Christmas Presents

A bit late with a Christmas presents haul but I'm always in two minds when sharing gifts 'cos there's always the risk of people thinking you're bragging; personally, I love reading these posts - I'm noisy like that - and it's a great way to get ideas and find undiscovered gems. :)

Gorgeous DKNY bag - the colour is in between brown/grey - smart looking and I will definitely save it for special occasions.

People know me well and they have been certainly feeding my pugs & owls obsession! :)

Check out these pugs salt&pepper shakers - Awesome or what?!!!

I love watching American Pickers and my husband got me a t-shirt from the States - love the rooster logo!

The frame with the wire is an handmade jewellery holder; the shabby-chic feel is right up my alley and it will look perfect against the purple wall in the bedroom.

Basilur Tea is a tea brand that I discovered few years ago and my mum sent me a new selection book over the holidays; I don't normally like fruity teas but their selection are delicious/yet not too sweet. I'd definitely recommend to check their website http://basilurtea.co.uk if you're a tea junkie - prices are average and their packagings are beautiful too.

Beauty related goodies: Especially Escada Eau de Parfum is a fragrance that I've been liking since it came out few years ago; it's described as joyful and light-hearted and I couldn't agree more - definitely not overpowering.

My sister also got me this Laura Ashley Fig Tree & Cassis Hand Wash & Hand Lotion Gift Set because she knows I love fig scents; this smells like proper fig leaves with a sweet twist and the hand lotion is also very good quality and light. I don't shop in Laura Ashley often enough, they are currently having a massive sale and I will make sure to pop in and check it out.

Finally… Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette! Yes, I couldn't resist and asked Santa for it. I will do a dedicated post with swatches soon. 

Mini Haul

I've been intrigued by the Konad Stamping Nail Sets for a while but not enough to order a kit, I suppose.

Then, I read on a couple of blogs that a cheaper version had been spotted in Poundland recently so I went and got myself a chance at trying nail stamping, too - *exciting times*

I got to say it's quite fun and dead simple - I was worried the designs would be too cheesy but they are cute and wearable. Only criticism: some of the patterns are too big for my short nails so just need to adapt or use part of them.

Anyway, I'm glad I bought it - I'm definitively having some fun and getting creative. 

Rimmel 053 Apricot Punch - Bourjois no.17

I got this necklace in Primark - impulse buy but no question at £2. I like the native americans/tribal vibe with the feather and the turquoise and the rose gold heart is a nice addiction, too. 

Christmas Presents

Happy New Year!!!

I took a well deserved (well, in my opinion) break over Christmas; I still had to work a couple of days during the holidays (which sucked big time!) but for the rest I literally did sweet nothing.

I had a lovely Christmas and New Years Eve and consciously tried to detox from technology a bit; I still checked my phone (constantly?) and used the iPad but I haven't turned up my desktop in 2 weeks and felt right, actually - I now feel totally recharged and got few post to share!

... and what's the best way to re-start then Christmas Presents?!

Once again, I was spoiled rotten and love everything I was gifted... it's fair to say that Richard and I give each other a list because I hate surprises and I stink at coming up with ideas every year.

Although, I also realised that I need to stop to buy myself stuff because I was actually straggling to come up with things that I really wanted.

I love Lowie pieces but they are fairly expensive plus the book is to start off my New Year Resolution - knitting!

Hat is a lovely present from a friend that knows me well and my love for owls - soooo adorable and makes me look cute! ;)

Swatch Lady Collection in artic sea - This watch is just too cool and I couldn't resist. It comes in so many gorgeous colours but I went with the minty pastel green. It has a long bracelet that wraps around twice. I'm gonna wear it layered with more arm beauties.

Calendar was a sweet wee extra from my hubby... and I totally melted 'cause I'm obsessed with pugs!!!

Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules perfume - a wild card really because I had never smelled this before; honestly, I still need to make up my mind about it: I don't hate it but I was expecting more... on the other hand, my husband really likes it. I heard it works well layered with other scents so I'll try that next.

Plantini is a gorgeous Victorian metal planthouse to build - I think it will make a very interesting decoration piece.

Nike gym bag - I love the colours on this bag and I have been eyeing it for months... when I spotted it on sale, I added it to my wishlist. I'm very pleased, I thought it would be too big but it's actually perfect for everyday use.

Comete Gioielli Romantica Necklace - my parents sent my this necklace that matches the bracelet from my birthday post. Stunning!

The blue framed tile is already on my kitchen wall and the Swatch Bijoux Glamorous Love Earrings are a present from my sister; she knew they would match my Love Explosion ring and my Swarovski Malaysia set, too! They are great studs for every day, too and I haven't taken them off yet since I got them.

ummm, do you remember when I said that I kinda of like pugs? Well, we're bringing this obsession to a whole new level here... Richard's sister got me the Flying Pugs from Dwell. I cannot wait to put them up on the wall! :D

 New Pjs and dressing gown are in order every year, of course - posh ones if I may add, this time. Love the colour on those Calvin Klein trousers and the stars on the robe.

Givenchy' Dahlia Noir eau de toilette is beautiful - I urge you to go and have a sniff, it's just up my street!

Gift vouchers from House of Fraser and French Connection from Richard's mum and she also gave us this lovely frame - ideal for a wedding picture!
Finally, my parents also sent me some extra presents to open on the 6th January - the Epiphany is just as big in Italy as Christmas; It's a national holidays and more for kids really which get sweets and presents.
My parents got me the matching earrings from Comete Gioielli and a card game; this is our family thing: since I was a child I would always get some cards or board game and I still love them *geek* :)

What did you lovely ladies receive?
xxx

Inside the jewellery box...

Reiss Ginger Necklace

Today's offering is a recent acquisition that I got in the Christmas sales in January 2012.

It's a fine gold plated chain with a cushioned resin square pendant in a warm amber colour.

I'm loving multi-faceted stones lately and this orange/brown colour is so easy to match in every season; really like the hammered details on the pendant frame, too.

I got it for £14 down from £49... I just wish I could have found the matching ring as well but it went sold out superfast. :(

Well.. if you see it around, give me a shout! ;)

Do you ever shop in Reiss?

xxx

Delivery / Asos

I placed a cheeky order on Asos.com few weeks ago... well, not that cheeky after all since everything was on sale.

Yeah, I kinda of trained myself to avoid the website, otherwise I would order something every bloody week - still, I let myself indulge during the sales... good compromise, right?! ;)

ASOS Lula Ballet Flats with Colour Block

I've been wanting a pair of pastel flats for few months but couldn't decide on the colour... so I went multicolour - yay - and I like the metallic inserts, too.

These were pretty affordable at normal price (£25) but I got them for 13quid which I'm very pleased with. I wear a 7Uk and the shoes are a bit on the large side but the 6 was too small... oh the joy of being an half size, NOT!!!

They didn't come in a box but they sent them in a dust bag, at least.

 Oasis Pearl Flower Stretch Ring & Earrings

That's a lovely wee set for under a tenner! The earrings were £6 (down from £10) and the ring only £3 (down from £12).

The rose gold caught my eyes, at first... and then I thought that the pearl and the black enamel combo were kinda of Marc Jacobs-esque, too.

 I just wish the earrings thingy on the back was central but they are small enough that the flower doesn't actually hang off the earlobe (am I making any sense here??!)

 Nice detailing of the metal, tho and the ring is stretching so is very comfortable and no issue with the size there.

 Ted Baker Raspberry Ring

There's a whole series of jelly fruits from Ted Baker... I've also seen a yellow lemon and green apple; you can get the matching pendant, too but I actually got the ring to wear it with an Hobbs necklace that I already got (just realised that I never featured it on the blog so I'm gonna post a pic below).

I wanna bite it!!!

 As always, every detail is perfect - there's an engraving with the brand and the size on the inside of the ring and the packaging per se is outstanding.

Hobbs necklace

Did you hit the Asos sale? :)

Inside the jewellery box...

I have decided to start a new series on the blog and share few of my jewellery pieces.

I love jewellery - well who doesn't, I hear you say... - I really consider them an investment, they are easy to store, they don't keep up much space... and I'm constantly falling in love with a new piece to add to my collection!

I'm starting with Swarovski Malaysia Pendant & Earrings which were a Christmas present from Richard. :)

 You can, of course, buy them separately but I like to wear them together for full effect.

Siam heart-shaped crystal and clear crystal pave' - quite difficult to photograph it properly and do it  full justice. The necklace is just the right lenght, sitting on the collarbone - they're sparkling but discreet, too.

Decadent yet elegant!

xxx

 

Etsy Purchase

I have been looking for some  multi-faceted gemstones jewellery for some time... in the style of  Monica Vinader, for example, but something cheaper.

So, I decided to have a look on Etsy!

  I have never paid much attention to Etsy before because the majority of the shops are based in US and I can't be bothered to incur in custom, really.

Having said that, I will need to retract now as I found some true gems and really affordable; plus, the shipping costs are always reasonable (5/7 dollars)... so I will, definitely, shop there more!

Here is what I got:

I got a necklace and earrings - they came at $40 but you can also buy them separately (which is about 13quid each... and personally, I think that's a bargain!)

I'm sooo pleased with these! they're exactly what I wanted: the aqua blue stone, kinda groovy, rough metal setting... now I want more in every colour!!

No, actually next I'm gonna get a ring... I've already started the scavenger hunt in the Etsy world to find the perfect one! ;)

Btw, this shop is called Gojo Design (I'm not affiliate), delivery took about 10 days which isn't bad at all.

The goods came in this cute green box and I love the details on the chain, too.

Do you shop on Etsy?!

x

FOTD

Face:
Garnier BB Cream in Light
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer in SC-3
The Balm Frat Boy Blush

Eyes:
Rimmel Colour Mousse 8h on 008 Sassy
YSL Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils in 4 Sea Black
Ellis Faas Mascara in Black

Lips:
Clinique Vitamin C Lip Smoothie in Strawberry Bliss

Camel Coat: Oasis

Necklace: 1 of my Kind

I love this necklace - it's so pretty! I got this from the website above in May 2009 (you can check the original post here) but it has not been update with new stuff for a couple of years so I don't know if she's still in business, to be honest.

I love her designs and although she's based in US, she ships (or used to) worldwide for $3.

I'm sure, she must also have an Etsy shop - check her out!

xx

Delivery / Hobbs

Double delivery today - YAY!

I really like Hobbs - elegant yet edgy designs; what I don't like is the price.

Usually, I wait for the sales as (because of the prices) items don't sold out.

Still, also on sale, pieces are not cheap but the quality and attention to details IS everything!

NW3 Cute Bow Cardi

NW3 Kite Necklace

I'm going to wear the necklace with House of Harlow's earrings... what do you think? :)