Friday's FOTD

This is my first ever FOTD! *proud moment*

I've been meaning to try some of these beauty make up trends for myself recently and see which ones are versatile enough to wear in the daytime... For work, school runs, etc...

Today I tried Glamour Magazine's Grunge look: "Add an extra grungy look by letting your mascara clump together a little and then smudge your kohl liner along the lower lash line only. Leave hair loose and voluminous for a too-cool-too-care look."
( http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/beauty-and-hair/beauty-features/2013/01/spring-summer-2013-makeup-trends#!image-number=12 )

Now, the major points to note about the following selfies:
1) They are not professional looking because it was 6am
2) The camera adds inches to my forehead
3) The flash is extremely unforgiving BUT
4) It's real-life...not a Glamour shoot!

The fact that the whole look took approximately 30 minutes to complete (hair and make up) brings me joy! No faffing trying to match perfect eyeliner flicks, or spending the next 20 minutes straightening my hair...I felt sufficiently made up, my cheekbones were on point and I didn't even have to fill my brows.
What do you think? Did I nail it or shall I leave the grunge look on the runway?!

Thrifty Thursday - Bare-Faced Bravery

For those of us on a tight budget, Spring's latest beauty trend is a god-send in disguise!

 

Bare-faced beauty is the trend to be rockin' right now and although the last time this look was 'in' it was a total fake (I had to wear layers and layers of dewy foundation) this time round things have changed...

 

 

Versace S/S13

 

 

Alexander McQueen S/S13

 

 

Rick Owens S/S13

 

Very simply, the easiest way to be bang on trend every single day.

Quick beauty formula:

Concealer + Tinted Moisturiser + Powder

=

Naturally Nude

 

I've literally sorted this look for under £5, too!

 

3ml Mini Calvin Klein Infinite Hydration Foundation in Soft Beige (which I got for £1.40 on eBay!),

ELF Shimmering Facial Whip £1.50

&

Natural Collection Loose Powder £1.99

 

 

You can leave your eyebrows as natural as you please and there's no need for mascara!

If you're feeling too naked for the day why not put two of Spring's biggest trends together and add a neon lip?!

 

 

Missoni S/S13

 

 

Giles S/S13

 

[All of the catwalk looks can be found at Glamour Online]

 

What's your Spring look?

 

Comment me or Tweet me @sheldan2207

 

If you enjoyed this post take a look at my others and of course subscribe for daily blog posts on fashion, celebs, life, health and beauty!

 

-x-

 

 

 

 

KoKo's Killin' It!

I am absolutely LOVING Khloe Kardashian's looks right now! Her daytime shabby chic get up looks comfy, versatile and bang on trend and she's always managed to pull off a smokin' red lip like a pro!

Let's begin with the Arthur George socks tucked perfectly inside those fresh Timberland's!! Rob Kardashian's sock line is available online at agsocks.com and luckily for us they now do international shipping! I'm feeling to grab a few pairs on pay day especially the dip dyes (http://agsocks.com/dip-313.html), diamond leg warmers (http://agsocks.com/tights-leggings/diamond-warmer.html) and couture zebra prints (http://agsocks.com/zebra.html)! All very hot trends this Spring!

Can I move on to her AMAZING LIPS?!?! If I had to bizarrely chose my favourite lips of all time, Khloe would win hands down! They're always so juicy looking, whether she's rocking a nude or a fuchsia! I mentioned in my beauty post last week that I'm going to be bold and rock some brighter shades this summer! If you ever needed to plump that pout, using statement shades is the way to go...

Luckily for me not only has my hair grown, it has grown FAST! So I sort of look like I tried that dip dye hair trend that went on last month...I'm happy Khloe is still sporting the same look! If she could carry this on until I have my hair done it would be awesome! What are the hottest hairstyles at the moment? I'll investigate this for tomorrow's post!

What do you think of Khloe's socks and lippy? Hot or not?!

-x-

April Lust List - Look Like An Angel, Play Like The Devil...

The transition from Winter to Spring is always awkward: Too warm for coats, too chilly for bare skin. Awkward wardrobe change aside, what I adore about this time of year is the sudden resurrection of colour - blues, pinks, oranges and purples to be topically correct! I can't get enough of the Ombre Trend right now (which is basically a neat version of tie dye, I'm sure!) as well as the super cute sunglasses that you can grab for such a bargain, too! 

I'm going through a phase where I love to team very feminine pieces with accessories or make-up that add a subconscious attitude to the outfit! Looks like an angel, plays like the devil...

Without further ado let me present this month's Lust List - credit cards at the ready!

H&M :          Slingbacks   /   Clutch   /   Dress

Missguided : Shorts   /   Cat Shades   /   Jumpsuit

 

 

River Island :    Dress   /   Crop Top   /   Tank

 

Kardashian Kollection :   Wedges   /   Clutch   /   Tote

 

 

ASOS : Necklace   /   Watch   /   Earrings   /   Jacket   /   Dungaree Dress   /   Socks

 

 

 

What do you guys think? Have I missed something off? I'm sure there's more that I want!

 

What's on your lust list?

 

Comment

 

or

 

Tweet - @sheldan2207

 

-x-

 

 

 



Thrifty Thursday: Free Ways To Guarantee A Good Night's Sleep

We all know sleep is important: Most of us wish we had time for a lot more of it! Yet ever since the rise of social media and since our lives are becoming busier and busier, a fair few of us struggle to get the recommended 8 hours every night! Just a few small, FREE changes can aid the sleep quality in your life. Can you do it?!

1) De-clutter your room, de-clutter your mind
It may seem simple but those with a tidier room have a clearer mind which means they're able to switch off quicker at night! Instead of stressing out trying to find my cleanser and then scrabbling around looking for a clean pair of fluffy socks, I'm in bed unwinding already!

2) Lose yourself in a good book
Removing yourself from all the thoughts of your reality, pick up your book and get lost for at least 30 minutes before you try to sleep. The main cause of sleep deprivation is the inability to close off from to-do lists, daily stresses and every day strains. I'm reading Croissants and Jam by Lynda Renham and it's the perfect brief escape to help me dose off!

3) Drink a milky drink before bed
Milk contains melatonin which is the helpful stuff apparently! Not only is it proven to prevent bone decay, balance the chemicals, postpone ageing and aid the prevention of cancer, it has also been used as a Pre-bedtime drink since way back in the day! Mother has a milky coffee before bed every single night, my grandad has hot cocoa and my nan usually has tea! My tipple of choice is an Options Hot Chocolate in either Vanilla, Banana or Coconut flavour!

4) Take work outside
Your room is supposed to be your escape, the one place you can go for ultimate privacy and down time. If you've spent all day in there working on that presentation, article, spreadsheet or whatever it is that you're doing, when it comes to shutting off and going to bed, you're not leaving it behind anywhere! It's like trying to kip in the office.

5) Ban social media from the bedroom!
I could be feeling the sleepiest I've ever felt, then I quickly log onto Twitter to 'check' my feed. Instantly I'm involved in a string of retweets, a live web chat, multiple trending posts... I just can't help myself. Before I know it it's an hour later and I'm getting 7 hours instead of 8 hours sleep! No more 'checking' the feeds before bed!




Photo Sources:
http://reddphoenix78.deviantart.com/art/Tidy-Room-Tidy-Mind-314465070

http://www.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk/en/Books/Paperback/Lynda-Renham/Croissants-and-Jam-A-Romantic-Comedy/product.html?product=E11148522

http://mind-power-book.com/blog/Hot-Chocolate-Bed-Time-Drink-or-Disturbed-Sleep

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/body/healthy-toolkit/cell-phone-health-risks/?page=4

Bow Down Bitches: Queen Bey Backlash?!

Beyoncé is too awesome to resort to bejewelled boobs!

 

Did I really just read a sentence that begins with 'Beyoncé is too awesome to...'??

 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY ON 'MSN HER'

 

The problem I'm having right now is that Beyoncé is clearly heading for some form of backlash - which is a damn shame because she is the epitome of the perfect woman.

Ever since her jaw-dropping Super Bowl performance I've been re-obsessed with Beyoncé as if my life depends on it - but I can't help but feel something is different this time around.

 

The last time I felt this uneasy about a 'Bey Phase' was back when Deja Vu was released: Video was hot, Jay-Z was hot but then her vocals were, to put it bluntly, rather OTT. Her improv's at the end of that song are simply a form of expressive wailing!

Although her work was cut out having to follow one the best-selling debut solo albums of all time - Dangerously In Love - B'day was still a slight let down and was saved by classics such as Irreplaceable and the extremely fierce Upgrade U.

 

But all was forgiven because her album art looked like this:

 

 

 

We can actually probably forget about B'day entirely as what followed were arguably two of my favourite albums of all time (I can see that being a spin off post at some point!!) - I Am...Sasha Fierce and 4.

 

So we've had 2 wonderfully phenomenal albums plus live gigs for the UK telly audience, live DVDs (Roseland is...something else!) and, of course, her brand new tour.

 

Hmm - let's discuss this tour!!! How many of you were on hold for almost an hour, whether online or on the phone or, like me, BOTH just to get hold of a ticket to her Mrs Carter World Tour??? And how many of you people, like me, were denied access to these apparently sold out tickets only to log onto eBay and find them for £1,000,000,000 each?! Me too, me too...

 

So it was unlikely I was going to get tickets, what with her being a mega-superstar and all that.

 

The tour began with an enormous BANG last night in Serbia! Lucky, lucky Serbia!

 

 

"The 31 year-old put on a spectacular show for the adoring crowd at the Kombank Arena in the nation's capital, Belgrade." 

- MSN Music

 

"The singer ensured the opening night of her world tour didn’t go unnoticed thanks to a series of sexy outfits she donned throughout the show in Belgrade, Serbia"

 

- Tim Nixon for The Sun

 

"Despite the lack of new tracks, Beyoncé kept fans happy with a spectacular show which saw her perform in a string of varying skimpy outfits"

- Caroline Westbrook for Metro

 

Now there are some cranks out there who feel Beyoncé has lowered her tone of late. Her brief release of track 'Bow Down Bitches' didn't go down that well with fans:

 

"Is that Beyoncé song a joke?" - Tweeted by Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills

"I don't like this Bee" - Souncloud comment from one fan

"I hate this song" - Soundcloud comment from another fan...

and the comment that everyone was thinking but didn't want to say it out loud:

 

"Beyoncé's better than this.."

 

LISTEN TO 'BOW DOWN' - CLICK HERE

 

And some of her stage costumes have got tongues wagging, too. Caroline Corcoran hits the nail on the head contributing for MSN Her today:

 

"Beyoncé knew the world would be talking about her sequinned breasts today, and didn’t care, because that’s the outfit she fancied wearing. It’s difficult to argue with that: the right to wear weird fashion is one of the most fun things about being a woman.

As long as Beyoncé knows that from the rest of us (the female contingent at least) comes a rallying cry that we love her for her attitude, her talent, and the warbly bits in Love on Top. And none of that requires a sparkly nipple."

 

READ FULL ARTICLE - CLICK HERE

 

We all adore Queen Bey. Perfect body, perfect attitude, perfect voice - but I can't help but feel she is over-thinking what usually comes naturally to her! Don't try so hard Bey, we got your back!

 

What do you reckon - will Bey EVER face a backlash?? Or is she just too good for everything?

 

 

 

x-x-x

 

Photo Sources:

www.beyonce.com

www.fanpop.com

http://style.uk.msn.com/socialvoices

http://evolutionaryparenting.com/celebrity-mom-beyonce/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Spring Pastel Mani

Got my nails done today - wayyy overdue as the other ones were cracking off all over the place!

 

Loren Ridinger Tweeted THIS:

 

 

Which I simply ADORE - the layered design, the pretty pastels, the dainty shape: It is all so perfect for the Spring transition.

 

I decided I wanted something like that - but with a bit more attitude.

So I got THIS:

 

 

A combination of:

 

Essie Castaway

 

Orly Snowcone

 

& Technician's own Gold polish

 

I LOVE to mix up my nails art every now and then to add a little pizazz to proceedings! I'm so glad to have them cut down too - I couldn't even do my shirt buttons up this morning!

 

What other nail trends are there at the moment? Has anyone tried the nail wraps before? I may experiment with them in the future.

 

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now Part of the Next Blogger Network!

Morning Weekenders! It's a lovely bright Saturday morning and I'm heading out to spoil Princess at Pets at Home soon BUT I thought I'd do an extremely quick post on how I'm now part of the Next Blogger Network! I've registered with my Wordpress blog (Obsessed With Them) because you only register one URL! But have no fear the Next blog posts shall be posted on both blogs simultaneously!

 

Here is the badge - I can't seem to get it onto my page because the link is broken but will try again soon! Has anyone had this problem before? I'm an utter noob so need some technical assistance!

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone! x

 

 

Thrifty Thursday...On A Friday?!

Current Location: At home on the sofa..
With: Boyf, brother & pooch..
Why: We are all SKINT

Sound familiar?! Well it's not as bad as it seems. A Friday night in can actually be fun, cheap and chilled all at once if done properly! Here's my top 5 thrifty night-in guide...!

1)
Firstly, we need to establish the dinner situation: take-away, ready meal, something much more affordable and delicious?? Yeah, us too!

Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda & Waitrose are all doing 'eat in' deals that are all cooked and served within half an hour! Our choice today were the Beef Steaks in the Peppercorn Sauce - 4 for £7 in Tesco! Also reduced in Sainsbury's were some mouth-watering cream filled eclairs...
If you head to the supermarkets sometime around 7/8pm A LOT of fresh cakes, dairy and baked products are reduced so much you can feast like a bunch of starving piglets all night for less than £3 each! Mmmmm...

2)
Then comes a long evening of entertainment to arrange! ITV's new comedy offering 'The Security Men' provided some light-hearted giggles at 9pm and before that a mighty Dog The Bounty Hunter marathon was enjoyed: Our collective TV guilty pleasure! Friday nights aren't renowned for their fab TV options but they are excellent for an injection of horror with something like Ghost Hunters on Sky Livit or celeb chat shows on C4!

3)
Following some light procrastination via Twitter, Facebook & YouTube I imagine we will indulge in copious amounts of tea, munchies and probably more telly. If not, bring out the big guns and get competitive! I'm not saying it won't end up in tears but drag out that old school racing game from back in the day - we recently downloaded Crash Bandicoot Racing for a couple of quid! I've heard Black Ops is a fun multi-player choice too...I'm usually lost by then and am usually found either blogging, Tweeting or jammin' on SoundCloud!

4)
Other amazingly obvious night in pleasure is usually enjoyed with girlfriends: Renting/buying stupid films and DVDs plucked straight from the bargain bins in HMV, Asda & Play.com ... Things such as High School Musical, Zoey 101 & Legally Blonde! Having a ridiculous dance/shuffle around whilst stuffing digestives in your happy mouths! (Anyone else secretly begging this to happen very soon??)

5)
Many a night in has been spent playing Monopoly or Game of Life...as sad as it sounds I miss the occasional board game! One of my favourites was played two Christmases ago when my cousin got it as a gift: Sequence! Never under-estimate the fun factor of board games! Really!! If board games aren't your bag, spark up cheeky card games...instead of paying for money try swapping the chips for biscuits..or cupcakes..or any food fancies that tickle your pickle!


So far I've not spent more than £15 in any situation...AND I'm in a tracksuit, snuggled under my duvet listening to the April Showers outside! I may gain a major food belly but I'm chilled out, happy and money-saving all at once!!

So, if you're going out tonight, enjoy! Live like it's your last...although remember: It's not what you do or where you go, it's WHO you do it with!

Pass the doughnuts will you...




Photo Sources:

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=268216876

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/grocery-categories/Eclairs_And_Doughnuts_in_Sainsburys.html

http://spoilerbuzz.com/category/dog-the-bounty-hunter/

mostlyghosts.com

http://brilliant-fullsoftwares.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/crash-team-racing-full-game-for-pc.html

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/jamie%20lynn%20spears?before=61

http://www.purplepawn.com/2009/07/sequence-and-variants/

http://www.sheknows.co.uk/home-and-living/articles/950201/5-best-movies-for-a-girls-night-in

Top 10 Bargain Beauty Buys

When I'm reading other people's blogs I always get so jealous that they are reviewing or recommending products from MAC, Benefit or Clinique! These babies are not only wonderful but they also come with a price tag that I just can't condone splurging that much on such a small item! So, until I'm healthy-wealthy I will stick to spending less than £3 on each of my make-up bag items; I have all I need for all eventualities and all for under £30! Here are my Top 10 bargain beauty buys that I just can't live without:

 

Natural Collection Shine Away Foundation - £1.99 - Boots

Natural Collection Pressed Powder - £1.99 - Boots

Natural Collection Eye Liner - Not Available Online (Otherwise I use Rimmel Jet Black Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil - £2.99 - Boots)

Africa by W7 Bronzer - I got for £2 on a market stall in Watford but also available online at Amazon for £3.41

E.L.F Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Blueberry - £1.50 - E.L.F Cosmetics

Disney Eyeshadow Palette - £2.99 - H&M (Not now available but other palettes are - CLICK HERE)

Natural Collection Lash Build Mascara - £1.99 - Boots

True Colour Lipstick in Liqueur - £4.99 - Sleek Make-Up

Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil - £2.99 - Boots

Natural Collection Cover-Up Stick - £1.99 - Boots

 

Although cheap and cheerful this collection is all I need for everyday make-up, nights out, lunches with the girls, dinner with the boyf, everything!

50% of it is from Natural Collection - Boots' own range of cosmetics. I find that not only are the products excellent value for money they also rival their dearer competitors: I tried out the Maybelline Great Lash Mascara last month and found that not only did I pay over double for it but it lasted half as long as the Natural Collection mascara! It dried out in less than 2 weeks whereas NC Lash Build lasts me well over a month at a time.

 

NC Eyeliner does smudge throughout the day which is annoying. I'm considering trying out the Studio Makeup Mist & Set from E.L.F (£3.75) to see if it holds it in place!

Has anyone used this or have any other tips for smudgy eyeliner?!

 

The bronzer from W7 is one of my greatest ever beauty discoveries! Casually browsing a beauty stand in the Harlequin Centre in Watford I found this for about £2. It was one of those spur of the moment, 30-second purchases which I've grown to love! It's so much darker than all my other face shades which really accentuates my cheek bones and because of the multi-coloured blush and thick brush that comes with it, you get a pinky-tanned glisten perfectly wearable in the day and evening times.

 

The most expensive item in the collection is the Sleek lipstick. Luckily for me this was a Christmas gift but it has definitely got me hooked on the brand! Sleek is also available in Superdrug which is handy if you're out and about on the high-street. I have it in 'Liqueur' but am hoping to try something bolder next time like 'Loved Up' or 'Exxxagerate'.

 

For £25 I have basically stocked my make-up bag for at east 1-2 months with products that are reliable, cheap and look great! Who said being on a budget meant we had to suffer?!

 

What's in your make-up bag?? Tweet me @sheldan2207 or comment below

 

xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Ebay APPrehension - iPad APP Review

Desirable of the week: The eBay iPad app.

Brilliant but concerning all at the same time: The utter tentativeness when I placed my first ever bid, then the sudden rush of hysteria when I am still the highest bidder when that little red time is ticking down from 10 seconds...

9...

8...

7...

6...

Why did no-one else bid this high? It's such a lovely blouse...ISN'T IT?!

5...

4...

OMG It's a scam, it's not really ASOS it's Primark!!!

3...

2...

1...

ENJOY YOUR NEW ASOS BLOUSE 12 BEIGE!

 

Panic spreads throughout my OCD mind like a crazed wildfire burning every inch of shopper's satisfaction and I start flicking through the pictures again. There are only two pictures - one of the blouse hanging on someone's bedroom door and one of the label...THE LABEL!! It clearly states ASOS and the size. Fine.

 

Continuous e-mails flood my inbox - PAY NOW, ENJOY, OTHER ITEMS RECOMMENDED FOR YOU...

Where am I the casino?!

I'm exhausted and still have to work out how to use PayPal, leave me alone for one minute.

They have recommended a fabulous pair of jeans in my size though...

FOCUS.

 

PayPal is just something else isn't it. Somehow my credit card is already fixated onto the account but I can 'add funds' from another bank account if I register it. Ok, since my credit card is looking mightily full these days I'll add funds: Following the instructions on PayPal, I logged into my online banking account and transferred £2.50 into my PayPal account. I'm not tight or anything (I am) but even this had me worried. PayPal are definitely going to commit fraud or something.

 

Ok, paid for and confirmed - my lovely, silky, flowy blouse will be on the way soon.

Wildfire burnt out and shopper's satisfaction creeping back in, I had a quick look at those jeans...

And the River Island bralet, the Boohoo dress, the Calvin Klein bra, the MAC Lipstick...

 

It's done. I'm now part of the seedy world of eBay addiction. I've won a dress, skirt, bra, lipstick and a blouse and every time such a mix of emotions welled up inside me that, in the end, I just pretended not to notice.

 

Most of the decent stuff on eBay is usually sold for the shop price anyway (or for over a tenner which, to me, defeats the object of an online car boot sale) which has lead me to dislike the thing. But the app is still there, right in the middle of my iPad screen staring at me just to come and peep to see what I can find. I scroll through the Women's Clothing with such a stiff pokerface, refusing to bid on anything, but afraid of missing out on the world's biggest bargain.

 

So blogger friends, if you haven't succumbed to the eBay dragon yet - DON'T! It's a seedy market place where everyone stares at you like it's your first day at school: Evil eyes that seem friendly until you're attacked by a hungry pack of women all vying for the same vest top - However the smug sense of accomplishment when you win that vest top is of the same sort of pleasure as that of finally kicking your childhood bullies in the nuts!

 

ADDICTION: Doing something that you know impacts you in a negative way (rinsing funds from my bank account for used goods) but doing it anyway.

 

Happy Bidding x

Visit eBay (if you dare) - CLICK HERE

Top 7 Ways To Boost The Bank Holiday Blues

Judging by the mass amounts of tiredness and nostalgia creeping around the UK today it seems we all enjoyed the Bank Holiday quite a bit. It was handy for the pubs that it landed on so many people's paydays but not quite so lucky for our poor souls which are now in dire need of intensive care.

From crisps to sexy department store owners - try this lot out for a Bank Holiday boost and recover in style avec moi...

 

Hampstead Tea Organic Iced Tea - £1 Tesco - Light, refreshing and full of anti-oxidants this healthy beverage is perfect for the morning after a heavy night
Pearl Lip Bam - 99p Superdrug - As we brace ourselves for more cold weather and continue to recover from the Bank Holiday Madness, our cracked lips can look good enough to kiss with one swift application
Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing Toner - £2.99 Boots - One splash of this and your pores are rid of all of life's nasties - your face will feel 10lb lighter!
Mr Selfridge - Series 1 DVD - £15 Amazon - Sundays really are not the same without dreamy Selfridge and his department store drama. Swoooon!
Kelloggs Special K Cracker Crisps - £1.99 Tesco - The most moreish of all 'diet crisps' in all of the land...
Candles - The White Company £20-£35 - Duvet, fluffy attire, Gossip Girl & the faint waft of various signature scents from The White Company...Bliss?!
Nick Grimshaw on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show - Every morning from half 6 the hilarious DJ brings me to life - and seeing as he is BFF's with London's elite kool krew I feel in with the kats!