Tattooed Bloggers 18

"An illustration of Peter Pan blowing out the stars by Mabel Lucie Atwell from one of the early publications of Peter Pan - a book Mum always read to us.  It reminds me of the innocence and magic of my childhood."

- Tabitha

MAC Dazzlesphere - Plum Ornament

L-R: Misty, Seasonal Cool, Light Violet, Grape

One of my Christmas presents from my lovely Mum was the MAC Dazzlesphere in Plum Ornament; "four limited edition, mini-sized, stackable Crush Metals in a passionately perfect array of sultry, sweet and sophisticated plums" and for the first time in a long while, glittery eyeshadow has got me excited.

I was told by the MUA that these were a variation on the normal MAC pigments, and having never owned any pigment before I was anticipating a product along the lines of Barry M's Dazzle Dust.  This is a completely different formula though; whereas with Barry M simple dabbing your finger into the product will pick it up, this doesn't happen with these.  You have to almost smudge the residue on the lid into your finger in order to pick it up, but then the tiniest amount really does go a helluva long way.  The swatches you see above (taken with the flash on but very true to life) consisted of a teeny amount on my fingertip and as you can see it comes out intensely pigmented and covers a relatively large area.

The packaging is unique and very pleasing to the eye.  The faux bauble could easily be kept to store items in in the future and the tubs themselves are sturdy and a good size for putting in my make up bag when on the go.  Word of warning though, always ensure you're opening the product the right way up, otherwise you end up with a rather nasty glittery mess on the carpet like I did.

These are fairly messy to work with, so if glittery fallout or precise work isn't your thing I'd give these a miss.  MAC's website is still listing the Dazzlespheres as on sale, although these are limited edition so be quick if you want to get your hands on them.  They retail for £25.50 and are available in Plum Ornament, Berry Ornament or Smoky Blue Ornament, as well as Coral Ornament here.

I love the intense colour gained from this and I'm excited to try more...pigment owners out there, does this formula sound the same or would you say it's specific to the Dazzlesphere?

Reflections

I've been thinking a lot lately about the ladies who've rocked my blogging world in 2011. I don't have a blog roll, or a favourite blogs list, so thought it would be nice to share the love in this way. So without further ado, here are my top bloggers of the past year...

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

So there we have it.  Lots you probably already subscribe to, some you possibly don't.  Thank you ladies...you've made me laugh, you've inspired me, you've made me lust after your hair, wardrobes, make up, shoe and bag collections and together you've helped me spend a lot of money and made lots of retailers very happy!

Now...who should I watch out for in 2012?

Last minute

As per usual, Coco was rolling around at my feet while I attempted to take photos so I couldn't resist scooping her up for our own photo shoot.  Just look how big she's got!

Another chance for me to wear my boots out shopping today.  Nope, I didn't need more Christmas presents, just a sneaky trip for me.  I'm becoming a serious accidental celebrity stalker; Jimmy Nail on Wednesday and Melinda Messenger today!  And is it just me, or are the sales hitting earlier this year?  80% of shops I went in had their sales on already!  Not good for the bank balance.  We get paid early at Christmas, which I hate as it just means that January is an unbearably long month.  So that's it, no more shopping from today!  I figure that'll be my New Year's Resolution.  Next year I want to save for some real investment pieces rather than blowing my wages in Primark, Topshop and MAC each month.  Wish me luck!

I'll leave you with another quick plea; if anyone wants to take part in the Tattooed Bloggers feature then please email me.  And if I've emailed you and you've not got back to me yet, please please do!  I know it's a busy time of year, but if you could take the time I'd appreciate it....otherwise you're going to get two weeks of my tattoos in a row!  Although I am waiting to show you the one I got done the other week...

-Jumper: H&M - Leggings: H&M - Jacket: Republic - Bag: Michael Kors -

A grand day out

Showcasing my New Look wannabe-Ambush boots.  Thanks to Sarah for bringing them to my attention; I never got on board with the Topshop Allegra craze, but the Ambush style was right up my street.  I was waiting for the right time to justify purchasing and then I managed to get these for a bargain £15!  Pretty sure they're sold out now, but the leather versions are still available.

Went to London yesterday; got lost on the Tube, spent a long time falling in love with shoes in Harrods (I now want these in red, white and black), spotted Jimmy Nail, had a yummy pizza in Leicester Square and then finished it off wandering around Covent Garden at night.  I love Covent Garden at the best of times, but it was definitely much more magical watching the street performers at night all wrapped up with a hot chocolate in hand.  And the Coca Cola Christmas van that was there made it even better too!

How have you all been getting into the Christmas spirit?

-Jumper: Forever21 - Shorts: Forever21 - Super Cosy Tights: Primark - Leather Jacket: Muu:Baa - Boots: New Look -

Even more Aussie!

Some of you may have noticed the new, bigger Aussie shampoo and conditioner sets which are available to buy at the moment.  To celebrate the launch, we Angels were sent a set to trial, with the task of keeping a diary to see how long the new bottles last us.  I'm a bit late to the party, having only just managed to collect my goodies at the end of last week (thanks a lot DHL...) but the hair diary will begin shortly!  Rather than blog about it here and clog up your reading lists with small talk about my hair, tumblr seemed a better option.  So if you'd like to have a nosey you can do so here.

Reason to Smile 35

That self-satisfied (bordering on smug) feeling that you get from knowing your Christmas wrapping-up is all done really is second to none. Who else is kicking back and basking in the knowledge that they're nearly prepared for the big day?

6 of the Best: Christmas Sparkle

Nothing epitomises Christmas quite like sparkle, and nothing's sparklier than the Strictly Come Dancing costumes.  I have to admit, I didn't watch it this year but after seeing Tess' dresses for the finals I couldn't help but create my own wishlist of sparkle.  From all-out glamour to just a touch of glitz, there's something here to suit everyone.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

What pieces of sparkle are lurking in your wardrobe?

Tattooed Bloggers 17

"A feather to represent the fragility of life and to symbolise how fleeting things can be..."

- Rosie

(If anyone would like to take part in this series, please send me an email to tabithabluebell@gmail.com.)

LOL

I really am fighting the urge to say something along the lines of "just wore this for the lulz" but am all too aware that that terminology is for use by bloggers far younger and far hipper than I!

I've had various Christmas Dinners for three days on the trot now, and I can feel my waistline getting bigger and bigger.  Sunday was at Dad's, last night was a work night out to Las Iguanas and then today was Christmas Dinner at school.  Nothing like being surrounded by excitable 6 year olds singing Christmas songs whilst eating amazing Christmas pud to get you in the mood.  I'm exhausted now though (we didn't leave the restaurant till 11pm last night + an hours drive home) so an evening of blogs and sketching in bed awaits me.

Are you all ready for Christmas yet?

- Skirt: H&M - Jumper: Primark - Super Cosy Tights: Primark -

November Favourites: Fashion

I picked this scarf up in Oxford Circus' Topshop on my way back from the Motel Rocks bloggers event.  It's a nice soft cotton, combining two of my favourite prints; skulls and feathers.  It was a bit more expensive than I normally pay for a highstreet store scarf, but for some reason the novelty of being in London with the Christmas lights outside made me treat myself.  It's definitely a favourite though and has jazzed up a whole variety of outfits!

Primarni's Super Cosy Tights are nothing revolutionary (I first saw them when Lily mentioned them here last year) but until this year I couldn't get my hands on them.  They're a God send though and keep my legs nice and toasty.  Definitely worth getting a pair if you can.

Again an item you'll have all seen if you watch Zoe's videos, but in my defence I bought this coat way back in September (I remember mentioning it to Steph at The Look Show) and have been waiting for cold enough weather to wear it.  It's the perfect length and the cute pom poms and fur lined hood are right up my street.

Another Primark purchase!  This skirt is my favourite favourite recent wardrobe item....I mentioned it here so no need to bore you all repeating myself.  Thanks again Daisy Kate!

What did you love wearing last month?

Tattooed Bloggers 16

"...two wolf paw tattoos on my chest, with silhouettes of trees growing through them. I have always loved wolves and admire their sense of family and loyalty to one another. Their compassion and devotion inspires me to be a better person."

- Stacey

Reason to Smile 34

 Image taken from weheartit

Our Christmas tree's up and I've made a start on writing cards.  I'm well and truly under the influence of some festive cheer and I can't think of any better reason to be smiling this week.

Mary-Lou Manizer

I find highlighter such an addictive product; I'm always on the quest for perfect glowing skin and so have amassed a pile of highlighters.  The Mary-Lou Manizer (took me about a day to get the play on words) is a gorgeous champagne-colour in the pan, which transfers to a cool-toned pale gold on the skin.  It's silky smooth to apply and a little really does go a long way, meaning this 8.5g compact will last me a long while.

Besides the product itself, I also love the packaging.  It's very kitsch and reminiscent of something that Benefit would make.  The box itself is fun to read (yes, I'm a geek) and the compact is sturdy and comes complete with an always-handy mirror.  On the downside the highlighter pan has come away from the compact itself, meaning it spins around irritatingly when trying to get some on my brush, but this is nothing a little glue won't fix.

Overall I think this a good highlighter which would suit most skin tones.  It would be easy to overdo this product, so blending is the key as it does sit very prominently on the skin at first.  In my opinion it's a little pricey at £17.99 for a relatively unheard-of company, but the powder doesn't have that gritty feeling that some can which means you're definitely getting better quality for your money.  You can purchase the Mary-Lou Manizer from www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk.

Does anyone else have any products by The Balm?

Tattooed Bloggers 15

 

"I had these tattoos done to celebrate my birthday. I had my right foot done on my 18th and the left on my 21st. I designed them myself and they capture how I felt at the time perfectly."

- Danielle