April Lust List - Look Like An Angel, Play Like The Devil...

The transition from Winter to Spring is always awkward: Too warm for coats, too chilly for bare skin. Awkward wardrobe change aside, what I adore about this time of year is the sudden resurrection of colour - blues, pinks, oranges and purples to be topically correct! I can't get enough of the Ombre Trend right now (which is basically a neat version of tie dye, I'm sure!) as well as the super cute sunglasses that you can grab for such a bargain, too! 

I'm going through a phase where I love to team very feminine pieces with accessories or make-up that add a subconscious attitude to the outfit! Looks like an angel, plays like the devil...

Without further ado let me present this month's Lust List - credit cards at the ready!

H&M :          Slingbacks   /   Clutch   /   Dress

Missguided : Shorts   /   Cat Shades   /   Jumpsuit

 

 

River Island :    Dress   /   Crop Top   /   Tank

 

Kardashian Kollection :   Wedges   /   Clutch   /   Tote

 

 

ASOS : Necklace   /   Watch   /   Earrings   /   Jacket   /   Dungaree Dress   /   Socks

 

 

 

What do you guys think? Have I missed something off? I'm sure there's more that I want!

 

What's on your lust list?

 

Comment

 

or

 

Tweet - @sheldan2207

 

-x-

 

 

 



Thrifty Thursday: Free Ways To Guarantee A Good Night's Sleep

We all know sleep is important: Most of us wish we had time for a lot more of it! Yet ever since the rise of social media and since our lives are becoming busier and busier, a fair few of us struggle to get the recommended 8 hours every night! Just a few small, FREE changes can aid the sleep quality in your life. Can you do it?!

1) De-clutter your room, de-clutter your mind
It may seem simple but those with a tidier room have a clearer mind which means they're able to switch off quicker at night! Instead of stressing out trying to find my cleanser and then scrabbling around looking for a clean pair of fluffy socks, I'm in bed unwinding already!

2) Lose yourself in a good book
Removing yourself from all the thoughts of your reality, pick up your book and get lost for at least 30 minutes before you try to sleep. The main cause of sleep deprivation is the inability to close off from to-do lists, daily stresses and every day strains. I'm reading Croissants and Jam by Lynda Renham and it's the perfect brief escape to help me dose off!

3) Drink a milky drink before bed
Milk contains melatonin which is the helpful stuff apparently! Not only is it proven to prevent bone decay, balance the chemicals, postpone ageing and aid the prevention of cancer, it has also been used as a Pre-bedtime drink since way back in the day! Mother has a milky coffee before bed every single night, my grandad has hot cocoa and my nan usually has tea! My tipple of choice is an Options Hot Chocolate in either Vanilla, Banana or Coconut flavour!

4) Take work outside
Your room is supposed to be your escape, the one place you can go for ultimate privacy and down time. If you've spent all day in there working on that presentation, article, spreadsheet or whatever it is that you're doing, when it comes to shutting off and going to bed, you're not leaving it behind anywhere! It's like trying to kip in the office.

5) Ban social media from the bedroom!
I could be feeling the sleepiest I've ever felt, then I quickly log onto Twitter to 'check' my feed. Instantly I'm involved in a string of retweets, a live web chat, multiple trending posts... I just can't help myself. Before I know it it's an hour later and I'm getting 7 hours instead of 8 hours sleep! No more 'checking' the feeds before bed!




Photo Sources:
http://reddphoenix78.deviantart.com/art/Tidy-Room-Tidy-Mind-314465070

http://www.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk/en/Books/Paperback/Lynda-Renham/Croissants-and-Jam-A-Romantic-Comedy/product.html?product=E11148522

http://mind-power-book.com/blog/Hot-Chocolate-Bed-Time-Drink-or-Disturbed-Sleep

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/body/healthy-toolkit/cell-phone-health-risks/?page=4

Bow Down Bitches: Queen Bey Backlash?!

Beyoncé is too awesome to resort to bejewelled boobs!

 

Did I really just read a sentence that begins with 'Beyoncé is too awesome to...'??

 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY ON 'MSN HER'

 

The problem I'm having right now is that Beyoncé is clearly heading for some form of backlash - which is a damn shame because she is the epitome of the perfect woman.

Ever since her jaw-dropping Super Bowl performance I've been re-obsessed with Beyoncé as if my life depends on it - but I can't help but feel something is different this time around.

 

The last time I felt this uneasy about a 'Bey Phase' was back when Deja Vu was released: Video was hot, Jay-Z was hot but then her vocals were, to put it bluntly, rather OTT. Her improv's at the end of that song are simply a form of expressive wailing!

Although her work was cut out having to follow one the best-selling debut solo albums of all time - Dangerously In Love - B'day was still a slight let down and was saved by classics such as Irreplaceable and the extremely fierce Upgrade U.

 

But all was forgiven because her album art looked like this:

 

 

 

We can actually probably forget about B'day entirely as what followed were arguably two of my favourite albums of all time (I can see that being a spin off post at some point!!) - I Am...Sasha Fierce and 4.

 

So we've had 2 wonderfully phenomenal albums plus live gigs for the UK telly audience, live DVDs (Roseland is...something else!) and, of course, her brand new tour.

 

Hmm - let's discuss this tour!!! How many of you were on hold for almost an hour, whether online or on the phone or, like me, BOTH just to get hold of a ticket to her Mrs Carter World Tour??? And how many of you people, like me, were denied access to these apparently sold out tickets only to log onto eBay and find them for £1,000,000,000 each?! Me too, me too...

 

So it was unlikely I was going to get tickets, what with her being a mega-superstar and all that.

 

The tour began with an enormous BANG last night in Serbia! Lucky, lucky Serbia!

 

 

"The 31 year-old put on a spectacular show for the adoring crowd at the Kombank Arena in the nation's capital, Belgrade." 

- MSN Music

 

"The singer ensured the opening night of her world tour didn’t go unnoticed thanks to a series of sexy outfits she donned throughout the show in Belgrade, Serbia"

 

- Tim Nixon for The Sun

 

"Despite the lack of new tracks, Beyoncé kept fans happy with a spectacular show which saw her perform in a string of varying skimpy outfits"

- Caroline Westbrook for Metro

 

Now there are some cranks out there who feel Beyoncé has lowered her tone of late. Her brief release of track 'Bow Down Bitches' didn't go down that well with fans:

 

"Is that Beyoncé song a joke?" - Tweeted by Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills

"I don't like this Bee" - Souncloud comment from one fan

"I hate this song" - Soundcloud comment from another fan...

and the comment that everyone was thinking but didn't want to say it out loud:

 

"Beyoncé's better than this.."

 

LISTEN TO 'BOW DOWN' - CLICK HERE

 

And some of her stage costumes have got tongues wagging, too. Caroline Corcoran hits the nail on the head contributing for MSN Her today:

 

"Beyoncé knew the world would be talking about her sequinned breasts today, and didn’t care, because that’s the outfit she fancied wearing. It’s difficult to argue with that: the right to wear weird fashion is one of the most fun things about being a woman.

As long as Beyoncé knows that from the rest of us (the female contingent at least) comes a rallying cry that we love her for her attitude, her talent, and the warbly bits in Love on Top. And none of that requires a sparkly nipple."

 

READ FULL ARTICLE - CLICK HERE

 

We all adore Queen Bey. Perfect body, perfect attitude, perfect voice - but I can't help but feel she is over-thinking what usually comes naturally to her! Don't try so hard Bey, we got your back!

 

What do you reckon - will Bey EVER face a backlash?? Or is she just too good for everything?

 

 

 

x-x-x

 

Photo Sources:

www.beyonce.com

www.fanpop.com

http://style.uk.msn.com/socialvoices

http://evolutionaryparenting.com/celebrity-mom-beyonce/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Spring Pastel Mani

Got my nails done today - wayyy overdue as the other ones were cracking off all over the place!

 

Loren Ridinger Tweeted THIS:

 

 

Which I simply ADORE - the layered design, the pretty pastels, the dainty shape: It is all so perfect for the Spring transition.

 

I decided I wanted something like that - but with a bit more attitude.

So I got THIS:

 

 

A combination of:

 

Essie Castaway

 

Orly Snowcone

 

& Technician's own Gold polish

 

I LOVE to mix up my nails art every now and then to add a little pizazz to proceedings! I'm so glad to have them cut down too - I couldn't even do my shirt buttons up this morning!

 

What other nail trends are there at the moment? Has anyone tried the nail wraps before? I may experiment with them in the future.

 

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now Part of the Next Blogger Network!

Morning Weekenders! It's a lovely bright Saturday morning and I'm heading out to spoil Princess at Pets at Home soon BUT I thought I'd do an extremely quick post on how I'm now part of the Next Blogger Network! I've registered with my Wordpress blog (Obsessed With Them) because you only register one URL! But have no fear the Next blog posts shall be posted on both blogs simultaneously!

 

Here is the badge - I can't seem to get it onto my page because the link is broken but will try again soon! Has anyone had this problem before? I'm an utter noob so need some technical assistance!

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone! x

 

 

Thrifty Thursday...On A Friday?!

Current Location: At home on the sofa..
With: Boyf, brother & pooch..
Why: We are all SKINT

Sound familiar?! Well it's not as bad as it seems. A Friday night in can actually be fun, cheap and chilled all at once if done properly! Here's my top 5 thrifty night-in guide...!

1)
Firstly, we need to establish the dinner situation: take-away, ready meal, something much more affordable and delicious?? Yeah, us too!

Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda & Waitrose are all doing 'eat in' deals that are all cooked and served within half an hour! Our choice today were the Beef Steaks in the Peppercorn Sauce - 4 for £7 in Tesco! Also reduced in Sainsbury's were some mouth-watering cream filled eclairs...
If you head to the supermarkets sometime around 7/8pm A LOT of fresh cakes, dairy and baked products are reduced so much you can feast like a bunch of starving piglets all night for less than £3 each! Mmmmm...

2)
Then comes a long evening of entertainment to arrange! ITV's new comedy offering 'The Security Men' provided some light-hearted giggles at 9pm and before that a mighty Dog The Bounty Hunter marathon was enjoyed: Our collective TV guilty pleasure! Friday nights aren't renowned for their fab TV options but they are excellent for an injection of horror with something like Ghost Hunters on Sky Livit or celeb chat shows on C4!

3)
Following some light procrastination via Twitter, Facebook & YouTube I imagine we will indulge in copious amounts of tea, munchies and probably more telly. If not, bring out the big guns and get competitive! I'm not saying it won't end up in tears but drag out that old school racing game from back in the day - we recently downloaded Crash Bandicoot Racing for a couple of quid! I've heard Black Ops is a fun multi-player choice too...I'm usually lost by then and am usually found either blogging, Tweeting or jammin' on SoundCloud!

4)
Other amazingly obvious night in pleasure is usually enjoyed with girlfriends: Renting/buying stupid films and DVDs plucked straight from the bargain bins in HMV, Asda & Play.com ... Things such as High School Musical, Zoey 101 & Legally Blonde! Having a ridiculous dance/shuffle around whilst stuffing digestives in your happy mouths! (Anyone else secretly begging this to happen very soon??)

5)
Many a night in has been spent playing Monopoly or Game of Life...as sad as it sounds I miss the occasional board game! One of my favourites was played two Christmases ago when my cousin got it as a gift: Sequence! Never under-estimate the fun factor of board games! Really!! If board games aren't your bag, spark up cheeky card games...instead of paying for money try swapping the chips for biscuits..or cupcakes..or any food fancies that tickle your pickle!


So far I've not spent more than £15 in any situation...AND I'm in a tracksuit, snuggled under my duvet listening to the April Showers outside! I may gain a major food belly but I'm chilled out, happy and money-saving all at once!!

So, if you're going out tonight, enjoy! Live like it's your last...although remember: It's not what you do or where you go, it's WHO you do it with!

Pass the doughnuts will you...




Photo Sources:

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=268216876

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/grocery-categories/Eclairs_And_Doughnuts_in_Sainsburys.html

http://spoilerbuzz.com/category/dog-the-bounty-hunter/

mostlyghosts.com

http://brilliant-fullsoftwares.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/crash-team-racing-full-game-for-pc.html

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/jamie%20lynn%20spears?before=61

http://www.purplepawn.com/2009/07/sequence-and-variants/

http://www.sheknows.co.uk/home-and-living/articles/950201/5-best-movies-for-a-girls-night-in

Top 10 Bargain Beauty Buys

When I'm reading other people's blogs I always get so jealous that they are reviewing or recommending products from MAC, Benefit or Clinique! These babies are not only wonderful but they also come with a price tag that I just can't condone splurging that much on such a small item! So, until I'm healthy-wealthy I will stick to spending less than £3 on each of my make-up bag items; I have all I need for all eventualities and all for under £30! Here are my Top 10 bargain beauty buys that I just can't live without:

 

Natural Collection Shine Away Foundation - £1.99 - Boots

Natural Collection Pressed Powder - £1.99 - Boots

Natural Collection Eye Liner - Not Available Online (Otherwise I use Rimmel Jet Black Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil - £2.99 - Boots)

Africa by W7 Bronzer - I got for £2 on a market stall in Watford but also available online at Amazon for £3.41

E.L.F Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Blueberry - £1.50 - E.L.F Cosmetics

Disney Eyeshadow Palette - £2.99 - H&M (Not now available but other palettes are - CLICK HERE)

Natural Collection Lash Build Mascara - £1.99 - Boots

True Colour Lipstick in Liqueur - £4.99 - Sleek Make-Up

Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil - £2.99 - Boots

Natural Collection Cover-Up Stick - £1.99 - Boots

 

Although cheap and cheerful this collection is all I need for everyday make-up, nights out, lunches with the girls, dinner with the boyf, everything!

50% of it is from Natural Collection - Boots' own range of cosmetics. I find that not only are the products excellent value for money they also rival their dearer competitors: I tried out the Maybelline Great Lash Mascara last month and found that not only did I pay over double for it but it lasted half as long as the Natural Collection mascara! It dried out in less than 2 weeks whereas NC Lash Build lasts me well over a month at a time.

 

NC Eyeliner does smudge throughout the day which is annoying. I'm considering trying out the Studio Makeup Mist & Set from E.L.F (£3.75) to see if it holds it in place!

Has anyone used this or have any other tips for smudgy eyeliner?!

 

The bronzer from W7 is one of my greatest ever beauty discoveries! Casually browsing a beauty stand in the Harlequin Centre in Watford I found this for about £2. It was one of those spur of the moment, 30-second purchases which I've grown to love! It's so much darker than all my other face shades which really accentuates my cheek bones and because of the multi-coloured blush and thick brush that comes with it, you get a pinky-tanned glisten perfectly wearable in the day and evening times.

 

The most expensive item in the collection is the Sleek lipstick. Luckily for me this was a Christmas gift but it has definitely got me hooked on the brand! Sleek is also available in Superdrug which is handy if you're out and about on the high-street. I have it in 'Liqueur' but am hoping to try something bolder next time like 'Loved Up' or 'Exxxagerate'.

 

For £25 I have basically stocked my make-up bag for at east 1-2 months with products that are reliable, cheap and look great! Who said being on a budget meant we had to suffer?!

 

What's in your make-up bag?? Tweet me @sheldan2207 or comment below

 

xoxo