dear rioters and looters in London…

I am currently in Glasgow, watching live coverage of what you are doing in certain areas of my city.

I am disgusted. how dare you highjack a legitimate protest, with legitimate concerns about the circumstances surrounding his death, and use it as a reason to riot, loot and pillage your local communities.

Have you no pride in yourselves and your communities, and have you no respect for others that would destroy their homes and livelihoods. Local businesses that give LOCAL PEOPLE LIKE YOU a job, a means of earning income to provide for families and claw their way to a better existence and a better life.

 

Enjoy your stolen flat screen televisions, and enjoy your stolen tracksuits and trainers whilst around you your community degenerates further, and others are left to pick up after you and pay for your “fun and games.”

I hope to god that one day you will find yourself in a situation where you are reliant on the emergency services who are out there on the frontline coming under attack from you for doing their job of protecting THE GOOD HARD WORKING HONEST AND DECENT PEOPLE that make up the vast majority of the city’s population.

And when that day comes I hope that they respond in the same ADMIRABLE way that they have tonight, last night and the night before, because then my foolish little friends, you will what a fantastic job they do in the face of real adversity. adversity that you yourself caused.

live with that guilt, and I hope it eats you alive.

new flats, old habits, and broken bones

Hello all!

I know that I have been rather quiet on the old blogging, tweeting, product reviewing, fashionista, geekiness front recently, sorry!

The reason?

Well, as the title suggests, I have just moved into a new flat. It is lovely! One bedroom, reasonable wardrobe space, gorge kitchen, huge bath etc. Plenty of space for me to do my thing, be it rugby writing, studying dead guys, playing with make up, or cat walking in new outfits. I love it!

And the great thing is that my dad owns it, so I have had a reasonably large say in the furnishings and decor; the living room is massive, and fairly neutral with clean oat colours against stained pine furnishings and colour wise we have gone for a teal blue with mocha accents which contrast the neutral colour of the carpet and sofa really well.

The kitchen was already fitted, and is pine cupboards with chrome fittings against a dark marble effect on the work tops, add in my kitsch teapot, tea-cosy and matching tea towels and aprons and the effect is quite charming!

The bedroom is where I have had most say, and I have gone for rich purples and dark woods, giving a persian/Arabian feel to the proceedings. We have broken up the monotony of the plain light walls by creating a feature wall, only with curtains and not paint. Continuing with the opulent persian theme I have hung a curtain rail from one end of the wall to the other and arranged on it 6 aubergine coloured voile curtains, which are sheer on their own, but because I bought treble the amount I actually needed they are layered up and look quite lovely hiding the window and a soon to be added full length mirror.

I also want to see if I can purchase a mosquito net frame and a length of material, and create a bed hanging.

Taking pride of place on the windowsill is a real find from TKMaxx: an eastern influenced lantern. Normally I would not shop in TKMaxx, as when I lived back in London with my parents our nearest store was a real mess, and to find anything you had to rifle through everything. It was very unorganised and it really put me off of the shop, however, according to my mother, it has been tidied up and is now great. So when she was up visiting me she took me into the store on Sauchiehall Street and we found some vases and this lantern. I was very impressed with it, even more so when I saw that it was only £10, it was both a find and a bargain! Now all I have to do is find a candle or incense with the right scent (anything too strong or cloying gives me a fearful headache) and it is all set.

 

Aside from decorating and being a DIY goddess, (I built a bookcase, the drawers for my under-bed storage, and the drawers for my bedside cabinets,) I have also been sorting out the practicalities of moving: council tax, utilities, tv licence and of course internet, which took the longest to do, so I have been without internet for nearly 2 weeks, which when you have things to write and blog about is not helpful.

 

Then, as moving in and settling in comes to an end I went off to see TAKE THAT on their stadium tour: Progress Live 2011. I have loved Take That since I was young: their single ‘Pray’ was the first cassette (retro!) that I ever bought, they were also my first album and first cd. Mummykins was also a fan of them, but would not take me to see them live as I was too young. And then they broke up (sob!) and then they got back together (yay!) And I finally got to see them live, as a four piece, in 2009 at Wembley Stadium for their Circus Live tour 2009. It was AMAZING!

THEN Robbie rejoined the group, and they announced the current tour. I queued for a long time in the rain outside Ticket Scotland for these tickets, and I have been counting the days ever since that I would see all five members of the band together on stage again…my childhood ‘crush’ as it were. Once again they were fantastic! I urge anyone, regardless of whether you are a fan or not, to go and see a Take That concert, as they put on a visually spectacular show.

 

And then on top of all of that, I fractured my cheekbone last weekend! Clumsy am I not?

What started as a normal night out with a work friend for her birthday, soon turned painful when a lace from my boot unbeknownst to me, came undone and got tangled in the heel of my other boot. I realised when I tried to take a step and over balanced, face-planting firmly onto the cold, and wet, pavement.

One of those moments when you have to laugh, because if you do not, you are going to cry.

It was so painful that I was slightly dazed before I got up, laughed a bit and then tried to carry on with the night, thinking that a few medicinal shots of whatever would take the edge off of the pain. Waking up the next day with a hangover and a rapidly swelling cheek are not something I would recommend for anybody!

 

So after a long, and painful, 8 hour shift at work (seriously Scotland, it is called Sunday Trading Law!) I went along to A&E, where an x-ray and prolonged, painful, prodding by a doctor, (she was really nice and did apologise for the pain, but she held my head in a vice like grip when I kept trying to pull away,) confirmed that there was a fracture. They recommended painkillers and time, as it is in a place where there is little they can do to aid the healing process.

This week has seen me nursing that as well!

 

I have no internet for a few weeks, and apparently my life takes a turn for the exciting! Typical!

 

Cx

product review: Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation

Hello all!

Foundation and box

It is time for another product review, and this week I am looking at make up. Particularly Chanel’s mat lumiere foundation.

On the box it claims to be “long lasting, luminous matte fluid make up” promising “a perfect complexion for 12 hours”

My colour? 30, Cendre

I received a free sample sachet in Glamour magazine, and I liked the way it felt and applied to the face. So I decided to pop along to the Chanel counter after work and find out some more.

It costs £30 which is a little more than I normally pay for foundation (I usually spend £20-£25) however so far I do think that it is worth it.

According to the small booklet that comes with the foundation you should apply it with your fingers for a natural finish, or with the Chanel foundation brush for a more sophisticated finish. Well I do not have the Chanel foundation brush, but certainly the smoothness you get with a foundation brush is very nice.

When applying with my fingers however I am not so sure, I do find that I end up using more than normal and whilst the look is indeed very natural I prefer the look I get with a sponge or brush.

The finish is very nice, matte without being dull, but not shiny, nor is it obvious that you have foundation on which is something I personally love in my make up. The coverage is a medium coverage, so sometimes I do find that I have to add a touch more to problem areas, or use a concealer to aid in the hiding of blemishes.

It is long lasting, I still look human at the end of a 9-6 shift at work, no matter how stressful the day! And it contains SPF 15, so you are getting some protection from the sun (not that we get any in Scotland!) whilst wearing it….although I would recommend using a sunscreen too if you are somewhere that requires it: yes a tan can be slimming, but sun damage is also very ageing.

I like this foundation, and think that I would definitely buy it again, once this one has run out.

Chanel Mat Lumiere: a nice thumbs up from me!

Cx

shoe of the week: PRECIOUS by MissKG

This week’s “shoe of the week” is this amazingly fabulous pair of platform courts from Miss KG.

MissKG platform courts "Precious"

 

With a gem detailed bow on the bridge of the shoe, these are definitely designed for the most stylish of the glitterati.

Available from Kurt Geiger stores and concessions across the country and also online via www.kurtgeiger.com (another shameless plug for work!)

These ones are definitely for a special night out or occasion as at £90 they make break the bank for some. But they are definitely worth it.

 

As I am restricted on luggage, these babies will not be making it into my holiday wardrobe (thanks to budget airlines charging to take luggage I am packing everything into my hand luggage so space is limited!)

That being said, these will be a key part of my summer nights wardrobe, as they instantly glam up any outfit. Wear them with denim for an instant lift, sparkle your way around at parties with simple skirts, dresses and shorts and so on.

 

Because of the colour these courts also have the advantage of seeing you well into the autumn and winter season, and would work well at any seasonal office parties. Silly to begin thinking about winter already, but it is a definite bonus of owning these shoes, making your £90 go further 🙂

They are, as you can see, a peep toe, so make sure that your pedicure is looking smart, nothing ruins a gorgeous peep toe like a bad pedicure! And, I know from wearing them, they also look great with black tights as it makes the glitter pop!

Hello Precious! This week’s shoe of the week.

Get shopping!!

Cx

 

 

Summer fashion fix

So today I had some time to kill before work, and I decided to have a wander around Topshop, have not been in there in a while.

I came out with one of the most versatile dresses for the summer ever!

In a gorgeous and bang on trend bright baby blue it is a one shouldered floaty number that can be worn in many different ways, and will be perfect for summer evenings (if summer ever arrives in Glasgow, that is!)

 

My new purchase

 

So there it is. It is a lot longer than it looks which means it will make a sexy dress for a night out in one of Glasgow’s clubs, I can also pair it with wet look leggings and heels for another evening look, this can also be worn with normal leggings and cute pumps for a girls night, as well as dark denim jeans for a date. It can also be tucked and tied and twisted into a shorter top, which would look great with a vest top underneath and some shorts.

I am also having a fancy dress flat warming party and I have decided to go as a ‘WAG’ so I shall dress this up with some white jeans and nude heels for a more footballers wife look :p

 

See? Extremely versatile and a bargain at only £26.50!! Although I must add I did get a further 20% discount with my student card…woohoo for being a student!!

It comes in a cream colour and a coral colour if blue is not your thing…but this is a definite summer must have! Well done Topshop!

 

Cx

 

…it is all about timing, this life…

Developments at work have seen me taking on more responsibility and also doing more and more hours, which, when I am not at uni is great, but when I am at Uni and juggling revision and exams, frankly it is a hassle.

But I still did it, call me foolish, call me a mug, but I still do the hours they throw at me. Hoping that eventually they will see that I am more than capable of handling whatever gets chucked at me and give me the hours that I have been asking for since I started working for the company.

More fool me, right?!

Then these developments happened and along with the hours I took on more responsibility, managing the store several times a week, but still stuck on an eight hour contract.

They hire a new manager, and a new full timer and BOOM! my 39 hours a week go straight back down to 8, and instead of doing the 10-6 or 9-6 shifts I am doing the lunch cover shifts 12-4 or 1-5.

If you ask me that is a step in the backwards direction!

So Saturday I send an email to my area manager asking if, next time she comes across to Glasgow, we could talk about my development within the company, I thought that this sounded good and proper, and would make her more inclined to take me seriously.

Then this morning I handed in my CV at a well known and popular clothing store who were looking for “part time, reliable and flexible staff” and then I went to work to do my lunch cover shift.

The new full timer was doing the 10-6 and when I came in she seemed ok, and went on her hour lunch break.

I continued doing the things that needed doing; processing transfers, putting away stock, end of week figures etc. when it occured to me that she should have been back from her lunch….I looked at my watch….it was 2.55, and she should have been back 25minutes ago….

After dithering and dallying and trying to find her phone number, I ended up having to call my boss to let her know, and then we both tried to contact her….with no success.

So in one fell swoop I am back to being the full timer….

THEN

I get out of work and there is a voicemail on my answerphone from the manager of the clothing store asking for an interview….that was a quick turnaround!!

So interview is on Tuesday at 10am. Lets see how that goes, and hopefully I can get the outcome I desire…

funny thing though, timing.

shoe of the week: KIZMET by Carvela

Carvela black flat sandals "Kizmet"

This week’s shoe of the week are these gorgeous flat sandals by Carvela.

Available from Kurt Geiger stores (shameless plug for my work, there!) across the country, or online at www.kurtgeiger.co.uk

They are £55….bargain!

Obviously I am in Scotland, where the weather is not too great right now (100mph winds and plenty of heavy rain to go with it) but I am getting these to take away with me when I go to join my parents in the South of France in August.

Think ‘capsule wardrobe’ these babies will look great with a maxi dress, jumpsuits, playsuits, shorts and skirts, and because they have the lovely gem detailing on them, they will take you from day to night, plus allowing you to show off your lovely summer pedicure.

Heeheehee, can you tell I sell shoes?? 🙂

Buy them now, girlies!

Cx

product review: Clinique 3 Step Skin Care…

Step 1: facial wash, Step 2: toner, Step 3: moisturize

Ok so my first product review is centred around the Clinique skin care range.

I bought this back in January, when a very kind friend gave me a gift card for a well-known department store. Instead of spending it all on a pair of shoes (believe me I wanted to!) I decided to be sensible and invest the money in some decent skin care.

Up until this point my skin routine was cleansing wipes and a facial scrub, which was not doing me any favours whatsoever!

Before I even begin to review the products let me tell you a bit about how I ended up with these particular ones.

My Nan, one of the most stylish people I know, recommended them as she absolutely adores Clinique. As part of my birthday present last year she bought me some absolutely darling lip-glosses that I cannot live without! So I tend to listen to her when it comes to these things.

I took myself along to the counter in the brightly lit cosmetics hall, and I underwent a skin analysis…sounds pretty scary, but was very straightforward and to the point…at one point the girl conducting the analysis did stick some sellotape on me, as part of the process which was about as weird as it got!

The conclusion was that I was type 2 “dry combination” and had problems with the occasional (hmm) breakout. However she reckoned that the breakout was more to do with the imbalances in my skin type then any real problem such as acne, or lifestyle related.

So I came away with a facial soap, a clarifying lotion and some moisturizer, which when purchasing for the first time do set you back a cool £63, making it a definite investment.

5 months on, however I am addicted. I have just re purchased the facial soap, £13 on its own, and I still have plenty of the moisturizer and clarifying lotion left. In my opinion that is £63 well spent, before I have even begun on the benefits I have seen.

You use it morning and night, same routine lasting 3 minutes each time.

Step 1: The facial soap. 1 pump from the bottle is plenty, gently foam it up in your hands and apply to a wet face, and gently rub. The soap washes away all of the make up, dirt and grime from your face, and it leaves it feeling fresh and clean. It is also very gentle on my skin.

Step 2: The clarifying lotion. looks like a toner, works like an exfoliator. pop some onto a cotton wool pad and wipe over your face. This looks and feels like a toner, but what it is actually doing is gently exfoliating, removing all the dull dead flakes of skin, bringing the fresh clean ones to the surface. You do not need much, and it works fantastically.

Step 3: The moisturizer. on the bottle it is named “dramatically different moisturizer” and so far it has proved to have been. Like steps 1 and 2 you only a small amount because steps 1 and 2 have readied your skin to accept moisture so this soaks right in and begins to work its magic right away. I use 2 pumps in the morning and 1 pump at night and it has cleared up the occasional dry patches that seem to crop up, without soaking my T-zone (where my skin is most oily) and clogging that up, which is a blessing, because it is the first moisturizer that I have found to do that.

The overall results? According to the little booklet that comes with the products it states that you will see results from day 1: “expect your skin to look fresher, feel smoother.”

In reality I did begin to see results very quickly, I would not say from day one, but after about 3 days of following the routine morning and night my skin did look revived, and this is certainly true in the last 5 months of use.

I have only had a breakout once, or twice in the last 5 months, I am using less make up because what I am using is going on so smoothly. I can feel a difference in the smoothness and softness of my skin, and on the rare days that I do miss a use (normally when I have been out and about in the various bars of Glasgow, naughty me!) I can feel a difference in my skin.

Like I said, £63 is a lot of money to pay out in one go for 3 items, but I would certainly recommend this regime to anyone, it has worked wonders on my skin…I do think it looks healthier, clearer, fresher and younger, and since using it I have left my flat without make up on, something I would NEVER do before now!

The Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System gets a massive thumbs up from me!!

*if you are interested in trying it for yourself, go and visit your nearest Clinique counter and ask about it. They do not bite!

Much love,

Cx

10 second Beauty Blitz

So finally some summery weather is starting to emerge through the murk of Scottish clouds, and its that time to start scrubbing, primping and preening to get your body ready for the summer.

First thing I have been doing?

My nails.

A nice summery colour on my nails never fails to put a smile on my face, it is an instant lift, despite the rain outside!

BUT…

I absolutely hate getting my summery nail polishes out and finding that they have gone all gloopy.

The remedy?

Nail polish remover.

Add a few drops of it to your nail polish bottle, pop the lid back on, and shake it baby!

Result? Gloop free nail polish, ready to wear.

Cx

…You don’t know about a Girl…

Well about this one anyway!

Proud bookworm, lover of fashion, beauty babe, daddy’s darling, passionate and loud rugby fan, intrepid explorer, living in exile in Glasgow, carving out a career in sports journalism, i also want to be a librarian….