Living for the Good Life: shopping

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I decided to share with you my main presents from L, as I'm so in love with them and they're too gorgeous not to share. I knew I was getting some things from Mulberry, but wasn't 100% sure what. I had an inkling it would be these items, and I was super pleased when I opened the bags to find it was.

The purse is made of the butteriest, softest leather, and has so much room for your things inside. I have a lot of loyalty cards and such, and so the extra spaces are brilliant.

I've been wanting a proper cardholder for some time now, and so I'm delighted to finally have one. My intention is to use it when I go out for a nice meal or drinks, kept inside my clutch to keep things organised. I'd like to use it on nights out but I don't trust myself to keep it in good condition, or to keep it at all!

They are both lovely neutral shades, but the camera is not showing the justice. The purse is showing up much more yellow toned in the pictures than it actually is, and the cardholder is much more of a soft, powdery pink, described as 'oatmeal' on the tag. I apologise for the poor picture quality, my camera seems to be getting worse by the day! I hope you all got as lovely presents, and enjoyed giving presents just as much as you enjoyed receiving them, because I sure know I did.

As you've seen, I'm seriously loving skincare at the moment, and so when I was browsing Marks and Spencers sometime around Black Friday and saw this set from REN for half price, I was ecstatic.

I've been eyeing up REN skincare for a while now, after using the little samples from Space NK, but could never decide which product I actually wanted to take the leap and buy a full size of. So, when I saw this trio set of full size products for the amazing price of £49 (RRP £100!), I jumped at the chance. The selection sounded ideal for what I was looking for and I decided there and then on the spot to buy it immediately.

As you can see, the products come in a cute box (which I've already recycled as a nail varnish container), and the set includes the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask (50ml) - you know how much I love my glycolic!, the Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial (75ml), and the Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot (30ml).

I've used all three products now and can easily say I love all of them. The glycolic mask is only to be used once or week or so, and leaves your skin feeling so cleansed, so long as you wash it off properly. The flash rinse facial is to be used every 3 days and is a rougher texture mask that leaves your skin feeling ever so exfoliated. I used the keep young serum every night and apply it as the first product, so the base layer. Even when my skin has been playing up because of bad eating, I can see the blemish-free areas are clear, bright and glowing.

Even for the full £100, this set isn't a bad deal, and I'd definitely recommend getting your hands on it if your skincare routine needs a refresh.

The set's exclusive to M&S and is currently unavailable to buy online, but definitely check your nearest large store.

As a little late treat for graduating, L offered me up a budget to pick a goodie of my choosing. I've be in and out of Space NK like a mad woman recently and the sales assistants are starting to recognise me, which is equally embarrassing as it is comforting. Anyway, in my many visits I'd been eyeing up the Nars range, which in all honesty I'd never given any real scrutiny to before. I own the Orgasm blush, which I adore and have had for 3 years or so, but apart from that I've had nothing else. I was in the mood for both a new lipliner and a new eyeshadow, and turned to Nars to satisfy my cravings.

A lover of gold eyeshadows, I opted for one of the Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows in the shade Himalia. It's a gorgeously smooth applying eyeshadow, in a sort of antiqued gold. It looks lighter in the pan compared to how it applies, going on to the lid more antiqued and bronzed. I can imagine that this is incredible applied using a slightly damp brush to give a really impactful look. It's just passable for daytime wear, and I especially love it patted all the way around the eye to give an almost-but-not-quite smokey eye.

For lipliner, I wanted a sort of nude-but-more colour, one that was fine for daytime but a little but more noticeable than my usual Mac Subculture or my Kiko. I opted for the Patong Beach Velvet Lip Liner.

It's a slightly brick toned nude-red, that could be worn daytime for a bit more of a done-up look, or night time for a 'I've made an effort but not too in your face' vibe.

My only problem with this is that it definitely requires touch up. I'm used to more nude tones that I can just leave and eat and drink and not think about, but this one does need to be watched. I made the mistake of wearing it during a busy day at work and caught myself in the mirror towards the end of the day and it was all kinds of blotchy. Not good. Apart from that it's gorgeous, and I'm really pleased with both products.

May this be the official happy start to my love affair with Nars...

I recently received my first 'supervisor pay', and so I thought I would treat myself for my hard work so far. Conveniently, it's also my Graduation for my Sociology degree this Friday and so that also worked as a brilliant excuse for a present to myself.

At the weekend before last I was shopping with my Grandma in House of Fraser in Manchester and knew that I was on the hunt for the perfect coat. I didn't intend to buy anything but I just wanted to see if my dream one actually existed. I own a super cheap camel coat from the high street, which is nice, but I've only had it a couple of months and it's bobbling already and showing it's value (or lack of), and so I thought that the next coat I buy will be a great quality, timeless piece that will last for years.

Anyway, we stumbled across the Jaeger section and I instantly saw and fell in love with this dreamy wrap-over number, in a rich shade of not quite camel, not quite brown - 'conker', as they had named it. I tried it on and sighed in love. It was perfect, but I put it back and moved on.

Days passed and I couldn't get it out of my mind, persistently swooning over it on the website. I knew it was fate when the following Wednesday I passed the window of the Chester store Jaeger, just a few doors down from where I work, and there the coat was, pride of place. To sweeten the deal even more there was an incredible offer on in store at the time, and so I headed in. I tried it on one last time and with the push of all the sales assistants remarking how gorgeous it looked on, I said 'I'll take it'.

The sales assistant wrapped it up nicely in the huge bag and off I trotted, feeling happy as larry.

The pictures don't do how beautiful it is in real life. The wool feels heavenly to the touch, and the lining is the silkiest thing against your skin. It also has deep pockets that are perfect for keeping your hands warm and carrying your phone etc. in - something my cheap coat lacks. I'm so in love with the wrap style with the tie-up belt and just think it looks so effortlessly chic. I also really like how it's a deeper colour than most camel-toned coats in the stores right now, which makes it a little more unique.

I've worn it out once to dinner and once into town now and have received multiple compliments on it already. I'm so pleased with it and really believe it's a great investment for this time of year, and will last me for years to come keeping me warm but also stylish.

I would add some swishy, posey pictures of me looking into the distance wearing it, but I haven't quite reached that stage of blogging yet...

A.M.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - Lovely texture, sinks into the skin nicely and leaves your skin feeling plump and hydrated but not too 'wet' or greasy.

Nip+Fab Viper Venom Eye Fix - Typical rollerball eye roll-on gel. Comes out quite wet but feels refreshing in the morning. Doesn't sink in very fast or easily, however.

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado - To top up the eye roll-on. A more intense and creamy treatment that feels luxurious and sinks into the skin nicely when patted on gently. I'm all about preventing them eye wrinkles.

P.M.

Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Serum - A gel-like serum that sinks into the skin rapidly and leaves you with a slight 'tightened' effect. Really noticed results with this product. Brightened, tightened and more glowing. Big fan of glycolic acid here!

Nip+Fab Viper Venom Extreme Night Fix - I wanted another night treatment to pair with the serum. This one is more of a creamy consistency and thus adds a bit of moisture into my night routine. Thoughts and results to come in time after further use!

Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream - Apply this every night to blemishes. Works a treat and reduces redness and swelling, as well as healing scabs.

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado - Apply this both day and night.

A.M. & P.M.

Boots Exfoliating Face Scrub with Tea Tree & Witch Hazel - Cheapie that I simply use to give my face a thorough rinse and exfoliate when I'm in the shower. Really feels like it's getting all the grime off your skin and leaves you feeling fresh.

Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser - My daily cleanser that I use pre-skincare both day and night to remove traces of make-up or general grime. Creamy consistency that leaves your skin feeling plump and fresh - can tingle slightly occasionally if you have an open blemish. I'd recommend avoiding the eyes with this one.

Please do let me know what your skincare routine consists of. I'm super keen to expand my collection and bring in some new wonders to my routine. Seriously open to any night serum or moisturiser recommendations!

1. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat. 2. H&M Rib Knit Polo Neck Jumper. 3. Nike Roche One Flyknit trainers. 4. Chlobo Set of 7 Hamsa Hand Bracelets. 5. Saint Laurent Snakeskin-effect Leather Coin Pouch.

The other day when I was milling around the house I suddenly remembered a long time ago being inspired by HRH Collection's hanging pictures that I'd seen in the background of one of her YouTube videos. They were a mix of designer paper bags and designer dust covers that had been framed and I loved the look of it. I realised I had a Mulberry bag lying around that would work perfectly and so I headed into town, grabbed some supplies and immediately got to work.

The simple supplies you'll need are as follows:

- Scissors

- A hammer

- Picture hanging nails

- A suitably sized photo frame

- Your designer bag of choice

- Optional - Ribbon to hang the picture on if you can't hang it by the frame alone. Luckily I had some Mulberry ribbon that matched the bag - even better.

It really couldn't be any simpler.

I cut the bag in half, and then cut the half I wanted to use down to the size of the frame I'd bought, popped it into place in the frame and then tied the ribbon around one of the clips on the back of the frame. Next, I chose the location on the wall that I wanted it to hang from (which I would later change about 3 times and leave multiple holes in the wall), hammered in a picture nail and hung it.

As you can see in the picture above, I got over excited and wanted to make more so I found a note that had come with my Mulberry clutch which I thought would look beautiful framed, and so did that as well. I think it turned out rather lovely.

It's a really simple way to add a bit of unique designer chic to your rooms, and it couldn't be any simpler to do.

Like I said, I've seen it done with dust covers also, but you'll probably get a better effect with the bags due to the sturdiness of them and the cleaner effect they give.

So, if you have any old designer paper bags lying around, definitely give it a go. It literally takes around 5 minutes, if that and it's really satisfying to make something so pretty and luxurious-looking yourself, for only a couple of pounds!

I've recently moved into a new flat and I will be buying some new furniture to kit out my bedroom with soon. I'm going for a white-based theme and Ikea has been my port of call for that, with it's simply gorgeous yet affordable pieces. Here are some of the items that I'll be picking up - as you can see I'm absolutely in love with the Brusali series!

1. Hemnes Bedside Table. 2. Brusali Bed Frame. 3. Brusali Chest of 3 Drawers. 4. Brusali Chest of 4 Drawers 5. Malm Dressing Table. 6. Micke Desk. 7. Brusali Wardrobe.

I recently hit that unfortunate stage where all your skincare seems to run out at the same time, and so made the most of my recent trip to Manchester to pick up some goodies.

My Boots cleanser had ran out and I fancied investing in something more upmarket with more promising qualities for, of course, about 5 times the price. How I think of it though is that your face is with you forever and is the first thing people tend to see so it's really one of the main things that's worth investing in over say, make-up or clothes. Until it has ran out I was using Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Serum as my nightly treatment, which really did do wonders to my skin. As a result of this I knew glycolic acid was a winner for me but didn't actually really know what it did, until I went to Space NK in Manchester. I told the sales woman that I was looking for a cleanser and spent about 10 minutes going back and forth stuck between various options and being intimidated by price tags. After said time the sales woman approached me and commented that she thought the products I'd been browsing were perhaps too heavy and too anti-ageing for my younger skin and so immediately recommended me the brand Anthony.

I'd never previously heard of Anthony, which is probably due to the fact that it's a line actually marketed at men! Apparently it's marketed at men, but is very popular with women. I was told that due to the fact that apparently men are unwilling to pay as much for skincare as women, their products tend to be priced lower, but contain very similar ingredients. I was shown the Glycolic Facial Cleanser, which's star ingredient is, of course, glycolic acid. This immediately drew me in, alongside the product size (237ml) and the price tag (£26). I told the sales woman I loved my glycolic serum and that I wanted to start using anti-ageing products asap, to which to my delight she replied that glycolic acid is one of the best anti-agers going - result! Compared to many of the other cleansers on offer this one from Anthony just seemed to make sense to me - glycolic acid works wonders for my skin, it's a much bigger size than other more expensive cleansers, and as an added bonus doesn't have the terribly strong smell of some other cleansers. Also, it's a creamy lotion consistency that lathers up, which I much prefer the idea of in comparison to the thick, greasy, balmy texture of the Emma Hardy cleanser that I was firstly seriously considering. I was sold quickly and hurried to the till, where I was given some free samples with my purchase - good old Space NK!

Free samples wahoo!

I then hurried over to Boots revelling in my newly founded glycolic-acid knowledge and decided that I would repurchase my Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Serum - glycolic all round! To my sheer delight some of the Nip+Fab products were around half price so I not only repurchased my serum but also picked up the Nip+Fab Viper Venom Eye Fix anti-ageing gel. This is basically a fancy eye roll-on that is supposed to be anti-ageing and reduces the appearances of dark circles. Don't ask me about the whole 'viper venom' part...sheer marketing con, let's be honest. But I like it so, whatever! It has been recently repackaged, which I really dislike, but I'll ignore that for now.

1. Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise cream eyeshadow in Bette. 2. Missguided Sleeveless Trench Coat. 3. River Island Chelsea Boots. 4. Missguided Faux Suede Bodycon Dress. 5. Black Timberland Premium 6 Boot. 6. New Look Khaki Ankle Strap Heels.

(Leather look trousers - New Look) (Lace-up top - Miss Selfridge) (Maxi nutrition bar, Touch of Silver shampoo, Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes conditioner, Advance White extreme whitening toothpaste, Tea tree & witch hazel exfoliating face scrub - Boots).

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