Two New Beauty Buys

Last week I picked up two new goodies that were just so pretty that I had to share them on the blog.

The first is this absolutely stunning nail polish by

Essie

called

Hors d'oeuvres

. It is the sparkliest most glitter packed polish I own and perfect for this time of year (now that Christmas is well on its way!)

 It's chock full of slightly larger silver glitter pieces in a base of gold micro glitter. It's gorgeous layered over pretty much anything to add a bit of a festive feel to the nails, but it also gives a really cool gold/silver foil effect when dotted on all by itself. The only downside (which is to be expected from a glitter polish) is that it's a pain in the butt to get off!

The second naughty purchase is the

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl

which has been on my list for a very long time. I was finally pushed over the edge when I read that this is the shade that Taylor Swift wears (yes, I am one of those crazy fans).

This is the first of the Nars lip pencils that I've tried and I absolutely love the formula. It glides on easily and stays put, and despite it's matte finish I find it very comfortable on the lips and not too drying at all. Colour wise, it is the perfect red for me, not too orange or blue toned and with just a hint of pink. Its a very bright, vibrant colour that I think would look great on pretty much any skin tone. 

I have a feeling this is going to become one of my holy grail products and it's definitely going to be getting a lot of use, particularly in the summer months!

 I'm wearing it in

this post

if you want to see what it looks like on :)

Have you picked up any exciting new beauty bits?

Lauren

xxx

New Additions - Zara's in Perth!

Hello hello :)

So there's been something quite exciting happening here in Perth, with the opening of the first Zara store in Garden City last Thursday. I happened to be working nearby that day, so after finishing up, I decided to head over and check it out.

Let me tell you - it was madness! The store is huge but was packed full of eager shoppers.  I'm used to a more calm shopping environment and don't deal particularly well with big crowds, but seeing as I was already there, I decided to stick it out and ended up leaving with a few beautiful white tops and a cute black dress. I didn't even attempt to try them on though (the line for the changing room was ridiculous), but I was assured that I could return anything that didn't fit.

Just a little tip -  if you want to skip the line to pay, head upstairs to the men's counter - I can guarantee the line will be shorter or even non-existant as it was in my case. :)

Unfortunately, when I tried everything on at home, nothing was quite right, but I headed back the next week (and thankfully it was much calmer this time), returned everything and then had a much more relaxing stroll around the shop and managed to find the beautiful pieces you see above. The changing rooms were also much more manageable this time so there were no disappointments when I arrived home.

First off are these super cute, high waisted gingham shorts (skort?)

The sturdy fabric sits really nicely so they're very flattering on. They're the perfect length, as well as being very comfortable and functional too! Not having to worry about your skirt flying up gets a big thumbs up from me!

Next is this beautiful dress. I've mentioned before that I have soft spot for pretty much anything floaty and white, and this dress is just my cup of tea. The sheer fabric drapes beautifully and I love the embroidered detail. At the moment I'm picturing styling it with ankle boots and a trilby hat to really play up the bohemian style.

Last but by no means least, (and probably my favourite purchase) are these stunning heels. The photo doesn't really do them justice but they're a gorgeous black suede with a beautiful gold ankle strap. I first saw these on Anna from the blog and youtube channel

Vivianna Does Makeup

, and have been lusting over them ever since (never really thinking I'd be able to get hold of them). I usually tend to stay away from ankle straps like this as they have a tendency to "cut the leg", and for someone of my short stature it's not always the most flattering style, but I'm a sucker for gold detailing, and these were just too gorgeous to pass up. Added to that is the fact that they're also super comfortable with a nice chunky heel at a height I can actually walk in - I just had to get them!

You can expect to be seeing these pieces popping up in my outfit photos very soon! Let me know what you think of this style of post showing the new additions to my wardrobe. I always enjoy reading these (and "haul" videos on youtube are one of my guilty pleasures), so hopefully you've enjoyed this and it's possibly given you some inspiration for your next shopping trip!

Lots of Love

Lauren

xxx

*I've tried to find links to everything but have sadly failed miserably! I'm sorry!*

Christmas Gift Ideas - For Her #2

I know it's getting a little late, but I thought I would quickly put up my final Gift Guide post seeing as I'd already made the collage!  These suggestions are probably more for the slightly younger, girly-girl :)

Soap and Glory - The Righteous Butter and Hand Food

Available from Kit Cosmetics, I'm sure that any "girly-girl" would enjoy something from Soap and Glory. These two products have the most amazing smell, are really moisturising, and also come in mini sizes so would make great stocking stuffers or just a nice gift if you're looking for something small. 

"Bird cage noticeboard" from Typo

I actually bought this for myself a couple of weeks ago with the intention of using it to store necklaces and earrings. It's currently sitting propped up against the wall as I haven't had a chance to hang it up, but once I do I'm sure it will get a lot of use! I think it would make a really nice gift - something a little bit different and quirky.

A Cute Mug and Tea

A cute mug paired with some nice tea (or hot chocolate mix if they're not a tea lover) will always make a nice, useful gift. I particularly love to give T2 teas as presents because they have such an extensive selection (and they're packaged beautifully!). Myer has some really cute "Little Miss" mugs at the moment, and Typo has a nice selection too. 

A Nice Toiletries/Make-up Bag

Another cute but useful gift. There's not much more to say about it!

A Lush Gift Set

Lush does some really lovely gift sets over Christmas and if you're shopping for a beauty lover I don't think you could really go wrong with one of these. I would just say that you do need to know what kind of scents the person likes, as some of the lush scents are quite strong.

A Fluffy Blanket

I mentioned this in my last Gift Guide (For Him). A super soft, fluffy blanket is always nice. Probably more appropriate for those in the Northern hemisphere though, seeing as it's a little too warm here for blankets!

A Wall Print

This one is from Typo. Just be a little cautious with this one because you don't want to pick something that will clash with the rest of their decor! (I'd probably save this kind of gift for my sister because I know what she likes and what would go in her room). 

Anyway, that's it for now. You can click

here

for links to where you can find these things.  

Hope you enjoyed!

Lauren

xxx