Primark Haul | Video #6

Good Afternoon wonderful people. Hope you're all fine & dandy? 

I’m feeling that I’m now on a bit of a roll with my new swishy camera! So I couldn’t resist filming another one, to show you lot what I picked up at oh holy Primark; or Primarni as so many of us like to call it.

I’ve put myself on a complete spending ban for the foreseeable future and these few bits I picked up were purchased through a teeny bit of birthday money I received. A whole £27 to be exact! So it doesn’t count, does it? Okay good. 

I think I managed to bag quite a few bargains, eh? What about you, have you picked up any good’uns recently?

Next stop – Holiday Shop!! (my favourite kind) ;)

Shift

 If you've never been to The Geffen museum in Downtown LA, allow me to set the stage. The last time I went to The Geffen Museum it was a rainy day, and inside the museum there was this green bucket just sitting there on the ground collecting water that was dripping from the ceiling. And to this day, I have NO clue whether or not there was a leak in the damn roof, or if that bucket was, well, "art". Now I'm not judging, and this isn't the type of blog where we will discuss philosohpical questions like such; I just want you to know what I was dealing with here. SO (now that the stage has been set), on Friday night Frankie, Chelsea, Aaron and I drove up to The Geffen to take in Drew Barrymore's visual art and see the sounds of our beautiful, S4LEM. Let me tell you, this PlayMOCA thing was one hip and happenin' event. It's like everyone there wakes up every morning and eats freaking CoolCool puffs for breakfast. We had the time of our life people watching, and coming up with elaborate schemes about what they put in those balloons that everyone was carrying around, until we found out it was just lipstick. Finally, Salem took to the stage and totally blew my mind. Then we bailed and went to go eat some sushi. ALL of this while wearing my vintage pink shift dress, my new headgear, and vintage buckled flats. I was a bit inspired by Chanel Pre-Fall with a dash of Marc Jacobs inspired footwear. The end. 

Take a Little Care | Antipodes Eye Cream

This next sentence is going to sound hugely cliché, but hey, it’s true. Since I can remember, looking after my skin has been one of my favourite things to do; & something I will rarely compromise on. I truly believe that in more cases than not, you get what you pay for. 
I have the most sensitive skin known to man; it is so unbelievably difficult for me to find a brand/product that I can use on my face without it going absolutely mental & breaking out in a zillion spots. Hence why I have to be quite selective with what I try out & expense is rarely spared. 
I recently discovered a lovely little New Zealand brand called Antipodes through the ever gorgeous Estee of EssieButton. I’d been on the hunt for a jolly good eye cream & had a little read on theirs& was instantly intrigued.

As with most eye creams, it’s fragrance free to avoid irritation & it has a gorgeous, thick, creamy consistency that I love. In this day & age, I definitely follow the crowd in terms of loving products that have 100% natural ingredients, it just makes it more appealing don’t you think? This little pot is full of yummy ingredients, such as kiwi seed, avocado, aloe gel & carrot seed oil. The first, kiwi, is known to help with tissue repair so it’s a definite must have for any of you ladies/gents who suffer (like I do) with dark circles under the eye, & it's also famously rich in Vitamin C. The others are bursting with anti-ageing antioxidants, natural sun screen & natural healers of scars or age spots. Meaning that this pot of joy pretty much caters for everyone's needs :)
It has quite a hefty price tag, but who doesn’t want to take care of their eyes? If you don't, you should. They’re one of the most sensitive parts of your body & deserve a lot of love & care. Retailing at $48 (converting to £24.68, right now), it’s definitely not cheap but I’ve been using it for a few months now & I’d say it’s 100% worth the money. My eye area has always lacked moisture & can become quite dry & flaky when I’m not looking after it properly. Using this cream day & night has cleared up any dryness, made the area slightly plumper, reduced any smile lines & I’ve even seen an improvement on my dark circles! They’re not gone (god knows if they’ll ever shift), but the bruising has definitely reduced & the area certainly looks brighter and healthier.
I'm totally in love with this brand, & can't wait to try some more of their products. I'm particularly interested in their Joyous Protein, Rich Night Replenish Serum...
Don't forget - never apply eye cream directly under your eyes! Always apply along the brow & cheek bones; the product will then sink into the skin and aid the areas that require moisture.
Well, what do you think? Is eye cream something you've invested in? What's your favourite brand to use if so?

Messy Up Do | Bun Tutorial | Video #5

Wahooooo, it’s Friday! I don’t know about anyone else, but how bloomin’ long has this week been?! I haven’t looked forward to a weekend so much in a long time. 

Anyway, here’s video #5 for ya’ll. It’s my first tutorial, so be kind. I felt a bit silly doing it, but every time I film a video I always ask at the end if anyone fancies seeing anything in particular, & the only thing that’s ever asked is ‘please can you do a bun tutorial’. There’s got to be over a million & one videos of girlies showing you how they achieve this look, but for some reason you guys wanted to see mine....

So, without further ado *inserts drum roll* here it is….me looking like a complete plonker in front of the camera :) 

Haha, hope I don't look like too much of a fool!! 
Have you lovely lot got much on this weekend? I’m keeping my fingers crossed the sun keeps on shining! 

ZOMBIE

I wore this little short suit number to work last week. As I explained to my coworker, I am trying to embrace Summer for all it's worth and wear all the shorts and miniskirts and sundresses I can because in December I will be wishing I had! Although in reality I just wanna put on some thigh high boots, a fur coat, and a hat and welcome Fall into my arms. You may ask yourself, "Brittany, will there ever be a seasonally appropriate time for you to don that specific ensemble? Don't you live in SoCal where the variance in temperature is like, 20 degrees...all year long?" Technically speaking, yes, but I mean have you ever experienced 50 degree temperatures?! I rest my case. SOOOOO, short suits are kind of like mullets; business on the top, party on the bottom. Are shorts appropriate for the workplace? I don't know, but they are appropriate in my workplace, because our human resources department is a party of one. SCORE! To further push the boundaries of the proper professional attire, I decided to wear a T-shirt with a a killer zombie and a naked lady on it...on the same day. When I brought this to HR's attention, her response was, "Oh, I wanna see." I love my job!

F21 blazer, necklace, and bracelet. Vintage Tee, shorts, and shoes. Also just...my glasses.

Find me a Baby Gift | The Perfect Present

Today is a slightly different post from the norm. There will be no lusting after beauty products that promise to make us look like Scarlett Johansson or impromptu purchases of pieces of clothing we surely cannot justify. No. Today, for me anyway, is about finding the perfect gift for a new mummy & their baby. 

Now, I am fully aware that some of my readers may not be anywhere near ready to have a baby, so this may not be to everyone’s taste, & for that I will apologise. However, I think this little company is just too wonderful not to shout about, literally, everyone should know about it :)

Being slightly long in the tooth (in the blogging world anyway), I have lots of friends that are making & having beautiful babies. Which is just wonderful; but don’t you find it difficult to know what to get as a present? I always feel a bit stuck. They’ll have heaps of new baby clothes, & I don’t know about you, but I just find it quite difficult to be overly thoughtful without copying what everyone else does. & let’s face it that must get a bit monotonous for the mummy & daddy, right? 
You can imagine then, how delighted I was to find Ange’s online shop, find me a baby gift. Ange’s little slice of online heaven has been established for 5 years, which is such a short space of time to have built such a wonderful business. The team source beautiful baby blankets and quilts which are professionally embroidered with the baby’s name, date of birth, time & weight. Isn't that a fantastic idea? So refreshingly original and personal. Having purchased from Ange a few times before, she kindly agreed to send me a baby blanket for review, so that I could show you lovely lot. 
I was waiting for a certain fellow blogger to ‘pop’ (excuse crude phrasing) & when she did I couldn’t wait to send her the blanket I’d chosen. Tami, of Tami-Bee is the definition of ‘yummy mummy’, seriously guys she is drop dead gorgeous & had to be the most stylish pregnant lady of ALL TIME. If you haven’t checked out her blog please hop on over, I’m certain you’ll love her as much as I do. I was delighted that she agreed to send me the details of Isla’s birth, to make the blanket as personal to them as possible. & here are the results… 

Image courtesy of Tami

Image courtesy of Tami

What do you think? I just absolutely love it :) The one I chose for Tami & Isla is the AnimalApplique Blanket with Honey Bear – in cream, costing a teeny tiny £29.99. It really is the ultimate keepsake item, something you can keep & cherish forever. Each box is individually hand wrapped, to ensure personal perfection each time. & you needn't worry about getting the blanket sent to you & then the mummy, invoices/receipts are all sorted out over email/post prior to purchase, so your box can be sent lovingly wrapped up to the recipient with a hand written note of your choice. Ordering online is such a simple process, however if you prefer a more personal approach, there is always someone at the end of the phone or contactable over email if you have any queries; definitely the best customer service I have ever received. Prices start from as low as £19.99, so there really is an option for everyone.


Here's what Tami thought:

The blanket is absolutely perfect. I love that it’s not just a generic girly pink and the little animals are a lovely touch; they will always remind Isla that she's half South African (hehe). The thickness of the blanket will be perfect come Winter. Heck, it'll be perfect for any chilly night in the Summer! The fact that it's got her full name and all the details of her birth stitched on makes it so much more personal and something that we'll keep for the rest of her life. Y'know everyone has that little thing they absolutely treasure from their childhood and they cannot ever be without? This blanket will be that for Isla. :) 

So, do any of you think you’ll be making a purchase for a new arrival? & mum’s, what do you think of this? Is it something you’d like to receive? Hop on over & take a peek...you know you want to!

Kiki Fashion

Jasmine had a Kiki at her house Saturday night. (WTF is a Kiki? Click here.) So ya, it was pretty fab. We sat around the fire and drank and ate too much food and even told some ghost stories. We get pretty wild and crazy...JK we really don't. Of course, you gotta be lookin' real fly when you attend a Kiki, so I busted out my suede mini skirt and my new halter top that I purchased earlier that day at my favorite Pile Sale. (It reads: When provoked, I will strike!) Plus, of course, some arm party jewels, strappy sandals, and purple hair. I woke up the next morning, picked up those clothes off the floor and wore the same ensemble to brunch with my lady friends...cuz it's just that versatile of a look! (And I was just that hungover.)

Vintage Top, watch, and heels. F21 Skirt and bracelets. Random kiosk sunnies.

Wonderful You's first GIVEAWAY! Can I get a 'Hell Yeah'?!

NOW CLOSED

The Winners:
sara xoxox
Laura-Marie Roffey

WAHOOO! It's my first giveaway ladies & gents!! (pretty sure no gents read my blog, but whatever)
I was contacted a month or so a go, by the lovely lady Stephanie at Prairie Charms. They're a brand spanking new online jewellery shop, that sell beautiful handmade charm bracelets. Being a new blogger, I was so surprised when she got in contact with me to ask if I'd like to receive & review one of their pieces; of course, I said yes! After chatting with her for a while, it was decided that it shouldn't really just be me that get's to receive the loveliness, it should be you wonderful people too!
Each piece is lovingly handmade, & why stop there? These ladies certainly don't! How bloomin' gorgeous is this wrapping?

Personally, wrapping is really quite important to me, so this definitely gets brownie points my end!
Now, here's where you guys come in..wanna see the lovely bracelets that two of you, yes you heard right, two of you could win? Ah, okay, go on then....

How gorgeous are they!! Both bracelets come with their own individual detachable ribbon, for an extra bit of yuminess.
I'm just so in love with this brand. Not only is each bracelet handmade, with each piece being 'limited edition', to ensure your bracelet will be individual; they also offer a 'make your own' service. & the very, very best bit, is that 10% of each purchase that's made is donated to the Great Ormond Street Hospital 'Kiss it Better' Charity. I think that's just the cherry on the top, don't you? I want to get my hands on every piece!
So, I'm not going to make this difficult to enter, because to be frank, I really don't enjoy filling in a million entries on a giveaway. However, I will ask of you two things:


1. Please be a follower of Wonderful You via GFC (I will be checking!) It's simples to do!
2. Leave a comment below with your email address & why you'd like to win.


I will pull the two winning names out of a hat 2 weeks from today on August 1st.
& just for an extra, here's the bad boy I kept for myself :)

Good luck beauts!

Hotel Maya

 

My boyfriend and I ventured off to Hotel Maya for Brunch on Sunday, and of course my ensemble was subliminally inspired by the Latin America meets SoCal ambiance. We ate way too much food, and tested just how "bottomless" a botomless mimosa can really be. (Still in testing.) I wore this gorgeous, hand painted top that I picked up at my favorite LBC pile sale, La Bamba, and paired it with this Bird of Paradise tropical printed tulip skirt and a pair of pointy toed pumps. I suppose I was going for a Copacabana, chiquita banana by way of LA type thing. Topped the look off with some gold jewelry, cat eyed sunnies, and pastel (faded) hair. Es muy elegante, no?

Vintage Top, Skirt, Shoes. F21 jewelry and sunnies.

Monthly Favourite's | June 2012

I realise I’m always a bit late with these type of posts. Perhaps I should pay attention to the alarm bells telling me that I need to get organised! 

Anywho, it’s that time of the month again! (No ladies, not thattime of the month, eww) No, it’s monthly favourite’s time! C’mon, get excited ;)

I didn’t have too many this month, to be honest, there wasn’t anything I was hugely crazy over; excusing the items I’m just about to mention of course…

Happy Watching!

L-R: NARS Illuminator, Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer, Palmer's Natural Bronze, Tresemme Dry Shampoo, Antipodes Eye Cream, Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Wash

What were your favourite's this month?

Princess Prints

 

I won this deliciously adorable dress at the Shout PR blogger event a couple weeks ago and I've been wearing it like, all the damn time. (It's just so easy to throw on!) I totally dig the Baroque inspired scarf print a modern, girly color palette. The geometric shape of the racer back also gives the dress a little unexpected edge. Of course, as not to be too girly, I paired it with my chunky brown booties and a super woman cuff bracelet. Plus, the purple hair is kind of off-setting the need for any major accessories, ya know? I felt a bit like a modern day Marie Antoinette.

Dress courtesy of Lulu's. Wet Seal boots. F21 cuff.

My 23rd Birthday Gifts | Video #3

Hellooooo Wonderful ones, so here's my third youtube video for you to have a nose at! Is it okay to post my YouTube videos on my blog? Not sure if it's the 'done' thing or not? Let me know if it's a pain / if you as my blog readers aren't really interested in video's :)

I asked in my previous video, if anyone would like to see one on what I got for my birthday. Everyone that commented said 'yes perlease', so gotta keep y'all happy righty? I was a little apprehensive to post it, as I didn't want it to come across as 'ooh, look what I got for my birthday', because that's genuinely not what it was for; it was just so you lovely lot could see all my new bits, sort of like a haul! So, without further ado, here it is:

Again, super sorry for the CRAP quality. Seriously, I have no idea what I'm doing with youtube or making videos. If anyone wants to give me some guidance, it would be HUGELY appreciated. for example, why the hell does it take 5 HOURS to upload an MP4 file on a PC; & when I change the file format to AVI. for a speedier upload, does it lose all it's quality? I just don't know :( *sobs* here is my cry for help guys!!

Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed it :) I was spoilt rotten & have some seriously lovely people in my life! I'm literally so excited to use my new SLR.


Do you have any other requests for videos you'd like to see?


What's on your Birthday wishlist?


P.S. How on earth do I make my preview of my videos larger? (like you can with images?) 

23rd Birthday Happenings..

I asked on my latest post if any of you yummy lot would like to be nosy parkers & see what I got up to over my birthday weekend. The general consensus was ‘yes, please’; & let’s face it, everyone’s a little bit nosy right? :) I know I am!

It was such a busy, lovely weekend, jam-packed with activities, & LOTS of walking.

So, prepare yourself for a very heavy photo post…

Firstly, we dropped our bags off at the hotel. 

How pretty is this building!? It’s St Ermin’s Hotel, in Kensington, so reasonably central :)

We then headed on down to the National History Museum, as the boy hadn’t been there before. Of course, I found a fox..

Daniel had booked us in for an afternoon tour at the London Dungeons. I’m not gunna lie, I was CRAPPING myself. I love scary films & books, but when it comes to me being physically involved in an unknown situation, I freak oooout! It was great fun, but I came out rather sweaty from being so tense the whole time haha.

Nandos was the next stop, NOM, we literally wolfed our meals down in a matter of minutes, before scuttling off to see MATILDA THE MUSICAL waaaaaaaaa. Never, ever, have I been so god damn excited. I am a huge Musical fanatic & this has been top of my list for a long time. It didn’t disappoint on any level; & I think I can quite confidently say, even if you’re not a musical fan, that you would love this.

How pretty is the set too? I want to go & see it again, & again. Who want’s to take me? ;)

I was pretty pooped after that day, so it was a quick cheeky cocktail & then beddy byes for us. Sunday morning we were up bright & early for a deee-lish breakfast at the hotel..

..before walking to madamme tussaudes. I’d never been before, & it was on my London to-do list, so I was really excited! The wax figures really are incredible, & the place is HUGE, seriously, you definitely get what you pay for. I’m not sure it’s something you’d do more than once in your life, but it’s a great thing to experience.

Shopping was next, courtesy of the boy ;) If you want to see what I picked you can have a watch of my recent haul video, here.

<3

We then travelled home on the train to get up super early again for THE HARRY POTTER TOUR, que second ‘waaaaaaa!’ of the post! Seriously, it was incredible. Have any of you lovelies been too?

BUTTER BEER!!!

So, that was my birthday weekend in a nutshell! I had such a wonderful time, & as slushy as it sounds, I am very lucky to have such a lovely boy who spoils me rotten.

What's your favourite thing to do in London?