What Laura Bought: My Sale Buys!

I know I'm not alone when I say that sale season is, despite what the cynics say, a truly fantastic time to go shopping. If you're quick or lucky (and quite often, both) you can find that blouse you loved a month ago for half the price, or a pair of shoes you couldn't justify, with 75% shaved off the price tag. Prices better than eBay, for brand-new and box-fresh clothes - what could be better? And now that sale season is finally drawing to a close, I thought I'd show you the wonders that I've taken home with me over the last seven(ish) weeks.

My biggest bargains definitely came from the coat/blazer departments. My last sale purchase (and last purchase until the end of March, hopefully...) was this amazing leopard print faux fur coat from ASOS. I have been hunting for a leopard print coat for months, and found that they're completely overpriced on the high street, and selling for extortionate prices and poor quality on eBay. I spotted this one a few months ago, but at £70, I certainly wasn't willing to part with the cash. However, thanks to a spot of blog reading while at work, I saw that it had been reduced by around 80%, to £21. Add a 10% student discount, and the fact that my size (a 10 here, for reference), was the only size left in stock, and I concluded that it was fate and I must have it. It arrived yesterday and I love it. I love the oversized boyfriend fit, the lapels, even the pleather-coated buttons and trims. And for £18, I can't believe my own luck. Unfortunately, I can't pass that luck on to you, as the coat promptly sold out a few hours after I'd ordered it...

These two blazers have already been featured in a post, but they are some of my sale buys! The navy and gold boucle and pleather jacket was sitting lonely on a rail, priced at a miniscule £3 in Primark, after months of lusting after it but not being able to justify £25 for it. I'd rather have bought a 10, as this is an 8 and it's a big snug on my shoulders, but I can still wear it and for the price, I don't really care. The lilac blazer was £30, reduced to £7 in H&M. It looks incredibly formal on the hanger, but wearing it, it looks really fresh and has a preppy feel to it. The ruffles add some shape and stop it being too boyish, and I love the colour for Spring!

These two bags weren't strictly sale buys, but I bought them in the last few weeks so I figured they'd count. The brown bag was from Jade's blog sale - apparently it was originally £30 from Boohoo, but I snapped it up for a meagre £5! I've only had it for a few days but I love it already - the structured feel is nice, and it's very roomy, as well as going with absolutely everything.

The clutch is one that every blogger and her dog owns, but I simply couldn't resist. I'd seen this studded clutch in black in Primark months ago, and I liked it a lot; however, I'm on a tight budget 95% of the time and I couldn't justify buying another black evening bag, seeing as all my other evening bags are black, and I don't go out all that much... But when this blush shade came instore, I was sold. I wandered past it countless times, imagining what it would go with. Then, when I found my longed-for boucle jacket for £3 instead of the £10 I expected, I cut myself some slack and let myself buy it. It was just £6, but those of you who are students who rent houses will know that £6 can sometimes make all the difference!

Aaah, this top. My life seems like one long episode of lusting after clothes and not being able to justify them, but this is exactly what happened here to. What can I say, I'm a natural-born bargain hunter! I saw this lovely strapless peplum top on Kate's Instagram, and immediately looked it up on ASOS. It was £12, reduced from £25, but I just couldn't make up my mind. It flitted in and out of stock in the days that followed,while I mulled over how much I loved it, but what on earth would I wear it with? Luckily, my indecisiveness was cured with an eBay listing, selling this beauty new with tags, for a few pounds. One bidding frenzy later and it was mine for £6! It has subsequently sold out, so I guess you could say it is fate... Now I just have to buy some high-waisted jeans/disco pants to wear it with!

I snapped up these three bits for a combined price of £18. What?!, I hear you cry. Yes, £18. I loved this French bulldog-print shirt from Primark, but I refuse to pay Primark's ever-increasing prices for their never-increasing quality. It was originally £13, but I found it a few days after Boxing Day, for £5. The peplum top in the middle was another Primark buy. I actually bought it two weeks ago to try and cure my lust for the top above, but as you can see, it didn't work. It's like a blurred houndstooth print, in a woollen fabric with pleather trims. It was just £3, but I haven't decided if I'll be keeping or eBaying yet - now I have the top I originally wanted, I don't know if this will be worn too often...

The yellow dress was one of my first sale buys, and is 100% my favourite of them all. It is from H! by Henry Holland at Debenhams, and I first fell utterly in love with it around last May. At the time, it was £40 and I was just about to move house; with all the expenses involved already, I had to let it stay on the rail. It was perfect - my mum even phoned from London to tell me she'd seen this dress in Debenhams that was so me... of course it was the same one. I eBayed it lots, hunted around for it, but to no avail. Then, when I was wandering through Debenhams in January, looking for a birthday present for my boyfriend, I saw it. Alone in a muddle of sale rails, it screamed out to me. I raced over, convinced it would be the wrong size, or ripped, or dirty... But it was a size 8, and it was perfect. And it was reduced to £10. I couldn't get it to the till quick enough. The colour is gorgeous - I'm having a real love affair with lemon yellow at the moment - and I thought the crisp white collar and buttons, and the cute kite print, all gave it a lovely retro 1950s feel. It fits perfectly, and I'm so thrilled to own it. I find it's so rare to have a piece of clothing that you utterly adore!

This isn't a very exciting buy, but it's something I've been on the hunt for, and something that will be worn again and again come the summer. It just a sheer black maxi skirt, with an opaque miniskirt underneath. It was a cheap and cheerful buy for £5 in, you guessed it, Primark, and will be worn to death for our holiday in June!

Another thing that will be worn to death on holiday is this gorgeous white daisy bikini. It's actually River Island, from last year's summer collection. River Island always have a great selection of bikinis, but I find the price is often extortionate - for example, I saw this bikini last year and seriously contemplated it, for £40 for something that will be worn three days in a year is just too much for me! But, one quick hunt on ASOS, eight months later, and this was mine for £14. Everything about it is great, the fit, the cups, the beautiful decoration... I can't wait for June so I can wear it!

Strictly back on the winter theme, I bought this Russian-style furry hat in New Look a few days after Christmas. I had put it on my Christmas list, but nobody bought it for me, so I took it upon myself. I found it for just £5 instead of the £10 I'd expected, and with student discount on top it was an absolute steal. It's very big and ostentatious, and I get an awful lot of funny looks when I wear it, but that's fashion, daaahlings.

When you start buying ballerina pumps again, you know Spring is on its way! Leopard print pumps are one of my staples; they dress up a simple jeans-and-striped-tee combo so well, and go with pretty much anything (except my leopard print coat, I'm not Bet Lynch...) These pumps have so much detail on them to make them look a little more expensive - the soft outer is quilted, while the black toecap and the gold heart charm hanging from the bow on the front add a touch of extra glamour. The best bit was, these were just £2 from Primark!

And my final sale buy of 2013 so far is.... black glittery ankle boots! My boyfriend pointed these out a few months ago, saying they were a bit Noel Fielding and therefore, a bit cool. I liked them, but I thought £20 was a bit much for something I didn't really love. And then, last week, there they were, for a mere £6 in Primark (I know, I know, someone stop me!). They fitted like a dream, and so, there they were, suddenly in my wardrobe! I wore them on Valentine's night and loved them. I think they'll be lovely for nights out when I want something glamorous without too much height, or for dressing up a casual outfit. They're just so comfortable, and what girl doesn't love sparkly shoes?

So that was my sale buys, and after looking at this, I won't be buying anything again for a little while!

My Dressing Table

I love these kinds of posts - I'm incredibly nosy and I love seeing how other people live, how they dress their homes and what kinds of products they use. So I present to you - my very own dressing table, for you to snoop at, at your leisure!

This is my first dressing table - when I was growing up, we moved house so often I never really got a 'proper' bedroom of my own, decorated how I wanted, and I always seemed to end up with whatever furniture was going for any of my new bedrooms. When I told my boyfriend this, he was shocked, and so bought me this lovely number for my 20th birthday present! It was only £50 from a charity shop, and is incredible condition. Once we have stopped renting and eventually own a place, I want to sand it down and paint it and add some new handles etc, but it's difficult to do any renovations when you're in a rented flat on the first floor!

 

This is my dressing table on a tidy day! To the right, I keep all of my products in one generally messy section - most of the products on my dressing table are hair products and fake tans. On the shelf in front of the mirror is my perfumes and face creams, as well as a few boxes to keep things like kirbies, hairbands and false eyelashes. The first is a cute little Miffy mini chest of drawers that a friend bought me years and years ago. The silver ornate trinket box is my favourite - it was my mum's grandmother's, given to me a while back. It's so beautiful and intricate, and I love the enamelled flowers on the lid. The last box is a cute little brassy one with a painting-style lid; I found it in a charity shop and thought it might be useful.

My brushes are in a purple tumbler from Primark - I have hand lotion in a matching pump dispenser on the other side of the table - which was only £2 for the set. I keep my rings in a real clam shell that I bought in Tenerife last year, it's a really pretty cream and pink hue, with hinges and a lock. The china bunny cotton-wool holder is something I saw on Pinterest, that I was thrilled to find in a shop in Glasgow for just £2. I've actually bought my mum the same thing for Mother's Day, I loved it so much. The black velvet box is my memory box - it's got everything from the cinema tickets to every film me and my boy have ever seen together (including our first date, aww) to a balloon from my 21st birthday. Around the top of the mirror I hang bits and pieces - currently there's a string of vintage pearls, a flower garland headband, mittens, my Fashion Week pass, earmuffs, a few headbands and some colourful leis from a fancy dress party that I couldn't bear to part with! The final thing is a vintage silver butter dish, shaped like an oyster. I bought it for £5 in an antiques shop last year and filled it with pearls, of course.

I love every bit of my dressing table - everything is either functional or pretty, so everything has a place. What does yours look like?

What Laura Loves: Valentine's Edition

Happy Valentine's Day! And after this, if you're not keen on sentimentality, I'd click the back button if I were you...

I've always celebrated Valentine's Day when I've been in a relationship, but the true meaning and loveliness of the day was never really apparent to me, until I met my boy, undoubtedly the love of my life. After an abundance of poorly-chosen, half-dead flowers, cheesy cards and homemade spaghetti bolognese that tasted just awful, my boy walked through the door with an armful of roses and a heart full of love. And every year, he has impressed me more and more with his kindness, his patience and his unrivalled thoughtfulness and consideration.

Those roses on our first Valentine's Day have been the only flowers he's bought me for that specific occasion, but it doesn't matter a jot. He buys me bouquets on a whim when it's his turn to do the shopping, he comes home with a bunch when I'm feeling poorly, and he brings me my favourites just because. So, in answer to all you cynics, we don't celebrate our love just on this one day a year - we celebrate it every day, but we choose today to do something small and meaningful, to take a step back and really indulge in the something truly special that we share. And after my boy's unbelievably romantic gift today, I know I will cherish what we have forever, and most definitely not just one day a year. I am grateful every day to know that I have someone who understands me, who stands by me and who supports me in everything I choose to do. Add to that that we're so well-matched we chose to homemake each other almost the same present this year (I kid you not), and I'd say we really do have something to celebrate.

I hope you and your other halves have a lovely day too, and always remember to be thankful for the happiness you've found!

Review: L'Oreal Triple Active Day Multi-Protection Moisturiser

As we all know, moisturising is the most important part of any skincare routine, and finding the right one can be a little tricky. My personal favourite is The Body Shop's Vitamin E Day Cream, and I use the Night and Intense versions too. I recently ran out of this, and decided to try something new. I settled on L'Oreal's Triple Active day cream, which was a steal in Semichem for £3.99, when next door in Superdrug it was £6.99!

The presentation of the cream is great - I like the box, as it always makes products a little better quality to me (I know, what a sucker). I really like the heavy-duty jar, with its inner lid too. The whole aesthetic of this cream just screams quality and expense at me, which I love, especially when it was so cheap.

The smell of the cream is lovely, not too floral or fragrant, just a nice clean smell. It's quite thick for a day cream, and therein lies my problem with Triple Active. If I apply the amount I would normally use (which I don't think is excessive), it won't sink into my skin properly and peels off in little pieces, which isn't ideal. If I apply a lot less, it still peels, just not as much. I've yet to discover just how little I need to use in order for it to sink in properly! It feels incredibly lavish and rich on the skin, and once it has sunk in, my face feels smooth and hydrated. However, for me, there isn't enough of a reason to repurchase, and I think I'll be heading back to my trusty Body Shop cream as soon as possible!

Review: MUA Undressed Pallette

Like every blogger and her dog, I own the MUA Heaven and Earth Palette and absolutely love it. A tray of 12 incredibly wearable and versatile shades, all in beiges, golds and browns, perfect for day and nightwear. MUA do a pretty impressive range of eyeshadow palettes, from the subtlety of the Heaven and Earth to the bold party shades of Glamour Nights. So, when I was browsing the rails in Superdrug the other day, I was looking for a palette with a few different shades that would help create a more striking look when I needed it. Look no further than the Undressed palette!

Another palette of 12 shades, Undressed is a palette best suited to those who love a bit of shimmer! There are three matte shades, but the rest are shimmering and absolutely gorgeous. The shades range from a perfectly pale pink through to rose gold, champagnes through to gold and two petrol-blue shades. The shades are completely mix-and-match, so you can create a stunning and unique look every time. Personally, I love using the pale pink (first left, top row) on the inner corner of my eye, and the brow bone, the shimmery pale pink next to it across the lid and the rose gold (third from the left, bottom row) on the outer third. Today I'm wearing the blues for a retro smokey eye.

As with the Heaven and Earth palette, the quality of the eyeshadows is excellent for the price. There is slightly more fallout from them than the Heaven and Earth, but I think the level of shimmer probably has something to do with that. They don't, however, drop from the eye onto the skin, or fall too much on application. For the bargain price of £4, I really don't think you can go wrong with it for day or evening use. The shades can create anything from a subtle and sophisticated day look to some heavy-duty glamour for evening use!

Review: W7 Lipstick in Coral Dream

I love a bargain, especially when it's cosmetics. One of my favourite items just now is lipstick, and I have been finding favour in many a budget brand recently - my current favourite lipsticks are a pillarbox red from MUA, and a creamy matte blush pink from Boots' Natural Collection. And now, I have a new favourite to add to the gang: Coral Dream from w7.

w7 is a bit of a hard brand to find; when I want items from them, such as the Prime Magic Camera Ready primer I love, I order from Amazon or eBay. But recently, I found a store in Glasgow which stocks pretty much the whole w7 range, as well as cosmetics from another Amazon favourite, Technic. So it's been my new favourite to pick up bargain items that are dupes of much higher-end pieces. For example, w7 are pretty well-known for their boxed blushers, which are very similar both in design and colour to those by Benefit, their Camera Ready primer, which is a great alternative to Smashbox's primer of the same name, and their nail varnishes, which rival Models' Own for colour and choice. The quality is excellent for the price, the range of products is great, and the options too are brilliant - the best bit for me is that everything comes in at under £5!

But onto the lipstick. I love a subtle coral lip, and invested in Barry M's infamous 54 lip paint to get a softly shimmering coral colour, flecked with gold, only to find that it dried my lips out, dragged on, and generally didn't show up very well at all. I've been on the lookout ever since for something of a similar colour, but a better quality, and I think I've found it in Coral Dream.

It's a soft coral colour, flecked with subtle gold, and is a great creamy texture. It glides on over the lips without any pulling or dragging, and the smooth formula goes straight over any dry bits on the lips and doesn't show them up at all. I wore this for six hours yesterday and my lips still felt moisturised, which is quite an achievement when you have dry lips like me! The colour payoff was really very good, and I found the colour to be quite builable as well. I also love the smell! It's a bit like Percy Pigs, very sweet and fruity.

So, for a casual, quick and easy budget buy, I seriously recommend one of these lipsticks. W7 do a whole range of corals, in a collection called, funnily enough, 'The Corals', meaning you can find the perfect shade for your skintone and the perfect look for your summer makeup. The best bit? This lipstick cost me just 99p... Are you sold yet?