Hello loves,

I thought it may be fun to write a post about 'What is in my handbag?'.  I really enjoy being nosey and finding out what other ladies may be hiding in their bags.

Often girls can be so resourceful on what they manage to fit into their bags, but my resourcefulness may not reach these levels. I'll leave it for you to judge.

So without further ado....

My handbag is just a small black faux-suede mini satchel bag from River Island. If you wanted to get your mitts on this little bag, just click here. These are also available in other colours, but I'm particularly liking the oxblood one and the leopard print hybrid. There is plenty of room for everything you need to carry, and the magnetic latches are very sturdy. The price is also not too bad!

And this is literally all the goodies that I tend to carry in my little bag. I've really been into carrying smaller bags, compared to my usual larger totes. I just think that my poor shoulders needed a good break! The time to downsize had come along and now I'm just embracing it.

  

I have my wallet in my bag from River Island also. I know that there is a bit of a trend here for River Island, however I just found it a really convenient size. It has a white flap and gold/grey clasp with the main body being a lime green. It is a really nice colour combination and was perfect to celebrate the start of summer. I've always used the River Island large purses, and they have enough space for cash, cards and coins. They are literally all I have been using. However, please watch this space on the blog for some 'lust-have' accessories, which should be coming up soon! 

Another essential is my gold iPhone (not pictured here) and my iPhone headphones. The headphones aren't very comfortable but I just suck it up as they fit so nicely in the little case. I also carry a small diary and a pen to keep up-to-date with appointments. I know I could use my phone in this wonderful digital age, but I'm a bit old school and still like to keep a diary on hand.

 

My sister-in-law also kindly bought me a Gucci hand-mirror which is beautiful. It is quite heavy but such a nice piece to carry with you and whip out to fix make-up. I also keep Kleenex blotting sheets with me, in case my T-zone gets oily. Previously I've also used the DHC ones (which I really like). 

I keep minimal make-up on me during the day, however lippy is a MUST. My latest lip muse is MAC's Snob, which is just the prettiest pink that is a hint off your own lip colour. It is not too garish or too bold and hits the right notes for a pretty look.

The other pieces that I have to carry with me is without a doubt my Soap and Glory Hand Maid anti-bacterial gel. This is scented quite heavily so if that is not your thing, steer clear! The scent is definitely not unpleasant and it really keeps those nasties at bay. I also carry Soap and Glory's Endless Glove hand cream, which is super nourishing on my mitts. I've had dry hands on quite a few occassions lately, and this whips my skin back into shape.

I have to always have a lipbalm on hand and my current favourite is the Burt's Bees Mango lipbalm. The butters in this baby is awesome and keeps my lips amazingly soft and kissable. I also keep a lipgloss on hand just in case I need some sheen on my lips and at the moment that is in the form of Urban Decay's Naked gloss in Sesso. This is a rose colour with pink shimmer in. It looks great if you want to give your look a boost or polish. And the final items I always keep on hand is the Yes to... cucumber wipes in travel size and some polo mints. They are fairly self explanatory. Wipes if something spills or my face needs a wipe and polo mints for minty fresh breathe. Not the biggest fan of gum anymore, so mints are great.

What do you keep in your bag?

Beauty Buys

Good morning beauties,

Happy hump day! I'm excited to be half way through the week and can't wait to share some exciting beauty related posts with you all later this week.

Recently, I managed to buy lots of the beauty goodies that I didn't manage to buy the past while. Urban Decay is just one of those notorious beauty brands that I fell in love with the first time I ever tried it, and as soon as the Naked 3 pallette and the Naked on the Run pallette was released, I wanted - nay - needed both!

Please excuse the wine in the background, however occassionally needs must. So during the shopping process I bought the Naked on the Run pallette, Naked 3 pallette, Naked Lipgloss in Lovechild and a mini Roller Lash Mascara by Benefit.

I haven't regretted buying any of these beauties and they've fast formed an integral part of my daily beauty routine. If you want me to review any one of these products, just let me know.

What is your beauty lust-haves?

What I got for Christmas

Good afternoon to all of you beautiful ladies out there...

It has been a LONG time since I've blogged, but I've just got sooo much to share!  I'll have to say sorry for my absence from the blog, but I'm now working full-time, studying towards an MSc in Medicinal Chemistry and having to run my household.  So quite a bit to be getting on with.  I really miss blogging so will try to do it in between whenever I can.

So without further ado....a belated Merry Christmas!  I hope you've all had a wonderful festive time that is filled with all the good stuff that Christmas should be all about.  Lots of blessings from my house to yours.

I really wanted to share what I got for Christmas and loads of other posts that I've organised for the next few days, so I'd love to see you peering in and reading what I've been up to.

All my gifts together

My giant 'cow' slipper that warms your feet and my Teradactyl warming beanie

From left to right: Benefit's Primed for lovin' kit, Urban Decay Black Market 24/7 mini pencils, Naked Basic/2/3 dual ended pencils, Hugo Boss Nuit Fragrance set and body lotion and Nails Inc Sexy Dressed Nails Mini Polishes

The Benefit Primed for Lovin' kit contains: Sugarbomb Lipgloss, High Beam Highlighter, Porefessional Primer and They're Real Mascara (a huge favourite!)

These are all my Urban Decay Liners...the Naked duel-ended babies are absolutely gorgeous!

The Best Dressed Nails Kit by Nails Inc includes from left to right: Hampstead Court (silver hologram fibre optic polish), Old Street (rainbow graffiti polish), Regents Park (new red sprinkles polish), Westminster Bridge Road (deep violet galaxy polish) and finally Kings Road (rose gold foil effect polish).

My oxblood Zara Mini Tote (LOVE IT!) and two tickets to Harry Potter Studios in Watford (my husband added the interactive tour by Draco Malfoy and the commemorative book). Super lucky girl!

I got the Lee Stafford Poker Straight Hair kit and the Toni & Guy Kit too.

The Lee Stafford kit includes: Dry Shampoo, Dehumidifier Spray and the Flat Iron Protection Spray. You also get a handy comb and little hair bands in pink.

Closer up ....

The Matthew Williamson for Toni & Guy Hair collection also includes the Dry Shampoo, Extreme Hold Hairspray and Heat Protection Spray and as a bonus you get the spiral hair grips and pretty Matthew Williamson bag that you could easily use for makeup!

I also got from left to right: Body Shop Vitamin E Night Cream, Lush Turkish Deligh Shower Smoothie, Mrs Frosty pack, Lush 'The Honeymooner' massage bar, No 7 Body Shimmer Aftersun and Body Shop's Vitamin E Eye Cream

So as you can see I've been spoilt rotten and am so greatful for all the amazing gifts that my husband and all our family gave both of us.  I also got loads of Lush bathbombs including my favourites 'Golden Wonder' and 'Cinders'.

Hope you've all enjoyed this look into what I got for Christmas and that you got some wonderful gifts too.

Lots of Christmassy Cheer

Glitter

How many of your fancy faces will be rocking GLITTER tonight?? If you’re planning on it, here are some quick tips & tricks along with some of our favorite glitters, glues + tools. We’ve also listed which stores will have them so you can go in and pick them up last minute…



1. NYX Cosemetics “Glitter Cream Palette” £5.00 River Island, Love Makeup and NYX Online
2. Deborah Lippman nail polish in “Boom Boom Pow” £18 House of Fraser, Nordstrom
3. OPI Muppets Collection in “Rainbow Collection” £10.80 Ebay and all good nail shops
4. Sephora Collection Glitter Eyeliner  Sephora
5. Sephora silicone glitter applicator brush Sephora
6. Makeup Forever Glitter Pots £10. Make up For ever Online
7. Makeup Forever Eye Seal £15 Make up For ever Online
8. TooFaced Glitter Glue £16.50 Amazon
9. Urban Decay “Heavy Metal Collection” £13 Ebay, Debenhams, and online
10. NARS “Super Orgasm” blush £21 Nars Online, Selfridges



BEST TIPS + TRICKS:

• If you choose silver, gold or opalescent glitter, you can wear almost any shade of lipstick with it (red, vamp, fuchsia, nude).
• If you choose colored glitter (blue, green, purple, red), you’ll want to pair it with a nude lip as you’re already making a strong statement with your eyes.
• Use a longwear cream eyeshadow (like the NYX palettes above) or use a glitter glue as your base so the glitter can adhere.
• Don’t apply under eye concealer or foundation until after you finish your glitter shadow. That way the glitter won’t have anything to stick to if it falls.
• For bigger glitter chunks, you can individually place pieces using lash glue.
• Use a piece of paper or a business card and place it underneath your eye to catch the glitter that falls off as you apply (or) apply extra face powder underneath your eye just before applying the glitter so you can easily swipe off the excess that falls below your eye using a powder brush and nothing will stick to your makeup.
• WASH OFF YOUR MAKEUP WHEN YOU GET HOME.
• Soak glitter glue with warm water.
• Gently go in with a makeup towelette afterward to clear off any remaining pieces of glitter so they don’t get stuck in your pores!

Cheers! Have fun and sparkle responsibly!

COMPETITION ending SOON! [CLOSED]

Good morning to all you beautiful ladies out there!

I've been so busy over this weekend, I completely missed all the things I wanted to do!  BUT I've filmed another YouTube video, and will be posting that up later this evening!

I finally managed to do a 3-mile run and nearly ended up killing myself and my running partner!  Hehehe Sorry!

Now I'd just like to remind you quickly of the fact that my competition is ending in two days on 29 February 2012 at 9PM and is open internationally!  If you haven't managed to enter yet, do so quickly!!



From Left to Right:  Foxy, Booty Call, Tease, Suspect, Verve, Busted,
Half Baked, Chopper, Snake Bite, Pistol, YDK, Blackout.


I'll be blogging later today as well about a new beauty product!  So keep your eyes and ears peeled! 

Have a lovely work day :)

Angie xxx

Special GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

I'm finally doing my much talked about GIVEAWAY!  Part of the giveaway will be shared with you my amazing followers. However, some parts will be kept secret to allow for this to a little bit exciting!  I'm very excited to offer you the chance of winning this lovely prize, and hope that you will enjoy the process of entering the competition! 

The main prize will be the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette!

 

Other prizes include:  Naked Starflower Crush Body Wash, Foam Bath and Body Butter.  Then there is a fun little photo album with the funky gerbil on, a handbag hook, Hello Kitty keyring, handbag tissues, metallic red nail wraps, Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Face Mask, Kiss Lashes, Soap and Glory's new 'A Great Kisser' Lip Moisture Balm in Juicy Peach and a little hamster pen. 

What does the secret giveaway mean?

It basically means that a part of the giveaway will be shown here, and another part will be kept secret.  I've listed the brands below to allow you to see whether any of the competition is worth entering. 

So, what brands are going to be in the giveaway?

Urban Decay, Benefit, Soap & Glory, Naked, Kiss, Nail Wrap, OPI, LUSH and Montagne Jeunesse. 

How do I enter?

The rules are pretty simple and straightforward:

1. Be a member/follower of the blog via Google Friend Connect (the box in the left hand column)

2. If you can't follow the blog via GFC then I will accept email entries at the normal address (buttonsfriend85@gmail.com)

3. Leave a comment on this post telling me what you would like to see more of on the blog and/or what you find the most useful (i.e. add video tutorials/do more nail posts/fashion is important)

4. Leave a valid email address or Twitter handle for me to contact you on in case you are the winner

5. Spread the word via Twitter or Facebook to all your friends and family - This isn't really an entry requirement and you won't get any extra brownie points but if someone you know wins, then maybe you can divvy up the prize.

That's it!

Like I said, the rules and regulations are straightforward and all entries must fulfill the requirements or else it won't be counted. If you don't leave a comment, name, contact info or be a follower then you are automatically taken out of the loop and lose the chance of winning. It's only one entry per person so if you've left a comment then you don't need to email me your entry because it won't count, and vice versa.

The giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and is now live so you can start leaving your comments from here on. I will close the giveaway on Wednesday 29th February at 9pm so there is enough time to get your entries in. Remember, you snooze you lose!

I look forward to reading through all your entries and remember, keep an eye out on Twitter for information about more brands being added to the giveaway.

Ready... Set.... GO!

Lots of 

Urban Decay Rainbow Beauty

I’ve been intensely excited for the past few weeks about my Urban Decay 15 Year – Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection Palette.  It consists of an unveiled collection of 15 all-new, never before seen shades that are only available in this beautiful limited-release palette.

Urban Decay states:  “Get 24+ hours of wear with these 15 shadow shades by using our Eyeshadow Primer Potions available in Original, Sin, Eden, and Greed.”

I bought my palette from Debenhams and it retailed at a very reasonable £39.  However, you can buy this palette from online stockists and beauty departments near you! 

The 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection Spectrum:

Deeper – deep shimmery golden brown

M.I.A. – dark velvet brown

Ace – dark gunmetal

Blackout – darkest, most saturated black glitter

Half Truth – deep greyish purple

Tainted – pale matte purple with golden shimmer

Junkshow – metallic bright pink w/ slight blue shift

Omen – metallic bright purple w/ blue shift

Evidence – deep metallic blue

Deep End – bright teal

Midnight Rodeo – brown pearl w/ silver

Midnight 15 – oyster pearl w/ silver glitter

Vanilla – creamy white gold

Flow – soft peach shimmer

Chase – bright bronze

All the colours on this palette are amazingly pigmented and the shadows are creamy and soft.  The application is just as amazing as any of the colours found in the UD Naked Palette and the colours are great for day-time looks as well as night-time looks. 

I find myself referring back to this palette on an almost day to day basis and it has become a firm favourite of mine for the month of January.  It has even taken my January-blues away! 

Beautiful Rainbow Spectrum Colours and hugs

Angie xxx

New Blog Development

To all my wonderful readers,

I’d just like to explain what has been going on with my blog.  It is currently being redeveloped as I’m bored of the current image and would like some feedback as to what you’d like to see on the blog.  I’ve also been thinking about doing some YouTube videos for a while now but have been mostly unsure if my readership would be interested in “What is in my bag!”  hahaha

I’ve set up a poll to get to grips with your views on my current look for my blog and any comments/emails would be much appreciated. 

I’d also like to update you on the status of the competition that I’m going to be running shortly.  I’ve been harping on about it for a while now, but unfortunately I haven’t had loads and loads of money to spend on it at the moment.  I’ve only recently started working full-time again, thank goodness!  So at the end of January I’ll create a wonderful prize and that will also be the start of regularly blogging again!  I’m trying to find my feet regarding the balance of working and fitting everything else in between.  So please don’t despair, I haven’t given up on my blog! 

I hope that you will keep reading, even though I might not have given you any reason to do so recently.  One of my prizes for the giveaway will, fingers crossed they are still available, be an Urban Decay Naked Palette 2. 

Lots of love and hugs,

Angie x x x

Review of Rimmel Vinyl Lipgloss

Good evening my lovelies...

I've already enjoyed my weekend a lot!  It is so nice just to relax and take things easy with my lovely husband.  ^_^ I'm just doing a quick review on a new gloss that I recently bought and I have some great news at the end!

I recently bought the Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in 190 Pin Up from Boots for £3.99.  I got it with my Boots points so it was a real bargain!  This colour is neon pink and very exciting when you first have a look at it in the tube.  Unfortunately my photo doesn't really do the colour justice, it packs much more of a punch!  

I have only worn this colour a few times, as it takes some real guts to wear this colour out on your lips.  However, I do love the colour and think that it would be really great on a night out.  The formulation of the gloss is very shiny and really does feel like vinyl on your skin, as stated by the name.  You also have really voluptuous lips after applying a good amount of this gloss.  

This is the colour on the lips (please excuse the terrible picture and my terrible face).  And as you can see the colour is certainly out there.  I would however, recommend this colour highly as well as the other more muted colours in this particular range of lipglosses.  The gloss is really lovely and not sticky.

And now for my good news?  I have finally got my own Urban Decay Naked pallette!!

I know I'm behind by a millenium, but I've so been looking forward to getting my own Naked pallette!  I've really got some wonderful looks out of this pallette so far, and will keep using it constantly.  Really excited to get more Urban Decay products, so watch this space!

Do you have any fun or "out there" lippies?

My top picks in the shops

Hi girls

I've taken my time in blogging this time, because I've been learning how to photoshop my pictures together to stop from posting loads and loads of images.  I've been working pretty hard on this and am very pleased with some of the results.

So this week, I'm still looking for a job but there is hope on the horizon.  Not only that but I've been getting myself ready to learn French with the Rosetta Stone program!  And....I've also been in Birmingham a lot checking out all the lovely things they have to offer there.

Now onto my top picks on the high street at the moment.  I'm currently in love with an oversized shirt dress from Next in a cobalt blue.  I think it is something that would be very comfy to fly in and very versatile for day wear.  It is also not overly expensive at approximately £28.

As you can see the sandals are also pretty cute and have a sort of bluish zebra design.  I love it!  Perfect on the beach too.

Next is my top picks from Zara.  Now really my main aim here is bags and shoes.  I just love the collection of shoes and bags that Zara has come up with but also on how inexpensive their lovely clothes actually are.  The quality is also absolutely mind boggling.  These above two bags are both pure leather and have a very luxurious feel.  The left camel coloured bag comes in other colours and retails at £89 and is brilliant for shopping or travelling.  Meanwhile the right hand bag is tan coloured with studs covering the surface.  This bag is much more pricey at £120 but looks and feels and even smells the business!  The shoes are suede and shown in a plum colour, and again comes in various shades.  They are so gorgeous!

Moving on to the makeup portion, I feel that the big colours for me this season includes rich purples, golds and nude shades actually sort of like in Aztec times.  These colours are very flattering to most skin tones and is so fabulous that I personally have invested in these shades.

Starting off with the eyes really, the best shades for golds and purple come from places like Avon, No 7, Mac, Nars and Urban Decay.  All these places do the stick version (where you swipe the eye colour on and it sits on the lid like a cream) or even pallettes/powder forms.  Avon does a wonderful multi-stilo, which has a wonderfully subtle gold that can be layered to look darker.  The stilo can be used on eyelids, cheeks, and even lips!

Also check out the limited edition Summer Collection from No.7 as they have really nice colours available.

My ultimate favourite eyelid stack comes compliments of Mac with their limited edition Surf, BABY! collection.  It is called the Summer Stash Metallic Pigment set and the colours are just fab! And as you can see there are definite nudes, purples and richer metallic wine colours in there. 

Ofcourse another wonderful pallette full of nude coloured pigments come courtesay of Urban Decay and their fabulous Naked Pallette.  It is very limited in stock numbers, so if you still haven't got one make sure that you jump on the bandwagon.

My next "totally jel" item is the Nars Multistick.  This is a wonderful travel companion because it can do so many things!  Not only can you use it as a highlighter, on the cheeks, on the lips but also as an eyelid colour.  The shades are beautiful too and very subtle.  I think my favourite colour might just be Luxor and Orgasm ^_^ but I love South Beach too!! Might just have to get them all. :P

 Now that is is from me for today lovelies! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and watch out for my next post tomorrow.  Things will be going back to normal again on the posting front quite soon!  :)

On closing, what are your favourite high street top picks?  What do you think of the beauty colours that I mentioned?  And what are your favourite colours in makeup for this season?