NYE NOTD: Nails Inc Chelsea Embankment

What do you do when you can't sleep? Read? Watch TV?  Just a touch before 5am this morning, I took this picture of my NYE manicure. Madness!

I usually don't like glittery nails,  but Chelsea Embankment from the recent Nail the Day TSV (classic gold glitter - no, really?) just spoke to me.  I'm coming down with something and I'm severely sleep deprived, so I think I can be excused a frivolous nail polish choice to end the year with.  

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much.  Often a good solid block of colour/glitter requires at least three to four coats to reach the desired look.  However, if I had been a little more precise with the application I could have easily managed with one.  Super dense and chock full of glitter particles: this maybe the best glitter polish I've ever owned.  

Thankfully it doesn't feel particularly gritty on the nails -  as that's a massive deal breaker for me!  It looks so eye catching and sparkly. I can't stop staring at it. I know I won't look forward to removing it though. Glitter polish is  notoriously difficult and time consuming to remove.  Still, I'm happy with it for this evening.

What will your NYE manicure be? Are you going to be "blinging" in the New Year like me,  or will you keep it classic?

QVC January 2012 Beauty TSV's

Saturday 7th January - Elemis Skin Therapies

Saturday 14th January - Leighton Denny Expert Nails

Friday 20th January - In the Salon with SBC

Wednesday 25th January - Prai Beauty

Saturday 28th January  - NV Perricone

Happy Shopping!

Boxing Day Bargains 2011

As is the norm for Boxing Day (well, the norm for me anyway!) I popped along to Boots with The Boy, to dispose of my Christmas vouchers (Thank you Aunties, Cousin, MiL and FiL) and didn't I do well?

With my gift vouchers I managed to swoop in and collect:

• Loverdose 50ml collection
• Loverdose 30ml collection  (and I got a bottle for Christmas from my Little Bro - I think I really love this stuff!)
• Gucci Guilty
• Guerlain Shalimar Initial
• Stella McCartney Stella 
• Estee Lauder Sensuous 

Then, by the power of Boots Advantage points ( I had just over 10300 points!) I treated myself to Elie Saab which I had really lusted after and Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense.  I love the original, so anything that had intense in its name, well I'm bound to love that too. Actually, I really need to just say how impressed I am that Givenchy steered away from the body lotion/shower gel combo for their gift set and treated it's customers to a roller ball perfume (Hello perfume houses! Why do we not have more of these in the UK... The Americans have lots of options for roller ball scents! Sorry, rant over.) which I personally love and a little candle. Total winner for me. Big thumbs up for Givenchy.

So that is my perfume collection sorted out for the rest of the year. Did anyone find any other amazing bargains in the sales?  I'll be out with my friend on Thursday, so I may unearth a few more bargains. Watch this space...

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I've been and had a soak in the bath.  I have my new jarmies on and I'm eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival.  Each year I like to track him on http://www.noradsanta.org/en/ (Hi Florence - Italy, Santa is on his way!!) just to make sure the big man is still on track!

I love Christmas, but what if the holiday season is not a happy and joyful time for you.  Who can you turn to if it all becomes too much?  Kellie from Big Fashionista complied this list of useful contacts to make sure that you know that you are not alone, whatever the time of year. 

MIND - www.mind.org.uk

0300 123 3393

Samaritans - www.samaritans.org

08457 90 90 90

Alcoholics Anonymous - www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/newcomers

0845 769 7555

Stonewall - www.stonewall.org.uk

Info line 08000 50 20 20 

London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard
0207 837 7324

SANELine - www.sane.org.uk
0845 767 8000

Preventing young suicide - www.papyrus-uk.org 

For people in Northern Ireland

www.lifeline.info
0808 808 8000

Childline - www.childline.org.uk 

0800 1111

Depressionalliance - www.depressionalliance.org

Refuge - www.refuge.org.uk

0808 2000 247

Eating Disorders Association - www.edauk.com 

0845 634 1414

Shelter - www.shelter.org.uk

0808 800 4444

NHS Direct - www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk 

0845 4647

No Panic - www.no-panic.co.uk

0808 808 0545

Nic and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

X

Philosophy Christmas Goodies at John Lewis

Holly Jubilee Collection - £12  

I hope the Mothership takes note!  John Lewis have an offer on their Philosophy Christmas gift sets - 25% off until Christmas Day.  Mother, I'd like any of these... please! 

Gingerbread Girl - £13

Jingle Joy  - £13

6000 Marshmallows for Toasting - £13 (all images in this post were borrowed from johnlewis.com )

Run to a John Lewis store to get yours,  or buy online at johnlewis.com  But please, can you let my Mum get me one first!?!

Black Friday at Bath & Body Works

On Black Friday, I entered Bath & Body Works with a little trepidation. I'm not sure what I was expecting.  Perhaps a stampede?  What I found was a whole host of lovely SA's and some seriously divine smellies.

 As I walked in I was informed that if I spent $40 (don't dare me!) you could buy a VIP tote bag of selected goodies for $20 that retailed for over $125.  Made great financial sense to me!  So I began sniffing and debating my purchases - whilst worrying about the weight of our luggage on the flight home.  The Boy told me not to worry, approved the choices and after a short while we headed to the till.

What did I get?

• Dark Kiss Shower Gel
• Dark Kiss Body Spray
• Warm Vanilla Sugar Shower Gel
• Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Spray
• Black Raspberry Vanilla Shower Gel
• Black Raspberry Vanilla Body Spray
• Cozy Autumn Vanilla Shower Gel
• Selection of Pocketbac's
• Selection of Lip Glosses

I can't really tell you anything about these goodies yet, as I haven't put them through their paces.  The only thing I can say is that they all smell lovely and we didn't exceed our luggage allowance, in fact we were nowhere near it... I seriously could have bought more.  Watch out for individual reviews as I work my way through them.

So what was in the VIP Tote?

• Be Enchanted Shower Gel 
• Be Enchanted Body Lotion
• Be Enchanted Shimmer Mist
• Mistletoe Kiss Foaming Soap (this is the only thing in use at the moment. Well it is almost Christmas!! PS it's lovely)
• Mistletoe Kiss Pocketbac
• Pocketbac Holder
• Liplicious Cranberry Kiss Lip Gloss
• Night-time Tea Body Lotion
• Mini Water Lily/scrub
• Pump
• Two small make up bags

 A total bargain for $20 I'm sure you will agree. I really hate that we cannot get this stuff over here.  This is yet another American retailer (like Sephora) that used to have stores in London/UK, but not any more. Please come back to Blighty B&BW! I beg you!

 I did quite a bit of beauty shopping whilst in Las Vegas.  However, my shopping was positively minuscule compared to Annabella (aka Skin Scrubs) who massacred the beauty aisles and taught me how to shop the American way!  Thank you my lovely friend Annabella, although I needed no encouragement! 

Nails Inc "Nail The Day" TSV - Tuesday 13th December on QVC

Ladies, what will you be doing as the clock strikes midnight tonight?  In fact, don't answer that!!  I'll be in my PJ's tuned into QVC for the launch of the "Nail The Day" Nails Inc TSV and wow-wee it promises to be a fab one.  I was a little on the fence about this and didn't know if I was going to go for it.  Then The Boy very kindly offered to purchase for me and send it off to Father Christmas for delivery on the 25th December.  Yay! How could I refuse?

 The colours are lovely, wearable classics, glitters, over glaze and metallic's - oh my! There really is something for everyone here.  If you feel a little bad about treating yourself so close to Christmas, perhaps you could repackage and make smaller gifts for a few lucky friends and family....while sneaking one or two out for yourself.  Well, you've been a good girl haven't you? 

See you at midnight and happy shopping!