New Year Nails

I've put two NOTD's together for this post as they are both perfect for New Year. It's one of the nights of the year you can really go all out and wear whatever you like. I've had some crazy New Year Eve's in the past but it seems to have calmed down now I'm older. I wouldn't say no to a night out but for this year I'm chilling with my boyfriend and Mum at home. However that's no reason not to have sparkly, eye catching nails!

First up we have Models Own True Blue with Freak Out! from the Mirrorball Collection. 

 When I wore this it made me think of Fireworks, because there is glitter particles, flakes, little uneven triangles and tiny rectangles in purple, light blue and a darker blue. This is quite a difficult one to describe because it isn't obvious like glitter but it still sparkles and catches the light. The bigger particles can be hard to get to lay flat on your nail, and a top coat is advisable because the nail can be quite uneven. I have one other Mirrorball polish but I'm not sure they're quite me, as I really love my glitters!

This is my second inspiration from Barry M in 354 Amethyst Glitter.

I had so many compliments the first time I wore this. It catches the light and is a very attention demanding glitter as its so solid. It contains black, purple, gold, hot pink and turquoise glitter pieces with tiny turquoise glitter. I've got two coats on and it sparkles at every angle. I've previously worn this over a purple and only one coat which was nice, but it makes much more of an impact worn alone. There is nothing else like this which is why I bought it, even if I was unsure how it would transfer onto my nails. However this is a favourite of the year which is saying something as I've had many, many favourites to pick from the incredible number of polishes I've bought. 

What will you wear on your nails for New Year's Eve?

Sunday Summary #49

So the best week of the year has been and gone, hope you had a lovely time with your loved ones. I had a wonderful few days, resting and being ridiculously full. I was very pleased with my Christmas presents, now I'm older I don't expect so much from my Mum but she always does well. She got me some stuff I'd really wanted. My boyfriend did well also and got me some lovely surprises. My oldest brother got me a Swarovski crystal duck! I've wanted one for so long but to be honest never thought seriously about getting one. I hadn't even told my Mum I wanted one so he made an excellent choice picking it for me! I nearly died when I opened it. He got me other lovely things too but it was definitely one of the best moments of Christmas Day for me. I now want the rest of the ducks, I have a thing for ducks and have loads of rubber ducks in my bathroom and my brother also got me china union jack one too. I was so full from my Christmas Day lunch I didn't eat another bite all day, I can't eat as much as I used to which is disappointing but probably good for the waistline. I was a bit surprised to find my work trousers felt even looser after Christmas, considering how full I still felt, it was very odd indeed. I didn't get much chocolate this year which is nice as I've still got loads of Easter chocolate, I used to be such a chocoholic and now I don't eat it too often or as much. I'll add some photos of my favourite Christmas presents below as I've enjoyed seeing shorter posts of gifts received.

New Year next and I can't wait to see it in with my boyfriend. Last year he was miles away with friends and I expected him to be away again this year but he is staying home. I really love the thought of opening the New Year with him even if we're just on the sofa! We've got Bucks Fizz, sky lanterns and a DVD to see the New Year in. I'm hoping to watch Michael McIntyre as I've heard its hilarious and there's nothing better than a good comedian. We'll be making wishes when we let our lanterns go and I'm hoping there'll be fireworks nearby :)

I'll be so sad when New Year is over, January can feel like such a drag. Planning lots with my boyfriend and friends to keep me busy and give me nights out to look forward to. Also need to attempt a frugal shopping month as I've treated myself to so many goodies this month. Christmas is always such an expensive month because I always see so much I want besides all the presents I need to buy. I save during the year for Christmas so it isn't too bad an impact on my bank balance but I still feel odd treating myself to so much! I really would like to get a new bag in the New Year and am debating between another Cath Kidston box bag (new shape) and a Pauls Boutique satchel or oversized. If not I'm sure Topshop or Accessorize might come up trumps. I often see nice River Island bags on other girls but when I look I never see one I like.

 My boyfriend got me Mouse :) loved The Amazing Spiderman and needed Gruffalo's Child 

 Minnie Snow Globe from a friend 

I love Russian Dolls and stationery sets so my friend thought this would be perfect for me, the box is really sturdy so once empty I can use it for storage 

Another very me gift! I adore Snow Fairy and Hello Kitty + Liberty Of London = Yes please! 

 The flash hasn't picked up the crystal so well, but if you've seen Swarovski in real life you'll know how incredibly well they catch the light 

Mum got me this frame, I can't wait to put a picture of me and my boyfriend in it!

 I only have a couple of Me To You ornaments but I really wanted this to commemorate this year with the Olympics and just feeling so very British. I love Union Jacks and this will look so iconic in any place

I burst out laughing when I opened this present! Marie is a favourite Disney character of mine and this top is brilliant. I love Marie's fierce face and the words and seems true as my girl cat is very feisty and stubborn sometimes 

I do love Disney and I fell in love with this the moment I saw it. I went back a few days later and they'd sold out. Fortunately my Mum obviously found one somewhere and snapped it up. I only have a couple of Disney Traditions ornaments but I'll never say no to another.  

My boyfriend got me this beautiful snow globe.  

He also got me this, which not only I love because its Disney and Tinkerbell, but it's called "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, HE LOVES ME!" Very appropriate I think :)

So my favourite gifts are very ornament, Disney, sentimental items, I'm all about memories and I know in years to remember who bought them for me will be lovely. I was truly spoilt and I really appreciate gifts that someone has thought long and hard about the type of present I'd like to receive. 

Last night me and my brothers took Mum out for her birthday with my boyfriend and my older brothers girlfriend. We've got such a nice pub up the road from us its perfect to just pop up there. The food is incredible and they have my all time favourite drink - Glitter Bomb - I die. I so wish Goldschlager was more readily available in the UK but alas. I wore my beautiful high top wedges, seriously the best invention EVER. Mum asked me why I was taller than her and I explained and she was like what! I forgot I had "heels" on, they're so comfortable and when I was a little tipsy lady walking home I was fine (even if it was just down the road!). They are quite sturdy so you remain relatively steady on your feet. I was so excited to get back home for Mum to open her presents. Me and my boyfriend got her a limited editon Disney watercolour painting of Snow White, her favourite. Needless to say she was happy with all her gifts and I've got some extra bits for her coming in the post. She loves vanilla and the Body Shop had loads of vanilla products reduced so I added them to my order. Will post my sale bits separately as its not all arrived yet but I haven't bought too much this year because I've found the sales to be a real disappointment. It was my one year anniversary with my boyfriend today and we had such a chilled day at home. I made him bacon sandwiches and scrambled egg for breakfast followed by a three course meal (although we didn't manage dessert as we were so full!). We watched Friends with Benefits again, its very funny with one liners and I love the way Mila and Justin bounce off each other and are so believable in their roles and emotions (which is obviously the sign of good acting!). I truly can't believe it's been a year together officially, it's gone so fast!
Anyway I hope you all have a wonderful time seeing the New Year in.
Hope you've all had great, festive weeks!

Sunday Summary #48

This will be a short and sweet Sunday Summary as I've been wrapping presents all day and not even halfway there yet plus the secret project for my boyfriend is about 40% completed, eek!!
I've been very good this week and all I've bought is three more pairs of high top wedges (reason in a minute), stocking fillers and Christmas roll wrap. My Mum got me a beautiful sequin dress from H&M that I adore. By some stroke of luck I'd seen it a few days before but they didn't have my size. She went in on Monday and got it half price and in my size. It was meant to be mine! I only bought three pairs of high top wedges because I wanted to compare and will return them, my boyfriend told me to keep all of them but I can't justify them as much as I love them!
My Christmas tree has caused me some hassle this year as I couldn't find the fibre optic lead for it so I had put some fairy lights on. When I told my Mum not all of the bulbs lit she removed them! She's insistent to get a refund but I loved them so much I'm desperate to keep hold of them. She replaced them and the new ones aren't so bad, but there's only 40 big bulbs to the 120 little ones before. I want to trail them around my room after Christmas but 40 bulbs will only go over one of my canvases. I'm such a perfectionist its annoying - Virgo trait.
To say its rained this week would be a slight understatement, it has truly poured! Plus everyone has gone Christmas mad. Maybe I've never noticed previous years but the last few days have been an eye opener with town rammed, heaving busy shops, rush hour traffic at any given hour and the longest sorting office queue. I'm quite excited for Christmas and I'm hoping the festive feeling really kicks in tomorrow with it being Christmas Eve.

BHS sale - Coca Cola straw holder £3.50, Coca Cola wall bottle opener £2.50, Me To You Christmas cards £2.50

I got everything half price online as my boyfriend was ordering a present for my brother. We'll keep the Coca Cola bits for when we move out :) 

 H&M dress £29.99 £15 

This is the dress, the sequin are a mixture of green and blue and look incredible as they catch the light with the movement of the dress. I call it my mermaid dress and I'm dying for a special occasion to wear this baby out 

Different tree lights from last week

Matalan high top wedges £16.20 (last chance to buy 10% off)

Although these are the same design as last week's nude ones I'm not sure I like the black and white contrast. I think this pair will be going back for sure. 

Matalan high top wedges £20

I really like these on! They look so nice and the higher top makes me feel more secure in them because they're hugging your ankles more. I fell in love with these the moment I opened the parcel. 

Matalan high top wedges £20 

I do like these, but I'm not sure again on the white contrast with the nude (Matalan call these khaki, but they're not, more camel toned) They feel secure like the black ones because of the higher top and velcro securing. 

This is the LINK for all the above high top wedges, still all available and oddly the top ones have gone back to full price? 

So that's my treats for the week. I now must dash back to my bomb site room and continue wrapping presents. I'm not sure when I'll next blog as this time last year my family were going through an horrific time and its all a blur so this Christmas is going to be different. We're all sorted to have a lovely, cosy family few days and as me and my brothers all love Christmas its important we get back to what we love. 

So Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope you have the loveliest time with your loved ones and eat plenty of naughty festive goodies x

Dotty Reds

 Models Own Red Alert and white nail art pen

This weeks nails come courtesy of my boyfriend who thought of the idea and assisted me. I have never been able to do my other hand, I write with my right hand and my left just doesn't have the same control so I've always been wary of complicated nail art. Plus I'm a perfectionist! I have had so many compliments on how festive my nails are and have loved wearing them. These are really simple to do - just use any red polish and any white nail art pen or a dotting tool with white polish. A protective clear top and voila!
I'm miles behind on Christmas this year with a few bits still to buy eek! Never mind the wrapping and bows and bags and tags. And I have to make up my Christmas treat bags. And I'm making Christmas cookies for my work's buffet on Friday, so one busy bee I shall be. Very excited that this time next week Christmas Day will almost be over, sad times. But hurrah for sales.
What are your festive nails of choice?

Sunday Summary #47

The panic is beginning to set in that I only have a week and a bit until Christmas! Luckily I won't be giving my boyfriend his presents until after Christmas but my friends and family needs sorting! I must get on with making bracelets to complete all the presents and I still have one brother to buy a main present for, I was so close as I found a shirt but got the wrong size. I knew he was a medium but thought it looked too big so got a small only for my Mum to say no he'll want a medium for arm length. Gah! Getting stressed about my boyfriend's main present because its such a massive project that I should have started sooner but some set backs aren't my fault but a company I've used to source the bulk of it.
I feel like I can't remember this past week it's passed in such a quick blur. I finally took a chance and ordered some high top wedges on Monday night as I had a money off coupon for Matalan but you couldn't use it in conjuction with their online offer of free delivery which was irritating. I continued with the order anyway. I had a tough few days at work, Christmas makes people exceptionally rude and stressed. I woke to the email that the Soap & Glory gift set would be £27 on Friday so I was very excited for that. They are incredible value for money and I love getting them. A Lush has just opened in town (HALLELUJAH! long time blog followers will know I've been waiting for this practically all my life) and in its first days it was relatively empty and now suddenly people have discovered it. It's permanently packed and I haven't been able to shop simply. I went late night shopping with my boyfriend and had hoped to make it in then but it was crammed again. I was up early on Friday for my Soap and Glory and had to brave Lush despite it still being too busy to look properly and they were out of some items I wanted. I got some presents too and had to head home just as the heavens decided to open and pour with rain. I got drenched and I could barely walk to the bus stop with all my bags but I just about managed it. My Matalan order arrived on Friday and I got a MAC lipstick on the Debenhams sale. I met my boy from work and found some pretty bits in Claire's Accessories. So basically it has been Merry Christmas to me this week!
I've been incredibly frugal these past few weeks though and making presents for friends rather than spending my usual amount has saved me a packet. Plus this week I sold some shares I bought back in 2009 for £6.53 when I originally bought them for £2.87! Talk about returning the money. I was always skeptical about shares and only entered the scheme in a bid to control my money and save money indefinitely. Its so simple to do because they take an amount from you, £20 per month for example, and after a set time, three or five years, the account opens for you. It seemed a great and effortless way to save money that I could never touch until its maturity and then transfer the amount to my house deposit fund. I'm still to understand more but the alternative for shares is to keep them with the company and you get a return from the companys profits (I think). Certainly worth a look if you are rubbish with money or take from your savings so end up with no savings at all. I'm terrible at moving money from my current account to savings accounts so seemed the answer for me. I also have an ISA that deducts from my current account each month.
Last night me and my boyfriend went to our friend's house for a curry. She's just moved in with her partner and we hadn't been over yet. The house is breath takingly beautiful. Its my dream home with georgian windows and very modern. Fortunately my boyfriend loved it too so its nice to know if we move out together we're on the same page. The curry was so nice too although I couldn't finish it all. I've only just tried them and have only had a korma and a tikka masala (last night) I'm not a spicy girl so its good to discover they're mild.
It's been quite exciting to shop with my boyfriend for our families as I've never done it with a boyfriend before. We've clubbed together for my Mum's birthday present which is the 29th December and I might burst with excitement. Its a limited edition Disney print which I'm sure she'll treasure.

I really love the X Factor single and I can't say no to buying items that contribute to charity. Plus you get three other songs on here. James deserved to win and I hope he does well. 

Meant to get this DVD for so long so when I was online Christmas shopping I found this for £3.49 so ordered it right away. I haven't actually seen the entire film just parts but I love Leo and Mark and I've heard great things about this. 

Paperchase tags & treat bags 

Thought the treat bags would be cute for my bracelets rather than tissue paper. Can't find tags for don't open til 25th december anywhere, think they sold out instantly most places. 

New Look £5.50 pumps

I love the Union Jack pair I got earlier in the year, so comfy and perfect to throw on for shopping, cinema and running errands. I had a 25% off code on my iPhone so nipped down to New Look and was thrilled to find these half price, I wanted the purple pair but they didn't have my size. 

 New Look £16.99 Swallow Peter Pan top

I've been lusting after this online for weeks and with my code I looked for it in store and found it. I love it even more because the swallows have wing detail just like my tattoo, haha such a geek. 

Matalan high top wedges £18 

I LOVE THESE! My boyfriend is somewhat taller than me which is great when I wear heels as I'm not taller than him (it makes me cringe for some reason) and often I wish heels could be appropriate for when we go out but its not an occasion for heels. I think these may bridge that gap as they give me height, look casual and are insanely comfortable. I have now ordered the black pair too....

Superdrug Batiste £1.45, Pantene Instant Damage Defence spray £2.29 (both better than half price offers)

If I ever got stranded on a desert island, Batiste would be one of my items I couldn't be without.  I'd got through the can at work so needed another and Superdrug always seem to have it on offer. I bought several cans and will probably go back for more. 

MAC Pink Pearl Pop £12.60

I've been after this for a while but stores I visited didn't have it in stock. I avoided looking online as I'd buy more than this. I happened to go on Debenhams website and they had 10% off beauty so I ordered it. I only got this as others I want were out of stock which was just as well.

Claire's Accessories £4.50

I couldn't resist these Christmas rings and seemed a bargain for 7! The camera hasn't picked up how glittery they are but they're so cute anyway. 

Claire's Accessories Owl ring £4

I love owls and I love rings. I'm not sure if this is a "speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil" type thing or whether its just three owls on a branch.

Claire's Accessories Bow & Bell earrings £3

I usually wear Christmas earrings at work but haven't even dug them out of the loft for this year with my lack of time so picked these to tide me over a few days closer to Christmas. 

Claire's Accessories "Think Of A Wonderful Thought" band ring £4

So hard to get a good picture of this. I've been thinking of having a Disney quote and this is one that I have been seriously considering. I love the positive feel to it and I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted this. Disney Couture does stuff like this but at a much much higher cost so I had to take advantage. 

THAT Soap & Glory gift set £60 £27

The best of the week by far. Absolute bargain and I really like the bag this year as I wasn't crazy about last years...even though this is £2 more this year and has less products its still great value for money as the items alone are worth £70 altogether. These go quick and online is sold out so try your local Boots if you're still after one. 

TRESemme Texture Style products 3 for £9 

These are my most used from the texture range so I got some more on offer as they retail for £5.50 each. I reviewed these on my October Favourites so look back if you want to read more here.  

Lee Stafford, 3 for 2 

I'm toying with the idea of ombre hair but because its been dyed red and the red is still lingering I think it'll look odd. So I may have to get the red out, then stick to my natural dark brown hair although all the red dye seems to have altered my natural colour or dye my hair dark brown and then bleach the ends. I'm not too sure what to do and I'm terrified of getting it wrong but found this Lee Stafford Sunkissed spray which can ombre your hair if sprayed at the ends. I then thought I could do with another hair growth treatment and it seemed silly not to get a third item because of the 3 for 2 so picked the shine spray. 

H&M Lady & The Tramp tee £9.99

I can't resist anything Disney :)

Lush Dirty shower gel £4.45 & Rehab shampoo £5.10

Dirty smells of spearmint Polos, sold. I adore spearmints Polos, so to smell like one, yes please! Plus I've bought a sickening number of Snow Fairy bottles...

Rehab I'm hoping will be a miracle product for my hair as it sounds, looks and reads like it will encourage healthy hair that grows. 

I chose to go for this as its a bright, neon colour and I have previously got Angel Delight and fancied a change. The paper is insanely pretty too I couldn't unwrap it yet!

Various bath bombs, yummy. 

So that's my week of shopping. A naughty amount when Christmas is just around the corner and I haven't finished my shopping yet, whoops. However the shops shouldn't be full of so many lovely gifts that I want for myself. So really its not my fault :)

Hope you've all had good weeks.

Life Of The Party

I bought Models Own Champagne in the 100,00 Facebook Likes sale and took a gamble as I wasn't sure I'd like it. I've always found this type of shade to look horrific on me, they suit other people, but make my nails look cheap and I've found previous formulas to be streaky, chip immediately and wear down on the tips within a few days. I think the quality of Models Own is outstanding for the price tag and decided for £2.50 to give it a try. It looked pretty when it arrived and when I was picking a colour last week I went for this. 

Its a true Champagne colour and gives a foil like finish. I couldn't stop looking at my nails, such a high shine, shimmery, amazing finish. This is absolutely perfect for this time of year. Its simple but eye catching too. If I had a bright or centre of attention outfit this would be ideal without taking the outfit focus away. I'm still a complete glitter obsessive but it can be time consuming to layer up glitter (hence my lack of glittery notds of late) and this was the best stop gap until I make time to go all glittery again. 

This would be a great gift for a lady who tends to wear nail polish for occasions. Its so quick to apply and like all Models Own dries fast. For some odd reason I've been thinking about the type of colour I'd wear for my wedding day, as you do. I never used to think about getting married but now I'm 24 its something I very much hope will happen. I asked my boyfriend and he said I would want you to do something nice on them. I said I couldn't do my usual colourful, different nail different colour, crazy crackle and glitter nails but I would go simple. After all I want my dress to be the focal point and everything else to accentuate it. This is definitely a colour I would consider, if you're interested.  

I have so many Christmas blog ideas but with just a week and a bit to go I might not get them all up. I have so much to do this next week as one of my boyfriends present is taking so much time and I'm making bracelets for friends (not even started those yet!). 

Definitely going to post my nails as I'm in full festive flow. My boyfriend searched for inspiration with me tonight on Google and he picked polka dot nails. Last time I tried them my left hand was so unsteady it looked awful! Lucky me he helped me and they look great so I'll post them in the next few days. Hopefully you'll have a steadier hand than me for your opposite hand or someone to help. I also bought some Christmas fimo for my nails which I was originally doing tonight but its so fiddly!

I may or may not have gone Christmas shopping today and ended up with a large majority of gifts to myself...Merry Christmas to me!

Everything will be on my Sunday Summary...

ps. blog post title is inspired by the weeknd, if I wasn't such a lucky lady with my boyfriend I would most certainly be booking a ticket to LA to find this beautiful man with a heavenly, silky, sexy voice 

pps. you can tell I'm not blogging as much because I'm rambling like mad, apologies