Thursday 29 August 2013

Half Off Inglot Make Up? Yes, please!

Hey guys,

I wanted to share a little discovery of mine with you this morning; one which I think will appeal to the make up lovers among you. 

I stumbled up on what I'm about to show you by chance on Tuesday afternoon. My sister bought me one of their nail art pens back from New York this week, and impressed, I logged on to check out the other shades in the range. Only, I was distracted with the 50% off banner on the homepage. So I followed it...


And what did I learn? 

Inglot's round Freedom System lines are all on sale at 50% off! That's half off the palettes, lipsticks, concealers, eyebrow powders and brow wax! Fantastic, right? 



The palettes are as little as £5.00 , and the refills are all just £1.75 now which is a bargain if ever I saw one! You can find all the sale lines here.

The palettes and the make up themselves are sold separately, which gives you the freedom to customize your own make up palettes. You buy the palette in your desired size, and can then buy the make up to fill it in your favourite colours. I don't know about you, but I usually find that most ready made make up sets contain at least a couple of colours I don''t like, so a system like this is ideal. 

I thought I'd provide you with a little peek at some of the make up on sale.



There are dozens and dozens of lipsticks to choose from in every colour imaginable. (The screen shots above show just some of them!) When it comes to make up shades, Inglot is never short of variety. Choosing from their wide selection of colours always makes me feel like a kid in a candy store! Overwhelmed!



There are currently eleven shades of concealer to choose from in these round refills, catering to a reasonably good variety of skin tones. I ordered 'Y', since it's their palest shade and I'm about as pale as they come. Hopefully it'll be fair enough for me! 



There are six shades of brow powders- otherwise known as six shades of brown- for all you brow experts to choose from. Eyebrows are definitely not my area of expertise.



And there are five shades of brow wax to choose from, for the darker brow.

I've not yet tried any of these particular make up products myself, but I own a lot of the eyeshadows in a few palettes, and I can honestly say they're some of the best eyeshadows I've ever used. 


As a big Inglot fan, I couldn't resist treating myself to a few new products to try, so I purchased a palette for five refills (which now appears to have sold out), and four red lipsticks and a concealer to fill it. This came to just £12.50 before shipping costs, which I personally think was a total bargain! I'll review them once I've received them, and if they're half as good as the eyeshadows I own, I shall be a very happy customer!


I hope you will be, too.




Please Note: I wasn't asked to write this post or promote these products in any way. I simply wanted to share a fantastic offer I found by one of my most favourite make up brands of all time!
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Wednesday 28 August 2013

Wednesday Wish List

Hey guys,

It seems it's already Wednesday again (how did that happen??), so you all know what that means: yep, it's time for another Wednesday Wish List post! 

This week, I've merged together twenty-one beautiful things which have caught my eye and captured my heart over the last week. I didn't intentionally put together twenty one pieces, but that's what ended up in my collage. Believe it or not, these are just some of the pieces which I've been coveting! There are so many beautiful clothes and accessories available at the minute; and if I had the money to spend spend spend on my wardrobe for Autumn / Winter I would be extremely skint within minutes. It's probably a good thing that I'm already skint, then, huh?


1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20 // 21 //

I think this wish list is pretty self explanatory. I've been drawn to a lot of patterns, textures, bold colours, and quirky accessories this week, but hey, nothing new there! 

The jewel tone colours are popping up everywhere and I can't get enough of them. The cobalt blue, purple, red, and green colours are seriously stunning, and I want to fill my wardrobe with them, but at the same time, I'm also loving navy and black pieces, too.

I'm impressed with River Island's current lines of bags, and there are at least fifteen I would happily pay good money for. I can't narrow down my favourites, but I think the four above are beautiful. I would also like to get my hands on their bright and colourful maxi skirts. Especially the dreamy dark green one.

My favourite thing this week is the penny farthing brooch by ASOS. It's so quirky that it's perfect, and it must be mine! It must be. It will be! 

Oh, and I also adore the red velvet hairband by Johnny Loves Rosie, which would look stunning during the colder months. The Plate of Biscuits ring by Temporary Secretary Jewellery is also pretty damn cute!

Well, these are my favourites of the week; which are yours?


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Sunday 25 August 2013

Sunday Favourites #44

Hey lovelies,

I can't believe it's Sunday again already! I'm not quite sure where this week has gone, but I did manage to find shed loads of interesting images to share with you all this week... Enjoy.

[Source]

Oh, this dress! Be still my beating heart, it's so elegantly beautiful. The colour is divine.


Stunning eye make up.


Gorgeous dress.


I've developed a real love of blue rose tattoos. These are gorgeous.


Amazing hair.


All this colour pleases me.


I'm going to have to give these rainbow nails a try.

[Source]

It's an elephant... in a raincoat and hat!


This baby dolphin saying hello to a penguin is utterly cute.


This Toy Story spoof of The Shining is brilliant!  (See the rest at the source).


Teeny tiny piglet!


I want a pet capybara!


I love this idea of using a huge world map as statement wallpaper.


Pretty braid.


Love this Autumnal manicure.


A great way of journaling what you're grateful to in life. I may have to do this.


I'm beginning to look forward to Autumn, and crunching through paths of crunchy dead leaves.


I ADORE this beautiful coat! I wish it was one I could realistically afford, because it would look so lovely over my dresses during the Winter. It even caters to sizes XXS up to a 5 XL, and takes custom orders, too. Sadly I don't have a spare £200+ to spend, otherwise it would be mine!


Alice tattoo <3

[Source]

We always think the grass is greener elsewhere...and often, the other person we wish to be like longs to be in our shoes.

"No one has the power, authority, or even the right to police someone's body and health... it doesn't make you some kind of hero, it makes you a fucking asshole!"


What I wouldn't give to own this skirt!


Biologists have recognised that some species of birds engage in play, like juvenile common ravens that like rolling themselves down snowbanks for the fun of it! So cute.


This incredible shot is of firefly squid in Toyama, Japan. I've never seen anything like this before.


This is me.


I would never have thought to dip cherries in chocolate and sprinkles, but they look delicious.


This is perfect. <3 Take note, everyone!

And a few other things you might enjoy...

// I've fallen in love with Viviana Agostinho's retro home, which she shared on the blog A Beautiful Mess earlier this week. Check it out if you're in to retro home decor.

// These bat GIFS are adorable.

// And these mama and baby panda GIFS are probably the cutest animal images I've ever seen.


// 20 Amazing Under Water Sculptures. Some are just plain creepy!

// Tattoo spelling fails. There are no words...

// This Nutella hot chocolate recipe sounds amazing! I need to try it when Winter sets in.


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Saturday 24 August 2013

Recent Reads / An Englishman in Auschwitz Book Review


Hi folks,

One of my favourite past times is reading, and it has been since I was very young. There's just something heavenly about turning the pages of a well-written book and getting lost in my imagination, whether it's for fifteen minutes on public transport, or for an entire day curled up in bed with the rain drumming against the window. Only, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I get far too distracted with other things (I'm blaming you, Pinterest!), and don't read as much as I should. I need to change that.

I've only read about seven or eight books so far this year (plus a couple I began and set aside), but I've decided I want to start sharing the books I've read once I've finished them. I used to do this regularly on Livejournal and Tumblr, and I'm not sure why I've barely done so here. Today, I'm going to give you a quick peek at some of the books I've read, and review them all separately later on, beginning with An Englishman in Auschwitz today.


So far this year I've read and enjoyed:

-Sole Survivor by Dean Koontz.
-Instructions For a Heatwave by Maggie O' Farrell.
-An Englishman in Auschwitz by Leon Greenman.
-The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan.
-Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.
-Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen (on the Kindle).

I've also stopped and started a few, including World War Z, The Help, and a couple of others... I've lacked the will to concentrate on numerous occasions. I'm not sure why.

I'm currently almost half way through Joyland by Stephen King, which I'm enjoying, but more on that in another post. Today I'm going to review An Englishman in Auschwitz.

An Englishman in Auschwitz by Leon Greenman Review

I purchased this book several years ago after visiting the extremely moving Holocaust exhibition in London's Imperial War Museum- (Which I'd recommend visiting if you have an interest in learning more about the Holocaust, although it is a distressing experience and not for the faint hearted.)- but until recently it remained unread on my book shelf. It wasn't until I caught Schindler's List on TV earlier this year that I remembered I had it, and chose to read it.


An Englishman in Auschwitz is a Holocaust testimony written by English born, Dutch raised Greenman, a Jewish man who remarkably defied the odds and survived life in no less than five Nazi concentration camps. This book is his story, beginning with his childhood and life before the war, before going on to focus on the occupation of Holland, and life in the concentration camps. He talks about life in these camps, the suffering which he and others endured at the hands of the Nazis, and how he survived in the face of real adversity.


Greenman's story is quite simply, heart-breaking. He was living in Holland at the time of the war, but he was born in England, so his family were officially British nationals. He became anxious to move his wife and son to England as early as 1938, but was assured by the British Consulate that if a war began, they'd be contacted and evacuated; so they waited. They entrusted their passports and money with friends for safe keeping, only to learn when they returned to retrieve them in 1940 that their passports had been burnt in fear of discovery by the Nazis. The British Consulate had also been abandoned, and although Greenman fought to gain the papers necessary to prove his family's nationality, they didn't arrive in time to prevent their deportation to a concentration camp in October 1942. 

The Greenmans were taken to Westerbork camp and on to Birkenau, where his wife and infant son were immediately gassed. Leon was spared the same fate, chosen as one of fifty men for slave labour. He endured three years of suffering and imprisonment in the Nazi concentration camps; being moved from Birkenau to Auschwitz, to Monowitz, Gleiwitz, and Buchenwald, where he was finally liberated in April 1945. It was only after his liberation that he learnt of his wife and son's fates, and that if the chief of Westerbork Camp had opened his mail, which contained proof of their nationality, before deporting his family to Birkenau, their lives would've been spared. On return to Holland in October 1945, he learnt just five members of his Dutch family had survived, and that of 700 people deported by the Nazis from his community that day in April 1942, he was one of just two men to return.


His story was written as if speaking directly to the reader, recollecting about his past in the same manner my Grandad does when he tells me stories of his life. I read it in a few sittings in horror, sadness, and morbid fascination, and it brought many lumps to my throat and tears to my eyes. I found his story and his accounts of concentration camp life incredibly moving, especially learning that his wife and infant son had been euthanized on arrival at Birkenau, but how he didn't know their fate until he had been liberated years later. I also shed tears reading of the suffering he and others endured at the hands of the Nazis. It's incredible that he escaped the fate of millions, time after time.


I can't say that I enjoyed reading this book; to say that would be wrong. I don't take enjoyment in learning about real life suffering and tragedy. However, I am interested in learning more about the Holocaust, and found Leon Greenman's account to be interesting, moving, and well written. One of the best accounts of the Holocaust I've read to date. His story opened my eyes to real suffering and evil, and helped me to realise just how blessed I am to live the life of freedom, safety, and comfort I do today. 

I'll never fully understand what the millions of victims endured but I think it's important that the stories of the survivors are read and told to prevent a holocaust happening again. 

Leon Greenman survived to tell his haunting story, and for fifty years he dedicated his life to educating students in schools, colleges, and universities about the evilness of racism, and all he experienced because of it. He died in 2008 at the grand age of ninety-seven.
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Thursday 22 August 2013

Love Hearts

Back at the beginning of July, I acquired a few new dresses for my birthday through gifts and birthday money. The dress in today's outfit post was one of the frocks I chose with the money my Grandad had kindly sent me. I've been meaning to feature it in an outfit post ever since, but until Monday, I had yet to wear it due to the heat and the fact I've spent most of the summer in my pyjamas. 

I've been trying my best to dress and get back in to outfit posts over the last few days, and today I have a heart print pinafore dress to introduce to you...




This dress is by Dorothy Perkins, and is the same style as the black bow print pinafore dress I featured here a couple of weeks ago. I coveted this dress for some time online because of the funky heart print design. (You all know how much I love my prints!) Until I purchased it, I didn't have any heart print clothes in my collection, so I knew I needed this dress to fill that gap.

I wasn't disappointed when it finally made it's way in to my hands. It's a beautiful casual dress, made from thick, heavy cotton with a red heart print on a navy background. I was actually surprised to feel such great quality fabric in my hands for an inexpensive dress. It feels as good as some of the luxury organic cotton children's clothes I used to deal with every day at work, clothes that cost a small fortune for such little material. This dress is comfortable to wear. It has a fitted waist, so it defines the waist, but it has stretch to it so it's not too restrictive. It also has thick shoulder straps, and a square neckline, which I personally love. I think it gives a lovely shape. And the best part? It has pockets on the hips, which I just love to bury my hands in! If only more dresses had pockets!

It retails for £18.00, which is really inexpensive, but I purchased it for less with a discount code or two. (DPBDAY gets you 15% off Dorothy Perkins dresses all year round). It was a fantastic bargain, and such a great buy. Unfortunately it's almost sold out online now, but it's worth checking in store to see if you can still find one in your size.

I wore the dress with dark purple tights from Evans, a navy cropped cardigan from New Look, and the jewellery shown above. The acrylic bear is by Maggie Angus, and I picked him up last summer. I love their quirky jewellery. I was wearing a mixture of pearl and beaded bracelets stacked on my wrists from Dorothy Perkins, Matalan, a giveaway win, and gifts from my best friend.


I struggled in vain to take a decent photograph of the pattern, but I'm sure you get the general idea. The navy is much darker, and the red is much deeper; the stereotypical love-heart red.

Outfit Details

// Dress- Dorothy Perkins // Cardigan- New Look // Tights-Evans // Necklace- Maggie Angus // 
// Pearl Bracelets Duo- Matalan // Pearl Bracelet with Charm- Giveaway Win // 
// Black and Silver Bracelets- Gifts From My Best Friend // 
// Black Beaded Bracelets- Dorothy Perkins //

So, all in all, I'm loving my new frock. It's a lovely quirky piece, and it'll be perfect for more casual occasions, such as hospital and Doctor's appointments, and just nipping down to the supermarket. It was a great little purchase, and a fab addition to my wardrobe.


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