What's Been On My Feet: December

Like most girls I love shoes of all varieties but especially (and predictably) heels. I used to be the kind of gal who would go to Sainburys in her best shoes, because why waste them on a night out - these babies need the light of day to shine! I stopped wearing heels so often a few years ago and I don't really know why. Maybe it was the impending doom of getting older and turning into the kind of girl who's feet feel toeless after an hour in sky scrapers (which FYI I totally am), but I never stopped lusting after stiletto stunners.

I feel 99% of you will know what I mean as you read the next few words: Carrie. Bradshaw. Blue. Bridal. Manolo. Blahniks. Cue instant wedding daydreams of these beauties on your feet.  Since the moment I saw these bad boys I knew I needed them; so when I came across a snazzy Dune dupe on Instagram I had to have them!

The 'Breanna', from Dune, are these gorgeous beasts which I got in the Black Friday sale. Although they aren't and will never be the Manolo's my heart bleeds for they are a pretty spectacular copy. They did come in many different colours and styles but unfortunately have largely sold out. Reduced from £89 to £44 they were a complete steal! Check out the link; there are still some sizes and styles left.

Although I am more of a suede/leopard print pump kind of girl I do love my Vans and Converse. I have long been a fan of the sky blue Vans but was given these ruby ones for my birthday a few years ago and have only just clawed them out from the back of my wardrobe. To be honest I wasn't entirely sure if the red ones suited me, I've had the blue version since I first invested but I am so glad I brought them out.

I've worn them so much in the last few weeks - I have even forgiven them for the monstrous blister they gave me on the first day I wore them. I have been blessed with the kind of heels that blister as soon as new shoes are put on. Lucky me. Nevertheless they have become my go-to flats for December as it has finally got a bit too chilly for my ballet flats. Schuh and Office both stock a really great variety of Vans which are totally worth checking out. 

Lastly, I bought these scarlet heels in a flurry of realising I hadn't had a shiny new pair of stilts in a very long time. I cruised all of my favourite high street stores and couldn't find anything I was willing to part with my cash for until I found these. Also available in taupe (which I am still lusting after) they are so chic and comfortable for longer than they appear.

I love the asymmetric upper which differentiates them from your standard festive footwear. I wore them out for a relatively messy night out and of course they were pretty filthy by the time I got home. How does that even happen?? But they came up good as new after a scrub with an old, damp toothbrush.

The only thing I would change about them would be the amount of toe cleavage they present. I know it's a huge pet peeve for lots of gals but I love it and none of my favourite shoes would have gained their status without it! A little more TC and they would be perfect!

What have you been wearing on your feet this month?

Winter Favourites

I'm starting my Winter favourites early because I have so much to share! Despite the last few weeks being totally grim so much has made me smile. And it's not just because I am going home for two whole weeks for Christmas - excited doesn't even scratch the surface!

Clemmie

My most favourite Winter favourite is the newest addition to our family - Clemmie Stephanie Gallagher. We adopted her from the Gildersome Cats Protection in early November.  She had lived previously with an elderly man who was unable to care for her full time anymore. Our 8 year old baby is the most gorgeous girl and so affectionate, she just wants to be loved all day.

Who could resist her soupy face! (Prepare for a cute cat pic overload)

Olympus Pen E-PL7

I have wanted a proper camera for so many years but never actually got round to devoting a couple of hundred pounds to one. I had a problem because I wanted one which would produce excellent quality pics, was easy to use, carry around and wasn't just big and clunky. I came across the Olympus Pen E-PL7 earlier in the year and totally set my heart on it. When Black Friday came around I was poised and managed to wangle it for £100 off. It's not exactly an ABC guide in terms of ease of use but like all techy products after a play around you get the gist of it. I particularly love the app which makes it a total dream to import pics to your phone and take shots via remote control (your phone). Definitely recommended!

Apricot HBT Nails

I've been going to Apricot for almost two years now and I can say with confidence it is the best salon I have been to in Leeds. I've tried so many and been disappointed by the quality of service, ridiculous prices or poor practice.  Some would say I'm fussy, but I'm just particular - I know what I want! I get my nails (gels), waxes and hair cut here and the girls are so lovely and know what they are doing. Prices are fair and they even have a new loyalty scheme where you can claim back a free hair cut or set of gels - AMAZIN! Excuse the two week growth...

Dune Heels

I'll not go into too much detail about these little beauties because they totally speak for themselves. Another Black Friday purchase and I managed to get them for half price! I'll be talking about them further next week so for now I'll just leave this here...

New Layouts

If you have been here before you might notice I have a new blog design.  I bought it on Etsy and I am totally in love.  I was never happy with the layout and design of my previous blog, it just looked a bit shit.  In my new layout you can view posts by category which makes it so much easier to find specific posts - I've also added a search bar if you are looking for something particular. I hope you like my new design even just a bit as much as me, let me know what you think!

Christmas Tree

To end on a festive note one of my absolute favourite things of this month has been putting up my Christmas tree. I've been pining after a real tree for years and finally had the opportunity to get one. After supreme jealous of my bezzies real tree last year I was on a mission to collect decorations for my tree.  I had been counting down the days to decorate it and am absolutely in love!

What ever you are doing this Christmas have a beautiful one!

Kiko Cosmetics Review

So, first's things first's an apology is in order. Despite thinking about my blog every day I have been crazy busy over the past few weeks and haven't got round to writing ANYTHING! With moving house, decorating, unpacking, starting a new job and not having internet for a couple of weeks I actually think I haven't done so bad in taking as long as I have!

I suppose what comes with a being a blogger is the acceptance of other people who put their lives online. No depth is to be taken by that sentence - what I really mean is how easy influenced I am by other bloggers recommendations. I once heard a blogger say that Clearasil Clean and Clear scrubbed on once a day for a week would remove the pinky dots that plague my legs. And what did I do? Go straight into town to buy it! And did it work? No. But I don't often let this put me off. Bloggers are famed for their honesty and what works for some doesn't always work for others, and as we all know beauty is often times purely trial and error!

For example literally nothing does as much for my eyelashes as Diorshow Iconic, whereas most are more than satisfied with their Maybelline bezzie. Cutting a long story short, I heard a YouTuber talking about Kiko Cosmetics and naturally my interest was piqued.

Cue a few weeks later and in a mad rush in town getting lunch for a few people in the office I ended up right across the street from the Kiko Cosmetics store showcasing a very enticing 50% sale. Naturally, as soon as I went home I was on their website browsing for the next best thing.

The website is easy to navigate and being the savvy shopper I am (lololol) I stuck to the sale section.  Partly because as a MAC lover for life I didn't want to waste money on products I would never use and also in part because I am still stuck in the mindset of being a student - despite the fact my beady eyes are firmly set on an Olympus Pen E-PL7. 

Being pessimistic I'll start with the baddies. Firstly, I didn't realise that there was a minimum order value. Usually this isn't a problem for me (...) but seeing as I was firmly in the sale section I encountered a problem when I came to check out. The minimum order value is £25 which I personally think is enormous considering it is a brand which I would consider to be on the lower end of the economic spectrum.  

Regardless, I persevered and ended up with this delicious hollowed flat topped brush to bump up my total. I've been using it for foundation and cream contouring and to be honest, for £15.90, it has definitely been worth it. 

Secondly, the products took so long to arrive I had genuinely forgotten I had ordered. When I went to the Post Office to collect my parcel I totally intrigued to see what my secret admirer (Kiko) had sent me.

I couldn't resist this violet face primer when I came across it on the site. It's valued at £1.90 at the moment but I am sure it was something ridiculous like 70p when I bought it. To be entirely honest I'm not sure how much I rate this product, it has the desired tacky feel once applied but I'm not convinced it keeps my make up on for any longer.

Seeing as I bought some of the loose pigments I thought I should check out their Mixing Solution valued at £1.90. Put a tiny, tiny drop of this onto your brush then apply the pigments and you will be surprised at the depth of colour you can achieve. I really rate this product, I think it is really worth checking out!

Being a neutrals lover I was obviously going to go for Cocoa and Light Taupe (£2.90) in the loose pigments department. I am infinitely more impressed with Light Taupe, it is like literal moon dust. The colours are strong, but without the mixing solution they don't have the staying power to last a whole day at work.

The desire to add a filter on to my pasty hand pic almost overwhelmed me, but in dedicated blogger fashion I kept true to the original image!

The picture to follow shows the colours blended; top is Cocoa on it's own, middle shows the pair blended and the bottom shade is Light Taupe. The colours have much more of a shimmer in real life, but until I get my Olympus Pen my iPhone pictures will have to suffice!

The above shows the pigments with the mixing solution - how much of a difference does it make?!

Saving the best until last, I am introducing you to my new best friend. Beam of Light highlighter in Sand. I cannot get enough of this beauty - it is super long wear and holds the most gorgeous glow, at £5 it is a total steal.  I have been using this with my EcoTools blush brush which has the perfect fluffy texture for highlighter. 

Overall, I definitely think Kiko Cosmetics is worth a look.  I have totally fallen for some of their products, but there is so much more to be seen. Let me know what your experiences have been I would love to know!