Rose Gold Hoop Earrings* | Rose Gold Love Coin Necklace* View Full Post
Gemporia Review
As I creep ever closer to my 26th birthday, I’m starting to reflect on the fact that – contrary to what my chubby lil’ cheeks would imply – I’m actually getting older. And as I am getting older, there’s an increasing number of things that I am OVER, that cause me to get all “ain’t nobody got time for that!” The list of things that I no longer have time for includes (but is not limited to): the Daily Mail sidebar, heels that squash my toes, trying to make halter necks suit me aaaand rings that turn my finger green. Yes, important stuff.
Johnny Loves Rosie | Blogger Breakfast
I love blogging. I love breakfast. So when Johnny Loves Rosie invited me to a bloggers’ breakfast at the lovely Cote Brasserie in The Mailbox I RSVPd faster than you can say “shovel all of the carbs into my mouth, please and thank you”. I already knew a little bit about jewellery brand Johnny Loves Rosie after seeing them on ASOS, but I was looking forward to finding out more – while hanging out with some of my favourite Birmingham blogger baes, of course.
Poundland Jewellery? Purple Ivy: Pictures & Review
Now, you all know that we’re not fussy in the slightest when it comes to where our stuff comes from, but we have to admit that even we raised our (perfectly drawn on) eyebrows when we heard that Poundland were launching their own jewellery line. Sure we love Poundland for shower gel, hair grips and wicked-sick deals on biscuits, but jewellery for a pound? Was this just a bit too Jezza K, even for us?
However, take a look at these snaps we found on the Poundland website and try to say that you’re not at least a little bit impressed…
The range, called Purple Ivy, features a whopping 82 pieces. These all belong to different trends, listed by Poundland as Lady, timeless elegant pieces; Girl Next Door which is cutesy and feminine; Vintage Colour featuring bold retro-inspired pieces; Mysterious (which we cannot talk about); Nature, containing simple silver and leafy inspired things; and finally, Rustic Animals – which is quite self-explanatory.
I popped into my local Poundland the other day and when I saw they were stocking the range, I decided to try one of the pieces out. I picked up a set of 4 rings which I think are from the ‘timeless’ Lady range. Considering by the time I got the bag home one of the stones had already fallen out, I have to say that I think these do have a time and that time is approximately 25 minutes. However, with that slight grievance aside, the rings that kept their stones are still super pretty:
One thing to note is that I got a Medium, yet they’re a little big even on my massive sausage fingers so the sizings may be a little off in the rings. Overall though I’m pretty pleased with them for a POUND and they’ll make a nice addition to my stacker ring collection (aka that assortment of silver rings that Lauren and the Bonus Jonas regularly find scattered around the house).
(Told you I had massive sausage fingers.)
So what do you all think of Poundland’s jewellery range? Would you buy it? Let us know in the comments below!
Brand Showcase: Bug Jewellery by Ellie Ingram
Right you hot mommas, today I am bringing you something a little different to our usual clothes collages/makeup reviews/awkward outfit of the days (at least on my part anyway, Claire looks entirely normal).
I have recently got to know a wonderful girl called Ellie, who lives in Birmingham and also happens to make some of the best jewellery I have ever seen in my whole, entire, tiny life. And that’s not just me being biased. I genuinely haven’t see anything that is this well made or this lovely in a very long time. For that reason and that reason alone, I just had to share with you some of my favourite pieces from her shop, which is called Bug, so that you can see this wonderment for yourself. She is a wizard, is she not?!
All of her jewellery is handmade and designed by Gandalf Ellie herself. I am quite frankly baffled that you can buy a necklace that is in the shape of a working toaster. Complete with moving toast. This is a great world that we live in, and I am happy to be part of one where toaster necklaces exist.
The La La Land Collection
This is my favourite collection, with loads of cute jewellery to do with tea, picnics and kitchen stuff. Literally THE BEST THING EVER. I love the deconstructed tea bracelet the most I think. Check it out here.
The La Discotheque Collection
This is a unisex collection inspired by electronica…amazing. Bring me that radio necklace, baby jesus. View the collection here.
The Chained Collection
This is literally the perfect jewellery for summer, who doesn’t love a head chain? That’s right, no one. No one in the history of the world. Bring me toe rings, head chains and cuffs. Now. View the collection here.
If you’re a keen Wolf and Badger fan, you might have already seen some of Ellie’s stuff, which is stocked on the site.
I urge you to visit Bug and take a look at these beauties yourself. You can also follow Bug on Twitter and like Ellie’s Facebook page to keep updated with the stunning things she is creating. HUZZAH. Go now, and godspeed to you all.
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A Week In Instagram #4
A while ago we started our brilliant new feature ‘A Week in Instagram’, designed to give all who care (i.e. nobody, not even my mum) a glimpse into our lives away from the crazy world of blogging. We began this feature back in October and then, er, forgot. For quite a while. What can we say, it’s been a long week…
1. How bloody adorable are these three rings from good ole’ Primark?! t only cost about £4 for the pack of 3 if I recal. Now they just need to bring out some even gaudier gold ones and I’ll be happy as that Larry fella.
2. How bloody adorable is my hair first thing in the morning?! Answer: not very. Extension problems.
3. Sometimes we disappear round the back of the bike sheds office building to snog take OOTD pics. Here is a lairy outtake from that yobbo Lauren.
4. Never one to stick with the same look for long, Lauren recently dyed her hair black. What do we all think y’all?
5. We finally, FINALLY decided to bite the bullet and spend our cash on something useful as opposed to endless lip glosses and Curly Wurlys. We formally introduce you to our beautiful new camera, which will hopefully make our dreams of having decent photography on the blog a dream come true. For those interested, it is the Nikon l820 Bridge Camera and we bought it from Argos where it’s currently almost half price. Also, it’s purple!
6. Little LOTD (Leg Of The Day) from work last week. Leather look leggings from River Island and my much loved (read: ancient and smelly) studded pumps from Primark.
7. We received this amazing present last week from GingerFox.co.uk. We think this ‘Vanitea’ mug (you know we love wordplay like this, be still my beating heart) is the perfect Christmas gift for any beauty-loving girls in your life. Firstly, the mug is mirrored so that you can check out how smokin’ hot you look while sipping your tea, plus it comes with a little lipstick pen! Ginger Fox specialise in novelty gifts likes retro games, mugs, gadgets, keyrings and a whole host of moustache-themed bits and bobs, so definitely check them out if you’re stuck for ideas this festive season.
8. Last Friday we had our work’s Christmas party at a restaurant followed by a comedy club in Birmingham. Sounds quite sophisticated, yes? So of course we had to destroy this image by drinking gin on the train over there. Well, Lauren had gin… I had a blue WKD. Stay classy, San Diego.
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Currently Watching: eBay Wishlist #3
In the words of Simply Red, ‘if you don’t know that I love eBay by now, you will never never never know me’ (pretty sure that’s how it goes anyway). As always, I’ve been keeping my beady eyes on lots of products, and here are my ultimate favourite things on my watching list at the moment:
1. Tiger Print Vest (£6.38) – tiger prints were popping up all over the show a couple of months ago, with H&M in particular embracing everyone’s favourite striped animal (obviously zebras are a close second). I love the tiger head emblazoned on the disc on this cami, and at less than £7 including postage, the fact that it’s not season appropriate bothers me as much as something that bothers me very little.
2. Finger Tip Rings (£2.58 for 5) – has anyone seen the film Interview with the Vampire where Tom Cruise uses a nifty thumb ring to slice open the veins of his victims? I know that scene wouldn’t usually scream ‘fashionista’ but these finger tip rings really remind me of that, in a good way. I would of course use my rings for good though, not evil.
3. ‘Laundry’ Sign (£5.95) – as you may know, Lauren and I recently moved into a new bachelorette pad. I think this would be great in the kitchen above our washing machine. Not only will it look stylish and chic, but there’s always a chance that we can lure some eligible men in and they’ll be forced to drop their pants (NO UNCLE ROGER, NOT YOU)
4. 3CE Lipsticks (£4.40 each) – a while ago I reviewed some 3CE lip pigments that were, in a word, dope. They seem to be a really good brand that have a strong focus on pigmentation and colour, so I’m intrigued by their range of lipsticks. 108 in particular looks right up my nude-lip-lovin’ street.
5. Decorative Birdcage (18.50) – another decor piece I’m lusting after for the new abode, this birdcage would look amazing with some candles or flowery bits in. Or maybe our golden skull Yorick that currently sits on top of our fireplace – no? Too weird?
What do you all think of these pieces? Anything that you’re loving on eBay at the moment?
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NOWSEEN.com | My Favourite Pieces
Hello there chaps,
There was a time in my life when jewellery was a bit of an afterthought. I distinctly remember owning a butterfly clip when I was about 11 that had wings that flapped as I walked. Fast-forwarding about 10 years, my jewellery choices can only be described as somewhat hood rat. Giant gold chains? Ridiculously large earrings? You can guarantee I was all over them with bells on.
Having reached the grand old age of 22 as well as leaving uni and somehow acquiring a real person’s life, it was high time I rethought my jewellery collection. A top life tip? People take you more seriously when you don’t wear an unhealthy amount of leopard print and gold. It’s a mad world we live in chums, I don’t like it any more than you do.
As you may have seen, we recently did a post about the launch of the new jewellery brand NOWSEEN (read it here, losers). Claire and I were discussing that there definitely aren’t enough brands just dedicated to jewellery and we’re mega excited about this one. The brand how now been launched (we didn’t check daily in eager anticipation…) and it’s full of beautiful jazzy jewels.
We’ve been though and picked some of our favourite pieces of jewellery to show you exactly how excellent the range is. Please don’t blame us if you end up spending some of Her Maj’s coinage – ITS NOT OUR FAULT.
I have to say, my personal NOWSEEN favourites are the rings. I’m definitely a ring type of girl and these ones are absolutely gorgeous. I have my beady little eye on the panda in particular, because wearing the cutest animal in the world on my hands has always been my life’s wish. NOWSEEN’s necklaces and pendants are lovely too, although it has taken me quite some time to realise that jewellery that isn’t huge and gold can be a viable option. Bracelet-wise, you can’t go far wrong with these delicate pieces, they are so so cute and adorbs. I’m actually seriously thinking about getting the garnet one for my dear Mutti for Christmas – it’s right up her street (she’s a funky woman).
We’re also VERY excited to see that NOWSEEN have now launched a competition to celebrate their entry into our lives. There are a few ways to enter; either retween the giveaway tweet, like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter or subscribe to their newsletter. And what do you stand to win by doing so? I’ll tell you what you stand to win – 200 ruddy English pounds to spend on their website! For full information take a look at their Facebook page.
What do you all think of NOWSEEN? Will you be checking out what this fabby new brand has to offer?
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New Brand Launch: NOWSEEN Jewellery
As young women of the 21st century, I would say we’re all pretty used to faking it. And by this, I mean faking our jewellery… obviously (minds out of the gutters please).
Lauren and I are both big fans of statement jewellery – as a general rule, the bigger and blingier the better – but our poor graduate budgets mean that usually we end raiding the stands at Primark to get our fake fix. Last week, though, an email popped into our inbox that means that all this could soon be about to change.
NOWSEEN (yes, you have to shout it) is a new online store due to launch this week that specialises in fashion-focused jewellery. This is pretty exciting in itself; most highstreet stores stock jewellery almost as an afterthought, and I can’t think of many jewellery-exclusive stores aimed at our market.
But what really caught my attention about this brand is that we’ll no longer have to fake it. All of the jewellery is made with precious metals and real gemstones. Do you know what this means? NO MORE GREEN FINGERS!
I would have thought that real pieces like these would be far above my meagre budget, but prices on NOWSEEN are going to start as low as £10. Considering you can pay as much as £20 in some high street stores for costume jewellery that can fall apart the first time you wear it, this is amazing for investment pieces that will last you a lifetime.
As well as offering genuine quality pieces, NOWSEEN is also incredibly fashion-forward. Their jewellery promise to be edgy and on-trend, with stacker rings, friendship bracelets and statement cocktail rings all available.
These sneak peek images have got me super super SUPER excited for the launch, and I can’t wait to see the full range once the site is live. We’ve also heard a cheeky rumour that to celebrate their launch, NOWSEEN will also be running a competition on Facebook for one lucky winner to win £200 worth of jewellery from their A/W 2013 collection. You can keep up with their Facebook page to find out more about this once it launches.
What do you all think of NOWSEEN? Would you be interested in buying ‘real’ jewellery?
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Mini Haul: Primark, Simple and Collection!
Hey chicks!
As a lot of you will aware from our incessant celebrating, yesterday was pay day. I feel like you have never truly experienced happiness until you get that heady ‘I’M SO RICH, KANYE HAS NOTHING ON ME RIGHT NOW’ joy from getting paid. Getting paid means splashing out on those things that you lusted over last month but couldn’t afford because you spent all of your money on pay day (LOGICAL?). As soon as lunch time hit yesterday, Claire was all over eBay and investing in her current list of must-haves. I, on the other hand, was attempting to be sensible and not buy anything unnecessary. This went pretty well until I got into Birmingham after work and had half an hour to kill before going for dinner. I went to Boots, which is ALWAYS dangerous, and then couldn’t stop myself from strolling around everywhere looking for things to satisfy my deep, deep need for material possessions (nail varnish = happiness. It has been proved. By science).
This is just a mini haul post on what I bought yesterday – I’d say none of it is HUGELY exciting, but still, a haul is a haul. You have to excuse the awful photos, I had to resort to my iphone after I’d had a couple of glasses of wine and apparently this is what happens. WHAT KIND OF BLOGGER DO I THINK I AM?!
I have a little bit of explaining to do with regards to each item actually and they all come with wonderful stories that I know you are all dying to hear, so feel free to make yourself a cup of tea and snuggle down. I’m justifying this little shopping trip because most of the items were entirely necessary and I did vaguely try and be thrifty NO JUDGEMENT PLEASE, MONEY GOD.
This little bad boy I have been lusting over since I spotted it in Boots a few weeks ago. I was actually having a lovely chat with @StonesGotStyle on Twitter about it and we both were thinking it’d be a BRILLIANT product if it delivered on the makeup fixing front. For the price, I think it really could be a winner, particularly when compared to more expensive brands. I’ve got it on today and so far so good – although I would say it’s not really a fair trial as I manage to smear all of my makeup over my face when I’m at work no matter what I’ve got on. I’m going to try it out on Friday when I head out with Claire and the gals – expect a full review very soon. It also smells lovely, as a side note!
Why have you put a lip balm on a haul post, you ask? Well, it does seem a bit pointless BUT I think it’s good to know what lip balms work and smell good. There have been so many times I’ve just gone with Vaseline because I couldn’t make up my mind about other brands and to be honest, Vaseline is a pile of greasy nothing. For anyone else who struggles with chapped lips in the summer, this lip balm is perfect. It smells and tastes yummy and actually works – I’ve been using it for a while now and I can safely say I’ve not used a better everyday balm.
I CAN’T RAVE ABOUT THIS CONCEALER ENOUGH. Honestly, it is full on amazing. I’ve tried similar illuminating concealers and they have all been WUBBISH. I’ve also heard this is the best dupe for Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat and for £5, it’s definitely worth giving it a go. I bought it in the ‘Glow’ shade as it’s the darkest one they do and use it under my eyes and down my nose for contouring purposes. Occasionally I’ll use it on spots too, although I try not to as it is a mixture of a highlighter and concealer (and who wants to highlight their spots?!). Saying that, it does work well as a simple concealer too. I could go on about this product for YEARS but will save you all the torture and just recommend you purchase and give it a whirl!
Claire and I had a moment the other day when we realised that big earrings were no longer cool. It was quite a heart wrenching moment; our standard jewellery ventures used to be a giant pair of chandelier earrings. But this just simply can’t be done anymore, sob. We’ve come to the conclusion that necklaces and rings are the big players in the jewellery world now, which is fantastic apart from the fact I have sausage fingers. ANYWAY, it turns out I haven’t been quite able to let go of my love of earrings and decided to buy a load of hoops from Primark. At £1, it was pretty rude not to. My theory is, because the 90’s are well and truly back, I can get away with a bit of Jennifer Anniston hoop. I’m planning a big topknot and hoops for Friday, so I will take a picture and see if this is achieved! I also got this set of rings because I love a bit of neon and they’re a great way of adding a bit of the trend into a boring outfit (note – Primark have some LOVELY neon jewellery in at the moment).
If you follow us on Twitter, you might have seen my #bbloggers beg the other day for some eye makeup remover recommendations. I have a new mascara, which I love, but it refuses to come off. It’s not actually waterproof but has a terrible habit of sticking to anything and everything. I had a lot of response and I really wanted to invest in a No7 oil based remover that one of you lovely people recommended. However, I left my voucher at home and in a bid to be sensible, decided to go with something a bit cheaper. I also looked for the Neutrogena wipes that were recommended but unfortunately the Boots I was in didn’t stock them, so I went for the next make up remover suggestion! So far, I’ve been really happy with this Simple one and it takes all of the naughty mascara off in a few wipes. I’m actually very happy with it and for the price, I think I will buy it again. So big thanks to all of you who gave me some suggestions!
Finally, this was my last purchase yesterday! There’s not much to say apart from the fact that my shoe situation is terrible and I needed some black pumps for work. They’re quite cute, so I’m happy! I have my eye on a pair of nude t-bar studded ones in Primark actually, and will probably buy them in the next few weeks.
WELL, that was my slightly mad pay day haul yesterday. I’ve told myself I’m on a spending ban now, but lets see how long that realistically lasts….