If you follow me on my blog or any of my other social media channels, you'll probably haven't learnt several things about me - no not the obvious things that I love food, or my cats, or that technology hates me, instead you'll probably have learnt that I love a bargain!
I love shopping at the best of times but if there's a chance of a free gift, or a discount believe me that I'm normally first in the queue. Shops must love me for that I guess and as my mam says they probably see you coming, but as long as you're staying within your own budget and not (cough) buying things that you don't need then it's a pretty savvy way to shop.
I've decided to start another little series on my blog - it doesn't have a name yet and I'm sure it ever will, but from now, every now and then, I'm either going to be sharing some of favourite bargain buys with you or I'm going to pointing you in of the direction of some of my favourite sales, free gifts and discounts.
It's a bank holiday weekend here in the UK, and I know for a lot of that one of your favourite bank holiday activities is to go shopping, well if you're after a new perfume or a fragrance for yourself or for someone you love then it might be worth heading to the The Fragrance Shop.
If you go online, or you pop into any branch between 12pm and 2pm, until Monday then you can get 15% off everything, and that includes high end fragrances from Tom Ford, Chanel, and Dior! Better still if you're a fellow North Easterner then pop into the Intu Eldon Square store and you'll get some free samples with your purchase. A discount and some free samples? what more could you want! If your not lucky enough to live up north then you can find your nearest branch of The Fragrance Shop via their website.
That reminds me, I really must do an updated perfume collection video, I wear perfume every single day and it safe to say that I'm a bit of a fragrance addict, in fact I actually currently have a perfume wishlist! Should I succumb to temptation or should I hang on for a couple of weeks and see what the birthday fairies bring? Decisions, decisions! x I'm always looking for new fragrance recommendations so let me your favourites in the comments x
As an established blogger I'm lucky to get invited to the occasional blog event, I've worked hard to establish my blog over the years but even now invites and samples aren't something that I take for granted and I really do appreciate how lucky and how privileged I am.
When I first started blogging over 10 years ago, blogger events were few and far between, and up in the wilds of northern England, they were almost non existent. Thankfully over the years things have changed, and brands, companies and even individuals are now recognising the power of the blog and the influence and the power of real people.
Nowhere in the north east has embraced the power of the blogger more than Intu Metrocentre. and this week I was lucky enough to attend a VIP preview of this weekends, Spring / Summer 2017 Fashion Live Event.
All of the previous Fashion Live events have been themed and this one was no different, think tropical beach bar, come kitsch heaven and you're probably thinking along the right line. With contributions from various retailers including Wilko, and Primark, the team had created a truly tropical, and exotic setting, with light up palm trees, ball pools, pineapples, deckchairs, and flamingos! A lot of bloggers I know are slightly obsessed with Flamingos and at this event they were in their element. There were literally flamingos everywhere from the inflatable pool float, to the string lights, to the napkins, and even the pick n mix bags.
This season Intu Metrocentre have made a return to the traditional catwalk styles shows for their Fashion Live events and as much as I've really enjoyed their other events I really do enjoy the buzz that I get from witnessing a proper fashion show. Shooting a proper catwalk show though is hard especially when your camera skills, like me are shall we say, lacking something so we all had the opportunity to give ourselves a pre show energy boost, with some food and drinks. Everything had a slightly exotic feel with fruit kebabs, doughnuts made to look like pineapples, mini cupcakes, and a range of chilli bowls from the fabulous team at Barburrito. Drinks were on hand courtesy of TGI Fridays and we choose from some mini milkshakes, some mocktails and a cocktail or two. I was trying to be good and I only had a couple of fruit kebabs, so I couldn't resist trying one of TGI's signature cocktails, the Apple Passion - a mixture of blue curacao, passion fruit and apple juices, and black vodka, and I also had a mini Birthday Cake Shake which was incredible. Forget about the food I'm going to TGI Fridays to drink cocktails and shakes - they really were that good!
At 7pm at was time to take our place on the FROW and wait for the show to start. We were welcomed by our host for the evening, the lovely @Ladyannafoster from BBC Radio Newcastle, clad in Top Shop and New Look and whose hair had been freshly styled by SHOW Beauty in House Of Fraser, then it was cameras at the ready and the show began.
The fashion show showcased a wide variety of Spring and Summer looks, from stores throughout the centre including Top Shop, Burton, Karen Millen, Accessorize, New Look, Cath Kidston, Primark, Tessuti, Miss Selfridge, House Of Fraser and Coast. On show was everything from swimwear, to beach wear, and occasion wear. There were so many beautiful things on show, covering all of the major trends from prints and florals, to stripes, lace and colour blocking.
Top Shop
Karen Millen
New Look Men
Cath Kidston
Tessuti
Miss Selfridge
Coast
As you can see there were some fabulous pieces on display, I literally fell in love with everything from Coast, and Karen Millen, I just wish I had a wedding or a special occasion to attend this summer. I also loved the prints at Cath Kidston and the navy blue jumpsuit at Karen Millen. There really was something for everyone and all occasions.
So if you're up in the North East and you fancy your own FROW experience, then pop down to Intu Metrocentre this weekend, and head to Town Square. There will be four shows a day both tomorrow and on Sunday, so brave the bank holiday shoppers and pop in for a bit of fashion inspiration. You can find out more information and show times on the Intu Metrocentre website. If you are popping in this weekend don't forget to pick up one of the leaflets that are at the customer service points and dotted around the centre to grab yourself some bank holiday weekend discounts. This season Intu Metrocentre have also teamed with a fabulous North East based charity St Oswalds Hospice, so if you want to make some room in your wardrobe for all the new things that you want to buy then you can pick up a donation bag at all of the customer services desks. You can find out all about the fabulous work that St Oswalds do, and find your local branch via their website.
I just want to say thank you again to everyone at Intu Metrocentre for the opportunity to flamingle and for hosting such an amazing event, and I also want to think all of the companies and brands that contributed to the amazing show bags, that included amongst lots of other lovely things, a shampoo and conditioner from SHOW Beauty, beauty samples from Murad, L'Occitane and Urban Decay, a shoe care kit from Ecco, sweeties, candles from Primark and Skandinavisk and an amazing fabric Intu Flamingo bag x
Is your wardrobe Spring and Summer ready yet? Has this post given you any ideas? Let me know in the comments x
Time flies when you're having fun doesn't it and thanks to the bank holiday and the indulgences of Easter, it's hard to believe that's it been nearly two weeks now since I was invited down to the SHOW Beauty concession in House Of Fraser.
I love bargain beauty when it comes to haircare as much as the next person, and in my bathroom you'll see everything from bargain basement £1 shampoos, to pricier trichologist led brands and guess what? they all do the job they are designed for pretty well, they all leave you with clean and presentable hair but in a lot of cases they seem to lack that bit of pzazz.
Why should an everyday task like washing and styling your hair be boring and mundane, like so many other tasks in beauty we all want to be spoilt and pampered, and we want to experience just that little bit of luxury on a daily basis.
If that's what you're looking for then SHOW Beauty is the brand for you. Founded by the ever glamorous and stylish socialite Tamera Ecclestone, with designer lead fragrances, and exquisite packaging, SHOW beauty provides a range of haircare products that take the mundane to the magnificent.
Last week I was invited along to Intu Metrocentre to find out more about SHOW Beauty, their products and to celebrate the launch of their new Lux Volume range. After being greeted with bubbly and canapes, I had a good chance to talk to some of the lovely ladies from SHOW about the new launches, and about exactly what makes SHOW so special.
Yes the products look amazing but packaging alone doesn't sell a product, and it's clear that the brand concentrates as much on its formulations as it does on it's designer packaging and fragrances. All of the products are formulated with highest calibre of ingredients, including the caviar and white truffle extracts that pop up in the new Lux Volume range.
The whole aim of the range is to care for and repair you hair whilst giving it that body, bounce and fullness, without weighing it down or leaving it heavy or sticky. The lovely people at SHOW kindly gifted us a full size shampoo and conditioner that retail at £30 each to try, so I will be reviewing both of these for you and another SHOW product that I own in due course
As well as offering a wide range of luxurious products that you can use to pamper yourself in your own bathroom, SHOW also offer a range of pampering styling options that are available in both their standalone salons, and in some of their department store concessions.
They offer a wide range of quick, styling options from a basic revitalising blow dry to up do's, curls and braids that are perfect for that special occasion be it a wedding, a party, a prom, or even for a date with that special someone.
All of the bloggers and journalists that attended last weeks event were lucky enough to receive a complimentary express styling session courtesy of the SHOW Beauty team. On the night I saw everything from top knots, to waves, up do's and curls, but seeing as my hair was looking a little bit windswept my stylist suggest some crown braids.
I really struggle when it comes to braiding my own hair so it was fabulous to see a real master (or mistress ;) at work. My stylist used SHOW's fabulous non chalky Dry Shampoo which contains tapioca and rice starch, and a host of amazing smelling botanical extracts including kiwi, mango, aloe, and ginger lily, to give my hair a bit of texture, before finishing off my beautiful braids with one of SHOW's most popular products their non sticky, weightless Finishing Spray which contains vitamin B, lychee, and wheat proteins.
Unfortunately I didn't actually take my own camera so all of these photos were taken on my mobile, thankfully though one of my fellow bloggers, the lovely Amy Rebair took this amazing photo of the back of my hair, which really shows the intricacy of the braids, and my multi coloured hair eek :)
I absolutely loved the style that the team created, and I'm going to be honest and say that it broke my heart to take it out. What surprised my though when I took the braids out though, apart from the amount of the volume that the style had given my hair, was how soft it felt, there was no stickiness or stiffness, which shows the quality of the products that the team used.
SHOW Beauty isn't just a haircare brand, you're buying into a lifestyle, and way of thinking. This brand is about real indulgence, whether you're having your own spa like, pampering experience in your own bathroom, or whether your treating yourself to blow dry to cheer yourself up after a rubbish day at work or spoiling yourself with a special up do for a day at the races, this brand is all about you, and making yourself feel special in one of the easiest ways possible, with a good hair day.
You can find out more about SHOW Beauty stockists, styling services, and products via their own website, and you can also find concessions with styling services in selected Harvey Nichols and House Of Fraser stores including Intu Metrocentre. If you aren't lucky enough to have a counter near you though you can also buy SHOW Beauty products online from various retailers including Selfridges, Harrods and lookfantastic.
Have you tried anything from SHOW Beauty before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments x *Press / Blogger Event
I'm back today with another nails of the day post, but unlike today's slightly gloomy weather, this shade is a little bit more Spring like.
As much as I always like to go my own way with nail polish, and I try not to stick to on trend and seasonal colours, I have to admit that I am quite partial to a spring pastel. This isn't a conventional pastel shade I guess but it's still a beautiful one and it falls into one of my favourite shade families, for nail polish, blue and purple.
Essie Pret-A-Surfer is a super pretty shade from their Summer 2015 collection, and it's described by various sources as everything from a blue creme, to an immersive marine blue, but for me it's one of those bluey, lilac, almost periwinkle blue shade.
I do love Essie polishes, but they can vary a lot depending on the shade and the finish. This is a classic cream polish, and this particular one has a fairly wide brush and a fairly viscious formulation. With careful application you could probably get away with just one coat with this one but as per usual I've gone for two coats, for full coverage, and an extra glossy finish.
Unfortunately this wasn't the longest wearing polish that I've ever worn possibly down to the thickness, but a good top coat would probably make a bit of difference when it comes to longevity.
This wasn't the neatest manicure I've ever done I'm afraid but I just hope that I've done this lovely colour justice. Despite the fact that it's a cream polish it does seem to change colour ever so slightly depending on the lighting conditions, but whether it's lighter or darker it still falls into one of my favourite colour families. No matter what the shade you're looking for though, if you're looking for a DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free polish then it's hard to look past Essie, and that's the reason why they are one of my favourite nail polish brands. You can pick up full price Essie polishes in a lot of retailers now such as Superdrug and Boots, but if like me you're a bit of bargain hunter then take a look at local discount stores and stalls such as Beauty Outlet, and websites such as Fragrance Direct to find yourself some bargain Essie polishes for around £2.99. Do you like Essie polishes? Let me know your favourites x
I haven't posted a nails of the day for a little while now so I thought today would be as good a day as any to start posting regular nails of the day's again.
My nails to put it mildly have been pretty rubbish over the last few months, but while they are still quite short they are certainly in a lot better condition now than they were around Christmas time. I'm a firm believer that you should be able to wear any colour you like on your nails no matter how long they are, or how short they are, that said though, I do think that shorter nails lend themselves particularly well to darker shades.
This is one is a bit of a blast from the past it's one of AVON's Gel Finish Nail Enamels in the shade Sterling.
AVON nail enamels have recently undergone a bit of a makeover and all of their Gel Finish polishes, and their Nailwear Pro + polishes have been reformulated and relaunched under the Mark brand. There are loads of gorgeous colours to choose from, including some of their most popular shades such as Rain Washes and Emerald City but unfortunately Sterling doesn't make the cut which is a shame. It might reappear come Autumn and Winter time but in the meantime if you're interested in this colour and you still have an AVON lady or gentleman it might be worth checking out the sale brochures.
Sterling is a beautiful colour, it's a gorgeous, dark metallic silver, pewter shade which is shot through, with very fine silver and multi coloured sparkle. All of the AVON polishes have a super wide brush, that perfectly fits the contours of the cuticle. The polish has a good texture, it isn't too thin but at the same time it isn't too thick or gloopy. The coverage was decent but in order to see this polish at it's best you really needed to apply two coats, like I have here. These photos were taken in various different lighting conditions but I still don't think that I've managed to do this polish justice.
The resulting finish was super glossy even without a top coat, and I found it to be quite a hard wearing polish, I'm notoriously hard on my polish and I managed four days wear, with only minimal tip wear and one little chip.
It's a shame that this colour has gone because it is quite different to most of the other kazillion shades that I own. This would be a perfect night out shade, or dare I say a great shade for the party season. As you know I'm a bit of a fan of the AVON nail polish range, and I can't wait to say how their new Mark range compares to some of the other polishes in my collection. I already have one on order but if you've tried them already I'd love to know your thoughts and your recommendations x
I know I'm a little bit late with this post but as I seem to say a lot, better late than never. As I mentioned in yesterday's post Spring is most definitely here, we've left March behind and warmer and sunnier days on hopefully on the horizon.
2017 isn't turning out to be the best of years for me so far, and unsurprisingly despite the best of intentions, and plans to be more positive about things, March to put it politely was pretty rubbish. I did have a few good days, and a few good things did happen, so at least I have something to build on in April, and as I keep saying life is all about finding the positives, no matter how hard they might to find. Anyways before I move forward and spend another month facing life's ups and downs, it's time to look back a bit, and talk about my March beauty empties x
The Body Shop Spiced Apple Shower Gel - 60ml NIP + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads - 60 Pads Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 50g Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes The Body Shop Spiced Apple Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 300g MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara - Black - 9g
Total - 7 Items
It's fair to say that I haven't had the best of starts to the year (surprise, surprise) when it comes to empties, finishing only 2 products in January and 3 in February. I really gave it my best shot in March though, and thankfully I managed to finish 7 products, blowing my previous yearly total right out of the water - Go me! As pleased as I was to finish 7 items, I was also really pleased with the variety of products, that I finished, I finished a nice mixture of skin care, body care, and make up products, in fact the only thing that probably missing was a hair care product.
1. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Shower Gel - 60ml
I've spoken on many occasions about my love for The Body Shop's festive collections, and this Spiced Apple fragrance was one of their Christmas 2016 launches. I am a big fan of The Body Shop's shower gels, they always foam really nicely, and I don't find them drying and they don't leave me skin feeling sore or irritated. This is a particularly nice one, the Spiced Apple fragrance smells a little bit like apple pie with the sweet yet tart apple, and just a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and apple pie spices. I have to say I completely stocked up on all of The Body Shop fragrances in the sales so I have enough Spiced Apple and Frosted Berry fragrances goodies to last me till Christmas.
From one slightly niche product, to one that has an almost cult status. I've mentioned before how much I love the feeling of acids on my skin and this is another one of those products that can make an incredible difference to your skin in only a few uses. Basically they are slightly textured, cotton / fabric pads that are infused with glycolic and hyaluronic acids, and witch hazel. I normally use them at night, and all you do is just wipe the pad over clean dry skin, and let all of the active ingredients do their thing. If you like Alpha -H Liquid Gold you'd probably like these, they have a bit more oomph than Pixi Glow Tonic, and they can make your skin tingle a bit when you use them but it's definitely worth it. The aim of these pads is to re-texturise the skin and add brightness, and in my experience that's exactly what they do. Even after just a couple of days of use, my skin looks clearer, my spots seem to fade and I don't look quite as tired and washed out looking. These are something that I would definitely consider buying again, but in the meantime I was very kindly sent a tub of the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Extreme Pads to try and I've also recently picked up a pot of the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Pads which are supposed to be a good, cheaper alternative. I will let you know what I think about both of these products in due course.
3. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 50g
For a couple of years I really didn't get the hype surrounding cleansing balms, I was very much a cream, a gel and a foam girl. I always associate balm type cleansers with oil, and having a oily prone skin, I honestly thought that using an oily product on my skin would make skin greasier. It's a common misconception I guess, and it's one that I can officially debunk, I now get facial oils, and I now get oil based, balm cleansers. My favourite is without a doubt Emma Hardie's Moringa Balm, but this Elemis one is a very close second, and just misses out on the top spot due to scent. It actually smells really good but I find it quite intoxicating at times, it crammed full of good for you oils and waxes, and essential oils including rose, geranium, orange and lavender. I tend to use it at night and when I want to remove make up, all you is just massage a small amount all over your face, then add a touch of water to transform it into a creamy milk, remove it with a warm, damp muslin cloth or a flannel and then rinse it away. This stuff takes off every scrap of make up with ease - I don't tend to use it on my eyes because of the essentials oils but that's a personal thing, it literally leaves my skin glowing, and feeling super smooth. I actually have a few of these in my skincare drawer (thanks to several QVC offers!) but it's something that I would happily repurchase x
4. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
5. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
Yup, items 4 and 5 aren't the most interesting, I've probably said everything about these wipes that I could ever say so all I'm going to add is that these wipes are amazing for clean ups in between swatch photographs, and the other day I took nearly 200 swatch photographs - A hint that maybe I have quite a few make up posts coming soon? - yes, I think so😉
6. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 300g
Another Spiced Apple item from The Body Shop, and by far my favourite product from the 2016 releases. Obviously it has the same fruity, spicy scent as the shower gel, only this time it's infused into an amazing sugar, body scrub. I'm not a fan of half hearted scrubs with finer than air grains, I love my scrubs to have a bit texture and whilst this wasn't a rough and scratchy scrub, the sugar grains were large enough, to make you feel as though you'd exfoliated. The sugar crystals were in a slightly oily base, which meant that this product was really easy to use, it was easy to rinse, and if left your skin feeling smooth and revived. Again I picked up a few of these in the sale, so again I should have enough pots to last me through till November / December time when this scrub will hopefully make a reappearance.
7. MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara - Black - 9g
Finally a make up item - okay it's a mascara not an eye shadow or a lipstick but it's still better than nothing. It's fair to say that my love affair with MAC Cosmetics is well and truly over. In the early days of this blog it safe to say that I and a lot of my contemporaries were MAC addicts, we knew the release dates of every single collection, we had our lists made ahead of time, and we knew almost to the second when the collection would launch online. I don't dislike the brand by any means and I still love a lot of their products, I just think that I reached saturation point, I was buying things for buying sake, not because I actually wanted them or I would actually use most of them. Looking back at myself now I could kick myself for how much money I used to spend every month purely on MAC. I've definitely learnt my lesson now and I only pick up things from the brand or ask for things that I really love. I'm not sure how long this mascara has been in my collection, but a few months ago I decided to open up the box and get it used. Innovative at the time and now much copied Haute and Naughty Lash basically offers you two different mascaras in the one tube. At first I thought it contained two brushes, but in fact a clever wiper system allows this mascara to give you two different effects in the one tube, a natural defined lash and something a bit more dramatic. I did actually quite like this mascara, the two effects were noticeably different, and it did make lashes look longer and thicker depending on how I used it. I did find it just a little bit clumpy though, and I did keep a lash comb and a cotton bud on hand, just in case, when I applied it. I'm not a 100% sure I would repurchase because of that but considering my experience with one of MAC's other mascaras Zoom Lash wasn't the best, this wasn't bad.
So they were March's empties, I'm hopefully going to keep up the good work in April and I'm going to try to at least equal March's total - Fingers crossed anyway x If you have any questions on any of the products that I've mentioned in this post, then please leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you x
After a lovely weekend, and a bright, and sunny Monday, it's safe to say that Spring has now officially arrived in my little corner of County Durham. Okay we might have some rainy days, and maybe even a little bit of frost and snow to come but the warmer and sunnier weather is definitely on it's way. Spring is often seen as a time of new beginnings, and fresh starts, and nowhere is that truer than within the home itself, it is called Spring cleaning after all. Even if you're not planning any major home renovations, or cleaning sprees this spring, it doesn't hurt to refresh your surroundings, and switch things up a bit, with a couple of purchases and new additions.
The first buy that I'm going to show you, is all about freshening up your home for Spring. This is the final instalment of my QVC UK, Yankee Candle Hamper Auto Delivery, and this is the Yankee Candle 39 Piece Spring Hamper. Like the previous instalments, this one also comes in a sturdy canvas hamper, with an attached faux leather tassel bag charm.
The hamper contains a wide variety of fresh, and floral scented candles that are perfect for spring. It contains 12 of Yankee Candle's votive candles, in 6 fragrances, Aloe Water, Shea Butter, Cherry Blossom, Verbena, Wild Mint and Linden Tree.
It also contains 2 boxes of 12 tea lights, in both the Cherry Blossom, and Wild Mint fragrances, and two clear glass, Yankee Candle branded bucket holders.
As I say this is the perfect Spring selection, all of the fragrances are very clean, and fresh, you have a couple of zingy ones like the Verbena, and the Wild Mint, then you some softer and more powdery fragrances like the Shea Butter and fragrances like the Aloe Water, and the Cherry Blossom that are lot more floral and almost perfume like. I've really enjoyed receiving these sets over the last 12 months or so - they've given me the chance to try lots of new fragrances, some of which I would have never of thought of trying. Admittedly some of the fragrances just aren't me but I have found quite a few new favourites, including Aloe Water which has really surprised me. This kit is actually still available on the QVC UK website, all be it a higher price than what I paid, but at just £33.96 and £5.95 postage I think it's well worth it if you think that your home needs a Spring fragrance boost x
If like my mam you're not quite ready to embrace Spring just yet, then you can also still get the Winter / Christmas version on the QVC UK website. As ready as I am for the warmer weather, I'm still a big fan of spicy and foodie scents, and following on from a few reader and viewer recommendations I decided to pick up a more autumn and wintry themed candle from B&M.
I love my candles but one brand that I've never tried is Woodwick, I honestly don't know why I haven't tried them before, they are really pleasing on the eye, every one that I've sniffed smells amazing, and they crackle! I love the idea of them but they can be a little bit pricey, which is why I think I've never succumbed to the Woodwick love in. Thankfully though B&M have come up trumps with a cheaper, dupe Woodland Wick Crackling Natural Wooden Wick Candles. Instead of having a traditional style, cotton wick, these candles, have a slim sliver of wood, that supposedly crackles like a real log fire when you burn the candle.
I'm not sure whether it does what it claims to yet because I haven't lit it, but so far this one was worth every penny of the £3.99 that I paid purely based on the scent. This one is in the Spiced Berry scent, and to me it smells exactly like mulled wine, you get a slight spiciness, and all the fruitiness that you'd expect from your Christmas tipple. If mulled wine isn't to your taste they also have several other fragrances to choose from, and they even have multi layered, multi fragranced candles as well. If you've tried any of the other scents, or if you've tried any Woodwick candles I'd love to hear your recommendations x
I love a good scrat around B&M, and I can always find something to buy, on a bad day it might just be some peanut butter cups, or some Butterfingers, buy on a good day, I could be something useful, or something nice for the home. On my last trip I couldn't resist picking up a couple of packs of these curtain tie backs. I have these really quirky, slightly trippy 1970's floral curtains, in shades of lilac, purple, and white, up in my bedroom, and I desperately needed some new tie backs. Note to self, rope tie backs and cats don't mix! These ones though are made of faceted smokey, lilac crystals, and to be honest they look a lot more expensive then the £4.99 that I paid for each one. I haven't managed to put them up yet but when I do I'll share some pictures on my Instagram account .
Like B&M, Poundland is another one of those shops that I've never seem to leave empty handed. On my most recent trip I managed to bag 3 Nails Inc, nail polishes, and this..
I am a huge fan of Poundland's faux regency, shabby chic, style frames, and this cute square one, was part of their selection of Mother's Day gifts. Personally I frame a lot of postcards and note cards so this isn't the most practical frame for that, but I'm sure I'll find something to put in it even if it's just an Instagram pic or a family photo.
I went through a bit of a phase of buying photo frames, without ever having a place in my bedroom to put them so I think I'm going to move a few into my office come craft room. It seems as though I've been sorting out that room since the beginning of time and I'm still no closer to getting it how I want it. I should really be working on improving my storage solutions but instead I still keep buying pretties i.e. photo frames, and letter and word art.
I'm really loving my letter L's at the moment, and I'm building up a nice collection, of both lights and plaques.This black letter L, was only £1.50 in the NEXT sale, it's has a really chunky feel. You can either hang it on the wall, or you can do what I'm going to do, and leave it freestanding.
Speaking of letters, it wouldn't be a home haul on LouLouLand, without a little bit of stationery, and I'm ending this haul with a couple of notebooks, that in all honesty I probably didn't need but hey pretty stationery is pretty stationery, first up this pretty piece from AVON.
Annoyingly I can't actually find this online anymore , but keep an eye on your brochures if you like the look of it. It's just a plain spiral bound, lined notebook, but what really makes this one for me is the beautiful lilac toned, marbleised floral patterns. I love the colour and the design and even though it's not that relevant and I can't think of anyone who matches their stationery with their bedroom, it matches the colours in my bedroom perfectly. It also features the words "Happy Thoughts" on the front in gold foil, so I'm going to try and use this one to record things that make me happy and positive thoughts.
From happy thoughts, to getting things done, and getting organised - the last thing that I picked up was a journal, from Paperchases fabulous No Probllama range.
Featuring a cute, and quirky Llama design, this is the No Probllama Ideas Journal. It's a hardback notebook, that contains a mixture of pages for notes, ideas, to do lists, pros and cons, and brainstorms, all teamed up with little llama illustrations. I'm so bad at planning and organising things, and I keep having ideas and brainwaves and then forgetting them. I hope that this will give me somewhere to write my ideas and thoughts down and I'm hoping that this will make me a bit more productive in the rest of 2017. This particular book was £8 and it's part of a wider range of Llama themed bits and pieces that you can find in Paperchase at the moment.
I hope you've found this small home, stationery and home fragrancing haul useful, don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know if you have any questions, and of course don't forget to watch the accompanying You Tube video which you can watch by clicking on the image above or by clicking on this link x
