Mulberry Banana Keyring SS13

Whoever see's this post is going to think I have lost the plot. I just know. 

I was given this key-ring as a present for Christmas, and I think it might just be my favourite present ever. Considering who it was from and why. Theres a story behind it, but I wont bore you with it (and its also fairly personal).

The banana keyring is one of 4 new fruit (leather) keyrings which Mulberry has launched for SS13. I probably wont use it as a keyring, but a charm for one of my bags as its too cute to spoilt by my keys and fluff in the bottom of my bag. 

I truly, truly love the new boxes Mulberry items come in, same goes for the carriers. All more environmentally friendly. And all sourced in the Lake District in northern England too - even more british. 

Think this is one of my guilty pleasures. Everyone has been disapproving of it, said its silly/stupid however, love this little thing. At a £70 fee its quite an expensive little present too.. oh how spoilt I am. 

Thanks so much, you know who you are.

Did any of you get any interesting insider presents which no one else understands?

Have a good night tonight.

Z x

Jessica Geleration / I do

No, Im not engaged. The colour is called 'I do' and the boyfriend wasnt impressed either. In fact, I didnt even dare tell him to begin with ;) 

Its Jessica Geleration in the colour 'I Do' which I had done at Hotel du Vin in Harrogate where I spent my Christmas. J and I were booked in for the days around Christmas, and I was treated to a treatment of my own choice in the Spa down in the basement on the 24th of Dec. to kick-off Christmas. I chose to have my nails done, as I seriously needed them done....... 

So here goes.

I chose this lovely colour as it reminded me of Essie's Mademoiselle or Balletslipper, as its a light pink but milky colour when coated. I had 3 coats in order to achieve this colour. I also thought it would look good with all colours, its natural looking and quite classy. 


I have now had it for nearly a week and its lasting quite well so far, excited how its going to 'age' as its not as hardwearing as my usual Bio-sculpture (apparently). As I havent really got my hands in water all day long, I hope its going to stay on for a good 2/3 weeks. 

So far, Ive really liked it. Its a great alternative to Gelish and Shellac, however, for the price of £37.50, and a potential risk of it lasting shorter than Bio-sculpture, I think its a once-just-to-shake-things-up-experience, as I am quite happy with my usual nail-technician (Franki) and getting the train to Harrogate would be a bit of a luxury journey. 

Nonetheless, its great to try!!! Thanks!

Had a wonderful Christmas. Unfortunately, Im already back at work :( Hope youve all enjoyed yourself (and still do??).

Cannot wait to show you some of all of the presents I got... Im a very very spoilt girl.

Much love,

Z x

Nivea Lip Butter Caramel Cream

Everyone who know me, know Im a sucker for lipbalms. I dont know why, and I dont know where it has derived from. But thats what I always seem to come home with (or a new lipstick if Im being adventurous?!) if I am just diverting around Boots for a quick look. 

Normally, I dont like lipbalms where you have to get your fingers sticky, but I couldn't resist buying this one as the smell was just divine. I have been enjoying my Coconut Balmi for a long time now, and thought a more festive lipbalm was in order.

Scented lipbalms normally seem to be very synthetic, however, this one is so sweet and natural, you would think it was actually toffee had the taste not spoiled it.... The texture is nice and light and it leaves a nice transparent gloss on the lips.

I only bought it as I walked past the Lipbalms and felt I wanted to treat myself (how sad is that?) after my mum and sister had left after staying with me for four wonderful days. At a RRP of £1.20 I think this is allowed! And it wont make you put on weight either!? 

I would highly recommend you getting this if you stumble upon it. Its a nice little Christmassy treat when you have spent all of your money on your special ones........

Hope youre all looking forward for Christmas. Im certainly getting excited now - Eeeeek!

Much Love 

Z x

Christmas Party - Zara Haul

I do this - every single year! I know the party is coming up, I know I need / want (same thing) a new outfit and I know kind of what I want to wear. Yet I always end up doing it last minute, so not only stressing around but never end up getting what I want. This year was a last minute experience once again. I had sorted a lovely emerald green Zara outfit, cropped pants with a green peplum top - thought I would be daring putting a bit of colour to the event for once. I tried it. Loved it. I tried it on the day. Thought I saw an elf in my reflection. Not good!

Off I went for Christmas shopping and lunching with my boyfriend and decided to swing by Zara at 3 pm, was so busy I decided I would just pick up the gorgeous silk shirt in black and white stripes. Went home did my hair, put on my leather leggings and I looked like a referee!!! Off I went again, exchanged the shirt to a black silk shirt. Now 6pm, this was cutting it short. Once again I had ended up black :( The intentions were good but had to be a safe bet. 

Shirt with collar detail / Zara £29.95 Buy Here

Leather leggings / Zara £29.95

Asymetric Court Shoe / Zara £39.95 (SS12 season)

Watch / Michael Kors £229.95

I paired the clothes with my black Louis Vuitton Epi Pochette, and it just went so well with the black and gold. 

Sorry the quality of the picture is terrible, I promise to do a blog on each of the items cause they truly deserve it. The black silk shirt is just wonderful. 

The night was amazing, I shouldnt stress cause in the end it was the company of the lovely ladies I should have focused on. Had an amazing night in The Restaurant Bar and Grill.. 

 Have a good night 

Z x

Sketch Hair Leeds HOTD

Wow.. It has been so long, but I have been so unbelievably busy, you can tell its Christmas Now! Went to have my hair done the other day, it was definitely needing it terribly. The roots were driving me crazy, so I opted for a full head, but wanted something different for a change, so got Lauren (Who normally doesnt do my hair, but is lovely and really competent) to break it up with a few lowlights. 

Normally, I would go for a full-head of one colour highlights and then an ash colour toner on top to get rid of the brassy colour. Due to the dull weather, I thought it would be nice to put a little bit of brown in. I am so happy with the result, think it looks so much better. Being as dark haired as me makes it quite difficult maintaining that light and vivid colour of blonde during the winter, it always seems to go dull and get yellow tones despite the excessive silver shampooing. So having a blonde, a more golden and a dark put in seems to have made it both darker and more natural. She proceeded to put on an ash toner to tone it down and make it more cold as my hair tends to pick up the warmer colours straight away. The result? Amazing.

Where?
Sketch is located on 10 Mill Hill, Leeds city centre. Link Here. I have now lived in Leeds for a year and a half, Ive been elsewhere and I have been very happy to go back, seems they listen to you and dont just want to cut all the hair off. A-hem... Bad experience with Tony&Guy 4 years ago. The price is really reasonable too :) 

I have forgotten to do my empties for November, so that is the next step. Sorry guys :( 

Hope youre all well. Merry Christmas. 

Z x

Merry Christmas

FINALLY!!! I have been so absent (as predicted in my last post) but I have been caught up in work - for a whole week! Working 60 hour weeks in definitely not advisable.

I am finally done for the time being, and have come out the other end with some good results so am treating myself to 3 days off, a couple of drinks tonight with a good friend of mine and a trip to Manchester on Wednesday. 

I thought I would add a little bit of "off-work-spirit" showing an after-work cappuchino, freshfaced with curlers, Gel overlays in colour 24 and a white chocolate and spiced apple winter cocktail from one of my favourite places in Leeds - 26 Aire Street.

Gel Nail Overlay /

Had my nails done again, however, had taken off my gel overlays for the french and my nails were suddenly too weak for my hard work :( As you can imagine, they all broke off... So am back to square one, short but tidy nails. I therefore went for a wine-red festive colour as short nails and dark colour looks classy despite the short nails. I will take some better pictures in daylight, and do a post on its own, as it isnt very visible in that picture.

Have to get going, I hope youve all had an amazing weekend. 

Love Z

x

Work Trip

I had to go to Nottingham for work the other day! What a faff! And what a place!!! Setting off at 6.30 in the morning is what you have to put up with...... at the dead of night. 

Thought of myself as a little tourist as it was my first visit there. Not very impressed, its like travelling to a different decade. 

Not going to lie, think I prefer Leeds by an absolute mile. Coming back into Leeds at 6pm made me just sigh with relief. 

Then back for a meeting and then finally a night off. Was a good day! 

Z x

HOTD / November 25th

It doesnt happen often that I have time to do my hair, but I was still impressed with the volume and waves i managed to create on Saturday evening. I had been working all day and still managed to create a bit of Oomph! It was great having time to doll up for a night out with my boyfriend and his friends.

I always use my GHD straightners, whether its to straighten or curl my hair. Here i "broke" it both ways (first upwards, then downwards, then upwards) in order to create the sudden flick without making little "straightener" curls. 

Hope youve had a great weekened. I better go to bed to prepare for the week coming.. ewww! 

x

OOTD / Christmas Market

I apologise I havent been active recently, I have however been having the busiest week of my life, next week is going to be even worse :( It is some of the busiest days in the company, so luckily i have another week of crazy hours (and a cheeky work trip to Nottingham), and then I can breathe again.

I did have a chance to go to the German Christmas market with my ladies and wrapped warm for it. A few drinks after work is always in order. 

Floral shirt / Zara SS12 season £29.99

V-neck jumper / Gap (and belongs to my beloved boyfriend, thanks J)

Jeans / Blue Skinny Zara numbers £39.99 (last season)

Boots / Dallas Chelsea Office Ankle Boot £70 Buy Here

Watch / Michael Kors Gold MK5055 £229 Buy Here

Im so excited for Christmas. Normally OD'd on mulled wine at this point, will have to wait for after my 7 day week next week. Work, training, travelling and long hours and hangovers is not a good combination so will just have to hang in there. 

Hope youre all getting excited for Christmas, 1 week to go!

Z x

Moroccan Oil Treatment

I recently purchased this Moroccan out. I had tried it a in a hair salon, after having my hair cut+coloured, in Copenhagen a few years ago. This is the famous, Moroccan Oil treatment for all hair types, supposedly the original brand which sent the whole world oil mad.
I am not sure what the fuss is, but what I do know is that this product is hailed and loved by hair stylists the world over. 


Honest reason why I bought it? My hair stylist LOVED it. So much she slathered it all over my hair which resulted in my going out of the salon flat- and greasy-haired. And if she is so excited about the product, the dear stylist, is must be good?! I went straight home and washed my hair. It wasnt for my thing and it didnt really do the trick for my soft, flat and electric hair - it just made it look dirty! Therefore I tried a few other products, and was the same story, it just wasnt suited to my hair. So I guess, if your hair is a little thicker, possibly curly and preferably on the darker side... you will love this product!



Personally; I will stick to John Frieda's Frizz Ease Serum! It seems to be a little more lightweight, for my kind of hair.



This is by no means to put you off this product, as Im sure You would be able to use this if youre used to heavier products. I have only heard really, really good things about this product, but I have very limp hair which I have a special routine for (so that it doesnt just fall out haha) I have tried a few brands, as it seems every single brand now does this type of thing. Even L'oreal has a Moroccan Argan Oil. Its just the new thing.



In the case youre still up for trying it, here are a few details about the product:



The Moroccan Oil has a unique quality of instant absorption into hair, creating an instant shine and long term conditioning without leaving residue. Benefits include:

* Ultra-Light Formula
* Restores Shine
* Strengthens and Conditions
* Reduces Drying Time
* Alcohol Free


In case youre up for buying it (or reading more in depth about it) Please use the link here .. Moroccan Oil




Nearly at the end of the week! Excited times .



Take Care,

Z x

Mulberry Trout Bag

I have truly fallen in love. Like - TRULY - fallen in love. At first I was unsure, but then I saw her in the flesh! The renewed Trout Bag by Mulberry is absolutely divine!

Based upon the old Trout Bag (bottom image of the three), originally made for fishing and hunting, this is truly a bag with heritage and value behind it.  Mulberry has recreated the scotchgrain hunting bag and renewed it into a glamourous everyday bag in 4 different finishes; Reptile Print Suede, Oak Large Silky Snake Nappa (Above Left), Black Soft Large Grain (Above Right) and Pear Sorbet Soft Large Grain all retailing at £1100 for the printed and £895 for the Soft Grains (Buy Here)

Not only are the bags wearable as cross-body bags, and therefore extremely versatile for everyday use, but you can unclasp it and use it as a little hand held handbag(sounds odd) for a night out - a little bit like the Bryn from this season, I guess. Absolutely stunning finishes, absolutely quality bag. Love it!

What do you guys think? Do you love it too?

 

Moroccan Oil Post is ready for tomorrow. Finally got rid of my headache. Phew! 

Have a good Monday night! 

Zen xx

Copenhagen and an apology!

I was going to do a great little review of my Moroccan Hair Oil, but cant seem to collect my thoughts as I am poorly :( Therefore, I thought, Id give you an image of one of my favorite new buildings by NX3 (The new Bella Sky Hotel) snapped when in Copenhagen earlier this week. 

I will be back tomorrow hopefully and give the review (Which I had looked forward to writing).. 

Hope youre all having a great Saturday night.

Z x 

Empties October - and some recommendations!

I do realise. Considerably boring month. Point taken. However, I will briefly take you through as there are two products which I love!


There is a little bit of everyday - the usual stuff. Shampoo, Conditioner and my favourite standard Radox Shower gel with Chamomile & Jojoba oil. Then theres the Batiste (However, instead of the usual XXL I tried the Cherry... equally good, but completely different in texture) and Frizz-ease Secret Agent Perfecting Creme for smoothing at the end of my styling. The Cutex Acetone free Nail polish remover and a Boots Aromatherapy Lavender Body Spray (Lush for night-time). NOW.... 

Estee Lauder Doublewear might very well be my favourite foundation in the whole wide world. I have been through a lot of different foundations - A. LOT.! And for some reason I always come back to Estee Lauder. You might think "Why do you even try other foundations if you have already found your favourite!?" Its really not that simple. I have a kind of Love/Hate relationship going on here. While I love the coverage, the texture and feel of it and to mention how it sinks into the skin and lasts a lifetime ... it has made me break out on several occasions in the past - and this seems to disappear when I start using other foundations. hmm!! 

SO, in order to still be able to use this, I decided to switch to other brands whenever I started breaking out.

One day this summer, I accidentally purchased a shade to dark (4W1 Shell Beige). I asked for a shade darker than my previous colour as it was in the height of summer but the sales assistant mistakenly handed me 2 shades darker. Instead of taking it back I started mixing it with a foundation I had put aside as it was too light for my liking (MAC Matchmaster 1.5). In this way, I still got the qualities of the Doublewear (Coverage and texture) but it wasnt as heavy on the skin and left my skin dewy instead of dry-ish. 
I cannot underline how much this accidental mix has been a blessing in disguise!! I absolutely love mixing the two, they just work so well together. 

Anyways, a lot of chatting about a foundation, but I cannot praise this foundation enough. RRP £26,50 is very standard for a good foundation too!

St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse is possible the biggest surprise I have had in my life (with regards to beauty products of course). I have tried anything from expensive spray-on tans to St. Tropez to St. Moriz.

My friend recommended it to me as I was on the look for a good selftan, must have been during the spring some time. Retailing at £4.99 in Xtras in Leeds, it is very reasonably priced. (psst... I have heard Wilkinsons have them for £3.50) 

The mousse is so easy to use, it spreads really easily and sinks in quite quickly too. I do recommend using a mitten to spread the colour evenly as it colours quite a bit, so you dont want to be left with chocolate fingers! As far as I am concerned there are two different shades, a darker and a lighter, so it depends on which one suits your skin. The good thing is, it develops brown rather than orange - making it a perfect tanning product!


I think I have rambled on enough here. I wish you all a fantastic weekend. 

Love Z xx

MY WESTFIELD DREAM WARDROBE

It is very unusual that I do my dream wardrobe, however, this time I am holidaying in Copenhagen and currently relaxed and have so much more time than usually. (And the possible outcome could be a new mulberry bag!!)

Westfield London are challenging bloggers to create a Pinterest board showing their favorite A/W12 outfit using brands shown on their pinterest board. The favourite outfit has to be built around a statement handbag of your choice but this wasnt tough since the options are nearly endless(!).

The Westfield London judges will then choose their winner after the 11th of November and the winner will receive a £700 voucher to spend on their favourite handbag!!! 

I have chosen one of Mulberry's newest bags, the Del Rey in the colour Black Forest. This is the absolute key colour of the season and the Del Rey is a beautiful, structured bag which would suit both day and night - hence why I have chosen a few more things than just one outfit. This is by far one of the most beautiful bags Mulberry has in at the moment. 

Check out my Pinterest Board Here and Follow me!!!

My The Village Picks: Bag: Del Rey in Black Forest - Mulberry, Coat: Printed fur Coat - Burberry, Shirt: Perfecto zip shirt - The Kooples, Belt: Metal Plaque Belt - The Kooples, Trousers: Tweed Peg Leg - Ted Baker, Shoes: Church's,  Jewellery: Precious Circle Emerald Ring and Lulu Frost Art Deco Earrings - both Whistles, Boots: Acne Star Boot - At Kurt Geiger, Dress: Gucci Belted Dress, Lipstick: Dior Hypnotic 862.

I have kept the style clean, classic heritage English and thrown in a few French and Italian pieces however its kept in monochrome and with only the colour from the lipstick reflecting the bag. The green colour of the ring is a good opponent to the Dark Maroon red and therefore stands out. 

For info on the shops and their location in Westfield London please follow the links below!

Mulberry (Link)

Burberry (Link)

The Kooples(Link) 
Whistles (Link)
Church's (Link)

Ted Baker(Link)

Kurt Geiger(Link)

Doir (Link)

Gucci (Link)

French Gel Overlays part 2.

Awkward nail picture part 2!!! 

I am just updating on my nails. Went to Mint today and had them done again, and I can tell you I am so pleased. They look absolutely stunning. Love how crisp she makes them. Franki who does mine, and the rest of my work (we seem to have started a trend) is my favourite. I have seen some of the other girls' work, and although theyre good, I far prefer Franki - she is just incredibly good at making the line even and precise. 

Its just a short update, but thought Id share it. Off on holiday to Denmark tomorrow, am very very excited about seeing everyone. 

Will try take some nice pictures and blog. 

Z x

Mulberry Spring Season

I would be lying if I pretended that Mulberry's spring season didnt excite me. Cause it is unbelievable! Nothing less! 

I have been lucky enough to have a sneak peak, and there are so many things I would love to have. Especially the dusty colours and rose gold items. 

The item I have truly fallen in love with one item especially. Meet The Oversize Clemmie Clutch in Dark Blush Glossy Goat. 

Its a bit like the Oversize Lily but without the chain. This new item is no secret, its out on the website and will hit the stores in mid-november.. yay! To have a look for yourself, check out Mulberrys website (Link here)

x

Kooples Sport Jeans

I know this doesnt show a great deal of jeans, however, it is a brilliant colour and its a fantastic brand. 

Im blessed to have a boyfriend who has great taste. He bought me these for my birthday and I love them. I will start taking pictures of my outfits, and these are one of my favourite pieces, so Im sure you will see a lot more of these skinny, ankle jeans. 

Have a good night.

Z

French Gel Overlays

Taking pictures of your nails is always a weird one (!). I had these done last week. Whenever I did my nails, it wouldnt be a day and they would have split and chipped. I think it boils down to the dryness and condition. And the Sally Hansen product I bought to prevent this - did nothing but encourage this peeling of nails. Sad eyes.

So I decided to get bio-sculpture (link here) in order to protect the nail whilst hidden under the hard shell. 

'Bio Sculpture Gel is an exceptionally durable gel treatment that nurtures the nail bed whilst allowing the nail to look immaculate. It is a healthy nail system that will not chip or damage your nails, protecting and strengthening the natural nail in the process. Bio Sculpture is the original and market leading colour gel with a range of over 150 different colours.'

I had this done at Mint nails in Leeds (Link here) which is quite an expensive nailbar (£31.50) compared to other places in Leeds, but I am amazed how well its lasted. Its been a week so far, and it still looks immaculate. (usually lasts 2-3 weeks apparently). Whats even better, my natural nails are growing longer underneath, without chipping! I will definitely be doing this again - well worth the price. 


Z x

Jergens Cherry-Almond Moisturiser

Whats more ideal than spending your rainy monday off, inside just spoiling yourself with cups of tea and a bit of pampering?

I have heard so much about Jergens. It wasnt till I stumbled upon it in Superdrug that I even thought about giving it a try. As I showed in my previous post in September empties, I finished one of my body butter and my steamcream, so i needed to top up on the moisturisers. 

I was drawn to the Cherry-almond combination as both fragrances are some of my absolute favourite.. It is very easily absorbed and makes my skin super smooth. A great little product for the cold autumn days when rain and cold wind has over-dried the skin!

Whats your autumn favourite to stay moisturised? 

Z x 

New TOPSHOP Leeds

I would like to apologise in advance for the rather awful pictures. An Iphone just doesnt do the new TOPSHOP any justice. 

Today I ventured into new territory and hand on my heart, I hadnt even planned to do so. After work, at around 7pm, I made it into the new TOPSHOP on briggate. My workmate had gone in her lunch break, today I just couldnt be bothered even going out of the building so had had my lunch comfortably in the canteen. 

But as it was still open when I finished work, and apparently Pixie Geldorf was dj'ing as an extra bonus, I decided to venture in. 8 hours of work, sore feet and wet from the sudden rain made me just have a wander around to see the interior and the display. I honestly didnt even attempt to buy anything - too tired, shock horror. But did have a sneaky peak in the shoe-department. Absolute heartbeat. 

Their nailvarnish and makeup department is elaborate, there is a lot to choose from. I have only ever used their nailvarnishes (not impressed) and their lipsticks (love) but its so nice that everything is updated and new. Its much more like the London Topshop on Oxford street and there is a lot to choose from. 

I have to collect a little bit of courage, cause its a jungle in there and it is full of really really fashionable girls ... here is me in my suit after work. Haha at least its a nice suit. 

Anyways, I am so sleepy, might have to curl up into a little bowl now go to sleep. 

I will be back soon. 

X z