I'm really loving round sunglasses at the moment, their retro edge is perfect for mixing up my outfits and adding something extra. I bought my first pair a couple of months back from Topshop, they're huge and black and I've featured them in a previous post somewhere!

But I still wasn't quite fully satisfied, I needed something a little different. Distant memories of wearing lilac tinted shades as a youngster popped in to my head, I was obsessed with them! The thing is though, nobody really sells them. Well, not for grown-ups anyway :(

Until, that is, I searched eBay. Oh eBay, my trusty eBay. Is there anything you can't do? Well I found some round, lilac-tinted shades on there for just £2.69 including shipping. Yes, Two Pounds and Sixty Nine Pence. Just call me Lima, Queen of the eBay. There was a teeny little catch though, they were actually intended for some kind of fancy dress costume. But so what? I wasn't going to let that stop me from rocking these when the sun comes out to play!

 If you quite like the look of round sunglasses but don't fancy spending too mach cash, these babies would be right up your street! 

I'm also liking the look of the blue ones too... Hmm, looks like my sunglasses collection is about to expand again ;)

So tell me, what's been your eyewear of choice this summer?

Hi Hi Hi! 

 This post comes with a slight health warning up-front. If you're sick of the sight of me sporting dip hems, hi-low dresses and skirts, I suggest you look away now!

 ...

Okay, so thanks for not looking away yet! This will probably be my last post on these... Okay I lie, I bought another one from Forever21 a week ago that I'm dying to show you, but that's it! Unsurprisingly the Hi Low dress in this post is also from Forever21. They have really got it going on right now, every week they have exciting new stuff in abundance, their stock rotation must be crazy high!

I picked up this pretty standard black dress with buttons running down the front and gold-tipped collar that give the illusion of a blouse. The gold tips really made this stand out for me, I mean it's pretty enough as it is but those tips had a hissy fit in the store demanding that I buy this dress. I much prefer the cut of the collar on this to those 'Peter Pan' collars that have been doing the rounds for years. Why won't they just grow up and fly away?

Anyway, I paired my freshly-bought dress with this beautiful blue silk kimono. For some reason this baby has never made it on to the blog before, which is almost criminal on my part as I actually purchased it just before going away to Dubai in 2011. It's been a staple in my wardrobe ever since, I find that draping myself in black brings my mood down a little so throwing this on over the top gives dark outfits a burst of life and colour. Most importantly, it makes me feel like *ME* again! :)

 

  

  

  

  

  

   

Gold Tipped Collar High Lo Dress - Forever21 (this season)
Blue Silk Floral Kimono - Miss Selfridge (OLD)
Gold Studded Skinny Belt - Gift
Black Wraparound Diamante Bracelet - Forever21 (this season)
Gold Leopard Headed Bracelet - Forever21 (this season)
Gold Emerald Necklace - Personal Palace 


The emerald looking necklace you see in the photos was purchased from Instagram of all places. I came across a boutique on there called Personal Palace and managed to bag this for under £15. It's pretty sleek looking and has been absolutely dazzling in all the recent sun we've had. It dazzles so much, the light bouncing off of it has driven my kittens up the wall - literally!

For those of you fasting, I hope it's going well for you so far! My headaches haven't quite subsided yet, it must be the body craving its caffeine fix. *shakes like a junkie* 
 

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So last Friday I braved the summer sun and headed in to the City Centre for the Sample Sale at Label PR in the Northern Quarter. Apparently this was their first ever Sample Sale and they'd managed to bring in Lavish Alice, Rock N Rose, South Beach & La Moda with up to 90% off. As soon as I heard about it, I was there!

I wandered through the Northern Quarter searching for the place, it isn't the easiest to find as the street it's on is split in two, I walked past the smouldering shell of a building that used to be Paul's Hair World too, the smell of burnt wigs and bleach still lingered in the air. When I eventually found the place, I was immediately drawn to this jet black, gold studded, leathered skeleton hand clutch bag with a gold chain.

 I'd seen this bag somewhere before, where was it? Ah yes, it was on the La Moda website. I remember being desperate to buy it but a lack of funds prevented me clicking 'Add to Cart' on that occasion. It was like fate had brought these two star-crossed lovers, me and the bag, together once more. 

I love clutch bags but tend to find the ones that really catch the eye don't have a chain to hang over your shoulders. I know it's called a clutch bag, but there's only so much clutching one can do so it's nice to have the option to sling it over the shoulder, is that just me? Besides, I'm terrible at holding things in my hand. If my iPhone didn't make such a loud cracking sound when it hit the floor I'd have lost five of the things by now!

Anyways, what with the edgy looking design, creepy-cool skeleton hands and the ever important chain attached this bag screamed "BUY ME NOW". And who was I to resist? It was almost like the cashier could read my mind, she knew I was thinking: "This bag is £10??!!"

I handed over the dough, hurtled home and had a good roll around on the bed with my new bag. It was love!

A big thanks to Stacey for the heads up on the sale, I can't wait to attend more of these Sample Sales in Manchester. Apparently these sales pop up every other week around here. Oh, I do heart Manchester ♥

 

I've been fascinated with the ocean ever since I was a young girl. It's common knowledge that 70 - 75% of the earth's surface is made up of the ocean yet somehow we find ourselves knowing more about the surface of the moon than about the depths of our seas. And there's something quite alluring about the mystique that surrounds the unknown, hence my fascination!

 One of the great things about the ocean is the variation in colours and shades: swirls of light blues and greens from the water and coral in some places; deep, dark, terrifying blues in others. So as a little beauty-based homage to our beautiful oceans, I decided to give Ombre Nails another go.

COLOURS

 

 L- R - Barry M Gelly Hi-shine Nail Paint in Guava, Barry M's Standard Nail Paint in Cyan Blue and Indigo.

Whilst Barry doesn't quite have that same mystique, he definitely doesn't disappoint either with his range of shades! The Gelly range has a number of unique colours with a super glossy finish. It's a shame the longevity is pants, else it'd be near perfect.

I forgot to include it in the picture, however I also used Barry M's Matt White as a base. I applied two coats of this stuff to make it opaque and left it to dry.

APPLICATOR

 

 

I purchased a cheap bath sponge at just under £1 and cut a small chunk of it out. The size doesn't really matter as long as it covers the whole nail. And by the way, once you've finished with it, it makes a great toy for kittens!

 

I applied a generous amount of each colour, lined up next to each other on the sponge. Then I began dabbing the sponge directly on to the nail, moving it up and down slightly to blend the colours into each other. Of course sponges have loads of tiny little bubbles in them, leaving the nails a little bumpy, so to iron out these bumps I applied two layers of top coat

At this point the nails will look messy as anything as the colours will have rubbed off onto your skin around the nails. I used to peel these bits off in the shower, but now I use an old eye-liner brush, dipped in nail polish remover and brush over the messy edges.

 

 

  

I have to admit that I'm not very good with nail art, but I'm really surprised how easy it is to ombre nails, and it looks so good!

Once I've finished with the bath sponge I'll most likely purchase a make-up sponge instead. I mean it's great and everything but I think the flatness of the make-up sponge will make the whole process even easier!

What to try next? 

I'm a fan of Astronomy too. Perhaps Galaxy nails? ;)

 

 I'm back with another Dip Hem or in other words, the High Low.

If you happened to stumble upon my last outfit post, you may remember I was banging on about how much I'm loving that sumptuous purple Dip Hem dress I purchased on eBay. Well, only a day or two after that post I visited Forever21 and spotted the most gorgeous high-low skirt. EVER.

Yes, it's a bold statement coming from one as fickle as I but just take a look at it! It's black, it's lace, not too long nor too short. It's the perfect size for petite ladies and best of all: it cost £12. Twelve Pounds Sterling.

Forever21 weren't just hot on the skirts that day, I also picked up this rhinestoned lavender blue top, although Forever21 would prefer it to be called 'Periwinkle', for £15. Whether you want to call it Lavender Blue or Periwinkle, the top is still a beauty and it was the colour that drew me in. My wardrobe is devoid of anything this colour and this top convinced me it was time to change!

So for this outfit I've paired the two together, tucked the top into the skirt and wrapped my favourite skinny studded belt around it. Would you believe, I wore this to a Wedding! Don't fret though, it was a 'Smart Casual' occasion, with the groom donning jeans and a shirt!

 

  

  

  

  

 A gust of wind. Thank GOD it has an underskirt with it or that would have been awkward... 

Periwinkle Rhinestoned Top - Forever21 (It's on sale on the website!)

Black Floral Lace Dip Hem Skirt - Forever21 

Gold Studded Skinny Belt - Gift

Black Wraparound Diamante Bracelet  Forever21 

As you might be able to guess Forever21 is my new favourite store at the moment, which is pretty dangerous! I got a bit distracted writing this post, ahem, browsing through their sale section. *Gulp*

I couldn't find the lace skirt online but I did spot loads on the rails at the Trafford Centre store last week so there may still be a few in stock!

 Have you bought anything from Forever21 lately? What are your 'Must Haves' for the beautiful weather we've been having recently?

OH, I almost forgot... I've gone and signed myself up to Lookbook! I'm still a little unsure as to how to use it, so if you have any tips, get in touch! I'm shocked though, at one point  technology didn't faze me, but now I'm like: "Wuh?!" Clearly I'm not 'Down with the kids' anymore!!

 

 

L'Oreal Fiberceutic Treatment

Hello hello!

As you may have read in one of my previous posts, I've become more than just a little obsessed with midi dresses of late. Well now, I've taken it one step further: The Dip Hem Dress!

Back in the days when they first burst onto the scene I really liked the idea of them, but I found that whilst some would be the perfect colour, the perfect fabric, the perfect cut or the perfect neck-line; I found that none had all four. Call me fussy, but I won't wear something if there's something about it I just don't like.

Another factor that completely turned me off wearing Dip Hem dresses was an old manager of mine. On one of our 'Casual Fridays' she quite literally waltzed her way into the office with her Dip Hem and, without wishing to sound like a complete cow, it was incredibly unflattering to the point where I wondered why would anyone want to wear something like that?! I think what really sealed it for me was this lovely belt she'd wrapped around it, exposing lumps and bumps that need not be exposed.

Fast forward 12 months though and I've gotten over that minor ordeal and purchased my first Dip Hem dress from eBay. Now I know what you're thinking: 'These are So 2012!' But honestly I'm not too fussed with 'seasons', I'm only interested in what looks good. And after trying out a few on the high streets my mind was changed.

I feel that the Dip Hem is a bit of an upgrade on the infamous maxi dress, it doesn't swamp the petite ladies (like me) plus you don't have to be ultra-cautious whilst walking around fearing the awful RIIIIP noise of someone treading on the fabric! And speaking of the fabric, I love how the natural flow to it makes me feel so feminine.

  
 
  

  

  

  

  

  

Silver Studded Purple Dip Hem Dress - TOPSHOP Petite (via eBay) 

Gold Studded Skinny Belt - Gift

Zip Bowling Bag - Atmoshphere, Primark

As simple as this dress may appear to be, it still manages to feel quite dressy. The asymmetrical cut of the skirt, the flowiness to the dress and the simple studded detailing around the shoulder just oozes class. If I were to wear this out for a celebratory occasion though, such as a certain ex-manager's leaving do, I'd have to pop an embellished crop-top over it.

 

  

"What's this?" I hear you say "Halima's featured a handbag in her OOTD?"

You'd be quite right! I can't recall having ever featured a handbag in any of my OOTD posts over the years. A big thumbs up to Primark then for producing this stunning ZARA-esque bag and retailing it at only £10! I almost fell over when I saw that a bag of this quality in Primark, I began questioning life, the universe and everything.

When I got it home, it turns out that even little Wilhelmina loved it too, so much so that she often sleeps inside it! It was so good I had to go out and get another, one for me and one for her! HA!

 

Hello my loves! 

I've always been one of those people that is easily sucked in by pretty looking eyeshadows at make-up counters, takes them home, stores them safely away in my pretty eyeshadow drawers and lets them gather dust. One time, I even found one of those teeny little yellow Selfridges bags stuffed under my bed with a few shadows in it. The receipt said it must have been under there a good 6 months. OOPS!

Anyways, my storage area was looking a bit full and cluttered so I had a little re-organisation to make space for more stuff and I came across so many beautiful shadows that I'd forgotten all about. There was only one thing for it: I had to start using them more often!

From that moment on I've got right back into experimenting and playing around with my eyeshadows to the point where I'm now instinctively applying it in the mornings. I have to say though, I didn't think I'd EVER use a yellow eyeshadow! All that changed just a couple of weeks ago when I purchased the Sleek Ultra Matte Palettes: Bright V1 and Dark V2.

One on particular day, I was in a bit of a rush for a dinner I had, I picked up the palettes and for some reason unbeknown to me I picked out the yellow from the Bright V1 and applied it around the eye. Probably due to the rushed nature of the moment I wasn't thinking: "What if it all goes horribly wrong? Cleaning it up takes time BA-ZITCH!"

 But no, I just went with it. I packed the yellow on, opted for the dark green teal shade from Dark V2 and blended it out using my beloved MAC 217 brush and gave it a little dusting of MAC's Wedge eyeshadow to eradicate the harsh lines. Et Voila!

 

 

 

*FACE*

 NARS Powder Foundation in Barcelona

*CHEEKS*

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Crush 

*LIPS*

OCC Lip Tar in NSFW

*EYES*

SLEEK Ultra Matte Palette in Bright V1 (BAMM!) & Dark V2 (Orbit)
Clinique Brush on Cream Liner in True Black
Benefit Eye Bright Pencil
Bourjois Little Round Pot Eyeshadow in Beige Rose (inner corner highlight) 
Le Volume De Chanel Mascara in Noir

The moral of the story? Always check under the bed and never throw out old Selfridges bags without checking, you just never know!

.. And get experimenting with your long forgotten eyeshadows and share the results to inspire others to do the same :)