Wishlist

With the prospect of leaving home looming, even if for only 10 week terms at a time, I've recently become obsessed with browsing homeware sites. Forever in my quest of looking for things a bit different, here's some quick inspiration of unique items that I've added to my ever growing wishlist.

1.

Complimentary Sloth Art Print / La La Land / £10

Who doesn't want a sloth above their bed telling them they look great every morning? End of. 

(however, if I did have endless money I would not only buy this but almost everything on their entire website - if quirky arty stuff is your thing, this is the site for you)

2.

Sitting Ballet Dancer / Next / £16

Whilst on first sight not a particularly quirky item, anyone who has tried looking for ballet themed decor that's not designed for a kid's room will realise it can be quite rare. This is classy and elegant but would definitely add a bit of character.

3.

Salt and Pepper Lovers / Prezzy Box / £4.95

I saw something a little like this in a little craft shop whilst in Swanage and never thought I'd find anything like it again, but panic over, google didn't fail me. The design really does make a usually very boring and basic item become interesting and unique.

4.

Storage Basket / H&M / £7.99

Admittedly this is from the kid's room section but who doesn't love something both cute and practical. It's fairly spacious too being 19cm tall and 22cm wide. It really is the ears and embroidered nose that do it for me though.

5.

The Bright Side Tin / Really Good Shop / £6

'Tin of Denial' and 'Money That I Used to Have' are, I'm sure, very relatable phrases for lots of people. It also is again very useful and has the potential to stop us simply hoarding receipts in our handbags. This would make a very witty gift for someone moving away to uni.

So which of these is your favourite? Also feed my addiction and let me know of any sites you know that are full of quirky things. Until then, back to my browsing I go!

Lara xo

London Haul

Nars, New Look, Zara, H&M, Superdrug . . . 

A week ago now a wrote this wishlist post having spent a day browsing London shops. I also mentioned I had a second trip planned and this time I did not come back empty handed! Having spent around 6 hours in Westfields I can safely say it is the largest shopping centre I have ever seen with a great variety of shops and I absolutely loved it. Here is what I picked up:

Nars Duo - Kuala Lumpa was the only thing on my original list I purchased as I try to save high-end purchases for special occasions, but with this I simply couldn't resist. It's actually my first Nars product though seeing how smoothly the eye shadows apply, I can definitely predict me being tempted into buying more in the future! I am conscious, however, of trying to keep its matte black packaging clean, as whilst it looks very sleek and sophisticated I fear if I'm in a rush my grubby foundation hands will quickly mark it. All the same I love the shade combination and can definitely see me using it a lot to add a little more colour into every day make up.

 I picked this bag up for a bargain £5 in New Look sale, but despite the low price tag, the leather look finish doesn't look at all plasticy as can often be the case with cheap handbags. The burgundy colour is perfect for me as it is subtle enough to go with lots outfits yet is more interesting than simply black. My favourite heels are also this same burgundy shade so pairing them together will be perfect. It is big enough to fit in my purse, phone, camera, glasses and a small bottle of water so is a very practical design whilst not encouraging over packing. The same bag but in black is still available on the New Look Website here for £9.99.

These 2 tops are from Zara and H&M respectively and both cost £9.99 (the Zara one was reduced to half price.) The first I think just looks so arty and creative and quite different from other tops. The orange collar compliments the design nicely and the hemline is also interesting with a slit near the bottom on either side then falling longer at the back than the front. For me it is a more flattering high-low cut. I love Disney so the Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald print on this H&M top made it a must for me. It is also rare to get Disney branded clothing at such a low price. The top is very over sized even though I bought a small so is ideal for just slouching around and being comfy or for when you want something a bit more baggy and airy in the summer heat.

I thought it was about time I tried some of the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints as they've been being talked about for a while. I made the most of Superdrug's 3 for 2 offer on selected nail items and bought the shades Lychee, Sugar Apple and Blueberry. I though the 2 pastels would be perfect for Summer and I find it's always useful to buy nude shades as I go through them quickly because of the number of coats they usually take to appear opaque. Hopefully Lychee won't be as sheer as some other nudes.

Overall, I think it was a pretty successful shopping trip and I can't wait to use/wear all my new purchases!
Lara xo

London Shopping | Wishlist

If I Were a Rich (Wo)Man . . . 

 

As a post birthday treat, I took a trip to London yesterday for a show, meal and a spot of shopping. Admittedly, most of it was a case of just looking, however with another trip to London planned for next week and an ever increasing wish list, the prospects for my bank card aren't looking too good. Living in a town with limited shopping facilities, I found myself drowning in the huge array of stores along Oxford Street and here are some highlights that may just be finding their way into my home.

1)  One store I particularly wanted to visit was Victoria's Secret having lusted over American bloggers' hauls for ages. I was specifically looking for sportswear (new gym clothes are always a motivation to get back to it) but for the prices I was very reluctant to buy anything despite wanting the adorable trademark pink shopping bag I'd seen everyone with. Whilst looking for alternatives, I found the H&M sportswear collection which isn't stocked at my local store and I must say I was pretty impressed. This pair of grey running shorts were a particular favourite.I especially liked that they are lined with a contrasting pink tighter inner short and for £14.99 are definitely a cheaper option.

2)  From looking online at shades, I've really felt a desperate need for a Nars duo but when I saw this 

at the counter I thought it was the perfect colour combination. It's called Kuala Lumper and reminds me of the hyped Estée Lauder raisins duo I was always gutted I never got my hands on. The lighter shade is a rose gold colour and would be ideal for a subtle lid option whilst the other is an aubergine-y purple  that would really bring out blue/green tones in eyes. Out of my wish list I think this is the item I really want the most.

3)  This Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in bronze for me is just the perfect summer multi-use item. From swatching the shades I think they would equally work well as individual eye shadows as well as using it to create an overall glow as intended. My only concern would be whether it would appear too bronze on my very pale skin.

4) I've never been a perfume fan, always being far too fussy that it was too sweet, too lingering, too floral, too masculine ... In fact I don't even own a single bottle, only small sample vials that I'll use if I feel in the right mood. Of course, I was first drawn to the packaging of this (admit it, we're all a sucker for the appearance of products sometimes) but I'm so glad this drew me into taking a sniff as it really does smell divine. Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs just had the most subtly 'pretty' scent which isn't too much or too little of anything. I had to spend the rest of the day resisting walking around with my wrist glued to my nose. This is definitely an unexpected item on my wish list, but one that if not bought, will almost certainly be making an appearance on my Christmas list (too soon? Maybe . . . ) 

5) Finally something that there's been a lot of hype about; the Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner. When I first saw this released I thought nahhh, I don't need that, I do just fine with my drugstore pot of gel liner and little brush, however then the lady at the Benefit counter cast her magic spell and now I feel it creates such a perfect, precise and even line that it would make the whole eyeliner chore so much simpler. If you've tried this, please tell me, as I want to know whether it was just her training which made this look so easy or if it actually is!

I think wish lists are great; they help you remember everything you saw but give you the time to consider if you still want them later on. I personally keep a list in my phone whenever I see something which also lets me compare whether I really want a new item so much more than another product that may already be on there. 

With the plan being to go to Westfield's on Monday, hopefully I'll be ticking things of my wish list and not just adding to it!

Lara xo