Wednesday 30 April 2014

Ebay Collection Favourites

Untitled #10


I'm sure you'll all have heard about the Ebay collections that some well known bloggers/youtubers have been collating. I decided to have a gander around some of their collections and chose my 3 favourite pieces from each of their collections.
Becca Rose: From the board called 'The Slogan Tee' I chose this jumper with the word 'vague' written on it. I love a good sweater and I really like the font of the writing plus I don't think its a slogan that's going to be old next season. I also love these monochrome shoes as I have a white version and a black version so it would be like mixing the two together. And lastly this brush set is beautiful because it's pink and you get a lot for your money at £13.99.
Llymlrs: Who can resist a skort? Not I, thats fo' sho' (?) I think it would go really well with the jumper from Becca's collection. Obviously I'm feeling the monochrome at the moment because I really love the contrast in this bag. And last I picked these above the knuckle rings from the board 'Rings & Things'. Really cheap and from a reputable seller. I may have already purchased them.

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The Persian Babe: These trousers are originally from Zara and they are damn gorgeous. I also chose these midi rings because I have an obsession. I have two ring trays full of rings and midi rings and the collection is ever growing. I just love how dainty they are. The last item I chose is this gorgeous nude bag. Bit of a Celine knock off but who cares. I don't own a nude bag so it would be a nice change. 
A Thrifty Mrs: I really want to try more NYX products (but not until lent is over *cries*) and you can get them fairly cheap on eBay. I also want to try their cream blushes. Secondly I chose this brush because I need more eye brushes and it look a little bit like the MAC 217 brush. And finally a homeware item because I really like the knitted look plus colour blocking is in and all that jazz. 

I know that there are some bloggers collections that I've forgotten about such as Kavita from She Wears Fashion so I may do another post where I chose my favourites. If you've made any collections let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading! Lots of love, Annie xxx 

Friday 25 April 2014

Outfit of the day #10: Interview Outfit


Nice bin!
Hello all! Today was a scary day because I had an interview for a job. It was kind of informal but I decided to show you what I wore because I quite liked it. I think it's important to feel good in what you wear to an interview because it'll make you more confident.
These cigarette pants are from H&M and I stole them from my sister. I really like them and they're quite formal but trendy at the same time. The top is from New Look and I'm wearing it all the time at the moment. I thought it was a really good option because it's a thick material and a nice shape so looks classy for the interview. I then put on this necklace that I got from Primark ages ago. I remember Fleurdeforce mentioned this in one of the first Youtube videos I ever watched. It was something like £2 and I really like the way it ties the whole outfit together by the way it corresponds with the trousers. Then I wore my highest but comfiest shoes and trotted off to my interview. And good news, I got the job! Yay! I celebrated with shopping of course.  

Thanks so much for reading! Lots of love, Annie xx

Monday 21 April 2014

Skincare Routine Newbies

merumaya melting cleansing balmla roche posay hydraphase intense riche

clarins gentle exfoliator brightening toner
 Lately I've been having a skincare disarrrrrster. My skin has been really dry and itchy and any foundation I put on would cling to patches I didn't even think were that dry. Hence this mini haul/ new additions to my skincare routine. I have no reviews as yet but I think I will be doing some as I'm hoping to see some improvements in my skin.

After reading a huge amount of rave reviews about this product I decided to get it because no matter how bad my skin is I refuse to spend £34 on a cleanser (yes I mean you Emma Hardie cleansing balm). This is what most of the beauty bloggers have been calling 'budget'. I don't consider £14.50 a budget buy but it could be worse and if it works then it'll be worth it. I ordered this from John Lewis but accidentally ordered the wrong product because I'm a MASSIVE IDIOT and they exchanged it with no questions asked. John Lewis customer service is the bomb. 

I was running very low on a moisturiser I wasn't even liking very much so I took my sister's advice and bought her holy grail moisturiser while it was 1/3 off on Escentual (its actually 1/3 off french brands all through March, hello Bioderma). It's the first product I've bought from the range and I am ready for it to work its magic. 

This is another product recommended by my sister. That girl is such an enabler. Its the most expensive of the three at £20 (eurgh) on Escentual but its gentle for my sensitive skin and brightening for the dullness so its a double whammy. I was also running out of toner so it's allowed, honest.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you've tried any of these!
 Lots of love, Annie xx 

Friday 18 April 2014

Cream Blushes for Spring



Hello and a hearty good afternoon to you! Today I'm going to be talking about a few cream blushes that I am looking forward to wearing again in Spring. There aren't any new products in this post, these are tried and tested blushes that I know I love. 

The first is this Revlon one which looks 50 shades of cray in the pot but it's the nicest coral colour when its on the cheeks. It's a definite spring colour and paired with a coral lip it creates a really fresh faced look that makes you just want to stand in direct sunlight and look glowy and dewy and happy. I need to calm down. It's quite hard in texture in that you have to work it a bit to loosen it up enough to get any on your brush or your finger but once it warms up it's fine. I've actually got myself excited to wear it.

Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heels
Another coral colour but this time it's from Topshop and it looks much less frightening in the pot but creates a very similar colour to the Revlon Photoready cream blush. Its more of a true coral while the Revlon one is slightly more orange. In terms of the texture it is very creamy as in 'I've accidentally stuck my finger straight through it on numerous occasions' creamy. However I think I prefer this because it means it's easier to blend in and I'm less likely to move my foundation around trying to make it look natural.

Moving on to my wild card of the bunch. At around £4 this is easily the cheapest of the three blushers I've featured in this post which is always a plus. It's also the only pink I've featured. I do have other pink cream blushes but this is my favourite because its so pretty and fresh looking and the most 'spring' like. The texture is somewhere between the two other blushes. It's not as creamy as Topshop's Head Over Heels but it also doesn't take as much work as Revlon's Coral Reef. This is the only product I have from the Accessorize makeup line (which can be found in Superdrug) but I'm really pleased with it.

Quick mention of Rimmel's Stay Blushed in Sunkissed Cherry and No.7's Pop & Glow Cream Blush in Rose Blossom because I think I'll be getting a lot of use of out those as well in the coming months. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading! Lots of love, Annie xxx

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Outfit of the day #9




 H&M Top
Primark Skirt
Dorothy Perkins Shoes

I'm getting Spring started up in here! (cringe). This is so rare for me as I am a winter clothes lover and I'll probably be buried in a pair of tights. For years I have failed to make the most of the little sun we get in England but not this year. If this is the only sun we get then goddamn it Imma get my legs out. Kind of. I wasn't blessed with long thin legs (thanks mum) so it's not often they see the light of day. I am pasty white and used to sweltering in inappropriate clothing in the warmer months.
In comes the midi skirt. It's great for me because I can be an acceptable temperature without feeling self conscious and it cinches me in at the waist which is something I like in a skirt. I bought this one from Primark a little while ago but it should still be in stores since it is a summer/spring item. Wearing this skirt also means I can wear my white shoes for the first time as I didn't feel I could wear them with black tights. The heel on these is a decent height which makes me feel a little more confident about having my legs on show. 
Thanks so much for reading! Lots of love, Annie xx


Monday 14 April 2014

My Favourite Bright/Hot Pink Lipsticks


I've had this lipstick for over a year and took a picture of it before realising you can barely find it anywhere anymore. D'oh! I did find it on Ocado though for £3.99. I didn't even know you could buy makeup from Ocado. Anyway, this is the ultimate bright pink, it was one of my go to shades last summer when I wanted something really vibrant. 

By some miracle Topshop still stocks my favourite lipstick in their range. They seem to discontinue their lipsticks every other day. Just me? No? This is another that I've loved for a really long time. I used to wear it to college because it was bright but wasn't embarrassing. Being matte it is perfect for day wear because I find it kind of blends into the face.

Of course I had to put this one in. It's popped up on so many blogs and it seems that anyone who has bought a matte balm has this one in their collection. I can't wait to get loads of wear out of this in spring and summer because it is a perfect bright pink. You can see what it looks like on my lips in this post

This is another lip crayon that has already made an appearance on my blog. Its' more purpley than the others which makes it suitable for wear in winter but it's still bright enough to be a nice spring and summer colour. You can see what it looks like in this post

This is the most recent addition to my lipstick collection and I already class it as a favourite. I raved about it in my makeup haul and if I don't control myself I may rave about it here as well. It's a retro matte formula and it is the mattest lipstick I own but the colour is.... the colour is everything. If you follow me on Instagram you may have spotted it in a sneaky selfie of mine. I don't have a large Mac lipstick collection but I'm so pleased with the ones I do have, especially this one. 

This colour is slap-you-in-the-face bright. I've never painted this on my lips and walked out the door but if you put a teeeeeeeeeny bit on your finger and really dab it in to your lips it leaves the nicest stain. When I decided I was going to do this post I suddenly remembered how I used to use this technique a lot and really love how it looked. I'm making a not-so-mental note to use this product more often. 

And to make a change from lipsticks and crayons I threw in this lip tint from Sleek. I really like it because it's sheer but still vibrant so you don't have to compromise on colour if you don't want the coverage.

Thanks for reading and if you know any bright pink lipsticks that I need to try please let me know in the comments! Lots of love, Annie xxxx

P.S Hello from my new laptop! 


Friday 11 April 2014

Makeup Haul: MAC, Smashbox, Illasmasqua & More!

If you read my last post you will know I have given up buying makeup for lent therefore it was obvious that I was going to go mad buying things before lent began. I will say that these weren't all bought in one day, some of it was bought on my trip to London however they were all bought so close together that it might as well have all been in one day.
I actually bought this with my Boots points. If you are like me and like to amass a lot of points and grow very attached to them, you will know that it takes a special product to convince me to part with them. I hadn't been planning on buying this or anything but I saw it in my local Boots and my heart shouted 'THAT'S IT, THAT'S THE PRODUCT'. I can't tell you how satisfying it was walking out the shop with my little Smashbox bag. Less satisfying when I realised I had to run for my train because I'd spent so long in Boots. 
I also recently purchased this because I'm having serious issues with dull skin. You know when you put foundation on and you just want to claw it all off straight away because it looks so bad? I've been feeling like that for so long and decided to try and do something about it with the Photoready Skinlights face illuminator.

Next is a product I'm really excited about. It's the Illamasqua cream pigment in Hollow. I am of the football face variety but this product gives me cheekbones and I feel like a new woman. At this moment in time I have no desire to ever buy a bronzer or contouring product ever again because of this gem. 
Who knew I was such a sucker for gimmicks?! Stamping this on my face is a weird experience but I really like the colour and it's cheap and innovative so I'm currently enjoying this little contraption.
 I bought these two whilst in London and they are lovely but I have to be very light handed when using them. Drawing a line across ones cheek tends to drag the foundation along with it.
This is another London purchase of mine, since my Anastasia Brow Wiz ran out the morning I applied it in my hotel room. As horrifying as that was I knew that somewhere in London I might just be able to find a brow product. I got this in the shade Brownie Points which is a perfect shade for me. I like it just as much as the Brow Wiz and it's a little bit cheaper. HUZZAH!
My local Boots doesn't have the full Revlon lipstick selection so I took advantage of the wider range in London. I bought Stormy Pink but it's weird because it's a bright pink but it's sheer but it's matte. When I first put it on it was a 'what the fuuuuuuuuuuuu' moment. Once built up it becomes much more opaque which is less unusual looking. 
In the MAC store I unintentionally bought a lipstick that looks identical to Stormy Pink, clearly I'm loving these kind of colours at the moment. The MAC version, called Pink Nouveau, is much more pigmented and is a satin finish and I looove it. It's blue toned which is my favourite kind of pink. I went into the MAC store off Carnaby Street and it was so nice, it wasn't overly busy and we weren't hounded by workers as soon as we walked in. Two thumbs up.
This is the lipstick I originally wanted in the MAC store which was sadly out of stock however it was in stock on the Debenhams website and I had £10 on my beauty club card so I got it for £5. It's in the colour All Fired Up and is a retro matte formula. There's so many layers to it, there's pink in there, there's red and blue and I really, really........ really love it. There's 10% off on the Debenhams website at the moment as well and if I wasn't still going strong with lent I'd be tempted to get another MAC lipstick. They're an addiction.

Thanks so much for reading! Lots of love, Annie xxx

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Review: L'Oreal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

L'Oreal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner  - £2.99 each

Hello and welcome to another review here on These Tatters. I haven't done a review in a little while so I decided to do one today and I'm sad to say it's going to be my first heavily negative review. 

My hair is rather complex. I'm an oily girl (lovely) so my hair goes greasy quicker and I have to wash it everyday (shock horror). However it is also dry from years of daily ghd abuse. My hair has also stopped growing and I have a wealth of split and damaged ends. Therefore I find it really difficult to find products to suit my hair. For example I can't use anything moisturising because it makes my hair too greasy but most damage control products are moisturising so it's a bit of a lose lose situation.

Sadly these products will be going in my pile of failed attempts at finding something that will tick all of my hair boxes. When I've dried my hair it feels as though I haven't washed all the product out in the shower. I absolutely hate styling my hair when I've used these because it feels sticky and unclean. My split ends look extremely dry and are much more visible than usual after using these. They also make my hair go greasier much quicker and by the end of the day I look on the verge of dreadlocks. I've noticed this with a lot of L'Oreal hair products I've tried, I'm beginning to think there might be a common ingredient that doesn't agree with my hair. 

These shampoos and conditioners claim to be 'a breakthrough in science' with 'long lasting thickness wash after wash'. This is the main point of these shampoos and conditioners and I do feel as though my hair has a little more lift at the roots. It's not as plastered to my scalp as it has been in the past with other shampoos. I think these products would be better for someone who has much less greasy hair than me (i.e everyone) because they do give it a bit of grit making the hair slightly more volumised. Unfortunately for me the negatives outweigh the positives but I have to keep using them because they're so bloody massive I feel bad throwing them away. 

Have you tried these? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments! 
Thanks for reading, lots of love
Annie xx

Monday 7 April 2014

London Wishlist

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This weekend my family and I are heading down to London as part of my Mum's birthday present (which was actually in January). We are going to the theatre on Saturday evening but in the day there will inevitably be some shopping. I've been mentally making this wishlist for a little while. Every time I see something I like I add it to my London wishlist so I thought it was time solidify my lusted after products so I don't go too crazy. 
1. Because I absolutely need another coat. This one is from New Look and it's very similar to my other black boyfriend coat from New Look but this one is thicker and longer and more appropriate for the weather we're having. It's an essential really. 
2. Oh me oh my, I saw this top on Styla Petite's blog and it looked so nice on her. The colour is gorgeous and it's only £12.99 which is even better. It also comes in pastel pink, white and black. I think I would get the most wear out of the black version but the blue is stunning.
3. I spotted this top whilst in New Look looking for the blue top. In real life it's quite cropped and has a really nice drape to the fabric. This one is also £12.99. I would have bought it if it wasn't for my Mum's judgemental glare making me feel guilty for not saving my money.
4. I have been a lifelong hater of No.7 products. The packaging is boring, they don't come out with any original products, it's overpriced and if Boots force one more voucher on me I swear to lucifer I'm going to do more than screw it up and shove it in the bottom of my bag. However one product from No.7 has surprised me. I think it's mainly the packaging that excites me because it's so cute and fat. It's the most innovative thing I've seen come out of No.7 and I'm in the market for a new highlighter. Maybe one of those vouchers will come in handy after all.
5. This is the second time a Clinique Chubby Stick has featured in a wishlist of mine. They are seriously calling to me and it won't be long before I answer.
6. As a special 'I'm not in London everyday' treat I thought it would be nice to get a Mac lipstick to add to my collection of 1. It's a toss up between Please Me and Chatterbox but I can't wait to swatch away till my hearts content.
7. I'm not a Topshop girl. It makes me mad that if you have more money you're obviously going to have nicer clothes. But I have been in a couple of times recently and its undeniable, the clothes are gorgeous. I especially love this jumper and it's a snip at £29! *sigh*
8+9. These two jumpers are from another shop I am not a fan of; Miss Selfridge. It's like Topshop prices but the clothes aren't as nice. However I was in one the other day and it was love at first sight with the jumper on the left. The material is so soft and is right up my street with the style. I then spotted the jumper on the right on the website when looking for the aforementioned jumper. Another jumper that seems like it was made for me. 

Thanks for stopping by and reading! Lots of love, Annie xxx

Friday 4 April 2014

Outfit of the Day #8

Hello again and welcome to a bit of a lazy outfit of the day!
Sheinside smock Red Long Sleeve Polka Dot Horses Print Dress


New Look Shoes- £7 (sale)
 This dress arrived in the post yesterday I saw it as the perfect opportunity to throw together an outfit of the day. I ordered this dress about a month ago from Sheinside and immediately after ordering it I googled the company and there are some terrible reviews out there that go something like 'DONT ORDER FROM THIS WEBSITE'. So naturally I was a little worried that my order would never arrive. But lo and behold, yesterday, it did. My next worry was would it fit?. This dress is a 'one size fits all' item because its a smock dress so is a little oversized. I was very nervous but thankfully it fits really well and I don't have to go through the annoyance of trying to send it back which, the reviews assured me, is a pain in the bum. The only thing that isn't quite perfect is that it's rather short hence why I wore my flattest shoes. If you're any taller than 5ft 2" then this dress will become decidedly less like a dress and considerably more like a top. The sleeves have elastic around the cuffs which is a nice touch and the print on the fabric is adorable. 
I paired it with these shoes because, as I said before, they don't have much of a heel plus I think the gold chunky chains on them go well with the dark burgundy red of the dress. I also added a really delicate gold chain.
Please excuse my hair in this post, it was so windy! I would also like to excuse my eyebrows because they ended up huge and I couldn't be bothered sorting them out. I wore a neutral pink on my lips because I didn't want to add to the loudness of the dress. 
Overall I am really pleased with the dress and even though it did take ages to arrive it kind of felt like I was getting it for free because I paid for it so long ago. Thanks so much for reading! Lots of love, Annie x