Dolly Bow-Bow.

Dolly Bow-Bow is a new online boutique that I've heard mentioned through the blogging grapevine and even though my mini statement was screaming at me to give the online shopping a rest for a bit I thought just having a quick look wouldn't hurt!!! How wrong was I! I instantly fell in love with a number of items but it was this 'love' necklace in gold that really caught my eye. £5.99 with free UK postage. (You can also get this necklace in silver if you'd prefer.)

Other items that I've put on my Christmas list are the Swooping Swallow bracelet and the Gingerbread boy bracelet, so pretty and both no more than £5. Personalised Mini Scrabble earrings which are hugely popular and only £4.99 and my particular favourite which I'm contemplating ordering whilst writing this blog post, the Over the Rainbow necklace which starts at £5.99 and comes with either an 18 inch or a 24 inch chain.

The gorgeous girlie behind this online boutique and beautiful jewellery collection is Katie Murnane. A girl after my own heart, Katie has created this collection with a vintage twist and all the items you see have been handmade by her.
One of the best things about these pieces is that many of the items are one offs created with charms and fabrics that Katie has collected on her travels so you know you're getting a unique piece of jewellery when you order from Dolly Bow-Bow.
Aswell as my personal favourites I recommend checking out the ridiculously cute Polly Pocket necklaces. They've all sold out due to their popularity and I'm not surprised!

If you'd like to know abit more about what has inspired Katie's collection click here. You can also follow her blog or have a peek over at her YouTube Channel.

Beauty booty

Hi guys and gals,

As I mentioned in my Elizabeth Arden post, I'm always on the hunt for skincare products that might help resolve my many skin woes. When I'm trying something new I prefer it if it's been recommended before I chance smuthering it all over my skin and this week I've started using two new skincare products that have both come highly recommended.
I'll probably do a proper review on each product at a later date once I've used them for longer than a couple of days but I just wanted to report my initial reaction to see if it changes in a month or two of using them and if I would consider permanently adding them to my skincare routine.

First up is Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub. I've always liked the idea of exfoliating. Buffing away dead skin to give you a clearer, fresher complexion but I've yet to find one that doesn't completely suck the life out of my skin. In the past I've gone for big brands with a big price tag to match thinking that they'd be the best on the market but none have suited me.
I did my research and read reviews on about 100 exfoliating products (no joke, I was reading through them all one very sleepless night!) and Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub had the best review by far and came highly recommended by everybody that had used it.
All products in the Burt's Bees range are natural and this sulfate-free facial scrub contains finely ground almonds, oats, pecans and rose petals to gently exfoliate your skin.

The texture is slightly moist and crumbly and once you scoop a small amount out and mix it in your palm with a bit of water it becomes more like a paste which you then exfoliate your face and neck with. I've not been using it for long, just the last couple of days but  my skin felt incredibly soft and fresh after use. It didn't make my skin feel tight or make my sensitive areas flare up which is always a good start. I really like this product and have been impressed by the difference it's made to my complexion after only a couple of days. If it continues to exfoliate my skin without causing any irritation or breakouts then I'll be a very happy bunny and will definitely be repurchasing this product again.
It was £9.99 for a 55g pot which is very reasonable and alot cheaper than other exfoliating products I've purchased in the past. I ordered it online from Look Fantastic but I think larger Boots stores also stock Burt's Bees products.
Click here to visit the Burt's Bees website and check out their full skincare range.

My next beauty buy is the Egyptian Magic Cream. I've heard this cream mentioned on a number of blogs but it was watching Gems Maquillage review of the product on her YouTube channel that swayed it for me, click here if you'd like to watch her review.
It has quite a hefty price tag at around £25-£30 on most websites. I bought it for £24.95 on BeautyBay.com which seemed to be the cheapest deal I could find and the postage and packaging was reasonable and didn't bump up the total too much.
The impression I got from reading the product reviews was that this cream is abit of a beauty secret although there's quite a buzz about it in the beauty blogging community. Even on the packaging it's branded as 'The Ancient Kamitians secret magical cream!'
This product has no synthetic preservatives or fragrances added and lists it's ingredients as olive oil, beeswax, honey, pollen, royal jelly and propolis extract and can be used on a huge number of skin complaints. To put it bluntly, it does exactly what it says on the tub! It's a magic moisturiser with healing qualities. You can even use it on your hair!!
If you'd like to know more about this product click here to visit the Egyptian Magic Cream website.

The texture is very similar to Vaseline and comes in a pretty decent size tub (4oz./118ml.) It smells alot like Vaseline too and has that petroleum jelly scent to it which some people might not like but I don't mind it.
A little goes along way with this balm and if you scoop a bit out with your finger, rub it in your hands the texture turns more oily and then you can apply it to wherever you choose. I  used it last night and during the day and it made my skin feel really lovely, softer than it's felt in ages and it's already completely rehydrated the dry patches around my eyes.
Like my Lizzie Arden eight hour cream I'd only use this on a day off or at night to rejuvenate and protect my skin as it's quite heavy duty with an oily texture and probably wouldn't sit well under a full face of slap.

And my final splurge went on something I've been ogling since it's release and that's Models Own nail polish in Grace Green. Although I'm trying to reign in my addiction and ween myself off buying so many nail polishes I'll admit I relapsed this week and treated myself to it.
I'm going through a bit of a green phase at the moment and have purchased a number of gorgeous green items over the last couple of weeks. A lovely knitted snood in a soft khaki shade from River Island, a mint green jumper from Topshop that I wrote about in my previous post and now this gorgeous green nail polish.

Here's a picture of the shade on.

That's my little spree for the week and I'm really pleased with all my purchases. What beauty buys have you bought this week? Any new additions to your beauty regime?

Hope you're all wrapping up warm this week.

xxx

A small haul!

Just a small self indulgent post this evening. I've been on a bit of a mad mini shopping spree this week and wanted to go through my purchases.
I had a bit of left over birthday money burning a hole in my pocket which I had put to one side for my dream winter coat or a cracking pair of winter boots but as I haven't found either I thought i'd buy some of the clothes i've been lusting over in Topshop and a few other little treats.

I thought I had found my dream boots when I saw these little brogue style beauties on the Topshop website so ordered them and waited impatiently for their arrival but when I saw them on I wasn't so keen. They looked big and clumpy on my feet so I sent them back although looking at this picture I want them again! (They look better in the photo than they did on my feet!)
I bought some gorgeous little ankle boots from Topshop a couple of years ago and have worn them to death but sadly I'm still on the hunt for my perfect pair.

Black brogue boots £68

Until I can find my dream winter boots here are a few of the goodies I treated myself to this week. You might recognise a couple of the Topshop tops from the  'My Christmas Wishlist' blog post a couple of weeks ago! I obviously couldn't wait till Christmas!!



I've been dribbling over this £20 Topshop jumper for some weeks now!



This mint green slouchy jumper is £16 from Topshop and is so soft and comfy I could sleep in it!

I'm a sucker for a check shirt and have quite a collection building up. One more won't hurt and I love the colour of this one! £28 from Topshop.



My very cute scrabble piece ring and biscuit ring from giftgirls



My hair always feels super soft and smells delicious when I use this Kerastase shampoo & conditioner from lookfantastic.com.



I pre-ordered this months ago and completely forgot about it......until it arrived this week that is! I love Family Guy!

 

What goodies have you treated yourself to recently or unlike me are you managing to wait until Christmas?! Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend and are enjoying the fireworks!

xxx

We heart it!

There's nothing I like better than coming across a site that makes you feel good and weheartit.com is definitely one of those sites. Knowing me I'm probably the last person to hear about this fantastic picture (and video) sharing website but I wanted to shout about it anyway!
Being an avid blog reader I've noticed this site mentioned a number of times so wandered over for a look and I've never seen so many stunning pictures in all my life. There's something for everyone and they are truly beautiful.
We heart it allows you to sign up as a hearter and create your own album of inspirational pictures called 'my heart'. I think that whenever life's getting me down I'll head on over to look over my album and feel inspired.

Here are a few of my favourites from my heart.

The cat in one of the pictures looks identical to my cat Thomas Jay or Mr.T as I like to call him! (I know.....I need to get out more!)
There are so many amazing pictures to look through so when you have a free moment head on over to weheartit.com and create your very own heart of insirational pictures.

xxx

Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream review

Hi guys and girlies,

Firstly, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! Secondly, Sorry my last post was over a week ago. Life has well and truly got in the way of blogging this week. I have a few posts up my sleeve but all are half finished and need lots of tweaking before I inflict them on the blogging community!!

I've wanted to write about the wonders of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream since I started my blog. I've lived with sensitive skin since puberty and although I'm now 27 years old I'm still waiting for the moment my skin finally realises that I'm not in my teens anymore!
You name it and I've tried it in order to control my problem skin. More often than not I've got it horribly wrong and caused even more irritation (the less said about my short lived dalliance with Proactiv Solution the better!)
What suits one person's skin will be a nightmare for someone else's so this review is just about how my skin reacted to Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream.

I first heard about this cream when my hairdresser recommended it to me. She swore by its healing powers and told me that on her days off she smuthered her face in it. It not only rehydrates tired looking skin but also soothes irritation, chapped skin, sunburn and cracked lips.
So for the last two years Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Skin Protectant has been a regular beauty treat for me. I love everything about it, even the smell which some people aren't too keen on. It soothes my red, irritated, environmentally stroppy skin, softens patches of eczema that flare up when I'm stressed and makes my skin feel and look great.

Whilst trawling through all sorts of goodies on Lookfantastic.com I noticed that Elizabeth Arden also do an Eight Hour Daily Moisturizer with SPF which I assumed would be just as good as the Skin Protectant. At £26 for a 50ml tube it's an expensive product to add to my beauty regime but if it helps my skin then I'm happy to try it.
I'd started to notice that my usual daily moisturiser, Dermalogica's Skin Smoothing Cream, wasn't quite doing the trick for my skin anymore. I needed something a bit heavier to moisturise my dry areas whilst being light enough to wear under foundation and not clog my skin and cause breakouts. With this in mind I ordered the Eight Hour Intensive Daily Moisturiser along with my old faithful Skin Protectant.

When I first applied the product I noticed the fresh almost citrusy smell. I usually go for odourless creams so as not to irritate my skin but seeing as the Skin Protectant has quite a strong odour and is incredibly soothing I thought it'd be mild enough to use. Within seconds of applying the cream I felt my sensitive areas start to tingle, around my eyes and nose. This is usually a sign that a cream isn't right for my skin but as I really liked the smell and texture I wanted to give it a whirl to see if my skin would get used to it.
Unfortunately it hasn't. It still irritates my sensitive areas although it hasn't caused my skin to breakout which usually happens when there's a change in my skincare routine. I think that the fragrance is too much for my skin which is a shame because I really wanted to like it seeing as the Lizzie Arden Skin Protectant had improved my skin so much.

I wouldn't recommend this product if you have very sensitive skin like me but I think if your skin is much more forgiving of fragrances in products then the smell is really refreshing and the texture of the cream is definitely light enough to wear under makeup during the day plus any moisturiser with an added SPF protection is a must. I think I'm still on the lookout for my perfect moisturising cream though.

On a happier note, seeing as I bought two Elizabeth Arden products from the Look Fantastic website I received a free gift. A stunning red lipstick and gel eyeliner with brush which I can't wait to use!



Glamour Classics Duo.




Elizabeth Arden's Colour Intrigue Effects Lipstick in Go Go Red.

 Hope you've all had a fantastic Halloween weekend. I'm off to eat all the sweets I bought that are left over from trick or treating!

Bye for now

xxx

My Christmas Wishlist

"Dear Father Christmas,

It's that time again and I'd just like to report that I've been a really good girl this year, well for most of the time anyway! Enough to feel I deserve a plethora of gifts! I'm sure the recession is hitting you and Mrs Christmas hard like the rest of us but you're the only one that can put a smile on everybodys face at this time of year what with budget cuts and job losses a plenty so I think you need to go all out for this one!

Look forward to seeing you (Don't forget the presents!)

Love from Victoria xxx"

My Unrealistic Christmas Wishlist!!!

I'm pretty sure I won't be hearing from him but it's worth a try!

Well I've spent most of my Saturday playing about on sites like Picnik and Polyvore creating funny pictures and wishlists like the one above. As you can tell I'm a greedy little thing and didn't think anything of adding a new car to my Christmas list along with makeup, Topshop goodies and even a pug puppy (I'd be perfectly happy with just the pug pup!)

They are both really good sites if you're feeling particularly creative. Picnik allows you to edit any picture and add certain effects to it all for FREE. I'm a bit obsessed with giving all my photos a 1960's feel which is just one of many effects available on Picnik. Polyvore is also free to use and allows you to create wishlists and collections from pretty much any label or brand that it recognises! Mucho fun and obviously handy for sending off visual hints to Father Christmas! You can also look at collections other people have created and maybe get a bit of inspiration for putting outfits together and see how one item can be reworked into several different looks!

Hope you're all having a great Saturday!

xxx

Rimmel Londons Pro Matte Topcoat review.

Hi ladies and gents,

As you may know I am currently fully encouraging a serious nail polish addiction. It's been an obsession of mine for so long that when my nails are bare I feel like there's something missing in my life! Like when you forget to put on that item of jewellery you ALWAYS wear!

I'm quite happy to stick to my favourites day in day out but then that wouldn't be very interesting to write about!

I've heard a few bloggers mention a matifying topcoat that's been doing the rounds so I thought I'd give it a whirl to see if it's as good as everyone says it is!
So with my last few pennies in hand I marched into Boots and bought Rimmel Londons Pro Matte Finish Topcoat which was recommended to me by Gem Fatale. I did have a look around at the other makeup stands but Rimmel seemed to be the only brand doing a matte topcoat! Surely that can't be?!
Luckily for me Boots are in the middle of a discount frenzy (3 for 2, buy one get the 2nd half price, savings galore!) so I managed to bag it for £3.49 instead of £4.49!





I used it on three of my favourite polishes. Barry M's Nail Paints in Grey and Mushroom and also Models Own Purple Grey which was the colour I was most excited about trying the matte finish on!

I didn't apply a base coat as I was being impatient and just wanted to get the colour slapped on so I could see this magical topcoat do it's thing but a base coat always helps the colour go on smoother and protects your nails from staining. I'd recommend two coats of your chosen shade as the coverage and overall look is better than with just the one and once both coats are completely dry you can start applying the matifying topcoat!

The Matte Finish brush isn't like a normal nail polish brush. Its much bigger with harder bristles but it's so easy to apply and with just two strokes I had covered the whole nail and within seconds you notice the matte effect appearing.

Here are the results!

Left - without matte finish, Right - with matte finish.



Without matte finish



With matte finish

The Matte effect gives each shade a velveteen appearance. I especially love how the Purple Grey shade looks, it really shows up the greyish hue of the colour and reminds me a little of the frosty effect you get on Christmas baubles. It actually gave my Barry M's shade in Grey more of a denim-ie hue than grey which was unexpected but I really liked the effect.

I applied it this morning and noticed throughout the day that any scuffs that appeared on the topcoat can be buffed away with your finger!

I was curious to see how the matte effect would alter a more sparkly shade like Models Own Gold Digger and these are the results shown on two giant fingers!!!!



Without matte finish.



With matte finish.


Not that I would probably ever use it over the top of a shimmery colour like gold, it definitley looks better with certain colours but you can see that is has completely taken the sheen and sparkle away from the shade and given it a subtle frosty look.
I've only tried this effect on a couple of my favourites but I'm quite excited to see how certain colours like black, hot pink or ruby red will look once they've been matified!

If you are contemplating trying the matte effect look on your nails then I'd highly recommend Rimmel London's Pro Matte Finish for the job as it's reasonably priced and gives nails a new look without spending lots of money like you would on products like Minx or Konad nails.

Bye for now

xxx

The best kids telly of the 80's & 90's!

Being a big kid who still remembers what it was like to spend hours playing on my Skip-it whilst listening to the likes of Rick Astley and Aswad on my Walkman!!....I hate to admit it but I am three years off 30 and should probably think about acting more my age but who wants to be a mature adult ay?! Not me! I had a bloody fantastic childhood and was privy to some of the best kids telly ever created. Not like that patronising little cow Dora the Explorer! This post is dedicated to the best kid's TV shows of the 80's and 90's.
Every baby of the 80's will have their own personal favourites and these are mine so I hope you'll enjoy this trip down memory lane with me. Please feel free to make a comment at the end of the post if I have or haven't mentioned one of your favourites. They certainly don't make them like they used to!

Button Moon (1980-88)

You'd have to have been living under a rock during the 80's not to have heard of Button Moon! Not only was I a huge fan of the show I also bought the record!!! The show was about the adventures of Mr. Spoon and his family which included Mrs. Spoon, Tina Tea Spoon, her friend Eggbert and a host of other characters. The show was hugely popular and still has a massive cult following to this day.

Sharky & George (1991-98)

If you watched as much telly as I did during the 90's then you're bound to be singing that little jingle in your head...."Sharky and George, the crime busters of the sea......." It was set in the underground city of Seacago and was about two private detectives (Sharky & George) who together foiled the evil plans of a number of Villains trying to terrorize the good folk of Seacago, these baddies included Dr. Jelly and Colonel Claw!

Raggy Dolls (1986-1994)

The Raggy Dolls was about a group of toys who were flawed during the manufacturing process in a toy factory and were subsequently thrown into the reject bin! With names like Sad Sack, Back to front, Dotty and many more I loved the characters and the adventures they had together. I even had the Raggy Dolls theme tune as my ringtone for years, an ode to how much I loved this show!

Family Ness (1984-85)
Family Ness was about a family of Loch Ness Monsters who befriended the MacTout family, imparticularly Elspeth and Angus who were brother and sister. The children could call upon the 'Nessies' in the loch simply by blowing on their "thistle whistles".

What I remember the most about Family Ness is that it had THE best theme tune called "You'll never find a Nessie in the Zoo!"

The Poddington Peas (1989)
The Poddington Peas were a community of peas who lived at the bottom of the garden. The characters all had pea related names like Sweet-pea, Hap-pea, Creep-pea and would you believe it Black Eyed-pea (no joke!) I wonder if that's where they got the name from! Only one series of The Poddington Peas was ever made! Boooooo!

My Little Pony(1984-1987)

The first My Little Pony cartoon was aired in 1984 and although the brand has evolved over the last three decades it was during the mid to late 80's where it was at it's best.The little ponies live in Dream Valley along with their human friend Megan, their dragon friend Spike and a number of other magical creatures. My favourite episode was Escape from Katrina with the cute  little Bushwoolies!
Remember the likes of Applejack, Posey, Lickety Split and Cherries Jubilee?!

Dangermouse (1981-1992)

Dangermouse was a secret agent voiced by Del boy himself, David Jason! He together with his trusty companion Penfold are given assignments by the man in charge, Colonel K, Each episode sees them saving the world from a number of villains, the most notorious being Baron Silas Greenback (a big green Toad!) Although Dangermouse was the main character it was Penfold who I favoured, recognisable by his black rimmed glasses and blue suit and tie, he usually ended up in trouble and had to be saved by his pal Danger mouse.

Fraggle Rock (1983-1987)
Fraggle Rock was a magical and musical spectacular created by the man behind The Muppets, Jim Henson. It's about a community of creatures who live in a system of caves known as Fraggle Rock! Within the caves were portals to other worlds where the characters would often visit. There were hundreds of Fraggles but the main characters were Red, Gobo, Boober, Wembley and Mokey. The series had a variety of different creations from, The Doozers and The Gorgs to Majory the Trash Heap!

Moon Dreamers (1986)

 The Moon Dreamers were a group of celestial children who lived amongst the stars. It was their job to make sure the children of Earth had pleasant dreams. Their enemy, Queen Scowlene, along with her many minions including her daughter Scowlette, would try to disrupt the Moon Dreamers. The characters included Crystal, Bucky, Whimzee, Sparky, Celeste, best friends Bitsy and Blinky and Dream Gazer.

This was a short lived series but I loved it and even collected the dolls which came with their very own dream crystal necklace.

Muppet Babies (1984-1991)

The Muppet Babies was another of Jim Henson's creations which followed the antics of The Muppets as they were babies growing up together in a nursery. Each episode saw the babies embarking on adventures into imaginary worlds but they always returned back to reality and the nursery at the end of the day. They were looked after by a lady called "Nanny" although you never saw her face. All that was shown was the bottom of her pink skirt and her stripy socks.

Thundercats (1985-1990)

The Thundercats were a group of cat-like heroes. Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, WileyKit, WileyKat and the adorable Snarf! Lion-O is the lord of the Thundercats and keeper of the Sword of Omens which holds the Eye of Thundera. The Thundercats had many enemies but Mumm-Ra features more than any other during the series.

I bloody loved the Thundercats and remember arguing with friends at school about who got to be Cheetara although we would all take it in turns to shout at the top of our lungs "THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDERCATS HOOOOOOOOO!!"

Jem (1985-1988)

The original female rockstar, her hair was fierce as was her makeup, wardrobe and attitude. Jem is the lead singer of Jem and the Holograms and the alter ego of Jerrica Benton, a music company owner who tries to keep her true identity a secret. By means of a holographic machine created by her late father and her magic earrings, Jerrica is able to transform into Jem. The rebel rockers The Misfits are Jem and The Holograms rivals and are equally as stylish!
I had the Jem doll and I loved dressing her up in all her vibrant 80's outfits although the doll seemed much more.....erm......curvy compared to Barbie or Sindy! Jem was a real woman!

Hang on....I need a tissue for this one! This might not be considered as kids TV but I loved this show when I was a wee nipper and had to include it!

The Littlest Hobo (1979-1985)

The Littlest Hobo was a series about a stray dog who went from town to town helping people in need. It first aired in 1968 although it was when it was revived for a second run that me and my sister would sit and watch the adventures of this little stray dog. God knows why my mum let us watch it as we usually ended up in tears when "Hobo" would leave on his own at the end of every show. I couldn't understand why he didn't want to stay with the friends he made and all my mum would say was that he liked being on his own! Again, it had a great theme tune "Maybe tomorrow" which also brings a huge smile to my face and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Check out the theme tune here

Now for a mushy moment, look away if you're of a delicate nature.........

I'll always look back on this time in my life as my happiest and remembering all the little details about these shows that I grew up with has bought a huge smile to my face and on occasion a tear to my eye. Great shows, fantastic theme tunes and some very happy memories!

There were so many fantastic kids TV shows to choose from, if I didn't list one of your favourites then please feel free to reminisce with me in the comments below.

Bye for now

xxx