Winter fashion

There's so much stuff in the shops that I want at the minute, most of it's totally wintery things with fur and in pale colours.

As camouflage is also one of the big trends this winter, I've also been checking out womens military jackets too, I actually used to have a jacket like this from ASOS a few years ago but ended up either throwing it away or Ebaying it (can't remember which) as I never quite felt it was my style as I'm not really into the grunge look usually!  I really regret getting rid of it though because it was so comfy and easy to throw on without being too heavy or hot.  It was also an essential companion when I went to V Fest a few years ago, even though the weather was gorgeous through the day it was freezing at night!

I know loads of people have this jacket (or a variation of it) but I love this one too, think it takes me back to my youth when All Saints were big and everyone had a fancy camo coat:

I've also been looking at cheap skater dresses too - I'm not convinced the dress style actually suits me so I don't want to spend too much money on something I might only wear a couple of times.

What are your winter fashion picks this year?

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I come with baggage.

I've had my trusty Primark zebra print case for quite a few years now, it's been all around the world with me and to various different places in the UK.  I still hold a soft spot in my heart for it, as it was really cheap, at the time I loved the design plus it's lightweight  but sturdy and carries loads.  Every time I go to the airport I hold my breath while they weigh my case, even if I've already weighed it at home.  Luckily my boyfriend normally packs relatively light for holiday so even if I'm over, he's usually under so it all balances out.

However my trusty zebra case has definitely seen better days and I have this horrible feeling that one day the zip is going to burst or all of a sudden it's going crack open without me realising and I'm going to lose loads of stuff out of it.

So I've been browsing the internet for cheap lightweight suitcases.  I tend to like suitcases that are a bit bright or different so I can easily spot them at check in, I'm rubbish at distinguishing one black suit case from another.  I also want one that's lightweight but sturdy and carries plenty of things like my current one does.

The website I've been looking at even has a Lulu Guinness lips suitcase (or two) which is absolutely gorgeous!

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Debenhams Christmas Flowers - gorgeous bouquets with a festive feel! Plus exclusive discount code.

I'm sure I've said this before but I absolutely love cut flowers and occasionally treat myself to the odd bouquet or two so I was ridiculously pleased to receive this absolutely gorgeous bunch from Debenhams Flowers.

They're actually kind of different to what I'd choose for myself, I usually prefer brighter, more contemporary flowers but I've actually really surprised myself by actually loving the mix of deep red roses, pink carnations, pink/white lilies, red berries and gold painted leaves.  I think it's really pretty and looks very festive and traditional.  They'd make a totally gorgeous present or a treat for someone and the Debenhams Flowers Christmas shop actually has other gifts too like wine, hampers and personalised items.

The flowers are amazing quality too, they were really fresh on arrival and the lillies were just starting to open, they've fully opened up now and look so pretty.  I love the berries and gold leaves that are in with the flowers, they're what makes it look so Christmassy I think.  They come well packaged in a sturdy box with a water soaked sponge type thing that the flowers are sat in so they don't dry out and of course you can include a personal message in with them.

All in all I think this is a fab gift and I'd be really pleased if someone got me this (hint hint ahem).  You can check out the full range at http://www.debenhamsflowers.com/christmas.  Debenhams Flowers are also offering £5 off all gifts until 21st December 2013 with the code XMASBLOG.

Topshop Lipstick in Wicked Review

I had a craving for something a bit different to my usual light pink lipsticks and I decided that a dark wine coloured lipstick was it.  I had a parcel to pick up from Topshop (the fact that they now do free delivery to stores is possibly the worst thing that has happened for my bank account...postage costs used to discourage me from ordering little bits and pieces here and there.  Not any more!) so I had a little browse of the make up while I was there too in the hope of finding a dark lipstick.

I found wicked, which is exactly the kind of colour I wanted.  I really like it and I don't feel like it's too dark or gothy though it's very definitely a winter lipstick.

However I feel like it looks a bit silly on my lips because they're quite full.  I think it would look better on smaller lips where it isn't such a dramatic look.  I've tried it on a couple of times now for nights out etc and each time I've ended up wiping it off before I leave the house!  I need to be braver!

Having worn it around the house, it lasts quite well and isn't too messy to wear though I'd say you still need to be careful when you're eating or drinking as it may well transfer across your face.  Even when it fades it leaves a little stain behind it which I personally quite like.

Wicked costs £8 from Topshop - God I miss my student discount!

Winter Pointy NOTD

There have been loads of winter nails popping up on Pinterest (you can find my Nails board here) which inspired me to do my own version.

I used my trusty Ebay false nails (review here) and then painted my nails with these polishes in the order pictured:

L-R: Models Own Snow White, Models Own Snowflakes, Darling Diva Polish Snowball (from Etsy), Seche Vite

I'm really pleased with how these turned out.  I think they look really wintery, eyecatching (but not quite too OTT) and actually even better than I thought.  I was actually going to stick some diamantes on to the half moons of my ring fingers (like this) but I liked them too much with just polish so decided not to in the end.

Quickie post about my laser eye surgery

If you've been reading Beauty and the Blogger for the last few months or more, you might have seen that I got my eyes lasered in September.  I haven't updated for a little while but at my one month check up, my eyes were pretty dry.  Apparently 1 in 500 people may experience long term dryness in their eyes after surgery so obviously I was a little bit worried.

At my check up the optician said that it was more likely that it was because it was the time of the year that heating starts going on everywhere, which can cause dry eyes anyway, so mine are no different. I got some different eye drops - more of a cream rather than liquid drops, so a bit more hydrating - and these seem to have worked much better to the point where I only need to put them in once or twice a day.  Phew!

My eyesight is still better than 20/20, I can drive without any lenses/specs, my nighttime vision doesn't have any blurriness or glow around lights, which was something I had with my glasses previously and I've had no pain or real discomfort.  All in all I still think that getting my eyes done has been one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I've recommended my clinic all over the place as people seem really interested once they find out I've had my vision corrected.

For more information about the clinic I visited you can read my previous laser eye surgery posts here or go to http://www.freedom-vision.co.uk/ - the team there are so lovely and will be able to answer any questions you may have.  I don't need to go back until around Christmas time now as they're just keeping an eye (ho, ho) onmy progress to make sure the dryness was a temporary, rather than a permanent, occurrence.

Models Own Flakie Love (Snowflake and Pink Paradise swatches)

As someone who has been into flakie polishes for a long time, I'm delighted that they're so much more easier to get hold of than they once were.  I've not really been keeping that up to date with new nail collection launches because I still have a ridiculous amount of polishes in my spare room (aka my dressing room).

For some reason I've suddently gone all obsessive about flakie polishes again and found the Models Own Splash Box Set.  These are some ridiculously pretty polishes that definitely have bottle appeal.

I refrained from buying the whole set even though I fell in love with the blue, orange and pink polishes because as I mentioned earlier: I have too many polishes.  And also:  for something which is essentially a layering polish and the look will depend on what you layer it over...did I really need to buy five polishes that would all look much of a muchness on the nail.  So I settled on Pink Paradise and then bought another flakie (Snowflake, clear with holographic flakie pieces) and Nude Beige, an old favourite of mine that I'd ran out of as there was a 3 for 2 offer going on at Boots.com*.

There are plenty of holographic pieces in both of these polishes and these lie fairly flat on the nail without feeling too bumpy, especially if you smooth out with a topcoat such as Seche Vite*.  Also, when I said I felt like these polishes would all look the same on the nail as they're for layering, I actually think you could build up a decent enough coverage on the nail with these to look good on their own, though they would still be more of a sheer wash of colour than opaque.  Pink Paradise actually contains really fine pink glitter so I think each one would look slightly different, though probably not to any non-nail-obsessed people.

Looking forward to doing some Christmas/winter themed art with these, especially Snowflake.  I'm actually tempted to go and get the orange and blue from the Splash set too...

Carex Nourish & Protection Antibacterial Hand Cream Review - Vitamin E and Aloe Vera

I start getting really dry skin as the weather turns colder and my hands are no exception.  My palms and cuticles start feeling so dry and can crack if I'm not careful.  Since it's currently absolutely freezing, I decided this was the perfect time to try a new hand cream.

I was sent some Carex Antibacterial Hand Creams for review so decided to give them a shot.  Seeing that this weekend has seen rain, hail and frost if it can help them now, then it can help any time.  These hand creams also protect against bacteria, which isn't something I'm massively concerned about (come on, I wash my hands when I should...) but nevertheless some people will be really into it!

In terms of the packaging, I'd say it's more functional than pretty but I think the fact it's in a squeezy tube's really important.  Who wants to dip their hands into a pot of cream that's meant to be antibacterial!  It's a handy size to carry around in our bag too, I've got one at home and one at work.  Both of these creams smell really fresh and clean without smelling like disinfectant or anything like that.  I very slightly prefer the Vitamin E one but think that's just a personal thing.

Both of these creams are light and not at all greasy, they sink into the skin really quickly so you don't have to sit and avoid touching anything for ages which is a bit of a bonus as sometimes these type of products feel really oily.   They still feel very moisturising and nourishing though, my hands feel so much better after I use these which is the whole point of course.  I don't feel like I need to be putting this on every 5 minutes to feel the benefit of them, every few hours is more than enough.

Carex Antibacterial Hand Creams cost just £2.49 a tube and are available from Sainsbury's and  Superdrug

Lord and Berry 20100 Matte Lipstick Pencil in Allure - plus exclusive Lord and Berry 10% off discount code for Beauty and the Blogger readers!

I was sent this to review and I have to admit it isn't really a colour I'd pick for myself, I tend to prefer pinks and reds to brown and nude colour.  Saying that though I actually kind of liked the colour of the lips but I've yet to wear it outside!

So, colour aside, what did I think of the product?  It actually reminds me a lot of the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil*, which retails at £17.50 both in terms of packaging and the product itself.  It feels gorgeous and creamy on the lips without being too glossy or dragging on application, I don't think I'd call it matte really though.  Applying this product is really simple - just draw it onto your lips, the pencil is nice and chunky and easy to hold.  It isn't the longest lasting of lip products but to be honest it's no different to the majority of lipsticks out there.

I was actually really pleasantly surprised by this product, I haven't tried any Lord and Berry products before but I will definitely be trying more.  This is a really fantastic alternative to more expensive brands - less than half the price of the NARS version - and for me just as effective.

I've also got an exclusive 10% Lord and Berry discount code for readers of Beauty and the Blogger - just enter code BATB10 at  HQhair.com* on any Lord and Berry item.  Happy shopping!