Gratuitous Booty Shot

[New Look, £40]

So late to the game with these - if the blogosphere is anything to go by - but it does not make me love them any less.

Back with a bump

Even though everyone keeps saying that I've brought the sun back with me, it really doesn't feel that way. One minute you're looking out to a turquoise sea without a care in the world...the next you're opening a student loans letter and realising that David Cameron: "C3PO from Star Wars - made out of ham" (I quote Caitlin Moran) is running the country. Fo sho. Sigh.

In happier news, I didn't get sunburnt for the FIRST TIME EVER. To mark this momentous occasion I am going to review my recent goodies.

Ahem.

Urban Outfitters Nail Varnish in Taupe 1:

I also got this in Matte Grey, but this colour is absolute perfection. This is a word I am going to use a lot for my new ladylike character that has been brought about by the nail varnish's sophistication, which apparently means I will talk in italics. Anyhoo, the consistency is great, which is something I never really thought as being important for nail varnish, but now I see that it has a sort of elasticity to it that means it doesn't chip or peel easily, as well as being very easy to apply. The colour is best approximated as a grey/brown, I think Grazia would call it greige. I really wish they would give up with the portmanteau-ing (clearly not a word).

A few crappy photos to attempt to illustrate its greatness:

My new romance with Revlon continues with their Bronzer:

I am not a massive fan of bronzer/fake tan stuff, but I bought this for my holiday and was pleasantly surprised. The colour is subtle and not too shimmery, and builds up nicely. However, I bought it mostly for the super cool compact - there is a little button inside that you press down to make a mirror pop out the side. This makes a satisfying sound and happens really quickly, and reminds me of some sort of spy gadget. Even if in reality it is just a mirror that allows you to see if you are going a tad too terracota, it is still enough to keep me amused.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Obey:

This lipstick was one of my many Lisa Eldridge inspired purchases. I haven't actually road tested it yet on a night out, but I have been well impressed with how it looks while I slob around my room, trying on all my make up. First off, the packaging is very nice, very sleek and all that. The colour is wow - really bright peach and 60's/70's looking - and went well with both my pre-holiday paleness and my post-beach complexion. The texture is as matte as it gets, which is what I wanted from the lipstick, but be warned; it requires serious prepping of the lips before you can apply it. Having said that, if you get a little on your finger and dab it on you get a nice hint of the colour without having to do anything complicated. The best thing about it is how the colour builds; as you add more it doesn't get darker, it gets brighter and lighter.

This is because it has an almost white base, and the more you obliterate your natural lip-tone with it, the more the peach colour comes through. Overall, I'm very impressed, and as it's such an unusual and fun colour I feel it was worth the expense - £15 + postage.

                    

                                                       

Time for a nice cup of post-ibiza tea.                                               

The Good Life starring Marianne Faithfull and Miss Selfridge

I have wanted sunglasses like the ones Marianne Faithfull has on in this picture ever since I saw the image in the now sadly defunct ElleGirl (RIP). Today, dear reader, I found them. For the bargain price of £12 in Miss Selfridge. They aren't exactly the same, but I like the additional metal detail. Behold:

They have that wonderful brown tint that makes a sunny day look even sunnier; like you are walking around in a 70's television show - maybe on the set of The Persuaders (my all time favourite TV show and greatest inspiration - not just for fashion but for life). The sunglasses are named 'Margo', which makes them even more fantastic because that reminds me of Margo from 'The Good Life' - another 70's classic. Ahh.

Even though I was completely smitten by my find I couldn't resist picking up another pair of sunnies when I saw these babies:

The flower detail and pastel pink do actually remind me of baby's sunglasses. I like the cats eye detail, and they were super cheap at £5 so I won't be too heartbroken when these ones meet their inevitable fate. That is, I sit on them or smear suncream all over the lenses so they are unwearable. To guard against this I have bought a case for the Marianne-esque beauts. No squashing for them.