Jimmy Choo Exotic and Friday Evening Catchups

It's the end of a very long week and I'm feeling a mixture of emotions. Today saw the end of my one week placement at the Best British Bloggers headquarters, where all week I've been sourcing beauty bloggers for them, writing blog posts and doing PR related things that I love. Although I've only been there a few, I feel like I've learnt so much and even though getting up at 6am for the train every morning was really hard work, I'm totally going to miss my life as a PR intern in Leeds.

To reward myself for all the hard work I've done this week (any excuse for a bit of shopping), I ran full speed across town to Debenhams in my lunch break, where I finally picked up the perfume I've been longing for the last few weeks - The Jimmy Choo Exotic. I took my first sniff of this perfume whilst in the duty free area at Manchester Airport, waiting to board for Ibiza. This perfume had me addicted and all week I was clutching the tiniest bit of paper I sprayed hoping that when I got to the end of my holiday I could go buy it. Unfortunately due living in a pretty small town, the Jimmy Choo Exotic isn't sold in my area and the 'exotic' scent I fell in love with a few weeks ago had fazed out. I began debating all sorts of theories as to whether I should buy it online or go to my nearest city to have a look round. It then dawned on me that I had a week coming up in the glorious city of Leeds and with many department stores within distance of work, it was my opportunity to finally get it. 

My love affair with Jimmy Choo fragrances first started when the original Eau De Parfum first came out. Many girls dream of owning a piece of Jimmy Choo and as a 19 year old girl the Jimmy Choo perfume was the closest I was going to get. Since I first got my Jimmy Choo perfume, I've never looked back and somewhere lingering in my draws, there has always been a bottle there, even if I was going through other perfume phases. The Jimmy Choo 60ml Limited Edition Exotic is very different to the previous perfumes. It's much sweeter and vibrant in colour. The colour reminds me of a Ruby - very striking and beautiful to look at.  The scent is a mixture of Blackcurrant's and Grapefruits - which overall combines to give a summer fruits zesty vibe. I've heard many people say that the Exotic is a little bit too sweet for them, but it's mainly down to personal preference. I like my perfume more fruity than floral and I love fragrances that give the illusion of sweet and innocent girl - although I'm very far from it.

The Jimmy Choo Exotic is only available in 60ml and costs £44. This is quite a steal to say that the original, much older perfume is £49 for a 60ml and not limited edition. From my past experience with the perfume range, I can say that Jimmy Choo are usually long lasting fragrances and you won't go through the bottle as easy as you would do other brands. I've always found this perfume quite cost efficient and this is coming from someone that wears perfume every single day, not just for special occasions. 

If this review has managed to tickle your Jimmy Choo sweet tooth, I'd definitely give it a try! In all fairness, can a girl ever go wrong with Jimmy Choo?

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Airport Luxury Fashion

As you all know I'm going to Ibiza in the next few days and I'm get overly excited. This will be my first proper adult holiday abroad and mine and my partners first couple holiday. I know what a lot of you may think - Ibiza? Couple holiday? Well Ibiza doesn't have much of a reputation for family holidays either, but I fell in love with the island when I was 12 on family vacation and couldn't wait to go back and show my partner. Whilst packing my suitcase, my head has been in a complete whirl about what to wear. When you're on holiday, it's inevitable that you're going to end up with sea salted hair and not looking your best by the end of it, but my intentions are to look glamorous throughout the whole five days...starting with the airport.

We're so used to seeing celebrities waltz into the airport looking like they've been styled to perfection for days. Especially Victoria Beckham, who looks effortlessly chic on any outing. Although I'm not a celebrity and have nowhere near a celebrity budget, a girl is allowed dreams and I thought i'd share them with you. 

For the next five minutes, imagine what you would wear if you had endless cash. Would you be strutting through the private lounge with Louboutins or  Jimmy Choo? Wearing a printed Cavalli dress or Marc Jacobs? 

• Leather Jacket by Gucci
• Jumpsuit by Azzaro
• Handbag by Saint Laurent

When I'm dreaming of leading an extravagant life far from my own, I usually try to find a website that can give me inspiration. These outfit choices have come from Cruise Fashion - perfect for those looking for some holiday luxury. Cruise Fashion is one of the UK's leading luxury retailers with a vast selection of designer brands, including a girls best friend - designer handbags and designer shoes.

The outfit above is simple classic and makes me think of sipping cocktails on the French Rivera. Red is one of my favourite colours and teamed up with white, it gives a bold colour statement.

• Handbag by Givenchy 
• Alexander McQueen Dress
• Jimmy Choo Shoes

This second outfit makes me think of a Moroccan destination or somewhere heavily infused with culture. I love Alexander McQueen prints and the way the brand can make the most simplest of outfits a piece of art.

I may not have the latest Alexander McQueen dress or those beautiful Jimmy Choo's, but for now I have my Gucci sunglasses and an abundance of beautiful high street clothes. I can't wait.

Which outfit would you choose?

http://www.cruisefashion.co.uk/

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From Rags to Riches: Wish Want Wear

As a young girl, I always dreamt of being a little princess. Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty were my icons and I hoped that one day I would be surrounded by beautiful gowns and shoes. These days I'm a penniless student from Huddersfield trying to climb up on the social ladder and leading a life far from what I envisioned at 10 years old. However, when the dress hire company Wish Want Wear contacted me about reviewing a designer dress, at least one of my wishes had been fulfilled. Wish Want Wear are a company that offers a variety of designer dresses that you can rent over a 4 or 7 day period. There's everything from Herve Ledger and Cavalli to Temperley and Missoni, all at a click of a computer mouse. The prices range from as little as £35 to as much as £200, depending on the price of dress you would like to hire. I've always been fascinated by the dress hire companies and not having the budget for a designer wardrobe, I'm instantly drawn to sites like these. 

When I was asked to choose a dress to review, I felt like it was an impossible choice. Like a child in a candy shop, I wanted everything and anything I could get. After much deliberation, I finally decided on this gorgeous Suzannah dress. I picked this dress not only because I loved the pattern, but it reminded me of the 1950s era I'm in love with. Anything that shows off my curves and makes me look like an extra on Madmen would be perfect in my wardrobe and if I had a spare £755, this dress would definitely be making its way there. The style is very flattering for any body shape and fits like a dream - pulling the waist in, clinging to those boobs and giving you curvy feminine hips. As with many designer dresses, unless it states it has elastane, i'd always go for a size bigger. I'm usually a petite size 8, but I definitely needed a size 10 in this beauty.

The service from Wish Want Wear was fantastic and although I would have preferred my dress to arrive a little more classier than a cardboard box, I've found the whole hiring experience faultless so far as I have yet to return it. Would I hire a dress again? Depending on how much it costs to hire it, yes definitely. £110 for me personally was a little too steep for this dress, but anyone wanting a beautiful frock at the fraction of the price shouldn't hesitate in paying that much. The best thing about Wish Want Wear is that they have various dresses from different budgets and I could easily spend £50 hiring a dress for a friends or family wedding or special occasion. By loaning me this dress for the weekend, Wish Want Wear made me feel like a princess and it's what every girl deserves once in a while. So why not have a treat and try it for yourself?

Which dress would you choose?

http://www.wishwantwear.com/

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Great Gatsby Inspired Outfit

Since I watched the Great Gatsby in the cinemas a few weeks ago, I've been craving a glittery dress. The whole film showcases the most elaborate sequins, beautiful flowing 20s style dresses and lots of bright colours. Whilst watching the film, I felt like I wanted to be transported to those parties and join in the fun. Unfortunately this is not the 1920s, so i'll have to find some glittery ensemble and recreate a Gatsby party myself.  A delightful PR lady dropped me an email to show me their latest Great Gatsby inspired clothing lines and I instantly felt drawn to this dress. Sometimes you have a gut feeling when you see a picture that the dress is meant for you and you know that it's definitely going to suit you. I've searched for a lot of glittery dresses in the past and apart from my beautiful French Connection Samantha dress, I haven't found another one I like. I'm really picky as when it comes to glitter dresses, there's a fine line between tacky and spectacular. The majority of the time, unless you can splurge a decent amount of money on a glittery outfit, you're stuck with something that looks a tiny bit shabby. 

I received this dress in the post on Thursday - having ran down to answer the door in my underwear to prevent the delivery driver taking it to the depot. It was quite an embarrassing moment and full of cheesy chat up lines from the rather embarrassed male, but alas, it was all worth it. Tacky? Falling apart? Of course not, this dress looked sewn to perfection. On my first introduction to Bon Prix, my initial stance was that the dresses suited a more mature lady and I probably wouldn't shop there myself. However, when my previous purple dress arrived, I was really happy with the quality and pricing that my opinion completely altered. The dresses are a little more demure - they cut below the knee and offer sophistication rather than a tight little mini skirt and I like that. I haven't had a bad experience with the company or their pr team and its become top of my bookmark list that I check almost every week. 

This sequinned bust dress can be purchased from Bon Prix for the affordable price tag of £29.99. On initial inspection of the dress, none of the sequins seemed lose - something I tend to find with a lot of sequin dresses, the sizing is pretty spacious and the dress overall is really well made. The only thing I would comment on is that fact that it is a very roomy size 6 - 8. I would never consider myself a size 6 and although I own a few size 6 items, I'd say they are more verging on a size 8. This dress seems to fit me easily, but I could see it might be a little big on a size 6. Apart from that, yet again, Bon Prix scores 5/5 for their clothing again. Having worn this at my partners garden party the other day and the sun shimmering off the gold, I was left with confidence. The dress was comfy and felt like a second skin - something that all clothing should feel like. 

http://www.bonprix.co.uk/

What do you think of the dress?

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Smask Caviar Face Mask

Today has been quite hectic and I've worn myself out at gym, therefore I've decided to treat myself to some pampering courtesy of the SMask Caviar Face Mask. I find face masks a great way to wind down after a long difficult day and they make your skin feel silky smooth just before bedtime. I've always wondered about the hype surrounding caviar face masks and whether they work. After all they're a lot more expensive than the 99p face masks you can buy at your local beauty store. The SMask Caviar face masks retail at around £20, but are they worth the money?

Pros

• They left my face feeling rather refreshed and softer. 
• It's less messier than a conventional face mask. The mask is already prepared for you and all you need to do is rest the mask on your face and let it do it's magic.
• Doesn't stick to your hair as much. It's advised that you tie your hair back, but I forgot to do it. Most face masks will have mucked up my hair within five seconds, but my trapped hair remained nice and clean.
• The face mask is really relaxing. There's very little you need to do and you get a lot of benefits. I had a headache before I applied the mask, but it vanished all the stress.

Cons

• It's not an attractive look. Most face masks don't look that attractive, but I find that this mask in particular makes you look like a blue plastic alien. Of course I took a blog photo for reviewing purposes, but I think that's probably the least attractive photo I've ever added to this website.
• It's rather expensive. You only get 3 masks and the product costs over £20. Granted, that is probably the amount that you would pay at a salon and it does include caviar, but as normal working person the product is edging over my spending limit.

With the Smask Caviar face masks, I think the pro's definitely outweigh the cons. It's an easy to use product and great for if you're in need of pampering before a night out. The price is a little bit too much for a regular face mask, but perfect for the odd indulgence. If you can face resembling a blue alien for the evening, I'd say give it a go, it's definitely done wonders for my skin.

Have you tried any Caviar face masks?

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2012 Inspiration - Reem Juan

Reem Juan studied at London College of Fashion and launched her label in November 2010. Her designs are classic and timeless, drawing inspiration from the likes of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

With soft feminine colours and beautiful soft tailoring, her designs have that elegant touch that everyone needs in their wardrobe. 

As soon as I saw these images, I was captivated by their elegance and beauty, using beautiful romantic soft colours that I would love in my wardrobe and tailoring to suit the beautiful female silhouette.

It will be awhile until I'm able to afford any of these amazing designs, but I'm happy to draw inspiration for my 2012 wardrobe from them and hope in the future, that I will one day own one of these remarkable pieces of art.

                                                         

Prices start from £545 and can be purchased on the website, where customers can directly contact the designer.

www.reemjuan.com

Happy Friday everyone!

♥

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♥ 2012 Wishlist ♥

2012 is supposed to be my year of saving, not splurging and to control my spending habits, I have created a beautiful wish list. Hopefully in creating my wish list, it will point me towards the items I would actually like to buy, rather than impulse buying, but I can't make any promises on that front. I also hope to save at least £1000 of my University loan, so that in the future it can be invested into work experience or something career related. This University year so far, I've already managed to save £500, so I'm hoping I'll be a good student in 2012.

Going back to the wish list, the items I have chosen are classic pieces that I'm sure will look brilliant in my wardrobe for the next few years, providing I don't gain or lose too much weight. 

The first item I would very much like is this coat from Urban Outfitters. This is a timeless design that very much reminds me of the 1940s. I'm obsessed with old Hollywood actresses and I could really imagine seeing this coat. The fur cuffs and neck trim make this coat all snuggly and warm and provide a vintage-esque appeal. At £135, this coat isn't exactly cheap, but I'm sure it will remain in my wardrobe for years to come.

In 2011 I lost almost six stone and reinvented myself. The only bad thing about this experience is renewing my wardrobe. It is every girls dream of shopping once you have lost a lot of weight, but it can be quite pricy in the long run. Ever since I started my weight loss, I told myself I would treat myself to some lovely expensive underwear once I had lost the weight and I've always wanted to try the 'Agent Provocateur' brand. I can now say that I have purchased some underwear in the sales and it's making it's way to me as I speak and I'll be doing a review once it arrives.

I have to say that as of late, New Look have really upped their game in the shoe department and not only do they create beautiful shoes, they are really comfy too! I would love to buy these shoes from New Look as they so elegant and have a beautiful Christian Louboutin style. These babies are £59.99, but on the plus side, I can get student discount...

White is such a classic colour and admittedly, I barely own anything that is cream or white, so this dress would be perfect. Every dream dreams of having a Marilyn Monroe moment and this dress could be the one for me. I have many dresses in this style, so I know that it will suit me. This dress is from River Island and it's £35.

I know these days it seems that every girl and her dog has a Louis Vuitton handbag, but the design is classic, the handbags are beautifully made and to be honest, it is something I could see me using on a regular basis. This April will be my 21st birthday, so I'm hoping to treat myself to this beautiful bag with my birthday money and savings. 

I'm currently on a make-up ban after realising my collection is taking over my bedroom. I still have many items left to blog about and i'll probably do a collection post very soon.

What's in your 2012 wish list? 

Forevermissvanity

♥

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