Fabulous Fifty Giveaway!

Hello my lovelies! Sorry for the lack of blogging recently, I have been off work sick under advisement by the doctor for the past week and now have to go for blood tests to check out why I am so tired all the time - blech! Anyway, that's why I have been absent from writing but despite this I have still hit over the 50 followers mark so as a massive thank you for all those readers who actually find my ramblings worthy of reading I am holding a giveaway! So here is what's on offer to be won - three mini '17' nail polishes in a bright pink sheen, bronze sheen and shell pink sheen; and a silver book & pearl pendant necklace from the 'and Mary' brand on ASOS.

Image from ASOS website.

Seriously, when I started this blog I thought the only readers I would have would be my best friends and their siblings, plus me. Now, I have hit over 50 followers and have readers from all over the world - I am completely stunned. So thank you, to every single follower and reader I have - it really does mean the world to me. 

So after that gushy message, here are the rules for the giveaway:

• You must be a reader of this blog through Google Friend Connect or Blogger (as it is compensation for those who have stuck up with my nonsense for such a long time now...)
• So for 1 ENTRY please comment with your favourite book at the moment or of all time! I am running low on books and need to do some amazon shopping so stolen this idea from Dani... Plus your email address so I can contact you if you win!
• Extra Entries:
• 1 Extra Entry - Tweet about my giveaway - @Disney_Stephie
• 2 Extra Entries - Write a blogpost or put it into a side banner on your blog about this giveaway!

So that's it! I will be choosing the winner in two weeks time ( 12th Feburary) by either the random.org thing I have seen before (depending on how technological I am feeling...) or just by pulling a name out of the hat - going old fashioned! If you could please in your comment on here let me know if you have tried for extra entries that would be great as I am forgetful and that will be a good mental note!

Once again, thank you for all your support in my blogging - you are all lovely! 

Good luck! 

Love,

Motel Rocks Spring Collection Preview - My Picks!

One of the best things about the changing of the seasons is the fashion changes that follow, giving a reason (as if you need one really...) to go shopping for a few select items to brighten up the winter wardrobe! Motel Rocks have definitely achieved this with their spring collection in bringing brighter colours and summery playsuits into their lookbook. Thanks to the lovely Selina at Motel Rocks, I can now share my favourite items of the new Spring collection with you all, so here they are:

 Black, sweetheart neckline bodycon dress.

Feather Print Playsuit.

 Red Lace Playsuit.

 Floral shorts playsuit.

(Photos from Motel Rocks Spring Collection Lookbook)

Have you noticed a pattern? I can't help it! The playsuits in this season's collection just really caught my eye - especially the red lace number which combines two of my favourite qualities in a piece of clothing. However, changing it up for the last picture was the black, bodycon dress that has the sweetheart neckline - very 1950s with a modern twist!

Anyway, there we go! The collection is fantastic and recommend having a look at it in its entirety as its quite diverse in styling. If you do find anything you like, there is a 15% discount on the side of my blog - not trying to encourage anyone to go shopping or anything!

What do you think of these items? Have you bought from Motel Rocks before?

Love,

A trip to the hairdressers = a smiling Stephie.

Hello lovelies, and a thank you to all the new followers :-D 

After a long, long day at work and a dragging week, the trip to my hairdresser was a necessity to get me through the rest of the week! I've been 'umming' and 'ahhing' for a good couple of weeks now about what I wanted to get done - staying brunette or going back to the bright red locks of my second year at university. Even as I sat down in the chair, all gowned up and with Maddy (my hairdresser) rearing to go I was still sitting there unable to make a decision. In the end, I decided to go for a mix of both so that when the red faded I would still have the dark brown colour - win/win! Plus I wanted a restyle, but pushing the urge to once again chop all my hair off into a bob into the back of my mind, went for some layers to shape around my face and a full fringe back. After two and a half hours, here is the result...

 Make-up: No7 Creme Touch Powder; MAC Studio Sculpt concealer; Benefit Thhrrob Blush; Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner; Diorshow Iconic Mascara; Urban Decay 'Suspect' eyeshadow; Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Colour in Gabrielle.

Dress: New Look.

With the different lights it can look really red, or more brown which is great as love the different colours it has to it. Maddy has done a fantastic job both with the colour, cut and fringe which sometimes don't always get all three - an awkward moment with a very short full fringe... not good. So I am thrilled that this has got everything I want! Not sure what I am going to do when I move away as no other hairdresser has been as good as my current one! Plus I literally adore all the products they use, when I am wealthy all I will use on my hair will be Kerstase products simply because they smell so gorgeous and shine brilliantly!

In other news, I have measured my self and lost almost two inches from all areas of my body apart from my arms, so pleased with that result after a week of strict dieting (even though this week, weightloss seems to have slowed) but need to work weights on my arms to get them a lot more toned. 

Signing off now, how is your week going? Any hairstyles planned?

Love,

'It's like the ocean!' NOTD & Detox Diet update.

Happy Monday my lovelies! Firstly, hello to my new followers and thanks for following! Coming home to see the numbers jumped up brightens up my day and when I first started this blog, did not think I would get past just Dani reading it - so thank you. Anyway, despite the freezing weather, it has not been that bad of a start to the week both on the work and diet fronts! However, did have a little bit of 'I'm-going-to-eat-whatever-I-want' last night - made up for it today though with porride, soup and a healthy thai noodle curry (completely ignorning the half of a chocolate orange I had...) Plus, six pounds have been shed - woohoo!

Anyway, for the first part of this post's title I have been getting more into painting my nails recently, trying out different looks with different types of nail polishes - mainly staying within the red/pink range for work. On Friday though, felt like livening it up a bit and combined these two nail polishes to create a glittery, teal finish:

The great things about this was: 1) it was so durable - lasting a good three days before it began showing signs of chipping, 2) it changed with the light and 3) it was something different.

Dani said that it looked like the ocean when the light caught it and how it sparkled, which to be honest, kept me very much entertained during slow moments at work! Plus with the turquoise glitter overlay, the base of 'teal' was only one coat which dried quickly. I have found with the 'No7 Stay Perfect' nail polishes that although they can sometimes chip quite quickly, they dry ridiculously fast - something that is brilliant when painting nails at 10pm! 

So that's it from this post today, will be writing some more on the Urban Decay Naked2 shadows once I get the chance to take some more pictures!

What do you think of glitter nail polishes? Have any favourites?

Love,

 

It has arrived! Urban Decay's Naked2 Palette.

Joining the many others who have reviewed/written about the new Urban Decay 'Naked2' palette that has just been released by Debenhams, I am now going to jump onto the band wagon and write about the beauty itself that arrived today! 

However, my camera did not take great photos so my swatches are quite rubbish really, so if you want a better look at the colours on skin, Laura has some excellent pictures! 

Now without anymore rambling, introducing to you once again, Urban Decay's 'Naked2' Palette!

Isn't it bweatiful? I am absolutely in love with these colours, and although there is some slight overlaps with the original 'Naked' palette, there are still enough differences to make it worth buying! The brush itself is lovely as well, with one firmer side to a softer side for blending - something that is a definite improvement on the brush that came with 'Naked'. I'm not complaining though, as that is my favourite eyeshadow brush I have owned so far - just like the added benefit of a blending one! From just first opening the tin box (like many other bloggers have said), which is much studier than the original velvet box, these colours just seemed fantastic. Personally, I can see myself going straight for 'Chopper', 'Snakebite', 'Suspect' and 'Pistol' to try first but they are all gorgeous tones - both perfect for a daytime look and mixing together to make the ideal smoky eye look as well. 

I don't know about you, but I also think these shades are quite lighter on a whole than in the original 'Naked', with several of the shades looking like they could make good highlighters. They also have more goldy-silvery tones rather than in the original 'Naked' which although did have some gold shades, also had quite a few darker brown shimmery shades and with purple undertones. I can see mixing the two palettes will create some spectacular looks for nights out - something to be tested next week!

Top to bottom, left to right: YDK; Busted; Blackout; Verve; Pistol; Snakebite; Suspect; Tease; Half-Baked; Chopper (and somewhere that camera didn't pick up 'Booty-Call' & 'Foxy').

See what I mean about the awful swatch pictures?! But it gives the idea of just how shimmery these colours are! In all of these different shades, apart from 'Foxy', 'Tease' and 'Blackout' which are more matte, they shimmer - something I loved in 'Naked' as well. I always felt it gave my usual daytime look a bit more glamour, and now with new shades I am thinking that tomorrow morning's make-up session will be a bit more thrilling! The matte colours are great for bases, especially 'tease' which has some lilac/grey undertones and would mix well with the darker brown shades of both 'Naked' and 'Naked2'. I have been eager to try a black, matte eyeshadow so the inclusion of 'Blackout' might just encourage me into trying this look! The pigment of the colours are strong - something I expected after the 'Naked' palette and I am pleased to say that it didn't disappoint on this front either.

Finally, instead of the mini primer potion pot that came with 'Naked', 'Naked2' changed it up with a mini lipgloss - although I would have preferred primer as my old primer potion is desperately running out, this lipgloss really surprised me! Being a rose-pink colour, it comes out quite neutral but shimmer - much like the colours included in the palette! The best part about this lipgloss though is the minty tase and feel it has (if that makes sense...), putting it on your lips it tingles, smells heavenly and tastes it too! Quite keen to use this more often! However, still leaning towards having the original primer potion as I have found it to be the best primer that works with Urban Decay eyeshadows which makes it stay all day.

So there you go - my long, rambly first thoughts about the 'Naked2' palette. Overall, I love it, with my only thing being the primer potion but considering that lipgloss is lovely, it is barely a thing at all! I was worried it would be too similar to 'Naked' but having looked at these shades, there is definitely a significant difference to make it worth buying. However, will have a proper review once trying out the eyeshadows on and seeing how they look - what a chore that will be!

In other news, only four days into my diet I have now lost five pounds! Quite proud of myself really considering work kept bringing in biscuits which I resisted.

Have you bought the new 'Naked2'? What are your thoughts?

Love,

'Dreading the Detox Diet' Diary -- First Day Killer.

With the first day out of the way, my opinion is that diets were invented to drive people insane. Ok, that may be a bit of an over-exaggeration, but seriously - why am I doing this to myself?! By about 5pm today I had only eaten 216 calories. That's it. Then I had dinner which probably dragged it up to about 400 calories. I am not surviving well. This is what just eating BBQ chicken slices and then seasoned chicken with a poached egg has come to, and has left an exhausted, hungry and slightly unsatisfied Stephie behind. 

However, it has also been a good/bad day relating with the diet. 

Good = I showed that I do actually have willpower - I was offered treats and politely declined, I had an awful day at work but controlled myself from comfort eating, and finally I did not bite everyone's head off at work/home including the children.

Bad = I came home and cried for the first time since working in a school (the handiwork of teenage boys at school being rude, derogatory and uncontrollable but also lack of food), without carbs my energy levels have dropped significantly, and I can't shake off the craving for a Ribena or a Baileys. 

I am hoping that today was an exception for work and my body will get used to this new diet, although more temptations are coming up that are making me feel like I should drop this and go into calorie counting - unfortunately, that will slow down the process and I'd like to have lost 8 pounds by my weekend in Canterbury plus showing will-power today has made me feel like I could resist little treats later in the week. But I am thinking that what I did today (no breakfast, lunch, dinner - small portions) is not going to help me get through the day in a bright, bubbly mood - fixing this tomorrow with porridge in the mornings (technically not on the diet, but will sustain energy levels) and maybe bigger portions.

I'll give another update on the diet probably near the end of the week with updates on weight loss and how I'm feeling about it all.Once this intense week is out of the way, my next diet steps are these:

- Calorie Counting (1200 calories per day to lose 2 pounds per week)

- Exercise (Weights, Sit-Ups and if possible, 20mins on exercise bike)

- Fruit instead of chocolate, porridge instead of no breakfast (my current fortay).

Bring on bed tonight. 

Love,

'Dreading the Detox Diet' Diary -- The Motivations.

So following on from blogging more in January as a New Year's Resolution, another is now coming into play: the devilish diet. Yes, that age-old resolution that always comes out on January 1st after the Christmas feast is finishing. Well, after deciding that it would be foolish of me to even attempt starting the diet the first week back at work as 1) we had Christmas treats still left-over, and 2) the first week back at work would not have been the time to start, I decided that the diet is starting this week. God help me. For this first week I am doing the Dukon diet: an intense week of protein and nothing else. As a fan of only chicken really, this week will be looong, but the first day has been under-way (post to follow). The motivations for this self inflicted torture goes in parts. The first being these beauties:

My beloved Hollister jeans that I have had since my second year at university in which I could easily fit into these tiny (no matter what the 'w' size says - its not that!) jeans and have to wear a belt with them to add to it! However, since moving away from the 20min walk up a mountain to get to campus, these jeans have been stored loving in my wardrobe, only getting looks of longiness from their, ever-growing fatter, owner. The skirt is a new one to the collection, it was in my size and the only one left so it had to be bought - but sitting on my waist makes it more into a wide belt rather than a skirt, so weight has to be lost so it can sit a little lower.

The other motivations are simply I have been meaning to lose weight for a while to be able to wear some clothes in my wardrobe more comfortably, I am still happy in my dress size and don't feel as if I should conform to what society, in general, deem as the 'beautiful' but would like to lose some weight to get back to the size I felt more confident in. I also need to lighten the weight on my knee to make it less painful and help with damage, so other than my confidence reasons there is a practical one that will benefit me in the long run.

So here it goes, a strict diet. Wish me luck and willpower!

Love,

Feeling Checky - Saturday Night's Outfit.

Wo-ho-ho did you see what I did there with the title? Hysterical, aren't I? Swiftly skipping along before giving you the chance to answer that, today's post (with probably some more to follow if I get round to it in between my busy schedule of nothing...) is just a looksie over my outfit from last night. Feeling reminiscent of my days as a student, I wore one of my beloved first year shirt/lumberjack style dresses that was always in my mind a 'casual but stylish' dress - perfect for drinks out or dinner out but not an event where you should throw some more effort in. However, with new items in the wardrobe, and not living so much on a student budget (although I do stress 'not so much', hardly rolling in the monies) I gave it a new style than those days back in 2008/09 where going out drinking happened at least once a week:

 Dress: New Look; Long cardigan: Betty Jackson; Tights: M&S; Belt: Next.

The trusty dress in first year - I miss that room!

Sorry for the lack of good quality pictures, these were taken just before rushing out the door to Westfields for some evening shopping & Wagamamas, so didn't have loads of time to try and control the bluriness. Anyway, this dress and I have had some good times together - some drunken, some sober, and I've always relied on it for that 'casual-but-dressy' look. Not feeling as confident as I was in my dreamy-eyed days of 19, I wore a long cardigan with it and thick black tights - more appropriate for Westfields than the Student Union I think.  The belt pulled in the waist to show I actually do still have one underneath all my layers, and add a bit more glam. The make up was the usual cuplrits: Benefit, Bobbi Brown, Dior, MAC, No7 and Urban Decay - just made a little more dramatic for the evening out. 

Anyway, that's it - we went to Wagamamas where we nommed our way through Ginger Chicken Udon Noodles - branching away from my beloved Katsu Curry, bought myself a check skirt from Hollister (post coming) and presents for the bestie for her birthday. Quite restraint for a trip to Westfields if I'm honest! 

Do you like checks? Still dressing in student style?

Love,