I’ve been using the cleanser, toner and moisturiser my skin has been in it’s best condition for years: supple, smooth and (almost) spot-free.

Clinique Take The Day Off 071 mini

I also bought this, which is actually now the favourite part of my skin-care. Having always been a wipe devotee, but aware that dragging on my eyes with a piece of almost-damp cloth was probably not doing my crows-feet any favours, I enquired about make up remover. I came away with this greasy oil type thing which you just slap on (including onto mascara) and then wash it off – hey presto, no rubbing, everything dissolves. AMAZE. And I reckon it’s going to last ages!

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Clay Mask 072 mini

Finally, some Liz Earle goodies. This clay mask may actually turn me into a real-life elephant, but you can definitely feel it working on your pores and I love doing a bath and feeling all Bridget Jones before removing it with the natural sponges it comes with.

This wrinkle serum, well, I suppose I am being a little premature and to be honest I barely use it, mostly because it is oily and doesn’t like being under foundation (if only I was organised enough to do these things at night!)

So that’s that. The secret to a not-so-clear complexion. Any one have any other good tips about what to use to plug up my dastardly chin-pores? What’s your favourite skin-buy at the moment?