Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : September 2013

A Sample a Day Keeps the purse at bay.

I admit I'm not one of the most frugal people around, but I love collecting samples. It's been an ongoing thing since I was quite young and discovered the likes of 'Free Samples UK' and 'Magic Freebies'. Yes, you have to be careful of not to sign up to any marketing scams, but if you know what you're doing and can see the legit sites from the scammers, you can bag yourself some fantastic freebies. In the picture above you will see my little sample case. It's full to the top with little samples from Chanel to tea bags and Olay to Aveena. I use these when I'm running low on a product and wanting to see what to buy next and they also come in really handy when I go on holiday.

Where to look:

http://www.latestfreestuff.co.uk/

I think this has to be my most trusted and most used site. I've never had any problems and always bagged some wonderful little items.

http://www.magicfreebiesuk.co.uk/

Magic Freebies is loaded with marketing scams, but there's quite a lot of genuine samples to get your hands on.

https://www.facebook.com/StudentMoneyTips

Student Money Tips ie '10 ways to have more money as a student' has some great money saving tips and the occasional good freebies.I've got this site on my favourites and check it regularly.

My latest freebie was found on the 'Latestfreestuff' website and it was a coupon for a free 30ml Body Shop handcream worth £5. Being a blogger I couldn't refuse the opportunity to get my hands this one and there's still 3 days left for those who are still interested!

Visting The Body Shop is always tempting. The sweet aromas that fill the air always makes me want to buy something. I ended up purchasing the Strawberry Eau De Toilette which wasn't quite free, but had 10% off due a promotional day. When I got to the counter I was offered a free Love Your Body Body Shop loyalty card worth £5 for spending over £5 in store today. The loyalty card gives you £5 credit to spend in store on your birthday, money off at certain times of the month and lots of special offers. The Body Shop has definitely been treating me well today.

I did a post about this when I first started my blog, but for a long period of time I've been obsessed with collecting magazine perfume samples. The obsession derived from my childhood memories of sniffing magazine pages and falling in love with the various scents on the page. For the last year or so I have been collecting magazine pages which have perfume samples and keeping them in a folder for when I need a different perfume to try or for when I'm looking for a new perfume to purchase. I call this my perfume diary and I love it. If anything, it's worth doing just to look at all the iconic perfume advertisements in the last few years. I recently tried a perfume from this folder from two years ago and it still worked. This could definitely be an interesting piece for those that love collecting magazine memorabilia in the future.

Finally, this isn't a freebie but the purchase was made thanks to a freebie I received a year ago. I had a few samples of Estee Lauder products from a beauty night at my local Boots and since then I have been using the Estee Lauder mascara I had been given for special occasions. Unfortunately my mascara sample has run out, but I feel in love with it so much that I spent £22 on buying one of the newer mascaras, the Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme. The mascara alone was supposed to cost £22, but due to another promotional offer, I was given this lovely little box set with a sample of makeup remover and night cream for the exact same price. Today has been a fabulous freebie Thursday.

Have you used any sample sites in the past?

When you get older, it’s really hard to find time to spend with your friends. Work, family life and additional priorities end up getting in the way far too easily and sometimes there isn’t enough money in the bank to say: “I’ll meet you for a sneaky drink this Friday.” I’ve noticed this a lot with my life at the moment. I was doing my part-time job as a ‘Student Ambassador’ at the university the other day and met another student ambassador for the first time. He had just finished his degree and was beaming with excitement about starting his brand new job the following week. We began talking about studies and prioritising life in the third year. What really struck me about this conversation was the fact that within ten minutes he said: “I’ve only just met you, but I've already discovered you're a girl that never really switches off. When do you have time to yourself?” I'm always really defensive when it comes to discussing my work commitments and use the same old generic excuses like ‘it will help me develop my career’ or ‘I get bored when I’ve got nothing to do’. Really we all need a break from time to time and sometimes it’s easy to lose sight in what is really important. Throughout my day as a student ambassador, I had a lot of gaps in my timetable where I had nothing to do, but sit around. It had really affected me that someone who I had just met in other words described me as a ‘workaholic’ and it made me feel like I’m no fun. I started to think about the last time I saw my friends properly and remembered that it was a few months ago now on our last ‘girls night in’.

A recent survey by Ladbrokes Bingo showed that 70% of womenpreferred a girl’s night in*. I’m one of those women. I love to get the girls round, make homemade cocktails with heavy measures of alcohol and splashon the facemasks whilst watching chick flicks. The conversations of the night usually divulge into ones work life, sex life and in my case, usually a synopsis of last months shopping habits. We have lots of fun and it’s more intimate talking to your friends than being in an overcrowded bar being kicked to the side in a race to buy shots. Don’t get me wrong – I love a night out, but I like being able to hear my friends from time to time too.

Girls Night In Essentials

· Face masks. I really think applying facemasks on a girl’s night in can be so much fun. Yes, you have to remove your makeup and it looks fairly unglamorous, but the giggles you all get from peeling off purple goo makes it all worthwhile. Plus, you will have excellent skin in the morning.

· Alcohol. You don’t have to drink to have fun, but sometimes it’s nice to relax and wind down after a long week of work. I love making cocktails with Chambord at the moment, but my alcohol of choice varies on a monthly basis.

· Chick Flick. When I do girls nights in, I like to make them as girly as possible. I’m not really an action movie type of woman and would much prefer watching Bridget Jones with my friends any day of the week. It doesn’t have to be a chick flick, but definitely something that will make you laugh and forget about work for the night.

It’s time I call up my friends and put the work down for a night. Girl’s nights are important, because having a good group of girl friends can really set you up for life and you know that they will always be there for you no matter what. I know personally I would do anything for my girls.

What would be your perfect girls night in?

When thinking of the brand 'Sunkissed' my mind always turns straight to their range of popular self tanning lotions and potions. It's only recently I discovered their makeup range* and this has left me wishing that I had learnt about it sooner. Sunkissed are an animal testing free bronzing makeup brand. Their line includes a variety of bronzers, bronzing rocks, makeup palettes, dusting brushes and of course a delightful set of fake tans.

When I first discovered fake tan, Sunkissed was my go-to product. I used to wear it regularly and was always happy with results from such an affordable tanner. Admittedly, since discovering other brands I have now strayed away, but this time Sunkissed has won me back over with their bronzers. I've always been more of a blusher girl than a bronzer babe, but having gone for darker hair, I've noticed my skin tone needs warming up or I look too pale. This is where the Sunkissed range has transformed my cheeks from Snow White to beach goddess.

The first product i'd like to draw your attention to are the Sunkissed Bronzing rocks. I really like the idea of dabbing my blusher brush into this pot and being able to get a nice sprinkling of bronzer over my cheekbones. The product is a little bit dark at times and you have to be careful not to use too much, but I really like it. I think this product would work better for when I have fake tan on as it is a little bit darker than the other bronzer I'm going to mention. Nevertheless, I think this makes a great day to day product and having used it most days since it arrived, I can see that the product is nowhere near running out. At £6, this is fabulous steal for a more radiant you.

The lip and eye palette has given me mixed feelings. On a positive side I think the black eyeshadow is wonderful to work with and it's not too overly dark and perfect for a smouldering eye look. However, I feel that the product is similar to the cheaper generic eye shadow palettes you can get on the market and the other colours lack the vibrancy I would personally desire. For those who prefer their makeup more subtle or are looking for an affordable lip and eye palette to take on holiday this is perfect, but for me, i'll be sticking to using the black colour.

Finally, the Sunkissed Metallic Bronze Blush is my favourite product in the collection and the one that I will definitely be repurchasing as it runs out. As mentioned before, I've always been a blusher girl and rarely buy bonzers. I think this product works so well because it's a mixture of blusher and bronzer, swirled into one product, giving you the warmth and the rose appearance of blusher in one application. After using the product, you will notice that it gives you a wonderful afterglow and it's great to use on a night out or in moderation for during the day. I've been wearing this frequently at my new job and I feel that it personally makes me look more alert and less pale behind the bar. At £4.49, this is one of the most affordable and reliable bronzers I have personally come across.

Have you tried any Sunkissed products?

Hi, my name is Jessica and I'm a shopaholic.I confess that having spent several days saying I was going on a spending ban, I'm guilty of shopping til I drop. In my defence, everything I bought was an absolute bargain and all was done in the name of my blog. Gosh, who am I kidding? I broke my shopping ban and I don't feel guilty one bit. The first item I've recently bought are my new hair extensions in the above photo. My hair has been looking so dead lately and I really need a haircut. I wanted a temporary fix for those days where my hair is looking drab and I've become obsessed with half wigs. This half wig was bought from Ebay for £18.99 - cheaper than a haircut and they look fabulous.

My second purchase was getting my nails done. I've recently got a new job and wanted my nails to look really nice. It's been years since I last got my nails done, because my previous job had me handling a lot of chemicals and they used to peel off within a few days. I went to a salon in my local town and the Jeleration nails applied. They look so sparkly and feel ten times better than before I went in.

If you have read my Twitter feed lately, you will have seen me ranting about fur coats. I've never found a fur coat that suits me. I don't know why, but I always feel like they make me look podgy and a little bit old fashioned. I came across this coat whilst in Dorothy Perkins the other day and fell in love with it.I admit, the sizing could be better. This coat is a size 6, but still feels big on me, but during the winter I suppose it's great to have a coat that is quite roomy. The jacket was supposed to be £59.00, however there's a 20% sale on at the moment and I got another 20% off with student discount. That came to an almighty 40% off and the total sale of £35.40. I couldn't believe my luck.

The last two items I bought are from Miss Selfridge. My local branch currently has a sale on and at the moment, you can buy any sale item and get one free. I've been looking for a small bag to take to work and university on days where I don't have to carry a lot around. The bag was £20 and I got the playsuit free. What's more interesting is that I was allowed student discount on top of the sale and I managed to get the bag and playsuit for £18 instead. The previous retail price of these items were £42 each, meaning I got a massive £66 saving...I think my spending was justified.

Have you been shopping lately?

London Fashion Week very quickly crept upon us and then suddenly has finished within a blink of the eye. This year we've seen lots of bold colours, fabulous patterns and an ample amount of leather. To celebrate or commiserate the finale of London Fashion week, I've decided to do one last wish list post. This wish list is a combination of high street and designer, much like London Fashion Week. In my personal opinion, I've always stated that I prefer to have a few designer accessories and a lot more high street gear, because it's easier to mix and match. You can take one Topshop jumpsuit similar to the one and above and add a few designer items to give the item a sense of luxury and glamour.

The other day I walked into Topshop and was blown away by the vibrant colour of this orange jumpsuit. The colour very much reminds me of those auburn leaves that fall off the trees at this time of year and looks very autumnal. I could see the jumpsuit being fun to wear, yet evoking a sense of sophistication. I really need to try this on next time I'm in store.

The second item on this list is a beautiful Ivory Cup Sleeve jumper by the designer Chalayan. I was browsing the Avenue 32 website and fell in love with it. It looks really cosy and versatile and I could imagine this going with so many outfits I own. This jumper would look great over the Topshop jumpsuit to give a slouchy yet glamorous, dressed down vibe.

Yet again on my wishlist is another pair of Kurt Geigers. I don't think they ever bring out a line of shoes that I don't want to buy. I love the look of these wedges. Finally, I'd bring the whole outfit together with the bag leather handbag from River Island. I've had many River Island handbags in the past and they've lasted me for a very long time, I can't wait to buy another.

What do you think of this outfit?

New Look is the first store I remember shopping in when I was a little girl. Being an only child, I admit that I was rather spoilt and every odd month my dad would give my mum a fair bit of money to take me on a mini shopping spree. I always remember that my first choice of clothing store was New Look. I was fascinated by all the styles and always regarded them as the trendiest shop around. I was a rather big child and the fact that I was in adult clothing way before I should have been meant that I struggled finding clothes that appealed to a younger girl and covered me up so that I didn't look too old for my age. New Look was always the balance that I desired. The clothing was and still is very trendy and fun, but also has a mixture of clothing for those wanting to look more sophisticated and demure. Since I was 12 years old I've been a loyal customer of New Look and ever since I got my first job, I think at least £50 of my monthly wage has been spent here.

The other day I was walking to work and the weather took a turn for the worst. I was wearing a crop top and disco pants with my glittery jacket and totally unprepared for the cold chill that flew through the air. I quickly nipped into New Look looking for a jumper and returned with this quirky item. I love the wooly sheep design and the fabric is really soft and warming. I had quite a few funny comments made whilst working behind the bar wearing this and since I brought it home, I've barely been out of it. At £17.99 with student discount it's a fantastic price. Coming up to payday I couldn't quite afford the prices of Topshop and River Island, therefore New Look becomes my go-to store.

This autumn New Look has a fantastic range of clothing and if I was let loose with a handful of cash, I'd probably buy everything. There's everything that's on trend at the moment, as well as some cool, quirky pieces that really exhibit the New Look house style. So far I'm lusting after a pair of knee high riding boots for the winter, some thermal leggings to keep me warm, a classic green parka jacket and for some reason, I've become obsessed with American style jersey tops.

What would you like to buy from New Look?

Sometimes it's rather shocking how fast time flies. One minute it's the beginning of summer and you're walking down the streets in bare legs and little dresses, then before you know it you're reluctantly wrapped up in your scarf and parka jacket embracing the winter weather. It's been almost 3 months since I started my university summer break and in less than 2 weeks I'll be back in the classroom getting ready to begin my third year. I'm a mixture of fairly excited and really nervous and I know from the 30th of September I will probably be moving into the library and won't be seen until next year. I cannot believe how fast my time at university has gone. I remember two years ago next week starting university thinking that three years was going to drag, but every month that goes by, time seems to be getting quicker. I can't wait to finish university, get a job and move on to the next point of my career, but part of me will really miss it. This year I'm really making the most of my final year and participating in as much as possible so I really feel that I've lived my stint at university to the full.

As much as we might not acknowledge it, the majority of us feel more confident when we're dressed for success. This year I want to practice being the trendy journalist of the future and start dressing a little less slouchy and more career ready. The wish list above shows all the items I'd love to have in my wardrobe and makeup draw this autumn. Realistically buying every item isn't going to happen, but a girl can dream.

The first item on my wish list are these beautiful Kurt Geiger wedges. I've always been a KG girl and I'm very rarely out of my studded KG heels. I'd love another pair for my wardrobe, but something I could wear on a day to day basis. These wedges would be great for when the weather is having a good day and I'm able to have time off wearing the winter boots. It's said to snow pretty early this year so maybe that won't happen, but they would be a great investment for next summer too.

Secondly I really need to buy a case for my new phone. I've recently taken out a contract for the HTC One and I seriously don't trust myself with technology. The other year I took out a 24 month contract with my old phone and dropped it within 3 months - the screen was smashed beyond repair and I think i've finally learnt my lesson.

For the last few months I've really wanted a Michael Kors watch and hopefully i'll be able to buy the Runway watch once I've saved up in the next few months. I'm not usually a fan of watches, but Michael Kors have converted me. I love the classic style, the quality and the versatility of all their watches. I could see myself wearing this piece for years to come.

The watch and heels I've selected are in autumnal colours, therefore it would be nice to have a autumn inspired lipstick to go with them. I've been a fan of Illamasqua ever since I purchased my Eurydice a while back. The quality of their lipsticks are better than most other brands I've tried and they are really long lasting, which is great for a long day at university. I'd love to buy the Mac Groundwork paint pot to go with this lipstick as I think both the colours would look fantastic together.

Do you have any items you're lusting after at the moment?

Sponsored post

I will let you all into a little secret, I've always suffered from fine hair and it's the reason why I hide behind a head of fake hair the majority of the time. Every shampoo and conditioner have tried makes my hair look shiny and leaves it feeling soft, but always lacks the volume. My mother has always been the complete opposite. She's always had pretty thick hair and until she had a serious reaction to hair dye, she had the most wonderful hair I'd ever seen - long, thick and glamorous. These days it's easy to add a few hair extensions and give the illusion of volume, but wearing hair extensions all the time can be quite uncomfortable and leave your shredding all over the place. I was approached by John Frieda to try out the 'Luxurious Volume' range and I said yes in less than a heartbeat. I've coloured my hair with John Frieda Foam hair dye in the past and had excellent results and I also loved the 'Brilliant Brunette' range. Could this range be the answer to my problems? The answer is an almighty yes. One attempt at properly blow drying my hair using all these products has given my roots a complete uplift and left me looking ten times better than before.

The first two products in the range that I'd like to introduce you to are the shampoo and conditioner. They both have a wonderful scent and cleanse the hair with very little effort. I left the conditioner on for an extra 5 minutes to give my hair a conditioning treatment and I lept out of the bath with my hair feeling softer and revitalised. I quite like the packaging of the John Frieda range simply because it matches my bathroom colour scheme of baby blue and looks pretty sleek.

The second two products are the 'Blow Dry Lotion and 'Fine to Full' spray. Both these are applied to towel dried hair and used when blow drying. The scent of these products isn't as nice as the shampoo and conditioner on first use, but when your hair is fully dried, it leaves a very pleasant post blow drying scent.

After using the products I've noticed that not only my hair is more volumized, but it also has helped accentuate my natural waves. I'm now left with hair that looks a little bit closer to my Kate Middleton hair role model, than looking like someone who has got out of bed and not even bothered doing my hair.

Would I buy the John Frieda volume hair range again? Most definitely. In fact I think i'm converted. The John Frieda volume range starts from as little as £5.

Would you try the new John Frieda collection?

Yesterday I was kindly invited to Manchester with fashion blogger Sian from 'The Fashionable Life Of'' to attend the latest photo shoot for the OMG Fashion website. We were shown around the studio and then allowed to help style the models for the shoot. It was a fantastic experience and I've learnt that I make a better stylist than I thought.

Their latest clothing line is full of sparkles, beautiful evening dresses and lots of cosy jumpers. Having browsed the OMG Fashion website frequently in the past, I really think that their latest batch of clothes are the best I've ever seen. There are so many beautiful prints and bang on trend styles. There's everything from tartan to leather, sequins to glitter and everything in between. Here's a few of the outfits I selected for the models:

I love this first outfit, it looks really British and quite sophisticated. The tartan dress can easily be dressed up or down and at £14 it's an absolute bargain!

This cutaway dress is so cute and looks really flirty.

This is by far my favourite outfit and I had the figure to pull this off, i'd be buying this outfit straight away. The shorts are incredibly cute and teamed with a bodysuit it's great for a night out. The chunky jewellery added a statement piece and finished the whole outfit off perfectly.

The winter is getting closer and it's the time of year where we really need to consider wrapping up, even though its not always the most glamorous look. This wetlook jeans and jumper combo looks stylish, sleek yet comfortable. You can dress down the outfit wearing flats or wear Jeffrey Campbell inspired booties like the model to add a laid back, yet sophisticated appeal.

Glitter is a serious investment piece this season and this jacket will promise to make you stand out in a crowd of people. I've got a jacket very similar and every day I get compliments.

I had a fantastic day with the OMG team and if I ever had the opportunity to go again, I would say yes in a heartbeat. I'm loving all the new clothes this season and I predict my purse strings loosening within the next weeks.

Would you buy any of these outfits?

http://www.omgfashion.com/

Last night I had the privilege of attending the Morgan Clare Fashion Bloggers event in Harrogate and after not really knowing what to expect, I left having had a wonderful time. At the event we were treated to champagne and cupcakes, whilst browsing the latest clothing to enter the Morgan Clare store.

The champagne flowed throughout the evening and the cupcakes went down a treat. Everything in the Morgan Clare store evoked glamour and sophistication - even the strawberries on the cupcakes shimmered like they were covered in diamonds. The cupcakes were definitely centre of attention all evening and had bloggers flocking in groups to take pictures and munch on the sweet delights.

For those who have never heard of Morgan Clare before, the Morgan Clare store first opened in Harrogate in 1997. The store was founded on the basis of providing a pleasurable and relaxing shopping experience away from the hustle and bustle of big city life. The Morgan Clare store specialises in providing customers with the best British designers and with their store in Harrogate winning various accolades such as 'Best New Store' and 'Best Designer Store', the founders of Morgan Clare then went on to develop a success international website.

To spoil us even further, the Morgan Clare team put on a fashion catwalk showing all their latest stock and the beautiful designs available in store. The models looked exquisite and really captured the glamourous essence of Morgan Clare. My favourite dresses of the evening was the model on the far left and one of the central models wearing the yellow and grey outfit.

There was a range of design labels currently in stock at the Morgan Clare store in Harrogate. The selection varied from the quintessentially British Alexander McQueen to womens favourite Stella McCartney and various other prestigious designers.

Currently on trend are cashmere jumpers, floral prints and bold aztecs, with Morgan Clare providing a variety of clothing to choose from.

As well as selling clothes, there are plenty of wonderful accessories available in store or online. I loved the pattern of these scarfs and the Alexander McQueen handbags grabbed my attention all evening.

Before we left, we were all given a huge goodie bag to take home with us and enjoyed a lovely chit chat with other bloggers. It's been awhile since I attended a blogging event and despite getting lost trying to find the store, I loved every second of the evening. I went with my university friend Kerys from Little Bo Blab and we had a fantastic night.

For those who live close to Harrogate I recommend popping by the store sometime, but if you're nowhere near, why not check out the website? www.morganclare.co.uk

For months I have dreamt of owning a pair of chelsea boots. I'm very selective when it comes to shoes and the majority of my wardrobe are high heels, however there's something about chelsea boots that I love. Maybe it's their versatility and the ability to go with a range of outfits or the fact that they look more sophisticated than the average bootie. Whatever the reasons, I've longed for a pair of Chelsea boots and thanks to Debenhams I now own a pair. I've been sent a pair of the Betty Jackson High Chelsea boots to help me complete a styling challenge. I've been asked to take one pair of shoes and style them three different ways with various outfits. As a young girl playing with barbie, I always envisioned myself as a stylist. As an adult, I spend most of my days reading Elle magazine and trying to decide which clothes would complete my wardrobe. Doing the styling challenge was complete fun and I loved messing around with my wardrobe.

Outfit One: Party style

Leather, velvet and grunge fashion is all about the high street right now. I decided to team these chelsea boots with my beautiful crushed velvet Topshop shorts, New Look crop top and my old River Island biker jacket to create a casual club style outfit. I'm all about unleashing my inner rock chick and these boots are a great alternative to heels or studded biker boots.

Outfit Two: Cocktail Hour

Outfit number two is something a little bit more formal, yet edgy - the feeling the Chelsea boots first evoked when I saw them. I'm wearing a white blouse from River Island and a leather pencil skirt. This would be great for someone who works in a creative environment that likes to dress on trend or mid week cocktails with the girls.

Outfit 3: Casual Office Wear

My final outfit is casual office wear. This dress from F&F at Tesco is very versatile like the Chelsea boots and can be easily dressed up or down. Teamed with a pair of black tights, this would be a great alternative to a black dress for a formal, yet slightly casual workforce.

The Betty Jackson Chelsea boots are available at Debenhams at £75.

What do you think of these outfits?

A Sample a Day Keeps the purse at bay.

The Importance of a Girls Night In

Sunkissed Makeup

Oops...I shopped.

Autumn Outfit Wishlist

Autumn at New Look

Back to Uni Wishlist

John Frieda Volume Collection

OMG Fashion: Behind the scenes

Morgan Clare Bloggers Event

One Pair of Shoes - 3 Outfits