Essie: Vested Interest

Hello!

Here's the second in my Essie Winter Collection posts. I have previously written about Cashmere Bathrobe which is a gorgeous shimmery grey and will be getting a lot of use from me. 

I haven't managed to pick up any more of the collection yet as they seem to have sold out everywhere but I did pick up Vested Interest at the same time as Cashmere Bathrobe.

This is Vested Interest, a grey green colour:

Essie say:

'Stock up on the classics. This tweedy, woolen cool gray teal nail lacquer has sartorial style all buttoned up.'

I say this colour is completely different to anything I've ever owned and I wasn't sure about it.
But I love these kinds of colours for winter and as I wear lots of black and grey, this is a nice addition to my nail polish wardrobe for a subtle addition of colour.

Granted it's not a bright colour but for work colours like this are so easy to wear, both this and Cashmere Bathrobe have proved to be great staples and alternatives to the more commonly used reds and blacks of winter.



The polish applied easily thanks to the Essie brushes being so good, and only needed 2 coats for opacity.
When the top coat was applied you can see how shiny and pretty the colour becomes, it looks perfect!



These photos show the polish with flash above and without below, the colour is quite true and there's not a lot of difference between the two.




This colour was a surprise for me as I've absolutely loved it!

I've been desperate to get my hands on the blue and red from the collection, After School Boy Blazer and Twin Sweater Set but it seems it's not meant to be so far.
I've been trying a number of times on the Boot website without any luck, it's infuriating trying to load a page that constantly says 'generic error' and it happens every time I try to find something on there.

It's really put me off trying to use the Boots website at all, how useless!

One day I will get these Essie polishes...

Which Essie product is your favourite? Which of the collection will you be picking up?

L xxx

Autumn Winter Ankle Boots

I have lots of pairs of knee high boots. I tend to get a proper pair for Christmas and as I always get Clarks ones they last. With ankle boots I tend to just pick up cheap ones so they only last a season.

The hunt for good ankle boots was harder than expected. I kept finding they made my legs look chunky if they weren't finishing at a flattering point or were just not looking good on me.

I tried so many high street stores and I couldn't find any flat ones I really liked. I'd been avoiding heeled ones as I want them for work and currently I walk to and from work which is an hour a day and my job involves me being on my feet.

When I spotted these in Primark for a very reasonable £18 I just couldn't resist. I tried them on in the shop and they looked good. They were simple but finished in the right point.

Even though they have quite a high heel they are so comfy to walk in. A 30 minute walk to and from work and being on my feet all day and no blisters of sore feet. They have a slightly padded bit on the ball of the feet and I think this really helps. I do find they are a lot comfier if I wear socks then just tights.

I really love the buckle detail and the fact it's not a bright silver or gold as that was what had put me off a lot of boots. The zip on the outer boot isn't a functioning zip but there is also a zip on the inside which makes the boots easy to put on.

I'm loving wearing them with midi dresses and tights. They easily smarten up an outfit but look equally great with jeans.

 are you a boot fan? I love them for the winter months.

Love M

xxx

Maybelline Superstay 10hr Stain Gloss in Lasting Pink

If you follow us on twitter you'll have probably heard me mention the Maybelline 10hr glosses. I absolutely love them. I originally picked up Forever Fuchsia (reviewed here) and absolutely loved the colour and formulation of it.

The packaging is simple with colour coded lids so it's easy to grab the colour you want if you have more than one of the shades.

I love the shape of this applicator with the well in the middle. This helps to get a neater application as there isn't as much product at the edges so you can get a neat line around the lips.

Photos taken with flash

The glosses are very pigmented and can have a really glossy finish. I like that if you only apply one coat it isn't too glossy so it can be as glossy as you like.

The colour lasting pink I think is a bit more red than it applies. It can look pink in some lights but I'd say it was more of a red with a pink base.

Taken in natural light.

I do find lasting pink colour isn't as long lasting as forever fuchsia.

I love this one as much as the first and prefer these to the apocalips. They don't stain as much as the apocalips but i find they are a softer texture, apply neater and find they don't transfer to my teeth like the apocalips do.

I really want the other three and may have to treat myself soon. They retail for £6.99 and I find the tubes last ages.

Have you tried these?

Love M

xxx

Victoria's Secret

On a recent trip to London I found myself outside the infamous Victoria's Secret store.

I genuinely stumbled across this and had no idea it was even where it was, but obviously as soon as I realised I was outside it I knew I needed to go in.

And as soon as I was in I knew I was parting with some cash....

The store itself is beautifully designed, with lots of pink as expected!

The chandeliers are amazing and there are plenty of mannequins displaying products, some of them are outstanding and I certainly spent a lot of time wishing I owned them let alone the body needed to show them off!





I loved this skirt, I'd absolutely love to own one of these. I don't even know what I'd do with it but just to lounge around the house in when I felt it was necessary.

One of the stand out parts of the store was the massive screen at the back of the store spreading over all 4 floors. Seeing shots of the beautiful Rosie Huntington Whitely made me feel a tad depressed, I mean just look at her amazing body! She is stunning.











If I ever work out to the point of having a body like these women, I will be buying myself a whole new wardrobe of underwear to reward myself!

If only having a washboard stomach was as easy as I wished it was.

Another floor of the shop had slightly different decor, lots more pink and pink drawers filled with knickers in every colour imagineable. This was where I found my purchases....

The only disappointment for me was that I couldn't find any bras in my size at all. I might have been tempted by a set if I'd seen my size available but as a 34E I had no chance.

So...onto the items that I did buy! After seeing an offer where 3 knickers were on offer for £27 I couldn't resist. This meant that each item was £9 which is pretty steep really, but as a one off I won't be judging myself too harshly ;)

The knickers I picked up were all the same style and are your typical knicker style, bit of a lace on the sides and low rise. I find these the most comfortable and flattering for almost every occasion and have so many different colours!

I chose a navy, a grey and a pale pink coloured variety. I could easily have chosen loads of different colours and patterns but had to restrain myself.

The pale pink ones are the prettiest, they have white lace around the edges and a gold polka dot pattern on the sides:

I love the back with the lace details! They're perfect for being girly when you're on a 'pretty' day, I'm sure you all know what I mean!

The navy ones are beautiful too and plain but simple:

The lace panels on the side are my favourites, and I bought the dove grey colour to finalise my 3 pairs:

I have been wearing them the past few weeks and can confirm that they are so comfortable and have enough stretch for movement but they don't give and sag after a few washes which is the best kind of stretch!

I loved that they also came wrapped up in beautiful tissue paper, I'd be quite tempted to use this as a background for multiple things. Expect to see it in future posts for product photos ;)

Or maybe as a new background for my computer?!
It's too pretty to just exist as a file or sheet of paper!

What do you think of Victoria's Secret? Do you think its worth the hype and the price tag?

They have a HUGE range, not only underwear but nightwear and loungewear and a monumental toiletry range that I had to avoid like the plague for fear of maxing out my credit card and bankrupting myself!

I'd love to go back another time when I have a little more cash to my name (new cars are expensive!) and have a proper wander and spree. 

What would you recommend as your favourite product from VS?

L xxx