My new Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Natasha Crossbody Bag

I have been coveting Classic Q Natasha Crossbody bag from Marc By Marc Jacobs for over a year and it has long held a solid position on my handbag wish list. This year, while on holiday in Chicago I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. Hehe us girls can always rely on holiday spirit to splurge!

I purchased my bag at Nordstrom for about $400 with tax, but you can purchase the bag at Harrods for just over £300.

What can I say about this bag... I am in love. I went with the black, classic and beautiful, and goes with everything. The shape is gorgeous and you can fit a fair bit in.

Short strap ** Long strap ** Cross body

 The adjustable strap is great, meaning I can wear it short as a shoulder bag down to about my hip (I'm 5ft 6inches). I can also wear it comfortably as a cross body bag by lengthening the strap.

The hardware is beautiful and chunky and I like the long pull on the zipper. The zipper reveals a long pocket which goes the full length down the back of the bag. I wouldn't really keep much in there because I think it would affect the shape of the bag and potentially damage the bag. But its a useful hidden pocket for keeping things safe, like a passport.

There is also a zipped pocket in the back of the bag and two open pockets at the front. You can easily keep a smart phone in one and the other is handy for keys or hand sanitiser.

The bag fastens with a magnetic connector which works fine. I do worry sometimes when I'm closing it that the clasp scratches sometimes as I try and get it in the right place.

I love this bag. It was an investment and something I considered and saved for over some time. It was however, towards the more affordable end of high end handbags and worth the money if you are looking for a one off special purchase.

I'd love to know what beautiful bags you have purchased recently.
Keep Well Xx

My New Winter Coat from Zara

It’s that time of year again when the weather is turning bitterly cold and it just doesn’t seem to stop raining (I believe this may be a British thing). However, there are two good things about this: there is nothing cosier than sitting with hot chocolate on a Sunday night watching the X-factor results and there are new winter coats to buy in all the shops!

I made my necessary winter coat purchase last week on a trip to Westfield Stratford (never been – AMAZING!). I found mine in Zara. It is gorgeous.

I wanted to purchase a grown up, black, smart, on trend coat. I wasn’t asking for much huh? But I did indeed find what I was looking for.

The cut of this coat is flattering, the belt nipping me in at the waist; the straight shape creating a smart silhouette and the neck creating an air of sophistication, with the added benefit of keeping my neck warm. 

The gold hardware is smart yet fashionable and adds a gentle nod to the military style without detracting from the smart, sophisticated design of the coat. The zip pockets are very secure but are a tad annoying as you can’t keep your hands warm in your pockets – this could be a great excuse for purchasing some new gloves this winter!

Sorry about the poor quality photos, not sure what happened to these but hopefully you get the gist!

The only criticism is the coat is not that thick and I am concerned that come full on winter, it may not be as warm as I might hope. However, I think thick arctic ready coats are not likely to appear in a smart, refined form. I am therefore happy to keep this coat for the pre and post arctic conditions of autumn and spring.

 

I am in love with this coat and it was an absolute steal at £119. When I bought it home my partner thought it was easily £250 - £300, so it looks a lot more expensive than it is. 

Let me know what winter coats you have your eye on!

Keep Well Xx

Fashion/Life Observation: The second handbag (the tote)

Some of you may have gathered from my previous witterings that I commute to work by train. Every morning and evening I see thousands, ok exaggerating but probably 100 people. I'm always nosey and looking at what women are wearing and my keen eyes always dart toward shoes and handbags!

I've noticed over the last few months that the majority of women are commuting with not one but two handbags. The second bag is often some form of tote, while the first is the, not always that small, handbag. I am currently on the hunt for a new tote bag and decided to share with you a few of my favourite web-window shopping finds...

This I had to include...the Butterfly Print Canvas Bag from Warehouse. As you may have guessed from the title of my blog I do indeed love butterflies. I've seen this in store, its super roomy and has a zip, so the bag can be done up for extra security. Such a good deal for just £30.

Butterfly Print Canvas Tote - Warehouse

There is of course always the light canvas tote which you can pick up anywhere from Primark to Jack Wills. However, I like this more structured alternative, the Faux Nubuck Shopper Bag from Topshop. A bit more expensive at £36 but with all the inside pockets it could easily be used as a weekend handbag too. Plus the long shoulder strap will make it easier to carry if you wanted to bring home some heavier folders or your laptop.

Faux Nubuck Shopper Bag - Topshop

Moving into a heftier price bracket, I have two bags I have been eyeing up lately. The first from DKNY is the French Grain Tote. A tad more expensive at £260. However, I love the sleek classic design, all the pockets and compartments plus the added features of the bag charm and scarf. This wouldn't be as practical as the bags above and probably couldn't carry your laptop, notepad, lunch, water bottle plus random junk. But it's just so pretty!

French Grain Tote - DKNY

The other bag I have been looking at is the Hamilton Tote Bag from Michael Michael Kors. In the shops I always love this bag, its a bit more practicable than the DKNY as it has less pockets and is quite roomy. However, the thing that puts me off is whenever I see anyone with this bag it always look so worn and misshapened. I don't know if this is because the bag is not hard wearing or whether the people I have seen just don't look after their bags, but I am a bit reluctant to lay down £285 for a bag which doesn't look great after a few uses.

Hamilton Tote Bag - Michael Michael Kors

And finally, the creme de la creme. I couldn't decide between a Louis Vuitton or a Mulberry for this coveted position in my tote bag wish list. Alas, I have a big case of Olympic/I Love Britain fever at the moment so the golden crown goes to the homegrown Mulberry Bayswater Tote. Unfortunately, its way out of my price league.

Mulberry Bayswater Tote

So there are my top five Tote bags of choice. I'm currently on the hunt for a new tote bag so if any of you have any suggestions or a favourite tote, I'd love to hear from you.

xoxo

What have I been up to - July 2012

Heylo there! Wow, I've had a bit of a busy month, but I've had so much fun I thought I'd share it with you. We actually had some sunshine finally in the UK so I've been out and about and having some fun with our summer of sport here in London.

So just a few snippets of my summer so far, including the Wimbledon final, a sunday lunch at the pub, raspberry picking in the glorious Kentish countryside, a bit of Judo at the Olympics followed by a quick ride on the Emirates Cable Car to the O2 to grab some lunch and watch "Ted" at the cinema. A great film, which I would recommend if you want a couple of hours comedy.

That's all for now folks! Hope you're having a great summer and I would love to know what exciting things you've been up to!

~xoxo~

Duty Free Haul

Hello there! Yep I'm back ...after a shameful amount of time away! Ok I just checked how long and realise its even more shameful ...over 4 months!!!

So what have I been up to? I've had my birthday, been on holiday and done a fair bit of shopping. I have a few days off work this week, to park my bum infront of the TV and watch the tennis... Come on Murray!! When the tennis is not on I am going to get cracking on a few blog posts; I have a lots of shopping to show you and a couple of other ideas.

Up first Duty Free haul... in May I went on holiday and made the most of my flight delay at Heathrow Terminal 5 :-) I'm just going to show you what I bought in this post so that it isn't too long. If you would like me to review anything let me know, I have a couple of reviews coming up too.

First up prefume! I always buy perfume at Duty Free. This time I went for Stella Mccartney's Summer Rose. Not only is the packaging beautiful, the scent is wonderful. Its a lovely light floral fragrance that is perfect for summer. If you don't want anything too heavy this is brilliant. Such a delicate but summery scent.

 

Next up Mac, I bought a new lipstick for the Summer, its a light pinky shade called Angel, All that glitters eyeshadow and I also picked up my favourite foundation at the moment - mineralize foundation spf 15.

Mac All that Glitters and Mac Angel

I wondered along to Yves Saint Laurent and picked up my first rouge volupte in number 29 - Rose Opera and I also picked up a touche eclat which I will be reviewing in the next couple of days.

YSL Rouge Volupte: Rose Opera (29)

And to finish off I have a couple of swatches on my arm for you to see:

Rose Opera *** Angel *** All that glitters

What are your favourite finds in duty free? 

Keep well xx

Tips and tricks for make up on the move

As I have admitted a few times I am routinely found doing my make up on the train in the mornings. This morning I realised that since I started taking the train my make up routine has changed as I have adapted to my vanity on the move.

I have decided to share my tips for doing your make up on the train, bus or car even, as long as your not driving!

1) Pick your seat wisely, you need a window seat but try to avoid the sun as the glare can be a pain.

2) If possible try and find a spot thats not too busy, elbowing someone as you do your mascara is not great commutting etiquette.

3) You will need a good size mirror, one that can fit in a make up bag but big enough to see your whole face.

4) Use travel brushes, I love my retractable powder brush from Prescriptives. Its soft and a reasonable size but I can also cover it so it doesn't make a mess in my make up bag.

5) Use make up that doesn't make a mess. I love my Mineralized Skin Finish natural from Mac but it goes everywhere.

6) On the same note cream eyeshadows such as the Mac Paint Pots are much easier to apply on the move.

7) Doing your make up on the train requires a lot more products than a normal touch up kit. Samples and travel size products can cut down on the bulk.

8) Learn the stops on your journey, try to avoid holding an eyeliner to your eye at the exact moment the train or bus jolts to a halt!

9) You will make mistakes, particular if the bus or train makes an unexpected jolt. Keep some wipes handy.

10) Finally keep it simple, remember you will only have one hand as you'll need to hold your mirror. A train or bus is not the place to attempt artistic eyeliner!

Are you a fellow make up on the go kinda girl? Do you have any further tips or tricks? xx

My new make-up storage tower

Heylo! Long time, no speak. I must first start with a profuse apology for my lack of posts over the last month. I have been working insane hours.

Alas, I managed a few free hours on Sunday afternoon and decided to reorganise my make-up storage. Ta-dah... what do you think?

The unit is from Ikea and cost about £15, I can't find this on their website anymore but I'm sure you could find something similar if you so desired. It used to be my stationary storage but I bought a new desk. It has 3 deep drawers and is on wheels, great for wheeling to wherever I'm getting ready.

I bought the purple wooden tray from a Christmassy craft fayre at Bluewater last year for less than a fiver. The brush pots are from Muji and my sponges are in a giant Friends coffee mug from the Warner Bros store many moons ago.

The drawers are really sturdy and can keep loads in. My palettes all fit in but, then again I don't have any particularly large ones.

I love findings lots of random storage containers. I have some from Muji, some gift boxes and even a couple of takeaway containers.

This is my favourite drawer - its my stash drawer. This is where I keep all my unopened products from Christmas gift sets, beauty boxes and random sale/offer purchases. Whenever I need something new or fancy treating myself to a new product I'm going to look through this drawer rather than spending more money!

How do you store your make-up? Let me know if you would like a more detailed insight into my make-up station?

Keep well! Xx