New layout!

Hi everyone! I've been tinkering with my blog layout this afternoon and have come up with a new one. I'm not a 100 per cent sure about the background, but I'm going to stick with it anyway. And I do like the way the header has come together. :) I've only ever blogged on Live Journal, and to be honest, I really preferred their customization options. Oh, well!

So what do you think? I'd love to know!

Favorite accessories: Top 6 necklaces

Anyone who knows me will agree that I'm a total accessories girl. Especially with jewellery - I love my necklaces, earrings and bracelets! So I thought I would do a series of posts with my favorite accessories. And I'll be starting off with necklaces!

Now, I have a LOT of necklaces. Seriously. A few years ago, when I was living in India, I would just tend to pick them up everywhere I went. They're quite inexpensive in India, and we'd get exhibitions and fairs where you would get them for less than Rs. 100 (which is less than £1 in most cases). So it wasn't even an expensive habit. But it did mean that I ended up with a whole bunch of them. So when I shifted to the UK, I was torn - between my need to take my favorite pieces and my luggage restrictions! And in the two years I have lived in the UK, I have visited my local Accessorize more times than I can count. ;)

So yes, this is just my long-winded way of telling you that choosing my top 6 pieces was far too difficult (in fact, it started off as a Top 5). But here they are!

 

Now to tell you a little bit about each one, starting from the top left in the first picture:


1. This lovely necklace was actually a gift from a friend who got it back from a trip to Singapore. I've had it for a VERY long time (easily 7+ years), and it has always been one of my favorites. It's just so delicate and pretty! It looks especially beautiful with dark coloured blouses and deep necklines.

2. This one is one of my most-worn necklaces because it goes with practically everything - blouses, t-shirts or even dresses. It also looks great layered with other longer necklaces. I got it from Dorothy Perkins a couple of years ago. It's somewhere in between a gold and silver colour, and I love how ornate the heart is.

3. This necklace is a recent purchase - I got it from Accessorize a couple of months ago. It was in the sale, so I got it at 70% off - actually, I had a gift card, so technically I got it for free! Not sure you can see it from the picture, but the links in the chain have a brushed design, and it's perfect for work outfits.

4. The gold coloured necklace on the far right in the first picture is also from Accessorize. I haven't worn it very often, but it's still one of my favorites. It's one of those pieces that instantly dresses up an outfit. My favorite thing is wear it with is a deep red cowl-neck blouse I got from Monsoon. Perfect for the holidays. :)

5. Moving onto the second picture - the one on the left is something I picked up at an exhibition in Bombay a few years ago. The beads are wooden, and the design you see is carved into them. You won't believe the number of outfits and colours that this necklace goes with! Seriously - I can dress it up or down depending on the look I'm going for, and it looks great every time.

6. This last necklace was a gift from a friend who visited Israel. The beads are glass, so the necklace is pretty heavy, but that's not a problem at all. It's such a statement piece that I don't really need to wear anything else with it. I love it.

So there you have it! As you can see, I have a mix of different styles because I'd rather have a whole bunch of options to choose from when I'm accessorizing. How about you guys? Do you prefer a mix or do you have a type that you always go for? I'd love to know!

Update + how expensive is your face

Hi everyone! A lot has been happening in the past few weeks, hence the lack of regular updates. Thanks for sticking with me, though! Firstly - I'm blogging from India at the moment! I got 3 weeks off work and decided to come home for a holiday. It's been a year since I've been back, so it fees lovely to be amongst my friends and family again. I flew over on Saturday, and it's taken me a couple of days to get over the jet lag! Anyway, now that I'm here, I also intend on buying a lot of things that I won't get back in the UK. I already got some stuff yesterday, but it's only my first week back, and I'll probably do a collective haul in the next couple of weeks before I fly out again!

Anyway, that was the update! Now for the second part of the post. I've been seeing a lot of the 'How expensive is your face' tag on blogs and Youtbe and thought I would do one of my own. :) Now I've only included products that I use everyday - except for the eyeliner and mascara, which I'll use sometimes depending on my mood. So I've taken two totals - one with them included and one without. I've also put links to each of the products so you can check them out if you want.

Clean & Clear dual action moisturiser - £2.99 (link)
Clinique Super City Block SPF 40 - £16.00 (link)
Chapstick (cherry) - £1.05 (link)
MAC Studio Finish concealer (NC30) - £14.50 (link)
Lakme Radiance Compact (Natural Pearl) - Rs. 99 = £1.12 (link)

Total = £35.66

Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Waterproof Eye Definer (Noir) - £3.99 (link)
Max Factor 2000 Calorie mascara (Black) - £7.99 (link)

Total with the above = £47.64

Have to say, I'm quite happy with this total! I know a lot of people's totals have crossed £100. But then again, I don't do a full face of makeup everyday, so I'm not surprised. So have you done this tag yet? What do you think your total will be?

Laine Blog Award!

Hi, everyone! The beautiful Myra from Spiderleg Lashes has nominated me for the Laine Blog Award! I'm so excited about it - it's always nice to be appreciated! So thank you, Myra. :)

The Rules:
Tag the blogger who awarded you.
Answer the five questions below.
Award the Laine Blogger Award to 5 of your favourite bloggers.

Question 1: What is your current beauty obsession?  

This would have to be Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush. I love this product! The colour is just perfect for fall, and it is so, so long-wearing. Today was a true testament to that. I wore it this morning at 8:00 when I was getting ready for work and the stain lasted through breakfast and lunch even! It also feels great on the lips. I'm definitely going to try more colours fromt this range.

Question 2: What is one beauty item you wish you owned? 

I don't have just one! But if I had to pick, it would be Gatineau's Activ Eclat Exfoliator. I tried it when I got a facial at a spa and it felt SO good! My skin was so soft and glowing afterwards. I've been meaning to buy it for a while now, but it is pretty expensive! I have a feeling I'm going to splash out on it one of these days, though.

Question 3: What is your favourite post to read or write about? 

Reviews. I love reading about people's opinions on a product, and I always do my research before buying something, so reviews always help!

Question 4: What inspired you to become a blogger? 

I've been blogging for almost 10 years now, in various forms. I had a mostly-private LiveJournal and then a graphic design blog (which I dream about re-starting someday). And then I got into watching YouTube beauty videos and thought about blogging about it!

Question 5: What nail polish are you wearing right now? 

Rimmel Lasting Finish in Grape Sorbet

And now the wonderful blogs I nominate are:

There's something about beauty

The Jewel Beauty

Yakaty Yak

xxxloveisbeautyxxx

Fiona Lily

My most-worn lipsticks

Happy Sunday! In this post, I'm going to be telling you about my most-worn lipsticks. Now, I'm a complete lip product nut - and especially so with lipsticks. I love them, and they're by far my favorite beauty product. I just think there's something so classic and old-school glam about taking out that little tube from your bag and touching up your lips. Since I work in an office 5 days a week, I can't wear anything too dramatic, but I do try and have my fun. :)

So my most-worn lipsticks (in no particular order) are:

L-R: 

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Lipstick in Rose séduisant, Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Rosewood, Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Spotlight Beige, Elle 18 Color Burst Lipstick in Roasty Red, Bourjois Lovely Brille Lipstick in Vanille du Soleil

Swatches follow in the same order below:

Now just a few little things about each one!

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Lipstick in Rose Séduisant

This is a gorgeous fuschia lipstick. The swatch really doesn't do enough justice to it. It's bold, saturated and is a such a statement colour - I love it! It's also surprinsingly lost-lasting and even when it does fade, it leaves a nice stain on your lips. Since it's such a bright colour, I wear it more like a stain where I apply a small amount and then blend it in. It retails are £7.99 at Boots, and you can check it out here.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Rosewood

First off, how beautiful is the packaging? It just looks so luxurious and expensive - very classy. The colour is exactly what the name says it is - a muted kind of rose, with a certain understated warmth. It's great for a wide range of looks. And the staying power is AMAZING. Seriously. This lipstick lasts all day - even through meals and glasses of water. Beyond impressive. This one also retails for £7.99 at Boots - take a look here.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Spotlight Beige
Sadly, this is a discontinued item. I got it off of eBay and I know I'm going to be on the hunt for it again  once this starts to shorten significantly. It is my perfect nude shade. The swatch makes it look a lot more peachy than it actually comes off on the lips. It doesn't leave me looking washed out or anything, and somehow makes the whole face glow. Love it!

Elle 18 Color Burst Lipstick in Roasty Red
Elle 18 is an inexpensive Indian cosmetics brand. I picked this up last year when I visited India and it cost less than Rs. 100 at the time, which is just a little over a pound. Bargain! This lipstick has a lip balm core with the coloured bit making up the rest. Because of this, it has a very moisturising feel on the lips. This colour is a very wearable red, and very buildable if you want some added drama. It's a lot more pigmented than the swatch indicates, as well. I got it from the Urban Touch website - which doesn't deliver internationally, I'm afraid. This colour also seems to be out of stock, which is a shame because I wanted to pick up another one when I go back to India next week! Oh, well.

Bourjois Lovely Brille lipstick in Vanille du Soleil
Apologies for putting another discontinued lipstick on here, but it really is one of my favorites! I got this off of eBay as well, and it is such a lovely berry colour. It's perfect for work because it has just enough colour to brighten up your look, but isn't over the top in the slightest. It also has a nifty mirror at the top of the lipstick cap! Not the most long-lasting of lipsticks, but then again, it never claimed to be long-wearing.

So there you have it - my top 5 most-worn lipsticks! Sorry for having 2 discontinued items on there and one that isn't the easiest to get, but I only wanted to include the ones I reach for most often and these are the ones! I might do a most-worn or favorite lip glosses post sometime in the future, so watch out for that!

Hope you all have a fantastic week. :) 

Liebster Award!

The lovely Kate at http://yakateyyak.blogspot.co.uk/ nominated me for the Liebster award! Thank you so much, Kate, the appreciation is definitely mutual!

The rules are:


1.     Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves
2.     They must also answer the 11 questions the tagger has set for them
3.     They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag
4.     They must then choose 11 bloggers to tag with less than 200 followers
5.     These lucky bloggers must be told
6.     There are no tag backs

11 Random things about me:

1. There was a time about 5-6 years ago when I would wake up at 5:30am every year to catch the live Oscar broadcast. Because I lived in India, the time difference was not my friend, but I did it anyway!

2. I have tinnitus - which is a constant ringing in the years. I got it a couple of years ago as a result of some heavy medication, and it has stayed with me ever since. I've gotten a little better with dealing with it recently, though. Got a White noise app on my phone which really seems to help!

3. The one make-up item that I can never seem to have enough of is lip products. Whether it's gloss or lipsticks, I always seem to want more!

4. I have always loved animals an inordinate amount. If I could be a zoologist tomorrow, I totally would.

5. Sometimes, if I'm really bored, I visualize random things happening at that moment to entertain me. For instance, 'What would happen if a velociraptor walked in through that door right now? Where would I run? Is there someplace I could hide?' Stuff like that.

6. I can make this weird face where I push up the corners of my mouth and my cheeks go up higher as well. It looks completely ridiculous and I have no idea why I do it but it's fun and it makes people laugh, so there you go!

7. I love lentils and pulses and could easily eat those every day of the year with no complaints.

8. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. True story.

9. I have lost count of the number of times that I have watched every single episode of Friends. I think I know more about that show that I know about myself.

10. I lust after designer handbags, but even if I could afford one, I think I'd probably be too scared to actually use it every day!

11. I talk to myself constantly.

Questions for me to answer from Kate:

1. What do you do to relax? I don't have any 'one' thing in particular that I do to relax. I like to watch some of my favorite tv shows or Youtube videos, talk to my friends back home, or just go for a walk. And read too, although I haven't been doing as much of that as I would like to, unfortunately.
2. What are your biggest fears? Losing the people I love
3. What are three things that are unique about you? I have some really random, really varied and sometimes contradictory interests, I am actually very quirky and kooky although I hide it very well and I have an imagination that refuses to rest. I know the last one isn't something that is unique by itself, but I believe that everyone's imagination is unique to them.
4. What TV show is your favourite and why? Oh my gosh, so many! LOST, Friends (of course), Game of Thrones, Vampire Diaries, Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy - I could go on and on.
5. What are your top three bands of all time? Bon Jovi, U2 and... Coldplay
6. What is your favourite thing to shop for? Bags, shoes, clothes, make-up - I'm sorry, was I just supposed to say one? :)
7. What does your natural hair look like? It's dark drown and slightly wavy.
8. What are three things you love about yourself? My ability to get on well with almost everyone, my persistence and my optimism
9. Why did you start blogging? I actually started many years ago on Livejournal. I just wanted a private diary really, since my mom had found my physical diary by accident and read it!
10. What is your favourite colour of nail polish? Midnight red. :)
11. Where do you see yourself in five years? That's a loaded question! I have an idea of where I'd like to be, but have had too much experience of things changing unexpectedly, so I'll just say - happy. :)

My questions for my lucky tagged bloggers to answer:

1. What are the top 3 places in the world you want to travel to?
2. What make-up item can you absolutely not do without?
3. How tall are you?
4. If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?
5. What is the town/city you live in like?
6. Do you play any musical instruments? If so, what is it?
7. What is your all-time favorite movie?
8. If money wasn't an issue, what is one designer item you would love to own?
9. What is your favorite fragrance?
10. Do you have a pet? What is it?
11. What do you consider your best asset?

I nominate (in no particular order) the following incredible bloggers:

http://theressomethingaboutbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/
http://clairesmakeupspot.blogspot.co.uk/
http://spiderleglashes.blogspot.com.au/
http://themaibug.blogspot.co.uk/
http://fiona-lily.blogspot.co.uk/

I know that I was supposed to nominate 11, but I'm afraid I'm not aware of many new bloggers with follower counts below 200! If you have any recommendations, do let me know, and I will go check them out. Thank you! 

Update!

Hi everyone!

Sorry about the gap in posts! I've moved house this weekend and things have just been completely manic. I promise to get back into posting once things have calmed down a bit. :) I hope you are all doing well!