Car Boot Sale | My guilty pleasure..

One bonus of living in the middle of nowhere is that the villagers seem to make the most of all the fields we have; which means....CARBOOT SALES! I absolutely love them & could easily spend all my pennies at them every weekend. If you're not familiar with the term, in short, people basically bring all their old clutter or unwanted items & sell them for next to nothing. I discovered a rather large one in a village near my house, so I thought I would share with you what I picked up :)

Like the majority of my spending habits, I didn't need any of this stuff, as such, but I totally did. Know what I mean? ;)

Wood Mirror - £4: I am actually in love with this mirror, it's so beautiful, it's in amazing quality & i think it look quite expensive too. Not sure where I'm going to put it yet but I sort of had to have it when I spotted it :)
Egyptian Leather Clutch Bag - £2.50: Oh my, is this not the most incredible bag you've ever seen? Probably not, but I think it is! The detail is incredible; I don't know if you can see, but all the prints are raised & it's surrounded by wicker thread all around the edging. It's surprisingly heavy & even though it's a bit battered I love the look!
China Perfume Holder - 50p: I think this is so cute. I don't think i'm going to put perfume in it, because I have no idea where it's been haha. I think it will look beautiful on my dressing table though.
China Polar Bear Trinket box - 50p: I picked this up for my little sister, she went to Germany this week on a school exchange, & to cut a long story short, the airport lost her suitcase. Needless to say she was devastated, so I wanted to buy her something to cheer her up :)
Glass Pot - £1: This was brand new in it's box, with the stickers & all! I love it, & I'm using it for my cotton wool pads :)
China plate - 50p: I love the detail on this. It's sat looking all pretty on my dressing table with all my rings piled nicely on top.


Picking up all of this for under a tenner is pretty good going, don't you think? 


The boyf & I are planning on buying our first house together next year; & I'll definitely be dragging him along to a few of these to pick up pieces of furniture & such to fill the house up a little. You can get your hands on some pretty amazing stuff, & it's so ridiculously cheap. I love all things pretty & vintage, so walking in to a field full of someone's old stuff makes for one happy Megs.

Do you love a good Car Boot? Or do you think you'll be making a trip to one now?

Trend Watch Fall 2012: Negative Space

Negative space is a compositional tool used in both two- and three-dimensional artwork. A simple way to describe negative space is, "what is not present." Of course, negative space does not actually imply any "negative" connotation. In fact, when used properly this element is just as important as what is actually present in the piece. Instances of negative space were popping up all over the Fall 2012 runways, and in many different styles, shapes, and forms. DVF utilized negative space to reference her film noir influence, while Peter Dundas at Pucci used negative space to create daring cutouts, proving that what is not present, really can be more important than what actually is ;) Images via Style.com.

GlossyBox | May 2012 | Happy 1st Birthday!

How quickly has the time gone since I last posted about my April GlossyBox subscription? It literally seems like yesterday!

It was quite a special month for GlossyBox, being their 1st birthday & all. I can't quite believe it's only been a year for them; they seem so well established & in my eyes, leaps & bounds in front of other competitors. 

There were a few lovely extras this month, to celebrate birthday-ness. Special wrapping, with cakes etc. a bright pink balloon, which I think is so cute & a little compact mirror, which is essential to any girl who loves her beauty.

NOBLE ISLE Summer Rising Cornish Hedgerows Bath & Shower Gel - This came in a lovely little travel size, so perfect for taking away on your jolly’s. I do have about a zillion body washes, but you can never be too clean eh? This smells soooo good. It’s a really fresh & citrusy gel; which sort of reminds me of the shower gels you get in swanky hotels, if you know what I mean!

LOLITA LEMPICKA Eau de Parfum & Si Lolita – OH MY. I am in love. These scents are actually amazing. I am particularly in love with the Eau de Parfum. Both are so florally, with little hints of musk to even out the sweetness. If it was food, I would definitely gobble it all up. I’m definitely going to buy the full size bottles.

OSMO Berber Oil™ Hair Treatment – I’ve only used this once & was quite impressed. The consistency isn’t dissimilar to Moroccan Oil; it’s quite thick, & not too runny.  It smells super sweet, literally just like when you walk in to one of those old fashioned sweet shops. I’m not sure I’m a huge fan of the smell, it’s a bit too sweet for me; but the product works well. It left my hair super soft and smooth, when applied to damp hair before blow drying, whilst adding a little volume. One thing I would say is it didn’t leave my hair looking as shiny as other oils I’ve tried have.

ELDORA false eyelashes – I haven’t worn false eyelashes since I studied musical theatre at college, they’re not my favourite beauty accessory to be honest. I’ll let you know what I think once I’ve dared to try them :)

APIVITA Express Beauty Masks with Honey – Again, another product I haven’t tried yet. I’ve never heard of Apivita before, so I’m looking forward to giving it a whirl. Plus, I loveee honey. Nom.

I’ve seen quite a few reviews going around saying that they weren’t too thrilled with their contents this month; that previous boxes had over shone what people were expecting to be a ridiculously great box, considering the occasion. I think what people forget, is that this is a sample beauty box, to try products you wouldn’t necessarily come across otherwise, not a competition to see how many full sized products you can get for your money. I personally feel this is a great box, & well worth the £10! I received exactly what I signed up for, & yet again, I’m not disappointed :)

What did you think of yours this month? Or have you been tempted to sign up if you haven’t already? 

Cowgirls and Indians

 

This top was a MAJOR thrifting score...so on trend! I love this high fashion, outlaw, chic cowgirl looks that's been making the editorial rounds. This top is like, a LEGITIMATE rodeo shirt. Quality. I love the painted pastel, floral design detailing at the bust. I feel like the fringed skirt makes it a little scandalous, like maybe I've been spending too much time with the Indians or something...

Vintage top, skirt, shoes, and hat.

Raspberry Grape | Unique Jewellery

I have become a bit of a twitter addict as of late; & have had the pleasure of getting to know the lovely Lauren of RaspberryGrape*insert raspberry blowing on someone’s belly here* through the wonders of the web. I found myself lusting after her beautiful little pieces over at her jewellery shop & when she tweeted that she’d like to offer some of her pieces for review I jumped at the chance!

She sent me the rather scrumptious wide upper finger ring*, which I’d tweeted her about previously, telling her how much I liked it.

I absolutely love it. Beautifully hand wrapped with cute little stickers, I was so excited to get it opened! I haven’t really come across middle finger rings before, but I’m a bit of a raving fan now. They’re a bit different aren’t they? I love the thickness of the ring & the pretty shapes running throughout. Another great thing about these is that they have adjustable backs, so you can change it up & wear it as a regular ring too, if you fancy it. I think they’re perfect for summer, adding a bit of bohemian chic to your look. My one came up quite small (before adjustment), so they fit really snugly on the upper half of your finger. No flying off in to the air when you’re jumping around like a mad woman to your favourite song – yes, we all know you jump around, flailing arms & all…

I’d say that Lauren’s shop leans slightly towards the more alternative type of jewellery, but mixes it up with some really delicate pieces too. Ranging from skull bracelets to vintage rings, there really is something for everyone.

At £3.85 for this little beaut, with free postage & packaging you can’t really go wrong, can you? :)

*Lauren kindly sent me this ring FOC for review, all opinions are my own. I have not received financial compensation for this post. 

Guest Post | Kristin of Beauty Xpose

A few months ago, i joined the wonderful world that is IFB - Independent Fashion Bloggers. It was such a warm welcome in to the world that is blogging & I've been lucky enough to get to know some really lovely ladies along the way. One of them being the beautiful Kristin of Beauty Xpose. Have a little read, & get to know her a wee bit; I'm sure you'll love her as much as I do!

1.What three things can make you smile no matter your mood
Starting off with an easy one :) - 1) My boyfriend 2) Pictures of teacup pigs 3) Crappy television

2.What is your favorite part of blogging?
My favorite part is all the wonderful people I’ve met from fellow bloggers to industry folks to readers. It’s so fabulous thinking of all the people that blogging brought in to my life.

3. Do you have a current favorite/go-to fashion item?
Right now I’m loving my J.Crew eyelet shorts, and Kate Spade necklace. If no one would notice, I would wear them every day! Unfortunately, my desire to not repeat outfits holds me back. 

4. And beauty - do you have a current favorite/go-to beauty item?
I have two, both from Smashbox. I LOVE the Shades of Fame lip glosses, which have turned me on to lip gloss. Second is the Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer. It evens out my skin tone and keeps my makeup in place all day. What more could you ask for?!

5.What bit of fashion/beauty advice would you give to anyone?
Don’t worry about the trends and what everyone else is doing. Find clothes and products that work with your body and personality. If you are comfortable and feel great, you’ll look great too!

6. What made you want to start blogging?
I sort of fell in to blogging. Three years, I started an internship at a Public Relations agency. Right when I was starting Anne (my now BeautyXpose partner-in-crime), who happened to be my supervisor, had just started a blog. I initially helped to write a post here, a review there. However, next thing I knew, I was working hand-in-hand with Anne and sharing all the ownership responsibilities. Three years later, we’re still going strong. It’s a miracle she’s not sick of me yet :)

7. Which beauty product would you never re-purchase again and why?
Easy – butter LONDON LIPPY. I love their nailpolishes, so couldn’t wait to try their new LIPPIES. However, I was SO let down. The glosses are goopy and don’t go on evenly. Plus, the smell and taste like plastic.

8. Name one beauty product you can't leave the house without?

Well – if we’re talking I can only wear one makeup item for a day, I’d have to say mascara. I love Covergirl LashBlast Fusion. However, if I get to put on all my makeup and then just leave the house with only one thing, I would pick Burt’s Bees chapstick. I’m a pretty simple girl … sometimes.  

9. Do you have any other hobbies aside from blogging?

Does shopping count?! I’ve recently started to dabble in running (but I wouldn’t call myself a runner). From time to time, I add a new page to my scrapbook. A couple of weeks ago, I bought myself a Cannon Rebel t2i, so I’m starting to play around with photography. I hope those count!

10. What would be your dream job?

Ok, woah on the tough question! I’m not sure, and this is something I’m actually trying to figure out for myself right now. I would love to find a way to mix my passion for beauty and fashion with my desire to help others and make the world a better place. Those two things go hand-in-hand, right?! If you can think of anything that fits that description, feel free to let me know :)

So what did you think of the beaut that is Kristin? 

Fancy getting to know me a bit better too? You can see my post on her blog here: http://beautyxpose.com/2012/musings/guest-post-megs-of-wonderful-you.html#

Polka Dots and Happy Faces

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I think this ensemble was subliminally inspired by one of my fave designers, Jeremy Scott, who is known for his humorous prints and iconographic references. (Did you know that Lagerfeld once told a French newspaper that Scott can be the only one to replace him at Chanel? Ya, Karl gets it.) So I give you, a bow tie, polka dot top and happy face mini skirt. I can't help but feel happy, when I'm literally wearing my emotions on my skirt. Don't forget to have a little fun with your fashion, folks!

Vintage top, skirt, and watch. F21 Boots.