elevatormusik

Sunday Summary #5

2012-01-29T12:24:00.001Z

You may notice something a little bit different about the blog this week...? I've made a new layout as I was getting bored of looking at the old one and fancied a change! It took me most of Friday to get it looking how I wanted but I think I'm happy with it now. I was worried there would be too much white space, but I've widened the columns a bit so I can have larger photos, and I think it looks okay. I've also finally got round to buying a domain name for the blog so you can now access it via elevatormusik.com! (If you have any links to my blog I'd appreciate it if you could update your links - thanks!). What do you think of the new blog design?

This week has been pretty unexciting (story of my life) but I've been kept busy with uni work and dissertation research. I signed up for Netflix this week, which is probably a bad idea considering all the other things I should be doing instead! I've watched a few movies and I'm working my way through Breaking Bad. I'd been meaning to watch it for ages but never got round to it - it's brilliant, would definitely recommend!

As I haven't been shopping since the end of November I decided it was time to treat myself to something and when I magically found a Diet Coke discount code in my hands, I knew I had to spend some pennies at Benefit! There's a sneak peek of what I ordered in the photo above, but I will be doing fuller reviews of all the products soon.

Healthy living-wise I've been doing pretty well this week. I've done the Shred a few times and have been trying to eat well. Although I did make an exception for some haggis, neeps and tatties on Burns Night - yum! I also ordered myself some cute matryoshka measuring cups as a lot of the recipes I've been looking at online are American ones so don't use grams or ounces. I thought using measuring cups would be much easier than figuring out how to convert things! I made some banana muffins yesterday which are so good, and surprisingly quite healthy. I came across Eat Yourself Skinny the other day which has loads of amazing looking recipes I can't wait to try out! What are your favourite food blogs?

What have you been up to this week?

Gillian x

Review: Lush Pow Wow Lip Scrub

2012-01-26T20:23:00.000Z

You may have noticed this little pot making in an appearance in my latest Sunday Summary post and a couple of you asked if I could write a more in-depth review of it, so here it is! It would probably have made more sense to do this review a couple of months ago as this is a seasonal product only available at Christmas, but Lush do several other varieties of lip scrubs which are available all year (I would recommend the Bubblegum one in particular).

At this time of year I tend to get quite dry lips and I have a really bad habit of biting my lips too which makes the problem worse. The best product I've used to make my lips nice and smooth again is definitely Lush's Pow Wow lip scrub. I tested a few of these out in the shop and from what I've heard/read elsewhere I think all the lip scrubs do an excellent job - I chose this one purely because I liked the scent best. Pow Wow is a luminous green colour and I think it tastes just like Haribo Tangfastics (anyone else?!). It contains popping candy which you can feel tingling on your lips and the best part is it's not full of unnatural chemicals so you can lick it off your lips when you're done!

I find the easiest way to apply it is to purse my lips together and use my finger to lightly scrub away the rough skin. It can get a little bit messy because the 'particles' are a bit big (due to the popping candy) so I would recommend doing this before you apply the rest of your makeup. Once you wipe it off you're left with lovely soft lips due to the natural oils in the scrub, like jojoba and argan oil. I usually add a bit of Chapstick or lip balm afterwards just to make sure it lasts all day.

The lip scrubs retail at £4.95 which I think is a very reasonable price considering how long they last. I've had mine for over two months now and it's still almost full. I use it probably around four times a week - whenever my lips are looking dry or when I'm planning to wear lipstick and want smooth lips to apply it to. Unfortunately Pow Wow isn't available at the moment but I would definitely recommend writing it down on your wishlists for next Christmas, or you could try one of the other varieties. I've tried the Bubblegum one too and it smells so good, and I've heard the Mint Julip one is great too.

Have you tried any Lush lip products?

Gillian x

Pink Bullets

2012-01-24T14:36:00.000Z

Dress: Peacocks
Blazer: H&M
Shoes: Schuh
Necklace: Topshop
Ring: Charity shop

So, another outfit with a black dress and sparkly shoes. What can I say, I'm a creature of habit! This outfit is brightened up bit though with the addition of my new pink blazer from H&M. I usually struggle to find blazers that look flattering on me but I actually really like this one. They had it in loads of different colours, I'm tempted to go back and get a couple more!

If you've been following my blog for a while you'll have probably seen these shoes before. They are my absolute fave! They're kind of 'statement' shoes so I only ever seem to wear them with black outfits, I think I need to branch out a bit. What would you wear glittery heels with?

Sorry the photos are still a bit rubbish, I STILL haven't got round to putting away the Christmas tree so I can't take outfits photos where I usually do. Shame on me!

Gillian x

Sunday Summary #4

2012-01-22T20:53:00.001Z

1.Favourite lip product 2.Cocktails 3.Laptop in bed 4.Sweet potato & carrot soup 5.Dissertation reading

Well the first week back at uni has been surprisingly not too hectic. There isn't too much work to do for my classes at the moment so I've mainly just been ploughing on with my dissertation reading. The university announced this year's graduation dates earlier in the week so now it all seems a bit more official and it's sinking in that I've got less than six months left as a student!

My parents were down to visit on Friday so they treated me to some cocktails at the Dragonfly bar followed by a lovely meal at The Grain Store restaurant in the Grassmarket. It was so good, would definitely recommend. After dinner I went to meet up with some friends for a birthday night out which inevitably ended up in The Hive! Then had to spend all of Saturday recovering in my bed so I could go out at night to the student union. I can't say no to a bit of the legendary Big Cheese - cheap drinks and 80s tunes, what more could you want?!

I've been pretty good with keeping up with my healthy eating this week, aside from going out for dinner and drinking way too much booze! I've been making a few different homemade soups which are yummy and really healthy. I tried the 30 Day Shred for the first time this week and oh my god, I was in so much pain the next day haha! Hopefully that means it's working though so will definitely be doing it again. Anyone tried the 30 Day Shred, what did you think of it?

My laptop is totally playing up at the moment and it won't download iTunes so I've been listening to music on 8tracks instead. It's basically lots of different playlists, a bit like radio but you can choose what kind of music you're in the mood for listening to. If you've got an account let me know, and feel free to follow me!

What have you been up to this week?

Gillian x

Skeletons

2012-01-19T16:40:00.002Z

Jumper: H&M
Skirt: H&M
Boots: Ebay
Neklace: Topshop

I'm off to the pub soon for dinner and a couple of cheeky pints with my friend, so I thought I'd give this jumper an outing for the first time. I bought it before Christmas but never got round to wearing it as I've pretty much lived in pyjamas for the last month or so! But now I'm back at uni I actually have to get dressed a few times a week haha. It's kind of hard to tell from the photos, but the jumper has tiny sequins sewn all over it. I think this outfit is good pub attire - not too dressy but a little bit nicer than daytime clothes. I hate feeling underdressed/overdressed when I'm out so I always try to plan ahead. I love when you go to the pub for just one or two drinks and end up, 4 hours later, doing tequila shots in a club because you have absolutely no self control - this is why you cannot wear hoodies to the pub!

These shoes are fast becoming one of my favourite pairs. They're great because they're not too high so are easy to walk in but they still look a bit more dressed up than normal boots. I was a bit sceptical about ordering cheap shoes off one of those Ebay wholesalers (I don't think that's even the right word, but you know what I mean!) but these have turned out to be really comfy and so far there are no signs of them falling apart.

This is one of my favourite necklaces but I don't wear it that often as the skeleton's little arms and legs often get caught on things! Very annoying, but very pretty. I'm not really the biggest fan of Topshop clothes as I think they're overpriced and not that great quality, but I love their jewellery. I try to stock up as much as possible in the sales as there's usually great bargains in the jewellery department.

Do you like getting dressed up for dinner or the pub, or prefer to keep it casual?

Gillian x

Brows, Brows, Brows

2012-01-16T23:51:00.000Z

Lately I've had a few questions about my eyebrows so I thought it was time to do a post explaining my 'eyebrow routine'. To be honest it's nothing revolutionary, but hopefully it will help someone! This isn't really going to be a tutorial, more a collection of tips and tricks that I find work well for me. To see the process itself, have a look at the video in this post (eyebrow bit starts around 1 minute in).

Before
Routine:
After I've applied my foundation, I brush my eyebrows through with one of those comb things that are for mascara on one side and eyebrows on the other - I'm sure you know what I mean! Mine is just a cheapy one that I think came free with a magazine once, but it does the job well enough.

I then fill my brows in using the powder from the HD Brows palette. I use a combination of the two darkest shades, as none of the colours are a perfect match for my hair colour. I just use the little brush that came with the set, but any small angled brush would do. I don't think it's particularly necessary to buy 'brow powders', any eyeshadow that is the right shade is perfectly good! I used to use a dark brown No7 eyeshadow before I got the HD Brows palette in a Glossybox a few months ago.

I find it easiest to start at the part of your brow closest to your nose and work your way out. Once you're happy with the main/straight part of your brow, then move on to the tail, making sure the arch is nice and curved rather than pointy. If you have unruly eyebrows, setting them with a brow wax would probably be a good idea. I find that mine usually stay in place all day so don't bother using one.

After
Useful Tips:

Buy yourself a pair of good tweezers with thin blades so it's easy to catch stray hairs (I can't recommend Tweezerman enough). It takes patience to get your brows into a shape you like, and it's best to do it gradually rather than going crazing and plucking too much at once. Once you're happy with the shape, maintain it by plucking any stray hairs you spot whenever you're doing your makeup. Don't wait until your brows are out of control before you pluck them again!

I once read somewhere that eyebrows are meant to be sisters, not twins. Cheesy, but it's true. You'll drive yourself mad if you try to make them look identical, as long as they compliment each other and look similar, don't worry. I think they look more natural if they're slightly different anyway.

I always apply my foundation, do my brows, and then apply finishing powder. I find that this helps to soften the brows a little bit and make them look less harsh without losing their shape. Just make sure to brush them through lightly with the brow comb to make sure there's no obvious dusty bits!

I find it easiest to fill in most of one eyebrow, most of the other one, then check to see if they're even. It's easier to even them up if you haven't finished them completely. Once you'e happy that they're even, you can go over them again to make them a bit darker and make sure the edges have clean lines.

God, I love eyebrows. If you don't believe they're important, look at this and tell me I'm wrong!

What's your eyebrow routine?
Gillian x

Sunday Summary #3

2012-01-15T11:47:00.000Z

Even though I haven't done very much this week, it feels like I've been really busy. I'm back at the flat now and attempting to sort myself out for going back to university next week after what feels like months of being off. My dissertation is due in at the end of this semester and the thought of writing it is making me want to vom. I've done quite a lot of research for it so far, but motivating myself to do a little bit more and then actually sitting down to write it is going to be hard. Luckily I only have one class this semester so I should have plenty of time to do it!

I've been having computer issues this week as I managed to drop my laptop and now the power cable won't plug in properly. Oops! I was planning on buying a new one soon anyway but this has made it a bit more urgent! Thankfully my parents agreed to treat me to one as my old laptop was pretty much on its last legs and I really need a working laptop to see me through my last semester of university. Can't believe I've been at uni for 4 years, in one way I can't wait to graduate but in another way I'm scared and want to stay here forever!

This week I'm trying to implement my healthy eating/living routine and have been doing relatively well so far. I've downloaded the My Fitness Pal app for my phone and it's really useful being able to record how many calories you've consumed. I'm so bad for eating just because I'm bored so having a daily calorie limit to stick to really makes me think twice about snacking when I don't actually need to. I'm going to go to the gym for the first time in months this afternoon, even if my workouts aren't particularly long/strenuous it still makes me feel better if I make the effort to go. Although this will probably be cancelled out by the huge bucket of popcorn I eat at the cinema tonight! I think we're going to see The Iron Lady, it wouldn't be my first choice of film but my flatmate really wants to see it. Hopefully I'll enjoy it anyway, anyone seen it?

What have you been up to this week?

Gillian x

Another Black Dress

2012-01-13T17:43:00.000Z

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Dress: Topshop
Ring: Primark
Belt: New Look
Shoes: Ebay
If there's one thing I don't need any more of, it's black dresses. And if there's one thing I keep buying, it's black dresses. But this one also has glitter on it, so I feel like it's allowed! I've seen this dress in quite a few outfit posts/wishlists and I'm not surprised as it's so pretty and really flattering in real life (sorry about the rubbish photos, hate having to take them here rather than my usual spot!). Despite having lots of different clothes in my wardrobe, I always seem to reach for a nice black dress for a night out. It's a bit boring always dressing the same though, really need to wear something bright for a change!

I bought these shoes from Ebay a couple of months ago as I wanted purple heels to wear for a ball and I couldn't find any on the high street. When they arrived I loved them instantly but I didn't realise the heel was going to be so big. I'm used to wearing heels for nights out, but even for me these are a little bit too high! Surprisingly they're not actually that painful for general wearing/dancing but they are a total nightmare to walk in. I prefer heels with straps/zips/shoe boots as they're much easier to walk in because your feet don't slip out. My faithful old pair are looking a little sad so I really need a new pair, got my eye on these ones just now.

Do you wear heels a lot or tend to stick to flats? What's your go-to outfit for a night out?

Gillian x

Sunday Summary #2

2012-01-08T11:45:00.000Z

I can't believe it's Sunday again already. I haven't really be very busy this week but somehow the time has gone past super quickly. We've had various family and friends visiting but now the festive period has passed it's calmed down a lot.

I'm still visiting my parents at the moment and making the most of getting all my meals cooked for me and having central heating on all the time! I'm also making the most of all the chocolates and sweeties leftover from Christmas and am taking the opportunity to eat as many as possible. Once I go back down to my flat it's going to be healthy eating only so I'm going to eat as much as possible this week haha! I have a gym membership which I hardly ever use, so I'd like to get my money's worth out of it this year and try to go about 3 times a week. I don't want to lose loads of weight but dropping a dress size would be nice (I, however, am extremely lazy so this will probably last about 2 weeks before it's back to long lies and Doritos in front of the TV!).

It's been great being at home and just lazing about doing not very much, usually watching TV with the dog curled up on the sofa next to me! He hates getting his photo taken, but I got a sneaky wee picture of him the other day. Sadly he's not as photogenic as he was when he was a baby! His name is Moss and he's 7 months old now, so cuuuutteee. I think the majority of bloggers are probably cat people, but I am most definitely a dog person!

I've also been doing lots of reading while I've been at home. During termtime, I have so much stuff to read for my degree that the though of reading for fun doesn't even cross my mind. It's such a shame because I really do love reading but I never seem to have time for it or be in the right mood to sit down and read a good novel. The other day I finished "The Radleys" by Matt Haig which was alright but not brilliant, a pretty light and easy read although it was very predictable. I've just started another book, "Even the Dogs" by Jon McGregor, which is quite good so far. I love his previous books (especially this one, so so good!) so I've got high hopes for this one. It's a bit slow so far but I'm only a couple of chapters in, so I hope it improves! Have you read anything good lately?

I've haven't really been out and about anywhere so I'm afraid I haven't got many exciting photos for this week's post. I'm off out this afternoon to look at laptops as I'm thinking of buying a new one. My current one is about 5 or 6 years old now and although it still works, it can be pretty slow and is rapidly running out of hard drive space. I'm trying to convince my parents to buy me a new one as it will be "essential for writing my dissertation to have a good laptop". :P

What have you been up to this week?

Gillian x

Makeup: Top 10 of 2011

2012-01-04T14:52:00.001Z

1.HD Brows Pallete (Foxy) 2.Bourjois Blush Pot (Rose D'or) 3.Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation (Blondie) 4.Eyeko Liptastik (Loud Mouth) 5.Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara (Black) 6.Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation (shade 1) 7.L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer 8.Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers 9.MAC Lipstick (Russian Red) 10.Benefit Dallas

In hindsight it would have probably have been better to post this when it was still 2011, but never mind! If you're a regular reader of the blog then you'll have probably seen me mention pretty much all of these products before because I use them a lot and would highly recommend all of them!

Face:
I started using a primer this year and it has made a huge difference to my makeup. It makes foundation last much longer and your skin looks much smoother. I've been using this L'Oreal one which is great and not too expensive, although I'd like to try a few different ones(like the Smashbox one) to see how they compare.

As for foundation, I love Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light. I've never used the original Double Wear but to be honest, for me, this gives plenty of coverage. It looks pretty natural and stays put all day. Although it's quite expensive, it lasts for months and months so I think it's worth it. I also use Lily Lolo's mineral foundation for days when I can't really be bothered doing proper makeup. I also sometimes use it as a kind of 'finishing powder' on top of the Double Wear Light for nights out when I want my foundation to look flawless and stay put all night.

My all time favourite bronzer is Benefit's Dallas, I use it pretty much every day and there's barely a dent in it, really does last forever. It creates a really subtle glow so is perfect if you're pale like me! As for blusher, I've recently started using this one by Bourjois and I really like it. It's not too bright but it creates lovely rosy cheeks and it smells amazing too! (I always think Bourjois products smells really nice, no?)

Eyes:
Eyebrows are very important to me, if I only had 2 minutes to do my makeup I would probably do my eyebrows and eyeliner and leave everything else! I got this HD Brows palette a couple of months ago in the Glossybox and I love it. The only downside is that the colours aren't quite right for me so I have to mix together the two darkest shades, it would be a lot easier if I could just use one ready-made shade so my eyebrows always looked the same colour. Apart from that it's great though, one of the things from Glossybox which I would actually bother repurchasing.

A few weeks ago I bought myself some Shu Uemura eyelash curlers after years and years of hearing good reviews. I wasn't convinced they would actually be much different, but they curl my eyelashes so much better than my old cheapy curlers. I have about 5 or 6 different mascaras on the go just now, always on the search for the perfect one! I've used a few that I've quite liked this year but by far my favourite is Max Factor's False Lash Effect. It manages to lengthen and volumise without being clumpy and is a really black colour which is everything I look for in a mascara. I think this is the only mascara I've ever bought more than once.

Lips:
I'm really disappointed Eyeko have discontinued pretty much all of their products as I have used this lip crayon loads this year, and I'd love to purchase the other shades of it too. It's great for just dabbing on to your lips to add a tiny bit of colour, or applying more like a lipstick for bright lips. I know I'm really late to the party, but aren't MAC lipsticks amazing?! I've always been a fan of Barry M lipsticks as they've got a great range of colours and are really cheap, but once you've used MAC you'll never go back! My favourite shade is Russian Red, it's so creamy, long-lasting and easy to apply plus it's the perfect matte dark red colour. I will definitely be looking to add more shades to my collection in 2012 - what are your favourite MAC shades?

Have you used any of these products? Which products have you been loving over the past 12 months?

Gillian x

Sunday Summary #1

2012-01-01T15:16:00.001Z

Well, it's a new year so what better time to start (and hopefully stick to) a new Sunday Summary feature on the blog? As I haven't posted in a while this will be a bit of an extended version covering the last 2 or 3 weeks.

I didn't have any exams this semester (which means I have double the amount in May, ugh) so I've had plenty of time to relax and get myself in the festive spirit, decorating the flat and making a wee Christmas dinner for me and my flatmate, as well as having a few nights out in Edinburgh. I came back home to my parents house a couple of days before Christmas and since then I haven't really done very much at all apart from eating and watching TV!

We had some family over on Christmas Eve and had our big roast dinner then so on Christmas day we just had leftovers. I got up about 10am and had Bucks Fizz with breakfast and after that we opened our presents. I mostly got books and food, which suits me just fine! I got a couple of baking/cupcake books so have been doing lots of baking this week. I spent the whole of Christmas day in my onesie, watching TV, playing The Sims and reading, perfect!

I haven't bothered braving the sales as I've heard quite a few people say they're a bit rubbish this year. I've had a quick look online but nothing has really grabbed my attention so I think I'll just save my money for when I'm back in Edinburgh and spend it all in the new Primark! Have you got any bargains in the sales this year?

I had a very low key Hogmanay as well, we had a big meal with my grandparents and some family friends last night. Had lots of wine and cocktails and went to bed about 1.30am. As much as I love going out on any other night, New Year has never really been a big deal for me - it's always a bit overrated, expensive and difficult to organise. Staying in with the family, who provide you with food and booze, is much better!

University classes don't start up again until January 16th so I think I'll stay at home for another week or so before heading back. I love living away from home but it is nice to come back for a couple of weeks to see the family and my dogs! Was trying to take some pictures of the puppy to include in this post but he hates getting his photo taken, I'll have to try and take some sneaky ones while he's asleep!

What did you get up to for New Year?

Gillian x

The Fair Isle

2011-12-23T23:48:00.000Z

Dress: Peacocks
Leggings: Peacocks
Necklace: Bad Passion
Boots: Ebay
You might notice a slight change of scenery in this post. Usually I take outfit photos in the living room but the Christmas tree is currently in the way so I took these ones in my bedroom instead. I much prefer my usual spot where there isn't piles of clothes on the floor and stacks of shoeboxes! I'm sure you've read this on every other blog, but sorry about the dark photos - winter, bah!

I got the train back to my parents' house this afternoon for the holidays and so decided to wear these leggings as I thought they were fittingly festive! I would call this pattern Fairisle but I've seen similar leggings described as Nordic, Aztec or simply 'Christmas' - I have no idea what the difference is! I got these a few weeks ago when I spotted them on the Peacocks website. I love them but I don't really know what else I could wear them with apart from a black dress/top. They were really cheap though so I don't mind if I don't get a huge amount of wear out of them though!

I ordered these boots recently from Ebay as I am severely lacking in nice but also relatively practical ankle boots. They're really comfy and so far are standing up to the weather pretty well, my only complaint is that they squeak whenever I walk! I'm hoping they'll stop doing this once I've worn them in a bit more and they're not so new but seriously, so noisy! By biggest mistake ever was wearing them to the library a couple of weeks ago, death stares from everyone.

This will probably be the last post before Christmas so I hope you all have a wonderful time and eat your bodyweight in Chocolate Oranges! Don't expect a Christmas Day outfit post from me, I will be wearing my onesie all day and quite probably watching Meerkat Manor whilst drinking Bucks Fizz.

Gillian x

Scottish Bloggers Meet

2011-12-20T15:59:00.001Z

Yesterday I got the train through to Glasgow with the lovely Zoe and Lauren to go to the Scottish Bloggers Meet. I've never been to a bloggers event before so I was really excited to meet the people behind some of the blogs I've been reading for ages as well as discover a few new faces. We started off in The Counting House pub for a drink (pitchers of course) and a chance to get to know everyone a little bit. Charlene and Rani, who organised the whole thing, surprised us all with lovely wee goodie bags full of haircare goodies supplied by Alison Jameson Consultants. The shampoo smells amazing, will definitely be testing it out tomorrow!

Then we all headed over to the Thrill Room at Rox for an amazing afternoon tea. The tiny glittery cupcakes were so good and I couldn't say no to a glass of champagne, of course! The room itself was gorgeous with mirrored walls and ceilings and pretty much the nicest furniture I've ever sat on! The lovely ladies at Rox were kind enough to give us all a little gift bag with a pair of really pretty earrings to take home.

After that we had a wander round a couple of shops and headed to the German market for some sausages followed by churros and crepes (with insane amounts of nutella!). We said goodbye to some of the group who had to make their way home but the rest of us headed off to find a pub where we could get ourselves a much needed sit down and a drink! It was so nice to chat to everyone about blogging and tweeting etc. - I don't think any of my real life friends would be interested if I started talking about Google keyword searches! After a few too many shots and skittle bombs it was time to make my way to the train home again, wish I could have stayed longer!

Hopefully I'll be seeing you all again soon, another meetup in 2012 is definitely necessary! Feel free to add me on Twitter for a chat.

Have you ever been to a blogger meet-up?

Gillian x

Christmas Wishlist

2011-12-16T11:04:00.000Z

1.Eagle Claw Necklace 2.Vegas Volt Lipstick 3.The Sims 3 Pets 4.Bvlgari Pour Femme 5.Heaven & Earth Palette 6.Chunky Knit Slipper Boots 7.Pincer Vodka 8.Patrick Moore's Yearbook of Astronomy 2012 9.Damnesia by Alkaline Trio 10.Bella Bamba

Getting sick of these kinds of posts yet? Don't worry, it's just over a week until Christmas! When my mum asked me a couple of weeks ago what I wanted for Christmas, I was struggling to think of anything I actually needed/wanted. I do like getting presents, but sometimes it's easier just to get some money or gift vouchers and buy things you actually want in the January sales! This is definitely the reason I never ask for clothes as Christmas presents, I would much rather go shopping and choose something for myself.

As a blogger (and, you know, girl) some makeup was inevitably going to make its way onto the list. After buying my fist Mac lipstick a couple of months ago, I've fallen in love and I can see this being the start of a very long relationship. I was thinking of asking for the Naked Palette, but as I hardly ever wear eyeshadow I thought it seemed silly to spend so much money so I've opted for the bargain (and supposedly really good!) MUA Heaven & Earth palette instead. I also want to start experimenting with blusher more so have put down Benefit's Bella Bamba. I love their Dallas bronzer and use it every day, so I hope this is just as good!

I've run out of my favourite perfume, Bvlgari Pour Femme, so it would be great to replace it. I would like to try some new perfumes but last time I was in Debenhams I didn't really find anything I loved, so sticking with this old favourite for now.

I think most people hate getting socks or slippers for Christmas presents, but I secretly love it! I bought a Primark onesie last week which is amazing but sadly it doesn't have feety bits so I need something to keep my toes warm! I love these Accessorize slipper boots, they look super cosy. Just to remind myself I don't have to live my life in pyjamas and can actually be stylish sometimes, I've also asked for the eagle claw necklace from Bad Passion (see what I've already bought from the collection in this post!).

CDs always used to make up the biggest part of my birthday/Christmas lists when I was younger, so I've got to keep the tradition going with this Alkaline Trio album. Can't believe I haven't bought it already though - I am a total fangirl, they've been my favourite band since I was about 14! The Sims have definitely been on many previous wishlists too, and this year I'm asking for the latest Pets expansion pack for The Sims 3. (I really hope they do a Makin' Magic expansion pack one day, would literally MAKE MY LIFE arrgghh haha). As for books, I'd love this Yearbook of Astronomy (or the Wonders of the Universe book, might have to add that one too!) as I'm fascinated by all things cosmic. Wish I was better at physics so I could understand a bit more behind it, but I love stargazing and pretending to know what I'm talking about (got 2 space questions right on University Challenge this week, I think we all know that means I am an expert).

And keeping it classy, got to have a bottle of booze in there too - it's tradition! My flatmate and I have a bit of a collection of vodka bottles (empty of course, we're not that keen at collecting) so we're always on the look-out for interesting vodkas to try. I really like the bottle of this one plus it's made in Scotland so I had to put it down!

What's on your wishlist?

Gillian x

Review: 17 Wild Metallic Cream Eyeshadow

2011-12-12T15:28:00.000Z

After reading a few great reviews of these metallic cream eyeshadows from 17, I decided to buy myself some when I was in Boots last week. I am the laziest person ever when it comes to eyeshadow (usually I just don't wear any at all, eyeliner forevz) so I thought these sounded easy and quick to use. I got the shades Wild Nude, Wild Navy and Wild Bronze, as I thought these would be the most wearable everyday shades. Wild Nude is the lightest shade and Wild Bronze is quite similar although a bit darker/warmer. Wild Navy isn't as metallic, but it has tiny bits of glitter through it instead.

The shadows are really creamy and blendable and I find it easiest to apply them with my fingers to create a really simple smudgey/smokey eye effect. They do crease quite easily, however, so I would definitely recommend using a primer before applying them (I use Urban Decay Primer Potion). When I went out on Saturday night I put Wild Nude all over my lid and a bit of Wild Bronze in the crease, plus a bit of Benefit High Beam to highlight. This only added about 2 extra minutes to my routine so I definitely think I will be using these more often to make my eye makeup a bit more interesting! Oh and the lipstick is Mac's Russian Red, if anyone was wondering!

The Wild Navy shade is great on its own to create a really easy smokey eye. With just one coat (layer?) of shadow it was pretty light and not overdramatic for daytime wear, but it was really easy to add more and create a darker smokey eye which would be perfect for night.

Overall I think these metallic cream eyeshadows are great, especially considering they're only £3.99 at the moment. Boots also have an offer on just now so if you buy 2 or more 17 products you get a free gift (an 'Electric Disco' nails kit which includes a black, red and glitter nail polish, nail file and a wee sparkly bag to keep them in).

Have you tried these eyeshadows yet? What do you think of cream eyeshadows?

Gillian x

The Christmas Market

2011-12-07T22:37:00.001Z

Today my flatmate and I went to the Christmas Market in Edinburgh and we basically just spent two hours eating food and trying on silly hats. I did, in fact, purchase the wolf hat above and I'm wearing it now as I'm tucked up in bed writing this post! What you can't see is underneath my jacket I'm actually wearing a jumper with a wolf on it, I JUST LOVE WOLVES SO MUCH!

We started off in the traditional German Market and had some frankfurters as we wandered around the stalls. My favourite was definitely the Crystal Palace stall (trolol) which sold all kinds of crystals and gemstones. Was very tempted to purchase something but I restrained myself and saved my pennies for spending on food instead. I used to collect windchimes when I was younger so it was hard to walk away from the bright agate stars and moons.

We also tucked into some delicious waffles topped with Nutella chocolate sauce, which was so so good. Over in the more Scottishy section of the market we got a yummy steak and onion baguette to share, and then we had a look round the rides. I was all up for going on the ferris wheel but my flatmate was having none of it! Somehow I also managed to drink two mugs of hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows, oops!

If you're visiting Edinburgh over the festive period, I would definitely recommend having a look round the Christmas Market, which is just off Princes Street. It's definitely put me in the mood for Christmas, I'm going to break out the glitter and glue tomorrow and get started making my Christmas cards. Anyone want one?!

Is there a market like this where you live? What gets you in the mood for Christmas?

Gillian x

P.S. sorry for the photo overload, I just couldn't narrow it down any more!

Bad Passion

2011-12-03T15:08:00.001Z

Crow Skull Necklace and Amethyst Bullet Crystal Necklace

I recently placed my first order at Bad Passion, the latest addition to the This Charming Girl family. Ever since the online jewellery shop launched in October, I have been coveting just about everything on the site. I finally decided to treat myself to a couple of necklaces with some of my birthday money, and this is what I bought.

Bad Passion stocks lots of different edgy pieces, which are right up my street. I've always been a fan of crystals and gemstones (I used to collect them when I was little, forced my parents to take me to a Gemstone museum once - I'm literally the coolest person I know) so I instantly fell in love with this amethyst crystal pendant. The crow skull necklace is very 'me' too, I'm a fan of all things spooky and a bit creepy.

I was really impressed with the quick delivery and great service at Bad Passion, I would definitely recommend ordering yourself something! I especially liked the embossed boxes, it was so nice to get jewellery in pretty packaging rather than just on those plastic tab things like you get in Topshop! If you're stuck for Christmas gift ideas, jewellery from Bad Passion would be great as they're a little bit different without being really expensive. I've already put the Eagle Claw Necklace on my Christmas wishlist!

Have you ordered anything from Bad Passion before? What are your favourite pieces?

Gillian x

Video: Makeup Routine

2011-11-24T18:09:00.000Z

Products used:
L'Oreal Studio Secrets Primer
Estée Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation (shade 1.0)
Benefit Erase Paste (Light)
HD Brows Palette (Foxy)
Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder
Chapstick (Apple)
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Eyeliner (Black)
Benefit Dallas
Bourjois Liner Effect Mascara
Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet Mascara
Models Own Cheek & Lip Tint (Rouge Blush).

I've been meaning to make one of these videos for a while but never quite got round to it. Then I recorded one last week and it recorded in some weird format so I couldn't open it in any of the video-editing programmes on my computer, nightmare! But anyway, I recorded again and managed to get it to work this time.

My makeup is usually pretty much exactly the same every day. Sometimes I'll wear lipstick or different blushers/bronzers but otherwise I usually stick to this routine. Cat eyes are definitely my signature look!

I usually don't deviate much from this for night-time makeup either, although I'm much more likely to wear bright lipstick for a night out. I think I really need to branch out and start wearing more eyeshadow - any recommendations for good eyeshadow palettes to buy?

Do you have a daily makeup routine, or do you do something different every day?

Gillian x

P.S. Have all you Scottish bloggers heard about the Scottish Bloggers Christmas Meet in Glasgow? I'm so excited to finally go to a bloggers' event and meet lots of the lovely people behind some of my favourite blogs! Who's going?!

Sands of Time

2011-11-21T21:34:00.001Z

Dress: ebay
Leggings: New Look
Necklace: Accessorize
Belt: H&M
Boots: Primark

I'm currently in the middle of essay hell (less than a week to go before hand in, woo! No essays completed yet, however) so haven't had time to go into town shopping lately. So instead I've been trawling ebay for some bargains, and came across this tunic/dress thing. I usually avoid cowl necks because I thought they would be really unflattering on me, but something about the colour and the pockets attracted me. Turns out, I quite like cowl necks. I still draw the line at polo necks however (they remind me of primary school trips for some reason?!). This outfit is so cosy and comfy, perfect for the hell that is Edinburgh University Main Library on a weekday afternoon.

The necklace is a birthday gift from one of my friends. She chose well, it's definitely something I would have picked out myself! It's a working hourglass - well, more like a 7 second glass because it's tiny (and yes, I did count, this is what my life has been reduced to). Necklaces are definitely my favourite kind of jewellery. I tend to wear the same earrings all the time and hardly ever wear rings, but my necklace changes daily depending on my outfit.

The boots are a purchase from Primark a very long time ago, but they're still holding together surprisingly well. The soles have no grip whatsoever though, so the minute there's rain/snow/ice they get put away again. I had kind of forgotten I even had these, but I saw them lurking under my bed the other day and resurrected them.

Do you like shopping on ebay or prefer to go and visit actual shops?

Gillian x

November Beauty & 7 Things About Me

2011-11-16T15:37:00.001Z

There are lots of new beauty products I've been wanting to try out lately (Collection 2000 Cream Puff is top of the list) but sadly I haven't had time to go shopping lately. Here are the products I've been loving lots and using the most over the past month or so.

Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet Mascara
When I first received this is my GlossyBox a couple of months ago I really wasn't a fan - it was thick and clumpy and gave me horrible spider lashes. But the more I use it, the more I love this product. It's super black and makes your lashes fuller and longer. However, it does go clumpy really easily so I like to apply a coat of this then comb it through with the wand from another almost empty mascara (I like to use this one because the spiky bits are really small). It gives you really big big lashes, perfect!

Models Own Lip & Cheek Tint in Rouge Blush
I'm really lazy with day time (and also night time, let's not lie) makeup and hardly ever bother with lipstick or lipgloss. I always just dab a wee bit of this on instead and put some chapstick on top. It gives a really natural pink colour to your lips without looking too done up - although adding a couple of extra coats makes it much brighter and great for wearing on a night out. It also lasts forever; I must have had this bottle about 2 years and it hardly looks like it's been touched!

MAC Lipstick in Russian Red
Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had never used any MAC products. When I finally got round to placing an order, this was top of my list - you can never go wrong with a classic red lipstick. I can see what all the fuss is about now. As much as I love cheap brands like Barry M, MAC is definitely superior in terms of finish, staying power and pigmentation. I will definitely be adding more to my collection!

The lovely Natasha from Silhouette Skies recently tagged me in the 'Tell Me About Yourself' blog award so I though I would let you all know seven extremely exciting facts about myself.

1. My top 5 favourite animals of all time are (in no particular order) bats, frogs, wolves, otters and meerkats.
2. I hate tea and coffee, they both give me the absolute boak. I could just about force down a cup of tea if I had to, but I wouldn't drink coffee even if you paid me.
3. I love all things occult and spooky. My friend bought me a deck of tarot cards for my birthday and I'm currently trying to teach myself how to read them. I don't really believe in the supernatural, but I find it fascinating anyway.
4. My favourite book is The Great Gatsby. I was gutted when my English class didn't get to read it in high school and the other class did. Other favourite books include High Fidelity, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, Dracula, and If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things.
5. I'm currently halfway through my fourth year of my history degree at the University of Edinburgh. Not a clue what I want to do when I graduate!
6. Since I was about 15, I've cut my own hair. With the exception of getting an ever-fashionable 'pob' done before the 6th year school prom, and a trim 2 months ago (which cost me £25 and looked the exact same as it did before - sticking to doing it myself, ta v. much!)
7. I love fancy dress. In the past year I have dressed up as: Elvis, Maverick from Top Gun, a black cat, a leopard, a waitress from True Blood, David Bowie, and 80s Katy Perry from the TGIF video.

I tag anyone who wants to do this - followers, consider yourselves all tagged!

Have you tried any of these beauty products? What makeup have you been loving this month?

Gillian x

Fatally Yours

2011-11-05T12:07:00.001Z

Dress: H&M
Jumper: Topshop
Necklace: River Island
Boots: Rocket Dog

I love this outfit, definitely feels like I'm embracing my inner goth! I bought this maxi dress during the summer and only wore it once or twice, but I can see it making a comeback for winter. I think I need to invest in a few more slouchy jumpers/cardigans to wear it with. I really like this Topshop jumper but it's a bit of a weird length so doesn't look right worn with jeans - wearing it with a dress underneath solves this problem however.

A few weeks ago River Island had one of their student lock-in evenings so I ventured down to grab myself some bargains. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything I liked clothes-wise (that always happens, I swear they hide the good stuff away when there's discount or a sale!) but ended up buying this necklace from the men's section. I'm a big fan of men's jewellery in shops like River Island and Topman, it always seems to be a bit cheaper than women's jewellery and is just as good!

I never know which shoes I should wear with maxi dresses. In-keeping with the '90s goth theme I went for these heavy duty boots from Rocket Dog. They will be mega useful when it (inevitably) starts snowing here soon, but they do remind me of the rigger boots my dad used to wear for working offshore! What kind of shoes do you wear with maxi skirts or dresses during the winter?

It's my birthday on Monday so I'm going to be spending the weekend celebrating, starting with dinner at Wagamama tonight with my friends, followed by lots of drinking at the Union. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Gillian x

Wishlist: Party Season

2011-10-31T15:57:00.001Z

1.Embellished Sleeve Dress 2.Black Embellished Neck Maxi Dress 3.Crow Skull Necklace 4.Glitter Platform Court 5.Snake Ring 6.Snake Panel Clutch 7.Plum Lattice Bodice Dress 8.Cream Eyelash Lace Top 9.Grey Beaded Mini Skirt 10.MAC Russian Red Lipstick

So it seems Christmas party season is almost upon us again. I use this mainly as an excuse to buy things covered in glitter and sequins, and the shops are doing well to cater to this at the moment. I am loving all the embellished dresses and glittery shoes that are adorning the high street just now.

I really neeeeed this River Island maxi dress in my life. I'm going to my favourite university society's (history soc represent) winter ball at the end of November, so I feel that's the perfect excuse to purchase said dress. I was going to buy it last week but they were completely sold out online, so I ended up ordering a different maxi dress from ebay. Now that this one is back in stock I'm so tempted to order it too. The only problem is that it's backless - there is no way in hell I could go out in public without a bra, would need to come up with some devious solution to keep everything in place!

As always, I am loving animal themed jewellery. Definitely tempted to ask for the Bad Passion bird skull necklace for a birthday present (massive hint to any of my friends who might be reading this!). I'll be 21 next Monday - so old. :(

What are you lusting after in the shops at the moment? Do you like the glitzy side of winter fashion or do you prefer cosy jumpers and wooly tights?

Gillian x

Serpentine

2011-10-17T22:36:00.000+01:00

Dress: H&M
Shoes: New Look
Necklace: H&M
Earrings: Topshop

Yet another going out outfit, clearly I go out too much! I was at another friend's 21st so I felt that was a good enough reason to buy myself a new dress. I love animal print, although I usually stick to leopard print. This snakeskin print is lovely, a little bit classier than leopard maybe, but still a bit more fun than plain black. This dress is ridiculously short though, definitely verging on a tunic! I think it would look great with leggings and boots for daytime as well so I'm sure I'll get plenty of wear out of it.

Sticking with the snakey theme, I wore these Topshop earrings too. I can't get enough of animal themed jewellery! I'm currently on the lookout for some bat jewellery, but all I've found so far are plastic things clearly meant for children's Halloween costumes!

If you're a regular reader of the blog, I'm sure you will recognise these shoes. They are comfy and go with everything, perf! It does mean I tend to neglect my other shoes, however. I have so many nice pairs of shoes but I always end up choosing something black. It's just the best colour, I can't help it!

Do you like animal themed clothes and jewellery?

Gillian x

This Friday Night

2011-10-08T13:33:00.000+01:00

Dress: Closet via Dorothy Perkins
Shoes: Schuh
Belt: New Look
Ring: ASOS

I wear so much black all the time. It's a really bad habit but at the same time, black is the best colour so I don't really care! I wore this outfit last night to go out for my friend's 21st birthday. Had a great night but I'm suffering today, this post is being written in my bed, accompanied by a bacon sandwich and a big glass of Irn Bru!

I originally bought this dress in pink and I loved it so much that I went back and got the black version too. Skater style dresses are my favourite, they're so versatile and easy to wear, and they're really flattering. This one has pockets too, which is always a bonus. I would quite happily buy one of these dresses in every colour, if that wasn't such a weird thing to do!

I wore my ridiculous sparkly shoes out for the first time and they were surprisingly comfy. And when I say comfy what I mean is my feet are still in one piece and I didn't fall over - so they were much better than I expected! Lots of different people complimented me on my shoes (including the bouncer! Aye those are quality, hen) so that made me smile.

Wolves are one of my favourite animals so when I saw this wolf's head ring in the ASOS sale a couple of years ago I snapped it straight up. It looks a little bit like a bear, however, but I still like it! I don't really wear it that much because it's really big and a bit of a statement piece but as my outfit was really plain I thought it worked quite well.

I'm off out again tonight so I think lots of BBC iplayer and an afternoon nap is in order to make me feel human again!

Gillian x

Review: Garnier BB Cream

2011-10-04T17:46:00.000+01:00

I had heard of BB creams a couple of years ago but didn't really have a clue what they were and so promptly forgot all about them. When I saw Garnier had released their Miracle Skin Perfector All-in-One BB Cream I suddenly became interested again and couldn't wait to try this out. Sometimes I feel like I wear way too much makeup in the daytime but I would never go out without any makeup on at all, so I was looking for something with light coverage that would make my skin look good. I've tried out one or two tinted moisturisers and wasn't hugely impressed so I was hoping this BB cream would be exactly what I was looking for.

I have no experience of 'real' BB creams to compare this too, but I really like it. It does seem pretty similar to a tinted moisturiser to me, but it has a different consitency and gives better coverage without looking heavy like a foundation would. It's also less moisturising than I thought it would be, I tend to still use a bit of my normal moisturiser before applying this.

1. Before: no makeup. 2. After: Garnier BB cream + under-eye concealer, blusher and finishing powder.

My skin is in pretty good condition but my skin tone is quite uneven (see photo above - rosy cheeks, redness around nose, lots of freckles!) and the BB cream definitely helped to even this out. I don't know if I would go so far as to say it blurred out imperfections, but it certainly gives enough coverage that I didn't need to use concealer anywhere apart from under my eyes. I like the fact that some of my freckles still shine through as it's not too heavy, sometimes with foundation (see below) I feel it covers everything up a bit too well.

1. Garnier BB cream + under-eye concealer only. 2. Normal foundation, concealer, blusher and finishing powder routine.

The BB cream is designed to be an 'all-in-one' so you can just put it on and go, but I don't like the finish of it by itself. It's way too shiny for me, some people really like the look of dewy skin but I prefer to be nice and matte! I also wouldn't wear this on its own as I find it's just a bit too dark for me - a bit of light finishing powder on top solves this problem. It's currently only available in two shades (I'm using Light, and it's also available in Medium) but hopefully some more shades might be introduced.

Overall, I would recommend the Garnier BB cream but I don't think it's completely amazing. I would be interested to try some other kinds of BB creams to see how they compare. I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this for daytime wear but if I'm going on a night out I would definitely stick to foundation.

Have you tried the Garnier BB cream yet? What did you think of it?

Gillian x

What's In My Bag: Back To School

2011-09-26T18:16:00.000+01:00

The new university term started last week so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to do a 'what's in my bag' post. I've just started my 4th and final year at university and it is completely terrifying and stressful already (I say this as I lie in my bed whilst blogging and watching QI, it's a tough life really). I went shopping the other day and bought myself a new everyday bag that's big enough to carry around all my stuff to the library and my classes. It's from Accessorize and I really like it, even though it's black and I promised myself I would definitely not buy a black bag this time.

Notebooks: The small Moleskines are for my seminar notes and my dissertation. In 1st and 2nd year I had lots of lectures that required taking down pages and pages of notes, but now I only have seminars which don't really involve a lot of writing so small notebooks are much more practical. The big notepad is one I take with me to the library to scribble down notes, reference numbers for books, stuff I need to look up etc.

Filofax: I've had my Filofax (a raspberry Metropol Personal) for around a year now and I love it. Organisation and stationery are two of my favourite things so it pretty much couldn't get any better than this. Everything is colour coded which makes it easy to see when deadlines are and how long it will be before I'm allowed to go on a night out!

Pens: I always carry loads of pens around with me, even though I'm sure one or two would suffice. They must be black, however, as blue pens are the work of the devil. I always think things look much neater in black pen and if I have to write in blue pen for some reason it makes me feel all squirmy and horrible (just me?!)

Books: I always seem to be carting books back and forth between the library and my flat (currently have 14 checked out, supposed to be reading them right now, oh well). These are a couple that are in my bag just now that I've taken out to do some research for my dissertation. I'm actually really enjoying doing the reading for my dissertation at the moment but I'm pretty sure I won't be saying the same thing in April!

Electronics: I recently joined the modern world and upgraded to a smartphone, the HTC Wildfire S. APPS ARE AMAZING OMG. It's so good to be able to check Twitter or read your emails without a computer. My MP3 player is a Sony Walkman which my parents got me as a present after my last one died. Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the world who doesn't own an iPod. Anyone?

Water: I usually take some form of water or juice with me, and sometimes snacks too if I know I'm going to be out of the flat for a long time. I should probably invest in a reusable water flask, but at the moment I'm refilling this Isklar bottle. I really like the design of this bottle, mostly because it reminds me of the Finlandia vodka bottles - I'm such a lush haha!

Purse: My purse is from River Island and I really like it because of the gold art deco sort of pattern on it. It's really big which is useful as I never throw anything out and my purse is full of a strange selection of loyalty cards, receipts for electrical appliances and one pence pieces.

Keys: Pretty self-explanatory really, if I didn't take my keys out with me life would be rather difficult. My keyring is a little frog as they are one of my all-time top 5 favourite animals. Fun fact: the others include (in no particular order) wolves, otters, bats and meerkats.

Weather Defence: In Scotland it is definitely necessary to carry an umbrella and sunglasses with you at all times. When people say you can experience four seasons in one day here, they're really not lying. The Wayfarer style glasses are from ASOS and the umbrella is from Boots. I love bright and patterned umbrellas but the wind always destroys them so quickly I stick to whatever is the best combo of cheapness and sturdiness, which usually means black.

Makeup Bag: I always take a makeup bag with me where-ever I go even though I hardly ever need to use it, it's like a security blanket! I got this bag free with some No7 offer and it's the perfect size for daytime. I usually take with me some finishing powder and a brush, eyeliner, chapstick and whatever lipstick/gloss I'm wearing that day. I also take a mirror and a wee hairbrush in case of emergencies!

What's in your bag?

Gillian x

Burnt Orange

2011-09-13T15:02:00.000+01:00

Top: New Look
Jeans: Topshop
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins
Necklace: H&M
Belt: H&M

A post with jeans, what's going on?! I used to wear jeans all the time (Topshop Pippas, how good were they?) but for the last couple of years all I've worn is dresses and skirts. I've bought a few different blouses and shirts recently and decided I needed some jeans to wear them with so ventured into Topshop and came out with these Kristen high-waisted skinnies. They're surprisingly comfy as jeans go and I love the high-waistedness. Considering buying myself a pair of bright blue ones too!

I had a family meal out for my Grandad's birthday last week so I decided to wear my new jeans with this top from New Look to go to it. I love this burnt orange colour, it always reminds me of autumn - which is obvs the best season because of Halloween and my birthday! Speaking of Halloween, have any of you decided what you're going as yet? I want to start planning early, but I have no idea what to go as this year!

Do you prefer jeans or dresses, or a bit of both?

Gillian x

All That Glitters

2011-09-01T18:40:00.001+01:00

Holla! I'm finally back after a pretty hectic August, and what better way to reintroduce myself than with these bad boys. I noticed them on the Schuh website whilst browsing and fell in love with them a little bit so when I was in town yesterday I went to find them in my local store.

I've been in a bit of a 'shoe rut' lately, I always tend to wear the same pair of black heels when I'm going out - they're comfy, go with everything and are easy to walk in. These shoes are none of those things haha. They are ridiculously high, but despite this I can actually walk in them (this may not be quite so true once tequila is involved!). My favourite going-out dresses are all black so a pair of bright shoes will help to make my outfits a bit more interesting. At the moment they're still quite uncomfortable but I've been wearing them in around the house so they don't mangle my feet too much the first time I wear them out. Wearing 6 inch heels to do the dishes is not something I do every day!

I'm like a magpie - I'm instantly attracted to anything shiny and glittery - so these shoes are right up my alley. I think they're on a fine line between tacky and amazing. Do you like statement shoes or do you prefer to keep them plain and let your clothes stand out instead?

P.S. if you're ordering some shoes from the Schuh website soon, enter 'GIMME15' at the checkout for an extra 15% all Schuch branded sale shoes. Excellent!

P.P.S. I just made a formspring account, so head over here if you want to ask me something!

Gillian x

Guest Post: Marta's Top Beauty Tips

2011-08-24T19:44:00.005+01:00

So I'm still working like a demon, completely exhausted at the moment but looking forward to pay day! As I haven't had time to blog recently, I've lined up another guest post for you to have a read of. This one is by the lovely Marta who blogs over at Glitter Detector. I'm loving her top beauty tips, I will definitely be trying out number one soon! Blogging should return to normal within the next couple of weeks. Gillian x.
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1. Baking Powder trick for your hair

Once in a while we all have product build up due to all the products we use to keep our hair clean and hydrated, styling products, chlorine and chemicals from the pool and other factors.
One of the solutions to this is washing your hair with a clarifying shampoo that will remove all those extra oils away from your scalp, but these shampoos can be expensive and hard to find, solution? In a little bowl put the amount of shampoo you're going to use and add to it a tablespoon of baking soda and wash your hair like you would normally do, massaging the scalp to really take all the oils away from it. After the shower your hair will feel really clean.
This is one of my favourite beauty tricks, it works amazingly and it's inexpensive and simple to do.

2. Healthy glowy skin

Getting healthy and glowy looking skin is more simple than we think, all we need is a shimmery and skin tone product like an eyeshadow, blush, creme color base or even a pigment. Take a little bit of the product and pat it on your cheek bones, the top of your nose, a little bit on the forehead and on your chin and you'll have a pretty glow.

In the photo I used Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Porcelain Pink and the eyeshadow Shroom from Mac as well, but like I wrote before any shimmery face/eye product will work. And then of course you have products like Benefit High Beam that are just for this purpose.

3. Fuller lashes with liquid eyeliner

I love love love this beauty tip and I use it almost every day! To create fuller lashes and an almost natural false lashes effect draw a very thin line close to your lash line with black liquid eyeliner or gel liner, choose the one you're more comfortable with, and then apply mascara as you normally would, I promise you'll notice a big difference with how your lashes look.

4. Natural remedy for chapped lips

The Fall is coming and with it comes chapped lips, for me they don't just come with the Fall but they come all year around and it's really annoying and sometimes painful. But lately I've been doing this and it really helped my chapped lips and again it's a very simple tip and inexpensive!
Apply a layer of honey on your lips and let it dry, once you feel that the honey dried apply a thin layer of vaseline on top and let sit for 15 minutes. Then remove it with a cotton pad with warm water.
It moisturizes your lips and they feel much softer and will prevent them to be dried again.

Hope my Top Four Beauty Tips can help some of you and please write in the comments what your favourite beauty tips are!
Marta, Glitter Detector.

Guest Post: Dress Trends for A/W '11

2011-08-12T21:25:00.003+01:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post - I've been working 50+ hour weeks this month so things are a bit crazy. Do not fear, however, as I have a couple of guest posts coming up to keep you entertained! Here's the first one from Emma at ASOS about the biggest dress trends for the autumn/winter season. I've had a quick flick through the ASOS website and there are so many dresses I want to buy, A/W fashion is my favourite!

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Charcoal greys and indigo hues, elegant stripes and bold geometric patterns, fur trimming and animal-print leather — just a portion of fashion for autumn and winter 2011, these are among the big trends. Adding to the excitement of the new season is another big trend: dresses. Knee length to maxi, dress trends for the autumn and winter 2011 season include chic must-haves that require little effort, yet immediately put the wearer on the cutting-edge of fashion.

Flared Dress with Belt & Ponti Waisted Dress

Placing emphasis on the fitted waist, many dresses this fall are seamed or belted to cinch the waist. These styles provide the complete comfort that form-fitting dresses of the past never had, yet draw the eye subtly to the svelte figure within the dress. Accessorized with a sassy fedora hat — a nod to the menswear-inspired trend of the season — or a sophisticated animal-print bag that offers an unexpected touch of panache, these dresses are ready for any daytime event.

Bodycon Dogtooth Dress & Sleeveless Swing Checked Dress

In keeping with the menswear influence, which is part of the current 1970s look, many dresses for this autumn and winter are much like classic men’s designs. Made of fabrics most typical of men’s suits, dresses in glen plaid, houndstooth and pinstripes are making a decidedly feminine statement, particularly when paired with this season’s stilettos. With shades of grey and combinations of black and white being among the fashionable neutrals, these colours lend themselves beautifully to these tailored dresses.

Silk Tiered Maxi Dress & One Shoulder Animal Maxi Dress

Then, in a continuation of the 1970s style popularized during the spring and summer 2011, maxi dresses remain stylish for autumn and winter. Colours being the major difference between the seasons, these dresses — no longer in the pastels and vivid shades of last season — are now in deep jewel tones; refined neutrals that include camel, shades of blue and grey; and autumnal hues of olive, goldenrod and bronze. Teamed with autumn’s structured military-style jackets or the au courant coats of winter — many embellished with fur — or with a brightly coloured faux fur vest, these softly flowing dresses hearken back to yesteryear while making a statement all their own.

Dress with Pleated Skater Skirt & Pleated Midi Dress

Add to this lovely array pleats. Playful additions to dresses of virtually every length, this season’s pleats are a contemporary take on a traditional design element. From the gentle sway of knife pleats, all floating in one direction, to the burst of pleats characteristic of sunray pleats that widen near the hem, these dresses crafted of lightweight fabrics have a pretty flow that is nothing like a schoolgirl’s uniform. Indeed, dress trends for the autumn and winter 2011 season celebrate real women.

Emma Reidy - remember to visit ASOS for the latest dresses this season.

What is your favourite kind of dress? Which ones will you be adding to your winter wardrobe? Gillian x

Floral Fancy

2011-07-28T20:13:00.004+01:00

Cardigan: Primark
Jeggings: Dorothy Perkins
Belt: New Look
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Someone please stop me from buying floral print clothes, I have way too many! I got this Primark cardigan from ebay a few weeks ago, and I've worn it loads since. This is the only floral cardigan I own and it only cost £3, so I think it was a justified purchase!

One of the bad things about living in Edinburgh is that there's no Primark (yet). I always see people on other blogs with things I really like from Primark, but it's so much hassle to actually buy it! I never really used to use ebay that much but recently I've got a bit addicted and have so many things in my watch list.

I bought these shoes from Dorothy Perkins the last time I did an online order. I wasn't entirely sure if I'd like them once I saw them in real life, but I actually love them. The heel is quite small so they're perfect for wearing to the pub in the evening or even daytime wear, so you don't look like a twat tottering around in high heels as you try and get up the stairs of a double decker bus. Perfect!

Sorry if posts are a bit sporadic over the next few weeks. I've just started a job over the Edinburgh festival and I'm sure any of you from Edinburgh or anyone who has visited the festival before can imagine how hectic that can be!

Gillian x

July Favourites

2011-07-22T18:14:00.004+01:00

I can't believe it's nearly August already, this summer seems to have flown by. I went home for another visit this week because my parents got a new puppy (his name is Moss, how cute is he?!) but from now on I'll be in Edinburgh as I start work next week. Anyway, these are some of my favourite products I've been using this month.

Missguided Splash Polish in Misstique:
I got this free with a magazine recently, and I'm really impressed with it. Mostly because of the colour - it's a gorgeous deep turquoise/teal colour. It's really pigmented as well so you only need one coat, and it seems to be pretty good at not chipping. I didn't know Missguided did makeup until I got this, but I would definitely consider buying more things from their range in the future.

Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder:
This stuff is amazing! I remember reading a great review of it on a blog (sorry, I can't remember where I read it, if it was you please link me!) so I decided to order some to try out for myself. I had heard of Kryolan (back in the Livejournal days!) but I assumed it was just a theatre/costume makeup company so none of the products would be useful for everyday wear. But this is so good, it's lightweight and because it's white it doesn't make me look orangey which sometimes happens with coloured finishing powders. I still need to do touch-ups on a night out, but during the daytime I don't need to reapply my makeup at all!

Mama Mio Omega Body Buff:
I did a quick review of this in last month's GlossyBox post but since then I've used it several more times and have fallen in love with it a lot more! It leaves your skin feeling unbelievably soft rather than slimy, which often happens with sugar scrubs or rubbish exfoliators. It's really gentle as the exfoliating 'beads' are tiny, so you can use it on your face too. I'm really glad I found this product through GlossyBox, I will definitely be buying more once this sample runs out.

L'oreal Paris Studio Secrets Resurfacing Primer
I've been using this for quite a while and it's the best primer I've used so far (although I haven't tried very many - which is your favourite?). This one has almost run out, so I will be buying a new one as soon as possible. This stuff is great for smoothing out your skin and hiding your pores before you apply foundation.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Concealer in Light
I was kind of conned into buying this by the scary old lady at the Estée Lauder counter at Boots, but I'm glad I ended up getting it because it's really good. Under-eye circles are my biggest 'problem area' and this really helps to cover them up. I use Double Wear Light foundation, so as this is from the original Double Wear range it's bit thicker and gives more coverage. It's still not perfect though, so at the moment I'm using a combination of this and Benefit Erase Paste.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Eyeliner in Black Glamour:
I ran out of this last week so had to use an old Bourjois eyeliner while I was at home, and I hated it! This Rimmel eyeliner is definitely my favourite as it's easy to apply, has a great brush, is long-lasting and is a really deep black colour. I wear liquid eyeliner pretty much every day, so having a good one is very important for me.

What products have you been loving this month?

Gillian x

What I Wore

2011-07-14T19:43:00.003+01:00

Shirt: H&M
Skirt: H&M
Necklace: Topshop
Wedges: New Look

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've been a busy bee lately! Nothing too exciting though, just been visiting my parents, going out with friends and volunteering, but it hasn't left very much time for blogging.

Anyway, I wore this outfit a couple of nights ago to consume way too much tequila and do what has now become known as the "crab dance". Quite glad there is no photographic evidence of that! The shirt is a recent purchase from H&M and this is the first time I've worn it. I like that it's a little bit sheer but not completely see-through, and the little lace panel on the back is a really nice detail. I think I'll probably get a lot of wear out of this shirt as it looks good dressed up tucked into a bodycon skirt, but would also look great with a a pair of skinny jeans for a more casual outfit.

Usually I don't do anything with my hair apart from leave it natural or straighten it. I'm 20 and I still haven't even mastered the art of using curling tongs! But I decided to have a go at backcombing my hair into a messy beehive type thing, and I quite like the results. I had to use like a million kirby grips though!

Gillian x

Pink & Blue

2011-07-01T22:41:00.007+01:00

Blouse: New Look
Jeggings: Dorothy Perkins
Shoes: New Look

I bought this sheer floral blouse a few months ago to wear to a fancy dress party, but ended up not using it. I really liked it so I didn't return it, but I was never sure what to wear it with. Last week I got these black denim jeggings from Dorothy Perkins and I knew immediately they would look great with the blouse. They are sooo comfy and look like actual jeans, I can see myself getting lots of wear out of these jeggings!

Normally I stay away from tops which aren't fitted because I'm worried it'll make me look reeeally top-heavy, so this outfit is a little bit out of my usual comfort-zone. It's so weird not wearing a waist belt! I love this shirt though, the bow on the shoulder is a really cute detail.

I've been really busy lately so haven't had much time for blogging, oops! I've started volunteering with the National Trust which I'm loving, and I've got myself a job for next month during the Edinburgh festival. I've also started work on my dissertation for next year, and am trying to teach myself how to drive just now. Phew!

Gillian x

Review: GlossyBox #2

2011-06-28T14:22:00.003+01:00

I received the June GlossyBox last week and I've now had a chance to try out all the products so I thought it was time to write a review. I'm sure you'll have heard that a lot of people were disappointed with this month's box, but the company is still in its infancy so I think they need to be given a little bit of leeway!

OPI Designer Series Mini Nail Lacquer:
I've never tried any OPI products before so I was really looking forward to trying this out. I love the colour I was sent (which it doesn't actually tell you on the bottle, but after a little bit of searching I've discovered it's called 'Extravagance'). It's a gorgeous deep purple colour with flecks of glitter running through it. The polish applied really easily and hasn't chipped yet so I'm pretty impressed with it. I would definitely consider buying more OPI polishes in the future.

BioEffect EGF Serum:
This serum is supposed to stimulate the growth of new skin cells, hydrate and improve the appearance of your skin. I've never used a serum before so I will be interested to find out if it really works. I've only been using it for a couple of days so I haven't seen any difference yet, but I'm hoping it will improve the appearance of my skin.

Batiste Original Dry Shampoo:
This is the product that has created the most uproar amongst GlossyBox customers. This is not a 'high-end' product and is something that the majority of us probably already own. I do agree that it was a bit of a disappointment to receive something you can buy in Boots for less than £2, but I can understand why GlossyBox included it in this month's package. This box was summer themed and contained '5 summer essentials', and I would definitely say dry shampoo fits into this category. I think it would have been better if a higher-end brand had been used, or even just a new Batiste product - rather than something most of us use every week.

Lalique Perles de Lalique:
I'm running low on perfume at the moment so I was looking forward to trying something new. Unfortunately, I don't really like this scent. I reminds me of a mix between citronella bug spray and menthol mouth wash - eurgh! Perfume is a very individual thing though, so I'm sure there are many people who would completely disagree with me on this one. I love the design of the bottle however, and although I wouldn't buy this perfume I would be more inclined to check out other Lalique scents next time I'm shopping.

Mama Mio Omega Body Buff:
I must admit, I'm quite naughty and usually ignore skincare - but along with moisturiser, exfoliators are one of the few products I do actually use. I really like this one from Mama Mio as it's really gentle but leaves your skin feeling so soft. Sometimes the 'bits' in exfoliators can be too big and rough on your skin, but this one has tiny grains so it doesn't feel too harsh.

Overall, I'm not too disappointed with the June Glossybox. Yes, the Batiste dry shampoo was probably a bad idea, but everything else is high-end and something I've never tried before. The company has only been running for two months, so it's not surprising that there are a few hiccups in the early stages. One thing I'm not pleased about, however, is the fact that after September there will be an additional £2.95 postage charge. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but when I signed up I was under the impression that there would be free postage forever - it's getting harder to justify spending this much each month when I'm on a student budget.

A new company, Boudoir Privé, has just emerged which looks like it might take over from GlossyBox. They offer 6 high-end samples for £10 per month, compared to GlossyBox offering 5 for £12.95. I'm going to stick with GlossyBox until September to see if there are any improvements, but I'm also signing up to Boudoir Privé to find out more about what they offer. The full site will be launched in July so make sure to sign up now to receive 'priority access'.

What did you think of the June GlossyBox? Do you think companies like these are a good idea or a waste of money?

Gillian x

Flowers in the Window

2011-06-15T13:19:00.005+01:00

Dress: H&M
Belt: Primark
Shoes New Look
Ring: Topshop

Another recent going-out outfit which I wore for a night out with my friends. Looking back at how many going-out outfit posts I've blogged about compared to casual outfits, I've come to the conclusion that I go out far too much! When I'm shopping I'm always attracted to shiny things, tight dresses, sequins and high heels. I hardly ever buy anything sensible!

I have a love/hate relationship with bodycon dresses. Sometimes I think they look really flattering on me and other times I think they look awful. Do you have a dress that you put on and sometimes feel really confident in, but other times hate it and immediately take it off and swap it for something else? This is definitely one of those dresses for me. I'm loving it at the moment though, the floral print isn't to girly so is right up my street (although the way it's printed, it makes my boobs look a bit squint in these photos!).

I wouldn't necessarily wear these rings together, or with this dress, but they were lying around when I was taking outfit photos so I thought I would put them on anyway as they're two of my favourites at the moment. The big gold one is from Topshop and looks great as a bit of a statement piece with a plain black dress. The small one is a mood ring! I remember having loads of these when I was younger, I always used to buy them in gift shops for some reason?! I got this one for £1 in a shop that smelt of insence and sold lots of gemstones and crystals. According to the card that came with it, I was feeling 'cool' when these photos were taken!

Do you like bodycon dresses? What's your favourite type of going-out outfit?

P.S. I'm having a wardrobe clear-out and selling some stuff on ebay. There's lots already up and I will be adding more so have a look here and grab yourself a bargain!

Gillian x

This is Bat Country

2011-06-09T00:30:00.003+01:00

Top: Vintage
Skirt: H&M
Shoes: New Look
Belt: Primark

I love the '80s. It's my favourite decade fashion-wise, music-wise, everything-wise. A couple of years ago my grandma was clearing out some stuff and gave me this gorgeous batwing top she had bought in the '80s. It's a perfect mix of gold glitter and semi-sheer black fabric, and there's a vague hint of tiger-print too. I love the batwing sleeves, it's just perfect! The label says it's a size 'small' so I thought there was no way it would fit me, but surprisingly it does. It's really short though, so I can only wear it with high-waisted things. I wish my mum and grandma had kept more of their clothes from decades past as it would save me lots of time and money having to hunt around for vintage stuff!

The skirt is from H&M and is one of my staple wardrobe pieces. It cost a grand total of £3.99 so of course I had to snap it up in about 4 different colours. I've had this skirt for nearly 2 years now and it's still going strong, who said cheap meant bad quality?! As the top is quite baggy/oversized I think it looks good with a bodycon skirt and a big chunky belt to cinch in my waist. I think it would also look good with a maxi skirt too, but sadly I don't own one yet. I recently bought my first maxi dress and I love it, a maxi skirt is definitely next on my list!

Gillian x

The May Review

2011-06-03T00:08:00.001+01:00

1. Pink Lemonade 2.Flamingos at the zoo 3.Exhibit at the Camera Obscura
What I've Been Doing:
At the start of the month I had a few exams for university so I spent a lot of time studying for those. My last exam was on the 17th and since then I have done lots of celebrating and had plenty of nights out. Now that exams are finished, it's time to try and find a job for the summer. So far it's been pretty unsuccessful - applied for loads but haven't got anything. Reeeally need to get a job soon, as nice as it would be to be a lady of leisure, I really need to make some money!

1. Edinburgh skyline 2. Me at the Camera Obscura 3. Butterfly World
Where I've Been Going:
Earlier in the month my friend Morag (check out her blog, Mo'adore) came to visit for a few days so we did lots of touristy things like visiting Edinburgh Zoo and the Camera Obscura. We also had a night out at a club followed by an afternoon of hungover shopping! I also went to Butterfly World with my flatmate this month, I remember going there when I was little so it was nice to go back again.
As well as some fun day trips, I've had plenty of nights out with my friends to celebrate the start of summer. Most of my friends from uni are going home/going travelling for the summer so it was nice to see them before they left.

1. Chandelier at the Dragonfly cocktail bar 2. Me and Morag taking classy bathroom pictures 3. Terrapins at Butterfly World
What I've Been Buying:
I've actually been very good this month and hardly bought anything at all. I've just joined the gym so I'm going to try and keep that up and treat myself to some new clothes once/if I drop a dress size. I am mega lazy however, so I will probably give up after a couple of weeks haha!
If you have Twitter, you probably heard all about GlossyBox earlier this month. I didn't have time to do a review of the first box, but I will definitely make sure to do reviews of the next boxes.

1. Squirrel Monkeys! 2. Chillin' in Butterfly World 3. Another butterfly
What I've Been Loving:
Being free from university for the next 4 months! Next year is my final year which means lots of hard work, dissertations and exams so I'm going to try and enjoy this summer as much as I can. I don't want to grow up and get a real job!
Also loving Sourz at the moment, check out my guest post for their blog!

What have you been up to this month?

Gillian x

The Cost of Beauty

2011-05-28T16:36:00.003+01:00

I've seen a few ladies, like the lovely Jennie and Alyse, do these "how much is your face worth?" posts lately and I found the idea really interesting. I often don't really pay close attention to how much my makeup costs as I view it as a kind of "necessity" that I have to buy. Obviously I buy cheaper brands if I'm short on pennies, and I will moan if I have to fork out £20+ for a single item, but I will still buy it without hesitation and without properly considering the fact that I don't actually need it. Anyway, here's how much my average daily makeup costs me...

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Resurfacing Primer: £14.29
Benefit Boi-ing: £16.50
Benefit Erase Paste: £19.50
Total = £50.29

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation: £25.50
Lily Lolo Flawless Matte Finishing Powder: £12.49
Total = £37.99

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Eyeliner: £5.29
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil: £13
Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara: £10.99
No7 Stay Perfect Trio Eyeshadow: £10 (not pictured)
Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil: £2.99
Total = £42.27

Benefit Dallas: £23.50
Models Own Lip & Cheek Tint: £6
Chapstick: £1.29
Total = £30.79

Grand Total = £161.34

£161.34 does sound like a lot, but if you think about how many times you would use each product (most of these would last me for over 6 months) it probably works out at only a pound or two per day. Most of my makeup is middle-range in both price and quality but once I'm no longer a student I would like to invest in more high-end products as they are much better quality and usually last longer.

How much do you spend on makeup?

Gillian x

Calling All Skeletons

2011-05-23T15:18:00.003+01:00

Dress: ASOS
Shoes: New Look
Necklace: Topshop

A couple of weeks ago I ordered some things from ASOS and this dress was one of the things I got. I haven't actually worn it out yet as I'm not sure if I really like it, but here's a potential outfit I've put together. That's the main thing I hate about online shopping, things never look quite how you expected them to once you see them in the flesh. So I need some advice - how would you wear this dress?

I would normally wear black tights with a dress this length but I wasn't sure whether black tights with a white dress would look a bit too much like I was in some kind of fancy dress. Likewise with a belt - I generally don't like going belt-less but I didn't want to go for a black one, maybe a brown belt would look better?

White and gold are always a good combination, so I've gone for some summery gladiator sandal style heels from New Look. They look dangerously high (and they are) but are surprisingly quite comfy to wear because of the big platform and lots of buckles to keep your feet strapped in. I originally bought these shoes to wear on a toga party themed night out, but I've actually worn them quite a lot since as they look great with skinny jeans.

My favourite part of this outfit is definitely the skeleton necklace. I quite often walk round Topshop and find nothing I particularly want to buy in the clothes section, but there's always some jewellery I love! This necklace is great addition to a plain outfit to jazz it up a bit. I like the fact that it's a bit of a statement piece, but it's still delicate and not too in-your-face.

I wanted to branch out from my usual colour palette and try something lighter for the summer, but now I'm not sure. How do you wear white dresses? Is it better to keep it plain or do you like to accessorise with bold colours?

Gillian x

Review: E.L.F. Cosmetics

2011-05-18T12:30:00.002+01:00

A couple of weeks ago ELF were doing a special offer where everything was 20% off. I've been wanting to try ELF makeup for ages but never quite got round to it, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to place my first order. Here's what I bought and what I though of it all...

Studio Tinted Moisturiser in Porcelain:
I've never used a tinted moisturiser before but I thought, seen as summer is coming up, I'd like to try a lighter alternative to foundation. I'm really impressed with this product, especially considering it was only £2.80. I got the lightest shade available and at first I thought it was going to be too dark, but once it's blended in properly it doesn't look too bad. I would probably only use this in the summer when I'm (a tiny bit!) more tanned so the colour shouldn't be too much of a problem anyway.
It smells really good (reminds me of a cleanser I had from Clarins yeeeeaaars ago) and has a really smooth consistency. The only thing to watch out for is to make sure your skins is properly exfoliated because the colour tends to stick to dry patches. Overall, I'd really reccomend this and I think this has started off a new obsession to find the perfect tinted moisturiser!

Studio Concealer in Ivory:
I would say this was a pretty average concealer stick - not amazing but not awful either. It's quite good for covering up spots or blemishes but I think it's a bit too dry for under-eye dark circles. The concealer is quite creamy but dries almost instantly once you apply it so you have to blend it in really quickly. I probably wouldn't bother buying this again, but it's an okay product and not a complete waste of money.

Studio Under-Eye Concealer & Highlighter in Glow/Fair:
I love this concealer! It's much better than I was expecting it to be, I only really bought this product so I could add a few extra pounds to get free delivery. The concealer is really creamy and hydrating and perfect for covering up dark circles.
I'm not entirely sure where the highlighting part is meant to go, the ELF website just says "around and on top of the eye". I think it's far too bright/sparkly for using right next to the eye, but it works really well as a highlight on the browbone. I'm not too fussed about the highlighter but I would buy this product again just for the concealer side.

Mineral Lipstick in Natural Nymph:
I always like the look of nude lipstick on other people so I thought it was time I tried it out for myself. I'm not convinced, however, as I think it just looks like I'm wearing foundation on my lips. My lips are quite deep pink naturally so even though I applied a base on my lips first, I think my lips kind of mess with the colour of this lipstick. The lipstick itself is really creamy and applies easily but this colour just reminds me of a Barbie lipstick i got free with Girl Talk magazine circa 1996.
I would probably buy this again in a different shade, but I don't think I'll get much use out of this colour. Red lips 4eva!

With and without flash. Natural Nymph Mineral Lipstick

Studio Conditioning Lip Balm in Blissful Berry and Mellow Melon:
I think these are probably my favourite items of the whole order. They've got a really creamy texture and are so easy to apply. They are really pigmented for a lip balm, especially the darker shade, Blissful Berry. And they smell like coconut which is always a good thing!
I'm also really impressed with the packaging of these, the glass jars (well, plastic jars!) look much more expensive than they are. I would definitely recommend these and I could see myself buying these in lots of different shades.

With and without flash. Blissful Berry Studio Conditioning Lip Balm
Mellow Melon Studio Conditioning Lip Balm
(These look almost identical here but they're quite different in real life - have a look on my Flickr for some more swatches of all the products).

Studio Blush in Candid Coral:
In the compact this blush looks scarily gold and shiny but once it's applied it's actually really subtle and a gorgeous peachy-coral colour. If anything, it could be a little bit more pigmented as I had to apply a couple of layers to get it bright enough.
I quite like this blush though, I think I would probably buy it again as I love the colour.

Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder in Luminance:
I'm a little bit disappointed with this as it's not very 'bronze' at all. It looks lovely as a highlighter with just a tiny hint of colour, but I definitely wouldn't describe it as a bronzer. Perhaps I made a mistake choosing the lightest shade, but considering I am super pale I didn't want anything that would make me look too orange.
I wouldn't buy this product again and although I'm sure I will manage to use it for highlighting it's pretty much useless as a bronzer.

Clarifying Pressed Powder in Light Beige:
This is probably the worst of all the products I bought. It's far too dark for me, it just makes my skin look really dirty. Even if it was the right shade, it's really heavy and almost kind of sticky feeling once it's applied. With a pressed powder, I expect it to de-shine my skin and just even everything out but this doesn't as it really hard to blend properly.

Studio Cream Eyeliner in Black:
I've never used a cream/gel eyeliner before so I thought I would give this one a go seen as I wear eyeliner pretty much every single day! I think this is probably perfectly fine for a cream eyeliner, but I just prefer my liquid liner. I find it hard to apply as it doesn't give a smooth line and it needs more than one layer to get it looking really black. I'm not sure if this is just down to this product or whether I don't like cream eyeliners in general.
Any of you who have tried ELF's eyeliner and have also used MAC's Fluidline, what did you think of this product? Do I just need more practice applying it?

Concealer Brush, Eyeshadow Brush, and Studio Stipple Brush:
These brushes are all pretty good, basic brushes. Considering the concealer and eyeshadow brush only cost me £1.20, they're excellent! I've been wanting to try a stipple brush for ages but didn't want to fork out the money for a MAC one in case it was rubbish. I haven't used the brushes much so far but they seem great, I would definitely recommed ELF brushes.

Overall, I think ELF is a bit hit and miss. Most of the Studio products I bought were quite good but the ordinary range wasn't great. My favourite products are the Conditioning Lip Balms and the Under-Eye Concealer and Highlighter, I would definitely buy those and a few other bits and pieces again.

What are your favourite (or least favourite) ELF products?

Gillian x

Pink & Polka Dots

2011-05-11T16:31:00.003+01:00

Dress: Vivien of Holloway
Cardigan: Dorothy Perkins
Belt: New Look
Wedges: New Look

I'm sure many of you will have already heard of the fabulous Vivien of Holloway but if you haven't, make sure to have a browse through the website for lots of wonderful vintage inspired dresses. I bought my first Vivien of Holloway dress back in 2007 to wear to my 5th Year school prom. Most of the other girls were wearing floor length dresses with layers and layers of tulle and silk, which is really not my style. I was much happier prancing about in a 1950s style halterneck swing dress! Sadly that one (a pink and black spotty number) doesn't fit me anyomore, but a year or two ago I bought this dress to replace it.

I haven't actually had the chance to wear this dress all that much, as I feel it's quite dressy for day-time and a little bit too fancy to wear on an average VK-fuelled night out. But as midi-length skirts are very much "in" at the moment, I'm going to bite the bullet and just start wearing it all the time this summer for picnics in the park and strolls around town. (This would also be the perfect opportunity for any eligible young gentlemen reading this to invite me to a fancy soirée so I can wear this dress whilst drinking champagne cocktails...)

I love how this dress sits and it's perfect for spinning round in circles! I tried to take a motion-shot but got dizzy from twirling around too much and walked into the table - fun fact. I think the dress looks great on its own for a day-time look, but once I've got some more pennies I would love to invest in a petticoat to make it all floofy and big for potential night-time wear.

If I had endless funds I would probably buy all of the Vivien of Holloway dresses (I've got my eyes on these ones especially - Rose Garden Blue, Sweet Hearts Pink, & Black Satin Stars). Vivien of Holloway also do some lovely pencil dress and sarong-style dresses which I'd love to try one day too!

Gillian x

River Island Shop-In Wishlist

2011-05-09T11:32:00.003+01:00

As I'm sure many of you already know, this week River Island are holding student shop-in events at stores across the country. I'm off to Edinburgh's River Island store tonight to grab myself a bargain as everything is 20% off. In preparation, I've had a look through their website and chosen my favourite items that I will be on the look-out for tonight.

1. Green Grecian Shift Dress 2. Turqouise Feather Thong Necklace 3. Cream Long Sleeve Shirt 4. Cream 3/4 Sleeve Jumper 5. Chelsea Girl Print Skinny Jeans 6. Pink Strappy Sandals 7. Black Bandeau Shirred Prom Dress 8. Gold Aviator Sunglasses

I will probably end up coming home with something completely different, but nevermind! What have you got your eye on from River Island at the moment? Are you planning to go to one of the shop-ins?

Gillian x

Miss Scarlett

2011-05-05T22:07:00.003+01:00

Dress: Vero Moda @ ASOS
Belt: Dorothy Perkins
Wedges: New Look

I recently ordered a few things from ASOS and this bright red shirt dress by Vero Moda is one of the things I purchased. I only really bought it because I needed something to bring the total up a bit so I could get free delivery, but I think it's actually my favourite thing from the whole order! The colour is a gorgeous bright reddish-orange which is perfect for the summer (please excuse the excessive boobage in the last photo - it showed the colour really well!).

The only downside to this dress is the fact that it's made of a silky fabric which seems to be really staticky, so the skirt ends up sticking to my legs instead of sitting properly. Any tips on how to stop clothes from being static?! Think I might have to buy an old lady underskirt or something!

I love this belt and wear it quite a lot, but I'm not sure if it's a bit too tough and chunky for this dress. What do you think? I almost always wear belts so I felt I needed something, but next time I wear it I might swap this one for a skinner belt. I'm going out for a meal and some cocktails for my friend's birthday on Saturday and I am planning to wear this outfit, so I will experiment then!

I bought these wedges last summer but as much as I love them, I haven't actually worn them very much. Definitely going to change that though and get as much wear out of them as possible over the next few months.

Gillian x

Review: Eyeko Makeup

2011-05-03T17:25:00.003+01:00

Last week I put in my first order at Eyeko and when I got home this afternoon there was a lovely little package waiting on the doormat for me. The website said it could take up to 28 days for delivery so I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in less than a week. So without any further ado, let's have a look at what I ordered...

Frosting with and without flash

Fat Balm in Frosting:
The Fat Balms are one of Eyeko's most famous products, a favourite of many beauty bloggers. I ordered 'Frosting' which is a lovely bright pink shade. In my head I thought the product would be much bigger, but it's the perfect size for putting in your makeup bag for a night out. I was expecting it to taste/smell like vanilla icing but in fact I think it smells like sugary donuts. YUM!
The Fat Balm is somewhere between a lip balm and a lipstick, so they apply really easily but still give a bit of colour. I only applied one layer and found it was the perfect brightness for me, but you could easily apply more to get a darker colour. I think this will fast become one of my favourite makeup essentials as I love the bright (but still quite natural-looking) pink colour and it makes your lips feel lovely and soft.

Purple Graffiti Pen with and without flash

Graffiti Eyeliner Pen in Purple:
I wear cat-eye black liner pretty much every day (I'm far too lazy to faff about with eyeshadow, a quick slick of eyeliner is much easier!) so when I saw this purple eyeliner pen on the Eyeko website I thought I would branch out and mix up my usual eye routine a little bit. It really is just like a felt tip pen so it's really easy to apply and it doesn't seem to smudge at all.
I was expecting it to be a little bit metallic-looking but it's not, it's just a really nice deep shade of purple. It's subtle enough to wear during the day time and for night time I think I might pair it with some Urban Decay Glitter Eyeliner for a bit of sparkle.

Loud Mouth with and without flash

Liptastik Glossy Lip Pen in Loud Mouth:
The Liptastik pens are a great alternative for those of us who love lipstick but are too lazy to apply it properly! The product glides on really easily and has amazing colour payoff, I only applied one coat and my lips looked great. The colour is quite a warm, rosy pink so I think it would suit most skin tones.
There is a little bit to twist at the bottom to 'release' more product (I have no idea what word I am looking for, I'm sure you know what I mean!) so there's no need to sharpen it. The only thing I would be worried about with this though is that the tip would no longer remain sharp so you might need to use a lipliner to get a neater shape.

London Lips in Portobello:
Eyeko have an Ambassador scheme which allows customer to get rewards when they enter an Ambassador's code at the checkout, and this was the free product I recieved. I'm a little bit annoyed, however, as when I placed my order the free product being advertised was Fat Balm in Cherry (I was originally intending to buy this, but as I thought I was getting it for free I didn't bother - wish I had now as I really wanted to try it!) and I got this instead. I do understand that this was a free product so I shouldn't complain too much, but I really think Eyeko should have been a bit clearer so I could have ordered accordingly. It's especially annoying as I never really wear lipgloss!
The lipgloss is quite sticky which I don't like but it's a lovely pale pink colour with little gold flecks through it. I think it might actually be a little bit too pale for me as I tend to go for bright lip colours rather than nudes. But as I said I'm not much of a lipgloss person, but for those who do like lipgloss this would probably be a great product!

Loud Mouth and Purple Graffiti Pen

Overall I'm very happy with these products and would recommend them all, even though I personally am not a huge fan of the lipgloss. I will definitely be ordering more of the Fat Balms soon!

Have you ever used any Eyeko products before? What did you think of them?

Gillian x

The April Review

2011-04-30T10:07:00.000+01:00

1. UV bubbles on a night out. 2. Cherry blossoms on the Meadows. 3. My goldfish, Bryan.
I thought I would start a new feature on the blog - a monthly round up of what I've been up to, with lots of pictures! (As always, click any picture to view it bigger). So here's what's been going on in April...

What I've Been Doing:
Not an awful lot, really! Started up the blog again, which I'm loving. I really missed posting stuff and being part of the blogging ~community~. I felt I was a bit behind the times so I finally joined twitter (I'm @elevatormusik if you would like to follow me) to keep up with everyone.
Apart from that I have mostly been studying, or at least pretending to! I've had two exams so far and there's three more to go. The last one is on May 17th, I can't wait to be done!

1. Fairy lights round my bed. 2. Lots and lots of revision. 3. Blue skies.
Where I've Been Going:
Sadly, because of revision, I haven't had the time for any adventures so I've pretty much just been going between my flat and the library and back again! I have managed to have a couple of nights out with my friends and a few trips to the student union bar at Teviot. I've also gone for some munch at Illegal Jack's, their burritos are amazing!
Earlier in the month it was my friends' 21st birthday so I got the train through for their party. They are triplets so there were sooo many people at the party, it was great. I did lots of dancing and got tucked into the delicious buffet before going back to their house for a massive sleepover, it was braw! ♥

1. New CDs from Fopp. 2. The Library Bar in Teviot. 3. Sunglasses weather!
What I've Been Buying:
Got a couple of dresses delivered from the ASOS sale the other day, one which I love (but is mega see-through, will need to invest in an old lady slip from M&S!) and the other which I'm not sure about yet. I'm sure one or both will be featured in an oufit post soon!
I also went shopping to Fopp to buy actual CDs. Remember those disc things? Before iTunes was invented? Yes! It's been years since I just had a browse of the CD racks and I was loving it, felt like I was 15 again when buying music was much more important than clothes! I've been listening to a lot of Mogwai recently, it's great for studying because most of the songs don't have words so I can't get distracted and sing along haha. This is one of my favourite songs just now.

1. Dancefloor in Cav. 2. Bryan again. He's named after Bryan Adams! 3. PomWonderful juice.
What I've Been Loving:
The weather! It's so nice to be able to go outside without a jacket. Although, I am a true Scottish girl and the second it gets over 25 degrees I think I'm going to die and have to go sit in the shade for fear of burning to a crisp. I'm loving the weather at the moment though, it's the perfect balance of nice and sunny without being too hot.
I'm also liking the fact Desperate Housewives is back on the TV, it's one of my favourites and I'm going to be so sad when it finishes. Can't believe I've been watching it for 7 years!

What have you been up to this month?

Gillian x

Back in Black

2011-04-25T16:34:00.002+01:00

Dress: Dorothy Perkins
Belt: ASOS
Shoes: New Look

If I could get away with it, I would wear outfits like this at every given opportunity. I much prefer dressing for night time than day time. I'm rubbish at putting together casual outfits that still look stylish - I wish I was one of those girls who could wear a plain white tshirt and jeans and still look amazingly chic, but alas I am not!

This is my favourite dress at the moment. It has pockets, what more could you want from a dress! These photos don't show it very well (the first one especially is really rubbish quality, sorry pals!) but it has a lovely draped front with pleats going from the shoulder to the waist. (It's this one but in black). They had the same dress in a few different colours and patterns when I bought this from Dorothy Perkins a couple of months ago. I wish I had stocked up because I looove this dress and wear it so much. There was a bright purple version I had my eye on, but can't find it anywhere, boo!

I usually wear big waist-cinching belts, but I think this skinny leopard print one from ASOS works really well with this dress. These are my favourite dancing shoes just now as you can probably tell from all the scuff marks on them! New Look heels are my favourite, I very rarely have a pair from there that hurt my feet. As this outfit is quite plain and I'm not wearing any statement jewellery, I have 'accessorised' with my favourite red lipstick, my faithful Barry M lip paint.

I've got two exams for uni this week so I will be a busy bee doing lots of last minute revision. And also lots of procrastinating. Perfect time to tidy my room, perhaps?

Gillian x

Weekend Wishlist

2011-04-24T12:33:00.003+01:00

1. Red Lace Babydoll Dress 2. Tortoise Retro Sunglasses 3. Kristen High Waisted Skinny Jeans 4. Navy Linen Belted Dress 5. Cream Chelsea Girl Waisted Dress 6. Turquoise Stone Snake Ring 7. Angel Wing Ring 8. Winter White Platform Court

Just a quick post today as it's glorious sunshine here so I'm off outside in a bit armed with my notes and some highlighters to (hopefully!) do some revision for next week's exams.

I have got more than enough lace dresses but I love this red one from Dorothy Perkins, and the cream one from River Island would be perfect for lounging about in the sunshine with the tortoiseshell wayfarers. I need a pair of nude heels in my life as all of my going-out shoes are black, these ones from New Look are gorgeous. I also need a new pair of jeans and I love these Topshop high waisted skinnies. I'm a huge fan of the '50s style dresses that are around on the high street at the moment. Unfortunately this season's '70s trend really doesn't suit my figure, but the fitted '50s sundresses like this Dorothy Perkins one do! Rings are my favourite type of jewellery and this week I've got my eye on two more to add to my collection. I love the snake one, will be buying that ASAP!

What are you lusting after this week? I definitely need to stock up on some new summery clothes for this very unseasonal weather!

Gillian x

Denim & Dancing

2011-04-20T23:29:00.003+01:00

I have been wanting a denim jacket for the longest time, but could never seem to find one that suited me. I don't usually wear short/cropped jackets because they tend to make me look boxy, oh the trials and tribulations of having big boobs and big hips! But I saw this one in New Look a couple of weeks ago and decided I quite liked it. I think the fact that it's sleeveless helps to break the colour up a bit and make it look a little less box-like. I'm still on the lookout for something similar but with sleeves, anyone bought a nice new denim jacket recently?

I wore this outfit yesterday to go to a revision seminar at university in the afternoon, then to the pub in the evening. One or two pints inevitably turned into four or five, which then resulted in the urge to dance so my friends and I ended up going out to a nearby club. The best nights out are always the ones you don't even plan!

The dress is from New Look, which I bought last year. I love this dress as it's perfect for dressing up as well as dressing down, but it's starting to look a bit worse for wear so I'm on the hunt for a new one. It seems black jersey skater dresses are much more difficult to find than you would think!

The necklace is another recent purchase, and it is my favourite piece of jewellery at the moment. I'm loving turquoise accessories just now, a nice ring is next on my wishlist! The claw necklace is from Topshop, as is the ring I wore with this outfit.

The Rocket Dog boots were bought in the Office sale a few weeks ago to replace my dying New Look ones. They lasted me all winter but are in the bin now as the soles were becoming detached. Not very useful when trying to walk! These boots were originally £70 and reduced to £45, but when I got home and checked the receipt I actually only paid £35 for them. Score!

Gillian x

I'M BAAAACK!!

2011-04-18T00:27:00.006+01:00

Hello everyone! Sorry for being a terrible blogger and disappearing for months with no notice! When people say third year at university is a lot more busy and stressful than second year, they're not lying. Unfortunately I got lazy with setting aside time to blog and never quite got round to posting anything new. But never fear, I'm back! I missed blogging too much to abandon it completely, and I've been keeping up with lots of your blogs while I've been away so hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things pretty quickly. Any good new blogs you think I should check out?

Anyway, enough of that. Let's get straight to an outfit!

It was my friends' (they are triplets! and also the loveliest people ever ♥) 21st birthday this weekend, and this is what I wore to their party.

The dress is from Zara, and is in fact my first ever purchase from there. I never usually go to Zara but as I was walking past I noticed this dress beside the door and had to go in and buy it! I don't usually wear a lot of red but I probably should because I think it suits my pale skin and dark hair combo!

Sorry for the rather myspacey photo haha. I'm never sure how to take photos of rings without my hands looking mental, someone help?! The rings and silver hoop earrings are all from H&M. I've got a thing for these kind of big rings at the moment, not sure what to call them but I love them.

The belt and shoes are both from New Look. I forgot to take a close up of the shoes but they are my favourite going out shoes just now (comfy and also easy to walk in, HEAVENLY!) so they will no doubt be making another appearance soon!

Thank you to everyone who is still following the blog, hopefully you won't have forgotten me! I promise not to be naughty and disappear again haha. I've decided to enter the big bad world of Twitter, so I'd love to have some new friends to chat to on there, it's looking rather lonely at the moment! Find me @elevatormusik.

Gillian x

My New Favourite Dress

2010-09-04T16:40:00.003+01:00

It's September now, so it's technically autumn and it's therefore acceptable to start wearing wooly tights, right?!

Unfortunately the colour didn't come out very well in these pictures, but the tights are a gorgeous deep forest green and I think they go really well with my new cream lace skater dress from Warehouse. I love this dress and I think it's probably actually the cheapest thing I've ever bought from Warehouse! It was in the sale plus I got 15% student discount so it ended up only being about £16.

I usually go for blacks, navy blues and deep reds and purples in the autumn, but this year I'm trying to embrace creams, khakis and browns. I love the colours in this outfit, makes me want to go for a long walk in a forest!

This necklace from Accessorize was another new purchase. It's a tiny little globe that spins and everything, so cute!

The boots are from New Look and the belt is from H&M. I usually go for big waist cinching belts, but I love the skinny belt with this outfit. It's pretty cloudy today so I think this is the perfect outfit to wear to go for dinner and then to the pub. I hate being over or under-dressed for the pub, but I think this dress is just about right.

Gillian x

Hello New Shoes, Bye Bye Blues

2010-08-27T16:36:00.003+01:00

Love this song. :)

Well, technically these aren't new shoes as I bought them some time in July but I have only worn them once and they haven't made an appearance on the blog yet! I put myself on a self-imposed shopping ban for August and so far I haven't bought anything. This means I'll have plenty of pennies to buy myself some new things for my autumn/winter wardrobe.

I'm not usually a fan of wedges or big clunky shoes, but I fell in love with these ones from New Look. I'm loving the autumn fashions this year - lots of gothic lace, crushed velvet, rich burgandy colours - and these shoes will look perfect with some of the things I'm planning to buy!

As these are wedges, they're pretty comfortable so would be perfect for a night of dancing. However, so far I've only worn them out to dinner as I'm scared I'll ruin them on a night out. They're suede so will mark easily and I will either a) step in a huge puddle on the way out, b) spill sticky drinks all over them, c) scuff them on the pavement on the walk home, or d) all of the above! I would love to save up for a pair of designer shoes but I'm so bad at destroying shoes, I think it's safer just to shop in Primark and New Look for the moment!

I'm so excited to go shopping next week! Hopefully I'll manage to find lots of lovely things and have time for a few more outfit posts before university starts again in mid-September.

Gillian x

Nautical Necklaces

2010-08-20T18:26:00.003+01:00

Summer in Britain wouldn't be complete without a trip to the seaside for walks on the beach, collecting seashells in plastic buckets and ice cream cones by the pier. Unfortunately it doesn't look like summer's going to last much longer, but these nautical themed necklaces will help it seem like the sun is still shining. Here are some of my favourites.

Little Oyster Locket, Submerged & Sailing Ship, all from This Charming Girl.

Sailor Girl from Cutie Pie Jewellery, Whale Loop Necklace, Pirate's Treasure & Octopus Necklace, all from Etsy.

Boat Trip & Wooden Anchor, both from Junkie Lovers & A Fish Called Willy from Chelsea Doll.

Down By the Sea & Steampunk Cosmic Seahorse, both from Etsy.

Which one is your favourite? Do you like nautical jewellery?

Gillian x

Studs, Studs, Studs

2010-08-12T16:35:00.004+01:00

I bought this top ages ago from the Mela Loves London concession in New Look thinking it was a dress, but it most certainly is not! To get away with the indecent shortness, I wore it with some wetlook leggings from Dorothy Perkins. I love the soft peachy pink colour of the tunic, and the tiny silver studs all over it help to toughen it up a bit. They also had the same top in black which I almost bought instead. The black one would have probably been a bit more versatile, but I decided to buy this one anyway because I loved the colour.

I seem to have a bit of a thing for puff-sleeves at the moment. I also have a bit of a thing for animal themed jewellery!

These earring are from River Island and are shaped like little pink honey bees! So cute! I've been stocking up on lots of animal jewellery lately - including seahorse and frog earrings and a snake ring - which I'm sure will be making an appearance on the blog soon.

Unfortunately my shoes are looking a bit scuffed and worse for wear, probably because I wear them almost every time I go on a night out! They are ridiculously comfortable! I had a look in the New Look sale to see if they had any left so I could replace these ones, but sadly they only had size 8's. That's one thing I hate about being a size 5 - it's a really common size so always sells out the quickest!

I was hoping to have done a couple more posts this week but I have been feeling a bit ill so have spent most of the time snuggled up on the sofa with a hot water bottle and some DVDs. I've only been to see one show at the Edinburgh Festival so far, but am hoping to get out and about lots this weekend and next week so stay tuned for a post in the near future about what I've been to see!

Gillian x

Eau de Parfum

2010-08-05T19:10:00.004+01:00

Hello everyone, sorry about the lack of activity on the blog lately! I've spent the last week or so catching up with friends and tidying and unpacking after getting back to my flat, but I should have plenty of time to update now. The Edinburgh Festival starts this weekend so hopefully I should have lots of interesting things to blog about over the next few weeks!

Anyway, on to today's topic - perfume.

I love having a wander round the perfume department in Debenhams, looking at the pretty bottles and spritzing myself in wonderful scents. When I win the lottery I'm determined to have a huge vanity table covered in perfumes for every occasion and a collection of gorgeous vintage perfume bottles and atomizers. Due to my student budget though, I tend to stick to these two favourite fragrances.

This is Bvlgari's Pour Femme, a classic perfume that has been around since the early 1990s. I love the idea of having a 'signature scent', and this is definitely mine. In my 1st year of university, the first time I saw my friend - who I always sat next to in class - outside of our lecture she said to me "I always thought our lecture hall smelled really nice, but I've just realised it's actually your perfume!".

Cheap Smells (which is a great website btw, I always test perfumes out in Debenhams but buy them from here because they're much cheaper!) describes this fragrance as "a serene, sensual fragrace":

Its' refined bouquet opens with top notes of mimosa, violet, iris, and orange blossom, symbolic of naturality and purity. Heart notes of bulgarian rose and jasmine tea, followed by base notes of florentine iris, vetiver, and madagascar musk, reveal a modern sense of clarity, serenity and sensuality.

To me, it smells like parma violets (not to everyone's taste, but I love them!) and a bouquet of roses. It is both delicate and heady at the same time, light enough for daytime but strong enough to wear on a night out too.

This is my other favourite perfume, J Lo's Glow After Dark. I've been using this perfume since I was about 16, and I don't think I'll ever get sick of it! On our first date, the guy I'm seeing told me he liked my perfume and asked what it was - sadly I had to admit it was J Lo not something classy and fancy like Chanel haha!

Cheap Smells says:

Glow After Dark was inspired by the feeling you get when you're out at a nightclub with your friends, celebrating and enjoying the nightlife. It's all about the fun times with your girlfriends, going out, feeling good, looking good and having fun.
With juicy notes of passion fruit and ice lychee, sexy notes of pink peony and orange flower, and warm notes of blonde woods and soft pink musk, Glow After Dark evokes feelings of warmth and sensuality from the outside in.

I think this perfume is really hard to describe - it's fruity but not fresh. It's strong but not overpowering. In a way, it reminds me of mulled wine even though it smells nothing like that! Glow After Dark is the perfect perfume for a night out, but if used sparingly I like to wear it during the day too.

Do you have a 'signature scent' or do you have lots of different perfumes for different occasions? What are your favourite fragrances?

Snakeskin & Velvet

2010-07-28T22:57:00.007+01:00

Sounds like a horrible combination, doesn't it?! But I really like this metallic snake print mesh and black velvet (which always reminds me of the Alannah Myles song!) dress from New Look. I bought it a few weeks ago when New Look were doing their 20% off all dresses promotion, so along with added student discount it ended up being quite cheap!

I'm not entirely sure if it is actually supposed to be a snakeskin print, but it's definitely some sort of reptile. I quite like how it isn't an obvious pattern, but just gives a little bit of metallic sparkle.

My earrings are cute little keys from Miss Selfridge. I hardly ever wear 'dangly' earrings as I tend to stick to studs or hoops, so it's nice to wear something different for a change.

I love these sequinned peep-toe heels. I got these from a shop called Famous Footwear (I think!) in an outlet shopping centre for something ridiculously cheap like £5. I used to have an almost identical pair from New Look but sadly they got worn to death and I had to chuck them in the bin, so when I spotted these I had to buy them as a replacement!

Gillian x

Wishlist: Tara Starlet

2010-07-25T12:06:00.004+01:00

Like most bloggers, I love all things inspired by vintage fashions and styles. So when I recently came across the clothing line Tara Starlet I instantly fell in love.

Vamp Prom Dress & Flower Button Dress

Tara Starlet is an independent fashion line run by a mother and daughter who share a passion for vintage style. Their pieces are inspired by everything from '40s screen sirens to '50s housewives and everything inbetween.

Gingham Prom Dress & Fifties Capri Pants

Tara Starlet also believes in the 'waste not want not' ethic of the post-war years, using end of roll fabrics and recycling buttons and trimmings wherever possible. Although not quite as unique as original vintage clothes, this does mean that the chances of someone having exactly the same dress as you are much slimmer than if you had been shopping in Topshop!

Belted Vixen Dress & Home Front Dancing Dress

With everything from cute playsuits perfect for picnics to pretty gingham dresses for frolicking in the sunshine, Tara Starlet has everything you need for a vintage inspired summer. If only I wasn't on a student budget, all these gorgeous clothes would be mine!

Side Button Skirt with Blitz Bodice & Polka Dot Playsuit

Gillian x

The Pink Skirt

2010-07-21T14:10:00.003+01:00

Some of you may remember this pink skirt from New Look that I posted about a few weeks ago. Thanks for all your suggestions for what to wear with it! Lots of you seemed to agree that it would look good with a simple black colour scheme.

I wore it with a black top from Primark, spotty tights from H&M and a pearl multi-chain necklace from River Island.

My ring is from Asos and is shaped like a wolf's head, I love it! I think rings are probably my favourite type of jewellery. Most of mine are cheap though, so they tend to turn my finger green after wearing them for a while!

My shoes are from New Look, and are just as uncomfortable as they look! I think I could have done with getting a size bigger as they squish my little toes so much!

Gillian x

Supermarket Sweep

2010-07-18T12:56:00.002+01:00

When I was younger I used to get lots of my clothes from George at Asda, probably because my mum hates shopping so spending an extra 15 minutes in the supermarket was much easier than spending an entire Saturday trailing around town with a 7 year old girl! Once I became a teenager, however, I stopped accompanying my mum on the 'big weekly shop', and now that I live in the centre of town there aren't even any large supermarkets near me. Having a look through the clothing sections on the websites of Asda and Tesco, two of the UK's biggest supermarkets, I think I might have to go on a mission to a store that stocks clothing as they have some great stuff for very reasonable prices.

F+F Linen blend shift dress, £16 & F+F Studded Grecian Dress, £22.

In the past, supermarket clothing departments tended to be made up of lots of childrens clothes and mumsy blouses and knee length skirts. Now, they seem to cater much more for the teenage and twenty-something market, and many of the pieces wouldn't be out of place in Primark or New Look.

G21 Lace Drape Dress, £20 & G21 Spot Print Playsuit, £12 & Tummy Tamer Dress, £12.50.

Perhaps it's a good thing my local supermarket doesn't have a clothing department, otherwise I would end up buying a new dress and a pair of shoes every time I went in to get a loaf of bread!

F+F Signature Gladiator Sandals, £10 & F+F Trend animal print tube skirt, £12.

Do you ever buy clothes and accessories at supermarkets like Asda, Tesco or Sainsburys? Do you think supermarkets could become rivals to highstreet stores like Primark?

Gillian x

(p.s. this is my first attempt at a scheduled post - if all goes to plan this should be posted while I am staying at my friend's house, sleeping off all the vodka from the night before!)

I Hear the Train a Comin'

2010-07-15T11:06:00.004+01:00

Go listen to this song!

I'm catching a train this afternoon to go home and stay with my parents for a couple of weeks, so today's outfit is a comfy and casual one. Regular readers will probably recognise a few of the items in this outfit!

I'm wearing my Warehouse striped skater dress, last seen in this post, with some New Look black leggings and a brown woven belt from Primark. I'm also wearing my cowboy boots, which made their first appearance on the blog last week. I always try and wear bulky things like boots and my coat (which I forgot to take a picture of!) while travelling so they don't take up lots of room in my suitcase.

I love gold hoop earrings and this is my latest pair, from H&M. The necklace is from Primark and is supposed to be worn as a single long chain, but I wound it around twice to make it shorter. I couldn't get a very clear picture of it, but it's a lovely thin gold chain with various wooden beads and little gold discs. I'm also wearing lots of assorted wooden and gold bangles.

As I mentioned, I'm going home for a few weeks, probably until the start of August. It's not exactly a proper holiday, so I will have my laptop and plenty of spare time to blog. I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to take many photos, but I've got a few outfits saved up and some ideas for other posts, so there will definitely be something for you to read! If you want to keep updated with new posts, remember to follow elevatormusik either through Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Gillian x

What's In My Bag...

2010-07-12T15:19:00.003+01:00

I love being nosey and seeing what other people carry around in their bags, so I thought it was time I did a post like this too.

First of all, the bag itself. This is the bag I usually use during the day. It's big enough to fit several notebooks and my laptop in for uni, but it's not too massive so I can use it when going shopping etc as well. It was quite hard to photograph, but it does look nice in real life. I got it from Accessorize last year; it's this bag but in black.

My purse always stays in this bag, and it contains all the usual - money, ID, student card, Visa, loyalty cards etc. It's by Saddler and is a gorgeous turquoise/green colour. I also always carry my Snapfax with me, it has lots of great student discounts on everything from restaurants to hairdressers. My bag seems to accumulate cinema tickets, receipts, bus tickets, flyers and various bits and pieces of paper. Doing this post was a good chance to clear most of these out and chuck them in the bin! Finally in this photo, my umbrella. It's always a sensible idea to carry an umbrella with you in Scotland! I did have a cute leopard print one but I left it in one of my lecture halls one day and never got it back, so right now I'm using this boring black one from Boots.

I never leave the house without taking some form of makeup with me. This is what I would take with me on a normal day - Lily Lolo mineral foundation and kabuki brush, Urban Decay black pencil eyeliner, and some Chapstick or Vaseline. I also like to keep a hairbrush in my bag for bad hair days, and a wee mirror for sneaky check-ups!

I take my phone with me everywhere, not because I'm obsessed with social networking on-the-go or phoning people all the time, but because I don't wear a watch so always use my phone to check the time. My current phone is a Samsung Tocco Ultra. My MP3 player is pretty ancient by now (I think I got it in 2006) but it still works and I don't actually use it as often as I used to so I don't see the point in buying something new and expensive. It's a purple Sony Walkman and I love it because it looks rather space-age. The black case is for my camera, which I always try and take with me in case there's anything nice to photograph while I'm out and about. My camera is a Samsung ST45, but obviously it's not pictured here as it was taking the photo!

During the summer I like to shove a pair of sunglasses in my bag. As the weather here can change so quickly, it's always good to have some spare glasses in case the sun comes out. I also always keep some emergency plasters and kirby grips in my bag, you never know when you might need some!

My Moleskine planner always comes with me too, so I can note down deadlines and appointments and keep track of things I need to do.

My bag is full of lots of pens, there's nothing I hate more than needing to write something but not having anything to write with. All my pens are black as I hate hate hate writing in blue pen, I think it looks untidy and horrible! Black biros 4eva! And finally these are my keys. I once left home without them and got locked out of my flat which was extremely annoying and stressful, so I have never gone out without them since! The green thing is a "Monkey" but its face has rubbed off so it doesn't have quite the same cute effect anymore. I also have a little glittery frog keyring, as they are one of my favourite animals.

Other things that are often found in my bag, but weren't pictured here are - a bottle of juice or water, Hall's Soothers, chewing gum, an A4 notebook (sometimes 2 or 3 if I have several different uni classes to attend), a sampler-size bottle of perfume, whichever novel I'm currently reading, and assorted pieces of jewellery.

I've had a really busy weekend, so I was hoping to have a quiet night in tonight with some home-made enchiladas, a film or two, and having time to catch up on all your blogs. However, I've just been invited out for dinner so I better go have a shower and find something to wear, I promise I will get back to reading your lovely blogs soon!

Gillian x

Little Blue Dress

2010-07-09T14:04:00.003+01:00

I realised the other day that the vast majority of my 'going out' dresses are black. This is good because black is slimming, easy to accessorise with and generally quite classy. However, it's also a bit boring. So when I saw this blue bodycon dress in the H&M sale I thought I would buy it in an attempt to become more colourful.

I love the combination of cobalt blue and coral, so I have paired it here with some wedges from Primark. The belt is from Dorothy Perkins. The necklace I'm wearing is from River Island and is also a recent sales aquisition. I always try and do my jewellery shopping during the sales as things usually always get reduced to half price (or less!) and you don't have to worry about finding what you want in your size.

I'm still not entirely convinced that blue is the new black, but I think I like this dress enough to keep it. It seems to like creating unflattering arrangements of fabric around my tummy area, but on the other hand it does make my boobs look awesome haha!

I've got a busy weekend planned which includes watching Role Models, making and icing lots of cupcakes, helping a friend move out of her flat, going out for Mexican food and margaritas, going clubbing and taking a trip to IKEA. Hopefully somewhere inbetween all that I'll have time to catch up on reading all your blogs!

Gillian x

The Owl Necklace

2010-07-06T17:32:00.003+01:00

How gorgeous is this necklace? I bought it recently in H&M and I wore it today to brighten up a casual outfit I wore to go shopping.

This is one of my favourite dresses as it's so versatile and easy to dress down for day-time and up for night-time. It's a black jersey skater dress from New Look, and today I wore it with Dorothy Perkins leggings, an Oasis cardigan and a black belt also from New Look.

These are my favourite daytime shoes of all time. ALL TIME! I got them a couple of years ago from Dune and unfortunately now they're a bit worse for wear. The outside is still in pretty good condition, but the lining inside is all ripped which makes them kinda uncomfortable to wear. I'm constantly on the lookout for a lovely new pair of cowboy boots to replace them with!

I'm loving owl-themed things at the moment, and picked up an owl ring today which I'm sure will be making an appearance on the blog very soon! I went out looking for some good sale bargains but unfortunately didn't find very much. Have you had any luck in the sales this year?

Gillian x

The Joys of Tumblr

2010-07-05T14:12:00.004+01:00

Hello everyone, how were your weekends? As the weather has been rubbish, I spent most of my weekend eating homemade chocolate and marshmallow brownies while discovering the delights of Tumblr. I guess I'm a little late to the party, but how good is Tumblr?! I have decided I'm not going to sign up for an account because then I really will get addicted, so for now I'm just saving my favourite pictures into my aptly titled 'Mega Nice Stuff' folder. Here are some of my favourites so far.

Do any of you have a Tumblr account? What are your favourite Tumblrs, whether pretty photographs, inspirational quotes or amusing pictures?

I've had quite a few new followers recently which is great, come and say hello! I've also added a link to Bloglovin in the sidebar, so if you use that you can now follow elevatormusik through Bloglovin.

Gillian x

Floral Addiction

2010-07-02T19:24:00.004+01:00

I have so many floral dresses, it's getting a bit out of hand. But I just can't help myself, they're so pretty and easy to wear.

This dress is part of the H! by Henry Holland range at Debenhams. It had 30% off and it just happened to be the last dress in the shop. When I noticed it was in my size I just couldn't say no! I also tried on a purple dress in the H! range but got extremely confused attempting to put it on, only to discover it was actually a playsuit. It looked quite nice on, but I decided not to buy it as it was such a palaver to put on!

I wore this outfit to have a wee feast at Nando's and then visit the pub with one of my friends. I hadn't been to the pub for ages, I had forgotten how good a pint (or four!) of cider and blackcurrant was! The black flats are from Dorothy Perkins and I think the tights are from H&M. I am the worst person in the world at getting ladders and holes in tights so I try and stock up whenever I find them cheap or on offer.

Trying to accessorise this outfit was harder than I thought as most of my necklaces are on really long chains. I tried this shorter one from Dorothy Perkins but I didn't think it was quite right as it's too big and chunky. Any suggestions of what jewellery you would wear with this dress, or cute websites to browse through?

I think this might become my new favourite going-out bag. I hate bags that are so tiny all you can fit in them is your phone and keys, and have no room left for makeup or your camera! This studded bag from H&M is the perfect size so I can fit all my stuff in it but it isn't too big and clumsy for night time. I also love how the chain is detachable so you can turn it into a clutch bag if you want.

I am also loving thumb rings at the moment. This ring was part of a pack of five from H&M.

Gillian x

Runnin' With the Devil

2010-06-30T15:56:00.003+01:00

It seems I've become best friends with my postman in the last couple of weeks. Today I received a package through my letterbox from Urban Outfitters containing this oversized Van Halen t-shirt.

I have been wearing it all day, and I love it! I've always been wary of oversized tops as I thought they would probably add lots of extra pounds, but I think if worn in the right way this won't be the case. Here, I've paired the top with some Miss Selfridge denim shorts (it would look so good with distressed/cut off shorts, but unfortunately these are the only pair of denim shorts I own!), aviators from H&M and gladiator sandals from Primark.

I'm already planning in my head different ways to wear this top. I think it would look good tucked into a pencil skirt, over some wet-look leggings, or cinched in with a belt and a bodycon mini skirt. How do you wear your oversized t-shirts?

I've been searching for the perfect pair of aviators for ages, and I think might have found them. Aviators always seem to be too big for my face and end up coming way too far down my cheeks, but I think these ones from H&M are a great size.

In honour of my latest purchase, I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite classic 80s rock tunes. They always put me in a good mood, and are perfect on a summer playlist!

Van Halen - Panama

Poison - Talk Dirty to Me

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again On My Own

Motley Crue - Home Sweet Home

I blame my dad for making me like such music haha! Anyone else a fan? What are your favourite songs?

Gillian x

Cocktails, Cupcakes and What to Wear

2010-06-28T15:39:00.004+01:00

On Friday afternoon the postman brought me a lovely little package of books from Amazon, including The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook and Eat Me. One of my friends was visiting on Friday evening, so we decided it would be the perfect opportunity for baking and cocktail making.

So as we sipped out first round of Cosmos we flicked through the books to find something quick and yummy to bake. We settled on the strawberry cheescake cupcakes from the Hummingbird cookbook. They tasted really good, but unfortunately didn't look very photogenic! My kitchen scales are broken at the moment so we had to guess on the measurements, but I think they turned out pretty well considering! My mission this week is to buy some new scales and some piping bags so I can try out lots of the recipes and make them look beautiful. Lakeland here I come!

After going out for coffee on Saturday afternoon I just happened to walk past all the shops and notice they all had sales on, so of course I had to have a look. I bought this pink skirt from New Look for £4, but I'm not quite sure what to wear it with. I always feel compelled to buy clothes when they cost less than a fiver, even if they're not my usual style or something I wouldn't even consider buying if it was full price!

So this is where you lovely ladies come in, what would you wear with this skirt? Would you go for a bright top or stick to monochrome? Something with structured shoulders or a loose, oversized tshirt? Tights or leggings? Tell me what you think would make this into a great outfit. Hopefully you will insipre me and I will post an outfit featuring this skirt soon!

Gillian x

Ahoy, Sailor!

2010-06-25T16:23:00.003+01:00

Can you tell from my last couple of posts that I'm in love with nautical colours and styles?! I snapped up this dress in the Warehouse sale and I'm in love with it, even if it is also a little bit short (should probably put on a pair of leggings underneath when wearing this in public)!

The belt is from Primark. I bought it about a year ago but have only worn it a handful of times, I think I need to wear it more often as the buckle is awesome! The shoes are also from Primark. They are they perfect non-sandals summer shoes. Whenever I wear them they make me want to learn to play tennis!

I decided to paint my nails to go with this outfit, what do you think of the way they turned out? I decided to paint a little white heart on one nail to match my heart-shaped necklace which was originally from Quiz a very very long time ago!

I used Nails Inc polish in 'Victoria and Albert', Barry M in 'Red Glitter' and 'White', and 17 Lasting Fix Polish in 'Clear'.

What are your plans for the weekend? One of my friends is coming over tonight, not sure yet what our plans are but I'm sure it will invole either films, alcohol or baking, possibly all three!

Gillian x

Fun in the Sun

2010-06-23T13:39:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was really warm and sunny so I spent the afternoon lounging in The Meadows, reading a book and people watching. My flat doesn't have a garden, but I live literally three seconds away from here, so that definitely makes up for it.

Look at the tiny little plane!

I went shopping on Monday and one of the things I bought was this floral dress from Motel. I love the shape of it, and it sits so nicely in real life. The tag claimed it was a dress but it is rather short, so I put on a pair of white New Look leggings underneath.

I love The Meadows in the summertime, it's always full of people having fun and enjoying the sunshine. You can just about make out in the picture above a guy behind the tree who had his guitar with him, awesome!

The sandals are from Primark and I got my sunglasses in the ASOS sale last year for only £1! It's so hard to take photos of yourself outside, so I had to take the outfit photos back at the flat.

Notice the sunburnt right arm. The rest of me is fine, I don't know why only that arm decided to turn bright red!

Remember to follow my blog if you like my posts!

Gillian x

Style Inspiration: Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road

2010-06-22T13:12:00.004+01:00

Set in 1950s America, the film Revolutionary Road contains many of my favourite things. While the film focuses on the "disturbia" aspect of the new suburban way of life (oh the joys of being a history student!), I am in love with the idea of being a '50s housewife. The whole film is very aesthetically pleasing, but my favourite part is the costumes. Kate Winslet's character, in particular, has some amazing 1950s style outfits.

I love the mixture of tight fitting, structured dresses and big skirts with petticoats. Even the more casual looks are gorgeous, such as the beach outfit with the high-waisted shorts and rolled up sleeves. I mean look at those sunglasses, they're amazing!

Who is your style inspiration at the moment?

Gillian x

Lazy Sunday Outfit

2010-06-20T17:15:00.005+01:00

Dress: New Look, cardigan: Primark, belt: Miss Selfridge, shoes: New Look, necklace: Primark, assorted bangles.

I love lazy weekends. I suppose, as I'm on holiday from university at the moment, my life is like one giant weekend, but I still look forward to lying in on Saturday morning and catching up on the week's happenings on Sunday afternoon. I spent pretty much all of yesterday lounging in bed in my jammies watching as many episodes of Flight of the Conchords and Greek as I could possibly manage.

Today I did actually manage to get up and dressed (admittedly the heels were only put on for taking these photos!) to do some reading and tidy up the flat. I love sitting by the window on a sunny day with it wide open, reading a good book. Sadly we don't have a garden, otherwise I would probably be sitting out there right now!

Did you get up to anything exciting this weekend? Or do you prefer relaxing and being lazy at the end of the week?

Gillian x

Makeup I Couldn't Live Without

2010-06-18T14:18:00.004+01:00

It's true. I'm one of those people who cannot even go to the corner shop without at least some form of makeup on. I just feel naked without it! If, for any reason, someone was to take away the following three products from me it's quite likely I would cry.

1. Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation (shade Blondie)
My skin is generally in quite good condition, but because I'm naturally really pale my skin can often look blotchy and red so I always like to start with a good base of foundation. What I love about Lily Lolo is the fact that it's a mineral powder so you can buff it into your skin and build up a few thin layers to get the coverage exactly where you need it. It's so easy to touch up during the day as well (although I find it lasts for ages, especially if you also use a finishing powder on top) by just buffing in a wee bit more. You only need to use a little bit of powder to get good coverage, so it lasts for ages too, which is great!

2. Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner
If you asked any of my friends to name one makeup 'look' they associated with me, I'm fairly certain they would all say black cat-eye liner. I do my eyes like this about 90% of the time, on its own in the day time and with some pretty eyeshadow for night time. The Rimmel liquid liner is great because it doesn't have one of those felt-tip nibs but rather an actual little brush, which I find much easier to control. It's a really dark black colour, a great consistency for easy application and it doesn't smudge off if you're wearing it for a long time. Many women would probably say mascara would be more important than eyeliner, but I would much rather give up long lashes if I could keep my liquid liner!

3. Vaseline Rosy Lips
I very rarely wear lipstick during the day, but sometimes I want just a little pop of colour to make my lips stand out. Vaseline Rosy Lips is perfect for this as it is slightly tinted to give your lips a lovely reddish-pink glow. Although in the tin it looks really bright, it's very subtle and natural looking when you apply it. Plus it moisturises and keeps your lips feeling nice and soft, which is always a good thing!

What are your top three beauty products? Are there any products you simply could not live without, or do you prefer to go makeup-free when you can?

Gillian x

Swift Horse

2010-06-16T17:24:00.001+01:00

I have lived in my current flat for exactly one year and five days. There are five or six charity shops on the street behind where I live, but I'm ashamed to admit yesterday was the first time I had visited any of them. I'm not sure why I'd never been to them before, I pop into the charity shops on the other side of town all the time!

I spent yesterday afternoon browsing and a few dresses caught my eye but unfortunately none of them were in my size. I didn't come home empty-handed though. I got this gorgeous bag which is sort of a satchel-briefcase-handbag hybrid, I love it!

jacket: New Look, jeans: Topshop, shoes: Schuh, hairband: Primark, bag: vintage

I love the badge on it. I've done a little googling but can't find any information about 'Swift Horse'. It's real leather and was only £10.

Have you purchased any new bags recently?

Gillian x

Just Dance

2010-06-15T17:08:00.002+01:00

I went out clubbing (that's such a horrible word isn't it, sounds so seedy and cheesy!) on Sunday night with my friend and some of her pals, and this is what I wore. I was originally planning on wearing a new dress I got recently, but when I put it on I discovered it was almost completely see-through so I had to do a quick change into something else before we went out!

This outfit is pretty boring, but I love the belt which makes it a bit more exciting. Even better, I got it in the Dorothy Perkins sale for only £3! The ruched-sleeve top is from H&M and the shorts are from Miss Selfridge. The shoes are from New Look, but are sadly looking a bit worse for wear these days. They are the comfiest heels I've ever owned, so I wear them as often as I can!

I wore these earrings, which are also from Miss Selfridge. Some of the little beads are a very similar colour to the belt - I like it when my accessories match but in a subtle way.

I had a great night out, but had to spend most of Monday asleep to recover! Today I did the rounds of the charity shops near my flat and picked up a couple of bits and pieces, so keep a look-out for some posts about that over the next few days.

Gillian x

'50s Housewife

2010-06-13T18:26:00.003+01:00

It has been a horrible grey day here today so I thought I would cheer myself up by wearing a bright and summery outfit.

The dress and cardigan are both from Dorothy Perkins. I absolutely love this dress, when I wear it I feel like I'm a housewife from the 1950s. I had a lazy Sunday today, I tidied up the flat and made a big pot of carrot and courgette soup - just like a real housewife!

The shoes are from Primark, and they are the exact same shape as the little high heels you used to get for Barbie dolls. Excellent!

There was a big rip in the skirt part of this dress from an adventure I had that included climbing over fences taller than I am, but I think I've managed to patch it up pretty well.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm going out tonight so will take some photos of my outfit (once I've decided what to wear!) and post them once the hangover wears off.

Also, thank you for all your lovely comments so far! Remember to follow my blog if you like my posts.

Gillian x

Shoes and Strawberries

2010-06-12T14:55:00.004+01:00

I bought these shoes recently in New Look and I love them. I'm a big fan of round-toed heels (pointy shoes just make me think of middle-aged women wearing kitten heels - yuck!) so I fell in love with these shoes as soon as I saw them.

I haven't worn them out yet, but have a girls-night-out planned for tomorrow evening so I'm currently planning an outfit I could wear them with. Not only do they look good, but the strap means they should be a little bit easier to walk in! Quite often with heels my feet seem to slip out, especially if I'm wearing them with tights, but cute straps and buckles help to solve this problem. So far they feel quite comfortable, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to say the same after a night's worth of dancing!

Yesterday evening I went grocery shopping and bought lots of fresh fruit, including a big punnet of strawberries. I was planning on making a yummy strawberry dessert, but I seem to have eaten half of them already, oops! What's your favourite strawberry recipe, or do you prefer just to eat them fresh on their own?

Gillian x

Hello, world!

2010-06-11T19:41:00.002+01:00

Hello everyone, welcome to elevatormusik! I'm Gillian, a 19 year old girl living in Edinburgh, Scotland and currently 2 years into my History degree. This blog is going to be a mish-mash of all the things going on in my life, with posts about fashion, food, makeup, and everything inbetween. As a bit of an introduction, I thought I'd start with an outfit post.

It's not quite warm enough here to go for a full-on summer outfit yet, so I've popped on a black puff-sleeve top under my floral sun-dress, both from H&M. The belt is my go-to black belt, from Primark.

The pattern doesn't look like much from far away, but up close I love it. I really like the combination of pink and orange. After all, we all know "orange is the new pink"!

The gladiator sandals are from Primark. I bought them around this time last summer, and considering they only cost about £3 they're still in surprisingly good condition. I saw the same sandals were in store again this year, so I bought myself a gold pair too. The earrings are from River Island. They're gorgeous but so big they don't seem to want to sit properly on my little ears!

Hopefully I'll have lots of new posts up over the next couple of weeks so please keep checking back for new things. If anyone would like to exchange links I'd love to, just leave a comment!

Gillian x