Ideas for Christmas Shopping

Ho Ho, I am feeling very Christmassy this week. I have done some shopping (for me) down Oxford Street where the decorations are stunning. i have had the christmas lights switched on at work with lots of mulled wine and way too many mince pies. So in the spirit here are some ideas to help get your loved one that special something if you are like me and a little late to party and rush around on Christmas Eve looking like a crazy person. First up is this amazing 4 piece ring set from Folli Follie. Rose gold plated with clear crystal stones. It is just too pretty...

Vodafone London Fashion Weekend 2012

After all the hustle and bustle of London Fashion Week, Somerset House transforms into Vodafone London Fashion Weekend. You can find designer catwalk shows, pop-up shops and hair & beauty. You can get the current collections at a discount.

I hate eBay

I have to rant about this and get this out of system. Essentially I am so disappointed in eBay I did not know it was possible. So I sold a pair of headphones that was given to me a present I already had a pair of overear headphones so I decided to sell them.They were brand new, boxed and sealed. I sell it on eBay and ship it off to the buyer promptly and I think everyone is happy. How wrong could I be?

I get an email a few days later stating there is a hissing in one ear and that I need to return it. Not can he, no question, a demand that I must return it. Well my issue is that they were brand new. Unlikely that they are faulty. Also, had a bit of search on google and turns out that some Noise Cancelling headphones use hissing as a technology to cancel out the ambient noise. I am no technological wiz but I am ok. So IF it is hissing I think this is a feature of the headphones and I advise of such in a polite manner. I believe he has nothing more than buyer's remorse and has decided actually 'I don't quite fancy these, let me lie and get them returned.' I get an abusive email back stating:

'No... It doesn't work like that. It works like this. You get the goods returned to you and you send me a full refund. I bought them from you. I return them to you'

Oh hell no!! Who the hell does he think he his telling me what I can and can't do. If the buyer has a no refund policy, then I think it is no refund policy unless it is faulty. In this case it is not faulty.I have heard of horror stories of awful eBay buyers and he right up there with them. After some back and forth, he raises a case with eBay stating the good was not how was described, ie the hissing. I gave all the evidence and details of what happened to eBay. After more abusive from the neanderthal, eBay have ruled in his favour. Why? Because they only protect the buyer. eBay do not care about the seller, despite the fact the seller pays ridiculous fees for every little thing. Unbelievable. Did they even research the facts? Did they investigate is it really faulty? No. Because no buyer would ever dream of lying to get his money back.

To top it all off, he has stated he is a music producer with multiple record contracts. Oh really? If you are some hot shot producer, why on earth are you buying £25 headphones on eBay? Would he not buy top of the range DJ quality headphones which run into the hundreds? He has to be the most vile man ever after having received numerous abusive emails and guess what, not only do eBay do nothing but they actually support him.

So anyway, what are your eBay horror stories about a buyer or seller? eBay, please look at how work and find a way to support the seller as right now it is really one-sided. Don't think I will sell or buy from eBay and don't recommend anyone else to either. They are some shady sellers and buyers out there and they are not policed.

Love from Australia Sale!

Get winter ready with the comfiest shoes around. Everything is £50. Now I just have to decide what to get!

My picks for AW12

Well it is that time again. New season and new clothes. AW12 isoming in to stores and your way very soon. For the new season, there is lots of leather, purples and burgundy and peplums are here to stay. Here are my picks from the new season. Tell me what you think?

This top is from Zara and hits two of the trends for this season, peplum and leather. I absolutely adore this for a dinner out. £89.99

Oskia - Glowing and smooth skin

I saw Oskia at a press day and immediately fell in love as it is a premium British beauty brand with a difference. Oskia is the first skincare brand to supply the skin with essential cell nutrients to help rebuild skin health and to use MSM as a skin conditioner and preventative ageing ingredient. MSM (Methyl Sulphonyl Methane) is one of nature's most remarkable and powerful medicines and is known as the 'beauty mineral' and 'healing mineral'. It provides the body with the natural materials to make collagen and elastin itself rather than using a product with collagen in it.

One of my favourite products is Get Up & Glow. It is a serum that illuminates, evens skin tone and firms. I use it as a highlighter or for an overall glow. This is one of the products that generates comments like 'Wow, you are glowing today!'. It can be used by itself or with with foundation. It is has an iridescent sheen to it. £64.50 

Atelier Swarovski Diana Vreeland collection

It has been a few weeks since I posted. I have started a new job and to say it is manic is an understatement. I get home and I collapse on my bed. Over the last few weeks I have been going to lots of Christmas in July events which takes up my evenings so I have lots to write about and I am back with a bang with this amazing collection from Atelier Swarovski. Atelier Swarovski have announced the Diana Vreeland Legacy collection which is inspired by and honors the lady herself.
.

Superdry Nail Paints

Did you know Superdry do nail polish? Neither did I until recently. When I showed the latest colours to a friend, her reaction was 'Since when do Superdry do nail polish?' Well they do!! In pastels and brights, perfect for summer. Each shade has unique designs which is a nice touch. So I tried out their new pastel colours. Here is Jade. It went on really smooth and glossy. I only needed two coats and had no issues.

OOTD: Sugarlips

I came across an American brand who have super cute dresses and clothing. They are similar to Warehouse and Oasis in the UK. So thought I would try them out. This dress is really flattering and I love the contrasting outline. This dress is perfect for a summer day out or barbeque party. It is a dress you can dress up with jewellery or dress down for something more casual.

BeautyWorksWest - Get ready for summer

So you last year I came across Beauty Works West and reviewed some items here including the fabulous Prtty Peaushun which is perfect for summer skin. Well there are some new products which can help you get in tip-top shape for summer.  The BeautyWorksWest range is a luxurious, natural range made by anti-ageing expert, Dr. Daniel Sister MD. You will find cleanser, beauty oils and candles all in the range. So what makes this different to the hundreds of other skincare brands? For me, it was the ingredients. I tried the Sugar Cane Scrub and Anti-Ageing Treatment.

OOTD: Wedding outfit

So we are well into the wedding season now. I went to a wedding yesterday which was beautiful. For wedding outfits, there are some beautiful dresses out now which can look amazing. Here is I am wearing my choice

The dress is Zara and I got so many compliments on it. I love the print and the material is thick and very good quality. The stitching is not great. There are threads coming out everywhere but I snipped them off. It is worth it.

The finishing touch was the necklace. It was a gorgeous statement necklace from H&M which compliments the colours of the dress.

The studded babies on my feet are from River Island. Super high but amazing.

I do not usually do OOTD but this was something special and I had to share. What do you think?

Fancy an Encounter with Alexander Skarsgard?

It was announced today that Alexander Skarsgard is the face of the new Calvin Klein frangrance, Encounter. I just want to stare at this picture so let's keep this and short and sweet. Alexander, you can bite me anytime! If only....

Triumph Lingerie

There were times when shapewear was black or nude and most definitely boring. They were not the sexiest of things and were definitely not made to be seen. They did their job of sucking the bits in (sometimes) but that was it. Well if Triumph has anything to say about, those days are long gone. Their current collection of shapewear is lovely with some lace detail and bright colours. Ladies, they look good and they work. Here's a little taster...

Ahava Facial Mud Exfoliator Review

We all know exfoliation is important. For all skin types, it is important to get rid of the dead skin cells to get a clear, glowing complexion. Exfoliation is a necessary part of skincare routine. The trick is finding one that is not too abrasive yet gets the job done. So a new addition to the market is Ahava Facial Mud Exfoliator. We all know dead sea minerals have amazing properties and can do wonders for your skin. Ahava specialise in Dead Sea Mineral skincare.

Dead Sea Minerals hydrate the skin and have regenerative properties. The Facial Mud Exfoliator is part of the My Skin Reborn - Time to Clear range. The range comprises of a mud mask and cleansers. I have very dry skin so I used this twice a week to exfoliate my skin. Cleanse your skin first so it is clean and then exfoliate on wet skin. Follow up with a moisturiser to leave your skin feeling refreshed or even a mud mask for a detoxing cleanse. Exfoliation is also good for cleansing pores which is a must if have large, open pores like me.

After using this my skin definitely felt smoother. I found it quite gentle and not abrasive so this is good for sensitive skin. For example, it is not as abrasive as St Ives Apricot Scrub. It is so gentle you can use everyday if you like. Ahava is available for £20 from department stores, salons and pharmacies.

Beauty at Cocosa

I first heard about Cocosa last year and my first thought was oh no, not another Brand Alley or discount site. Then I looked at the site and I was converted. Lovely clothes from cool brands, sold!! Now they are recently branching out in to beauty. So you now get flash sales from premium beauty brands like Oskia, Hersheson, Vita Liberata and exclusively, Bite. For me the standout brand was Bite. I have said before and I will say it again, red lips and a cat eye cannot be beaten. Bite Beauty are a collection of lip products which was sold in Sephora and sold out. Having tried the colours, they are sensational. My favorite product has to be the High Pigment Pencil in Zinfandel.