Begin At The Beginning

Despite waking up at 06:15 this morning, the mighty snow did not want me to leave my house which meant I couldn't get into work, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing?!

And so I thought I would make use of my day with some VERY overdue  posting, and so here it is. Not a very warm outfit, but an outfit nonetheless.

I got this beautiful over sized glitter bow from Crown & Glory after salivating after those infamous rose head bands for so long. I will do a little review of them in another post (and for those who can't wait, they were more beautiful than I expected!).

You can choose from a fantabulous array of 30 colours and I think I put around 10 colours in my shopping basket, until I came to my senses, and settled on two head bands and one glitter bow. I have always looked for accessories like these, they and they really are amazing, so definitely take a look. You can bend the corners around until you get your desired shape, which is great because it means they don't just flop on your head, and the glitter hasn't shedded at all since I have been wearing mine.

 I don't know what it is about the range but it's so Alice in Wonderland - ish, if that makes sense at all, and it's so me!

* Skirt - TOPSHOP, Lace Bralet - NASTY GAL, Polka Dot Tights - EBAY, Suede Ankle Boots - EBAY, Leather Jacket - H&M, Faux Fur - DIY, Glitter Bow - CROWN & GLORY *

Azia 

♥

Urban Outfitters & Topshop Boxing Day Sale Picks 2012

I always struggle deciding what to buy from the sales as I am conscious of the fact that most of it will go "out of trend" when the New Year follows, and like many I impulse buy and am drawn to things I wouldn't ordinarily like, and only want because it's on sale!

With that in mind, I managed to pick out a few key items that I thought were quite versatile in my opinion. Urban Outfitters and Topshop were the main shops I scoured, although I was looking forward to going into Zara but found that their reductions were modest at best, and not not worth it at this point . My sister picked out some lovely things however, and I'm sure I will return after the New Year for a second look.

Here are the few things I picked out. Hope you like.

URBAN OUTFITTERS: WAS £45 NOW £22

URBAN OUTFITTERS: WAS £22 NOW £10

URBAN OUTFITTERS: WAS £45 NOW £22 - Almost everyone I saw in Urban Outfitters picked out this blouse, its gorgeous!

TOPSHOP: WAS £40 NOW £20

TOPSHOP: WAS £6.50 & £7 EACH NOW £3 EACH

Did you guys pick anything out?

Azia 

♥

This Time We Go Sublime

I thought I would do a face of the day post as I am only too aware that my iphone camera quality isn't the finest when it comes to transmitting precision. I apologize in advance for the excessive and dodgy posing! I was trying to capture my nails (Barry M 307 Lemon)  and makeup in one, and this is how it turned out .... !

Face

As a base I have used a combination of Perfection Lumiere Foundation by Chanel and Perfect & Correct Foundation by Stila . Unfortunately, I am not a fan of this particular foundation by Chanel, as I was a religious follower of Matte Lumiere until it became discontinued (?!!!).  To prepare for this tragic event, I hunted the market for a replacement to rival its faultlessness and when I heard Chanel were releasing Perfection Lumiere to replace it I'm sure I heard the Heavens sing. I thought this would be the one… the one and only to replace them all, but sadly, this was not the case and I was terribly disappointed. After trying it on at home, I noticed that it appeared to leave a yellow - ish, very unnatural (and undesirable!) hint on my skin after settling in, I had to blend more and more to gain a layer of coverage, and after a day at work, there was barely anything left on my face. In its defense, I do think it ranks highly in luminosity and it does indeed leave a sheer/ matte finish. 

Eyebrows

Back to the post now….I have filled my eyebrows in with a black eye shadow, using a Mac 266 brush, and QVC slanted brush that I picked up from Superdrugs.

Blush

The blush is a combination of many, firstly, Mac’s Harmony to contour, YSL’s Touche Blush in 2, and Clinque’s 109 Pink Love blush on the apple of my cheeks.

Eyeliner

I have lined and flicked the upper lid of my eyes with Miss Sporty’s  Liquid Studio Lash in Black. I have tried and tested many over the years and found this to be equally as brilliant, and now one of my favourites for the fraction of the price (currently  £2.79 from Superdrugs!).  The brush with this eyeliner is a little difficult to get used to, so I would test it out before buying.

I have used Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Perversion to line the lower lid of my eye. This is amazing.  It is ultra soft on the lid, you barely feel it going on, and gives the most intense and pigmented streak of colour, it's almost like an ink stain. I love it.

Mascara

I have used Benefit’s They’re Real mascara on my lower and upper eye lashes, and I have to say that this is probably the best mascara I have ever used. It’s a bit of a struggle to remove, but completely worth it if you like that volumised flutter effect.

Lips

I have neurtalised my lips with a dab of foundation, and then used Illamasuqa’s lipstick in Obey, the most precious and irreplaceable lipstick  I own. My world will not be the same the day it is discontinued.

Let me know what you think, and what your experience has been like with any of these products. 

Azia 

♥

A Vision of Ecstasy

It's rare that I get excited over pair of tights, but this is one of the few occasions that I did. I found these Jonathan Aston Moulin tights amongst a heap of mess in River Island a good few months ago, and could have squealed with excitement when I unexpectedly stumbled across them after the search was on for months. 

They have a gorgeous French vintage themed motif that sits above the knee and are definitely true to their iconic name and the Astonista standard. The only downside I would say is a common problem I find with most tights, in that they tend to fall down, but that easily be fixed if you keep an eye on them! I am pleased to say that they're available from pretty much everywhere now, and I definitely intend to expand my range. 

Just so you know, I tried to take these snaps during a brief moment when it stopped raining, but the down pour returned with vengeance soon after, which explains dreary pictures and the wet hair! I apologize profusely!

Azia

 ♥

Don't Wake Me Up

I blogged about this jumper recently, and have been wearing it a lot since, mainly because it's sooo cosy. And I am happy to say that I didn't see it go on sale, which is often a risk one takes, and a silly risk some may say, when you buy jumper a few days before the Winter sale!

I have been wearing it with leggings and disco pants mainly when I commute to work, but thought I would give it a more feminine edge for this post.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and had a fantabulous Christmas! 

Jumper - TOPSHOP, White Collar Blouse - NEW LOOK, Studded Hoops - TOPSHOP *Christmas Gift*, Leather Skater Skirt - H&M, Suede Ankle Boots - EBAY, Yellow Nail Polish - Barry M  *Christmas Gift* 

Azia 

♥

Pull Up In The Brrr

I've got some lovely knits from Topshop recently, and thought I would experiment with my shaggy tassle jumper in this post. 

The colours are a blend of wintry tones, that compliment this season perfectly, and gives me an excuse to liven things up by having bright lips, nails and the infamous Amy Winehouse flick.

What I like most, is that I know it is one of those comfortable jumpers that I can just throw on when I don't know what to wear. It is also very cosy and warm without all of the layers, and the fabric doesn't irritate my skin which is always a bonus.  The jumper has a oversized shredded effect which isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I think it carries that grunge influence which I adore.

Have any of you guys bought this jumper?

Jumper - TOPSHOP, Leather Skater Skirt - NEW LOOK, White Blouse, ROMWE, Eye Liner Transfer - EYE ROCK, Boots - TOPSHOP, Double Finger Stud Ring - EBAY, Lipstick - EURYDICE
ILLAMASQUA, Hat - ROMWE, Backpack - EBAY

Azia 

♥

Hold Your Frame, Whisper Your Name

My American Apparel disco pants are one of my most trusted and exploited investments of all time. And why shouldn't they be after I parted with a hefty £ 74 for them! Ultimately, I think the benefits outweigh the expense as they go with EVERYTHING in my wardrobe. 

These pants are alleged to create a “flattering slimming effect” which I think  is one of the reasons these pants are so popular and undefeated against so many replicas (which I also own… for research purposes obviously).

Because of my experience with these, I have now purchased a pair of American Apparel's riding pants, which feature a heavy duty spandex, although I am not entirely sure that they create the same slimming illusion as my beloved disco pants.I will give my review later on.

And now for this amazing UNIF blouse. I got it from Nasty Gal, after craving after it for sooo long. It is a chiffon fabric, and details slits on the shoulder and drapes beautifully.

Let me know what you think.

Blouse - UNIF @ NASTY GAL, Disco Pants - AMERICAN APPAREL, Caged Bralet - TOPSHOP, Suede Ankle Boots - EBAY 

Azia 

♥